GT: The finale of the Angel Island Arc, folks! Last we left off, Ix was Enerjak.
SZ: After he tricked people into thinking he was dead and used Kragok and his forces jsut so he can get close to the Master Emerald
GT: Indeed. Now let's get to the conclusion, shall we?
SZ: Yeh. But first…we don't own anything aside from original content.
GT: Yep. Now begin!
Enerjak chuckled as he landed atop the top of the shrine, looking down upon them all with a sneer behind his mask, "Hah…" he looked himself over, "This feeling…it's overwhelming how much power I feel!"
"We've been fooled…" Kragok scowled.
"More than you know," Enerjak responded…as Kragok started to flicker in and out.
"!? Wh-What…?"
"Hmph. One of my finest spells," Enerjak explained, "Creating false doubles with fragments of myself within." he held up his hand and crushed it…as Kragok vanished into a sphere of light that went into him, "I created a trio of Echidnas meant to fulfil my goal of becoming the new Enerjak, three offerings. Yet…I underestimate how much I put into Kragok."
"You…You made your Zone's version of those three," Ben realized.
"Indeed. It was unfortunate that the two girls I needed to be the Sisters of the ritual died," Enerjak replied, "But…" he floated down to the steps and looked at the three bodies behind him over his shoulder, "How fortunate that we had ones from another Zone entirely."
"And Shade?" Ben demanded.
"I needed a Guardian. Should I not have obtained the Guardian from the Knuckles Clan, I made my own in Shade," Enerjak responded, "I raised her to become a Guardian from visions I perceived from divining rituals on Mobius to watch over the Knuckles Clan."
"Ix, we trusted you!" Nestor called out.
"And I am pleased you did," Enerjak replied, amusement in his tone, "For it allowed me to finally obtain the power of Enerjak for my own!"
"I can't believe he tricked us so well," Manic grimaced, "I thought the dude was the real deal, but…"
Sonic scowled, "It's Stripes all over again before he and his people joined the Freedom Fighters…only this time, no redemption at all."
"Ah yes…you lot," Enerjak recalled as he looked at Sonic and the others," I should thank you for your assistance…but a god has no need to acknowledge ants once they've outlived their usefulness."
"Oh, I don't like that tone," Sticks gulped, tensing up.
"Logically, he means to destroy us if we choose to rebel," Shockwave noted.
"And what do you think we're gonna do?" Sonic asked.
"Given the data I've amassed upon you and prior data Lord Eggman has collected…you will do just that," Shockwave replied.
"Hey, you and the others-minus Hood-showed off some of that spirit on the ARK when that program went off to make it fall," Sonic reminded him.
"Oh? You intend to fight me?" Enerjak smirked, "How…amusing." he raised a hand, "But…why should I? You can deal with these."
Before anyone could react, multiple beams of light raced out fo the palm of his hand and struck all the Echidnas, aside from Knuckles, and the downed members of Eggman's organic forces. Their bodies glowed before spheres of different colored lights were pulled out of their bodies, making them all collapse. Tikal, meanwhile, was condensed into a familiar orb of light. Enerjak curled his hand and the spheres raced into the palm of it, condensing into small motes of light. He clenched his hand and quicksilver spilled out of it and landed before pooling before the remaining members. The quicksilver puddle rose up at multiple points…before forming into facsimiles of those that had orbs pulled out of them along with Tikal, each one sporting neon lights along their bodies that made out markings upon their original bodies and their eyes.
"Tch…To think we must work together…again," Conquering Storm muttered.
"I'm not comfortable with this either," Roll grimaced as she readied her sword.
"Really wish I knew where Chaos was," Stick gulped.
"Most likely, still trapped in a sponge," Shockwave responded.
"...What?" Ragna raised a brow.
"To sum it up, a technologically advanced sponge Swindle purchased from space," Shockwave explained, "It is rather small, but should be around here. A God to face another God would, logically, be beneficial."
"Oh great…so we gotta fight an army and find a teeny tiny sponge," Sonic noted…before grinning, "Is it our birthday, sibs?"
"Sonic…" Sonia groaned, her spear deployed, as Manic donned his armor and knife again.
"Hmm hm…oh how cute...you think your efforts will matter," Enerjak grinned a bit.
"Well…If I'm taking on a god…I can't hold back," Ragna stated as he held up his Azure Grimoire.
"?" Enerjak raised a brow.
"Restriction Number 666 released. Dimensional interference field deployed," Ragna intoned.
"That's…" Shockwave recognized it.
"BlazBlue…ACTIVATE!" Ragna roared, his arm transforming as the chaotic black and crimson aura erupted off his body.
The core of the Omnitrix went up after Ben selected his alien and pushed down on it, transforming into Rath, who growled before pointing at Enerjak, "Lemme tell ya somethin', Enerjak! You messed with the wrong planet!" he slapped his emblem and, in a wave of green energy, Ultimate Rath took his place, "Prepare yourself."
Sonic looked around at the quicksilver clones they were about to face before his eyes settled on the Master Emerald…and smirked, "I think I have an idea."
"Bro?" Manic asked.
"I just need one chance," Sonic stated, looking at his siblings and Roll before glancing to the Master Emerald while focusing his face on them, "Think we can make one?"
"...I believe so," Sonia smirked, readying her spear.
"Hai, Sonikku!" Roll beamed, Yacker pumping his tentacles in agreement.
"I'm ready to rock, Bro," Manic smirked behind his mask before spinning his knife around and aimed it at Enerjak's forces, "So…let's roll."
