literature

Eternal Angel: Chapter 17

Deviation Actions

DrFic-PsyD's avatar
By
Published:
3.4K Views

Literature Text

"How can this be!?" The figure asked fearfully, taking a few steps backward, "You shouldn't be standing! What kind of power is this!?"

In front of the figure were Sonic and Shadow, hovering a few inches off of the ground and covered in a golden aura. Their quills seemed to defy gravity as they were upturned behind their heads. Their fur had taken on a golden color and seemed to radiate a light of its own. Sonic stared at the figure with a smug grin on his face while Shadow crossed his arms, looking very irritated.

"The Master Emerald turns thoughts into power," Knuckles said from the top of the alter, "You don't have a Chance!"

"No! I can't lose!" The figure yelled desperately, "I have come this far!"

"Our positive feelings toward each other can make this work..." Shadow said confidently.

"Our hearts together form an awesome power..." Sonic said hovering toward the figure.

"NO! I CANNOT FAIL!" The figure shouted, charging a blast of lightning in his hand, "All is lost if I fail! I WILL NOT FAIL!!!"

"Now we'll show you!" Sonic said as he and Shadow blasted toward the figure leaving behind a trail of light.

"NO!!!" The figure screamed as he released his attack on the super hedgehogs. The bolts of energy struck their targets, but had no effect. Sonic flew straight through the figure's storm of electricity as he crashed into his chest. The figure was sent flying through the air and passed over the Master Emerald alter. Before the cloaked man had a chance to recover Shadow had teleported behind him and delivered a kick to his spine, which sent him flying into the stone steps of the alter. The figure painfully looked up from where he lay to see Shadow charging a barrage of Chaos spears in his hand. The figure quickly erected a psychic barrier in preparation for the incoming attack.

When Shadow released his attack, the figure was surprised when the spears tore through his shield like tissue paper. He was sent toppling down the alter steps and collided with the hard ground. He quickly climbed to his feet and noticed that Sonic was hovering in the air a few feet away. Cupping his hands at his side he began to charge an extremely potent blast of telekinetic energy. Sonic just smiled in amusement as he watched the figure's desperation. Throwing his hands outward the figure released his massive attack, which struck Sonic square in the chest. Sonic was shoved backwards a few feet, but was otherwise unaffected.

"Is that it?" Sonic asked in amusement, "That was a nice breeze, but it didn't hurt much."

"I don't find your taunts amusing, hedgehog!" The figure shouted angrily, "Your overconfidence will be your downfall!"

"Not likely," Shadow said surprising the figure by slamming into him from behind. The figure was once again sent crashing into the stone steps of the alter, splitting the stone underneath him. He let out a loud yell of pain as he struggled to his feet. Sonic and Shadow hovered down and watched as the figure slowly stood, gripping his side in apparent pain. As the figure removed his hand from his side Sonic and Shadow were shocked to see a large red blood stain on the figure's glove. They suddenly realized that the figure was not some kind of immaterial, unstoppable entity, but rather a man who just happened to hold power. This gave them confidence as they realized that he could in fact be destroyed.

"So, looks like you're not so special after all," Sonic said with a smirk.

"You're just a man," Shadow growled, "Which means you can be destroyed!"

"I will not be defeated by the likes of you, regardless of what I am!" The figure retorted, "If I fail here then all I have worked for will have never been! I WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!"

"What are you talking about?" Sonic asked tilting his head sideways.

The figure threw out an open palm releasing another blast of telekinesis that shoved Sonic and Shadow back. The figure then looked at the two hedgehogs with rage filled eyes.

"I... WON'T... TELL YOU!!!" The figure screamed, racing towards the empowered hedgehogs. He suddenly made a flying leap at Sonic's head, grabbing him in a headlock. Sonic quickly pried the figure off of his back, grabbing his hands and flying into the air. The figure kicked and fought, but to no avail. Sonic's Emerald powered strength was simply too much for him to fight. They continued to hover high above the alter, with the figure fighting to break free while Sonic just shook his head.

