Chapter Text
“MOTHER!” Princess Sonia slammed her hands down on the grand oak table. “YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!”
Queen Aleena stood too, slamming her hands down on the sturdy table also. “YES! YES I AM!” She choked a little, willing her eyes to remain dry. “D-Do you think I want to do this? B... but without this arrangement our people and home will be destroyed.”
“A
marriage
arrangement you mean, mother!” Sonia pointed accusingly. “You mean to sell me off to a... a MONSTER.” She scoffed. “I can’t believe you are siding with the council on this. All those stuffy old men would do anything to save their own hide!”
“It’s not their hide I wish to save,” Aleena said, her hands clenching into fists. “You have had more than enough history lessons to understand what happened to our Sister Planet, Earth. What happened over 50 years ago.”
Sonia hesitated at that, her rage faltering for a moment.
Earth, people didn’t speak of it outside of sympathetic tones.
Earth was once a very prosperous and advanced planet. Science and technology was what they excelled at. So when the Dark Comet had entered their airspace, making demands of payments for a peace treaty- Earth’s governments had laughed.
The ‘36-Hour War’ was named as such as that was how long it took for the whole planet to submit to the Dark Arms. In the end, Earth agreed to a peace treaty where a whole generation of humans were eaten. There were rumours they had done other under-the-table deals to sweeten the Peace Treaty for The Dark Arms as their original demands had been far worse.
Some humans had remained on Earth, others moved to Mobius. Both planets were now tightly linked together.
“You will be marrying the Prince of the Dark Arms, and that is final.” Queen Aleena said with royalty and motherhood in her voice.
Princess Sonia roared with frustration and walked out of the Queen’s office.
Aleena slumped down into her chair and buried her head in her hands. She let out a sob that no one was around to hear.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
“I dunno dude, she hasn’t like... come out once.” Prince Manic said to his brother. “She didn’t even wanna jam- and I like- said she could take lead! I’d even not do my drum solo and everything!”
“That normally works...” Prince Sonic mused. “I heard the servants whispering something about an argument between her and Mother when I was napping outside.” Sonic then patted Manic’s shoulder with the back of his hand. “Go on, pick the lock.”
“Dude, she’ll kill meeee-” Manic whined.
“Nah dude, she needs us. She needs her bros.” Sonic encouraged.
Manic fished around in his quills and pulled out his lockpick. “Alright, but you’re takin’ the heat for this one.” He opened the door easily with a satisfying click.
Both brothers hesitated before entering. The room was dark. Step by step they crept through the room.
“Dude, I swear, every time we come in this room its bigger.” Sonic whispered to Manic.
“I heard they expanded it cause of how many clothes, accessories and plushies she has.” Manic whispered back.
They both stopped when they heard a sob.
All sneaking ceased as the two rushed to her bedside, a little panicked and desperate to soothe. Sonia was a strong, fierce Princess. She barely ever cried. When she did, they knew something was seriously wrong.
Their shoes came off so they could climb onto Sonia’s large bed. They sandwiched her, hugging her tightly. Rumbles of comfort came from both male hedgehogs. The triplets were in a hog-pile and sharing a comfort that only three who shared a womb could offer.
“M-mother wants me to m-marry a monster-” Sonia sobbed, burying her face in Sonic’s shirt, clinging onto the silk fabric.
“I didn’t think Sir Bartleby is
that
bad-” Manic tried. “Like, a pompous dillweed but not a monster-”
“Did he do something?” Sonic growled, holding his sister protectively.
Sonia shook her head and took in a heavy, shaky breath. “M-My engagement t-to Barty has b-been called off-” She hiccuped and sobbed. “I’m b-being forced to m-marry the P-Prince of the Dark A-Arms.”
Silence came from both brothers, Sonic’s hold on Sonia tightening even more.
“You... you can’t be serious.” Sonic said in a dangerous whisper.
“Mother would never let something like that happen!” Manic said. “It’s the stupid stuffy old council, isn’t it? Totally gonna kick their asses and we can then tell Mother to call it off!”
