Chapter 12: Chaos
Inside the Master Emerald, Sonic watched them. A sad expression was on her face and she began to cry. Shadow didn't seem to love her anymore. She cried in place until she heard a voice behind her. "Dearest spirit, why dost thou weep?"
She looked behind her to see a creature that seemed to be made of water with green orbs where its eyes would be, and its brain visible in its head.
"My lover has taken another mate," she said. "Who are you?"
"I go by few names," it said. "But most call me Chaos." It looked outside the emerald and saw what was making her cry. "Such a shame to forsake a gem such as thyself."
Sonic nodded. "Why have you come to me?"
She felt Chaos wrap its watery arms around her. "I only wish to make thee forget thy pain."
The spirit smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I don't know what to do...I love Shadow, but...it doesn't seem like he loves me back anymore."
"Perhaps you should leave the cur to be with his mate. I could be thine instead. I would never leave thee. I will always love thee."
Sonic's eyes widened. "You would?" Chaos nodded as it looked at her, and she smiled. "Yes...I would gladly be yours instead. Thank you, Chaos."
Chaos faced her toward it and pressed its lips to hers. The spirit closed her eyes and did the same. The two broke the kiss, and Sonic sighed. She vanished and appeared before Shadow.
"Sonic," he said, looking up at her. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry to say this Shadow," she said. "But I'm breaking up with you."
"What? But...why? is it because of what I've done?"
"I just don't feel the love you had for me," she said.
Shadow growled. "Sonic, I do love you!"
The spirit shook her head. "That's hard to believe when you've mated and that you're waiting for your kids," she said.
"Sonic, I..."
"Don't Shadow," she said. "This is hard enough already."
The kitsune sighed. "All right," he said. "We'll no longer be a couple."
Sonic nodded and vanished into the emerald. Meanwhile, Shard was watching them in the bushes. The organic hedgehog chuckled; this would be the perfect opportunity to execute his plan. He would wait for them to fall asleep, then take the Master Emerald away. Shard chuckled. He then looked down and saw the flesh on his arm beginning to rot away fast.
The hedgehog ran back to the base and looked at Eclipse. "Have you made the serum permanent yet?"
Eclipse nodded and handed him the serum. Shard drank it and the flesh formed again. He looked down at himself and chuckled; he was now an organic hedgehog forever. He returned to the cave where they were to wait for them to fall asleep. Shard looked at the sky and saw that it was getting dark. He yawned and sat against a tree, closing his eyes to rest. When he woke up, the two kitsunes were sound asleep. He sneaked into the cave and approached the Master Emerald. When he tried to lift it, he found being mortal took away his bionic strength because the Emerald weighed a ton!
Shard growled angrily, wondering how he could lift it. He thought about it and ran back to the base. "Can you give me some powers?" He asked Eclipse. "I need a way to lift the emerald."
"That can be...difficult," Eclipse said. "The serum ensures that you give off any familiar auras that can trip off Shadow. Giving you powers could ruin that advantage."
"All right. Is there any way I can lift the Master Emerald in this form, or teleport it somehow?"
The Black Arms robot nodded. He gave Shard a device that looked like a transporter. "Put that on the Emerald and I can teleport it here," he explained.
Shard nodded and left. Once he got to the Master Emerald, he put the device on it and looked at the two sleeping kitsunes. He silently walked out of the cave and back to the base.
"I did what you asked," he told Eclipse.
"Good," Eclipse said.
"We've been gone from the Black Comet for a week now. Don't you think Black Doom is wondering where we are?"
"He doesn't care for his foot soldiers," Eclipse answered. "We're all expendable to him."
Shard nodded. "Then let's put our plan into action."
Eclipse nodded and began typing in the coordinates of the teleporter.
