270Sonic Rush: Next Generation
Sonic the Hedgehog © Sonic Team
Prologue: The Legend Begins
Darkness...eternal darkness blotted out the light of the sun and covered the planet in a sea of shadows. The ruins of a former great city were ready to collapse off their last legs as the war between light and darkness raged onto its final outcome. One of the higher structures toppled over once a vivid blue blur collided with the building. It took several short moments, but the creature in question emerged from the rubble, revealing himself to be a matured blue and red hedgehog. The young panted heavily with his left arm dangling uselessly at his side, but seemed determined not to surrender.
"Is that...the best...you've got?" The hedgehog panted.
"I must say, you are a persistent one." A cold, drawling voice echoed. "But chosen, you are not. My brother was a fool to place so much faith in you."
"Instead of blabbing on all day, why don't we get back to the fight?" The hedgehog challenged.
"Such ignorance." The voice chuckled.
From within the endless shadows, a skeletal, black hand ornamented with five separate-colored rings emerged. The hand of the unseen giant crept closer to the hedgehog warrior, but his opponent was not willing to give up without a fight. Before the hand could close over its target, the hedgehog suddenly raced away in a blur of red and blue. The unseen giant scowled and followed the annoying rat with his eyes, never blinking in any case he missed something. After watching the supersonic warrior dodged across the buildings, the unknown entity determined the hedgehog's route and flashed one of his rings. The Shadow Ring glowed with an ominous orange light and released a circle of flames. The hedgehog warrior soon discovered that escape was futile as the fire ring landed on the ground and cut him off in every direction.
"Damn it!" The hedgehog yelled. "Every time I make a move, he's always one step ahead!"
"You should have realized you stood no chance." The enigmatic beast roared. "You are battling against one of the original two beings that created the universe. You may have been challenged by creatures that imitate gods, but I am a real one."
"I'm not going to give up!" The hedgehog growled. "Mythril said I was the one who would defeat you!"
"My brother has been turned to a simple mortal under my power." The shadowed creature stated calmly. "And with him out of the way, I will destroy this universe and start all over again. I will create a universe that thrives on eternal war. I will be invincible!"
"You'll never win!" The hedgehog yelled. "Not as long as there is a single trace of light in the hearts of people."
"Haven't you realized it by now?" The shadow cackled. "You and my brother are the last living creatures on this planet!"
With nowhere left to run, the hedgehog warrior was made an easy target for the unknown darkness. The skeletal hand reached out and grappled the hedgehog within his fist, crushing the small warrior painfully slow. The supersonic fighter was at a loss. The memories of his friends, family, and the woman he loved were all that he had left in this post-apocalyptic world. But even if the universe was doomed, he was not going to give the darkness the satisfaction of hearing him beg for mercy. The demon's four burning-red eyes narrowed down at the unwilling hedgehog.
"Hard to believe that I would end up being the last hope of the universe." The hedgehog thought. "If it were my dad, that might be a little more understandable. My name is Rush the Hedgehog, or as Mythril calls me, the Chosen One. I suppose every story has to start somewhere. Mine began eighteen years ago – before I was even born."
-Flashback-
The scene alternates to the planet Earth long before its ultimate destruction. By this time, eight years has already passed since the Dark Siege was defeated and Nazo's final attempt of conquest was thwarted. Peace finally flourished in the universe. The lands of the world had changed as the former destruction of the Mystic Ruins had been replaced by a coastal city. Most of the resources of the land were dependent on the water, much like its former homeland of South Island. As such, the new city was named South Kingdom under the guidance of their new ruler. And resting closest to the ocean was a pure-white stone castle with the ornamental symbol of the royal family: a crimson phoenix in a circle of flames.
"It's been a long time, buddy."
"Too long, old friend."
Within the dining room of the castle, two close friends were becoming reacquainted with one another. Sonic the Hedgehog had reached full maturity and has finally accepted his place as ruler of the kingdom. His cobalt fur had gained a lighter shade over the years, his quills stilled remained wild, and he had a deep scar on his left cheek. Unlike normal kings, Sonic was modest and did not like to flaunt his royalty. Instead, he just wore a sleeveless, red jacket with a golden zipper, red boots with white straps, a pair of white gloves, and a golden ring on his right ring finger.
