Chapter Eighteen
"Okay…this is strange…" Shadow said when he saw his friends in his dream that night. But the weirdest part was that they were in each other's dreams. The area around them was nothing but void with occasional faint twinkles on the infinitely distant horizon. The group was standing under an invisible street lamp of sorts, providing light in the endless darkness.
"So this is the realm of dreams…thought it would be a lot prettier," Tsuko said, looking around, somewhat disappointed.
"You said it," a voice said from nearby. Cadmus stepped into the area where the group of friends stood. "Surprised to see you guys here…I suspect we're all here for the same reason."
"Yeah…they should be here any time now," Shadow added.
"Tee-hee-hee! Oh Shadow, time means nothing here!" a voice tittered. Into the light stepped the spirit of Cream, who had retained her six-year-old form.
"Cream!" Amy squealed. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Amy picked up the little rabbit and hugged her.
"Amy…you're…all grown up!" she said. "You must be really happy in the real world right now. Take a look at Espio."
Indeed, Espio realized that his 31-year-old body was replaced with his 16-year-old self. "Huh…" he muttered.
"Espiiiooooo!" another high-pitched voice squealed. Flying into the light came little Charmy, flying helmet and all.
"Charmy…good to see you again. But no hugging please."
"Indeed…it makes want to puke…" a pompous, overbearing voice grumbled. Into the light came Ivo Robotnik, to the astonishment of the others.
"Eggman!" Amy exclaimed. "What happened?"
"Vector happened, miss Rose."
Knuckles was the next to come into the light. "Vector just came in to his office a few days ago in the material world and blew his head off. Oh; and hey guys."
"Hey, don't forget me!" another voice chimed in. Finally, Sonic wandered into the light. Amy would have rushed right at him, but she decided not to.
"Sonic…it's…um…" Amy stammered.
"Look, we need to explain some things," Knuckles said. "First off, me and Sonic are really, really sorry for what we did. We know what we did was unforgivable."
"We were despots…ruling like Eggman here would have ruled. We were bestial…living only to satisfy our twisted desires. And Amy…" Sonic approached Amy, and when he did, looked down; "I know you probably can't forgive me for all things that I did to you all those years ago. I beat you…screamed in your face…I even threw you off a cliff…and then I put the soul of some crazy female sorceress in your body. I never deserved your affection…" Tears of frustration and sadness came to his eyes. "I'm so sorry…"
"Sonic…" Amy began.
"No! You said it yourself…you and I could never be together."
"Oh great…Sonic's all weepy again…" another voice said. In came Tails, back at eight years old.
"You're late, Miles." Knuckles said jokingly.
"I told you never to call me that!"
"It's okay, Tails," Sonic said. He turned to Shadow next. "Shadow…I've seen the bond you and Amy now share…it's something I could have never formed with her."
"Yes…I do love her," Shadow replied a little hesitantly. "But I don't think I'm ready for it…"
"You did save her from Knuckles…I'd say that's more than ready for love. She's all yours, Shadow. Take care of her, will ya?"
"Can we please end the lovey-dovey stuff!" Ivo moaned. "I want to have coffee with Darth Vader and King Bowser!"
"Give them time…" Cream said to him.
"Nah…Knuckles and me are done. Your turn, Tails," Sonic said.
Tails stepped forward, cleared his throat, and began. "As you all know, I had mentioned in my last diary entry that…"
"Tails…I'd like an explanation…why did you create me?" Amy interrupted. "It's something I really need to know."
"Alright…" Tails sighed. "You do remember when Sonic threw you off the cliff, right? It should still be a memory."
"Yeah…and though I know it to be false…I remember Shadow saving me…he didn't…but that isn't an explanation at all!"
"Well, on that day, I lost someone who really understood me…I did manage to save a few hairs, and I used the DNA from that to clone the original…but I wanted to help you get back at Sonic…so I added a few additional abilities the original lacked. Consider yourself Amy Rose version 2.0."
"Like what?"
"Oh, they're in my notes somewhere."
Cadmus interjected. "Okay, thanks, Tails…now, what were you saying?"
"I have determined the nature of the gems and the sword…" Tails began
"It's about time," Tsuko said.
"Can I please finish! Geez…the gems are…"
"Metal Sonic told us already," Amy interjected.
"He did? Shoot, I forgot," Tsuko replied.
