guest (08.12.): I believe Sage might appear in IDW Sonic, but that depends on when the Post-Sonic Frontiers time-skip will happen. As of now, the heroes are still fighting Clutch.

guest (13.12.): Yeah, I played it and I absolutely loved everything about it, especially the fact that you get so many multiple paths that you get to traverse (especially the part where you can just run up the wall). I really wish it was longer, tho, and I also guess the game is canon to the movies in a way.

Entry 75

A Spark That Lights The Night

''Am I the spark that lights the night, or just a pawn in endless fight? Truth eludes in fractured glass, I'm trapped within a shattered past!''

– Embers of the Abyss by ABOKAI Release (Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings)

xXxXxXx

''Take this!'' Jet sent an immense gust of wind with his bashōsen, sending several of the Black Arms flying. One of the flying aliens attempted to attack him, only to get enveloped in cyan energy and smashed into the ground.

The Babylon Rogues were surprised when they saw Silver and Makoto aid them, but nevertheless were relieved that to get some help. They got caught off guard when the Black Arms suddenly attacked, fighting back with all they've got, but they were getting outnumbered. Finally, with Silver and Makoto's help, they managed to clear the street to allow themselves a short pause to rest and figure out their next move.

''Hey, isn't that Touka's hoverboard?'' Silver suddenly asked, recognizing the pattern on the hoverboard Chase was carrying under his arm. Chase nodded, only to get startled by an aggressive Silver, whose hands were glowing cyan as he continued, ''Where did you get it? Where is Touka?''

''Hey, calm down, we don't know where your friend is,'' Wave said.

''She just vanished,'' Storm added in a matter-of-fact tone.

''What do you mean by that?'' Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow.

''Last time we saw Touka, she was at Solar Stadium. She acted kinda weird, and in the next moment, she was gone,'' Arven explained.

''We decided to pick up her hoverboard so no one else steals it,'' Jet said. ''Consider it a favour from a fellow hoverboard racer.''

''But, how is it possible for her to vanish into thin air?'' Makoto asked, completely confused.

''Beats me,'' Rika shrugged, arms folded across her chest. ''Maybe it has something to do with that partner of hers, considering who has attacked us.''

Makoto and Silver exchanged anxious glances, now fully aware of just how dire the situation has become. They hadn't received any new messages from Lucas, wondering if they should tell him what they had just learned or if he had already figured it out. They knew that Lucas and Sonic most likely already had a plan in regards to how to defeat the Black Arms, and with Touka gone and Shadow being in the middle of it, they weren't surprised that they didn't get any news beyond what was necessary for them to know.

All they could do now was to continue to fight, but unknown to them, things were about to get much worse.

xXx

Shadow took a deep breath, skating through the streets as he made his way over to Cosmo River, where he had sensed the presence of another Chaos Emerald. He could see Cosmo Bridge in the distance, a fond smile briefly forming on his lips as he recalled his first encounter with Sonic, as well as how easily he beat up his rival. He noted that a lot had happened since then, knowing that his past self would never believe that he would be able to become friends with someone, let alone get a boyfriend. However, now he was here, and he would continue fighting for his own future.

The moment Shadow had reached the edge of the river, he leapt into the water, his crimson eyes glowing dark as he landed on its surface, having summoned a black manta ray-like construct with red eyes and patterns beneath his feet, allowing him to surf across the water. This was the final of Black Doom's so-called gifts, the power known as Doom Surf, allowing him to explore Cosmo River much more easily and find the elusive Chaos Emerald.

As Shadow surfed across the water, he took note of how the manta ray-like construct would move according to his own thoughts, obeying him flawlessly and even leaping into the air when he willed it. It was indeed an useful power, but it still depended on specific circumstances to be actually used. Nevertheless, Shadow planned on taking full advantage of it.

Shadow could sense that he was close to the Chaos Emerald, but he couldn't pinpoint its specific location. He had wondered if he'd need to dive underwater to find, but before he could make a decision, he spotted Big and Froggy at the bank of the river, with Big using his fishing rod to keep the Black Arms away that had attacked him. Fortunately for him, Shadow leapt out of the water, slamming he manta ray-like construct into the closest Black Warrior, and destroy the others with Doom Spear. He turned to Big and Froggy, who were both relieved to have gotten some backup.

