Elfshire: My apologies to all my still-existing fans for the delay of
chapter 5. The stalling of the update was due to many factors, such as
school, friends, fixation on video games, thinking of what to write,
actually writing it, typing the story, revising while typing, general
laziness, and suicidal tendencies. Whoops! Scratch that last one (there's a
scar on my wrist, but I think it's from the cat).
Anyways, I spent a lot of time on this chapter, and I hope you like it. Exams are next week, so don't expect anything from me then, but I will attempt to write more over the summer.
Note: I am not the kind of author that writes four to six stories at once. I write one, and only start another when I finish.
Chapter 5: ...Or Darkest Night...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...Three years... since then... since I became trapped in this hellish nightmare...
Don't they care? Or do they underestimate me even more than I thought.... They should have found me by now!
Who am I kidding? Everything's fine where they are, so why would they bother looking here? Of course they haven't tried...
I suppose it's not their fault. It was, after all, my decision. My sacrifice. My life on the line. It was worth this...
Still, I fear I'll never see the world again. Fear? No. I do not fear anything.
My day *will* come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are we?" asked Link.
--Earth.--
"Not a very homely place," noted Falcon, observing the scene.
--What? No!-- shouted Mewtwo, looking on in horror at the uprooted trees, smashed windows, ruined buildings, devastated cars, and ravaged streets. He lowered his head.
--We're too late. It's begun.--
The sound of a battle of some sort droned in the distance.
"The Zeg'ra are here!?" exclaimed Fox.
"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's kick their butts!" rallied Falcon.
--You don't understand,-- Mewtwo replied in a grim tone. --No planet has successfully fought them off yet.--
"We can't just give in before we even start!" argued Link. "We have to find the fifth warrior!"
--The last is also here.--
"That only makes the fight that much more important."
"He's right," Fox agreed. "If we can't fight the Zeg'ra with four of us, what makes you think that two more will make a difference?"
"Yeah," added Falcon, "so what if no planet has been able to fight off a Zeg'ra invasion? No planet has had four heroes."
Mewtwo looked back at them, hesitating. Fox extended his fist, and Falcon placed his hand on it. Link, following suit, did the same.
Clenching his fist with new determination, Mewtwo joined the group handshake.
--And so begins our great war.--
The four of them ran in a line, making a dash for the battle off in the distance. Fox charged his gun, Link drew his sword, and Falcon started wishing he had a weapon. As they rounded a corner, their enemies were revealed to them. Thirty or more Zeg'ra clustered in the street, each the size of a horse, in stark contrast to the dog-sized beings Fox and Falcon had faced earlier. They resembled praying mantises, walking on four talons, and wielding great scythe-like blades. All of them seemed to be in a frenzy over something, tearing at the back wall of the alley they gathered in.
--Strike them hard and fast,-- advised Mewtwo. --Don't give the swarm a chance to organize itself!--
Link complied hurling a small bomb into the herd before hacking and slashing into the fray. Falcon bolted for the nearest Zeg'ra, then jump- kicked it twice in mid-air, sending it bowling into the rest. Mewtwo charged his hands with purplish energy, masterfully harnessing it to pummel his enemies with a flurry of fists while Fox sent lasers stabbing through the air.
The Zeg'ra reacted quickly to the ambush, striking with their claws, and forcing Fox to find cover. Link's shield protected him from the deadly blows, but his concentration on his defense prevented him from doing much damage. Mewtwo sent out a small psychic force along the ground, tripping his foes and giving him the chance to lift one high into the air and slam it down again. A sickening snap was heard, emanating from the creature's neck.
Fox fired his trusty blaster repeatedly over his shoulder while he ran a safe distance away from his foes. "Close combat's too dangerous," he said to himself. "They're too much stronger than those last guys... I can't afford to let them come close!" Without warning, two more of the mantis- beings appeared in front, trapping him between a building and a wall of foes. He dove through a window, throwing furniture behind him to slow their pursuit. "Wish I'd brought a better gun. Where am I? A hardware store? Hmm..." An idea came to Fox. One that might just be crazy enough to work. One that would eradicate the Zeg'ra in one hit. One that involved a leaf blower, a spark plug, and a bunch of propane.
Falcon obtained a long pipe from the wrecks around him and tried using it as a club, but it broke uselessly after a claw countered it. He quickly followed with a punch to the jaw, but only ended up hurting a fist. The attempts he made to hurt the Zeg'ra seemed to amuse it, and it reared back and struck him with the dull side of its claw, sending the Captain twenty feet. The beast leapt forward again, pummeling its prey mercilessly. Falcon knew he was helpless, as the monster didn't even bother to dull its claws on him.
