Sonic, Shadow, Rouge, etc. all belong to their original creators. Cuervo, Rika, Ry, Krysta, and future characters all belong to me, must have permission to use. The term 'Wishmaster' belongs to the band Nightwish based on their song 'Wishmaster.'
Wow, thanks for the reviews! I feel so special!
SonicRules12:...Master? Really?! (faints from total shock) Thanks!
Windfield: I love that picture you drew! And those clothes really do suit him! Makes me wish I could draw...
Sky the Hedgehog: Thank you again! I'm glad your story's back up and I'll watch out for any grammer mistakes on mine. You rock!
Kyra the Hedgehog: Thanks! So your favorite character's Shadow? I have achieved my goal.
The Ultimate Life Form: Yep, my story's pretty wierd. It gets even wierder... And I'm surprised that people actually find my story funny, since I am a very unfunny person. Thank you!
Chapter 8- Found
"Ry, stop leaning over the side!"
Ignoring the lioness, the imp gazed on in wonder at the land below.
"Wow, the buildings look like those little toy houses from that Monopoly game! And the people look like little, teeny, tiny ants! And the birds are underneath us! Man, this is awesome!"
"Ry!"
Krysta yanked him by the collar, making him fall on his back.
Though the others were not exactly as enthusiastic as Ry, they too were amazed by the sites that they saw as the green dragon, Draken, flew with ease as he carried his passengers through the ethereal clouds that hung over the earth. For the hour that they traveled, they gazed at their beautiful surroundings, the wind gently blowing past. Leaving the city, buildings were replaced by trees that seemed to stretch on for miles.
Sonic was really astounded by what he saw. Although he had traveled around the world, running at supersonic speed, he had never realized the beauty of the planet as he looked on its magnificence for before it had always seemed like a blur to him when he ran.
Amy, who though had seen the breathtaking sites, tried her best not to look again, fearful that if she did she would faint and fall off the dragon to an untimely end.
"C'mon Krysta, don't be such a sourpuss!" she heard Ry say. "I won't fall! Though I do wonder how long it would take to hit the ground. Since we're so high up it would probably take about thirty minutes and then you'd go SPLAT! Blood and guts all over. Hey, would you really feel excruciating pain when you hit or would you die so quickly you'd feel nothing? Or maybe you'd die in midair from fright or something. Or maybe boredom since you'll be wondering 'Gee, it sure is taking me a long time to hit the ground-'"
"SHUT UP, RY!!"
"Amy, not you too!"
Now extremely pale, the pink hedgehog moved away from the edge of the dragons back toward the middle, hugging her knees.
"This is why you should never talk," said Krysta.
Meanwhile, Knuckles the Echidna remembered his duty to the Master Emerald. He was supposed to be guarding it now. For all he knew Eggman could be on Angel Island right now and taking the ancient jewel for his own. But then why did the Master Emerald show him that vision? It was as if the emerald was forcing him to leave. Warning him. Now on the back of a dragon, a creature that only existed in legend, he began to take in the fact that perhaps the Master Emerald was the least of his problem. He just prayed that the gem would be all right without his protection.
Rouge the Bat, tired of sitting, flew alongside Draken. She was not used to flying this high, it was almost unnerving. She was so amazed by the dragon's side. How elegantly he flew through the sky, like a sea creature through water. His majestic wings put hers to shame. She thought back to that monster that had attacked Station Square. It seemed ages ago. That repulsive being with his dripping fangs and dirty white fur. Looking at Draken with his scales that bounced off the moonlight in many colors and his great leathery wings, she could not bring herself to believe that Draken, this beautiful creature and the repugnant monster from before, could be from the same side.
Tails looked with inquisitive eyes at the skies. This was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him. A real, live dragon! And he was riding it! Even though he was a super genius, he was still also a child. And now he was fulfilling a child's dream. With a big smile, he walked all over the backside of the dragon, laughing along with Ry who was doing the same thing.
"Damn. I knew that Ry was going to infect him with his stupidity," Krysta muttered.
Shadow had hardly moved throughout the entire flight. He sat up straight, arms crossed over his chest. With an immobile face, he gazed straight ahead. The crimson eyes never wavered, showing nothing. If he was willing to go with the enormous beast all by himself, it proved how desperate he was. He knew that. Desperate to find the answers he yearned to know. He was more reckless now, more daring. He was most likely heading towards a trap, but he no longer cared. Only the answers mattered to him. Nothing more.
