THE NEED FOR SPEED
In the Beginning, There Was Chaos
--------------------
The world around us seemed frozen, cold, lifeless. It was the same Angel Island it was a moment ago, before I touched the Master Emerald. Only without color, without movement, without life. It was as if Tikal, Chaos and I were the only living things left on the planet.
"Sonic," Tikal's voice interrupted my thoughts, but she seemed hesitant to speak.
"Umm, I know it's been over a year since we last talked," I said with unusual bashfulness. "I didn't know we could communicate like this."
My words seemed to only embarrass Tikal, as she suddenly turned away from me.
Then I remembered, I had been pulled, called here. "Look," I began, "sorry to be so rude and direct, but something's wrong, VERY wrong with me. I'm sure if you knew."
She gave an oddly bitter laugh, but still did not turn to face me. "I know, I know all too well. We, we've been watching you, always."
This was certainly strange and unexpected, but time to address that later. "Then tell me, what the heck's happening to me?"
She finally turned, and I was shocked to see tears in her eyes. "Very well, you at least deserve to know."
I felt numb, what was it? What was this terrible news that made it so difficult for her? I was mentally screaming at her to just tell me, but I bit my tongue.
"First off, I need to clarify something," she began after taking a moment to regain her composure. "The Chaos Emeralds, they are not what you think they are."
I almost laughed out loud as I looked at the gem in my hand. The ability to make me 'super', chaos control, heck, none of us really knew ANYTHING about them. But again, I decided to let her speak.
"All living things, in all the universe posses within them an energy, a life force. The current theory of your friend, Tails is that these 7 Emeralds, nonliving items with an energy force of their own, somehow lend their energies to those capable of using their power."
I vaguely remember Tails saying something along those lines. I was bored by all the technical jargon at the time, but I managed to get the gist of it. "That's not the case?" I asked.
She shook her head and continued. "The truth is that there are countless kinds of energies and powers flowing through the galaxy. Through EVERYTHING. The Emeralds do not contain or even harness these energies." She paused as she sought the best description. "They act, almost like a prism. All the energies around us, running through us constantly, and we do not feel, even realize it.
"The Emeralds are like fountainheads, focal points through which all these powers flow. Every now and then, when a new life force is created, their life force, what you would call their spirit, is created in synchronization with the energies that run through the gems."
I nodded to let her know I followed thus far, but something told me it was just about to get more complicated.
"These select few, their souls resonate with the Emeralds, and are able to take their powers flowing from them as their own." Her gaze fell to the floor, "But it is not that simple. The energies of our existence are not infinite, it merely flows through the Emeralds, through their path, until its power has been used up. These resonating souls, who can harness the energies, like you, Chaos and Shadow, the powers aren't granted to them, they flow through them like currents.
"Sonic, your soul is slowly being swept away."
Obviously, upon hearing this, my slowing down, my visions, my weakness all seemed much less important. And the gravity of the my situation suddenly multiplied. "Uh, what?" I asked in utter shock.
"The Emeralds' powers," she continued. "They're like a poison, no a virus. Over the years, on multiple occasions, you've summoned the power to become 'Super Sonic' many times. Each time you do, a little bit of your spirit is washed away, and replaced with chaos energy."
Tikal walked over to the Master Emerald, which began to glow and regain its green color as she approached. She laid her hand upon its surface and closed her eyes. A hologram began to materialize above it, slowly taking shape. "I told you we watch you," she said quietly, trying to keep her focus. "We watched you last night."
The image finally became clear. It was me, running through the streets, pushing my speed to the limit. Just as it had been last night, only I was alone. "Where's Sha." I began to ask, but she raised her other hand to stop me, signaling she needed her full concentration.
As my image bolted out into the countryside, the image zoomed in to show me in greater detail. What I saw blew my mind. Like a shadow, creeping up from the setting sun, my quills began to change. The blue spikes slowly began to rise up, and turn colors.
Yellow, no, gold.
My entire back half became covered in a golden glow before my collapse, sending myself tumbling along the ground.
Tikal removed her hand and stepped back, and the vision of what had happened vanished.
"I, I started to become super." I stuttered.
The echidna nodded gravely before opening her eyes and replying at last. "Yes, the fact that you were so close to taking the power of the Seven, yet nowhere close to them proves it. Your soul is starting to be dissolved, and it is being replaced with pure Chaos Energy."
I took a few steps back, my eyes glued to the spot I had just been watching as the reality of my situation began to hit me. "No," I said weakly. "This, this CAN'T be happening." I wanted to cry, to collapse and wail in the pool of terror and misery I suddenly found myself in.
