Chapter 11: The Master Emerald

Dark laughed and vanished. Now that he'd killed again, he was wondering if he should look for the next Chaos Emerald. The hedgehog nodded and vanished. He appeared on Angel Island and looked at the Master Emerald. Suddenly, a voice came from it.

What are you doing here?

Dark frowned. He looked around but no one was there. Then he looked at the Master Emerald and saw that it was talking to him. "I've come for the Chaos Emeralds," he told it.

You can't have them.

"And why not?"

You'll only use them for evil.

The evil hedgehog chuckled. "And who are you to say that? You can't do anything; you're just the Master Emerald."

I control the Chaos Emeralds. I can do what I want with them.

Dark frowned; this was interesting. The Master Emerald could never speak before. Inside, the consciousness of Super was arguing with Sonic

"No!" Super yelled. "Sonic, what are you doing?"

The voice of Sonic chuckled as it faded away to talk to Super. I'm giving him the Chaos Emeralds, of course. We are the Master Emerald now, and we control them.

"But why give them to him?"

Because I want to.

"Sonic, you can't give them to Dark. You know what he'll most likely do with them."

The voice of Sonic chucked. I know, it said.

Super frowned as its consciousness took control, and then the Master Emerald spoke once more. What are you doing to Sonic?

Dark looked at it. "Isn't it obvious? I've influenced him." Super growled. The Master Emerald began to glow brightly and hovered off the ground. Dark looked at it in curiosity. "What are you doing now?"

What does it look like? It asked. I'm absorbing the Chaos Emeralds so you don't get them.

Dark smirked. "Then I'll just have to use you."

I don't think so.

It sent out a blast of energy that hit Dark. Dark's eyes widened as he was thrown back. He groaned and used dark energy to attack but it deflected his attacks. He stared in awe at the emerald.

"What are you?" He asked.

The most powerful thing on the planet.

Dark gulped; there was no way he could beat this thing. He nodded. "Are you going to stay merged with the emeralds forever or are you going to come out?"

I don't know yet.

The hedgehog nodded, and then vanished. As he did, the Master Emerald landed on the ground as its glow faded. The consciousness of Shadow and Super looked at each other.

"What are we going to do now?" Shadow asked.

"We need to stop him," Super told him.

"Yes, but how? I doubt he'll be coming back here anytime soon."

Super thought about it. "I'm not sure," it said. "I'm not sure if we can unmerge from the emeralds. Should we try?"

"Yeah, let's try it."

The two closed their eyes and tried to separate from the emerald. For a few minutes, nothing happened. Then they felt strange sensations and felt themselves moving out of the emerald.

"We can't stay out for long," Super said.

"Why not?"

"I think it's because that we are now connected to the Master Emerald. Look at out bodies."

Shadow looked down at heir bodies. They were transparent, kind of like ghosts. The two concentrated and made their bodies solid. "How long do you suppose we can stay like this?"

Super shrugged. "I'm not sure," it told Shadow. "What do you want to do now?"

"What do you suggest we do about Dark?"

"I say we kill him. He could easily be a..."

Suddenly, Super fell to the ground and groaned in pain as Sonic took control. Sonic looked up at Shadow. "We should leave Dark alone for now."

Shadow looked confused. "Why?"

"We just should."

The black and red hedgehog shrugged. "All right; fine. What do you want Super and I to do? Continue to be the Master Emerald?"

"Unless you can think of something better to do."

Shadow thought about it and looked at Sonic. "I guess we can do that. Why do you want to be on Dark's side?"

"He's a part of me. Why wouldn't I be on his side?"

"But Super is a part of you also."

"I know. But Dark's been here longer..."

Shadow sighed and nodded. "All right...how are you going to do this when Super is in your mind?"

Sonic chuckled. "I'm going to separate from him."

"What? You can't do that! It's not possible!"

"You and Dark split from me. Maybe he'll turn back into Ogilvie."

Shadow shook its head but Sonic punched it in the stomach. He grabbed a Chaos Emerald and closed his eyes. Shadow smirked. "You think you can control the emerald?" It asked as its body started to transform.

Sonic nodded, focusing on the emerald as Shadow continued his transformation. "What are you becoming?" Sonic asked.

"I'm becoming a part of the Master Emerald." Shadow smiled at Sonic as his body started to glow.

"Why?"

"To protect the emeralds from you and Dark."

"But..." Shadow said nothing. He closed his eyes as he continued to transform and felt himself moving towards the emerald. Shadow's body molded into the emerald. Sonic groaned and felt Super try to take over to do the same. "No," he growled. "I won't let you take over..."

I must transform into Master Emerald, it said. Let me take over to protect the emeralds...

"But... Can't we separate first? That would make it easier."

I don't want you to go to Dark, Super told him. By turning into the emerald, I'm protecting you from him.

Sonic whimpered and felt Super take over their body. He groaned in pain as the Master Emerald vanished. Shadow stood there beside him. The two held hands, and began to transform into the Master Emerald. Both bodies hardened into crystal. They merged together, becoming larger in size. The many flat edges of the Master Emerald took shape around them. Their heads flattened as their shoulders bulged out into the top and sides of the emerald. The bottom point of the emerald took shape when their feet came together. Soon, the transformation was complete. The Master Emerald hovered in the air as it glowed brightly. The Master Emerald moved back to its stand and set itself down.

"What's going to happen now?" Sonic's consciousness asked from inside the emerald. "Is this permanent?"

"It might be."

Sonic sighed and nodded. "Very well," it said. "What now?"

"Now, we take care of the emeralds so Dark can't get them." The Master Emerald flashed as the Chaos Emeralds entered it. "As long as we keep Dark from being able to control it, this shouldn't be a problem."

Sonic's consciousness faded away, as did Super and Shadow's. The Master Emerald stood there, power radiating from it.