Sonic, Shadow and co. belong to their respected creators. All other characters belong to me, must have permission to use. Term 'Wishmaster' belongs to the band Nightwish
You didn't think I was gonna stop, did you? I just realized I haven't updated in almost a month. Blame my school, they stopped me from writing! Well anyway, here it is. It's long, but you should be used to it by now. :)
And special thanks to Windfield for the review. I was looking for ways to improve and you provided me with that. I truly appreciate it and I shall work on it. Thank you! And I happen to like long reviews. :)
Chapter 10- Unknown Silver
Amy did not see anything, she did not hear anything. Her feet moved, but her mind slept, trapped in dreamland. The trees kept on whispering, calling out to her.
Come…come
The wind blew gently, playing with her pink quills. She did not feel it. She did not feel anything.
She walked toward an enclosed part of the forest where the trees closed up together in a circle, their branches entwined, covering the sky overhead, only the milky fog able to seep through in slender wisps. She went to the middle of the dark confinement.
The whispers stopped suddenly, releasing Amy from their entrancing spell. She blinked, life coming back to her green eyes. She turned her head from side to side rapidly, seeing only the dark trees closely lined up together like soldiers.
"Wha- where am I?" She remembered seeing Knuckles on the groundand the others sleeping, deep in their dreams. "How did I get here? Did I just zone out or what?"
The girl then felt a shaking underneath her feet, almost tripping due to her surprise. The terrible quaking grew worse; crimson leaves on the forest floor suddenly flew upwards, whirling in a frenzy.
That was when she saw it, leaves falling all around its grotesque form.
It came towards her.
She screamed.
As soon as he heard the cry, all his nerves shot up. The terrified shriek woke the others from their slumber, shattering their dreams. Sonic did not wait for them. He ran at top speed, toward where Amy's voice came.
The group recollected themselves, having no clue to what was going on. Shadow saw Sonic run off immediately. He turned to the assemblage. Amy was not here.
Not good.
"What's going on?" Rouge questioned in minor annoyance.
"I think something's happened to Amy," Shadow answered, smooth and calm.
"Sonic!" Tails ran after the hedgehog, rotating his two tails to propel him even faster.
Shadow followed, using his speed to catch up to Sonic. The others began to realize what had happened and followed as well. Rouge and Draken flying through the air, Rika and Knuckles traveling on foot, her face showing irritation, his covered with guilt. Krysta and Ry were the only ones left.
"Wake up!" The lioness kicked him hard in the ribs, making the imp sit up instantly.
"Ow! Why'd you have to wake me? I was having the most wonderful dream. I took over the world and you were my personal slave, and when you tried to steal my cookies I sent you into an arena to get eaten by rabid kittens." He looked at Krysta with a pearly white smile.
"…You certainly have a twisted imagination, Ry."
"Why, thank you!"
"That was not a compliment. Now come on!" She grabbed his arm tightly.
"You mean we have to run?" the imp whined.
"Yes!"
"Aww…"
After the lioness shushed him, they both ran after the others.
Amy's feet glued to the ground as soon as she saw it come out. The hard exoskeleton was a mix of gold and ruby, its sharp pincers that could cleave an animal in two, the dozens of centipede-like legs that sprouted from its serpentine body. Black eyes stared at the pink hedgehog, making low growls, half of its form inside the ground.
The trees began to whisper in soft, malicious tones. Obeying the sinister orders, like a dog obeys his master, the centipede monster lunged for its prey. Screaming, Amy dodged out of the way. The beast dove into the ground, disappearing from sight. Although she did not see it, she could feel it moving in the earth. She tried to run out of the dark grove but no escape was available, the trees were packed together so tightly.
She panicked, calling out to her beloved hero, Sonic. The girl had left her hammer back at the campsite, leaving her with no means to defend herself. The giant centipede sprang from the leaves right before her. It let out a chilling shriek, opening its pincers wide.
Amy screamed as the monster dove for her.
He heard the scream once again, but it was worse now. This one had more terror in it than the last. Sonic picked up his pace, desperate to get to her in time.
Her screams stopped. Everything was deathly silent.
