Zephyr's feet patted against the treadmill. The normal crackling aura of blue lighting surrounding him as he pushed to go faster. He was working inside once again. The storm had continued for the past few days, subsequently postponing the mission. It wasn't safe for them to leave the mansion while the lunar sea was trying to drown them.

The news of a mission, had excited Zephyr. His excitement grew even further once Damian said that the rain would stop, and Aunt Maria ordered Mari and Angie to refine the mission plan. His excitement eventually turned into twitchiness. In order to help curb this issue, Aunt Maria asked that he and Sparky train together until the plan had been finalized.

Sure, he did still have his doubts, about this. But he managed to make them vanish, by reasoning that, this was just a small mission that was for their safety. They weren't taking on king Scrouge himself. Thought every now again the doubt would claw at his thoughts, like a deep regret that you could never truly forget.

"Zephyr!"

The sudden shout broke the Young Hedgehog out of his thoughts. Thankfully, Zephyr didn't trip, fall on his face, and sent flying into the nearby wall like last time. His ears just perked up and his head swiveled over to the owner of the voice. A small two-tailed fox with a birth mark over his eye.

"Good I finally got your attention, I've been calling you for about two minutes," Sparky said.

"Whoops sorry," Zephyr replied, as he hopped off of the treadmill.

"No problem."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Well, I wouldn't say wrong, just a little odd. Come over and look at this."

Zephyr hopped off the treadmill, and quickly dashed over to join Sparky. The Genius Fox, rapidly typed into the console in front of him. The screen quickly shifted revealing three different charts.

"What's this?" Zephyr asked.

"Well, these charts measure your, blood pressure, metabolism, glucose levels, MPH obviously…"

"Yeah, I know this, Angie explained this to me already."

"Yeah, well…that's not what's odd," the Fox typed a few more keys, pulling one chart in front of the others, "Every, single time you get on this treadmill, I make a new one of these, tracking everything. This is the one I took a few days ago," Sparky point at the screen, "You see these two lines?"

Zephyr nodded, signaling Sparky to continue.

"These two lines are your MPH and electrical discharge."

"Okay?"

"Anyway, I've noticed that these two lines always have a steady climb together, and level out together. So, basically the faster you go the higher the discharge gets, and once you're going at a steady pace the discharge levels always even out."

"This is important why? The lighting always gets brighter the faster I run and Angie, did tell my discharge levels were usually higher than my father's."

"Well, it's not what I measured in this chart that surprised me," Spark clacked more on the keys, pulling up another chart, one with a significant spike in one of the lines, "See this?" he pointed to the spike.

Zephyr leaned closer to the screen, "A spike?"

"Yep."

"Is that my discharge line?"

"Yep. For some reason during your run today your electrical levels suddenly spiked, your MPH didn't change, but…"

"Am I sick or something?"

"Well, no… I mean…Do you feel out of the ordinary?"

"No, I feel fine."

"Well, then it could just be your powers expanding…or this isn't how your powers work."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your electrical output might have nothing to do with how fast you're going in the first place."

"Doesn't all of your charts say that's how my powers work?"

"You're not wrong, that is what the data says, but powers can be a little less straight forward. Sometimes, it can look like they're going one way, but in reality, they are going in a completely different direction."

"Seriously?"

"Oh yeah. For an example Dami. Everyone thought that by now he'd be teleporting, summoning small bursts of chaos energy, but he's just normal. Well, as normal as a cross-breed could get, especially with how high on the power levels his parents were."

"Well, I guess never thought about how strange it was that the son the of the quote unquote 'Ultimate Lifeform' wouldn't have any powers."

"Well, he still could get them, but if anything, I personally think he's going to turnout like his mom. Dami is a lot more like her than he ever was like Uncle Shadow."

"So, is this something we should worry about?"

"I don't think so, not yet at least. We should probably do some more research on this."

"Research? No, offence Sparky but I looked everywhere when I first got my powers. A lot of it only led to some sci-fi sites, video games, and legend Wikipediaes."

"You mean on the internet?"

Zephyr nodded.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised, you-know-who scrubbed Mobius' entire network when came to power. Cleaning out every single scrap of evidence of the league and other heroes, his goons could find," Sparky shut of the monitor, got up from his seat and grabbed his bag.

Zephyr watched as Sparky stretched and started to leave the training room, "Where are you going?"

"The library."

