Sierus had to admit that, other than one or two vessels it wouldn't consider ideal choices, things had been coming along rather well. Those otherwise incompetent Animals were much more effective under its thumb, having secured and dispatched the targets it chose with little difficulty. Their journey across the distant past of the various Zones had also proven to be rather enlightening. The first four had all been in roughly the same era, for instance, while the fifth was much closer to the contemporary time the entity had been released in.
The one they were currently in was a bit further back than the latter, but still within the bounds of recorded history. It was a city seemingly built, or perhaps inspired by Roman architects, complete with columns illuminated by soft yellow lighting in the buildings they supported. The winding pathways that provided passage around the place were composed of green blocks and bars, with a few sectioned colored yellow instead. There were vines, thorns, leaves, berries, and flowers protruding here and there, with networking pipes creating enclosed spaces filled with cross-hatched strands. At this point in time, it was early evening, with the last traces of sunlight disappearing behind some mountains in the distance while other stars took their place in the void. All of this was reflected in the same river that ran through most of the other Zones and across multiple time periods without fail.
"All that remains is to decimate this Zone," it announced to its underlings, "and then I may return to the present to reap the power we have sown."
Focke-Wulf giggled a bit as he examined his claws while sporting that same sheen he'd been using to slice through sinew. "So what's next after you're back in shape, boss?"
The possessed Witchcart motioned further to east, past the opposite limits of the city before them. Out in an otherwise flat and uninteresting plain was a broad and towering structure made of translucent, prismatic crystal. It almost seemed like a celestial body unto itself with the way its facets refracted the light of the moon, the stars, and the ancient metropolis.
"Within that citadel are seven gemstones that grant complete control over time itself," Sierus informed them, "with that ability, I intend to travel to the exact moment that my other half will break free of its prison."
Bearenger snorted. "You mean that thing that makes the whole world a frozen hell in the future?"
"Why don't you just go over and turn the girl holding it into ashes?" Carrotia wondered.
The being used its host to let out an exasperated sigh. At least they had been paying attention when it had filled them in on its history. Such simple thinking, though.
"They may still have the means to seal me again, so it would be unwise to attempt to simply waltz up and incinerate her," it explained, "it would be better to swoop in during the precise time she will perish, whether it comes about naturally or by other means." It closed a fist tightly as it allowed a grin to cross the sorceress's face. "They will be so distraught with her death and having to contend with the aftermath that they will be helpless once I enter the picture. And during that confusion, I will reunite with Glacia, utilizing the Time Stones to return us to our true form: the Moon God Lunaren!"
Hearing booming, masculine laughter coming from the body of an old woman was rather off putting for minions, even for the one that almost cackled constantly. Speaking of, Sierus cut its dramatic display short when it noticed that the wolf was holding up a hand.
"What is it?"
Focke-Wulf gestured at a Future Post at the bottom of one of the winding paths. "This might be silly." He chuckled briefly. "But did you ever consider going to the future where it's already out and about?"
"I have, as a contingency in the event I cannot secure the Time Stones," it answered, "but for now, the task at hand."
Bearenger pressed his fists together and grinned. "Alright, just tell us where to go and what to smash. You just need one more thing, right?"
"Technically speaking, yes," Sierus mused, glancing between the three Animals, "although there is nothing wrong with a little redundancy, I suppose."
The trio were confused about what it meant, when the being raised one hand and pointed in their direction. Just like when it had brought them under its control, a thin ray of black-purple fire sprang from Witchcart's fingertips and struck the blue lupine in the chest. He stumbled back a few steps, clutching at where he'd been shot as a similar aura enveloped him. His eyes glazed over so that his sclera were now pure magenta, no longer sporting any visible pupils or irises, and his fur almost seemed to be flowing and crackling like open flames. His ears were now longer and sharper, as were his teeth and claws, and the end of his tail curled to resemble a sickle blade. Focke-Wulf got a look at himself after a moment, his pearly white smirk standing out all the more against his shaded form, and he flexed his fingers experimentally. Two magenta energy balls sprang just above his palms, and with a few waves of his hands, he found that he could control them quite freely.
"Oh, what's this?" he laughed gleefully, bringing out a few more orbs and proceeding to remotely juggle them, "I like how easy they are to handle, but now comes the real question: what kind of damage can they do?"
Focke-Wulf flung the projectiles at a row of columns a fair distance away, aiming for the base of them. Each was shattered by a powerful, yet contained concussive force, causing the rest of their weight to topple over. The wolf chuckled darkly as he saw envy cross the features of his grizzly ally, and felt some amusement at the notes of concern in Carrotia's eyes. Maybe he would have found it odd that that emotion came to mind instead of some semblance of pity, but power was a wonderful thing.
"Just as I had promised, you are now even mightier," Sierus said with a rumble like a building blaze, "you shall burn brighter and hotter as one of my vessels. And seeing how well you three work together, your two comrades shall also receive this blessing."
Likewise, it unleashed two blasts that slammed into the heart of both of the other Witchcarters. Bearenger's makeover had a bit more of an extreme bent, with his fur almost black from the tint his new power provided, his fangs were more pronounced, his claws jutted out from the ends of his gloves, and his arms were visibly bulkier than before. Carrotia's transformation, aside from her eyes and fur, provided some accentuation to her musculature and curves, giving her something of a femme fatale figure. The former was more concerned about how much he could smash with his new strength, while the latter wanted to see if she could do anything like Focke-Wulf could.
"I will leave you to do what you must," Sierus remarked.
With Witchcart's body, it flew away and maneuvered through an opening in the pathways, following a sudden vertical drop to a small rise with a Future Post near the center. It gave the sign a tap and made use of the sorceress's energy to enter the Time Warp and transport itself to the present. When it arrived, the entity saw that much of the contemporary city was still standing, but nobody was home. No lights graced the skies or brightened the doorways and windows of the surrounding structures, and signs of structural neglect were evident all around. It was more of a ghost town than the ruins of some horrible atrocity.
"Seems they couldn't resist playing with their food," it mused, closing the humans eyes and grinning, "not that it matters in the end."
