Chapter 6

Revenge of he Earth Tribe (Part 2)

Amy, Tails, Mighty and Sonic. stood there looking at the newcomer. Her beauty was something to behold. She wore a flowing dress with Mayan designs and several rings on her deadlocks as well as a circlet on her head. From the distance, a young red fox was looking down on the meeting smiling devilishly. "Heh, heh, heh…. everything is going to plain. That little runt is history"

Sonic and Tails looked confused looking at this girl. She looked no older than Amy, but Amy was looking somewhat tense. Mighty stepped back a few feet. Lila and Richter were also looking nervous. To both Sonic and Tails, they were wondering how could this girl be that much different from half-demons, or half undead monsters. They had no idea what kind of monster she was. This made Sonic even more nervous looking at Amy as she was looking right at Tikal face to face.

"So, you're the chief." Amy said calmly.

"Indeed I am. I see that you've already captured five of my strongest warriors" Her voice was calm and not threating at all. "Do you intend to try and capture me as well?"

"I intend to capture all of you" Amy said holding up her wand.

"Well, that explains things…" Mighty said sadly.

"Just what I'd expect from a horrible magic user. Your kind has always treated us monsters as slaves. I will not stand for it. I'm here to stop you and free my people from your grasp!"

Amy gave the girl a welcoming simile. "Come on now, don't jump to conclusions. Do you want to at least know why I'm doing this?"

"It won't matter, but please enlighten me"

"Please understand, I want to help you and the rest of the creatures in the realm. I can only do that by winning the trust of all the other tribes.

The light around Tikal started to glow brighter. "I'll admit. Your vibe is much different from past magic users. You're not lying either. But I'm not so easily conceived with just words and feelings"

"In that case give me a chance to prove myself, through a chaos duel"

Cream covered her mouth, Mighty gasped through his teeth, and Sonic and Tails looked at each other confused. "Interesting" Tikal said not changing her mood. "You are aware of the conditions, right?"

"Yup!" Amy said happily. "I intend to win as well"

"Very well, but know if you lose, it will cost you your life, and your blue light belongs to me"

"Wait...what?!" Sonic said in shock. "Since when am I a prize to be won?!"

"Fine, but if I win, you join me, and give me your chaos emerald"

"Chaos what now?" Sonic asked again.

"Amy! I'm serious now! Don't do it!" Mighty pleaded. "This is the same thing that got my last master killed!"

"Listen to the guy, Ames! Plus, I don't like being used as a bargaining chip!" Sonic added. "I'll work harder and get you another emerald.

"A chaos emerald can't be bought. Sonic, if I don't fight, she might capture you anyway! Don't you understand why you've been chosen?"

"You keep saying I'm this chosen knight and that I might be hunted and stuff, right?"

"It's not just hunted, blue knight" Tikal explained. "Your very essence is said to grant power to any monster that possesses you"

"What are you talking about?"

"You are more than just a bargaining chip, you could be the key to restoring order to our world. Granting power to whomever possess you. When you become mine, the two of us will restore the monster realm to its former glory"

"That sounds great, but don't I have a say in this?"

"She has already agreed to the terms, and they are absolute"

"Sonic. You have to trust me" Amy said looking at him. "And...pray that I win..." She then walked forward.

"Wait, what do you mean pray that you win? We're in this, together right?"

"Nope..." Mighty said "once a Chaos duel has been called, only the magic user and the leader of the tribe can battle"

Amy readies her wand and Tikal starts floating with a long veil appearing in her hands. Cream who was shrunken and sitting on Amy's shoulder looked at her small little screen. her eyes widened when she saw Tikal's file.

"Ms. Amy" She said in a worried voice. "You may be in trouble..."

"I know, Cream. But please tell me what I'm up against"

"Being the leader of the earth tribe makes her a Gaia, a spirit/deity class. And she the highest class in the entire tribe. She watches over her tribe and governors peace among them. She has the power to move mountains according to the log. Recently she has been preserving the land by capturing and absorbing living creatures for their mana by trapping them in the earth and squeezing the life out of them"

"So if I lose this battle…"

"More than likely both you and Sonic will become nourishment for the earth!"

Sonic gulped "Wait! So basically…"

"When this is over, you both will become a part of the land and preserve the life in the monster realm. It's a quick and painless process" Tikal explained. "It is a wonderful pleasure, that will benefit the realm for generations to come"

"Great" Amy said smiling. "She will be a perfect addition to our group"

"Is she serious?!" Sonic asked

"Looks like it" Tails answered quivering. "So I guess we just sit back at watch"

Mighty patted Sonic's back. "Hope you lived a good life Sonic."

Sonic stepped back in shock "What do you mean, I'm not dying"

"Yeah, but when Lady Gaia wins this battle, she intends to eat you"

"When you die, can we have your stuff?" Richter asked

"I call dibs on the Xbox!" Lila said smiling.

"You guys suck!" Sonic complained.

"I'll write some nice things on your tomb stone!" the couple was smiling happily.

