PoC: PenFullofChaos819 renders unto you yet another tedious reminder that he seizes ownership of nothing, save for his story's plot, title, and summary details.
…
PoC: Hmm… No one here. Well, might as well get on with the chapter then.
Silver: Hi.
PoC: Oh…hello Silv-AH!
?: O_O
PoC: Ugh…don't scare me like that! Silver, what's he, err…it, doing here?
Silver: Okay so I took this little guy along cuz…remember how you went and quit on us again? Well Met left saying he was going to finish Rise himself. Oh, and he told me to tell you this:
(Metal): PoC, I'm disgusted to say that I misjudged you. I thought you were the sort of fool that keeps trying no matter what, not the stupid tool that gives up each time they hit it a rut. If you're going to keep on believing each negative comment you hear, you might as well just stop living and become every naysayer's slave! But…should you find it in you to prove me wrong; I'll consider gracing you with my presence again. Until then, Rise is under MY control!
PoC: …Okay people! Time to get to work!
Silver: That's it? No hug time or nothing? Aww…alright fine, I want Metal back too so let's do this!
Tails Doll: O_+
PoC: Did…did that thing wink at us, or did it's eye fall out?
Silver: *Pulls out sewing kit* Geez, Met needs to change his own kid once in a while.
PoC: Yeah…wait a sec, wha-
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Dive into the Unknown
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Against rational fear and a multitude of reasons to doubt any odds of their success, Maria stubbornly chose to remain sure of this plan. For her, a girl brought up around and trusting of only indisputable statistics, to be confident in such a flawed hope was by no stretch of the imagination, miraculous. A logical mind like hers never had much room for what could be considered speculative action at best. In the face of this danger, however, over-rationalizing as opposed to blind action seemed the worse of the two evils. Time wasted on pondering was time that may well end up costing her something, something far more precious than solid answers.
That thought alone drove her forward, occasionally stopping just long enough to process Aquamarine's next directions, and to ensure everyone else was keeping up. Finally, as sweat started to stream down her red cheeks, the youngest Robotnik beheld her goal: A computer station with a number of desktops to log-in by. Though her half-hearted hope of finding Julian confined had been crushed, the task she had set out to accomplish was now underway. Leaping into the largest of the vacant chairs, Maria set about hacking into the system's vast network.
At the same time, the remainder of the misfit crew took to reclining a still-injured Knuckles into a seat of his own. Tikal seemed to show the most sympathy over the echidna's broken state, despite the concern both Amy and even the crazed Charmy showed. This was likely because the echidna maiden felt responsible for the sad state Knuckles was in. She understood best what had happened to him, even without witnessing it personally. Criminal or no, Tikal knew he deserved better than the callous fate of his ancestors. So whilst clasping his shredded mitt tightly, she silently prayed for his eventual recovery.
On the sidelines, Aquamarine, the enigmatic spirit, resigned to leaving the four them alone, knowing nothing she could say would help. Instead she offered the stressed and fixated Maria some relief with a more productive, if not compassionate, use of her powers. When the short process was finished, the chaos spirit watched as the blond girl's crimson cheeks returned to normal and her typing speed picked up. For Aqua, this act was a small apology for all the trouble her siblings had caused. And though she would not say it aloud, she also secretly hoped these stouthearted beings could yet alter fate's drastic course, effectively saving her siblings.
Meanwhile, Amy had snuck and sat away from the two groups wordlessly. Her visions had grown more turbulent in the last few hours. Not to mention that these so-called 'premonitions' had now begun to torment her in the form of wide-awake 'dreams'. Parts about the world or space/time splitting apart had become an expected constant, but oddly so had the face-switching between Sonic, Tails, and a beastly mask; an event that she had thought to have already taken place. One way or another, how did any of it make sense? And moreover, how did they, by merely shutting down a factory, hope to prevent these visions from coming true? One or both of her nightmares were upon them, and nothing they did here might make the slightest difference. Together with her apprehension about possibly becoming Tikal's avatar, the burden was almost too much for the young hedgehog to bear.
