A/N: So this was supposed to be one full chapter detailing the final battle, but as I kept coming back to write each section, I realized this chapter alone may very well breach 20k words. There's a lot going on, especially with 8 characters to keep up with, so I'm going to upload the first half as its own chapter and then give you lovelies the last bit as another installment once I finish looking it over. Funnily enough, this entire battle was actually supposed to be tacked onto the end of the previous chapter, When the Dawn Bring no Sunrise, which would have been the perfect name for everything that happened, but then the last chapter would have been a monster to get through. Like 35k words. Yeah, no. Too long. Three parts it is.
In splitting this chapter up and trying to find an extra chapter title, I fell upon a personal favorite song of mine that inspired this part of the story. This part was inspired by Let the Flames Begin by Paramore. The title is a line from the song.
Note: Regular italicized text = thoughts in characters head
Italicized and bold text = speaking through communicator
You can find art for this section here:
Girls in armor = oxamaidreamingxo/art/Battle-Ahead-The-Story-of-Amy-Rose-The-Capture-1018918130
Guys in armor = oxamaidreamingxo/art/Shadow-and-Co-Battle-Ahead-The-Story-of-Amy-Rose-1018923961
Amy's armor line art = oxamaidreamingxo/art/Battle-Ready-Amy-1018925893
Shadow's armor line art = oxamaidreamingxo/art/Battle-Ready-Shadow-1018925876
Anyways, this is what you've all been waiting for. Onward!
Chapter 15: This is What We'll Be
Sometimes we have to stand back and lead from afar, Amelia.
The echoes of her mother's lecture kept Amy from entirely drifting from the battlement her mother left her to manage. With a somber breeze beckoning her to focus and stay vigilant, she remembered her mother's stricken facial features and the subtle threat that circled her eyes before she directed the other archers and then descended the stairs to ground level where she planned to take Cream to the emergency encampments lining the outskirts of the fortress. Amy had watched them depart in a horse-drawn carriage, both the beast of burden and the walls of their transport lined with a hard protective casing, likely erected by her mother's enchanting abilities. Shifting her weight, she adjusted the golden shoulderplates that cut into her and fiddled with the fabric of her gloves, picking up her bow and leaning over to scan the battlefield from her crenel.
Holding our position on the southeast corner. Status update, Rouge?
Her heart skipped a beat as Sally's decisive voice crackled into her left ear. She blinked as she squinted at the emergency huts, medics quickly transferring what she assumed was medical supplies from hut to hut. She tried to make out the yellow of Cream's enchanted battle wear. She shifted her gaze ahead to the dark figures lining the horizon. As the land seemed to hold its breath, so did she. She expected to see a slew of soldiers crumbling to their knees, to hear the screech of a battlecry any moment now or any sign of life from the dark prince and his forces. Her chest tightened and she forced herself to close her burning eyes and lean against the stone.
Almost in position in the northeast, princess. No signs of the prince or his little cronies.
Rouge's vocal flare lifted the corner of her mouth, but a moment later, a pang hit her stomach. She wanted to be out there, beside Shadow and Sonic, trading positions with Rouge and Knuckles to give them a break, actively making a difference. She pressed her eyelids together and imagined she could see through Sally's eyes at present. She envisioned a myriad of entangled branches and gorgeous leaves, holding her body still to keep from giving away her position. She imagined the group Sally was in charge of, several volunteers from the castle guard and the young squires that plastered their light battle gear with forest brush, smearing their faces with soil as to blend in. Then the first of Riven's soldier's broke through the trees and Amy found herself launching off from her perch to meet them….
Let me know when you see that bastard. Tell him I've got somethin' for his royal ass.
As she pried her eyes open and glanced through the slit beside her, she swallowed and tried not to picture Sonic struggling under the dark prince's feet, moments from death. She shook the thought from her mind and reached up to tap the device in her ear. Before he left with everyone on the battlefield, Sonic wished her luck, promising to end things quickly before giving her a genuine hug. She found herself wishing she had said something, but words escaped her as he gave her his trademark grin moments before adjusting his helmet and dashing through the doors.
Sonikku, please be careful.
Her communicator crackled several heartbeats after she'd released the button.
I will, Ames. I will.
As she moved from her merlon and straightened her spine, she placed her finger to her communicator once more and walked the length of the battlement, paying no mind to the other archers that awaited her orders.
Riven will be looking for me and he'll likely lose his patience when he can't find me. I can only imagine he'll use any means necessary to get to me. If he gets to that point, please consider your lives, even if you have to give Riven what he wants just for a moment…
As Amy trailed off, she was interrupted by several irritated voices scrambling over her communicator, one after the other.
Not a chance, hun. You take a step onto this battlefield and your new best friend will be my boot.
Amy, I think it's best you stay out of the prince's hands so the rest of us have the chance to hand his ass to him. Please stay put this time.
Amy, please don't do anything reckless. The healing gifts the queen gave me can only do so much and if the prince has you… well…
No reckless stunts, Ames. If you do, I'll find you so fast, you won't even have time to land a hit on ol' princey, you hear?
Amy, please think about your family, your kingdom, your people. They just got you back. Your duty now is to preserve yourself for the good of your kingdom. What's best for them is that you come out of this alive. Please believe in us.
Amy couldn't help the weight that brought her heart to her stomach as their input glued her mouth shut and made her pace even faster, circling her only escape, the trap door at the center of the floor. As everyone went silent and Amy was left with their demands echoing through her, the sound of Shadow's calm and decisive voice made her halt.
Rose…
Her heart skipped a beat.
You keep your promise and I will keep mine, okay?
And then she felt her mind rewind, replaying the moment they all scattered to get into position. Shadow had caught her by the arm in the hallway on her way to put on her armor. Pulling her into an abandoned room, he had pressed her against the wall and trapped her, resting his pools of emotional ruby red on her desperately. He rubbed soothing circles into both of her arms, a gesture she interpreted as a plea to hear him out. He had asked her to give him a chance to end the dark prince before storming off to fight him herself and she obliged. No sooner did he seal their promise with a chaste kiss to her lips, then an affectionate press of his lips to her forehead, and an utterance of 'I love you' just below a whisper as though he were releasing a secret that no one else was meant to hear.
If only she could freeze that moment and never leave.
Shadow, once this begins, if I don't hear from you when I call, I won't hesitate to jump from this tower and come find you myself you hear?
Amy closed her eyes as she awaited the crackling before his reply.
I won't let it come to that. I promise.
Before she could return the sentiment, the communicator crackled to life.
Hey, don't get so worked up, lovebirds. We'll get this over with so you two can get a chance to suck-face properly.
Amy could hear the smirk in Sonic's voice and made an attempt to protest, but jolted instead. Pain shot through her heart, her breath catching as her knees buckled. With her hand pressed to the nearest wall, she slid to her knees, a few of the archers reaching out to help her.
