Chapter 122

The Boneyard

Shadow was removed from the cistern and taken to a dank cell deep within the tunnels. Despite the collar on his neck, Shadow made two attempts to throw off his attackers. Each bid for freedom had been stopped short by the activation of his electric collar. The pain was excruciating and after his second taste, Shadow decided he would have to find a more furtive way of freeing himself.

He was pushed inside the cell and the door was locked behind him. The hooded cultists stepped away and vanished into the darkness. A single torched burned on the wall, but the light was not even sufficient to fully illuminate the small prison. Shadow held his arms and shivered. It was very cold, and the cell had a strong rotted smell. He took a quick glance at the edges of the light and thought he saw the whitish hue of bones gathered in the corners. Just beneath the sound of the flickering torch, he could hear the faint scuttling of rats and other detestable creatures.

Shadow searched the floor for a dry bit of cold stone on which to sit. The foul air was making his head hurt and the deep pressure of the underground settled on his chest making breath a struggle. Shadow closed his eyes and tried to remove himself from his current environment. He repeated the meditation techniques that Elder Yorven had taught him. Shadow exhaled slowly and tried to push away all thought that was connected to the senses of his physical body. He pushed his consciousness outward, but there was no living thing around him for him to cling to. The darkness swelled, and Shadow detected an underlying spirit of malice that seemed to pass through all areas of the prison.

Shadow's eyes snapped open. There was a low rustling sound followed by the clanking of steel against stone. His head jerked to the side. Something was moving out one of the dark corners of his cell. Shadow's heart skipped a beat. He heard a low rumbling breath that ended with a faint gasp. Then Shadow saw a massive hand that was bound with heavy iron chains. It reached out into the light and dragged its body forward. Shadow cringed back and rose to his feet. Slowly, a hulking figure dragged itself into the light. The other prisoner was bound by chains all over their body. Both ankles were clasped with chains that were connected to the far wall. Huge shackles were strapped around its waste and broad chest. A hanging weight was attached to a belt that was cruelly tightened around the prisoner's neck.

The creature sat on all fours breathing hard. Shadow turned his nose as a horrible stench rose from it. The prisoner wore the most filthy rags that Shadow had ever seen. What parts of its body were not covered by rags were wrapped in soiled bandages. Shadow watched suspiciously as the prisoner pushed themselves onto one knee. They gathered themselves for a moment before looking up at Shadow. Shadow gasped. The prisoner was a walrus with huge tusks protruding out of its diseased and blistered mouth. Huge sores sweltered over its skin and its forehead was stained with blood. Narrow diamond shaped eyes that were completely fogged over searched for Shadow. "Who's there?" The prisoner managed. The pressure from the belt around its neck was so great, Shadow could tell it had punctured the prisoner's vocal chords.

"My name is Shadow."

The prisoner bobbed his head. "What are you doing here? Are you a prisoner?"

"Apparently so."

The prisoner turned so that he was almost looking at Shadow. "Is this a trick? What else would you have of me, you foul demon!" The prisoner groaned. The effort of raising his voice had taken a heavy toll on him.

"It's not a trick. These maniacs poisoned me and then brought me here."

"And your crime?"

"They called me a heretic."

The prisoner paused. It sniffed the air and opened its eyes wider as if hoping to break through its own blindness. "Heresy? Why are you still alive?"

"I demanded trial by combat. Black Doom told me to wait until he could prepare the arena."

"And they permitted this?" The prisoner seemed even more curious now. "You are lucky. Do not try to survive the battle. If possible, try to die instantly, you do not want these demons to take you prisoner."

"They already have," Shadow pointed out.

A cryptic smile played on the prisoner's face. This caused the blisters on his mouth to spread out, and the dried skin to crack, dripping pus down his chin. "Not yet they don't. You are not really their prisoner until you are dead."

"You just told me to let myself die?"

The prisoner laughed. "Yes, and you must do so quickly before their doctors get hold of you. There are some manners of death that might make you impervious to their sorcery. Disembowelment, decapitation, these are the ends you must try to achieve."

Shadow huffed. "I don't plan on dying at all. I'll beat this champion of theirs and find some way to escape."

