Up on the bridge, Y/N holding an unconscious Cosmo, and Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Cream, and Cheese are there too. Chris joins them. He sees they they are now in the atmosphere of a dead planet.

"Where are we?"

Rouge pounds the console of her ship.

"Come on! Start! ... Ugh, guess we're stuck here."

It is revealed that her ship is trapped in the brambles of the planet. Shadow stands atop one of them, looking at the Blue Typhoon in the distance.

"Are you still after her? Haven't you given up yet?"

"They learned the truth. They'll decide for themselves. I don't give up that easily. She hasn't seen the last of me." Shadow said, crossing his arms.

He slightly smirk as the flashback came to show himself kissing Y/N. He sure did enjoy that kiss they have. Rouge noticed that look and raised her eyebrow in suspiciousness. She looked around.

"What is this place, anyway?"

Inside the Blue Typhoon's Infirmary, Chris watches as Tails operates on Cosmo in a confined space. A laser passes over her. Knuckles is also in the room.

"Hey Tails, you wanna get some sleep."

"I don't have time to sleep. Not until I find out the truth about Cosmo."

Sonic walks out on the runway. Y/N runs after him.

"Where do you think you're going, Sonic? You need your rest! You're still hurt!"

"Don't worry, sis. I'm okay."

"No! You're not okay!"

"Relax. I'm just gonna go for a run."

Y/N groaned in frustration.

"You're so stubborn! What if I have done something that will surely make you feel worried too?!"

Sonic flinched in shock.

"What... are you talking about?"

Y/N sighed, rubbing her arm in discomfort.

"There's something you need to know. Back at the planet filled with misfortune... I've been not feeling fine lately."

"What are you trying to say?"

Sonic is confused.

"My crystal... Everytime I use up all of my power, I lose conscious. I think what I'm trying to say is... I might die..."

Sonic's eyes widen in fear and shock.

"If I keep using my crystal in full power, I might lose my life along with my power... I've been thinking about it for a while, and did some meditation and everytime I try to figure out how to get through this, it's impossible."

Sonic slowly approached her and softly grabbed both of her cheeks to get her to face him. His eyes were filled with seriousness and sincere.

"Promise me."

Y/N looked at him quietly.

"Promise me you won't ever go on full power when we're battling against the Metarex. Let me deal with this. Promise?"

Y/N softly smiled and hugged him tightly as he hugged her back but more tightly than ever.

"I promise."

But little did he know, she won't keep that promise for long. They pulled away after a minute of hugging.

"Now, let's get you back to the room."

"Um, I don't think so."

"Huh?"

Sonic gave her the mischievous smirk and leapt off the Typhoon.

"Why that son of a...!! Grr!! I'm so gonna get him!"

Y/N angrily runs inside and climbs into Amy's spaceship, only to see Rouge inside.

"Hiya, cutie."

"You!"

Rouge beams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Amy, Cream, and Cheese are tidying the room.

"Let's tidy up the room so that Cosmo can rest, Cheese."

That's when she notices the flower that Cosmo owned.

"Cosmo..."

Back to the infirmary

"There's no communication device anywhere. Just as I thought!" Tails said.

"Hang on a minute..."

Chris notices an electrical signal in Cosmo's brain. Tails's eyes shimmer in fear.

"Huh?!"

"What is it?" Knuckles asked, noticing Tails' expression.

"Cosmo's brain is emitting a tiny transmission. It's so weak that the radar wouldn't detect it. Everything Cosmo saw and heard were sent to Dark Oak."

"He was eavesdropping on our activities through Cosmo's eyes and ears?"

"He was letting us go this entire time."

There is a shot of Sonic, Y/N, and Knuckles fighting Metarex Spike.

"He stopped us when necessary and gave us info when it was convenient."

There is a shot of the group facing Yellow Zelkova.

"That way, he could get rid of us whenever he wanted."

Cosmo rolls over.

"In other words, the friendlier we became with Cosmo, the more it helped Dark Oak."

Tails appears stressed.

"Can't we just remove the bad section? By doing surgery?" Knuckles asked.

