Violet Dreams
Part II
Chapter 43: Beginning of the End, Part 2
"We all have a light, we just have to ignite it."
Location: Central Shamar
Torrential rain and hail flooded the once dry city of Shamar, turning it's once sandy streets into muddy and wet abominations. Citizens screamed, running to escape from the dogs of war marching through the city. Creatures sent by the terrorist organization, now known as Dusk, scampered along the crumbling roof tops, while the larger of the groups demolished the ancient pillars in the bazaar. Gun shots cracked, echoing throughout the war torn city like thunder. While the dead soldier's blood soaked into the golden sand, running off into the water along the main pathway. A group of soldiers slid to a stop in front of one of the military vehicles, then shielded their ears as a missile blasted out from the cannon at blistering speeds.
A demonic cry penetrated the thunderous gun fire, causing one of the beasts to slump to the ground. The cries of soldiers then echoed, and the armed vehicle rumbled forth. Morale was at an all time high for the soldiers of both GUN and Shamar. With the combined forces of the United Federations and the Middle East, Dusk stood no chance! Men yelled in triumph at the soon to be victory, their rifles lighting up with blazes of power. Creatures fell from the roof tops in hordes, joining in with the numbers of already dead soldiers.
Horrified, Amy and Cream watched the chaos ensue. They couldn't grasp how such havoc had been unleashed in so little time. And as much as they wanted to stop it all, they had a mission. Turning their attention away from the primary battleground, the duo moved across the highest rooftop they could find, and then jumped down into a barren street.
"Do you think everyone is going to be okay, Amy?" Cream wondered, comforting her chao.
"It looks like everyone's been evacuated..." the pink hedgehog assured, glancing down the street. However, a faint crying caught her attention. "Wait, Cream, do you hear that?"
Cheese, the newly transformed hero chao chirped and fluttered off down the path, following the sound. "Cheese can hear it too! Let's follow!"
Dashing down the stone street, the duo rounded a corner and slid to a stop in front of a wheezing man. Both Amy and Cream gasped and sunk to their knees, helping the wounded man to his feet desperately. A violet chao with red spots eagerly tugged at the mans wrist, tears dripping from it's eyes. The old man grunted and leaned against a barrel filled with fruit, and lay his head back.
"Mister, are you alright?" Amy asked with concern, while Cheese and Cream set to work healing the wound.
"Wh-where's Thorn?" the man mumbled, choking up a mouthful of blood. The violet chao fluttered into his lap, trying to get him up. A warm smile filled the elderly man's pained expression, and with weak hands he picked the chao up so he could look the creature in the eyes. "Hey now...don't cry, young one. I'm going to go be in a happier place!" More blood leaked down the mans chin, and both Amy and Cream grew solemn.
"Will you look after Thorn, young lady?" The man's empty eyes fell on Amy, his last breaths nearing.
Tears suddenly flooded down each of the heroes cheeks, as Amy nodded quietly. With a growing smile, the man turned his attention back to the violet chao in his hands. "See? This beautiful young girl will look after you. Remember, always eat your vegetables...and be strong!"
The infant chao whimpered as it's former owner's hands slumped to the ground, and his body went limp. Both Amy and Cream watched the chao ease the man's hands to the ground, but their peace was abruptly interrupted. A gentle chuckle sounded down the street, and a large figure began to descend the steps from the golden temple that marked the centre of the city. The attention of everyone present darted towards the lumbering figure as he took a seat on the steps, watching with a calm expression. However, Amy's temper quickly boiled over, and with it, more tears ensued.
"What do you think you guys are accomplishing?!" she screamed, fists clenched tight. "Ever since you freaks showed up, there's been nothing but pain and death!"
A shaft of white light extended through her grasp, and from it, Amy's hammer formed. Gaia watched the angered hedgehog intently, then stood up, taking his hood off. "Sorry," he muttered.
"Shut up! You don't mean that!" Amy growled angrily, and swung her hammer upwards. With a powerful leap, the bubblegum pink hedgehog soared through the air, quickly closing the distance between her and the enemy. Watching silently, the unusually quiet bear swung his arm upwards, at the same time summoning a pillar of rock to meet the vicious swing of Amy's mallet. The pink hedgehog sneered and cracks shot down exterior of the stone pillar, before it shattered. Gaia yelped and slid back up the staircase, allowing Amy to land amidst the rubble.
