One World After Another

Season 1, Episode 5 (pt. 2)

Season 1, Episode 5 (part 2): Eggheads & Destruction - Subject 21 finally agrees to join Sora, Sonic, and Crash on there journey, but a certain doctor has found his way to her world.

    Sora, Sonic, and Crash were quite surprised by this news. Subject 21...was the guardian of London? Then why was she so chaotic? Did something in her past cause her to become this way?
    "So you're this world's guardian, huh?" Sonic asked. "Then I must ask, how exactly can you be a guardian of light when you possess dark magic? Also, no offense, but you're...evil!"
    "Oh, that doesn't offend me," said Subject 21. "And I wouldn't say that I'm evil exactly. I'm just...crazy. There's a difference, you know. Anyway, what did you mean by 'this world'? I've only heard of one world besides this one. Are you saying there are multiple?" The mortals nodded. "Uh-huh...prove it!"
    "Then come with us," Sora said. "We really need your help."
    "Well, whatever it is you need assistance with, I could never help a mortal! Sorry, but the answer's no."
    "Come on, Subject 21. Just—"
    "I said no!" The mortals looked at her in shock. "Sorry, but...I've got things to do."
    "Like what?" Sonic asked, crossing his arms.
    "Why, I've got to perform a concert, of course. But it's not like you should care..."
    "Of course we care! You see, I happen to be part of a band as well."
    "That's...interesting, especially for a porcupine."
    "For the last time, I'm a—"
    Subject 21 chuckled. "I know what you are. Don't take me for a fool. Anyway, I must take my leave. Should we meet again...I suppose I will consider joining you—if what you said is true, that is." She left the area.
    "Should we follow her?"
    Sora nodded. "We need the final guardian of light, and she is the one," he said in response. "If we don't get her to believe us soon, who knows what will happen!"
    The trio heard commotion from somewhere nearby and went to investigate. They noticed Subject 21, Brandon, Bella, and Timmy on a large stage, singing what appeared to be metal music. After the song was over, the entire audience applauded their performance. The band hopped off the stage at the sight of the guardians of light.
    "Oh, it's you again..." Subject 21 grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Okay...after some consideration, I have decided to join you."
    "R-Really?" Sora asked in glee.
    "Of course. After speaking with an old comrade of ours about the matter—well, let's just say she has heard about other worlds...somehow."
    "Hey, how'd you like the performance?" Timmy asked, getting off topic.
    "It was wonderful!" Sonic replied. He, Sora, and Crash has just noticed that the band members were now wearing black leather jackets over their clothes. "Nice jackets!"
    "Thanks, dude," Brandon said. He and the other members turned around, revealing that the jackets had the words The Lost Souls on them. "That's our band name."
    "We came up with that name because...it describes our lives—afterlives, in this case," Bella said.
    "We are souls that are stuck in between," Subject 21 explained. "Make sense?" The mortals nodded. "Good." She turned to her band members. "I must leave, but...we'll see each other again soon. I promise."
    "You're...leaving?" Timmy sobbed.
    "Yes, but I'll be back soon. Unless..." She turned to Sora. "Would it be okay if they came along? We're not used to being apart for long periods of time, you see, and—"
    "Of course they can come with us," Sora replied. "I'm sure Lizarian won't mind."
    "Who is Lizarian?"
    "Out of all of us, Sora here is the only one that has actually met her," said Sonic. "But from what me and Crash here have heard, she is the writer of the prophecy scrolls."
    "The scrolls state that multiple worlds will clash if the darkness is not destroyed from each of them," Sora added. "That is why you need your help."
    "Are you saying I'm part of this prophecy?" Subject 21 asked.
    "Yep!"
    "Well, I'll be..."
    "We should get going if we want to find the next magic mirror."
    "Magic mirror?" Bella asked.
    "We'll explain on the way."
    The group searched all of London as Sora began explaining to the band about magic mirrors and what they were used for. Shortly after, Subject 21's eyes suddenly became crimson red.
    "What's wrong?" Bella gasped.
    "Not again..." Subject 21 growled.
    "Uh, what's going on?" Sonic asked.
    Brandon sighed. "She usually becomes like this when she senses danger nearby," he said. "It can either cause her to become more chaotic or act heroic for once. Now Subject, where is this danger?"
