Sonic 12
CH.4: Storm of the Typhoon
Amy Rose was near exhaustion as she and Cream climbed another rock in the maze. After leaving the Typhoon she sent a message to Tails, when trying to contact him again she received static. Cheese the Chao that accompanied Cream was hungry and Amy felt weak on her feet. Amy collapsed onto the next platform and behind her Cream and Cheese sank to their knees. Amy dreamt about Sonic and when she opened her eyes she was on a hill overlooking a vast ocean. Getting up was a struggle, when she succeeded she saw Sonic standing with his back to her. "Sonic…you're here!"
"Amy this has to end," he said stiffly. Amy felt the wind had knocked her down again and misty eyed stood back up. "We're separated by a 4 year gap and we have nothing in common. I'm into sports, chilidogs, and speed, does it surprise you?" Amy balled her fingers into a fist and in her other hand was her Pico Pico hammer. Sonic turned to face her and began to walk towards her. "Amy Rose, my big fan if you know stuff about me then you know I hate slowpokes. You're in danger constantly, in other words a damsel in distress. Give up Amy…I'm still running from commit-."
"Sonic…running away isn't the solution to everything. We can do this together. Damsel in distress, I think not, besides that who's saved your spined butt on more then one occasion? Face it Sonic you need me and speed won't get you away; I'll always have your back." The dream ended and Amy sat up with a pain in her spine. Was Sonic in my dreams? No, he couldn't have said those mean things, she thought. Waking up Cream and Cheese Amy hurried them to the top where found a…an emerald!
"Hurray another Chaos emerald," Cream said with delight. Cheese was about to get the emerald when the mountain shook and from the soil came a huge flying beast. Amy pulled Cheese away as the beast bit the Chaos emerald and began to flap away. Their choices were limited so it came only a second from then. "We need that Chaos emerald, and then maybe we'll find the others," Cream said determinedly. She flapped her ears and landed on the beast's back with Cheese beside her. Amy barely made it by clinging onto the long talon of the leaving beast. The beast squawked at them and flew upside down to try and rid itself of its enemies. Cream noticed the red Chaos emerald and said, "Cheese go get it."
"Cream it's too risky," Amy said. Cheese though little had strength that matched a Swat Bot. The beast flapped its wings hard and Amy got hit with loose feathers that pricked her. Cheese flew through the blind haze of feathers and settled onto the Chaos emerald. The beast bent its neck back and its huge iron jaws snapped at Cheese. Amy raised her Pico Pico hammer and smashed it into the beast's stomach. The distraction got Cheese a Chaos emerald, at the same time the beast lost altitude. Cream grabbed the falling Chao and grabbed Amy just before they crashed…right back near the Typhoon. "Great, we're here again."
"At lest we have a Chaos emerald," Cream said helpfully. Walking back into the ship they saw a steam of wreckage and after a tour of the engine room found the master emerald unharmed. "How do we find Sonic and the others?" Amy considered the question and by the time they reached the bridge she had it. "Amy you have that-."
"We'll go to them, just may take sometime," she said. Jumping into the pilot seat she began to work furiously on getting the ship up, Cream took a nap in the captain's seat. Sonic hold on I'll be there in a second.
"Whoa what's that?" Sonic slipped and almost fell as the cave shook. Staring over at where Knuckles stood Sonic shook his head, great job Knuckles, he thought. Jumping down Sonic ran over to Knuckles and in a split second pulled him away from the collapsing mound that once was a wall. Rouge meanwhile was inside the wall carving a tunnel with her now dirty nails. A glimmer was ahead and forgetting about her dirty features she began to dig faster and faster until she was face to face with a red Chaos emerald. It was here-.
"Hey Knuckles I found-." Rouge began but her body stiffened as a worm came slithering from the front. Its eyes were glowing red and its body was disgusting. Why must these jewels be in the company of bugs? She thought with disgust. The worm began to open its mouth wide revealing hideously green teeth and with no real idea how to fight this, Rouge grabbed a mound of dirt and threw it. The worm choked, which gave her a few precious seconds before it realized that what it was choking on was normal dirt. The emerald was in her hands and after an estimated 3 minutes she crawled out to find the others.
