Hikari opens his eyes to find himself laying in the grass of a starlit field. Startled, he leapt to his feet and looked around. "Where am I…?" He asks himself.
The field reminded him of when he met Chaotix in his dream but that was in a forest. This was a field, vastly different from that forest. A loud rumble shook the ground as a large dark red dragon flew down from the skies and landed in front of Hikari.
Hikari stepped back, mostly out of fear of the great beast. "Do not be afraid, Young Guardian." A voice echoes as it spoke in a calm voice that projected a feeling of great power and great wisdom.
Hikari stood firmly unsure as to what exactly this was. A moment passed, one that felt like an eternity before Okami walked out of Hikari. "Bureijingukaosu." The wolf says "How did you find your way here?"
"Bureijingukaosu…?" Hikari echoes the name looking into the dragon's deep green gaze. "You're…the spirit of Rage's Blade of Chaos!"
"Correct." The dragon answers.
"How are you even able to communicate with us like this?" Okami asks "You are trapped in The Dark Realm with Rage."
Bureijingukaosu's look softened when Rage's name was mentioned. "I am here on my own…because of Rage." He says "I managed to force myself back to Mobius."
"Why would you do that…" Okami asks. A wash of worry flooded the wolf spirit's voice.
"Because…Rage has become overtaken by some strange Darkness." Bureijingukaosu replied.
"That's impossible…isn't it…?" Hikari half states and half asks. "Chaos Guardians with Chaosblood are immune to Darkness!"
"This is different…" the dragon says softly. "This Darkness was one he was born with…"
"You're referring to the Blood Curse aren't you…?" Okami asks. The dragon would only nod in response.
"Blood Curse?" Hikari asks. "What is that?"
"It's…a dark curse that Rage was born with…you see…The Chaotic Clan…your ancient ancestors hail from Dark Mobius…they have a dark ability given to them by Vlagh. All pureblooded Chaotics have this Curse. Rage included…" Burijingukaosu explains. "He goes insane and becomes a bloodthirsty maniac…"
"So you're telling me that I could just go berserk at the drop of a hat?!" Hikari exclaims in shock.
"No, no!" The dragon barks "You're not a pureblood like your father."
"That doesn't explain why you abandoned him…" Okami says "That's one of the big rules you broke…"
"I know that he's at risk without me but the way he is…he's a threat to the entire world. You two are the only chance to knock some sense into him!" Bureijingukaosu begs.
"We don't have much of a choice." Hikari sighs after a long silence. "We'll need you though."
"What for…?" The dragon asks in a curious tone.
"So I can cast the protection spell on Wind and Mason…they're my friends and I can't go on this mission alone…especially if my father is in the state you claim him to be…" Hikari answers.
"I…I am sorry but I can't." Bureijingukaosu sighs "I can't share that without approval from…Rage…"
"Rage is stuck in the Dark Realm and acting like a madman…" Hikari grumps "I am sure you could."
"Even if I could…I do not know the power he uses…he has kept it a secret from even me…" Bureijingukaosu replies. "I am sorry."
Hikari looked at the dragon. A few moments pass and he sighs, shaking his head he finally speaks. "Alright. I'll do it…someone has to knock some sense into my idiot father, may as well be me."
"Thank you." The dragon bows its' head and looks at Hikari. "The Chaos Shrine…come find me. Then we'll go to The Dark Realm."
With a blinding light Hikari woke up and nearly hit his head on the metal panel above his head. He was still on the Manticore. He hopped down and made his way to the helm where Espio was. He kept quiet so as not to wake Wind or Mason who were both still asleep.
He made it to the the helm and the autodoors open with a loud sound. Espio looks over to him. "Hikari…surprised to see you up and around so quickly…"
"I recover fast." Hikari states "I need to get to Angel Island…"
"Why?" Espio asks.
"Personal reasons…" the young hedgehog sighs.
"You're going after Sonic, Shadow and Rage aren't you…?" Espio asks, with a concerned tone to his booce. Hikari simply nodded.
"I have to do it alone…and I want to make sure Wind and Mason don't catch wind of it. They'd follow me regardless of anything I say…"
"Very well…" Espio sighs "I am sure you have your reasons. I won't say anything."
