UNTITLED
I have a really bad feeling about this. Really, really bad feelings.
Just as I thought that I was dead, I return twice as strong. Then, I find I am
having epileptic seizures and hallucinations. This has been the worse week of
my life.
On top of everything I am seeing visions of a girl. Graphic visions. So violent
I just want to throw up and pass out. She's heartlessly destroyed by an unseen
enemy. But what does it all mean? Is it a vision of the future? A bizarre
effect of the so-called "shell"? Or......a combination of both?
Tails won't let me go to help Knuckles, or figure out these dreams until
"later", but I know he's just saying it to hide something from me.
He's been acting all-knowing since we woke up. How does he even know that this
Silver Crystal exists? I don't know him anymore; he is a stranger to me, an
arrogant bastard of a kid!
........................Yet when I look into his eyes, I sometimes see a fear I
never saw in Tails before. A fear of something......life? death? me? I don't
know. It's almost like, if I stare into his eyes long enough, I'll know
everything he knows. Then again, maybe there's something that I should just
keep myself away from.
Deep down in my gut, I really wish I knew the future.......
-----------------
Seiya looked down upon the fray entering the forum of Endo Heights with a bit
of disdain.
"Jesus.....there's so many people here!" Taiki looked around.
"This is enormous."
"Yes, yes..." Fortinbras crossed his arms. Very....oh!!!"
"Sir?"
"...Nothing. Just the Finnish minister." Fortinbras scooted away.
"I must speak to him..."
Seiya sighed, and turned around towards Locke, who simply shook his head.
"Are you all right?"
"Of course he is." Yaten suddenly harped. "Being with Kakyuu
makes him better, doesn't it?"
"Come." Kakyuu held Locke's hand. "I say we go see what
Fortinbras is doing."
Seiya could only glare at her companions as the two strolled away.
"You....you fools...."
Locke looked down at Kakyuu. Her eyes were deeply troubled.
Say something....
"A strange place, no?"
"Yes." Kakyuu's voice seemed uplifted at the fact Locke talked.
"Very much so."
As Locke looked around, his eye caught onto a figure strolling with an old man.
Something tugged in his side - the side with his diverticulitis - when his gaze
came upon the strapping, muscular man.
"Well..." The older man was saying in a thick Crimean accent.
"The fact of the matter is tha-"
Russian. For a moment it satisfied him. Russian delegates...
"Locke....." Kayuu's voice came through again as they walked into the
forum. "It's time...."
-----------------
The smoke still came from Gala-Na's gun even as she dropped it to the ground
angrily.
"I don't understand you." Her voice became angrier with every passing
minute. "You work for me, yet you'd defend this….this scum…"
"He's not scum." Antithesis stared Gala-Na down angrily. His body was
clean of injury. "He's the guardian of the Floating Island."
The guardian stood slightly in front of Antithesis. His green skin shimmered
back to a brown hue, wavering between red and green. The almost invisible laser
shell fell to the ground in front of him.
"It's me that needs to understand something," Knuckles hissed.
"What is all of this about? You of all know that I'm not
responsible."
"And what do you have to prove your innocence?"
"How about those Dark Legionnaires?"
Gala-Na's eyes widened in hate at the words. Antithesis stared at her coldly,
concerned, though he felt surprised about Knuckles' words as well.
"You are holding several Dark Legionnaires who know who really killed the
islanders." Knuckles looked up at Gala-Na, his angry tone lowering.
"Humans."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course you wouldn't know in front of me." Knuckles' face
darkened. "But what about your troops? They seem to know about your
actions than you do."
The two stared at each other. The long-simmering animosity which had spawned
the day Knuckles awoke in his true form in Albion, heightened by Gala-Na's
attempt to destroy the guardian, even more so by the destruction of the Island.
All of it had boiled over with recent actions and words of the re-awakening of
Mobius. Knuckles felt no remorse towards the councilor - had she been lying
near death, like a dog in the desert, begging for water, he wouldn't have given
her the courtesy.
"You lied to your people about this. You covered up your jealousy and hate
of me, with an invasion that you claim was because of my crimes."
Knuckles could see Gala-Na's face scrunch up even more, unable to rebuttal him.
"Look at yourself, sister. For whatever reason you're afraid of me, of the
Dark Legion? You're the type of person who makes a Dark Legion. You
never had even had to really deal with them! But yet because I did, I'm
the bad guy. Truth is I was trying the save our race, something that's below
you." Gala-Na's body shuddered, her anger rising. "I'm sure you'd
rather burn Albion, the city you run, the city you're sworn to protect, to the
ground before taking the blame for your own stupidity and ignorance. You worthless
piece of crap."
