A Chaos and a cheetah were watching the Freedom Fighters at their base. The group were examining the stone "Alright, Tails, you have our attention now explain what's going on" Sally said. Tails nodded "This stone came from the Shinobi Temple here on Emerald Hill" "That's far to the north, how did it get here?" "The Chaos' gave it to me. They think the Empire is doing something terrible there". Tex sceptically laughed "Ok, wait, they think? What did they talk to you?" "Yeah" Tails said casually. Wave sighed "I wish they told you what these symbols mean. But, mmm, maybe I could make more sense of them if I saw the temple up close". Tails nodded "I agree, we have to go. We can't let the Empire putting their hands all over the Temple". Sally looked determined "So let's stop them. For Sonic". Wave stood up "There's just one problem. As Sally said, the Temple is far to the north and we don't have a ship" "I can get us there" Tails said.
The four of them were now outside standing on a rock, Tails stepped forward and held out his hand. Four Chaos then appeared in the field and walked towards them. They stood on the rock in front of the group "We're ready, can you take us?" Tails asked. The Chaos nodded and grew in their more muscular forms. Tails got on the shoulders of one of them and Sally did as well. Tex looked confused "Are these things faster than boards?" "Well, they got us here in the first place. I guess they can get us to the Temple as well" Wave said. Tex reluctantly climbed onto the shoulder of a chaos "I'm just more comfortable with speeders. Hello, my name is Tex" he said nervously to it. "Okay, here we go" Tails said before the Chaos started running. G-merl started beeping angrily before the Chaos carrying Tex grabbed him and followed the others. As they ran the Chaos' started to sink into the ground taking their riders with them. Tails suddenly thought he was traveling through hyperspace "You want a ride?" "You don't know us" "And I don't want to" "I lost my way for a long time, but now, I have a chance to change things" "We have hope. Hope that things will get better" "That was a mistake" "Why. Because you have no one left to die for you?" "No, because I have nothing left to fear" "This is a new day, a new beginning" "There's a cost for any action we take now, Tails. Things are getting worse, just as they did back when I was your age but back then there were 10,000 Shinobi knights protecting the galaxy. Now…" "There's just you and me". The group opened their eyes and were now in a different location "Did you hear those voices?" Wave asked Tex, "I have no idea wat just happened". They all walked up to the edge of a stone and one of the Chaos turned to Tails "They say the Temple is not far from here just a bit to the Northwest. But we'll have to walk the rest of the way" "How do we do that?" Sally asked. Tails turned to the Chaos "I don't know". They watched the Chaos walk away "Sonic said they're deeply connected to the Force" "I'm just glad they're on our side" "They're on Emerald Hill's side". Wave looked to him "Is there a difference?" "Let's hope not. We should get moving".
The group eventually reached the Temple and were horrified to discover that a small Imperial base had been build around it. Wave used her mask to watch it "This is no military operation. What're they searching for?". Tails then saw that the doors into the Temple were gone. "Is this really the Temple. It looks like solid rock?" Wave asked. Tails nodded "We're in the right place. It must have sealed itself off" "Any idea what the Empire wants?" Sally asked. Tails shook his head "No" "We should get a closer look. You and Wave go down, me and Tex will keep watch". Tex then grinned seeing two troopers on boards heading their direction.
Tails and Wave now disguised entered the base and saw murals and artwork that was removed from the temple "They're definitely up to something". They tried to read one of them but "Trooper! Get away form there at once". They turned and saw an elderly echidna with two death troopers "I've said it before, none of you are to touch the artifacts! The tiniest blemish could erase evidence which is critical to understanding the gateway!". Tails stood to attention "Yes, sir, sorry, sir" "Minister, Mobotropolis is contacting you" the death trooper said, and the echidna walked away. The other death trooper turned to Tails and Wave "Alright you two. Numbers and clearance codes now". Tails waved his hand "You don't need to see our numbers and clearance" "I don't need to see your numbers and clearance" "You're going to forget all about this". Tails and Wave walked past. Sally and Tex watched the echidna form their hiding spot "Who's the old man?" "I don't know. I've never seen an Imperial like him". Tails and Wave saw the echidna enter a tent and the latter got on her commlink "G-merl, I need you to reroute the incoming Imperil transmission". Eventually they could hear the echidna's voice "We have recently made some remarkable discoveries, my Emperor" "We must discover the secrets of the Temple for even now our enemies move against us". Neither of them recognised the second voice but is didn't sound like someone you wanted to mess with. "We have reached the roots of the Temple and found some fascinating work. The symbols and iconography are reminiscent of a report I discovered in the Shinobi archives" "The Special Zone gods?" "Yes, they are key to unlocking the Temple, I'm sure of it" "There has been a great disturbance in the Force. The death of Sonic the Hedgehog has altered the fate of Emerald Hill though how I cannot say". Tails and Wave stared at each other in confusion "Perhaps entering the Temple will provide some clarity, my lord" "We must seize the power within a conduit between the living and the dead. Proceed, Minister Hydan". Wave activated her commlink "Sally, did you hear? What should we do?" "I don't like it. With the Emperor involved it's too dangerous we should fall back". Tails shook his head "No. Because of the Emperor, we have to get involved. We can't let him enter the temple" "Then they'll crack the code. It's only a matter of time".