    After Subject 21's eyes returned to normal, she didn't say a word and began sprinting down the alley. The others followed her, soon appearing at an abandoned warehouse.
    "What is this place?" Sonic asked.
    "I'm...not sure," Brandon replied. "We've never seen this place—until now, that is—and we've been everywhere in London. How curious..."
    "And it's not possible for something to just appear out of nowhere," Timmy remarked. "R-Right?"
    "Well, I wouldn't exactly say that..." Sora said.
    "Would you guys shush?!" Subject 21 snapped, causing them to gasp sharply. "Sorry. I thought I heard something. Wait...there it is again."
"I don't hear anything," Bella said.
"Well, Subject 21 here has better hearing than anyone else in this dastardly place," Brandon said. "If she says she hears something, she definitely hears something."
"I say just believe her," Timmy said. "She IS crazy, after all."
"Timmy!" Bella shouted in a whisper.
"I said SHUT UP!" Subject 21 yelled. The entire building began to shake. "Uh, did I do that...?"
"No, I don't think you did," Sora said. "Something, or someone, may be watching us..."
"Wh-What makes you say that?" Timmy stammered, clearly frightened.
Maniacal laughter could be heard coming from outside. A tall robot walking on four mechanical legs crushed its way through the wall. A man was seated inside the robot, controlling it.
"Egghead!" Sonic exclaimed. "How'd you get here?"
"What a ridiculous name!" Subject 21 laughed.
"It's Eggman!" the man shouted. "Get it correct!"
"Still a ridiculous name..."
"And I've been here ever since that little 'incident' on Angel Island. Aisleen was kind enough to show me the path to other worlds, and here I am! Say goodbye to your precious city...or town! Oh, I don't know what the heck it is!"
"For someone who is 'evil', you sure are stupid," Timmy remarked.
"That's it! It's about time that I destroyed this wretched place..."
The building began shaking once more. "What's going on?!"
"Isn't it obvious? I am going to destroy this world bit by bit, until not a single building is left!"
"Aisleen gave you that idea, didn't she?" Sonic muttered, but Eggman still heard him.
"Well...uh..."
"See? You can't even come up with your own ideas. For a doctor, you sure are pathetic."
This is getting rather interesting, Brandon thought to himself while smirking.
"A-Aisleen!" Eggman called, causing the red feline to appear. "Take care of this miscreants!"
Aisleen sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, old man," she grumbled. Eggman quickly took his leave. "He really is ridiculous, retreating like that. But no matter. You shall be disposed of soon enough..."
Sora summoned his Keyblade. "We'll just see about that!" he retorted.
Subject 21 summoned a dagger, Brandon summoned an electric guitar, Bella summoned a violin, and Timmy summoned a book. The words The Book of Magic were written across the front of said book, catching Aisleen's attention.
"Is that...what I think it is?" she asked. "It is! Give that book to me at once, boy."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Timmy said. "You see, this book belongs to us. There is no way I'm letting you have this!"
"Have it your way..."
Aisleen snapped her fingers, causing several Lil' Terrors to appear. "How?!" Subject 21 exclaimed. "I thought only I could summon them!"
"Silly girl. You don't remember, do you?"
"Remember...what?"
"Ever since your death, you have been forgetting bits and pieces of your past with each passing year. You see, a couple years ago, you had suddenly lost control of these beings entirely. Ever since then, other 'masters of madness' have found ways to summon and control these Terrors. What to you have to say to that, 21?"
"I...I simply cannot believe this! You miscreant! Get out of here before I—before I slit your throat!"
"Oh, did I forget to mention that I cannot die? Silly me. Well, you, all of you, shall see what it means to mess with a master of darkness!"
The sky outside suddenly became completely black. The people could be heard screaming, trying to find someplace to hide if they weren't close enough to home.
Subject 21 turned into her demonic form. "Her form is...something," Sonic whispered.
"In case you are wondering, this IS my real form," Subject 21 pointed out.
"What?!"
"Enough of this!" Aisleen screamed. "It's time for you all to...heh...disappear." She summoned a portal, causing the guardians and the band to fall through it. They appeared in the cemetery from earlier. Aisleen reappeared, chuckling menacingly. "Fools..."
"F-Fools?!" Timmy snapped. "You're the fool here, trying to destroy London like this!"