Zephyr raised a brow and one of his ears flopped down, clearly asking for the young fox to elaborate.

"Oh, right you haven't been there yet, have you?"

Zephyr shook his head.

"Alright come with me, I'll show you."

Zephyr, didn't really want to go to the library, but it was either that or sit around by himself. And learning a few more trick passageways in the mansion wouldn't hurt. So that's how Zephyr found himself, having gone down a few halls and up set of stairs following his newly appointed best friend.

"So, what can we find in this library?" Zephyr asked.

"Well, lots of things actually, but if you're looking for information on your powers there isn't a better place you could go. Mari and Dami's mom studied every single member of the league, and that woman documented everything. Powers, personality, histories, physical attributes, even the events that happened when the league was active, you name it, she probably wrote it down," Sparky answered.

"Wow, creepy much?" Zephyr said.

"Well, she was just very eager. Besides if she hadn't done what she did, we would be completely in the dark about most super abilities."

"Since you-know-who burned everything else to the ground?"

"Bingo, it's also the reason why we can't let him get to this place. Mari and Dami's mom, wasn't the only person who added information to this library. Some of the books in there go back hundreds of thousands of years and a lot those books are on old mystical relics and studies on different types of mobian magic. If *he* got his hands on these."

"It'd be really, really bad."

"Yeah."

The rest of the walk continued in silence. Zephyr tried not to think about what could be in those books. Sparky had sounded really spooked at the idea of Scrouge getting his hands on them. It was clear that what every was in them was one of the leagues greatest secrets.

The two boys continued down a plain leaf green painted hall. Their shoes lightly tapping on the dark chocolate brown wood. It was peaceful, Zephyr just followed whatever move that Sparky made. Though, the young hedgehog, did have a double take when Sparky abruptly turned and walked straight through a wall. The shock ended rather quickly though, as Zephyr remembered the number of other fake walls inside of the mansion.

Emerging from the fake wall, Zephyr found himself, in a room that didn't look like a library. It looked like a laboratory. The table were coated in some kind of white glistening metal like material. Old beakers and measuring containers, sat collecting dust on the multitudes of cabinets and shelves. The lights were off, giving the place a very eerie abandoned vibe. The ceiling was made out of the same wood as the rest of the mansion, and had a ring out old withered plants hanging from it.

"Hey Sparky!" Zephyr said.

"Yeah!" the little fox answered.

"I thought we were going to the library?"

"We are."

"Then why are we…this doesn't look like a library."

"Of it doesn't look like the library. This is the lab."

"Well, then why aren't we in the library?'

"The lab is connected to the library. It was just easier to go through the lab then go to library's main entrance from where we were," Sparky pulled down on a large lever, activating the laboratory's light system.

Zephyr flinched as bright modern pure white lights, suddenly flicked on. The light made the place a little less creepy but with the empty atmosphere it still wasn't a place that Zephyr wanted to hang out on a daily basis. Meaning that he was quick to follow Sparky out of that place.

The mansion's library was very different then the small one for Redwell that Zephyr was used to. It wasn't leveled, but it was clear that it was much larger and the books were much older. It had the same color scheme as the rest of the mansion, mostly the rich leaf green, with pale indigo violet, dull gold, and the wooden shelves were all that same dark chocolate brown. Zephyr had never seen waterfalls and rivers in the library at home. Some chairs and a few tables were scattered around and the sheer number of potted plants was almost comical.

Zephyr out of curiosity walked over to a shelf and gently took down on to the books. The cover was old, and appeared to be made of some kind of leather that was probably once a bright blue, but the color had dulled over time. He carefully opened the cover and flipped through the pages of old thick yellowing parchment.

Stopping on page in the middle of the book, Zephyr realized something, he couldn't read this. The writing wasn't in standard mobian. The script rather than printed was handwritten with thick black inky strokes, forming the foreign runes etched onto the page. There were some drawings on the page as well. They were mostly of what looked like the moon, and one of an ocean's horizon. Chaos! He wished he could read this.

"Hey Sparky!" Zephyr called back.

"Yeah!" Sparky answered.

"Can you read this?" Zephyr turned to the little fox, whom had taken a place at one of the nearby tables.

Sparky was quick to look up from the book he was reading. His ears perched up high and alert. Zephyr watched as Sparky's blue eyes drifted to the book that was in his hands. Realization flashed across the little fox's face.

