Yeah I wouldn't be surprised honestly, the sea of the soul is still pretty much a thing due to crossover shenanigans.
And so are any mindscape related to it.
While Tinker has no memory unlocked, he was still able to wake up, meaning he is still in there.
Without counting that he spent out so much time that he honestly developed enough sentience and stuff to separate itself from Eggman and become his own thing, thus a mask that honestly wouldn't fit eggman anymore.
Hey if a android managed to develop a soul on persona it wouldn't be out of the question that a split personality could too.
And while this wouldn't normally be possible, whatever caused this messed up Eggman in so much of a fundamental level that even things like his inner mind and palace would be screwed beyond belief, especially thanks to how different certain eggmen were.
On the other hand Tinker is in good company, Movie Eggman honestly is a lot more tame compared to others, while Fighters, honestly there isn't so much to work with other than being the same as prime Eggman.
The other two who would totally stand Tinker no doubt would be Boom and X Eggman.
On the other hand wonder if Eggman palace would be one without king, since there are so many shadows that would ping as the owner of the palace and at the same time not, that no doubt the shadows would go berserk since they don't fucking know who to follow.
On the other hand Tinker is in good company, Movie Eggman honestly is a lot more tame compared to others, while Fighters, honestly there isn't so much to work with other than being the same as prime Eggman.
I going for Fighters!Eggman be no different than Classic!Eggman.
Meaning he is more mentally balanced, he did called his future self crazy in Modern!Eggman, and is way more willing to create more "simple" battle mechs to fight Sonic. However he tend to be more callous of his creation than his modern counterpart.
Also Classic!Eggman is more clowish than Modern!Eggman.
Big The Cat found himself in quite the pickle, if he says so himself.
He didn't know how it happened, but one day, he was hanging out with his best friend of all time, Froggy on Mystic Ruins, just like always, after a day of fishing, they went back home to get some good sleep.
But then he was woken up by this very loud sound of something breaking. Next thing he knew, he was in this very strange forest with these very strange creatures roaming it. But that was not what had Big's attention, it was the fact that he had awoken alone, without Froggy!
Big would worry about the fact he couldn't find his home anywhere, or where in the catfish these weird little dudes had come from, once he found his pally Froggy!
So Big readied himself as he started looking for clues where his Polliwog Pal could be.
Three months had passed since then, and truth be told, he didn't feel closer to finding him. For some reason, everything was different! It's like he and Froggy had been placed in another continent, but he didn't recognize any of the places he visited! And the people, who did not rudely scream at him when he approached them, weren't able to help him. It's like they didn't belong here!
…Or maybe Big was the one that didn't belong to any of these places.
There were those places that kinda looked like Stations Square but were really weird. One of them had a bunch of people wanting to fight him for some weird reason. Even after he defeated them, none of them knew anything about Froggy!
Then there was this crazy place that had some giant lizards hanging around, he even caught one with his rod when fishing for Froggy! It was easily bigger than anything he had fished up before. It roared at him and he threw it back to the lake, he understood the fella must have been annoyed for getting its afternoon interrupted, he would be too!
The last place he went was really mean to him! There were a bunch of people shouting how he wasn't welcomed here and even ended up getting sent to jail for some reason. Maybe he jaywalked by accident?
After causing a bit of commotion there, he decided that Froggy would not stay where such mean people lived and continued his search!
Now, Big found himself after an arduous trek on the outskirts of a forest, but he felt something… off with the place. The sky looked kinda weird and there were these strange crystals jutting out of the ground.
Oh…well, not much that he would achieve by worrying about that!
Finding a nice place to sit near a lake, Big sat down and started fishing for dinner, but to further bring down his mood, it had been almost an hour already and he had not been able to catch any fish!
Big couldn't help but release a soft whine. "I've been having such bad luck all this time." He lamented as he readied his fishing hook with another bait before throwing it towards the lake. "At least Froggy, I hope wherever you are, you are doing better than me." He says out loud as he waits, hoping to get something to eat soon.
Just then, a voice broke Big from his musings.
"Oh, I can assure you, your friend Sir Froggy is in good hands." A serene, calm voice that Big found familiar echoed across the lake.
Right in front of his eyes, the lake began to shine a bright blue, though it didn't hurt Big's eyes staring at it, in fact, he felt a sense of warmth from them?
Standing in front of him was a person Big was well acquainted with, holding Froggy in their hands!
"You have traveled quite a bit to get here right?" The sweet and melodious voice asks, as they walk across the lake, getting closer to Big. "Sir Froggy has been also quite worried about you, oh B-"
"FROOOOGGGYYYY!" Big shouts, interrupting the new arrival's speech as he proceeds to launch himself toward the figure, enveloping them in a crushing hug. "I'm so happy to finally find you! I have been sooooooo WORRIEEEEED!" Big shouts, as tears escape from his eyes, as he proceeds to swing them around.
Gently releasing the figure and letting them find their balance again, Big grabbed Froggy and proceeded to pet him.
