x
At the revelation that Cosmo was a Metarex spy, an intensely bright glow surrounded both ships before vanishing, taking the Blue Typhoon to a strange planet; one where they've never been to before…
………………………………………………………………………
Meanwhile, Chris woke up in the medbay alone. Up on the bridge, Grace was holding an unconscious Cosmo. Everyone else was there too. Chris joined them as well. "You okay, Chris?" asked Grace, looking up at him.
"I'm alright," said Chris in reply. "But the real question is: where are we?"
He saw that they were in the atmosphere of a dead planet.
………………………………………………………………………
Meanwhile, Rouge and Shadow were there too. Currently, Rouge's spaceship was stuck fast. "Come on! Start!" she grumbled, pounding on the console to no avail. "Ugh, guess we're stuck here."
Her ship had been trapped in some of the brambles of the planet. Shadow, who had freed himself from Grace's vine, was standing atop one of them, looking up at the Blue Typhoon in the distance while rubbing his wrists; Grace had tied them up pretty good. "Haven't you given up yet?" asked Rouge, taking notice.
"I don't give up that easily," said Shadow. "She hasn't seen the last of me."
"Where are we, anyway?" asked Rouge, looking around.
………………………………………………………………………
When Tails woke up, he found himself in his room. Next to his bed was a note that said:
"Something's wrong with Cosmo. You should check up on her. Something about Dark Oak calling her a spy. She's currently in the medbay.
–Grace"
Worried for Cosmo, Tails got out of bed and headed to the medbay. Upon arrival, he saw Cosmo laying unmoving in a confined space in bed. Immediately, he got to work. As he watched a laser pass over her, Chris, Sunset, and Knuckles arrived. "Hey Tails," said Chris after a while of silence, "don't you think you wanna get some sleep? You might still be worn out after what happened earlier."
"I don't have time to sleep," said Tails. "Grace left me a note telling me that something's wrong with Cosmo, and I'm not gonna rest until I find out the truth about her."
………………………………………………………………………
Meanwhile, Sonic was walking out on the runway. "Sonic!" Amy called after him. "Where do you think you're going? You need your rest!"
"Don't worry, Amy," said Sonic. "I'm okay."
With that, he leapt off the Typhoon. "Hey!..." Amy called to no avail. "I've got to follow him!"
"We're coming with you!" Pinkie called as she, Rarity, and the Veggie boys hurried with her.
Nodding in reply, Amy ran inside and climbed into her spaceship, only to see a certain bat inside. "Hiya," she said.
"Oh no! Not you again!" Amy groaned.
Rouge just beamed.
………………………………………………………………………
Meanwhile, back at the medbay, Tails was still looking. "There's no communication device anywhere," he said. "I told you so!"
But then, Chris spotted something. "Hang on a minute…" he said.
Upon first glance, Tails' eyes shimmered with fear; enlarging the X-ray, Chris had noticed an electrical signal in Cosmo's brain. "Huh?!" the fox exclaimed.
"You got something?" asked Knuckles.
"Yeah," said Chris. "There's some kind of invisible signal emanating from Cosmo's brain. It's so microscopic, normal radar wouldn't pick up on it."
"So Cosmo really has been beaming information to the Metarex," said Knuckles. "Can we stop it?"
"I'm not sure," said Chris. "If we do, she'll never be the same."
Everyone was worried about this. "What are you talking about?" asked Tails.
"Whatever it is," explained Chris, "it's attached to the part of Cosmo's brain that controls her sight and hearing. If we remove it, she may never see or hear again!"
Sunset gasped. Knuckles punched the wall in stress and anger. "Then that's a chance we'll have to take!" he said.
Tails was appalled. "How can you say something like that?!" he exclaimed. "I'm not letting anyone hurt Cosmo!" Ever since Shadow's assassination attempt, it was clear that Tails didn't want Cosmo to get more hurt than she already was.
"No one wanted to hurt her!" Knuckles argued. "We just want to set her free. And if she had to lose her eyes and ears, then so be it!"
"There has to be another way!" Tails shouted, tears in his eyes.
Chris tried to stop the fight. "We're on the same team, you guys!" he said.
"I'm not the bad guy here," said Knuckles. "I just want what's best for all of us."
"Okay," said Chris. "We've just gotta think through this calmly."
He turned to Tails, who was trying to control his breathing. He was pretty close to crying, if his tear-filled eyes and wobbling stature were any evidence. "I know this isn't easy for you, Tails," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "and I wish we had another choice, but we don't."
"Either we do this," said Knuckles, "or we sacrifice ourselves to the will of Dark Oak."
"I think it's pretty clear what we have to do," said Chris.
Tails' eyes widened, the tears now flowing freely. "No," he said, backing up. "No, no, no, no! We can't! We just can't! I DON'T WANT HER TO DIE!!"
Before anyone could stop him, Tails ran out of the room crying. Unbeknownst to them, Cosmo had woken up and listened in on the whole conversation. She cried quietly.
………………………………………………………………………
In Cosmo's room, Cream, Cheese, and Grace were busy with something. "Let's tidy up the room so Cosmo can rest, guys," said Cream. "Let's make her proud."
"Chao," Cheese agreed.
Grace smiled sadly. "Thanks for getting me to help out, you guys," she said.
