.:Chapter 11:.

The Seventh Emerald

Naugus stepped forward, gazing down gleefully at what he saw before him. "Yes . . . It's happened. It's finally happened! The transformation has taken place! Take a look Shadow!"

The dark wizard moved aside to reveal the pictures displayed in the ice. There, in a small clearing in the now-frozen forests of the Floating Island, were Sonic, Knuckles, and two creatures that he had formerly known to be humans . . . Only they were no longer human. Shadow shook his head in amazement.

"How can this be?"

Naugus chuckled, his sharp teeth gleaming in the weak light that filtered through the mists of the Void. "It's just like I predicted, Shadow! Just as I've said! The magic of Sanctuary would find its way to the human girls, and because of their own foolish fantasies it would change them into what they most desire! Now, I can use them to my advantage!"

Shadow could only stare at the pictures, awe-stricken. Sanctuary truly was capable of creating any reality . . . Surely it could bring Maria back! His heart swelled at the thought of that possibility!

Naugus cackled and went on excitedly. "They're mine now, Shadow! My little puppets! Once I have the seventh Chaos Emerald, I will have the final power, the final power to control the three of them, and then, they'll hand deliver Mobius right to me!"

Suddenly the black hedgehog looked up at his master. ". . . The girl . . . Kimberly . . . What of Kimberly?"

The wizard glanced down at him, and his smile nearly stretched to his ears. "Kaligarr! Bring out our new crew member!"

Shadow turned to the set of cliffs ahead, where Naugus had motioned. Suddenly, from the shadows, Kaligarr stepped forth, his eyes glowing scarlet red through the snow. As he drew farther and farther forward, a figure appeared at his right side, a figure he didn't at all recognize to be Kimberly. There, beside the griffin, was a dark violet hedgehog with flashing golden eyes that pierced the icy haze in the air like searchlights. A long, pitch black cape flowed behind her, and her obsidian-black boots contrasted sharply against the white snow as she moved forward effortlessly, drifting rather than walking. Why . . . this was a phantom, not the girl Shadow had talked to not so long ago . . .

"That-that can't be her, Sir? She's . . . "

"A hedgehog," Naugus smirked. "A very powerful hedgehog."

Shadow was still shocked by this transformation. He witnessed amazing things before -- like warps in time and space -- but never anything like this. "Kimberly?" he asked. "Kimberly, is that you?"

"Kimberly?" came a cold, stern voice. "I do not know of who you speak of. I am Khare."

Naugus's laughter filled the air once again, only adding the cold chill that was growing stronger and stronger by the minute. Shadow found himself shivering, when the cold had never really bothered him before. He could only stare into those piercing golden orbs. There was something in those eyes . . . something dangerous . . . something powerful.

"Oh, if only those Freedom Fighters knew what was in store for them," cackled the wizard. "If only! Now, they are truly trapped! Caught in my net already, without even realizing it!"

Shadow blinked, and turned toward his master. "I don't understand, Sir. What exactly can these three humans do for us now that they're Mobian?"

"What can they do?" Naugus asked, his eyes filled to the brim with a sort of grim, victorious pride. "With the help of my magic, and Sanctuary, anything Shadow! Absolutely anything! With them I could blow this whole planet sky-high if I wished, all in a matter of seconds! I could wipe out every last rebel on Mobius with one snap of a finger, I could tear down the very sun!"

A flicker of desperate hope came in Shadow's eyes as he listened. "Then, that means--?"

"Yes, Shadow," Naugus grinned widely. "I could even bring your Maria back. Back forever."

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Shadow felt his heart beat again. To him everything had stopped when he had lost Maria . . . It had been the last time he had ever dared to draw breath, the last time his heart had felt, the last time he knew anything besides fear, pain and fury. And now, with Naugus's promising words, he was beginning to feel again.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Let's bring her back! Please bring her back to me!"

"Patience my friend," Naugus smirked. Again something cunning, something conniving sparked in his red eyes, but Shadow failed to notice it in his desperation to see Maria again. "First, other business is in order. Say . . . the seventh Chaos Emerald?"

Suddenly the images that had been playing across the ice changed rapidly. There, before them all, appeared the final Chaos Emerald, nestled safely in the rocks of a mountain peak, snow sprinkling over it and melting instantly when it came into contact with the raging energy that surrounded the legendary gem. It blended in with the dismal gray air about it, for it was a soft, chilling silver. The final piece to the puzzle . . . the final key to unlock the treasure Naugus sought.