-Can't go out now,- he thought. -Not like this! Mewtwo saw something in me, and its about time I found out what!-
"Get off!" Falcon yelled kicking the Zeg'ra with both feet. It looked confused, but still not hurt in any way. "Doesn't anything kill you?!" he asked, not expecting an answer. The creature charged forward again, but Falcon was ready. A rage seemed to overtake him as he gritted his teeth in determination, his blood boiling in his veins. A burning anger blurred his vision slightly as he watched his opponent come closer. At just the right moment, he pulled his fist back and let out a battle cry...
"FALCON... PUNCH!!"
Fox stopped his work as a wave of ashes plastered against the window, blotting out the light. He hoped it was a good sign, and strapped his new invention onto his back. He ran up a flight of stairs to get a better view, and leaped out of the second story window, landing gracefully near Mewtwo.
"Are we winning, oh fearless leader?" he asked sarcastically.
--Our progress is slow, but so far we manage well enough. However, if you three could occupy them for a moment...--
"No problem! Everyone, attack together!"
Link was now completely surrounded, and unable to strike any blows, as both sword and shield were protecting him now. He had never faced so many skilled opponents at once before, and struggled to keep the pace. He had, however, started to force himself to calm down, and in his own personally developed technique, had begun to channel his will into the Master Sword, and unleashed it on Fox's signal.
Falcon gaped at the scorched spot on the street where a Zeg'ra had just been burnt like a newspaper at his own hands. He marveled at his arm, watching the flames dance about it, and wondered how it did not burn him. He heard Fox's call, and quickly decided he knew how to control his newfound powers.
Mewtwo, due to Fox's absence and Falcon's ineptitude, found it impossible to properly focus his mind. But now that Fox was back, he might get the others to buy him enough time to concentrate...
"FALCON KICK!"
Captain Falcon slid through the enemy's ranks, flames enveloping nearly his entire body. Countless Zeg'ra caught fire, sending the rest of the swarm into a panic.
"FIRE!"
Fox compounded the blaze with his new gadget, the FoxFire,™ which propelled himself forward and crisping his enemies simultaneously. He was glad he brought the hand-held fire extinguisher from his ship with him, as the fine layer of spray he covered himself in protected him from a similar fate.
"WHIRLING BLADE!"
Link held the Master Sword above his head, the blade glowing white with energy. He swung it down in a horizontal strike, but didn't halt his motion. Instead, he began to spin around in a never-ending slash, cutting his foes to ribbons.
The Zeg'ra now had significantly declined in number, and were in a state of utter confusion, having never encountered such devastating resistance from anything save an army. Mewtwo was finally able to concentrate, and did so now. He drew his hands together, forcing his mental energy into a tangible form, namely, an orb of pure energy, resembling the heart of a black hole itself.
--SHADOW BALL!--
He cried, unleashing the attack, and watching his enemies dissipate, and blow away like smoke on the wind.
"So much for them," said Falcon. "Heh. I think I'm starting to like this hero business."
"This was only the first fight," Link warned. "Don't get too cocky."
"What's behind this wall they were so desperate to tear down before we got here?" asked Fox.
--I can sense someone... a thinking being back there,-- Mewtwo stated, moving the the rocks piled against the entrance without lifting a finger. He floated inside and looked around, seeing a hammer point at him from the shadows.
"Stay back! I'm warning you!" said a desperate-sounding female voice.
Mewtwo assessed the situation in his mind. -A hammer? Of all the ridiculous weapons... It must be one of those Ice Climbers I've heard about before I left Earth... She seems... afraid of me...- Mewtwo backed out of the entrance he had just made.
"Well?" Falcon inquired.
--You get her out, Falcon. After all, I'm too much of a monster to be anyone's savior.--
"Huh?" asked a bewildered Captain as Mewtwo took to the air, abandoning them. "What's eating him?"
"Whatever it is," replied Fox, "I doubt we can help him with it. Now go rescue your 'damsel in distress,' Mr. Hero."
"Right away, Lord of the Sarcasm," he replied, while thinking, -Since I'm the only halfway normal-looking person here...-
Falcon entered the blackness, cautiously stepping over debris in the dim light. He made his way toward a corner, where he thought he could hear movement. "Those monsters are gone, now," he said to the hammer that appeared when he got close enough. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help."
The figure put down her hammer hand allowed Falcon to carry her outside.
"Is she alright, Falcon?" Link called.
"Let me get into the light, wouldja?" said Falcon, stepping out of the ruinous building, and setting the girl on the sidewalk. She was wearing a bright red dress, with a matching headband and white gloves. She had short, pink hair... and a pink face... and pink arms... and, well, she was pink all over except for around her mouth. She seemed to have calmed down a lot from her terrified state moments ago.
"What's your name?" Link asked her.
"Amy. Who are you?"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Elfshire:
Fooled you, didn't I?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Fox McCloud."
"Link."
"Captain Falcon. And our friend you saw a minute ago is named Mewtwo."
