Mission 3: Oceania Dimensional Knights

"Mission 3: Oceania Dimensional Knights" (現実を嫌う騎士 - The Reality Defying Knights) is the 4th episode/chapter of Lost. This missions introduces the aspect of the Hell Correspondence website as well as Sasaki, inspired by Aniplex anime Hell Girl. Other elements of the episode are based on fantasy anime like Magi and Arslan, as well as having a flashback of an AU Sonic X moment.

Characters

 * Team Universe
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Maria Robotnik
 * Sonic the Hedgehog/Dark Sonic
 * Estyn
 * Lara-Za
 * Volt
 * Oceania Royal Dimensional Knights
 * Knight Jet
 * Knight Dawn
 * Knight Dusk
 * Knight Sun
 * Knight Moss
 * Knight Azure
 * Jigoku Quarto
 * Sasaki
 * Ren
 * Tsubaki
 * Ishimoto
 * Princess Ginger
 * Mirage the Panther
 * Aeon
 * Aethon
 * Zone Cops (mentioned)
 * Dr. Eggman (flashback)
 * Rouge the Bat (flashback)
 * Christopher Thorndyke (flashback)
 * Cosmo the Seedrian (flashback)
 * Black Narcissus (flashback)
 * Silver Meterex (flashback)
 * Gold Meterex (flashback)

Locations

 * Oceania
 * Oceania Palace
 * Oceania Market Square


 * Sky of Time
 * Time Citadel
 * Unknown Dimension
 * Unknown Valley
 * Hell
 * Passage to Hell
 * Meterex Battleship (flashback)
 * Blue Typhoon (flashback)

Themes
Opening Theme: "Boku no Kotoba Dewanai Koto ni Boku-tachi no Kotoba" by UVERworld

Ending Theme: "Weeping alone" by Aira Yuhki

Sypnosis
Landing rather eruptedly in Oceania, a massive team division causes Shadow to reflect on past experiences. Tasked with finding out the secret agenda of the leader of the Oceania Royal Dimensional Knights unit, Knight Jet, Shadow is able to find a much more darker villain seeking vengeance, one he has only fought once before and one that has been unleashed from the hatred in Sonic's otherwise-benevolent heart. Can he save both Oceania and his friends from a demon he might have helped free?

Plot
Shadow and his friends arrive in Oceania, only to find themselves stranded in midair. Shadow manages to save them from death by Chaos Controlling onto a rooftop, but Volt twists his ankle from the sudden landing. Estyn helps Sonic and he seems a bit shell-shocked and Shadow checks him over, worried he's having an illusion but Sonic assures him he is fine, earning in a small awkward moment. Maria tries to help him but gets a glare from Shadow, one that Sonic notices. He brings Shadow aside and asks why he is against the interactions between Maria and Volt, but Shadow won't say. The two get into a heated argument but Shadow gets so angry that he makes the mistake of slapping Sonic, earning in a deathly silence. Lara then goes to reinstate her earlier argument with Estyn by blaming everything on her, much to her shock and she refutes the accusation, but Lara, refusing to work with anyone, goes off on her own and goes after Moss. Estyn, crushed but angry also, goes to track down Dawn. Maria offers to go with Volt but is rejected due to Volt feeling bullied by Shadow's over-protectiveness and also leaves, leaving Dusk for her as he goes after Sun. Sonic refuses to talk to Shadow as he is about to and also leaves, notably crying. Being left to find Jet on his own, Shadow notes how numb he is feeling and puts it down to heartbreak, fearing that his and Sonic's relationship is finished despite it only beginning.

Refusing to let the others down despite the internal struggle, Shadow begins his search for Jet in the marketplace but steals a cloak for him to blend in. Upon hearing hooves, Shadow darts out of the way, only to fall into a young panther, Mirage. Mirage asks if he is alright and he apologizes, only for the horseman, turning out to be Jet himself, dismounting to greet Mirage, who he loves but she is not interested and leaves, though he puts it down to her playing hard to get. He greets Shadow and asks what is the matter, noticing his low mood. Shadow is forced to confess about Sonic, though never identifies his gender, with Jet mistaking his trouble for him having trouble with an actual girl, which Shadow doesn't correct him on. Jet then leaves after complaining about Ginger and wishing Shadow luck with his "girl troubles" but Shadow secretly follows, finding him going through a portal. Shadow then jumps through as well.

