December 30th, 6:00 PM, 0 B.E.

Mystic Ruins Jungle

The evening twilight casts an eerie calm through the partially clouded sky, into the heart of the dense jungle.

The calm is broken as a blue streak cuts a path between the trees at high speed. Sonic the Hedgehog pants heavily as the forest rushes by him. He glances back over his shoulder as he runs. Seeing nothing, he wipes the sweat from his brow, and keeps on running. But something catches his eye. To his right, intermittently hidden by the trees rushing by, another figure rushes through the shadows, keeping perfect pace with Sonic. The trees momentarily clear, long enough to reveal the figure of Shadow the Hedgehog, his eyes locked firmly on Sonic.

"Shoot!" Trying to lose the pursuer, Sonic picks up the pace.

With a growl, Shadow speeds up to match.

As Sonic moves faster, it becomes clear that Shadow can't quite keep up. Up ahead in the distance, a faint, shimmering, rainbow-colored light comes into view. "Come on, come on," Sonic mutters to himself. "Just a little bit farther…"

In a flash of blue, Shadow suddenly appears in his path.

"Whoa! How did he–!?" Acting fast, Sonic leaps from the ground, flipping through the air to collide feet-first with a wide tree trunk, and kicks back off, shooting in a new direction that takes him away from Shadow. He lands on the ground and keeps on running.

Sonic looks off to his right, where his target, the glowing light, now waits. Not allowing himself to get too far from it, Sonic makes another leap, intending to get back on course. But this time, Shadow appears in the air directly above him, striking down with a hard kick that knocks Sonic straight to the ground.

"Oww…"

Shadow steps slowly up to Sonic's fallen form. "Finally…I've got you right where I want you."

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

50th Episode Special

Crisis of Chaos: The Lost Episode

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

A smirk appears on Shadow's face. He offers down a hand. "I win."

Sonic lets out a sigh from the ground as he reluctantly takes the hand. "I give. You win." Shadow helps him back to his feet. Sonic rubs at his head once he's up. "You could've been a bit more gentle, though."

They both look up as a figure begins to emerge out of the glowing light. "Very well done, both of you." The hedgehog, with calm, white fur, has five spikes around his head, which come out at a slight upward angle, then continue almost straight downwards, giving the vague appearance of a crown. The closer he comes, the more the light fades.

Sonic complains, "Really, Chaos? You gave him the Emerald? I thought we weren't doing that."

The hedgehog, Chaos, shares a momentary glance with Shadow. "Perhaps I did. Perhaps I didn't. You can never be certain what surprises your opponent may have in store. But that was not the reason you failed. You were bested because you allowed yourself to become predictable."

"Predictable? What was I supposed to do, run away from the target?"

"You showed admirable ingenuity on short notice when faced with an obstacle in your path. But you were rushing. You repeated the exact move, just once."

Shadow finishes, "That was enough. And I was able to catch you."

Chaos comments, "Don't be so confident, Outlier. Your performance was no more flawless than the Controller's."

"But I finally beat him!"

"Only due to his own mistake. But you allowed him to know that you had found him. If you had maintained the element of surprise, you might have stopped him before he even had the chance to make a mistake."

Shadow silently thinks on that.

"Still…this exercise was clearly a success. Shadow, our special training, though brief, has clearly been paying off. And Sonic, your instincts were able to lead you straight to me." Slowly, Chaos' fur begins to change color, taking on a clear, bright blue as he puts on a smile. "Your connection to the Flow of Chaos is strengthening. I think it's time to try again."

Sonic questions, "You mean…?"

Chaos nods. "Come. We will return home, to meditate. I believe that you will be able to enter the Flow." They start to walk together.

Sonic thinks for a moment. "I still don't really understand what that means. What will I be looking for?"

Chaos considers how to explain as his fur shifts back to white. "When you first enter the Flow of Chaos, what you will see will be a representation of your own light and darkness. In time, you may learn to take a wider view, of the energies of others, or of the world." Shadow nods in understanding.

"What's the point? Why do these energies matter?"

"As Controller, it is your duty to maintain Balance in the world. Balance without starts with Balance within. If you yourself stray too far towards Light or Darkness without some balancing factor, you risk bearing that same influence upon the world. An objective view of your own heart can warn you of your own path. But that is only the beginning. The Flow of Chaos can show you what needs to be done throughout the world…even into the future."

"The future?"

"Not with certainty. Only a likely path for the Balance to take. Less accurate the farther you look. But yes. The future."

"That sounds…pretty awesome." Sonic starts to run ahead. "So what're we waiting for? Let's get this thing started already!"

Chaos starts to run after him, taking on a tint of green. "Don't be so impatient!"

Shadow rolls his eyes with a smirk. "Predictable." He follows after them.

—–—

"So tell me, Doctor, why did you come out all this way?"

"I've been working on something, something world-changing. I call it…'The Chaos Project.'"

"I need proof of a claim like this."

—–—

December 31st, 5:00 AM

Eggman's Hidden Base, Location Unknown

Shadow's colorful doppelganger, the one and only Blacklight, stares down with curiosity at a strange device resembling a metal podium, hooked up to multiple rows of red and white wires that twist out and drape back over its top like ribbons. On its top are seven clean-cut gem-shaped slots, arrayed evenly across its surface. "So obviously, I put the Emerald in the hole. Then what happens?"

Eggman steps up behind him, explaining, "Well, the science is a bit too complicated to go into right now, but, to put it simply, the Chaos Energy is drawn directly out through the Chaos Amplifier, where it is channelled through a series of amplifying coils that–"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, science, whatever. How do I use it? It doesn't exactly look portable."

"Well, thus far, the electrical energy that it produces has been used to charge power cells and the like. But for you, I had to prepare something special. If you'll place your Emerald inside, and follow me."