"Don't worry" Tails spoke from behind. "She'll be fine"

"Just pray by some miracle Amy is strong as she is confident" Mighty added

Amy looked at Tikal holding up her wand. Tikal lifted her hands and made a massive stalagmite rise from the ground. It was taller than Amy's mansion and was wide enough to take up half of her yard. Amy stared up at the stalagmite confused. "This...is a strange first move..." She then gasped seeing Tikal appear in front of her readying her wand.

"You will see that I am not as violent or as vulgar as my family" The tan echidna said. "Here are my terms of battle. There are three gold rings. You will have to climb the rock and look for them. If you can climb the rock and find all three rings before time runs out..." She showed her a floating hourglass. "...I will admit defeat and give you the emerald. "I only have three conditions, you can't use magic, you can't fall, and...you must carry me"

"But...this isn't a magic duel" Amy protested

"True, but if you are truly trying to help us, you must be strong in not only mind, but body as well. If you are a woman of your word, the rocks shall tell us"

Amy gave a distasteful grunt but then nodded in agreement. She then used her magic to instantly change into an outfit that was more athletic. Tikal then hovered behind Amy and used the veil to tie her waist along with hers. Amy then suddenly felt weight pull her down. Tikal felt like she was four times the weight as Amy.

"Struggling?" Tikal asked Amy as she was trying to get back up. "I give you one last chance to submit. I can't guarantee you will survive this trial. Nor will I be responsible should anything happen.

"No!" Amy stood up and slowly walked over to the rock. She was panting using the rock to support her. "I will do whatever it takes" With those words she jumped on and started climbing.

The three who were looking at Amy climb couldn't even imagine the strain she was going through right now, carrying Tikal and herself up the rock. She would find grooves and cracks to keep her from falling. She had always been a bookworm in Sonic's eyes. Never had he seen her do anything athletic till now.

"So, did your last master do this too?" Sonic asked Mighty.

"No, Dave had to walk over a bed of stalagmites pointing up. Things didn't work out for him. He always was such a whiner.

Amy kept climbing with her face drenched with sweat, and her muzzle bright red. Already her fingers felt bursting, her feet felt like breaking, and her limbs were pulsating rapidly. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, but still felt the pain and pressure of her body weighing her down. "how are you so heavy?"

Tikal let out a humph. "A spirit of the earth can manipulate their weight anyway they see fit. Observe. Tikal's body started glowing. Amy was overtaken by more weight feeling it press on her, but then it went away shortly after. Still shaken up, she continued up the stalagmite. "Why are you doing this? What makes you press forward? Is your desire for power really that great?"

"It's not just for power..." Amy said struggling reaching for another rock. "I have to do it... Monsters and magic users keep…..fighting each other. It must… stop. So many of…. our people… are dying!"

"I agree. Many of my people were enslaved to your kind and were treated like the dirt they walk on. You captured my subjects and make them fight each other. What makes you so different from so many others?"

"Because I believe… in what's true and honest" Amy said "I've seen the realm…. many times, and how the monsters are…. struggling and barely making it by" Amy paused for a moment so she could focus on climbing. She was almost halfway at the top and was still looking for the rings, but no matter how high she climbed she couldn't find any rings.

"My mother...she's the one who taught me… how to treat monsters as people not as animals. The day I lost her, I promised that I would follow her dream, a dream….where monsters and magic users could live together. I know it's seems impossible...but..." Amy struggled getting closer and closer to the top. Her hands were pulsating with pain and her feet felt like they were about to fall off but even then she kept moving. Slipped for a moment, but regained her grip and kept moving. "...I...Have...to...even if I die trying….not trying….would be worse than death!"

Tikal remained silent. Amy reached the top of the stalagmite, and didn't see any rings. She was panting and looking down at the area around her. The stalagmite was very wide, and it looked like the hour glass was just about to run out. It was clear that she could spend hours looking for the rings, more than the time she was given. She then looked down at Sonic, Tails, and Mighty who were looking up at her.

"Come on, Amy. You can do it" Sonic whispered.

Amy kept silent as she looked around trying to fund a spark or a glimmer of what looked like gold.

"Time's almost up, Ms. Rose" Tikal spoke.

Suddenly Amy remembered something. She didn't know how she missed it, but now she understood what the echidna wanted from her. She then slowly started to climb back down.

Sonic and the others were confused. They saw her climb down, but not get any rings. The hourglass was just a few drops away from being empty. Amy carefully landed on the ground.

"Uhh…Amy" sonic spoke "Aren't you forgetting something? Something that involves both of us not becoming rocs for the rest of our lives?"

A loud gong was heard from the hour glass. At that moment, Knuckles and Shade came out of the mansion now bearing the same rose insignia on their arms. "Lady Gaia!" They both said as they saw her on Amy's back.

Tikal freed herself from Amy and stepped down. "You didn't find the rings in time, Ms. Rose. You failed"

"Amy!" Sonic said "Why did you climb down?!"

"I knew this would happen..." Mighty said mournfully.

"We're going to miss you, blue boy" Richter said patting his back. "I'll make a nice tombstone for you both. It will have a nice garden around it too"

"Gee, thanks…" Sonic said sarcastically.

