Sonic Heroes: Desert Winds
Chapter Twelve: Precursors
The scene opens to the underground village of the Blackheart tribe, where darkness was dominant over all. The tribesmen – which consisted only of scorpions – were passing through their daily routines to ensure survival. Since the defeat of the Doulas in the previous week, their chances have improved dramatically. But separate from the village hanging over the chasm, the only outsider of the village was trudging back and forth on the stairway that led to the arena. Shadow the Hedgehog scanned the white markings of the wall with a cautious eye, taking notes on his electronic gauntlet. The Ultimate Life-Form was muttering consistently under his breath as he brushed his hands against the faded chalk lines.
"Emeralds...." Shadow whispered, tracing a faint outline. "Gems born from light and darkness. They are definitely talking about the Chaos Emeralds." He reached into his quills and retrieved the light-blue Chaos Emerald, which had traveled with him to Areno. "And if one Chaos Emerald is here, then that means the other six are somewhere on this world, too. But the question is, how did the Precursors know about them?"
"Shadow..." A feminine voice called.
The jet-black hedgehog craned his head over his shoulder, facing the newcomer as she approached him. It was Ora, the woman who had nearly sacrificed her daughter to the malevolent Doulas. The child in question – Mara – was strapped to her mother's back, giggling happily and waving her claws to hopefully reach the bats flapping overhead. Shadow smiled. Since saving her only daughter, Ora has taken a liking to Shadow and offered him a place to stay in her own home. The Ultimate Life-Form, despite his grim façade, actually enjoyed spending time with Mira when her mother was too busy helping the Blackhearts repair. The scorpion woman was carrying a stone slab with what appeared to be bulging tubers cover in red liquid.
"Hello, Ora." Shadow nodded, returning to his work. "Can I help you with something?"
"I just thought you would like some lunch." Ora said, setting the plate on the ground. "You've been working nonstop for the past two days and I thought that you might be hungry."
"I was designed to survive for months without food, water, or sleep." Shadow said indifferently, tapping his gauntlet. "But the sentiment is appreciated."
"What are you looking at, anyway?" Ora asked curiously.
"The first day I arrived here, Kardak told me that the Precursors made these markings." Shadow explained informatively. "Precursor is a word that translates as something that came before. So I suspect that these runes may have some meaning as to why Areno looks like it does now and the reason I'm on this world in the first place."
"The Blackheart Tribe has been trying to decipher them for centuries." Ora informed; Mara was bouncing giddily. "And the most we've ever been able to discover was three words."
"Yes, but these markings resemble a language similar to one on Earth." Shadow remarked, pointing a particular symbol. "This means 'Chaos' as in the name of the Master Emerald's guardian. I recognize it from the ruins on Angel Island. I have a feeling that they might be connected."
"Well, I'll just leave you to work." Ora said, snatching her daughter before she could jump. "Just don't try to work yourself too hard. Master Skrall wants to test your skill in battle tomorrow and you know how irritable he gets when his subjects are late."
"I'll keep that in mind." Shadow smirked confidently.
The female scorpion rolled her eyes to the shadowed ceiling and followed the stairway upwards to the village. For what felt like days, Shadow was climbing around the walls to investigate new patterns, only taking a few short moments to eat the tubers Ora left behind. At the moment, the jet-black hedgehog was twenty feet above the stairway – he used Chaos Energy to cling to the walls – and traced his finger around a new pattern he discovered. It was a square box with an insignia drawn it red chalk – opposed to the white outlines of the other symbols.
"That's strange..." Shadow murmured, searching through his gauntlet computer. "This is symbol is different from the echidna's language. It's almost like....I don't know what it is."
The Ultimate Life-Form was stumped clueless – now he knew what Knuckles felt like with math. But with his attention driven away for a short moment, Shadow unconsciously pressed his hands against the red insignia. Shadow couldn't move. The jet-black hedgehog felt his body suddenly stiffen when his hand came in contact with the symbol and only his eyes were allowed to wander. The crimson-red glow scattered across the wall, filling the depths of the cavern with an unnatural light that has never been seen in the Ebony Drifts. And before Shadow could bring his mind to process the events, it was suddenly ripped from his body to a world unknown.
