DARKNESS AND LIGHT

FOREWORD: Hey everybody, this is the author here, just to say a few words: thank you for reading my stories thus far; it is nice to know some people who read my works are patriotic, so to speak.

There's a few people I'd like to thank;

First, my girlfriend Shannan, for getting me where I am, helping me write this, and supporting me throughout. I love you, baby!

Secondly, SEGA, for putting these awesome games on the shelf that inspired the story. Rock on!

Last, but not least, to Shadow the Hedgehog, for being so awesome and converting me to nerdism, so to speak. Heh... yeah, w/e. Okay, but seriously, if not for him, I probably wouldn't be into Sonic the Hedgehog at all. So thanks buddy!

Anyway, for those of you who aren't familiar with the story (but you should probably be starting on Ultimate Darkness instead of reading this), here's what's happened thus far:

Shadow and Rouge were sent on a simple mission, and soon, they fell in love with each other. But, their love was hampered when Mephiles the Dark returned, and sought deadly revenge on the duo.

Alongside Mephiles was Shade, Shade the Echidna, who had all the same powers and abilities as Shadow. Shade had been manipulated by Mephiles to hate humanity, and those who were allied with them. Thus, Shade the Echidna and Shadow the Hedgehog became rivals.

Sadly, Shadow, Rouge, Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy were all forced out by Mephiles' forces, which consisted of Eggman's, the Metarex, and the remaining Black Arms' united forces. But, Tails discovered the hidden location of Mephiles' fortress, and they planned an attack.

But Mephiles had gathered most of the Chaos Emeralds, in addition to the almighty Master Emerald. He planned to use their energy to bring Iblis, the Flames of Disaster, back from another dimmension (since Iblis was dead in the dimmension Mephiles was in) and unite at last.

Shadow, Rouge, Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles all mounted an assault on Mephiles' fortress, fighting unimaginable horrors and countless obstacles. But, they finally reached Mephiles' throne room.

But before the fight could get serious, Dr. Eggman arrived in his deadliest creation yet; the Egg Titan. The traitorous doctor planned to use it to replace Mephiles as monarch of the united empires. Mephiles and Shadow's team had to cooperate to defeat the powerful mech, and the real fight continued.

After Shadow finally defeated Shade the Echidna, his victory was short-lived: Mephiles had summoned Iblis back, and reunited. Shadow quickly used the Chaos Emeralds to become Super Shadow, and the two fought in the skies above the mountains.

Finally, Mephiles was destroyed, and Shadow and Rouge went home, and enjoyed their love in peace.

Almost a year, later, however, in Love Amongst War, Shade the Echidna returned, and began hiring street muscle to help rebuild Mephiles' empire. Sonic and Amy (who are finally dating) discover Shade and some of his thugs. Shadow and Rouge are later sent to intercept them, but a new player enters the mix:

Mauve the Bat, a deadly mercenary that Shade hired. Mauve had the skill (and weapons) to fight off both Shadow and Rouge on his own, and bought time for Shade's muscle to get some supplies they needed.

Shortly after the battle, however, Shadow and Rouge meet a large, muscular Mobian-Wolf met with them. This wolf was named Kaynyx, and he had helped G.U.N. drive off some of Shade's men.

Shadow and Kaynyx spoke, and it turned out that Kaynyx knew Maria, and that the wolf had been one of Gerald's experiments. Kaynyx wasn't created by Gerald, but after the horrors of the Bio-Lizard, Gerald decided to try the augmentations on a smaller being. Thus, he made Kaynyx stronger, and the wolf was also semi-immortal, like Shadow.

Then, Kaynyx told Shadow a terrible truth; Mephiles the Dark had been the one who really convinced the human military to attack the ARK fifty years ago. Kaynyx also told Shadow that Mephiles had healed Maria, and questioned her of Shadow's whereabouts. When she didn't answer, Mephiles drove a blade through her heart, despite Kaynyx's attempts to stop him.

Thus, Kaynyx revealed the final puzzle in Shadow's past.

