Shadow the Hedgehog of the Colossus
Chapter 14: Pelagia
Just as Shadow predicted, the next chapter in the past life of Maria Robotnik was the arrival of Black Doom and the role he played in his creation.
Initially, Gerald's fellow researchers who persuaded him to delve into Project Shadow and take charge began to doubt its success, even with Gerald's brilliant mind on their side. In the first stages of Project Shadow, Gerald researched the Chaos Emeralds and the Chaos Drive he invented in their attempts to apply Chaos Energy to living beings.
Their first attempt to create the Ultimate Lifeform resulted in the Biolizard, or Lucy 2 as Maria has dubbed it. Though they were able to make it immortal, the unstable Chaos Energy caused it to grow too large and drive the creature to madness. Forcing Gerald to seal it away forever.
Though he would never admit it to anyone, Gerald felt Project Shadow was the one project he couldn't tackle. At least not alone. At the end of the last segment, Shadow stood with Gerald and Maria when the Black Comet passed by the Earth.
At some point, Gerald will contact Black Doom, the leader of the Black Arms extraterrestrial race from the Black Comet and ask for his help.
Right of this moment, Shadow was standing in one of the ARK's hallways upon returning to the dream/memory world. Maria was standing up against a wall with her eyes closed and hands covering her face. She was counting up to a hundred. She and Abraham appeared to be playing a fun game of hide and seek to help pass the time, and Maria was it.
"97. 98. 99. 100! Ready or not, here I come!" Maria shouted out loud, only to immediately regret it when a few adults shushed her with their fingers on their lips.
Maria's cheeks blushed red slightly in response to this embarrassment and wasted no time looking for Abraham. She ventured into some of the labs, looking into the cupboards, storage units, and other potential hiding places he could be in.
Shadow already found out where the young G.U.N Commander was hiding. He was inside the empty suitcase stored in the walk-in closet in his parents' bedroom. His barely audible giggles were what gave him away. One of Shadow's not-at-all-mentioned abilities was his enhanced senses like sight and sound. Until he started battling the Colossi, he'd been taking all of his feats for granted. Something he will never do again should by some miracle he survive the end of the Forbidden Spell.
Maria was starting to give up hope of finding him. Her new friend was really good at hiding which wasn't surprising given his smaller stature. But one of his biggest weaknesses was his inability to contain his excitement. That finally gave Maria the opportunity she needed to locate him and open the suitcase, exposing him to the ARK.
"Aww, you found me… Best three out of five?" He suggested, hoping to get another chance to beat her.
"Not a chance. I won fair and square. You may be good at hiding, but there's a limit on how many places you can hide without disturbing the other residents. Besides, I'm getting bored of that game. Let's play something else."
Although he was a little disappointed, Abraham agreed to play a different game. This time he is confident he will win. "Ok, let's play tag instead." He then pokes Maria's arm and declares her "it". He then races out of his parents' quarters and out into the hallway, teasing her to try and catch her if he can.
Maria puffs her cheeks in annoyance. She hadn't agreed to play Tag and she had no say in who should be "It" first. But she had no time to process how annoying and cocky Abe was getting and chased after him.
Shadow wasn't too far behind her and watched as she managed to catch up to the young Commander, who was taunting her by shaking his rear at her whilst blowing a raspberry. This only infuriated Maria even more, prompting her legs to pick up the pace and catch him. It was personal now. Nobody makes fun of her and gets away from it.
Abraham kicks his legs up as he blasts past several scientists and civilians walking past. One man shouted at him for running in the halls, which was one of the rules of the station.
He was so caught up in avoiding Maria that he accidentally wandered into a private room in the science labs. He stopped in his tracks as he realised he was now standing in a dark, narrow hall in the lab with a few lights above, dimly lighting it. Up ahead was a heavy door with a single round window. There was a bright yellow light shining through it on the other side. He can also hear the faint sounds of two individuals conversing.
He turned around to see if Maria was still chasing him, but she was nowhere to be seen. Shadow was three feet behind him, staring at him. The two of them were equal in height. Ironic considering when they first met in the present decade, he was looking down at him whilst pointing a gun to his head. But he wasn't able to see him this time. He didn't even know a black hedgehog was staring at him in this dark corridor.