Manic twisted his knife and stabbed it down into the ground. Holes opened beneath the forces and caused many of them to fall into it before they slammed shut. What remained charged at them only to be met with Sonia's spear, Knuckles's fists, Clove's scythe, plasma shots from Shockwave, and lightning from Conquering Storm. Enerjak scoffed and snapped his fingers, causing the ground to explode and let loose the trapped forces only to be met with the same onslaught. A blur caught his eye before he quickly raised his hands up and caught Ragna's sword, breaking the top of the shrine from the catch. He moved back, avoiding the claws of his transformed arm only to grunt as Ultimate Rath's foot slammed into his back and forced him back at Ragna, letting his slash him with his claws. His eyes widened before blasting the two away from him and grabbed where Ragna had clawed him.
"You…You tried to rip my soul out?" Enerjak asked in surprise, "Fascinating."
"Well see how this fits!" Ragna shouted as he threw a punch at Enerjak, only for him to stop as Enerjak held a hand up.
"No no…I don't think so," Enerjak grinned before he swiped his hand, causing Ragna to go flying and crash right into the mountain, "I would enjoy learning more about your arm now that it has changed, but that's for later." he held up another hand and caught Ultimate Rath before twisting it, causing a red flash to go off and revert him to Ben, "Now is time to be amused."
He flicked his wrist and Ben was sent the same way as Ragna. A burst of flames went off midway and Sonia caught him with a grunt. In another burst, she appeared beside Manic and Roll with the male. He scowled as he looked at his timed out Omnitrix.
"He somehow accelerated the time to force it into recharge mode," Ben explained, "It's almost like…he's a Celestialsapien, but no voices that work with it."
"Not good," Roll grimaced before her sword changed into the Lightning Gatling and quickly fired upon the forces that were trying to jump them and then into the Laser Rapier to deliver several swift laser shots that allowed Manic to use rocks to crush them in their momentary pause from the laser shots, "...Mmm…Wouldn't that mean Alien X would be best?"
"I don't even know if they'll agree," Ben grimaced before noticing something, "Where's Sonic?"
"WOAH~!" Sonic screamed as he flew overhead and crashed into a few trees, "...I'm okay…Just know that whatever he did with what he took from Hood…is a lot better than the actual guy is…"
"We're getting swarmed," Clove grimaced, using her scythe to block a strike from one of the metal Echidnas Enerjak had summoned.
Shockwave aimed his blaster at the tree Sonic was stuck in and fired off a claw on a plasma chain. It grabbed onto Sonic's leg and pulled him over to them, letting Knuckles catch the hedgehog.
"What even were you attempting to do?" Shockwave questioned.
"Gotta…get to the…Master Emerald," Sonic replied.
"Why?" Knuckles asked.
"It juiced you up to pull off that big punch against Xenin, it turned Ix into that…so why not me asking for help?" Sonic replied.
Conquering Storm narrowed her eyes, looking out at the swarm between them and the shrine, "..." she moved before them, "Use this as cover."
"Huh?" Sonic pondered as the lynx clapped her hands together and made several hand signs…before a familiar electrical tiger materialized, "!?"
"Raiton: Dai Tora Kiba!" Conquering Storm roared, swinging her hand out.
The 'tiger' roared, thunder rumbling from its form, before it shot off. Enerjak raised a hand up and tinted the air before him, letting his eyes remain unharmed from the massive burst of light from the impact. He waved his other hand and his troops reformed instantly. He looked to his opposition and raised a brow.
"Where is the blue rodent…?" he began as Sonic hopped onto the Master Emerald.
"Okay…I'm not sure how this will work, but I really need your help," Sonic whispered, running a hand on the surface of the massive gem, "Please. We need a game changer and the only one I know of…is a form your servers gave me."
Despite the chaos going around, the air around the Master Emerald and Sonic felt still. Energy from the Master Emerald flowed, most its original coloring with bits of the odd colors from what happened to it just earlier that day. It flowed into Sonic as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. His breath hitched as he flinched, flashes coming to his head. Beasts of alloys unknown and known…a land untouched…visions of things yet to come, have come, wouldn't come, and all the paths. He breathed in again…before letting go. His eyes opened, ruby red irises a glow.
Ragna grunted, pulling his bloodied form out of the crater in the mountainside he was in. He reached into his jacket with his deactivated Azure Grimoire and pulled out the Time Stone. With a squeeze, it glowed and the glow washed over him before his injuries and fatigue were reversed. He rolled his shoulder and glared at the smaller island where the shrine was.
"Alright, time to try this again on that masked bastard," Ragna growled, taking a step only for his Azure Grimoire to go limp as his red eye closed, "!? Not again…" 'What keeps doing this!? The only times this has happened has been when Sonic goes…' his eye widened in realization, 'Wait…is it because of…Positive Chaos Energy?'
"Where are…?" Enerjak looked around as the others kept fighting his servants before pain exploded along the side of his face, "!?" he soared over to the other side of Angel Island only for a flash of gold to appear and pain exploded once more, "GAH!" he spun around, delivering a backhand to Super Sonic, who was knocked back several meters, "What?!"
"Hey, you're not the only one who can ask the Master Emerald for a hand, Energerm," Super Sonic pointed out in amusement.
"You dare use my power against me!?" Enerjak demanded.
"You better believe it, Enerjerk!" Super Sonic replied before he was behind him, Caliburn drawn, "And compared to me?" Enerjak grunted before multiple slashes went off on his body, "You're an Enerjoke."
"Whoa now!" Ben yelped as Shockwave caught him while firing a blaster at another of the sentient quicksilver minions, "What's with the tremors?!"
"It appears that Enerjak and Super Sonic's battle is causing shockwaves leading to the tremors we are currently dealing with," Shockwave responded, looking at the Omnitrix to see it was still red, "You need to work on fighting as a human."