"Ngh… what…?"
Not a moment later, the sound of shattering glass reverberated across the battlefield, rippling to every ear in a wave of enchanted noise.
We've caught sight of the first wave on the northeastern front. Preparing to engage.
Rouge's voice was tight and low. Amy pressed her back against the wall, begging the coolness of the stones to numb the pain as she attempted to respond to Rouge's announcement. Arms pressed her to sit and she found herself squinting at the foreign faces that surrounded her as she tried for words.
Please, Chaos, let them live.
~aAa~
The hard edge of a soldier reflected in Rouge's turquoise eyes. With a subtle move of her eyes, she overlooked the branches around her that were lined with Aumorians, blending in with the vegetation as they clung to the limbs of several trees, still and anxious. Rouge's arm was raised above her head already, and she counted the seconds with each step the soldier below her took. Several soldiers marched after him in tandem, each soulless body of armor a stark contrast against the beautiful forest they sought to trudge through.
Her communicator crackled.
Rouge, don't be too reckless.
One side of her lip twitched as Knuckles' tone stroked her playfully side.
Wouldn't dream of it, hun.
Rouge's arm came down in command, and only a single breath rested between her directive and the sounds of rocks and miscellaneous debris pelting the soldier's from above. The trees shook, the soldiers below took the barrage as they halted their march, and warcry rang out.
Rouge watched the debris knock the soldiers sideways and wondered just how long the attack would hold them. Before she could consider anything further, an Aumorian volunteer launched themself from their perch sooner than directed. Rouge watched the Aumorian fall onto a soldier's head, taking it to the ground before kicking it away, drawing their dull weapon and beginning their solo assault. Rouge shrugged as the last of the ammunition they brought clattered to the ground. She nodded to the rest to follow.
"Bomb's away!"
Rouge led the descent onto their heads, her wings unfurling to slow her as she unsheathed two daggers that were hidden at her sides. Right as her armored heel clicked against her first victim's head, she used her backward momentum to flip and land gracefully on the ground, her little troupe following suit. As the thudding of foot to ground rained around her, Rouge took a moment to slide a finger through the bit of cleavage that peaked through her armor, engaging the release on a spherical device and throwing it into the air.
"Take 'em South!"
As Rouge's next command was overrun by the roar of unrelenting combat, the device separated in the air, casting a mist that flooded the forest floor and dispersed among the trees. The Aumorians around her drew the attention of the soldiers around them, each taking their turns agitating the enemies around them before taking off to the right. Rouge nodded in approval before she refocused on the barrage of soldiers that headed her way now.
With a leap, Rouge took flight as a dense charge of soldier's destroyed the vegetation in the area she once stood. Coasting above them, she sought a weak point in the fray, a place where the men weren't as pressed together.
"Is this their tactic? Form an impenetrable wall and march straight through?"
As her troupe started to unpack the wall of undead enemies, launching shrapnel and throwing spears in an attempt to disperse them, she found the opening she'd hoped for. With a focused huff, she dove daggers first into the noise, catching a soldier by his shoulder pads with the tip of one dagger, pinning him to the ground. Pulling the dagger free, she kicked him away, dodging as the men around her went at her with sharp swords and curved shields. Each assault was met with air as she evaded, leaning back and then lurching forward onto her hands and launching herself over their heads. Rouge perched on a branch with a small sweat forming underneath her light armor.
"You'll have to try a bit harder than that, boys."
As about thirty soldiers directed their ire to the bat, Rouge took to the air once more, gliding South as she ambled through the brush. With cuts and leaves tacked to her skin, she glanced behind herself only once to see the men at her heels. When she looked forward, she found a branch jutting out to her and she nearly swallowed her tongue.
"Oh!"
She clipped the branch with a wing and started her downward descent, fluttering her wings awkwardly to keep herself in the air. Her trajectory sent her into a compact set of branches instead. She hit the forest floor and the impact knocked the wind out of her. She propped herself up with one arm, gasping for breath, one dagger knocked away during the impact. A thundering grumble rattled the ground and Rouge tasted the iron in her mouth.
"Shit."
As she got her feet under her, her left ear tingled as she narrowly avoided the slice of a sword. She responded with a low turn of her leg as she knocked over her offender, kicking his sword away as his followers surrounded her. As she widened her stance, one dagger in hand, she waited to see who would make the first move. Her communicator beeped.
Rouge, are you okay?
The concern in Knuckles' voice made her neck grow cold. She shook it off, grumbling as she tapped her communicator with her vacant hand.
Sorry, hun. I'm a little preoccupied.
The first soldier went for her with a shot straight forward with his weapon. Rouge moved to avoid it, only for another to assault her, the edge of their weapon hitting the enchanted armor on her hip and forcing them back into a tree with a magical recoil. Rouge was taken aback for a moment, but the soldiers were still charging her one by one.
I'll come help you.
Toe to toe with the soldier from before, Rouge pulled another gadget from a hidden pouch at her thigh, tricking the offender into coming closer before narrowly missing his downward stab as she elbowed him in the back. Shoving off of him, she turned in the air and landed on another soldier's back, sticking something to his helmet. She launched off of his back and caught the air under her wings, an urgent need to escape overtaking her. The heavy clank of armor against the ground followed her. She tapped the communicator impatiently.
Don't. Stick to the plan. I'll be okay.
Right as she released the communicator, she caught the glint of her other dagger. She dipped to retrieve it only for an explosion to sound behind her. Feeling she was still a bit too close, she took off. The shockwaves from the explosion still caught her though, and the bat found herself forced to the ground, her back burning.
"Ugh."
Struggling to stand, the ground thundered again and Rouge nearly let her face return to the dirt. Gripping both daggers fiercely, she spit the grass from her mouth, wiping her chin with the back of her arm. Facing the smoke, she squinted, daring anything to come at her now.
Three soldiers emerged, the first managing to swipe through Rouge's arm, drawing blood, but she stabbed into his helmet as a result. She kicked him away and took on the next, wavering slightly as she paired just enough to knock his sword to the side and knock him over. The third overtook her, shoving her to the ground with both hands to her shoulders, no sword in hand. Rouge squirmed, trying to get both feet on his stomach to shove him off, but his hands slid to her neck and the bat was preoccupied with getting air to her lungs.
"N-no. Get off…"
Just as black dots started to spot her vision, a nearly soundless triple swipe severed the air above her and the grip on her neck loosened. Without hesitating, Rouge got her feet underneath him and shoved as hard as she could. As she sat up and massaged her neck with a cough, something red and brown shielded her, a royal blue cape following behind her savior.
"Are you okay, Rouge?"
