Author's Note:
Chapter 7: Board to death!
A special shout goes out to Mecha Sonica! Thanks for the IM review and
offering me membership to your board! Also, you've also (though
unwittingly) gave me an idea for the story by mentioning Sonic one, this
Story could use a bit of the classic with my own personal touch! ;) Anyway,
Enjoy!! I'm snagging a bit of Spirit songs too, and you know who they are
copy righted too. :)
***Story***
***Mystic Ruins Very Secluded Location ***
One soul, hadn't slept at all during the wintery night. No, he had been up, standing upon a large hill over looking a dark forest surrounded by water on three sides. Not many people knew of this very secluded place, and that's how this one hedgehog liked it. Ruby eyes scanned the horizon, noticing dark snowy clouds moving in the direction of the land. Stiffening his quills and closed his eyes, Shadow the hedgehog stood in deep thought, about the only person he truly cared about. He began to have a flash back, one that was very familiar to him, and also painful. He was standing on the Space Colony Ark, looking down at the beautiful Earth, its shine pleasing to the eye. Maria stood at his side, her blue eyes also gazing down at the small, but busy planet.
"Shadow? What do you think its like down there one earth?"
"The professor said that he existed for all of mankind down there. He once said that his very existence revolved around making people happy through the power of science."
"Shadow..."
"Maria, I just don't know anything anymore.. I often wonder why I was created, why I was brought here. Maybe if I go down there, I will find all the answers...maybe."
That had been a peaceful time, and Shadow, never realized how much he cared for Maria, until she was ripped away from him. Shot down by sick minded humans blinded by fear. Curse that GUN, curse it for what it had done to him. A tear trickled down his obsidian cheek, but he quickly wiped it off. Opening his dark red eyes, he took off down the hill side for a brisk run and scan of his area. He didn't want anyone trespassing on his turf, this threatened his solitude. He ran a full 3 times around the peninsula, but saw nothing. Settling beneath a tree, he gazed up at starry skies, which would soon be over taken by dark gray clouds. Shadow's breathing began to slow down, and he was about to slip off into sleep, when a voice sounded over the wind. A trespasser was lurking about. Standing up and pricking his black ears, he listened carefully to the words of the lurker.
I hear the wind across the plain. A sound, so strong, that calls my name. Its wild like the river, its warm as the sun, yes its here, this is were I belong. Under the starry skies, will eagles have flown, this place is paradise, it is where I call home. The moon on the mountain...the whisper in the trees, the leaves on the water.let nothing come between it and me..
Shadow had to admit, her voice was beautiful, but still, whoever it was shouldn't be here. Revving up his legs and running, his hover shoes kicked in and he skated stealthily across the ground, his eyes growing more narrow the closer he came to this creature. The creature was Melody, and she had no idea of the black hedgehog headed her way. She had only sang because she was nervous, and was currently looking for a place to settle down. Imagine her surprise when she was nearly bowled over by a rather annoyed hedgehog. She rolled over and over, mud caking to her fur. Standing up and looking around, her eyes rested on Shadow. "Who are you and what do you want?" He demanded.
Melody was a bit frightened, but she didn't show it, that was a sign of weakness. She decided to answer quickly, for this hedgehog didn't look like he was in the mood for games or long conversation. "My name is Melody, I don't know where I am, I just need a place to rest."
"Hmph.I should tell you to get out right now, your bothering me." Shadow scowled. His desire to be alone had been so high ever since his survival. No one could blame him, he was so hurt inside from that event from 50 years ago. Melody's eyes widened, she had traveled for so long and was so tired. The thought of turning back and traveling some more made her feet ache. "Please.." She pleaded. "Let me rest, I'll leave, just please let me rest." Shadow paced back and forth restlessly, but he never took his eyes off the aqua green hedgehog. Then, his face softened, the sound of her voice sounded so pleading, it reminded of him of the day Maria had made him promise the one thing he would be bound to his whole entire life.
"For one night!" He said. Turning slowly, he walked off. Melody sighed with relief and began to walk the island, staring at the trees and gazing at the many features of this small piece of land. Small animals came out every now and then, but for the most part, things where pretty quiet and tranquil. She hummed peacefully to herself, and found herself a nice spot by the water's edge. Sighing, she leaned herself against a small tree and gazed into the heavens. "Wow, looks like a storm is on the horizon." She said sleepily, unaware that Shadow was in a tree above her, watching her closely for any signs of hostility, none could be to careful. Through the night Melody slept, and Shadow finally got over the bothersome feeling that she was there, and fell asleep. He wrestled with bad dreams and painful memories, but sleep through the entire night (or what was left of it) he slept.
