Silver: One Pen to woo them all, one Pen that has-been. One Pen to write them all under the darkness…past ten! *Pauses* …okay COME ON PEOPLE! That was my best retrofit yet! C'mon stitch-lips! Some love here!
Tails Doll: -_-'
Silver: Oh go play with some pins then, ya picky voodoo brat! I've got to get PoC and Met back here before I run out of gags.
Tails Doll: 8D *hands over a bloodied sack*
Silver: Eh? Whatcha got there, junior…? Um…oh… No kid, just…no. I meant like…like jokes and things that make people…err, normal people, laugh. Just uh…put that back where you found it…I guess.
Tails Doll: 0_0 *Eyes glow red*
…
?: Think we should step in? You know, if only to spout the usual PenFullofChaos819 doesn't own Sega's Sonic characters, while saving Silv some trouble?
?(2): No, let this play out. The albino must soon learn the hard "From Cherub to Hell-spawn in sixty seconds" rule that applies to all unattended children. And besides, the lad hasn't had his late-night snack yet. Speaking of late-night snacks, where has Silvia been?
?: Wh-what? Geez, even for you that's just…not right *chokes*.
?(Metal, obviously): Mmm…I see you are clearly having a "deprivation" crisis as of now. Regardless, stop hacking and tell me when my Rise is coming, or else I'll REALLY give you something to choke on!
PoC: *Plugs ears* Ignore, just ignore. You have a story to finish, Pen. Just go to your happy place and…
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A Heart Full of Chaos
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Battered, overheated and exhausted from their intense free-for-all, each of the brave souls' eyes still darted nervously in each direction. And no wonder, as opponents formerly dead set on carving your name on a tombstone rarely up and vanish after a simple power surge. And though this came as an unexpected breather to the drained mobians, the few that could stand started scanning the area thoroughly; their main fear being that the beasts had escaped, and would now be in pursuit of their remaining teammates.
"I won't have it! I won't have any foe giving ME the slip!" An enraged, but still panting, Espio snapped, having lost his cool in a very unprofessional manner. Spent from searching fruitlessly for any trace of their opponents, the furious chameleon finally turned on his 'complacent' comrades when he said "Why are you all still sitting around? Get up! We don't have time to lick our wounds!"
In response, Vector merely clenched his hurting underbelly, whilst Rouge sourly fought back tears of pain. Just when it seemed that silence had bought the pair another chewing out, courtesy of an irrational, reptilian ninja, the stern voice of Shadow interjected "Espio…stop, you're making a fool of yourself. As much as I wish to protect the others too, we have allies right here that need our help." As he spoke, the dark hedgehog moved to ease the crocodile's bruises with a breeze of chill chaos energy.
Direct opposition to the purple mobian's foul temper did not at first bode well. However, it seemed that Espio had, past a second of thought, chosen to heed the black hedgehog's reasoning and back down.
Welcome as his rediscovered self-restraint was, the ex-ninja now stood mindlessly gazing towards the ceiling; seemingly oblivious to the state of his injured comrades. Such inconsiderate disregard almost incited Shadow's rare, but hellish temper; until he too became fixated on the dismal blackness overhead. Apparently, this habit was contagious, as both Vector and Rouge also offered their own weak attention. Eventually, all four stood staring without a word; it was as if they could sense something in the faintly lit darkness above.
Fittingly, the long time of quiet was ended by Vector's subtle, yet genuinely relieved voice "Hey, ghost lady." A fanged smile had just started to form on the reptile's lips when, abruptly, his expression grew deadly serious. Interestingly enough, these changes were only so apparent in the ex-con, as the rest of the team merely bore looks of stark confusion or curiosity. Whatever the reason, it seemed that the message rang clearest in Vector's ears, for he was the only one to identify and 'respond' to the unseen presence.
