Two different major projects moving forward.
The CCC (Comprehensive Cast of Characters) and COAB (Cycle of Ages Bible) have all been condensed in a new interactive 'encyclopedia style' format. I'm very eager for any comments or criticisms regarding this, as well as any errors people can find. COA uses a broad swatch of hybrid canon, but I try and remain faithful except when contradictions occur, changes must be made for the benefit of the story or for the appearance of quasi-realism (as an extreme example, in COA, the three sorcerers that made up Ixis Naugus did not 'fly' into the sun and back again).
Additionally, a new and groundbreaking chapter to NWO has been added in the Final Interlude. If you're following NWO, check it out. It is available, of course, on my website now, or FF by sometime tomorrow.
Well - I suspect people are READING this, given that *I* certainly didn't click on it over a hundred times. Still. Veeeery quiet. Good for wabbit huntin,' at least. (sad that I had to copy/paste this)
Regardless:
You may be reading this to see if I've updated. Well. I have! Chapter 6 Part 1 is fully online on my website and on FFN (I actually loaded it up there a day ago). Here's a snippet...
-----
...
Yes, Amanda answered the unspoken question. Yes, I saw that dream you just had. Dont worry: once Cheese reclaims the Emerald, you wont have any more. Cheese says that youre a waste of time, and that the child... or children Miles left with you are protecting you anyway.
Suddenly, her mood and mind shifted again, and tears came to her eyes. What a sad joke! This wasnt how it was supposed to be! This wasnt how my dreams were. We were all so happy together in Station Square You and Knuckles had some strange thing going on, and Amy and Sonic were nice to each other, and that left me with Tails. Tails and Cheese. Or was he Miles? And we all fought that stupid Eggman and laughed and played and, and, and Cheese can MAKE it that way! Hell find Tails for me, or Miles, it doesnt matter anymore, and Ill MAKE it right again!
Amanda Rouge desperately tried to reason with her. Listen to me. Please. The Emerald is doing this to you
What would know about The Emerald? Amanda hissed, leaning forward as she said it. You think youre so smart! You think youre so mature! But you dont know anything! ANYTHING!
Amanda. Think rationally. This isnt like you. Even the last time we spoke you were angry, and I was rude, Ill admit that, but you werent like this. Rouge bit her lip, and inched to the side of the bed. Ive seen where this leads, Amanda. Its worse than death, I swear to you. Its worse than death.
For a moment, Amandas eyes seemed to clear. She blinked, and balked. But her aim remained on Rouge, and the batgirl didnt dare make a sudden move. Amanda opened her mouth to talk, but it seemed at first like her voice had failed her.
Lies she said and shook her head. When Im complete, Cheese says I will be perfect. Perfect. And it wont hurt anymore.
I dont know who this Cheese is, but hes lying to you Rouge pressed forward with her verbal assault. Hes using you! You have to free yourself, or youll end up like Ysbadadden!
N nooooo her eyes glowed a chilly blue, and so did the Emerald. No. Youre wrong. You killed Ysbadadden, and you stole Cheeses Emerald. You killed him and you want to kill me. You want to laugh at me, and make me into the fool. Not again. Not again. Not again!
Rouge tried to focus herself, and the power she had gained in that fight against the Mad God of Panthers. She could feel it, first in her heart, and then coalescing in her arms. Her foot touched the ground a moment before she heard the shot. It was so quiet; she almost couldnt believe it was real. A silenced round, a part of her mind deduced, even as the force of it send her back against the soft bed pillows.
Rouge lay there, an expanding pool of blood staining the sheets beneath her.
....
(continued, naturally, in the rest of the chapter...)
Major update!
A new chapterette, three new pics, and a total revamping of my website's Gallery section! Enjoy!
Snippet from NWO Chapter 6 Part 2:
----
King Maximilian Acorn was not sleeping well.