"The section that controls Cosmo's sight and hearing are completely linked with Dark Oak. If we remove it, Cosmo will lose her sight and hearing."

Knuckles punches the wall in his stress and anger.

"What can we do?"

Tails finally speaks.

"Even Cosmo didn't know about this!"

"I know! How can we free her from Dark Oak?"

"I don't know!"

"Cut it out, both of you!" Chris shouted.

"Chris, you have to help Cosmo too!" Knuckles shouted.

"It's impossible. There are only two choices. Either Cosmo loses her sight and hearing or we defeat Dark Oak."

"How can we defeat him when he knows all our strategies?"

Cosmo quietly cries.

"Knuckles, be quiet!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N and Rouge are flying over the planet in the former's spaceship.

"I'll have you know the only reason I haven't tossed you out of this plane is because I was hoping you'd give me some information." Y/N said, looking at Rouge with a stern look.

"About what?"

"I want you to tell me everything you know about Cosmo."

"What makes you think I know anything? I wish you'd look where you're going."

"No. Not untill you tell me what you're up to. Why were you and Shadow after Cosmo?"

"The Metarex were using your friend as a spy. I should think you guys would be thanking us." Rouge explained.

"But what do you and Shadow have to do with it?" Y/N asked.

"Shouldn't you be keeping your eyes on the skies?"

"Hey, don't change the subject!"

"Watch out!"

Y/N turns and immediately pulls up to avoid a prominent dead tree. Wiping her brow, sees that there are others like it.

In the engine room, Knuckles' comlink activates.

"Oh Knuckie~" Rouge called.

"Yeah, what?" he asked in annoyance.

"Goodness. What a charming hello that was."

"Well well, if it isn't Rouge the rat. You've got a lot of nerve. Why are you calling me? None of this would've happened if you didn't bring him along! You think I'm gonna make nice--"

"He's goin' off. Here, talk to him."

"after all you've put us through?!" Knuckles continued to rant.

Rouge hands the comlink to Y/N.

"Knuckles, it's me, Y/N. Rouge and I figured out where we are."

"Yeah?"

"You won't believe this. ... It's their home planet. Cosmo's and the Metarex!"

It is revealed that the building they are in, or rather, near, is in ruins. A hologram of Earthia, Cosmo's mother, appears.

"You are looking upon Planet Green Gate. We lived here long ago, before a terrible darkness befell us. Everything has been destroyed. All that is left is long since dead. I have come to tell you our story, and that of the evil Metarex."

Shadow is standing directly above them in a nearby tree. Sonic leaps over to a nearby tree.

"Well..."

Shadow turns to him.

"You know, you really outdid yourself this time, trying to hurt a harmless little kid like Cosmo. I just can't seem to figure you out, Shadow. You really are a mystery."

Shadow leaps to the ground.

"You just better watch your back, Shadow."

Shadow closes his eyes.

"Well, what's stopping you, Sonic? Here's your big chance."

"Nah, I'm not in the mood to fight. But when I am, you'll be the first to know, pal."

Shadow then smirked.

"What would Y/N say if you do that?"

Sonic raised his eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that? What about my sister?"

"Hmph. She didn't tell you, huh."

"Huh?"

Shadow turned to Sonic. Sonic started to have a bad gut feeling if he hears this.

"Your sister... she's not a bad kisser."

This took him a while to process what he means by that and his eyes widen like a saucer while his ears blow out smoke.

"You what?!"

Instead of replying, Shadow takes off into the distance.

"Hey! Get back here!! Tell me it isn't true! You didn't kiss my sister, did you?!"

"We were once a thriving civilization, but then came the time of the great calamity." Earthia continued. "It was long ago. A war began that soon threatened to spread to the far reaches of the galaxy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~PAST~

Several Seedrians take of running, but a jet bombs them. Daisy and her husband Landar are communing.

"At this rate, we'll all die! I'll transform into Mover Mode and stall them!"

"Landar!"

Landar roars and transforms into a giant dinosaur-like creature. This is Mover Mode. Several enemy jets try to shoot missiles at him, but they do nothing. Landar chomps down on a jet. Liquid seeps from his mouth, and he falls over and dies. Daisy cries over him.