But if what he was told from the commander in the future was accurate, he may see him soon. He walks down the dark corridor and finds himself in a big, round room. At the centre of it was the door he saw earlier. Around it was a wall of plexiglass. Through it, he was able to catch a glimpse of what/who was inside.
His curiosity started turning to fear at the sight of what his mismatched eyes saw. One of the voices he'd heard didn't belong to a human or Mobian. It was an alien being. It had jet-black skin and a legless body with three bestial eyes, twin horns with red tips, a set of spins on its scalp, three-fingered hands with sharp claws and no lips. For attire, the creature wore a dark brown worn robe with blackish brown shoulder pads and golden accents, a maroon drape scarf with tattoo markings hanging from the back, golden chains with a set of silver-spiked medallions possessing a gem, and a double black cord necklace with red, blue, and purple ornaments on one and golden and silver pendants in the other.
"Black Doom," Shadow muttered to himself, identifying the alien. It had been a long time now since he'd foiled his plans to destroy the Earth. Seeing him again sent a shiver up his spine and into his brain. It was as if he could feel his influence over him again.
From this angle, Abraham can only see him. He can't see who the alien being was talking with or whatever else lies beyond the door. He was scared to get any closer out of fear of that monster seeing him, but he needed to find out what was going on in that room.
He slowly approaches the door and peers inside through the window. On the other side of the door was a machine. It appeared to be some kind of growth pod attached to a huge generator. On the sides of it were smaller test tubes that contained crystals. Shadow recognised them as the Chaos Drives Gerald developed to provide the Chaos Energy required to power the device. They were a substitute for the Chaos Emeralds which weren't in their possession.
He then discovers that the one Black Doom was talking to was Gerald Robotnik. Together, the two of them appeared to be working on something. And he had a feeling that "something" was whatever resided within that pod. Abraham slowed his breathing and listened in on their conversation.
"So, tell me, Gerald. What do you think of my Ultimate Lifeform?"
Gerald examines the specimen through the glass lid thoroughly. Compared to the prototype, he was not expecting it to turn out so small. On top of that, he was not expecting a new life form comprised of alien DNA and Chaos Energy to be a Mobian hedgehog. A hedgehog that carries the Black Arms' black and red pattern.
"I have to admit, when you first told me that the true Ultimate Lifeform was going to be another Mobian Hedgehog I had my doubts. But after looking over its genetic structure and a simulation of its abilities, I have to say that I am proud I came to you for assistance."
"Good." Black Doom places his three-fingered hand on the console and brings up video footage of Shadow on the computer screen. Inside the pod he was put in a deep sleep, allowing the machine to look into his mind and display his dreams.
"I don't remember having dreams when I first awakened." Shadow spoke aloud though nobody could hear him. The screen then shows Shadow skating across an open field of grass and performing homing attacks on a couple of scarecrows as he passes by.
"Those aren't even my memories. Do they belong to someone else, or were they conjured up by Black Doom to demonstrate my powers?" He questioned.
"What I can't seem to understand is why choose a Mobian hedgehog as the template for the Ultimate Lifeform. They possess no regenerative capabilities." Gerald questioned his alien guest.
"Hahahaha. You humans always fail to see the obvious when it comes to developing your species… Your kind share this planet with creatures that are better tuned with the Chaos Emeralds. The outstanding quality of Mobians is that many possess powers and abilities, physical and magical, ranging from super speed to super strength. You wanted a creature that could harness the Chaos Emerald's energy whilst being immune to all diseases and flaws. That is exactly what I've given you."
"But what about your blood? What purpose does that serve?" Gerald questioned him.
"My species are genetically superior to all life forms in the universe. I in particular have the god-like capability to harness the emerald's powers at will. I can utilise Chaos Control with just one emerald, whilst Mobians can only harness it with all seven. With the power of the emeralds, my blood, the Mobian DNA you've acquired, and your knowledge combined, we have created a being truly worthy of the title Ultimate Lifeform."
"Yes. I believe we have." Gerald nodded in agreement. At long last he was able to succeed in Project Shadow and is one massive leap closer to curing Maria of her Neuro-immune Deficiency Syndrome.
Black Doom allows him the honour of waking their creation from his slumber and bringing him into the universe. But as Gerald was reaching for the lever, he was stopped by his aforementioned partner.
