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the-era-of-shadow · 3 years ago

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The Day The Moon Died Act I - An Ancient Evil's Beginnings

Chapter 6: The First Sign of an Uprising

Written by Ash Rose Red

Cover by Ash Rose Red

CW/TW:

Swearing, Conflict with police

Summary:

Long ago, there was a dwarf planet known as PetalBloom which was watched over by a kind Moon Goddess, who did her best to make sure everyone was happy. That all changed when an evil entity killed Moonshine and infiltrated his way to PetalBloom, and began a movement that would change everything from that moment on.

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The center star of PetalBloom was barely up when Widow and Doom found the spot they wished to use, but was about late morning once they had their mask business stand all set up and ready.

"How many flyers were you able to make yesterday?" Widow asked.

"Mmm… about a hundred."

"Oh… I only made about 50 masks…" Doom pulled Widow into his arms.

"Hey… don't fret dear, I can take over selling for you to be able to make more if we run low, alright?" He offered.

"Ah-Alright…" Widow responded, her body becoming warm from the embrace. Her body began to loosen up and she let Doom's warmth take her over. However, this wouldn't last long, as soon enough, the first customer came by to temporarily

break her from the trance.

"Pardon me, are these for sale?"

"Why, yes they are-" Doom started to respond, but Widow piped up and told the customer the prices.

"Hmm… I'll take that one right there!" Widow grabbed the mask that the customer asked for, and Doom stuck on the flyer on the back and handed it to the customer.

Widow squealed excitedly.

"Our first customer!!!" She hugged Doom, being filled with happiness and pride.

"The first of many, hopefully." Doom added, kissing her forehead.

Many customers went and came, buying masks and getting the flyers included.

"I had no idea that there was such a market for these…! I feel so glad that other people enjoy the art of masks as much as I do!" Widow said excitedly, twirling about.

"I'm glad that you're happy, my dearest Widow…~" Doom picked Widow up, letting her curl up to him. "Your happiness is my happiness… my sweetheart… holding you in my arms brings me the most wonderful joy…" Widow slipped back into the whims of Doom's charms once again, her body relaxing into his embrace and she spaced out, staring into the distance. "My, are you tired? Perhaps we should close down for the day, no?"

"...Yeah…. Let's go… home…" Widow mumbled out in response. She yawned and then brushed her head against Doom's robe.

"Your wish is my command." Doom kept carrying her, marking the shop as closed as they were about to leave. However, as the night faded in, a scene broke out in the middle of the Riverbed Plaza, attracting a crowd to gather around.

As she was putting up posters with Death, Vladmira and Tsumiko, the local authorities took Sendrir and arrested her.

"Hey, what's the big deal, assholes??" Sendrir yelled at the officers.

"Come with us! Don't resist!" She broke out of the restraints and fought off the two policemen and began to run off. The two called for backup, and soon made an attempt to surround Sendrir. Widow snapped back into reality and went to help defend her best friend from the cops like how Vladmira and Death already were.

"You want her? You ought to get through me first!" Widow threatened, and considering she was the runner up suspect in the murder of Karaqui, they certainly did try to get through her.

Doom lingered quietly in the background, dropping the authorities' numbers down by the dozens, without making a single sound. Widow caught sight of this, and so did the cops, quickly arresting Doom. Surprisingly, he did not fight back, or protest. He simply looked at the crowd and said.

"You all are so wonderful for watching this little spectacle of ours, I do hope we've sparked the Chaos within you."

Completely amazed and entranced by how Doom handled the situation, Widow as well made not a single sound as the remaining cops handcuffed her. Death, Sendrir and Vladmira weren't as complacent as them, but eventually, they too were detained as well.

Widow's cell was placed right across from Doom's, so the two talked a bit about what had happened and what they'll do next.

"We've made an impression, that's what matters…" Doom explained his thinking.

"I don't care what the others think, you handled that amazingly well, you really are the smartest person I've ever met.." Widow quickly responded, wishing so bad that she could just feel his touch in that moment, wanting it more than anything, it was all she could think about it. She spent the whole night staring at him, feeling so alone even though she was so close to him.

The morning came soon enough, and Doom noticed that Widow refused to sleep as long as she was separated from him.

"We can't stay here." He simply explained right before blowing through the bars in front of him, and quickly breaking the others free. "Get out of here, now!" He commanded, picking Widow up. He followed behind the rest and took down any officers that tried to stop them.

"... That was a close one..." Vladmira muttered.

"Indeed." Doom nodded. Widow almost instantly fell asleep in his grasp.

"Thank you… I appreciate you looking out for her… I'm happy that she's happy with you, but I think she's starting to get… TOO attached, you know?" Sendrir said to Doom.

"Our love is quite vibrant, it'll mature along with her…" Doom replied. Sendrir sighed and kept on walking. "Anyhow… I'm excited to see the impact we've made on this little town of ours… I feel like today is going to be quite the exciting day."

"Of course! Practically everyone in the Riverbed Area was watching us yesterday!" Death responded.

"Yes, we had quite a crowd…" Vladmira added.

"This is going to be fun!" Sendrir predicted.

"Quite so."

-☆☆☆-

"Wow! You and daddy really really loved each other, huh??" Garrick beamed.

"We sure did…!" Widow replied.

"And we still do~!" Doom added, his ghostly form becoming illuminated by the necklace around Shadow's neck.

"Oh… hey dad…!" Shadow uttered, shielding her eyes from the light.

"Am I interrupting anything…?" Doom asked genuinely.

"I was just telling these guys how we founded the Black Arms! I'm right at the point after we broke out of that jail cell!" Widow explained happily.

"Ah yes… We're quite close to when you got your vengeance for the situation in which you grew up in, yes?" Doom queried.

"Yes! Oh! Let me try my hand at some improv to set the scene for you all…"

-☆☆☆-

#teos #the era of shadow #sonic au #sonic oc #black arms #sonic fanfiction #black arms oc #black doom #black doom tag #black death tag #black widow tag #lillian tag #tsunami tag #sendrir tag #vladmira tag #writing tag #undescribed

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the-era-of-shadow · 3 years ago

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Carrying Onward

Written by Ash Rose & Rai Rose (@theshootingraistar)

Cover by Ash Rose

THIS STORY CONTAINS: Swearing, Domestic Abuse (via flashbacks), Depictions of Manipulation, Content that may trigger delusions in certain people

Starlight City was still as busy as it always was, everyone going every which way, minding their own as a familiar face walked through them. A few people with keen eyes and the memories to boot noticed this figure, and asked about what will become of the old clinic.

"I'll find a way. I'll return soon enough." The doctor told each and every one of them, before continuing onward with their journey.

One of the people who stopped to talk had a song from years past playing from their car radio, a song from the already faded out pop-punk band Mobian Knot entitled What The Future Holds. It was a song that they knew well, and held dear to their heart.

"Ah… Yes, I see you have good taste."

"Yeah! It was a shame what happened to Mobian Knot… this was the last song they performed before that horrible tragedy… I hope that Mina is found one day… I mean, at this point, she's probably dead like the rest of the band, but it'd be nice closure for her folks…"

"I suppose so."

Though the song faded as they parted ways, the forested areas outside the town reminded Eclipse of that fateful night again, with the crowd cheering and all the stage lights.

Only the gods know what song Mina last sang, but Eclipse knew it wasn't that one.

