Chapter 10: The Beginning of the End: The Lightning Flame Legend
Char felt like he was flying in an empty sea. Calmness stuck to him like dust to sandpaper and tried to suffocate him, but through it all he just...existed. There was no sense of time in this void of his heart, but there was nothing else he could do but be. Where...am I? Char thought as he drifted aimlessly, voice but a mirage to him.
You are in your heart. A new voice answered as Char blinked, seemingly reacting and motionless at the same time. We don't have that much time before he finds us, can you move? The voice asked as Char struggled to even shake his head, feeling that illusion of flight fall into solid ground. He looked around for the voice but couldn't find the source of the light girlish voice. The voice giggled, You're looking in the wrong place, but don't worry, I'm right here.The voice told him as Char looked at the Sol Emerald.
So...what do I have to do? Char asked as the voice sighed.
You need to wake the dormant gem in your heart. It gives you power, but it has long since ran dry and corrupted when the Chaos Emeralds joined with you. To do that, you have to reach your core. The voice answered as Char faintly heard someone calling for him. Your friends are trying to help you from the outside, but nothing will work without the dormant Emerald that rests inside of you. Unless you bring that out, your world will end. The voice answered as Char panicked.
Wait what!? The world!? I thought it was just an explosion from me! Char asked frantically as the voice seemed to shake her head.
It's not from the explosion, but of what comes out of the explosion. The voice explained, before sighing. To reach your core, we must pass by your memories, one at a time, until we find a doorway. The voice continued as Char closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The memory that I hold closest… The two thought in union as Char smiled lightly, the memory as clear as yesterday as they walked down towards the heart.
"What do you mean!?" Silver yelled as Blaze sighed, putting the five Sol Emeralds down around the unconscious Char. Off in the distance, Sonic headed on over to them, running in what amount to a light jog for him. He looked towards them as Blaze continued on, both too engaged in their conversation to notice him, while Tails and Knuckles tried to catch up using their Extreme Gear.
"All seven are here, but...it won't wake him up." Blaze said, looking towards him, "M-Maybe what I asked of you back then w-" Blaze tried to say as Silver shook his head.
"Don't even say that! You asked me to protect him and to keep him safe, and that's what I'll do! Blaze, I swore to you to protect him, because you felt he was...is your...I won't fail him, okay? Besides, if he's from the future, then who knows what caused you to..." Silver explained, desperation in his tone. Blaze grimaced a bit as she looked towards him.
"Blaze? What does Silver mean by that?" Sonic asked, Tails and Knuckles right behind him, "We made it back as soon as we could, is Char alright?" Sonic asked, looking for the rest of Team Wildvolt, but seeing none of them.
"Yeah, he's alright," Silver started, dodging the prior question, "And the others are trying to get everyone over to safety alongside Team Dark and I'm assuming that Team Babylon is trying to also help out with that…" Silver continued, but sighed at the heavy frown on Blaze's face. "As for the former question…" He started, looking towards Blaze for guidance, as she simply nodded, "Well, you remember the story with the Gigan Rocks?" Silver asked as Sonic nodded. "The reason I was following them was because I was visiting home when the future Blaze begged me for something. She wanted me to protect her child, who she had sent back to the past to live in a better world than the one we held. She was on her last dying breath and said she had sent him back a few years back, compared to the future anyways, and that something had followed him back to that past." Silver explained, "I...don't know exactly, but I believe that Char might be her kid, though that doesn't explain why he's a lizard and not a cat…" Another sigh broke up as Silver rubbed his head, nervous about the next part of the story, "When I travelled back and met up with this time's Blaze, I noticed her looking...frantic at something, she was watching the Second Grand Prix event and was watching Char use his flames." Silver broke off after that as Blaze sighed.
