New Age: Dark Pages of a Fox
Fourth Chapter
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this story, including the basic concept and plot, which is owned by hitobito. SEGA owns Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Robotnik, and Tikal. You're stubborn; you keep reading this. You really don't need to.
BEE'S NOTE: Well, you returneth. I am starting now the fouth chapter. Um, well, that is rather obvious. I don't have much to say, except thank you, hitobito and Inu-shounen for the encouraging reviews. I hope I get more!
Thanks for your continuing patronage, readers!
On with the story!
********************
Chapter 4 -
Rise of the Followers
The scent of burning ash and charred refuse lingers in the thick air as the Mystic Ruins survivors return. The leading four--Knuckles, Sonic, Amy, and Tikal--see the tragic death of the town first. All of the buildings and huts have been burned to the ground only recently. They are still alive with ash and dimming umbers.
As the others gather, each inhabitant sees what is left of Mystic Ruins, of everyone's world, in his or her own way. The surviving children see a new and horrifying place. They can somewhat recognize different things that they had once known--a broken teeter-totter, a collapsed tree house; even the well where they had once passed their time throwing pretty stones into for good luck held the self-same mood of the rest of their treasures. Nothing but smoking monsters, darkness, and missing friends.
Those who had gone and aided in recovering the ruins of Metropolis fitfully find their minds filling with adult concerns. They worry about their homes and their memories lost in the fire. The thought of the danger to their families and friends who stayed behind creates a quiet humility and distaste to the world. Some of the workers find themselves suddenly alone from having lost their children in the fires. They are the ones who see this blackened world and wish vengence on whoever caused this, whoever killed their lives and hearts.
The whole devastated town had drifted together instinctively to assess what had gone on in their absence. Those who remained behind in Mystic Ruins are now held in the spotlight to recall what had happened. The details of the explosion of the hut on the hill and the new, unexpected enemy--their Hero of All--come to the surface.
"What? Is this true?" Sonic lets out breathlessly. "The hut on the hill is what had exploded?"
"Yes," an old woman answers sadly, "I'm sorry to say it is the truth."
Sonic's face darkens. "T-Tails..."
"What else happened?" inquires a quiet echidna from the corner of the gathering place--or what is left of it, rather.
The old woman shifts her gaze to the raging bonfire in the center of the square. "That two-tailed fox came out of the rubble, glowing red, and flew towards the village, then cruelly burnt it to the ground." She pauses, biting back tears. "I almost lost my precious grandbaby. All I will ever remember is that he was laughing, just... laughing."
The repeated word causes a hush over the whole of the crowd. The word is almost toxic in this world they now are left with. Laughter? When children were dying, the kit was laughing?
Ever since they had seen what is left of their home, both Sonic and Amy had been crushed. They just cannot believe what Tails had done; the incident at Metropolis was bad enough, but to destroy their home makes everything indescribable. It is not just their home, but it was Tails's home as well. The shock of Tails betraying them, saying that order is the thing he must crush, torments the two.
Amy is crying. "It can't be true. It just can't be."
"I know. I know," responds an outwardly emotionless Sonic, crying just as much as Amy within his heart.
********************
Night begins to set in. The earth is becoming increasingly cooler, and all the smouldering fires have died down. The citizens remain around the bonfire in the middle of their dead village. They keep their thoughts on their pain as they watch their leaders circle them.
As Knuckles, Amy, and Tikal pass out small slips of paper, Sonic calmly circles the area, telling everyone to write the ten things that went wrong the past year on the their papers. He urges them to be honest, personal, and emotional, if necessary, in their efforts to record their sorrows of the year.
"These slips of paper are to be thrown in the fire and burned. If you put your heart and soul into it, the better it will feel as each of you watch your problems burn away," he recites.
A line begins to form as people complete their lists. Each person, each being from Mystic Ruins, has their turn to throw these pains into the flaming safety of the bonfire. They each watch as their papers disappear into nothingness, to rid them of their sorrow, to release their anger, and to raise their hopes and spirits.
For an unending two hours, the blue hedgehog struggles on his list; he could not get his hands to write anything. In no way was the reason because very little has come to Sonic's mind these past hours. On the contrary, the problem is that too much had flooded his mind. Even now Sonic is still terrified and dumbfounded of Tails's rise to power. Finally, after completing his list, his mind is freed, as he speeds over to the bonfire to throw his list in with the others.
********************
The sun rises slowly, almost reluctantly, over the remains of the wrecked city of Metropolis--newly dubbed by the kit as New Metropolis. A large band of around five hundred has just gathered. These people are those who rebel against everything and anything related thier pasts--against Robotnik, against the leadership of Sonic, even against the power held by the emeralds.
