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Description
Image provided with the dialogue for original context.
The aftermath of the events from Twilight Immurement...

SN | Twilight Immurement - Part 1 Act 1The sound of Sally's voice —her screaming his name in startlement— Sonic could still hear it ringing in his head even after he'd been pulled through the black Warp Ring by the armor-clad Nocturnes under Shade's command.'Wh-what?!' he thought wildly, realizing in shock that Sally had not only followed him all the way to Rail Canyon, but had brought the rest of the Freedom Fighters with her. But, of course she had. ,'After all,' Sonic thought, feeling stupid, 'With the way I ran off, what was gonna stop her?' Sonic heard a strange noise as he was being ushered forward and quickly craned his head back to see Shade standing beside the large Warp Ring through which they had all just come. It was shrinking in midair, the portal it sustained collapsing the moment the Ring fell into the palm of Shade's hand. A low growl came unbidden to Sonic's throat as a self-satisfied smile stretched across the shechidna's face and, as she glanced at him over her shoulder, a swell of wrath rushed into his pounding heart.Still, the Nocturne Praetorians gripping Sonic's arms came to a sudden halt. And it was here, shaken from his sudden rage, that the blue hero realized all the members of Shade's Clan had ceased their advance. Indeed, all now stood in awed observation of their new surroundings.Reluctantly, Sonic followed suit and his brow furrowed as his eyes widened. This was the Twilight Cage, a vast gloaming canvas of midnight. It spread out all around them with dimly lit stars and vibrantly colored vapors swirling about as an unnatural mist.One might've been tempted to think it was beautiful except for the fact that there was something very wrong. Sonic wasn't even sure what it was, he only knew he could feel it more than see it. And this something made him shiver. Indeed, the more the hedgehog gazed outward, the more the space within that pocket Zone seemed to speak of confinement, restriction - constriction. The Cage had no connection to the outside worlds — not to Mobius Prime or even the universe proper. It had been somehow cut off from everything else, a dimension alone and isolated, deprived of even the most basic links to the source of all life. The Twilight Cage was a dead space where the stars themselves wept in their misery; they had been ripped from their rightful place in the heavens and entombed here, where they could only languish and fade through the eons that remained... until they finally died.Sonic lowered his face as his ears flattened back against his head: what a horrible place. And now, he too had been brought here, he too was a prisoner of the Cage. His eyes became frightfully wide then as he thought of Sally and his friends, his family and his home — all so far away. "WE DID IT!" came a sudden shout, startling Sonic from his rueful ruminations. Even more voices instantly chimed in until the entire Clan of echidnas was whooping and hollering in celebration. "We've made it!" they cheered, "We're finally here!!" "After all this time!""Yes, indeed," came an older female voice and the noise of the throng died down. A stately shechidna stepped forward, removing her dark mask. "Over a century has passed," said she with the cadence of an orator, "Since anyone from our Island has set foot here. In his enmity the Albino cut us off from this place before disappearing altogether - the wretch."Several boos came from the crowd.Turning to the side, the shechidna clearing her throat. "So, it's no exaggeration to say we've long awaited this moment. This moment where we stand before the Argus," she raised an open hand towards the great black shadow behind them, a mighty mass towering over the landscape, "Our fortress of sanctuary that even now harbors all our forgotten secrets, once lost to time." ,Sonic was genuinely shocked. In his hasty surveillance of Shade closing the Warp Ring he had glimpsed the enshadowed mass and thought it merely a small mountain but - it was a structure! Indeed, 'twas the Argus — the echidnas' fortress and his keep.Someone in the throng started clapping and Sonic glared as Shade stepped into view. "Yes, very good mother. We are ALL very happy to be here- Chaos knows we've worked hard enough for it. But I think if we could actually go inside, we'd all be much more impressed." The older shechidna blinked with a measure of dissatisfaction but relented with a nod. "Very well. Inside, all of you! As we enter, the Argus will recognize our presence and the power will engage."The Clan turned, Sonic in hand, and rushed eagerly for the main entrance."Wait!" barked Shade's mother, "You Praetorians with the prisoner, stay a moment! I wish to inspect him."Shade skidded to a stop at hearing this and looked back, watching as the Praetorian guards turned a struggling Sonic back towards her mother. "Yes Lady Midna!" they affirmed, dragging Sonic forward. The blue hedgehog locked eyes with the older shechidna and Midna snickered. "Mm, my daughter was correct, you do have a rather pleasing demeanor." She briefly touched the fur of Sonic's chest and he tensed. "I didn't get to meet you back when they brought you to Angel Island. I can see I should have made more of an effort."Sonic felt that same surge of rage from before. "When they brought me to Angel Island?!" he took a quick inward breath, "It wasn't a meet-n-greet lady! Your daughter and her goons kidnapped me and almost killed me by offering me to that water god of yours!!""Ohgh, yes, the