Story 55: Teaming Up With The Storm
It had taken them a while to get there but Sonic and Ruben had finally made it. They had arrived at the so-called Raiju clan's territory. Needless to say, it wasn't a very inviting place at all. Rather then a pagoda, the clan's home was a huge steel palace which had a very tough looking and slightly sinister appearance to it. It looked more like the home of an evil overlord then a simple ninja clan. Not to mention the fortress was surrounded by lethal looking assault courses which looked like they could kill someone should they mess up. It was a wonder to Sonic as how all these ninjas were successfully conquering the courses without so much as a scratch. Speaking of ninjas, every single ninja they saw was a lynx in black ninja attire. They looked strong, powerful and mighty and it seemed years of training they had had paid off for them as they effortlessly ploughed through their assault courses. Ruben peered at the map to make sure they were in the right place. The map marked the huge steel palace they were looking at so they were in the right place.
"Well Sonic, we're here." said Ruben with not much joy in his voice. It was quite clear he wished he was in a less violent place right now.
"This is the home of the clan the emperor told us about." said Sonic "The Raiju clan it's called according to that rhino guard we met earlier. Well, let's go over to them, say hi and beg for them to join us in out struggle against Zira the Ruthless."
"Um…I wouldn't do that if I were you hedgehog." said Ruben wearily "They don't look like the kind of people who are in the mood to talk. All they wanna do is fight it seems."
"Well we don't know if we don't try Ruben old buddy so let's go and meet them." said Sonic, striding off.
"No Sonic!" cried Ruben "You don't know what they'll…"
He groaned loudly in annoyance and ran off after Sonic. Sonic wondered over to a Raiju ninja doing sit-ups. He seemed to be exercising really hard as he was doing sit-ups over and over without showing any signs of slowing down or tiring. Sonic tapped the lynx on the shoulder and the lynx stopped what he was doing and he turned to face Sonic. He didn't look very happy to see the blue hedgehog standing there before him.
"Hi there ninja guy or whatever your name is." said Sonic "We're here to meet…"
"Intruders!" screeched the lynx, hoping to his feet and drawing out a dagger and point it straight at the hedgehog's chest "Seize those peasants at once Raiju ninjas!"
The other ninjas stopped what they were doing and they all ran over to Sonic and Ruben. Sonic instantly realized that he was in trouble so he leaped out of the pouncing lynx's way and he ran for it. Ruben ran after him with the lynxes hot on their trials. They all bounded down the hilly, stony staircase Sonic and Ruben had just climbed up to get to the fortress.
"OK Ruben, maybe this wasn't my best idea!" cried Sonic "We may have to come back later when those guys have calmed down!"
"Maybe next time I tell you no you'll listen to me!" yelled Ruben crossly "You do realize that I know this country better then you do so I'm gonna know how things work around here so you should stop being so obstinate and listen to me!"
"Sheesh! I never took you to be such a grumpy-guts Ruben!" muttered Sonic "I thought you water-panthers were a happy bunch!"
"Of all the witty and insulting…!" grumbled Ruben.
Unfortunately, the Mobians didn't get very far. There was a lynx lying in wait for them at the bottom of the hilly staircase they had walked up to get to the palace and he lay some large stones on the stairs. Sonic and Ruben didn't see the stones and they tripped on them. This in turn caused them to fall down the stairs and land on the ground at the bottom with a sharp thud. Luckily, the trip didn't cause too much damage to them but Sonic and Ruben couldn't find the strength to get back to their feet and run for their lives. The ninja lynxes chasing them caught up to them and pounced on them without a moment's hesitation. They tied Sonic and Ruben up with thick rope and they hauled their prisoners onto their feet. One ninja who was visibly larger and stockier then the others stepped forward. He glared at Sonic and Ruben. The hedgehog and water panther could only look nervously back at him.
"You two are in a heap of trouble." boomed the lynx "The penalty of intruding and spying on the mighty Raiju clan is death! Conquering Storm does not take lightly to spies and intruders."
"We didn't come here to spy on your stupid clan!" snapped Sonic "We came here to negotiate with you!"
"A likely story." said the lynx in a vapid tone of voice "Let's see if Conquering Storm will be fooled by your lies. I wouldn't get hopeful that she will though you heathens."
"We aren't lying!" protested Ruben "I give you my word of honour we aren't lying!"
"Word of honour indeed." snapped the lynx "We are the Raiju clan! Only through strength and might do you earn anything honouree here! Take those peasants away and bring them to our glorious bride!" bellowed the lynx.
The lynxes obeyed and they dragged Sonic and Ruben back up the hilly, stony staircase and to their steel fortress. Sonic whispered to Ruben.
"What's a bride in a clan?"
"Bride is a title given to a female leader of the clan" Ruben whispered back "A bride is wed to their house and their clan in turn is wed to them."
"How do you know so much?" demanded one of the lynxes carrying Ruben angrily.
"I…I…used to live…in…Chun-Nan." said Ruben nervously "I used to…be…in a…clan myself…my clan is…dead now…"
"Really?" said the lynx "I guess your clan isn't as mighty as we are if it's dead."
"Hey! If you put grief on poor Ruben you answer to the hedgehog!" snapped Sonic angrily.
"And you would be very wise to keep your accursed mouth shut if you don't want us to stomp you into the dirt you little vermin!" retorted the lynx carrying Ruben "Now you two, not another word until we meet Conquering Storm!"
Sonic and Ruben knew arguing with their captors was a foolish idea so they stopped talking and kept their mouths shut. Hopefully Conquering Storm would be merciful or they were dead meat in that palace. Before Sonic and Ruben knew it, they were dragged into the throne room of the steel palace by their captors and thrown rather roughly onto the floor at the feet of a few steps that led to a throne. Sonic and Ruben got up onto their knees, shook their heads and they stared at the throne. There was a female lynx sitting in the throne and she did not look pleased to see two Mobians that weren't lynxes kneeling on the floor and looking up at her. The lynx had orange fur and purple eye-shadow on her eyelids, orange eyes and two thin black bangs that drooped over her eyes. She wore a straw coolie hat on her head which pushed down her big ears, a purple samurai outfit that was belted at the waist and trimmed in gold, big black and grey fingerless gloves with red cuffs near the elbow and brown boots with metal reinforcements at the toe. She looked like a formidable woman and Sonic could easily see why she was supposedly the leader of the Raiju clan. The broad and stocky lynx stood forward.
