On the way back to Little Planet during the dead of night, Sierus felt three consecutive pangs of debilitation. It seemed that even those three Animals it had left behind had succumbed to whatever forces sought to sabotage its efforts. There was still a connection to the human woman, though, so it hadn't lost every bit of power. It knew that if it didn't hurry, however, that she would be snuffed out as well, and then it would be back where it started.
In hindsight, it would have been better for that old crone to keep Little Planet in place at least until it returned. The whole point of moving it had been so that it would be out of reach of interlopers while it made its way over to where Soleanna was. Obviously, that hadn't worked, and now it was suffering the consequences. If it had to loop back through time to restart this plan, the entity would find some way to remind itself not to move the planetoid until it had eradicated all prominent threats.
Before long, Sierus found Little Planet steadily hovering across the vast expanse of the ocean, the gleam of the Crystal Citadel visible thanks to the light of the moon. And to its ire, it saw that every region except for the sprawling palace and the scorched plains around it had been restored to their previous, flourishing states. From the most immediate Zone near the Citadel, it sensed multiple life forms gathered in one spot, with two of them feeling familiar. It figured that one of them had to be the guardian hyena, while the other one escaped it for the moment.
For a short while, Sierus pondered descending upon the warrior's group and wiping them out all at once. It had no idea how powerful the spotted mammal actually was, though, and no real information on the allies it had brought along. What if they were just as formidable? What if they possessed a sealing technique just like that man did? It wouldn't be able to contend against such a force, especially not in its currently weakened state.
Ultimately, the being went to the Citadel, finding that to be in the same shape it had initially left the place. It slipped through the opening it had made close to the chamber that once held the Time Stones, and was greeted with an amusing sight. The elderly sorceress had fashioned herself an elaborate and relatively comfortable throne out of the surrounding crystal, and was currently resting in it.
'I shall be taking your body again,' it thought, 'but for now, you will maintain control, ignorant of my presence.'
Like it had done before, Sierus drove itself into Witchcart's body, momentarily stirring her awake. However, there was not a trace left of its presence by the time she had enough of her bearings to process anything. She did feel a tad warm for someone that just woke up, but thought nothing of it, and soon went back to sleep once she saw it was still quite late.
Within her dreams, Witchcart found herself replaying the memories of how she got there like an old film projector. She had searched for the Mystic Orb ever since she easily escaped the prison that the fox boy had brought her to. However, by the time she'd learned of its location, the world came to an end at the hand of Glacia. Not even that two-tailed brat had been able to stop it, and to avoid being done in herself, Witchcart had sealed herself in crystal and fallen into a long slumber.
She'd awakened nearly two centuries later, and despite the state of the world, had continued her quest. Eventually, the old sorceress had found the Lost Labyrinth and the chamber where the Mystic Orb supposedly was. Instead, she'd found a strange signpost that resembled something she'd read about in regards to Little Planet once upon a time. With her magic, she'd activated it and opened up a portal to the past, where the world was as she'd once known.
But more importantly, Witchcart had been delivered to where the Mystic Orb was, though she'd been hesitant to put it to immediate use. A dusty tome she'd stolen from the Soleanna archives right under their noses had given her the more pertinent information in regards to it. That it was an artifact meant to keep a great evil sealed away, and that tapping into its power would weaken the walls of its prison. She'd thought herself capable of testing it to the point it wouldn't break, and fancied herself knowledgeable enough to reinforce the seal as needed.
And then those former lackeys of hers had showed up from their own rift in time, along with that psychic hedgehog. Silver, that was the boy's name, had proven to be quite troublesome even with the boost, with his powerful will that allowed him to resist her mind control. She hadn't been ignorant to the cracks forming in the Orb as she used it to enhance her abilities, but she'd been confident that a few jolts here and there would be enough to keep it together. Alas, Witchcart knew now that she'd underestimated just how quickly the seal would fall apart with each instance of tapping its energy.
She watched as Sierus took control of her and her ex-minions, then laid waste across Little Planet's past. How it eventually left her body, only to return soon enough to plant its essence inside of her. It had directed her to move the celestial body over the ocean towards Soleanna while it left to attend to yet another errand. With the newfound power it had granted her, the sorceress had reformed much of the Crystal Citadel to her liking, though it had taken quite a while, and she was only done with the interior.
She'd settled down for the night after that, and aside from the disturbance that momentarily roused her, as well as the current dream, it had been uneventful. Now that the latter had reached its conclusion, the woman used her lucidity to shape it into something more pleasant. She imagined a world under her control, ruling from this new palace of hers, with even Miles under her thumb. No Sierus or Glacia to threaten her rule, just unending love and devotion from all her "dearies", and power beyond the scope of anyone else that would dare challenge her. Perhaps the technology of those birds and that military organization could be repurposed to work with her magic; despite her inclinations, she'd always had an appreciation for certain artificial things.
As Witchcart enjoyed this new dream, she hadn't the faintest that Sierus had been the one to prompt her trip into her recent memories, taking it all in for itself. It had also done some probing to get at more valuable information, made easier by the sorceress's mind. That two-tailed fox piqued its interest, seeing that it was formidable enough to deal with the woman and her three cronies all on his own...
Miles slowly blinked awake, finding himself laying in a decently comfortable twin-sized bed with white sheets and deep blue covers. Remi was laying at the foot of it, its head turning around and its optics flickering as it noticed its master stirring. As part of its behavioral routine, it stretched and "yawned" much like a real fox, then hopped off the bed to go sit near the door to the room. The place itself was fairly nondescript aside from the bed, the table with two chairs tucked in one corner, and the plain white dresser for any clothes and linens. Pretty standard fare for a hotel room.
'I must've been more exhausted than I thought,' he mused as he rubbed his temple, 'I barely remember walking here with the others.'