His old friend, Miles "Tails" Prower – also know as Kyuta – had taken a drastic turn in his overall appearance. After much training with his relatives, Tails had finally gained his ninth tail. His yellow fur had turned to burning-orange, his eyes were permanently glaring-red, and four visible fangs were exposed from his lip. He wore black fighter's gi with the symbol of demon etched in red thread and was unable to wear shoes or gloves due to his sharp claws. Sonic and Tails were sitting directly across from each other while enjoying the warm soup provided by the castle's cook.
"So, what have you been up to lately, bro?" Sonic asked playfully.
"It's almost time for me to take the next step." Tails smirked. "In two more months, I will become the leader of the Kitsune Clan and thereby become representative of the demon population. I can already tell that its not going to be easy."
"Why not have Aura take the job?" Sonic suggested. "She is the oldest and has more experience with this stuff than you."
"I talked to them about that." Tails explained. "But they said the daughter of the current leader can only assume the role as long as the leader bares no son. It's a bit old fashion, but it's been a tradition since the beginning of the demon populace. But I don't think Aura minds. I don't think she'd like to uproot her family all of a sudden."
"She and Howl really hit it off." Sonic commented. "I heard you have a nephew now."
"He's name's Night." Tails smiled proudly. "He's going to be a great warrior like his parents." He spooned his soup, showing the nervous expression on his face. "You know, before I become ruler of the demons, there is something I would like to do." He stared back at Sonic, who silently told him to continue. "I want to ask Cream to become my mate."
"That's great, buddy!" Sonic shouted cheerily; Tails nearly choked in shock. "She's been waiting for the past eight years for you to pop the question!"
"But she's only fifteen and I'm seventeen." Tails said fearfully. "Don't you think it might be a bit too soon."
"I asked Amy to marry me when she was thirteen, remember." Sonic smirked challengingly. "I had just defeated the Six Paths of Pein and I died from using all my energy. After Naruto convinced Nagato to revive everyone, I saw Amy and asked her right on the spot."
"Yes, it was very romantic." A feminine voice called sarcastically.
Both friends turned in their seat as a well-known woman entered the dining room. Amy Rose had grown to be the envy of most women with her silky, pink fur, waist-length hair, and her overall attractive figure. At the moment, she only wore white gloves, white sandals, and a sky-blue gown used to conceal the large bulge in her stomach. Amy smiled shyly as her husbands oldest friend stared at the bulge and back to her.
"Amy, you look as beautiful as ever." Tails said honestly. "I can tell you're child is almost ready to be born."
"The doctor estimated it would be at least a week before he's due." Amy smiled before turning to her husband. "Sonic, shadow wants to talk to you about something urgent. He's waiting in the Entrance Hall with Metal."
"Thanks, Ames." Sonic nodded as he stood up. "Tails, I suggest you take the opportunity to take what you can before its gone."
"Got it, bro." Tails smirked.
The king of South Kingdom said he goodbyes to his wife and friend and made his way down the corridor. As he passed by, he took the time to check the scenery outside the castle's windows. It was hard to believe that in his short time as king that he was able to transfer his entire kingdom to the mainland without losing the trust of the people. Guess being and intergalactic hero has its benefits. It was a short trip to the entrance since Sonic wanted to arrange his home to where he could get to places in a minimal period of time – the other rooms were extra space. The first person he saw upon entering was his former rival, Metal Sonic, who looked the same as he did during the Dark War.
Shadow the Hedgehog had also changed very little, but there were some visible changes. He had a red scar over each of his eyes, his white chest hair was unkempt, and his left eye was green while the other remained blood-red. He wore white gloves with his inhibitor rings, white and red trimmed shoes, and a long grey coat with his Black Arms symbol woven in black thread. As always, Shadow seemed impassive to any emotion – everyone was used to this by now.
"Yo, Shad." Sonic greeted playfully. "Nice to see ya again. How's you're kid doing?"
"Shade is just fine." Shadow answered shortly. "But I did not come all this way to talk about children."
"Shadow says he has some new information about the recent attacks." Metal explained. "Our research has already told us that the attacks have been caused buy thirteen dragons, each presented with a different color and power. From their descriptions, they resemble the beasts you and Nazo used in the battle against Zeenint eight years ago."
"Chaos Spark, eh?" Sonic said thoughtfully. "Anything else we know?"
"The thirteen dragons have been in hibernation for the past eight years." Shadow continued. "We don't know why or how they were awakened, but they've been rampaging across the planet for the last three months. That is...until now."
"What happened?" Sonic asked.
"For some reason, the dragons have been disappearing without a trace." Shadow explained. "A number of reports explain that they have been seen attacking populated areas and then vanishing in explosions of light. After that, they're never seen again."
