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hadesknockedupintheunderworld · 1 month

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Sonine Prime ... Part 7

Hi, everyone and welcome back to Sonine Prime! The part of the show when I come out and talk about Sonine (and a bit of Sontails) in Sonic Prime!

Last time we covered the first big scene in The Grim, and now we're so so close to finishing off Episode 6. This time, I'm hoping to move on to Episode 7 and hopefully reach the end of this season, but we'll see if my hopes are cut short by the tumblr media limit again.😂

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<< Part 6 | Part 8 >>

(Essay/thoughts/analysis under the cut)

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So, starting off where we left off last time. I will note that Nine just informed Sonic (with a serious face and a frown) that he's going home right after this battle (essentially giving Sonic a second chance to join him in the Grim before Nine closes himself off forever), and Sonic responded by being so happy that he knew Nine would "come back". Keeping this in mind is important. Why?

Well, after being so frustrated and disappointed that Sonic didn't choose him in the Grim, and after just posing sonic a new choice ("You can either stay here and I'll seal myself off alone in the Grim, or you can join me there in the Grim")...Nine can't help but smile in regards to Sonic again.

"I'll take em low, you take em high!"

"Already on it."

Once Nine makes his point to Sonic as best he can, they fall right back into working together again. It's been so long since they last fought together, and both seem...happy for it. Even if Nine doesn't actually want to be here, you can see on his face how much he enjoys cleaning house with Sonic (not surprising, given how much he perked up in Episode 1 when he believed Sonic was telling him that the two of them used to fight the Chaos Council and win).

That also being said, despite the fact that they (chronologically) hadn't actually spent a lot of time together in the first few episodes and spent a while apart, it really is a testament to their relationship just how well the two work together and continue to. You get the impression from this short little scene that the two don't need to say much to know how they should fight, actual plans be damned. Yes I think one can extrapolate that Nine has already been forming a strategy and Sonic was largely planning to wing it, but the fact Sonic didn't need to say much says that they trust each other (and that, at the very least, they both think the other understands an unspoken plan).

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Now, when Sonic and the Rebels celebrate the defeat of the last of the Eggforcers (and what seems to be the Chaos Council's retreat), Renegade mentions that he doesn’t know what happened to Nine. While we as the audience know Nine was captured by the Council, Sonic hasn't seen Nine since he jumped off of his ship. Neither he, Rebel, nor Renegade know where Nine is.

However, here's what's interesting about this scene.

"We're good. Not sure what happened to your "friend" though."

"I don't like this. The shard could be anywhere."

Rebel and Renegade still have no solid reason to trust Nine. Even if it's true that he came to aid in the fight, they didn't see him finish it, and they have previously expressed the concern that Nine would hand the paradox prism shard over to the council. While they're not as convinced that Nine has traitorous intentions as they were earlier in the episode, they still are afraid that the shard is in the wrong hands or could be. Whether Nine is traitorous or not, it's concerning to them not to know the whereabouts of the shard.

"You're right. I better find him before he portals outta here again."

Now, I think it's clear Sonic agrees it's good to have a good eye on the shard, and that he is meeting Rebel and Renegade in the middle (so to speak) by offering to look for Nine.

However, what's important is the focus. Rebel and Renegade are focused on the shard. Nine's well-being? Not so much. Sonic? Sonic is focused on Nine himself. The shard? Well, find Nine and find the shard, right? Sonic doesn’t go into this expecting Nine to be in any danger, and Nine had told him earlier that he'd be leaving after the battle. So, if anything, Sonic’s concern is exactly as he says—finding Nine before he leaves.

Since Sonic never makes a reunion with Nine here, it's hard to say for sure what would have happened if he did. Or, rather, I feel confident that Nine would remind him of the choice he presented earlier in some form, forcing Sonic to choose, but I can't say for sure whether Sonic's intentions were to convince Nine to stay, to make sure he knows to keep the shard safe, or what. All I can say is that...Nine's absence at the end of the battle seems to leave him focused on the fact that Nine will leave soon if he doesn't get to catch him and see him beforehand, not so much on the shard itself.

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And we are finally finished with Episode 6 (an episode that has now spanned three parts😂)!

Onwards to episode 7, where while looking for Nine, Sonic accidentally portals out of New Yoke.

"Okay, stay calm. One minute I was looking for Nine, then I saw that gnarly ship, and then, somehow..."

Funny, huh? All 3 times he was transported to another shatterspace after his original arrival in New Yoke, Sonic thought about Nine's whereabouts just after arrival. This time, he was looking for Nine before the transport, versus the last two times, where he'd at least briefly thought about doing so after arriving.

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Okay, so just like with Thorn Rose in episodes 4 and 5, I'd like to talk about Knuckles the Dread for a minute (and not just because he's my other fav).

While I can't pull a "wow there are some surprisingly direct parallels here" as I did with Thorn and Nine, Dread serves a different purpose for being brought up. Simply put, Dread is also a character who forms a fast relationship with Sonic, his story is a bit more complicated than "guy who is secretly evil", and Sonic's relationship with Dread shows the audience just how much Prime Sonic can handle when a friend turns on him.

Now, since we're only on season 1, we won't be touching on this last point until later, but I'm going to compare and contrast Dread and Nine on purpose.