All of the walking and reminiscing took away many minutes from the day, just enough for Yuki to come to in their arms. Eclipse tried to act quickly and transform Yuki back to his true form before he fully became conscious, but they were a bit late on that. Yuki took notice of the small form that he was in, and looked up at Eclipse in slight bewilderment.

"Your form was shifted into a wisp so no one would notice you… Please don't be alarmed." They explained.

"Yes… understood… Why did you not just… teleport to the base, though?" Yuki asked softly as he transformed himself into his true form.

"... This city has been where the clinic stood for two whole years now… it deserves a farewell."

"Who knows where we'll be next…" Rhygenta muttered out quietly. Yuki rubbed her head and smiled.

"Wherever it is, we will thrive there." He said.

The air was crisp as Eclipse, Yuki and Rhygenta placed their feet onto the floating temple, the sounds of their landing onto the marble flooring creating a noticeable tapping sound.

"Where's the girl..?" Queen Widow questioned as the three entered her line of sight.

"The mission was a bust… we were unable to get Amy." Eclipse explained.

"Wait… Wouldn't you have known that already from over the hivemind?" Yuki asked, confused.

"Hey… yeah! Good question! Didn't a notice go out??" Reacuel said.

"Perhaps you forgot to do it..?" Leanni suggested.

"Me? Forget? Please, Le; Reacuel is NOT a forgetter!"

"Would you two stop bickering? There must be another explanation for all of this." Yuki said to his two vessel-mates.

"I… yes… It's very strange indeed…" Widow said, her worry creeping through into her words.

"What's strange?"

"Oh! Shadow! You're just the person we needed…!!" Widow perked up.

"Oh..?"

"The hivemind seems to be… down? Could you ask Doomie about it? He'll know how to fix it…" She requested. Shadow nodded and walked off to discuss the matter, but not before waving at Yuki. Yuki waved back.

"Father… We need your assistance in this time of need…" Shadow called out as they kneeled before one of the energy sources of the temple.

"What is it you need, Shadow?" Doom responded.

"The hivemind is not working very well… Yuki, Eclipse and Rhygenta went on a mission and returned unsuccessful, but we only found out that they had failed after they said so in person..."

"Yes… I do believe it's about time to re-establish the link…"

"Re-establish the link..?"

"The mental link of the Black Arms is fading without an epicenter. You must become our new hivemind, Shadow…"

"Me…? But…"

"I will guide you, Shadow. Do not hesitate, it only works if you are able to fully embrace your intention…"

"Right…" Shadow grasped tightly onto the amulet around their neck "Well… where shall we start, then...?"

"That, my child, is your call... My only suggestion is that you start with someone who's already been in the hivemind before..."

Shadow looked out to the group of their fellow Black Arms nearby on the ship. For a split second, their eyes crossed paths with Yuki's, who took notice and gave a friendly wave. Doom could already tell that Shadow had their first choice cemented in that moment.

"You know who those two remind me of?" Sendrir asked Doom.

"Who?"

"You and Widow, back when we were on PetalBloom."

"Hm… I can definitely see what you mean."

Yuki noticed Shadow approaching him, and started to approach it in turn.

"So, what'd Lord Doom say?" He asked them.

"He said that the hivemind needs to be re-established, with me as the source…" Shadow explained.

"Is that so? That's a very big task… May you have the best of luck!" Yuki said, oblivious to Shadow's intentions with where to start.

"Yuki, I um…" Yuki looked at Shadow, curious. "Would you like to be my… f-first link..?"

"Oh… what a wonderful honor it would be! Here, let me take my mask off…" He responded happily, reaching his arms back to untie the strings holding its face mask up.

Shadow's hand started to glow with Chaos Energy, and everyone else surrounding them and Yuki faded into the background. Shadow's intentions were clear as day to it, Yuki and them were going to become closer than they ever had before. Yuki, who Shadow had only met so recently, was yet so wonderfully important to them. The two will be one, intertwined with one another in the roots of the greater mind.

"Hey… Does this apply to Leanni and Reacuel too, or do you need to establish them separately from me?" Yuki asked softly. It was something that Shadow wondered too, the three shared one vessel, but were all separate pieces of the hivemind.

"Yuki was made just by himself into the hive, only being separated after his creation. If the usual procedure worked well for Death, then it should work fine for you…" Doom said to Shadow.

"Black Death…" Yuki snickered slightly, "It's funny that you brought him up… considering he's the one who made us like this…"

"Then I am glad to have killed him…" Shadow declared softly, gently placing its hand on Yuki's cheek, which slipped the both of them into a trance.

"Repeat the words I say to you, Shadow… follow my lead and bring us a new era…!"

"A new era…." Shadow softly mumbled, parroting Doom's words to them.

"Let yourself into my gaze,"

"Let yourself into my gaze..."

"Stare right into my eyes,"

"Stare right into my eyes..."

"And let me be your guide,"

"And let me be your guide..."

"As I make you new."

"As I make you new..."

"Sacrifice your morals,"

"Sacrifice your morals..."

"Sacrifice your mind,"

"Sacrifice your mind..."

"Let yourself be consumed,"

"Let yourself be consumed..."

"By the chaos inside."

Shadow and Yuki's gazes into one another were unbreakable as the world around them was consumed by their black hearts, crumbling into nothing but an empty void of pure evil…

The light of the sun pierced Yuki's eyes as he and Shadow came to.

"Perfectly done. Now keep going until everyone is one under your reign…"

Shadow smiled and nodded. They were about to walk off, but it felt Yuki take hold of their hand.

"Thank you, Shadow… We're honored that you decided to have us be your first link." He said to them.

As Shadow and Yuki departed, Shadow noticed the crowd of their brethren around them, all looking upon it in curiosity and excitement. At that moment, Rouge flew onto the temple floor, holding numerous shopping bags in her hands. She looked around at the crowd that she had placed herself into, a look of bewilderment dawned on her face.

"Am I interrupting anything?" She asked, turning to Relic. Of course she'd be the one Rouge trusted enough to ask.

"Oh no no no no! I do believe that Shadow is just about done with this one here!" Relic answered vaguely.

"This one of… what?" Rouge queried, trying to find a clearer answer.

"Not sure…" Relic replied hesitantly.

"Not sure?" Rouge parroted her, confused and frankly, a bit disappointed "Well, why don't we ask them?" She added.

Suddenly, Shadow spun around to Rouge, as if the numerous mentions of them from her and Relic finally added up to be enough to summon them, not unlike that of Beetlejuice and Candyman.

"Oh! Hello Rouge…!" It greeted her "When did you get here..?"

"I was just flying in, came back to check up on you!" Rouge explained. This response caused Shadow to smile, appreciative of their friend's care for them.

"That's very kind of you to do… but… where were you, anyhow? Where did you go?" Shadow asked, its voice becoming steadily louder and more concerned with each question "Why, I haven't seen much of you since I first adorned this necklace!" They added, wrapping their hand around the Doom's Eye amulet, as if it'll protect them from whatever kept Rouge away for the past week.

"I… I was just getting back to my usual thievery shenanigans, ya know! A-and I decided to splurge a little, get myself a new wardrobe! It's been awhile since I've been able to do something like that…" Rouge answered, trying to ease her friend's mind.

"Ah, yes… of course…! You deserve such things… especially after breaking free of GUN's chains like you did…!" Shadow said calmly, accepting Rouge's response.