"Oh gee, ya think?" Ben sighed, "You and a lot of others say that to me a lot, but nobody comes up with something to suggest. Well, aside from Makoto." he grabbed up a gun from one of the Nocturnus Clan's bodies and began to shoot it, "Ironically, we were planning on some lessons next Tuesday!"
"GRAH!" Sticks roared, slamming her boomerang into the false face of Knix before punting the false Grimm away from her, letting her bend down and hold up the containment device, "I found it! I knew sponges were evil things if dey're not living deep under da sea!"
"Hurry and release him!" Roll called out, Laser Rapier flashing rapidly as she struck at multiple quicksilver minions.
"Right!" Sticks agreed before pausing, "...How do I do that?"
"Initialize a concentrated pressure over the entire surface!" Shockwave responded.
"What?" Sticks tilted her head before Omega grabbed it and squeezed the sponge hard, a deluge of water pouring out of it, "...Oh. Why didn't he just say dat?"
The water swirled around before reforming into Chaos. He stumbled a bit before looking around and his eyes went wide seeing it all, especially the fake Tikal that Sonia was holding back with the side of her spear. Several ripples went off from the water of the shrine before it bubbled rapidly.
"Oh for the…NOT MY FAULT!" Knuckles barked, delivering a right hook across the fake Hood's face.
Several more bursts of water came from the shrine's waters before Chaos shot an arm out and smacked several of the enemy forces away and off the tiny island with ease. He then raised a hand and grabbed Clove by her neck and pulled her to look him in the angered face.
"Gh…I…I swear, we were trying to stop that thing we've contained…from killing many…" Clove got out, managing to gesture towards the emerald-encrusted containment unit that had gone unharmed the whole time.
Chaos narrowed his eyes and several deep ripples went off from the water. He dropped her before backhanding a false bear away. Knuckles helped the pronghorn up.
"Oh, just be glad he's more mad at these 'Prelates' that he's calling these guys," Knuckles spoke, "And he also said 'why didn't you just show that Izayoi you have contained in that object earlier?'"
"S-Seriously? How did you…?"
"I'm not as good as Tikal or, shockingly, Sticks are at translating what he says through water," Knuckles replied, "Also, he said you are banned from ever coming back here unless a world-threatening crisis happens."
"I suppose that is fair given what our intentions caused," Clove sighed, slicing through a Prelate with her scythe as a flaming fist from Knuckles sent another flying, "When did you learn to ignite your punches?"
Knuckles shrugged, "I am unsure, but they are quite useful for this scenario."
"Yoink!" Super Sonic laughed, shooting over Enerjak and delivering a hard front spin kick to the echidna before snatching his helmet, "Now I…" he frowned, looking at the furious face of Ix beneath the mask, "...Yeesh. No wonder you wanted the helmet. You are ugly."
"SUFFER!" Enerjak roared, firing a massive beam of Chaos Energy that engulfed Super Sonic…before revealing him unharmed after it ended, "!?"
"Aww~ What's wrong, Flapjak? Upset that I'm invulnerable when I go Super?" Super Sonic taunted.
"Rrrr! If I cannot destroy you, then I shall simply send you away!" Enerjak snapped, swinging a hand out and turning Super Sonic into green smoke that dissipated, "There. Now I can…" the ocean below shot up in a single waterspout before Super Sonic slammed a foot into his gut, sending him into orbit only to be sent back down crashing into the desert sands of Angel Island and kicking up a massive cloud of sands into the air, "GACK! HOW?!"
"Ahem. 'Hedgehog. Noun. A burrowing animal,'" Super Sonic replied with a smug grin, "Really dumb of you to bury me so deep underground. Do you not learn about other species of Mobian or what, Enerstate?"
"GRRRAH!"
"Guess not," Super Sonic shrugged before dodging a barrage of arrows made of Chaos Energy that Enerjak threw at him, "So back to smacking you around until I beat ya to reverse what ya did to all those folks!"
"Reverse? Ha! There is no reverse to what I've done!" Enerjak boasted before catching Super Sonic's foot and swinging him down into the ground.
He swung his hand out and the sands turned to diamond. Super Sonic grunted as he began to try and pull himself out of the ground before Enerjak slammed a foot into his gut, making the hedgehog gag.
"Your body is invulnerable, yes, but not the soul," Enerjak hissed, holding a hand over the golden hedgehog's chest.
"GRK!" Roll gagged, stumbling and dropping her sword, causing Yacker to pop out of it.
"Roll?!" Sonia gasped before the Hedgefox collapsed…letting a yellow sphere with tints of blue in it to come out and shoot off into the distance, "!? Oh no…"
"What just happened?" Sticks asked in shock.
"Something happened to her Bonded," Conquering Storm replied, blasting the Hood Prelate off the island, "Whatever struck him struck the soul, meaning it sent a feedback into that Sakurai and did the same to her."
"How do you…? Oh wait. Rivals. Of course you'd know stuff on 'em and they know stuff on you," Manic groaned, swinging his knife and stone palms rapidly slapped other Prelates off the island.
"...oh no…then that m-" Sonia began before a pair of silver blurs crashed into her and Manic, sensing both crashing into the shrine and reverting their armor and weapons back into Medallions, "Gah!"
"One does not need logic to know we are in trouble," Shockwave admitted, looking upon the Prelate Sonic and Prelate Roll before them.
"Ah crapbaskets…" Manic grunted as he attempted to get up, only for the Prelate Sonic to pin him down, "GH!"
"Roll, please stop! We're family!" Sonia shouted as Prelate Roll held her as well, earning nothing from her before a pair of beams hit the two hedgehogs, ripping out a magenta and lime green sphere from them that quickly formed into Prelates of them.