So, let us begin with the first meeting.

Sonic was specifically searching for Tails when he trailed Nine all the way to his lab. This was the beginning of the show and he still didn't know much about what was going on, so when he entered Nine's lab, he assumed that Nine was Tails. He acted friendly off the bat, entering the lab and turning Nine's chair like he does in that flashback depicting him entering Tails' lab. However, as Sonic was a stranger to Nine at this point, had intruded in his space, and called him a name only thrown around by his bullies, he ended up in a fight with Nine.

As for Sonic's first meeting with Dread, he isn't specifically looking for anyone before this. When he arrives in No Place, he recounts what he was doing and what happened before he landed first. After this, while he does wonder about the outfit change for this shatterspace, he's largely focused on his own safety. This can be seen in the number of times he puts emphasis on how much water is around, how many times the camera focuses on water as Sonic darts around trying to avoid the pirates, and how panicked he gets trying to argue for his safety in front of Batten Rouge, Black Rose, and Sails.

"Aharr harr I don't mean to harm, ye. I'm just a wayward hedgehog, looking for a way home. Agh! Water."

...

"Listen, I'm not a part of any crew you're looking for. In fact, I've lost my crew. It's...a bit of a sore spot, actually..."

...

"Wait, you're leaving? Uh, you can't leave me here! There's literally water everywhere! Uh, where you going? Somewhere with a lot of land hopefully?"

...

"I'll row! I'm a great rower! I'll bet you twenty coconuts I'm the best rower you've ever seen!"

...

"Or else...the plank? I can assure you that this hedgehog has no interest in planks. Captain's orders. Got it! I love captains.

As for Dread, even beyond the fact that he's surrounded by pirates, Sonic has good reason to meet Dread assuming he's (Sonic's) already in danger (in contrast to how he'd assumed that things would be all okay as soon as he found "Tails" in episode 1), even beyond the fact that Dread is a pirate captain.

"I say we pirate!"

"A-But...the captain's not here! I-I don’t think he'd approve of us—you know—pirating."

"What kind of pirates don't pirate?"

"Well, you know how the saying goes Rose. Dead men tell no tales."

While it clearly throws Sonic off that the pirates would be under orders not to pirate, I'd say if one kept in mind the trio's actions, it's not hard to conclude that they may fear going against Dread's order's. After all, they reason that they can cleave Sonic to the brisket as long as Dread doesn't know about it, and as long as they think Sonic is from "the old crew" (who do periodically mess with their ship and steal their supplies).

And given how happy Batten, Sails, and Black Rose were to attempt to "cleave him to the brisket", even though Dread's orders are not to pirate, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Sonic could preemptively assume Dread will be harsh on him or aggressive the way these three were (which is to say, happy to deliver harm).

"All right, all right. Enough's enough. Gather the coconuts. The captain'd want us to get back to the ship without takin' too long. Leave this scalawag for the buzzards."

A bit of urgency to get back (which one can assume is either or both because of captain's orders and for balancing his disposition), and essentially a "let's leave him to die".

Then, when Sonic asks where they're going and says that they can't just leave him...

"Back to our ship. And we don't take scallywags."

"You know... With all that speed, this landlubber could be useful. Swabbin' the deck. Raisin' the mizzenmast. Rowin' the boat?"

"Agh. I hate rowin' the boat..."

In short, I this little moment conveys to Sonic that they don't just take people onto their ship, and that if he wants to leave this island with him, he'll need to prove himself useful. It's pretty clear that he's acting in the interest of his safety and not being confined to this tiny island, so it makes sense that he'd try to argue that he's useful.

"Fine. I, too, hate the rowin'. But there is one condition when we get back to the ship. It's captain's orders. Or. Else."

And judging by Sonic's understanding of that being "or else you walk the plank" and insisting he by no means plans on disobeying the captain, he understands this threat for what it is. He needs to be useful and follow orders (or at least suck up and pretend he will be/do these things) so he can survive and/or have a chance to escape and continue his search for the prism shards.

However, given how causally Sonic comments on Catfish drinking "a few too many coconuts" and about how the pirates should consider cleaning the poop deck (essentially, how much more casual and less on edge he is) compared to his disposition change after he learns that the captain is a Knuckles variant, I'd say that once he feels assured that the crew isn't going to kill him or leave him to die, he settles back into a more casual attitude. However, once Black Rose and Batten Rouge introduce Knuckles the Dread as "The Dread" and Sonic sees that he's Knuckles, he flashes back to his meeting with Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. We can clearly gauge by the flashback that Knuckles was strong, assumed Sonic was a threat, fought him like one, and stubbornly refused to listen to reason after listening to Eggman. Unlike how Sonic was bewildered by the idea that "Tails" would fight him in Sonic Prime Episode 1, after all of his knowledge of Knuckles the Dread he's gotten so far comes to head, he no longer seems as confident in his safety on this ship.

"The Dread is...Knuckles?"

*Queue flashback sequence*

"Yeah, does make sense. But you're pirate Knuckles. I'm not taking any chances."

So, to clarify, while it bewildered him that "Tails" would fight him when he first met Nine, the idea that Knuckles would fight him (especially a version that doesn't know him) is not at all surprising to him, given that he assumes that Dread will be aggressive towards him.

