With the red Time Stone in hand, it had been a trivial matter for Sierus to make that old woman into another one of its vessels. It gave her free reign of the Crystal Citadel, then departed to attend to another matter, one that would take it away from Little Planet and back to where it had once been held.
It took a while, but the entity eventually reached Splash Hill, arriving at the entrance to the Lost Labyrinth that once housed the Mystic Orb. Sensing the fading vestiges of power coming from the broken artifact, Sierus used that as a guide to find its way back to the altar. In no time at all, it arrived at the place that served as its prison for thirteen long years, looking upon the broken remains of its container with contempt.
It had to know the way things transpired for it to have the chance to be here. Sierus itself didn't know how or why there was a means to allow those fools to travel back to where it could be released at the time it was. But, the desire to discover the answer burned within it, and it wouldn't rest until all was clear.
As though granting its wish, the red Stone filled the area with a bright light befitting its facets, bathing everything in a crimson coat. When it all faded, Sierus found itself in Splash Hill once again, only now it was frozen over and dead, while the sky was completely covered by dismally dark gray clouds. No doubt that this was Glacia's handiwork.
Speaking of its counterpart in Lunaren, Sierus gazed off the coast to the east, and there it stood. Towering above the mountains of ice that had risen from the still ocean, itself resembling those peaks around it, was Glacia. But it wasn't alone, for on the edge of a cliff not too far away...was another Sierus, this one notably more frail in appearance.
'How can this be?' the entity wondered.
As it gazed unto itself, Sierus came to another realization it hadn't initially picked up on. Glacia was the only thing that could make it feel any measure of chill, and despite the frosty surroundings, it wasn't cold in the slightest. Curious, it exercised some of its power on some of the little remaining vegetation there was. Not even a slight burn.
'So this is a vision, then,' it surmised, 'perhaps how things would have gone, had my seal come undone when it was supposedly meant to.'
Intrigued at where this would go, the Sierus of the "present" watched intently as the one of the presumably original future stepped closer to the precipice overlooking the ocean. Glacia tilted its head down ever so slightly as it barely squinted its eyes, its minimal actions creating a sound like a thunderous avalanche.
"I have found you, Glacia the Bleak!" shouted the other Sierus, "for centuries I slept, dreaming of this day we would finally be reunited!"
That confirmed what the entity had assumed. This other version of it was weak because the seal on its Mystic Orb prison had only recently been broken. To think that if that human and hedgehog hadn't come along, it would've been stuck in that magenta marble for another couple hundred years.
Suddenly, it was overcome by an intensely debilitating sensation and had to pause to keep its form from destabilizing. As unexpected and sudden as it had been, Sierus knew exactly what it meant: it was losing the power it had cultivated. Something was happening to the spawn it had made.
'That hyena!' the being concluded furiously, 'he must be the one responsible! No doubt he is also collecting the other Time Stones!'
That meant that it couldn't afford to waste time. It had to come to the end of whatever this vision was leading to, then head back to Little Planet and stamp out this threat before all its hard work was undone.
"Now, let us join together, my other half!" the future being went on, bringing Sierus' attention back to it, "so that we may be complete once again! Let Lunaren return to grace the mortal realm with its magnificence, before all is brought to an end!"
"NO," answered a voice that boomed and echoed throughout the region like immense ice floes crashing together.
The response shocked both of the sapient flames. Not only because of the refusal, but the fact that it wasn't aware that Glacia could speak. It had never done so during their brief rampage through Soleanna, so this came as a rather big surprise for Sierus. Perhaps it wasn't as mindless as their summoners had believed it to be.
A second shock flooded the present entity, causing it to become momentarily overcome by weakness. Another spawn must have fallen, but this quickly?
"No?" came the stunned reply in the vision. This was quickly supplanted by visibly mounting rage as the fires that made up the future Sierus scorched more intensely. "You would snub a chance at perfection!? We are meant to be greater than the sum of our parts, Glacia! With our true power combined, wiping out every last pathetic scrap of life would be child's play!"
The frigid mega-colossus narrowed its eyes more. "GLACIA PLENTY STRONG. KILL AT OWN PACE. NO NEED WEAKLING SIERUS."
The living blaze couldn't believe its metaphorical ears. It had assumed that the hoarfrost half of Soleanna's moon god would be just as eager as it was to be one again. As it glanced away from its future self struggling to comprehend the audacity of the cold giant, the latter lowered its head. Not in sorrow or thought, but rather in concentration, as though it was fixing its attention on something.
"If you will not rejoin me willingly, then I shall have us fuse by force!" the other Sierus bellowed, seemingly not as aware as the present one when it came to what Glacia was doing, "I would have preferred to do this peacefully, my 'sister', but you have left me no other choice! Now, prepare yourself for our reuni–"
It didn't get to finish its proclamation before a beam seemingly composed of the auroras themselves was fired from the tip of the gargantuan beast's "snout". It struck the spot Sierus was standing on with a deafening boom, encasing the entire cliff side and several kilometers beyond it in black ice. The future version of itself had, fortunately, taken to the air prior to the attack making contact, though only just barely managing to avoid it. And yet, while nothing that it could see could actually hurt it, Sierus thrice felt the "pain" of one of its vessels being felled.
"How dare you!" the Sierus of the vision raged, streaking through the air towards the mountainous monster, "you would attempt to strike me down!? Do you truly not yearn to be as mighty and beautiful as we once were!?"
A billowing aura of snow exuded from Glacia, slowly solidifying into a wall of dizzying heights. "WEAKLING TALK TOO MUCH. DIE!"
The blizzard crashed down onto the smaller entity and the ebony landscape in a catastrophic cascade, covering all that was once dark in a fresh white blanket of powder. All was still, and it seemed that the future Sierus had been smothered. Glacia stood there, observing its handiwork and checking for any movement, eventually stomping away across the frozen sea. Once it disappeared, steam billowed from the countless tons of snow, a large patch of it collapsing as it rapidly melted. From the hole, the other Sierus feebly crawled out, its form now even more emaciated.
It didn't pursue Glacia, choosing to head in another direction that the present Sierus recognized. Like it had just done so in its own time, its counterpart trekked through the Lost Labyrinth, although much more slowly. It reached the chamber that once held the Mystic Orb, now barren without the artifact it was meant to hold. Upon the dais of the altar, its human-like visage fell apart into an amorphous mess, only its eyes keeping consistent with its shifting mass.
To the one watching, it was a pitiful sight, but not wholly unexpected. Glacia was the one that had inherited most of Lunaren's raw power, so even with its own might restored, Sierus knew it couldn't win through brute force. But its other self had been desperate, having been left with even less power, and no host like Witchcart to siphon energy from. No doubt being in such a low state had caused its mind to deteriorate as well.
"Our reunion is inevitable," it rambled, trying to cobble a coherent shape together, "if not in this era, then I will bring it about in the past!"
The candles around the shrine lit up with dark blue fire while Sierus itself increased its luminosity. Its figure became a vehement, burning cyclone that melted the ice and warped the cavern walls, the air itself crackling from the heat.
"Mortal desire always leads to disaster," the being claimed, "and so you will rue not finishing off the people of this world more quickly, Glacia! With the last vestiges of my power, I shall open a path for greedy fools to ensure my resurrection, and then we will be whole again, whether you want that or not!"
With that final declaration, the future Sierus exploded into a brilliant display of pyrotechnics, the blast so bright that the one observing it was momentarily blinded. When its vision cleared, it saw the final embers of its counterpart fading away, a different sort of Past Post standing where it had been. The base was magenta, while the sign's backboard was a deep blue, and the "PAST" text on it was an iridescent purple. And for the fourth time, it felt more of its strength ebb away.