SACRIFICE," Midna looked slightly exasperated, "The whole thing turned out to be quite the fiasco in the end, didn't it dear?" Shade stepped forward, trying to look casual. "YES. But we're past that now, aren't we." she frowned at her mother. "We've abandoned Chaos, as he deserves. What else matters?"The blue hero expelled a scoffing grunt of disbelief. "Wow. You just... Wow." He shook his head as he lowered his face. They really couldn't care less about anything they'd done to him. "Y'know," he raised his eyes to the shechidnas, "I've really had just about as much of you people as I can stomach." He started to struggle against the Praetorians. "No, REALLY, you guys make me SICK. And I don't know why you brought me here," said he, pausing to glance roundabout at the void the Argus inhabited, "But whatever this place is, you can KEEP it! Everything here is dying, and I don't plan on sticking around long enough to do the same!"Unruffled by the hedgehog's proclamations, Midna merely snuffed. "I'm sure I don't know WHAT you're talking about. Still," and here she focused on Shade, "Why did you bring him here? Are you planning to use him to perform another ritual, perchance?"Sonic's breath stalled momentarily as his startled eyes darted towards Shade."No." exhaled the peach-furred shechidna, her arms folded, "We've done all the rites and rituals we'll need to for the time being. I mean, getting to this point was the only reason we went through all the trouble of capturing the black one." She glanced at Sonic with half-lidded eyes. "And we'd probably still have him if it wasn't for a certain somebody."Sonic's teeth had clenched at the mention of Shadow. "Hey! You go after that kid again," he barked, "And you'll live to regret it sister, I promise!"Midna looked cross all at once and made a sudden, emphatic move towards Sonic that startled even Shade. Reaching out, Midna grasped the hedgehog's narrow throat, eliciting a choking sound as her grip tightened against his neck. "I understand being the Mobius All-Hero gives you a certain... standing." said she, forcefully, "But there's something you need to understand: you're no longer in your own dimension. You're in OURS. This means the rules you lived by no longer apply. You exist here -now- and while you dwell amongst us you will be made to abide by our rules. For we, you see, are now your masters."She released Sonic and he staggered slightly between the Praetorian guards, spluttering a half-cough before catching his breath and glaring up at her. "Threaten me all you want lady. But what YOU need to understand is I will have NO master but the wind." This he hissed as the guards stood him upright again.Midna waved him off as she turned back to her daughter. "You still haven't answered my question. Why is he here?"Shade turned to Sonic, staring a moment before deciding to approach. The hedgehog stiffened and immediately tried to back away as she came to him, but the guards wouldn't allow it.Lightly Shade reached out, startling Sonic as she touched his cheek. "The reason I brought him here, mother, is rather simple. I don't want to be bored."Midna blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Bored? Has this something to do with making him a Svein?"Shade let her hand slide down onto Sonic's chest, allowing it to rest right over his heart; she could feel it pounding. In fact, his whole body was shaking.'Shaking?' wondered Shade, then looking into his sharp aqua-green eyes, 'From fear, or rage?' "As a matter of fact, yes." she replied at last, "As you know, we're going to be here for a while. We'll be getting our bearings, learning the secrets of the Argus and formulating the best strategies for our assault on the Island." Midna nodded. "But still," Shade snorted indignantly, "I don't intend to have my mind on these things every single hour of the day!" She refocused her attention on Sonic and grinned. "Simply put mother, he's here to keep me entertained."Sonic's eyes widened only to glance towards Midna as she stepped up to her daughter and leaned into her ear with a hushed whisper. "Making him a Svein is one thing, Shade, but this is the second time you've brought him into our fold. And from the way you touch him, I'm starting to suspect you might have feelings for this blue thing. You don't, do you?"Shade pretended to look shocked. "Of course not! I'm not stupid!" She glanced at the ground as the look of relief washed over her mother's face. "Oh, well, that's fine then." sighed Midna, "I mean, I can understand you consigning him to the role of plaything." Her eyes scanned down Sonic's quilled body for a brief moment. "After all, that's what the lesser species are for. But," she turned away, and stood facing the Argus, "You must always remember daughter: those of us born to the floating islands are above all others. To allow ourselves to become romantically entangled with those born to the world below is to lower ourselves to their level. And we must never debase our birthright in such a manner.""I KNOW mother." grumbled Shade. "Then everything's fine." said Midna, starting for the main entrance, now lit with a brilliant cyan glow emanating from the surrounding walls. "Come along now, it's time to go in."Shade glanced at Sonic as the Praetorians turned him towards the fortress, and he looked at her with angry half-lidded eyes, stating in a low, hard, defiant voice: "I will NEVER be your plaything."Shade watched her mother pass into the Argus followed by Sonic and the guards, then smiled to herself. "We'll see."End of Part 1

Description
Image provided with the dialogue for original context.