Still itching to take some sort of action, Espio ruggedly addressed his superior "You said 'ghost lady'… Boss, are you speaking to…that echidna phantom, Tikal?" Having either seen or imagined Vector's slight nod, the agitated chameleon started spilling out a bombardment of inquires "Does that mean the others are safe? Is Charmy alright? Have they located Sonic or Tails? Did…did they find any trace of Amethyst? Come on, fill us in! Boss please, I mus-" Espio found his unreasonable requests silenced by Shadow, who shook his quill-studded head at the edgy purple lizard. The former ninja chose then to remain silent, exercising patience beyond his limits.
Barring Espio's mild distraction, the other two heroes waited until Vector voluntarily spoke "Seems like ol' blueberry's got himself in a fix, same with our sly, double-tailed client. Guess the poor guy found Miles, but now is getting…uhh, 'tortured by the spirits', whatever that means. Oh, and ghost gal says he might get…eaten? Nah, 'consumed' by something that'll use his body to burn up our world: Faster and hotter than a goose speed-broiled for a late Christmas party. Sort of tasty actually, in Doomsday-ish sort of way."
Immediately noticing the angering effects of his inappropriate humor, the croc cleared his throat and finished the message "Well basically, Tikal says she's got a plan, but needs our help to make it happen. According to that her, we need to ehh…join hands and send some kind of player…erm, I mean, 'prayer' to help Sonic. Not really seeing how getting all kumbaya hippie-like is going to help, but that's what the lady-eh?" Much to the long-winded croc's surprise, and mild disturbance, the dark hedgehog quickly clasped Vector's large right hand without question.
"It is possible…that we are all being deceived again, but…recall that Tikal has always placed her trust in us. I say we honor that trust now." Shadow remarked with a level of contained, pragmatic surety. Upon taking Rouge's hand into his, he proclaimed "We don't have time for doubts. If this is indeed the only way, then we can't afford to hesitate." Shifting his gaze towards the somber chameleon, Shadow added "We can't afford to lose anyone else."
Espio locked eyes with the black and maroon hedgehog. For a short time, it seemed to be a stalemate of icy stares, until at last the purple lizard's desperation moved him to take Vector and Rouge's hands, forming a perfect circle. These surfaced, albeit still reserved, emotions also pushed Espio to say "One life is more than enough to purchase the blood of many. I won't allow any further sacrifices to be made."
Silently agreeing with his hue-shifting companion, Vector let out an unprepared sigh and asked "Okay Tikal, what sort of prayer did ya have in mind?"
L
*With Sonic*
L
Falling to his knees, Sonic let out a croaking groan. Visibly, the unnatural blob-like substance had yet to alter anything physical about the hedgehog. Of course, this was troublesome to judge, as the hero's vision doubled from the immense internal pain. Indeed, the force he was tortured with was akin to being eviscerated from within. Worse still was the gradual void that was left in the place of his pain. He didn't know whether it was his own body's response to being so overwhelmed, or else the pain's source that had triggered his numbness. Either way, the hero was mercilessly treated to further agony with an aftertaste of apathy.
Frightening as these elements were, nothing could be more unhelpful than the psychotic voices echoing in his head. Some spoke threats, others delighted in his misfortune, while at least one merely laughed like an asylum-bound lunatic. From what little he could glean, they all seemed to be speaking of his use as a 'vessel'. Whispers of 'scorching the world free of evil' and 'liberating the bound seven' also whirled about in Sonic's damaged mind. Needless to say, most of this spiritual jargon meant little to him, until one voice in particular said "Must be a shame, to have to kill your own kindred."
Sonic was not terribly well-versed in vocabulary, but he had education enough to know that the voice was speaking of family. Aware that both his mother and father were either dead or at least estranged to him, the hedgehog knew all too well who the voice spoke of. The very thought made him thrash in his mental bonds violently, for the hero was sooner prepared to die than to do his friends, or brother, harm. To his dismay, all this struggling merely heightened his pain, and increased the rate in which he lost the ability to feel. Demonic laughter now erupted all around him, which only served to enrage the hero further. Nearly lost in his 'righteous' fury, Sonic's heart verged towards total madness.