        It was the same dream that had haunted him before. He seemed to have it every other night, now. It got to the point where the Queen had even mentioned that he had began to trash in his sleep. The Royal Doctors had prescribed sleeping medication, which helped or had helped. The dream was back again.
        Once more, he was playing the role of Marius II Acorn, the King who had nearly lost his Kingdom to the betrayal of his daughter and a rogue knight; the King who had saved the Kingdom, and preserved it from certain destruction and disordering. King Max once again stood defiantly on the battlements of Mobtropolis in that far off time, shouting a challenge to the False and Pretender King, who sat on his black horse a mile away.
        And, as always, the Pretender King turned and fled when it became obvious that his troops would not be able to secure the walls or maintain the siege. Max knew what would happen next. He seemed to leave the body of his great ancestor, and float over the battlefield, past the siege engines and the waiting cavalry and the shattered bodies. Only to stop at a black tent in the enemy camp.
        The King knew what was next.
He floated through the roof of the tent, to where the Pretender reunited with his conspirator. Jezebel was, without a doubt, Sallys spitting image. In her beautiful dress, amid the plundered wealth of half the Kingdom, she greeted her lover.
How goes it, my brave knight? She would ask.
Not well, The False and Pretender King would reply. We may have to fall back and try again next year. Or the year after that. Your father simply refuses to die.
The stubborn old goat! Then she would get up, and rest herself against him, toying with his black horned helm. To still refuse you, after all your efforts to please him. He doesnt understand doesnt appreciate either of us
And then, as always, she would remove the False and Pretender Kings helm, revealing blue quills, green eyes, and the face of Sonic the Hedgehog. Of yes. So many times this had happened. So many times. But it usually ended there.
Then, something different happened, and King Max felt himself fall to the ground. He landed on his feet, and realized that he was in Mariuss body again, wearing the Royal Armor, and wielding the mighty Sword of Acorns and bold red cross shield. The Pretender and his lover looked at him with shock.
Father! Sally gasped.
Marius! Sonic yelled, and drew out his own sword. The gleaming silver edge of the weapon shone in the reflected candlelight. The Princess and her knight in black armor parted, as Sonic put himself between them.
You left so suddenly, Fallen Knight King Max said, and smiled at the opportunity given him. Marius II had never had the chance to avenge himself against the real Pretender. After the Siege had fallen apart, the two traitors had left to regroup their forces. The True King had later defeated the Pretender in the Battle of Branae, where the Black Knight drowned trying to rally his forces as they fled into the river. After the battle, Jezebel had committed suicide by taking a poisonous snake to bed with her, where it supposedly bit her on her treacherous left breast.
This is our chance! Sally urged her knight on. Kill him! Take his crown, his sword, and his ring and you will be King!
The Pretender glanced back at her, nodded, and faced his former sovereign. They didnt waste further time, as the two charged to meet each other. Their blades met once, but the power of the Sword of Acorns was great, and the Pretender had to take a step back, his blade shaking like a leaf. He held up his shield, the same design as Maxs own, but with the colors inverted. The Sword of Kings hit the shield with terrible force, but it held.
The Pretender pulled back his blade for a lunge far more dangerous in armored combat than a swing. King Max, however, knew all about how to fight with a sword as well as defend against one. This was just the sort of fight he had been trained for, not because it was practical knowledge, but because it was expected of him. The Pretender was aiming for the Kings vulnerable armpit, but he was a moment too slow.
Tucking his shield in close and angling it, King Max deflected the strike. With practiced ease, and righteous fury, he quickly struck with his swords pommel. Normally, the move would have been to stun his opponent. But the Pretender had taken off his helm. The swords heavy counterweight caved in the front of Sonics skull. Blood erupted from the hedgehogs ears, and he fell forward in a limp heap, spitting up crimson.
King Max laughed, and took a step away from the expanding pool of gore.
That was too easy did you really think this fool the next King? he asked Sally, who was backing up in horror. Now Jezebel We come at last to you, who corrupted the Order of Knights, who turned him against me who plotted and schemed and betrayed for her own petty purposes and indulgences
Wait! Daddy! Sally pleaded. I know Ive wronged you
You have wronged out Kingdom!