The aftermath of the events from Twilight Immurement...

SN | Twilight Immurement - Part 1 Act 1The sound of Sally's voice —her screaming his name in startlement— Sonic could still hear it ringing in his head even after he'd been pulled through the black Warp Ring by the armor-clad Nocturnes under Shade's command.'Wh-what?!' he thought wildly, realizing in shock that Sally had not only followed him all the way to Rail Canyon, but had brought the rest of the Freedom Fighters with her. But, of course she had. ,'After all,' Sonic thought, feeling stupid, 'With the way I ran off, what was gonna stop her?' Sonic heard a strange noise as he was being ushered forward and quickly craned his head back to see Shade standing beside the large Warp Ring through which they had all just come. It was shrinking in midair, the portal it sustained collapsing the moment the Ring fell into the palm of Shade's hand. A low growl came unbidden to Sonic's throat as a self-satisfied smile stretched across the shechidna's face and, as she glanced at him over her shoulder, a swell of wrath rushed into his pounding heart.Still, the Nocturne Praetorians gripping Sonic's arms came to a sudden halt. And it was here, shaken from his sudden rage, that the blue hero realized all the members of Shade's Clan had ceased their advance. Indeed, all now stood in awed observation of their new surroundings.Reluctantly, Sonic followed suit and his brow furrowed as his eyes widened. This was the Twilight Cage, a vast gloaming canvas of midnight. It spread out all around them with dimly lit stars and vibrantly colored vapors swirling about as an unnatural mist.One might've been tempted to think it was beautiful except for the fact that there was something very wrong. Sonic wasn't even sure what it was, he only knew he could feel it more than see it. And this something made him shiver. Indeed, the more the hedgehog gazed outward, the more the space within that pocket Zone seemed to speak of confinement, restriction - constriction. The Cage had no connection to the outside worlds — not to Mobius Prime or even the universe proper. It had been somehow cut off from everything else, a dimension alone and isolated, deprived of even the most basic links to the source of all life. The Twilight Cage was a dead space where the stars themselves wept in their misery; they had been ripped from their rightful place in the heavens and entombed here, where they could only languish and fade through the eons that remained... until they finally died.Sonic lowered his face as his ears flattened back against his head: what a horrible place. And now, he too had been brought here, he too was a prisoner of the Cage. His eyes became frightfully wide then as he thought of Sally and his friends, his family and his home — all so far away. "WE DID IT!" came a sudden shout, startling Sonic from his rueful ruminations. Even more voices instantly chimed in until the entire Clan of echidnas was whooping and hollering in celebration. "We've made it!" they cheered, "We're finally here!!" "After all this time!""Yes, indeed," came an older female voice and the noise of the throng died down. A stately shechidna stepped forward, removing her dark mask. "Over a century has passed," said she with the cadence of an orator, "Since anyone from our Island has set foot here. In his enmity the Albino cut us off from this place before disappearing altogether - the wretch."Several boos came from the crowd.Turning to the side, the shechidna clearing her throat. "So, it's no exaggeration to say we've long awaited this moment. This moment where we stand before the Argus," she raised an open hand towards the great black shadow behind them, a mighty mass towering over the landscape, "Our fortress of sanctuary that even now harbors all our forgotten secrets, once lost to time." ,Sonic was genuinely shocked. In his hasty surveillance of Shade closing the Warp Ring he had glimpsed the enshadowed mass and thought it merely a small mountain but - it was a structure! Indeed, 'twas the Argus — the echidnas' fortress and his keep.Someone in the throng started clapping and Sonic glared as Shade stepped into view. "Yes, very good mother. We are ALL very happy to be here- Chaos knows we've worked hard enough for it. But I think if we could actually go inside, we'd all be much more impressed." The older shechidna blinked with a measure of dissatisfaction but relented with a nod. "Very well. Inside, all of you! As we enter, the Argus will recognize our presence and the power will engage."The Clan turned, Sonic in hand, and rushed eagerly for the main entrance."Wait!" barked Shade's mother, "You Praetorians with the prisoner, stay a moment! I wish to inspect him."Shade skidded to a stop at hearing this and looked back, watching as the Praetorian guards turned a struggling Sonic back towards her mother. "Yes Lady Midna!" they affirmed, dragging Sonic forward. The blue hedgehog locked eyes with the older shechidna and Midna snickered. "Mm, my daughter was correct, you do have a rather pleasing demeanor." She briefly touched the fur of Sonic's chest and he tensed. "I didn't get to meet you back when they brought you to Angel Island. I can see I should have made more of an effort."Sonic felt that same surge of rage from before. "When they brought me to Angel Island?!" he took a quick inward breath, "It wasn't a meet-n-greet lady! Your daughter and her goons kidnapped me and almost killed me by offering me to that water god of yours!!""Ohgh, yes, the SACRIFICE," Midna