He thought back on everything that had happened yesterday. How he and the others had set out from White Park and caught up to Little Planet at Splash Hill, then trekked across six of the seven Zones on the planetoid. Not to mention traveling through time in those regions and fighting against the forces of Sierus, while also searching for the Time Stones. By the end of the day, they'd restored most of Little Planet, and all but one of the gems were in their possession.
'And the Witchcarters are dead,' he reminded himself, 'though maybe not permanently.' He frowned a bit deeper. 'Still wouldn't change the fact one of them came by my hands.'
Miles didn't feel sad about what he did, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel at least a little remorseful. He knew that Bearenger was ready and willing to end him and everyone else without any hesitation. The future wouldn't have been secure if he didn't take care of the grizzly. Still, he wished he could have prevented being trapped in that scenario, even if the guy deserved it to some degree. If he wanted to avoid that kind of "solution" in the future, then he would have to make more of an effort.
'It always comes back to that, doesn't it? Never giving it my all until my friends and family are in real danger.' He swung his legs over the side of the mattress and planted his chin against both palms. 'But, if I go all out around them, they could get hurt...' He shut his eyes and let out a quiet puff through his nose. 'I wish you were here, Sonic. I could use some of that confidence boosting you always seem to instill.'
A knock at the door brought him out of his contemplation, and he went to answer it after making the bed. Cream and Cheese were there on the other side to greet him, while the other five members of the group were behind them. Aside from rubbing at their eyes, Khal and Silver were pretty much wide awake, while the twins were drowsily nibbling on some dried meat, and Amy looked like she was still half-asleep. Glancing east from the door, Miles saw that the sun had barely begun to creep over the horizon, casting a reddish tint on the Crystal Citadel just beyond the plains outside Stardust Speedway.
"Oh, is everyone already set to go?" he asked.
"We figured we'd eat on the way, since all we've got are rations," Gadget replied before taking another bite of his own meat strip.
Well, if they were all prepared, then the fox figured that they may as well head out. Remi shifted into its pack form and took its place on the teen's back, and once he was sure he had everything, they left for their final destination. A few minutes into their journey to the east, Silver curiously undid the wrapping of a cake-flavored "nutrition" bar and took an experimental bite. His golden eyes lit up with delight as he let out a pleased hum.
"We can't afford to be picky in my time, so we just eat whatever's edible," he commented, "but you guys can have stuff like this every day? Things that actually have taste?"
Gizmo laughed and tore off a chunk of her jerky with her sharp fangs. "Oh, spiny boy, there are much better meals than these little noshes. Stay in the present for a while, and maybe you'll get to try some of Papa's cooking."
"I'm sure you'd love my mother's baking, Silver," Cream told the older hedgehog, reaching into a satchel and retrieving a small plastic bag full of cookies. She opened it up and handed one over. "Here, it's one of her snicker doodles."
Silver tentatively took it, examining the cinnamon sugary snack before giving it a nibble. He was shocked at how soft it was, and the sweetness was out of this world, but not so much that it was overbearing. The taste and the texture tugged at his heart for a brief moment, and he gazed down at the cookie appreciatively.
"Wow," was all he could manage, and in a flash, he devoured the sweet treat.
Everyone had a little laugh at that, though the rest of the gang couldn't help but be curious if the cookies really were as good as the hedgehog made them out to be. Cream was kind enough to share one with all of them, with the exception of Remi, as it wasn't built for such functions. After they all had a bite, the consensus was clear.
"That is good!" the twin wolves exclaimed simultaneously.
"Your mom makes the best cookies, Cream," Amy giggled as she enjoyed her own.
Given his size, not to mention his chompers, Khal finished his off in a scant few bites. "I've lived a stupidly long time and had gods know how many such treats, but I have to say that few have come close to that kind of quality."
"Yeah, if your mom's cookies are this good, I can't wait to try out the cake she's making for your birthday!" Miles said excitedly. He then stopped and let out a gasp. "That's right, that's today!"
The rabbit girl felt a tad embarrassed when everyone stopped to wish her a happy birthday, but took it in stride. She didn't want them worrying about that when there were more pressing matters to attend to, so she waved them off with a smile. They all thankfully seemed to get it.
"Hey, Khal?" Amy asked him, drawing the hyena's attention, "what did you mean when you said other people weren't here right now?"
The others turned to the guardian in expectation of an answer, given how open he usually was. They were also thankful that the young hedgehog had remembered, as the question had slipped most of their minds after the events of the previous night.
"Little Planet is inhabited by various Animals and Critters, as well as humans and certain other species you may or may not know about," Khal elaborated, "they do not reside within the typical confines of space, however, which is where this world disappears to for the other eleven months."
Miles scratched at his chin. "So, it goes into the Special Zone?"
"How do you...right, your most recent adventure." The hyena cleared his throat. "Yes, that is where Little Planet goes for most of the year. As you probably know, there are different pockets of the Zone that contain all manners of spatial geometry. There are even other planetoids capable of supporting life, and it's these satellites that the residents of Little Planet settle on during the one month it's present in the known universe."
Gadget hummed in understanding. "That does answer where all the buildings and artificial alterations come from. But, why don't they ever come to Earth themselves?"
"Most of them wanted to get away from everything, and they were prepared to leave it all behind." Khal crossed his arms. "Some were failures of the trials I'd set up for the Time Stones, and felt too ashamed to return from whence they came. Some were explorers that were stranded when Little Planet left the Earth, and became enamored at the prospect of studying a whole other dimension with worlds of its own."
Given that Miles and the twins had only briefly been in the Special Zone a couple of times, they had seen but an infinitesimal bit of it. They weren't sure how it could support life, but then again, they had been able to breathe just fine, and move about with some limitations. The latter was due to the tests they had to take in order to restore the Chaos Emeralds, though, so perhaps they had more freedom in other parts.
"Most people that live on Little Planet now, though, have never been to Earth, or even seen it from afar," Khal went on, "some of them come from different worlds connected to the Special Zone, while the rest are descendants of former Earthlings."
