the spectrum heart cathedral system

…


-The ABSOLUTE central character of this entire "fanfic" is CHAOS ZERO.

-THE TIMELINE OF THIS SERIES IS PRE-RUSH.
IT OCCURS IMMEDIATELY AFTER SONIC BATTLE.
SONIC ADVENTURE IS THE MAIN ROOT.
SONIC CD IS ALSO A KEY PLOT INFLUENCER.


-CORE CONCEPTS OF THIS FANFIC THAT NEED TO STAY:
    1. I am a canon character. This is mandatory because this whole thing is effectively a love letter to Chaos Zero.
    2. There is a SECOND SET OF GEMS alongside the Chaos Emeralds.
    3. I GIVE one of these gems-- the red one-- TO CHAOS, and it FUSES with him, causing notable consequences.
    4. THE DOPPELGANGERS EXIST.
    5. Big has a significant role, he deserves it.
    6. SO DOES EMERL, even posthumously.
    7. THE ENTIRE "OPEN YOUR HEART" CONCEPT.
    8. TIKAL AND METAL SONIC???


BIG QUESTION: WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PARALLEL BETWEEN KNUCKLES AND CHAOS ZERO, IN TERMS OF GUARDING THE MASTER EMERALD??
IF THE EMERALD CHOSE CHAOS TO DO THAT FIRST, HOW DID THE ECHIDNAS BECOME INVOLVED AT ALL?
AND WHAT ABOUT THE NOCTURNUS FOLKS???

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NOTES ON PLOT:

- Chaos Zero's motivations in all this, post-Adventure and post-Battle:
1. "I'M NOT A GOD" and everything with that: I never WANTED to be a god, it is not my choice now, can I LET GO OF THAT ROLE??
2. Related= Seeking a sense of self SEPARATE from the Master Emerald, ESPECIALLY because of inevitable PTSD
3. Wanting to somehow "make up for what he did" in Station Square; he has a strong sense of justice BUT justice also includes reparation, and he wants to actively CREATE INSTEAD OF DESTROY. Even CANONICALLY we get hints of this: "Knuckles says that Chaos appears when there is an upcoming disaster" in SB. He's like a flipping Absol; he doesn't CAUSE disaster, he wants to WARN people and maybe even SAVE people-- and above all, he wants to PREVENT ANYTHING LIKE THE PERFECT INCIDENTS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN.
4. A sort of heartache upon seeing the close personal bonds Chao have with others outside of their species, which he never had, not even with Tikal (who he was close to but NOT so personally; she mainly took care of the Chao, and Chaos himself wasn't really 'capable' of more complex interaction then, being so limited in his overall social experience), ESPECIALLY upon seeing the friendships of Sonic and his gang; he WANTS TO BE PART OF THAT.
5.

- There is an EIGHT GEM SET of "sapphires" that work as COUNTERPARTS to the Chaos Emeralds. TENTATIVELY: instead of the Chaos Emeralds actively granting wishes of power, they passively grant "wishes" of the HEART/SPIRIT/MIND/ what have you. They operate WITHIN A "DREAM REALM".
-The Sapphires have odd powers; they don't "negate" Chaos energy but they CRYSTALLIZE IT, almost-- they make it ORDERLY.

- A reminder: CHAOS ZERO'S BODY STARTS TO CRYSTALLIZE SOMEWHAT ONCE HE ABSORBS THE RUBY.
- Having the Ruby PREVENTS HIM FROM USING THE CHAOS EMERALDS.
- ALSO! HE'S STILL A CHAO. The Ruby INTERFERES WITH HIS "CHAOS CHAO" STATUS AND ALLOWS HIM TO BE REACTIVE AGAIN-- it restores to him a lot of the freedoms of a child Chao state. NOT SURE HOW YET. But THIS is why he becomes able to speak, move better, have notable eyes and a mouth, etc.
- REMEMBER, ABSORBING ALL 7 EMERALDS DID THE SAME THING. As Perfect, he HAS ALL THOSE ATTRIBUTES, suggesting that he is only "Perfect" BECAUSE the Master Emerald mutation REQUIRES HIM TO BE FULLY "LINKED" TO THE EMERALDS TO BE "COMPLETE"… IN ITS PERCEPTION. The Ruby BREAKS this and allows Chaos Zero to be "perfect"-- whole, complete, etc.-- WITHOUT the Emeralds. It SWITCHES the focus from PHYSICAL to SPIRITUAL??

- That "brain" in his head IS HIS CHAO BALL; it was "internalized" when he mutated. IT EXTERNALIZES WITH HIS RUBY TRANSFORMATION TO ANGEL CHAOS (becomes a legit halo), and after that it DOES NOT APPEAR AS A BRAIN??? "Brainstorm" this actually; Chao balls are physical manifestations of EMOTIONAL STATES BUT strangely, Chaos Chao balls become ENERGETIC?? Do research and get back to this.
IT DOES GLOW IN SA, REMEMBER, AND I THINK IT'S INVISIBLE WHEN HE LIQUEFIES??

