Chapter 2: Storm at the Hill
Metropolis City was full of towering, high-tech looking buildings. It was the pinnacle of development in the world, but unlike our own planet, the Mobians have kept the spread of such cities as limited as possible, leaving Mobius as a green planet with a healthy environment. As Sonic ran into the dusty streets, two hours after leaving Emerald Hill, he saw that the Metropolis Police Force were on alert.
"Hey dudes, what's going on?" asked the hedgehog.
"Every computer in the city is malfunctioning," said one of the officers. "Without them, we're in major trouble."
"So... it's not just Emerald Hill then."
Sonic continued to sprint on the highway, avoiding the cars, for a moment, and then thought to turn back. He should see if Tekno and Porker had fixed the Kintobor computer.
In half an hour, he was passing through the Jade Hill Zone, when clouds gathered and a harsh storm began. Thunder crashed as lightning illuminated the ever darkening skies. Rain flowed down in thick sheets.
"Huh? I can't believe how quickly this bad weather just started... unbelievable."
Sonic detoured into the shelter of the Jade Hill caverns, but before entering, he saw a curious shape stood on the peak of one of the hills. He couldn't make out quite who... or what... it was due to the darkness. The downpour strengthened and visibility was almost lost. The ground was turning to flowing mud which would make running difficult. He then took refuge inside the hill.
"Well, if it isn't Sonic!"
"Eh?" Sonic looked around to see a grey furred old dog sat on one of the rocks.
"I'm Greylan. I'm a traveller to these parts. I know all about you, of course."
"Naturally! Who doesn't?" said Sonic.
They chatted for about an hour about Sonic's past battles as the heavy rain crashed upon the grass. Greylan was very interested in Sonic's accounts. They then turned the conversation to the weather.
"This storm, it's crazy, huh?"
"Yeah, it just came outta nowhere. I can't run in these conditions."
"It's not normal... weather around South Island is never this bad. Never."
"True, I've never seen anything like it before. I really could do without it. Anyway, what're you doing around these parts?"
"Well," started Greylan, "I come from Westside Island. You've been there a few times, I hear. I lived around Aquatic Ruin with my family. Robotnik didn't bother us so much, though he did place badniks around the Zone. After you toppled Robotnik from power, I decided to come here, perhaps even meet you for myself. I'm glad to have this chance now."
"Heh, you're just one of many, Grey."
"I'm sure... still, I waited for a while before leaving my home. My family didn't want me to leave... that was until I told my parents how stifling they were... I wanted adventure. They then let me go, and told me not to come back."
"Dude..." said Sonic. "Still, they sound like boring losers anyway. Trust me Grey, there's nothing like taking to the outdoors and going on the move."
"I agree. I've never enjoyed myself as much as I have since I started travelling around Mobius."
"Yeah. Well, it's been great and all that, but this weather just ain't changing and I need to move. I saw something earlier on top of the hill. I wanna find out what it was, if it's still there."
"Ah. Well, it has been a great honour, Sonic. I hope we meet again."
"See ya bud!"
Sonic tore out of the cave and up the chequered red and yellow hill. The rain showed no sign of relenting as it pelted his eyes. Sure enough, the figure was still where it was before, only there was now another. They seemed to be fighting. As Sonic drew closer, he could just about make out their forms... one looked like an echidna and the other like... him!
Sonic then noticed something odd about the rocky hill. The stone appeared to be crumbling into dust. When he reached the top of the rise, he found that the grass was dying, turning sort of grey...
The two forms were indeed as he had thought; a hedgehog and an echidna. The hedgehog was green, with black markings on his forehead. He wore the same style of sneakers as Sonic did, and apart from colour, looked just like him. As for the echidna, he was pure white except for the red markings on his head. He had glowing red eyes, white sneakers with red buckles, and red gloves. He seemed to exude a strange aura. The green hedgehog was losing the battle, despite his skill in the air. The echidna was just too strong physically.
The white echidna caught sight of Sonic, and his eyes widened.
"Well, hedgehog, another of your kin is here to save you... I see it is Sonic... I however have far more important things to do," said the echidna in his strange, hoarse, echoing voice, and it then flew away.
Sonic ran over to the green hedgehog, still watching the echidna that was disappearing in the pouring rain.
"I never knew echidnas could fly!" said Sonic.
