Chapter 119

The Cosmic Cartographer

Shadow stood at the edge of the terrace with his feet only inches away from the sheer drop of a thousand feet. His arms were folded and he brooded over all that he had seen and done in his most recent venture into the past.

The revelation of the Realm Lord's identity had left Shadow feeling numb and cold to any semblance of feeling. He wanted to relish in justified rage and hatred for his unmasked enemy, but all Shadow could feel was swelling emptiness and dread. A fear that had compounded into physical form when Gothro had brought him into the Seeing Room. "This is the victory of the Realm Lord, the Realm Lord triumphant. It is him alone, he is the universe and he is all. Though he planned to create anew once creation was in his hand and all the universes had been stopped, once he was victorious…the Realm Lord finally understood. This is what he wanted after all. He is everything and everything is him. There is no universe he could create that would be more perfect or reflect back a more pure form of Order. This is the End without End. The fate of everything is to be consumed into the Realm Lord and there is no output."

Shadow felt a shiver run up his spine as the image of the Realm Lord floating in the dark nothingness pierced his mind. What difference did it make that Shadow knew who the Realm Lord was? He was not a step closer to actually stopping him. If he can even be stopped. Shadow thought darkly. He had seen the twisted powers of the Realm Lord up close, and even trying to grasp how the Realm Lord had shaped events throughout history made him seem even more impassable. "It is the will of love, Shadow. Love that transferred across timelines to lead this Maria to free you from your binds. The love that caused Gerald to mix his granddaughter's blood with yours, the love that led Maria to sacrifice herself for you, your love that led you to honor your promise. A seed of love was planted, and when it came to fruition, the power that was unleashed was greater than the Realm Lord's."

Shadow wanted to believe that Gothro was right, but all of Shadow's instincts resisted such an infantile presumption. Love was not an external force, it did not have a will of its own. Perhaps Shadow's strong feelings for Maria had aided him in his battles, but how could that compare with the indomitable power of the Realm Lord?

As he was thinking this, Shadow heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see Elder Yorven shuffling towards him. He held a tray of biscuits and offered one over to Shadow. Slightly annoyed, Shadow had to resist the temptation to toss the biscuit away. "Did you find it?" Shadow asked eagerly.

Yorven shook his head. "Arvana is not a planet that I am familiar with, nor did I find it on our available charts and maps."

"Damn it," Shadow flexed his hands and started pacing. "How the hell am I supposed to get to a planet if I don't know where it is?"

"Patience," Yorven advised.

But Shadow was sick of waiting. He had had enough of the cryptic warnings of old teachers. He was tired of being led on like a rat in an endless maze. Shadow stomped forward and knocked the plate out of Yorven's hands. "I don't have time for patience!"

Yorven stepped back and watched as his plate tumbled off the terrace and down the steep fall off the Celestial Spyre. "That was one of my favorites," He said softly.

"Who cares about plates!" Shadow fumed. "All of existence is at stake."

Yorven nodded. "Yes, the Realm Lord threatens all. But that does not mean that we put away civility."

It took all of Shadow's self control not to throttle Yorven. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, "Please, I need your help. Gothro told me that I must go to Arvana, I have to warn Sonic about what is coming."

Yorven sighed. "The Universe is a big place. Finding one planet amongst the throng will be an almost impossible task…unless.." Yorven's brow furrowed. "Hmmm…I wonder…it would begin to bring some of the pieces together…"

"What is it?"

Yorven looked at Shadow gravely. "The course of Little Planet is cyclical as you know. However, the course of visitations are different from planet to planet. Little Planet moves throughout the universe, at times visiting places so remote it only goes there once a lifetime, and others, only once every thousand years."

"You think Arvana is one of these planets?"

Yorven shrugged. "It is possible. There does seem to be some kind of connection between the two."

"How do we find out?"

"The Cosmic Cartographer."

"What's that?"

"It is a map that shows the movement of Little Planet throughout history. Come, let us see if we can find this Arvana."

