Review Response:
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What must be done… …The servers are the seven Chaos.
Chaos is power. Power enriched by the heart.
The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos.
…Feel within… The sea of Chaos… And the ancient waves.
May the light of its power shine down eternally and protect us all.
Professor Pickle's Office, Guardian Unit of Nations HQ, United Federation
Returning to the modern day Overlands, the United Federation's military scientists were busy trying to decipher the contents of Walter Gaunsun's journal which Shadow the Hedgehog had retrieved in the ruins of Soleanna's capital several months ago.
Originally, this project was supervised by Chuck Thorndyke, but following his death at the hands of the intruder, Naugus the Dark, alongside the theft of the Scepter of Light, his role was filled by Professor Dillon Pickle.
The man was like Chuck in many ways, loyal, dedicated to his work, and humble. Though he had his own quirks, such as his fascination with sandwiches. Now, in honor of a fellow colleague and friend, he strived to learn the secrets of the journal in search of a lead.
A lead to the connection between Naugus the Dark, Walter Gaunsun, and the Scepter of Light.
And fortunately, the research department had made strides in uncovering information about this Walter Gaunsun character.
While scouring through its translated notes, the researcher had found out about his relationship to the royal family of Soleanna. Walter Gaunsun was apparently a magician of some kind, not unlike Naugus the Dark, being similarly titled as Walter the Gray to the citizens of the City of Water. His knowledge of Ixis Magick, alchemy, and various fields of sciences had caught the attention of the Duke, who had recently lost his wife while his daughter, Elise, was a little girl. Gaining the trust of the royal court, Walter became the High Court Wizard and a close servant to the Duke of Soleanna. But while some of the translated pages confirmed Walter's involvement in the Solaris Project, he didn't know how involved he was… until now.
Professor Pickle stopped his eyes from roaming the pages of the most current version of his files and looked at the picture of his predecessor up on the wall to his right.
Chuck Thorndyke's picture.
"...Your death will not be in vain, my friend." The elderly man muttered, staring at the fallen man's image.
Suddenly, a young pale redhead woman wearing a lab coat and a work attire burst into the room with two pages burst into the man's office.
"Sir! We have two new pages! But you have to look at them right away!" One of the members of the research team shouted.
"My word! Calm down!" Professor Pickle said before taking the pages from the alarmed young scientist. "Let's see…"
XX/01/3297
It took me several sleepless nights to ponder a solution to his highness' underlying problem. In the machinations of thought, a single truth had teased me, as if I was a common mouse with a piece of cheese being presented to me on a string. If this could be done, it would solidify my relationship with the family. And then, my reach for the Flame of Hope would be as close as it's ever been. I knew in my soul that I mustn't fail!
I didn't bother considering an Ixis Resurrection. It would defile life! ...not that my findings would be any better. It would only yield an undead phantom instead of the Duchess returning to her former glory. That would only prove Gwendolyn right, and I cannot afford her the luxury. Regardless, I was at a loss at first.
Initially, I believed that it would take a miracle… And that's what occurred to me. The Seven Gems of Miracles!
According to legend, their history has ties to nearly every civilization on the planet. Some scholars suggested that these stones may have ties to creation itself. Perhaps using its power to influence the flame could not only grant the Duke's desires…but my own! I can appease both of our interests with the powers of the Miracle Gems and the Flame of Hope.
Yes, this is visionary! I can imagine the countless possibilities filling my mind: the power to reach out to the lost, the power to communicate with the foreseen! The gift of knowledge to prevent incoming disasters!
The Duke will be pleased at this. For the sake of the kingdom, the Duke and I will see to it that this Solaris Project succeeds, no matter the cost!
Professor Pickle felt a cold sweat pouring through him before he uttered, "...My God!"
Chao Garden, New Mobotropolis, Acornia
Knuckles the Echidna, the last of his tribe, lingered in his usual spot while partaking in the serene atmosphere the local Chao Garden provided. However, instead of being at his lonesome, kept a close eye on a peer that sat beside the fountain.
This was Shadow the Hedgehog, who had his eyes closed, all except for his third eye which glowed red. While odd and even creepy, Knuckles had quickly grown accustomed to it, as he was requested by the Ultimate Lifeform to oversee his static form.
'...What's going on in that head of yours, Shadow?' Knuckles wondered, looking at the black hedgehog, who was kneeling on one leg while the other was crossed.
-Shadow's Mindscape-
In the vastness of the space, the Mobian/Black Arm was performing different abilities that the Eye of Arcane possessed while on a grassy hill with trees nearby. This included making several illusion clones, firing gray energy bullets at the clones which took them all via ricochet and explosions, and levitation.
Shadow descended to the ground to catch his breath, having practiced the exercise for three hours.
Suddenly, a dark aura manifested from the ground where the black hedgehog's shadow was located. From there, the large Hollow Raven manifested, making his presence known to the Ultimate Lifeform.
(YoUr PrOgGrEsS dElIgHtS mE, sHaDoW.) The Hollow Raven crowed, happy to see his other half getting the hang of Order Energy. (sOoN, yOu WiLl HaVe AlL tHe PoWeR yOu DeSiRe To DeStRoY yOuR eNmEY.)
Shadow looked at the Hollow Raven and frowned. Sure, it was true that he wanted to destroy Metallix more than anything. And killing Dr. Robotnik for his crimes was on the table at this point for him. But ever since he first started talking to his so-called other half, Shadow had begun to notice a shift in the Raven's behavior.
It was like the being wanted him to become more violent the more he studied under it. More ruthless. Shadow wasn't opposed to violence, but only as a means to an end. This push toward aggression felt as if this Hollow Raven or whatever it was had been deliberately attempting for the Ultimate Lifeform to embrace a crueler nature after gaining his trust. These traits reminded him too much of Black Doom.
Shadow, irritated, turned to the Hollow Raven and said, "Enough of this."
(...WhAt?)
"How you sound, how you look, it's all a farce," Shadow stated, crossing his arms.
(Oh? WhAt MaKeS yOu So CeRtAiN tHaT i'M nOT aSsUmInG mY tRuE fOrM?) The Hollow Raven challenged.
"Who are you trying to fool? This ethereal avian form doesn't scare me, your voice cannot fluster me."
Instead of becoming angry, irritated, or defensive, the Raven chuckled and then nodded.
(...Very well.) The Raven relented, using a distinctively deep but authentic voice before shrinking down into condensed size relative to Shadow despite towering over the hedgehog.
He was mostly a gray and red being with a white "muzzle", yellow teeth, red accents along his head, arms, and legs, black-colored sclerae that featured glowing amber-like gold irises and thin, serrated black pupils, a classic "devil tail" (long and slender, with a red accented arrowhead-like tip), a pair of spikes on his arms (with the bottom spike being significantly smaller than the upper spike), a single small spike on the back of his legs, three-fingered hands, two-toed feet, and a pair of small "quills" on the back of his shoulders and a spiked red "mantle" on top of his shoulders. He also developed four ridges on his forehead, in the shape of a crown.
"So, this is your true form…" Shadow said, inspecting the Hollow Raven's true form.
(Indeed. Perhaps a reward is in order...) The Hollow Raven pondered aloud.
With his shared Eye of the Arcane, the Hollow Raven surrounded Shadow the Hedgehog with a black aura, causing him to react. As if Shadow was awakening again for the first time, Shadow fell to the ground on one knee as black electricity danced around him with a blazing green aura.
(This is for your critical eye. Now receive this gift, Shadow the Hedgehog.) The Hollow Raven stated, bearing his true form.
From there, a pair of black biomass stretched from Shadow's back, causing the Black Wind to screech in pain while the Hollow Raven watched in devilish glee.
(...Congratulations. You have inherited the Powers of Doom. Revel in its splendor.) The Hollow Raven grinned.