"They can't..." spluttered the green hedgehog, a trickle of blood running out of the corner of his mouth.
"Then why...?"
"That isn't a real echidna. It is artificial life..."
"What are you talking about, bud?"
"That creature is deadly," breathed the hedgehog. "Have you noticed? Jade Hill is dying... look at the grass. It has some sort of power that causes death around it."
Sonic knelt down and pulled a clump of grass from the muddy soil. The blades were pale and grey, and crumbled into nothingness as he clenched his fist.
"I bet I know who made this thing," spat Sonic bitterly.
"Who?"
"Robotnik. How many other evil geniuses can you think of that could engineer a life form to kill us all?"
"None at all, Sonic." The green hedgehog got to his feet and brushed some of the mud from his arms and torso. His gloves were stained with it. "I'm Ashura the hedgehog. I've been looking for you for a while."
"What do you want with me?"
"Well," said Ashura, "I have something that may interest you. Let's not talk here. This weather isn't helpful."
Suddenly, a rumble of earth sounded in the gale, and the ground they stood on began to subside. The hill was beginning to fall in on itself!
"There's somebody down in the caves! He's in danger!" shouted Sonic, immediately running down the side of the hill, heading to the cave mouth.
The entrance had been sealed by a rock fall. Red and yellow stones bricked up the entire fissure, blocking Greylan's escape... could he still be alive?
"Greylan!" called Sonic at the top of his voice. Ashura joined him.
"It's too late for him, Sonic. He's most likely dead."
"I made it my mission to protect everyone on Mobius! I have to try and get him out!"
Sonic curled up in a ball and launched himself at the pile of rock, smashing them apart. "Come on Ashura, help me out here!" he yelled. Ashura also tried the spin attack against the mounds that had once made up the hill. It took many long minutes, and Sonic was beginning to lose all hope for Greylan. Once they had dug through the heaps of stone, they found the dog laying motionless on the floor, blood sliding down his blank face. He was clearly dead.
"No!" cried Sonic. "No! No..."
"It's not your fault Sonic," Ashura reassured him. "You can't stop the course of nature. It was a landslide."
"But it wasn't natural, was it?" Sonic shouted. "That... thing caused this!"
"It's not like one of Robotnik's machines! The cave collapsed on itself!"
Sonic shook his head. "I should have got him out when I left. I should have known that the cave wasn't safe."
"How would you have known? Don't be stupid Sonic. We had better leave before it happens again."
"His family... they won't get to know..."
"Sonic! Snap out of it!"
Ashura leapt out of the disaster area. Sonic took another look at the lifeless form of Greylan, and then followed the green hedgehog. The bad weather still continued to vent its rage upon Jade Hill as they moved as two blurs in the direction of Emerald Hill.
~* * * *~
When they arrived back at the base, they found Tekno and Porker had given up on trying to fix the Kintobor computer. Instead, they were gazing out of the window as the storm headed in the direction of the Zone. The usually blue skies of Emerald Hill were clouding over and the land grew dark. It wasn't the peaceful calm of darkness that the night usually brought on. Thunder could be heard in the distance. Sonic introduced Ashura to Tekno, Porker and Tails, and then asked for the progress report.
"The Kintobor computer won't reboot, and all backup systems are down," said Tekno. "There's nothing we can do just yet. We may have to reconstruct the computer from scratch and port the data onto the new one."
"Well, that's a bummer," muttered Sonic. "Kintobor could tell us what's going on. Anyway, what was it you wanted to show me, Ashura?"
"Days ago, I broke into Robotnik's old fortress in the mountains," said Ashura. "I wanted to see what I could find, and what I did find was very interesting.
"Grimer was in there, burning some papers. He told me that Robotnik had fled, and he was destroying Robotnik's old plans just in case he should try to return and reuse them. I saw one that caught my interest, but it was already smoking in the fire. All that was left was the picture, and a tiny bit of text."
Ashura then pulled something out of his sock and unrolled it. On this piece of charred paper was an image of the same echidna creature that he and Sonic had seen up at Jade Hill. Ashura continued. "All it says now is 'negative.' Any idea what that may mean?"
"Not really," said Sonic. "So, Robotnik either had a copy of this plan, or the creature had already been made."
"I think the first option is more likely. Grimer would have known if it had been created already. I don't know if you already know this, but Grimer despises Robotnik now."