Please forgive me? She cupped her hands, and went down on her knees, looking up at him for mercy. Forgive me?
King Maxs sword arm wavered. Sally
And in that instant, she moved. A rustle of soft silks, a moments glittering of steel, and it was too late. Maximilian felt the knife slip in between the plates of his armor, piercing the chainmail, and entering his flesh. Deeper now, past his ribs, and he coughed up blood, the strength in his body ebbing and abandoning him.
Die Daddy Sally whispered into his ear, her voice soft and sweet. Die for me
He tried to say something, anything, but his throat wasnt working.
King Max fell on his back, staring up at his murderess.
Sally covered her mouth with the back of her hand, and laughed demurely. Oh, Daddy! You always were such a sentimental old fool! But you went and killed my favorite little pet, like you did all the others, and thats something I dont think I can forgive.
She bent down with her knees, and picked something up from the floor.
The Sword of Acorns.
Mommy always said I was nothing but a whore Sally/Jezebel held out the sword, wielding it with surprising strength. But this whore destroyed a Kingdom. Hows that for a legacy?
She rested the tip of the sword on her fathers throat, just breaking the flesh.
Good night, Daddy. Sweet Dreams.
And ran him through.
King Max awoke with a scream. He reached next to him, for his wife, but she was gone on a good-will trip to Andopolis. The clock on his nightstand read 5:30 AM. The King ran his hands through his hair. His breath ragged, it had to concentrate to calm his nerves and remind himself that it was all a dream. Just a dream.
        Just a dream he told himself.
        Or was it a prophecy? a feminine voice said from the darkness. ...
(continued anywhere COA:NWO is found)
It seems like just yesterday when I last updated. Heres another one, hot on yer heels! Chapter Six of NWO has concluded, with the last one third now on line!
And heres the prerequisite snippet:
-----
        It looks to me like youve become pretty smitten with him, Nail said, and shook his head in disapproval. Lara was just like Rouge in that respect. The batgirl had fallen for his power and his blood, and Lara seemed to be likewise, though under different situations. Even Amanda had not been immune. In different ways, all three females had become attached to him for what he could be, rather than what he actually was.
That would be the Emerald you feel for, not him, he admonished. You may have a connection to his heart, but Ive seen his mind. Even if only for an instant.
        You didnt like what you saw? Lara asked.
        I do think the arrogance and cruelty was transitory but the willingness to dominate, to dictate the thought that his power and his knowledge place him above morality or condemnation - I dont think that has changed. When he realized his potential and his place in the world, we became cogs in his great machine. Nail sighed. I do not believe that this world will ever know freedom. Not for another Age. Perhaps not ever.
        I think I know what you mean Lara admitted. Like you have a choice, but not really. Your choice is already made, all you have to do is agree with it. Sometimes I think I had no choice but to end up here, even though it was what I wanted. Even though I took every step in the journey.
        A pawn can only move forward, Nail said, bleakly.
        Unless it becomes a Queen. She smiled, cheerfully. Or in your case a Rook.
        Not a Knight?
        The Knight is actually a weak piece. All show and little substance. Lara paused. Look. Something up ahead.
        Nail had already seen it. Miles was in front of them, and he had stopped walking. There was a large outcropping ahead of them, the side of a large hill of rock. Then they passed through some sort of holographic barrier, and they saw it for what it really was. The side of rock held a cavernous opening that dipped down into a hanger.
        But between them and that, stood a lone figure.
        No Nail hissed between clenched teeth. Not him
        It is about time you made it, Miles Tails Prower The large frame of Mammoth Mogul, replete in tailored brown suit and jacket approached them, his cane occasionally tapping on the ground. And I see youve brought some friends. Lets see: the clone, and the girl from the future. Yes. It was wise not to come here alone.
