Wow! Did Metal survive? I'm hanging on to the edge of my seat here!

Nice way to tie in the church building too; CyKairus's story has it being rebuilt, which probably will happen after the old building is cleared away. It really helps build continuity between all of these stories, even if the connections seem small at first.

Way to go! We've got four or five MoFics going on here now.

(it's still me... I'm just on an alt at the moment ^^; )

Thanks Tergonaut! I'd actually forgotten about that point when I was writing this. I'll remember that in the future, hopefully. ><

Edit: Okay, here's the rest of Part one. This is the reason why you never mess with a chao. XP I'll stop with the crappy jokes now.

__________________________________________________________

The chaos eyes whirled around to the giant that now towered above her, staring it down with intense hatred.

Crying out in rage, she dashed forward, her sword held with both stubby hands as she swung, leaving a deep slash mark in its metallic outer shell. It fell back into the ground, spewing out a shower of sparks as its wiring was exposed.

She swung the blade again, nearly severing the remaining arm and head. Almost at once, the robot ceased to move. Kaze stood upon the motionless form, looking distraught as she returned the sword to the sheath on her back.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath as she gazed around the now trashed construction site not that it looked any better to begin with. She jumped off the heap of metal and wires and flew towards where she figured Chibi Sonic had crashed. "CSR? If you can hear me, answer back!" she called out, highly doubting shed get a response. "CSR?"

"Ow not so loud your voice is hurting my ears, Kaze."

Kaze whirled around to see her friend slowly emerging from underneath a pile of debris nearby. He was pretty banged up and covered in dust. He would have looked okay if it weren't for the numerous small sparks shooting about here and there.

"Thank goodness," she sighed, fighting back tears, "I thought you were done for."

CSR's emerald green eyes stared at her for a moment before an arrogant smile appeared on his face. "Ha! Think again! That overgrown rustbucket couldn't take me out in a million years!" He began to laugh, something he did to try and make the chao not worry about him.

"By the way, what happened to that guy?"

"I took care of it. Its nothing for you to worry about now." Kaze held out her hand. "Let's go back to the shop and see if we can make some repairs. Can you walk?"

"Heh, no prob! Just watch me!" CSR sprang up to full height and took a step forward, only to falter and collapse. "Whoops, I guess my self-repair program hasn't kicked in yet. I must've been hit pretty hard."

Kaze stifled a laugh as she helped the mech hedgehog to his feet. "You're such an idiot, you know that?"

---

On the ledge of a nearby building overlooking the construction area below, a dark chao with a blood red scarf sat lazily next to a stone gargoyle, tapping the scythe he carried on its nose. His green eyes scanned the site below, first on the busted mecha, then the two tiny forms that were slowly moving past it to the streets below.

"Well, so much for that thing," he spoke aloud to himself, beginning to stand. "Of all places, I just had to end up finding her again."

"Oh, well, things are getting a bit interesting now. I suppose a sibling reunion should be in order soon enough, Kaze."

----------------------------------------------------------

Edit: Whoops, I had totally forgotten to point out that I've started a bit on Part II, so I'll have the beginning of that posted within the next day or two. Wait for it!

Back with more! Cookies to anyone who can guess the small Sonic Character related reference here.
I also apologize for updating so slowly. ><

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Broken Robots and Evil Chao
-
Part II
-

Angel Island Drive was a street that was lined with mostly one- and two-story houses almost as far as the eye could see. At the end of the long dead-end street, however, stood a taller apartment building, surrounded by four-foot tall fence.

The exterior of this place was made up of tan brick, much newer than any other house, and the freshly painted front door was without a scratch-well, except for the shiny metallic plaque that was nailed to it bearing the numbers "2-02".

Inside the first floor apartment, Saya sat on a sofa gazing vacantly out of the window in the living room. It was unknown what exactly was going through her mind, though her sky blue eyes showed worry as some storm clouds started to gather outside.

After what seemed to be a few minutes, the chao-human hybrid girl suddenly turned away from the window and picked up an emerald pendant necklace that lay on the coffee table nearby.