"You're welcome, Grace," said Cream. "Mother once said that one way to help a friend in need is to be there for them."
"Wise words from any parent," said Grace, nodding.
Deep down, Cream was also sad for her friend; at this point, everyone had heard the news. "Cosmo…" she said softly.
………………………………………………………………………
In his room, Tails was curled up in a ball on his bed, sobbing his eyes out. The thought of Cosmo never being the same again was something that he couldn't go with. She had already been through so much; adding this to the list would be too much for them both to take. Lifting his head up, Tails looked up at a photo he kept on his nightstand: a photo of everyone having fun at the party. They all looked so happy, especially Cosmo. Crying again, Tails buried himself into his little ball again. All he wanted was for this war to be over so that Cosmo could be truly happy; she deserved better after everything she went through.
After what felt like several minutes, Tails heard a knock on his door, but didn't reply. Then, he heard the door open and a pair of footsteps approach his bed and sit next to him. Tails didn't look up at whoever entered, but he knew who it was when he felt a hand gently pet him. "I'm sorry about my behavior earlier, little bro," said Knuckles. "I want to help Cosmo too, just as much as you do. She doesn't deserve to go through all that trouble, and I just wanted her to be free from what the Metarex put her through."
Tails looked up at Knuckles, not saying anything, but Knuckles felt his heart shatter when he saw the miserable look on his face. "I… I'm sorry too…" he said. "Ever since Shadow attacked her, I've been pretty protective of her. I just didn't want her to get hurt after that."
Knuckles smiled. "I understand," he said, gently scratching Tails behind his ear. "Sunset said that we're going to hold off on the surgery until the war's over since we don't have time for it. We'll take care of it when the time comes."
Tails just smiled a little and laid back down in his fluffy ball, slowly uncurling himself. "And again," said Knuckles, continuing his gentle scratching, "I'm sorry, Tails."
Tails looked at Knuckles as he sat up, knowing that he was sincere in his apology. "Hold me, please?" he asked, holding out his arms.
Knuckles didn't hesitate for a second. He picked up Tails and hugged him, holding him close. Tails instantly melted into his embrace, nestling his head into his chest, his ear over where his heart was. He purred happily, wrapping his tails around Knuckles like they were a second set of arms. Knuckles just hugged him tighter, careful not to crush him as he nuzzled his cheek. They stayed that way for a while until Tails fell into a much-needed sleep in his oldest brother's arms.
………………………………………………………………………
Meanwhile, in her room, Grace was sadly staring out the window, reflecting on what had happened previously. I wish I could help Cosmo, she thought, but I don't know how.
Glumly, she turned her face to the wall, not noticing that her hologram had turned on until she heard a voice. "Hey there, sweetie."
Startled by the voice, Grace turned around. "Aunt Aurora?" she asked, surprised.
Aurora smiled. "You got that right," she said. "And I'm not the only one calling to check on you."
Stepping to the side, Aurora revealed that everyone else was there too. "You're all here?" asked Grace, shocked. "That's amazing! How's everything back home?"
"Decided to check on you after your mother told us everything," explained Cinderella. "Cosmo must be going through a lot."
"And everything at home has been going smoothly," added Belle. "All we've stopped so far are a couple bank robberies, but other than that, things are just fine here."
"Hi, Grace!" Jasmine waved.
Grace chuckled. "That's good to hear, Aunt Belle. Hey, Aunt Jasmine," she said, waving back. "And yeah, Aunt Cinderella. Cosmo's been through a lot– a lot more than any of you can imagine. What happened today was just the 'straw that broke the camel's back' as it were." And she explained.
"Goodness," said Elsa. "And I thought me and Anna have been through worse."
"News flash, Elsa: You and Anna are not the only ones that have suffered through bad stuff," said Dusty. "A lot of us have been through worse."
"Don't remind me," said Ripslinger, hiding his face in his hands.
"Don't worry, Rip. No one's blaming you," said Clara, rubbing his shoulder.
"We've been caught up with this sort of thing," said Skipper. "Creecha's been keeping us updated for sometime, so we know exactly what's been going on."
"Like, for example, you guys attacking the Chaotix because you thought they were Metarex," said Anastasia, amused. "Heh, that's just hilarious."
Grace sighed. "I just feel really bad for Cosmo," she said. "I want to help her; she's a kind, great kid. And yet, those Metarex jerks had to take everything from her and force her to become a spy. That's not right."
"That sounds awful," said Pocahontas, feeling sorry for Cosmo.
"So not cool," said Kopa.
"You can say that again," said Kovu.
"It is awful," said Vitani.
"Now you know why people ask why bad things happen to the good guys," said Kiara. "It happens everywhere, no matter what world you're in."
"Heh. You can say that again, Aunt Kiara," Grace chuckled lightly. "But still, I'd give anything to help Cosmo. She deserves it."
There was silence for a while as Grace looked down at the floor. Then, El Chu spoke up. "Well, there's one way you could help her," he said. "You could find out why this war started in the first place."
Grace looked up. "Really?" she asked.
El Chu nodded. "Sí. There's always a reason for stuff like wars happening. Even all of us here had a reason for doing what we did in the past before we met you."