Indeed, as it spoke, Sierus saw its dark fires coming out of the woodwork, the black-purple flames filling the sky and sweeping over the land. It sensed the chaos and destruction roiling within them, the results of countless slain living things and ruination being spread. The energy that its spawn had cultivated was everything that it had hoped for, and with a measure of excitement, it called the power to itself. The blaze obeyed its silent command, and soon, every bit of it was drawn to Sierus like water circling a drain. After everything had faded, there were no visible alterations to the possessed Witchcart, but Sierus could feel the difference in its well of power.
"Yes, this is how it should be!" it exclaimed, a maniacal gleam in its eyes, "with my might back at its peak, it is now the time to take the Time Stones! Soon, Glacia, we shall be one again, and once we are...all will be annihilated!" It glanced down at the body it was controlling and stroked its chin. "I no longer need this body, but I suppose I will keep it around as a potential container for one last spawn, in case my original plan is compromised."
The body of the old woman fell to the ground unconscious, with the wisps that comprised the artificial being rising out of her in short order. They formed into a veritable scorching cloud, which wasted no time in racing through the remnants of the city and making for the area before the Crystal Citadel. The broad plain must have been part of the same Zone as the grand structure, as despite the changes made to Stardust Speedway, it remained in pristine condition. Sierus decided to rectify that by hurling bolts of dark fire and brimstone upon the expanse, spreading its conflagration across the land.
As it did so, the living flame caught sight of a spotted hyena Animal gazing up at it in shock. What intrigued Sierus was that it wasn't the typical expression of one seeing something inconceivable, but rather that of fearful recognition. This Animal knew what it was, and if that was the case, then it was possible that he also knew ways to combat it. With that in mind, the entity shifted its aim, spewing balls of magma down at the hyena at high velocity. The mammal quickly leapt back and then shifted into a feral version of himself, darting away at a blistering speed in the direction of the being's destination.
"That must be the guardian of the Stones!" it realized, "he must have gone to secure them...or put them beyond my reach!"
It hurried after the hyena, following it right to the front of the citadel, where the Animal ducked inside. Intent on getting at the mystical gems before their keeper, Sierus unleashed a burning hailstorm that blasted away chunks of the prismatic structure with every strike. Before long, a fissure was made above what seemed to be a corridor, and the entity slipped through with ease. Huge double doors cut from the same crystal as the rest of the palace barred its way into what was presumably the chamber that held the Time Stones. There wasn't a single crack that it could squeeze into, so it would simply have to force them open.
Sierus willed itself to take on a more solid state and proceeded to slam into the doors, which buckled but did not break down from its initial effort. Figuring the hyena must have been holding it back, it amped up its successive attacks until the entryway burst open. It saw the hyena brace itself against an invisible barrier, while a strange monarch butterfly flapped a few meters in front of him. But what caught its attention the most was that the pedestals that were supposed to hold the artifacts it sought were empty. Plan A had failed.
"I've no choice but to fight it!" the spotted warrior snarled as it brought up its fists, "get behind me, great one!"
Furious that things hadn't gone as well as it had figured, Sierus morphed part of itself into a vague likeness of a human hand. It lunged at the hyena, but the guardian disappeared in a flash of light just as it seemed he would be burned. Eyes manifested in the roiling mass, which narrowed at the butterfly as it clenched the hand into a fist. After dissipating it, Sierus floated closer to the little creature, leaving nowhere for it to flee.
"Bring the Time Stones back," Sierus commanded it, "or I will incinerate you, lowly vermin!"
"I will not fold to a fragment of a false god," an androgynous sounding voice echoed in its mind, "begone, and abandon your futile scheme."
The entity seethed with fury at the audacity of this damned bug, and just as it had threatened, it overwhelmed the butterfly with a massive gout of flame. Once it died away, Sierus was pleased to see it gone, not even ash remaining.
"I have seen the near-endless possibilities that branch from this path you tread," came that same tone, surprising the fiery being, "you would be better off returning to slumber, pretender."
Sierus flared up intensely, all its colors changing into a much brighter hue to reflect its mood. "Your body is destroyed, yet you live? Reveal your hiding place, insect!"
The butterfly did not exchange any more words, leaving the lone occupant of the chamber in silence. With nothing around to exercise its rage upon, Sierus surged out of the palace and headed back to where it'd left Witchcart. It couldn't believe that it had to resort to its secondary plan, but there was no other option. How it hated when things didn't go its way!
Despite the nearly overwhelming fury coursing through its being, Sierus noticed a discrepancy during its return journey. There was a different sort of gleam among the flames of destruction it left in its earlier wake. There was a red light that stood out from the black-purple blaze, not just because of the color, but also its consistency. It was enough to rouse the being's curiosity and have it take a detour, wondering what could resist its power.
Upon closer inspection, it found a crimson stone with a half dutch rose cut sitting perfectly unmarred among the torched remains of the grasslands. Sierus assumed the human-like form it had taken upon being released by that silver hedgehog and lifted up the gem, tracing its searing digits over the facets. There was an essence in there that brought a wave of nostalgia, the briefest sensation of what it was to be whole again. Lunaren was the moon god of Soleanna, and like many lunar deities throughout history, it was associated with time and fate. This mineral was filled with that same Temporal Energy that once suffused its true form.
It couldn't help but chuckle darkly at this sudden turn of fortune. In an effort to get the Time Stones away from its grasp, the hyena and the butterfly had tried to hide one right under its own metaphorical nose. How unfortunate for them that it didn't pan out. It would still go through with its plan to make Witchcart yet another vessel, but now with one of the gems in its possession, there was something else it could do...
The Wolf twins, Remi, Cream, Cheese, and Amy had all followed the signals of the five gathered Time Stones using the Temporal Radar, eventually arriving at the next Zone. Upon stepping into the facility, the oldest of the group were quite taken with what awaited them. At the top, the ceiling consisted of rows of turquoise structural beams with inactive lights strewn up across it. Below that were large pipes, circular lights, bending wires, yellow and black danger signs, railings, large mesh panels, tanks, valves, switches and all manners of do-hickeys, all of which were the aforementioned color. Other structures were made of solid purple material with cylindrical golden generators and various bolted panels and flashing devices. The pathways featured long strips of black and yellow just below them, and every so often on their surfaces, there were posts with flashing red siren lights on them.
