Chapter 8

Arondight's Ability

Amy moved Arondight from side to side. Occasionally seeing the gleam of her red jewel centered on the sword. Many Knottinghamites battled behind her against the Legion of Darkness and many echidnas but she did not care. She saw her true opponent in front of her, and Dimitri only smiled as he was surrounded by the pink hedgehog, Merlin, and even Dindrane. Merlin grabbed at the very shiny Morgause with both of his hands. He was concerned about the battle, but he was even more concerned that he had dropped his staff and could not remember any spells at the moment. Dindrane saw and glanced at the wizard but focused her attention on the evil echidna, and she readied Laevatein, always pointing it at the ground first.

"Now, now!" Dimitri laughed devilishly, "Friends, or should I say, future headless, this just does not seem fair. Three against one? Now that is no way to treat a guest! You should be ashamed!" The three did not move, but Dimitri did, slowly to and fro. "I'd imagine these dreadful manners from the Irons, but not you oh queen! Oh no, no, never from Knottingham! And looky what we have here!" He smiled crookedly, "A wizard? By the gods you've seen better days haven't you Merlin?" He looked to the other side where Amy was, "And of course, we have not met." He slightly looked over to the cat lady, "Dindrane will you introduce me to this stunning, sweet, little runt?"

"Enough, Dimitri!" Dindrane yelled at the echidna.

"It's Amy you sod!" the pink hedgehog pointed Arondight straight at the echidna's neck. "I'm the runt who's going to kill you!"

Dimitri swayed his retched neck towards the queen again, "Ooo, a feisty one. I see the resemblance now."

"Your move you wretch!" Merlin yelled at the echidna.

"I'm glad you said something." Dimitri smiled more devilishly than before. "Let's make this a fair fight!" His laugh resounded and echoed. Dimitri activated his sword, and Galatine's jewel began to gleam brightly. Swiftly, Dimitri seemed to be morphing away from himself. A horrid sight showed that Dimitri was splitting in two from right down the center of him. Then there was another Dimitri, and then another.

"Come at me then!" One Dimitri said.

"You will see, " Another Dimitri started.

"That I have seen death, and I am not afraid!" The third Dimitri finished. The three Dimitri's charged at the unsuspecting Amy, Dindrane and Merlin and began engaging them in sword duels.

"Have at thee then!" Dindrane yelled, showering her blade with a wild spin, and just then Laevatein's jewel shone brightly.

Merlin grunted but managed to pick up his staff and hold Morgause steady. And with the clack of both his staff and his sword, he swung the two together and was able to activate Morgause.

Amy grumbled away, looking for higher ground, trying not to focus on anyone else but her charging opponent.

The old, bearded fox was surprised by himself, he was actually not doing half bad. But every so often he would have to swing his right hand to block with his staff. Galatine swung very deeply under the control of Dimitri. Merlin mumbled under his breath, trying to find a spell in his failing memory. He hoped Morgause was not his only saving grace.

"What's the matter old man!?" Dimitri scolded, "Forgot your spells?!"

Merlin grunted and heaved Morgause at Galatine, balancing his weight on the sword and still trying to remember any old spell.

"Ah, " Dimitri realized, "That is the case, isn't it?" He chuckled deafeningly as he pushed the old fox back again.

Merlin swung his staff in the air and as he spoke his chant his voice sounded as an earthquake, "Conjuro Arma!"

Dimitri stayed back waiting for something to happen. Merlin chuckled as he noticed he wasn't saying the right words. Dimitri scoffed and went at the fox again, but before he swung, Merlin swung Morgause away towards the sky and disappeared. Dimitri looked around confused, "What is this? Show yourself old man!"

"Wouldn't you like that, Dimitri?" A figureless voice called out from the air.

Dimitri looked around and spat, "You fool! You coward!"

"No, " Merlin corrected, "A coward is killing your mother and father in their sleep."

"You know nothing! You're no wizard! You're a fool who cowers in the shadows!" Dimitri angrily yelled as he shifted around uncomfortably, shielding himself with Galatine.

"A fool is someone who allies with nothing but a shadow." Merlin chuckled as to be heard.