Shadow looked quizzically at Naugus. He found his master glowering down expectantly at the creature dubbed "Khare," as though waiting for her to do something.

Then Ixis spoke, "Bring it to me, Khare! Go! Use your psychic powers, and bring the seventh Chaos Emerald to me now!"

Khare didn't need to be told twice. At his command, her eyes suddenly blazed a blinding gold, the pupils disappearing altogether. Then, lifted her gloved hand, she reached for the picture of the emerald as if she could grab it right out of the icy screen. And then, to Shadow's utter amazement, the Chaos Emerald, wherever it was, suddenly lifted into the air along with Khare's hand. It floated about two or three feet off the ground for a second, and then abruptly vanished. A few seconds passed, and then, all of a sudden, the air in between Khare, Shadow, Kaligarr and Naugus flashed. There was the silver Chaos Emerald, hovering merely a foot away from them, theirs for the taking!

There came a shrill, triumphant laugh from Naugus. "Yes! Yes! The seventh Chaos Emerald is mine! The ultimate power is mine!"

Kaligarr laughed along with him. After all, why shouldn't he feel as if he had gained something? He was working with Naugus, and therefore would share the spoils of their victory together. "So is it true, Master Naugus? Can we really do as we please! Whatever we want, we can have?"

"Oh, yes! That and more, Kaligarr! That and much more!"

The griffin smirked cunningly, for he knew well what he'd like to do to that blue hedgehog and that bold human girl who had been so foolish to take him on in combat. Oh yes, they'd be punished all right.

". . . And Maria?" suddenly came Shadow's hopeful voice. "When can you bring her back, Sir?"

For a brief moment irritability entered Naugus's eyes as he turned on the dark hedgehog. But he quickly replaced it with false patience and understanding. "First we must take the other two under our control before they come to us. That could take some time, because we weren't able to reach them before like Khare here. Their childish fantasies and beliefs about this planet make their minds strong to penetrate . . . but we'll do it. Now that we have all the emeralds on our side."

"But won't they eventually find us?" asked Shadow. "They won't quit the search for their friend. How can we keep them away long enough to successfully take control of the two girls?"

Naugus's eyes narrowed slyly. "With a simple spell, my friend." The wizard then suddenly closed his eyes and murmured something under his breath, something Shadow and Kaligarr couldn't quite make out. It was a short incantation, and with one sweep of Naugus's hand it was complete. Kaligarr and Shadow gazed at their master questioningly.

"Let's hope our friends don't find themselves walking in circles on their search for us." A malevolent grin spread across his face, and once more he filled the air with his rough, victorious laughter. "Yes! It begins now, Freedom Fighters!"

"I don't believe eet! Zey are Mobians! Like us!" Antoine stared in amazement at the two creatures before him, the light-blue hedgehog and the black-and-red echidna.

Cyan beamed joyously. It was all truly a dream come true. "That's right, Ant! You can all call me Cyan, now. That's my Mobian name."

"But how?" Bunnie asked, her mouth hung open incredulously.

"The magic of Sanctuary, apparently," replied Sonic. "We ran into three spirits, that claimed they were the girls' 'guardians.' And they're the ones who did it."

Even Nihara was surprised. "That's incredible! So Naugus was right . . . Sanctuary can do anything!"

"They just look so different . . ." said Uncle Chuck. "But I guess you can say they're really a part of us now."

"They were always a part of us, Unc," smiled Sonic. "whaddya talkin' about?"

"Well, it really is quite amazing," the older hedgehog chuckled. Then his face sobered. "But I'm afraid we have a bigger issue to worry about . . . The Void. On the plus side, since we're inside it, we have a good chance of finding not only Kimberly, but also Naugus. However, in here, it's going to be difficult to warn other people of the Void's spread -- maybe even impossible."

The Freedom Fighters' excitement about the girls' spectacular transformation abruptly died down when they remembered the problem at hand. When they had first suddenly found themselves in the mouth of the Void, they had panicked. And they had also become suspicious when Sonic and Knuckles had returned with the two girls in their new forms. Some even worried that it had been a trick of Naugus. But they trusted their leader. They knew without a doubt that Sonic's will was far too powerful to ever dominate, even through hypnosis. It was inpenetrable, even though Sonic didn't always feel like it. Despite the incredible event he had witnessed, his inner battle was beginning to tell on him more and more, and he was growing increasingly weary of it. He tried desperately to remain strong for his friends, and to conceal his pain as best he could, but it was becoming unbearable. Sooner or later he'd have to let it all go, allow himself to grieve. Only then would he find the strength to overcome it.