        I suppose this meeting was only a matter of time. Miles crossed his arms over his chest. You look better than Ive ever seen you, Mogul.
        I paid a high price for it. Mogul cocked his head to the side, and examined the kitsune before him. Youve grown so much since we last crossed paths. You used to be such a little kit, and now you stand before me, eye level. Truly amazing.
        The fox and the mammoth exchanged looks for a few long seconds.
        Your friends may continue into this fallen Haven, but Im afraid you may not, Tails. Mogul held his cane before him in a relaxed posture. Or Miles. Which do you prefer?
        Miles is my preference. The boy you knew as Tails was only a dream. Miles inclined his head to Lara and Nail, who stood only a few feet to his right. Go on. Find Knuckles, and do what must be done.
        Lara seemed torn. But
        No buts, Lara. Please do as I say, and find what you came looking for here in the past. He was smiling, reassuringly. Listen to Nail. Despite his many, many faults he has at least some vague notion of what to do when a situation becomes dire.
        Hmf! Nail grumbled, loudly. Nice to see your opinion of me is so high.
        Lara still hesitated. Are you sure?
        Quite sure. He faced Mogul again, who seemed composed and even a little bored by the whole exchange. Neither of you are destined to face this one. This is a matter for the two of us to decide. Ill be fine, I promise.
        Is this the only reason were here, Miles? Nail asked, and started to walk towards Havens Gate, his eyes on the looming threat of Mammoth Mogul for any hint of aggression. Lara quickly caught up to him, but her eyes were on the stern young kitsune that protected them.
        Miles didnt reply immediately to Nails question.
        Yes. It is, he finally said. However, I trust in your skills enough that wishing you luck is merely a formality. Go now. Before you test Moguls patience.
        Across from him, Mogul snorted loudly in unspoken agreement. The two echidna broke into a jog for Haven, the eyes of Mogul and Miles following them. The fox heard them yell something back at him, wishing him luck as well, and then they were gone. He tried to put the danger they would be in out of his mind, and focus on the task at hand
        (continued in NWO Chapter 6, Part 3)
Awesome, another update. I need to read it ASAP. Keep up the good work, Cap'n.
Here's the latest chapterette: NWO 7, Part 1. It should be up on FFN in a half day or so, but of course it is fully online on my website. Ya'll should know where that is by now, I'd hope. It is linked to a dozen times over in here.
Multiple scene snippettes!
---
Mogul hissed in pain, but seemed to have avoided any sort of critical injury. He stepped forward with the sound of a crashing meteorite, his weapon spinning and striking. There was hardly an opportunity to so much as get near the ground; Miles either kept flying and kept moving, or left himself vulnerable. So he double jumped to conserve energy, using his tails as a booster instead of a form of steady propulsion.
Higher! He snarled to himself, feeling fatigue in his body start to drag him down. I have to fly higher!
He jumped and jumped and boosted straight up, tails spinning, wet rain splashing against his already soaked face and fur. He looked down, and saw that Mogul was finally too far away to strike. Miles thought himself safe, at least for a moment, this far out of reach.
Instead, Mogul looked up, smirked, and jumped.
Damn it! Miles held up his left hand, summoned more of the self-aggregated power rings, and began to mentally program them. So long as he understood the construction of an object, it was not particularly difficult to self fabricate it, using his knowledge of Chaos Energy. And Power Rings, as little chaos batteries, were quick and relatively easy to create. It was at least once advantage of his weaker fake body that this little trick was made easier.
Below him, Mogul shot through the air surprisingly fast, and Miles held out his left palm and aimed with the gun in his right. Ring Fury!
Mogul laughed, his arms and spear cutting through the stormy air, blocking and intercepting the stream of explosive rings and twenty-millimeter bullets. Both of them in midair, Mogul closed the distance before Miles would have dared to dream, and Miles had to once again take evasive maneuvers. Lightning cracked behind them, as the two dueled in the sky, spitting in the eye of gravity.
