CHAIN OF MEMORIES: SONIC'S TALE
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Chapter Thirty-Five: Lord of Castle Oblivion, Part 3
Last time on Chain of Memories:
Terro, who was revealed to be a traitor to the Order, turned against Duskmon in hopes of getting closer to the Superior. The two titans clashed ruthlessly, but the Shadowed Wraith held an advantage over his foe. Terro was eventually forced to use his ultimate weapon: Kuasagan. But Duskmon eventually discovered the weakness of the eye technique and eliminated any remaining threat the rogue posed. The battle eventually crossed paths with Sonic, who was forced to make a difficult choice: save Kumori or protect Terro. Unfortunately, the decision was forced out of his hand and Terro took his own life.
The scene returns to the final floor of Castle Oblivion towards the final room remaining in the towering structure. Sonic and his team were seen dashing through the seemingly endless hallways, neither stopping for Heartless or to rest. The Keyblade Master was not willing to stop until he saw this mission through. Not only had Duskmon captured Kumori, but he had also forced Terro to surrender himself so that the heroes could move on. All along, Terro had been secretly protecting them from the shadows without revealing his identity till the last minute. The only thing the cobalt hedgehog regretted is not being able to thank him.
"He shouldn't have suffered like that!" Sonic thought furiously. "Terro was only fighting for what he believed in."
"You heard what the king said." Dark Sonic said. "The reason Terro joined the Seekers was to prevent a full conflict from breaching the other worlds. For that, Terro was willing to infiltrate the Order and die for the cause."
"The Order and the Seekers..." Sonic growled. "They're the reason Terro was put through so much pain. After I finish, Duskmon, I'm taking them both out next!"
Dark Sonic remained silent, not giving his opinion on the situation. The Keyblade Master only just noticed that the hallway was reaching its end as the surrounding suddenly expanded. The Sonic Team screeched to a halt as they entered the final chamber of the castle, which contained only black white wall and a floral-pattern door at the end. As to be expected, Duskmon resided in the heart of the room with Kumori securely at his side.
"So you have finally made." Duskmon said lightly. "I am not surprised. The Keyblade is a truly marvelous weapon. I have longed to make it my own since I witnessed its power in the hands of your shadow."
"Don't try to psyche me out with your random speeches." Sonic said spitefully. "Just let Kumori go free and we can settle this once and for all."
"You have no authority in this matter." Duskmon stated, touching Kumori's shoulder with his skulled hand. "Kumori, I have one final mission for you: erase Sonic's memory!"
The feminine hedgehog gasped horrifically at the order. Silver and the others also stiffened once the words had breached the wraith's lips – Sonic had turned pale. Everyone who was present knew that the Chain of Memories was the only thing that kept a heart from collapsing upon itself, preventing them from becoming empty shells.
"But...if I do that..." Kumori murmured fearfully.
"You already know." Duskmon chuckled malevolently. "Just like Tomo, Sonic's heart will be destroyed and utterly erase his existence. Though I would have preferred him unmarred, he has become too difficult to handle."
"And what would you get out of destroying his heart?" Storm questioned.
"Oog cheeca!" Angel yelled.
"What is destroyed can also be rebuilt." Duskmon proclaimed. "With time, he can be properly adapted to a form of my own liking." He glared down at the memory witch. "Kumori, fulfill your duty."
"No!" Kumori shouted defiantly; her tone was suddenly confident "Sonic forgave me even after deceived him, so I could I just simply destroy his heart?! This is the reason Terro allowed me to go free – to stop following what you say! He trusted me to make things right!"
"So now what?" Duskmon questioned monotonously.
"I don't care what you do to me." Kumori glared, stepping away from the wraith. "But no matter what you say, I refuse to be your slave anymore. To honor Terro's memory, I will use my power to fight back against you!"
"You pathetic fool." Duskmon sneered, slowly raising his arm. "Your powers are inefficient against our kind. And if you won't serve me any longer..."