"It's over man," Sonic said calmly, "Just give up the Emeralds. No one has to get hurt."

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" The figure screamed, suddenly breaking free from Sonic's grip. The figure then crossed his arms over his chest and threw them outward, creating an explosion of psychic energy that sent Super Sonic crashing into the ground.

Sonic looked up in shock to see the figure slowly hovering downward, coming to rest a few inches above the ground. He noticed that purplish-pink energy seemed to arch from the figure's body, while his cloak was blown about in a non-existing wind. His eyes had also changed, going from a dark brown to a luminescent pink. Sonic quickly righted himself as Shadow flew up beside him, looking at the figure with shock and awe.

The figure focused his eyes on the two hedgehogs, which seemed to burn with passionate fury. He began to rise into the air, clenching his fists at his sides as he began to build up energy. As he spoke his voice seemed to reverberate with pure uncontrolled power.

"You will not take this from me, no matter how powerful you may be!" The figure said loudly, "My cause is righteous... AND I WILL NOT LET YOU INSIPID HEDGEHOGS STEAL THAT FROM ME!!!"

The figure threw his hands outward discharging the massive amount of energy he had built up. Huge beams of bright white lightning arched from his palms and struck the two hedgehogs in the chests. Sonic and Shadow were thrown from the sky at breakneck speeds, slamming into the top of the Master Emerald alter next to their friends. Sonic sat up and shook his head, trying to regain his orientation from such a hard fall.

"Man! That actually hurt!" Sonic said as he stood up, "How can he have enough power to hurt us in our super forms? Is he using the Emeralds too?"

"No, I don't sense any use of the Chaos Emeralds," Shadow said, "He seems to be using his own rage to fuel his power."

"How can we beat something like that!?" Sonic asked desperately, "Our super forms don't seem to be helping!"

"You guys seem to be even with him now!" Tails said excitedly, "If you try your hardest you might still have a chance!"

"We can't let him get away with the Chaos Emeralds," Shadow said desperately, "We have to try!"

Sonic glanced up at the figure hovering menacingly over them before he looked back at Shadow. A confident grin began to spread across his face as he nodded in agreement.

"Okay, let's show this guy what we're made of," Sonic said as he began to fly upward. The two hedgehogs reached the altitude the figure was hovering at as the two parties stared at each other in a face off. The figure casually held out an arm as a ball of energy began to crackle in his palm.

"This ends now," The figure hissed.

"It ends with you going down!" Sonic retorted.

"Now you will know the ultimate power!" Shadow said as he began charging Chaos Energy.

The figure gave a wild scream as he released his attack, hurling a titanic ball of electrical energy at the two super hedgehogs. Shadow responded by hurling a Chaos Lance, which collided with the figure's projectile midway. The collision of the two attacks created an explosion that sent everyone tumbling backward, which the fighters quickly recovered from. Sonic then rolled himself into a homing attack, firing himself at the figure and slamming into his chest. The figure was thrown backward through the air, forcing him to make a quick recovery. Once again he held out his hands and began releasing massive waves of mental energy, which slammed into Sonic with the force of a freight train. He gave a loud yell as the blasts painfully struck his chest and forced him backward. Shadow then flew in front of Sonic and released a hail of Chaos Spears at the figure. The figure erected a barrier, managing to deflect some of the bolts before they penetrated his defenses. He was struck in the shoulder and thigh eliciting a yell of pain from him. He then flew toward the hedgehogs, rapidly increasing his speed. Sonic basted forward intending to meet the figure mid-attack. The two struck with incredible force, causing a sonic boom to erupt outward. The two began to repeat their attacks, colliding in the air over and over again.

Sonic was quickly beginning to tire. Despite the full power of the Master Emerald coursing through him this creature was still able to match it. The figure's blows began to grow increasingly more painful as they continued to charge each other mid flight. He began to worry that he wouldn't be able to last much longer, but knew that he had to try. He and Shadow would defeat this creature, even if it killed them.

