I just realized something. In my Meteor Herd and Final Run chapters,
Knuckles mentioned that the Super Emeralds have never left the Island
before the Dearth Snivel incident, yet the Super Emeralds were also used in
the ARK years before that. I have an explanation to fill this plot hole.
When Maria was starting construction on the ARK, she convinced the leaders
of Angel Island to lend her the Super Emeralds indefinitely for research
purposes. Since the Guardian of Angel Island's main purpose was to guard
the Master Emerald, there was no need to tell him that the Super Emeralds
were leaving the island. When the ARK was raided, Maria managed to eject
all the Chaos and Super Emeralds on the station before GUN could get them,
letting them fall to the planet below. Due to an unbelievable series of
coincidences, all seven Super Emeralds were returned to Angel Island, and
none of the populace knew they had ever been gone. (Seven copies had been
left in their place when they were taken off the island.) I hope that makes
sense.
Disclaimer: I only own Scales.
Day 2, 9:41 AM
Scales was walking through the jungle, approaching the rendezvous point when Rouge came on the line, contacting both her and Snively. "Snively? Scales? This is Rouge." "Rouge, where are you? Do you have the Emeralds?" Snively asked impatiently. "I have the Emeralds, but I'm trapped inside the vault. It looks like I'm not much of a treasure hunter after all." The bat said sadly from her spot on top of the tower in Security Hall. "I see. Don't worry Rouge, we'll get you out before the bomb goes off." Said Snively. Cutting Rouge from the line, he communicated with Scales. "Scales, get to the vault as quickly as possible!" "Right, I'll get Rouge." Said Scales, starting to turn around. "Rouge? Who cares about Rouge?" he asked. "Get me the Super Emeralds! Leave that filthy rodent to be incinerated!" Scales protested. "But why?" Snively snorted. "She humiliated me earlier! Nobody humiliates Dr. Snively and gets away with it!" "But-" "But nothing! Bring me the Emeralds, and let Rouge die! I doubt you'll be able to get to the vault and back before the bombs go off, so just warp out of there once you get the Super Emeralds, I'll meet you back at the ARK." Snively cut off his radio. Scales' head sank. "Yes Master." She muttered. Then she frowned. "Screw Snively. I'm not going to let Rouge get killed! I'll get Snively his Emeralds all right, but I'm not going to let one bat bite the dust just because she made fun of him earlier!" Switching into battle mode (you know, the spikes and red eyes) Scales ran to the north.
Stage 9: White Jungle. Mission: Cut through the jungle in 10:00.
Scales ran down a steep hill and into a long, curved wooden half pipe. The speed she picked up from running down the hill allowed her to run along the side of the half pipe, following the curve. After a bit of running, she was nearing the end of the half pipe. She could see a spring mounted on a floating platform off the end of the path. Scales jumped at the end and used a Homing Kick to get to the platform, bouncing off the spring and to a vine hanging from a tree. She grabbed the vine and started swinging around the tree, letting go when she was lining up with a platform at the level of the water and landing on it. She ran around a platform or two and obliterated a pair of Hunters up ahead with some Tail Whips. She stopped in front of some fences, seeing a set of springs on the ground. She bounced off the springs and was hurtled into the air, back in the direction she had come from. She soared through the air and landed on a high ramp, running down it and into a loop. She ran through the loop and launched from a set of jump plates at the end, landing on a platform in the water. Jumping off the raised portion she had landed on, Scales quickly killed the spiked Rhinos that charged at her. She ran forward and saw a Hunter in front of a large fence. She smashed the Hunter and smashed the fence down with a powerful kick. She ran down the exposed path, ripping through a group of Rhinos and running past a moss-covered log, stopping in front of another large fence. She kicked it down and ran to the end of the path, stopping to the side of a vine with large handles placed between a pair of big thorns. Curious, she grabbed the vine and was swung upward as the vine flipped, sending Scales onto the edge of a platform built into the tree that had been beside her. She killed the Hunter in front of her before it could shoot, and kicked the fence blocking entrance into the tree down. She ran through the tunnel inside of the tree trunk, coming out on a platform with a vine exactly like the last one, except it went straight across the watery expanse to a ledge on another tree. She grabbed the vine and was flung across the gap, landing on the ledge and killing a Hawk blocking the fence. She kicked it down and ran through the tunnel beyond, coming out at the top of a ramp. She ran down the steep ramp, going through a short tunnel and straight into a half pipe. She ran along the curve of the half pipe, following the trail as it corkscrewed around and around, finally coming to an expanse of