Sonic the Hedgehog: Chronicles Episode 1, a sonic the hedgehog fanfic

Sonic the hedgehog: chronicles/ Episode 1

Sonic The Hedgehog: Chronicles/ Episode 1

A surviving warrior of an extinct tribe... visions of an old and forgotten survivor...

Flash the Echidna

1: Requiem! Tje memories of a warrior

1: Requiem! Memories of a Warrior

I can't really describe what happened that night without my lip quivering in shame. In fact, anything that relates to the old Powatokidna tribe brings back that one memory of Tikal's mistake. Only I- and possibly her- witnessed this blunderbuss and gruesome event and lived. What was once what I believed to a sanctuary... a home... was completely obliterated that one day in a second's instant. Maybe I should just learn to forget about the past and move one. Yet, it seems so simple, but very difficult and opposing to my mind. That memory seems to be permanently engraved in my thoughts. It brings me inner sorrow and... requiem. I guess I should tell you the whole account of what happened. And I also forgot to tell you who I am. My name is Flash. At least, that was my tribe name. Whenever an echidna turns 10 in the tribe, he or she is given a name by the tribe leader, Pachacamac. Until then, you are given a nickname by your parents. Mine was... I can't even remember anymore. On another side note, the tribe leader, Pachacamac, was a cruel and unforgiving man. He cared deeply for his daughter, Tikal. She was about 17 during my residence at the tribe. If anyone ever tried to hurt her or even lay a hand on her, Pachacamac would immediately give them a cruel punishment. The worst punishment was death by torture. He would send you to the Marteling Room. That was Shamarian for "torture". Two of his trusted bodyguards would take turns throwing steel darts and javelins at you without mercy. At that time, he has killed an estimated 23 violators. One of them was one my friends, Mizu. He never meant to do any harm to Tikal. Tikal was standing outside, seemingly staring at the dark sky. There were no stars in sight. Mizu saw her and walked towards her. He asked her if she was alright and sat down next to her. Tikal looked at him and smiled, assuring she was just fine. It seemed they had both grown a liking to each other. They both held hands for about three minutes. Then, hell broke loose. One of Pachacamac's bodyguards spotted them. He ran towards the temple and informed the tribe leader. A group of echidnas ran towards them. Tikal saw them and urged Mizu to run. But, Mizu reacted too late. He was captured and taken to Pachacamac. The next day, he was in the pile of decaying bodies just outside the walls of the tribe. I felt no sorrow. He had known better than to do those unlawful actions in the tribe. But I do admit, the punishments were not very fair. I don't have to worry about these laws anymore. I'm my own man now. About seven days after that incident, the real problem started to stir. I've been noticing Tikal going to the Master Emerald shrine more often than not. She seemed to be communicating with it... in a strange way of hand gestures and chants that were unfamiliar with me. I could even see the water around it seemingly responding to her. Pachacamac seemed to notice this. He often questioned Tikal about these strange actions. She often said she was just praying to the Master Emerald. It was obvious this was not all she was doing. The day after that, the whole place was burning in a pillage of flames. There was no explanation as of who or what started the fire. The only thing Pachacamac worried about was her daughter.