- The Doppelgangers STILL EXIST but I am not exactly sure how just yet. HOWEVER I think the tentative list of folks who HAVE them is tied to people who HAVE THE SAPPHIRES. That is, therefore, TENTATIVELY:
1. Chaos Zero (Red) (Equil 210)
2. Amy (Rika) (YES, SHE WAS ORIGINALLY A DOPPELGANGER REMEMBER??? SHE STARTED THIS)
3. Knuckles (Virus 207)
4. Rouge (Thistle 209)
5. BIG (SHREDIST 208???)
6. Cream??? (Cherry)
7. ??? (Syringe 211??)
8. JEWEL. She has the MASTER one in her (AS her???) because she is the "CONTROLLER" through which the Sapphire's "dream realm" CAN EXIST AT ALL. This is the job of the Sapphire protectors, as opposed to that of the Emerald protectors.
She also does not have a "doppelganger" because SHE IS HER OWN DOPPELGANGER, which is ultimately and terrifyingly revealed in the end-of-series crisis event.

- Sapphire colors MUST BE "INVERTS" OF THE EMERALDS; THIS IS MANDATORY DUE TO THE MOTIF

- This eight-gem set EXISTS IN A DREAM REALM and the Doppelgangers are NATIVE to it???

- 2018 Update after Sonic Forces release: THE PHANTOM RUBY HAPPENS IN THIS STORY.
When Chaos Zero absorbs the "Chaon Ruby," the world/gemset ATTEMPTS to balance the imbalance by "SEEDING" A "PHANTOM" RUBY IN HIS DOPPELGANGER. It warps over time as 210 holds Chaos's emotional trauma.

- ^210 IS STILL EXPLICITLY TIED TO PERFECT CHAOS. Chaos Zero can't even go NEAR an Emerald without flashbacks, which is WHY the Ruby means so much to him-- it proved, tangibly, that he COULD use a gem FOR GOOD, because there WAS GOOD IN HIM. And the only reason WHY he had the guts to even try this was because JEWEL TRUSTED HIM. NO ONE ELSE EVER DID, NOT EVEN TIKAL.

- Chaos Zero's "positive form" from the Ruby is STILL "ANGEL CHAOS." This is important because THERE ARE CONSTANT REFERENCES TO ANGELS IN THE CANON CONCERNING CHAOS: Angel Island, Chaos Angel zone, Hero Chaos Chao, etc. It is a LEGIT THING. His gaining such an explicitly angelic form from the Ruby is therefore understandable-- PLUS, since Jewel is the "Host" of the Sapphires it is ALSO INFLUENCED BY HER PSYCHE??? (And you all know he's been my blue angel forever.)

- EQUIL 210 IS A "DEVIL CHAOS CHAO." Remember the original "Love Hurts" fancomic with the Lightraye-League crossover? Remember the certain villain that was there? THAT'S ACTUALLY 210.
- ARE THE CHAO GARDENS EXTANT IN SPACE OR ARE THEY FLOATING PLACES THAT COULD ALSO TIE INTO THE SAPPHIRE SPACES?????? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE HUGE.

- Tikal MIGHT get a body here, either built by Tails or "dreamed" in the Sapphire-space.
Her ancient wish was made WHILE CHAOS HAD DRAINED THE EMERALDS and in order to work they had to be "RECHARGED" with something. In Adventure, Sonic and his friends recharge them with FRIENDSHIP AND HOPE, but Tikal fueled their "controller power" by DYING. She had nothing else to give, just more pain and sorrow, which Chaos was already feeling in literal floods. SO THAT'S WHY SHE DIED in order for Chaos to be stopped-- it ALSO suggests that her remaining spirit is ALSO somehow tied to the Emeralds???? Think upon this and research.
- Nevertheless, SHE STILL MEETS METAL SONIC SOMEHOW and the two end up becoming close friends BECAUSE of their mutual struggles with selfhood-- Tikal as a ghost who lost her past and place, and Metal Sonic as a robot "clone" of someone else. They both want to have a "new chance" to BE, just living life plain and simple, and yet their haunting question is always "what does it mean TO be alive?" for them, specifically.
- I don't know how Metal Sonic meets her yet, OR how their friendship continues without Robotnik interfering-- DOES HE KNOW???-- but it does happen. It's too much of an old keystone of the plot to abandon.
-A later note: OUR ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN WE DRAFTED SI IT WAS BEFORE SONIC HEROES. Metal Sonic was CREATED TO DESTROY SONIC and as such that motivation has made his personality VERY VICIOUS AND COLD. The plot of SI could ONLY happen if something changed that, and POST-SI he would apparently REVERT WORSE THAN EVER (Metal Madness)???

