A/N: Review please. ^_^

Chapter 35

Amy, who was still holding onto a now unconscious Sonic, turned to stare at the battle going on. "How can she be so powerful…" She stared at the echidna, and as she did she began to have the feeling that she had seen her before. "Wait…" She stared a little hard, and suddenly she knew. "The girl…from the park, it can't be…" She said with a sudden lurch of her heart as she remembered the kind hearted girl that she had met only a few days ago.

Tails let out a snarl as he blindly jumped at Aurora who easily dodged his sloppy attack. It was obvious that he wasn't thinking with his head, only with his anger. When Tails tried the same move again, Aurora jumped into the air landing several yards away in a crouched position. She looked up as Tails was nearly on top of her. Lavin was huffing as he rested with his hands on his knees. Why weren't most of their attacks causing damage? He stared at Aurora as she scuffled with Tails again. Suddenly he saw it.

"Tails stop!" Lavin's attention suddenly turned to see Amy running towards them.

Tails ignored her as he lashed out with one giant paw, but it never met its target as a stone vine plunged upward from the ground wrapping around his paw and holding him up off the ground. With her eyes glowing, another great stone vine came up from the ground and wrapped around the wolf's body and began to squeeze. She was really going to do it. She was going to crush Tails.

"Aurora stop!" Amy yelled as she continued run as hard as she could towards the two, but she was too far away.

Lavin's eyes narrowed. "Damn it." He growled as he began to run forward, he saw the bat and croc about to attack Aurora. "Rouge, Vector get out of the way!" He yelled as his left arm began to glow.

Aurora was face to face with the wolf trapped in her stone vine, even now he snapped his jaws at her. Her eyes, which had been listless before, now showed a glint of empathy. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Her eyes began to glow again and the stone vine was about to make its final constriction, when suddenly Lavin came at her from above, he moved to quickly for her to react, and the old Lycan landed a punch into her upper right chest. He hit with such force that the attack sent a vibration rumbling for several yards. Aurora stumbled as her body had obviously taken its first serious injury. Her concentration had been so shaken that the vine around Tails had become loose enough for him to wiggle free. He wasted no time charging at the disorientated echidna. Aurora's mind clear just enough for her to see the glistening of Tails fangs as he chomped at her left arm. His ruthless bite had missed her flesh and were clenched through the deep sleeve of her kimono. Aurora struggled to get away, but as she did Tail's tore the arm of her Kimono away along with a small portion of the back and chest area.

Upon seeing that neither Aurora nor Tails had severe injuries, Amy rushed to Lavin who was kneeling on the ground gripping his arm. "Lavin!" She knelt at his side. "Y-Your arm." She touched it ever so slight and with even that small touch, he cringed as if she had squeezed it with all her might. "Lavin," She looked up at him. "Your arm…it's shattered." Her voice shook slightly, he had only punched her and every bone in his left harm had been shattered.

"I know…" He huffed as he ground his teeth. The old Lycans age showed as he beaded with sweat and seem to lose more and more strength as the seconds passed. "But it was worth it, look, you can see it clearly now."

Amy turned and looked at Aurora. She suddenly noticed that where her kimono was now torn, she could make out what looked like a stone vest. "Armor?" Her eyes widened as she realized the armor was cracking.

"Yes, we couldn't see it before, but I noticed her movements. Her fighting style is that of someone with heavily weighted armor. That particular armor she's wearing is made of solid stone."

"Stone?" Amy could hardly believe it. "How in the world can she move with stone armor?"

"It will have taken many moons, but werewolves, especially Elementals, have amazing strength. Her armor is why we could not land serious damage to her." He held his injured arm as he saw her armor crack completely and two large chunks of it fell to the ground. "That armor had a lot of concentrated power in it." He winced. "That's what made it keep its shape and repel attacks, but once broken, I doubt she'll be able to conjure up another one during battle. That kind of armor takes time to create." He growled at the pain that was pulsing through him.

"Lavin you should stay here and rest. It'd be dangerous for you to fight now." Amy said as she got to her feet.

"You can't go out there either." He said looking up at her through one open eye.

"I have too." She said turning towards the battle. "I can't let them kill Aurora I just can't."

"Why?" Lavin asked.

"Because she's my friend too." She said as she suddenly took off towards the ensuing battle once more.

