"Is that all?"
Sonic was addressing all the cameras in the arena.
"Is that all you got, Robotnik?" he yelled. Lazer was leaning on his sword, dragging in breath after weary breath. Kazuo ventured forward.
"Sonic, asking for a fight is most unwise."
"Yeah?" he said, and rounded on the rabbit, "He put us here to fight, didn't we? We're like lab rats, doing his little tests. We scurried all over this damn place, trying to find the cheese. And what do we get? Nothing. Just three slightly larger robots."
"Calm down, Sonic. You have fulfilled your role. You will sleep now."
"Robotnik…" Sonic began to say, but was silenced when the floor beneath his feet became electrified. He staggered.
"Kazuo?"
"Yes, now," said the rabbit. He withdrew his sword.
"What?"
Thwack. The hilt connected with the side of Sonic's head... he slipped to the floor. Kazuo sheathed the blade, while turning to face Lazer. The red hedgehog was stupefied into silence.
"Ah, deception. It the best weapon of all," Robotnik was saying, "He has been my own spy for twenty years."
"No," Lazer said, "His mind was open to me some time ago. I found no deception within him, not the slightest trace. The Emeralds do not lie."
Kazuo laughed. Lazer could not believe that such coldness, such stark contempt could come from Kazuo in his laughter alone.
"You are inexperienced, Lazer. When I revealed my mind, even then I was guarding my innermost thoughts from you. Chaos Emeralds cannot unravel the truth."
His eyes were more than bits of glass now. They were jagged, bitter shards, piercing all reason and shredding all sanity.
"Then, you are his spy. I could never imagine such a thing. But you… you are also the sensei of… Rebecca. Why have you deceived her, too?"
"I have not deceived her. I taught her all I know. I made her stronger than any other."
His smile was cruel and cold.
"She will need so much comforting after your death."
The words sunk into Lazer. His mind and body became awash in the chill, the chill he had felt that day, the End Day.
"You will never touch her again."
He punctuated his words by lifting his sword.
"You will fall with your master. You will both fall…"
Black eyes locked onto amber.
"…To the Wanrikken style."
They jumped, and, while Robotnik and Snively looked on, the ultimate conflict began.
"Lazer!"
"Kazuo!"
Their swords met each other in a flash of blue and white sparks. Unhurt, they both hit the ground and went for each other.
If I use enough energy, I can melt his sword.
Lazer struck, sword aflame with the power of the Emeralds. Kazuo's sword was unaffected.
"Did I forget to mention? Kazuo is protected by Anti-Chaos energy. Your greatest advantage is lost."
"Not yet," said Lazer, as their swords clashed again, "NOT YET!"
He stepped back and thrust the blade, imbued with Chaos Energy, into the ground. The floor under Kazuo erupted with the force of a volcano, launching the rabbit samurai into the air amidst flying rocks and torn sheets of metal.
"Not yet, Lazer!" said Kazuo, defiance blazing from his eyes. He reached out and held onto one of the cameras, high up on the wall. Lazer responded by charging the grounded sword with even more energy. The arena floor became awash in red, pulsating light.
"Let go of the camera, I dare you."
Kazuo, glaring at his adversary, kicked off the wall. While he fell, he pointed his sword straight down. Upon impact with the glowing floor, there was another explosion.
"What the…"
Kazuo was flying through the air, a purple-gray blur. Lazer tried to dodge, but his left shoulder was slashed. He reeled, stumbling backward, pain scorching his arm.
"You let your sword take the brunt of the explosion. You just rode the shockwaves after that."
"As you see, Lazer, your technique is flawed."
Fending off Kazuo with one good arm was not easy. He blocked a few cuts and slices, but received two to the chest.
"You cannot even defend yourself with one arm, therefore I doubt you can attack."
"The Emeralds heal me as we speak. I have that advantage over you."
"Then I shall kill you faster."
While his left arm was mended, Lazer was slashed in both legs and his other arm. Three more gashes were added across his chest and stomach. The carmine fluid ran in rivulets down his body and dripped to the floor.
"You're still standing. A commendable effort, but the next strike will kill."
Lazer fended off the killing blow to his head, but the follow-up stab struck home. The shock of cold steel among his intestines almost made him black out. He clutched his stomach, dizzy with the loss of blood and the sharp pain radiating from the latest wound.
"Again you refuse to die. You…"
"Shut up," Lazer snarled, and made his move. He slammed his sword into the ground, sending a powerful shockwave toward Kazuo.
"The same move," Kazuo spat, and hopped aside.