- Tikal DOES interact with BOTH Chaos and Jewel at some point, and not briefly! The three of them are legit friends and there is some SERIOUS character development there, as it brings in the ENTIRE picture of the past & present for them all, as well as hopes for the future IN LIGHT of it all.
-Tikal and Chaos ARE very close, BUT there is a NOTABLE DIFFERENCE between her and Jewel in terms of their relationship with Chaos. Tikal is still 14 and she’s a ghost for heaven’s sakes; yes she’s still forever his dear friend but her personality actually unfortunately clashes with the aspects of Chaos that he buries-- that capability for unbearable negative emotions. Tikal is a pacifist and a total sweetheart and she can knee-jerk react to negativity with a frightened “make everything okay right now” WITHOUT being able to comprehend or reason with what’s NOT okay-- she CANNOT EMPATHIZE with Perfect and THANK GOD FOR THAT. Chaos actually NEEDS that in a way; it is so important to have someone in his life who is just as simple and pure as Tikal is. THAT DOESN’T MEAN TIKAL IS IGNORANT. Post-SA, and in SI-- especially in her interactions with Metal Sonic, IF that is still fanonically possible-- show that she is struggling with the revelations that the world, and her friends, are scarier than she wanted to admit. She saw what both Chaos and Pachacamac could do on their worst days, and that frightened her. She doesn’t want to be like that and she doesn’t want anyone to be like that. (That would make ANY interaction with Metal Sonic AS he apparently stands in canon VERY INTERESTING because he is practically VENGEANCE PERSONIFIED, with his abhorrence for Sonic. I wonder if we can work with that…)
Nevertheless, Jewel is similar to both her and Chaos. Although she DOES present equally as a pacifist at first, it’s weirdly FORCED? Whereas Tikal is just naturally soft and gentle, Jewel is TOO ARDENT IN EVERYTHING and she has ANGER ISSUES. Just like Chaos. She also has GEM TRAUMA like him, and she KNOWS what it’s like to live in that ambivalence. Chaos needs that empathy too, morseo than he could ever admit or even realize before he met her. It’s this jarring liberation, to suddenly meet someone who GETS IT, all of that hideous suffering and guilt and pain, and who DOESN'T DENY IT, but also DOESN’T FEAR YOU. ...Jewel needs that, too.
- Tikal IS “a little bit scared” of Chaos BUT SHE WON’T ADMIT IT TO HERSELF AT FIRST. She cannot reconcile her memories of her warm-hearted friend with the memories of what happened when that heart broke and burned everything down. Even in SA, she just kind of… tried to shove both that awareness AND CHAOS back into the Emerald. I don’t think she ever thought about “after.” She just died, UNABLE TO COPE with that world-shaking event, one that uprooted her whole reality, and in SA she was just living according to that.
- In time Tikal DOES realize that Jewel and Chaos definitely have some sparks going in several aspects. Realizing that this is giving Chaos something he NEEDS that she could NOT give him, she actually goes out of her way to defend them both, wanting to ensure that “peace” in ALL their futures. She and Chaos do talk about Jewel, as do Tikal and Jewel talk about Chaos.
- In the end I WONDER IF THAT IS WHAT PUSHES HER TO METAL SONIC. He would be like, the ULTIMATE “person” who “needed peace.” And since Tikal is effectively IMBUED WITH CHAOS ENERGY from being a spirit who died FROM EMERALD EXPOSURE… I wonder what she could do with that power. I mean, if ANYONE could get M.S. to chill the heck out I'm SURE it would be TIKAL.