"Tikal! Where are you? Tikal!" shouted Pachacamac. He was desperately searching for his daughter, dodging flaming projectiles and burning bodies. Luckily, one of the echidnas (Kowoda, if I remember) had seen Tikal at the Master Emerald shrine again. Everyone who wasn't dead yet ran to the shrine. Tikal was chanting something that seemed to be some sort of ritual. "The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power. Power is enriched by heart. Come forth, Chaos!" Pachacamac reacted very quickly. "Tikal! Don't! What are you doing!" Tikal looked at him and gave a smile. "Don't worry! He will save us all from our current state! We will all..." Before she could finish her sentence, a flash of light emerged behind her. Knowing something was wrong, I ran from the area. While running, I saw a strong light cover everyone within the radius. When the light was gone, all I saw was bones and burning bodies. Everyone had been killed by that light. I was gruesome for me to even bear. The strange thing was that Tikal's body was nowhere in sight. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to her. I then kept running the same direction, not knowing what I was going to do from there. And here I am now. Sitting down below a maple, or possibly oak, tree. I am in a state of liturgy. Around me is an open field of pasture. I have some of my old tribe markings on my forehead and dreadlocks. Mostly thunder markings. I feel these are appropriate for my appointed name. When I'm in a calm mood, I tend to be patient and understanding. But if someone anger me, I can be very violent. But, I try to control myself. Recently, I've been visiting other areas around this region. A store clerk from Spagonia gave me a map of the whole Mobian area. When I saw my tribe's island on the map, I noticed it was in an are called "Rebel's Pass". I didn't know the origin or reason why it was named this, but it didn't matter much to me. At least, not yet. I had made a friend in Spagonia called Daichi. She was a mild-mannered fox who used to buy me italian ice. It was all in an act of friendship that no one has ever given me. But, unfortunately, she had been infected with a disease called N.I.D.S (Neuro-Immuno Deficiency Syndrome). It was an un-curable and fatal disease that stopped all immune and organic functions. It was two days in that she died from the disease. I felt guilty that I could not help her in her time of need. But I couldn't possibly cure this disease. I have heard from one the doctors (Miyutsu) that a man named Dr. Ivo Gerald Robotnik had tried to develop a cure for N.I.D.S. He had succeeded, but no one knew what happened to him. Thus, no one could find the cure. It was all a mystery to me as of all these events happening. This wasn't right for my self-being. But, I kept telling myself, "The past is over, look ahead and move on." Soon, I decided to take a boat to Shamar. It was where Pachacamac was raised. He then moved to the Powatokidna Island and started the tribe there. He seemed happy enough when the first few echidnas settled there. After more started to arrive, he slowly and slowly lost that enthusiastic attitude he had when the tribe started. I was the twenty-fourth member of the tribe. My mother and father had raised me until I was about 14. Then, after a dispute with Pachacamac over the supply of food they gain each week, they had left the tribe. They urged me to come with them, but I had a strong sense of security in my homeplace. Leaving would make me feel... unsecure. Then, the above events started happening. But, I feel should not say more about the tribe. I have explained enough already. It still traumatizes me seeing the death of my only home. Now, the ruins of the Master Emerald shrine are in a place called Angel Island-at least, that's what a scholar from Spagonia said-. Now that the talk of my memories is over, I approach Shamar in two hours. And a violent storm is brewing right now.

2: Arrival! A New and Mysterious Rival?

"Sir! I don't think this ship can take this much force!" shouted Foloris, the captain of the boat. He was a notable captain, a lynx, and had an old boat called "The Kitsune". It was old and had rotting pieces of wood. Sure, he knew his ways around the sea, but I knew I made a bad choice when the boat started to break apart when the storm hit. Now, I'm stuck between jumping off the boat or taking over control of the ship. I went with my first choice. Foloris and I jumped off the boat with life-jackets intact. We also carried a life-saver, just in case. The waves forced down on the boat and completely obliterated it. Foloris looked at it and I think he wept a small tear. We stayed in one spot until the storm was over. We could see the sun slowly unveiling from the dark clouds. We were soaking wet from the towering waves. We swam towards the nearest dock in the area. Luckily, the nearest dock was one from Shamar. Foloris looked at me and smiled. He laughed and winked at me with joy. "That was some mighty good fun, eh lad?" I just stared at him with a face that said, "I'm not amused." Foloris took a deep breath and sat down at the edge of the dock and just stared at the sea. "The Kitsune" is no more. Bah! That old piece of junk was getting on my nerves anyway! Maybe you could help me find a new boa-..." By the time he looked back, I was gone. That old madman was getting on my nerves. But at least I was where I needed to be. The sand was burning from the searing heat penetrating it. I walked forward towards where I could see what was like a figure of a city. Just outside the city, there was a palm tree with coconuts and some scorpions around it. I walked past it and into the small town. Around me, I saw a couple of huts, some houses, and a big mansion. Most of the people were either very poor or running a bazaar. This intense heat was getting to me, so I was need of water. I went to the nearest bazaar and asked for a waterskin. "Ah, I am very sorry. But, I have no water to offer you. But you could go to the spring west from here." said the Bazaar Owner. I looked at his face. It seemed to signal a dangerous warning. "Why do you look so unsure about this spring?" I said. He sighed with a sign that showed he wasn't telling everything I should know. "Recently, this area has been searched by many strangers. They are constantly interrogating other residents on the whereabouts of something." I pulled a Ring out of my jacket and gave it to the Bazaar Owner. "If you can take me to one of these strangers, I'll give you this." The Bazaar Owner looked at it, carefully studying it. "I guess it will do. But I cannot leave my stand. But you can find one of them wandering a road next to the Teitaku. But be very careful. I have seen some with very dangerous weapons. I think there have been some fatalities around that area too." I wandered away from the bazaar, leaving the Bazaar Owner with a monotone face. Heading towards the spring was my first priority. I will take care of these crooks later. When I reached what seemed like a very small oasis, I immediately ran towards it and scooped up a handful of fresh water. Since I have not had water in two weeks, it felt like drinking sanctuary from a well of life. That feeling was soon disturbed by the sound of an explosion. I saw a dark, sooty cloud of dust rising from one of the buildings. I soon realized it came from the Teitaku. I gave a determined look and ran towards the building. I saw a metallic figure grabbing someone by the neck. "My sources indicate that your people have information about the Orilchalculm. You will comply immediately" said the figure. It turned out to actually be a robot, with machinery and wiring slightly popping out of its back. The captive stammered, "O-Ori-what? I have no idea what that is!" The robot held up its hand and deployed what seemed like a machine gun. "You will comply. Death will be necessary if you do not. Initiated in five seconds." I took action and walked up the robot. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" The robot turned its head at me. It dropped the captive and turned its whole body at me. The captive ran away in a fit of fear. The robot and I stared at each other for about two seconds. "Dr. Robotnik wishes to obtain the Orilchalculm for personal use. Anyone who dare stands his way must be terminated." I gave a smile that showed that I wasn't going to back down from a heap of crap. "Try it."