"Saya…?" A small voice piped up, almost making her jump.

Saya turned towards the doorway to see a small Pokémon, a Pichu with a blue handkerchief around its neck. "Oh… Pikku, you surprised me…"

"Are you going out-chu?" Pikku tilted its head to the side worriedly. "It's going to rain, you know-chuu."

"It doesn't matter." Saya's gaze shifted back to the window. "Perfect weather for how I feel right now…"

"I hope this isn't about Kaze again-chu…"

"No… it's something else. Listen, I don't really want to talk about this; I'm going out now."

"'Kay." Pikku waved a paw as Saya headed for the front door. "Be careful-chu."

Saya smiled a bit. "Thanks," she said before closing the door behind her.

As soon as she set foot onto the steps, she felt a small raindrop fall right between her eyes. Looking up into the graying sky, she sighed.

I'd better hurry and find the source of this omen…

It didn't take long for police cars to arrive at the scene of the chaos that had just taken place not too long ago. Some distance away, Kaze and CSR had noticed them drive by, the loud sirens echoing in the air and the constant flashes of reflecting red and blue lights off various windows of the surrounding buildings around them.

There they go… Kaze thought, still feeling exhausted. I wonder what's going to happen now?

She looked back to see Chibi Sonic struggling his way up the street using a metal pole as support to help him stand. He was a pitiful sight; small electrical sparks were still shooting about, but not as much as before. She was sure that fail-safe thing the robot always talked about had activated itself.

*Drip*

The chao felt a raindrop on her head. Looking up at the gathering clouds, another one fell right between her eyes.

"Oh no," she muttered, "We'd better find some shelter, quick… it's going to rain…" She turned to CSR. "Let's go."

She started to walk ahead, but quickly noticed that CSR hadn't taken another step. "CSR?"

Kaze spun around again to see the robot sitting on the front steps of a nearby apartment building, his legs outstretched, arms hanging at his sides, and head sunk. The metal pole he'd been using as support was lying on the ground.

"Chibi Sonic?"

"I'm sorry, Kaze," the robot spoke, sounding exhausted, "but I can't walk anymore… the strain is too much…"

"Strain? What are you talking about; you're fine, aren't you?"

CSR stayed silent, but he looked up at the chao with an unhappy look in his eyes and shook his head, something Kaze had dreaded for the longest time. She wasn't that great when it came to machines, and could only make minor modifications and repairs. She often tinkered with them as practice.

"What are we going to do?" she said as more rain started to fall. "If we stay out here in the rain, your systems'll short out…"

"Sounds like the both of you are in quite a pickle, eh?" a voice called out from nearby.

Kaze and Chibi Sonic looked over to see a tall, balding middle-aged man with one robotic arm holding an umbrella over his head leaning on a car behind him. He had a smirk on his face as he looked on at the two of them.

"Mister Harris?!" Kaze was the first to speak up. "What are you doing here?"

"That's my line, you know," the man chuckled. "My little mech hedgehog buddy looks like he's been through hell and back. What happened?"

Saya felt more lost than ever as she took step after step further into unfamiliar territory. She was soaking wet from the rainwater, but she didn't care. It reflected her current mood perfectly. Although she'd only just started to live-literally-the chao-girl still hadn't completely adjusted to being independent from her "other half," Kaze. In fact, she still didn't have a full grasp of her own abilities.

"You'll catch cold if you continue to stand out here, you know."

Saya turned around, ready to defend herself if need be, only to see a human boy standing behind her, staring at her wide-eyed while holding an object in one arm. He wore a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and dark gray shoes. Part of his face was hidden because the hood pulled over his head.

"Um… do I know you?" Saya asked, the small ball over her head becoming a question mark.

"No." The boy looked surprised for a moment. "My name's Jake; I'd just seen you walk by and called after you, but you kept walking… I thought you'd need this more than I do."

She looked down at the parcel he held in his arm. "What is it?"

"An umbrella. It'll keep the rain off you…"

The chao-girl looked at the boy suspiciously. "I appreciate the thought, but I can't take it. I'm looking for something at the moment…"

"What is it?"