Collectively, each still-conscious member of the team brewed in unspoken turmoil until Maria at last announced with triumph "Got it! I've cracked into the mainframe! All I have to do now is disable the core systems sustaining this place and…" After tapping in a few final keystrokes, she proudly pressed the 'enter' key down with determination and concluded "Finished! I hope that did it."
Everyone else hoped for no less as the facility's lights flicked out one by one. Though emergency reserves had kicked in shortly thereafter, this new ambience was not welcoming in the least. Hums and whirrs of machines powering down gave the illusion of whining moans throughout the zone's partially pitch-black passageways. Each member stayed perfectly still, waiting hesitantly for any other sudden developments…
Thankfully none took place.
Save for the buzzing of computer fans and Knuckles' pained groans, nothing had changed. Maria checked the systems again to look for any further action she could take, but found the network to be on total lockdown. Tikal, Amy, and Charmy meanwhile tensely looked up and around as if expecting something to jump out at them at any second. Only Aquamarine and Knuckles, the latter for obvious reasons, kept their reactions hidden. However, most or all could sense that something else, besides the power, had been affected, but it was impossible to pinpoint.
Just when all answers seemed largely out of reach, Tikal let out a shout of surprise and said "I feel it, the outpour of-of…!" The majority of her statement was incoherent, and steadily more so as apparent agony overtook her. By the time Maria and Amy noticed, the ghostly echidna maiden was doubled over and shouting frantically "The darkness, it-it burns! Father, mother, help me…! F-Fire, everywhere…please someone! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Cries of her sudden desperation led to Tikal vanishing entirely before anyone could render aid.
"T-Tikal? Are you…" A terrified Maria tried to ask, only to find herself startled and interrupted by a mild tap from behind. Whisking around, she saw Amy, or at least the 'body' of Amy, giving her a focused stare.
"I'll admit…that was far more excruciating than I had expected. I hope I didn't frighten any of you too badly." Amy/Tikal said apologetically, somewhat giving Maria's nerves a rest. Tikal, via Amy's voice, then went on to say "Our largest role in this conflict is now finished. We can now but place faith in our allies. Pray that they will complete that which we have begun."
Detached from the others' discussion, Aqua faced blankly out towards the darkened corridors. Silent and expressionless as ever, no one noticed when the mysterious spirit clasped her chest and lowered her head sorrowfully.
"Brother, there is still time. Step off this destructive path while you still can."
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*With Sonic*
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In keeping with this world's usual habit of pushing his limits, Sonic was beginning to get dizzy from all this spinning and dashing. Ridiculous as it sounded, striking these gooey/fiery creatures was akin to whirling through a stack of overcooked Jello; having both the head-throbbing sensation of water combined with the fever-inducing warmth of excessive sun. Yes, this was an odd observation to make. However, Sonic had often let his mind wander like this in tense situations. It seemed to act as a chaser for undue stress.
"Like whenever Shadow and I tussled." He recalled the silly memories "I figured the guy would be a pro at hockey, since he skates around and likes clobbering the enemy team more than working with his own." He grinned at the notion, ripping through another foe or three all the while.
Keeping his attention off negativity was proving to be a vital asset, enough of one that some of his foes were actually starting to flee from him. Very soon, the supersonic blur was left to assume that either this group had decided to cut losses, or maybe they just couldn't tolerate his positive presence any longer. Not a one of these made actual sense, given how persistent these blobs of danger had been up until now.
Deciding to riddle this mystery out later, the hero refocused his attention on those still barring his path. Consistent and engaging as Sonic's attacks remained, his actions didn't prevent most of the enemy from tapering off in the opposite direction. Once they had all abandoned the fight, the hero took a glance towards where the Chaos fakes were headed.
"Huh, that's weird." He commented on an intriguing sight "Those slimy drips are gathering near something…glowing? Ugh I can't tell. Geez, was it always this dark? I think someone turned out the lights." With eyes squinted as hard as possible, Sonic tried to determine just what they were swarming around. In the final result, the hero's sole clue behind the bizarre gathering lay in another immense spike of negative energy, as if it hadn't been 'immense' enough before. This sensation, after he gave it some thought, turned out to be the same beacon Sonic had been following all this time, only far stronger, and not just due to his proximity.
