So, here we are, victoriarogue with a special surprise for you reader. Yes, I'm making another fiction that I thought would be interesting to do. You would think I'd stop finding new ideas and stick to some of my original stories, but I couldn't help with this one this time. All the other times I could help, but it didn't work out for me this time.
I'm going to try my luck with the Sonic the Hedgehog series again and produce this new work. This is my first yaoi project that I somehow couldn't resist trying. I never wrote a yaoi or a full lemon before, so, if anything sounds weird here, uh... yeah, stop reading. I'm sure there's no reason to put a disclaimer anywhere because if I owned anything I would be taking bubble baths with chocolate bars on the side and rose petals on my feet. Unfortunately, I did NOT come up with any cool sci-fi movies YET. Try not to puke at my crappy interpretation of a really good Bruce Willis film and another good sci-fi movie that I won't mention for obvious reasons; I tried my very best.
It was a warm, humid summer in the tropics of Maysis Isle of the year 1920. Mosquitoes were actively swarming around bushes that attracted them with smells of a saline nectar. Exotic trees and plants were growing obnoxiously this year. The sun could hardly shine its light on the moss floor. Stones with little lizards resting on them were happy to receive some of the strong morning star's gleams, and the lizards were equally happy to be warmed to the waking hour. Children would normally find it in themselves to test a lizard's body temperature with ice cold water. The lizards can see in their smiling faces the curiosity spurring from the American myths told by the Americans who entered their world. They cannot speak their disapproval of having cold water poured onto them, but they can certainly hear the children questioning the skills of American lizard catchers. Barbarians is what the lizard thinks of American lizard catchers.
Flies were zipping by through the tall grass either finding rotting mutton lying about or becoming morning breakfast for a jumping spider. The sun was high and burning whatever its rays could possibly touch. It was so hot the turtles swimming in a canal nearby would not sit on a protruding stone to warm its blood. At least the lizards hid in the shade this time to escape lizard catchers, the turtles would say amongst themselves. Turtles could not escape the feeling of becoming soup. They would either boil in a pot or boil in the canal. All the creatures of this tropical forest hushed as they heard laughter and footsteps gradually become louder as the noises grew closer. They could feel the ground vibrate excitedly like the few children coming to visit the "unfortunate one" as the turtles, lizards, and other children liked to call her.
Some camels moaned as they turned their long necks towards the visiting children. Too early to play games now, the camels complained as they shook their heads to swat away the pesky flies. The two children were quite different from each other: one girl was a bit taller and had very pretty pink hair tusseled about and blue eyes; the other was a yellow mongoose with purple hair and green eyes. The girls giggled as they came closer to the temple where the American explorers and their friend were working on discovering the ancient artifacts hidden in the temple's ruins. The pink-haired tyke took the mongoose's hand and ran up the old steps until they came to the entryway where an old explorer was still brushing out the dust that gathered in the fabled writings of Maysis Isle. They hardly cared for him, but they did admire the younger assistant who just so happened to be an artist as well. He was also a tad bit cuter.
The pink-haired girl found another girl sleeping next to a large purple cat and frog. The girl crept as close as she could to a small wall and called, "Tikal! Tikal!"
Tikal was a pink-furred animal like the golden-furred mongoose. She, however, was an echidna and young daughter of the Master Emerald guardian. By birth, she was the next to guard the ancient gem of power, but for now she was supposed to provide assistance to the American explorers rather than sleeping. Tikal began to slip along the borders of her gold mirror. The sun's light was slowly fading as Tikal slipped more, and the lack of light soon angered the seasoned explorer.
He sighed in aggravation, turned to the small girl, and shouted, "Tikal, LIGHT!"
The young artist sighed in aggravation also, but he instead mumbled in whispers, "Tikal, light." He then proceeded to mark down the twenty-eighth time his senior had to call the poor child. It was bad enough she had to stay with them through the wee hours; now, she had to provide light sources for them just to learn the ancient scribbling and artwork of her people. He whispered again, "Tikal, light."
The old explorer commented once he saw Tikal shoot up in fear and wakefulness, "Good." He turned back to the ancient carvings on the walls and narrowed his gaze at the writings. He found where he left off and continued his translating once more that day. He said, "We begin again. When the three planets are in eclipse, a black hole like a door is open and evil comes spreading terror and chaos. See the snake, Christopher? It is the ultimate evil. Make sure you get the snake."