Having found someone (besides Rouge) whom Shadow could confide in, Shadow told Kaynyx (who he saw as a brother) that he intended to marry Rouge. Kaynyx encouraged him, of course, but it mattered little...

That very day, right as Shadow was about to propose to Rouge, Mauve the Bat returned, and kidnapped Rouge, stealing her away to Shade's hideout. Shadow quickly pursued them, and Kaynyx, Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles followed soon after him (the Master Emerald was stolen by Mauve earlier on).

Rouge had managed to escape Mauve, however, and joined Shadow shortly after he broke into the fortress. Then, they battled Shade, Mauve, and their soldiers. Then, Kaynyx, Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, and a G.U.N. force arrived and helped to destroy Shade's base, but Shade and Mauve escaped when Shade used Chaos Control.

Later, on Rouge's birthday, Shadow proposed to her with a beautiful ring. Crying, Rouge agreed, and their love was sealed.

But, evil is not vanquished... with the help of a distant relative of Eggman named Dr. Ovator, Shade has constructed a massive, flying battleship called the Aero Fortress, which was capable of wiping out the entire G.U.N. airfleet.

Then, in Return of Mephiles, the title speaks for itself; Shade heals Mephiles' remains, and the dark being arises anew. Dr. Ovator has been working on deadly recreations of the Gizoids called Havocs, which will make Mephiles' conquest easier.

Shadow and Rouge, meanwhile, had just gotten married. During their honeymoon, Kaynyx arrived and gave Shadow a long, golden-bladed dagger with a jeweled hilt, said to be an ancient artifact.

But while the newlyweds were on their honeymoon, G.U.N. Headquarters was attacked. Shadow and Rouge rushed to the rescue, and were horrified to see Mephiles leading the attack. Despite their efforts, G.U.N. Headquarters suffered heavy casualties, and Mauve the Bat extracted data from G.U.N. that was vital to Mephiles' next plan to reunite with Iblis.

Later, Kaynyx, Sonic, Knuckles, and the Chaotix were sent on an investigation to find the Aero Fortress. Oddly, however, Shadow joined them from out of nowhere. It seemed too convenient, considering the injuries Shadow had sustained after their latest battle, but they continued on anyway.

Suddenly, the caught a glimpse of the Aero Fortress, and recorded its coordinates. They were about to head back, when they encountered somebody...

Tikal the Echidna, who was wounded.

It was then that Kaynyx discovered that "Shadow" was really an android assasin that Mephiles had sent, and he destroyed the machine, and took Tikal to safety.

After everyone had recovered, Knuckles and Tikal spent some time together, and began a loving relationship, as their hearts had grown fonder of each other with Tikal's absence.

Meanwhile, the Commander reveals Mephiles' true nature to Shadow and Rouge: Mephiles is the essence of Satan himself, left behind on Earth after Satan's descent to hell.

Thus motivated and convinced of Mephiles' evil, Shadow, Rouge, E-123 Omega, Kaynyx, Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles launch an infiltration-attack on the Aero Fortress.

During the course of the battle, Shadow, Rouge, and Omega are attacked by Shade the Echidna, Mauve the Bat, and one of the Havoc robots Dr. Ovator built. Finally, however, the group reunites after they each complete their tasks, and Mauve, the Havoc, and Mephiles' other guards are defeated, and the Aero Fortress has become a ticking time-bomb.

Strangely, however, Shade stood down, and allowed Shadow and everyone else to escape; Shade the Echidna had found himself caught between his personal loyalty, and his duty to Mephiles recently. Shade knew that if he held Shadow and the others, he would've doomed them to a dishonorable death. So, he let them go...

But Shadow and his team were still intercepted by Mephiles and all of the remaining Havoc mechs.

The battle was long, and arduous, and Mephiles was nearly invincible with rage. He would've won, had Kaynyx not sacrificed his life to give Shadow and the others the chance they needed to escape.

After the Aero Fortress's destruction, Shade and Dr. Ovator picked up two wounded survivors; Mauve the Bat, and Mephiles the Dark. They retreated to their final base, but Mephiles was only setback a little; his plans for reuniting with Iblis had only been delayed.

