Shadow the Hedgehog of the Colossus
Chapter 3: Valus
It took quite a while for Shadow – atop Agro's back – to cross the bridge to the Shrine of Worship. But he was in no hurry to get there. He spent most of the travel time checking his surrounding, mentally making notes of the layout of the land. That way he could determine the best and quickest routes to the Colossai he has to kill.
As they close in on the entrance, Shadow couldn't help but notice a path leading up and around the shrine. He wondered what could be up there. But that's something he can always check out after his mission is done.
The stone door to the shrine slowly raises itself once Agro stopped outside of it. Dust seeping out from the gaps the door is rising into, showing that this door had not been open in years.
The inside of the shrine was dark, with only the sun's rays acting as a dim source of light. Being the ultimate lifeform, Shadow has perfect eyesight that allows him to see in the dark. It's one of the few abilities he has that he doesn't brag about, as it serves no purpose in battle. Unless he fought someone or something in a pitch-black area.
Suddenly, Agro starts to get spooked by the entrance to the shrine, causing her to whinny nervously.
"What's wrong with you? You scared of the dark?" Shadow mocked his horse. "Trust me. There is nothing down there that's more terrifying than I am. Now get going."
He then gently kicks Agro's side, telling her to enter the shrine. The horse slowly trots down the stairs, through the small cramp corridor. The stone door behind them then lowers itself again, sealing them inside. This causes Agro to get even more spooked than before.
Shadow then lights up the entire corridor using the Chaos Emerald around Maria's neck. The room was now filled with a bright white light, allowing Agro to see where she was going. Once calmed down, she presses onwards.
They soon enter the inside of one of the tall towers of the shrine. This area was more lit up than the stairs leading inside. That was mainly due to the tower lacking a roof.
Shadow takes a minute to take in the area. To his left was a walkway leading down to the ground level. And at the bottom of the tower lay a pool of water. Agro then started making her way down by herself, despite Shadow not ordering her to move. She was in quite a hurry to get to where they needed to be. Probably because she didn't like this place and wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Shadow takes a closer look at the pool of water as they were nearing the bottom. He couldn't quite put his finger on what its purpose could've been for the natives that once ruled this land. Maybe it was for baptisms? Maybe it is where they collect rainwater that pours in through the hole in the ceiling whenever their rivers were dry. Or maybe, just maybe, it was just a bath for the ancient Echidna. Though that was most unlikely, as they could just bathe themselves in their own homes. And it would be odd to have a bathhouse in a shrine of all places.
Agro once again starts freaking out once they've reached ground level. Shadow, however, ignored her terrors and directed the black horse to enter the main area of the shrine.
At last, they have arrived. The centre area of the shrine was huge. It was so huge that someone could build an entire mansion within it, and there'd still be plenty of room to move around in. At the very end of the room were a few steps that led up to an altar. Just like the one in the drawings he saw. That was where he needed to place Maria's body to perform the Forbidden Spell. Above the altar was another opening in the ceiling, allowing a beam of sunlight to shine down on it, while the rest of the room was in the shade.
To the sides of it were openings leading back to the outside world. But this side was different compared to the front entrance he took. The world beyond the backside of the shrine consisted of fields of grass and sloping hills. These lands were indeed bizarre. He's starting to get an idea of why they were forbidden.
As Agro was walking up the altar, Shadow notices that the walls to the sides were decorated with rows of giant statues. Eight on one side, and eight on the other. There were sixteen in total. Each statue was completely different. Some were bipedal creatures. Some were quadrupedal. Some had wings. And some looked like snakes.
Underneath the statues were carvings with strange words written on them. Shadow immediately suspects that these words were the names of the Colossai.
"These statues. They must be of the sixteen Colossai that live in these lands. The ones I have to kill to save Maria. They even have names. Why would the tribe that lived here name the creatures that forced them out of their lands?"
Shadow knew next to nothing about the Colossai apart from what he was told by Silver and Blaze. Nobody knows where they came from or how they came to be, or their connection to Dormin and the ancient Echidna clan. But he remembers Blaze saying that they were all dormant and would only awaken if threatened by the very weapon forged to kill them. The ancient sword that Shadow recovered from the Mystic Ruins.
