Metal: No one is dumb enough to claim the characters used are original conceptions, not even a writer as slow as PenFullofChaos819. Sega owns everything except for Amethyst and the plot…holes *Smug smirk*.
PoC: …
Silver: Now PoC, I believe you know the 'truth' you must tell so…
PoC: It never happened…
Metal: I say we tie this liar to a chair and force him to look up some yaoi content!
PoC: Har-har… None of you are man err…hedgehog enough to try that…right Silv?
Silver: *Sighs* Under the circumstances, I'm willing to resort to drastic measures.
PoC: ! *Chuckles nervously* Heh-heh, you guys are just screwing with me, aren't you?
Silver: *Frowns* Metal?
Metal: Safe-search disengaged. Loading all graphic pictures in 3…2…1…
PoC: STOP! ENOUGH! I'll talk! I swear!
Metal: Then…
PoC: *Groans* Alright, when I was eight I took a bet with my friend. I lost, and then had to kiss a girl I liked and…
Silver: Go on…
PoC: *Grits teeth* Passed out moments after following through…
Metal: Hehehehahaha! Oh but that's not the best part is it?
Silver: PoC?
PoC: Ugh… Then when we met later, she slapped me for kissing her.
Metal: *Snorts* BWAHAHAHAhahahahaaaa!
Silver: Hey don't take it so hard. Blaze has slapped me lots of times.
PoC: Oh reeeeally now?
Silver: Uh… Um… Stapter is charting! I-I mean chapter is starting!
Metal: HAHAHAHAhahaha! *Struggles for air* Hahahaaaa… No…haha…lungs but…ahaha…still…hahaha…can't breathe…hahahahaaa!
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Mask of the Beast
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His blue eyes had captured every second, every blow, and every drop of spilt crimson. It caused a splintering pain in his chest to see his dear friend rained upon by such fury. Abundant now was Tails' dismay for, once again, failing to be at Sonic's side during the grueling duel. Barrier or not, nothing should've been able to keep him from reaching his brother.
As the battle played out, Sonic had emerged victorious indeed, though he now sported a goodly amount of lacerations and significant bruising. This was not counting the choking energy-sapping substance that had only now begun to dissipate from the hedgehog's fine sapphire fur. After the fight, the vulpine then saw Sonic give his grounded opponent an unreadable glance before collapsing to the ground, likely due to fatigue. Like an insult to these this witnessed tragedies, the barrier, as if to mock the fearful Tails, raised it's glowing curtain at a nail-bitingly slow pace. Tails in response twiddled his index finger and thumb together to avoid losing what little sanity he had remaining.
Once the hopelessly lethargic magic screen had lifted halfway, the vulpine swiftly darted under it. Easing up to Sonic's side, who was lying uncomfortably close to an unresponsive Maasawd, the fox was glad he remembered to keep basic medical gear in case a situation like this arose. Tails disinfected and bandaged up the careless, albeit heroic, Sonic the Hedgehog.
"Hold on Sonic, just lie still." He pointlessly urged the motionless hedgehog.
Whilst nursing his mighty brother back to acceptable conditions, Tails seized this time to contain and process clearly all that had taken place in the day's waning hours. Knuckles and now Maasawd had been soundly defeated, leaving Rouge safely back in their hands. Had his protective instincts not flared after seeing the short battle, Tails would've tended to the bat girl ASAP. Knowing that Espio was with him, however, provided a clear excuse for the vulpine's rather irrational doting of his dearest comrade.
"Ugh….Tails?" he suddenly heard someone say, causing his heart to miss a whole beat. Looking down turned out to be discouraging as Sonic was still out cold. In a knee-jerk twitch, the fox's gaze swerved around, expecting to see Espio standing nearby. Still, nothing came. He knew that even one with as deep and sultry-a voice as Rouge could never be mistaken for the male voice that had spoken. These details all begged the good question: if not Sonic, Espio, or Rouge then that only left…
"Tails…uh…is that…really you…?" it came again, straining as though the speaker had taken a recent beating. But despite the voice's beckoning, Tails struggled to acknowledge the distinct boom of those quiet words. He hadn't heard a voice like that since…since the Chaos Control incident. The person's words, as such, culminated the intensity of his already unstable emotions.
His mouth dry as a desert, and quite bitter tasting, Tails intoned the only guess that came to mind "Shadow…"
His words were fittingly strong, but clearly harbored the fox's addle-pated understanding of the situation. What was going on? Why was Shadow's voice slicing it's way into his scrambled thoughts? No hallucination could've sounded as real as the low hum of the long-lost hedgehog's words.
