— Woofa’s Apartment (Downtown District) —
“So you’re telling me that there’s a museum dedicated to such historical artifacts in the Capital District?” Immediately interested, Amy questions her likeness to such a thing.
Woofa nods excitedly, both girls leaning on the table to highlight their excitement. “Ohhh yeahhh! I can’t wait for you to see what we have! It might not be better than what you have back at home, but I hope it makes you astounded!”
Tails joins their conversation, interested in the historical artifacts he might see in the museum. “For a world that’s different from ours, hopefully it’s something special we’re looking forward to seeing. It doesn’t have to be better than our world, but something we find interesting.”
Amy enjoys the support she’s been getting, which helps put her in the mood this morning. “You’re right, Tails! We want to learn something new, and learning more about Haven City interests me more!”
Woofa chuckles along with them, amusingly scratching the back of her head about them wanting to learn so much about her city’s history. “I mean… I kind of forgot about this city's history since I focused on college and stuff. It sucks too; I was pretty good at history, because it was my favourite subject! Or maybe it was too easy for me… Maybe when I get there, my brain will suddenly understand the full history and stuff.”
Tails sits down at the table, still eating the fruits for breakfast that her apartment had provided for him. “Well, the growth of the city is probably because of the opportunities or the land itself. Besides, it’s a HUGE city that’s larger than what we have back at home.”
“It’s alright! Together, we’re learning what Haven City has had in history. Interesting details, artifacts, and all those ideas capture my interest. Man… I just love learning history! Right, Sonic?”
“Yeah, Amy. Definitely want to learn such… history!” He exaggerates his tone, trying to sound excited, but in reality, he is yawning on a Saturday morning while watching TV with Knuckles. “Anyways…” He whispers to the echidna. “Who's gonna win this basketball game?”
Knuckles immediately looks at the Blue Blur, presenting a determined look. “I bet Tricky my rings, cause he said that the Waves are gonna crush the Hideouts. I UNANIMOUSLY DISAGREE! For a team of old-timers, the experienced roster ARE the ones that are gonna crush the young roster.”
“…” Sonic’s eyes constantly shift to the TV screen and Knuckles, a mixture of confusion and amusement within his response. “They’re losing by 45 points by the way-”
“SHUT UP! CAN’T YOU SEE THEY HAVE THE BALL RIGHT NOW!?” His determination pursues the echidna to keep hope for the team he’s betting on to win. Once one of the players scored a three-pointer for the Hideouts, he instantly cheered for that player. “You see!? He cut the lead down to 42 points!” He continues to watch the team play, not caring who’s losing at the moment
“Someone’s gonna loo-oooseeee.” Tricky pops out from the hallway, already calling it final. “Alright, Knuckles. Give me those rings you bet on-”
“I told you… I’M NOT QUITTING!!! There are still 2 minutes left on the game, I believe those four minutes mean a comeback-”
Four minutes later…
“And the Waves beat the hideouts 120 - 94! An impressive win for the 42-35 Waves on the road, where they’ll continue to make a push for the playoffs as the 5th seed, as they beat the potential 3rd seed 47-30 Hideouts!”
“What a waste of my life…” Knuckles painfully hands some of his rings to Tricky, complaining and muttering under his breath while continuing to hear the simultaneous noises of the post-game audio and the porcupine’s snicker.
Snickering. “That’s about 300 rings right there!” Tricky playfully says and flexes with Sonic. “Someday, you’ll get better at betting, Knux! Trust me.” He winks at him, watching the echidna momentarily glaring at him before he eventually looks away.
For now, Amy informs the entire team about today's plans, especially regarding the museum now that they’re invested in it. “Alright, everyone. We’re going to learn something amazing inside the museum! But there could be Eggman’s bases located around there, so it’s best to protect the people. Right?”
Sonic rolls his eyes with a lack of excitement, clearly uninterested in her idea. “Not gonna lie, I’d rather find the base than listen to some nonsensical history."
However, she didn’t like his remark one bit. Because of this, she takes a deep breath and ironically presents herself with a calm demeanour, beaming an innocent smile at him despite what he had said earlier. “Okay, Sonic. Since you disliked learning history, I’ll assure you that Woofa and Solid will NOT give you more Lunars to buy some Chili Dogs, unless you want to come with me.”