***Mystic Ruins Knothole***
The residents of the newly constructed haven arose early the next morning, and went about the daily business. Some began to construct a few more huts or add a little more to their own. However, the leaders of the area hadn't awoken yet, they had stayed up into the late hours of the night working on their next move on Dr. Robotnik. Tails realized that there was no way they could take back Station Square with that kind of security, and either they would have to disable it or be extremely cunning. Sonic had been up for both ideas, surely disabling security and worrying about that army of Swatbots wasn't going to be a walk in the park. Sonic, however, was the first to awaken on this cloudy morning. Snow had begun to fall, giving the forest an even more peaceful feeling. The trees were laced with white, and the gorgeous surroundings were enough to make even the most trouble soul relax. Sonic tried to sit himself up, only problem was, someone was holding him tight, with her head resting on his chest. Sonic smiled, Amy and him had gone to sleep holding each other that night. Amy had recovered nicely, especially because Tails had wrapped her head and Strider used his medicine knowledge to patch up her wound and numb the pain. He gently pushed her to the side of the bed and got up. Stretching and peering out the window, he realized this would be an important day.
And even though the first hours of this morn seemed innocent enough, a cloud path in the sky along with very faint motor sounds told other wise..
"Hold formation, bot plans keep to the right and surround the Egg hornet, follow on MY signal only!" Metal Sonic lead a very small fleet of Swat Ships toward Angel Island, Dr. Eggman in the center. "This better be worth it.." Thought Metal Sonic. Every time they went after these little emeralds things tended to get rough, and Metal Sonic was not in the mood hear Eggman scream. Beep! Beep! His console began to go off, signally a page. "Yes sir, what is it?"
"We're close to the island. I'm sure Knuckles is down there, be sure to do away with him while a take that Master Emerald."
"I thought we were here for the Chaos Emeralds?"
"DON'T QUESTION ME! We need that Emerald to find the location of the other 7, we have 2, the other 5 are not in my possession, SO I'M NOT HAPPY! Keep Knuckles out of the way. And I wouldn't be surprised if Rouge was here too, she had a thing with Knuckles. Now I'm pulling away from the fleet. Robotnik out."
Metal Sonic just groaned and followed his creator easily, his plane maneuvering like a phantom in the sky. The Swat planes followed suit, as ordered.
Knuckles had been asleep in front of the ancient shrine, dreaming peacefully. He still hadn't gotten over the green hedgehog, and often wondered about her. Perhaps she truly was as innocent as she seemed. And Rouge, maybe he should listen to her sometimes, she had to have good judgment if she posed a problem for him if the last time the Master Emerald broke. Opening his eyes slowly, his radar had started to beep. "Lousy thing, keeps malfunctioning, its only supposed the locate the emeralds." Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he stood and pick the thing up, and began to shake it, only to have the thing shot right out of his hands! It landed in a smoldering electrical pile. "WHAT THE-?" He whirled around just as Eggman was about to grab the emerald. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" Jumping and quickly gliding, he managed to smack Eggman's crane which was holding the emerald. It dropped, but thankfully, didn't shatter. "METAL SONIC, GET RID OF THIS PEST!"
Metal Sonic swooped in at his speed, but unfortunately missed, Knuckles had seen him coming. The Swatbots began to fire rapidly. Knuckles quickly grabbed the Master Emerald and ran. Rouge, awakened by the commotion came to Knuckle's side to protect him. In a swift shot of speed, the Egg Hornet flew high, turned and managed to cut Knuckles off. "Alright Eggman.If this is what it comes down too!" Knuckles ran forward, fists held high, knuckles ready to pierce the metal with fury and anger. He landed quite a few hits, and was punching the machine well, Rouge kept Robotnik busy by constantly flying around his head. The explosions rocked the entire forest at Swat planes moved in and began to fire. Rouge was nearly hit by a stray laser, that got her angry. Flapping her back wings as hard as she could, she gained altitude, and distracted the lead pilot. The swat bot turned and quickly began to open fire, Rouge dived straight down, the back up, causing the robot to fire straight at Robotnik!! "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Screamed Robotnik as his Egg Hornet sustained heavy damage. Knuckles sighed in relief, but didn't notice Metal Sonic closing in, ready to shoot him down. Rouge, who was higher up, immediately noticed the danger. "KNUCKLES! WATCH IT! LOOK OUT!" Knuckles turned around, and when he saw Metal Sonic's jet come at him at top speed, he froze in fear. It looked like the end...
