Episode 31 - Chapter Ten: Pachacamac's Descent

In the past, the day had finally arrived when the majority of the Knuckles Clan were to take the Chaos Emeralds from their sacred place. Waiting for them at the Emerald Shrine was TodStar, Tikal and a small amount of Chao.
"TodStar... is what's to come the important you told me about?" Tikal asked the green echidna. All he did was nod. "Isn't there something you can do to stop this?" TodStar then revealed the Super Warp Ring that his father gave him.
"This can get me home..." He told Tikal. "...but I haven't used it yet..."
"Because you want to help me..." TodStar nodded. "Oh TodStar, thank you!" Tikal said as she hugged the green echidna. "But what about your future?"
"Well, I'm actually hoping that if anything changes in my time, it'll be for the better." TodStar replied. "My old man actually wanted me to go back once I got this."
"Well, I guess you and I have more in common than I thought, TodStar..."
"Why, 'cause we both disobey our fathers?" Tikal nodded while giggling, which made TodStar chuckle.
"So... when will the moment come?" Tikal asked.
"If I remember right, they'll be here around sundown... and when they get here, we'll be ready for them." TodStar replied as he stood up to look over the shrine, Tikal, and the Chao with them. "(I just wish Shade was here to back us up, too...)"

Night had fallen, and in the distance, TodStar and Tikal could see a number of echidnas approaching the Emerald Shrine. Some were holding flaming torches, while the chief was holding a spear, and a book of some sort.
"This is it..." TodStar pointed out, while clenching his fists. One of which was on fire.
"We are betraying our families..." Tikal said before looking down at the ground.
"...for the greater good. Remember that." TodStar told her. Hearing that, Tikal looked back up with determination on her face. Once the Knuckles soldiers arrived at the shrine, TodStar and Tikal jumped down to the ground, and both of them spread their arms as far apart as they could.
"Tikal, get out of my way!" Pachacamac ordered her daughter.
"No way!" She yelled.
"Did you hear what I said?"
"I... I won't obey!" Pachacamac could hear the fear in Tikal's voice.
"Don't get any ideas, old timer!" TodStar warned him.
"You... you have corrupted my little girl!" Pachacamac told TodStar, accusing him.
"No, Father!" Tikal shouted, getting Pachacamac's attention. "I have always disliked how you approach problems. Attacking other countries, stealing and killing... it can't be the right path to peace!"
"Tikal, the seven Emeralds are essential to our survival!" Pachacamac told her. "It's power for the people. And they are your people too, you know!"
"How can I make you understand?" Tikal asked her father while clasping her hands together, before TodStar stepped in front of her. "TodStar?"
"Violence is ONLY the answer when it's absolutely neccessary." He told the chief. "What you plan to do is the opposite of neccessary. You only want the Chaos Emeralds to satisfy your own selfish endevours!"
"Don't you dare lecture me, future boy!" Pachacamac angrily yelled at TodStar. "The power we siphon from the Emeralds will give us the power we need to overcome our enemies!" Hearing this, TodStar just shrugged.
"And another thing: How do you know that I'm from the future?" He asked.
"...because I told him." Tikal said with a look of regret on her face. "It was when Father had me under his control..."
"Mate, you are extra-strength CRAZY!" TodStar angrily yelled at Pachacamac.
"Bah! I don't have to listen to the words of children!" Pachacamac said. "Ready, men? CHARGE!"
"Father!" Tikal cried as the Knuckles soldiers started running towards her and the Chao.
"NOOO!" TodStar shouted as he unleashed a Chaos Wave, which blew all but Pachacamac away! He managed to avoid being blown away by spinning his spear around like a baton, creating a barrier of Chaos Energy in front of him.
"TodStar..." Tikal said to herself.
"You DARE to challenge me?" Pachacamac asked the green echidna.
"Don't flatter yourself, old man." TodStar replied as he assumed a fighter stance. "I've got plenty of Chaos Energy flowing through my body. You wanna take me on? Bring it." Pachacamac didn't reply. At least, not verbally. He threw what looked like Thunder Arrows at TodStar, but he quickly grabbed Tikal and used Chaos Control to escape the attack. During the explosion, the Chao at the shrine flew back to the Chao Garden in a panic. TodStar and Tikal reappeared behind a bush near the shrine.
"I know you don't like violence Tikal, but-"
"If you are fighting my father, I'll let it go."
"Thanks. Now, just stay here and keep quiet, OK?" Tikal then nodded before TodStar used Chaos Control again to face Pachacamac.
"I maybe old, but I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve!" Tikal's father warned as he unleashed a barrage of Thunder Arrows at TodStar. Just before they hit him, he warped behind Pachacamac.
"Chaos SPEAR!" He shouted as he threw an arrow of Chaos Energy into Pachacamac's back, which forced him to the ground! "*chuckle* Had enough?"
"*groan* I'm just getting started, future boy!" Pachacamac replied, which startled TodStar. The chief then threw the spear he was carrying at the Emerald Shrine, and it struck the Master Emerald! "Oh, mighty Chaos... I beseech thee... grant me the power I desire to rid this world of evil!" Little did any of them know that a rod that was buried near the Emerald Shrine... and while the Master Emerald denied Pachacamac's request... the rod granted it by giving him some of it's power! Soon, Pachacamac's clothing started to change: From his traditional robes, to familiar looking armor (to TodStar, anyway).