level ground. She kept going and reached a balcony at the other end of a tree tunnel, a set of jump pads at its end. Not stopping for a second, Scales ran on the pads and was launched through the air, grabbing onto a vine. She swung around a tree, letting go at a point and hurtling towards a platform in the water. She landed between a pair of torches, some more platforms tot he side of the big one and a Hunter and a pair of Rhinos ahead. She quickly wiped them out and ran ahead, smashing through a fence in her way. She came to a cliff with another weird vine at the bottom. She grabbed on and was swung up and over the cliff, dropping on to a palm tree. She watched as a spiked Rhino roved around below. When its back was to her, Scales dropped down and smashed the robot to pieces with her tail. She broke through another fence ahead and came to a series of small platforms rising from the ground of a larger platform below. Scales dropped to the ground below, breaking the pair of Hunters and lone Rhino that attacked her, and saw a switch. She hit it, and a bunch of Beetles appeared at the end of the platform, forming a long, curving path to a platform across the water. Scales ran to the end and jumped off, Homing Kicking her way along the line of Beetles. She landed on the small platform at the end of the chain and grabbed the pulley she saw on it. She was lifted up to a ledge high on the tree, guarded by a Hunter. She hit the Hunter with a Homing Kick and broke down the fence behind it, revealing a tunnel. She ran through the tunnel and came out on a balcony with a spring. She bounced off the spring, grabbed a vine, swung around a tree and landed on another platform coming out of the water. She saw a large falling weight and a fence blocking her path. There was a Hunter and a few Rhinos on the other side of the path. Scales jumped on to the weight as it got to its lowest point and leaped off when it rose over the fence, coming down with a Homing Kick that killed the Hunter immediately. As the Rhinos rushed towards her, she jumped into the air, causing them to crash into one another. She ran to the end of the platform and bounced off a spring, landing on another platform with a few small trees. She followed the platform along a nice forest path, hurrying because she knew time was running out. She ran along the path and down a steep ramp, following it down and through another half pipe. She followed the curve of the half pipe and eventually came to level ground, ending in a jump plate. She launched from the jump plate and flew through the air, landing at the mouth of a cave dug into a tree. She ran into the cave and dropped into a large, multi- tiered room. There was a weight in one corner and no visible enemies. Scales saw a stack of wooden crates in the back of the room and broke them down, revealing the exit. She ran through the winding tunnel now open to her and opened into the fresh air on a balcony next to what Scales decided to refer to as a bungee vine. She grabbed the vine and was flung across the water, landing on a large platform built onto a tree. She killed the group of Hunters that mobbed her, as well as the following Rhinos, and looked for a way off the platform. Seeing a suspicious lone crate, she broke it and found it was covering a hole. She dropped down the hole and landed on a platform with another bungee vine on her left. She grabbed the vine and was flung across the water to a platform with a spring on it. She bounced off the spring and landed on a platform higher up the tree with another spring. She bounced off it as well, grabbing a vine and swinging around the tree. She let go of the vine and shot towards a platform far away, landing without much event. (Oh, I thought I should mention something. Shadow can slow his descent with the jets in his shoes, right? Well, Scales can do the same thing, only with the anklets she wears. Not to steal from Tails, but I guess you could call them her Jet Anklets.) She ran forward and found three platforms jutting from the ground. There were two big ones connected by a smaller one in the middle. She jumped on the big one and performed an immediate Homing Kick, killing the Hunter who was readying his laser gun to fire. She continued down the long path ahead of her, eventually jumping over a tree stump and finding another bungee vine. She grabbed the vine and was flung across the water, landing on another path. She ran down the path, killing several Hawks and Hunters. She neared a falling weight. She waited until it started to rise, then quickly rolled under it before it could fall. She kept going and saw a large fence blocking her path. She smashed through it, crushing the Hunter who had been waiting for her. She saw she had reached the end of the path, nothing but a raised platform and spring pointing above and behind her at the platform's base. She bounced off the spring and landed on a higher level. She ran along the platform, grabbing a bungee vine and swinging up to a ledge higher up the tree. There was a Hunter, which she expediently killed, but no fence. She looked around, and chuckled when she saw a series of platforms right behind