Violet Dreams
Part II
Chapter 51: The Conqueror, Part II
"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the mind of those who possess it."
An apocalyptic shockwave swept across the ruined city of Station Square, ripping apart buildings and any structure that dared stand in the face of destruction. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes tumbled across the streets, while the wave of power seemed to flatten the city in but an instant. The heroes had each sought shelter behind Shadow and the barrier he had created at the last second, only to find that it too wasn't safe from Galaxy's new power.
The ground began to fade to black, everything that had once been a great city now corrupt, and seemingly alive with power. Creatures that belonged to Dusk, or only Galaxy – the group wasn't entirely sure at this point – climbed out of the earth, stalking closer to the group.
"Guys...what do we do now?" Sonic yelped eagerly, knowing full well his energy had been depleted.
Suddenly, the entire group took a stand in front of Sonic, leaving him alone with the Chaos Emeralds. From in front, Tails quickly turned to look back at his comrade, his face unusually stern and furious.
"Use the Emeralds and stop Galaxy, Sonic," the young fox pleaded, shooting down one of the creatures a split second later. "We believe in you."
And in that moment, the seven Chaos Emeralds shone their individual, brilliant colours. The flash of light consumed Sonic, stealing his attention away from his comrades who had begun fighting. Soon enough, everything disappeared. Sound, sight, scent, it was all gone.
Sonic watched as the world transformed around him, his surroundings turning into the same world he had found himself the first time he came face-to-face with his "other" side. Spires of gold shot up from the ground all around the hero, creating a pathway towards a gleaming spec of light in the distance.
Knowing that only a moment of hesitation could mean the death's of his friends, Sonic sped down the trail. The golden structures rose up beside him at speeds equal – or even greater – than him. Soon, the pillars weaved together upon rising out of the ground, turning into a tunnel that led far down into the ground.
Only light existed within this tunnel, and soon enough Sonic reached a mirror containing his own reflection. The blue hero stopped in front of the pane of glass and stared at himself intently, noting all the scars, gashes and wounds dealt to him over the course of the battles he had been in.
Then darkness crept down the mirror, and when it had been covered in a veil of shadow two gleaming, purple eyes shone back at Sonic. A shiver shot down the hedgehog's spine, yet he did his best to remain composed in the face of this beast.
"I need your power," Sonic demanded quickly, taking the deity off guard with his sudden demand.
The eyes grew as they looked Sonic up and down. "Interesting...you've come here of your own will?"
Suddenly the deity behind the glass disappeared, turning into Super Sonic, though his eyes were purple. Sonic took a step closer, conquering the fear building within him.
"I don't know who, or what you are. I don't know how you came to be...but I know you can help me." The blue hero mumbled while bowing his head.
Growing curious, the creature behind the glass morphed once again, this time to take the same shape as Sonic when borrowing the power of this beast. His mighty, serpentine tail swished in rhythm to the beating of the dark, phoenix-like wings sprouting from his back.
"What's in it for me?" The beast chuckled. "What do you have to offer?"
Slowly Sonic looked up, his face serious and solemn. He opened his mouth to speak, but froze, as if to ponder his words. The beast arched it's brow, and leaned in to hear the hero speak. Finally, Sonic shut his eyes and sighed.
"I offer my life."
Location: Twilight Cage
A burst of violet, gold and blue energy erupted free from Sonic, wrapping his body up like a cocoon of light. The creatures that had spawned from the earth dissolved from the heavenly light, forcing the remaining heroes to twirl around to catch a glimpse of their friend. One Emerald rose up and started to float around Sonic, quickly followed by the remaining six. The emeralds hovered around his form, until finally the gems had picked up speed. Now it seemed as though only a halo of light surrounded Sonic, when suddenly cracks jutted across the cocoon, causing it to break apart.
Sonic fell to the ground from within, his shoes, shoulders and hands steaming with power. His quills had become golden-yellow, while his eyes were now a ferocious red. However, along his six quills were purple rings wrapped around the ends, each glowing very dimly. Sonic remained quiet, staring intently at Galaxy, who had witnessed the entire transformation.
