.:Chapter 8:.
Naugus Returns
Over the mountains, just as the skies began to darken, Kaligarr raced effortlessly over the moss-covered rocks and steep cliffs, a blur of black running straight ahead of him. The two minions were ascending one of the highest Emerald Mountain peaks, their every sense alert, on the hunt of a very valuable gem.
"Is it close by, Shadow?" the griffin called, leaping up a steep cliff face.
"Just ahead," came his reply. "There's an ancient temple on the peak. It's there it's hidden -- I can feel its energy!"
On and on they climbed, and then suddenly, up ahead, there appeared a great temple of marble half-buried in creeping vines, moss and ferns. The hedgehog and the griffin bolted forward eagerly. But they soon slid to a halt. The entrance to the chamber was blocked completely by vegetation and crumbled rock.
"It's inside," said Shadow. "Come, we must get this entrance open."
Kaligarr immediately reared up and began to slash violently at the thick vines with his enormous talons, raking the plants away and sending them flying. Shadow ran back into the forest, and seconds later came charging back, leaping and ramming into the moss-covered boulder that barred their path. It shifted slightly beneath his hit, and he repeated the process while Kaligarr continued to weaken it with his mighty claws. Finally the boulder rolled a few inches away, and now the griffin slammed his forepaws against it in unison with Shadow. At last the rock rolled away and collapsed, and the two searchers bounded inside and began to tear through the timeless ruins.
"Search everywhere," Kaligarr ordered. "even underground. These emeralds could be anywhere."
Shadow roamed about the temple, searching every nook and cranny, following the tingling he felt in his blood. The emerald was here . . . He could feel the powerful energy radiating, reacting with his life force. It made him feel faster, stronger, and slightly weightless. And for this he knew he was truly the Ultimate Life Form, for no one else could call upon the power of the Chaos Emeralds . . . Or so he believed.
Kaligarr scoured every corner of the ruins with his keen, eagle eyes. He slashed away anything that stood in his way, be it merely plants or rocks, and using his great height he looked on the stone shelves and statues that were near the ceiling.
For nearly an hour the search went on, and at first the partners were about ready to give up and begin excavating the temple when suddenly Shadow noticed a small crevice in the wall, hidden in shadow beneath a great growth of moss near the back of the room. He hadn't seen it before because it had been too dark, but now a small sliver of moon was glowing in the night sky, and suddenly a flicker of green caught his eye. Stooping down, he reached into the hole, and soon brought out the green Chaos Emerald that had been so well camouflaged.
"Bingo," grinned Kaligarr darkly. "That makes five. And with the Master Emerald, we just may have enough power . . . Let's go."
As the two started back down the mountain again, a voice suddenly whispered through the wind.
"Head south . . . I do believe our friends are near the valley just below."
"But sir, don't we need them later?" Kaligarr asked.
"Trust me my friend. All will become clear when you reach them."
The griffin whirled around and bolted toward the south at his fastest speed.
"Shall I run ahead?" Shadow asked, easily matching his pace.
"For the time being stay here," Kaligarr replied. "I don't know what exactly Naugus wants us to do when we find those Freedom Fighters, but I suppose we'll find out soon enough."
Nihara slashed the side of a tree furiously with her sword. "I'll kill him! I'll kill that miserable fool St. John!" She snarled.
"Freedom Fighters don't kill one another, Nihara," Uncle Chuck said quietly. "If we did, we'd be no better than the evil we fight."
"He is not a Freedom Fighter," she hissed. "He's nothing but a product of evil himself! You've heard and seen what he's done. Aren't you furious at him as well?"
"Of course I am," Chuck replied. "It's my nephew that's hurt after all. But would resorting to that kind of violence help anything?"
"It'd satisfy me," Nihara retorted, her black eyes blazing. "I won't tolerate back-stabbers, Uncle, everyone knows that. I've dealt with too many of them in the past."
