History TearJerker / TimeTrials

** Sergeant Doberman is a SergeantRock type who has a quiet PetTheDog moment with [[NewMeat Hayward]] before the shooting starts, then spends the duration of the battle desperately trying to keep his troops alive as their formation crumbles. When Perci and Hayward are killed in front of him, he has a brief HeroicBSOD before a wounded Pane [[HeroicResolve snaps him out of it]], vowing that he won’t let any more of his soldiers die. Needless to say, [[KillEmAll it doesn’t work out]].

* If Scarlet Garcia’s news report detailing panicking civilians scrambling for safety as the floodwaters spread in Station Square weren’t harrowing enough, poor Vanilla goes into shock upon realizing that Cream and Cheese are still in the city- and as far as she knows, [[AdultFear they’re all on their own]].

* Big Griz’s [[IllKillYou reaction to]] Mad Mike’s [[NeckSnap death]]. He flies into a BerserkerRage, complete with BerserkerTears, throwing aside his weapon and whaling on [[spoiler: Omega]] with his fists, and for a moment it looks as though [[HopeSpot he might actually win]]...before he gets [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed in the abdomen]] and has a burst of minigun rounds unloaded [[NoRangeLikePointBlankRange directly into his chest]].

-->"[[LittleNo Oh, no. No.]] [[RapidFireNo No, no, no.]] [[PleaseDontLeaveMe Please. Come on. Not you, baby girl. Please, not you.]]"

* As the BadFuture depicts a world in environmental ruin and Omega executing the Eggman Empire's enemies such as a [[HeroWithBadPublicity besmirched Shadow]], it's expected to be part this and part Nightmare Fuel.
* The narration of Knuckles' upbringing in Chapter 3 (& Knuckles) describes a lonely child who became somber after learning he was the last of his kind and later disappointed when he realized the first sentient being he met and gained his trust (Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik) had been using him all along.
* Cream's separation from Cheese and how she nearly lost hope from surviving her brush with death in Chapter 4 (Welcome to Station Square) is part this and part Nightmare Fuel.
* Although Vector is able to help save the other diner patrons and employees when the flooding approaches in Chapter 7 (Breakfast Time), he is unable to find another waitress matching the description of Tiara Boobowski that the people he saved was never there to begin with. By Chapter 11 (This Horizon), he's still affected by how he was unable to save her.
* While Cream strives to be brave during the crisis at Station Square, as a kid, she can't help but whimper in distress when a helicopter is shot down by the Blackguard Pirates in Chapter 11 (This Horizon).
* Until Chapter 14 (Vela-Nova), Cream had an idealistic view of pirates that unfortunately shattered when the Blackguards began attacking Station Square and kidnapped her, Cheese, and Blaze. The following sadistic behavior of Captain Metal made it even worse.
* Johnny Lightfoot's appearance in the Mystic Jungle during Chapter 16 (We Three Kings) has him arrive without the faintest idea of where he is, how he got there, or what happened before in Metropolis fighting against Chaos, which worries him to a degree.
* Chapter 23 (The Grapevine) features Shorty panicking and irate at the sight of an apparent Metallix (actually Shard) that he goes on the offensive against Sparks almost straight away.
* Chapter 24 (Everything) depicts Scarlet Garcia's news report of the Station Square flooding being watched by Vanilla, Chocola, Amy, and Gemerl with the poor mother nearly going into shock of what that means for Cream and Cheese.