So, interesting I suppose that we have Tails (someone who Sonic can't fathom wanting to hurt him, who he feels more okay around), Amy (someone who is sweet, but nevertheless is someone who's not beyond being aggressive towards Sonic), and Knuckles (someone who is not beyond being aggressive towards him and has done so in the past).

So, while Nine pretty quickly gets defensive, preemptively assuming that Sonic wishes him harm, and thus tries to get on the offensive, Sonic does the same with Dread. The main difference here is that Nine reacts quickly, treating Sonic as someone who wishes him harm and actively fights him. Sonic holds out a sword, showing that he's prepared to protect himself, but he doesn't rush into battle. Rather, he makes it clear that he has a weapon, isn't afraid to use it, and that he doesn’t trust Dread.

With this, while Sonic fought an uphill battle trying to convince Nine during their fight that he meant him no harm and that they are friends, Dread was able to talk Sonic down in a more peaceful setting, which he does instead of treating Sonic like an aggressor or getting angry and attempting to get rid of Sonic. Needless to say, it's a bit out of the expectations one would have, given how the crew had talked about Dread and that he's presumed to be just like Prime!Knuckles at first.

With Nine:

"Yes! There's my two-tailed genius friend. Surprise!"

*Nine growls*

"Tails, it's me, your best–"

"What did you just call me?"

"Uh... Tails?"

"The name's...NINE!"

...

"What do you want?! Who sent you?"

"Woah! Heck! How many tails do you have?"

"Nine!"

...

"Tails, stop! We're buds—amigos! Best friends!"

"I have no friends!"

"'No friends'? You have the best friends!"

...

"You've been working out? Heh. Who's your trainer? Ow!"

"I was trained by the misery of life in this foul and heartless city."

"Snap out of it, we go way back!"

...

"All my best memories of Green Hill have you in 'em, and you're not punching me!"

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"Don't you wanna go home? Blue skies, sunny beaches, palm trees?"

"I don't know what kind of mind games you're playing, but it won't work!"

...

"You...saved me?"

"I've been trying to tell you that we are friends."

"Fabricated stories won't keep me from beating you back, intruder!"

"Stop! Just...stop. We're friends—best friends. This has to ring a bell."

Of course, after this Sonic and Nine have a much calmer conversation, but Sonic can only seemingly convince him he's not a threat, not fully convince him that the two of them are friends (though Sonic does recount times with Tails and soft events they often partake in together).

With Dread:

"The Dread is...Knuckles?"

*Queue flashback sequence*

"Yeah, does make sense. But you're pirate Knuckles. I'm not taking any chances." *Sonic sniffs the air* "Fire? Fire! Wait...dinner? Dinner!"

"I'll trade you that sword of yours for this nice, shiny apple."

"So you can stuff it in my mouth? Uh, no thanks. Uh, you do know hedgehog quills are a choking hazard, don't you?"

*Dread and the crew laugh*

"Don't you worry. The fire isn't to cook you. It’s to welcome you!"

"Agh!"

...

"...Definitely not the Knuckles I know."

"Besides. Have you seen your legs? I've seen more meat on a starfish!"

"Wait, this really is a party?"

"Ha ha. Sure is!"

It's worth noting that relations become more amicable after both of these events. Nine is still a bit prickly, not completely sure why he and Sonic would have been friends once before, but he is no longer fighting him, he let's him into his lab, and he does help Sonic out and worry for his well-being. We also know that this leads into Nine's attachment to Sonic. As for Sonic, once Dread convinces him he's not in danger and throws a party, he calms down, even proclaiming that Dread is his favorite Knuckles.

And this entire scene with Dread is very interesting. Though he doesn't actually act like The Dread of the seas anymore, it's still strange given how the crew talked about him that Dread is...taking everything so well. It would be one thing if he had just decided to let Sonic attack like with the old crew, or if he was just getting on Sonic's good side so he could use him, but (first of all) he actively (and calmly) talks Sonic down from being defensive, and he hasn't met Sonic before now. Dread doesn't yet know about Sonic's speed or usefulness!

We can infer from Sonic's first meeting with the crew, and Sonic's finding Catfish asleep on the dirty ship and surrounded by coconuts, that these days Dread only gives his crew orders when needed. We know from later (when he decides to have another party for the second day in a row) that Dread is trying to keep his crew happy and largely out of danger by his doing. And, even though Dread mentions that they "don't come across adventurers that often" as a reason for throwing a party for Sonic, it says a lot by the fact that his crew had assumed Sonic was part of "the old crew" pestering him without real proof.

I think we can safely conclude that whether Dread had planned this party in advance for not, the idea that it is for Sonic specifically is something he decided on the fly.

And why?

Well, the simplest explanation is that since Sonic is neither necessarily someone to be brought into his crew, nor someone who wishes him and his crew harm, he used his words and demeanor to take control of the situation so that Sonic the adventurer may pass through peacefully. And frankly, I do believe that this is part of why Dread initially acts the way he does.

But...I don't think that's all. Rather, like the way Nine and Sonic take to each other fairly fast, I personally wager that Dread initially gained an interest in Sonic beyond any particular usefulness he'd have.

