Sylvania School of Magic: where mobians come to learn magic. ★ Updates sporadically! ★ ↪ Index [Read everything!] ↪ First Year: Sonic and the Room of Requirement ↪ Second Year: Sonic and the Ghost Legacy Mobile Links ∞ Start Here! Blog run by Katie and Ashe.
Haven’t seen you guys in a while. Not trying to be like bossy or annoying but are you guys still alive and active?
We’re still alive and making stuff! Just not this stuff. Not right now anyway. As you might’ve guessed, writing/illustrating a 7 year story isn’t easy, and making it all interesting is even harder. We kept running into blocks with this story (”man, I don’t want to do this 2nd year stuff, I wanna get to 6th year already” type of stuff) that made it hard to keep motivated.
I’m reluctant to say the story is completely dead--we put so much love and hard work into this story, and some things we have planned are really fun! Plus, I absolutely ADORE Knuckles in this, and I would hate to not see his story through to the end. But the reality of the matter is, this blog takes a lot of work, and we’re busy people whose passions are subject to change.
We still love this story and we love everyone who continues to read and support it! You people are the reason we kept this up for as long as we did. Thanks so much everyone!
Will this blog be affected in any way because of the whole Dec 17 thing? Also sorry for asking this question days after Dec 17 :(
It shouldn’t! As far as we know, nothing’s been flagged, though we also haven’t been keeping a super close eye on this blog as of late. If anything seems like it’s been flagged, let us know!
Sorry for answering this so late, btw! We’ve both been busy with other projects. This blog isn’t dead, just on hiatus for a bit :) Happy new year!
The coloring on the cover page reminds of Ghosts of the Future by Evan Stanley.. was that intentional?
Not directly, but she is a big inspiration of mine in terms of comic/cover art! The color pallet I used was actually inspired by some Stranger Things fanart by Holepsi :O
The second book in the Sylvania School of Magic series. Join Sonic and his friends as they return to Sylvania with a whole new slew of mysteries to uncover. Who are Mighty and Ray, exactly? What’s up with the new Transfiguration professor? And what’s through this secret passage that keeps drawing Sonic to it? Magic, secrets, and adventure await at Sylvania!
okay what the kickflipping frick frack happened with the werehog sonic thing I can't find anything about it
That was a preview of things to come in an upcoming year! Just to show that we have a lot of plans for Sylvania that people should be excited for :) It might be a while before the werehog shows up but stay tuned!
Sylvania School of Magic: (Updated) Character Info
Names: Mighty and Ray
Houses: Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, respectively
Wands: ???
Blood Status: Both muggleborns
Favorite Subjects: ???
Two of the “younger” ghosts that hang out at Sylvania. They were still students when they died, and they refuse to tell anyone how it happened, though it’s rumored that the Headmaster and a couple of the other professors know. The two of them have taken a liking to Sonic, since they are coincidentally also from Green Hill on South Island. They’re pretty well-liked by the students, as they are some of the school’s more lax hall monitors, but Sonic is the first person in a long time who considered the two ghosts to be a part of his friend group.
Mighty is definitely the more laid-back of the two, often seen floating through the castle lying on his back and pretending to sleep. Ray is more energetic, goofing around with the other students. Both make a habit of helping new students navigate around the castle, but their directions aren’t always the best. They forget that living people can’t float through walls sometimes.
Whoo! Finished with year one! Thanks for all the great content -both art and writing- from you guys, and I'm excited to see what you guys have in store for year two (Ghost Legacy - that sounds interesting, wonder if Mighty and Ray are involved?)
Aw, thanks so much! We’re so excited to be out of year one, we have a lot in store for year two that we can’t wait to get to! We want to do a roundup post for year one, so that everything is linked to in one easy, rebloggable place. After that we’re going to try and work on as much year two stuff as we can so we can eventually start posting weekly again. :) As for Mighty and Ray, I think you might be onto something there, anon!
The end of the year came swiftly and quietly, which suited Sonic just fine. He’d had just about enough of all the adventure and death defying for at least a few months, so he happily sat his exams and tried not to fail. He didn’t see Knuckles much in the last few weeks of class because their schedules didn’t mesh well. The only time they could be together was the late evenings, and that’s when they also had to study, so Sonic began to associate Knuckles with textbooks, which was never fun.