Shadow then lightly tugs on Agro's mane, ordering her to stop just at the bottom of the stairs to the altar. He dismounts his new trusty steed and picks Maria up off her back. He slowly walks up the stairs and gently places Maria on top of the altar. He then takes hold of the blanket she was wrapped up in and tosses it aside, revealing Maria's sleeping body. Her arms were on her chest, clutching the necklace her cousin Eggman had given her, still containing the Chaos Emerald.
Shadow takes a moment to look down on his friend. She was sleeping so soundly atop the altar. Completely unaware of her surroundings, or even the fact that she had a new body at all. Even now, Shadow cannot believe that she's back. Nobody knows what became of her, or the bodies of the other people who were killed that day. He assumed they'd either been disintegrated or jettisoned into space.
There was a time when Shadow went down a dark path once he awoke on Earth. Obsessed with avenging Maria and carrying out Gerald's plan to crash the ARK into the Earth. Who would've thought a few words from Amy would cause him to remember the promise he made to Maria? To protect the people of the Earth and be their friend.
Agro was minding her own business as Shadow was having his moment with Maria. The shrine was filled with the peaceful sounds of the wind blowing against the grass. The singing of the birds flying above them. And… The sounds of eerie breathing?
Agro turns around to try and locate the source of the creepy breathing sounds. Only to be met with a terrifying sight.
Her horrified neighs alert Shadow, causing him to turn around and ready his fist for a Chaos Spear. He now understands what frightened the horse.
Out of the ground came some kind of black shadowy creatures. Phasing out of the stone floor like ghosts. They were equal to a human in shape and size, but they were anything but human. There were five of them in total so far, but he had a feeling there might be more of them. Whatever they are.
The shadow creatures start lumbering towards Agro, attempting to harm her. The way they moved wasn't human either. It was more like how a zombie, or a ghoul, would walk. They can also leap great distances, which was a problem for Agro, as she was now backed into a corner.
Shadow wastes no time firing a couple of Chaos Spears at the creatures. But he was shocked to see them pass through their non-existent bodies. It didn't even phase them. Whatever these creatures were, they were impervious to Chaos Energy. Shadow then remembers being told that Colossai were also immune to any and almost all kinds of attacks. Except for the ancient sword. Perhaps the sword is the only thing that can kill these things as well.
Shadow raises his right arm to his back and slowly unsheathes the blade from his back and points it at the shadow creatures. Suddenly, the sword starts emitting a beam of blue light. The light was flowing from the handle to the tip like a snow-filled wind.
The shadow creatures turn their attention away from Agro and face the black and red hedgehog. The light shines upon the creatures, causing them to let out an eerie pain-induced moan as they started to fade away in a puff of black smoke.
After the creatures departed, the sky above the shrine begins to darken as grey clouds block out the sun. Shadow looks up through the massive hole in the ceiling above the altar. Flashes of lightning and the sound of thunder fill the clouds, causing Agro to become even more scared than before.
Shadow raises the sword to the hole, expecting something to descend from the clouds to attack him. But strangely, nothing happened.
"Hmm? Thou possess the Ancient Sword."
Shadow quickly turns around, trying to find the origin of the booming voice that had entered the room. But he could not find it anywhere. This voice did not sound like it belonged to one individual, but multiple. It was a voice that came from all directions simultaneously. One voice was a deep gravely male, while the other sounded like a seductive mature female. The eeriness of it reminded him of the way Black Doom's voice sounded.
"So, thou art mortal." The voice continued. "What is thy name, mortal?"
"I am Shadow the Hedgehog. The Ultimate Lifeform created by Professor Gerald Robotnik and Black Doom." He introduced himself to the entity within the shrine. "Are you Dormin? I was told that in this place at the ends of the world, there exists a being who can control the souls of the dead."
"Thou art correct… We are the one known as Dormin. Tell us, Shadow the Hedgehog. Why does thou come here?" Dormin responds.
