Several months later

Approximately two years after Sonic Forces

"In the darkest of times…the world needs a hero. So long as there is Darkness, there shall be a hero to fight against it. That is the way of the world. But one hero is not enough. No amount of conviction, no strength of will in a single individual can possibly counter the sort of massive upheaval that Darkness can bring. Even a hero needs help. That is where we come in. When we came to understand this need for a hero, we took it upon ourselves to grant this hero the help that they need, by taking control of what was already present. There will always be a hero. And we will always find that hero, to grant them access to the power of Chaos. Now, Controller Sonic…open your eyes."

Slowly, Sonic obeys. He gasps at the seven brilliant gems arrayed on the wooded ground before him. "The Chaos Emeralds! You found all of them!?"

The white-furred hedgehog across from him, with spikes arranged like a crown around his head, gives a nod in response. "I want you to arrange them."

"Arrange them how?"

"Any order. Do what speaks to you. Consider it a test."

Sonic starts to rub his chin as he contorts his face in thought. "A test, huh? Maybe I should've studied harder." He continues to think for a while. Finally, he reaches down to move the first Emerald. When he's finished with all of them, the Emeralds have been arranged in a circular pattern. The top half of the circle is composed of the yellow, purple, and cyan Emeralds. The bottom half, slightly separated, of the green, red, and blue. The white Emerald lies in the center.

The other hedgehog takes a moment to analyze the shape. "Can you tell me…what this arrangement means?"

Sonic thinks for a moment. "I…don't really know. I guess it just felt…balanced. Does it mean anything, Chaos?"

Chaos the Hedgehog answers slowly, "I believe it does." He points first to the yellow Emerald. As he does so, his own fur changes to the same shade of shining yellow. He speaks with conviction behind his voice, "Willpower." He moves to the purple, and his fur once again shifts. He says softly, "Attachment…love, if you'd rather." He goes to cyan with a smile. "Joy." Next, he goes to the bottom row. "And to counter them…fear…rage…and sorrow." Finally, he picks up the white Emerald in the center, as its color spreads through him. "And in the center of it all, tranquility. Peace."

"So that's what's up with your fur. It's like a Chaos mood ring!"

Chaos breathes out a quiet groan. "If that's what you want to call it." He clears his throat. "Now, I want you to do it again. But this time…don't look at it. Let the will of Chaos guide your hands."

"But how will I–"

Chaos raises a hand to stop him. "Don't memorize. Don't keep track. Just close your eyes."

Sonic closes his eyes and gives a nod. "Right." He reaches a hand out, and finds the red Emerald first. He continues to rearrange them from there. He finishes by dropping the yellow Emerald at the top. "There. It's done. …I think." Chaos scrutinizes the shape once again. Five of the Emeralds have been arranged in the shape of an infinity, with the yellow and purple Emeralds placed separately on the top and bottom. "Well? What does it mean this time?"

"I believe…this is a representation of the elements." He points first to the blue Emerald on the bottom-left of the shape. "Torrent." He moves up to the red. "Inferno." To the white at the center. "Frost." He continues along the opposite loop. "To tempest…to terra…back to frost…back to torrent." He starts to draw a circle outside of it all. "And on the outside…shine…to void…to shine again."

"What does all that mean?"

"A lesson for another time, perhaps. But…"

"But what?"

"I sense…an omen. Infinity…is dangerous. All things come to an end. It is part of the natural cycle. That which does not…threatens the Balance. For it cannot be countered. The fact that you were drawn to this pattern…must mean something. I must meditate on this."

"So that's it for today's lesson?"

"I suppose so. Unless… Perhaps you should join me. Meditation can–"

The door to the old wooden shack bursts open, revealing an exasperated Tails on the other side. "Sonic! There's trouble!"

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 0, Episode 26

Forces of Chaos Prologue: Infinite Possibilities

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

Sonic gives a low whistle. He runs his hand down the slanted, hard-angled red wing of what appears to be a fighter plane, with no propeller. "You built this?"

Tails proudly pats a hand on one of the plane's turbine engines, located beneath one of the wings. "I call her the Mach Tornado. She's all decked out with twin turbo engines, high-powered laser blasters, and a few other surprises. And she's all yours."

"Oh no. You built her, you fly her, you own her." He hops up onto the wing. "But I'll be glad to take her for a ride."

