KINGDOM HEARTS: SONIC VERSION
Chapter Thirty-Four: Ready for Departure
"Tell me what happened." Metal said.
After narrowly escaping a hoard of ravenous heartless, Sonic and his friends, along with Amy, departed from Hollow Bastion. Upon Sonic's suggestion, the gang hastened towards Traverse Town, hoping Metal would be able to help. Unfortunately, upon arriving, they were swarmed by a crowd of Wyvern Heartless. If not for Omega's excellent timing, they would never have made it to the house. Amy and Angel sat on the bed with Tikal as Sonic, with Marine, Storm and Silver's help, explained the whole incident at Hollow Bastion. From the Keyblade to Dark Sonic. Once finished, Metal looked in deep thought.
"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Metal said. "Mephiles always did seem the type to give into the darkness."
"You knew him?" Amy asked surprised.
"Metal was once a maintenance robot created by Mephiles." Tikal explained. "When Mephiles began experimenting on the heart, he transformed Metal into a biomechanical being by giving him a heart."
"But once I realized what Mephiles was doing, I detached myself from him." Metal continued. "But right now, we have something bigger to worry about."
"Like what?" Storm asked.
"Cream has reported that there are more Heartless in town than ever." Tikal said. "She has been busy rescuing those who haven't already been turned into one of them."
"The darkness is growing stronger with every passing second." Metal stated. "And now I know why. When you left Hollow Bastion, you forgot to close something very important."
"THE KEYHOLE!!" The Sonic Team screamed.
"I can't believe we forgot to close it before we left." Silver growled, hitting himself for his stupidity.
"Well, we were kind of distracted at the moment." Angel said sympathetically. "With Mephiles coming back and Sonic being turned into a heartless, it's enough to make anyone forget."
"She right." Metal nodded. "There's no point in beating yourself up."
"All right, so all we've got to do is seal the keyhole, right?" Sonic questioned.
"Maybe." Metal said hesitantly. "But no one knows what will happen once the keyhole is sealed."
"But we can't just stand here!" Sonic exclaimed, causing everyone but Metal to jump. "We've got to do something! The Heartless are running around mad and Mephiles still has Espio under his control."
"That's right; you still have one more friend to save." Metal said calmly. "From what you have told me, Espio forged a False Keyblade through Mephiles. I haven't seen one of those since the Keyblade War. From what I can remember, they're usually forged from some type of energy." He looked in Amy's direction. "My guess is that it was created by the captive princess's hearts. But without Amy's, it was incomplete and powerless. Now that it's destroyed, the princesses should be awake by now." He looked back to Sonic. "Don't worry, Sonic. If anyone can save Espio, you can."
"And you won't do it alone, mate." Marine said.
"Cause we'll be with ya till the end." Storm said.
"You can count on me." Angel grinned.
Sonic felt his heart soar with his friends surrounding and supporting him. But the only one who didn't seem eager was Silver. Sonic knew he was still putting himself down for betraying them. Like Sonic, the others were also taking notice of this. They stared at the Babylon mystic for a moment before he turned to them. Greatly enough, he stared back and gave them a sign of confidence.
"Don't worry about a thing, Sonic." Silver smirked. "Nothing can go wrong while I'm around."
"Thanks...Master Silver." Sonic bowed respectfully.
"Master Silver?" Silver repeated. "Great, now I'm feeling old."
The others had a good laugh at the hedgehog's expense. Suddenly, the door flew open and Everyone was fast to react. Sonic and Metal drew their weapons, Silver prepared a spell, Storm clenched his fist, Angel growled, Marine readied her blasts. They sighed in relief when they realized it was just Cream and Shahra.
"Good, I thought we were in danger." Metal said, putting away his sword.
"Hello to you, too, Metal." Shahra said sarcastically. She looked around the room and noticed Sonic and the group. "Oh, Sonic, I thought I would find you somewhere around here."
"What are you doing here, Shahra?" Sonic asked.
"I was fighting some Heartless in the Second District when I ran into Shahra." Cream explained. "She helped me save a pink dragon from the Heartless and asked to help look for you."
"A pink dragon." Marine said thoughtfully. "Where does that sound familiar?"
"That sounds like Ember." Storm said. "You know: the dragon Spyro is looking for."
"What's she doing here?" Angel asked.