Meanwhile, Shade was walking towards the Chao Garden, when she saw a number of Chao flying above her in a panic.
"Hmm?" She murmured before she heard an explosion of some sort coming from the Emerald Shrine. "*gasp* Tikal. TodStar."

Back at the Emerald Shrine, fire had replaced water around the shrine, when Pachacamac revealed his new form to TodStar.
"Sweet merciful Chaos..." He said. "It can't be... ENERJAK?"
"Yes, my child." Pachacamac replied with a distorted voice. "Now... bow before your new god!"
"Not gonna happen."
"Then you shall feel my wrath!" Pachacamac unleashed a much larger barrage of Thunder Arrows at TodStar, and while the green echidna tried to use Chaos Control to escape, for some reason, he couldn't. But he leapt out of the way at the last second!
"What in the Realm of Iblis? Why can't I use my Chaos Powers?" He asked.
"*chuckle*Because I have blocked your link to the Power of Chaos!" Pachacamac/Enerjak replied as TodStar fell to the ground.
"But... the Power of Chaos is linked to my body! *gasp*" TodStar said as he started to gasp for air.
"(TodStar!)" Tikal cried in her head. "(I have to do something...)"
"*gasp* You're... slowly... *gasp* killing me!" TodStar told Enerjak.
"Good. Then there shall only be the Nocturnus to destroy, and this world shall be purged of ALL evil!" Pachacamac/Enerjak replied. As TodStar had completely fallen to the ground, Pachacamac/Enerjak was cackling away... and Tikal had a look of determination on her face.
"Father, stop this madness NOW!" She yelled, which made her father forget TodStar, allowing him to regain air. "Y-you will not harm anyone, anymore!"
"*chuckle* I can still hear the fear in your voice, Tikal..." Pachacamac/Enerjak replied. "But if you are eager to die first, I will be happy to grant you your request!" He then blocked Tikal's link to the Power of Chaos, which made her gasp for air, aswell.
"Ti-Tikal..." TodStar said, but he was still struggling to breathe.
"*chuckle* You fools are now at my mercy!" Pachacamac/Enerjak told them as he focused on both TodStar and Tikal. "Surrender to my will, and your lives will be spared."
"To *gasp* to the Realm of Iblis with you! *gasp*" TodStar groaned.
"I *gasp* second *gasp* that." Tikal added.
"Very well..." Pachacamac/Enerjak replied. But before he could suffocate either echidna, a Nocturnus Blade was thrown into Enerjak's back, releasing TodStar and Tikal from his grasp!

"*gasp* Shade! *gasp* She made it!" TodStar yelled while gasping for air. When Tikal looked up and saw her Nocturnus friend, she smiled.
"*groan* You... shall be destroyed!" Enerjak told Shade after he pulled the Nocturnus Blade out of his back. He tried to block her link to the Power of Chaos, but he was unable to. "What? Why can't I disable your link to the Chaos Energies inside you?"
"*chuckle* Because I have no link to the Power of Chaos." She replied simply.
"No matter. I can still destroy you!" Enerjak told Shade before unleashing another barrage of Thunder Arrows at her. Before they hit her, however, she activated her cloaking device, making the Thunder Arrows passed through her. "NO!" Enerjak then focused his efforts on destroying Shade, while TodStar & Tikal were quickly recovering.
"You OK?" TodStar asked Tikal, and she nodded. "All right. Think you can channel enough Chaos Energy to me to get rid of Enerjak?"
"Well... I don't know..." Tikal replied while twiddling her thumbs.
"Tikal, look at me." TodStar said while bringing her head up to face TodStar. "You can do this. I know you can."
"OK."