The bat got to her feet, eyeing Sally as she aimed her rapier at the soldier Rouge had shoved away. He looked like nothing more than an abandoned suit of armor now, but they knew better. The armor shuddered and came to life before their eyes, each piece collecting in just the right place before taking the form of a knight. Rouge's eyes met Sally's blue ones as the chipmunk turned her head to her a moment, her short battle skirt fluttering over her armored thighs as she pivoted at the hip to help her. Rouge shook her head, grabbing her abandoned daggers and bracing herself for the next onslaught.
"Just peachy. Let's get these freaks to the next line of defense so they can go to their graves."
Soon they were surrounded, but back to back they took on the assault, soon joined by the Aumorians that were under their command. With the combined effort, they managed to disperse the soldiers and divert their attention from attacking to chasing. Sally sliced at a duo of soldiers trying to surround her and then she took off in the other direction, waving her rapier for Rouge to follow.
"I'm going ahead!"
Rouge, airborne as she finished stabbing a soldier, nodded to the princess, turning her wrist to check the small compass strapped tight under her armored sleeve. She clicked her tongue, reaching to touch her communicator, following the wave of soldiers.
Got some stragglers headed your way, partner. I'll try to rendezvous with you once we start clearing the area.
~aAa~
He steeled himself internally at Rouge's announcement.
Shadow stood unblinking as the wind kicked up dust in front of him. His rubies pierced through the debris as he eyed the lining of the trees. He did half a rotation to his right and started to walk, his eyes still fixated on the brush as he clicked the communicator in his ear. The sleek edge of his gray armor found no light reflecting off of it as the clouds and dust floating above the Omniprotectant refused to let any sun rays through.
How many have made it past you, Rouge?
Shadow cocked his head to the right as a white flash caught his attention.
Just a handful so far. We directed a few southwest, but who knows if they'll make it before trying to reroute to the fortress, looking for Amy. Some might be headed your way though, so give 'em hell.
As Argentine approached the ebony on horseback, Shadow's brow furrowed and stuck the lance that was conjured for him into the ground. He crossed his arms and regarded the white prince with disapproval as Argentine dismounted while the horse was still in motion, brandishing a broad sword with a look to and fro.
"Is he here?"
Shadow shook his head, placing a hand on the prince's shoulder to stop him.
"You shouldn't be here. Leave Riven to me," Shadow said.
Argentine met Shadow's eyes with a determined fire glistening within his own.
"No. I will not sit by idly while Prince Riven runs amuck, wrecking havoc," Argentine muttered, knowing very well the ultimate life form could hear his defiant statement.
Shadow released his hold on the prince, watching as he stalked up to the woods, taking a fighting stance and waiting. With a sigh, Shadow plucked the lance from the ground and stood by the prince's side. Shadow twitched an ear to the rustling in the distance.
"The first few soldiers will be upon us momentarily. Prepare yourself."
Prince Argentine nodded without looking at Shadow, only a few calm seconds binding them before combat took them.
Shh!
The ground rumbled beneath them and several soldiers emerged from the brush swords at the ready and dents in their armor. Shadow tensed and prepared to attack with the lance, but Argentine beat him to the punch. The white prince lurched forward with a cry, his cape masking his swift attack.
"Where is he, you fiends? Do not coddle your master and fight his battles for him. Show me the dark prince!"
Shadow watched as Argentine attacked each soldier as they advanced, taking down each with a parry, a slash to the neck and a kick to the chest. Shadow blinked back his surprise, his eyes darting to each soldier as they broke through the trees, only for the white prince to meet them a second later with a deadly offense. Shadow would have left him to his assault and moved to another line of trees to manage, but he knew better. Not ten seconds passed before the prince's victim's began to twitch with life.
"Chaos spear!"
Shadow took aim and started cleaning up after the prince, following his trail as he laid waste to Riven's men.
~aAa~
"Princess, please. You shouldn't stand. Please just rest for now. We will call for your mother."
After pushing the demanding hands away, Amy counted to three and hoisted herself up from the floor. Her vision blurred, but she blinked feverishly until her eyes cleared. She reached for her bow, but only found air. As she coaxed the worried archer's into leaving her be, she moved away from their incessant hands and leaned over to look through a crenel.
"Are they here?" she asked herself.
She squinted into the distance, checking for soldiers on the horizon, but the trees only rustled, their tips rocking unevenly. She had heard Rouge's announcement, but was sure she heard the clashing in the distance grow louder, headed toward the warfront. She peered out at the line of trees and she could barely make out a few figures weaving in and out of the brush.
"Princess, should we get you mother? We can send a magical flare that only she will see so she know to return to the tower-"
"No… please, I'm okay. I think when the Omniprotectant was breached, I felt the effects. I did help my mother restore it, so that might explain the pain," Amy responded.
She moved away from the young archer and headed over to her own crenel, her bow in hand. As she peered out at the front, she combed it diligently with her eyes, watching the treeline, then checking the makeshift medical huts and then back to the trees. After her third look through, she held her breath as several of Riven's soldier's broke through the tree line.
"It's begun!"
The archer closest to her lifted her bow and took aim after her outburst. Amy touched the archer's shoulder as she questioned the archer's action with her eyes.
"Hold your fire! They aren't close enough to-"
The archer released their enchanted arrow. Amy jolted back at the motion, shielding her head as the kickback from the arrow rippled the air, tossing her quills into disarray. She blinked through her confusion and followed the arrow and watched as it seemed to guide itself to the treeline in the distance, without losing its momentum. Amy's breath caught as the blue tail of the arrow dissipated, a sharp noise just audible as it pierced its target on the battlefield.
"Oh," Amy breathed.
The archer dropped her bow and bowed nervously.
"P-princess, please forgive me. I didn't mean to disobey your command. I thought only if I could be o-of use now that Riven's men are here…"
Amy shook her head and pulled her own bow up, reaching to prompt the archer to stand.
"No, I misunderstood. Everyone, take aim! Keep Riven's men back at all costs and keep them away from the healing huts!"
As glistening ammunition began to rain from the tower down to the war front and beyond, Amy took aim with her own bow, pretending to knock an invisible arrow as her mother had briefly instructed her. As she drew back, a fiery red magical essence, sharp at the tip and rippling with energy, solidified on her string. As she held it steady on her sight window, she focused on a moving dot that moved away from the treeline ahead.
Show yourself, Riven. I dare you.
She released her arrow onto the battlefield, asking chaos to guide it to its mark.
~aAa~
Knuckles rubbed his armored palms together, the clash of swords and the rumbling under his feet making his blood rush. The golden gauntlets seemed to pulse with energy as he readied himself for the first wave. Behind him, a line of Aumorian soldiers were at the ready, collecting at crucial points across the battlefield in an effort to keep the medical tents clear of the enemy, all the while clearing the way for their injured to be taken away for healing. Knuckles popped his neck and looked skyward, wondering where the kitsune was. He tapped his communicator.