Are you enjoying yourself, Miles?! Mogul roared, his face alight with fury. Is this everything you hoped it would be?!
-----
Lara eeped, as a giant set of pincer jaws rose up out of a mass of seemingly dead chao, chomping and rending at the air just a foot from her knee. Directing one hand at it, she sent a pulse of ruby red chaos energy into her hands. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, her power flexed, and the offending head became flattened against the ground with a crunch, one of the mandibles distorting enough that it twisted and broke through the head, sticking out between two beady eyes.
She felt almost aflame with power.
Her old Guardian abilities couldnt even begin to hold a candle to the power she felt coursing through her now. As a dozen of the creatures rose up to take her, she quickly tried something new, focusing her telekinetic power not just on one target, or even a half dozen, but on a general area. The air distorted at her command, and five gaping mouths crashed against an invisible wall, while Lara pointed at the sixth, and sent it flying into a crowd of its buddies with the force of a cannon shell.
Nail blasted two larger chao to pieces, raining legs and bits of torso all around him. He had cleared a small amount of breathing room, but only momentarily. There were too many of them, approaching from every angle. Only the presence of Lara at his back gave him comfort. Taking the brief opportunity, he closed his eyes, balled his fists, and concentrated. It had to be quick he could hear them rushing towards him, heedless of safety, consumed by a lust to bathe in his blood and tear the meat from his bones.
Chaos Flash! He cried, opening his eyes. The moment he did, a white-hot burst of energy filled everything in his cone of sight. Many of the smaller chao hissed and bubbled and burned, the others ignored the damage and continued forward, mad and hungry. Nail met one of them with his fist, blowing a hole in its back and sending it flying. Another took a small energy ball to the face; that face quickly ceasing to exist.
Theres too many! Lara yelled, raising her hands, and sending a dozen of the freakish chao into the ceiling, before letting them rain down in broken pieces. Then, mixed in with the sound of little feet, there came heavier footfalls. Behind and ahead of them, something roared, long and loud.
-----
Spectre stood between the pale green light and the pitch darkness. It served to highlight his face: the deep scowl and strong jaw, the wrinkles on his brow just beneath his helmet, and all around and under his eyes. He looked worn and used, his complexion harder and heavier, almost to the point of being leathery. A blue arc light flashed before him, momentarily sparking life in his empty blood red eyes.
You called for me? he thought, his dry lips sealed closed.
The light of the Master Emerald bathed him in a sick glow.
Yes, it spoke, not from without, from within. It came from nowhere, but to Spectre, it was everywhere. He was the eye and it was the storm.
Mute, the former Guardian let out a hiss of air from his nose.
What would you have me do?
Your Grandson. The Emerald commanded, Bring Him Before Me.
Spectre didnt nod. He didnt have to.
Will he struggle?
The Emerald sounded almost amused. Another blue light flashed nearby, as something moved. He Has Tasted Chaos. It Is In Him.
And the human? Spectre ventured.
Watch Him. The Emerald glowed angrily. Bring Him. It burned even more hotly. His Blindness Is Offensive To Me. And then it died down to normal. He Will See My Light If I Must Pluck Out His Eyes.
Yet another NWO update!
As it was up yesterday, it should be available in all the usual places (my site and FFN).
sample scene snips:
-----
...
For months, he toiled in a slave camp, where forced labor was used to manufacture weapons of war. It was there, from the slaves and from the end of the taskmasters whip that he learned the rest of the mobian Common language, in which he previously had only a rudimentary education. He worked and slept, his body falling into a sad routine, but his mind his mind wandered. He asked questions, and bared the contemptuous blows from those without answers or patience to explain them to what was apparently only a small child.
He learned that he was in the employ of the so-called Battle Bird Armada. He learned that the Armada had once been part of a great military that served a mighty king, and that they had been formed to fight the distant and powerful overlanders hairless creatures, not mobian, but something else. These strange beings were powerful and dangerous, and the King had made war on them for many years. Eventually, the Kingdom had fallen and the king disappeared, presumed slain, by a treacherous overlander he had accepted into his inner circle. The Armada had fled rather than join the armies of the usurper, and now wished to carve out a kingdom or empire of their own.
