CHAOS RISING PART ONE All SEGA characters Copyrighted by SEGA of America, Inc. Hunter of Souls,& Wildfyre, Chaos Changeling Created by C. Gast Scene one: Deep in the forests of Floating island Setting: An underground temple, at the beginning of nightfall The dingo tribal leader approached the mighty stone figure cautiously. He looked up, drinking in the torch-lit marble surroundings, his eyes coming to bear once again at the statue which glowered ominously back at him. He nervously brushed the dirt from the ancient script on the base of the statue, watching from the corner of his eyes to make sure that the fearsomely jagged claws jutting from its outstretched hand did not suddenly tear the life from his body. He began to speak, his mouth translating languages he couldn't possibly understand by its self as he fearfully stood, trying desperately to pull his hand away from the base which now seemed to hold him like a marble handcuff. "Whoever brings to me the Chaos Changeling shall rule by my side for eternity......" As the raspy sinister voice finished falling from the dingoes lips, his hand released itself and he fell backwards, cringing and clutching his mouth in a futile attempt to understand this occurrence. A violent shaking overtook the room and the ignorant dingoes grabbed at one another and bayed in terror, not of them comprehending what they had done. The fires from the torches all around burst into red flames and the stone on the statue began to crumble away, revealing oily, metallic-black skin in patches. Razored, jagged-edged steel claws shredded their stone sheathes; a death-pale white muzzle snarled viciously, revealing metallic fangs; fire-orange slitted eyes blazed hungrily and red-skinned dragon's wings exploded from their marble prisons. This figure of evil in purest form scanned the fear-frozen dingoes, his mane writhing like serpents in the breeze. "WHO AWAKENED ME??" The dingoes howled in dismay...they knew their hour had come. Hunter studied them for a moment, then folded his wings. They neatly reformed into two swords and sheathes that jutted up from his shoulders like spikes. He smiled warmly at them and approached them non-threateningly. "My poor canine brothers--do not fear me. I am your god of protection." The dingo leader kow-towed to him, still shivering with fear and uncertainty. "Wha-What do you want from us?" he stuttered. With all the ceremoniousness of a religious icon, Hunter raised the fearful dingo to his feet. "Of you I require nothing. I wish to ask you to help me locate my lost bride......perhaps you have seen her? A white echidna that changes her shape at will?" "I have not seen her, O mighty one...." Hunter cut him off. "That is all right my child. Come, follow me on this quest for her and I will mark you with my image to let all know you are under my protection." Hunter laughed inwardly as the dingoes accepted. ********************************************* Scene two: Botanic Base, in the ruins of Floating Island's Amusement Park. Espio the Chameleon stood in the branches of the disk-leaf tree and surveyed the nearby area, looking for power icons. In the bag at his side were the growing, shrinking and teleporter icons he had found earlier, their square, thin metallic casings hiding the powers of the icons inside. "Ahhh," he sighed contentedly. "This is the life. No robots to screw with, no one here but me and nature. I don't care about time limits! Knuckles won't mind if I'm a little late getting back." A gleam of metal caught his eye. There, in the next tree, were two Super ring icons. Just a quick leap over onto that stump and onto the tree..... With a leap, Espio was in the air. He adjusted his body to prepare for impact with the stump, and ca-clank! he hit it. "Ca-clank??? Trees don't go 'ca-clank'!! Espio got on his knees and began to tear off the vines that covered the metal object. He found a glass panel on the top and began to brush away the dirt and leaves..... ".....help me.....please......." Espio threw himself back in shock, and proceeded to fall off of the object; a vine, caught on his leg, tore the rest of the vegetation from the metal structure as he fell. There, in front of his unbelieving eyes, was a Combi Catcher.....the same stasis device Robotnik used to hold he and the rest of the Chaotix prisoner until they were rescued by Knuckles. But that was over two years ago..... There's somebody inside! The revelation hit him in the face. He quickly got up and went over the combi catcher and looked for a way to open it. A slot in the side denoted an Icon was