Rouge couldn't help but notice that the way Shadow spoke had changed, in a way. It wasn't uncommon for them to "shift" every once in a while. That's what Rouge referred to it as, anyway. It "shifted" from person to person to latch onto every few years, reworking themself around how their new favorite person acted like. Rouge could clearly tell from the way Shadow spoke to her now who it's new favorite person was, and something about that thought carried a sense of dread with it. Could you really blame her, though? If she was right in her assumptions, then that means that Shadow's new favorite person is none other than the Black Doom himself, the god of malicious chaos, of corruption, and all the other labels given to him in their thousands of years of life. What could that mean for Shadow going forward? What could that mean….

For Rouge?

"That's a… uh… very poetic way of wording it." Rouge finally responded, after who knows how long of her being lost in those awful thoughts.

"Actually, you're here at a very interesting time, Rouge… For you see… I've been thinking of you...!" Shadow exclaimed suddenly.

"H-Have you now?" Rouge sputtered out, trying desperately to retain her usual suave tone, if only as to not worry Shadow.

"Yes- I-I very much have…!" Shadow assured her, trying to contain their excitement "Of course, I must take care of the ones that were in the last hivemind first, but… please do not fret that I have forgotten about you and Relic…!" They continued, as if it was explaining itself, but Rouge could not pick up any information from their words "I'll get around to you two soon enough…"

"Get around to us for… what, exactly?" Rouge asked as she tilted her head to the side in puzzlement.

"Right, I'm being terribly vague aren't I…? I've had my mind on so many things already that I can't keep a focus…!" Shadow confessed. "Anyway.. I'm re-establishing the Black Arms hivemind..!"

"Are you now...?" Rouge inquired, as despite her fears, she couldn't help but be curious.

"Indeed I am…! The connection was failing due to a lack of a true leader for some time now… So my father asked me to establish a new link with me as the leader…!" Shadow explained excitedly, maniacally cackling as they finished their statement.

Shadow? The leader of the Black Arms? The thought made Rouge feel many complex and contradictory emotions. She was happy for them, as they seemed happy for themself, but she was also worried that the pressure may be too much for it to handle. She was both optimistic and pessimistic, optimistic that perhaps Shadow, in their kind heart, can drive the Black Arms into a less cruel direction, but pessimistic, that perhaps the Black Arms will twist Shadow into a cruel shell of who they once were, or that Black Doom's spirit may do such to them, or already has done such to them, or even… that Rouge was completely wrong about Shadow, and that… that cruelty the Black Arms are known for was how Shadow always truly was, and the kindness she seemed to know them for was nothing more than a facade.

"Of course, that new hivemind will include those that were in the last one…" Shadow continued on, seemingly oblivious to Rouge's growing worries. "But it will also include our new allies, like Relic…"

"Like you..!"

Shadow said it with such a chipper tone, they seemed happy about the thought, excited, even! But when Rouge heard that herself would be included as a part of Shadow's hivemind, a huge pit manifested into her gut, contorting her organs around with it's sheer weight. There was no hiding the dread that Rouge felt now. It was clear as day, on display for everyone to see. Everyone else was so willing, so happy to be here, even Relic, who would be a newbie to this whole "hivemind" thing, just like her. But Rouge was terrified, she could barely stand to look her friend in the eyes, those vibrant crimson eyes, it was like they were trying to entrance her even in this very moment. They pierced through to her soul, beckoning it to come to them, to reject the freedom Rouge had been trying to reach for so long, and to accept her new existence as a mere extension of her dear Shadow's will.

"Is something the matter..?" Shadow asked her, its voice echoing around Rouge like a stage performance. Rouge could tell that they were genuinely concerned for her, but there was still a lure of temptation to their behavior, which regardless of being a clear mimicry of their beloved father, only caused Rouge to panic more "Are you… scared of me..?"

That was the first thing Shadow worried about when they and Rouge were first becoming friends. It was so bad that the thought that Rouge would be afraid of them made them afraid of itself. Rouge promised that she'd never be scared of them.

But she couldn't stop herself from breaking that promise.

Both of them were completely silent, too wrapped up in their respective fears to be able to speak. It was completely silent for several long seconds, until there was finally a sentence spoken.

"Shadow, when can I be expecting you?" It was not from either Rouge nor Shadow, but rather, from Eclipse.

"O-oh! I-I-" Shadow sputtered nervously, trying to recover their composure. "I can set your link up right now if you so desire…!"

"Actually, I was hoping to be able to check on the new Dark Arms first… Perhaps even that we might be able to do mine and all of the Dark Arms' back-to-back?" Eclipse clarified.

"Right, of course… I know how much you love them…"

Every word that Shadow spoke made it sound more and more like a spitting image of Black Doom to Rouge, which frankly, made her feel sick to her stomach.

"I'll give you as much time as you need, Eclipse…" Shadow concluded.

"Thank you Shadow, that means a lot to me." Eclipse responded with a smile. "Now you go do your thing, Your Highness." They added, giving Shadow a pat on the head.

Shadow looked around, trying to decide on who to then do next, but then the thought came to them.

"Queen Widow..!" Shadow meant to say to themself but ended up saying out loud.

" "Queen Widow"...? No need to be so formal, Shadow…!" Widow said to it, giggling as she transformed into it's Mobian form. "But I'd love to…!"

"Right, right! My apologies…"

As Shadow and Widow began to enact the ritual, Eclipse started their way to their laboratory, stopping by Rouge, saying a single sentence to her.

"Come, I have something to show you."

Rouge was cautious at first, but agreed as she saw Relic follow Eclipse's lead. Relic was the only person Rouge really trusted around here at this point, for better or for worse.

"Rouge, what's in those shopping bags you've got there?" Relic asked curiously.

"Oh, just those new clothes I was telling Shadow about…! And some really cute stilettos…" Rouge answered, her cheeks becoming warm as she did.

"Is that so?" Relic inquired.

"Yeah! I've actually got this wonderful idea for customizing the shoes-!" Rouge continued, her mood starting to drastically improve as she spoke.

"Oh?" Relic said, wanting to be as engaged as possible as to help make Rouge feel better.

"I was looking through the trunk of the jeep I'm "borrowing" from GUN…" Rouge began to explain, as Relic started to chuckle slightly "And I found this really neat pair of handguns! So I thought of making little straps on the boots to hold'em! Convenient, AND what I assume would be right for the vibe that I'm trying to give off!"

"Oh! Like the main character in Bayonetta?" Relic questioned, which seemingly made Rouge shocked "The video game franch-?"

"The idea's been done before???" Rouge yelled.

"Not in real life-!" Relic tried to add.

"Dammit! I wanted to have an original idea!" Rouge loudly pouted.

"Kæ' Blak Doom ducsie…" Eclipse uttered in annoyance.

*Translation Note: “Dear Black Doom, my Lord” (Eclipse will explain this very soon, but just in case you can’t wait that long)

"EH???" Rouge blurted out, confused.

A bit of silence lingered for a few seconds, before all three of them bursted out laughing.

"What does that even mean???" Rouge questioned in between laughs.

"Did you not notice that you weren't speaking English back there, Eclipse??" Relic asked.

"... English is a confusing mess." Eclipse admitted, rolling their eyes as Relic and Rouge erupted into laughter for a second time. "To answer your question though, Rouge, what I said translates directly as "Dear Black Doom, my Lord"."

