Tails ran a little ahead of Amy. She looked at her friend and noticed a bruise mark on his arm.
Sandy had really hurt him...The whole thing makes me sick, she thought.
The twin-tailed Fox sped up to the staircase, explaining, "Sonic's down this way. We'd better hurry. Something wrong with him."
"Wrong with him? Like what?" Amy tilted her head and paused at the botten of the red-carpeted stairs.
The questions made the boy stop and turn, shaking his head. He ran his fingers through his ginger-red bangs. "You know how he enters different forms depending on what type of power he absorbs or is exposed to in the past fights we've had?" Amy nodded. "When we entered that wierd portal, Sonic somehow absorbed its dark magic. He's more powerful, but he isn't himself."
"In what way?"
"You're not going to like it."
A bad feeling overcame Amy, and the two glanced up the stairs. She turned back to her friend and shook her head. "We're running out of time, Tails. Whatever has happened, I'll do my best to cope with it. Right now, our friend needs us. Lead the way."
"Okay," Tails replied with unease. He unlocked a basement door and unhooked its latch.
They climbed down its aged, stone stairs. As Tails entered behind Amy, he checked his surroundings before closing the door. Amy lifted and carried a torch that hung on the wall. Tails stayed close behind her as she watched her every step.
A yell was heard from below. Amy paused and gulped.
Something really feels wrong down there. Was that sound Sonic?!
Throwing caution out the window, she hurried downstairs. Once the two reached the bottom, they saw Sonic just as the force of the chains threw him back. Oddly enough, no bruises or scratches covered his body as a dark energy emitted from him. His eyes were completely white. His quils due to the energy was a dark, deep sapphire that was nearly as black as night.
Amy covered her mouth. Her knees shook, and wouldn't budge.
Come on, Amy, now's not the time. My friend needs me, she had thought to herself.
With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and approached the locked door. Tails flew closer to examine it. Not a scratch or dent was made. Those chains did their job at securing the blue Hedgehog.
"Sonic," Amy said, "What happened? How'd she catch you?"
The hedgehog paused upon hearing her and said, "Amy?" His eyes were slowly returning to normal. But he shook his head which made them white once again. "Glad you and Tails are okay. But she's still going down. Tails, think you can unlock that door?"
"On it!" the little fox replied.
In the meantime, Shadow stared or rather glared at the queen who chuckled at his predicament.
"Seems you were all talk," she commented.
Shadow's frown, however, changed into the cockiest smirk she'd ever seen. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," he answered.
In a green flash of light, he vanished. Queen Sandy stepped back and turned upon bumping into him. This time, it was his turn to chuckle. The sorceress made several crystal walls emerge from the ground and used her magic to push them his way. He rolled out of their path and jumped over their towering and now crumbled masses. He glanced around the room.
She was no where to be found.
The Hedgehog looked again and noticed a hole in the wall. Hooked onto a broken board was a piece of the Queen's dress.
Good luck escaping. I never allow my targets to escape, he thought.
He threw the torn fabric over his shoulder and charged through the hole.