her. Bunkering down, knowing she was running out of time, she started to jump across the platforms. She reached a gap with an electric Beetle floating ahead, another platform behind it. Scales waited for the Beetle's force field to lower then hit it with a Homing Kick, using another Homing Kick to reach the platform. She grabbed a bungee vine on the platform and was shot across the large gap to her right, landing on another platform. She saw another electric Beetle in the gap before her. She waited for the force field to lower and Homing Kicked the robot. Another, ordinary Beetle appeared as she destroyed the first one. She blew that one up, and another appeared. Before she could fall, she Homing kicked it and another appeared. She Homing Kicked each Beetle that appeared before her, eventually getting across a large gap and landing on a platform. She ran down the platform, dropping from the edge and slowing her descent with her Jet Anklets. She reached a platform far below and saw a group of Laser Hunters aiming for her. As they fired their deadly laser beams, she ran towards them, dodging the beams and destroying the robots. She ran to the left side of the platform, grabbing a bungee vine. She was flung across the water, landing on a ledge immediately in front of another bungee vine, causing her to get swung into the air to a platform higher up. She was flung forward into yet another bungee vine, shooting across the gap and onto yet another platform. To her left was a fence, guarded by a Rhino. She killed the Rhino and smashed down the fence, coming to a grassy balcony with a spring on it. She bounced off the spring and was launched into the air, grabbing a vine. She swung on the vine, going around the tree a couple of times before letting go and shooting for the top of a tall ramp. She landed at the top and started running down, avoiding some spiked balls in her path. As she picked up speed, she ran into the following half pipe and kept going, dodging more spiked balls. She followed the path as it corkscrewed around and around, nearly defying the laws of gravity and physics as she was able to stay right on the ground beneath her feet. The corkscrew leveled out into a straight run, ending in a jump plate. Scales hit the jump plate at top speed, launching off it and hurtling over what seemed to be half a mile of water. She landed on a small platform and was immediately bounced off of a spring, heading right into a vine. She instinctively grabbed the vine and swung around the tree, her momentum very great at this point. She let go of the vine and hurtled straight for a ledge on another tree, a Laser Hunter spotting her and aiming its cannon. Scales started into a Homing Kick before she was even at the platform. She smashed right through the robot and the fence behind it, landing in a tunnel. She had to roll a little to stop her momentum. Once she had stopped, she went down the tunnel and came out in a large clearing. There were many trees clustered around, their roots rising from the water and forming pathways of a kind. In the middle of the clearing was a medium- sized platform/island rising from the water. Scales went out of battle mode, seeing the Goal Ring hovering at the end of the platform she was standing on, near a root. As she jumped through the Goal Ring, ending the level, Scales thought she could hear a rocket flying overhead.
(STAGE CLEAR. RANK A.)
Scales jumped onto the nearest root. She walked a little and heard a thump, as if from something falling, then a voice from the island. "You again." it growled. Scales whirled around and was very surprised to see Shadow. "Shadow? What are you doing here of all places?" Scales asked. "I got arrested. Would you happen to have anything to do with that?" he asked suspiciously. Scales shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm only here to help get more Super Emeralds." Shadow glared at her. "Really? Why do you need the Emeralds, anyway? And why are you working for Snively? He's pure evil!" Scales sighed. "I know Snively's evil, Shadow. But I need his help. It's the only way I can fulfill my mission." "What mission?" Scales shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't tell you that. Or why I need the Emeralds. Look, when this is all over, I promise I'll tell you everything, what I'm doing, how we know each other, your forgotten past, okay?" She started getting antsy. She only had maybe fifteen, sixteen minutes left. "Shadow, I apologize but I really have to go. I can't stay here much longer." "Why? Too scared to fight me?" Shadow asked. Scales' eyes narrowed, getting angry despite herself. "You know, I think I just got a little more time." She smiled a little wistfully, memories racing through her mind. "You know, this'll be just like our old sparring sessions. Too bad we never did find out which of us was stronger. Maybe now's the chance to find out." She leaped off the root, landing on the island. "Since I can sense no Chaos Emerald on you, it would be unfair for me to use my own Chaos powers. I will only use my normal attacks. I promise you one thing else, old friend. I will not kill you." She started towards him.
