Violet Dreams
Part II
Chapter 47: Bonds
"Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope"
Location: Ancient Oasis, Adabat
A flock of exotic birds fled their home, fleeing a destructive wave of magma on it's path through the jungle. Animals and all forms of vegetation slowly disappeared under the blanket of lava cascading down the mountain. The titan looming high above let out another hellish scream that shook the planet, causing the mountains themselves to tremble and crumble apart.
Suddenly, Mighty fell from a vortex and into a swamp. Murky water and mud leapt up into the air and splattered across the armadillo. Clumps of dirt dropped off of Mighty as he stood up, annoyed by the entrance he had been given.
"Gee, I guess he's never heard of a smooth landing..." Mighty remarked quietly, shaking more mud from his hands and into the swamp water. "Now where am I...?"
Trudging out of the swamp, Mighty ventured over to the steaming magma that had solidified over half the jungle. However, the armadillo quickly spun around upon hearing the voice of a girl sigh.
Behind him stood Crush, waiting patiently on the shore of a lake hidden in the jungle. The magma seeped towards the body of water, creating a thick veil of steam from the liquid coming into contact with such a hot substance.
"Today only one of us will be leaving here alive, Mighty." Crush explained solemnly, catching droplets of water from the overhanging trees in her hands. "I never thought the day would come where I had to choose between my life or yours...nor did I think I'd choose mine to save... above yours."
Mighty remained quiet, tears dripping past his closed eyes. He curled his fists up tightly, causing his knuckles to crack one by one.
"If that's the way it has to be, then so be it. But, I can't kill you, Crush. If you die, I die too. Either you kill me, or I kill us both."
"I won't be dying today, Mighty. I have too much riding on my victory – my freedom and mercy all depend on the outcome. I'm sorry, but your days have come to an end."
"Then call me a dead man!"
Mighty dashed towards his old friend, green and white energy gathering around his being like a barrier. The armadillo heaved an arm behind him, then slung it forward like a bolt of lightning. His fist struck the rock Crush had been perched on, obliterating it into a mound of dust.
Crush twirled down from the sky, landing elegantly on the surface of the lake. Suddenly two waves crashed into the shore, swallowing the dry ground up. Mighty, on the other hand jumped high into the air, preparing another punch. The armadillo soared down from the sky, and thrust Crush into the water with his fist. The duo spun and clawed at each other as they descended into the depths of the lake, until finally Crush managed to kick the armadillo away.
Mighty gurgled, bubbles exploding from his mouth, the air in his lungs escaping. The armadillo frantically clawed for the surface, darkness slowly creeping in on his vision. Suddenly, Crush delivered a devastating punch into Mighty's abdomen, sending him flying up from the abyss, and into the sky. Crush launched up into the air after her former partner, a dragon of water screaming past her. The dragon screeched and collided with Mighty in an explosion of mist and water vapour.
His body twirled and tumbled through the sky, falling down into the small isle that rest in the middle of the lake. The fragile vegetation growing on the islet reached towards Mighty, as the energy collecting around his body seemed to cause nature to flourish at a rapid pace.
Water jumped away from the boots landing in a murky puddle, urging Crush to move forward. Her eyes locked onto Mighty, a murderous scowl finding its way onto her lips.
"Why are you doing this, Crush?" The traveller hollered amidst the sounds of the jungle burning to the ground. "This isn't the person I once knew!"
"I'm not the same person, Mighty. My eyes have been opened. I'm no longer ignorant to our world, but rather I'm enlightened. Can't you see it, Mighty? This world is riddled with evil. I don't want to live in a world of darkness anymore. I want more. I believe there's a chance for me to see a planet where no one suffers, and I also believe that if we succeed, my dream will come true. Dying in such a horrid place...isn't an option for me."
"It looks to me that they're causing more harm than good," Mighty retorted quietly. "Crush..we don't have to fight one another. I've offered to help you escape them, why don't you just accept my help?"
"Why?" Crush responded harshly, her words acidic and malicious. "The last time I relied on you for help...I ended up becoming a science experiment by not only GUN, but that fat, old creep Doctor Robotnik! Mighty, you can no longer help me. You've proven to me that you aren't capable of saving anyone – you've let me down, and you've allowed Ray to die."