Tails, you doing okay?
As Knuckles waited for a response, Sonic dashed by the echidna, a streak of cobalt that brushed past him once and then a second time. Knuckles waved away the debris he kicked up and heard the blue blur speak on the other end of the line. Sonic was bound to reach the dark prince first, but only Chaos knew what he would do if they couldn't secure the use of the other chaos emerald.
Yeah, little buddy, where are ya? Can't party without the music.
Knuckles waited for a response as the thundering at his feet grew closer and a line of metallic gray ascended on the horizon. Pressing himself down into a deep fighting stance, Knuckles grumbled under his breath, thinking he may have to pull away to find the fox himself, their plan already falling apart at the seams. As the first wave approached and a deafening roar dampened his senses, a small voice managed through the cacophony.
I-I'm here. Just need some time.
Tails' voice was low of confidence and he sounded out of breath.
Knuckles shook his head at the kitsune's garbled response and furrowed his brow, looking around as the men behind him advanced, King Amelius at the head of the charge to Knuckles' right. With his dreadlocks following the gust and blocking his view, Knuckles caught the green flashes in the distance he sought. He charged northeast, knocking soldier's sideways as he made way, tapping his communicator as he dodged a sword and countered with a punch to the gut.
How much time do you need, Tails?
In an attempt to dodge the next wave of men headed his direction, Knuckles rolled forward, swords slicing where he once stood. As he got his feet under him and took off, a new hoard approached him, forming an impenetrable wall of armor and shield. Knuckles halted in his tracks and considered his options. The fox finally answered him.
As much as you can give me.
Knuckles grunted as he took the attack. One by one they charged him, the first soldier slicing at his face, just nicking his muzzle and drawing blood. Knuckles knocked the blade away as it returned to his face and found himself arm to arm with the disarmed soldier. As he trembled and tried to overpower the undead monster, he pushed him and his opponent side to side as he dodged the attacks of his little friends. As a sword glistened in his peripheral, he made a quick dive to his left, releasing the soldier and letting him hit the dirt. All the other soldiers went after the gold-plated echidna as he shook his head, got his feet under him, and made his way around the group of offenders.
"Yeah, keep your eyes on me, you freaks."
Knuckles kept running toward the light, the inconsistent flashing of the yellow-green light. He wasn't sure if he could make it to Shadow before he was overrun, but as the light grew brighter, he could feel the chaos energy pulse through his veins, invigorating and inviting. A couple of soldier's managed to overtake him, and Knuckles braced himself as they took him to the ground.
"Hng!"
Knuckles managed to knock the first soldier's sword away and as it thudded to the ground, he kneed the soldier in the stomach and launched him into a hoard of densely packed men. As the second man lifted his sword above his head to stab into the echidna, Knuckles closed his eyes, drawing on the far off and limited power of the emerald that Shadow possessed. As the sword came down, he drew on the power and called it to himself.
Please, emerald, protect my organs.
The sword hit his enchanted armor that held, but rather than push through and pierce his skin, the sword met with the solid light of the small strip of chaos power that Knuckles was able to manipulate. As the undead knight tried to press harder, the chaos energy sparked, casting a short and explosive light between them. As the light dissipated, Knuckles nearly coughed up a lung, his body shaking. A hand out stretching through the dust.
"Need an assist?"
Grabbing the hand without a second thought, Knuckles felt oxygen hit his lungs as he was lifted in the air. As gravity brought him back to the ground, Rouge caught him by the arm and snaked an arm around his shoulders to get a better grip on the echidna, her wings straining to keep the two safe from the onslaught. Knuckles made eye contact with her from under his heavy helmet as he caught his breath.
"You're okay," he muttered with a small smile.
She gave him a small, dazzling lift of her lips before observing the fight below. Some of the soldiers eyed the two airborne Mobians as if waiting for them to engage with the battle once more. Rouge huffed and started to glide away.
"Where to, hot stuff?" Rouge asked.
Knuckles looked to the trees, searching for the flashes of chaos energy Shadow was emanating. As a red flash rippled across the battlefield, Knuckles pointed to its origin.
"Over there. I need to borrow some chaos energy from Shadow to buy some time for Tails."
Rouge nodded and stopped gliding. As the soldier's pooled below them, Knuckles gave her a quizzical look.
"Rouge, what are you-"
Before he could finish, the bat started to spin them both in midair, elegantly twirling the echidna as he held onto her for dear life.
"Have a nice flight!"
Rouge released him and Knuckles went flying past all of the dark soldier's at a speed he was not used to. As he headed for a tree, he braced himself, but caught a flash of Shadow's use of the emerald through his peripheral and made a split decision midair. Turning so that his feet were facing the tree he was headed for, he launched off of the tree a second after readjusting, guiding his momentum to the left with a spin. As he used gravity to find himself upright, he started to glide, finding the dark hedgehog, making a mess of several soldiers in his vicinity.
"Shadow! Give me a hand!"
After spearing a soldier to the ground and elbowing the other, Shadow turned to the voice and found the Knuckles approaching him quickly from the air. He only had a moment to guess what the echidna could possibly be heading to him for, but he knew after the emerald in his free hand began to pulse, as if drawn to the guardian. Shadow headed toward the echidna, clearing the path with a chaos spear and a few shoves before outstretching a hand to him.
"Here!" Shadow cried.
As they clasped hands, Knuckles was suspended in midair, Shadow seemingly frozen as well and a green light bubble from the two of them. As the blinding light overtook the battlefield, Knuckles emerged from the aftermath, green chaos energy crackling around his gauntlets. He pounded his fists together and snickered, looking around him at the soldiers that surrounded them, their bodies of empty armor reassembling without even a hint of disorientation.
"Alright, who wants some?"
As the charge headed his way, Knuckles launched into the fray with green chaos energy trailing him, knocking each offender sideways like an unrelenting train paving its own tracks through the carnage. Rouge could be seen in the distance headed to her red-dreaded partner for assistance, and the glistening flaming rose flag fluttered just above the horizon as King Amelius and his followers approached to join them. Shadow watched on with a small look of approval, snatching his lance and kicking his air shoes into gear. He just barely picked up the raging cry of Prince Argentine and made some headway through the brush to find him.
"Prince Argentine!"
As Shadow came upon the crowded prince, he halted, looking for the safest route to the cornered royal. Before he could let out a quick chaos control, a blue flash dashed straight through the fray, scattering armor and bodies. Shadow shook his head a moment, only having a second to move out of the way as the blue blur came back, circling the prince as he downed the hoard surrounding him. Shadow followed behind his rival, conjuring chaos spear to clean up his mess.
