Chapter 7: Clone
Sonic's emerald eyes looked forward as he ran towards the green mountain. It seemed like a shine-less emerald, shaped like a triangle. Sonic approached it, closer by the minute. But what his eyes didn't see was Shadow running far next to him. Shadow only wanted to help Sonic when he needed it. The black hedgehog was aware that his younger image would be able to overcome whatever stood in his way. But sometimes, the blue hedgehog would show weakness, and Shadow would step in then.
The reason the black hedgehog didn't want to be next to Sonic all the way was because it would distract him, make his mind focus on the only other hedgehog he cared for.
Sonic was near the mountain, and saw thick, strong vines hanging from a cliff on the mountain. 'I guess that's where the shrine is,' he thought. He ran faster, approaching the vines quicker. He stopped in front of one of the vines. He held out his gloved hands and gripped it tightly. He pulled himself up the vine, but it suddenly got weaker, not able to hold the weight any longer. Sonic noticed the vine breaking, so he put his feet to the rocky wall and shoved himself up the vine, making it to the part above the broken vine.
Sonic gave a sigh of relief and continued on, climbing faster. Finally, he saw the vines go flat at the top, and he realized that he was near the top. He shoved himself up once again, holding onto the edge of the cliff. He pulled himself up, panting slightly from his big climb.
He got up and turned, seeing that he must have climbed at least 100 feet above the ground. He felt a slight shudder go up his back, but turned and continued onward. He smiled as he saw the next shrine. It was covered in thin wines that sprouted tear-shaped leaves. He approached the shrine slowly and opened the door. He saw tall trees sprouting from the ground. In the center of the huge room was a statue of a griffin with a sharp beak, strong, sturdy legs, and humongous green wings.
As Sonic expected, the griffin statue came to life and approached him. "So, you have come to earn the Emerald Heart?" it asked it a mighty, strong voice.
Sonic pointed at the half eagle half lion. "That's right!" He said.
The griffin tossed its head, still staring at Sonic with fierce orange eyes. "Very well. You must defeat me in combat. If you win, you'll move on to battle Cyrus, the green dragon. If you fail, you die."
Sonic didn't like the griffin's last sentence, but he still responded with a confident voice. "Fine by me. Enough talk, let's dance!"
The griffin screeched and flapped his mighty wings, sending a shock of wind at the blue hedgehog. Sonic jumped, barely missing it. The wind cut into one of the towering trees, but the tree fell onto its stump, unharmed. Sonic growled, continuing to dodge his foe's attacks. After a bunch of jumping and flapping, Sonic was hit.
He fell to the ground, looking up as a shadow fell over him. The griffin stared right into Sonic's eyes, and he felt like it was piercing his soul. "Fool! You should have never challenged me. Hah! You don't even know how to harness your Chaos Stones' powers!" It stepped closer to him, tail swishing back and forth.
"Harness... The stones power?" the hedgehog asked himself. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the Clear Emerald. The griffin raised an eyebrow, impressed.
Sonic clutched the stone tightly in his fist, and his hand started to glow. It engulfed his entire body, turning him into a strange white color. His quills moved from pointing down to pointing up. Emerald eyes vanished, only showing the white in Sonic's eyes.
The white hedgehog threw a beam at the griffin without even giving the command.
The griffin dodged, flapping wings and moving out of the way. While it was in the air, it rammed his head into Sonic's chest. But he caught the attack and pushed the bird head back. After the head left his hands, a punch was thrown. It hit the griffin right on the cranium, making it screech very loudly. It continued screaming in pain, until Sonic shot a large blast at the griffin, making it vanish on impact.
The hedgehog panted loudly, and he reverted back to his regular form. He noticed the portal to the next dragon open inside a tree. Sonic dashed in, clutching his bag tightly, and found himself inside another dark room, lighted by green torches. He stood on the ground firmly, knowing that the next dragon would spear out of nowhere in front of him. But, he felt a green-white light appear next to him.
Sonic shielded his eyes until he saw the dark figure of Shadow. "Shadow! What're you doing here? I thought-"
"That I'd only come if you really needed help. That's what I'm doing." Shadow finished for Sonic.
"What do you mean?" the blue hedgehog asked.
"The next dragon, Asoka, he is a very powerful foe," the black one answered.
"How do you-" Sonic couldn't finish, for a dragon stepped out from the shadows. It had large, blue eyes, shining green scales, large mighty wings, and long, strong tail.
It gazed down into Sonic's eyes, and the hedgehog felt as if the eyes hurt his body. "Shadow has some knowledge of the Chaos Stones and their guardians. I fed them to him."
"What do you mean?"
"The hedgehog's soul came to master Crimson and I. He wanted to gain life again, since he helped you save the world. Crimson himself gave his life back, and I told him of the gems we created. Shadow has great potential, and he could be one of us as well."
Sonic looked at his fellow hedgehog, and Shadow just stared into the eyes of the dragon. He seemed to be looking at the dragon as if he was his long- lost brother, but his face remained the same as always.
"You know this guy?" the cobalt hedgehog asked. Shadow just nodded solemnly.
"Asoka, you mustn't pick a fight with Sonic. He comes for a good cause to save his friend, not for power," the hedgehog told the mighty dragon.
Asoka continued to stare at Shadow. "I'm sorry, but I cannot give the Emerald Heart without me being defeated."
"Then I'll fight you." Shadow stepped forward reluctantly.
"Shadow..." Sonic muttered, but he then nodded and stepped away.
"You will find out the power of Crimson's apprentice, Asoka!" the dragon roared.
Shadow started running at Asoka, ready to fight his own friend.