"Yeah, we know. We were there when that little worm decided to quit."
"Ah, okay. Well, I'm sure he'd have told me about it if it had already been made, since he's keen to stop Robotnik now."
"Don't bet on it..."
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that the creature is alive, and somehow it caused the plant life around Jade Hill to just die."
"How do we stop it? Any idea from the plans?"
"Not really. All we have is the picture, and the word."
"Well, should we find Grimer and see what he knows?"
"You have a quick mind as well as feet, Sonic. That's what I was going to suggest."
"Heh, everything about me is speed!"
Just then, the rain began to pound against the thick glass roof of the base, and a door slammed downstairs. Footsteps could be heard coming up, and then framed in the doorway was a pink hedgehog with long spikes. She wore a white t-shirt and green trousers. Her name was Amy Rose.
"Well, if it isn't Amy," laughed Ashura.
"Ashura!" gasped Amy.
"You know each other?" said Sonic.
"Well, of course! She's my sister!" announced Ashura.
"What?" said Sonic in astonishment.
"She never came back to Station Square when she moved here. She never even wrote to tell us she'd shacked up with you!"
"She is NOT my girlfriend!" yelled Sonic, who had gone a bright shade of red.
Ashura grinned. "Whatever you say," he said.
"It's true, Ashura," said Amy, smiling too. "I used to try hard to make him fall in love with me, but I always failed..." she trailed off, a dreamy look in her brown eyes.
"So, you're a city hog," said Sonic to Ashura, desperate to change the subject. Station Square was a huge city Zone in the continent across the Charter Sea known as Mongor.
"Yeah, that's right," said Ashura. "I came to South Island and went to the Southern Mountains when I heard what had happened with Chaos. I heard Amy had been involved, but I never knew that she'd been a Freedom Fighter all this time."
"Well, I knew what our parents would say if I told you..." Amy mumbled.
~* * * *~
In the meantime, above the clouds, Wechnia was about to expand upon his plans. He knew where he had to go and was nearing his destination. His speed in flight was quite astounding. Already, he could see a strange rise in the distance; Mount Thunder, the highest mountain on the Floating Island...
Metropolis City was full of towering, high-tech looking buildings. It was the pinnacle of development in the world, but unlike our own planet, the Mobians have kept the spread of such cities as limited as possible, leaving Mobius as a green planet with a healthy environment. As Sonic ran into the dusty streets, two hours after leaving Emerald Hill, he saw that the Metropolis Police Force were on alert.
"Hey dudes, what's going on?" asked the hedgehog.
"Every computer in the city is malfunctioning," said one of the officers. "Without them, we're in major trouble."
"So... it's not just Emerald Hill then."
Sonic continued to sprint on the highway, avoiding the cars, for a moment, and then thought to turn back. He should see if Tekno and Porker had fixed the Kintobor computer.
In half an hour, he was passing through the Jade Hill Zone, when clouds gathered and a harsh storm began. Thunder crashed as lightning illuminated the ever darkening skies. Rain flowed down in thick sheets.
"Huh? I can't believe how quickly this bad weather just started... unbelievable."
Sonic detoured into the shelter of the Jade Hill caverns, but before entering, he saw a curious shape stood on the peak of one of the hills. He couldn't make out quite who... or what... it was due to the darkness. The downpour strengthened and visibility was almost lost. The ground was turning to flowing mud which would make running difficult. He then took refuge inside the hill.
"Well, if it isn't Sonic!"
"Eh?" Sonic looked around to see a grey furred old dog sat on one of the rocks.
"I'm Greylan. I'm a traveller to these parts. I know all about you, of course."
"Naturally! Who doesn't?" said Sonic.
They chatted for about an hour about Sonic's past battles as the heavy rain crashed upon the grass. Greylan was very interested in Sonic's accounts. They then turned the conversation to the weather.
"This storm, it's crazy, huh?"
"Yeah, it just came outta nowhere. I can't run in these conditions."
"It's not normal... weather around South Island is never this bad. Never."
"True, I've never seen anything like it before. I really could do without it. Anyway, what're you doing around these parts?"
"Well," started Greylan, "I come from Westside Island. You've been there a few times, I hear. I lived around Aquatic Ruin with my family. Robotnik didn't bother us so much, though he did place badniks around the Zone. After you toppled Robotnik from power, I decided to come here, perhaps even meet you for myself. I'm glad to have this chance now."
