SONIC HEROES: THE SERIES
Chapter Ninety: Flicker of Hope
The scene opens to the headquarters of Team Virtex within Station Square. While Rector Rose was seated at his desk with a newspaper held in front of him, Shade the Echidna was seated in a smaller desk in front. The ancient female was faced with one of the more difficult tests in her life: History. Shade knew she needed to pull out her best if she wanted to become a member of Team Virtex and, thankfully, her handwriting has improved. After several minutes of silence, Shade had finally finished, allowing herself to sigh in relief. Rector tossed the newspaper over his shoulder at the exact moment Shade placed her test paper in front of him.
"I hope this will be satisfactory." Shade said.
"Hmm..." Rector hummed. "You might want to look at question five again?"
"Did I get it wrong?" Shade asked worried.
"No, it's the only one you got right." Rector answered bluntly; Shade groaned inwardly. "I don't get it Shade. We've been working on this for over a week and you haven't made any noticeable progress. What's going on?"
"I don't know." Shade said disappointedly. "Every time I try to think of something, my mind put up some barrier that prevents me from looking for the answers. I definitely know this stuff, I just can't find it."
"I can't put this off forever." Rector sighed, tossing the test paper. I need to fill the empty position for the team in two weeks. Hybrid has already narrowed down three possible candidates for the spot. Unless you bring you scores up, I can't allow you to stay here."
"I know..." Shade murmured.
"Just go study some more." Rector ordered.
The echidna warrior hung her head in defeat as she walked out of Rector's office. As she walked down the hall to her room, she began thinking over her time with Team Virtex. Knowing that she wasn't a Nocturnus, the only time she truly felt at home was with Rector, Hybrid, and the others. Sure, there were some times when they wanted to kill each other, but no family is perfect. But at the thought of family....
"Maybe Tikal and the others will let me join the Heroes." Shade thought hopefully. "At least this way, I'll still be able to see Rector and the others. But...it just wouldn't be the same."
Shade unconsciously walked into her room, surprisingly falling forward. The echidna warrior landed on her face and felt a mound of dusty particles enter her mouth and clung to her tongue. While trying to cleanse her mouth of the substance, Shade took a quick look around her room with an expression of utter bewilderment. All of her possessions were missing and the room had been replaced by a windy desert that seemed to stretch for miles.
"What the?" Shade questioned. "Marine, did you try to turn my room into a beach again!"
"You are in no such luck..."
The door behind her snapped sharply to a close, attracting the attention of the ancient echidna female. At once, the daughter of the Knuckles Tribe jumped to her feet with her hands twitching in preparation for battle. Imagine her surprise when the unknown being came into view from behind the door. The former Imperator of the Nocturnus Tribe: Pir'Oth Ix. The former mastermind seemed to have gone through some rough times after Hybrid's betrayal. His proud robe was ruthlessly torn, his quills were a complete mess, and his eyes were extremely bloodshot.
"Ix!" Shade sneered. "What do you think you are doing to approach me again?!"
"I suppose that you haven't covered manners yet." Ix said lowly. "You should always address your superiors with courtesy and respect. I believe you still have the mark from your previous act of disloyalty." He smirked as Shade hand twitched to her back, which he knew held the scar he left. "It hurts, doesn't it? The acts of pain searing at your body and slowly stealing your life."
"Shut up!" Shade snapped, summoning her Leech Blades. "You are no longer in command of me! You are powerless without the Nocturnus to do your dirty work! You're final mistake was to challenge me."
"If there is one thing that I taught you," Ix chuckled menacingly. "It's that appearances can be deceiving."
The female warrior was too enraged by Ix's appearance that she barely took the time to think. Shade dashed across the sand and lashed her signature weapons through her former master. But much to her amazement, the ancient overlord vanished from sight into a vortex of white. At the moment Shade had hoped to attack, Ix reappeared behind her and thrusted his fist into her back. The seemly feeble hit was made more severe since he had struck at Shade's greatest weak point: her scar. The daughter of the Knuckles Tribe dropped forward into the sand, hissing from the pain, but was unwilling to surrender. Shade turned herself around and twisted her legs around in hopes to knocking the former Imperator off guard. Unfortunately, Ix had once again disappeared into the white vortex and reappeared a few feet away.
"What the?" Shade questioned. "How are you doing this? You couldn't use this power with the Nocturnus."
"You're right, I cant." Ix nodded. "As I am sure you can recall, the Nocturnus Tribe has dismissed me as their leader, leaving me incapable of summoning our tribe's power."
"And they elected Black Doom as their new master." Shade said. "I suppose if you're going to choose a leader, you would select someone with enough common sense not to betray their servants."