Shadow and Rouge learned shortly afterwards that Dr. Eggman had returned with a mighty armada, and that he had re-declared war on G.U.N. in what was to be the biggest war between them of all time.

But alas, love and friendship live on; Sonic proposed a wedding to Amy Rose, who was all too happy to accept.

Now, the story will come to a close; with DARKNESS AND LIGHT! WHOO!

Prologue: The Ancient People

Long ago, only a few thousand years since any life had walked upon the earth, there walked another race, that, ironically to their time period, was much more advanced than humanity is in the current day. There were apparently three civilizations before them, but little to no records of those are mentioned. Nobody even knows the Fourth Great Civilization's origin, their name, or even their races, for there was little interest in them save for the relics they left behind...

Including the Chaos Emeralds, the Master Emerald, and the Gizoids, and some scattered ruins around ancient islands... but does anybody know who, or what they were? Not until recently, a little over two years ago, when the Nocturnus arrived, bringing legions of Echidna assassins called Marauders. These were the remnants of the Fourth Great Civilization, which led hundreds of the omnipotent Gizoids to war and conquest. This civilization was led by their emperor, Ix, and they were unstoppable. They defeated their rivals, the Pachacmac clan, and the echidnas flourished. But, then they were sealed into the Twilight Cage for their crimes of greed and conquest, along with their surviving rivals, who were the Zoah, the Nrrgahl, and the Voxai. Knuckles the Echidna, the last descendent of the Pachacmac clan and the last echidna, was charged with guarding the Master Emerald on Earth, a relic that had existed before even Lord Ix's reign.

But... how were the Chaos Emeralds created? Who created the steps for the Fourth Great Civilization?

This is the story of the Civilization that preceded the Fourth Great Civilization. They, who both created the path for their descendents, and set the path for their destruction with the first Gizoid. The story of the Third Great Civilization. This civilization might have prospered, and Ix's violence avoided... had not darkness shrouded the light, so to speak.

*10,000 Years ago, Angel Island*

Sacreidar (sA-cray-DAR) looked down from a hill upon his village, and it was thriving with prosperity and business, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked upon it.

Every building was made of special, sturdy stone almost as unbreakable and unyielding as steel. Dozens of cheerful people scuttled about their day, laughing and patting their friends on the backs. And every now and then, Sacreidar could see a priest and a group of friars transporting a small cart of the blessed, if numerous, Chaos Emeralds to the nearest church to their almighty god and giver of power and prosperity, Chaos. There, the Emeralds were distributed fairly and evenly to those who needed them to power their homes.

Sacreidar was flanked by two guards in golden armor, and imbedded in their plate-chests were smaller Chaos Gems, which provided their armor with a light energy-shielding of sorts, and it also enhanced their mobility and strength, making them deadly warriors. The early warrior race of Zoahs had helped manufacture this armor. These were his royal guard; every village leader of their civilization was entitled to four each, even though leader assassinations were down to a great minimum (the minimum-required number of royal guards had dropped since). Every village had a militia as well, but the members only had some very basic combat tests to take, and then prove their loyalty and thanks to Chaos by being sent out on a short quest that somehow tested their bravery and intuition (so as to be able to tell if Chaos was pleased or angered with them). But those militias had dwindled down to merely four or five dozen a village.

Every village in this civilization consisted of many beings; the Zoah, the early Voxai (who were developing mental powers that already astounded many), and even the Nrrgahl, although they kept to themselves. The Zoah had a more plentiful military than most, because whenever violence was wrought, they were usually the target. They often blamed the Nrrgahl for their numerous plights, and had just enough evidence to convict them of a few of them. But even they leaved on mostly-peaceful terms with others, and they had achieved perfection as far as economics and prosperity.