"Heh, you're just one of many, Grey."
"I'm sure... still, I waited for a while before leaving my home. My family didn't want me to leave... that was until I told my parents how stifling they were... I wanted adventure. They then let me go, and told me not to come back."
"Dude..." said Sonic. "Still, they sound like boring losers anyway. Trust me Grey, there's nothing like taking to the outdoors and going on the move."
"I agree. I've never enjoyed myself as much as I have since I started travelling around Mobius."
"Yeah. Well, it's been great and all that, but this weather just ain't changing and I need to move. I saw something earlier on top of the hill. I wanna find out what it was, if it's still there."
"Ah. Well, it has been a great honour, Sonic. I hope we meet again."
"See ya bud!"
Sonic tore out of the cave and up the chequered red and yellow hill. The rain showed no sign of relenting as it pelted his eyes. Sure enough, the figure was still where it was before, only there was now another. They seemed to be fighting. As Sonic drew closer, he could just about make out their forms... one looked like an echidna and the other like... him!
Sonic then noticed something odd about the rocky hill. The stone appeared to be crumbling into dust. When he reached the top of the rise, he found that the grass was dying, turning sort of grey...
The two forms were indeed as he had thought; a hedgehog and an echidna. The hedgehog was green, with black markings on his forehead. He wore the same style of sneakers as Sonic did, and apart from colour, looked just like him. As for the echidna, he was pure white except for the red markings on his head. He had glowing red eyes, white sneakers with red buckles, and red gloves. He seemed to exude a strange aura. The green hedgehog was losing the battle, despite his skill in the air. The echidna was just too strong physically.
The white echidna caught sight of Sonic, and his eyes widened.
"Well, hedgehog, another of your kin is here to save you... I see it is Sonic... I however have far more important things to do," said the echidna in his strange, hoarse, echoing voice, and it then flew away.
Sonic ran over to the green hedgehog, still watching the echidna that was disappearing in the pouring rain.
"I never knew echidnas could fly!" said Sonic.
"They can't..." spluttered the green hedgehog, a trickle of blood running out of the corner of his mouth.
"Then why...?"
"That isn't a real echidna. It is artificial life..."
"What are you talking about, bud?"
"That creature is deadly," breathed the hedgehog. "Have you noticed? Jade Hill is dying... look at the grass. It has some sort of power that causes death around it."
Sonic knelt down and pulled a clump of grass from the muddy soil. The blades were pale and grey, and crumbled into nothingness as he clenched his fist.
"I bet I know who made this thing," spat Sonic bitterly.
"Who?"
"Robotnik. How many other evil geniuses can you think of that could engineer a life form to kill us all?"
"None at all, Sonic." The green hedgehog got to his feet and brushed some of the mud from his arms and torso. His gloves were stained with it. "I'm Ashura the hedgehog. I've been looking for you for a while."
"What do you want with me?"
"Well," said Ashura, "I have something that may interest you. Let's not talk here. This weather isn't helpful."
Suddenly, a rumble of earth sounded in the gale, and the ground they stood on began to subside. The hill was beginning to fall in on itself!
"There's somebody down in the caves! He's in danger!" shouted Sonic, immediately running down the side of the hill, heading to the cave mouth.
The entrance had been sealed by a rock fall. Red and yellow stones bricked up the entire fissure, blocking Greylan's escape... could he still be alive?
"Greylan!" called Sonic at the top of his voice. Ashura joined him.
"It's too late for him, Sonic. He's most likely dead."
"I made it my mission to protect everyone on Mobius! I have to try and get him out!"
Sonic curled up in a ball and launched himself at the pile of rock, smashing them apart. "Come on Ashura, help me out here!" he yelled. Ashura also tried the spin attack against the mounds that had once made up the hill. It took many long minutes, and Sonic was beginning to lose all hope for Greylan. Once they had dug through the heaps of stone, they found the dog laying motionless on the floor, blood sliding down his blank face. He was clearly dead.
"No!" cried Sonic. "No! No..."
"It's not your fault Sonic," Ashura reassured him. "You can't stop the course of nature. It was a landslide."
"But it wasn't natural, was it?" Sonic shouted. "That... thing caused this!"