"Indeed...I-I was shocked that there was another with the power of Flame, especially one that was from your dimension. When I saw it, I couldn't help wondering about him, and so...I asked Silver for a favor. I...I wanted to meet him for myself, to try and confirm the story that Silver had told me right afterward. I couldn't help wondering what he would think of me, the future me, if he is in fact, my future son. After all, only those that inherit the power of Flame can wield it, so I had my suspicions from the start, but…" Blaze sighed again, unsure of herself as she looked down towards Char, and the Sol Emerald that was attached to his chest, "I don't know why, but one of the Sol Emeralds had disappeared, and perhaps I know why. Two sets of the same Emerald cannot exist at the same time, it's impossible for it to happen...so perhaps what had happened was that the emerald had been inside Char this whole time, and he has to find it within. I think that's why he remains unconscious, even with all the Sol Emeralds together like this...the last one simply hasn't awakened yet." Blaze explained, looking towards the faint glow of Char's chest with an almost motherly gaze. "If he is indeed my son, I have to admit that I'm proud of him and what he's done, protecting his friends and those he holds dear is worthy of a Prince of the Sol Dimension, though I wonder how he'll continue to grow up." Blaze continued on, with Silver coughing to interrupt.
"That's all we really know on it, there wasn't anyone else that could have been her son, so I was there to try and protect Char this whole time. But...I don't know what I could do now, with him like this." Silver sighed in agonizing disappointment with Blaze looking over towards him with her own grimace.
"It's all up to him now, Silver, so we have to believe in him." Silver sighed once again with a nod.
"I...I know Blaze, it's just…" Silver looked towards Char as he muttered the last part, "It's just hard to…" He said as the group of five stood there, hoping against hope that Char would wake up.
The memory of meeting Pika was admittedly hilarious as Char looked back on it, much like their encounter towards the beginning of the week, Pika was alone when they had talked back then, all the way when he first got an apartment.
Char sighed as he looked towards his bills for the little apartment, having just bought it the previous month before. "Man..how am I to pay this amount of rings? I thought the rent was affordable, but they had no food either…" Char sighed aloud as he heard a knock to the door, confused by who it could be. "Huh? Coming!" Char said as he got up from the one sole piece of furniture that was in there, a couch that was slowly being taken by flames. "AGH! CMON CMON CMON!" Char panicked to put the fire out as he opened the door with his foot claw. "Nonononono! Don't do this to me!" Char panicked as he repeatedly tried putting it out with his claws, only for Pika to snicker a bit and use a fire extinguisher.
"You okay?" Pika asked as Char groaned.
"Yeah...I'm alright...thankfully. What were you wanting?" Char asked as Pika grinned.
"Well...I was going to ask if you wanted to join a tournament with me, it'll be easy if you just stick behind me, we'll win it effortlessly for the cash! But I need a partner to sign up, so…" Pika didn't even look sheepish as he asked, much to the confusion of Char.
"What tournament?" Char asked as Pika smiled.
"The Grand Prix!" Pika immediately proclaimed as Char scoffed.
"No way! I don't even have an Extreme Gear, how could I participate in the world tournament for it!?" Char countered as Pika waved it off.
"It'll pay a good amount of money…" Pika offered as Char scoffed.
"If we happen to win, which I doubt. Either way, why would you need another person? The Grand Prix has always been Singles, so shouldn't you be able to just join on in?" Char asked as Pika laughed a tad nervously, leading to a deadpan from Char. "You just wanted a free win didn't you?" He never got a response as Pika waved it off.
"It'll be fun! C'mon, I'll introduce you to my friends!" Pika said as Char shouted back.
"Why not ask them to join!?" Char tried in vain, but Pika simply walked out of the apartment, and with nothing else to do, Char followed behind after closing and locking his apartment door, groaning all the while.
Char sighed with a smile as he remembered that day, all the craziness involved, but it really was a story for another day. He turned instead towards the stairs and the voice chimed in once more. Ahh, I see. The voice called out as Char nodded, continuing down the stairs towards his Heart, passing by other memories all the while of the rest of his friends. Soon enough, a giant darkened green Emerald stood in front of Char, who's smile dimmed a bit as he stared at it. "What...is this?" Char asked as the voice didn't come. "Hmm…" Char hummed a bit aloud as he walked towards it, a blast of energy came out as he gritted his teeth, having to stand his ground as the claws on his legs screeched with the impact, digging into the ground he stood on.