Still, the lack of soldiers and militias worried Sacreidar, but he didn't know why. The demons that had appeared almost one hundred years ago had proved to them and the whole civilization that a means of defense was necessary... but now it seemed they were forgetting it all over again. Everybody believed Chaos guarded them, but he was a rather unpredictable god; sometimes he would destroy islands for no other reason than to please himself. But Chaos had blessed them with the power of his essence; hence their powerful weapons and energy sources. And Chaos had also created the Chao; a small, innocent race that assisted Sacreidar's people, and served as loyal, loveable companions.

It was hard to believe that the god of destruction could create something so cute and innocent.

There were others gods they knew of and worshipped as well, such as Solaris the Sun God, who was said to be Chaos's brother. But the gifts and technology Chaos had blessed them with had turned them from a primitive, ignorant race into the planet's dominant, highly-intelligent, peaceful race. They thanked Solaris for the sun and sustaining life, but they thanked Chaos for everything else.

Breaking away from his thoughts, Sacreidar sighed. He turned to his guards, and said; "Go ahead and head back to my estate... I'll be there shortly."

The guards nodded obediently, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.

Sacreidar cast another look upon his village, and sank into deep thought again.

"They're all so happy... such harmony is upon us, and we have never prospered more..." he whispered to himself. "Then why do I feel such wrath upon us?"

Finally, the village leader turned to return to his home.

*Meanwhile, halfway across the village*

There stood a hedgehog with a white tint to his fur. He watched as others of his kind, along with citizens who were slightly-humanoid, and the majority of echidnas go about their business. This hedgehog was named Scyth, and while he had a dark, moody nature, he was revered above all others. For when the demons had descended upon the world, almost a hundred years ago, Scyth had been there, merely in his teenager years, and had proved that he had been gifted by Chaos when he fired Chaos Energy out of his hands and drove back the dark creatures. And using a dagger that Scyth himself had forged, he had summoned Chaos Energy through the hilt, and the golden blade had suddenly shimmered in power, and a blade of bright red and amber flame burst out, and then solidified into a blade made entirely of Chaos Energy, which Scyth used to cut through the demons like a hot knife through butter. But unused and with no provoked Chaos Energy searing through it, the dagger simply looked like an elegant relic with its jeweled, silver hilt in its elegant, expensive leather sheath, made almost entirely out of carved Emeralds.

Scyth glanced around him, nodding at a female fox who waved kindly at him. Scyth absentmindedly scratched the patch of white fur on his chest, which he noticed many females staring at for long periods of time.

Then, Scyth noticed Sacreidar walking with a somber expression back towards his elegant house. Scyth approached him, and Sacreidar only noticed the elderly hero when he was almost two feet away from him. Smiling, Scyth saluted the village leader, for someone of his status was considered above bowing to anybody, save Chaos and the other gods, but he still showed respect to the village leader.

"Ah Scyth, my friend..." Sacreidar said formally. "Come and speak with me, if you will; something troubles my mind..."

"Certainly, sir" Scyth said respectfully, and they walked onward.

Sacreidar looked around at the village, his hands still clasped behind his back. He glanced at the multiple different races that made up the whole civilization, those his, (the somewhat humanoid one), made up the majority, and was considered closest to Chaos as they were the first to learn how to harness Chaos Energy...

Well, Scyth was a different story, obviously, but still...

"My friend, I think we're taking security too lightly" Sacreidar said to Scyth. "Barely four guards now watch my flank, and while the militia is being given hardening, adequate training, their numbers would barely be enough to fight off a pack of bandits! What if another attack were to happen, such as the demons you fought off so long ago? We'd barely hold out ten seconds... and yes, Chaos Gems are being imbedded into our spears, lances, swords and arrows, which was a powerful weapon against them, but still; their numbers would wash over us like an evil flood!"

Scyth was silent as he contemplated this, and sighed lightly. "Yes, my friend... but I doubt such an event will destroy us" he said. "Last time, we didn't have any soldiers, and almost as few even knew of combat! And even if something does happen, I will still be able to fight... don't ask me to explain, but I feel as young in body as I did those nearly a century ago... though my mind tires a little more quickly, if you take my meaning."

