Empty Prayers

For over a year, the city has been changing. People have been disappearing at night, mainly couples. For those who haven't vanished, mysteriously end up either in dark areas unconscious. Not to mention, the crime rate has dropped tremendously. One would think it would be a dream come true, but the young princess still felt out of place and worried. She felt that something was about to happen, and feared for her kingdom. At her castle she stands at her balcony with her white dress flowing in the wind and clasping her hands.

"Please…Solairus…." She prayed. "Watch over our city"

In the lower halls of the castle the maids and servants were together straighten up the castle. They all then heard the door open up. Another maid came inside holding a gardening pail.

"Liza!" spoke the head servant. "You know the rules! You should have been in an hour ago! Where were you?" The girl said nothing she continued to stand at the entrance with her head hanging down. "Well don't just stand there! Get in here, you're letting in the cold!" The girl dropped her pail that was dented unknown to the others, and did what she was told. "Well explain yourself young lady!" The head servant walked up to the wayward maid. She then looked up with her eyes glowing in the dark letting out a hiss leapt onto the head servant.

From the castle screams of horror echoed.

The princess heard the scream and quickly turned around. "What's going on?" But before she could leave she saw a dark winged figure. She slowly stepped up to the princess.

"Who…who are you?" She asked nervously

"What's wrong, your majesty?" the female figure said looking up with her red eyes glowing. "Seen a ghost?"

Back in the city, people were running and screaming. Dark figures were crawling around buildings and jumping on cars leaping onto people and biting them. A blue cloaked woman was protecting people who were cowering in fear slowly stepping back looking at the hoard of figures with glowing eyes creeping up to them up to them.

The creatures were hissing and whispering words no one could understand. "Rceet! Rceet!" The chanted.

"Back, you fiends!" The woman shouted as she continued firing. She managed to bring down a few, but more kept coming closer and closer. She then heard screaming coming from behind of innocent people. She turned her head in horror only to see more of the monsters jumping down from above in the crowd of people transforming them as well. Each of them one by one were slowly turning into monsters. It wouldn't be long before she became surrounded. She jumped out of the crowd, onto a nearby building. She figured she would be no help to them now.

"I have to regroup" She said dashing off. "Forgive me, master"

Chapter 2

Eyes of Violet

To the rescue

Swoops were heard in the trees as two figures were quickly dashing from branch to branch. Sonic and Amy wasted no time reaching the city. Outside of their home the moon was full and shining bright with the sky as purple as their eyes. As they were getting close, they smelled the air with their heightened senses. They could smell fire, rubble, and blood. As they got closer to the city limits they stopped and stared in awe.

The district was in ruins. Only the fires and the moon light kept the city lit.

"What? What happened?!" Amy asked hearing raid sirens go off.

"You leave a city for one minute…." Sonic started to say

"Come on!" Amy pulled Sonic's arm before he could finish.

They could see helicopters hovering above and GUN troops running after two people, a mother and child. They headed to a nearby wrecked fountain, and were then squared off by two other guards.

"Get ready to fire!" ordered the commander. They both embraced themselves ready to accept the shot.

"Since when does the military attack civilians?" Amy asked getting closer.

"Let's stop their power trip!" Sonic spun in the air and did a homing attack on the guards, knocking them down. Amy ran over to the mother and child. "Get your eyes checked!"

"It's ok" She said with a calm voice. "We'll get you to safety" Suddenly Amy was taken by surprise. She saw the mother's eyes were glowing bright purple along with her child's. "You're….Cramoisi?"

They looked like them, but there was something different about them. Amy could feel their connection. She closed her eyes focusing on them both. Vampires like her can see the kind of blood that runs through everyone. It's how they can determine friend, from foe, and from food. She could see two purple webs of blood in front of her resembling the mother and child. There was no mistaking it: They both had been turned.