"Oh!" Sparky went to root around in his bag, "Don't worry I have something that will solve your…" he pulled something out of the bag, "Ah ha! Here try reading through this!" He tossed something over to Zephyr.

With barely stumbling, Zephyr caught the…lens? Why would Sparky throw him this? He flipped the lens with his fingers, slowly looking it over. It wasn't completely round. There was an octagonal frame of a wood on the outside, that was carved with runes that looked like the were from the same language in the book. On the inside was a round piece of perfectly clear glass. Shrugging, he closed one eye and looked through the lens with the other. The writing on the page was suddenly in perfect mobian.

Zephyr suddenly pulled back, his ears flicking with shock. He looked at the page again without the lens, the runes remained the same, indecipherable. He looked trough the lens, perfectly readable mobian. He looked over a few lines, "'The shimmering light charges the chosen'" and another said, "'the host and feel it wash into them'". Zephyr pulled away once again, marveling at the little device.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" Sparky said, not looking up from his book.

"Yeah, what is this thing?"

"It's called a Veil Glass. It's basically a very low-tech translator."

"So, this little thing can translate writing into standard mobian?"

"Well, not exactly, it translates the writing that the user is trying to read to the language that the said user is most comfortable with."

"How does it do that?"

Sparky shrugged, "Don't ask me, I have no idea how that thing works. Though, I would like to take it apart to find out."

"Why don't you?"

"Because, these things are in very short supply, I can't risk literally the only one we have for the sake of my curiosity."

"Couldn't you just make more? I mean it doesn't look all that complicated."

"Sadly, no. We used to be able to, but…Well…See the runes carved on the wooden part? Those need to be made by an expert, and our expert isn't…around anymore."

Zephyr ears flopped down, understanding the young fox's words true meaning. His fingered the veil glass for a few moments, before putting the book back onto its place on the shelves. He began to wonder, what else was in this library?

"Sparky?" Zephyr started.

"Yeah?" Sparky answered.

"Where do you think that we'll find books on my powers?"

"Well, they kind of move around, but you might want to check the back, that's where they usual are this time of day…I think. Just look for books with covers that look like their made of black leather. Those are usually the ones written by Mari and Dami's mom."

"Can I take the lens with me?"

"You mean the veil glass? Sure."

"Don't you need it?"

"Nah, I'm not and expert in Equinox, but I can understand enough."

Zephyr nodded, before heading back into the long rows of books.

In the back of the library, the shelves were much closer together, and the books seamed newer for some reason. Zephyr stopped at a corner of the shelf, and selected one of the smaller books. It had a jet-black cover with pale grey writing on the front. Bringing the lens up to his eyes, he read the title,

"'The Midnight Champion'"

Intrigued by the title, Zephyr opened the book and began to flip through the pages. It was clear that this wasn't some research journal, but rather a story book, and it seemed like an interesting one. Suddenly something slipped out of the book. Zephyr nearly panicked thinking he had accidently let a torn page fall out of its place. But thankfully, when he reached down to pick up the fallen paper, his panic quick vanished as the paper was folded and did not match the rest of the book. Someone must had been using this to bookmark where they were in the story.

With the book under his arm, Zephyr looked closer at the bookmark, finding that there was something written on the other side. Out of curiosity he unfolded the paper. His eyes widened once he found that it was not a bookmark in his hand, but a letter. One that was thankfully written in perfect mobian, though it was what the letter contained that mad Zephyr's fur stand on end.


"'Dear Marisol,

I know that it has been a few months since you last heard of me, and I'm sorry about that. I know it's been hard on you, your mom and the baby, but I'll be back soon.

I'm pretty sure your Uncle Eclipse has a death wish. A few days ago, he blew up a building using, a microwave and metal bowl, while he was still in the building. Your Aunt Maria was so upset with him. At least something good came out of that kitchen incident a few years ago.

As for your request in your last letter, I'm afraid my answer is no. I'm sorry, Mari, I know how much you want to get out here and help me, but you're not ready yet and I think your mom will feed me to the dragons if I let you. When I get back, we'll train, and in a few years, I'll see what I can do. Maybe your mom and Aunt will let me give you a small scouting mission. I'll be back before the baby comes. I love you Blackberry.

Signed, Dad.'"


Blackberry? Zephyr tried to hold in a snicker. I was pretty funny to think that someone like Mari had a nickname like that. Though, he could see how she got it.