"This left me in an unfortunate predicament." Ix continued. "After my creation had turned against me, I was left to wander this new world without any leads. And then I met...him. That man with the Eyes of Chaos."
"Eyes of Chaos." Shade repeated.
"He came to me, looking for mystic gems known as the Sol Emeralds." Ix informed. "At first, I had no idea what he was speaking of – I thought he was talking about the Chaos Emeralds. But with the strength of my superior mind, I was able to repel him and even scan a few of his memories. I discovered the secrets of the Sol Emeralds and learned many other details."
"And what does that have to do with this?" Shade questioned.
"Through his memories, I learned of many secrets about our future." Ix proclaimed. "And gaining this knowledge, I set out to recover these legendary Sol Emeralds."
"So where are they now?" Shade questioned.
The former imperator merely smiled menacingly. Ix pulled down the upper portion of his robe, flinching slightly from the movement. With the garment moved, Shade was given the sight of seven rectangular emeralds of different colors pressed into his chest. Judging by the small black hairs around the emeralds, Ix had tried to infuse them into his body through heavy surgery.
"The Sol Emeralds have given me many powers." Ix chuckled menacingly. "Though these emeralds are powerful, the Chaos Emeralds are still equal to them in terms of strength. So once I find them, I will infuse them into my body and gain the power to control all of reality!"
"Don't you see what those Emeralds are doing to you?" Shade questioned, feeling slightly concerned. "Mystical objects of that nature aren't meant to have physical attachments to living organisms. Those emeralds are killing you."
"That may be true, but it won't last." Ix declared. "Once the Chaos Emeralds are mine, I will alter the course of nature. All creatures of the universe will tremble at the mention of my name and fear me as the master of reality!"
"Please stop this, Ix." Shade pleaded.
"You have gotten in my way for far too long." Ix glared. "I shall take my final revenge on Pachacamac by killing his precious daughter."
Without warning, the former imperator took a knife from his robe and stabbed at his forearm. Shade instantly knew what he was up to and jumped ahead with her Leech Blades in hopes of stopping him. But as expected, Ix quickly used the powers of the Sol Emeralds and transported himself several yards away. The ancient overlord took the newly collected blood from his forearm and smeared it across his forehead, mutter under his breath. How Ix was going to collect the power to complete his ritual was answered when the Sol Emeralds glowed dimly. The evil echidna's furs turned a deathly shade of black with the blood moving across his forehead and down his quills. The overlord's muscles expanded to an alarming size, his teeth became like daggers, and his empty eyes were painted red. Twilight Ix had made his return.
"You can't do this, Ix." Shade said nervously. "You'll die much quicker at this rate."
"That won't be a problem." Ix grinned devilishly. "I only need to minutes to finish the job."
And once again, the empowered echidna used the Sol Emeralds to transport himself. From her days in training with the Nocturnus, Shade instinctively turned on her heels and swiped her Leech Blades behind her. Unfortunately, her weapons missed as Ix appeared on her left, grinding his fist into her cheek. The daughter of the Knuckles Tribe was tossed across the sand, smashing her way through the dunes before stopping on her back.
"This is bad." Shade thought. "I've never really battled Ix with the Twilight Form. He's much stronger than I had imagined."
"I do wonder what you have imagined me to be." The echidna female was raised off the ground by her head within Twilight Ix's grip. "You were an imaginative child at a younger age. That was one of the things I detested about you."
"How...can you...?" Shade hissed.
"My powers are beyond your imagination." Ix cackled. "This will be an example to everyone who dares to betray Pir'Oth Ix!"
The empowered echidna dropped his former apprentice, only to knock her back into the air with his foot. As the daughter of the Knuckles Tribe rocketed towards the sky, Ix suddenly appeared overhead through a white vortex. The empowered echidna clasped both together and slammed them against the back of Shade's head. The female warrior dropped towards the ground like a rock, but managed to flip in midair to land safely on her feet. Twilight Ix appeared and punch Shade in the shoulder – he disappeared before the female could strike back. The former imperator struck at her gut and performed the same tactic before she could react. Shade, who was growing frustrated, merely stood there and took the hits as Ix vanished and reappeared every once in a while. Without warning, Shade turned and struck with her Leech Blade. Ix looked down to his chest to find the female's weapon piercing his skin.
"Hmm...Not bad." Ix complimented.
"You were always so predictable." Shade retorted.
"Then you should be able to predict this." Ix said.
Before the female knew what he was planning, the empowered overlord grabbed Shade by the back of her neck. He effortlessly lifted her off the sandy ground and turned her back towards him. Gathering a large amount of energy into his free hand, Ix jammed his fist forward and struck at Shade's spine – directly over her scar. The daughter of the Knuckles Tribe was in so much pain that she could barely breath a word out of suffering.