"Hah!" The prisoner cried. "Once you are down here, there is no Doom may play the part of the fanatic priest, but he is not so captured as he may seem. If his rules turn in your favor, he will simply change them."

"Then I'll kill him to."

This caused the prisoner to laugh even more than before. His chains rattled noisily as he rocked back and forth. "Kill Black Doom? How do you suppose to kill one who is already dead?"

Shadow shuddered. He suddenly recalled Black Doom's putrid smell, and his blackened semi rotten skin. "I don't believe in fairy tales," Shadow insisted. "Anything can die."

"That is so," The prisoner agreed. "But Black Doom's magic cannot be destroyed by physical strength. His spells must be unwound, and you are no wizard."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shadow snapped. "Clearly this cell has driven you insane. I've seen and fought against many mystical foes, and that hasn't stopped me before."

"Perhaps…." The prisoner mumbled thoughtfully. "Who can say…it is for the gods to decide one's fate…"

"I'm done with fate," Shadow said firmly. "Now if you know something about this Black Doom, I need you to tell me. Who is he, does he really worship Eggman?"

"EGGMAN!" The prisoner suddenly turned wild. His face contorted and his entire body seemed to seize up. His foggy eyes cleared and turned a frenzied sort of yellow. "EGGMAN…." His words devolved to guttural sounds. He was pressing very hard against the belt around his neck and it was making him choke. Shadow watched in disgust as the episode came to an end. The prisoner lurched forward and his eyes closed. For a moment, Shadow wondered if he had died, but then his slow, rumbling breathing resumed.

"Eggman…." He said slowly. "How do you know that name?"

Shadow watched the prisoner wearily, wondering if his answer would set him off again. "I'm from the same world that he is."

The prisoner's eyes bulged. "You….you aren't a….are you a hedgehog?"

"Yes-"

The prisoner made a kind of yelping sound and scurried back to his corner. "Come," He snapped back, "Take the light."

Shadow took the torch and wandered over. As he did so, the smell became much worse. Shadow had to cover his face just to breathe. The prisoner's corner was covered in a series of rotted blankets that were littered with old bones and dead rats. His chains were mounted into the stone walls and, gauging by the rust, he had been here for some time. The prisoner moved animatedly as he pushed away his blankets. There was a single stone that he had somehow removed from the floor, revealing a square section of sand. The prisoner had drawn some crude figures into the sand. "Look…" He said hoarsely.

Shadow bent down and held up the torch. Scribbled into the sand was a drawing of what seemed to be a razor backed person. They held a kind of glowing stick or torch in their hand. Across from them towered a huge bulking figure with a long mustache. Scribbles danced around them, indicating what Shadow assumed to be flames. "Do you see it?" The prisoner moaned. "It is just as the oracles predicted. The usurper would come first, but a hedgehog would pursue him across time and space. And-"

But Shadow had lost interest. He had just seen something else, a symbol drawn hastily in the corner of the sand pit. It was a triangle enveloped by a circle and crossed by twin diamonds. "What is that?" Shadow asked, trying to sound only vaguely interested.

The prisoner scooted over. His blind eyes gazed up at the ceiling as his finger reached down and retraced the marking. As he did so, Shadow caught a glimpse of the skin beneath the bandages. Shadow's stomach turned. The finger was shriveled and black, just like Black Doom's. "That?" The prisoner repeated. "I…I don't remember making that."

"Who are you?" Shadow demanded as he stepped away.

The prisoner exhaled heavily. "I…I am the one that Eggman usurped. I am Zertian, the last of the Tralagian Emperors."

Shadow said nothing. It was almost impossible to believe that the creature before him had ever once been the ruler of anything. "What happened to you?"

"He came…" Zertian gestured to the hulking figure he had drawn in the sand. "At first he presented himself as a peaceful newcomer. He wanted to bless my reign with advanced technology. Soon however, it became clear that his desire was to rule outright. There was a war, and despite my countless legions, this Eggman proved a formidable challenge. However, victory was in my grasp, until I was betrayed. One of my governors, a lord Mesto," Zertian spat on the floor. "He turned some of my other rulers against me and switched sides. This new coalition was far too powerful. The palace was stormed, my personal guard killed, and I was brought on my knees to the new emperor."

