Flip Card 1:

Name: Dark Oak mrk2

Description: The Metal X general's true form.

-

"When we've dealt with Metal Sonic, you Doctor Eggman are going to stand trail for war crimes, crimes against humanity, mobians, Fesonians and a whole list of offensives I don't have time to recite." The President told the good Doctor over a communications link with the Whale Shark. The three fleets; G.U.N, Black Arm and Eggman Empire had merged into one after Rouge and Knuckles had overtaken Eggman's command centre and 'secured' his cooperation. The news of a cease fire had already reached the civilians below and the random looting and panic was starting to slow down to a crawl. People were still scared and prone to irrational outbursts, but with a combined armada of space ships floating above they kept it mostly to themselves.

"No prison can hold me." Eggman muttered angrily after the President had closed his link. "I'll rule this world yet."

"Don't make me come over there!" Amy told him over the constant link Rouge and Tails had established between the Whale Shark and the Blue Typhoon. The pink hedgehog was testing the weight of her hammer in her hands and had a sadistic twist to her face.

There was nothing Knuckles would like more at this present moment then to rip the Master Emerald out of the confines of Eggman's power core and return it to where it belonged. But since it was keeping this ship in the air he would have to put it off. Besides, Rouge looked a little too found of her few found fleet to be deprived of her flag ship. Admiral Rouge, the very notion of Rouge the bat in charge of that much fire power caused the Echidna to shudder. She could hold the world to ransom until they handed over every priceless gem in their vaults.

"According to the computer, that flash of light came from the ruins of Station Square." Chuck announced on the bridge of the Blue Typhoon. "The Black Arms and G.U.N are on their way there now." Tails nodded in reply.

"Then that's where we're going." He replied. "Got that Rouge?"

"We're right behind you." The she bat stated with a salute before turning to Doctor Eggman. "Come on Eggy, be a good boy." The doctor grumbled loudly using choice language, before gesturing to his two robots to comply. Once the orders were given from the flagship, the second Egg Fleet slowly started moving out after the leaving G.U.N and Black Arm ships.

Cosmo stood on the bridge with the others, but was disinterested in the deploying fleet. She was staring out the window off towards the horizon. Something was wrong. There was something, odd in the air, she could almost taste it. Something that caused her a headache that could not go away until she found out what the source of it was.

Some…force was waiting, preparing for some…but what? Then her questions were answered as the full force of the vision struck her hard.

Cosmo staggered backwards, horror slowly creeping onto her face. Her sea blue eyes alight with more fear than was possible. Tails noticed her expression and quickly descended from the pilot's seat to her side. The seer was standing by the window looking out of the window off towards the horizon. Sweat was running down her forehead, her lips trembling in fear.

"Cosmo what's wrong." Tails asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. The green haired seer remained as stationary as ever, her entire body shaking in abject terror. The beginnings of tears of fear were welling up in the edges of her eyes. "Cosmo?"

"He's coming." She muttered. Tails leant closer.

"Who's coming?" Cosmo stepped away from the windows, looking for afraid than anyone could possibly be.

"I can see him, I can actually see him!" She almost screamed, gaining everyone's attention. "It's horrible Tails, the darkness, a never ending sea of hatred boiling to a pitch with him right in the middle. His power…oh his power, it has no limits. It doesn't end and he's on his way. I can see him!"

"Who? Who is coming?" Tails asked, trying to help her. Cosmo collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's wrong with her?" Jalios asked, bending down to examine the seer a little closer. Cosmo locked her eyes onto the Black Arm dissident.

"He's like you!" She told her. "He was born from you, but he hates you, you and your kind. Only one thought passes through his dark mind concerning those of Black Arm." She swallowed hard. "Extermination." Jailos blinked, as if in surprise. For the longest time, the Black Arms had told her children stories of a source of evil that would hunt their sect mercilessly, it's hatred for them unmatched. This evil had a name….

"Who is it?" Tails asked. She was starting to scare him now. But overwhelming urges to help her was quelling his fear. Cosmo's eyes widened.

"I know his name!" The seer announced. "Kri…Kris…Krish!" She managed finally. Jailos gasped out load and staggered backwards, her flaxen yellow eyes wide in utter astonishment.

"Krish?" Knuckles demanded over the com link, nearly shoving Rouge aside to get a full view in a screen. He was well aware of that name. The ruins on Angel Island were littered with stone statues of their god. It was in his name the Echidna civilisation had attacked the Chaos shrine and provoked Perfect Chaos into destroying them.

"You must be mistaken." Jailos stated, shaking her head. "Krish is nothing more than a story told to frighten fledglings."

