A Shooting Star ~Kirby and Sonic crossover~

Chapter 50: Handling the Truth

"So what are you going to do now?" Knuckles' voice was unusually grim as he turned his cool purple gaze to Sonic, his lips tightened into a frown. The guardian of the Master Emerald was leaning against the giant emerald, his hands crossed as he surveyed the mobian closely. "Are you going to keep silent? Or are you going to tell Amy and the others the truth?"

The truth. Sonic's mind shifted to the memories he had longed to forget, now resurfacing due to the stakes of their situation. It had all been confirmed by Scar Kirby himself: the powerful creator of the Master Emerald.

Beside him, Sonic could feel Shadow's body shift as his consciousness returned. Knuckles and Sonic had been the first to wake—probably because they had been exposed to the Master Emerald's influence multiple times before in the past—with Kirby awakening soon after. The puffball had settled comfortably in Sonic's lap, yawning as if he hadn't just heard his past life discussing the possibility of Mobius' destruction. For a moment, Sonic couldn't help but envy his forgetfulness.

Some paces away, Meta Knight and Dedede were struggling to wake, their chests falling and rising with each breath they took. Meta Knight's large wings stirred with each puff of gale, and Dedede's lashes fluttered, as if he was in the middle of a bad dream.

Before they had left the Master Emerald's realm, Scar Kirby had requested that he and the hedgehog should talk privately. They had left the others to converse about their training plans, and once they were out of earshot, Scar Kirby had turned to Sonic, his wide blue eyes darkening with a dangerous glint that made Sonic shiver.

"Zero's gaining more control over you," Scar Kirby had told him, his voice soft but firm. "Soon, you won't be able to fight back. So I decided that I'm going to train you alongside my reincarnation. We'll start tomorrow, after Kirby's lesson."

And just like that, it had been decided. Masked Knight and Lord Dedede would train with their own respective reincarnations, while Kirby and Sonic would train with Scar Kirby—one training to handle their powers to their full extent, while the other training to resist Zero's dark temptations.

It wasn't going to be easy. Sonic knew Zero's wrath for himself, and the destruction he could cause if he wasn't careful. With a fearful shudder, he remembered how not too long ago, he had nearly killed both Shadow and Meta Knight. If it hadn't been for Scar Kirby's interference, Zero would have won, right then and there. It was clear to all of them that Zero wasn't just their usual enemy—he was a threat, capable of destroying the galaxy.

Sonic hated killing. If he could help it, he would rather offer his enemies an opportunity, a chance to redeem themselves and have another chance at life. But Zero had suffered for millions of years through an endless cycle of hatred and rebirth, his rage growing with each defeat he suffered by the hands of his younger brother, Scar Kirby. He had seen too much, and had lived through too much, to ever be redeemed.

But perhaps there was a way to give him a chance. After all, a fraction of Zero's soul existed inside him, taking on the form of a friendly blue blob. Gooey. Sonic thought fondly of the Dark Matter, vowing to make sure that he could at least have a life he could enjoy. He deserves it.

Gooey wanted him to tell the others about him. About Zero, about Eggman, everything. How his family had died, all those years ago, when a fierce storm had swept them away, leaving only one lone survivor to continue their lineage.

Maybe... Maybe it's all come down to this. This moment. Sonic's eyes gleamed, catching the light. Everything that's happened might not be the work of fate, but my choices led me here. I've known loss, and I've known victory. I've seen death, and I've seen life. Even in a bad situation, good can still surface.