"Oh, so it's like when someone says "Oh my Chaos" after something stupid happens?" Rouge supposed.

"Yes, essentially." Eclipse answered. "You'll understand that and the rest of our language instinctively once your link has been made. In fact, all of your thoughts will be in that tongue after that occurs."

Eclipse's words brought the anxiety that Rouge felt right back from where she had hidden them. If this process was going to change the very language that she thought in, then what else could be changed about her by this strange ritual?

"Though it's funny that you bring up Chaos. Are you aware of the relationship between her and our great Lord Doom?" Eclipse spoke again, marching on with the conversation regardless of how Rouge was feeling.

"Uhm… they're… related, I think, right? I'm not very religious…" Rouge attempted to answer.

"The two are both gods of Chaos Energy, with Chaos being the goddess of benevolent chaos, full of healing and whimsical…ness? And Doom is the god of malevolent chaos, often called "corruptive" in nature." Relic explained. Rouge could definitely see why one would refer to Black Doom as a corruption force. "Also, the two are siblings, in a sense."

"They are?" Rouge asked.

"Yep! Black Doom was created first, by Solaris, Moonshine and Light Gaia, and Chaos was created some time after Doom turned tail and became all… evil, by Solaris and Light Gaia." Relic continued on. Rouge knew that Relic was a skilled archeologist, so it didn't come as much a surprise that she was also quite the mythology buff. Seeing Relic thoroughly explain something that she enjoyed so much made Rouge calm down and put a big dorky smile on her face.

"Moonshine? What, like the alcohol?" Rouge queried jokingly.

"No, silly!" Relic replied in that same joking tone. "Though, we should maybe grab some hard lemonades or something to celebrate the new hivemind later…"

"I'm more of a wine gal myself, but I'm always up for a party!"

"I'd rather not, personally…" Eclipse admitted, their voice a bit shaky.

"You don't have to drink any if you don't want to." Relic explained.

"Nah… I'll just… not come then.." Eclipse quietly responded. "We're getting distracted. Let's carry on.."

"You're nothing more than a lie! *hic* A lie that that piece of shi-*hic* keeps living to stroke his own fucki-*hic* ego!"

"Hey-! What are you doing with that-?!"

"Don't fucki-*hic* talk to me, you *hic* vermin!!"

The air was thick with dreadful feelings once again, but for once it wasn't because of Rouge. She thought of trying to ask Eclipse what bothered them so, but didn't feel close enough to them for such a conversation to do anything productive, and Relic simply didn't know how to ask such a thing to them. Both of them wanted to lend a hand to Eclipse, but as Relic knew all too well, Eclipse is the type that usually just bottles everything up and only lets everything out when they're alone. But something felt different, this felt like something that should be talked through.

"Eclipse, is it just you drinking alcohol that's the issue, or is it the presence of alcohol in the first place?" Rouge finally asked,

".... I don't like to be around it…" Eclipse uttered after a stint of pure silence.

"Why's that?" Rouge queried further.

"It's not something I want to discuss." Eclipse responded bluntly, putting a complete stop to that conversation.

The last bit of the journey to Eclipse's laboratory was completely silent, aside from the sound of footsteps on the ship's floor. It caused Rouge's mind to run. She looked out at the sky that surrounded the ship, and contemplated flying away. But where would she go? GUN wouldn't take her back, the Freedom Fighters surely didn't want her, not that she wanted them. She didn't want to join the Robotnik Empire due to the pure resentment she grew for Ivo over the years from being friends with Omega. Maybe she could make it on her own, like she used to before joining GUN? But that was so long ago! Rouge had joined GUN all the way back in 2002, and almost a whole decade had passed since then.

As Eclipse took a step into their laboratory, a sense of calm and comfort washed over them. Despite how things have changed, they also feel the same.

"Dearie… not to be a bother, but could you lower the lights in here a bit more...?"

"Oh, sorry Le, it's just that it's a bit hard to see my blueprints already, so lowering the lights more would-"

"Why are you so concerned about your blueprints, hun..? It's quite late as it is…"

"Oh great Lord Doom almighty are you pulling another all-nighter?"

"Huh-? N-no-! I-"

"Why don't you come rest with us tonight, hun..?"

"The Dark Arms aren't gonna go anywhere, dummy! So come here and sleep already, okay?!"

"Okay…" Eclipse accidentally murmured out loud, getting the attention of their beloved Dark Arms, which came to them and embraced them, feeling the sorrowful energy that radiated from them. They asked them repeatedly if they were okay, worried sick for their beloved caretaker. "I'm fine, I'm fine…" They insisted.

"Should we show Rouge the uh… ya know… at some other time?" Relic asked.

"R-right! I forgot all about Mina! My sincerest apologies-!"

"Mina? The… rockstar?" Rouge inquired, immediately regretting that she did right after.

"Curses-! I'm spilling everything all over before I even make the proper reveal-!" Eclipse nervously sputtered as they made a mad dash to the back end of their laboratory.

Part of Rouge wanted to just ask Eclipse to do this some other day, as it was clear to her that they weren't in the best spot mentally at the moment, but the rest of her had to know. She heard many things about the tragic end of Mobian Knot, and the trial that was held afterwards. She wanted justice, she wanted proof that that poor armadillo girl they accused didn't do it. Everyone in GUN was sure of who the real culprit was, but they didn't want to reveal the Black Arms' return to the public. Rouge wanted to, no, NEEDED to know…

What happened to Mina?

Eclipse forcefully gripped the cloth covering a large egg-shaped contraption. The contraption was a bit taller than they were, and the cloth was just a bit smaller, revealing some intricate metal work at the contraption's very lowest point.

"With no other slip-ups or delays!" Eclipse suddenly yelled, playing up the caricature of a classical mad scientist. It was something to cling onto for now, for the last few minutes this had to go on, then Eclipse could have some alone time with their Dark Arms, some time to sit and work through everything in their head on their own, as they always had. "I present to you...!!"

Eclipse pulled on the cloth off of their contraption, only to find that it was stuck on some part of it. They pulled with all the might they had, but it just refused to come off.

"Let me deal with this..." Relic lifted the cloth from where it was stuck, and got it to finally fall off from the contraption's grasp.

Once the cover was finally off, the contraption was revealed to be a container of sorts. Within this container was a body that resembled that of the rockstar known as Mina Mongoose, but the details were very different. It was like one of the many Black Arms soldiers Rouge had encountered during their invasion of Aerth, or during GUN'S raid of the Second Black Comet, had been taken and molded into a Mina-shaped figure. She tried one last time to act civil, but she couldn't, she just couldn't.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HER???" Rouge screamed loudly, tears welling up in her eyes. Relic tried to calm her down, but it only seemed to work a little bit. Eclipse was taken aback a bit, they could already tell that this wasn't going to go so well, but that didn't stop them from trying to remedy the situation.

"I-i-if y-you must know… She was assimilated…!" They began, "It's usually quite a lengthy experience, and a painful one at that, but I found a way to make it go by much quicker, and Mina here was simply my first test subject… Oh how she yearns for the day that she can go back on stage… She wants to make new songs about how wonderful we are, oh how sweet of her..!"