It has been a long time since Shadow has been this tired – one year to be exact. The Ultimate Life-Form was built to last physically, but his mind wasn't as protected as he would hope for. With his senses returning to him – slowly, but surely – the jet-black hedgehog was discovered to be lying flat on his back, staring into the eternal white. For a moment, he had the faint idea that he was back in the infirmary of the Sonic Heroes base. The thought was driven away almost instantly. As Shadow lifted himself firmly to his feet, amazed that he even had feet, he stared intently at his surroundings to discover....nothing. No, literally nothing. Shadow had submerged himself into a realm of emptiness that he knew nothing about.
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not supposed to be here?" Shadow commented.
"It's about time someone figured it out. I was afraid that my story would never be told."
The Ultimate Life-Form snapped his attention forward, nearly jumping back in pure shock. Shadow found himself facing his best friend and greatest rival, Sonic the Hedgehog, looking exactly as he did over a year ago.
"Sonic?" Shadow question.
"My name's not Sonic." 'Sonic' shook. "I'm just a memory given a form that you are familiar with. But since I don't remember my own name, you can call me Sonic."
"Just who are you?" Shadow questioned suspiciously. "Where am I? And why am I here in the first place?"
My, aren't you a curious little hedgehog." 'Sonic' laughed openly, patting Shadow's shoulder. "But if you're gonna keep asking questions, I guess I'll just have to answer them." He stepped away from the hedgehog, gesturing his hands to the blank surroundings. "This is my memory – preserved in the very essence of Areno for several centuries. You're the first one since myself to learn how to unlock the seal binding this memory into place."
"But why did you create this memory in the first place?" Shadow asked indifferently.
"To force everyone to remember." 'Sonic' said solemnly.
"Remember?" Shadow repeated curiously. "Remember what?"
"Remember the day....that changed everything." 'Sonic' said ominously.
Without warning, the surrounding environment was transformed – structure and color was given to the void of nonexistence. Instead, the hedgehog duo discovered themselves on the surface of Areno, which was dramatically different than anything Shadow remembered. Instead of endless desert, the Ultimate Life-Form was standing on the hill of a wide, sweeping field with evergreen grass, scattered trees, and beds of flowers. Off in the distance, Shadow could see a silver city with advancements that were easily comparable to Megalo Station on Earth.
"Where are we?" Shadow said in awe.
"This is Areno during its glorious existence five thousand years ago." 'Sonic' answered with a faint smile. "Back then, we lived a life of peace and prosperity. We had everything – technology, magic, and strength beyond any comparison. Back then, we only used the arena to punish those who broke our laws and to strengthen our forces. Even the gods did not dare to challenge us and we were left to our own. In time, we eventually became a prominent name on Areno – a seventh tribe, if you will.
"The Precursors." Shadow said expectantly. "But I've heard these kinds of stories thousands of times and know they never ended well."
"You're a smart one." 'Sonic' complimented. "This is the day Areno changed forever."
As they were speaking, a man wearing a hood to shade himself from the hot sun was taking a pleasant walk through the nature trail that had been paved. Though he already knew to expect as much, Shadow still felt awkward when the hooded man passed through him and continued his trip undisturbed. All of a sudden, the man stopped – a quiet sob echoed across the valley. Shadow and the hooded man searched the grassy lands simultaneously, searching for the source of this heartbreaking sound. It was only a few second before the hooded character kneeled closer to a nearby flowerbed, investigating the matter further.
"The man you see before you is Bakeel, the leader of the Precursors." 'Sonic' answered to Shadow's curious expression. "He was a feared ruler throughout Areno – ruled the land with an iron fist. But unfortunately, that didn't mean he was without compassion."
"What do you mean 'unfortunately'?" Shadow questioned surprised.
"Bakeel was always fighting for supremacy that he never bothered with matters of family." 'Sonic' explained grudgedly. "But Bakeel was getting old. It wouldn't be long until he lost his power and would have no rightful heir to take his place. That was until...he found her."