Zertian nearly gagged as he tried to take a breath. The pain of his memory was making him shudder as if he were experiencing it all over again. "Our empire had laws and rituals, formalites that are meant to be observed during the crowning of a new emperor. It was tradition that if he had the chance, the new emperor would kill the old. It was meant to be a sign of respect. Instead, Eggman spat on my face and laughed. He allowed Mesto to take me onto the steps of the Capitoline Hill in front of the public. I was mocked, beaten, and then executed."

Shadow frowned. He had been taken in by the story, but now he rolled his eyes. This prisoner had clearly been driven insane by isolation and pain. To combat his reality, he must have fashioned a new one for himself. "You are not Zertian then," Shadow said dismissively.

"Wait," The prisoner held up his hand. "If you do not believe me then come closer. Pull back this belt and see the wounds of my death."

Shadow hesitated. He did not want to get within arms reach of the prisoner, but he was curious. He placed the torch on an empty sconce and drew near. Shadow readied to pounce back should anything go wrong. His hand reached out and he gently pulled on the belt. Shadow's stomach dropped. Along the prisoner's neck was a long, horrid gash. The skin had been amateurishly stapled back together. But it was clear by the coloring and smell, that it had not been a surgery to save a life.

Shadow retreated to the wall. His heart thundered in his chest. "What…what is this.."

"The foul craft of Black Doom." Zertian answered. "I made many enemies during my reign. Mesto was one, and Black Doom was the other. When I was emperor, Black Doom was a priest of the Imperium. He was in charge of giving last rites to the dead. One day, Black Doom was taken prisoner for practicing necromancy. He had been subjecting his charges to all manner of crude spells and experiments. I had no choice but to order his execution. That night, his students came and broke him out of his cell." Zertian gathered his chains and laid them in a pile next to him as he leaned against the wall.

"The next I heard, Black Doom had taken up in an old fortress. He and his followers were continuing his studies, and his power began to grow. I could not ignore the threat much longer so I ordered an attack. The fortress was taken, Black Doom's students were killed and he was dragged back to the capital. To make an example of him, I took him to the inner citadel of the Imperium and had him placed into a locked casket. This was the ultimate condemnation for heretics. The casket was filled with a liquid flame that takes thirteen days to finish burning. He was left out in the open, where all could pay witness to his pain. His screams grew quiet after four days. In the end, when the fires finally gave out, we opened the casket. However, Black Doom was not inside."

Zertian shook his head. "This was years before Eggman arrived. Black Doom became a legend, a myth. Whispers of him would reach me every now again. A spectral ghost that roamed the swamp lands, and continued his foul practice of necromancy. But I did not heed these rumors. When Eggman arrived here, and the Civil War began, at some point, Black Doom met with Eggman and made common cause with him. After giving me to Mesto as a prize, my corpse was dragged off the steps of the Capitoline Hill and taken to Black Doom. I would not be allowed to die and have my suffering end."

"What would Eggman want with Black Doom?" Shadow wondered.

"Black Doom has always been adept at gathering followers. The new emperor wished for his subjects to think of himself as a god. Black Doom agreed to be his Arch Curate of the newly reformed Imperium, and in exchange, Eggman would give Black Doom plenty of corpses and the freedom to harness his powers. Black Doom's spells were mostly shadow and confusion, and the effort of raising the dead required too much magic for it to have any real application. But now he has combined his magic with the emperor's technology, and has become the emperor's chief architect."

"Architect of what?"

"His army of the dead." Zertian smiled faintly. "For every imperial soldier that falls, Black Doom rises a Revenant in its place. These Revenants have no feelings, they are completely under Black Doom's control, and therefore, under the direct control of the emperor."

"So that's what that was…." Shadow quickly explained the strange ceremony that Black Doom had subjected him to.

Zertian shook his head. "I don't know what that is. Black Doom's powers have grown exponentially. It seems that he detected a great amount of power within you, and wished to replicate that for himself."

