((ok, let's see if I can't make this my last chapter! That would be a serious accomplishment. Oh, you ought to see my chao! They're all so CUTE! Their names are as follows: Mopey, Dopey, Fuzzles, Fang, Silvae, Aurie, Tawny, Donnie, and Grapes. Mopey's finally walking, except now he's running into trees, and Fang drew his self-portrait on the floor with his crayons! Awwwh! Fuzzles remains my favorite because she has rainbow wings and pink feet. And none of us know what to think about Dopey. He was kicked as an egg, thanks to a certain red echidna...
Knux: --looks around for a red echidna-
A: YOU, buttface.
K: hey, don't call Sonic names! Even if they're true!
Sonic: T.T what?
Tails: teehee! Buttface!
A: oh, and Tails, I had to get back to you on the whole "throwing chao that can't swim in the fountain" issue...
T: -points at Amy-
Amy: Now, HEY! You know full well Aeyvi won't even let me NEAR her chao!
A: that's right! She's a bad influence!
T: -gulps, flutters away quickly-
A: anyway, enough about my chao and their imbecile caretakers. I have a fic to finish. Unfortunately, all the chapters heretofore have been ridiculously short, so I'll try to make this one longer. Hence all the time I spent typing it, meh. So, here goes absolutely nothing!
Sn: -sings a monty python song for no apparent reason- oh, sit on my faaaace and tell me that you looove meee!
-gets hit with a grouper-
A: T.T shame.
Sn: -skulks away grinning-
!#! Vector: Wow, she's finally stopped ignoring me. Ok, let's see, among the many things Aeyvi does own: Tarsa, Karpa, Itshell, a green lace bra, a black g-string... -gets smacked- ow, right. She doesn't, however, own anything from the concept behind or any published work pertaining to -draws a breath- Sonic games, comics, cartoons, little chibi plushies or crappy background music. What'd I miss? #!
A: -smacks him with the grouper as well for good measure- obviously not my undergarments. T.T
V:D hell, I thought it was interesting... -ducks to avoid flying dead fish-
Chapter 21- In Darkness...There is Light
She existed in nonexistence. She felt...and yet, she couldn't feel. In death, she found herself a void, a nonentity, yet still remaining on some conscious level because... She knew. She had conscious thought. She was able to realize in her current situation that she could no longer feel her legs... Or whatever had substituted for her legs in the unreality of the dream dimension.
Whatever the case, now nothing could be seen. Nothing actually existed, yet only the she remained. Removed from all physical feeling, emotion took on new heights. Just as the blind are gifted with enhanced hearing, extrasensory touch and smell, so the nonentity Tarsa was gifted with thought, with... emotion...
She sensed the darkness around her like a vile cloud, pressing against her...again, she didn't actually 'feel' the sensation as one would with their skin... she felt the evil around her, trying to seep into her soul's core...extinguish that wisp of life still hanging on to cobweb strands...
Karpa...?
In trying to speak, she found herself talking in the voicelessness of thought-speak, as one hears themselves talk in their mind...
Karpa... are you still there?
Tarsa...
The response was frail, as if her sister in a like state was giving in to the intruding black. She hadn't the strength to resist it...she simply was too tired to struggle anymore...
Tarsa knew this only because she could feel it. The sense was dwindling... She could almost see her reaching out, too weak to protest.
Karpa, don't give in! we're not done yet!
In her mind, or whatever now worked as her mind, she envisioned herself reaching out to her, grasping her hand, pulling her from the clutches of the monster.Karpa was violently ripped from her grasp, suddenly being fully engulfed by the blackness.
KARPAAA!
--.o:o.--
The bright fiery glow of the Master Emerald increased asItshell moved to intervene. A sudden blaze of light erupted from the giant gem, causing all to fall flat from the force of the blast. When all was clear again,Itshell remained untouched.
"That stupid gem isn't even useful as a doorstop." She huffed, folding her arms. "Tell me that's not all you had planned."
Shadow shot to his feet, looking down at his arms and chest with disbelief.
"I DID IT! I'VE GOT MY BODY BACK! HAHAAAA!" he leaped into the air with joy.
Sonic, on the other hand, was only able to sit up, rubbing his sore head.
"What a nightmare..."
"Are you children done?"Itshell asked impatiently.
"No! I have one more idea!" Shadow shouted, a little over-enthusiastically.