* The BadFuture is as [[NightmareFuel nightmarish]] as it is depressing. Your favorite character- whoever they might be- is almost certainly dead. Royce’s internal narration also mentions that it seems like the planet itself seems to be in its death throes, and the [[SceneryGorn descriptions of the war-torn Green Hill Zone and Mushroom Hill Zone]] leave little doubt that even your favorite ''level'' didn’t escape unscathed.
* Knuckles’ lonely childhood, his [[LastOfHisKind desperate attempts to find other echidnas]], and his cruel betrayal by Robotnik are all detailed in Chapter 3 (& Knuckles). The latter is not even slightly played for laughs.
* Cream being separated from Cheese and frantically searching for him in Chapter 4 (Welcome to Station Square) will strike a chord with any pet owner. Then there’s the horrific image of a little kid being almost crushed in a stampede and drowning in a flash flood.
* Although Vector is able to help save the other diner patrons and employees in Chapter 7 (Breakfast Time), he’s unable to find another waitress even after he dives back into the floodwaters to look for her...and the people he saved [[ItWasHereISwear insist she was never there to begin with]].
* Big Griz’s [[IllKillYou reaction to]] Mad Mike’s [[NeckSnap death]]. He flies into a BerserkerRage, complete with BerserkerTears, throwing aside his weapon and whaling on [[spoiler: Omega]] with his fists, and for a moment it looks as though [[HopeSpot he might actually win]]...before he gets [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed in the abdomen]] and has a burst of minigun rounds unloaded [[NoRangeLikePointBlankRange directly into his chest]].
* The other Resistance members [[DwindlingParty don’t fare much better]] than any of the ones who came before them. It’s already been made clear that AnyoneCanDie by this point, but Chapter 15- appropriately titled Almost Dead- is just one cruel HopeSpot after another.
** Cindy’s death is arguably the most horrific- she’s grabbed by the head and [[NeckLift lifted off the ground]], screaming, clearly terrified out of her wits and in excruciating pain, to be used as a makeshift [[HumanShield meat shield]] before being [[MercyKill mercy-killed]] by Carlos. All the rest of her teammates can do is watch in horror while this happens.
--> '''Wild Cat''': [[WhatTheHellHero What the hell did you do?!]]
--> '''Carlos''': [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled The same thing I’d expect any of you to do for me!]]
** Cutlass is trampled to death when he falls to the ground and Omega just marches forwards, crushing his torso without even breaking stride. It’s not a quick death, and Scarlett’s [[DeathWail anguished screams]] makes it even worse.
** Perci tries to use her Enerbeam to hold Omega back, and ends up having her arm yanked out of its socket. Hayward charges in to try and save her, gets swatted aside like a fly, and then both of them are [[KillItWithFire incinerated]] by Omega’s flamethrowers. The internal narration says that Hayward’s last thoughts of his parents’ farm where he grew up; Perci feels Hayward squeeze her hand, and is comforted, ever so slightly, to know that [[TogetherInDeath she isn’t going to die alone.]]
** Scarlett actually manages to [[CurbStompCushion deal the most damage out of anyone]] involved in the Resistance’s last stand, but then she takes a vicious punch in the face that [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom sends her flying backwards]] and [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome is killed instantly]]. All things considered, she actually got a pretty quick, relatively clean death; what makes it especially brutal is Demo’s reaction, which starts with him [[PleaseWakeUp urging her to get up]] before the realization sets in.
-->"[[LittleNo Oh, no. No.]] [[RapidFireNo No, no, no.]] [[PleaseDontLeaveMe Please. Come on. Not you, baby girl. Please, not you.]]"
** Sergeant Doberman is a SergeantRock type who has a quiet PetTheDog moment with [[NewMeat Hayward]] before the shooting starts, then spends the duration of the battle desperately trying to keep his troops alive as their formation crumbles. When Perci and Hayward are killed in front of him, he has a brief HeroicBSOD before a wounded Pane [[HeroicResolve snaps him out of it]], vowing that he won’t let any more of his soldiers die. Needless to say, [[KillEmAll it doesn’t work out]].
* At the climax of the Resistance's final stand at Hidden Palace, Professor von Schlemmer gets the teleporter working, and for a moment it really looks like the survivors are going to make it. Then Demo- who’s all but stated outright to be a future version of [[FunnySchizophrenia Bean]] the [[BewareTheSillyOnes Dynamite]]- ends up dooming his allies by triggering a bomb blast that not only [[DrivenToSuicide kills him]], but everyone else [[SoleSurvivor except Carlos]].
* Cream’s sheer [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil inability to comprehend]] why someone would shoot down a rescue helicopter is a stark reminder that she’s still [[ChildrenAreInnocent just a little kid]], but even repeated run-ins with Eggman’s theatrical brand of evil hasn’t shaken her belief that people are [[TheIdealist inherently good.]]
* Blaze undergoing ColdBloodedTorture on Captain Metal’s orders would be harrowing enough, but poor Cream is ForcedToWatch while it’s happening. Even Swash, who’s doing the torturing, and Buckle, who’s holding Cream back, [[EveryoneHasStandards aren’t happy about it]].
* Johnny Lightfoot's appearance in the Mystic Jungle during Chapter 16 (We Three Kings) has him arrive without the faintest idea of where he is or how he got there. Big rescues him and immediately offers to help him, which takes the edge off somewhat, but it’s implied that he was [[SparedByTheAdaptation plucked from his native universe]] right before his death in [[ComicBook/SonicTheComic StC]] canon...or maybe even ''[[BackFromTheDead after it.]]''
* If Scarlet Garcia’s news report detailing panicking civilians scrambling for safety as the floodwaters spread in Station Square weren’t harrowing enough, poor Vanilla goes into shock upon realizing that Cream and Cheese are still in the city- and as far as she knows, [[AdultFear they’re all on their own]].
* In the same chapter, it’s implicitly clear that [[RetiredBadass Gemerl]] remembers the events of ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' and ''VideoGame/SonicAdvance3'', and he’s torn between wanting to use the full extent of his power to [[BigBrotherInstinct help Cream]] and worrying that [[AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength he might hurt someone]].