"My amusement has been thoroughly spent," Enerjak growled, floating down to stand atop the shrine once more.
"..." Conquering Storm just narrowed her eyes as she got into a battle stance.
"We are running out of time," Shockwave noted.
It is his time that is running out!= Omega declared as he charged only to freeze in an emerald glow.
Enerjak pointed a finger up and sent Omega into the air until only a twinkle remained in the sky, "I'll deal with that one later."
"Dai Tora Kiba!"
Enerjak held a hand up and the tiger turned into a tiny kitten that went out with a few crackles. A single shot struck Conquering Storm and a lavender sphere came out and became her Prelate. He caught Clove and Knuckles midair without even looking behind him and both were tossed down, letting their Prelate glare at them with a scythe in hand or namesakes at the ready. He looked down to see Sticks gnawing at his foot before frowning. A yelp came from the badger before her body rolled to a halt before Yacker, Chaos, Ben, and Shockwave. The Sticks Prelate was eerily still, sending down a shiver along Ben's spine, as it and the other Prelates surrounded the three.
"This is not good," Ben grimaced.
"There is one logical way to get out of this," Shockwave proposed.
"And what's that?" Ben asked.
*PEW!*
"That," Shockwave replied simply as Ben collapsed onto his back, eyes glazed over as a clean hole was going right through where his heart had been.
Enerjak paused at that, "You…seriously? That is your last plan? Sadly for you, machine, but not even death will keep a soul safe from my power."
"He isn't dead," Shockwave calmly replied as the Omnitrix turned green, "Based upon context clues, prior accounts of members of our militia, and personal observations, logic dictates that the Omnimatrix will not let Benjamin Tennyson perish until natural causes occur." The selection wheel appeared and rapidly spun around, "While there are preference towards the forms he calls Swampfire and Goop, logic dictates that the Omnimatrix will analyze the environment, taking details over current threat levels, and then choose the ideal form to both heal his fatal injuries and ensure survival." Several icons were quickly highlighted before a hologram of a lock opening appeared, "In conclusion? The form he will take…" a green flash went off behind him, "...will ensure his survival and even overcome you."
Yacker awed, looking upon Alien X, standing tall and looking towards Enerjak's direction. The echidna, meanwhile, blinked several times.
"What…?" Enerjak pondered.
"I am unsure what this form is myself," Shockwave admitted as Chaos poked Alien X and earned no response.
"Ugh…" Ben grimaced as he rubbed his chest, "I'm going to reprogram that jerk…"
"Oh great…he's awake."
"Now Bellicus…"
Ben looked up to see the two giant green 'masks,' "Huh? I'm…in Alien X? How? I thought the lock…"
"You did, yes. Apparently, the failsafe overwrote your lock system," Serena explained, "We agreed to learn it considering you showed up unconscious."
"I like that monoeye," Bellicus chuckled, ignoring the annoyed disappointed look the 'female' of the two gave him.
"So that means you know what's going on outside?" Ben asked.
"Nope. We only motioned to learn how you got in here. Nothing else," Bellicus huffed, "Now then, if not the Dinosaur, how about Mobosaurs?"
Ben facepalmed, "Of course…"
"Well, that…" Serena began before she lit up with a corrupt green energy as the entire 'space' around them started bending and twisting, "AAAAUGH!"
"Serena?!"
"Motion to stop this and pause everything outside for ten seconds out there!" Ben called out.
"S-Seconded!" Bellicus agreed before everything settled and Serena 'collapsed,' panting in exhaustion, "Serena!"
"B…Bell…icus…" Serena panted.
"What just happened?"
"It…It was like…something was trying to…r…rip me out of…of us…" Serena responded, taking a few minutes to slowly float back up.
"Kid…What is happening out there?"
"Motion for you two to 'see' everything that has happened today on Angel Island on the planet Mobius in an instant," Ben proposed.
"Seconded," both declared before a 'window' appeared before them showing what was happening outside as Enerjak held a hand out at them before rapidly showcasing everything that had passed.
"A madman with reality warping powers…"
"Enerjak…It sounds familiar," Serena noted.
"Familiar or not, he hurt you," Bellicus growled, "Motion to wipe him from existence."
"Bellicus, he's too strong for that. His power will prevent it. Motion to turn him to stone?"
"He'd likely use that energy to make it so he can move and reverse it."
"Oh come on. You're debating now?" Ben sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "...Wait…Hold on, h-hold on." The two looked at him, "You two…you're two parts of a divine being, but just want to debate, right?"
"It's quite fun," Serena replied.
"It's the best thing," Bellicus agreed.
"...Motion to allow you two to debate as long as you want in trade for limited control of Alien X," Ben offered.
Both blinked, "Explain."
"Right now, debating on what to do won't get things done in time to save lives. What's more, Enerjak just showed he can harm you guys," Ben explained, "But you two…you care more for one another and your debates than anything else. The fact Bellicus dropped everything and agreed to motions that helped you showed that."
"W-Well…that's…it's not what…" Bellicus looked away, glad he was incapable of blushing.
"Bellicus…" Serena smiled softly.
"Right now, Alien X is the ultimate trump card for facing this madman," Ben gestured to the screen, "Please, let me use Alien X to an extent in trade for you two not getting bothered away from your debates unless a stronger Motion needs to be carried."
Serena smiled motherly at Ben, "You really are a diamond in the rough amongst your fellow Bens. Not many tend to word it like this. More often than not, they're far more blunt."
"What?"