Relic chuckled a bit, but Rouge did not do anything of such a matter. She instead broke free of Relic's soft embrace and went right to the edge of the ship, vomiting into the thick forests far below. She tried to stand up after she was done, but her body shook too much to be able to. So instead, she simply cried.

"Rouge… are you-"

"No, Relic! I'm not fucking okay!! How the hell could I be?! How could you possibly be?! That was a thriving Mobian life! A life that they took away to use the body for a puppet!! How are you not sickened by that, Relic?!" Rouge fumed.

"You've got the wrong idea, Rouge… It's not like that." Relic replied as she sat next to Rouge.

"Then what the hell is it like then, huh??"

"Mina's personality is still there, her whole self is still there! She's just a bit different now. Sure, her thoughts may be in a different language now, but they're still her thoughts! She's still Mina, just with a new look, a new style! Ya know?" Relic explained.

"What about that whole… hivemind thing? Doesn't that impact how she thinks and feels about things?" Rouge asked, still skeptical.

"... Yeah." Relic admitted.

"And Eclipse said that the process is really painful, didn't they? That's still gotta be really traumatic, especially if she does remember that!"

"Regular assimilation is very painful. This "accelerated assimilation" that Eclipse created isn't like that at all! It's like surgery! You go to sleep, and you wake up as a brand new you!" Rouge knew what it was like getting surgeries, and she had to admit that Relic wasn't far off.

Rouge looked up to the sky again. The sun was starting to set now, with a few stars already peeking through the sky.

"When I was on the Second Black Comet, all the other Black Arms followed along with everything the main guy was saying… that lack of free will… I can't do that." Rouge confessed.

"But you always want what's best for Shadow anyway, don't you?" Relic asked.

Rouge couldn't help but nod.

"Exactly! So it'll be like nothing's even changed!" Relic exclaimed.

There was one last thought that Rouge had, one more question to ask.

"What happens to allies that don't join the hivemind?"

"Simply… they are executed." Eclipse answered quietly, but bluntly.

"W-well… I'm sure that Shadow wouldn't be so… quick to…" Rouge tried to grasp onto something, some sort of steady footing. She knew this was wrong, she knew this was horrific. She wanted to keep some sort of escape plan, just like she did when she joined GUN. But that didn't seem to be possible here.

"You're probably right, but you have to talk to them." Relic said to Rouge. Rouge simply walked away and didn't say anything.

"Oh! Rouge left her bags here! I'll go put them somewhere safe." Relic said as she picked up the shopping bags. She looked over and saw Eclipse wrapped up in their Dark Arms, both old and new. "Should I tell Shadow you aren't feeling well or…?"

"Nonsense… I'll be right with them in just a few… I have something I must do for my new younglings…" Eclipse responded calmly. Relic sighed, glad that her friend was feeling better.

As Relic looked around for a place to set the bags down, she noticed Rouge walking towards Shadow. They were seemingly in the middle of doing the ritual with Harazuki. She began to wonder how long the three of them had been walking, talking, and everything else that had just happened.

Rouge stood by quietly, unnerved by the sight before her, but also completely unable to look away.

"They're a natural, aren't they?" Widow said to Rouge, breaking the trance-like attention Rouge had on the scene.

"Uhm, well… It's not like I'd really know. I'm just a Mobian, ya know…" Rouge skittishly responded.

"Don't be silly… you're one of us now, sweetheart…!" Widow told her cheerfully. Rouge didn't say anything back.

When Rouge looked back at the scene, Shadow had just finished up with Harazuki. It looked up and met eyes with Rouge, smiling kindly to her.

"Hello Rouge…!" Despite everything that had changed, Shadow's smile was the same as it has always been. Though it was a rare sight to see back when they worked at GUN, the exact feeling Shadow's smile gave was always the same, no matter how much the rest of them changed. It was silly, and dorky, and filled with love and happiness. Seeing it's smile in this moment brought Rouge to tears. Despite all her fears, she loved Shadow, and wanted to always be by their side. Before Shadow could even react to seeing Rouge cry, she hugged them tightly, full of emotion and passion.

"Shadow I… I don't know if I can do this…" She admitted boldly to it. "I love you so much, I don't want to leave you, but I just can't!!"

"I know… I know that you're scared… but…"

"But..?"

"Just trust me, okay?" Shadow said. "Trust me that I'll do no harm to you…" Rouge looked away for a second, unsure of how to respond. "Because I don't want to hurt you… You're one of the bestest friends I've ever had…" Rouge knew that Shadow was speaking the truth. They really did love her, she could tell. It's very easy to tell who Shadow does and doesn't love, even now.

"Alright. I'll trust you on this one, bud." Rouge conceded, giving them a smile of her very own, though it'd never be anywhere near as instantly heartwarming as Shadow's. "As long as you let me fly in the freedom, at least a little bit."

"Well, there are a lot of things to do…" Shadow admitted. "Giving you an adventure or two to look for the Chaos Emeralds or something wouldn't be hard to arrange."

"I'd like that." Rouge agreed, her sassy tone back in full swing.

"I know it's been a long, rough road to finally get here, for both of us." Shadow said, with genuine empathy.

"Sure has… moving even an inch forward felt like an entire year had gone past." Rouge admitted.

"But no matter what, we're never turning back, okay?" Shadow insisted.

"No! Of course not." Rouge responded. "We're besties forever!"

Rouge and Shadow's eyes met again, and Rouge started to feel light headed. Shadow grinned and sat her down.

"Just keep looking into my gaze, alright?"

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the-era-of-shadow · 3 years ago

Text

The Day The Moon Died Act I - An Ancient Evil's Beginnings

Chapter 4: Love Beyond Laws

Written by Ash Rose Red

Cover by Ash Rose Red

CW/TW:

Swearing

Summary:

[Previous Chapter]

[Next Chapter]

Connecting from Chapter 2

The main star of PetalBloom had finally finished rising, parting the thick fog of dawn and revealing all the little town near the riverbed had to offer to the ones who would destroy it.

“I’m usually not out at this hour… the starlight makes the white sandy ground even brighter… It hurts my eyes so fucking bad..” Widow groaned, pulling up her hood to shield herself.

“Perhaps we should head inside, then?” Doom suggested.

“That sounds like a good idea, there’s a restaurant nearby…” Widow put her hand against the walls of the buildings. “I’ll tell you when I feel it, I remember what the restaurant’s walls feel like..” She explained.

“Have you always been sensitive to the light then?” Doom asked her, curious. Widow nodded.

“I’ve been this way for as long as I can remember. My parents tried praying to Moonshine to fix my eyes, but she never did… That’s why I decided to not worship her. She was a fucking piece of shit for what she did, only helping some of her followers, helping her favorites with the smallest things while people like me continue to suffer with no payback… She betrayed me, decided it was right to keep me practically blind… I’m glad you killed that bitch.” Widow continued to speak before Doom could even respond. “Anyway, we’re here.” Widow was about to open the door, but Doom stopped her.

“Allow me.” He opened the door for her. The low lighting of the restaurant was much better on Widow’s eyes, making her happy, though she was still adjusting.

“Hey! Well would you look at who’s here today!” A feminine voice said excitedly.

“Ah!! Sendrir! Sorry about that, I-”

“The starlight, huh?” Sendrir said. “Figured.”

“It sure has been a while, huh?” Widow aked.

“Mhm. Dad made me work the shop as soon as I graduated, so I haven’t been able to hang.” She looked over. “Anyway, who’s THIS hot shot?” Sendrir asked, looking at Doom.