…
"Sonic the Hedgehog, I presume?"
Stunned by such a clear, sane utterance of his name, the hero inwardly gasped. Truthfully, he was getting a little sick of having his thoughts dragged back and forth between sanity and lunacy, to the point that he, uncaringly, wished one side would just win already. Regardless, he heeded the sharper voice with a dull "What do you want? You here to mess with me too?"
Almost as though he had imagined it, the blur thought he heard the speaker groan before it said back "Listen well, hedgehog! I do NOT have time to engage in needless debate with you. This battle is for your very soul, and I require your full cooperation if you wish to emerge victorious."
Even desperate, the speedy hero could not bear the voice's lengthy speech, and so shot back "Yeah, yeah, look whatever-you-are, I'm kinda in need of a quick fix right now, so cut the chatter and do something!" This may've been a highly improper tone for anyone in Sonic's predicament, but sadly this was how the hero chose to convey his dire need. The unseen speaker again offered an irked groan, yet seemingly granted the hedgehog's request; the room around the hedgehog faded away along with his immediate pain.
Peculiarly though, the area the hero now stood in was darker and even grimmer than the shadowy hall in which he had come from. This, coupled with Robotnik and Tails' absence and the sudden appearance of a sky blue being in front of him, told Sonic that he was trapped in some hallucination, albeit more 'in control' of himself.
He offered the sole figure a standoffish glare, unknowing of whether this being was a friend or foe. It didn't help that his visitor heavily resembled the fake Chaos' that he had encountered by the dozen. And so it wasn't until the being spoke that he very slightly lowered his guard "Sonic, you can see me now, yes?"
Stiffly nodding, the hero inched closer, saying back "Yeah, so who the heck are you?"
Before the being could answer him, both snapped their attention towards several noises coming from the lingering shadows. Very soon, the pair was surrounded by beings that bore great resemblance his friends, one even the hero himself, save for a truly soulless look in their eyes. Unintentionally, Sonic and the Chaos impersonator soon stood back to back, preparing to face the five malicious doppelgangers.
"I'll…take the ones on the left you take the ones on the right?" Sonic remarked half-heartedly, not knowing whether he could 'fight' these foes properly or not. No confidence was instilled by the snake-like ring of shadows slowly coiling around behind the five fakers. Formless though it was, the hero distantly felt a sort of sentience within the blackened mass; not that this mattered, considering he was about to be de-quilled by a band of familiar faces.
Expectedly, this was a poor time for his blue monster-ally to grab the hedgehog's arm without warning, which the yet unidentified Aqua did anyway. Outside the momentary thrashing of the startled cobalt mobian, she detained him quickly and easily enough to say "Sonic, I will distract my siblings for as long as I can, but you alone must face him; the corrupted guardian that has been forced inside of you." She then pointed her shining 'finger' towards the living void as if Sonic should've understood her meaning plainly.
Missing the spirit's point completely, the fast-footed hero seethed in sarcastic annoyance "Huh…yeah ok…sure. No for real, I totally see where you're going with thi-hi-hi-hi-HIIIISSS!" His sarcasm soon turned to screams, for the cyan gem-soul had caught up the hero and flung him into the ring of enclosing darkness.
Disappearing in a puff of distorted air, Aqua gave what seemed to be a small genuine smile, as she said "I too, shall be praying for your success. If you truly are a hero, then please…"
"…please save him from his suffering."
L
*Still…with Sonic*
L
If any hedgehog had ever so boldly tossed his, or her, self into a washing machine, with water set to an uncomfortably warm temperature, then they could safely salute the hero in his insane venture. The main difference being, of course, that he was cycled along waves of evil mist, rather than sudsy drainage. Not that any of this mattered to the irate hero, who was both annoyed at being lobbed like a common football, and greatly unnerved his miserable surroundings.