"Alien X is a Singularity in the multiverse. There is only one of us and that will never change," Bellicus explained, "Some may not have us, others do. We don't talk about the kid who had a psychotic Azmuth and his Carnitrix…" Ben opened his mouth, "Don't ask. The point is that there is one major test for you all: how to work with Alien X. And you passed. Therefore…Seconded."
"Motioned Carried," Serena confirmed, "Good luck, dear!"
Ben smiled at that.
"I felt something within…" Enerjak looked at his hand before looking at Alien X and fired his attack once more, "This time I will have his soul."
The beam almost came into contact only for Alien X to move to the side, letting the beam miss and go into the distance. Ragna grunted as he finally reached the bridge for the smaller island and blinked a few times on seeing Alien X.
"Huh?" Ragna raised a brow.
"Motion denied. You will not succeed," Alien X calmly intoned.
"Motion?" Shockwave repeated.
Several Prelates jumped at Alien X only for the Celestialsapien to hold a hand up, the palm facing the sky…and several spheres of light to hover over it. They swiftly moved back and went into one of the bodies scattered around.
"What?!" Enerjak gasped, "Impossible."
"Impossibility is simply the possible not yet realized," Alien X calmed replied…now back-to-back with Enerjak.
"!?" Enerjak spun around, delivering a strike only to hit nothing, "Where ar…" his eyes widened, realizing he was now on the moon, Mobius 'above' him, "What?"
A green flicker on the planet's surface was the only warning he got before the redirected beam of the Eclipse Cannon impacted right where he was standing. He cried out, struggling to block the beam as the part of the moon shattered, exposing the core of it all. He opened his eyes the moment everything that was painful vanished and realized he was now deep underwater with Alien X before him. He narrowed his eyes and the water turned acidic, rushing at the Celestialsapien. Alien X exhaled and the ocean was gone for a moment…before a condensed sphere hit the top of Enerjak and exploded. He screamed as he fell out of a bathtub faucet and into its drain, landing within a germ-filled landscape.
"How…How are you doing this?! Only I can…" Enerjak demanded before Alien X was before him, green eyes meeting his crimson, "?!"
"We are Alien X of the Celestialsapiens. Our thoughts are our power. Our will existence and nonexistence. You know nothing," Alien X stated.
Enerjak snapped and roared, firing a massive beam at Alien X at point blank range. He sneered gleefully, seeing nothing of the Celestialsapien after ending the beam. He turned and met a hand held out to him, the index finger curled up and held in place by the thumb. Alien X flicked his finger and Enerjak screamed, crashing through several asteroids, ending in a backhand from Alien X. Enerjak corrected himself and snarled at the Celestialsapien. He swung his hands and the asteroids rushed at him, turning into serpents made of ice. Alien X twitched a finger and the asteroids floated about as if untouched by Enerjak's power. A shadow came over Enerjak and he looked up in time for two moons to slam into him from above and below, creating a massive explosion. Enerjak screamed as he crashed into stairs, sending him tumbling up them and through the door to sideways. He stood left and looked around, seeing the ceiling to his right and the outdoors to his left with the floor behind him and the bathroom above. He growled and took flight only to be slammed into from below by Alien X emerging from the coat rack.
They crashed through a wall and emerged from the ground at the base of Angel Island. Enerjak corrected himself, coughing up a bit of blood. He heaved in air deeply as he glared at the stoic Celestialsapien before him. Storms raged and lightning roared as Enerjak unleashed it upon Alien X…only for the alien to raise a hand and calm weathers embraced the land. Enerjak swore a vein burst in his head before howling and firing another laser at Alien X…only for the howls to turn to agony as his own attack slammed into him from behind, tearing apart his cloak. At the shrine's tiny island, Shockwave narrowed his optic, trying to get better focus on the fight in the distance.
"They reappeared," Shockwave informed, earning a confused noise from Yacker on top of Chaos's head, "It appears that this form of Ben Tennyson's is a more advanced reality warper than Enerjak is capable of. Just now, he replaced himself with Enerjak without any notice on the echidna's end and let his own attack deal damage to him." He opened his optic and moved to the side, the Water God and Wisp tilting their heads before the former jumped from Enerjak crashing past where Shockwave had been and shattered the entire tiny island only to instantly reform in the same instant while all the echidnas, Team Underground, and Eggman's forces were all laid out on the larger part of the island in neat rows, "This form is, by far, his most dangerous should you be a threat to him or those he cares for and he must use it."
"Gh….ngh…this…cannot be…" Enerjak grunted as he forced himself up into the air, "There is no being above me…there is no being above a god! All are beneath me! All are below me! " energy began to crackle off him as it began to explode into a pillar of Chaos Energy, "I AM THIS PLANET'S GOD!"
"Motion denied. You are above no one."
"!?" Enerjak turned around only to be delivered a backhand, shattering his golden armor and sending him crashing through the island, the damage vanishing the moment it was made into the surface of the lands before gagging as Alien X grabbed him by the neck, standing before the Master Emerald and three shriveled bodies.
"What you have stolen…now returns," Alien X decreed.
He held up a hand and made a circle with it, the air distorting to make a circle from it. He pushed and the circle washed over the three bodies, causing them to glow before they were restored to as they were just moments prior to the ritual. He made another circle before 'pushing' it into the air. The circle pulsed before expanding into the air to cover the entire island. Light shined from the circle before orbs of light appeared and rained over everyone, entering their bodies. Enerjak's eyes widened in disbelief…and growing horror.
"Wh…What are you?" he whispered.
"As we have said to you before. We are a Celestialsapien," Alien X responded, "Our thoughts are your reality and its perception." he raised a hand out to the side, "Motion Carried."