Well, and that Sonic takes to him fairly well too, if you consider the return of this expression (being leveled at Dread this time) significant of anything

"You're officially my favorite Knuckles ever!"

For the sake of the tumblr picture limit, I've compiled a video of some clips of Sonic and Dread interacting (mind the quality) that take place after the "You're officially my favorite Knuckles" line, and before Dread gets a firsthand demonstration of Sonic’s speed and fighting prowess (i.e. before he learns that Sonic is or could be useful).

Of course, the main reason I compiled these was to show off how...touchy Dread is with Sonic for someone he's only just met (not to mention the limp wrist gesture😂). However, there are a few other things I want to point out from these clips.

So, just to begin, I'll emphasize once more that Dread does not know about Sonic's speed yet, and he’s very much at the moment trying to distance himself from his past self that was willing to work his crew to death for the sake of getting the blue shard. So if there are any ulterior motives as to why he's focusing on pampering Sonic, then it can't be because he wants to use him, and it's unlikely that it's because he's either trying to push Sonic along and out of his life peacefully, or because he's trying to recruit him for the crew. For the former, if he was trying to peacefully push Sonic the adventurer towards his destination for the safety of himself and crew, then he wouldn't be (frankly put) as in Sonic's personal space, he wouldn't have tried to rope Sonic into a second party til sunset on day 2 of knowing Sonic, and he would have talked at all about where they can drop Sonic off so he can pursue his mission or adventure. For the latter? I'd like to explain why I personally don't believe Dread intended on necessarily recruiting Sonic into the crew.

The short of the "why" for why Dread is most likely not trying to recruit Sonic into his crew, is because he's treating Sonic even a bit differently than his existing crew members. Earlier, while writing this, I considered the idea that perhaps Dread pulled this whole "I threw a party for you!" routine for his other crew members back after losing his previous crew. I considered that Dread picked them up originally because he was in need of a crew (and didn't want to leave the high seas), and because they were wayward souls (so to speak) or looking to become pirates. However, while all of this is plausible, there are two things that came to mind regarding Sonic.

Presumably, Dread doesn't really need more crew? He doesn't know anything that would make Sonic stand out from anyone else ability wise, he clearly doesn't care for recruiting someone to help with the old crew's plundering of their ship, and he doesn’t offer at this point to recruit Sonic. He merely treats him as a wandering adventurer. Does he even need Sonic for upkeep of the ship or for getting supplies/food or even for steering/navigating on the ship when he has crew members already who can handle it all?

That Dread has clearly told his crew members his tale of woe (because they seem to know a bit more than simple rumors), but not only does he skirt around telling Sonic, he gets angry at the prospect of any of his crew telling Sonic the story of Dread at his worst. If it's common knowledge or something that Dread told the rest of his crew, why would he not tell Sonic? In fact, if you check those clips, when Batten goes to tell Sonic about when Dread used to be a "not so nice" pirate, Dread is not only quick to angrily shut the talk down, but he moves much closer to Sonic to ask him about himself instead. In addition, as you see towards the end of the video I embedded, when he emphasizes that Sonic should leave the story and shard be, he glares at him, pushing a fist lightly into Sonic's chest (again, physical contact).

So Dread doesn't know about Sonic's speed. He knows that Sonic isn't from his former crew. He doesn't need more crew. While he's very nice to Sonic, seemingly focusing on him and doting on him, he's quick to get angry at the crew if they try to mention his past to Sonic. The crew knows Dread's story. Dread doesn't want Sonic to know his story. Dread keeps on switching the focus on Sonic or trying to get him to party more, and he neither talks about recruiting him nor about Sonic leaving at some point. Do you want to know what this means to me?

Dread is acting the way he is about Sonic, treating him differently than his crew, trying to learn more about him, being more "physical" with him so to speak, neither trying to make Sonic leave nor make him a crew member, trying to pull him into a party again or incentivise him to chillax on his ship, trying not to let Sonic know of his backstory of being "not so nice"...

...because he likes Sonic.

Dread doesn't need Sonic or anything, he's not making it clear he needs Sonic, but perhaps he just wants him around, and not in a way that makes Sonic his subordinate. He wants Sonic to think of him as this nice pirate captain, not as the guy who lost his crew over his obsession with a jewel.

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Okay, okay, let's take a momentary breather. You're probably wondering what everything I just said has to do with anything. If Dread met Sonic and decided he wanted him to come along with him, no responsibility attached, as a "friend" after barely knowing him, what does this have to do with Nine (or Sonine, for that matter)?

Well, there's something I'd like to remind you of. Just like with Sonic and Dread in S1 E7 (to the point that Sonic assumes he and Dread are going to fight the old crew in tandem), in earlier parts of Sonine Prime I mentioned that Sonic and Nine really haven't known each other for very long. In fact, before Nine picks Sonic up in S1 E6 to take him to the Grim, Nine doesn't actually need Sonic.

Nine has two prism shards at this point, and (as we see later in S2) he has the power to start molding the Grim into the home he desires. By the time he goes to fetch Sonic, he's planning on staying there, closed off from the rest of the shatterverse. He's planning on showing Sonic what he's already created and living here alone with him. Nine doesn't even care about gathering the other shards until he has to worry about what the Chaos Council will do with even one shard, and once other characters besides him and Sonic can jump between the shatterspaces, he actually has to worry about keeping his new home and his own life safe.

