SONIC HEROES: THE SERIES
Note: This is the last episode before the Final Season.
Chapter Eighty-One: Shadow of the Rulers, Part 1
The scene opens to the Sonic Heroes base. Even from the outside, one could hear each and every hero groaning and complaining. It was the worst time of the year: monthly cleaning. Kumori crossed the hanger and pressed her palm into the handprint scanner to enter the trophy room. It was her job to inspect and clean the inventory of all the objects they had collected during their adventures. The room became the sanctuary of the Master Emerald, the helmet of Mach, a piece of the Black Comet, the Extreme Gear, the Scepter of Darkness, a piece of Metal Overlord's armor, and the tablet from the Gigan Rocks. They have recently received new additions to their collection. They had a head from a Gizoid and the Gaia Manuscript Amy had obtained from Prof. Pickle.
"This sucks..." Kumori groaned while checking off the Black Comet piece. "Why did Shadow have to be a neat freak? At least this place is much better than when we first found it."
"Come on, you stupid thing."
The Shadow prototype perked her ears at the sound and directed herself to the glass case that held the Chaos Emeralds. Amy Rose was standing over the mystic gems while clutching the blue emerald in her hand. The pink hedgehog seemed intently focused on the Chaos Emerald – her face was a violent shade of purple. Kumori tapped a finger on her should, unsuspectingly shocking her rival and tripping herself to the floor.
"Amy, what are you doing?" Kumori asked exasperatedly. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning the kitchen with Cream?"
"Oh, I finished that in two minutes." Amy said cheerfully. "It helps to have sonic speed."
"Damn, why didn't I think of that?" Kumori muttered under her breathe before looking back. "That still doesn't explain what your doing in here. Or why your having a staring contest with a Chaos Emerald."
"I'm trying to unlock the Super Form." Amy answered.
At once, the hedgehog prototype clutched her knees, laughing until her lungs began to ache. It was a ridiculous thought for Amy to unlock the Super Form, but the rosy hedgehog didn't seem to agree. The pink female was glaring down at her rival, cutting off the barrier of laughter.
"Wait, you were serious?" Kumori stared curiously. "But, Amy, you can't unlock the Super Form. That can only be used by people who can control Chaos Energy like Shadow and Sonic."
"But I have super speed like Sonic!" Amy protested.
"That's because you were naturally born with it." Kumori explained. "It is a bit unnatural that you have something that is not commonly passed down through generations, but this is a different subject. Though everyone is born with Chaos Energy, only those of strong wills and minds can control it."
"I will unlock the Super Form!" Amy screamed determined. "I won't lose my Sonic!"
"But Sonic already loves you." Kumori stated pointedly. "What is the point of trying to unlock the Super Form?"
"I don't want to lose him." Amy said sadly. "We may be together, but I sometimes think of those times when Sonic and Sally were together. Sonic dumped Sally because she was demanding and couldn't take care of herself. With Nazo and the Dark Rulers becoming stronger, I look like a weakling compared to the others." A single tear escape from her eyes. "I want to make sure that the same thing doesn't happen to me."
"Amy..." Kumori sighed irritably.
"Attention, heroes!!" Tails yelled over the intercom. "Report to the workshop immediately!! This is an urgent matter!!"
The last time they had heard Tails so desperate and scared was when Cream gushed over his new third tail. But if everyone was needed to be present, it must have been something much worse. The twin females zipped out of the room across the hall shortly after Sonic and Shadow had arrived. They were talking to Tails, who was standing in front of a large electronic ring hanging on the back wall with a number of wires connecting to the computers. It took two minutes until the rest of the Sonic Heroes arrived – Charmy was the last to appear with a paint bucket on his head.
"Now that everyone is here, what is going on, Tails?" Shadow questioned stonily.
"Ok, an explanation is needed first." Tails said quickly – he seemed excessively nervous. "Every since Silver and I returned from Blaze's dimension, I've been working of a Vortex Disrupter..."
"A wha?" Storm interrupted confusingly.
"A Vortex Disruptor!" Tails exclaimed maddeningly; the heroes jumped. He took a moment to take a deep breath and calm his nerves. "Sorry about that. Anyway, a Vortex Disrupter is a machine that is designed to eradicate the spatial barriers between dimension for easy transport. Just punch in the destination and a portal will take you to it."
"Wow, shorty." Wave said impressively. "I have to hand it to ya; you've got some real talent."
"So what's the problem?" Espio questioned.
"I was testing the Vortex Disruptor." Tails said hesitantly. "But then...I found something unpleasant."
All the heroes looked between each other in equal confusion. With a fearful expression, the three-tailed kitsune turned to his computer and began typing in a difficult sequence of numbers and letters. Electricity surged through the wires and a swirl of silvery light appeared in the Vortex Disruptor. Not a moment passed before the silver light was pushed aside to reveal the inner sanctuary of the Dark Ruler's castle. And sitting at his throne was the God of Darkness himself.