In the climax of his mutation, Shadow roared, throwing his head upwards as the biomass weaved into jagged wings with his power radiating his mind.
'...He is almost complete…'
Laboratory, Ministry of Science, New Mobotropolis, Acornia
Princess Sally and King Maximillian Acorn watched the monitor of Sonic's while his uncle, Sir Charles, managed a monitor next to the modified PET capsule that held Sonic. The Fastest Thing Alive kept his eyes closed as he focused his breaths while the machine scanned his body and measured it.
Sir Charles inspected the computer screen that had viewed showings of molecular activity and processes going on within Sonic's body.
A broad smile appeared on Sir Charles' muzzle as he proudly announced, "The scanner shows no signs of an over flux of raw power. It seems he's been successful at regulating it."
"Thank goodness," Sally sighed in relief.
"Excellent," King Max stated, pleased with the results. "I take it that so long Sonic keeps dispersing his excess energy, he will not endanger himself with his own power."
Sir Charles, nodded, saying, "That seems to be the case, sire,"
When the test was done, Sonic got out of the capsule while Sally handed him back his red, white, and black blazer.
"Good to know that I won't blow up anytime soon," Sonic snorted to the princess.
"As long as you start being more careful," Sally suggested.
"Careful?" Sonic said, raising an eyebrow. "Where's the fun in that?"
"...And he's back," Sally shook her head, smiling while suppressing the urge to groan.
'...I guess that's just who he is.' The princess thought while the two blue hedgehogs chuckled to each other.
"By the way, Sonic," King Max stated, getting the adventure's attention. "You and Sally are needed for a meeting at Freedom Headquarters."
"A meeting? What for?" Sonic questioned.
-Moments Later, At Freedom HQ's Meeting Room-
Sonic, Sally, and King Max entered the room with Rotor, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, and Shadow present.
NICOLE was plugged into the computer, having rested at Freedom HQ the day before.
"Hi Sonic!" Amy, Rotor, and Tails greeted their blue friend while Knuckles waved.
"Hey guys," Sonic greeted back while Sally waved.
"It's about time you got here, Hedgehog." Knuckles gruffly said with a smirk. "For a second, I thought you were slowing down on us."
"For real? Do you know who I am?" Sonic sassed with attitude.
"Shadow," Sally acknowledged, also spotting Rouge from the corner of her eyes, wearing her battle suit.
Shadow nodded back, saying, "Your Highness."
"I see you've brought someone," Sally said, eyeing Rouge. "A comrade, I assume?"
"Indeed I am, Princess Acorn," Rouge said, extending a hand to the princess. "Rouge the Bat. It's a honor to meet you,"
Sally accepted the handshake, answering, "The honor's all mine, but Sally is just fine."
Sonic then looked around, then turned to the king.
"Where's Bunnie and Antoine?" Asked the Fastest Thing Alive.
"They were deployed to Avalon with General Armand and will not be back for several hours." King Max stated before walking in front of the desk while standing in front of the computer screen. "But that is irrelevant as to why I called the rest of you here."
"What's going on, Your Majesty?" Asked Rotor.
"Freedom Fighters, allies," King Max addressed, looking toward Sonic, Sally, Rotor, Tails, and Amy's way at first before turning to Rouge, Knuckles, and Shadow's way. "The two of us have something important to discuss with you, and thankfully, everybody relevant is accounted for."
"Two of us?" Knuckles repeated in confusion.
"NICOLE, is it ready?" The king questioned.
"Affirmative, Your Majesty. Shall I start the call?"
"At once."
The main computer screen flashed, then showed the image of President Arbuckle sitting at the Oval Office in the United Federation's capital, causing Sonic and his friends (including the Freedom Fighters present) to gasp.
"Good Afternoon, Acornians." President Arbuckle said with a courteous smile. "Am I presentable on your end, King Max?"
"Yes you are," Inferred the Mobian squirrel.
"T-That's-" Sally stuttered, shocked at the person talking to her.
"-The United Federation's commander-in-chief!" Rotor added, equally astonished. "I can't believe we're talking to him!"
"Long time no see, Mr. President," Sonic said, addressing the man with a casual salute.
"Ah, Sonic! Glad to see that you're back on your feet again!" The lengthy paled-skinned human greeted back. "I see your other friends are here as well."
"Mr. President, what is exactly going on?" Asked Tails, wondering about the situation.
"The Exorcist Project has resumed and made excellent progress thanks to the Knothole Freedom Fighters' efforts in ceasing the terrorist attack the other day. Both sides came together to produce and are currently testing anti-Ixis Magick armaments, equipment, and vehicles." Explained the President of the UF. "However, the royal virtual assistant has brought something to my and King Max's attention."
"What would that be?" Asked Amy.
"On neither side do we have accurate combat data of our strongest combatants," King Max pointed out. "So, we've come out with a solution that would benefit both parties while staying amicable and diplomatic. A joint assessment between both of our most powerful soldiers."
Everybody set their eyes on Sonic and Shadow. The two hedgehogs made eye contact for a moment, then set their sights on the president and the king.
"Um, where would this assessment take place?" Rotor asked the Overlander.
"A careful location has been selected and agreed upon by myself and your king. While the exact location is confidential at the moment, I assure you that it's a safe and secure area. Some of you in the room are familiar with it." Explained the president, causing Team Sonic, Amy, Rouge, and Shadow's eyes to widen.
Sonic cocked a brow, crossing his arms with a skeptical expression.
"And what kind of assessment do you want to run?" Sonic inquired.
Both King Max and President Arbuckle smirked, giving the GUN operatives, Knuckles, and the Freedom Fighters a knowing glance.
Palace Garden, Dragon Kingdom, Chun-nan
During the cool of the night, two figures walked along a private garden filled with peony flowers, lotus flowers, and peach blossoms. It appeared to be a traditional Chun-nanese garden with flowers, trees, ponds, and other features that are designed to be a journey of discovery, a sense of wonder.
They eventually made it to a pond filled with koi fish while a couple of fireflies danced around the area.
The two figures were Mobians, with one being a female crimson red fox with straight black hair in bob cut and violet eyes, and the other being a taller brown furred macaque with a comb over and baby blue eyes.
The vixen wore a violet tunic-like top, matching pants, black armbands, and black boots. Meanwhile, the macaque's attire consists of a blue-and-green vest with golden plates on the shoulders and a longer segment with a split, adorned with taijitu symbols. He wore a crown made from a Power Ring as a circlet/headband; it featured a red gem in a slightly ornate setting.
The Mobian vixen woman was called Sun Yueliang, formerly Li "Moon" Yueliang, and next to her was her husband, Sun Ken, better known as the Golden Lotus King, Monkey Khan.
The couple were locked in each other's arms, enjoying their time together as the pair watched the dancing koi fish with nothing illuminating the atmosphere except for the fireflies and the moon beam reflected on the pond.
"I'm so happy that we've taken this time for each other," Moon expressed with a loving smile before turning to her love's face. "Wouldn't you agree, my love?"
"Of course, dear…" Ken expressed, only for his mind to wander as his eyes averted elsewhere.
Identifying her husband's contemplation, Moon placed one of her hands on the macaque's chin so that his eyes met hers. Ken spotted concern on his wife's beautiful face.
"You're troubled. What's the matter?" Asked the Mobian vixen.
"...It's about the message," Ken responded. "It's been on my mind lately?"
"Well, why wouldn't it be?" Moon inquired. "The Raiju Clan has at last come to offer a peace treaty after decades of maintaining an armistice. They're even sending in their strongest warrior unarmed for negotiations as a sign of good will. Should that be a cause for celebration?"
Ken, however, shook his head, saying, "Or it's a sign of trouble ahead."
"Ken…" Moon frowned, not liking how stressed her husband had been lately.
