IMPORTANT: All credits go to the Sonic Team who originally blessed us with a courageous, kind hearted, friendly, blue hedgehog. Only the main plot of the story is mine.
NOTE: No sexual scenes. Romantic relationship between Amy Rose and Sonic the Hedgehog. Rouge and Knuckles may never admit their true feelings for each other. No other relationships are mentioned in this story, but one of the main characters will have unrequited feelings for Amy...
SECOND NOTE: Any edits, comments email me or private message me (Email mentioned in profile).
Thanks for showing interest! Enjoy!
ATTENTION:
Chapter 8 is up and ready for reading.
Comment and review, stay updated!
Should have Chapter 9 in a few weeks, maybe during the holidays, but no guarantees!
I will for sure have the preview released by then.
Enjoy, have a good one!
- MC Productions 737
Rising Darkness
- Hidden Darkness -
Chapter 8: Drown in Darkness
Where am I? Shadow the Hedgehog thought as he looked around.
The place he now found himself in was a bare, white, and lightless spacious place. There were no walls, no gates, nothing that indicated there was a separation. There were no limits either, the place seemed endless. The only thing that indicated any normalcy was a door.
The door was a dark black, with delicate interwoven patterns of violet framing each side. As Shadow, curiosity getting the better of him, approached the door, he soon realized that the patterns, which he thought were part of the door's design, were not. In fact, the patterns seemed strangely familiar.
They were thick, deep violet and shadowy, like the very essence of darkness itself. Shadow tried to wave the deep dark shadows away, but they clung, insistently, on to the door. Shadow shaking his head, in annoyance, pushed his hand through the thickness of the shadows.
His hand passed through the darkness, as easily as it would through fog, but this was no fog. As soon as his hand passed through the smoky darkness, the shadows twisted and writhed, forming tight around his hand.
What the - Shadow started with confused panic as he struggled to break free. But the darkness was not going to relent, as it started inching up to his wrists. Then from his wrists, to his lower arm. Then his lower adm, to his elbow. And once from his elbow, it begin to curl up faster and faster.
Stop! Shadow called out, at least he tried. But he soon realized, he could not speak. It had nothing to do with the darkness. And it had nothing to do with him. He soon came to the horrible realization that this place, whatever it was had been way too silent. So silent, that he could not even speak, himself.
Nooo! He tried to scream as the darkness soon began to suffocate him.
Where am I? Shadow the Hedgehog thought as he looked around.
The place he now found himself in was a bare, white, and lightless spacious place. There were no walls, no gates, nothing that indicated there was a separation. There were no limits either, the place seemed endless. The only thing that indicated any normalcy was a door.
The door was a dark black, with delicate interwoven patterns of violet framing each side. As Shadow, curiosity getting the better of him, approached the door, he soon realized that the patterns, which he thought were part of the door's design, were not. In fact, the patterns seemed strangely familiar.
They were thick, deep violet and shadowy, like the very essence of darkness itself. Shadow tried to wave the deep dark shadows away, but they clung, insistently, on to the door. Shadow shaking his head, in annoyance, pushed his hand through the thickness of the shadows.
His hand passed through the darkness, as easily as it would through fog, but this was no fog. As soon as his hand passed through the smoky darkness, the shadows twisted and writhed, forming tight around his hand.
What the - Shadow started with confused panic as he struggled to break free. But the darkness was not going to relent, as it started inching up to his wrists. Then from his wrists, to his lower arm. Then his lower adm, to his elbow. And once from his elbow, it begin to curl up faster and faster.
Stop! Shadow called out, at least he tried. But he soon realized, he could not speak. It had nothing to do with the darkness. And it had nothing to do with him. He soon came to the horrible realization that this place, whatever it was had been way too silent. So silent, that he could not even speak, himself.
Nooo! He tried to scream as the darkness soon began to suffocate him.
Where am I? Shadow the Hedgehog thought as he looked around.
The place he now found himself in was a bare, white, and lightless spacious place. There were no walls, no gates, nothing that indicated there was a separation. There were no limits either, the place seemed endless. The only thing that indicated any normalcy was a door.
The door was a dark black, with delicate interwoven patterns of violet framing each side. As Shadow, curiosity getting the better of him, approached the door, he soon realized that the patterns, which he thought were part of the door's design, were not. In fact, the patterns seemed strangely familiar.
They were thick, deep violet and shadowy, like the very essence of darkness itself. Shadow tried to wave the deep dark shadows away, but they clung, insistently, on to the door. Shadow shaking his head, in annoyance, was about to push his hand through the thickness of the shadows.