Blacklight takes out his glittering white Chaos Emerald, staring at it for a moment. Then he turns it down, placing its point into the center slot on the machine. He pats it on the top. "I'll be back for you soon, friend." He turns to follow Eggman out of the large room filled with computer consoles, into a long metal hallway. As he walks, he draws his fingers along a row of red wires that trail alongside them from the Amplifier.

At the end of the hallway lies a simple mechanical chamber with an open round entrance, all connected to the wires from the Amplifier. "If you'll kindly step inside, I'll activate the machine, and you will be irradiated with more Chaos Energy than you've ever felt before."

"That sounds painful. When do we start?"

Eggman beckons to the inside of the chamber. "Right away."

Blacklight happily ducks in through the entrance. "You know, now that I'm in here, I realize how much I hate small spaces. I was trapped in a pod floating in an extradimensional void for forty years, you know. Which reminds me, have you ever–"

Perhaps just to shut him up, Eggman presses a button on a small control device that he holds. Instantly, the chamber whirs to life, bathing Blacklight in a bright white light from all of the chamber's inner surface.

"Hohhhh…" He starts to stretch his neck around. "It's so good to be back." Blacklight examines his light-bathed hands and arms with wonder. Slowly, his white fur begins to take on a dark hue. A shadowy energy begins to roll down off of his body. "Incredible…with just one Emerald… You weren't kidding about this Project, M.J."

"Excuse me?"

"M.J. Mustache Junior. Rolls off the tongue a little better, you know?"

"I don't really care."

"Yes, yes, always getting right to work, that's what I like about you, M.J. So efficient. So let's get to it, then. Add another Emerald."

"Wouldn't you like to–"

"No. Add an Emerald. Come on, step it up."

"Mmm. Very well." Eggman holds up his command device, which seems to double for communication. "We're proceeding with the tests. Add an Emerald to Amplifier."

A mechanical voice responds, "Yes, Dr. Eggman."

Within moments, the white light within the chamber becomes intermixed with a vibrant green. Blacklight lets out another loud breath as he takes in the sensation. The colors that remain in his Black Night form all momentarily flash the same green. "So much power…" He closes a fist. "Time to put it to the test." He steps out from the chamber, and looks up to the metal roof.

"Excellent. I've specially prepared–"

Blacklight leaps off of the ground, punching a hole straight through the ceiling and continuing right on out.

Eggman shouts up after him, "Hey! What do you think you're doing!?"

Blacklight's voice answers through his device, "What, I just needed some fresh air. That base of yours is so stuffy. Isn't it better now?"

Eggman stares up through the hole into the night sky as dust and small rubble rains down on him.

Outside, Blacklight takes a long look around at the landscape. The mechanical base below is situated at the foot of a rocky mountain, seemingly built into the mountain itself in some places. There is no other sign of civilization anywhere in sight. Blacklight muses to himself, "Now…what to do first…?" He floats up closer to the side of the mountain, placing his hand against a flat rock. "This will do…" He draws his other hand back, as if in preparation to strike. But he seems to think better of it. Instead, he places his forefinger onto his thumb, and moves the hand up close to the rock. With the flick of a finger, a massive tremor is spread through the entire mountain, rumbling over the landscape. A delayed moment later, the mountain begins to crumble. Chunks of rock and debris rain around Blacklight as he begins to laugh hysterically.

Eggman barks into his communicator, "Are you insane!? This base is supposed to be a secret! Do you want the entire world to know that we're here!?"

"Don't worry, don't worry, easy to fix!" He lowers both of his hands. "Chaos…Terra!" Clawing one hand upwards again, a massive spike of rock juts out of the earth far below. Clenching the hand into a fist, all of the rocks and rubble now scattered over the ground go flying back in towards the spike, clustering and crunching back together into a solid mountain, hardly discernible from the old one. "There. Good as new. Oh, and Doctor? Never ask an insane man if he's insane. Bad, bad idea. Just for future reference."

Eggman appears to have moved back to the main room, where he watches the white and green Emeralds spark and pulsate wildly between their natural colors and a dull grey. He grunts at Blacklight's comment, but doesn't make any particular response.

A robot working at one of the nearby computer consoles turns in its seat to face Eggman. But this is no ordinary robot. It is the transformed Egg Robo, Heavy King. "Working with this one is a bad idea, Doctor. You and I both know that."

Eggman growls, "Know your place, King. I need someone capable of using this power to defeat Sonic and the others. That isn't you. And trust me. This is one power that you don't want."

"You should get rid of him. Before he gets the chance to do the same to you."

"Don't worry yourself about such things. I've been planning this for far too long not to have details like that worked out." He brings up his device to speak to Blacklight directly. "I think that's quite enough for this test. Why don't you come back down, and I'll show you what we have in our hangar bay?"

Heavy King reluctantly turns back to his work.

—–—

"The Darkness is coming! The world will be consumed in Darkness within days if we do nothing!"

"Then let's do something!"

"We should split up."

"I'm going after Eggman."

"I have someone else in mind."

—–—

6:00 AM

Blacklight's (not-so-) Hidden Base, Eggmanland

Shadow appears in a flash above the metal grated floor of the surface of Eggmanland. He slowly takes a look around. The place seems in no better repair than it was the last time he faced Blacklight there. Mighty archways and statues lie crumbling and broken. Great trenches are still carved out of the floor where Blacklight unleashed his power, one of which extends all the way out to a cliff overlooking the ocean. He stares in that direction for a while.

Slowly, he reaches up for his communicator. "…Chaos?"

After a moment, a voice responds, "Is something the matter, Outlier?"

Shadow hesitates for a moment, not seeming sure what it is he wanted to say.

"You're thinking about the day we met, aren't you?"

