Mobiankind Rising

 

Synopsis: The kids find out more about the history of Mobius, from its planetary creation to the rise of the many species of Mobian, as well as when exactly the Hedgehog Dynasty was founded.

 

Chapter 1—Meeting Hershell Ruebens

           

            Summer was winding down and most of the children at Crystal Castle were looking forward to another academic year.   Dash and his siblings were getting closer to graduating and before long, he would be marrying the hedgehog of his dreams.   Everything his parents had established for him, and his siblings would be passed to them before long.    The prospect both thrilled and terrified him, but all those years of chores, errands and duties kept him sharper than iron concerning the future. 

            ‘You know, I’ve always wondered how Mobius actually began.   We got bits and pieces of anthropology in class but never anything specific.   I was also wondering how our Dynasty was founded, too.’, Dashiel asked, while he walked beside Sonic down the sprawling halls towards the Olympic sized swimming pool for a bit of a race against his dad as he did sometimes.   

            ‘We could head down to the Natural History Museum. It’s close to here, and I know the curator quite well.   It’s been ages since we saw each other.’, Sonic said.

            ‘Well, come on !  Daylight’s burning, dad !’, Dashiel said, eagerly.    The two of them had their usual morning competition and after toweling off, they corralled the entire family together, loaded up the van and headed to the NHM. 

           

            When they arrived at the museum, Doctor Reubens had been waiting for them.  He was dashingly dressed in a grey suit with white wingtip shoes, immaculate white socks// and a striking red bowtie.  

            ‘I can see we’re all prepared for the big Mobian tour !   Right this way !’, Hershell said, exuberantly.     

            ‘Well, come on then, let’s go !’, Sonic agreed, excitedly.  

 

 

 

Chapter 2—Delight of Both Sight and Sound

 

            Hershell began the tour at the very moment of creation of the entire Universe.   According to the oldest texts, it was spoken into being and expanded outward from there.    Time moved forward as Mobius itself coalesced out of the soot, ash, sand, and cosmic dust until it became a planet, dotting itself with moons and Asteroid 826.    As the animations played out, everyone was completely transfixed, and Hershell was happy to answer any inquiries his friends had in the presentation. 

 

            When hedgehog kind had been created, they had formed a hunter-gatherer society that began as conquerors, agrarians and builders of various tools and other stone-based weapons.   

            ‘Is it true that our ancestors always had some rudimentary government ?   From here in the cave paintings, it looks like one of the first kings, Tug, led his people.   He was respected, loved and one of the first inventors of the wheel and fire.’, Sonia stated, before the AI narrator could chime in. 

            ‘Woah, she’s rather good at remembering her anthropology.  Impressive.’, Hershell said.    Tug had been one of those stupendous leaders throughout history who had been easy to follow.   He rose to the occasion after ‘mistakenly’ inventing fire and then using it to fend the tribe from brutal predators.    They had lived in caves before, but after, Tug learned how to make dwellings and what to use to hold them together during storms.    He continued to create new methods of building stronger structures and developed the first community.   

            ‘This is all well and good, but where do we come in among the grand scheme of this procession of evolution ?’, Amethystia questioned, curiously.   It was such a profound and eloquent question that Hershell had been euphoric that he had studied the Hedgehog Dynasty for years and the answer was a multifaceted but straightforward one.   

 

 

Chapter 3—How the Dynasty Began

 

            ‘How exactly did the Hedgehog Dynasty begin, Hershell ?’, Amethystia questioned, inquisitively, tilting her head quizzically to the right.    Maverick cradled his chin in a Rhodanesque way while Dashiel leaned forward a bit to listen to the curator speak.  

            ‘As the animation already pinpointed, the ancient civilization was always going to follow Tug the Mighty, but no government had been instated yet.   It wasn’t until the respective metal ages when more advancements were being made that the Dynasty was formed officially.   Tug gave birth to the mightiest monarchs in your line.   Lots of things shifted over time, but the hedgehogs adapted with the tectonic movement and technology advancing.’, Hershell explained, with alacrity.  

 

            ‘So, we were natural leaders even from before our common time ?’, Maverick added. 

            ‘Yes, indubitably.   It’s written in your DNA to lead.   There was always the temptation to fall into corruption, as all of you well know.   Fortunately, none of the hedgehogs ever did or heavens only know what would’ve become of the Dynasty.  It would most likely be corrupt and maybe even worse than what the Robotnik had been.’, Hershell said, silently thanking his lucky stars that nothing like that had happened.  

 

 

Chapter 4—The Myth of the Medallions

           

            Dashiel had always been intrigued by the medallions that had been mysteriously left with Sonic and his siblings.    Amy remembered that even Aleena and Jules couldn’t recall who had given them the powerful emblems or where they had come from, but it was true that they were made out of the planets’ most powerful crystalline element.    Everything was run from it, and it was a renewable, emission free power source that hadn’t been implemented correctly until the industrial age.   This did not mean, however, that some of the alchemists back in the first metal age weren’t using it ahead of their time.    It was thought that the medallions dated back to the medieval ages and had been crafted by an incredible Atelier.      No one knew who this mysterious person or Mobian was, and nothing could be found on them, but they were a smith that was talented in myriads of ways.   They were Renaissance long before the Renaissance ever happened.  

           

            ‘Is there really nothing on the medallions beyond that ?’, Sonia questioned, a little disappointed there wasn’t a lot of information to go on.