"Thank you…Espio." Hikari smiles.
"Just bring them back…" Espio says in a more stern tone.
"I will do everything in my power to…" Hikari promises. With a nod Espio signaled and the sub began to surface.
It took a few minutes but finally they were at the surface. Hikari climbed out of the central hatch to the deck of the sub. They were still a long way from land and smoke from whatever might be left of Eggmanland flumed up over the horizon.
A sigh escaped the hedgehog "We're a long way from Angel Island…" he complains.
"You should have no trouble using Chaos Control to get there." Okami's voice echoes in his head.
"I know…" Hikari sighs. He digs into his belt satchel and pulls the Red Chaos Emerald out. With a heavy sigh he focused. He closed his eyes and pictured himself at the base of the Chaos Shrine on Angel Island. Finally with a surge of energy he opens his eyes and sure enough there he was.
"By picturing a place from memory you can return there any time with Chaos Control…" Hikari whispers to himself "You sure knew what you were doing Chaotix…" he then ascends the stairs.
As Hikari reached the apex he could see Tikal's head. A few more steps up he saw a dragon identical to the one from his dream only much, much smaller.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Tikal shouts at the dragon. "If I had known I could have done something!"
"Like what?! You're bound to this island Tikal!" The dragon grumps "I took a big risk coming here as is!"
"I know…" the echidna sighs. She knew the dragon was right "But…please…Bureijingukaosu you have to help him somehow."
"I plan to…" Bureijingukaosu says looking at Hikari. "Ah…you have arrived." He says and Tikal turns to see Hikari.
"Hikari." She says "What brings you back? I saw Eggmanland go up in flames from here!"
"Bureijingukaosu wanted me to come here." Hikari says.
"Your plan is Hikari?" Tikal asks.
"He is the best option we have." The dragon answers.
"You plan to go to the Dark Realm Hikari…?" Tikal asks and the hedgehog nods.
"I do. If Rage has gone crazy I have to try and help him." Hikari responds. "No matter what."
"It's suicide…" Tikal spits "You'd need more than just Okami-"
"Which is why I am going with him." Bureijingukaosu states in his echoing voice.
"You can't be serious…" Tikal says in disbelief "No Chaos Guardian has ever had two Blades of Chaos! It's forbidden!"
"He's Rage's son…I am attuned to his father…I am sure he can wield me for a while no problem." The dragon responds.
"What's this about…?" Hikari asks. "I thought each Guardian had one Blade…at least that's what Chaotix taught me…"
"It is possible to wield two." Okami says "However to many it was seen as…problematic to have one guardian wield more than one Blade. Too much power and too easy a target for corruption… So it was decided that a Guardian should ever link with a single Blade…however there has been multiple cases where a Guardian has held two Blades albeit temporarily…"
"Can't I just take Burijingukaosu and not link with him?" Hikari asks.
"You could in theory." The dragon says with a nod. "However I would then be required to answer my Master's call so Rage could still use my power against you…however if I link to you as well…I will be bound to your command as Rage has…fallen so to speak."
"So I don't have a choice in the matter…" Hikari sighs "Fine. Whatever will help save him, Sonic and Shadow…"
Hikari walked up to the red, dragon wing shaped sword laying next to The Master Emerald. He looked at Okami, the Burijingukaosu and inhaled deeply before grabbing the blade at the handle.
A painful sting of energy shot up his arm and Hikari shouted in pain. It was almost unbearable but Hikari held on…even if he wanted to let go his hand was locked shut. The sheer pain brought the young hedgehog to his knees grunting and grinding his teeth in pain.
Soon the pain subsided. Hikari remained a moment before standing. "Are you okay…?" Tikal asks worried.
"I…I'm fine…" Hikari pants "I feel…weird though…like there's more energy inside me now…more than when I was Super…"
"That's my power." Bureijingukaosu says "Now it is your power too…"
"I'm ready…" Hikari says softly. The dragon in front of him nodded. Okami howls and a portal of energy forms.