''Thank you for helping us,'' Big told him, with Shadow just nodding in response. ''Froggy and I have been fishing here when we got attacked. I don't believe they did that just to steal our fishing spot.''

''No. They're here to cause harm,'' Shadow explained. ''I'm here to stop them, but for that, I need to find a Chaos Emerald.''

''Oh, you mean those shiny gems?'' Big asked, reaching for something he had dropped earlier and, to Shadow's shock, picked up the turquoise Chaos Emerald. ''I have fished it out earlier before we got attacked. You can have it, since I don't need it.''

Shadow took the Chaos Emerald, observing its glow as he felt a sense of relief. Since Sonic was already searching for a Chaos Emerald, this mean that he needed to only find one more and then he could finally end this nightmare. Shadow then turned back to Big and Froggy. ''I have to leave now. Take care.''

''I wish you luck!'' Big waved back, watching Shadow as he leapt into the water and continued gliding across its surface via Doom Surf.

He needed only two more Chaos Emeralds and then he could save Touka and the rest of Neos City from Black Doom and the Black Arms. He dared to feel hopeful for once, believing that he would succeed, not because he was the Ultimate Lifeform and this was something he was supposed to handle, but because there were people who would support him until the bitter end and share his burden.

Unfortunately, this moment of hope was fleeting, with Shadow suddenly hearing something whistling past him. He was forced to swerve when a missile exploded, almost taking him down. He looked up, realizing that an attack helicopter was following him. He had actually heard it earlier hovering over this area, but he believed it was sent to combat the Black Arms, leaving him perplexed to why the helicopter would attack him. The helicopter suddenly launched more missiles, forcing Shadow to weave around them, getting far away enough to destroy them via Doom Spears. He then forced the manta ray-like construct to go faster, hoping that he would be able to lose the helicopter.

The military vehicle, however, was merciless in its pursuit, suddenly opening fire on him. Shadow's eyes widened as he avoided getting hit by the gun fire. He was faster, but that meant nothing if he got hit. He could see ahead a smaller bridge far ahead, and used Chaos Snap to warp underneath it, hoping that his pursuer would get confused and try to search for him elsewhere. He held his breath as he stood underneath the bridge, hearing the helicopter flying over him, only to realize that it stopped, most likely in an attempt to figure out whether he tricked them or had actually vanished.

Shadow listened intently, sighing in relief when he heard the helicopter leaving and quickly rushing out of his hiding spot. He had no time to deal with this, since he had his own mission to complete. Unfortunately for him, there was another whistling sound, as the helicopter hadn't completely left the area and spotted him, firing more missiles at him. Shadow prepared to counter, only for those missiles to explode mid-air after getting hit by rockets. He turned to his savior, actually cracking a smile when he saw Omega and Rouge standing at the bank of the river.

However, before he could get to them, he turned to the helicopter, which prepared for another attack. Frankly, he had enough of it and whoever decided to attack him. He used Doom Surf to go towards the helicopter, launching himself into the air and following up with a Chaos Snap that got him closer to the helicopter and firing a Chaos Spear into the tail. It exploded, causing the helicopter to fly out of control, with Shadow ripping the door of its hinges. He saw the pilot inside panicking to get out, a parachute strapped to his back. Shadow leapt away, feeling a rift in his back as he used Doom Wing to flying away from the wrecked military vehicle as it fell into Cosmo River.

''You never fail to make an entrance,'' Rouge commented, lips curving into a smirk as Shadow groaned in annoyance. ''It also appears that you're doing quite well for yourself. I've heard you've become quite popular.'' Shadow furrowed a brow, noticing how Rouge was staring at his wings. Frankly, he was not in the mood to explain his situation to his teammates and it appeared that Rouge understood. ''You don't have to say anything, hon. Lucas has explained everything to us on our way here.''

''He sent you after me, didn't he?'' Shadow asked.

''He had figured out that the reason you're on your own and searching for the Chaos Emeralds is because something happened to Touka and Black Doom forced you into this situation. He sent us and Sonic to act as your support,'' Rouge explained. Shadow furrowed a brow, having already figured out that Lucas would piece together what was going on, including the fact that Touka had been taken by Black Doom. After all, there was a reason everyone in Team Neos respected him as the leader and turned to him to spearhead a plan.

