Heaven on Earth

Chapter 10: Plain and Homely

"You understand, Queen Aleena, that these prophecies are subject to change? Destiny is not set in stone."

"I understand, Oracle of Delphius." Queen Aleena, the purple-quilled hedgehog queen of Mobius, nodded as she smoothed out the pleats in her skirt.

On her right, Sonic audibly groaned, earning him an elbow to the rib cage from Sonia. "Don't be so rude, Sonic," she snorted

"Seriously?" Sonic raised an eyeridge, voice lowering to a whisper as the Oracle began chanting his prayers and nonsense (at least in Sonic's mind). "I could've been hanging out with Tails and Knuckles or bugging Shadow right now."

"You know how important this is to mother." Sonia nodded at the queen, her eyes intent on the Oracle's sickly green smoke clouds filtering from his fingers.

"But we deal with this EVERY week!" Sonic hissed. "The Oracle's just going to utter the same old mumbo-jumbo about us succeeding in the feud and then good lives and health to all of us."

"Is there something you wish to add, your highness?" The Oracle's nasally gruff voice interrupted Sonic's thoughts. His mother, brother, and sister glanced at him in confusion.

Mentally facepalming, Sonic shook his head. "No, good Oracle." His mother hummed in pleasure at his response.

With a curt nod, the Oracle raised his hands and began humming, sickly green smoke curling through his fingers as he closed his ice blue eyes. "Chaos and Gaia speak to me and I speak for them. Behold, what they say:

"For a family, I send warnings, and for a kingdom, I will not revoke punishment.
For this family speaks hatred from their lips and this kingdom feasts upon innocent blood.
They fuel their wars with the blood of civil souls and feed their hunger with anger and spite.

"I gave you this kingdom and the chance to heal the wounds old and new.
I raised you up to forgive within power.
Yet you have turned away. You have seized your power and used it to fester the wounds and shed more blood.

"Therefore, I shall punish you, Queen Aleena. You will have the victory you crave, but it will come at a high price. Your loved ones will turn away from you. Your people, who praised you in the street, will mock you from the rooftops. Your children, who love you without limit, will resent your instruction. No more will you find counsel in those you trust, as they will hand you over."

Aleena's face said nothing, though Sonic's eyes widened slightly. Sonia let a silent gasp escape her lips. Manic wobbled slightly.

The Oracle hummed again, listening before speaking again. "Ah, but Chaos and Gaia are kind to the one they favor the most." He nodded at Sonic to step forward. After Sonic did so, the Oracle continued.

"But for my child, I will show mercy and I will give compassion for the son of the wind.
For his path is long and hard, and the road he walks is marked by trials and darkness.

"I will ease his hurting soul and bind up his wounds with love.
His grief will only last a short while, as the darkest night before the dawn.
For I shall spare him from disaster because he has stayed loyal to me.
And his faithfulness will save him.

"Gaia's child is a lit candle that none will snuff out.
And Chaos' son a bright star amid the night sky.
He shall bring peace through love.
And end hatred through a vow sealed with delight and life."

The Oracle of Delphius opened his eyes and stared at Sonic. "It was fortunate that Chaos and Gaia were willing to speak. I had trouble seeing your future before I came, Sonic. It appears you're going down a road that not even I, in all my years of sorcery, can see the end of."