"Thinking about it, Moon. The war is not over yet. Sure, most of the Dragon Kingdom has been united, and I am grateful that the Ziyou De Renmen (People of the Free) chose me to lead them. But the war is not over. Naugus, while defeated, is still out there and is that horrid monster of his understudy. Now that rogue Overlander is at large, every country in the Alliance has shut down their borders momentarily, and we hear from the Raiju Clan? Doesn't that seem…off to you?" Monkey Khan questioned with skepticism laced in his tone.
Moon grabbed Ken's hands into her own and said, "Dear, the Iron Dominion fell ages ago. And the clans that were conquered by them swore allegiance to the Dragon Kingdom once your predecessor freed them, just as you freed us in the middle of this war."
"I know that, but that doesn't mean that their beliefs magically have fully aligned with our way of peace." Ken Khan said, expressing his apprehension. "The timing seems too calculated. You know the cunning of the Warrior of Conquering Storms, and I am quite wary of her."
"As am I," Moon agreed with a frown before flashing a hopeful smile. "I am also aware that prior to the Age of the Iron Dominion, the Dragon Kingdom hasn't had a conflict since the downfall of Feist. I may not be able to sense intent, but I believe we should be open to the Raiju Clan, for there's always a chance for change."
"...And if they haven't?"
"Then we face them together," Moon said with a tender tone. "It wouldn't be the first time. And besides, with the Golden Lotus King leading us, we will prevail. Right?"
Ken Khan chuckled then pecked his wife on the lips before saying, "...You're right. Like always. …I suppose I am still getting used to this new position."
"As am I," Moon giggled. "After all, I am technically, Yueliang Khan."
Monkey Khan embraced his wife in a hug, saying, "That you are, my beloved queen."
Just then, a flash of light appeared above them, blinding the couple. Just as the light appeared, it vanished, causing the macaque and the red fox to be confused before they heard the sound of a hard object dropping into the pond.
"Argh, my eyes!" Khan grunted, wiping his face with his hands. "What was that bright light?"
Moon was the first to recover before she spotted something in the pond.
She gasped, then turned to Monkey Khan holding a familiar gemstone in her hands.
Moon had found a Chaos Emerald.
"Ken, look at this!" Moon gushed. "It's beautiful!"
Approaching his wife, Monkey Khan was about to touch the Emerald when he sensed its chaotic power.
This made the macaque freeze up, and then reel his left hand back to his side.
'What in the world am I sensing!?' The ruler of the Dragon Kingdom pondered.
"Dear, you've gone pale," Moon said, taking a step toward her husband. "Is something the matter?"
"Moon, that gemstone is-!"
Before Monkey Khan could say anything, their peaceful night was squandered by a platoon of hostile machines warping in front of them. This platoon was composed of violet and dark blue Egg Pawns. Particularly, Egg Bazookas and Egg Spears while they radiate a familiar dreadful miasma.
"Intruders?!" Moon gasped. "How did they bypass our borders!?"
Monkey Khan stepped in front of his wife protectively, warning her, "Be careful! They have been bewitched!"
'...That magic! It's just like the warlock! And also like…that disgusting technomancer!' Ken growled in his mind.
"KEN, LOOK OUT!"
Hearing his wife's call while sensing an incoming threat descending to their location simultaneously, Monkey Khan gathered Gaia Energy from the garden summoned a light green Gaia Cloud, and scooped up his wife before flying away just in time to evade a red blur that slammed into the ground, damaging the earth and shattering the koi fish pond.
While Moon clung to her husband, both she and the Golden Lotus King saw the dust settle and were met with the revelation of the entity responsible for the destruction of the sacred ground.
The leader of the platoon was a three-foot and three-inch tall machine that bore a striking resemblance to both Knuckles in appearance and Metal Sonic in design, mostly built in red metal. It possessed a round head, a medium-long metallic gray muzzle with a pointy gray nose and had green eyes with black sclera and pupils. It also had five long strips of red metal with joints and white intake tips extending downward from the sides and back of its head which are meant to resemble Knuckles' dreadlocks. The machine possessed a red ellipsoid torso with a rectangular intake with a white rim on his chest and a rocket exhaust on its rear. Meanwhile, its arms consist of gray upper arms, red forearms, and long and thick paws with two gray and sharp claws for fingers, white rims around the claws, and yellow circles on the back of the paws. The machine similarly had gray upper legs and red lower legs. Lastly, it has two feet resembling Knuckles' shoes, complete with a red color scheme, green cuffs, yellow stripes across the middle, dark gray soles, and bolted gray plates on top of his feet.
This was Metal Knuckles, a robot meant to be the superior version of Knuckles the Echidna in the eyes of Dr. J. Ivo Robotnik.
The power couple of the Dragon Kingdom safely landed at a safe distance, allowing Ken to put his wife down as he stepped forward with a commanding presence an a hardened expression.
"YOU ARE TRESPASSING IN MOBIAN TERRITORY!" Monkey Khan bellowed. "STATE YOUR MASTER AND BUSINESS, THEN LEAVE!"
Strangely enough, Metal Knuckles, while completely subservient to his creator, spoke just like Metallix and said, "I was created to serve Dr. Robotnik, ruler of the Dark Egg Legion-"
"The criminal from the Great War?" Moon gasped.
"Of course!" Ken groaned in frustration.
"-and we have detected the presence of the nearest Chaos Emerald." Stated the robotic doppelganger of Knuckles.
"Chaos Emerald?" Moon pondered aloud while holding the red gemstone up close. "Is it talking about this?"
"The Emeralds belong to the doctor. Hand it over." Metal Knuckles demanded.
"...All this for a gemstone?" Moon questioned before Monkey Khan turned to her.
"Moon, don't. That gem holds great and terrible power. We cannot afford to lose it to the hands of the enemy."
"Final warning. Surrender the Chaos Emerald or be destroyed." Metal Knuckles threatened in a robotic tone, devoid of all emotion.
As a response, Moon placed the red Chaos Emerald in her tunic before pulling out a traditional blue fan, with a gold trim, gray connection beams, and a red stripe.
Meanwhile, Monkey Khan took out a small golden needle from behind his ears before channeling Gaia Energy from the garden to the item. This caused the needle to grow into the size of a large bo-staff with a red cloth wrapped around the middle.
Both of them took battle stances before Monkey Khan uttered, "You want the stone? Come and get it!"
"Disobedience confirmed. Engaging in combat."
With that, Metal Knuckles activated his thrusters and charged at the couple, ready to tear the two into pieces with his platoon of Egg Pawns charging behind him. Thankfully, with a flick of Moon's fan, she blew a great mystical wind that blew the opposing force away.
From there, the Golden Lotus King summoned his Gaia Cloud, jumped onto it, and charged forward with a mighty roar.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
Sally Acorn felt like she was dreaming. Never in her lifetime did she ever anticipate traveling off-planet. Yet, here she was, entering the main control room to what was supposed to be an abandoned space station developed by a former enemy of all Mobian-kind alongside long-time friends and acquaintances of a boy she thought had perished in the night they'd lost everything.
Sally was accompanied by Rotor and Sir Charles, who tagged at the request of her father, which President Arbuckle agreed to be his representatives. This did not count NICOLE, who was in her Holo Mobian lynx form. Everybody else that came with her had been to the Space Colony before.
Those being Tails, Amy, Knuckles, and Rouge.
All of them were led into the area by Commander Tower, who was responsible for operating the commander center inside of the Computer Room.
"Freedom Fighters, welcome to the ARK. As for the adventurers, and associates, welcome back."
"This certainly brings back memories, doesn't it, Knuckie?" Rouge teased to the echidna beside her.
"...Sure it does. You were a pain in my tail up until the end," Knuckles snorted.
"And you're still as rude as ever!" Rouge huffed, crossing her arms.
