SONIC UNLEASHED

Bionicle © Lego
Slifer © The Brawler

Chapter Eight: Frozen with Fear

The scene opens to the lowest point of the world: Antarctica. As to be expected from such a place, the entire scenery was a gigantic winter wasteland. The floating glaciers, misty highland icecaps, and the endless sea of snow made the area look like something out a Christmas special. But while the scenery was both beautiful and treacherous, we should focus our attention on the sudden appearance of the Gaia Warriors. Since it was the daytime, Sonic and Nazo were forced back into their normal appearances, which was the last thing Sonic wanted at the moment.

"A-A-Are you ki-kidding me?" Sonic moaned. His body was shaking and his teeth were chattering. "Fir-First Greenl-land and n-now thi-is."

"Quit your whimpering." Nazo said irritably. Though the God of Darkness wasn't showing it, Sonic knew he regretted telling him about his past. "This kind of temperature is nothing compared to the training grounds the Guardians used."

"Th-This coming from a-an liv-ving ice sc-sculpture." Sonic grimaced, rubbing his arm vigorously. He looked to the rounded scientist. "Yo, Eg-Eggman, y-you got anyth-thing to warn thi-things up?"

"Sorry, Sonic." Eggman smirked, wrapping a scarf around his neck. "But I have unfortunately run out of proper clothing at the moment." He laughed for a moment. "You should have done the right thing and prepared ahead of time."

"TRAITOR!!" Sonic screamed.

"Whoa, this is so awesome!" Chip screamed excitedly, hovering over the snow. "It looks just like ice cream! I wonder if it tastes as good." He takes a pile of snow and stuffs it in his mouth. "It tastes so sweet!"

"You should try some of the yellow snow." Nazo said deviously. "It's even more delicious."

"I hate to interrupt your banter." Eggman interjected, calling the attention of his temporary allies. "Actually, I don't really care if I'm interrupting or not. But we have a big problem on our hands."

"And that would be?" Nazo questioned.

Eggman sighed and pointed his finger below him. Following his gesture, Nazo and Chip spotted Sonic on the ground, completely frozen in a block of ice. Nazo sweat-dropped at the sight. This was the guy that could face giant robots, alien invasions, and time-manipulation monsters, but he couldn't take something like the cold. The only thing that irked him more was the fact that Chip had idiotically placed his tongue on the block of ice and was now stuck.

"Now what?" Eggman questioned.

"Take Sonic back to Paris and try to thaw him out." Nazo instructed. "The mutt and I will search the area for any sign of the temple. We'll all meet back here in exactly one hour."

Eggman nodded and grabbed the frozen hedgehog with a feature in his Egg-Mobile. Before the two disappeared back to Paris, Nazo happily ripped Chip's tongue away from the cube in the most painful way possible. For the best of ten minutes, Chip was pointing out to random things such as icebergs, polar bears, and the local Abominable Snowman. Nazo's left eye twitch continuousness, restraining himself from committing a homicide. But Nazo's nerves could only take so much.

"Whoa, look at that group of narwhals." Chip said happily. "They look fun to ride on."

"With any luck, they'll skewer you and drag your corpse to the bottom of the ocean." Nazo muttered audibly.

"Aw, someone's a cranky." Chip said friendly, grabbing a bar of chocolate from nowhere. "Here, have some chocolate."

"No, I do not want any chocolate!" Nazo snapped, smacking the candy bar into the water. The narwhals and Yeti started fighting randomly for the candy. "Just because I'm stuck with you, that doesn't mean I have to like it! If I did things my way, I would – AUGH!!"

Nazo's rant was cut short when the snow ledge he was standing on gave way. Chip watched as the proclaimed God of Darkness tumbled backwards down the hillside, stopping at the base with his head buried in the snow. The winged dog floated gently down to his temporary friend while Nazo gave a great tug to pull himself out. The Gaia Warrior groaned, shaking his head lightly, before he noticed something different about the scenery.

"This can't be good." Nazo thought.