"But why does everyone leave for the whole month?" Silver had to wonder.
The hyena glanced back at him. "It was a decree that Lord Shai made long before I became its herald. I'm not sure of the reason why, but nobody questions it." There was a bit of a pause, followed by a toothy smirk. "Of course, if you're willing to put aside eleven months of your time, I know plenty of people that'd be willing to host any and all of you."
"With everything that's been happening around me within the last few years, I don't think that's a good idea," Miles replied uneasily.
"Yeah, my mom would kill me," Amy giggled nervously.
Cream and Cheese both sighed. "Mother would be...most upset if I were to disappear for that long."
"I don't think I could go that long without seeing Fuchsia, or Mom and Dad," Gadget admitted.
Gizmo nodded in agreement. "They'd all be rather cross with us."
Silver thought about the offer a bit more. The chance to escape from his frozen home to a more hospitable world for at least a while was enticing. He wouldn't abandon the Earth entirely, of course, but who knows? Perhaps one of the residents of the Special Zone could have an answer for dealing with Glacia that didn't involve using the Time Stones. He could only hope, anyway.
After a short while of walking and talking, they arrived at the grassy plains between the city and the Crystal Citadel. But when they got to see it up close, everyone was dismayed by the sight. There was very little grass left to speak of, with the vast majority having been charred down to the soil, where a fine layer of ash covered the dirt. As the wind blew through the desolate land, the gray-white powder swirled along with it, covering up more of the dead greenery.
"The one part of this world that reminds me of my birthplace, now a field of death," Khal growled angrily, "I will fix this."
No one could argue with that, nor did they begrudge him for the way he felt. Were any of them in his place, they were certain they'd feel similarly.
The group hastily made their way to the front of the grand structure that stood tall in the center of Little Planet. They could see that it was composed of countless bricks and blocks of refractive crystal, some of which were emblazoned with a monarch butterfly. The towers and spires that appeared jagged from a distance were more cylindrical and squarish when viewed up close, though trying to see the top of them strained their necks. There were numerous fragments littered across the grounds around the Citadel, and just as many missing sections in the building itself. The front entrance was relatively unmarred, though they couldn't see far into it to get an idea of what the interior might be like.
"The last Time Stone is here, but," the guardian hesitated, turning to the fox, "there is something that doesn't belong, though it doesn't seem strong enough to be Sierus."
Miles brought out his multitool, which he'd taken back during their interim walk, and double-checked the Radar. Khal had been right about some anomaly being present, according to what the Miles Electric picked up. It was coming from deep within the Citadel itself, though where exactly was uncertain. The signal coming from the seventh and final Time Stone was also coming from the same area, and both of them were showing up as being in the present.
"You say it isn't Sierus?" he asked the hyena, who nodded, "then I can only think of one other person it could be, given everything we know."
"Witchcart?" Gadget assumed.
"Witchcart," the fox affirmed, folding his arms as he looked over the Citadel, "and given her magic, a place like this would be a dream for her."
Khal nodded and shifted into his bipedal state. "Perhaps once we eliminate her, Sierus itself will be drawn out."
"Then let's go!" Silver proclaimed.
Willing as ever to leap without looking, the hedgehog ushered himself through the entrance. Khal wordlessly followed, just as eager to get this over with, albeit for different reasons. Miles shrugged and went after them, with the rest of the gang running by his side or trailing behind him. They passed by a couple of crystalline cacti and glass orbs atop a few pedestals when the path suddenly descended and went into a short pitfall. In the expansive room they landed in, they could see almost alien-looking cylindrical objects made from the surrounding minerals, while the path before them was a cool blue. There were points where the Citadel was clear enough that the group could see outside, though with the land in the shape it was, there wasn't much to see. There were mineral palm trees and small water fountains posted every so often along the route, along with strange artistic decorations and modest shrubs and bushes. Some of it was burned and melted, but for the most part, it was a rather beautifully intact place.
"The shape of the path has changed, but it seems the damage here's minimal," Khal said to the others, "Sierus must've only come for what it sought, then left once it realized all the Time Stones had been sent away."
Miles pocketed his multitool and turned around to face everyone else. "Alright, keep your wits about you. Witchcart's main gimmick is her crystalmancy, so there's no telling what she can do with this much material. Expect traps, hazards, and constructs that could pop up at any moment."
With that, he held out a hand with the palm facing down. One by one, each of his friends came in to form a loose circle, laying their own on top of his in solidarity. Though unfamiliar with the practice, Silver joined in as well, and Khal was the last to place his hand down, at least among the Animals. Given its tiny size, Cheese had waited until everyone else had gone before it fluttered in and contributed as well, getting a small chuckle from the party.
The various members of the gathering leapt over a gap in the terrain, and those that couldn't fly used a ruby red spring to bounce up to a high ledge. The route forward branched into upper and lower segments, and after a brief moment of deliberation, the gang decided to split their numbers. Gadget, Cream, Cheese, and Silver decided to take the low road, while the other five in the crew took the upper path. For the former quartet, they went down and avoided a pair of gleaming spike traps and rushed over the dips and rises on the road. Meanwhile, the latter continued on until a moving spring sent them hurtling up onto a high platform, nearly hitting a trio of diamond buzz saws that extended and contracted every so often.
For those traveling along the higher road, they cleared a couple of drops and slid beneath a set of whirling blade traps that Khal had thankfully spotted beforehand. They briefly considered using a Past Post on the way to bypass many of the obstacles, but decided against it once in the end. A set of treadmill-like platforms were tricky for Gizmo and Khal to circumvent, but Amy held tight to Miles as he flew the two of them and Remi on his back across the gap. After avoiding a couple more springs and passing a handful of palm trees, they passed over a pitfall and hit a point where they were forced to descend once more.
