This location exists primarily or exclusively within the Sonic Boom continuity. Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity.

The Sky Citadel (スカイ・シタデル, Sukai Shitaderu^?) is the eighth area of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. It is a marvelous city from the Ancients located in the clouds above Bygone Island, where it is held up by mysterious technology. Virtually untouched by time, it is an archaeological marvel. It can be entered after obtaining the Twilight Crystal and unlocking the level's Crystal Lock on Bygone Island.

In their quest for the final Chaos Crystal, Team Sonic journeyed to the Sky Citadel to find the Sky Crystal. However, they were forced by Lyric to surrender their Crystals in exchange for Sonic's life (right before he quashes the deal by having his robots shoot Sonic on the spot). Not quite beaten yet, Team Sonic pursued Lyric through the floating city as it collapse to stop him from destroying the world.

Description[]

The Sky Citadel is, in its simplicity, an enormous city from the Ancients located in the upper cloud layers. It is surrounded by clouds which have a slightly violet tint and block any view of the earth's surface below them. However, the sky can still be seen above.

The Sky Citadel is comprised solely of buildings suspended in the air by unspecified blue orbs on the bottom of them. As such, the area is devoid of any solid ground. The whole city is made of pale rock, and its architecture heavily features pillars, overarching openings, curves and dome-shaped rooftops. Structures here include temple-like buildings, enormously tall walls, floating platforms, ring-shaped roofs and interwoven roads, most of which are held up by pillars suspended in the air. Adorning the surfaces are golden rims and the Ancients' markings. Additionally, floating around the city are cylinder-shaped towers and long arch bridges of immense size. The city also has some flora in form of planted trees and bushes.

Though ancient, the Sky Citadel is in fairly good condition, its only wear being a few cracks, some rubble and a couple of collapsed roads. Some towers show more extensive damage though, having large vines growing out of crumbling walls.

Story[]

A thousand years ago, the Ancients hid the Sky Crystal in the Sky Citadel so that Lyric could not find it.

When Team Sonic tried to reach the Sky Citadel through the Seaside Harbor Light to get the Sky Crystal, only Knuckles and Amy got through. As the pair journeying through the city, Sonic and Tails reached them in the Tornado. Soon after, they found the Sky Crystal, only for Destruction Troops to surround them. Lyric then appeared and explained that he let them find the Crystals so he could steal them. Sonic refused to hand them over, but Lyric threatened to Tails, Knuckles, and Amy that he would kill Sonic if they did not. Reluctantly, the heroes surrendered their Crystals. Instead of keeping his promise however, Lyric had his robots shoot Sonic down and burry him in rubble.

As Lyric left with the Crystals, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy dug Sonic out and discovered to their relief that he was still alive. The group then took off to stop Lyric. With the Sky Citadel collapsing around them due to Lyric's army, Team Sonic headed for the Tornado. Though a chuck of rock broke the road as they got ready to take off, Tails got the plane flying and team headed for Lyric's Lair to stop the villain once and for all.

Gameplay[]

In the Sky Citadel, the player travels through the floating city. Like the other areas in the game, the Sky Citadel includes a speed level section near the end, where the player runs down a long path with speed-enhancing gimmicks while avoiding hazardous obstacles, and as well slower-paced areas for exploration and combat. It also features the normal puzzles that the player must solve with the Enerbeam mechanic and Buttons. Unique to the Sky Citadel, there are laser beam puzzles, where lasers must be redirected into nearby receptors, most of the time through several cannon-like links which can either be set to receive the laser or moved to alter the laser's direction. Both these actions can be done by attacking these links. The lasers can also be blocked by obstacles which must be destroyed.

The Sky Citadel contains several gimmicks for all four playable characters' specific actions. This include Spin Ramps and Air Targets for Sonic, Tails Vents and Buddy Bot sockets for Tails, Climbable Walls and Ceilings for Knuckles and Balance Beams and Beam Swings for Amy.