Tails flies up, and settles down in the pilot's seat. "Fine, we'll talk about it later." He presses a button in the cockpit, and the engines roar to life.

A windshield automatically rises up in front of Tails' head, while two metal clamps wrap around Sonic's feet. "Whoa!"

Tails yells over the roar of the engines, "Don't worry! That's just to keep you secure! We're gonna go real fast!"

"We're gonna what!?"

Tails rummages around in the cockpit for a moment, and finds two small devices. He tosses one to Sonic, and fastens the other to his ear. Once both of their communicators are in, he taps his and repeats, "I said, this thing is fast."

"Oh really?" Sonic crouches down, and places a hand flat on the wing in front of him. "We'll have to see about that. I'm ready when you are."

"Alright. Engaging engines…now!" With the press of another button, the plane jets forward rapidly, lifting off the ground within seconds, and soaring off into the evening sky.

Sonic closes his eyes, and takes a moment to feel the wind on his face. "Ah…just like a brisk jog." He lets out a chuckle. "You did good, Tails." The sunset, from these heights, brilliantly bathes the entire sky in color. "So what's the story?"

"I detected a crazy energy reading. Some kind of dimensional breach in the atmosphere."

"Sounds dangerous."

"Wait until you hear where it came from."

"Well? Don't keep me in suspense."

"Eggmanland."

"Eggmanland? Didn't I tear that place down?"

"Well, most of the manmade structure that you didn't already destroy ended up sinking into the Earth's mantle. But a majority of the landmass is still there. Besides, don't you remember? Eggmanland became an official country of the United Federation a few months ago." He shakes his head with a sigh. "I don't get politics. I'll stick to building planes."

"Right, I remember. So then we'll be trespassing?"

"You bet!"

Sonic gives a smirk. "Just keeps getting more interesting. So, we know the who, the what, and the where. Any idea why?"

"Well…Eggman's been pretty quiet the past couple of months. Whatever he's doing, he could've been working on it for a while now. Could be anything."

Sonic shakes his head. "He never stops, does he? It never ends…"

"Do you think maybe we should've brought Chaos too?"

"Nah. He seemed pretty intent on meditating. Besides…" He pulls out the red Emerald and twirls it around in his hand for a few moments. "We have the Emeralds. This'll be a piece of cake."

"If you say so. But I've got a bad feeling about this."

—–—

Sonic leaps from the wing of the Mach Tornado, and spins through the air before landing in an impressive crouch on the ground. He gets up to look around. Broken and crumbled archways which were once lit up in neon now lie dim and scattered all around the dented, hole-filled metal grate that serves as the floor. Lying on the ground in front of him is the severed upper-half of what was once a massive gold-plated statue in the likeness of Eggman. Behind it, a pile of rubble that once served as an avenue into the twisted park now lies topped with a jumbled mess of broken neon letters that once spelled 'EGGMANLAND'. Sonic shakes his head and gives a slight shrug. "Yeesh. And I thought Eggman's tastes were bad before." He shouts much louder, with his hand cupped around his mouth, "Can't even be bothered to clean up, Doc?"

The voice of Eggman answers over a crackling, static-filled loudspeaker, "Ah, Sonic! I knew you'd come back eventually. I do hope you're enjoying this trip to Eggmanland as much as your last."

"The only thing I enjoyed about the last trip was tearing this place down! Clearly, I didn't finish the job."

"Didn't you know, Sonic? In this world, nothing is ever finished. It just goes on and on, in an infinite cycle! But I intend to break that cycle here and now, now that I've perfected my greatest creation!"

"Greatest creation, huh? Like I haven't heard that one before."

Tails runs up to Sonic. "Sonic, something's not right. I'm getting some crazy energy readings, they don't make any sense!"

Sonic tenses up into a fighting stance. "I'm ready for anything you've got, Eggman. Do your worst."

Eggman answers, "Well…if you insist. Time to show the world what you can do, Infinite!"

"What!?" Before Sonic can finish his shout, all the world goes mad. As pulses of energy somehow seem to invert the colors of everything they pass, a continuous, horribly low-pitched pulsation reverberates through the park, forcing Sonic and Tails to cover their ears. Amidst the center of the chaos, as if from a glitch in the universe, a black-garbed figure spasmodically materializes from thin air, bathed in a red aura, his face hidden by a silvery mask.