Fearing the worst, Sonic ran even faster. But now he was lost, those horrid trees looked exactly the same; he had no idea what direction he hadjust came from. He could not even pinpoint Amy.Her last cry seemed to have come from all around him. He stopped, mystified.
Where is she? Where is she? It's hopeless now. What if she… No. No. No. Don't think that. Never think that. No. No.
Shadow came running to the blue hedgehog and halted right before him.
"Why are you just standing around?" he asked once seeing Sonic motionless.
"I can't find Amy. I have no idea where she is. I heard her scream and then nothing. Wh- God, these stupid trees!" Sonic became infuriated at the trees whispers, which to him sounded more like mocking laughter.
Shadow had heard the cry as well. The only other time he had heard anything that frightening was at the ARK. When they had came for him, when he heard her last words, when she had screamed.
He gasped, feeling something in his head. What was-?
He saw the dark grove, the trees preventing any escape, their branches covering the night sky. And something, something there…
"Shadow? Shadow?" The said hedgehog blinked rapidly, breaking the vision. He saw Sonic before him, worried and confused.
"What happened?"
"I don't know," Sonic replied. "You were just standing there, eyes all weird. It was almost like you were sleeping with your eyes open. I called out to you over ten times before you came around."
Shadow put his hand to his forehead. He suddenly had a headache. The crimson eyes widened. Wait. He swiveled his head to the left. There, over there.
"Come on," he ordered Sonic and ran off in the direction.
"What? Where are we going?" inquired the blue hedgehog who was running by his side.
Shadow paused before he answered. "I think I know where Amy is." He would say no more.
She was going to die.
She would be caught in those pincers, ripped in half. She would no longer get to see the others anymore, no longer see Sonic's face, no longer see his emerald eyes.
Yes. She was going to die. As soon as she saw her terrified reflection in the black eyes, she knew. She was going to die.
Amy shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Waiting for the pain. She just hoped death would come quickly.
She heard the snap of the curved jaws and cringed. That was odd, she felt nothing. Its roar of anger was deafening. She could hear it move.
Confused, Amy opened her eyes. Someone was carrying her, holding her gently in their arms. It was too dark to see the face. The creature dove for them. The one who held her jumped with skill. Once again the crushing pincers missed. Amy saw the quills moving in the wind on the one who held her.
Sonic! He's here! He saved me!
The centipede creature crawled on the red ground, using its multiple legs. The hedgehog put her down, far from the monsters' wrath.
"Stay here."
Though the words were spoken quietly, she heard them as clear as day.
He was not Sonic. It was apparent in the voice.
The quills were much longer, swaying in the breeze. The eyes were not emeralds; they were not the jewels that she could gaze into for eternity.
He faced the creature, holding his weapon up high in his hand.
Shining silver.
The two twin hedgehogs ran through the woods, kicking up bloody leaves. Shadow kept making rapid turns; left, right, left, right, right, left. He traveled through the forest as if he had lived there all his life, knowing exactly which path led to where. He even knew where the hidden roots of the trees were placed, sheltered by the leaves on the surface. He would jump over them after a sharp turn, occasionally shouting a warning to Sonic who was taken by surprise after almost getting his foot caught on one of the giant roots above ground. It was as if the trees themselves were trying to stop them.
Sonic repeatedly asked Shadow how he knew where he was going and of where Amy was. Shadow would just return a glare and continue running.
The trees whispers became frantic as the wind blew stronger. Soon the murmurs changed to menacing hisses, giving the hedgehogs the feeling that they were surrounded by snakes.
Then they saw the grove, encircled by the red and black trees. They were taller than the rest, bunched up together, showing almost nothing of what went on inside. But both hedgehogs could hear clearly of the battle being fought, the inhumane shrieks and the battle cries.
"Is Amy in there?" Sonic asked in a worried tone.
"She must be," Shadow answered.
"But how do we get in?" The azure hedgehog looked frantically at the trees. Many of the gaps between them were much too small to squeeze through. Even the branches above them seemed to form a barrier to the forbidden area.
"Over here." Sonic looked to where his double pointed. There was an opening just large enough for a hedgehog his size to go through. Without delay, he rushed toward it, blood pounding in his ears as Shadow followed behind.