It all would have been more impressive, if not for the fact that most of it was half-melted, torn from their placements, and otherwise left damaged and decrepit. Some of it was still in good condition, but how much of it could be trusted to work with any measure of safety?
"Looks like Miles and the others are still in the last Zone," Cream informed them as she checked the Miles Electric, "should we go on ahead?"
"He did say not to wait up for him," Gadget replied, taking out the orange Time Stone the fox had entrusted to them, "and you said that that Khal fellow can track these, right?"
Amy nodded. "Mhm, and I know he wouldn't want us sitting around, either." The girl whipped out the Pikkon Hammer and gave it a good swing. "He'd want us to find that Sierus spawn and smash it!"
"Well, I can certainly get behind that," Gizmo chimed in as she twirled one of her escrima sticks, "I haven't had the chance to test these to their fullest yet, anyway." Cheese, who'd taken up a perch between her ears, chirped and stuck up one of its arms in agreement. She giggled and gave it a few pets, drawing a contented coo from it. "Eager for action too, eh? Then let's get going."
They all had a warm little laugh at the Chao's enthusiasm, then headed through what they determined to be the safest available route. On the other end of a short tunnel, the path dipped almost straight down, leading the group into a passage that brought them into a wide open space. There were several purple platforms hovering in the air, as well as numerous steel beams bouncing up and down whenever the blue and green checkerboard floor below them lit up. Cream flew up to a vertically moving platform, while Gadget used his grappler to pull himself up to it, and Amy went after them using the Gear. Cheese held on as Gizmo leapt atop one of the beams when it came down onto an unlit floor, giving them enough time to brace themselves as it was sent flying up again. Remi, meanwhile, had deployed its helicopter rotor attachment from its back and buzzed after the teal wolf and Chao.
The former three kept on ascending, while the latter three hopped across each stepping stone as they came up and down. Feeling a little daring, the she-wolf dropped into a narrow space between beams and let the flashing floor send her soaring. It was just enough for her to land on a tiny ledge just below the pathway the rest of the group had arrived at. After snagging a few Rings and bypassing a Future Post, the six of them jumped down into a chamber that was connected to a covered catwalk between the upper levels of the factory. Close to the end of it, they came across a Past Post, where they all decided to stop.
"Should we all go to the past?" Gadget asked the group, "or should we split up and have some of us stay here?"
Cream shuffled her feet before stepping back. "I'll stay this time, just in case Miles comes back."
"I'm going then," Gizmo decided, "since you have the Miles Electric, let me take the Stone. You'll be able to keep tabs on both groups that way."
Her brother nodded and tossed the gem to her in a wide arc, which was easy enough for her to catch with little effort. She let Cream's ever loyal friend return to the bunny's side, the Chao waving and babbling at the she-wolf, no doubt wishing her a safe journey. Then there was Amy, who was standing by the Past Post looking raring to go.
"Count me in, too!" she declared.
Gizmo stifled a chuckle and put a hand on her hip. "I like your go-getter attitude, and you're pretty good with that hammer my brother lent you. Come along, then. You too, Remi."
The robotic fox yipped and shifted into its pack form, which she slung over her shoulders. The two ladies then gave the sign a smack and proceeded further into the facility, where they came across the atomic-shaped structures that helped exhaust the excess power in the place. It was fortunate then that, due to the damage done, there wasn't as much electricity to run through them, allowing the pair to ascend more quickly and easily. It wasn't enough for them to enter the Time Warp, so they kept climbing until they reached what vaguely resembled the transport pipes in the Chemical Plant Complex. Gizmo used her grappler to tether the Gear, then went after Amy as they Jumped into the tube, building up speed and causing stars to trail behind them. After hitting a few bends in the pipe, they disappeared into the Time Warp.
Gadget and Cream had taken the same path, though they passed over the tube that the other ladies had used. Instead, they Rolled through a narrow tunnel and went down closer to the floor, avoiding the numerous discharging coils as they went. They dropped past a catwalk like the one they walked through and proceeded across more floating platforms above the flashing surface. The two navigated their way to an area with what appeared to be an odd hovercraft with just enough room for one of them to man. Being the more mechanically inclined one, the red wolf did the honors, and let out a yelp as the machine shot forward at high speed, almost throwing him off. Cream hurried after him, watching as he was soon flung from his seat and touched the bottom floor, which caused him to spring up close to a bridge between the inverted pillars above. Using his grappler, avoided smacking into the metal by grabbing a ledge and pulling himself down to it, taking a moment to catch his breath.
"Are you alright, Gad?" Cream inquired as she touched down nearby.
The wolf recalled the wire and let out a breathless chuckle. "I was just a bit surprised, that's all. How about you? I know you've been at this pretty much all day, so are you holding up okay?"
"I'll admit I'm getting a little tired," she replied, Cheese letting out a winded "Chao" to echo the sentiment.
Gadget nodded in understanding. "You don't have to force yourself. I don't mind taking a short rest if you need it."
"No, I'll be fine," the bunny girl insisted.
The wolf shrugged and smiled, deciding not to push back. It reminded him of how stubborn his little brother could be, only she seemed more open about what was bothering her. Miles would have denied being exhausted even as he's being carried over one of his siblings' shoulders.
From there, he used the wire to vault down the side of the pillar and swing under it to land on a platform. Much like his sister had done a couple of minutes ago, he skipped across a few steel beams as they rose and fell, landing close to some gray blocks that reminded him of a certain puzzle game. They moved around so that whenever they formed a line, they would shift 90 degrees in a new direction. He timed it so that he pounced to the first two sets, then swung off of a pillar to land on more stable ground. A few more blocks and platforms later, and he made it to a long pathway just above the checkerboard floor, with Cream and Cheese hovering down just behind him.
