The Shadow Village

"What do you want, hedgehog. This better be important." Nightmare replied as he crossed his arms across his chest as he tapped his foot in slight impatience, angrily glaring at the group. He was a pure pitch black hedgehog with blood red reptilian eyes. He growled at the yellow fox who was currently staring at him in curiosity and confusion, "What's wrong with you squirt, I'm too intimidating for you." he snapped. The fox took a frightened step back, either afraid of the hedgehog or the outburst that erupted from him.

"No, I was just wondering how you're called Nightmare the Dragon if you're a…" Tails responded. He was soon interrupted as Nightmare growled out the answer, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"…hedgehog." he finished, sighing as he looked at the ground, shaking his head in disbelief, "I get asked that same question every time I meet someone new. That is, if they survive." An evil smile spread across his face and his eyes seem to flicker with an invisible fire as he spoke, before quickly disappearing into a frown again, "but since you asked, it is one of my…uh…what you'll say…special ability to change my form from a dragon to a hedgehog. My elemental power is, if you couldn't figure it out by the color of my fur, or scales, is of the shadows. The same reason how Starkage here scaly hide matches the elements of the earth." The black hedgehog acknowledged the green dragon who was currently sheathing his sword.

"Oh shut up, Nightmare." Starkage growled as he glared at the black hedgehog, his jade eyes mysteriously turning cold and heartless. The expression surprised everyone, except for one, who was currently chuckling at the angry look.

"I see someone still mad about our little bet we made last year." Nightmare replied with a smirk. Starkage let out a puff of smoke that bellowed out his nose as he spoke yet again.

"Well you cheated, I don't know exactly how, but you cheated, I know it." he angrily said.

"The telepathic dragon was there as our referee." He said, tossing his hands into the air before crossing them again, "I won fair and square, but that must be difficult to get through that thick head of yours, huh, you sore loser." This remark caused the green dragon to growl, crouching down into a pouncing position.

"Why you little?" he growled before launching himself at the smirking hedgehog in so little time that nobody had a chance to stop it from happening, but the hedgehog wouldn't have cared if so one did or did not as a pool of shadow appeared at the hedgehog's feet. When Starkage was only a foot away from him, Tails couldn't believe his eye s as he processed the moment.

"Too slow." Nightmare simply remarked. The black hedgehog's fur suddenly turned into something almost similar to black liquid as it dropped into the shadow pool, which caused the earth dragon to miss its target in land head first onto the dusty ground, filling his mouth with dust, dirt, and the occasional insects that were too slow to move out of the way of the dragon's jaw. The pool moved over where it was now position a few inches in front of the dragon's muzzle. The shadow pool shivered before changing back into the black hedgehog, which was, instead of standing, laying on its side, one hand popping up his head as he smiled at the fallen reptile, his jade eyes glaring up at him. "So, how the dirt taste, I mean you should know since it's what you and your side of the species eat to maintain your 'earth' power." Nightmare was, however, too slow to act as Starkage spewed out the grim dirt, which was now mud, at the black hedgehog's face. A look of disgust was clearly seen on the hedgehog's face as the mud sprayed onto his face and his fur, giving it a brownish color stain. "Ugh, I just had my fur clean earlier this morning." the hedgehog complained before glaring at the laughing dragon.

"Hahaha, who's the slow one now." Starkage laughed before catching a glimpse of Nightmare's expression, making him gulp in fright before being tackled by the black hedgehog.

"Ok, you two, break it up." Sonic yelled as he pried off the raging hedgehog from the frightened dragon. Lancelot grabbed the black hedgehog in order to keep nightmare from tackling Starkage again. Lamorak was on the ground laughing his head off from the dragon's expression. Nightmare growled, but did not attempt to tackle the green dragon again after the black and red hedgehog let go of his arm, instead, looking at the blue hedgehog as he waited for his response from his early question. "Anyway, Nightmare, we came here because the Black Knight is back." Nightmare snorted before replying.

"So, you should have been able to take him out. Why do you need my help?"

"He got a lot stronger."

"And so are his minions." Percival replied.

"Fine, I'll help, but I need to see someone before we go." the pitch black hedgehog said as he started down the dirt path to the village. As they neared, they stopped in horror at the sight, and Nightmare let out a feral growl before dashing off toward it. Fire quickly ate away at the wooden houses that layered the outer part of the village. The villagers ran around in fright as the Black Knight's minion rode on horse-like creatures, capturing them in bringing them to a large carrier where they were soon thrown into with the others. Those who fought were either killed or had the same fate as the captured ones. Nightmare unsheathed his three and a half foot long two-edged blade and summons a group of shadow beings as he rushed into battle. The rest of the knights followed closely.

"I see I was correct that you will show up here you blue pest." King Arthur said as he rode in front of the group on his black stallion, which reared up in triumph.

"You know, I'll never understand why you love to torture these people. I mean, like, weren't they your citizens." Sonic replied with a smirk causing a bellowing laugh to erupt from the evil king.

"I would explain the reason, but it might not get through that brain of yours." A hundred knights appeared on both side of the Black knight. "My minions capture this infuriating hedgehog and his friends." The Underworld knights charged at the group with high screeches. The black hedgehog glanced backwards at the blue hedgehog that held out Caliburn in a fighting stance.

"Sonic, can you and the others deal with these freaks, I need to find someone and make sure she's safe." The blue hedgehog replied with a thumb up and a smirk.

"You can count on us." he said. Nightmare nodded before leaping high over the Underworld knights and the black Knight and landed safely on the other side before dashing off deeply into the village with his own minions. The group slashed and parried attacks after attacks as they defended themselves from the group. Tails was handling his part of the knights as they continued their waves of attacks, unaware of one knight stalking up behind it with a large black club in its hand. "Tails, watch out!" Sonic shouted, but was too late as the club came down heavily on the yellow fox, knocking it out. Sonic growled as he cut at the Underworld knights that blacked his path, watching in horror as a group of knights had picked up his brother and was carrying it to one of the wagons that was supposed to be meant for them. The door swung close before disappearing into the forest with the other wagons, followed by the attacking knights and led by the Black Knight, whose laughs echoed throughout the village and in the petrified hedgehog's mind.