Three hundred years was a long time.



This green world eventually burned, then it turned green again. It became a cruel cycle of growing and burning and growing and burning, hope and despair, hope and despair. It was a dying planet that tried to convince its inhabitants it would recover fully. I knew better. I saw the signs.



Despite civilization's ever-present drive to survive and flourish, there was also the desire to not have to fight anymore. The relief of the end. They were similarly waiting for something that would never come. I died long ago, but it was not yet time for me to rest. The end did not finalize anything. I was tired of it all. Tired of the mistakes.



There were two mistakes on this planet. I was one of them.



For a long time, I sorted through thousands of different ways I could bring Amy back, which actions would lead to what and why and how. This world had a ridiculous amount of solutions to cheat death, even reverse it. None of those solutions could help Amy. None except one.



Belle was very concerned for me when I confided in her my intention to give Amy a full life... She said my heart was in the right place, but tampering with time could make everything worse. More people could get killed, Amy could suffer an even more painful death, and in the worst case from her perspective, we could even cease to exist altogether.



I agreed with her; I could not rush into changing fate so needlessly. I had to do it right. I had to plan for every single contingency.



Only one branch of decisions I calculated would lead to the outcome I wanted. The outcome required me to wait... So I did.



A few months after I discovered Amy's grave, Sonic was there at the same time as me. We did not fight... Amy would not want us to. We had a very rare conversation with one another.



He didn't blame me; he blamed himself, though he didn't expand on why. He told me he was figuring out what he wanted to do with himself, but that he didn't want to let anyone else down. He figured out that Amy and I were together before her death because of the photo she kept in her dress pocket. After her death, he sometimes checked on me without my knowledge and also learned I was close with Belle. He checked on everyone, but he could not fight like he used to. The injuries I gave him were very severe, leaving deep scars in his chest. He was still not in proper health when we talked. He lamented Eggman's more significant victories.



I told him Eggman was dead. Sonic was shocked... After asking how, I told him I killed him. For someone who was so against death, even against his adversaries, he switched into solemn acceptance fairly quickly. He said my action gave Eggman the kind of irony he earned in the end.



...



I told him that Amy would appreciate where she was buried. He agreed. We sat in silence for a long time. Eventually, he got up. Before leaving, he told me to prepare for the next adversary.



I didn't understand what he meant. Noticing my confusion, he concluded our conversation with the following phrase:



"Whoever comes after Eggman might be worse."



He talked about the second mistake.



My goals expanded the longer time passed. A world Amy lived on should continue to exist, so I fought to keep it that way... But it became a losing battle. Each catastrophe took more and more work to undo, creating more wastelands and blankets of rubble. Enemy robots became deadlier and targeted more ruthlessly. Very few beings with the goal of protection could live as long and even fewer were able to fight. There were less people over time, and in many scenarios, there was only me.



The second mistake was consumed by hatred and sought only destruction. I was capable of counteracting the damage, but with each defeat, my adversary got stronger. I got stronger in turn. The planet did not. It was only a matter of time. I eventually made Carillon Rose and Cavalier Sonic, creations that would lend me in breaking the cycle. They would also be able to rebuild from the aftermath. With them, I would accomplish my final goal.



I designed them after the most significant people to me. Sonic had a legacy that others whispered about even after he was gone. I created a robot that was built on all the data I had on him, given abilities he had and even more to ensure my own personal goals. Cavalier Sonic had everything to be a hero. He had the type of persistence seen only by those who shared his name.



Lonnie... She would keep Amy's memory alive when I wouldn't be able to anymore. She had all of Amy's data, her abilities, her ambitions, her desire to make everyone's lives brighter. If Cavalier Sonic was a hero, Carillon Rose was something even greater. Looking at both of them brought me a pain completely self-inflicted. It wasn't their fault; it was mine. They were also designed so I would never forget.



They also existed in no small part from Amy's own compassion. Long ago, she requested I rescue a defenseless baby chao. The chao, Nova, became a larger part of my life than I anticipated. They knew Amy's love, and with them, I could power my creations. Cavalier Sonic and Carillon Rose, regardless of their decisions, were creations of love.



So came the day to fix what started it all, three hundred years later. All the planning, the time I spent waiting... The real process began today.



I stood with Carillon Rose by Amy's grave. I took in the sight by her grave for possibly the last time. The Piko Piko Hammer stood proudly between us, while Carillon Rose's own hammer lingered at the cliff edge.