Sighing heavily at his uncle's comment, Sonic turned and started to pace nervously. "I don't like the fact that we may not be able to save everyone outside . . . What'll happen if the Void does engulf the planet, Unc?"

Chuck shrugged his metallic shoulders. "To be honest I'm not sure, Sonny. It looks as if it'd turn the planet into a frozen wasteland once the sucking winds die down. Not only will it cause widespread destruction as it spreads, but as you can see the clouds of Sanctuary make it nearly impossible for the sun to shine through . . . Without sunlight, vegetation will die, and temperatures will drop. Once that happens, I fear for us all . . ."

The small band looked worriedly up at the dark skies above them now, where instead of endless blue there was now only a film of grayish-blue clouds swirling slowly and constantly.

"I can track the emerald's energy, however, with my computers, and that'll most likely lead us to Naugus," Chuck continued. "I'm not exactly sure why he would need Kimberly . . . Probably for ransom."

"You don't think Naugus would harm Kim do you?" Cyan asked worriedly.

"I doubt it . . . What else could he possibly use her for except for bait? He needs her to lure us . . . That's the only conclusion I can come to."

Suddenly Valdez, one of Geoffrey's followers, spoke up. "I'd hate to suggest such an idea, but has anyone considered the possibility of Kimberly . . . well, going with Naugus on her own free will?"

Everyone stared at Valdez for a moment, as if the idea were so absurd it didn't even deserve to be thought of, let alone mentioned aloud.

"You mean . . . betrayal?" asked Sonic, a strange, pained tone to his voice as he said that last word.

"Well . . . Yes," Valdez answered a little hesitantly. "It's not something I like to think of from a Freedom Fighter that has been with your group for--what-- About four years? But it could be a possibility, Sonic. I mean . . . she was an Overlander-type."

"No," Trau said firmly, her eyes narrowed hard at him. "Kim would never do that. And we are not Overlanders . . . "

"Begging your pardon," Valdez said cautiously. "but even if that's true, it seems your 'human' race is very similar in appearance to the Overlanders."

"Appearance isn't everything," Trau growled coldly. "You can't accuse Kim or any one of us because we just look like Overlanders. What if one of you guys happened to resemble Robotnik or Naugus in some way? Would we accuse you of being a threat?"

Valdez quickly shook his head, trying as best he could to avoid confrontation. "No, no, of course not . . . All I'm saying is that it's possible that Kimberly could have . . . chose to go with Naugus. Betrayal is always possible."

Sonic's ears went back.

"Well I don't believe it," Cyan objected, standing alongside Trau. "Kim's our friend, and she would never betray us."

Some of the Freedom Fighters nodded at the girls' response to Valdez's suggestions, while a few others murmured amongst themselves in disagreement.

The one of them said, "Sometimes we may think someone is our friend, but that's what makes betrayal so painful--it's often the people we trust the most who turn and stab us in the back."

Again Sonic's ears flattened, memories flooding back to his head. Furiously he shook his head to rid himself of those agonizing mental pictures.

"Well we trust Kim with all our hearts," Cyan returned. "I'd never believe it. She's not a backstabber."

"And besides," added Trau. "Have you all forgotten that Naugus and Kaligarr have the power of hypnosis on their side?"

"No . . ." came Valdez's honest reply. "And I'm not saying that your friend definitely is a traitor. I'm just saying that she could be. You just never know."

Sonic gave a light snort. Yes, it was all so painfully true . . . you just never knew . . . Oh, he didn't believe for a second that Kimberly had betrayed them. But, still, he was beginning to see just what evil betrayal was. Even the word itself sent chills through his wounded heart. The courageous leader let out a long, tired sigh. How long would it be? How long until he could forget the pains of the past? How long until his heart could heal? How long until his spirit could replenish its strength and burst into that radiant, deathless flame it had always been? He closed his eyes and cursed himself inwardly.

Stop dwelling on the past . . . he told himself. Never look back . . . Just keep on going forward . . . Wasn't that always your philosophy? You've done it before, with equally painful things. Take the loss of your parents . . . and the roboticization of Uncle Chuck. Didn't that hurt just as much? But you conquered them with time. Why shouldn't this be the same? Hold your head high. Your friends need you . . . Mobius needs you. You can't, you won't, turn your back on them . . . You won't be a betrayer.

Cyan turned and suddenly noticed the very weary expression on Sonic's beautiful face. Reaching over, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and at her touch Sonic gazed up at her gratefully. For it had happened again . . . Instant relief had come to the pain inside him once he felt Jessica's--or Cyan's--nearness. Then all of a sudden he trembled. . . . It felt . . . it almost felt as if Sally were there . . . but better . . . Sonic's valiant heart shook. How was that possible?