The hedgehog duo looked back at the hooded man, known as Bakeel, stood up from the flowerbed, carrying a bundle of cloth in his arms. The infant child continued crying, but soon softened her tone as she investigated the face of the man hidden beneath the hood. She cooed happily and raised her chubby hands to reach the man's face.
"One day, he discovered a child while wandering the countryside." 'Sonic' stated, glaring at the infant. "He took the child in as his daughter and named her Amikeyla (Amee-key-la). Everything fell apart from there."
Their surroundings changed drastically. Shadow and 'Sonic' were standing in the middle of a silver arena, which the jet-black hedgehog suspected was in the city he saw earlier. Hundreds of species, including humans, were shouting and screaming from the stands as Bakeel watched the match from above. The Ultimate Life-Form followed his gaze, discovering three giants surrounding a girl that barely reached to their kneecaps. Despite the obvious disadvantage, the girl obviously held no fear and faced the tower trio tall and proud – Shadow had to admire her determination. With an unheard confirmation, one of the giants started the match and stabbed his overweight sword over the girl's head. With surprising strength and dexterity, the female warrior flipped backwards, withdrew a bladed staff from her back, and struck forward once again. The giant screamed of bloody murder as the miniscule warrior sliced her blade across the giant's wrist and severed his hand from his arm. The unknown woman touched back to the ground with perfect posture – the giant's hand slammed behind her.
"What in the..." Shadow stammered shockingly.
"Amikeyla is the strongest and most deadly warrior that ever touched Areno." 'Sonic' grimaced. "Bakeel taught her to be cold and ruthless when needed, which is almost on a daily basis. No one ever lives when she decides to kill them."
"What do you mean 'is the strongest'?" Shadow asked, becoming more alert.
The facsimile hedgehog took on a period of silence as he watched the mysterious youth of Amikeyla gouge the eye of the remaining giant. Shortly following the events, the memory shifted to an area within the higher reaches of the Precursor city. The hedgehog duo found themselves in the middle of two lines consisting of twenty different soldiers on each side, all standing in attention as their leader walked down the row. Even though Shadow was close enough to touch the leader of the Precursors, her face was somewhat blurred to identify any distinction. The memory must have been suppressed.
"Amikeyla was quick to obtain power and slew her own father at the age fifteen." 'Sonic continued undisturbed. "She would have normally been persecuted for the vile deed, but no one was brave enough to stand against her. And when she took over the Precursors, she shed her original name."
"What was she called then?" Shadow asked curiously.
"We do not speak of it!" 'Sonic' hissed, resisting the urge to shudder. "The very mention of the name would frighten even the bravest of men."
"All right." Shadow nodded in understanding. "What is this all about?"
"With her unnatural powers, Amikeyla discovered other world beyond this one." 'Sonic' said uneasily. "Not just the hidden between the walls of space, but in separate dimensions as well. And the worst thing possible occurred: she fell in love."
"What's so terrible about that?" Shadow said quizzically.
"The fact that she fell in love wasn't as bad as the man she fell in love with." 'Sonic' said coldly. "Amikeyla made contact with a made from another dimension called Parasiden and formed a union between the two worlds. It was on this day that both leaders first made contact."
Parasiden. Just the very mention of the original Earth send Shadow's mind whirling. This was only one man possible that would be capable of connecting creatures from separate dimension and he soon appeared in a flash of green light before Amikeyla. An emerald-green hedgehog with five pointed quills and a blue opal in his forehead, wearing white gloves with black/white shoes stepped forward with his loyal servants following. The black scar was absent from his chest, meaning that he had not tried to kill Parasiden yet, but it was no trouble to identify him.
"Zeenint!" Shadow exclaimed fearfully.
"You know of him?" 'Sonic' asked curiously.
"In a way, I do." Shadow growled. "Back around this time, that maniac tried to kill off all the people in Parasiden to regain his full powers. He wasn't successful until a year ago in my time, but Sonic and Nazo managed to destroy him." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I'm willing to bet he only used Amikeyla to break his shell and regain his strength."
"Amikeyla already knew of his intentions." 'Sonic' answered, much to Shadow surprise. "But even so, Amikeyla was genuinely in love with Zeenint, even though we never found out if he returned her feelings."