As the clamor calms, the figure drifts down to the floor, and his aura starts to fade. The mask entirely covers the right side of his face, but his hideous red and yellow left eye can still be seen. A violet gem, pulsating with black, hangs from his chest. But something doesn't seem quite right about him. Infinite begins to speak in a deep, distorted voice, "So…the little blue savior. After all this time…you're back for more?"

Sonic looks to the powerful figure nervously. "This isn't possible. Just what are you?"

Infinite uses three fingers to push his mask up against his face. "Didn't you know? You can call me Infinite. And that's all you need to know." Infinite suddenly throws an open hand at Sonic, firing a small energy blast at his feet.

"Whoa!" Sonic barely flips out of the way, and sparks fly at his face as the blast hits the ground in front of him. "You wanna play rough? Let's play rough!" He dashes towards Infinite at top speed.

Infinite takes a quick step to the side, and Sonic rushes right past him. "Pathetic."

Tails shouts from the sidelines, "Sonic, you can't outspeed him! You have to try something else!"

By the time Sonic has stopped and turned back to face his opponent, Infinite has already risen back into the air. He once again throws his hand at Sonic, not even turning to face him. But this time, energy briefly charges in his hand before firing in a continuous crimson laser beam.

Sonic takes off at a run to stay in front of the beam. As it carves a path of destruction behind him, he suddenly turns and leaps directly at the attacker. Infinite is forced to cut off the attack as he dodges out of the way. But Sonic isn't fazed at all, seeming to have been aiming for the broken arch behind Infinite the entire time. He kicks off of it and flies back at Infinite with an even greater speed, momentarily catching him off guard.

Before Infinite can prepare a counterattack, the gem at his chest suddenly flashes once again, and Sonic begins to tumble through the air without any control. "What the–" A Chaos Emerald escapes from him as he flies, trembling as it goes. In a last-second attempt to regain control, he snatches it back from the air and shouts, "Chaos Contro–" A moment too late, he smashes into Infinite's chest with the Emerald, and a blinding flash of white light envelops everything.

—–—

"In the darkest of times…the world needs a hero. So long as there is–"

"Infinite!"

"Ah! What!?" Chaos frantically looks around in confusion.

"Infinite, he was–…" Sonic starts to look around in confusion as well, clutching at his head. "He was just…" He starts to get a better grip on the reality of the small, candle-lit wooden shack that they sit in. The Chaos Emeralds are arrayed at random on the floor in front of him. "How long have I been here?"

Chaos looks at Sonic skeptically. "How long? Controller, did you fall asleep during one of my lessons?"

"Asleep? No, it's just…I swear, I was just somewhere else." He thinks harder. "Eggmanland, I was at Eggmanland."

"As far as I'm aware, you've been right here in front of me all evening. You mentioned…Infinite?"

"That's right. I was fighting Infinite. But he…he did…something. And then I was back here again."

Chaos puts a hand to his chin to ponder this. "Hmm…I know nothing of this 'Infinite'. But I do that that which does not end–"

"Is a threat to the Balance, yeah. You said that already."

"But I know for certain that I've never said such a thing to you before. Perhaps…" He looks down to the floor. "Perhaps, in the presence of the seven Emeralds, you have been granted a vision of the future."

"A vision? …I guess that could be it."

"If you have seen into the future…then you should know what happens next."

"What happens next? Well…after we worked with the Emeralds, that's when Tails came in. He burst through the door there, and he said…"

The door to the old wooden shack bursts open, revealing an exasperated Tails on the other side. "Sonic! There's trouble!" He glances with confusion at Sonic, who mouthed exactly what he just said. Even Chaos looks impressed.

Sonic breaks the silence. "I'm all caught up, Tails. Let's get going."

Sonic scoops up the Emeralds and prepares to leave, but Chaos stops him from going with a hand on his shoulder. "Infinity is dangerous. I mean it. I sense a terrible omen in all of this. You must be careful out there. I will meditate on it in your absence."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine. He caught me off-guard last time, but now I'm ready." He's already taken his first steps out the door.

Tails gives a look to Chaos, but Chaos only shrugs in response. He goes to meet Sonic outside by the Mach Tornado. "Well? What do you think?"

Sonic hops onto the wing. "What? Oh, the plane. Looks great. Let's go."

"Uh…okay." Tails climbs into the pilot's seat just as last time.

