Chapter 7:

Its Awakened…

It was a lot sooner than Sonic expected to get into the air and to Skyline Turret, especially to add the fat he just decided to sacrifice a Chaos Emerald just to get there. Now he was regretting it, he should've stayed, and waited until Espio returned, and he just remembered that the Dark has five of the seven Chaos Emeralds. He paused for a moment, and realized that if he hands over the sixth Chaos Emerald, his friends are due for unexpected visitors, since they have the last.

Oops.

He gulped slightly, and the rain that battered against his craft didn't help him calm down, and the lightning made him feel more of a coward than anything. Sonic wasn't feeling good at all, he wanted to throw up badly, but at the moment, he needed to find this place and land before he could do anything else.

Skyline Turret came into view, the hedgehog floored it so he could reach the fortress faster and get inside as fast as his feet can take him through the rain. He circled the place to find a spot to land, but one that was closet to the top, which ended up to be the one with Espio's ship in place. He slowed up and landed right next to it, his craft shutting off and he sat there for a short moment silent.

"Why the hell did I save Mince again?" He questioned himself.

He shrugged slightly and grabbed his gun, opening the hatch while instantly being drenched by rain. He leaped out and ran for the doors, leaving his ship open and not caring a bit about it. He shoved the doors open and ran down the long lit hallway towards the center, Sonic took no time to stop running, not even to check and see if anything was around.

He reached the center, and only paused for a small minute, seeing his surroundings, and hardly taking notice of the bright red Emeralds. He quickly turned to the left and spotted the stairs not far, then got back to running.

"Espio!"

He had no idea what to think, if there was an enemy, who knows what, he just wanted to get the Emerald before he did. He kept running up the stairs, water on the stairs starting to get more rapid as he slowly reached the top, soaking his shoes wet and slippery, slipping constantly on the stone steps. He started to see lightning, which meant that he was drawing close to the top, and rushed more, small anxiety pushing him to the top.

He scampered to the top, drenched by rain again, seeing in the center the massive altar that held the true Master Emerald, with a small Chaos Emerald sitting beside it. He quickly ran around to find the staircase to get to it, water splashing around as he scurried. He just managed to blink to the right, and slid to a stop, frozen stiff.

No lightning lit up the black and mysterious figure on the ground, a gun laying not far, and what looked like blood pooling with the rain around the body, its back turned to Sonic. The hedgehog was uncertain about what was laying there still, and drew out his gun, slowly walking to it. He approached the body, slowly stating to see more and more detail to it, and noticed it didn't move one bit.

He stopped, realizing what laid in front of him wasn't what he thought, "No…"

He used the nose of his gun and turned the body, leaping back with a yelp as the dead body turned to be Espio's.

"NO!" Sonic howled.

Sonic fell to his knees and stared at him questionably while his could no longer feel his heart beat. Espio's stomach was shredded open, as if something tore out of it, and he could tell just by the way Espio's mouth hung open, that he had no time to react. Maybe not even given a chance for a last breathe.

Sonic laid his gun behind him and just stared at him, unsure of what to do. Should he call Tails? And explain everything? Should he just take Espio's body to them? Should he leave him? He had no idea what to do, all he knows is whatever killed him, the poor chameleon had no time to fight. Sonic did notice all of his weapons, ammo, and other equipment was gone. Maybe someone stabbed him from the backside, then took everything the chameleon had.

Sonic turned him over to view his back, not a mark or an opening anywhere. Sonic started to grow curious, how could Espio have died, and why would it take his ammo? He gritted his teeth and laid Espio's lifeless body back down.

The lightning struck around him, forcing the hedgehog to snap from the agony he saw right in front of him, forcing his mind to wake up and get back on guard. Without question, the hedgehog felt a small breeze brush against his back, reminding him of his gun, and spun around to grab it.

The gun was gone!

He froze stiff, he knew for sure his gun was right there. He growled lowly and stood back up, staring around slowly and uneasy. The rain beaten across his face soon made the skin numb, and his feet froze from the wetness and the wind, catching a faint glimpse in the corner of his eye of something moving. He spun around behind him towards the massive altar, seeing nothing, as the lightning lit it up, showing the dull crystals on top of the altar that gave no life.

It watched him, pacing around him, knowing his every move just by looking at him, it knew of his uneasiness, still crazed by the blood that was being washed away off of the stone. It continued to trot along the edge keeping its eyes upon Sonic, knowing his fear, and knowing this hedgehog will never expect it to sneak behind him, killing him. It was desperate, and quickly dove for the shadows just behind Sonic, and just before the hedgehog spun around again.

Sonic grew more scared, what was watching him? And where was it? He wanted to know, and he wanted lightning to light up the shadows. Sonic kept his stare towards the one spot he knew something was there, gripping his fists tightly as he stepped forward a few steps closer and stopped.

The lightning lit up its spot only once, laying low as the hedgehog was facing the other way. Seeing the hedgehog was keeping his head forward, it started pacing to him. The lightning lit up the turret again, but its skin was practical camouflage, there was so much wetness around, it could easily blend in if it shut its eyes. It stretched its mouth open, snarling faintly as it drew closer to Sonic, the fangs dribbling with desperation, its bones rippling through the skin as if it was paper, the sleekness showed it was fast, and its eyes glistened red through the rain.

Sonic didn't like the feeling, and he kept still, trying to see and hear through the rain. He tightened his fists nervously, and breathed heavily, shaking from the cold. He closed his eyes and stood silent, listening carefully.

A small rock clinked behind him.

Sonic quickly flipped his eyes open and spun around, his heart stopping as he stood almost dead, his mouth dropped with surprise. It stared at him, eyes ruby jewels that pierced through the rain, its slim tail waving back and forth eager, and the massive fangs the creature bared at him made it look hungry and desperate. It looked exactly like the poster that was entitled Silent Stalker, and what he stared at, supposedly was the first stage.

I have awakened…

Sonic didn't move, even though the voice broke the silence.

And you have no where to run…

The hedgehog growled loudly, "Who are you!"

The creature snarled and darted at him without warning. Sonic was able to spin around, but before he could take two steps, claws jabbed him in the back and shoved him forward. The hedgehog was smashed against the altar stairs, almost knocked unconscious, his vision blurred for a few seconds before rolling over onto his back. The creature leaped into the air and dove at the hedgehog with its jaws wide open.

An arrow from the side struck the creature in the head hard enough, it thrust the thing to the side while it screeched out in pain. Sonic glanced over to see something flying around with a rider on its back. The hedgehog didn't even bothered to ask, and just ran, ran towards where the stairs were, he wanted to get out of there.

Out from the side the creature darted and shoved him again, Sonic expected another hard hit into the stone, but suddenly started to see a wall below his feet going up. He realized he just went over the edge of the turret, and tried to slow himself down and get himself onto the turret's wall so he could run down it. He twirled back up and seen the creature that knocked him off was running down to catch up, his red eyes bouncing up and down as it drew closer and closer.

The winged beast came back and dove faster than the creature could run, and the mysterious rider took a large spear and jabbed it into its back. The shadow screeched out as it stopped and leaped onto a porch area, gone. Before Sonic could see who it was that was diving to him with a hand reached out, his head smashed against stone, and the hedgehog's vision went black instantly.

OMFG ANOTHER CHAOTER AFTER MONTHS! OoO!!

Chapter 8 is next O.o