Sonic darted to the right and Shadow let the blue blur's trail dissipate as he headed to the left, choosing to follow the line of soldiers. As he rounded a group of trees closely, heading back toward the battling prince, he caught the blue afterimage of Sonic in the distance and realized the hedgehog was headed right for him.
"Hey Shad, give me a bit of that Chaos energy!"
Shadow curled a corner of his lip downward, but lifted the emerald above his head as his trajectory stayed on a collision course with his blue counterpart.
"Only if you can touch it, Faker."
Shadow could hear the smirk in Sonic's scoff as the blue blur launched himself over the ebony, turning a backflip and sliding a single finger across the smooth edge of the green chaos emerald. As the blue blur landed behind Shadow, he kept running, heading to the heart of the battle as Shadow headed for the prince. Shadow's ear twitched at Sonic's shout of exhilaration as raw chaos energy coursed through his veins.
"Hopefully he's not too reckless with that."
Shadow found the prince huffing, his hair in disarray and helmet discarded as he stood at the center of several decommissioned soldiers. As Shadow approached him, Argentine kicked a lifeless set of armor and used one hand to toss his white quills back, gasping for breath. The prince furrowed his brows at Shadow as the dark hedgehog eclipsed him, the ebony seeming to tower over his slumped form.
"T-that chaos energy seems to be doing the trick," Argentine huffed, leaning on his sword for support.
"Yes. Miles will meet us on the battlefield soon, hopefully with the means to imbue your sword with chaos energy."
"Do not worry about me. I'm afraid my sister's current disposition has infected me and I… want to find my own way in this battle."
As Shadow tucked the green gem into his quills and lended an arm to the prince, the clear ringing of a battle horn sounded. As Shadow jerked to the direction of the call, Argentine neglected Shadow's outstretched arm and lifted his sword. Argentine stalked passed the ebony and headed for the call.
"Something is wrong. Let us hurry," Argentine muttered, gripping his sword tightly.
Together they headed to answer the call.
~aAa~
"Keep pressure on his arm! Bring me that cart so I can begin the procedure-," Ovaria called above the groans of pain and cries for help.
Cream grasped the neck of her prophesied weapon tightly, but that only served to intensify the sweat that collected in her palms as she leaned over a wounded soldier she was assessing. As she tried to tune out the noise around her, she drew the medical knowledge she'd been studying to help her friends as she determined whether the crumpled up man qualified as a candidate for her gift. She wiped the sweat from her palms on the cloth around her waist, her light battlegear doing nothing to stave off the heat of the giant medical tent.
This healing magic should only be used on dead or dying patients. Use it on anyone else and the effects could be fatal.
The queen's warning glued her in place as it echoed in her head. She swallowed her fear and crouched to the man's level, checking his pulse and slowing her own as she tried to tune out the tormented cries around her. As she counted, she found the man's pulse weakening with every beat. Her own heartbeat quickened and she turned the man over onto his back, his body going slack as she removed his chestplate.
"I won't let you die," Cream whispered.
Angling the staff in an effort to press the head of the weapon to his heart without touching the skin, Cream braced herself to cast. With the soundless magic, she blew on the head of the staff, her breath solidifying into sapphire blue dust that trickled onto his chest. Cream lifted the staff and checked the man's pulse, relaxing in relief as she found his beat returning to normal.
"Lady Cream!"
Stiffening, Cream stood up and twisted around, her eyes darting over the slew of makeshift medical cots and injured Aumorians before settling on the queen, entering the large and crowded space with a knight dragging behind her. Queen Argentina halted at the entrance, adjusting her hold on the fighter as Cream came to her. Two guards waited by the entrance, looking for intruders, their weapons at the ready as they scanned every Aumorian that was brought to the medical tent. Queen Argentina called to one of the guards who approached her promptly.
"Please, take him to the back corner. There are some spare beds there," the queen instructed, turning to Cream as the guard pulled the injured knight over his shoulder and sifted through the medical staff.
Cream watched them leave, a heavy feeling settling in the bottom of her stomach. Her attention returned to the queen as Argentina rested a hand on her shoulder, trying to catch her breath. At first, Cream thought the queen may have been fatally injured, but as she examined the royal, she realized that the wound she sustained by her ribcage was already glowing, as if self healing.
"Y-your majesty, are you going to be okay?" Cream voiced.
Without answering the rabbit's question, Queen Argentina stood straight, grabbing Cream by the arm and pulling her out of the main medical tent. Madness erupted on the flip side, the ground rumbling and flashes of sharp light aimed at the battlefield casting overhead. Cream tripped over her own feet and the queen stopped to pull her up by her arm, getting the rabbit to her feet and pulling her along once again. As they reached a smaller, secluded hut, Queen Argentina grabbed the rabbit's shoulders and squatted to her level.
"I have an important task for you, Lady Cream. Please listen carefully."
Cream's lungs burned as she tried to focus on the queen's words. With one ear possessing her communicator and the other filled with explosions and groans of pain, her mind was pulled several places at once and at all times. As they hovered by the small hut, only one guard manning the entrance, Cream looked at Queen Argentina's wound again. It was no longer glowing and the red on the inner cloth under her armor began to deepen.
"But, your majesty, you were hurt. Are you alright?" Cream asked.
"Do not worry about me! Now, do you remember the rules of the staff you possess?"
Cream had nearly forgotten she had the weapon after their chaotic rush across the medical huts, but she squeezed the hand that held the weapon and nodded. The shriek of a projectile launching into the sky near them rang out and they both took to the ground. As the explosion shook the ground, Queen Argentina looked around them. She patted Cream to check for injuries as she found that it was safe to stand and the rabbit emerged from her fetal position, grabbing the queen's roaming arms.
"I'm okay, your majesty. And yes, I remember what you told me. Only use it on the dead and the dying," Cream shouted over the explosion that crashed near them, just out of range of the medical hut.
"Good. Now the men in this hut need your gift the most. Ovaria and I will direct the other volunteers and healers in the other sections to get everyone else handled. I have directed all medical couriers to send all fatally wounded to this very hut, do you understand?"
A cold sweat began to form on the back of Cream's neck as the queen's word sank in. She knew where this was going. She considered the implications on her carriage ride to the medical wing as the queen explained the purpose of the prophesied staff. She let out a shaky breath.
"I-I understand."
Before the queen could continue, a horn sounded across the battlefield and the queen's ear twitched toward it, her eyes still on Cream, but seeming to look through the young fighter. As the queen's pupils dilated, she froze.
"Something is wrong," Argentina muttered to herself, Cream barely picking up the queen's words.
"Y-your majesty?"
With no further hesitation, the queen turned Cream around and shoved her toward the huts entrance.
"Go, Cream, and get those men back on their feet!"
"Wait!"
