So, I was like, doing my writing thing. When I saw a comment be like, "Why not Shadikal?" And my mind exploded. I was like, "That was my OTP back in the day, why didn't I do this already?!" So, now I gotta fix that. I don't know who you are, random guest. But you have an IQ of 300.

Also, I'm open to using a few people's OCs in this one. Could use the characters. PM for details!

X

Tikal opened her eyes and saw nothing but emerald-green fields before her. Calm streams flowed through them and, though she felt afraid, she could not remember why. She shook her head and looked around as if she had just awoken from a nightmare. Earlier, she dreamt of stone walls around her, hideous creatures crowding her and wrapping her in horrid, sticky darkness, all the while staring at her with great black eyes. She felt as though she were spinning but it was actually her rolling in the grass. At last, she had awoken, and she took deep breaths. She was safe. It was all just a nightmare. Nothing was wrong.

"Tikal!" She heard a friendly voice call out to her.

Tikal was shocked. She had sworn she had watched her die not long ago. But it too must have been a nightmare. But the real world felt almost identical to it. Were she not awake now, she never would have been able to tell the difference.

"Chikao, I…" Tikal sighed and rubbed her temples. "I was just resting."

"I see that," She giggled, "Come on, your father is about to announce you. He's been trying to find you all day!"

Ah, yes. It was her birthday today. They were celebrating but Tikal had a little stage fright. She was never fond of standing in front of crowds. Perhaps being amongst them, but even then. She preferred the quiet of the country side. Tikal went to stand but she felt her stomach cramp and fell forward.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Chikao asked.

Tikal's head throbbed and she felt herself slipping into the nightmare but slowly started to come back to reality. The pain was fading, and she felt much better. "Yes… I'm sorry for worrying you. I… haven't been feeling well."

Chikao giggled. "Well, that's no way to feel on your birthday. Come on, let's get this part over with then celebrate properly with the others."

Tikal smiled. "I'd like that."

Tikal followed Chikao back to the tribe and hoped she didn't have to come back to that nightmare anymore. She rubbed her head and took deep breaths. Right now, she needed something to take her mind off of it. and standing in front of the whole tribe wasn't sounding too bad now. Although, thinking about over again, she probably wouldn't mind the nightmare. If it meant not having to stand in front of everyone anyway. After all, the nightmare wasn't real, this crowed very much was.

Tikal moved the curtain away so she could see passed it as Chikao had claimed to her mother she found her long lost daughter. Her grandmother just beside her.

"Tikal!" Her mother exclaimed, "Where have you been? I was worried sick! Your father was furious. He had to go speak to our people. He's about to announce you any moment now!"

"I'm sorry, mother, I didn't mean to worry you. I was centering myself by the cliffs. Just like grandmother said."

Her grandmother seemed proud, but her mother was exasperated. "Tikal…! You mustn't run off without telling someone!" she sighed. "What am I to do?"

"Relax, daughter," Said Tikal's grandmother. "You worry too much. And you wonder why Tikal is so flustered all the time. She gets it from you, don't you see? Just like your father."

Tikal's mother sighed. "Yes, I know… I'm sorry, Tikal. Chikao, please, help Tikal get ready, she's half a mess right now."

"I well help her, Chiefess," Bowed Chikao.

"Thank you," She pat her hand then looked at Tikal. "Now be quick, both of you. Your father can only stall so long."

Both of the older women left, her grandmother giving her a smile before leaving. Tikal sighed but then gripped her head suddenly. "Ack!" She blinked rapidly for the room to go dark, and her name being called was fading in the background. But soon, she was returning to the bed chambers and Chikao was coming into view with those big, disturbing dark round eyes. Tikal squealed and jumped back but when she blinked, Chikao looked normal.

"Tikal?" Chikao was concerned, trying to come to her friend's side.

Tikal at first was reluctant but as everything returned to normal she sighed and sat down, covering her chest with her rapidly beating heart. She didn't speak but she looked like she was turning pale."

"Tikal, are you alright?" Chikao asked.

Tikal rubbed her head. "I… I'm fine," She finally replied, "I just… keep having these strange visions… and they scare me."

Chikao looked a little displeased to hear this. "Well enough of those nasty things." She gathered some things and began to dress her appropriately then paint her face. "Today is your special day and we won't let this nasty vision ruin it." Chikao gave Tikal a smile. Tikal returned it posed for Chikao so she could finish. "Today, you are princess Tikal, first born of Chief Pachacamac, beautiful daughter and princess of the Knuckles tribe, and the bright priestess the tribe has ever seen."

Tikal smiled. "Surely you exaggerate."