'Seems I will have to use those three's energy after all,' it contemplated grimly, 'and perhaps the human as well.'
An unspecified amount of time later, and after a fifth instance of its essence fading, the old woman it had possessed made its way into the cavern. She activated the unnatural Past Post and opened a portal to the Time Warp without hesitation, and once she'd stepped through, the Post dissipated into black ashes.
Everything was once again engulfed in the light of the red Time Stone, and Sierus saw itself in Witchcart's body storming Little Planet. The three former minions of hers weren't present, but it had devastated the small world in much the same way without them. A familiar scene played out between it, the hyena, and the butterfly, with one notable difference being that this Sierus didn't immediately leave the Crystal Citadel. It used its combined might of the sorceress and its own abilities to alter the environment and cause Little Planet to move away from its position over Never Lake.
The perspective shifted to showcase the hyena and a few other Animals, as well as a Chao, fighting against the trio of ex-Witchcarters. It ultimately concluded with the spotted guardian throwing them through a gate in the Time Warp before the world changed yet again. Sierus saw its other self staring down the very man that it based its "human" appearance on, and long-held hatred began to burn within it. That tall and powerful stature, that jet black hair, those ocean blue eyes, and that deceptively unassuming style of dress.
"Someone let you out early, I see," the human quipped, completely relaxed without any sign of fear, "and you've made such a mess. I feel bad that those children are cleaning up after you in my place, but I can at least deal with you for them."
Much like the present one had been, the Sierus in the vision gradually grew weaker as it fought against the man. He didn't even bother trying to counterattack, but merely dodged and deflected whatever came his way, all the while wrapped in an emerald green glow. Even so, for the fiery entity, it was a losing battle. Before long, that Sierus was too enervated to put up much of a struggle, and the powerful fellow brought out a more miniature version of the Mystic Orb.
"Time for you to go back to sleep!" he proclaimed, the magenta energy of the Orb intertwining with the Chaos Energy in the hand that held it, "Chaos Detainment!"
And so, the entity was sealed once again, and by the same person that had done the deed the first time, no less. As with the first instance, the Orb was taken to the Lost Labyrinth, though it was left among the random ruins rather than the altar chamber that once hosted it. Centuries fast-forwarded, and the prison eventually broke, revealing a Sierus just as decrepit as the one that Glacia had soundly beaten. And just like that one, it used the last of its power to create a distorted Past Post, one that was soon used by the very Animals that had been banished by the hyena, as well as the silver hedgehog with them.
It saw the events that led to its freedom in this timeline, and once those had been shown, Sierus found itself back in the real present. Without a word, it tapped into the Time Stone and opened the way to the future, where the chamber was much like it had been in the vision prior to being charred.
'Which means it will not be long before those four arrive,' it mused, peering down at the mineral in its hand, 'my power may be waning, but with this Stone, I should easily be able to recreate that Time Post.'
And indeed, it didn't take much effort at all to do what it set out to do, though it still used a significant amount of energy to conjure. With that, it made itself scarce and returned to the present, satisfied that it had ensured its continued existence in this timeline. When it arrived, it took a moment to feel for the essence it left within Witchcart, the only one it hadn't sent to the past. The bond pointed it east, far out beyond the coast attached to Splash Hill.
Exiting from the Labyrinth, it discovered that night was falling, meaning that more time had passed while it was entranced than it had initially believed. If it didn't hurry, then it could potentially be reduced to the state it was in after just being released.
But, Sierus supposed that it wasn't completely bad. After all, it had effectively created a loop through which it could enact its plan again and again as many times as it took. It still had those four recent additions as contingency, too, and if that hyena was gathering the other gems, that would make it easier to grab them for itself. So long as Sierus possessed at least one of them, then the spotted guardian couldn't permanently undo the changes the artificial entity had brought about. All it had to do was play its cards right, and its initial plan would come to fruition, even if it needed to do it all again...
Given what he'd been through on Angel Island, Gadget wasn't too surprised when everything suddenly faded to white. And when it all came back into focus, he was glad to see that the girls had been telling the truth about changes made across time. What did startle him was the presence of a portal opening in front of him, Cream, and Cheese, as well as a loud boom coming from behind them. Gizmo, Amy, and Remi emerged from the latter tear in space-time, while a tall and imposing spotted hyena came out of the former gate. Even though wolves weren't exactly small among Animals, hyenas were, depending on the species, anywhere from slightly smaller to notably bigger. Case in point, the other male had more than half a head on him in height, and a fair amount of additional bulk.
Less than a minute after the tattooed warrior showed up, a silvery gray hedgehog with golden yellow eyes stepped through the opening to the Time Warp. A few seconds later, Miles popped out of the passage as well, and the tunnel closed behind him before anyone else could jump into the picture. He saw his adoptive siblings glancing at both of his companions, and the girls sizing up Silver. Now that everyone was here, it seemed that introductions were in order.
Or at least, they would have been if the fox hadn't spotted an injured Amy out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh no! What happened?" Miles asked as he sped over to the hedgehog lying prone on the Gear.
Gizmo bowed her head a bit guiltily. "The spawn we fought gave her a nasty kick to the abs. We could've avoided it if I'd paid more attention."
"It's okay, Giselle," the younger girl assured her, "I knew I might get hurt. And we got the bad guy, didn't we?"
The teal wolf smiled and nodded, then stepped back to let Miles do his thing. A little over a minute later, after a healthy application of Chaos Energy, Amy was back on her feet, though still a bit winded from the long day. Silver and Khal had stood off to the side during the commotion, just quietly waiting on the others. Once he was certain that the youngest among them was okay, Miles brought the group's attention back to the two that had returned with him.
"Everyone, this is Silver the Hedgehog," he announced as he gestured to the aforementioned Animal. He did the same for the hyena on the other side of him, nodding his head at the two wolves and Remi. "And this is Khaldun, for those who haven't been acquainted."
Khal went up to both of the young adult lupines, holding out a hand to each of them. "Nice to meet you."
"And you, too," Gadget responded, giving the offered paw a firm grip and shake.
"Charmed," Gizmo said simply as she copied her brother.
Remi bowed its head and let out a tinny chirp, getting a few pats from Khal in return. Silver, meanwhile, was feeling a little overwhelmed at meeting so many new faces. It was also just a teeny bit embarrassing that aside from the other hedgehog and the two non-Animals, he was the shortest person present.
"So, you're the future hedgehog?" Amy wondered aloud, leaning in on the hoverboard as she sized him up. After a moment, she shrugged. "Not bad, I guess."
Silver blinked and tilted his head. "What?"
"Please excuse Amy," Cream said on behalf of the younger girl before stepping forward and bowing to him, "my name is Cream the Rabbit." She motioned for her Chao to exercise its etiquette, which it did eagerly. "And this is my friend, Cheese."
The older hedgehog slowly bent himself at a 30-degree angle in an awkward attempt to return the greeting. Fortunately, they seemed pleased with his gesture, and after that, he introduced himself to the wolf twins much like Khal did.
Now that everyone was acquainted, the party of seven Animals and two companions took stock of the situation. Five of the seven Time Stones were in their possession, and five of the seven Zones on Little Planet had been returned to normal. With that number in mind, it brought up another question that Miles had been meaning to address with the spotted guardian.
"Khal, you mentioned that it was supposed to be 'just the five of us' back in Quartz Quadrant," he reminded the hyena, already beginning to walk in anticipation of it being suggested, "what did you mean by that?"
Khal shifted into his quadrupedal state to keep up the pace, drawing momentary looks of shock from the wolf twins and a beep of curiosity from Remi. Once they saw that everyone else was pretty nonplussed by the sight, they quickly reined in their reactions. They'd probably get an explanation at some point.