Christopher sighed then said, "Yes, I got your snakes. I got all your snakes. So, when is this snake act supposed to occur?"
"Oh, well," the old man started, raising his hand to pick out numbers based on the pictures. He continued, "If this is the five and this is the one..." He closed his eyes and counted in his head then resulted, "Every 5,000 years."
Christopher looked at the man's back incredulously then nodded before saying, "So I've...got some time then."
Without further words, the old man continued to translate the ancient writings. The little girl and the mongoose were hardly interested in the men's research, but they were concerned for Tikal. She was falling asleep again. Unbeknownst to the girls, however, a cloaked presence was watching them. He crept close behind them, listening to the American explorers as well.
He was supposed to help protect the temple's secrets just as he promised to Tikal's father, guardian of the divine and ancient power, but he only knew yesterday that the Americans have discovered the path to the oasis and soon the temple. Now, he had to stop them from telling the public the secrets to their safety. Not even the church the cloaked presence served could know of this temple; otherwise, his own faith would be questioned and he may be exiled from the church. All the people he knew, loved, and respected would turn against him. This adventure had to stop.
With silent steps, the presence grabbed the pink-haired girl's shoulder and turned her sharply in a desperate grip. She gasped in fright just as the mongoose did before seeing the familiar, scaly face of the river clergyman and calming down. The clergyman said, "Retrieve some water, good girls. I will take it to them. Go with God, be safe from evil."
The girls scuttled off quickly to retrieve water and left the man there. He watched them go for a second before turning to the explorers once again.
"You see, here these different peoples, or symbols of people, are gathering together. Then, these seven elements, power sources, or what have you arrive: love, generosity, ambition, humility, chastity, kindness, mercifulness surround an eighth one... an eighth... element..."
The clergyman has heard enough now. These men that threaten to ruin his life and the lives of the planet know far too much. Should this information go public, all is lost! Opening his cloak, the clergyman takes out a vile filled with poison and then a canteen of water. He looks into the vile and feels his heart grow heavy with the burden of knowing he will spill the blood of another for the sake of mankind. A deed most worthy yet most cruel.
He whispers to himself, "Forgive me Lord, but they have already told too much."
He pours the poison into the water canteen and loudly drops the vile to alert the explorers. The men turn to the noise and watch the clergyman remove the hood of his cloak from his hairless, bright green head. The clergymen smiles brightly as he enters the main hall and entrance to the deity's chamber and bows in respect to the gentlemen. Unfortunately, he knows them both and only makes his feelings of guilt worse.
"Ah, Father Vector!" Christopher says, nearly jumping out of his chair and putting away his art materials. Vector was always doing something more interesting than translating snakes. "Yes, how are you today?" Christopher responded, shaking his hand firmly. The boy grew to have a stronger grip.
"Well, Chris, well. Do you have some glasses?" Vector asked, looking into Christopher's curious eyes. No, he did not deserve to die at his age. This older fellow was probably well on his way to death long before he decided to poison him and keep the secret hidden. Yes, this old man would die one way or another.
"Of course," the young man answered.
"Father, I am so glad to see you. It is the most extraordinary thing! This is most amazing finding! I mean, look at thi - "
"Yes, you must be parched," Vector said with a small smile. This was bound to be it. Though it saddened him to have to wipe the excited smile off the elder man's face, he simply could not have the eighth element as a public attraction like some statue in a museum.
"Huh?" the seasoned explorer questioned, hearing water being poured into three cups.
He looked down and saw the generous priest pour water into equal shares. Once he completed his small offering, the man chuckled a bit, brought the cup to his lips, and then lowered it again to read the wall's writings again. Vector had never wanted to punch another human so badly. Of course, in his younger years, the crocodile was quite pugnacious; however, he gave his life to a higher being and has since become a pacifist.
The man remarked, "It is like a battle plan. The good and the evil, and here..." the man dragged his fingers along the path of a carved in ray of light and continued, "a weapon against evil. I am going to be famous!"
"Then, let us..." Vector said, plotting in that instant. "Let us toast to your fame."
"Ah, yes, to fame," the elder agreed, touching his cup against the others and lifting it to his eye level. "Salute!" Vector watched as the man drunk maybe a teaspoon of the poisoned water and then looked at it in question. The elder looked into the cup, chuckled, and then poured the water out while saying, "You can't drink a toast with water! Christopher, get the white wine out of my satchel."