But back in S1 E6? Nine doesn't need Sonic. He doesn't need anything from him. Not his speed. Not anything he possesses. Not his connection to the prism. He wants Sonic there to build a home with him, even if Nine can do it without him, has everything already lined up.

Likewise, early S1 E7 Dread doesn't need Sonic. Not his speed (that he doesn’t know about yet). Not as a crew member. Not to fend off the old crew (he wasn't preparing to fight them). Not to get the blue shard (which he explicitly didn't want anything to do with or for Sonic to know the details about). He just wanted him to come along and hang out, party, relax.

Interesting, right?

And also funny that Sonic ends up rejecting both Dread's offer to continue to hang back and relax on the ship and Nine's offer to stay and build a new home with him in the Grim

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And so ends our time in S1 E7: It Takes One to No Place. Now we will finally move onto the last episode of the season!

So begins Season 1 Episode 8: There's No AARGH In "Team"

So, like with Nine, once they're on amicable terms Sonic begins to form an idea of Dread in his head that differs from how the Echidna actually is. While we can see this sort of come to head a bit in episodes 7 and 8, one major moment I want to talk about is when Dread flees the sinking Angel's Voyage. The once mighty Knuckles the Dread, who Sonic had thought of highly due to first impressions and of certain traits of Knuckles' he assumes of Dread, is a coward.

But...that's not all that's going on here.

There are miscommunications abound in this show, and Sonic has a pattern of listening to people's backstories (Nine, Dread, Thorn, Shadow, etc), thinking he understands this person and their situation, and trying to help what he believes the problem is at hand (in a way that's often pointed towards his own goals, and leads him to assume the other person wants the same things as him or should). For Dread, Sonic got the part where Dread lost his courage when it comes to pirating. Even when his inexperienced crew fought during episode 7 and at the beginning of episode 8, he yet hid and hung back.

But Dread is also scared of something other than fighting other pirates or death. He's scared of himself.

"I don't care what version of Knuckles you are. You don't give up. It's your most annoying virtue! This shard is my only hope of finding my home! I need you. Your crew needs you! You're Knuckles the Dread, captain of the Angel's Voyage! Dreaaaad!"

Sonic thinks that Dread has simply lost his courage and pride. He needs Dread's help to get the shard, and he can't do it if Dread is gone. So bringing "The Dread" back fulfills two purposes. The first, (like with Thorn, Prim, and the scavengers) is to "make things okay again" (also known as "the right thing to do"), and to restore Dread's courage as a captain. The second, is to get the shard. The Angel's Voyage and its crew have a proud captain, and Sonic gets the blue shard. It should be a win-win, right?

"I gave up years ago, blue, when I wrecked trying to get that shiny rock yer after."

"We can still get it! With your captaining and my speed, you're not gonna wreck on those rocks again!"

"He is fast—fast enough to get me past them rocks..."

"We can do it together! And I can get home!"

"And I'll finally get me treasure."

"And you'll forever be known as the legendary Knuckles the Dread. The legendary Knuckles the Dread!"

"Aye. The legendary Knuckles the Dread."

The part of Dread's tale of woe that Sonic missed (or perhaps ignored), was the part where he was so obsessed with the blue shard that he lost himself and put his crew in danger. Dread lost his crew because he showed that he didn't care about them, not because he failed to get the shard. So sure, it makes sense that Dread is afraid, but for Dread getting that treasure became tied to being the "Dread" of the seas. The fact that he even took a crew on after that, tried to make most days fun and relaxing, and forbade them from acting like pirates, I don't think it's a stretch to say he was trying to keep history from repeating itself.

Because being the great pirate he used to be means going after his white whale again, and he'd responded to losing everything by trying to keep it from ever happening again.

Dread, like Nine, is the type that does care about people, they just both tend to place their goals and their well-beings over the innocent. Nine hesitated before leaving Renegade, Rebel, and Rusty Rose behind, ultimately choosing the safety of himself and the shard. Dread took in a new crew, got a new ship, left who he used to be behind, and focused on making the days peaceful and fun. He stopped going after the shard to protect himself, to keep from hurting anyone else for his obsessions, and so he doesn’t have to be responsible for the deaths of others (like his new crew).

So Sonic M. Hedgehog pushes Dread to help get the shard, because Sonic wants it, and because he thinks Dread will become a great pirate again if he succeeds. He convinces Dread to take this path once more, perhaps not realizing the outcome that convincing Dread to go for the rock (that "brings nothing but pain") will bring.

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Okay, so I'd like to back up for a second and talk about both Dread and Nine.

Both of them have a wish, a great attachment to something they wish to get, but initially believe is impossible to. For Nine, it's "home", and for Dread, it's his treasure, the devil's lighthouse. Home and treasure. Neither of these things are inherently bad to wish for.

Nine isolated himself as much as possible, tried to contend with just being alone and protected so he couldn't be hurt again. Dread locked away his love of pirating and his want for his beloved treasure, not wanting to drive himself to doom and lose everything again in the hopeless pursuit of it.