"Oh my gosh," Sally gasped, looking at one of the large windows that displayed the entire spherical planet. "SIr Charles, look at this!"
"By the wings of Illumina," Sir Charles said, parrioting the princess' after walking next to her. "Mobius looks beautiful from up here."
"You can say that again!" Rotor added. " A shame that Ant' and Bunnie had to miss this view. They'd be stoked!"
"Right, you guys never came here before," Tails mentioned, approaching them. "This was the place where we had to team up with Eggman to save the world."
"That's right," Sally remembered. "I remember when the footage showed that old man that resembled Robotnik threatening Mobius playing on loop."
"That's because he was his grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik." Commander Tower explained.
"Gerald Robotnik. I've heard of him!" Sir Charles stated, being a scientist himself. "I heard he was one of the most brilliant minds of his era. His Chaos Drives were what my Artificial Power Rings to your kind. And yet, he was said to be the opposite of his grandson. But what was taken from the professor that drove him to commit a horrid catastrophe after death?"
"Maria," Amy answered softly, getting everybody's attention.
"Who's that?" Asked Sally.
"His granddaughter, Dr. Robotnik's elder cousin." Rouge explained with a somber tone. "She was someone that the professor cherished. So much so that when she was diagnosed with NIDS, he took Maria aboard this station to create a cure for her. Even if it meant inadvertently creating a weapon for the human government."
"What kind of weapon are we talking about?" Rotor questioned with dread.
"One that surpasses the biological limitations of man and Mobian. One that can withstand the sands of time with unimaginable power. A warrior that serves as a deterrent from any enemy when called to action. It was meant to be the best soldier, virtually unbeatable. The perfect creature." The GUN Commander explained with a hardened expression, remembering the visual of Gerald and a large otherworldly entity surrounding a particular pod as a child.
Putting the pieces together, Sir Charles added, "...The Ultimate Lifeform."
This caused Sally to freeze while a single word, no, a name, escaped her throat.
"...Shadow," The princess uttered, realizing the correlation between GUN and the black and red hedgehog.
"...If what is being relayed to us is correct, then this would classify Shadow the Hedgehog as biologically immortal." NICOLE specified. "Permission to retain information for the Shadow file?"
Sally looked toward Commander Tower, who nodded to the girl.
"Go ahead, NICOLE," Sally, allowing the AI to collect and store the information.
Sir Charles turned to Tails and asked, "The girl did not pass on from natural causes, didn't she?"
The faces of Sonic's friends and allies fell, with Rouge shaking her head negatively.
Amy answered, "From what we learned, her final moments were the last thing he saw before being sent away."
"What do you mean?" Asked Rotor.
"Maria gave her life to send Shadow to Mobius inside of an escape pod. But the soldiers…" Rouge trailed off.
"...They were following orders to shut down the project." The GUN Commander answered evenly. "The government's inventions were to purge the existence of Project Shadow. Any and all traces of it were removed, including the inhabitants of the ARK. On that day, it was…a massacre."
This left Sally and Rotor shook while NICOLE and Sir Charles grimaced.
'To do that to your own kind. And they call us animals,' Sir Charles stewed in his mind, only to remember Nephthys and her actions. '...But then again, are we any different?'
" …In secret, Shadow's location was safely secured. GUN safeguarded this secret and kept his pod hidden for half a century."
"...Until that Egghead showed up. Always making a mess of things," Knuckles growled.
"Hold on, Sonic mentioned his complicity against the planet," Sally mentioned. "What made him change his mind?"
Amy smiled at Sally and said, "Shadow was never a bad guy. He was just confused and in pain. All I asked him was to give the world another chance. I'm sure that's what she would have wanted."
"Nice!" Rotor complimented.
"A fine job well done," Sir Charles added.
"It couldn't have been anybody else," Rouge commented.
As Sally gave her a look of approval along with everybody's praises caused Amy to blush.
"Oh stop it guys!" The girl said, holding her burning red cheeks.
This got Commander Tower's attention as his heterochromatic eyes widened.
'...So that's what happened.' Abraham thought to himself. 'That girl has a gentle and caring heart. The world needs more people like you, Ms. Rose.'
Commander Tower eventually accessed the main computer and pinpointed Sonic and Shadow's coordinates.
"...Good, they've made it to their designated area," Said Commander Tower with a ghost of a smile.
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
"Sonic, Shadow. This is Commander Tower. I have King Maximillian Acorn and President Arbuckle on a live stream to assess this battle. The two of you are to treat this spar as a real battle. The assessment will conclude once either side is unable to continue." Abraham spoke into the intercom loud enough for both combatants to hear. "You may begin at any time, but avoid any fatal injuries."
The area that Sonic and Shadow were going to battle it was a familiar place: a technologically advanced tunnel with a violet and gray interior filled with wiring that illuminated the long stretch until it showed the outside, surrounded by the starry space as the circuit continued.
Shadow stood in the middle of the path, waiting for his opponent, crossing his arms until he sensed Sonic's presence coming behind him.
"...Kept you waiting, huh?" Asked Sonic, still wearing his Freedom Fighter clothing.
Initially, Shadow remained silent as he observed Sonic's calm and confident demeanor, and then his power. He could tell that the raw power in Sonic's body had been regulated. And based on his posture and walk, Sonic had a different level of control over himself.
The blue hedgehog that battled the Biolizard alongside him had returned.
Shadow smirked, then began walking beside the blue Azurite, saying, "I'm surprised. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up."
"You're kidding, right? I wouldn't miss this chance to cut loose for the world!" Sonic said before pulling out what appeared to be a dark blue Chaos Emerald. "Besides, I gotta test this baby out."
Noticing the properties of Sonic's supposed Chaos Emerald, Shadow snorted.
"Hmph. So you intend to use another fake Emerald against me?" Shadow smirked. "Like that will save you again."
Sonic chuckled as the two hedgehogs began to jog down the tunnel, picking up a bit of speed.
"How nostalgic!" Sonic mused before looking at Shadow. "Hey, don't count me out just yet! I've gotten plenty strong, and I have more days ahead to seek out adventures!"
Shadow chuckled as their jogging transitioned into their unique variations of a full sprint, with Shadow's being a skating motion in particular.
"Be careful what you say, Sonic!" Shadow said in an ominously confident tone. "Or those precious days may end in a flash!"
Sonic's grin widened while blue electricity coursed through his body as he verbally challenged his former adversary/rival.
"Heh! You can try!" Sonic retorted. "LET'S GO!"
A blur of black and blue raced around the circuit of the bottom area that was composed of the Space Colony ARK. Whether it was the Final Rush or the Final Chase did not matter, the two Mobian hedgehogs knew that they were on an even battlefield, one that they'd settled their differences before.
And now, they were here to test their skills on each other.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
The group of Mobians, along with Commander Tower, watched as the two racing hedgehogs ran in a streak of blue and orange, neither overtaking the other in speed.
"Woah! Look at them go!" Rotor gasped.
"So it's true," Sir Charles commented, spectating the assessment. "Shadow can match Sonic in speed."
"Uh huh!" Amy nodded. "For all we know, he's the only one out of all of us who can match Sonic's speed on foot."
"Not counting Blaze, of course," Tails mentioned.
"...Who's that again?" Asked Knuckles, looking at Rouge.
The bat shrugged, saying, "Guess you got to be there."
Sally remained silent, spectating the match next to NICOLE.
'...I hope you know what you're doing, Sonic.' The chipmunk thought to herself.
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
Both unleashed their Boost abilities, creating domes of orange and blue that clashed against one another, trying to overtake the other in the lead, only for them to reach a stalemate. After three clashes, Sonic and Shadow separated with a single Quick Step. Changing tactics, Shadow decided to warp away from beside using Chaos Control.