Was about to, but then he realized something. He had been there before. He had seen that seen that door before. He had tried to wave the darkness away before. He had put his hand through the darkness before. And he had suffocated and nearly died before.
What the heck? He quizzed as he scratched his head and then shook his head. He tapped his foot impatiently as he tried to figure out a way to get through that door. Without repeating the same sequence of events as he had before.
As he thought this he felt something like fire flowing through his veins. It was not painful not burning like scorching flames, but rather a feeling of power surging through him.
Suddenly with a flash of light, an almost electric charge flew from his outstretched hand. The charge was a golden color and hummed with an unknown power as it tore through the darkness. The darkness with a shriek began to fold in on itself, until it disappeared. Shadow gave a silent grunt of accomplishment and turned the knob.
He eased the door open, staring into darkness. A thick blanket of black, inky darkness. His eyes strained to adjust to it, he had put one foot through the door, when all of a sudden the door slammed shut. The force knocking him into the dark void, causing him to fall to his knees.
"Who are you!" Knuckles exclaimed, balling his hands into fists, readying himself for a fight. The other him laughed darkly and rose from the throne. Walking calmly towards him, slightly strutting with cocky arrogance. His eyes glowed with malevolence and his smile was a sneer.
"Now Knuckles," he said, his voice as gruff as the other Knuckles who was staring in confused awe. "You should recognize yourself when you see me." Knuckles, the one that was surprised, shook his head in disagreement.
"There is no way in all of Angel Island or beyond, that you are me." He grumbled as he prepared to glide and attack the other echidna.
"Fine then," laughed the other Knuckles, his eyes glowing brighter with cruel intent. "Let us just pretend I am not you, but if we do then who is your worst enemy?"
"No one." Knuckles answered, taking it literally.
"That was a rhetorical question, foolish Knuckles. Foolish me." the other red head laughed louder, more maniacally. "I am your worst enemy, Knuckles. You are your worst enemy." And he struck Knuckles in the chest, with his fist, cutting out his breath.
Knuckles staggered towards his foe and attempted to slam his fist into his face, but his enemy was three steps ahead of him. He swung his leg, tripping up Knuckles, who stumbled and fell onto his other Knuckles laighed and lunged at his fallen victim.
"Give it up, Knuckles." he chuckled as he pinned his enemy down, repeatedly punching him in the stomach. "Admit it. You are your own worst enemy."
"Not true." Knuckles protested, as he grunted in pain and tried to unseat the villainous echidna. "My worst enemy is anyone that threatens to steal the Master Emerald." He managed to throw his evil double off him and slammed him to the ground, now on top of him.
The other Knuckles laughed derisively as he spread out his arms as if he had wings. "Do you not realize it?"
"Realize what?" Knuckles said, no longer punching and beating up his rival. That was his chance, the evil him rolled over, so that he was on top of him once again.
"Realize that you threaten the Master Emerald. Your mission. Angel Island." And his double began strangling him, gripping his throat in a tight deathly grip.
"You are too naive. You are too trusting. You are too distracted with all your friends." Spat his rival as he continued to throttle Knuckles, who was slowing passing out.
"It is a shock the Master Emerald has not been destroyed until now. If it had not been for you with your thoughts of your beloved Rouge, none of this would have happened." As Knuckles eyes begin to close and he started to fall limp, his enemy laughed coldly. "
You deserve to be overthrown. You are a failure at being a Guardian. What would your family think of you? Now die. The Master Emerald and Angel Island would be better off without you. Die."
So, Doctor. he smiled, showing his sharp teeth again, his pure and bright white eyes glowing with dark intentions. How do you want me to do this?
Y-you d-d-don't h-h-have t-t-to d-do a-anyth-th-thin-g-g. Eggman stammered as he wrung his hands together nervously and seemed to be on the verge of tears.
Oh, but I do. Laughed Dark Sonic with a smile as he stepped towards the frightened man. You see, Doctor. I must make you pay for your choices.
W-w-what ch-ch-choices? stammered the mad scientist as he continued to back away from the advancing evil form of Sonic.
All of this. his enemy said as he spread his hands out, dramatically, to the empty, blank, colorless place. This is all your doing, Doctor. Your defiance to me has brought you here.
What defiance?! exclaimed the cowering man as he crossed his arms, and straightened up. I never once defied you!
Oh, but you did, Doctor. he responded as the mad man turned red in the face.