Sonia shook her head and sniffed, wiping at her eyes. “I already tried talking to Mother. S-she says it has to happen. T-that this is my duty.” She sniffed again. “B-but I don't think I can be near one of those things, let alone share a bed with it and have its children!”
“But.. w-why are they even suggesting this?” Manic looked between Sonia and Sonic in confusion.
“The Dark Arms are c-coming to Mobius.” Sonia sat up, shifting onto her knees. She rubbed her eyes of tears. “They’ve made their stupid ‘peace treaty’ demands a-and they want a Royal Marriage.” She sniffed.
Sonic passed her a tissue. “Okay... and that’s all they want? They don’t like... want to eat all our babies or somthin’?”
Sonia nodded. “If I marry that so-called Prince, the Dark Arms would spare everyone on the planet.”
“B-but... won't they take you with them? On their weird Comet-ship thing?” Manic grabbed her hand desperately. “Y-you’ll have to leave us!”
“I don’t want to Manny-” Sonia whined, her face crumpling into a sob once again.
As Manic and Sonia held onto each other and cried, Sonic began thinking. Looking over all of the information Sonia had given between tears and seeing if there was a loop hole.
“Sonia-” Sonic said, lowering his hand from his chin. “... what exactly have they demanded?”
“They... they want a Royal Marriage. To join the Dark Arms Royal Family with our own.” Sonia recalled. “I suspect they want our Chaos Abilities added to their lineage.”
“Yeah, but did they say that that was part of the Treaty?” Sonic asked, beginning to grin. “Cause from what I hear, they want only a marriage.”
Both triplets knew that look from their oldest. It meant Sonic had a crazy plan. The two looked between each other and back to him.
“Dude. They still want to marry a Royal right? I doubt they’ll take- like- one of our third cousins or whatever.”
“No no, not that.” Sonic said. “What if the Prince himself decided he didn’t want to marry Sonia?”
“... do.. you think something like that is possible?” Sonia asked, a small spark of hope lighting in her heart.
“He could if he fell in love with someone else that still fit what the treaty wanted.” Sonic jumped off the bed, standing in front of them in a ‘ta-da’ pose. “Someone he couldn't have children with and couldn't take with him on that stupid Comet because he’ll be King of Mobius someday!”
“Sonic!” Sonia exclaimed. “You can’t be serious!” She grabbed his shirt, shaking him. “Do you realise what you’re suggesting?! You’d just be trading places with me!”
“So?” Sonic smirked. “It’s better me than you, right?”
Sonia let go of him with a huff, and then a whimper. “I r-really don't want to marry him...”
“... and you just don’t wanna marry Lady Amilia!” Manic grinned, teasing his brother.
“Hey, Ame’s is... yeah okay that's a plus side I might have considered.” Sonic chuckled. “Sonia-” He caught her eye. “It’s going to be okay. Leave this to your big brother Prince Sonic T’Hedgehog.”
“O-okay.” She said in a small voice. “We should at least check the treaty paperwork to see even if this would work. We’ve got three days.”
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“I thought I would find you here, Son.” Emperor Black Doom said, resting his hands upon the Dark Prince’s shoulders.
Prince Shadow tilted his head just a little in acknowledgement before focusing on the stars going past them. “... Father. Is this really what I was made for?”
“Yes.” Doom said, squeezing his shoulders. “It is your duty to build the next generation of our race. You were made by those pathetic humans 50 years ago to be able to conquer the strong planet of Mobius by integrating with them.”
Shadow opened his hand and let chaos energy appear in his palm. “But I already have Chaos Powers beyond their comprehension. Why must we include those Royals?”
“Your abilities were manufactured. Theirs is natural and unpredictable. This is how we have always functioned. We have consumed the weak and consummated with the strong.”
“... of course, Father, I understand,” Shadow said. He pressed his hand to the clear membrane that separated them from the void of space. He was going to miss the stars. “... might I be permitted to stay a while longer? I wish to commit these constellations to my memory.”
“Very well.” Emperor Doom pulled away. “But we will be there in three Mobian days. You will need to be ready by the time we dock.” He then left Shadow to the stars he loved so much.