"If anyone's the back-stabber it's Sally," Knuckles spoke up suddenly. "Don't think Sonic's the only one she's done this to." There came a cold look in his eyes. "She said she was my friend once . . . What a lie."
"I'll kill her too," Nihara snorted. "After all, I believed I could trust her too. If it's anything I despise, it's people who act like they're your best friends in the world, and then turn right around and put a blade through your heart!"
"I don't blame you, hon," Bunnie said softly. "But I'm afraid Chuck's right. Killing them would only make things worse . . . Right now we have bigger problems to worry about."
Nihara stared at them all in disbelief. "You mean to tell me that we're just gonna let them get away with this?"
"The wicked receive their just reward," said Uncle Chuck. "Fate will find its own way to punish them for their crime."
Nihara snarled and raked the bark off the tree again with another violent slash. "The wicked never receive anything except what they don't deserve. That's why I'd like to do the job myself, so I know they'll pay!"
"Killing will make you just as wicked," came his patient reply. "Trust me. I'm hurt and I'm angry too . . . But if it's anyone we need to focus on destroying now, it's Naugus."
"Speaking of which, we've already wasted too much time," said Knuckles. "He's out there now looking for the rest of the Chaos Emeralds, and he only needs three more."
"We had better start searching for them," Chuck nodded. "I know it's been terribly hard on everyone, but for the good of the planet, we must get moving."
"Then we'd better get started," Knuckles muttered, rising to his feet. "They headed south, into the woods. About a mile and a half up that way there's a river. They couldn't have gone too far because further on that river gets pretty big and turns into rapids. Dangerous rapids. These mountains are full of them."
"Lead the way Knuckles," Uncle Chuck smiled, and then they started off, following the Guardian of the Floating Island through the dense forest.
Just as they began to enter the trees, Kimberly suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and gasped.
Her vision had suddenly flashed -- and then, she was no longer with her friends in the Emerald Mountains, but in some strange, distant place she had never even seen before. There seemed to be nothing all around her . . . Nothing but swirling clouds of gas and dust slowly drifting about her, glowing in mystifying shades of dark blues, violets and silvers. Farther in the distance, however, there soon appeared glimmers of white. The girl desperately tried to look harder and find out what they were, but the image was too blurry. Then something even stranger happened. There, just ahead of her, suddenly appeared two figures. One was tall and blacker than a stormy night. At first it looked as if he may have been pure black, but it was then she distinguished the streaks of red on his head and quills. Shadow.
Shadow had his head turned to the figure at his side, and it looked as if they were talking about something. Kimberly tried to make out their words, but no sound came to her ears. So instead she focused on the one alongside Shadow. This unknown stranger looked black at first too, but Kim noticed that the head was a dark shade of violet, almost the same color as Kaligarr. And then, for some odd reason, Kimberly suddenly felt the strongest sense of recognition for this stranger . . . It looked like someone she hadn't seen in ages, someone she wanted to run to. The girl had no idea why the stranger called to her, but she found herself squinting, trying harder and harder to clear this misty picture before her. Then she saw a movement from the black-and-violet one . . . It lifted its head, and suddenly there came a shimmer of gold . . . And then the vision was gone. It had happened at last. All three girls had seen visions.
"Kim, you OK?" Natalie's voice suddenly reached Kimberly's ears.
Kimberly shook her head as she remembered where she really was, and for a moment she stood there motionless, taking in all she had just seen.
"What's the matter?" Natalie asked again. " . . . Oh, don't tell me you saw a vision too . . . "
" . . . I did," Kim answered hesitantly, shivering slightly. "At last I did . . . It was so strange."
Now everyone was looking at her curiously.
"What do you mean vision?" Knuckles asked.
"Ever since this began," explained Natalie. "We've all had visions -- me, Kim and Jess that is."
"Of what?"
"Jess said something about seeing a beautiful forest . . . And I had a vision about a shrine, and there was a green glow--"
Suddenly Knuckles interrupted. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, waving his hands. "A shrine? The Master Emerald shrine?"