Sonic stopped using his Sonic Boost, then thought to himself, '...What are you up to?'
Suddenly, Sonic sensed several projectiles heading toward him. Using his Quick Step technique, the Blue Blur narrowly avoided several familiar yellow Chaos constructs that were in the shape of small spears. Each of them detonated behind him.
To retaliate, Sonic jumped up into the air, curled into a ball while spinning, and used his bio-electricity to fire a volley of energy spheres to counter the Chaos Spears. This resulted in roughly twenty chained explosions that kept Sonic and Shadow separated for a time.
Shadow warped in front of Sonic, managing to kick him back, then warped behind, kicking him upward. Once Sonic was flung high enough, Shadow grabbed Sonic by the throat. With the thrusters of his Jet Shoes, Shadow slammed him into the battlefield with incredible force, creating a shock wave that shook the platform that they were on.
Shadow warped several feet back, waiting for the dust cloud to settle. However, what Shadow did not expect was a quick retaliation from Sonic, who seemed to take a darker state. As if it was some kind of Recovery Smash attack, Dark Sonic launched himself out of the dust and rammed into Shadow. The black and red hedgehog was launched upward. In a swift motion, Dark Sonic sped past Shadow's flung body, then slammed his right foot into his stomach, causing him to crash down and skid back.
Shadow managed to gain his bearings and slide to a stop on his feet. He then inspected Sonic's Dark form, which was slightly different.
The dark blue aura was more subdued, his irises were still green but were dull, and Sonic's peach skin was still visible on his muzzle and arms. However, his fur was black, quills were spiked up completely.
This was Dark Sonic (Controlled), who was holding his fake Chaos Emerald.
Shadow then recalled the attacks he was subjected to and thought, 'Those moves. I've never seen them before,'
"Hmph. You've tempered the darkness in your heart," Shadow said, crossing his arms. "And learned a couple of new tricks,"
Dark Sonic (Tempered) then reverted to his normal state and put away the artificial gemstone.
"It couldn't be helped," Sonic shrugged with one shoulder. "And I can't argue with the results,"
"I see," Shadow nodded, unfolding his arms as he closed his eyes. "...I'll show you my new power."
Sonic was taken aback when an ominous grayish aura manifested from Shadow's being. From there, a third eye that bore a resemblance to Doom's Eye appeared on his forehead.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
Barring Knuckles, NICOLE, and Commander Tower, everybody in the room grew disturbed at the biological development.
"He just grew a third eye!?" Rotor exclaimed.
"Tails! Does that look like-" Amy tried to warn the fox.
"-Yes," The genius Mobian fox nodded with a hardened expression.
Rouge, looking worried at the impassive GUN Commander asked, "Sir? Are you-"
"Just keep watching," Commander Tower instructed the bat, taking a neutral stance on the matter.
Before Agent Facet could continue, Knuckles approached her.
"Rouge," Knuckles said. "Stop worrying. Shadow is still the same guy."
Seeing the reassuring expression Knuckles provided her, Rouge listened as the battle continued.
Watching Sonic closely, Sally sighed, thinking, 'Thank the Walkers he's holding his own.'
NICOLE meanwhile, kept quiet but silently noted how Sonic had mastered his darker power. Unlike the others, NICOLE perceived the blue hedgehog's change as it quickly went and decided to add that to her file on him.
This brought a smile to the Holo Mobian lynx's face.
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
"...What the-?" Sonic muttered before the three-eyed Shadow vanished with his glowing.
Shadow suddenly disappeared, then reappeared with eleven illusionary copies that surrounded Sonic.
All of them simultaneously said, "Can you keep up with all of us, Sonic?"
Sonic managed to dispel four copies with his Homing Attack but then was intercepted by Shadow's fast strikes as the rest of the illusions ran through the Blue Blur, creating the farce that all of them were attacking him at once.
Sonic got up from the ground while the Shadows crossed their arms.
"What's the matter? Can't keep up with all of us?" The Shadows taunted.
Sonic clicked his tongue, then closed his eyes. He raised one hand, then made a provocative gesture.
All of the Shadow's copies, including the original, dashed forward to punch Sonic. As if time slowed, Sonic began to concentrate.
The Fastest Thing Alive knew better than to think that Shadow had Sol Energy. Sure, he had blood, but it originated from the Black Arms. And with Chaos Energy animating him, Shadow came to be. While not artificial like Nazo, Shadow was genetically engineered, therefore, he possessed no form of Sol Energy.
But that didn't mean Sonic couldn't sense intent.
Applying the principle of Soul Tracing to sensing Chaos Energy, Sonic managed to single out the real Shadow and quickly slapped his fist away, successfully parrying the attack outright.
Sonic tried to go for a punch, but Shadow weaved out of the way and tried to land a roundhouse kick. Sonic avoided it by crouching, then used a Spin Dash in an attempt to strike Shadow. Shadow used Chaos Control to avoid the attack, and charged a gray sphere of energy not known to Sonic with one hand.
"Order Bullet!" Shadow shouted before firing it at Sonic.
Sonic kicked the attack back at Shadow. The Ultimate Lifeform noticed the properties of the projectile got stronger and swatted back, betting on the glowing energy sphere to detonate in Sonic's face. Unfortunately for Shadow, Sonic manipulated a powerful blue gale from his hand (Sonic Wind) and blew the projectile away from both of them. As a result, the Order Bullet exploded a dozen feet away from the both of them.
Sonic tried performing a Homing Attack on Shadow, but much to Sonic's bewilderment, he passed through the Ultimate Lifeform. Sonic uncurled himself, then skidded himself to a stop before turning back toward his opponent's direction.
Sonic stared down Shadow, curious about the third eye and the new abilities he showed.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
Sir Charles watched the battle, then quietly noted, "That's a peculiar power that he has."
"...Could Shadow always make clones?" Asked Amy.
Tails shook his head, saying, "No, that's definitely a new power."
"...Order Bullet?" Rouge repeated, having trouble recalling the attack. "I don't think I've heard of that one before."
"I don't remember him phasing through solid objects either," Knuckles pointed out. "Seems like that mental training he did has pulled off."
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
"What's all of this, Shadow?" Sonic inquired. "And what's with the eye?"
"It's hereditary," Shadow cryptically claimed. "A trait older than Black Doom himself that holds a power opposite to Chaos Energy itself."
"That's a thing?" Sonic questioned before whistling, impressed with his opponent.
Sonic then suddenly froze, having pondered about something regarding Shadow's new power.
'Shit! As long as that eye is open, Chaos Powers won't work on him!' Sonic thought, gripping his right hand. 'Wait, Chaos might not work but…'
Without warning, both combatants decided to continue their battle after a ten-second stare-down.
Sonic and Shadow charged at each other and clashed toward each other at blinding speeds. They curled into balls and performed Spin Attacks, which led to Homing Attacks. These attempts ended in stalemates. Formulating a plan, Sonic sent a jab in Shadow's way. Knowing one of Shadow's new abilities was intangibility, he allowed himself to be struck to the ground by the Ultimate Lifeform.
Sonic's groaning was replaced by a smirk. Placing his hands onto the ground, Sonic tapped into the power of his Daevic Ring. While the Blue Blur pivoted his legs and spun his body in a circle, Sonic channeled Raw Sol Energy from the ring into both of his feet before successfully striking Shadow with spiritual power and bypassing the ability of Shadow's Doom's Eye.
Several strikes of Sonic's feet sent Shadow sprawling into the ground. Sonic followed up the attack with a rush-down tactic, sending Sol Energy-charged punches and kicks while moving so fast, it seemed that he was in multiple places at once (Phantom Rush).