"Do it, Kumori!" Sonic interjected, surprising a majority of the audience. "I don't care anymore! You can erase my memory!"
"What are you saying, mate?!" Marine screamed frantically.
"Think about it, Marine." Sonic said solemnly. "If Kumori's gone, how will I be able to keep my promise to Terro? He trusted me enough to look out for her. And if I let anything happen to her, then what kind of a friend am I?" He directed his attention to the memory witch. "So just do it, Kumori. Erase my memories and destroy my heart – I promise that I will always protect you."
"Sonic..." Kumori murmured softly.
"I don't need any memories to take down a coward like Duskmon." Sonic grinned.
"And you forgot one crucial thing." Silver said confidently, placing a hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "Even if Sonic does forget, which wouldn't surprise me, the four of us will never forget."
"That's right!" Marine cheered. "Me and my mates will remember everything for Sonic!"
"See?" Sonic said happily. "I'll have all my friend's memories so that I can piece my own together again."
"You ignorant fool." Duskmon growled dangerously. "If Kumori uses her powers to erase your memory, you'll be nothing but an empty shell like me. Your heart will no longer be able to feel or to care, just that pathetic shell we transformed Tomo into."
"Take another guess!"
The Sonic Team and Kumori staggered backwards at the sudden call while Duskmon's eyes narrowed cautiously. Sonic snapped his attention upwards as a portal of darkness ripped open above them, expelling a shadowed blur. Duskmon's attention slipped away from Kumori and forced the Shadowed Wraith to jump backwards actively. Kumori swiftly jogged behind Storm while the other stared in awe at the newcomer.
"Tomo?" Sonic asked shockingly.
"Surprised to see me, eh?" Tomo grinned deviously with her katana raised; her Dark Suit was still present. "Believe me, I had a hard time getting over the shock as well."
"That can't be." Duskmon said defiantly. "Kumori destroyed your heart – you shouldn't be alive. I left you as an empty shell lying eternally on the ground. How can you still resist after having everything taken from you?"
"What was really taken from me?" Tomo asked rhetorically. "My life on the Islands? My friendship with Sonic and Kumori? Those were only lies that were shattered the moment Kumori accidentally used her powers to attack me. When I woke up, all my true memories resurfaced and I realized my goal – to find King Jet and my brother. But..." She clutched her fist tightly. "I made a promise that intend to keep even if it's just a lie! I will protect Kumori with my life!"
"You irksome maggot!!" Duskmon roared furiously. "You unknowingly shackle your hearts with the Chain of Memories born of lies! You would be one as a heart, but cast aside your hearts freedom! I no longer care for the Keyblade or it master! The only thing I wish...is to see you dead!!!"
The Shadowed Wraith grabbed the cloak by his left shoulder and swiftly ripped it away from his body. The dark warrior was revealed to be wearing a suit of pure black armor with red plating along his legs, arms, and his ribcage. To add onto his demonic appearance, seven blaring-red eyeballs were placed on his feet, kneecaps, shoulders, with the largest resting over his chest. The Shadowed Wraith threw out his skulled hands, unsheathing his crimson swords. Sonic instantly jumped to Tomo's side with his Keyblade in hand.
"You turn from the truth because your heart is weak!" Duskmon snarled. "You will never defeat me!"
Shadowed Wraith: Duskmon
"Let's go, mate!" Marine shouted eagerly with her fists raised. "We'll take him out together!"
"Ih!" Angel nodded.
"Stay where you are." Sonic commanded, much to the surprise of his friends. "If we're all fighting together, Duskmon will have a clear shot of reaching Kumori and taking her hostage. The four of you need to work together to make sure that doesn't happen."
"But..." Storm said sadly.
"We have to trust him, Storm." Silver said sagely. "If we don't let him fight on his own terms, he'll never be able to learn from his experience and continue to grow. That's why King Jet told him the truth – only Sonic can stop the war."