The other four had kept up the pace as well, Jumping over a pair of saws and hovering over a bed of spikes, except for Gadget, who used his ever reliable grappler. Two sections of the Citadel around them tried to come down and crush them, but the hedgehog's mental abilities were able to hold them off long enough to get by. From there, they ricocheted from a spring to an awning that brought them a collection of platforms that spun every so often when they hit a section of the line they were attached to. The shaft above contained the same sort of rostrums, although these were free-floating, and made the passage too narrow to fly through comfortably. Another spring bounced them high up to an alcove, where they saw the other group pass overhead at almost the same instant.
Those that could take to the air helped those that couldn't, making their way down the only available route and avoiding more of the same obstacles along the way. Just as the path seemed to even out, it dropped down sharply once again, leaving the party seemingly trapped in a room with a spring and a wall of cubic crystals with the butterfly relief.
"We didn't hit a dead end, did we?" Amy asked no one in particular.
Cream and Cheese got up close to the wall, squinting at it for a moment. "No, I see a path on the other side. But, is it okay to break through, Mr. Khal?"
"If there's no other way, then we must," the guardian replied, "I'm sure Lord Shai understands that the fate of our worlds is more important than some walls."
With the go-ahead, Miles revved up a Spin Dash and crashed into the bottommost cube of the wall, shattering it without much effort. The opening was big enough that everyone, aside from the twins and the hyena, could simply walk through. They continued on over a few hills and dips, encountering more of those odd cacti and mineral posts as they skipped over a few pits full of spikes that looked like they were made of rose quartz. A fairly steep incline was just past those, along with another barrier that was busted, this time by a rising strike from Khal. Just up the hill and after crossing three gaps, the gang stopped as they gazed upon a mass of spikes that went on for a couple dozen meters, and only a handful of platforms to serve as stepping stones.
Not wanting to take the risk, everyone that lacked the means or ability to fly was aided by someone that could. Miles kept carrying Remi in its pack form and toted Gizmo across, while Gadget trailed above and behind them with his jet pack. Cream did the same for Amy, with Cheese pushing its little arms up beneath them to try and help its friend with the burden. Silver used his powers to taxi himself and Khal over the spikes, and were the last to get to the other side.
"This place feels bigger than I remember," Amy commented as she peered at their surroundings.
Khal grunted in slight annoyance. "Yeah, we're only about two-fifths of the way to the end, from what I can see. Were the route in its normal state, we'd be more than halfway by now."
"All things considered, this hasn't been too bad so far," Gizmo said optimistically.
Not a moment after she spoke, several birds that were little more than round bodies with beaks, wings, and angry eyes popped into view, composed of black-purple crystal. These were followed by small turtle creatures reminiscent of the ones the Kukkus had used during the gang's assault on the Battle Fortress, though these lacked larger companions. Parts of the walls, floor, and ceiling morphed into mock-ups of gunpowder cannons, their barrels all tilting towards the group.
"You just had to say something," Gadget quipped as he got into a battle stance.
The she-wolf had no time to retort as their enemies soon fired and descended upon them. Even so, she was fast enough to activate her Speed Escrima and zip away, then return the favor by bowling over a few mineralized reptiles with a quick Spin Dash. Miles flung the Boomering at one of the birds to bring it over his way, kicking another couple out of the way before tossing the one in his grasp down a cannon, which was reduced to dust from the resulting backfire. As Amy went in swinging with the Pikkon Hammer and knocking everything aside that got in her way, Cream backed her up, both with Rolling Attacks of her own and by chucking Cheese at other attackers. Gadget used his grappler to zip over to one of the turrets and slammed into it with a Mid-air Rolling Attack, then bounced up and came down to shatter it with a Stomp. Khal helped to watch everyone's backs, while Silver took care of any stragglers with little difficulty, as these couldn't resist his PK abilities like the Witchcarters could.
Between their combined efforts, the summoned creatures and constructs were swiftly dealt with, leaving the group free to continue their trek. They reached a seeming dead end, where part of the ceiling came down to crush them, but they were able to jump back before that could happen. This left it as the perfect stepping stone for them to climb up into the shaft it left from its fall, though they had to resort to flying once they saw how high it went. Past several floating platforms that included strange wheels, everyone reached a high ledge that placed them near more viewing windows, where they could look out at the towers of the Citadel.
There was no time for sightseeing, though. Miles led them as they bypassed springs and spike traps, more cannons manifesting the moment they entered a long hall with rotating shutters. A few shots from Gizmo's blaster and the force of the Boomering rendered them inoperable, but the party soon came to another blank wall, and this one seemed too thick to break. Gadget pointed out a floor switch, and upon activating it, a circular depression in some crystal fell away and slid open. While the passage was narrow, they managed to squeeze through in their Rolling states, and were propelled through a series of tubes into a small nook near a steep drop.
Khal paused for a moment to scan their surroundings, looking for anything that could be considered an ambush or hazard. As he did so, his ears twitched slightly as he heard something aside from their footsteps and breathing. It was an unsteady noise that came from around them, like someone was groaning out. The hyena wasn't sure if someone was in trouble or not, but it wasn't loud enough to pinpoint the exact location. It felt like it could've been coming from anywhere, even within his own head. Upon realizing that latter point, he suddenly grabbed onto the wall above their outcropping and hastily started climbing.
"Wait, Khal!" Miles shouted after him.
The guardian didn't wait after them, though. They might not have heard it, but he knew he wasn't just hearing things; there was only one being it knew of that could communicate telepathically.
'Lord Shai!' he exclaimed internally, trying to let his mind be "heard" by the entity, 'where are you? Please respond!'
The others followed behind Miles as he pursued Khal up several ledges, dodging and dealing with more gem birds as they flew in to attack. The hyena flipped and parkoured over two pillars that rose from the floor, slicing through a cannon with his khopesh before it got the chance to blast him. He dropped down and sprinted for a few seconds when the floor collapsed beneath him, catching the edge of a crystal palm to help him land a little more gracefully. Descending further, he spared a glance at a few miniature waterfalls and more fanciful decorations and progressed until he was forced to climb once more.