They struggled through, gaining scratches from the rough bark. Touching it was an unpleasant experience. The bark had a strange heat emanating from it, much too warm, like hot breaths against bare skin. It was nauseating, to be so close to something so unholy, feeling its dark, rough covering, feeling its warmth.
Finally wriggling free from the close confinement, the hedgehogs beheld the scene before them.
Amy's eyes were opened wide, hardly ever blinking. Her rescuer stood up confidently to the bug-like monster whose pincers snapped threateningly. Shrieking in anger, it lunged toward its meal. He dodged, silver metal in his hand. The battle went swift; ruby leaves swirling in the air, pincers clacking, the clanging of metal against the hard armor.
So enraptured in the fight, she did not notice Sonic next to her until he pulled her away from the conflict.
"Amy! Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Tears came to her eyes once she heard Sonic's anxious voice. "Oh, Sonic! You came for me!" She wrapped her arms around the hedgehog with a strength that could rival Knuckles.
"Uh, Amy…you're crushing my spine."
"Oh, sorry."
Shadow ignored them, watching instead the strange newcomer clash. It was a hedgehog around Sonic's age. He had silver quills that shone in the dim grove, the ones on his head longer than normal, the tips just brushing the ground. Only one was different; short, falling over his face like a bang, midnight black streaked with red. He was battling the monster with a long sword in his leather gloved hand, razor sharp metal as silver as he, the hilt large enough for two hands, etched with a strange insignia.
The centipede monster snapped its tong-like jaws at the silver hedgehog. He leaped up and swung his sword at its head. The steel sliced through its left pincer, leaving a bloody mess as the torn appendage fell to the earth. It gave off a scream of pain and anger, reminding Sonic of the danger they were in.
He grabbed Amy in his arms and put her near the gap between the trees. "Amy, get out of here and find the others."
Before she could protest, Sonic had already left to join the battle. The creature had swung the lower half of its body at the sword-wielding hedgehog, forcing him to hit the ground. Before it lunged for the kill, both Sonic and Shadow knocked back the creature with aimed homing attacks.
Shadow then cast his chaos spears before it could get up, piercing through the hard exoskeleton. Black liquid flowing from its wounds, the creature began to crawl on its pointed legs toward the hedgehogs, crushing the leaves in its path and emitting high screeches. Using his speed, Sonic created a wind tornado, stirring up the crimson leaves all around the beast. It stopped, moving its gruesome head frantically, not able to see through the scarlet curtain.
Seeing his chance, the silver one clenched his sword with his right hand and rushed towards the beast. The creature turned its head toward him, black eyes spotting metal.
A flash of silver, devoured by red and black, tinged with gold.
Before Amy could see the outcome of the battle, she heard someone calling out her name. It sounded like Knuckles. Though reluctant to leave her darling Sonic, Amy squeezed through the gap and found the others running up to her. She had also felt the unnatural warmth of the trees, and was more than happy to get away.
They all arrived, Ry lagging behind. Krysta shouted to him to hurry. When he finally caught up, he was sweating like mad, panting like a dog. He may be an energetic imp, but Ry detested running above everything else.
"Hey!" Amy called, running to them and waving her arms.
Knuckles came up to her first. "Amy! What happened? Are you all right?"
"It's alright, Knuckles. I'm fine."
The echidna sighed in relief.
"Here, Amy. I picked this up before we left." Tails held out Amy's large hammer which she received in gratitude.
"Thanks, Tails!"
"No problem. I'm just glad you're not hurt."
"She would've been alright anyway if someone had not been sleeping when he was supposed to be on watch," said Rika with annoyance.
Knuckles turned to her with fury. "What do you mean by that!?"
"Exactly what you think, you failure of a Guardian."
Knuckles growled, exposing ivory fangs. She had gone too far. He raised his fists.
Rouge, who had been hovering in the air, landed between them. "Hey! We don't need a fight! Especially not here, so you two just stop!"
Knuckles turned away, shame on his face. He had failed his duty, no excuse could justify that. Rika's lips curved in a small smile, pleased to see that she had made the inflexible echidna squirm.
"Hey…where's…Sonic…and…Shadow?" Ry wheezed, still tired from the unwanted exercise.