"Think you got room for one more?" Tomo asked sarcastically.
"I'm sure we'll find some space." Sonic replied jokingly.
"You two may laugh." Duskmon glared. "But in the end, you are nothing."
The Shadowed Wraith took one step forward, sending the two warriors on guard, and blurred out of sight a moment later. The cobalt hedgehog was completely lost at what had occurred, but Tomo was already one step ahead. The Kunochi Chameleon instantly pushed her ally to the side while swinging her katana backwards, effectively blocking Duskmon's stab. But while Tomo was only able to avoid one of the wraith's swords, Duskmon quickly swung his second blade around for a counterattack. Fortunately enough, Sonic used his speed to jump between the two and prevent the attack with his Keyblade. Both oppositions struggled to stand firm as they pushed against one another until Sonic decided to take matters into his own hand. The cobalt hedgehog swiped a card from his gauntlet and tossed it to Duskmon's feet. It was only good fortune that the card turned out to be lightning, which ignited between the trio and forced them into opposite directions. Tomo and Sonic were able to avoid the electrical current, but so was Duskmon.
"Speed and strength." Tomo contemplated. "That's a very bad combination if you're looking to fight someone."
"But we have the advantage." Sonic said confidently. "There are two of us and only one of him. And besides that, we're experienced warriors who were able to fight off guys like Roodaka and Mewtwo."
"Mewtwo was useless and Roodaka was overconfident." Tomo stated shortly. "The only true path to victory is a level head. A duel is more of a mental battle rather than a physical one. You must take into account of your opponent's movements, actions, speed, attitude, and strategic awareness. And judging from what I've seen in these few short moments, he isn't going to be a push over."
"When are they ever?" Sonic said, rolling his eyes.
"Are you quite though?" Duskmon said coolly. "Because I am a very busy man and I have a few loose ends to deal with before I take over the Order."
"You ain't taking over anything." Sonic stated seriously. "Not as long as we have anything to say about it."
"But in a moment, you won't be saying anything." Duskmon said calmly.
The Shadowed Wraith extended his blades in opposite directions, keeping the defiant warriors alert. Sonic and Tomo watched as the dark swordsman unblinkingly traveled his swords in a wide, circular motion. And for that moment, both fighters began believing that they were staring into the face of a crimson-red moon – they were mesmerized. Tomo's stance slackened and Sonic's grip was slowly coming loose before a sharp voice snapped his attention back.
"WAKE UP!!" Dark Sonic yelled.
"Wha?" Sonic mumbled.
The illusion broke and the cobalt hedgehog found himself returning to the empty room within Castle Oblivion. Sonic soon realized that Duskmon was making a charge with his swords crossed and the other heroes were yelling to wake them up. The Keyblade Master looked at his partner and realized she was still trapped within the illusion as the Shadowed Wraith made his final descent. Acting on the spur of the moment, Sonic swiftly captured Tomo by her shoulder and dragged her down to the floor with him as Duskmon passed overhead. The moment passed before Tomo suddenly regained her senses.
"Huh? What happened?" Tomo said dazed.
"Impressive." Dark Sonic complimented. "He used a mixture of illusion and close range combat to compliment one another. The victim is caught in a trance and remains unaware of what's going on around him."
"You can ask for his autograph later." Sonic replied.
"Heh! I had forgotten." Duskmon scoffed. "In your body, two minds inhabit that vessel. That would explain why Kumori's memory swipe took longer to take full effect."
"Two minds, eh?" Tomo said jokingly. "I always knew you were some freak of nature."
"Uh...the villain's over there." Sonic scowled pointedly.