"Looks like we're making good progress," he told them, "and it's pretty flat and steady for at least a little bit."
The pair appreciated the opportunity to rest their ears and wings, with the Chao flopping atop the rabbit's head while she kept walking. "Gad, since we have a moment, may I ask you something that might be a little personal?"
"You may, but I might not answer," he said with fair warning.
Cream felt a small pit in her stomach, discouraging her from speaking her question. She pushed it down and moved so that she was beside the wolf, looking up at his orange eyes that peeked over his dark specs.
"How did you know for sure that you liked Fuchsia?" she asked him.
The wolf did catch her briefly fidgeting out of the corner of his eye, but chose not to comment. She'd clearly worked up some nerve to inquire about this, so he refrained from any teasing.
"There's a short story to answer that," he started off, "one night this past summer, she and I were both on the shore of Puru Puru Lake close to Miles' cabin, just talking and hanging out. As cheesy as it sounds, the atmosphere got me thinking about all the good times we'd shared over the years, and about what could come from a future where we're closer knit. I just kind of knew that the moment felt right to tell her."
Both Cream and Cheese listened with rapt attention, the former taking a few mental notes. Maybe hearing this would help her sort her own feelings.
"Well, I tried to tell her, but it came out in a bit of a jumbled and awkward mess," he chuckled, his peach-skin cheeks red with embarrassment. A fond smile spread across his muzzle. "She got the gist of it, though, and told me that she felt the same way. The point is, I knew I liked her because I appreciated everything about her. Her cheeriness, her hard-working spirit, her energy, and her curiosity all won me over, as did her physically affectionate nature. It's been about six months since we got together, and we've only grown closer since."
The teen bunny took that in and found herself smiling along with him. She'd only briefly gotten to visit with him and the cat while she'd been on Cocoa Island, but she'd seen glimpses of the love between them. Cream wasn't sure if she felt that way about Miles, but she did like being around him, and thought he possessed a number of good qualities.
"Does Miles like me in that way?" she found herself wondering, her eyes widening and hands clasping over her mouth when she realized she'd done so out loud.
Gadget laughed a bit, though she could tell it wasn't jeering or meant to be hurtful. "I'd say so, but I think he's still trying to figure out if what he's feeling is genuine. Whether anything comes of it or not is up to him, and you too, of course. Either way, you two have my support."
Cream giggled softly. Perhaps if the fox didn't approach her after all this was over, she'd take the chance herself. For now, at least, she would help him out as best she could.
While the changing of the future in the previous Zone had been significant, Silver was blown away by what the mines had now become.
They didn't even resemble caverns anymore, but a city he could swear he'd once seen in a dream. The surrounding stone had turned into a pleasant blue, while the now metallic supports and pathways were a golden yellow. A wide range of structures and buildings had been set up among the now static purple crystals, their lights brightening an otherwise pitch black space. In the outside area, there were turquoise pillars and domes, with a tall wall of the same color separating them from the region beyond. Floating up to the top, the hedgehog could see mop-headed palm trees and bushes, and purple mountains set against a pale blue sky fading into early evening.
"Amazing," he marveled, hovering over to one of the trees and stroking the leaves, "everything is so much more alive. And the air...it's not too cold or too hot. It's wonderful."
After spending a few minutes admiring the new scenery and basking in the natural heat of the day, Silver levitated back down to the ground. His spirit felt reinvigorated, now that he had a clear picture of what he was fighting for. If he could prevent the Hellfrost Catastrophe, then the rest of the world could be just as prosperous and beautiful.
But before he could move on to the next Zone, the teen hedgehog saw a portal open up in front of him, the dimension within a swirling and shifting prismatic light show. Out of it stepped a rather tall and imposing spotted hyena with gray eyes and nicked ears that wore moccasin pants, studded leather boots, and a necklace composed of fangs and claws. He also had a few tattoos and body paintings in his fur that were unfamiliar to the future-dweller. Silver was ready to use his powers to defend himself from this newcomer, but then he remembered what Miles had told him earlier.
'Is this one of the friends he mentioned?' he wondered as he looked the guy over, 'he doesn't look all that friendly.'
"You're Silver the Hedgehog, I presume?" the hyena inquired.
Silver nodded slowly, keeping his hands close at his sides. "That's right. Who are you? Are you a friend of Miles?"
"Khaldun," the other replied, "and he's more like a somewhat amicable acquaintance with a common goal."
Basically the same as his relationship with the fox, the hedgehog concluded. And since the hyena had found him so easily, Silver assumed that he had some way of tracking him or the Time Stones, or both.
"So this is how it'll look when it's all done," he heard Khal mumble as the spotted mammal took a gander at all the sights around them. He allowed himself a ghost of a smile, which quickly returned to a neutral expression as he refocused on Silver. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and I have some of my own for you. But before we get to answering them, I have an agreement to uphold."
Silver noticed the hyena pulling a blue gem out of his pocket that was identical to the cyan Time Stone. He aimed at a random spot in the air and produced a second gateway like the one he'd come through. While it wasn't as immediate as it had been with Khal, the hedgehog saw the familiar figure of Miles sprinting through the tunnel in space-time.
"Oh, hey there, Silver!" the fox greeted him cheerfully as he exited the Time Warp, "I see now why Khal opened up a gate a little sooner than he said he would."
The guardian shrugged. "I figured that since he was already here, I might as well bring you over as soon as possible."
"Makes sense."
With everyone now present, Khal felt it was time to get down to business. He also knew that they needed to get a move on, as there were still two more Zones before they reached the Crystal Citadel, and at least one of them had a Time Stone.
"We can talk on the way to the next place," he proposed, peering over at Miles, "can the others in the present still track us?"
The fox nodded affirmatively. "I just checked the Temporal Radar, and it's still working just fine." He hesitated for a moment and tapped his fingers sheepishly. "My siblings are there with them, too, so they'll be okay."
"Wonderful, more people are getting involved," the hyena said with a tired sigh, "though given the interactions I've seen you share with them, it's not surprising they'd come help you. Have they been informed about what's going on?"