SHADOW
Scales ran at Shadow. He jumped over her and hit her with a Homing Attack. She grunted and spun around, smacking him with her spiked tail. As he reeled back, she rushed over and started hitting him repeatedly with punches and kicks, drawing a little blood. As she threw him away, Shadow got up and rolled into her with a somersault. She was knocked back a few steps. She jumped into the air and hit Shadow with a Homing Kick. When she tried to hit him with another Homing Kick, Shadow jumped, deflecting the attack. She bounced off and tried again. He deflected her and tried his own Homing Attack. She used his own strategy and deflected him with a jump. He backed away from her, trying to find a weakness. Scales somersaulted towards him. Shadow jumped over her and hit her with a Homing Attack from behind when she uncurled. It struck her life support system. She stumbled a moment, then turned around, looking angrier than before. Shadow smiled to himself, thinking he had found a weakness of some kind. Scales surprised him again by curling into a ball and spinning in place. Spikes shot out from concealed pockets in her body and she rolled towards him in a dangerous spindash. Shadow jumped out of the way, and Scales almost rolled off the edge of the island. She uncurled, her spikes retracting, allowing Shadow to Homing Attack her from behind again. Right before he hit her, Scales spun around, knocking him away with her tail. As he fell on the ground, she hit him in the chest with a Homing Kick, then whacked him with her tail again. She waited patiently as Shadow got to his feet. "Ready to stop?" she asked. "No way." She smiled. "I was hoping you would keep going." She swiped at him with her claws. Shadow ducked under the swing and delivered an uppercut to her chin, followed by a roundhouse kick that knocked her off her feet. He bounced onto her before she could get up, causing a little damage. She backflipped suddenly, knocking Shadow away and landing upright. He somersaulted towards her. She jumped over him and whacked him with her tail as he got up. Shadow tried to hit her with a Homing Attack and was deflected. Scales curled up into a ball and started spinning again. Shadow ran over and hit her with a Roundhouse Kick before the spikes sprouted; knocking her out of the spindash before it even started. He hit her with another roundhouse kick at the exact second she swung her tail around, and both were knocked back. They stopped for a moment, panting. When they caught their breath, they were about to start the battle anew when a loud beeping could be heard. "Oh, hold on, I've got a call." Said Scales. She tapped the side of her head, activating her comm unit. "Yeah, what is it doc?" Dr. Snively's shouted through the radio, echoing through the jungle. "Scales, what are you doing?! The island's going to blow up in eight minutes! Where are the Super Emeralds?!" Shadow's eyes widened. "Blow up!?" Scales switched off her comm unit. "Yeah, the island's going to blow up. That's kind of why I had to go when you challenged me to the fight. I suggest that you get off the island by any means possible before it's too late." With that, she turned and ran away, jumping onto one of the roots and disappearing into the jungle. She raced even faster now, praying that Shadow could get off before it was too late. Moving at top speed, it took her half a minute to get out of the jungle, three minutes to race across the beach and three minutes to dash through the base. She blasted down the door to Security Hall with her Serpent Strike, and ran to where the pulley to the top floor was. Only a minute left. She grabbed the pulley and was elevated to the top floor of the vault, losing twenty seconds. She looked up, seeing the ceiling of the room. "Chaos Control!" She was warped to the top of the room, falling from the ceiling. She barely slowed her descent, losing ten seconds. Rouge looked up, hopeful as Scales landed. "Scales!" she said. "You're here to save me?" Only fifteen seconds left. "There's no time! Get over here!" Scales yelled. Rouge got up and started running towards her. Scales ran to meet her. Ten seconds left. Rouge wasn't moving as fast as Scales had hoped. She was obviously tired. As Scales got within a few yards of Rouge, she jumped, moving towards the bat. Five seconds left. Scales yelled, "CHAOS CONTROL!" right as she made contact with the bat. They vanished in a flash of green light, just as the timer got to zero and the bombs went off, covering Prison Island in fire and reducing the former prison to an inhospitable rock once again.