One by one, they shared their reasonings for their past actions and the consequences that came about. Some were, as El Chu put it, "understandable but ultimately no bueno." But in the end, they were able to learn from their mistakes and move on, becoming stronger and wiser in the process. Some people like Ripslinger even ended up redeeming themselves because of it. "So I just have to find a reason for why this war is happening," said Grace. "That's a great idea. Gracias, Tío El Chu. You're a genius." She had learned a little Spanish a while back.
"De nada, nuestra querida sobrina," said El Chu. "Happy to help."
"And in case you're wondering," said Ishani, "apparently, 'sobrina' means 'niece'."
Grace chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind," she said. "Thanks a lot, guys. You always know how to brighten my day."
"Anytime," said Zed. "Oh, and could you tell Robyn I said hi?"
"Sure," said Grace. "No problem. See you guys later."
"And one more thing that's most important," said Nala, catching the young girl's attention. "Be there for Cosmo. She'll need the support more than ever now due to what happened."
Simba nodded. "Considering what the poor girl's been through," he said, "it wouldn't surprise me if she's contemplating suicide at this point, but I hope it never happens."
"Me too, Uncle Simba," said Grace. "Me too."
After saying goodbye and ending the call, she felt a whole lot better, like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Now knowing what she had to do, she headed out of her room to the runway and, her butterfly-fairy wings sprouting out of her back, flew off to find some much-needed answers.
………………………………………………………………………
Meanwhile, Amy and Rouge were flying over the planet in the former's spaceship. Rarity, Pinkie, and the Veggie boys were flying alongside them on diamond hoverboards. Grace caught up with them. "Hi, Grace," waved Pinkie.
Grace waved back. "I'll have you know the reason why I haven't tossed you out of this plane is because I was hoping you'd give us some information," said Amy to Rouge.
"About what?" asked Rouge.
"I want you to tell us everything you know about Cosmo," said Amy.
"What makes you think I know anything?" asked Rouge, causing Amy to speed up. "Hey, Pinky, slow this thing down, will ya?"
"No," said Amy firmly. "Not until you tell us what you're up to. Why were you and Shadow after Cosmo?"
"The Metarex were using your friend as a spy," said Rouge. "I should think you guys would be thanking us."
"If it involved murder, that's a huge no-no," said Junior.
Grace nodded. "And besides," she added, "Cosmo never did anything wrong. That doesn't give you and Shadow the right to break into the Typhoon and try to kill a kid. There's a reason why Cosmo ended up being a spy; maybe she didn't want to at first and was forced into it in the end."
"She's got a point," said Larry.
"But what do you and Shadow have to do with it?" asked Amy.
She forgot to look where she was going. Rouge took notice of it. "Shouldn't you be keeping your eyes on the skies?" she reminded her.
"Hey, don't change the subject!" said Amy.
"Watch out!" yelled Grace and Rouge in usion.
Amy pulled up quickly to avoid a prominent dead tree. Wiping her brow, she and the others saw that there were others like it. "What happened here?" asked Junior. "It's like a humongous wildfire spread out here and no one bothered to put it out."
Grace sniffed the air around them. "Except I'm not smelling any smoke," she said. "And the trees don't look like they've been burnt to a crisp."
What had happened here?
………………………………………………………………………
Back on the Typhoon in the engine room, Knuckles was busy when his comlink activated. "Oh Knuckie–" said Rouge.
"Yeah what?" Knuckles interrupted.
"Goodness," said Rouge. "What a charming hello that was."
"Well, well," said Knuckles. "If it isn't Rouge the rat. You've got a lot of nerve.
………………………………………………………………………
"You think I'm gonna make nice [unintelligible] after all you've put us through?"
"What the heck did he say?" asked Grace.
"I dunno," said Larry, shrugging.
"He's goin' off the rails," said Rouge, handing Amy the comlink. "Here, talk to him."
"Knuckles, it's me," said Amy. "Rouge and the rest of us here figured out where we are."
………………………………………………………………………
Knuckles calmed down when he heard Amy. "Oh yeah?" he asked. "Where?"
………………………………………………………………………
"You won't believe this," said Amy. "... It's their home planet. Cosmo's and the Metarex's!"
Sure enough, the building they were in, or rather, near, was in ruins. A hologram of an older Seedrian, who was Cosmo's mother, appeared. "I am Earthia," she said, "and if you are watching this, you are looking upon Planet Green Gate. We lived here long ago, before a terrible darkness befell us. Everything has been destroyed. All that is left is long since dead. I have come to tell you our story, and that of the evil Metarex."
Shadow was nearby when Sonic arrived. "Well…" he said, catching his attention. "You know, you really outdid yourself this time, trying to hurt a harmless little kid like Cosmo. I just can't seem to figure you out, Shadow. You really are a mystery."
Shadow just leapt to the ground. "You just better watch your back, Shadow," Sonic warned.
Shadow closed his eyes. "Well, what's stopping you, Sonic?" he asked. "Here's your big chance."
"Nah, I'm not in the mood to fight," said Sonic. "But when I am, you'll be the first to know, pal."
Shadow didn't say anything. He just took off into the distance as Earthia continued: "We were once a thriving civilization, but then came the time of the great calamity.
………………………………………………………………………
"It was long ago. A war began that soon threatened to spread to the far reaches of the galaxy."