"Do not forget our deal, Gerald. I've done my part. Now you must uphold your end."
"I haven't forgotten. I will have Shadow deliver you the seven Chaos Emeralds in the next fifty years when you return."
"Shadow?" Abraham thought to himself.
"I see you have already named the final product of our experiment." Black Doom stated.
"Yes." He pulls on the lever, deactivating the stasis generators. The pod past Shadow was sleeping in rises, giving the young G.U.N Commander a perfect view of what's inside it. What he saw rocked him to his core.
"I have decided to name him after the project itself. Shadow… Shadow the Hedgehog." He declared proudly as Past Shadow slowly opened his eyes and flexed his gloved fingers. The first thing he noticed was not Gerald or Black Doom. It was Abraham. Gazing into his heterochromia eyes.
Abraham trembles with fear and backs away from the window. Shadow's deathly crimson glare hadn't shifted away from him once. He continued to scurry backwards until he unknowingly fazes through the present Shadow and bumps into Maria who finally managed to find him.
She grabs his shoulders so suddenly, purposely trying to jump-scare him whilst also declaring he was now "It" to get back at him for running away from her. But instead of acknowledging the game, a very spooked Abraham turns around and faces her whilst breathing rapidly. He could feel his heart beating faster than usual. He was having a panic attack.
"Abraham, what's wrong? I'm sorry I scared you. I just wanted you to see how it felt when you ran away from me like that-
"M-Monster!" He timidly cries out before breaking free of Maria's grasp and running out of the lab screaming.
Shadow wasn't sure how to respond to what he just saw. He started to understand why the commander was so persistent in calling him evil and wanting him dead. He was afraid of him. And he can understand why. He was essentially one of the most powerful beings in the world. Humanity itself feared his power.
He remembered when he confronted Mephilis in the future where Iblis destroyed the world. He showed him a certain point in time when the world would turn against him despite all the good he's done for them over the years. They used Iblis's takeover as an excuse to hunt him down and imprison him. They needed someone to blame for it, and he was the obvious choice.
But he made it clear to the dark half of Solaris that if the world chooses to become his enemy, he will fight like he always has.
Instead of chasing after Abraham, Maria instead chose to have a look at the supposed monster he claimed to have seen. But when she peered through the window, all she saw was her grandfather helping Past Shadow out of the pod holding him upright until he gained some strength in his legs. Black Doom was gone. Abraham's anxiety must've alerted them to his presence, forcing the leader of the Black Arms to return to the Black Comet. Never to return until the next fifty years.
Gerald notices Maria standing there and beckons his right index finger, asking her to come in. Maria hesitated at first, unsure what to think of the strange new being standing in the centre of the room. But her grandfather assured her that she was in no danger and this creature wouldn't harm her or anyone.
Present Shadow followed Maria inside and was surprised to see his past self standing still, blankly looking down at the floor. He appeared to still be in the process of adjusting to the world around him, mentally questioning who he is and what his purpose for existing is.
"Grandfather… what is this thing?"
"Now, Maria, that is no way to introduce yourself to the newest member of our colony." Past Shadow's ears twitched in response, prodding him to gaze up at his maker. "Shadow the Hedgehog, meet my granddaughter, Maria Robotnik. Maria, this is Shadow. The Ultimate Lifeform. And the cure to your mother's sickness."
Maria's eyes widen slightly. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. He finally did it. Gerald had succeeded where every other scientist had failed. He'd created the true Ultimate Lifeform and finally made good on his promise to cure her.
Gerald encourages her to come a little closer and formally greet the newly born black hedgehog. Maria smiled and approached Past Shadow holding her right arm out to him. Past Shadow just stood there and stared at it, unsure what she wanted him to do.
"Oh, you're supposed to grab my hand and shake it." She explained.
"…Why?" Past Shadow questioned with confusion.
"I… I don't know. People do it when they meet each other. It's how we say hello."
"I see." Past Shadow slowly raises his right arm and gently grabs hers. She then took charge of this next part and moved both their arms up and down a few times before letting go.
"It's nice to meet you, Shadow the Hedgehog. I hope we can be friends."
"What are friends?" He asked.
Present Shadow chuckled in response to how clueless his past self was. He was like a self-learning robot who'd just come off the assembly line and activated. It was weird seeing who he used to be and comparing it to everything he's learned today. They're like two completely different beings.