Sonic ceased his attack and reeled backward, intending to give it his all in one final takedown attempt. He began to rev up another homing attack, spinning faster and faster as he allowed all of his super energy to pour into this one attack. The golden aura that surrounded him grew more intense as the hedgehog charged his attack. The figure merely stared at him, puzzled by his sudden break in his attack.

Sonic suddenly blasted forward leaving a trail of golden light in his wake. He quickly passed the sound barrier as his speed continued to increase. He moved at such speeds that he could no longer be seen, with the only visual trace of him being a long trail of light. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for the golden hedgehog as he approached the speed of the light. The figure was directly in front of him, slowed from his perception due to his incredible velocity. He approached the figure and turned his shoulder forward, intending to deal a finishing blow to the dark figure.

To the outside world Sonic seemed to vanish from his starting point. Before anyone could blink Sonic had slammed into the figure with his full force, driving them both down into the ground below them. A loud bang was heard as the ground buckled underneath them, creating a shallow crater in the earth. A cloud of dust was thrown into the air shrouding any attempts to see the effects of Sonic's attack. Shadow continued to hover above waiting for the dust to clear, hoping that the figure was defeated.

The team was silent as they nervously waited for Sonic to appear. In his attempt to defeat the figure they hoped that Sonic had not harmed himself as well. They then noticed Sonic wearily climb out of the indent in the earth, with his fur having returned to it's normal shade of cobalt blue and his quills no longer levitating. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at seeing that he was okay. Tails quickly bounded down the alter steps, running up to his brother who was struggling to stand. He wrapped one of Sonic's arms over his shoulder as he attempted to help him up the alter steps. Shadow came in for a landing as the two reached the top, looking at Sonic hopefully.

"Did it work?" Shadow asked in a concerned voice, "Did you defeat him?"

"I... think so," Sonic said weakly, slumping to the ground and leaning his head against the Master Emerald, "I think... we got him."

"I think not!" A voice boomed as the cloaked figure suddenly rose from the crater. The group gave a gasp in surprise.

"That's bullshit!" Shadow said gritting his teeth together. He quickly rose from the ground himself intending to continue the fight. He reached the altitude of the figure as they stared at each other in another face off.

"Would you just DIE ALREADY!?" Shadow growled, clenching his fists tightly.

"You can't beat me hedgehog. I am in possession of your sole source of power! There is no way that you can-ugh!" The figure was cut off as he began to wobble about in the air, slowly losing altitude. Shadow watched curiously as the energy arching from his body began to fade and his eyes began to lose their pink glow. This was short lived though as he began to levitate again and his glow of power returned to him. The figure seemed exasperated at this sudden loss of energy. "Gah! I have to maintain this! If I don't then I have failed!"

"Shadow! I think he's getting weaker!" Tails yelled up at the super hedgehog, "You've got to defeat him now!"

Shadow looked up at the figure noticing that his power was once again fading. He smirked slightly at this slight chance for victory, looking the figure in his cold eyes.

"Last chance," Shadow said, "Give up the Chaos Emeralds or I will kill you."

"Go to hell," the figure replied hatefully.

Shadow rushed forward, preparing to ram into the figure. The cloaked man erected another barrier, which Shadow bounced off of. As he was sent reeling back he opened his hands and fired a pair of Chaos Spears. The first one struck the barrier causing it to shatter. The second struck the figure in the chest, sending him tumbling through the air. When he recovered the figure fired a blast of lightning, striking Shadow in the chest and sending him backward. Shadow began to grow fatigued after receiving the figure's last blow. It was clear that the figure intended to fight until he simply could not. This had to end now.

"Shadow! Your inhibitor rings!" Tails yelled, "Take them off and finish this! He'll outlast you if you don't!"

Shadow looked down at the golden rings around his wrists, then back at the figure who was experiencing another drain in power. He knew that he would be exhausted after this, but might not have another chance if he did not act now. He had to end this. The fate of Mobius was dependent on what he did here.