Though he was back to relying on mere feeling, Sonic remained dead set on uncovering what had amplified the miasmatic aura, as well as its origin. Granted, entering a large, darkened room full of beastly monsters just waiting to tear him to shreds did not seem to be the best course of action. Fearlessly though, Sonic dove inside, using the incandescent glow of his foes to guide his path. Thankfully, this strange room was void of any tripping hazards, yet it no longer felt like the facility he had been trapped in. While just as technologically advanced as his old prison perhaps, the darkness that shrouded his current location felt increasingly…unnatural and powerful.
Right before Sonic had a chance to elaborate on this, his ears picked up some sharp noises; blunt, heavy, gruff ones to put it vaguely. Running towards the sounds revealed them to be more distressing, yet distinguishable, thuds, grunts and shouts. Fighting, that's what it clearly was. And if such evidence had not been very convincing, the thunderous crack of a gun being fired certainly was. Sonic knew only one teammate of his that had access to any sort of firearm, and that thought gave him all the more haste.
Nearing the legion of aqueous destroyers, Sonic enacted a very timely hit-and-run strategy. Tossing himself into a spin, the hedgehog shaved off the outer perimeter of enemies to draw the main hoard's attention. Backing out briefly, Sonic purposely allowed several foes to close in until he was nearly unable to dodge their swipes. Now lined up like the thoughtless beasts they were, Sonic drilled a straight-lined dash right through scores of their dim-witted ranks. He used this opportunity to run right by the entrapped fox, so as to alert her of his presence and to hopefully avoid any future friendly fire.
But as he zoomed near the vixen, she reflexively drove a fist into his kidney region, sending the hedgehog staggering off course.
Forced to retreat a bit farther out than originally planned, Sonic gripped his sore spot and said "Yikes, I don't blame her for lashing out, but man." Checking out the trauma, the hero noticed that his whole side was already a colored mass of grayish brown and purple. Massive bruising like that would be unlikely from even Knuckles or Shadow, much less the slender Amethyst. It worried Sonic to think what sort of desperation had driven her to cause him such harm.
Ditching his old method of attack, the cobalt one settled on a more hard-hitting assault. Banking on the vixen being able to hold her own, Sonic focused on taking down every target on his side, one spin strike at a time. Tracing the air with his cerulean afterimages, Sonic's blade-like spines sawed through piles of gelatinized skin. Sweat gradually started pour from his friction-burned quills, as Sonic wound up himself up again and again into kinetic spheres of destruction. Eventually fatigue from dropping his share foes left the hero weak enough to resort to basic kicks and punches. He planted his fading strength into each monster's head, chest or whatever portion of them he could impact.
How many had gone down? How many were still standing? Numbness had started to suppress the stinging burn inside his oxygen-deprived arms and legs. One spinning back-fist, a head split open. Another well-placed roundhouse, a beast's body dissipated. Lines of nonexistent lights began to impede his sore, dried out eyes. In moments when collapse seemed inevitable, Sonic was given one small relief: Boosts of much needed sanity presented themselves whenever the weary hedgehog caught a glimpse of his imperiled friend. Two, ten, even twenty of these sauntering nightmares would not stop him from saving her. Tails would never forgive him if he failed this time…
Minutes raged on like brutal hours, each full of mindless combat. Ragged and beaten to unnatural shades of blue, Sonic locked gazes with a lone Chaos impersonator. No dramatic finish for this freak. Like many of his ilk, the monster died of a simple, crisp aerial kick to the chest, which thereafter exploded on contact. A grip on his senses allowed Sonic to confirm that, against rigid odds, all of their opponents had vanished, with no indication of returning.