Shadow looks back at Maria as he answers that question. "This is Maria Robotnik. She was the first and only friend I had aboard the Space Colony ARK. She was killed by soldiers because she saved me. This body was created by her cousin. But her soul remains lost. Please… I need you to bring back her soul and place it in this body."
Dormin laughs in response to Shadow's plea. Shadow however was not amused that they were not taking what he asks of them seriously.
"That maiden's soul? Souls that are once lost cannot be reclaimed… Is that not the law of mortals?"
Shadow was starting to get angry over the demon's words. He did not travel all this way just to be mocked by a being that had been defeated by ancient Echidna centuries ago. But before he could muster a single threat, Dormin continues.
"With that sword, however… It may not be impossible."
"Really?!" Shadow says in a surprised tone. Maybe he didn't waste his time after all.
"That is, of course, if thou manage to accomplish what we asketh."
"I know what I have to do. You want me to kill a bunch of giants made of fur and stone, right?" He clarified.
Dormin ignores Shadow's assumption and parts some of the clouds to allow sunbeams to shine through the temple and land upon the statues he passed by earlier.
"Behold the idols that stand along the walls… Thou art to destroy all of them. But those idols cannot be destroyed by the mere hands of a mortal. Even one of great power as you… In this land, there exist Colossai that are the incarnations of these idols. If thou defeat those Colossai, the idols shall fall."
"So Silver was right – that's gotta be a first – killing the Colossai is the only chance I'll have of bringing Maria back." He confirmed to himself.
In the past, Shadow had fought and killed many beings. But all of them were deemed a threat to the world he swore to protect with Sonic and the others. He'd never killed anyone or anything that was not deserving of it… Until now.
The Colossai may be giant monsters, but they're no threat to him or his friends. They can only live within the mountainous walls. And Blaze told him that these creatures don't attack unless threatened, just like any other animal would. Now he has to go out there, hunt them down, and slaughter them in cold blood – if they have blood – all to bring back Maria.
He didn't want to be that revenge-driven villain again. Especially after the recent events with Black Doom when he tried to manipulate him into destroying the Earth. It was because of his friends – and Eggman – that he was able to come to his senses and destroy Black Doom. Save the world. And finally put his troubled past behind him.
But this was his only chance to be reunited with the girl he always viewed as his little sister. If he doesn't take it, then he'll have to live with that regret for the rest of his life. And he has lived a very long life.
"I understand." He finally responded. "If killing the Colossai will save Maria. Then I will not rest until I've killed every last one of them."
"Very good, mortal hedgehog. We art pleased to hear this… But heed this, the price you pay may be heavy indeed."
"It doesn't matter!" Now it was his turn to interrupt them. "I am willing to do whatever it takes. Sacrifice everything I have to save her. If the price to save her soul is to give up my own, then it is worth it!"
Dormin lets out another laugh. But it wasn't one of mocking. But rather the admiration of Shadow's determination and will to fulfil such a promise. The look in his eyes. They had never seen such strength in a mortal before. Especially in an anthropomorphic hedgehog.
"We dos admire thou devotion to this maiden, mortal… Very well. Raise thy sword by the light, and head to the place where the sword's light gathers. There, thou shall find the Colossai thou art to defeat."
Shadow turns to face Maria one more time before heading out. He takes hold of her hand. "Hold on just a little while longer, Maria. I will restore your soul soon. I promise."
Shadow then walks down the stairs and approaches Agro. The horse nuzzles her head against Shadow's cheek, showing him some affection. Shadow only sighed in annoyance but decides to give her a little pat on the head in return.
"This is where we part ways for now. You'll only slow me down and get yourself killed if you follow me. I need you to stay here and watch over Maria while I'm gone. Will you do that for me?" He asked his new companion.
Agro didn't want Shadow to take on the Colossai all by himself. But she did just see Shadow push a big heavy boulder with his super strength, as well as conjure up that strange energy blast he used against the shadow creatures earlier. She just didn't want to lose the first friend she's made in years.
