Divine

ODO ISLAND

"Something is going to happen soon," the village elder grunted, holding his head. People gathered around him, as he looked in the direction of Tokyo.

"What do you mean?" One of the remaining villagers asked. "Godzilla jumped into that mountain, and hasn't climbed back out. It looked like suicide, to me."

"You're too optimistic," the elder spat, watching as stormclouds encroached over all of Japan. "I'll let you in on a secret. Gojira does not act without reason. It may be hard for us to understand, but just because it's mysterious doesn't make it random. The beast is preparing something…"

TOKYO

"... Something extraordinary. Something terrible. Perhaps it was the fate of Japan from the beginning."

Tsubasa and Yui Ejima stood hand in hand, staring at their homemade art gallery.

"It always felt like our nation was unlucky, even down to Japan's placement in the most earthquake-prone part of Earth. There's nobody to blame, but it still feels like a sick curse."

Sota closed up his bar. It seemed like a far-off impossibility that this may be the last time he would see it.

"This nation is a place of beauty, yes. But that beauty comes at a cost. It's fundamentally, physically unstable. Could the natural elegance of Japan be a sign that things will turn out okay for the people…?"

Sonic stood atop the Tokyo Tower, staring in the direction of South Island and Odo Island. Even though neither of them could tell from the sheer distance, Sonic was eye to eye with the village elder. The hedgehog knew something was coming, and that he had to stay to protect Tokyo. He clutched the few Rings he was able to recover as tightly as he could, and didn't let go.

KAWASAKI

"... Or is Japan's radiance just another danger, preying on mankind's inherent desires and luring us into a trap?"

Doctor Robotnik sat broken on the ground next to the research center, barely breathing.

"Even with all my years of experience, I'm afraid I can't answer every question," the elder spat, turning around and shambling towards the tents.

…

Tsubasa and Yui awoke to a screech, and an alert on their radio. Opening the blinds, Tsubasa saw something he didn't want to believe. A powered-up Godzilla was stomping down the street just outside their window, surrounded by a flame aura and sporting golden spines pointing towards the sky. Tsubasa pulled Yui under the window and waited for Godzilla to leave.

"Please… leave…" Tsubasa whispered as quietly as he could, as Yui cried silently next to him.

Robotnik's Badniks arrived in Tokyo, and as soon as they caught Godzilla on their radar, they opened fire. The bullets bounced off it like toy darts, but the ones that missed caused immense damage all around the city. 

Sonic then crashed onto the scene, slicing through the Badniks in ball form before standing atop one just to steer it into Godzilla's eye. The Badnik blew up, and Sonic backflipped onto the ground, staring up at Godzilla and getting ready for his second shot at beating this monster. As the smoke cleared from Godzilla's head, Sonic's heart sank. He hadn't expected Godzilla to die just like that, but… it was perfectly unscathed. Even from this distance, Sonic could feel the heat from the golden flames surrounding Godzilla. Sonic ran, hoping to buy some time for the humans. Godzilla squinted, and then appeared right in front of Sonic. Godzilla tail-whipped Sonic, sending him crashing into one of the many buildings that got sliced from the same attack. Sonic scurried out before the roof could collapse onto him.

Sonic braked at the ruins of Tokyo Bay, confused. Godzilla wasn't nearly that fast before. Sonic wasn't going full speed, but Godzilla had outpaced him either way. Sonic began to think, tapping his foot. He then remembered something from back home, his eyes widened. Could this be the power of the Chaos Emeralds? No… this couldn't be. If Godzilla had the emeralds, then the situation had gone from bad to worse. That would make this thing…

GOLDEN GODZILLA!!

Sonic raced all around the ruins, just trying to evade Golden Godzilla. The monster appeared every direction Sonic ran, ready to try and stomp him into paste. Wait… its attacks were still so slow. It wasn't Golden Godzilla's speed… it must have been using the emeralds to warp!

Sonic was doing everything he could to keep Golden Godzilla from the rest of the city. But with the infinite energy of the emeralds at play, Sonic knew he couldn't tire the monster out like last time. Golden Godzilla then picked Sonic up in its teeth, and thrashed him around. Rings flew out by the second, before Sonic was thrown far into the city. Now with no Rings left, it wasn't a fight at all. Golden Godzilla tortured Sonic by appearing near him with every mile of Tokyo he flew through, scratching and tail-whipping and biting him all the way. Sonic eventually crashed into Mount Kumotori, rolling along the mountain and eventually scraping to a stop.