"I will make your death as painless as possible" Tikal said stepping back holding up her hands ready to strike. Amy looked at Tikal smiling. "You find your imminent demise humorous?"

"You can't kill me, because I already finished your trial, and won"

Sonic was shocked, as well as the others. Tikal just tilted her head in confusion. "So, did you like grab the rings in secret or what?" Sonic asked.

"My challenge was to climb up the rock and find the rings before time ran out, and I did. I climbed the rock, and found the rings"

Sonic was more confused then ever. She looked at Amy but didn't see any rings in her hands. He wondered if maybe Cream was sent to find them, but that can't be right. Amy had to do the test on her own, and plus Cream was sitting on Amy's shoulder the whole time. So what could Amy be talking about. He looked at both girls, but mostly Tikal. Sonic then noticed something glimmering on Tikal's deadlocks then gasped in realization. On one of her deadlocks was a gold ring, and on her wrist were two other gold rings. "That...means..."

"The rings were never on the rock" Amy spoke. "She was wearing them the whole time. Since I was carrying her, in a way I did have the rings"

Tikal didn't move from her spot. Her subjects looked at her waiting for her to reply. She just looked down and smiled. She then started laughing while putting her hands down ending the attack, and clapped her hands. "Well done, Ms. Rose! You are the first person in many years to solve a Gaia's chaos duel!"

"What?!" Both Richter and Lila said. "I don't get it!"

"As I said before, I expect those who are destined to lead to be strong in mind and body, and despite your...dainty physique you are actually quite strong"

"You're no she-woman yourself" Sonic then shouted in pain feeling a hit to the back of his head.

"Watch how you speak to Lady Gaia, hedgehog" Shade said.

"It's ok" Tikal said with a smile. "It's all part of game"

"But if you found the rings, why did you climb the rock anyway?"

"My goal was to climb the rock and find the rings. She never said they were on the rock. You almost had me for a second"

"Yes, and though it saddens me a bit, I'm more overjoyed that perhaps we may have found someone to put an end to the monster/magic user conflict. And thus, I admit defeat" Tikal walked up to Amy with her hands glowing. A large yellow gem appeared in her hand. "As promised, behold, the earth tribes sacred treasure; the yellow chaos emerald. Our lives are in your hands, Ms. Rose, as my services"

Amy reached for the emerald and took it smiling. From Amy's arm came a few rose petals that landed on Tikal's arm. Like all the other monsters, the rose insignia appeared on her arm. Amy then held the emerald up and they both started to glow.

In an instant, everything went back to normal. The messed up ground changed back as if nothing ever happened, and the mansion was repaired in an instant.

Both boys stood in awe at everything around them. "That's some powerful stone"

"There are seven chaos emeralds in the monster realm" Tikal explained. "Each one carried by different rulers of different tribes. According to legend, it is said that the next ruler of the realm will be the one who gathers them all and will bring peace. Many magic users tried to get the emeralds through their own means, with each one ending in catastrophe, but you Ms. Rose, you may be the ruler we've been waiting for"

"I know I am" Amy said smiling. "I will not betray your trust"

In the trees, Fiona was growing ready to break her binoculars. "That witch bitch actually got a chaos emerald! No magic user has held one in years! She's not going to get away with this!"

Amy holding the chaos emerald not only caught Finoa's eyes, but also the eyes of several other monsters hiding in the shadows. Several of them vanished from the mortal world and back to the Monster realm.

Within another zone in the monster realm, deep in the ground was the underworld. Even though it was underground, there were many house like settlements. One in particular stood above the rest like a mansion. In the mansion in one of the rooms, grunting and moans could be heard in the bed. There were shouts of pleasure and ecstasy heard between two people in the bed. They both let out one final shout before ending their session. When it was over one walked out of the bed putting on a purple robe. She was a white bat who was smiling in satisfaction.

"You're free to go" She said to the person in the bed.

The person came out of the bed. She was a beautiful white bat with captivating blue eyes. One would think that he would be as old as her, but this person was once a young magic user. Now he was just an old man with gray hair and a bony body. "Wha…what happened to me…." He spoke in an old voice.

"Be grateful I didn't drain finish you off. Now get out"

The now elderly man grabbed his clothes and ran out. The bat laughed while walking out of the room. "The others will finish him off. That's what magic users get for trying to capture me"

"Milady, a moment of your time.." A black cat came up to the bat wearing a tight leather suit. "The blood suckers are planning to strike us again. There's barely enough magic users to go around"

"I know. We just have to keep fighting till those other bloodsuckers are finished.

"There is other news" the black cat replied. "Tikal, the leader of the earth tribe, lost her chaos emerald"

The bat quickly turned to face the servant. "Really? Are you saying that it's ours for the taking"

"Sadly, no. It was obtained by a magic user, that goes by the rose witch. Rumor has it, she's found the knight to help her win the throne of the realm.

The bat licked her lips and chuckled. "Sounds yummy. I can take the lovely emerald, have this knight for myself, and destroy those blood suckers once and for all"

"Shall I send for our demons to kill the witch?"

"No, let's take it easy and slowly break them down" She said laughing softly.

(TBC)