Chapter 7

Encounters

Sonic was racing at a high speed below the ground, while Tails skillfully flew the X-tornado above the trees. "Are we there yet?" Knuckles asked for the fifth time. "And can't we get some better grub around here? Not as bad as last time, but it still sucks!"

"Oh, be quiet Knuckles." Amy yelled at him, annoyed.

"Oh, look at high those mountains are!" Cream cried pointing to their high snow capped tops.

Indeed the scene was wonderful, and the forest began to wane as they came closer and closer to it. "If we're supposed to find a forest, why are we seeing less and less trees?" Knuckles asked.

"The Violet Forest is behind some waterfall." Tails informed him. "From what I know, we just have to go through it. I can't see anything from up here, it's far to cloudy, even this far above the forest, so we'll have to land, and hopefully we can find it then." Tails gave a signal to Sonic, and then he halted his movement as Tails skillfully and carefully landed between the edge of the forest and the foothills of the mountains. Knuckles gathered the diamond, and put it in his pocket, and Tails had the seed in his pocket as well.

When they landed Sonic greeted them. "It's pretty cold down here, Tails." He stated. "Where to next?"

Tails looked around the area, smelling the area. In a few seconds, he could smell the scent of water. "This way!" He commanded them, and the gang followed them, up to the waterfall.

"What?!" Sonic said. "We don't have to go through there, do we?"

"It's the only way to the Violet Forest." Tails told him.

"Couldn't we just fly over them?" He inquired. But Cream had already begun traveling through, and Sonic watched her disappear through the mist.

"The mountains are far too high to do that, and the dream specifically said to go this—" He paused. His nose was picking up something, and Sonic too, seemed to feel some danger was near.

"What's going on Sonic?" Knuckles asked. But when he heard a sword being drawn from its sheath, he turned around and saw a grey fox, with a sword in either hand. He pointed them at Knuckles.

"Give me the diamond, and I'll let the three of you live." He said hostilely.

Knuckles gave him a look of indifference. "You're just a mere bandit, aren't you?" He mocked him.

"What?" Zoran laughed. "A mere bandit, you call me. You should know that you should never insult a Prower."

"Hey, I insult Tails all the… what did you say?"

Zoran sighed. Tails looked at him incredulously, and Sonic gave Zoran an incredulous look. "I am the Dark Ranger Zoran Prower, seeking the Answer, and then protecting it to the end of my days. I was told to find it, I was told to seek Miles. I also require the diamond for personal reasons."

Tails shook his head. "I don't know anything about the Answer you speak of, I don't even know what you're talking about, you can't have the diamond, I won't give it to you!"

Zoran sighed. "I knew it would come to this." Tails had his beamsword in hand, but he gave it to Sonic, knowing he was the stronger one.

"I have to warn you now Zoran, you picked the wrong person to fight." Sonic told him. Then he rushed at him at Sonic speed, but only to be blown away just as fast. Already he had underestimated both his power and resolve.

"Run into the waterfall!" He told him. Perhaps inside the cavern they would have a better fighting chance?

Ignoring his fear of water (But closing his eyes as he did so) He, Tails and Knuckles rushed through the waterfall. Amy and Cream were already inside the cavern, waiting for them patiently.

"What's going on?" Cream asked.

"Long story short, we need to get out of here!" Tails cried.

"Or you could just give me the jewel, and have nothing to worry about." Zoran said, reappearing right in front of them. Running was foolish. Did they really think they could outrun him?

"Why do you want it so much?" Amy asked him.

Zoran didn't listen to her. "Something feels odd..." he stated. "Something I've never felt before… could it be? But what, or who?"

Obviously no one understood what Zoran was talking about. Knuckles had his fists up. He gave the diamond to Tails. "Run Tails, I'll hold him off!"

He charged at Zoran, who in turned blew him up to the ceiling of the cave, and it started to cave in. "Run!"

Sonic, Amy, Cream, and Tails managed to escape from the cave. Knuckles was still in there. When Knuckles looked up, he saw a huge boulder about to crush him. That is, until someone came swooping by, saving him from its force.

He found himself in a different area of the cavern. There were diamonds everywhere. "This… is a thief's heaven!" His rescuer cried. When he looked up, it was no one else but Rogue. She smiled at him. "What, who else would have followed you here."

"You're trying to steal it, too!" Knuckles accused her.

Rogue shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I was, until I researched it, and found out how dangerous it was."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"That diamond… contains enough destructive power to end millions of lives."

Knuckles paused. "Did Tails… lie?"

Rouge shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he was lied to. I don't know. But we need to take one of the diamonds in here, and destroy it."

As they took a diamond (Rogue took several, for thieving reasons of course.) they were still oblivious to the benevolent power of the diamond, and oblivious to the tragic event they would cause…

A/N: Soon you will understand what horror shall come forth… and the ends that come with it… 3 chapters left!