"Sorry," she apologized. "I thought he was another one of those... things..." An odd sort of mood swing caused the look on her face and her tone of voice to change completely. She giggled. "But thanks for saving me!" she said, hugging Fox.
"Er... You're welcome."
-She's creepy,- Falcon thought to himself.
--Look above you,-- said an all-too-familiar mental voice. --The main force is building a nest to the east. Follow me!--
"You heard him guys, let's move it!" Fox said, dashing off with Falcon quickly passing him.
"Wait! Blast..." cursed Link, running notably slower than a normal human. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought so much gear."
"I know the feeling," said Amy, catching up to him. "My friends always leave me behind, too."
"Is that why we found you in that situation?"
"...Sorta."
"You might as well tell me about it. We might have a while before we get there, and I can already tell that you don't want to stay behind."
"Alright. Things were better a few years ago, when my friends were so busy..."
"Busy doing what?"
"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you they were saving the world?"
Link smirked. "I think I could keep an open mind."
"If you say so. Anyways, when they were saving the world their path was kind of restricted, you know? They always had to follow the danger. So, I just followed them. But now that the world is at peace again, they can go anywhere they want, and they all avoid me, like an unwelcome visitor."
"They don't sound like very good friends to me."
"Whenever I got in trouble while I was with them, he never hesitated to save me. But now it's like I don't exist... Is he just being shy? Or do I really matter that little to him..."
"Aha, a 'him.' This goes beyond friendship, doesn't it?"
Amy blushed. "Yeah... But I wish he'd just tell me his feelings already! He should know I like him, but I don't know if he likes me. If I had a clue, I would have asked him. But now I feel like I'm wasting my life waiting for him..."
Link suddenly had a flash of his far-off Hyrule appear in his mind. It occurred to him how much he had done for Zelda, and how she had given him that look before he left that seemed to show concern for more than a hero... If only he had said something before! How he dreamt of her in his sleep, and how his heart ached for her by day, when he knew that she would never love him, as she was a princess, and he was nothing. A hero, maybe. But what difference did it make if he was a hero or a peasant? Neither was royalty, and neither would bring him within view of her. Or did she feel the same as he did? She had stood by him when Ganondorf choked the land, and had personally seen him off on his journey to Termina, when it was none of her concern, really. What if she had been waiting for him to say something just like Amy?
And now she had to wait even longer. -And what if I never make it back?- Link asked himself. He knew how it felt to be away from her, not knowing if he'd see her again, and yet tortured by the thought that she didn't feel the same way.
What if she did?
"Are you alright?" Amy asked, noticing the moistness gathering in Link's eyes.
"It's nothing," he replied, pulling himself together. "Your friend's feelings are something he must discover on his own, I'm afraid. We all make our own choices."
"I guess you're right..."
"Sorry to change the subject like this, but this whole story doesn't explain why so many of the Zeg'ra were single-mindedly chasing you."
"Is that what they're called? Zeg'ra?"
"It's what I've been told."
"It was probably this," she said, pulling out a glistening diamond the size of her fist. "It's a Chaos Emerald. I won it at a Chao show! They're really powerful, but the energy's difficult to harness. There's only seven in the world."
"Why, pray tell, would something so powerful be a prize at a pet show?!"
"There's no need for them anymore. My friends were able to use them to stop the biggest of threats, but now the world is at peace-"
"And they're considered nothing but shiny rocks now?"
"Yup."
Link thought to himself. -It's hard to imagine how such weapons can be carried around so casually... But I guess even I would look forward to the day where Hyrule's greatest need for the Master Sword would be to harvest grain.-
---------------------------------------------
-It's been three years since the ARK incident...- the blue hedghog reflected. -I'm starting to think my hero days are over. All my life has been nothing but one adventure after another, with only enough time in between to prepare for the next. But nothing's come up. It's as if Eggman just gave up.
-Maybe It's time I stopped running. Maybe I should settle down, get a job, and live a normal life for once. After all, saving the world only adds up to so many dollars worth of free food and lodging.-
Sonic sighed. He started to run to clear his mind. "But I can't just stop and completely switch gears in my life! I don't _want_ to live normally. I want to live for action! For speed! For--that!" And he sped off, heading for the pillars of smoke downtown.
---------------------------------------------
"Why are you guys here, anyway?" asked Amy.
"Mewtwo rounded us up from different places to stop the Zeg'ra," replied the Hero of Time. "He says that it will take six heroes to give us a chance of pulling it off, and Earth is the location of the final two."
"One of them must be Sonic!" she replied.
"Who? Wait, is this the same person we were discussing earli--"
Link was cut off as a blue streak flashed past, sweeping both off their feet.
"He's here!"
-That was a living thing?- Link thought. -I'm starting to think that bringing the Bunny Hood with me would've been worth the embarrassment!-
The two rounded the final corner, and could scarcely believe their eyes...
