I crawled into a fanfic-writing cave to finish a project, any project.  I'm sorry I was gone so long, but I'm back, and with a Sonic fanfic!

It's AU, VERY AU.  Mostly it's Genesis-era, but with elements of (decreasing importance) Archie, post-genesis, and a single OC added to the Archie cast for gender balance.  Due to the alternate continuity, certain characters (read: all post-Genesis) have been altered to fit.

Anyway, due to real life constraints, I'm slowing down to once-a-week updates.

Without further ado: enjoy.

(Oh, and if I can't post non-MM fanfics, sorry... I wasn't aware.)

Chapter 1:

Through the lush area of Mobius known as Emerald Hill, there was a winding network of dirt roads, cut through the vibrant green grass for ease of travel.  From an overhead view, it looked like a failed cat’s cradle, tiny threads of brown randomly woven across a canvas of green.

From an overhead view, there were three dust trails kicked up high into the air, moving speedily across the roads.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles veered from the clear-cut path and began tearing across the grassy knolls, towards some unknown destination.

“Hey, Sonic, you don’t look so good…”  Tails, the farthest behind, had to shout to be heard.  “I thought you’d be glad to see them again!”

The blue hedgehog didn’t answer his friend.  He and his recently-formed crew of rebel fighters had received a message from the last place Sonic wanted to visit, a place he had tried so hard to force to the back of his mind, maybe even out of it entirely.  But he, Tails, and Knuckles were the only ones who knew its location, so he had no choice but to leave the base in Amy’s care, and bring the others to tackle the problem themselves.

It had been a simple message – “Robotnik is recruiting from the north again, and he’s brought the Death Egg.  I’m sorry, but we need your help, Sonic.”

It hadn’t even been signed, but the “blue blur”, as the oppressed public affectionately called him, knew all too well who had sent it and from where.

The side of the mountain they were swiftly approaching slid open, and the trio zoomed inside.  Shortly thereafter, it closed.

The three screeched to a halt at the same time, leaving skid marks across the ground.  They were before a tunnel, one they knew would wind its way deep underground.

They filed in, first Sonic, then Knuckles, then Tails.  Curled up into neat little balls, they rolled their way down the twisting tunnel, emerging in a spacious cavern.  As their eyes adjusted to the meager torchlight, a voice rang out from the shadows, one that made Sonic cringe.

“It’s good to see you again, Sonic,” said the feminine voice.  “I’m glad you came.  We need you.”

Knuckles looked impatiently at Sonic, his arms folded.  He was deep in denial, and the red echidna could sense it.  Though, of the three, he had been one of them for the least amount of time, it had hurt to leave this place, more because of what Sonic was leaving behind than his own reluctance to leave.

Finally, Sonic responded.  It was a statement carefully devoid of feeling, though there was a deep-seated sadness he couldn’t hide.  “I’m glad I could help, Princess.”  He dared not say her name, lest it invoke feelings he’d tried so hard to bury.

The princess stepped forward into the light, one arm loosely grasping the other across her stomach.  She was a pale-brown chipmunk with long brown hair tied into a ponytail.  She wore blue boots and a matching vest.  “I… I’ll take you to the meeting room.  Follow me…”

As the princess silently led them down the corridors, Sonic closed his eyes to avoid the sight of her hair swishing behind her.  Knuckles caught sight of this, and his jaws tightened.  It was bad enough he hadn’t greeted her as the old comrade she was (at the very least), but he couldn’t even bring himself to look at her?

Tails was silent, uncomfortable because of his role model’s discomfort.  He had always liked the princess, and thought she was a great person.  She and Sonic deserved each other, in his opinion.  But, after all this time, why did Sonic leave her?  He had never understood it, and Sonic hadn’t said a word to him.  Which was just as well, since he’d never asked.

Knuckles, on the other hand, had asked, on several occasions.  And he had always been on the receiving end of a slammed door, or a cold, silent stare.  But there was something he had gleaned from those encounters…

As the princess stopped to allow them through the door, Sonic and Tails entered first, and were met by enthusiastic greetings from the people within.  Knuckles stayed behind.

“Princess Sally,” he said quietly, so Sonic wouldn’t overhear.  “Deep-down, he still loves you.”

