Chaotic Origins

Sonic sighed, already bored to tears. There was absolutely NOTHING to do. He had already explored the entire continent, and Tails was currently modifying his plane, so there was nothing new to explore. Shadow was busy working for GUN and Jet and his gang were wrapped up in another competition, so there were no friendly rivals to challenge. And, with Eggman finally in jail with no way to concoct an evil scheme, there was pretty much no hero - business in the near future. So, Sonic the Hedgehog, hero and fastest thing alive, was officially washed up.

     He was currently in Tails' workshop, waiting for him to finish fixing his plane. Tails, despite his rather carefree and relaxed demeanor, had grown irritated at Sonic's constant badgering. Even though they were close friends, even like brothers, they argued all the time. Finally, Tails couldn't take it any more.

     "Sonic, I know you're bored, but can't you just re-explore the continent? I am trying to concentrate and you being here ISN'T helping. I swear, you're worse than Amy sometimes!" Tails complained. Sonic grumbled under his breath for a moment, then let out a sigh of defeat.

     "Fine. Just hurry, 'kay?" Sonic replied. He took off in a blink of an eye, suddenly leaving Tails alone in his workshop. Tails exhaled, having not realised how draining the hedgehog's constant presence had been. He then grinned, for while he was the younger of the two, (by a large amount) he was often the voice of reason. It was kind of nice, actually, to be respected by someone like him, especially considering most thought of the two-tailed fox as a freak. He went back to his work, humming contentedly as he twisted his wrench.

     Meanwhile, Sonic tore down the desert strip, occasionally swerving around a rock or bush. He wasn't running all out, in fact, he was relaxing, running backwards with his hands clasped behind his head. He was even leaning backwards, almost looking like he was about to fall over. His eyes were closed, and used the wind to tell if any obstacles were ahead. He felt it: a strange difference in the way the air flowed. He swerved, narrowly missing a large spear of rock jutting out of the parched desert ground.

     What he didn't miss was a certain red echidna, who he realized was there just a second too late. Or so he thought, but as he twisted around to face forward, he saw Knuckles jump in front of him as if he wanted to get run over. Just in time, Sonic applied the breaks, slowing himself down so he only creamed Knuckles rather than pulverized him. As they tumbled to a stop, Sonic marveled at the twist of fate that put him in just the right spot at the wrong time.

     Slowly, Sonic stood up, dusting himself off and making sure he hadn't lost anything (namely, an arm) but found only a skinned elbow. He then turned to Knuckles, pointing an accusatory finger.

     "Knuckles, what do you think you're doing? I nearly turned you into roadkill!" Sonic demanded irately. Knuckles made calming gestures with his hands, for once not in the mood for a fight.

     "Well, it wasn't like you were just going to stop. I had to take drastic measures." Knuckles protested, a little offended at the insult to his common sense. Sonic snorted, but didn't protest the claim.

     "So what do you want anyway? What could be in this crummy old desert? It's nice at night when the stars are out, but I doubt that's why you're here," Sonic questioned, quickly falling into old habits of dealing with his friend. Knuckles seemed happy with this tangent, for he quickly launched into an explanation.

     "I was looking for a new place to treasure hunt, since with Eggman gone and Rouge promising not to steal the Master Emerald-"

     "You seriously believe that? This is Rouge we're talking about, right?" Sonic interrupted. "I would not trust her with something like that. She may not be too bad when it really counts, but her credibility does not go that far." Knuckles grimaced, but continued on.

     "Anyways, I decided to go on a vacation of sorts. I heard about a temple in this general area, so I decided to check it out. And trust me, you will not believe what I found!" Knuckles finished, awaiting his friend's reaction.

     Sonic yawned. "Sorry Knucks, but I'm just not as easily distracted by shiny things as you are." Sonic said while idly picking up a rock and tossing it repeatedly.

     Knuckles groaned. "Not like that, it's something else! (And don't call me that.) It's something way better. You need to see it!" Knuckles spouted animatedly, grabbing the hedgehog's shoulders near the end. Sonic extricated himself from Knuckle's grip, then yawned again.