In the conference room

"The citizens of out planet are in grave danger! As the enemy is getting stronger, we are losing more soldiers by the minute." Starla voiced.

The Seedrian who would later become Yellow Zelkova counters.

"The evolutionary process is unnaturally fast. It has yet to be perfected."

"Something must be done! We must find a way to make the transformation last. We cannot continue to let our men destroy themselves!"

"My own husband perished only yesterday, and unless something is done, I'm afraid more thousands will meet the same fate." Daisy sadly said.

Earthia stands up.

"It is time for us to leave here. Perhaps we will return to our home one day, but now it is too dangerous."

She places an amulet on the table.

"What is that?" Zelkova asked.

"It is a blessed amulet. It will protect us on our journey."

"Journey? How dare you!"

Her husband Lucas slams his hands down on the table in protest.

"You want us to simply give in to the enemy? Never!"

"Lucas!"

"I won't do it! I have never been a coward, and I won't become one for you!"

"We have no other choice."

"I have gone along with you this far, Earthia, but I refuse to let those who have fallen before me perish in vain! The beast will destroy the universe! All they ever do is fight!"

He slams his hand on the table again.

"Do you want all of us to die in a never-ending war?" Earthia looked at him.

"What?"

There is silence at the table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A large colony spaceship is ready to take off. Earthia and Starla are speaking.

"Earthia, do you think we will ever return here once the war is over?"

"No one knows what the future will hold for our planet, Starla. We will have to wait and see."

"Lucas and the other men are against our plan to leave."

Earthia sighed.

"I understand how they feel. But we have no other choice."

Daisy runs up to them.

"Earthia! Come quickly! Something's happening to the trees outside!"

"What do you mean?"

Sure enough, the plants are withering, leaving only bare trunks and shrubs. Earthia runs over to Lucas, who is alone. Earthia pants.

"Lucas!"

"Yes, Earthia?"

"You must help. There is something happening. It's awful. Everything outside is suddenly dying--"

She gasps when she sees the giant machine Lucas is standing in front of.

"This is..."

"Isn't it beautiful? It is the Planet Egg, the entire energy of our planet in crystallized form. In its powers, I have discovered a way for the transformation to last, a way for us to fight our enemy forever." Lucas explained.

"Have you gone mad?"

There are several male Seedrians asleep in test pods.

"Just the opposite. With such a thing as this, we will be more than mere beasts. We will rise up and we will claim our victory! Finally, Earthia, this is what we've been waiting for!"

Earthia weeps.

"But Lucas, our people have always honored the natural world. How could you do it? I kept believing that we could come home to this planet someday..."

"Earthia?"

He tries to comfort her, but she pushes him away.

"You... You have betrayed your own people! You have destroyed everything that was our faster than any enemy!"

She approaches Lucas, but he stops her.

"You were the one who wanted to leave here. I haven't betrayed anyone. You have!"

"You're wrong."

"We will crystallize the power of every planet in the known galaxy. We will have the strength of a thousand armies!"

"Lucas... You are mad... Let go!"

She breaks free of Lucas' grasp.

"We will lay waste to the enemy... and with our new-found power, we will create a new order!"

"No... Please... Stop..."

Later, many Movers are rampaging through Green Gate, including Lucas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the Seedrian ship

"Earthia! I'm afraid hundreds of beasts are still resisting!"

"We have no choice but to destroy them."

The other Seedrians look at her in surprise.

"They will bring darkness upon the galaxy if we do not stop them."

She removes her amulet.

"May we be granted divine protection as we travel to a more peaceful world."

In the Green Gate, Lucas is no longer in Mover mode. He is partially buried in rubble.

"Why can't you understand? Actually, it's fine if you don't understand. Keep saying your futile prayers and perish."

Rocks fall around him. Soon, an outline of Dark Oak's armor can be seen. It morphs into Dark Oak.

"You tried to destroy us, Earthia, but we are indestructible. We will live on, and all our enemies shall bow before us."

He crosses his arms, and Pale Bayleaf, Black Narcissus, Yellow Zelkova, and Red Pine appear with him.

"We will have our revenge!"