Just when Metal Sonic was about to fire the laser that would ultimately end Knuckle's life, a stray green laser whizzed through the air, striking the right wing of his fighter. Immediately, the force of the blast sent the plane spinning out of control. Metal Sonic desperately tried to get the plane to stop is mindless spinning, but there was no hope, and the its thruster kept making it gain altitude. "WHAT THE?!!" an angered Eggman shouted below, watching the whole scene play out before him. A purple plane swooped down from the clouds above. "WOO! Wow Doctor, from all the commotion your making down here, I could've heard you from the space colony." No words could explain the gut twisting anger that Robotnik felt at the sight of Sonic riding on his beloved plain, his side kick Tails driving with extreme skill. Knuckles quickly spin dashed and broke into the run, calling out to Sonic as he lowered the plain, as if to land. "Get the Master Emerald out of here Sonic! I never liked the thought of you handling it, so don't break it!" He tossed the precious gem into the now snowy air. Sonic reached for it, almost missed it, but luckily caught it. Eggman quickly re-powered his Egg hornet and took off after them, when another explosion was heard, Metal Sonic had just crashed.
This only caused the mad scientist to become angrier, and he really pushed down the accelerator. Swatbot jets flew in from all sides of the Tornado, but Tails easily dodged them, moving gracefully through the sky, he managed to destroy them all, leaving only Eggman to contend with. They neared a large mountain, its peak barely visible in the low hanging snowy clouds, this was Tail's chance. "Hang on Sonic!" Tails veered upward, leaving Eggman very confused. "What? Where did they go?!" He turned on his radar, but do to the high winds and snow at this altitude, he couldn't trace them. "Hey Egg butt! Looking for us?!" Eggman spun around, and saw Sonic and Tails appear behind him. Tails switched on a visor that allowed him to see the missile range. "LOCK! ON!" Tails cried. Opening the commanding switch, and pressed the button enthusiastically and yelled, "Fire!!" The missile fired, however, the Tornado began to shake wildly, as the fake emerald reversed the main energy of the engine. "Its out of control!" Shouted Tails as the engine began to over heat. "Bail out!" screamed Sonic, and he leapt from the plane, followed closely by Tails. The Tornado 2 shot electric beams from its interior, and finally, exploded, spraying debris all over the place. Sonic and Tails landed in a gigantic snow drift, the Master Emerald tumbling from Sonic's grasp. The missile which had managed to fire struck the back of Egg Hornet. "BLAST!" Eggman has the main weapon system began to short out. Punching a button, it dropped away, leaving only the Egg globe. Sonic leapt from the snowy pile and reached for the glistening emerald, only to have it snatched away by Metal Sonic. "Like I said, your getting rusty bro." Laughing, the evil robot turn and launched off, his systems working over time to power him down the snowy side of the mountain.
"Oh no! He's got the emerald!" Shouted Tails.
Sonic grabbed a piece of flat wreckage from the Tornado, set it on the ground, then with a leap, landed on it and began to snowboard down the mountain! He twisted and turned, moving like a pro through the all the logs and obstacles that came in his path. A snow ramp came up in the distance. Metal Sonic calmly ran over it, flipping beautifully and continuing his track. Turning his head, he saw Sonic hit the ramp with both speed and skill. Sonic arched his back pulling his feet in the air, twisting into a 360, he landed perfectly and continued on. Though Metal Sonic had a pretty good lead, Sonic began to close in. He inched closer and closer, and could only hope that the cliff side didn't end soon. Finally, he drew up to Metal Sonic's side, and tried to cut him off. If he made him lose balance, he knew there would be no way to stop him from tumbling at this speed, giving him the advantage.