…

Sonic couldn't get up, no matter how much he wanted to. As he struggled to keep his eyes open, he witnessed Tokyo erupt into flames, with Golden Godzilla in the center of it all. He shut his eyes tightly from the horrific sight before him, before his body fell limp.

For a moment, he dreamed of running through Green Hill, his favorite place from back home. He wondered if his animal buddies would be okay, he wondered if South Island might survive. Would Golden Godzilla even stop at Japan? Would he destroy all of human civilization? Was everything… over? Sonic then slipped in the dream, and he felt himself fall from the heavens back down to his body on Earth. He tried to grab onto something, however weakly so. He didn't touch any Rings. Instead, he grabbed a blade of grass. Through it, he felt the whole planet underneath him calling for him to get up, cheering for the little blue hedgehog to save the day. Sonic stumbled to his feet, and looked at the sunrise, panting and holding his ribs. The view was beautiful, and he would protect this place no matter what. He could barely stand, but if there was one thing he knew he could do…

He knew he could run.

…

Tsubasa hacked up blood and dust, pulling himself out of the rubble of the apartment complex. He was covered in soot, and his entire body was in pain. He crawled towards Yui, who was barely getting up.

Before her legs gave out. She collapsed head-first into the rubble. "YUIII!" Tsubasa screamed, reaching for his sister. Golden Godzilla's stomps could be heard in the distance.

"Big… brother…" Yui whispered, covered in deep wounds. Her clothes were drenched in blood. "Are you there?" Tsubasa staggered towards her and held her up.

"I'm here, I'm here…" he stumbled over his own words. As their burning art fell all around them, these old memories turning into fiery rain that burned Tsubasa's back, Tsubasa held her head close to his chest to protect her from being hurt any more. "Yui, I'm here!!" Yui didn't open her eyes.

"Big brother… am I going to die?" Yui asked, her arm resting over his leg. "Please speak to me, say something… Are you already dead, too?!" Tears fell down Tsubasa's face. Yui couldn't hear him. Her broken arm on his leg was physically unable to feel.

"Please, Yui! Please hear me! I'm right here, we're alive, you're alive!!" Tsubasa shouted as loud as he could. Golden Godzilla heard him, and stomped over. Tsubasa didn't look away from Yui for a second. As her breath grew even thinner. She smiled.

"Big brother… Tsubasa… I love you," Yui whispered, before her breathing stopped.

"Yui! YUI!" He wailed, shaking her and trying to get her to wake up. Golden Godzilla snorted, and then screeched victoriously. Tsubasa looked up and screeched too, in a fit of fury and despair. Knowing he couldn't do anything to take revenge on the monster. This stupid, evil monster that had taken his sister from him. He couldn't even hear his own voice as Golden Godzilla screeched to the sky and went on all-fours so it could trample Tsubasa. As he was about to be stomped, a blue blur shot through at full speed and knocked Golden Godzilla back. Golden Godzilla wasn't scathed, only pushed a little bit. Sonic landed on the ground in front of Tsubasa, before launching himself at Golden Godzilla again. Pushing him further into the ruined Tokyo. Golden Godzilla tried to scratch at Sonic, but he dodged between the monster's fingers. Sonic then leapt off, causing Golden Godzilla to claw its own head in its blind fury.

Sonic landed by Tsubasa, and extended a hand to help him up. Tsubasa didn't take it, he just stared at Sonic in disbelief. "It's you…" Tsubasa muttered. Sonic looked to Yui, and his confident expression fell for one of shock. He knelt down by his friend, before reaching for Tsubasa's shoulder. Sonic's other friend slapped his hand away. "You don't get it, do you?! She's dead! My sister is dead, and it's all your fault!" Tsubasa shouted. Sonic stared at him, confused and hurt, yet also trying to stay patient. "The elder warned me about creatures like you, and Gojira. You're both forces of nature, and nature doesn't care about humanity. You promised me to protect her! Where were you?!" Sonic clenched his fists, looking to Yui with sorrowful eyes. Tsubasa sighed, and tried to quell his own anger. "I know it's not your fault. I…" Sonic spinned around to face Golden Godzilla, whose spines were beginning to jut out of its back. It was charging something up. Sonic curled into a ball, and revved up a Spin Dash. He then launched into the distance, bouncing off buildings like he was a pinball and dashing towards Golden Godzilla. Was he trying to stop the attack?