The mother and child looked at Amy bowing down. She and the others heard a scream. The mother and child looked up. Amy looked to the left of her and saw a man screaming his lungs out as a GUN soldier was standing over him with a smoking firearm. The man turned gray showing his newly sprouted fangs. But his new life was short lived as his body dissolved into dust.

The child screamed cuddling up to her mother crying. "Xocf….Mo Majkhojj…..fvoujo" the mother spoke quivering.

"What?" She was confused by the woman's speech. It sounded familiar, but she didn't know why. She looked around to see who the lady was talking to. But then looked at the same soldier coming over with his gun armed.

"You Freeze!" the soldier said but in an instant, he froze. Amy and the others saw the man cough up blood before falling to the ground bleeding. Amy then saw a claw drenched in blood. She was relieved to see the claw of a friend.

"Well, fancy meeting you hear" the female bat said smiling.

"Rogue!" Amy ran over and hugged her. Sonic walked up crossing his arms in satisfaction.

"Glad to see you're alright, big blue" the ivory bat spoke. I take it you guys just got here?"

"What's going on? Is GUN using this city as a shooting range?" Sonic asked

"Something like that" Rouge said looking at the mother and child come over bowing on their knees.

"Kxudb oei whouk j'mujkoh" the mother said. "Xocf ij"

"Any idea what she's saying" Sonic asked

"No, but we do know they need help, so come on you two" Rouge walked up to the two helping them up. "Come in…Julie, Sonic and Amy finally arrived, and we found two more survivors. We're heading to safety" Rouge spoke through a com-link.

"Roger that" spoke a young lady on the other side. "We'll keep looking on our end"

Sonic and Amy followed Rouge to what looked like church. They both approached the cathedral walking up to the doors.

"Kind of a…weird place to taking refuge right?" Sonic asked

"That's the point" Rouge knocked on the door in a strange yet noticeable pattern.

"Good thing we don't fear crosses…" Amy mentioned. "Can we even get in though?"

The doors open up showing a red echidna who almost looked fully dressed. "Never mind…"

"Welcome back, bat girl" he said in a deep, yet young voice. "Come on in"

"Sup, Knuckles" Sonic greeted. "What's going on here?"

"People confessing their sins" the echidna said sarcastically. "We're keeping people safe of course. Take a look"

Both hedgehogs walk into the main chamber and see a multitude of people everywhere, many were in blankets, eating red soup and some were mourning over losses. The people were being tended by other Cramoisi brethren, some Sonic recognized.

A little girl was weeping while holding a purse. "Nxo….Nxo…..Mekxoh"

"Well this is different…" Sonic said "Usually people hide in shelters from the zombie apocalypse, but the monsters are helping the mortals"

"These people aren't mortal anymore"

Sonic and the others saw a young woman walk up to them with two children clinging to her. She had long red hair and a face as concerning as a big sister's would.

"Saphron" Amy smiled seeing her young friend "Can you tell us what's going on"

"It all happened so fast" She said looking down at the children. "It's the time of day when we all go out to eat. That's when we noticed that the people we've been biting were changing into Cramoisi some were able to fully transform, but some others didn't take the full form"

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked

"Just look around" Rouge pointed out. "These people have our glowing eyes and claws, but they have no wings and they act more like stray dogs. And let's not forget the incoherent language"

"Within minutes, a faction of the city is up in flames" Saphron added.

"But didn't some ask to become Cramosi?" Sonic asked

"We don't know. We have no idea how this started, or who was bitten that could have caused this"

"Needless to say, the whole city was in panic" Knuckles continued. "That's when GUN showed up and blocked off the other parts of the city. Now they either save people from turning or kill those who turned on sight"

"Well that sucks…" Sonic added

"But that doesn't explain their lack of other features and the weird language" Amy mentioned.

"That….we haven't figured out" Knuckles continued. "Everyone else is gathering more survivors, but it's only a matter of time before the military finds them"

"Well, we got to push them out!"

"Mujkoh…" One of the creatures came up to the group. Sonic and Amy gasp when looking to see who it was.