But she respects her new master's wishes and trots over to the altar, standing guard over Maria. Shadow nods in response, appreciative of the horse's decision. He then walks over to the back entrance of the shrine and sets foot into the field of grass outside.
He takes in a deep breath of the fresh air. The oxygen in the Forbidden Lands was clearer and much fresher compared to the normal air he breathes in the city he and his friends live near. It was a nice change of pace. Despite its name, these lands he was standing in were indeed beautiful. And part of him will be glad to know that this place will be the first area of the Earth that Maria will see once she wakes up.
"Now be on thy way," Dormin spoke out to him before he had a chance to depart. "Good luck, Shadow the Hedgehog. Free the land of the Colossai, and grant thy wish."
Shadow once again raises the ancient sword to the sun. Multiple blue beams of light are emitted from the blade and point in different directions. Shadow turns himself to readjust the beams until they all converged into one single big beam.
The beam was pointing in the direction of a cliffside in the distance. It was probably part of the massive wall that separates the Forbidden Lands from the rest of the world.
Now he knows where to go, Shadow does a couple of leg stretches, warming up his muscles for the distance he has to run. During the whole journey to the Forbidden Lands, Shadow was at first walking. And then the rest of it was on horseback. Now that he doesn't have to worry about harming Maria, he has the freedom to run around at the speed of sound. Just like a certain blue hedgehog, he'd come to know and tolerate.
After taking a deep breath and going into a runner's ready stance, Shadow blasts off as fast as he can in the direction the beam of light was pointing towards. Agro had just caught a glimpse of how fast Shadow can move. blowing any doubts she had about him standing a chance against the Colossai out of the water.
Shadow soon arrives at the cliffside wall. According to the light of the sword, the first Colossus was at the top of it. He can already see an easy way to make the climb. Bending his knees, he prepares himself for the series of leaps he'll have to make to get up to the top as quickly as possible.
Shadow sheaths the sword and leaps up to the lowest ledge. Then he performs a couple of jump dashes, jumping from the side of the wall to side until he finally reaches the top. He lands on one knee with his right fist buried into the ground, taking all of the momentum of his jump.
He takes a look around expecting to see the Colossus come by at any moment. Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble, which only gets more intense each second. This was followed up with a low-pitched growling sound. Something big and threatening was heading in his direction.
Shadow backflips out of the way of an incoming giant hoof. The first Colossus had finally appeared. It was a bipedal giant covered with dark fur. Its arms and legs were covered in stone structures, and it even had platforms on its back. Its skin looked like it was made of earth, moulded into a living body. In its right hand, it clutched some kind of club-like weapon. It was kinda like it was using the top of a tower as its weapon of choice. Its face, like its hoof legs, looked similar to the mythical creature the Minotaur. It even had rings pierced in its nose. Its eyes were glowing blue, swirling orbs. Shadow also noticed that atop its head were broken stone stumps where its horns used to be.
"So that's one of the Colossai, huh? Look at that thing. It's gotta be around 12 meters tall. Massive. It moves slowly. That's the advantage I have over it… It's just lumbering around. Perhaps it hasn't noticed me yet. Still, though, I can't let it live." Shadow then briefly remembers the statue of the Colossai he's about to face in the temple and remembers the name that had been written below it.
"I'm sorry, Valus. But you have to die!"
Valus continued to wander through the land, knocking down any trees that stood in its way. The ground beneath its hooves cracked and broke with every step it takes. Wandering around was all it had been doing its entire life. Nothing threatening has ever crossed his path for thousands of years… Until now.
Out of the blue, Valus gets hit in the back of the head by what felt like a tiny bolt of lightning. The Colossus stops in its tracks and begins to slowly turn itself around, trying to locate the point of origin of the lightning.
Looking down, he notices a tiny black and red anthropomorphic hedgehog. A hedgehog was blowing smoke off of its index finger, implying that he was the one that struck first. Clasped in his right hand was the ancient sword. Upon seeing it, Valus knew it was under threat. His glowing blue eyes suddenly turned orange, the Colossus prepared for battle against his tiny, unknown opponent.