Shadow was nowhere to be found, so Sonic happily assumed that he’d been expelled or something, though Knuckles kept saying that he had a feeling that Shadow would be back next year. Sonic didn’t even want to think about next year considering he had a long, relaxing summer ahead of him, so he usually ignored Knuckles when he started saying stuff like that.
Mostly, Sonic was glad that things went back to normal. Exams came and went, and eventually the End of the Year Feast was upon them. House points were awarded and Ravenclaw won, and Sonic was happy to see Espio happy. Even happier to see Snoop glowering as Espio bragged afterwards.
That night, Sonic told all of his friends farewell for the summer. Rouge gave him a tight hug and mumbled something about seeing him soon, which he thought was weird because the next time he would be seeing her would be August, on the train. But, she gave him this long, heavy look that made him think that maybe he didn’t know anything.
Espio and Scout gave him their address and ordered him to write or else. When he said he didn’t have an owl they sighed. “Of course you don’t,” Scout muttered. “We’ll let you borrow ours. She’ll be there next Monday.”
“Jeeze,” Sonic laughed, “you gonna miss me that bad?”
“Yeah,” Espio and Scout said together. Then, they launched into an explosive round of jinx that ended with Scout on the ground, pinned under Espio’s slightly larger frame. Sonic thought that Espio still owed Scout a soda though.
Cream was her bubbly self as she stood near the door and told everyone goodnight and goodbye, because she won’t be at the train platform tomorrow. “Momma needs help in her office,” she said by way of explanation as Sonic kneeled down to get a hug from her. She happily obliged, and he scooped her up. She promised to write, though she might need help from her mother, but she also promised to send him hand-drawn pictures. He told her that he couldn’t wait, and her smile was so bright that he felt ten pounds lighter.
Finally, Knuckles, though that waited until they were both in the Room of Requirement. Knuckles was already there when Sonic arrived, checking the Master Emerald over for nicks or dings. His trunk was nearby, already packed tight with robes and books; all that’s left is the Master Emerald.
“How will you get it in?” Sonic asked as he stopped at the bottom of the dais steps.
“Tomorrow morning I’ll shrink it down. It doesn’t like being contained, but it should make the trip fine.” Knuckles patted the giant gem as if it was a loyal puppy. “It made the trip here fine, anyway.”
Sonic heaved a deep sigh. “I guess this is it then. Everyone is going their separate ways.”
Knuckles looked back at him, expression unreadable. “It’s only for a few months. We’ll be back.”
“I know.” Sonic scuffed his shoe into the ground. The sound it made echoed off the walls. “It’s going to be weird though. I’m used to seeing you every day. Promise you’ll write.”
Knuckles hesitated, hands resting on the Master Emerald. “I’ll try. My owl can’t make trips to and from Angel Island all that often. It’s hard.”
Sonic understand that in the back of his brain, but right then it sounded almost like Knuckles was trying to shake him loose. “Oh, okay.”
Knuckles, who at the beginning of year never would have been able to pick up the nuanced sadness in those two words, quickly crossed toward him. “I’m going to be here next year,” he said, and his words were forceful, a promise. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
Sonic sat down on the steps. “I know. I’m just going to miss you. And everyone else. And the castle. This place just feels like home.”
Knuckles sat down next to him. He didn’t say anything.
Sonic nudged him with his shoulder. “I know Angel Island is your home. But, at least Sylvania is a good second home, right?”
Knuckles swallowed so hard Sonic heard it. “Yeah. I’m going to miss it too.” He paused. “You too.”
“Aww,” Sonic cooed, “you like me. I’m your friiiieeend.”
“Okay, moment ruined,” Knuckles declared. “But, speaking of friends. I need to ask you a favor. Will you take something with you?”
Sonic straightened, sitting up as tall as possible. It wasn’t often that Knuckles asked for help, especially in something that really mattered. Sonic was flattered and honored, but he tried not to show it. He wanted to be professional about this. “Yeah, whatever you need.”
Knuckles held his hand out, offering Sonic the red Chaos Emerald. “They need to say separated,” he said, motioning toward the Master Emerald. “It’s safer. You’re the only person I can trust to keep it safe.”
“Knuckles...” Sonic said as he accepted the Emerald. It was heavy in his palm, and it sparked as it came into contact with Sonic’s palm. “I’ll keep it safe. No worries.”