“Oh! He’s my… My um-”

“Boyfriend.”

“BOYFRIEND?! WHEN DID WE DECIDE ON THAT?!” Widow screamed at Doom, being incredibly flustered.

“Just now.” Doom responded calmly.

“... Fair enough, we’re on a date anyway… so why not?” Widow said back, pouting and sounding embarrassed.

“O-la-la~! Charvy’s got a boyfriend~!!” Sendrir teased. Widow merely groaned in response. “Ehehehe… Anyway, what’s your name, Mr Charv’s Boyfriend~?” Widow looked even more uncomfortable.

“Are you okay, deary?” Doom asked Widow, holding her close. Widow nodded softly. “Alright, if you say so…” He looked back at Sendrir. “My name is Black Doom, pleasure to meet you. Any friend of my beloved’s is a friend of mine.”

“ “Black Doom” huh? That’s a neat name.” Sendrir responded.

“Thank you, I thought of it myself.”

“You did? Hah! Neat! Anyway, let me go get your usual, Charv.” Sendrir went into the back to start making Widow some food.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Doom asked again.

“I… I don’t even like being called Charv anymore… Any variation of “Charveyea” makes me uncomfortable…” She confessed.

“Oh dear… What shall we refer to you as then?”

“Well…. I’ve been thinking of going by “Black Widow” ever since Death changed his name, but… I dunno. I just think it’s sounds cool but-”

“But what? It’s your name. If you like it, and you feel like you identify with it, then why not make that your name?” Doom said. “Besides, I like it, it suits you well.”

“You… You really think so?” Widow looked back at him. Doom nodded.

“Am I hearing that right? “Black Widow”, eh? You got it man!” Sendrir shouted from the kitchen. Widow still slumped down in her seat.

“You’re still upset?” Doom asked, concerned.

“Yeah but… it’s nothing.” Widow insisted.

“I can tell you’re lying.”

“.... It’s stupid!!”

“I doubt that.”

“No! It really is!” Widow looked away, her eyes staring to fill with tears.

“Even if it is, you can tell me, I won’t judge you.” Doom pulled her in.

“.... Ever since I was born..” Widow said, her voice very quiet. “I…. I always… I always hated my body. Not just the thing with my eyes… my body in general… I hate it.”

“Is that so?”

“My eyes never being healed was what convinced me that Moonshine didn’t give a shit… But what made me start to wonder if she did was… that I wasn’t born a girl.” Widow choked a bit on her tears, but took a deep breath and kept venting. “I’ve always wanted to be a girl… ever since I can remember… I prayed to Moonshine, begging her to make me female, but she never did… My parents found out and told me that becoming a girl was impossible…” She broke down crying. Doom pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’ll do anything to help you be anything you want to be, okay?"

"You…. You really mean that…?" Widow grabbed at Doom's robe, shaking and crying, Doom rubbed her head.

"Of course, I love you more than anything…"

Sendrir soon came to their table with some food for them and saw Widow curled up to Doom, still sobbing.

"Is-?"

"Yes, she's fine, she's just still very emotional right now." Doom responded, putting emphasis on the new feminine pronouns, which made Widow smile and get closer to him.

"... I missed something, didn't I?" Sendrir asked.

"Yeah…. But it's f-fine…" Widow said quietly. Suddenly, an idea popped into Doom's head.

"Come sit down, Miss Sendrir. May we speak for a bit?"

"Sure, I guess? Let me go tell the old man that I'm taking my break real quick, then I'll get back to ya."

She did as she said she would and came back about a minute later.

"So, this about what I missed earlier or..?" Doom shaked his head in response.

"I think you've already got the gist of that. Let's talk about something Widow and I have been working on."

"Yeah. Am I going to be here for a while?"

"Potentially."

"Good thing I thought to grab a drink." She pulled said drink out and started sipping.

"Hehe… yeah. Good thing." Widow chuckled, rubbing her eyes, seeming to be better now. Doom and Sendrir chuckled with her.

"Now… let's talk." Doom began the discussion.

"Alrighty."

"From what I've seen so far, you seem bored of and annoyed by your current day to day life, yes?" He asked her.

"Oh fuck yeah. I'd do anything to ditch this joint and get to hang out with Widow like I used to again!"

"I see…"

"Aww! You're a great friend, Sen!" Widow hugged Sendrir. Sendrir hugged her back and then sat back down.

"My darling Widow and I, and her close friends are trying to get a revolt started. One where we completely throw away the status quo and revel in the chaos we create!"

"This is our revenge against a world that refuses to understand us!" Widow added in.

"Really? That does sound like a good time! Reminds me of the shit Widow and I would do back when we were in school!" Sendrir responded happily.

"Yeah!! But this time, we're doing it world-wide, and with lots of people! Oh well, that's the plan anyway." Widow explained.

The two of them continued to talk about the revolution, explaining and planning, until Sendrir's father yelled at her to stop slacking off.

"Shall we get going, then?" Doom asked.

"If you want. I'll check up with you all tomorrow, kay?" Sendrir said, very sure of herself.

"What if your dad wants you to work tomorrow?" Widow asked.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that he won't." Doom and Widow decided to take her at her word and left.

Soon, the two walked past a clothing store.

"Oh wow.. Would you look at that..?" Widow said, staring at a dress she saw.

"That's quite a lovely dress… I would love to see you in it… Come on, let's have you try it on." Doom pulled Widow into the store before she could even respond. Doom asked the store owner to get the dress Widow saw in the display.

"Here, this is the one, right?" Widow nodded, and tried the dress on.

"I love it!! Can we buy it??"

"Of course we can, I'll do anything for you." Doom kissed her forehead. "But you can't just have one, you know! You need at least a few to cycle through."

"Oh yeah! Of course!"

Doom and Widow went through more dresses, Widow trying on every dress she thought looked nice, keeping the ones that fit her. Soon enough, they racked up a pile of about a dozen dresses and decided to call it a night and buy the dresses they had picked out.

"Thank you so much!! This has been the best day of my life!" Widow cheered, hugging Doom tightly.

"You're very welcome, dear. Now, it's getting a bit late, so let us get back to everyone else." Doom suggested. Widow agreed, and yawned. "Tired now, are you? Here, I'll let you rest, my love." Doom picked Widow up bridal style and giggled happily together.

The clothing store owner saw the two being loving to each other and chuckled a bit.

"I like seeing the Youngins being happy…" He turned around and noticed a note. "What's this?" He picked it up and read the note. "A revolt? These Youngins and their crazy ideas…" He said as he threw the note in the trash.

#teos #the era of shadow #sonic au #sonic oc #black arms #sonic fanfiction #black doom tag #black widow tag #sendrir tag #writing tag #undescribed

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the-era-of-shadow · 3 years ago

Text

The Day The Moon Died Act I - An Ancient Evil's Beginnings

Chapter 5: Breaking News Paper

Written by Ash Rose Red

Cover by Ash Rose Red

CW/TW:

Swearing, graphic (gore) imagery

Summary:

[Previous Chapter]

[Next Chapter]

Everyone had decided to sleep over at Lillian's house, wanting to stick together. The six of them woke up to the sound of knocking at the door.

"I'll go get it.." Vladmira said, rubbing his eyes.

"Well if it isn't ol' Vladdy! Haven't seen ya in a good bit!"