With his left hand Shadow reached for his right wrist, grabbing onto the ring around it and giving is a quick twist. The ring slid from his hand and fell making a clinking sound as it hit the ground. He then reached for his left ring, removing it and allowing it to fall to the ground. Shadow experienced a sudden rush of energy. His glowing aura began to grow more intense and his fur seemed to radiate even more light than before. The figure stared at this sight, seeming to become fearful of the hedgehog.

"What are you doing?" The figure asked hovering backward slightly.

"You threaten the safety of this planet," Shadow said calmly, "and you threaten my allies. Whatever plans you may have end here."

"No... you can't... You don't have the-"

"The what?" Shadow interrupted, "The power? Actually I do. I'm the ultimate life form, and I will defeat you."

Shadow suddenly rushed toward the figure leaving behind a golden blur. He came to a sudden stop in front of the figure gripping him tightly by the cloak hanging around his neck. His eyes began to glow red.

"DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE ME!" He yelled, concentrating all of his remaining energy in preparation for one massive attack. His golden aura and fur began to fade, giving way to a deep red glow that covered his body. The figure's eyes, which were normally calm and emotionless, were suddenly permeated by an unimaginable terror.

"CHAOS... BLAST!!!"

A blinding red light lit up the sky, blocking Shadow and the figure from view. A shockwave rippled through the air around them, cracking the Master Emerald alter and causing Team Sonic to fall to the ground. A loud roaring sound was heard as the maelstrom of pure Chaos Energy tore through its surroundings, disintegrating grass and foliage as it pulsed outward. The earth itself seemed to give way as a large crater formed underneath the enormous blast.

After the blast had dissipated and everything was calm again the team stood up and looked around to assess the damage. Everything the blast had touched had been vaporized, as evident by the blackened field of dirt where there had once been grass. An enormous crater sat in the center of the barren patch of land, still smoldering from the devastating attack. The team looked up to see Shadow slowly descending from the sky, gradually loosing his glow as he returned to normal. The group quickly ran over to him as Shadow came to a hard landing, slumping to the ground in exhaustion.

Cream quickly grabbed Shadow's golden rings and handed them to him, which he gratefully accepted. Tails and Sonic positioned themselves on either side of Shadow grabbing him by the shoulders to try and help him stand. Shadow slowly stood as he began to recover from such a draining attack. The rest of the group looked at him with hopeful expressions.

"Did you get him Mr. Shadow?" Cream asked in a worried voice.

"There's no way anything could have survived that," Knuckles said uncertainly, "Right Shadow?"

Shadow shook his head trying to get rid of some of the dizziness he was experiencing. He then turned to face Sonic with a weak smirk on his face.

"I think we got him," Shadow said.

Cheers and hollers began to erupt from the Freedom Fighters at their proclaimed victory. Sonic happily patted Tails on the back while Cream threw her arms around Shadow. Amy leaned into Sonic for a hug who surprisingly allowed it. Knuckles happily waved his fist in the air, reveling in their victory.

Something then moved out of the corner of Tails' eye. He slowly turned and looked into the crater to see a form rising out of the charred hole. His eyes grew wide.

"No way," he said fearfully as the rest of the group faced the same direction. Everyone gasped out loud as they saw the figure rising from the destruction.

The figure slowly attempted to stand, but only made it up to his knees before he fell forward on his face. He tried to push himself up but seemed to lack the strength as his arms gave out from under him. He made a few more feeble attempts to stand, but all ended with him falling on his face. He continued to lay facing forward, shifting his hooded head occasionally. Finally he ceased moving entirely. Team Sonic breathed a collective sigh of relief. They had won.

Sonic stepped forward with a victorious smile on his face standing in front of the fallen figure. The figure looked up and stared into Sonic's eyes, seeming exhausted and somewhat regretful. Sonic crossed his arms impatiently, waiting for the figure to return the stolen Chaos Emeralds as he had promised.

"The jig's up pal," Sonic said to the figure, "Time to give us those Chaos Emeralds."

The figure glared at Sonic angrily before his head slumped to the ground again. He once again attempted to climb to his feet, slowly pushing himself up onto his knees. He then attempted to stand, shakily rising to his feet. He wobbled back and fourth as he struggled to maintain his balance before finally coming to rest. He looked back at Sonic with tired eyes.