"How did you…?"

"These last two months may not have been long, but…I believe I've come to know you quite well."

"We didn't get along when we met."

"I've told you before. My qualm with you was based on a false assumption. I hold no…hard feelings, I believe is the phrase."

"You said…that I would be responsible for Sonic's death."

"I was wrong."

"How do you know you were wrong?"

"You already know that. All I knew at the time was that the…change, in question…was one that was not possible given the state of the Universal Balance at that time. It could only have been caused by an Outlier, not accounted for in that scheme. But there is another Outlier. One far more dangerous than yourself. So it cannot be you."

"That's a pretty big assumption."

"Perhaps it is. It might be better to say…I have faith…that it is not you."

"I'm the reason that Blacklight is here. I'm one who started all of this. Wouldn't that make it my fault either way?"

There's a momentary delay. "Listen to me carefully, Outlier. The Controller will not die today. That much, I swear to you."

Shadow takes a pause of his own. "I don't like it when you call me that."

"I apologize, it's…a habit of mine. The concept of names is still comparatively new to me. But I will try to keep your preference in mind…Shadow."

"Thank you…for everything. I know Sonic said it already, but…I wanted to say it myself."

"I know that it isn't easy for you. But you opened yourself to me. And to Sonic. It took you time, and that's okay. But it was your own choice. And you have only yourself to thank. Now…it is time to get to work."

"Of course." Shadow looks out to the main entrance of Eggmanland. "We'll make sure that nothing happens to Sonic."

—–—

"Tails, I need your help. We think Eggman's up to something."

"And that can't have waited until morning?"

"Not this time."

—–—

Tails' Laboratory, Outside the Mystic Ruins

Tails pulls a lever in the newly-revealed underground extension to his lab, and a series of overhead lights power on, revealing a laboratory filled with all sorts of machines, computers, and spare parts. Tails walks right up to one of the the computers, and sits down, letting Sonic explore around behind him.

With a few key presses, a window pops up on the screen, bearing the familiar insignia of GUN. Small text on the bottom reads 'Establishing secure channel…'.

After a few moments, the familiar face of the GUN High Commander appears in its place. He greets calmly, "Tails. Problems with the new cannon?"

After rubbing his tired eyes for a moment, Tails responds, "Uhh…no…just got it installed last night, actually. Haven't had the chance to test it."

"Well, I'm sure this new technology exchange will be as beneficial for you as it has been for us. Our systems are running smoother than ever, thanks to you. But…I'm getting ahead of myself. What can I do for you?"

"Well…we…think Eggman's up to something."

"Can…you be more specific?"

"I…don't think so."

"Should we…be concerned?"

"I don't really know. Sonic thinks it could be pretty bad, but…I don't think we know anything more than that."

"Well…" The Commander seems to be the slightest bit irritated as he thinks for a moment. "…we've been trying to keep tabs on the Doctor since the end of the last war, but he's a hard man to follow. There's not much there, but I can send you all of the data we have, let you draw your own conclusions."

"I'll take what I can get."

"Very well. Sending now." He can be seen looking down to work at his own console for a moment. "I can confirm one thing with certainty. He's been gathering Chaos Emeralds."

"I'll take a look at the data. Thank you, Commander." The Commander gives him a nod as he presses down on a key, terminating the communication.

Sonic pats a hand down on Tails' shoulder, surprising him a bit. "Looks like you've made some upgrades since last time I was down here."

—–—

The Commander turns away from the computer console in the military base, deep in thought.

A squeak sounds off behind him.

The Commander turns to the source. "Ah, Hero, reporting as ordered, good." The military-garbed, Wispon-wielding, red-furred Wolf, and his Wisp partner Bruno, stand together at attention. "At ease, soldiers."

The two obey as one.

"I'm afraid you've just missed your chance to say hello to Tails."

Hero frowns at this. But then he looks up in questioning.

"That's what I'm concerned about." He lets out a sigh as he thinks for a moment longer. "Your training results have broken every record in the books. Of course, most soldiers don't get front-lines experience in half the battles you've fought before they retire. That's why…I'm offering you a promotion. We're about to need all the Commanders we can get."

Bruno gives a questioning squeak.

"It's just a bad feeling, but…I'm certain of it. We need to prepare for war."

—–—

"What are you planning?"

"There's a big change coming. The world's about to be under new management, and I'll be the one responsible."

"You're despicable. One of these days, you'll get what's coming to you."

—–—

Shadow pays him no further heed. "Chaos Control!"

Blacklight stands there in silence for a few more moments. "I really hate that guy."

A familiar echoing voice agrees from behind him, "Don't we all?"

Blacklight turns with surprise to greet the new guest. "Another visitor! Seriously, if I charged for admission, I could make a fortune."

Infinite glares at him silently.

"Of course, of course, where are my manners? Welcome back to my home, Infie! Please, find yourself a seat, mi casa es su casa!"

"Don't call me that."

Blacklight holds up his hands in surrender. "Right, right, my bad, buddy. But…if you're here for another one of our sparring matches, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. Today's a pretty busy day for me."

"So I heard."

"Exactly how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough."

"That…doesn't exactly answer the question. But…who am I to argue?" Blacklight hops back, taking a seat on what used to be a computer console, long since unused. He indicates for Infinite to sit next to him. Infinite stays right where he is. "Well then, here we are. You and me. Villano e villano. Like one of those late night talk shows. I call it…" He waves his hand through the air as if to spell it out. "…'Villain Chat! Hosted by, Yours Truly, the One and Only, Master of Evil, Cruncher of Apples, Blacklight'. Might have to shorten that a bit." He thinks for a moment. "Nah… But this is like our first episode!" He points in a seemingly random direction. "How's our crowd doing tonight?" In a whisper, he mimics the sound of a cheering crowd with hands cupped around his mouth. "And let's hear it for tonight's guest star, my buddy, Infie!" He repeats the sound. "You hear that? The crowd loves you."