'...Zaman,' came the tone he'd heard before, now a little more discernible.
That time, Miles also picked up on the voice, though he didn't bring any attention to it, as it didn't seem anyone else heard it. That, or they were too focused on keeping up with him to pay any mind to something that could've easily been dismissed as their imagination. Still, if it was who he thought it was...
In any event, the route was long and winding, starting with a tunnel that led them to a chamber with no way out but up, made possible with some tiny floating platforms. An almost identical room awaited them beyond that, where they continued to ascend using their various means of flight, along with the aid of a couple red springs. Spikes emerged from the ceiling and rained down on the group, which the speedier members were able to zip past, while Silver held them in place for those that weren't so fast. Dipping down, they avoided more crushing obstacles as they navigated over several treadmill structures, crossing into numerous narrow corridors beyond all that.
After disabling more defenses and traveling through a second transport tube, Khal vaulted off of a moving spring and clambered up the next high wall to where the terrain evened out like it had at the end of the previous areas. The hyena went on until he came to yet more walls with Shai's image on them, breaking them down with a Rolling Attack. He kept it up as he cleared a gap and bowled over more crystal blocks, subsequently jumping up to a high ledge and pulling himself over the lip. The guardian immediately went into a Spin Dash himself and shot up the slope through several mineral barriers. A series of springs bounced him up to a lone one that further propelled him through a narrow shaft, kicking off of the wall to land on a smooth incline.
A second Dash allowed him to sail from the top and through yet more blockades, almost falling into a bed of spikes sneakily hidden behind one. Scaling a handful of alcoves and platforms brought him to what appeared to be a simplistic temple with a square roof held up by three pairs of translucent pillars. At the center of it, there was a translucent blue-green chrysalis roughly the size of the smaller Animals in his group. It was slowly wiggling back and forth, and as Khal listened closely, he could hear movements coming from within.
A few seconds later, Miles caught up to him, followed by everyone else, most of them panting just a little bit from moving that long and that vigorously without a break.
"Hey, what was that all abou..." Silver had started to inquire before he saw the pupa hanging from the temple ceiling. "Uh, should we be worried about that?"
While not really answering his question, the wolf and the others, aside from Khal, were a little startled when the object suddenly became a bit more transparent and violent in its motions. With a noise like shattering glass, the chrysalis broke open, and a small shape uncurled from it. A set of large fore-wings spread from the figure, with sections of white between black veins, and snowy spots dotting the ebony edges, followed by similarly patterned hind-wings. The body attached to them was relatively small by comparison, appearing no taller than Silver, proportioned similarly to Charmy, and sported a bright silver sheen. Like Miles' insect friend, the butterfly Animal had a pair of black antennae and a round head, though the former curled at the very end into vague J shapes, while its muzzle was smooth and stark like white marble. There were deep black marks around its eyes like a mask, which themselves were a majestic purple, a small black nose similar to most Animals. It was androgynous in appearance, a comfortable middle ground between male and female in its features and form. While it understandably wore no clothing, it possessed no notable sexual characteristics either, whether primary, secondary, or so on.
Once the butterfly had fully stretched its arms and wings, it was enveloped in a prismatic aura that made its features go from monochrome to vibrant, then eased the rest of itself out of its cocoon. After it was free, it gently fluttered down to the group, offering them a soft and calming smile. Khal bowed his head deeply and got down on one knee, one hand on his squatting hip while the other rested against his breast. The others looked on at him and the newcomer with some marked surprise. Even in their short time together, they'd not expected the hyena to be this reverent or submissive towards anyone.
"Shai?" Miles concluded as he stepped forward and looked up at the luminous lepidopteran.
The butterfly nodded gently. "That I am, Miles Prower."
"Did anyone else hear that?" Gizmo wondered as she glanced around.
Shai put one hand over its mouth as if giggling. "I can assure you that you are not hallucinating, Giselle Wolf ."
"Cool, real telepathy," Gadget mused aloud.
"Lord Shai, I'm relieved to see you again," the guardian said, speaking over the others as he returned to standing fully upright, "but I hadn't expected it to be like this."
The entity's lips returned to a neutral, unassuming line. "I apologize for worrying you, Khaldun bin Zaman. My previous body was destroyed, and as you well know, I require time to form a new one."
The group all shared a look of concern, knowing that Sierus must have been responsible. There was fire in the hyena's eyes, which reminded Miles and the twins of Knuckles when the Kukkus had stolen the Master Emerald. Khal was more subdued in his reaction, though, simply letting out a puff through his nose, then clenching one fist tightly.
"At any rate, there are matters that must be dealt with," Shai continued, taking on a more serious demeanor, "namely, the sorceress taking up residence here, and the fiery figure that fuels her."
"They're both here?" Silver asked, turning to Miles and Khal, "but didn't you guys only find one disturbance?"
The fox retrieved the Miles Electric, and like he'd seen earlier, there was just the one anomaly and the last remaining Time Stone. They were both close together, which told him that Witchcart had the gem. Was Sierus itself undetectable on the Radar?
"You only see one because, for the moment, they are one," the butterfly explained, bowing its head slightly to them, "the Flame of Lunaren is both empowering the woman and siphoning off of her. Your actions thus far have weakened it to where it had to resort to that."
The teen hedgehog pumped his fists eagerly. "Then we should go after it now, before it gets strong again!"
Indeed, everyone's spirits rose at the news; their efforts hadn't been in vain. And now, they had the very being that Khal served along for the ride, or at least, they hoped that was the case.
"Will you be accompanying us, Lord Shai?" Cream asked politely.
"Alas, not for the moment, Cream Rabbit," it replied regretfully, "this new body of mine has only just metamorphosed, so I've not yet had the chance to 'break it in', as you might say."