            ‘Remember what Orc and his wife had told us.   Some mysteries are simply that, mysteries.’, Sonic recalled.    He wondered about something similar about his wristlet too.   Past and future elements had been paired but he had been the only hedgehog gifted something so unbelievable.   

 

 

Chapter 5—An Undeniable Vision

           

            Seeing the procession of the stone age through iron, bronze, gold, steel and all the way up into the modern era gave everyone a perspective of just how quickly Mobians had adapted.   Their understanding of tools had been much more advanced than their human counterparts and it had been thanks to them that the human element evolved as rapidly as it had.    Looking back over the grand civilizations that had come and gone, it had been bittersweet to see them fade into obsolescence.  

            ‘That’s what happens with any great Kingdom over time, but yours continues to advance and acclimate.   I doubt your great dynasty will fade any time soon.’, Hershell said, faithfully.     He was an avid historian, and he knew the trends and statistics of such things.   

            ‘We did add to the museum not long ago and this sector is still being added to daily.   When the job of curator came to me, the former historian left me a vision of ‘Mobius Looking Forward’.   Kind of what Disney did with Disneyland’s sector in Tomorrowland when the park was first being formed.’, Hershell recalled nostalgically.    That curator had since gone to run tours in the great museum in the clouds, but his touch was definitely seen and felt in the ‘Mobius Looking Forward’ part of the museum.  

           

            ‘It’s still unfinished.’, Manic said, looking at everything in a hushed sort of amazement.  

            ‘We have a time capsule buried here all the way from 1990.   Next year we’re unearthing it.’, Hershell said, effervescently.    In the ‘future’ section, there were all sorts of predictions and prognostications.   Some had already happened, but some hadn’t yet come to be.   

 

 

Chapter 6—The End of Summer

 

            The end of the tour contained the motto ‘the future is what you make it, it is in our capable hands to shape it’.    Sonic smiled and thought to himself,

            ‘Those sound like pretty hip lyrics for our last summer concert we’ve been working on.’, he mused to himself.    It was tradition for Sonic and the Chaotix to play one ‘last hurrah’ concert of the year before school was fully in session.    Whatever donations he made from this year’s event, it would be returned to the museum and the inspiration it gave to countless Mobians. 

           

            ‘That was rad, dad !  Who knew we had that much influence, even back in the stone age !’, Maverick exclaimed.   All of them could see how interconnected each point in their history was up to the present day.   It was a lot of pressure to think they held current history upon their shoulders, but they didn’t seem to mind that particular onus.  They were becoming young adults more every day, and Sonic knew that the future was definitely well cared for with his family.    

 

            After coming home, Sonic prepared for the weekend concert in the arena close to the castle, where everyone was invited to enjoy free music, food, entertainment, and a hearty farewell to summer’s end.    It was slightly bittersweet, but the fellowship and friendship that came from the traditional event was always highly anticipated. 

 

Epilogue

                       

'Hi, Master Conkdor ! Hi, Mistress Whooverton !', the kids said.   The two smiled pleasantly at the children speed walking past them in the elaborate marble hall, where their overlapping chatter and joyful laughter could be heard from afar.     They were headed outside for the last concert of the summer.   That meant Conkdor and Whooverton would be needed to welcome guests in and make certain they added their signature in the ‘guest tablet’, which held records of all past ‘last hurrah’ concerts they held and present ones.    

           

            While everyone was preparing to rock out to some music, Sonic psyched up his friends.

            ‘You guys ready ?’, he asked.

            ‘Oh, you know I’m ready !’, Espio said, becoming hyper about the performance.  

            With a bunch of loud bangs, pops, booms, zips, and zings, a cavalcade of fireworks had welcomed all the revelers to the best concert of the year.    Stepping up to the microphone, Sonic and his Chaotix sang the song he just happened to workshop the night before.

The future is what you make it

With your capable hands, you can shape it

Mold it, make it what you will

You have to keep moving forward

So, stop glancing o’er your shoulder

You can’t gain any momentum if you’re standing still

So, keep moving forward

Boldly venturing on

The future’s in your hands now

And together we are strong

We’re always learning new lessons

Unearthing them from the past

But the future is what you make it

Let’s bring our dreams to life at last !

 

Mobian citizens went nutty over the new song, and it immediately became one of their favorite tunes to hum, whistle or drum out the beat to when Sonic and his band had stopped playing for a short break.  

 

            The concert and festival lasted long into the night.   Games, food, entertainment, and celebrities came from all around to celebrate with them.   Even Isabella and Monica had come with their families to bring their year to a close.   Of course, with fall approaching, harvest season would be coming around as well.   Their supplies would be directly shipped to 826 quickly but less of these supplies would be needed in the future since Isabella had learned how to farm on the asteroid with help from Magnus and Mim’s technology.    The remaining leftovers would be given to the less fortunate on Mobius or sent to other worlds in need of produce.    

 

It was late at night when everything had finally wound down.   Queen Isabella, Monica, and their families had already departed after hearty hugs and bounteous laughter.   The day had ended, and everyone had already returned to their normal lives.    Sonic and his bandmates went their separate ways, and he said goodnight to his kids, who were becoming young adults and teenagers.   Before he knew it, Dashiel would be marrying Iradina.   He didn’t know if Timely would choose Dash or one of the other children, but that all remained to be seen.   Whatever the future held, he would be prepared for it, knowing he and his family would continue upholding the magnificent legacy started so long ago by their many times great ancestor Mighty Tug Hedgehog.

 

The End