Gimmicks aside, the Sky Citadel has several environmental hazards. Amidst suspended roads made of rectangular platforms, there are those marked with horizontal lines that will instantly crumble over bottomless pits when stepped on. On both floors, walls, roofs and even gimmicks there are as well poles with spikes that rotate over a large area which cause damage upon touch. Similarly, there are spiked balls on both walls and roofs (some of which are moving), and swinging pendulums with spikes blocking the paths. Additionally, Knuckles' climbable surface can have sharp spikes that sprout out and retract in intervals, and Amy's Balance Beams can fall apart or be crushed by pendulums. Also, along the level's extensive Ener-Rail sections there will be spiky pendulums and collapsing towers, both of which will inflict damage when touched.

Overview[]

When starting out in Sky Citadel, the player's objective is to find the Sky Crystal. For the first part of this level, the player only has Knuckles and Amy at their disposal. At the beginning of the level, the player has to cross a path made of flying platforms and head towards the entrance gate up ahead. However, keep an eye out for collapsing platforms. Also, worth noting is that there is a moving platform on the right side of the initial platform path. The player can ride this platform to a Bounce Pad that will take the playable character to a secret 2.5D section hidden inside the wall next to the entrance gate. In front of said entrance gate, the player must destroy the block blocking the laser on the right. The door will then open, allowing the player to enter the Sky Citadel's courtyard. This area is an open section with an open space in the middle. Around it are also Boost Pads that lets the player travel quickly from place to place around the courtyard. The player's task in the courtyard is to destroy the blocks blocking three laser beams so they can reach each of the receptors close to the nearby gate, which will open said gate. For this task, Knuckles and Amy have their own special sections to traverse to reach the blocks. These sections make use of Balance Beams and Climbable Walls. However, along them are various obstacles; Amy's sections have mainly spiky pendulums that lie along her Balance Beams and collapsing Balance Beam sections; and Knuckles's sections have protruding and retracting spikes on the Climbable Walls. These sections surround the courtyard. In the center of the courtyard on the other hand are rotating blades on circular floating platforms. On the left side of the courtyard is also a secret platform section leading to a Robot Scrap Chest. To reach it, the player has to cross a pathway with collapsing plaforms and rotating blades.

Once the gate in the courtyard has been opened, proceed through it reach another platform section for Knuckles and Amy. This section consists of rotating platforms, Balance Beams, Beam Swings and Climbable Ceilings. However, the route though this section is obstructed by spiked balls hanging from the ceiling, spinning blades, and spiky pendulums that will destroy sections of the Balance Beams in front of Amy. A noteworthy mention is that at the beginning of this section, the player can find an additional secret section on the left that can be accessed after crossing a passage made of collapsing platforms and spiky pendulums swinging above it. Regardless, to get through the incoming platforming section, go down the path on the right. After completing the platforming section, the player then has to climb up the platforms leading up to an upper area. Here, a brief cutscene will play. Afterward, the player has to find the area's different laser emitters and laser transmitters and align them so that the four lasers in the area can reach their receptors.

At the beginning of this area, the route splits into a leftward and rightward path that lead into a different section with two lasers each. Take the path on the right to reach one of the two nearest lasers. Here, push the two local laser transmitters down their sliding paths to make the first laser hit its receptor. After that, go down the path ahead and follow the nearest Boost Pads to the edge of the area. There, there will a moving plaform with a rotating blade on it. Use that platform to reach the tower ahead and enter it via the Boost Pads and Bounce Pads. Inside the tower are three laser transmitters and a block. After all three laser transmitters have been moved down their sliding path and the block has been destroyed, the laser will have been redirected to the next tower. Follow the laser across plaforms with spinning blades and a spiky pendulum above them to reach the next tower. Inside it are four laser transmitters. After the three laser transmitters on sliding pads have been moved into position, hit the fourth one once to turn it towards the receptor on the wall. After that, return to the Sky Citadel's right section via an Ener-Rail and head towards the left side of the area. On the initial leftward path leading from the front of this area to the left section of this area, the player will find another pair of laser transmitters. Hit the one connected to the laser once and the second two times to redirect the laser there into its receptor on the wall. From there, continue down the path ahead to the edge of the left side (the path is shown with Boost Pads). Soon after, the player will arrive at passage to the next tower that Knuckles and Amy can use their respective skills to cross. However, Knuckles has to watch out for spiky balls on the Climbable Ceiling, while Amy has to watch out for spiky pendulums. Once at the tower, head inside it to find four laser transmitters and a block blocking the laser. Unblock the laser and turn the transmitter it hits one time. Hit then the next two transmitters the laser hits two times each, and hit then the remaining transmitter once to redirect the laser into the next tower. Follow this laser across either a Climbable Ceiling or some Balance Beams, but watch out for spinning blades. In the next tower, turn the second laser transmitter the laser hits once, and turn then the next transmitter the laser hits once as well. Afterward, push the transmitter on the sliding pad forward to redirect the laser into the last transitter. Turn then this transmitter two times to direct the laser into into its receptor. With all four lasers hitting their receptors now, some Bounce Pads will be unveiled in the middle of the area. Use those to reach the Crystal chamber. To get the Sky Crystal there, the player has to climb up to the plaforms above using the Bounce Pad on the left. The player then has to rearrange laser transmitters and destroy some blocks so that one final laser can hit its receptor. Once the laser has been properly redirected, the Sky Crystal will be unlocked.