While none of the Animals aside from the guardian understood how that worked, they knew that Shai had a point. If it was still regaining its own strength, then taking it with them to the impending battle would be unwise. Khal, however, was of a different mind.
"There's always that one method," the hyena proposed, "were we to utilize that, you'd be able to assist us, great one."
Shai quirked one of its brows. "Are you certain, my herald? I do not wish to impose upon your personal freedom."
"I am." He turned back to the others. "Don't ask, you'll see what we're talking about in a moment." With that, he took in a breath and refocused on the entity in front of him. "I'm ready when you are, Lord Shai."
The butterfly nodded solemnly, then lowered itself to be more level with the guardian as it clasped its hands together. Miles and the rest of them had to shield their eyes as a bright flash filled the chamber. When they could see again, they noticed that Shai had disappeared, and floating in its place was a flat, obsidian black disc. Khal took it in one hand and, after a moment's hesitation, pressed it against his forehead, perfectly covering up his moon tattoo. The color drained from his fur with the exception of the other images painted on his body, his coat changing to a stark white while his mane and spots had become deep grays. The hyena moved around to face the rest of the group, now sporting the same purple eyes as the butterfly, save for diminutive rings of silver around the pupils.
"Now then, shall we go?" he asked them, his voice now refrained with Shai's tone.
Everyone was so thrown for a loop that they actually took a step back, or floated back, in Cheese's case.
"What happened?" Gizmo questioned them, "what was it that you just did?"
True to form, the hyena beckoned them to follow as he resumed running. Miles shrugged and did as directed, more than used to it by this point, and the others were quick to do the same.
"Khaldun bin Zaman has allowed me to inhabit his body for the time being," the entity explained simply, "I can only use as much power as he is capable of, however, otherwise I would damage or even destroy him. It is similar to how Sierus the Damned is using Wendy Witchcart, except that my herald is willing, and there is no steep cost to be paid on his behalf."
Silver flew in so that he was beside the being that now inhabited the guardian. "What do you mean by that?"
"You, Giselle Wolf, and Amy Rose, saw what became of Focke-Wulf the Wolf, yes?" The three addressed Animals looked at each other, then nodded at the hyena. "His physical body had burned away due to relying on Sierus the Damned's power too extensively. The energy kept him alive, in a sense, until you extinguished him. The same is true for all of its vessels and containers, even if they were alive to begin with; you simply slayed some of them before they reached that point."
Hearing that, Miles picked up the pace and overtook the others to lead to the pack. If what Shai said was true, then it meant that Witchcart would soon suffer the same fate, if she hadn't already. Not that it really mattered either way. So long as they were able to deal with her, Sierus would be hampered even further. Yet, if it was possessing her and still using her powers like this, how much had they really weakened it? Not only that, but there was another important fact that just now occurred to him.
"But if Sierus is controlling Witchcart, that means it has the last Stone!" the fox announced with concern.
Shai-Khal nodded grimly. "So long as it has at least one, then everything you've accomplished up to now has no permanence."
"You mean it could just turn back time and undo everything!?" Amy exclaimed in alarm.
"We would be unaffected, given you possess the remaining six Time Stones and are within my sphere of influence." The now pale hyena frowned more deeply. "But with just the one Stone, the Fire of Lunaren can return Little Planet to the location and the state it was in before any of you arrived, if it so desired."
"Then why hasn't it done so already?" Gadget wondered, "there's no way it didn't feel itself getting weaker." He scratched at his ears curiously. "Could it be trying to lure us into a trap?"
The group, minus the guardian, murmured among themselves about the possibility, and came to conclude that it was a sound assumption. It must have been planning to gather them all together, shock them with sudden and overwhelming power, and then snatch up the Time Stones once the fires died. Fortunately for them, it no longer had the element of surprise, although none of them except for Shai knew how powerful it was at its peak. They would have to keep their guard up while also giving it everything they could muster.
Eventually, the road brought everyone to a pleasant little area full of fountains and plant life, where the corridor split two ways. Miles with Remi, Cream, Cheese, and Gadget took the top path, smashing a couple cannons and ducking beneath diamond buzz saw blades along the way. The other four members of the party leapt down a shaft and proceeded to scale a many-tiered fountain to reach an immense gap between this part of the Crystal Citadel and the next. At the same time above them, the fox and the rest had come to a similar precipice, gazing down at the surprisingly dizzying heights they'd found themselves. There were two outcroppings they could reach, one of which appeared to be some sort of safety measure, while the other had a tall set of doors with the butterfly's insignia on them.
"Beyond there is the final passage to where the Time Stones are meant to rest," Shai-Khal related to them, "I hope you are all ready."
No words were exchanged, but nothing needed to be said to deliver their sentiment. They were about as prepared as they could get, all things considered, so with that, the group made their way over to the other side. They pushed through the doors and proceeded down a long and uninteresting hallway, until they spotted a mess of rubble and light pouring in from a hole in the ceiling. The sections around it were unnaturally smoothed over, as though they'd been melted by extreme heat; no mystery where those came from. The gang continued on to the end of the hallway and passed into an open doorway and through a veil of white light.
Everyone suddenly felt the floor disappear beneath their feet, and they fell for a few moments before landing in a wholly different place. Gleaming lights like those of a bustling city went on seemingly for miles in the distance, while masses of crystal around had been shaped into castle walls, towers, and fortifications. Strewn throughout this great expanse was what appeared to be a roller coaster track, built with ruby rails and sapphire support beams and columns. A mine cart made of similar materials zoomed along one of the routes, carrying the sorceress herself towards their location. It screeched to a halt once it was close enough, and from what they could see, Witchcart hadn't yet fully succumbed to Sierus' influence.
"Well, you certainly have grown up, little Miles!" she cackled as she laid eyes on her visitors, "and oh, how delightful, you've brought so many friends."
The amber teen stood firm and glared at her. "I'm not going to beat around the bush, Witchcart. We're here to stop you and take the Time Stone!"