"Conquering Storm my dear." he boomed "We caught these two peasants snooping around your fortress Ma'Am. What do you wish for us to do with them?"
Conquering Storm didn't answer him. She stood up from her throne and strode over to Sonic and Ruben with a cold expression on her face. She didn't look like the kind of woman who could take a quirk, she looked deathly serious and Sonic could tell this from her actions. Conquering Storm stood before Sonic and Ruben and she glared at them.
"What are you two scoundrels doing here?" she demanded, her voice was like ice "I do hope you are not spying on the mighty Raiju clan! If you are then I'll have to punish you both and you will not make it out of here alive!"
"So I take it you're the woman in charge?" asked Sonic.
"I am hedgehog." said Conquering Storm bluntly "I am the Bride of the Conquering Storm, leader of the Raiju clan but you will refer to me as Conquering Storm, nothing more."
"Conquering Storm?" sniggered Sonic "That's a daft name! What are your parents called? Raging Typhoon and Thundering Gale?"
"Sonic! Show some respect!" hissed Ruben "Do you want us to get killed?"
Sonic didn't answer. Conquering Storm shifted her steely gaze from Sonic and onto Ruben.
"I know you." she said in a flat tone "You're a water panther. You were once part of the Hǎilàng clan weren't you?"
"I-I-I was." stammered Ruben.
"Pity your clan was lacking in might and strength." said Conquering Storm cruelly "No wonder they're dead now."
"Hey! You leave Ruben alone!" snapped Sonic "How would you like it if your clan was dead and Ruben teased you about it!"
Conquering Storm glared at Sonic with her orange eyes. They seemed to burn like a bonfire as she glared at Sonic.
"You've got some nerve talking to me like that boy!" she snarled "Who do you think you are? Some poor fool who thinks he can preach to me like this?"
"No I don't think that at all." retorted Sonic "I am Sonic the Hedgehog, hero of Mobius and me and Ruben are here to talk, not spy on you."
"Sonic the Hedgehog?" mused Conquering Storm "Hero of Mobius? How did I fail to notice this?"
"You know me?" asked Sonic.
"Don't be a fool, of course I don't know you!" snapped Conquering Storm "I've merely heard of you. Everybody in this wretched country has heard of you. Dàfēng Rai*, release them." she ordered to the broad and stocky lynx that stood behind them.
"But Ma'Am…" protested Rai.
"Do as you are told!" growled Conquering Storm.
Rai did as he was told and he untied Sonic and Ruben. The two Mobians looked at each other. Was Conquering Storm willing to listen to them? Rai didn't look too happy as he unwrapped the rope from around their bodies.
"Why do I have to release these spies?" asked Rai.
"Because they wish to speak and someone as honouree as the hero of Mobius is deserving of hearing my terms." explained Conquering Storm "So Sonic, Hero of Mobius and peasant of an overly obstinate nature, what are you here for and make it quick, I haven't got all day." she said to Sonic in a vapid tone.
"You don't waste any time do you?" said Sonic happily "OK, here's what we're here for: have you heard of Zira the Ruthless?"
"What a stupid question to ask, of course I've heard of Zira the Ruthless!" snapped Conquering Storm "Do you think I've been living in a cave all my life?"
"No! No of course not!" insisted Sonic "I wasn't to know was I? Well, Zira has returned and she's gotten two kung-fu masters and a clan of ninja cats on her side and we're kinda having trouble defeating her so we travelled here, conquered your traps fair and square and made it here to kindly ask you to join us in our battle with Zira."
Conquering Storm narrowed her gaze at Sonic and she put a finger to her lips. She then put both her hands behind her back and relaxed her face.
"Bold words hedgehog." said Conquering Storm "But we cannot be bought like this. We are the mighty Raiju clan! Only through strength and might do you earn anything!"
"Oh I get it." said Ruben "You're one of those "Duel of Honour" types aren't you?"
"Correct." said Conquering Storm.
"In that case, I wager a duel of honour." said Ruben "Sonic will face whoever you wish for him to battle and if Sonic wins, you join us, if not then we leave and we fight Zira ourselves."
"A bold idea water panther." said Conquering Storm bluntly "And I accept. Nothing like a good duel of honour to give the Raiju clan some exercise. Dàfēng Rai! You will face the hedgehog!" she barked at the stocky lynx.
"Yes Ma'Am. Thank you Ma'Am. Tremendous honour Ma'Am." said Rai loyally.
"Before we fight, I have something for the water panther." said Conquering Storm.
She plunged her hand into her pocket and fished something out. She threw it to Ruben and Ruben caught it, not really sure what it was. He opened his fist and looked at it. It was his water collar! He quickly snapped it back onto his neck. He got sudden wave of water flowing through his veins as he put his collar back on and he felt like a water panther once again.
"My guard at the Valley of Stepping Stones gave it to me and told me on his word of honour to give it back to you since he'd promised to return it." explained Conquering Storm.
"Thank you Conquering Storm." said Ruben, bowing politely to the cold and straightforward lynx in the coolie hat.
Conquering Storm sniffed at Ruben and turned to Sonic.
"Don't expect to win hero." she said coldly "Dàfēng Rai is my star warrior and not once has he fallen to any foe that has challenged him."
"If you say so." said Sonic casually "I'm just gonna do the best I can."
"May the best fighter win." said Conquering Storm "And that will be Rai of course. Let the duel of honour…COMENCE!" she ordered at the top of her voice.
A lynx rang a gong that made a very loud, haunting, ominous gong noise that echoed through the room and Sonic and Rai took their positions. Then, before anybody could so much as blink, Sonic and Rai charged at each other and leaped into the air, preparing to beat the snot out of each other…
Meanwhile in Chun-Nan, Bladefeather had gathered Tails, Amy, Knuckles and Cream to an old and rickety rope bridge that stretched a good length from the ledge to the other ledge. Cosmo had decided to stay at the pagoda since she would be of no use to them in this fight. Amy summoned her hammer and gave it a hefty swing.
"So Jerk-feather, why are we here?" she asked.
"Need I admonish you that we're now allies so I will not abide the name-calling thank you." snapped Bladefeather "We are here because this is where Zira will arrive. I'm am willing to bet that Zira is on her way now and this rope bridge is the only way for her to get to the Pagoda of Prosperity. So, do you remember the plan heroes from the west?"
"We do." said Tails "We're here to slow Zira down and give Sonic and Ruben a chance to get home and hopefully, we can tire her out enough for you and Mushu to eliminate her."
"Correct little boy." said Bladefeather "You are more intelligent then you look."