Chikao finished with her face paint. "Only on your birthday. So don't get used to it." Tikal laughed and Chikao got the finishing touches. "Now hold still, and let me finish this last stroke." Chikao made a neat, round mark on her forehead then smiled. "There, now you are ready. Your mother will forget all about the delay and think only how proud she is to have you."

Tikal laughed again. "I'm lucky to have a friend like you, Chikao."

The girls arrived at the event, where her father was giving a speech about her and her mother and grandmother watched back stage. As soon as her mother had seen her, she had become ecstatic and came to her side.

"Tikal! You look beautiful! Chikao, you have outdone yourself! The men won't be able to resist!"

"Mother!" Tikal blushed.

Chikao laughed. "Well, if you excuse me, I must go to the front. I want to see you walk out."

Chikao left leaving Tikal. her mother. and grandmother to themselves. "be quick, dear! Oh, I should go tell you father. Get ready to present yourself. Deep breaths. There's no need to be afraid. You're only standing in front of the whole tribe's men, not the entirety of the tribe."

That didn't make her feel any better. Her mother left and her grandmother was left to comfort her. "Don't listen to your mother, Tikal. Never you mind who you are standing in front of…"

"…think only of who you stand for," Tikal smiled, "I'm not sure that makes me feel better, grandmother."

Her grandmother giggled in that old, experienced voice. "You fear of being a leader. It is natural to fear the weight you haven't carried yet, but it is not so bad when you finally feel it. Sometimes you must simply learn to stop thinking about what might go wrong, and start thinking about what you want to make right."

Tikal hugged her. "Thank you, Grandmother."

"You are welcome. Now, let us pray." Both of them bowed their head. "The Servers are the seven chaos…Chaos is power…"

"Power enriched by the heart… and the controller is the one that unifies the chaos."

"Oh, great master emerald. Hear our prayer. Give my granddaughter courage in her time of need. And a great strong man to fall in love and give me great grandchildren."

"Grandmother!" Tikal giggled and then heard her name called. She gasped and composed then looked one last time to her grandmother who was encouraging her to go on.

Tikal walked upon the stone stage and met her mother and father with a smile as a cheer and well wishes rang out to her. She waved at the audience but began to frown as her head started to throb. The cheers were slowly drowning out and becoming something… wrong. Something like a hiss and clicking. She gripped her head.

"Tikal?" She felt her mother take her hand, but it was not her mother's hand. She could see clearly her mother took hold of her, but there was no way this feeling was a hand. She started to groan in pain. The cheering was turning into stares. Her mother's eyes had become large and round. Multiple eyes around her began to do the same and each one had several more behind them. She was horrified. She looked for Chikao or her grandmother for safety, but they had become blank and deathly looking.

Tikal pulled her hand away and she gripped her head and began to scream. The pain was worsening. Worse yet, the nightmare wasn't going away. She looked at the men in the stone theater and they all charged her. She screamed as they all turned into small spiders, chasing after her but when she tried to move her arms she realized she was bundled in a blanket of black and her sight was no longer clear. She screamed as she felt the little feet stampede over her but pass her by. It was all clearing up now. she realized she was not having a nightmare, but she had woken up from a dream. She was being hoisted up now and she felt something against her back. it fit to her form like it was meant to hold her.

She heard the clicking and the hissing of the monsters around her. The black eyes she had been seeing were now clearly staring at her. she could barely see through her wrapped-up prison that it was spiderlike in nature with eight large black eyes and hairy body. It cleaned in fangs and faced another one of its kind then clicked at it.

The other one hissed back and something enclosed Tikal. She screamed and wiggled trying to get free of her bounds and tried to figure out what she was trapped in. Her memory of how she got here had unfrogged as well. As the pain in her abdomen reminded her. She watched as the spider positioned itself over her again and a large pointed daggerlike spine protruded out of its thorax. Tikal's eyes widened in terror. Then it had come forward and she felt it force itself into her and she had started to fall asleep.

All around her, dark spider-like creatures of different kinds crawled about, little, and gigantic. They feasted on several of her tribesman and saved others for later. But she was left alone, in a cocoon of black webbing where she would wait. Not to be devoured, not to be fed to the children. No, she was special. They could not let her be food. Not yet. She had to serve a purpose. A purpose that they were so close to. One that had been beyond their weaving and spinning for some time until now. Soon, she would serve that purpose. But not yet. No, not yet. Not until the time had come.

But until that time. She would sleep, and they waited impatiently.