"Hey I was…we were…your ok," Knuckles said trying hard to remain tough. Sonic and Shadow found the last emerald located at the far end of a dead end; the only possible route were six platforms, all separated by a long jump. Sonic took the 1st leap and Shadow wasn't close behind and soon both hedgehogs were aerial bound on yet another rivalry based challenge. "I bet Sonic will reach it first."
"Don't underestimate Shadow Knuckles; but if you want to bet then I'll bet on Shadow reaching the jewel first." Shadow was in the lead and was one platform away from obtaining the Chaos emerald. Rouge stared hungrily at the shining emerald and licked her lips anticipating the win. Sonic chose another route from jumping and took to pole acrobatics; which kept him airborne and way out of missile range. The missile missed him and cracked a pillar in two. "Dr. Eggman this is an honest bet, not some-."
"It is now Rouge," Eggman said with a snap. Shadow grabbed the emerald but hesitated as he saw Sonic being chased by Eggman's missile. The missile's trajectory matched Sonic's every maneuver, tiring him out. Pulling out the two Chaos emeralds Shadow focused on its energy and in a white flash was running at incredible speed. The missile was on Sonic, but before it could detonate Shadow grabbed Sonic and focused on landing behind Eggman.
"Eggman, I believe the Chaos emerald should go to Sonic, that way it'll be…" Shadow had a flash of memory and saw Maria Robotnik and the words came. "All is fair in love and war, so fairness means equality, give the Chaos emerald to Sonic, Rouge," Shadow said. Rouge at first was reluctant to hand over her pride and joy, but eventually gave in and Shadow tossed her his, much to her bewilderment. The Aporla however had no sense of peace and stamped its feet angrily.
"Well, since we're on this fair business, why doesn't the good Dr., give us a lift out of here," Sonic suggested. Dr. Eggman was about to deny the cheating hedgehog a lift, but seeing Shadow made him realize he didn't want to go there. The cave began to shake with each the Aporla made and the group ran. Sonic and Shadow dodged falling rocks and flipped over slopes as they rounded the corner. In the back Knuckles and Rouge smashed any rocks that got in their way. "Shadow, you never cease to amaze me, after-."
"Sonic, just run," Shadow said. The Ark, my sleep, space; why do I still fight with them? I work for Dr. Eggman, but back there I gave up a Chaos emerald, why? Maybe the good in me has always been there, he thought while racing alongside Sonic, I live a life of both evil and good, is this where the two meet? Up ahead was Eggman's ship and once onboard Eggman put the Chaos emerald into the drive and got the engines online. "So, I guess this is sayonara Sonic-."
"Trust me Shadow, we will meet again," Sonic said as they came out of the dark and into the light. Sonic pulled a board from the side and leaped out of the ship and onto the slopes where he began to descend. Knuckles took a moment of silence with Rouge then took another board and skied after Sonic. "Hey Knuckles, has Chris called yet?"
"No, neither has Amy on the Typhoon; I hope the master emerald is unharmed," he said. Knuckles skied harder and when he reached the end of the slope his eyes grew big at what he saw…a Metarex lowering itself into the snow? "Sonic how do the Metarex have a base here? We didn't-."
"Detect anything," Sonic finished as he kneeled in the snow. "The Typhoon's sensors can pick up the faintest trace of a Chaos emerald, why not a Metarex base filled with them?" Jumping down, Sonic ran forward with Knuckles behind him and at the last possible second dove in after the Metarex. The hidden base contained lines of two eyed and huge Metarex; all had their attention on the arrival of the Metarex scout. "We're deep in enemy territory Knuckles."
"Now who's idea was it to come down here in the first place, oh I forgot it was you!" He said. Sonic ignored him, though he knew he was right, and continued his search for any Chaos emeralds…and a reason for them being hidden. As the Metarex flew over to a control console it became apparent by the huge storm machine. With the right amount of Chaos emeralds and no planet egg, this was the perfect cover for an invasion. "Do you think Chris and the others are here?" If they are, he thought, we have a big problem.
"Hey is that Chris?" Hurrying over to a panel they peered over to see a beaten kid followed by a scratched plant and limping fox. Both Sonic and Knuckles felt hatred towards the Metarex and a burning desire to tear down the base wire to wire. Chris was pushed to his knees and from the corner came a gold colored Metarex.
"Today as we prepare to launch the Metarex series Z, let us remember the sacrifice to come this. These 3 have been ruining our plans, so it seems no surprise their punishment-is death. Once their gone we shall launch our full squadron in search of the hedgehog Sonic. Prepare to execute the prisoners."