Elder Yorven led Shadow away, but to his surprise they did not enter the caverns. Instead, they traveled across the open fields until they reached a kind of quartz temple. The shimmering rocks all converged on top of one another into the passing shape of a medieval fortress.

Shadow marveled at the walls of precious gems, the surfaces of which were so smooth, Shadow could see his own reflection. They wound their way up a spiraling road which took them higher and higher. As they passed, the crystal walls started to change color. They started a faint purple before shifting hue into lighter shades of blue, until at last, the walls became so white, it actually stung Shadow's eyes. If he listened closely, Shadow could hear the faint trickle of water, which grew steadily louder as they went.

At the top of the road, they reached a deep bowl. A cascading waterfall filled the bowl with crystal clear water. Shadow listened closely and he could hear the water steadily emptying out of the bowl and flooding down into the crystals below. Without hesitating, Elder Yorven stepped out into the water. Shadow cringed back, but to his astonishment, Elder Yorven walked right over the water. "Come along," He called back.

Shadow gingerly stuck a foot out. When it touched the water, he was shocked to find the surface solid and stable. He stepped out more and walked slowly over to Elder Yorven who had stopped right beside the waterfall. Elder Yorven stuck out his hand and placed it near the falling water. The water gave way and started to shift and turn. "This is the Celestial Cartographer. You will notice that it never remains still, but is constantly adjusting to the flow and expansion of the universe." Yorven turned his hand and water adjusted accordingly. He closed his eyes and started to mutter something under his breath.

Shadow watched without a semblance of understanding. The water was certainly odd, but he did not see how it could possibly be used as a map. "That is because this is not water," Elder Yorven said with a chuckle. "Look beyond Shadow, and see what is not easily perceived."

Shadow narrowed his eyes. He tried to look at the water…harder…but immediately realized that was not possible. He groaned in frustration and turned away. "It is not a matter of seeing, it is a matter of understanding. Look again."

Shadow turned back to the water. Though he was seeing what was clearly water, he tried to force his mind to understand that it wasn't. He focused all his energy on that thought while staring at the water. Slowly, Shadow noticed the liquid change. It was subtle at first, but then he saw it. A flat plane of white marble erupted out of the water. Its surface shimmered, and seemed to bubble and move, shifting in a way that it appeared as a cascade of water. Shadow drew back in shock, and he immediately lost sight of the marble.

Elder Yorven chuckled. "You are a quick learner, Shadow the Hedgehog. Even still, we would have to wait years for your sight to become strong enough for you to use the map. In this case, I shall read it for you." He placed both hands upon the marble and said in a loud clear voice. "ARVANA." The water appeared to break back and Yorven's eyes seemed to glow. The moment passed in an instant and Yorven turned aside.

"Did you find it?" Shadow wondered.

Yorven nodded. "Indeed I did. And we were correct to look here, we would never have found the planet otherwise. For Arvana does not exist within the universe in the conventional sense."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that Arvana, like Little Planet, exists in a semi transient state. It is a mystical planet that is not wholly a part of one universe or the other."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I," Yorven admitted. "What I mean is that you could travel the cosmos for an eternity, and you would never find Arvana. It is a place you must be…brought to."

Shadow folded his arms. "Eggman went there, and so did Sonic."

"Yes, but that only serves to prove my point. Something brought Eggman there, and his presence connects Arvana to our reality."

"The Realm Lord," Shadow said instantly. "He brought Eggman there to unleash the Flames of Disaster."

Yorven nodded. "That appears to be the most logical conclusion."

"So how do I get there? Will Little Planet travel to Arvana?"

"Yes, but Little Planet and Arvana only meet once in a million years."

Shadow's heart sank, but was almost instantly lifted. "But I bet that time is soon." He said with a sudden rush of confidence.

However, Yorven shook his head. "No, we are still two hundred thousand years from the next convergence." Yorven took a step forward and put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean that you have to despair. There is a way for you to ride the very winds that carry Little Planet. The Cosmic Current that takes us on our journey. You can use this as a bridge to travel to Arvana yourself."