But for that dream to come true, they needed more ships, and more and better weapons. So they raided island villages and towns, made the people into slaves and forced workers, and put them into industrial and agricultural complexes. Many times, Miles had thought of escape, but there really was nowhere to escape to. For a long time, he fell into a spiral of bitterness and despair, the only thing to occupy his mind being the machinations of the Armada, and the small role he had in the creation of their new empire.
And, in time, he developed an intricate knowledge of those weapons they used.
One day, using materials left lying around in the pens, he constructed a small rocket, and calculating the trajectory purely in his head, fired it out over the barracks of the Technical Overseer. Miles had seen the mobian numerous times before, and noted that he had an unhealthy affection for explosives of all sorts. The guards had been enraged by the display, and had of course beaten him, but when he woke up, he saw the Overseer looking down at him with a broad, honest smile.
Lets see what you can do, kid. Colonel Bean had made that simple promise, and had been true to his word. The little green duck had given Miles an education, and then turned him loose on the real topics of interest to the Armada: Chemistry, Electronics, Physics, more Chemistry, more Physics. Bean himself simply loved explosives, he had little interest in how they worked, but Miles was enthralled. For all its might, and for all the books and learning it had on hand, the Armada had no real dedicated scientists. As a child savant with a natural, genius level IQ, Miles had still been a slave, but was no longer beaten.
It was an improvement, and Miles took to his assigned tasks with a gusto and determination that demonstrated his understanding that the alternative was a return to the pens and the labor camps. In a few months, he had digested the information from every relevant book the Armada had accumulated relating to weapons manufacture and explosives. It was then that Miles made his first adjustments and tentative designs, and it was then that Bean gave him his nickname.
Miles Prower sounds retarded, Bean had proclaimed, while running his hands across a newly fabricated Fuel Air Explosive of Miles design, the product of Project Maelstrom. Tails. Your new name is Tails. How does that strike you?
He hadnt liked it, at the time.
Thank you, sir, had been his tart response.
...
------
...
While slaves can be amusing and useful, a True God wishes for Equals who share His Vision. The voice chortled softly in approval. And now, perhaps, you will show the world your new freedom?
Knuckles body still shook from exertion.
He offered no immediate reply.
Then.
Perhaps He slumped forward, with a crooked smile. Perhaps I will.
Excellent work, Cap'n. This story keeps getting more and more interesting and complex as it evolves through each chapter. Great stuff.
Thanks, Sniper.
Its always uplifting to hear that people are reading and enjoying my work.
"It Updates!! Run For Your Lives!"
Chapter Seven of NWO comes to a close... one more chapter to go...
---snippet---
Its no longer a matter of technique.
I stagger on that sandy, gold and crimson beach, and wipe stinging sweat and blood from my brow. My legs feel weak, and my arms weigh a thousand pounds, but I move forward and swing. My left arm, which I had to pop back into its socket, shoots fresh pain up the back of my skull. Arms and knuckles protest in a lightning bolt of pain, but Moguls head snaps to the side, blood and a loose tooth flying slowly through the air.
Its no longer a matter of strength or skill.
Mogul grimaces, but stands. With a grunt, he sends a concrete hard fist into my guts, and it feels cold and numb, like my lower body is nothing more than lukewarm spaghetti. Something inside me moves, and then it hurts and my eyes get a little dark. My left foot slips on something wet and hot, but I keep my balance.
Weve left all that behind, Mogul and me.
Mogul swings again, and I want to dodge, but nothing in my body, fake as it is, works like its supposed to. My left arm raises in meager defense, but Mogul has momentum behind his attack, and it connects soundly with the side of my face. The broken and split flesh there takes the blow predictably, and one of my eyes falls under a veil of red.
Left it all behind in a watery grave.
Our world is white.