"What did you want to talk to me about?" Carillon Rose tilted her head as she stared at me.



"I have a very special job for you," I explained. "One that Cava can't know about."



"Oh?"



I looked at her. "Today is the day... so everything has to be perfect. For everything to go smoothly like we discussed, you have to do this for me before anything else. Do you accept?"



"Of course!" she beamed. "Wow... I can't believe we're finally doing your crazy plan. I'm a little nervous... You want me to do some really weird stuff," she mumbled. "I get it, though. Something about making sure everything works out the way you want and all that. Still weird."



"Don't be nervous. I understand my requests have been odd, but it will all make sense eventually. I fully believe you will be alright." I watched the horizon again. "That being said... Lonnie, this may be the last time we will speak to each other."



"... Huh?"



The plan was already in progress. "... I'm severing our connection as well as my connection with Belle. I would like you to deliver a message to her..." I sent her the file, her eyes briefly flashing to signal the successful transfer. "Afterwards, you are to stay with her in case danger comes her way. Cava and I will be gone, so no one will be around to protect her."



Lonnie drooped her head. "I don't like it and now I'm, like, really confused. Didn't you have all these things listed for me to do on my own? You even told me how to send a file with your ID."



"Yes. You'll know why." I gestured for her to turn around so I could open the back of her head. In a few quick motions, I severed our connection. We could no longer locate each other or communicate privately. I carefully closed her head, allowing her to turn around and watch me once again.



I unveiled the panel on one of my arms and took out my and Amy's charms, hooked together still after so long. Though I was careful with them, their age clearly showed. I didn't like to touch them as much in worry that they would worsen in condition... Even so, looking at them made me feel an incredible relief.



...



I unhooked the charms, then handed mine to Carillon Rose.



"Put this in your arm," I said to her.



"Whoa... You really want me to hold onto this?" She stared at the charm and watched its silhouette in the setting sun. After a moment, she put it in her arm as requested. "Alright, I'll admit it. You're scaring me a bit."



"This is not easy for me either," I admitted in return, putting Amy's charm back. "But it's necessary. Lonnie..." I tried to think of what I wanted to say. "Our time working together has been invaluable. I did not think I would care about anyone else after Rosy's passing... But you proved me wrong." I opened and closed my hands out of instinct. For the first time in a long time, I felt anxious. "It is not simply because you are built upon Rosy's data. If there was anything good to come from these years spent... It was you."



"... Oh, God. This is real," Carillon Rose muttered, grabbing her head with both of her hands. "You're being so weird! Get broody or something!"



I tilted my head as I watched her, slightly amused. "I know you're anxious too... You will do well."



"Thank you... I hope so." She hugged me. I returned her gesture. "And the feeling's mutual. I'm glad to be a part of your team. You like me more than Cava though, right?" she teased.



I sighed. "It's not a contest," I said. We let go of each other.



"Haha! That means yes. I'll rub it in his face later."



I appreciated her attempts to be lighthearted. She joked more when she felt the pressure, an uncommon occurrence from her. "... It's time to go, Lonnie."



She slumped a little. "Okay... Don't do anything stupid."



Hah. "We'll see," I replied. "... Wait, I have one more thing to say."



"Hmm?" Her eyes, vivacious and green, focused patiently on me.



"I'm... sorry. I regret that I brought you here for the responsibilities I gave you. It feels... unfair."



She rolled her eyes, then flicked my head. "Well I feel tons better now. That's the kind of sad crap I expected you to say. I don't want you to be sorry for that, Neo. It's not unfair to me at all. This world you scowl at is beautiful to me, and because of you, I get to experience it." She clapped her hands together, then intertwined her claws. "Regardless of what happens, I'm excited that an even more beautiful world could exist. No-- it will exist, because we'll make it happen no matter what."



"Your optimism is as endearing as it is sickening," I said. "... We will part now. Goodbye, Lonnie."



"See you later, Neo."



She grabbed her hammer as the plates that formed her dress twirled around her and shortened. She flew into the air, then she cheerfully waved at me before gracefully leaving towards Belle's location.



I looked at the horizon one final time. The fields below were dotted with wildflowers. Some of the trees conquered the tides of time, grew larger and flourished for as long as I existed.



I turned and watched Amy's grave for a while longer.



'I love you, Rosy,' I signed to her. I hoped I would feel acceptance if I saw her grave again.



I flew away in the other direction. Cavalier Sonic was waiting for me.