"Oh, hey Sendrir!" Widow said, entering the conversation.

"It's rather early for this…" Doom lightly groaned.

"She's probably up this early to evade her dad trying to make her work." Widow explained.

"Sort of. I did indeed wake up to stop my dad from bossing me about… But the way I did it is a bit more permanent than you think…" Sendrir clarified, pulling out a photo she had taken. The photo was of her father lying dead on the ground in a large puddle of his own blood. Everyone else quickly gathered around to see the photo.

"Excellent work, old friend! This'll truly make a mark for the fools who deny our existence!" Death responded excitedly.

"One murder is a mark, more is a statement…" Doom stated softly.

"Well said!"

"I wonder where those assholes that threw me out are right now…." Vladmira muttered to himself. "I want to…. Pay them a visit…"

"I feel the same way." Death said, holding him close.

"Hold on… let's wait until Sendrir's murder takes affect on everyone…" Widow suggested.

"I did it just about an hour ago, I can expect the news to start going crazy over it in just a bit."

"You're right, dear. I bet it'll be in today's paper as the headline story." Lillian noted. "Anyway, let me make us some food." Lillian prepared a nice simple breakfast for the seven of them while the rest talked.

"I'm glad you're here, Sen." Widow said softly.

"Of course! I'll always be right by ya side, Widow! Isn't that what friends are for?"

"Yeah…" Widow smiled. "You and Vladmira have always been there for me… That's why I'm so glad you guys are still here now, helping me in this frankly INSANE idea…!" Vladmira and Sendrir hugged Widow, assuring her that they'd be friends forever. Doom went to them and cuddled Widow.

"Are you excited?"

"Excited? For what?"

"To see how the common folk react to the first killing."

"Oh, duh! We should grab a newspaper after breakfast."

"No need. I already plan to grab one for each of us while the food is cooling down." Lillian explained. Doom thanked her for that.

Soon, food was ready, and Lillian had come back with the newspapers, all of them having the headline of the murder. Lillian passed the papers around along with each person's plate of food.

"Breaking News: A restaurant owner by the name of Karaqui Rojo has been murdered. The body was found decapitated and has multiple slashes in the chest. Next to the body was a message written in Karaqui's blood saying "This is only the beginning". The main three suspects of this murder are Karaqui's daughter, Sendrir Rojo, Sendrir's childhood friend��. Me." Widow cringed at the sight of her old name. "And an unnamed man that… I was seen with the day before the murder."

"I think that the "Unnamed man" is you, right?" Vladmira asked Doom.

"Clearly." Doom turned to Widow, holding her dear. "I can tell that you hate how they still call you by your old name… don't worry my beloved, one day they will know you as the fierce warrior woman that is.. Black Widow!" This made Widow blush.

"Oh jeez…"

"Let's finish our food quickly. We have work to do." Death reminded everyone.

"Oki Doki!" Tsumiko started shoveling food into his mouth.

"It appears you're done with your food, my dearest Widow?" Doom asked. Widow nodded. "Let us get to setting up that mask store stand then."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? We're both suspects to the death of Sendrir's father, you know…"

"We're selling masks. Surely we can whip up some disguises." Widow nodded in agreement.

"Good luck with spreading the posters, guys!" Widow said, waving to them all.

#teos #the era of shadow #sonic au #sonic oc #black arms #sonic fanfiction #black arms oc #black doom tag #black death tag #black widow tag #sendrir tag #vladmira tag #lillian tag #tsunami tag #writing tag #undescribed

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the-era-of-shadow · 2 years ago

Text

Innate Affiliation

Written by Ash Rose

Cover by Ash Rose

Chapter 2: At Last, An Ordinary Day (Right?)

THIS STORY CONTAINS: Swearing, Described injury

[Previous]

[Next]

After a few minutes, all of the Freedom Fighters gathered together right outside the Sky Patrol and coordinated plans for what each of them would do for that day.

"Is… is it alright if I accompany you, Amy..?" Whisper asked shyly, hoping she wasn't being bothersome.

"Oh! I don't mind that at all! I kind of needed a buddy anyway, since Tails totally bailed on -"

"Whisper! Where were you thinking of going??" Tangle suddenly sprung upon the scene. She looked up from her best friend as she waited for a response. "Oh hey, Amy!"

"Nice to see ya Tangle! Whisper was just-"

"What cha' running off like that for, huh?? If you wanted to play hide n' seek, you should'a told me!" Lux questioned as she pounced on Tangle with a hug.

Amy no longer had any response to give.

"Girls! Girls! I thought we were going to stick together!!" Jewel finally flew in, ending the domino of Freedom Trainees that Amy was stuck being witness to.

"Well, you're all together now!" Amy noted, trying to find some new footing in the conversation.

"... I guess we are then." Jewel responded simply.

"S-sorry for making you all worry… I-I just wanted to ask Amy if I could buddy up with her… I didn't realize you all would follow right behind me…" Whisper explained.

"Really?? I guess I'm not being a good enough friend then!" Tangle jested, causing the other girls to giggle.

"Anyway, I was going to tell Whisper that I'm honestly in need of a buddy myself since Tails ditched me to buddy up with Sonic of all people…" Amy explained further.

"Ah. I would say I can't blame them, buuuuuuuuuut…" Tangle said awkwardly.

"He's become a real pain in the rear end if you catch what I'm saying!" Lux added.

"Well, we always have room for another!" Jewel declared happily.

"Sweet! So, what do you guys have planned for today?" Amy asked.

The four Freedom Trainees looked at each other with blank expressions and then looked back at Amy.

"... You don't have any plans, do you?" She asked, sighing.

"No…" Jewel admitted, giggling awkwardly.

"... Do you have any..?" Whisper inquired.

"Well, I was thinking of stopping by Ms. Vanilla's place to grab some breakfast-" Amy started to explain, before being interrupted by Tangle, who was proving to be by far the most talkative of the Freedom Trainees.

"Ooh! Oh! Oh!! I like that! Let's do that!"

"I second that! Mama always told me and ol' Aurora to never waste an opportunity for free food!" Lux said as she placed her hand on Tangle's shoulder, causing the lemur to blush.

"Aurora?" Amy questioned curiously.

"My sister! Older, specifically." Lux answered.

"Oooh, I see! By how much?"

"Ah… pretty sure it's by like, 4 or 5…"

"Years?"

"Minutes."

"So you guys are identical twins??" Tangle guessed, intercepting the conversation.

"I never said we were identical… But we are twins." Lux replied. "Though the thought that y'all were able to assume we could've been is real flattering, ya know?" She continued, which made Tangle blush again.

"I really like this conversation we're having here, but do you guys think we should ya know… start actually going somewhere instead of just standing around the Sky Patrol?" Jewel proposed.

"Oh, yeah!" Amy responded, giggling. "Follow me!"

"Anyway, that ol' Aurora, she's always been a real lucky girl in my eyes." Lux suddenly spoke, continuing the conversation where it had left off before the five started their walk.

"What makes you say that…?" Whisper asked.

"Well, if I'm honest, it's 'cause she's the one out of the two of us that were actually born as a girl!" Lux admitted bluntly.

"Wait! You're trans, Lux??" Amy inquired excitedly.

"You better believe it! I worked real hard to look as good as I do now, ya know! So y'all thinking that Aurora was my identical twin made me real -"

"Euphoric?" Amy suggested.