The robot took the first move and shot multiple bullets at me with its built-in machine gun. I (being the most agile member of my tribe) dodged all of with swift speed, out of the civilians' way. I then ran towards a pile of barrels. I knew I made a mistake when I found out the barrels where full of gunpowder. When the robot shot, the barrels exploded with me right behind them. Luckily, it didn't have a huge amount, but enough to burn a side of my face. This was nothing, as I have had worse punishments back at the tribe. One time, I had taken more food from the server than I should have, so Pachacamac ordered that I have my hands seared so that I may not take anything as long as they hurt. But now was not the time to live the past. I have to worry about this robot and its maniacal weapon. I kept dodging bullets and running around the place. I had not yet attacked it directly as I feared that its armor may be too strong. But at this point, I had no choice. I threw a rock at it form behind to distract it, and then punched it from the front. To my surprise, the armor was what seemed to be a chrome alloy, so it was easy top penetrate. The robot started to act haywire and toppled to the ground, with its machine gun on auto-fire. I put my hand in the broken hole I had made in the robot and pulled out every wire, hoping for it to shut down. After a couple of seconds, everything was peaceful and quiet. People looked at me in awe. A small, but old falcon walked up at me and praised me. "Hello. My name is Soweta, the owner of this Teitaku. I thank you very much for the destruction of this damned robot. It has been causing fear around this city for months." I studied him and noticed he had some red markings around his beak. I also grinned a bit at his inferior size, compared to me. "It was nothing. I've been through worse." Soweta laughed as if he took it as a joke. "My boy, you may well be his son! Strong and confident!" I was confused at this statement. "What do you mean? Son of what?" Soweta's laughter slowly faded. "I would expect no less from son of Pachacamac! Come! Let us go inside my Teitaku!"

