Awww, you WIKE me - you really WIKE me!
-
(This Chibi Moment brought to you by: Tons of Reviews Inc.)
-
-
Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic
-
Claimer: I claim the Fount of Light, Raven, and the BIG surprise just up ahead!
-
-
-
-
-
-If this had been the real ARK, Tails suspected, they probably would be breathing vacuum by now. Just look at all the holes! He could see for way too far in most of them.
But since this was really the Fount of Light's pocket-dimension-simulation of the ARK, it appeared that there was no outer space outside the cracked hull.
-'That's a relief,' Tails sighed, rubbing the back of his head where it still hurt.
-
-
When the Chaos Blades had impacted, everything in the room had been blown back, hard, by the force of the explosion. When Tails had managed to regain his footing and his eyesight, he'd wasted a couple of minutes gaping in shock before going to help his friends out.
-
The two-tailed fox had gotten off pretty light, whereas Knuckles…
-
He refused to admit it, but from the way his right arm was hanging, the echidna had slammed it too hard and something was broken…it was in the shoulder, was Tails' guess.
-
-
Sonic, Shadow, and Shadow had been closer to the blast center, but since they'd been low to the ground, they'd avoided the worst parts.
-
All three hedgehogs had scorched quills, and Sonic had been scratched by Little Shadow's quills when he'd curled up against the blast. Big Shadow had a sore chest from landing face-first, but refused any attention directed his way.
-
-
After all, compared to poor Raven, they'd barely been grazed.
-
-
'Wow,' Tails thought to himself, 'I never thought I'd be saying 'poor Raven' by the end of this.'
-
-
The white Ultimate Life Form hadn't regained consciousness yet, although Big Shadow had swiftly determined that his brother was still alive. It was probably better that Raven not wake up, though - his body was covered in burnt patches and his front was bruised and cut up from slamming into the shattering metal floor chest-first.
-
There wasn't much they could do for him, though, so they sat on what was left of the floor and rested, while Shadow - both, much to everyone's surprise - stayed right beside Raven and waited for him to wake up.
-
-
"…I still say its dangerous to be helping him like this," Knuckles declared.
-
"Feh," Sonic retorted with an idle wave of his hand, "It wouldn't be worthwhile if it wasn't even a little dangerous!"
-
"You two really think he'll change his tune, even if he does figure out you're helping him instead of finishing him off?" Knuckles asked, directing his question to the Shadows, "He IS out to destroy the world, you know."
-
-
Little Shadow ignored the question, but Big Shadow lifted his eyes to meet Knuckles'. The look wasn't actively unfriendly, but it still made the echidna look away, uncomfortable.
-
"I also attempted to destroy the world," Shadow finally said, "My try had better results than Raven's has so far. Does that mean he doesn't deserve the same chance as me?"
-
-
"…You helped, in the end," Knuckled grumbled under his breath as the Ultimate Life Form turned back to check on his brother.
-
-
Raven groaned.
-
-
Immediately, Knuckles and Sonic shot to their feet in alarm, but Raven wasn't waking up just yet. The white Ultimate Life Form was still asleep, and now his face showed that he seemed to be in pain. Raven was gritting his teeth and growling, twisting around a little as if trying to avoid something. Big Shadow frowned and attempted to hold his brother down so he wouldn't accidentally hurt himself.
-
Tails moved forward, thinking to help, but he hesitated when he noticed something very odd.
-
-
Even the worst burnt parts of Raven's body had stopped smoldering almost right away…but there seemed to be some kind of smoke or something coming off him.
-
In fact, if Tails didn't know better, he would have sworn the smoke was moving on its own.
-
-
Judging from how some of the smoke slipped around behind Little Shadow like a snake - and completed the image by changing to form a snake's open maw complete with fangs - the smoke really was moving on its own. It was alive, moving, and ready to strike -
-
It struck!
-
"LOOK OUT!" Tails said as he lunged forward, shoving himself and little Shadow out of harms way.
-
-
The smoke-snake recovered fast, turning to face the gaping bipeds and hissing. Raven's growls became anxious gasps, while more slashing smoke tentacles drove Big Shadow away from his brother's body.
-
As more of the weird black smoke emerged from Raven, the head of the smoke-snake grew larger and darker. Soon it looked almost solid, and had grown to ten times their sizes combined before the smoke had finally stopped coming.
-
-
"It never ends," Sonic grumbled loudly as they scrambled to get away from their newest obstacle, "Just when this place can't get anymore strange, just when things are so stupid that they FINALLY start to make sense…of course this happens! Why wouldn't this happen!"
-
-
The smoke-thing - it was far too bulky now to be considered much like a snake - turned its 'head' down to examine the hedgehog lying at its feet. In a manner best described as scornful, it kicked the limp Ultimate Life Form away, sending Raven's body flying.
-
Raven rolled a little bit when he landed, having regained enough awareness to try and curl up. Far from causing serious damage, the kicking seemed to have been just the thing Raven needed to come around.
-
-
The white hedgehog sat upright as best as he could, eyes dancing from Sonic to Shadow to Tails to Knuckles to Shadow as if to warn them off from even trying to help him out.
-
Much to Tails' surprise, there was no fear or anger in Raven's gaze. His eyes were silver blanks, revealing nothing but the feverish light of the elder Ultimate Life Form's madness.
-
-
Ignoring the warning, Big Shadow was over in a flash, assisting his brother in standing. The others held their breath, but all Raven did afterwards was to look his younger brother up and down.
-
"Not because of this," Raven announced in a slightly cracked voice, "But for a completely different reason, Shadow, I have decided not to rip out your intestines and force-feed them to you."
-
"Thank you," Shadow replied.
-
-
"Such wonderful ideas you have," hissed a new voice, "Perhaps I shall be the one to use them, if you are too cowardly to do so…"
-
-
It was coming from the smoke-creature. As they turned to face it, the thing's head and neck shifted and changed shape. It bulged out, the surface rippling like water…
Exactly like water.
-
-
Tails gasped, and heard Sonic and Knuckles gasp as well, as the smoke-thing's head changed into the head of Perfect Chaos. It was identical, if you excused the inky blackness of the water and the glowing white eyes.
-
Just the thought that this evil replica was present drew out the horrible memories that Tails had…Station Square, flooded and destroyed.
-
Sonic and Knuckles also seemed to be remembering the terrible destruction Perfect Chaos had caused, but Raven and Shadow just looked confused. Neither of them had been around for Perfect Chaos.
-
-
Perhaps noticing this, the dark Perfect Chaos changed. The instant the smoke-thing lost its perfect identicalness to Perfect Chaos, the bad memories cut off right in the middle. Tails was now very surprised he had let himself be sucked into those old memories at all!
-
Whatever the smoke was imitating now, it was something vaguely medical. But it looked more like the head of some horrible torture device. Whichever it truly was, Shadow and Raven recognized it. They were stuck in the same sort of bad memories Tails and the other two had been in moments before.
-
-
Sonic and Knuckles now had the same confused looks Shadow and Raven had been wearing when face-to-face with the dark Perfect Chaos.
-
And then all the pieces fell into perfect alignment in Tails' head. Just as the smoke-thing's shape was changing again.