Rushing to ensure Amethyst was still in one piece, Sonic tried to catch his breath while asking "You okay, Ame…thyst?" He found himself stumbling through his greeting when his eyes met 'hers'. Exhausted, but not delirious, Sonic first thought that his vision was still too blurred to trust. Yet unless some power had altered her beyond recognition, the person before him was clearly not the vixen he knew. True, his sight was further hurt by the vivid orange light the figure gave off, but even so he could not see anything feminine about this fox. Arguably, it's eyes were roughly the same color as Amethyst's, perhaps a bit darker, but unlike hers they harbored such ferocity, such animosity. However, if this figure was not the vixen, the only other possibility was…
Right then, a telltale detail snagged his gaze: This figure bore…a second tail.
Watching without any true belief in what he saw, Sonic took a faulty step forward causing him to trip ungracefully. Supposedly a stabbing pain to his knee was just the sort of snapping out he needed, in order to greet his friend properly that is. Not caring how forward or intrusive it was, the hero reached in and looped an arm over the vulpine in a crushing embrace. Sonic was even happier to note that his bigger buddy had, despite his angry looks, decided to share in their reunion hug.
Touching times like this were often ruined by villainous forces or faux manly pride; in this case the latter being the culprit. Both heroes pushed each other back in modest embarrassment before Sonic sarcastically commented "Hey bro…no offence but you look like crap." Tails responded audibly for the first time with a surprised grunt/laugh, given how inappropriate Sonic's words were for someone he had thought to be dead, or worse.
Though glad his joking jab was not poorly received, the cobalt mobian still retracted his statement by saying "Hey but at least you've got your own face back. But seriously…what's up with your eyes? And how'd you manage to ditch that ugly mask-thing anyway?"
"W-What?" The fox asked suddenly, sounding quite astonished. His gloved hands reached all over for the faceguard but found nothing except for his own long, fuzzy muzzle. Observing Tails' confusion, Sonic half considered taking his words back again, until the fox beat him to the punch "I…must've lost it while I was fighting those…things. Either that or…" The fox held up his rifle and sighed somberly "Maybe it was her; no…I know it was. She…helped me break free. That's also why I look like this…" Tails motioned to his entire body "She gave up everything…for me…"
There was a quiet, requiem-like reverence about the fox's words that welled up sorrow inside Sonic. He almost wanted to pass off these implications by saying that this 'person' his friend mentioned might have been Tikal. That, however, was not what his heart and common sense told him. All the same, he would have safely risked calling his heart false and his senses a fluke, if denying either could separate the dismal truth from reality. Admittedly, if what he feared was in fact true, then it would explain the hatred Sonic had seen festering in his friend's eyes.
"Tails…I don't…I'm sorry." The hero's words were unfittingly empty, but what else could he say? He had run out of tears to cry, used up all angst to scream. The result of this mission was too exhaustingly sad, even if it had reunited him with Tails. Nothing was worth having his otherworldly friend lose his strongest reason for living.
Yet he had to look for the silver-lining in all this: They now could leave this ill-fated place.
Freedom awaited both of them…
"Sonic the hedgehog and Miles Prower. I humbly welcome you both."
No…
No…!
…NO!
This was not right, not fair to them in the least! Why did the sick-hearted 'master' have to show his face now? Was torturing Sonic's friends and destroying his brother's life not enough for this sadist?
Had the hero not again felt the loving backing of his home-world allies, he would have truly given in to the darkness right then and there. Still, he settled for scalding the hazed phantom with a violent scowl as his return greeting. Tails too seemed agitated, given how throaty and heavy his breaths had become.
Meanwhile the man in charge approached the pair calmly and asked "Do you remember Sonic, what I told you when we first met?"
He must have been a fool to not notice, or at least not heed, the wrath on the two heroes' faces. Even so, Sonic gave his best effort to answer the less-than-human figure properly "All I remember is you babbling about me 'revealing the way to darkness' or some crap. And since we're asking questions, why don't you tell us WHAT YOU DID TO AMETHSYT!" Sonic shout had come out more animalistic than he had intended, forcing even the composed 'master' to take a step back.
"Allow me to answer your question first, if you don't mind." Why he bothered with formalities Sonic didn't know, but since Tails was keeping his cool, the hero struggled to let the man finish "If you are inquiring about dear Amethyst's fate, why not ask your dual-tailed friend here? After all, he was the only one present to witness her final moments. Is that not right, Miles?"