"Cream, the Chaos Emerald is inside that temple, I just know it. Can you get it?" Amy called, watching her opponent as he begun to walk towards her again.
"Of course!" The young rabbit nodded and took to the air with her ears, leaving Cheese to guard the orphan chao. A storm of rock pellets suddenly shot through the sky, but Amy swiftly leaped into the air and deflected them, protecting her friend.
Gaia, however, snarled and jumped as well, his large hand outstretched to grab the petite rabbit. His fur swayed and churned, as slowly it turned to diamond, encasing him in impenetrable armour. The bear roared and heaved his arm back, ready to strike down each of the young heroes. Grabbing Amy by the wrist, Cream quickly ascended, avoiding the punch from the pursuer. Amy then quickly jumped free of her friend, and swung her hammer downwards, smashing it against the bears forehead. Cracks darted across Gaia's head armour, his eyes widening from the hit. The body plummeted to the ground, and upon collision tore apart the ground, forming a crater. Landing at the top of the staircase, Amy swung back around, guarding Cream as she dashed into the temple.
A loud chuckle filled the street as Gaia staggered back to his feet, shaking off the impact as if nothing happened. Sand seemed to stream from his body, as parts of it sunk to the ground, until finally it fell into a pile of rubble. Amy gasped, and spun to face the temple, just in time to see Cream rocket through the air. Amy grunted, attempting to catch her friend, but the duo tumbled back down the stairs and smashed into a wall of rock. An unscathed Gaia sniggered and stood victoriously at the top of the stairs, his diamond armour receding down to the ground.
"I'm sorry," he belted, holding the Chaos Emerald in his grasp, while a strange machine sat on his shoulder. "But soon we'll all be free of death and pain! Master says sacrifice is necessary."
Each of the heroes grunted, and staggered forwards. However before they could regain their bearings, Gaia had disappeared through a warp tunnel. Just then, the howling of the Tornado loomed overhead, pulling the duo's attention towards it. Sharing a defeated gaze, both Amy and Cream sighed, then rushed to retrieve the orphaned chao and signal down their friend.
Location: Adabat
"I can sense the Chaos Emerald...but where is it?" Knuckles grumbled, trudging through the deep snow. Ever since his arrival, Adabat had been eerily quiet, void of any signs of war.
Either the battle hadn't reached the remote country, or had already consumed it's people and left it barren. But, Knuckles had no time to think about the what-if's. He never did, really. Constantly worrying about the safety of an ancient relic proved to be very thought-consuming.
Sneezing, the bulky fighter begun to rub his shoulders, continuing his trek through the deep snow.
Worried violet eyes scanned the wooden huts that once served as homes, searching for any signs of life. Of course nothing turned up, however. Howling wind swept across the barren town, and before long the echidna guardian and marched his way to the outskirts of the small town. A beam of pure, shining green light pierced the sky in the distance, causing the clouds to spin around it like satellites. Rings of energy orbited the needle of light, and in response, the earth trembled as if it were weeping in pain.
Knuckles grunted, and jogged through the pesky terrain towards the source of the strange phenomena. Snow had finally managed to swallow up the beautiful seas and beaches that the people prided themselves of, turning it into a winter wasteland. Slowing to a halt, Knuckles eyed the trail of footsteps in front of him, following them back to a strange, white machine perched in the banks of ice.
"I'll bet that's the machine Tails warned us all about," Knuckles whispered to himself, continuing towards it slowly. His eyes darted every which way, watching for any danger. "I wonder if anyone is guarding it?"
"We're not stupid," a voice called sarcastically, quickly followed by a yawn. "Didn't I knock some sense into you back into Mazuri, hot-head?"
"I actually came to thank you for the great sparring match!" Knuckles snorted, crossing his arms. "Now return the Chaos Emerald before I hurt you, coward!"
With a furrowed brow, and a confused expression, Surge jumped from his perch atop of the machine. "Coward? Now, what would you know about bravery?"
"Enough to give a crash course, that's for sure." Knuckles barked, readying his fists. "I don't have to hide behind some stupid lie fed to me in order to have a purpose!"