He decided to give the last part emphasis. No truth could have been better
said. Not only that, he didn't know anyone who felt as great as he did saying
it.
Finally, Gala-Na could no longer take it.
"No one……." Her eyes burned with a hellish fury that Knuckles had
seen in only a few, select, insane souls. "TELLS ME THAT!!!!!"
Knuckles' hands quickly flew up, the lasers coming towards him again.
Unfortunately, one of them ricocheted off his barrier, heading towards
Antithesis.
"Aah!"
The brown echidna shut his eyes, feeling himself fall to the force of his fate,
the laser.
---------------------
"Order."
The gavel came down, the orators of the problems in Europe sat down. Fortinbras
winked at Kakyuu as he returned to his seat. The thirty translators quickly
began to whisper in their microphones to those who did not understand the
languages spoken in the slightly-dimmed forum.
"Nothing like a good, fresh debate, eh?"
"I suppose…." Kakyuu nudged Locke. "Locke…"
"……Eh…..?"
Locke had been jerked out of his bored slumber to the sound of the gavel, and
now he looked around, confused.
"What…?"
"Nothing."
Kakyuu was amused by his actions through the morning session. He had slept
through the introduction, but forced himself awake for the opening arguments of
the Mexican vice president. Both he and Kakyuu, unschooled in Spanish,
attempted to piece together bits and pieces of his appeal to the summit (namely
about northern guerrillas taking advantage of the rapid deterioration to
attempt a coup d'eat of some fox man). It was after the Mexicans that the "veniswaylins"
("Or however they are spelled," he muttered to a snickering Kakyuu)
came up, and it was in the middle of their problems with the crystal shells
destroying their dams that he dozed off again. Locke was never into politics;
it wasn't truly his arena of interest.
Sitting several seats away in the British booth was Yaten and Taiki. All they
had done for the past four hours was simply stare at the two, who looked
genuinely happy with each other. Several times, Seiya had to turn around and
quietly abomish them.
"I don't know why you look like that - there's nothing there for you to
stare at," she hissed one time. "So stop it. If you keep doing so,
I'll poke your eyes out, and you won't have to worry anymore. Got it?"
Finally, standing up was the appointed substitute of the summit's leader, a man
by the name of Rondl. He gave a nod to one of his constituents before turning
to the audience.
"We return," The substitute began. "To the sovereign nation of
the United States."
Everyone turned to the American booth. It was empty.
"Has…" The substitute swayed uneasily. "Anyone seen a
representative of the United States?"
Locke crimped an eyebrow, his eye catching the Russian bodyguard again as he
stood up. Once again, he felt his side wincing at the sight of the buff man.
Him….why am I…..
"The representative of nation 182, the president of the United
States," one of Rondl's men called out. "A Mr. George Walker Bush,
not present."
The room began to buzz in surprise. Fortinbras looked around in shock. Seiya
turned back to see Yaten looking around as well.
"What's wrong?" Kakyuu looked up at Fortinbras. "His is not the
only country not present."
"No," An edge of nervousness came into Fortinbras' voice. "But
he called the summit."
"And he's not here?"
Locke was slightly taken aback at the revelation. He was not into politics, but
even he understood that a person snubbing a summit being the person who
called the summit…not even a substitute…
"Mr. Chairman."
After another moment, a dark-skinned man suddenly stood up in one of the
African booths. From the look on his face, he not exactly very pleased with the
announcement.
"From the sovereign nation of Ghana," He stared at everyone. "Is
the president making a mockery of all of us?"
The room became silent. Locke could only shift himself to watch.
"We all know Mr. Bush's track record - the sham election-"
"The election was decided," Fortinbras suddenly felt compelled to sit
up and defend the country in absentia, "In a court of law, after all
rightful counts were made, I am led to believe, Mr. Eechiwa."
"Britian," The faces turned towards the diplomat. "You are not
recognized yet to speak again. If you may kindly sit-"
"What you are led to believe is wrong, Mr. Fortinbras." The Ghanan's
facial expression did not change as he began to address the chamber. "You
only believe what the United States tells you. All of you. All of us."
More murmuring. "True, I came here with the expectation, as all of you
did, to meet with the president of the United States, the so-called leader of
the world, to express our concerns with the aging disease and the crystal
product that destroyed our countries, wrecked out economies, uprooted life as
we know it. Certainly, he saw terrible misfortune before - we all did when the
trade centers were hit. But what about here, now? Where is he, the man
who told us to spend our country's precious rations to come here, a country
that is not his, to discuss our problems? Not here. He is probably too busy
with something far more important - his daughters, perhaps?"