"Knuckles encountered the red dragon a week ago." Metal stated. "He fought bravely, but the beast was just too powerful for him to overcome. It seemed that the city was on the verge of destruction when the dragon suddenly vanished without warning. So far, there has been no explanation for these occurrences. But we feel that Blue and Tikal may have some involvement with these events as they have been spotted in every location the dragons have disappeared.
"What about the last one?" Sonic asked. "You said only twelve have disappeared."
"We have reason to believe the white dragon has gone into hiding." Shadow answered. "There is some evidence indicating that it's taken refuge somewhere on the former South Island. It must figure that with everyone gone, no one would dare disturb it there."
"Well, the farther it is away from my kingdom, the better." Sonic stated.
The scene alternates to the abandoned region of South Island. With all the island's inhabitants moved to the mainland, the forgotten rock was left to remain as the symbol of the kingdom's previous residence. No one would have ever guessed that it would become the sanctuary of a malevolent monster. As the waves crashed along the shoreline, the winds of the sea blew harshly against the sand, creating a miniature hurricane. A low growled mixed with the winds while its owner slithered across the beach and into the forest. The beast was a twenty-foot long serpentine dragon with pearl-white scales, silver gem-like plates on its chest, shoulders, and forehead, and a tuft of light-blue hair at the end of its tail. The white dragon took in the island's scent, attempting to search for something.
"Hmm..." The dragon hummed. "I can sense some very powerful energies, but they are faint. From what I can tell, they appear to be coming from the mainland." He sighed heavily and held his forehead. "My brothers and sisters were fools to challenge that creature head on. The best way to deal with an opponent like that is to retreat and find a countermeasure."
"You must be the brains of your siblings."
The white dragon hissed and turned the moment he smelled a powerful energy source nearby. The scaled beast turned his attention to the newcomer that appeared down the shore in a flash of green light. Blue, as the perfect clone of Chaos, greatly resembled his former predecessor, but wore a scarlet-red cloak with a golden falcon traced on the back. The white dragon slithered backwards in momentary fright until forcing himself to calm down. The guardian of the Master Emerald was impassive and watched the scaled beast with heated intensity.
"How did you find me so fast?" The white dragon questioned.
"The same way I found your brothers and sisters." Blue responded coolly. "There are only a select few that have power levels as high as yours, so narrowing them down was a simple matter. I used Chaos Control to transport myself to each available power source and hoped to get lucky."
"Such brilliance." The white dragon commented. "I wouldn't expect anything less from the Guardian of the Master Emerald. It does not surprise me that my siblings were unable to defeat you. But you can rest assured that I am not as narrow-minded as they were."
"You're the last one." Blue glared, moving into a fighter's position. "And then the curse of darkness will finally be lifted."
The white dragon hissed silently and stood firm against the miniscule water titan. He had known for a long time that a warrior's strength is not determined by their size – a lesson his brothers and sisters failed to learn. Blue foot edged closer toward the beast and, in a flash of blue light, dashed across the beach before the beast knew what happened. The white dragon grunted painfully as Blue's fists drilled into his abdomen and launched the lizard backwards into the forest. Trees snapped under the serpent's weight while a thunderous thud echoed across the island. The white dragon snapped his eyes opened and spotted Blue looming overhead with Chaos-charged fist pulled back. Fearing the outcome if the fist connected, the scaled beast opened its jaw and roared, unleashing powerful gust. Blue crossed his arms in defense as the wind impacted, throwing the aquatic clone back into the sand. Blue tumbled backwards, but managed to push himself back to his feet while the white dragon reached his full height.
"Very impressive." The white dragon complimented. "You gather energy in one point and release it all on impact, creating more damage. I believe that technique was crafted by Rector Rose, was it not?"
"Maybe." Blue said shortly.
"Quite the conversationalist." The white dragon said mockingly. "I always figured you as the talkative type."
"I know you are trying to distract me." Blue said seriously. "It won't work on me like it did last time."
The white dragon remained silent for a short moment and raised his arms towards the sky. In that one instant, Blue found an opening and thrusted both hands simultaneously to shoot a twin pair of Chaos Lances. The scaled beast snorted and swiftly swiped his tail in front, knocking the energy arrows back to their originator. Blue swiftly dropped to the sand, allowing both Chaos attacks to glide over him and explode in the waters behind. When looking back to his target, the aquatic guardian found his serpent opponent holding a compressed sphere of air.
"Water may be the source of life, but it is not eternal." The white dragon said darkly. "The air and wind will always exist...just as I shall."