Leaving Sonic's side at last, Tails let the words lead him over to the place he least wanted to be: Over 'Maasawd's' brittle-armored body.
That face, no HIS face was peering back through the remaining shreds of the mask. His pupils were the same dark red-wine colored eyes that hadn't been seen since that unfortunate ordeal. Maasawd, or Shadow as he appeared to be, locked gazes with the vulpine shortly after noticing his presence. Unlike the dismal tones of Maasawd, a powerful, yet remotely kind, voice carried through the chilly air "I…I knew I recognized that voice… You look well… T-Tell me…what has happened in my absence? I could've sworn I heard Sonic speak my name…was that a dream?"
Tails didn't know how to answer, or even if he could. And no wonder, for here was another old friend back from the dead and lying right before him. For a fleeting second, Tails thought he best keep his guard up, just in case this was some kind of sick ruse Maasawd was playing on him. However, once the black and red hedgehog tried to stand and faltered, Tails' kind heart kicked in and he steadied the dark one without afterthought. He didn't care about the danger he faced in doing this, as he spiritually couldn't bear to leave a possible ally in distress.
"Ugh… Heh, to think I'd see the day where YOU keep me on my feet. You've grown strong Tails…" the hedgehog complimented in his own, face-saving way. Tails didn't however want to hear it right now. Anymore false joy would risk making his heart rupture. He almost wished this person would turn back into 'Maasawd' and fight him straight up, rather than get hopes up any further.
"Sonic, Rouge, and now…maybe even Shadow is back with us." Tails shivered while thinking this. He wanted to believe it so badly. He wanted to believe that a happy ending came this easily. Though plunged into doubt with questions over Shadow's sudden revelation and reformation, the fox tried to savor the goodness of the moment before anything else terrible happened.
"Tails look!" Espio's fearful voice, which is an uncommon and disturbing thing to hear, interrupted as if on cue. Not now… He'd not even gotten a few minutes to regain his composure, and already something else was happening? The unfairness was so cruel.
"N-No! He's come for Sonic! Tails, you have to…ugh!" Shadow nearly strained himself to death trying to alert the vulpine. Tails understood nothing about what was going on, but he DID know he had to protect Sonic, no matter what had 'come for him'.
Setting the un-masked warrior against a relatively smooth pillar's base, it was time to investigate the incoming anomaly. Tails immediately returned to his friend's side and found Sonic just where he had left him. However, the surrounding area was…different now. Nothing had changed visually, so he couldn't confirm what Espio had seen, but the very winds smelt tainted by something truly vile.
"Can you feel it?" an…indescribable voice asked, audibly originating from all directions "The enmity has grown. Your friend's place as the 'dimensional puncture' is starting to tear this world's fabric apart… Not that that should surprise you at all, for all dimensions hang in such perilous balance to begin with. Such things make you wonder if the creator or creators were insane when they crafted this place."
Tails hadn't known the speaker long, but something told him he already hated whoever it was. This new monster or man, regardless of his intentions, had merely rambled on about conceptual nonsense, though this still served to anger Tails, as he was still on guard from Shadow's warning.
"Hmm… It would seem a change of plans is in order. I should never have placed any faith in a mobian, even if it is an artificial one." The voiced commented. Three things caught Tails' attention at this time: One, the new fiend's words hinted that HE was the one responsible for Shadow's corruption. Second, an obscured haze had appeared before the fox, possibly a form taken by the speaker. Thirdly, and most importantly…
It was holding Sonic in it's grasp!
How this thing had nabbed the hero out from under him, literally, Tails didn't know. Naturally, he didn't hesitate to reach for his still-unresponsive buddy, but was simply held back by a constricting, but not forceful, power. It was similar to someone much larger and stronger holding a feisty child back with gentle ease. The haze then drifted a bit closer to Tails. Whoever it was, it did not float or hover but stood like anyone else, although the shaded person was far larger than Tails could ever hope to be, it had no visible face or eyes, as even the final faint rays of sunlight passed through it's 'body', though it could've been an optical illusion.
"I have need of this one. He's special you see." The transparent speaker dangled Sonic closer for emphasis "His existence allows rifts in time and space to be formed, a fact that is only amplified by his connection to the jeweled disruptors of nature. I believe you know them better as the Chaos Emeralds, yes?" The person explained in a forthright manner, almost as though it was stating well-known facts. Tails could easily see past it's almost affable tone to expose the insatiable greed lingering within. Did he or it really think Tails was just going to relax and hand over Sonic after hearing some poor explanation? If anything, the shade's words only intensified Tails' ever-building wrath.