"I doubt it." Shadow said venomously. "Zeenint was never the compassionate type."
'Sonic' only tilt his head in thought before allowing the memory to sweep them away once more. This time, Amikeyla and a selective group of servants were standing in an enclosed stone room with a high ceiling and a glowing circle on the ground. The Precursor leader was standing in the center of the circle with her servant chanting rhythmically around the pattern in an ominous tone. Amikeyla had removed the upper portion of her clothing, revealing the seven-pointed gold star tattoo on her chest.
"When Amikeyla stopped receiving word from Zeenint, she grew worried." 'Sonic' proclaimed. "She decided to investigate this matter personally. But that ended up being her downfall."
The Precursor leader tilted her head towards the ceiling, preparing her departure from Areno. But without her notice, the chanting of her servants swiftly alternated and they performed the ritual in a more rapid succession. It was only when the magical circle at her feet transformed to a menacing red that Amikeyla took notice of her servant's betrayal. The Precursor leader was unable to counteract before a column of crimson light exploded from floor and dissolved the woman in its depths.
"From that day, Amikeyla tyranny was finally put to an end." 'Sonic' sighed as the scene evaporated. "The next day, one of Zeenint's servants, Eise, informed us that Zeenint himself was also defeated by a creature called Chaos. From that day forward, we were finally free to live in peace."
"But it didn't end that way, did it?" Shadow asked knowingly.
"As it turned out, we needed Amikeyla to defend us." 'Sonic' said mournfully.
The Ultimate Life-Form raised his brow to the facsimile hedgehog. Why would they need someone who has only caused them eternal depression and misery? The memory seemed to provide the answer. Shadow and his unknown accomplice had returned to the surface world of the Precursor's city, but it was in more worse shape than he remembered. The naturally sunny sky was smothered by black clouds, buildings were collapsing left and right, and the villager's were running around in circles from pure terror. Shadow began to question the reason for such calamity until the impersonator Sonic touched his shoulder and pointed to the sky. The Ultimate Life-Form gapped stunned. A warp tunnel the size of a continent had formed over the city and squid-like tentacles comparable to Dark Gaia were emerging from the rift, slowly dragging the Precursors into its depths.
"What....was....that?" Shadow panted fretfully as the scene dissolved.
"That is a creature we have come to name as Argus." 'Sonic' informed.
"Argus?" Shadow repeated.
"When the Precursors were taken away, the word 'Argus' echoed though our minds." 'Sonic' informed. "And thus, we called this day in history as the Argus Event. Amikeyla's reign was so terrible that the gods could no longer stand by and watch as she slowly crippled the universe. They sent Argus to eliminate her, but the beast proved no match against her. But with Amikeyla gone, the Precursors were left defenseless against him."
"That's karma if I ever saw it." Shadow remarked.
"Only seven us survived." 'Sonic' stated. "The knowledge of our comrade's situation was soon discovered and we learned that they were being held within a terrible dimension known as the Twilight Cage."
"The same dimension Ix and the Nocturnus were banished to." Shadow commented slowly. "But why do I feel like you haven't told me everything? There would be no point in creating this elaborate memory if it was just to tell a history lesson."
"You're a quick one." 'Sonic' laughed. "Though Amikeyla is currently gone, the threat is still real. The ultimate weapon she left behind was sealed away in the depths of Areno and we held the only seven keys that could unlock it. We were afraid of what could happen if someone were to use that power for their own purposes. So we scattered them to the farthest reaches of Areno, hoping they would never meet again – we even sent one key to the Parasiden dimension. A being named Chaos appeared to use and wanted to offer his assistance, so we told him hide the first key in the heart of the strongest warrior. He informed us that Eise would not be defeated so easily."
"And he was right." Shadow nodded, scowling darkly. "Eise turned traitor and began Nazo. It wasn't easy, but we finally managed to destroy that monster."
"Then the first door has been open already." 'Sonic' sighed, caressing his forehead gently. "That only leaves six left."
"But you hid the other keys, right?" Shadow asked.
"We did." 'Sonic' nodded hesitantly. "But there were some...complications."
"What complication?" Shadow questioned sternly.