- Tikal has ONE LINE that she says to CHAOS IN SA that HITS: "These are the Chao you were protecting. They stayed alive for generations and now live peacefully with humans. The fighting's over. Harmony's restored, and life goes on."  This is RIGHT after Perfect is defeated. It’s notable for TWO REASONS: first, the Chao “live peacefully with HUMANS.” I am SURE that stuck with him AND is part of WHY he doesn’t hesitate in LETTING Jewel get so close to him, and vice versa, even so immediately-- he’s kind of desperate for that peace, and she’s the ONLY human he knows who EVER offered to GIVE him that-- or even to BE that in her own right. Second, “THE FIGHTING IS OVER.” Except it wasn’t. On the outside, everything was settled in that sense; the catastrophe of the Altar was long since ended, Chao and Echidnas got along wonderfully, the Emeralds themselves were restored and safe from those who would abuse their power. "All's well that ends well." But on the inside… well, we see Sonic’s psychic scars starting to show in SI, but even those pale in comparison to Chaos’s deep emotional wounds, as the cause of the disaster, the very “GOD” OF IT. He is at war with HIMSELF deep down and THAT gets dragged back up to the surface when Robotnik reels him back in to his nefarious plans, and Chaos is FORCED to face himself “AS A VILLAIN” again. He gives in at first, despairing and self-loathing, but JEWEL STARTS TO SNAP HIM OUT OF IT. It’s not just her telling him to “stop” and “think about what you’re doing.” It’s that she ALSO emphasizes that “THIS ISN’T YOU.” Not even Tikal said that to him!! Tikal knew that, I’m sure, but I think she was even afraid to address Perfect AS Chaos?? Like she wanted to keep the two “separate.” Well SO DID CHAOS, and that causes A LOT OF TROUBLE LATER ON WITH EQUIL. But we’ll get to that. The point here is that harmony ISN’T restored, not yet, not then, and there are still demons to fight. You just can’t see it on the surface of the water, not yet. Not until you get a strong enough light shining down into those depths…
Lastly, “LIFE GOES ON.” Good Lord isn’t THAT relevant to SI. There is SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON “LIFE” AND WHAT IT MEANS. The Doppelgangers, Tikal’s spirit herself, Jewel and the Sapphires… life really does just go on, no matter what. And HOW does it go on? THROUGH FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE. I read somewhere that the “heart of the Sonic series IS love” in its many aspects, and the close bonds of caring between individuals, that motivate EVERY hero to do EVERYTHING THEY CAN for the good of their found-family and the greater whole of the world. It’s amazing, and it’s so true. SI keeps that core truth going strongly, moreso than the canon because it deals with love when it gets personal. The canon deals with it in a beautifully universal regard, only HINTING at more personal aspects, mostly familial, like with Sonic & Tails, the Chaotix, Cream & Vanilla, etc. But there are no outright deeper canon relationships, besides the longtime Sonic/Amy hinting, with the NOTABLE exception of Elise in ‘06 which STAGGERED me at the time because it was SO IMPORTANT to both me personally AND SI’s harmonizing with canon as a whole. SI was originally written at a time in my life where trauma was wrecking everything and I was desperately trying to figure out what REAL love WAS. The FIRST draft of SI’s plot was rooted in the “Love Hurts” League-crossover comic, which occurred in heartspace and FOCUSED on the characters realizing they HAD the capacity TO love others THAT CLOSELY, not just in general. Tikal loves the world that way; so does Sonic. It’s a virtuous and good thing and it is laudable. But love only hurts when it gets close enough TO do so. And THAT is the core of SI, arguably. Even with the Doppelgangers; their “love” isn’t so close in that sense (I don't think?? they are WAY too childlike ultimately) but it is still INTENSE and “MARGINALIZED” and it is PAINFUL. I’m rambling a little but that’s the whole thing about “life goes on.” It ONLY goes on IF THERE’S LOVE. Life without love is a “living hell”; it’s WORSE than death. THAT is FOCAL in SI as well… especially closest to the end.
- Let me stop avoiding the point. Jewel and Chaos are in love and that is the KEY to the WHOLE STORY. There is SO MUCH hinging on their relationship, whether they realize it or not-- and believe me they don't. Neither of them are fully aware of just HOW much influence their individual lives have on their respective world, especially in regards to the Emeralds and Sapphires; so when the two of them are together, STUFF HAPPENS. The theme of SI isn't just life and it's meaning, it's ALSO the whole "inversion" thing itself-- flipsides, complements, opposites, shifts, mirrors. Two seemingly opposed things being intrinsically bound somehow, and sharing that space of function, even while standing in contrast. Jewel and Chaos aren't "opposed" even in their notable differences. There's still a deeper foundation that unites them both, some greater context that they BOTH fit in, to the point where the reflection and reality are inseparable. Same with the Doppelgangers. It's very complex and I love it; I can't really summarize it here but I REALLY do need to write it out moreso soon.

For the record,  to quote from the internet: “Our eyes see red, green and blue light. The opposite of red is therefore the sum of green and blue - which is technically called “Cyan” - but is roughly “sky blue” or “aqua”. ” So THERE YOU GO



- BIG THE CAT IS SHOCKINGLY VERY IMPORTANT. First off, FROGGY ATE CHAOS'S TAIL. Secondly, due to game mechanics, Big is the ONLY CHARACTER THAT ISN'T HURT BY TOUCHING CHAOS, implying that, to Big, CHAOS ISN'T AN ENEMY-- and/or that Big is somehow IMPERVIOUS TO CHAOS DAMAGE. Playing with that idea, that would only be possible IF HE HAD A SAPPHIRE…
- I want him to just like… fish it up. Or have Froggy SWALLOW one, again. God bless those two.

- OH ON THAT NOTE. APPARENTLY SONIC HEROES WAS BEFORE SONIC BATTLE???? AND METAL SONIC ABSORBS CHAOS'S DNA DATA FROM FROGGY AND CHOCOLA???????????? WTF SEGA
So yeah, looks like those four are ALREADY connected in canon.
WORK WITH THIS.
- IMPORTANTLY, METAL SONIC DOESN'T ABSORB CHAOS. He just gets information on his NATIVE SPECIES (Chao), and on his MUTATED FORM from Froggy, assumedly. NO SELF, JUST DATA.
BUT!!! THIS SHOWS THAT FROGGY SOMEHOW HAS "REMNANTS" OF CHAOS'S DNA IN HIM, to the point where they can be ISOLATED AND RECOGNIZED AS SUCH-- probably because Chaos was able to CONTROL Froggy THROUGH his tail-energy being in him, and that ACTIVE presence had a stronger effect than otherwise? Even so, WHAT THE HECK FROGGY. Apparently Chaos did get his tail back, so he's not missing anything, BUT that proximity SOMEHOW AFFECTED FROGGY on an intrinsic level and that is fascinating.
(Also. What the heck would such proximity do to Jewel's DNA, so to speak? Because there is a LOT of chaotic kissing going on later)

- ON THE FLIPSIDE, CHAOS IS A CHAO AND THE MORE TIME HE SPENDS WITH JEWEL THE MORE "HUMANLIKE" TENDENCIES HE PICKS UP… to a point. Jewel's "humanity" is a bit altered by the Sapphires, as it were, so he's not switching species BUT he is definitely mirroring her, with all that entails.