"So I was right all along." Blue said calmly. "All of thirteen dragons – you and your siblings – you are all a part of him, aren't you. Even in death, he still finds a way to keep himself anchored to the living world."
"I am his essence incarnate." The white dragon proclaimed. "My brothers and sisters all share the connection and we shall not be broke. I know for a fact that you have been unable to kill them, only delay the inevitable. We are immortal."
"Some part of that may be true." Blue said seriously. "But in the end, we shall find a way to destroy you!"
The scaled behemoth screeched furiously and threw the aerial sphere ahead. Blue staggered backwards and scanned the sphere carefully, hoping to find a weakness. But just like Sonic, the attack was faster than the wind itself and dragged the aquatic warrior into its center. Typhoon winds coursed around him and the air felt like a hundred blades slashing in a multitude of directions. Piece by piece, Blue was ripped apart by the force of the gale until there was nothing left but a few small droplets splattered across the beach. The white dragon threw his hands apart, commanding the winds to stop blowing.
"He was a valiant warrior." The white dragon said respectfully. "He managed to defeat twelve of my siblings and lock them away. I am the last survivor of the Chaos Sparks, which is how it shall remain." The serpent turned to leave, but discover something was amiss – he couldn't move. "What is this?! What's happening?!"
"You're the last one."
The white dragon's eyes shot wide in horror. With a great deal of effort, he turned his head and faced the direction of the interloper. Imagine his surprise when he found Blue kneeling on the ground with his hands pressed into the sand. A white neon circle had formed from the place his claws rested and crafted a special seal that encased the serpent within its light.
"This can't be happening." The white dragon growled. "I had planned it all. How could I be defeated so easily?"
"Because the strength of the Master Emerald courses through me." Blue proclaimed. "Even if you are a part of his essence, you only contain an equal fraction of his power. He despised the Master Emerald so much because it was always superior to him."
"And what will you do now?" The white dragon questioned. "Even with this seal, there is no vessel to contain me. That is the reason I chose to escape to this island."
"You underestimate me." Blue chuckled challengingly. "As long as I can sense a suitable power source, the distance is made up by the amount of Chaos Energy I can distribute."
The white dragon knew this was the final act. With a forced grunt, the aquatic guardian pressed against the seal and shifted its color to a golden shade. The scaled beast stared down at his tail, watching as his body was slowly disintegrated into small fragments of white light. This was not over. Though the master of the winds accepted his defeat, he knew that one day he would be able to return once more. The white dragon closed his eyes and surrendered himself to the seal and his fragments were lifted into the clouds above. Once the dragon's essence had vanished from sight, Blue allowed himself to drop from exhaustion.
"I did all I could." Blue panted. "Sonic...I hope one day you will learn to forgive me."
"What is it, Ames?"
During that night, Sonic and Amy had left for bed, waiting the next day when they would say goodbye to Tails before he went to find Cream. During that time, Amy felt a sudden pain in her abdomen and shot up, screaming painfully. Being the self-aware hero he was, Sonic did what any average hero would have done: he fell out of bed and hit his head on the floor. Sonic groaned and soothed the red bump forming on his head while looking back to his wife with a worried expression. She seemed perfectly fine not, albeit sweating and panting heavily.
"You ok?" Sonic asked concerned. "What happened."
"I don't know." Amy replied uncertain. "For a minute, it felt like something happened to the baby. Almost as if a hurricane was blowing away and then it just disappeared."
"Are you sure you're not imagining it?" Sonic asked skeptically.
"I know my own body, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Amy screamed shrilly.
"Hey, I thought you were past the mood swing stage!" Sonic shouted fearfully.
"Let's just go back to sleep." Amy said stubbornly, curling under the covers. "We're gonna want to be well rested when Tails leaves tomorrow and I don't want any bags under my eyes."
Sonic seemed like he had a retort waiting, but fear of the emotional woman made him hold his tongue. The cobalt hedgehog slowly set himself besides his wife, unconsciously wondering the condition of his child. In his mind, Sonic imagined that his son would become a great hero that the whole universe would come to look up to. He never realized how much his dream would become a reality.
"Sleep well, little one." The white dragon's voice echoed within the nexus. "You may not realize it now, but you hold one of the keys to unlimited power. And in due time, I will take command of that power."
The stage is set for the next great adventure to begin. What could have happed to create such a dark future. Where did these thirteen dragon come from? And what will become of Sonic's child? Find out on the next Sonic Rush!
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