"Yes, my friend, I myself am no spring chicken either" Sacreidar said to him. "However, I do not want to make us self-reliant on you and a few dozen others... I think we should have another guardian of great power as well... perhaps one for every village?"

Scyth was silent, and slowly nodded. "That would be sufficient..." he said slowly, "But as far as I know, there are no others born with the power of Chaos running hot in their veins-"

"Ah, but we can create armor that enhances the body, can we not?" Sacreidar said, now smiling as the idea hatched in his head. "If we could merely create the inside of an artificial intelligence with the purest source of Chaos Energy, we might have an artificial version of you, my friend!"

Scyth was now smiling too, but it quickly vanished. The idea was almost unimaginable; creating an artificial life form that thrived purely on Chaos Energy to serve as multiple guardians for the whole civilization to head the militias alongside him? Preposterous... yet if they pulled it off, it would be much more than worth it.

"Very well, sir, I think your idea glows with merit" Scyth said with a nod. "But it will be difficult... light, heat, cold, air, and even time we can harness with the Emeralds and Gems. We can plow dirt, sustain our crops, strengthen our soldiers, our weapons as well, we can create flying houses of stone... but life, sir? Can we create life with the god of destruction's blessings?"

Sacreidar fell silent too, and sighed. His smile was gone now, replaced with a tired, sad frown. Then he slowly faced Scyth, and said; "I do not know, my friend... the trade off would be worth it, and the power might be as tamable as the Gem that lighted my room at night when I feared the dark. But if it were to go out of control... I pray to Chaos that he will spare me from witnessing his wrath."

And Sacreidar wouldn't live to bear witness... nobody in the ancient civilization would. The time for when this weapon of protection became uncontrollable would not be witnessed for another few thousand years.

*500 years later...*

By this time, Scyth still lived fit, able and strong, though his mind was now beginning to feel the weariness Sacreidar had felt in his final ten or so years of life. Scyth wasn't senile, but he rested and napped though his body never ached.

Sacreidar had, ever since he had spoken to Scyth about it, taken the head of research for this "Ultimate Weapon of Protection", that would be used to bring hope to all beings even in the darkest of times. Day and night in their village, the priests and monks had prayed to Chaos for an early/extra blessing of Emeralds and Gems to study, and two nights later, the gentle, slowly-falling indigo star descended upon the same holy site they always did (which would later become the pedestal for the Master Emerald). Now having three dozen extra Emeralds and almost and hundred Gems to study, the priests, Sacreidar, Scyth, and others who were knowledgeable of Chaos Energy set to work. Years and years they labored, and for those who died, another took his or her place, equally as knowledgeable as their predecessor. Many Emeralds and Gems that had been damaged or carved to the point where they were useless had to be replaced. At first this was a concern as the village began to run low, but after many prayers, Chaos blessed them with a giant, green Emerald known simply as the Master Emerald which they placed upon the Chaos Emerald Holy Site, and used it to power the entire village.

Finally, after another sixty years of study, and all but eight Emeralds and forty Gems now expended by study, Sacreidar had died of old age. And only now, centuries later, had they learned how to build metal "wires" and "circuits" to help harness the Chaos Energy. The power core, the intelligence, the power generators and accelerators and the subroutines were all built entirely out of Emeralds and Gems, the only metal on the shell of this guardian being gold, copper, a little silver, and regular, almost worthless (compared to the civilization's higher values in life) sapphire for the "eyes". Finally, the mechanized being was built and ready...

It was a sight like none had even seen before...

The artificial life form looked at its creators, and nodded, slowly. Scyth smiled at it, and slowly approached the small, mechanical unit.

"Greetings, friend..." Scyth said slowly, and the being's blue eyes met Scyth's gray ones. "How are you feeling?"

"I... hello... I'm feeling alright..." the being said slowly, a metallic tone to its voice, but only lightly. The voice sounded somewhat naïve, but also strong and warm despite its cold, hard metal that made up its body, and the powerful crystals that made up its organs.