But the cobalt hedgehog's accuracy was off as the Shadowed Wraith began running along the wall – his lower blade scraping across the polished floor. The dark swordsman kicked off the wall and flipped over the animalistic warriors with both swords stretched outwards. The unusual tactic threw off Sonic's precision and only watched as the Keyblade was suddenly knocked out his hand by the shadow user. Seeing that the Keyblade Master was defenseless, Duskmon rebounded off the floor and stabbed both swords swiftly in hopes of killing the rodent. His plans were once again foiled as Tomo stepped in front and crafted her blade to block both swords at once. The Kunochi Chameleon and Shadowed Wraith were locked in a forced stalemate as Sonic only stared at them.
"If you have time to watch..." Tomo struggled. "You might want to grab your weapon."
"Oh, right!" Sonic said swiftly.
"You have some nerve, lizard." Duskmon commented as Sonic jumped for his Keyblade. "First you trespass on the hollowed grounds of Castle Oblivion and now you dare to fight its master. I will admit that you have great courage."
"You're not so scary." Tomo stated, trying to keep her balance. "I've seen worse in a children's book."
"You mindless dribble annoys me." Duskmon hissed. "So you'll have to be dealt swiftly."
Seeing as how both warriors were caught in a stalemate, Tomo didn't take his threat very seriously. That proved to be her greatest blunder. With the Shadowed Wraith was trapped with his swords, he redirected a fraction of his energy into the large eye pressed into his torso. The Kunochi Chameleon soon realized that the optic armor had inherited a menacing-red glow, but she was too close to avoid the assault. Duskmon expelled a powerful red beam from his chest, which completely enveloped the feminine warrior. But thanks to the shielding powers of the darkness, Tomo crashed against the wall with only a set of minor burns covering her body. The chameleon dropped her sword and slumped close to the ground – alive, but weak.
"That was simple enough." Duskmon stated, turning to his left to face Sonic. "Now that only leaves you, Keyblade Master."
"If you want me, come and get me." Sonic challenged.
"It doesn't have to be this way." Duskmon said persuasively. "I know you seek to destroy the Order like I do. With them out of the way, you will be one step closer to completing your destiny."
"How did you...?" Sonic stammered.
"Don't you remember what I said about your father being alive?" Duskmon questioned pointedly. "That's the one answer the king of Babylon Garden was unable to find. Join my cause and I will teach you many things that no one else will be able to tell you."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Sonic shook.
"What?" Duskmon questioned confused.
"Why spoil the ending?" Sonic chuckled playfully. "I'm gonna see this thing through and find out about my parents without your help. Just like I told Terro."
The Shadowed Wraith knew from that instant the Sonic was no longer going to be persuaded. Duskmon raised his swords and stabbed forward multiple times with the Cobalt hedgehog miraculously following his fluid movements. Sonic elegantly ducked and parried a majority of Duskmon's strikes, but his attention was more focus on the swords instead the rest. This allowed the Shadowed Wraith to deliver a swift kick to the Keyblade Master's chin, sending him tumbling backwards. Duskmon was not going to waste this opportunity and returned the crimson swords to the depths of his skull. By the time Sonic recovered from the shock, he noticed a difference in Duskmon's tactics. The Shadowed Wraith was holding his hand forward with a surge of energy radiating from the skulls and all seven eyes on his armor.
"I am giving you this final opportunity." Duskmon said threateningly. "Will you join me?"
"Not in this life or the next." Sonic answered.
"Pity." Duskmon said monotonously. "Deadly Gaze!"
Instantly, nine separate beams of crimson-red energy shot from the dark swordsman and carved a direct path for the Keyblade Master. Sonic was at a loss. How could one hedgehog with a single Keyblade block nine simultaneous lasers?
"Who said it was just one?" Dark Said cryptically.