looked slightly exasperated, "The whole thing turned out to be quite the fiasco in the end, didn't it dear?" Shade stepped forward, trying to look casual. "YES. But we're past that now, aren't we." she frowned at her mother. "We've abandoned Chaos, as he deserves. What else matters?"The blue hero expelled a scoffing grunt of disbelief. "Wow. You just... Wow." He shook his head as he lowered his face. They really couldn't care less about anything they'd done to him. "Y'know," he raised his eyes to the shechidnas, "I've really had just about as much of you people as I can stomach." He started to struggle against the Praetorians. "No, REALLY, you guys make me SICK. And I don't know why you brought me here," said he, pausing to glance roundabout at the void the Argus inhabited, "But whatever this place is, you can KEEP it! Everything here is dying, and I don't plan on sticking around long enough to do the same!"Unruffled by the hedgehog's proclamations, Midna merely snuffed. "I'm sure I don't know WHAT you're talking about. Still," and here she focused on Shade, "Why did you bring him here? Are you planning to use him to perform another ritual, perchance?"Sonic's breath stalled momentarily as his startled eyes darted towards Shade."No." exhaled the peach-furred shechidna, her arms folded, "We've done all the rites and rituals we'll need to for the time being. I mean, getting to this point was the only reason we went through all the trouble of capturing the black one." She glanced at Sonic with half-lidded eyes. "And we'd probably still have him if it wasn't for a certain somebody."Sonic's teeth had clenched at the mention of Shadow. "Hey! You go after that kid again," he barked, "And you'll live to regret it sister, I promise!"Midna looked cross all at once and made a sudden, emphatic move towards Sonic that startled even Shade. Reaching out, Midna grasped the hedgehog's narrow throat, eliciting a choking sound as her grip tightened against his neck. "I understand being the Mobius All-Hero gives you a certain... standing." said she, forcefully, "But there's something you need to understand: you're no longer in your own dimension. You're in OURS. This means the rules you lived by no longer apply. You exist here -now- and while you dwell amongst us you will be made to abide by our rules. For we, you see, are now your masters."She released Sonic and he staggered slightly between the Praetorian guards, spluttering a half-cough before catching his breath and glaring up at her. "Threaten me all you want lady. But what YOU need to understand is I will have NO master but the wind." This he hissed as the guards stood him upright again.Midna waved him off as she turned back to her daughter. "You still haven't answered my question. Why is he here?"Shade turned to Sonic, staring a moment before deciding to approach. The hedgehog stiffened and immediately tried to back away as she came to him, but the guards wouldn't allow it.Lightly Shade reached out, startling Sonic as she touched his cheek. "The reason I brought him here, mother, is rather simple. I don't want to be bored."Midna blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Bored? Has this something to do with making him a Svein?"Shade let her hand slide down onto Sonic's chest, allowing it to rest right over his heart; she could feel it pounding. In fact, his whole body was shaking.'Shaking?' wondered Shade, then looking into his sharp aqua-green eyes, 'From fear, or rage?' "As a matter of fact, yes." she replied at last, "As you know, we're going to be here for a while. We'll be getting our bearings, learning the secrets of the Argus and formulating the best strategies for our assault on the Island." Midna nodded. "But still," Shade snorted indignantly, "I don't intend to have my mind on these things every single hour of the day!" She refocused her attention on Sonic and grinned. "Simply put mother, he's here to keep me entertained."Sonic's eyes widened only to glance towards Midna as she stepped up to her daughter and leaned into her ear with a hushed whisper. "Making him a Svein is one thing, Shade, but this is the second time you've brought him into our fold. And from the way you touch him, I'm starting to suspect you might have feelings for this blue thing. You don't, do you?"Shade pretended to look shocked. "Of course not! I'm not stupid!" She glanced at the ground as the look of relief washed over her mother's face. "Oh, well, that's fine then." sighed Midna, "I mean, I can understand you consigning him to the role of plaything." Her eyes scanned down Sonic's quilled body for a brief moment. "After all, that's what the lesser species are for. But," she turned away, and stood facing the Argus, "You must always remember daughter: those of us born to the floating islands are above all others. To allow ourselves to become romantically entangled with those born to the world below is to lower ourselves to their level. And we must never debase our birthright in such a manner.""I KNOW mother." grumbled Shade. "Then everything's fine." said Midna, starting for the main entrance, now lit with a brilliant cyan glow emanating from the surrounding walls. "Come along now, it's time to go in."Shade glanced at Sonic as the Praetorians turned him towards the fortress, and he looked at her with angry half-lidded eyes, stating in a low, hard, defiant voice: "I will NEVER be your plaything."Shade watched her mother pass into the Argus followed by Sonic and the guards, then smiled to herself. "We'll see."End of Part 1