"Actually, you are fools for existing. After your deaths, you should have disappeared completely...but such was not the case. As for those pathetic mortals—well, they shall vanish along with you and your pathetic world!" Subject 21 summoned balls of dark magic. "And what's that going to do, you insane freak?"
"I'm...not a freak!" Subject 21 shouted. "I may be a little crazy, but at least I'm not like you!"
Aisleen chuckled again. "Then tell them the truth. Tell them who really killed your parents."
"It—well...everyone accuses me, but it was not me, okay?! It was my pathetic excuse for a psychiatrist!"
"Wrong! Your insanity was what led to their deaths, am I right?"
"Y-You're lying!"
"Enough of this!" Bella yelled. "Whoever you are, stop what you are doing at once! Put everything back to the way it was before!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that," said Aisleen. "I will make sure you never see the light of day again."
    Aisleen used magic to cause every tree in the area to catch on fire, with them falling afterward. The feline laughed evilly and glared at the guardians and band members again. She snapped her fingers, causing Eggman to appear.
    "Eggman..." Aisleen growled. "Let's take care of these fools. And don't you dare retreat again!"
    The residents of London could be heard screaming, with the majority of them quickly closing the doors of their respective houses. Eggman glared at the guardians and the band members, while Aisleen was glaring directly at Subject 21. She picked the girl up his telekinesis.
    "It's time to end you once and for all!" Aisleen laughed menacingly.
    "I've already been 'ended' before," Subject 21 chuckled. "That cannot happen a second time and you know it. Try as you might, you will not succeed."
    Upon hearing this, Aisleen's expression turned rather sinister. Furious, she threw Subject 21 toward the ground. Before she could land, however, she managed to teleport elsewhere just in time.
    "Hey, where did she go?!" Eggman exclaimed.
    "You take care of these imbeciles," Aisleen ordered. "I'll go look for that girl..." She flew away, leaving Eggman to deal with the group.
    Meanwhile, Subject 21 had appeared in what seemingly was a hotel. After looking around a bit, she recognized what it was. It indeed was a hotel, one she had been to many times before after her death.
I wonder if Mr. Brown still runs this place, she wondered.
    She looked around the hotel some more. The lights suddenly came on and a man appeared in the room she was currently in. He wore a brown tuxedo and black leather boots. He had a light complexion, green eyes, and short, brown hair.
    "Mr. Brown!" Subject 21 exclaimed. "You still run this place, I see."
    Brown nodded. "Quite," he said in response. "I'm surprised you're not...trying to...kill me."
    Subject 21 chuckled. "Kill you? Why, you're the only mortal I trust. You are the one who tried your best to bring me back to life, after all. Although that was a complete failure...I still trust you."
    "What about Ashley?"
    Subject 21 didn't say another word. She knew she had heard of Ashley before, but who exactly was she? Whatever the case, she was just "another lousy mortal."
    "I...I don't know who you're speaking of," Subject 21 said after the awkward silence.
    "Not this again..." Brown grumbled. "I don't feel like explaining right now. What matters is that you need to get out of London. Get as far away as possible. Those so-called guardians of light are more than just your average mortals."
    "H-How did you know about—"
    "I have my ways. Now I realize that you want London destroyed, but you must be the one to save us. Now go!"
    Subject 21, without asking any questions, nodded and left the vicinity. She vigilantly walked outside, only to see that the sky was pitch black and several buildings were on fire. She looked around and saw no Aisleen, but she did see Eggman. It seemed as though the guardians and her band members needed help, so she ran forward to aid them in battle.
    "What?!" Eggman exclaimed.
    "Miss me?" Subject 21 asked, smirking.
    Aisleen soon appeared again, dismayed upon seeing the spirit. "There you are!" she snarled. "You will pay for such transgressions!"
    "You're one to talk," Timmy scoffed.
    Aisleen held the members of The Lost Souls up via telekinesis, ready to strike. "And what are you going to do?" Brandon asked. "Destroy us? Haven't you already learned? We cannot die twice."
    "Do not take me for a fool," Aisleen growled. She summoned a portal, throwing the band inside. The portal closed afterward.
    Aisleen and Eggman immediately began attacking Sora, Sonic, and Crash. Unfortunately for Eggman, his machine was no match for the guardians. A portal opened and he stepped through, with it closing afterward.
    Aisleen rolled her eyes. "Pathetic..." she sighed. "I suppose I will just have to crush you myself."
