`Violet Dreams

Part II

Chapter 45: Heart of Warrior

"The two most powerful warriors are time and patience."

Location: Tidal Bay, Adabat – Time Until Release: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

High above the clouds, the beast that once threatened the safety of earth loomed over all humanity. Swirling energies clung to its body, heaving it forth from the portal it resided within. It's very presence seemed to cause chaos and destruction, leaving all sense of security ruined in its wake. Staring quietly from the sea ravaged shores, Knuckles the Echidna sighed, his body tingling from the storm churning overhead in the heavens. Turning his attention towards the field behind him, the Guardian watched as a portal spun open, allowing a familiar character to stroll through.

Electricity glistened at the heels of the lion, while his fingers seemed to twitch with power. Surge stopped, and stared at the beast in the distance, ignoring his adversaries vicious glare.

"It's kind of alarming, isn't it? To know that the world is going to suddenly just end, without any warning or signal," he commented quietly, his voice calm. "I used to be afraid of the end of the world; to the point where I lost sleep over it. It wasn't healthy. But, do you know what my father taught me?"

"I don't really care, but I have a feeling you'll tell me anyway," Knuckles quipped angrily, crossing his muscular arms as he prepared for the speech.

Sighing gently, Surge leaned over to pluck a flower from the ground. "He taught me that even though there's an end, there's a new beginning. Our world is a phoenix constantly rising from the ashes of its ruin."

Electrifying turquoise eyes scanned the fragile organism gripped in his fingers. Paying no mind to the rumbling roars of thunder in the sky, Surge plucked a petal free of its home on the flower, letting it sail off into the wind.

"Ruin comes from both natural and humanistic causes. People say destruction by the hand of humanity is evil. But what if it were to protect – rather than conquer?"

"I say that's a load of bullshit!" Knuckles retorted quickly, stomping forth towards his adversary. "We're in no position to choose the time of death for a person, or nature. That's not our job!"

The terrifyingly calm eyes of Surge whisked across the warrior before him, trying to determine what it was exactly that made him so stubborn. Whilst crossing his arms, the cloak that signified his allegiance suddenly burst into flames, revealing his black vest and yellow fur. The man took a step towards the echidna, grass burning up in the same instant. The grey military pants around his lower body wavered in the wind, the two gems embedded in his gloves gleaming dangerously.

Blue and yellow light seemed to wrap around Surge's body as he disappeared into a flash of energy. Knuckles stumbled backwards, feeling a tight closure around his throat. Blinking his eyes, Knuckles found Surge to have materialized in front of him, heaving the echidna's body into the air above treacherous waters.

"I see you cling to your juvenile truths more than ever, Guardian," Surge remarked with a light sigh. His long tail wavered with quick, rigid motions, as if it were lightning. "What's it gonna take for me to break you? Huh?"

"A lot, unfortunately for you. Why don't we see who breaks first?" Knuckles retorted, heaving his fist upwards to strike his foe, only to punch the air. "I'm not one to back down in times of desperation!"

Electricity crackled around a golden portal, which then gave birth to the lion whom embodied lightning itself. His calm eyes watched the ferocity gathering in Knuckles' aura, as small embers glistened upwards from the ground. Surge walked a semi circle around the echidna, taking in the battlefield. His heart beat gently up against his chest, while every trace of Chaos Energy evident in his body began to charge up with the static present in the air. Thunder grumbled in the clouds, as flashes of light glistened across the heavens. Gazing towards Knuckles, the young lion sighed and leaned forwards, his body beginning to dematerialize into a flash of light.

Knuckles grunted and thrust his fist towards his target, only to strike a leaf. Prying the impaled piece of vegetation free of his glove, Knuckles spun around at the sound of breathing, only to meet with Surge's electrically charged fist. Static danced across the guardians body, paralysing him momentarily and allowing for Surge to swing his right fist upwards into the scarlet warrior's chin. Knuckles toppled back onto the field, groaning heavily from the painful blow. Rubbing his jaw, the echidna stumbled back up to his feet, finding his enemy to have disappeared once more.

"Is this how you intend to break me, Guardian?" Surge remarked, cracking his knuckles one by one as he strolled the cliffs edge. "I haven't even started to get serious yet, and you've already got a bloody lip."