The seven Chaos Emeralds suddenly appeared and resumed their place around Sonic. The golden warrior continued watching Galaxy for a moment, then turned to look at his comrades with a warm smile.
"Listen, you guys need to go and find somewhere to hide." The blur walked between them, his eyes locked back onto their enemy. "I don't think there'll be a lot left of Station Square once I bring this freak to his knees. Shadow, I need you to get everyone to safety..."
Tapping the dark hedgehog beside him, a surge of power rushed down Sonic's arm and into Shadow's body, refuelling him. Suddenly the golden warrior disappeared in a winding beam of light headed towards Galaxy. The remaining heroes then flashed away with Shadow, leaving Sonic to finish up business with the man that had been wreaking havoc across the planet.
Sonic threw a devastating punch, roaring in anger as his knuckles cracked against Galaxy's jaw. The Dusk soldier tumbled through the sky at an insane speed from the blow, with Sonic in close pursuit. Sonic roared and delivered another fist towards the dark cat, just a moment before colliding with the ground. A shockwave ripped apart the buildings in the business district of Station Square. Offices and other structures crumbled to the streets around the fierce opponents in a magnificent display of destruction.
A beam of golden and purple light zipped through the debris, then landed a split second later on the outer edge of the crater. From within, a veil of light wrapped around Galaxy to heal his wounds and allow him to walk through the rubble towards Sonic.
"Your attacks are useless against me." Galaxy boasted with a sadistic grin. His hands raised up to his sides, smoking energy igniting at his finger tips. "However, I am impressed with that new form of yours. Is this perhaps the fabled super form I've heard so much about? Is this the power you used to kill Doctor Robotnik?"
Anger rushed through Sonic's veins at the mention of the old scientist's name. With clenched teeth and balled fists bursting with power, the golden warrior exploded towards his enemy. The ground beneath his feet erupted, creating a trench that reached right to the edge of the ruined city.
"Ack!"
One fist met Galaxy's jaw, then another came with the same blistering speed Sonic was known for, launching the cat through a forest of buildings. A snarl escaped Sonic just before he rocketed off towards the Dusk agent once more. The hero tore through the falling offices and skyscrapers, spreading rubble and debris further into the streets. Not a second had passed since Sonic's last relentless strike, and already he had honed in on his prey once again.
"You're dead!" Sonic howled, quickly approaching Galaxy who had begun pulling himself out of a pile of rock.
With a fist reeled back, Sonic landed on the ground not too far from the dark feline. His muscles tensed, sending a surge of energy rushing down Sonic's bicep, down his forearm and then to his open palm. In the blink of an eye, a spinning razor of light erupted within the blue blurs hand. The attack screamed through the city, making it's power known.
Fear, despair, uncertainty and many other emotions dashed across Galaxy's face. Then, everything grew quiet and Sonic thrust his palm forwards with a mighty roar. Ribbons of energy rippled past his body, then as his attack collided the world went quiet. The wind picked up pace, quickly becoming equal to a hurricane.
Galaxy screamed and lurched against the attack, his cries of agony becoming swallowed up by the sounds of howling wind.
Then as quick as the attack had come, it disappeared and launched the cat into the ground, breaking the it apart.
Sonic heaved in breaths and fell to his knees before the hole his attack had created. The Twilight Keys that had previously been one with Galaxy's body, were now scattered in a pool of the man's blood. No longer did he have the hellish appearance that the artifacts blessed him with, and Sonic assumed his power had also disappeared.
"Is that it...?" Sonic mumbled to himself.
He crawled closer to the edge of the hole, fearing for what he might see. Yet, he pressed on and peered down to see the devastation he had caused. In his mind, he pictured a dismembered body...with limbs ripped apart, and a man left dead in a pool of his own blood. Or, perhaps he was still alive, but knocked out?
Sonic's stomach dropped, and his face fell pale almost immediately. Galaxy had begun moving, his arms that were ripped off and left to rot started turning to dust. Like the appendages, the cat too turned into nothing more than a mound of black dust. Sonic grunted in fear, and kicked himself away from the scar in the earth, desperate to find his enemy before it was too late.