His hand shifted into a pointing finger at the Master Emerald. Its chaotic coloring pulsated before shooting a beam out at Enerjak. The Echidna howled as his body started to shrivel with wrinkles and folds until the beam dissipated and the Master Emerald changed back to its normal brilliant emerald green coloration. Ix breathed heavily, staring at Alien X in pure fear now, as his red fur turned into a pale silver with streaks of white. Had Alien X been anyone else, he could've sworn there was a minor resemblance to Nestor of all people in his appearance.
"M-My power…" Ix rasped out.
Alien X, finger still extended, 'poked' the air with it…before pulling open the air itself, revealing a chaotic swirling vortex behind it all, "Nowemu Pir'Oth Ix, your judgement has been cast."
"?! No…no no no…" Ix whispered as he began to try to weakly get out of his grasp, "Please…don't send me there again!"
"This is not the Twilight Cage," Alien X responded, "But you will not return to this Zone ever again."
Alien X released him…before the vortex pulled the echidna into it. Ix screamed as his body began shifting in flashes. Stick arms reached out feebly before his pasta spine curled backwards. The flames in his skull's sockets bellowed as he howled before the shriveled human tumbled down deeper and deeper into it. His last words were undecipherable as a howling dachshund in a costume made to resemble him. The last sight of the once 'gentle' leader of the Nocturnus was that of a screaming puppet amidst a roaring inferno before Alien X closed his hand upon the opening and then opened it, letting a dove coo before flying off. Shockwave, Ragna, and Chaos walked up the steps towards Alien X, who raised a hand up and waved it, letting out a wave of gentle blue light pulse out and wash over the island.
"Seconded. Motion Carried," Alien X calmly intoned before turning back into Ben.
"Ben Tennyson, what…was that?" Shockwave asked, Yacker babbling happily as he flew over and hugged the back of Ben's head.
"Alien X. My strongest form and one I can only use as a last resort," Ben replied.
"And what did you do to him?" Ragna asked, "I don't see the asshole anywhere."
"Oh, I just tossed a madman into eternal madness," Ben shrugged, "Constantly changing, unable to retain who he once was. If we're lucky, when he comes out of it, he'll be rendered permanently comatose." several noises came from Yacker, floating off Ben's head to look at him in concern, "Don't worry. They should be waking up soon, Yacker." a familiar red ball of light came out of the Master Emerald and reformed into Tikal, "Or now. Now is good."
"Oh my head…" Tikal mumbled, shaking her head before looking up at Chaos, "Oh! Chaos!" she hugged the Water God before frowning at him, "And just where have you been, mister? We've been dealing with the Nocturnus coming back, a civil war, and that very perplexing Mr. Dr. Eggman's forces here!" Chaos simply gave her a hug, "? …Aww…" she returned the hug, "I'm happy to see you, too."
"Not bad," Ragna commented, patting Ben's shoulder, "Nice way of taking care of the jerk. So…what was that last thing you did?"
"Oh, a surprise for the echidnas later," Ben replied before Shockwave felt several pings go off.
"Shockwave," the robot informed.
=Oh finally! We've got communications back!= Eggman exclaimed in relief =Shockwave, status report!=
"The Izayoi has been contained," Shockwave responded, deciding to walk down the stairs and away from them to perform his report, "Operation successful, albeit with multiple complications. I have been creating a personal report during the entirety of this time that I will send immediately upon your instruction. Furthermore…" he looked at the still slumbering forces of Eggman, "...I request medical personnel for our forces and those here as well. We agreed to a temporary truce until our forces leave Angel Island due to the situation detailed in the report."
=Wh?! W….d'oh fine…permission granted…but make it uncomfortable for the hedgehogs if they're there=
"Understood," Shockwave replied.
"Okay, so…our Julie-Su, Lien-Da, and Kragok were just…fake echidnas made by Imperator Ix?" Grimm summed up, members of Eggman's army in medical garb coloration to their uniforms along with several robots made to resemble doctors and nurses were at work checking over everyone.
"Yes, that's it," Ben replied, "Some sort of spell he used made them to use for that ritual to become Enerjak."
"I just can't believe that he did this…" Knix grimaced, looking down sadly, "He was our leader and so kind to everyone."
"Even the kindest person can hold a deep darkness to them," Nestor noted before hissing and glaring at the gazelle injecting him with a shot, "Must you!?"
"Sir, you have had none of the current immunization shots," the gazelle replied, a firm look in her cybernetic eyes, "In fact, none of the other echidnas here have had any of them. Several of our doctors are speaking with your doctors about the process and we are giving you the basic ones now. You have been gone for, at minimum, two millennia. There are so many new diseases out there that these are mandatory."
"Come now, Uncle," Tikal scolded, "I have been without having you in my life for far too long. I'd love to have you for even just a little longer thanks to modern medicine."
"Mmm…F-Fine. But just for you, my adorable niece," Nestor grumbled.
"Aw come on, doc. How much longer?!" Brawl complained as a sleek white and red robot was looking him over, sporting a pair of tiny red 'horns' on his helmet.
"You and all the other robots in our forces were put under multiple electromagnetic pulses created by Chaos Energy," he responded, blue optics narrowing in annoyance with the Combiner, "And yet it looks like nothing ever afflicted any of you with all yours systems reading our that you hadn't even gone active this morning despite the obvious signs that you were all deployed."
"Just let Dr. Ratchet and the others do their job, Brawl," Onslaught ordered as another robot that sported blue arms with armor resembling an ambulance on their frame was scanning him with a red device replacing their right hand, "Swindle, keep writing your report."
"Aw…" the seller of the five groaned as the nurse-themed robot left his side to let him get back to it.
"You…really want us to be one people again?" a Dark Legionnaire asked in disbelief to Lara-Le.