Amy opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the devastating death cry.
The blood dripped slowly towards the earth, drop by drop. Black as oil. The sword was lodged deep in the beast's head, piercing right through the shield of its body. It had made one last cry, echoing through the woods. The silver hedgehog pulled out his sword in one swift motion, stained with dark night. The creature slumped to the ground, immobile.
Fatigued, the hedgehog sank to his knees, breathing heavily. Sonic and Shadow came up to him.
"You okay?" Sonic asked.
The silver one raised his aqua blue eyes to speak.
"Sonic, watch out!" Shadow instantly pushed both hedgehogs forward half a second before something struck the ground where they just had been situated earlier.
The wind grew strong, increasing the hissing whispers. All three saw what it was that had tried to attack them. A tree had shot out its branches like tentacles, stabbing the earth with its ends. After missing its prey, it pulled out its boughs, writhing in the air with chilling whispers. Soon the other trees' branches slowly stretched out, speckled with leaves, hissing.
Sonic gazed with unbelieving eyes. "You've got to be kidding me!"
The boughs shot out, making the hedgehogs dodged. One wrapped itself around the silver one's leg. He severed it off with his shining sword, making the red blood flow and the tree scream.
The tentacle branches swirled around Sonic and Shadow who kept evading their lashing attacks; diving under, sidestepping, and leaping over. Soon the giant roots joined the confrontation, surfacing from the ground, covered in dried soil.
All three were trapped, the slithering limbs encircling them, accompanied by menacing whispers. They stood back to back, shuddering from the trees' venomous words.
Die…die…die…
One branch extended toward Shadow who braced himself for impact.
The sphere around his neck shone with bright light. The branches and roots began to shrivel, turning to dust. The ones who maintained their form pulled back, giving off shattering screams coming from unseen mouths.
Puzzled, Shadow held up the gem, holding it out like a lantern to the murderous plants. They moved back, shifting slowly in the soil with their giant roots. The trees broke their tight ranks, gaps widening.
"Hurry! Let's get out of here!" shouted Sonic.
Seeing their way out, the hedgehogs headed for the openings that led towards freedom.
The others outside the prison cell of trees saw their movement. Roots crawling from the earth, branches that flexed all around. They heard the fighting of the hedgehogs inside, but the trees kept closing in, to catch them in their death grip.
"No! Sonic!" Amy tried to get back inside the grove.
Knuckles ran to hold her back, but a root shot between them. He smashed it to pieces with his fists, blood spilling down his scarlet fur. The rest of the trees of the cursed forest began to budge.
"Everybody watch out!" warned Tails.
Before the branches could grab them, they withered away into dust, making others back away.
The three hedgehogs were out of the grove, Shadow holding up the precious stone that gave off the much needed light. Sonic located the green dragon in the midst of the disaster and came up to him.
"Draken, you brought us here! Get us out!" he yelled.
The reptile looked at him calmly, despite what was going on around him. "No, we can't. We have to get to the center first."
"Are you crazy? A bunch of freakin' trees are trying to kill us and that's all you can think about!?"
The possessed plants inched closer. The light was beginning to fail.
"We cannot leave! Besides, I can't alter back to my larger form! The forest won't allow it!"
Sonic felt a great rage toward Draken, cursing him silently for bringing them to such a cursed place.
"Hey! Over here!"
They all turned to the voice which came from the silver hedgehog. He was outsidethecircle of light, waving to them.
"I know someplace where we can be safe! It's not too far from here!" He ran off, expecting them to follow.
The rest stayed put, undecided.
"I don't know. Should we trust him?" asked Knuckles.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting' the heck out of here!" And with that, the mischievous imp ran off with surprising speed after the silver one.
"Ry, you damn coward!" Krysta yelled as she followed.
Seeing they did not have much of a choice, the others ran after. Roots tried to lash outat them, but the light prevented them from breaking the protective barrier. Soon, Rika's sphere glowed with its own unique blue light. It formed a shield with the white, combining into one. But instead of making the trees whither away, it froze them into demented ice sculptures.