By now, the calm and collected Surge had been intrigued. "What exactly is your purpose, then? Enlighten me, oh, wise one!"
A mere foot now distanced the deadly rivals, their eyes locked in a stalemate. Knuckles searched through the pools of electrifying turquoise gazing back at him, displaying a near polar opposite expression of which he wore.
Not a single creature vacant in the area dared make the slightest sound. An enthused grin made its way across Surge's lips, and with crossed arms he quirked his brow once more. "Well?"
"Let me guess, you realized that sitting in front of some rock doesn't count as a purpose. I'd say it's more of a curse – cast upon you for eternity to torture a poor soul. Correct me if I'm wrong, but, you're only helping the others in order to regain that big, green gem, aren't you?"
Knuckles diverted his gaze to the ground briefly, shame rising up in his mind. Feeling triumphant, Surge snickered and stretched his arms above his head. "That's pretty low. I thought you dubbed yourself as a hero? Or is that just some title to make yourself look good while you scramble after that curse of yours?"
Feeling utterly defeated, Knuckles clamped his eyes shut and grit his teeth. Anger had begun to boil up within his veins – not for the man before him, but for the truths leaving this stranger's mouth. Bones creaked from the echidna's fist tightening, and then he sunk to his knees. A large and powerful fist struck the snow at his knees, to which his head hung towards.
Watching the crimson echidna crumble so easily brought a certain sense of pleasure to Surge. One that could only be described as euphoria. Sparks glistened across his fingers, then up his arms. His lazy, turquoise eyes seemed to glow with the devious smirk now gracing his lips. Snow crunched under the lion's knee, as he knelt beside the guilt stricken echidna. Resting his electrified hand on Knuckles shoulder, Surge glanced to the swirling sky.
"It's people like you that we're trying to eliminate. The greedy and the evil." Surge whispered ominously. "You're all filth, and before long, you'll all be judged accordingly."
The ferocious feline patted his foe's back, and stood up to stroll back to the machine in the distance. His jagged tail bounced behind him, and the beam of energy piercing the sky receded to the ghastly device, allowing the darkness of the world to take over again. Grey and black clouds plunged back in on themselves, snuffing all but a few shafts of light out from the planet.
With the machine fastened and rested on his shoulder, Surge paid one more glance to the broken man behind him. Sighing, he turned his attention to the swirling portal opening up, and begun to walk towards it.
"You're wrong," Knuckles muttered, just barely catching the lion's attention.
"Hm?"
"I said, you're wrong." The guardian's voice now boomed, as he stood tall. "I'm a hero because I dedicate my life to protecting this beautiful planet. Protecting it from creeps like you who make it weak and sorrowful. Everything, from the trees, to the people living in the great cities all over the globe, deserve to live. They deserve to decide their own fate, not have it chosen for them. It's not just my job, but all of ours, to treat it all with respect. Watching over the Master Emerald for so long has taught me to fulfil any duty given to you. It's not a curse – it's a blessing. And with it, I'll pummel anyone who disrespects it, and this planet!"
Silent, Surge turned his attention to the dark sky, contemplating the echidna's words. "We'll see who's ideals...become reality, when the time is right." Waving casually, the lion threw the machine into the portal, and then stepped in after it. "Ciao."
Knuckles watched the man disappear into the portal, then glanced upwards to the snow filled sky, picking out the blue biplane that Tails took so much pride in. In it, he also noticed Cream and Amy, all of them sporting a less than enthusiastic expression. The crimson echidna sighed heavily, and waved his arms above his head, signalling the young pilot of his whereabouts.
Location: Tails Workshop
Light fizzled and jumped from Vector as he shot out of the portal hanging in the living room. The collection of shocked expressions followed the crocodile as he smashed against the sofa. Wood snapped and fabric ripped, the piece of furniture giving way under the force of the impact. With a heavy groan, the detective struggled to his feet, glancing around for Espio and Charmy. The remaining heroes gathered in close, pondering what their friend was looking for, until Sonic finally spoke up.
"Dude, are you okay?" he whispered, clearly worried for his comrade. The various gashes hadn't escaped his attention, as well as the Chaos Emerald laying on the floor. "What happened to Espio and Charmy?"