"Hey, Zephyr!" Sparky called from the other side of the library.

"Coming," Zephyr shouted back, quickly and carefully putting, the letter back into the book, and the book back onto the shelf. Zephyr didn't make Sparky wait for long, with in a few moments the young blue hedgehog was sitting on the fox's table looking over the open book resting on it.

"Did you find something?" Zephyr asked.

"Actually, no, I didn't. Well, not something that seems like it anything to with you," Sparky pointed to a page I the open book, "Right here it says that many different factors can change the performance of a person's powers."

"So, what kind of factor's are we looking for?"

"Well, I know that it probably isn't anything environmental that effecting you. Other than the weather outsider nothing has really changed in the environment your training in."

"So, what's left that it could be?"

"Only internal changes, diet, sleep patterns, mental health, those types of things. And there's far too many of those to check."

"Helllo!" suddenly shouted a familiar light jazzy voice, "Anyone in here?"

The clacking sound of cowboy boots and scientifically enhanced hover skates, echoed as two female mobians entered the library. Angie happily skipped forward ahead of Mari, and towards the table the boys were sitting at, which the bat echidna hybrid took a seat on.

"Alright gentlemen! If we could have your attention, please," Angie, tapped a few buttons on a device pulled from her pocket and set it on the table top, "Feast your eyes, on this." A large hologram of a silo, appeared from the device.

"The plan for the mission?" Sparky asked.

"Bingo! Give the fox a trophy!" Angie said.

"Enough of the theatrics, let's get to work," Mari said.

Getting the hint, Zephyr and Sparky started watching intently as Mari repositioned the hologram.

"Its simple," The cross-breed started, "There are nearby hill sides that are littered with small caverns, someone of them with perfect views of the faculty. Sparky you'll set up a mission control in one of them and monitor our moments from there. Your main job; hack the computers and keep us in the dark.

"Zipper you are our main scout, scope out the areas around the structure, and counted the guards, but don't go too close to it.

"Me and Angie are on infiltration. Once Sparky has the blinded and unlocked the doors, we slip inside through a roof entrance, and make our way down through the levels. Once on ground zero, we set the bombs."

"And blow the joint sky high," Angie declared.

Mari nodded, "The entire operation should take less than twenty minutes. We're in, we're out, we're never seen. You got thirty-six hours till we move out. Any questions?"

Zephyr raised his hand.

"Yes, Zipper?" Mari asked.

"So, after I'm done scouting what do I do?" Zephyr said.

"You will join Sparky in mission control, and wait for me and Angie to complete our task," Mari stated.

"So, I'm not going inside the building?"

"No," Mari said, deactivating the hologram.

"No? No, what?"

"No, you're not going inside."

"Wh-why?"

"You have no reason to be in there."

"What? What do you mean no reason?"

"I'm not expecting to be able to walk through that base at a comfortable pace. I have reason to believe that while find no less than ten armed guards on each level, the number of which I am still unsure of. While you have made progress with you control training, combat is subject that you have barely touched. You're not ready for the fire fight that is to come."

"If you worried about me getting hurt, Mari You don't need to worry. It takes a lot to keep me down and I'm faster than a bullet."

"Maybe you are. But what about a barrage of them? Lasers? Mech fighter robots? You're not ready for it."

"Isn't that my decision? I can do more to help."

"No, it's not. And since I know you're going to question that here are my reasons. One, like I have stated, you're untrained, both in combat and in strategy, both of which I have been thoroughly taught in. Two, Aunt Maria, already approved of this plan. This is all you can do for us," Mari turned to leave, and the table melted back into the floor.

Zephyr ran up to face Mari, "Please Mari, I can do more. You don't need to worry about me, I'm a leaguer too remember."

Mari stared Zephyr strait on, "You're not a leaguer Zipper. You been here not even a month, you don't have the experience or training to do any more. Besides you don't like your job, you can always back out," she walked around Zephyr and started towards the door.

"Then train me. I can do more."

Mari halted her steps, "We're 36 hours out from mission, Zipper, even if I wanted too, there is no way that you could be mission ready in that time."

"Then just give me a chance to prove myself, your dad gave you one once!"

Mari, froze. And Angie let out small gasp.

"How do you know about that?" Mari spoke through hidden gritted teeth.

"I found an old letter he wrote to you," Zephyr said, "I didn't know he called you Blackberry."