"Hey you want to kill, then try to kill me," Sonic popped up from his hiding place and felt his stomach begin to tighten as the Metarex turned to him in unison. Their lunges were met by Sonic's speed as he drilled through their metal chests and came out sending bolts and bits of shards everywhere. Knuckles soared through several and landed on top of two and chunked their head into each other. Chris, Tails, and Cosmo made a run for it and made their way to where they believed the planet egg rested. Sonic and Knuckles were tiring out and just like their previous battle if one Metarex fell, another took its place. "Knuckles, got any plans?" Sonic asked him. The Metarex had them surrounded and echidna and hedgehog were back to back.
"Well, we could try a heroic fall," Knuckles said. Sonic failed to see the humor as the gold Metarex picked them up. Knuckles smashed into a Metarex and continued tearing them apart until one of them hit him to the deck. Sonic began to see as his air was cut off and his resistance became useless squirms. They had faced odds like this in Station Square against Eggman's mechanical contraptions, even on the Station, but this was ridiculous. I can't give up, Knuckles thought.
"A final obstacle about to be removed; farewell annoying hedgehog, your annoying nature will be missed," the Metarex said. The wall during the fight had turned a red, no one noticed; and as the gold Metarex tightened its vice like grip the wall gave in sending a cloud of debris and metal towards the Metarex. The Blue Typhoon was hovering behind the debris and beside it was Eggman's ship. "Ignore the cloud and-."
"Give in to the good guys," Amy said. The Typhoon's lasers pierced through the cloud cover and tore the Metarex apart in an electrical haze. Amy Rose came through swinging her Pico Pico hammer and jumping over shards of Metarex. Rouge, Shadow, and Dr. Eggman followed and observed the chaos surrounding the Metarex. Amy swung her hammer hard and busted a Metarex's chest in. "Cream, help Sonic!"
"You heard her Cheese, power up the laser," Cream commanded. Cheese the Chao was in the weapons chair and looked through the targeting scope and saw a gold Metarex with Sonic. Zooming in, Cheese pushed the fire button and was sent out of the chair as the Typhoon let out a yellow pulsing beam into the Metarex. The Metarex fell to one knee giving Sonic enough time to drop to the deck. "I saved Sonic Amy!"
"Great job Cream, now keep the shields up until I give the signal," she said. In the access room where all information was sent or received; Chris, Cosmo, and Tails stood there. In a huge case was the planet egg, but to get there they needed to first get untied. Tails went to the spare parts drawer and a spare shard was used to release him. Once free Tails began work on a program to break through to the planet egg. Chris lowered the shields, and Cosmo walked around eyeing everything with disgust. The program gave in and the metal covering of the case began to slowly lift.
"So Cosmo, what do you do when you've completed your mission?" Chris stared over at Cosmo and caught her off guard. Apparently she hasn't thought much about it, Chris noted. I for one may be 12, but in my world I'm 18, that's where I'll go, after saying goodbye to my friends, he thought sadly. Tails flew up to the metal case and grabbed the planet egg gently before flying to the ground. Explosions shook the Station and when the three arrived saw a war that after much fighting looked in the direction of Sonic and company. Rouge ran over to Knuckles and held his hand, what she didn't see was Knuckles eye open. "They sure know how to party don't they?"
"Yeah, but our job lies outside; if we fail to get the planet egg outside this planet will be doomed for another wintry year." Racing across the deck the three heroes dodged falling Metarex parts and falling debris, until they stood outside. Cosmo took the planet egg and walked into the snow where she put the planet egg. A beam of light pierced the snow cloud above and then spread over the planet creating a sky filled with blue brilliance. The snow was finally gone. "One more planet saved from the likes of the Metarex, I think we're making a difference now."
"A difference that is now futile," the gold Metarex said. Tails stood in the sinking snow and stood in front of Cosmo as it began to advance. "Our mission has only begun; the universe is for our ruling, and your efforts to restore these planets to their original form, just a sad look at your species." Chris felt his body tremble as the Metarex stomped towards them and in his heart he felt courage. Tails rushed forward and Chris followed and together they climbed the Metarex. However, as they poked at its eye it became infuriated and shook them off sending them to the floor. "And then there was one."