Unfortunately, his luck had run out.
Feeling a hand graze his quills, Sonic spun around to meet Galaxy face to face. A terrifyingly tight grip clasped around Sonic's throat, and in the next moment he found himself pinned to the ground, with the Dusk agent over top of him like a predator.
Each change Galaxy had lost was now returned. The seven, spherical artifacts had returned to the spines on the cat's back, forcing Sonic to believe this man was simply invincible.
Their noses touched, and while Galaxy had a look of madness and pride, Sonic wore one of horror and defeat.
"What do you think of me now...hedgehog?" He whispered venomously. "All those empty words...those threats...those promises...they seem rather pointless now, don't they? The hero who had vowed to protect his friends, and the planet he so dearly loved, is now on his deathbed. I'll bet you never fathomed the idea of dying by someone else's hand, did you?"
Sonic remained quiet, repulsed by the vulgar scent escaping Galaxy's mouth. "Despite the negative symptoms of this new form...I think it's come in rather useful. The sheer irony of this battle...to think darkness would consume the light so easily. Yet...it's commonly believed even the smallest amount of light can break through the darkness. I suppose this is an exception, isn't it Sonic?"
The blue hero fought against Galaxy's vice-like grip that pinned him to the ground, but to no avail. In response, Galaxy simply laughed. "But I guess if you look at the metaphor from another angle...I'm the light, and you're the darkness. Strange how we've swapped roles."
No, it could hardly be described as that. It was the mad cackle of a man who had lost his sanity. Sonic hated this man's laugh, more so than Doctor Eggman's.
"You talk a lot..." Sonic sputtered with a grin.
Galaxy froze at the sudden remark. His rage began to boil over, but Sonic took advantage of this and smashed his forehead into the cat's own. The Dusk agent screamed and fell back on the ground, allowing Sonic to jump to his feet and get some distance. Seething, Galaxy slowly stood back to his feet, blood dripping madly from his nose. Each droplet burst up into steam the second it came into contact with the cement around Galaxy.
Sonic narrowed his eyes, watching his opponents sanity continue to wither and inevitably disappear.
"It's time I kill you, Sonic!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
"You haven't seen anything...I haven't even used the powers of these artifacts. Hmm...now, I wonder which one would be best to start out with?" Galaxy pondered, stalking closer to Sonic. The man began to hover in the sky, above the crater he had formerly been in.
Fire began to seep away from the crimson orb, slowly cloaking Galaxy in a veil of flame. A small cackle escaped the man, and then in a flash of blinding light he raced towards Sonic. The Golden Warrior grunted and lurched his body back to avoid a flaming fist to his face. Embers flickered up around the duo as their fists collided with one another, but, Galaxy quickly unleashed a devastating burst of flame from his mouth. The jet of fire erupted past Sonic and consumed more than three blocks of the city, turning it all to ash.
A golden orb descended into the now barren section of the city, and from it Sonic appeared unscathed. However, Galaxy had already planned for a counter attack and activated the power of another Twilight Key. This time, the yellowish-gold Key activated.
Bolts of black electricity danced across Galaxy's wrist, and suddenly Sonic felt his body slow down just as he attempted to jolt into the sky to attack. Hovering quietly down to meet his opponent, Galaxy watched as the blue hero stared up into the air. The super-powered hedgehog moved away in slow motion, like his body had gained more mass than the planet itself. While the artifact that allowed the Dusk agent to control time remained in use, another sprung to life.
Another cloak of flame burst to life around the cat, then with a mighty scream he swept his hand in front of Sonic, creating a ball of magma. In the blink of an eye, the ball launched forward into Sonic carrying him far into the distance where the orb exploded into a burst of flame and heat.
"The powers to stop time and summon the fire of the underworld itself..." Galaxy mumbled to himself. His dark eyes quickly jumped to Sonic climbing out of a pile of rubble and destruction. "I haven't even begun yet, hedgehog. I was just warming up to my new power...heheheheh!"