"Oh, shit... the agent hasn't worn off yet..." Sally realized.
Before anyone could stop him, Shadow had gone into his homing attack, crashing into the echidna's stomach and causing both to fall to the ground.Itshell coughed, somewhat winded from the unexpected assault. Before she could regain her feet, he had pelted her with several spindashes, and a kick to the face.
"HAHA! TAKE THAT!" he placed a foot triumphantly on her stomach, taking the pose of a hunter over his kill. He was the only one to be surprised when he found himself flat on his back seconds later.
"This time, you won't be coming back..."Itshell hissed, her glowing fingers splayed over his chest as she began to extract his soul once more...
"Heeheeheehee! Silly, you can't kill me! I'm the ultimate life form!" he giggled inebriatedly, waving her hand aside. "Give up now and I might give you a painless death!" he added, grinning wide, quite pleased with himself.
Itshellgrowled, lip twitching and revealing her sharp incisors in her boiling rage.
In this distraction, Knuckles had regained control of the Master Emerald and was concentrating, both hands gripping the smooth surface tightly. The glow had brightened to its original glare, and he felt the power seeping into it.
"W-... what are you doing? You can't do that! Stop this instant!" the demoness scolded.
The gem began to shake violently, beads of sweat dripped from Knuckles' face as he concentrated harder still... the power... the intensity...
Itshell fell to her knees, screaming in agony and hatred.
"STOP IT NOW!"
The gem began to glow brighter with the added energy, causing the red echidna to strain, groaning against the urge to let go. His gloves began to singe and smolder against the heat. Still, he dared not budge.
Itshellsnapped a hellfire glare in his direction.
"You do know you're killing her... don't you...?"
"N...n...n...nnnnggg..." he couldn't even voice a retort. The emerald had burnt clear through the gloves and were now sizzling against his bare hands. He knew Tarsa was still alive because he felt her, strong-willed and vibrant in whatever form she now possessed. He believed she could save herself if his efforts at present wouldn't help.
The evil one shrieked with fury, charging at him. He cried out in surprise as he felt a thousand tiny shards pierce his body, fell heavily to the ground surrounded by scattered pieces of his life's duty...
The last sight he saw were those two glowing eyes...demonic eyes...penetrating his soul...eating at his mind... the blackness overtook his vision, and he knew no more.
--.o:o.--
Tarsa screamed voicelessly as she felt this happen, blindly witnessed the fall of the only person she had ever been able to truly love... But no, he wasn't dead. No, he would never perish so easily.
Hang in there, Knuckles...I'm on my way...
She thrashed bodilessly at the bony arms and spindly fingers grasping for her, rising above the clutches of the dark one. She shut out the thoughtsItshell was trying to instill in her mind, shook off the black until...until...
"YOU GAWDAMN BITCH!" Sonic, mind clouded with rage, shot to the adversary, pelting her with numerous homing attacks at light speed. Shadow had regained his feet, if not a wee bit tipsy, and was looking about him, unaware of the urgency of the current situation. The others had the good sense to retreat to the transport, dragging their fallen comrade with them.
"Hey...Sonic...calm down...I got this one! " Shadow chuckled happily to himself, picking up a relatively large shard of the Master Emerald and tossing it to the other hand.
"CHAOS CONTROL!" he shouted.
Suddenly, time froze. Shadow grinned, walking calmly to the two, seemingly suspended in the air. He sucked in a quick breath, rolling in for some rapid spindashes, punching her in the gut several times, kicking her sharply in the chin, and for the grand finale, ripped her dress clear down the middle. When his feet touched the ground, time melted back to its original pace, leaving a very shocked and bewildered Sonic... and a very damaged and enraged Itshell. Sonic covered his mouth in surprise as her dress fell to the damp grass. Both hedgehogs then commenced a fit of giggles.
"Hot DAMN, woman! Why do you have to be so evil when you're so gawdamn SEXEH?" Sonic catcalled. He then received a rather harsh punch to the face. Shadow fell over he was laughing so hard. When Itshell's clothing had regained itself- magically of course- she took the liberty of punting the second hedgehog over a nearby treeline.
"Imbecilic mortals..." she growled, taking to the air and floating back towards the city.
--.o:o.--
If Tarsa hadn't already been devastated by her lover's injuries, she surely would have laughed at the scene. But, all was not right again as both able to fight against her were also fallen...in their ways...leaving her as the only hope for the planet.