"Call me that one more time, and you're a dead man."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. So let's start the show, eh? Tell me, what brings you out here at such an ungodly hour in the morning?" He holds an imaginary microphone out for Infinite to speak into.

"This is the last we will see of one another."

"Oh? And how do you suppose that?"

"You aren't the only one who's been busy. Through my blade, I've seen many things. An ancient society that worshipped the Phantom Ruby. Through what they left behind, I may discover the means to find and repair it. Or perhaps even more. But you…are not involved. You are not in my future."

"And you came just to say goodbye? How sweet of you."

"I came because I saw you with a great power. Unfortunately, it's not the kind of power that I desire. Still, I wanted to see for myself."

"Well, your magic sword was right about that much. You could join me, you know. I'm sure the Doctor won't mind a bit of extra muscle. You'll get to rule the wooorld agaaain."

"I have no interest in working with the Doctor if it doesn't lead me to the Ruby. That would not be the true future."

"Well, your loss. I'm gonna miss you, buddy."

"I'm not."

Blacklight puts on a scowl. "Don't you know it's rude to lie?"

"You have been useful to me. Fighting you grants me…insight…into fighting my true enemies. But your usefulness has reached its end."

"Come now, Infinite. You can pretend all you want that we're nothing more than fight buddies, but I know you enjoyed it. You can't hide your true feelings from me." He raises his eyebrows suggestively.

"Your unpredictability is…amusing. I'll admit that."

"Ooh!" Blacklight suddenly snaps his fingers above his head. "Lightbulb! I just had a fantastic idea. I'm going to rename this island to…dramatic pause…wait for it…'The Land of Infinite Suffering!' After me and you, mi amigo!" Blacklight holds out his hands for a few moments longer, waiting for a response. "Huh, huh? Whaddaya think?"

Infinite glares at him silently for a while. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Oh, shoot, you're right, the invasion's starting! Adios for now, Infie, see ya when I see ya!" He snaps his fingers again, this time disappearing in a flash.

Infinite shakes his head in disappointment. "I tried to warn him." He can't help but let out a brief chuckle. "He didn't listen to a word I said, did he?"

—–—

"As we speak, every major city in the world is under attack. The invasion has already begun."

—–—

11:00 AM

GUN Base

"Sir, we've lost contact with the Executive Office!"

"Our forces in Empire City are requesting backup!"

"They've broken through our defense lines! There's an army of at least three thousand approaching the facility!"

"Westopolis and Station Square have been almost completely destroyed!"

"Multiple of reports of enemy reinforcements arriving out of nowhere!"

The GUN Central Command Room is in complete chaos as workers struggle to keep up with the reports that flood in endlessly. Large screens in the front of the room show maps and images from the waging war.

Standing raised above the center of it all, the Commander puts a hand to his chin with a profound scowl. "He's been planning this… He waged an entire war, just to prepare for this one… The Doctor fooled us all…"

A report from below catches his ear. "Sir! Reports of Sonic and Shadow on the scene!"

"The largest robots…built just to distract them while the rest of the war wages… If we want any hope of surviving this battle…we have to make up that time. And the hedgehogs have to win."

A communication comes into his earpiece directly. Rouge's voice demands, "Commander, we can't hold out much longer here! We need backup! Where is Omega!?"

The Commander shakes his head slowly. "Omega just returned from a long-term mission, he's still in recharge. He won't be any use to you out there."

Before anything else can be said, the door behind him opens up, and a soldier comes in, stopping with a salute. "Sir!"

The Commander turns, glancing at the young soldier's decorated uniform for a moment. "Captain Naka. Good timing."

The soldier, J. Naka, returns, "Sir, enemies have infiltrated the base. I'm here to see to your safe evacuation."

"Not this time, Captain. I'm putting you in charge here."

"Sir?"

"I'm trusting you to negotiate the terms of our surrender."

The entire room goes shockingly silent. "But…sir, the war's just begun! We can't surrender so soon!"

"Drag it out as long as you can. Be picky. Change your mind. Buy time. But ultimately, lives are your priority. Do whatever you have to, to keep our soldiers, and the citizens of the world, safe." With that, the Commander starts to walk out past him.

"But what about you, sir?"

The Commander stops for just long enough to draw a pistol from his belt. "I have my own business to take care of."

"I won't let you down, sir."

As the door closes behind the Commander, he responds, "I know you won't."

—–—

"You will not be the one to defeat me. You are but a cheap copy of a traitor. So I will destroy you once more!"

Metalumis sinks entirely into the lowering plasma. The barrier trapping the robot inside fades out of existence, revealing that Chaos already lies on the floor, unconscious

—–—

?

"It sounds as if you're still holding a grudge, Outlaw."

Chaos looks around at the empty void of black surrounding him. He doesn't seem too amused. His fur turns a sharp yellow. "I'm not the Outlaw, Lumis. You are."

"Not anymore, I'm not. Still, it's fun to pretend. Seemed like you could use a laugh."

"Unfortunately, I don't share your luxury of being voice for the Light. I must remain in balance."

"Balance, exactly! You just went rage mode, got out all your anger against a robot duplicate of me, now you have room to laugh a little. That's my job. That's your job."

"Well…" Chaos puts on a slight smile as he momentarily pulses light blue. "…I suppose crushing that robot was pretty satisfying. But I don't need you to tell me about my job."

"Chaos, it almost sounds like you disagree with my reinstatement."

"You tried to destroy the Balance." He quickly turns a dark red as he puts on a scowl. He adds, "Twice. And the Controller, the sole reason I exist in this world…you tried to turn him against me. Do you expect me to like you for that?"

