Chapter 14: The war begins: Part 1 of 2…

Sonic and the others were placed inside a cell, it was a dark hall full of many cells, some had dead people, some had skeletons, and some, had live captives. Now it was the guilds student's turns, to be tortured. What would happen to them now, could Mare-rith sense that they were captive? Would someone come for them? Or like every other, would they rot in there dark cell? The question's answer was obvious: they were dead!

Sonic sat, tightly packed next to his friends, they were searching for destiny as friends, and destiny led them to early death as friends. They would die as close friends.

"What will happen now?" Sonic asked. "I don't seem to know, they took our emeralds, our weapons, our food, tools, and supplies. Good thing nothing was in that bag that can lead them to the guild." Tails said. "At least the guild is safe, will they come looking for us?" Shadow asked. "They can't, Aerick is too strong, he overpowered every single one of us, and Mare-rith is no more of a match, even if he is the Guild Master." Tails said.

----Inside the main lab----

"Are you positive, you're ready to start a war?" Eggman asked. "Yes, let the Dark Echidna Plague begin… I want everything killed. Except those loyal to me. I will see if I can get a few echidnas to join me from the guild before I destroy it. Trust me, it won't be long now, until I know where the guild is. Once I can control all seven chaos, and the master, I'll send a Plague of Death all over this world. Everything will come to a slow and violent end!" Aerick said. "What about the Hedgehog?" Eggman asked. "I'll go visit him… Start firing the nukes… I want this world crushed… starting a nuclear war is the perfect way to begin a Plague." Aerick said. "Where should I aim it?" Eggman asked. "Aim it for South Island!" Aerick said. "Alright!" Eggman said.

Aerick entered the elevator, heading towards the cells. Where all his answers to the guild lay. He left the elevator, into that same hall, with very dimmed lights, it looked so dark. There were many cells, but Aerick only approached one. The one holding the four guild students.

"Swear allegiance to me, and tell me where the Guild is, and I'll let you go. You have my sworn promise." Aerick said. "We've decided to use your greater power to help rule the world! We've agreed to each swear our allegiance to you." Shadow said. "What do you take me for? I can see through you all, and you're lying, so you can get loose, and behind my back, kill me! I was lying, we're going to inject each of you with truth serum, and then sentence you each to death… now… this is the real world, not some movie, were the hero disagrees to join the bad guy. I can't trust any of you, and you can't trust each other!" Aerick said. "What do you mean by that?" Knuckles asked. "Let's just say you've all been lied to one way or another, and each of you were once… SWORN ENEMIES." Aerick said.

Each of them looked at each other. The cell was opened, and they were each held up by robots. Aerick held a shot, and injector of some sort… "What is that for?" Sonic asked.

"It's going to numb all of your bodies, so that you can't connect to the chaos emeralds. That way, we won't have any funny business. I can't imagine what would happen if we were about to execute you, and one of you used a Chaos Blast. You would escape, so we're going to shut down your bodies. By paralyzing them." Aerick said.

He held the injector at Sonic's throat, and squeezed the needle full of liquid into his blood stream. Sonic moaned, and looked like he was dying from the pain, but he couldn't scream, he had already been rendered unconscious. "You're turns." Aerick said. He injected Knuckles and Shadow too. Then, he got to Tails. "Hm… I sense you are not a Chaotic Life form… but to be on the safe side…" Aerick injected Tails too.

----Inside the Royal Guild of Hedgusst----

Mare-rith was meditating, when he jumped up from a terrible vision, but it didn't take rocket science to know that vision was real. Shadow, along with Sonic, Knuckles and Tails, were sentenced to death. They only had an hour, but luckily, Mare-rith was able to use his ability to pin-point an area in the Mystic Ruins: Where Dr. Eggman's dome was. Mare-rith had seen the fallen shrine, and the students were being taken there. Their emerald was stolen too. He sensed Aerick, and Aerick had four emeralds, and the Guild still had their two. One was still out there, but they had bigger problems: Rescuing the guild students. Mare-rith immediately summoned all available Guild Students to the shrine of the Master Emerald. Where even Tikal was there. Mare-rith was about to make the announcement.

"Our most valuable Students have been captured. They have less than 30 minutes to live. They are the only hopes to stop Aerick, if you were captured, they would do the same for you… now we must do the same for them. They, just like all of you, have sworn an oath to protect each other. I know that some of you aren't skilled and ready for battle, but we need every student possible to wipe out an army as big as Aerick's. So those who are greenhorns, rookies, or beginners, stay close together. I will be taking both of the guild's chaos emeralds with us. They enemy has four. Now with six chaos emeralds in the area, it should be easy to feed off of nearby chaos energy. So none of you should have a problem. I and Tikal will each hold one of the two emeralds. Our only two will be safest with us. Now on three, everyone cast your Chaos Teleport spell, and I will guide you with my powers. Now… one… two… three!" Mare-rith said.

Everyone at the shrine yelled: "CHAOS CONTROL!"

They spawned around what seemed to be a crumbled temple, with only the bottom story of it standing, it was side, yet short. And in the center, was the four students. Tied to a big stone pillar. Aerick looked all around in awe. To see over 500 guild students surrounding the temple. Aerick was about to swing his blade into Shadow's neck, when Mare-rith teleported right in the way, and blocked it with a chaos barrier.

