Hello everybody! It's time for chapter 15 of this story! But before we get back into it, here are the reviews from last time!
Void Reader: The Chaos Emeralds are certainly powerful, but without any method of locating them, or even knowledge of their abilities, it would be difficult to determine how exactly to put them to good use against the Nightstalkers.
Haloixix13: Minerva is certainly a puzzling character, what exactly she brings to the table and the story as a whole we'll have to see, but they have to figure out whatever is going on with The Apparition before we get there!
Perturbo: Getting to adapt the personalities of these characters to the world of Nightstalkers has been very fun! I always try to get everyone to still feel familiar, but definitely different because of the changed circumstances they've found themselves in! I'm glad you're liking their characterization!
AndTails: Their next step forward is definitely a big one however, and given nobody in the group themselves really knows how to start, Minerva is still going to be quite important!
That's all, let's get this going!
Nightstalkers
The Apparition
The trees only seemed to grow thicker as the small party made their way forward, the canopy above blanketing the area in shadows, eventually the trees were so thick that only a few stray rays of sunlight pierced through.
"This place gives me the creeps…" Tails commented as he followed behind Sonic.
"You can say that again bud," The hedgehog responded. "We getting close Knuckles?"
"It shouldn't be far now." The echidna answered, "Just a bit more."
"So what exactly should we be expecting?" Sally asked.
"Honestly, I'm not totally sure… The Apparition is a mystery, all we really know is they're not really-"
Knuckles' sentence trailed off as wisps of red smoke started to appear around the group, eventually forming a circular wall of smoke around the group as it only continued to thicken. The mobians stepped toward each other, drawing their weapons in preparation.
Some of the smoke drew together, coalescing into a mobian like form. Sonic could tell they wore a black colored cloak, but the combination of the smoke obscuring them and a mask that obscured their facial features made identifying the figure's species impossible.
"You dare to trespass on this sacred land?" The figure said, "You will not live to make that mistake twice…"
A thin bladed rapier materialized from the smoke in the figure's hands before it lunged toward the group, Sally pulled her ring blades up to block the strike, only for the assailant to dissipate into a thick choking cloud of red smoke that enveloped the four Freedom Fighters.
Disoriented by the smoke, Sonic barely had time to register the swing of the attacker's blade and dodge to the side, accidentally throwing himself into Tails, causing the two of them to tumble to the ground.
Quickly they both made their way back to their feet, unable to even catch a glance of their assailant as they vanished back into the smoke.
The smoke around the group tightened further, continuing to further disorient them and choke the oxygen out of the air.
Tails' lungs burned, more than anything he needed air. He felt extremely lightheaded as he let out a series of coughs trying to expel the smoke. Brief flashes of memories of when he'd been chased out by a mob as a child crossed his mind, driving him into a panic which only served to accelerate his already ragged breathing.
"Tails you've got to calm down," Sonic added. "You're just making things worse!"
The fox barely registered the hedgehog's comment as the strength left his limbs and he collapsed, promptly passing out as the smoke continued to gather.
Sonic's attention was so preoccupied with Tails that he barely had enough time to notice another swing of their assailant's blade and duck out of the path of the strike. For whatever reason, he didn't seem to be quite as affected by the smoke, while it was definitely harder to breathe, he wasn't on the verge of passing out or anything.
Sonic felt the smoke around him start to ease up, as he spotted a few glimpses of the trees as it dispersed. As he quickly scanned around, he noticed that it wasn't just Tails who had fainted, Sally and Knuckles had both suffered the same fate, leaving the hedgehog completely on his own.
"Finally…" The black cloaked figure spoke, "I have a chance to personally see what you're capable of…"
"What did you do to them!?"
"Your pointless questions will get you nowhere… All adventures like you are the same… Dabbling in things you don't understand just because you think you've got something to prove… Because you think there's something that makes you special… So let's see what you really are…"
The figure dissipated into wisps of smoke that quickly reformed behind Sonic. The hedgehog blocked a strike from the attacker's sword, the sound of clashing metal against his dagger a confirmation that despite being seemingly made of smoke, the masked figure's blade was very much real.