"She said she wanted to find Spyro." Shahra explained. "She doesn't know why, but her heart somehow led her to this town. After Cream and I saved her from the Heartless, we left her in the care of Salla, the Egg-Keeper."
"Then we oughta go visit her." Angel said excitingly.
"Yeah, we could reunite Spyro and Ember again." Sonic smiled. "And I can give back the rest of these dragon eggs."
"Where do you even keep those things?" Angel asked curiously.
"Um...some things are better left secret." Sonic said awkwardly. "Anyway, let's just hurry to Salla's place."
"Before you go, perhaps you would like me to revive that summoning stone." Shahra said kindly.
"How does she know this stuff?!" Sonic yelled.
"How did she know Sonic had a stone?" Amy whispered to Silver.
"Between you and me," Silver replied lowly. "Shahra excelled in mind reading during our training days."
Amy giggled from the information and at Sonic's dumbfounded expression. Sonic reached into his quills for the red stone he found from Black Doom's remains. Shahra graciously took it into her hands and scanned the contents within the stone.
"This spirit is...an unusual one." Shahra said strangely.
"What do you mean?" Angel asked.
"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Shahra said.
Shahra waved a hand over the red stone, enveloping it in the usual glow. Silver and Storm were chosen and a ghostly figure to a solid form and erupted from the stone in a flash of light. Sonic and his friends were used to the light by now, but it blinded the others, including Metal. When the light faded, a new creature appeared at Shahra's feet. The creature resembled a purple fox with some dinosaur features around its face. He had a small pair of black wings and a red jewel on his forehead.
"Aww, it's cute." Amy and Cream said simultaneously; the guys rolled their eyes.
"Whoa, what a ride." The creature said. He looked around and noticed his watchers. "Ahh! Freaks!"
"Who are you calling a freak?!" Angel exclaimed.
"METAL CANNON!" The creature yelled.
Much to everyone's surprise, the strange creature started spitting cannon balls from its mouth. The group scrambled to get out the way of its line of fire. Shahra tried to make a grab for it, but the creature jumped out of the way into a corner. As it continued its assault, Metal quickly kicked up the bed and used the mattress to soften the blows. Sonic made a quick grab for Amy and Shahra and dived down behind the bed with the others.
"Bonza! It he wasn't trying to kill us; that would actually be cool!" Marine cheered.
"We have to find a way to calm him down." Sonic said. "Maybe one of us should go and stop him from firing at us."
"Thanks for volunteering, Sonic." Metal said.
"Say what?" Sonic questioned.
Before he even had a chance to realize it, Metal grabbed Sonic by the scruff of his neck and threw him over. At once, the strange creature started firing cannonballs once the blue hedgehog was in sight. Sonic quickly rolled away and dived for the little monster. But the creature slinked its way from under Sonic's grip. The creature prepared to fire again until he realized that Sonic had thrown his Keyblade. The Keyblade's guard ring smacked across the creature's face, rendering him temporarily dazed. Metal saw this and quickly grasped the creature by its tail and snapping its mouth shut. With the little monster caught, the other heroes slowly made their way out of their hiding place.
"Well, that was...interesting." Amy said awkwardly.
"Who know such a cute little thing could be so deadly." Cream said.
"And so feisty." Metal said.
The creature struggled in Metal's hands, trying to get free, but it was no go for him. The creature slowly started to calm down once it realized that they weren't going to harm it. Once it had stopped struggling, Metal gently placed him on the floor.
"Now that we're all settled down," Sonic said calmly. "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" The creature said dramatically. "Who am I? I am the Knight of Legends, the Sovereign of Salvation, and the greatest hero the Digital World has ever seen. I go by many names, but you may call me Dorumon."
"Uh...right." Tikal sweat dropped. "But about your world, it's kinda..."
"The denizens of our world shall fear no more!" Dorumon interrupted dramatically. "Know only that the great protector of the Digital word will always be there to protect our home from the darkness!"
"Uh...Mr. Protector, your world is destroyed." Angel interrupted curtly.
"Oh...this is a bit awkward." Dorumon said.
"You're telling us." Sonic said. "But, you can still help protect the rest of the worlds. Those Heartless are everywhere, trying to take over every world. With your help, we'll be that much closer to defeating them for good."
"Hmm, I like your style, kid." Dorumon nodded. "All right, I'll join you. If you ever need one of brave heart and noble sinew, don't hesitate to call upon Dorumon the Great."