"For the most part. I left them one of the Stones so that you could help keep an eye out for them too."
The guardian knew that it couldn't be helped, then, and that he may as well accept their assistance. He inwardly admitted that it was pretty smart of the fox to hand off one of the gems to them as well, and he briefly chastised himself for not thinking of trusting the girls to do that in the previous Zone. He gestured for the other two to follow as he shifted into his feral form and started making for the next Zone. Miles took flight after him, but stopped when he glanced back and noticed that Silver wasn't trailing behind them. He was staring between them, a stunned expression on his face.
"Sorry, I've just never seen that before," he remarked after regaining his marbles, "never seen people that can change shape, or folks that can fly without using PK, I mean."
The teen fox tilted his head. "PK?"
That just surprised the hedgehog even more. His powers were fairly commonplace among the people still around in his world, although no one else had his level of strength and control. He remembered hearing that wasn't always the case, but it was still a little shocking to meet someone that didn't immediately know what that abbreviation meant.
Silver decided to demonstrate by levitating the cyan Stone off his neck fur, both it and one of his fingers wrapped in that aura of his. With a few flicks and motions, he moved it around in the air for the other guys to see, then placed it back on his fluffy collar. The teen proceeded to lift himself next, hovering about for a few moments before setting himself down and folding his arms with a smirk. Khal's reaction was difficult to gauge, but he didn't seem particularly impressed. Miles, on the other hand, was openly intrigued.
"Psychokinesis! PK, of course!" he realized, "I've heard about people with it, but I've never actually met anyone that could use it until now."
The hyena hummed as he trotted on, prompting the others to resume flying after him in their respective ways. "It's good to be aware of what we're each capable of if we're going to be working together to take down Sierus. We also need to be open and honest with one another, so we can all be on the same page."
The hedgehog bowed his head at those words. He was a tad fearful of what they would think if they learned he was at least partly responsible for helping to free the entity. Would they think of him as a threat, or would they be willing to put his error to the side for the sake of everything? It only required a moment's consideration for him to determine the correct course. They needed to know everything, even if they might resent him for some of it.
After a short while, they emerged from the mines and arrived at what remained of the industrial factory just beyond them. A huge chunk of the outer wall had worn away from time and damage, showing off the silhouettes of the plateaus of the desert canyons around it. It was caked in volcanic ash, lending a more ghostly appearance to the landscape, and with the ruins exposed, some of it blew in to coat the interior. Beams running along the top of the warehouse featured broken and dislodged lights, as well as hanging, severed wires that crackled and sparked every so often. Below, numerous generators and tanks had been blasted and overturned, while steel support pillars had collapsed or rusted away. Other features, such as the flashing checkerboard floor, floating platforms with siren lights, and electrical discharge points, were still operational, though now featured grimy green and black color schemes for whatever wasn't a rusty bronze.
"I need a quick break," Silver spoke up, grabbing the others' attention. After touching down and stopping for a moment, he let the cyan Stone fall to one hand. "Sorry, my powers can be pretty tiring, and it's been a little bit since we found any Rings."
Miles rested one of his feet on the other thigh as he leaned back to use his tails as a seat. "Well, since we have a second, how about telling us a little more about yourself, Silver?"
"Oh." The hedgehog pondered the question. "Um, I'm fourteen years old, and always on the move because of Glacia's minions. I never knew my parents, but I used to have a few friends and a mentor for my PK abilities." He lowered his gaze. "They've been gone for a long time, though, and I've been alone ever since." He closed one fist and looked up again, determination showing in his eyes. "But I kept going, hoping there was some way to fix the world. And now that I know there's at least a chance, I won't stop until I can make our dream a reality!"
The fox felt some sympathy for the younger teen, but also a bit of admiration. Despite the losses and hardships, Silver had maintained a strong spirit and an earnest desire to see his world changed for the better. Miles wasn't sure if he would've been able to keep it together, were he in the hedgehog's figurative shoes.
Just as he'd promised the last time they saw each other, Miles went on to summarize what the Time Stones were, with some input from the hyena. Hearing that there were artifacts that could allow one to freely travel through time, or even control it, it made Silver wonder what happened to them in his world. Maybe they'd been sealed beyond the reach of mortals? And what about Little Planet? Was it originally ruined like the rest of the world, or had it been fine until Sierus was let loose?
"Do you know how long it's been since Glacia broke free and devastated the world?" Khal asked him next, shaking him from his ruminations.
Silver folded his arms and cocked his head to one side as he thought about it. "It's been a little over 200 years since the Hellfrost Catastrophe. My mentor told me it happened in the year 2010 C.E., whatever that means."
"That's less than two years away in my time!" Miles exclaimed with alarm.
"And also when Princess Elise will be old enough to ascend the throne of Soleanna," the hyena added, fixing his eyes on the youngest among them, "the short of it is: she's the living container for Glacia. When she dies, the seal will be broken, and the world as we know it will end unless Glacia is imprisoned once again."
Silver didn't like the sound of that. How could you prevent someone from dying? It was inevitable, which meant that Glacia being freed was also inescapable. No matter how many hosts they used to keep it locked away, there would be a slip up down the line eventually. No, he refused to believe that the world couldn't be saved!
"That's...no, there has to be another way!" he proclaimed with his fists clenched, "a way to destroy it permanently, so no one has to bear that burden ever again!"
Miles mirrored his determination. "And we'd be glad to help you figure it out!" He then took on a more mild expression. "Sierus is the more immediate threat, though. If we don't stop it, the world could end even sooner."
"Which is part of the reason why we're destroying its spawn in the past," Khal explained to the smaller teen, "it could potentially be growing weaker with each one slain."
It sounded like an alright plan, though the hedgehog figured there was a better way of going about it. Having all seven of the Time Stones would allow them to jump to any point in history, right? If that really was the case, then the answer seemed obvious.
"Why don't we just use the Time Stones to go back and prevent the Mystic Orb from breaking?" he suggested.
