Kingdom Hearts II: Sonic Chronicles
OC's © original creators
Chapter Five: Struggle for Survival, Part 2
The scene returns to the Brawlers Tournament, one hour after the semifinals had concluded. Both finalists were given this time to rest themselves after their previous matches, but Shadow doubted that Gemini would need it. In an unexpected display of skill and power, the hedgehog Signer was able to wipe out a majority of his competition with a single punch. He even brought Knuckles to his knees without even trying. At the moment, Shadow was sitting on a bench in the alleyway, preparing himself for the upcoming match.
"Ok, Shadow, this is the big moment." Tails said encouragingly while rubbing the hedgehog's shoulders. "I noticed that in all of Gemini's matches, his left side is always exposed. But then again, the matches only lasted twenty seconds. So the best thing to do would be to drag the fight out long enough to..."
"Give him a break, Miles." Rouge said sternly across from them. "He needs to stay focused for the match."
"I'm glad you've decided to stay for my fight against Gemini." Shadow said appreciatively. "But are you sure you don't want to stay with Knuckles?"
"Knowing that hothead, he'll be up in ten minutes." Rouge said confidently. "Besides, I want to see that Signer imposter get what he deserves."
"Will Shadow the Hedgehog please report to the stage?!" Elise called over the loudspeaker. "Shadow the hedgehog, report to the stage immediately!"
The jet-black hedgehog sighed with anticipation, slowly standing and making his way back to the tournament. As he made his way around the corner, Gemini was discovered standing motionlessly in the center of ring – he hasn't moved since his last match. It was apparent that Elise was trying to keep her distance from him while standing precariously close to the edge of the ring. Relief broke out once Shadow jumped into the square battleground, taking his place at Elise's right side while Gemini took the left.
"And now, the match we've all been waiting for: Shadow vs. Gemini!" Elise announced, earning praise from her subjects. "Who will take hope the win and gain the chance to fight our reigning champion?!"
"Don't you dare screw this up, Shadow!!" Rouge screeched; unconsciously punch Tails in the face.
"Why is it always me?" Tails moaned.
"Good luck, Shadow." Elise whisper before escaping the arena.
The jet-black hedgehog had a feeling that he was going to need all the luck he could get. Shadow raised his fists defensively as Gemini turned to his side, watching his opponent with his empty stare. It was unexplainable – Shadow knew he felt this presence somewhere before. Once given the word by the princess, the final match of the Brawlers Tournament had begun.
Unknown Brawler: "Gemini"
The match had begun several minutes before, but neither Shadow nor Gemini had moved from their place. To those who were trained in advanced combat, they understood that both fighters were scanning for potential weak spots. But for a wide majority of the crowd, they were becoming rather impatient – they started throwing trash in the ring. But both hedgehogs ignored to piles of rubbish being thrown at their heads. Elise, who was standing besides Rouge and Tails, was forced to duck out of the way when one of the lunatic crowd members threw a couch.
"Uh...i don't mean to disturb you two." Elise said sheepishly into the microphone. "But could you please throw a punch before we have to deal with a riot?"
"Get a move on his already!" Rouge yelled impatiently, strangling her young friend.
Back in the arena, Shadow was shaken by the imposter's perfect stance. The Unknown Brawler had turned his left side to the Keyblade Master with his legs partially parted with his fists resting close to his waist. His defense was impossible to penetrate from a distance. Shadow unconsciously took a step backwards, throwing his opponent into action. Once the movement was made Gemini kicked forward and glided across the arena, swiping his hand overhead. Shadow effectively ducked at the attack, but not before he lost a few strands of his quill fur. With the Unknown Brawler still lingering above, the Keyblade Master lowered himself closer to the ground and thrusted his foot skyward. The tactic would have worked if not for the fact that the hedgehog imposter curved backwards in midair. Gemini pushed his palms off the ground and back flipped twice before stopping on the other side of the ring.
"That was amazing!" Elise announced excitedly. "I don't know what just happened, but it looks like Shadow has turned to tables on his opponent! He's got to be the first person to last this long in a fight with Gemini!"
"Losing...oxygen..." Tails gasped; Rouge's grip was getting stronger.
"This is impossible." Shadow thought, assuming his stance. "I have fought Gemini over twenty times and he has never been this skilled before.
"Are you confused, my liege?"
Shadow's expression was one of shock once realizing that the words had come directly from Gemini's mouth. The jet-black hedgehog knew at once where he had obtained his suspicious power – he was working with the silver monsters. With the revelation discovered, Gemini dashed ahead and stabbed his hands in a rapid motion. The Keyblade Master was forced to sidestep left and right with speeds that he never realized his possessed. There was only moment when the Unknown Brawler slashed his hand across Shadow's forearm, drawing blood. The dark Knight was forced closer to the edge of the arena and the only option left was him to follow his instincts. And surprisingly enough, they pulled through for him. An unknown reaction commanded Shadow to drop close to the ground and swiped across the ground until he stood directly behind Gemini. And before the Unknown Brawler could counter the attack, Shadow kicked the imposter off the edge.