For no matter how far he floated, the dark zone seemed never-ending and silent. In his heart, it struck Sonic as a sort of a limitless gap of chaotic negativity; one not balanced by any small glimmer of harmony. And while it may not have seemed possible, the darkness only deepened the 'further in' he went. All that was stormy grey eventually faded to pitch black…
The space itself may've been vacant to his eyes, but by now, Sonic could finally hear something. True, ears were prone to playing temporary tricks on themselves when vision fails, yet the sounds remained distinct, persistent. It started out as a tapping, then a thumping, until it was a full blown drumming. Based on the successive two beats to every 'drumming' this noise was remarkably comparable to the pulsing of a…
"Heart?" Sonic wondered wordlessly before the expected object materialized two or so feet in front of him. The 'object' in question could not, even by one as ignorant of biology as Sonic, be mistaken for anything but the well-know, vasculature regulator itself. However, it was extremely decayed and sooty in appearance, looking more necrotized than healthy.
For a time the disembodied organ simply hung in place, beating ominously. Strangely enough, Sonic was faintly inclined to reach for it. These ideas were, however hastily dismissed when a steady flow of oil colored substance cloaked the levitating blood pump. When the consumption was finished, a being garbed in total darkness gradually revealed its form to the hero. First a set of large clawed hands jutted out of the gooey center, followed secondarily by a similarly edged pair of legs. The last change, a squid-like head with sharp green bug-eyes, was unnecessary to identify the creature. Tainted and defiled as its gurgling growl sounded, Sonic was easily able to recognize his formerly formidable opponent.
"Chaos… Man, what have they done to you?" Sonic gave the fallen god of destruction a sympathetic frown. Though it ticked the hedgehog to know his mind was still infested, there was something sad about seeing the watery guardian reduced to a snarling, feral beast.
Even so, Chaos' tormented soul evidently would show no quarter should Sonic fall, given how aggressive his sweeping, haymaker swings were. The speedster found himself quickly reminded of how difficult it was to cope with the oozing beast's reach advantage. In contrast to their 'first' encounter, the attempts on the hero's life were reckless and randomized in this bout, with each thrash holding a fragment of unbridled hostility.
Told by his gut that this Chaos must have notable changes from the 'original', Sonic resisted the urge to aim for his head. To further credit this guess, Sonic had snatched a passing glimpse of the blob's membranous noggin; to no surprise, it was completely empty. However, this close up earned the hedgehog a humbling slap from the beastly false deity. Uncaught by any 'walls' in his mind, Sonic tumbled end-over-end three or so times, until finally coming to a stop.
Yet, while lying in motionless for a short time, a small warm bubbled of light enveloped the hero. Afterwards, looking somehow unaffected, the hero pushed himself up and, quirkily enough, laughed.
"No pain…nothing at all. Guess that means you're holding back, or…" Sonic cut his musings off and looked straight ahead, uncaring of how intimidating the corrupted spirit tried to look. Shortly after this glaring duel, the hero was struck with an interesting idea; one which apparently involved walking right up to Chaos, with no intention of attacking.
Responding with a shattering roar, Chaos angrily unleashed a flurry of whip-based slams, all threatening to smash the blur into cobalt jelly. Yet to the supersonic mobian, dodging these blows was akin to child's play, at least now that he placed his entire emphasis on dodging. Occasionally, a strike or two would connect with full force, but each time, the lightened cocoon returned and Sonic emerged unharmed. Demeaning as it was, Sonic stubbornly remained sure of his passive path to victory.
Thus, the 'battle' raged on, only ending when the hero came within range of Chaos' chest. Reaching forward with as with as much haste as possible, the hedgehog took a spinning dive directly into the demented creature's torso; taking hold of the charcoal-shaded heart he had noticed beforehand. The act itself felt taken right out of a disgusting fighting arcade game, but events soon took an even more grotesque turn when Sonic couldn't pull his hand back out. The hero's fingers remained coiled around the throbbing object, much to his stomach's regret.