"Quickly." The wolf says ushering Hikari in. "We mustn't risk Rage finding the portal!" Hikari goes through quickly with Okami and the portal vanishes behind them.
Hikari was now in a field. The sky was a hazy, deep purple, a blood red colored moon shone down a menacing glow of crimson among the field. The grass was a deep red from the moon's glow. It wasn't far from some ruins of what appeared to have been a small town. Or what was left of it anyway.
A heavy, oppressive feeling washed over Hikari now that he had gotten his barings. "What you're feeling is Darkness." Okami says. "It is extremely potent here."
"Yes but I sense Light as well…" Hikari says. "…and Chaos…"
"Follow the Chaos. You'll find Sonic and Shadow that way." Okami advises the young hedgehog.
"Wouldn't Rage be the one giving off Chaos like that?" Hikari asks.
"No." Bureijingukaosu states. "Ever since he was overcome by his Blood Curse he had lost his Chaos Power when I left. It becomes snuffed out by that form he takes…normally I can get through to him but not this time…"
"I'm going to pretend I understand what you said." Hikari sighs "Gotta say it's weird talking to two voices in my head."
"We can stop." Bureijingukaosu states in a cold tone.
"No…it's okay…" Hikari says "I am just still new to it all…so…like how does it all work?"
"The easy way to explain it is…that it's like he has another…dark self that lies within him, similar to how Okami and I are within you…" Bureijingukaosu says before letting a long sigh out "…only difference is that unlike us who simply reside spiritually within you…this 'Shadow' as Rage has come to call it can essentially force him and Rage to swap. Rage becomes locked away within darkness and his Shadow becomes dominant." he got ready to continue when the clacking of small rocks or bits of rubble being disturbed caught his attention.
"Quiet…" Okami barks "You hear that?!" Hikari simply nods. His grip on both weapons tightens as he looks around.
Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he sees a blue blur. He shoots around to see Sonic charging at him. "Now Shadow!" The blue hedgehog shouts.
Hikari's ear twitched, he sensed it from behind, somebody leapt at him! He had no time to react before Sonic rams into Hikari and Shadow struck him with a Chaos Spear.
The Chaos Spear did nothing to him, however he was pinned by Shadow. "You thought you could sneak up on us huh?" Shadow says in a hateful tone.
"Get off!" Hikari shouts struggling as Sonic walked up and looked over Shadow's shoulder.
"Hey wait a minute…" Sonic says rubbing his chin "You're not Rage…"
"Of course I'm not! Does my father have black hair?!" Hikari barks angrily.
"Father?!" Shadow exclaims getting off of him and taking a step back. Hikari stood up and looked at Sonic and Shadow. The two were beaten and scuffed up. Their fur dirty and mangled.
"Can it be…you're Hikari!" Sonic exclaims "What are you doing here?!"
"I came to bring you back." Hikari says.
"You mean…you didn't get trapped here by Eggman too?" Sonic asks.
"No." Hikari shook his head "I came on my own…with a little help from Rage's Blade of Chaos."
"Go back without us!" Shadow grumps "Your father's gone batshit insane…"
"So I heard…" Hikari sighs "But I can't leave you two here!"
"You have to! We're keeping Rage from going back to Mobius…keeping him busy…" Sonic sigjs
"No." Hikari says "I came to save all three of you. Including my father!"
"Hikari…" Sonic sighs holding his right arm which was clearly injured. "I don't think we can…he's too powerful…unless we had another Chaos Guardian to fight him…"
"We need to move." Shadow whispers grabbing Hikari's arm and dragging him away with Sonic.
They took him to a small mostly intact house that was on the other side of the ruins. Sonic looked out the window before shutting it. "We're in the clear for now…" He says with a sigh.
"Now spill it, how did you get here let alone find us?!" Shadow barks at Hikari.
"I used Chaos Control to get here." Hikari says "I found you by following your Chaos signature."
"Hold on…how do you know any of that?" Sonic asks. "I know Rage never taught you anything."
"Because I am a Chaos Guardian!" Hikari grumps "Chaotix trained me!"
"Impossible. Rage is the last one…they swore they wouldn't train anyone else…" Shadow scoffs.