"It's not like one of Robotnik's machines! The cave collapsed on itself!"
Sonic shook his head. "I should have got him out when I left. I should have known that the cave wasn't safe."
"How would you have known? Don't be stupid Sonic. We had better leave before it happens again."
"His family... they won't get to know..."
"Sonic! Snap out of it!"
Ashura leapt out of the disaster area. Sonic took another look at the lifeless form of Greylan, and then followed the green hedgehog. The bad weather still continued to vent its rage upon Jade Hill as they moved as two blurs in the direction of Emerald Hill.
~* * * *~
When they arrived back at the base, they found Tekno and Porker had given up on trying to fix the Kintobor computer. Instead, they were gazing out of the window as the storm headed in the direction of the Zone. The usually blue skies of Emerald Hill were clouding over and the land grew dark. It wasn't the peaceful calm of darkness that the night usually brought on. Thunder could be heard in the distance. Sonic introduced Ashura to Tekno, Porker and Tails, and then asked for the progress report.
"The Kintobor computer won't reboot, and all backup systems are down," said Tekno. "There's nothing we can do just yet. We may have to reconstruct the computer from scratch and port the data onto the new one."
"Well, that's a bummer," muttered Sonic. "Kintobor could tell us what's going on. Anyway, what was it you wanted to show me, Ashura?"
"Days ago, I broke into Robotnik's old fortress in the mountains," said Ashura. "I wanted to see what I could find, and what I did find was very interesting.
"Grimer was in there, burning some papers. He told me that Robotnik had fled, and he was destroying Robotnik's old plans just in case he should try to return and reuse them. I saw one that caught my interest, but it was already smoking in the fire. All that was left was the picture, and a tiny bit of text."
Ashura then pulled something out of his sock and unrolled it. On this piece of charred paper was an image of the same echidna creature that he and Sonic had seen up at Jade Hill. Ashura continued. "All it says now is 'negative.' Any idea what that may mean?"
"Not really," said Sonic. "So, Robotnik either had a copy of this plan, or the creature had already been made."
"I think the first option is more likely. Grimer would have known if it had been created already. I don't know if you already know this, but Grimer despises Robotnik now."
"Yeah, we know. We were there when that little worm decided to quit."
"Ah, okay. Well, I'm sure he'd have told me about it if it had already been made, since he's keen to stop Robotnik now."
"Don't bet on it..."
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that the creature is alive, and somehow it caused the plant life around Jade Hill to just die."
"How do we stop it? Any idea from the plans?"
"Not really. All we have is the picture, and the word."
"Well, should we find Grimer and see what he knows?"
"You have a quick mind as well as feet, Sonic. That's what I was going to suggest."
"Heh, everything about me is speed!"
Just then, the rain began to pound against the thick glass roof of the base, and a door slammed downstairs. Footsteps could be heard coming up, and then framed in the doorway was a pink hedgehog with long spikes. She wore a white t-shirt and green trousers. Her name was Amy Rose.
"Well, if it isn't Amy," laughed Ashura.
"Ashura!" gasped Amy.
"You know each other?" said Sonic.
"Well, of course! She's my sister!" announced Ashura.
"What?" said Sonic in astonishment.
"She never came back to Station Square when she moved here. She never even wrote to tell us she'd shacked up with you!"
"She is NOT my girlfriend!" yelled Sonic, who had gone a bright shade of red.
Ashura grinned. "Whatever you say," he said.
"It's true, Ashura," said Amy, smiling too. "I used to try hard to make him fall in love with me, but I always failed..." she trailed off, a dreamy look in her brown eyes.
"So, you're a city hog," said Sonic to Ashura, desperate to change the subject. Station Square was a huge city Zone in the continent across the Charter Sea known as Mongor.
"Yeah, that's right," said Ashura. "I came to South Island and went to the Southern Mountains when I heard what had happened with Chaos. I heard Amy had been involved, but I never knew that she'd been a Freedom Fighter all this time."
"Well, I knew what our parents would say if I told you..." Amy mumbled.
~* * * *~
In the meantime, above the clouds, Wechnia was about to expand upon his plans. He knew where he had to go and was nearing his destination. His speed in flight was quite astounding. Already, he could see a strange rise in the distance; Mount Thunder, the highest mountain on the Floating Island...