"Froggy! You had me so worried, little fella." Big says as he continues head patting the frog. Everything was right in the world, as it should be! "We need to have a talk about you just running away like that pally, it's not good to keep doing this." He then turns to the figure that had returnedFroggy back to him. "Thanks a lot, Amy! I'm happy to see you again."
"No need to thank me, noble cat. Sir Froggy stumbled upon my lake, asking for a place to take refuge, who was I to deny such a request." Amy says as she gives a small giggle, covering her mouth with one hand. "Also, I'm afraid you have me confused with another person,good sir." Just then Big noticed something weird about Amy.
She was wearing an elaborate sky blue dress with white frills and ribbons. Big couldn't remember the last time he saw her wearing anything else than her signature pink dress…
"I'm Nimue, but most people call me the Lady of the Lake." She does a curtsy as she gives him a bright smile. "Once again, it is my pleasure to meet you."
Big just stares at Not Amy for a moment. "Are you sure you aren't Amy? You look really similar to her." He comments as he puts Big on top of his head as he crosses his arms.
She giggles again. "I assure you, Sir Big, I possess no relationship to your friend Amy." Nimue reaffirms as she looks around.
"I am sorry for asking this right as we meet, but would you come with me." Nimue asks as she grasps her hands together. "Staying too long in the open carries the risk of grabbing some unwanted attention."
"If you say so, Nimue." Big agrees as he grabs Froggy, making sure he doesn't run off again. "Though I don't think there is anyone here to stumble upon us?" He asks as he looks around. "Place is kind of empty."
Big looks again at Nimue, and notices that for the first time, she is not smiling, instead, she has a sad look on her face.
"It is that way sadly…" She affirms Big's suspicions. "But don't let it lower your guard, the Queen's forces will arrive soon now that she sensed my presence, we must depart immediately. Please give me your hand, Sir Big." Nimue asks as she extends her hand towards Big.
The purple cat doesn't think twice before accepting her hand, grasping it.
A blue circle appears around Nimue and him, spinning and flashing brightly, and before Big can comment on it, his surroundings change.
Big looks around, noticing that they are inside a…Gazebo? There was a table and chairs in the middle with 2 cups with some steaming liquid coming out of them.
"Please make yourself comfortable." Nimue says as she sits down on one of the chairs. Big follows her advice, surprised that the chair is able to support him.
"I know we have just met, but I must ask for your assistance with matters of great importance." The Amy look alike says as she grabs the cup and proceeds to take a sip of it.
"Your Friend Froggy arrived on my lake not too long ago and told me all about your feats." Nimue says as she motions to Froggy, who hops from Big's lap towards the table, getting close to Nimue, who proceeds to pet him.
"Sure!" Big replies immediately. Nimue couldn't help but look at Big surprised. "You helped Froggy and me reunite. A good deed must be repaid with another good deed right? Besides, Froggy is sure you are a nice person, right?" Big asks towards his friend, who only croaks in response.
"I see…It is that simple, is it not?" She replies with a smile giggle, but then her face acquires a serious look. "Still, I must explain to you the severity of the task I need help with."
"Tell me, do you know where you are?" She asks Big, who only scratches his chin.
"Well…I assume we are in your home?" He says, not really knowing the answer to her question.
"Well…yes. We are in one of my remaining sanctuaries…But I meant in regards to the kingdom you just arrived to." She explains as she stops petting Froggy, letting him return to Big's side."
"You have arrived in the kingdom of Camelot…and unfortunately, it is going through some Dark Times…" She says with a somber tone.
"...I don't think I have heard of this place before?" Big says as he crosses his arms, deep in thought.
"I assumed you would not know it." She gives a faint smile. "Your friend, Sir Sonic was the same."
Big gasp. "Oh, you met Sonic?"
"Yes, indeed. He was a knight like no one had ever seen before…" Her expression turns sad. "He was involved in this problem I asked for."
"The current queen of this Kingdom…Merlina, wishes for Camelot to be eternal, to avoid a prophesied ruin to befall the kingdom." Nimue says as an image of a lady appears above the table.
"To achieve that, she tricked Sonic and I into assisting her with retrieving the Scabbard of Excalibur, which belonged to King Arthur, a powerful artifact that grants immortality to its wielder." Nimue explains. "With the Scabbard's magic, Merlina called forward the forces of the Underworld, mixing both of their powers, in order to make this whole realm immortal, where none of its citizens may die, nor an end brought to the kingdom itself."
Then the image changes, instead of the woman's picture, a map appears of the area, which has ominous red waves coming out from it.
"Her plan worked. Now the citizens of this realm are free from danger…but by doing so has damned the rest of the inhabitants of this new world." She explains with a sad tone. "Little by little, the influence of the Underworld spreads out, corrupting the lands nearby, and making it impossible for life to be sustained. If nothing is done, then no life will be able to exist outside the Kingdom!" Nimue finishes explaining.
Big nods, having listened to all of that, but still. "I have a question though…How exactly is this Underworld stuff supposed to…end life?" He asks, not getting that. Nimue nodded and proceeded to explain the effects of the Underworld Miasma.