X

Now there was a mercenary in black armor who was called Shadow. He amongst many of the mercenaries here with him, were a part of the Chaotix Cohort. A renowned Mercenary organization hired by the Acorn kingdom to defend their land from the spiders. His unit, consisted of three, counting himself. Rouge, his leader, and Omega, his automaton counterpart. He was renowned in both skill and power and amongst those he served, he was called the Nightmare of Nightmares. For he was the only thing the spiders feared.

He sat outside the tent of his clients commanding officer where a fellow mercenary, Sonic, had been reporting his findings. Shadow didn't know much about it. But they were told it was urgent business that brought them outside the tent, but the bitter cold rain had made it hard for at their leader to be patient. She sat beneath the tent flap near a brazier wrapped in her black cloak and huddled near the fire.

Rouge wore armor made of leather and some furs, but it was hard to keep warm with it when the rain had made it wet earlier. Her cloak didn't offer much warmth or protection of the rain. Something she noted she'd change once they're next leave was granted. On her left side, she had a sika sword and the small of her back a curved dagger.

"What is taking the captain so long?" Rouge grumbled. "He sits inside that warm tent, we've made our presence know, why does he let us sit out here?"

Shadow turned towards his lieutenant and said nothing. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking under that thick ebony helmet. His armor was thicker than hers, metal without a doubt, and jagged and sturdy beneath it was a layer of black chainmail which while heavy to the common man was nothing to him and added to his protection. A large, thick sword rested on his back. Unlike his lieutenant, he did not feel the cold.

"Lieutenant, I detect you are complaining again," said Omega, "If it bothers you so much, I have a suggestion: pack a second cloak."

Ah, Omega. Ever the clever one. He was a rather peculiar thing called an automaton. Magical armor imbued with a soul. Omega, just like Shadow, could not feel the cold. In fact, he could not feel anything. He was little more than a suit of armor with about as much personality as one. However, his brilliant magical mind and near infinite combat prowess was too much of an asset to sacrifice. And because he did have a soul, he had something of a connection with his troop. He would often get the pleasure of carrying the unit's supplies. Which explained the large bag on his back, bandoleer of pouches, and satchel. His weapons were hanging on either side of his bag. A ballista fashioned into a crossbow, and a battle axe.

"Well, if you happen to be packing the bags again, don't forget it… again," Rouge passive-aggressively stated.

Omega looked at Shadow. "Did she request I pack an extra cloak for her?"

Shadow hmphed back. "She said pack the standard. Rouge, you have to tell him if you want an extra cloak packed. Or pack your own bag perhaps."

"I'm just as likely to forget what to pack than you are likely to remember my own birthday." Shadow saw her point. "In any case, Omega, do you at least have something dry I could use in those bags of yours."

"I only carry extra rations, a tent, weapons, first aid…"

"Yes, never mind, forget I asked," Rouge sighed. She was about ready to hug the fire. She eventually came up with the idea of setting her cloak on the metal cage of the brazier to heat up the cloak more and dry it faster. It was working better then wrapping it around her. "That feels better."

Shadow stared at the tent and tried to listen for the voices inside. Finally, Knuckles peaked his head out, "Dark Team, come in."

Knuckles was their captain. He ensured the group was organized while they were paid for their labor. As such his time was spent most often coordinating their forces with the Acorn Kingdom captain, Bunny Rabbot.

Bunny stood behind a war table while Sonic stood in front of it, his back turned towards the tent flaps. Bunny's tent was warm and filled with only the necessary equipment and comforts to pack up and leave if needed but otherwise stay for an eternity if required. There were very few personable items. However, it was certainly larger than the other tents.

"So, why did you call us here?" Rouge asked. "And did we really have to wait outside?"

"Sorry, sugar," Bunny said, "Ah didn't expect you'd have to wait long. I was hopin' for a quick report. But there was a lot to unpackage."

Sonic gave them an apologetic nod then smirked at Shadow, "Morning, Shads."

"Sonic," Shadow nodded back, taking his helmet off, as courtesy demanded in the presents of an officer.

"Sonic went beyond the border of the kingdom. He says he found something that might be the key to solving this mess. Personally, I don't like the bending of our contract, but I can't argue with his results. He got a lot of intel."

"What did you find?" Shadow asked as he leaned on the table.

Sonic pointed at the camp. "So, we're here. The camp covers the edge of the border until we hit here. That's captain Antoine's camp from then on. This half of the forest is our jurisdiction." Sonic circled the largest part of the biggest forest on the map. "And we're stationed at the border of the forest. As you know, the spiders presence is heaviest in the forest, and We've been tasked to keep them from passing the border."

"Get on with it," Rouge said calmly.