I snarl, and one eye closed, strike back. Fake high, hit a little lower, and Mogul grunts again as I hit his left ear. He twists, holding his hand up to the wound, and I see that one of my knuckles managed to tear at some of the cartilage there, leaving a jagged and messy wound. Mogul takes a step back, and I do likewise.
And whats left?
Whats left for us?
I blink my eyes, hard, and try to concentrate on standing. The blood stained beach and the twilight sky seem equally far away, and my breaths come in ragged gasps. The lull gives the opportunity for my injuries to reacquaint me with the meaning of agony, and what passes for my body cries for a respite. It wants to sleep, it wants to heal, and it wants to give up. Just a few feet away, I see Mogul struggle with the same problem. Hes a mess, too, with fewer internal injuries, but burns over most of his body. I know that his every movement is like rubbing sandpaper into an open wound: a symphony of torment.
Whats left for us, now?
What are we fighting for?
There are no words between us. None are necessary. After reliving each others lives, after that sort of understanding, nothing need be expressed in simply words. No, what remains, what haunts Moguls eyes and my own, is the vision of that bright and beautiful city, buildings stretching into the sky and beyond the clouds: a marvel and a monument. What haunts us are the two beings who look out at the city, side by side, with pride in their accomplishments. What haunts us is that one moment that could have been, but never had a chance
Mogul has tears in his eyes.
And there are tears in mine.
What we could have accomplished together! His eyes seem to plead, in the fading light. What we could have done!
We could have saved the world. We could have rebuilt it all I know what he sees in my eyes, as well.
We both knew it in each other we both saw it. But that one moment That one moment The two pairs of eyes locked, unblinking. Was forever out of reach
Mogul takes a step forward, swings, and my head snaps around. I adjust my footing, and my fist finds his left eye. Puss and blood stain that hand, but there is little time to think of anything but the fight, the will to survive a blinding light making anything else impossible to see. An overhand hammer blow hits my left shoulder, which had been dislocated earlier, and the joint screams in pain. Mogul hisses, as a backhand tears across the front of his face and breaks whats left of one of his tusks.
It goes on.
For what seems like hours.
Back and forth, up and down that beach, our bodies a bloody and broken mess of spent flesh and dried blood. Splotches of it cover the ground and wash into the sea. When one of us falls, he gets back up, and it starts again. Neither of us are strong enough to land a decisive blow, so we chip away, bit by bit, at each others lives.
Why?
Last night I had a dream, Tails. About the future. The war was over, and there was peace all across the world. We were all in the Palace, and we were all so happy. After so long Sally smiled beatifically, and leaned her head on top of his in what he knew to be one of her hugs. After so long we were happy and we were home. No matter how bad things get, Tails, this world is worth saving. Sometimes, when things are hard, we forget that this world will have a brighter future
Sally you gave me a dream.
My lower lip splits from Moguls glancing blow, but I land a mostly solid strike between his eyes. I hit him again while hes stunned, in the same spot, and then a third time, harder than before. My pinkie finger feels like its broken, and I wonder when that happened, but it doesnt matter. Mogul spits blood, his nose broken at the base of his trunk.
I never give up! Sonic smiled, cocky and self assured, giving his new friend a hearty thumb up. No matter the odds, I never give up, and neither should you! No matter what you do, Tails, put all your heart and soul into it, and always strive to be the best! Dont hold anything back!
Sonic you gave me hope.
Mogul roars, his body shaking, and he lunges. A low blow to the kidneys doubles me over, but I dont fall back. I step forward with what strength I can still summon, and slam my forehead into his with a resounding crack of bone on bone. My entire world fills with stars, and through them I blurrily see Mogul shaking his head. Then he moves, and our heads collide once again. I cant see anything now, but I can feel his breath, and I know hes just in front of me. Blindly, I shoot my forehead forward, and hit something slightly softer probably the remains of his nose. As one, we fall back onto the bloody sand.