"Amy…." Sonic turned over to her. "this is the one you…"

"No…." Amy stepped back in awe and knelt down. "Am….did I change her…." She could see the bite marks that she left on the woman's neck.

She bowed in front of her and looked at her with a smile. Kxo xouhk j'succ"

The other creatures were chanting the same thing over and over.

"Ok….major cult alert…" Sonic said "They are all chanting some weird chant…"

"I wish I knew what they were saying…" Amy said softly.

"The heart calls. This is good my dear siblings…"

From the top of the church was a figure wearing a skin tight suit under a gray tunic and a red sash on the waist and wearing a curious mask. Everyone looked up seeing the character swooping down. Sonic himself was getting in a battle pose. He and the others had a feeling. They weren't sure why, but the atmosphere suddenly felt tense.

"Who are you?!" Rouge finally asked

The other people started hissing at the newcomer, but suddenly stood back seeing the sparkle of the gem on her mask. They kept their distance not interacting with her. "Relax, I'm not here to harm you, children. In time you will relearn your old…primitive language. She then turned over to the others. You see, everything is set in motion for the return of our people"

"Our people? What are you talking about?" Sonic asked

The figure chuckled holding out her hands. "Behold, your minions of the night, ready to serve you however you wish." Sonic looked at the humans and mobians who were once mortal but now changed. They didn't have wings like him and the others, but they still had the eyes, claws and fangs. "But these thralls are just the beginning"

"That's horrible!" Saphron spoke. "There's no way we'd turn these people into slaves!"

"I don't know who you are" Rouge started "but turning all these people into Cramoisi isn't what Mother wanted! She only said that only those who want to become Cramoisi can change"

"Ah, but the damage has already been done. The prophecy will be fulfilled"

"What prophecy?!" Sonic asked

"Mother has not told you? That's a shame… Your mother doesn't fully know what's to come, which is why I'm here to show you. Yes! I, Zarah will educate you young ones about your true heritage!" She then dashed out of the cathedral with speed that could only match the beast.

"Amy, let's go!" Sonic spoke running out with Amy in tow.

"Keep looking after them!" Knuckles said running out as well.

"Oh, sure leave the babysitting job to us!" Rouge shouted sarcastically.

When the three of them ran out, she was already gone. Not a trace as left.

"Damn!" Where'd she go?"

"Language" Sonic said moving forward. "Don't forget, we're in a church"

"Whatever, let's keep looking around the city. Knuckles ran forward and jumped in the sky. From his back came out large bat-like wings that spread out and kept him airborne.

Sonic looked up while getting out his com-link. "Tails, what's the stats on the city?"

"Sonic" spoke the young fox once more. Above the sky was a yellow bi-plane with both Tails and Cosmo riding in it. "Not much since it's been sealed off by GUN. Those lucky enough were able to escape before becoming infected. The entire Damson district is in danger. The military was able to block it off stopping the population from any more contamination, but their killing off any survivors who have turned"

"What about the others?"

"Silver, Shadow and Blaze are trying to chase out GUN, and Cream and Rocky are looking for any more survivors. Julie is working on a way to keep GUN out. Cosmo and I are keeping the skies clear"

"Sounds like quite a party, keep it up, buddy"

"Roger that, but hurry the death toll's going up with each second" Tails then hung up. He then felt something coming from behind him. He turned around and saw Cosmo shaking in hands looking down. "Hey…are you alright?" he could feel an intense aura coming from the young alien, something he hadn't felt in a while.

"All those people…." She said quietly. "It's not fair. Their lives are suddenly changing and some are even dying…this…military…they've gone too far this time…"

"Don't worry, we'll get things under control" Tails felt a little unsure when he said that. He didn't know if it was the anxiety or if it was Cosmo's mood that made him feel uneasy.

Cosmo then looked up with a sinister glare. "Yes….we will. We'll make them pay…"

(TBC)

New challenger approaching! What's in store for our heroes and what's to come of this new threat? Find out what happens next time!