Sonic and Co. © Sega
OCs © Respective Authors

Chapter 13: The Real Villain

Sonic, Blaze, Tails, Marine, Silver, and Johnny had returned to Southern Island after destroying Whisker and recovering all seven Chaos Emeralds and all seven Sol Emeralds. They were trying to figure out a way to get Sonic and Tails back to their own world. At the moment, the heroes were talking to Armand, Amy, and Rector through the dimensional communicator, catching up on things that have happened since the last talk.

"…and that's the story so far." Tails finished explaining.

"So, what you're telling us…" Armand said, trying to piece things together. "…is that some robotic pirates went about trying to get this "Jeweled Scepter" for something, and you all teamed up to get it back."

"Right." Sonic told him.

"Well, as for who could be behind it, I have no idea." Armand said. "I doubt that either of the Eggmen could be behind it. They're not ones to send lackeys to do their bidding."

"You've got that right." Sonic agreed. "Both of them are usually directly involved with their own plans."

"Now, we need to find a way to get you home." Armand told him. "We've had to postpone the wedding because of the incident a few days ago."

"I think I have an idea." Blaze said as she walked up to Sonic. "Sonic, you mentioned before that the Sol Emeralds' power allows dimensional travel, right?"

"Something like that." Sonic replied.

"Maybe you can use the Chaos Emeralds to return to your world." Blaze suggested.

"You know, I think that will work." Silver told them.

"Well, I am working on a device that will use the power of the Emeralds." Tails chimed in. "It should be able to break the dimensional barrier, but it'll take time to complete."

"If that's the case…" Rector spoke up. "…you might have to stay there for a while."

"Much as I don't like it…" Amy chimed in. "…I have to agree."

"That's okay." Sonic said. "Marine, I hope you don't mind if we stick around a while."

Marine got excited. "Not at all! With the pirates gone, it's not like I don't have free time now."

"Uh, what about me?" Johnny asked.

"Technically, you're not a pirate since you're on our side." Silver said.

"Anyway, while you're 'ere, would you like to help me work on my ship?" Marine asked.

"Say what?" Blaze asked.

"You're building another ship?" Sonic asked.

"Of course!" Marine said. "I need a new ship to go on new adventures! The SS Super-Marine!"

"Super?" Tails and Armand asked.

"Well, you saw how the first ship was all crook." Marine told them. "So, now I just gotta make a better one."

Everyone got a little laugh out of that, but it wasn't a laugh of ridicule. But at that moment, they heard a door open and slam shut. Gardon had barged in, and he looked worried.

"Your Highness!" Gardon said. "I must speak with you!"

"Haven't I told you not to call me that?" Blaze scolded.

"My apologies, Blaze!" Gardon apologized.

"Alright, what is it?" Blaze asked.

"T-The Jeweled Scepter…was stolen last night!" Gardon told them.

"What!?" Everyone asked at once.

"Tell me everything!" Blaze demanded.

"Well, we put the scepter back at its altar in Coral Cave, where it would be safe!" Gardon explained. "But around dawn, I went in to check on it, and it was gone!"

"How could this have happened!?" Silver asked.

"All three guards were killed!" Gardon continued. "Someone had to have stolen it!"

"How could you let this happen!?" Blaze asked.

"It wasn't my fault!" Gardon said. "Please forgive me!"

Gardon then ran out of the house. He was going to try and figure things out. Meanwhile, the others gathered around to talk about the incident.

"Just as things were beginning to clear up." Armand commented.

"Well, there is another legend told about the scepter." Blaze said. "The legend tells of a 'Power of the Stars' and a 'Key'. The terms come up often."

"A 'Power of the Stars' and a 'Key'?" Rector asked.

"I'm not exactly sure about the 'Power', but the key seems to be the scepter itself." Blaze said. "What it all means is a mystery. I fear, though, that the scepter holds a secret."

"I'm checking the databanks right now." Armand said. A few seconds later, he finished checking. "There's nothing in here about the Jeweled Scepter. Sorry, guys."