"Now leave us…" the fox was then tossed rag-doll style into a large stone's sharp edge. The impact felt as though it had cracked his spinal column, and obviously left the vulpine in considerable pain. Despite the agony, Tails did raise his muzzle up to witness the rest of what the shade had in store.
"Do not fret; no harm will come to him. In fact, he will not even have memory of this event at all. His pains of living and thriving in a foreign world will soon melt away." With the sweep of his right hand, the figure drew forth a strange object, not unlike the former visage of Maasawd. Tails recollected the tattered remnants of the mask that had been clinging to Shadow's face, and knew with sudden horror what the shade intended to do. Staining in his invisible bonds seemed useless under the sheer amount of power this person wielded. Still, Tails had, against all odds, managed to fight off the pressure long enough to rise to his feet.
"Oh…indeed? How fascinating…" the words of the shade rang deep of curiosity "Resisting on will-power alone? You must care for this one, perhaps more than could be considered healthy. You do know this is not the Sonic you once knew?"
His words found no purchase with Tails, who stubbornly forced a step forward "He's my brother and my best friend, and that won't change even if he does. Real or fake, serene or insane, pure or defiled, I love my friends unconditionally…" pulling out his rifle, Tails took aim at the mask. The first blind shot, no matter how quickly the shade attempted to dodge, cracked a small portion of the devilish device. Pulling the captive hedgehog to his front, the shade used Sonic's body as shield against any further attacks. Suddenly, another assault came in the form of several shurikens. None were successful in hitting the blurry foe, but Espio's unexpected assistance did leave the dark one feeling a bit cornered now. More aid arrived when a mysterious lance of gold energy made contact with the shade's arm.
Gasping softly at his small burn, the shade did say "Unity and will-power alone cannot overcome me. You of all abominations should understand this best, Shadow, or should I say Maasawd?" the dark hedgehog cringed at his wounds too much to reply to taunt. This gave the figure time enough to finish speaking "It's better if I demonstrate this point, I suppose." And with the wave of his arm, a harsh shockwave caused the three heroes to collapse to the ground. All were now bathed in the profane light which burned like acid on their flesh.
Shifting away from his lesser foes, the faded one held the blue hedgehog high and said "And now, Sonic, I will release you from your torment. Become my new slave with this power. Reveal the way! Lead both of our worlds into darkness!"
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*Sonic's POV
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His loud proclamation made, the hazed man forcibly attempted to affix the corrupted artifact to the hero's face. The eyes of the cobalt hedgehog shot open immediately, as if sensing the invasion on his mind. Despite his resistance, his irises of emerald green began to distort into a blood-soaked red. His body also rejected the assimilation as hard as was physically possible, but sickeningly sweet smell of negative chaos energy in his weakened state was too powerful to outmatch.
"Tails bud…" Sonic gasped softly, letting his eyes fall shut "I'm sorry… But I can't hold out any longer…" and with these last thoughts, he succumbed to the hateful influence. His admission of defeat would never have come about if he hadn't been so battered from the recent clash. Not that it mattered anymore, as he would soon become a witless slave.
"Sonic!" a young voice called out, breaking his submissive thoughts apart. Was it Tikal, or was it his Tails? Regardless, upon hearing his name the hero could feel the harsh but loving presence of positive chaos energy flow through him once more. This gave him the strength to fight for control again, this time with him getting the upper-hand.
Soon enough, he could depict faint images of a yellow-orange blur struggling with a much larger red object. He didn't know what he was seeing until his eyes adjusted. Seconds later, he could make out the yellow-figure enough to tell it was Tails; however, the other remained too hazy for him to describe. In the midst of the scuffle, Sonic felt his head swim, as his body had gone plummeting down into the rotted earth below. Trying to shake off the fall, Sonic tumbled to his knees upon trying to stand. His head could barely stop the world from spinning around him as the negative energy wore off.
"Sonic…" a deep voice, possibly Espio's, drew his attention. Sure enough, there was the chameleon offering him a hand to get up. The hero took the favor with only minor reluctance, and was soon shouldered to better position.
Now upright, Sonic had his dulled ears detect growls and grunts coming from where he landed. His now-normally colored eyes saw his best friend held firmly by the distorted figure, who he'd been struggling against moments ago.
"Your resistance is of no consequence to me…" the person spoke, giving the hero a severe case of the willies "Denying your purpose has only sealed the fate of one quite dear to you."
Sonic didn't comprehend this. What was this new freak going to do? And what was he talking about 'sealing someone's fate'? All he knew was that someone was holding his buddy captive, and he wasn't going to stand by and watch. The blue blur wanted to rip a homing dash right through the specter's hide, assuming he had one, but Espio restrained Sonic from making any more foolish moves. Even restricted from any physical intervention, Sonic still shouted in voice that did justice to his boiling veins.