And so the Prison Island section ends. Tune in as we begin the transition to the final chapters in the Dark Story. PLEASE REVIEW!
Day 2, 9:41 AM
Scales was walking through the jungle, approaching the rendezvous point when Rouge came on the line, contacting both her and Snively. "Snively? Scales? This is Rouge." "Rouge, where are you? Do you have the Emeralds?" Snively asked impatiently. "I have the Emeralds, but I'm trapped inside the vault. It looks like I'm not much of a treasure hunter after all." The bat said sadly from her spot on top of the tower in Security Hall. "I see. Don't worry Rouge, we'll get you out before the bomb goes off." Said Snively. Cutting Rouge from the line, he communicated with Scales. "Scales, get to the vault as quickly as possible!" "Right, I'll get Rouge." Said Scales, starting to turn around. "Rouge? Who cares about Rouge?" he asked. "Get me the Super Emeralds! Leave that filthy rodent to be incinerated!" Scales protested. "But why?" Snively snorted. "She humiliated me earlier! Nobody humiliates Dr. Snively and gets away with it!" "But-" "But nothing! Bring me the Emeralds, and let Rouge die! I doubt you'll be able to get to the vault and back before the bombs go off, so just warp out of there once you get the Super Emeralds, I'll meet you back at the ARK." Snively cut off his radio. Scales' head sank. "Yes Master." She muttered. Then she frowned. "Screw Snively. I'm not going to let Rouge get killed! I'll get Snively his Emeralds all right, but I'm not going to let one bat bite the dust just because she made fun of him earlier!" Switching into battle mode (you know, the spikes and red eyes) Scales ran to the north.
Stage 9: White Jungle. Mission: Cut through the jungle in 10:00.
Scales ran down a steep hill and into a long, curved wooden half pipe. The speed she picked up from running down the hill allowed her to run along the side of the half pipe, following the curve. After a bit of running, she was nearing the end of the half pipe. She could see a spring mounted on a floating platform off the end of the path. Scales jumped at the end and used a Homing Kick to get to the platform, bouncing off the spring and to a vine hanging from a tree. She grabbed the vine and started swinging around the tree, letting go when she was lining up with a platform at the level of the water and landing on it. She ran around a platform or two and obliterated a pair of Hunters up ahead with some Tail Whips. She stopped in front of some fences, seeing a set of springs on the ground. She bounced off the springs and was hurtled into the air, back in the direction she had come from. She soared through the air and landed on a high ramp, running down it and into a loop. She ran through the loop and launched from a set of jump plates at the end, landing on a platform in the water. Jumping off the raised portion she had landed on, Scales quickly killed the spiked Rhinos that charged at her. She ran forward and saw a Hunter in front of a large fence. She smashed the Hunter and smashed the fence down with a powerful kick. She ran down the exposed path, ripping through a group of Rhinos and running past a moss-covered log, stopping in front of another large fence. She kicked it down and ran to the end of the path, stopping to the side of a vine with large handles placed between a pair of big thorns. Curious, she grabbed the vine and was swung upward as the vine flipped, sending Scales onto the edge of a platform built into the tree that had been beside her. She killed the Hunter in front of her before it could shoot, and kicked the fence blocking entrance into the tree down. She ran through the tunnel inside of the tree trunk, coming out on a platform with a vine exactly like the last one, except it went straight across the watery expanse to a ledge on another tree. She grabbed the vine and was flung across the gap, landing on the ledge and killing a Hawk blocking the fence. She kicked it down and ran through the tunnel beyond, coming out at the top of a ramp. She ran down the steep ramp, going through a short tunnel and straight into a half pipe. She ran along the curve of the half pipe, following the trail as it corkscrewed around and around, finally coming to an expanse of level ground. She kept going and reached a balcony at the other end of a tree tunnel, a set of jump pads at its end. Not stopping for a second, Scales ran on the pads and was launched through the air, grabbing onto a vine. She swung around a tree, letting go at a point and hurtling towards a platform in the water. She landed between a pair of torches, some more platforms tot he side of the big one and a Hunter and a pair of Rhinos ahead. She quickly wiped them out and ran ahead, smashing through a fence in her way. She came to a cliff with another weird vine at the bottom. She grabbed on and was swung up and over