"Yeah, we'll call." Angel said; Dorumon vanished. "If we ever need someone insane."
As Dorumon vanished, Silver and Storm were found in his place.
"How was he?" Silver asked.
"Looks like Midna isn't the only one we won't be calling." Sonic muttered.
After saying a few quick goodbyes to Metal and the others, the Sonic Team started their way towards the Second District. Or at least they would be if Sonic hadn't been holding them up. After just reuniting with Amy, it was hard for Sonic to say goodbye to her. Knowing he wasn't making any progress, Storm lifted him onto his shoulders and carried him away.
"You sure know how to make an impression on a lady." Storm chuckled.
"Shut up." Sonic said.
Storm only let Sonic down when they walked through the doors to the Second District. With the Final Keyhole still open, the Heartless were sure to be strong and plentiful. So far, they had made it out of the alleyway without running it a single Heartless; the heroes were even more cautious. The reached the main area of the Second District; the hole where the Black Bull had emerged had been refilled with dirt. They walked out into the open, where they would at least be expecting one Heartless. But, to their surprise, not a single one could be found.
"You would think we would be swarmed by now." Angel said thoughtfully.
"Never look a gift horse in the mouth." Silver said. "We should seize this opportunity before the Heartless do show up." Silver turned to Sonic, Marine, and Angel. "You three go on to Salla's place. Storm and I will go look for Omega."
"How come, mate?" Marine asked.
"We think the heartless may be blocking the main pathway to Hollow Bastion." Storm said. "If that's true, then we'll be blown out of the sky before we reach there. We think that since Omega knew the original route, maybe he'll know an alternate one."
"That's a good idea." Sonic nodded. "I'm not exactly a big fan up getting blown up at five thousand feet."
"You go on ahead and we'll meet you later." Silver said. "Let's all meet up at Metal's training area."
"Got it, mate." Marine saluted.
With the plans made, the team split up into two groups. However, they were unaware of the pair of blood red eyes following their movements. While Silver and Storm disappeared through the doors to the First District, Sonic and the girls walked down the alleyway towards Salla's house. Sonic reached into his quills and pulled out the purple stone that belonged to Spyro. Sonic tossed the stone into the air. Marine and Angel's essences were sucked into the stone and Spyro appeared in their place.
"Hey, Sonic." Spyro greeted his friend. "Any Heartless you need me to take out?"
"Actually, I have a different mission for you." Sonic smirked. He reached behind his back and pulled out a stockpile of dragon eggs. "We're going to bring back the last of these dragon eggs and maybe say hello to Ember."
"Ember's here?!" Spyro asked frantically. Sonic nodded. "That's great and everything, but...I just don't know."
"What are you talking about?" Sonic asked.
"Remember the story I told you." Spyro said sadly. "She was very upset after what I had said to her. It wouldn't surprise me if she never wanted to see me again."
"But the reason she came to this town was to find you." Sonic stated. "I don't know Ember much, but I'm sure she really cares about you. She has a good heart and will no doubt forgive you."
"I hope you're right." Spyro said.
Though through much convincing, Sonic persuaded Spyro to enter the house. As Sonic had expected, Salla was cleaning the dragon eggs that were stacked in rows upon the shelves. But she wasn't the only one working. The pink dragon Sonic had seen in the crystal case at Hollow Bastion was also helping by cleaning the eggs on the bottom rack. It was only when the door snapped shut that Salla and Ember noticed Sonic; Spyro was hiding behind the blue hedgehog.
"Oh, Sonic, how good to see you." Salla said happily.
"Nice to see you again, too, Salla." Sonic said. He held out the dragon eggs. "I think these belong to you."
"Goodness me, you found the last ones." Salla praised. "I must admit, I had some doubts. But you have proven yourself a true gentlemen."
"Really, it was nothing." Sonic said embarrassingly. He looked over to the pink dragon. "Hey, you're Ember, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Ember asked.
"I have someone who wants to meet you." Sonic said.
Ember looked confused at the blue hedgehog until he moved aside to reveal a purple dragon. There was a bit of an awkward moment between the two as they unblinkingly stared at one another. The room was silent, only broken by Salla's hasty movements of placing the dragon eggs. Spyro broke the stare when he looked down sadly.
"Ember..." Spyro said hesitantly. "I'm sor..."
"Spyro!" Ember cried.
