Chapter 4: Chaos: Explained

Place: Mystic Ruins, Tails Workshop

Time: 7:00pm

Sonic entered the workshop and Amy ran up to him. Knuckles and Tails stayed on their chairs and waited to hear what had happened. Sonic said nothing but stepped aside and let Shadow enter. Amy nearly fainted, Knuckles just sat in shock and Tails fell off his chair. Shadow just smiled.

"Hi guys" he said in a calm voice.

"Hi" said Tails regaining his posture and picking up the chair.

"You're dead" followed Knuckles, snapping out of the shock.

"No. I didn't die. Guess I have some explaining to do." said Shadow.

"Right" said Sonic who had moved over to a nearby cabinet and rested on it.

Shadow walked over and Knuckles left his seat for him to sit down. Knuckles placed him on the corner of the worktop. Amy sat back in her chair and tried to listen. Shadow began.

"After fighting the Finalhazard me and Sonic used chaos control to halt ARK and stop it hitting Earth. Sonic used a weaker power to mine and so I had to use more energy to stop ARK. I used chaos control and found myself flying towards Earth as I had lost my super form. Suddenly, I was engulfed in chaos control and warped away."

"Where?" asked Sonic.

"Not where sonic but when. I found myself in the past. When the Echidna race was still prospering. I suddenly regained my super form and flew around as if the energy from the chaos emeralds had a deep hold on me. I then stopped and crashed into an Echidna. Ring any bells Knuckles?"

Knuckles stood confused and thought. He then realized that Shadow was the strange yellow creature he had bumped into all those years ago.

"You were that creature?!" said Knuckles.

"Yes. You took me in and healed me. When I felt strong enough I left and went into the forest. There I found a cave full of murals."

"Murals?" asked Tails.

"Yes. The exact one you have there on that desk. There were more but you haven't found them yet."

Tails looked at the murals and still he saw no writing.

"But I can't read them" said Tails.

"You can't but I could for some reason. They depicted a great evil. The evil of Chaos."

"Which part of him though as we have met chaos and the power." said Sonic.

"These murals depicted both. They showed there were two part of chaos. Chaos zero, who slept in the Master Emeralds altar, and the power which was banished and tossed aside into the world. Only when the emeralds, chaos zero, the power and the master emerald met could perfect chaos be shown. But first it must find a body."

"Cheq" murmured Knuckles.

"Yes. Cheq was walking in the forest that day and was taken over by the power. The person you are fighting is not your brother. Your brother is trying to break free. Now the power has a body he will try to absorb all the emeralds and chaos."

"But those attacks? How does he know chaos attacks?" asked Amy.

"He just does. He can pass them on to his minions he creates from the emeralds."

"We know," said Sonic," We've met Conis and Whips who are clones of me and Tails."

"He has to base them on creatures he has met. That takes some of his power."

"How does he get to future from the past?" said Knuckles.

"He uses a technique called chaos warp. You may have seen him use it. I know it as well as that is how I got back here."

"You know the chaos techniques!" said Amy.

"Only a few, I learnt them off the murals. The only problem with this power though is that it drains you to be in another world that is not your own. Cheq must warp back to the past in frequent intervals to regain his power."

Sonic tried to digest all the information he had just received. No matter how far-fetched he would believe it all.

"We need to find the emeralds then!" shouted Sonic.

"You're right Sonic," said Shadow, "I'll find them. Chaos Sense!"

A giant globe appeared from Shadows hand and on it appeared four little dots each one a different color. Shadow zoomed in on the nearest one.

"The closest emerald is in the possession of a young musician who has a pet Chao."

"That's Cream!" yelled Amy.

"Calm down Amy! Shall we go it now?" said Sonic.

"No. Cheq is still recovering. We could go after it in the morning"

"Sounds good to me," said Knuckles

"Ok. We set after the Purple emerald tomorrow.," said Sonic.

Everyone agreed and headed for bed to reflect upon what they had heard.

Place: Past, temple

Time: 10:00am

Cheq sat in his throne. They have received the emerald he thought. Good.

"Conis, Whips!"

Conis and Whips appeared and stood in front of their master. Cheq began to talk.

"The nearest emerald to them is the purple one in the hands of a young rabbit. Get me her emerald no matter what."

Conis and Whips nodded and warped to the future and Cheq sat down again,

"I will search for the chaos" he said and again resumed a trance.

End of Chapter 4