"Oh no you don't!" said a hideous voice right over Sonic's head. Eggman quickly punched a few coordinates on his panel, and the bottom of the Egg globe opened wide. A checkered ball dropped down and immediately began to swing back and forth! Sonic had to break away, other wise he would be smashed. He moved and began to press harder on the board, causing it to gain moment. Metal Sonic ran behind him, though Robotnik was careful not to hit him, losing the Master Emerald was a risk that was not to be taken. The ball swung back and forth, each swing at a deadly force, and to Sonic's horror, the mountain side's end was becoming visible. "Aha! I'm not so easily avoided Sonic!" Robotnik said, accelerating. Pressing a button, a red signaler appeared. "Take this!" Pressing it, the ball began to spin around wildly, but for some reason, more accurately. Sonic was on his toes avoiding every swish, and he was doing fairly well when he hit flat ground. Metal Sonic took off in the opposite direction, in hopes of tricking the blue hedgehog. Tails, who had been flying close behind through the whole ordeal however, saw the robot take off. "Sonic! He's headed toward the forest!" Sonic turned quickly and ran in the direction of the evil bot, Eggman hot on his trail.
Metal Sonic weaved in and out betwixt the trees, holding the Master Emerald like a baby would hold on to his mother. No way was he going to lose to Sonic this time. Sonic blazed through the forest, trying to desperately keep sight of hedgebot. Taking another direction, he finally managed to cut him off. "Hand it over NOW!" He moved into a spin dash and jetted at Metal Sonic. Robotnik was just entering in, his "wrecking ball" spinning and swinging, when the unthinkable happened. Metal Sonic leapt into the air to dodge Sonic's spin dash attack, only to get smashed HARD by the checkered ball. He was flung hard to the ground, and the Master Emerald was shot into the air. Tails swooped down from the sky and caught it, just as it was about to hit a tree limb. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed Robotnik as Tails and Sonic took off into the distance. The ball had hit Metal Sonic dead in the quills, causing it to retain heavy damage. In other words, it rendered it useless. He withdrew the ball just has Metal Sonic was regaining his feet.
"YOU IDIOT!!!! YOU HAD IT! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU MESS IT UP LIKE THAT?!!!! GET BACK TO BASE, NOW! BEFORE I SMASH YOU AGAIN! AND THIS TIME IT WILL BE PERMENANT!"
Metal Sonic scowled, but said nothing as he turned to head back to Robotropolis. "A part of me hopes he gets Sonic's wrath." He mumbled as he broke into a speedy run.
***Angel Island***
Sonic arrived back on the island, cold and out of breath. He had really given it his all out there. Tails, glad that he no longer had to fly, ran beside his buddy. They slowed at the borders of the once lush green island, the scene before them could only be described as "jaw dropping." Trees lay in ruins, and the shrine was no longer there. Fire had engulf some the vegetation, reducing it to a black ash that blew away with the wind. "Oh my God..." Tails said, as he walked upon the charred grounds of Angel Island. The battle had taken a precious toll. Knuckles and Rouge, however, were safe, and the moment they saw Sonic they glided toward him, a look of deep pain in their eyes. "Is it ok? Did you protect it?" asked an eager Knuckles. Sonic could only nod and hand him the shining emerald, its beauty still bright on this gloomy snowy day. With heads hanging low, they all slowly walked back to Knothole. Knuckles knew that he could no longer stay here, and the Master Emerald was in danger, now that Robotnik had come after it so fiercely.
The residents of Knothole were very glad to build a temporary place for Knuckle's and Rouge to stay in. Donovan even built a small area for the Master Emerald to be contained in. Heavy hearted was the echidna, and he rarely came out, he always just sat in front of his gem, every now and then, a small tear trickled down his face. His home had been destroyed..
***Mystic Ruins Very Secluded Area***
Shadow and Melody had awakened very late in the morning. Melody was busy exploring the many nooks and crannies of the island. Though Shadow had said for her to stay only one night, he had to admit, observing her was interesting, so he allowed her to stay, despite the fact that he preferred solitude over anything. Melody messed around with a few small animals and tried to catch a few snow flakes with her mouth and hands. She settled under an oak tree, an old thought once again irking her.
"Why didn't my creator want me..?" She thought aloud. "Its like, I am nothing, and was created for nothing. I have no answers, I just don't know.."
Sighing, she rested her head and cried softly. It was a heart braking feeling, feeling unwanted. So many people had chased her off. One being Knuckles, and then Eggman, even the black hedgehog hadn't wanted her to stay. She didn't understand, it was like the whole world against her.
Red eyes watched her from the shadows. The obsidian creature moved closer, feeling a bit sorry for her. He knew the feeling of not knowing any answers, and even today, he only answered a few of them. The death of Maria was one that would never be answered, or eased. Perhaps that's why Shadow preferred to be alone all the time. So he could keep himself organized and keep himself at peace with himself and the world. Sighing, he came from the bushes, staring at the now sleeping green hedgehog. "Maybe I am not the only one suffering on this planet." Staring at the gray cloudy skies, his eyes softened. "Maria..."