A multitude of handmade spears and other hunting utensils surrounded the duo into a corner. The ones holding the weapons were a group of villagers, all wearing woolen parkas. Though Nazo has regained his fighting form and could easily take them out, he could not take the chance of injuring himself. He has not regained his ability to heal. One of the men, clearly the leader, dropped his weapon from Nazo's throat and approached him. The other hunters remained holding their weapons in case either of them would attempt to attack.

"Who are you?" The leader questioned.

"It's always polite to introduce yourself before asking others." Nazo said bored.

"I am Hatcha, leader of this tribe." Hatcha announced, glinting darkly at the two. "And who are you?"

"I am Nazo." Nazo stated, refraining from mentioning his involvements with the Dark Rulers. He waved a hand to the flying beast next to him. "And this little annoyance is named Chip."

"Hi." Chip waved cheerfully.

"We do not trust your kind in these parts." Hatcha said menacingly, lifting his spear once more. "Why are you here? Have you come to take away another loved one away? Have you made an alliance with the flying demon?"

"I have no intention of causing you harm." Nazo stated honestly; he felt disgusted. "My um...friends and I have come to this part of the world in search of the Gaia Gate. My missing ally and I are the Gaia Warriors."

"How do we know you are telling the truth?" One of the men questioned.

"Lower your weapons." Hatcha ordered. The villagers looked unwilling for a moment before reluctantly lowering their spears. "I know they are telling the truth. I have seen countless murals of the Gaia Warriors. He is definitely one of them." He shifts his head left and right, looking for something. "Where is the other Gaia Warrior?"

"Oh, he's stuck in a block of ice." Chip informed.

"How unusual." Hatcha laughed. "Come on, I'll show you around the village."

Nazo quickly jumped to his feet, keeping an eye on the villagers to make sure they wouldn't try to sneak attack him. Hatcha seemed to be in brighter spirits knowing that Nazo was around. He was happily showing the duo the finer points of the village, which wasn't much. It would seem that despite the cold weather, the village has been able to manage itself for over two thousand years. They had all the necessary tools for hunting and seemed resistant to any common illnesses. But Nazo noticed that, from what Hatcha described, their population was quickly dying.

"This place is cool." Chip commented occasionally. "I can't believe you guys survived for so long."

"We have done all we could over the years." Hatcha said proudly. "We may not have some fancy gizmos like the rest of the world, but we have something even more important: nature. Why, if the world paid for attention to it, there wouldn't be any more wars or famine."

"But even nature must destroy to survive." Nazo stated coldly. "Like the plants fighting over the same soil, so does all of mankind fight to preserve ourselves. That is the natural law that cannot be broken."

"The words you speak are harsh and true." Hatcha admitted mournfully. "It is also unfortunate that we do not know the location of what you are searching for. Our ancestors might have known about the Gaia Gate, but the knowledge has long been missing."

"That's too bad." Chip said sadly.

"It is, but there's been something else on my mind." Nazo added, stopping in front of the man. "You mentioned something earlier about a winged demon taking your loved ones. Does this creature have any connections to the Gaia Gate?"

"What you have to understand is..." Hatcha began.

But what they needed to understand remained unknown to them. At that moment, one of the villages standing atop a large watchtower was signaling the village with a large horn. The Gaia Warriors were nearly trampled as the villagers all dropped what they were doing and bustled back to their homes. Before the heroes could even blink at the chaotic display, Hatcha forced them into one of the homes, gesturing them to remain silent. As the man hurried to the heart of the village, Nazo and Chip watched him closely.

"What's going on?" Chip asked concerned. "Why's everyone so scared."

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." Nazo said determined.

Grabbing the tiny mutt by the head, Nazo skipped across the homes to follow Hatcha. Meanwhile, many of the hunters of the village had gathered in a circle, brandishing their weapons to a new arrival. It was a crimson-red bat around eighteen years with a pair of jet-black wings forming from his back. He looked to be from the same species as Rouge, but was male and his wingspan was twice as long. He wore lightweight crimson battle armor with a flowing black cape - a the symbol of his colony stamped brilliantly on his shoulder. The bat's violet eyes looked as if they could pierce into the souls of men - the same thought ran through the villagers heads. The unknown enemy made no sudden move until Hatcha raced in front of him.