Sonic could almost guess these thoughts, even if Shadow covered it well. He had noticed that Shadow seemed different now, not just in strength but in mentality as well. His eyes moved to the crystal sphere around Shadow's neck that swayed with the dragon's motions. He started to worry.
For the whole hour he flew, Draken never said a word. Impatient as always, Sonic walked up to the front. "Hey, Draken. Where are you taking us again?"
"The Scarlet Forest," the dragon answered back in his quiet voice.
"But I've never heard of it."
"Not many know of its existence. It is far from any civilization and is kept hidden. Few ever come there."
Though Sonic was not sure, he thought he heard a tremble in the great dragon's voice.
"Hey, I've heard of that place!" The imp came over, instantly joining the conversation. "I remember 'cause my grandpa told me when I was little that my great-great-great-great-great-great-"
"I think we get it," said Sonic.
"Fine, ruin a good story. Well anyway, my great grandpa went into that place because he threw his Frisbee there and lost it. So since it was his favorite Frisbee he went inside shouting 'This is the last time you make a fool out of me, Frisbee!' And he never came back out again."
"Never?" croaked Amy who had been listening.
"Yep. Never. Isn't that awesome?"
"Only an imp would tell a ridiculous story like that."
"You know, Krysta, you can be very mean sometimes."
Draken's head rose suddenly, looking left and right.
"What's wrong?" asked Shadow.
"Something's coming."
Right behind him, dark shapes appeared.
"Argh, they found us. Everyone! Hold on tight!" Draken began to dive, as the others grabbed hold of his scales. He folded his wings, gaining momentum in his descent. As soon as the dark shapes followed, he rose up suddenly, forcing the pursuers to change direction. They stopped for half a second to turn, and at that moment Draken swiveled his head around and opened his great maw. The inferno came and seared off one of the creatures wings, the scream of pain reverberating in the still night. Its companions ignored it as it fell towards the earth, chasing the dragon instead.
Draken beat his wings faster, making zigzags through the air while his passengers held on for dear life, his fire breath occasionally hitting a predator, but there were still plenty left. The creatures finally caught up, now right beside the dragon.
Now visible to the riders, they saw glowing yellow eyes. Faces that looked as if they had been smashed broken then put back together by a demented child. Horribly deformed wings that were a combination of feathers and skin.
One flew towards Draken's head and tried to claw out his eyes. He roared in great fury as he tried to shake the demon off, but it held on tightly. Sonic, seeing him in trouble immediately ran up the long neck to reach the attacker. He curled into a ball, and knocked away the creature, letting Draken see once again.
"You all right?"
"Yes. Thank you."
The same creature came flying back without delay, fangs glistening in the moonlight. Sonic jumped and landed on the fiends back. He pulled on the repulsive wings, making the monster turn sharply in the air. Snarling and trying to reach the hedgehog with its arms, it did not realize that it was heading towards another of its demon allies, which was Sonic's plan. The hedgehog leaped toward Draken, letting the two collide in full force. The creatures both bashed their heads together and then fell unconscious to the ground.
By then everyone was fighting. Rouge flew among the skies, giving off her famous kicks. With her iron boots, she cracked ribs and broke backs, flying all around her opponents. Knuckles with his gliding abilities executed deadly punches in the air, smashing skulls with his fists. The two fighters worked great as a team. Both would strike a creature at the same time, knocking it out cold. When one was in trouble, the other came to the rescue. They continued to battle while guarding each others back.
Ry, excited beyond possibility, shot at the enemies with perfect accuracy. His arrows, leaving trails of light the color of the setting sun, targeted the demons. Sometimes even going straight and out of their bodies, leaving gaping holes as they expired.
Krysta looked on in annoyance at the monsters that never knew when to quit. With the power of her mind, she stopped them in midair, smashed them against one another, or snapped off their wings, letting them fall to their doom.
Tails dodged the strikes aimed at him and gave off strikes with his two tails that was impressive for a child his age. Though young, he had enough experience from battling Dr. Eggman to defend himself. Besides, he did not always need machines to fight. Luckily he was carrying rings, so he threw them to those who were in need of energy.
Amy had never felt so scared. She stood alone on Draken's backside. The monsters darted through the air around her, emitting piercing shrieks that chilled the soul. She wished that her brave Sonic would come protect her, but he was busy enough with his own battles, fending off the demons that continually reached for the dragon's eyes.