Sally smiled weakly.  “I know.  I can sense it; it hurts him to look at me…”

“Do you know why he left?”

Sally shook her head.  “I have no idea.  He’s only here now because it’s the Death Egg, that much I know.”

“Yeah… Sorry to bring it up.”

“It’s nothing.  C’mon, let’s get the meeting started.”

Sorry, I have no way of bringing back the other three.  But enjoy all the same.  I've posted them other places.  If I can find the links, I'll put them up here.

Anyway, without further ado:

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Chapter 1:

“But I still don’t understand,” said X.  “There’s no reason for anything not strictly part of a Light Capsule to be included in an Armor Maverick.”

Zero sighed, leaning into the back of the chair.  “It’s easy,” he said.  “This is an age of revivals.  If Doppler, Bit, or Byte were revived and are on the Mavericks’ side, then they could have told whoever’s making them that you held the Z-Saber when you last fought them.”

“But if none of them were?” said Marino.

X lowered his gaze.  “If that’s not the answer, then the only reasonable idea left is that either Sigma or Vile is a spy, if not both of them.  …Personally, I don’t want to believe that, but…”

The lounge was silent for a long while.  Finally, one of its four occupants spoke.  “It’s more likely that one of those three Zero mentioned have been revived,” said Sakura.  “It is an age of revivals…”

At that moment, the door slid open, and Layer and Iris entered the room, both holding a pair of closed blade fans.

“How’d the training go?” asked Zero.

“It was just fine until it got to the elemental enemies…” said Layer.

“You taught her the elemental attacks, right?” said Zero.

“All that I knew,” said Layer.  “And it worked until an ice enemy appeared in the air.  It was too high to hit with Enkoujin.”

“…There’s a fire version of Hyoryuushou,” said Zero.  “…But, I…I…”

Iris looked down.  “I know it.  But…I can’t remember it…”

Zero sighed, slumping slightly.  “I’d rather forget it…but you might actually run into something like that on the battlefield.”

“It’s okay, Zero,” said Iris.  “You’re right.  We might run into a situation like that someday.  You might as well tell us.”

“…It’s called Ryuuenjin,” said Zero, steeling himself against the memory that was inescapably attached to that attack.  He had used that very same move against Iris…

“And it’s exactly like my ice attack, except fire?” said Layer.  “…I can do that.  What’s wrong with it, by the way?”

“It’s…it’s nothing,” said Iris.  “…Thanks for helping me out, Layer…”

“No problem,” said Layer.  “After all, it’s better to train blade fans with blade fans instead of a saber.”

“You’ve been a great help,” said Zero.  “Thanks.”

Layer nodded, and left the room.  Iris sat down in the chair next to Zero.  “So,” she said, “what’s going on?”

“Nothing really,” said X.  “We’re just talking.”

“Okay.  …Zero, are you alright?”

“Fine…it’s just…well, you know.”

“All too well,” said Iris, putting a hand on his shoulder.  “But we can’t let it get to us.  It’s been, what, almost a century?  I think we can let it go.”

“I don’t know how it can be so easy for you,” said Zero sullenly.  He’d been reminded of that battle, and of the one thing that had made that memory eat away at him like a parasite.  When he had been fighting, at first, he’d been reluctant to attack.  But, as Iris’s attacks had persisted, the rush of battle had taken over.  That wouldn’t be a bad thing, normally, because, up until that point, he could always plead self-defense. 

But, in that one moment of the struggle, in that second before the battle body’s energy was depleted, he had actually enjoyed the fight, as if he was battling any Maverick.  And that, not the fact that she had died, was why he felt so guilty about it.  If she had died in a fight that he was consistently reluctant to pursue, he would have blamed Sigma.  But…there was no doubt that he was truly the cause of her death.

“Zero?” Iris said, shaking him out of his guilty, self-abusing trance.

“Hey, are you gonna be okay?” said X.

Dazedly, Zero nodded.  “Yeah…I…I’m sorry.”

“I think you should get some rest,” said Marino.

“Yeah,” said Sakura.  “A good night’s sleep is bound to make you feel better.”

“Okay…” Zero stood, and Iris stood with him, keeping her hand on his shoulder.

“Zero,” said Iris, as they left the room, “it’s not that easy.  Trust me…”

Their conversation was cut off from the lounge as they left the room.