~PAST ENDS~

"Only four of those who remained here survived. In time, Lucas became the Metarex leader, know as Dark Oak. He and his fellow revolutionaries continued to cause chaos throughout the galaxy. Please, do everything you can. They must be stopped." Earthia finished.

"That explains a lot."

Y/N notices Sonic listening.

"Sonic!"

"Let's end this once and for all."

Y/N nodded in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the Master Emerald chamber, Knuckles and Rouge have been informed of what all has transpired.

"I don't understand." he said.

"She was afraid of them because they were willing to steal the lives of planets to pursue order." Rouge explained.

"Still, I can't believe members of the same tribe killed each other. Actually..."

He has a flashback of Tikal.

"Please stop what you're doing!"

"Forget about her! Go!"

The echidna tribe run past her as the flashback ends.

"Since they're from the same tribe, it's even harder to forgive."

"Is something wrong with you? You're actually making sense. It might even snow now."

She flies off.

"What's wrong if I make sense? You always pick on me!"

But she is gone.

"Hate... and sadness..."

In Cosmo's room, Amy, Cream, and Cheese are trying to comfort Cosmo, who is in bed.

"Cosmo, you must be awfully hungry by now. Why don't you let me make you something to eat, okay? My mother taught me how to make the most delicious sugar cookies." Cream offered.

"Leave me alone..."

"Cosmo..." Amy frowned.

"Chao..."

"Please, you three... Just go... Don't you know it's dangerous to be around me?"

"You're wrong!"

"Chao-chao-chao-chao-chao-chao!"

"You're our friend, Cosmo. What you say is just not true--" Amy started.

Cosmo finally sits up, tears pricking her angered face.

"It is! I can't be anybody's friend, not when I'm secretly working for the enemy! Just stay away! I'm no good anyway. Shadow should have finished me off by now!"

Tears form in Cream's eyes as well while Amy looks down.

"No... Please don't say that, Cosmo... We all love you! And if you are a spy like they say..."

Cosmo looks up again, still angry.

"I'm sorry..."

Cosmo breaks down again.

"Get out... just leave me alone..."

"Cosmo..."

"Please don't cry..."

"I said go!"

Her outburst startles Cream and Amy. Cosmo buries herself under the covers. Dejected, Amy, Cream, and Cheese leave.

"I can hear them... I can hear them inside my head..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sonic and Y/N approaches Chris in the bridge.

"Hey there, Chris. You still up here workin'?"

"Finally makin' some headway. This stuff is pretty complex." Chris replied.

"Well, if anyone can figure it out, it's you, buddy."

They look over to see what Chris is doing.

"Man, there sure is a lot of data inside of this thing."

He holds up Leon's device.

"Anything interesting from the Metarex?" Y/N asked.

"Plenty. In fact, I'm still downloading it all."

He analyzes the data.

"There's a lot I haven't figured out, but what I have is pretty amazing, like this stuff here. Remember the data that you, Tails, and Cosmo collected from that underground Metarex factory? Well, I was able to cross-reference it, and here's what I found. It's some kind of plan to wipe out all flesh and blood creatures of all kinds until the whole galaxy is populated only by trees and plant life."

A shot of a forest planet is shown.

"Plant life! There it is! There's the whole Cosmo connection! Why didn't we see it back then, Sonic and Y/N? How else could she have figured out that Metarex language?"

A shot of Cosmo reading Metarex writing is shown.

"Maybe we could have done something. Maybe it would have been different if we--"

It is a picture of the party Cosmo threw.

"Dwelling on the past isn't gonna make it easier, pal." Sonic adviced.

"He's right." Y/N agreed.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I just don't wanna see anyone get hurt, that's all."

Cosmo is in her room, washing her face.

"Poor Cosmo. It can't be easy for her."

"We'll get through it, pal. We've been through worse before, and we made it through okay, right?"

Chris nods.

"It's gonna be okay. One day, all of this will be over. I promise."

Y/N hoped Sonic is right, but at the same time, not at all. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the hangar, Cosmo prepares to board Chris' ship and leave.

"Where are you going?"