Dimitri growled, "You do not speak of Mephiles that way! You have not seen his true power like I have." The echidna felt something on his shoulder and he swung away behind him not hitting anything but the wooden flooring.

"How lowly have Mobians fallen!" Merlin spoke in that earthquake shrill tone again, "You dishonor our kind as animals with delusions of a madman with no real wisdom, authority or control! But he has great influence. Influence to delude the simple minded!"

"You know not what you speak!" Dimitri spat and yelled at nothing.

Merlin reappeared behind the echidna and drove Morgause through Dimitri's back quickly. Dimitri gave out a loud gasp and his double or triple disappeared. "Consarnit!" Merlin spat, "Not the original."

Rapidly and with much ease, Laevatein allowed Dindrane to move away and toward Dimitri. The cat lady jumped higher than the average cat, avoiding all of Dimitri's strikes.

"Why won't you stand still?!" Dimitri yelled at the queen.

"Oh come now Dimitri," Dindrane started as she balanced and spun around the echidna, "Did you think it was going to be that easy?"

Dimitri swung again, this time he was sure he hit her square in her center. Dindrane was on the ground suddenly on all fours, she pushed her whole body in between Dimitri's legs and came out the other side on her feet again, slashing the echidna's back.

"Gahh!" Dimitri yelled with fire and rage in his eyes. He swung Galatine back, but with each swing, Laevatein gave the queen much agility and bested even his best sword techniques. Even the light red in Dimitri seemed to get more crimson as he swung away ferociously. Dimitri unexpectedly grabbed at Laevatein with both of his hands, dropping Galatine. Dindrane gasped in shock as the echidna bled profusely from where he held the sword.

"Wha?" Dindrane asked perplexingly.

"Now tell me about your daughter." Dimitri smiled and it stopped the queen momentarily as she tried freeing his grip from her sword. "Is she a good a sword fighter as you are?"

Dindrane tried not to say anything but her look betrayed her.

Dimitri smacked his lips, "Mm, I'll have some fun with her!"

"You monster!" Dindrane yelled as she swiped Laevatein away and cut open Dimitri's hands. As Dimitri laughed and did nothing but look at the queen, the Lying Lady swung straight into Dimitri's heart and his double vanished.

Amy found herself climbing down into the ship while still clanging Arondight against Galatine. Dimitri was a ruthless fighter, his posture and technique were amongst the best Amy had ever seen. He was so precise and always was on the offensive. Amy had herself doubting a few times here and there, noticing her footing more, and looking at her surroundings more than at Dimitri.

"Hah!" Dimitri swung loudly and wildly giving Amy a chance to get away. She saw all manner of barrels and wooden planks supporting the main level, she tried dodging them but bumped against a few. It was dark and she hoped that could be used to her advantage. She quickly hid behind a pair of empty barrels. She tried catching her breath but was unable to tone down her erratic breathing pattern.

Amy looked down at Arondight and knocked on the red jewel with her knuckle. "Why won't you activate?" Abruptly, something changed around Amy, it had gotten darker for a moment. She looked outside through a wooden window without any glass, it was dark outside. That was impossible, it was just barely day out. She saw something else though, there seemed to be much lack of sea. Just as abrupt as before everything changed again and Galatine swung close to her ear. She felt the ringing of steel and heard it deep inside her head. "Ah!" Amy shouted as she got up and pushed Dimitri aside. Luckily that worked and the echidna fell backwards.

Dimitri picked himself up and searched again for the fleeing pink hedgehog. He began to laugh, "Is this it? You are the runt that's going to kill me?"

Up above both Merlin and Dindrane tried to fight on, only to realize that they were beginning to be surrounded by more and more Dimitri's. Each a different Dimitri said, laughing at the queen, "Face it, it's over. You. Have. Lost."

Dindrane yelled back, for her, and for her surviving people, "Fight on Knottingham, fight on! For King Ban!"

Unanimously the surviving Knottinghamites yelled back, "For King Ban!"

"C'mon Amy," The pink hedgehog whispered, "Keep it together."

"I can look into your soul, Amy." Dimitri egged on. The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once and Amy felt more alone than she had felt before. The wooden walls surrounding her seemed to close and entrap her.

Amy looked over to see a blue hedgehog. "Sonic?"