Scyth smiled. "I am Scyth the Hedgehog... your name is..." Scyth thought carefully for a moment, then; "Gizoid. Your name is Gizoid... understand?"

"Yeah... I think I do..." Gizoid said, and its voice seemed to calm and grow a little stronger as if assured. "Yeah! How are you all doing?"

Scyth chuckled, and then began to explain to the Gizoid why he was made, where he was, and what he had to do...

***

But meanwhile, far above, there sat a mighty, immortal being of unshakable power and wrath that glared down upon the people who made this... monstrosity! A mechanical unit, using his blessings?! Blasphemous, at best... creating a weapon against him, perhaps? Or...

The being slowly calmed down at this new thought; were they simply making a means to defend themselves? And if so, from what? The guardians his advisor had sent down to test their strength had been beaten back by the hedgehog... what did it matter now?

"You never did give your disciples much credit, exalted one" a voice spoke from the darkness.

The blue being's bright indigo head snapped up, and his green eyes flared in anger.

"What is it now, Mephiles?!" he demanded in a roar that shook the foundations of energy that made his throne.

"Please, please, good lord... I don't mean to intrude..." spoke the calm, silky voice of his advisor. And out of the shadows he loved so much, Mephiles the Dark in his mocking, evil shape, strode towards the god of destruction.

The dark, believed to be semi-demon creature appeared as a bipedal, somewhat humanoid creature, but his features were obscured by dark ooze that covered his body like velvet, occasionally glowing purple. Only two bright, wicked green eyes made themselves clear upon his face.

"Obviously, you do not fear what they may plot" Mephiles said somberly, and sighed. "They may seem insignificant, but because of your blessings, they have prospered..."

"As I intended, you ass!" Chaos roared at Mephiles. "They worshipped me, I helped shape the world, as the Emeralds and Gems of power I bestow them are my blessings! Never have they wished to rise against me or any of the others!"

"But you are the god of destruction, my liege" Mephiles continued. "Surely anybody, even the other gods, would have need to fear you. Certainly, you keep them in line, but out of fear comes anger, and out of anger comes rebellion..."

"What is your point?" Chaos snapped irritably, but he listened closely with interest.

"If they can harm the demons that I conjured, they can harm you, my liege, using your very essence!" Mephiles said. "And this weapon they have created just might be what they need to do so, with their little hero, Scyth! They have already learned much of harnessing your powers for battle... you must crush them before they create more of these 'Gizoids'!"

Chaos considered this carefully... if he destroyed the people... if he wiped out the civilization... then all his problems would be over. He could create another one, less free-minded and rebellious... a shame, really, but he wasn't about to be beaten by a bunch of mortals...

"Very well, Mephiles... bring me my sword!" Chaos commanded.

Mephiles bowed lowly, and later returned with a short but exquisite sword...

The hilt was golden, with delicate bits of jet carved in as well. The very first, more powerful red Chaos Emeralds that Chaos had ever forged were embedded into the hilt. And the first gems he'd created, ones that nobody had ever lain eyes on but he and Mephiles, ran up in a straight line along the blade.

This weapon had many names; the Havoc Blade, Serenity's Bane...

But all who fell at its power had come to fear (in whatever afterlife they now knew) the Sword of Chaos.

Mephiles held the weapon upon his hands, admiring its work... feeling its power course through him even as he held it...

"Mephiles? My sword?" Chaos asked impatiently.

"Yes... my liege" Mephiles replied, bowing and reluctantly extending the hilt to the god who made it. "My well-wishes go with you on your mission."

"I doubt I'll need them" Chaos snorted, and using a burst of time-bending energy from the sword, opened a portal to the mortal realm. "I shall be back soon, Mephiles." And the god vanished through the portal.

Mephiles chuckled to himself. "No, my liege..." he whispered mockingly. "You won't be back! I have sent you into the realm of the mortals, the only plain of existence in which you can be defeated on! Should the Gizoid fail, Scyth can finish the job of destroying you, and likely kill one of them in the process! One day, that blade shall be mine... one day, I shall become the new Solaris, and the new god of destruction! My power grows, and I feel Iblis is near... one day, I shall reunite with him, and all of time shall shatter at my hands!"