I was amazed at how a scrawny old man could afford this amazing Teitaku! The ceiling seemed to tower endlessly, the doorknobs where of pure gold, and he had a crew of maids. When I walked in, a certain individual caught my eye. It was a female echidna with short dreadlocks, what seemed to be a jumpsuit, and some boots that were slightly too high for her. I ignored her and kept walking with Soweta. We passed the kitchen, which was probably the cleanest kitchen I've ever seen. The chefs were of the utmost quality. Even the restrooms were incredibly impressive. The toilet seat was paved with cold gold and the toilet-paper was encrusted with jewels (which I figure must hurt). Soon, we walked into the master bedroom. There was a bed that looked like it could support a ten-thousand pound ogre. We then went towards a round, silver table in the middle of his room. There were wooden chairs surrounding it and a teapot in the middle. Soweta and I sat down in some of the chairs. A moment ago, he was the happiest old man you would ever see. But soon, his smile turned to a gloom. I guess he knew that I noticed. "You do know the danger your father, Jalmani, is in, right?" said Soweta. I immediately felt like a heavy weight was lifted upon me. I had been trying to remember the name of my father ever since that day had happened. I had no idea how this old man knew my dad. "H-How do you him? What do you mean "danger?" Soweta sighed. "I know your father had left the tribe. He came here in search of me. He told me the reason he left the tribe." I was dumbfounded. "Didn't he leave because of problems with Pachacamac?" Soweta shook his head. "No, that was not the case at all. Jalmani left because… no. I cannot give out any information. Then it will spread, and Robotnik will find out." Now I was really confused. Had I been missing out on a lot? "Alright, who's this Robotnik, and why can't you tell me about my own father?" Soweta put his hand in one of the table drawers. He then pulled out a paper with strange writing and a picture of what seemed like an octagonal, shiny gem. "This is the reason your father left. He had found out someone had obtained this gem. It is called the Orilchalculm. This gem has extraordinary power. One who can harness its power will..." Soweta looked down and his eyelids closed. "They will have the power to control all." I was stunned at how simple gem could very well cause the destruction of the world. I pondered for a while. "So, if someone already has this gem, why hasn't he dominated everything? Won't this... "Robotnik" find it?" There was a low rumbling. The pictures on the wall shook for a bit. The round table was quivering. "No. You must leave now. It appears news of your little incident has spread." I looked around the room as the rumbling grew louder. "What do you mean?" "Son of Jalmani, Robotnik has found out the destruction of his robot. He will kill you!" I had no time to react as a large robot crashed through the bedroom door. It was clearly one of the better versions of the robot I've faced before. It's head was significantly smaller, but it's body has heavily armored. It had six round missiles attached to it's body. It had a strange insignia on the back of it. It appeared to be a round head with a... mustache out of the sides of it's head. Soweta threw his cane aside and ran towards the drawers. I only focused on the robot. "So, you want to die just your other robot brethren, huh? Give me all you got!" That was probably not the smartest thing to say as he shot missiles at me. I quick-stepped and jumped out the way. The missiles destroyed the window behind me. Soweta was still searching through the drawers of his cabinet. That was pretty disgusting to me. But I then realized what he was doing. He searched in one of the pant pockets in the cabinet and pulled out a gun with "Soweta's Revenge" on it. "Robotnik! You won't be taking any lives today!" He then pulled the trigger. I expected a bullet to sound and hit the robot, but instead was a small pellet. The pellet went inside an opening in the robot between his arm and body. I didn't get what he wanted to succeed by doing that, but I ignored it and jumped towards the robot. I landed a punch on him and made a dent on his body, but not enough to actually damage him. Then I stepped back as he launched more missiles from his body. Soweta was in a strange position. He was sitting on the bed as the destruction of his bedroom was continuing. He seemed to have a very monotone face. I asked him, "What are you doing, Soweta? Get out of here!" While I was distracted, the robot landed a nasty punch on me. Soweta smiled. "I want to see just how well you can fare with a robot that has been raised in strength." It was then that I realized who Soweta actually was. "S-Soweta! That pellet made the robot stronger! You traitor!" Soweta laughed evilly and with mockery on the head. "It will amuse me to see you attempt to obtain the Orilcalculm. Robotnik will not be defeated!" My eyes flared up with a red that surpassed my own skin tone. "You! And what happened to Jalmani! My father!" I said that as the robot kept throwing missiles and punches at me, all of them missing. "You! What happened to Jalmani? My father!" Soweta pointed his cane at the robot and yelled, "Stop! Leave the echidna for a moment!" Then his head turned to me. "Flash. Flash the Echidna. Do you not know yet what you are fated for? Has not Jalmani told you?" I looked at him, with my eyes still in a state of anger. "What are you talking about? What do you mean "fate"?" Soweta put his head down. "When Jalmani came to Shamar and visited me, he shared his knowledge of "future-sight" and told me your fate. What you are about to become is inevitable. You may as well give up. You will never succeed in your life." I could not realize what had happened in this day alone. How could an old man know so much about Jalmani? Never succeed? Just what's going on here?