These new followers have been wandering for days, freed by the death of the Eggman. After escaping from years of opression under Robotnik in his Oil Ocean factory, they had nothing but their knowledge about building machines. They had no homes nor a real sense of family or community. Then, in their hermitage, these heart-stricken people found a new leader. A fox of two tails with new and appealing ideals.
In the new dawn, they situate themselves around a large, freshly-cleared patch of ground in the center of the new city. The debris surrounding the New Metropolisians serves as seating as they all prepare hungrily to hear the long-awaited message from Tails.
Tails opens by raising the emerald, causing it to glow a bright-hot red. This grabs everyone's attention. After silence falls across the area, Tails shouts out "Eureka! You are found, my friends!"
A cheer erupts, filling the air with echoes and relieved screams.
Tails watches his people with eagerness and exhilaration. He continues slowly so all can hear. "Not only has the opressive Robotnik finally been crushed, but a new leader will soon be placed in control of Mystic Ruins, and the leader is not Sonic. Then you will have your rightful homes back--your homes which were claimed, taken, even stolen, by those who currently reside in Mystic Ruins after you were snatched by the pitiful dictator Robotnik.
"My fellow citizens, I come before you as a leader to guide, not a ruler to dictate. I'm here to assist, not to dominate. I guarantee rights to all who come into New Metropolis who possess intentions to aide in our cause."
Tails pauses. He looks over the land. He lowers his eyes as if saying a prayer. He then continues, saying, "However, there are those who oppose us. They are the self-same people who took your houses and lands. They are vigilently opposed to a rise to a new and better world order."
The crowd becomes restless, angered by the people who snatched up their land, the land they inherited rightfully from their fathers. Tails holds up the glowing emerald again to gather their attention once more.
"Thus, I call upon you," he continues with a strong voice, "to become my new army, my new coalition, my new defensive keepers-of-the-peace. I pray that you will take your place as the defenders of New Metropolis and of Mystic Ruins, when our moment arrives to take it back. My friends, I promise it will be soon." He smiles. "Henceforth, you will be known and feared by the name of the Followers!"
Cheers rage again from the crowd and evolve to a chant of both Tails's name and the dedicated words, "We are to defend!"
Tails smiles and thinks, Soon, Sonic, you will be crushed by my Followers.
********************
After the bonfire in Knothole, Sonic leaves for his routine run in the Mystic Ruins Jungle to clear his mind and relieve his troubled heart. As he is about to go out into a clearing, he is stopped upon hearing his name being called from behind him. He looks behind him to see Tikal.
When she arrives to him, she places a steady hand on his shoulder. "I have a word for you."
Sonic senses her apprehension, and says slowly, "I am listening."
"The Guardian, Chaos, just now contacted me from the past, Sonic. He told me of a vision he received from the Master Emerald. There have been four premonitions granted to Chaos. The Master Emerald has revealed that one of them--Tails saving the world--has now come to pass. There is still one to occur soon, and two more will occur within in your lifetime."
Sonic blinks curiously.
The echidna continues. "He told me that he who walked among you, the Hero of All--Tails--will bring all of the Chaos Emeralds together and then the Great Peace will come. However, the Great Peace is not on going to favor our side, Sonic."
"I figured as much, seeing as Tails has gone a wee bit of the deep end, don't you think?" Sonic says, characteristically trying to lighten the situation.
"Ah, but remember, ever since you've attained the Ancient Light, you have tapped into the majority of your potential. That along with your ability to become Hyper Sonic. But Tails, as Chaos told me, has barely even scratched the surface of his potential."
Sonic is silent from shock. That would mean that Tails is not just any dictator over New Metropolis, but one that could very well destroy the planet by the time Sonic dies. He takes a slow breath. "I... I'll keep that in mind."
"I'm sure you will. I'm sure you will not forget it ever either," states Tikal as she turns and walks away, leaving an amazed hedgehog behind.
********************
End of Fourth Chapter
BEE'S COMMENTS:
Tails: :: is grinning evilly. :: I'm getting to like me as a ruler.
Sonic: You're too short to be a ruler.
lilkoisuru: *sweat drop*
Tails: Says you. But hitobito and lilkoisuru think I'm fine!
Sonic: Well, let's just see if you "measure" up to being a "ruler."
lilkoisuru: Aiyaa. Um, well. Er...
Tails: *glare*
lilkoisuru: . . . . :: turns to readers. :: This may take a while. Tune in next time to see how the others handle the new vision from Chaos and to see what the other omens are. :: turns back, attempting to calm Tails down with some mint ice cream. ::
Fourth Chapter
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this story, including the basic concept and plot, which is owned by hitobito. SEGA owns Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Robotnik, and Tikal. You're stubborn; you keep reading this. You really don't need to.