One demon, seeing her as easy prey, landed right next to the frightened hedgehog, its fangs bared. Instinctively, Amy pulled out her hammer. "Don't mess with me!" she shouted in a cracked voice. The creature then made a sound that was similar to laughter. A guttural, vile laughter. Amused with the fact that some pink little furry could defeat something as powerful as itself with her pitiful weapon. Her fear evaporated as she realized the insult. With a yell, she swung her hammer with great strength that belied her appearance. The monster was hit on the side of its head, crushing its malformed skull and sending it falling off the dragon's back. "I warned you!"
Shadow was having the worse of the mêlée. Many of the demons went straight for him as soon as they saw the crystal sphere around his neck. The hedgehog evaded their attacks with skill and countered using his Chaos Spears, the bolts of orange light hitting as many as five at one time. But more kept taking their place, and Shadow was getting weary. He began to comprehend the fact that they were not trying to kill him, but trying to grab him. To take him away. Neither option looked promising.
The others tried to come to his aid, but their way was blocked by other monsters. Draken grew desperate as he struggled to shake the fiends off his back by swerving sharply across the sky. But he could only do it for a short time, fearing that Shadow may fall off and that his mission would fail.
They kept on coming. Wave after wave of twisted beasts, never giving Shadow a moments rest. He grew aggravated, fed up with their assaults. His crystal then glowed brightly. The white light shimmering around the hedgehog. The creatures stopped, unsure. One brave enough, or more likely foolish enough, reached toward the hedgehog with its talons. One touch and massive pain followed. What felt like fire flowed through its veins. The white light traveled toward the creature's body, enveloping it in its fiery embrace until the body glowed with the same light. Screaming in agony, the demon stumbled through the air until it finally fell. All could be heard was its death cry.
The other monsters started to back away. But the white luminosity flew out of Shadow's hands. Piercing right through their bodies, numerous plummeted to their end.
While the light was like a horrible blaze that blinded their yellow eyes, to Shadow's companions the light was a beacon in a void of emptiness never-ending. Like the glow of a lighthouse that guided lost ships to shore.
As Draken looked on, doubts that he had about the black hedgehog began to diminish. Perhaps Shadow was worthy.
The fox, Rika, traveled the landscape on strong legs that never seemed to tire. With her black clothes covering her form, she was almost invisible in the night. Only the blue sphere around her neck showed any color.
She kept thinking back to the battle in Station Square and to those that had fought the monster. That dog, Cuervo, had been there. He annoyed the living hell out of her. With those eyes that could see inside her. That imp and lioness had been there as well. She hadn't seen those two in long time.
And that hedgehog. The crystal sphere he wore that was almost identical to hers.
One day, perhaps, you will understand. He may be able to help you see that.
That dog always talked in riddles. She had wondered what he meant by that, but she no longer cared.
She continued walking forward toward her destination in quick steps. Then she heard piercing shrieks, and saw beautiful white light…
Although the demons backed away from Shadow, they were not giving up. They had their orders and they must not fail. Already before, their brethren had been punished severely for leaving not only Shadow but the dragon behind as well.
Their master had not been pleased.
The creatures had a limited intelligence, but they did know one thing.
Obey or suffer.
After watching their kind being tortured, heard their pleas for mercy, they would rather go with the first option. Whatever Shadow did to them was nothing compared to what their master would do.
One of the demons happened to look down and saw something that did not fit with the night shadows. Recognizing the sight, it remembered something else its master had said. It turned to the others speaking their harsh language. Understanding they flew off towards the ground.
"Where are they going?" Knuckles thought aloud.
"We must've scared them off!" said Amy, hopeful.
"No, there's someone down there," said Shadow, seeing blue light.
Rika looked up to see the monsters come after her, their yellow eyes gleaming in anticipation. Instead of running away, she stood there and smiled.
So you want to play, do you?
As one swiped its claw, she grabbed the arm and flipped the demon over, throwing him down to the earth. Another came, and she delivered a side kick to the ribs. There were about twenty of them, altogether they advanced on her. Wanting to end this quickly, she chanted arcane words and the cold blue light surrounded her. Beams of the light flew out of her hands. As soon as they hit their ten targets, they froze. First burning fire from the white, now freezing ice. Encased in the impenetrable frost, they shattered once they hit the ground.
More still remained. They hesitated, but once they recalled their master's wrath, they came after her once again.