Stop calling me that! he bellowed, jumping up and down as he grew upset. I know you do not mean it, you rotten and horrid creature!
Okay, Doctor. chuckled Dark Sonic as his foe became even angrier. Watch it! he warned as Eggman made a move towards the evil being.
Eggman ignored him, however, and charged, head bowed low as he did so. He managed to tackle down the evil form, causing him to land on the ground.
That is it! Dark Sonic fumed as he began to phase in and out, ready to disappear. He faded away, much to the mad genius' relief.
Behind you. his voice sent chills down Eggman's back and then he felt something cold and he knew he was in trouble.
Shadow regained his balance as he stood up and dusted himself off. The room was dark and seemed to go on forever.
I cannot keep exploring blindly. And Shadow charged the light, causing it to glow in the palm of his hand. He looked around and saw the place he was in. It was darkness stretching endlessly, but the light allowed him to see it. He could feel it. He could smell it. The darkness seemed to be a living thing. Shifting and changing as he continued his exploration.
Shadow the Hedgehog. The familiar voice caused Shadow to jump up and then immediately turn around, ready for a fight. He saw him. He looked almost like him, except he had grayish green stripes and slitted pupils within his lime green eyes. He walked slowly towards him, as if he lacked energy. The lethargic and sluggish movement only sent Shadow more on edge.
I have waited for you for so long.The other hedgehog hissed as he lifted up his face, to stare into the scarlet striped hedgejog's ruby, burning, red eyes. To Shadow's astonishment the being in front of him lacked a mouth. There was just the nose, the eyes. The facial features absent of a mouth. But Shadow could feel his smile. The smile was something the Ultimate Lifeform could feel, was feral. Feel was cold. Feel was dark. Feel was evil.
What do you want? the scarlet striped hedgehog snarled as he charged another light. And be careful what you do. It will be the last thing you ever do.
His companion began laughing. A cold, crazed, creepy and chilling laugh. The laughter, though silent, seemed to echo off the walls. It was then that Shadow realized the darkness. The shifting and changing darkness. The living darkness. Was coming from the other hedgehog.
Oh, Shadow. He chuckled. If only you knew.
Knew what?
That you should be careful of me. He suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of the scarlet striped anthropomorphic hedgehog. I guarantee you. It will be the last thing you do.
Then he pushed the stunned hedgehog, causing him to stumble into the darkness below. The darkness like a thick blanket, began to suffocate him.
Not again. Shadow's voice was muffled as the darkness, cold as ice, wrapped around the hedgehog, entangling him within.
Give in to it. The grayish green striped hedgehog urged his prisoner. Become one with the darkness.
Never. protested Shadow, gritting his teeth as he charged another spear. CHAOS SPEAR!
The light slashed the darkness. With similar command, another light. Then another one. Soon after a dozen lights or so, he was free.
Fool! snarled his rival as Shadow stood up, pulling off roils of darkness, which once dropping to the ground, writhed once and vanished into the ground. You will regret that.
I already do. laughed Shadow, who had gone half insane from the darkness which had tried to take over his mind. Come here, Mephie. he chuckled as he staggered towards the angry demonic entity.
Fool. You have lost yourself. Yet you insist on fighting. Mephiles smiled darkly and pulled Shadow towards him.
He charged his own equivalent to the Chaos Spear, it was a violet and glowing light, more like a bar of light.
Now prepare to… And the light whistled as he embedded it into the still giggling and derisive Ultimate Lifeform. Drown in DARKNESS.
Ugh. My head." moaned Tails as he regained consciousness. He looked up, from where he was sprawled on the ground, and saw - Yikes! Should have stayed unconscious. - a rather upset and angry looking hedgehog. The hedgehog's cheeks were a rosy sheen of pink, even pinker than her spines. She held a hammer in her hand; this hammer was her signature Piko Piko Hammer.
Amy Rose was upset and angry, after all hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And Amy was indeed scorned, having been stood up by Sonic, on their promised date, she was devastated. Her devastation showed itself in somewhat violent ways. Sure, she had accidentally knocked Tails out with her hammer, when he had unexpectedly opened the door, but what was she doing banging down his door with her hammer in the first place?
"Sorry, Tails." she apologized, but before Tails could even reject or accept this apology, she began to rant. Her rant was about how Sonic only cared about himself and how she should have known better than to trust that "rat." Tails perplexed and still dealing with a pounding headache, interrupted her, mid rant,
"Please Amy," he said as he fixed his tail fur back into place and dusted himself off, before taking a drink of water to rid himself of the headache. "Tell me you did not come all the way over here and knocked me out, just to complain about Sonic." Amy looked annoyed, but chose to brush it off.