"You... have beaten me," the figure said weakly, "No one has beaten me in combat in decades... Impressive..."

"Would have been easier to have just given us the Emeralds," Sonic said, "You didn't have to fight us."

"You have no idea what I had to do," the figure growled, "If you knew... you would understand."

"What are you talking about?" Knuckles asked suspiciously.

"I don't have to tell you anything," snapped the figure, "My goals are mine, and will remain so until I breathe my last breath!"

"That's enough!" Shadow barked, stomping toward the figure and grabbing him by his cloak. Shadow snarled angrily as he pulled the figure toward his face, looking him in the eyes. "Give us the Chaos Emeralds now or you will be finished!"

"I will give you nothing," the figure laughed, "The Seven Servers are still mine!"

"What!?" Amy yelled, "You said if we defeated you we could have the Emeralds back!"

"You may have beaten me physically, but you have not defeated me," the figure sneered, "On the contrary, I have already won!"

"What?" Sonic said in confusion, "That makes no sense! How have you won?"

The figure let out an unearthly cackle that set the group on edge. The figure was completely at the mercy of the Freedom Fighters and yet still claimed he had won. Either the figure was raving mad, or he had something else up his sleeve.

"Powerful you may be hedgehogs, but that makes no difference when you lack perception. You allowed yourself to become preoccupied with fighting me and let yourself become ignorant to everything else! Because of this you failed in protecting what you find so valuable! You have lost!"

Sonic stood there staring at the figure, completely baffled by his cryptic speech. They had beaten the figure in a fair fight. How could the figure possibly claim victory over them when he was obviously at their mercy? Sonic couldn't help but wonder what the figure meant by saying they had "become ignorant to everything else". Had there been some variable that the team had overlooked? Did something occur while the team had been occupied?

It then dawned on Sonic what the figure had been hinting at, causing him to go wide eyed. His head snapped toward Shadow as he addressed him in a worried tone.

"Shadow... where is your Chaos Emerald?"

"Huh?" Shadow said letting go of the figure and patting himself down, "It's right..." He began to trail off when he realized that he did not feel the weight of the Emerald on him. He began to frantically search around him until his eyes fell upon the figure again. His eyes grew wide as he could not believe what he was seeing.

Standing in front of the group was the figure, with the green Chaos Emerald in hand, casually tossing it into the air and catching it. The figure chuckled evilly as he stood there staring at the team with his icy brown eyes.

"You really should pay more attention," the figure laughed, "It was far too easy to loot this off of you during our little dual. So much for defeat!"

Shadow yelled loudly as he charged toward the figure. The figure merely stretched out a palm and sent Shadow blasting backward, laughing with sinister glee.

"You may have won the battle, but I am never beaten!" The figure cackled, "I will always find the means to achieve my goals. Nothing can keep me from what I want most! Especially you pathetic creatures!"

Amy shook her head in disbelief. "You... you cheated!" She said, trembling in fear of the entity.

The figure then burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter at hearing Amy speak. "Who do you think I am? I am not that fat scientist that you rival yourselves with! I don't give up simply because you manage to damage my pride! No my dear, I will do whatever it takes to achieve my goals, even if I have to go through you!"

The figure then raised his arms outward causing the six Chaos Emeralds he possessed to hover out from under his cloak and begin forming a circle around him. He opened his hand and released the green Emerald, allowing it to join its brothers which hovered around him. Slowly the figure began to rise, hovering about ten feet off of the ground. The group looked up in disbelief, while the figure looked at them with a sinister glare.

"You see," the figure said, "I knew from the very beginning that I would be the one to take the Emeralds. It was only a matter of how long it would take. Now that this task is complete, I have but one more to attend to; and before I depart you will know my power!"

"Wait!" Sonic called out to the figure, "Why are you doing this!? Why are you taking the Emeralds!? What are you going to do!?"