"It's true!" Hikari retorts with a frown. "How else could I have a Blade of Chaos, let alone two?"
"If that's true then we may have a fighting chance." Sonic says looking to the window. "We can't hide forever…"
"What happened to my father…?" Hikari asks.
"We don't quite know…we faced some strange hedgehog and it managed to change Rage into some…demon…thing…I am not sure what." Sonic replies, crossing his arms.
"Look out!" Hikari suddenly exclaims as he leapt to his feet and put a barrier of energy up protecting the three from an incoming blast of magic that leveled the building.
"Oh no…" Sonic whispers.
"There you are!" A cold, sinister voice cackles.
"Dammit!" Shadow exclaims as a strange field of energy surrounds the area around the three. "He found us…"
"And we're trapped." Sonic says as around the corner comes a dark red hedgehog. A dark grey jacket was torn and ripped with strange spikes the same color as his fur protruding from his shoulders. Two amber eyes glared at the three in a sinister look. "There's no place to run this time…"
"Darn…" Shadow says "This is it…"
"Stand back…" Hikari says walking in front of both Sonic and Shadow.
"Oh? Who do we have here?" Rage chuckles as Hikari flourished both of his swords. Rage looks at Bureijingukaosu which was in Hikari's left hand. "How did you get that sword?!" He exclaims "Who are you?!"
"Don't you remember…" Hikati asks with his teeth bared. "I am Hikari…Hikari Chaotic the Hedgehog! I'm your son…"
"H-Hikari…?" Rage asks in a more solemn tone and for a minute his eyes change to an emerald green. "How did you…" Rage struggles to speak before his eyes return to the amber color "…how did you even get here?! You're the fucking handyman! You have no powers!"
"You should know…!" Hikari says with a grim tone "I'm a Chaos Guardian…"
"Impossible…nobody could have—" Rage stuttered almost in fear before he got a frustrated look on his face "Chaotix…" he snarls. "I should have known that stupid fuzzball would do something as rash as train you…"
"Someone had to." Hikari scoffs "You definitely didn't plan on it. Hell you didn't even bother to tell me I had the power to begin with!"
"By me you must be referring to my goody two-shoes other half…" Rage chuckles as his hands form strange claw like shapes out of the same dark red substance that poked out of his jacket. "Oh well…Just means Chaotix got another kid mixed up in things he shouldn't have! I wonder how he'll react knowing he sent you to die!"
"We don't have to do this…" Hikari says "Please just snap out of it!"
"What? You don't like what we really are?! Monsters?!" Rage chuckles.
Hikari said nothing and only glared at Rage. The crimson hedgehog who he called a father wasn't some monster. Deep down he knew something went wrong here. Finally Rage makes a move towards him.
Rage ran at Hikari who sidestepped the charge and swept him off of his feet. Rage used his hand to vault himself back to his feet and looked at Hikari with an impressed smile. "Very good..." he chuckles "It seems you aren't just smoke and mirrors afterall..."
"No thanks to you." Hikari shouts in a tone that was poisoned with scorn. "I really don't want to fight you!"
"Too bad!" Rage shouts as his arm becomes a pointed spear and he rushed to Hikari. The young hedgehog barely managed to block the attack with Burinjingukaosu and retaliates by driving Okami into Rage's side.
Quickly Hikari rolls backwards to make more distance. Rage held a hand to the spot where he had been impaled by Hikari and looked at the younger, currently slightly lighter shade of red hedgehog. "I see now...Blade you're the reason he's here..." Rage chuckles "Then I can just play the long game...you won't be able to withstand the burden of having two Blades of Chaos at once for very long Hikari."
"I can withstand it long enough to knock some sense into you!" Hikari shouts in anger.
"We'll see about that!" Rage laughs in a hysterical manner as he rushes the young hedgehog at full speed. As he closed in he fired small crystal like shards at Hikari.
Hikari formed a wall of Chaos Energy which blocks the incoming shards but Rage had flashstepped behind him and landed a firm strike to Hikari's back.
Hikari felt a sharp pain as he leapt forward and pivoted back to face Rage who looked slightly confused. "How…?" He asks.