"That must have been it," she nodded. "It was a tall shrine, surrounded by stone columns. The green glow was at the top."
The Guardian furrowed his eyes wonderingly. "I don't know what it means . . . But I doubt it's anything good. I've heard talk that when Naugus is around people have visions. And they're normally ones he's trying to reach."
"Reach?" Kimberly asked, something peculiar in the tone of her voice. Words began to whisper through her head again.
"Come to us . . . For we come for you. Come to us . . . "
"Why would Naugus try to reach us?" Natalie asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Knuckles shrugged. "But that's just what I've heard. It all depends on what you're seeing and feeling with these visions. Kimberly, what did you see?" They turned their eyes on the girl, who now looked suddenly so far away from them.
". . . I-I saw some kind of . . . void, of clouds and vapors swirling about each other. And then I saw--I saw two figures ahead of me. One of them was Shadow. I recognized him by his black-and-red color. And the one beside him was purple-and-black . . . I have no idea who it was."
"Purple and black?" Natalie asked. "What was it?"
". . . I don't know. It was no taller than Shadow . . . And I think it had the same kind of muzzle -- short and tan from nose to cheek. But other than that I couldn't tell much about it. It was too blurry . . ."
"Great," Knuckles replied. "Probably another enemy we'll run into . . . Just what we need."
"Does anyone besides me feel that this situation is getting far out of hand?" Nihara asked.
"Too far out of hand," the Guardian answered. "So let's move. We're wasting valauble time."
As they began to move on again, Kimberly lingered for a moment, her gaze still fixed on the ground.
"Kim," Natalie called. "You sure you're OK?"
" . . . Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. Let's go." She didn't quite understand the sudden urge not to join the Freedom Fighters just then. For a brief second it felt as if something had pulled her away, like some invisbile thread. But it was gone even quicker than it had come, and slowly she took a step forward. It was all so confusing . . . It seemed as if these "voices" she kept hearing were getting stronger and clearer every time they spoke to her . . . And that vision. Feeling such a strong sense of recognition, of desire to run to that unknown figure unnerved her greatly. What did it all mean? Like the blue star, was this too an omen?
Very troubled inside suddenly, Kimberly finally followed after the small group, lagging a few steps behind, trying desperately to collect her thoughts and get her mind off the vision.
Directly above them, homing in from the north, was a great griffin, a dark silhouette perched upon his back . . .
Sonic stooped down to the river now glittering with the silver moonlight, cupped the icy water in his hands and wet his face to wash away any remnants of the pain he had suffered earlier. He knew he could never truly wash away the scars that Sally had left inside him, but whatever wounds he could heal, whatever signs of his anguish he could clear away, he would tend to. Finally he rose to his feet and shook the remaining water off in a misty spray, and turned his head toward the fast-approaching night.
"We'd better go back," he said quietly. "As it is I feel guilty enough in leaving the Freedom Fighters twice now."
"It wasn't your fault," Jessica answered calmly from the darkness of the trees. "You gonna be OK, Blue?"
"I'll bounce back," came his sullen reply. "It'll take a while . . . Probably longer than I've ever taken to heal . . . But I've got to. If I ever really want to be myself again."
"I'll be there to help you," Jessica assured him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks," he smiled, the moonbeams catching that remarkable sparkle of spirit in his eyes.
Jessica shook her head in wonder. It was amazing. He had been hurt, wounded, like he never had been before, and yet that spirit still flamed. Weaker than it normally did . . . But it was there, alive and flickering. Truly nothing could take that light out of this emerald eyes. It just couldn't be done. Jessica knew that now more than ever.
Sonic then turned around and headed for the trail that led back to camp, walking slowly to allow Jessica to walk beside him. The girl was about to follow him, when suddenly something blue glinted in the waters below. At first she thought it had been the moonlight reflecting off the river, but when she looked down, she discovered that the light was far too brilliant to be the moon's. It glowed as if it had a life of its own, piercing right through the crystal-clear water and into the night air. Kneeling down, she reached her hand into the river and withdrew a light blue Chaos Emerald.