"Yes," Lara-Le responded, "What our ancestors did was wrong. Technology was a cause, but not the cause of what befell Dimitri and Edmund. It was their own hubris and thinking their choice to try to rejoin the original floating island with the surface through experimental and untested technology led to what befell him and then all of our ancestors that led to our divide." she gestured out to everything going on around them, "Yet…we no longer have our old Zone, our old history except for what we have on us. You have no fear of the explosives in your bodies thanks to this Zone's Dark Legion helping you all with them, so you do not have to join this Zone's Dr. Eggman if you wish to not do so."
"...And you're not bothered by…" he pulled back his hood, showing half his face machinery, "...what we've done to our bodies?"
"I will admit I am unsettled by them, but it is your own choice," Lara-Le admitted, "I won't take this choice away from you. And, honestly? You do have some good things with these implants the Dark Legion has made. I mean…the medical applications alone would help many if they wished to partake."
"But will the echidnas you have begun to lead be willing to let us be ourselves?" he questioned.
"A few may have issues," she admitted, looking down in shame at having to say it, "But many…are just tired of it all. All this fighting and constantly losing more and more of our people."
"...I grow tired of it as well," he sighed, "If you can help us be accepted by those without the implants we've given ourselves…I will do my best to help convince my fellows with these to give unity a chance."
"It's all I can ask and all I can try," Lara-Le replied, offering a hand that the echidna accepted in a handshake.
"...tch…" Knuckles clenched his teeth as he sat on a lone rock nearby, his head hung low as his hands tightened into fists.
"What's wrong?" Julie-Su asked as she walked over, "..." she looked over at everyone on the island, "...It's not just because of how many people are on the island right now, is it? Because I gotta admit that it's weird to see Eggman's troops being helpful for once."
"It's not that…" Knuckles replied before a moment passed, "Well…it's a little bit of that." he shook his head, "But it's not just that. I….I'm such an idiot!" he slammed a fist on the rock, cracking it, "How could I let him trick me like that…?!"
"You're not the only one who got fooled by his kind facade," Julie-Su reminded him, "Plus, you were still in shock about…" she gestured to all the echidnas there, "...Yeah." she saw him just keep scowling and sighed, "It's honestly a shock to me, too. I thought Lien-Da and I were the only ones who survived what happened to us. Yet here I find out that not only did everyone else that had still been in that void survived, but they also found the Echidnas of this Zone and joined up with them." she looked over at Saffron, staying with a few of the younger echidna children at the mini-concert the Sonic Underground was doing to keep the kids all occupied, "...I couldn't save someone who became my best female friend from being regressed into a little kid." she then looked out towards the Master Emerald…where Chaos was glaring at everyone, which would've been unnerving if not for every single Artificial Chaos snuggling onto him, "Plus…there's someone else who's dealing with that same guilt you're dealing with on trusting Ix."
"..."
"I can't believe I'm da one sayin' it, but don't be so sus about da girl," Sticks huffed as she came over on Chomp's back, "From what I got, da girl was groomed by da jerk. She's gotta be dealin' wit' a lot more than ya think, Knux."
"...yeah…I had a feeling…" Knuckles whispered as he looked at a nearby corner, seeing Shade leaning against a mountainside while looking out at the sky.
"Eh. I'm sure we'll help her work it out or somethin' within da group."
"...g-group? What group?" Knuckles blinked for a moment.
"Our group. Protectin' da island, makin' traps, checkin' out all da places on here?" Sticks tilted her head, "Da Chaotix." she looked over at Julie-Su, "Dat's who we are, right?"
"Wh-What?!" Julie-Su gawked, "But that…I…" she grimaced before glancing over at Saffron again, "..." she nodded, "Yeah. I…I think that's a good name for us."
"See?" Sticks grinned before pulling Knuckles off the rock and dropped him behind Chomp, "Fire da idiot at da new idiot, Chomp!"
"Wait, wha…" Knuckles began before Chomp smacked him in a perfect arc towards Shade with a single strike of his tail, "CHOMP!"
"It both amazes me…and worries me…that you've gotten Chomp so well behaved for you in just the little time you've started living here," Julie-Su admitted.
"Eh, when you've lived in da jungle fer as long as I have, ya pick up a few things…" Sticks shrugged.
"Ow…" Knuckles groaned, putting his hands on the ground and pushing himself up to look up at a wide-eyed Shade looking down at him, "...Blame the pet dinosaur and our jungle badger girl."
"...That has to be the weirdest sentence ever…of all time," Shade stated before looking back up at the sky, the evening skies starting to reveal the stars, "..."
Knuckles sat down and looked up at them as well, "...Were they different?"
"Hm?"
"The stars. Back then, how did they look?" Knuckles asked.
"..." Shade frowned, "A few have gone out since back then, but I may be wrong. It's been ages since I last saw them as a little girl."
Knuckles nodded, "Tikal said a few of them are gone, but it's understandable. All those stars above us? They're so far far away from us that we only see their light that was long radiating from them. If any had gone out, it means their stars died a long time before. It's true for even what we see now."
"Oh…" Shade frowned.
"But…it is amazing, isn't it?" Knuckles noted, earning a raised brow from the orangette while he looked back up at the sky, "A light shines, even if the star is gone."