TodStar then got up to give Shade a hand against Enerjak, while Tikal had begun contact with the being within the Master Emerald...
"Oh, mighty Chaos..." She said. "I beseech thee... grant my friend the power he needs to rid Mobius of the evil that plagues us all..." Suddenly, the Master Emerald started glowing, as did all seven Chaos Emeralds. Not only that, but Pachacamac's spear fell off of the Master Emerald and vanished.
"No more intruders!" Said Enerjak, as he raised his fists, emitting a dark aura around them, causing the ground around the Emerald Shrine to rumble...
"(No... this couldn't be...)" TodStar thought. Soon, the ground around the Emerald Shrine started to look like it was getting smaller... "(No way... THIS was how Angel Island was born? Enerjak created Angel Island?)" Tikal looked up to the Master Emerald, and saw that it was glowing as bright as it could, and the Chaos Emeralds around it suddenly disappeared!
"NO! MY CHAOS EMERALDS!" Enerjak shouted.
"There's your proof right there, old man." Said TodStar, making Enerjak turn around. "Your enemy isn't the Nocturnus. Or me. It's GREED."
"SILENCE!" Enerjak screamed as he unleashed a beam of Chaos Energy at TodStar, but thanks to Tikal and the Master Emerald, TodStar unleashed his Chaos Boost before the beam hit him! "NO! Only I can use the Power of Chaos!"
"Wrong again, you old fart!" TodStar replied as he unsheathed his Chaos Blade. "Getting senile already? Well, we can't have that!"
"ENOUGH OF YOUR MOCKERY, BOY! CHAOS..." Enerjak started charging up Chaos Energy.
"Chaos..." TodStar said as he did the same. While TodStar was charging up his attack, he looked down at Shade, and they both nodded.
"BLAST!" TodStar and Enerjak screamed as they unleashed beams of Chaos Energy at each other. Both attacks collided with each other, however Enerjak's attack seemed to be stronger... until Shade threw another Nocturnus Blade into Enerjak's back, allowing TodStar's Chaos Blast to vaporise Pachacamac! Yet the dark substance that was Enerjak remained. That's when Tikal stepped forward.
"The servers are the Chaos..." She said, reciting something she and TodStar have heard before. "...Chaos is power, enriched by the heart... the controller exists to unify the Chaos..." As Tikal was saying this, the Master Emerald started glowing again. "Thank you for granting my friend the power he needed, Chaos... however, we need your help to destroy the darkness that threatens this new island..." Tikal suddenly heard a female voice in her head.
"In order to eliminate the darkness, you must allow my power within you to consume you..." Said the voice.
"I am willing..." Tikal replied. "If it will save my people, and my friends..." Soon, the Master Emerald suddenly fired a beam at Tikal, causing her to change: Her clothing, her eyes, her entire body was slowly changing into a blue liquid form of herself, with green eyes. "Enerjak..." She said, with the voice that was speaking to her. "...You shall be sealed within the Master Emerald for all eternity." A green aura was seen around Tikal's hands and the darkness that was Enerjak. Eventually, Tikal managed to move Enerjak into the Master Emerald! However, this took alot of energy out of Tikal and she passed out, but not before TodStar could catch her.
"Is she all right, TodStar?" Shade asked as she approached.
"Dunno." He replied. Soon, Tikal opened her eyes and revealed green pupils. "Tikal?"
"...she is here..." Tikal replied with the voice that TodStar recognised.
"Chaos..." TodStar said, realizing who it was.
"Yes, TodStar." Chaos replied through Tikal. "Along with Tikal, you two have saved the Knuckles Clan from extinction." Hearing this, TodStar and Shade smiled, but not before they sighed with relief.
"But what about the Nocturnus Clan?" Asked Shade. "They are still considered a threat."
"They will be dealt with in the near future..." Chaos replied.
"Like in my time..." Said TodStar. "Speaking of which, has anything changed in my present?"
"You will have to be the judge of that, TodStar..." Chaos told him.
"Fair enough. But before I head home, can I talk to Tikal one more time?" TodStar asked.
"Very well..." Chaos replied as her eyes changed from green and blue, back to blue and white. When Tikal was back, she instantly hugged TodStar. "Oh, TodStar. I wish you didn't have to leave..."
"I wish you could come with me. But, we both know where we belong, and that my place is in the future." The green echidna replied as he threw the Super Warp Ring, making it grow large enough to make a portal. "But hey, I'll always remember you, Tikal. You too, Shade." Both Shade and Tikal nodded. "See you two around!" TodStar said as he saluted the two, and they waved before he jumped through the Ring. It disappeared not long after he jumped through. After TodStar left, Shade and Tikal shared a hug.
"I'm sorry Tikal, but I had better return to the Nocturne before my father gets suspicious..." Shade told her friend.
"I understand, Shade." Tikal replied before Shade ran off and they waved at each other. When Tikal turned around, she saw a number of echidnas looking at her for guidence...

Back in the present Mobius, the EX World Grand Prix racer known as Shade suddenly felt a chill go up her spine. She then removed her helmet, revealing a female echidna that resembled Shade completely. She also grabbed a photograph from her pocket. In the photograph was herself, Tikal and TodStar with a group of Chao in the Chao Garden. Looking at the photo again made her smile.

END OF CHAPTER