Chapter 14: Light in the Dark
"EM?!" Sonic shouted. He had seen a glimpse of her in a super form, but he just couldn't picture her in a dark form. "Em! Snap out of it!"
"I'm afraid she cannot, rat." Robert said, stepping down from his console and standing next to Emily, who didn't seem to mind.
Ty almost growled. "Get. Away from her."
"Not to worry Tyler." Robert said calmly. "I won't be here long. Just long enough to see how strong she is now."
By now, Emily looked at Robert. "Sir," She said, her voice sounding more like a hiss, similar to the ring wraths in the Lord of the Rings. "If I am so strong, why do I take orders from you?"
Robert looked at her. "Because I made you who you are. You owe me."
Emily's gaze bore into him before smiling. "If I'm so strong… Then I don't owe you anything." She suddenly shoved Robert. Her new strength surprised even Shadow, for Robert was sent flying into the wall, where he grunted and fell.
"Em! Stop!" Silver said, having never seen Emily like this. "This isn't you!"
Emily then looked at him. "Maybe not the old me," She replied as the wind started to pick up, starting to form a cyclone around her. "But this new me is! I'm stronger than before! I don't need you to shield me anymore!"
The wind was soon becoming about as strong as a hurricane's. Sonic and the others where soon covering their faces as debris started to fly in the wind Emily was making.
Ty was soon swept off his feet and thrown back a ways. He got his balance moments later but was on his stomach. He looked at Emily. This wasn't the Emily he knew from fourth grade, nor was it the Emily he saw calming Shade from the storm on the Serenity. It wasn't even the Emily he saw dancing with the islanders the night she was caught. This was an Emily Robert had made, burying the Emily he knew.
He looked at her for a long time, finally noticing a tear standing in one of her eyes. She didn't want this. But she couldn't stop. Ty could see this. Slowly, he struggled to his feet. Memories of Emily flashing in his mind.
The day they went for ice-cream together with Jade. Emily had mint, Ty chocolate and Jade strawberry.
He forced a step forward.
Emily singing to Ty's guitar after school with Jade.
Another step closer. He couldn't give up on her.
Emily lying on the sidewalk after Robert had beaten her up so badly. His own voice crying for help.
Emily shouted and the winds picked up. Ty took another step closer to her, fighting the wind.
Emily in the hospital. Him bringing flowers and her favorite movie, The Princess Bride.
Ty took yet another step, now halfway to her.
The day Emily moved away, and the years of struggle and fighting after his mothers death.
Another step.
The day they met at college. The cheesecake they shared.
Almost there...
Him following her to Mobius. The voyage they had.
Getting closer.
Emily dancing. Her laughing.
"Em!" Ty Shouted, making her look at him.
Her brown eyes and auburn hair. The reflection of the stars in her eyes and the firelight dancing in her hair when he danced with her the night Robert took her.
Ty took Emily's hand and pulled her toward him, holding her tight as he kissed her, tears falling from his eyes.
Emily struggled against him for a long moment, trying to get away from him. But slowly her struggling stopped and the shadows started to fade away from her. Her eyes soon returning to normal and blinking, not entirely sure what was happening.
Ty? I wondered, realizing that we were kissing. Tears came to my eyes as I kissed back and closed my eyes. You came… you really came!
The wind soon started to reverse as light started to dance and spin around the two. Sonic and the gang watched in amazement as the wind blowing at them reversed into a funnel around the two, the lights spinning faster, whipping their hair around each others faces.
The lights spun faster and faster until they shot upwards and slowly drifted down around the two, leaving the two humans slightly changed. My dark aura was replaced with a golden aura, and on my back… it was hard to fully tell, but it looked like I got a pair of feathery wings. And in Ty's hand was a weapon I've only seen in a video game; The Keyblade. But it was different from Sora's. It looked thinner, and the hilt had a pair of silver wings. The keychain connecting to the hilt also had a pair of wings.
I shivered as the positive chaos energy flooded my senses, chasing away the shadows that had bound me. I couldn't believe that I had nearly completely surrendered to it.
I soon pull away from Ty's tender kiss and look up at him. "Ty… I'm so sorry…"
"It's okay…" Ty said. "That wasn't you back there…"
"No," I said. "I'm sorry for yelling at you… You were only trying to help…"
Ty gently smiled. "It's alright. But I'm sorry for sticking my nose where it didn't belong."
It was here Ty finally looked down at the noble weapon in his hand. He blinked at it. Then he looked at me and how I had changed from the kiss.
"NO!"
The shout Echoed around us, making us jump and look at Robert, who was still where he had landed from me shoving him. He opened a small compartment on his cane and pressed a button.
Seconds later, a giant insect emerged from a pair of doors to our left. It looked like the spider from the Valley of Shadow, but as a steam punk robot. It hissed at us.
