Chapter 78; conflicted conflicts part 1
Sonic woke up in his room in the rebellion's headquarters with swollen eyes and a big lack of sleep. The last night was a roller coaster of nightmares. He saw himself transforming into dark Sonic and re-enacting his kill streak, saw an imaginary future where he had beaten Tails and unleashed chaos by releasing the god cards from their shackles and lastly he saw himself as lord Sonic ruling the world but his family burning right beside him. His children screaming in pain as their flesh was roasted while Amy was looking at him begging.
"Help us! Don't do this!"
Sonic tried desperately to save them but they turned to ashes in his hands. Right then a hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him around bringing him face to face with lord Sonic who had a sort of demonic look to him.
"In spite of everything you do the world will hate you. Millions of beings dead again and again and again until we're both dead" he whispered and then tossed Sonic into a dark hole as he yelled "is that what you want?" which caused him to wake up due to the intensity of the nightmare.
Sonic got up from his bed and looked down to the training grounds of the rebellion. He saw the soldiers practicing in hand to hand combat under Shadow's guidance. His focus then turned to the makeshift graveyard outside of the base. Only yesterday 10 of them and 7 of the warlord's followers had lost their lives.
"This is wrong" he whispered as he knelt to the ground "so many deaths… on both sides…"
And worst of all there was a way to end it all… just let the warlord create the perfect multiverse. The rules the warlord wanted to enforce… respect for others, protecting the environment, worse punishments for criminals… it truly felt like a utopia if this had worked in his dimension.
"We get to finally bring peace to the earths of every dimension… and what do we lose but a little bit of freedom?" Sonic wondered. All they would lose is the freedom to make the wrong choices. The ones which caused pain, suffering and sadness. All these emotions flooded his soul as he took the elevator to the ground floor to help Shadow with duel training.
When he exited the elevator he looked around as he walked towards Shadow who was talking to a young soldier. Around them duels were taking place. Amongst the many monsters Sonic noticed a black-winged dragon and a black rose dragon fighting side by side. His mind drifted to his wife as he wondered what she would think if she could hear his thoughts.
"Would she agree? Or would she be disgusted?" he thought as he walked up to Shadow.
"Oh good morning king. Right on time".
"Right on time for what?" Sonic asked Shadow.
"This young rookie here has a blackwing deck but has some trouble using it. Help him master it".
The rookie was a variant of Tails though he was much younger than Sonic and Shadow. Sonic guessed he was 18 at best.
"Wow you're Sonic 999?! Awesome!" he said enthusiastically "I'm a big fan! I can't wait to learn from you, the best of the best!"
"Uuhhhh… thanks I guess…" Sonic said not expecting this much enthusiasm "so ummm… what problem do you have with the deck?"
They spent the next 5 hours until lunchtime Sonic explaining the basic combos of the deck as well as explaining to Tails 312 that the deck he had picked up worked differently than he understood. Tails 312 had looked at older formats where blackwing was more of a mid-ranged deck while now it was a combo deck. While working on the deck, Tails 312 kept asking Sonic about his experience with it and he toughest opponents he had ever faced. He was deeply impressed that Sonic didn't place the warlord as one of his top 10 toughest opponents ever.
"Maybe it's because I know his deck but his dueling was very predictable" Sonic explained.
"This is so cool!" Tails 312 said with his enthusiasm overflowing "your achievements are so amazing! Do you think I will ever be as good as you with this deck?" he asked.
Sonic didn't hear the part about the deck though. He drifted pondering the question. That impressionable young variant of Tails wanted to be like him. If only he knew the horrific truth of Sonic's beliefs.
"Mr 999?" Tails 312 said snapping his fingers to bring him back to reality.
"Oh… sorry I uh.. I drifted… I didn't get enough sleep after yesterday.
"Oh it's ok. You can go rest if you want to. I will go spar with someone to try the deck. Thanks a lot!" he said as he ran towards the other rookies to challenge them.
Sonic stayed there for a whole minute lost in his dark thoughts. He wanted the war to end so that no more lives would be lost and hopefully the multiverse would become a utopia… but that would mean betraying everyone. The council who had placed their faith in him, his family who was waiting for him back in 999… even the young Tails he had just mentored.
While coping with those thoughts he received a message from Amy calling a council meeting. Him and Shadow went up to the council room where everyone but Silver was waiting.
"Why did you call for a meeting general?" Shadow asked Amy as soon as they entered.
"I sent a team at dawn on the next dimension on the list in order to give Sonic the time to rest. They encountered no problems. And they found a map".
"A map?" Sonic said in surprise.
"Yes. Silver is currently cleaning it so he can remove stains and make it readable. I wanted you all here for this… and to ask you something Sonic."
"Me?"