- DON'T FORGET HYPER KNUCKLES, HYPER ROUGE AND "SHYPER AMY". If they all DO use the Sapphires, THOSE MIGHT BE LEGIT… and in the original canon, Rouge had a Sapphire transformation EVEN BEFORE CHAOS DID.
- HOWEVER. The Sapphires WORK DIFFERENTLY FROM THE EMERALDS. They CANNOT be utilized as a "power source" or "magic lamp"; that is NOT their function.

- "CHAOS IS POWER, ENRICHED BY THE HEART" PARALLEL WITH THE SAPPHIRES/RUBY???
Something inverted-- "The HEART is chaos," maybe even. That hits hard. Either way it must poetically explain their role ONCE we clarify it.

- SPECIAL STAGES. THE EMERALDS HAVE THOSE. WHAT ABOUT THE SAPPHIRES. (REMEMBER THE 2003 "RIKA REVERSE SPECIAL" CONCEPT)
- ALSO, RINGS. IF THOSE ARE TIED TO THE EMERALDS, WHAT DO THE SAPPHIRES HAVE?? (if we're going by shape echoes, it's gotta be TRIANGLES MAN)

- REMEMBER THE WHOLE IDEA OF "INVERSION" MUST BE REFLECTED IN THIS SOMEHOW-- not in a "dark side" sort of cliché, but in a "complement/ revelation/ hidden things made present/ unseen side made prevalent/ etc." sort of way.

- Jewel's famous debut line of "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" is still canon. It's important because in that outburst, Chaos is shocked to recognize a personal concern; Jewel is shouting sense into him not to protect herself or solve a problem, but because she has faith in HIM as a person. He has never experienced this before and it affects him profoundly. Initially he stays with her mainly out of a need to experience such a perspective, but as time goes on he ALSO realizes that she can ONLY care like that BECAUSE SHE GETS HIM. She is the ONLY other person who knows what it's like to be in his shoes-- for one's heart to be so badly hurt that it explodes outwards in pain, and afterwards you must live with the debris. Not even Shadow fully gets this. Jewel does, though, because humans are emotionally volatile and trauma can and does make you monstrous. So she and Chaos both have hope in each other, and for themselves as a result of that. Etc. They're both "emotional wrecks" trying to rebuild apart from what wrecked them, but with each other.
- Jewel's trauma HAS TO DO WITH THE SAPPHIRES???? Not sure how yet, but it OBVIOUSLY MUST. I'm wondering if, when became the "host" for its dream-realm (if that's still the idea), the doppelgangers were MANIFESTATIONS OF HER PSYCHE and this ONLY changed when the Sapphires suddenly got OUT and into the hands of Mobians???

- WHAT THE HECK IS ROBOTNIK DOING IN ALL THIS. HE STILL HAS A CENTRAL PLOT ROLE OF COURSE. SPECIFICALLY, HOW DOES HE FIND OUT ABOUT THE RUBY, HOW DOES HE KIDNAP CHAOS INITIALLY (AND TIKAL???), ETC. His reasons FOR kidnapping Chaos was to use him as a LAB RAT for the Sapphires, AND to utilize his innate and incomparable ESSENTIAL LINK TO THE EMERALDS, due to his mutation AND psyche (with Perfect). But as for how he LEARNED about the Sapphires, I'm not sure as to details.
- DID GERALD KNOW ABOUT THE SAPPHIRES????
- ON THAT NOTE, DO THE ARTIFICIAL CHAOS PLAY INTO ANYTHING??? I am SO fascinated by the very fact of their existence; they prove that PERFECT WASN'T THE ONLY ANCIENT DEPICTION OF CHAOS. His NORMAL form, CHAOS 0, was apparently KNOWN WELL ENOUGH TO BE DEPICTED & LATER DISCOVERED BY GERALD/ RESEARCHERS, to the point where he COULD create the artificial Chaos bots TO HIS PHYSICAL LIKENESS.

- ALSO WHAT IS SONIC HIMSELF DOING. Originally he was "so shaken" by the successive events of SA2B and SB that he "needed to get back to the old days" and was desperately trying to at least re-experience the carefree joy of running around without the memories and fears of death and doom haunting him. But he WOULDN'T TELL THIS TO ANYONE OUTRIGHT.
Sonic REALLY BURIES HIS PAINFUL EMOTIONS. He does feel them but he CAN'T "SHOW THEM" because he wants to be the UNBREAKABLE HERO-- the role model, the hypostasis of victory, the unshakeable cool kid who can face any problem and conquer it. But... no one's psyche goes unscathed, enduring what that poor hedgehog has. He just... moves so fast that he doesn't have the TIME to look at it. He keeps running. But... here, his fears are catching up with him, because something is slowing him down? There's something KEEPING him from running away this time, or at least making him drag his feet against his will, and he's scared. Clarify this.
THIS DENIAL/ESCAPISM MAY BE A MAJOR PLOT POINT, with ALL the characters somehow experiencing this spiritual trauma, and Jewel being the APEX of it somehow-- perhaps through the Sapphires. (Maybe we can tie this into WHY the characters ALL seem to cope pretty dang well with the stress LATER in the canon).

