Archive of Our Own

            Sneaking through the small town of Green Hills was a bit too easy. Did these people not lock their doors? Ivo couldn’t really fault them since they had a few aliens on call if something dangerous actually went down, but still, it’s the principle, people!

            It was all too easy for him to slink up the driveway towards the Whipple household, his badniks flying high in the sky as added security. Glancing down at his watch, he could see that Sonic and annoying friends were still at home without a clue as to what he was planning. When Stone had begged him to return to Green Hills, and the Mean Bean specifically, Ivo had been aghast and horrified that Stone would ever want to be around such bumpkins. However, staying so close to his nemesis did have its perks.

            Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, and all that.

            Especially when said enemy held in his possession a magical gem that could grant any wish the user could ever dream of.

            And that night, Ivo would use its power once more.

            His stomach was still pleasantly full from Iftar, Stone having gone all out now that there was only a couple more days left of Ramadan. He had been humming and smiling the entire time during dinner, his good mood rubbing off on Ivo and Shadow. However, it had vanished when Ivo said he was going out.

            “I thought we could do something together,” Stone had pouted, Shadow standing at his hip, narrowing his eyes judgmentally at Ivo.

            “Tomorrow. Tonight, I have something important to do.”

            Ivo had wrapped his arms around Stone’s waist, pulling the shorter man flush against his chest and belly. Leaning down, Ivo rested his forehead against Stone’s, enjoying the closeness between them. Strong arms came up and wrapped around his neck as Stone’s lashes fluttered and his gaze dropped to Ivo’s lips.

            “What are you planning?”

            “You’ll see. It’ll be an early Eid present.”

            Stone’s eyes lit up in excitement, a smile pulling at his lips. They had stayed like that for a few moments before a heavy boot nearly crushed Ivo’s toes. With tears in his eyes, he glared down at the other, equally irritating hedgehog.

            “Then you better be on your way,” Shadow grumbled as he crossed his arms and glared fiercely. Ivo bore his teeth. Ungrateful brat!

            Thus, how he ended up peering through a dirty window into the Whipple garage and watching a bumbling idiot walk around the space with a VR headset on. Whipple had a goofy smile as he swept his arms in long arcs followed by swinging them erratically. Ivo didn’t even want to imagine what he could be playing.

            Pulling his gaze away from the moron, Ivo scanned the space around Whipple, trying to guess where he could have hidden the Master Emerald.

            “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Ivo rolled his eyes so hard, he was sure he had sprained something.

            The emerald sat in plain view on top of a table in the corner, half buried under McDonald’s wrappers.

            “Well, if officer brainfart wants to play games…”

            With a wicked smirk, Ivo deployed a small badnik. He watched it fly around to the front of the garage before its unnaturally powerful speaker began playing.

            “Someone help! Anyone! Help me!” A woman’s frantic yelling penetrated through the door, alerting Whipple. Like the clumsy fool he was, Whipple shouted in surprise and flung his headset off, the piece of technology breaking into pieces.

            “Not again!” Whipple whined, throwing his head back. “That was the second one this month!”

            “Someone help me!”

            “Oh no! I’m coming!”

            Ivo tried to contain his laughter as he watched Whipple struggle to throw up the large garage door before scrambling underneath it. The little badnik began flying away, leading Whipple further and further away from the garage.

            “Like taking candy from a baby,” Ivo chuckled as he ducked under the door and strolled through the garage.

            The closer he came to the emerald, the more his fingers began to twitch in excitement. He could never forget the unlimited power pumping through his veins, his every whim coming to fruition with less than a single thought. He had nearly crushed Sonic under his heel with the power of the emerald.

            He could try again.

            There was nobody there to stop him. No foxes or echidnas to foil his plans, only him and the emerald.

            But that’s not why I’m here.

            Closing his eyes for a moment, Ivo pictured Stone.

            His smile, the way his eyes crinkled at the edges, the spark in his eyes when he laughed. Ever since he and Shadow had returned, Stone’s smiles had come easier and easier. However, Ivo could still see the sadness deep inside his eyes when Stone thought he wasn’t looking. Ivo had seen the way Stone would stare off in the distance, a frown marring his handsome face. It had been easy for Ivo to piece together the times Stone would get that look in his eyes. The pattern was obvious.

            Stone longed for a bigger family.

            It didn’t matter if it was the ragtag members of the Wachowski family or a young couple walking by with their baby, Stone would become withdrawn and melancholy.

            “It’s not about me tonight,” Ivo mumbled to himself, stepping towards the emerald. Its crystal surface sparkled as he reached out towards it, seeing his own distorted face in its reflective surface. “This is about Stone.”

            Even through his gloves, Ivo felt a surge of electricity race up his fingers as they touched the emerald. Accepting its power was like breathing. His body fell away as the emerald’s powers wrapped around his mind, cocooning around him like a heavy blanket. With it in his possession, he could do anything. The word was his for the taking.

            Eyes flashing open, Ivo raised his hand, staring at a point in the middle of the room. Green electricity sparked from his finger tips, a bright light flashing before his eyes as he stared unblinkingly at the same spot. Larger and larger arcs sprang from his hand, the electricity taking a physical form as a tangle of strings wrapping tighter around itself, creating a ball of light.