"Sorry you little stubborn brat, but you gotta wake up!" Char called out, slowly walking towards the Emerald, the energy blasts trying to blow him away. Eventually he was forced onto all fours, digging his claws in and out of the floor to try and get on over. "JUST." Claw in, "WAKE." Claw out, "UP!" Char yelled as he slashed his claw at the Emerald, getting blown away by the massive wave of energy that was released, the darkness around the Emerald being blasted away as Char cried in pain as he hit the stairs, looking at the brilliant green shine as it blinded him away.
Char blinked as he couldn't see anything for a second, the blinding white consuming his vision before it dimmed away, revealing a few familiar faces to him. Blinking a bit more and feeling his head pounding drums, Char groaned a bit.
"He's awake!" Silver cried out in joy, watching the now seven Sol Emeralds dim down. Blaze smiled as she helped Char up to his feet.
"What...happened?" Char asked, looking at the seven Sol Emeralds surrounding him, the green and ruby-colored Emeralds falling to the ground as he stood up, detaching from his chest, Char absent-mindedly caught them in his hands as the rest of the Sol Emeralds started floating around him. Char took a deep breath, unsure of the feeling that filled him, but...it felt right in a sense. He closed his eyes, not noticing the smile that took over Blaze's face as he stepped forward towards Sonic.
Repeat after me. The voice filled Char's head as Char waited, The Seven Emeralds are the servers, Flame is power, enriched by the heart. The Controller is the one that unitifies the Flame, and serves to unify the sun's rays. Char mumbled aloud alongside the voice, as the Sol Emeralds spun rapidly around him. Opening his eyes, unaware of the crimson that now overtook them, he looked towards Sonic and nodded, turning towards a gasping Blaze with his hand inviting her. She took it as Sonic began taking out the Chaos Emeralds, only just opening the bag he had them in before they joined the Sol Emeralds in a ring around the three of them.
"Repeat after me." Char said as the two looked at him. "The Emeralds of two dimensions, separate in their actions. One of the light, and one of Chaos, running around each other in an eternal balance. The Unifier is the one that balances the two, making sure neither overtake the other, now Controllers, join your hands in mine, and I shall unify the dimensions thus more, and we shall purge the world of the threat to the balance." Char said, eyes gazed as the voice filled his mind, uncertainly unable to even exist within him as it took over, the three of them floating in the air as they grasped his hands, Blaze on his left and Sonic on his right.
The Emeralds glowed as Blaze and Sonic took on their Super forms, much to their surprise as Char's form glowed brightly, before a shadow seemed to emerge from him, tossed on the ground as it took shape. While Char took on what looked to be his Super form when he had transformed with the Chaos Emeralds, but this time the flame was a bright white, and a Sun wrapped in a mountain-like circle took shape on his chest, right where the Ruby Sol Emerald used to be. He looked towards the shadow with a smirk. "Ah, yes, you again." The voice took full control as the shadow snorted.
"Oh please you geezer, you would do well to stop possessing your hosts like that, how many times have we had this fight?" The shadow replied, bubbling as it came out of the ground, becoming a near copy of Char in his base form, a shadowed-form of the Red Legend alongside it. "So what's going to be the speech this time?" The shadowed asked as it picked up the Shadowed Red Legend, with Char looking towards Sonic and Blaze, both who looked confused.
"What a surprise that it would be you two as the controllers of this time." Char seemed to say with a foreign smile on his face, "Oh I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. You may call me...Light." Light introduced instead, much to the snickers of the shadow.
"Wow, that's the translation you went with this time? Pardon me for interrupting, please, go on, I would just love to get the time I need to assemble completely to take over the world while you yack away." It told him as Light turned with a roll of his eyes.
"Please, do feel free to try, it makes this eons long fight somewhat interesting." Light dismissed effortlessly, not even looking concerned as his face seemed to shift for a second to one of anger, "Relax dear host, he will not harm those you love." Light reassured, but judging from the face that tried to take place, Char was not that reassured.
"Who are you?" Blaze asked as Light looked towards her.