Shadow paused. His head was aching due to the rotten smell. Eggman's crimes continued to be worse than Shadow ever thought possible. Yet even this was but a distraction from the true threat. He glanced down at the symbol in the sand. Black Doom, the empire, these Revenants, they were nothing compared to the Realm Lord. Then he remembered what Black Doom had said to him; "Death is a release, the dissolution of the body from the soul. The ultimate corruption of order." Was Black Doom also a product of the Realm Lord's interference?

"Why did they do this to you?" Shadow asked. "They are just keeping you here to torture you?"

Zertian nodded. "It is the price for my sins. I am no hero. I ruled with an iron fist, and thousands of innocents perished under my command. Black Doom's revenge is that I…persist. My physical body can still feel pain, it is acutely aware of its weakness. How many times now, have I suffered the pain of the death of starvation? But I cannot die, my soul is trapped in this living hell."

"Could I kill you?" Shadow asked.

Zertain looked up at him. "I don't know…" He muttered. "If you carved my body into pieces and stomped those pieces into dust, I still don't know. Perhaps my soul would be stuck in the dust." Tears started to fall down the walrus' face. "But that is not the worst of it. Black Doom's revenge has no limit. He took her…my only daughter…." Zertian's face broke and he started to weep openly. "She is like me. I watched as they brought her before the court and condemned her for treason. Black Doom had her killed and then placed his reviving magic upon her. I do not know where she is now. I thought at first, it was a mercy that they did not put us together. But now I understand. I am meant to sit here, to rot in my own pain as I imagine the horrors that he inflicts upon her…"

Shadow grimaced. He did not think he had ever seen anything quite so pathetic or tragic. "Enough," He snapped. "Tears won't save you."

"They are all I have," Zertian sobbed. "I have nothing left, I am nothing…"

"Help me." Shadow knelt and placed a hand on Zertian's arm. "Tomorrow I must fight for my freedom. If Black Doom means to double cross me then I need a way to defeat him also."

"The oracles…" Zertian mumbled. "Near the end, I visited them on their mountain. They said that a hedgehog would come that-"

"I'm not that hedgehog," Shadow deflected. "I don't give a damn about fate, or about oracles, or necromancers, or any of it. All that matters is that I'm still alive, and I can still fight."

Zertian hesitated. "Yes…" He whispered. "That…that is the true spirit of the warrior….I…I had forgotten." He closed his eyes as if he were suddenly in prayer. "Power changes the mind. In my youth, I wished for nothing more than glory upon the battlefield. I wanted to drive back the enemies of the empire and make the country safe for all. But once that crown was on my head, I turned. Who did I protect? The strong grew in power, and the weak were trodden underfoot. I became a servant of fate, waiting upon the words of oracles. Power made me weak, and now in my weakness…perhaps…perhaps I can learn courage again."

Zertian opened his mouth and before Shadow could stop him, he stuffed his fist down his throat. Shadow turned away and nearly gagged as he heard the sounds coming out of Zertian. After a few moments, he turned back. Zertian tore his hand out of his throat and gasped. Slowly, he opened his fist. In a puddle of black blood was a golden ring set with a red diamond. "I swallowed this just before the palace fell. It is the Ring of Kings, passed down from emperor to emperor."

Shadow took the ring and wiped it free of the blood and mucus. Zertian was so much larger than himself, that the ring fit around Shadow like a bracelet. As soon as put it on his wrist, the red diamond flashed with a sudden ignition of fire. The light danced in Shadow's eyes. "There is power in you," Zertian said fervently. "The ring can sense it. That rock burns with the heart of the empire, but it has not ignited in centuries."

"So why now?" Shadow asked in amazement.

"Because you do not seek to rule or dominate. How foolish we have all been. We thought to honor our ancestors by continuing their advancement, but whereas they were courageous, we became cruel. The power of the empire was not in domination, but in the protection of its citizens. Take that ring, Shadow the Hedgehog, use its power to save the empire."

Shadow frowned. "The empire fell to Eggman. It serves him now. I saw it, your subjects love him, they build statues of him everywhere."