The embers that had shrouded Knuckles suddenly returned in a dazzling aura of flame, vanquishing the grass at his feet. "Don't worry, I was just testing out a theory!"

Quirking a brow, Surge stopped and crossed his arms, the gusts of wind tugging at his body, threatening to suck him into the ocean. "A theory you say? You can try and determine any detail you like, but the fact of the matter is...I am going to kill you."

In the blink of an eye, the electrical lion materialized in front of Knuckles, his fist surrounded in a layer of crackling static. Knuckles mouth gaped, his arms swinging up in the nick of time to block the terrifyingly strong blow. A shockwave burst forth from impact, and then, the crimson echidna tumbled backwards, dust trailing close behind him.

"You're weak.. that's the problem. You aren't capable of protecting anything," Surge remarked with a scowl.

A flash of electricity glistened in the air behind the tumbling echidna, then, a mighty grasp wrapped around his neck. The grass swayed violently from the turbulence, while a dazzling bolt of lightning stretched down to the earth in an instant, charring the grass the moment of impact. Blood leaked from the hero's chest, his wound smoking and smouldering from the intense heat of his foes strike.

"Weak?" Knuckles retorted, grasping onto his chest to soak up the blood with the material of his white mitts.

The grip around his throat loosened, then, the lion had reappeared but only a couple yards away, readying another attack. Knuckles, however took the opportunity to dash towards his pursuer and land a hit. Dirt kicked up from his shoes, while flames swirled eagerly around his namesakes with each step. With a mighty roar of power, Knuckles flung his fist forth, creating a vacuum of air in the wake of his punch.

Jolting from his position, Surge cart wheeled to avoid the deadly strike, watching as the ground crumbled and churned from the power. Jumping out of the evasive action , Surge pivoted on his heel, then drove his foot into Knuckles' recovering form, sending him staggering backwards. Though his assault hadn't ended, as he jerked towards the echidna with such fury, the electricity dancing and twisting at his fists seemed to intensify – as if they were alive and excited.

"Realistically, echidna, I'm the hunter, and you're the hunted." A ferocious fist jolted against Knuckle's chest, followed quickly by another and another. Finally, the echidna dropped to his knees, panting and spitting up blood onto the grass. "You're nothing but a small little field mouse, clung to the false reality of trying to be a wolf. You're built for defence, to survive in the elements and flee from your dangers. However, I am the wolf."

Surge thrust his knee into the guardian's face, to which he screamed in pain. Blood masked the echidna's muzzle, staining it a deep crimson. The leather that made up the lion's footwear crinkled as he crouched down in front of his prey. Surge gripped the mighty jawline of Knuckles and tilted his head upwards.

Their eyes met, a silent war being wagered between their stares.

A lazy smirk crept along the Dusk soldiers face as he spat at Knuckles. "You are filth, Knuckles. You, and every one of your pitiful friends. And you know what happens to filth? It gets eradicated. You, and the rest of this planet will be wiped clean."

Knuckles' orbs grew wide in absolute fear. This monster he was staring at, whom he was trying so hard to suppress, was utterly insane. With a violent tug, the scarlet echidna tore free from the lion's grip, but it proved to be futile. Surge quickly lunged forth, grabbed the echidna, and in an instant the duo had appeared on the cliff's edge, overlooking the vicious tides. Knuckles struggled against the grip of his opponent, trying to find a way free, but it had become to late.

As the thunder cracked and roared, Surge heaved the echidna out over the ocean with such might, it would surprise any onlooker. The battered echidna twirled head over heels, fighting vigorously to regain his bearings. Then suddenly he caught a glance of the electrifying eyes that belonged to his foe.

Chills ran down his spine, but, he had to focus. Flames ignited at his fists, and with a great punch, a roaring ball of fire launched forth through the air. The tumbling sphere of heat devoured the lion, while the turbulence it produced shot Knuckles further from the soon to come explosion of power. Watching confidently, Knuckles' expectations shattered, watching a flash of lightning jump down from the clouds. Sparks rippled in front of him, and from a spiralling golden vortex, Surge shot through. His hands suddenly lit up with a vicious electrical charge, bolts of lightning extending far behind the lion himself.

Flashes of white hot light exploded all around the fighting duo, while chaotic storm clouds closed in from every direction. Surge fired his fist towards Knuckles, but met only a torn and charred glove. The bulky fighter quickly clasped his other hand around the lion's wrist, then heaved his weight around to throw the Dusk agent down into the ocean. Wasting no time, and as to not allow the lion a chance to escape, Knuckles dove after his opponent, a fist reeled back behind him.