………………………………………………………………………
In the past, a war was occurring on Planet Green Gate. Strange aliens known as Seedrians ran for their lives, only to be killed off by an unknown enemy. But not all of them ran away. Daisy and her husband Landar were communing before Landar made his decision. "I have to act quickly," he said. "Perhaps the transformation will last this time."
"Landar!" said Daisy.
All Seedrians had a special kind of form to transform into called Mova Mode. For the females, it was trees. For the males, it was huge, dinosaur-like creatures. Landar roared as he transformed into his Mover Mode form. Several enemy jets tried to shoot missiles at him, but they did nothing. As Landar chomped down on a jet, however, liquid seeped from his mouth, and he fell over and died. Poor Daisy cried over him.
………………………………………………………………………
There was always a price to pay for transforming into Mova Mode: death. And this wasn't the first time it happened; at this point, the war had been so bad that many men had sacrificed themselves. Same with children. Wanting to do something about it, the Seedrians held a meeting in a conference room to discuss the matter. "The citizens of our planet are in grave danger!" said Starla. "As the enemy is getting stronger, we are losing more soldiers by the minute."
"The evolutionary process is unnaturally fast," countered a Seedrian who would later be Yellow Zelkova. "It has yet to be perfected."
"Something must be done!" urged Starla. "We must find a way to make the transformation last. We cannot continue to let our men destroy themselves!"
"My own husband perished only yesterday," said a now-widowed Daisy, "and unless something is done, I'm afraid more thousands will meet the same fate."
That was when Earthia stood up. "It is time for us to leave here," she said. "Perhaps we will return to our home one day, but now, it is too dangerous."
She placed an egg-shaped object on the table. "What is that?" asked Yellow Zelkova.
"It is a blessed amulet," said Earthia. "It will protect us on our journey."
There had been an objection to the suggestion, however. It had come from Dark Oak, Earthia's husband who back then was known by a different name: Lucas. "Journey? How dare you!" he exclaimed, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. "You want us to simply give in to the enemy? Never!"
"Lucas!" warned Earthia sternly.
"I won't do it!" said Lucas. "I have never been a coward, and I won't become one for you!"
"You will do as I say," said Earthia calmly.
"I have gone along with you this far, Earthia," said Lucas, "but I refuse to let those who have fallen before me perish in vain!"
He slammed his hands on the table again. "If you won't respect my decision," said Earthia, "you can stay behind and fight the enemy yourself!"
"Very well," said Lucas.
………………………………………………………………………
Later, a large colony spaceship was ready to take off. "Earthia," asked Starla, "do you think we will ever return here once the war is over?"
Earthia didn't know. "No one knows what the future will hold for our planet, Starla," she said. "We will have to wait and see."
Just then, Daisy came running in. "Earthia! Come quickly!" she cried. "Something's happening to the trees outside!"
Earthia was surprised. "What do you mean?!" she asked.
Sure enough, the plants were withering, leaving only bare trunks and shrubs. In a strange room, Lucas was alone when he heard Earthia run in. "Lucas!" she panted, out of breath.
"Yes, Earthia?" said Lucas.
"You must help," said Earthia. "There is something happening. It's awful, everything outside is suddenly dying–" She interrupted herself with a gasp with what she saw.
Lucas was standing in front of a strange machine with some sort of a glowing, crystallized object. "What is that?" she asked.
"It is the Planet Egg," said Lucas, "the entire energy of our planet in crystallized form. In its powers, I have discovered a way for the transformation to last, a way for us to fight our enemy forever."
Earthia was shocked. "Have you gone mad?" she asked, noticing several male Seedrians asleep in test pods.
"Just the opposite," said Lucas. "With such a thing as this, we will be more than mere beasts. We will rise up, and we will claim our victory! Finally, Earthia, this is what we've been waiting for!"
But Earthia didn't feel the same way Lucas was feeling. "But Lucas," she wept, "our people have always honored the natural world. How could you do it?"
"Earthia?" said Lucas as he went over to try and comfort her.
But Earthia pushed him away. "You… You have betrayed your own people!" she exclaimed. "You have destroyed everything that was ours faster than any enemy!"
As she approached Lucas, her husband stopped her. "Ow! Let go! You're hurting me!" she exclaimed.
"You were the one who wanted to leave here," said Lucas. "I haven't betrayed anyone. You have!"
"You're wrong!" Earthia objected.
"We will crystallize the power of every planet in the known galaxy," said Lucas. "We will have the strength of a thousand armies!"
"You are mad… Let go!" cried Earthia, breaking herself free of Lucas' grasp.
"We will lay waste to the enemy…" Lucas continued, "and with our new-found power, we will create a new order!"
"No… Please… Stop…" Earthia pleaded.
But it was no use. Like a certain Jedi Knight from a different galaxy, Lucas' craving for more power drove him down a dark, destructive path. But while Anakin Skywalker managed to be redeemed in the end, Lucas would never have that chance…
Later on, many more Movas, including Lucas, were rampaging through Green Gate.
………………………………………………………………………
"Earthia!" said a female Seedrian. "I'm afraid hundreds of beasts are still resisting!"
Now hating her husband because of how power-hungry he'd become, Earthia was left with one choice: "We have no choice but to destroy them."
The other female Seedrians looked at her in surprise. "They will bring darkness upon the galaxy if we do not stop them," said Earthia as she removed her amulet. "May we be granted divine protection as we travel to a more peaceful world."