Tails managed to keep his head despite the constant interruptions. "Well, I know who the water gem is keyed to…my cousin Miko, in the big city. Each race is keyed to a different element…hedgehogs with fire; echidnas with earth; foxes with water; and chameleons with air."
"What about the sword?" Shadow asked.
"The sword, I think, is keyed with the very life energy of the planet itself…something called the Cipher…apparently, Shadow and Amy can unlock and use that power. But ultimately, the planet has the final say on giving it or not."
"So…the planet is like an intelligent organism?" Knuckles asked.
"It seems that way. Whoever this 'World Eater' is…the planet is readying its defenses against it."
"I see. Do you have anything more to tell us?" Espio asked.
"Nope…nothing else."
"Are we done yet! I was having a great dream about this giant pile of cold, sweet-tasting stuff…"
"That's ice cream, you dolt…" Ivo grumbled. "I don't even know why I'm here…I haven't done anything productive in the least! Feh, I'm out of here." Ivo walked back into the shadows.
"Oh," Sonic said, "we do have something for Cadmus and Tsuko. You did remember it, didn't you, Knuckles?"
"Of course I remembered! I'd expect you to forget!" Knuckles retorted. "Anyway, it's a little bit of our souls…sort of." Sonic and Knuckles, out of nowhere, pulled two glowing orbs of light. The orbs floated into Tsuko's and Cadmus' bodies.
"Um…okay…what was that for?" Tsuko asked.
"I've given you my speed and agility, Tsuko. Knuckles gave Cadmus the ability to know where all the Chaos Emeralds are at any time."
"You're the Guardian of the Master Emerald, now, Cadmus. When this whole mess blows over, you're hauling your carcass to Angel Island!"
"Um…whatever you say, Knux…" Cadmus replied.
"I guess that's about it…" Tails said, "…oh…could one of you take this?" Tails held out a small yellow orb, which Amy decided to take.
"Once Miko gets this, he'll not only know everything about my lab…but Tsuko, Cadmus and Miko will be able to use Hero Formations together."
"Hero Formations?" Tsuko asked. "Sounds interesting."
"I remember those!" Shadow exclaimed. Amy and Espio gave a nod as well.
"What are they?" Cadmus asked.
Cream quickly answered. "They'll know once Miko gets the yellow gem. I think that's really it…"
"Yeah, I guess so…will we ever see each other again?" Amy asked.
Sonic scratched his head and smiled a little. "Death is inevitable, so I suppose…yeah…someday. Until we meet again…see ya." Sonic walked out of the light and into the shadows.
"Bye all." Knux said before he waved goodbye and returned into the shadows.
"Say hi to Miko for me," Tails said before he returned to the spirit world.
"We know you can do it!" Charmy chirped before he flew back.
"We're all counting you…" Cream said, and stepped back into the shadows. The group was left by themselves.
"Okay…so, do we wake up yet?" Shadow asked.
"Right about…" Cadmus said.
-- -- -- -- -- --
"Awaken, my dearest…" a voice called to Lady Thorn as she lay in a dark cave. She slowly opened her eyes, and wondered who was speaking to her. All she saw was the egg…it took her a minute to grasp what was going on.
"Geddon? Is that…"
"Yes, my luscious one…it is me…" Geddon's image projected itself from the egg. "You nearly lost your body in that accident…you should be thankful that I also have power to restore life as well as take it."
"That's all good, but…"
"You lost your first body before I was defeated…I've been stuck in this egg…only one whose heart is bent on total domination can free me…"
Lady Thorn was confused. "Why? I'm just as ruthless and evil as you."
"…because you and I care for each other (in perhaps a lustful way), you cannot awaken me…though I do know one who can."
"Who?"
Geddon's image chuckled. "His name is Vector, and he is currently in control of the city not far from here. I have delved into his mind…he will do anything to take over the world and fill his pockets with wealth…he's the perfect stooge for our plans!"
"How can we make contact with this Vector?"
"I will speak to him this very night, and whisper into his mind the path to power! His mind is evil enough so that he will be able to hear my true name and not descend into madness."
"How perfectly devious! But there is one problem…"
"Yes…those do-gooders. They will never stop him. Fate has deemed it so. This planet is only the beginning. We'll have an empire of desolation, spanning a million solar systems at the very least! The universe will tremble!" Geddon started cackling, which almost sounded like a howler monkey.
"I love it when you laugh like that…" Lady Thorn said with a wry smile.