"Are you sure that we'll be OK out here?" asked Cream nervously "I mean, that nasty Zira woman's very strong. What if we can't beat her? She'll break our necks!" she cried, clutching her throat.
"Zira may indeed by incredibly vigorous and her strength by be unequivocal but she's not interested in mendicants like you, she's only interested in the emperor." said Bladefeather "If she refutes you, she won't execute you, she'll just run off and continue her mission."
"And how can you be sure of that?" asked Amy, narrowing her eyes at the falcon.
"Zira only executes people who are a threat to her." explained Bladefeather "Hence the reason she slaughtered three ninja clans. She hasn't been known to execute innocent civilians…yet."
"Somehow, I don't believe you." said Amy "You're just saying that to calm Cream down."
"Of all the vexing…" muttered Bladefeather "Me and you may have a variance with each other but do not take umbrage at me, I am only speaking what is truthful. Zira won't see you lot as a threat and she will not execute you. Comprehended?"
"Um…yes?" said Amy, not really sure what the word "comprehended" meant.
"How radiant." said Bladefeather sarcastically "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a pagoda to get back to. I bid you valediction and good luck my magnanimous heroes from the west."
Bladefeather flapped his wings and he took to the skies. Then he shot off at a speed Tails could only dream he could fly at. Bladefeather was so fast he was out of sight in a matter of seconds. Amy stuck her nose in the air and huffed.
"Man I hate that pompous, big headed jerk!" she moaned "Always talking with the big words and making us feel stupid! Ooooooooooohhhhhhh what I wouldn't give to smash his face in!"
"Amy! Shame on you!" scolded Cream "How could you be so rude and discourteous to Mr. Bladefeather? He's only trying to help save Chun-Nan!"
"He's rude and discourteous to us Cream so he doesn't deserve my niceness." sniffed Amy.
"Well regardless of if he deserves it or not, one thing we can thank him for is for bringing us one step ahead of Zira." said Tails "We're ready for her now."
"I just hope this plan wasn't a trick to get us as far away from the emperor as possible so Bladefeather can kidnap the princess." said Knuckles as he clenched his fists.
"Did you not hear a word Bladefeather said?" snapped Tails "He's on our side! He's trying to help us save Chun-Nan, he wants to be free from Zira, he's not attempting a kidnapping of any kind!"
"I'll believe it when I see it." scoffed Amy.
"OK, can we forget about Bladefeather? This is getting us nowhere." muttered Tails "Let's focus on…"
"Zira's coming!" squealed Cream, pointing to a rope bridge that led to the one they were standing at right now.
"Chao!" squeaked her pet Chao Cheese.
Surely enough, Zira was running, on all fours, across the rope bridge at top speed. Fong Zarr and his ninjas weren't far behind. Zira finished crossing the rope bridge and she made it onto the ledge. Then she began running across the rope bridge that the Mobians were standing at.
"She's coming!" cried Cream.
"If only we could cut this thing." said Tails, notifying the ropes that held the bridge in place "We could send her falling to her death and that would be it."
"Well we can't cut this thing so we'll have to engage her face to face." said Knuckles, raising his fists "Let's go team!"
Amy and Knuckles were the first to attack. Amy ran up to the charging Zira and whacked her directly in the face with her hammer, sending her flying backwards and landing further back up the rope bridge. Fong Zarr and his ninjas stopped in their tracks and waited at the foot of the rope bridge. Zira picked herself up and rubbed her face. She hissed at Amy and stood up on two feet. The rope bridge wobbled dangerously. Zira advanced slowly on Amy.
"So what are you peasants doing here?" she demanded angrily.
"We're here to stop you reaching the pagoda!" retorted Amy "You will not pass!"
Zira chuckled coldly at the pink hedgehog.
"Oh my dear, you are such a foolish little girl aren't you?" she sneered "Do you realize who I am? I am Zira the Ruthless, the almighty and powerful kung-fu mistress and destined to be ruler of Chun-Nan!"
"More like destined to fall of this rope bridge and be defeated by me!" shrieked Amy, swinging her hammer at Zira.
Zira had her hands straight and she blocked every single one of Amy's blows with her arms in swift motion. After blocking the last blow, Zira grabbed Amy by the neck and tossed her back onto the ledge. Amy hurtled over Knuckles and landed beside Tails and Cream. Knuckles charged towards Zira and he punched her in the stomach. Zira skidded backwards and she charged at Knuckles. She rammed the echidna in the stomach and sent him falling onto his back. Then she picked Knuckles up by the ankles and threw him onto the ledge. Knuckles landed directly on top of Amy. Amy gasped loudly. Zira leaped onto the ledge and the Mobians instantly backed away before she could strike at them. Zira stood up in a battle ready stance, unsheathed her claws and roared a natural leopard roar.
"Look here merchants, I do not wish to tangle with unworthy dirt such as you." purred Zira "My time is with the emperor and no one less so back off and I won't have to kill you."
"We will not back off!" yelled Tails "We won't let you hurt the emperor!"
"You'll have to get through us first if you want to get to the emperor!" bellowed Knuckles, raising his fists.
"Well since you're all begging for a broken neck then I'll be happy to answer to your summons!" snarled Zira "You'll be sorry you dared to stand up to the great Zira the Ruthless you wretched vermin!"
"Hey Zira, what's with all this power hungry stuff about anyway?" asked Amy "Why do you wish to conquer Chun-Nan? Has the country made a bad impact on you or something?"
Those words seemed to make Zira tense up and scowl icily at Amy. She clenched her fists for a moment before relaxing and standing up straight with her arms by her side. The Mobians waited for something to happen but nothing did. Zira breathed in deeply and then spoke.
"Chun-Nan has indeed had a bad impact on me little one." said Zira smoothly but with a tone of anger in her voice "When I was just a child, I was a helpful little servant to my parents. I made the meals and cleaned the house while my parents did their own thing. One day, I came across a school that taught martial arts and I fell in love with the sport of kung-fu. It was my only love in life and I wanted ever so desperately to master the strength and challenges of kung-fu. But my mother didn't approve of this. She hated kung-fu with a burning passion and forbid me to so much as look at a kung-fu master but my heart told me to ignore her and learn what I wished. So every afternoon when my mother left for her art classes I sneaked off to a kung-fu school which was run by Master Shan, my master and mentor. For weeks I did this and because of my kung-fu lessons, I learnt the art of subtlety and managed to act like nothing had changed on me so mother was led under the pretence that I hadn't left my home in the afternoons.