"Yeah!"

"I get that completely! I'm trans too, if you didn't know." Amy revealed.

"Really?? Dang girl! You pass even better than I do!" Lux exclaimed, pulling Amy into a hug, which ended up looking really awkward considering that Amy was a good few inches taller than Lux.

"P-pardon if I come off as rude… But didn't you say that your parents gave you your name..?" Whisper hesitantly questioned.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Lux acknowledged. "I wasn't lying when I said that, ya know! It's just that I felt like the name "Lux" still fit me, even after I came out of the closet!"

"I see, I see…" Whisper said, smiling.

"I figured that Jewel at least already knew though, 'cause of that background check she did." Lux added, to which Jewel nodded. "Mama said that she would've gotten that gender marker on my legal what-nots changed already if it wasn't for me having to wait 'till I'm eighteen!"

"Well that's certainly a nice offer! Sonic said the same to me, honestly." Amy testified.

"But knowing him…" Whisper muttered.

"Not really? I mean, he's a massive dick, yeah! But considering he did it for Tails, and himself too, I don't think he was lying about that one. Hell, the non binary markers he did for Tails and himself are even harder to get, so if he's willing to do all that, then he's definitely willing to get mine changed to "female"."

"Well… you never know, considering you two are… quite hostile to each other." Whisper advised, to which Amy simply shrugged.

----

"Almost done! Just place a little dot riiiiiiight… there! " A ghostly appendage placed itself upon the pale red piece of scrolling paper, and where it was placed was quickly filled by a fluid, and yet rough circle of black ink, having a charm to it that was quite like a child's coloring page.

"There!" The proud voice of a happy little hedgehog exclaimed.

"Congrats, Shads! "

"Now you officially know how to write each and every one of the names of the members of your hivemind in Hi-Bloosiæne…! "

"The first test of my abilities has been completed…! I know for sure that I'll become a truly skilled Black Arms leader!" Shadow declared with a dorky grin on it's face, which brought much joy to their ghostly companions.

"Yes… Every day, you show more and more of your potential…! I for one am proud to be guiding you on your way…!"

"Same here!! You make me happy to be a cool auntie!!"

"Dad… Sen… You guys are being really sappy right now!!" Shadow teased loudly, giggling in a mischievous tone.

"Oh shit yeah… I didn't really notice it! " Sendrir laughed as well, admittedly a tad embarrassed. Doom on the other hand, did not react to Shadow's teasing, and simply looked out into the distance. "Oh come on now big guy! You've gotta admit, they've got a point! "

"Agreed… however, if you two would redirect your attention to the skies beyond us…" Sendrir and Shadow both looked at where Doom was looking, and instantly, Shadow saw a familiar silhouette in the distance.

"The Doctor!?"

Parting through the thick clouds, Doctor Robotnik's aircraft came into full view. It was nothing to really get that worried over compared to the whole fleet he had attacked the Aerth Temple with back during the first Black Arms invasion, but it still served to interrupt the new leader's downtime, and that was nothing short of unexceptable.

"So it seems that the foolish scientist has not learned his lesson…? " Doom sneered in annoyance.

"But that'll be no issue for you, right? " Sendrir added, hyping Shadow up for battle.

"Exactly." Shadow responded, smirking.

Shadow’s determination and anger was allowed to sit and fester as Doctor Robotnik instantly went into a monologue once he had arrived. Ridiculing Shadow for being at fault for just about all of his problems as of late. Whether the accusations were correct or not, and some were, the affair made them incredibly bored, and boredom as a Black Arms is an emotion that is quite bothersome to face, and the odd little quirks in Shadow’s creation made it feel even worse. Before the doctor was anywhere near finished, it planned to attack. Swiftly and without mercy, just as they had been instructed to during training.

But before they could take a single strike, a voice bellowed from behind.

"Oh doctor! Your date is waiting~!" It shouted, the voice immediately recognizable to all in attendance, except for Doctor Robotnik himself, for this was vengeance, not for the one who spoke, but for a friend and a colony both long lost.

Ivo looked up at the sky, his eyes following the figure that the voice had come from. What faced him when he did were five wide eyes, filled to the brim with bloodlust.

"A DATE WITH DESTINY, THAT IS!!"

Though her face was covered by the mask upon it, Ivo could swear he saw a manic grin coming from his adversary as she swung down and sliced his aircraft almost in half with its long, sharp sword.

"How DARE you?? You'll pay for that, Missy!" Doctor Robotnik yelled out in retaliation. His voice sounded odd to him, but he paid it no mind.

"Oh really? Because I believe that it's your time to cash the check, Ivo!!" Come to think of it, everything Ivo had heard since the woman's first attack had sounded off… And what was this warm liquid he felt dripping down the side of his cheek?

"Doctor! Your ear!" Stone suddenly cried out, bringing the dreadful answer to all of Ivo's questions.

"I recommend you leave here, Doctor! If not, the next body part you'll be losing…" Shadow pulled out a rifle as they spoke. "Will be your head!" It threatened.

"Yeah! You tell him! " Sendrir cheered.

With that, the busted up aircraft dashed off into the distance, Stone driving away as Ivo got assistance from the various robot servants on the small round ship.

"... Thanks for the help Mom. N-Not like I needed it or anything-!" Shadow spoke, amazed.

"I know you didn’t need it honey… but Mama wanted to teach that old Egg a lesson for messing with Little Planet!" Widow boasted, slinging her sword over her shoulder. "I'll let you make the finishing blow next time he comes around to play, okay…?"

"Sounds good to me, Mom!" Shadow responded, giggling.

"Damn Widow! I haven't seen ya go that hard in a battle since the 90s! " Sendrir proclaimed in shock.

"Shadow might be the leader of the Black Arms officially, but this old Queen hasn't stopped fighting for her people just yet!"

"That's the Widow I know and love so dearly…" Doom testified, which made Widow's face go delightfully warm.

"Hey, Mom, while you're here, look what Auntie Sen and Dad taught me today!"

----

The small cabin that stood before Amy and the Freedom Trainees looked like something out of a fantasy story, an old tale that a parent would softly read to their child just before bedtime. Though, within those sugar coated retellings, the dark implications still rest within. That evil darkness that Amy desperately tried to block out crept down her spine in an awful chill, but she simply shook it off. Today was not to be ruined by even a consideration towards those monsters! Today is a vacation from it all, and nothing would interrupt it!

"Uhm.. Amy.. A-are you just gonna keep staring off into space, or are you gonna come inside..?" Whisper hesitantly asked, which made Amy realize she had unintentionally become lost in her thoughts.

"Oh! Yeah yeah, my bad!" Amy immediately responded as if nothing was wrong. But Tsunami knew different. Her spirit softly laid itself upon Amy's hand, which made it feel cold, like if it was placed into a bucket of ice. "Ah-! That was freezing!!"

"Sorry… But… You know I could overhear that trail of thoughts you were having, right…? " Tsunami said.

"Oh yeah… the whole um… hivemind or whatever. Right."

"I can tell that the last week has been really scary for you, Amy…"

"... Yeah, it has. But that's no excuse to stand around and sulk! There's a whole new day waiting for us!" Amy marched inside Vanilla's house without another word, but Tsunami had a sneaking suspicion that her daughter was hurting more than she was letting on. Regardless, she sighed and followed behind Amy.