"Ugh, well this is…both awkward and…nasty." Sonic grunted between his timely tugs on Chaos' heartstrings…literally speaking. Unsavory as the hero's plan had become, any savage flailing by the fallen guardian had all but ceased. Indeed, Chaos had become perfectly still, if not paralyzed, while the blue mobian performed his unlicensed surgery.
Once the unclean deed was done, the hedgehog freed his arm from the beast and stepped back. Though still clutched in Sonic's hand was his foe's sole vital organ, Chaos remained standing and silent. No more blows were traded as both parties presently gave the heart their undivided focus. The heart itself did not continue beating, as most normal, autorhythmic cardiac muscles would, but instead lay perfectly still in the hero's white-gloved hand. Cupping it up close, the hero watched in awe as the sickly colored object grew lighter and lighter in his palm. Before long, its hue shone as brightly as the morning sun.
Whilst wondering what this meant, Sonic heard someone say "Made a slave to the very power I housed… How infuriating." Surprised, the blur looked around for the speaker as the voice kept on "The power I guarded punished the old world once…and, through my defiled blood, I see now that I was used by that human fool as a source of energy. The shame of it is…almost too much to bear."
The voice was rather like a mix of words and rippling water, giving Sonic the impression that Chaos had spoken. Turning his attention towards his old enemy, the hedgehog risked asking "So, Robotnik was using you to mess everything up? But slow down; if you're sane and all now, can't you stop him? He said he was going to use the 'Power of Chaos' to fry the world, so can't you just…"
Shaking its head vigorously, Chaos interrupted "No, blue one. I am named after the power; I am merely its offspring, a product of its miraculous might. And now that the Master Emerald is gone and Angel Island is but a ruin, I can do very little to restrain the power that resides within the emeralds. Their spirits will…no longer heed my commands."
Hearing all this, Sonic scoffed and began tapping his foot in frustration "Well that's just GREAT! So I guess I have to just sit back and chill while those goons have a play date with MY body! And while I'm at it, you can take your bleeding heart back now." The hero then handed back Chaos' vital internals, and added "Speaking of which, how the heck are you still okay without your heart? I practically ripped this sucker out of you, but you're standing like nothing happened."
Another rippling, akin to a mild chuckle, came before Chaos' proper response "A spirit cannot die, nor can it truly suffer pain. This you see is the metaphysical manifestation of my core, what allows me to channel my chaotic potential." Chaos displayed the heart, yet it no longer had its original shape. It seemed neither dead nor alive now that Sonic saw it for what it really was. Seeing the confusion on his face, Chaos widened his explanation "We stand within your mind, hedgehog. Here you will see things as you wish to, not always as they are."
Having said this, Chaos gave out what sounded like gurgling sigh, and pushed his glowing 'heart' back inside "I don't know how you did it, but the hate and wrath I felt for so long has all but vanished. In its place, I see the faintest faces of people I have never met, smiling, cheering and calling out for someone named 'Sonic'." Seeing a small grin on the hero's face, Chaos then said "I presume these memories are yours, and that these faces are those of people you protect. I know, for I too…once fought to protect a loved one."
Much to the hedgehog's fright, the briefly peaceful Chaos made the unexpected move of stretching out and grabbing hold of him. Firm though the grip was, Sonic did not sense hostility, which was confirmed when Chaos said "I failed the one I cared for, but your fate is yet undecided. And so, I charge you with two tasks: First, defeat detain the one who seeks to unleash the power upon the world; the same one who abused my befouled blood with his vile machines. Second, I request that you quell the wrath of the Seven. Know this though: The greatest of them holds the key to both locking and unlocking the power. But take heed, only one from your world can truly seal or wield it."
When Sonic had finished listening, he saw that Chaos had opened up what seemed to be a shimmering gateway, or window suspended in the shadowy walls of the hedgehog's mind. With a wind-up swing, the next thing the hero knew he was catapulted into the lit-up portal. During his short flight, he heard Chaos speak one last time "While I purge the spirits within you, simply fulfill the tasks I provided, and all will be set right. But…Sonic, was it? For opening my heart and freeing me of my ageless nightmare, I thank you…"
…
"May we be allies next time we meet."