Sonic scoffed. "I'm getting there. I decided to go this way." Sonic pointed around the circle with the word Heavy Spider Presence inside of it. He drew a finger around its border then passed the kingdom's border. "My theory was, if I passed up where they were living, maybe I'd find where they were coming from."

"That makes little sense," Rouge shook her head. "Obviously where they are encircled the most, their nest has to be at the center."

"Not actually," Omega corrected, "Theoretically, if the spiders act as a sentient army they may be able to organize. This could be a base."

"That's exactly what I thought," Sonic pointed at Omega. "My theory was that this was just a foothold for the spiders to advance. We've seen them act in organized fashion in Placid Town." Sonic pointed at the circled dot with Placid written beside it.

"When we began the initial assault to push back," Shadow remembered, "I can confirm; I was there."

Sonic nodded a thanks. "So! I went around, and found that they were almost as heavy inside the next country as they were at that one spot in the forest. The place was a nightmare! Black webs were just everywhere, and I had to turn back. But I saw something. Something we'd never seen before."

"What?" Shadow asked his arms crossed but quite invested in Sonic's report.

Sonic took a parchment paper and placed a dot on it. "That is the size of the little spiders. The one's you can just stomp on." He drew a tiny circle. "That's this size of their grunts. The abnormal large ones." Then he drew a bigger circle. "That's their soldiers, the ones we see a lot." A drew a few carrying sizes, "Also soldier, you get it. Then mothers, matriarchs…" He drew a larger circle but then a circle surrounding all of his circles. "That was the size of a spider a saw in that land. Against my better judgment, I followed it. This spider was colossal to say the least and the strides were… it could walk leagues in a single step."

The table all straightened their backs. Shadow slowly dropped his arms. "So, the kingdom beside us had fallen to them long ago."

"Yes, and I don't know what this spider is, but I don't think we want it here. But that's not the end. I followed it to… I think it was a temple. The spiders there were organized, just like we'd seen before. The Colossal, I've taken to calling it, only stayed there a moment before moving on. I tried to get a closer look, but… no luck. There were too many and I wasn't going to push it."

"So where do we come in?" asked Rouge, clearly shaken.

Knuckles tapped the point where Sonic circled the temple's location. "Sonic theorized this was an important spot. We're hoping, if you hit it, it might get the spiders to retreat from their 'camp' giving us time to push them back. Whatever is inside the temple, get as much details as you can. If it becomes too much, pull back. I'm sending Sol Team with you. Shadow and Blaze should make short work of this."

"With pleasure," Shadow said stoically cracking his knuckles.

Omega stared at Knuckles, who got the hint. "And yes, you too Omega."

"…With pleasure." Omega finally broke his stare and memorized the map.

"I've sent a messenger to the princess," Bunny assured, "I am sure she will see the extra effort and the report as good reason to raise your pay. You will be compensated."

"Good," Rouge said not too enthusiastically, "Even though I'm certain no amount of gold is worth this."

"I'm sure Sol Team will alleviate most of the work. They hate fire," Sonic smiled. "I'd go with you, but… I need a break after all that."

"We'll take it from here, Sonic," Shadow assured, "You did well."

Sonic bowed a little thank you then sighed. "Well, unless you have questions, I'm going to get something to eat and take my leave. I need to go into town."

"What did the defenses of the temple look like?" Rouge crossed her arms staring at the circle.

"It was covered in webbing, and the spiders were sitting all over it. I wouldn't be surprised if they turned it into a feeding tunnel."

Rouge nodded and sighed. "Okay then. I just hope Blaze is feeling up to the challenge. She's going to be hard at work. No other questions."

"Good," Knuckles nodded, "Dismissed."

Dark Team stepped out of the tent, Rouge hugging her cloak and stopping by the brazier again. "Of all the things they've asked of us, this will be by far the worst."

"Sol Team will be joining us," Shadow said as if that was supposed to calm her down.

Omega added his own form of comfort. "Blaze's pyrokinetic power and my magic will ensure the spider's eradication."

"The odds might be in our favor, but we're not invincible," Rouge said as she was lost in thought. "I'm more puzzled by the fact they chose a temple. A place of worship, to be so important. What are they hiding there? Do they have a religion of their own…? Or are they simply guarding a religious relic that holds some kind of power?"

"They've stolen artifacts before," Shadow said as something of a confirmation to her pondering. "Sometimes to further their own means and sometimes to empower themselves."

"Hmm," Rouge thought to herself quietly. "Well, no point on wondering about it now. I just wish there was more information." Rouge took a deep breath and exhaled. "Let's go find Sol Team. We can organize over some food. I'm starving."