"Why?" The figure asked, "The answer is as close to you as kin, and has been from the very beginning... Miles Prower!"

Tails' eyes went wide at hearing the figure mention his name. "What!? What does this have to do with me?"

"HA!" The figure blasted, "It's all been about you! No other has ever compelled me so strongly to do what I do now! From the very beginning my sights were set on you! Now I will have what I seek!"

"I don't understand!" Tails cried out.

"Your pain!" The figure yelled, "Your pain is more intense than any I have ever felt! It is what led me here! It is what drives me! I can assure you that before I depart you will see that pain in a new light!"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Tails asked, shaking in fear, "What do you know about my pain?"

"EVERYTHING!" The figure boomed loudly, "Nothing escapes my notice you foolish fox! Even before we encountered each other I knew of your plight! The death of the little plant-girl! Your affection for her! The guilt for being the one who ended her life! But most of all the desire to have her in your life again! It's time you faced reality! The harsh truth of existence! I intend to sever all ties you have to the deceased! This ends tonight!"

"Wh-what are you going to do?" Tails asked fearfully.

"What should have been done from the beginning," the figure said in a low voice, "I ask you this Miles Prower, what would you do... if something happened to your precious flower?"

Tails gasped loudly. Nothing in this world meant more to him now than Cosmo's plant did. Although he had begun to let go of his lost love, he still felt a great deal of attachment to the one thing she had left behind in this world. Should that plant be destroyed the last piece of Cosmo that he still had would be destroyed as well. He once again felt the sensations of despair that he had felt when he had watched Cosmo die. He could not lose her again.

Tails began to tremble and sank to his knees, looking up at the figure with desperation in his eyes. "P-p-please," Tails choked out, "don't... t-take her pl-plant away from me... It's all I have left."

"Your pleas mean nothing," the figure said in an unfeeling tone, "I will do what I came for. Nothing can turn me from that."

"I NEED IT!" Tails began to cry, "PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! Just... don't take her from me... not again."

The figure then let out an unnaturally disturbing laugh. A laugh so sick, so twisted, and so steeped in evil that the figure's intentions were immediately clarified. The team began to panic. They knew he would do it, and they didn't know if they could stop him.

The figure began to fly higher into the air as the Chaos Emeralds built up their power, glowing with a bright internal light. As he ascended the cloaked figure looked down, giving Tails an unsettling stare.

"You want to know why I let you live?" The figure said in a cold voice, "It's so you could experience this. Now Chaos Emeralds, it's time for the FINAL CURTAIN CALL!"

"NOOO!!!" Tails yelled, spinning his tails and flying after the dark figure.

The dark figure laughed a maniacal laugh. The light of the Chaos Emeralds continued to intensify as their power continued to build. A low hum began to radiate through the air as the power of the Emeralds radiated outward. Tails flew faster, hoping to catch the figure before it was too late.

"NOW THIS ENDS!" The figure yelled over the thrumming noise. The light of the Chaos Emeralds was now so bright that everyone was covering their eyes. The figure then threw out his hands as a bright flash erupted. "CHAOS CONTROL!!!"

Suddenly the figure was gone, leaving nothing behind. Tails spun around in the air quickly, hoping to catch some glimpse of him. He then flew down, landing in front of the group. He seemed to be overcome by panic.

"Where did he go!?" Knuckles asked Tails anxiously, "Did he take the Emeralds with him!?"

"We've got to get to my vivarium!" Tails yelled, "He's going to kill Cosmo's plant!"

The group made a quick sprint toward the X Tornado, which they had used to fly to Angel Island. Tails vaulted into the cockpit and began to start the engines while the others hastily followed suit. The wind had begun to pick up outside as a storm seemed to crop up from nowhere. Tails sealed the canopy and began to move the plane forward while Sonic looked over his shoulder worriedly.

"It's going to be okay Tails," Sonic tried to comfort him, "We'll make it. He won't-"

"Yes he will Sonic!" Tails panicked, "We can't stop him! I can't loose the plant! I just can't!" He threw the plain into full throttle blasting off of the edge of the Floating Island and toward his house, hoping he could do something to stop the monster after his beloved flower.