—–—

Sonic leaps from the wing of the Mach Tornado, and spins through the air before landing in an impressive crouch on the ground. "Show yourself, Infinite! I know you're there!"

Eggman's voice answers over the loudspeaker, "Eager to meet your demise, are you, hedgehog? Very well. Infinite, let's indulge him, shall we?"

In the same overwhelming chaos as the last time, Infinite appears before him.

Tails runs up, this time just a moment late to see it. "Sonic, be careful! These readings–"

"I've got it, Tails. Just let me take care of this."

Infinite glances for a moment at the fox boy. But then he returns his attention to Sonic. "You seem to show no fear, little hedgehog."

"I know I'm not afraid of you. I can take anything you throw at me!"

Infinite scoffs. "Fine. I will teach you fear. Then pain." Just as last time, he throws a small energy burst from his hand.

This time, Sonic rushes straight at Infinite, sidestepping the attack along the way. Even with less time to react, Infinite still effortlessly steps out of the way.

Tails shouts from the sidelines, "Sonic, you can't outspeed him! You–"

"Shut up, Tails!"

As Infinite rises into the air, he speaks calmly, "The fox boy is right. How many times must you try that before you realize that it won't work?" He pushes his mask up. "You truly must be insane."

"Wait…what!?"

"Did you think I didn't remember? How foolish of you. Almost as foolish as your belief that you are the fastest thing alive." In almost no time at all, Infinite suddenly appears just inches from Sonic's face. "You are nothing. Just an obstacle in my way."

Sonic dives back just in time to take off away from Infinite's laser attack, which carves a line of destruction behind him just as last time. Sonic chuckles as he's struck by an idea. "You know, someone else once thought he was was faster than me." As Sonic runs, he pulls out a Chaos Emerald. "He taught me a thing or two. Here, let me show you. Chaos Control!" Infinite's laser slices through the flash of blue light that Sonic disappears into. A moment later, Sonic reappears, delivering a kick straight at Infinite's head. The kick connects, and Infinite's mask flies away, clattering across the metal grate floor. Infinite's apparently-fake ears remain attached to it. A wide crack has formed over the covered right eye.

Infinite collapses onto the floor before Sonic lands behind him a moment later. He chuckles again. "Who's fast now–…" No mask left to cover it, the shadowed face of a white-and-green-furred hedgehog glares up at Sonic with malice. "…Shadow!?"

Blacklight, the hedgehog behind the mask, slowly rises to his feet. "You mistake me for that traitorous fool!?" He lets out a high-pitched laugh that one wouldn't think possible from such an ominous figure. "Ah ha ha ha! You offend me. But still…I think I like you. What was your name again? Speedy or something?" Sonic moves as if to speak, but Blacklight puts a hand up to stop him. "Oh, wait, that's right. I don't care." He throws his hand out to the side, and the discarded mask is enveloped in Infinite's red aura. In a moment, it flies from the ground straight into Blacklight's open hand, and he pushes it back onto his face, resuming the posture of Infinite, and rising back into the air. "Because I'm going to kill you."

Preempting Infinite's attack, Sonic leaps at him for a spin attack. In an impressive backflip, Infinite kicks Sonic out of his attack and straight upwards, then flies up along with him, delivering another roundhouse kick and launching him back down, right into a broken arch, which crumbles over him on impact. Tails cries out, "Sonic!"

Clearly injured, Sonic struggles to stand back up. Infinite drifts slowly towards him. "Any last words, Speedy?"

"My name…isn't…Speedy."

"I'll be sure to write it on your grave. Now die!" Infinite flies straight at Sonic, emanating the full power of the gem at his chest.

Sonic holds the Chaos Emerald out in front of him. "Chaos Contro–" The two gems collide, and everything is enveloped in a white flash.

—–—

"In the darkest of times…the world needs a–"

"Time loop!"

"What!?"

"You thought it was a vision, but it wasn't! I'm stuck in a time loop, and Infinite remembers it too!"

"Please, slow down. Tell me what's happening."

"I've been here, I've done this…" He clutches at his head. "I'm already losing track of how many times. And every time I go to fight Infinite, I end up back here."

"Intriguing… A time loop, you say? How can you be certain?"

"'Infinity is dangerous. That which doesn't end threatens the Balance.' That's what you're thinking right now. That's what you keep telling me."