"Sonic, look," she called, holding up the glimmering gem.
"Huh, well look at that," he smiled. "I thought I sensed the energy . . . Makes our job easier. Let's bring it back so Naugus can get a hold of it."
Jess grinned and jogged over to him, and they began to walk back together.
For a long while the two were silent, enjoying the peaceful nocturnal sounds that echoed around them. Crickets and other night insects chirped in the trees overhead, accompanied by the chorus of tree frogs and the occasional hoot of an owl. A gentle breeze sifted through the grass, creating a soft whisper that relaxed the both of them. Then, the girl looked up pensively into the starry sky above.
". . . I sometimes wonder what our families are thinking back on Earth . . . Whether they think we've been lost forever in the forest, or if they're searching for us."
"Do you miss them?" Sonic asked quietly.
"I do," came her reply. "But I could never leave Mobius. And even if I did, there's still a part of me that will never leave." She sighed and turned her gaze back to the ground. "Do you think that Uncle Chuck could be right about the power of Chaos Control? Especially now that he knows Shadow, the only one who can use it, exists?"
Sonic furrowed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I dunno, Jess. It's possible . . . I mean, Shadow can use that power at his own will, it looks like. But I have no clue on how he's gonna learn anything about it. What's he gonna do? Catch Shadow?" Again his eyes flamed as he remembered his race across the mountaintop with his daring look-alike. "He's fast, Jess. Faster than anyone else I've come up against except for maybe Black, but he was a robot. But I'll outrun him the next time we meet. Trust me."
"This I believe," Jessica smiled lightly. "But . . . in the event that Uncle Chuck does reveal the secret of the power . . . will we be made to go home? Or will we have a choice?"
Sonic paused and closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to make a difficult decision. "I won't make you go home, Jess. Not--Not unless it was vital to your survival . . . Now, if it was the best thing for you, Nat and Kim. If it meant the difference between life and death, sure I'd send ya home. But otherwise . . . I--Jess, I don't think I could bear it if you went home, honestly."
Jessica turned and looked at him intently now. " . . . You couldn't?"
"No," he answered slowly. "after knowing the three of you so long, it just wouldn't be the same. I mean, we've always done things together, especially you and I. We race together, and explore. No one else but Tails does things with me like that . . . Sally never did. And who couldn't miss Kimberly's exceptional computer skills or Nat fly-tackling Knuckles every five seconds? I've only seen her do that one day and it seems as if it's been going on for ages."
Jessica snickered. "Yeah. I'm so glad she got to meet him at last . . . She's wanted to forever. Kinda like how I used to dream about meeting you."
Sonic smiled slightly, and suddenly that joy of having this girl at his side returned. It was getting stronger and stronger every time . . .
"I don't think you have to worry, Jess," he grinned, "What could be so bad that it'd force you, Kim and Nat to go back?"
"Hopefully nothing." she answered. "besides I don't believe any force in the universe would force me to leave." She winked.
Sonic snickered and started off again . . . And then he suddenly stopped about four strides later, his body going rigid and his ears pricked forward. Jessica immediately saw the tension in his posture, and came up beside him.
"What is it?"
For a second Sonic didn't respond . . . His quills stiffened, and then suddenly he burst forward with such speed and suddenness that Jessica was nearly brought to the ground. Startled, she flailed her arms until she caught her balance, and then sprinted after him.
"Sonic! What's wrong?" she cried.
Sonic clenched his teeth, eyes locked on the sky. "Kaligarr and Shadow! I just saw 'em! They're headed toward the camp!"
He surged forward with tremendous speed, tearing past the branches and ripping the leaves right off the trees. Jessica strained to keep up with him, but soon fell back despite her efforts. Suddenly the sound of shouts and startled cries filled the air, and Sonic and Jess knew that a battle had erupted. Sonic pinned his ears flat, and rammed his way past clawing tree branches and dense brush. He had gone through too much already . . . He wasn't about to lose any of his friends.