In the blink of an eye, or a flash of blue light, Mari appeared right in front of Zephyr. A dark killing look printed on to her face.

"You had no right, go through my personal belongings," She sneered.

"If you wanted to keep it hidden, then why was it in the middle of a book?"

Mari, growled, "You want to prove you can handle yourself? Fine. 3:00, sea shore, tonight. Well see whose right. That is if you're brave enough."

"Mari what are you doing?" Angie asked.

Zephyr glanced over to Angie, raising a brow, before glaring right back at Mari, "I'll see you there."

In flash of blue Mari vanished.


Zephyr crept through the glowing green grass, with the not quite full moon high above his head. He checked the communicator on his wrist that Sparky had made him, 2:56. It was almost time for Mari's challenge. Was he nervus? No, not really. He was determined.

Mari had been on his case since he got here, and it was time that she stopped, even if it meant he'd have to kick her tail. Truth be told, Zephyr didn't really know what he did that bothered her so much. The young hedgehog had tried to get on the cross-breed's good side, but he was only met with hostility. First with her blatant rudeness when they met in the forest, then with that threat she'd made the first night he was here, and finally not allowing him to help out more on the mission. He didn't do anything to her…Well…he did something… Sure, reading that letter was probably a breach of privacy, but she didn't need to get all worked up about it. Zephyr sighed.

The crickets seemed loud tonight, and the stars were as bright as ever. The plants were glowing as usual, though Zephyr still would like to know why they were glowing in the first place. The rain had finally stopped that afternoon. Sparky was right, nothing even seemed wet. But even all the beauty of the night time forest, could the quiet footsteps that were coming from behind, and heading towards him. Something taped his shoulder. Zephyr whirled around, poorly swiping at what he thought was threat.

"Hey! Hey! It's me!" Shouted a familiar voice, and someone stopped his swiping hand.

"Angie?" Zephyr raised a brow.

"Yeah, who else?" Angie said.

"Oh, my gosh I'm sorry! Did I hit you?"

"If you did don't worry about it, I've had worse. You, okay?"

"Well, for some who just thought that a murderer was sneaking up on me, pretty good."

"Murderer? Zephyr, were literally miles away from anyone, and even if someone was stupid enough to looking for us. The forest outside the cliff walls, wouldn't let anyone get even close to us," Sparky said, after popping out of the nearby brush.

"Well, I guess that's nice to know. Now what are you both doing out here?" Zephyr said.

"I was just about to ask you that," Angie said.

"Well, I'm going to sea shore to meet Mari," Zephyr said.

"You're actually going to take her up on that?!" Sparky yelped.

"Yeah, I am. Now why are you both out here?" Zephyr asked.

"To talk, you both, out of this crazy duel," Angie answered.

"Angie, don't worry I can handle her," Zephyr said.

"No, Zephyr, you've never seen Mari fight…" Sparky said.

"What are you talking about? I've watched her train," Zephyr said.

"Mari training and Mari fighting are two completely different things. She's holding back on the sym-glass, in order to focus and perfect her technique. She's better than you think," Angie said.

"Okay so she can throw a punch. I'm too fast for her to hit in the first place," Zephyr said.

"Zephyr don't do this. I've spared with Mari since we were little kids. You're not ready for her," Angie said.

"Angie, Mari needs to get off her high horse," Zephyr said.

"High horse? Mari has never been on any type of horse, much less a high one. She's always been a little distance but she isn't arrogant or stuck up," Angie sighed, and started to walk swiftly towards the beach.

"Where are you going?" Zephyr and Sparky asked.

"If I can't talk you out of it, then I'll try and talk Mari out of this crazy stunt."


The familiar sound of the waves crashing onto the shore filled her dull ears that were perch atop her head, and the soft sea breezes gently played with her flowing black quills. She shut her eyes, denying herself from the properties of sight, and deeply breathed, trying to find peace. The sounds of the sea in front of her mixed with the sounds of the mystical forest that stood behind her, forming a gentle melody of familiarity.

She could feel the course, wet sand beneath her feet, and the chill that washed up her body the moment the tide came in. She didn't flinch, nor did her breath hitch. If anything, she felt the salty water, calm the whirling storm in her mind.

"'Then just give me a chance to prove myself, your dad gave you one once!'"