"Hey shards of ice, take this and remember our mission is only heating up," Sonic said. Shadow leaped onto the Metarex's back and kept up a constant speed whirlwind as the Metarex tried to advance on Cosmo. The Typhoon was aimed at the Metarex and inside, Sonic kneeled in the canon. "Alright Cheese, fire!" Rolling at incredible speed Sonic was shot out of the canon and right into the surprised Metarex. The Metarex collapsed and it was over. "So Shadow, where will you go now? No doubt with Dr. Egghead," Sonic said grinning. Shadow turned to him and frowned.
"Dr. Eggman isn't half as bad as these Metarex, besides without him you'd be bored out of your blue world. The answers are out here, someday they will come. We'll see each other again Sonic," Shadow said as he departed. By Eggman's ship Knuckles and Rouge were enjoying a lunch break and both seemed unwilling to talk about the moment. Rouge stared at her emerald and Knuckles poked at a few rocks. Neither noticed Shadow pass by.
"You know since we formed a temporary alliance, that could mean we'll…" Knuckles felt his fist sink into the dirt and he coughed to cover it up. "Look echidna I don't offer this to any guy in my life, so if you…never mind." Over on a hill Chris and Eggman stood there watching the development occur, both had their minds elsewhere. Neither knew what lied ahead.
"Alright let's go everyone," Sonic said. Parting ways the group of the Typhoon left Eggman and began their ascent from the planet. Sonic and Amy stood side by side looking down on the green planet. Amy saved me, Sonic thought, why do I avoid her…her and, I guess her charm. I noticed Tails and Cosmo getting cozy, he noted, perhaps my bud may have found a blossom yet. "Well Amy, I guess thanks are in order for your miraculous timing, so thanks." Sonic felt he could've said more, but in these times it was rare to share a kiss. Amy's hand was in his and as he looked he found her arms around him. "Hey Amy-."
"Sonic I'm the girl for you, all those times of you avoiding me, it wasn't because you didn't like me, it was natural hedgehog shyness. Let love take its course, because wherever you are, love has your defense." Sonic moved forward and met her soft lips and felt all his tension drain away. After relaxing their lips they both went to the botanical garden where found Cosmo and Tails. The two were close, but not close enough to be called a couple. "Ah, how sweet."
"Ah…sweet like this petunia," Sonic said trying to not seem like they were spying on them. Tails cocked his head to the side and dismissed their appearance. "Amy calm down, we don't even know if there are sparks. If love is there it will take its course, take your own advise." He put his arm around her waist and the two walked to the bridge. The two found a chair and sat there for the night.
"I miss you dad…mom," Chris said. He was in his bedroom and staring at the last photo they took as a family. Helen was there in another photo and Chris felt concern for her well being, even though back in Station Square she was 17. The day's adventure had drained him of any power to stay up, so he quietly went to sleep. How will this end? How can I say bye to my friends for the 2nd and final time? What will become of my friends?
"Their quest is pointless," Shadow said on a walkway above the master emerald. "What can they accomplish against an enemy who has no heart, and compassion for the good? Maria, I am trying, but I am fighting a losing battle. I see no point on going on." A fluttering brought his attention to the white bat Rouge who he did not notice during his Chaos control. He stared at her coldly.
"Face it Shadow, deep inside that evil body is curiosity and the yearning to understand. Maria wished for you to do good, why not take it up a notch and become reacquainted with your goody friends, who wants to be alone right?" Shadow held the rail and closed his eyes and in the core of his brain he heard Maria and with his idea walked out. Rouge stayed behind staring at the red echidna staring into the master emerald. "Who wants to be alone…?"
"Sonic just wanted you to know I am here, I took a hint from, a friend and now realize the battle is to be fought together like the Space Colony Ark." The crew of the Blue Typhoon was relieved that Shadow was on their side, but before Sonic could thank him he vanished. On the bridge of Eggman's ship Dr. Eggman sat in his chair bored. When Shadow appeared he awaited the report. "The hedgehog and crew believed my words Dr., so do we keep following them?"
"Of course we'll still follow them Shadow, besides that with the Metarex loose we'll need all the help we can get." Can't have him leaving now can we, he thought nervously, imagine Shadow with Sonic, insanely impossible. Both ships leaped through time and space, none were aware that a Metarex hovered there. The Metarex was beaten badly and before it died it sent out a warning to the other Metarex. The big battle was coming and the fate of all the worlds rested on two ships…