"Blast you griffin, what do you want with us!" Nihara cried, holding off Kaligarr as the great beast charged the group.
"I have my orders, hedgehog!" he snarled, swiping his enormous talons just inches above her head. "Now stand down and listen to me, or it'll be your friends that suffer!"
The warrioress's eyes blazed and there was a great clash of metal as her sword met his claws. "You lay a paw on them and I swear I'll have your head!"
Behind her some of the Freedom Fighters tried to join her and fight off the griffin, while the others were trapped behind, Shadow guarding them. They had been divided when Kaligarr dive-bombed them, and now they were all being forced to opposite ends of the camp to be restrained. Natalie was in the group guarded by Kaligarr with Knuckles and Nihara, and Kimberly was in the other. Desperately she and the others tried to break past Shadow and assist their comrades, but it was hopeless. Every time Shadow would bar their path, moving far too fast for them. And with brute force alone he herded them back.
Bunnie tried to rally her group.
"Come on! There's more than seven of us and only one of him! We can take him!"
Shadow glared at her, his crimson eyes flaming. "You'll keep your head down if you know what's good for you."
"What's good for me joinin' the battle!" Bunnie cried defiantly.
"If you challenge me then come forth and face me!" came his bold reply, and he tossed his head as if to dare her to even take a step toward him.
Bunnie realized she could never match Shadow's speed . . . Not after witnessing him match strides with Sonic! But perhaps the black hedgehog before her was more speed than strength, and if it was one thing she was talented at, it was strength. Being part-robot aided her greatly in that aspect, and for the sake of her fellow Freedom Fighters she had to do something! Suddenly she raced forward to take Shadow's challenge, her long ears swept back fearlessly.
What came next caused the others to recoil in horror. Bunnie never had a chance to see what hit her. Shadow stood before her without so much as flinching, and then, suddenly, he lifted his hand and there came a shockwave of energy that repelled her back with furious force! The Freedom Fighters scattered, and Bunnie hit the ground hard.
Shadow merely snorted. "You fool -- challenging the power of the Ultimate Life Form. I was created by the renowned scientist Professor Gerald Robotnik, and I hold more power, more indescribable energy in one hand than any of you do within your bodies!"
Unlce Chuck helped Bunnie to her feet. "Bunnie, are you OK?"
The gallant Freedom Fighter staggered to her feet, stunned, but unharmed. "Yeah, sugah, I'm all right . . . How did he do that? The power of the Chaos Emeralds?"
The black hedgehog's cold, emotionless gaze pierced through hers. "I only need one emerald to do that, my friend. And I seriously doubt that you'd like to see what I could do with all seven. Now, if everyone does what I say, no one shall be harmed!"
"But what is it you want?" Uncle Chuck pleaded. "What is it Naugus is asking from us?"
"Have you ever heard the term prisoners of war?" Shadow asked brusquely. "Silence! I give the orders here now! Now surrender yourselves, or I shall have to give you a taste of my wrath!"
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Kimberly stepped forward. Before she could even realize what she was doing, she was standing face-to-face with Shadow, looking right into his glowing red eyes. Somehow she felt no fear as she stood there before him . . . And she hardly even knew what it was that drew her toward him in the first place.
"Why are you doing this, Shadow?" she asked calmly. The others stared in amazement.
Shadow looked hard at her for a moment, hardly believing her courage. "Because my master demands it. You dare stand in my shadow without fear? Without even a twinge of doubt? Who are you?"
"I won't fight you -- not unless you hurt my friends," came Kimberly's answer. Then she thought hard, trying to remember Shadow as he had been portrayed on Earth. "I know who you really are . . . You're not really so hard, so cruel on the inside are you Shadow?"
Shadow blinked in surprise, and then intensified his fiery glare. "How do you know of what I am? No one knows who I truly am!"
All of a sudden a familiar voice flowed through Shadow's mind.
"Humor her . . . Remember, she is vital to our plans. Take her prisoner . . . Nevermind the others. It is her I want right now. Her alone."