All of a sudden, Ember ran up to the purple dragon and started nuzzling the side of his face. A blush crept around Spyro's face, much to Sonic's amusement. When Ember pulled away, his face was still red as a tomato. Ember started to giggle.
"You look just like Flame." Ember giggled.
"Aren't you mad?" Spyro asked confused. "After that stuff I said about you last time."
"Oh, I could never stay mad at you, Spyro." Ember said pleasantly. "But we'll have to work on that attitude if you are going to be the father of our children."
"Whoa! Hold up!" Spyro exclaimed. "Who said anything about having kids?!"
"You can't escape my love, Spyro." Ember growled playfully.
Spyro turned and tried to make a run for it, but the pink dragon was already upon him. She jumped on his back and the two started rolling around the floor. Sonic moved out of the way so that we would not be trampled over. Sonic looked for Salla for help, but the dragon nanny seemed unconcerned about the two.
"I'm guessing this is normal?" Sonic asked.
"They do this every week." Salla sighed. "Spyro yells at her, she cries, they make up, and Ember tries to get him into an engagement."
"Got to feel bad for Spyro." Sonic sniggered.
"Yes, he does seem to attract trouble." Salla chuckled. "I remember one time – look, the eggs are hatching!"
At that, Spyro and Ember stopped their little play run and ran over to the dragon eggs. Sonic stood behind the two and stared at the nearest egg with brightened interest. The egg that Sonic was looking at gave a white dragon that was apparently upside-down inside its shell. Spyro chuckled before grabbing the baby dragon's tail with his mouth and setting it down on the floor. The little dragon giggled and pawed at Spyro's snout. Salla had tears in her eyes as the rest of the ninety-eight eggs began to hatch.
"A true miracle." Salla sobbed. "We are together after all this chaos." Salla turned to Sonic. "And it's all because of you."
"Ah, it was nothing." Sonic waved.
But Salla ignored his comment and nearly crushed Sonic's spine when she hugged him. Ember and Spyro were playing with the new born white dragon until Ember mentioned something about babies. Spyro shot out of the house faster than you could blink.
"Do I even want to know?" Sonic asked confused as Salla released him.
"You probably don't." Ember giggled. "It was nice to see Spyro again. And when you stop Mephiles, we can see Flame and the Elders again. I'll bet Spyro is looking forward to seeing Ignitus again."
"Yeah, about Mephiles..." Sonic hesitantly. "I'm not sure if I can..."
Sonic was cut off by a deafening roar, followed by a pained grunt. The grunt sound like Spyro. Realizing this, Sonic sped out of the house with Ember and Salla following. They stepped out of the alleyway, where they could get a good look of Spyro fending off another dragon. It was a pitch black dragon with a red underbelly about twice Spyro's size. It was long and slender with two massive wings, six horns on its face, a blade-like tail, and iron cuffs around her arms and neck. Spyro weakly stood up, blood leaking from the side of his face. The black dragon raised its claw to finish the job when Sonic jumped in. He summoned his Keyblade and remained firm as the dragons claw clashed against the blade.
"Ember! Salla! Get back into the house!" Sonic yelled.
They both nodded and raced back inside to protect the baby dragons. Sonic made a firm grip on his Keyblade and successfully push the dragon back. After a few seconds of rest, Spyro was able to regain his senses and stood by Sonic's side. Spyro crouched low and Sonic held his Keyblade on guard, by the dragon merely laughed. They could tell it was female.
"So this is the "legendary" purple dragon." The black dragon laughed. "A little runt under my claws." She shifted her gaze over to Sonic. "Oh, that's an interesting weapon your holding. What do you call it?"
"It's called the Keyblade." Sonic said fiercely.
"So that's the fabled Keyblade." The dragon continued to laugh. "I never would have expected it to be in the hands of a rat."
"Hey, I'm not a rat!" Sonic yelled. "I'm a hedgehog!"
"Whatever." The dragon waved casually.
"All right, who are you?" Spyro growled. "Why did you attack me?"
"I go by the name of Cynder." Cynder said. "I am here upon the wishes of the Dark Master?"
"The Dark Master?" Sonic repeated. "Who's the Dark Master?"
"The Dark Master is the title of the first purple dragon ever born." Spyro explained seriously. "He was once a respected hero, even the Higher Powers recognized him. But he grew a lust for power. Eventually his power became so great that the Dragon Elders were forced to seal him into the Convexity. But how did he escape?"