But I forced myself to stay up. "What, what will happen?" I asked as I looked at the ground. "In the end, if this keeps happening?"
"This." A booming voice behind me answered.
I turned, and even though I knew he was the only one here with us, I was surprised nonetheless. "Chaos?"
The watery being, who little more than a year ago, posed a greater threat to all the world than Eggman ever could, nodded. "I. do not remember." the voice continued despite there being no actual source in Chaos' body. "I don't remember the details. But I was not always like this."
"He was my fiancee," Tikal cut in as she walked over next to him. "He was the greatest warrior of our people, the proud Echidna guardians of the Emeralds. A general in our combat force, which for centuries merely defended our floating haven."
"But I was chosen, like you have been now, by the Chaos." He finished and let his head sag a little. "I was the first our people knew who could use their power. Those days I remember all too well. I learned to harness the energies that the Seven called forth. I could summon and command water with a thought. With my power, our army was unstoppable. Between my floods, downpours and troops, I decimated countless cultures."
"But he was not evil!" Tikal objected, with obvious concern in her voice. I looked closely at her and saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. "He was kind to our people, and even those that posed us no harm. He blessed bleak deserts and burning wastelands with cool, refreshing springs." She looked away to hide the rivers that must now have been flowing down her cheeks.
"As time went on, and my powers grew," Chaos said, his booming voice now a deep, but hollow sound, "they consumed me. The Tribal Elders saw the torment and anguish that haunted my dreams at night, and rotted in my mind by day. They saw as I became more ruthless, more delusional, more dangerous."
It all replayed in my head, the visions Tikal guided me with when Chaos had escaped. I mentally watched them all over again as she ended the tale. "My father and the other elders assembled as many warriors as they could, and decided to end my love's suffering, before he posed them any threat.
"As you remember, I tried to stop them. In their fear and confusion, they shoved me aside, and I was injured." Tikal looked about as miserable and helpless as I did a few moments ago. She visibly shook with determination to explain it all to me before giving into her sorrow. "He saw it, Chaos saw my father strike me. And all the rage and hatred that had been festering, boiling inside him exploded."
Chaos wrapped his arms around the Echidna. "And the rest you know." He said, "In a mindless rage, I all but destroyed out island, our people and who know what else. Until I was sealed here, in my eternal prison."
Tikal, putting the trauma behind her, looked at me with an odd combination of intensity, sorrow, compassion and fear. "So you must stop. You must stop, Sonic. You can never run all out, you must never come into contact with the emeralds, and you must never give in to your emotions.
I held my head in my hands for a moment as I absorbed all this knowledge. And after debating with myself about it for a few moments I stood and gave the only answer I could. "Sorry, I can't do that."
Tikal looked away from me. "I knew you'd say that. Then can you at least promise to never use the power of Super Sonic again?"
"And leave the world at the mercy at whatever threat may come that Knuckles and others can't handle?!" I yelled in reply.
The two of them just stood there, as if they expected my harsh reply, which was odd because I didn't even see it coming. 'Damn,' I cursed myself mentally, 'that was pretty quick tempered, even for me.'
An deafening silence hung in the air, as if we were all waiting for something to happen. Then a thought struck me ridiculously late.
"Shadow!" I exclaimed. "He's gone super too, but he seemed okay to me."
Despite the fact that Chaos had so alien a face, he was obviously as shocked as his former wife-to-be. "What?" Tikal asked. "You saw Shadow? Since the A.R.K.?"
I waved my hand at the Master Emerald, "He was running with me all the way last night. But I didn't see him in the image."
Chaos stepped forward a bit. "The delusions have already started. It might be worse than we thought."
I was about to make the usual smart-alec response, but Tikal cut me off. "Sonic, you need to see what's happened to Shadow." And with that, she raised her arms to the center altar and another vision began to appear.
A lush tropical forest from about a mile up. Suddenly a beam of light seemed to split the landscape in two, before erupting into flames in a series rapid-fire explosions.
The illusion is filled in blinding light as we see the cause up- close. In reflex I glance away, but the temptation of the truth forces me to watch.
My irises shrink to the size of pinholes as I peer into the shining radiance. The rest of my eyes widen in terror once I manage to see through it.
It was Shadow, but the radiant white fur.
"He's still Super Shadow!" I gasped in surprise. "He's been trapped as Super Shadow for the whole last month?!"
As if in response, he suddenly screeched to a halt, and grabbed his head as if it were a balloon about to pop.
Then, more in my mind than in my ears, an earth-shaking shriek. It froze my blood to 'hear' it. It was filled with. not fury, not terror.