- SINCE we're playing Sonicteam's canon-ganking game here, WHAT could be our explanation as to WHY Chaos Zero DOESN'T have the Ruby (visible) in him currently? (AND WHEN HAVE WE LAST SEEN HIM CANONICALLY?????? Sonic Generations & Sonic Forces DO NOT COUNT; those were ARTIFICIAL REPRESENTATIONS!!)
REMEMBER THE END-OF-SERIES CRISIS DOES HAVE ROBOTNIK RIP THE RUBY OUT OF HIM, which very nearly murders him (remember it MADE HIM 'MORTAL') AND triggers Jewel's absolute Sapphire-induced despair rampage. I cannot see any events about/after that yet, BUT Jewel promises to "get the Ruby back" so I would trust he does… BUT THEN WHAT?
- ALSO SINCE THE PHANTOM RUBY STILL EXISTS IN CANON, how does it get OUT of Equil and SURVIVE as its own thing long enough for Infinite to absorb it JUST LIKE CHAOS DID WITH THE ORIGINAL???
- Is that even POSSIBLE with the canon? I know Sonic Mania's release made things VERY different with the Phantom Ruby, and placed it BEFORE the original SI timeline...


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-BTW SONICTEAM REFERENCED TANABATA WITH CHAOS. THEY ARE FORCING MY HAND.
(Chaos= "chao herder" OBVIOUSLY, Jewel= "seamstress" but with the FABRIC OF SPACE)


CHAOS= MOBIANS
ORDER= HUMANS


-WHEN TIKAL SEALED CHAOS IN THE MASTER EMERALD, IT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T CHANGE HIS HEART OR REGISTER AS PASSING TIME, because when they were both released their minds were RIGHT WHERE THEY LEFT OFF.

-AFTER Sonic Adventure, Chaos is said to live in the Master Emerald??? Or is that just fanon conjecture?
- I THINK there's actually no official statement on this. Both Tikal and Chaos, post-SA, went up into the sky to God knows where, but CHAOS RETURNED IN SONIC BATTLE which has me SO intrigued still, especially since I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN TIKAL SINCE SA.


"Chaos did not appear in Sonic Heroes, but was mentioned in 2 lines, at the ending of Team Rose's story: when Froggy and Chocola are rescued, Metal Sonic says: "Chaos data...has been copied." At the final story, where Dr. Eggman says, "It's hopeless! Metal Sonic has combined your data with the power of Chaos and is super strong!" He copied Chaos' data from Big's frog, Froggy-- since he was "possessed" by Chaos's tail-- along with Chocola the Chao, since all Chao have some kind of relation with Chaos."

(NOTABLE BECAUSE THAT REFERENCES CHAOS, BIG, AND CREAM, THREE KEY CHARACTERS IN SI)

"Chaos' next appearance is in Sonic Battle, in which Knuckles the Echidna claims that Chaos appears when there is an upcoming disaster. When Dr. Eggman threatens the Earth with his Death Egg in the final story, a nearby volcanic crater is flooded, and Chaos emerges. It can then be challenged by the player. Chaos is the strongest playable character in the game (minus Emerl as he is customizable), but also by far the slowest."

(...oh geez I just realized, Chaos's PRIMARY PRESENCE in this entire plot HERALDS LOOMING DISASTER whether he realizes it or not. Considering that the SPARK of said disaster is the human kid he ends up falling in love with... that constancy speaks volumes, because CHAOS ISN'T THE CAUSE OF DISASTERS. He SENSES them and appears to PROTECT from them. And whether he realizes it or not, he's subconsciously anchored to Jewel in that regard, as their two overarching functions are totally complementary and cyclical.)

(There is a HORRIBLE parallel in Chaos being called the "God of Destruction" as a result of his agony-fueled civilization-crushing meltdown in SA... and with Jewel's own trauma history. Again, it's still blurry, but whereas Chaos was ironically deified for destroying things outright, Jewel is "deified" as CREATING things??? what with the Sapphires and their "manifestation" powers. But destruction is VITAL TO LIFE. Think of apoptosis. TRUE, HEALTHY LIFE NEEDS THAT COMPLEMENT to function properly... and that's the horror. Jewel's curse is HYPERLIFE. When she unhinges it's CANCER. That's what happens when you use the SAPPHIRES wrong-- nothing can die, EVEN the infected things (HEY DOPPELGANGERS), and EVERYTHING becomes INFLAMED.)
(Jewel's "hyperlife + fire" aspect is OBVIOUS in her personality, especially at the beginning-- she is often foolhardy, recklessly frank, ambitiously idealistic, and obsessed with "repairing damage."
(Chaos is water and he floods everything, even though water is 100% mandatory for survival... but Jewel is arguably FIRE and she burns everything down instead of allowing for protection and warmth. The irony is so notable there: water is life and fire is destruction, BUT they EACH hold the OTHER'S attributes. And when either of them become so emotionally distraught that they LOSE SIGHT OF THEMSELVES, well. you get disaster, in every respect. ...That's where their relationship becomes salvific. Even when they forget themselves, their other half remembers. This is CLEARLY demonstrated in the final Equil/Perfect disaster as well.)
(Jewel's "element" might ACTUALLY be BLOOD??? to fit the "water" parallel AND the "life" association, plus she won't be confused with Elise (which confused me when the game was first released, haha)! Plus the symbolism there fits her MUCH better, to be honest...)