In a defensive stance, she waited for the first strike.
Once the blue light appeared, all recognized it. Draken flew toward the illumination at full speed and, sure enough, Rika was there, fighting for her life.
"Hey, it's that girl!" yelled Sonic.
Hearing his voice, the girl looked up and was stunned to see a gigantic beast flying straight for her. However she saw a white light on the dragon's back that outlined a figure.
It was that hedgehog.
Both Shadow and Sonic jumped off, catching the demons in surprise. With his tornado attack, Sonic sent the creatures in the air, only to be brought down by Shadow's Chaos Spears.
Five were left. The demons fought with all they had, like an animal driven to a corner, knowing that survival was the only option. But they did not get their chance, for Draken breathed his fire breath, burning the monsters alive until there was nothing left but ashes of their remains.
After it was finally over, Rika started to back away, untrusting of the others who had just come to her aid.
"Rika, wait!" called out Draken. She stopped as she realized the dragon could speak and know her name. "You must come with us."
The others were as surprised as she was.
"Why should I go with you?" Her voice was dangerously low.
"I have been sent to find you, along with Shadow."
With her cold blue eyes, she turned away. "Too bad."
"No, you must come," he said harshly.
Was he demanding her?
Turning back, the blue sphere she wore glowed. A small blizzard formed around her, grass and bushes near her froze up, no longer green as the ice covered them.
"No one orders me around. No one."
She raised her hands toward the group. Shards of ice materialized in front of her, and moved through the night air. Sonic and the others dodged out of the way, yet Shadow remained where he was.
Even though the jagged projectiles got closer, threatening to impale him with their sharp ends, he stood still, something telling him to stay. The white sphere around his neck then glowed with its own light. The beams of radiance shot out of his hands, colliding with the ice. An explosion of blue and white transpired, merging together, coalescing into one entity. Illuminating the entire area, night seemed to turn into day. Then nothing.
Seeing this turn of events, sapphire began to shimmer from Rika's hands.
"Why the hell are you doing this?" Shadow yelled.
Not responding, she prepared herself for a fight.
A fierce battle would have occurred were it not for Ry's natural gift of interruption. "Rika! Hi, it's me! That was really cool, could you do that one more time? Please?"
The fox glared up at the imp. She had not noticed him before. "Ry?"
"The one and only!"
"Man, you never know when to shut up, do you?" muttered Krysta.
Where there's the imp, there's that lioness. As always Rika thought
"You can stop fighting Shadow now. You don't need to hurt him. Sure, he can be kind of moody and he ain't exactly Mr. Sunshine-"
"Do you want to live?" said Shadow with a deadly glare in his eyes.
"Uh, anyway, Rika, why don't you come with us? We're going to this Scarlet Forest place and-"
"The Scarlet Forest?" Rika said suddenly as soon as she heard those words. "How do you know about it?"
"This nice dragon told us."
The fox girl paused deep in thought.
"You were traveling there, weren't you?" She raised her head when Draken spoke. "You may as well come with us. Walking would take a week, when we could arrive in a day."
Rika was indeed traveling toward that same forest, a force driving her on relentlessly. To get there fast. Now this 'nice' dragon wanted to take her there. But she was still untrusting, yet desperate.
"Who are you?"
"I am Draken."
That was all she needed to know.
"Alright, I will come," she said with an edge in her voice.
"Wow, that was quick," said Sonic.
Shadow had been thinking the same thought as well, as he watched Rika come forward, her cold blue eyes expressionless.
Refusing to talk with anyone, Rika had walked up the dragon's back and seated herself away from the others. But Ry quickly came over, treating her as if she was a long lost friend. He blabbed on and on about important and not-so-important things, and then to downright idiotic things until she promptly told him to shut the hell up.
The other companions felt uneasy about her, knowing that she thought lowly of them. Shadow was still wondering why she wanted to come, or why Draken wanted her along. Who was she?
The green dragon flew on with renewed energy. He had finally found them, both of them. His mission would succeed. He just prayed that all would work out in the end.
There it is. Hope it was okay. But the next one SHOULD be better! I'm gonna go away for vacation and I'll work on the chapter (of course I have homework because my teachers are evil). And I'll post it up as soon as I can. I have to get up at three in the morning cause I have to go to the airport, but I get to miss a day of school! Yay! You know, it sure would be great to see some reviews when I get back.
So anyway, I wish you all Happy Holidays!! :)