     "Fine, I'll take a look. It's better than running backwards through the desert. So where is this temple?" Sonic queried, looking at Knuckles questioningly. In response, Knuckles turned and pointed to the spear of stone that Sonic had dodged around earlier.

     Sonic facepalmed, muttering through his fingers: "Knuckles? That's a rock."

     Knuckles glared daggers at him, exasperated. He groaned, not happy that this conversation was leading in the blue hedgehog's favor.

     "Just come on!"Knuckles snapped, and stomped towards the outcropping. Sonic grinned at his success, and followed after dropping the rock he had picked up, which broke into pieces when it hit the ground.

     As the pair got closer to the large stone, Sonic realized just how unnatural and out of place it looked. It was the only solid stone in the area, and even if it weren't, it was the wrong shape entirely. Rather than being smooth and rounded as it should have been from countless years of wind and course sand, it was a pinnacle, starkly standing against the bright blue sky. It also had strange markings on it, masterfully created so that at first glance, it just seemed like chance and time had carved them. If you looked close, though, you would see they repeated in a pattern of loops and spirals. Set into one of its sides was an oval, which, at Knuckles touch, swung inward, making a course grinding noise as it moved.

     Sonic whistled at the great, dark expanse inside. Knuckles bent down, picking up two torches. He lit them and passed one off to Sonic. They walked inside, their footsteps echoing eerily in the darkness. Sonic watched as the flames made dancing shadows on the walls, and made it seem like ghosts of the past guarded this place. He noticed Knuckles shiver, and pressed the opportunity for teasing that had been given him.

     "You're not scared, are you Knuckles? Afraid this place is haunted? Frightened by ghosts, are you?" Sonic taunted, making sure he was out of arms reach.

     Rather than making his usual rash reply, Knuckles voice was imbued by awe. "We've seen stranger, haven't we? Besides, you haven't seen the weirdest part."

     Knuckles reached forward with his torch, lighting a trail of oil that led along a rough hewn railing of stone. The flames dashed down, branching along different paths and racing eachother, illuminating stairs which led down to a great hall. They traversed the length of the stairway, finally reaching the bottom, where there stood a shrine. At the very front of the room was a giant statue, which stood at least twenty feet tall. The trail of fire led up one of its arms and down into the palm, so that it seemed the statue held a comet in its hand. In its other hand was a staff.

     The statue looked exactly like Sonic.

     The details were exact, all the way down to the length of his quills and the design on his shoes. Even the eyes seemed to sparkle with the intelligence and warmth that accompanied the real hedgehog's gaze. Sonic could only stare in disbelief.

      "Wha-...How...Huh?" was all the hedgehog could say. "H-how is this even possible?" Any thought of taunting the echidna was gone. He just wanted answers to the very many questions that were brewing in his mind.

     "Don't ask me. These ruins are at least a couple of hundred years old. But as weird as that is, that's not all." Knuckles said, his eyes taking in everything, from the contours of the floor to the detail in the gilded walls. He walked down towards the dais, passing to the side of it and past the statue's side. Sonic numbly followed, then halted as Knuckles stopped in front of a mirror.

     "Check this mirror. This is gonna trip you out." Knuckles stated in an excited tone.

     "As if the statue didn't already?" dead panned Sonic, before turning to look at the mirror, only to stop in shock. Where there should have been a reflection of Knuckles, there was a reflection of the blue hedehog instead. Knuckles waved his hand, and the figure in the mirror waved in unison. Knuckles  stepped back, looking around at the surrounding area.

     "I'm going to explore a bit more." he explained before turning and walking back up the aisle, running his hands appreciatively along the designs cut into almost every surface.

     Sonic walked up to the mirror, which displayed only his normal reflection. After a moment's hesitation, he placed his hand on the glass, only to stiffen in shock.

     As soon as his fingers made contact, he lost all feeling in his body. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't run away from the awful chills running through his fingers. Pain, originating from the tips of his fingers, arched up his arm, tracing along his spine and branching down both his legs, before hitting the ground through the soles of his shoes. The ground tremored, and all over the floor, symbols flared to life with an unearthly light blue glow.