"They have been fooled," Zertian insisted. "In their thirst for safety they have abandoned virtue. But they are not lost. Please, remember that. If you escape here, then you will fight against Eggman, but try and remember that his armies are also pawns." Zertian gestured to the ring. "That ring was given to the first king by the sages of old. Use it to protect his descendents, I beg of you. Give them a chance,"

Shadow closed his eyes. He tried with all his might to resist the memory of Maria from projecting to the forefront of his mind, but it was impossible. He saw her leaning against the console. "Give them a chance to be happy-"

"I will do what I can." Shadow pushed the memory of Maria aside. "But first I need to know what I can do with this."

"Black Doom and his servants are creatures of the darkness. They are undead, and cannot be defeated with conventional means. But they cannot stand light, and there is no truer light than flame. It may not be enough to kill them outright, but it should be enough to help you escape."

Shadow nodded. "Thank you."

Zertian inclined his head towards him. "If it isn't too much to ask…if you do return here to end Black Doom for good…please…find my daughter…save her if you can."

Shadow made no answer to this. He was done making promises. Instead, he took the torch and ventured to the other side of the cell. Nowhere was completely safe from the cell of decay emitting from the old emperor, but Shadow found the spot that was less infected. Shadow laid down and stared up at the dark ceiling.

Hours passed, and at some point, the darkness of the cell became the darkness of dreams. Shadow walked down a long narrow hallway. The walls were covered in hieroglyphics and alien drawings. A sense of eeriness permeated the air. His walking did not seem to bring him any closer to a destination. He was lost within a maze that had had no turns or means of navigation. A wall of darkness pursued him, always one step behind. Shadow could not run, nor was there any point in doing so. He knew the darkness would always be there, just behind him.

At last, Shadow reached a fork. He turned instantly to his right and stepped into a room lit with golden flames. The light reflected off the walls which proved to be made of bronze. The carvings were made with a shimmering red ink that sparkled in the light. Maria sat on a lavish bed. She looked to be in her early twenties and she was extremely beautiful. Instead of the sterile clothing that she had always worn back on the Ark, Maria was adorned like she was a kind of queen. A bright yellow crown was on her head that matched the sparkling golden lace that covered the rest of her body. Dark makeup was applied beneath her eyes, and strange symbols were painted on her cheeks and forehead.

Shadow hesitated. She rose gently from the bed and took a step towards him. Shadow felt a sudden thrill of foreboding mixed with desire. That hesitation had been enough. He had not been moving. A cold seized Shadow around his neck. He whirled around to find that the wall of darkness had caught up to him. He opened his mouth to scream, but the darkness filled his lungs like a black smoke. Shadow coughed and collapsed to his knees. Maria looked down on him. She was even more terrifyingly beautiful in her apathy. Shadow's vision faded and he reached out to her as he slowly succumbed to the lack of air.

"Maria…." Shadow woke as the door to the cell was thrown open. He jerked to his feet as a dozen robed cultists filed inside.

"Come with us," A snarling, almost snake-like voice said. "It is time for your trial." Shadow allowed the cultists to take him by the arms and lead him onward. The fortress of the cultists was full of long dark passageways that seemed to lead to nowhere. Shadow had no idea how the cultists were managing to navigate through it. There was only one torch for every hundred feet or so of tunnel, making a majority of their journey done in darkness. All Shadow could really tell was that they were going steadily down. Wherever his trial was to take place, it was somewhere deep underground.

Shadow tried to remain calm. Escaping from this lower section would be even more difficult, but he was armed with weapons that the cultists didn't know about. He had the Reticus and the Ring of Kings, and with these tools, he would find a way to escape.

At last, they reached a spiked iron gate. A faint grayish light was issuing from the other side. Shadow scrunched up his nose as a large gust of dust blew out of the gate. One of the cultists opened the gate while the others pushed Shadow through. He entered a circular arena that was covered in thick mounds of gray dust. The air was so thick with it, that Shadow had to cover his mouth. Above the arena were rows of carved benches. Further up, Shadow could see white mirrors on the walls that were the source of the grayish light that filled the room. It was a harsh light that made shadows even darker and the dust even more pronounced.

"What is this place?" Shadow asked his captors.

"The Boneyard." They had not joined him out into the arena. Before Shadow could say anything, they slammed the iron gate shut.