"I admit that I may have misinterpreted what Shai told me," Khal said to the fox, though the way he spoke made it sound more like he directed it at everyone, "it prophesied that 'five Animals will arrive to aid Little Planet'." He let out a contemplative hum. "I assumed this to be myself, you, Cream, Cheese, and Amy, but after some consideration, that may not be the case." He bobbed his head at Silver and himself. "He was forcefully sent here, while I was here before everything went down. Also, Chao aren't technically Animals, so I feel silly for initially considering that; no offense, little one." He smiled when Cheese waved it off and chirped nonchalantly. "Anyway, by process of elimination, the 'five Animals' would be you, the girls, and your siblings."
When it was laid out like that, Miles supposed that he could see where the guardian was coming from. That was one of the problems he had with prophecies, aside from generally not believing in them. They could be interpreted in many ways, so one particular view or reading didn't necessarily set things in stone. The ancient echidnas had believed him to be the one who would bring the end to Angel Island, after all, and they'd turned out to be wrong.
"It had also predicted the three fools from before coming in to cause problems," the hyena continued with a bit of a frown, "I wonder if it also foresaw what would happen after we confronted them?"
No one knew the answer to that, so they just let the topic drop there. Along the way to the next Zone, the two younger females and Gadget returned the Miles Electric to the fox, then spent much of the time chatting up Silver, asking about him and his world. Meanwhile, Remi had taken its place on Miles' back just like old times, while Gizmo walked beside him, eager to share the details about the things she and her twin brother had crafted.
"So, do you remember how the Kukkus were able to make Chaos Drives?" she quizzed him.
Miles tilted his head curiously. "Yeah? They produced ones via a drained Chaos Emerald, which they used with my artificial doppelganger. Not exactly stellar quality."
"True, but there was nothing wrong with the process itself," Gizmo explained as she drew out her escrima sticks, "thanks to Gad's data-mining back on the Battle Fortress, and some pirating on my part aboard the Battle Moon, we were able to replicate it ourselves!"
She twisted the bottom of her weapons and opened up the ends of them. Out popped a pair of thin, see-through cylinders that contained colorful crystals, one red and one green, which the teen fox recognized right away. Unlike the ones that Fukurokov had made, these had a more impressive luster, and Miles could feel a greater amount of Chaos Energy emanating from them.
"A Power Drive and a Speed Drive," he noted, stroking his chin as he glanced up at his sister, "were they part of the project you were going to work on when I left yesterday?"
Gizmo laughed and put the shards back into her sticks. "Yeah, I was almost finished; I just needed your Emerald to create the Chaos Drives. Much as I like my sidearm and my wrist grappler, they're not good for close quarters, and so I whipped up these custom escrima. Normally, the Drives would only be powering the weapons, but a few adjustments allow me to make use of them more directly. Whenever I need a boost to strength or agility, I can just activate whichever stick as needed."
The fox nodded and smiled. It was a pretty simple concept, but one that could prove effective. Weapons like that would be potentially useful for his friends and other people that have little to no experience with Chaos Energy.
"Can you use both at once?" Miles inquired.
"I can, but it's a bit of a double-edged sword." She flexed her arms a bit for him. "I would get a boost to both agility and strength." She then pretended to be exhausted. "But my stamina would drain faster. It's like when you use your Emerald, albeit probably not to the same extent."
So utilizing the two in tandem was more meant to be something of a last resort. While the fox hoped it didn't come to that, he had a feeling that they'd need to bring everything to bear in the coming battles.
Between their animated conversations, it felt like no time passed at all when they arrived at the limits of the Stardust Speedway. Just as many of them had seen from afar, it no longer had the gilded sheen that lit up the land beneath the sparsely starry night sky. Some of the buildings were still bright, but it was no doubt due to systems put in place, as the city looked to have been abandoned many years ago. With the evening now upon them, it seemed all the more desolate with how dark the rest of the metropolis was.
"Miles, check your Radar," Khal told him, letting out a low growl as he returned to his upright form, "I feel the Stone you picked up earlier, but also more than one anomaly."
The teen pulled up the function on the Miles Electric, and sure enough, he saw what the hyena was talking about.
"The Time Stone is still in the present," he confirmed, "and there are three signatures in the past moving around every so often, but they're sticking together for the most part."
Silver clenched his fists. "Do you think it's those guys?"
"If it is, then they're gonna get what's coming!" Amy exclaimed as she tapped the head of the Pikkon Hammer angrily against her free palm.
For Miles, the reality of that was beginning to weigh down on him. If the Witchcarters truly had been converted into more of Sierus' spawn, then knocking them unconscious wouldn't be enough. In order to restore this Zone's future, they would have to be put down for real, the thing Khal had wanted to do from the beginning. Could he bring himself to follow through with what he'd adamantly refused to do up until this point?
"Well, if we're deliberating on what to do first," Gadget proposed, "then I say we take care of the threats."
"Seconded," Gizmo chimed in, "with them out of the way, going after the Time Stone would be less troublesome."
The oldest among them hummed and bobbed his head. "I'm in agreement there, and with our numbers pooled together, it shouldn't be too difficult to take care of them."
Cream stayed quiet, drawing a sound of curiosity from Cheese, which made Miles regard her in turn. He had a fair assumption of what was going through her head. But before he could say anything to help encourage her, she smiled and turned to him first.
"Don't worry, I'm ready to fight," she promised him, though her cheerful face soon gave way to anxiety, "but, if we really have to...you know, then please don't make me. I know they're terrible Animals, if it is them, but I still couldn't bring myself to do that."
The fox nodded in understanding. "I'd never force you to do anything like that." He leaned in and gave her a hug around the shoulders. "And thanks, Cream. I appreciate you, Cheese, and Amy for sticking with me through everything that's happened."
His ears folded back and his own smile grew when he felt her return the embrace, tightening his hold just a little more in response. He flinched a little bit at the "aww" that came in stereo from his siblings, but aside from that and some devious snickers, they didn't go any further. Even so, Miles quickly let go and cleared his throat, getting a laugh from most of the group.
Silver couldn't help feeling a little nostalgic at the way he saw the fox interact with his friends and family. It reminded him of when the folks he knew were still around, and the little fun that they'd had from time to time. Would he ever get to see them again once he set things right? Would they even be the same sort of people if they never had to endure the hardships of the frozen world? Would he be like how he is now, or would he cease to exist in place of a different, potentially happier Silver? He didn't really want to think about the latter possibility.
"Is everyone ready?" Khal asked the party. They all answered in the affirmative, prompting him to fetch the green Stone. "Then let's go!"
He opened a gate to the Time Warp and allowed everyone else to proceed through first, sealing the way behind him once he joined up with them. Aside from the hyena, they each took a moment to appreciate the Roman style architecture and the lush pathways wrapped in vines and other plant matter. Even though the lights came from more primitive sources, everything was more lit up here than in the present. With the reflections coming off of the river, it showed them what appeared to be an expedient way through the city. And further off in the east, they could see the towering form of the Crystal Citadel, its surface gleaming from the moonlight.
"So the city evolved over time," Gadget observed once they began walking again, "must have been quite the effort to convert all the architecture."
Miles perked his ears and glanced over at Khal. "That's another thing I've been wondering about. Are there other people here besides you?"
"Yes, just not now," the hyena answered curtly. Upon getting blank stares in return, he shrugged and made a rolling motion with one hand. "I'll explain later."
He focused instead on keeping the group on the top path, as that seemed to be the most expedient. At the crest of one hill, everyone detoured onto a pathway that rose where theirs had begun to fall. Those that couldn't fly or hover had to contend with a few pitfalls along an otherwise flat stretch. This led to a sudden and steep decline that prompted most of them to Roll up and coast along the surface, up until a red spring stood in their way.