"He's definitely not going to be easy to deal with..." Sonic muttered to himself while wiping away the blood dripping from his mouth. "But...I have to try, I guess. There's got to be a weakness...and something tells me it's linked to the power he's getting from those weird artifacts. Ugh."
In a burst of light, a fiery golden aura stormed to life around Sonic. His quills kinked upwards from the sheer pressure of his Chaos Energy, and then without hesitation Sonic returned fire. His hands began glowing with a dazzling gold and blue power, while several screaming orbs of the same light formed around his body. Sonic roared and in his hand one of the spheres appeared. causing his gloves to smoke.
From above Galaxy watched with anticipation and interest, a counter attack already being formulated in his head. The gleaming ball of power cupped tightly in Sonic's hand seemed to howl in the quiet air, beginning to levitate the same rubble Sonic had climbed out of. Watching in awe, Galaxy fumbled desperately upon realizing the sheer power of the attack his opponent wielded. Suddenly the green artifact shone, allowing Galaxy to create an armour of diamond like his deceased comrade had been known for.
In a mad attempt to block Sonic's screaming path towards him, Galaxy activated a second power until his diamond armour was ready. A blue glow enveloped Galaxy, and around him a bubble had been created. But, Sonic was eager to finish this battle.
"That attack is close-range...meaning if he gets close enough I can..-" Galaxy paused mid-thought. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, and then he realized it.
Sonic roared and threw the orb in his hand, turning it into an bolt of screaming energy. In rapid succession, Sonic threw the remaining six orbs hovering around him, each ball of power turning into the same spear of ruination.
One Chaos charged bolt collided with Galaxy, and with it a vaporizing explosion wrapped around the man. A second spear collided, followed by a third, a fourth, and finally the remaining two. Wind swept across the city, leaving gouges and scars in the cement of the few remaining relics of the city's building's. The explosion died out, and within it remain nothing but the dust that Sonic assumed he had turned Galaxy into.
"Heh...I guess I can thank Shadow for that idea," Sonic commented to himself with a weak grin.
"I'm impressed you managed to destroy my diamond armour...let alone get past that reflective bubble I created. You're definitely something, you blue twerp."
Suddenly two walls of rock clamped shut around Sonic. Trees and vines burst through the ground at unfathomable speeds, wrapping and growing around the rock formation holding the blue warrior. Galaxy walked up to the base of the structure and smirked, fire once again forming on his body.
"You're no match for me. I've ascended to the point of a God." Galaxy chuckled, watching as the trees grew higher into the void. "Though I'll admit, that technique you used was rather dangerous. If I hadn't escaped through one of my warp holes, I could've been hurt. But...I think it's become evident how far above your power I am. Haven't I proven the gap between us by now?"
The rock formation began to quiver, sending chunks of debris down through the thick forest wrapped around. Galaxy watched in disbelief as a golden arrow burst free from the rock prison. Another burst of energy exploded out of the wall, and then a bigger eruption decimated a chunk of the trees and rock, setting Sonic free. Galaxy screamed in disbelief, hurtling dark orbs of energy at Sonic as fast as his arms could move.
Sonic lurched around each attack, narrowly escaping each and every one of them. One of Galaxy's attacks struck his make shift prison, and suddenly it was no more. Sonic looked back in absolute terror, then turned his sights back to find Galaxy, who was now hurtling towards him through the sky, a crystal javelin wrapped in fire smoking in his hand. The mentally destroyed feline hurled the weapon through the air as he closed in on Sonic. Crimson eyes flickered to watch the javelin fizzle out of existence, and in the blink of eye Galaxy was in front of him, a fist of fire drawn. Galaxy struck Sonic's jaw, sending him flipping back up into the sky, where he had teleported his weapon. Then in a blur the javelin shot down out of the sky, impaling Sonic.
Blood poured out across the city as his body smashed into a tower, sending it crumbling into the ground. Amidst the destruction and dust, Galaxy descended down to find the only man standing in his way pinned into the dirt, bleeding out. Sonic howled in pain, his body twisting and jerking against the weapon through his gut and back.