Soweta gave me a chance to retreat and leave Shamar. For a moment, I was considering it. But then, I realized, how am I going to let an old man push me around? Could he be lying about Jalmani? I then dashed towards the robot to give it hell. Soweta pointed his cane again at the robot. "Destroy the fool." The robot then shot out more missiles from its body. All while Soweta stood there, calm and with his eyes frowning. I didn't know how this robot was going to be destroyed. I know Soweta gives it orders, so maybe I could use it to my advantage. So, I ran towards him while the robot was reloading it's missiles. I pinned him down to the ground and punched him in the face. "Look! Tell your little robot to stop these actions! Or, he'll kill both you and me." Soweta laughed. "Do you really believe Robotnik will suffer from one loss? I will gladly die for Robotnik's intentions!" The robot aimed the missiles at me, with only one chance to react. I didn't want to cause the death of an old man, but it seems I had no choice. The robot shot the missiles at both of us. I dodged the missiles in time, but Soweta was down and could not move. Just before the missiles landed, Soweta said, "If you want to defeat Robotnik, you will have to face what you fear..." An explosion followed. There was nothing living over the area where the explosion was. Only red and smoke rising. I looked at the robot and saw it strangely staring at the area. I figured it didn't know what to do now that Soweta was gone. I looked at it, and it looked back at me. I took the chance and punched it in the stomach. Suprisingly, I made a punch hard enough to make a hole in the robot. It fell to the ground, with electricity running through it. It soon stayed idle and was just another heap of metal. I looked around the Teitaku. A group of servants and chefs were gathered around the door. One of them was pointing a pistol at me. "W-What did you do Soweta?" I looked at him and gave him a farewell salute. I then jumped out the broken window. The servant started shooting, but was too late. I landed on a bazaar ceiling and started to run towards the dock. There weren't too many good boats, but I saw one that seemed in working order. The owner of the boat was Foloris, who crashed his ship, The Kitsune, during my trip here. When I looked back, I saw two of Soweta's servants with shotguns running after me. That's when I started to panic. When I reached the dock, I immediately jumped into Foloris' boat. He looked at me and said, "Aye! What brings you back? I found a..." I interrupted him and shouted, "Turn this thing on and drive!" When he saw the two men with shotguns, he didn't hesitate to follow my orders. As soon as he turned the keys to the engine, we left away from this poor place they call...Shamar.

3:Discovery! The Holder of the Orilcalculm!

Jalmani's Log

March 26, 2010 2:57

Day X

It would seem that the intentions of the Shades is to eliminate the beholder of the Orilcalculm. I cannot possibly encode anything while stuck on this deserted... peninsula? It would seem so. I may be able to survive long enough if I can take advantage of my surroundings. I will have to get accustomed to the enviroment I am forced to reside in.

Day X2

Bananas area abundant in the area. My future sight is enabled only in areas with a large gravitational and pshyco-kinetic pulses. This area is not one of them. I may hope to find different food. I am in need of water. I think I may have spotted a river north of this beach...

Day X3

I was wrong. This river seemed to be a hallucination. I am becoming slowly and slowly dehydrated... I don't know how much longer I can last...

Day XXXX

I am very weak at this moment. I am still heading north in hope of... wait. I see- YES! A river of water. I will now end my entry here!

Day XXXXX

Water tastes very good when you have not had any in days. I am currently going to stay in this area near the river until I notice rescue. But it would seem to be that I hear noises in the trees...

Day XI

I saw them...

Day XXI

Rob- Oricla- Uur...

Day XXXI

...

Day XXXXI

Shades will kill. Blood shall spill. No holding against the will. Our rage shall be filled.

End log.

I was still pretty dazed from the sudden rudder of the boat. Foloris was on the wheel with a cigarette in his mouth. "So, what those people had on you? Must've done something pretty stupid to make 'em chase you with shotguns." I walked up to him and grabbed the cigarette from his mouth. I then threw it into the ocean. "Keep quiet, and I won't throw you off the boat." He shrugged his arms and kept steering. "So, where you be heading?" I pointed north. "Apotos is north of here, right? Let's go there." Foloris jumped up with joy. "Woo! Apotos is one of the liveliest places in the region!" I was still not amused. I laid back and waited for the 4-hour trip to end. I had enough action for one day. I still do not know who this Robotnik is. I'll have to find out for myself.