"Nazo!!" The Heroes roared.
"How pleasant to see you." Nazo said mockingly. "It is especially reassuring to see that you are still safe after the Gaia Calamity, Sonic. I was afraid that you had lost yourself in your Werehog Form."
"What do you want, Nazo?" Blaze glared.
"Touchy." Nazo chuckled amusingly. "All right, I'll get straight to the point. I know for the fact that you have the last three Chaos Emeralds while I have the other four."
"What's it to you?" Silver sneered.
"On normal occasions, we would spend weeks fighting over them." Nazo sighed. "But it becomes monotonous and tiring having to spent endless nights locked in mortal combat. That is why I have an offer for you."
"What offer?" Shadow asked interestingly.
"One battle to determine everything." Nazo stated. "We bring all seven Chaos Emeralds and one member from each of our organizations will fight each other. And whoever succeeds wins all seven emeralds for their group. And to make things even, I will not be participating in this match. Do we have a deal?"
The heroes glanced at each other with uncertainty. Shadow silently called his team into a huddle and began a heated discussion on the sudden event. If Nazo was not participating, their chances of regaining all seven Chaos Emeralds had increased by tenfold. But there were still the other members to worry about – except Nack. Once the Heroes had come to an agreement, they broke the huddle and turned back to Nazo, who seemed to find the sight amusing.
"All right, we have a deal." Shadow answered.
"Meet us at Northern Plains of the Green Hill Zone." Nazo instructed. "It is there we will finally put an end to this."
The scene alternates to the well-known plains of the Green Hill Zone. Sonic felt a bit of nostalgia when the Sonic Heroes arriving in the grassy land – Team Virtex had also decided to join them. This was the place where Sonic first battled Eggman and the same place where he inherited his reputation as a hero. The gentle winds brushed against the leafy ground, filling their air with the fresh scent of flowers and morning dew. If it wasn't for the upcoming battle, Sonic would have spent the day on memory lane.
"Where are they?" Shadow grunted impatiently.
"You need calm down, Shad." Hybrid smirked.
"Do not call me that!" Shadow snapped. "And I fail to see why the rest of you are so calm. The Dark Rulers will be here at any moment and the fate of the world will come down to the result of this match. I have a reason to be worried."
"Hey, have a little faith." Blue commented. "We already know our strategies. If they choose Erazor, we'll send in Jet. If they choose Corrupt or Rodrigo, Tails and Wave can take care of them. And I'm pretty sure Espio can handle his sister."
"What about Nack?" Raine asked.
The two groups were silent for a moment before bursting out in laughter. Once the hearty shouts had died down, a cloud of immense darkness appeared across the plain. Nazo arrived with Mephiles, Tomo, Shira, Erazor, Nack, and Dark Sonic – the Heroes forgot about his existence. It was only now that they realized Rodrigo and Corrupt were no longer members of the Dark Rulers like Black Doom. Nazo seemed more irritable than ever – he must still be angry about his recent betrayal.
"It's about time!" Vector growled.
"Forgive us for our lateness." Nazo said shortly. "Apparently, someone was busy getting their hair done." They turned their heads to Shira, who grumbled incoherently. "Have you decided will fight for your team."
"We've decided to see who you would choose." Rouge answered.
"Trying to uphold an advantage." Nazo nodded. "That is a very wise tactic, but utterly useless." He turned to Dark Sonic. "Be sure to leave them alive. We wouldn't want their defeat to be dragged down further by a funeral."
"Very well, my lord." Dark nodded.
As the dark counterpart stepped forward, the Sonic Heroes huddle together in desperation. They had clearly not expected Dark Sonic to partake in the battle. The only one that didn't seem interested was Sonic – he glared at his evil half.
"Ok, what's the plan?" Knuckles whispered to his teammates.
"Anyone know how to handle a shadow?" Tikal questioned.
"Statistics show Silver has higher victory rate." Omega stated.
"Then that's the plan." Rector nodded. "Rector nodded. "First we send in..."
"I'm going to fight you!" Sonic shouted to his copy.
"What?!" The Heroes screamed.
They quickly grappled Sonic backwards in rapid succession. Each of the heroes were arguing that Silver would be the best choice for the fight, but Sonic seemed to turn a deaf ear upon his friends. Shadow saw a feint spark in the hedgehog's eyes – it was the flare of determination he had seen many times when facing powerful enemies. It was clear that Sonic was not going to give up his position. With a heavy sigh, Shadow spoke in a clear voice that could be heard over the heated discussion.
"Let him fight."