LASTLY...  IN THE BIBLE, notably in Revelation 4:3, there are THREE GEMS on Christ's throne? JASPER (CLEAR), SARDIUS (RED), AND EMERALD (GREEN).
THAT is super relevant to us because the Emerald is associated with the RAINBOW OF GOD-- and you all know what God says about rainbows and FLOODS. It's a sign of HOPE AFTER DESTRUCTION, of the PROMISE OF REBIRTH so to speak. "God will NEVER AGAIN DESTROY THE WORLD BY WATER." To Chaos 0, the rainbow is thus a HUGELY IMPORTANT personal motif.

 

Aegisshipping fanfic notes.


~Oracion~
(rough)

I followed her home that night.
It was one of the few things I had never dared attempt before… had never risked such a chance, but had always dreamed of it. Had always hoped for it.
It was a modest house, small but lovely, not too far from the garden itself. It surprised me how I had never known.
Small… two floors, a few balconies, flowers. It was typical of the city, but to me it was truly unique. To me it was truly special, as I knew who lived there. I was lucky enough.
The hour was late. I glanced up at the Space-Time towers, trying not to remember what had happened there almost a year ago. It was a few minutes after 9PM…
Slowly, silently, I faded into the shadows of the street, effortlessly gliding through the dark. I was invisible then, still hoping desperately that I would not be seen. I couldn’t understand why I was so nervous, even as I found the window I had been searching for. I quietly slipped through and materialized against the near wall, hoping I wouldn’t disturb her sleep.
Alice.
For years I had mistaken her as her grandmother. Alicia, her name had been. It wasn’t until that fateful day last year that I learned who she really was.
It didn’t change anything.
A few minutes passed then, as I did nothing but watch. The young woman did not awaken, did not seem to be suffering any nightmares. I was glad to see that, I realized as I took a cautious step closer. I didn’t want to cause her any pain.
Cautiously, with that thought in mind, I reached forward with a single shadowy hand, finally resting it softly on her head. I closed my icy eyes then, and hoped that for once in my life, I could cause a good dream…


“Tonio, hurry up! You’re going to get lost!” I laughed.
Of course, I knew that wasn’t true, as we had been playing together in this garden since we were children… but the weather was beautiful, I was happy, and I couldn’t help but tease him.
I laughed once more as I turned the corner and entered my favorite area of the garden: the large pond where so many strange events had been triggered, almost a year ago. I slowed down to gaze into its azure depths, the mirrored surface reflecting the clear sky back to me with a wink. I laughed again, indulging in life’s simple pleasures. “Tonio, have you ever seen such a beautiful day?” I sighed happily, lost in the glittering waters.
The silence caught me by surprise. “Tonio?” I began worriedly, and turned around to greet only empty air. “Tonio, where are you?”
I felt the first shiver of panic run down my spine as I ran to the other side of the clearing. He had been here just a second ago… could he have really gotten lost? Considering this, I was about to run back into the wooded area to search for him when I felt something strange. My nervousness spiking, I whirled around once more and noticed the dark creature where I had been only moments before. I recognized him at once.
“…Darkrai?” I began in disbelief, but my nerves had already begun to relax. Darkrai was a close friend of mine, after all. I had no reason to fear.
“Darkrai, have you seen Tonio?” I ventured, hoping my old friend could give me an answer, but once again my only reply was silence. Had he heard me?
“…Darkrai?” I tried again, when I suddenly heard him sob.
Shocked and now more worried than before, I quickly ran over to the nightmare monster’s side. Had I done something wrong? Was it something I said? My mind was racing, but Darkrai didn’t even open his eyes. I would have thought he was ignoring me if I didn’t feel so strange then. I tried once more.
“Darkrai… are you all right?”
“…No.”
I jumped slightly, not just at his immediate answer but because I didn’t expect so much pain in his voice. My expression softened in concern, and I took another step towards him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. He was shaking slightly. “Darkra—”
I gasped in surprise as his shadowy arms suddenly pulled me close—too close, I realized almost immediately. It felt as if he was holding on to me for dear life, as if he feared I would fade away if he let me go in the slightest. I noticed what the shaking was, too… he was crying. Silently, sure, but there was nonetheless a terrible sorrow emanating from him as he held me close. Unsure what else to do, I slowly put my arms around his shadowy form as well, as his embrace tightened a little more.
I was completely confused and worried at the same time… Darkrai had never acted like this before. I could help but wonder why—
My heart skipped a beat as he suddenly let go, gently pulling me away to stand facing him once more. A single tear fell from his star-blue eyes, something I had never seen before, but held me transfixed. I couldn’t possibly break away from those pained eyes, even as I suddenly felt his black claws move from my shoulders to my face, softer than I could have imagined.
“Alice…” he began quietly, as I helplessly felt tears well up in my own eyes.
“…You’re my Oracion.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~masquerade notes~

