Chapter 25: The Path to Light

The shimmering portal created by the Keyblade rippled and glowed as Sonic, Amy, and Sora stepped out of the pathway, their feet touching the sun-baked sands of the desert. Before them, stretching out under the scorching sun, lay the ancient ruins of Sarasaland, half-buried in the shifting dunes. The air was dry and hot, and a faint breeze carried the scent of sand and dust, as if the place had been abandoned for centuries. Crumbling stone structures rose up from the sands, their once-grand arches and pillars now leaning and broken, worn away by time and the harsh elements.

Sonic squinted against the glare, his impatience already evident. "Alright, we're here. Now where do we need to go?" he asked, his eyes darting around for any sign of a Chaos Emerald.

Amy shielded her eyes from the sun and pointed towards a cluster of ruins deeper in the desert. "If you had paid attention when Daisy was explaining, you would know." Amy said, holding bacl her frustration. "She mentioned the largest ruins," she pointed at a large stone ruin, with tall columns in front of a large opening. "She said that's where we'd most likely find it. But she also warned me that the ruins are full of traps."

"Traps, shmraps," Sonic said, waving her off. "I'm not waiting around. We need to find that emerald and fast." Without another word, he took off in a blur of blue, dashing ahead.

"Sonic, wait!" Amy shouted, but he was already gone. She sighed, thinking for a moment if she should run after him or let him learn the hard way. Finally, shaking her head. "He's going to regret that."

Sora chuckled, glancing at Amy. "He seems... energetic."

Amy smiled softly. "That's just Sonic. Always rushing ahead, always trying to be the hero. But he doesn't think things through sometimes." She hesitated for a moment, glancing back toward the ruins where Sonic had disappeared, her concern evident. "Ever since Tails was taken by Robotnik, he hasn't been himself. He just wants to fix everything, but sometimes I wish he'd slow down..."

They started walking towards the direction Sonic ran off to. "So, how did you end up with the Keyblade? It's... pretty cool."

Sora's face brightened at the question, and he glanced down at the Keyblade, twirling it slightly. "It's a long story," he said. "But, basically, I was chosen. At first, I didn't really understand why, but over time, I learned it was about protecting those I care about and fighting against darkness." Sora glanced around at the vast, arid landscape. "So, what's your home like, Amy? I mean, it must be pretty different from... this," he said, gesturing to the endless dunes and crumbling ruins around them.

Amy hesitated, her gaze drifting to the endless expanse of sand. For a moment, it seemed like she wasn't just looking at the ruins—they were pulling her into a memory. "Green Hill Zone is... or, it was beautiful. It had rolling hills, clear skies, and waterfalls that sparkled in the sunlight. It was always so full of life, you know?" She hesitated, her eyes clouding over. "But when Angel Island fell... it caused so much destruction. Green Hill was right in its path. Everything was devastated." She paused, swallowing hard. "A lot of things will never be the same."

Sora's expression softened, and he nodded, understanding the pain in her words. "I'm sorry, Amy," he said gently. "That sounds really hard."

Amy took a deep breath and forced a small smile. "Yeah... but it's why I'm here. I'm trying to make sure Sonic doesn't have to do it alone this time."

Sora gave her a reassuring nod. "I get it. I think we're a lot alike in that way. My home is... well, it's called Destiny Islands. It's this small place, surrounded by the ocean, where everything feels peaceful. When I was little, I thought it was the whole world. But when the darkness came, it... changed everything. I lost it for a while, and I had to fight to get it back."

Amy's eyes brightened with interest. "But you did get it back, right?"

Sora smiled, his eyes lighting up at the thought. "Yeah, I did. And every time I go back, it reminds me why I fight. To protect the people I care about, to keep that peace alive." He looked at Amy with a gentle, knowing smile. "Sounds like Green Hill Zone is your Destiny Islands."

Amy returned the smile, feeling a sense of connection. "Yeah... I guess it is. And I'm going to do whatever I can to rebuild it when this is over."