“Amy!” He groans, looking at both Woofa and Tails before being convinced otherwise. “... Fine… But make it three chili dogs as my reward for going with you.” He sincerely gives her a wink, strengthening his promise.
“Yay!” Amy happily holds his hand, forcing him to get pulled by her before they immediately leave the apartment building.
In reaction, the dog and fox immediately laugh at their moment, seeing how hilarious they can be together. “Those two are always at it…” She remarks from the moment, clearly liking their relationship. “Come on, Tails! Let’s see how he copes with her attitude.” She ultimately leaves her apartment with Tails, but leaves the porcupine and echidna alone together.
“...”
“Yo, I’ll bet more rings against you, Knuckles.”
“I swear, I’ll get my RINGS BACK!”
— Museum (Capital District) —
On a Saturday morning, which is FINALLY the weekend, which means most people can take a deep sigh of relief from the weekdays alone. It’s a sunny day in the Capital District, and it’s packed with tourists from around the city and the world alike. Just like Amy, they have also come here to learn and sightsee the history that Haven City has preserved for them. When they enter the museum, it’s packed with people, looking at multiple galleries filled with historical content, specifically the artifacts.
“Wow… I haven’t been here since I was a child.” Woofa remarks, respecting her voice volume as they enter the place, taking in the enormity of the museum interior. “And that was before I met Solid. How times have gone by…”
Sonic curiously eyes the dog with a knowing smirk. “Speaking of the orange furball, where is he? I haven’t heard of him this morning since I woke up from the sleeping bags that you guys thankfully bought yesterday.”
She sighs, knowing the orange hedgehog isn’t going to come with her anyway. “Solid went back to the battlesite we had yesterday. He was curious about what was there, specifically the base; I know it’s a base, but he wanted to see what he could find at least for the time being.” Though her expression says otherwise, looking a bit discouraged because he's not by her side every time, she almost misses someone she cares for the most.
Amy and Tails all look at each other, clearly exchanging knowing looks. Just hearing her voice and expression, without her best friend, she clearly shows signs of someone who may be showing love. “Can’t she just admit that she’s in love with him?” Tails whispers, curious why she mainly hides her feelings.
“Love takes time to recognize. Like Sonic and I—I mean…!” Amy immediately coughs, somewhat embarrassed by what she said. “... Well—Woofa and Solid may be a little… oblivious with each other. They just need time to recognize… or they’re just best friends forever.”
“Seems the probable case… for now.”
Either way, they shrug and continue with their sightseeing, with Amy holding Sonic’s hand to keep him engaged with the historical artifacts around the museum. Although the Blue Blur doesn’t really have much interest, over time, he has gotten accustomed to the environment, almost taking a deep sigh of relief after what he had faced over the past 48 hours. With the fox and dog following the two hedgehogs, they ultimately settle for comfort inside this place, away from the battles.
Continuing their exploration of the museum, they examine interesting artifacts that reflect the integral role throughout Haven City’s timeline. Some artifacts they find ranged from unusual to iconic, and the most iconic ones would draw the attention of many tourists alike, making it entirely impossible to see what the artifact is. And that’s the case with one of the rooms where people are huddled up together, looking at potentially the most iconic artifact. But it doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day, they want to learn and relax, not see the iconic stuff– “Hold on. Hold on.” Sonic playfully, yet politely, shoves some tourists to see what the artifact is. When he finally sees what it is, and it’s… uhh… “What is this?” He somehow took a picture that he borrowed from Woofa’s phone, trying to get a better understanding.
The dog watches the Mobians continuously inspecting the artifact, wondering how such an artifact could attract millions per year. As she closely identifies the photo, she finally comes to an understanding. “Ohh… you’re talking about a sceptre. Ah, yes, a sceptre, I at least remember that story of it. You may be wondering how a sceptre is THAT-!”
“Shhhhh!” One of the random bystanders shushes her, forcing her to remain in a respectful tone.
“Sorry…” She embarrassingly apologizes before continuing, Clears throat. “-Is that important and iconic in this city alone? It’s also the oldest sceptre in the world, and I’ll tell you a story. It all has to do with before this city was founded…”
“And yes, my brain started working for once. Weird coincidences if you ask me.”
“I know you guys have only heard about Haven City, but there’s more out there in this world than just this city alone.”