''I have already met Sonic, and he's on his way to find another Chaos Emerald. I already have five of them, so only one more needs to be found,'' Shadow replied, deciding to go straight to business. Rouge's turquoise eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands in delight.

''Ah, we're going together on a gem hunt! This skilled treasure hunter will find the Chaos Emerald in no time,'' Rouge said happily.

''You will have to hand the Chaos Emerald over to Shadow,'' Omega pointed out. Rouge huffed.

''I know that, but at least you can let me hold it, right, Shadow?'' Rouge asked, batting her eyelashes at Shadow. The dark hedgehog just rolled his eyes, familiar with her antics and not giving in.

''We need to go. The sooner we find the Chaos Emerald, the sooner we can end this,'' Shadow said, his wings disappearing. Instead, his air shoes ignited, sparks flying as he skated down the street, Rouge and Omega right behind him.

''I will have to warn you, though. You're being hunted by ARMS,'' Rouge told him as she flew by his side.

''What?!'' Shadow's crimson eyes widened, staring at Rouge in shock and suddenly understanding who had sent that helicopter after him. ''I thought they had been disbanded.''

''ARMS as a military branch is gone, but from what I've found out and seen, their agents were sent to help the Irregular Hunters, since they needed more support,'' Rouge explained. ''Former ARMS agents are currently aiding the Irregular Hunters in the fight against the Black Arms, including you.''

''Tch.'' Shadow frowned, realizing that somehow, someone from ARMS had learned about his hybrid origins, but that didn't surprise him anymore. At this point, they were only an obstacle to him in saving Touka.

''We have your back,'' Rouge assured him. ''You just do what you have to do.''

''Team Dark will destroy anyone who stands in their path,'' Omega added with conviction. Shadow nodded, pressing on. ARMS had once gotten in his path and they suffered because of that. Rest assured, history would be repeating itself.

xXx

Lucas used a Boost-like move, enveloped in sparking blue energy as he smashed through several Black Arms on his hoverboard, leaving them lying on the ground, while Loki took down several others with his gun. Both had managed to hold back the aliens on their own, getting messages from either Team Neos or the Irregular Hunters and issuing orders.

Lucas was relieved to learn from Sonic that he had found Shadow and that the dark hedgehog was indeed fighting on their side. He also was informed about Dr. Eggman sending the Badniks against the Black Arms, figuring that made sense for the mad scientist, since he wanted to conquer Neos City all by himself. He already had sent out the message to everyone else to ignore the Badniks, and while there were some surprised responses, Team Neos and their allies agreed to team up with the Eggman Empire.

Loki, on his end, had more trouble with his subordinates. Despite having ordered them to not attack the Badniks, one of them went against his orders, getting themselves injured in the process with the Badniks opening fire on the whole unit, causing them to fight against each other instead of the Black Arms. Loki was furious about that outcome, shouting at them for this insubordination. While Team Neos was fighting to the best of their ability against the Black Arms, his own team, Hunters who had been programmed to fight against Irregulars, were causing trouble instead of doing something substantial. Not only that, but he also had another issue to deal with.

''What do you mean you lost a helicopter?!'' Loki shouted in disbelief as he stared at the holographic screen which was projected from the watch-like device on his wrist, talking to a woman. Lucas, who had been keeping watch to make sure they don't get ambushed, narrowed his eyes as he payed attention to their conversation.

''We had located the Black Arms hybrid, but he attacked our pilot and destroyed the helicopter,'' the woman explained, a grim look on her expression. Lucas' and Loki's eyes widened as they stared at her in stunned silence.

''The Black Arms hybrid… You mean the dark hedgehog?'' Loki asked, with the woman nodding. The wolf ARNav gritted his teeth, growling, ''Are you out of your mind?! I told you not to go after him! The dark hedgehog is off limits to everyone, both Hunters and ARMS agents!''

''Sir, with all due respect, he is not only an Irregular, but also a Black Arms hybrid. We have been informed by an anonymous source that he is dangerous and should be our primary target,'' the woman argued.