Big sat there trying to listen to the explanation that she was giving, but after a few seconds he got completely lost. "…and that's why I need your help, oh noble Cat."
Big made a thinking noise. "Sooo…you need me to save the world?"
"Basically…yes."
"Okay! We can do that! Right Froggy?" Big asks as he pets Froggy, who only croaks in response.
Nimue smiles. "I'm glad to hear that, the task I need assistance with is not a small one." She says as she makes a motion with her hands and a second later, a Sword appears on the table.
Big was not an expert on weaponry, but even he could tell how damaged the sword was. Not only was the blade cut in half, the handle was completely destroyed, bits and pieces of it missing.
"This…is Caliburn," Nimue explains. "The sword that the Knight of the Wind, Sonic the Hedgehog, wielded during his battle against Merlina…" Nimue looks away in sadness.
"The brave knight is…gone, disappeared after Camelot was brought to this strange place, and Merlina proceeded to destroy this sword so it couldn't be used against her. It's imperative that we fix it, because only this sword has the chance to stand against the Scabbard of Excalibur."
"Alright." Big nods as he stares at the blade. "Thought, how exactly can we fix it? I think my pal Tails could do something about this?" He says while scratching his head,
"I am afraid that to fix Caliburn, just fixing the blade will not be enough. The damage inflicted upon it is so severe that only means of great magical might will fix it…and I am ashamed to admit it, but it's beyond my powers to do so."
"So…how do we fix it then?" Big asks, not sure where this is going.
"I have a few ideas in mind… but we might need to exit the Kingdom to look for them, which will not be easy, the Queen's guards are roaming the lands in search of me. Exiting Camelot will not be easy…can I count on your assistance, Sir Big?"
"Oh sure, you can count on me and Froggy, right Pally?" The frog only croaks in response.
"Yay! Let's go then!"
QM NOTE:
As promised, here is the 500 page reward! Hope you guys enjoy it!
Please wait as we prepare fopr turn 5 to be posted.
Interesting. I do wonder how "absolute" the immortality of the scabbard is. In the story it is only able to be beaten by Excalibur or all of the sacred swords working together. But I highly doubt that is the only way within the quest. Especially with all the other powerful things lying around, and Merlina just being "Immortal Lmao" wouldn't be fair mechanically.
So if I had to hazard a guess. Probably about as immortal/invulnerable as the other Super Forms. Which can be overcome if you either punch them hard enough like how Dark Gaia or the END do it or have a super form of your own. Metal Overlord, Master Emerald, all 7 Chaos Emeralds, Sol Emeralds, etc etc.
That's what apocalypse number 3 that we'll probably have to deal with at this point?
In other news this is the second amy face we've seen so it's possible even more variants of the sonic cast are running around outside of rusty and the ones from black knight, that we don't know about.
Some of the other Sonic prime variants might be around aswell which would give us another potential prime memory roll.
Meh another apocalypse...hey if the underworld can be tapped, we can turn it into a energy source for eggmanland!
surely nothing can go wrong there! of course, this also means caging all the other apocalypses so when they inevitably kick off, they break each other before they can break the world! Or keep each other in check while being drained.
and shame it wasnt Neo-Metal getting the nice sword, it would be funny if it was like that one fan-comic of Metal being the Black-Knight/Mordred.
Meh another apocalypse...hey if the underworld can be tapped, we can turn it into a energy source for eggmanland!
surely nothing can go wrong there! of course, this also means caging all the other apocalypses so when they inevitably kick off, they break each other before they can break the world! Or keep each other in check while being drained.
and shame it wasnt Neo-Metal getting the nice sword, it would be funny if it was like that one fan-comic of Metal being the Black-Knight/Mordred.
It's less the whole another apocalypse to deal with (especially since eternal Camelot seems to be a slow burn) it's another "secret" apocalypse that we'll have to in character take time to discover and build a counter for.
Break Merlina by simple fact. If the rest of the world goes down...Camelot will suffer a slow, agonizing end. We should remind her....APATHY IS DEATH....STAGNATION IS DEATH....(Embrace my inner KOTOR II)
Gotta bulldoze through Jaken (from Alex Kidd), Goji (From Jet Set Radio), Dr Z (From Dino King), and Dark Raven (from Billy Hatcher). And John Adams is next door to Dark Raven, so he'll be watching us as we go by....
I wonder if this apocalyptic energy could be used to our advantage, or at least stopped without destroying Camelot. Might be nice to have it as a weapon. I bet Merlina would be willing to let us take advantage of it. If not now, after we beat her down enough that she'll recognize that if she wants her kingdom to last she'll need to become a part of the Eggman Empire.
I'm sure her kingdom is quite the happy utopia, it's the area around it that concerns us and whether she's actually trying to doing something about it or not.
Thing is we actually have a achivement in allying with Camelot so is possible Merlina is possible unaware of the damage her magic is doing to the world.
Or if she's aware, she's trying to stop it but with little suscess.
Unfortunate between Dark Raven and John Adams she probably have her hands busy dealing between both.