The land beneath me went through several drastic changes over time. Cities built, cities destroyed, grassy plains to forests to scorched wastelands to grassy plains again. Remnants of previous battles became identifiable landmarks for civilians. Some even made villages from the rubble, eventually to become cities again. On and on and on.



My anxiety vanished and replaced itself with anticipation. I was ready to end the cycle. I craved full, complete change. It was finally going to happen.



Interestingly, Never Lake was an extremely consistent location. Every cliff was somehow the same, every mound, every blade of grass. If anything was different, I couldn't tell. Above Never Lake was the familiar Little Planet, lingering during its month-long stay. There was a comfort in how Little Planet appeared and left every year. I also visited every year. Amy would have appreciated its everlasting beauty. I stood before Never Lake and watched Little Planet freely drifting above.



... Cavalier Sonic was not here. Annoying.



"Heyyy!"



I turned my head towards him as he sped in my direction, stopping just in front of me. He stared at me as if I was supposed to be impressed by his entry. I crossed my arms. "Where were you?" I asked.



"I was just taking a run around the perimeter. You were the one who was a bit late, not me!" he huffed. "Oh yeah, we're going to get some company, by the way." He pointed south. "I'm guessing in about ten minutes."



"Expected. Ready to begin?"



"Yup. Where's Lonnie?"



"She's not arriving."



Cavalier Sonic stared at me, pupils dilated. "You, uh... We're having a possibly insanely huge fight without Lonnie?"



"Aren't you the one always complaining about how she gets to fight more than you?" I scoffed. "Here's your chance to show off."



He threw his arms out. "Banter! It's banter!" He huffed back and planted one of his hands on his hips. "Fair, though. It's nothin' we can't handle."



I took off towards Little Planet and Cavalier Sonic sped alongside me. We continued our conversation: "We'll be fine... Let me take care of the robots that can corrupt you. Use your whole arsenal if you must... Don't get carried away. Take Shadow's data." I offered my hand to him.



"Yesssss! Let's go!!" He excitedly clapped our hands together as he siphoned Shadow's abilities from my existing database. "I'm gettin' some mixed messages... You told me to not get carried away, but you just gave me some really cool weird alien powers, sooo..."



We landed in Stardust Speedway. Unfortunately, my time on Little Planet was not always peaceful. My movements couldn't be easily tracked, but I went to Little Planet without fail, a fact that set me up for ambush each year. Because of the many battles over the centuries, Little Planet's environment flourished and suffered in the exact same pattern as my own world's. At least some parts of Little Planet were beautiful and thriving from lack of infiltration. I eventually cleaned out every one of Eggman's bots, their corpses a part of the ecosystem and new flowers growing in their place... Stardust Speedway was one such place. Nature and technology combined to make purple and green landscapes, vibrant city lights, violet roads paved in intricate metals.



"We're searching for a Time Stone. We have to get it before they arrive. Chaos Control back to me if you find it first... That's why you have the data."



"Instructions not received, I will be using cool alien powers. And also Chaos Control back to you as a very tiny footnote," he joked. I sometimes forgot how much more insufferable he was without Lonnie to counteract him. We very rarely enacted our plans without one another. For some reason, his irritating demeanor grounded me.



"Thank you," I said. I sent him some additional files about how to locate the Time Stones exactly.



"We're only getting one?" he asked. "Or are you just copying its data?"



"We only need one. Copying its data could be compromised or easily deleted." If my plan went right, then both Carillon Rose and Cavalier Sonic would need to use it, and the only way they could was physically. Everything was on-track, so we would be fine. I kept my focus on our next duties. "I'll message you if I find it..."



...



"I have one more thing to say to you before we part."



He proudly posed towards me. "What's up?"



"Regardless of what happens, I want you to know--"



"Nope!" he yelled. "Nuh uh. Stop right there." He waggled one of his claws at me. "I know you think there's a chance you'll die through this, but that's not going to happen! Not with me around. So... Don't act like you're saying goodbye!" Something both he and Carillon Rose had in common; neither of them liked the word 'goodbye'.



They shared the same apprehension with Belle. They were worried I would one day disappear and not come back. I never told them my plan to fix the mistakes would have to involve the very thing they feared. They had such passionate, positive views of life that already didn't exist within me. I did try to see it their way for a time... I tried to honor Amy that way, but I didn't think I made anything better.



"Instead... Let's race. First to find the Time Stone wins!" he beamed. "Alright?"



