Heeeyyyy!
My goodness twenty chapters in already?! Phew that's a lot of typing on my part... well not sure how at close to 60k words is enough or so but nonetheless it is a bit of a milestone to reach this far hehe. Hopefully the pacing so far isn't too slow and if it is no worries, it will get more interesting later! Anyway let's not waste time and dive in! ^u^
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or locations. They belong to Sega.
Chapter 20: Spagonia Siege I
"Against all the evil that life can conjure, all the wickedness that life can produce, we will send unto them… only you. Slowly reveal your true self, until it is done."
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"Wowee all this looks amazing! It's also way bigger than Chun-nan!" Cinder happily said as the orange pheasant and the others walked through the busy walkways of Spagonia. Several humans and mobians walked through the bricked paths with vendors and stores all around selling their goods. A few people stood around talking with one another with laughs and smiles along the way.
"Hehe careful Cinder you don't wanna end up losing yourself. Stay close by." Dulcy grinned seeing the younger Shinjin Warrior skip around to see the sights.
"So Sonic, while we're looking for something to get us to Holoska faster, if we get the chance do you want to… you know…" Amy muttered hiding her face. Sonic who walked beside her had a confused expression. "You want to?... Oh." the blue hedgehog then remembered the time he promised her a date. A proper one this time in which he smiled. "I'd love to Amy but right now is still not a good time because you know, Phantom Ruby taking over the world hehe."
Rouge looked at the two hedgehogs discussing these plans then switched over to Shadow who gazed at the tall buildings without a care in the world. An idea came to her with rose-colored lips forming a smirk. "Hey Shad. So after all this is over you want to-?"
"I can hear faker and pinkie, and no." Shadow simply said, causing the ivory batgirl to look shocked then letting out a huff. "Stop playing hard to get handsome! Sheesh…"
Jian and Bunker gazed at one of the nearby fountains, the former with an expression near downtrodden. "I wished Chun-nan was still with us. Already I miss the flow of the streams and waterfalls near the temple."
Bunker approached the white tiger closer and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Do not let your sadness wander your mind. We will retake our home once we defeat the source of this evil. Master Shuifon believes in us."
Tikal overheard their conversation and approached them. "Thousands of years ago my home and people were destroyed by a friend I held dear to my heart. While he is at peace now and there is no way to undo the damage done, I believe your home will return." she said with a smile. Jian looked at the two and returned a grin. "Hehe, thanks you two."
Blaze and Knuckles walked side by side silently, but for the Sol Emeralds' guardian she wasn't liking it too much and spoke. "So… how has the last five years been for you?"
The red echidna continued to look forward letting out a sigh. "The best years of my life."
"Ah… that's good to hear. Looks like not being guardian is doing wonders I assume?"
Knuckles stopped in his tracks, Blaze also halting two steps ahead. Violet eyes met golden ones with seriousness and a clenched fist at his side. "Don't try to bring that worthless excuse of an honor to me. I have told you before, we are NOT the same." Knuckles brushed past Blaze and continued walking ahead, the Sol princess turning to see him with lowered eyes not saying anything else. The group continued to walk around more until they eventually reached the plaza in the center of town.
"Soooo is there anyway we can find something here to get us to Holoska faster?" Cinder questioned.
"Doesn't seem like it but we'll keep searching." Amy answered back. Sonic then looked at a familiar large building in the distance with several pillars. "You know what I might have an idea. Over there." the blue hedgehog pointed towards the building. "That's Spagonia University. If anything my old friend Professor Pickle might have an answer!"
"Sonic he's a professor in ancient research, he won't know how to get us to Holoska quickly." Amy said.
"Hmph, idiot." Shadow muttered which was unfortunately heard by Sonic as the latter glared at him.
"How about we ask him if he knows anything about this Phantom Ruby. I mean you did say he studies stuff about way back then right?" Rouge asked. The pink hedgehog agreed. "Yeah and now that you said that, he might actually know more about it. Even though I hate to say it but great idea."
"Alright so it's decided. Hey Knux how does that sound?" the Blue Blur asked.
Only to see him stand away from the group looking at the large clock tower. "Uhh hey Knuckles did you hear me?" Sonic asked again.
Jian approached the red echidna and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Sonic suggested we head to see this Professor Pickle guy. You coming or-."
"Jian… I can sense something off about this place…"
The white tiger raised an eyebrow. "I don't sense anything. Might want to be more specific?"
Knuckles' gaze switched between several locations in front of him. The people talking with one another and laughing in conversation. The children playing around without a care in the world. The vendors selling their stuff to the people. The tall buildings around them with pitch black windows. His eyes scanned through them and noticed something about them.