Shadow stepped back. "Why didn't you mention this before? I was stuck here for almost a year while waiting for the planet to return to earth."

"That is because there is a cost to using the bridge. It requires a tremendous amount of energy to move through the cosmos. An individual would be torn into pieces if they attempted to travel it."

"What's different now?" Shadow pressed.

"The difference now is that you can make an exchange. The power that is needed to use the Cosmic Current, need not come from you. I take it you still have your Chaos Emerald?"

Shadow drew out the gem. It sparkled in the all white cavern. "Are you saying I can use Chaos Control to pass over?"

"I believe you can. When you teleport, the Cosmic energy should bypass you and absorb its required energy directly from the emerald. This should ensure that you survive the journey."

"It should?"

Yorven sighed. "I cannot be certain. No one, not even Sonic, has ever tried to pass the Cosmic Current. It is a great risk, but I do believe that you can do it."

Shadow tightened his grip around the Chaos Emerald. "Take me there."

It took a few hours to return to the Celestial Spyre. To activate the Cosmic Current, all Shadow had to do was start at the convergence point and run. Once he was cocooned by the cosmic energy, he needed to use Chaos Control and direct his thoughts toward Arvana. It seemed simple enough, but Yorven had warned him that if the energy wasn't sufficient, the Cosmic forces would rip him into pieces as he was transported across the galaxy.

Shadow would not wait for long goodbyes. Yorven offered to have Shadow wait until the following morning, so that he could eat and rest, but Shadow knew that he would not rest anyway. The image of the Realm Lord, of the end without end, would not allow him to sleep. Instead, Shadow elected to leave right away. His mission would not have a higher chance of success with more rest, so delay would only serve Eggman and the Realm Lord.

As he prepared to leave, Yorven came to him one last time. "Last time you left Little Planet, I gave you a gift so that you might return." Yorven gestured to the set of rings Shadow now wore as a necklace. "However, this time, there shall be no return. Once you take this plunge, you must see this battle through to the very end."

Shadow removed the necklace and handed it back to Yorven. "Then I won't need this anymore."

Yorven accepted the necklace and placed them in his robe. "Yet I will not let it be said that I sent you away with nothing." He withdrew a crystal bracelet set with a myriad of smaller rocks. Shadow stuck out his hand and Yorven clasped the bracelet over Shadow's right forearm. "This bracelet is imbued with the spells of our greatest mystics. It was forged long ago, and is one of the most sacred relics of this planet. We call it the Reditus. These gems along the band, harmonize with the wearer, borrowing from his lifeforce and storing the energy away. When enough energy is collected, the wearer can unleash a temporal blast, temporally moving forward in time. The duration is small, but someone that can move at your speed understands how valuable even the portion of a second can be."

Shadow held up the band. The gems hummed and he felt a slight tingle in his gut. "Thank you."

Yorven inclined his head in a respectful bow. "It is doubtful we shall ever meet again Shadow the Hedgehog. Go with the favor of all beings that relish freedom and light."

Feeling slightly awkward as he did so, Shadow turned to Elder Yorven and bowed, as a student would do to a mentor. "Thank you for everything." Without a second look back, Shadow turned away and walked into the center of the gray dome in the center of the terrace. The gray fog of the converge encircled him. Shadow felt a kind of hook seize him by the back of the neck and lift him upward. Space compressed as Shadow started to run forward. The spyre vanished, and Shadow was now inside a gray whirlpool of swirling mist. The tunnel continued to tighten as Shadow struggled to hold up his Chaos Emerald. His thoughts turned to Arvana, and the world around him seemed to shape to his will. Shadow screamed as the compressing space suddenly widened and he felt himself starting to be pulled in every direction at once. "CHAOS CONTROL!"

