Sonic The Hedgehog: Dark-Bright

[ UNIVERSE CENTRE ARC ] Chapter 72: The Parsing Road

A portal opened, and a group of them stepped through. Sonic led the way, his curiosity piqued by the stark contrast between this place and their home. It resembled the Cosmic Interstate in some aspects, with a notable difference. The ground had a strange, cheese-like texture, covered in small holes, and the background seemed to form a barrier, revealing stars in the distance, yet it felt desolate. As Sonic moved, he noticed an unexpected transformation. His clothes had changed, and he looked around with surprise.

"Huh... Did that just activate on its own?" Sonic questioned.

Tails leaped down and realized he had transformed as well. "Oh my! I've transformed too? What's happening?"

Amy and Knuckles experienced the same transformation, leaving them bewildered until Tails offered a theory, "I think it might be some kind of reaction, putting our bodies into a Soulficated state."

Sonic pondered, poking his cheek, "Now that you mention it, Tails, it does seem like that. Well, it's our first time here."

Dijon examined the surroundings, commenting, "This place is full of surprises. It's nothing like the Cosmic Interstate I'm familiar with."

As they discussed their situation, Knuckles noticed a clear sign that read, "ROAD BEYOND, 'PLANET EARTH - UNIVERSE CENTRE.'" He pointed it out to the group, saying, "Everyone, take a look at this."

Tails, inspecting the sign with his goggles, concurred, "No kidding. This might be our way to go."

Sonic zapped closer to examine the sign and excitedly announced, "It says we can reach the Universe Centre beyond!"

As they continued on their path, Amy raised a question, "It points us in the right direction, but how far is it?"

Knuckles reassured them, "We don't know for sure, but we'll take our chances and keep going at our own pace. Maybe we'll find what we're looking for."

The group agreed, and Dijon took the lead, following the sign's direction. After fifteen minutes of walking, the ground began to change from purple to red. Amy and Tails felt uneasy, but they pressed on with determination. Suddenly, they encountered a blocked tunnel, with a sign that read "TUNNEL," and it was obstructed by rocks. Sonic expressed his disappointment, "Are you serious? We came all this way just to find a blocked passage?"

Tails reassured him, "Calm down, Sonic. We can find an alternative route."

Tails scanned the surroundings and spotted a mysterious tower on the west side of their location, built into a small mountain. The group wondered about the tower's purpose, with Knuckles asking, "Why does a tower like this exist in such a desolate place?"

Tails, wearing his goggles, examined it more closely and exclaimed, "No way, it's the Nocturnus Flag!"

Amy suddenly heard marching footsteps and panicked, "This isn't good! Aren't they heading our way?"

Sonic raised his fist confidently, "Why should we be afraid of the Nocturnus gang? Let's be ready to defend ourselves!"

Tails sighed, resigned, "We don't have much choice, do we?"

The entire Nocturnus army, numbering in the hundreds, surrounded them and declared, "Intruders! Anyone who enters our territory will face punishment, especially those responsible for attacking one of our bases on Planet Earth."

Tails voiced his concerns, "There are too many of them, Sonic. I don't think we can take them all."

Sonic gasped, realizing the dire situation. "You're right; this isn't good."

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to change, becoming elastic and bouncy. The heroes found themselves bouncing uncontrollably, just like the Nocturnus army.

One of the soldiers shouted, "What's happening?!"

A laser beam from an unknown source annihilated a quarter of the army. Amy, still scared, cried out, "What is this place?!"

Tails, overwhelmed, muttered, "This place is terrifying..."

Knuckles struggled to climb but found the slippery ground uncooperative, saying, "I can't climb; we're in trouble."

Sonic was perplexed by the sudden changes and questioned, "Who's responsible for all this?!"

As the mist cleared, they spotted a trio of colossal celestial-bodied Deminins with red eyes, who seemed to be the leaders of this bizarre place.

-chapter end-