Though the speedster wanted to deck the blurry prick for what he said, Tails caught his attention when he gasped and strained out "Sh-shut up! I…I didn't do anything…I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HURT HER! I…didn't…" Upon shouting this, the fox fell to his knees whilst clasping his head, apparently in great pain.
Taking a few paces closer, the master pointed out "No one accused you of such, but the truth is an elusive thing, yes?" Tails let out a soft cry as the phantom went on "Understand boy: It was not you, it was the all-consuming might of chaos that claimed your beloved's life. Such is the power's incredible potential, potential to change the world in which we live." With many a flaunting gestures, most of which only made the blue hero glare harder while supporting the scared fox, the figure continued his melodramatic sermon by asking "Don't you see yet? It can rend even the most powerful bonds with the greatest of ease. It can turn even the truest love into deepest hatred in all but an instant. Its influence is the epitome of mind over matter! But consider, if it can spwan such atrocities, then the miracles it can weave must be no less fantast-"
"Hey, you heard the man! SHUT UP!" Sonic interrupted, vehemently sticking up for his bro "You talk about changing the world, but all you do is use us as warped experiments for your pleasure! I don't see what's so 'miraculous' about hurting people you don't even know!" Turning back to Tails, Sonic tried his best to get the tormented vulpine to look at him.
At the same time, the figure let out a sigh of dissatisfaction "You have come this far, yet you still do not know the truth?" The blue mobian returned a gaze of mixed bitterness and curiosity at the master's question. Seeing that he had gotten the cobalt one's attention, the figure spoke slowly "Sonic, you hurt me deeply when you failed to remember our first meeting. I prepared a cordial invitation to my own city for you, yet you turned me down; with the crudest of manners no less!" This absurd display of feigned 'hurt' was quickly cast off when the figure contentedly remarked "Ah…but such was to my expectations. I was aware that you were not the same Sonic, so to risk such an offer was really no risk at all. If all went well, I was quite sure we'd end up helping each other one way or another."
Little by little, this person's speech, though still flowery and dramatic, sounded increasingly familiar. Finally, the figure's obscure shadowy cloak began to dissipate as his tone changed again; this time, to one that Sonic clearly recognized "Oh my dear Sonic…don't tell me that you forgot about our long partnership?"
…
…
…since when…?
Sonic had to know: Since when had they been tricked, duped, mislead? At what point in their quest were they fully under this maniac's influence? Despite having never trusted him in the beginning, it seemed now that his caution was all for nothing. Whether Sonic had gone along with him back then or not, was he somehow doomed to be swept up in this vile scheme regardless? But wait…then why did he…give them the emeralds back then, and even offer to join in the search? If the ransom had always been about the Chaos Emeralds, then why would this lunatic have surrendered the ones he already possessed? It just didn't make any…
No…that wasn't it.
Even if the emeralds were part of the original plan, the true target, since the very beginning, had always been…him; Sonic himself was this psycho's primary goal all along. He wasn't sure of the details, but it was clear now that his presence here was at the heart of this crazy fool's plan.
On the 'bright' side…at least some things, for better or for worse, never change.
Standing up to his full, yet comparatively diminutive, height, Sonic locked his burning green irises on the rotund man above him and proclaimed "After the lies you told us from the start…after all the disasters your evil plan caused…after what you did to my friends…"
"…I'll never forgive you, Robotnik!"
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End of Chapter Forty-nine
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Coming back to this project at last…with a very late start of course.
I'm not sure whether I want this chapter to be a grand success or just passable enough for your guys' tastes. I don't really know how well I did, with the back-story (more holes to be filled next chapter), with Robotnik's revealing (probably too rushed or something), or with any other odds and ends. On an important side note, I hate seeing how many good reviews I up and tossed away for nothing. Everyone's time and dedication spent reviewing this gargantuan story just thrown out…*Sigh* I'm very sorry for that, but I will at least continue this story to the very end (which is coming extremely soon).