     Sonic tried to flinch away, but the mirror held him captive, and whatever substance it was made of seemed to melt out of the wall towards him. Sonic desperately tried to break away, but his thoughts faded to darkness, blocking out all sensation as the mirror's shining surface enveloped him in a tight cocoon. He barely heard Knuckles calling his name, and didn't have the strength to answer him as he lost consciousness.

     Pain. His first waking sensation was pain, as it seemed to have taken hold upon his very soul. It hurt just to think, but Sonic forced himself to open his eyes. For a moment, he doubted that he had actually opened his eyes at all, for everything was still dark. After a moment, though, his eyes adjusted so that he could detect patterns in the inky blackness surrounding him. They moved and swirled through the shadows in an elegant dance, ever shifting, never stopping.

      Sonic looked down. He was lying suspended on a flat surface made of a black substance that was darker than the surrounding walls. It was the only thing not moving, and the hedgehog's eyes were becoming overwhelmed by the constant motion. He carefully shifted off the platform, and let his feet touch what he hoped was the ground.

     As soon as he stopped leaning on the bed, it vanished, disintegrating into strings of darkness that slithered away into the walls, becoming another string of dancing swirls.

     Sonic looked down at his shoes, realizing that they(along with everything else of his color scheme) was toned down to much more muted colors. Even so, he was the brightest thing in the dark expanse. He shook his head, trying to get the lingering fog of awakening out of his mind.

     "So, you have awoken! I feared you would sleep eternal, considering what happened. But, you would not worry about such things, being young as you are. Listen well, youngster, and heed my words, for their wisdom will change the very core of your existence." A deep booming voice rolled across the confines of what Sonic now thought of as a cage. It seemed to be suspended in every bit of air, coming from everywhere and nowhere, echoing and re-echoing until you could not know where it began or where it would end, forming a song of whispers. Sonic spun around in an endless circle, his ears flicking back and forth, trying to find the speaker.

     "Who are you? Where am I, and why have you brought me here?" Sonic demanded, his own voice echoing until it's final whispers sounded similar to the stranger's own.

    " I am you. I am all that you are, and all that you were, and all that you can be. Every decision you have made and will make is expressed in my very being. I am life, and I am death, and I am decision. I am known as The Bringer Of Law, though few understand the true meaning of that." the being stated in a factual tone, his answer echoing again, mingling with the end of Sonic's own query.

     "Well that's suitably vague for a lawyer." Sonic responded, answering in the only way he knew how:try and make the other guy angry. To his surprise, the ghostly voice chuckled in genuine amusement.

     "Some would call you brave. Others would call you stupid. It is not mine to call, but suffice to say you are amusing." Sonic pondered this for a moment. Then he frowned, his eyebrows meeting in the middle of his forehead, and giving him an austere, solemn look.

     "You said earlier that you thought I wouldn't wake up, because of what happened. What exactly did happen?" Sonic asked, deciding to get as much info as he could.

     "I was foolish. I thought you would be ready, but you were not. So, I brought you here, to rest and to heal, to gain comfort from the place of your birth." At this, Sonic's eyebrows went up, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging open. For the second time that day, he was left stuttering.

     "Wha... Okay, two things. One: ready for what, exactly? And two:MY PLACE OF BIRTH?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Sonic yelled, his voice echoing harshly and seeming to grow louder. He had to cover his ears to block out his own shouted words from penetrating his ear drums.

     "Think rationally, young one. You saw the statue, erected in honor of your birth. Or perhaps I should say, creation. Birth is not quite the right word. Perhaps it is hard to understand, but it makes perfect sense. You are a creature of great talent, of great power. You, along with your brothers and sisters, have saved the world many times, each time putting your own life on the line for others. It is a remarkable quality, especially considering the circumstances." Again, Sonic took a moment to absorb the information, carefully choosing what he would say next.

     "What do you mean. my brothers and sisters?" Sonic kept a neutral mask, careful not to reveal too much. After his initial outburst, he would not give the creature any opportunities.