"He is real, and alive. He's come, I can see him. He is the darkness!" Cosmo insisted. Through the eye of the seer she could see the future as clear as day, she could see him rising above all. The entire galaxy was trembling in fear in his shadow.

-

"Finally." Dark Oak began without turning his back as the two of them stepped through the entrance. The chamber they had entered was long and round, with a single stone platform lancing directly down the centre to the far end. Dark Oak was standing over an outcrop of equipment, pressing buttons every now and then. "Your progress was beginning to concern me, I though you'd be here sooner."

"So you did want us to follow you?" Shadow stated, his red eyes glaring.

"Of course we did." The general replied flatly still pouring over his work. "It's poetically fitting to have the worlds' two greatest defenders present at the birth of the being that will bring about it's destruction."

"Man you guys are one heck of a broken record." Sonic sighed, getting a little tired of all their talk. "Where's you buddy?"

"If you mean the High priest…" Dark Oak began, looking back over his shoulder. "He's right in front of you." The general stepped aside to reveal the gate before him.

Both hedgehog's staggered backwards in horror. Growing out of the slime was thick veins and roots like those on a plant, all converging at once point above the ground, twisting together at some sort of pod. Inside which, they could see through a transparent membrane was Mishoal. The ancient Echidna was naked and curved around in a ball like a newborn infant. His eyes were closed as he hung there inside that cocoon. Already he had started a metamorphosis. His body was longer and taller, his tail growing longer and far more muscular, bony spikes were beginning to grow out of his shoulders and along the outside of his arms.

"That is, without a doubt, the single most disgusting thing I have ever seen." Sonic stated suddenly looking green. Shadow narrowed his eyes, recognising the form Mishoal was slowing changing into. It was the image of Kirsh Kra Pal. All the statues of the Echidna's civilisation had portrayed him as a giant demon with horns, spikes and a thick tail. Mishoal had offered up his own physical presence in this dimension to allow Krish to use it as his own, the power o the seven chaos emeralds embedded in the wines warping his body into a copy of….whatever creature Krish had been. These two beings were without a doubt the personification of the word…fanatic.

"What the heck is all this?" Sonic asked, gesturing to the warped chaos around them, slowly creeping into this world through the cracks in the metallic plate, the strange plants growing out of the slime.

"Presently you are standing in the crashed remains of a space station, the Armageddon." Dark Oak explained. "A Black Arm battle station to be precise, a place were a great deal of their military research was conducted. During the source of their experiments, they came across this…" The general gestured to the closed ring behind them. "They were trying to create a way to cross great distances of space very quickly. To that end they created the gate. But instead of bending the space of their universe to their design, it opened up a doorway to Nexus."

"Nexus?" Shadow asked.

"Nexus is the name of a reality quite different from yours." The general went on. "It was there that the Black Arms' sect of the Fesonian Confederacy Army and the God of the Sword and the God of the Shield sent the Master after destroying his physical form."

"We keep hearing the 'god of the sword and shield.' thing." Sonic began. "Just who or what the heck is that?"

"You just passed them." Dark Oak replied, before turning to his work. Sonic and Shadow cast a glance over their shoulders and saw lying not too far away the bodies of two Fesonians, both of them in rusted armour of a strange design, the metal completely rusted. One of them had the remains of a shield attached to one arm and the other was hilted to the rusted hilt of an ancient sword. Their skeletons had almost been consumed by the slime, which by now was inching over their feet.

"Those guys?" Sonic asked, looking a little confused. "They beat Krish?"

"They destroyed his physical presence and exiled his essence, yes." Dark Oak stated stilling working. "They were two of the greatest Black Arm scientists to ever grace the universe with their intellect." The general's tone was heavily sarcastic. "The sword and shield they used were actually pieces of equipment that dissolved molecular matter. These they turned on the master and sealed him inside Nexus. During the struggle however, a great deal of damage was dealt to this station. It drifted from its programmed orbit and was soon brought down by the gravity from this planet. It crashed here and the survivors, having to venture out to savage what they could from their advanced technology were quickly regarded as gods by the primitive humans. Most past and present religions on Earth were started by the interaction between the ancestral Black Arms and primitive man.

Over the centuries, soil began piling on-top of the station, burying it under the ground. Years later, the city of Station Square was built on top of it." Shadow walked over and studied the bodies. Instead of being simple weapons, this sword and this shield were actually pieces of laboratory equipment just as Dark Oak claimed. The shape had probably been interpreted by early humans as a sword and shield. Even the armour they wore was probably a protective suit to help them work in hostile lab conditions. Their bones had been broken, snapped in half some of them. One had had his jaw ripped off. Whatever had happened here, neither of these guys had died from natural causes. "Over time the Master reached out to this world to prepare it for his return. We are the heralds of that glorious moment. Even as we speak; Mishoal's physical presence is being remade into new body of the Master."