"Yes," Christopher agreed, pointing at his elder with a knowing glance. It was about to be an exciting afternoon in another hour or so after three cups of the old man's wine. He always had such fine tastes in wines.
Christopher left Vector alone with the old man and went to retrieve some wine from the man's satchel. Vector growled beneath his chest, failing to do what he planned but relieved that he hadn't slain another.
"Yes, I don't understand but this," the seasoned elder pointed. "Maybe I could do something here or maybe here."
The pink-haired girl and mongoose were returning from the nearby well after obtaining a full bag of water and some fresh fruit. The few children that were around to help the American explorers were yelping in their native language with glee at the sight of food. This woke little Tikal and made her hungry also. Vector turned to hear the tiny footsteps rising up the stairs. That was until he heard humming in the distance, an all-too-familiar humming. The camels could hear the humming from above and looked up to see a large spacecraft embarking near the temple - near them. They shuffled to their feet and began trampling to get one of the children to release them. It was the largest object anyone had ever seen! Shadows were blanketing the temple and blocking the morning sun from the village children helping the explorers.
Vector soon turned his attention from the American man to the shadows befalling the temple. His mouth slowly opened, not knowing that the "saviour" from another land was coming, as he walked toward the entrance of the temple. The children watched the ship land in silence as did Christopher. No one moved.
"They're here," Vector whispered to himself.
"This man... this perfect being. This is the key - I know it," the old explorer said, looking at the ancient wall again with a magnifying glass.
Christopher was godsmacked at seeing the light grid of the spacecraft completely fill the entrance to the temple. His mouth was practically dropping to the floor as he stared at the craft in awe. It was anachronistic! A vehicle built before anyone's time!
"This divine light that they talk about, what is divine light?" the professor questions, noticing the fading light once again. He sighs then drops his head before shouting, "Tikal, light!" Lights from the spacecraft's bottom beam into the temple's halls casting greater light than the gold mirror. The professor is impressed by this and says, "Much better. Thank you, Tikal."
Tikal looks down at her gold mirror in shock from the bright light pouring in through the temple. Christopher shook with fear then ran to his art supplies that were left near the entrance. The bottom of the ship opened with smoke pouring out from below and from the sides. Several figures in black armor lumbered out to the stairs one by one. He huddled into a corner, hoping these "monsters" would not see him. He rushed as he drew their profiles in complete fear and awe. Tikal heard the stomping from the front and turned her head to see the monsters walking towards Father Vector, who she had not seen come in since she woke up. Her mouth was open in fear and gaping like an oxygen-deprived fish as she sunk behind her gold mirror and quivered. The yellow mongoose came through a secret passageway out of the temple and called Tikal. The pink echidna turned her, saw the escape route, and nodded. She began to cleverly set the mirror up and sneak her way out.
Vector walked toward the ship's entrance, gaping at the light pouring in through the temple's halls. He whispered quite gently, "My lord..."
"Father, this is the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen! Don't you think?" the seasoned man commented, turning in glee before he was suddenly in the face of one of the monsters. He stood still with fear before asking, "A-are you German?" He watched the monster shake its head then turn to the last monster.
On his knees, Vector was before the leader of the pack saying, "Lord, I know he was about to discover everything, but there is no worry. I was there in time."
The smaller, slender monster stood before Vector and nodded. It took a moment before speaking to their Mobian contact. It said, "Priest. You and those before you have served us well, but war is coming. Emeralds not safe on Mobius anymore."
Vector lowered his head in disappointment: disappointment in himself and disappointment in the echidnas. It was the echidnas' responsibility to guard this temple. They were the ones who worshipped the "eighth element," not him. However, it was his alien lord that entrusted him to ensure the safety of the echidnas' sacred weapon of the universe. If anyone knew about the "eighth element" or its divine power, all is lost and many would seek the "eighth element" for its power - both good and evil. As the leader in black armor walked toward the wall and deciphered the divine language, the seasoned elder looked over one of the other monsters shoulder and watched the leader produce a four-winged key with a thin stem from its finger. The leader inserted the key inside a small crevice and waited as the walls opened. Tikal was already escaping the temple in fear. Christopher tried to call out to her but was also afraid of the monsters attempting to kill them all. Father Vector seemed to know them, but they were terrifying.
The elder also watched the walls open and commented, "This is really amazing..."