     "Do you not know? The ones you call chaos emeralds, your ultimate source of power. They were born here, just like you were. Have you not wondered why you felt such a connection to them? Why even when you did not wish it, you were drawn to them? Their pain is your pain, and your pain is their pain. You are connected in unimaginable ways. You may not realize it, but they do. Even now, they are with you, if you should just reach out to them." The being finished it's rant and waited patiently for the hedgehog's response.

     Sonic blinked, completely broadsided by this new little factoid. Then he shook his head, grimacing as he realized how close he had been to believing the voice.

     "Well this has been fun, but your little stories really aren't that believable. You could try with Knuckles, though. He'd probably believe you." Sonic flashed a snarky grin at a wall, hoping there was someone there to actually see it.

     "Insolence! You would dare say that I am a liar? That I would trick you for the fun of it? I am offended! I give you the honor of coming here, to the place of creation, and you brush it off like travel dust!"

     By this point, Sonic's hands were clamped over his ears. The voice had risen to fever pitch, making his ears ring and his head throb in pain. It was so sudden, he caught his breath, nearly letting a tear escape. He fell to his knees, the headache spreading to his very bones, until his world became nothing but pain.

     He took slow, steady breaths, slowly relaxing as the pain died down. The ringing disappeared, and his headache was reduced to a gentle throbbing pulse. He sighed, and shook his head in frustration. This was not good.

     "My sincerest apologies, young one. Your injuries have yet to heal." The voice went silent, and Sonic got the feeling it was contemplating something.Sonic got back to his feet, and then shivered. It was really cold here. He waited, allowing the voice time to think.

     "Would you like to know how you were created?" The voice finally said.

     "I still don't exactly believe you, but sure, why not." Sonic said dryly, not wanting to raise the being's anger again.

     "This place is known as the Nexus. It is where the borders of all the different realms come together, in a single point. In this place is where all energy becomes into being, and where it returns. This is a conduit for life. Everything springs from here, everything returns here."

     "Wait, so you're calling yourself God? That sounds pretty high-handed if you ask me." Sonic interrupted. He could almost hear the voice grimace, but it continued without complaint.

     "No, I would not presume to call myself a God, no more than you would call yourself one. I am simply a being of great power. I was created when a surge of energy clashed, which is how all life is created. Even the chaos emeralds were created this way, and, so were you." Sonic listened, trying to decide how much of this was exactly feasible. He didn't want to believe any of it, and wished Tails were here to back him up.

     "But I must explain. All different realms, or dimensions, as you might call them, have different levels of energy. Some are lands of wizards and warlocks, of great creatures capable of great things. Others are barren wastelands, with no life to grace their surface. There is one in particular, however, that holds a ridiculous amount of energy, one that is greater than most other realms COMBINED. It is this place that my creation, and your creation, and the creation of the Chaos Emeralds stem from. It is a planet called Equis. It is a home to a species resembling the horses of earth, and to many other creatures, all of which hold the power to bend reality to their will. They call it magic, but it is truly the sheer amount of energy that they hold in their bodies, which exudes itself upon their surroundings."

     "Wait, then how are they responsible for creating the Chaos Emeralds?" questioned Sonic. As much as he didn't want to believe the voice, it had a feeling that told you he wasn't lying. It was majestic in its quality, holding a deep tone and commanding respect, yet it was almost soothing. Sonic found himself unconsciously relaxing as the voice talked.

     "My creation was first. It happened when two creatures discovered six gems that held power that rivals that of the Chaos Emeralds. These stones linked to their souls, and that moment created a large flux of energy. As all energy does, it made its way here. When it did, it fought for a place among all the energy that was already here. Doing so, it disrupted the pattern, and some energy had to be expelled. In doing so, I was created. Many years later, a creature of daunting power who could change the laws of physics at will emerged, and none could stop him. In his short reign of terror, he expelled so much energy that it came flooding here in bursts, rather than all at once. Each of these bursts created a Chaos Emerald. Then the creatures who were responsible for my creation used the power of the gems on the chaos god, and sealed him into stone. You were created last of all of us."