"Well, it's true. If you really are in a time loop, you must find a way to resolve it, immediately. Any imbalance, any at all, will cumulatively grow with each passage of the loop. Either the cycle must be broken, or it will resolve itself with the end of its crux-point. Your death."

"Well…maybe I should just stay here. If I don't–"

"No. Once the cycle has begun, it will find a way to continue. You must find a way to physically prevent the trigger of the loop as it would happen."

"So if I take down Infinite, it breaks the cycle."

"If this Infinite is the one responsible for trapping you in this cycle, then hypothetically, yes. But you must be careful not to let him repeat the cycle."

"Oh, I'll make sure he doesn't get the chance." Sonic places his hand on the ground in a spot surrounded by the seven Emeralds. "I didn't want to risk losing these before…" The Emeralds lift from the ground, and start to circle around him. "…but I can't be afraid to try! No holding back!" The Emeralds rotate faster and faster, glowing brilliantly, as Sonic's fur takes on a golden hue, and the gems are suddenly absorbed into his very being. Super Sonic opens his crimson red eyes. "This is where it ends."

The door to the old wooden shack bursts open, revealing an exasperated Tails on the other side. "Sonic! There's–" Tails goes silent at the sight of Super Sonic. "Uh…"

"No time for the plane, Tails." Sonic extends his hand. "Let's go."

Chaos nods. "I will remain here and–…I suppose you already know."

Tails, still somewhat in awe, takes Super Sonic's hand. "Chaos Control!"

—–—

Infinite stands waiting atop an arch. He pushes his cracked mask up as Super Sonic appears in a flash. "Welcome back, Speedy. I hope you enjoyed time's healing of your bones. Because I will enjoy breaking them again."

"This ends now, Infinite. Or whatever your real name is."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. Infinite does not end. Infinite stops for no one."

"You wanna prove it?"

"Please. This game is starting to bore me."

"You asked for it!" Super Sonic blasts towards Infinite at proper supersonic speeds. Yet still, Infinite is able to dodge out of the way.

Tails shouts with fear, "That's impossible! This guy is faster than Super Sonic!"

Infinite rolls his visible eye. "You are disturbingly predictable. Don't tell me I'm the only one growing tired of this."

"I'll show you who's predictable!" Sonic lets out a shout as he flies back at Infinite. Infinite prepares to dodge once again, but at the last moment, Sonic shouts, "Chaos Control!" Inches from Infinite, he disappears, and reappears on the other side, striking him from behind and knocking him from his perch. "Chaos Control!" Before Infinite can recover, he is struck by Super Sonic again. "Chaos Control!" And again.

Wracked with rage, Infinite begins to tremble. His eye flicks flickers around disturbingly beneath his mask as his red aura flares to life.

"Chaos Control!" Sonic appears before Infinite for one more attack.

"ENOUGH!" As Sonic draws inches from Infinite, he is suddenly blasted back by another overwhelming negative pulse from Infinite's gem, as the Chaos Emeralds are torn away from him.

Sonic, in his basic form, lands in a crouch back on the ground, panting. He looks up with a grimace at Infinite, orbited by the seven Emeralds. The gem at his chest seems to tremble at the center of the orbit. "Hm. Somehow, I thought getting these back would be more…satisfying. But they're almost repulsive. Oh, well. I still best hold on to them. Now…where were we?"

"The part where I kick your tail!" Sonic leaps not at Infinite, but at one of the Emeralds that orbits him.

"I disagree!" Infinite casts his hand towards Sonic, and Sonic instantly freezes in place, trapped in the air by Infinite's chaotic power. His fingers are just inches away from brushing past the Emerald. Sonic struggles and grunts in an attempt to move, but he is completely locked in place.

Tails shouts, "Oh no, Sonic!"

Infinite once again glances over at the fox. "Clearly, you haven't yet learned fear. I promised to teach it to you. A promise I intend to keep." He casts his free hand in the other direction, locking Tails just as he has Sonic.

"Tails!"

"Sonic, help me! I can't move!" Both of them struggle desperately to escape.

Blacklight's signature laugh emanates out from Infinite's mask. "Ah ha ha ha ha! Look at the fox boy squirm! Feeling scared yet, Speedy?"

Sonic stops struggling as he looks from Tails up to Infinite's eye. "Please…don't do this."