When some of the limbs were able to break through, the others fought them back. Swinging hammers, aiming strong punches and kicks, shooting arrows. Once when a tree came terribly close, Draken breathed his fire breath, burning the tree slowly to ash.
But even then, they still kept coming, whispering one word.
Die…die…die…
Sonic gasped in shock not for the words, but for when he saw something in one of the trees' dark wood.
A face, pale white, eyes holding nothing. He only saw it for one moment, but that was enough. This was wrong, so very wrong.
The silver one did not look back once. He focused his attention on the attacking bark, swinging his sword at them, creating silver arcs in the air.
Looking ahead, he shouted to the others. "Hurry! We're almost there!"
They had expected to see the way out, a parting of the trees, an escape from the blood-thirsty forest.
Instead, they came to a deep chasm. The ground stopped at a cliff, slanting downwards in a gentle slope that ended in darkness. The pit was miles long in width that the others could barely see theledge on the other side.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked Amy, fearful.
"Of course I am. Come on!" The silver one suddenly jumped onto the slope, sliding downwards as if he was on a snowboard.
Once again, the group was undecided.
"Oh great, now what?" Knuckles said with irritation.
Draken had been gazing at the dark chasm with wide eyes. "It's here," he said softly.
"What?" Tails questioned.
"It's here. Where we're supposed to go. It's here."
Sonic heard the strange note in his voice. "Wait, what do you-?"
Draken was already flying downwards toward the chasm before Sonic could even finish.
The branches breached the blue and white radiance, snaking towards their prey. Both Shadow and Rika exerted their energy to keep them back. But it was only a matter of time.
"Stop asking questions and just go already!" Shadow yelled.
"What?" Amy was growing more terrified by the moment.
Rika held out her arms which shone with the blue illumination, muscles clearly straining. "We'll keep them off! So move!"
Rouge spread her wings. "They're right! We have to take a chance!" The bat flew down towards the darkness.
"That's easy for you to say since you can fly!" shouted the imp.
"C'mon, Ry, don't be scared," Tails advised as he flew after Rouge.
"Don't tell me how to feel!"
"You're gonna have to come down sometime," said Knuckles as he glided toward the chasm.
"What do you know?"
Krysta's eyes narrowed. "Just shut up already." She grabbed the protesting imp's red tail and began to descend down the incline.
Sonic looked worriedly at Shadow and Rika who were struggling to keep the enemy back. Shadow noticed his gaze.
"Don't worry, we'll go in right after you and Amy. Just hurry!"
Understanding, Sonic nodded and picked up the pink hedgehog in his arms who, in turn, held on to him tightly. He ran down the slope with his famous speed, unhesitating as he entered the deep darkness.
Though without eyes, the trees knew their prey was escaping. With strength and fury, they shifted ever closer to the two left.
Shadow turned to Rika. "Okay, you go now! Hurry up!"
Rika looked as if she was about to protest. But instead the fox girl grimaced, blue eyes unyielding. She immediately ran to the cliff, leaping on to the slant, the blue sphere lighting her way.
Shadow was alone. The trees fought to break the light barrier. That was when he saw the whitefaces; mouths open and eyes bare. The hedgehog had almost lost his courage, frightened beyond anything when he saw the hideous apparitions.
He berated himself for his cowardice. He should not be frightened by some trees. He was the Ultimate Life Form. He had faced much worse before; the horrid biolizard, the merciless GUN troops…
…Maria's death.
His eyes roamed toward the cliff. He had to time it correctly. One wrong move and it was the end for him. He took a deep breath.
The shield came down.
Like animals freed from a cage, the branches and roots shot towards him with primal fury. Shadow did a backwards flip, escaping their grasps. He rushed to the cliff and jumped high.
They could not get him. The plants shrank away from the cliff, screaming wails of anger and disappointment.
The ebony hedgehog ran on the slope, his hovershoes gliding effortlessly. He escaped into the darkness, the light of his crystal sphere engulfed in its intensity.
He was not aware of the red eyes watching him from the cliff.
For some odd reason I like that last sentence. Well, hope you like. A break from the action in the next chapter. I'll update more sooner, since my tests are over. Oh, and I've been writing some other stories. You want to know? Well, you'll have to wait! Ha! Well, so long. I'm sleepy.