"The pain..." Shade thought harshly. "I never imagined such a feeling could exist. I wish I could just..."
"I'll stop you right there."
Shade definitely knew that it wasn't Ix's voice that was calling out to her. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she looked back, the environment had changed dramatically. The sweepings sands were replaced by a wide range of healthy grass. Taking a quick scan of her surroundings, Shade spotted a structure that resembled the shrine of the Master Emerald on Angel Island. The only difference was that the structure appeared new with a circle of water surrounding it. The Master Emerald glimmered proudly at the top of the shrine.
"I'm back on Angel Island." Shade gasped surprisingly. "But how did I get here."
"Back then, this land was known as the Sanctuary." A new voice responded.
Shade could tell the voice was directly behind her and turned, gasping when she caught sight of her visitor. A rusty-red echidna stood before her with white tattoos on his forehead with a feathered necklace hanging around his neck. Even though she had never seen her directly, Shade knew from reports in the Nocturnus that this man was her father: Pachacamac. But unlike the previous reports of him, this man was much thinner, stronger, and considerably younger.
"Are you...Pachacamac?" Shade asked nervously.
"Please, I am your father." Pachacamac said lightly. "There is no need for formalities."
"Ok...father." Shade said uncomfortably; she was not used to referring others as family. "What am I doing here? What has happened to Ix? And why are you still alive?"
"You definitely are a curious one." Pachacamac chuckled. "But I suppose I can answer you. You see, when I first received the Kuasagan, I placed a protective barrier around Tikal's mind in case she was ever in danger. Unfortunately, you were already kidnapped by Ix when that time had occurred."
"So why am I here?" Shade questioned.
"When I battled Ix for your rescue, he managed to repel me with his strong mind." Pachacamac explained. "I was barely defeated. But before he left, I placed a seed in his mind that was set to transfer is essence to you at the first moment he came in contact with you. I was able to protect your innocence from his influences and give you independence."
"But what good will that do?" Shade questioned. "Ix has the Sol Emeralds in his control and I don't have the strength necessary to defeat him."
"You do have the strength to defeat him." Pachacamac said assuring, placing his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "You have more power than you know of. You just need someone to set you on the right path. But be warned: this will be the last time I can help you."
"Ix must be stopped." Shade said determined. "He must be killed for all the pain he caused."
"I can help you, but you are in control of your own actions." Pachacamac grimaced. "But if I give you this power, you must decide the right choice."
The scene returns to the desert, where Ix was ruthlessly drilling his fist into the echidna female's spine. His hand had already burned a hole through Shade's suit, revealing her sickly-black scar. The empowered overlord pulled back his fist for a second strike when the female in his hand suddenly reacted. The daughter of the Knuckles tribe swung her legs backwards and linked her ankles together around the overlord's shoulder. The next thing Ix knew, he was being flipped over by the weight of his arm, but managed to save himself by transported to a safe distance.
"What in the world?" Ix questioned.
"Are you surprised, Pir'Oth?" Shade said lowly. "You're not the only gifted child."
"Pir'Oth?" Ix repeated. "So, you still live with your daughter's mind, Pachacamac."
"My father's influence runs through me." Shade panted harshly. "This was the one time I was allowed to see him. And this was all your fault to begin with." She removed her gloves, revealing two small points on her knuckles. "This is the true legacy I left behind. My sister and I will live on to continue our tribe's name."
"You ridiculous little girl." Ix chuckled menacingly. "Your imagination was so disgusting that it was no wonder why I had to beat that little speck of independence out of you. And yet, after many years of torture and discipline, you still managed to defy me."
"Because I have hope, Pir'Oth." Shade hissed. "And that is something you could never destroy!"
Shade raised her head, causing Ix to stagger backwards in fright. Both of Shade's lilac eyes had been transformed to a burning orange with the pupil turned to a slit with six smaller slits surrounding it. There were only two times Shade had ever activated the Kuasagan: the first under Terro's control and the second was an accident with only partial control.
"Pachacamac..." Ix thought furiously. "He never stops annoying me..."
"Prepare yourself, Pir'Oth!" Shade exclaimed. "Today, you fall!"
"Just try me, child!" Ix snarled.
Ix used the power of the Sol Emeralds to transport himself directly in front of Shade, which proved to be a great mistake. The moment he reappeared, a large skull with serrated teeth burst from the ground and snapped its jaws over the echidna's waist. However, the former imperator transported himself to safety just a few seconds before he was taken. While Ix recovered from his near death experience, Shade knocked away the skull and reached down in the sand to retrieve the beast's spine. The daughter of the Knuckles Tribe twisted the spine around and lashed its forward like a whip, wrapping it around Ix's forearm. Unfortunately, Ix's superior strength proved to be an advantage and tugged Shade forward by the whip. Once close, the echidna overlord wrapped his arms around his former apprentice to constrict her body.
