TEMPORAL SHADOW: BRAVE NEW WORLD

by Shayne "Sonic Remix" Edwards

based on a comic story by Ken Penders

Sonic the Hedgehog and related character and indica © and ™ 1991 – 2017 SEGA – Sonic Team

CHAPTER 01:

The planet of Mobius was an incredible world, filled with wonders and surprises. It's history was constantly evolving, but now, it had truly changed. A recent event had caused the history of the planet to literally change around the central village of Knothole. Now totally unsure of what to expect, explorers from the village began to venture forth into the new timeline. Their destination was the city of Robotropolis, a place that they were familiar within their own time line.

The recent dark ruler of the city, Robotnik, had veen vanquished in both time lines. But how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same? And what was the damage?

The villagers had been celebrating the defeat of their lifelong enemy, but with the changes to the time, reality was starting to set in. And those who were entering the city were starting to realize this.

The magnitude of the situation had hit home.

"Unbelievable..." Sonic the Hedgehog murmured, a recent victim of being turned into a robot. He was scanning the area, checking for any dangers.

Behind him, his robotic Uncle Chuck spoke up. "You'd never think we had once lived here, huh?"

"It's even harder when you realize that this technically isn't the same Robotropolis we were fighting in," Sonic reminded him.

"I know...but we'll just have to accept that this is the new reality. I don't think it will ever change," Chuck said.

Beside Sonic, a black and red hedgehog looked to him. Sonic's new friend Shadow was a time traveler from the future, and his presence had caused the time changes. "I think that's all the more reason why I really can't go back to the future. Even attempting to could damage the time line further, and I probably wouldn't be able to go back to the same future I was from."

Sonic smiled softly to him. "It's okay, Shadow. We'll make sure you're welcome in our time. You'll fit right in."

Shadow looked to him. "That means a lot coming from you, considering what I did to you..."

Sonic looked at himself, as Shadow was referring to the fact that he got Sonic roboticized. "That was an accident. I don't blame you. The nanites really want to do everything they can to help me adapt to being roboticized. I'll adjust." Sonic patted Shadow's back. Shadow could only offer a slight smile.

Ahead of Sonic and Shadow, Bunnie and Antoine were walking through, holding hands. Antoine, who grew up for the first 8 years of his life in the city, was devastated by what he was seeing, now that he wasn't doing missions and running for his life. He murmured to the rabbit beside him. "Our Shangri-La...reduced to nothing more than a dirty junkyard!"

Bunnie could only hold Antoine's hand and pat his back in sympathy. She grew up in the Southern Baronies, away from the troubles of the city.

Ahead of them, Rotor was walking alongside Princess Sally. He looked to her. "Interesting, isn't it, Sally?"

Sally blinked, looking back at him. "What do you mean, Rotor?"

"All those missions into Robotropolis, and yet we never really contemplated the significance of Robotnik's actions on a personal level..." he looked around and added. "...no matter what time line we're in."

Just behind them, a skunk with a beret marched ahead to speak up. "The mission always comes first, mate. We can't take the time to think about such things when there's a war to win."

Sally sighed. "I'm afraid Geoffrey's right, Rotor..." As they started to approach Robotnik's old citidel, she frowned. "...once again, the mission, along with the greater good, comes before anything else."

She and the others made their way up the steps towards the gates. "No matter how much the sight of all this affects us, we must put aside our feelings and concentrate on the task at hand...starting here at the palace..."

As they made their way inside the citadel that was once the palace, Sonic continued to scan around. "Maybe it's the effects of the temporal changes, but something feels off."

"Sugah-Hog's right. I may have never been here before, but something sure don't feel right," Bunnie spoke with a frown.

"I hate to say it Bunnie-" Sally responded as they entered the central control room that was once the throne room. "-but despite the changes Robotnik made, something about the palace doesn't seem right..."

Sonic suddenly ran ahead of the group. "Hold it guys, I'm detecting a robotic energy signature ahead, and its a live one."

Just ahead, Robotnik's old command chair began to turn around, and sitting within was, what looked to be...Metal Sonic? But he was a different model and color scheme, black with yellow markings, green eyes and a green power gem embedded in its chest.

This caused Shadow to do a double-take. But before he could say anything, chaos broke out.

Sonic suddenly raised his laser arm, ready to blast it. "YOU!"

Geoffrey ran up beside Sonic, aiming his loaded crossbow. "I'll deal with this one, mate. Wouldn't want you to harm one of your fellow robots, now would we?"

The Metal Sonic leaped up from where he was sitting to hide behind the chair. "Whoa whoa, wait a second!"

Shadow took a step forward. "Wait, guys-"

But Sonic and Geoffrey were too busy butting heads to pay attention. "Excuse me? You saying I wouldn't destroy other robots?" Sonic growled.

"That's exactly what I'm sayin', mate! How can we trust you anymore when you are the way you are?" Geoffrey growled back.