Shadow ran – or more accurately skated – towards Valus, firing more Chaos Spears at his stone and fur-covered body. He knew that his powers were useless against it. But he was pleased to learn that he can still feel it. This'll prove useful to him for the other Colossai whenever he needs to gain their attention.
Valus raises its right arm, holding the club high, and brings it down upon the ground as hard as it could, trying to squash its enemy.
But Shadow was too fast for it to land a hit on. As he was running, Shadow looked over the Colossai from head to toe, using the sword to spot its vital spots.
The sword's light reveals two strange glowing symbols located on the top of its head and the back of its right arm, just above its elbow. The ancient sword was the only weapon that can kill them. But just stabbing it won't be enough to do the job. He has to plunge the sword directly into these symbols to ensure maximum damage and, inevitably, death.
Valus prepares to strike him again by stomping the ground hard with its left hoof, unleashing a miniature earthquake. Shadow stumbles a little, but quickly regains his focus.
At a minute's notice, he leaps onto the back of Valus's left knee, grasping hard onto its fur. Only his left leg had fur on the back, while his right was all rock-like skin. Valus attempts to shake him off, but the black hedgehog's strength kept him from losing his grip.
"I now know that my powers can cause them some form of pain. But not kill them. Maybe if I use some of my stronger abilities, I can stun them long enough to give me an opening." Shadow then starts charging up red Chaos Energy throughout his body. "This attack won't be at full power. But it should be enough to cripple the Colossus, at least for a moment."
"Chaos Blast!"
All the concentrated Chaos Energy then unleashes itself outwards at a 360-degree angle. The blast was strong enough to damage the back of Valus's knee, forcing the Colossus to collapse onto his other knee. Shadow uses this opportunity to leap onto the lower platform on its back.
The Chaos Blast was one of Shadow's more destructive abilities. It is a power that grows even stronger if fuelled by anger, rage, and an intent to kill mercilessly. But at that moment, Shadow wasn't feeling any of those emotions. He has no reason to hate the Colossai. Under normal circumstances, they were just gentle giants minding their own business. He's only killing them because it needed to be done. He doesn't have to hate something to kill it.
Even when he first met Sonic, he wanted to kill him to carry out his, and Gerald's, revenge. Not because he hated him. The only time he did want to kill someone out of hatred was at first the soldiers of GUN. Then later, Black Doom. This was for the sake of saving Maria. Nothing more and nothing less.
Valus soon recovers from the Chaos Blast and begins to stand up again. Shadow was honestly hoping he'd have more time. But apparently, these Colossai's bodies were built as indestructible as the temples themselves.
Shadow quickly homing attacks the Colossus's right arm, latching onto the area that displayed the first symbol. Valus tried so hard to shake him off, but he was stuck to him like glue.
Valus then attempted to smack its arm into the mountainside, hoping to crush the black hedgehog. Shadow, however, prevents this by thrusting the sword into the centre of the symbol.
The Colossus lets out a loud pain-induced roar as it swings its arm around uncontrollably. As Shadow pulls the sword out of its arm, he was surprised to see a geyser of black smoke erupt out of the wound. It was the same black smoke the shadow creatures were made of when he first arrived at the altar.
He didn't have time to come up with a hypothesis for this, as Valus was attempting to cling its wounded arm with its other hand. Shadow spin dashes up its arm until it lands atop the Colossus's head.
Valus swishes his head up, down, side to side, and even in a clockwise circle. But no matter how much it moved; Shadow would not let go. Now standing atop the symbol on its head, Shadow raises the sword high. With this final strike, he should be able to finish it off.
He unintentionally lets out a determined grunt as he brings the sword down hard, plunging it deep into the Colossai's head. Valus roars in agony as it tries so hard to swat the annoying insect-sized hedgehog off its head. Shadow holds onto the hilt of the sword for dear life as the Colossus shimmies to the sides.