Sally was silent, "Sally, remember why we came" Tex said. Sally suddenly felt something touch her shoulder, she placed her own hand on it warmly "Go, we'll keep watch. But I want you both out of there if I give you the order" "Absolutely" "Thanks, Sally. Let's go". Tex looked reassuringly to Sally "They'll be fine". Sally clutched her shoulder "I used to always believe that". They then heard a voice over the base's PA system "Attention. There is a safety hazard zone in standing 25 meters from the temple. Special teams are exempt and look out for static charge. All operational departments signal by beeping twice".
Hydan was making an announcement "We are close to our goal. Move the drill into first position. Everyone double shifts, through the night. Mind your priority assignments and stay within your designed areas. Turn the flood lights on!". A huge wall was illuminated by the lights and showed a mural of Athair, Aurora and Feist "Whoa. You ever seen anything like this before?" Wave said. Tails shrugged "Nope, but this Temple is always full of surprises". A worker wet up to Hydan "Lord, we have discovered more symbols" "Show me". As the others got back to work Tails and Wave examined the mural "Can you make anything out of it?" "Mmm, I think so". She got closer and sighed "It's very old, very intricate. Does any of this mean anything to you?". Tails then noticed a flicky sitting on Aurora's shoulder "Well, I've seen a bird like that before. Whenever Amy visited us on Avalon it was always nearby. And look, Chaos'" he pointed to drawings underneath the gods. Wave then examined a hologram of the stone the Chaos gave them "The hands. They're the same on the figures as the ones here on the stone. I… I think it's a star map, but none that I'm familiar with. The lines around the gods are like paths and the rings are planets or… or doorways". Tails wasn't following "Okay, but which one leads into the Temple?". Wave showed him the hologram "The hands represent different configurations. Right now, it looks like the painting is lined up with the central figure. I think we want this one where the lines are together" she pointed at the hand that was fully open. "What happens once we do that?" Tails asked. Wave shrugged "Well, I don't know. It's your turn, now do your thing" "Right… Wait, what thing?" "Whatever it is you do to open the Temple".
Tails sighed "Sonic and I always opened it together. It takes a Master and an apprentice, he said" "Well, you're gonna have to think of something and fast". Tails reluctantly stepped forward and placed his hand over Aurora's. Wave spotted two stormtroopers coming towards them "Get down!". Tails hid as Wave met with the troopers "LS-515, why aren't' you on patrol?" "I thought I saw something moving over here but it was just a shadows" "That's a restricted area". Wave moved around making them face away from where Tails was hiding "I was just following protocol, sir. Code 6-1-1-0" "That's military code. This operation is classified under directive AT14". Wave paused "My mistake" "You'd have been informed about the new directive". Tails behind the rock continued to stare at the mural "The stone. Listen to the stone and its story". He got up and walked over tot he mural. The trooper took out his commlink "This is highly irregular. I'll have to call it in" "You do that and I'll be late for my assignment" "Like you said. We're just following protocol". He listened to something on the commlink "Command says you've deviated from your patrol route". Wave gestured back "Let's go to operations and straighten this out" she led them away. One of the trooper sighed "Great. Now we're both going to have to file a report". Tails put his hand back on the mural and tried to focus as best he could, but nothing seemed to happen. He tried to think back to what Sonic told him "Listen to the story". He concentrated on the stone in front of him drowning everything else out and suddenly the lines on the mural lit up. Aurora suddenly looked to Athair "We are the ones who guard the power. We are the middle, the beginning, and the end". Athair's hand then moved and pointed to Tails' right. The Chaos' then walked in that direction. Tails followed them until they formed a circle around another part of the wall. Tails stared in amazement "This is it". Tails placed his hand on the wall, and it went through before it was suddenly hit by a red light which made him retract. Suddenly the lights shined behind him and there was a death trooper and a squad advancing on them. Tails back away as Hydan appeared with a restrained Wave "The gateway" "Tails, go". Tails quickly jumped through the wall and disappeared; two troopers tried to follow but just hit the wall.