She had finally rid herself of the darkness, and was surprised to find herself surrounded by light. Clean and pure, it radiated from her existence, pervading the evil that surrounded her. She clutched at her chest, surprised to have one again, realizing her newfound body was no longer light blue... but a crystal white.
--.o:o.--
Sonic looked up, pinching his bleeding nose and coughing. He cursed breathlessly, searching the morning sky for the intimidating silhouette of the dark echidna and finding it empty.
"Shadow! Where the fuck did he go? Gawdamnitalltahell!" he pounded the ground angrily as he was seated on it, gritting his teeth to hold back the tears of rage and desperation that were stinging to be freed.
"We're all royally screwed. In a very not-nice unpleasant way..." he let himself fall back heavily and coughed, surprised to feel something spill from his lips as he did. In touching this and looking at his fingertips, his vision blurred. Blood. He had been hit far harder than he thought... perhaps now seriously. Where did everyone go? He might be bleeding internally... He might even be fucking dying! 'They better get their asses back here soon... Ohhh...damnit, now I feel it...' he sat up and hacked painfully, more blood splattering the ground.
"This is it then? This is how I die?" he laughed coldly, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Some fucking plan. Ah, well... I guess I had a good life, right?" he stumbled to his feet, hissing at the sharp pain in his gut. When the hell did he get hit there?
"Fuck if I'm ready to die yet. I still gotta planet to save! -cough- I'm not... Gonna... -hack- give it all up...now..."
He fell to his knees, the sky and ground blurring into one unrecognizable swirl, spinning and tossing rapidly. He felt his stomach contract forcefully, felt himself lurch forward, retching painfully. He fell to the damp grass, losing conciousness.
'This is how I die, then...? Some fucking plan...'
--
Lumina laughed gleefully as she summoned some light to the palms of her hands. She grinned down at the city, just waking. People taking the train to work, driving their petty cars down petty streets. Children on their way to school.
A sudden light enveloped them all. In an instant, all was destroyed. All fell, and lay still. Briefcases that had fallen open, scattered papers, scoolbooks spilled from bright backpacks, bodies lying in the streets, on the sidewalks, on stairs. Eyes stared sightlessly, the life having been sucked from them.
She laughed cheerfully, clapping her hands. "Bravo! Good show, good show! Now for those disgusting structures..."
The skyscrapers and office buildings, hotel and casino were leveled in an instant. The dust billowed from the epicenter of the destruction in a giant mushrooming cloud.
"Ah, sometimes I simply amaze myself! Beautiful, I must say. I'm wasting time, there's is so much to be done!" she floated off in the direction of the twin cities Mobius and Monotreme.
She halted suddenly mid-air, eyes going wide. Her back arched involuntarily, cracking painfully. She cried out in surprise as she felt the fused gem in her chest rip in two...
She seemed to separate, another being borne from her own body, tearing itself of her flesh. She screamed in anguish and confusion as the agonizing event continued, until the second entity glowed before her. She held herself, gasping for air. Blood seeped from her very pores, soaking her short fur.
What she beheld was a white echidna in a pearly gown not unlike her own. A black crescent was visible on her chest, and she had silvery- silky hair streaming over her shoulders and flying in the breeze. She opened her eyes suddenly, revealing them to be a startling brilliant blue. She frowned ominously, lustrous eyes narrowing.
"Itshell... Look what you have done. Did you really expect I'd stay dormant and let your evil deeds go unpunished?"
"Lumina! Where did you come from?" the dark one demanded, fear evident in her voice.
"You've plagued me long enough. The highbred tried to rid themselves of you, but your end will be mine doing. It's time for you to go the way of your master, Nupus."
Her voice was calm and metallic. It chimed on the cool morning breeze, sending chills down Itshell's spine.
"Wait! You can't kill me! I'm your other half! And... and I'm still in Karpa's body! You need her!"
"I can have both without you."
Itshellbacked away as Lumina floated forward.
"Stop! I'm warning you! I won't go down without a fight!" she snapped into stance, the glare in her evil eyes a desperate one.
"So be it."
The white one's robes flowed and rippled violently as she raised her delicate arms, eyes closing. Suddenly, wings sprouted from her back, flaring to their full span. A misty light flowed from her, pervading the scene. As the blood-red sun rose from the earth, a deathcry echoed against faraway hills.