Shadow exhaled slowly. He braced himself before looking down. Sure enough, what he had taken as dust was actually the fine powder of bone. Scattered throughout the floor were pieces that had yet to be broken down all the way. Shadow saw the remains of a lower jaw bone, as well as a leg bone that were only partially eroded.

"Welcome Shadow," Black Doom's voice suddenly filled the arena. Shadow looked up and saw dozens of cultists start to fill the benches. Black Doom hovered above them, the gems of his many necklaces hanging down his robe. His red eyes burned brightly in the harsh light of the Boneyard.

"Who is my challenger?" Shadow bellowed. "I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

At this, the crowd began to boo and hiss. Shadow ignored them and directed his words at Black Doom. "Will you fight me, or are you too much of a coward?"

"It is not my place to test you. Your guilt must be tried by your own conscience. Behold the seed born of corruption." Black Doom waved his hand and the gate on the other side of the arena opened. Shadow watched as his doppelganger slowly limped into the arena. Its lifeless neon green eyes gazed back at Shadow with an expression of detached curiosity. "The power and abilities that you seemed determined to direct against the emperor have been changed to his service." Black Doom hovered above Shadow's counterpart. "All creatures are called to shun the false light of heretics and embrace the truth of darkness. He is such a creature, one who has forsaken the light, he is Mephiles."

At the sounding of his name, Mephiles' head jerked. He moved unnaturally as if his bones were not connected properly to their frame.

"I don't give a damn what his name his," Shadow insisted. "If I beat him, then I get to leave?"

"Victory will only be attained by innocence."

"Swear it then. Give me your word that if I win, then I can leave."

Black Doom paused. Shadow smiled to himself as he saw the rage build in Black Doom's eyes. Both of them knew that this ordeal was merely a show to keep the cultists in line. "You have the word of the imperial law, that should be good enough."

Shadow shrugged. "Have it your own way then."

Black Doom pointed down at Shadow. "Mephiles, reveal the truth or error of this heretic! For the good of the empire, for the will of the emperor!"

Mephiles sprang forward. He ran awkwardly over the heavy powder, but he was still extremely fast. Shadow leapt backward and contented himself to simply endure Mephiles' initial assault. If Black Doom thought he had copied Shadow's powers he had made a serious miscalculation. Mephiles may have been just as fast and strong as Shadow, but he didn't know how to use them.

In a sudden turn, Shadow flipped from retreating to attacking. He slipped under Mephiles' kick and landed a heavy blow on his rib cage. Shadow followed up with a series of rapid strikes to Mephiles' head. Each strike made Mephiles' head wobble and the last made solid contact on his cheek. Snap! Shadow felt a reverb run up his leg as Mephiles' head spun around on his shoulders. The crowd of cultists gasped.

Shadow stood back and watched as Mephiles collapsed to his knees. His eyes went cold. "Guess I'm innocent then," Shadow said wearily. That had been far easier than he expected.

However, Black Doom said nothing. He continued to stare down at Mephiles'. "Has the shock of defeat left you speechless?" Shadow mocked. "I've beaten your little copy, now let me-"

Mephiles rose back to his feet. He placed his hands around his head and twisted. Pop! Shadow's stomach lurched as Mephiles twisted his head back on straight. "Arghazajfd" Mephiles tried to speak, but all that came out was twisted guttural groans. Flakes of scaly skin popped off of his chest and neck, exactly where Shadow had hit him moments ago. Beneath the scales, Shadow caught a glimpse of an alien, rocky texture that glowed with a faint purplish color.

Before he could register what that meant, Mephiles was on the attack again. His speed and ferocity had seemingly doubled, causing Shadow to have to retreat across the arena. Eventually, Shadow could not run and was forced to stand his ground. The two exchanged a series of blows at lighting speed. Mephiles had no technique, but he seemed impervious to pain. Everytime Shadow hit him, Mephiles did not so much as flinch.

Shadow caught Mephiles by the arm and twisted it around his back. He applied pressure, but that did not stop Mephiles from snarling and trying to slash at him. Pop! Mephiles' arm broke at the shoulder and suddenly Shadow was left out of position. Mephiles circled around him and kicked Shadow in the chest, sending him flying across the Boneyard. He landed in a deep pile of bone powder and had to climb his way back to the surface.