Looking like nothing more than a streak of crimson in the sky, Knuckles slung his fist downwards, igniting a powerful explosion at the tip of his namesakes. The propulsion shot downwards with such devastating power, the crashing tides split apart, creating a whirlpool. Waves spun round on themselves, quickly opening up to reveal the ocean floor. Billowing clouds of smoke spun up from the descending lion, then, bursting flames and air rushed past the water, creating a pillar of fire and smoke.

Waves plunged outwards in each direction around the blast, creating a terrifying storm. In the blink of an eye, Knuckles shot through the cloud of flame, wrenching his fist into the lion's gut. "Dynamic Impact!"

A vortex of embers, rock, water and wind shot free from the point of collision between the two fighters. Time seemed to stand still. Then, the blast receded, allowing the water to crash back in on each other, swallowing up both Knuckles and Surge.

Flashback

Beating down from the heavens, the sun seemed to drain the life out of everything it came in contact with. The plant life drooped, the villagers of the quiet community were strewn about lazily, trying to escape the heat. The sand that which the village had been based in radiated with the heat it gathered throughout the long days. Despite the silence of the civilians, two young boys ran and tumbled through the Sahara, their zig-zagging tails swerving in and out of the sand behind their bodies.

A boy with electrical yellow fur weaved in and out of the punches his older brother threw. A glove whizzed by his head, giving him the perfect opportunity to fire a punch into his siblings chest. The older lion stumbled backwards, watching as his young sibling jumped at him, planting a firm kick into his abdomen. Toppling over into the sand, the elder lion tumbled backwards along a sand dune, while the younger of the two jumped from the top, ready to strike.

However, not even a second before the younger brother was about to throw another fist, the older lion let loose a burst of energy. The elder shot upwards from his position, and in a flash of white energy, the duo tumbled through the sand, forming a groove in the middle of the sand dune.

"Ah-hah!" One boy yelled triumphantly, slamming his brother down into the ground. "You lose, Surge."

"Oh, c'mon!" the younger boy shouted defiantly. "You totally cheated!"

"Did not!" The elder brother retorted, as he jumped back from a flying fist. "Don't be a sore loser!"

"But we agreed we couldn't use any powers! Just because I can't use mine yet, doesn't mean you can!" Surge argued, his eyes a lit with a flare of rebellion. "That isn't fair!"

"You really expect me to be fair, little brother?" The other lion retorted with sass. "Besiiides, we're supposed to be training as if we were in war. The enemy isn't gonna go easy on you."

"Whatever..." Surge grumbled, dusting his shorts off. "Shouldn't we go see if Mom is ready to take us to Spagonia?"

Wiping the sweat free from his brow, the older brother stared high into the sky. "I guess so. And hey, the reason I pinned you down like that is because of your carelessness. You need to pay attention to the moves your opponent makes, otherwise you'll be outsmarted."

"You still cheated."

"Oh shut up!"

End Flashback

Floating quietly on the waves of the ocean, Surge watched the storm clouds high above in the sky. His hand moved out of the water slowly to dab at the wound on his stomach, the blood pouring into the salty water swishing all about his body. Memories of a lost family, a lost community and a life he so longed to recover flooded his mind, making him unaware of the crimson echidna bursting up through the waves not to far from him. Sparks started to gently crackle along the lion's arms, legs and torso, causing his muscles to twitch slightly. The lion sighed, concentrating the energy around his feet, and then, eased himself to stand on the surface of the waves, using the powerful waves of electricity at his feet to keep him up.

"You've surprised me, Guardian," Surge called out, cauterizing the impalement on his gut. Rain then begun to fall from the skies, drenching the landscape in the heaven's tears. "But unfortunately this is where I have to put a stop to you. I made a promise to my brother, and my people, that I'd achieve piece. No one will get in my way."

With a heavy groan, the scarlet echidna heaved himself out of the water, and onto a rock peering out of the sea. "I'm beginning to think you're just a delusional freak like the guy you follow!" Knuckles barked, tearing the charred remains of his gloves off his left hand, and tossing them to the water. "What happened to all the cocky banter from earlier?"