As the queen took off, growing small on the horizon, Cream brought the staff to her chest, aboutfacing and nodding at the guard by the door. The guard regarded her solemnly and lifted the veil to allow her entrance. Entering at a crawl as her face darkened, Cream found a scene akin to a funeral on the other side.
A heavy cloud of despair permeated the small space. As Cream eclipsed the light from outside, her shadow cast across the center of the room over the still bodies, scattered in no formal order in the dirt. The silence of the medical volunteers chilled the rabbit to the bone as they huddled over the dying, holding their hands and muttering prayers. As the veil drifted close behind her, all eyes fell on the petrified freedom fighter. At her feet, a shuddering hand clasped around her ankle and she jerked backward in fright.
"Please… bring… the queen. She must heal… so I can keep… fighting…"
Cream stumbled backward, unsure of what to say. The queen was long gone and they were her responsibility now. But who was she? Just a frightened girl from another planet, tied to a prophecy and crumbling under the pressure of war.
"I… I…!"
"P-please," the man begged her.
"B-but… I …"
"Lady Cream!"
A volunteer from the back of the hut had called her name, startling the rabbit from her trance. The rabbit's lungs seized as she saw the young, white wrapped woman head her way, a cursory plea to help bubbling from her lips. Cream turned sharply and ran back the way she came, the veil flapping past her as her legs took her past several small healing huts and various tents. Before she could think further, she found herself hunched over behind the cloth of a tent, pulling air into her lungs as sweat drenched her, the staff deposited on the ground at her feet.
"I-I can't do this. S-so many … dead and…"
She dropped to the ground and curled into herself, grabbing her knees and smothering her face into her thighs as the tears stained her skirts. Her little body withered, the ground shook beneath her, and she wondered if this would be it for her. Lifting her head, she looked to the sky, a sobbing shudder wracking her smallframe. A crystalline wall crawled along the skyline in front of her and the little rabbit blinked as she tried to understand what was happening.
"W-what is that…"
A white figure floating across the frontline caught her attention and the little freedom fighter realized the queen was casting an enchanted barrier of some sort. Cream took a moment to calm her heart, smearing her tears across her muzzle with an arm. Getting to her feet, making sure to take her staff with her, she crouched between the huts and tents as she headed to the frontlines for further investigation.
"Oh."
Upon entering the clearing, Cream found several women and girls, arms outstretched as they formed a line down the space separating the healing huts from the frontlines. A white mist floated around their arms and as Cream followed their arms to the sky, a crystal barrier reached several feet into the air. As the queen floated across the inner edge of the barrier, she shouted commands to the girls below and cast her own magic into the barrier as she floated by. Cream eyed the women once more and realized she knew who those young women were supposed to be.
"The queen's apprentices…"
She marveled at the wall they'd created at such short notice, but the rabbit's heart sank to her stomach as she noticed the top of the barrier cracking and shaking, then reforming only to begin crumbling again.
"The barrier…it's only temporary. It's not enough…"
As the ground began to rumble uncontrollably, Cream remembered that the queen had said something was wrong and left her post to help cast the barrier. This made Cream wonder what had developed to warrant this level of security. Daring to peer beyond, Cream squinted past the refracting barrier, seeing the battle with her own eyes. As she scanned the clashing of knights and Riven's dark soldiers, her eyes fell upon a dark abomination growing in the distance, rippling unnaturally and surrounded by a purple cloud.
"What is that?!" Cream mumbled to herself as she backed away from the clearing, hiding partially behind a hut.
She watched the creature in the distance with a cautious eye as it towered several feet above the fighters. She tried to decipher the demonic markings on its morbidly ripping body, several black arms protruding from its dark purple frame. To Cream, the creature looked like a giant, warped version of Riven's soldiers. With a small head and oversized dark body, the giant headed straight for the healing sector.
Cream backed herself into the wall of another hut as her head screamed at her to flee, but she found herself stunlocked as she watched another giant abomination culminate on the other end of the battlefield, clouds of purple swirling around the beast. Her heart beat out of her chest as she slid her back down the wall until she found herself on the ground once more. Before curling in on herself again she willed herself to reason, analyzing her current situation by force before she shut down completely.
C'mon, Cream. You've got to get to your feet and do something! Trust your friends to handle those things and get back in that hut and do something! The more men you help, the more bodies the warfront can use to keep those things back!
Her pep talk only did so much. But then, the booming ripple of a ship taking flight caught her ear and the rabbit, her keen hearing picking up the noise before anyone else, stood up and looked skyward as a silver ship flew overhead. Following the ship until it stopped just beyond the barrier, Cream watched with her chest burning proudly, a smile attempting to make itself known on her muzzle.
"Tails!"
As the ship started to float away, a hole opened up from the bottom of the ship, depositing a large, cylindrical object onto the battlefield. A low thud shuddered the ground and the sounds of warcry started to lower as a new factor entered the battle. A yellow dot darted out after the dangerous cylinder and Cream found her blood rushing to her cheeks as pride made her tighten her grip on the staff. The ship started to back away on autopilot as the kitsune disappeared in the mess of clashing swords and dust.
Knuckles! Sonic! Shadow! I'm here! Tell the knights to head west and find me!
Tails' voice rang clear in her ear. Cream let a few tears warm her muzzle as just the sound of Tails' voice released something within her. As Knuckles and the rest of her friends' voices buzzed in her communicator, Cream tuned them out once more, realizing that she had her own task to see to, her own role to fulfill.
And she was failing to follow through at this very moment.
Turning on her heel, Cream wasted no time in lifting off and floating back to the lonely hut on the edge of the medical camp. As she got closer, she slowed, the guard at the entrance emerging from the veil with blood staining his shoulders and hands. He noticed the rabbit and frowned at her. Cream gripped the staff with two hands and nodded at the disappointed Aumorian who had no words for her. With a determined huff, Cream removed the communicator from her ear as commands blasted from the small speaker. She placed it in a small pocket and lifted her chin.
"I'm here to help."
The guard lifted the veil as Cream vanished behind it.
~aAa~
Knuckles! Sonic! Shadow! I'm here! Tell the knights to head west and find me!
Knuckles could barely make out Tails' voice as he stirred up his own chaos on the battlefield.
Left, right, right, jump, then pound the ground into oblivion. Knuckles was following the rhythm set by the chaos emerald's power as he shouldered several dark soldiers and knocked them off of their feet with a fist to the ground. He reminded himself that raw chaos energy, though temporary, could be lethal. He had to remember that if he didn't want to break a trench into the ground, he needed to pull his punches when trying to knock them off their feet for easy pickings.