It seemed forever when we finally reached the Apotian Dock Center. This place is where all trading ships dock. Many people who own their own boats come here socialize with others. But the city is where I needed to be. Before she died, Daichi had told me of a person who could help me if I was ever in between a rock and a hard place. She was called, if memory serves, Shasuiba. The problem was, how the heck will I find her in such a large city? There were millions of houses that would be impossible to search for. But, after my experiences with Shamar, I was glad to be in a cool and clean environment. The sky was clear blue and sunlight was reflecting from the sea coast. This place was very well known for its great docks and huge beaches. Another good thing was that Spagonia was a short travel north from this city. "Aye, how do you feel 'bout getting some Sake at the liquor store?" (Sake is Japanese for "Liquor") I shook my head. "Nah, you go on ahead. I'm going to look for someone."

"As you wish" said Foloris.

It seems that Shasuiba was very shy around people. I asked everyone who walked past me if they knew her. All of them said they never heard of her. I was not sure how Daichi had even known her, but this was all making no sense to me. My day was coming off to a strange start…

I had gone to a decent hotel that was three-stories high. It had a very low capacity, but I managed to squeeze in between the only two vacant rooms. To my surprise, the bellhop was extremely nice. She offered me almost everything the hotel had to offer. Coffee, cookies, On Demand (I have no idea what that is), TV, and other things that seemed very entertaining. I refused them, as I had just wanted to stay for one, possibly two, nights. The beds in the rooms were comfortable, the TV's where huge, curtains where made of pure silk, and the restrooms... where alright. I saw very few pests now and then. Foloris was out in the local pub. Possibly getting a smoke, or getting drunk. That was pretty normal of him. Hell, he might as well be tightrope walking on a piece of string above a group of land mines. Nonetheless, I though I might as well enjoy my stay here as long as I can. I landed on the bed, took of my jacket (revealing the crest on my chest, which I received back at the tribe), and pulled the covers over me. I was ready for the only sleep I've had in days. That was, until someone climbed into the room through the windows.

I immediately jumped to my feet, with fists in fighting position. "Who are you!" The stranger had large boots, short dreadlocks, and... "Hold on! Didn't I see you at Soweta's Teitaku!" She gestured me to keep quiet and to come near her. I drew closer and she responded. "Yes, now keep quiet! You have to come with me!" I made a weird face. "But how..." She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out the window. There was a ladder that she put against the hotel walls. I climbed down with her. "What's your name, anyway?" I asked. "It's Shasuiba. Daichi told me of you before she got infected with N.I.D.S. We need to find a place where nobody can hear us." We were walking along the streets of Apotos, avoiding suspicion. We found a rather clean alley with a graffiti on the walls that read, "A-Town." She then turned her head towards me and started to speak to me. "Robotnik is after you, Flash. You need to go somewhere that he would not think to look." My monotone expression showed that I wasn't going to be frightened of a man who uses cheap robots as lackeys. "No. If Robotnik wants me out of his life, then he's making a huge mistake. I'm going to go face to face with him." Shasuiba facepalmed herselfed. "No. You don't understand. Robotnik had these things called Shades. They are people who are trained to do two things. Search and destroy."

Shasuiba and her talk of Shades was starting to make me realize just how seriously Robotnik takes this. "And what about Robotnik's search for the Orilcalculm?" Shasuiba reached into her pocket. She pulled out what seemed to be a small portable device. On the screen, it showed a blinking light on a landmass. "This tells us where the Orilcalculm is at this moment. Just be glad Robotnik hasn't aquired this technology yet. We'd be dead." I chuckled at the though of that. In fact, that was the first time I gave a small laugh in a while. Go figure. But, I soon realized how close the Orilcalculm was this whole. "Isn't the island next to the land where the Orilcalculm is called Powatokidna?" She nodded. The Orilcalculm was neighboring my tribe this whole time. This really twists up a lot of opportunities. "So what's the name of that area holding the gem?" She responded with the name of a land called Kokodo.

Kokodo Transmission Log

3:45

The skies seem to be clear. Weather isn't too bad in this area. Could expect a few mild showers in the afternoon. City is still as beautiful as ever. Everyone is going through their normal routines. Makes me wish I had their freedoms. But I have to maintain this job as helicopter logger.