In an instant, expansion ripped into intense compression. Shadow couldn't breath as he felt himself zooming forward at incalculable speed. He did not seem to have a body anymore. All he felt was the sensation of being pushed down into a ball, but he could not grit his teeth or move even in the slightest. The spinning gray whirlpool suddenly exploded outward and Shadow was now zooming across the stars. He saw planets, suns, black holes, and all manner of cosmic bodies streak past him. Every moment, his speed increased and he felt himself being shrunk more and more. Though he had no body, there was pain, and Shadow yearned to scream.

Then it was over. Shadow slammed head first into the grass, swallowing a mouthful of turf and mud. He shook all over as he gingerly pushed himself onto all fours. He spat out the mud and took a huge breath. His heart thumped inside his chest and his hands were trembling badly. Shadow heard a faint crackling sound and he turned. The purple Chaos Emerald rested a few inches away from. The light within the emerald sparked and then the color started to fade. Shadow seized the emerald just as all of its color went out. He watched in horror as the emerald crumbled into dust. A gust of wind followed and blew the dust right out of Shadow's hand.

"No!" He tried in vain to capture the dust in his hands, but it slipped through the gaps in his gloves.

Shadow rose gingerly to his feet and looked around. He had landed in a patch of deep grass beside a still moving river. It was nighttime, but the sky above was veiled by some kind of thick black mass. Shadow turned and saw great lights shining in the distance. There was clearly some kind of huge city off in that direction.

He jumped the river and started making his way in that direction. He passed through a brief treeline before emerging out onto a wide paved road. Shadow paused as he stared down the road. It rose steadily upward until reaching a city set upon a high hill. The city was dominated by huge buildings equipped with bright industrial lights.

Shadow was instantly reminded of Elysium and he shuddered. He started running easily towards the city, and after a few minutes he saw a roadblock up ahead. There were dozens of flying saucer-like robots equipped with headlamps. These were reinforced by wolves in bright red armor. Shadow ran off the road and surveyed the barricade. There didn't seem to be many ways around. His first instinct was to try and simply blitz past it with his speed, but then Shadow raised his arm. Might be a good idea to try and use this.

Shadow crouched into a running start. Like a bullet, he fired forward into the road. Shadow tapped the bracelet and he saw the world stand still. One moment he was on one side of the barrier, and in that same moment, Shadow had reached the other side. To Shadow's perspective, only half a second or so had passed, but those at the barricade had not felt anything.

Shadow looked down and saw that the gems on his bracelet were dim. He then felt the strange tingly feeling in his gut. After ten seconds, the gems had recharged. So I can only use it every ten seconds. It was not nearly as powerful as his Chaos Emerald, but Shadow had not been left completely helpless either.

As he made his way to the city, Shadow was forced to use this same trick multiple times. There were dozens of roadblocks and each one was more fortified than the last. As he got closer, he saw the titanic walls which encircled the city. Unlike Elysium, this didn't seem to be some futuristic city in the clouds, but instead it appeared more like a human city from antiquity, only bolstered by occasional flourishes of more advanced technology. Towers of stone were set right beside others made of steel and glass.

The main gate of the city was completely locked down. There were hundreds of guards and sentry robots. A line had formed outside the city, and a group of squirrels, hedgehogs and foxes were all waiting their turn to be scanned and allowed into the city. Shadow used his bracelet to enter the queue.

There was an air of vigilance and menace about the entire proceeding. The red armored guards had lined, hateful expressions. Shadow looked down the line and saw that those entering the city were presenting their forearms for inspection. Something was tattooed on the skin just beneath their wrists.

When it was Shadow's turn, he waited until he was about to be scanned to touch his bracelet. In that small pocket of time, he grabbed the echidna behind him and pushed his arm forward to be scanned. When time resumed, the guard's device chimed and he motioned Shadow through. Shadow pushed through the gate, just as he heard the device trigger an alarm. The echidna behind him was not allowed through.

Shadow pressed forward until he had lost himself in the crowds. He looked around for some sign of where he was. At last, he noticed a homeless looking cat, wearing a thick cloak. Shadow pushed his way towards him. "Excuse me," He said. "Can you tell me where we are?"