Golden Godzilla's final dorsal plate shot out of its head, and it began inhaling. Using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, it unleashed a blast of energy out of its mouth away from Tsubasa. Sonic stood in place, as time seemed to slow around him. He leapt up onto a building, and was then caught in Golden Godzilla's blast of Chaotic Breath. Tsubasa watched as the golden glow faded from Godzilla, his energy expended through his mouth. Godzilla snorted apathetically. All hope for humanity seemed lost. The blue hedgehog had vanished…

… Before somebody else took his place.

A golden glow rocketed up to eye level with the powered-down Godzilla. Staring down the beast without fear or fury was an undefeatable force of pure power. The beauty of nature, the heart of the Earth, at its most powerful…

It was Super Sonic.

Godzilla roared, charging towards Super Sonic only to be Spin Dashed in the face. A huge gash appeared across Godzilla's eyes. The beast scratched at Super Sonic blindly, and only felt fire and holes in its hands. Super Sonic rocketed into Godzilla's throat, piercing it and coming out the back of the neck. Digging out a dorsal plate that crashed onto the ground.

Super Sonic attacked Godzilla from all sides, repeatedly stabbing through its body as it thrashed and weakly flailed about. Super Sonic backed up, and crossed his arms. Godzilla snorted at this apparent sign of mercy, having half a mind to just go into the ocean and recharge. As Godzilla turned towards Tokyo Bay, Super Sonic glared at it. Without him even moving a muscle, a series of golden lights chopped Godzilla up, slicing every inch of his body. Godzilla froze…

Then fell apart completely…

Tsubasa watched from the ground in awe as Godzilla broke apart, the beast finally defeated. He took deep, heavy breaths as the sun shined through the clouds of ash, before looking back at Yui. Super Sonic arrived at their sides. "Sonic…!" Tsubasa exclaimed. Super Sonic frowned. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. You've done so much to protect us, and—"

"Protecting her was your responsibility. All I could do was try to help out from time to time. But YOU are her brother, and that's the most important thing you need to remember," Super Sonic said, before powering down of his own volition. He handed the Chaos Emeralds to a confused Tsubasa. "I know Yui can still be saved. The Chaos Emeralds turn our thoughts into power. If you want to see her again, support her dreams wholeheartedly. Only then can she come back to life. But only if you put all your heart into it, if you truly believe in her and everything she is!" Tsubasa looked back to the crisps of paper around him. All the art he had disregarded in the past…

"I'll do it." Tsubasa said, nodding at Sonic. "I would give… anything. Just to see her draw again." The Chaos Emeralds floated out of his hands, and were absorbed into Yui. Tsubasa smiled, as a bright light flooded his vision. He squeezed Yui's hand, and didn't let go.

One week later…

In the days following most of Tokyo's destruction, the survivors were faced with a decision. Either stay and pick up the pieces of their city, or try and restart life somewhere else. The mysterious hedgehog that destroyed Gojira and saved the lives of countless people is nowhere to be found. The gemstones the hedgehog used to amplify his power have also disappeared. Though it's a miracle that many districts were spared the worst of Gojira's attack, the fact remains that this is a national tragedy. Please keep your families close in the aftermath of this disaster.

People the nation over mourned those who perished in Tokyo, as well as the many chapters of their culture lost in the rubble. Buildings, temples, restaurants and art were destroyed too, after all. But as they flipped the pages of their newspapers, they saw something that lifted their spirits. Even if just a little. A manga strip about a fast little hedgehog named Sonic, illustrated and written mere days after the disaster… by the mangaka Yui Ejima.

…

"Well, this is goodbye, doctor" Kenji Noda said, bowing to a bandaged Doctor Robotnik in the airport. "This campaign has been… interesting, to say the least. I'm just glad we've made it through this whole ordeal. But you'll probably be much safer back home."

"So long, Doctor Noda. It's been a real drag," Robotnik said with a smile. He turned to board his plane. Noda then remembered something important.

"Ah, wait…" Noda called. Robotnik stopped in place. "I recall you mentioning you had a way to control the hedgehog, back at the lab. I wanted to know if you have actually done any research on controlling animals. If another monster similar to Godzilla appears, this supposed technology would really help Japan defend itself." Robotnik chuckled.

"I'll get back to you on that," Doctor Robotnik said, hiding a piece of Godzilla's dorsal fin he had held onto from the encounter in Kawasaki. He turned to Noda, bowed, and walked off to his plane back to America. Imitating the movements and sounds of a robot. The spine in his hand began to sparkle with blue energy.

TO BE CONTINUED…