Glaring intently at the echidna, Surge begun to crack his knuckles one by one while walking towards his foe. Bolts of lightning jumped high into the sky from each step the lion took, then, a crack of thunder shook the world. The waves split upwards around the lion, turning into gigantic walls of water. A flash of lightning zipped between the crashing tidal waves, and as the walls of water crashed back to the sea, Surge thrust his fist into Knuckles. Another crack of thunder reverberated across the cliff side, the sound wave ripping apart the rocks Knuckles had been standing on. A crimson blur launched up through the cliff side, tearing through the rock and clay, allowing it to crumble and fall into the swishing waves below. Water jumped high into the air from the debris falling into it, creating a chaotic display of power with each falling chunk of stone.

Surge shot away from the insanity, using each piece of crumbling stone and rock as leverage to get to the field he had sent his opponent crashing up into. The electrical lion tumbled away from the falling cliff, paying no attention to the waves that leaped high into the sky behind him. Wasting absolutely no time, Surge dashed across the field, strikes of lightning obliterating the earth in his wake. Knuckles had finally gathered his bearings once again, and prepared a flaming punch. The crimson guardian thrust his fist to meet Surge, but found it to be too slow. The lion disappeared, then returned above the echidna, kicking a leg out into the hero's neck. Knuckles tumbled onto the grass, but rolled to avoid another vicious kick to his body.

"I think I'm starting to figure out your trick," Knuckles explained in the midst of blocking a punch from his foe. Another punch slid past his defences, cracking his jaw out of line, the sickening sound of a bone snapping lingering in the air.

Knuckles screamed in pain, blood dripping past the glove he had planted on his cheek. The echidna stumbled backwards, allowing Surge another punch. A deafening crack of thunder erupted from the body of the lion, as a flash of electricity burst away from the punch like a laser. The crimson echidna shot high up into the sky, his body twirling and spinning madly through the storm clouds. Back down on the ground, Surge sighed, his eyes locked onto his foe in the sky.

Electricity suddenly flashed to life around Surge's fists, dancing and churning with immeasurable power, "I guess this ends it."

Flashback

Location: Dusty Desert, Outside Spagonia

Embers glistened high into the sky, acting like warm stars in the night sky. Heavy, billowing clouds of smoke drifted across the desert, carrying the scent of charred wood and debris with it. No screams were heard across the Sahara, but only the frequent crackles of burning wood. Vehicles sporting the GUN insignia moved quietly through the destruction of the small town, while soldiers moved alongside, their rifles at the ready. Muffled cries of help sounded against the windows of one of the military vehicles, while one villager peered through the glass to gain sight of their destroyed home. Men in uniform and gas masks marched in and out of houses, the warm and haunting light of the burning flames illuminating the red GUN logo on each of their shoulders.

They looked like demons sent from hell.

Smashing his boot against a door, the obstacle gave way to the force and broke apart. A group of soldiers rushed into the still standing building, their weapons armed and aimed into the kitchen. Within the house, two children screamed for their lives, their small forms being hurried up a flight of stairs by their mother as she followed suit. Meanwhile, the father remained with a meat cleaver held tightly in his hand.

"What do you military pigs want from us?!" the man hollered angrily, his knuckles cracking as his grip tightened around the weapon. "I demand an answer for this insanity!"

Two soldiers suddenly stepped to the side, lowering their rifles in respect to their commanding officer. "Your village has been suspected of housing a S-Class criminal, who has been outlawed by all countries associated with GUN."

The fathers eyes wavered only slightly at the words, the GUN officer drawing closer. "We don't know anything about that! Please, leave my family be!"

"Now, now," the officer soothed, clutching the villagers shoulder. "Once we have found the criminal, any further damage or casualties will be prevented. But, until then, your home is hereby under siege."

Two gunshots echoed throughout the desolate village. Blood splattered across the wall, and face of the GUN officer, and the father of the family crumpled to the floor, his face mangled and obliterated by the power of the rifle. With a sigh, Shrike Errgon begun his ascent into the upper level of the house, his boots thumping against the wooden footsteps. Behind him, two soldiers followed, allowing the others to search the rest of the house.

"Listen... you both need to be as quiet as possible.." the mother whispered, holding her children close. Using her already tear dampened sleeve, the mother wiped her children's eyes and smiled. "You two are going to be okay. I'll protect you."