     "Hold up. Your creation and everything is somewhat believable, but there is no way I came from this place." Sonic argued, not wanting to know how the voice would weave him into his tale.

     "Then why do you think my voice is so familiar?" asked the being. "Why are you so at ease in a place you believe you have never been before?" Sonic looked down, and sure enough, he was sitting, his body supported by tendrils of whatever dark substance made up the walls. In shock, he tried to get up, but the tendrils yanked him back down, wrapping around his legs and waist. Sonic shivered as one climbed up his back, tracing the trail of his spine. He tried to arch his back away, but more tendrils shot up, encircling his chest and holding him still, some wrapping around his shoulders and going down the length of his arms. At this point, Sonic could only move his head, for the rest of his body was held by the lines of swirling darkness.

     "Why are you holding me here? Why won't you let me move?" Sonic demanded, struggling against his captors. In response to his efforts, they tightened, and more came up from the ground to get a firm hold on his barrel and legs. As he continued to squirm, one came up and wrapped around his neck, tracing up the side of his head and wrapping around one ear. By now, you could see more of the dark energy than you could the hedgehog, who had finally stopped struggling. As soon as he did, he felt a strange sensation flooding his body wherever the tendrils touched him. His muscles relaxed, and the headache left completely. Strangely enough, the dark energy seemed to be trying to soothe him, to calm him down.

     "Do not fear young one. I am simply trying to help you heal, but I cannot do that when you struggle." The being finally said. He had waited until after Sonic relaxed, still trying to prove to him that this was his birthplace.

     "Now, to continue where I left off. Your creation was of a smaller event of energy flux, so you are not as powerful as I or the Chaos Emeralds. Still, you hold great potential in what you could become. Your creation is different than mine or the Emerald's. There was a young creature, who was trying to use her magic. But rather than being controlled in a steady flow, it expanded to a large burst of energy, more than this place had seen in a long time. When that happened, you were formed. The energy that created you took on the form of a Mobian, as you can see. Their bodies are much more hardy than that of humans." The creature seemed like he was done, and it watched Sonic's reaction closely.

     By this time, Sonic's eyes were nearly shut, as he half-unwillingly relaxed, relying mostly on his ears. The healing being done by the tendrils only seemed to increase as he relaxed more, and by now the normally hyperactive hedgehog was falling asleep. He shook himself awake as the booming voice stopped, however, and struggled to keep his wits about him.

     "But if this is true, there must have been other times that there was a burst of energy. What happened then?" Sonic asked. As he did, his curiosity seemingly resounded in the energy holding him, as it wrapped tighter around him, to the point that any movement was physically impossible. Even the tendril around his ear tightened, preventing him from moving his head. Sonic ignored this as well as he could, but it gave him a sense of forboding.

     "Not all such bursts create something. In fact, more often then not they disperse equally among the realms. It is very rare for a creature to be created. We are the products of something that will more than likely never happen again. The statue of you was built at the time of your creation, but I used a time warp field to age it considerably. That way, it would match the age of the temple, which I built before the Emeralds were created. It was the place where this realm branched into the Nexus, and I needed to protect it. The Nexus is the most fragile point of every universe." Then the creature sighed. "You need to rest in order to heal. When you awake, you must be prepared to use the knowledge I have given you."

     "Wait, what? No, I'm fine. You don't need to do tha-" Sonic was cut off as even more strings of energy came up, completely wrapping around him until he was cocooned in them. He couldn't see anything, as the tendrils had reached up and shut his eyes for him before covering his head. He couldn't speak, for when he tried, they rushed into his mouth, filling him with the urge to spit them out. It seemed like they were suggesting things right to his brain, for his thoughts were clouded and foggy.

     "SLEEP." The voice commanded him, holding a tone of authority that Sonic dared not rebel against. Against his better judgement, he willed himself to relax. As soon as he did so, he fell asleep.

     "He must learn to accept truth," the voice muttered to itself. "He will need to see it for himself in order to believe. He must meet his creators in person." After he said this, the cocoon that was holding Sonic retracted into the floor, taking him with it. All was left to darkness, and the dancing patterns on the walls.