"What are you talking about?" Hikari shouts in response. He clenched his teeth from the pain which soon subsided.
"I went full force and I barely scratched you…you should have been stuck like the pig you are!" Rage screams.
"Are you so far gone you've forgotten the very powers you are legendary for?" Hikari asks. "If that's the case…I have no choice." Hikari looks to Rage. The dark red hedgehog's face was soft with a look of sadness. "I'm sorry it has to be this way…"
"What?" Rage asks, tilting his head as the Chaos Emeralds appear around Hikari. Hikari almost appeared as if there was tears in his eyes as a blinding light forced Rage, Sonic and Shadow to all cover their eyes.
Rage was the first to look again once the light had faded. There floating just off the ground was Hikari, his fur a pure white, his normally black hair was a pulsing golden yellow-white color. His eyes, a vibrant and angry shade of red.
Rage looked and shook some. It brought back the memory of when he first was forced to battle his longtime friend Christain thanks to Darkness taking him. "N-no…" he says.
"I'm sorry." Was all Hikari said and before Rage knew it he felt a searing pain in his side. His hand dropped and he felt a warm, wetness on his right side. He looked down to see blood. However it wasn't hardening like it should. His "Blood Form" that came from the very Blood Curse he had would allow him to harden his blood into sharp projectiles or even blades on his limbs except…now he couldn't for some reason.
He looks behind him where Hikari now stands. The young hedgehog had tears streaming down his face. It was clear, Hikari didn't want this. It was then Rage grabbed his head and shook violently.
"I…I can't…" he says just loud enough for the others to hear. "N-no! You…stay…put!"
"Rage?!" Sonic exclaims taking a step forward but Shadow stops him with a firm grab to his left shoulder.
"Wait." Shadow says. "I don't think it's a good idea to run in there yet." Sonic looks at Shadow then to the father and son who were fighting and sighs. Shadow was right, he'd just be in the way.
"Rage!" Bureijingukaosu's voice echoes in Hikari's head. "He's breaking through! Hikari, whatever it is you're doing, it's working!"
"You say it like I know how or what caused him to act like that…" Hikari mutters as Rage looks at him. Immediately he got ready to strike again. "It hurts me dearly to have to do all of this Rage…" he says walking up and grabbing Rage by the shirt.
"Sh-shut…up…" Rage struggles to say. Hikari sneers at him and throws Rage into the same barrier of energy that was trapping the four.
"I have a bit of pent up aggression to work through…if beating the sense back into you helps you then I am fine with working through it!" Hikari says, throwing both swords to the ground and cracking his knuckles.
With a dash Hikari punched Rage clean in the face "All of these years…" he growls landing another punch. "You lied to me!" Another punch lands on Rage's head. "Told me I had to…" another strike hits Rage "…stay underground!" This strike hit Rage's chest. "Then you vanish!" A strike to Rage's chin. "Now I find you…" another to the face… "And you're no better than that bastard Nix you never shut up about!" The next blow was much harder than the others.
Sonic wanted to jump in and stop it but Shadow held him back… "Shadow…he's going too far!" Sonic argues.
"Rage can take a beating." Shadow says. "Besides it's working."
Hikari finally stands Rage up and took a step back. "So why don't you come to your goddamn senses!" He shouts landing a strong forward kick to Rage who staggered backwards. He stood limp before looking up to Hikari. Rage's eyes seemed to narrow into focus as he saw the blood on Hikari's hands and the tears in his eyes. Hikari bloodied his own hands just from hitting the sharp spots on Rage.
Finally Rage grabs his head and looks to the ground before letting out a loud scream and shooting his gaze to the skies as a pillar of energy erupted around him. It was a deep crimson color as if made of blood. His voice turned from the scratchy, sinister and evil tone to his normal, mid-tone and simple voice.