***Story***
***Mystic Ruins Very Secluded Location ***
One soul, hadn't slept at all during the wintery night. No, he had been up, standing upon a large hill over looking a dark forest surrounded by water on three sides. Not many people knew of this very secluded place, and that's how this one hedgehog liked it. Ruby eyes scanned the horizon, noticing dark snowy clouds moving in the direction of the land. Stiffening his quills and closed his eyes, Shadow the hedgehog stood in deep thought, about the only person he truly cared about. He began to have a flash back, one that was very familiar to him, and also painful. He was standing on the Space Colony Ark, looking down at the beautiful Earth, its shine pleasing to the eye. Maria stood at his side, her blue eyes also gazing down at the small, but busy planet.
"Shadow? What do you think its like down there one earth?"
"The professor said that he existed for all of mankind down there. He once said that his very existence revolved around making people happy through the power of science."
"Shadow..."
"Maria, I just don't know anything anymore.. I often wonder why I was created, why I was brought here. Maybe if I go down there, I will find all the answers...maybe."
That had been a peaceful time, and Shadow, never realized how much he cared for Maria, until she was ripped away from him. Shot down by sick minded humans blinded by fear. Curse that GUN, curse it for what it had done to him. A tear trickled down his obsidian cheek, but he quickly wiped it off. Opening his dark red eyes, he took off down the hill side for a brisk run and scan of his area. He didn't want anyone trespassing on his turf, this threatened his solitude. He ran a full 3 times around the peninsula, but saw nothing. Settling beneath a tree, he gazed up at starry skies, which would soon be over taken by dark gray clouds. Shadow's breathing began to slow down, and he was about to slip off into sleep, when a voice sounded over the wind. A trespasser was lurking about. Standing up and pricking his black ears, he listened carefully to the words of the lurker.
I hear the wind across the plain. A sound, so strong, that calls my name. Its wild like the river, its warm as the sun, yes its here, this is were I belong. Under the starry skies, will eagles have flown, this place is paradise, it is where I call home. The moon on the mountain...the whisper in the trees, the leaves on the water.let nothing come between it and me..
Shadow had to admit, her voice was beautiful, but still, whoever it was shouldn't be here. Revving up his legs and running, his hover shoes kicked in and he skated stealthily across the ground, his eyes growing more narrow the closer he came to this creature. The creature was Melody, and she had no idea of the black hedgehog headed her way. She had only sang because she was nervous, and was currently looking for a place to settle down. Imagine her surprise when she was nearly bowled over by a rather annoyed hedgehog. She rolled over and over, mud caking to her fur. Standing up and looking around, her eyes rested on Shadow. "Who are you and what do you want?" He demanded.
Melody was a bit frightened, but she didn't show it, that was a sign of weakness. She decided to answer quickly, for this hedgehog didn't look like he was in the mood for games or long conversation. "My name is Melody, I don't know where I am, I just need a place to rest."
"Hmph.I should tell you to get out right now, your bothering me." Shadow scowled. His desire to be alone had been so high ever since his survival. No one could blame him, he was so hurt inside from that event from 50 years ago. Melody's eyes widened, she had traveled for so long and was so tired. The thought of turning back and traveling some more made her feet ache. "Please.." She pleaded. "Let me rest, I'll leave, just please let me rest." Shadow paced back and forth restlessly, but he never took his eyes off the aqua green hedgehog. Then, his face softened, the sound of her voice sounded so pleading, it reminded of him of the day Maria had made him promise the one thing he would be bound to his whole entire life.
"For one night!" He said. Turning slowly, he walked off. Melody sighed with relief and began to walk the island, staring at the trees and gazing at the many features of this small piece of land. Small animals came out every now and then, but for the most part, things where pretty quiet and tranquil. She hummed peacefully to herself, and found herself a nice spot by the water's edge. Sighing, she leaned herself against a small tree and gazed into the heavens. "Wow, looks like a storm is on the horizon." She said sleepily, unaware that Shadow was in a tree above her, watching her closely for any signs of hostility, none could be to careful. Through the night Melody slept, and Shadow finally got over the bothersome feeling that she was there, and fell asleep. He wrestled with bad dreams and painful memories, but sleep through the entire night (or what was left of it) he slept.