"Are you crazy, Shadow?!" Amy screeched. "Dark killed my poor Sonic last time!"
"Last time, Dark was given permission to kill him." Shadow stated. "This time, he will be kept on a shorter leash. And besides, if anyone knows how to fight him, it's Sonic."
Amy desperately wanted to argue against him, but could think of nothing to say. Sensing her distress, the blue hero placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Ames." Sonic smiled. "I'll be just fine."
She felt that she could believe him, but something in her heart seemed to have the opposite feeling. Sonic left the safety of his team and crossed the field as his dark counterpart moved forward to meet him. While walking, the blue hedgehog reached deep inside his heart for his happiest thought and activated the Super Form. Dark Sonic hissed slightly from the radiance, but did not back down from the match. The twin warriors of light and darkness met up in the center of the field, only a few feet away from each other. The air around them was unusually thick as spark of power bounced between them.
"Scared, weakling?" Dark taunted.
"Only in your dreams." Sonic scowled.
"What do you say we begin?" Nazo asked aloud to the Heroes. "Why don't you begin the countdown?"
"3..." Howl counted seriously; the hedgehogs gripped their fists. "2..." They slid their feet backwards. "1..." They crouched low to the ground. "Begin!!"
At once, the twin hedgehog rebounded into the air and disappeared in a flash. Even though their actions weren't seen, the impacts of their blows could be spotted in a number of ways – mostly in broken ground. It seems that Shadow was the only hero able to spot them as he grinned and winced at random times. After several uneventful minutes, the ground exploded near the Dark Rulers, nearly knocking the villains off their feet. Dark was lying on his front with Sonic jabbing his knee into the shadow's back. Just as the heroes began to cheer, the evil hedgehog pushed off his counterpart and landed a perfect right hook to his jaw. The Golden hero was tossed into the air, but caught himself at the last moment.
"You've got him on the ropes, mate!" Marine cheered.
"And remember to watch for openings in his defenses!" Shade advised.
"Like I have time for that!" Sonic snapped.
"I suggest you pay attention."
When the golden hedgehog looked back, Dark Sonic grasped his enemy's head and it slammed into his knee. Sonic groaned painfully as he fell backwards, but was caught off guard when his evil doppelganger grasped his ankle. Dark Sonic rushed towards to the ground while still keeping his hold on the golden hero and slammed his counterpart into the ground. After taking a second to shake off the shock, Sonic forced his leg free and curled into his ball form. And before the dark counterpart knew what had happened, the golden sphere had slammed into his chin, sending him hurtling into the sky. But Sonic was far from done. The Golden Hero shot into the air after his evil twin and slammed into the evil hedgehog at multiple opportunities.
"This is not looking good for us." Erazor whispered to Nazo. "That black rat is getting killed."
"Not to worry." Nazo responded coolly; his eyes never leaving the fight. "Just stick to the plan and everything will turn out well."
"But..."
"Be silent, Erazor." Mephiles hissed. "Remember why you joined us in the first place."
Erazor sneered at the thought – Nazo still held control over his lamp. Back in the battle, Dark Sonic had finally broken free from his entrapment by kicking at the shining ball during its next pass. Sonic skid across the grass before uncurling and landing back to his feet. In the next moment, he was forced to duck when his counterpart's foot was soaring over his head. He avoided the blow, but was unsuspecting to the fist that was directed for his throat. At the last second, Sonic tilted his head forward and allowed the blow to strike at his forehead. The impact shot the hero backwards close to his team while remaining on his feet, but the hedgehog could swear his skull had been crack – blood was leaking.
"You certainly are resilient for someone of a weaker half." Dark Sonic panted; he was growing tired.
"Who are you calling weak?" Sonic groaned as his vision began to blur. "Last time I looked, you were the one trapped in my heart. If I was the weak one, it would be the other way around."
"Do not take the situation so lightly." Dark Sonic glared. "My birth was through your cumulative hatred. The hatred for the father who abandoned you. The hatred for the enemies that haunt you. As long as that hatred exists, I will always live."
"Then I'll just have to get rid of that hatred." Sonic said determined.
"Can you do it?" Dark Sonic questioned. "We live in a world where people hurt others by living. I learned from a wise man that hatred is an endless cycle that cannot be broken. Believing otherwise is a delusional fantasy."
"My dad might be a pirate, but he always had a greater dream." Sonic stated confidently. "After becoming the Pirate King, he met a man who gave him a greater goal to work for. This man said that if there was such a thing as peace, he would find it." Heroes and villains alike watched with interest at his words. "I believe in what that man said."
"This man..." Nazo thought interestingly. "Could it be...?"
"You pathetic dreamer." Dark Sonic laughed, holding out his fight hand. "I think it's time I woke you up."