"My, straight to the point. I suppose that's to be expected, considering what you did to my dearies." She tapped at the rim of her ride, which began to move again. "But, don't think this will be as easy as last time, boy!"
The mine cart picked up some serious speed, rolling over the rails at a breakneck pace while the woman kept her focus on the Animals. Miles unsaddled Remi from his back and set it down, then dashed off after her with a boom, his twin tails spinning rapidly behind him. Silver pushed his psychokinesis further so that he could catch up, and Shai-Khal reverted to the hyena's feral state to join the pursuit. Gizmo briefly considered using her Speed Escrima, but Gadget beat her to the punch with an idea of his own as he regarded their little robot companion.
"Remi, Sea Fox Mark 3, go!" the red wolf commanded.
The artificial vulpine heeded his word and transformed into the flight-capable minisub that brought them to Little Planet. He hopped into the front seat alongside his teal twin, while the two other girls and Cheese settled in the back, and after making a few adjustments, they took to the air. Miles was delighted to see the Sea Fox coming up beside him, flying over so that he could stand on top and take up a position near the upper rear fins.
"Looking great, Remi!" he said proudly, "now let's show Witchcart what for!"
A tinny bark rang from the craft's speakers as it let loose even more exhaust from its engines. Seeing that more of her foes were gathered in one spot, Witchcart waved her hand in a wide arc, sending several magical blasts their way. Silver countered those that were aimed at him with his own bolts of PK energy, and Miles hurled the Boomering at those gunning for him and the Sea Fox, which contributed by firing from its twin vulcan cannons. Shai-Khal soon discovered that the attacks couldn't simply be dodged, as they would home in even after he avoided them. Instead, he made them follow as he weaved through the supports of the railroad track, causing them to crash against the poles. The hyena then bounced up as high as he could, changing back to his bipedal self in mid-air and just barely managing to pull himself up onto the rails.
"How annoying," she muttered, watching her bolts be rendered all but useless.
The sorceress threw another few volleys their way, then made a motion with her other hand as though conducting an orchestra to be louder. Numerous massive spikes popped up from beneath the ground, stabbing up at the psychic hedgehog and the Sea Fox. The two targets maneuvered out of the way as best they could, launching Psycho Cutters and aerial torpedoes to knock down any that tried to block their path. Shai-Khal retrieved the green Time Stone, and was prepared to use its ability to slow time when he saw Witchcart pull out the red Stone in turn. Color drained from the world as everything but the hyena and the human slowed to an imperceptible crawl. Realizing that everyone else was in grave danger, the entity held the gem up high, which filled with a blinding light.
"Boorch!" the combined voices echoed.
The monochrome sheet over reality retreated just as the woman called in more spikes, the Sea Fox and Silver speeding back up in the nick of time. Undeterred, Witchcart continued to let loose the occasional blasts while using her other hand to rearrange the path that her mine cart was fixed to. She briefly confused the Animals by rerouting it directly beneath them, but not long enough to catch Miles entirely off guard. He threw the Boomering and managed to catch the sorceress by the edge of her robe, pulling her his way with the Chaos tether. She whipped around and a ray sprang from two of her fingers, coercing him into dropping her so that he could move away. The fox clenched his teeth as he skirted out of the way, watching one of the fins get coated in crystal.
The Boomering would have fallen out of sight, but Silver was able to snag it and send it back to Miles, who kept it at the ready. Witchcart molded the track so that she landed harmlessly into her mine cart, whereupon she summoned miniature crystalline copies of herself to assail them. These duplicates shot a few of their own energy bolts, although these didn't track their targets, and so they were more for distracting. Miles snatched one out of the air with the Boomering, then aimed and threw it back at the original, clipping the edge of the cart and nearly bucking it free. The wolf twins decided to be more direct, launching torpedoes ahead of the old crone to try and run her off the rails, while also getting in closer for the fox riding up top. At a few points, they did succeed in getting Witchcart to fall, but her crystalmancy saved her time and again, causing them much frustration as she continued to make the coaster twist and bend.
"Take over, Sis, I'm going topside!" Gadget told the other wolf as he opened the Sea Fox's cockpit.
Gizmo flipped a switch after he jumped up into the roof, merging both of their seats into one so that she could manage both sides of the console. Not wanting to be left out or feel useless, Amy, Cream, and Cheese all joined the boys, with Miles taking to the air once more so things weren't as crowded.
"I'm going to try to grab her again!" he shouted to them as he pulled ahead and brandished the Boomering, "go for her mine cart the moment she'd pulled free!"
He pushed himself to go even faster, steadily closing in on Witchcart and batting away energy bolts primed for him. In between a couple of rounds, his other hand reached into his belt and brought out a few mini bombs to toss at the woman. She predictably tried to shoot them down, and with the blasts obscuring him, Miles threw the Boomering her way, catching and pinning her arms. As he drew her back to him, Cream threw Cheese at the now vacant mine cart, while Silver used his powers to hurl a curled up Amy at it as well. The Chao and hedgehog succeeded in both seriously damaging it and knocking it off the track, and were swiftly brought back over by the psychic animal. Miles grabbed the Boomering and swung the human around a few times, then disconnected her from its hold and sent her flying towards his adoptive brother.
It seemed that the gang already had Witchcart cornered, but her lips curled into a devious grin as her eyes locked onto Gadget's own orange orbs. There was a near-instantaneous flash from them, and the wolf's determined expression suddenly blanked out, affected by the spell even with his dark shades on. He let her soar past him without a care, giving her the opening she needed to fire a pair of crystallization rays at the lot of them. Silver dodged out of the way, but doing so left Gadget open to it, and Cream hadn't reacted quickly enough to avoid the one aimed at her.
"No, look out!" the teen from the future tried to warn them as he reached out with his powers.
But it was too late. The rabbit and the wolf were completely encased in brilliant stone, their astonished faces clear to see through the facets.