They both shared a quiet, understanding moment, and the conversation helped to pass the time as they continued their trek towards the ruins.

As they entered a dark cave within the ruins, the air grew colder, and the walls seemed to close in around them. Ancient carvings lined the stone, but most of it had crumbled away. They walked cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Suddenly, Amy's eyes went wide as she spotted a familiar blue figure hanging from the ceiling, cocooned in thick webs.

"Sonic?" she called, her voice a mix of concern and amusement. Sonic dangled there, wrapped tightly, his expression a mix of frustration and embarrassment. Above him, a massive, eight-legged creature skittered along the web, its many eyes glinting hungrily.

"Ugh... yeah, it's me," Sonic grumbled. "Can you get me down already?"

Amy's lips curled into a smirk, and she pulled out her hammer. "Honestly, Sonic, I told you there were traps," she said as she leapt forward, swinging the hammer with practiced ease. The giant spider lunged at her, but Amy brought the hammer down hard, smashing it aside in one swift motion. "Guess you found them the hard way."

While Amy dealt with the spider, Sora jumped up, slicing through the webs with his Keyblade. "Hang tight, Sonic," he said, freeing him. As Sonic dropped to the ground, he landed with a grunt, shaking himself off.

"Thanks," Sonic muttered, brushing away the last of the sticky web. "But seriously, we're wasting time here. We need to find that emerald."

"Maybe you should listen next time," Amy said, her tone teasing. "Or do you want to find more traps the hard way?"

Sonic rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get moving."

They continued through the dark, winding tunnels, cautiously avoiding various traps that lay hidden—pressure plates, dart-launching walls, and collapsing ceilings. It felt like something out of an ancient treasure hunt, with each step needing to be careful and precise. Small, dark creatures occasionally leapt out from the shadows, but they were quickly dispatched, mostly by Amy's hammer and Sora's swift strikes.

But Sonic's impatience was growing. "Why are we creeping around like this?" Sonic groaned, rolling his eyes. "I've been through caves before, and no traps have ever caught me. I can handle it." He sped up, darting ahead of Sora and Amy.

As he moved, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Every slow step, every moment wasted, felt like another second that Tails was trapped, and he couldn't bear it. The guilt gnawed at him, and he pushed it down, replacing it with the one thing he was always good at—speed. I have to keep moving. I have to do something, he thought, the frustration bubbling over. If I'm fast enough, maybe I can still save him...

"Sonic, slow down!" Amy warned, but Sonic ignored her, moving just fast enough to set off a hidden pressure plate. Suddenly, a line of spikes shot out from the wall, narrowly missing him as he skidded to a halt.

Sora lunged forward, grabbing the back of Sonic and yanking him out of the way just in time. The spikes retracted back into the wall with a harsh clang. Sonic blinked, wide-eyed, then glanced back at the spot where he'd almost been skewered.

Sonic's voice broke nervously "See? No problem at all." Amy raised an eyebrow, "Right. Because almost getting skewered was all part of the plan."

Sonic lowered his eyes and he turned towards Sora. "Thanks for that", he said sheepishly

Amy crossed her arms, smirking. "Will you slow down now, or are you still feeling lucky?"

Sonic huffed, but there was a faint blush on his cheeks. "Fine, fine. I'll take it easy. But we can't just crawl through here forever."

Eventually, they found themselves in a large, open chamber. At the far end, sitting atop a pedestal, was the unmistakable glow of a Chaos Emerald, its shimmering light casting an eerie green hue across the room. Sonic's eyes lit up, and he dashed forward, his impatience once again getting the better of him.

But as he reached out to grab the emerald, a crackling barrier of magical energy sparked to life around it, stopping his hand just inches from its surface. "What the—?"

Before he could react, the ground trembled, and shadowy figures began to rise from the darkness around them. Creatures with glowing eyes and twisted forms locked onto the heroes, hissing and growling as their numbers grew.