They all had a strange distortion going on inside them.
DING!
The red echidna's ears picked up the sound of the bell coming from the clock tower as his eyes switched to it.
"DING! Haha we should have one of those in Chun-nan!" Cinder cheerfully said. Knuckles looked at her for a few seconds just as several children ran behind her, his eyes switching over to them and noticing something else.
He couldn't sense any chi coming off them.
"Knuckles, are you okay?" Tikal asked him. Knuckles turned to her upon being asked not saying anything in return.
"Yo Knux so is that a yes or a no?" Sonic asked to which he has heard him, his peripheral vision seeing the group focusing on him now. The red echidna was still deep in thought about what he said to Jian earlier.
The distortion in the windows.
The fact that no one acknowledged that Sonic was here since he practically saved them.
Knuckles not sensing any chi from the children.
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Not only that but ever since they entered the city… Knuckles was only able to detect the group's own chi and not the people around them.
Every living thing radiates this vital force and for Knuckles… that is the issue.
"Knuckles?" the soft voice of Tikal spoke to him once again, his eyes focusing back to her worried face.
A red dot on her forehead.
He instantly turned one eighty.
Seeing a faint speck of light from on top of the aqueducts.
"CHAOS SHIELD!" Knuckles shouted throwing his palms down towards the ground.
BOOM!
A massive explosion occurred as an incoming laser rammed straight towards the group, several screams being heard from them. Smoke arose into the air and dispersed to slowly fall down to the ground. They were hidden within the blast as spirals of black soot weaved around and around in which a green dome appeared from within.
"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!" Blaze shouted. The others hid under their arms to block out the smoke as Knuckles looked up with his glowing palms still on the ground. At the last minute he summoned a shield to protect them from the shot and luckily it didn't break through. Getting up and pushing his hands across he lowered the shield and turned around.
"I knew this was some sort of trap. Okay everyone we gotta get-!"
Knuckles' eyes widened quickly raising an arm.
SMASH!
Feeling a huge impact collide against his arm as he was sent flying into a building and crashing into it, smoke and dust being let out as several more collisions were heard in the distance.
"KNUCKLES!" the Shinjin Warriors shouted. Sonic and Amy were stunned at this, Blaze, Rouge and Shadow were looking around for any enemies nearby while Tikal was horrified.
Dulcy was the first to snap out of it. "We gotta get to him! C'mon!" she said as the teal-green dragon flew into the air. The other three nodded and began running after her.
"We go too! Let's go!" Sonic said after also coming to his senses, the group speeding towards where Knuckles has been sent flying to.
BOOM!
Suddenly all the buildings' windows burst into pieces as the distortion from within seeped out and rapidly separated the Shinjin Warriors and Sonic's group from Knuckles' location.
"Oh what now?!" Rouge complained. Shadow glared at the forming wall of black mass that rose high into the air. "It looks like the Phantom Ruby's trying to keep the echidna away from us!"
"No way, we're getting to Knuckles no matter what!" Sonic eyed Dulcy who flew high up into the air and kept ascending, switching over to Cinder. "Hey can you follow her?"
The orange pheasant looked back and nodded quickly. "Yeah I can, but I'm not sure if I can make it over the top!"
"You can do it! Just go we'll be fine!" Sonic said. Cinder looked back and at the others in worry, but Bunker and Jian gave her a thumbs up.
"Go find Knuckles, we will be okay here." Bunker said. Jian also agreed. "Our bro needs your help Cinder."
"Right!" Cinder then took off into the air after Dulcy and within seconds did the two manage to disappear over the black wall.
"What do we do now Sonic?!" Tikal asked in concern. "Knuckles may be severely injured from that!"
Amy comforted her by placing an arm over her. "It's alright Tikal. He's a tough echidna so we know he'll be fine."
"She's right but we have to find a way to get over there or who knows what'll happen." Blaze stated. Shadow in the meantime was concentrating chaos energy into his palm and upon charging it did he raise it up.
"Chaos Spear!"
The black hedgehog threw it towards the wall and unfortunately, the energy dissipated into the dark mass. "I figured that would happen."
"Well if that's the case how about we try to go around it?" Rouge suggested.
"That doesn't sound too bad at all. C'mon everyone let's head this way!" Sonic said as the two groups prepared to run.
VROOM VROOM!
Only to come face to face with a ton of egg-shaped mechas quickly approaching them from the distance. Upon getting near to them did they aim their weapons ready to fire with several standing and others flying on jetpacks.
However the cause of the noise came from a different robot, and this one was different compared to the others.
A large purple robot sat on a Moto-Bug motorcycle revving its engines as it got closer to the front, red eyes glaring at the Shinjin Warriors and Sonic's group.