The newcomer's words echoed in her mind. They made one hand clench into a fist, the other's grip tightened on the staff in its palm, and her boiled blood. He may have been the son of one of the world's greatest hero, but she was also the daughter of one. They weren't all that different really. Orphans, gifted, outcastes. The only difference was that he was blind. Blind to what was truly happening in the world. Even now, after discovering his powers and what he was, he was blind.

She opened her eyes. The ocean calming her once again as the tide came back in. Hopefully, his blindness would soon come to an end. Tonight, if he came, she'd open his eyes. Open them to the world of pain, battle and grief he had walked into. Tonight, she'd see if he was truly one of them.

Her ears twitched a sudden sound, from the forest behind her. Footsteps. Her mind felt the familiar slight electrical discharge that it had been sensing for the past few weeks.

"So, you came," Mari said not turning around.

"Yeah, I did," Zephyr said, walking onto the shore.

Mari slowly turned around to face him, "You're either, very arrogant or very stupid."

"Wow, you're trash talk needs work."

"I wasn't insulting you; I was merely stating fact."

"Mari!" Shouted, Angie as she leapt over the dunes and over to them, "Don't do this."

"Angie, stay out of this," Mari said, to her, while hearing Sparky run to the top of one of the dunes and stay there.

"No, I need to stop you both, before someone gets hurt," The hybrid said.

"Oh, please Angie, you know he won't last that long," Mari said.

"Ha-ha, very funny, I'm tougher than you think Mari," Zephyr said.

"We'll see won't we," Mari said.

"No, we won't. Cause, we're not going through with this stupid stunt. What would happen if Aunt Maria found out about this?" Angie said.

"And stealing a chaos emerald from that vault was worse than this?" Mari said.

"Okay first you helped me with that. Second, I didn't steal it, I borrowed it," Angie said.

Mari raised a brow.

Angie sighed, "There no talking you out of this is there?"

"No," Mari said.

"Just don't hurt him," Angie pleaded, before flying back to the dune to join Sparky.

"No promises," Mari said.

Zephyr rolled his eyes, "So, how do we do this?"

"That depends, how do you want to do this?" Mari said.

"What do you mean?" Zephyr quirked a brow confused.

"I challenged you, making me the aggressor, you get to pull the rules."

"Really?" Zephyr eyes widen with surprise.

"Yes. Don't look so shocked, I am not without honor."

"Okay, so if I say that you can't use your chaos power, you won't?"

Mari nodded.

"If I said that this isn't a battle to the death, would you not kill me?"

Mari nodded again, "Cautious? Not running in guns blazing? Using the opportunity? Might be hope for him yet" Mari thought to herself.

"Okay, uhm, I think that's all. So, uh, what now?"

Mari, sudden lunged forward swinging the staff she'd had brought over Zephyr's head. The young blue hedgehog, barely ducked away from the blow.

"We begin," Mari said, her voice hollow.


Okay this was harder than Zephyr had thought. Mari, was much quicker than he realized. Even with his speed and her not using her chaos abilities, it was still not easy to dodge the quick precise strikes of the staff she was wielding. Angie had been right; Mari was better at combat then she let on.

Taking a chance, Zephyr tried to kick at Mari's head. He ducked down, swinging his leg up he made contact was Mari's face and managed to roll to the side. Though the moment of victory was short lived. Mari didn't even flinch from the hit. Her face remained a calm, collected and stoic as ever. No pain. No shock. Not even anger.

This made Zephyr mad. Couldn't she show something else on that face of hers? Nothing ever seemed to change the numb look in her eyes, except for anger. And he couldn't even get her mad enough to warrant a change. It was like she was silently mocking him by acting untouchable.

He rolled away in the sand, to avoid her oncoming blow and trying to put some distance between the two of them. Zephyr felt the lighting embrace his body, edging him on; daring him to attack. He dashed forward light fueling him, and he rammed straight into Mari. Sending her flying back into the water.


"You think this will end well?" Sparky said as he watched the duel.

"No," Angie sighed, "How did he even find out about that nickname?"

"You think this about the 'blackberry' thing?"

"You know Mari when it comes to her dad. I wouldn't be surprised. But I think there something more going on."

"What do you mean?"

"Mari's always been…sensitive…to this kind of thing, but she's never taken it to this level," Angie looked on worryingly as Mari was thrown into the water.


Mari twisted herself, allowing her to land in a crouched position; sliding back wares a few feet. She used one hand to stabilize herself, and other was held high behind her back keeping her staff from tripping her. She panted once, before looking up. Her opponent in her sites.