Valus then raises its club one last time and prepares to slam it down on its head, trying to squash him. Shadow, with no time to react, leaps off the Colossai's head and lands on the ground in front of it. The club makes contact with Valus's head, pushing the sword deeper inside.
Valus's glowing orange eyes started to fade away as its body goes limp. It drops its club. Its legs give out. And its body starts falling forwards.
Shadow got up after landing on the ground and takes a couple of steps forward to avoid getting crushed by the falling Colossus. He glances back as Valus's body hits the ground with a deafening crash, deforming the earth underneath his weight. His left arm was the last thing to land.
It was over. He had assumed victory in his first fight with the first Colossus. He soon runs over to Valus's body and pulls out the ancient sword still stuck in its head.
"I did it. I killed it… One down. Fifteen more to go." He thinks as he pulls the sword out and places it back in its sheath.
As soon as the sword was pulled free. More black smoke erupts from the dead Colossus's head. This time there was more of it. And it came out in the form of a dozen shadowy tendrils.
"What's happening?" Shadow says as he backs away from the body.
He was shocked to see that the black smoke was now covering the deceased Colossus. He has no idea what it was or why it was doing this. But from what he could see, it's not good. Now the tendrils were heading in his direction.
Shadow raises the sword at them like last time, hoping to dissipate them. But it doesn't seem to be working this time around. The tendrils fly towards him at a speed rivalling his own. The tendrils start to possess Shadow by entering his body through his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
"Argh! What- What is happening to me?!"
Once they were all gone, Shadow started to cough and vomit on the ground. His body then starts to feel weak and tired, causing the black hedgehog to begin to lose consciousness. He clings to his chest as he tries to reach for the shrine in the distance.
"No! I can't die here! Not like this! My mission is not yet finished… I must save… Maria!"
Those were the last words he was able to say before he collapses to his knees and falls forwards. His eyes slowly closed and his breathing went at a slower pace. Just like that, he was gone.
Back on Angel Island – approximately around the same time as Shadow's arrival at the shrine – Blaze had just finished telling Knuckles all she knew about the Forbidden Lands that she'd told Shadow.
Knuckles listened very carefully to her words. And once she was done, he shared with her what he knew. It must've been a very long discussion, considering it was now evening where they are.
"So, you think Shadows gonna go through with this?" Knuckles asked.
"If it's Shadow we're talking about, yes. He's never known as the type who's all talk and never actually follows through. I saw that look in his eyes. He's never been more serious about anything in his life. That's why I came straight here, Knuckles. I need to know what he's doing now?"
"And by me, you mean the Master Emerald, right?" He corrected her.
"Can you please ask it to show us where Shadow is now?" Blaze asked, sounding a little desperate.
Knuckles nods in agreement and turns to face the Master Emerald. Placing both hands on its sides, the emerald responds by glowing brightly.
"Master Emerald, we need your help. Please, show us where Shadow is, and what he's doing now."
The Master Emerald responds to Knuckles' words and shows them a visual of Shadow battling Valus. The two of them were shocked to see him hold his own against the Colossus despite not being able to use his powers.
"They're… real?!" Knuckles mutters to himself. "The Colossai. The land. The shrine. All of it is real!"
They then see Shadow atop Valus's head, plunging the sword in the centre. Both Knuckles and Blaze were shocked by what they'd just witnessed. He actually managed to kill it.
"Not only are they real. But Shadow is capable of killing them." Blaze pointed out. "This is bad. Really, really bad!"
"The stories of the Forbidden Lands for me always ended with the Echidna leaving it all behind. Everything beyond that was never foretold" He turns back to Blaze. "What will happen if Shadow succeeds in killing all of them?"
"He'll unleash the power to bring the souls of the dead back to life. But nobody should ever be allowed to use such power. Including Shadow… It may lead to disastrous consequences." Blaze warned.
"Then what do you propose we do about it?" He asked.
Before Blaze could answer. The two of them were interrupted by Rouge the Bat flying above them. She lowers herself to their level while still maintaining flight.