"The Lords of Chaos all agreed. I did what I did to save the world that you are living in. Save it from the same Darkness that fast approaches. It's too late to stop it now. But you're the only one who still has a chance…to make sure it doesn't last."

"By sacrificing myself. That was your idea, wasn't it?"

"I find a way to keep the Darkness away. That's my job."

"It almost sounds as if you take that job seriously."

"I do. And once this is all over…I hope I can get a chance to show you that."

"You…you…"

"Bitterness isn't a good look for you, Chaos. But I understand better than anyone. No one is without flaws. Not you. Not me. Not the Controller. No matter how hard we might try…to seem perfect to all those around us…it simply isn't possible. I suppose that's…an inherent part of being an individual. The life we each chose for ourselves. But…no…not of being an individual. Simply of being."

He can no longer hold the red color, reverting to his natural calm white. "You…are wiser than I imagined."

"I've had a long time to think on my own. Your individuality is still young. But I think you and I will have much to talk about."

"Lumis…I'm not prepared to go back. The Controller, he isn't ready yet." This time, he shows a soft purple. "I have so much more to teach him."

"That isn't our choice to make. This is the time, Chaos. The reason you came to this world at all. If you don't go through with this…it's the Controller's fate that will be sealed. Your time together is over."

His fur slowly darkens to a murky blue. "It shouldn't have to be that way… If I could only…tell him…"

"You mustn't say a word. You must keep the thought out of your mind entirely. Or everything will go to ruin."

"I…understand, of course. I just…"

"It's all for him. His path will not be an easy one. But because of you…he will survive. And he will become the hero to save the world from this Darkness."

He opens his eyes and looks up, showing sharp yellow once again. "You're wrong. He already is that hero."

—–—

"I need you to contact…everyone you can get a hold of."

"This is what you were hiding, isn't it? You knew it would be this bad."

"Can you do all that for me?"

"You can count on me."

—–—

5:00 PM

The Laboratory

Tails paces nervously back and forth across the main floor of his lab, muttering to himself continuously. "Let's see, that covers…that covers Amy and Cream, the Chaotix…everyone with GUN is already fighting…umm…Big gave back his communicator, no telling where he is by now…Knuckles, right, Knuckles!"

He reaches for his communicator. "Knuckles! Come in, Knuckles! Can you hear me?"

After a moment, a voice responds, "Tails? What's going on?"

"It's…it's bad, Knuckles. There's a war. A full-scale war, and we aren't winning."

"That…would explain the airships approaching the island."

"Airships…Eggman must be after the Master Emerald, too! Knuckles, you can't let him have it!"

"If I'm going to fight off this many, I could use some backup."

"Knuckles…there is no more backup. Everyone's already fighting. Everyone."

"That bad, huh…? Well…what's our backup plan?"

"Sonic asked me…to find somewhere we could set up a base."

"Do you have somewhere in mind?"

"I…I don't…well…maybe…"

"Now's not the time for hesitation, Tails. Let's hear it."

"Emerald Canyon. I know the area, it's well concealed, out of the way of any major cities, it'll fit everyone, but I was hoping–"

"Emerald Canyon, got it. Sounds like it's up to me and you to make sure that everyone makes it there."

"But…what if we don't…"

"By the sounds of it, even if Sonic won his big battle, that wouldn't mean much anymore. We're looking at a long war either way. Sonic knew that, that's why he told you to do this. He's going to keep doing everything he can, so we have to make sure that we do the same."

"Right. Everything we can."

—–—

Hero runs through the streets of Central City, blasting down whole squadrons of Egg Pawns with his flamethrower as he goes, as he does best. His focus is on nothing but the battle at hand. The GUN soldiers under his command seem hardly able to keep up, though they manage to fire off the occasional shot for cover.

The sloping roads lead down towards a flat park area. On another road, approaching the park from the opposite side, a fresh wave of armed robots march towards them.

As the last of the nearer foes is destroyed, Hero holds up a hand with a loud grunt, indicating for the soldiers behind him to hold their positions. They look around at each other for a moment in confusion. Hero watches carefully as the next wave approaches from afar. The moment the lead robot steps into the park, he drops his upraised hand forwards, signaling for the soldiers to march. They all quickly proceed in formation around him.

A new exchange of fire begins. The soldiers, with the higher ground, are able to target a greater number of the robots while remaining relatively protected themselves, giving them a clear advantage. But as the opposing armies draw closer, the sheer number of robots seems to make that less clear.

Hero swings over the heads of the soldiers, using his grappling wire to carry himself above the opposing army. He fires down his Wispon as he swings, carving a line through the robot army below. He pulls up on the wire and shifts his weight to come back around at a completely different angle, firing down to destroy even more. The robots all turn their attention to him, unsuccessfully trying to shoot the moving target down.

With no pressure left against them, the soldiers are able to make quick work of the robots that remain. Hero unhooks his grappling wire, taking a few steps to slow along the ground. He quickly scans around, making sure that there are no robots left. The soldiers begin to cheer in victory.

The cheering is cut short as all of their communicators buzz at once. "Attention all GUN personnel. This is Captain Naka, acting representative of the Guardian Units of Nations, ordering you to lay down arms immediately. A surrender has been called. I repeat, a surrender has been called. Lay down all arms, immediately."

Confused murmurs spread through the entire squadron. A few soldiers obey immediately, placing their weapons on the floor. The rest don't seem quite sure what to do.

Hero stares down at his weapon, with a look that shifts slowly from confusion, to disbelief, to anger. He clenches his fist down harder on the handle, beginning to tremble. Bruno's head pokes out from a compartment, giving him a concerned squeak. He stares down at the alien's top eye, asking a question without saying a word.