Both created a life of safety for themselves and reacted based upon the pain they'd experienced and struggles they went through. For Nine, truly all he needed was to create "home" for himself, but the trouble is that he never would, because he believed this to be impossible, and because he doesn't really know what "home" is. For Dread, truly all he needed was to move on from the shard, focus on his love of pirating and make his crew feel cared for, but the trouble is that he never would, because to him there is only one choice that can be made. To Dread, there is only getting his beloved treasure at all cost (which would likewise return his reputation and status), or there is keeping the days fun and peaceful, suppressing his desire to keep himself and his crew safe.

But then Sonic arrived, and he each made them believe. Sonic made Dread believe that he could succeed and get his treasure without losing anything. With the shard, Dread reasoned he could have the treasure he'd so desired and have his ideal life again. Unbeknownst to Sonic, who assumed he'd be able to just leave with the shard and take that step to restore his home, Dread's dream is tied to that shard, and he's willing to hold onto it no matter the cost now (exactly what he'd feared before). Sonic made Nine believe that he could finally make a home for himself. With one shard and an entire shatterverse, Nine reasoned that he could finally escape New Yoke and create a new home away from everyone else. Unbeknownst to Sonic, who's assumed that Nine has the same goal as him, and will eventually hand over the shards so they can restore his own home.

Dread stood aside. He gave into the stubbornness of Sonic and his crew (especially now that they'd banded together), allowing them to choose to sail straight towards the light that brought him ruin without him having to reap the consequences (since he didn't make the choice).

With the shard in hand, Nine found a new, empty shatterspace for himself. He intended to move forward on his path, and create his home, isolated from everyone else. He intended to leave the other shatterspaces to their fates, let the people there deal with their own problems that they caused.

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Let's go back to the scene where the ship was beginning to sink, taking Sonic and the crew with it, and Dread responds by fleeing alone. Let's think back to episode 6, where Sonic and the resistance were fighting the Chaos Council for their right to exist, and Nine takes Sonic away.

At this point, Dread left, not willing to be doomed for a goal he did not pursue (or rather, to die because his crew decided not to listen to him, decided to follow Sonic towards the shard instead). Here is the first main difference between himself and Nine.

While Nine had also decided to leave the resistance and council to fighting, feeling as if none of it was his responsibility or fault (since he owed nothing to the city), he very explicitly chose to take Sonic with him. Both he and Dread had found out the way they believed they would be able to live a peaceful life (with Dread spending his days on the seas partying, and with Nine spending his days alone in an empty world), but when they each left others to their fates (deciding to leave and pursue their immediate goals), Dread chose to leave it all behind, while Nine chose to bring Sonic with him (even though Sonic had involved himself in the resistance's plight too).

Think about the crew being left to sink with the Angel's Voyage as Sonic went to bring back Dread. Think about the resistance fighting a losing battle with Sonic gone in the Grim.

"I need you. Your crew needs you! You're Knuckles the Dread, captain of the Angel's Voyage!"

...

"We can do it together! And I can get home!"

"Look, Nine, it's incredible but it's...it's not going anywhere. And those rebels really need our help. Come with me. Help me finish the fight."

...

"I hope I see you in New Yoke."

And then, as Sonic lost hope that Dread would return, believed he had fully given up, Dread swooped in to retake his captain status and fix the sinking ship. However, Dread didn't come back for the crew just to save them. He came back because he reasoned that he could use Sonic's speed to get his treasure this time.

And then, as Sonic fought in New Yoke with the resistance, as it seemed like they had lost, Nine swooped in with his craft and freed Sonic and the others. Sonic proclaims that he knew Nine would come back, glad that he chose to help these people with him. However, Nine didn't come back just to save the resistance or to fight the Chaos Council. He came back for Sonic. He came so he could give Sonic another chance to choose him—to choose to come back with him so they can fulfill Nine's dream of "home" together.

And now, Dread needs Sonic to acheive his goal (what, with the map leading to The Devil's Lighthouse gone, and because only Sonic can guide the ship past the rocks), but Nine explicitly does not need Sonic to achieve his. Whereas Dread decides he needs Sonic to get the blue shard, Nine simply wants Sonic to be with him when they create "home".

Random other interesting thing, the first time Sonic really mentions Nine when he arrives back in New Yoke after seeing the Grim, he says that he knew he would come back. This contrasts how we see Sonic (onscreen) talk about how Dread has given up and left, before he later tells Dread that he knew Dread wouldn't leave his crew. Interesting that we can see proof that Sonic didn't fully believe that Dread would come back, but there's nothing to prove that he didn't actually believe that Nine would come back, isn't it?

ㅤ

Now, let us shift our sights back to Nine. During the second aside of S1 E8 where we see Nine with the Chaos Council, Nine discusses Sonic with the council.

I'd like to note that as of right now, Nine should have two goals: keeping the shards and his technology out of the council's hands and making an escape plan. As I said earlier, Nine clearly believed that two shards were more than enough for molding The Grim to his dreams. He only cares about being alive and being allowed to exist in his new home, so of course the Chaos Council gathering shards and endeavoring to take over encroaches on this. It makes sense that he'd endeavor to gather all the shards from this point forward, if not so he can keep the Chaos Council or anyone else from intruding in his new shatterspace or having the power to turn him into a victim again.