''I don't give a damn about your source! I have palpable evidence that the hedgehog is not working with the Black Arms, and if you go against my orders once more, the next time you see me will be at your disciplinary hearing!'' Loki shouted furiously, his expression showing nothing but rage. The woman gave him a venomous gaze.

''Sir, are you trying to pull rank here?'' she asked.

''Of course I'm pulling rank here considering your reckless actions have costed us a military vehicle! I had agreed to you being my second-in-command with added commanding power due to how lengthy the process of integration of the ARMS agents into the Hunters is, but I'm now considering simply taking full charge and stripping you of your rank right on the battlefield!'' Loki responded, still pissed off about the situation. ''Do not go after the dark hedgehog, you hear me?!''

The call was suddenly disconnected, but Loki still remembered the anger and defiance in the woman's expression. He sighed, feeling mentally exhausted. He then turned to Lucas. ''I'm sorry for them going after your teammate. We won't hold him responsible for destroying our vehicles or fighting against any rogue agents.''

''Honestly, I'd be more worried about the ARMS agents than Shadow. He won't show them any mercy if they get in his way,'' Lucas replied. He then frowned. ''Why did the Irregular Hunters even let the ARMS agents join them?''

''It was an order from the higher-ups. After the fiasco with Roy Williams, who is currently held in prison for his crimes, and the shutting down of ARMS as a military branch, there was a discussion in regards to what to do with the remaining agents, who were only following orders and didn't know what was going on behind the scenes. They decided to add them as a sub-division of the Irregular Hunters, and I accepted since the Hunters needed more personnel. The fact that they knew how to combat Irregulars was just an added bonus,'' Loki explained. ''The woman I was talking to is Naomi Nakashima, who leads the ARMS sub-division.''

''She looked furious when you told her to not go after Shadow,'' Lucas commented, his tone contemplative.

''From what I know, Nakashima despises Irregulars, wanting to destroy them all, whether they're aggressive or not. I was told that this was because her own mother had died during an Irregular attack a couple of years ago,'' Loki explained. ''I have no doubt that the fact that Shadow is an Irregular and a Black Arms hybrid has infuriated her.''

''It is no wonder that she joined ARMS,'' Lucas muttered. ''She's probably aware of the fact that Shadow was also one of the reasons why ARMS had been shut down.'' Both exchanged grim looks, with Lucas adding, ''Let's hope things will be okay.''

xXx

''The Black Arms are making good work of what they have, regardless of the defense Neos City has,'' Dr. Starline muttered to himself. He had managed to get into an office building that had been abandoned during the attack, having found a safe spot where he could observe what was going on without being attacked. Just like everyone else, he had been caught off guard by the sudden Black Arms invasion, but was smart enough to make sure to avoid them. While he did his best not to be spotted, he also came across Surge and Kit working alongside Minami and Amy, and observed them briefly before leaving.

He grinned at the memory, noting how having Surge and Kit protecting Neos City was exactly what he wanted them to do. If these two set themselves up as heroes and get recognized as such, then part of his plan would be completed without his input. That kind of result would be ideal for him.

Nevertheless, that didn't mean that he was just trying to hide. In his attempt of finding a good spot to observe the current situation, he came across a group of humans trying to hide away from the aliens, only to have fallen on the ground, completely paralyzed. Starline didn't get close to them, having noticed a fine purple mist surrounding the area. Realizing that it was probably a nerve agent, all he could do was to observe the aliens approach the humans and haul them away, probably to store the paralyzed bodies to feed them to their soldiers once the invasion was over.

Starline had figured that the appropriate feeling for that moment would be pity, but the only thing he felt was annoyance that the humans got caught so easily. They had built shelters due to the Perfect Chaos Incident, and in an invasion like this, it was imperative to either stay put in a safe place or get to the shelter as fast as possible, not run around the city like a bunch of headless chickens. Not only that, but some human civilians thought that they could stand against the aliens on their own or believed that they weren't a threat, only to get captured. Starline could only shake his head at their stupidity.

''This is why it would be better for Dr. Eggman to rule Neos City; with my assistance, of course. I'm sure he has some kind of brilliant plan to counter the invasion,'' Starline said to himself, gazing into the clouded, crimson sky. All he could was to wait and observe the outcome, and something was telling him that it would happen sooner than expected.

xXx

A Black Salvo was shredded to pieces by Omega's bullets, followed by a missile for good measure. Omega turned around, firing more at the flying Black Arms that swooped down on them. ''Engaging: Infinite target practice.''

