Act I: CATACOMBS

Chapter XX: When the Sun Hits

"You are my war club, my weapon for battle— with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms." - Jeremiah 51:20

"Settle down! Settle down, please!"

The booming voice of Vector silenced the Town Hall, holding his hands out to shush any last remnants of whispers from panicked citizens.

Panic it was – once the word had quickly spread of Mephiles' final warning, hysteria had erupted throughout the townsfolk.

Five days until what? It didn't make sense, yet the snarking venom that bled from Mephiles' voice at his final warning was enough to send a shockwave of terror throughout the town.

It was up to Vector, as the mayor, to silence any last fears.

"I know we are all terrified, and I know we are confused – but panic is not the solution! Listen, we must unite, as a town, to fix whatever issues this Undertaker says we have! That's the only way to get him out!"

"Maybe Father Robotnik is right!" One weasel exclaimed, shooting up from his chair, "Maybe Shadow and his friends are the reason why he's here!"

Whispers of approval murmured through the air, and Vector shot a glance towards Sonic, who was standing with much of their crew in the corner.

Sonic felt panic surge through his veins at the weasel's remark. He couldn't allow everything they were working for to go to waste. Not when they've come this far.

"Now, let's not – point fingers now! It's obvious the Undertaker is here because we, as a town, are giving into something bad here! But it's not too late to unite!" Vector pleaded, yet the townsfolk began to get obnoxious.

"The pastor is right – we need to get Shadow out of here!" A female mongoose shouted, and uproar resumed.

"Wait – please! Just – just settle down!" Vector exclaimed once again, yet to no avail.

"Where is Shadow?! We need to find him!"

"We won't let him ruin us anymore!"

"He's gonna lead us right to the grave!"

Sonic couldn't watch anymore. He shook his head, yet before he could make a move, Knuckles charged forward.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

The townsfolk quieted immediately, and Sonic couldn't help but chuckle a bit at how commanding Knuckles was. His voice boomed through the townhall, and Sonic could swear he had burst an eardrum.

He shook his head, fighting the smile creeping on his face.

"You wanna trust Robotnik? You all sure 'bout that?"

Silence, yet Knuckles surely had their attention.

"The same man who stole an amulet that brought plagues to our town? The same man who has preyed on your fears, destroyed families, and had people killed?"

Sonic turned to see Amy with Tails and Cosmo, both wearing looks of worry. Yet Sonic saw the smirk on Rouge's muzzle, and he felt that energy come onto him. He couldn't help it – feeling the smile snug up on his face.

"Robotnik has sat on his high horse for too long. He is the reason the Undertaker is here. Ever since he got here this town has known nothing but trouble! We've been tryin' to get you to see it, but now I demand you see it. If you wanna keep your life – it's time to get him out."

The townsfolk looked amongst one another, clearly confused on what the proper course of action was. Did they listen to him? What exactly were they supposed to do?

How to dethrone a king?

"Are you just protecting Shadow?!" One squirrel shouted, earning more murmurs.

Knuckles thundered towards the squirrel, a dangerous glare in his eye. Rouge immediately leapt from her position, grabbing Knuckles by the shoulders to stop him in his tracks. Knuckles grumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

"What Knucklehead is trying to say – is that you shouldn't trust everything Robotnik says. Show of hands – have any of you actually read the scriptures he uses for his services?!"

No one raised a hand. They all looked at one another with confusion.

"Have you ever used any of his teachings in a practical sense? Do you even know anything about what he's teachin'? Has it occurred to you that maybe Robotnik himself doesn't know what he's talkin' about – but knows how to use it to control you?"

Rouge's words seemed to make an impact. Knuckles watched as the temporary spell that came back on the citizens seemed to disperse. Murmurs of realization fluttered through the air, and Sonic couldn't help but smile.

Finally, their impact was coming back.

"Y'all see it now? Robotnik doesn't want to help you – he doesn't want to save you, nah. He wants to control you! All Robotnik cares about is power, greed, and corruption. Those are the things the Undertaker wants to get rid of – and now we have a chance to get rid of it!"

The townsfolk murmured in agreement, and Knuckles was thrilled. Finally, they see what they have been trying to say all along.

Yet, suddenly, a throat cleared at the door, and the crowd whipped their heads to the back. Sonic cursed under his breath when he saw who it was.

"Is that truly how you feel about me, Knuckles?"

Sally, Nicole, Bunnie, and Antoine stayed behind at the police building, keeping close watch over the amulet. Now that the town was distracted by a town hall, they weren't taking any chances on someone coming to steal the amulet.

Sally took a sip from the bottle of scotch, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She smiled as Nicole's sleeping head hung on her shoulder, opting to brush some strands from the lynx's eyes.