Sonic ended the combo with an attack that involved a Spin Dash that launched Shadow upward. Sonic blurred behind Shadow, then kicked Shadow to the ground with a Sol-enhanced kick (Grand Slam), causing him to violently bounce off of the floor, leaving a large crater as he sprawled onto the ground and his third eye closed.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
"ALRIGHT SONIC!" Tails and Rotor cheered, hyped at the counterattack that the Azurite executed.
"I knew he could do it!" Amy swooned, momentarily falling into her love-stricken habit.
Sally and Sir Charles smiled as well, happy that Sonic was truly back in peak perfect condition fighting-wise.
"There we go, Hedgehog," Knuckles smirked before turning to Rouge with his eyes closed. "It's about time he shook off the rust."
Rouge scoffed at the echidna, saying, "Big Blue's gotten better, sure, but Shadow's not going down that easy."
"Is that so?" Asked Knuckles, opening one eye almost smugly.
"I know so," Rouge retorted in a huff while giving Knuckles an irritated smile.
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
Shadow groaned as he lay on the ground, having taken a considerable amount of punishment from Sonic's recent melee barrage while steaming.
'...Damn it! What was that power he used just now!?' Shadow pondered as he felt as if his body was lit aflame.
Sonic front flipped and landed behind the downed Shadow with his Daevic Ring in its Ignition State.
In Shadow's mind, he heard a familiar voice speak to him.
(This is unacceptable. Take this power and crush him!) The Hollow Raven commanded.
From there, Shadow's eyes opened while a certain surge of energy coursed through his two red irises.
A sudden burst of energy came over Shadow, causing the ground to shake and a strong wind to blow, forcing Sonic to cover his face as he slid back.
"Woah!" Sonic screamed as he tried to keep his feet firmly planted on the platform.
Shadow groaned, struggling to remain calm, only to fail as he let out a haunted scream. At the height of his agony, Shadow released another wave of energy from his body as a transformation was triggered.
The white of Shadow's eyes turned orange while all of his quills spiked up, not dissimilar to Super Sonic at one hundred percent of his power. After that, two streams of jet-black biomass stretched from his back and weaved into a pair of eldritch jagged wings larger than Rouge and with a greater wing span.
Nobody could make out Shadow's new form, but Shadow himself considered it to be the closest state to his putrid blood donor.
This was Doom Shadow.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
Speechless. The spectators both in the room and on the livestream couldn't believe what had happened in front of them.
At the same time, they could feel the quaking of the circuit from above, having startled most of the occupants except for NICOLE, who was floating.
Rouge never took her eyes off of her comrade and friend and began to feel worried about what had become of the Ultimate Lifeform.
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
"You've got to be kidding me!" The Blue Blur blurted out in shock.
Sonic watched in awe as Doom Shadow ascended into the air twenty feet high and fired three dozen thorn-like appendages from the biomass of his wings. These thorns grew to the size of tree trunks, which gave a clear incentive for the blue hedgehog to run.
Using parkour maneuvers, Sonic skillfully dodged the dangerous projectiles, avoiding being crushed or skewered by Doom Shadow's attack.
Doom Shadow landed in front of Sonic, sparking with a black electrical aura oozing off of his body. He retracted his large Doom Wings and rapidly morphed his right hand into an appendage with a double-barrel firearm.
'Yikes!' Sonic thought to himself before making a quick decision by shifting his head away from the double barrel.
Sonic barely managed to move out of the way, avoiding getting blown to bits by what seemed to be an organic version of the Black Arms' Rapid Shot firearm. Sonic retaliated by channeling his kinetic energy to his right leg and fired three Sonic Boom projectiles on the morphed arm of Doom Shadow, amputating him.
Sonic landed, only to gawk in horror at what he had done.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
Sir Charles, Knuckles, and Commander Tower's eyes grew in shock while everybody else audibly gasped.
"SHADOW!" Rouge cried.
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
Sonic was mortified at what had transpired. What had he done? He wasn't even using the negative aspect of Chaos Energy, yet he mutilated a comrade.
However, Sonic's surprise only grew as Shadow's powers began to manifest once more. The biomass of Doom Shadow seemed to be sentient enough to reattach itself back to the body of its host before morphing back to the arm's normal state.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
"C-Could he always do that?" Amy said, finding her face had paled.
"N-No?" Tails uttered, just as unnerved as Amy.
"...I-I think I'm going to be sick," Rotor gagged, trying to hold his breakfast inside himself.
Sir Charles and the GUN Commander shared unreadable expressions, simply continuing to watch the assessment unfold all the while Sally and Rouge continue to worry for the safety of the combatants.
Meanwhile, Knuckles kept his arms crossed as he thought, '...At this rate, this will get hectic. Sonic better come up with a plan and fast.'
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
"Geez!" Sonic cringed at the sight of Shadow reattaching his limb.
Doom Shadow flexed his fingers and turned his wrists, stating, "...I didn't think that you had it in you."
"Well, I-Oomph!"
Before Sonic could respond, Doom Shadow punched him in the face without warning. As Sonic sprawled onto the ground and tried to get up, Doom Shadow continued his pursuit by backhanding Sonic with a fist, striking him with an uppercut, grabbing the Blue Blur by his right leg, then slammed him into the ground, back first. Doom Shadow then spun Sonic in a circle and finally tossed him roughly three yards away.
Sonic recovered by curling into a ball before uncurling to plant his feet on the ground, stopping in a screeching halt. Doom Shadow appeared fifteen feet above the Fastest Thing Alive, having morphed his left arm into a blade resembling the Black Sword of the Black Arms race.
Sonic's quick reflex barely caught a glimpse of Doom Shadow's descent while performing an overhead slash. Summoning his raw energy, Sonic's gloved hands turned electric blue as he clasped the blade of Doom Shadow's morphed arm weapon.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
'He's going to kill him!' Commander Tower thought, watching the struggle in shock and concern.
"No!" Sir Charles shouted, scared for his nephew.
"Shadow, don't!" Shouted Rouge.
"SONIC!" The rest of Team Sonic, Amy, Rotor, and Sally screamed.
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
"S-Shadow! Chill out!" Sonic grunted as he began to bend on one of his knees. "A-Ain't this a test or something!?"
"I have no time for games, Sonic!" Doom Shadow aggressively growled. "We're at war, and war does not spare the weak nor the foolish!"
'Not good! I think he's out for blood again!' Sonic thought to himself. 'Whatever this new power is must be increasing his aggression!'
"I know you can do better than this!" Doom Shadow barked with his black electrical aura intensifying as his blade was only inches away from bisecting Sonic. "SHOW ME YOUR POWER OR PERISH!"
(YES, SHADOW! SHOW THIS WORM HIS PLACE!) The Hollow Raven raved, flexing his mental influence on the Ultimate Lifeform.
Meanwhile, Sonic desperately grasping at straws on his next move before Shadow can take his life.
'...Using the fake Emerald won't do me any good. …Wait, what if Chaos is the wrong source that I'm drawing from?' Sonic contemplated, recalling the Daevic Ring.
Calming down, Sonic took a deep breath as he let the Raw Sol Energy fill his physical form. The power was so spiritually potent, that it changed Sonic's body, blurring the lines of the physical and the spiritual.
"...Tune…Up." Sonic whispered as he drew an astronomical amount of Raw Sol Energy from his magic ring.
All of a sudden, Sonic vanished out of view of a strong gust of hot wind, allowing Doom Shadow to complete his attack but with no target to cut down, causing the ground to shake violently.
Doom Shadow turned around, finding Sonic standing several feet away from him with his back to the hybrid. The blue hedgehog's active ring burned so brightly, it caught aflame. From there the supernatural flame began to spiral around Sonic, creating a small tornado. That spire of flame eventually created a pillar of bright yellow within a matter of seconds, which then switched to a stable orange-red color.
Similar to the advent of Doom Shadow, a shock wave from Sonic's new power caused the Ultimate Lifeform to cover his face while he sprouted his Doom Wings to shield his eyes.