But two months later, some heartless fool snitched on me and after I returned from my lesson of the day, I was forced to explain everything to mother. She was not pleased and she ordered my father to beat me for punishment. He beat me black and blue and he broke my arm, all under my mother's orders. Father was like a mindless drone to her and that's the way she liked it. The experience was traumatising and my heart grieves just thinking about it. And as I started to recover from my beatings, I had one thing on my mind: revenge and with my kung-fu skills, it was completely possible for me to get revenge on my heartless mother.
So after I healed from my beatings, I killed my stupid mother in revenge for her unforgivable cruelty to me. She was the first neck I broke and father ran away forever to avoid getting killed by me, clever of him since he was my next target. No one knows what happened to father but I have a sneaky suspicion the old fool died of a broken heart shortly after running away. So after the death of my mother, I continued taking lessons and the anger in me I got from remembering the beating my father gave me increased to disproportionate levels. I then had this sudden urge to conquer something so I destroyed a village, slaughtered three clans and tried to ransack the country. I was foiled by Master Shan, Bladefeather and Mushu and sent into exile. This just made me angrier and more determined to get what I want so I came back and now I will rule Chun-Nan and make it pay for all the pain it's endorsed on me!"
She finished her tale with a heavy breath and a growl. The Mobians looked at each other and then back at Zira. Cream, bravely spoke up.
"Zira, killing your mother wasn't a nice thing to do." she said "You could have tried to tell her how you felt about kung-fu and how you loved it. Like my mother once said to me, revenge won't get you anything, all it will do is bring you more pain and then you'll be sadder then you already have been."
"Don't preach to me about morality you little brat!" snapped Zira "You're just a kid! You don't know anything about bad impacts and the pain you feel from being abused by your superiors! And I did try to tell mother about my feelings for kung-fu and her response was "No daughter of mine will be learning that blood sport! Children are meant to be servants and a servant is what you shall be young lady!"! Revenge was the only way I could get what I want and it worked! I'm a kung-fu mistress and I'm soon going to be ruler of Chun-Nan! This whole country will bow to my feet and pay for the indignity it's ever caused me!"
"Chun-Nan didn't cause you any indignity." said Knuckles "You caused yourself indignity by being so vengeful. You will be consumed by your own hate Zira and the only way of avoiding this fate is to change your ways or you'll be finding yourself receiving pain for the rest of your life."
"How dare you lecture me you fatuous worm?" snarled Zira "That's it! I will pound you all into submission and once I conquer Chun-Nan, you will be my lap-dogs, grovelling at my feet and spending an eternity in chains and misery!"
Zira lunged forward and tried to attack Knuckles but Knuckles beat her to it and he socked Zira in the face. Zira landed on her side but she was quick to recover. Knuckles tried to punch her again but Zira kung-fu kicked him in the head and sent him stumbling, Then she picked Knuckles up, spun him around in midair and kicked him straight into Tails, who was trying to help Knuckles. Cream throw Cheese at Zira but Zira smacked him away with one swipe of an arm. Cream flapped her ears and flew towards Zira. She grabbed Zira's ponytail and yanked on it. Zira yelped angrily and she leaped into the air. She dropkicked Cream into the ground, causing the rabbit to let go of her ponytail and before Zira could add an elbow slam for added effect, Tails tackled her and sent her rolling across the ground. Zira got back to her feet only to get a punch to the cheek from Knuckles. Zira retaliated with a karate chop to the face and she kicked Knuckles away before he could try to retaliate. Fong Zarr and the ninjas watched the fight in interest.
"Well, this fight is going to get interesting isn't it?" Zarr mused to himself "Well since I have no orders, I'm quite content to stand idly by and watch. I bet Zira will massacre those scrrrrubs in a matter of moments. If those merchants last more the five minutes then I'll be impressed."
Fong Zarr chuckled dryly to himself as Zira did a split-kick to take out Tails and Amy both at once and then she landed a kick slam on Knuckle's head just as he was about to attack. Cream tried to attack but Zira gave the rabbit an enormous uppercut that actually ended up rendering Cream unconscious! Cheese fisted Zira in the eye but that didn't seem to do much to her and Zira swatted Cheese away. Amy tried to wallop Zira with her hammer but the vicious leopard knocked the hammer out of her hands and kicked Amy into Fong Zarr who kicked her away before she could hit him. Knuckles then grabbed Zira in a chokehold and forced her onto her knees. He thumped Zira sharply on the head to daze her a little and he let go of her so he could give her an uppercut. Zira stumbled backwards and rubbed her throbbing chin better and she lunged at the echidna with her claws bared, fangs shown and she roared ferociously at her opponent…
Rai held up his arms in front of his face in an X-shape to defend himself from one of Sonic's mighty spin-dashes. The fight between Sonic and Rai had been pretty even sided so far with neither opponent being able to land much of a blow on each other. Conquering Storm was impressed with how well Sonic was holding up against her mightiest ninja, this hedgehog was as strong as the legends made him out as. Ruben had just been watching the whole fight nervously and was rather surprised that Sonic was holding out so well against a well trained ninja. Maybe Rai wasn't as strong as Conquering Storm made him out to be. Sonic leaped backwards and skidded to a halt just as Rai was lunging for him. Sonic spin-dashed Rai in the stomach and sent him crashing into a wall. Rai pulled himself free from the wall and lunged at Sonic, spinning in mid-air like a drill-bit. He hit Sonic directly in the gut and sent him skidding across the floor on his back. Before Sonic could get back up, Rai grabbed the hedgehog by the ankles and threw him into the ceiling. The ceiling was very high up and Sonic would have a rather nasty fall if he pulled himself free from it. But Sonic knew how to deal with heights so he had no problem. He rolled into a ball and spin-dashed off the ceiling…only to get walloped by Rai and sent crashing into the floor. Sonic picked himself up and dodged just as Rai was lunging at him with his arms stretched out. Sonic kicked him in the back of the head as he was leaping over him and Rai fell flat on his face. Rai got back to his feet but Sonic took his legs out from underneath him with a swift kick to the ankles, causing him to fall back on the floor. Rai rolled onto his front, stood on all fours and charged at Sonic like an angry bull. He head-butted the hedgehog and sent him accidentally hurling towards Conquering Storm. The prideful bride kicked Sonic away before Sonic could hit her.
"Watch it Rai you careless oaf!" shouted Conquering Storm.
"My apologies my dear." said Rai "I shall be more careful in this fight."