An unholy mass of flesh was laid before them. Hundreds upon hundreds of the blade-wielding creatures could be seen in the artificial pit, crawling over each other, tearing buildings down, and digging through the road. A mound of solid flesh rose in the center of them. Hissing and gurgling, it brought forth a new Zeg'ra every few seconds, adding to the already uncountable army.
And in front of it all stood a blue hedgehog, with a pink one running up behind it.
"Sonic!"
"Stay back, Amy! It's up to me now..."
"But you have help!" she exclaimed.
"It's too dangerous for you. Just get somewhere safe!"
"I believe she means us!" boomed Falcon's voice, causing Sonic to turn around.
--Sorry for the delay, Link. We met with some... resistance.--
"No... problem," Link panted.
"Who are you guys?" asked Sonic.
--No time for introductions. Just consider yourself recruited.--
Sonic went cockeyed. "Okay... Let's just hope this evens the odds!" And with that, he leapt into the sea of foes, curling into a ball and dealing savage blows with his quills in a bizarre bouncing attack.
Link notched his bow, the arrow tip shimmering with the crimson of embers. He aimed carefully, sending it in a perfect arc down onto a cluster of enemies, who were instantly enveloped in sweeping arms of fire.
Mewtwo took to the air, one hand covered in black flame. Without hesitation, he shot his devastating orb of darkness into Zeg'ra flesh again, smirking at the destruction that ensued.
Falcon and Fox glanced at each other, wordlessly deciding to team up. Simultaneously, they dropped into the large pit the beasts had swarmed in, and both instantly became pyromaniacs. From the air, Mewtwo could see the two lines of flame shoot away from each other, curve, and meet again, trapping many Zeg'ra in a ring of fire that was slowly spreading to its center...
The group's strike was quick and deadly, but the swarm assessed its situation even more rapidly. Suddenly, as if it were planned long beforehand, the armies surged forward, trampling the heroes and slashing them with what seemed like walls of razor-sharp claws.
But they would not be so easily defeated.
Wherever the Zeg'ra had piled themselves on the heroes, a great force erupted, scattering the attackers. For Falcon and Fox it was two towers of fire they rose from. For Link it was the white streak of metal blurring in a 360-degree spin. For Sonic, it was the blender-like effect of a continuous spinning in his ball form, yet without rolling.
Four tentacles unexpectedly shot out from the central mass, proceeding to crush Sonic, Fox, Link, and Falcon, while Mewtwo stared malevolently, fighting a battle of minds. Mewtwo's experience gave him an early upper hand, forcing the four appendages to quiver unsteadily. But the sheer force of the larger entity soon overwhelmed him, wearing away at his will, making him come closer and closer to falling out of the sky each second.
Being the smallest, Sonic was the first to cry out in tortuous pain, and his screams were too much for Amy to handle.
"Stop it!" she wailed, breaking Mewtwo's link and allowing the hive-brain to crush the four even harder. "I can't take it anymore! If you want the emerald, take it, but leave Sonic alone!" Throwing the emerald, she collapsed and broke into tears.
--No!-- yelled Mewtwo, catching the jewel in the nick of time. --Such power... This might be just what I need. If I can manage to harness the chaotic power, it might be enough to destroy the hive-brain!--
Mewtwo levitated the emerald in front of him, so that the flat side faced him and the point faced his target. He sent a beam of his energy into the gem, letting it reflect on the inside and refocus at the point, forming a Shadow Ball darker and more powerful then he ever had before.
The tentacles stirred, moving Link, Fox, Falcon, and Sonic so they would be used as a shield.
--I don't think so!-- shouted the psychic, teleporting behind the hive- brain and unleashing his wrath.
He was too late though, for at the last moment a psychic barrier materialized to block the orb's path...
--NO!--
... but the wall shattered before the might of the sheer chaos energy.
"Yes!" cheered Amy.
The ball streaked toward its target trailing yellow lightning. It hit its target dead on-----
-----and bounced off.
--Impossible!--
Mewtwo watched in horror as his last, desperate attack was deflected like a rubber ball and cast to the ground, but it didn't dissapate. It sat there.
"FREEDOM!"
In the place of the ball stood another hedgehog, similar to Sonic. But this one was jet black, with crimson streaks on his quills. He looked around, noticing the strangely docile Zeg'ra.
"...for a purpose, it seems."
"Shadow!" gasped his blue look-alike.
"Well, well, well. Sonic. It's been a while." Shadow smirked. "I knew you'd find me eventually. Looks like you need help."
Sonic looked like he was about to pass out.
"You're pathetic, faker." He paused. "Did you really think I could die? You forgot..." Shadow cackled with the remnants of the emerald's energy. "I AM THE WORLD'S ULTIMATE LIFE FORM!! Perhaps you need a reminder. Or better yet, a demonstration." With what seemed like minimal effort, Shadow sent forth the energy with a flourish of his arm. "Chaos Spear!"