Suddenly somthing in Shadow's gaze softened . . . And Kimberly fancied she even saw a bit of life fade away from his eyes. " . . . Nevermind," he replied slowly. "You're right . . . I don't need the others. All I need is you."
The others stared, puzzled.
Kimberly was about to say something, when suddenly a curtain seemed to descend upon her her mind. Her eyes went completely blank, as they had before on the mountainside, when they first ran into Shadow and Kaligarr. Thoughts were pouring into her head . . . Thoughts that were not her own. They spoke to her, but not in her voice.
"This is not your place . . . Your place is with me. You've seen me in your sub-conscious . . . Heard my voice. Face reality. Mobius does not exist . . . Only I do. Leave behind this world of foolish lies and false hopes, and join me!"
Kimberly wanted to shake her head, and rid herself of that horrid voice that kept whispering to her, beckoning her to "face reality." But suddenly she realized she couldn't move . . . Couldn't take control of her actions. She was hypnotized -- but Kaligarr wasn't even facing her! Could Shadow possess the power of hypnosis too?
Suddenly the girl found herself walking toward Shadow. "Yes," she said, speaking in a void she hardly recognized. "Take me to Naugus. This land is nothing but a pack of lies . . . Of foolish fantasy. Take me to reality."
"What is she sayin'!" Bunnie gasped.
Now the Freedom Fighters in Kaligarr's group had seen Kimberly comning toward Shadow, who was slowly leading her to Kaligarr.
"Kim!" Natalie called. "What are you doing! Stop!"
"Silence!" Kim cried suddenly, causing her friends to jump. When she turned on them, her eyes were cold, unfeeling . . . "I do not listen to the subjects of dreams and illusions!"
"Kim?" Natalie asked, startled. "What are you doing? It's us! The Freedom Fighters! We're your friends!"
"I have no friends," she retorted. "I don't trust anyone or anything, except my own instincts."
The Freedom Fighters could only goggle at the girl, stunned. Somehow Kaligarr had to be holding some kind of control over her . . . Or could it be the work of Naugus?
Suddenly the great griffin cackled. "Looks like one of you pathetic Freedom Fighters has brains. Come, human! We go to Master Naugus." He strutted toward Kimberly, spread his wings and lowered down so she could mount.
"Kim, no!" Natalie shouted.
But Kimberly ignored the calls of her friends. She followed Shadow to Kaligarr, reaching for his muscular shoulders to clamber on his back.
The Freedom Fighters desperately tried to think of a plan to stop them, to somehow break whatever trance Kimberly was in. Then, suddenly, Natalie got an idea.
"Hey! Featherhead!" she yelled.
Kaligarr turned to her with a hiss.
Natalie reached quickly into a supply pack beside her, and withdrew a Power Ring. "Wouldn't you rather have this instead of some human?"
At once Kaligarr and Shadow's eyes widened.
"The Power Ring!" Kaligarr gasped. "It possesses incredible energy!"
"Well then catch!" With that Natalie tossed the golden ring high into the air.
Kaligarr wasted no time. He crouched, coiling his powerful muscles like a cat and leaping skywards, head outstretched to seize the Power Ring. That's when Natalie saw her chance. Boldly she dashed forward, leapt up with him and managed to reach her arms around his neck when he lowered it to gain upward momentum, tightening her grip around his throat tightly and slamming her fist into the sensitive area on the back of his head, just behind his ears. The griffin screeched in pain, and furiously he jerked his hindlegs sideways to break free, causing him to miss the ring and fall heavily to the ground.
The Freedom Fighters gasped. "Natalie, are you crazy!"
Natalie didn't have time to answer, for Kaligarr had soon broke away from her, and now he towered over her, snarling with rage.
"You fool! I'll teach you to trick me!"
He raised his massive talons high above her head, preparing to swipe. Natalie knew she could never outrun his strike, so she did the next best thing -- she dove to the ground. She could only hope his claws would just miss her.