Fortinbras blinked. It seemed brighter in the room than before, but it mostly
because the British representative hadn't been directly in the light and not
paid attention. Meanwhile, the hit was a little low for the Italian
representative, who promptly stood up and began to speak feverishly.
"Do not assume and drag such scandalous content into this meeting, senor.
The United States has probably been especially hard-hit," the translator
went into English and Japanese. "We can not have expected everyone to
come. There are probably circumstances we have not been informed of that has
disallowed him to come at the last minute."
"And what about those countries who cannot even feed its people?" The
Vietnamese delegate stood up and fired back. "Does this mean that we are
excempt from this mess? The United States, once again, has shoved its
capitalist ideals into our faces."
"Gentlemen!" Fortinbras began to stand up again. "Chairman,
remind the delegates that this is not about what type of fundamentals are in
the systems of the countries. This is about survival of our world!"
Rondl proceeded to do so, but it became obvious to Seiya and Kakyuu, with the
rising voices, that such a statement would fall upon deaf ears.
"Survival of the fittest, I'm sure!" The Indian governor stood up and
waved his hand towards the Europeans. "And naturally, it would be they who
benefit most."
Locke looked over to see the Russian bodyguard, his side twittering at the
sight of him again. The buff man seemed to be enjoying himself with the
spectacle, though he seemed to be scanning the crowd.
What is he doing….
"To think such things…"
"Order!" The gavel came down again. "Order! Let us not
deteriorate this into a free fall."
The Russian bodyguard caught Locke in the eye for an instant as he scanned. The
eyes seemed to squint, them widen in surprise almost as if Locke had three
heads. He seemed surprised, even at a distance.
The feeling was somehow mutual, the surprise. Something within his eyes,
glittering in the strangely brighter than normal light of the outside which
cascaded into the forum, made Locke sit back in surprise. It was as if he had
never expected Locke to be there at all, as if there were something in the
bodyguard's eyes that Locke had known before. Before the illness had raped him
of some of his more daunting memories. He could not quite finger what it was he
recognized in the man.
"We cannot accomplish anything with this type of mud-slinging, gentlemen."
"Seiya…."
Seiya could feel Yaten's hands on her shoulder. She turned to see both she and
Taiki, their eyes widened, up towards the ceiling.
"Is this light…"
"Ah, but then what will this summit accomplish?" The Ghana
representative angrily motioned. "Will it not only enflame our hatreds
more? As evident here, right now, there is no reason for us to discuss further
until someone is answerable for United States and their disgra-"
*THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!*
Suddenly, the glass dome over the representatives shattered, light pulsing in
and blinding the congregation. It came so quickly that no one knew to scream
until several seconds afterwards as the light began to descend into the room.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Locke's first instinct was to cover Kakyuu's eyes, shield her from whatever was
happening. His arms slid around her, his head huddling over hers.
This power…!!
"Locke….!" She screamed.
"You!!!" Locke could hear Yaten screaming over the panicked
delegates. "Get you hands off of-"
Yaten was cut off by another pulse of light, which covered everyone in bright
white light.
---------------------
Luna's head jerked up from the papers.
"Power…!"
"Luna!!"
Artemis bounded into Central Control, gasping for air.
"You," he gasped. "You must come see it!!!"
--------------------
Mamoru stared out of the window of his decayed apartment, his hands clenched
around a picture. The light seemed to burst from the fog, partially lighting up
the city around him.
……..Usako………..
---------------------
The soldiers in Tokyo stared in shock as the city suddenly began to clear, the
fog dissipating in front of a light more surreal and powerful than the sun
itself.
"My god……."
The destruction of Tokyo in broad daylight seemed just as bad as, if not worse
than, that which they saw in the fog. But the light within the city seemed far
more welcoming that ever, especially to the soldiers, who instantly recognized
the power before them.
"Usagi!!!!" Makoto was the first to scream. "She's HOME!!!"
------------------------------
Sonic looked up towards Tails, his eyes wide.
"My vision…."
"No." Tails was looking the other way. "This is not for you…this
is what must happen….."
------------------------------
The light finally gave way, and Locke shuddered again. But this time, the
reason was far different.
"Starlights…!!" He could hear Seiya gasp. "Look!"
Locke didn't need to look, though he did. The power had been within him for one
thousand years.