need to open it; he slid a super ring inside. The old machine creaked and groaned, then dissolved in a grey mist. A white figure felt to the ground. Espio threw his bag to the side and went to see just what he had released. As he knelt at its side, he rolled it over to see a pair of the bluest eyes he'd ever seen stare back at him. There, lying on the ground, was a white female echidna. "Are.....Are you OK?" he asked, concerned. She began to struggle to get up, only to fall to the ground, her body to weak to achieve its goal. Espio helped her get to a sitting position. "Stasis sickness...." she groaned. "Been in stasis too long....." Espio felt sympathetic. Due to the imperfection of its design, the stasis of the combi catcher caused some sickness no matter how long one stayed in.....he remember the headaches and nausea he felt after being in only a few days. But two years??...... " Can I get you anything?" he asked. To his surprise, she took out a small sword, and touched a yellow gem in its hilt. She began to glow....then stopped. She resheathed her sword and stood up. "No, but thank you for offering." Espio stood up and got a good look at her. She was about the same height as Knuckles, had waist length white hair and an a fiery orange braid of hair on her left that laid over her shoulder; she wore boots of the same orange color that stopped mid-thigh, and long gloves to match. Around her neck was a medallion of a strange material with an even stranger symbol. At her side was the sword she had used to obviously heal her self, and Espio noticed several other gems in the hilt. "How can I repay you for getting me out of that thing?" she asked him gratefully. Espio smiled, keeping to himself the idea that had manifested itself at the sight of her body. "No repayment needed." "Do you have any friends that need healing? Or perhaps you know an echidna that needs help guarding his island?" "Well, no one I know of needs healing as such, but I do know the echidna you're speaking of.....and I'm late to meet him in fact!" "I'll come with you," she replied. "By the way, what's your name?" "Call me Wildfyre, Chaos Changeling!" "CHANGELING??" Espio stuttered unbelieving. "There's no such thing! Changelings are just legends!!" "Oh really?" Wildfyre smiled slyly. "Just watch me!" Her form began to dissolve, then reform as cheetah. Espio stood dumbfounded. "Need a lift?" She growled. Espio, still dumbfounded, grabbed his satchel of icons and climbed on. ***************************************************************** Scene three: The Meeting Tree Knuckles the Echidna, Vector the Crocodile, Charmy Bee, and Mighty Armadillo sat waiting for Espio to make his appearance. Vector tapped his foot to the music playing on his head set. Knuckles spoke up. "When that goofy chameleon gets back I'm going to personally kick his butt." "YOU AND WHO'S ARMY?" a voice shouted from below. The Chaotix all looked down to see Espio sitting on the back of a large white cheetah. "Hey, where'd you get the kitty-cat?" Vector asked. "She's not mine! She came here with me. She wants to talk to Knuckles!" Espio shouted up. Espio dismounted the cheetah and she reformed into her original shape. Everyone but Espio gawked in disbelief. "May I present to you Wildfyre, Chaos Changeling!" Espio announced. Knuckles and Mighty leapt down out of the tree. Their body postures betray their extra caution, thought Wildfyre. They're not sure what to make of me, or even if they can trust me. That scores extra points in my book. "I came here to extend my services to you in alliance, Knuckles. Because your friend rescued me, I am indebted to both him and you, as his leader. If there is any time you need me, use this." She pulled out Espio's teleporter icon, and the face on the icon changed into hers. "Just pop it, and I'll be teleported to where ever the icon is." She tossed it to Knuckles. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" Knuckles asked. Bonus again, Wildfyre thought. This echidna is nobody's fool. He'll make an excellent ally against the Chaos Rising. Wildfyre drew her sword (which made all around jump in defense) and gripped the blade tightly with her bare hand. Blood ran down the shimmering metal. She stepped over to Knuckles, and grabbed his right arm, bloodying it. "I have given you my blood oath, echidna. Even your crocodile friend still in the tree should understand that." Knuckles stood there, taking in the importance of that gesture. He was sorry he'd doubted her. "Can you stay a while? I'd like to know a little bit more about you," he