After the Sky Crystal has been unlocked, a cutscene will play. After it, Sonic and Tails will join the player's roster. Immediately after, the player must defeat a group of Destruction Troops in the chamber to activate a pair of Ener-Rails, which must be ridden to the gate on the opposite side of the chamber. There, another group of Destruction Troops will run out from the gate before closing it, leaving the player trapped with the Destruction Troops. Once it is safe, use Amy to climb the platforms and Balance Beams on the left to get behind the gate, but watch out for collapsing Balance Beams. Here, the player can open the gate from behind by destroying the pink padlocks. After the gate has been opened and the Destruction Troops behind it are destroyed, one of Lyric's airship will arrive. From here, use Tails to fly onboard the airship using a nearby Tails Vent and then send different Buddy Bots into the different glass domes on the airship to destroy it. However, Buddy Bot cannot target its sockets if there are Destruction Troops present, so all of them must be destroyed. Furthermore, the glass domes on the airships have spinning blades inside them that will destroy the Buddy Bots before they can reach their targets, so the player has to deploy their Buddy Bot with the correct timing. After the airship is destroyed, an Ener-Rail will be unveiled. Use that to be transported to the next area, but watch out for spiky pendulums and collapsing towers along the Ener-Rail while also changing Ener-Rails accordingly to avoid failing down from the sky. After reaching the next platform, which has a locked gate on it, the player comes under attack by Destruction Troops. Here, Knuckles has to use the nearby Climbable Walls and Ceilings to reach two plaforms above. On each of them, the player will come under attack by Destruction Troops. Once a platform is safe, the player has to pull the Enerbeam latch on it to unlock one of the locks on the gate below. After both latches have been pulled, the gate will open. Behind it, another cutscene will play. After that, utilize the Ener-Rail ahead to reach the next area. Along it, however, are spiky pendulums and collapsing towers that the player can avoid by switching over to parallel Ener-Rails. When arriving in the next area, the player has to get across some moving platforms and some Zip Targets to reach a larger area where the characters will be attacked by Destruction Troops. While there, Sonic can use the Air Targets on the left to cross a gap to reach a path with collapsing platforms leading up to a Spin Ramp. Use this gimmick to reach a path above. Follow it across separate platforms with Boost Pads on them until Sonic arrives on the tower in front of where the characters were previous attacked by Destruction Troops. There, the player will find a Button that will unlock a passage below to a speed section. On this speed section, the player has to avoid obstacles along the road and run around the collapsing Sky Citadal until the player reaches the Tornado. After that, the level will end, and the player is taken to Lyric's Lair.

Collectibles[]

This level has the following total of collectable items:

• Crowns: 12
• Shinies: 5
• Robot Scrap Chests: 9

Trivia[]

• When Team Sonic hand over all their Chaos Crystals to Lyric who then flies away with them, the Shock Crystal and the red Crystal are not shown among them. Also, in the first scene where Lyric leaves with the Crystals, he is shown having two Verdant Crystals.
• The Sky Citadel is the counterpart to Cloud Sanctuary from Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal.

Gallery[]

Concept artwork[]

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