Shade blinked a few times at that before looking up at them again, "...My parents didn't get pulled into the Twilight Cage." Knuckles looked over at her, "A lot of us ended up orphaned due to us being trapped in the Twilight Cage, but Impera…but Ix…he took us all in. Did his best to keep us safe in those early years. He worked hard on establishing ties to the other natives of that realm to let us have somewhere to grow up in. At least…until Kragok came from nowhere with his sisters." she shook her head, "Hard to believe they were just homunculus-like beings he made just to set up this insane plot to become Enerjak." she sighed, "When they came, things started to break down. Several of our people followed after them, nonemoreso than Xenin. Yet, Julie-Su? She didn't. She was amazed at our way of life and wanted to be a part of it. She…She was my best friend. Years went by and then a massive ring appeared in the sky, letting out this brilliant light that felt like it was trying to tear down everything. But instead of it destroying…"
"The echidnas from the former Prime Zone appeared," Knuckles summed up, earning a nod.
"It was shocking at first. But it was around then that…things got worse. Those Dark Legion, upon seeing Kragok, joined his cause. Then…everything finally began to break down. Tribes we Nocturnas became friends to were being wiped out left and right, unable to hold off the Dark Legion now led by Kragok and Lien-Da. We managed to turn things onto equal grounds eventually, but…not without cost. A battle caused a landslide. The only victims of it were Julie-Su and Lien-Da. Kragok…grew worse after that. We were barely able to keep ourselves alive until all this happened and we were freed of the Twilight Cage." she slid down and sat by the male echidna, "I…I was raised by him, he helped me with so many things during our time there…" tears prickled her eyes, "...All so he could use me as a sacrifice to become our people's fabled God of Destruction. He…He got another Echidna and had them pretend to be him…and they were killed."
"Hey…" Knuckles offered her a handkerchief, "You have no blame for any of this. His intentions may have been cruel, but…" he gestured to everything, "Just look. No more Twilight Cage, no more civil war. You have a chance to live without all that strife and hardship in there." a few moments passed, "But Chaos and I will be moving the island to a new place because of Eggman's troops knowing where it is now the moment they're gone."
"...Out of one war into another, I suppose?"
"Yep," Knuckles admitted, "But we tend to stay away from the war and merely fortify the island to try to keep it safe."
"I…I see…" Shade blinked a few times.
Knuckles stood up and offered her a hand, "Come with me. You may have lost your old family with Ix, but you can find a new one. You do not have to be alone in life."
"..." Shade accepted the hand.
Lien-Da stayed away from it all, watching as the Echidnas, her people, preparing to rejoin as one. Her scowled deepened as they were doing it without her command. Her scowl deepened on seeing just how they were also mingling with the non-Echidnas down there.
'Have they forgotten? Our history? Our pride?!' Lien-Da thought in annoyance and anger, 'We only joined Eggman because of Enerjak stripping us of our heritage! You all should've known that one was a backstabber! A sneak! He's not like…' she shook her head, 'Get ahold of yourself! You…you've dealt with…no...no...I…they just…they forgot how…' she imagined Eggman's grinding face in her mind…the one she knew. The psychopath, the warmonger, the…absolute fuckign idiot who was obsessed with trying to defeat his Sonic.
"Kommissar?" Lien-Da flinched before turning and flinched, seeing a slim Echidna in a sensual black leather dress with a slit in the side of it, her hair pulled into a ponytail with semi-cybernetic dreadlocks framing her face, and a cybernetic eye walking up.
"Gae-Na?" Lien-Da pondered before the echidna hugged her, "!?"
"I am relieved the machine worked and you are safe," she spoke.
"Wh-Where have you been?" Lien-Da asked, "Why didn't you come sooner?"
"My implants were disabled by Kragok once we learned you were alive," Gae-Na informed, "I was stuck behind the shrine until everything was said and done."
"...Why aren't you over there then? Working with those others for 'equality' and all that?" Lien-Da huffed.
"My loyalty has always been to you," Gae-Na responded, "If you will allow me to continue by your side, that is."
"...permission granted…but heads up, this Eggman is…weirder than the one we're used to…"
"Obsessed with Sonic the Hedgehog?"
"Not as much and actually made plans for if they showed up or if they didn't," Lien-Da replied, "But all this?" she gestured to everything, "We came here because he wanted to help people."
Gae-Na blinked a few times, "That is surprising."
"...Will it just be you or are there others still willing to follow me?"
"Just me," Gae-Na replied before several Frost Legion and Fire Legion landed around them, "I do, however, bring offerings for Dr. Eggman to allow me to stay under your command, Kommissar."
Tears threatened to well up in Lien-Da's eyes as she hugged her fellow echidna, "You've always been the best, Gae-Na. Thank you."
"Always, Kommissar," Gae-Na responded, returned the embrace.
"Whew…so many old books," Skye muttered as he was going through various books within the castle library, "Some of these date back in…lord knows how long…"
"Mr. Sakurai, are you coming?" one guard spoke up, "Lady Aleena wanted to speak with you about that new Le Paradox exhibit g-"
"Ugh! Le Paradox?!" Skye gagged in disgust, immediately dropping his book upon hearing that name.
"Yes. The rich entrepreneur from Mercia who gained his fortune from…"
"That guy is, no offense to you Wentworth, an ass," Skye informed, glancing at the other guard that was a donkey Mobian.
"Excuse me?" the first questioned.
"I met the guy when I was younger, and he was such a smug asshole," Skye groaned as he picked one book up, "Why does Aleena want anything to do with him? Especially with his criminal record?"
"Criminal record?" both repeated.
"...He hid it well behind, most likely, good deeds and behavior after his stint in it," Skye noted to himself before sighing, "Very well, may as well go see what this is about."
"Of course, sir," the two nodded as Skye dropped the book and walked off.
Unaware to him, a shadow formed from outside the window, eyes glowing as they focused on the book, seeing it opened on one word..and one word alone…'Odio.'
SZ:...aww crapbaskets…from one problem to another it seems.
GT: Indeed. And with this, the Angel Island Arc is over. All that remains in one last Arc. So please, read and review!