"It's okay." Blaze said. "But the secret could affect the entire world, and other dimensions. If it's true, we're all in danger."

"If the scepter is this 'key', and it's been stolen, then who knows what'll happen?" Silver asked.

"Well, hold on just a sec." Marine said. "I don't think it's all THAT bad a sign."

"What?" Amy asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, who could have taken it?" Marine asked. "We already defeated the pirates, after all."

"Didn't it sound like they wanted the scepter for someone else?" Tails asked.

"That reminds me of something!" Johnny spoke up. "Remember what Whisker said while he was running away?"

"…Then ye shall all know his wrath, savvy?" Whisker said before running off.

"That's right!" Sonic said.

"Now that you mention it, it makes sense that they'd be doing someone else's dirty work." Blaze said. "The question is, whose dirty work were they doing?"

"Whoever it was must have been the one who stole the Jeweled Scepter this time!" Sonic concluded.

Just then, a rumble was heard and felt. An earthquake had started, and was shaking the island violently.

"Another earthquake!?" Sonic asked.

"Everyone outside!" Blaze demanded.

Sonic, Tails, Blaze, Marine, Silver, and Johnny ran outside, only to find storm clouds in the sky.

"What's going on?" Sonic asked.

"Another earthquake?" Silver asked.

"It's the biggest one yet!" Blaze commented as the earthquake died down.

"Okay, looks like it stopped." Johnny said.

"Oh, I hope so." Marine hoped.

It may have been the end of the earthquake, but it wasn't the end of the strange events, as the water near the island started rippling. Each ripple got bigger until a large spout of water rose up into the air. Everyone that was outside looked up and saw a large blue robot with yellow markings on it. It had a large red gem in the center, and it was flying.

"Ohohohohohohoho!" A voice said from up above them. A large Egg-Mobile descended from it, and in it was a figure that they knew all too well.

"Eggman Nega!" Sonic, Tails, Blaze, and Silver said, surprised.

"Ah, my dear friends!" Eggman Nega said. "Long time no see!"

"Who the heck is this guy?" Marine asked. "And what was he doing lurking under the water like that?"

"We'll explain later." Sonic told her before turning his attention back to Nega. "What are you doing here?"

"Ohhh ho ho ho ho! Wouldn't you like to know?" Nega asked. "I suppose I'll just tell you. I'm here because of the ultimate power said to exist in this universe!"

"Ultimate power?" Blaze asked.

"Indeed! A power that I plan to use as my own, to its fullest advantage!" Nega told them.

"And I'm guessing that's not going to be any good for the rest of us?" Sonic asked.

"I merely plan to use that power to turn this place into my ideal paradise, Eggmanland!" Nega said.

"You still have that crazy idea?" Silver asked.

"Eggmanland? What the…?" Marine thought, confused.

"Eggman Nega…so, then, everything that's happened to us up till now…" Tails began.

"Clever, aren't you?" Nega asked. "You're right! I did it! Everything was my doing!"

"The person behind the pirates…" Tails said.

"The one who stole the Jeweled Scepter…" Blaze added.

"The real criminal mastermind behind the whole thing…" Sonic added.

"He looks like that moustached pirate bloke!" Marine thought.

"It was you, Nega!" Sonic, Tails, Blaze, and Silver said.

"Hoh ho ho ho ho!" Nega laughed as he held up a familiar-looking scepter. "Ah yes! And just in case you don't believe me…"

"The Jeweled Scepter!" Everyone exclaimed.

"What are you going to do with it!?" Sonic demanded.

"You already know that, you spiky blue rodent!" Nega responded.

"If the scepter really is the 'key' spoken of in these legends…" Blaze said to herself. "…then this 'Power of the Stars' must be what he's really after! Isn't that right, Nega?"

"Well, aren't you smart? Yes, it's true, and my calculations reveal that this power is located right beneath this ground!" Nega told them.

"The Power of the Stars is underground?" Tails asked.

"Oh, you poor thing! Allow me to explain." Nega said. "You already know that this world and your world exist in separate dimensions. I think of the other as what is known as a parallel universe! The so-called Power of the Stars is what makes this happen. When I discovered this, I nearly jumped for joy! The only problem, though, was finding the key that would unlock this power."