asked sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but for your sake I can't tell you anything more. And I can't stay...I've got two years of catching up to do." And before Knuckles could ask another question, Wildfyre had changed into a falcon and flown away. **************************** Scene Four: Forests of Floating Island Espio wandered around aimlessly, still deep in thought about what had occurred earlier. He kicked a rock, which shot into some bushes. "I wonder what she meant by 'I can't tell you anything more for your sake," he asked himself. Before any answer could be given, a black tendril wrapped around his leg and jerked him backwards. "Hey!! What the he--" He was cut off by another tendril wrapping around his mouth, another around his arms, and still another around his tail. His muffled screams were of no avail as he was drug struggling into the underbrush. ********************************* --------------655367FC2F18 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline; filename="CHSRSNG2" CHAOS RISING PART TWO All Sega Characters owned by SEGA of America, Inc. Hunter of Souls, Mother Manassai, Wildfyre, & Talos Shou'm created by C. Gast. Scene One: Grotto of Mother Manassai Setting: Daybreak "It is so good to see you alive and well after these two years!" Mother Manassai folded her shimmering wings and settled into her roost. Wildfyre smiled, remembering her happy childhood with the dragon/phoenix half-breed (known as draconix) as her surrogate mother. "I missed you too, mother." "Come sit with me, my daughter. We have much to talk about, and I fear not all of it is good." ********************************************************* Scene Two: The Temple of The Hunter of Souls Espio began to regain consciousness. He moved his head groggily, his eyes refusing to focus properly. He attempted to get up, but was met with searing pain as whatever cords or chains held him down seemed to cut into him. "Don't bother to move, chameleon. You struggle against kathra cords. Push too hard against them and they will leave an acid scar that will continue to burn your flesh for the rest of your life." Espio finally began to see who it was that had captured him. Glowing gold eyes seemed to burn into his soul, and a dark mane blew around his face, shadowing it. "Robotnik?" He questioned weakly. "Robotnik? I am not Robotnik...although he was an excellent student of mine. No, dear boy, the creature Jullien Kintobor became at my pleasure was merely a facet of the darkness that is my being. I am the Hunter of Souls. You may call me Hunter." "Bite me. You're going to get kicked around pretty bad once Knuckles gets here!" A group of black-furred dingoes howled with laughter in the background. Hunter stretched out his left arm over Espio, and a thick, oily-black tendril (the same as the one that grabbed me! Espio thought) snaked out of his wrist. "Hold open his mouth." Two of the dingoes roughly forced open Espio's mouth and held him still. To his horror, the tendril began to search its way up his chest....onto his face.....into his mouth....down his throat..... Espio began to thrash about wildly as Hunter watched, slightly smiling. Espio's choking screams soon stopped, then he laid stone still, as if death had set in. His color began to fade into the same jet black as the tendril which now exited his body. Espio's eyes snapped open to reveal glowing blood-red orbs. He smiled wickedly, showing off new glistening fangs. "Now what was this about Knuckles?" Hunter grinned. "Nothing that I can't handle, Dark Lord," Espio growled. ************************************************* Scene Three: Forests of Floating Island "Has anyone seen Espio?" "Not for two days, Knuckles." Knuckles slumped down, depressed. What had happened to Espio? If he was dead.... The teleporter icon. But should he use it? Was this really reason enough? He would give Espio a couple of more hours. *************************************************** Scene Four: Forests of Floating Island Wildfyre began her journey to her home, the Chaos Gem Caverns. She walked slowly, recalling what Mother Manassai had told her just a few days earlier. Hunter, the very creature Mother Manassai had been sent to protect her from, had awakened due to a tribe of dingoes discovering his temple. The dingoes had been corrupted, their darkest natures possessing them heart and soul. "Speak of Shaitan....." Dingoes were howling and baying in the distance, and they sounded like they were getting close to a kill. Wildfyre drew her sword and looked at the blade. It began to