the cliff, dropping on to a palm tree. She watched as a spiked Rhino roved around below. When its back was to her, Scales dropped down and smashed the robot to pieces with her tail. She broke through another fence ahead and came to a series of small platforms rising from the ground of a larger platform below. Scales dropped to the ground below, breaking the pair of Hunters and lone Rhino that attacked her, and saw a switch. She hit it, and a bunch of Beetles appeared at the end of the platform, forming a long, curving path to a platform across the water. Scales ran to the end and jumped off, Homing Kicking her way along the line of Beetles. She landed on the small platform at the end of the chain and grabbed the pulley she saw on it. She was lifted up to a ledge high on the tree, guarded by a Hunter. She hit the Hunter with a Homing Kick and broke down the fence behind it, revealing a tunnel. She ran through the tunnel and came out on a balcony with a spring. She bounced off the spring, grabbed a vine, swung around a tree and landed on another platform coming out of the water. She saw a large falling weight and a fence blocking her path. There was a Hunter and a few Rhinos on the other side of the path. Scales jumped on to the weight as it got to its lowest point and leaped off when it rose over the fence, coming down with a Homing Kick that killed the Hunter immediately. As the Rhinos rushed towards her, she jumped into the air, causing them to crash into one another. She ran to the end of the platform and bounced off a spring, landing on another platform with a few small trees. She followed the platform along a nice forest path, hurrying because she knew time was running out. She ran along the path and down a steep ramp, following it down and through another half pipe. She followed the curve of the half pipe and eventually came to level ground, ending in a jump plate. She launched from the jump plate and flew through the air, landing at the mouth of a cave dug into a tree. She ran into the cave and dropped into a large, multi- tiered room. There was a weight in one corner and no visible enemies. Scales saw a stack of wooden crates in the back of the room and broke them down, revealing the exit. She ran through the winding tunnel now open to her and opened into the fresh air on a balcony next to what Scales decided to refer to as a bungee vine. She grabbed the vine and was flung across the water, landing on a large platform built onto a tree. She killed the group of Hunters that mobbed her, as well as the following Rhinos, and looked for a way off the platform. Seeing a suspicious lone crate, she broke it and found it was covering a hole. She dropped down the hole and landed on a platform with another bungee vine on her left. She grabbed the vine and was flung across the water to a platform with a spring on it. She bounced off the spring and landed on a platform higher up the tree with another spring. She bounced off it as well, grabbing a vine and swinging around the tree. She let go of the vine and shot towards a platform far away, landing without much event. (Oh, I thought I should mention something. Shadow can slow his descent with the jets in his shoes, right? Well, Scales can do the same thing, only with the anklets she wears. Not to steal from Tails, but I guess you could call them her Jet Anklets.) She ran forward and found three platforms jutting from the ground. There were two big ones connected by a smaller one in the middle. She jumped on the big one and performed an immediate Homing Kick, killing the Hunter who was readying his laser gun to fire. She continued down the long path ahead of her, eventually jumping over a tree stump and finding another bungee vine. She grabbed the vine and was flung across the water, landing on another path. She ran down the path, killing several Hawks and Hunters. She neared a falling weight. She waited until it started to rise, then quickly rolled under it before it could fall. She kept going and saw a large fence blocking her path. She smashed through it, crushing the Hunter who had been waiting for her. She saw she had reached the end of the path, nothing but a raised platform and spring pointing above and behind her at the platform's base. She bounced off the spring and landed on a higher level. She ran along the platform, grabbing a bungee vine and swinging up to a ledge higher up the tree. There was a Hunter, which she expediently killed, but no fence. She looked around, and chuckled when she saw a series of platforms right behind her. Bunkering down, knowing she was running out of time, she started to jump across the platforms. She reached a gap with an electric Beetle floating ahead, another platform behind it. Scales waited for the Beetle's force field to lower then hit it with a Homing Kick, using another Homing Kick to reach the