"Blah, blah, blah, here's hedgehog in your face!" yelled Sonic, punching Rai directly in the jaw.
Rai bent over backwards, sending Sonic hurling over him and he rubbed his jaw. Sonic charged at him at super sonic speed but Rai gave the hedgehog a huge uppercut that sent him hurling through the air in a neat rainbow arch. Sonic landed, luckily, on his feet and he charged at Rai again. Rai tried to attack but Sonic was too fast. He tackled the lynx and sent him falling onto his back. Sonic tried to attack again but Rai kangaroo kicked him away and leaped back onto his feet. Sonic began to throw punches left and right at Rai but Rai blocked every single one of them with his arms. Rai threw punches back but Sonic with his incredibly fast reflexes managed to dodge them all. Then he tripped Rai up and Rai fell onto his back. Rai rolled out of Sonic's way as he was about to kick slam him and Rai roundhouse kicked the hedgehog in the head. Sonic felt a little dazed after such a powerful kick and he staggered about like a drunken person. Rai then walloped him with the side of his fist and Sonic hurtled backwards like a rag doll. Sonic landed on one of the Raiju ninjas who was watching the fight and he knocked him over. Sonic got back to his feet and then noticed the ninja he landed on had a pair of katanas in sheaths strapped to his back. Sonic grabbed the katanas, unsheathed them and threw one to Rai, who caught it in his hand.
"Hey muscle boy, I've decided to spice things up a little." said Sonic, twirling the katana in his hand "Why don't we have a little sword fight instead of a normal fight?"
"Whatever you say hedgehog." said Rai with a big grin on his face, twirling his katana at a very fast speed "I love a good sword fight."
"How marvellous, this fight is going to get more interesting I can see." said Conquering Storm with a dry smile on her face.
Ruben wasn't so sure that this was a good idea. Did Sonic know how to sword fight? If not then this battle would end very badly for Sonic indeed.
"Ready?" asked Sonic.
"When you are challenger." boomed Rai.
The two fighters charged at each other and their katanas clashed together, the loud clang rang around the room. Sonic and Rai then began to rapidly clash katanas together. They were swinging their swords so quickly you couldn't see them and there were so much clanging noises that was the only noise you could hear in the whole room. Rai swung at Sonic but Sonic jumped over him and they clashed katanas as Sonic sailed over Rai. Sonic landed behind Rai and Rai spun around to block an attack from Sonic. Sonic aimed at Rai's thigh but Rai blocked the blow with his katana. Rai aimed at Sonic's shoulder but Sonic blocked the blow with his katana. They both linked swords and pushed on each other as hard as they possibly could but no one could gain the advantage on either one. Rai then suddenly broke up the sword cross and slashed Sonic on the hip. Sonic cried in pain and fell down on one knee. Rai then tried to strike at Sonic but Sonic defended himself with his katana.
"Hey! This is a duel of honour isn't it?" asked Sonic "We're supposed to defeat each other not KILL each other!"
"Wrong hedgehog." boomed Rai "When the Raiju clan fights it's a fight to the death, honouree or not."
"Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" demanded Sonic.
"Because we wanted you all shocked and surprised when we killed you at the end." explained Rai "But that's not possible since I've just explained it to you."
Ruben was horrified at this revelation.
"Hey! Conquering Storm! That's not how a duel of honour goes!" he yelled at her "I demand you call off this duel now!"
"You will know your place and shut up!" snapped Conquering Storm, not taking her eyes off the battle "You are in Raiju territory so you do things our way. You may have a rule where you don't kill the opponent in a duel of honour but we do not. In our duels it's a duel to the death."
"So if Sonic wins this fight does this mean he has to kill Rai?" asked Ruben.
"Yes he does." said Conquering Storm, not showing much empathy on the subject matter.
Those Raiju guys are brutal and cruel! thought Ruben I'm so glad I was never part of this clan!
Meanwhile, Sonic had managed to stand back up, straining as he did, and he was soon back in the battle. He was having trouble running though due to his slashed hip. Rai began roughly swinging at Sonic, making very loud clangs as he hit Sonic's katana, and he tripped Sonic up with one kick to the legs. Sonic fell onto his back and Rai tried to stab Sonic with the katana. Sonic rolled out of the way, causing Rai to accidentally plunge his katana into the floor. Rai tried to pull it out and Sonic kicked him in the side, sending him rolling over a few meters across the floor. Sonic then spin-dashed the stuck katana and destroyed it and he threw his katana away.
"Enough with the sword play, let's stick to hand to hand from now on." said Sonic, raising his fists.
"Suit yourself hedgehog." said Rai casually, getting back up to his feet.
The two charged at each other but Sonic got the first blow this time, kicking upwards at Rai and walloping his jaw. Rai stumbled backwards and Sonic kicked him again in the gut. Sonic then added insult to injury by kick slamming Rai's head and sending him falling down on his face. Rai tried to get back-up but Sonic spin-dashed him before he could get up. Sonic tried to spin-dash again but Rai smacked him away with his powerful arms. Rai leaped back onto his feet and then he dropkicked Sonic just as he was standing up straight. Sonic landed on the floor with a thump and Rai elbow slammed him while he was down to add insult to injury. Sonic gasped loudly as all the air in his body seemed to be escaping from him but Rai just laughed. Rai then picked Sonic up as if he was a rag-doll and he threw the hedgehog into the wall. Sonic was ready however and he bounced off the wall with his feet, sending himself hurling towards Rai fist first. The hedgehog successfully punched Rai directly in the nose, sending the lynx falling over. Sonic landed on the floor and he charged at Rai again but Rai was ready for him and he leaped out of the hedgehog's way. Sonic skidded to a halt and spin-dashed at Rai but the ninja lynx once again, smacked him away and sent him hurling into the ground. Sonic skidded to a halt and decided to let Rai try and attack him before doing anything. Rai tried to punch Sonic but Sonic beat him to it with an uppercut. Rai uppercut Sonic back and then he swiped Sonic away with his arm. Sonic lay on his side, trying to get back up. Rai ran towards him, ready to slam down on him but Sonic rolled onto his back, leaned back on his hands and sprung himself feet first into Rai's face. Rai was sent hurling backwards and before he could recover, Sonic spin-dashed him in the gut. Rai doubled over in pain and Sonic decided to be naughty and kick him in the backside. Rai fell onto his face and he rubbed his sore bottom. Conquering Storm did not seem pleased at all.
"Dàfēng Rai!" she yelled "Cease this idiotic display and get back in the battle! You know what happens if you lose!"
