I always identified most closely with Phoebe!
Anyway, back about page 2 of this discussion I asked if it would be OK if I could post my version of an STC story, just for general sharing purposes... so here it is! It's quite long, and probably very rambling, but I offer it up to the pack for general dissection. To be clear, this is not a pitch, and I'm not looking for any writing posts in the comic!
I like the idea that Mobius is actually a living entity, and has it's own 'soul'. Just as a foreword, I've always thought of Mobius' soul as a female entity... so please read 'he' if you disagree with me.
I suppose it could start after the Super Sonic/Iblis story, but I dreamed this up before I knew anything about this story line, so it doesn't quite fit...
Our heroes start to realise something is drastically wrong with Mobius- perhaps Porker in trying to work out how the Emeralds cause the Floating Island to float realises their output has been falling steadily for many years, but since the most recent outbreak of war with the Drakons (which is still ongoing), the output from the Emeralds has drastically declined.
He hypothesizes that if the Emeralds expend energy in keeping the island afloat, they must continually absorb energy to prevent them from losing power completely- and that they must be absorbing less from the environment. Knuckles immediately panics that the island will crash into the sea again, but that isn't the main problem- if there is less chaos energy in the environment, then it means something is drastically wrong with the planet as a whole; the whole ecosystem could be in jeopardy.
When Porker reports this to Sonic, Amy, and Tails on mobius (I'm assuming they've all made up by now!), they confirm there has been massive drought and crop failure in areas normally green and fertile, flash flooding in areas that normally don't see rain, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Apart from Sonic, they are worried they won't have the resources to prevent the invasion of Drakon armies,and are in danger of losing Mobius to the Drakons.
On the Floating island Porker and Knuckles trace the start of the decline in the output of the chaos emeralds back to the initial invasion of the Drakons. Neither can think of a good explanation for this, and Porker wonders why the Drakons are so keen to invade Mobius- they must stand to gain something, and he isn't convinced 'extra territories' cuts it. Knuckles doesn't know.
Back on ground level, things are going from bad to worse- Robotnik's armies have the upper had and the heroes gain intelligence that a massive invasion is underway by the Drakon Empire. Sonic for the first time starts to realise they might lose the war and his beloved planet to an enemy far greater than Robotnik, and he starts to despair. When Knuckles and Porker relay the information they've discovered to the others, Sonic turns from despair to a fit of anger and demands of the Omniviewer to transport him to planet Drak (this is possible in this story!)- demanding the others stay where they are to hold out as long as possible.
Sonic arrives on Planet Drak, but Onmi has expended so much energy transporting him, and what with the falling chaos energy levels on mobius, he is unable to transport him back and vanishes.
Sonic, undeterred speeds off towards the Drakon House of War, but encounters a massive army of Drakon Prosecutors and has to retreat. During this retreat he enters a part of the city he has never been to before, which is in a semi-destroyed and burnt-out state. He also realises the Drakons are unwilling to follow him into this part of the city, so being Sonic, he decides to continue on. As he continues the city becomes more and more ruinous- evidence of terrible fires, and melted machinery are everywhere. In places it looks like the buildings themselves have melted in the heat. Sonic starts to think there must have been a terrible confrontation between
something and the drakons- and whatever that something is, if it's an enemy to the drakons then it's a friend to him.
He's in for quite a shock when he discovers what has caused the destruction- at the centre of the most destroyed part of the city there what appears to be a large generator (strangely untouched), bristling with cables and tubing, and guarding it is a massive, white,
burningbird- a Phoenix. Sonic realises this bird isn't from Planet Drak: it's from Mobius, but is only thought to have existed in myths and legends! Most terrifyingly of all, it's been waiting for him...
The bird addresses Sonic as 'The Hero of Mobius', and explains it is the 'Guardian of Mobius' Soul'. The Drakons fear it completely- they are unable to destroy it (a phoenix is immortal), and as they won't release the 'soul' they've imprisoned, the phoenix will not leave. Sonic doesn't understand what the bird means by 'Mobius' soul', and is told the the Soul of Mobius is life and death itself, and all life on Mobius is governed by it. If the soul were to die, Mobius dies.
Sonic starts to take in the construction behind the phoenix- it is what appears to be a generator. He asks if Mobius' Soul is contained within it, which the phoenix confirms. The phoenix explains the Soul radiates 'an elixir of life' that it alone can control, and Sonic understands this means 'Chaos Energy' in modern terms. It transpires that the Drakons stole the Soul from Mobius before the war with the Echidnas, and have been using Mobius' energy ever since to power their planet, cities and machines of war, and also allowing them (as fish) to exist out of water;
"A completely unnatural state, Sonic."
Sonic asks why the phoenix hasn't released the Soul, but is told that only 'the Hero of Mobius' can do that- the phoenix has tried, and failed repeatedly. The Soul must be released, as the strain of powering the war between the two worlds (Mobius and Planet Drak) is draining the soul of Chaos Energy, and if the Soul perishes Mobius will be destroyed.
Sonic wastes no time after hearing that- he smashes the generator to pieces! In the rubble that is left over, he finds a small creature- what appears to be half plant, half animal. It is unconscious; many of the leaves that seem to grow from it are dying, and the creature itself weighs barely anything at all.
The city is suddenly plunged into darkness, with the only light coming from the stars, the burning phoenix, and very faintly from the Soul of Mobius. The phoenix informs Sonic it is time to go, as they must get the Soul back to Mobius before it is too late.
"But Omniviewer doesn't have the power to transport me, let alone all of us back to Mobius!"
The phoenix laughs, "I am a phoenix, Sonic- I can burn holes in the barriers between worlds!" So the phoenix carries Sonic and the Soul back to Mobius, and the Emerald Hill Zone, where a desperate battle is being fought between the free mobians and the combined Drakon Invasion forces and Robotnik's armies. Sonic immediately dives into battle, quickly followed by the phoenix. The Soul vanishes into think air. Sonic, terrified that Mobius has perished and they have failed, rallies the failing mobians and shouts to the enemy that as long they survive, Mobius will never truly die!
Miraculously, plants begin to grow around the feet of the mobian army, the sky clouds over, rain begins to fall, and an electrical storm shoots lightening at the enemy forces- Mobius itself is fighting back! The Soul of Mobius reappears in front of stunned mobian- this time much stronger, and radiating light and energy. She encases the marauding forces behind a wall of pure chaos energy... and walks through it, pulling Sonic with her. As he is dragged through the wall of chaos energy he turns into Super Sonic. There is a terrible commotion....
... and then a deathly silence. When the energy wall dissipates, not a single enemy soldier or badnik remains. There is no evidence of them ever being there, save a single Trooper helmet which Sonic is sitting on, head in his hands. The Soul of Mobius bends and says something to Sonic, then vanishes for a last time.
Amy rushes up to Sonic. "What did she say, Sonic?"
"She said it is over, and Mobius is safe now. But we are to be wary of nature Amy, for she is more powerful than any of us... we mustn't think we are above nature, as so many have thought before."
"Are you alright, Sonic?"
"Yeah... I'm
ice cold Amy!"
Right... that's it! Hope you're all still awake... thoughts anyone?