BEE'S NOTE: Well, you returneth. I am starting now the fouth chapter. Um, well, that is rather obvious. I don't have much to say, except thank you, hitobito and Inu-shounen for the encouraging reviews. I hope I get more!
Thanks for your continuing patronage, readers!
On with the story!
********************
Chapter 4 -
Rise of the Followers
The scent of burning ash and charred refuse lingers in the thick air as the Mystic Ruins survivors return. The leading four--Knuckles, Sonic, Amy, and Tikal--see the tragic death of the town first. All of the buildings and huts have been burned to the ground only recently. They are still alive with ash and dimming umbers.
As the others gather, each inhabitant sees what is left of Mystic Ruins, of everyone's world, in his or her own way. The surviving children see a new and horrifying place. They can somewhat recognize different things that they had once known--a broken teeter-totter, a collapsed tree house; even the well where they had once passed their time throwing pretty stones into for good luck held the self-same mood of the rest of their treasures. Nothing but smoking monsters, darkness, and missing friends.
Those who had gone and aided in recovering the ruins of Metropolis fitfully find their minds filling with adult concerns. They worry about their homes and their memories lost in the fire. The thought of the danger to their families and friends who stayed behind creates a quiet humility and distaste to the world. Some of the workers find themselves suddenly alone from having lost their children in the fires. They are the ones who see this blackened world and wish vengence on whoever caused this, whoever killed their lives and hearts.
The whole devastated town had drifted together instinctively to assess what had gone on in their absence. Those who remained behind in Mystic Ruins are now held in the spotlight to recall what had happened. The details of the explosion of the hut on the hill and the new, unexpected enemy--their Hero of All--come to the surface.
"What? Is this true?" Sonic lets out breathlessly. "The hut on the hill is what had exploded?"
"Yes," an old woman answers sadly, "I'm sorry to say it is the truth."
Sonic's face darkens. "T-Tails..."
"What else happened?" inquires a quiet echidna from the corner of the gathering place--or what is left of it, rather.
The old woman shifts her gaze to the raging bonfire in the center of the square. "That two-tailed fox came out of the rubble, glowing red, and flew towards the village, then cruelly burnt it to the ground." She pauses, biting back tears. "I almost lost my precious grandbaby. All I will ever remember is that he was laughing, just... laughing."
The repeated word causes a hush over the whole of the crowd. The word is almost toxic in this world they now are left with. Laughter? When children were dying, the kit was laughing?
Ever since they had seen what is left of their home, both Sonic and Amy had been crushed. They just cannot believe what Tails had done; the incident at Metropolis was bad enough, but to destroy their home makes everything indescribable. It is not just their home, but it was Tails's home as well. The shock of Tails betraying them, saying that order is the thing he must crush, torments the two.
Amy is crying. "It can't be true. It just can't be."
"I know. I know," responds an outwardly emotionless Sonic, crying just as much as Amy within his heart.
********************
Night begins to set in. The earth is becoming increasingly cooler, and all the smouldering fires have died down. The citizens remain around the bonfire in the middle of their dead village. They keep their thoughts on their pain as they watch their leaders circle them.
As Knuckles, Amy, and Tikal pass out small slips of paper, Sonic calmly circles the area, telling everyone to write the ten things that went wrong the past year on the their papers. He urges them to be honest, personal, and emotional, if necessary, in their efforts to record their sorrows of the year.
"These slips of paper are to be thrown in the fire and burned. If you put your heart and soul into it, the better it will feel as each of you watch your problems burn away," he recites.
A line begins to form as people complete their lists. Each person, each being from Mystic Ruins, has their turn to throw these pains into the flaming safety of the bonfire. They each watch as their papers disappear into nothingness, to rid them of their sorrow, to release their anger, and to raise their hopes and spirits.
For an unending two hours, the blue hedgehog struggles on his list; he could not get his hands to write anything. In no way was the reason because very little has come to Sonic's mind these past hours. On the contrary, the problem is that too much had flooded his mind. Even now Sonic is still terrified and dumbfounded of Tails's rise to power. Finally, after completing his list, his mind is freed, as he speeds over to the bonfire to throw his list in with the others.
********************
The sun rises slowly, almost reluctantly, over the remains of the wrecked city of Metropolis--newly dubbed by the kit as New Metropolis. A large band of around five hundred has just gathered. These people are those who rebel against everything and anything related thier pasts--against Robotnik, against the leadership of Sonic, even against the power held by the emeralds.