"You're late, Hatcha." The bat informed.

"Rogue." Hatcha glared.

"Don't look so disgruntled, Hatcha." The bat known as Rogue said pleasingly. "I promise, I have not come to harm any of your friends or loved ones. That is...if you provide me with the information I need."

"I keep telling you, we don't know anything about the girl!" Hatcha yelled spitefully.

"Do not lie to me!" Rogue hissed, raising his hand to show a dark card. "This card was found in your possession the last time I searched your village. I know for a fact that she leaves these behind whenever she pulls off a job." He tossed the card to Hatcha's feet. "And you know this, too."

"That card was left here years ago after the crystal was stolen." Hatcha informed. "No one saw who did it or how she able to take it away. "

"In that case, you leave me no other choice." Rogue sighed.

The villagers obviously knew what he meant and raised their spears in defense. But that proved to be useless. Not a minute passed before each and every one of the hunters were lying on the ground unconscious. Rogue stood behind Hatcha with his palm closed around the back of his neck. The village leader felt a wave of chills run through his spine, not from the cold, but from fear.

"I am going to ask you one last time." Rogue whispered. "Where is she?"

"I...don't know." Hatcha said nervously.

"And that is your last mistake." Rogue said depressingly.

Bringing back his arm, Rogue swiped sharply for the man's back. Barely moments before he could make contact, the crimson bat was suddenly shot backwards as a powerful blow made contact with his face. Rogue tumbled backwards a few feet before stretching out his wings to catch himself in the arctic drift. Once landing properly, Rogue stared at his former standing point where he spotted Nazo and Chip defending the weakened hunters.

"You have a lot of nerve standing against an Elite." Rogue said interestingly. "But I am impressed. Normally, I would have been able to track my opponents before they could get near. Tell me, who are you?"

"I am Nazo." Nazo announced.

"And I'm Chip!" Chip said excitedly; Nazo punched him into the snow.

"So I finally meet the leader of the Dark Rulers." Rogue said excitedly. "I've been itching to face you ever since that ugly reptile told the colony about you. I can't remember who he was, but I believe he was working with that blue-haired boy."

"Ugly reptile? Blue-haired boy?" Nazo thought intriguingly. "There's not doubt in my mind. they are the same people Pein informed of: Naga and Kai."

"Since this is such a high honor, I don't want to waste my chances." Rogue said.

The deviant bat smiled as he swiftly pulled off his cape, discarding it into the snow. He also removed every piece of armor covering his body, revealing himself fully to the God of Darkness. He was very thin for his age, but appeared to be well-toned for battle. He wore a pair of white fingerless gloves, black boot with silver lines on the sides and red laces, and an aquamarine belt tied around his waist. Nazo took notice that he was grasping his left wrist, checking to see something. He was securing a simple rope bracelet with multi-colored beads tightly so it wouldn't want to fall off. Without the armor to weigh him down, Nazo knew this creature would prove difficult.

"Chip, stay there for a moment while I take care of a few things." Nazo instructed.

"Ok." Chip's muffled voice responded.

"It's been a long time since I fought a guy as tough as you." Rogue said eagerly. "My skills might be a bit rusty, but I think I can manage."

"You are certainly confident." Nazo smirked. "But you'll soon realize..."

But before Nazo could finish, Rogue suddenly appeared in front of the white hedgehog and slammed his heel to his cheek. Nazo was able to absorb most of the blow and barely staggered to the side. Quickly recovering from the shock, the Gaia Warrior clenched his fist and swung it around, nailing the bat in the chest. Rogue, wheezing heavily, held his chest while doubling over in pain. Nazo regained more than his fighting form, he also recovered a good amount of his original strength. Seeking the opportunity, Nazo skipped off the ground and raised his foot above Rogue's head. But a few moments before the hedgehog could make contact, Rogue raised his hand and caught the God of Darkness by his ankle. With a hint of amusement on his expression, Rogue swung the Gaia Warrior in circles before releasing him. The tactic shot Nazo through one of the homes, alarming the residents inside. Rogue rubbed his chest, flinching repeatedly.