She rose to her feet, planting them in a strong stance. Feeling the charge of the water flow up into her body, she took a deep breath. Raising her hand, she began to twirl the staff around her fingers. Flinging up the water to from a shield around her.


Sparky's eyes widened, as he recognized the maneuver that Mari was preparing for, "Angie?"

"I see it," The bright red mobian said.

"Can she even do that?"

"I don't know," Angie looked towards the blue hedgehog in this fight, "Oh no."


Zephyr didn't really know what he was looking at. Mari wasn't attacking, she wasn't running. She was just standing there, twirling her staff in the water. What was she doing? But he quickly decided that it didn't matter.

He rushed forward trying to ram her again, but he didn't hear Angie screaming, "Zephyr wait!"

The young hedgehog, continued forward. Charging through the slightly aglow waters, he leaped at Mari. But instead of ramming to her like before, he was sent flying backwards. It felt like he was bouncing off of the shield of water that Mari had created. All his speed had been turned against him and all the lighting was sucked from his body as he was thrown back. He bounced one on the course dry sand of the shore before, slamming into the nearby sea cliffs.

Stars clouded his vision as his tried to lift himself off of the ground, but his entire body was screaming at for him to stop. He vaguely looked to Mari. His eyes widened, hie ear flopped down, and his heart began to pound against his ribs. Mari's water shield was now crackling with blue lightning, his lighting.

What happened next Zephyr wasn't entirely sure of. The world seemed to have gone silent, as he watched Mari throw the charged staff straight towards him, and with it came a beam of glowing crackling water. Zephyr ducked his head down, hugging the ground, as he felt the attack strike the stone above him. He shut his eyes and screamed, fearing for his life. How long did it last? Probably only a few seconds, but to Zephyr felt like hours. He only knew it has stopped, when he heard calm footsteps coming towards him through the heavy steam cloud that now enveloped him.


After the attack dissipated, a heavy cloud of steam was all she could see of where Zephyr was thrown to. Mari vaguely, as she walked towards the cloud, wondered if she had actually hit him. She'd tried to miss.

Once she got close enough to see the young hedgehog pure-breed, what she found didn't surprise her. Zephyr was shaking, and his breaths came sharp fast gasps. His eyes were wild with fear, and his ears were clinging to his head. Mari sighed, and shook her head. She didn't need to see anything more. She had her answer. She walked over and pulled the staff out of the now charred rock.

"Go back home, restaurant boy. Before it's too late," Mari said, before walking away.


A large cloud of steam, exited the private bathroom door, alongside that cross-breed that it belonged to. Mari crossed the floor of her bedroom, the green walls detailed with indigo worked so well with the dark floor. She pulled her quills back, tying them up. Maybe she could at least get an hour of sleep before she had to be up.

The creaking of her bedroom's door opening, made her freeze. Mari turned to the door, seeing Angie had decided that it was a good time for a visit. The hybrid shot her a cold glare.

"What?" Mari said.

"You know exactly what. You're lucky that Aunt Maria and Dami didn't wake up," Angie snapped.

"Guess I am."

"Now's not the time to tease, Mari."

"Why not? Are you mad at me?"

"Mad doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Then describe it some other way."

Angie sighed, "Mari? What are you trying to do here?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. You have a goal, here. I have no idea what it is, but you're not one to pull stunts like this without reason."

Mari stayed silent.

"Mari, don't go silent on me. Please, I know that you like to be cryptic but now is not the time, you just nearly scared someone to death, with a power move that I didn't even know you could pull off."

Mari walked over to the large window, that was on the wall furthest from the door.

"What's your endgame here Mari?" Angie asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to save him," Mari, mumbled.

"Save him? Save him from what?!"

Mari kept her mouth shut, her fangs gritting against each other.

Angie sighed, "How did you know how to use that move? I haven't seen anyone use…" Angie's eyes drifted to what Mari was staring at through the window, "It's gibus tonight. That's why you wanted it on the shore. You could have thrown down the moment Zephyr had accepted, but you waited. You waited because you wanted to be in the place that would be the most charged with the…You were trying to…"

"I knew that there was a chance that he would remove my powers from the duel, I was just thinking ahead."

"What are you trying to prove, here? That you're better than him, that you can think ahead?"

"I was opening his eyes."

Mari felt Angie freeze.