"There, you are wrong!" Lazer shouted. He swiped his sword crosswise, and (even from that distance) the shockwave changed direction. It hit Kazuo with shattering force, causing the sword to fall from his fingers and shredding the gray kimono. He lay still for a moment. Beneath the tatters of gray cloth, hard black metal gleamed. It covered all of his body except his head: a detachable bio-enhancing suit.
That explains his speed and strength, Lazer thought. He used this time to allow the Emeralds to heal him, but was far from complete recovery when Kazuo rolled over, grabbed the sword, and got up. A spark of triumph burned in his eyes.
"Flawed. Flawed! Do you hear me, Lazer? No matter how enormous your power, the technique is not enough! The sword style, itself, is limited by your vow, your vow to never kill. Without a killing instinct, you will never defeat me!"
With those words, Kazuo charged for the final attack, his lethal sword eager for the kill.
"You are wrong once more, Kazuo," Lazer said, calmly crossing his arms, "With the power of Five Chaos Emeralds, the Wanrikken style has no limit!"
He uncrossed his arms; even as Kazuo brought the sword down to strike him dead.
"Wanrikken style- SWORD HAND CRESCENT!"
His left paw and the tip of his sword swung outward in an arc, trailing fiery gold light. The crescent energy wave hit Kazuo with a force so great that his sword shattered. What was left of his kimono, and bio-enhancing suit, was rent asunder. He was sent spinning through the air like a rag-doll, leaving a sizeable dent in the wall before crumpling to the arena floor.
"The traitor… is defeated…" Lazer said, utterly worn out, "His master is… all that is left…"
One minute, two minutes passed until the pain faded. Lazer went to his fallen comrade's side and shook him awake.
"Get up. We're not finished yet."
"Did you get him? Did you get Kazuo?"
Lazer motioned across the battle-torn arena to the furry, purple heap that lay very still.
"Another traitor," Sonic said with profound sadness.
"Yes, but the greatest traitor of all remains."
The two hedgehogs stood, facing the ever-watchful cameras. Lazer spoke first, saying what was on both their minds.
"You have been weighed, Robotnik, and you have been found wanting. Your entire life has been wasted! The Freedom Fighters are still alive. What more do you have to say?"
"I say that I have won, and you have not."
In front of them, the immense wall of the arena shimmered, blurred and showed a view of the Freedom Fighter city. Night had fallen, but the city was dotted with light.
"Big screen TV. I need one of those," quipped Sonic.
"Zoom in."
There, on the roof of a fast food outlet, was a formless black mass.
"Hey, I work there," Sonic said, "Nine-to-five delivery of pizza. If you weren't so damn evil, Robotnik, you could've been one of my customers."
"Silence, rodent. Do you know what that shape is?"
Sonic heard Lazer take several hasty steps backward. He turned, to see a look of pure horror etched upon that face.
"A bomb. By the Walkers, it's a nuclear bomb."
Realization struck Sonic with screaming terror.
"Sally!"
She was in that city, within the blast radius! He whirled about to face the gigantic image of the thermonuclear device, now filling the entire wall. It towered over him, bloated and menacing, its digital display reading "0:42"
"How does it feel, Sonic, to know that you are helpless? Can you feel the unique pain within you, that comes with the knowledge of total defeat?""Where are you, Rebecca? Where are you now, Becky?" Lazer was saying in a trancelike voice. History was repeating itself. All, all that he had lived for would be destroyed, and, even worse, he would lose the woman he loved.
"No way. This is wrong," said Sonic, while watching the timer tick down to 0:35, "This can't be happening!"
"It is, Sonic. Unless you can surpass the light barrier, you cannot reach there in time. You, who have broken the laws of physics so often, are now limited by them!" Robotnik laughed.
"The speed of light…"
Chaos Control, there was no other way. But how…
Lazer!
He grabbed Lazer's arm. The red hedgehog turned his agonized expression to Sonic.
"In the end, it doesn't matter. My life was wasted…"
Sonic cracked the back of his paw across Lazer's face.
"You're giving up? Aren't you the one who never lets his allies fall? There is a way to stop this…"
The thought within Sonic's mind was so strong, so extreme in its urgency that Lazer was able to sense and understand it at once.
"Chaos Control? You told me of this, you need an Emerald…"
The mask of sorrow melted, as wisdom flowed in.
"I am Five in One."
Lazer glowed with all the brilliance his Five Emeralds could muster. Sonic felt tremendous energy suffuse his being: he drew upon this energy and said two simple words.
"Chaos Control!"
They vanished.
***
In the city, it was no longer night. A red sun had blazed into sudden life upon the roof of a popular pizza parlour.
"The bomb! We'll teleport it outta here!"
Sonic ran to it (0:21) but Lazer held him back.
"Allow me."
