Sonic and Shadow's Hieroglyph Nightmare/Sacrifices Must Be Made

As Sonic and Shadow slept silently, they suddenly, and calmly, began to toss and turn in calm fear.

Their figures faded to a hieroglyphic figure of themselves. On that hieroglyph, Sonic and Shadow's eyes opened. They stood still, just like anyone would on a hieroglyph, but they looked down at themselves. They were standing in squares, surrounded by Egyptian symbols. He looked back and saw Eggman sitting on his throne, a crook in his hand, thousands of soldiers behind him, spears and shields in their hands. Eggman looked at his soldiers and pointed. Sonic thought Eggman was pointing at him and in fear, he saw the soldiers run in their direction under Eggman's orders and tried to escape. Conveniently, they both hid behind a bush and watched all the troops run through the hieroglyphs past everyone and towards the Hebrew Mobian Village.

There, the Mobian women with their firstborn sons began to panic. They tried to stop them as a means of saving their sons, but one just fell over and landed hands first on the stairway. Two others on another part begged the troops to leave their babies alone, but gave in to having to witness them being taken and started crying. In front of a slaves' quarter, one Mobian woman tried to stop the troops from breaking in, but they shoved her out of the way, burst into the quarter and snatched the baby by the leg from the room, triggering its crying. Outside, another female adult hedgehog was cornered by two troops as she tried to protect her baby son, but one pulled her fur-hair hard as the other grabbed her arm and stole her baby.

Sonic and Shadow watched in horror as all this blasphemy was happening. Above, two soldiers chased a woman Mobian, who tried to escape with her baby, but one grabbed her fur-hair hard and the other snatched her baby, making it cry. In a gap between two corners, there stood what looked like Queen Aleena, and the young Sonia and Manic standing there, waiting until the coast was clear so they can escape and save their baby, Sonic. They made their way out of the village, but Sonic saw this and reached his arm out, as a way of calling out to them and crying, "Wait!" as Shadow followed him.

But Aleena, Sonia and Manic continued to run, still cradling her baby safe, hiding behind a pillar until the troops were past them above, and when they truly passed, they continued to run. Sonic and Shadow still ran after them, hoping they would survive. The mother and her kids ran up a rock so the soldiers wouldn't see them, but Sonic and Shadow still followed them without hesitance. After going through the bushes, they reached the Nile. At the edge, Sonia put the basket down near the water. Sonic and Shadow trudged through the bushes and watched curiously.

Aleena put the baby in the basket. The baby held her finger for a brief period of time before she sadly pulled away. Sonic gasped in shock as Aleena put the lid of the basked on it to keep the baby safe, then she set the basket adrift on the river and it sailed away. Watching it, she prayed and cried. Sonic, who was still watching, shed a tear in his eye as Shadow comforted him, but then, they remembered the troops. Sonic and Shadow ran from them as fast as they could. They managed to get a distance away from the spears, but they fell past the sun into something. The Nile, followed by the babies the troops stole from the village. Sonic and Shadow screamed as the scene turned to darkness and as they sank.

Suddenly, back in their room, Sonic and Shadow woke up with a gasp, breathing heavily. Sonic rubbed his face, and looked upon the hieroglyphs they saw earlier, and a phantom of fear took over his face, then turned his eyes away to the door. He knew something was wrong. Shadow, knowing something was troubling his brother, followed after him.

Lighting a torch and holding it high in his hand, they made way for the hieroglyphic hallway, looking for what they saw in their dream. Sonic looked to the left, and Shadow to the right, seeing nothing so far. It was still night outside. They moved on from hieroglyph to hieroglyph, until Sonic saw a dark corridor to his right. Without hesitation, he went in with Shadow behind him. And there, he gasped in shock. An enormous hieroglyph that looked just like what he saw in his dream. To their horror, it was Eggman! He was pointing at his soldiers! They held the first-born baby Mobians they stole from the mothers, threw them into the Nile, and they were then being eaten by crocodiles living in the river! Well, seeing this was just too much, even for Sonic and Shadow. He dropped his torch, but it still kept its light and fire, as he fell to his knees. His head rested on the wall as Sonic began to cry, while Shadow hugged him and tried to comfort him.

Suddenly, an old hand rested on Sonic's wig. "The Mobian Hebrews grew too numerous." said a voice. It was Eggman standing there. He was not looking very happy. In fact, he looked very sad and looked at him with a look that spoke of remorse and regret. "They might have risen against us." Sonic looked up at him with tears streaming down his eyes while Shadow just looked at his father in calm shock. "Father, tell me you didn't do this!" Sonic cried. horrified by what he and Shadow saw in both their dream and on the hieroglyph on the wall. Even Shadow agreed "How could you?" Eggman looked at them with kindly eyes but spoke with a voice of sorrow. "Sonic, Shadow, sometimes, for the greater good, sacrifices must be made." Sonic and Shadow got up on his feet and Sonic rubbed his hand on the carving of the face of one of the babies that were thrown into the Nile. "Sacrifices?" Sonic gasped. He and Shadow looked disgusted at Eggman as Sonic tried to keep any more tears held back. Eggman, knowing Sonic, and although he knew he was responsible, genuinely cared for his own family, even if things sort of went wrong. "Oh, my son..." he said tenderly, giving him a hug. "...they were only slaves."

Sonic looked up above Eggman's shoulder. He knew that all that he saw was wrong of Eggman to do, but hearing Eggman solemnly admit his guilt no matter how true it was, Sonic slowly got himself out of the hug, greatly disturbed and shaking his head, he ran out of the hallway on the verge of tears. Calmly horrified by his father's actions years ago, Shadow ran after Sonic. Was everything Sonic knew to be true all a lie? Was he truly not a Prince of Egypt like Sonia told him earlier? Was he truly a Mobian Hebrew like the slaves he encountered? And are Shadow and Scourge not really his brothers? Once in their chambers, Sonic sat on his bed as Shadow calmly approached him in concern.

"I'm so sorry, Sonic." Shadow apologized. "I didn't want to believe it...." He trailed off, worrying Sonic will lash out at him.

Sonic looked at Shadow in calm sadness, and seeing the honesty in Shadow's eyes from his apology, he nods solemnly. "I understand." Then he broke down crying silently and hugged him.

Hugging him back, Shadow said "Sonic?" He looks up at his "brother." Then Shadow continued, "Even if you and I are not really brothers, know that I'll always love you like the brother I had. And I will support your choice in any way."

Touched by Shadow's comforting words, Sonic and Shadow's hug grew stronger as the screen fades to black.