Rouge and Vector were batting at Aurora with their paws attempting to rake her with their claws. Tails was tangoing with a stone vine again, while trying to attack her from behind. Vector's large green paw swiped past her right side getting caught in the shreds of her torn kimono. With one swift jerk he slammed her to the ground. He went to slash at her with his free paw, but as he did the earth beneath him began to shake and it suddenly shot out of the ground in a crumbly cube of stone. Aurora rolled aside as he jumped down just as the cube disintegrated. She raised her hands and as she did harder stone emerged from the ground locking Rouge, Tails, and Vector's paws in place. It was obvious that she was focusing her powers as she gritted her teeth slightly and three spikes shot up out of the ground and hovered just over each one of the wolves.

"Aurora no!" The echidna turned to look behind her. Standing there was a teary eyed pink hedgehog.

"Amy…" She said her name with a remorseful voice as the stone spikes dropped to the ground.

"Aurora, please stop this." Amy approached her as if she weren't afraid at all, but more like a friend approaching another friend in pain. "Please these are my friends."

"Amy…I…I'm truly sorry things have come to this." Aurora's magic held the others tight, but her arms now rested at her sides. She was staring shinny eyed at the pink hedgehog.

"It doesn't have to be this way." Amy was only a few feet away now. "They're my friends, and so are you." She stepped a little closer still. Amy had a pleading expression. "I know you don't want to hurt them. You're a kind person." She remembered the gentle and sweet natured echidna she'd met in the park. Amy could never have imagined that she could be capable of such power. The day they had met Aurora had looked as if a strong breeze could of broken her, she had seemed so delicate, but now that same delicate girl was holding the lives of Amy's friends in her very hands. "Please, let them go."

"I'm sorry." Aurora wore she saddest smile Amy had ever seen. "You are my friend, but I cannot let them go."

"But why?" Amy shook her head as she stood face to face with Aurora now and her hands her suddenly gasping the echidnas.

"Scourge has ordered me to do this." She said gently as her fingers seem to softly grip Amy's clasping hands. "I must do as he says."

"But why!? If you join with us, I'm sure with your power you could easily defeat him and you wouldn't have to listen to anymore orders from that brute!" Amy was sure that Aurora only did these things because Scourge made her.

"I could never do that." Aurora tilted her head to the side. "Even if I were in chains and a cage I would never want to harm Scourge. He has no need for orders. I would do anything he asks of me." She smiled a very tired and soft smile. "He is my most precious person."

"What?" Amy's eyes widened. "H-He's your…" Amy turned looking over her shoulder at the green hedgehog fighting with Guntiver. This selfish, arrogant, cold hearted monster was Aurora's most precious person? How could Scourge be the one that Aurora had described in the park, and how could someone as kind and gentle as Aurora care so deeply for someone as cruel and evil as Scourge? Amy turned back to her friend. "Aurora please, please don't hurt my friends." She begged.

Aurora shook her head with sad filled eyes. "Amy I'm so sorry, but I love him." Suddenly a stone vine jutted from the ground and wrapped around Amy. Aurora, at that moment, looked more fragile than ever before, as if a single strike could have ended her. "At least Scourge is not asking me to destroy you." She looked up at Amy. "You'll be safer if you stay here. I don't want to accidently hurt you."

Amy squirmed. "Why show such concern now? Scourge is only going to finish me off himself!"

"Because you're my friend Amy." She said as she still wore that same tired and fragile smile.

"Then don't hurt them!" Amy began to lose hope as tears filled her eyes. "They are important to me!"

"I'm truly sorry Amy." Aurora turned so that Amy wouldn't see the tears in her own eyes as she raised her hand and began to tighten the stone vines around the three wolves causing them to yelp out in pain as their bodies began to wither.

"No!" Amy cried as she saw the life being squeezed from her friends.

"It's almost over." It was as if Aurora was trying to comfort the three dying wolves. "Soon you will all be-Ah!" She let out a cry as a giant mouth of teeth suddenly bit down on her exposed shoulder. Her body frozen with shock she felt her breath growing quick and shallow as the wolf lifted its head and hurled Aurora into a tree many yards away.

"How… can this be…?" Amy stared at the wolf that had just attacked Aurora. Standing there boiling with rage was the she wolf that Scourge had killed earlier. She was seething with anger as her tail swung from side to side. She seemed unhindered by the beating she'd taken from Scourge; as a matter of fact, the only remnant of their battle was the dried blood that covered her neck and shoulder.