"The Jeweled Scepter!" Blaze concluded.

"Yes!" Nega continued. "So I got a band of pirates together to go on a little search for it."

"Then…that means…" Johnny said. "You used us!"

"So that's why pirates were running amok around the world." Blaze said.

"Once I had the key, I needed to find where the door it opened was." Nega said. "So, I did some research, and after a great deal of it, I discovered where the power lies: Right here, underneath this very island."

"It's here?" Tails asked.

"Yes. Oh, and about how you guys got here…I did that, too!" Nega said.

"You WHAT!?" The heroes asked.

"Yes! I used a storm generator and sent it into your dimension. I knew that you'd get picked up by it eventually, because I designed it specifically to track you down." Nega told them. "Sonic, you told me to stay in my dimension. Well, I did. But I wanted to destroy you, so I brought you here. I also used the storm's magnetic force to pull all of the Chaos Emeralds here as well!"

"You monster!" Sonic shouted. "You were responsible for everything!"

"And now, the Power of the Stars will be MINE!" Nega said. "Ahahahahaha!"

"You don't honestly think we're going to let you get away with this, do you?" Sonic asked.

Just then, there was another earthquake. It was bigger than the one earlier.

"Another one?" Silver asked.

"Not again!" Blaze said.

"Well, it seems that the equilibrium of the energy is beginning to degrade!" Nega said. "This is perfect timing! Now, I'm afraid I've got things to do, so I'll be off!"

"What about the Jeweled Scepter!?" Blaze demanded.

Just then, Marine jumped into their path. "Hold it right there, you moustached monkey!"

"My, my…now who's this little brat?" Nega asked.

"Blaze wants that scepter back, so hand it over!" Marine demanded.

"You're in no position to be making demands, raccoon!" Nega said. "And besides, once I have the Power of the Stars, I'll return it unharmed. You have my promise."

"One like you can't keep promises!" Silver said.

"See you later, kiddo!" Nega said. "And farewell, heroes!'

Nega then left to retrieve the Power, while the heroes returned to Marine's house to tell the others. Tails opened the communication line, and Armand's face appeared immediately.

"What is it?" Armand said. Amy and Rector were still there with him.

"Armand, Amy, Rector, Eggman Nega's the one behind everything." Sonic said. "How we got here, how the pirates came into existence…everything!"

"What!?" Armand asked. "What's he up to?"

"I don't know, but it isn't good!" Sonic said. "He plans to end us right here! We're trying to think of a way to beat him, but…"

Another earthquake started, and it was the most violent one yet. The force was so great, it knocked the radio tower out of commission. When that happened, the communication line was severed as both screens went black. Armand was the first one to try to restore communications.

"Sonic! SONIC! Damn it!" Armand cursed.

"What's happening?" Rector asked.

"The communication line's been cut! I can't get through!" Armand told him.

"What do we do?" Amy asked.

"We can't do anything." Armand regretfully said. "All we can do is hope they pull through."

In Blaze's dimension, the heroes were trying to figure out why all of this was happening.

"What in the world is causing all of these quakes?" Blaze asked.

"I think it might have something to do with Nega…" Silver spoke up. "…and him unleashing this Power of the Stars."

"Then we have to find some way to stop it!" Johnny declared. "We can't just sit by and let this happen!"

"Johnny's right!" Tails agreed. "And I've got the perfect thing for this. With the Magma Hurricane I built with the leftover Materials, we can burrow deep underground!"

"Then we can follow them?" Blaze asked.

"Way to go, Tails!" Sonic said.

"You hear that, Nega!?" Marine yelled. "We're coming after you!"

End of Chapter 13.

Eggman Nega has been revealed as the true villain, and is the one responsible for everything. Will Sonic and Tails be able to get home? And what is waiting under the island? Find out as the story continues.

As for the poll, the winner is...Knuckles x Shade! And of course, the poll will be reinstated, but with this couple out of the choices.

Read and Review.