Then, suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, came a flash of red! Knuckles soared right through the air, and with one, forceful hit, brought his fist up hard beneath Kaligarr's jaw and sent him tumbling backwards!
Again the air was filled with astounded gasps. Natalie looked up, and once she saw Knuckles standing a few feet away, fists clenched, and Kaligarr sprawled out on the ground, she grinned.
"Nice shot, Red."
"Not a bad hit yourself."
There was a heavy grunt as Kaligarr shook his head and clambered to his feet, and then the beast pinned his ears against his thick black mane and roared. "You idiots want to make a battle of this! Then so be it! Shadow!"
But the black hedgehog didn't respond . . . He had his head turned in the direction of the forest, his long ears pricked forward.
"Shadow, you fool!" Kaligarr snarled. "Do as I say!"
"Wait," came Shadow's calm reply. "I sense something . . . Something--"
He never had time to finish his sentence, because all of a sudden the air seemed to erupt into a storm as a powerful gale swept through the camp, nearly knocking everyone off their feet. And then, standing tall ahead of his comrades, and looking directly into the eyes of his enemies, was Sonic! Not long afterward Jessica emerged into the clearing too, in a dead pant, but narrowing her eyes when she saw the danger that threatened them, ready to fight for her friends.
"Sonic! Jessica!" The Freedom Fighters all cried with relief when they saw their beloved leader and the girl that followed him like a shadow back and unharmed.
Sonic looked over the group to make sure no one had been hurt, and then faced Shadow and Kaligarr with piercing eyes. "Back off, guys! There's no way you are your "master" are gonna win this!"
Kaligarr lashed his long tail and pawed the ground in challenge, leering back at Sonic viciously. "You. You are quick and gallant, Hedgehog! But not even your superior speed or fortunate timing can save your band of spineless rebels from Naugus! Shadow, take him!"
But Shadow's eyes were not on Sonic at the moment . . . They were on Jessica . . . Or rather, what she held in her hands . . . He knew he had sensed another Chaos Emerald. And not only that, but now there was a commanding voice booming in his and Kaligarr's heads.
"The sixth Chaos Emerald! Seize it, Shadow! Kaligarr, you take the human girl!"
"So that's why he brought us here," Kaligarr snickered and suddenly whirled toward Jessica.
All at once Jessica realized her mistake in bringing the emerald into the camp . . . She should have hidden it back near the river, where it would have been a considerable distance away. Desperately she tried to run into the safety of the group that had joined together again beneath the cover of the nearby trees. Sonic immediately came to her aid, dashing toward Kaligarr to cut him off. The griffin only smiled. That's right where he wanted him to go.
Pulling up hard on his hindquarters, Kaligarr whipped around and faced Sonic. While the Freedom Fighter leader was preoccupied, that's when Shadow made his move. All of a sudden he was right behind Jessica, and since she had not been prepared for him, he easily snatched the blue emerald right out of her hands.
"NO!" Jessica yelled.
Knuckles lunged for Shadow, but with the power of Chaos Control, the hedgehog disappeared into thin air.
Kaligarr cackled triumphantly. "Looks like Shadow pulled a fast one," he smirked, and then galloped over to Kimberly who wasted no time vaulting on his back. "So long, Freedom Fighters! We will meet again!"
"Kim!" Jessica cried, but no answer came from her friend.
Sonic tossed his head furiously, hardly believing the luck they were having in this fast-approaching war.
But there was no time to discuss what to do next, or even attempt to try and chase after Kaligarr and Kimberly . . . For suddenly, in the vast plain just outside of the wood, a blinding light blazed, and quickly diminished to reveal a great portal of swiriling violet and yellow vapor. Chills of horror and disbelief trembling down the backs of the Freedom Fighters as a painfully familiar laughter filled the air -- a laughter laden with evilness, lust and dark triumph.
"At last! At last I have found the power to release me from this prison I have known so long! At last my magic has the energy it needs, to make anything possible! Quake with fear, Freedom Fighters! For Naugus has returned!"