"Rouge? If you're here to steal-
"Relax, Knucky. For once I'm not plotting to steal your big, beautiful emerald." Rouge reassured him. "I'm here because a little birdie told me that Shadow had disappeared."
"It's true alright." Knuckles confirmed her suspicions.
"That little birdie – whose name was Omega – also told me that Doctor Eggman has made a clone of Shadow's friend, Maria. Then I ended up telling most of our friends. We're thinking of hosting another party once Shadow and Maria return from their trip. A way to welcome Maria to Earth and our little family."
Blaze shakes her head in response to that idea. "This situation is far more complicated than you think. Maria's body may be back, but her soul is still missing. Shadow left to go to a place where he can bring her back. But there's a chance he'll also end up releasing an ancient evil from thousands of years of imprisonment."
Rouge was confused about what Blaze was talking about, but she chooses instead to not care. She, Shadow, Omega, and the rest of their friends have faced many world-ending threats before. She was confident that Shadow can defeat this one – whatever it was – all by himself.
"It's Shadow. He can handle anything. You gotta have more faith in him." Rouge cheerfully reassures them.
"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you." Knuckles intervenes. "But this is something we all know nothing about… Listen, Rouge. I need you to tell the others what we've just told you. Make sure they're ready for anything. Got it?"
"Whatever you say, Knucky."
Rouge then flies off back in the direction she came from. Once she was out of sight, Knuckles and Blaze notice that the Master Emerald was not done showing them visions yet. This next one, however, did not show Shadow. The Colossai. Or the Forbidden Lands. Instead, it showed a huge Mayan-looking city, filled with intact, and newer-looking, temple structures. The city was populated, to Knuckles' shock, Echidna's like himself.
It then shows them a vision of a church. It was filled with Echidna priests. All of them were dressed in dark robes, decorated with patterns similar to the ones from the Forbidden Land's old temples. They also wore animal masks made from wood from what Knuckles could tell.
"It's… the Colossus Clan!" Blaze voiced her thoughts aloud.
Knuckles was shocked to see more Echidna's like him. The Nocturnus Clan may've proved that he's not the last of his kind. But they had completely different traditions compared to the clan he'd descended from. The Colossus Clan, however, is different from the way their culture is. The way they dress. The design of their temples. It reminded him so much of the ancient Knuckles Clan that Tikal was a part of before they were all wiped out by Chaos.
"But why would the Master Emerald show us this?" He asked himself.
The Master Emerald then emits another bright light. This one forms a singular beam that focuses itself on Knuckles. He grunts in discomfort as the emerald's energy seemed to be altering him a little.
Once the emerald goes faint again, Knuckles clings to the side of his head. He could feel a headache coming on.
"Are you alright?" Blaze asked, concerned for her hot-headed friend.
"Yeah, I'm ok." Knuckles says as he finally regains his composure.
"The Master Emerald. It has implanted directions on where the Colossus Clan Echidnas are inside my head. I think it wants us to go there."
"Probably a smart decision. They may be able to provide the information we need on what happened that caused them to flee. As well as help us find a way to stop Shadow from killing the rest of the Colossai… We must leave at once."
"Yeah, yeah. We will. I just need to turn on the Master Emerald security system first." With a flick of a nearby switch, an energy field appears all around the Master Emerald. And around that field was a laser grid. And around that was an electric fence.
"Let's see Rouge try and get through that!" Knuckles says with a cocky attitude.
Blaze rolls her eyes and begins to make her way down the stairs to the shrine. Knuckles soon joins her.
"Walking there may take us forever. Probably be a good idea if we ask Tails if we can borrow the Tornado for a while." Knuckles suggested.
"Good idea. We don't know how much time we have until Shadow kills the reaming fifteen Colossai. We can't waste a single minute."
That Knuckles can agree on. With no time to waste, the two of them run off for the long drawbridge that connects the floating Angel Island to the rest of the continent below.
"I don't know what we expect to find there, or if the Colossus Clan are even friendly to outsiders… But if what Blaze says is true. Then surely, they'll agree to help us." Knuckles speculated. "I hope you know what you're doing, Shadow."
To Be Continued