Amy watched as the she wolf made her way towards the battle that was going on between Scourge and Guntiver. She paid no heed to the other werewolves who were frozen in place after seeing what she'd done to Aurora. It was as if she'd only attacked the echidna because she was in the direct path towards the other battle. Auora's stone vines had crumbled and dropped the two werewolves and Lycan to the ground. Amy ran to them. "Guys?" She looked from one to the other as she was on her knees by Rouge. "Are you alright?" She asked somewhat franticly. Rouge looked up to her and gave a weak nod, before getting to her quivering legs. "Oh Rouge…" Amy said with a worried tone as she watched the Lycan and two werewolves struggling to stand. "You can't fight like this." Rouge had a determined look in her face, despite that she was wolf, Amy could still see all the fire that burned in the passionate heart of her dear friend. "Rouge please, you must rest for a least a moment." Her beseeching eyes finally seem to quench the Lycans fire. She nodded and followed Amy over towards the cluster of trees where Lavin now rested with Sonic. Vector and Tail were following behind them. The near death experience had choked even Tails back to reality. He was no longer the mindless monster he'd been, but instead he looked more like a defeated dog. The three wolves plopped down on their sides in the small treed cove. Amy found that Lavin was laying against a tree still gripping his arm. "Lavin, can you watch over them for just a few minutes?"

"Where are you going?" Lavin said as he squinted one eye shut from the pain still radiating from his arm.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to the battle, I'll be right back." It was almost as if she'd asked him as a pleasantry, and planned to go off no matter what his answer was. Amy had vanished around the trees again. A few minutes passed, but finally Lavin's ears could pick up the sound of someone returning. His nose told him it was Amy, but she wasn't alone. She was struggling as she drug Auora towards the group.

Tails and Vector were the first to react as they rose to their paws and growled with their ears laying down in anger. Amy was almost into the outcrop of trees when she turned slightly, still dragging the echidna towards them. "I'm not going to leave her out there!" Amy said as she gently lay Aurora down and then turned quickly with a strong expression when she heard the two wolves coming towards her. "And you're not going to lay a paw on her!" She yelled as she shook her head. "She's my friend too!" The two wolves had stopped moving forward, but their growls remained. "She can't even defend herself." Amy said looking over her shoulder at the echidna laying there. "She's no threat to you now." Amy said still fearful that the two rebels might attack Aurora anyway.

Suddenly a loud growl came from behind Vector and Tails. The two turned to see Rouge was the one rumbling with the growl as she lay there on her belly, with her large wolf head raised and eyes narrowed on the two. She gave a loud bark and the two stopped growling, but their ears remained pinned down as they slowly crept back to their resting places. Amy gave Rouge a thankful smile, she knew that Rouge didn't care for Aurora any more than Vector or Tails, but she respected Amy's wishes to protect a friend, after all that was how this entire ordeal had started. After Rouge was sure that the two rebels had settle back down, she to laid her head back down between her paws.

Amy turned to Auroa as she laid her down gently beside a tree. The echidna's injury was and messy, Nightshade had shown no mercy when she had sunk her teeth into her victim. "Oh Aurora," she looked at the battered and beaten werewolf. "If only it didn't have to be Scourge…" She said softly.

Scourge had just been thrown by Guntiver and was lying on his back. The hedgehog huffed as he lay on his back and whipped the scrap on his lip that was bleeding. He saw Guntiver running towards him, his claws gleaming as his eyes locked on to his enemy's neck. Scourge growled knowing he'd never be fast enough to doge the next attack; he transformed. Guntiver was taken by surprise in mid leap as the target was no long a green hedgehog, but a black and white wolf. Scourge remained on his back as Guntiver came crashing down, but his attack did not come as Scourge's powerful back feet suddenly sprang forward into the werewolf's soft under belly, sending Guntiver flying back across the battlefield. Guntiver landed on his side as a cloud of dust rose up around him. His heaving breaths were faster and harder. Scourge had truly taken a toll on him, even with his elemental powers; the Mystic Lycan seemed to have the upper hand.

Scourge was moving in on the ailing wolf, a growl coming from his jaws. He would not easily forget that Guntiver's attack had forced him to transform. He would have his revenge for that little stunt. He was only a few paw steps away when out of nowhere the great Mystic was tackled! Guntiver squinted struggling to see who had intervened. He was stunned to see that it was a she wolf he had thought to be dead. When he had first arrived on the scene, this she wolf had been dead, lying in a pool of her own blood, and yet here she was attacking Scourge as if she had only been napping.

'You'll pay for that bite of yours.' Nigthshade's venomous voice slithered through Scourge's head. The Lycan got to his feet and shook his head from side to side as if just hearing her voice was causing him pain. He looked back to the she Lycan and he growled viciously and showed his fangs. Just then the two sprang at each other and fell into rolling tussle on the ground.

"Amy, I'm going to check on Guntiver." Amy looked up to see Lavin getting to his feet.

"But Lavin, you're arm." She said looking up from Aurora.