"Amy?" Sonic asked just as bewildered as she.

Amy shook her head, "No, that can't be!"

Sonic laughed in the voice of Dimitri, "Amy I'll never love you. You're just a silly girl with silly dreams. And a dead father!"

Amy clenched Arondight angrily and fiercely, giving out a battle cry and coming at Dimitri with all her fury and might. Dimitri welcomed her with open arms. There was a crack and a splurging sound. Amy looked down. She had stabbed Dimitri in his belly and Arondight came out the other side, spraying blood everywhere, behind him and around her. Dimitri looked down and simply moved his head sideways. "Now that is odd, isn't it?" The echidna looked over at the hedgehog, smiling, he grabbed Amy's hands and pushed them closer to him, sinking Arondight closer and farther into his body.

Amy shrieked, let go of Arondight and sped away into another crevice of the ship, scared and confused, near tears. Dimitri pulled the sword away from him, making another crack and more blood seep away. Dimitri admired both of his prizes, "Now I have, two."

The pink hedgehog held back tears but found that it was a lot more difficult to do under that circumstance. She clung to herself as she tried to disappear within the ship. Nothing seemed to be working, and Dimitri seemed as if he could not die. What was she to do? Amy momentarily thought of Sonic. Someone that, despite all the unpleasantness, and the clinginess, gave her strength, gave her courage. She didn't need to be scared when he was around. And for a moment she wasn't. She looked to see something shining in front of her, something that might work for her favor this time.

"I've had enough of this, come out little girl!" Dimitri yelled.

"Dimitri!"

The echidna looked around to see the pink hedgehog was but a few feet away, looking at him with a fierce glare, open to him, unrelenting and without fear. Dimitri laughed and stretched a bit. The old echidna smiled solemnly for the facts he knew, and he knew them all too well. He thought of his love in the world, and how right he had been all along, but Dimitri knew, he had known most of his life. Any last words, little Amy?"

"Only yours." Amy said plainly.

This angered the echidna and he charged for the hedgehog, but she would not move. Dimitri swung Arondight deep into Amy and he watched as something shattered. The confused echidna looked at the sword and the shattered glass and caught Amy as she elbowed his nose right next to him behind a wooden beam. Dimitri clenched his nose and stumbled backwards in pain.

Dimitri angrily charged at Amy again but this time, she was ready. She picked up Arondight, and swung it straight and true. Dimitri paused and chuckled and gargled blood. Galatine fell behind Dimitri, and so did his head.

Amy breathed heavily, picking up Galatine as well and headed upstairs.

Before Merlin and Dindrane could perish up above, they noticed that all Dimitri's had stopped and shouted in defeat and before long, all of Dimitri's copies had vanished into nothingness. Amy joined her mother and the wizard and the Knottingham survivors began yelling, "Huzzah!"

"Not yet Knottingham!" Dindrane yelled, "The Acorns still need our help!"


"Hurry! In here!" Charmy yelled and both he and Saffron entered the giant Dojo of the Dragon-Shinobi Clan. It was very dark and they could not see even with their hands in front of them.

"Are you okay?" Saffron asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Charmy responded.

A light was suddenly lit from close by. It was Master Valdez, he was holding a candle.

"Master Valdez! Oh boy am I glad to see you!" Charmy walked the chameleon's way but stopped for Saffron.

"My boy," the blue chameleon started, "Why do you plan to attack the Dragons?"

"Huh?" Charmy wondered, "No! We were here to help, we were sending supplies. We wanted to stop the fighting!"

"Charmy?" Saffron shook the bee's arm.

"Not now Saff." Charmy dismissed her. "We were overrun, you must help!"

Valdez looked on sadly at the two bees, "It is too late here too." Just then something black surrounded the blue chameleon and much light appeared all around, blinding the two bees.

"Charmy!" Saffron yelled.

"No." Charmy whispered.

The two had been surrounded by all and the rest of the black creatures, half of the Golden Armada were also being changed in front of their eyes. Charmy even recognized Juanita there with them, next to Master Valdez. And the eye, that horrid eye that was Black Doom's stood in front of them and spoke. "You two as well will make a fine addition to the Black Arms."