Gerald soon speaks up and directs Past Shadow's attention towards him. He looked like he was about to explain something to him, but Present Shadow was denied the chance to see it play out, for the whole room around him started glowing bright white. This segment was over and it was time for him to wake up. This annoyed him greatly. It was almost the equivalent of someone switching off the TV just when a really good moment was about to be displayed, leading to an intense backlash from the viewer and the jerk who thought it was funny.
But Shadow accepted his time was up and was willing to wait until after he slays the next Colossus to see what happens next.
Shadow's eyes open much more slowly this time as he appears to be taking his time in getting back up. His body was getting weaker with every awakening. It's the exact opposite of how a person feels after they've had a full night's rest. Feeling well rested and refreshed. He just felt more exhausted.
"You seem tired, mortal hedgehog." Dormin addressed him as he sat upright on the floor. Shadow looks down at his hands. They were shaking. He could feel the last of his powers fading away. He was completely mortal now.
"My powers are all gone… I can feel it. I've never felt like this before. Is this what it feels like to be mortal?" His hands continued to tremble with fatigue. "I pity them. How do they live with such fragile bodies?" He wondered.
"That we cannot answer. We art immortal, like thou once were. We art as unsure as thou."
Shadow turns towards the statues of the Colossi. Only five were still standing. He was so close to ending this, and yet so far. His whole body felt tired, making the simple act of standing up much more difficult.
It was then he remembered he still had two and a half of the special strength-boosting elixirs he made to help him out. He already used half of the first bottle to heal his burns after he defeated Basaran. It did the job he was expecting of it like a charm. He might as well finish it off and regain some strength for his next battle, expecting the next Colossus to be giant again. Celosia may be a one-off for all he knew.
He rummages through his satchel and pulls out the half-empty bottle, removes the cork, and downs the rest of it. His face contorted in response to the foul taste of the contents, but he held his nerve and swallowed it all. It tasted terrible, but all medicine usually does, he thought.
"Thy next foe is … Paradise floats upon the lake … A silent being wields thunder … A moving bridge to cross the higher ground."
Thunder? That's just what Shadow was hoping to avoid hearing. Kuromori and Basaran all wielded energy attacks but Shadow still had some of his powers he could rely on to counter them. But now he has nothing but his sword, bow, arrows, and what little strength he has left. From this moment on, the Colossi will be a serious threat to him and his fragile body.
Shadow approaches the exit and whistles for Agro, who responds immediately and assumes the position for him to climb aboard. The black hedgehog was relieved he didn't have to explain himself again to her. She knew he was getting flimsier judging from the way he climbed her back compared to the first time she'd carried him.
She races out into the open and follows the direction of the sacred sword, which was taking them back towards the swirly she'd taken him across earlier. Only this time there were more faint beams of light pointing towards the sky. Hard to believe how many Colossi have died in such a short amount of time.
Up ahead they spotted two pillars that acted as an archway for another stone bridge over a massive flowing river. Across the bridge, they soon enter a forest. Agro slows her pace once inside to avoid any collisions with trees and rocks. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally knock Shadow off and let him plummet into the river below. It had strong rapids too so there'd be no swimming out of it for him. If he can swim.
"Turn here." Shadow ordered as he pointed the sword towards the right.
Argos follows the blade and comes to a halt when she reaches a cliffside. There was another pathway large enough for her to run down, but she took her time traversing it.
They followed the path along until they came across a large waterfall that was flowing over an ancient dam built by the Colossus Clan. The sword's light was pointing towards it. the next Colossus was somewhere in the centre of that Echidna-made lake.
Shadow lightly pulls on her mane to stop her as they reach a dead end. The entrance to the lake area was blocked off by a large boulder. He scans the pathway, trying to find another way in. The edges of the pillar on the rock's right side looked climbable. He can get in that way, though he'll have to abandon Agro again.
She seemed to have the same thought, as she settled on turning around and heading back the moment Shadow jumped off. Again he was pleased he didn't have to explain the obvious to her. By now she should get the gist of what must be done should the route be closed off to her.
Shadow watched her leave as he shimmied around the pillar to the other side of the dam entrance. The path only took him so far as the lake was revealed to be much larger than he anticipated. It was even bigger than the one Hydrus was swimming in.
