Chapter 35: The Final Journey
All was quiet on the meadow that night. After the mysterious Shadow Mewtwo's attack, everyone returned to the meadow where Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles had scanned Eggmanland earlier that day. They made camp out there. Few words were spoken in that time, but as they began to go to sleep, the sound of quiet crying could be heard.
At least half of them cried themselves to sleep that night. Some of them were even crying in their sleep.
Naturally, Sonic's physical form wouldn't let him sleep at night, but even if it could, it wouldn't make a difference. He was completely restless as he paced across the grass, growling to himself every now and again. Eventually, he became so agitated that he let out a small roar. Tails and Knuckles woke with a start at this. When Sonic saw this, his face fell again.
"Sorry," he mumbled, gesturing to his legs. "If it wasn't for this, I'd be going running right about now."
"Is that how you deal with your problems?" Knuckles asked, raising an eyebrow (or whatever he had). "Just by running?"
"Hey, to be fair, it usually works," Tails insisted. "After all, it's his greatest strength."
"Not this time."
Sonic and Tails looked at him surprised. "Huh?"
"You can't run this time, Sonic," Knuckles went on. "Your speed is gone, and your heart is trapped. Speed alone can't save you from that. The only thing you can do is fight."
"What are you saying?" Sonic asked, puzzled.
"I'm saying that our battle isn't over yet. Eggman was just Mewtwo's pawn. Whatever Mewtwo's plan is now, we have to stop it."
"But how?" Tails asked. "You saw what kind of power Mewtwo has. How can we possibly hope to stand against that?"
"We have all seven Chaos Emeralds, don't we?" the echidna replied.
"That's true," Sonic murmured.
"But that's still not enough."
"What?" the other exclaimed, surprised once again.
"Speed can't save us," Knuckles continued, "and neither can unlimited power. We need more than that. We need unity. We need a bond that can't be broken. We need the power to come together as one and break the darkness with an unquenchable light."
Sonic and Tails looked at their friend, more puzzled than ever. Knuckles returned their gaze with a very serious expression as he finished his speech:
"We need Ash."
Sonic and Tails cringed at that. "Knuckles," Tails said, "Ash is gone. He got sucked into that void that Mewtwo created."
"Then we'll follow him there," Knuckles declared, holding up a fist. "We'll bring him back, and with his help, we will stop Mewtwo!"
"How do you know there's even something on the other side of that void?" Tails replied. "For all we know, it could just be oblivion!"
"No," Sonic shook his head. "Knuckles is right. Even if there's nothing on the other side, we can't give up on Ash without at least trying. He wouldn't give up on us like this, so we won't give up either!"
"Then what do you propose we do?" Tails asked.
"We leave immediately," Knuckles replied. "There's no time to lose."
"But we need a plan to follow," Tails insisted.
"I have a plan," Sonic replied, starting to walk away. "Follow me. Together, we're going to set Ash free!"
"You really think so?" Tails asked.
"Trust me," Sonic nodded, pumping his massive fist. "Together, we will find him and help him escape! Now let's go!" With that, he ran as fast as he could.
"You really think we'll make it through?" Tails asked Knuckles.
Knuckles just smirked. "Ohhhh, yeah."
It was still the middle of the night when someone in the camp woke up. They looked around and noticed that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were gone. Curious, they continued to look around and came across a note:
Hey guys.
Tails, Knuckles, and I are going to find Ash and save him from Mewtwo. We don't know where we're going right now, but if we can get in contact with you, we will. Later!
Furious, they slammed the note back on its place and stormed back to their bed. "Still holding onto hope, are they?" they snarled. "Fine, then. It doesn't matter. They can't stop the darkness: not now, oh no. It's far too late for that."
Sonic and his friends moved slowly across the landscape, searching for anything that could help them find their lost friend. "I said we needed a plan," Tails said, "and you didn't listen. Now look at us! We're wandering aimlessly!"