Then it clicked like a lightbulb going off in his head. "We jumped in after one of those hooligans back in Apotos! They took Charmy, so we tried to get him back..." Remembering the details within the wormhole, Vector glanced at his feet. "I guess I got spat out of that weird tunnel with the Emerald in all that quarreling instead of Espio and Charmy...
"On the bright side, you brought a Chaos Emerald!" Amy cheered, admiring the gem's polished edges in her hands. "Now we have a way to find the others, right?"
"Weird...tunnel? What do you mean, Vector?" Tails asked with intrigue, already formulating a plan to find the base that Dusk operated from. Everyone had taken a seat around the round coffee table, listening to the details their comrade had to offer. Tails and Professor Pickle each stood attentive, ready to soak in all the information he spewed.
"Yeah, those weird portals those guys always disappeared through," he recalled, glancing upwards, as if imaging everything. "They lead to weird tunnels of light, or somethin'. Everything was moving so fast, I couldn't really tell."
"It sounds like Chaos Control," Knuckles interjected, opening his eyes. "The portals must be a form of time/space manipulation."
"I'll bet they're using the combined energy of the Chaos Emeralds to generate them," Tails added, crossing his arms to think. "I wonder if we'll be able to track the where-a bouts of the other Emeralds with the one you brought back?"
Everyone had fixated their attention on Tails and the Professor, awaiting a plan of action. Though they may not have had a vote, or election, the group unanimously saw the young fox as their leader. It was no surprise, though. His intellect, strategic thinking and patience were far beyond any of the others. Even before the half-decade of peace, Tails had managed to lead his comrades into battle, managing to formulate plans on the fly. While Sonic was the first to jump into battle, and lead the others into action, it always began with the younger of the two brothers. He saw everything five steps ahead – he had to, of course. With a rival like Doctor Robotnik, there was no time to doddle. Now, he was really being put to the test.
"Knuckles, do you think you could trace the other six Emeralds with that one?" the young fox asked quickly, a plan coming to fruition.
"I can try, but I wouldn't be able to teleport all of us there w,ith just on-" Before the guardian had a chance to finish, Tails rushed out of the room. Returning not even a minute later, he presented the pseudo gem he had developed during the Ark Incident.
"What if you had this?"
"I could maybe use two, but it'd depend on the distance," Knuckles replied, glancing at Sonic. "If both Sonic and I used Chaos Control at the same time, we'd have a much better chance."
Hopeful gazes from all around the room landed on the famous blue hero, eager for a response. "Leave it to me!" He snickered with a wink.
Already the morale of the group had been lifted. Sonic's zeal went unmatched amongst the heroes, and he always managed to bring up their spirits. Now, everyone had grown restless. The two Chao owned by Amy and Cream had started to flutter around the room in delight, while chatter erupted amongst the heroes present. Each of them had separate goals in mind, and each knew everything would be coming to a close in a few short hours. After years of fighting, it had been instilled into their psyches. They could sense coming triumph from a mile away. But still, uncertainty lingered in Tails mind as he watched Knuckles meditate with the Chaos Emerald in his grasp.
"I think I've got it," Knuckles informed quietly, causing the group to quiet down. "I can feel the other Six and the Master Emerald along Ruin Beach, just south of Westopolis."
"Think you can take us there? Knowing Charmy, he's probably gotten himself into a whole mess of trouble by now," Vector questioned quickly.
"Yeah, but Sonic will have to give me some extra juice with that copy Tails made," the guardian replied, and stood up.
Cheers had filled the room, and everyone gathered around the scarlet warrior, save for Professor Pickle. One by one, the heroes joined hands – much to Amy's delight, who had taken place beside Sonic. Gripping the Chaos Emeralds tightly in their hands, Sonic and Knuckles nodded at each other, a smirk gracing each of their muzzles. Professor Pickle smiled from the arm chair in the corner, sipping his tea.
"Good luck," he exclaimed.
Then, as the rival's arms collided, a barrier of energy expanded across the room. Following quickly after, a field of pure, white light engulfed the heroes. Suddenly the energy dwindled, and the light vanished, leaving the old Professor with his tea and book.