The hyena locked on him with a steely gaze. "How do you know about the Mystic Orb?"
Silver felt a bit of ice in his veins at the tone the other used with him. Instead of letting himself freeze, though, he steeled his nerves and stared right back into those glaring gray eyes.
"It's my fault," he admitted, momentarily sparing a look over at the fox, "those guys I met that you told me about...I helped them find a safe place from the monsters. We went all the way into the labyrinth and found a Past Post, but it was different from the ones around here."
Khal cocked his brow. "Different how?"
"It didn't have the same colors, and the portal to the Time Warp seemed...wrong? At least compared to the ones I've seen you guys use."
The fox gazed at the hyena curiously, who could only offer an uncertain shrug. If he didn't know, then Miles wasn't sure what to think.
"Anyway," Silver continued, "Focke-Wulf talked me into using it, and we all went back to your time, where we found the Mystic Orb and some strange old woman called Witchcart."
Miles stiffened at the name and growled. "I should've figured she'd escape imprisonment if her three lackeys could manage it."
"More troubling is that someone outside of Soleanna's inner circles knew where to find the Orb," Khal said grimly, "even leaving aside its role in Sierus' confinement, it's a powerful artifact that can greatly enhance magical abilities."
Silver nodded. "Yeah, I got to see it in action first hand. We tried to fight her, but her magic became way too strong with that thing." He shook his head, a bit ashamed of himself. "I only managed to get the Orb away while she was distracted and then, I thought it would stop her so I...I smashed it to pieces."
Both of them heard a long and heavy breath coming from the hyena. When they turned to look, he had shifted back to his bipedal state, and his eyes momentarily flashed with anger. In the next instant, though, they went back to a more collected expression.
"What happened next?" Khal asked calmly.
Though initially surprised at the rather restrained reaction, Silver went on to lay out what he could best remember. Upon reaching the bit where Sierus proclaimed it was released sooner than expected, Khal stopped the teen.
"Doesn't that strike you as odd?" the guardian wondered, "with an ever-weakening seal, its freedom was inevitable, just like with Glacia. That strange Time Post somehow made it possible to alter that course and change the whole timeline, not just a Zone. How had it been made for that specific moment? Where did it come from?"
The questions were a bit unsettling, as was another pressing concern. Who in the future would've had any knowledge about the Mystic Orb?
"Woo-hoo!" Gizmo barked as she felt the wind whipping in her face.
They had ended up at a point where much of the overall complex was still under construction, as the roof and many of the supporting walls weren't present. What had been completed so far still consisted of much that was in the present, although it was painted a bright green rather than purple. Meanwhile, there was a gorgeous backdrop of desert canyons against a picturesque sunset, giving everything a reddish-orange glow. There were cranes hard at work putting the place together that would soon dominate the land, along with what appeared to be long green bridges meant for moving around supplies.
She'd mounted a speed booster device and rode it to the end of the track, going into a Roll as she bolted off the edge. The wolf couldn't help but show off a few aerial maneuvers while she flew over much of the broad open room, catching sight of Amy several meters behind her. Utilizing her grappler, she caught the underside of a floating platform and swung herself up onto the top. A couple more of them brought her to a high point in the facility, where she was joined momentarily by her younger companion.
"Remi, perform a Zone scan for anomalous energy signatures," Gizmo directed her assistant as she let it down, "look for anything that doesn't belong, present company excluded."
Once back in Critter mode, the artificial vulpine perked up its ears and stood stiffly. Both its eyes and the orbs on its tails began blinking while it moved its head slowly from one side to another. Each time they did, they let out a soft beep, though it soon grew louder and more frequent as Remi's gaze focused on the way forward.
"Seems whatever is setting him off is hanging around where we have to go," the she-wolf concluded, "you think it's one of those 'Sierus spawn' you told me about?"
"Probably," Amy guessed, "we won't know if we just sit here, though. Let's check it out!"
That sounded good to the young woman. After having Remi return to its tote-able state, Gizmo Rolled down a quarter-pipe bend while the hedgehog kept close. At the end of it was a pole suspended above several exposed electrical devices, making the floor too dangerous to cross on foot. Amy merely had to hover above it, though, and the she-wolf with her was able to shimmy across easily enough.
They repeated this twice more before they arrived at the next huge, open area, with more than a handful of those discharge coils on display. There were also tall, spinning vertical poles suspended in mid-air, rather conspicuously set up close to more floating platforms. Gizmo used her cable to grab the one in front of her, almost taken aback by how quickly she started to rotate around the thing. Taking a moment to time it right, she let go and landed on the horizontally moving hunk of metal beneath an inverted pillar. Amy, meanwhile, had ridden the Gear out to the pole, then leapt for it just as she started to drop, finding herself Rolling up and sticking close to the spinning surface. She didn't quite make the jump to the platform, but the hoverboard was there to catch her so she didn't fall into the charged coils.
Glad to see her charge coming along okay, Gizmo used the second pole in her path to flip to a third, then a fourth, finally landing on a ledge with a light flourish. Amy did her best to replicate what the older female did, taking a little more time to make sure she didn't nearly slip up again. The she-wolf resumed their trek once the hoglet caught up, navigating a few platforms up to a tunnel that ended in a downward curve. Past a red spring, they hopped up a few steps and slipped down a chute to a ledge with a view of the remainder of the factory.
Thankfully, it appeared they didn't have far to go before the end.
"Looks like we're almost there, Amy!" Gizmo encouraged the younger female, vaulting down an access shaft and dodging a swinging spike trap.
The hedgehog whipped around the hazard with her Gear and followed the she-wolf into one last open area with three of those spinning poles above the orange and black checkerboard floor. The lady lupine grappled to a low point on the first one and let loose so that she flew beneath the second one. A follow-up shot hooked her to the third, where she curled into a Roll and let herself spin up the length of it. At the top, she Jumped off and was relieved to find plenty of flat ground for her to traverse, at least for a short time. She turned around to watch the other Animal make her way to her position, and to her credit, she did it in much the same way, just with an extra step.