"No, of course not. I came here to talk to that self absorbed hedgehog and give him a piece of my mind!" she picked up her hammer and stormed up the stairs. "Just wait until I get my hands on that no good -" her voice faded away as she pounded up the second story, before Tails could even explain to her that Sonic had not returned.
Whatever. I will just let her take her rage out on all the stuff up there. He huffed as he returned back to his tornado. In time she will cool down and be infatuated with Sonic all over again. He was about to place the helmet on his head and start up his welding tools when he heard Amy's scream.
"What now!" he shouted in frustration as he stormed up the stairs, ready to give Amy a scolding. But what he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. Amy was on the ground, unconscious. Her hammer was broken, or shattered if you would prefer, in pieces. Standing over her, eyes glowing blood red with pure evil, was a hedgehog.
"Shadow?" Tails asked in disbelief. He grabbed his welding instrument, ready to strike the Ultimate Lifeform, but before he could,
"Not Shadow." the hedgehog, that looked like the scarlet striped and ebony anthropomorph, hissed, sending chills running up and down the little fox's spine. "But I know the look is quite...uncanny." he turned to face the frightened orange fox, eyes glowing brighter, darkness clinging to his feet. Tails could now see that, though he looked likes Shadow, this creature, whoever or whatever it was, was not his rival friend. He was as ebony as Shadow, but he had grayish green stripes instead and his eyes were still blood red, with lime green irises, and slits for pupils.
"Who or what are you?" Tails asked as he raised the welding tool, ready to swing it like a bat. The being responded with a dark laugh that seemed to reverberate in the walls of Tails' home, his eyes danced like two twin flames.
"I am a friend of Shadow's." Tails lowered the welding machine, a little. "I am surprised he hasn't mentioned me. We go way back. In fact, he is the reason I came here." though he had no mouth, Tails could tell that the creature was smiling, but nothing felt dangerous or threatening about that smile. Tails dropped the welding machine and looked at Amy.
"What happened to her?" The creature shook his head and sighed deeply.
"She rushed me and I had to stop her in self defense." He glanced at Tails and began walking towards him. "She will recover and I can repair her hammer."
"Okay, I am glad to hear that." Tails said in relief and smiled at the stranger. "My name is Tails, what's yours?"
"Mephiles." The creature responded, eyes flashing brighter as he said the name. "Mephiles the Dark."
Mephiles smiled, a cold and feral smile. He watched as the light stabbed straight through his enemy.
If only I could actually kill you, Shadow. he whispered with insatiable desire for violence. But I know you cannot die, yet. He watched as the bar if light kept pushing inside of him, deeper and deeper. The Ultimate Lifeform still chuckled, deranged from his repeated fight with the darkness of Mephiles.
Drown, Shadow. Give into the waves of darkness. Drown! And Shadow soon fell limp in the entity's hands. The dark demonic creature placed Shadow down, gently, on the floor. The darkness swarmed around Shadow, pulling him deeper and deeper in. The bar of violet, dark light glowed as the darkness soon swallowed Shadow whole.
Shadow woke up and realized he was in a dark placd. Not as he had been before when he had managed to enter the door, but as he was now. He was trapped in it. The darkness clung to him like a wet blanket. It suffocated and strangled him. It whispered his name and woke up the darkness that had been buried inside him a long time ago.
His eyes flashed with evil as he knew what he must do. The darkness had invaded his mind, his heart, and his soul. It had broken into his essence and the power core, taking over him. Not as Mephiles had many nights ago, but as if Shadow was welcoming the darkness as a guest. No violent or hostile takeover, no pain. It felt easy and wonderful. Like a burden lifted from his shoulders.
He laughed, the laughter could be heard by his ears. He raised his arms up to the sky and continued laughing. He walked inside the darkness, no longer thick and no longer suffocating. It felt like he was walking through air.
Mephiles appeared in front of him. Though the darkness was dark, the demon had his own dark, violet light to cast. Also, from the violet emerald in the palm of his clawed hand. He smiled, or at least the smile could be felt, darkly.
"Are you ready Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform?" the demon hissed with eyes flashing excitedly. "Are you ready to make the world drown as well?"
"I am ready," Shadow smiled wickedly. His eyes flashing with excitement as well, evil excitement. "To make the world drown in darkness."