Adrenaline rushing through his veins, Sonic felt something change inside him, he smiled and immediately closed the gap between the two of them with blinding speed. His speed wasn't something he could control, but it tended to still prove immensely useful in situations like this. His dagger slashed the side of the attacker. While Sonic expected the strike to be quite effective, the blade passed right through his target, red smoke dispersing as it followed through.
"Interesting…" The Apparition spoke, "Perhaps there's a bit more to you than I thought… No matter…"
Caught off guard by his surprise at the lack of damage from his attack, Sonic was unable to avoid the next strike. The blade nailed him in the side and left a very noticeable gash, shockwaves of pain rushing through his body as he staggered back, placing a hand on the injury as fear replaced the adrenaline in his blood.
Just what exactly was this thing?
"For a moment there you had me impressed…" The masked figure spoke, "In fact, you've impressed me so much that I'm willing to let you leave… On one condition of course… You leave them…"
The figure nodded toward the other three unconscious mobians. "Leave them behind and I'll forgive your trespass here…"
Sonic glared at his assailant, "They're my friends! I'm not just going to leave them here to die!"
"Very well then… You've made your choice…"
The attacker lunged again and Sonic blacked for yet another slash, only to find himself completely unharmed as the attacker dissipated midair, the wisps of smoke harmlessly moving around him.
As the smoke made contact with the wound on his side, he felt the injury quickly repair itself. He also noticed the other three mobians begin to stir and somewhat groggily wake up. The smoke moved away from the assembled group and it rematerialized into the figure that had up to now been attacking them. Their sword was notably absent as they spoke once more.
"I never thought I would see the day… When I first laid eyes on you four I thought you were nothing more than adventurers seeking glory."
Their attention turned to Sonic, "Seeing your willingness to stand up for your friends, as well as your… Natural abilities… I suppose it's time I explain myself…"
The figure pulled back the hood of their cloak and removed their mask, allowing the covering to dissipate in a cloud of smoke. The assembled group of four found themselves face to face with a gray colored cat, but that wasn't the first thing that their attention was drawn to.
The first thing they noticed was the third eye on her forehead.
"My name is Minerva."
"You're the Apparition!?" Knuckles asked, "But why?"
"I'll explain in a moment, but for now, come with me."
The cat dispersed into wisps of red smoke which began to slowly travel deeper into the woods. The Freedom Fighters followed behind them until they came across an ancient stone structure tucked away deep in the trees. Knuckles realized quickly that this was the old temple that once stood here. It had been all but completely destroyed.
As the group walked up a few damaged stone stairs to a flat courtyard-like area out front of what used to be a temple, the wisps of smoke coalesced once again into Minerva.
"You are the first mortals to stand here in a long while…" The cat spoke, seemingly lost in thought. "But I figured this was a much better place for us to talk."
Her attention turned to the echidna among the group, "To answer your question, yes, The Apparition was nothing more than a test, one that I prepared myself to find who I've been looking for. I'm sure you've noticed that most who try to reach the temple fail, they were not the object of my search."
The cat's attention turned to the other three mobians, "I have watched you three for longer than you know, wondering to myself if my search was finally over. I am Minerva, the God of Destruction. But after seeing you three, I'm now sure I've found what I'm after."
"And what exactly would that be?" Sonic asked.
"To answer that, it'll take a bit of explaining. I'm already sure you've heard the story of Hizarn and Heria. But there may be some details you might not be familiar with… So allow me to refresh your memory… Long ago, the forces of Life and Death were worshiped so heavily by your ancestors that they were capable of manifesting a physical form. They became known as Heria, the God of Life, and Hizarn, the God of Death. The two, while complete opposites, fell deeply in love with each other and from them, came embodiments of all the other forces and elements that form this world. I was born from them, Hizarn was my father. As Hizarn and Heria's family grew, Hizarn found himself growing jealous… He saw the domains of the very beings he helped to create grow and grow while he remained stuck with what he had, his jealousy knew no bounds, and soon it spilled over into anger, resentment for the very things he had helped to create. He turned on the other Gods and vowed to fight against them for eternity. Hizarn was dangerous, and while all of the others tried their best to stop him, their attempts were futile. It was only through the efforts of a Mobian, one who could wield the power of the Chaos Emeralds against Hizarn to seal him away for good."