"You two seem to be gettin' awfully cozy," Bunnie remarked.

Sally chuckled, smiling at the sleeping lynx. "Well, yanno, if we truly have five days left we might as well make the most of it."

"Oh, we don't know what's at the end of those five days, and besides – it won't happen anyways. We'll stop it as we always do," Antoine said, wrapping his arm around Bunnie's frame as she leaned into him.

Sally chuckled. "I know, I know – maybe it's just the thought that it could happen that makes you wanna do things you haven't before."

"That you've been wantin' to do…" Antoine said knowingly, wiggling his eyebrows at the chipmunk.

"Maybeeeee…" Sally said, chuckling.

The three laughed gently, but a piercing whistle filled the air. Sally felt her ears start to ring, her smile quickly fading as it was replaced with a confused one.

Bunnie and Antoine shared this emotion, looking around as the sound of whistling grew louder slightly. Bunnie stood up, looking around the lantern-lit room in confusion.

"Y'all hear that too, right?"

Antoine stood up, following behind her. Sally shook Nicole slightly, as the lynx began to murmur awake from her sleep.

"Nicole, Nicole – hey, wake up, wake up!" Sally said in a hurried whisper, watching as Nicole began to wipe the sleep from her eyes.

"Huh, Sal – what is it?" Nicole mumbled, adjusting her gaze to Sally.

"I think somethin's goin on, c'mon," Sally murmured, helping Nicole up.

The lynx suddenly grabbed onto her ear, moaning in discomfort. "Agh – what is that awful ringing?"

"Yeah, we hear it too – I dunno, just follow them…"

Nicole nodded, but before they could take another step, the door opened. The four turned to the entrance, terror folding on their face.

Mephiles walked with a hunch in his back, leaning over as he trudged through the room. His hands dangled, yet his gaze was pointed towards the room in the back.

"Hey, uh, Mister…Undertaker? What – what are you doing here-" Antoine started, but Mephiles put a finger towards his face to silence him.

"Shhh…"

Antoine swallowed nervously, watching as Mephiles continued walking down the hall. He nudged the door open slightly, side-stepping inside. The four policemen followed him, holding onto their breaths.

Mephiles approached the safe where the amulet was held, and the ringing was gaining in volume as he approached it. Grabbing the safe, he flicked it open – despite the fact it needed a key to open.

Mephiles locked his hand around the amulet, dangling it in front of his face. His reptilian eyes were wide and wild, scanning over the amulet frantically. The amethyst glint was slightly shinier then usual, and Mephiles began to chuckle.

"What – what are you doing?" Sally asked, nerve laced in her voice.

"Listening…"

Bunnie swallowed, "Listenin' to…?"

"Them."

Bunnie locked eyes with Sally and Nicole, sharing a silent feeling of dread. What did he mean by them?

"What do you mean…?" Antoine muttered.

Mephiles, wordlessly, turned around, walking back towards the main room. They followed him, hopelessly confused, and utterly terrified. They knew the amulet had spiritual meaning – but now they were truly seeing it. Mephiles continued walking towards the exit, his back hunched over and his gaze menacing.

Sally gasped slightly, seeing the sky become cast in a purple hue. She pointed at it, Bunnie joining in her terror.

"Oh my…" Bunnie muttered, covering her mouth in shock.

"Wait – look!" Antoine exclaimed, pointing towards the western part of the sky.

It was casted in a grim orange, and they could see the two colors beginning to creep closer to each other.

"What the hell is that?" Nicole muttered.

Before Sally could reply, she stopped when Mephiles threw his head to the ceiling, a long exhale escaping his lips. Cracking his neck, Sally's eyes widened once again when he began to speak in tongues, keeping his head towards the sky.

His quills began to crystallize slightly, and a grim red crept around at the sides of his eyes.

"Terrane, venistis ad proelium?"

The amulet began to whistle, the ringing filling the air around them.

"Sol, venistine terram hanc terram vastare?"

The whistling turned into a lower vibration, and the room began to shake slightly.

"Oceane, venistis ad hoc bellum coeleste medium?"

The whistling and the vibration were drowned out slightly by a wispy melody, pinging through the air.

"What the hell is he saying? Who is he talkin' too?" Nicole asked shakenly, to which Sally shook her head in a hurry.

"I don't know…"

Suddenly, the door swung open, where Blaze and Silver rushed inside, followed by Gold and Marine.

"It's starting…" Blaze muttered, before she gasped at the sight of Mephiles, slowly crystalizing.

"Blaze, what is happening to him?!" Antoine asked.

"He's crystalizing – he's in direct unity with the deities now," Silver said, worry washing his face.