"Even if we had a plan," Knuckles insisted, "we'd still be wandering. We have no idea where to go."
"Then we look everywhere," Sonic said. "I won't rest until I've found the answer."
"There's the Sonic we know," Knuckles grinned. At that moment, the sun peeked over the horizon. The sky was starting to light up, and Sonic's form slowly reverted back to normal.
"No, check that," Tails grinned likewise. "There's the Sonic we know."
Sonic smiled at his friends. "Thanks, guys," he said. "There's a reason I call you guys my best friends." He held out his fist, and they did a three-way fist bump. "Well, we better keep moving. We can cover a lot more ground now."
Still wasting time, hedgehog?
They jumped on hearing the voice. Hovering over them was the mysterious Shadow Mewtwo.
"You!" Sonic shouted, pointing at him. "Where's Ash? What have you done with him?!"
Heheheheheheheh Mewtwo sneered. You truly believe your precious Ash is still alive? You watched my attack swallow him up. Why do you still hold onto hope?
"We won't give up on him," Sonic replied, fists clenched at his sides, "just like he wouldn't give up on us!"
Hmph! Mewtwo grunted, folding his arms. Insolent hedgehog. Very well. Your precious Ash is still alive. Their eyes widened in excitement. I am sparing his life...for the moment. His eyes glowed with dark energy. But he cannot escape. From now on, he belongs...TO ME.
"Oh, really?" Knuckles growled, punching his fists together.
"You won't get away with this!" Tails shouted.
"You may have taken him as a prisoner," Sonic grit his teeth, "and you may have bound him, but you will never keep him! I've seen him break the worst kind of bonds anyone can put on him, and he'll break your bond, too!"
Mewtwo looked down at the trio with amusement. Your determination is admirable he said sincerely. But it makes little difference. He turned his back to them. Don't fret yourselves. I don't wish to kill Ash.
"What?" they murmured, puzzled. Sonic looked uneasy.
It'd be a pity to take such a valuable life Mewtwo chuckled darkly, turning his head back to them. He'll be far more valuable to me...as a vessel for my power. HehehaHAHAHAHAHA! He laughed maliciously as he shot across the sky towards a distant mountain.
"NO!" Sonic screamed in horror. His eyes narrowed in anger, and he leapt headfirst down the cliff they stood on. Tails and Knuckles swiftly followed.
Shadow looked around him, observing the ancient mountain with curiosity. "What a strange place," he murmured.
"It's the Dragon's Nest," Cynthia explained, slowly rubbing the ground with her hand. She picked up a pinch of dust and examined it. "This is a sacred place. There are few who know of its existence, and fewer still who can brave the treacherous climb to reach it."
"So why are we here?" he asked.
"There's a large reservoir of Gaia energy in this mountain," she said. "It's an ideal place to conduct research."
I'm afraid your project's going on hold...INDEFINITELY.
"Oh no!" Shadow exclaimed.
Shadow Mewtwo flew over their heads and came to a stop, hovering slightly above them and looking at them with contempt. We meet again, Shadow the Hedgehog he sneered. I don't suppose you wish to fight me once again?
"You know the answer to that," Shadow growled. "But let's cut the banter short. Why are you here?"
Oh, I didn't come for you the sinister Pokemon chuckled. You are no longer a threat to me, though I must confess you were the closest competition for a while. No. I came here to lure a few of your friends into a trap.
"A trap?" Cynthia's eyes widened.
"What sort of trap?" Shadow asked uneasily.
They're hunting me down, and so I shall lead them into my own dimension!
"What?!" Cynthia cried.
"Relax, Cynthia," Shadow said. "I'm guessing the 'friends' he's talking about include Sonic. He might be an idiot at times, but even I can say that he's not stupid enough to follow you blindly into oblivion."
I suppose you're right Shadow Mewtwo chuckled darkly. But if you give them the proper motivation he hissed, putting his palms together and pulling them apart, revealing an image, they'll do whatever you ask.