Galaxy kneeled beside the hedgehog, a sinister smile crawling over his lips.
"Are you finished prolonging the inevitable? Can't you see that I've won?" Galaxy howled in victory, his hands gripping Sonic's throat. "You've fallen, Sonic! I've proven that nothing can stop my revenge on this twisted planet! Now that I have you backed up into a corner...perhaps I'll move on to your friends. I'll be sure to kill the young fox and your girlfriend first...so you three aren't far apart when you meet in the afterlife."
Sonic's eyes grew wide and bloodshot in rage. His heart accelerated against his chest, until it felt like a herd of charging bulls. The hedgehog placed his hand on the weapon through his body, and ripped it out. Before Galaxy could react, Sonic had plunged the same weapon through Galaxy's gut. With a wild stare, Sonic over powered Galaxy to the ground, his body smoking with Chaos Energy.
"Don't you dare touch them." Sonic seethed, two horns of white energy materializing on his forehead. His golden fur darkened, and then a black and purple aura jumped to life around his body.
A wicked and deranged smile found it's way onto Galaxy. His blood evaporated, and suddenly the feral energy seeping out of Sonic drained into Galaxy.
"So I see you can tap into the same power...interesting," the dark cat stated with a curious tone.
Galaxy snickered and dematerialized, only to reappear a hundred yards up above the city streets with Sonic in hand. Holding the bewildered hedgehog up by the throat, Galaxy suddenly spun around and threw the hero down into the wall of rock and wood, obliterating it all. To ensure the blue hero was actually dead, the Dusk agent raised his hands up, creating a smoking bomb of energy easily the size of the city itself.
Sonic groaned, his super form slowly fading away. Beside him, the seven Chaos Emeralds lay quietly at his side, yet he didn't feel any power coming from them. His green eyes switched over to the mad man preparing to blow up Station Square, and for the first time he felt powerless.
"I think I pushed the limits of the Emeralds..." Sonic muttered, slowly propping his battered body up. "Now what..."
His tired eyes scanned over the destructive ball of energy, despair beginning to set in.
"This is your last play, hedgehog."
Sonic squinted at the dark feline in the air, noticing his demonic appearance beginning to disappear. Then, the blue hero turned his attention to the growing size of Galaxy's attack, and finally something clicked.
"What'll you do if I manage to avoid that attack of yours?" Sonic taunted with a smirk.
Galaxy on the other hand wasn't so happy with his enemy's revelation.
"Don't even pretend that you have the ability to escape something of this size. Once this detonates, it'll vaporize everything right down to an atomic level. When I let this behemoth free, I'm going to send this desolate city back to Earth, and watch as the planet is turned to nothing! This attack signals the end of all that ever was!"
"But...you failed to mention that if you miss, you're entirely out of juice. Don't think I didn't notice that form of yours disappear. I think that's your last ditch effort, Galaxy. Have I really pushed you this far?" Sonic pressed further with his taunts, while in fact also buying himself time to figure a way out.
"You may be correct...but I've left no chance of escape. You end here!" Galaxy screamed with madness, and then hurtled the fuming bomb of energy down upon the city.
Watching the planet-sized attack descend upon the city, Sonic watched the tips of the tallest buildings beginning to turn into dust, and then into nothing. He could feel the overwhelming energy grow closer and closer, but yet he remained smiling. A ripped glove slid over top of one Chaos Emerald, causing it shine. From that single gem, a bolt of power darted into a second, and in the blink of an eye all seven emeralds were connected. Again, they started to glow with a powerful light, and Sonic morphed into his super form once more. The Chaos Emeralds rotated like a halo around his back, and in a flash of light he appeared beneath the doomsday attack by Galaxy. Sonic stared into the abyss of the bomb, and with little hesitation he placed a calm hand onto the edge.
The gigantic sphere quivered against Sonic, and then in a brilliant flash of light, it disappeared. No trace of it's existence remained. Sonic's hand smoked and fumed with sparkling energy. His quills slunk down, and once more his fur turned blue. His eyes reverted to green, yet a powerful golden aura remain around him.