Sonic said nothing and copied the movement of his counterpart. Both hedgehog simultaneously gather a large amount of energy into their palms and reshaped them into the form of a sphere. Sonic collected a sphere of blue energy while his evil twin formed one from black Chaos Energy. Without a word, both warriors dashed forced at a blinding pace and slammed their exclusive attacks against one another.
"Sonic Wind!!"
"Dark Wind!!"
Upon impact, the collective forces exploded into a sphere of navy-blue. Many of the smaller heroes were shot backwards from the increased force and most of the watchers staggered on their feet – Nazo remained perfectly still. When the light had finally died down, a blurred figure could be seen standing over a fallen lump. Both sides waited in anticipation for the outcome. When the cloud had finally vanished they would learn the winner was...
"Dark Sonic appears to be the victor." Nazo smirked.
The Heroes groaned. Dark Sonic appeared to be weak, but was still standing while Sonic remained unconscious at his feet – his Super Form was dispelled.
"For this victory, I believe our prize is well earned." Shira sniggered playfully.
Knuckles, who was holding the three emeralds, seemed hesitant to move.
"We can't give it to them!" Silver protested. "We know what will happen if they have all the Chaos Emeralds."
"But we made a promise." Cream informed.
"You made more than a promise." Nazo informed. "When you agreed to this battle, you unintentionally signed a verbal contract. You have no choice to obey the rules of engagement."
"Unfortunately, he's right." Hybrid hissed.
Thought willing to resist, Knuckles slowly crossed the field, carrying the Chaos Emerald cautiously in his arms. As he crossed paths with Dark Sonic, he felt a momentary lapse of fright. Once reached the God of Darkness, Knuckles presented the Chaos Emeralds to Nazo, who had trouble removing the mystical gems. After removing them from the echidna's clutches, he held the emerald to the sun to gaze through their flawless shape.
"Magnificent as always." Nazo whispered pleasurably.
"You've got the Chaos Emeralds." Knuckle glared. "Now you can leave."
"Oh, not just yet." Nazo grinned. "We have one other prize we wish to collect."
At once, the remaining Dark Rulers jumped across the field into the heart of the Heroes. When looking back, Knuckles ultimately left himself open for Nazo to strike from behind. Meanwhile, Mephiles and Erazor formed a whirlwind of darkness to push away the Heroes as the rest of the team went to work. Tomo struck several nerves in Shadow's body, rendering him paralyze. Nack placed a well-aimed shot to Hybrid's spine to immobilize him. And Shira grappled Silver into a sleeper hold until he lost consciousness. The Dark Rulers collected their prizes and dragged the hedgehogs back to their master – Dark Sonic carried his counterpart.
"Hey, this wasn't part of the deal!" Raine screamed.
"You should have been more specific about the terms of agreement." Nazo cackled.
"You unhand my Sonic right now!" Amy roared furiously
Despite the protests of her friends, the pink hedgehog summoned the Piko-Piko Hammer and charged at Nazo. But much like before, the Dark Ruler was able to knock the weapon out of her hand and push her to the ground. But Amy was persistent. Even without her hammer, she attempted to fight Nazo with her bare hands. While he did find this amusing, the God of Darkness grew tired after knocking the hedgehog female away fifteen times.
"Just surrender." Nazo suggested. "You're not powerful enough to beat me."
"I would never give up." Amy panted weakly. "Sonic would never give up."
"You are pathetic." Nazo sighed irritably. "You are stupid enough to throw away your life for this rat."
"At least I have something worth fighting for!" Amy seethed.
For a moment, Nazo was about to retort until he noticed something strange. The seven Chaos Emeralds he had collected began to flash unusually bright in a similar manner to when Sonic used them. There was a momentary flash of anxiety when snapping his attention back to the female. All groups were mystified as a sudden radiance began to surround Amy Rose with her quills floating slightly. Her fur started blinking between her normal color and a sunny-gold. It seemed like Amy had finally succeeded in unlocking the Super Form. However, the golden light suddenly died down and Amy's fur returned to its natural state. It took a moment, but Nazo could not resist laughing at the poor hedgehog.
"I should have known!" Nazo cackled. "A pathetic insect like you could never contain the power of the Super Form. You are just a hopeless dreamer living in a fantasy. Well, it's time to wake up, girl."
The rest of the Dark Ruler joined in with their master as they faded into the cloud of darkness, carrying their new trophies. While the Heroes picked themselves up, Amy dropped to her knee and allowed the flow of tears to crawl down her face.
"I just....wasn't good enough." Amy sobbed. "I'm sorry...Sonic."
A thin line exists between dreams and reality. What will become of the captured hedgehogs? How will the Sonic Heroes return to their lost members? And will Amy recover from this emotional blow? Find out on the next Sonic Heroes!!
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