Upon entering, Shadow loses Jet's trail but finds an unconscious Estyn, who, once regaining consciousness, reveals that Dawn hit her over the head with her shield, which Dawn confirms when she appears. She threatens the two but Shadow assures her that the two aren't enemies of hers and that they want to save the universe. Dawn backs down and asks what information she can offer after apologizing formally to Estyn. Dawn reveals that Ginger is older than she looks but is trapped in the body and mindset of a 6 year old due to an incurable medical condition and that her and her knights are forced into bringing her treasure and other luxuries to keep her entertained due to her tantrums affecting weather and causing earthquakes. Shadow notes that the zone-hopping is destabilizing reality and mentions the Zone Cops, which Dawn follows on by saying that arrest would be the ultimate shame for a knight. She then contacts the other knights to tell them this, but Moss and Jet think her wish to quit zone-hopping is her betraying her kingdom, but they are silenced by Azure. Shadow reinstates Dawn's message but Jet lets slip of their earlier conversation, embarrassing Shadow. He then lets them in on the fact that his friends were following them and explains who they are, but Azure questions about Sonic and reveals he is back at the palace. Upon a raging question, Azure explains that Ginger longs for a friend and Sonic willingly agreed to the plan upon him suggesting it, confusing Shadow on what Sonic's plan is. They agree to meet at the palace courtyard and they all disconnect.

Dawn escorts Estyn and Shadow to the palace and are the first to arrive. Moss and Lara arrive next and Lara sarcastically thanks Moss for the ride. Everyone else arrives and Azure is looking guilty. Maria asks if the story about Sonic agreeing to some friendship plan is true and Shadow confirms it, still confused as to why. He then apologizes for earlier, stating that he was scared Maria would leave him if she fell in love. Regardless, Maria forgives him and promises that she would never leave him even if she and Volt "became an item". Shadow learns that Volt's ankle is still bad. Lara then apologizes to Estyn and is swiftly forgiven due to Estyn's airhead nature. A storm then starts brewing but Shadow notes its strange nature. Jet fears it is angry Gods but Shadow rebukes this, realizing that the lightning signals one person: Dark Sonic. Sun asks if Dark is dangerous with Shadow answering yes, though he isn't aware of what his powers probably entail. He then recounts that he only met Dark once during a mission on a battleship belonging to an alien race called the Meterex. The ship seemed to hide a Chaos Emerald but, upon finding that it was actually millions of fakes giving off the energy, Shadow and Rouge were instructed to leave the ship by Dr. Eggman, but Shadow detects another type of energy and goes to investigates against Eggman's wishes. He then comes to a smoky room with lightning and sees Dark Sonic overlooking two destroyed Meterex. Shadow questions him but only gets a smug reply, with Shadow realizing that he is not actually Sonic, but a separate entity in the same body. Dark explains he was getting revenge on the Meterex for hurting Chris and Cosmo, two of Sonic's newest friends and goes on to explain, after pinning Shadow to the ground, that he was born out of the darkness and loneliness in Sonic's heart. Upon being asked if it was what Sonic wanted, Dark decides to back down, giving Shadow a riddle that predicts their next meeting. Sonic then returns to normal but falls unconscious. Shadow carries him back to the Blue Typhoon where Chris and Cosmo are waiting unhurt, and Shadow refuses to explain the "complicated" story. He notes that Sonic didn't ever remember the incident nor take note of Dark's existence, but he now knows he was wrong thinking that Dark would never come back.

Back in the present, Shadow shoots down all theories linking Sonic and Dark, repeating that they aren't the same person: they just share a body. He then orders them to find Ginger while he takes down Dark alone, but is met with anxious looks. Lara notes they can easily outnumber Dark but Estyn warns her not to jinx it. Shadow repeats the plan before running off, almost getting hit by Dark's lightning. He arrives in the throne room and finds a scared but unhurt Ginger and she explains about Dark. Azure arrives and takes Ginger away from the scene and Shadow sees Dark sitting on the chandelier, smug. Shadow condemns his appearance but Dark goes on to explain why he is out, going on and on about how much Shadow's actions hurt Sonic. He then blasts him into a wall, but gets surprised when Shadow tempts him into killing him. Shadow goes on to explain that, after what he did, he deserves death and pleads Dark to kill him. Dark then realizes he is crying and then he hears Sonic's voice in his head. Shadow also hears him but Dark refuses to listen to his orders, angered that Shadow should get away with hurting him, refusing to back down. Shadow decides to fight again so Sonic can have his body back and eventually Dark gets bored and leaves behind another riddle, this time much more cryptic before Sonic once again passes out.