***Mystic Ruins Knothole***
The residents of the newly constructed haven arose early the next morning, and went about the daily business. Some began to construct a few more huts or add a little more to their own. However, the leaders of the area hadn't awoken yet, they had stayed up into the late hours of the night working on their next move on Dr. Robotnik. Tails realized that there was no way they could take back Station Square with that kind of security, and either they would have to disable it or be extremely cunning. Sonic had been up for both ideas, surely disabling security and worrying about that army of Swatbots wasn't going to be a walk in the park. Sonic, however, was the first to awaken on this cloudy morning. Snow had begun to fall, giving the forest an even more peaceful feeling. The trees were laced with white, and the gorgeous surroundings were enough to make even the most trouble soul relax. Sonic tried to sit himself up, only problem was, someone was holding him tight, with her head resting on his chest. Sonic smiled, Amy and him had gone to sleep holding each other that night. Amy had recovered nicely, especially because Tails had wrapped her head and Strider used his medicine knowledge to patch up her wound and numb the pain. He gently pushed her to the side of the bed and got up. Stretching and peering out the window, he realized this would be an important day.
And even though the first hours of this morn seemed innocent enough, a cloud path in the sky along with very faint motor sounds told other wise..
"Hold formation, bot plans keep to the right and surround the Egg hornet, follow on MY signal only!" Metal Sonic lead a very small fleet of Swat Ships toward Angel Island, Dr. Eggman in the center. "This better be worth it.." Thought Metal Sonic. Every time they went after these little emeralds things tended to get rough, and Metal Sonic was not in the mood hear Eggman scream. Beep! Beep! His console began to go off, signally a page. "Yes sir, what is it?"
"We're close to the island. I'm sure Knuckles is down there, be sure to do away with him while a take that Master Emerald."
"I thought we were here for the Chaos Emeralds?"
"DON'T QUESTION ME! We need that Emerald to find the location of the other 7, we have 2, the other 5 are not in my possession, SO I'M NOT HAPPY! Keep Knuckles out of the way. And I wouldn't be surprised if Rouge was here too, she had a thing with Knuckles. Now I'm pulling away from the fleet. Robotnik out."
Metal Sonic just groaned and followed his creator easily, his plane maneuvering like a phantom in the sky. The Swat planes followed suit, as ordered.
Knuckles had been asleep in front of the ancient shrine, dreaming peacefully. He still hadn't gotten over the green hedgehog, and often wondered about her. Perhaps she truly was as innocent as she seemed. And Rouge, maybe he should listen to her sometimes, she had to have good judgment if she posed a problem for him if the last time the Master Emerald broke. Opening his eyes slowly, his radar had started to beep. "Lousy thing, keeps malfunctioning, its only supposed the locate the emeralds." Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he stood and pick the thing up, and began to shake it, only to have the thing shot right out of his hands! It landed in a smoldering electrical pile. "WHAT THE-?" He whirled around just as Eggman was about to grab the emerald. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" Jumping and quickly gliding, he managed to smack Eggman's crane which was holding the emerald. It dropped, but thankfully, didn't shatter. "METAL SONIC, GET RID OF THIS PEST!"
Metal Sonic swooped in at his speed, but unfortunately missed, Knuckles had seen him coming. The Swatbots began to fire rapidly. Knuckles quickly grabbed the Master Emerald and ran. Rouge, awakened by the commotion came to Knuckle's side to protect him. In a swift shot of speed, the Egg Hornet flew high, turned and managed to cut Knuckles off. "Alright Eggman.If this is what it comes down too!" Knuckles ran forward, fists held high, knuckles ready to pierce the metal with fury and anger. He landed quite a few hits, and was punching the machine well, Rouge kept Robotnik busy by constantly flying around his head. The explosions rocked the entire forest at Swat planes moved in and began to fire. Rouge was nearly hit by a stray laser, that got her angry. Flapping her back wings as hard as she could, she gained altitude, and distracted the lead pilot. The swat bot turned and quickly began to open fire, Rouge dived straight down, the back up, causing the robot to fire straight at Robotnik!! "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Screamed Robotnik as his Egg Hornet sustained heavy damage. Knuckles sighed in relief, but didn't notice Metal Sonic closing in, ready to shoot him down. Rouge, who was higher up, immediately noticed the danger. "KNUCKLES! WATCH IT! LOOK OUT!" Knuckles turned around, and when he saw Metal Sonic's jet come at him at top speed, he froze in fear. It looked like the end...