Mephiles' arm hung loosely at his side. Shadow smirked in satisfaction, but that quickly turned into a grimace. Mephiles howled and popped his arm back into place. More skin flaked away, and his hand changed. It was no longer a fist that resembled Shadow's own anatomy, but a monstrous claw covered in that same rocky texture that was on his chest.

"You cannot win, heretic." Black Doom hovered above the fighters. "Mephiles lives off the adoration of the emperor, your false heart will be your demise."

Shadow ignored this, because Mephiles chose that instant to attack. Again, his speed seemed to have increased and his strikes became even more precise. Shadow had to be careful to avoid his clawed hand which left sizable marks in the steel walls around the arena. Lets see how you handle this. Shadow allowed Mephiles to get close before activating the Reticus. He used that pocket of time to get in close and unleash a barrage of punches on Mephiles' chest. Shadow's punches glanced off the rocky skin, and he had to retreat.

The crowd started to boo even louder and scream obscenities at him. The fight was becoming too fast for them to follow as Mephiles and Shadow took their battle to the next level. The two fighters seemed to phase in and out of existence as they fought at their maximum speed. Shadow used the Reticus whenever he saw a chance, but Mephiles absorbed any and all damage and kept coming back. Worse yet, the more damage he took, the more powerful he seemed to become. Almost all of his skin had flaked away, joining the powder that littered the boneyard. Like a lizard that had shed its skin, Mephiles looked completely different now. His body seemed to have been forged out of alien rocks and a pulsing purple energy swirled inside him.

Shadow, on the other hand, was getting steadily weaker. Each use of the Reticus was sapping at his energy, and he couldn't keep up with Mephiles any other way. The ring may be my only chance. Shadow wasn't sure how exactly he was supposed to use the bracelet, but he figured that it was now or never.

Mephiles surged with energy. Jolts of electric blue lightning crackled around him, creating an imposing aura of energy. His eyes had turned a deep magenta while his irises burned like green flames. Shadow braced himself. He clenched his fist and a tongue of orange fire lashed out of his bracelet. Mephiles noticed the spark and hesitated. That was the only opening that Shadow needed. He surged forward with a burst of speed. "DIE!" Shadow reared his arm back and suddenly his entire fist was enveloped in fire.

The blazing strike smacked Mephiles straight in the face. The monster staggered backward as flames leapt over his entire body. Mephiles made a gurgling sound as the crowd of cultists screamed in fury. Shadow didn't let up. He landed four more burning punches on Mephiles, before suddenly turning and leaping into the air. Black Doom had let his curiosity get the better of him. He had drifted down from his perch, and was now within Shadow's range.

Black Doom waved his arms and created a barrier of black energy. Shadow used the Reticus to bypass this protection. His fist struck Black Doom right on his third eye. Flames exploded over him with such intensity, Shadow was thrown backward. He landed in the Boneyard just as the gate to the arena opened. Cultists rushed inside to try and help Mephiles, but the fires soon caught the hem of the cultists' robes, and they also started to burn.

It was complete pandemonium. Black Doom was on fire. The cultists were screaming and running in every direction. Flames leapt onto the walls. The bone powder hissed because of the heat, causing great plumes of smoke to rise into the air. It was the perfect conditions for Shadow to escape. He slipped out of the arena and ran down the many winding passageways. He saw no one as he ran, all of the cultists had apparently gone to witness the trial.

Shadow's jubilation proved short-lived. Again and again he turned down a dark passageway just to enter another. There seemed to be no end to the tunnels. Shadow stopped short to listen for the sound of pursuing footsteps. He heard nothing except the faint dripping of water and the subtle scuttling of nameless creatures.

How the hell do I get out of here? In answer to his question, Shadow's bracelet suddenly started to glow. Shadow held up his arm and an ember of fire leapt into the air. It burned without smoke and started to move slowly away. Shadow watched it apprehensively. Was the fire going to show him a way out? Without much other choice, Shadow started to follow. The ember led him through the tunnels, twisting around and around. At times, Shadow thought they were going back down towards the Boneyard, but then the ground would level out and start to rise.