            A strong wind picked up, blasting hot hair into Ivo’s face and blowing garbage around the space. None of this registered to Ivo. His eyes stared at the ball of light growing larger by the minute.

            “Eggman!”

            “Not now, hedgehog…” Ivo breathed out. He could see a blue blob at the edge of his peripheral, but he paid no attention.

            “You made a promise!”

            The crackling of electricity and small explosions as the lights in the garage exploded drowned out the blue rat’s annoying voice. He was close, he could feel it. Just a little longer.

            Power surged inside Ivo as he could already picture the pure joy and love in Stone’s eyes when he returned. Almost…there…

            “Ahh!”

            Unimaginable pain burst through his back, threatening to force his very heart from his chest. Ivo never thought he would feel this kind of pain again; the feeling of the emerald forcibly shoved out of his body, the power disappearing from him entirely, leaving him a drained husk of a normal human once more.

            Ivo’s body collapsed like a puppet having its strings cut. His limbs wouldn’t respond to his commands and his vision showed double. Gasping for breath, Ivo knew he needed to get up. Needed to check…

            “Guys, what’s that?”

            The fox’s fearful voice broke Ivo from his fugue. Snapping his head up, Ivo instantly regretted it when flashes of pain threatened to split his skull in half, but none of that mattered when he saw a bundle of white cloth sitting where the ball of lightning had been. No! He hadn’t finished!

            “You idiots!” Ivo roared. So frantic, he couldn’t even enjoy the looks of surprise and indignation on the trio’s faces as he stumbled his feet. He could vaguely process Knuckles falling into a fighting stance, but Ivo’s eyes were glued to the unmoving bundle on the floor. “No, no, no!”

            His feet were filled with lead as he struggled to make it the short distance towards the heap. As he approached, he could see it wasn’t a pile of cloth.

            Pale skin shone under the lone light that hadn’t exploded earlier.

            Ivo gasped.

            Equally white hair shone as well.

            “No…”

            With shaking hands, Ivo grasped a small shoulder, rolling over the body hidden in the white cloth.

            He was met with delicate features of a young girl. She couldn’t be more than five years old. Her body was thin, almost waifish as he laid her on her back, watching for any signs of life. Ivo could barely tear his eye away from her unnaturally pale complexion; from her skin to her hair, she was so pale, it was frightening.

            “C’mon…”

            It was a cold day in hell when Ivo begged, but here he was, pleading with the small body in his arm to take a breath. Suddenly, he saw her little chest rise.

            “Yes!” He cheered, tears prickling at the edges of his eyes. “Keep breathing, little one.”

            With that first breath, her chest rose and fell steadily as she began to wake. Fine lashes fluttered and her fingers curled against the white dress she was wearing. Ivo gasped when tiny eyelids finally opened, revealing—”

            “You have your Baba’s eyes.”

            Large, curious brown eyes blinked up at him, not an ounce of fear in them as they took him in. Ivo let out a stuttering breath as he reached down and brushed a strand of white hair from her forehead. The shorter bob haircut curled on her right side, almost hiding her right eye.

            “Who are you?”

            There had never been a sweeter sound than her voice in Ivo’s opinion.

            “I’m…” he swallowed, not believing what he was about to say. “Your father.”

            “Oh,” she blinked up at him, taking him in. “Nice to meet you, father.”

            “Nice to meet you, too,” Ivo couldn’t help the wet chuckle he let out. He doubted anyone else had ever experienced their child being so cordial to them on the first meeting.

            “What is in my name, father?”

            Ivo smiled down at her, pulling her tighter against his chest. She didn’t seem to mind as she kept her eyes drained on his face, waiting for answer.

            “Sage. Sage Robotnik.”

            A smile spread across her angelic face.

            “I like it, father.”

            You’re a super genius with five doctorates and a 300 IQ. You will not cry!

            A tear broke containment and slid down his face. Damnit…

            “Where are we?” Sage asked, sitting up slightly in his arms to examine her surroundings. “And who are they?”

            Ivo would rather pluck his own eyeballs out than take his eyes off Sage, but he knew he couldn’t pass on the opportunity to catch what expressions the little trio were making. Turning his head, he smirked.

            “They’re not important.”

            All three aliens were staring with their mouths agape, eyes wider than ever as they tempted fate with the opportunity for flies to enter their mouths.

            “All right,” Sage nodded, accepting his answer completely.

            Ivo tightened his arms around Sage and pressed her against his chest. He struggled to his feet, his knees protesting even though Sage weighed practically nothing in his arms. Stone would have a field day feeding her till she burst.

            “Where are we going?”

            “Home. To your Baba.”

            “My Baba?”

            “Yes. He’s been waiting a long time to meet you.”

            “Really?” Sage wrapped her arms around his neck and stared up at him with innocent eyes. “What’s he like?”

            Ivo smiled as he began describing Stone.

            He couldn’t wait to see Stone’s expression when he met their daughter.