"Wow, you're really good." Rogue complimented as Nazo exited the home. "I haven't this much fun in a long time. The guys back in the colony are so strict, they take the joy out of life."

"Hmph! I glad you happy." Nazo said sarcastically. "But you are really starting to annoy me."

"Aw, I thought things were going so well between us." Rogue said playfully.

A rather large vein appeared on Nazo's forehead. Using his gifted speed, Nazo zipped over to Rogue and kicked into his chest before the bat could react. Rogue was tossed backwards in midair, but managed to catch himself by stretching his wings in the updrafts. Nazo realized he was at a disadvantage because he couldn't levitate with his current. He wasn't the only one who knew. Rogue, looking very excited, clasped his wings around his body like a cocoon and dived towards the God of Darkness. Something about Rogue's attack seemed familiar as he suddenly started spinning faster, giving him the appearance of a black drill.

"SCREW WING!!" Rogue screamed.

The winged warrior's attack crashed near Nazo's feet at the moment the Gaia Warrior jumped away. Unfortunately, the aftershock of the attack raked across Nazo body, sending the God of Darkness flying backwards into the icy canyon wall. Nazo slumped down the wall before making an attempt to stand, only to be pushed back down by Rogue's foot.

"That attack...I've seen it before." Nazo said lowly.

"You like it?" Rogue asked. "It's a little trick I made up with my best friend when we were young. Of course, her wings weren't as big as mine." His expression was turned to sorrow while he glanced at the rope bracelet on his wrist. "It's times like this I wish I never left her."

"Are you done blathering?" Nazo questioned irritably. "I swear, you're worse than the dog."

"Hey, I'm just trying to find someone." Rogue excused, grabbing Nazo by the neck. "And if I have to wipe out an entire village to do it, that's fine by me."

The vindictive bat pressed his thumb further into Nazo's throat, attempting to cut off the circulation. Nazo would attempt to break free, but he knew that if he even moved an inch, Rogue could easily cut his throat. It seemed like a bad position, but Nazo was not one to surrender so easily. Before the God of Darkness could formulate a plan, a silver arrow suddenly bound itself just a few inches above their heads. The duo stared – Rogue released his hold – until they felt the wall of ice give an abrupt shudder. Without warning, a storm of icicles was shattered from the wall and striking towards Rogue, who was back-flipping to escape.

"What in the world?" Nazo question strangely.

"Are you all right?!" A new voice called.

The two fighters followed the resonating voice to the pinnacle of the canyon. It was the most unusual creature either of them had ever seen. He looked similar to a robot, but his posture and expression made him look human. He was a tall white warrior twice the size of Nazo and Rogue – his right arm was entirely black. He possessed silver armor that covered his torso, left arm, right leg, and wore a strange mask with a lengthened lens on his left eye. He was seen holding a light-blue bow and carried a quiver of silver arrows.

"Who are you supposed to be?!" Rogue called.

"I am Slifer, Toa of Ice!" Slifer announced, pointing his bow to the bat. "And I would suggest you leave this place at once!"

"Give me one good reason why I should!" Rogue challenged.

"Ok, he asked for it." Slifer whispered.

Reaching over his shoulder, the white warrior known as Slifer pulled a silver arrow from his quiver. Not wanting to let the Toa have all the fun, Rogue stretched his wings and shot ahead for the unknown being. As Slifer pulled back the cord, his lengthened eye targeted his opponent. But Rogue wasn't going to give him the benefit of a perfect shot. Wrapping himself in his wings once more, Rogue twisted around into his signature attack.

"SCREW WING!!"

"Gotcha." Slifer whispered.