"I'll be alright." He said turning to face her. "You have to stay here." He said as if reading her mind. "We can't risk losing you in the battle out there, and someone has to stay here to watch over these five." He looked down at the four werewolves and Lycan, and then gave Amy the most reassuring smile he could manage.

"Please Lavin," she looked up at him with a worried expression. "Be careful."

Lavin turned and began to make his way towards the ongoing battle, he made sure to stay on the outskirts so as not to get directly involved. He finally spotted Guntiver lying on his side watching Scourge and Nigthshade. Lavin carefully approached the werewolf, but made enough noise so as not to surprise him. Guntiver looked over his shoulder and saw Lavin crouching and waiting for a sign that it was alright to approach. Guntiver made a telepathic connection with Lavin. 'It's alright; I know you're not an enemy.'

"Thank you Guntiver." Lavin answered as he carefully came up to him and crouched at his side.

'How did you know my name?' Guntiver said looking up at him with questions showing in his hollow blue eyes.

"You are famous among Lycans, even the old ones." He chuckled at his own joke regarding his age.

'I see my old reputation still precedes me, even after so many centuries.' Guntiver looked at his paws.

"You are referring to the wolf you once were, you are no longer Gun." Lavin had heard of the legendary Elemental Gun who held the power of lighting. He'd been a powerful force in the time of the golden age of Lycans. "I have also heard of your work since your change to Guntiver, the leader of the Eastern werewolves. "

'But you know about the monster inside me…' Guntiver had never truly forgiven himself for all the death and tragedy he'd caused when was Gun.

Lavin moved a little closer so that he could meet the werewolf's eye. "In my experience, real monsters feel no regret." He smiled as he saw that the comforting words had soothed the wolf. "We should get you out of here." Lavin said motioning to the others. "Or least out of the line of fire. Perhaps we'll get lucky and these two will take each other out." He said as he turned to the battle, and for the first time truly took a good look at the both of them.

'I'm alright.' Guntiver said as he too turned to watch the battle as he spoke. 'I still have some strength left, besides I can't leave this battle.' He said as his eyes narrowed on Scourge. He was remembering the few scares battles in which he and Scourge had been on the same side. Those battles had been long ago, during the Golden Age, and the two had shared no relationship then either, they had only been fellow soldiers to one another, and that was all. 'I've fought alongside that Lycan, I've fought against him as well. I know now that fate as not resigned him to die by my paws, but I have a feeling that I will fight at his side once more.'

"What?" Lavin said as he tried to look a little harder, it was as if he seemed to recognize one of the battling Lycans. He finally shook his head; his old eyes were no use as the two fighters were moving too fast for his tired vision.

'I've been watching g them closely. By all counts, Scourge should have been able to defeat this she wolf with little effort, but just look. She's wearing him out. I don't know what it is about her, but I feel an aurora about her that's even more malevolent than that of Scourge. I would fight beside even him if it meant defeating her.' Guntiver had barely finished when suddenly a power surge flamed from the she wolf as she kicked Scourge off of her. It was if she'd built up to much energy and had sent it flying out in all directions. Guntiver gripped the ground with his claws, but Lavin had been to slow and the rush of wind and energy slammed him into a tree causing him to yell out in pain. He fell to his side clenching his shattered arm.

Guntiver jumped to his paws as he saw Scourge also blown back as if he were nothing but a scraggly cub. He growled as he began to run towards the she wolf, the fire of lighting now pulsing good and strong though his blood once more. He let out a howl as to draw her attention away from Scourge. Nightshade saw him coming and braced her paws ready for a ram. Despite her readied stance, Guntiver tackled the she wolf off her paws. The two slung a barrage of claws and teeth at each other sending up dust and tuffs of black fur.

Scourge shook his head as he began to sit up. He looked over to the fighting and he suddenly realized that Guntiver had jumped into the fray. The black and white wolf felt a surge of arrogance as he was angered at the thought of owing anything to anyone, especially to an enemy that had stepped in to save him. He growled as he began to get to his paws and shook the dust from his pelt.

'I'll teach you to interfere half breed.' Her words cracked inside the werewolf's head, but Guntiver ignored her as he continued fighting as hard as he could, the blue lighting around his paws and neck lit up with a blue glow. He felt the she wolf's teeth sinking into his shoulder and let out a yowl of pain and the lighting around his neck suddenly shot volts pulsing into the attacker. She growled as she tightened her grip and her nose wrinkled at the smell of her own singed fur. Guntiver rolled hoping her grip would loosen, but she kept well fastened to him as he came back to his paws once more. He began to panic as her teeth were almost to the bone, when suddenly a hard barreling force rammed into the she wolf and sent her rolling off of the werewolf's back. Guntiver turned to see Scourge standing there his fangs clenched in a snarl as he glared at the she wolf. 'Thank you Scourge.'