“Thanks. That’s a big relief, actually.”
“It’s just another thing for me to hide from everyone. No biggie.”
Knuckles rolled his eyes and punched Sonic lightly in the shoulder. Sonic recoiled and made a great show of rubbing at the injury, though it didn’t hurt that much. Knuckles was getting better at holding back.
“One good thing that happened this year,” Knuckles said after they’d sat in silence a while. “We met. I finally feel like I belong somewhere again.”
It was a huge reveal and Sonic didn’t know what to say. Everything that came to mind was corny or teasing and this wasn’t the time or place. So, he just kept his mouth shut. Instead, he looped his arm around Knuckles’s shoulders and pulled him in for a sideways hug. It was only after Knuckles pulled away that he said, “Me too, buddy. Me too.”
+++
The next morning, there was one more round of goodbyes, though these were brief and sporadic. Some on the platform, some on the train. Sonic and Knuckles sat together until Sonic had to get off at Westside Island, talking about nothing of consequence. As Sonic gathered his things, he looked around the train and nodded once. “See ya later, Knuckles.”
Espio is a quiet, reserved student who usually prefers to keep to himself. Hailing from an ancient wizarding family, he is the third in a family of five siblings, and he, like his siblings, has been trained in hand-to-hand combat since a young age, as is their family way. His family has a history of Gryffindors and Slytherins, and his parents and siblings were shocked to learn that Espio was placed in Ravenclaw. When it was explained to them later that he was one of the few hatstalls to grace Sylvania’s halls and that the Sorting Hat thought that Espio would have been a good fit in all four houses, they welcomed the change with open, excited arms.
Usually, Espio can be found holed up in the Ravenclaw common room or taking a walk around the grounds. The former because the Ravenclaw common room is the only place where his siblings can’t reach him, and the latter because the outside reminds him of his home of Chun-Nan. He loves drawing, flying on his broom, and reading manga (though he tries to keep that last fact to himself). He’s not very studious for a Ravenclaw, but he gets good grades anyway, even if his friends don’t understand how he pulls it off. Additionally, he can come off as rather serious because he keeps his emotions to himself, but he’s friendly and kind once you get to know him. If you need an out-of-the-box thinker, Espio’s your guy!
Tails is Sonic’s younger brother and best friend, meeting him shortly after the hedgehog’s twelfth birthday. Tails grew up in an orphanage on Westside Island, where he was the victim of near-constant bullying. Upon moving to the orphanage on South Island, he found a protector and friend in Sonic.
He’s still new to this whole magic thing, and has an unwavering belief in science. He applies the principles of math and logic to magic, making him extremely creative with how he learns and uses his spells. He’s also eager to learn, making him a true Ravenclaw at heart. He usually tries to stop his friends from getting into trouble, but sometimes his curiosity instigates the trouble in the first place. He may be in a new and strange environment, but he’s still trying his best to absorb everything around him.
When Sonic was finally allowed to leave the hospital wing, he didn’t go back to the Gryffindor common room. Instead, he went straight to the Room of Requirement, barely caring if anyone saw him. Shadow already knew about the Room, and that was kind of the worst case scenario already. When the door faded into view, in all its large wooden grandeur, Sonic half expected Shadow to burst out and sling a spell at him. He half expected sleep-inducing mist, an electric dog monster, or a flood of water to rush out. But it was just the same door as always, taking him where he needed to go, as always. When he opened the door to find the Master Emerald, safe, the shrine just as he remembered it, he almost sighed with relief and slid to the floor right then and there.
“Knuckles!” he called out, hoping his tired voice could carry over the sounds of rushing water from all the small waterfalls of the shrine. He saw the echidna’s head pop out from behind the Master Emerald. He smiled.
“Sonic! You feeling better?” he asked, stepping out from behind the Emerald and heading down the steps. He wasn’t wearing his school uniform: Sonic noticed it in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs.
“Yeah! Loads better,” Sonic said, gently rolling his shoulders as he waited for Knuckles to come down. “Still kinda sore, but whatever magic juice the nurse gave me worked wonders. What about you?”