The pillar vanished and there was a bright crimson hedgehog. However he was covered in scrapes and bruising from where Hikari had struck him. A dark grey jacket was soiled with dirt and blood. Under it a dark green shirt tattered and torn. The remnants of a strange looking "R" symbol with pointed and curved tails was present. But barely recognizable. A pair of bright navy jeans was torn and blooded. A pair of dark red shoes with a single black stripe on each were scuffed and beaten up. Finally his grey fingerless gloves were almost so torn that they looked ready to fall off. His emerald green eyes blinked a few times before he collapsed on the ground unconscious.
Hikari stood still, unsure what had just happened. "You did it." Bureijingukaosu says as Sonic and Shadow ran up to Rage. Hikari sighs and returns to normal. The Chaos Emeralds drop around him and he gathers them as Sonic and Shadow pick up the unconscious Rage.
"We should get someplace safe." Shadow urges Hikari. He and Sonic quickly began to move out.
"Right…behind you." Hikari pants before he runs after them. The three hauled Rage to another building that was mostly intact. This one still had furniture so Hikari pulled the bed into the main room so Sonic and Shadow could lay Rage down on it.
The three looked at Rage who was still completely unconscious. It was then Bureijingukaosu appears from Hikari.
"You really are his kid…" Sonic chukcles looking at the large dragon. "You even got Burei…uh…whatever he…uh it is called."
"Burijingukaosu." The dragon snorts in an angry tone. Sonic pit his hands up in an apologetic way. The dragon then turned to Hikari, "Place me by Rage please." It requests.
Hikari nods and extended his left arm where Bureijingukaosu's blade form manifested in a flash of light with a flourish of fire. Hikari walked forward and placed the dragon wing shaped blade down leaning against the bed, tip down and the weapons handle near Rage's chest.
"You did alright, for a fledgling guardian." Bureijingukaosu compliments Hikari.
"Considering I managed to not kill him I'd say I did better than alright." Hikari scoffs.
"Even so…you have a lot to learn." Bureijingukaosu says.
"Things he will learn with time." Okami interjects. "Hikari's training was even less traditional than Rage's was."
"What do you mean…?" Bureijingukaosu asks.
"He was sorta given the crash course then I chose to go with him…we didn't have the time that Rage did…" Okami sighs "I am glad he's gotten this far as well as he has…"
"Ahem…" Sonic clears his throat to get their attention.
"Sorry." Okami apologized.
"It's okay…" Sonic says as he walks up to Hikari. "So…you know how to get back to Mobius right?" Sonic asks and the young hedgehog nods.
"Good because I don't want…you know who to find us…" Sonic sighs.
"You mean Nix?" Shadow asks. "I don't think we'll have to worry. Once Rage has recovered we can return."
"Yeah…" Hikari says sitting down.
"How have things been back on Mobius…?" Sonic asks. "How's Wind?"
"It's been rough…Tails has been working tirelessly to push back Dr. Eggman since you three were trapped…but it was only relatively recently that we made any decent progress."
"It must be a lot of pressure leading the New Freedom Fighters all alone…" Sonic sighs. "I wish I was there for him."
"When you say you've made decent progress pushing Eggman back…what do you mean by that?" Shadow asks.
"We destroyed Eggmanland." Hikari says. Both Sonic and Shadow look in surprise at Hikari's response.
"How?" Shadow asks looking back from the cabinet he was digging through "We weren't able to get anywhere close to the place!"
"Turns out Egghead isn't very good at working with Chaos Emeralds…especially to power a base." Hikari replies. Shadow walked back over to him and handed him some bandaging which he then wrapped his beaten and bloodied hands in. He gave a nod signaling a thank you.
"You didn't have to go quite as hard on him…" Sonic says, looking at Rage's wounds.
"What do you think I should have done?" Hikari asks. "It's not like I could wave my hand and bippity boppity poof Rage is fine!"
"But you didn't have to go so far!" Sonic shouts. "I mean look at him…"
"I did what I had to!" Hikari shouts in response. "If I hadn't we all would have been dead and you know it Sonic! It's what I have done since you guys got stuck here! You of all people should know what that's like! Sometimes we have to make hard decisions…sometimes we have to push boundaries…do things we don't want to…make sacrifices that cost more than we could imagine…" Hikari looks at Rage with a sad glare. "…and in the end…somebody we care about winds up getting hurt…I understand that now…"
Sonic stood there. He felt the burning frustration within but he said nothing. Deep down he knew the young hedgehog was right. It couldn't have been easy confronting his own father like that.