platform. She grabbed a bungee vine on the platform and was shot across the large gap to her right, landing on another platform. She saw another electric Beetle in the gap before her. She waited for the force field to lower and Homing Kicked the robot. Another, ordinary Beetle appeared as she destroyed the first one. She blew that one up, and another appeared. Before she could fall, she Homing kicked it and another appeared. She Homing Kicked each Beetle that appeared before her, eventually getting across a large gap and landing on a platform. She ran down the platform, dropping from the edge and slowing her descent with her Jet Anklets. She reached a platform far below and saw a group of Laser Hunters aiming for her. As they fired their deadly laser beams, she ran towards them, dodging the beams and destroying the robots. She ran to the left side of the platform, grabbing a bungee vine. She was flung across the water, landing on a ledge immediately in front of another bungee vine, causing her to get swung into the air to a platform higher up. She was flung forward into yet another bungee vine, shooting across the gap and onto yet another platform. To her left was a fence, guarded by a Rhino. She killed the Rhino and smashed down the fence, coming to a grassy balcony with a spring on it. She bounced off the spring and was launched into the air, grabbing a vine. She swung on the vine, going around the tree a couple of times before letting go and shooting for the top of a tall ramp. She landed at the top and started running down, avoiding some spiked balls in her path. As she picked up speed, she ran into the following half pipe and kept going, dodging more spiked balls. She followed the path as it corkscrewed around and around, nearly defying the laws of gravity and physics as she was able to stay right on the ground beneath her feet. The corkscrew leveled out into a straight run, ending in a jump plate. Scales hit the jump plate at top speed, launching off it and hurtling over what seemed to be half a mile of water. She landed on a small platform and was immediately bounced off of a spring, heading right into a vine. She instinctively grabbed the vine and swung around the tree, her momentum very great at this point. She let go of the vine and hurtled straight for a ledge on another tree, a Laser Hunter spotting her and aiming its cannon. Scales started into a Homing Kick before she was even at the platform. She smashed right through the robot and the fence behind it, landing in a tunnel. She had to roll a little to stop her momentum. Once she had stopped, she went down the tunnel and came out in a large clearing. There were many trees clustered around, their roots rising from the water and forming pathways of a kind. In the middle of the clearing was a medium- sized platform/island rising from the water. Scales went out of battle mode, seeing the Goal Ring hovering at the end of the platform she was standing on, near a root. As she jumped through the Goal Ring, ending the level, Scales thought she could hear a rocket flying overhead.
(STAGE CLEAR. RANK A.)
Scales jumped onto the nearest root. She walked a little and heard a thump, as if from something falling, then a voice from the island. "You again." it growled. Scales whirled around and was very surprised to see Shadow. "Shadow? What are you doing here of all places?" Scales asked. "I got arrested. Would you happen to have anything to do with that?" he asked suspiciously. Scales shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm only here to help get more Super Emeralds." Shadow glared at her. "Really? Why do you need the Emeralds, anyway? And why are you working for Snively? He's pure evil!" Scales sighed. "I know Snively's evil, Shadow. But I need his help. It's the only way I can fulfill my mission." "What mission?" Scales shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't tell you that. Or why I need the Emeralds. Look, when this is all over, I promise I'll tell you everything, what I'm doing, how we know each other, your forgotten past, okay?" She started getting antsy. She only had maybe fifteen, sixteen minutes left. "Shadow, I apologize but I really have to go. I can't stay here much longer." "Why? Too scared to fight me?" Shadow asked. Scales' eyes narrowed, getting angry despite herself. "You know, I think I just got a little more time." She smiled a little wistfully, memories racing through her mind. "You know, this'll be just like our old sparring sessions. Too bad we never did find out which of us was stronger. Maybe now's the chance to find out." She leaped off the root, landing on the island. "Since I can sense no Chaos Emerald on you, it would be unfair for me to use my own Chaos powers. I will only use my normal attacks. I promise you one thing else, old friend. I will not kill you." She started towards him.
