Chapter 77

Knuckles entered the foyer. "Here we are!" He exclaimed.

"Uh, Knux?" Sonic asked, looking around. "I appreciate the effort, but this ain't your place." Knuckles walked over to a wall and put his hands on it, feeling around. "Sonja and I already went in every room in this place."

"Not every one," Knuckles mumbled. He slid his sunglasses down to his eyes. Then, Sonic watched as he pulled on the wall, and it slid open with a DING! "Ta-da!" Knuckles exclaimed, presenting an elevator as it faded into view.

"Of course..." Sonic groaned, shaking his head back and forth. "The ol' hidden door trick... Should have known, you and I!" He turned to Sonja. She looked dumbfounded. Sonic would've thought she knew anything was possible. Turning to everyone else, Sonic looked at all of his friends that were here.

Buck, Knuckles, Sonja, Tails, Pico... All of them were here ready to face any danger that may come their way. Danger was lurking around every turn. But they had stuck with Sonic through all of this. Sonic balled up his hand into a fist, and put it in front of him. "Alright, guys! The road here has been long, it's been hard! But now, we're at the grand finale. All of us have made it up to this point, and we'll continue onwards as strong as ever!" Everyone nodded. Sonic smiled. "I know we can all do it. There is no doubt in my mind that we'll make it out of this."

Sonic looked at Buck. "Buck, you're a courageous deer with nothing that can hold you back." Buck looked confused. "With that, you'll break through anything that comes your way. You just need to believe in yourself a little!"

Sonic turned to Knuckles. "Knuckles, you might just be my biggest rival, and one of my best friends. I don't think I have to tell you what makes you special. Because you already know it! Your raw, unbridled strength. Your rockin' dreadlocks. Your heart of gold. I guess I did kind of end up saying it... Heheh..." Sonic chuckled.

Sonic turned to Pico, kneeling down on one knee to come to eye level with him. "Pico, you've grown quite a bit throughout this journey. You're one cool little dude, and I love you to the vast reaches of space and back. After this, I'll make sure you grow up happy..." Sonic whispered. "I may be new to this whole 'dad' thing... but I think I'm ready for that responsibility." Sonic had no idea what he was saying. How could he ever be ready for that responsibility? It was a big one. Nobody could be ready. But he'd try. Sonja smiled, liking that idea.

Sonic looked back up at Sonja, smiling. "Sonja, I think you're really cool, and... umm..." Sonic looked away, but then quickly looked back. "You and I make a pretty good team. We'll do wonders for the world. Just you wait!" Sonic grinned his signature grin. Sonja smiled.

"And Tails..." Sonic said, turning to Tails. Tails' eyes seemed to light up. "You're the smartest, most heroic person I know. I also know you have what it takes to change the world in that big ol' heart and brain of yours."

"Sonic... I--- I don't know what to say!" Tails sputtered.

"Nothing more needs to be said," Sonic replied. He turned towards the elevator. And started taking steps towards it.

Sonic felt the rim of the elevator doorway. This was it. Soon, this would be over. At least, he hoped. He had come so far, made new friends. Made new enemies. What he thought of himself and the world had been changed. He knew he had the power inside of him to break away from the chains that had confined him for months. He reached for his face, and felt it. This was the face of him. Sonic the Hedgehog.

Taking his hand off, he felt the mask slip away from his face. It felt like a new side of him had made itself known. But it had always been there. It had always been inside of him. He felt the mask. That ugly, gray, horrible mustachioed (like someone he once knew,) mask fall to the ground. And shatter upon impact with it. The pieces were scattered to the vast reaches of space, and disintegrated under the pressure of a thousand stars.

He was free.

Everyone piled into the elevator, surrounding Sonic. He pushed the only other button than floor 1 that wasn't mashed in, broken in some way, or completely absent. Floor 2.

The elevator dinged, as the doors shut closed.

END OF PART 3

Continue to Chapter 78