Sonic inhaled again as the entire hive-brain began to disintegrate, and let himself fall, unable to bear the pain of consciousness any longer.
Anyways, I spent a lot of time on this chapter, and I hope you like it. Exams are next week, so don't expect anything from me then, but I will attempt to write more over the summer.
Note: I am not the kind of author that writes four to six stories at once. I write one, and only start another when I finish.
Chapter 5: ...Or Darkest Night...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...Three years... since then... since I became trapped in this hellish nightmare...
Don't they care? Or do they underestimate me even more than I thought.... They should have found me by now!
Who am I kidding? Everything's fine where they are, so why would they bother looking here? Of course they haven't tried...
I suppose it's not their fault. It was, after all, my decision. My sacrifice. My life on the line. It was worth this...
Still, I fear I'll never see the world again. Fear? No. I do not fear anything.
My day *will* come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are we?" asked Link.
--Earth.--
"Not a very homely place," noted Falcon, observing the scene.
--What? No!-- shouted Mewtwo, looking on in horror at the uprooted trees, smashed windows, ruined buildings, devastated cars, and ravaged streets. He lowered his head.
--We're too late. It's begun.--
The sound of a battle of some sort droned in the distance.
"The Zeg'ra are here!?" exclaimed Fox.
"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's kick their butts!" rallied Falcon.
--You don't understand,-- Mewtwo replied in a grim tone. --No planet has successfully fought them off yet.--
"We can't just give in before we even start!" argued Link. "We have to find the fifth warrior!"
--The last is also here.--
"That only makes the fight that much more important."
"He's right," Fox agreed. "If we can't fight the Zeg'ra with four of us, what makes you think that two more will make a difference?"
"Yeah," added Falcon, "so what if no planet has been able to fight off a Zeg'ra invasion? No planet has had four heroes."
Mewtwo looked back at them, hesitating. Fox extended his fist, and Falcon placed his hand on it. Link, following suit, did the same.
Clenching his fist with new determination, Mewtwo joined the group handshake.
--And so begins our great war.--
The four of them ran in a line, making a dash for the battle off in the distance. Fox charged his gun, Link drew his sword, and Falcon started wishing he had a weapon. As they rounded a corner, their enemies were revealed to them. Thirty or more Zeg'ra clustered in the street, each the size of a horse, in stark contrast to the dog-sized beings Fox and Falcon had faced earlier. They resembled praying mantises, walking on four talons, and wielding great scythe-like blades. All of them seemed to be in a frenzy over something, tearing at the back wall of the alley they gathered in.
--Strike them hard and fast,-- advised Mewtwo. --Don't give the swarm a chance to organize itself!--
Link complied hurling a small bomb into the herd before hacking and slashing into the fray. Falcon bolted for the nearest Zeg'ra, then jump- kicked it twice in mid-air, sending it bowling into the rest. Mewtwo charged his hands with purplish energy, masterfully harnessing it to pummel his enemies with a flurry of fists while Fox sent lasers stabbing through the air.
The Zeg'ra reacted quickly to the ambush, striking with their claws, and forcing Fox to find cover. Link's shield protected him from the deadly blows, but his concentration on his defense prevented him from doing much damage. Mewtwo sent out a small psychic force along the ground, tripping his foes and giving him the chance to lift one high into the air and slam it down again. A sickening snap was heard, emanating from the creature's neck.
Fox fired his trusty blaster repeatedly over his shoulder while he ran a safe distance away from his foes. "Close combat's too dangerous," he said to himself. "They're too much stronger than those last guys... I can't afford to let them come close!" Without warning, two more of the mantis- beings appeared in front, trapping him between a building and a wall of foes. He dove through a window, throwing furniture behind him to slow their pursuit. "Wish I'd brought a better gun. Where am I? A hardware store? Hmm..." An idea came to Fox. One that might just be crazy enough to work. One that would eradicate the Zeg'ra in one hit. One that involved a leaf blower, a spark plug, and a bunch of propane.
Falcon obtained a long pipe from the wrecks around him and tried using it as a club, but it broke uselessly after a claw countered it. He quickly followed with a punch to the jaw, but only ended up hurting a fist. The attempts he made to hurt the Zeg'ra seemed to amuse it, and it reared back and struck him with the dull side of its claw, sending the Captain twenty feet. The beast leapt forward again, pummeling its prey mercilessly. Falcon knew he was helpless, as the monster didn't even bother to dull its claws on him.
-Can't go out now,- he thought. -Not like this! Mewtwo saw something in me, and its about time I found out what!-
"Get off!" Falcon yelled kicking the Zeg'ra with both feet. It looked confused, but still not hurt in any way. "Doesn't anything kill you?!" he asked, not expecting an answer. The creature charged forward again, but Falcon was ready. A rage seemed to overtake him as he gritted his teeth in determination, his blood boiling in his veins. A burning anger blurred his vision slightly as he watched his opponent come closer. At just the right moment, he pulled his fist back and let out a battle cry...