"Yes dear, I know what happens if I lose." said Rai, getting back to his feet "I shall double my efforts."
And it seemed he was willing to cheat in order to win this fight. He ran over to the wall, which had many weapons on display, and took a large, rock hard club that looked like it could cause some serious damage. Sonic spin-dashed towards Rai but Rai walloped him with the club and sent him hurling into the wall. Sonic groaned in pain and he slid slowly down to the floor.
"H-h-hey!" he spluttered "Wh-who says you get to use a w-weapon?"
"I do." said Rai "There are no rules in this duel except win."
"Really?" said Sonic "You guys aren't really rules people are you?"
"Shut up and face me with pride hedgehog!" boomed Rai.
He raised the club and prepared to smash Sonic into the ground with it but Sonic spin-dashed him and sent him falling over, causing him to drop the heavy club. Rai tried to pick it up but Sonic grabbed the club, threw it into the air and spin-dashed it into pieces so Rai couldn't use it. Rai got mad and he pulled a pair of nunchakus off the wall. He spun them around furiously. He began to do all sorts of arm twirls with the spinning nunchakus and Sonic spin-dashed towards him. Rai walloped him with the nunchakus but they didn't hurt Sonic anywhere near as much as the club. Sonic landed on his feet and charged at Rai. He slid between Rai's legs so he ended up behind the lynx then he jumped on his back and pulled on his ears. Rai yelped and made the foolish mistake of trying to hit Sonic with the nunchaku. Sonic leaped off him and Rai ended up hitting himself. A tremendous wave of pain swept over Rai and he grimaced. Nunchakus hurt a lot after all. Sonic spin-dashed Rai again and Rai swiped at him with his nunchakus, missing this time. Ruben was watching the whole thing with butterflies in his stomach and he kept silently begging to himself.
"Go Sonic! Go Sonic! Go Sonic!"
Sonic and Rai lunged at each other but they missed and Rai walloped Sonic in the back with the nunchakus. Sonic retaliated with a kick and the two attacked each other again…
Meanwhile, things had been going horribly for the Mobians. Zira was such a powerful kung-fu mistress and so fast that she was hard to hit and any attacks they launched on her, she just shrugged off as if they weren't even serious blows. Cream had been beaten to the point where she couldn't fight anymore so she was forced to forfeit and stay out of harm's way and Cheese without Cream wasn't very helpful so he forfeited too. Only Knuckles, Amy and Tails were managing to hold their own against the kung-fu mistress. Knuckles and Zira punched each other's fists and Amy tried to whack her with her hammer but Zira kicked backwards and hit her in the gut. Amy doubled over in severe pain and Zira then kneed Knuckles in the gut. Tails kicked her in the back of the head while he was flying and Zira swiped at him but she missed due to the fox's speed while flying. Knuckles gave Zira an uppercut that caused a small tooth to fall out of her mouth and then he gripped his fists together and slammed Zira in the stomach as hard as he could. Zira flew backwards and landed at the feet of Fong Zarr who seemed to be enjoying this match a lot.
"Forgive me mistress but I am not sure what to do." said Fong Zarr with a sneer "I mean, you needed us to take down Master Shan, do you need us to help you take down a bunch of kids?"
"Grrr! I've got this!" retorted Zira furiously "You stay out of this match and await my command!"
"Yes Ma'Am." said Fong Zarr in a sarcastically polite tone.
Zira charged back into the battle and landed a spitting cobra attack on Knuckles. Zira knew kung-fu moves with names after all and spitting cobra was only one of those attacks. She had plenty more ready to use. Tails flew into attack Zira but she turned around, made a circle with her finger and thumb and shouted. "Kung-fu gorilla flick!" and she flicked Tails straight in the nose. A normal flick can hurt but a kung-fu master's flick hurts even more and Tails felt more like he had been punched in the nose rather then flicked. He fell down onto the ground, clutching his nose and grimacing. Zira grinned evilly at Tails and then she used the spitting cobra attack on Tails just as he was standing back up. Tails found himself falling down again, groaning loudly. Amy tried to hammer Zira from behind but Zira just reached over her shoulder, grabbed Amy's hammer as it was coming for her and she tossed Amy onto the ground in front of her. Amy crashed face first and she groaned like a ghoul. Before Zira could do anything to Amy, Knuckles gave her an uppercut from behind and Zira fell forward in roly-poly and she landed on her back. Zira quickly got back to her feet but Knuckles punched the ground beneath his feet and caused some bits of rubble and earth to stick up. He then ripped the rubble out of the ground, leaving a hole in it, and tossed it towards Zira. Being a kung-fu mistress though, Zira ploughed through the rubble as if it was merely sand and she charged towards Knuckles. Knuckles gave her another uppercut to the chin that sent Zira hurling backwards in a rainbow arch. She landed on her back and came to a halt just millimetres away from the edge of the cliff. Zira groaned in pain and she sat up, rubbing her chin as Knuckles advanced on her.
"My…destiny…" grunted Zira.
Knuckles slammed his foot down on Zira's stomach, forcing her back down on her back. She stared straight up at Knuckles in an expression not often used by her. Fear. She looked very worried to say the least.
"My destiny…it cannot be trumped by mere children!" she wheezed.
"Well it just did." said Knuckles coldly "Now say your prayers Zira! This blow will knock you out cold and while you're out of it, the emperor can find a nice cell for you to rot in!"
He raised his fist high above his head. Zira stared up at it in fear. She awaited the killer blow as Knuckles prepared to strike. Knuckles roared loudly and he punched at Zira, his arm moving at the blink of an eye. But he didn't hit Zira like he hoped he would do. Zira had caught his fist in-between her hands and stopped him dead in his tracks! Tails and Amy were well and truly shocked. Knuckles had come so close to knocking Zira senseless and she stopped him! Zira then climbed back onto her feet, growling at Knuckles and still clutching his fist. Knuckles tried to wrench out of her grasp but she was too strong and she wouldn't let go of him. Zira then flash Knuckles a sick, twisted grin that made him shudder.
"How was it you put it echidna?" she sneered "While I'm out of it, the emperor can find a nice cell for me to rot in?"