Sally tried to speak up. "Guys, this isn't the time-"

"HEY!"

Everyone looked up as Shadow got up between the boys and the Metal Sonic. "Everyone calm down...I know this robot..." He turned to the Metal Sonic and waved for him to come out from hiding.

"You know him?" Sonic blinked. "Like, from the future?"

"Yeah.." the Metal Sonic nodded as he came out. "I'm from the future that Shadow's from."

"Everyone," Shadow gestured. "This is Shard, the Metal Sonic. He's a good guy..."

"I'm reformed..." Shard said shyly, looking to Sonic. "In fact Sonic, you helped to discover the spark of goodness in me..." He then looked to Uncle Chuck. "And then Sir Charles repaired me after I had nearly destroyed myself saving Sonic and Tails."

Sonic looked warily to Shadow. "I don't know about this..."

"Wait wait wait!" Shard piped up, running to a door leading to a side room. "I have a housewarming gift."

"Here we go..." Sonic groaned, expecting some kind of attack.

Shard opened the door, and a broken Dynamo robot fell out, disabled and broken. Sonic blinked. "A broken Dynamo?"

Shard looked to the Dynamo robot and shook his head. "No no, not that. That was just dealt with before I got him-" He reached into the room behind the Dynamo and pulled out a tied up and gagged Snively, who struggled in his bindings. He tossed him at the group. "I figured you guys would want to get your hands on him before he got the drop on you guys."

"Snively!" they all cried out before Geoffrey came forward to take Snively up. "I got him." He looked to Sally. "I'll take this little toadie away. You just call me if you need me to come melt down a few more robots." He looked towards Sonic and Shard pointedly.

"Thank you, Geoffrey," Sally said rather icily, not happy with the way he's acting towards Sonic at least.

As Geoffrey took Snively away, Shadow approached Shard. "How'd you get here anyway? I don't recall seeing a temporal storm..."

"Well..." Shard rubbed the back of his head. "Apparently there was a machine that Eggman had mad that could transport someone through time. Top secret stuff and all...when we figured out you were sent back in time, I was sent by my team to come after you."

"Eggman..." Sonic snickered, hearing it for the first time. "Who calls themselves Eggman?"

"Long story," both Shadow and Shard said at the same time. They looked at each other before Shard perked up and walked over to Sonic. "Oh Sonic, I forgot, I brought you something."

Sonic tensed up when Shard approached him. "What?"

Shard opened a compartment in his chest and pulled out some kind of large ring. "Even in my time, the effects to this timeline was being felt there. So when we heard you were roboticized, your uncle, father, Tails and Rotor all worked together to make you this...it...it won't deroboticize you, but it will work with the nanites to adapt a more organic appearance."

Again, Sonic looked at Shard with suspicion before something set him off. He grabbed Shard suddenly, holding him in my grip. "Now I know you're lying. My father's dead!"

In the back, Uncle Chuck was shrinking back a little. Shadow looked at him before looking back to Sonic. "Wait Sonic, there something-"

"I'll find out the truth in a moment," Sonic said, pulling out a connection cord from his arm.

Shard was getting jittery now. Sonic can't know everything! "Waitwaitwait, Sonic-!"

Sonic swiftly connected the cord to an open dataport, and the two robots went still.

"What...what just happened here?" Sally asked, bewildered by anything that just occurred.

Shadow sighed and looked back to Uncle Chuck. "You know he's gonna find out now, and he's not going to be happy."

Chuck could only sigh as Sally looked to Shadow. "Find out what?"

Shadow looked to her. "That Sonic's parents are alive."

Everyone in the room looked at Shadow and Chuck, in shock now. "Wait, seriously?"

Shadow nodded and looked back to the still robots, who were silently passing data to one another. "Wonder what's taking so long. Data exchanges are usually quick."

As a matter of fact, it took 5 whole minutes of standing around and talking to one another before Sonic and Shard came to life again, breaking the connection. Sonic could only gaze at Shard like an endearing friend, and pulled the cables out, smiling a bit. "That...that was..."

"Amazing..." Shard agreed. If he could blush, he would be right now.

Shadow looked between the two. "Uh...what just happened?"

Sonic looked to Shadow with an embarrassed smile. "Uh...yeah sorry...Shard and I were...um...getting to know one another."

"Uh...huh..." Shadow said slowly. "So I guess you know he's good then?"

"Very much so..." Sonic nodded.

Very slowly did Shard hand the ring to Sonic. "Here, this is yours..."

Sonic took the ring and started to put it on. "Thank you..."

Once it was on, Sonic began to transform before everyone's eyes, metal plating 'folding' away to reveal the flesh and blood hedgehog, all retreating into his arm into a heavy bracer style. Sonic gazed at his arm in awe. "Wow..."

He looked to everyone else. "...so...how do I look?"