Everyone that was curled up reacted differently, while Amy and Cheese simply floated over. Miles flew high to land onto the uppermost road, while the twins hopped over the obstacle and landed on a second red spring further below. Luckily, that had vaulted them into a tunnel and brought them out to where the fox was. Khal timed it so that he hit the first spring and landed on a ledge close to Miles, while Cream skidded to a stop and then used her ears to reunite with the rest.
From there, they slipped through a gap in the path where it went vertical, building up speed to surmount the next hill in their path. A couple of crests and dips sent them through a loop, and after clearing a few gaps, arrived at a pair of crossing paths that reminded Miles of the Chemical Plant Complex. Past that, there was one last downward turn before the road flattened out for a considerable distance.
At the end of it, they could see a network of even more twisted roads leading through the city, several of which wound around a dark red and green cathedral with many tall steeples. It was especially eye-catching due to the fact that its architecture was starkly different from the other buildings around town. And it was there at the base of its foundation that the group saw three figures they couldn't quite make out. What they could see, however, was that the trio were zipping around, blasting and smashing all else around the immense monument. A number of other buildings and decorative structures had already been felled, leaving a path of destruction that led right to them.
"We've got to stop them fast!" Miles declared, tapping at his multitool, "the Time Stone in the present is in the area of that monument, so we can't let them find a Future Post!"
Khal scanned over the available pathways and soon pointed to one below them. "That'll deliver us straight to the base of the cathedral. Not quite as direct as the trail they left, but we won't have to deal with any ruined roads."
It sounded like a plan, and so they let him lead the way. The group jumped down to where the hyena directed them, Rolling along two major dips in the route and riding through a rose-studded loop. Beyond a yellow spring and quarter-pipe curve, the way forward bent down into a second loop, then a third, guiding the group beneath all the other roads that wound up in this area. It was a fairly straightforward run from there to the cathedral, and they reached the foundation of it before long.
There, on top of the edge of the base's lower wall, sat the three Witchcarters. Miles wasn't surprised to see them alive, but he'd been hoping they wouldn't have ended up like this. It was apparent that Sierus had changed them and made them into its puppets, given their new appearance. Now that they were directly tied to the fate of this Zone, and potentially the artificial deity's power, there was only one option left for dealing with them.
In preparation for that moment, he let Remi off his back, the pack morphing into its Critter state. It took up a position on his right, gazing up at the three animals and letting out a steely growl, its eyes lighting up a little. It seemed that even in a new body, the data the droid had gathered through its incarnations let it remember those hoodlums.
"Huh, Carrotia was right," Bearenger told his two companions, scowling down at the large group, "the brat's here, along with even more annoying friends of his."
The even more crazed Focke-Wulf chuckled and leered over the small crowd, eyeing up the teal twin in particular. "I'd say some look like they're too good for him." He let out a snicker at her look of disgust, then hummed as he spotted a certain hedgehog. "We-he-hell, look who it is! Glad to see you're still around and kicking, Silver boy."
The spiny psychic pointed at the blue wolf and fixed a glare on him. "You used me! I thought you guys were decent, but now I know what you're about!"
"Aww, looks like the foxy tattled on us," Carrotia pouted, seeming a bit sad that Silver no longer trusted them. After a couple seconds, she shrugged and beamed a bit. "Oh well, at least now we get to have some real fun."
Miles felt his fur puffing up along with his anger. They really thought this was just another game?
"I thought you three hated working under anyone," he mentioned, alluding to their previous arrangement with Witchcart, "so why would you throw your lot in with Sierus? Don't you know what will happen if it gets its way?"
The Witchcarters all glanced at one another for a moment, then started laughing uproariously. Well, except for the grizzly, who simply rumbled with amusement as he flashed a toothy smile at the group.
"Of course we know, you damn kit!" Focke-Wulf sneered, "but why should we care? The world's screwed either way, so we're gonna raise hell until Judgment Day!"
Khal shook his head. "The future is never set in stone. So long as we breathe, we still have a chance to change it for the better."
"Don't you lecture us, you spotted twat!" Bearenger snarled as he took up a stance, "you don't know how strong we are now thanks to our new powers! You wimps don't stand a chance!"
Amy thumped the tip of the Pikkon Hammer against the ground, her free hand shaking at the bear. "You're the ones that don't stand a chance!"
Cream and Cheese both stood beside her, each of them raising their fists. "With all of us working together, we'll beat you and save this Zone!"
"Chao!"
Carrotia giggled and stuck out her tongue tauntingly. "Even if you somehow manage that, it doesn't matter. Against Master Sierus, you can't do anything, so don't even try!"
"Nonsense," Gadget rebuked as he pounded his gloves together, "there's no such thing as an unbeatable opponent!"
"Yeah, you overestimate yourselves!" Gizmo proclaimed, "once we wipe the floor with you lot, we'll show your keeper what for!"
Seeing that the gang in front of them refused to back down, both Focke-Wulf and Carrotia put their dukes up along with the ever aggressive Bearenger. Of the three, only the lapine jumped down to meet them, while the other two fell back along the second lowest path that led away from the cathedral. Seeking to keep them from potentially nabbing the Time Stone in the present, Miles went off after the pair, joined by Gizmo, Cream, Cheese, Amy, and Silver. Both the bear and the wolf slammed into a Future Post that was nestled up on a platform, and before the others could catch up, they disappeared through the Time Warp back to the present.
Luckily, another Post wasn't too far away, merely requiring the group to hop onto a different track and scale a couple hills. It turned out that, once they arrived in the present themselves, Bearenger had elected to wait for them, while Focke-Wulf had gone off elsewhere. A cursory check showed that he hadn't gone back in the other direction, so it was a safe bet that he'd run off to the future, probably to split up their forces.
"I can take all you chumps at once!" he boasted, magenta energy wrapping around his fists as he went in for a punch, "now bring it!"
The she-wolf among them dug out a small metal ball from her belt and slid her goggles down over her eyes. "Not interested, tubby."
"I don't care if you're not interested, tomboy!" the grizzly growled, winding his arm back and squarely focusing on her, "and this isn't fat! This is all pure musc–"
He was shut up as the orb smacked him in the face with a bonk, then exploded in brilliant flash and loud bang. The ursine yelled in aggravation, the energy in his hands dissipating as he flailed between rubbing his eyes and holding his ears. Miles had turned around and covered his own sensitive organs beforehand, and the others had caught on quickly enough to save themselves from being affected like the bear.
"I'm going after that other wolf," Gizmo told them, "does anyone else want to come?"
Silver floated forward. "He's the one who used me, more than the other two. I still need to pay him back for that!"
"I'll stay here, then," Miles answered, taking up a stance in front of the bear, "you guys should be more than capable of handling Focke-Wulf."
Amy took up the place to Gizmo's left, tapping the Pikkon Hammer's head against her other hand. "Well, I'm going with them. I'm still mad about that creep coming after us and beating up on me and Cream! And all the other bad stuff they've done, too, of course!"
"We're with you, Miles!" Cream vowed, with Cheese chirping in agreement as the pair went to his side, "we won't let Bearenger hurt anyone else!"
Their battles decided, the she-wolf and the hedgehogs headed off to search for a second Time Post, while the other three stayed behind. The battle for Stardust Speedway would span across past, present, and future.
Gadget, Khal, and Remi had elected to contend with Carrotia, who was rather amused at the turn-out.
"Two big guys and a little toy to play with," she giggled deviously, resting her chin on one fist, "this should be a lot of fun."