"What in the world is that?!" Jian announced.
"Another pile of scrap metal that's what it is." Shadow said cracking his knuckles. Rouge stretched her arms glaring at the robots. "Thinking the same thing you are hon."
"They're standing between us and Knuckles so let me at 'em!" Amy summoned her mighty hammer ready to battle.
Blaze ignited her flames ready to go as well. "We won't lose another friend!"
Tikal gulped and hid behind the others. "B-Be careful everyone."
Sonic raised a grin punching a fist into his other arm. "No sweat. I may not be as fast as before but I remember this one doesn't have weapons. Alright guys let's take them down quickly so we can-."
The robot driving the motorcycle had its eyes pulse a few times before letting out a single beep. A hiss was made in which at the sides of the vehicle… revealed machine barrels and missile silos.
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"Uhh… this will actually be tough…" Sonic muttered but shook his head after. "Doesn't matter! LET'S GOOOO!"
The group charged against all the robots while the one in the bike gave another set of revs before leading the mechs towards their incoming adversaries.
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"GRAH!" Knuckles let out pushing a large piece of debris out of the way as he got out of a destroyed building. A few scratches were apparent on the red echidna but it wasn't enough to deter him. "That was some strike, but not only that… I was barely able to sense it."
WHOOSH!
Knuckles barely dodged the approaching shuriken in which he leaned back all the way, seeing his reflection upon its metallic green surface.
'The same one as Jian mentioned!' he thought.
Violet eyes followed the projectile move away from his position, until in a small flash of light it disappeared.
"UWAH!" Knuckles dodged yet again doing a barrel roll to see the shuriken appear beneath him spinning at dangerous speeds that can easily cut him up. Just like before it flashed away in the end.
'It's using Chaos Control, but because this is the Phantom Ruby I'm dealing with it's technically not using chaos energy.' Knuckles determined just as he dodged yet again by doing a front flip to avoid the blades. 'Coupled with how fast it is, it's gonna be a tough fight.'
The shuriken fortunately flew a fair distance away from the red echidna just as Knuckles landed back onto the ground. His eyes looked forward and instantly did he give off an icy glare.
Just as he thought.
Red eyes ominously looked back at Knuckles as the shuriken combined itself with the body of a large green mech. Eight spinning blades were seen on its back rotating quickly as it hovered into the air.
"I had a feeling you would be the one to hurt Jian, and it looks like you added some things compared to back then…" Knuckles muttered. From what he can recollect in the past, the mech didn't have arms and legs in this form when he fought it. Now however it does have limbs, but they were bigger and sported a rocket launcher on each arm.
The mech did one beep upon seeing Knuckles in the distance and raised its arms in a battle stance.
Not before a hidden set of blades came out of its forearms and began spinning in place like the ones on helicopters.
Knuckles simply frowned and pumped his fists together, a mix of red lightning and a golden glow radiating off his gloves. "You'll pay for hurting my family and for taking my hometown." he said doing his own battle stance. Violet eyes quickly scanned the area around to see if any pedestrians were nearby.
As he also thought, they were just an illusion.
'The Phantom Ruby has taken a hold here. Gotta be careful on what's real and what's not.' Knuckles thought.
Only the sound of the wind was heard and the rotary blades coming off the green mech was present as the scenery showed an almost intact section of Spagonia minus the buildings that Knuckles was plowed through.
WHOOSH!
In an instant the two opponents took off towards each other at high speeds.
So fast that it disrupted the visual representation of the town around them to reveal that just as the people, it was all apparitions.
Revealed beneath the calm exterior of the city… laid a desolate town with almost all its buildings destroyed and on fire, smoke rising into the air.
Spagonia has fallen.
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Metal Sonic stood outside the city as it watched the black mass separate it in two. The blue robot was told by Knuckles to standby as it stands out too much as an enemy to Sonic that others will try to attack it. It complied with his request and didn't move from its spot.
POW!
It was sent flying towards the valley and collided into the ground creating a trench. Rock and debris dispersed into the air as well.
Several beeps came out of Metal Sonic and shaking its head did it look back at the cause. Its eyes flashed twice.
"System scanning… Dr. Eggman's creations… model obsolete… threat level: nuclear… action: eliminate."
End of Chapter 20
That's the end of this chapter!
Alright we're getting some action now! With Knuckles having been separated from the others and facing off against an enemy of his past, will the former guardian be able to defeat in time to get with the others who are also dealing with a similar threat? Will Dulcy and Cinder reach Knuckles in time to assist? What is the mysterious force that managed to land a blow on Metal Sonic?
Stay tuned to find out! ouo/