"FALCON... PUNCH!!"
Fox stopped his work as a wave of ashes plastered against the window, blotting out the light. He hoped it was a good sign, and strapped his new invention onto his back. He ran up a flight of stairs to get a better view, and leaped out of the second story window, landing gracefully near Mewtwo.
"Are we winning, oh fearless leader?" he asked sarcastically.
--Our progress is slow, but so far we manage well enough. However, if you three could occupy them for a moment...--
"No problem! Everyone, attack together!"
Link was now completely surrounded, and unable to strike any blows, as both sword and shield were protecting him now. He had never faced so many skilled opponents at once before, and struggled to keep the pace. He had, however, started to force himself to calm down, and in his own personally developed technique, had begun to channel his will into the Master Sword, and unleashed it on Fox's signal.
Falcon gaped at the scorched spot on the street where a Zeg'ra had just been burnt like a newspaper at his own hands. He marveled at his arm, watching the flames dance about it, and wondered how it did not burn him. He heard Fox's call, and quickly decided he knew how to control his newfound powers.
Mewtwo, due to Fox's absence and Falcon's ineptitude, found it impossible to properly focus his mind. But now that Fox was back, he might get the others to buy him enough time to concentrate...
"FALCON KICK!"
Captain Falcon slid through the enemy's ranks, flames enveloping nearly his entire body. Countless Zeg'ra caught fire, sending the rest of the swarm into a panic.
"FIRE!"
Fox compounded the blaze with his new gadget, the FoxFire,™ which propelled himself forward and crisping his enemies simultaneously. He was glad he brought the hand-held fire extinguisher from his ship with him, as the fine layer of spray he covered himself in protected him from a similar fate.
"WHIRLING BLADE!"
Link held the Master Sword above his head, the blade glowing white with energy. He swung it down in a horizontal strike, but didn't halt his motion. Instead, he began to spin around in a never-ending slash, cutting his foes to ribbons.
The Zeg'ra now had significantly declined in number, and were in a state of utter confusion, having never encountered such devastating resistance from anything save an army. Mewtwo was finally able to concentrate, and did so now. He drew his hands together, forcing his mental energy into a tangible form, namely, an orb of pure energy, resembling the heart of a black hole itself.
--SHADOW BALL!--
He cried, unleashing the attack, and watching his enemies dissipate, and blow away like smoke on the wind.
"So much for them," said Falcon. "Heh. I think I'm starting to like this hero business."
"This was only the first fight," Link warned. "Don't get too cocky."
"What's behind this wall they were so desperate to tear down before we got here?" asked Fox.
--I can sense someone... a thinking being back there,-- Mewtwo stated, moving the the rocks piled against the entrance without lifting a finger. He floated inside and looked around, seeing a hammer point at him from the shadows.
"Stay back! I'm warning you!" said a desperate-sounding female voice.
Mewtwo assessed the situation in his mind. -A hammer? Of all the ridiculous weapons... It must be one of those Ice Climbers I've heard about before I left Earth... She seems... afraid of me...- Mewtwo backed out of the entrance he had just made.
"Well?" Falcon inquired.
--You get her out, Falcon. After all, I'm too much of a monster to be anyone's savior.--
"Huh?" asked a bewildered Captain as Mewtwo took to the air, abandoning them. "What's eating him?"
"Whatever it is," replied Fox, "I doubt we can help him with it. Now go rescue your 'damsel in distress,' Mr. Hero."
"Right away, Lord of the Sarcasm," he replied, while thinking, -Since I'm the only halfway normal-looking person here...-
Falcon entered the blackness, cautiously stepping over debris in the dim light. He made his way toward a corner, where he thought he could hear movement. "Those monsters are gone, now," he said to the hammer that appeared when he got close enough. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help."
The figure put down her hammer hand allowed Falcon to carry her outside.
"Is she alright, Falcon?" Link called.
"Let me get into the light, wouldja?" said Falcon, stepping out of the ruinous building, and setting the girl on the sidewalk. She was wearing a bright red dress, with a matching headband and white gloves. She had short, pink hair... and a pink face... and pink arms... and, well, she was pink all over except for around her mouth. She seemed to have calmed down a lot from her terrified state moments ago.
"What's your name?" Link asked her.
"Amy. Who are you?"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Elfshire:
Fooled you, didn't I?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Fox McCloud."
"Link."
"Captain Falcon. And our friend you saw a minute ago is named Mewtwo."
"Sorry," she apologized. "I thought he was another one of those... things..." An odd sort of mood swing caused the look on her face and her tone of voice to change completely. She giggled. "But thanks for saving me!" she said, hugging Fox.
"Er... You're welcome."
