Chapter 12: Something Long Forgotten…

Unidentified Temple, Unknown Location. Unknown Time.

Lies.

Sin.

Torment.

Anguish.

Destruction.

Hatred…

… Terror.

7 Lords. 7 Hells. 7 Evils.

United as one.

In an era long gone, She was known by one name, one that struck terror in even the most seasoned warriors and heroes.

Ulzari Hellbreaker. The Queen of Shades. The Voldarian Witch.

She was known by one name. She held many titles. But above all, she was known as one thing, and one thing only.

The PRIME EVIL. The ultimate physical embodiment of all that is Evil, all Lords of Hell fused into one singular being.

The era that she reigned supreme was long gone, yet her legacy of unholy carnage remained…

So why was it that nobody she whispered to, nobody she tried to influence, even knew she was there, buried underneath the crust of Mobius?

This angered her. She wanted to be free. Free from the White Soulstone prison that prevented her from causing havoc again. Yet she continued to fail to influence even the most unintelligent Mobian who didn't even have the most basic education!

… Until HE arrived. Scourge. He was her key. Her way out. But she had to influence him carefully. She had to do so through his power gems, the Anarchy Beryl. So far, she was succeeding. This pleased her.

Ulzari: How delicious… Such hatred for his counterpart… Excellent fuel for thenfire. But not quite enough. I need more… MUCH more…

Ulzari drummed her fingers on the "floor" of her prison. For untold millenia, she sat in this prison. Alone. Yet she never wavered. She never gave up.

She knew that one day, she would have a chance to return.

Her reign of terror would begin again. But she must wait longer… The waiting was maddening.

Or it would be, if she had any actual "sanity" left. She giggled at that thought. She smiled then shut her eyes, proceeding to meditate until Scourge needed more influence. Until she could exert more control…

How poetic that Scourge was once more a pawn in a game he had no idea was being played.

Mobius. Metropolis Apartments. 7:45 AM.

Shadow snapped his eyes open, staring up at the ceiling of his apartment. He had a good time last night, but he didn't want to use the beds at the nightclub for sleeping.

So he went home, showered, and then went to sleep. As was usual routine at this point. He sat up, brushed his quills with his hands, then grabbed his head as a headache came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. He quickly took aspirin, gulping down some water to make it go down smooth. Then he put his air shoes on, his inhibitor rings, and went to his living room.

He pops his neck loudly, grabs a mug, and pours himself some orange juice. He was already fully awake, seeing as his genetics made it so he could get by on only a few hours of sleep a week, but even still, this was a habit. He quickly realized he was going to need to purchase some more orange juice, as the gallon container in the fridge was running low. Strange… He must drink more than he thinks every day.

He shrugged it off, but then stopped as he saw a rather unexpected guest sitting on his couch. A white peacock with a monocle, a spiffy looking suit and tie, gloves, and shoes sat there, legs crossed oh so proper. This was Shen the Peacock. A reliable Hidden Agent within G.U.N. The Peacock smiled, sipping at a glass of orange juice.

Shen: You were asleep, so I made myself comfortable while I waited. I left some funds for you to buy more orange juice, General.

Shadow: You REALLY need to stop picking the damned locks on my apartment door.

Shen: Oh, but no such thing occurred, Shadow. You left the spare key underneath the doormat again, with a note saying "in case of emergency–"

Shadow: "Use me." Right… I'm going to assume you have an emergency then?

Shen: Quite. Several goons underneath Surge's command were found dead last night, just outside the Bar With No Name.

Shadow: … Scourge.

Shen: Seems so. According to your warning earlier that same evening, you said Scourge can revive if he has Anarchy Beryl on his person?

Shadow: Yeah. I shot him in the head.

Shen: Goodness me… Well, the other unfortunate news is that Surge seems to be making some rather bold moves in the criminal underworld. Specifically, moving equipment, stolen goods, and other things of that nature around.

Shadow: You have any tips on where she could have moved them?

Shen: Not yet. But when I do, you shall be the first to know, General. So long as my anonymity is assured, as usual.

Shadow: Depends on if the information is reliable, as always.

Shen: My information is very rarely wrong.

Shadow: True… Anything else?

Shen: Actually, yes. My most recent expedition across Mobius yielded something rather… Grim. Here. Let me show you.

Shen takes a small sheet of paper out of his pocket, unfolded it carefully, and set it down on the coffee table. Shadow sat down and examined it closely. He recognized it from everything Sonic told him about the Starfall Islands: this was an Ancient Script. Specifically, it was a take on the symbol that meant "The Zap" but… It was different. Marginally different.

Shadow: Where did you find this?

Shen: On an island adjacent to Starfall Islands. Nearly a month's worth of core samples tell that that specific island is even older than the Starfall Islands. There were signs that it had even been submerged numerous times across Mobius's history. It was simply dubbed Phantom Island for the sole reason that it disappeared out of thin air.

Shadow: Right. So… What does this specific symbol mean?

Shen: Cross references with data from the Starfall Islands state that this symbol means "United Evils". Upon closer examination, this symbol looks more akin to a 7 pointed star. There wasn't much else there, but judging by the fact the Ancients were on Phantom Island, it's safe to assume they had some… Difficulty upon arrival on Mobius. It was not from the Echidna, nor the Babylonians. It was something else entirely.

Shadow: And you didn't check Cyber Space for any relevant data on this?

Shen: I did. One instance. It was dubbed "Sealing of the United Evils." According to them, a champion from a different time period assisted them with an item called the "White Soulstone" in sealing a particularly nasty element. The scariest part? The individual sealed was not native to Mobius, or anywhere else for that matter.

Shadow: That's it?

Shen: I'm afraid so. Further records regarding the incident were sadly corrupted when the End broke free from Cyber Space.

Shadow: Damn… If the Ancients deemed these United Evils a threat, then we should take precautions.

Shen: I agree. With your permission, General, I wish to continue investigating this matter. The more we know about it, the better off we will be.

Shadow: Permission granted. You have full access to all resources.

Shen nodded, then stood up, giving a polite bow.

Shen: Thank you, General. I will not disappoint.

Shadow: I know you won't. Get going.

Shen: At once, sir.

Shen then spread his peacock tail out, and with a flourish, vanished in a gust of white feathers. Shadow sighed.

Shadow: … Trade one evil for another.

Shadow had no genuine idea just how true that statement would be. And not in the way he would expect…

/Hue.