“Kaze ni Notte”

(music playing)
(Alice & Tonio are dancing & laughing)
(person at microphone) “All right, everyone, time to switch partners!”
Tonio: I’ll see you, Alice!
Alice: See you, Tonio!
(almost immediately a black-gloved hand takes Alice’s)
Alice: Oh… hi… *surprised*
???: *smiling* Hey. What’s your name?
Alice: Alice—oh!
???: *has just done that dance move where you both move backwards while holding one hand* I’m Derek. Derek Nox. *pulls her close into a waltz position*
Alice: *laughing* It’s a pleasure to meet you, Derek.
Derek: No, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Alice. I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl as beautiful as you… and I’ve been dancing here all night! *laughs*
Alice: *also laughing lightheartedly* Oh, I’m sure you say that to every girl you meet, Derek.
Derek: *looking away slightly* No… I don’t. *turns back to Alice, his expression is very sincere but sad*
Alice: … *flattered but unsure how to react*
(Just now, Alberto dances by them with a human-disguised Cresselia; she’s laughing and having a good time while he’s struggling to keep up)
Derek: …Alice?
Alice: Yes?
Derek: Would you mind… meeting me after the dance? *quickly* Just after this song is over—by the windows, overlooking the town. Would you mind?
Alice: Oh, no, I wouldn’t mind.
Derek: *smiles* Thank you, Alice.
(announcer again) All right, everyone! Let’s switch partners one more time!
Derek: I guess I’ll be seeing you, then?
Alice: Uh-huh. It was nice meeting you, Derek.
Derek: I’m glad I met you, too, Alice.
(He gently swings her over to the right and lets go of her hands—as soon as he does, the music stops.)
Alice: … (Looks strangely lost as Tonio takes her hand again and they go back to dancing)

“
--garden scene—rough notes.
(this is later on in the scene.)

Derek: *sighs, looks down noticeably, looks very distressed* Alice, I’ve missed you so much…
Alice: *slight laugh, but unsurely* But—Derek, you just saw me last night. *after a slight vocal catch* We just met last night!
Derek: *shakes head vehemently, continues quickly* No, Alice, you don’t understand—!
Alice: *is silent, a little concerned but very curious*
Derek: *after a heavy pause* I’ve… seen you around before. I live in this city, too, of course… and we’ve actually crossed paths several times, whether you remember those times or not. *visibly upset now* I’ve always been watching you from afar, Alice. You’re one of the most kind, amazing people I’ve ever had the honor to know, but never personally. I’ve always dreamed of being able to meet you like this, just to tell you how much I admire you, and how much you’ve grown to mean to me. *sighs again, but very sadly* I’m sorry if this seems sudden to you…
Alice: *quickly, apparently she’s sympathetic* No, Derek, I’m the one who should be sorry! I had… no idea. I wish I had known; maybe I could have—
Derek: *cuts her off* It’s all right. I just… have one question for you, Alice.
Alice: *softly, it’s apparent she’s beginning to open up to him* Yes?
Derek: *visibly very nervous* It’s… actually about the garden we’re in… have you ever heard of a Pokemon named Darkrai? I’ve heard so many people talking about it, and I’ve been wondering if you know anything about—
Alice: *cuts him off now* Oh no, he’s not anything like what they say! I… I’ve actually met him before, and—
Derek: You have?
Alice: *nods* Yes, several times. He’s not evil like everyone seems to think… he’s actually… he saved my life when I was a little girl. *smiles, laughing* He saved my life again just last year, too!
Derek: Really?
Alice: Yeah… *nostalgic smile* I’m glad I got to know him.
Derek: It sounds like he cares about you.
Alice: *seems slightly surprised, then seems to ponder this* He might… *straightens up* Well, I care about him. He’s a good friend of mine, and I don’t want to see anything bad happening to him… so if you ever hear anyone speaking ill of him again, you let them know the truth, all right?
Derek: Do… do you really mean that?
Alice: *slightly indignant* Of course I do! Why wouldn’t I?
Derek: *closes eyes tightly, apparently fighting off tears, then looks down again* Alice…
Alice: *softening immediately, worried* Yes, Derek?
Derek: … *reaches up with his right hand, runs it through his hair from the back and, in doing so, pulls a fair amount down over his right eye*
Derek: …If he ever told you that he loved you… *looks up at her, openly crying now, right hand still in his hair* …Do you think you could try and love him back?
Alice: *the sudden resemblance strikes her immediately, obviously shocked, but her expression isn’t harsh—it’s understanding* Darkrai?