"This is it!" Elise screamed happily. "Shadow's going to win the match."
"I will not surrender so easily, Lord Scion." Gemini said.
And without warning, the Signer imposter stopped in midair only as few inches from the street. The expression of shock echoed across the audience – Gemini began floating back towards the arena and landed on the other side.
"What the hell?" Shadow growled.
"The Superior is waiting, my liege." Gemini said ominously. "You must return to us, Lord Scion."
"How many times to I have to tell you?!" Shadow exclaimed heatedly. "My name is Shadow?!"
"Uh...we already know your name, Shadow." Elise asked edgily. "Are you feeling all right? Do you sure you don't need any medical attention? We could postpone the match if you want."
"They cannot hear us, Lord Scion." Gemini informed. "We are speaking through thought alone. You have commanded our armies at your personal will. You could regain that power if you return home, Lord Scion."
"I already found my home." Shadow glared. "And you're not welcome."
The imposter's eyes narrowed darkly – he was not pleased by the Keyblade Master's answer. Gemini brought his hands together, forming a seal while muttering under his breath. A sudden chill washed over the plaza and a sense of nostalgia flared within Shadow's heart. A powerful white aura formed around the imposter's body, which could only be seen by the jet-black hedgehog, and slowly separated into five fragments. But along with the flare of energy, the Unknown Brawler was agonizingly ripped into six individual hedgehogs. After everything he has seen, Shadow was not at all surprised by this.
"What in the name of Solaris is going on here?!" Elise yelled into the microphone. "There are now..." She took a moment to count them. "Six! Six Gemini's have appeared on the field."
"Hey, that's got to be cheating!" Rouge screamed insanely, punching Tails in the nose. By this time, the youngest Knight had already passed out. "Will someone get a rulebook?!"
Back in the arena, Shadow had placed himself on the defensive while the six Gemini clones surrounded the Keyblade Master on every side. The dark Knight reached to his left to push away one of the hedgehog clones, only to receive a crushed kick to his chest from the opposite side. Shadow was thrown back into two Gemini's, who grabbed his arms to restrain his movements, and another of the imposters drilled his fist into the hedgehog's abdomen. The crowd groaned horridly, watching the clones take turns striking the defenseless hedgehog. A thick leak of blood slipped through Shadow's teeth and a blistering bruise was forming over his ribcage. And all his friends were helpless to only watch from the sidelines. Rouge, finally releasing the twin-tailed child, padded over to the princess and pulled her down by her collar.
"What the hell are you waiting for?!" Rouge screeched. "Can't you see he's cheating?!"
"We've already checked the rulebook twice." Elise answered nervously. "We can't disqualify Gemini because there is no rule saying he can't split himself into six parts."
"Why not?!" Rouge questioned irritably.
"We never expected anyone to do it!" Elise yelled in retaliation, prying the bat's hand off herself. "We can't stop the match until one of them is knocked-out, surrenders or is thrown out of the ring."
"Please let that be soon." Rouge pleaded.
Shadow was forced to endure the endless torture being forced upon him and was surprisingly doing well in his condition. The dark Knight had guessed that his endurance had increased dramatically until two Gemini clones drilled their fists simultaneously in his chest. He finally caught on – he wasn't stronger, they were weaker.
"Splitting himself into six parts must have cut his power equally." Shadow thought calculative; he ignored the beating he was receiving with ease. "And if that's true..."
The jet-black hedgehog lowered his head as the four Gemini clones brought their fists back for the finishing blow. And that was the turning point of the battle. Catching every by surprise, Shadow forced his arms ahead and lifted his captors off the ground, throwing them back with the rest of the pack. Two of the Gemini clones were smart enough to sidestep the counterattack, watching their counterparts pile on the ground. The remaining Brawlers gaped, turning their attention back to the jet-black hedgehog. Shadow had already skipped off the ground by the time they looked back and swiped his foot across their face, effectively knocking them back with the rest of the group. At the moment he landed, the Unknown Brawler rejoined into a single entity and lied unconscious on the arena floor.
"Gemini": Defeated
"In an amazing upstart, Shadow was able to use Gemini's own attack against him!" Elise announced excitedly. "And with that settled our new champion is Sha..."
For the second time in memory, the city of Soleanna was silenced. As Shadow's gaze followed the crowd, he noticed that everyone was frozen in place – time had once again been tampered with. The Keyblade Master could feel his heart beating intensely and his nervous expression was evident. His mind was directed towards one person.
"Kumori..." Shadow muttered hopefully. "Kumori, are you there?"
"Lord Scion..."