“I was outside of Haven City once. Talk about being two steps ahead.” Sonic basically teases them; his playful wink causes Woofa to roll her eyes, still enjoying his teasing before she continues the story.
“You’re the blue furball…”
“This world is separated into two lands, which are considered two separate states. The one we’re in is the State of Luna, the western side of the land; hence, why our currency is the Lunar. The other side is the State of Sol, the eastern side of the land. These two states are currently combined into a single kingdom, the Kingdom of Aurora, which is situated on a singular island that connects the two lands. It is the kingdom’s true capital.”
“So this is a kingdom?” Tails clarifies whether he had heard what she had said was true to his ears.
“Yeah.”
“Wow! I can’t wait to tell Blaze about this discovery! She’ll be shocked that the world she’s in is in another kingdom.” Amy hopes that one day, she’ll reunite with her to tell her about this place alone, and potentially let the Haveners see her.
“Girl, I don’t know who Blaze is. Though hopefully she’s cool, maybe her name symbolizes fire? So, uhh… she has fire as her power?”
“... Kind of self-explanatory, don’t you think?” The Blue Blur responds, almost as if the dog knows who the cat is.
“... Anyways.”
“Before the founding of Haven City, as well as the formation of the Kingdom of Aurora and the state names, every land was split into its independent states and duchies, where they would compete for the land and dominance around their area. The land at the current State of Sol was a mess, with constant wars, and I don’t think they have the powers we currently possess. Talk about swords and shields or whatever medieval nonsense I can remember. Meanwhile, in this state, wars were not a common occurrence, but they have happened in some instances. However, this was a time when no one wanted a war, so nothing major happened... not until a particular princess had that in mind.”
“You see, a princess by the name of Princess Dawn of some unknown royal bird family had listened to her father about some sacred place beyond the Lunaian Mountain Range, where a promised land would grant her the power of something. I’m not sure what power it is, but I guess it’s essential to her. And no, it’s not like her father just created it to spend time with her more because Dawn was too busy reading fanfictions… which I was joking about that part. Returning to the subject, it’s been a tale throughout every duchy, but no one dared to go beyond the mountain range, due to its dangerous journey and history of recorded deaths. So every noble decided that the risk wasn’t worth it, since it was basically a tale. Yet, Dawn had the determination to do so.”
“It was the day when her father died, when she decided to live up to her dreams…”
…
…
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
“Hmm…” She looks out of her balcony, seeing the Lunaian Mountain Range from afar, and all she can hear is what her father said. “Find the promised land… and there, you’ll be blessed with such power…” Mimicking his words boosts her confidence, as she knows how much she wants to follow her dreams. “I know I’m about to be a queen soon… so I should do something… right about now-”
“Your Highness… you’ve been out on the balcony for over an hour. Aren’t you feeling cold?” An anthropomorphic marten servant asks, concerned for her well-being.
“... Yeah… I’m just too focused on my dad’s story.” She comes back inside her room, closing the doors after spending some time outside in the cold. “Sorry about making you worried, Pine. I just… miss my dad… he was an inspiration for what I am today.” She holds her father’s sceptre, gripping it tightly to live by her father’s legacy.
The marten sighs, looking at her as he patiently stands there, waiting for her response. “You should probably go to sleep. You don’t want death to burden your life… especially at this time… now that you’re the last of this entire family bloodline.”
“I know, but… it sucks when someone close leaves you and this world… someone important to your life. And when it happens, you feel the need to live up to what someone expects you to be, or even better.” She sits down on the edge of her royal bed, wondering what to do. “Should I… go for it?”
However, Pine reacts in horror, quickly responding, “Y-Your highness, it’s a dangerous mountain range! You’re going to die if you pursue this… this treacherous journey!”
“... You’re right… I shouldn’t risk something if it’s a… a fantasy…” She eventually listens to him, gets out of bed and hugs him, making him flustered. “Thank you for showing support… I’m grateful you’re always there for me.”
“N-N-No problem!” He nervously chuckles at her touch, finding it soothing yet embarrassing. “Just there for you whenever you need it.”
With a slight and relaxed smile on her face, she eventually tells him, “You should rest. I’ll take care of things tomorrow. Okay?”
“Yes, your High-!”
“Pine… call me Dawn. … You’re the only person I can trust.”