Before any answer can be made, a thickly-accented voice declares from high above, "Your order, has been given." Perched on one foot, high atop the nearest building, green cape fluttering in the breeze, is the sword-wielding Heavy Shinobi. He leaps into a somersault through the air, landing in a crouch on the ground right in front of Hero. He raises his blade threateningly. "You will surrender, to the Empire, of Eggman. Those who resist will be dealt with swiftly, using techniques passed down from the Shinobi Clan of old." From every street, another wave of robots approaches to enforce the claim.

This is enough to convince all of the remaining soldiers to drop their weapons. Hero is the only one who doesn't respond, remaining completely stationary. Bruno flies out of the Wispon and starts to tug at his arm, urging him to do something, though it isn't clear what. Hero clenches his weapon even tighter.

The sound of a loud horn turns every head. Taking up the entire span of the two-lane road, a monstrously large GUN Military Truck drives at full speed, crashing through and running over every robot in its wake. It doesn't show any sign of slowing down.

"Nani!?" The truck only slams on the breaks after it has already collided with Heavy Shinobi at full force, hard enough to send the robot flying.

The truck screeches to a rapid halt. The passenger door is pushed open from the inside. The Commander sits in the driver's seat, looking straight to Hero. "Get in, soldier."

It takes Hero several moments to finally shake off his shock. But once he does, he energetically runs right for the open door, Bruno following through the air behind him. They hop into the truck, shutting the door behind them. The truck's wheels momentarily peel out as it takes off again, plowing through another squadron of robots on its way out.

The remaining soldiers look more confused than ever. But as more robots approach, they all raise their hands in surrender.

—–—

7:00 PM

The Heart of Luminous Forest

A fishing hook sails through the air, plopping down into the surface of a small lake that softly reflects the light of several nearby stone lanterns. Big the Cat sits on the edge of the water, so far removed from civilization as to be completely oblivious to the waging war.

Froggy suddenly turns from its place next to him, looking off into the dense jungle behind them. "Ribbit?"

"Huh?" Big turns to look along with it. "What's the matter, buddy? Do you something?"

As if in answer, a pair of footsteps sounds off from the shadows. Their owner stops just on the edge of the shadows, so that only the reflection in his eyes can be seen. He declares in a growling voice, "Who are you?"

Big waves hello to the shadowed figure. "My name's Big, and this is my buddy, Froggy."

The figure's eyes seem to narrow for a moment. "I see. And what exactly are you doing here? Don't you know what's happening?"

"I'm fishing. Have you ever gone fishing here before?"

"Can't say that I have." Slowly, the figure of Fang the Sniper steps out into the light. "You could say that I…just rolled into town. I'm looking for someone." He pauses for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to have met Sonic the Hedgehog?"

"Yep. He's really nice. He helped me find Froggy."

"Any idea where he is now?"

"Froggy's right here, silly."

"No, I meant–" He takes a moment to rub a three-fingered hand down his face. "The Hedgehog. Do you know where he is?"

"Oh. Nope. I've just been out here, fishing."

"But you would call him a friend?"

"Yup." Big scratches his head for a moment. "You have a funny hat, Mister."

Fang tips his hat down. "Well thank you for noticing. And you have a nice belt. Reminds me of mine."

"That's nice of you."

"So…you planning on staying here long?"

Big nods his head. "Yep."

Fang puts on a smirk. "Good. Then I'll know exactly where to find you." With that, he turns to leave the way he came.

Big waves after him. "Okay. Bye, Mr. Funny Hat Man."

Fang shakes his head as he disappears into the shadows, muttering to himself, "Idiot."

—–—

"The Power of Chaos…is a balance. A scale. Measured by the difference between Light and Darkness… They will naturally come together."

"So you're saying…Shadow and I…"

"Can combine your power into one."

—–—

10:30 PM

Grand Metropolis

The Hedgehog, brilliantly radiating seven colors, streaks across the entire futuristic city in a fraction of second, colliding with his opponent in a blinding flash. They zip back the way they came, only to come back in for another strike. They clash again and again and again. Finally, they each come to a halt in the air, staring the other down from afar.

Sonic's voice questions in The Hedgehog's mind, "How much longer can we keep this up?"

Shadow's voice answers, "We're far from finished."

Chaos comments, "So is he."

Blacklight's goading shout booms, "What's the matter, Shadow? Having second thoughts? Our deal still stands, you know!"

Sonic thinks, "We aren't getting anywhere like this. We can't hurt him, and he can't hurt us."

Chaos assures, "He will tire, eventually. I am certain of that."

"So will we. Are we sure we can outlast him?"

"I…can't say for certain."

Shadow's voice growls, "Well do you have a better idea?"

Blacklight suddenly shouts, "Alright, tired of waiting!" He throws out a hand, instantly shooting out a storm of raging flame.

Just as quickly, The Hedgehog holds out a hand, erecting a thick golden barrier that deflects the flames in every direction.

Blacklight pushes into his attack even harder, trying to break through. After a moment, the resistance from the barrier ceases. Blacklight wears a smirk as he closes his outstretched hand, ending the fire. But when the flames dissipate, there is nothing left there at all. "Think you can get away from me that easily, do you?" He snaps his fingers, and the world around him shifts in a flash. He looks around at the new landscape, an urban city filled with tall, dark skyscrapers. Hordes of robots march through the streets below.

A rainbow colored streak zips down a street, destroying a hundred robots in the blink of an eye.

Blacklight smirks. "There you are."

As The Hedgehog flashes from street to street, Sonic finishes in his head, "We use our energy to set Eggman's army back a few steps, he uses up his trying to chase us down. At least we're doing something this way."

Chaos counters, "We will only end up back where we began. This is not the place."

Shadow shouts, "Look out!"