The leader turned to another monster and nodded to eliminate their new liability. The other armored member walked behind the professor and inflicted mental damage so great that it killed the professor in an instant. The only thing the armored aliens witnessed of the man was that he lay on a wooden board dead silent. They continued on into the temple with Vector slipping in behind them, having never been this far into the temple of the ancient echidnas. The scaly clergyman watched as the armored aliens walked around an erect sarcophagus and remained silent as they worked.
He then whispered to himself, "The eighth element."
The second-in-command to the leader also gazed at the statue and thought to himself what the priest said aloud. He then remembered the mission and turned to the others, ordering them to, "Take the stones."
Each alien pulled out a dormant, web-covered diamond from its pedestal and brought it to an even older-looking case where the powerless stones will rest on their new journey. Once the second-in-command securely closed and locked the stones in the case, he assigned two others to levitate the sarcophagus out of the temple and into the ship. Christopher had finally decided to take action against someone after not hearing or seeing the professor flee from the monsters after Tikal ran from her spot safely. He revealed a small machine gun from his father's collection of army guns and shifted his art supplies around to stand up. Moments later, the sarcophagus was floating on its side next to one of the monsters and boarding the ship quietly. The leader was pleased once the temple was empty, but Vector grew even more afraid after hearing the professor's discoveries.
Vector said, "My lord, if you take the weapon, we will be defenseless once the Black Thanatos returns."
"In 300 years, when the Black Thanatos returns, so shall we," the leader replied.
Christopher found enough courage in his heart to point his gun to nothing but an empty entryway into the spacecraft, which he was not boarding. He then turned after finding nothing to shoot and ran to the professor once he saw his foot lying lifeless on the temple floors.
"Oh, professor," he whispered, feeling his heart stop. He kneeled next to the old man and shook him violently, screaming, "Grandpa!"
Vector turned to Christopher, along with the alien leader, and was hurt to see Christopher weeping for the loss of his vibrant grandparent. Christopher then turned to Father Vector and immediately stumbled back up, gun in quaking hands, and prepared to defend his dead grandfather who one of these monsters had the guts to kill.
"H-hey! Don't move!" Christopher threatened weakly. He saw Vector protecting him and waved his hand for the priest to move. He could never hurt Vector. He threatened again, "I... I have a gun!"
"Chris. Please understand..." Vector tried, hoping he could reach the boy. He didn't deserve to die like his grandfather too, no matter how unbelievable the situation might seem. "They are our friends."
"Friends? Father, they killed the professor. They're monsters," Christopher argued, holding the gun firm in his hands even though they were shaking tremendously. At any moment, another monster could come out, but if the leader was gone - vengeance was his.
"I expected everything," Vector said, walking towards Christopher.
"You're with them?" Christopher questioned incredulously.
"Chris, look at me. I am afraid," Vector tried, placing a gentle claw on his chest.
Christopher looked into Vector's eyes, confused and more afraid. He didn't know whether he should shoot the alien and the priest or salvage one for the other. He shook his head a little then whimpered, "No, father."
"Chris, look at me!" Vector roared, desperate and pleadingly. "Please, put the gun down."
"No," Christopher responded, tripping over his bag and pressing the trigger accidently.
"Chris, no!" Vector called.
The ricochetting bullets hit the leader in his face and hit one of the ancient walls, causing the walls to close in defense. Vector turned back around, now afraid for Christopher and the leader. He saw the walls close and realized that the leader would never be able to make it out of the thick defenses with that heavy armor unless he removed some of it or ran through. Realizing, there was no time to worry about his life, the leader slowly walks to Vector and decides to give him a far more important responsibility.
"Hurry, the wall is closing!" Vector suggests, shaking his hands to beckon the smaller leader to escape faster.
"Here is your mission now, priest," the leader says, removing his helmet and revealing a young face. "Pass on your knowledge as it was passed on to you."
"I-I-I will do as you command, but please hurry! You still have time!" Vector said, seeing that the leader was practically a child and Vector couldn't watch a child die.
"Time is not important. Only life is important," the little boy said, reaching out his four-winged key to Vector.
Vector cringed as the walls crushed his leader with only the tips of his armored fingers wedged in and handing the priest the key. He released a small cry, wondering why he couldn't pull the boy out but understanding the child's words. He took the leader's key and ran out to the temple's entrance only to see the ship leaving.
"I will fulfill my mission! You can count on me!" Vector reassured, holding the key in his hand tightly. "I will pass on the knowledge until you return!"