'Who asked you to interfere?' Scouge used Guntiver's telepathic connection to speak to the werewolf. 'This is my battle and I'll kill anyone who gets in my way.'

'Then try fighting a battle on two fronts.' Guntiver growled while staring hard at him. 'I know you sense how strong she is. Allow me to fight at your side and I promise that when she is defeated, I will fight you…to the very end.'

Scourge turned to Guntiver realizing that he truly meant what he was saying. Scourge couldn't pass up the chance to get Guntiver in an inescapable battle to the death with nothing and no one to interfere, and then somewhere in the very back of his mind, Scourge knew that he could not defeat this she wolf on his own, though he would never admit to himself or to anyone else. 'Do what you want Gun, but if you live through this, then I will hold you to your word.' Guntiver nodded in agreement and the two took up together, ready to take on Nightshade who was already on her paws once more and ready for another fight.

Guntiver and Scourge took off towards her, their eyes filled with determination. Nightshade narrowed her eyes as she turned her head quickly from side to side, the two werewolves were now circling her. Then with no warning, she lashed out snapping at Guntiver's front paw. Guntiver let out howl of surprise and pain before beginning his attempts to jerk away from her toothy grip. Scourge lunged forward lifting up on his back feet and then coming down on her hindquarters and sinking his fangs into her left flank.

It was obvious that Nightshade was trying to break Guntiver's leg, but the lighting running through his body was giving her more trouble than she would of anticipated. The elemental wolf lashed out with his fangs biting into her ear and face in an effort to force her to release his leg. Nightshade finally gave him a fling to the side, before making a tight turn and slashing her claws across Scourge's face, but he only growled as he kept tearing at her flank, trying to dissemblance the she wolf.

Guntiver got back to his paws, ignoring the pain in his now throbbing and bleeding leg. He jumped at her, slamming his great forepaws on to her massive shoulders. He knew what Scourge was trying to do and he agreed with him. He too thought they stood a better chance if they could get the Lycan off her paws. Nightshade began to buckle under the Lycan and werewolf's combine weight, and finally she sunk to her feet as the two of them dug their teeth into her carcass. Guntiver lifted his jaws as he pressed down on her back, he locked his sights on the back of her neck. He reared back ready to slice his fangs into the tender flesh, when suddenly he felt the weight beneath his paws lifting upward. He and Scourge were suddenly lifted off as Nightshade threw them aside with new found strength.

The werewolf and Lycan got back to their paws, both growling with rage and confusion. How could she find such energy so quickly? Even Scourge was at a loss, and this angered him even more, due to the fact that his own powers were based on regeneration. He was breathing heavily as he felt a pulse run through his body, it was attempting to regeneration some of its strength and energy, but it was nothing like it should of been. He growled as he realized the wounds on his body had only stopped bleeding, but none of them had healed fully, and some hadn't even closed. He growled again as he mentally cursed himself for using so much of his power during his fight with Guntiver.

Guntiver had already throne himself back into battle. Scourge's eyes burned as he watched. He hated the thought of that Elemental lowlife fighting in a battle that should of been his alone, but more than that he knew that this could be the only chance he would get to observe the female's fighting style without interruption. His time was short lived as Nightshade suddenly turned away from her bout with Guntiver and sprang at Scourge. The Mystic dodged her assault, but just by the shortest hair of his pelt. He whipped around and turned his attacker into the victim as he bit down on her tail in an attempt to limit her movement.

'Hold her!' Guntiver's voice echoed in Scourge's head as his senses told him that the werewolf was galloping towards them.

'Hurry the hell up.' Scourge's voice rasped against the walls of Guntiver's mind.

'You think it will be so easy?' Scourge recognized the nail scraping voice that was now in his mind. He only growled and tightened his grip as he heard Nightshade's voice. 'I'm tired of playing with the two of you.' She turned so she was glaring at him her mighty wolf eyes meeting his. 'I think I'll take a rest while you finish it for me.' Scourged narrowed his eyes as if trying not to let his confusion show. Nightshade's eyes lit up as she looked at the Lycan griping her tail. Scourge growled through his clenched teeth as he suddenly felt his muscles tighten and the skin beneath his fur itched and burned as if it were full of fire ants. Suddenly as he felt the inner workings of his body struggling to do as he ordered; he realized what was happening to him now. Nightshade was inflicting the Lupus Gaze upon him!