Just when Metal Sonic was about to fire the laser that would ultimately end Knuckle's life, a stray green laser whizzed through the air, striking the right wing of his fighter. Immediately, the force of the blast sent the plane spinning out of control. Metal Sonic desperately tried to get the plane to stop is mindless spinning, but there was no hope, and the its thruster kept making it gain altitude. "WHAT THE?!!" an angered Eggman shouted below, watching the whole scene play out before him. A purple plane swooped down from the clouds above. "WOO! Wow Doctor, from all the commotion your making down here, I could've heard you from the space colony." No words could explain the gut twisting anger that Robotnik felt at the sight of Sonic riding on his beloved plain, his side kick Tails driving with extreme skill. Knuckles quickly spin dashed and broke into the run, calling out to Sonic as he lowered the plain, as if to land. "Get the Master Emerald out of here Sonic! I never liked the thought of you handling it, so don't break it!" He tossed the precious gem into the now snowy air. Sonic reached for it, almost missed it, but luckily caught it. Eggman quickly re-powered his Egg hornet and took off after them, when another explosion was heard, Metal Sonic had just crashed.
This only caused the mad scientist to become angrier, and he really pushed down the accelerator. Swatbot jets flew in from all sides of the Tornado, but Tails easily dodged them, moving gracefully through the sky, he managed to destroy them all, leaving only Eggman to contend with. They neared a large mountain, its peak barely visible in the low hanging snowy clouds, this was Tail's chance. "Hang on Sonic!" Tails veered upward, leaving Eggman very confused. "What? Where did they go?!" He turned on his radar, but do to the high winds and snow at this altitude, he couldn't trace them. "Hey Egg butt! Looking for us?!" Eggman spun around, and saw Sonic and Tails appear behind him. Tails switched on a visor that allowed him to see the missile range. "LOCK! ON!" Tails cried. Opening the commanding switch, and pressed the button enthusiastically and yelled, "Fire!!" The missile fired, however, the Tornado began to shake wildly, as the fake emerald reversed the main energy of the engine. "Its out of control!" Shouted Tails as the engine began to over heat. "Bail out!" screamed Sonic, and he leapt from the plane, followed closely by Tails. The Tornado 2 shot electric beams from its interior, and finally, exploded, spraying debris all over the place. Sonic and Tails landed in a gigantic snow drift, the Master Emerald tumbling from Sonic's grasp. The missile which had managed to fire struck the back of Egg Hornet. "BLAST!" Eggman has the main weapon system began to short out. Punching a button, it dropped away, leaving only the Egg globe. Sonic leapt from the snowy pile and reached for the glistening emerald, only to have it snatched away by Metal Sonic. "Like I said, your getting rusty bro." Laughing, the evil robot turn and launched off, his systems working over time to power him down the snowy side of the mountain.
"Oh no! He's got the emerald!" Shouted Tails.
Sonic grabbed a piece of flat wreckage from the Tornado, set it on the ground, then with a leap, landed on it and began to snowboard down the mountain! He twisted and turned, moving like a pro through the all the logs and obstacles that came in his path. A snow ramp came up in the distance. Metal Sonic calmly ran over it, flipping beautifully and continuing his track. Turning his head, he saw Sonic hit the ramp with both speed and skill. Sonic arched his back pulling his feet in the air, twisting into a 360, he landed perfectly and continued on. Though Metal Sonic had a pretty good lead, Sonic began to close in. He inched closer and closer, and could only hope that the cliff side didn't end soon. Finally, he drew up to Metal Sonic's side, and tried to cut him off. If he made him lose balance, he knew there would be no way to stop him from tumbling at this speed, giving him the advantage.
"Oh no you don't!" said a hideous voice right over Sonic's head. Eggman quickly punched a few coordinates on his panel, and the bottom of the Egg globe opened wide. A checkered ball dropped down and immediately began to swing back and forth! Sonic had to break away, other wise he would be smashed. He moved and began to press harder on the board, causing it to gain moment. Metal Sonic ran behind him, though Robotnik was careful not to hit him, losing the Master Emerald was a risk that was not to be taken. The ball swung back and forth, each swing at a deadly force, and to Sonic's horror, the mountain side's end was becoming visible. "Aha! I'm not so easily avoided Sonic!" Robotnik said, accelerating. Pressing a button, a red signaler appeared. "Take this!" Pressing it, the ball began to spin around wildly, but for some reason, more accurately. Sonic was on his toes avoiding every swish, and he was doing fairly well when he hit flat ground. Metal Sonic took off in the opposite direction, in hopes of tricking the blue hedgehog. Tails, who had been flying close behind through the whole ordeal however, saw the robot take off. "Sonic! He's headed toward the forest!" Sonic turned quickly and ran in the direction of the evil bot, Eggman hot on his trail.
