Well, the holidays are upon us, and I finally found time to update! The holidays took me by surprise, and I just recently finished my end of the gifts. That, combined with homework that is getting a little bit harder, and an all-around busy agenda, tied me up for a bit. I hope you don't mind too much.
Actually, even if you do mind a little, you won't when you here this: This is the final chapter! Yes, I FINALLY managed to finish! So what are you waiting for? Read on!
Yume watched in horror as Akumu, her brother and best friend that had been with her forever, turned into a metal creation like those they had been fighting. His flesh turned into metal, his mind…was that changing too? Akumu screeched, Eggman cackled with maniacal laughter, Mech was frozen in shock, and Shadow and Blur were still fighting violently nearby, the sound of explosions ringing through the air. The noise was almost deafening.
Yume couldn't take it any more. The Chaos Emerald in her hand began to glow brightly, as Yume was surrounded with a bright red aura. Her turquoise eyes turned blood red, glaring at everyone in sight.
"THAT'S IT!!!" She yelled. "I CAN'T TAKE IT AMYMORE! I AM GOING TO STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!!" It was quite obvious that the hedge-girl had snapped, and immediately she pounced on Dr. Eggman, ferociously attacking him with kicks and claws even her mother would fear. Pummeling him off his feet, she grabbed him in mid-air, tossing him into the still-battling Blur. The impact knocked both of them off their feet; sending them flying as she ran after them, crimson aura shining.
Shadow watched them fly past him, blood dripping down his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the now-roboticized Akumu. In his grasp was a red, shining object. His soul. In an instant, he was right next to Metal Akumu, staring down at him. The gun was cocked at the robot's head, and in an ice cold tone, he ordered, "My soul. Now."
Akumu looked back at him. The bat boy had not fully gained control of his senses, but he couldn't make a big deal of his transformation right now, could he? He was in the middle of a war, and in his hands was the deciding factor. With a silent nod, which was all he could manage right now, he passed Shadow back the soul.
Everything seemed to take place in that moment. Shadow's soul, which was now in its rightful owner's hands, began to glow, consuming the warrior whole. Eggman, flung through the air, used a bit of his last energy to fire the roboticizer again. Blur, who knew what was about to happen, began to charge up his strongest attack, a powerful beam copied from the Final Egg Fortress's cannon years ago, aiming it right for the hedgehog. Finally Yume, filled with rage, cried two simple words; "Chaos Blast!"
Everything was enveloped in a blinding red light, and for a second, it was like the end of the world. In the next second, it had faded away to reveal the consequences of the instant before.
The battle ground was wrecked beyond repair from the Chaos Blast. Blur, knocked into the wall by its force, misfired his attack at the ceiling, which made a large gaping hole in all the floors above. Yume's aura had faded away from the attack, and it was all she could do to stop herself from collapsing on the ground. Eggman lay on the ground nearby, Roboticizer in wrecked pieces. Finally, Mech and Akumu, the first to recover from the blast, noticed Shadow.
The Ultimate Lifeform's soul took effect quickly. Light gray fur rapidly turned pitch black, adorned by crimson stripes. A tuft of white fur on his chest off-set the black, and in his hands, the machine gun still lay. His blood colored eyes snapped open, a smirk on his face.
"It's about time," Shadow said, taking in his surroundings. Resting on Blur, he growled. He had not forgotten his goal, and he aimed his gun at the Gizoid-infused bot.
"So, you finally woke up, eh?" Blur asked cockily, morphing his hand into a cannon again. "Not like it will do you any good. Any weapon you have, I can top it. So, do you still think you can stop me?" He paused a moment, and then the Sonic clone's hand-cannon changed again, this time forming the Roboticizer.
"Impossible! He can copy that too?" Mech gasped. Akumu and Yume stared at him, and then both stared at their father. He nodded at them, still smirking.
"I think I can stop you," Shadow replied calmly. "I don't even have to use my fists. Does the Gizoid in you remember how?" Blur raised an eyebrow, and Shadow began to speak again. "Gizoid, as your master, I command you…Bring hope to humanity."
All in an instant, Blur halted completely. His eyes stared right in front of him, not even twitching. Those were the keywords Zynth had mentioned, and they all knew it. Akumu and Yume both grinned at each other, they knew what to do. Gathering up their energy, they both walked up to him, each with a hand on the Chaos Emerald. Shadow and Mech watched them, robot and non-robot together. Blur could only watch as they said the words that would end his life.
"Chaos Spear," they both said in unison. The energy bolt, powered by the Chaos Emerald and two beings able to utilize its powers, empowered his body, destroying it completely. The remaining bits fell to the floor, including a small memory chip, the words "Gizoid" implanted on the top. The twins, their job finally done, both looked back at their father.
"I knew you'd do something like this some day," Shadow told them, as they both rushed to hug the parent they had missed for years. He was quite proud of them, and returned the favor.
When they were done, they looked over at Eggman. His Roboticizer had gone off during the Chaos Blast, but had backfired, turning the mad scientist into the rotund human he had once been. The form was still, however, for the attack had been too much for the weakened human to withstand. Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik was finally dead.
Soon afterward, Shadow, Akumu, Yume, and Mech all went down to the dungeons, freeing everyone trapped in there. Rouge, Sonic, and the others were all happy to be freed, and Rouge was overwhelmed when she saw Shadow again, crying in his arms. Yume and Akumu both hung back from the crowd.
"So," Yume said after awhile, "since Eggman's Roboticizer was busted, does that mean…you're stuck as a robot?"
"Maybe," Akumu replied, "but I'm sure Tails will end up trying to make a new one to fix me. I can deal with it until then, though. It isn't that bad." He shrugged. "At least there are other bots here."
"That's right!" Yume gasped. "What's going to happen to all the other robots here in Cybex Capital? I mean, their leader just died overnight!"
"I…I'll deal with that." The twins turned to Mech, who was standing nearby. His robes were pulled over his injured side, though he didn't look as weak anymore. "Since Zynth is gone, and I'm his head assistant, it's my duty to take over for him."
"Sure you're up to it?" Yume asked. At that moment, however, Amythyst ran over to them.
"Wow, I can't believe all that's happened!" she exclaimed. "First I get kidnapped the first day we're here, and then all this! I can't believe I missed out on so much!" The purple hedgehog looked between the twins. They seemed different now, but despite all they went through, they were still…well, they were still Akumu and Yume. "So, what all happened?"
The twins looked at each other, and then at everyone else. All the others in the room were quiet, even the robots, looking at the twins.
"It's quite a story, I can say that," Yume said. "How about we all go home first?"
"Sounds fine to me," Shadow replied. Outside the fortress, the sun rose past the Nocturne Mountains. A new day had risen, for animals and androids alike.
Owari! I hope you all enjoyed the story, despite my laziness and stuff. I do not plan on doing a sequel for this, but who knows, eh? I'll put up a list of next possible stories on my profile, and I'll hopefully get the next one up soon! Also, thanks to all my reviewers, especially Playstation14 and Mystery001. Thanks a lot guys!
On a final note, Shadow, Eggman, Gizoid, and all related characters belong to Sega. Tony the Cat from earlier in the story belongs to Toni the Fluffy (thanks for getting me to finish this X3), and EVERYTHING else belongs to me! Anyway, I'll see you all next time! Ciel the Hedgehog out!