"You are certainly an energetic one." Ix compliment, increasing the pressure of his hold. "But even with your father's help, you are nothing compared to my power."
"You may be powerful, but you have made a grave mistake." Shade stated.
"Huh?" Ix questioned.
All of a sudden, Ix felt weaker than ever. The echidna's muscles slowly deflated to their regular state and his fur resumed its normal aged white. This was the moment Shade had been waiting for. Now long crushed by Ix's grip, the daughter of the Knuckles Tribe headbutted the fallen overlord and forced them to separate. Pir'Oth Ix fell back into the sand and stared back up to his opponent. Shade the Echidna was holding her Leech Blade in one hand while carrying all seven Sol Emeralds in the other.
"All this time..." Ix muttered slowly. "Even the great Pir'Oth Ix falls to the power of the Kuasagan."
"You have done a great list of evil deeds." Shade said spitefully. "You stole me from my mother's arms, forced my father to kill her, tried to demoralize me into your puppet, and tried to take away everything I love. I should kill you right now."
"Then do it." Ix challenged.
The female echidna said nothing. She raised her Leech Blade and swiftly brought it down.
The scene alternates to the reconstructed and newly fortified fortress on Prison Island. While ignoring the furious cries and angry yells of the prisoners, Hybrid walked down the hall to a solitary door at the end of the prison. Rector Rose was leaning against the wall next to the door, reading a more current newspaper until he noticed Hybrid.
"Hey, what took you so long?" Rector questioned.
"Blaze wanted to go through some tests to make sure the emeralds were real." Hybrid explained. "She is very protective of those things. It makes me wonder why she stopped guarding them in the first place."
"And it took you a week to do that?" Rector asked.
"Blaze was distracted by her arch-enemy: Gary." Hybrid chuckled. "She still hasn't caught the little rodent." He looked intently at the door. "So, how has Shade been since the incident?"
"She's doing really well." Rector said proudly, folding the paper. "Ever since Ix was defeated, her mind has been more clear these recent days – her score are steady improving. In about another week, she could be qualified to join Team Virtex."
"Yea, but I still think she made a mistake." Hybrid voiced his opinion.
Behind the door guarded by both hedgehogs was a clear, spherical cell suspended over a lake of acid. Inside the cell, a small room was made for someone that could live moderately comfortable inside a prison. All this included a feathered bed, a wardrobe, a sink, a table, and a couple of chair. Shade was seated at the table, playing a game of chess with an unlikely opponent: Pir'Oth Ix.
"Do you ever wake up at night; wonder if you made a mistake in letting me live?" Ix questioned, moving his pawn.
"Sometimes." Shade replied, move her bishop. "But there isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret it."
"And what will you do when I break free?" Ix questioned as he took his turn.
"If that day does come, I'll be ready." Shade answer, taking his knight.
"Why?" Ix sighed tiredly. "Why do you keep coming here, Shade?"
"Why do you keep asking question you already know the answers to?" Shade responded with a devious smirk.
"I get it." Ix chuckled, shaking his head. "You are still looking for that small flicker of hope. But your search will be in vein." He moved his next piece. "Did I ever tell you the story between me and Pachacamac?"
"No." Shade shook.
"Back when we were children, we were best friends." Ix proclaimed, waiting for Shade's turn. "But as we matured, our ideology took separate routes. This led to the creation of the Knuckles and Nocturnus Tribes. But even after we went to war, your father never sought to kill me. I guess he thought there was still some hope that I might change." He glanced at Shade's eyes, which were their normal lilac. "You are more like him than you realize."
"I'll accept that as a compliment." Shade said, moving her piece.
After setting the piece in its place, Shade thought it was the best time to leave. The female warrior stood up from her seat and moved towards the door to leave. But as she passed her former master, Ix grabbed her forearm.
"I saw it in that man's memory, Shade." Ix forewarned. "A war is coming that will involve all nations of the world – the Dark Siege will have control over both sides."
"I have no idea who this Dark Siege is." Shade said, pulled back her arm. "But if that day comes, we'll be there to stop it."
He took one last glance at Shade as she departed through the tunnel that connected back to the prison. As his former apprentice closed the door behind her, Pir'Oth Ix looked back to the board and sighed heavily.
The king had been captured.
Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Is this the last time Pir'Oth Ix has taken his vengeance? Will Shade be able to join Team Virtex? And what war will involve the Dark Siege? Find out on the next Sonic Heroes!
Please, read and review.