“R-Really? That’s-”
“I don’t care about hierarchies. To me, you’re my friend, not a servant, and that's what makes you special. You’re the only person who can call me my actual name.”
Pine can’t help but continue to look down in embarrassment, clearly hiding his flustered face, seeing how much she had gotten over him. But to her credit, he does savour his response. “Thank you… Dawn. I owe you one.” He eventually goes to the door and bows at her before saying, “Goodnight, Dawn.” When he fully closes the door, he silently cheers before running away.
“And, don’t bow to me next time!”
“Yes, your high- I mean, Dawn!”
…
…
“And don’t worry, those two eventually became married soon after.” Woofa continues to look at the three, now sitting at a bench to relax. “So, any thoughts so far?”
Sonic yawns in response, just forced to hear the story. “Too descriptive… But keep going, it sounds cool though.”
“The added clarification to answer if they’re in love is enough to tell about their status.” Amy beams her smile, enjoying the story so far. “I feel like Dawn’s relationship with Pine is so beautiful, it almost resembles you and your boy-”
“Solid. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend.” Woofa angrily mutters at her, clearly disliking the discussion about her and her best friend. “You know how much I hate discussing that, right?”
Tails nervously scratches his head, trying to be a part of their discussion. “You know, it’s just love… and…” However, he seems to understand why she doesn’t want to have those discussions and now backs away from the debate. “... Never mind…”
…
…
In another peaceful morning, Pine walks around the hallways of the castle, greeting those around his direct path. He still can’t get the feeling that the princess is allowing him to say her actual name, not even the former king had done that—just her.
When he stands in front of her room door, he can’t contain the excited feeling, but remains composed, knowing that what he usually does is his job. He knocks on the door, awaiting her response. Although he knocks on the door a few times, she wouldn’t respond, but that doesn’t really concern him because she’s usually a sleeper. With his confidence, he slightly opens the door, trying to look for her-
“She’s…”
From a shocked moment, the wind blows into the room, where the curtains and the blankets flow with its movement. It’s chilly inside, and worse of all… the princess isn’t here.
“DAWN!!!”
He screams in horror, understanding the weight behind this appalling situation. He rushes around the room, trying to find her whereabouts. Yet nothing helps, and he’s left feeling guilty, knowing he’s going to be the one to blame for her disappearance…
“What is this?” He spots a handwritten note on the balcony; the handwriting is beautiful, suggesting it’s none other than hers. “To you reading this… Pine, I wanted to tell you something. I know I’m the last heir to this family, but my dad’s dreams have been passed down through my ancestors… and now… I don’t care how far I’ll go… It’s my duty to live up to what he has expected of me. My courage symbolizes how grateful I am to be part of this family, and I’ll do my best to truly define who I am and what my descendants will be passed down through each generation. It’s now or never. Thank you for reading and listening…”
“...” Trembling… “Dawn…”
Luckily, no one saw Pine guilty, because several witnesses had seen their interaction last night, and even a few had spoken to her before she fell asleep. Although that didn’t matter, because at the end of the day, the princess was missing, leaving the marten to run this duchy alone.
…
…
Snoring… “mmh… Chilli Dogs…” Sonic is already sleeping, uninterested in such a long story. But no one does anything about it, because all they hear is a faint “chilli dogs” every once in a minute. Yet, throughout the duration of her story, he snores; at least not loudly, that’s for sure.
When observing such thoughts about the story, Tails does ask a question, leaving it open for them to respond. “Was he successful at running the duchy? It sounds like a hard job to run a vast land-”
“You’re forgetting who Blaze is…” Amy mutters, leaning against the wall to get into a comfortable position.
“Sorry… Being separated caused me to forget about her…” He nervously chuckles, still embarrassed, while awaiting the story to continue.
“I still don’t know who Blaze is.”
…
…
Although a well-prepared army with experience of such a cold-weather environment may be able to sustain such an environment of the Lunaian Mountain Range, almost all of them never made it, or in some rare instances, a few actually made it back, but never got to see the promised land. It’s something Dawn had to bear, especially when one of her ancestors had once done it, but had died. Her mind continues to linger on the moment when she thinks about death, maybe it’s not meant for her… but her dad continues to motivate her, even if he’s not there. She promises her dad to find the promised land, even if it means suffering in the future.