"What's this? The savior pleading with the evil Infinite? You know, I think you're right. I shouldn't kill the poor boy. I think that would be an effective lesson in hate. But not in fear. I want you to fear. So I think I can do better." Blacklight's eye glares out from beneath the mask. "Avert your eyes, kiddies. Things are about to get violent." Infinite closes his fist to the sound of a horrifying snap.

"No!" As Sonic shouts, Infinite almost happily releases both hands, giving Sonic enough time to run and catch the limp form of Tails.

Tails looks up at Sonic meekly. "I can't…feel…" He shuts his eyes again.

Blacklight's piercing laugh once again echoes. "Don't worry, he'll live. I only broke his spine. Though, I may change my mind. Unless, of course, you're finally willing to end this game."

A thought flashes through Sonic's mind. "He wants me to end it. So he's not doing it on purpose. Which means…defeating him won't fix this." Sonic gently lays Tails on the ground. "Don't worry, buddy." He tightens his grip on the sparkling Emerald he managed to grab as he fell. "I'm going to make this right."

"Don't be foolish, hedgehog. Listen to the fear in your heart. It knows what's best for you."

"Heh heh." Sonic turns up to face Infinite with a chuckle. "You think you've broken me, don'tcha? That taking the cowardly route and hurting my friends is all it takes to slow me down? Well I've got some news for you, Infinite. The only thing that's infinite around here is my will to take down psychos like you!" Suddenly, in an act that surprises even Infinite himself, Sonic hurls the Chaos Emerald right at him. As the Emerald collides with Infinite's gem, the world is enveloped in white flash.

—–—

"You did WHAT!?"

"I'll tell you what I did. I figured out what's causing this time loop, and I saved Tails while I was at it!"

Chaos buries his face in his hands. "No, you don't understand! If it was that bad last time, it can only get worse!"

"Unless I stop the loop before–"

"No, it doesn't work that way! The loop has already happened! The Darkness has already cumulated! It will get worse! For all we know, in trying to save Miles you've only guaranteed his death!"

Sonic gasps. "No…no, I won't believe that! There has to be a way to stop it!"

Chaos closes his eyes and breathes a sigh. "I won't say that it's impossible."

"So I–"

"But…" He raises a hand to stop Sonic from speaking. "…first, I need you to tell me everything you've learned about the cause of this loop."

"Alright. So Infinite—that's the guy I'm fighting every time, or at least that's who he says he is—Infinite has this…this Phantom Ruby, I think it's the source of his power. This all started when Infinite's Ruby collided with my Chaos Emerald while I was trying to use Chaos Control. I think that made some kind of reaction that…broke time. And now, every time they touch, that reaction is replicated."

"In your experience, does this Ruby react in any other unusual way with the Emeralds?"

"Definitely."

"I see… And you're certain that this Infinite does not have any active influence over the process?"

"Absolutely."

"Well…given this information…diverting the Darkness may be possible. Miles does not have to be a component of the loop."

"Good. Then I need to–"

"No, there's something else you–"

"I can't waste any more time, I–"

The door to the old wooden shack bursts open, revealing an exasperated Tails on the other side. "Sonic! There's–"

Sonic and Chaos at once snap, "We know!" Sonic looks back to Chaos. "I'm going now, and I'm going alone."

"If you go alone now, you will die! I cannot allow that!"

"And I can't let the same thing happen to Tails!"

"So I'll go in his place!"

"And then the same thing will happen to you, won't it?"

Chaos breathes in as if to speak back, but stops himself. "…Yes…that is a possibility."

"I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself for me."

"Protecting you is the entire reason that I came here. I must go."

Sonic sighs. "Alright. On one condition. You stay out of sight. Get me out of there if things look bad, but don't get involved."

"Very well."

Tails finally shouts, "What the heck is going on here!?"

Sonic turns back to him. "Tails…you're the only reason that I've gotten this far. But right now, I need you to stay here. You need to be ready to fight once it's time. I'm counting on you." He looks back to Chaos. "Now let's take down this Shadow wannabe." Chaos nods. Just as last time, Sonic places his hand on floor by the Emeralds. But this time, he doesn't waste any time with a dramatic transformation. "Chaos Control!"

—–—

Super Sonic once again reappears before Infinite. Infinite waves a hand through the air. "Ooh. Looks like you've come back for more." Suddenly he inhales sharply through his nose. "But what's that I smell? More Chaos energy? You know, I've really gotten a nose for the stuff. It's putrid." He turns his gaze straight to a large pile of rubble. "Someone new, instead of the fox boy? That's a shame. We were having so much fun, before you so rudely interrupted our game."