Cosmo sees Y/N emerging from hiding behind the X-Tornado.

"Please, Y/N. I'm leaving. You can't stop me."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"To fight Dark Oak, though I'm not sure what good it will do."

"You can't go alone, Cosmo. It's dangerous."

"Yes I can! You'll be much safer when I'm not around. I can't stay here! Don't you understand? They're using my eyes to spy on you! They're listening through my ears! They're using me to betray you."

Y/N approaches Cosmo.

"It's not your fault, Cosmo."

"I feel so lost... I just don't know what to do..." Cosmo looked down.

"It's okay."

"I feel like I don't even know who I am anymore."

"You're my friend, that's who."

"I've done nothing but bring you trouble. So how can you still call me your friend, Y/N?"

Y/N is now in front of Cosmo.

"'Cause those Metarex can use your eyes and ears all they want, but they can never have your heart."

She takes Cosmo's hands. Just then the hangar lights turn on.

"You're not leaving without us, are you?" Amy asked with a smile.

Cream, Sonic, Tails, Chris, Knuckles, and Rouge are with her.

"If you're gonna fight Dark Oak, we're gonna fight with you!"

"Chao chao!"

"Me too! Those Meta-dopes might need a knuckle sandwich!"

"Knuckle sandwich? Gee, that was sure clever." Rouge snickered.

"Who asked you?!" Knuckles tickmarked.

"Really?" Cosmo asked, feeling happy as she look at each and everyone.

"We all talked it over together, and we wanna help our friend."

Sonic gave her thumbs up.

"See? It's just like I said, Cosmo. It doesn't matter what the Metarex do. We all know that you're really our friend; that's what matters." Y/N said.

"Thank you, Y/N. Thank you all." Cosmo smiled, tearing up.

Shadow is watching them from outside. Y/N immediately noticed him and excused herself to others as she approached him.

"You're all fools."

He starts to walk away.

"You may be right."

Shadow stops. Y/N quickly zooms in and stands in front of him before he could take another step.

"If being a fool means helping a friend when they're in trouble instead of turning your back on them, then that's what we are."

Shadow tries to move past her, but she keeps blocking his way.

"You don't have to go, Shadow. Why don't you stick around and help us defeat them? They may be using Cosmo, but it's not her fault. I don't care if you take advantage of us. As long as our goals are the same, you'll have more options working together than by trying alone. How about it?"

He stares at her.

"Since you're traveling with a spy, you're more of a hindrance than a help."

He comes closer to her and grabs her chin.

"Yet... I want to kiss you again."

Y/N blushes with a gulp.

"U-Um... Maybe later?"

Shadow didn't listen as he was about to lean in to kiss her when something slams into the ground nearby. Bokkun rises out of the brambles.

"Shadow! Emergency!"

"Bokkun! What's he doing here?" Y/N pointed at him.

"Please help, Shadow, I'm begging you! The Metarex have taken Eggman prisoner!"

Shadow and Y/N are shocked at this new development.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eggman, Decoe, and Bocoe are imprisoned in a Metarex prison.

"How dare you treat us like common criminals!" Decoe shouted.

"There is nothing common about us!" Bocoe added.

"You are under arrest for stealing top-secret information. We have been watching you for a very long time. We knew what your plan was from the very beginning." Bayleaf said.

"How dare you have us under surveillance!"

"Yeah! We should have you arrested for spying and for stealing the doctor's technological innovations!"

"I'm afraid that will not be possible, my jailbird friends. It would be best if you just sit tight and enjoy your stay."

Bayleaf leaves.

"Hey!"

"You let us out of here!"

"Come back!"

Eggman is silent this whole time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Black Narcissus enters Dark Oak's room.

"Master, all preparations have been completed. We are ready to move forward."

Oak laughs.

"Master?"

"Well, Earthia, it seems that your daughter has decided to continue in her mother's footsteps. But I'm afraid she's just as misguided as you."

Dark Oak turns around in his chair. The screen behind him rises, revealing he has all seven Chaos Emeralds.

"All of the lights have been gathered. The time has come. The Forestation Project is about to begin!"

https://youtu.be/rvqqp8vH0ok