Upon waking up, Sonic inches away from Shadow and Shadow knows how much Sonic must hate him and starts crying, only for Sonic to hug him and for him to slowly wipe away his tears. Shadow starts doing the same with him. Sonic agrees it was Shadow's fault but also his own, having pushed Shadow too far, with both denying each other's faults, earning in two apologies from both sides. Sonic then notices Shadow's injuries and suffers a illusion-based hallucination with Shadow trying to calm his down. After Sonic manages to snap back to reality and gets a grip on himself, he explains that seeing his friend (and lover) hurt made him remember an illusion where he saw all his friends dead and their voices yelled at him, blaming him for everything. Sonic also yells that he and Dark are the same being and that makes him a monster, but Shadow denies this by explaining that Dark's existence isn't Sonic's fault and that he is not a monster. Sonic takes his word for it and the two go to find everyone else. They find them 15 minutes later in Ginger's bedroom. The knights are wary of Sonic but Shadow assures them he is safe and they back down. Ginger then asks if they have heard of the "Hell Website", but Moss reminds her it isn't real, earning in an earthquake after she screams. She then explains how it works: you type someone's name into the website at midnight and a being known as Sasaki will take them to Hell...literally. Jet then returns into the room, having left to get Ginger some snacks. At that moment, the room shakes and is filled with smoke. Shadow recovers but finds Jet and Ginger missing and Sonic knocked out.

Shadow then steals an idle sword and goes after Jet and Ginger. Jet then calls Shadow annoying and Shadow mocks the scene by asking if knights are supposed to rescue princesses. Jet reveals that he would have fallen in love with Ginger if she was as old as she is meant to be (around 28 years old, perfect for his "handsome" age of 26). He then threatens Sonic, twigging at the fact that Shadow's "girl troubles" were related to him and not a girl, causing him to call him disgusting. The two get into a sword fight after Jet thrusts Ginger aside but Shadow loses because of his weak swordplay skills and Jet stabs him twice in both of his shoulder blades, with Shadow again cursing his ability to bleed to death easily. Ginger interrupts the scene by revealing a black doll with a red string around its neck (the same doll that Shadow realizes that Dark eluded to in his cryptic riddle). She asks if he wants to go to Hell but he refuses to believe Hell is real, revealing that he thinks Ginger is just a brat and that he would make a better ruler. Angered and not wanting any more people to suffer, Ginger unties the string and Jet disappears, leaving behind his sword and helmet. Ginger reveals she sent Jet to Hell and that Sasaki will now punish him. Shadow faintly hears Sonic who asks if he is alright but he blacks out before he is able to comfort him.

Shadow wakes up later on after hearing Sonic's pleas and realizes he is back in the Time Citadel's infirmary. Estyn, being in the room, leaves the two to have some privacy as Sonic gently embraces him, with Shadow cursing Jet's swordsmanship. Sonic then reveals more information about the website: it is called Hell Correspondence and the doll can only be used by the person who enters a deal with Sasaki, who extracts revenge on your behalf. He then questions if they can use it on Infinite but Shadow refuses to do it, not only because they don't know Infinite's real name nor the fact he may be too powerful for it to work but he doesn't agree with Sasaki's practice of dragging people to Hell and eludes to his secret wish that it may still be possible to save Infinite from the Ruby's power, seeing as he is attached to him thanks to his defeat months ago. Sonic then reveals that they did retrieve the Soul Plate, which was Jet's sword. Shadow is ordered to get some rest for the next mission in a place called Techopolis, and learns that their group is now called Team Universe and that Estyn called dibs on being leader. As Sonic leaves, Shadow asks him if they are good and Sonic confirms this, much to Shadow's relief as he falls asleep.

For an epilogue feature, the story's perspective changes to that of Jet as he goes through vivid illusions designed by three yokai called Ren, Tsubaki and Ishimoto. Zombie soldiers are his first opposition but he finds himself as a target board after he effortlessly defeats them despite the shaky earth trying to throw him off. Ren fires an arrow at him but it barely misses. Jet screams for them to stop, but Tsubaki asks if he is going to repent for his attempted murder, which he denies on the grounds that he did nothing wrong. Sasaki then appears and curses him just as Ren fires an arrow into his forehead, making him back out. He then wakes up on a boat and tries attacking Sasaki, who is rowing. Swords come out of nowhere and repeatedly stab him but he is unable to die nor bleed. As he loses focus of his narration due to the pain, Sasaki consigns him to Hell, demonstrated by a Japanese gate.

Trivia

 * Lara's line ("How hard can it be?") with Estyn's response ("Don't say that!") is a repeated joke within the British motoring show Top Gear, usually with Lara and Estyn being replaced by hosts Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, usually spoken in specials or challenge-dedicated episodes.
 * Out of the three Yokai, Ren is the only one to keep his name from Hell Girl (Ren Ichimoku). Tsubaki and Ishimoto's "Hell Girl" equivalents are Hone Onna and Wanyudo.