The air began to change. Shadow could smell fresh air and the trickling of water grew louder. The ember rounded a final turn and then faded. Shadow was standing in front of an iron portcullis. Sewage water was steadily dripping through the grooves between the bars. Shadow approached it and felt a cold wind against his face. He seized the bars and gave them a mighty pull. They didn't budge. Undeterred, Shadow took a step back and kicked as hard as he could. The metal groaned but did not give in. Shadow retreated several feet and crouched. He revved up into a spin dash and exploded forward. His momentum allowed him to hit the gate with such intense force that the metal gave way.

Shadow spilled down the waterfall and fell into a shallow pool of murky water. He gasped as he got out and spat out the filth. Shadow paused and looked around. He was standing in a narrow ravine filled with dead trees. Behind him was a solid mass of stone, with only the faint opening that he had just broken through. High above him, towering over the area was a black fortress with many half ruined towers. Shadow guessed that this was Black Doom's fortress.

In the night air, he could see a faint trickle of light at the highest tower. Shadow wondered if the old emperor's daughter was being held up there. For a moment, he wondered if he should try and rescue her now. No…Shadow hated to leave anyone at the mercy of Black Doom, but Shadow had a mission to accomplish first. He had to warn Sonic about the Flames of Disaster, but once that was done…

Shadow turned aside and started heading down the gorge. He hoped he would spot some kind of landmark that would remind him of the map Severus had given him. "Stop!" A feeble, girlish voice broke the night's silence.

Shadow turned around. Theodora was standing behind him. Her cloak was covered in water, and her hood had fallen down to her shoulders. Her face was pale and her expression wild. She held a controller in her hand. Shadow only had to look at it to know it was the one connected to the collar that was still around his neck.

"You cannot leave…" She said fanatically. "You must pay. You are a heretic."

Shadow frowned. He could not believe this. He had come too far to be stopped now. "Enough of this. I proved my innocence. I killed them."

"Kill them?" Theodora's eyes twitched. "Black Doom is alive, and he will raise my fellow brothers back as well. You must return, you must become like us." She held up the controller threateningly.

"Black Doom is lying to you," Shadow pressed. "The emperor is not who he seems. He is not here to liberate you-" His words died in his throat. Theodora had pressed the button. Electric shocks traced down Shadow's body, making him convulse on the floor.

"How dare you…" Theodora said, her eyes popping out of her once pretty face. "You cannot be tolerated. You must die."

Shadow tried to push himself onto his feet. The electric shocks were starting to make him verge on the edge of consciousness. "No…" He managed through gritted teeth. "Stop this…"

Theodora stepped forward. The light of the stars shone down upon her. Her face was spectrally white and alive with the kind of insane energy that only came from fanatic mania. "I must serve him-"

Two things happened at once. Shadow managed to activate his Reticus and stop the flow of electricity. In that brief pocket of time, he aimed his bracelet forward. A fireball erupted out of the bracelet and enveloped Theodora. She dropped the controller, and the flow of electricity stopped. Shadow watched in horror as the fire consumed Theodora. She screamed in pain and tried to tear off her burning cultists robes. Instead, all she managed to do was trip and become even more enveloped in the blaze. The fires reached the controller and the device was burned to a crisp.

Shadow rose unsteadily to his feet. Theodora's screams were bound to attract attention. He had to leave, but it was difficult to turn away. His stomach turned as Theodora slowly, agonizingly burned. At last, only smoke remained. Shadow closed his eyes and exhaled. He went forward and rummaged through what remained of Theodora's cloak. Amongst the ashes, he found a sturdy steel key. Shadow used this to unlock his collar and toss it onto the grass.

This place is going crazy. He had only been on this planet for a single night, and already he was desperate to leave it. I have to find Sonic, I have to end this. Shadow turned and ran into the darkness.

AN: This is the end of Part IV, thank you to everyone that has made it this far! I greatly appreciate any feedback. It will probably be a while before I continue the story, as it is nearing the end and I want to spend extra time brining everything together.