"Nicely done," Gizmo praised the girl, going slowly so as to conserve some energy, "starting to see more and more that you'll fit right in with the rest of the gang."
While Amy was delighted at the compliment, she couldn't help but be curious as she looked up at the she-wolf. "Giselle?"
"Yes, lass?"
"Do you think...?" The hedgehog hesitated, glancing between herself and the older girl. She then made a motion to the lupine, then back to her. "Do you think I could ever be like you?"
Gizmo stopped in her tracks to consider what it was the spiny child was asking. When it clicked, she covered her face with one glove to hide the redness in her cheeks.
"Oh, well," she stuttered as she thought of what to say, "as far as doing all the things I can do, I don't see why not. But when it comes to this..." She motioned to her body. "Everyone is different, Amy. Maybe you'll end up with a figure like mine, or perhaps you won't." The wolf blinked a few times. "Why are you worrying about something like that at your age, anyway?"
Amy shrugged and smiled. "My mom's a fortune teller, so I'm used to thinking far ahead. I often wonder what it'll be like when I'm all grown up." She clasped her hands together and hummed. "A nice house, a nice job, and a nice man."
Gizmo kept silent, her face relatively flat as she thought about the other Animal's words. Truthfully, she'd rarely been found wanting for any of the things that her companion had listed. If she needed a good home, she could get her siblings to help her put one together. As for work, there was always the junkyard with her father, but if not, there were plenty of other avenues to apply her skills. Those two matters were relatively trivial, so long as she put in the effort.
When it came to a potential boyfriend, however, that was where she was most uncertain. There were a fair few guys on Cocoa Island that fancied her, yet she didn't feel the same way about any of them. Something about them, no matter how attractive their looks or personalities were, just didn't sit with her. It didn't bother her that much, though.
'I'm still pretty young,' she thought, 'I've got time.'
Following the mostly easy walk, they used the checkerboard floor on the other side of the tunnel to reach the highest point that they could. It was easy from that vantage to see where the exit was, and yet they couldn't spot their target. Checking the Radar, Gizmo determined that there was an anomaly around there, beyond a wall almost as high as they were. With a shrug, she pocketed the device and began her descent down the platforms to reach the area it indicated.
Once they passed through the only opening, Amy and Gizmo jumped in fright as the shutters slammed down behind them. There were three different floors from what they could see, the above them sporting a huge hole they could get through. More of that light-up surface was beneath their feet, though currently inactive, and a pair of ports were on either side, which began to spark and crackle. The she-wolf estimated about ten or so meters from wall to wall, and a few tens from the floor to the uppermost ceiling.
A series of loud clangs drowned them out, and a couple of seconds later, a dark figure crashed down through the holes above them. Upon first glance, it appeared to be a droid that stood about a third of a meter higher than the wolf, and had an "athletic" torso and streamlined limbs, most of which was obsidian black. There were pairs of glowing, neon purple grooves along the arms and legs that formed into circles around the elbows and knees, and a similar pattern spanning from its collar bone to its waist. There was an eerily accurate make of a human head to top it off, entirely bald and just as dark as its armor, with the exception of its magenta eyes and their reptilian slit pupils.
As it stood there sizing up the two Animals, Gizmo did the same and made a startling discovery. The thing in front of them wasn't a robot of any sort, but a person in a powered exoskeleton. Normally, she would feel hesitant about having to put down a living, breathing individual like herself. However, she remembered what she'd been told about the spawn that the others had encountered so far. They were nothing more than monsters meant to despoil and destroy, and if they weren't eliminated, Little Planet's future would be grim.
"Alright, you ready for this, lass?" the she-wolf asked the hedgehog.
Amy brought out the Pikkon Hammer and pointed the head at their apparent foe. "You bet! I'm not running away this time!"
"That's what I like to hear!" Gizmo took the robot on her back and tossed it into the air. "Remi, combat transformation, Flying Type!"
The pack clicked and whirred as it expanded, the back of it lengthening into a tail that was a hybrid of a plane and helicopter's design. A big rotor blade grew from where it would be on a typical chopper, and a smaller one near the tip of the rear fin. Two jet wings sprouted from its main body, each sporting what appeared to be a missile tube on top, as well as a compact engine on the underside. Another weapon barrel emerged from just beneath the nose of the miniature aircraft, which had a cute little black coloration on the nose, and a windshield that matched Miles' eye color.
Seeing the trio take a hostile stance against it, the man in the suit rushed at them, its footsteps echoing loudly throughout the chamber. It moved as quickly as its frame suggested, prompting the group to scatter as it slammed a fist down, leaving a sizable crater in the floor. Remi's center gun fired a few electric blue bolts at the thing's back, only for them to do little more than leave scorch marks. The man pursed his lips and let out a concentrated stream of dark fire, though the robot easily and quickly flew out of range.
One of the hands on the exosuit lit up as the other tapped a spot on the wrist, and the floor did in turn, causing both it and Gizmo to spring into the air. The spawn drew back its arm as it flew towards the she-wolf, but was interrupted when her grappling cable wrapped around its shoulders. A hearty tug drew it her way while her other hand grabbed her red escrima and activated it. Once it was close, she brought down the stick onto its collar with a boom, sending it back down to Amy, who followed up with a smack from the Hammer. The man went flying into a wall and rebounded off of it, using the floor to bounce up to the next level.
Remi flew in as Gizmo fell, tilting itself so she could grab onto its wings and join Amy in flying after their foe. The opening in that room shut beneath them, and the trio noticed a few large blocks of concrete sitting around on this floor. Their enemy stood atop one of them, the exoskeleton a little warped in the places they'd hit, but it was still in good shape overall.
"Go for the head if you can," the she-wolf advised her battle partners, "if not, try to hit places like the knees and elbows."