6:45

The clouds suddenly darkened... What's happening? O-Oh my God! A giant...airship? Spitting FIRE? Oh God! The whole city's burning! People are... NO! This airship is more massive than you could imagine. Wha- no...NO! Not me! Not no-(static)

Shasuiba told me of the destruction of Kokodo and how Robotnik had rebuilt and taken it over. After a few weeks, he completely forgot about it and took about conquering other landmasses. That was a huge mistake, as a survivor still resides there with the Orilcalculm. "So, do you know the name of this person?" Shasuiba shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I haven't gone there before." Many questions ran through my head. How did Daichi know of Robotnik and his intentions before he even knew me? And what about Jalmani? Does he know of this person? I was about to ask Shasuiba this, but something else caught my attention. I hadn't noticed, but next to the alley, there was a pub. Inside I heard a voice that sounded like Foloris. Shasuiba noticed it too, as she turned her head toward the pub. We both crept out of the alley and looked through the windows. We saw a sight that shocked both of us. There was figure with a dark suit, flaps behind its head, and what appeared to be armor on its torso and legs. It was holding Foloris by the neck, with a knife pointed to him. He were close enough to hear what was happening. "I have direct orders to obtain information of a certain individual called Flash. If you don't comply, I'll be forced to terminate you. Now, where does he reside at this moment?" Foloris had a face that explained that he wouldn't break. "You mindless fool. What use could Flash be to you? I will not tell you anything!" The figure neared its knife at Foloris' neck. "You dare speak that way to an official and registered assasinator of the Shades! You will be punished with death!" That's when I realized what a Shade was. At that moment, I sprung into action and broke through the window. Shasuiba followed along too. But, it turns out I was there too late. By the time I could even breathe, the Shade had knifed Foloris' neck and threw him aside, face down. Foloris lay on the wooden floor of the pub, with a small pool of blood beneath his lifeless face. The Shade then looked at me. "It took the death of your comrade for you to finally show yourself. Flash! You are a nuisance in part of Robotnik's plan! You must be removed from his knowledge!" He pulled out the same bloody knife and held it with force. I know Foloris wasn't exactly my idea of a good friend, but this death was not what he deserved. The thought of it angered me to the core. "You... you don't realize just how much worse Robotnik's troubles will be. I will terminate him and rid the world of his presence! Starting with you!" The Shade then ran towards me with speed so fast that it almost seemed like a blur. For a moment, I thought it was over. But that wasn't the case. Shasuiba had jumped in front of me and blocked the lunge with a katana. On it was an insignia of a man with a large moustache. "I forgot to tell you, Flash. I was once a Shade too."

"Shasuiba. How unexpected! Why did you leave the Shades in the first place? You could've been a great help to our current objective!" said the Shade. "I wanted no part in this violent display of interrogation. And besides, Robotnik promised me a good pay, but what I had to do for it was too much to bear." It looked weird, both of them talking casually with both weapons clanged together, meeting sharp ends. "Enough of this foolish talk! Let me see how much you have forgotten in these past months!" And with that, the Shade swung his knife to the side and jumped back towards the bar. His covered, armored, and sturdy mask glistened with the moonlight shining through the windows. Shasuiba ran towards him, with the katana in hand. Both of them were incredible at speed and accuracy. At least twice, had Shasuiba striken the Shade with her katana, but the armor was too thick for a weapon like that to penetrate through. The tip of the katana had been broken, and only a flat tip was intact. It had been a while, and both of them were still fighting. I dare not get into this conflict. With the skills that Shade has, he would kill me in a moment. But I was determined to help Shasuiba. I tried looking for a weak spot in the Shade's armor, and noticed something peculiar. On the middle of the torso armor was what seemed like leather chainmail. But it was rusted and some of the chains were missing. I saw this as possibly the only chance of helping her. "Shasuiba!" She looked at me quickly and shouted, "What!" I shouted the piece of advice to her. "The chainmail! Stab the chainmail!" The Shade looked surprised and stood for what seemed like a split second. That was enough time for Shasuiba. She readied her position and lunged the sword into the broken chainmail. The Shade dropped to the ground, with severe bleeding from the torso. Shasuiba and I got closer to him. He managed to mutter only a few words. "T-The Shades c-c-cannot be s-stopped. Robotnik w-will kill you a-all. You traitor..." With that, he spoke no more. Shasuiba suggested I open the mask to see who was inside of the suit. I put my hand against the bottom of the mask and lifted it up. It was what appeared to be a hedgehog, or possibly an echidna. It was hard to describe as we could not get the suit off. "So, what do we do with this...body?" I stared at it as blood started trickling to the ground. "We should...leave it there." Shasuiba looked confused. She put her red-tipped katana into the holster on her waist and looked at me. "It's almost daytime. What will people do when they see a dead body here?" I responded, "Nobody will know we had nothing to do with this. And Foloris... someone will bury him." This wasn't right to do, but we had no other choice. "We'd better get back to our own rooms and meet each other tomorrow. We're going to go to Kokodo." We left the pub, and I went back to the hotel. The bellhop looked at me with a strange face. "Where were you? I never saw you go out the door!" I looked at her, and left to the room without saying a word. I imagined she thought I was a loon. If only she knew what trouble I had to go through just to survive. Along with the loss of a companion. I would have a hard time finding a new boat navigator. I've heard tell of one who could go to any land in the world. I'll have to investigate and find out who it is.