*Back in the village with Scyth and the Gizoid, two days after creation*

Scyth and his new companion now walked the village together, receiving many cheers all around. The militia surrounded them as well, each one of them grinning; here was an army to be reckoned with, and it only consisted of 52 men. And as soon as the parade was finished, the Gizoid would be replicated in the same delicate fashion, only at a much faster pace now that they knew what it required, to be evenly distributed in single units to all the villages around the world. The Gizoids were being planned, and their bodies built. It would take months, but they would be rebuilt.

But then, little to anyone's knowledge, a semi-apocalypse was about to occur...

The skies suddenly darkened, and the very air itself throbbed violently with energy, and cracks suddenly ran down the stone buildings and the ground, causing a panic throughout the village. Reflexively, Scyth drew his dagger, but didn't summon energy to it yet to form it into the legendary sword (known as Dark Burner). The Gizoid suddenly glowed with energy as well, and stood back-to-back with the legendary hero.

And then, a great, blue light shined high in the sky, and the entire village was held in awe...

They couldn't pierce the divine light that surrounded him, but they could all suddenly feel the wrath of the god Chaos upon them.

The priests all bowed low, followed by the monks and commoners, and even Scyth knelt to his knee (the Gizoid following his example).

"MORTAL FOOLS!!!" Chaos boomed throughout the world so that all heard him, but none were deafened. "YOUR ARROGANCE ENDS THIS DAY!!! PUNY INHABITANTS, WHY I BLESSED SUCH UNLOYAL HERETICS, I'LL NEVER KNOW!! BUT YOU DIE THIS DAY!!! YOUR WHOLE WORLD DIES!!!!"

Suddenly, everybody began to scream in panic, and the priests and some of the monks stood in a horrified stupor, feeling that they had failed in all things by angering their most blessed god like this. Some other monks, though, had doubted even worshipping a god of destruction, and cursed loudly, sweating and not sure what to do.

Scyth, on the other hand, did.

"Unhappy being!!" he shouted at the blue light. "This is how you would repay their worship, their toil in your honor, and all the thanks they give you for life?! And you call yourself divine, you bastard!!!!"

Though many gasped at this supposed heresy, they couldn't help but feel Scyth had a point... and a few even glared up at Chaos.

"SILENCE!!!" Chaos bellowed. "COWER IN FEAR AS I PONDER HOW BEST TO SMITE YOU ALL!!!"

Everybody, even the priests, now looked at Scyth in questioning and fear, now clueless as to what to do. Scyth sighed, and then walked back to them.

"What can I do?!" he hissed at them. "Even if I was sure I could harm him with my dagger, its not like I can fly! And as soon as he batted me aside, I'd be done for!"

"Not necessarily..." a priest said quietly, and approached the dull-white hedgehog. "Scyth, hero of all people, there is yet hope! Take these Emeralds... absorb their power into you, and use it to fight off Chaos! Save us from the doom of one who has betrayed our faith!"

Scyth now took a green, red, blue, light-blue, purple, yellow, and white Chaos Emerald from the priest, and their energy made them float around him. The Gizoid, on the other hand, was already activating his own powers and energy and suddenly glowed with a golden aura. Then, the Emeralds all zapped their energy into Scyth, and his very fur glowed a bright golden color, and the dagger he held burst forth in flame as had not been seen in nearly 600 years. Then, the two flew off with incredible power to fight off Chaos...

The battle was not easy; the Sword of Chaos and Dark Burner clashed violently, and even with the Gizoid's pure Chaos-Energy body, and Scyth's body induced with Chaos Energy, and the Emeralds that increased his stamina, damage, and other capabilities, the battle against a god was none too easy.

Finally, Scyth stabbed Dark Burner into Chaos's head, and the immortal being cried out a cry that split the continents into smaller ones, spreading little islands out. Then Scyth's golden energy drained, and he fell from the sky, dead of exhaustion, and plunged into the ocean.