The hyena summoned his khopesh and laid the blunt side of it back against his shoulder, looking over at the others. "Are you ready to do everything in your power to protect what you love?"
"Of course!" the red wolf replied resolutely, giving the robot next to him a firm pat on the head, "and it's time for you to really stretch your legs, Remi! Assume combat transformation, Speed Type!"
The droid's eyes lit up and it swiftly began changing shape to fulfill its directive. Its muzzle elongated to be less cartoony and more angular with the shape of its eyes narrowing to help fit the mold, sharp fangs sprouting from its inner jaws. Some of its bulk in the main chassis was seemingly redistributed to its upper legs, shoulders, and hips, while prominent steel claws emerged from its paws. Its two thin tails fused into its backside and grew out into a thicker, almost reptilian one, and the blue orbs at their tips were slotted into sockets by its hindquarters. The back of its shoulders opened up to reveal exhaust ports built into them, and a small turret much like the one its heliplane form sported popped out from its back. Lastly, its eyes changed from their usual blue to emerald green, glowing in much the same manner as Gizmo's Speed Drive escrima.
"Aww, your pet's really neat, red wolfy," Carrotia complimented him, "here's a little treat from me."
She pressed one hand to her lips and noisily smooched it, then moved it so its palm faced up and blew into it. A magenta heart-shaped bit of energy flew Gadget's way, which the lupine observed with great curiosity. He was snapped out of his inquisitive daze by Remi barking and rushing forward to tackle him out of the way. It was a good thing, too, as when the projectile struck the space he'd been standing in, it burst apart in a rather impressive explosion, easily comparable to one of Miles' more powerful bombs.
While she admired her work, Khal moved in from the side and made to end the fight with one clean slash aimed at the rabbit's neck. Despite seeming lost in her own world, she deftly avoided the strike by pivoting back, attempting counter by thrusting one hand forward and launching a different energy attack. The hyena dodged a fiery, carrot-shaped blast, which went veering off into the side of the cathedral's foundation and knocked some bricks loose with the resulting burst. It wasn't anywhere close to bringing the place down, but the guardian didn't want any further harm to come to the monument if he could help it. Anywhere else, though, was relatively fair game.
Again, he went in for a killing blow, only for Carrotia to maneuver out of the way once again. As she put distance between herself and the hyena, Gadget used his grappler to vault up the nearby wall partway. He flipped forward and bounced off the brickwork with his feet, going into a Roll on the way down. The rabbit hopped over this attack as well, but the moment she landed, another sphere skidded her way and slammed into her side, knocking her to the ground. It unfurled itself to reveal Remi, which aimed its turret her way and opened fire. She sprang to her feet, cartwheeling out of the way of the shots and heading for the road that her companions had taken away from this part of the city. The two guys and the robot fox chased after Carrotia, following her through a loop and across a gap to a quarter-pipe rise, where they passed a Future Post that had been used recently. She used her enhanced speed to keep ahead of them, leaping up to a higher ledge and Rolling through a tunnel onto a long and flat road.
Here, she believed there would be less room for them to try anything tricky, and that it would be better for her to show off her abilities. She giggled and let a magenta aura cloak her body, which began levitating above the ground much like Silver did with his psychokinesis. With both hands raised, she let loose more of those carrot-shaped energy blasts, blowing holes in the pathway and trying to snipe her pursuers. Khal cleared the pitfalls and sliced any errant projectiles that headed his way, while Remi zipped around them and returned fire with its cannon. Gadget reached for his backpack and clicked a button that blended in with the fabric surrounding it, the sides and bottom of it opening to reveal a small set of wings and the thruster of a certain ace's old jet pack.
After several seconds of breakneck chasing, the terrain began to vary a bit more, dipping down and immediately curling up into a loop just after the decline. Remi leapt clear over the top of the structure in an attempt to pounce on her, making her duck low and then hurdle over to elude it. Gadget tried to grapple her from above, but with how agile the bunny was, he couldn't get a bead on her. Seeking to cut off her escape, Khal dismissed his weapon and whipped out the blue Stone, which shined brightly in his grasp as he called upon its power.
"Loome!" he shouted, bringing his other, now free fist down on the path.
Temporal Energy snaked through the road like veins, causing the green to quickly turn brown, while the metal parts reddened and rusted over. It rotted and aged so rapidly, that it soon caught up and collapsed beneath Carrotia's feet when she finally needed to land. This wasn't enough to throw her off her game, though, and with her powerful legs, she was able to jump back up to safety. Khal had been counting on that, however, and watched as Remi used a Spin Dash to vault off a hill and intercept her. She cried out as the first attack to actually hit her managed to knock her down, causing her to bump and skid across the route for a good few seconds.
Sierus' influence had granted her greater endurance, though, and so she was back on her feet in a flash. She unleashed another barrage of energy attacks at the three, focusing them on the wolf above. While he was harried by the blasts as they homed in on him, the rabbit went for the vulpine robot next, rushing it and going into a Rolling Attack. Remi countered with its own use of the technique, the two spheres bouncing off of each other before the amber one uncurled and activated its shoulder ports. Even with her increased speed, Carrotia was unable to avoid the fox droid as it zoomed forward and rammed her with a faster and more powerful Roll.
She was sent sprawling once more, managing to barely avoid a stab from the hyena during her recovery. Not only that, but she was given quite a fright when Gadget touched down and almost impaled her with the extendable cleats on his boots. While she succeeded in preventing her face from getting stomped, she cried out as Gadget dragged his heel across the ground to give her a good, hard kick. She flew through the air from the hit, going on for a few meters before she jerked her body and landed on all fours. As she got back upright, Remi peppered the ground around her feet with its turret, forcing her on the run to avoid being ganged up on by the two guys.
She grew frustrated at the fact that her "playmates" weren't acting very heroic. They hit her when she's down, they were willing to break parts of the environment to get to her, and they were even trying to kill her, or at least one of them was! The spacey glee on her face gave way to creased brows and narrowed eyes, as well as a frown so deep that the grinding of her teeth could be heard.
"You guys are a bunch of mean beans!" she snapped at them, her eyes glowing brighter, "I just wanna have fun, but you only wanna win!"
Khal rolled his eyes at the griping. "That's because we have far more to lose than you. We're fighting for something other than ourselves, while you and your fellows fight for nothing but yourselves!"
"What's wrong with being a little selfish!?" she spat, her aura flaring up along with her heightened fury.
She sent more blasts their way, not caring to aim anywhere in particular. They would track those three anyway, and at least give her enough time to get away, find a Future Post, and join up with Focke-Wulf and Bearenger. That hope was dashed when she felt a cable wrap around one of her ankles and yank her so that she fell on her front.
"Nothing, inherently," Gadget answered her. He withdrew his wire and freed her foot, fixing her with a contemptuous glare. "But when self-serving behavior brings needless harm, whether to yourself or others, that's when it becomes wrong."
Carrotia took him for a fool and hurled a blast at him, which appeared to hit Gadget dead on and engulf him in a blazing detonation. She giggled girlishly at first, then descended into more unhinged laughter befitting her blue-furred partner. That was, until she noticed that Khal didn't appear the least bit concerned, nor did the robot. The smoke and fire dissipated soon enough, revealing that the vermilion wolf had his hands in his shorts' pockets, while a smoldering spherical barrier flickered around him.
"Normally, I'd try and look for another way, like Miles would," he finished, tilting his muzzle down to look at her over the rim of his shades, "but even he seems to understand that there's only one option here."
So, this was really the end? Even after all the power Sierus had granted her, it had barely done anything more than slowed these do-gooders down? They might not have hurt her much, but the way things were going, she was discouraged. If only she had run away when Focke-Wulf was brought under Witchcart's control, she might have been spared this fate.