Suddenly the door swung open, causing it to nearly fly off it's hinges. The muscular anthrosentient officer strolled in, a disgusted look on his face. Beside him, two soldiers moved out to his sides, each ready to shoot. Easing her children behind her, the mother stretched her arms out in protection, a sudden vicious expression finding it's way to her face, heavily contrasting her loving and tender attitude only a second prior.

"My, what a ferocious family we have here," Shrike commented, pulling a glove off to crack his knuckles. "Now, I don't believe in killing women or children, so I'll make a wager for you. My resources have informed me that this household is withholding a national criminal. Give up the whereabouts of them, and remain free citizens, or..."

Suddenly a turquoise glow surrounded the protective woman, hoisting her up into the air and against a wall. "I'll be forced to kill your two children, and you'll be thrown in prison along with everyone else. You should feel lucky – you're the first I've given this deal to."

"You're a monster!" the woman growled, trying to fight her way free.

The small children watched their mother intently, doing their best to stay calm behind the safety of their bed. With a cruel grin Shrike stared the children down, his ungloved hand held up towards their mother. "Come here for a moment, young ones."

Fearing for their safety, the two boys crept from behind their safety and inched towards the now crouching war monster. Their eyes held unmatched fear and agony, but yet their stood confident and bold in front of this man. Two hands suddenly rested on their heads, which darted to find their mom smashing into a glass night stand and writhing in pain.

"You two wouldn't happen to know anything about a fugitive, would you?" His menacing eyes seemed to delve deep into their souls, creating such fear and terror, they swore he were death itself.

Each shook their heads quietly, to which Shrike sighed heavily. The officer stood quietly, and shooed the children to back away. Once more he neared their mother, and crouched down at her crying form. Blood dripped past the pieces of glass wedged in her body. The man rest a hand on a larger piece piercing her side and begun to twist it. A cry of agony pierced the quiet, tense air of the household. Weakly, the woman grasped the shoulder of the man, trying to push him away.

A look of disgust crept across Shrike's face, and finally, he tore the shrapnel free from her flesh. Blood oozed out on the floor, as the lady belted out in pain, clutching her wound tightly. The young boys had now began sobbing, watching as their mom fell to the sickening man before them.

"What disappoints me the most is the fact I gave you a chance," Shrike commented quietly, his hand tucked under the woman's chin to keep her face looking to his. "You lied to my face. You cannot fool a man of immeasurable resource. You see, we came here looking for you. This town was burnt to the ground. It and it's people destroyed all because of you. The man downstairs, the father of your children, lay in a pool of his own blood. All this, and you had a chance to bring safety to yourself and your children. But you lied."

Growing solemn, the wheezing mother clasped her eyes shut as tears dripped down her cheeks. However, her right arm tensed suddenly, and in the blink of an eye she swept her arm upwards. A shard of glass clutched in her bloodied hands sliced up past Shrike's face, slicing his right eye. The man suddenly shouted in pain, and fell backwards clutching his face. Blood dripped down his cheek, mixing in with the rest on the floor.

Hurriedly, the mother swept up her children in the instant a flash of light engulfed them. Bullets sailed through the portal of energy they disappeared in, leaving only the soldiers and Shrike. Seething in both and pain, Shrike stumbled back to his feet, signalling one of his men to come to his side. Unravelling a cloth from around his arm, the soldier wrapped it quickly around his superior's eye and head, then awaited his orders.

"They're still in the house," he growled and turned to walk out the doorway. "Find them and bring them to me alive."

Nodding, the soldiers rushed off down the stairs, beginning their rampant search of the household.

Meanwhile, the mother and her children sat hidden in the cellar. A soft, yet warm, green glow seemed to keep them all alive. It was providing them with a power of hope, that they'd survive. Already it saved them from being shot. The footsteps above marched and trampled on the floor over their heads, causing their breathing to be quiet and hushed.

"Mom, why does that man want you?" The elder brother asked, trying to determined why their family had been dragged into such hell.

The mother sighed quietly, and hugged her children before separating herself from them to look her children in the face. A warm smile found its way on her lips despite the situation they were in. Yet, she sighed, trying as best she could not to cry and give in to her emotions.