L
*Back in the real world*
L
To stand before his greatest goal, the sanitization of all humans and mobians, now closing upon its point of success, the master thought he would be satisfied. This was a time for rejoicing, for triumph as the things of corruption will soon by burnt away, leaving the earth innocent and pure again. Indeed, he expected to be consumed as well, for no man with his stained past could be called blameless. However, this mattered little when he considered the great service he would be doing for the world. He would be realizing his grandfather's dream of global harmony, while securing a truly bright future for his dear Maria.
So, why was his heart so sunken? Perhaps because of some inescapable guilt he felt for the two mobians in front of him. He didn't hate either of them personally, nor did he resent them for trying to stop him. If you knew you could delay Judgment Day, just long enough to save the lives of a few that might have a change of heart, wouldn't you? Of course, maybe they never knew about his true plan, but still their goals were nevertheless noble. He almost hoped that they would be spared for the next world, but that was up to the power to decide. All he could do was follow through, and hope for the best.
"The hedgehog's assimilation should be complete." He muttered to himself, remotely checking the vital signs of the fox while he waited "But if Chaos' negative presence is too strong, it may merely break him…just as what happened with… No…I can't think like that. It can work, it must work this time. I measured out every potentiality. Sonic IS the vessel I need." He repeated this spiel of self-encouragement over and over, for at last, it was time to examine the hedgehog's condition.
However, an examination would prove to be highly unnecessary, as a chaos spirit, still half-mad with laughter flew past him in flash. This alarmed Robotnik enough, but the collection of five others struck him speechless. Whisking around, he saw the hedgehog rise, eyes shut as he climbed to his feet. Unsure of how the fusion would occur, the doctor waited with great anticipation to see Sonic's symptoms.
To his utter befuddlement, the hedgehog's green eyes were revealed, full of sanity and composure. Moreover, all traces of Chaos' presence inside him had disappeared, leaving behind Sonic's original levels of chaotic sensitivity. To seal the failure airtight, the cobalt mobain wagged his index finger tauntingly and said "Your plans are finished, doctor."
At a loss for how to feel now, the hefty man blinked emptily; his mind initially unable to wrap itself around what his eyes saw.
As soon as it hit him head on, the doctor sank to his knees. The crashing realization of one more failure had taken the last of his hopes, the last of his dreams, and dashed them to pieces. Holding the more rotund portions of his chest in apparent pain, the scientist choked out "No…it can't be. Is…is there no justice? Is this world of evil meant to keep on its course, no matter how many lives it destroys?" Groaning in aching sorrow and anger, the doctor slammed his fist on the metallic floor and shouted "No…NO! I will clean this world up, until there's nothing evil left. Until there are just machines, incorruptible machines that serve the precious few that deserve to live. Peace…it'll be a world of…peace…"
Sonic, unknowing of what to say to the defeated doctor, had mixed thoughts about this 'easy victory'. Part of him wanted to say something to shut the obese man up, but the rest of him had reluctant ideas of sympathy. Eventually, he left Robotnik alone to accept the circumstances reality.
He did, after all, have someone more important to check on.
-l-
End of Chapter Fifty-one
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So…here I am. I'm not any happier about the delay than anyone else. I have no excuse, but I will say that I couldn't have avoided it. I worked hard to get this out, but I know neglect might leave it a bit incoherent, and perhaps not as smooth as some of you would prefer. I hope this was worth at least half the wait, though even I can't justify how long it's been. But I compensate, in a small way, with comments (it's about dang time)!