You mustn't do this. The cost will be-

"I don't care. This is something that I must do. Whatever the price is I will pay it in full."

Why? Why forsake everything that you hold? What makes their lives so much more valuable than your own?

"I was given a gift, and for so long I knew not what it meant. Now I understand what I was meant to do. When one has the power to do the right thing, it is their responsibility to do so. I may not live to see the next day, but at least I can say... that I made a difference."

This is your last warning. We implore you not to carry out this act.

"It is already being done."

Then so it ends...

The X Tornado flew quickly toward the Mystic Ruins. The wind outside was now violent and making flying difficult. Ominous clouds moved rapidly across the sky seeming to converge at a single point in the distance. Lightning flashed across the sky as the storm continued to intensify. Tails gripped tightly to the controls of the X Tornado, struggling to stay in control.

"Where did this storm come from?" Knuckles shouted over the wind, "The sky was clear when we left the island!"

"Something isn't right," Shadow said, "This is not a natural storm. I sense a powerful build up of Chaos Energy in the distance."

"What th- WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!?" Sonic shouted, pointing out of the canopy of the Tornado.

In the distance the group noticed that the clouds had begun to converge into a single strange formation. The clouds were rapidly rotating around a single point, forming a large cyclonic system. The wind seemed to rapidly rush toward the center of the storm and lightning flashed in strange shapes towards it as if carried by the wind itself. The cyclone seemed to ascend indefinitely, looking like an inverted whirlpool in the sky. At the heart of this raging maelstrom of air a dull light seemed to shine.

Tails began to panic as he opened the engines further, making the X Tornado go faster. The wind began to blow the plain about violently forcing Tails to lower the altitude. The X Tornado began to tremble as control became more and more difficult.

"Maybe we should land!" Cream panicked, "I don't want to crash!"

"We can't stop!" Tails yelled over the din of the air, "We have to make it!"

"Tails! If we crash none of us will make it!" Sonic reasoned, "Land and we'll run the rest of the way!"

A gust of wind suddenly struck the plain causing it to fall toward the ground. The group yelled loudly as Tails attempted to right the craft, finally managing to level it out. Tails pushed forward on the steering vain, beginning to descend.

"Okay... I'll land the plan... I'll land the plain," Tails whimpered, "Please be okay."

The plain descended on one of the roads leading toward the Mystic Ruins coming down with a hard thud. Tails was sure that there would be damage from the hard landing. This did not concern him however as he forced the canopy open and sprinted from the cockpit, running as fast as he could toward his home. The rest of the group followed as quickly as they could, but were struggling to keep up with the desperate fox. Even Sonic had to put some effort into keeping up with his friend as they ran in the direction of his house.

It was then Tails looked to the sky and noticed that the massive cyclone had formed itself directly over where his vivarium was, causing him to grow more fearful. He then saw his house in the distance and began to spin his namesakes, trying to reach his vivarium as quickly as he could. The wind was stronger than ever now and tried to blow Tails from his path. Tails continued to run, secured by both passion and desperation. He would not lose his flower.

"Tails! Wait!" Sonic called out, "We don't know what could happen!"

"I don't care!" Tails yelled out, "I have to-"

Suddenly everything was quiet. The wind came to a cease as everything became unusually calm. The strange clouds continued to swirl over the vivarium and lightning continued to arch in strange patterns across the sky. No thunder followed the flashes of light however as all sound was silenced. Tails came to a stop and looked up into the heart of the storm, confused by the sudden lull in activity. The group stood still, waiting for something to happen. Everything was eerily calm.

As the group looked into the storm the light in the center began to grow brighter. More light seemed to converge on the heart of the storm, creating a luminescent sphere brighter than the sun. The group squinted their eyes as they looked upon this sight, waiting to see what would happen.