* Big Griz’s [[IllKillYou reaction to]] [[BashBrothers Mad Mike’s]] [[NeckSnap death]]. He flies into a BerserkerRage, complete with BerserkerTears, throwing aside his weapon and whaling on [[spoiler: Omega]] with his fists, and for a moment it looks as though [[HopeSpot he might actually win]]...before he gets [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed in the abdomen]] and has a burst of minigun rounds unloaded [[NoRangeLikePointBlankRange directly into his chest]].

* At the climax of the Resistance's final stand at Hidden Palace, Professor von Schlemmer gets the teleporter working, and for a moment it really looks like the survivors are going to make it. Then Demo- who’s all but stated outright to be a future version of [[FunnySchizophrenia Bean]] [[IronButtMonkey the]] [[BewareTheSillyOnes Dynamite]]- ends up dooming his allies by triggering a bomb blast that not only [[DrivenToSuicide kills]] [[TakingYouWithMe him]], but everyone else [[SoleSurvivor except Carlos]].

* Cream’s sheer [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil inability to comprehend]] why someone would shoot down a rescue helicopter is a stark reminder that she’s still [[ChildrenAreInnocent just a little kid]], but even repeated run-ins with Eggman’s theatrical brand of evil hasn’t shaken her belief that people are [[TheIdealist inherently good.]] {{YMMV}} on whether this qualifies more as depressing or heartwarming.

* In the same chapter, it’s implicitly clear that [[RetiredBadass Gemerl]] remembers the events of ''[[VideoGame/SonicBattle Sonic Battle]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvance3 Sonic Advance 3]]'', and he’s torn between wanting to use the full extent of his power to [[BigBrotherInstinct help Cream]] and worrying that [[AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength he might hurt someone]].

* As the BadFuture depicts a world in environmental ruin and [[spoiler: Omega executing the Eggman Empire's enemies]] such as a [[HeroWithBadPublicity besmirched Shadow]], it's expected to be part this and part Nightmare Fuel.

* The narration of Knuckles' upbringing in Chapter 3 (& Knuckles) describes a lonely child who became somber after learning he was the last of his kind and later disappointed when he realized the first sentient being he met and gained his trust (Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik) had been using him all along.

* Cream's separation from Cheese and how she nearly lost hope from surviving her brush with death in Chapter 4 (Welcome to Station Square) is part this and part Nightmare Fuel.

* Although Vector is able to help save the other diner patrons and employees when the flooding approaches in Chapter 7 (Breakfast Time), he is unable to find another waitress [[spoiler: matching the description of Tiara Boobowski]] that the people he saved was never there to begin with. By Chapter 11 (This Horizon), he's still affected by how he was unable to save her.

* While Cream strives to be brave during the crisis at Station Square, as a kid, she can't help but whimper in distress when a helicopter is shot down by the [[spoiler: Blackguard Pirates]] in Chapter 11 (This Horizon).

* Until Chapter 14 (Vela-Nova), Cream had an idealistic view of pirates that unfortunately shattered when the [[spoiler: Blackguards]] began attacking Station Square and kidnapped her, Cheese, and Blaze. The following sadistic behavior of [[spoiler: Captain Metal]] made it even worse.

* Johnny Lightfoot's appearance in the Mystic Jungle during Chapter 16 (We Three Kings) has him arrive without the faintest idea of where he is, how he got there, or what happened before in Metropolis fighting against Chaos, which worries him to a degree.

* Chapter 23 (The Grapevine) features Shorty panicking and irate at the sight of an apparent Metallix ([[spoiler: actually Shard]]) that he goes on the offensive against Sparks almost straight away.

* Chapter 24 (Everything) depicts Scarlet Garcia's news report of the Station Square flooding being watched by Vanilla, Chocola, Amy, and Gemerl with the poor mother nearly going into shock of what that means for Cream and Cheese.