The noble Toa released his bow and watched his arrow soar across the sky. Rogue was moving faster than normal, making it nearly impossible for any weapon to break through – just as Slifer hoped for. The arrow collided with Rogue's cocoon, snapping almost instantly on contact. While Nazo was watching, he stared interestingly as Rogue forced himself out of his own attack and held his shoulder with a pained expression. The sun moved beyond the clouds - the light reflecting from the ice on Rogue's wing. The crimson bat struggled to maintain his flight and realized he could win in this situation.

"You may have won this time, but I'll be seeing ya soon!" Rogue guaranteed the Toa before shifting his gaze to Nazo. "And I hope we can finish our little match later! Just try not to die before that happens!"

"I'll be waiting!" Nazo replied.

Rogue smiled brightly at his words and, with a grunt of pain, took off over the horizon. Nazo watched as his figure vanished beyond the clouds before looking thankfully to his savior. But when he looked back to the point of the canyon, the white Toa had already vanished into the snow.

"You're very lucky, you know." Nazo looked over his shoulder and spotted Hatcha – he was carrying Chip. "Not many people have had the honor of seeing him."

"Who was that guy?" Chip asked, floating around Nazo's head.

"No one really knows." Hatcha explained. "He's a warrior that has existed long before any of our ancestors were born. A thousand stories have cropped up from legends of a white knight appearing from the Fields of Ice. Some say he is the very essence of the endless white. But everyone around here refers to him as the Ghost of the Snow."

"Someone that ancient must know the location of the Gaia Gate." Nazo said seriously. "Where can I find him?"

"It's impossible to search for him." Hatcha said exasperatedly. "Over a thousand men have traveled to the farthest reaches of this land without a hint of the Ghost's existence. Many of them go mad, believing that he is an actual ghost. The only time he has ever appeared is during times of great peril."

"Hey, maybe he'll show up next time!" Chip shouted enthusiastically. "With Dark Gaia around, he's defiantly going to be save people."

"But we can't do anything at this point." Nazo said, staring into the sunny sky. "It would probably be a better idea to return to Professor Pickle's lab. With any luck, he's discovered the location of the next Gaia Gate."

"I hope you two find what you are looking for." Hatcha said appreciated. "If you are ever in need of help, you can always depend on the assistance of my tribe."

Nazo nodded in acceptance and used his speed to tread along the icy cliffside – he was dragging Chip by his ear.


Meanwhile, the injured Rogue was flying far away from the village as possible to put some distance between him and the strange Toa. He made sure to fly as close to the sun's vision as possible to melt away the ice from his wing. Unfortunately, he was not to be let off so easily. The crimson bat was soon joined by two others of his species – blue and green – both wearing the same crimson armor. While the green bat looked smugly at Rogue's pained expression, the blue bat held a cold expression.

"What happened, Rogue?" The Blue bat questioned.

"Nothing." Rogue muttered shortly.

"Looks like you got your tail handed to you." The Green bat said gleefully. "The great Rogue the Bat is finally defeated. I guess this means the world really is coming to an end."

"Shut up!" Rogue snapped. "It was the weird creature the villagers keep talking about: The Ghost of the Snow. He caught me by surprise."

"The master will not except you excuses." The Blue bat said indifferent. "You're mission is to hunt down and retrieve the Mistress at all cost. One more failure and he will kill you." His eyes were directed to the rope bracelet on Rogue's wrist. "Unless you are willing to die for her."

"No." Rogue said quietly.

"You must not let your feelings overcome your thoughts." The Blue bat stated. "Her fate has been determined and it is your duty to carry it out. If you are going to succeed, you must erase your past."

Rogue did not respond to his words, but stared sadly at his wrist. Though it may have seemed worthless, Rogue refused to be separated with the feeble piece of rope. Rogue purposely fell back, not wanting his allies to see him in such an emotional state. Despite his resistance, Rogue relinquished a small tear that landed on the red bead of his bracelet.

"Forgive me, Rouge."


A new treat has emerged during our gravest moment. Will the Gaia Warriors discover the missing Gaia Gate? Who are these mysterious winged knights? And what is Rogue's connection to Rouge? Find out next time on Sonic Unleashed!

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