Half ah me isnt evah gonna be normal, an its a struggle sometimes when you wonder who you are an what you are Bunnie was wan, as she sometimes was when he interrupted her occasional pensive mood. But Ill be ok, Tails. Dont worry about little ol me. Ya have ta play with tha cards ya dealt, an ah like ta think we all have what makes us special for a reason, even if they seem like a burden sometimes.
Bunnie you were like a sister to me.
This is great work, Tails! I couldnt have done better myself! Do you want to help me with something? Rotor spoke so frankly, so honestly. I could really use your input.
Normally I would not want to be tze one going into such a sit-u-ation, Antoine took a deep breath and closed his eyes, mustering the courage that always hid under his surface. When his eyes snapped open, they were filled with resolve, even though his body trembled with nervous fear. But tze Prinzess ees in danger! Are you ready, mon ami? Good. Then we go!
Sonics a lost cause. He doesnt know what it means Knuckles was introspective, his back to Tails. He raised a fist under his jaw, his body tense. I have a responsibility!
Im going to help Sonic! I dont know how I can help Amy gritted her teeth. But I have to do something! I have to try!
I see Mogul roll over, and start to push himself onto his knees.
I love you, Fiona said, one of her hands gently resting on his right arm. She was on the operating table, and he had opened her chassis to install the new gift he was giving her. He was wrist deep in her abdomen, and much of her was splayed out on the table next to her slim waist. He looked away from his operation, and into her eyes so real! So real!
I love you she said again, and he knew she meant it. Before this. After this. Forever. My darling Miles
Painfully, he rolled over, propped up on one knee and one foot. Almost there!
Rouge, her eyes wide as he made love to her, her hands moving over his shoulders and into his cheekfur. There were no words, only soft sounds and the language of the body. He didnt worry what they meant to each other, or how it would change things. All that mattered was that moment of singing completion, and the feeling of warmth and purpose that he felt in her.
I see Mogul slam his fist into the ground, the hand coming back encrusted with red speckled sand. Hes slowly rising, black eyes wide and wild and full to overflowing with the dauntless desire to take just one more breath: for himself, and for the millions only he will ever remember. Those millions who served him They are his strength, and they would move his body long after his flesh was torn to ribbons, his skin flayed away, and his bones broken. Mogul roars again, deep and low, his mouth foaming.
Get up, boy! Tempest looked down at him. Dont you want to live? Dont be on the ground when an enemy stands over you. GET UP!
Concentrate! Nail barked. Concentrate harder!
Athair pursed his lips in apparent thought. Welcome back to the land of the living Chosen One
He is already dying, Miles. I A bright light interrupted his mother. Slowly, she blinked again, and looked down at the hole cut through her chest. Turning, two more flashes of light filled the air, and she fell to the side without a sound, her sword falling from dead fingers. Three golden holes in her chest, burned into his memory and subconscious.
Miles! Amanda yelled, trying to get his attention. Be careful!
My ankle twists, and I hear a low groan of agony come from deep inside me. The looseness of my muscles, the lethargy in my body I can barely move. I died once
Dont tell me youre having second thoughts, foxboy. Super Shadow stopped clapping, and took a step forward. This isnt your first taste of this worlds cruelty
Robotnick laughed, as his hoverpod flew away and out of danger, a big mad smile on his face. He held out his hand, and flashed Sonic and Tails the one finger salute, visible even from the distance between them. He yelled, just to make sure they heard his defiance, You little bastards will never defeat me! Never! I only have to win once!
Drool runs down my chin and onto my chest, heaving savage breaths as I get back on my feet. Mogul stands opposite me, and I know this is it: the last moment. This is the last of our strength and determination, thrown one last time into that world of pure and brutal white. This is the end of one of our lives. I know it with every fiber of my being, and every instinct Ive been born with.
Goodbye. Miles Mogul manages to say, curling fingers into fists.
Goodbye I reply, through mauled lips. Mogul.
...
continued... where? That's right. The new chapter!