The Gizoid, meanwhile, knew that Chaos was not finished, but managed to send a burst of energy that sealed Chaos back into the heavens.

But the Sword the god had created fell to the ground... where it stabbed itself deep into what was once a militia soldier, dead by a collapsing stone house.

Many of the human-like beings had been killed in this village, and many others from all over the world came to study the site where the battle had occurred...

All of the hedgehogs, a few echidnas, and other creatures had been, when Scyth died, blasted away in a space-time energy surge that had torn a fabric in time. Nobody knew where they were, if they were alive, or even if their souls were intact.

The people that were left, however (most of them were echidnas) used stones from the few dozen shattered houses to build a guardian temple around the Sword of Chaos, and created countless puzzles, traps, hidden walls, and prayers to the other gods to keep it sealed from other evil hands. Then, all the people that were left came here in council, trying to decide what to do. But, at least with their combined militias making over 2,900 soldiers along with the Gizoid, and the weapon which their god had tried to use against them sealed away, they felt safe.

But then, one day, a day that nobody has been able to hypothesize, occurred.

Mephiles the Dark descended from the heavens several days later, all his plans going accordingly. One day, as the Gizoid patrolled the expanded village where all the survivors of the Fourth Great Civilization resided, he approached the mech, holding a jet-black Chaos Emerald. One he had created himself, having stolen a jet Gem from Chaos's throne.

Mephiles stuck the Emerald into the Gizoid, and it had lost control, the power overflowing and destabilizing its systems. And this instability would cost others again in the future...

Hence, the Gizoid went on a mindless rampage, destroying all in sight. The militia, in desperation, gathered and attacked, but the Gizoid issued explosive energy and projectiles, killing them all.

And then, realizing they were doomed, seven priests each took one of the seven Chaos Emeralds Scyth had used, and fled across the world, hiding them safely from evil doers... or so they prayed to whoever might be listening at that point.

When they returned, the entire civilization had been wiped out, and two of the priests had died from exhaustion. The Gizoid had, however, become damaged and lost in the sea, unknown to anyone.

The priests, in their final days, prayed nonstop for the gods to bless the world with life, to let it thrive, and to give them peace as they died.

And, in their last day, they saw two clans of echidnas being created by the gods; one clan called the Nocturnus clan, and the other clan was the Pachacmac clan.

Thus ended the Third Great Civilization...

Soon after, the first Gizoid's body would be found, and repaired by the Fourth Great Civilization, though it would always be unstable, as they weren't familiar with its construction. Five thousand, five hundred and fifty years later, the Gizoid would be uncovered and studied by Professor Gerald Robotnik, who would use some of his research on it to assist the alien overlord Black Doom in creating the Ultimate Life Form, starting with Kaynyx the wolf and later, Shadow the Hedgehog, and ending with Shade the Echidna. And fifty years later, after Gerald's research facility would be seized by the government, the Gizoid would be found by Sonic the Hedgehog, who formed a "Link" with the Gizoid, much as Scyth had upon constructing it. Its insides and power core made of Emeralds and Gems would be badly damaged, but the power of the Chaos Emeralds planted within it would restore it to power. A great quarrel would break out over the Gizoid, and just as Mephiles foresaw, the Gizoid became unstable and had to be destroyed, ridding the dark being of a potentially dangerous foe. The Nocturnus clan would then break out of the Twilight Cage they had been sealed in by the gods to wreak havoc upon Earth. Sonic and his allies would respond in kind, and wage a war against the remnants of Emperor Ix's army. They would learn that Emerl, the Gizoid Scyth had created, had been the finest of the Fourth Great Civilization's Gizoids. Little did they know, however, that Ix's Gizoids were based upon the schematics the Third Great Civilization left behind. Ix would try to recapture this technological miracle, and though the Gizoids he created were strong, some of them near-invincible, none of them could hope to match Emerl's power. Emerl, who was the only remnant of the Third Great Civilization (besides the Chaos and Master Emeralds).

And now, several years after that, the ancient civilization will be remembered...