Pain lurched at the armadillo like electricity flowing through his veins. His heart broke at the memory of his best friend dying in his arms five years ago, and tears begun to leak past his eyes once again. But, the traveller quickly swept his glove past his face, stifling the sobs the best he could.
"It seems...there's no way around it," Mighty commented flatly. "If your wish is to see a world where no one suffers, then I have to stop you here. Because if the people you're working with succeed...there won't be a future to see, Crush."
"You sound confident," she retorted with grunt. "But I've already decided the outcome of this battle...!"
In the blink of an eye, the girl appeared in front of Mighty, her hands balled into tight fists. One punch met the armadillo's throat, followed by a second fist meeting his face. Mighty stumbled backwards from the assault, the ferocity of the attacks picking up as Crush continued her onslaught. A final fist shot towards the hero, only to be caught in his palm. Mighty quickly reeled his old friend around, heaving her into the air.
A loud crack pierced the jungle, followed by four collapsing trees. Mighty jumped towards the destruction, his fist reeled back behind his head. A vivid green energy cloaked itself around his glove.
Then, she came into view.
Blood leaked past her mouth as she struggled to stand despite her countless injuries. Magma crawled through the clearing Crush had landed in, snaking it's way towards her. The young fox snarled and jumped backwards once her eyes met his, avoiding the super powered fist her former ally delivered. Slabs of rock and clay lurched up from beneath the magma, sending waves of it all across the jungle. Smoke rose up through the clearing, from the trees that had now been set ablaze. Slowly, a thick smokescreen began to cloak the jungle.
Mighty quickly pulled his fist from the ground and continued his pursuit, tremors of energy racing up his bicep. The armadillo slung his fist towards Crush once more, only for her to dodge the attack and send three spears of ice through Mighty.
Scarlet splashed across her face and along the transparent weapons. Mighty winced in pain, but despite his injuries he conjured the strength to punch through his opponents creations. Shards of ice fell to the ground, breaking into even smaller pieces beneath Mighty. The armadillo then quickly lunged forwards, headbutting the Dusk agent in front of him.
"Take this!"
"Ack!" Crush yelped, blood dripping down past her brow.
Mighty plunged his fist into the ground, creating a powerful quake. Then, the earth split open, and from it a geyser erupted beneath Crush, carrying her into the sky within a jet of super-heated water. Acting quickly, the armadillo heaved a slab of rock over the spout, and jumped on top. The pressure built up within the blink of an eye and launched Mighty after Crush.
Leaves and branches whizzed past him, and then he found himself free falling above the jungle. But, Crush was nowhere to be found.
"Where did she go...?"
He gulped, questioning what to do next. But, he found his answer just as quickly.
"Surprise!" Crush screamed.
A powerful burst of heated water erupted from Crush's hand, knocking him back down through the jungle. A massive splash of lake water launched up past the trees, and Crush soared down after her prey. Her cloak ripped free of her shoulders just as she shot through the surface of the lake, causing it to churn into a whirl pool. The vortex opened up around the girl, her hand gripped tightly around Mighty's throat.
Water swirled chaotically around her, threatening to suck them both in the vortex. With little effort, she heaved the armadillo upwards, ready to deal the final blow.
"I trusted you at one point in time, Mighty," she explained solemnly. "But, I now see that I can't rely on you. How could you just give up? How could you let them take Ray and I? We both suffered...I saw what Doctor Robotnik did to him...what he did to me! If only you could've witnessed the horror he put us through, Mighty. Then you would understand. You'd understand the cold truth of humanity. Robotnik demonstrated that everyone is greedy for power..."
"Crush...I...you don't get it." Mighty choked against her grip. "I tried so hard to get you two back."
"Shut up!"
The whirlpool suddenly expanded, creating a battlefield on the floor of the lake. Suddenly, Crush threw the armadillo across the ground, then swung her arms inwards, pulling thousands of water bullets from the vortex surrounding them. The liquid projectiles cut and dove through Mighty's body, until finally the assault came to a stop.
Crush peered into his eyes, noting his fear. Her own had been filled with pain from the terror she had endured. With anger, and vengeance. With envy.
