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Sonic and Sash: Tides of Chaos 3:
Phantom Forces
Intermission 1
Chapter 7: A Meeting of Odds
The echidna's footsteps were light as he tread in his own familiar territory; the massive trees spread out above him like a enveloping canopy as he stepped over the dew-speckled grass. Large mushrooms dotted the area as large vine roadways interconnected the small rock faces between them in the vast forest. The dew of the grass lightly wetted his shoes as he soon found a clearing, a bit of moonlight filtering in from the gaps in the massive tree canopy with mushrooms on multiple sides of it. His fists tightened, tensing up as he sensed his surroundings...
And then rolled to the side as a blade struck the ground where he stood originally. The echidna cracked his knuckles as he braced for another attack before a dark armored figure emerged from the edge of the clearing, the pinkish-purple highlights coursing through it as it walked to the blade, picking it up. "I see you got my message..." The figure said, a voice synthesizer masking the figure's true identity.
"And I see you decided to not adhere to my recommendation of no weapons." Knuckles growled, staring down the armored figure. "What the hell do you want with this meeting anyways? Last I remember, you're working with Eggman, someone who's bent on wiping out the Resistance."
"That mad quack is the only one dumb enough to believe us." The figure spoke. "All my leader Ix wants is for us to return after we were cruelly ripped away from our home over a century ago. At least, that's what he told us anyways."
"...you're telling me you've never seen Mobius." Knuckles retorted, suspicious of the figure's claims.
"I was born in the Twilight Cage; that prison." The figure spat. "It was a hell; trapped in a void on a small part of land with no escape in sight, bordered in it by other warring alien factions hell bent on dominating power. We had no choice but to adapt; to fight back to survive."
"But that makes you the same as them." Knuckles growled in response. "You want nothing more than to return your war-hungry mongrel people to this world for your own domination."
"On the contrare." The figure retorted. "Ix wishes for us to return peacefully as a whole, once we gain enough of Eggman's trust in order to get him out of the way."
"And piss off the hound thing that's his lackey?" Knuckles shot back. "The same one, mind you, who killed Sonic and Sash?"
"I've already got a theory on how to 'neutralize' him, let's call it." The figure spoke. "However, in order to do this, I'll need that Master Emerald of yours..."
"Not. On. Your. Damn. Life." Knuckles growled. "There is no way in hell I am handing over a stone so sacred and powerful from within my ancestors over to a bunch of power-hungry pirates like yourself!"
"..." The figure would be silent. "What if I told you... I know what it's like to be in your position?"
"Bull. Shit." Knuckles fired back. "You can't possibly know what it's like to be the last of echidnas."
"But you're not." The figure spoke.
"PROVE IT!" Knuckles yelled, the clearing going quiet as he glared down the figure with ferocity and rage in his eyes.
"..." The figure remained silent for a while. "...very well." The figure spoke, reaching back and pressing something on the back of the helmet it wore. A slow hiss came from a depressurizing sound as soon the helmet lost its shape and folded away into a headband above the figure's face. Knuckles would recoil in shock; starign right back at him was the face... of another echidna, tomato red fur with peach accents and lilac eyes.
"Y-you're..." Knuckles breathed, in a state of shock.
"An echidna as well?" The figure replied, it's voice feminine. "Yes. Yes I am. And not just myself. The rest of the Nocturnous as well."
"..."
"Look, I know you feel it's hard to trust me." The figure spoke. "But I know Ix has good intentions. We just need that Emerald."
"..." Knuckles was conflicted now. On one hand... could he really trust someone working under Eggman's power? But on the other... if the Noctunous were truly only using Eggman as a means to return to Mobius, that means he wouldn't be the only echidna anymore...
"I'm willing to give you time to think over your desicion, alright?" The female echidna spoke. "It doesn't have to be right this instant."
"...I'll have to think on it a bit." Knuckles spoke. "I'm still don't completely trust what your motive could really be... but I'll consider it. On one condition."
"And that is?" The echidna responded.
"You leave my Resistance Crew out of this." Knuckles answered, his fists tightening. "This little issue is between you and me, understood?"
"You have my word." The Echidna spoke, crossing over her heart. "I will make sure no physical harm comes to your crew."
"You better keep your promise." Knuckles spoke, his eyes narrowing.
"I will." She spoke, before her armor's bracelet started beeping. "...that must be base. I'll need to go now."
Knuckles nodded. "We'll meet again?"
"Maybe." The echidna said, starting to walk off.
"By the way..." Knuckles spoke. "Never got your name."
"Shade." The echidna responded. "Shade Anino."
"Knuckles." Knuckles answered back. "Knuckles Pugni."
Shade would nod. "See you." She said, before she took off into the forest away from the clearing. Knuckles would remain stood there for a bit, pondering over the events that just unfolded before him before a buzzing came from his wrist, breaking his concentration. He then pulled back on the wrist collar of his glove, hitting a button on a comm unit to open the channel.
"Knuckles?" Amy's voice rang over the unit. "Why am I getting a trace of your location on Angel Island's Mushroom Hill Zone?"
"Just came here to double-check something." Knuckles answered. "Everything alright?"
"Why didn't you tell us where you were going?!" Amy responded. "Everyone over her got worried sick of your disappearance!"
"I'll be on my way back, don't worry." Knuckles spoke. "I'll be there in an hour."
"Alright." Amy said, before hanging up the transmission. Knuckles sighed before he took back off for the base...