"Not good," Sora said, drawing his Keyblade as he readied himself for a fight. "There's too many!"

Amy tightened her grip on her hammer. "We'll just have to fight our way through them!"

The three of them stood back-to-back, striking at the oncoming horde. But for every creature they knocked down, it felt like two more took its place. Sonic's usual speed didn't seem to be enough to hold them back, and the room was closing in.

Just when it seemed like they might be overwhelmed, a bright streak of light shot across the chamber, hitting the magical barrier around the Chaos Emerald and cracking it. The glow intensified, and a voice rang out, strong and confident.

"Grab that emerald and run!"

Sonic looked up to see a figure swooping down from above, wings outstretched, his bow glowing as he fired off another arrow. The barrier around the emerald shattered, and Sonic wasted no time. He dashed forward, snatching the emerald just as one of the shadowy creatures lunged for it.

The mysterious figure continued to shoot, his arrows creating bursts of light that drove the creatures back, clearing a path. "Move! This way!" he called, gesturing towards an exit at the far end of the chamber.

Sonic, Sora, and Amy fought their way through, following the figure as he led them through the winding tunnels. They burst out into the open air, the light of day blinding them momentarily. As they stumbled out, the figure shot another arrow, striking an old, rusted gate, causing it to fall shut, blocking the entrance to the ruins behind them. The creatures were sealed inside, their frustrated hisses echoing through the metal.

Sora looked up, finally getting a clear look at their rescuer. The figure hovered in the air, wings glistening in the sunlight, his bow still drawn. Sora watched in awe as he landed softly, a confident smile on his face. "Don't you know not to rush inside ancient ruins? There are always traps."

Amy gave Sonic an 'I told you so' glare.

Sora's eyes widened with curiosity at the figure. "Who... are you?"

The figure grinned, tilting his head as he looked at the group. "Well, you're definitely not from around here, are you?" He put his bow away and introduced himself. "I'm Pit, servant of Palutena. She sent me here to help since things have been getting... messy."

"Palutena?" Amy asked, tilting her head. "Is she like Rosalina? Connected to the cosmos?"

Pit's eyes dropped for a moment at Rosalina's name. "Rosalina is indeed powerful. Her connection was pivotal in keeping balance." He composed himself and smiled. "But Palutena is the Goddess of Light. She's more... hands-on. If she's worried, you can bet something big is brewing, and it's all tied to these Chaos Emeralds. She put that barrier around the emerald to keep it safe until I could figure out who was friend or foe." He glanced at Sonic, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "I saw you in action during that whole Bowser mess. You've got some serious moves, Sonic! But if we're up against what I think we are... we're gonna need all the help we can get."

Sonic blinked in surprise. "You... watched me?"

Pit nodded, his smile softening. "Let's just say I've got a pretty good view from up above." He looked at the emerald in Sonic's hand, then back at the group. "But if you're here, then things must be getting serious. And if Palutena's worried, it's not just about this world... it's about everything."

Sora stepped forward, his eyes serious. "We are doing what we can to make sure these emeralds don't fall into the wrong hands. Can you help us?"

Pit's expression grew more serious, the playful glint in his eyes fading. "I can, but we need to talk. There's someone else at play here... someone from the Underworld. If what I think is right, Medusa is trying to get her hands on the emeralds as well."

Sonic interjected, his confusion evident. "What's a Medusa? And what's the Underworld?"

Pit grinned, shaking his head slightly. "Wow, you really are new here. Guess I'll have to give you the crash course. Let's get back to the Mushroom Kingdom and regroup with the others. If Medusa's got her sights set on the emeralds, then we've got a lot to worry about."

The group exchanged worried glances, realizing the stakes had just gotten a lot higher. Pit nodded, his wings twitching slightly. "If we don't stop her, this could be worse than just losing a few emeralds. We could be looking at a full-scale invasion... from the Underworld."