He needed no one to tell him what happened. His eyes needed no confirmation.
Nevertheless, he unfolded his arms from Kakyuu's body and turned to look.
Everyone was slowly getting up, beholding what had arrived. The form was still
warm from re-entry, but it made it even more wonderful to those who understood.
Her.
She was back.
-------------------------------
The force of the fall, then, the weight of fate.
"Uuuugh…"
Antithesis opened his eyes. The pain was not that of a bullet. Something was
pinning him to the ground.
"Are you all right?" Vertigo gave way to a female Overlander's face.
"Thank goodness we got here in time…"
Antithesis gave a gasp, though his shock was short lived. Two others stood next
to Knuckles, one pointing a sword, the other pointing a rod.
"You!" The sword bearer seemed to roar in a baritone voice. "Selfish
cow! What do you think you're doing?! The magnificent soldier will not forgive
this idiocy in leadership, if I must stain this talisman with your blood!! The
power of the mighty sky, Sailor Uranus!"
"This is powerful hatred, Councilor." The rod bearer's tone was
almost mournful. "This drives even the most rational to do the
unthinkable. The revolution soldier will not allow this to continue for all
time, just as wouldn't let it continue. The power of creeping time and space,
Sailor Pluto."
"The seas told us of your location, guardian." Antithesis' savior
stood up, taking out a mirror. She pointed it towards Gala-Na as well.
"Our past transgressions against your kind are cleansed by the realm of
the elegant soldier, for the deep waters hide a deeper secret to the crisis
that has approached. The power of the churning oceans, Sailor Neptune!"
Antithesis did not understand the strange clothing and dialogue, nor did he
understand how he knew the language they spoke; it had been one he had never
heard before. Yet he felt relieved that the three women were there to help
them, to try to stop Gala-Na from doing terrible harm to innocents...
"Sailors!!" Knuckles' tone was shocked.
"You!!!!"
Gala-Na's eyes widened, then slit, at the sight of the three soldiers.
"YOU!!" She screamed. "You saved him!! You will PAY!!!!!!!"
---------------------
She stood there, her eyes closed, her yellow-and-white hair down, the crescent
moon on her forehead. Standing where she stood in front of the delegation, her
skirt flowed with an invisible, divine wind. She wore a white robe over her
body, and one could almost see the opaque wings on her back. The room lit up
with her unearthly presence, and colors seemed to dance on the ceiling,
reflected by her mere appearance.
"What in…."
Slowly, Fortinbras stood up. He could only stare, his eyes unable to look away.
"My…..god….."
The sounds of clattering chairs took Locke's attention from Usagi. All around,
he could see people slowly standing up, their eyes widened, their arguments
forgotten, in her wake. Soon, within a matter of minutes. the entire
congregation was standing up, their eyes fixated on her. It was as if she was
already their queen, and they had risen in respect.
She's…….she's back………..
Locke, despite his feelings for Kakyuu, still felt unabashed joy for this girl.
She was alive. Alive. Changed, almost ready to take her rightful place
as ruler of Earth. And now she stood, in front of those who led Earth, just
like those in all the legends he heard about the cause of the existence of his
own duties. Like Kayla-la, as she explained the plan to lift Echidnapolis to
the sky. Like Steppenwolf, asking to banish the Dark Legion. Even like Dimitri
and Edmund, who had stood before the Echidna Council with the siphon. They all
stood, as she did now, in front of a delegation, who would stop, and listen,
take it all in, let what was happening sink under their skin. Let destiny
begin.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the substitute leader of the summit,
Rondl finally rose and, with a shaky voice, dictated the question which had
arisen in everyone's minds:
"Are you a delegate? May….I ask of your name, madam? What is….your
business here?"
Her head turning up, Usagi's eyes opened. They were a beautiful, majestic hue
of violet, one which obviously took Rondl aback, if judged by the expression on
his face. Though, upon seeing them, Locke somehow still preferred Kakyuu's dark
red eyes over Usagi's presently.
"I am…." She began. "Serenity."
The delegation was silent at this. There could be no words to be said. The room
was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Hmm…" looked nervously at Usagi. "And, uh, what country are you
from?"
It was at this point that the bodyguard put his hands in his pocket.
"I am," The girl looked up to the delegate. "From the united
countries of this world. I represent all of you."
The group began to murmur at this unusual statement. Locke's eyes shifted over
to see the Russian bodyguard. His right hand was coming out of his pocket.
"I come," Serenity turned to the delegation. "I come from this
world, a world that has seen its share of trials. And now, in this, the
greatest hour of necessity…now is the time to unite and become one…."