"That man...he stripped me of everything I once believed in. I once had hope...in you – and in the people of Earth. But his experiments, they changed me. They made me empty, and made me crazy what I had lost. I was continuously nudged to the brink of death, only to be yanked back. Never was I given the freedom of escaping him. I wasn't the only one..."
"You...you were the one I saw in that capsule..." Mighty realized with horror. "Crush...I'm so sorry I didn't save you like I should've..."
"He tore the world apart for others like me - others who had that special gift within them. He told us we'd be useful to his cause. But in the end...he stole those gifts from us, and used them for his own gain. Not that it matters now that he's dead. Mighty, he stole a piece of me. I want that piece back. We all do. Robotnik stripped us of a piece of our soul, promising we'd have it returned once he was defeated."
The whirlpool begun to waver, water crashing into the dry section Crush had created. "Now five years later...that fat scientist is six feet under, yet, we're still incomplete. Hollow."
Fear had began to rise up in Mighty's chest, beginning to clue into the secret behind Crush's eyes.
"I'm so envious that you've been able to live freely...to laugh...while I've been doomed to a fate worse than death. You were free, while I had to suffer...I hate you for that."
"You used to be so kind, Crush..." Mighty whispered, his hand glowing with an intense light once more. "I'm starting to realize you're no longer the person you once were. You simply only look familiar...but, I can't mistaken that putrid energy you're filled with for the love and kindness you used to show."
The girls eyes suddenly grew wide in shock. Blood leaked down her chest, pooling at her feet and around Mighty's knees. The armadillo wrenched his arm free of her body, letting her topple backwards. The whirlpool wavered gently, then more violently as it began to close in on them.
Mighty stared at the girl blankly, watching the blood pool around her body. "You aren't the girl I knew back then. Not even remotely close. I wouldn't even doubt that you're another person entirely."
She began laughing, and slowly stumbled up off the ground to face Mighty. Her eyes seemed void of compassion, as though the concept had been stolen from her body. She lacked something, he now knew that.
A soul.
"What did he do to you, Crush...?"
Flashback
Machinery glistened from the energy radiating off of the five orbs that had been collected. They gleamed against the walls, their light gleaming from the glass alters they stood on.
From behind the confines of her small cell, Crush watched as a large bear had been dragged into the laboratory. He screamed, pleaded and cried against the restraints of the Egg Pawns, but to no avail. Large hands swatted at the mechs, only to meet an electrical field. He screamed from the thousands of volts racing through his body, while Crush shuddered in fear, praying she didn't have to go through the same pain.
The pawns then hung the bear by his wrists, clamping them shut within a pair of Chaos Energy hand cuffs. His body hung lip from the restraints, his eyes dull and glazed over. Drool seemed to drip past his teeth and leak to the floor.
Blast doors separating the prisoners from the outside swished open, allowing Doctor Eggman to stroll in. The large scientist tossed a handful of blueprints onto a desk, and sauntered over to Gaia, staring at the bear intently.
"You don't seem to be very special to me," he whispered whilst plucking at his moustache. "But, alas, I was proven wrong by the last five. Let's see what secrets your body has stored away. A shame...if you had just settled for the supplies you were given, and not gone off to loot with your monkey pal, things might've been different. Perhaps you would've been killed, rather than been captured by the likes of my mechs. Oh, well..."
The Doctor took a step back, watching from behind his goggles as a mechanical arm drooped down from the ceiling, armed with an energy scalpel. Crush could feel her stomach lurch, and it took everything in her not to vomit.
Blood leaked down the fine, green fur of the bear while the scalpel dug past his chest and ribs. Bone and muscle were sawed away in order to access his chest cavity. Chunks of flesh, organs and bits of bone fell to the ground from the machines carving process, creating a bloody mess on the floor. Finally, his entire chest cavity had been revealed after multiple ribs had been broken apart. Each lung inflated, and deflated with each strained breath the unconscious bear took. However, a small light shone pass the darkness of within his body.
The scalpel morphed into a mechanical hand sporting three finger-like appendages. The machine eased its way into the body and grasped hold of something, then retreated. The light became much more intense, and more so as the surgical assistant of the Doctor's emerged with a glowing orb.
"Curious..." Robotnik muttered, ordering for light to be shone into the chest cavity of Gaia. "Like the rest, you lack a functional heart. The documents left by my grandfather explained that these orbs acted as souls, but I wouldn't have imagined them to be physical objects or to act as organs."