''I don't think this should be considered a target practice,'' Rouge muttered dryly as she dodged a Black Volt as it fired at her, throwing one of her bombs at it to destroy it. ''How large is Black Doom's army anyway? I know this is an invasion, but at this point, you'd think that their numbers had dwindled significantly.''

''The Black Arms are only an extension of Black Doom's will,'' Shadow said as he faced a Black Wall, who projected a force-field to protect itself. ''He wouldn't care if he sacrificed all of his army as long as he reached his goal.'' He charged up the Doom Spear, firing five projectiles into the force-field and shattering it, then delivering a barrage of kicks and punches that knocked the Black Wall down. He frowned as he added, ''Nevertheless, there should be a limit to his numbers…''

Before either Omega or Rouge could respond, they suddenly heard the screeching of tires, only having enough time to register the truck with the ARMS logo on it coming to a sudden stop before they were forced dodge a barrage of blasts fired by the driver from the gun she was holding.

''New target acquired!'' Omega lifted his arm cannons, pointing them at the intruder, but Rouge stopped him by flying right in front of him. ''Why are you getting in the way of my retribution? She attacked us first!''

''Unfortunately, Omega, this is an 'ask questions first, shoot later' situation,'' Rouge explained.

''My protocol is 'shoot first, ask questions never','' Omega responded. The two watched Shadow as he stepped towards the truck.

''Who are you and why have you attacked us?'' Shadow asked, staring at the woman, who pointed her gun at him.

''I'm Naomi Nakashima, second-in-command of the Irregular Hunters and leader of the ARMS sub-division. Shadow the Hedgehog, you are sentenced to be executed for your crimes as an Irregular and a Black Arms hybrid,'' Naomi responded, holding the assault rifle-like weapon, clearly ready to shoot him dead.

Shadow just frowned, staring at her silently as his expression betraying no emotion. Rouge and Omega, on the other hand, were ready to fight for their teammate, but when they looked at Shadow for some kind of hint to whether they should attack, they were suddenly blinded by a flash of light, followed by a shout of pain.

Naomi suddenly found herself on the ground, disarmed, with Shadow holding the assault rifle in his hands and pointing it at her. The woman's eyes widened as she stared at her own weapon, her fear palpable. She hadn't even realized that the dark hedgehog was capable of killing her so easily.

''If you wish to judge and execute me, do it after the invasion instead of wasting my time,'' Shadow told her coldly, only to throw the assault rifle to the side and destroy it with a Doom Spear. He then turned on his heel, not even noticing the woman narrowing her eyes as she reached for a device in her pocket, pressing the button. Suddenly, the back of the truck had opened, with several Irregular exiting it. Shadow gritted his teeth, realizing that those were the Irregulars who had any sense of self stripped from them in order to curb their aggression, becoming mindless puppets for ARMS.

''Kill the hedgehog!'' Naomi shouted, scrambling back on her feet as the Irregulars suddenly charged at Shadow, the hedgehog showing a look of disgust at the whole situation.

''Stand back!'' Shadow issued his own order, this being directed to Rouge and Omega. He knew that he'd need back-up at some point, but he didn't want them to get caught in the crossfire, especially given what he was about to do.

He charged towards the Irregulars, knocking down a wolf Irregular with a kick to the chest, followed by a Chaos Snap and a kick to the shoulder as he reached a bear Irregular, followed by another Chaos Snap and a punch to the gut when he got attacked by a tiger Irregular. As the dark hedgehog fought his way through the small army of Irregulars, Naomi managed to get back to the truck, grabbing another assault rifle and wanting to end things then and there.

What she didn't anticipate was to suddenly find Omega and Rouge charging at her. The two decided to leave the Irregulars to Shadow and target Naomi, since she was the one in command. Naomi was forced to leap away from the truck, rolling over when Omega launched a rocket into it, deciding to show no mercy to anyone who was harming his teammate, with the front of the truck exploding and rendering the vehicle useless. Rouge flew towards Naomi, managing to grab the rifle, with the two ending up struggling for it.