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Sonic's emerald eyes looked forward as he ran towards the green mountain. It seemed like a shine-less emerald, shaped like a triangle. Sonic approached it, closer by the minute. But what his eyes didn't see was Shadow running far next to him. Shadow only wanted to help Sonic when he needed it. The black hedgehog was aware that his younger image would be able to overcome whatever stood in his way. But sometimes, the blue hedgehog would show weakness, and Shadow would step in then.
The reason the black hedgehog didn't want to be next to Sonic all the way was because it would distract him, make his mind focus on the only other hedgehog he cared for.
Sonic was near the mountain, and saw thick, strong vines hanging from a cliff on the mountain. 'I guess that's where the shrine is,' he thought. He ran faster, approaching the vines quicker. He stopped in front of one of the vines. He held out his gloved hands and gripped it tightly. He pulled himself up the vine, but it suddenly got weaker, not able to hold the weight any longer. Sonic noticed the vine breaking, so he put his feet to the rocky wall and shoved himself up the vine, making it to the part above the broken vine.
Sonic gave a sigh of relief and continued on, climbing faster. Finally, he saw the vines go flat at the top, and he realized that he was near the top. He shoved himself up once again, holding onto the edge of the cliff. He pulled himself up, panting slightly from his big climb.
He got up and turned, seeing that he must have climbed at least 100 feet above the ground. He felt a slight shudder go up his back, but turned and continued onward. He smiled as he saw the next shrine. It was covered in thin wines that sprouted tear-shaped leaves. He approached the shrine slowly and opened the door. He saw tall trees sprouting from the ground. In the center of the huge room was a statue of a griffin with a sharp beak, strong, sturdy legs, and humongous green wings.
As Sonic expected, the griffin statue came to life and approached him. "So, you have come to earn the Emerald Heart?" it asked it a mighty, strong voice.
Sonic pointed at the half eagle half lion. "That's right!" He said.
The griffin tossed its head, still staring at Sonic with fierce orange eyes. "Very well. You must defeat me in combat. If you win, you'll move on to battle Cyrus, the green dragon. If you fail, you die."
Sonic didn't like the griffin's last sentence, but he still responded with a confident voice. "Fine by me. Enough talk, let's dance!"
The griffin screeched and flapped his mighty wings, sending a shock of wind at the blue hedgehog. Sonic jumped, barely missing it. The wind cut into one of the towering trees, but the tree fell onto its stump, unharmed. Sonic growled, continuing to dodge his foe's attacks. After a bunch of jumping and flapping, Sonic was hit.
He fell to the ground, looking up as a shadow fell over him. The griffin stared right into Sonic's eyes, and he felt like it was piercing his soul. "Fool! You should have never challenged me. Hah! You don't even know how to harness your Chaos Stones' powers!" It stepped closer to him, tail swishing back and forth.
"Harness... The stones power?" the hedgehog asked himself. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the Clear Emerald. The griffin raised an eyebrow, impressed.
Sonic clutched the stone tightly in his fist, and his hand started to glow. It engulfed his entire body, turning him into a strange white color. His quills moved from pointing down to pointing up. Emerald eyes vanished, only showing the white in Sonic's eyes.
The white hedgehog threw a beam at the griffin without even giving the command.
The griffin dodged, flapping wings and moving out of the way. While it was in the air, it rammed his head into Sonic's chest. But he caught the attack and pushed the bird head back. After the head left his hands, a punch was thrown. It hit the griffin right on the cranium, making it screech very loudly. It continued screaming in pain, until Sonic shot a large blast at the griffin, making it vanish on impact.
The hedgehog panted loudly, and he reverted back to his regular form. He noticed the portal to the next dragon open inside a tree. Sonic dashed in, clutching his bag tightly, and found himself inside another dark room, lighted by green torches. He stood on the ground firmly, knowing that the next dragon would spear out of nowhere in front of him. But, he felt a green-white light appear next to him.
Sonic shielded his eyes until he saw the dark figure of Shadow. "Shadow! What're you doing here? I thought-"
"That I'd only come if you really needed help. That's what I'm doing." Shadow finished for Sonic.
"What do you mean?" the blue hedgehog asked.
"The next dragon, Asoka, he is a very powerful foe," the black one answered.
"How do you-" Sonic couldn't finish, for a dragon stepped out from the shadows. It had large, blue eyes, shining green scales, large mighty wings, and long, strong tail.
It gazed down into Sonic's eyes, and the hedgehog felt as if the eyes hurt his body. "Shadow has some knowledge of the Chaos Stones and their guardians. I fed them to him."
"What do you mean?"
"The hedgehog's soul came to master Crimson and I. He wanted to gain life again, since he helped you save the world. Crimson himself gave his life back, and I told him of the gems we created. Shadow has great potential, and he could be one of us as well."
Sonic looked at his fellow hedgehog, and Shadow just stared into the eyes of the dragon. He seemed to be looking at the dragon as if he was his long- lost brother, but his face remained the same as always.
"You know this guy?" the cobalt hedgehog asked. Shadow just nodded solemnly.
"Asoka, you mustn't pick a fight with Sonic. He comes for a good cause to save his friend, not for power," the hedgehog told the mighty dragon.
Asoka continued to stare at Shadow. "I'm sorry, but I cannot give the Emerald Heart without me being defeated."
"Then I'll fight you." Shadow stepped forward reluctantly.
"Shadow..." Sonic muttered, but he then nodded and stepped away.
"You will find out the power of Crimson's apprentice, Asoka!" the dragon roared.
Shadow started running at Asoka, ready to fight his own friend.
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