Chaos peeks an eye over the rubble. Sonic calls out to him, "It's alright, Chaos. No reason to stay hidden now."

Chaos stands up, and slowly starts walking towards Sonic. But Infinite suddenly casts a hand towards him. "I disagree!"

Chaos cries out in pain, and collapses to the ground.

"Chaos!" Sonic looks right at Infinite. "What're you doing to him!?"

"You tried to change the rules of our game." He puts extra force into his hand, and the screams of Chaos are redoubled. "I don't appreciate that." Finally he takes his hand back, and the shouts go silent. "I'm not a very patient man, Speedy. But you've certainly pushed me past my limit. The new guy stays right there, and you and I settle things now."

"Fine."

"Very well. Since you were clearly too afraid to play by the rules…that means it's time for your lesson in pain!" Infinite extends his arms out to his sides, and dozens, maybe hundreds of glowing red cubes materialize in the air all around him. The he crosses his arms in front of him, and the cubes are sent flying at Super Sonic.

Sonic dashes forward, weaving and bobbing through the air, careful not to touch even a single cube. Finally, he reaches close enough to strike Infinite directly. Two broken pieces of his mask clatter to the ground.

The exposed face of Blacklight glares at Sonic angrily. "You'll pay for that."

"What's the matter? Something to hide?" Sonic dashes back for another blow.

"Not at all." Infinite casts his hand at Super Sonic, still able to lock him in place. "But I liked that mask. Now…time to get rid of these bothers." He makes a beckoning motion with his hand, and the Emeralds are once again torn from Super Sonic as he is dropped to the ground.

Sonic makes a motion as if to reach for an Emerald before it escapes. But then he glances over at Chaos, who, still kneeling on the ground, shakes his head.

The seven Emeralds orbit around Infinite's trembling Ruby. "As much as I would like to hold on to these…I just can't stand them any longer!" He flicks his hands outwards, and the Emeralds scatter away in every direction. Chaos gives a slow nod. Infinite once again lets out Blacklight's signature laugh. "Without your little tools, you can't touch me. So I believe your game is over.

Sonic can't help but let out a little chuckle. "Game over? Not anymore. You just guaranteed your loss."

"Impossible! I've trapped you here without any ability to touch me! You've lost!" To prove the point, he fires an energy bolt, but Sonic hops out of the way.

"I never said that I won." Sonic leaps at him for a spin attack.

In a familiar pattern, Infinite kicks Sonic away, sending him flying and colliding with a crumbling arch. "Now you're just speaking nonsense. You might be crazier than I am!"

Sonic gets back to his feet from the collision. "Oh, you're crazy alright. Crazy to think that beating me here will end your troubles."

"Silence!" Infinite throws another energy bolt, one too fast for Sonic to avoid. It hits its target dead-on, and Sonic is once again sent flying back.

Sonic struggles to stand through his newest injuries. "Open up your eyes, Infinite. You're living lie. Your victory today? A hollow illusion."

"I said shut up!" Infinite once again locks Sonic in his extended grasp. This time, he flicks his arm, and flings Sonic forcefully into a wall. Before he can recover, Infinite throws him the opposite way, once again into a solid wall. Finally, he slams him to the ground with incredible force.

Sonic, facedown on the floor, trembles just to raise his head. "You can try and try…to ignore. But you can hardly swallow…your own fears and pain. That's why you can't see the truth." He collapses back onto the floor again.

Infinite begins generating another massive swarm of crimson cubes. "Say what you like. You're mine either way!" He crosses his arms to launch the swarm.

Everything goes black.

Chaos' voice shouts, "Controller! Sonic!"

To be continued…

To any new readers out there, thanks very much for your interest. For more about the identity of Blacklight, please take a look at the episode arc starting with S0 E14, and ending with S0 E19. For more about Chaos, look to the most recent arc, starting with S0 E20.

And to everyone, please send in your feedback, be it positive or negative. Something that didn't make sense? Something you want to see more of? Tell me about it! I can't get better without your help! And for behind the scenes information and other bonus content, check out the official website at sonicchaosproject{dot}wordpress{dot}com

-And before I say goodbye to you, one more last Fist Bump!