“I’m fine, I was more exhausted and sore than anything, so I was in and out of the hospital wing before you woke up.” Knuckles reached the bottom of the dais steps and, grinning ear to ear, gave Sonic a firm clap on his shoulder. Sonic almost stumbled forward from the weight of it, and something about the simple gesture made him feel more grounded already. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Aw, I’m glad you’re okay too, man!” Sonic said, wrapping his arm around Knuckles’s shoulders, the movement just a little bit awkward because Sonic was the shorter of the two. “Especially because… Shadow was pissed. He really wanted that Emerald. I think. It was an Emerald, right?”
“Yeah, I actually wanted to talk to you about that--”
“Because normally, emeralds are green. That thing was red. I was very confused, Knuckles.”
Knuckles laughed through his nose, worming himself out from under Sonic’s arm. “The Chaos Emeralds come in all different colors.”
“Oh, do they? Because I have a certain Chaos booklet where all the pictures of the Emeralds are green, Knuckles!” Sonic shouted, trying not to laugh.
“Well, I only had two crayons, Sonic!” Knuckles yelled back. That did make Sonic laugh, and the hedgehog gave him a weak shove. “Okay, colors aside, that definitely was a Chaos Emerald.” Knuckles pointed to one of the pillars surrounding the dias, the ones that had waterfalls spilling out of their tops. Nestled atop the pillar closest to them was the red Chaos Emerald, glowing happily in time with the Master Emerald. “Not a Philosopher’s Stone, so…”
“Whoa, you got it? Sweet,” Sonic grinned. “Yeah, Shadow was all ‘bleeaaarrgh hand over the Emerald!’ when I got it out of the Mirror of Erised--which, yeah, that happened--so he knew it was in there. He said he needed me to get it out for him because he couldn’t do it himself, so he lured us both there.” He scrunched up his nose, as if just thinking about being used like that put a bad taste in his mouth. “I think the Philosopher’s Stone stuff was just to trick us. He didn’t want us to know what he really wanted.”
Knuckles turned to face the Master Emerald, his brow suddenly creasing. “But what would he want with a Chaos Emerald? And why wouldn’t he want us to know about it?”
“Dunno. Pickle said that Shadow didn’t want to use it to hurt anyone, and I’m inclined to trust him. He didn’t tell me much more than that, though.” Sonic’s voice was low, not a whisper but definitely quieter than normal. They were all alone in the Room, and it wasn’t like anyone could listen in through the door, but that subtle feeling that Shadow was lurking just out of sight had suddenly come back in full force. “Shadow’s such a jerk…”
“Whether his intentions were good or not, he knows about Chaos, knows about the Room of Requirement, and spent this year actively seeking out a Chaos Emerald,” Knuckles said, his voice low to match Sonic’s. He looked as on-edge as Sonic felt, fists clenched and eyes locked on the Master Emerald. “That makes him dangerous. If he knows about the Master Emerald, then…”
“Then you’ll be glad you have me here, helping you guard it,” Sonic smiled up at him. And really, what were the odds of that? Knuckles was a full year older than him--technically two years older right now, since Sonic’s birthday wasn’t for another month--and they were in two different houses, eight floors apart. No classes together, only a few friends in common, no extracurriculars or anything. A chance meeting and a secret, that was all that had set them on this path. It didn’t take much, Sonic supposed, to make best friends.
Knuckles looked back at Sonic, looked at that smile. He couldn't help but smile back. “Yeah,” he nodded, and then looked up at the Master Emerald again. “It’s a hard job to do all on my own.”
Sonic’s smile got a little bit bigger as he got the message. I couldn’t do this without you.
Sylvania School of Magic: (Updated) Character Info
Name: Rouge
House: Slytherin
Wand: Ebony, dragon heartstring
Blood Status: Pure
Favorite Subject: Defense Against the Dark Arts
Rouge is a Slytherin who doesn’t take crap from anybody. She’s a bit choosey about her friends, but once you have her on your side, she’ll be there no matter what. She trusts her gut, and knows how to speak up if she doesn’t agree with something.
Rouge is the child of two Council employees, both of whom are pureblood, so she’s grown up in the wizarding world. She loves magical artifacts, particularly gems, because her mother works in the magical antiquities department in the Council and Rouge has seen and heard about a lot of magical artifacts. She also seems to have a special talent of slipping out of trouble undetected, but she’ll never tell how she does it.