SHADOW
Scales ran at Shadow. He jumped over her and hit her with a Homing Attack. She grunted and spun around, smacking him with her spiked tail. As he reeled back, she rushed over and started hitting him repeatedly with punches and kicks, drawing a little blood. As she threw him away, Shadow got up and rolled into her with a somersault. She was knocked back a few steps. She jumped into the air and hit Shadow with a Homing Kick. When she tried to hit him with another Homing Kick, Shadow jumped, deflecting the attack. She bounced off and tried again. He deflected her and tried his own Homing Attack. She used his own strategy and deflected him with a jump. He backed away from her, trying to find a weakness. Scales somersaulted towards him. Shadow jumped over her and hit her with a Homing Attack from behind when she uncurled. It struck her life support system. She stumbled a moment, then turned around, looking angrier than before. Shadow smiled to himself, thinking he had found a weakness of some kind. Scales surprised him again by curling into a ball and spinning in place. Spikes shot out from concealed pockets in her body and she rolled towards him in a dangerous spindash. Shadow jumped out of the way, and Scales almost rolled off the edge of the island. She uncurled, her spikes retracting, allowing Shadow to Homing Attack her from behind again. Right before he hit her, Scales spun around, knocking him away with her tail. As he fell on the ground, she hit him in the chest with a Homing Kick, then whacked him with her tail again. She waited patiently as Shadow got to his feet. "Ready to stop?" she asked. "No way." She smiled. "I was hoping you would keep going." She swiped at him with her claws. Shadow ducked under the swing and delivered an uppercut to her chin, followed by a roundhouse kick that knocked her off her feet. He bounced onto her before she could get up, causing a little damage. She backflipped suddenly, knocking Shadow away and landing upright. He somersaulted towards her. She jumped over him and whacked him with her tail as he got up. Shadow tried to hit her with a Homing Attack and was deflected. Scales curled up into a ball and started spinning again. Shadow ran over and hit her with a Roundhouse Kick before the spikes sprouted; knocking her out of the spindash before it even started. He hit her with another roundhouse kick at the exact second she swung her tail around, and both were knocked back. They stopped for a moment, panting. When they caught their breath, they were about to start the battle anew when a loud beeping could be heard. "Oh, hold on, I've got a call." Said Scales. She tapped the side of her head, activating her comm unit. "Yeah, what is it doc?" Dr. Snively's shouted through the radio, echoing through the jungle. "Scales, what are you doing?! The island's going to blow up in eight minutes! Where are the Super Emeralds?!" Shadow's eyes widened. "Blow up!?" Scales switched off her comm unit. "Yeah, the island's going to blow up. That's kind of why I had to go when you challenged me to the fight. I suggest that you get off the island by any means possible before it's too late." With that, she turned and ran away, jumping onto one of the roots and disappearing into the jungle. She raced even faster now, praying that Shadow could get off before it was too late. Moving at top speed, it took her half a minute to get out of the jungle, three minutes to race across the beach and three minutes to dash through the base. She blasted down the door to Security Hall with her Serpent Strike, and ran to where the pulley to the top floor was. Only a minute left. She grabbed the pulley and was elevated to the top floor of the vault, losing twenty seconds. She looked up, seeing the ceiling of the room. "Chaos Control!" She was warped to the top of the room, falling from the ceiling. She barely slowed her descent, losing ten seconds. Rouge looked up, hopeful as Scales landed. "Scales!" she said. "You're here to save me?" Only fifteen seconds left. "There's no time! Get over here!" Scales yelled. Rouge got up and started running towards her. Scales ran to meet her. Ten seconds left. Rouge wasn't moving as fast as Scales had hoped. She was obviously tired. As Scales got within a few yards of Rouge, she jumped, moving towards the bat. Five seconds left. Scales yelled, "CHAOS CONTROL!" right as she made contact with the bat. They vanished in a flash of green light, just as the timer got to zero and the bombs went off, covering Prison Island in fire and reducing the former prison to an inhospitable rock once again.
And so the Prison Island section ends. Tune in as we begin the transition to the final chapters in the Dark Story. PLEASE REVIEW!