"You end here, Galaxy! For all the lives you've taken...for the people you've ruined so that you could gain in your silly, little illusion. I can't let you live...this last attack...well, needless to say it's fuelled by all the souls you laid waste to. This last attack is to avenge the innocent...it's to avenge Charmy. Any last words?"
Galaxy remained quiet, his eyes wide in shock. His jaw hung open in absolute disbelief of the hero who had single handedly put a stop to his reign. Then, a fit of rage consumed him. The thought of dying; of failing when he was so close seemed to snap something inside of him. He wanted nothing more than to see the blood of Sonic. Nothing more than to see the life escape his eyes.
"My last words...?"
Sonic quirked an eyebrow, waiting.
"MY LAST WORDS?"
The blue hero gulped, fear setting back in.
"Fuck. You."
"Shi-"
Suddenly everything began to disintegrate. The buildings, cars, corpses, plant life. A storm of black particles began eating away at the outer limits of the city, slowly moving inwards to destroy everything. However, this became the least of Sonic's concerns. Turning his frightened gaze away from the destruction that had ensued, Sonic realized Galaxy had released Polaris from his body, and was now atop of the creature. Upon further inspection, Sonic noticed the seven pillars surrounding Galaxy, the powers of each Twilight Key seeping into his body, and down into Polaris.
The beast screeched loud, its gigantic maw opening wide in front of Sonic. A hurricane tore past Sonic from the beast's jaws spreading, causing him to duck his head in it's wake. Globs of energy began forming in the air before spiralling down and assimilating into one single mass between the teeth of the beast. Sonic watched for a few short seconds as the small mass of energy had become a threatening ball of power that would overshadow even the moon.
"I won't even grace you the opportunity for 'any last words'!" Galaxy screamed, as a shell of diamond instantly found its way across him and Polaris. "I can't be stopped! I won't allow myself to fail!"
"This is getting a bit dragged out, don'tcha think?!" Sonic retorted amidst the chaos. Using the power of Chaos Control, Sonic appeared on the last standing skyscraper amongst Station Square's obliteration.
Sonic crouched down into a runners stance, and as the final attack left Polaris, Sonic jolted up into the sky in a beam of light. Shockwaves ripped apart his foothold, and soon he had turned into an arrow of blue. The blue hero howled in triumph, his hand reeled back and poised to grapple Galaxy's face.
Each force opposed one another at blinding speeds, and upon collision a sonic boom levelled out the city. A wave of gold and blue energy rippled across the dark orb. Each side fluctuated with such ferocity that it seemed the very fabric of space and time would be ripped apart. Sonic could feel his gloves being eaten away by the power he was up against. Then his hand ripped through the attack, piercing the orb like a spear of light. Polaris' attack exploded behind Sonic, giving him extra momentum to strike Galaxy with.
Galaxy watched wide eyed as Sonic came bolting through the sky faster than his heart could beat. Blood splattered across the top of Polaris' head, as Sonic's hand ripped through Galaxy's chest a split second before the maniacal cat had the chance to guard himself with another layer of diamond armour. Crimson dripped across the armour that had formed, revealing that the only spot that had been left open was Galaxy's heart.
Time stood still, and Sonic locked eyes with Galaxy.
The hero wore a look of justice and unyielding power. While, on the other hand, Galaxy had one of bitter defeat.
Polaris cried out, and at the same time Sonic ripped his hand free of his opponents chest cavity. Blood poured out onto the ground, and with it fell Galaxy into a pool of scarlet. Once more the beast screeched, then disappeared into seven beams of light. The light seeped into the seven Twilight Keys before turning them into dust. Together Sonic and Galaxy tumbled down from the sky and landed in the destruction their battle had caused. Suddenly, a blinding light expanded across the city, shrouding every living being in the area in a warm energy.
To Be Continued
"The only way to truly hurt a man is to take away everything that he valued and degrade it and remind him of it every day of his life. But by doing this, you also create a monster. And you will regret ever harming that man because he will be your greatest horror." ~ Xanthos Itnemeles, Ex-GUN Special Ops Captain, 2004