"Hmm, you can call me the guardian of your worlds in a sense. It takes one born of both Mobius and Sol to let me inhabit the world in a material form, but I always watch over both the sets of Emeralds that your worlds hold. I make sure that you two Controllers don't try to take over each other, and that your Emeralds don't fall to Chaos. Oh I'm sorry, you call them Chaos Emeralds in this time, I should say fall to Evil I guess." Light corrected himself, seemingly calm as Sonic looked towards him.
"Then who is that!?" Sonic said with a look of concern as the Shadow formed a bit more, looking bored as Light rolled his eyes.
"My name is Flame, and unlike this geezer, I don't really care about your Emeralds. What I want is just to show the true thoughts on people's minds and help them fulfill them." Flame grinned as he explained, though Light simply scoffed.
"All you fulfill is regret and suffering." Light countered as Flame simply stared.
"And you think you don't do the same? So what Mister High and Mighty is the difference between us?" Flame spat as Light smirked.
"I win and you lose." Light said simply as Flame growled, holding up the Shadowed Red Legend as if it was a weapon.
"Then how about you race me, and we'll see how true that statement really is!?" Flame yelled out as Light was about to answer before Char's face took hold.
"ENOUGH!" Char yelled, cutting them off, panting as it had taken all the control he had to even get that out of his mouth. "You act like you are the most important thing in the universe and that nothing really matters! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF YOU SELFISH PRICK!" Char continued yelling, looking towards Flame but referring to both him and Light. "I don't care about your whole stupid damn feud, this bastard has been getting on my last nerve, and has risked my friends, those I care about, and EVERYONE THAT WATCHES THIS DAMN EVENT!" Char ranted onwards, surprising Sonic and Blaze with how angry he had been lately, "So you know what? You can go screw yourself Light. This is MY match, NO ONE ELSE'S." He snarled, no one else seeing the shock that filled the Guardian other than Char, who paid it no mind. "So Flame, or whatever the hell your name is… I'll take you on that damn challenge on one condition." Char said, the snarl still there but a bit more calm. Flame smirked.
"On what condition?" Flame said, not-so-secretly impressed at the gaul of Char to backsmack someone that was practically God. Char grinned.
"If I win, then you and Light over here will both be trapped without any access to a physical form ever again, cursed to work together to watch over and protect any generations that use the Chaos and Sol Emeralds and nothing more." Char explained as Flame scoffed, but Char held up his clawed paw, "On the other hand, if you win. You will have free reign of the worlds as you please, and Light would be forced to be your slave for eternity and eternity more." Char said as Flame grinned massively.
"ARE YOU INSANE!?" Light screamed from Char's face as Char's side simply kept the grin. Char took a deep breath as he looked away from Flame, and grabbed the Red Legend that was lying right next to where he was, noting the glow that overtaken it as blue lines pulsed violently from the middle of the board, Light's voice leaving his mind as Char took a deep breath of utter calmness and looked back towards Flame, smirk firmly on his face.
"So, what do you say to that, you shadowed bastard?" Char asked as Flame laughed maniacally.
"When do we begin!? I like you, you have guts I have never seen from a host before! It'll be fun to kick your ass and watch you plead to make me take back the results of this deal!" Flame laughed as Char kept calm.
"In that case, I want more than just your Word to this. Sonic, Blaze, as the Controllers of the Chaos and Sol Emeralds respectfully, I want you to join hands real quick, and bind us both to the rules that we have stated. With the power of the Emeralds, the loser will forever be trapped within them, cursed for the rest of eternity with no rest or way of end." Char said, both looking nervous at it, but Char nodded. "I won't lose, so don't doubt me for a second." Char confidently told them as Sonic grasped Blaze's hands and nodded towards Char.
"I hope you know what you're doing…" Sonic said as the Emeralds surrounded Sonic and Blaze, before rays of light hit both Char and Flame. Char smiled before they teleported, a ghost of a voice remaining behind.
"I do."
Chapter 10 Complete
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Continuing On:
Chapter 11: The Final Race: Char Vs. Flame