Speaking of temporary…
Knuckles uppercut a soldier that had sliced at his stomach. He noticed the offender approach him from behind before the blade sliced across his armor, but the echidna trusted the enchanted metal to hold. After his first strike, he kicked him away and went for the next. As he reveled in the heat of battle, Rouge flew overhead, coming down on the soldiers surrounding him with a sickening crunch before taking to the sky once more. Knuckles smirked in her direction as she finished off the men around him and headed for the more in the distance. Knuckles ran to assist her, all of the soldiers within a two mile radius down for the count.
"Rouge!"
As the echidna reached her, she pulled a dagger out of a soldier's neck and flipped back into a knight she intended to kick into the ground, but instead found her foot caught in his grasp.
"Hey!" Rouge cried and the dark soldier pulled her to the ground aggressively.
Knuckles frowned and charged straight for him, summoning the chaos energy to his fists.
"Let her go!"
Just as Knuckles fist connected to the soldier's armored jaw, the glittering green energy dissipated and Knuckles found his hit doing a very marginal amount of damage. The soldier was only slightly moved. Knuckles froze, arm still outstretched. Soldiers began to pool around him while he stood in shock.
"S-shit."
Knuckles backed away as he evaded several slices to his throat from the onslaught of new soldiers. As Knuckles grew smaller, Rouge decided to act as fast as her wings and legs would let her. Rouge pushed herself up from the ground and stabbed the soldier twice at a weak crevice where his armor connected. Roundhouse-kicking him away, she kicked off one of the soldiers headed their way, knocking down a line of soldiers as she headed straight for Knuckles.
"Coming your way, hun!"
Knuckles lifted his head to her, reaching out to Rouge just as she flew over him. She grabbed him by his upper arms and flew him across the field.
"The chaos energy I got from Shadow is gone," Knuckles explained as his feet narrowly grazed the tops of soldiers' helmets.
"Tails is here. I'll get you to him," Rouge promised.
Rouge huffed as she found herself reaching her limit already. As she tried to form a new plan in her mind, a foreboding presence raised the fur on her neck. Looking to the gray sky, Rouge found the purple souls of Riven's men collecting and separating into six before moving. She followed one collection of souls and rested her eyes on a growing black creature forming at the center of the battlefield. As she blinked and flew around the large creature that took form, she looked around and found a fully formed abomination further down the battlefield.
"What in chaos…?" Rouge asked herself.
Knuckles looked up at her and then followed her gaze, only to curse to himself.
"More company."
As they careened around the new opponent, Knuckles and Rouge watched in horror as the souls of Riven's men circled the creation closest to them, seeming to fuel the demonic dark purple skin that crawled heavenward, stacking on top of itself and forming a multi-armed abomination that twitched this way and that. A small head emerged from the top, two shining yellow eyes opening as the giant screeched unnaturally.
Rouge released one of Knuckle's arms as she cradled one of her ears at the screech. Unbalanced, Knuckles grabbed her remaining arm with both hands, looking down to check for a clearing in case he were dropped. When he found nothing but helmets and swords, he looked up at her and saw her look of pain and tried to figure out what he could do. Suddenly, a yellow figure covered in silver and blue armor was spotted at the center of the madness, coupled with a giant machine. Knuckle's heart throbbed with hope.
"Hey! Stay with me, Rouge! We're almost there."
As the screeching stopped, Rouge deposited Knuckles right next to Tails' tall, cylindrical machine. The bat flew in a circle as she determined how she wanted to clear a way for the rest of the knights that were looking for Tails and his chaos energy. Knuckles eyed the grand glass cylinder at the center of the small clearing Tails had set himself in. At the center of the container, the yellow chaos emerald rested on a series of sharp, metal legs as its energy collected at the bottom of the container.
"Tails! You made it!" Knuckles shouted as he rolled away from a group of charging soldiers and started for the fox.
As the armored kitsune came into full view, Knuckles noticed a tube attached to the glass cylinder connected to something Tails had in his hand on the other end. Tails turned to the echidna abruptly and Knuckles halted with his hands up as Tails aimed what looked like a gun at him.
"Hey! It's just me!"
The kitsune continued to aim at him, his brow furrowing as he looked down the sight and tugged at the trigger.
"Knuckles, keep your arms up!" Tails roared.
Bang!
As Knuckles waved away the dust that shot up at him during the impact, he blinked as a yellow glow emanated from his hands. He pounded his fists together as the chaos energy on each gauntlet reacted electrically.
"Back in business."
Rouge circled the echidna then, waving a dagger in the air as she tried to get his attention. The echidna spotted her just as she perched on the top of Tails' machine.
"Knuckles! Clear a path for everyone else!" Rouge ordered, pointing ahead.
Cracking his knuckles and popping his neck, the echidna wound up for a lower jab, knocking a line of soldiers out of commission. He stepped over their lifeless bodies as their souls drifted from their armor. Knuckles smirked, his purple eyes now an electric yellow.
"Any more takers?"
Rouge watched as Knuckles turned into a yellow dart of fury as he pounded away at the opposition, a path forming as the king's men began to pour through. On the other side of the machine, Tails did the same, shooting raw chaos energy directly on Riven's men, clearing the way so he could distribute the chaos energy to the knights. As Rouge caught her breath while kneeling on her perch, something bothered her as she watched the purple souls retreat into the sky. As they continued to collect and disperse, she realized that they couldn't go back to Adrelis as Prince Argentine explained that they do once they leave their armor. Their souls wouldn't make it past the Omniprotectant and would continue to collect. A growing thought rose to her mind as she tapped her communicator.
Shadow, we have a… situation. Do you see what's happening with those souls?
~aAa~
Shadow was already skating across the battlefield when Rouge radioed him, keeping the first abomination in his sights as he looked for the king, Renenkai, Argentine or anyone with authority. Before he could reach the white banner that rippled in the distance, he responded to Rouge hurriedly, irritation laden in his voice.
I'm already on it, Rouge. Tails, Knuckles, Sonic. Stop using Chaos energy to take out the soldiers! Focus on the giant abominations first. The more we kill, the more souls collect and fuel those freaks, so take them out before anything else!
Got it, Shads. No need to shout.
I'll disperse the chaos energy and direct the knights to the closest giant to help!
How are we supposed to take them down? What if the souls are perpetually fueling those things like an infinite source of energy?
I'm with Knuckles on this one, hun. Unless the barrier comes down, the souls will have nowhere to go, they'll keep creating those giants and this battle will get stuck in an infinite loop.
Shadow's frustration came to a head as he addressed Knuckles and Rouge's concern with his own uncertainty.
We've got to try. We know Chaos energy damages Riven's men. We'll have to split up and see what chaos energy will do to these abominations as well. We have little choice right now.
Fine.
Whatever you say, partner.