He was too weak to swim all the way there. He needed to conserve what stamina he had for the battle with the next Colossus, Pelagia. Luckily for him, his hover shoes still worked.
He backs himself up a few feet before performing a run jump over the ledge and into the cold water. He landed feet first hoping the shoes would catch him in midair and allow him to stand on the water, and it still did. However, it did not prevent him from getting wet. His powers often kept him warm in cold conditions, but now that they're gone, he can feel the chill.
At his own mortal pace, Shadow skates across the water, following the sword's light. The beam ended right in the centre of the lake where four stone platforms were placed.
The Colossus was sleeping in the centre of them at the bottom of the lake. Its eyes glowed in response to sensing the sword's presence. The lakebed rumbled as it slowly ascended to the surface. Shadow braced himself for any sudden attacks from below the surface, clutching the sword tightly in his right hand.
Pelagia slowly rose from the centre of the lake, revealing the entirety of its bizarre body to the Ultimate Lifeform. All the Colossi he battled resembled creatures of some kind. Some were mythical while others looked like creatures that exist today. But Pelagia looked the most alien to him compared to the others.
For one thing, he had eyestalks on the side of his head instead of the usual glowing orbs. It was another quadruped from what he could tell. Half of its body was still submerged so it was hard to see its legs. Its head looked like a knight's helmet with a flattop head with large teeth atop its edges. It had a slopped back covered in what either looked like green fur, grass, or moss. Its underside looked like reptilian skin, and its legs were made of stone armour that had the appearance of a coral reef. A truly unnatural beast indeed.
The blue eyestalks changed to orange once he'd spotted him standing atop the broken platform closest to where he just come in. A low grumbling sound emanated from the Colossus. Electricity was charging up within its eyestalks and converging out of the ends and into the centre, forming a ball of energy.
Shadow leaps off the platform just as it fires a ball of built-up lightning towards it, reducing what was left of it to rubble that started to sink. Shadow skates around Pelagia and points the sword up, hoping to locate the symbol he needs to strike before it can attack again.
The symbol was nowhere to be seen on its back or head, which meant it had to be somewhere on its front.
"Damnit." He frustratedly exclaimed once he realised where the symbol was located. It was on its belly which was submerged in water and out of his reach. Diving down would be a bad idea as he could get crushed whilst down there. And with his limited stamina, he won't be able to hold his breath for long periods. He'll have to find a way to force the Colossus to reveal its weak spot.
Pelagia slowly turns himself around trying to locate the desecrator of his home. But every time he does so, Shadow skates around him, trying to reach his back. He grabs a hold of the grass – or whatever was growing out of his back – and starts to climb it.
The bizarre Colossus shakes its body side to side, trying to shake him off. Shadow increased the pressure of his grip and held on as tightly as he could whilst his legs were being swished sideways. He took his time reaching the top of its head. Rushing things would only result in him falling into the lake and drowning. Provided Pelagia did squash him first.
As he closes in on the top, Shadow comes up with a strategy on how to defeat Pelagia. All he could come up with so far was using the platforms to lure the beast into a position where he'd have to expose its underside. Though how he can get it to do that he hasn't figured out yet.
When Shadow attempts to stand up on its head, Pelagia starts shaking again. Shadow slips and hits the back of his head on one of the giant teeth around its rim. The tooth vibrated, sending an uncomfortable sensation throughout the giant's body. Pelagia groaned as his head shifted towards the left of the lake.
"So, it doesn't like getting hit in the teeth, huh? Hmm, maybe I can use this to my advantage and guide the beast towards one of those structures."
Shadow holds onto the moss beneath his feet with his left hand and uses his other to smack the right-side tooth with his sword, sending out an even more agonising vibration throughout the Colossi's body.
Pelagia shifts its whole body to the right towards the nearest platform. Shadow repeats this process by striking the centre teeth, forcing it to move forward. He kept this up until he was just within jumping range of the platform.
Now that he has reached the platform, he has to find a way to lure the Colossus into attacking him. He tried waving the sword at it, but that only provoked it into charging up another plasma blast. The black hedgehog ducks for cover behind the broken end of the pillar in the centre of the platform, using it as a shield.