He amused me. "Alright," I replied.



We stood beside each other, leaned forward...



Whirrr...



We both blasted away at our top speed. We went down the winding paths of Stardust Speedway. Cavalier Sonic laughed. He always loved racing. I did too.



"Get ready to lose!" he called as he veered off to a different path. I watched his lights glitter in the horizon. While flying, I scanned through what was both above and below me. I didn't detect any unique vortexes that would take me to the Time Stone. There was at least one unique vortex in each area.



There it was. I came to the end of a path and saw a strange, golden ring, similar in properties yet unique from the vortexes by the time posts. Instead of traveling through time, gathering the stones required traveling through dimensions. I shot through the ring at my top speed and came out through an entirely different realm.



Odd gray buildings lingered in the background under a nauseating, psychedelic sky. I rocketed through gray roads and skipped over dull pink water. The area gave me a sense of unwelcoming. I was extra cautious.



I eventually saw it; a shimmering, fuchsia gemstone radiating with immense energy. I grabbed the stone and immediately felt its allure. I wished I could use it to fix everything immediately. If that were the case, I would have used it mere months after Amy's death.



I had to be patient for just a little while longer. I absorbed the Time Stone into my body to keep it hidden. I flew back through the vortex that returned me to familiar territory, back to Stardust Speedway.





Right as I sent the message, a green light appeared, followed by Cavalier Sonic's silhouette. He let out a dramatic sigh and stared at me up and down.



"Can I-"



"No, you can't see it," I replied. "That's not necessarily why I have you here, anyway." I held my hand out again.



"Man... Already?" he whined.



"Yes, please."



Cavalier Sonic let out yet another dramatic sigh and grasped my hand again. He returned Shadow's data that I let him siphon before. "I can do way cooler things by myself, anyway."



"That's the spirit. Even so, you're pretending like you won't take it later when it's time to fight."



Cavalier Sonic chuckled to himself. I was right as always.



"They should be here any minute, so keep your guard up." I scanned our surroundings. "It's time for us to go to Collision Chaos."



We took off towards the other side of the planet. "It's all happening, huh? Are you excited to meet your past self?" he asked me.



'Excited' wasn't really the word I'd use.



"How about meeting Amy? Will you be happy to see her?" he cheerfully asked.



"We're not doing a casual meetup. You do understand that, right?" I asked in return. "The more we talk to them, the greater risk we have of this plan failing. We should only alter time in small, specific ways. The changes will snowball on their own."



"So you say," Cavalier Sonic sighed again. "I get it. This fight will determine what we do next."



I cared a lot about Cavalier Sonic as well. He had a loyalty that I thought could not be gained in this time, so I also felt... guilt. I was bait and so was he. His abilities were irresistible to those who wanted to pacify me the most. He was another contingency I had planned-- a way to take me down. For what it was worth, I liked the idea of him doing it on his own terms and not someone else's.



I took Cavalier Sonic to the place in Collision Chaos we needed to go. The area was much more open, so unfortunately, it was much more susceptible to battle damage. The land suffered as a result... I hated the way it looked. There was an ugly crater from the previous year, dulling the landscape. Flowers had more trouble growing, the grass was brown and dead. Awful.



The sign I needed to take me to the past was here. With the proper timing, my past self would hear me arrive. I opened a panel on my arm and brought out the voice processor I made. Such a small thing to prevent a catastrophe... Even so, there were several months until Amy would die. A lot could happen between then, a lot of scenarios to prepare for.



The ground rumbled. They were here. I quickly put the voice processor back in my arm. It wasn't time to deliver it yet.



Mechanical tendrils shot out of the ground and aimed for Cavalier Sonic, all crackling with purple electricity. He lunged backwards while I grabbed the tendrils, then returned an electric barrier of my own. I pulled the pawns out of the ground to reveal their ugly, chrome bodies. Their arms were drill-like to burrow into the ground, while they had extra appendages to reach and paralyze my creations. I smashed two of them against the nearest structure and pulled their tendrils off, rendering them useless.



Cavalier Sonic took no time in taking the scraps. He gave himself his intimidating jaw and ripped into the downed robots. With an eager laugh, he gave himself tendrils from the mass he took from the pawns. More drilled themselves out of the ground. Cavalier Sonic briefly touched my head and took the data for my shield, then strategically blocked himself while I destroyed all of them one-by-one.