Approaching the banner, Shadow witnessed King Amelius taking down Riven's men on horseback, Renankai doing the same with a long, hooked lance, backing his king up with sharp blows. Shadow expertly wound through the chaos and headed straight for the king, catching their attention with his speedy entrance. A Shadow circled the pair, taking out the men that surrounded them momentarily, he stopped just in front of the king's horse as the royal regarded him gratefully.
"Profound one. You've come to tell me of the dark prince's whereabouts, no doubt," the king called over the noise.
Shadow got on one knee to bow, lifting his head with a shake. The king sighed as Renankai directed his horse around the king and to Shadow's flank.
"I'm sorry, your majesty, but we haven't seen Riven yet. Unfortunately, we'll need to focus on changing tactics right now," Shadow explained.
Renankai scoffed and pointed his lance to the dark abomination staining the Aumorian sky.
"Of course we need to! What are we supposed to do to get rid of that… thing! And more are forming across the field!" Renankai complained.
The king's personal guard surrounded them as they took down the soldiers within the king's radius and waited for further instruction. Shadow got back on both feet and glared at the closest abomination as he formed a plan. It was risky and half baked, but a plan nonetheless. He turned back to the king.
"Your majesty, the more men we kill, the more power we give to those giant creatures. I suspect Riven planned for this," Shadow said.
The king, swathed in sweat, sheathed his sword and took off his helmet, looking skyward at the growing giants. He regarded Shadow once more.
"We focus our efforts on these giants then," the king declared.
"And my team and I will use chaos energy to see if we can take them out for good. I'll keep an eye out for Riven, and Sonic and I will take him the moment he arrives."
"That is wise. At this rate, our only reprieve will come when we find the dark prince… and end him."
Shadow nodded, turning to skate for the first giant in the distance. As the king started barking orders behind him and his men began to make their way to the giants, the king's final words reverberated in Shadow's head. If Riven didn't show his face until the end of the battle, then all would be lost at that point. They needed to find him and end him now or never.
Shadow. Shadow, are you okay?
"Rose," Shadow muttered to himself, realizing she could hear the developing madness over her own communicator.
I'm okay, Rose. You just keep yourself safe and do what you can from where you are, okay?
What about those dark giants? I don't think…
As Amy tried to find her words, Shadow took that chance to reassure her.
We will take care of them and find Riven. I'll find Sonic and we'll work together to end this, okay?
The line was silent on Amy's end, and Shadow dodged around a few men and kicked the next few, stopping and leaning against a tree as he overlooked the battlefield. He pressed the communicator in his ear when Amy didn't answer, a cold flash passing through his body.
Rose?
The line cracked on the other end.
I'm okay, Shadow. Do your best. And please be careful.
Shadow released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and went on his way, peering up at the first abomination. As he examined the freak, he noticed a blue flash already kicking at the muscular legs of the creature. Sonic, trying his hand at a few shoddy short-range chaos controls at the base of the giant, charged what Shadow assumed was a chaos spear of some sort. As Sonic released the chaos energy at the muscular leg, not making so much as a mark on the creature. The blue blur sped out of the creature's range as it began stomping toward the fortress. As it tread a path, it used its plentiful arms to crush the knights at his feet, nailing them to the ground and knocking them away.
"Well, that didn't work," Sonic muttered.
Shadow ran up beside him and regarded the cobalt hedgehog eagerly.
"I don't think a direct attack like that will do anything to those freaks," Shadow said, crossing his arms as Sonic faced him with half-lidded eyes.
"What do you suggest, oh ultimate lifeform?"
Shadow sized up the stomping creature as his plan took another form.
"We need to find Riven as soon as possible. If we end him, we'll end all of this. Look out for him. When we find him, we'll take care of him… together."
Sonic listened to his plan and gave the dark hedgehog a knowing smirk, hand on his hip.
"Look at you, teaming up with the likes of me. The world really is ending," Sonic jested.
Shadow ignored his tease, keeping his eyes on the abomination that was getting away.
"Your command of raw chaos energy is poor, but you have other skills that irritate Riven. You're not my first choice, but I can't deny the two of us have the best chance at ending this. We'll get him when the time is right," Shadow voiced, walking past him and preparing himself to skate off at top speed.
"And in the meantime?" Sonic asked, an exhilarating rush moving his blood as Shadow's stance made him feel the ultimate lifeform was challenging him to a race.
Shadow gave Sonic only one of his ruby eyes as he looked back at him with a smirk of his own.
"Let's take out this freak."
Shadow took off, Sonic at his heels. The blue blur caught up with the yellow streak of Shadow's shoes as they reached the abomination within seconds. Shadow slowed his pace as Sonic made a circular gesture to him with his fingers.
"Let's get him on the ground! That'll give everyone else the chance to jump him," Sonic said.
Shadow acknowledged his plan, allowing the blue blur to overtake him and lead the charge. Sonic started racing around the beast, kicking up a blue gust that stopped the freak in its tracks. Shadow followed suit and the two of them succeeded in conjuring up a twister of blue and yellow as the king's men fell back. Shadow skated as fast as he could on the inner edge of the twister all the while Sonic passed him on the outer edge. The abomination screeched in discontent and the two hedgehogs seemed to race even faster as a result.
I think I've found him.
The forgotten voice of Princess Sally crackled through Shadow's communicator, foreign sound of her voice and the content of her message grabbing his attention immediately. Shadow almost screeched to a halt, but reminded himself that he was in the middle of something. Sally would have to wait. Realizing Sonic heard her as well, Shadow spotted the hedgehog and glared at him as he felt the power of his part of the twister begin to lessen.
"Sonic, don't stop! Focus on this first!" Shadow called to him.
Shadow heard Sonic scoff and proceeded to double his speed, catching the ebony hedgehog off guard as he attempted to catch up to his speed. The last thing he needed was to get thrown out of the loop due to Sonic's emotional outburst.
Sally, are you sure it's him? Where are you?
Rouge was on the other end of the line. Shadow frowned as he realized his plan was already showing signs of crumbling.
I know it's him. It has to be. There's a trail of wounded Aumorians that seems to lead somewhere away from the battle. I bet he's not too far off, waiting.
Shadow grit his teeth, wanting to leave his post. Risking a glance in Sonic's direction, he saw the blue blur's face hardening in the afterimage he left behind. Shadow growled and looked up at the beast. It was getting dizzy and teetering back and forth, sure to fall any moment.
Stay with me, Sonic. Just a moment longer.
~aAa~
AN: Next part to come right after this. It's already written, I just need to edit. Let me know if this was too confusing to keep up with or not. I'm trying to get better at writing battles and managing so many characters at once. Also, please let me know if it was hard to determine who was talking over the communicators and I will edit the chapters and add names alongside the italicized and bolded dialogue. I tried to show personality through the dialogue so as to limit dialogue tags and make everything smooth, but sometimes it's still hard to tell who is saying what.