Location: Dusk Hideout
"Come 'ere ya' little shit!" Hurricane snarled, sending forth a blast of condensed air.
The young bee yelped and twisted in the air, narrowly avoiding the attack. Rock columns tumbled to the ground violently, creating a cloud of dust. Using the debris to his advantage, Charmy darted through, causing his pursuer to snarl furiously. The loudmouthed monkey ran through the debris, and then pivoted on his heel and jumped upwards, spinning. A vortex expanded around his body, dispersing the cloud of debris just in time for him to see Charmy swerve around a corner. Growling and cursing, Hurricane dropped to the ground and chased after his prey.
Sliding around the corner, Hurricane watched the young bee ascend the flight of stairs leading to the alter room. The murals on the walls passed by in blurred images, and with a powerful jump, Hurricane cleared the stairs and tackled Charmy to the ground viciously. The young bee yelped, and as the two tumbled along the floor of the destroyed room, Crush jumped from a violet portal, watching the duo wrestle for dominance. A scowl filled her features, and then with a swing of her arms, two jets of water shot from the ground and slung around the bee. The metallic furred fox yanked the bee away, and suspended him in the air.
"What the hell?!" Hurricane shouted viciously. "Why'd ya' do that, you bitch?!"
"Because you're obviously to incompetent to handle a little kid!"
"Hey! I'm not a -"
"Shut up!" The Dusk duo barked.
However, a row of portals opened up within the room. From them, the remaining Phase 1 agents stepped through, along with Galaxy. Rage filled his eyes as he glanced at Athana's dead body, bringing everyone's attention to the massacre as well. Gaia stammered, choking back his tears, while the others simply looked on with indifference. An arm of black energy shot through the ground, and clutched the dead mouse, dragging her back through the rock. Charmy screamed against the tendril of water wrapped around his mouth, and the closer Galaxy got to him, the more fear filled his body.
"What do we have here?" the Royal soldier questioned with intrigue.
"This kid and his friends tried to stop the Planet Eater back in Apotos," Hurricane explained with pride. "But I caught him!"
"Like hell you did," Crush scoffed.
"Silence!" Galaxy snapped, small tendrils of dark energy beginning to wrap around Charmy, in place of the water. Before long, the water disappeared, allowing the cat to drag Charmy over to his throne. "It seems as though we've just found the perfect candidate for Polaris."
Elsewhere...
In a flash of blinding light, the group of heroes materialized from Chaos Control, which threw them each to the ground. With a whistle, the confident blue hero admired the gaping entrance to the base, guarded by gigantic stone pillars on each side.
Walking to Sonic's side, Tails stared at the device around his wrist, determining the right route to the Master Emerald and other Chaos Emeralds.
"So where do we go?" Knuckles asked calmly, taking his spot beside Tails, while the rest of the group waited, talking amongst themselves.
"My GPS is saying to just head straight ahead for now," Tails responded with uncertainty, scanning the path alight with torches.
"Then I guess...hey, wait, what's that?" Sonic pointed out, squinting at the two figures stumbling through the darkness.
Once the light had illuminated them entirely, the blue hero gasped and sped over to his comrades, with Knuckles at his side. The heroes each tended to Shadow, easing him up over their shoulders. "What happened to you guys?" Sonic asked, leading the dark hedgehog back to the group.
"Dusk had taken Rouge before we got captured," Shadow informed weakly. "We just barely escaped Galaxy...he's lost it."
"What are you all doing here?" the ivory bat asked in concern.
Sitting Shadow down against a tree, the group had now formed a circle around the rogue GUN agent. "We're heading in to stop all this madness!" Mighty exclaimed.
"You'll all be killed," Shadow snorted. "He's about to do something big. If I hadn't of gotten in there when I did, Rouge would've been killed."
"Did he say what he's doing?" Amy asked curiously.
"A lot of maniacal nonsense," Rouge filled in, noticing Shadow growing increasingly weaker. "He was talking about using me as a sacrifice for something. Although I'm not sure what for.
"Do you think he's planning to use the Twilight Keys like Eggman did, Sonic?" Tails asked quietly, fear lacing his words.
"That's impossible...I killed the creature Eggman was using..." the blue hero replied, doubt filling his thoughts. "Atleast, I thought I had."