Only when firing energy blasts is Pelagia unable to seek out his prey. After discharging the blast, it started looking around for him. But the not-so Ultimate Lifeform was nowhere to be seen.
"Over here!" Shadow shouted out from behind his hiding spot. He hoped that may provoke the Colossus into trying to attack him head-on rather than rely on its thunder strikes again.
The Colossus sinks a few feet into the water before lunging out and onto the platform, using its two large, stone front legs to keep itself upright. Its underside was now completely exposed to him. The symbol was resting on the only part of his belly that was covered in fur in between a stone ribcage.
Shadow dashes out of his hiding spot and dashes the target. Pelagia begins to charge up another blast but isn't quick enough to hit Shadow. With his sword in hand, Shadow leaps onto the mossy stomach and plunges the sword right in the centre. Pelagia groans with pain as it brings down the platform it is holding itself up on.
Its body started to go limp as the black smoke exited its body. Shadow quickly jumps away and lands in the water this time and watches as Pelagia's body begins to sink to the bottom of the lake. Its eyestalks go dark, the final sign that another of the mighty Colossi is now sleeping with the fishes.
Shadow quickly reactivates his hover shoes and skates over to another platform before the tendrils can reach him. He'd rather pass out on dry land than risk drowning. Thankfully he made it just in time.
Back at the Colossus Clan village, Knuckles, Tails, Silver, and Blaze were still waiting patiently in the confines of their prison cell. A whole day had gone by since they first arrived here. They were bored out of their minds. The cell was empty apart from the piles of hay they were forced to sleep on. They had nothing to eat but pieces of the guards would pass through the bars twice a day. Though they were their prisoners, they were still grateful to them for warning them of Shadow's actions in the Forbidden Lands.
And how do they repay them? By locking them up in a dungeon, all so they couldn't warn Shadow of Lord Emon and his approaching troop.
Sooner or later, Knuckles couldn't handle the silence anymore and attempted to pull on his chains in the hopes of ripping it out of the wall. But they wouldn't budge. That didn't stop him from trying again.
"Knuckles, it's no use." Silver spoke out, interrupting him. "These aren't ordinary chains. They have some kind of effect that nullify our powers, including your super strength."
"Well, what else are we supposed to do? Sit around twiddling our thumbs, waiting for Emon to kill Shadow?!"
"That's all any of us can do at the moment." Blaze intervened. She turns to Tails, hoping he has some good news to calm Knuckles's temper. "You certain your message got through to the others back home?"
"I'm positive. Vanilla should've delivered my message to Sonic by now… He's usually never this late."
"How do you even know she's gone to Sonic for help?" Silver questioned.
"It's the most logical choice. Who else would she send?"
Moments after asking that, the group were startled by the sounds of guards grunting in the distance, followed by a couple of echoed thuds. Blaze inches towards the bars to see what it is since she was chained closest to the door. To her left she spotted the two Echidna guards standing outside their cell on the floor unconscious. At least she hoped they were.
She was then shocked to see the keyring one of them had come to life and float towards the door. The keys individually moved around the ring until one of them floated towards the keyhole, turned the lock, and opened the door.
At first, they couldn't explain what was going on. Silver wasn't using his psychokinesis to levitate them due to the power-dampening chains, so what was it?
It all became clear to them the moment they saw four ninja stars appear in the air and fly towards them. They all squint their eyes and look away thinking they were gonna hit them, but they were aiming for the chains that bound their arms and legs. The shurikens slice through the chains as if they were made of paper, freeing them from their shackles.
"Thanks for freeing us, Espio." Silver addressed the floating keys.
It was then that the purple chameleon made himself visible before them. He didn't have to ask how he figured out it was him. The ninja stars were a dead giveaway.
"Wait. Vanilla sent you to save us?" Tails asked.
"Not just me. Vector and Charmy are here too. Vector is guarding the Tornado whilst Charmy is keeping the guards at the front gates distracted, allowing me to sneak in undetected."
"But what about Sonic?"
"He was unavailable. You know how he is." Espio reaches behind him and pulls the tracking device he used to locate them out of who knows where. "I believe this is yours."
He tosses it over to the two-tailed fox who managed to catch it like it was nothing.
"Well, at least you managed to bring this back. Thanks."
"What is it?" Knuckles asked.