When the light settled, Doom Shadow laid eyes on his opponent and was taken aback.
Sonic had changed, though not as drastically as one would think. Sonic was relatively the same in terms of his clothing, peach-colored skin, and blue fur. However, that's where the constants end. Firstly, his quills were spiked up as if he were in his Super form. His irises were orange-red, matching his glowing Daevic Ring, and the complex orange-red and yellow fiery aura, complete with sparkling particles traveling upward. On his scarred chest, located where his heart would be was a trail of fire that leaked out. And because of the power coming off of Sonic, it cast a dark shadow on his body, making his fur and clothing appear darker than in actuality.
Sonic had assumed a Sol Energy-based transformation.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
"Woah!" Rotor and Tails commented, looking at Sonic's new change.
"I-Is that Sonic?" Asked Amy, with her jade eyes glued to Sonic's new transformation.
"I think so…" Said Sally, looking at his new appearance. "What happened to him?"
"My sensors detect an over-flux of foreign power circulating throughout his body," NICOLE commented. "Although, he seems to be in control over it."
"Foreign power?" Commander Tower said, raising an eyebrow.
"NICOLE, can you trace the source of this phenomenon?" Sir Charles inquired.
"Yes, Sir Charles. The source seems to be located on Sonic's right-hand ring finger." NICOLE revealed.
Amy and Sally immediately met each other's eyes, simultaneously exclaiming, "The ring!"
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
Doom Shadow stared at Sonic's new state after unfolding his wings. He tried sensing Sonic, but he didn't feel a trace of Chaos Energy being used.
"...This is new." Doom Shadow spoke, only to charge toward his opponent with his wings flapping.
Sonic blitzed past the Doom Shadow at twenty feet in an orange-red aura, which left the Ultimate Lifeform no time to react as Sonic left behind a pair of smokeless burning footprints. He looked down toward his gloved pawed hands, seeing that he had successfully triggered a change in a similar way to his Dark state with his magical ring through one of the martial art methods Dulcy had taught him.
'...Looks like I nailed the Stage One Tune-Up.' Sonic cognitively commented, amazed at his new state. 'It's a little rough around the edges, but I can make do.'
Meanwhile, Doom Shadow found himself turning around to find Sonic's back toward him yet again. This time, he felt a delayed stinging sensation appear on the left side of his muzzle. This prompted Doom Shadow to wipe the area clean of blood before clenching his right-pawed hand into a fist.
(It seems that our opponent finally poses a challenge.) The Hollow Raven communicated to Shadow telepathically.
"...Finally!" Doom Shadow hissed in excitement.
The hybrid spawned six red Chaos Lances, launched them into the air, and then telekinetically separated them into thirty Chaos Spears to rain down on an empowered blue hedgehog.
Sonic, with his new blazing aura, calmly walked toward the Ultimate Lifeform with a serious expression, leaving behind footprints of Raw Sol Energy. While doing so, Sonic dodged all of the Chaos Spears, detonating around him. When one of the projectiles flew toward the blue Mobian, Sonic parried it with one arm without stopping or breaking eye contact with Doom Shadow.
After taking three more steps, Sonic immediately charged at Doom Shadow in a burst of smokeless fire. Doom Shadow tried to impede his movements throwing a series of rapidly moving punches infused with Doom-enhanced Chaos Energy, but Sonic managed to close the gap enough by weaving through most of the hybrid's blows. However, the Sol-empowered Sonic had to guard a strong punch from Doom Shadow with his arms crossed.
Doom Shadow then tried to skewer Sonic with a large sharpened tendril that generated from the biomass of Shadow's chest, but Sonic backflipped twenty feet away from the hybrid. Doom Shadow channeled his black aura into his hands and slammed and summoned four large tendrils from beneath the ground of ensnare Sonic. However, the result of Doom Shadow's tactic was a failure as Sonic proceeded to cartwheel away from the first three tendrils before grinding on the fourth. In doing so, the tendril began to burn from the sheer aura of Sonic's Raw Sol Energy coursing through his entire being, his Hi-Speed Sonic Drive 5G shoes included.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
"Damn!" Knuckles had sworn, both astonished and slightly jealous. "I didn't even see him move!"
"I'll say." Amy agreed. "If I hadn't known any better, I'd say he was using his Light Speed Attack."
"Or assumed a Super form," Rouge added.
"The boy must be running faster than the speed of light," Commander Tower inferred.
"Agreed," Sir Charles nodded.
"Wait, I thought Sonic couldn't naturally move faster than light," Sally said, confused.
"You're right, Sally," Rotor confirmed. "From what I gathered, Sonic can react to plasma beams, but he's not quite there when it comes to lasers."
"However, his raw speed is closely approaching that milestone the longer he runs." The professor explained. "But what has occurred is an entirely different matter."
The spectators continued to watch the battle silently with the new information dwelling in their minds.
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
Sonic was about to gather the Raw Sol Energy from his body to unleash an attack directed toward his opponent, only for a small dome of negative space to appear in a fifty-meter radius.
Doom Shadow, with his sprouted wings, held his green Chaos Emerald, having performed Chaos Control to stop the flow of time.
'He's gotten better. Much better,' Doom Shadow admitted mentally as he summoned various orbs of concentrated Chaos Energy to surround Sonic with. 'But it is not enough.'
Before Doom Shadow could execute his plans, he spotted something unbelievable. Sonic had vanished from his suspended animation as if he was a ghost.
"What the hell!?" Uttered the Ultimate Lifeform.
In a matter of seconds, orange and red particles realigned them into a physical form. Reforming in a blazing aura of smokeless fire was Sonic, still in his new state, right behind the Ultimate Lifeform with his left foot extended for a diving kick (Loop Kick).
"Speed Break!" Sonic whispered.
Without warning, Chaos Control was bypassed as Doom Shadow was launched into the ground with a searing footprint between his wings. While still in the air, Sonic outstretched his hand and gathered a powerful gust of wind that immediately overheated to the point of being a swirling orb of orange-red light.
"...Sonic Wind," The Sol-empowered Sonic whispered before throwing the ball of ionized energy at his target.
Doom Shadow recovered by backflipping, and then kneeling to the ground. He hissed at the searing pain on his back, only to be blindsided by an orb that grew from the size of an apple to the size of a truck. The Ultimate Lifeform tried stopping it by molding his wings into a large shield, but what he was met with was a pillar of orange-red flames that would have incinerated any lesser opponent.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
Everybody had to shield their eyes except for NICOLE, who was not affected by the intensity of the gleaming fiery tornado.
"EEK! It's too bright!" Amy shouted.
"What was that!?" Sir Charles questioned, also shielding his eyes.
"I-I think that was a Sonic Wind attack!" Sally commented.
"T-This has got to be a Super form!" Tails mentioned with one eye clothed.
"Maybe!" Rotor contemplated. "It's no Super Sonic, nor is it that darker power either."
"He's got to be drawing on the raw Sol Energy that Wendy put in the ring to protect him." Sally theorized verbally.
"He's doing what!?" Knuckles exclaimed.
"Oh, so he's like Burning Blaze," Tails surmised. "Well, almost as powerful."
"I can see his every movement clearly." Said NICOLE. "In this state, Sonic's body is constantly vibrating at a high frequency. This may be a possible clue to his new transformation."
"Vibrations?" Tails parroted. "Well, I guess this would make him Ultra Sonic,"
Knuckles and Amy groaned at the corny pun while Rouge, Commander Tower, and Rotor snorted at the boy.
Sally sighed at the joke, but then admitted, "I suppose the name will suffice, Miles."
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
When the blast ceased, Doom Shadow remained, albeit missing an arm and his doom wings while covered in third-degree burns. Thankfully, his genetic mutations provided him with accelerated regenerative healing at the cost of immense stamina and nutrients. A ring of green energy spawned from Doom Shadow's Chaos powers, completely healing the hybrid as Sonic stood ten feet away from him.