"Lets see you get out of this one Bridgestone!" Robert shouted as he ran out of the room as mantis and spider robots crawled in.
"COWARD!" I yell back at him. But it was too late; the insects had us surrounded.
The insects hissed, blocking our escape.
Ty and I look at the Keyblade.
"Admire it later!" Blade shouted as he sent a sound wave at the insects, blasting the smaller ones back.
"Em!" Knuckles shouted. "You, Ty and Shadow work on the big one! We'll cover you!"
I nodded and transformed into my echidna form, finding it was much easier. Ty held up the Keyblade he had gained and charged with me and Shadow, who had removed his inhibitor rings.
Ty leaped and slashed at the giant spider, making it hiss angrily at him and swipe back. But the blade had already severed a leg without feeling the blade connect.
I smile, feeling incredible strength pulse through me and tingle through my fingers. Soon, I had an idea and flew toward the head. "CHAO WHIP!" I shout, bringing two streamers of light to my hands, similar to the Sandman from Rise of the Guardians.
I lash the streamers at the spiders head and face, leaving surprisingly deep lashes in the metal. It screeched again and made it rear.
"CHAOS LANCE!" Shadow cried, throwing a golden rod of raw chaos energy at the monster's underbelly. It nailed the monster on the chest, making it hive a rusty yowl. It then attacked, going for Ty first. It knocked him back a ways, but he was able to block with the Keyblade.
I fly over the spiders back and soon spot the power core. It was the Amethyst Control Emerald. I look at the pedestal where I thought it was. It was still there. One of the two was a fake. But which one?
"EM!" Ty shouted as the spider turned and swiped at me.
I gasp and lash my whips at the leg slicing through it and saving myself from getting thrown into a wall. "There's a Control Emerald up here!" I tell them.
Sonic looked at the Pedestal and at the Control Emerald there, but quickly had to get back to the fight with Knuckles, Silver, the bats and Blade.
"I'll take care of the one on it's back!" Shade shouted and flew up to see what he could do.
"We'll keep him still!" Shadow shouted back. "Take its legs!"
Ty and I nod and race for the legs, him taking one side and me taking the other. The insect screeched in dismay as it found it couldn't move as well as before.
Shade looked at the orb on the spiders back, finding something didn't click. It didn't sing to him like the other Control Emeralds did when he arrived at his colonies caves. But soon, a small well tuned ring coming from the pedestal. If you know the tunes in music, the tone coming from that emerald was the 'SO' note. Shade smiled and flew over to it.
"Shade?!" I shout, but I had to keep fighting the Spider.
"SILVER!" Shade shouted. "Help me cancel the power!"
Silver nodded and came over. Together they focused on the emerald, Shade stretching his wings a little.
Soon the spider had just two legs left, but it spun on its belly, using its last legs like dicing machine.
"TY!" I shout and dove for him, knocking him out of the way of the legs.
"CHAOS…" Silver shouted, quickly followed buy Shade. "CANCEL!"
I felt a shiver run through me as the chaos energy suddenly leaves me and turning me back into a human, but the spider and the insects were also falling over. Ty held me close as his Keyblade faded. I shivered from a sudden chill that replaced the energy as my wings and gold aura faded.
Shadow was panting as he retrieved his inhibitor rings. "Everyone okay?..."
Blade was still in a fighting position, but soon relaxes as he hears no more advancing enemies. "Yeah… we're okay…"
The room stood in silence for a long moment, shocked at how quickly things had ended. Ty and I stared at the decommissioned spider in front of us, both of us breathing heavy.
"That…" Sonic said, breaking the seemingly endless silence. "Was… AMAZING! Em! You! Are you okay? You went from Dark to Super in MINUTES! Ty, what was that sword you had?"
Ty and I laugh at Sonic's enthusiasm at the current events, as did Knuckles and Blade. Shadow only smiled, glad it was over.
Maia and Alvar walked over to Shade and Silver. "Kai?" Maia said. "You okay?"
Kai smiled and looked up at them. "Better now… I remember everything…"
Maia and Alvar smiled and tightly hugged the smaller bat.
"Good to have you back Kai!" Alvar said, messing up his hair.
Knuckles and Blade walked up to Silver, who seemed exhausted at the different chaos energy. Blade hugged Silver fist, but was soon fallowed by Knuckles.
"Great job Silv." Knuckles said. "And not bad Blade."
"Blade smiled at Knuckles. "Thanks."
The hugs were soon interrupted by Shadow clearing his throat. "I'd hate break things up. But we do have captives that need freeing."
"Right!" Sonic said. "I think they'll like being outside for a bit."
Ty helped me up, seeing that I was weak from all the chaos energy. "You okay?"
"Yeah…" I said, leaning on him as we walked. "I'm better now…"