Turns out his name is... Koibito? Yeah, it sounds about right. He's been living in Spagonia for twenty-five years, and then moved here to Apotos to find a new career as a boat navigator. Turns out, he made the right choice. He's the best in Apotos. Though now, I'm feeling as if I'm going to miss Foloris' lively attitude. But his drunkenness was something that I couldn't accept. But, that's no matter to me now. Kokodo is my next location. I really wish I could stay here and see more of Apoto's great beaches and sights, but Shasuiba was pushing me to leave now before people have second thoughts about us. "So, where is this Koibito?" I said. She pointed at the Apotian Dock Center. He usually hangs out on the lower floor of the center. His boat is entitled the Kaosu." We headed towards the dock center, walking past sailors and navigators with scruffy beards. We went to the center of the dock, which had a spiral staircase that led down to different lower level floors. We needed to go to the lowest level, which Shasuiba told me had the roughest people. I was ready to take them on if they pissed me off. When we reached the lowest level, we saw a bar with a lot of customers drinking their brains out. Some of them were getting into fights, some on the floor unconscious. So much for rough. But the real problem started when one of them walked up to Shasuiba. He wasn't too buff, but still enough to land a good punch. He started eyeing her and following her. Soon, he got up in front of her and started to talk. "Hey, what a fine lady like you be doin' wit' a guy like that? Come, let's get sum' beer from tha' keg." Shasuiba was not impressed. "Look, stay away from me and no one gets hurt, OK!" That's what cracked him. "Look here, you GONNA come wit' me, or Imma' have to bring pain!" I was about to give this guy a good beating, but someone yelled, "STOP!" I looked behind me and saw a raccoon with a cap on and a jacket. She also had a shirt, with "NX" on her chest. From the description people gave me, I expected it to be a male. But from looking at her, I'm certain she was Koibito. "Look, Branford, why do you still harass ladies? You got your own at home. Aren't you happy with her?" Assuming he was Branford, the "tough" guy started to weep a tear and go up the spiral staircase. I can tell Koibito was going to be a persuasive one. She reached out her hand to shake Shasuiba's. "Well 'ello! Sorry for that blunderbuss brute there! He just got some problems! What's your name?" Shasuiba responded with her name. "Oh, I've heard of you? Weren't you a Sha-" Before Koibito could say anything about that, Shasuiba put her hand over Koibito's mouth and gestured her to keep quiet. "Oh, I get ya! Let's go outside! I hear you need a navigator!"

As we went up the spiral staircase, we told her of our mishaps and adventures. She laughed at all of them. "Aye, that's nothing compared to what I've been through!" Her attitude was definitely lively (more than Foloris), but a bit more annoying. I took of my jacket and hung it over the back of my neck. It was getting pretty hot here. The concrete was hot enough to cook an egg in. We went to the APD (Apotian Dock Center) and reached Koibito's boat. "Well, here's the Kaosu!" Now, I though the Kaosu was going to be an old, beat-up boat. But, her boat was practically new! It was glistening in the sun, recently waxed, and had tri-engine MKII rudders! For once, I was enthusiastic about getting on a boat! What seemed to be a hard trip to Kokodo was actually going to be enjoyable. "But there's one problem, mate. The seas are kinda rough these days..." said Koibito.