“... Father… if you’re watching me… I promise… I’ll do my best to live up to your dreams… and get to this promised land, for you.”
She sightsees the mountains, now disguising herself as a walking traveller, and walking through the town unnoticed, not until an elderly anthropomorphic pill millipede (a.k.a. The roly-poly) notices her. “Oh my…” She calmly gasped, knowing whose hidden inside before tugging Dawn’s hooded cloak. “Are you-?”
“Shhhhh…” She whispers, being gentle with her. “Yes… I am the missing princess. But that’s exactly what I’m doing right now. It’s difficult, but I’m doing this for a reason…”
“... Dear… Just because your father wanted you to find the promised land… doesn’t mean it’s always the safe bet… You’re the last heir to your family… what will happen if you die…?”
“You die?”
“You die…”
“You… die…?”
“My mom died from maternal death, and my father was the only one I had left. He never married another woman, because he remained loyal to my late mother. He loved me dearly, telling me such simple stories during my childhood, all about his adventures and wins. But one night, when he went to tell me a story, this was about a promised land… a promised land beyond the mountains, to where those who reached it will be blessed with such powers. It’s clear what he wished for me to do… to live by and beyond his legacy. … Ever since he died in his forties, I kept crying, my life left in grief, wanting him back. Yet… even if grief held me back, he was still my motivation… my motivation to continue onward… and that’s exactly what I want. I want to do this not just for him… by my entire family and legacy.”
“My life.”
“... I know how I feel… my heart beat steadily increases every step closer to the mountain, understanding its danger. But what was I raised to be? A strong and noble princess… that’s who I was raised to be. Maybe I’m not who I’ll live up to be, especially if my journey goes wrong. But, hey, there’s always a chance.” Dawn’s reassuring smile captures the elderly pill millipede, who, despite her words of disregarding her situation, understands her determination.
The elder respects her decision and also presents a small smile, respecting her. “Sometimes… It’s for the better being… And if he was also my father… I would too.” She tries to bow respectfully, but Dawn immediately holds her shoulder, preventing her from doing so.
“You don’t want to hurt your back, do you?”
“No… I don’t want to… Thank you very much… your highness.”
Dawn can’t help but return her kindness with some coins, something valuable throughout this entire world. “Keep it. It’s enough to supplement you and your family, if you do have one… Alright?”
“That’s why… I’m hopeful for this generation… with people as kind as you… I’ll respect the decisions you’ve made up for everyone… including me…”
With a pat on the elder’s shoulder, the princess walks away before looking back at her with a brief yet calming smile, thanking her for the short yet memorable conversation. “I’ll never forget about you… and your family.”
…
…
“Aww… That’s so wholesome. The fact that she’s gotten some support from her lightens the mood a bit.” Amy repeatedly kicks her legs in the air, genuinely liking the story so far.
“You know, maybe if we could do this for the entire team before doing missions, we could have a story like hers.” Tails leans forward in the conversation, waiting for the story to continue. “Right…?”
“Heh-Heh…” Woofa nervously responds to his answer, giving him a bad look. “I wouldn’t really say that it’s all positive… because-”
FWOOOSH!!!
In the daunting and treacherous mountains, Dawn had forgotten about the season she’s in, because this is winter, definitely the worst time of year to cross the mountain range. The mountains are being blasted with a heavy blizzard, making her entire situation worse. Despite the tough and harsh conditions, she continues to push onwards, unfazed by what life has to offer. Luckily, she does understand the conditions of a blizzard, and her hooded cloak isn’t just what she’s wearing. She actually has three winter-prepared outfits inside her, making it warm and cozy, despite the conditions. Additionally, she has also taken care of her feet and gloves to seek more warmth inside her, making both situations counterbalance each other.
Yet, she can’t just walk around infinitely with each passing second. So when she spots a cave, she decides to rest there for now, luckily bringing and dragging some wood to start a bonfire, keeping the atmosphere cozy. She rubs her gloves, which she always wears, and calmly breathes, leaving visible condensation with every breath she takes. “I’m not sure how difficult this can get…” She says to herself, but imagines herself talking with her father, who’s watching her on this treacherous journey. “Father… day one is… alright. I’ll continue to manage whatever I’ll do now that it’s a long day…” Slowly lying down on the hard rock, finding it a bit rough, but that’s what journeys are about: going through harsh times.