-She's creepy,- Falcon thought to himself.
--Look above you,-- said an all-too-familiar mental voice. --The main force is building a nest to the east. Follow me!--
"You heard him guys, let's move it!" Fox said, dashing off with Falcon quickly passing him.
"Wait! Blast..." cursed Link, running notably slower than a normal human. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought so much gear."
"I know the feeling," said Amy, catching up to him. "My friends always leave me behind, too."
"Is that why we found you in that situation?"
"...Sorta."
"You might as well tell me about it. We might have a while before we get there, and I can already tell that you don't want to stay behind."
"Alright. Things were better a few years ago, when my friends were so busy..."
"Busy doing what?"
"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you they were saving the world?"
Link smirked. "I think I could keep an open mind."
"If you say so. Anyways, when they were saving the world their path was kind of restricted, you know? They always had to follow the danger. So, I just followed them. But now that the world is at peace again, they can go anywhere they want, and they all avoid me, like an unwelcome visitor."
"They don't sound like very good friends to me."
"Whenever I got in trouble while I was with them, he never hesitated to save me. But now it's like I don't exist... Is he just being shy? Or do I really matter that little to him..."
"Aha, a 'him.' This goes beyond friendship, doesn't it?"
Amy blushed. "Yeah... But I wish he'd just tell me his feelings already! He should know I like him, but I don't know if he likes me. If I had a clue, I would have asked him. But now I feel like I'm wasting my life waiting for him..."
Link suddenly had a flash of his far-off Hyrule appear in his mind. It occurred to him how much he had done for Zelda, and how she had given him that look before he left that seemed to show concern for more than a hero... If only he had said something before! How he dreamt of her in his sleep, and how his heart ached for her by day, when he knew that she would never love him, as she was a princess, and he was nothing. A hero, maybe. But what difference did it make if he was a hero or a peasant? Neither was royalty, and neither would bring him within view of her. Or did she feel the same as he did? She had stood by him when Ganondorf choked the land, and had personally seen him off on his journey to Termina, when it was none of her concern, really. What if she had been waiting for him to say something just like Amy?
And now she had to wait even longer. -And what if I never make it back?- Link asked himself. He knew how it felt to be away from her, not knowing if he'd see her again, and yet tortured by the thought that she didn't feel the same way.
What if she did?
"Are you alright?" Amy asked, noticing the moistness gathering in Link's eyes.
"It's nothing," he replied, pulling himself together. "Your friend's feelings are something he must discover on his own, I'm afraid. We all make our own choices."
"I guess you're right..."
"Sorry to change the subject like this, but this whole story doesn't explain why so many of the Zeg'ra were single-mindedly chasing you."
"Is that what they're called? Zeg'ra?"
"It's what I've been told."
"It was probably this," she said, pulling out a glistening diamond the size of her fist. "It's a Chaos Emerald. I won it at a Chao show! They're really powerful, but the energy's difficult to harness. There's only seven in the world."
"Why, pray tell, would something so powerful be a prize at a pet show?!"
"There's no need for them anymore. My friends were able to use them to stop the biggest of threats, but now the world is at peace-"
"And they're considered nothing but shiny rocks now?"
"Yup."
Link thought to himself. -It's hard to imagine how such weapons can be carried around so casually... But I guess even I would look forward to the day where Hyrule's greatest need for the Master Sword would be to harvest grain.-
---------------------------------------------
-It's been three years since the ARK incident...- the blue hedghog reflected. -I'm starting to think my hero days are over. All my life has been nothing but one adventure after another, with only enough time in between to prepare for the next. But nothing's come up. It's as if Eggman just gave up.
-Maybe It's time I stopped running. Maybe I should settle down, get a job, and live a normal life for once. After all, saving the world only adds up to so many dollars worth of free food and lodging.-
Sonic sighed. He started to run to clear his mind. "But I can't just stop and completely switch gears in my life! I don't _want_ to live normally. I want to live for action! For speed! For--that!" And he sped off, heading for the pillars of smoke downtown.
---------------------------------------------
"Why are you guys here, anyway?" asked Amy.
"Mewtwo rounded us up from different places to stop the Zeg'ra," replied the Hero of Time. "He says that it will take six heroes to give us a chance of pulling it off, and Earth is the location of the final two."
"One of them must be Sonic!" she replied.
"Who? Wait, is this the same person we were discussing earli--"
Link was cut off as a blue streak flashed past, sweeping both off their feet.
"He's here!"
-That was a living thing?- Link thought. -I'm starting to think that bringing the Bunny Hood with me would've been worth the embarrassment!-
The two rounded the final corner, and could scarcely believe their eyes...
An unholy mass of flesh was laid before them. Hundreds upon hundreds of the blade-wielding creatures could be seen in the artificial pit, crawling over each other, tearing buildings down, and digging through the road. A mound of solid flesh rose in the center of them. Hissing and gurgling, it brought forth a new Zeg'ra every few seconds, adding to the already uncountable army.