Sonic, now mentally dubbed the form Ultra Sonic by Tails, spoke to Doom Shadow, panting just as much as the GUN agent.
"...I g-guess…our stubbornness…is still our saving grace," Ultra Sonic pointed out with a tiresome smirk. "Am I right, pal?"
Doom Shadow retorted in a pant, "Hmph. I…suppose…it is,"
(What are you waiting for!? Finish him off!) The Hollow Raven tried spurring.
Hearing this, the trance of bloody murder was lifted from the hybrid's mind. He
'Shut up!' Shadow fired back, regaining control of his bloodlust and mind. 'Nobody tells me what to do! When this assessment is over, I will deal with you accordingly.'
This left the other being in Shadow's soul speechless, skulking in the back of the hedgehog's psyche.
Ultra Sonic, with an excited grin laughed, "Heh heh heh! I gotta say, Shadow. I'm enjoying myself! The rush of it all has got my heart runnin' wild!"
"Of course you would…" Doom Shadow murmured while rolling his eyes, only to grin himself. "But you're not wrong. This power, this fight…The adrenaline of it all makes me feel alive."
"Now we're talking! " Ultra Sonic said before intensifying his aura. "Come on, Shadow! One more attack! Winner takes all!"
Doom Shadow did the same with his power, now more concentrated, uttering, "Very well… Let's put an end to this!"
The two empowered beings charged at each other in a powerful clash of Homing Attacks, which resulted in a massive explosion of black electricity and orange-red sparks of bright light. This created a shockwave that caused a temporary power outage in the ARK.
Computer Room, Space Colony ARK
Everybody was startled at the space station facing a blackout.
"Oh no, the power!" Tails worried.
"Seriously guys!?" Amy whined at Sonic and Shadow's antics.
"Ugh! I was expecting this from Sonic's end, not both of them!" Sally complained.
"Oh sweetheart, you haven't been around long enough," Rouge commented, pitying the Mobian chipmunk. "Commander?"
"Activating emergency power," Commander Tower said while pushing a few buttons, causing the entire station's power to turn back on.
As the main computer turned back on, everybody silently awaited the result of the explosive final clash.
However, the answer was not quite what the majority expected. When the dust settled, Shadow stood above Sonic, who seemed to have lost power first.
"Sonic!" Tails and Amy shouted.
"Aw man! He lost…" Rotor said, saddened at the result of the battle.
Rouge sighed, shaking her head with a small smile, "At least Big Blue knocked some sense into him."
Sally also sighed in relief, saying, "Thank goodness that they're still alive. Almost gave me a heart attack."
Sir Charles smiled, looking at the fallen boy, saying, "Sonny seemed to have enjoyed himself. And he did well for what he could."
"Well said, Professor," Abraham Tower agreed.
Sir Charles nodded, then turned to NICOLE and said, "You may close the feed."
"Right away, Sir Charles." Said the AI before closing the live stream. "I hope it will be to His Majesty's satisfaction."
ARK Circuit, Space Colony ARK
Sonic laid flat on the ground with his back on the platform of the circuit. He solely focused on catching his breath, now in his normal state, and his Daevic Ring returning to its Default Mode, now taking the time to recharge.
However, instead of taking the defeat to heart as he did with Metallix, Sonic found himself smiling as if he won a million bucks. Joy filled him to the brim, as he managed to go all out without any regrets.
Shadow barely managed to keep his legs steady enough to stand, honestly fairing no better than his fallen opponent.
"W-Well…" Said Sonic, panting and chuckling at the same time. "I-I'm spent! You got me…"
Shadow found himself chuckling, cracking a wry grin himself while gazing into Sonic's face.
"You blue b-bastard!" Shadow said in faux anger. "That clash nearly tore half of my body off!"
"Heh heh!" Sonic laughed with a shit-eating grin. "What can I say? I know how to party hard!"
"...Maybe you're not as soft as I thought," Shadow admitted before holding out his right hand. "But you're still reckless."
"Like you're the one to talk!" Sonic said, taking the Ultimate Lifeform's hand.
When Shadow pulled Sonic to his feet, Sonic and Shadow kept their hands clasped together, mirroring their time fighting the Biolizard.
Both of them exchange a smirk, non-verbally acknowledging each other's strength. This marked the end of the assessment.
To Be Continued…
Author's Notes:
Hey guys, DSG451 here!
Welcome to 2025! This is a tumultuous year for me, as I've recently started going to a CSU, so I may have less time than I did back in community college. Even still, I will try to update my stories whenever I can. I still have plans for RESURGENCE and PHANTOM FORCE. As for PRIMAL, I will get back to it when I'm interested in it.
For those who wonder, yes, I've watched the cutscenes for Shadow Generations and the third Sonic Movie. And while I planned for Shadow to have Black Arm abilities before the Shadow Generations game rolled around, I've decided to incorporate their version of that concept as I find them more streamlined and interesting. However, UltimateDemonBeast65 have tweaked them a bit, taking cues from Prototype in how his certain abilities work, including Doom Shadow.
As for how strong this version of Doom Shadow is, he essentially has the power to fight a being with the seven Chaos Emeralds without the nigh invulnerability factor. All he needs is a real Chaos Emerald and at least fifty Power Rings to take on and sustain this state. Mind you, this power is separate from his Doom's Eye and it's abilities despite both sharing the same origin.
Speaking of which, remember when I told you guys to take the Hollow Raven's words with a grain of salt? Well, now you know why.
As for Sonic's new form, this takes some inspiration from both the games and the pre-Genesis Archie Comics run. Firstly, Ultra Sonic comes from the comics. But here, it's treated like Doom Shadow, with the properties of spiritual power like Darkspine Sonic. There may be some liberties taken with how its treated, with homages to Alvin Earthworm's Super Mario Bros. Z via Fire Sonic and Dragon Ball Super's Autonomous Ultra Instinct Sign.
This is how RESURGENCE Ultra Sonic works. Similar to this verse's Doom Shadow, Sonic needs at least fifty rings with the difference being the process of attaining the transformation. Thanks to his training with Dulcy, Sonic developed a method of tempering his Dark form and eventually, gaining a Sol Energy-based Super form, through a process called Tune-Up. As of now, there is one confirmed stage in-story and two more stages yet to be shown. A Stage One Tune-Up occurs when the user lets a certain amount of foreign power circulate within the body and keeps it from constantly leaking out. This principle comes from Sonic's experience using the seven Chaos Emeralds to transform and the advanced energy manipulation training Dulcy provided him. In this case, Sonic draw power from the Raw Sol Energy his Daevic Ring has all at once.
Doom Shadow and Ultra Sonic are comparable to each other, but Sonic and Shadow's normal Super forms are still stronger. Doom Shadow defeated Ultra Sonic because Sonic was using a power that was not his own for the first time. Meanwhile, Doom Shadow was an evolved version of Chaos Shadow with new abilities that were new but natural to him. Due to this, while Sonic could deal with Shadow's Order-based Energy and other abilities his third eye gives him, and while Ultra Sonic is faster than Doom Shadow, Doom Shadow's durability and resilience will outlast Ultra Sonic.
As of now, Shadow is stronger than Sonic.
Now, the next arc will be focusing on the Dragon Kingdom and Monkey Khan!
Please leave comments, questions, concerns, and criticisms in the Reviews. Tell me what you like, dislike, what could be better, and what you enjoy about the saga and/or story so far by writing a detailed review for me. What are your favorite moments? Who would you like to see more of? Let me know these things, guys! It helps me grow as a writer, and I enjoy reading your thoughts on my work.
Anyway, I'll see you guys later!
-DarkShadowGames451