The Keyblade Master turned on his heels as the Gemini imposter slowly lifted himself off the ground, apparently unaffected by the temporal anomaly. The Unknown Brawled cracked his neck with his back turned to the hedgehog as a ghostly white light exploded from his body. The Keyblade Master raised his forearm to shield his eyes and dropped them at the moment his newest adversary appeared. The beast was silvery-white and crouched awkwardly with extendable claws, jagged antenna on its head, and a zipper covering its mouth. And like all the monsters Shadow had encountered previously, this beast presented the same symbol of its race: a turned heart with a spiked cross.
"You guys again." Shadow glared.
"Lord Scion, head my warning." The Wanderer hissed. "If you do not return with me, only worse consequences will befall upon you."
"Thanks, but I can take care of myself!" Shadow shouted.
And for the second time, Shadow threw his hand to the side, releasing a surge of light from his palm. He felt the familiar weight in his hand and the jet-black hedgehog gripped the Keyblade in preparation. Hissing defiantly, the Wanderer raised itself to full stature with its close pulled close to its chest. Then without warning, the silver beast stretched its claw across the arena and lashed through the air. Shadow was fortunate enough to block off one of the attacks, but was left unprepared once the second claw stabbed for his neckline. Relying on natural instincts, the Keyblade Master snapped his hand up and amazingly captured the Wanderer by its wrist. And with the opportunity set, Shadow tugged at the beast's arm and pulled its closer to himself. The jet-black hedgehog raised his foot and slammed his heel into the monster's face, shooting it back to its original position. However, the Wanderer shrugged it off and curved towards its target on all fours.
"I'll give you this much." Shadow said panting; he was still suffering from the previous battle. "You put up much more resistance than the ones before."
"Lord Scion..."
"And that's another thing!" Shadow shouted irritably. "My name isn't Scion!"
The Keyblade Master dashed across the ring and swiped his Keyblade across. But at the last moment, a white/grey vortex appeared in the background and absorbed the Wandered, particle by particle. Shadow's weapon did not reach the area until the beast was completely absorbed by the vortex, which faded from existence upon completion. The dark Knight instantly went on the defensive, turning occasionally for any signs of movement. This proved to be fruitless as the white/grey vortex silently opened behind the Keyblade Master, forming the missing Wanderer. The silver beast thrusted its leg ahead, pounding Shadow in the back of his head. Shadow was thrown face forward into the floor, spilling blood from his forehead – his Keyblade was sent flying and stabbing into the floor. With an irritable growl, Shadow kicked back up and swung his foot around, but the Wanderer had returned to its mystical vortex.
"Damn it!" Shadow swore loudly.. "Come out and show yourself!"
"Sounds like someone's losing there cool." A new voice laughed.
Shadow had momentarily forgotten the battle – had someone else escaped the temporal trap? Unfortunately, he was unable to examine the mystery when the Wanderer reappeared and clawed at his chest. The jet-black hedgehog skidded backwards, clutching the bloody marks on his chest before the silver beast returned to the vortex.
"No one is invincible." Shadow thought defiantly. "Every creature has to have some kind of weakness. I just have to figure out what it is."
And so the Keyblade Master maintained a motionless stance, waiting for the Wanderer's next opportunity to strike. Shadow closed his eyes and opened his other senses – he spotted the beast almost instantly. The Wanderer opened its vortex and slashed across the hedgehog's back before returning to the Realm of Nothingness. The silver soldier repeated this tactic four more times with the dark Knight forced to endure the pain. But with each strike, Shadow began to notice a pattern. With each attack, the Wandered formed a portal in its path before escaping its sanctuary. That went it hit him – it couldn't stop moving.
"So that's your little secret, huh?" Shadow smirked. "Who would have thought it would be this simple."
His Keyblade was resting only a few feet away, just out of his reach. If he was ever going to get the opportunity, he would need to take it now. So at the moment the Wanderer appeared from the vortex, Shadow swiftly rolled to the side and made a dash for his chosen weapon. At the same moment he grabbed the handle, the silver soldier had summoned a vortex to escape – he was only given one shot at this. Sliding across the ground, Shadow took a wild shot and curved his Keyblade across the air in the direction of the beast. The Wanderer had nearly made it through the vortex when a glimmering silver swiped across its neckline. The vortex vanished and the Wanderer's body skidded across the arena with its head rolling in the opposite direction. Shadow reached out and grabbed the Keyblade from the air as the soldier's body faded into nothingness.
"It's finally over." Shadow panted. As he looked around the plaza, all his friends still remained frozen in time. "Now what do I do about this mess?"
All of a sudden, a suspicious sound echoed across the silent plaza – it sounded like clapping. And then a voice followed it's with a sense of familiarity crossing the Keyblade Master's mind.
"Still in top form, eh, Scion?"
The mysteries surrounding Scion and Shadow are reaching their highest point. Why are these creatures desperate to capture Shadow? Has the Keyblade Master stumbled on to an unknown secret? And who is the newcomer? Find out on the next Sonic Chronicles!
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