While the females would leave their former home (with Earthia herself fusing as a tree to connect to the main engine), the males would stay behind, getting nuked by the females in a last-ditch effort to destroy them.
………………………………………………………………………
Lucas was no longer in Mova Mode and was partially buried in rubble. "We are not yet finished!" he said. "Our transformation is not yet complete! The final stages are upon us! Soon, we shall rule through space and time!"
Rocks fell around him. At that moment, Lucas died and Dark Oak was born. "You tried to destroy us, Earthia," he said, "but we are indestructible. We will live on, and all our enemies shall bow before us. We will have our revenge!"
………………………………………………………………………
Earthia's hologram finished with this final part: "Only five of those who remained here survived. In time, Lucas became the Metarex leader, known as Dark Oak. He and his fellow revolutionaries continued to cause chaos throughout the galaxy. Please, do everything you can. They must be stopped."
Everyone was shocked when it was over. "Oh my gosh," Rarity whispered.
"That explains this whole mess," said Grace.
"I was about to say: That explains a lot," said Sonic, catching their attention.
"Sonic!" said Amy.
"We gotta stop these guys," said Sonic.
………………………………………………………………………
Meanwhile, back on the Typhoon, Cosmo had some visitors in her room. "You must be awfully hungry by now, Cosmo," said Cream. "Why don't you let me make you something to eat, okay? My mother taught me how to make the most delicious sugar cookies."
But Cosmo wasn't feeling up to it, still distressed by her recent discovery. "Leave me alone…" she said.
"Cosmo…" said Cream.
"Chao…" added Cheese.
"Please, you three…" said Cosmo (Sunset was in the room at the time). "Just go… Don't you know it's dangerous to be around me?"
Cream was angry. Not at Cosmo, but at the Metarex. "That's not true!" she insisted.
"Chao-chao-chao-chao-chao-chao!" Cheese agreed, feeling just as angry.
"You're our friend, Cosmo," said Cream. "What you say is just not true–"
"It is!" Cosmo snapped, sitting up as tears pricked her angry face.
Cream was surprised. "But how…?" she asked.
"I can't be anybody's friend," Cosmo explained, "not when I'm secretly working for the enemy! Just stay away! I'm no good anyway. Shadow should have finished me off by now!"
Tears also appeared in Cream's eyes. "No…" she said. "Please don't say that, Cosmo… We all love you!... And if you are a spy like they say…"
Cosmo looked back up, still angry. "I'm sorry…"
Cosmo's eyes widened. Why was she shown this much compassion despite her secret spy work? "Get out… just leave me alone…" she said as she broke down crying again.
"Please don't cry…" said Cream.
"I said go!" Cosmo shouted, turning to the wall and burying herself under the covers.
Her outburst startled Cream. Sunset, who had stayed silent the whole time, gently touched her hand. "Come on, you two," she said, picking up the little rabbit as Cheese landed on her shoulder. "Let's give her some space. She's been through a lot, and I don't blame her."
As they left, Cosmo was left horrified. I can hear them… she thought to herself. I can hear them inside my head…
As she eventually fell asleep, she would have a horrible nightmare: one that revealed to her why she became a Metarex spy…
………………………………………………………………………
In her nightmare, Cosmo found herself back at her old home– the colony spaceship. It looked normal enough until the dreaded Scarship came into view. Everyone was alerted to the attack and got ready.
🎶Ima watashi no, negaigoto ga
Kanau naraba, tsubasa ga hoshi
Though the female Seedrians fought bravely, alas, they were outmatched by the powerful ship, who heavily damaged the ship and destroyed the bridge, killing her friends and the birthing pod housing the next generation of seeds.
🎶Kono senaka ni, tori no yo ni
Shiroi tsubasa, tsukete kudasai
Metarex Troopers poured into the now-damaged ship, ready to receive orders. "Kill all females," said Dark Oak. "Leave no one alive. But bring the green one to me; she can be of some use to us."
"Cosmo, run away!" called Galaxina as she pushed Dream Cosmo ahead of her so she could run to safety. "The rest of us will cover you!"
"But what about you, Galaxina?" asked Dream Cosmo. "I can't just leave you here!"
"If you don't escape from here, no one will survive!" said Galaxina. "Now go!"
Dream Cosmo did so, abid reluctantly. "If you want to get to her," said Galaxina bravely, glaring at the Metarex leader, "you'll have to go through us first!"
"So be it," said Dark Oak, appearing in person. "Metarex Troopers, attack the ship!"
Chaos ensued.
🎶Kono oozora ni, tsubasa wo hiroge
Tonde yukitai yo
On one part of the ship, two Seedrians were being shot at. One, who was younger, was screaming with fear. "Stop it! Stop it! I don't wanna die!" she cried, breaking out into tears.
The other one, who was older, gently grabbed her shoulder, causing her to look up. "I got you," she said.
🎶Kanashimi no nai, jiyuu na sora e
Tsubasa hatamekase
Yukitai
This was enough to reassure her as they got killed together. Cosmo watched it all in shock and horror as she finally saw the fate that befell everyone and everything she held dear.
🎶Kodomo no toki, yume mita koto
Meanwhile, Dark Oak finally approached Earthia, who was a tree. "So, Earthia, I see you've become a tree now," he said.