"I know you hid something from me yesterday. I didn't push the subject but now we're all here and I order you to tell me what happened."
"I…. I can't tell you general".
"You don't have a choice. This is an order!"
"All I can say is that I realized that I'm not worthy to merge the dragon with my soul when we find it."
"Not this again. I know you have darkness but you're the strongest of us. It is only natural for you to take it!"
"It's not that simple general! If I take it…. I may become the warlord!"
"Excuse me?"
"Him and me…. we aren't just any variants… we're the same Sonic who made a different choice in his life. I became an influential person in my dimension and try to be a role model… but never forced anything on anyone. The warlord on the other hand took over his dimension enforcing the basic rules of society and condemning criminals to worse punishments. We have the same feelings when it comes to the state of the world. If I take the power of the dragon for myself… I could end up using it to do what he intends to do with it".
"And what is his intention?"
"To create a perfect multiverse. To have complete control of all dimensions and enforce the same rules to everyone."
"I see…" Amy said thinking deeply.
"General we don't need a second warlord" Tails turned to her "I will take the power".
"No I will take it" Jet 493 said " I may feel guilty that I didn't convince everyone to escape in the spirit world with me, Wave and Storm but I'm sure I can handle it".
"No Jet. You're too headstrong for it. Remember how many times I had to get you out of jams you created?" Wave cut him off.
"Well at least I'm not too easygoing all the time!" he said hurt.
"Hey being easygoing is good ok? It means I'm chill and will be able to handle the power!"
"Guys don't fight" Storm said trying to separate them "I can take it if you want".
"We don't want Storm! We need someone smart! You are still making misplays on the dueling field!" Jet said.
"Hey that hurt!" Storm said saddened.
"And you three want to control the greatest power in the multiverse?!" Tails said to them angry "you can barely handle yourselves!"
"Who asked you?!" Jet 493 yelled.
"Guys please…" Sonic tried to intervene before Shadow slammed his fist on the table.
"You're all fighting amongst yourselves like kids! If you can't act your age I will take the power!"
"We don't need a scarred metal-armed anger-filled cake of emotions to take it! You will lose control instantly!" Tails yelled back at him.
"Shut up Foxy! If I hadn't come to 999's rescue we would have lost him because of your recklessness!"
"Oh so I'm reckless huh! I'll show you just how reckless I am!" Tails said getting up.
"Bring it on!" Shadow said coldly.
"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!" Amy screamed to silence everyone. They all looked at her.
"What's gotten into all of you?! I never said we need to find someone else to take Sonic's place! I can't believe you would all lose your cool and fight each other just like that!"
"But general" Jet began to say.
"Quiet!" she screamed staring daggers at him "and I'm especially ashamed of you Tails! You called Sonic a second warlord!"
"You heard him general! He said he and the warlord are very similar!"
"That doesn't mean anything! Tell them what I told you the other day Sonic" she screamed and tried to get Sonic to explain his difference from the warlord until she realized he had left during the chaos.
"Good job" she said coldly to everyone "meeting dismissed. Find him now!"
Everyone scattered and looked throughout the base for Sonic. Amy herself left the base and headed to search the beach. She found Sonic right where he had found Tails back during the misadventure with Manic.
"Why did you leave?" she asked him.
"It's my fault this fight began. And Tails was right. I am a possible second warlord".
"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Since yesterday you are hating yourself. I can tell you do!"
"Everything is wrong with me! Because I believe the warlord is right to wage this war!"
"…. What?!"
"You heard me! You see the flaws of humanity! They make the wrong choices 95% of the time! They spread chaos and suffering to the planet and those around them! All the warlord wants is to stop them from making the wrong choices even if it is by force! Why is it wrong to prevent the wrong choices from being made?!"
"He is trying to manipulate you! You don't really believe this!" she tried to reason with him.
"I DO!" he screamed "all we achieve by resisting is causing casualties! Look behind you!" he said pointing towards the makeshift graveyard "all those may have been alive if we had just worked with him to create the utopia he envisions!"
Amy looked at him in serious silence.
"You need to get more sleep! Go to your room and rest. We will discuss the map later" she said and turned to leave. She walked 10 steps but Sonic had just ignored her and sat back down under the tree.
"Didn't you hear what I said?! That's an order!"
"And I will not obey!"
"Hmph. For someone who wants to take away the freedom of others for their own good you sure don't follow your belief".
"Stop putting words in my mouth!"
"It seems there is only one reason to snap you out of your conflicted state!" she said placing her deck on her duel disc activating it.
"I won't fight general. I have caused enough pain already!"
She looked at him for a second and then fired a hook forcing Sonic's duel disc to activate.
"Damnit!" he said in frustration "fine!"
"DUEL!" they both said.