With flaming cataracts of Chaos energy streaming from him, Lazer rested his paws upon the bomb.
"Don't spoil the evening for the ladies. Go back to Knothole and get some sleep. I'll see you… in the morning."
"But you can't…"
"Chaos Control!"
The bomb, the red hedgehog and all the light gave way to a startling, empty darkness. Sonic hesitated, blinking several times as he did.
"But damn, samurai boy learns fast!"
***
"Snively!"
"The bomb's gone, Sir, with Lazer. Sonic remains in the city."
"What is this? Where have that red pincushion and MY bomb…"
There was a brief, red explosion in the arena. Lazer smiled for the cameras, his paw patting the bomb (0:14).
"I believe that this is yours."
He looked toward the sleeping Kazuo.
"You may escape, but he will not."
He slung the rabbit's arm over his shoulder, said the words and they were gone.
"Quickly, Snively! Teleport me away from here!" ordered the quavering voice of Robotnik.
"We are low on power, Sir. There is sufficient energy for one teleport."
Robotnik knew what that tone of voice meant.
"You would not dare leave me…"
"Goodbye, uncle."
"SNIVELY!"
The small scientist teleported out of Robotnik's life forever, just as the timer arrived at 0:00.
***
Sonic was traversing the plains between the Great Forest and the city when the earth trembled, and a faraway roar could be heard.
"All is well," he whispered, feeling a peace, a calm he had never experienced before. By some instinct, he knew that Robotnik was dead. How he knew this, he did not know… he simply knew it to be true, and he was at peace. All was well.
***
Lazer sat cross-legged, waiting. The Lake of Rings was an unbroken mirror, reflecting the dark trees and white moonlight. Kazuo stirred, and awoke. He sat on his knees, paws splayed on the grass.
"You," he growled, "How was that last attack able to break my defense?"
Ever the warrior, even when conquered.
"That last attack, the 'Sword Hand Crescent', you could say I made it up on the spur of the moment."
"Spare me from your scoffing, how did you break my shield and my armour?"
"I combined my chi energy with the Emeralds. My chi destroyed the shield. The Chaos energy destroyed your armour."
"So," Kazuo sniffed, "You do have natural power, even to the point of using your soul as a weapon! I admit defeat. Kill me, now, as an honourable warrior should."
"No."
Fury grew in those amber eyes.
"You denied me a warrior's victory, and you would also deny me a warrior's death?"
"By defeating you, I prevented you from making a mistake. Right now, I am setting you free. Do not search for Robotnik, he is dead and will stay dead."
"What would you have me do? You speak as though you possess great wisdom," Kazuo sneered. Lazer spoke with calm assurance.
"Kazuo, you are a great teacher. You should continue to teach. Find another student, maybe more than one. Teach them what you have learned: teach them that life is more than hatred. Teach them, and watch them grow strong. You can live knowing that you helped another person."
"Answer me this, Lazer. What must I do to forget love? How can I forget the love I have for Rebecca?"
There is no cure for that.
"Love is eternal, if it is true love. Do you lust, or love her, Kazuo?"
There was silence. Lazer turned his head aside.
"You should go. Now. Do not stay here."
Kazuo silently complied.
"Remember, you have an opportunity to change your life for the better. Do not misuse it."
The forest swallowed Kazuo. Lazer let out a long, sad sigh.
First Hannah, now Kazuo… I wonder if I'll have to save anyone else from the darkness…
***
Sonic surprised himself by following Lazer's advice. He did not turn back to the city, to inform Sally of the good (great!) news. He did not go in search of Tails, or anyone else in Knothole, to relate his adventure. He went straight home.
Do not pass GO… do not collect $200.
He showered and then bandaged his head (the hilt of Kazuo's sword had left a lasting impression). He stripped the gloves off his paws, kicked off his shoes and dived under the bed sheets.
"Tomorrow… tomorrow… I'll love you tomorrow…"
Tomorrow was just a day away.
***
And what happened to Snively?
The coordinates had been random. He could have teleported himself into a mountain, or even into outer space. When he could see again, the nephew of the late Robotnik was on the outskirts of a small town. Bright sunlight beat down upon his head and hunched shoulders.
"Daylight? I'm on the other side of Mobius."
He looked with a little apprehension toward the town. No one on this side of the planet knew him. He had no money, no place to go. He was alone.
There must be a job for a technical expert somewhere…
He plodded onward, unsure of destiny, unsure of fate.
***END***
Author's note:
Well then. That took a while to type out. If I can find more of that precious commodity called 'time', I will continue this particular storyline. Within this fevered mind of mine, there is something brewing for Lazer, Sonic and their friends … but I digress. Please tell me what you thought about this story.
-LazerTH