"And what happens to him?" Sonic asked.

"His essence, his soul if you will, quite literally becomes one with the lord. It's the greatest honour imaginable."

"You dudes are out of your minds!" The blue hedgehog declared. Dark Oak was silent for a moment, before he started chuckling. After a second that chuckle spread into a full fledged laugh. Pausing from his work, he let his arms trail outwards he laughed.

"Oh how I'll enjoy watching your planet burn."

"Enough talk!" Shadow snapped, shooting around and firing two Chaos spear attack straight at Dark Oak. The general about faced and held out his hand, forming a mirror like energy shield around his body. The golden bolts simply bounced back and struck Shadow across the chest, sending him flying backwards onto the floor smoke trailing from his burnt fur.

Sonic raised his hands fired a Sonic wind attack. The result was the same, Dark Oak's shield simply reflected the attack right back at him. The blue hedgehog however was slightly more prepared than Shadow had been and managed to dodge it.

"You've lost. Accept it and then you can die knowing you tried at least!" With that, the last general slammed his hand down on the console behind him, finishing his work. There was a sudden load groaning sound, the ground beneath their feet began to shake. Shadow picked himself up and watched in awe as the metal gate behind Dark Oak began to open. As the metal sheet covering the gate itself began to pull itself aside, a deluge of slime began to pour out, engulfing the roots growing there and nearly swallowing the pod with the transforming Mishoal inside it.

For the first time Shadow beheld Nexus. Dark Oak was right; it was quite different from this world. The sky appeared to be lime green and had yellow clouds. The ground was coated in the slime that was leaking into their world, a never ending sea of the stuff.

Suddenly, it happened. Shadow couldn't see him, but the sense of his presence was overwhelming. Sonic could feel it as well. Shadow looked up to see a transparent outline of some colossal shape move out from the gate; a pair of red eyes locked themselves onto the two hedgehogs. Silently, it moved through the air and then seemed to fade away to nothing as soon as it reached the pod, as if sucked into the thing. Once this had been completed, the gate locked itself again, slamming hard shut.

"Refreshing as it was to see my home again, the gate didn't need to be open for any longer than that. A gateway can not be open indefinitely, that would destroy both worlds." Dark Oak explained with glee. "Now the master is here with us and before too long, he shall walk again!"

There was a sudden rumbling as the ground shook violently before the wall to the left was violently forced open and leaping out of the darkness, talons spread with glowing red eyes was Metal Sonic. Landing on the ground with a loud thud, he turned, the fire of hell burning inside him before firing several energy blasts without any warning straight at Dark Oak. His general simply laughed, before lifting a hand reforming the invisible shield around him. All of the attacks simply seemed to get swallowed up by the air and come to no effect.

"Traitor!" The robotic hedgehog proclaimed. "Show me who you really are! Who hides behind that metal armour?"

"You wish to see me as I truly am?" Dark Oak asked, sound a little surprised. Metal Sonic nodded once. "Very well then…" Slowly the last of the Metal X generals raised his arms as if in celebration, his back to the growing, pulsating mass that now covered the closed gate behind him. "The Serves are the Seven Chaos." He began, reciting the chant used by the ancient Echidna's to control Chaos energy. The seven emeralds embedded in the stuff began glowing brightly in response and as they did, the growth rat of the roots and tentacles began to accelerate.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to look at earth worms in quite the same way anymore." Sonic stated as the worm like roots began spreading further and further, almost covering the roof overhead. The pod they could see Mishoal's form gestated was suddenly consumed by flow like petals that rose upwards, enclosing it in a bud.

Dark Oak threw his arms up higher and started laughing.

All of them watched in mute horror as the light behind him intensified ten fold, shafts of purest white piercing themselves through the General's body. The organic matter kept growing, spreading up the walls and over the floor, growing like the roots on planets, spreading outwards, growing larger and branching off in all directions.

Cracks began running over the General's armour as if in response, spreading first over his arms, then legs before finally covering his entire body. The pulsating thudding from behind grew strong and stronger, as if the entire chamber was resonating with the sound.

Pieces of the general began flaking off, a few fingers, half of the horns on the top of his head, his shoulder pads. He clenched his fist high in the air, metallic fingers crumbled away from him, before brought them close to him in one swift motion, shattering most of his armour completely.

"Good god!" Shadow exclaimed in utter revolution backing away as the rest of the purple metal fell away, revealing Dark Oak, the true Dark Oak. A hideous pulsating organic mass that barely seemed to hold a humanoid shape, two long arms like tree branches lancing out either side. Its skin was a revolting green and covered in thick veins. The head was the worse. It hadn't any eyes, only a giant mouth full of curved jagged teeth that sat like daggers between its horrid lips.