The silence was suddenly broken by a loud squeal as a beam of light from the heart of the storm split the sky. The beam fell from the center of the storm and came down upon the vivarium, striking it with incredible force. The reinforced glass walls of the spherical structure were shattered, blown apart by the powerful manifestation of energy. Debris flew through the air as the group fell to the ground, covering their heads. After everything had calmed down the group stood and looked around, appalled by the destruction in front of them.

What had once been the vivarium was now in ruins. Pieces of glass and metal beams were strewn about the yard, twisted and mangled like the toys of a rambunctious child. The vivarium itself barely stood, with its remaining roof supported by warped support beams. The storm began to fade almost as quickly as it had appeared leaving destruction in its wake.

Tails looked upon the scene with horror. He stood with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open, unable to speak. He shakily bent down, picking up a piece of glass laying at his feet. His hands trembled as he looked upon the destruction, not wanting to believe what was so plainly before his eyes.

Sonic slowly walked up behind Tails, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. Tails began to tremble as Sonic tried his best to comfort him.

"Tails... I... I'm..." Sonic tried to say, but could not manage to say anything. He watched as Tails began to tremble more violently as tears began to leek from his eyes.

"N-no..." Tails said, slowly walking toward what was left of the vivarium. He shook his head back and fourth, not wanting to believe what he was seeing. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Tails dashed into the destroyed vivarium, hoping beyond hope that Cosmo's plant was okay. Sonic ran after him, hoping to prevent his bother from spiraling into despair again.

"Tails, wait!" Sonic called out, dashing into the vivarium remains. He stopped suddenly when he noticed Tails standing motionless. Tails stood frozen, shocked by what he saw...

There in front of him was Cosmo's plant, ripped to shreds and heat scorched. Its once vibrantly colored petals had been reduced to an ugly brown. Its beautiful and full green leaves had shriveled into crusty black flakes. Around the base of the plant arranged in a perfect circle were the seven Chaos Emeralds, which no longer radiated their powerful glow. Instead they sat on the ground, black and lifeless. Everyone stared at the scene before them with horror in their expressions.

Tails slowly walked up to what remained of his beloved flower, dropping down onto his knees in front of it. He reached for one of the dead petals with shaky hands, stroking it gently. The petal crumbled away at his touch causing him to jerk his hand back. Tears began to form in his eyes as he stared down at his flower, the one thing of Cosmo he had left, now lost.

Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, and Cream all approached the sad fox, laying comforting hands on his shoulders. Tails jerked away, shaking his head back and fourth as if to deny what had happened. Sonic knelt down beside his brother, looking at him with sad green eyes.

"Tails... I'm... so sorry..." He said in an almost inaudible voice.

"No... NO!" Tails began to wail, "I... NO! I lost it! It... it can't be... NO! I can't have lost her! Not again! NOT AGAIN!!!"

The group bowed their heads as they watched Tails cry over his flower. Tears trickled down his muzzle like waterfalls as he regretfully caressed the dead petals. Slowly he sank to the ground and laid his head next to the destroyed flower, crying more loudly than he ever had. He had not only lost Cosmo once, but now twice. Everything that had ever really mattered to him seemed to be taken from him in this one moment by someone they never truly knew. He continued to bawl loudly, wrapping his tails around himself and the flower.

Sonic pulled the wailing fox into his arms, who cried into his shoulder. Sonic comfortingly stroked the back of his brother's head as he spoke softy.

"I'm so sorry Tails... I'm so sorry."

"It's all gone!" Wailed the heartbroken fox, "That was all I had left of her! Now she's gone forever!"

Shadow, who had been standing in the corner observing all this time, walked over to the wailing fox and pulled him away from Sonic by his shoulders, looking into the fox's tearing eyes. Tails continued to cry as he looked into Shadow's red eyes, which had become oddly sympathetic.

"No," Shadow said in a low voice, "She's not gone forever. You still have one thing left of her. You have her memory. As long as you hold onto that, she can never truly die..."
© 2012 - 2024 DrFic-PsyD
Comments23
pikachutails's avatar
When sonic said "now we'll show you!" I thought of super smash bros brawl.
Comments have been disabled for this deviation