"Do you think you could use Chaos Control, Shadow?" Knuckles questioned, holding the real gem out to the antihero.
Glancing at the gem briefly, Shadow clutched it, allowing the energy to run through his body. "How'd you get this?"
"One of those terrorists lost it when Espio and I chased after him to get Charmy," the crocodile explained. "Think you could take us to Galaxy?"
"We have the fake Emerald Tails made awhile ago, too," Mighty added, as Sonic pulled it from his quills.
"Alright, but be prepared," the dark hedgehog warned, standing up slowly. "His henchmen are probably back with him now. There's no telling what he's planning."
Each of the heroes nodded, and surrounded the hedgehog twins. The duo quickly summoned the powers of the gems, and then crossed arms above their heads.
"Chaos...CONTROL!"
Location: Throne Room, Dusk Base
Grinning wide, Galaxy watched as the group of heroes appeared before him. Above, the statue that resembled Polaris cupped the Master Emerald, and the six Chaos Emeralds in its claws. The cat pulled his hood back, and walked towards the heroes, earning glares and sneers from them all. Stopping in the centre of the destroyed room, Galaxy chuckled, and his group surrounded him, each holding a Twilight Key. Then, the cat pulled the final key from his cloak, and from another portal, Charmy fell to the ground. The crocodile grunted in fear, watching his team mate struggle against the dark tendrils, however he wondered where Espio had gone.
"What'd you do with Espio?!" Vector hollered. "And let him go! Or I'll pummel you all!"
However, a figure then jumped from the corner of the room, his camouflage disappearing. Espio stood confidently in front of the group, a battle knife at the ready in his hand. "Don't worry, I've been here the entire time. I guess my plan worked, since you got the Emerald. I've been watching over Charmy this whole time, just in case."
An enraged look washed over Galaxy, as he stared at the calm hero, beginning to lose it. "Wh-what?!"
"What do you mean?" Mighty asked in confusion, voicing the question everyone had been thinking.
"I figured Hurricane was going to run back to Galaxy, or the base atleast," he answered, staring ahead at Dusk. "But I knew we had no leads on where they were hiding out. So I let myself get taken with Hurricane and Charmy. However, I'm not sure where Vector ended up – you guys I'm assuming. Since Vector had the Emerald, I had no doubt that Tails could locate the rest, which were without a doubt with Galaxy."
"Nice detective work..." Galaxy sneered angrily, then motioned behind him to the other Dusk agents.
Seven pedestals rose from the ground, and soon six of them were occupied with one of the mystical orbs. Galaxy snickered, turning around to the pedestal behind him, and set the orb in. The world seemed to shake, and then the Chaos Emeralds each lit up one by one, and shot into the sky. The seven gems spun around at light speed, while in the centre a portal begun to open up, recreating the hellish scene from five years ago. Before long, the Emeralds expanded, the portal within expanding with them. Then, a white flash filled the sky, and from within the void a beast began to crawl through. Sonic's face turned pale, and everyone watched in horror as the creature they believed to have been dead resurfaced inch by inch.
Black smoke billowed away from the clean-cut edges of the Master Emerald, as it spiralled up into the abyss that the beast resided in. Both Vector and Espio broke free from the perplexing sight above them, just in time to see the fire-wielding Dusk agent tugging Charmy across the ground towards their leader. Acting fast, the duo thrust themselves forth, each of their fists crashing against Gantz's cheek. Losing hold of the bee, the fiery tempered tanuki tumbled across the ground violently, only for two others to take his place.
"Get away from him!" Vector yelled angrily as the others prepared to fight.
But, before anyone could process what had happened, Galaxy appeared in the middle of it all, clutching the sobbing bee in his grip. Malicious eyes stared deep into the moist orbs of Charmy's, and then they both faded away into a storm of black particles. The dust like material reformed at the strange alter, allowing Galaxy to hoist the young Chaotix member into the dark sky. Thunder cracked, and lighting lit up the darkness. Galaxy's insane cackle reverberated through the base, then, without warning a flash of blinding white light struck the alter.
"A nation which makes the final sacrifice for the life and freedom does not get beaten." ~ Abraham Towers – GUN Supreme Commander, 1992
To Be Continued