"Tch. Eliminating the hedgehog is a bad idea."

"Arguing for the life of your friend? What a shock."

"He left me at your mercy when I needed him most. Hardly what you'd call 'friendly' behavior. But you'd be fools to get rid of him before the shatterdrive technology is perfected."

Sure, Nine's not really wrong. He's making a decent point as to why the Council should keep Sonic alive. Perfecting the shatterdrive technology and learning more about the shards can only aid in the Council's conquest.

But Mr. Dr. Eggman has a point here. Even if Nine is bitter at Sonic for being left at the Council's mercy, there is nothing in it for Nine if he goes out of his way (essentially beyond the scope of his position) to help the council in their goals. Making them keep Sonic alive so they can use them to perfect the shatterdrive technology does nothing to keep the Council from getting more shards, it does nothing to keep the Council from taking the Grim, it does nothing to keep the Council from having power over him, and it does nothing to get him closer to escaping. After all, when we get to season 2, Nine will make Sonic give up his plan of saving him (Nine) in favor of working the council from the inside, confident that he'll be able to aid Sonic and escape with the shards from there. He doesn't even seem to necessarily need Sonic to help him escape.

So, why would Nine argue for Sonic's life in the same breath he tries to make clear how bitter he is at Sonic for leaving him to be captured? The answer is clear to me. This is because even if Nine is bitter and angry, he still cares about Sonic. Even if he doesn't need Sonic, he wants him alive. He's still holding onto that dream of building a new home with Sonic.

"Tch. It is perfected. We traveled to another shatterspace."

"You sent your robots to another shatterspace. Big difference.

And right after this, something shifts. There's a notable change in the expression Nine has on his face during most of the interaction so far (image 1) when he begins talking about Sonic again (image 2).

"You've only barely accomplished what he's done without any technology. He's a living shatter battery."

...

"Til we know why he gives off this power, we need him alive."

And it should be worth mentioning here that after Nine praises Sonic to put the council down, he quite literally raises himself up to Dr. Deep's level and speaks seriously to emphasize how vital Sonic theoretically is to the council's mission.

He puts on an act, he risks getting shocked for insubordination, he tries to convince the council that Sonic is vital to their mission, all to keep Sonic alive.

But if the viewer doubts that Nine is trying to save Sonic because he cares, or believes he must have ulterior motives for wishing to keep Sonic alive, the creators added in body language and face shots of Nine to show us how he feels about the Council using Sonic.

"The rat's right. Too many questions for us to start playing exterminator. At least, not until we wring every ounce of shatterjuice out of that blue varmint."

Oh yeah. I'd say "unhappy" with the idea is an understatement.

The way he droops down, like he feels terrible that he even gave them the idea. The way he grits his teeth and averts his eyes, like he's frustrated. The way he takes hold of his expression, stares forward, and glares.

ㅤ

And with that, season 1 of Sonic Prime finally comes to a close, as does Part 7 of Sonine Prime😂

While there are doubtless scenes from episode 8 I'll be referring to in later parts, there's nothing more of immediate importance to talk about. And even though I haven't yet hit the photo limit, I'm going to give this part a clean cut to end the first season.

This part accidentally became a lot of Dread character study, buuuuuuut hey I felt like I was able to point out some parallels I'd really wanted to talk about, so it’s a win for me! And this won't be the end of the Dread parallels either.

Thank you all for reading! I'll see you all in part 8, where we'll finally begin tackling season 2🥰

#sonic prime #sonine prime #sonic the hedgehog #nine sonic prime #miles nine prower #nine the fox #sonine #essay time #knuckles the dread #sondread #Tagging that one just because of its prevalence in this part #Haha this turned out to be a long one on accident‚ but I'm not complaining #Honestly I originally thought I would have this series finished up to S2 before S3 dropped #and then I tried to tell myself that I'd be at least done with S1 before S3 dropped #anddddd that didn't happen because I'm busy and the writer's block #But I do want to give a shout out to the anon I got this morning who asked me about something in S3 (you know who you are) and everyone els #who's been reading this series and waiting for more #It's really because of your support and your interest in my Sonine/Nine/Sonic Prime thoughts that gets me excited and gets me to sit down #and continue my series🥺💖

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wu-kongs · 2 years

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MK needs another perspective besides nezha (not that he wasn't useful, but more couldn't hurt), but again he faces the problem on who he could ask. Maybe someone that is also closer to macaque too since both monkeys are needed to resolve this, but who could fit that bill? *in the distance, demon bull king and princess iron fan shudder in unison*

"when i discovered what that wretched monkey—" iron fan says coldly, "—had done to my xiaodi, i wanted to tear him limb from limb. hell was not hot enough for that filthy creature."

MK shudders, ice through his veins and chilling over his spine at her words. he thought it'd be a good idea to talk to her since red son was so insistent that macaque was his uncle, and apparently his favorite one at that. though it hadn't been easy to find someone who could give him insight on the monkey king's side of the story, it'd been practically impossible to think of anyone who'd give him a leg up on figuring out what macaque's deal was. red son was his best lead, unfortunately!

iron fan looks at him, notes his nervousness, and then clicks her tongue. after a moment to compose herself, she turns away, the short train of her robes swinging smoothly after her as she steps over to a plush chair to settle down.