Anguish.
In the Beginning, There Was Chaos
--------------------
The world around us seemed frozen, cold, lifeless. It was the same Angel Island it was a moment ago, before I touched the Master Emerald. Only without color, without movement, without life. It was as if Tikal, Chaos and I were the only living things left on the planet.
"Sonic," Tikal's voice interrupted my thoughts, but she seemed hesitant to speak.
"Umm, I know it's been over a year since we last talked," I said with unusual bashfulness. "I didn't know we could communicate like this."
My words seemed to only embarrass Tikal, as she suddenly turned away from me.
Then I remembered, I had been pulled, called here. "Look," I began, "sorry to be so rude and direct, but something's wrong, VERY wrong with me. I'm sure if you knew."
She gave an oddly bitter laugh, but still did not turn to face me. "I know, I know all too well. We, we've been watching you, always."
This was certainly strange and unexpected, but time to address that later. "Then tell me, what the heck's happening to me?"
She finally turned, and I was shocked to see tears in her eyes. "Very well, you at least deserve to know."
I felt numb, what was it? What was this terrible news that made it so difficult for her? I was mentally screaming at her to just tell me, but I bit my tongue.
"First off, I need to clarify something," she began after taking a moment to regain her composure. "The Chaos Emeralds, they are not what you think they are."
I almost laughed out loud as I looked at the gem in my hand. The ability to make me 'super', chaos control, heck, none of us really knew ANYTHING about them. But again, I decided to let her speak.
"All living things, in all the universe posses within them an energy, a life force. The current theory of your friend, Tails is that these 7 Emeralds, nonliving items with an energy force of their own, somehow lend their energies to those capable of using their power."
I vaguely remember Tails saying something along those lines. I was bored by all the technical jargon at the time, but I managed to get the gist of it. "That's not the case?" I asked.
She shook her head and continued. "The truth is that there are countless kinds of energies and powers flowing through the galaxy. Through EVERYTHING. The Emeralds do not contain or even harness these energies." She paused as she sought the best description. "They act, almost like a prism. All the energies around us, running through us constantly, and we do not feel, even realize it.
"The Emeralds are like fountainheads, focal points through which all these powers flow. Every now and then, when a new life force is created, their life force, what you would call their spirit, is created in synchronization with the energies that run through the gems."
I nodded to let her know I followed thus far, but something told me it was just about to get more complicated.
"These select few, their souls resonate with the Emeralds, and are able to take their powers flowing from them as their own." Her gaze fell to the floor, "But it is not that simple. The energies of our existence are not infinite, it merely flows through the Emeralds, through their path, until its power has been used up. These resonating souls, who can harness the energies, like you, Chaos and Shadow, the powers aren't granted to them, they flow through them like currents.
"Sonic, your soul is slowly being swept away."
Obviously, upon hearing this, my slowing down, my visions, my weakness all seemed much less important. And the gravity of the my situation suddenly multiplied. "Uh, what?" I asked in utter shock.
"The Emeralds' powers," she continued. "They're like a poison, no a virus. Over the years, on multiple occasions, you've summoned the power to become 'Super Sonic' many times. Each time you do, a little bit of your spirit is washed away, and replaced with chaos energy."
Tikal walked over to the Master Emerald, which began to glow and regain its green color as she approached. She laid her hand upon its surface and closed her eyes. A hologram began to materialize above it, slowly taking shape. "I told you we watch you," she said quietly, trying to keep her focus. "We watched you last night."
The image finally became clear. It was me, running through the streets, pushing my speed to the limit. Just as it had been last night, only I was alone. "Where's Sha." I began to ask, but she raised her other hand to stop me, signaling she needed her full concentration.
As my image bolted out into the countryside, the image zoomed in to show me in greater detail. What I saw blew my mind. Like a shadow, creeping up from the setting sun, my quills began to change. The blue spikes slowly began to rise up, and turn colors.
Yellow, no, gold.
My entire back half became covered in a golden glow before my collapse, sending myself tumbling along the ground.
Tikal removed her hand and stepped back, and the vision of what had happened vanished.
"I, I started to become super." I stuttered.
The echidna nodded gravely before opening her eyes and replying at last. "Yes, the fact that you were so close to taking the power of the Seven, yet nowhere close to them proves it. Your soul is starting to be dissolved, and it is being replaced with pure Chaos Energy."
I took a few steps back, my eyes glued to the spot I had just been watching as the reality of my situation began to hit me. "No," I said weakly. "This, this CAN'T be happening." I wanted to cry, to collapse and wail in the pool of terror and misery I suddenly found myself in.