These new followers have been wandering for days, freed by the death of the Eggman. After escaping from years of opression under Robotnik in his Oil Ocean factory, they had nothing but their knowledge about building machines. They had no homes nor a real sense of family or community. Then, in their hermitage, these heart-stricken people found a new leader. A fox of two tails with new and appealing ideals.
In the new dawn, they situate themselves around a large, freshly-cleared patch of ground in the center of the new city. The debris surrounding the New Metropolisians serves as seating as they all prepare hungrily to hear the long-awaited message from Tails.
Tails opens by raising the emerald, causing it to glow a bright-hot red. This grabs everyone's attention. After silence falls across the area, Tails shouts out "Eureka! You are found, my friends!"
A cheer erupts, filling the air with echoes and relieved screams.
Tails watches his people with eagerness and exhilaration. He continues slowly so all can hear. "Not only has the opressive Robotnik finally been crushed, but a new leader will soon be placed in control of Mystic Ruins, and the leader is not Sonic. Then you will have your rightful homes back--your homes which were claimed, taken, even stolen, by those who currently reside in Mystic Ruins after you were snatched by the pitiful dictator Robotnik.
"My fellow citizens, I come before you as a leader to guide, not a ruler to dictate. I'm here to assist, not to dominate. I guarantee rights to all who come into New Metropolis who possess intentions to aide in our cause."
Tails pauses. He looks over the land. He lowers his eyes as if saying a prayer. He then continues, saying, "However, there are those who oppose us. They are the self-same people who took your houses and lands. They are vigilently opposed to a rise to a new and better world order."
The crowd becomes restless, angered by the people who snatched up their land, the land they inherited rightfully from their fathers. Tails holds up the glowing emerald again to gather their attention once more.
"Thus, I call upon you," he continues with a strong voice, "to become my new army, my new coalition, my new defensive keepers-of-the-peace. I pray that you will take your place as the defenders of New Metropolis and of Mystic Ruins, when our moment arrives to take it back. My friends, I promise it will be soon." He smiles. "Henceforth, you will be known and feared by the name of the Followers!"
Cheers rage again from the crowd and evolve to a chant of both Tails's name and the dedicated words, "We are to defend!"
Tails smiles and thinks, Soon, Sonic, you will be crushed by my Followers.
********************
After the bonfire in Knothole, Sonic leaves for his routine run in the Mystic Ruins Jungle to clear his mind and relieve his troubled heart. As he is about to go out into a clearing, he is stopped upon hearing his name being called from behind him. He looks behind him to see Tikal.
When she arrives to him, she places a steady hand on his shoulder. "I have a word for you."
Sonic senses her apprehension, and says slowly, "I am listening."
"The Guardian, Chaos, just now contacted me from the past, Sonic. He told me of a vision he received from the Master Emerald. There have been four premonitions granted to Chaos. The Master Emerald has revealed that one of them--Tails saving the world--has now come to pass. There is still one to occur soon, and two more will occur within in your lifetime."
Sonic blinks curiously.
The echidna continues. "He told me that he who walked among you, the Hero of All--Tails--will bring all of the Chaos Emeralds together and then the Great Peace will come. However, the Great Peace is not on going to favor our side, Sonic."
"I figured as much, seeing as Tails has gone a wee bit of the deep end, don't you think?" Sonic says, characteristically trying to lighten the situation.
"Ah, but remember, ever since you've attained the Ancient Light, you have tapped into the majority of your potential. That along with your ability to become Hyper Sonic. But Tails, as Chaos told me, has barely even scratched the surface of his potential."
Sonic is silent from shock. That would mean that Tails is not just any dictator over New Metropolis, but one that could very well destroy the planet by the time Sonic dies. He takes a slow breath. "I... I'll keep that in mind."
"I'm sure you will. I'm sure you will not forget it ever either," states Tikal as she turns and walks away, leaving an amazed hedgehog behind.
********************
End of Fourth Chapter
BEE'S COMMENTS:
Tails: :: is grinning evilly. :: I'm getting to like me as a ruler.
Sonic: You're too short to be a ruler.
lilkoisuru: *sweat drop*
Tails: Says you. But hitobito and lilkoisuru think I'm fine!
Sonic: Well, let's just see if you "measure" up to being a "ruler."
lilkoisuru: Aiyaa. Um, well. Er...
Tails: *glare*
lilkoisuru: . . . . :: turns to readers. :: This may take a while. Tune in next time to see how the others handle the new vision from Chaos and to see what the other omens are. :: turns back, attempting to calm Tails down with some mint ice cream. ::