"I didn't want this," she mumbled, trying to garner any last scraps of sympathy, "I just wanted to have fun with Wulfy and Bear-Bear...not this."
While programmed to process and express emotion, Remi merely growled in response. Gadget turned his head and folded his arms, a small device in one hand with the image of a flame on it; no doubt what he'd used to nullify her attack. As for Khal, he brought out his Khopesh and centered his gray eyes on her.
"Too late for regrets," he told her coolly, holding the Stone in his other hand out in front of him, "but I'll at least make it quick. Hrosh."
The already dark atmosphere became even gloomier, with it all wrapped in gray scale due to Khal's slowing of time. Without any hesitation, he sprinted forward with his blade poised behind his head. With one swift and precise motion, it passed through the base of her neck with the most minimal resistance, though it would be so fast for her, she wouldn't even feel it.
Color returned to the hyena's surroundings as he willed the flow of time back to normal, letting out a soft puff from his nose at the rabbit's visage of confusion. He pocketed the Stone and let his khopesh fade from view as he turned around and walked back to the wolf and the robot. His scarred ears twitched at the soft thump that came a few seconds later, followed by a heavier one, and finally the crackle and quiet whine of fire consuming its "kindling".
"Well, that's done with," Gadget said quietly, doing his best to avert his eyes from what was left of Carrotia. He regarded the taller male, then turned his head back in the direction of the cathedral. "What now? Should we go after the Time Stone that Miles mentioned?"
Khal nodded and continued past him. "Yes, let's do that. And after we secure it, we'll go meet up with the others and lend them a hand, if they still need it."
That sounded like a good plan to the wolf. As he went back with the hyena and Remi, though, he couldn't help but wonder one thing.
"Why didn't you use that time-slowing power earlier?" Gadget asked him, "you could've ended the fight before it even began."
Khal smirked lightly. "I wanted to give you and the robot a chance to contribute; see what you two could do."
"And your honest opinion?"
"Not bad, but I need to see more to know for sure." He glanced back at the wolf. "You've come a long way since your first fight against the former Kukku prince, though."
Gadget was about to ask how he could know that, but then he remembered the girls mentioning how he had some ability to look into their lives. Oh well, he'd at least take the compliment for now. Hopefully, he and Remi would soon get a better chance to show what they were made of.
Focke-Wulf could barely contain his delight when the Time Warp opened up again a fair ways behind him. Out of it, he spotted three figures that made his blood lust boil, as well as certain other things. There was the hedgehog he'd first seen with Spots, which he missed the chance to eviscerate when they fought previously. He'd soon rectify that, as well as take back his Extreme Gear. Then there was the other hedgehog, who'd helped him back to the present. Kind of a shame he had to die, but that's what he gets for turning against them and joining the fox. And lastly, that newcomer she-wolf...he couldn't deny that she was a lovely specimen, and a part of him hoped she was as feisty as she was fine.
As for their battlefield, it was the natural conclusion to Sierus' influence and the Witchcarters' handiwork. The already worn pathways had rusted over and fallen into further disrepair, the musical reliefs broken and crumbling. Many of the buildings had been reduced to their steel skeletons, and the night sky was covered with ominous black-purple clouds. In place of the cathedral of the past and the manor in the present, there was a young and active volcano spewing ashes into the air and leaking lava down its slopes. It left a gloomy gray blanket over the remnants of the city, which was cast in an orange glow from the pyroclastic activity.
The blue wolf couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of pride at having contributed to bringing this sort of hellscape about. He was sure, though, that he'd be feeling even better once he took care of these three.
"Focke-Wulf!" Silver yelled at him, his PK aura growing more vivid with his emotions, "I'm gonna make you answer for what you've done!"
The crazed lupine gave him a mock expression of shock. "Me? Why, I just convinced you to give us a lift back home. As I recall, you were the one who broke the Mystic Orb and freed Sierus from its prison!"
Both Amy and Gizmo were skeptical of that claim, but when they saw the guilt in Silver's eyes, they grew more uncertain. That insane weirdo couldn't be telling the truth, could he?
"I only did that to stop Witchcart from using its power and to help you guys!" the older hedgehog argued, his fists clenched tightly. He shook his head to clear away the bad feelings, then pointed at the tainted wolf. "But now, I know that was a mistake, and I'm going to fix it!"
Whatever doubt the girl and the young woman had for their new companion was brushed away by that statement. Silver wasn't trying to justify what he did. He knew he messed up, and even bigger was his willingness to make things right. If Miles and Khal trusted him to be part of their effort, then they would have faith in him too.
"Whatever," Focke-Wulf chuckled and shrugged, "didn't we already tell you guys that it's useless? Even if you beat us, Sierus will just incinerate you and leave nothing left, not even ashes!"
Amy pumped a fist as she raised the Hammer. "No, I believe we can win! As long as we have hope, we'll find a way!"
"Why bother?" the villain asked mockingly, "it's easier to just give up and go wild! Hope and sanity are overrated anyway!"
Gizmo scoffed. "Then I guess that means that aside from your life, you've truly nothing left to lose."
"Pretty much." He tilted his head so far, it seemed like he'd snap his neck. "What's your point?"
The she-wolf grinned tauntingly at him. "That the only hopeless thing I see is the giggling, sorry excuse for my species standing in front of me."
"Ooh, you're a right bitch, aren't you?" the other canid cackled, his eyes glistening more strongly as his own grin split wider.
"That's alpha bitch to you, you rabid fleabag." Gizmo brought out her escrima sticks and flourished them. "Touch me and I'll break your face!"
That was the tipping point for Focke-Wulf, and he gave in to his yearning for battle. He raised his arms up and summoned six magenta energy balls, subsequently flinging them at the other two while he dashed at the teal wolf. While Amy dodged those aimed at her, Silver tried to pluck his three out of the air, but found that his PK wouldn't take hold. Gizmo activated her Speed Escrima and dodged a slash of the other wolf's claws, countering with a kick that sent him stumbling back. He yelped from the Chaos-powered hit, leaving him open for a bonk on the head from the Pikkon Hammer, courtesy of Amy.
Much as that gave him a headache, he powered through it, grabbing the weapon by the upper handle while the girl still held onto it and throwing them into the she-wolf. Gizmo reacted quickly enough to catch the hedgehog, thankful her bustier protected her from those spines. Silver reached out with his PK to try and halt Focke-Wulf as he went for the Gear, but while he did stop and glow cyan for a moment, his magenta aura soon returned along with his freedom of movement.
"Sorry, Silver boy," he laughed teasingly as he reclaimed his hoverboard, "but spawn like us have a bit more of Sierus' power. Unlike the fodder, we're resistant to your mind grabbing!"
The teen hedgehog frowned for a moment, attempting to reach out and grab the manic wolf's ride from under him. Focke-Wulf sped away too fast for him to get the chance, rounding about the group and ramming into the teen from behind. He turned a tumble into a Roll before he could take a spill, then Jumped up and whipped around to unleash a pair of Psycho Cutters in an X-shaped slash. Focke-Wulf whipped over it and closed in on Silver, but a handful of shots from Gizmo's pistol forced him to evade. The psychic seized the she-wolf's energy bullets and redirected them at the fleeing felon, who answered with his own volley of shots and scattered them in random directions.
The hail of blasts blew apart chunks of the road, with entire sections of it dropping to the craggy streets below after taking so much punishment. Gizmo ran with Amy hanging on tightly, leaping to and from pieces of the pathway as Silver held them up for her and simultaneously chased after Focke-Wulf with his levitation. Several times, he would stop and pull an 180-degree turn, straddling his Gear like a horse and hanging on with his legs while he went into a spin with claws extended. Gizmo dodged most of them, but her luck ran out when he managed to leave her with a fresh gash despite the armor she sported. The she-wolf faltered and fell towards the ruins, saved by cyan light wrapping around her and her passenger.