"But what does that have to do with us?" Sonic asked.
"Well… With the passage of time, details fade into forgotten memories. All but the best record keepers have lost this story, the echidna are one of the only few who still have stories of these events. The details however are important, because the mobian that finally sealed Hizarn away for good, was a blue hedgehog."
Sonic, along with the rest of the group, was stunned. "Are you saying that-"
"You are a descendant of that hedgehog Sonic." Minerva continued, "Hizarn's betrayal was personal to me, and so I have kept a close eye on that hedgehog, and his descendants until down to today when we reach you… I've watched you for a long time, Sonic… I've watched all of you for a long time now… I'm sure you know by now that Hizarn is trying more than ever to break free from his prison. Having gained some influence on the outside world, he used Heria's power to create the Nightstalkers, beings used to hunt down the Chaos Emeralds in order to free Hizarn once more. Now is the time for another hero, one to finally seal him away once and for all, one who can locate the Chaos Emeralds and ultimately use them to put an end to all this. You Sonic, are that hero."
A thick silence descended over the group as they processed everything they had just heard, all eyes eventually rested on Sonic, looking to see his response.
The hedgehog quietly chuckled under his breath, "Well, I've got to hand it to you with that one. You almost made me laugh. I mean, me. Some chosen one!?"
"But Sonic, she has a point!" Tails interjected, "Maybe she's-"
"Tails, I might be a Freedom Fighter, but I'm not some chosen one. I'm just me."
"But we can't just say no! This could be our chance to finally do something!"
Sonic sighed, there really wasn't going to be a way to talk himself out of this. He turned his attention back to Minerva. "We'll help you out, but I'm not some chosen one."
"Very well, but eventually, you'll see things the way that they are meant to be."
"What do we need to do first?" Sally asked.
"The Chaos Emeralds are your first priority, the echidna already have two and one is located here at this temple, which leaves four more to obtain. Luckily, I can sense where they are to make it easier for you to locate them. Two of the remaining ones are already with each other, so I recommend tackling those first. In order to guide you to where they are, I've prepared something for you."
Minerva handed a small glass vial to Sonic, inside was some of the red colored smoke that seemed to make up Minerva's form.
"Smashing this vial will release the smoke, which will guide you toward the Emeralds. I would make sure you are prepared before you begin."
"You're not going to come with us?" Sally asked.
"Unfortunately, this is your destiny. I cannot contend with Hizarn myself, and I will not be one to cross fate, but I assure you, you can do it. Before you go though, I would like to personally speak with each of you."
She gestured for Sonic to come with her as the two moved away from the others to speak privately, a thin barrier of smoke surrounded them and prevented their conversation from being heard by the others.
"While you may reject your destiny," Minerva began. "Destiny does not reject you. In time, you will come to know who you truly are and what your future holds."
The smoke dissipated and the two of them returned to the group before Minerva took Sally with her.
"You Sally, are a determined individual. That determination will serve you well in the trials ahead. Whether you realize it or not, you are an anchor for those around you. Trusting in that will take you far."
Finally it was Tails' turn.
"You child, have experienced plenty of anguish. Having come from Hizarn like myself we both have inherited some unique facets of his appearance. You know what it's like to lose everything, but if you do your best to help Sonic, you'll be able to ultimately find peace."
As she finished speaking with the kitsune, Minerva's form dissipated into smoke before she vanished, leaving the rest of the mobians alone to themselves. Sonic was the first to speak.
"Well, I think there's certainly a lot to consider…" He began, looking over the vial he'd been given. "I think it's probably best if we head back to Angel Island while we figure some things out…"
The rest of the group nodded in agreement as they started back toward the sanctuary, still grappling with the realization that this was much bigger than any of them could have imagined.
Alright everyone, that's all for this chapter! Sorry about the long wait for this one but I've had some things going on that I've needed to deal with for a bit. But hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you thought of it in a review! Until next time!
