Sticks didn't trust people in her woods. Very few had enough nobility to respect it.

She had seen trees ripped by their roots and burned as a child. She felt helpless. No one was there to protect the home that sheltered her all her life.

She'd heard the desperate cries of Dryads as they tried fleeing from the people with spinning blades. The panicked shouts of Naiads as they swam deeper to avoid trash thrown into their lakes.

When she was ten, she decided enough was enough. She knew resources from the woods were necessary for people, but the careless disregard so many showed made her sick.

Branches were swung, litter was thrown right back, and hollers of rage drove people off.

Soon, seeing those awful people in her woods beyond the treeline was a rarity. Except for that odd white-haired kid she saw glimpses of, dancing around the Dryads.

So, Sticks didn't know the teens here in the clearing. She felt that same anger boiling in her chest- all of it out of fear and tiredness.

She intended for her boomerang to miss the blue-haired Hedgehog. She just wanted to get their attention. She heard a small girl - a Rabbit girl on a stump - squeak and jump off a stump.

"What are you doing in my forest?" She demanded.

The vines that sprouted from her boomerang flung it back into her hand. The four teens stared at her Badger, wary of the anger in her eyes. The young girl just looked confused. "I won't ask you again." She demanded.

One of them, a pink-haired Hedgehog in a white and red dress, stepped forward nervously. "Hey, please put that down. We're not here to hurt you, or- or anyone." She said, her voice gentle as she tried to coax Sticks.

Sticks narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here? Are you trying to litter in here?"

Cream furrowed her brow in disbelief. "No, of course not!" She gasped.

Scourge scoffed a bit. "What's that have to do with anything?" He asked.

The Badger huffed. "Teens always come out here to litter. Pop cans and takeout boxes and- ick! Now why are you here?" She held up her boomerang again.

"We're here on a quest." He said, shrugging like it was clear.

The girl nodded in agreement. "My name is Amy Rose and we're waiting for our friends to start on this quest called the Falling Prophecy." She thought for a moment. "Prophecy of the Fallen." She corrected herself.

Sticks paused, lowering her hand. "That... the Dryads told me about the prophecy- I'm part of it." She said, her voice becoming just a bit quieter from shock.

Amy quickly grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket. She held it up. "They- the Dryads told you about this?" She asked.

She looked at the paper, stammering a bit. "I- uh- you see, I- I can't. I can't read." She admitted. "I've lived in these woods my whole life." Cream's eyes softened (even more somehow) in sympathy.

Amy nodded a bit. "But... you know about it?" Sticks nodded. "Are you... are you a daughter of Demeter?" She asked. Sticks nodded again.

"Well, we're all demigods, too." Sonic said, smiling kindly. "We're all in the same boat, so don't worry."

As the day dwindled, Sticks' eyes darted about, hearing a noise. "Someone's approached."

Rosey stood up, feeling some sort of aura or power clawing into her chest. She grabbed her hammer, her grip tightening on the handle.

A flashlight turned on close by. "Here." A familiar voice (at least to some of the people there) said.

Amy smiled. "Hey, Knux! Over here." She called, putting the prophecy back into her pocket and running over to the light. Rosey sighed and loosened her grip on her mallet.

Sonic grabbed his own flashlight and held it up, bringing more light around them. "So, I think we might've found everyone." He said.

Rosey glanced away, trying to adjust to the light. Something nagged at her- the name of the prophecy.

The Falling Prophecy. Prophecy of the Fallen. Whatever it was called.

They were the Fallen, and that made her nervous. That had to mean someone- or at least something of this quest was doomed.

She sighed, that would have to wait. For now, there were things to deal with and people she - unfortunately- had to meet.

The people there seem to be specifically focusing on one person, so Rosey made her way over and looked at the person. The aura that grabbed onto her heart grew stronger. Her teeth clenched in response.

Shadow nodded at everyone. "Good day there, everyone. 'Tis a pleasure to meet thou all." He greeted.

Sally gestured to him. "Everyone, this is Shadow. The god of grief."

Rosey clicked her tongue. That explained the clawing feeling in her chest. This guy's power was fueling on her misery- and probably the other people there if their lives were much like hers.

Soon, everyone had introduced themselves to each other and they were all gathered, relaxed as they could be, in the clearing.

"So, if Ivo is heading over to Mount Olympus, how are we going to get there?" Blaze asked, grabbing a nearby stick and watching it smolder.

Shadow looked up at the stars that had started appearing. "He's not going to the actual Mount Olympus- at least not for now." He explained.

Silver tilted his head curiously, and Shadow continued. "The presence of the gods is not 'i just one place. Their power is 'i every point of the globe."

He grabbed a rock and held it up. "Imagine this is Mount Olympus, and that," he pointed to a leaf pile in front of him. "Is the presence of the gods." He threw the rock on the leaves.

The leaves scattered about, spreading beyond the rock.

"That's what befell once the place of the gods' residence was established. Their presence was spread about. Hence, metaphorically, there's multiple Mount Olympus-es."

He looked up. "'Tis quite firm-set 'i here."

Sonic tilted his head. "Why? What's so special about this place?" He asked.

"There's an... unusually high awareness of the gods 'i this area." Shadow said. "People hither respect the gods- worship and sacrifice to 'em. They bear festivals and celebrations. 'I other places beyond this, many might not e'en be aknown the gods exist."

Scourge stood up, his mind working. "I think that Ivo will be trying to destroy the 'Green Hills Mount Olympus' first. For now, he's weak. If we're able to destroy him now, he can't weaken the power of the gods- and demigods by extension." He decided.

The group was uneasy. Everything felt like it was coming far too soon.

Then, Centaurs decided to interrupt everything.