She then threw Knuckles' arm to the left, causing Knuckles to stagger to the left and then she thumped him sharply on the right shoulder. Luckily, she hadn't broken anything but that thump hurt Knuckles an awful lot and he clenched his shoulder in pain. Zira then elbowed Knuckles in the stomach, then she kneed him in the stomach and to finish it off, she kicked him directly in the face. Knuckles hurled through the air and landed at the feet of Fong Zarr. The vile ninja thief kicked him away just to be cruel and to add insult to injury. Tails tail-whipped at Zira but she blocked the blow with her arm and grabbed Tails' twin tails. She then hurled the fox into a tree. Tails hit the tree and slid slowly down to the ground, crying in pain. Amy then tried to hammer Zira but the leopard dodged her with no trouble and she leaped away. Amy kept trying to hit Zira but Zira kept dodging her blows with ease and then she dropkicked Amy in the head. Amy staggered backwards and Zira picked up her hammer, which Amy had dropped after getting kicked, and she tossed it away. Zira then charged at Amy and rammed her in the gut. That blow was so hard Amy ended up falling off the cliff and plunging down to the ground below! Tails was onto it and he flew after the falling Amy as fast as his tails would let him. While that was happening, Knuckles had managed to get back to his feet but he didn't have much strength left in him and he felt weak. Regardless, he knew he couldn't give up so he forced himself back into the battle. Zira saw Knuckles coming and she leaped into the air, spun around like a spinning top and landed behind Knuckles. Knuckles was too slow to react and Zira tripped him up with a swift kick to the legs. Knuckles landed on his back and Zira picked him up. She head butted him in the forehead and threw him into a tree. Knuckles landed on his front and he grunted in pain. Zira cackled in victory, pleased to see she had defeated her opponents but then suddenly, she was struck from behind by a hammer blow. It was Amy Rose being carried by Tails! Tails had caught Amy luckily and they managed to land a sneak attack on Zira. Zira got back to her feet but Amy walloped her again, harder this time, and Tails successfully landed a tail-whip to the face on Zira. Amy then walloped Zira before she had time to recover and sent the kung-fu leopard hurtling into a tree beside Cream. Cream cheered, pleased to see that Zira had presumably been defeated. But Zira wasn't down yet. She got back to her feet and she growled furiously at Tails and Amy. She then saw Cream the Rabbit, who cowered back in fright and she suddenly lunged at her. She grabbed Cream by the neck with both hands and Tails and Amy ran up to her. Cream screamed in terror and Cheese tried to help but Zira flicked him away. She turned her attention back to Tails and Amy.
"You mongrels dare come near me another inch and this child's neck gets broken like a teapot!" she snarled threateningly "I mean it! This is your only warning!"
"Amy! Help me! Please!" wailed Cream "Don't let this horrible woman kill me!"
"You let go of Cream or you'll be sorry!" screeched Amy.
"You let me and my ninja army go to the Pagoda of Prosperity and this rabbit child will live!" retorted Zira "I will not warn you again! You have ten seconds before I make the killer blow!"
"No!" squeaked Cream "Please!"
Zira ignored her and tightened her grip while counting down from ten.
"Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…"
Tails and Amy looked at each other desperately. They couldn't let Zira go but they couldn't let her kill Cream either. Then again, Sonic would probably be on his way back with the other ninja clan hopefully beside him to help defeat Zira so letting Zira go wouldn't be much of a problem.
"Five…four…three…two…" counted Zira.
"Stop!" cried Tails "We give in. You win just leave Cream alone!"
"Tails means it." said Amy, tossing her hammer on the ground as a sign of surrendering "We surrender."
Zira smiled like a witch and she threw Cream at Amy. The rabbit was in rainfalls of tears and she hugged Amy tightly.
"Oh Amy! That was so horrible! I thought I was going to-to-to…" sobbed Cream.
"Sssh, Sssh, Sssh, It's alright now Cream." said Amy gently, putting her arms around Cream "You're safe now."
"Not for long scrrrrubs!" growled Fong Zarr, unsheathing his twin katanas and wielding them menacingly "It's our turn to play now!"
The whole Yīnyǐng Mao advanced from the rope bridge and onto the cliff with their weapons ready. They were preparing to attack the defeated Mobians. They all hissed menacing cat hisses at the Mobians and Tails, Amy and Cream all backed up to each other fearfully.
"Shadow cats, tie them up." said Zira "That'll stop them from denying me my destiny."
"But mistress." protested Fong Zarr "Wouldn't it be better to kill the little brutes now so they can't bother us later?"
"It probably would." said Zira bluntly "OK then, tie them up and hang them over the edge of the cliff." she instructed "Make sure the rope is loose enough to un-knot and they'll plunge to their deaths. A fall of a cliff is a more honouree death for valiant fighters like them then simply killing them now."
"Yes Zira." said Fong Zarr.
So the Yīnyǐng Mao put all their weapons away and instead pulled out a bunch of thick ropes that would be difficult to snap. They pounced on Amy, Cream and Tails and they tied them tightly together with the rope. They even tied Cheese up with the three Mobians. The rope was wrapped around the three, keeping them tightly together and they tied up each of their legs too just to make double sure they were secure. Then four ninjas carried the tied up Tails, Amy and Cream over to the edge of the cliff and they tied a rope around a nearby stone but not very tightly. They lowered Tails, Amy and Cream down over the edge so now they were left dangling over the edge of the cliff. In a matter of moments, the loosely tied rope would unravel due to their combined weight and they would fall to their deaths. Zira cackled triumphantly. There was no way out for the Mobians, she had defeated them and now she could continue on to the Pagoda of Prosperity.
"Come on Yīnyǐng Mao!" she barked "Our destiny awaits us at the Pagoda of Prosperity! Let's go!"
"Rrrright behind you Zira dear." said Fong Zarr in a fake tone of loyalty.
Zira, Zarr and the ninjas all charged off at top speed, leaving the tied up Tails, Amy and Cream behind and dangling off the edge of the cliff. They hadn't tied up Knuckles though but they had forgotten about him and it didn't matter since Knuckles was too weak to get back up so Tails, Amy and Cream were still in peril. The three exchanged worrying glances as the rope slowly began to unwind.
"Tails! What are we gonna do?" cried Amy "We're going to fall and then we're going to die!"
"I dunno Amy." said Tails sadly "I can't fly us away since we're all tied together. There's no room for my tails to spin."
"What about you Cream?" asked Amy desperately "You can fly us away with your flappy little ears can't you?"
"I probably could Miss Rose but I might have trouble carrying the two of you with me." said Cream sadly "And even if I can manage, I might tire out before I can make it."
"Then we're doomed!" wailed Amy "I can't die now! I have a future with Sonic to look forward to before I die! Oh Sonic, where are you?"