The process continues to repeat for the princess; in fact, she’s already making it past former points of interest where several people have died, but she doesn’t yet know it.
One time, at the top of the mountain, no longer the blizzard, but rather a powerful sunlight shines directly at her. A beautiful and memorable moment to take a breather once in a while, even though she’s at a high altitude that’s notorious for a lack of oxygen.
Each passing day, she continues to believe that the promised land is still far away, leaving her to push forward and maintain the momentum she had had previously. Psychologically speaking, however, she does have hints of regret, wondering what could have happened if she hadn’t pursued this moment. She’s all alone, with her words and thoughts all to herself, no one to share with at this moment.
Maybe she could’ve pursued the moment of royalty.
Maybe she could’ve lived a peaceful life.
Maybe she could’ve- WHOOSH “W-WHAT!?”
Maybe she could’ve watched her step, especially when she can’t stop sliding down the snow-covered mountains, uncontrollable to her level. She tries everything she can to decelerate, using her hands, boots, and even some wood for the bonfire to halt her movements. However, she continues to slide down the mountains, and it’s not slowing down; in fact, she’s continuing to accelerate. Riding into the clouds, to the ground unknown, as she braces for- CRASH!!!
…
…
“Nghhh… Ughhh…” The princess wakes up, no longer feeling the coldness by then. She wonders how she’s even miraculously alive, surviving such a huge fall. Looking around, everything around her is a forest, an entirely new atmosphere compared to the treacherous mountains from earlier. She tries to stand up, but her entire body is sore, making her situation challenging. “I can’t… support myself… but… I need to… continue… going… if I’m ever at the promised land… that is…” Although she fights with her soreness, the pain is too overbearing, resulting in her closing her eyes…
…
…
“And just like that, you may think that that’s where the story ends. She reached it far enough and-”
“She wouldn’t just quit there. You know how the story goes: they get into a bad situation, and then they miraculously win.” Sonic unexpectedly woke up, who seemed interested in the story during the moment of Dawn’s treacherous journey.
“Since when did you wake up?” Confused by his sudden appearance, Woofa asks.
They all look at the Blue Blur’s appearance, literally sitting there and awaiting the story to continue. “What? The story was getting interesting, so I had to listen to it.”
“Sonic, you literally slept through the entire section on how Dawn had left her castle to pursue her father’s dreams.” Tails gives him a disappointed look, shaking his head while awaiting the story to continue as well.
Amy also looks disappointed, but she immediately recovers with a positive attitude. “... At least the story is uplifting at this moment. I want to know how she would recover.”
Sonic casually smirks, responding to her opinions while agreeing with her. “No doubt! Dawn got this; even being some princess, that doesn’t stop her from ignoring her pain. Hell, she just fell an entire mountain, and she’s still alive. That’s the toughness I know of.”
Clears throat. “Let’s just finish this story…”
…
…
“... Huh…?” Dawn feels some kind of tugging, almost as if someone’s pulling- actually, someone is pulling her. Casually dragging her hooded cloak, her eyes widened in disbelief as she reached for an open area, with no trees in sight, just the night sky filled with the Aurora borealis. However, the scenery is halted when the same person who was dragging her immediately looks at her face.
“Y-You’re alive…” One of the villagers is shocked to see her conscious and living, causing the others to surround her body.
Dawn does feel her soreness, albeit it’s at least manageable to bear, unlike earlier, when the pain was unbearable. Though she ultimately stands up, letting the crowd turn into disbelief once she looks around them. “What’s… Where am I…?”
“You’re in the village called Safe Haven…” The leader of this village formally greets her, an anthropomorphic cheetah bowing in respect. “Call me Solar… What’s your name, young girl?”
“I’m… Dawn… I’m the princess of-”
“The princess…?” The crowd continues to look at each other in disbelief, unsure why a princess would come out here in the middle of nowhere and almost sacrifice herself through the treacherous mountains. “... Unless…?”
“My father had died a few days ago… and since I was a child, he had told me stories of a promised land past those treacherous mountains, where you’ll be blessed with such power… Is it…” Though she doesn’t want to think that her father was presenting some tale that had been embedded in her mind as a hoax, thinking she was lured here for a trap. “Is it true…?”