"Argus was not finished with Areno as we had hoped." 'Sonic' replied. "He returned one year later and transformed the once-green world into a desert waste land and turned our two moons into suns, making three in total. It was horrible." He sighed miserably. "We eventually learned that he was preparation for our new arrivals."
"Arrivals?" Shadow repeated cluelessly.
"There were six tribes that were so terrible that Argus felt the Twilight Cage wasn't punishment enough." 'Sonic' explained, turning his back to the hedgehog. "So instead, he banished them to this wasteland; where everyday would be a struggle for survival."
"The six tribes..." Shadow said thoughtfully. "They wouldn't happen to be the same tribes that exist today, would they?"
"Yes, they are." 'Sonic' nodded.
"So everyone – the Blackhearts included – was originally prisoners in the Twilight Cage." Shadow said with interest. "But there is something I don't understand. If the six tribes are so evil, why have most of the people I met been of kind nature?"
"I theorize that Argus had a second motive." 'Sonic' proclaimed. "With the chances of survival limited, the tribes would be forced to show unity and lookout for one another. This in turn created a small, if not temporary, union between the tribes. I think that once the tribes show true reformation, Argus will set them free."
"But what about these complications?" Shadow asked.
"Unfortunately, each of the tribes has discovered the remaining keys." 'Sonic' stated. "They haven't learned what they are yet, but the chances of Amikeyla's final weapon being released are too great. That is why I created this journal – to warn everyone of the approaching dangers."
"But how will I know where to find them?" Shadow asked.
"That, Shadow, is up to you." 'Sonic' said solemnly.
The Ultimate- Life-Forms had more questions about this weapon and how Amikeyla's threat still existed after all this time. But the void of nonexistence suddenly consumed the facsimile hedgehog into its depths and expelled Shadow from the memory with a sudden lurch.
"Shadow....Shadow..."
"Ugh...wha...?"
The jet-black hedgehog felt a throbbing pain on his forehead, unconsciously reaching to ease the pain. He discovered that the troubled region was being blocked off by a row of bandages, which felt surprisingly wet. That was the first time Shadow was forced to open his eyes and realize that he was no longer speaking with the copy of Sonic the Hedgehog. Instead, he saw Ora and Mara leaning over his, looking, concerned, with Master Skrall standing by their side. The infant scorpion cooed and tapped Shadow's chest with her claw, only to be pulled back by her mother when Shadow winced at the touch.
"Hey, not so rough." Shadow said hoarsely.
"Are you feeling all right, Shadow?" Ora asked concerned.
"I've been better." Shadow said, groaning as he sat up. "Man, I feel like I've dropped a hundred feet."
"That's because you did." Skrall informed collectively. "When we saw the light coming from the ancient runes, Ora told everyone that you were working down there. When we went to investigate, the glow had disappeared and you were nowhere to be seen. Kardak eventually found you in the arena with a fractured skull. It's a miracle you're even alive."
"If Sonic can live though it, so an I." Shadow said confidently before turning to Ora. "How long was I out?"
"A few hours." Ora answered. "We were worried. You were tossing and turning during the whole thing, mumbling in your sleep." She moved closer to his bedside, gently touching his shoulder. "You looked like you were having a nightmare."
"In a way." Shadow mumbled.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell us?" Skrall said; his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"It was...nothing." Shadow said hesitantly, gazing at the Chaos Emerald beside him. "It was nothing at all."
Shadow had the distinct feeling that Skrall didn't believe him, but the Blackheart warrior didn't question it. Master Skrall bid Ora and her daughter farewell before leaving the quaint household. Mara yawned sleepily and her mother quickly snatched her up to put her to bed, allowing Shadow a moment of privacy. The Ultimate Life-Form felt overwhelmed as he retrieved the Chaos Emerald at his bedside, staring into the cool surface. He had not felt this way since the Black Arms invasion. But he needed to keep a level head. If he was going to stop Amikeyla's weapon from being resurfaced, he needed to do everything within his power to stop it.
Even if it meant working alone.
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Will the sins of the Precursors doom Areno? What is the secret of Amikeyla's weapon? Will Shadow forced to take this mission alone? Find out on the next Desert Winds!
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