"So, Lucas," said a soft voice, which was no doubt Earthia, "you're as much of a monster on the outside now as you are on the inside."
🎶Ima mo onaji, yume ni miteriu
Down the hall, one Seedrian was running for her life, freezing in fear as Yellow Zelkova caught up with her. "Stop running and let me kill you!" he said, using his green orb to pierce her through.
Cosmo was more and more saddened as the dead Seedrian fell to the floor in a pool of blood. "Why did they have to do this?!" she sobbed. "I loved everyone here!! More than anything!!!"
🎶Kono oozora ni, tsubasa wo hiroge
Tonde yukitai yo
Kanashimi no nai, jiyuu na sora e
Tsubasa hatamekase (3x)
Yukitai🎶
In another part of the ship, two others, a mother and daughter, were embracing. "My darling," said the mother, "if we must die, then let us do it together."
Her daughter agreed. "We can turn death into something beautiful," she said.
They stabbed each other with their knives, embracing a final time in love before passing away. A group of Metarex Troopers that were chasing them at the time found them dead and proceeded to mutilate them. Cosmo couldn't bear to look. "I know your daughter is here somewhere," said Dark Oak. "And I intend to find her. Where is she?"
"I will never tell you," said Earthia. "I'm dying anyway. And even if she were to be captured by you, you will never win."
"That's what you think," said Dark Oak before ordering his Troopers and Generals to cut her down.
Meanwhile, Galaxina was the last one standing. "Any last words?" taunted a Trooper.
Galaxina just spat at it. "You'll never win," she said, glaring at it. "No matter what you do to my sister, she will save the galaxy. And there's nothing you can do to change her destiny."
She ended up getting shot to death by it. Soon, Cosmo found her dream-self unconscious by falling rubble. One of the Metarex Generals, Pale Bayleaf, found her. Notifying his master, he picked up her limp form and carried her off. Dark Oak contacted his Troopers as they left. "Destroy the refuge ship," he said. "You may fire when ready."
Soon, the ship was blown up in a fiery explosion.
………………………………………………………………………
When Dream Cosmo came to, she found herself in an unfamiliar ship. "Mother! Galaxina! Anyone! Where are you?!" she asked, looking around.
"Dead," Dark Oak said simply. "They're all dead. You're alone, little one."
Dream Cosmo was overcome with sadness and disbelief. "No!" she cried, looking up at him. "You're… you're the Metarex! The ones that were chasing us since before I was born! Mother said you were monsters, and she was right!"
"Your mother never told you about what happened to your father, did she?" Dark Oak asked.
"She told me enough!" Dream Cosmo sobbed. "She told me you killed him!"
"No, Cosmo… I am your father!" He removed his helmet.
Dream Cosmo was fear-struck. "No. No," she said. "That's not true! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Search your thoughts," said Dark Oak. "You know it to be true."
"NOOOOOOOOO!!! Nooooooooo!" Dream Cosmo screamed upon doing so. "You're lying! Why are you lying to me?!" Her mind couldn't deal with this.
"Cosmo, do you want to live?" he demanded, taking a step towards her.
"Y-yes!" Dream Cosmo said in a tiny voice. She started shaking. "P-please don't hurt me!'
"Then listen and listen well," he said. "You will be my eyes and my ears. I have heard that there is one that might stop me. A being called Sonic the Hedgehog. He lives on an insignificant planet named Mobius. Apparently, Mobius has magical artifacts called Chaos Emeralds that give him unbelievable powers. I am going now to battle him and take the emeralds."
"Wh-why are you t-telling me this?" Dream Cosmo asked.
"Because you will remember what I have told you about Sonic and the emeralds, but not that you were captured or made into my spy. I will see through your eyes, and hear through your ears, everything you say to him and his friends. I feel in a sporting mood, so I will not use my full power against him until I see exactly what he is capable of doing."
"I-I won't work for you!" Dream Cosmo sobbed. "That would be wrong!"
"Then shall I kill you… slowly?" He raised his sword.
"NO!" Dream Cosmo screamed, falling to her knees. "I'll be good!"
"Of course you will… my daughter! Hahahahaha!"
………………………………………………………………………
As she watched everything that had happened, Cosmo was torn. She never felt so miserable in her life. As she found herself surrounded by darkness again, she caught a reflection of herself. "What have I done?" she cried softly. "Everyone's hurt… because of me."
She looked around, seeing her reflection everywhere.
🎶Look at me
I will never pass for a perfect friend or a perfect sister
Can it be
I'm not meant to play this part?
Now I see that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my teammates' hearts
🎶Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection someone I don't know?
🎶Somehow I cannot hide who I am, though I've tried
When will my reflection show who I am inside? (2x)🎶
Hopelessly, she sat down on her knees and sobbed in the darkness…
………………………………………………………………………
Having been crying in her sleep, Cosmo was gently shaken awake by Sunset. "Figured you needed this," she said, holding out a cup of water to her. "I know you want to be alone, but I wanted to check on you. Plus, I'd rather not let you get sick from dehydration."