DanceDream: I know it's been a while, but where've you been? I haven't heard from you for some time :'(
Ghostkid33: XD I can't believe how many people never guessed what I had in store! It actually makes me feel very happy when people reading a Sonic fic never expected Robotnik to be a villain! Whew, yeah but college has already begun again for me (too much time later…damn delays DX). Still, I'm glad the tension has you on edge :D
Serenity/ravenclaww: Short but sweet. I assure you that all will not end without a good deal of conflict (Chaos' conversion and Robotnik's breakdown were hardly 'battles'). Well, Sonic may be preserved yet (maybe…), but who can say for the rest of the cast? I have a morbid habit of mistreating my favorite characters.
Sierra Zanimalini14: Yeah, yeah, Sonic may have his beloved plot armor to keep him steady (or…does he?), but I daresay every other character is…well expendable! XD Right, well, perhaps not, but I do have a habit of being dark in my treatment of characters. :') I couldn't get through my day without the prayers and support of my family, schoolmates, coworkers, and friends here at FFN. May God be with you too, Sierra.
Kindra Mckleen: Thank you kindly (woot, I didn't misplace your review this time DX I should be shot in the foot for my efforts!) . Ah, but Sonic is practically MADE of positive energy. So you might say he can "Get by with a little help from his friends" XD (though their prayers have not fully 'reached' him just yet). However, there is another in this story who is not so fortunate. I'm very evil for doing it, I know, but every fic must have a villain, be they willing or unwilling.
knight of the windZ10Z: :) Yeah, I sadly drag things out too much, so we didn't get to see a lot of 'hardcore fighting' (but then, I've never been fond of DBZ-esque fight scenes XD). Yes, but evil's victory was hollow there, as you can see. Robotnik's work is like a great science experiment: You can plan for every possibility, but there's always the slight chance that the end result will be nothing like what you expected. That said, both Sonic and the doctor are in for a surprise next chapter ;)
prowerboy: Heh-heh! Some were fooled, some weren't, but I felt it was time to make the answer official XD (I still suck with names~!). Tails is very strong and mature, but that strength may be his downfall yet (as you will see soon). Sonic in contrast is, regardless of age, rather innocent and carefree, hence he is able 'purify' even Chaos (hmm…where did I get that from, I wonder?). No, don't worry, there's not much left. The next chapter should be the third to last (if all goes well, epilogue included).
Mewone: Let me know if you liked this chapter :)
CutProductions: I'm glad you both approve, but should I ever start a new story, I want to make more improvements. I can't say I'm entirely impressed by this tale, thus I will take my time before diving into a new fic (be it a sequel to this one or whatever). I believe I already replied in a PM, but in case I didn't, thank you both again so much! Robotnik's twist was perhaps my favorite part of writing this, but I never intended it to be fool-proof (too much of his plan hinged on Sonic). Even so, the main subject of the next chapter should be fairly obvious (in case it wasn't, pretend I said nothing XD).
Infamousplot: Well, you might never read this, but if you do, I hope you like how this story wraps up.
draco'sfairmaiden: Haven't heard from you, at least I don't think so. If I lost your review, I apologize and thank you for your support (consolation prize, I know :( ). At any rate, I hope to hear from you this chapter :)
Super Shadix 520: You support is appreciated in any form it takes (I've said this before, but then what else can I say? XD). Good to see that you didn't catch any glaring mistakes this time; though I don't know if the same can be said for this chapter. I would advise you to stick with your work, but I know how the pressures of real life can take their toll. I will be praying for your progress regardless.
Sparking-nexis137: Crum, I think I misplaced your review DX. I'm sorry, but for whatever you said, I'm very thankful. And no worries about Tails… I mean, after all, he's always treated well by me…right? XD
Ninuhuju: Nah, just a messed up Chaos XD. But to be fair, I make a good number of nods to Mephiles in this story (I rather liked that evil fellow, even though he was, appearance wise, a Shadow copy). I hate taking long to update, more than anyone might know :(. The difficulty of staying true to the plot, while keeping up my motivation, only worsens each time I delay. But life calls, and there's little I can do about that :\ Still, thanks for staying with me in spite of my slowness.
What do you know? I put comments at the end!
Until next time!