----
Sally looked up nervously from the bandages and antiseptic ointment she was applying to the injured red echidna.
"What was that?" Tails asked fearfully from his hiding spot behind Vector.
"It...it sounded like...Itshell..." she replied, frowning, now confused.
"You think they got her?"
"I hope."
"I bet they did!"
"We won't know for sure until we go out there and see..." Sally concluded.
"Espio, you can go unnoticed. Take a look for us?"
"Hm." He nodded, disappearing from the naked eye.
-
Upon seeing our blue hero lying in a pool of his own blood, Espio seemingly materialized, picking him up so he was sitting upright.
"Sonic, can you hear me?"
"g...gh..." he gurgled mindlessly in reply.
"Let's get you inside..." he slung the poor rodent over his shoulder and made his way back to the transport.
---
Shadow sat up suddenly, rubbing his bruised backside and grimacing.
"I think she broke my tail... and I think I need that...do I need a tail? What does it really do? It's just... there. Ah, but I'd miss my tail..." he wiggled it, grinning, then wincing in pain.
"I need a band-aid. Real bad... trees are pretty...I like trees..."
He sat there in silent thought, smiling up at the leaves overhead. Gotta love that anti-rigormortis agent.
---
The bright echidna touched down softly in the midst of a dense forest. Karpa hung limply from her arms. She opened her wings draping them over her like a heavenly blanket, kissing her forehead softly. Karpa's eyes snapped open and she looked up into the deep crystal blue of Lumina's irises.
"Who...who are you?"
"I... am Lumina. The dark one is defeated. You and your world are safe." Her voice sparkled, calming and smooth. Karpa's scowl of confusion softened as she relaxed against the angelic being, sighing heavily.
"So, she's dead, then?"
"Yes. All isagain aright."
Karpa hugged her tightly. "Oh, God, thank you! Thank you so much!" She couldn't hold back the tears of joy that crept from the back of her eyes. They spilled down her cheeks and dampened against the white fur of her savior. Lumina smiled softly down at her, stroking a delicate hand over the other's tasseled hair.
"You have your sister to thank," she said, lifting Karpa's chin. "for waking me. She is the one who freed me from the dark one's grasp."
The golden echidna blinked a few times in disbelief. "Tarsa? How in-" she was hushed by a white finger to her lips.
"No questions. That is to remain unknown." She gently lowered Karpa to her feet, stepping back.
"The time has come to return to my confinement." She stated in strange finality. "Know only that now half the gem is pure. One half remains blackened beyond repair unless you find someday one who can cleanse it."
"Wait, what do you mean? MY half? Why is it still-"
"No questions. I must go."
"But... But, wait! What do you mean?"
The bright form of the angel dimmed to blue, the wings and robes disappearing, revealing the twin, Tarsa. She sighed breathily and fell to the ground in exhaustion. Karpa rushed to her side.
"Tarsa? Can you hear me?"
"Yeah...boy, what a ride... is it all over?"
"Yes. It's all over. Looks like you saved the day, lit'l sis!" she gave her sister a gleeful kiss on the cheek.
"Already? Gee, that wasn't hard..." She chuckled tiredly before fainting into her twin's arms. Karpa knelt andcradled her, smiling with relief and utter happiness. This whole giant mess was finally over. And she had found her other half... in looking down at the sleeping face of her counterpart, she realized she had found more than that...the search for her had brought her to him, hadn't it? The real search wasn't always entirely for the gem...
"At last I can have my fairytale happy ending. It's about gawdamn time." She laughed, rising to her feet, shifting her sister's weight to her back. She coughed slightly under the weight.
"Let's go find our prince charmings then, shall we?" she chuckled as she trudged from the clearing, into the filtered sunlight of the forest.
(((Oh, I'm just a sucker for happy endings! Well, this isn't EXACTLY the end; I still have the epilogue to do...)))
Sonic: -sniffling- oh, that's just beautiful!
Knux: I GOTS MAH CUDDLEBEAR BAAACK! -tackles the poor, fatigued Tarsa and hugglefies-
Tarsa: meep.
Shadow: I like epilogues. It's like the ending to the ending... Or a beginning to a beginning? Does anything really end so much as it begins? Aren't teddy bears fluffy and cute and huggable? -picks up a rock and cuddles it- I love teddies...
A: gotta love hedgies on drugs...