Key to Babylon Garden

The Key to Babylon Garden is an ancient artifact that appears in Sonic Riders. Originating from the ancient Babylonians or possibly their early descendants, this ancient relic has been passed down from generation to generation of the Babylon Rogues since ancient times. This relic has the ability to reveal the fabled Babylon Garden when powered by the seven Chaos Emeralds and control the inner workings of this sanctum.

Description
The Key to Babylon Garden is a light blue transparent cube, which is slightly larger than a regular fist, with ancient symbols and markings on the surface and constantly has a white glow within it.

The Key to Babylon Garden's primary function is to pinpoint the location of Babylon Garden, reactivate it and raise it from the depths of the ground, back into the sky where it belonged before it had fallen from the sky in the forgotten past. To accomplish this feat, however, it requires the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds.

Additionally, the Key to Babylon garden has an unspecified degree of control over the inner workings of Babylon Garden, being able to remotely open the front doors into Babylon Garden. Also, when in close proximity of the Magic Carpet, the Key can activate it.

Early History
The true reason for the creation of the Key to Babylon Garden remains unclear. The Key to Babylon Garden was one of the few things that remained in the possession of the descendants of the Babylonians after they scattered across the globe and had forgotten most of their history and knowledge about their ancestors. Eventually, the Key to Babylon Garden came into the possession of the possibly last group of Babylonians, who passed it on from one generation of Babylon Rogues to the next.

The stories about the Key to Babylon Garden being able to reveal and open up for Babylon Garden, endured the test of time, since the Babylon Rouges continued to believe that their thieving ancestors had hidden valuable treasures inside Babylon Garden. However, the fact it required the power from the seven Chaos Emeralds in order to accomplish this feat was apparently forgotten or left out by the Babylonians and/or their descendants.

Unlocking Babylon Garden at Last
In Sonic Riders, the Key to Babylon Garden had been passed on to Jet the Hawk, the newest leader of the Babylon Rogues, by Jet's father, but he had no idea how to use it. Dr. Eggman, however, having discovered that the Babylonians' treasure inside Babylon Garden was actually advanced technology that he hoped he could use to conquer the world, wanted the Key to Babylon Garden for himself to claim this treasure.

Rather than stealing the Key to Babylon Garden, however, Eggman manipulated the current Babylon Rouges to collect the seven Chaos Emeralds, having learned they could power the Key to Babylon Garden, and have them uncover Babylon Garden for him. As such, Eggman sought out Babylon Rogues and convinced them to let him help them find Babylon Garden after he revealed how the Key to Babylon Garden could be activated with the Chaos Emeralds.

To gather the Chaos Emeralds, Eggman hosted the EX World Grand Prix with the Chaos Emeralds as the price of admission to bring the emeralds into proximity of Jet and the key. The plan was then to have the Babylon Rogues win the tournament and claim the Emeralds as their prize. At the end of the tournament, despite interference from Team Sonic, Jet ultimately won the tournament and the seven Chaos Emeralds. With the emeralds' power, Jet use the Key to Babylon Garden to summon Babylon Garden from Sand Ruins. At this point, however, Eggman stole the Key to Babylon Garden from Jet and hurried to Babylon Garden to claim its treasure himself.

As Eggman got to the entrance to Babylon Garden to use the key, Sonic arrived, but Eggman kept Sonic at bay by holding Amy hostage. Before Eggman could use the Key, however, Sonic used his Blue Star II to blow Eggman (and Amy) away and took back the key. As Jet then arrived, having lost to Sonic in a race on the way, Sonic tried to give the Key back to Jet, but Jet, seeing this as an act of pity, refused. Regardless, Wave took the Key to Babylon Garden back on behalf of Jet. Jet then used the Key to Babylon Garden to open the entrance, but when the Babylon Rogues got in, they and Team Sonic were attacked by the Babylon Guardian.

After beating the Babylon Guardian and uncovering Babylon Garden's treasure, the Magic Carpet Extreme Gear, the Key to Babylon Garden automatically activated the Magic Carpet for the display of the whole group.

Archie Comics
In the Archie Comics, the Key to Babylon Garden was an ancient Babylonian artifact and was originally one of two components that made up the ignition matrix of theBabylon Garden, the other being the Gravity Ring.

After the ancient Babylonians crash-landed on Mobius about a thousand years ago, they removed the ignition matrix and separated its two components to prevent Babylon Garden from being reactivated, as due to a malfunction its activation would destroy the planet. The Key was placed in a hidden location under the Gigan Mountains and guarded by Angelus.

In 3237, the Babylon Rogues discovered a book in ancient Babylonian that revealed the location of the Key. Not knowing the truth of Babylon Garden, Jet the Hawk only wished to obtain the Key to gain personal glory. Ignoring the warning given by Angelus, Jet removed the Key, causing energy signatures to resonate. This led to the Key falling into the possession of the Battle Lord, who owned the Gravity Ring. Placing the Ring into the Key revealed the location of Babylon Garden, now buried deep beneath New Mobotropolis. The Battle Bird Armada and the Babylon Rogues attacked New Mobotropolis to gain access to the Garden, and the Rogues placed the combined Ring and Key into the Garden's systems, reactivating it and causing it to rise from beneath the ground. However, it was then realized that reactivating the Garden would cause a black hole to form, per Angelus' warning, and destroy Mobius itself; while Jet, Wave, Storm and Speedy debated on a course of action, Sonic the Hedgehog removed the ignition matrix and destroyed both the Key and Ring. Losing power, the Babylon Garden crashed into the mountains.