Silver eased her back up onto the route and flung debris to keep their foe off of them, although much of it was blown to bits by the wolf's continuous assault. They eventually came to a point where there was an extensive upper deck above a series of quarter-pipes and sharp spikes of broken metal. Risking the lower option, the trio coaxed their enemy into taking the higher path, though it did little to keep him from adding to the carnage. Not only did they have to mind their footing, but the rusty rain from above threatened them as well, with Focke-Wulf's grating laughter coming through the clattering.
As expected, he met them at the end of the sort-of tunnel, going for another aileron roll and slash. Gizmo threw Amy over to Silver and then chucked a flash bang at the other wolf, which went off just as he got close. He veered into one of the supports for the deck and took a bit of a spill off his ride, giving the others the chance to make a getaway. With considerable effort, Silver dragged the whole top half of the structure down and smothered Focke-Wulf, panting a bit at the exertion.
For a moment, it seemed like they'd done it, until an eruption of debris showed that the maniac was still in one piece, although more than a little injured. Focke-Wulf let out a horrid mixture of a howl and a roar as his whole body was engulfed in black-blue flames, granting him a hellish appearance. The shine of his eyes was like a star unto themselves, burning with ferocity and malice as he chuckled darkly.
"It's been fun, but I'm starting to get a little mad now," he said in a creepily sing-song voice, made all the worse by the new cadence it held, "first, the alpha bitch, then the little brat, and then you, Silver boy! I'll tear you all apart and gnaw on your bones!"
Gizmo switched to her Power Escrima as she prepared for close combat, while Amy readied the Pikkon Hammer, and Silver took to the air once again. But before any of them could make a move, everything in sight was consumed in a bright flash of white light, which surprised the two wolves, but not the hedgehogs.
It cleared up to reveal a wholly different place than the one they'd just been in. The sprawling city had become more of a relaxed night time carnival, with various brightly colored rides and lights. There were even looping and curving roller coaster tracks, which were more decidedly more impressive than the ones in White Park. On the horizon below many multi-colored stars were a few illuminated buildings, some isolated lights between them and the numerous attractions. The pathways were now bright purple, and vertical girders had been put up across the entire infrastructure to support all the roads. All the routes were made up of structural bars, with some surfaces featuring thin strips of red and orange decals. The dilapidated manor was now an immense purple mansion with green lights emanating from tall windows, reminiscent of a few capitol buildings throughout the world. Even the tunnel that had collapsed was whole again, and in even better shape than before.
"What? What happened?" Focke-Wulf uttered in bewilderment, unable to laugh for once.
Amy cheered and stuck out her tongue at him. "Our friends changed the past, dummy!"
"Which means the rabbit who stayed behind to fight them is a goner," Gizmo added, twirling her weapon threateningly, "and they're probably waiting on us, so let's get this over with, you tick-toting wanker!"
The expression on the blue wolf's face went from confusion to rage. At least one of his partners was dead, and with her loss, their efforts to ruin the Zone had been undone. Even if he managed to get away, Sierus would be furious, and most likely just end up reducing him to atoms. He was screwed either way, and if there was one thing Focke-Wulf did not find at all fun, it was being cornered into a catch-22.
"That's not funny," he growled, advancing on the lot of them as he raised his claws and bared his fangs, "that's not funny at all." A smile briefly graced his face, but it fell back to a vehement glower just as quickly, his eyes and their lids visibly twitching. "No one gets to slaughter my teammates but me! We all agreed that if things went belly-up and there was no way out, we'd end each other! You took that from me!"
Silver cringed with revulsion. "You're even more messed up than Miles made you out to be!"
"I'll show you messed up, right after I turn all three of you inside-out!"
Gizmo was quick to activate the ESP she kept on her, the Flame Shield coming up right as she blocked a lunging strike from the other wolf with her sticks. She struggled against him as he pressed forward, snapping his jaws as he tried to get in her face. Amy came in from the side and slammed the Pikkon Hammer into the fiend, sending him skidding over to one of the vertical girders holding the place up. Silver cursed his inability to grab the guy directly, but then spotted the wrecked form of Focke-Wulf's Extreme Gear. He took hold of that with his PK and flung it as hard as he could, catching the wolf just as he got back up.
Focke-Wulf went tumbling over the guardrail and screamed hysterically at them, cut off by a loud hiss as he landed in the river running through the now carnival town. The three made their way down to where he'd taken the fall, a large patch of the water bubbling and steadily heading their way. While not surprised, they were disturbed to see a glassy, almost obsidian Focke-Wulf emerge from the depths, utter hate still in those eyes. But each step he took grew more difficult as his body solidified further, until he couldn't move beyond involuntary actions.
Amy turned around and covered her eyes while Silver looked on as Gizmo raised her Power Escrima high over her head, and with a mighty yell, brought it down on Focke-Wulf's head. With a loud crack, the igneous lupine shattered into pieces, which then dissipated into ash and dust a few moments later. Gizmo panted heavily, a bit tuckered out from the extended use of her weapons, which she powered off and stowed away.
"Honestly, I didn't think I'd be able to do it," she admitted, running her hands through her hair, "but he was just so bloody awful, between what I've heard and what I saw."
Silver nodded softly. "Now that that's over with, I guess we should head back."
"Yeah," Amy remarked as she gazed wistfully out at the river and heaved a sigh, "I'm gonna miss that board."
Gizmo allowed herself a warm chuckle. "Well, I'm sure I could whip you up something better."
"You mean it!?" the pink spiny girl exclaimed.
"Sure, maybe for your birthday or something."
As the two females continued their animated conversation, the one guy among them looked on with a smile. He hoped he got to see more of this before the end of their journey together, and afterwards, too.
Back with Miles, Cream, and Cheese, the flash bang that Gizmo had used to disable Bearenger finally wore off. When he saw that only the two Animals and one Chao were left, the grizzly was initially livid. But after a moment, he toned it down a bit, though he was still visibly irritated.
"I wanted a brawl, but at least I get the fox," he grumbled, both of his hands blazing with dark fire, "you're the one we've been after since the start anyway!"
The bear didn't give them a chance to reply as he barreled toward them, his fists trailing behind him before he brought them forward. Cream ducked beneath the attack, wincing as her proximity to the heat still singed her ears a bit, while Miles leapt over the bigger guy. The fox used a Tail Attack to smack him in the back of the head, throwing Bearenger off balance, but doing little more than that. With a growl, the larger Animal swiveled and swung the back of his forearm at the teen, managing to land a glancing blow on one shoulder. Miles kept himself from being sent sprawling, but only just, while his other hand clenched at where he'd been hit. Even though it had been a light hit, the burning and throbbing pain in his shoulder was anything but minor.
Bearenger went in for a follow-up punch, only to be thwarted by Cheese tackling one of his ankles. He dropped to support himself, grunting as Cream jumped up high and stomped him on the back, forcing him on all fours. In response, he slammed the ground with his fists, cracking the road around him and sending out a handful of magenta energy shock waves. The fox and rabbit retreated to the air, where the former brought out his Flame Shield in anticipation for anything incendiary. His hunch was proven right when the bear blasted him with a stream of fire from his maw, and while it didn't hurt, the sheer force did push him back a short distance.
Miles used a Fireball Spin Dash to close the gap, which he converted to a diving kick at the last moment to strike at Bearenger in the collar bone. It connected, but the brute was stunned for merely a second, grabbing the teen by that same leg after he shook it off. The fox felt himself about to be brought into the ground like a sledgehammer, and reacted by using his two tails to reach out and wrap around the grizzly's neck in a choking vice. The bear reached for them with his other hand, but was cut off by Cream beaning him in the face with her little Chao friend. Miles kicked himself free with his other foot, then Rolled away so that he could reach into his utility belt.