"So this is the real you!" Metal Sonic stated, jabbing as finger in his direction. The giant mouth up and the creature started laughing again. It was a horrible laugh that made Sonic's ears sting. The pulsating mass behind it began growing, inching its way over the floor towards them. When its creeping tentacles reached Dark Oak, they…quite literally came one. The legs of the General disappeared as his torso just seemed to twist impossibly and become part of the organic puss, rising upwards, the two feeding on one another; both of them growing in size getting bigger and bigger.

"Oh this can't be good." Sonic muttered as Dark oak's shadow began to fall over them.

The combined fleets had gotten to the outer edges of Station Square just in time to watch as the streets of the ruined city began collapsing one by one in dust. Ripping through the ground came multitudes of giant, octopus like tentacles, twisting up towards the sky. Entire buildings were torn down in seconds, roads ripped to pieces, giant slabs of rock and granite thrust so high into the sky they became dangerous incoming to the fleet.

"What is that!" Vector asked, staring out at the rising monstrosity. Chaotix, Fang included, had evacuated the city and now stood on the outskirts, watching at the place they once called home was finally destroyed, anything left of the city being swallowed, crushed and ground into rubble.

Tikal's eyes open wide in horror and quickly she cast a glance out towards the south west from the top of the Hexagon building. From here, she could see the sky begin to darken, like the onset of a savage storm.

"No…." She breathed, her entire body shaking in raw fear.

"It's hideous!" Amy exclaimed from the Blue Typhoon. Rising from the centre of the seething tentacles was a giant, snake like head. A pair of jagged horns shot out from the back, arching over the long neck. Its skin was a pale green and thick, dripping slime. A long lizard like frill ran down from the top of the head to the hump like bulk that served as the main body, a giant lump of flesh that hauled itself out of the ground. With it, two other heads rose giving a grand total of three. These heads were identical apart from a few colour differences, one of them blue with black stripes and the other yellow with red stripes. Their eyes were all glowing different colours. The first head had glowing green eyes, the second red eyes and the third blue eyes. In the centre forehead of the first head, embedded there in a tight circle were all seven Chaos Emeralds.

Shadow and Sonic, along with Metal Sonic in tow was thrown violently up into the air as tentacle wretched itself free of the earth, batting them away like flies into the side of a crumbled wall.

"Man that hurt!" Sonic yelled into the air, rising out of a pile of brick dust, shaking himself off, the beginnings of tears in his eyes. Shadow sat up, opening his eyes in time to see Dark Oak reach his full height. A colossal beast, towering over the city like a colossal statue, all three heads searching into the air. Despite the impressive display, Shadow knew all of this was for defence only. The real threat was the pod on the creature's back.

On top of the monster, growing there like a flower ready to open was a large bulb, its underside completed engulfed in vines it seemed and was pulsating like a beating heart. Inside this, Mishoal's body was being warped, remade and reborn. Whatever remained of the ancient Echidna was now gone for he was now the new vessel for his master, the Dark god Krish Kra Pal. Once that transformation was complete, their master would take physical form again and Shadow was already quite aware of the power he wielded.

"Behold me as I really am Metal Sonic." The General stated, one of his necks arching around so a pair of red eyes could glare right down at the robotic hedgehog who was prying himself out of the rubble. His voice was no longer restricted by a mechanical processor and still didn't sound human.

"Just what are you!" Metal Sonic demanded, pushing a slab of wall off his legs before pushing himself to his feet.

"I am a being native to the realm in which the Master was banished eons ago. He found me, made me what I am through his divine power." The creature replied. "Eons ago he endowed me with the power that made me your strongest general and with the seven Chaos Emeralds both feeding me and restoring the lord's body, you haven't a snow balls chance." The beast laughed out load, all three jaws searching into the air.

"I trusted you!" Metal Sonic snarled, clenching his fists.

"Of course you did. I was unquestionably loyal." It laughed again, a taunting laughter that sent rage surging through Metal Sonic's body. "You didn't suspect me for a moment and before too long, I will aid in the re-birth of the being that will bring the end to this world and order to the rest of the universe!" All three heads reared backs and it started laughing again, the laugh reaching higher and higher into the heavens.

-

(In Chris' voice)

It's only a matter of time until Krish is revived in his original body! But to stop him, they have to get past the transformed Dark Oak first. There's a lot at stake now, the revival of Krish would be the end of everything. But can Metal Sonic put his vendetta against Sonic aside? Find out, next time on Sonic X: Rise of the Dark God, part 2: Don't miss it!

---

-That's right...I intend to have you on your seat edge all the way to the finale so I'm going to hit you with as many cliff hangers as I possibly can!-