But I forced myself to stay up. "What, what will happen?" I asked as I looked at the ground. "In the end, if this keeps happening?"
"This." A booming voice behind me answered.
I turned, and even though I knew he was the only one here with us, I was surprised nonetheless. "Chaos?"
The watery being, who little more than a year ago, posed a greater threat to all the world than Eggman ever could, nodded. "I. do not remember." the voice continued despite there being no actual source in Chaos' body. "I don't remember the details. But I was not always like this."
"He was my fiancee," Tikal cut in as she walked over next to him. "He was the greatest warrior of our people, the proud Echidna guardians of the Emeralds. A general in our combat force, which for centuries merely defended our floating haven."
"But I was chosen, like you have been now, by the Chaos." He finished and let his head sag a little. "I was the first our people knew who could use their power. Those days I remember all too well. I learned to harness the energies that the Seven called forth. I could summon and command water with a thought. With my power, our army was unstoppable. Between my floods, downpours and troops, I decimated countless cultures."
"But he was not evil!" Tikal objected, with obvious concern in her voice. I looked closely at her and saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. "He was kind to our people, and even those that posed us no harm. He blessed bleak deserts and burning wastelands with cool, refreshing springs." She looked away to hide the rivers that must now have been flowing down her cheeks.
"As time went on, and my powers grew," Chaos said, his booming voice now a deep, but hollow sound, "they consumed me. The Tribal Elders saw the torment and anguish that haunted my dreams at night, and rotted in my mind by day. They saw as I became more ruthless, more delusional, more dangerous."
It all replayed in my head, the visions Tikal guided me with when Chaos had escaped. I mentally watched them all over again as she ended the tale. "My father and the other elders assembled as many warriors as they could, and decided to end my love's suffering, before he posed them any threat.
"As you remember, I tried to stop them. In their fear and confusion, they shoved me aside, and I was injured." Tikal looked about as miserable and helpless as I did a few moments ago. She visibly shook with determination to explain it all to me before giving into her sorrow. "He saw it, Chaos saw my father strike me. And all the rage and hatred that had been festering, boiling inside him exploded."
Chaos wrapped his arms around the Echidna. "And the rest you know." He said, "In a mindless rage, I all but destroyed out island, our people and who know what else. Until I was sealed here, in my eternal prison."
Tikal, putting the trauma behind her, looked at me with an odd combination of intensity, sorrow, compassion and fear. "So you must stop. You must stop, Sonic. You can never run all out, you must never come into contact with the emeralds, and you must never give in to your emotions.
I held my head in my hands for a moment as I absorbed all this knowledge. And after debating with myself about it for a few moments I stood and gave the only answer I could. "Sorry, I can't do that."
Tikal looked away from me. "I knew you'd say that. Then can you at least promise to never use the power of Super Sonic again?"
"And leave the world at the mercy at whatever threat may come that Knuckles and others can't handle?!" I yelled in reply.
The two of them just stood there, as if they expected my harsh reply, which was odd because I didn't even see it coming. 'Damn,' I cursed myself mentally, 'that was pretty quick tempered, even for me.'
An deafening silence hung in the air, as if we were all waiting for something to happen. Then a thought struck me ridiculously late.
"Shadow!" I exclaimed. "He's gone super too, but he seemed okay to me."
Despite the fact that Chaos had so alien a face, he was obviously as shocked as his former wife-to-be. "What?" Tikal asked. "You saw Shadow? Since the A.R.K.?"
I waved my hand at the Master Emerald, "He was running with me all the way last night. But I didn't see him in the image."
Chaos stepped forward a bit. "The delusions have already started. It might be worse than we thought."
I was about to make the usual smart-alec response, but Tikal cut me off. "Sonic, you need to see what's happened to Shadow." And with that, she raised her arms to the center altar and another vision began to appear.
A lush tropical forest from about a mile up. Suddenly a beam of light seemed to split the landscape in two, before erupting into flames in a series rapid-fire explosions.
The illusion is filled in blinding light as we see the cause up- close. In reflex I glance away, but the temptation of the truth forces me to watch.
My irises shrink to the size of pinholes as I peer into the shining radiance. The rest of my eyes widen in terror once I manage to see through it.
It was Shadow, but the radiant white fur.
"He's still Super Shadow!" I gasped in surprise. "He's been trapped as Super Shadow for the whole last month?!"
As if in response, he suddenly screeched to a halt, and grabbed his head as if it were a balloon about to pop.
Then, more in my mind than in my ears, an earth-shaking shriek. It froze my blood to 'hear' it. It was filled with. not fury, not terror.
Anguish.