In his path, an entire skyscraper is toppling down, crumbling as it goes. Moving far too rapidly to change direction, The Hedgehog aims for a window and crashes straight through. Everything seems to slow in his perception as he dodges around doors, crumbling walls, and falling furniture, finally breaking out through a window on the opposite side. The earth shakes as the building crashes to the ground behind him.

"Dang. That was pretty cool."

The Hedgehog gasps as he turns his head to Blacklight.

"There's nowhere you can run that I won't find you. But, if you care to test that, I certainly wouldn't mind the exercise."

The Hedgehog, with multiple voices at once, growls, "There are people in this city…"

Blacklight shrugs. "Hey, you chose to come here."

The Hedgehog lets out an audible growl. A brilliant light flashes as he suddenly streaks away.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Blacklight jets off in pursuit.

—–—

Route 101

The GUN Truck drives down the highway elevated above the ocean at unsafe speeds.

The Commander explains as he drives, "This battle is over. We've lost. But the war is just beginning. A new Resistance will form. I don't know where, or when, but if they have any sense at all, they will go looking for you before long. So I'm taking you somewhere they'll know to find you."

The sound of a police siren begins to blare outside. The Commander looks into the driver's side mirror. Approaching in a helicopter flying low along the road, is the weapon-wielding Heavy Gunner, flanked on all sides by Police Pawns in jetpacks.

"Another one? Da–"

A missile explodes just off to the vehicle's right, sending the truck swerving and skidding to get back on course.

The Police Pawns break off from their formation, moving to converge on the truck. Once they draw close enough, they open fire on the armored vehicle from all sides.

Hero glances back nervously at the sound of the fire continuously pinging against the walls. The Commander growls, "They don't have us yet." He presses down on a large red button on the dashboard.

Panels in the truck's trailer flip open one by one, releasing the swarm of GUN robots stored inside to engage against the Police Pawns.

The Commander steps harder on the gas, putting distance between them and the robot fight behind them.

A missile soars over the roof of the truck, arcing around in front to fly back straight towards the windshield. The Commander slams the steering wheel to the side, just barely avoiding the hazard, very nearly losing control, leaving no time to avoid the next two.

The missiles explode in the road just in front of the truck. The truck is launched partially away from the road, tumbling through the air, landing on its side, continuing to roll until the smoking wreck that remains finally screeches to a stop on its top.

A pound comes from the inside of one of the doors. It appears to be stuck. Another hit from the inside finally knocks the door open. Hero crawls out from the inside. He appears bruised, but otherwise unharmed. With worry, he looks immediately down to his Wispon. A tentacle curled in the shape of a thumbs-up is stuck out from the inside. Hero breathes a sigh of relief. But with sudden renewed worry, he looks back to the inside of the truck.

The Commander appears to be stuck in his broken seat. He takes a moment to wipe at a wide cut just over his right eye as he struggles to free himself. Hero reaches back inside to help.

The sound of weapon fire strikes against the road behind him. Two Police Pawns shoot at him as they approach, no GUN robots left to stop them. Forced away from his task, Hero turns to shoot back. The flamethrower doesn't have enough reach to hit the flying targets, but it successfully keeps them back and stops them from firing as they move to keep out of the way. Until another missile strikes the side of the truck.

As the shockwave knocks Hero off his feet, the truck is blasted towards the edge of the road.

Hero climbs back to his feet as quickly as he can. He looks immediately to the truck. It teeters dangerously over the edge. He runs for it. Slowly, it starts to tip. The entire truck slides over the corner, and starts to plummet. Hero dives at the edge, reaching down as far as he can as he fires down his grappling wire, aiming for the open door.

But the wire runs out of length long before it can catch up with the falling vehicle. With a mighty crash, the truck splashes into the ocean below. Hero watches with horror and disbelief as it sinks completely into the water.

"Time to give it up, buster." Two guns are pointed at Hero by a Police Pawn on each side of him, as Heavy Gunner's helicopter lands behind him.

Slowly, cautiously, Hero gets back to his feet, raising his hands above his head in surrender. As he turns to face the Gunner that walks towards him, his scowl of intense anger is revealed. His lip is curled and his teeth are clenched in a suppressed snarl. Yet through all the rage, there's a hint of tears in his eyes.

"You were warned, buddy. You don't get away with resisting the Eggman Empire. Now put that weapon on the ground." He indicates the Wispon still held in one of his hands. "You heard me." The Police Pawns jab their weapons in closer. "On the ground."

Slowly, Hero starts to kneel down, obediently lowering the weapon. But he suddenly freezes as a buzz of static cuts in on his communicator. "Don't worry about me, soldier. Just keep moving."

The expression on his face shifts slowly, from rage, to resolve.

Gunner growls, "I didn't tell you to stop. Drop the weapon. Now."

Hero glances between the the three robots surrounding him, quickly taking in his options. He doesn't seem satisfied with his odds. For a moment, he glances back at the ocean far below him. But he quickly shakes his head, and lowers the Wispon the rest of the way to the floor.

"Good. Now let it go and get back on your feet."

Hero hesitates for another moment. And that moment is all he needs. The lights in the eyes of one of the Police Pawns suddenly begin to flicker. Hero makes a confused sound as he looks at it more closely.

Gunner looks over as well. "What the…?"

Sparks begin to fly from the malfunctioning robot as its internal mechanisms shudder, before it finally doubles over, completely deactivated. The opposing Police Pawn isn't so lucky. As it shudders far more violently, parts of its metal plating begin to disintegrate, quickly turning the robot into nothing more than a pile of ash and steel.

"Blast it! This soon!?" Gunner jabs his missile launcher more violently in Hero's direction. "You aren't gonna–"

Hero preempts him, skillfully firing his Wispon from below, giving him the chance to get up and make a run for it.