And in front of it all stood a blue hedgehog, with a pink one running up behind it.
"Sonic!"
"Stay back, Amy! It's up to me now..."
"But you have help!" she exclaimed.
"It's too dangerous for you. Just get somewhere safe!"
"I believe she means us!" boomed Falcon's voice, causing Sonic to turn around.
--Sorry for the delay, Link. We met with some... resistance.--
"No... problem," Link panted.
"Who are you guys?" asked Sonic.
--No time for introductions. Just consider yourself recruited.--
Sonic went cockeyed. "Okay... Let's just hope this evens the odds!" And with that, he leapt into the sea of foes, curling into a ball and dealing savage blows with his quills in a bizarre bouncing attack.
Link notched his bow, the arrow tip shimmering with the crimson of embers. He aimed carefully, sending it in a perfect arc down onto a cluster of enemies, who were instantly enveloped in sweeping arms of fire.
Mewtwo took to the air, one hand covered in black flame. Without hesitation, he shot his devastating orb of darkness into Zeg'ra flesh again, smirking at the destruction that ensued.
Falcon and Fox glanced at each other, wordlessly deciding to team up. Simultaneously, they dropped into the large pit the beasts had swarmed in, and both instantly became pyromaniacs. From the air, Mewtwo could see the two lines of flame shoot away from each other, curve, and meet again, trapping many Zeg'ra in a ring of fire that was slowly spreading to its center...
The group's strike was quick and deadly, but the swarm assessed its situation even more rapidly. Suddenly, as if it were planned long beforehand, the armies surged forward, trampling the heroes and slashing them with what seemed like walls of razor-sharp claws.
But they would not be so easily defeated.
Wherever the Zeg'ra had piled themselves on the heroes, a great force erupted, scattering the attackers. For Falcon and Fox it was two towers of fire they rose from. For Link it was the white streak of metal blurring in a 360-degree spin. For Sonic, it was the blender-like effect of a continuous spinning in his ball form, yet without rolling.
Four tentacles unexpectedly shot out from the central mass, proceeding to crush Sonic, Fox, Link, and Falcon, while Mewtwo stared malevolently, fighting a battle of minds. Mewtwo's experience gave him an early upper hand, forcing the four appendages to quiver unsteadily. But the sheer force of the larger entity soon overwhelmed him, wearing away at his will, making him come closer and closer to falling out of the sky each second.
Being the smallest, Sonic was the first to cry out in tortuous pain, and his screams were too much for Amy to handle.
"Stop it!" she wailed, breaking Mewtwo's link and allowing the hive-brain to crush the four even harder. "I can't take it anymore! If you want the emerald, take it, but leave Sonic alone!" Throwing the emerald, she collapsed and broke into tears.
--No!-- yelled Mewtwo, catching the jewel in the nick of time. --Such power... This might be just what I need. If I can manage to harness the chaotic power, it might be enough to destroy the hive-brain!--
Mewtwo levitated the emerald in front of him, so that the flat side faced him and the point faced his target. He sent a beam of his energy into the gem, letting it reflect on the inside and refocus at the point, forming a Shadow Ball darker and more powerful then he ever had before.
The tentacles stirred, moving Link, Fox, Falcon, and Sonic so they would be used as a shield.
--I don't think so!-- shouted the psychic, teleporting behind the hive- brain and unleashing his wrath.
He was too late though, for at the last moment a psychic barrier materialized to block the orb's path...
--NO!--
... but the wall shattered before the might of the sheer chaos energy.
"Yes!" cheered Amy.
The ball streaked toward its target trailing yellow lightning. It hit its target dead on-----
-----and bounced off.
--Impossible!--
Mewtwo watched in horror as his last, desperate attack was deflected like a rubber ball and cast to the ground, but it didn't dissapate. It sat there.
"FREEDOM!"
In the place of the ball stood another hedgehog, similar to Sonic. But this one was jet black, with crimson streaks on his quills. He looked around, noticing the strangely docile Zeg'ra.
"...for a purpose, it seems."
"Shadow!" gasped his blue look-alike.
"Well, well, well. Sonic. It's been a while." Shadow smirked. "I knew you'd find me eventually. Looks like you need help."
Sonic looked like he was about to pass out.
"You're pathetic, faker." He paused. "Did you really think I could die? You forgot..." Shadow cackled with the remnants of the emerald's energy. "I AM THE WORLD'S ULTIMATE LIFE FORM!! Perhaps you need a reminder. Or better yet, a demonstration." With what seemed like minimal effort, Shadow sent forth the energy with a flourish of his arm. "Chaos Spear!"
Sonic inhaled again as the entire hive-brain began to disintegrate, and let himself fall, unable to bear the pain of consciousness any longer.