DanceDream, Ghostkid33, Serenity/ravenclaww, Sierra Zanimalini14, Infamousplot, Kindra Mckleen, knight of the windZ10Z, prowerboy, Mewone, Infamousplot, draco'sfairmaiden, Super Shadix 520, Sparking-nexis137, Ninuhuju, CutProductions, Skylera (I misspelled it for sure ._.), No Line on the Horizon, killingkathy/JingleQ, DarkTailzFox (crap, I'm missing something :\) jakeroo123, Flameuser (forgot the numerical part DX), Tehgoatgoesbah…and so many others over the course of this plot. Geez, what would I have done without you guys? Like or dislike my work, each of you has been kind enough to review this story at one time or another. Though I don't see some of you anymore, or at least not as often (those listed at the very end) I'm still very grateful to have heard from you. I hope those of the majority still continue to follow Reason until its long-awaited (at least on my part) conclusion.
I'm going to take this next moment to reply back to a few non-user reviewers, since I can't PM them and all (if I only mentioned your name above, please don't feel left out! ^_^).
DanceDream: I…don't know what to say. I guess I'll start by saying this: I wish I had your joy, Dance, I really wish I did. I think the only time I feel that my work could ever be called God-given (or a 'gift of God', as with my name's meaning), is when it pleases someone else. I know that's not right, as all things we cherish are our Lord's gifts. I don't know how much my words have helped you, but I know you how much you've helped me. I really think you were the first one here that offered to pray for me…and that means so much. I think I'm a little ashamed because reading your words actually made me tear up a little. Since you were kind enough share scripture, I think I will do so too: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40. This passage makes me think of all the times you went out of your way to cheer me up, when could've simply left a couple comments about the chapter. I hope God remembers to bless you in the way you have blessed me. Never stop being the kind person you are, Dance, not for anyone.
Ghostkid33: Thank you so much. I feel more and more the random horrors we see on T.V. are becoming a constant household concern. You know, I showed your review and everyone else's to my sister-in-law. She was truly touched and surprised to find so many people praying and mourning her friend's loss. I'll admit when I first started writing here, I expected precious little beyond what you might find at any other fan-site, or even comments as debase as YouTube's. While I get that some people here ARE that bad, you are one of so many that proved me wrong. I remember when I first read your review, I was so stupidly happy to hear from a fellow college student, and not someone five-plus years removed from my time. I mean yes, I love hearing from everyone, but to have someone closer in age (I'm talking early adult) is refreshing and comforting. :D Even now you still have excited comments about my fic, despite my hazardous removal of all progress :\. I stupidly erased ALL the reviews you took the time to make, and yet here you are telling ME not to stress? I'm…almost embarrassed by how much kindness you've shown me. Really I don't think I've done anything special, but you treat me as though I had. As with Dance and everyone else, I pray that people show you as much compassion as you've shown me. You most certainly deserve it :).
Serenity: Yeah, some good my 'good intentions' did, you know what I mean? :''( I'm so sorry. I'll confess I was selfish to delete all my work without as much as a proper goodbye. I mean I had started to PM you via ravenclaww, but that's not the same. And it most certainly doesn't excuse me cutting off all my work just because I entered an intense bout of depression. I know this may sound idiotic, but I didn't think anyone would care. Sure, I expected people to be mad, or at least so disappointed that they didn't want to talk to me, but I dumbly found myself surprised by how many understanding/loving words I reply's I got back. :') Aww…crap, I feel so silly right now. I've taught people stuff before sure, but I never imagined I'd be your inspiration. When I said I feel 'silly' I mean sort of flattered and bashful at the same time. I don't see myself as high-class material…obviously, so hearing you and a few others say they're inspired by my work is…sort of new to me. I really wish I could express how happy your support makes me, but I suppose I'd be all falsely cocky and prideful in person (yes sadly, I'm THAT type of dude XD) if I tried. Okay, so mild kidding aside, I really appreciate you and Raven. That mad PM-fic we share is always able to brighten up any dull days of mine!
Okay…so I really went all out (long-winded PoC's are long-winded XD), but said what I said, and that's all there is to it! And so, as I always say…
Until next time!