"Let Tails go, you creep! LET HIM GO!" he couldn't stand how helpless he was. With all his stamina drained, he could only watch as the figure held up both Tails and a partially broken mask.
"Know despair little hedgehog! This is what becomes of those who cross me!" And with an aggressive slam, the hazed figure forced the device upon the poor fox. Sonic gaped and shook violently in Espio's hold, even elbowing him twice, trying to rush in to save his friend. In the end, he was limited to watching as his brother was consumed by the hellish artifact.
"TAAAAIIIILLLLLSSSSS!"
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End of Chapter Thirty
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It took me too long to plan this one out. I actually had this one finished by the ninth, but I wasn't able to sign-in and update 'til now for some reason :(.
And so roughly ends the first big climax. I can't be sure what next chap will contain character-wise, but you can be sure I have forgotten no one.
DanceDream: All is set for the last Arc. This one is more tense now than ever, considering how the stakes just got raised (poor Tails :'( ). I know you don't like crude language, but I needed it for realism, and yes I stopped Sonic from cussing again when he saw Tails getting held up (even though I would if I saw that happening to my bro). Sorry for that nonetheless.
Ghostkid33: :D I'm so glad you like it! Hopefully I can start my famous Character development on THIS Shadow soon! I centered this one on my favorite guy err…fox mostly cause of the crap I just put him through. I hate doing bad things to Tails :'(
Serenity: Yup, Shadow is back…but Tails is :'(
Infamousplot: I'm especially interested in your input here. PM or review soon!
Kindra Mckleen: Good guessing then :). Thank you, but I have to be hard on myself to ensure quality work. Too bad I couldn't include other POVs this time.
knight of the windZ10Z: Thanks for the star :D! Yeah Shadow's going to be less of a brooding arse-hole in this tale, as I simply don't like him like that. I want him to be the Shadow without Shadow's dark past (if that makes any sense). No ending here as you can see! This is the start of the last stretch! The second climax will be much greater than this one by far (at least I'm hoping so)! I'll be sure to tie the others in soon. P.S. I'd still be more than pleased if you checked out Rise anyway! It's not your average romance fic, it's done with my irregular action take on the genre.
Sierra Zanimalini14: I had hoped you would like :). I didn't have much Sonic and Shadow interactions just yet for I had to set the scene changes.
Super Shadix 520: Thanks for the good catch again :). I think last chapter was dramatic, but this one was more intense, wouldn't you agree?
Sparkling-nexis137: Froggy-Shadow hybrid! Protector of hedgehog-kind and savior of…a now imperiled Tails *sniffle*. Sorry, I just don't like bad stuff happening to my main man (even though he's not the main character). No humor or alternate area POV's this chap. It's just a lot of dark and dismal, with a purpose of course.
prowerboy: Yup it was Shadow all along. No prob on the reviews (I always say that, but I always mean it :) ). As long as you liked it, I'm a happy camper.
draco'sfairmaiden: I have to be or I end up falling short. Shadow is back, but Tails is having issues (imagine how Amethyst is going to take this :( ). This chapter made me upset, but it's necessary to keep with my original idea.
Dark Tailz Fox: Review whenever.
Cut Productions: I understand your cause for concern about the 'cussing' bit. But unlike that poor-excuse for a game called Shadow the Hedgehog, I'm not cussing to be 'cool'. It's a normal teenage reaction to stressors and adds a feel of realism which the games tend to lack. This whole chapter is cussing-free, and therefore should be wholesome enough to enjoy. In the future, I will further strive to remove all foul language from my works, but please never compare my writing to Shadow the Hedgehog (yes I know you where just using it as a 'for instance'). That is fan-service product, and I detest it immensely. Now as for the left out details, I generally do my best with what I can muster and leave the dominant majority up to the audience. For instance, Shadow would never let a blow actually reach him unless he was weakened and/or powerless to stop it (such as in Sonic's case). I have mentioned his design as Maasawd sparsely so as to give readers time to dream up what they want until I reveal it. You are correct though, I did a poor job of dealing with both. Even so, I will do my best to avoid any confusing nonsense in the future. That said, I'm very glad you enjoyed the foreshadowing (no pun intended) and not-so-subtle hinting in my prior chapters.
Corian: Kind of gives it away no? Glad you liked the chapter!
jakeroo123: You might not enjoy what I've done to Tails, but I have my reasons. He's a hard one to do this to, but he is one of this tale's bigger heroes, and thus really requires something substantial to happen to him. I've not taken him out of the story for Shadow, not by a long shot.
Until next time.