-------------------
"Gala-Na!" Antithesis looked at his former boss with desperation
after turning his head towards the three soldiers. Though he was angered, he
still believed change was possible. "You know me. I am your
confidant. You must believe me…..Knuckles is innocent! That letter is a
fraud!"
"It's true, Gala-Na." Neptune stepped forward. "Open your eyes
to the truth!"
"Knuckles is not the enemy who harmed your city, nor is he trying to
upstage your career." Pluto stepped forward. "We are not your enemies
either. Please, Councilor, please understand before it is too late and the
enemy emerges victorious!"
The words of the sailors, and her former aide, seemed to fall before it even
reached Gala-Na's ears. Her eyes spouted hellfire as she began to shudder.
"I don't believe you!" She screamed. "You, all of you, AND
KNUCKLES!! Trying to deny me my true destiny!! I am the ruler of the echidnas!!
You are my enemies, forevermore!! And Knothole, anyone who stands against ME is
a traitor!!!!! I WILL NEVER BELIEVE YOU!!! EVE-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!!!"
Even before she finished her rousing speech of pure anger, pride and hatred,
Gala-Na's body started to spasm violently. Gasping, and clawing the air, she
fell to the ground.
"Gala-Na!!" Antithesis began to run towards his boss.
"NO!!!" Uranus' hand shot out. "Something is wrong! Do not
approach her!!"
Antithesis looked at Uranus, a shocked look on his face.
"But….she is-"
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!"
Gala-Na's fangs glistened in the light as she roared. With the spasms, a sudden
change crept over the Councilor's body, as if a shadow that had been within had
come without.
"Back!!!" Pluto suddenly threw everyone to the ground.
"Knuckles!!"
"Daa!!"
The ripple of power from Gala-Na's body barely missed Knuckles' back as he fell
to the floor. Looking upside down, he gasped.
"What…….the……..hell?!?"
Immersed in a black power never before seen by the guardian, Gala-Na's body
bulged, enlarged, darkened into a shade of the blackest black. Her clothing
disintegrated at every place her body turned black, which quickly became every
spot on her body. The dreadlocks seemed to sink into the inky pallor; her eyes
turned blood red. Her hand became claws, and her longer echidna fangs began to
extend until they resembled walrus tusks. Her shorter ones became sharpened
fangs as well. And the blackness continued to enlarge Gala-Na's body, waves
rolling onto her from an unknown source.
"Uranus…." Pluto grasped her rod tightly. "We must be strong.
There is no turning back."
"Pluto…."
Standing in front of them was no longer Gala-Na, Head Councilor of Albion, but
an it, a black creature, seemingly abstract, but very much real to those
surrounding it. It snarled, a black golem of evil, as it turned
to survey what it thought to be it's first victims. Opening its
mouth, it roared again.
"Jesus…" Neptune dropped her mirror.
"Gala-"
The creature's sudden attack caught everyone off guard. A black burst of energy
sizzled through the air, killing everything it touched.
"Pluto!!!"
"Only one way!!" Pluto took out her orb. "Uranus! Neptune! God
help us if we get the heart and not the head!!!!"
--------------------------
Locke didn't expect it. No one realized what was happening until it was far
too late.
"GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!"
It happened in slow motion to him, even as he saw the hand come out. With the
gun. Even as he felt the words welt up within him, even when they came out. His
mind knew better than to trust his mouth to save her.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
*BOOOOOOOOOOOW*
The gun went off, just as Usagi turned, saw him. Stared at him for the first
time in a milennia.
"Locke-"
SHHINK.
It ripped into her side, the blood spouting out from her unprotected pale skin,
painting her red.
Everything was so silent as Locke watched her stagger back several paces that
he could hear the pattering of her feet as she stepped backwards. Then, the
movement of the wind around her body as she fell to the ground with a thump.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The moment passed. The whole room was sent in an uproar, a riot.
"Calm down!!"
Rondl's screams were blinked out by pure terror. However, no one could match
Locke in there, for the next thing he
saw absolutely took him aback.
"ALTO!!"
The bodyguard seemed to shimmer briefly before being tackled down by others.
But the form he attempted to take was one that only Locke could see.
An echidna.
He was turning into an echidna, metal glinting in the light.
That meant……
"USAGI!!!!!!!!"
His intent set, his mind reeling, Locke jumped from where he was, picking up
the heavily-breathing girl in the midst of the chaos. He ran. It was the one
thing he knew to do from doing it all his life.