As Gizmo dropped onto one of the concrete slabs, the corrupted man climbed onto another. He once again pressed on his wrist, the conduits around the edges of the room thrumming to life and blasting the space below the blocks with an electrical current. The floor flung the two of them up a couple of seconds later, and as gravity set in to slow their rising rides, they skipped to the next impromptu platform. Amy sailed over the older girl's head with the Hammer held high, taking a chance to Jump from the Gear once she was close. The man was forced to step back when the hoverboard collided with his chest, though he anticipated the follow-up blow and raised his arms to defend his noggin. The hedgehog changed the angle of her attack as best she could in the split second she had, managing to land a blow on one of its elbows.
Just as Gizmo had said, that did much more damage, causing the armor's forearm to go dark and weigh more on the limb it was protecting. Amy cried out as she was kicked in the gut and sent flying, landing roughly on her back when the Gear came zooming in to catch her. Gizmo growled and brought out the green escrima, powering it up while shutting off and stowing the red one. The slabs rose into the air yet again, and as the man readied to cross over to where the wolf was, she rushed right over the gap with an extra speedy Spin Dash. The teal sphere slammed into one of the knees and knocked the fellow in the exosuit over the edge, right into the high-voltage field below.
The spawn suffered a nasty shock, and the conduits along its exoskeleton began flickering erratically. Even so, it wasn't enough to take it down, with the armored man using the floor to bounce up and retreat to the highest level of the chamber. The trio went after him, and like before, they were sealed soon after entering. This time, the ground was normal, while much of the upper half of the chamber was filled with arcing bolts, discouraging the occupants from wandering too high.
Gizmo went in with both escrima drawn, keeping the green one lit up as she circled around her target. With some sections of the armor disabled, it made the spawn's movements more sluggish, unable to properly keep up with the verdigris blur. It prepared its fire breath to cut off her path, only for Amy to come in and bring the Pikkon Hammer down on its head. The she-wolf used that opening to give it another Spin Dash, driving herself into the back of the suit and forcing it to its hands and knees. Remi came in with its wing turrets primed, and with a light phoomph, a pair of amber missiles rocketed from the tubes.
The projectiles met their mark and detonated with a brilliant cyan light, rather than a typical incendiary blast. The spawn's powered exoskeleton broke apart from the unusual explosion, and its exposed head, which had been the primary target, was vaporized in an instant. Both of the girls stared at the rather clean corpse left behind for a good few moments, then at the miniature heliplane, which lowered itself to the ground and shifted into Critter form.
"Well damn," Gizmo muttered as she went over to the artificial fox, "if I'd known the Chaos Missiles would be that effective, I'd've made you use them sooner, boy."
Remi rolled its head and let out a light woof, as if to say that they knew now, at least. It turned its attention over to Amy, who looked to be struggling to keep herself on her feet, her free hand pressing into where she'd been hit earlier.
"Don't worry, I'm okay," she said unsteadily, soon sitting down on the hoverboard. She winced and sucked in a breath from doing so, holding her arm over her gut more tightly. "Ooh, that hurts."
The she-wolf pushed the hoglet girl to lay down, guiding the Gear as they moved towards the exit. "You've done well, Amy, so take it easy now. Let's get back and see if we can get Miles to patch you up, okay?"
Amy didn't protest, closing her eyes and holding herself with both arms as she let Gizmo cart her out of the facility. At the least, she could take pride in the fact that she'd done more to help beat a significant enemy than just distract it. She sure could go for some of that fox's healing right about now, though.
"Alright! That's five Zones down!" Miles proclaimed.
Once the blinding flash had died down, the fox and his two companions were treated to what a more positive future for the complex looked like. It had transformed into something of a children's "fun factory", with abstract shapes and symbols dotting the walls. The ceiling beams were now made up of blue and green semi-circles, with spiraling poles, cloud-like shapes, lit capsules of moon and stars, arches, and checker patterned dark green. There were also arrangements of light green cubes towards the bottom of the place, but everything else was mostly various shades of dark blue and purple. The pathways themselves were now shiny pink, with bits of light blue thrown around for good measure, such as in the short railings along the sides. The sirens had been replaced by blue and red lollipop-like spheres on sticks, and triangles on straight or zig-zag poles, some with blinking circles or other decorations on them.
"All we have to do is restore the Stardust Speedway," Khal informed them, "and then cross the plains to reach the Crystal Citadel. Hopefully, we'll be able to grab both of the remaining Time Stones along the way, too."
Silver, who'd kept quiet for most of the trek since explaining the details about Sierus, chose to speak up. "I guess you guys will be going back to the present."
"Yeah, we should check in on the others," Miles considered, "but are you sure you want to stay here? Everyone else wants to meet you."
"Let him be, Miles," the hyena said as he brought out the blue Stone, "we'll see him again soon enough, anyway."
He waved to the hedgehog and opened up a gate to the Time Warp, stepping through without another word. The fox approached the portal, stopping just short of it to spare a glance back at the psychic Animal. He tried to think of something else to say, but he couldn't come up with anything. With a shrug, he turned back around and prepared himself to cross through time back to where he belonged.
"Wait!" Silver called after him, making him stop.
The hedgehog had spent most of their time journeying through the complex thinking about everything he'd learned. Even if he hadn't been a big part of the conversations between Khal and Miles–which were mostly things they were repeating for his benefit–he still enjoyed their company. And as he'd watched them interact, Silver came to realize just how much he'd missed being around other people.
Sure, he'd been with the Witchcarters, but now that he had a clear picture of who they were and what they'd done, their brief time together felt like it didn't count. The idea of being alone again, even for a short period, was much more unpalatable than before he'd palled around with these guys. And hey, more people wanted to meet him? He couldn't deny that he was curious about what sorts of folks they were.
"Let me come back with you," he requested of the older teen, "I want to see the world and the people you're fighting for."
Miles chuckled and stepped aside. "Thinking it might give you some perspective?"
"Sure, but I think it'd just be nice to see them for myself," Silver answered earnestly.
The fox couldn't argue with that; he himself was eager to visit with his remade robot assistant. He motioned for the hedgehog to head on through, and he took the invitation gratefully. Miles checked around one last time for anything unusual, and to also appreciate the view of the factory. Once he'd had his fill, he slipped in, the portal closing up seconds later.