"Regardless," Uncle Chuck said suddenly. "We still must continue the search for Kimberly and Naugus. We have to stop him from spreading the Void any farther. It's his magic that's doing this, and only if we confront him will it stop."

Suddenly be bent down, dug into one of the supply sacks, and withdrew one of his portable computers. A few moments later, after he had set it up and performed a scan for nearby Chaos Emerald energy, he said, "There energy reading is strongest to the northeast, into the mountains. Knuckles, do you know any easy routes into the Emerald Mountains?"

"Well," said the Guardian. "There's a large pass through a gorge in the northeastern direction. It'll keep us safe from the winds that pick up . . . but it is getting into the higher elevations . . . where storms blow up easier."

"We'd better get moving then," said Sonic. "if we make good time we can reach the pass before any real bad weather comes up." He looked over to his uncle, who nodded. "Let's go."

As the Freedom Fighters began to move out, Cyan glanced over at Sonic. "You sure you're OK, Blue?"

Sonic attempted to smile that self-confident smile that had always been his. "Never better, Jess."

". . . I'm worried about you, Sonic," the girl whispered quietly, looking deep into the eyes she loved. She knew what he was going through just by looking at those eloquent pools of emerald green. "It's not like you to be so . . . so quiet. That's usually my job."

Sonic laughed lightly. "Not when Mobius comes to your mind."

Jess smiled. "Or you."

Again Sonic's heart trembled. Quickly he shifted his gaze so Jessica wouldn't see the look of puzzlement, of questioning, on his face.

"But seriously," Cyan continued. "I am worried, Sonic. I don't like to see you so different. I like to see you happy, and spirited . . . I like to see you free."

Sonic closed his eyes and sighed again. Yes, freedom . . . That was what he was fighting for, what he had always fought for. Now more than ever. He was fighting to be free of the rope that pinned him down.

Cyan's eyes softened more when she studied his face, his pale complexion. "Oh, Blue, you're still hurting, aren't you?" She sniffled and gently wrapped her arms around him in a tender embrace.

Sonic's heart suddenly leapt with such sudden energy that it felt as if it had hit the walls of his chest. He stopped dead in his tracks, his cheeks going red again, very red. In fact, he could even feel himself trembling slightly . . . Yes, trembling . . .

Inside his mind was racing almost as fast as he could run.

Oh, gods, can this be what I think it could be? he shaking thoughts asked.

Despite this, he didn't object at all to Jessica's gentle embrace. Actually, it was soothing to him . . . Like relief to a long, torturous thirst, like salve to a wound long-suffered. And even more startling was that ever-increasing emotion welling up inside his heart. This time he could feel it swell, into something burning, breathing, longing . . . He could feel its feverish breath shiver through his veins . . . And what startled even more was the fact that he wanted to lean closer to Cyan, to Jessica, to allow this feeling to grow. This was more than just a desire to be reassured, to be soothed . . . this was a growing need, an urge to be with this girl always, to feel that love she felt for him sweep through him. Sonic couldn't believe what he was feeling . . . What he was realizing. Why, this feeling had always been there . . . but never before had it been so incredibly powerful.

It was all too soon for both of them when "Cyan" pulled away. But Jessica had figured that it was impolite to hug him for long when he didn't . . . return her feelings for him . . . She sighed painfully at that reminder, that never-ending reminder that it was impossible for that star she had been waiting for to fall.

Stop reminding yourself that it's impossible . . . she muttered in her thoughts. Is it not good enough you're here? With him? Always asking for more, more, more, aren't you? We can't have everything we wish for, Jessica. Why should you be any different? Just stop it.

But the girl knew that this longing wouldn't stop any time soon. It would never stop. Not unless . . . Quickly Cyan shook her head. No, it was far too painful to think of that possibility . . . That was as slim as reestablishing the link between Earth and Mobius.

For a second or two they didn't speak, and then Jessica said, "Cheer up, Sonic. Please cheer up for me. I doubt it helps much, but I love you, and I care about you. Seeing you down makes me down . . . Spring back as always, OK? It'll be all right."

She smiled at him and followed the rest of the group as they descended down the side of a slope.

But as he came to the crest of the slope, Sonic paused, his eyes widening into disbelief, his head shaking slowly, his breath coming as shakily as ever . . .

"Oh, Chaos Emeralds . . ." he breathed. ". . . I love her . . . "