X

Chapter 3: Strategy

X

The huge dragon swooped down with Sonic and the team in his sights. The whole team ducked as the dragon barely missed them.

"This beast must be destroyed," Shadow mumbled grimly as he took off his inhibitor rings.

"Save those, Shadow," Sonic said. "We haven't even gotten started!"

"I was only getting ready," came the reply.

"You know that your energy drains faster when you take those off!"

"It would help, Sonic."

"Well, at the moment, it won't!"

"Guys, stop!" Tails snapped as the rest of the gang turned to look at him with a surprised expression. "We need strategy!"

"Yeah, Tails. Strategy!" Sonic said, reassuringly. Tails couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"What are those huge tower things?" Silver asked as he pointed to the many obsidian pillars on the white stone island. Tails squinted to see them.

"I don't know. They are pretty strange though," he said.

After Tails had said this, he noticed that the dragon seemed to be gaining energy from the tops of the pillars. "Something must be up there, like a crystal or something," he contemplated.

"I'll go find out!" Knuckles said with determination.

"Are you sure it's safe, Knuckles?" Tails questioned.

"Like I said, I'll go find out!"

"Whatever..."

Knuckles walked up to one of the pillars and started climbing it using his sharp knuckles. Eventually, after much strain, he reached the top, amazed at what he saw.

What he saw was a glowing white crystal floating above what looked like a platform made up of some type of very hard rock.

"This is incredible!" Knuckles shouted.

"What's up there, Knuckles?" Tails shouted back.

"It's a really cool looking crystal! And it's floating!"

"Well, that must be where the dragon is getting its energy!" An idea popped into his head. "How about you destroy the crystal?"

"DESTROY THIS?!" Knuckles replied with exasperation. "But it's so...magnificent!"

"Just do it, Knuckles."

"Okay, Tails. Whatever you say..." He said wearily. He raised his fist and struck the crystal, causing it to do something rather unique.

It exploded.

The explosion happened to stun Knuckles and make him fall backwards off the top of the pillar.

"He's FALLING!" Tails exclaimed.

Without any hesitation, Silver jumped into action, and used his telekinesis to suspend Knuckles in the air, breaking his fall. He placed Knuckles onto the ground, allowing both of them to breathe a big sigh of relief.

"Did you guys freakin' see that?!" Knuckles exclaimed. "That crystal...EXPLODED...in my face!"

"I guess its destroyed now," Sonic said.

"Captain Obvious to the rescue, I see?"

Sonic chuckled at this reply.

"It looks like we're gonna have to destroy all of the crystals so that the dragon doesn't have the ability to get the crystal's power to heal." Tails said, which in turn caused Knuckles to snap.

"ARE YOU CRAZY, TAILS? I ALMOST DIED DESTROYING JUST ONE!"

"It's what we're gonna have to do, Knuckles."

Knuckles sighed and growled with frustration as he realized Tails was right.

They had to put their strategy into action.

Getting good? Got ya hooked? Lemme know! Drop a review! Only then will I have confidence and inspiration!