Crush gazed at the orb being held, entranced with its mystical radiance. Doctor Robotnik then signalled for the artifact to be placed into an alter of it's own, along with the others of its kind. A monitor slid out from the ceiling, and Eggman scrolled through a series of notes. As he began typing additional data in, Gaia's body dropped down into a dark hole beneath him. Crush knew this is where the captives were sent to have their surgical wounds repaired, and then put into hyperbolic sleep. Something she hoped to never experience.
She gulped, a cold realization suddenly dawning on her.
"Colouration...Green, gold and black...according to Doctor Gerald Robotnik's notes, this key represents the balance between gluttony and temperance." A synthetic voice noted to the Doctor.
"Interesting, so these orbs represent the Seven Deadly Sins..."
"Eve, ready the sixth vessel for extraction. Let's see which virtue that girl holds inside her!" Robotnik howled, his laughter lingering throughout the corridors.
End Flashback
"You wouldn't even want to know, Mighty..." Crush responded devilishly.
Tendrils of water erupted from the ground, aimed to rip the armadillo's body to pieces. However, he quickly cartwheeled away, and jumped up to avoid a crashing torrent of liquid that descended from the sky. Crush screamed with rage, her arms swiftly swinging around to manipulate the conjurations of water. Another liquid-dragon roared from the walls of the whirlpool and lunged straight towards Mighty.
Quickly crashing his fist into the earth, a slab of rock jutted upward to block the monstrosity. Ribbons of water swivelled past the shield, while Mighty jumped up and prepared another punch, this time allowing his energy to create a larger fist extending from his arm. Mighty swung the pummelling force downwards, knocking Crush across the battlefield and into the whirlpool.
As soon as she had been swept away by the intense vortex, it collapsed, returning the lake to it's former state. Mighty desperately jumped past falling trees, using them as leverage to escape.
The young traveller bounded off of his final foothold a split second before it had been washed away by the mass of water. Mighty tumbled against the shore, and scrambled to his feet, watching for any signs of Crush.
Glancing around, Mighty noticed the leaves around him had begun browning, and dropping to the ground. The air suddenly cooled, so much so that it caused the lake to instantly freeze over. The trees turned to ice, along with the lava eating away at the jungle. Everything eventually froze over, turning the jungle into a frozen prison.
Spires of ice shot upwards all over, peppering the frozen wasteland with dangerous traps of ice. Mighty grunted, and jumped back to avoid a massive pillar of water jut out of the chilled battlefield. However as the water emerged into the air, it froze instantly, turning into a tower of crystal.
Perched on top, the Dusk agent stood with a terrifying gaze. "It's time to end this, Mighty. No more games."
"I see now that you're no longer the person I knew. You've become a monster..."
His tears fell one by one, solidifying as they descended to the ground.
"I'm not going to let you suffer anymore...Crush..."
Stoic and confident, Crush jumped from her roost. Spears of ice lurched free from the ground, threatening to impale Mighty from all angles. However, he smashed his way through, using an icicle as a bat, creating a storm of ice particles. Mighty shot his attention upwards, a sword of ice materializing around Crush's arm. Mighty slid to a stop and hurled the javelin of ice towards Crush with such force it broke the sound barrier. The air vibrated from the sonic boom it created, when suddenly it launched through the girls body.
Blood rained across the frozen battlefield from the javelin impaled in her gut. Yet, still she descended at full force.
Mighty grimaced and swung his fist to meet the tip of the blade, hoping to smash it.
More blood spilled, his hand becoming severed and falling to the frozen battlefield as it too become a chunk of ice. Mighty howled in pain, but quickly pulled on Crush's wrist to reel her in close. With a final punch, Mighty plunged his fist through her gut, ripping through to the other side.
But at the same time, a prison of dagger-like icicles erupted from the ground, piercing through Mighty's back. They plunged through his body, and into her own. Each of their blood leaked onto the spears, and dripped to the ground.
Together they grumbled in pain, memories of their times together flooding their heads.
Together, they smiled once more, forgetting all the strife that had torn them apart.
To Be Continued
Authors Note~ Gory battle, yeah? Hope whatever is left of you reading enjoyed!