Shadow sighs "You'd best drop it Sonic." The ebony black hedgehog says "The kid's right. We've all made sacrifices and people we care about have gotten hurt…surely you haven't forgotten about Amy…?"
Sonic jolted up some from the name. "No…" Sonic sighs in a depressed tone "I could never forget what happened to her…I'll never forgive Eggman for it either…"
Shadow looked away from Sonic knowing the pain the hedgehog held. Amy was killed years ago. Before they got sent here. Had Shadow and Rage not been there Dark Sonic could have done something drastic.
"Owe…" Rage spoke. Hearing his voice the other three turned their attention to the crimson hedgehog who was slowly coming around.
"Rage!" Sonic exclaims as the injured hedgehog slowly sits up.
"What…happened…" Rage asks softly before inhaling sharply in pain. "Ah!" He hissed in pain.
"Rage!" Sonic exclaims rushing over "Take it easy…"
"Sonic…" the crimson hedgehog says in a quiet voice "I'm sorry…" he apologizes.
"There will be time for apologies once we get back to Mobius." Shadow says.
"How did you…" Rage begins to speak but grunts in pain and pauses. "How did you bring me back…?"
"We had some help." Sonic says as Hikari walks closer. Rage looks into his eyes and gasps.
"Hikari…" He grunts "How…"
"I'm glad to see you're alright." Hikari says with a smile.
"Hikari beat you." Shadow says "Which is why you're as sore as you are."
A tear reached the crimson hedgehog's eyes. "I'm sorry…you should have never been part of this!" He says sorrowfully.
"Somebody's gotta be there to bring the Emeralds to you." Hikari says.
"No…not that…" Rage says "I failed you…I did everything to make it so you wouldn't be forced to take a path you didn't choose…you being here now…tells me I failed."
"No you didn't." Hikari says. "I chose this. When I first discovered my powers I could have ran off and hid, rejected it, or act like nothing happened, instead I chose to harness it and become a Chaos Guardian like you…"
"Hikari…" Rage says softly looking into his son's emerald eyes. He was unable to find any words for his son. Even if he chose his path, Rage felt as if he had failed him.
"If it wasn't for him we may not have gotten you back." Sonic says.
"What do you mean?" Rage asks, looking at the cobalt blue hedgehog.
"You and I fought." Hikari says "You were overcome with some strange dark power. Bureijingukaosu called it some familial Blood Curse. You were all crazy like and…after the fight you changed back…"
"Yeah…I remember…" Rage sighs closing his eyes "I was in the abyss and I could hear you…it gave me the strength to overcome my own Darkness…" the red hedgehog frowns.
"What happened to you anyway?" Hikari asks.
"Dex and Vlagh…" Rage says in a low angered tone.
"Hold on." Sonic says "You defeated the both ages ago!"
"Vlagh cannot be killed, only returned to a formless shape…" Shadow says.
"I'm not sure I follow…" Hikari says. "What did they have to do with it…?"
"They triggered it." Rage says "They want to return to Mobius…and lay claim to it. We have to make sure Eggman doesn't use the same device he used to trap us here to bring them to Mobius!"
"I don't think that will be a problem." Hikari says. "Eggmanland is gone."
"That device isn't in Eggmanland…it's part of his White Acropolis base…" Sonic says. "Or was it the Icecap Mountains one…?"
"Doesn't matter." Rage says "So long as they have the ability to…Dr. Eon will not stop. Vlagh's whispers have already set in…this was all his plan…it was perfect…"
"Perfect? Pssh year right!" Sonic chuckles.
"Care to fill us in?" Shadow asks.
"It was their plan all along to trap us here like this and get me to turn…" Rage sighs "I turn, kill you two then they march onto Mobius using Eggman's help with next to nothing to stand in my way…"
"But they didn't factor in Hikari…" Sonic chuckles
"We've made enough chit chat…" Shadow says.
"I agree…we should go back to Mobius." Hikari agrees "There's people waiting…"