Metal Sonic weaved in and out betwixt the trees, holding the Master Emerald like a baby would hold on to his mother. No way was he going to lose to Sonic this time. Sonic blazed through the forest, trying to desperately keep sight of hedgebot. Taking another direction, he finally managed to cut him off. "Hand it over NOW!" He moved into a spin dash and jetted at Metal Sonic. Robotnik was just entering in, his "wrecking ball" spinning and swinging, when the unthinkable happened. Metal Sonic leapt into the air to dodge Sonic's spin dash attack, only to get smashed HARD by the checkered ball. He was flung hard to the ground, and the Master Emerald was shot into the air. Tails swooped down from the sky and caught it, just as it was about to hit a tree limb. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed Robotnik as Tails and Sonic took off into the distance. The ball had hit Metal Sonic dead in the quills, causing it to retain heavy damage. In other words, it rendered it useless. He withdrew the ball just has Metal Sonic was regaining his feet.
"YOU IDIOT!!!! YOU HAD IT! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU MESS IT UP LIKE THAT?!!!! GET BACK TO BASE, NOW! BEFORE I SMASH YOU AGAIN! AND THIS TIME IT WILL BE PERMENANT!"
Metal Sonic scowled, but said nothing as he turned to head back to Robotropolis. "A part of me hopes he gets Sonic's wrath." He mumbled as he broke into a speedy run.
***Angel Island***
Sonic arrived back on the island, cold and out of breath. He had really given it his all out there. Tails, glad that he no longer had to fly, ran beside his buddy. They slowed at the borders of the once lush green island, the scene before them could only be described as "jaw dropping." Trees lay in ruins, and the shrine was no longer there. Fire had engulf some the vegetation, reducing it to a black ash that blew away with the wind. "Oh my God..." Tails said, as he walked upon the charred grounds of Angel Island. The battle had taken a precious toll. Knuckles and Rouge, however, were safe, and the moment they saw Sonic they glided toward him, a look of deep pain in their eyes. "Is it ok? Did you protect it?" asked an eager Knuckles. Sonic could only nod and hand him the shining emerald, its beauty still bright on this gloomy snowy day. With heads hanging low, they all slowly walked back to Knothole. Knuckles knew that he could no longer stay here, and the Master Emerald was in danger, now that Robotnik had come after it so fiercely.
The residents of Knothole were very glad to build a temporary place for Knuckle's and Rouge to stay in. Donovan even built a small area for the Master Emerald to be contained in. Heavy hearted was the echidna, and he rarely came out, he always just sat in front of his gem, every now and then, a small tear trickled down his face. His home had been destroyed..
***Mystic Ruins Very Secluded Area***
Shadow and Melody had awakened very late in the morning. Melody was busy exploring the many nooks and crannies of the island. Though Shadow had said for her to stay only one night, he had to admit, observing her was interesting, so he allowed her to stay, despite the fact that he preferred solitude over anything. Melody messed around with a few small animals and tried to catch a few snow flakes with her mouth and hands. She settled under an oak tree, an old thought once again irking her.
"Why didn't my creator want me..?" She thought aloud. "Its like, I am nothing, and was created for nothing. I have no answers, I just don't know.."
Sighing, she rested her head and cried softly. It was a heart braking feeling, feeling unwanted. So many people had chased her off. One being Knuckles, and then Eggman, even the black hedgehog hadn't wanted her to stay. She didn't understand, it was like the whole world against her.
Red eyes watched her from the shadows. The obsidian creature moved closer, feeling a bit sorry for her. He knew the feeling of not knowing any answers, and even today, he only answered a few of them. The death of Maria was one that would never be answered, or eased. Perhaps that's why Shadow preferred to be alone all the time. So he could keep himself organized and keep himself at peace with himself and the world. Sighing, he came from the bushes, staring at the now sleeping green hedgehog. "Maybe I am not the only one suffering on this planet." Staring at the gray cloudy skies, his eyes softened. "Maria..."