These pawns marked only the first wave. They always tried to incapacitate Cavalier Sonic and Carillon Rose-- if they could. But they never could. More pawns flew in from Never Lake and shot at us; Cavalier Sonic eagerly deflected the blasts and launched himself at an incoming airship to tear into it.



So the routine began. There were far more robots than I expected, dozens and dozens appearing and reappearing... My adversary discovered that today was a special day. Try as this army might, the plan was already in motion. Whether I won or lost, I would get the last laugh.



Speaking of laughter, Cavalier Sonic was having a very good time. I worried he briefly forgot about our plan. He took down a shuttle on his own and used all the additional mass to strengthen his jaws and claws. The pawns that posed the most danger to him were all neutralized; he returned my shield to me.



It was time, but there were still too many robots. Carillon Rose could've helped dwindle the numbers...



"Wait," I said to Cavalier Sonic. "Cava, keep my Black Shield. Their strategy is too different. Stay on guard."



"Sure thing, Boss." He retrieved the data once more.



"Take Omega, too."



"Yessss!" He took Omega's data from me... And Shadow's, but I expected that.



"Do your usual."



Larger pawns and mechs surrounded us, each with their own aggravating weapons tailored specifically to deal with us. Nuisances. They were easy fodder for Cavalier Sonic, who took use of Omega's data and gave himself an absurd amount of guns. He spiraled into a tornado and let loose a storm of gunfire, ripping apart everything in his path. I used other pawns as cover and I was sure to destroy any with the technology meant to incapacitate Cavalier Sonic.



I continued to scan my surroundings--



A gigantic pawn landed in front of me and attempted to crush me. I easily dodged it and prepared an energy beam to rip it apart with. The pawn spoke in a glitchy cadence: "Y-y-you don't haa-aave your qu-queen? A mi-istake."



The pawn rapidly spun to try to hit me-- I shot the energy beam, quickly knocking them away. I had to keep my distance. I prepared a message to send Cav-- "Wait!" I shouted.



Too late. He noticed the trouble and sunk his claws into the pawn before me. Cavalier Sonic's eyes glitched out as the pawn collapsed. Cavalier Sonic cackled, then lunged for me instead. I went on the defensive.



"Why try, Neo Metal Sonic?" Cavalier Sonic asked me in the same troubled tone. "She will die again and you will fail."



He still had my shield, so I couldn't block him. I quickly surveyed my available data to consider what I could use to hold him off as long as I could. I needed to deliver the voice processor.



Cavalier Sonic shot another barrage of blasts at me; I dodged most of them, but a few damaged me. I could handle some pitiful blasts... I just couldn't let him make direct contact. Not yet.



I still had to worry about the great number of pawns. The damage was starting to rack up for me and I had to spend some energy to repair myself. While defending myself from Cavalier Sonic, a group of pawns managed to trap me; they attempted to hold me down.



Cavalier Sonic rapidly approached-- I shot out an electric barrier, briefly stunning the pawns, and I quickly sped away.



I grabbed the voice processor from my arm again, tightly closed my fist around it, then I braced myself. I ripped out my own arm and lobbed it through the chosen time vortex. Cavalier Sonic noticed-- I wouldn't let him get there. I curled into a ball and launched myself into overdrive. I cannon-balled directly into Cavalier Sonic and shredded off some of his stolen mass. The momentum knocked him back a far distance. I had a second to recuperate.



"Goodbye," Cavalier Sonic hissed from behind me.



!!!



He teleported. I couldn't react in time-- he grabbed my head. I was paralyzed by shocks.



I c-couldn't... control my body anymore. I had to be fast before my full system was infiltrated-- I erased all data relevant to my plan.



You should have put up more of a fight.



You will experience the true failure.



You are already gone.



...



I had control of this imperfect body crafted from imperfect hands. I kept a few corrupting pawns out of combat just for this purpose. Before the gaudy Sonic look-a-like could regain his senses, my remaining pawns overloaded him and rendered him useless.



I used this body's speed to launch myself through the same portal he used for the arm. In the distance, the arm was buried under the dirt from the impact. I scanned my surroundings... No one was there.



His pitiful plan failed already. I picked up the arm and examined it. Nothing was out of the ordinary. He didn't even store anything like he was prone to do. Still, he was relentless. I would have to make sure he did not already tamper with anything else.



The look-a-like would be useful to me, while that infuriating queen had to be a factor somehow. I didn't know where she was... This body contained no data. Futile. I would find out eventually.



I returned to my time and planned my next course of action.