Although her hopes were almost given up, the leader stands firm, confirming her story. “... It’s true.” It leaves Dawn’s heart no longer aching from her moment. “... But… we have our side of the story to share, if you want to listen.”
“... Sure… I’d be happy to hear some story…”
…
“Back when our ancestors were living past those mountains, they got sick and tired of the wars and battles that had displaced millions of lives. From their decision, they determined that the best yet worst route to take would be to cross the treacherous mountains. On one end, they would be secluded from the wars, while on the other end, the treacherous mountains meant death to them. However, with the wars continuing for years, they unanimously agreed on travelling through the treacherous mountains. They had lost some lives, but most of them survived and reached the secluded area. A dense forest surrounds them, yet they were lucky to find streams of rivers flowing between, creating a settlement for our village, and decided to call it “Safe Haven”. From then on, their past leader placed a wooden sceptre deep into the rock, exposing it with the Aurora borealis. Whoever lifted the sceptre would grant the user such prosperity… to make the entire world united.”
“Without any wars.”
“Despite this… the past leaders… including me… weren’t able to lift the sceptre. We kept on hearing the same voices, the same voices that told us a story… One day… a princess from a noble family will seek to come here, listening to her father, to seek such power. There, she would seize power, listening to those around her, and unite the world—no more wars… peace for everyone… led by a powerful leader with a powerful voice. Wars are not her thing, and will be passed on through generations, leaving everyone with a stable life.”
…
“Wouldn’t you… fit the criteria?” Solar finally questions, knowing how her story coincidentally aligns with their story.
The village remains silent, unsure if Dawn should do something. Still considering, the cheetah had moved out of her way to present the shining sceptre, sitting there while gaining power from the Aurora, she ultimately decides to approach it.
“I’ve heard incredible things about my father’s accomplishments, and one thing he was remarkably good at was remaining neutral to everyone, disliking wars in general. Those stories of him winning were probably from his days of playing poker all day. … I… hate wars. Hate is a powerful word, but that’s how I would describe it. Seeing all the people suffering made me want to influence myself to end wars… but how? And here I am… presented a gift to end such…” She grasps onto the sceptre’s handle, taking deep breaths before using her strength to pull.
“Such…” To everyone’s shock, the sceptre budges and moves along with her pull, slowly being lifted.
“Such…!” The sceptre continues to be lifted, and the story finally becomes true to the villagers, leaving Solar in awe.
“SUCH-” SHIIING!!!
“ATROCITIES!!!” The wooden sceptre finally releases, it creates a shining beacon of light that causes the Aurora to react with it, absorbing all the power to change the lives of all people in this world…
…
…
“And that is what ultimately gave birth to this world… the Kingdom of Aurora. Dawn’s descendants are the current rulers of this kingdom, where they hold special powers, dedicated to saving this world.”
“... We should’ve met the descendants instead of-”
“Hell no!” Woofa hisses at Sonic, who can’t control his laughter upon reacting to her reaction. “I’m glad you’ve met Solid, because without him being the usual orange furball, life would be BORING.” She dramatically leans back against the wall, sitting down and still admiring the museum.
“He’s joking; we wouldn’t necessarily favor one person over the other in terms of importance. Rather, we valued Solid because of the way he was friendly and willing to help us defeat Eggman.” Tails continues to roll his eyes at Sonic’s teasing, but does feel amused by it.
“Besides, it wouldn’t be fun without our new female friend. Huh?” The Blue Blur immediately teases the dog by nudging his elbow against her arm.
Pleased by the way things are going currently, Amy presents a smile. “Don’t mind Sonic, he’s always teasing like how I usually flirt- Ahem! Woofa, you’re a really good friend to us, and thank you for telling us some fascinating history about your world. I mean it.” She gently puts a hand on her shoulder, showing some reassurance to her.
With a gentle show of kindness, Woofa immediately hugs her, patting her back in a sign of respect. She rarely receives any gratitude from anyone, except for Solid, who gives her tons of appreciation, a feeling that is memorable in her life. “Thank you… Amy. Maybe getting some time off from work is better than being your average receptionist.”
“Aww…” Both males react in fondness, watching the two of them form a shared bond. “You know, Tails. Woofa reminds me a lot of Blaze if she were a cat and a princess-”
“I swear, stop telling me about Blaze. I don’t know who she is.”