Shadow looked at the image. His eyes widened in horror. "No...it can't be!"
"Ash?" Cynthia whispered.
The image faded. Their precious Ash is my prisoner! With him in my dimension, nothing will stop that foolish hedgehog from following us there!
Shadow's horror swiftly gave way to rage as he glared up at the evil Pokemon with hatred. "You..." he snarled. "You dare harm Ash?! I'LL FLOOD THIS WHOLE MOUNTAIN WITH YOUR BLOOD!" He leapt up and kicked Mewtwo square in the chest. Mewtwo was caught off-guard and got slammed into a wall, but he quickly recovered, hovering menacingly over them again.
So he growled you still have some fight left in you after all, hm? Then perhaps you can spare some for my little friend! His eyes began to glow brightly as a loud roar shook the whole mountain. Then, a large patch of ground cracked as something began to emerge from beneath. Then, with a massive explosion of dust, a huge, black, serpentine dragon erupted into the air and flew around menacingly before coming back down to face Shadow. Its eyes glowed a bright lavender rather than its usual golden.
"A Rayquaza!" Cynthia exclaimed.
Normally I'd wait to let you meet your demise properly Shadow Mewtwo sneered. But you've been a thorn in my side too long, Shadow. Rayquaza! Destroy him!
Rayquaza reared its head back, a massive ball of energy forming in its mouth. Then, with a mighty roar, it threw the ball of energy at Shadow. He leapt out of the way, but the impact left a massive crater in its wake. "That power!" Cynthia cried.
Rayquaza's already a powerful beast as he normally is, especially in THIS, his Mega form! But with my power added to his, he is invincible!
Cynthia reached inside her signature trench coat and pulled out a Pokeball. "Forgive me if I test that theory," she said with determination. "Go, Garchomp!" She threw the ball and released her most powerful Pokemon.
"Garrr!" Garchomp snarled.
"Okay, Garchomp! Let's give this monster a taste of true power. Use Dragon Rush!"
"Graaaaaaaa!" Garchomp roared, shooting forward as a light blue aura enveloped her body. She slammed into Rayquaza, and the legendary dragon roared in pain.
What?! Shadow Mewtwo exclaimed. You...you actually caused him pain? Impossible!
"Nothing is impossible," Cynthia replied, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.
Hmph. It makes no matter. I will still destroy you all the same! With that, Rayquaza reared back its head once again and fired another blast of energy. It struck Garchomp in the chest and knocked her back, clearly taking a toll. Then the dragon swung its tail at her, knocking her to the side.
"Garchomp! No!" Cynthia cried, running up to her.
Face it, puny human Mewtwo sneered. What hope have you to defeat the two most powerful Pokemon in the world? Rayquaza! Finish them off!
Rayquaza rose into the sky, leered down at that, and prepared to fire a Hyper Beam. It fired, and Cynthia and Garchomp braced themselves for the worst. But the beam stopped just short of hitting them, being held back by a source of immense power.
What?! Shadow Mewtwo exclaimed again. What is this?!
"I may be weak," the voice of Shadow growled, "but I can still defend against even the most powerful attack! And by my promise...I WILL!" With that, he condensed the Hyper Beam into his hands and shot it straight back at Rayquaza, knocking it into the stone wall. Defeated, the powerful Pokemon fell and dissolved into nothingness.
"What?" Cynthia whispered, looking at where it used to be. "It just...disappeared."
My own creation Shadow Mewtwo said. I thought perhaps pure dark energy would be able to put an end to your resistance. Seems I was wrong. But it makes little matter. I just needed to find something to do while I waited for your friends to show up. All that time spent in my dimension with nothing to do...it's always nice when a fight breaks out, wouldn't you agree? Though, to be frank, I prefer fights where someone dies in the end.
"You," Shadow growled, panting heavily. "Do you have no respect for life? Why do you kill like this? What made you into such a monster?"