"It's a device I built to shut off the Tornado's security system. It needs my retinal scan to work, otherwise, anyone who gets their hands on it can just take my plane." He explains as he holds the device up to his eyes. A green beam shoots out the top above the screen and scans his irises.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get outta here and back to the Tornado." Silver declared.
"He's right. Charmy can't keep the guards outside distracted forever. The sooner we get out of here, the better." Espio stated.
Outside the dungeons and the whole of the Colossus Clan's villages, Charmy was hovering in front of the watch towers, distracting the Echidna stationed there. He was pretending to be a sad and scared little boy who'd gotten lost in the woods and was crying for their mother. The two Echidna just look at each other with confusion about what they should do. They can't lock him up for trespassing, but they can't just let him in either. If Lord Emon were still here, he'd help settle this debate.
Things started getting really out of hand when Charmy started sharing with them a life story of how he was abandoned by his parents as part of the plan to buy Espio more time.
"… And then he told me I wouldn't amount to anything. Well, guess what, Dad? I am now part of a famous detective agency…"
The two Echidna were starting to grow bored with his constant yapping. They could feel their eyelids getting heavy and the strength in their legs fading away. This bumblebee was gonna bore them to death.
As he was blabbering on, Charmy spotted Blaze, Silver, Tails and Knuckles flying over the village walls from the top of the temples. Espio was being carried by Silver's psychokinesis. He was pleased to see they made it out undetected. All he had to do now was think of an excuse to get away from here.
"Argh! I can't take it anymore!" One of the Echidnas shouted out loud, finally shutting the bee up. "Look, if we pretend we never saw you, will you please shut up and quit bugging us?!"
Charmy glances back at where the others were escaping over the southern part of the wall before addressing the guards again. "Oh, sure thing. It was nice chatting with you guys. See ya!" He waved back at them as he turned his stinger to them and flew back into the forest.
The two Echidna sigh with relief. Finally, they were able to get rid of that annoying little pest. Maybe now they can get some peace.
"SOUND THE ALARM! THE PRISONERS HAVE ESCAPED!"
All the Echidna nearby turn their attention towards one of the guards monitoring the dungeons. He sprinted straight for the front gates the moment he'd discovered the guards outside the cell they were in passed out and the cell empty.
The Echidna Warrior in the bell tower in the centre of the village grabs hold of a rope and pulls on it, ringing the bell loud and clear for the entire village to hear, alerting them to the prisoners' escape.
The bell ringing was so loud that it managed to reach the escaped Mobians who were racing down the hill towards the open fields where the Tornado was parked. They all pick up the pace, expecting to see a huge mob of tribal warriors chasing after them.
Espio and Charmy encourage the others to keep going while they uncover Eggman's pod. They'll be needing it to get themselves out since the Tornado wasn't big enough for all of them, especially Vector.
They quickly scrape off all the leaves they've covered it with and get into the pod. Espio struggles to get it airborne, prompting Charmy to wanna have a go.
"Charmy, let go of the throttle!"
"You're flying it wrong! Let me do it!"
As they argued, the Egg Pod started flying side to side as they were pulling the steering towards themselves, whilst somehow guiding it towards the open field.
As for Vector, he was impatiently tapping his foot on the soft grass with his arms folded, wondering what was taking them so long. They were due back ages ago, he thought. He even looked down at his wrist, checking the time even though he had no watch on, as a show of how impatient he'd become.
Suddenly, out of the blue, Tails and the others arrive from above, making a quick descent towards the plane. Finally, he thought to himself, though he hadn't noticed the look of desperation on their faces.
"There you guys are. No need to thank us, It's all in a days-
"Vector, move out of the way!" Tails shouted down at him as he held out the device. He presses the big red button under the screen to deactivate the invisible forcefield.
He quickly enters the cockpit and starts the plane up. Knuckles hops in the backseat and Silver and Blaze clamp onto the wings.
"Hurry, Tails! They're coming!" Knuckles reminded him in a rushed tone.
"No. We have to wait for Espio and Charmy. We can't just leave them here." Blaze intervened.
"Where even are they?" Silver wondered.
"There they are." Vector pointed towards the sky behind them and spotted the Egg Pod shimmying side to side as it was coming in for a hard landing.