"Ladies first! I summon forth aleister the invoker! I activate his effect to add invocation to my hand! I set the link marker with aleister! Circuit combine! Link summon! Appear! Salamangreat almiraj! I set the link markers again with almiraj! Circuit combine! Link summon! Appear secure guardna! I use invocation now to fuse guardna and aleister! Fusion summon! Appear! Invoked mechaba! I return invocation to my deck as per its effect to add aleister to my hand. I then set 2 cards and end my turn!"
"My turn then. I draw! I summon blackwing gofu the vague shadow! With its effect I summon 2 tokens! I set the link markers with my gofu and one of the tokens! Circuit combine! Link summon! Appear crystron halqufibrax! I use its effect!"
"I activate the effect of my mechaba. I discard aleister to negate halquifibrax's effect and banish him".
"Very well. I summon forth blackwing zephyros the elite! I set the link markers with zephyros and the token! Circuit combine! Link summon! Appear raidraptor wise strix! With wise strix's effect I can summon a new winged beast from my deck! I select blackwing steam the cloak! Next I shall special summon blackwing bora the spear! I return bora to my hand and take 400 damage" (Sonic LP 7600) "to revive zephyros. Now I re-summon bora out and activate the spell card blackwing feathers so I can draw 3 more cards!"
"I activate my trap! Dogmatika punishment! I send elder entity n'tss from my extra deck to my graveyard to destroy your wise strix!"
"Not quite general. I activate my body as a shield. By paying 1500 LP your trap won't work on my monster" (Sonic LP 6100)
"Nice. But you have yet to face my n'tss's effect. If it is sent to the graveyard I can destroy a card on your field. However as we're still in the middle of the resolution of the previous chain you get to draw your 3 cards first".
Sonic drew 3.
"Now n'tss destroy wise strix!"
"I activate the spell card link bound! I return wise strix to the extra deck and draw 2 then place 2 from my hand to the bottom of my deck!"
"See what I mean when I say you're just conflicted?!"
"What has that got to do with the duel?!"
"You protected your monsters from destruction even at the cost of your life points! Someone who wants to act like a tyrant take away freedom would never do something so selfless!"
Sonic greeted his teeth in anxiety but nonetheless resolved his card.
"I set the link markers with steam and zephyros! Link summon! Appear! Blackwing shura the eternal flame! Because steam was sent to the graveyard I summon a token. And by tributing it I can resurrect steam once. Next my eternal flame's ability activates. Because a blackwing was special summoned I can summon 2 more from my deck. I summon kris the crack of dawn and shura the blue flame! Next I tune steam with bora! Darkened gales combine to enter a world of speed! Synchro summon! Appear! F.A. dawn dragster!"
"What is that?"
"A secret weapon! This monster gains 300 attack for each of his levels! It's a level 7 so it has 2100 attack! Now I use the spell card quick link. I send 2 cards from the top of deck to my graveyard to summon the wise strix back from my extra deck. However and I cannot use it for a link summon unless it is by using another monster of the same link rating as it. If I do not link summon a monster with wise strix this turn, I have to destroy 2 cards on my field at the end phase same as its link rating. Now I overlay shura and kris! Avian hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes and grasp glory with your sharp talons! Xyz summon! Take flight raidraptor wise strix! I activate its effect!"
"And this is where it ends! I play infinite impermanence! I negate your monster's effect!"
At that moment dawn dragster started racing towards Amy. She was about to jump out of the dragster's way but it merely ran over infinite impermanence and raced back to Sonic's field losing 600 attack points.
"What gives?"
"Dawn dragster can reduce its level by 2 and therefore its attack by 600. This way it can negate the activation of a spell or trap or the effect of a spell or trap and destroy it".
"Impressive."
"I add blackwing bora the spear to my hand as per the effect of force strix. And then I activate the effect of my re-summoned wise strix. I set rank up magic soul shave force from my deck! I now set the link markers with my wise strix, force strix and eternal flame! Circuit combine! Link summon! Rise! Apollousa bow of the goddess!"
"Apollousa? Isn't that your son's ace?"
"Yes. But I can invoke it whenever I need help".
"Don't you see? Again and again you prove yourself wrong. A bad person would never have such a bond. You're just in extreme conflict because of your guilt!"
"I'm not in conflict! I just want what the warlord wants! A world rid of pain and suffering!"
"And you think enforcing others to do the right thing will change anything?! The only one to change others is themselves. We cannot change others ourselves! Nobody can! Certainly not the warlord! He is manipulating your guilt to have you join him! I understand you wanting to help make the world a better place! But you alone will never be enough to tip the balance of the scale towards a positive result!"
"Enough!" Sonic screamed in order to get back in the duel "I activate my set rank up magic! Rank up magic soul shave force! I revive my force strix and rank it up by 2 ranks! Go rank up xyz evolution! Manifest cyber dragon infinity!"