    She summoned an agglomeration of Lil' Terrors, which set their eyes on the guardians and began attacking them right away. While that was going on, Aisleen suddenly threw Crash against a nearby wall. Once the bandicoot was able to stand up, he glared into the feline's eyes.
    It did not take long for Sora and Sonic to defeat the creatures. "Crash, are you okay?" Sora asked. The bandicoot nodded.
    Aisleen growled and continued to stare into Crash's eyes. She held her paws in the air, summoning a large plasma ball of sorts. She threw it at the guardians, who luckily jumped out of the way. They turned around to see that a hotel in the distance had been destroyed.
    Sonic used his Keyblade to shoot a beam of light at Aisleen, who blocked it with a shield of darkness. Sonic and Crash both tried using spin attacks, but they were thrown to the ground in an instant.
    It was at that moment that they wished Subject 21 was there more than ever. Speaking of whom, she and her band members had appeared in what seemingly was an asylum.
"Oh no..." Subject 21 grumbled. She knew right away where they were: Rutledge Asylum.
A familiar man appeared in front of The Lost Souls. "Eggman!" Brandon exclaimed.
Subject 21 tried to cross her arms, but she found herself in a strait jacket. Her band members were in the same condition. Instead, she tapped her foot to show her annoyance.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a scowl.
Eggman smiled and soon began to laugh hysterically. "Those fools thought that I was a chicken and fled, but I'll show them," he said. "As for you, you shall never leave this place."
"Yes," another man hissed. "I will see to that..."
A man wearing a brown tuxedo appeared in the room. At first, Subject 21 thought it was Mr. Brown, but then she was dismayed to discover that it was her old psychiatrist.
"Doctor Bumby!" she shouted. "You're working with Egghead here?!"
"Not you too..." Eggman growled.
"No, I am not in any way working with this buffoon," Bumby replied. "I am here...because I am behind all of this." The band members gasped. "You see, while you were away terrorizing all of London, I found your ridiculous book. The Book of Magic, I believe it's called."
"How did you find it?" Timmy asked. "I hid it somewhere where no one would find it!"
"I have my ways..." He snapped, causing the book to appear in his hands.
"How'd you get that?! I just...had it."
"I will not explain that. What I will explain is that after I miraculously found this book, I discovered the existence of other worlds...thanks to a friend of yours."
Subject 21 gasped sharply. "Vixi..." she said in thought.
"That's right. Thanks to her, I had gained access to at least two worlds. Because of this, I was able to bring both Eggman and Aisleen here. Having said that, I shall take my leave. Eggman, keep an eye on these nitwits!" He left the asylum.
Subject 21 hadn't the slightest clue what she could do. Then a thought came to mind. The strait jackets weren't immune to magic, so she used such to get out of her strait jacket and knock Eggman to the ground. Her three friends used their magic to get out of their strait jackets as well. The group of four proceeded to run as quickly as they could out of the asylum, with Eggman chasing them in his large robot. They soon appeared at the battle once again.
"When will you fools ever learn?" Aisleen asked. Doctor Bumby could be seen running forth. "Oh, it's you again. I've had enough with mortals for one day..." She turned to Eggman. "I trust that you can deal with these imbeciles this time. Fail me and you shall suffer dire consequences." She disappeared through a portal of darkness.
Doctor Bumby looked at Sora, Sonic, and Crash. "And who might they be?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. "Beings from another world, perhaps? No matter. Anyone who sides with that girl must be dealt with."
Doctor Bumby summoned The Book of Magic once more, using various spells from it to try to summon Lil' Terrors. After a while, everyone else was becoming quite impatient.
"Get on with it already!" Sora yelled.
Eventually, Bumby found the correct spell. He summoned thousands upon thousands of Lil' Terrors, which were, as always, vanquished with ease. The psychiatrist was distraught and began looking behind the group. They turned around to see what he was looking at.
Subject 21's left eye began to twitch. She was quite furious when she noticed that the hotel had been blown to smithereens. What of Mr. Brown? If the hotel had been destroyed during the time he was inside, that could only mean one thing...
Everyone turned back to look at Bumby and Eggman. "I...HATE you!" Subject 21 shouted. "You destroyed the hotel, home to the only mortal I've ever trusted! You will pay for this!"
"You can blame Aisleen for that," Sonic said.