Her voice was gentle but stern, meaning that she didn't want to argue. Not like Cosmo had a choice, anyway. As she drank the soothing liquid, she still felt guilty for what she'd gotten herself into. "Why do you still want to help me?" she asked glumly. "All I ever do is get you and everyone else into trouble. What happened earlier today only confirmed it further. I wish I was dead by now; Shadow should just–"
She was interrupted by Sunset placing a finger onto her mouth, silencing her. "I don't ever want to hear you say that again," she said. "You're alive for a reason, and I'm not gonna let anyone like a black hedgehog take that away from you just because we found out you were working for the villains."
Cosmo didn't answer. She just looked down at the bed, ashamed. A hand cupped her chin, tilting her head upwards until Cosmo's face was staring at Sunset, who cleaned her face of any tear streaks. "Cosmo," she said gently, "I want you to listen to me very carefully, because I'm only going to say this once, okay?"
Cosmo nodded. Satisfied, Sunset began. "I can't tell you what to do," she said, "but I can tell you this: you only wanted to know why you were here, why you were the only one that survived the extinction of your people. Back home, it was always said that God must have a reason. Cosmo, perhaps He put you here for such a time as this. Perhaps this is the reason."
Listening intently, Cosmo was now more conflicted than ever. Sunset leaned down, kissing her forehead. "Cosmo, you never have to be afraid to do what's right," she said as she stood up and left. "I'll pray for you. We'll all pray for you."
………………………………………………………………………
In the engine room, Knuckles was doing some thinking when Twilight and Rouge entered. "Hey there, Knux," Twilight waved. "We were hoping we'd find you here."
Knuckles didn't reply at first. "Knuckles? What's wrong?" asked Twilight as she and Rouge sat down next to him.
"I still don't understand," said Knuckles.
"She was afraid of them because they were willing to steal the lives of other planets to pursue order," said Rouge.
"And I thought that in my home galaxy, the Empire and the First Order were ruthless," said Twilight, looking down at the floor for a moment. "Sure, they were like that, but at different levels. The Empire was ruthless, but flawed. The First Order was completely different from its predecessor because they learned from the Empire's mistakes. But the Metarex really took it up to 11."
"I still can't believe they would betray their own tribe. Actually…" Knuckles trailed off as his mind flashed back to a certain moment:
"Please stop!" pleaded Tikal. "You'll regret it forever!"
"Warriors, attack!"
Long story short, that one choice cost the lives of Knuckles' clan. "... since they're from the same tribe, forgiveness for them will be difficult to achieve."
"Are you alright?" asked Rouge. "Now you're finally making sense."
"What?!" Knuckles spluttered.
"I'm actually impressed with you," Rouge teased.
"What's wrong if I'm actually making sense at the moment? You're always picking on me!" said Knuckles as Rouge flew off. "It's just hate. I don't understand why."
Twilight sighted. "Well," she said, "you may not understand it, but you're right about this: forgiveness is never easy."
………………………………………………………………………
At the bridge, Chris was busy with something when Sonic and Creecha showed up. "Hi, Chris," said Creecha.
"Hey there, Chris," greeted Sonic. "You still up here workin'?"
"Finally makin' some headway," said Chris. "This stuff is pretty complex."
"Well, if anyone besides Tails can figure it out, it's you, buddy," said Sonic, looking over to see what Chris was doing.
"Man, there sure is a lot of data inside of this thing," said Chris, holding up Leon's device.
"Anything interesting?" asked Sonic.
"Plenty," said Chris. "In fact, I'm still downloading it all."
He analyzed the data. "There's a lot I haven't figured out," he said, "but what I have is pretty amazing, like this stuff here. Remember the data that Tails and Cosmo collected from that underground Metarex factory? Well, I was able to cross-reference it, and here's what I found. It's some kind of plan to wipe out all flesh and blood creatures of all kinds until the whole galaxy is populated only by trees and plant life. Plant life! There it is! There's the whole Cosmo connection! Why didn't we see it back then, guys? How else could she have figured out that Metarex language?"
Creecha sighed. "I don't know, Chris," she said. "I just don't know."
"Well, maybe we could have done something about it," said Chris. "Maybe it would have been different if we–"
"Dwelling on the past isn't gonna make it easier, pal," said Sonic.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," said Chris. "I just don't wanna see anyone get hurt, that's all. Tails was so upset before. Poor guy's heart is breaking. Not to mention Cosmo. Can't be easy for her."
"In a way, I know how that feels," said Creecha. "Except back home, none of our problems included Metarex robots."
"We'll get through it, pal," said Sonic reassuringly. "We've been through worse before, and we made it through okay, right?"
Chris nodded. "It's gonna be okay," Sonic added. "One day, all of this will be over. I promise."
Creecha agreed. She was about to leave when Chris spoke up. "Hey Creecha," he said, "does anyone else know about the whole spy thing?"
Creecha nodded. "They all do," she said. "Amy, Cream, Knuckles... everyone knows."
………………………………………………………………………
In the hangar, Cosmo was preparing to board Chris' ship and leave when a voice stopped her: "Where are you going?"
Looking beside her, Cosmo saw Tails emerging from behind the X-Tornado. "Please, Tails," she said. "I'm leaving. You can't stop me."
"I don't understand where you'll go," said Tails.
"To fight Dark Oak," answered Cosmo before admitting, "though I'm not sure what good it will do."
"You can't go alone, Cosmo," said Tails.