''I know you ARMS agents despise Irregulars, but attacking someone who is actively fighting against the Black Arms was a bad decision, honey,'' Rouge said, delivering a kick to Naomi's shoulder, the woman crying out in pain, but refusing to let go of her rifle. She had kept the safety on and her finger away from the trigger, aware that she could accidentally misfire in the confusion and then she herself would be dead.

''I lost my only family because Irregulars like the hedgehog! I'm not going to let it happen to other people!'' Naomi hissed, gritting her teeth as she elbowed Rouge in the gut, causing the bat to flinch and fly back from the pain. Naomi pointed her rifle at the bat, only to realize that Omega had his own cannon arms locked on her. If she fired now, she would be dead regardless.

''And Shadow is about to lose his sister because of the Black Arms!'' Rouge responded, hand placed on her gut, glaring at Naomi. ''But other people struggling with their own tragedies clearly never crossed your mind!''

''Oh, shut up, you bitch! You have no idea what people like me have gone through! You have no idea why we had joined ARMS to begin with!'' Naomi shouted. ''Irregulars like you should've never come into existence! Go to Hell!''

''Chaos Control!''

Suddenly, time slowed down, almost stopping completely. Shadow's crimson eyes were glowing as he homing attacked all of the Irregulars who charged at him, then dashed towards Naomi, ripping the rifle out of her hands and knocking her into the nearby Cosmo River. He then landed between Rouge and Omega, with time starting to flow once again.

Rouge and Omega were stunned to suddenly see Naomi flying into the river, now disarmed. They turned their gazes towards the Irregulars, who were all lying down on the ground, defeated. Lastly, they turned towards Shadow, who had his arms folded across his chest, clearly done with this whole nonsense and staring at the spot in the river where Naomi ended up. However, something was wrong.

''Does- Does she even know how to swim?'' Rouge asked suddenly, with the three realizing that Naomi was struggling to keep her head above the water, not helping that the additional gear on her was heavy enough to drag her down.

Shadow didn't even waste his time, activating Doom Surf as he leapt into the river and grabbed Naomi's arm once he reached her.

''Let me go, you filth-'' Naomi coughed as she struggled against Shadow's tight grip, but the dark hedgehog managed to drag her towards the bank, leaving her on the grass as she coughed again, spitting out the water. She was breathing heavily, but managed to lift her head to glare at the hedgehog. ''I don't care… I don't care that you saved my life… I'd be happier if I were dead… than saved by someone like you.''

Shadow didn't respond, instead joining Rouge and Omega. ''Let's go. We wasted enough time here.''

The two exchanged glances, then followed the dark hedgehog. Frankly, they had to agree that this was indeed a waste of time.

xXx

Crystals and fire spread through the street as the Hunters struggled against the shadow-like apparitions that attacked them alongside the Black Arms, falling one by one at their hands. Unknown to them, their attacker was hiding on top of a building, giving him a good vantage point to observe the chaos.

''As much as I enjoy the chaos, it would've been better if we had directly confronted Shadow,'' Mephiles said, turning to Toshiro, who shrugged.

''Unfortunately, this was our deal with Black Doom. We leave Shadow to him, while we are free to do whatever we want as long as we aid the Black Arms,'' Toshiro replied. ''If you're bored, just find another target. The rest of Team Neos isn't off-limits to us.''

''You are correct in that regard, but which one should we choose?'' Mephiles chuckled darkly as he gazed into the distance. He could see a familiar grey figure floating above the street, taking down another Black Arms alien. ''Perhaps, we could engage in our personal mission. I have found the perfect target.''

Toshiro followed Mephiles' gaze, smirking deviously when he realized who Mephiles had targeted. If they were already going to spread despair, why not start with someone who was symbolic for a brighter future?

''I do wonder…'' Toshiro suddenly said, drawing Mephiles' curious look. ''We know that Silver is from a future that has been destroyed by fire and you're specifically to blame, but how is that supposed to even happen? After all, you don't have access to your full powers, yet.''

''I am well aware of that, and while I don't know how that future came to be, I know what might trigger it,'' Mephiles responded, gaze focused on the grey hedgehog. ''Silver the Hedgehog – perhaps, you are the Iblis Trigger.''