"I'll bet you anything that the Heartless are behind it." Sonic said.
"Maybe, maybe not." Cynder smirked. "But you won't live long enough to find out."
"Watch it!" Spyro warned. "Here she comes!"
Cynder started off with a booming roar and stood up on her hind legs. She raised her claw and slashed down on the two. Sonic quickly grabbed Spyro and rolled away. Spyro separated himself from Sonic's grip and made a charging run for the ferocious female. Cynder made another swipe at him, but the purple dragon kicked off the ground and flipped over her head. For a moment, Spyro halted himself in midair and shot a massive fireball from his maw. Cynder caught this, but her arms could reach to block in time. In a desperate act, Cynder raised her tail and swiped across the ball of flame with the blade end. Spyro landed, steamed that his attack didn't work.
"I must admit, that caught me by surprise." Cynder complimented. "But you'll have to do better if you wish to defeat me."
"I wasn't trying to defeat you." Spyro smirked. "I was just trying to distract you."
"Distract me?" Cynder repeated. "From what?"
"SONIC WIND!"
Cynder shot her head around and saw Sonic jumping up with a ball of pressurized wind in his hand. Sonic thrust his hand forward, intending it to slam into her head. But the black dragon suddenly moved her wing in the way of his target. Sonic's attack made contact with the wing, releasing all its power. When the attack was over, there was a large gaping hole in the middle of Cynder's wing. Outraged, Cynder cut her tail across Sonic's chest. The blade didn't cut deep, but the force sent Sonic tumbling towards the bell tower wall. Cynder slowly walked up her prey with her tail held out in front.
"You are really starting to annoy me." Cynder growled. "I'm sure my master wouldn't mind an extra serving."
Cynder played with her meal as she swung her tail back and forth between Sonic's eyes. This time, she went for the kill. She swung her tail downwards on the crouching hedgehog. Just as her tail was an inch from Sonic's face, it was frozen to the ground a moment later.
"What is this?" Cynder questioned.
"Forgetting someone." Spyro smirked as he jumped in front of Sonic. "I didn't get to have my chance to play."
"Spyro, get out of here." Sonic said. "Get back in your stone, she's too strong."
"Don't worry, I've got this covered." Spyro stated confidently.
"You should have listened to your friend." Cynder said menacingly. "Now you'll suffer an even greater death."
Cynder tugged her tail in it broke free from its icy prison. Cynder swung her tail again, but Spyro was better prepared this time. In an unexpected turn, Spyro jumped on his tail and started spinning like a tornado. Just as Cynder's tail was about to make contact, an electric field appeared around Spyro's spinning body. Cynder screeched in pain from shock and dropped to her knees. This was what Spyro was waiting for. He stopped spinning and landed back on his feet. The purple dragon turned his head before shooting back with a green mace emitting from his maw. The mace hit at Cynder's face, sending her rocketing into the fountain on the other side of the district.
"Spyro, you are amazing." Sonic said amazed.
"Flame used to always say that." Spyro grinned.
But this was no time for celebrating. Just when you think its over, Cynder flaps her wings and hovers over them from the sky. Cynder opened her mouth and a red aura began to form around her. Sonic jumped back to his feet at Spyro's side, ready to use the Keyblade at a moment's notice. But before Cynder had a chance to use her attack, a roar even louder than hers boomed around the district. Hearing this, Cynder stopped her attack.
"Hey, what's going on?" Sonic asked.
"Consider yourself lucky." Cynder said. "My master has called me back. We'll meet again very soon."
With all said and done, Cynder flew off into the night sky.
"What was that all about?" Sonic asked.
"I don't know, but I don't like it." Spyro said seriously.
After saying a few quick goodbyes to Ember and Salla, Spyro returned to his stone and Marine and Angel returned to the physical world. They headed towards the hotel for the secret entrance behind it to Metal's training ground. Unknown to them, Cynder had never left. She was standing at the top of the bell tower besides her master, Malefor.
"Why did you stop me from killing him?" Cynder questioned.
"You were careless." Malefor replied malevolently. "You underestimated the purple dragon and that would have led to your demise. Besides, we are only here to test the purple dragon's power. We'll have our chance again soon enough.
And with that, both dragon faded into the darkness.