With that one thought coursing through his mind, Sonic quickly realized what needed to be done. The cobalt hedgehog swiftly released all restraints separating him from his Heartless persona and allowed their energies to mingle into one entity. Sonic's eyes turned entirely white and two separate powers emerged in each of his hands. The Oathkeeper flashed into view within the hedgehog's right hand while the Oblivion emerged in his left from the darkness itself. As the nine beams of light edged closer to its target, the Keyblade Master assumed an unknown stance with one blade under his arm and the other over his head. And then it happened. Sonic sliced and curved his Keyblades at such a rapid pace that not even Duskmon was able to follow his movements. In a miraculous turn of events, the cobalt hedgehog deflects all nine lasers and redirected them...straight back at their originator. As his own power returned, only one thought ran through Duskmon's head.
"This is the power of the Keyblade..."
Without a hint of concern, the Shadow Wraith dropped backwards to the ground as all nine beams stabbed directly through his body. Against all odds, despite the difference in their powers, Sonic the Hedgehog had managed to overcome the lord of Castle Oblivion. The gathered heroes watched in astonishment as the great swordsman was devoured in a mixture of darkness and an unknown white aura.
Duskmon: defeated
"You did it, mate!" Marine cheered wildly.
"Akatta!!" Angel screamed as she back flipped.
"I hate to admit it, but you did well." Tomo grinned softly. She was leaning against Kumori's shoulder while limping closer to the Keyblade Master, but seemed rather pleased with herself. "The good news is that this nightmare is finally over. The ugly brute is gone."
"You could say that in a way."
The heroes gasped and swiftly turned on their heels to the direction of approaching tone. Much to the shock of the gathered members, a portal of darkness emerged closer to the floral-designed door, leaving behind the form of Duskmon. He appeared to be physically unharmed – he was still wearing his Order cloak.
"However, what you destroyed was merely an illusion of me." Duskmon proclaimed.
"So what!" Tomo yelled angrily. Ignoring the warnings of her allies, the chameleon warrior threw her katana straight to the swordsman's forehead. However, the weapon merely stabbed itself to the wall as Duskmon's imagine faded. "Damn it! It was just another copy!"
Sonic and the rest of the group moved across the hall and approached the door – Tomo recovered her weapon a short while after. Even though they had no idea what lied beyond it, the door seemed to hold a great fear over the heroes. Never before had Sonic felt such killer intent since his first meeting with Mephiles. They could feel it – the power stored beyond the polished gateway.
"Is he really...in there?" Sonic whispered softly.
"Yes." Kumori nodded. "You can sense the great destruction radiating from his presence, trying to destroy your heart. This fight will be like nothing you have ever imagined."
"Then we'll just have to take him together." Storm urged strongly.
"That's no longer an option." Kumori proclaimed, crushing their hopes. "Even if you learned the secret of the cards, Duskmon controls the domain beyond this point. The only one who can defy his orders is Sonic. This is a fight he must face alone."
"What about me?" Tomo asked. "He doesn't control me anymore."
"You have to stay here, Tomo." Sonic said seriously. "We can't afford letting Duskmon get a chance to slip by and take Kumori while we're not looking. And besides, you're still injured from the last fight."
"But I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Tomo glared.
"You'll be keeping your promise." Sonic said kindly. "So just stay here and protect Kumori."
"All right...you win." Tomo nodded, looking back to the doorway. "Be careful, Sonic. From this point, there will be no turning back. It's either victory or destruction. So...are you ready for this?"
That was the same question running through his mind. Was he ready for this? The Keyblade Master's memories were still fractured, Duskmon controlled the region ahead, and he would be fighting alone. But a sharp jab from Dark Sonic's thoughts reminded him that he was never alone. His friends might not be there physically, but they were still fighting alongside him in his heart. He had many reasons to fight: Marine, Angel, Storm, Silver, Tomo, Espio, Kumori, his mother, his father....and Terro. With the fire of confidence burning in his eyes, Sonic took hold of the handles and pressed forward into the unknown.
The final conflict is approaching fast. Will Sonic be able to defeat the unstoppable Duskmon? Will the Keyblade Master fulfill his destiny and recover his memory? Or will Duskmon's shadow devour him? Find out on the next Chain of Memories!
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