Monster? Mewtwo glared at him. You dare call me monster? Hmph. But I suppose it's only fair that I answer your question. NO. I have no respect for any life whatsoever. Everything in this world exists for me, and for me alone. I use it and dispose of it as I see fit. So if you want to get on my good side, I suggest you lay down and die!
Shadow and Cynthia were in shock. "How…" Cynthia whispered. "How can you live like that? How can you –?"
"Save your breath, Cynthia," Shadow stopped her. "There's no reasoning with him. He's far beyond the point of no return. There's only one way to end his madness: we have to destroy him."
I'm afraid that's impossible Mewtwo sneered. I am the most powerful Pokemon in the world. You cannot defeat me. What power do you have that can match my own?
"I don't know," Shadow admitted. "But I know that, one way or another, we will defeat you."
So sure, are you?
"Watch me," Shadow growled, stepping forward. "It'll be easy: like killing a flower."
Then why don't you show me Mewtwo replied, fading away, in my own dimension.
Shadow watched as Mewtwo faded away, clenching his fists. "Damn it," he cursed, then turned back to Cynthia. "We have to stop him."
"How?" Cynthia asked. "We can barely lay a scratch on him."
"We have to go into his dimension," he replied. "If we can defeat him on his home turf, there will be no escape for him."
"Even if we could get to his dimension –"
"Without the Chaos Emeralds, that's impossible," Shadow growled. "But how can we get them in time?"
"Just say please!"
The two of them whirled around to see Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles standing to the side. "Sonic!" Cynthia exclaimed.
"Hey there, Cynthia!" Sonic winked. "Long time no see, right?"
"Right," she chuckled.
"What are you doing here?" Shadow asked.
"We were following Shadow Mewtwo," Tails explained. "He kidna–"
"I know, I know," Shadow interrupted him. "He told me everything." He folded his arms and closed his eyes, turning away slightly. "I suppose you plan to go after him."
"Yeah," Sonic nodded. "What else can we do?"
"Nothing," Shadow shook his head. "But I have to warn you: Mewtwo told me that this is a trap. Ash is the bait."
"It doesn't matter," Sonic replied. "Without him, we stand no chance against Shadow Mewtwo. We have to save him."
"So how do we find him?" Knuckles wondered, kicking a rock.
"He's in another dimension," Shadow explained. "The only way to get to him is with a dimensional rift. You're going to need –"
"Lemme guess," Sonic smirked. "We need Chaos Control."
"Yes," Shadow nodded. "How many emeralds do you have?" Sonic closed his eyes, and the Chaos Emeralds appeared around him. Shadow's eyes widened. "All seven," he said.
"You think this'll be enough?" Sonic asked.
"More than enough, maybe," Shadow said. "You could probably create two dimensional portals with all of these."
"Hm," Tails mused. "Maybe we should make one for our friends back at the meadow."
"Is that really a good idea, though?" Knuckles asked. "There could be trouble."
"No," Sonic shook his head. "Everyone has a stake in this mission. We'll bring them along. Then, with all of us together, we'll find Ash and save him."
"Count me in, too," Shadow stepped forward. "I may not be at full power, but I still have enough to lend some help."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Sonic grinned. With that, the Chaos Emeralds rose into the air, and Sonic and Shadow raised their hands up. Then, they simultaneously cried:
"CHAOS CONTROL!"
A massive, swirling vortex of dark energy emerged before them. Sonic turned to his friends with determination. "This is it," he said. "When we enter this portal, we should be in Mewtwo's dimension. From there, our goal is clear: find Ash, save him, and defeat Shadow Mewtwo."
"Let's do it," Tails nodded.
"For Ferrum," Knuckles said, "and for the whole world."
"For the people we love," Shadow nodded.
"And most of all," Sonic said, turning to the portal, fists and teeth clenched, "FOR ASH!" With that, they leapt into the portal. Cynthia stayed behind and watched as the portal vanished.
"Be strong, Sonic," she whispered, a hand over her heart.