"I don't care who did it! These mortals are going to pay either way!"
Subject 21 and her band members summoned their weapons once again. Hopefully they would actually get to use them this time. Well, Timmy was the only exception, being as his weapon had been the book, which Bumby held in his hands. Instead, he tried with all his might to summon something else. He eventually managed to do so, summoning a flute.
"And what are those instruments going to do?" Bumby sneered. "You rely on music too much..."
"Music is more powerful than you think!" Brandon retorted.
Bella began playing her violin, playing a tune that managed to destroy Eggman's robot, causing him to fly out of it and hit the ground. He stood up and dusted himself off, glaring directly at Bella.
"You are going to pay for that," he growled.
"That's what they all say," Bella remarked, rolling her eyes.
Brandon began violently playing his electric guitar, while Timmy played his flute. Together, they managed to knock Eggman backward. The doctor eventually became aggravated, but he wasn't about to give up. He didn't want to be punished by Aisleen, after all.
Subject 21, Sora, Sonic, and Crash targeted Bumby, while Brandon, Bella, and Timmy went straight for Eggman. Bumby summoned as many Lil' Terrors as he could, and the monsters were vanquished quickly once again. He tried to summon even more, only to realize that he had apparently used all of the dark magic contained within the book.
    "Curse this blasted book!" Bumby growled. He tossed the book onto the ground and Timmy quickly snatched it up, his flute vanishing from thin air as he did so. "Eggman!" The doctor looked in his direction. "Take care of these insolent children!"
Eggman turned toward the children once more as Bumby fled the area. I thought he said he wasn't working with this idiot, Subject 21 thought. She shook her head and tried not to think too much of it. What mattered at the moment was disposing of Eggman.
"You're going down!" Brandon yelled.
"Oh, is that so?" Eggman scoffed. "Just try me..."
"For starters, you don't have that silly contraption anymore," Timmy said, referring to the robot that had been destroyed. "There is nothing you can do now."
Eggman smirked. "Oh really?" He pulled what looked like a plasma gun from out of his pocket. "Think you can handle...this?"
"That weak thing?" Sonic scoffed. "You bet we can!" Before Eggman could fire, Sonic knocked the gun out of his hands.
"You clever little sneak..."
"Nice going, Sonic!" said Sora.
"That's it! I've had about enough of this world. I'm leaving!" He closed his eyes and a portal appeared. He stepped through it, with it closing behind him. The sky, as well as everything else, turned back to normal.
"For a so-called doctor, he sure is a wimp," Subject 21 remarked. She turned to Sor, Sonic, and Crash. "Although that really wasn't much of a battle, I must say that was...interesting. Now if you'll excuse us, we really must—"
"Wait," Sonic said. "Aren't you going to come with us?"
"We'll...think about it. We've got to take care of something first."
"Like what?" Timmy asked.
"We've got to make sure Mr. Brown is okay."
"Oh, there is nothing to worry about," a man could be heard saying. "I'm right here."
Everyone turned around to come face-to-face with Mr. Brown. "Oh, thank goodness! I thought you were...you know..."
"Dead? During the explosion, I was luckily in the market downtown. I was just on my way to the hotel when I heard that explosion. If I would have left the market any sooner, I would have been a goner. Now listen to me, the four of you. You must go with these guardians. Help these to the best of your abilities. I realize that you still do not fully trust mortals, but just do as I say this time."
Subject 21 held her chin, deep in thought. "Alright, fine. We will go with them, but we can't make any promises that we'll—"
"Yeah, I know. May I wish you the best of luck during your journey." Mr. Brown walked away with a smile on his face.
Subject 21 closed her eyes and stretched, her shirt coming up just enough to show her stomach. The guardians of light looked as though they had seen a ghost. Well, they technically were in front of one, but what was besides the point.
"What's wrong?" Subject 21 asked after opening her eyes. She looked down to see a gaping hole in her stomach. She quickly put her arms down. "Oh, sorry you had to see that. That was something I had forgotten to mention. It's all part of how I died, but the details are rather...morbid. Anyway, shall we leave?"
Sora nodded. "Right," he said.
It did not take the group long to find the magic mirror. It happened to be a couple blocks away from the hotel. They stepped through the mirror, with Sora praying they would appear in Wish Town. Out of the guardians, Sora was the only one who had actually been there.