"Oh, how long I've waited to fight you…" Aerick said. "This will be your last fight! EVERYONE CHARGE!" The students formed a perimeter around the temple. Fighting off robots and echidna savage warriors. Tikal also jumped in the way. "So, you decided to kill the students, so you could suck their power from this ancient temple death stone, and think that they would give you more spiritual strength? Bah, they have much more strong will than you have anticipated." Mare-rith said, "Tikal, untie them and restore their Chaos Energy!" Mare-rith said. "You think you can hold me off fool?" Aerick asked. "The answer to that question is right in your face!" Mare-rith replied. He started to duel swords, while Tikal untied the captured students.

Mare-rith was toying with Aerick, but Aerick was also toying with him, clashing the swords back and forth, as well as keeping up their guards. Aerick started to cast a spell, but Mare-rith just absorbed it.

"You have become much more powerful than when I fought you and Charles…" Aerick said. "So have you… but I will not fail. I have always had the upper hand…" Mare-rith said. "How is that?" Aerick asked. "I've beaten you to the legendary kin. I have them on my side. I was able to stop you from using your dark evil to twist their minds." Mare-rith said. "But you have lied to them." Aerick said. "Maybe, but due to time they will understand my reasons, they will see what I have stopped them from being." Mare-rith said.

Tikal untied them, and took a bottle from here pocket. She poured some into each of their mouths. It was some kind of violet colored liquid. Supposedly to restore their chaos energy. Sonic opened his eyes, feeling his strength coming back, and his weakness leaving him. Soon, Shadow, Knuckles and Tails woke up too. They were about to speak, when Tikal interrupted them. "There is no time, grab a sword or a gun and help aid in the battle. Mare-rith needs our help!" She said.

They did as told. Each grabbed a weapon, and ran over to help Mare-rith and Tikal.

"So, four apprentices, and two guild masters… you are still of no match to me!" Aerick said. "You'll see the real power of Hedgusst!" Mare-rith said, "Attack, now!" He said, as the others charged at Aerick. Sonic came in on his left, he blocked his attack swiftly, and force fielded a barrier around him. Knuckles didn't stop in time, and was hit by the barrier, and was electrocuted. He fell to the ground, as Aerick just laughed. Four echidna warriors came running to Aerick to help. "Sonic, Shadow! Take down those Echidna Tribe Warriors, as for you Tails, I want you to guard Knuckles, make sure no harm comes to him!" Mare-rith said. Tails ran over to Knuckles, as Sonic and Shadow started to block off any incoming enemies.

Mare-rith and Tikal fought Aerick, but weren't making enough progress: There was only one thing that came to their minds… Tikal and Mare-rith faced each other. "We have to Chaos Blast him! It's the only way!" Tikal said. "Let's do it! Now!" Mare-rith replied.

They both put our their hands, and a beam of light came blasting at Aerick. Everything around the temple went blinding, in a white flash, as if a flash grenade had gone off. The dust cleared, they thought Aerick was down… but he was still standing, just grinning. "You've used all of your Chaos Energy… you've drained all of the energy around you… what will you do now?" Aerick asked. Tikal and Mare-rith barely had energy to stand. This was over… Aerick had won… until Sonic and Shadow, also along with Tails jumped in the way. Everyone looked up, to see Eggman in a hovering blaster.

"Sonic, you should get rid of Eggman, those lasers on that blaster tank will tear us apart!" Shadow said. "But what about you and Tails?" Sonic asked. "We can take him…" Shadow said.

Sonic used his Chaos Energy to run and make a jump, soaring through the air. He landed on Eggman's hover craft. But Eggman pulled out a Laser gun, and held it at Sonic's head. "Not even with the most advanced technology, not even with the best swords, guns, bows, arrows, chaos energy, WHATEVER! None of it is enough to stop me now… I have won. Soon we will start a war. A nuke is already about to head for South Island. Plus, you can't stop it either." Eggman said. "My Uncle Chuck spent years developing technology to fight you, he helped my family's legacy come true, and he planned the most effective battle tactics ever, to stop you. I though you were my only enemy, but it seems you now have some kind of connection with Aerick. Just because you have brains, and Aerick also has command of the Chaos Force, doesn't mean my Uncle's work will go to the trash can! Because I'm going to carry it out!" Sonic quickly kicked the laser out of Eggman's hand, and caught it to his surprise. "These Chaos Emeralds can create life, and destroy it… they should be destroyed themselves. Because no matter what, the chaos emeralds are tools to kill and destroy!" Eggman said.

"That's not true, the Hedgehogs were picked to guard the emeralds for a reason," Sonic said, "Now tell me how to stop the nuke!" Sonic ordered. "Either way, it doesn't matter… do you know what I'm using for the energy source?" Eggman asked. "You wouldn't—"Sonic was cut off. "I did, I stuck an emerald inside of the Nuke's core!" Eggman said. Sonic shot the inside of the blaster tank, and jumped off of it. "You fool!" Eggman said, as he ejected his jet pack out of the tank as it exploded. Sonic landed, and immediately took off, to run to tell Mare-rith. He saw that Tikal and Mare-rith still fighting Aerick. Sonic approached Mare-rith. "They're planning to start a war; they're launching a nuke at South Island! I can find a way to stop it, if you'll let me leave the battle for a short time!" Sonic said. "Go, quickly, use your thoughts, and find a way to stop it!" Mare-rith said. Tails suddenly ran up. "I'm going too!" He said. "Good," Mare-rith said, "Shadow can hold off Aerick, we'll be able to use what strength is left to stop Aerick from winning!" Mare-rith said. Sonic and Tails sped off, as Shadow struggled to stop Mare-rith. The only hope was left in the Guild's hands… it was a battle of light and darkness for the power of the emeralds, or the defending of it.

END CHAPTER

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