"Smart play. To think a blackwing deck can summon cyber dragon infinity".
"I use my infinity's effect! I absorb mechaba increasing infinity's power by 200 for each overlay unit. He has 2 so his attack is at 2500! Battle! Apollousa, infinity, dawn dragster attack her directily!"
"AAAAAhhh!" (Amy LP 1500)
"I end my turn".
"You're so strong. And yet so foolish to believe someone like yourself could be the cause of this war. You're the only one who can end it!"
"Just go".
"I draw. I special summon forth dogmatika ecclesia the virtuous since you control monsters summoned from the extra deck. I use her effect to add a dogmatika card to my hand".
"I use apollousa's effect to negate ecclesia's effect".
"Good. Right where I want you! I special summon dogmatika fluerdelis the knighted same way as I summoned ecclesia! Battle! Fleurdelis the knighted attack apollousa!"
"AAAh!" (Sonic LP 5200)
"Now my fleurdelis' effect triggers. Since it attacked I can increase both my monster's attack by 500"
"I detatch a material from infinity to negate and destroy it!"
"Exactly what I was hoping you would do! I play forbidden droplet! By tributing fleurdelis I can negate your monster's effect and halve its attack! And since I tributed a monster you can't chain dawn dragster's effect!"
"Damnit!"
"Ecclesia! Destroy cyber dragon infinity!"
"AAH!" (Sonic LP 4350)
"I end my turn with a face down card. Are you ready to wake up now and see how the warlord is playing you?"
"…I draw. I summon forth blackwing blizzard the far north. As per its effect I revive bora. I tune these 2 together. synchro summon! Appear! The synchro tuner. Blackwing evolution booster. Thanks to its effect I draw one card".
"And I activate my dogmatika punishment!"
"So you had another one."
"I send n'tss from my extra deck to my hand to blow up dawn dragster".
"Dawn dragster negates punishment".
"And the effect veiler I discard negates dawn dragster. So both punishment and n'tss destroy your cards".
Dawn dragster and evolution booster were blown up.
"Good move general. But with that move the game was sealed with my victory".
"Impossible. You already normal summoned."
"Indeed. But the card I drew with evolution booster was blackwing simoon the poison wind. He can be normal summoned by banishing a blackwing from my hand and putting a black whirlwind face up on my side of the field. I banish blackwing mistral the silver shield. Next I summon simoon and as per the effect of my black whirlwind I add blackwing oroshi the squal. It can be summoned since I control a blackwing so both it and bora soar together. And now I tune together oroshi and simoon. spread your jet black wings and storm forth in tandem with the roaring thunder! Synchro summon! Cascade assault blackwing raikiri the rain shower!"
"Damn. I really do lose".
"Raikiri uses its effect to destroy your ecclesia. Attack directily!"
"AAAAHHH!" (Amy LP 0) Amy lost and dropped to her knees amazed by Sonic's power having experienced it first hand for the first time.
"See? Such passion, such power, such heart and you think you can be as heartless and evil as the warlord?" she said smiling raising her head….
Only to see Sonic having opened a portal.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm sorry" he said as the portal closed. Amy tried to jump through it ignoring all risks of losing parts of her body or completely disintegrating. However she was too slow. The portal closed and she landed head first into the sand.
"Oh no…." she said in horror. Getting back on her feet she ran back to the base and taking the stairs instead of the elevator got to the labs where Silver was still cleaning the map.
"General I was about to come find you" he said as he saw her barge in. Shadow was with him.
"Shadow just told me what happened. Did you find Sonic?"
"Y-yes" she said trying to catch her breath.
"Everything ok?"
"Silver!" she said grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him "tell me the tracking chips in the duel discs work interdimensionally!"
"Wha…? They do general? But what's going on?"
"Track Sonic's now!"
"Ok chill."
"Don't tell me to chill!" she screamed walking around the room trying to calm down.
"General did you find Sonic?" Shadow asked her.
"Yes.. we dueled. He beat me. I tried to show him he is not a warlord in the making… but his guilt is too much and so is the warlord's manipulation on him. He opened a portal and left. I couldn't stop him!"
"He deserted us?!" Shadow screamed in rage upon hearing this "after all we went through he deserted us and joined the enemy?!"
"Maybe not" Silver said as he finished tracking Sonic's duel disc "he is in the xyz dimension."
"What? What is he doing there?"
"Wait. The signal got cut. I have to track it again" Silver said as he re-run the program. Once the results showed he gasped in shock and took a few steps back falling on his back.
"What happened?" Amy asked him.
Silver just pointed at the screen in disbelief. Amy and Shadow both looked in it. On it was the same number three times flashing in red.
Dimension 111.