"Yes I can!" Cosmo cried desperately. "You'll be much safer when I'm not around. I can't stay here; otherwise, you'll all get killed because of me! Don't you understand? They're using my eyes to spy on you! They're listening through my ears! They're using me to betray you."
"It's not your fault, Cosmo," said Tails as he walked over to her.
"I feel so lost… I just don't know what to do…"
"It's okay."
"I feel like I don't even know who I am anymore."
By now, Cosmo was looking down at the floor hopelessly. Until she felt a paw cup her cheek and move her face upward until it was looking right at Tails, who took her hands into his own. "You're my friend, that's who," he said before giving her a much-needed hug.
Cosmo was surprised at the embrace. "But… but I've done nothing but bring you trouble," she said. "So how can you still call me your friend, Tails? After all this?"
" 'Cause those Metarex can use your eyes and ears all they want, but they can never have your heart," Tails replied.
As Cosmo hesitantly returned the embrace before relaxing, the hangar lights turned on, catching their attention. "You're not leaving without us, are you?" asked a voice.
It was Amy. And she wasn't alone. The rest of the gang was there with her. Cosmo was surprised. "Amy? What are you and everyone else doing here?" she asked.
"We're here to help you," answered Fluttershy. "There's no way we're letting you do this on your own. Right, everyone?"
The gang nodded. "Yeah! If you're gonna fight Dark Oak, we're gonna fight with you!" said Cream.
"Chao chao!" Cheese agreed.
"Me too!" said Knuckles eagerly. "Those Meta-dopes might need a knuckle sandwich!"
" 'Knuckle sandwich'?" Rouge snarked. "Gee, that was sure clever."
"Who asked you?!" Knuckles snapped, causing some to chuckle.
Cosmo was surprised at what she heard. "Really?" she asked.
Sonic nodded as he walked over to them. "We all talked it over together," he said as he hugged Tails and picked him up (his little brother returning the embrace), "and we wanna help our friend."
"Totally," said Grace, heading to Cosmo and placing a hand on her shoulder. "When I first joined the Guard back home, I once vowed that I would never, ever turn my back on people who need me. This is one of those times."
"After today, those good-for-nothing Metarex are gonna think twice before messing with us," said Sunset.
"Yeah. Because if those Metarex think that they can hurt our friend and everyone else around her and get away with it, they've got another thing coming," said Junior, cracking his knuckles.
Everyone agreed. "See?" said Tails from within Sonic's embrace. "It's just like I said, Cosmo. It doesn't matter what the Metarex do. We all know that you're really our friend; that's what matters."
Cosmo's eyes filled up with tears. "Thank you, Tails. Thank you all," she said before crying happily.
Grace didn't hesitate to pick her up and hug her, which Cosmo returned. "Awww," said Pinkie. "Group hug!"
Everyone joined in. Shadow watched them from outside. "You're all fools," he said, starting to walk away.
"You may be right," said Chris, who was sitting nearby. "If being a fool means helping a friend when they're in trouble instead of turning your back on them, then that's what we are."
Shadow continued walking. "You don't have to go, Shadow," said Chris, stopping him. "Why don't you stick around and help us defeat them? They may be using Cosmo, but it's not her fault. And who knows? Maybe we can use their own weapon against them? Come on; what do you say? Will you stay?"
Shadow looked up at Chris. "No matter what you say, your friend Cosmo is a Metarex spy, and that's all there is to it," he said as he started to walk away again.
"Come on, Shadow," said Chris. "It's not that simple!"
Suddenly, something came smashing down into the ground nearby. "What was what?" asked Chris.
The two looked over to see a small robot-bat rise out of the brambles. "Shadow! Emergency!" he cried.
"Hey! It's Bokkun!" said Chris. "What's he doing here?"
"Please help, Shadow, I'm begging you!" Bokkun begged before shouting, "THE METAREX HAVE TAKEN EGGMAN PRISONER!"
Shadow and Chris were shocked at the new development.
………………………………………………………………………
But Bokkun was right. Eggman and his hench-bots were imprisoned in a Metarex prison. "How dare you treat us like common criminals!" exclaimed Cubot.
"There is nothing common about us!" added Orbot.
"You are under arrest for stealing top-secret information," said Pale Bayleaf. "We have been watching you for a very long time."
"How dare you have us under surveillance!" yelled Orbot.
"Yeah!" Cubot agreed. "We should have you arrested for spying and for stealing the doctor's technological innovations!"
"I'm afraid that will not be possible, my jailbird friends," said Pale Bayleaf as he left. "It would be best if you just sit tight and enjoy your stay."
Eggman stayed silent the whole time while Orbot and Cubot protested strongly.
………………………………………………………………………
In Dark Oak's battleship, Black Narcissus entered Dark Oak's room. "Master, all preparations have been completed. We are ready to move forward," he reported.
Dark Oak laughed. "Master?" asked Black Narcissus.
"Well, Earthia," said Dark Oak, "it seems that your daughter has decided to continue in her mother's footsteps. But I'm afraid she's just as misguided as you."
As Dark Oak turned around in his chair, the screen behind him rose, revealing that he had all 7 Chaos Emeralds (the real ones, not the fake ones). "All of the lights have been gathered. The time has come. The Forestation Project is about to begin!" he declared with a laugh.
To be continued…
ns 15.158.61.48da2