The scene alters to Metal's training area. Sonic, Angel, and Marine emerged from beneath the water and were slowly dragging themselves to the stone floor under the glow of the Master Emerald. They were surprised, however, that Silver and Storm were not the only ones there. Metal and Amy were watching them, both completely dry.
"How did you get here without getting wet?" Sonic asked.
"There's a secret tunnel connecting to Shahra's house." Silver explained. "We didn't feel like swimming, so we took the tunnel instead."
"Thanks for the details." Sonic said sarcastically, dragging himself out of the water. "What did Omega say?"
"He's found another around Hollow Bastion." Storm said. "If we take a route through a wormhole, we should end up in the back of Hollow Bastion with the Heartless noticing us."
"Strewth! A wormhole!" Marine cheered. "I bet the creepy crawly is gigantic, mate!"
"A wormhole is a rip between space and time." Angel explained scientifically. "You see, by traveling through a wormhole, one by passes the laws of scientific traversing and..." Angel stopped when she noticed everyone's confused expressions. "It makes us go faster."
"Bonza!" Marine cheered.
"We better go into town and get ready." Silver said. "It's going to be a while before we reach the wormhole."
Silver and Storm turned towards the farther end of the area, no doubt headed for the secret tunnel. Angel and Marine followed them, leaving only Sonic, Amy, and Metal. Metal sat on one of the large rocks, sharpening his Metal Blade, while Amy stared down the watery pathway. She was staring at the tapestry that held the sun and the moon.
"A light at the end of the tunnel." Amy whispered.
"You know, that reminds me of the story my mom told me." Sonic said.
"Your mother was very beautiful." Amy said; Sonic stared at her in wonder. "I saw her while my heart was still inside of you."
"You know what I can't believe?" Sonic chuckled. "I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find you anywhere. Now that I realize it, I really didn't need to search at all. You were with me all this time." Sonic looked up to the Master Emerald; the glow seemed even more beautiful than ever. "Now it's time to bring Espio home."
"Do you think things will ever be the same between us?" Amy asked sadly. "My father has his..."
"Remember when I was Dark Sonic?" Sonic cut in. "I was lost in the darkness and I could find my way. The darkness was slowly eating away at me. But then Dark Sonic saved me." Amy gasped in surprise. "He told me that you were willing to give your life to save me. Dark Sonic said he felt happy for the first time and helped me back to the light." He turned to Amy. "Don't you see, it's because you never let me go that I was able to come back."
"I could never forget you, Sonic." Amy said. "You're too important too me to forget."
"And that's what will bring Espio back." Sonic said confidently. "It's because out hearts are connected to each other. I think that's what my mom was trying to tell me when she told me that story."
"If that's the case, then let's go." Amy said excitingly.
"Sorry, Amy." Sonic said. "But I can't bring you with me."
"Why not?" Amy pouted.
"It's way too dangerous for you." Sonic said sternly. "I don't mean that in a bad way, but I worked too hard to bring you back."
"So, I can't help?" Amy asked.
"You'd kinda get in the way." Sonic chuckled.
"All right, you win." Amy sighed. All of a sudden, Amy holds out Sonic's hand and dropped something in it. It was star formed from thelassa-shells. "Take this with you. It's my lucky charm, so be sure to bring it back to me."
"Don't worry." Sonic waved. "Nothing's gonna stop me from bring it back."
"Promise?" Amy asked.
"The promise of a lifetime." Sonic smiled.
"That's good to know." Amy smiled. "Don't ever forget, wherever you go, I'll always be with you."
Amy flashed one last smile to Sonic before walking towards the path that Silver and the others disappeared to. Sonic watched for a moment and then realized that the charm was made like a keychain. He switched it for the current one and watched it transform. It had a silver body with a colored star at the end, angel wings around the handle, and a heart imprinted in the hilt. Sonic stared at the new Keyblade, Oathkeeper, before realization crashed down on him. He would be taking on Mephiles, Amy's father.
"Something bothering you." Sonic nearly jumped out of his fur. He had forgotten that Metal was there. "You look troubled."
"Nothing. I was just thinking." Sonic frowned. "I was just wonder about Mephiles. Is he really Amy's...?"
"Yes, he is Amy's father." Metal said. "But that should not be a reason for you to hold back on him."
"But this is Amy's father we're talking about!" Sonic exclaimed. "I can't just go off and kill him! What would Amy think?!"