Silver reaches out with his psychokinesis and manages to catch the pod before it crashes, which could've led to Team Chaotix being stranded. He then uses his free hand to levitate Vector into the cockpit, getting in between Espio and Charmy, and resuming control.
He gives Silver a thumbs-up for his assistance. But he and his team were suddenly jump-scared by a flying arrow impacting the side of the pod. All parties looked down behind them and were shocked to see a huge gathering of Colossus Clan Echidna Warriors exiting the forest and quickly closing in on them.
"Tails, it's now or never!" Knuckles panicked and raised his voice.
Tails pulled back on the throttle as the Tornado had gathered enough speed to begin its ascension into the air. Archers attempted to fire more arrows at them, hoping to ground them, but Blaze and Silver burned and deflected them away.
Vector quickly assumed control of the pod and rapidly climbed higher and higher until they were well out of the archers' reach. All the Echidna could do was stand around and watch their prisoners fly away. One warrior was so annoyed by this outcome that he couldn't resist the urge to break his spear in two in frustration.
Once they were out of range of the Colossus Clan, all seven Mobians let out a long sigh of relief, finally glad to be out of there. Talk about a daring escape. Although they were out of the literal woods now, they were still not out of the metaphorical one.
"Well done, boys. Another successful case closed. Let's just head on home, drop these guys off, and head back to the office so we can enjoy those muffins Miss Vanilla made for us." Vector declared.
"But what about our money?" Charmy asked.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He assured him.
"Except we're not going home." Blaze butted in. "Now that we've escaped, we have to go to the Forbidden Lands and reach Shadow before Emon does."
"Who's Emon?" asked Charmy.
"He's the head of the Colossus Clan." Knuckles answered first. "He and his finest warriors are on their way there right now. They have a whole day's head-start ahead of us."
"We can't go after them yet." Tails intervened, drawing all eyes towards him. "If the legends behind Dormin are accurately correct, we'll need all the help we can get to defeat it if Shadow succeeds in his goal, which I believe he will… We need Sonic, the Chaos Emeralds, and as many allies as we can find."
"He makes a good point, Blaze." Silver turned to her on the opposite wing. "Dormin is a very powerful being."
Blaze nodded in agreement. If they head to the Forbidden Lands now, they can catch up with Emon and his followers, but they won't have the means to destroy Dormin if it's at all possible.
But going back to their Station Square would allow them to reach Shadow first and possibly kill him before he could finish the Forbidden Spell. Either way, they will have to deal with the shadowy entity. The best outcome would be to be prepared for their arrival.
Once all parties were in agreement, they turned their flying vehicles around and headed back to their homes. Team Chaotix even offered to extend their services by helping them stop Shadow and prevent Dormin's rising. But to do that, they require reinforcements.
But the heroes were unaware of just how close Emon and his warriors were getting to reaching the Forbidden Lands. After picking up the trail in which direction the black hedgehog had gone, they followed his tracks to the cave he'd camped out in. They find the remains of his burnt-out campfire which was now occupied by the ashes of the wood he'd burned.
Close beside the cave they happened across the trap he laid to catch prey, only to wind up catching Agro instead, which led to her carrying him and Maria the rest of the way.
They followed the tracks Agro left behind through the forest until they reached a clearing with a great view of the Shrine of Worship in the distance. Above it was a swirling cyclone of clouds closing in on a bright light. It was identical to the beams of light that hovered over the deceased Colossi after they'd been defeated.
Emon pulls the reins on his horse to slow it down. His followers all bring their horses to a stop behind him. They all gaze out over the horizon and focus specifically on the shrine.
A great sense of nostalgia washed over the elder Echidna as he looked at the shrine. It felt like forever since he'd last seen the remnants of his clan's old homelands. Many of his warriors hadn't gotten to see it until now, whilst he remembered abandoning it when he was a child. All because of Dormin. The very monster Shadow is determined to release once he slays the last remaining Colossi.
He was unsure how many of the Colossi had fallen as of right now, but as long as one of them is still alive, the ritual can never be completed. Shadow the Hedgehog must be killed for the sake of his clan and the future of the world.
"Lord Emon, is everything alright?" One of his warriors spoke up softly.
The old, redder Echidna exhaled with satisfaction, knowing their journey would be over soon. It was a long, hard trot, but it will be worth it once they get there.
"Only a little more to go." He uttered determinedly.
To Be Continued