The cat looked up at him in confusion. Shadow tried repeating the question, but it was obvious the cat had no idea what he was saying. "I don't speak their language," He realized. Damn it.

Suddenly, he felt someone prod him in the back. He whipped around to find himself face to face with a hooded rat, with narrow sniveling eyes. The rat made some strange sounds and Shadow indicated he did not understand by shaking his head. This only served to make the rat smile from ear to ear. He reached into his pocket and drew out a small device that looked like it went inside the ear. The rat then motioned to Shadow's bracelet.

Shadow understood what the rat wanted. He removed the Reditus and handed it over. The rat cackled as he handed over the device. Shadow plugged it into his ear and waited. He grimaced as he was assaulted by a high pitched whining sound. A strange voice began to chant in an unknown language, shifting tone and pitch in rapid sequence. Suddenly, it stopped and a woman's voice rang out. "Language Sync Complete."

The rat chuckled and nudged Shadow on the arm. "Stings a bit, don't it?" He said in a rolling accent. "You must be from the outer provinces, you're the only ones that still don't have translators." The rat started to admire the Reticus, turning it upside down and smiling at the sparkling gems. "This is quite the prize, but it is a fair trade after all."

"Where the hell am I?" Shadow interrupted. "Is this Arvana?"

"Arvana?" The rat cackled. "Your head alright? Of course this is Arvana. Where the hell else would it be?"

"And what is this place?" Shadow continued. "What city is this?"

The rat stopped pondering the bracelet and looked up at Shadow. This time, there was more than just amusement in his expression. He glanced around, as though he was suddenly afraid. "Are you having a laugh?" He snapped in a low whisper. "How the hell did you get in here, without knowing where you are?"

"Just answer my question," Shadow threatened.

The rat took a step closer to Shadow. His eyes darted to a guard that was standing sentry a dozen feet away. "This here is the Imperial Capital, Robotnik City."

Shadow's heart sank. He staggered backward and looked up at the high, futuristic looking buildings. Amongst the neon lights, he saw it, the symbol he had seen plastered all over Elysium, the icon of Eggman. "I need to find someone," He told the rat.

"Good luck with that," The rat replied. "This city is filled to the brim with newcomers. The emperor is preparing for a massive redistricting effort. But it's slowed down ever since the war started."

"What war?"

The rat shook his head. "The rebellion in District Thirteen. We all knew it would break out eventually. The Thirteens are backward savages that would never adjust to civilization. The emperor was always going to have to wipe them out eventually, but the provincial governor is mucking things up."

A rebellion. If Sonic was going to be anywhere on this planet, it was very likely he was at the forefront of any resistance to Eggman. "I need to know more about this rebellion. Preferably somewhere where I won't be found by imperial guards."

The rat raised an eyebrow. "That kind of intel comes at a price."

Shadow seized the rat by the collar and yanked him close. "My price is that I let you live."

The rat's eyes expanded with fear. "Okay," He hissed. "Just let me go." Shadow shoved him away and the rat brushed down his cloak. "There is a bar near here, Mirage Saloon, but beneath it there is an underground club. Password to get in is Verdania. It is full of old imperial loyalists. They have their fingers in just about everything. They can tell you more."

Shadow nodded. The rat tried to slink away, but Shadow seized him by the arm. He held it up to expose his gut and then drove his knee into his stomach. The rat let out a soundless cry as Shadow stole the Retcius back from him. Before the rat could even cry out, Shadow had vanished.

Shadow reappeared amongst the crowd. He used the new translator to get directions towards the Mirage Saloon. As he was going, he entered an open courtyard dominated by a large set piece of statues. The statues depicted a dozen kings holding up their crowns and presenting it to a central figure. Doctor Eggman had exaggerated his proportions, appearing grotesquely large and inhuman as he accepted the surrender of his enemies. Shadow stared at the statue in disgust. He was instantly reminded of the image of the missing god he had seen in the past, and that only served to remind him of what he had seen in the Seeing Room. Shadow balled his hands into fists and turned away.