"This gem, it used to be property of the military. But, you see, they're not supposed to have it. They want these for things that...that aren't natural to human life. I don't want to poison your minds with such thoughts and images, but the point is, the government is doing horrible things with these gems. They're capable of...well, whatever the imagination wants. These gems, legends say they can turn thought into reality. Last week, when we went into town, a young man gave this to me and told me to protect it. He was an old friend. But I'm assuming the military saw..."

She begun to cry quietly, though she did her best to keep it at bay by biting her lip, the torment was too much. "I'm sorry, boys. This is all my fault."

Wrapping her arms around her children, they all grew quiet. The soft green glow of the emerald seemed to eliminate their fear for now, but yet, something didn't feel right. Suddenly the door to their cellar slid down the staircase in pieces, followed by three soldiers. Gasping, the mother thrust the emerald into the older boy's clutches and shoved them out through an overhead window. The young boys fought and resisted, screaming that she come with them. But as they reached and pleaded through the opening, the soldiers rushed in. A bullet sailed across the small room, and blood washed across the floor.

The young whimpered at the sight, but quickly scrambled back to their feet as another soldier began climbing through the opening. The duo ran as fast possible, the elder brother grasping tightly to both the Emerald and his younger sibling's hand.

"C'mon, Surge!" He yelled angrily and fearfully. "We gotta get outta here! Mom protected us, we can't let it all go to waste!"

"B-but...th..she's dead..."The younger boy sobbed, tripping over his feet.

Finally, the siblings rushed into the forest to the west of their home. Surge fell to his knees, whimpering and crying over the tyranny he had witnessed. The elder brother paced quietly, holding the powerful gem, half expecting it to revert everything like it were a bad dream.

"What are we gonna do, King? We have nowhere to go!" the younger brother shouted fretfully.

"We gotta run. It's not safe here, and as long as we have this, they're gonna search for us."

Suddenly, the trees cracked and bent. Wood snapped, and debris exploded all around them. A heavily armoured vehicle moved through the thick foliage as though it were nothing. Standing at the helm, Shrike directed his driver to pursue the now fleeing children. Then, as the duo plunged through the forest, a grapple shot free from the belly of the vehicle. The claw spread wide, and shot through tree trunks, snapping them like twigs on it's pursuit of the brothers.

"King!" the younger boy yelped amidst tears and heavy breaths.

"Get out of here!" Yelled the older boy.

Then, just before the grapple hauled the boy away, he threw the miracle gem towards Surge. Watching quietly as his brother shot away through the mud, the young lion gripped the emerald in his grasp. His tears cascaded from his eyes, dripping onto the slick surface of the jewel. A bright flash wrapped around the boy, like his mothers arms once would. In the next instant, he disappeared.

End Flashback

Lightning chirped and exploded free from the hands of the solemn lion. He crouched low, tightening his gloved hands into fists ready to kill. Then, like a laser ascending into the sky, he shot towards his prey. Lightning flickered behind him in a long, jagged tail of light. Surge smashed his fist against the echidna once more, launching his target further into the clouds. Light flickered past Knuckles, and the electrical lion thrust his fist into his opponents side, heaving him the other direction.

In the blink of an eye, Surge reappeared in front of Knuckles and slammed his fist down into the echidna's abdomen. Lightning flashed, engulfing both Surge and Knuckles. Thunder growled and rumbled across the sky, and the crimson echidna rocketed down into the ground, a bolt of energy detailing his descent. Dirt, rubble and rock burst free from the impact, a crater forming under Knuckles' body. Electricity crawled across the outskirts of the crater just as another flash of light gave way to Surge.

"You and your friends know nothing of pain. Your disgusting efforts to try and stop us are like a child trying to destroy a military force," the lion remarked, kneeling in the rubble and pulling Knuckles up by the throat.

The echidna coughed and sputtered, blooding leaking out the side of his mouth. Yet, he still retaliated with a rebellious smirk. "You may have beaten me down. But now I know the trick behind your speed. Once I get my bearings I'm gonna kick your ass, buddy."

Glaring intensely at his opponent, Surge scowled. "I've crippled you. You can hardly move, let alone talk, yet you're boasting about defeating me? You're not only weak, but insane. There isn't a thing you can do to stop a force like me. I've been molded by the hatred, greed and corruption of this nation. I've watched as my comrades and family have fallen from the hands that pretend to feed us. I've seen as the military have choked out entire villages for a cause only beneficial to themselves. You...you've lived a life of solitude. No real connection. No parents. No family. You fight for your own sickening beliefs. For your precious freedom."