Before Gunner can react, Bruno flies out from the dissipating flames, latching his tentacles around Heavy Gunner's face to provide a further distraction. Gunner flails his hands trying to get rid of it. "Get off of me you little varmint!" He finally manages to wrap a hand around the Wisp, and tosses it away. He looks around frantically. There's no more sign of Hero. "Why you little…"

Gunner hops back into the helicopter, and quickly flips the switches necessary to put the vehicle back in the air. He scans the road carefully back and forth as he picks up speed. "You can't have gotten far…"

Beneath the chopper, Hero hangs with one hand onto one of the landing struts, completely unseen as he's carried farther away from the city. Bruno flies up beside him, happily holding out a curled tentacle. Hero can't resist the celebratory fist bump.

They both suddenly look up at a strange sound. High in the air, a rainbow colored streak flashes into existence, closely pursued by an equally fast streak of much darker colors. After jetting only a few moments, creating ripples in the air, the first streak pops out of existence again, followed by the dark streak another moment later.

—–—

The Hedgehog darts over the Capital City, glancing back over his shoulder. Blacklight is in close pursuit. With a growl, The Hedgehog increases his speed, cutting through the air before finally executing a Chaos Control that transforms the landscape. Never slowing down, The Hedgehog continues to streak over a refinery so flooded in black oil that it might be mistaken for an ocean. Blacklight appears right on his trail, giving a smug grin.

Sonic's voice questions, "How does he keep finding us so quickly?"

Chaos answers, "The use of Chaos Control creates a disturbance in the Flow of Chaos, one that can be traced, with the right training. It could take me months to teach you a technique like that."

Shadow growls, "So how'd he figure it out?"

"It could be that his immense energy has strengthened his connection."

Sonic objects, "That doesn't matter right now. If we can't outrun him and we can't outfight him, then what can we do?"

Shadow answers, "We have to keep trying."

Chaos agrees, "Repeated attempts in quick succession may be enough to confuse him."

Long since past the Oil Ocean and already passing a mechanical Metropolis, The Hedgehog moves even faster as he lets out a flash that changes the landscape once again. Not waiting to be followed this time, he warps once again. Over and over again, the world flashes from city to forest to desert to beach, to rolling hills, to ancient ruins, to every kind of place imaginable, never remaining the same for more than a moment. Yet still, Blacklight is never more than a moment behind him.

Sonic growls, "So much for that."

Shadow agrees, "We're the only ones getting tired out here."

Chaos answers, "That leaves us with only one other option."

The Hedgehog comes to an abrupt stop, holding up a hand behind him to create a barrier.

Blacklight crashes headlong into the shield, bouncing off with a loud thud. He rubs at his head with a growl of irritation. "Ow. If you wanted to stop, you could've just said so." He looks around for a moment. They've returned to the sprawling futuristic city they began in.

The Hedgehog voices as one, "We fight to the bitter end."

Chaos finishes the thought on his own, "And there's no one I'd rather fight beside."

Blacklight smirks. "Very well. The end. For one of us. Let's find out who!" He holds out a hand for a new attack. "Chaos Void!"

—–—

"The Controller must live to fight tomorrow. I will use some energy…to disguise myself. It will help cover your escape."

Black Night directs his hands forward. "Chaos Void!"

The shield shatters completely. Chaos is completely enveloped by the massive energy beam. A moment later, a dull grey gem clatters to the floor.

"I…I did it. I killed Shadow the Hedgehog!"

—–—

The Realm of Chaos

The ringing of the clock tower bell somehow echoes faintly through the empty realm.

"It has happened." Lumis stands, seemingly alone, in the center of it all.

A chorus of voices echoes around him, "The Controller yet lives. The world can be saved."

"Then all is as planned. Now, we welcome home our missing part."

Lumis and the Lords of Chaos wait for Chaos himself to appear. But he never does.

"Where…is he?"

"I don't understand. When the Moonstone was destroyed, his spirit should have been returned here."

The world around them phazes into a hazy image of a dull grey gemstone lying forgotten in a crater. "It was not destroyed…"

Lumis stares at the image for several moments. "There's…no life in that gem. Could it be…?"

"If a Lord of Chaos has truly perished…the consequences may be catastrophic…"

"Chaos… No…"

—–—

"Is this what it's like to feel…weak?"

"The Chaos Amplifier can leave behind a sort of…energy vacuum. Energy seems to drain from the user, and the exact effects are…variable." Eggman pulls out something.

Blacklight heard the sound, and all too late realized his mistake.

Eggman puts away the weapon. Indicating the corpse at his feet, he shouts, "Someone get this thing out of my sight!"

—–—

January 1st, 6:15 AM

Eggman's Hidden Base, Unknown Location

Heavy King, the very same robot that got up to obey the order, now carries Blacklight's body over one shoulder through the metal halls of the base.

"Such a shame," Heavy King muses. "You had potential. But you couldn't pass one simple test."

He stops as he reaches a particular spot along the wall. Turning to press a button, a panel on the wall opens to reveal a long, downward-sloping chute.

"You really should have seen it coming. But I have no use for one who couldn't." He tosses the body into the chute, and immediately closes the panel behind it. "I'll simply have to find another. I'm in no hurry." He turns to leave.

—–—

Blacklight's body crashes into a pile of garbage both organic and mechanical, lying there in dark and detritus without life.

A stray fly crawls over the surface of a rotting apple core that lies next to the body. It takes off, buzzing around in the landfill for a while. After hovering all around the body, it finally settles down onto a spot on the arm. But the moment it contacts his skin, the insect crumbles into dust.

To be continued…

I'd like to give a very big thank you to every one of you for reading! Here's to another 50 great episodes, and many more to come!