"after he joined that miserable monk, wukong... changed. he had become someone different from the king who'd been on the verge of felling the entirety of heaven." wrath begins to melt to a somber disappointment and vague hurt that MK isn't sure is real—the nearby fireplace crackles, flickering tricky and unreliable embers over iron fan's face.

"wukong had been the pinnacle of our kind, the one we all looked to, who had defied death and heaven time and again. he was a god among us. no one had been more aware of than than liu'er." any admiration that may have crept into her tone is promptly clipped by a sneer. "it went to his head. he remembered none of it when he began to pick us off one by one, as if all we simply were only scum of the earth." she pinches the bridge of her nose.

every one of her words weighs more and more on MK's shoulders and he finds himself lowering to the ground. this is a new side of the monkey king MK has never heard of, or even thought about. he supposes what they say is true: the winners do write the history books.

"...when the band of sworn siblings had received word of the monkey king's return, and that he was methodically eliminating us... we did not want to believe it. liu'er did not want to believe it—and for his sake, neither did i." she turns her sights on the dancing flames, eyes narrowed as if to shun away the memories. she then snaps to look right at MK, glaring. MK flinches from his settled spot on the rugs.

"listen to me, boy. i only tell you this because i..." her nose wrinkles the barest amount, as if this was difficult for her to admit, "i believe you have some measure of ability to resolve this matter. do not betray me."

he swallows thickly and nods furiously—what else is he supposed to do here? say no to the terrifying princess iron fan? he might as well dig his own grave!

she sighs like this a grievous thing he's putting her through, and he only feels a little bad about it; the bad blood is obviously still so prevalent here and he's not doing much but dredging it up.

"liu'er and wukong..." her eyes trail back to the fire. "they were inseparable. it wasn't simply a matter of their being together all the time, it was... it was as if two pieces of the same being had been separated before it was born and those pieces were in an endless cycle of attempting to reunite. not many noticed it, and those who did silently agreed to say nothing of it. it was not the sort of matter you pointed out for fear of throwing the balance into chaos."

MK swallowed thickly, a tide of nausea starting to rise in.

"liu'er, that fool... he adored mei houwang, was constantly found in his shadow, beheld him as the sun and all the stars above in his eyes." pure contempt smolders in iron fan's eyes, punctuated by the flames reflected there. "and although i detest wukong with the every fiber of my being, i will not lie and say it wasn't an unrequited adoration... they were disgusting. it was as if they wanted to live in each other's skin."

her fist clenches from where it rests on the arm of the chair. goosebumps rise on MK's skin despite the warmth.

"and then wukong was captured." she growls. "he had been the spearhead of our armies, and we quickly fell into disarray without him. liu'er had tried his best to regroup us—many of us did, but without the monkey king, our forces were unable to stop the might of heaven, and we scattered to the winds to survive."

"liu'er did not give up, but... his constant attempts eventually caused much of the destruction of flower fruit mountain. he had become so relentless to rejoin his other half that it blinded him to those he still had to take care of. he refused to stop chasing the monkey king."

"i can only imagine what he must've thought when wukong resurfaced, alive by whatever miracles and luck—and now in the servitude of a buddhist monk of all things... but chase he did, and ultimately, it led to his doom."

silence, thick and suffocating, reigns over the dim sitting room for a long moment. iron fan lets MK absorb the tale, and his mind races for it. he doesn't know what to make of this. he knew that macaque and the monkey king had... some weird thing going on, but this. this? way more than what he bargained for.

whatever they were—lovers, friends, allies—didn't just fall apart. it was ripped apart mercilessly, and nothing could've stopped it. MK sees that now. he's learned enough about both of them to figure that out. it was always going to happen, like... like fate.

he suddenly laughs, the edge of it hysterical and lost. he's out of his depth here. he's sooo out of his depth. this whole thing is millennia in the making, and he's supposed to fix it? he's supposed to, what, undo those thousands of years of tragedy? iron fan looks at him, expression stony.

"they're fools, the both of them," she says. "and with this... eyeball in the mix, they will chase each other's tails around forever until one of them forfeits."

"what am i supposed to do about this?" his voice quakes, eyebrows tented and smile pained and frantic.

the barest hint of pity flickers over iron fan's face. "niu and i have had our fair share of... marital challenges. all i can offer you, child, is honesty. it's not you who can mend what you haven't broken. they're not your pieces to collect. you may provide the glue, but they will have to use it themselves."

MK slumps, face dropping into his hands. "that's basically what prince nezha told me..." he grumbles sadly.

she studies him.

"i will add only this, then," she then says, and he perks up slightly. "i know liu'er. i have known him a long time. a foremost fool, i will always say—and he will always love wukong, no matter what has happened between them. whether wukong will allow that love is yet to be seen, but i know this is a two-way road."

he blinks at her, absorbing her words

prince nezha said the monkey king is still holding on to who macaque used to be. princess iron fan says macaque will chase the monkey king forever. they still obviously care about each other a lot, whether they'll admit it or not.

MK just needs to find a way to make them be honest about it.

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