"It's amazing she even remembered him in the first place." Metal said. "When she was born, Mephiles was too busy with his research to even look at her." Metal stood up and walked next to Sonic. "Then, when she was growing up, Mephiles ignored her existence completely. All he ever cared about was his study of the darkness and the power of the heart."
"Man, that's harsh." Sonic scratched his head.
"It only gets worse." Metal said coldly. "When Mephiles ran out of test subject, he used his own wife for his experiments. She ended up being the first Heartless." Sonic flinched at the thought. "I was Amy's caretaker at the time and feared for her safety. To protect her, I cast her away in a small boat and sent her into the unknown."
"That's where me and Espio found her on the beach." Sonic added.
"Sonic, this man is a Heartless in every sense of the word." Metal stated. "When you face him, I beg that you do not show him any mercy. He certainly won't."
Sonic was even more lost and confused then before he asked Metal. Mephiles would be very powerful when he would face them. But if Sonic does somehow defeat him, will he have the courage to kill him? With his head pounding, Sonic trudged down the path that Amy disappeared to. Looks like destiny will have to choose its way.
The scene alters to a white pathway floating in an endless void of darkness. Everything was left in a state of depression and darkness consumed all. Any normal person would have died the minute they entered this godforsaken realm. But Espio the Chameleon was far from ordinary. Day after day, he would walk this endless path without a trace of light to guide him. He was hoping for anyone to wake him up from this nightmare. But this was real and he would never wake up. Growing tired, Espio dropped to his knees with a sense of hopelessness in his eyes.
"Sonic...Amy..." Espio whispered into the darkness. "I'm sorry for what I have done." He stared out into the darkness. "Is this a world of death? If it is then, I truly belong here. I don't belong in the light." Unknown to Espio, the shadows started to emerge and consume his body. "Maybe this is how my destiny ends. I only wish I could say goodbye to Sonic and Amy."
With all hope faded from his heart, Espio truly lost sight of the light. The darkness was swift and shrouded Espio in a cocoon of darkness. The chameleon inside could feel himself giving way to death. It was over. Or so he thought.
"Come on, kid!" A voice screamed. "Don't tell me you're giving up that easily!"
All of a sudden, the cocoon was penetrated by a flicker of light. As the light expanded, the darkness quickly retreated. Espio opened his eyes once more and saw a figure shrouded by the darkness. He couldn't see his face, but he could see the weapon he was holding. It was a Keyblade like Sonic's, but the appearance was different. The body was gold, the guard ring was white, and the keychain resembled a lamp surrounded by three commas. (The Babylon Rogues' symbol)
"A Keyblade?" Espio whispered. "Is that you Sonic?"
"Sorry, pal, I don't know anyone named Sonic." The figure said. "I was wandering the darkness when I found you. The darkness began to eat away at you, but my light pushed it away."
"I don't know who you are." Espio said. "But...what's happened to me?"
"The darkness captured your heart, but it couldn't take your body." The figure said. "So now your heart was left behind. In here, the place where all hearts taken by the darkness are gathered."
"Then...how do I get out of here." Espio asked desperately.
"The Door to Darkness will appear soon." The figure said. "But it won't let us cross through."
"Then what's the point of looking for it?" Espio asked.
"We need to find it and close it for good." The figure stated. "But in order to do that, we need two key and two hearts. Maybe that's why we're here. Maybe it was fate that led us here."
"Fate, huh?" Espio smirked. "I guess you seem to know everything."
"Actually, before I found the Keyblade, I didn't know any of this stuff." The figure admitted sheepishly.
"All right, I'll help." Espio said. "But answer me this, will Sonic and Amy be safe?"
"I don't think I can answer that." Th figure said. "But if there is one thing I've learned, your heart should be able to feel for those who are close to you. I know Wave, Blaze, Silver, and Storm are safe because I care for them more than myself."
After hearing these words, Espio closed his eyes. He tried to feel the hearts of Sonic and Amy. At the beginning, all he could see was darkness. But then a light cut through and showed Sonic and Amy together, safe from the darkness. With his answer found, he opened his eyes and smiled towards the figure.
"Thank you." Espio said.
In the Darkness a light shall shine from within. Can Sonic gain the courage to defeat Mephiles? With Espio and his new friend escape from the darkness? Find out on the next Kingdom Heart: Sonic version!
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