It seemed as if all hope was lost for the Mobians as the rope continued to unwind, threatening to loose its grip and send Tails, Amy and Cream falling to their deaths…
Meanwhile, Sonic and Rai had spent the past few minutes playing cat and mouse with Sonic being the mouse and Rai being the cat inevitably. Rai kept trying to hit Sonic with his nunchakus but he kept missing since Sonic was too fast for him. Sonic couldn't run fast due to his slashed hip so he spin-dashed out of Rai's way instead and he hit Rai in the back of the head every time he dodged. This whole ordeal seemed to be fazing the lynx a little and his pursuit seemed to be slowing down. He was also growing tired after running around roaring and swinging nunchakus and getting spin-dashed in the head so many times. He tried to hit Sonic again, wheezing as he did so but he missed and Sonic spin-dashed him in the back of the head yet again. Rai fell onto his hands and knees and be began to pant heavily. Conquering Storm glared at Rai angrily.
"Rai, are you deliberately trying to disappoint me?" she snarled "Get back on your feet and beat that hedgehog if you want to live!"
"Yes…my master…" puffed Rai.
He forced himself back onto his feet and he prepared to attack. Sonic spin-dashed at Rai again but Rai saw him coming and whacked him away with his nunchaku, sending Sonic skidding across the floor. Rai was getting all the wiser about Sonic's tactics so he didn't chase the hedgehog down so he knew he couldn't catch him so he decided to just let Sonic come for him and then attack. Sonic spin-dashed at Rai again but Rai whacked him away again. Sonic skidded across the floor and he bent down in a battle ready stance. He was beginning to sense what Rai was up to so he decided to change tactics. He spin-dashed at Rai and Rai prepared to whack him with his nunchaku. But instead of spin-dashing Rai, Sonic spun over Rai and hit him in the back. Rai fell onto his stomach and he dropped his nunchakus. Sonic quickly scooped them up and he threw them away. Rai got mad and he tried to punch Sonic but Sonic leaped out of the way before he could get hit. Sonic then saw a spear mounted on the wall and he had an idea on how to win the match. He dodged yet another blow from Rai and he ran over to the wall. Rai sensed what Sonic was trying to do and he grabbed a shield that was mounted on the wall and threw it at Sonic. Sonic didn't see the shield coming in time and he got hit by it. Sonic staggered backwards and Rai let him have it in the face with both fists. Sonic was sent skidding across the floor and he rubbed his head tenderly. Rai charged up to Sonic again but Sonic kangaroo kicked him before the lynx could grab him and then Sonic jumped over Rai and kicked him in the back of the head. Rai fell forward and Sonic ran to the wall to get the spear. Sonic grabbed the spear and pointed it straight at Rai, who was charging up to Sonic. Rai stopped dead in his tracks and he sank down on his knees. He knew he couldn't do anything to Sonic without getting killed by the spear. Sonic kept the spear pointed directly at Rai's chest and Rai raised his arms in defeat.
"I concede. You win Sonic." said Rai.
Sonic smiled happily.
"Heh, well played Rai." said Sonic with a thumbs up at the lynx.
Rai just scowled at him. Ruben cheered happily.
"Yes! Sonic you did it!" he cried "Now the Raiju clan will help us defeat Zira!"
Sonic chuckled in a cocky tone and he gave a thumbs up to Ruben. Conquering Storm clapped her hands in sarcastic applause at Sonic.
"Bravo hero from the west." she applauded in a vapid tone "You have won the duel of honour now you may execute your opponent."
"What?" cried Sonic, rubbing the inside of his ear with his finger "Did I hear you wrong or did you just tell me to kill your own ninja?"
"In the Raiju clan, we fight to the death in a duel of honour." said Conquering Storm "The loser gets executed and since Rai has been defeated, you may do the honours hedgehog."
Sonic looked at Rai, the ninja's eyes full of fright as if he had accepted his fate but wasn't happy about it. He bent down and waited for Sonic to do the honours. Sonic just glared at Conquering Storm and he promptly broke the spear by slamming it on his thigh. Rai looked up, surprised at the fact Sonic had spared his life and Sonic threw the spear on the floor angrily. He marched up to Conquering Storm and pointed sharply at her, his face full of anger.
"You're sick if you think I'm gonna stoop down to your level Connie!" said Sonic crossly, pointing straight at Conquering Storm's face "I don't believe that people should die just for getting defeated by someone better then them in a fight! Everybody deserves a second chance at things and I think Rai deserves one for his valiant efforts!"
"Well said Sonic!" praised Ruben "For one so obstinate, you're such an honouree person Sonic!"
"Thanks Ruben." said Sonic, bowing.
"Silence!" yelled Conquering Storm.
Her voice echoed ominously around the room for a moment. The moment things quietened down, Conquering Storm spoke.
"Very well hedgehog I shall meet your amends." said Conquering Storm grimly, clearly not happy with her decisions "Rai will live but next time, I will not be so merciful." she said, glaring furiously at the defeated lynx.
"I will not fail you again master." said Rai loyally "I shall take extra training to ensure my victory next time."
Conquering Storm nodded and then turned to Sonic.
"Since you have won the duel hedgehog, we will join you in your quest to defeat Zira the Ruthless." said Conquering Storm "And I'm so glad I'll be joining in since I've been wanting to fight that vile woman for a long time."
"If that's the case then why didn't you join up with us immediately?" asked Ruben "Wouldn't that have been better?"
"Did you not hear me properly little boy?" snapped Conquering Storm "The Raiju clan only earns anything through might and strength! And through might and strength, you've earned our allegiance! Now enough of the stupid questions and let's go and stop this evil fiend from ransacking our country!"
"Sweet!" said Sonic happily "You don't waste any time do you lady?"
Conquering Storm ignored her and she, Rai and her hordes of Raiju ninjas all charged out of the throne room. Sonic and Ruben ran after her. Now Ruben had his water collar, he could use his water powers to keep up with Sonic. Sonic, Rube, Conquering Storm and the Raiju ninjas all ran out of the fortress and headed off for the village of Chun-Nan. Sonic prayed with all his might that they weren't too late…
Footnotes:
* Dàfēng Rai means "Gale Thunder" in Chinese
Sonic has made an alliance with the all-mighty Raiju clan! Can this clan defeat Zira or are they just another pathetic obstacle for the kung-fu demon? Find out in the explosive finale to the Chun-Nan saga! Reviews are welcome.
P.S. Conquering Storm is NOT my character! She is a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog comics published by Archie.