"Should've kept your other friends around, brat!" the angry ursine taunted, batting Cheese back at Cream when it tried to go in for another attack, "maybe you can hit hard, but I can take what you dish out!"
Miles threw the item he'd been looking for right at his opponent, which fastened around his waist and revealed itself to be the Boomering. With a firm tug through the Chaos Energy link, Bearenger found himself held above the fox's head, who kept him steady despite his much greater weight. With both hands on the ring, Miles disconnected its hold on the bear and sent him flying with a hearty throw, causing the big oaf to crash into the top of a nearby loop. He dashed over to Cream and Cheese, a bit concerned after the retaliatory strike they took from before.
"Do you guys need a hand?" he asked them, his free glove poised and ready to deliver any mystical medical treatment required.
Cream shook her head, while Cheese rubbed at itself for a couple of moments. "We'll be okay, but he's not slowing down."
Glancing over, they saw Bearenger hit the ground with a four-point landing, rolling his head from side to side before fixing his crimson eyes on them.
"I can do this all day, runt," he threatened, "and if that's how long it takes before I turn your twin tails into twin scarves, then fine!"
Miles grit his teeth. He'd have to put in more effort to even so much as significantly dent the guy. Given that the day was finally starting to wear on him as far as stamina, he knew he had to use his more taxing abilities sparingly.
He resumed the fight with a Spin Dash, but just as Bearenger tried to intercept him with a bear hug, the fox went into a slide between his legs. He smacked the Boomering into his foe's ankle, giving it a quick jerk to trip him up and fall onto his rotund belly. Despite his bulk, the large mammal swiftly rolled back onto his feet and blocked an oncoming double kick from the rabbit girl. Cheese pounced from behind her head and crashed between the bear's eyes, making him growl and bat the small creature away. With him focused on Cream, Miles chose that moment to use some of his inherent Chaos Energy to make an arm cannon like he had a few times before, then let loose a cyan bolt from the ethereal barrel.
It had the small of Bearenger's back, and had a much more noticeable effect than any of their physical attacks. The grizzly actually seized up and let out a pained snarl, feeling over the spot where he'd been shot. The gears turned in the older teen's head, and as he thought of his past battles with other spawn, it hit him. Even with the durability and protection Sierus afforded them, they were apparently still weak against Chaos Energy-powered techniques.
"All day, huh?" Miles challenged him, allowing himself to show a devious grin, "I don't know, that looked like it hurt more than just a little bit."
Bearenger wheeled around, his eyes searing with fury. "That's nothing! I'll show you what real pain is!"
That was what the grizzly claimed he would do, anyway. He lumbered over at the fox, ignoring the attempts to knock him down as Cheese was repeatedly thrown at him, and went into a Rolling Attack. Rather than attempt to avoid it, Miles went into a Spin Dash, tiny arcs of cyan lightning coating the amber orb as it crashed into the brown ball. The collision sent the fox hurtling backwards, but he'd only suffered minor pain for it, while the bear had been stopped in his tracks and left with quite the headache.
While he was still reeling, Bearenger saw everything flash to white, making him think he'd really taken a bad hit. But once it all faded away, he noticed that the two teens and their companion could see it all, too. The Stardust Speedway of the present was back to its glitzy, glamorous self that lit up the night sky with a sea of city lights and beacons. Everything was polished and clean, and if it weren't for the strange absence of them, you'd swear there were other people around. And it was only then that the whole group noticed just how high up the road was from many of those buildings, not to mention how many of them ended in sharp steeples and antennae...
"Everything's back to normal!" Cream cheered out, Cheese joining in with happy babbling.
Miles wasn't as happy, having more of a melancholic expression. "So, I guess they really did it."
"Did what!? What the hell's going on!?" Bearenger demanded.
"You guys left Carrotia in the past." The fox motioned at their surroundings. "So, with everything back to the way it was...she's gone."
For a moment, there was a measure of pity in that perpetually angry face of the bear's. It was soon replaced by abject hatred, and he bolted at Miles without a care or a plan. But because of his blind rage, that left him vulnerable to exploitation by cooler heads.
Bearenger was forced into a Roll as the Chao smashed into one of his relatively skinny knees, coming to a stop upon hitting a guardrail. Cream followed up with her own Spin Dash, hitting him hard enough to cause the metal barrier to buckle against the force and his weight. Last, but not least, he felt the Boomering pin his arms to his sides as it closed around him and brought him to Miles as though by magic. With the grizzly high above his head, the fox walked to where the rails had been weakened and gazed down into the city below.
"I wish I didn't have to do this," he told Bearenger regretfully, "but it's too late for other options now. Maybe when this is all over, you guys will be back like nothing ever happened."
Miles shifted his arms back and dug his heels into the ground, shutting his eyes and putting every bit of strength, plus some Chaos Energy, into the toss. The bound Bearenger ripped through the railing and went tumbling down for several seconds, roaring expletives at the three of them. The fox gazed after him the whole way, and he grimaced as a pair of gruesome sounds like meat being split and thrown to the floor reached his ears. Cream and Cheese had mercifully spared themselves from the sight, though the noises would probably be giving them a few nightmares in the days to come.
As for the teen fox himself, there was a swirl of emotions roiling inside of him. Relief at another threat being dealt with, and guilt at having to involve a girl he liked in something like this. There was hope for the future of Little Planet and the Earth, now that they were so close to their end goal. Yet, he felt shame at what he'd done, even if it'd been necessary. He may have killed others vicariously, like the Great Battle Kukku, but this was the first time he had done so directly, knowingly, and willingly. And now that it had passed, he was a tad put off by the numbness that came with the acceptance of his act.
'It feels wrong,' he thought with a shudder as he recalled his weapon, suppressing the urge to vomit at how "dirty" it came back to him, 'and people say it only gets easier the more you do it. I really hope not...'
"Miles?" he heard Cream call to him, "are you okay?"
He sighed and ran his bangs through his fingers. "I don't know, Cream." A tired smile crossed his muzzle. "But don't worry about me. We still have the Time Stone to go after."
"Already got it covered, little bro."
The trio turned and saw Remi striding towards them in its Critter form, immediately going up to its master and rubbing up against him happily. Gadget was wearing a proud smile as he held up the purple Time Stone for all to see, while Khal trailed behind him in his feral state. It fell a bit when he saw the weariness in Miles' eyes, and given the currently peaceful situation, it wasn't hard to deduce what had happened. He wanted to say something, but words escaped him.
"I'm sorry," Khal said in his place, drawing a curious look from the others, "if we'd arrived sooner, I could've shouldered the burden for you."
Miles shook his head softly. "Don't worry." There was a bit of a pause, then he looked at the hyena square in the eyes. "If we get the last Time Stone, we can stop all this from happening, right?"
"We can," the guardian confirmed, "though Silver's suggestion is not the only one, nor necessarily the best one. We should wait until the others return before deliberating."
A tear opened in the Time Warp, and out of it came Gizmo, Silver, and Amy, the latter slumped against the she-wolf's head and shoulders as she piggybacked. Other than the apparent loss of the Gear, they all appeared to be fine, if a bit tired.
"Perhaps that can wait until morning," Khal amended, "it's getting rather late, and the day's been long."
That much was true. Not only was he mentally exhausted from everything that had happened that day, but Miles felt physically drained as well. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd be able to sleep well at all that night, though. Not only were the matters of the day weighing on him, but also the looming battle that would come tomorrow.