Mephiles' head fell, his gaze locking onto the trio in front of him. He raised his hand to the sky, wiggling his fingers slowly.

"Trinitatis, filii lunae et solis advenerunt."

Blaze tossed her hair over her shoulder, stepping closer to him.

"Relinque hoc loco. Non erit hic locus vester belli. Non accipies has animas."

The sight of Blaze speaking in tongues back was a shock to the police, grabbing their heads in worry at the sight. They were utterly perplexed, yet the terror of the situation continued pervading.

The sound of the whistling vibrations returned, yet with an urgent volume. Blaze was not phased, biting her lip harshly. Silver shielded Gold and Marine, casting a worried look to Blaze.

"Blaze, are you sure?!"

Blaze didn't answer, keeping her gaze locked onto the amulet.

"Derelinquamus!"

"What is she saying, Silver?!" Bunnie exclaimed.

"She's telling the gods to leave!"

"Is it working?!" Sally asked.

"No, they've made up their minds," Gold said worriedly, clutching onto her brother's arm.

Mephiles then shot forward, stepping between the witches outside, where he held his hands to the sky. He chuckled, as a smug smile crept up his lips.

"Laus Apocalypsis!"

Sally turned to the police, gathering them quickly. She fiddled for the revolver on her belt, attempting to catch her breath.

"We need to get to Town Hall and warn them – somethin' bad is happening, and it's happenin' right now."

Robotnik stared Knuckles down across the building, growling slightly.

"When will you get enough of ruining the lives of all of the townspeople? Do you want all of us to die, Knuckles? To be damned forever?"

Knuckles growled, tearing the fur headdress from his head. "No, you don't get to scare them! They are scared enough! When will you give it up and get the fuck out of this town?!"

Vector rushed from the podium, yet Espio held his hand out. He turned over his shoulder, pointing his eyes.

"Let Robotnik incriminate himself further. This is almost over."

Espio nodded to Mighty and Rotor, who began walking to the back to retrieve their weapons. They knew how this would end.

Vector gave Espio a confused look, yet he followed the chameleon's gaze to Surge, Kit, and Nack – who had their hands on their revolvers.

"I'm not going until you're going! You bring these false idols into this town to pervade the townsfolk, and you wish to pin the blame on me?! How dare you!"

"It is your fault!" Tangle exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger towards Robotnik. "You think we're the reason the Undertaker ain't leavin'?! Why would he say those bones were on your hands then, Robotnik?!"

The townsfolk began murmuring, all casting dubious glances at the pastor.

"All of this has happened since you gained control, and now you need an out. We're not lettin' you have that satisfaction." Whisper spat, pulling her mask from her eyes.

"Oh, please! You all have been violent, unkept pigs! Pinning your own crimes onto me for whatever false idol has caused the Undertaker to arrive! You'll all pay for it."

Sonic pushed past Knuckles, whipping his revolver out. Thundering down the hammer, he fired a shot right above Robotnik's head, causing a shock to ripple through the crowd as screams sounded.

"I'm done with you fuckin' around with us."

Robotnik grumbled, beckoning for Surge and Kit to draw their weapons. Suddenly, sounds of shouting sounded from outside, causing Mighty to approach besides Knuckles.

"Do you hear that?" The armadillo whispered, to which Knuckles shook his head.

Tikal and Tails looked out the window before the orange echidna gasped. Tails whipped his gaze towards Sonic, pointing outside to the mayhem.

"Church gang! They're here, and they've got weapons!"

Sonic cursed, pointing his revolver back towards Robotnik.

"Call them off or we kill all of them."

Robotnik cracked his neck, groaning slightly as he hissed through his teeth.

"Not gonna happen.

Suddenly, Amy rushed forward, planting a kick into Surge as she tumbled through the door. The tenrec yelped, flopping down the stairs. She hurried to her feet, pointing her revolver at the hedgehog.

Amy pointed hers back, before her eyes widened at the sight of the sky. The colors of purple and orange lit the far ends of the sky, yet there was no mistaking them pushing closer together.

"What the…"

Surge spat, cocking the hammer down. "Your move, pinky!"

Sonic joined Amy's side, clutching his gun tight. He spit towards the ground, giving Surge a sly smirk.

"Nah, our move."

The crunching footsteps filled the air, causing Sonic to turn to the left. His smile grew when he met the gaze of Shadow, followed by The Rogues, as well as Scourge and Fiona.

Shadow's glare was hollow, but there was no mistaking it – he was prepared for this.

Surge growled, turning to the church gang behind her. "No survivor's, boys."

Sonic turned to Shadow, chuckling slightly. "You heard her, no survivors!"

Shadow smirked, nodding.

"None at all."