The dark metal gate loomed over his head. The gravel ground, crunched underneath his boots. Neavel didn't know why he had been called here; he didn't even know where 'here' was. The large dark metallic building, adorning imperial symbol, had only recently been constructed. Not him or any of his neighbors knew of its purpose and now all of them were being herded into it's thick, suffocating walls.

Neavel glance around. He had been led into one large, towering round room. Staircases, platforms, and doors leading to other room were lining the walls all the way to an almost lost ceiling. Everything was dimly lit and guards were posted at every corners. All these factors made Neavel feel small and fearful, like that of a whimpering child lost in forest at midnight. His ears drooped, and his tail twitched. He hated this eerie unknown.

"HELLO PEASANTS!" shouted a voice from above.

Neavel like everyone else in the room, quickly turned his full attention upward. A dark green jackal and a golden-brown rabbit, both wearing high ranking imperial armor, were standing on one of many metal platforms. They were staring down at Neavel and the other, like they were kings of men.

"I'M SURE YOUR…" Started the jackal.

"Maybe stop, shouting, Griz. They can hear you," the rabbit cut him off.

"Oh, good point, Leo," Griz the Jackal, cleared his throat, "Welcome peasants! I'm sure you're wondering why you all were called here," he paused listening to the other murmur, "I'm sure that you are very confused as, it's not every day that his great majesty, King Scourge calls upon lower people such as yourselves!"

"Yes, it's not," the rabbit, Leo, quickly said and shot a glance of 'this is not helping' at Griz, before turning back to the crowd, "His majesty has called upon you to help cure one of the ailing factors of this nation! Using this silo, you will be able to serve this great empire!"

Neavel looked up slightly confused. Ailing factors? What ailing factors? And how is silo going to help with that? He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could ask someone beat him to the question.

"How will a silo help the empire?" voiced one in the crowd.

"A good question my good man," began Griz, "This silo will house all the supplies gain from your plantations, before it is shipped out to where needed!"

"Supplies from our plantations?" shouted another.

"Money collect from new taxes, that will soon be instated, and a half of your profits; both in money and crops!"

"How much?" someone else shouted.

"Half of the total profit of cash, and half of what every crops you have left!"

A wave of shock and uneasiness washed over the crowd. Neavel and the others quickly grew concerned. No one here was rich. Most of them had a very tight yearly budget, and large families. They couldn't possibly afford this; Neavel included. People began to murmur worryingly to one another, and with the worry came outrage.

"We can't possibly afford that!" someone finally spoke up.

"The half of our crops we don't sell is for our families and rest of our money is for anything else we need!" shouted another.

"We can't do this, we'll starve!" someone said.

"Lose our homes!"

More and more people began to protest. The shouts of angry farmers, banged against the silo's walls making them seem even louder.

Griz looked down at the people who looked ready to riot, "HUSH ALL OF YOU! Your king has called upon you and you will comply! There is no other option!"

The jackal's voice was earth shattering; the room went silent. Neavel was very soft-spoken person when it came to crowds, but he also didn't like where this was going. He knew a lot of these folks personally. He had to say something.

"Uhm, excuse me?" Neavel spoke up as he moved through the crowd and towards the platform, "May I say something?"

"You may speak, peasant!" shouted Griz.

"Uhm… what's your name?"

"Commander Griz!"

"Oh…well…Uhm… Commander…I…I think the folks here are just a little bit concerned. You see not all of us can a afford such a tax, myself included. Quite a few of us are only making ends meet. So maybe you could…"

"SILENCE!" Griz shouted. An eerie tense silence fell across the room, "You will pay whether or not if you can afford. This is the will of your king and you will follow it. Now how many of you still disagree with his majesty's words?"

A few brave souls raised their hands.

"Well, until you agree, you will be kept here," he nodded at some lower-level guards.

Gasps, filled to room. Guards moved through the crowd, claiming those who raised their hands and ushering the others out. Neavel started towards the doors with the others, but two guards came and grabbed his arms. He looked back at Griz; fear in his eyes.

Griz smile evilly at him; his yellowed fangs gleamed, "You'll be staying here. We can't let someone as good with words as you go. You could start a rebellion."


A/N:

OMG! I'm so sorry this took me so long! Things happened and suddenly it was seven months! I'll try to be more on top of this I swear.

So, uhm I also rewrote the first chapter (not prolog) so please go read that, it's much better than the first although much longer.

Sorry again, Read review!