"Gad! Cream!" Miles yelled, his blood boiling hot as he rounded on the sorceress, "let them go!"
Witchcart merely cackled like her namesake as she conjured a new craft for her to ride in. "Come and make me, little foxy!"
Miles brought up the Boomering to block the volley of shots she subsequently fired, while also keeping them away from the Sea Fox as it altered its course to resume the chase. Cheese, very much upset about its friend's predicament, charged from behind the teen and zeroed in on Witchcart's face, clinging to it while chirping angrily. The woman growled and haphazardly zapped at the air while her other hand struggled to pry the creature off. A piko rang out as a familiar hammer came down right on her head, Amy floating above the sorceress while wrapped in a cyan glow. This stunned the old crone long enough for Miles to switch on his ESP and streak towards her with a Fireball Spin Dash.
Witchcart tried to bring up a mineral shield to block him, but the fox smashed right through it and barreled into her gut, knocking her from her ride yet again. She landed on the ground in a heap, cutting Miles off from a follow-up attack by summoning more spike pillars around her. The thumping of boots alerted her to someone coming in from her most unguarded side, whirling around and reeling back just in time to avoid losing her head by Shai-Khal's blade. She shuffled the crystals around to put a barrier between them, then turned her attention back to the others, nearly falling over in fright from the sight of the Sea Fox coming in hot.
"Engage auto-pilot!" Gizmo commanded Remi as she opened the glass dome and lunged from the cockpit, "you're going to get it now, witch!"
As she tumbled through the air, she brought out her two escrima and clacked them together, activating both of them at the same time. The she-wolf stuck a three-point landing and immediately went into a Spin Dash, a golden sheen around the teal orb in place of the usual lighter cyan.
"Coming through!" she barked, taking off towards the sorceress with a boom.
The resulting impact sent Witchcart skidding across the ground for quite a way, and nearly knocked her out right then and there. Amy intercepted the woman and used the Pikkon Hammer like a golf club to whack her high into the air, where Silver used a psychokinetic blast to launch her further away. Miles caught her with the Boomering and sent her back down, not giving her a chance to use her abilities to cushion her fall.
With all of this sudden damage her body was taking, Witchcart felt things start to get unusually hot. Not just from the pain coursing through her, but the actual temperature of her form was rapidly rising. It only served to distract her, while the part of her that focused on the fight was panicking, having feared this exact situation once separated from her mine cart.
Another round of hits from the Animals caused the welling fever to reach an overwhelming level. It was like the fires and pressure that made the gemstones she so loved to weave were fit to burst from within. Witchcart had never been the brave sort, but the greatest fear was no longer the brat and his buddies beating her down at that moment. This molten malice, greater than any she had known for herself, not only started to spiritually dissolve her, but genuinely and physically do so as well! Whether it came from the figurative dam finally giving way, or some other source, she desired some form of relea–
SCHLUCK!
Gazing down, the thinnest part of the guardian-deity's khopesh was sticking out from her chest. All the strength and vitality that was Witchcart's own was drained from her body, rapidly replaced by the being that had inhabited her without her knowledge. The crystal prison that had entrapped Gadget and Cream summarily shattered, while the constructs such as the roller coaster track and the various mine carts all dissolved before their eyes.
"Reveal yourself!" Shai-Khal demanded.
The constitution of the old woman broke down and morphed into a horrific ball of black-purple fire with five ghostly blue eyes devoid of pupils and irises, an equally iridescent maw yawning open to let out an awful screech. The red Time Stone came into clear view, and with the manipulations of the eldritch entity that held it, a dark and distorted portal to the Time Warp cracked open the fabric of space-time itself. The monster was the first to disappear through it, and a staggering suction tugged at the rest of the life forms present.
"What's going on!?" Gadget yelled as he clinged fast to the Sea Fox.
Miles lifted Gizmo back into the craft, then took point on the nose. "The real final battle is starting, Bro! Are you guys ready?"
"Of course, Miles!" Cream affirmed, letting out a giggle as Cheese rushed back to her side and hugged her with tears in its eyes.
Silver pulled in next to them and caught a seat on one of the fins, dropping Amy into the crowd. Last, but not least, Shai-Khal vaulted up next to the fox, and with everyone gathered, they followed Sierus into the Time Warp.
Rather than traveling anywhere in particular, they remained in the rift between eras itself, where all was dark save for constantly shifting blue, purple, magenta, and black. There at the center of the amorphous chaos, waiting for them and holding the red Stone above itself, was Sierus.
"It seems that I was mistaken," it admitted, which caught everyone by surprise. It pointed at Shai-Khal. "I had believed you to be the greatest threat." It then turned its attention to Miles. "But you were the one to call even the guardian and its master to your side. You, who command the power of Chaos much like that man that sealed me away!" A short, but maniacal puff of laughter came from the blob, which quickly descended into an infuriated conflagration. "Such a fate I reserved for him, but for you, I shall deliver!"
Sierus changed shape once again, and when it had completed its metamorphosis, everyone was stunned. There stood a two-tailed fox with mostly black and dark purple, indigo, and blue fur, with some features that vaguely resembled Miles. It was wrong, though, as if the being didn't know how to perfectly mimic its subject. The ears were slightly off, but flowing like flickering flames, the inner parts deep purple and pink with traces of white-hot light. The eyes were entirely ghostly cyan, save for slit pupils much like a reptile's. Its muzzle was black-blue with a trio of tufts on each rather than a quartet, though while it had a nose, there was no mouth. Its chest fur was similarly colored, yet more wild, while the fur on the back of its head never wandered below neck level. Its own two tails were composed of several light and dark colors, but even more than the rest of it, looked to be made of ghoulish fire.
"An act of flattery and mercy for you, Miles Prower!" Sierus proclaimed hysterically, "you will die before all the rest, and by the hand of one that would take your own visage!"