shimmer silver. "Those are the corrupted dingoes." She vanished to all prying eyes, becoming invisible. Even Knuckles could not see her in this form. Quietly she approached the dingo pack. They were surrounding someone tied to a tree. "I say we cut of all his limbs!" one growled. "No, you idiot, we're supposed to disarm him, and keep him alive! Hunter needs blood to complete the corruption he's planning!" Wildfyre felt a shiver shake her very core. She knew who they were talking about. Coiling herself up in a tight ball of physical energy, she changed her sword-hold and sprang out at the dingoes like a bullet from a gun. Taken by surprise, the dingoes scattered, then reformed into a killing-pack formation. Wildfyre held up her unoccupied hand, then a power ring seemed to form out of her body; only this ring was like no other seen on Mobius: it was flat and had buzz-saw blades projecting from its outer-edge. With a swoop of her arm the ring/blade flew through the air and smashed into the body of the nearest dingo, melting into his chest. He sparked with electric flames and fell to the ground. "It's her!" one shouted. "Get Xenobius! We must retreat! We can't fight her if she has the sword!" Quicker than Wildfyre could react, the dingoes had collected their fallen comrade and fled. Wildfyre directed her attention to their would-be sacrifice. "At least I get to see a pretty face *koff* before I die...." Wildfyre briefly turned her head away in horror. Tied to the tree was a copper-colored scorpion. Two of his four arms (the clawed pair) had been torn off; his tail, the pride of his kind, was no more than a bloody stump. His captors had mauled him horribly. He weakly looked up at her with emerald green eyes. Blood trickled from his mouth. His body was scarred with kathra-vine stings. "Please....if you're going to use that sword....make it quick...." Wildfyre quickly removed the Chaos Citrine from the hilt of her sword and held it against the scorpion's chest. Suddenly he began to glow. New arms sprouted from empty sockets; his tail regrew; scars and lacerations seemingly melted away. The kathra- vines that held him to the tree burned into cinders. "Was that quick enough for you?" Wildfyre smiled, replacing the Chaos Citrine. The scorpion stood amazed, his body's natural armor gleaming with the lustre of new health. "How did you do that?" He stammered. "I used the Chaos Citrine, the Chaos gem of Healing and Restoration." Wildfyre answered. I have many different Chaos gems, each one with a different power, in the hilt of my sword. They were a gift from my father." "I....I owe you my life," the scorpion said. Tell me, um, ah, I'm sorry, I don't know your name-" "Talos Shou'm, Last of the Copper Crescent Clan." He smiled proudly. "Talos..." Wildfyre looked into his eyes once again. "You don't owe me anything. I refuse any oath pledging your life to me." Talos saddened. "I MUST repay you! My honor demands it!" "I won't deny you your honor, but I cannot accept a life pledge, because I am in dangerous times. Those around me will be putting their lives in danger." "I do not care!" Talos pleaded bitterly. "Without you here to have saved me, I would be dead already." He softened. "Would you at least allow me to join you in your dangerous times, as a friend?" Wildfyre smiled, and took his second right hand. "I'd love it." ***************************************** Scene Five: unknown Knuckles burrowed into the ground as fast as he could, dingoes baying and digging after him as fast as they could. Knuckles sealed off the the tunnel behind him as he reached an underground cave. He had prepared this cave before hand, as a place to "hold down the fort". Trembling, he reached for the communicator at his side, and made a desperate call to Knothole. ******************************************* *Begin Transmission* To anyone at Knothole: this is Knuckles the Echidna. At this time Floating Island is under siege by an unknown force that has turned a tribe of dingoes and the Chaotix into completely evil creatures. I don't know how long I can stay on, as the dingoes are digging into this cavern as I speak. Sonic, if you're listening, please send help.....send that Davey Crocket character I've heard about....and send Sonia, too. We might be dealing with some kind of black magic here. Keep Chuckles from coming back here....I don't want her to get hurt... ...$#@$#@% crackle...........Dingoes Breaking in!............. .......(^&$%$@)*(&short! POP!..............Looks like.......this .....is it...........(&^%*&%^$*^%..pop!............)*^&%(&^....