Meanwhile, the female echidna would soon head to the edge of the island before hitting something on her wrist, a small dimensional rift opening up in front of her. She sighed lightly before stepping through, the scenery around her changing before she arrived back on the main base of Nocturne. Large cyan crystal spires connected to dark metal plating towered above on the higher sections of the island floating in the void. A massive pyramid-like structure sat at the top, outstretched spires to it side as if to channel something. Echidna statures glared down from multiple angles as the fortress scaled upwards. Red-hot molten rivers of iron flowed through and off the island into the massive void below; massive gears churned and clanked as the productions worked away at the internal factories of producing more of their Gizoid creations. Other Nocturnous soldiers would be seen roaming the walkways interconnecting the areas together.
Shade would sigh, reactivating her helmet as it reformed around her face, waiting for it to fully convert before she started moving through the floating fortress. Several other Nocturnous troops would stop and salute to her as she passed, to which she would merely wave them off and have them return to their posts. She'd do this for a bit as she walked across the walkways before she heard a certain voice.
"W-W-WELL HELLO AGAIN FRIE-END, GYAHAHAHA!" A robotic voice cackled, causing the echidna to look up at a higher walkway. "WH-WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG T-TO REPORT BACK? PLAYIN' HOOKY WH-WHILE BOSS MAN SLAVES AWAY?!"
Shade would sigh upon seeing the crested orange and tangelo Gizoid looking down at her, his blue optics flickering every now and then along with his head twitching every so often. "No Scylla, I just had to take care of some unfinished business."
"OOOOHOHOHHOHHO! WH-WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS?!" Scylla cackled. "Y-YA HAVIN' SOME OFF-PROPERTY AFFAIRS ARE YA?! GAHAHAHAHA!"
"It's not your business Scylla." Shade growled. "Now, I have important logs to tend to, so if you don-"
"EEEHEHEEHE, BUT I DO MIND!" Scylla interrupted her. "A-AFTER ALL, Y-Y-YOU KNOW I'M YOUR SUPERIOR, AND AS SO, I-I ORDER YOU TO TELL ME!"
Shade gritted her teeth. "Look, I was just doing my own reconnaissance mission. Now kindly buzz off."
"OOOO-OOOOOHH! WH-WHAT KIND OF RECONNAISSANCE MISSION?!" Scylla asked, much to Shade's dismay. "D-DID YOU GET TO T-T-TEAR MORE OF THOSE FLESHS-SACKS APART?!"
"No, I didn't." Shade growled. "It was strictly a rec-"
"C-C-C'MON NOW, YOU WOULDN'T L-LIE TO YOU-UR SUPERIOR WOULD YOU?! GYAAHAHAHA!" Scylla cackled, his head twitching again as his optics flickered. "N-N-NOW, TELL UNCLE SCYLLA WHAT YOUR RECON M-M-MISSION HAD!"
"Enough, Scylla." Another robotic voice said, before a cerulean crested Gizoid walked onto the scene. "You do know the Imperator does not tolerate harassment of the Procurator."
"AWWWW, C-C-C'MON CHARYB!" Scylla responded. "SHADEY HERE WON'T T-T-TELL ME WHAT SHE'S B-BEEN UP TO OUTS-SIDE OF HER MISSION H-HOURS! I BET SH-SHE'S DOING SOME REALLY CRAZY SHIT! GYAHAHAHAHAHAAA!"
"Scylla, please." Charyb responded, calm and collected about the ridiculous Gizoid in front of him. "Stand down and return to your post. The Procurator here has clearly had a rough day."
"A-A-AWWWW, YOU'RE N-NO FUN!" Scylla moped. "F-F-FINE. I'LL JUST GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE T-TO PLAY WITH! SEE YA, NYEAAHAHAHAHA!" And with that the orange Gizoid seemed to spaz out as it bounded away from the two.
Shade would sigh. "Thank you, Charyb." She responded, relieved.
"Anything for you, milady." Charyb responded, bowing slightly. "I couldn't just stand idly by and let Scylla harass you like that."
"I appreciate the assistance." Shade spoke. "Any word from the Imperator on what our next move is?"
"That, I'm sad to say, is a negative." Charyb merely responded. "He's gone silent after our work at the doctor's Arsenal Pyramid back on Mobius. He may be planning something major."
"I won't disturb him if that's what it means." Shade responded. "I can understand if he's stressed right now."
"And why wouldn't he be?" Charyb responded. "With how this plan needs to be unfolded, the slightest miscalculation could result in our loss."
"Well... let's just hope that doesn't happen." Shade nodded. "You are dismissed now Charyb."
"Understood, milady." Charyb responded, bowing slightly again before walking off. Shade would sigh before heading for the quarters chambers of the base...
"THERE you are!" Amy spoke as Knuckles came through the main door into the Resistance Base. "Good lord, what were you thinking as our leader?!"
"Amy, relax." Knuckles said. "I had the entire situation under control; there was no problem with where I went."
"I hope." Amy countered. "Why'd you head back to Angel Island? The Master Emerald's here; there's no strategic reason for either side to claim the island at this point. If we claim it, we're sitting ducks, and Eggman can't claim it because it's of no use to him without the Emerald."
"It was for personal reasons." Knuckles stated. "Everything's fine, don't worry. We'll be plotting our next plan within the next hour or so. Everything going alright?"
"I'll be contacting the Avalician Resistance Base soon to see how well or bad they're holding up." Amy spoke, walking back over to the monitor, typing into the keyboard. "Once I talk to them, we can plan our next move."
"Good." Knuckles spoke. "I'm gonna look over the Master Emerald for a bit, okay?"
"Alright..." Amy spoke as she continued to type, soon establishing a connection with the Avalice base...
It appears part of Eggman's allies are not all that they seem. With Shade offering a deal to Knuckles, will the echidna take it or will he refuse? More importantly, how is the base on Avalice holding up in this crisis? Tune in next time for the beginning of Act 2 with Chapter 8: "Bloodied Scarves"...