A terrifyingly insane look suddenly burst free into Surge's eyes, followed by a grin fuelled by madness. "I fight for those who have fallen. I fight for the freedom of the oppressed. I fight to kill pieces of shit like you."

With a sudden overflow of power, Surge tossed the echidna out of the crater and into the ground. Though in an instant, the lion pounced on the already battered hero and begun delivering punch after punch into Knuckles' face. Over and over his fists battered the already bloodied and broken face of the Guardian. Stopping for but a moment to confirm his prey was still breathing, Surge reeled back his fist, preparing to end the life of the man beneath him.

Knuckles' bare hand then shot upwards, gripping the lion's throat. Before Surge could retaliate, Knuckles had already struggled forwards, causing them to roll back down into the deep trench that his body had created earlier. With a fed up sneer, Surge kicked the echidna away and jumped back onto the grass to watch as the Guardian tumbled and sprawled on his back weakly. However, the battered echidna slowly crawled to his feet, just barely standing.

"I guess there's a small spec of life left in you," Surge commented maliciously, his gloves dripping with the echidna's blood.

Light began to pulse up and down the echidna's flexed arm, his bare hand clutching a sphere of screaming energy that resembled a ball molded out of lightning. The elegant, blue glow radiating off of Knuckles seemed to combat the gloomy, stormy feel of the cliffside. Sparks jumped and twirled away from the readied attack, as the ball began to fizzle and distort.

"Interesting...so you have enough fight in you for an attack of that calibre?" Surge remarked, beginning to walk around the exterior of the crater. His muscles began tensing, golden energy surrounding him like electricity dancing across his limbs. "As I said, you may have me outmatched in raw strength...but I have you trumped for speed. You can't hit something you can't catch, now can you?"

"You're forgetting who one of my comrades is," Knuckles retorted, pouring more energy into the attack.

Smirking, Surge dashed forwards just as the echidna began to move his arm in preparation for attack. Knuckles watched as electrical lion disappeared through a flash of yellow – though also took note of another small glimmer of light elsewhere.

Quickly pivoting on his heel, the echidna roared like a spartan in battle and hurled the orb of lightning in his palm free. The arrow of raw energy screamed towards the small spec of light adjacent to the portal Surge had escaped through, and in the blink of an eye, the lion burst forth from the spec of light. His eyes grew wide, only to be blinded by the sheer brightness of the fizzling attack. Chirping beams of energy exploded outwards as the arrow ripped through Surge's body, creating a dome of bright energy in his place. Surge screamed in absolute agony, the heat of the attack eating away at his flesh and bone.

Finally, the attack died out, and Surge toppled to the ground. Smoke billowed up from his body, carrying the putrid scent of seared flesh with it. Knuckles, however trudged up the muddy crater and over to his defeated opponent. The echidna stood boldly above the disfigured lion. A gaping hole had been formed in Surge's abdomen, void of any signs that organs had once been there. Blood leaked away from the freshly cauterized stump that had once been an arm, the flesh still smouldering. Surge gasped for air, his blinded eyes staring blankly up into the heavens.

"How did you manage to hit me..." He wheezed, on the edge of death.

"It was your energy signature. It's identical to Chaos Control..." Knuckles paused, forcing himself not to vomit at the wretched sight below him. "Those gems that were on your gloves..they work the same as a Chaos Emerald. Except,... they made a tunnel in space...I just had to find the end you came out of."

Again, thunder rumbled in the heavens, though this time the clouds finally began to disperse. However, the rain continued pouring, washing away the scars dealt to Mother Earth in the ferocious battle that had taken place.

"It's true I have been alone...and secluded. But I come from a long line of Guardians," Knuckles explained weakly. "And I've been taught the ways of a warrior. One of those ideals is to never give up."

"Then I misjudged you, Guardian," Surge remarked with a gentle smile. "It seems as though you were the wolf all along."

"Rather than killing to form what we are not, we must live and let live to preserve the humanity that is within."~ Doctor Gerald Robotnik – Chaos Physicist, 1945

To Be Continued

Authors Note~ For those of you still following this story...yes I have decided to continue. I made a vow to finish the three part Dusk series, and it will be done. Hopefully you all decide to keep along for the journey. Thankyou all for your time and support.

~Blue