"Truthfully… I don't know." I'm only out here because of a gut feeling anyway. I don't have a clue where I'm going…

"In that case, why don't you come with me?" Jake asked. "You can get out of this rain, and maybe you can think about what you're searching for…"

"I don't know… why are you being so nice to me, a complete stranger?"

Jake opened his mouth to speak, but he paused. Instead, he lifted up his free arm and pulled the hood off his head, revealing matted black hair… and two drooping dog-ears.

Saya couldn't help but gape at the sight. She ignored how round his face was, even the few freckles on his cheeks and violet eyes.

She didn't even notice that a few people had started to stop and stare at this boy (they'd obviously thought Saya was just some kid trying to dress up as a chao).

"You… you're not really human, are you?"

--------------------

Okay, that's the end of the second part. I do realize this is a bit slow-paced. ^^;

In a nearby alleyway, the sound of whistling could be heard echoing off the damp brick walls of the surrounding buildings. It was coming from the dark chao sitting on top of a garbage can lid. He didn't seem to care that raindrops were bombarding him; he simply swiped at them inattentively with his undersized scythe.

"It's so boring," he muttered to himself after a minute. "This world is so huge… I'm lucky I haven't gotten myself lost here."

His green eyes vacantly scanned the pedestrian traffic not too far ahead of him.

"There are too many strange beings here, especially those accursed humans… then again… I will be the one to do something about them."

The dark chao grinned. "You'd think they wouldn't make it so easy to mess up a robot's programming just by rearranging a few wires here and there…"

"Kumo!"

The dark chao sat up and turned to see a young boy standing a few yards away. He had the look of someone who ran for a while, though his messy blonde hair hid his eyes.

"Kumo," he said breathlessly, "We can't find him anywhere… He's run away from the hideout again…"

"Who are you talking about, Graham?"

"It's… it's Jake…"

Kumo's eyes narrowed. "That idiot puppy-boy is disobeying orders again? How long has he been gone?"

"About an hour, I swear." Graham tried to fix his messy hair behind a pointed ear.

Kumo hopped off the trash can lid. "I'll find him. Go back to the hideout."

"O-okay." The boy turned around and ran back the way he came, his footsteps splashing in the mud.

Kumo turned around to make sure he was gone, and then swung his scythe at the garbage can. At once, it split, spilling rotten food, broken glass shards, and all other kinds of refuse around him.

"That kid is going to cause me quite a problem… Too bad; and I was going to pay my dearest sister a visit…"

Using his small crimson wings, he soared off towards the graying sky, just as a certain car rolled past the alley…

We're given more looks at the mysterious Dark counterpart to Kaze, and the web of connections is being spun ever tighter to draw the protagonists together. Is there a coincidence in the foreboding that Saya had, and the Dark Chao who is determined to have a showdown with Kaze? This is certainly shaping out to be a well-balanced tale, what with the introduction of a slew of characters and ideas for the Mobius Forum World.

It's getting there. I'll try to pick up the pace a bit, but I don't want to rush things too much either. I'm pretty slow writing this as it is. XP

Hey, don't stress over it. The reason I post my stories in sections is partly because that way it gives me time to get ahead in my writing. Ideally, I'll be done with an entire story and working on the next one while posting only sections at a time. The other part is the suspense it causes when people have to wait for the next post to see what happens next.

Quality is much more important than quantity though, so work at a pace that balances that. I for one am rooting for you, it's hard to be a writer but the rewards can be so awesome.

Thanks, Terg. Wait for the next parts, then, I'm still working on it. ^^;

"Are we there yet?" Chibi Sonic's robotic voice whined as he lay in the back seat of the automobile. "I'm BORED."

"Actually, yes," Harris replied from the driver's seat. "Look ahead, you two."

Kaze, who had been gazing through the windows for a few moments, looked ahead to see a small white house come into view. Next to it was a slightly taller garage with what looked like a satellite dish sitting on top. She thought it to be weird to look like that, but then again, Harris was a very strange human.

As the automobile pulled into the driveway, the door to the garage slowly began to rise, slowly unveiling the workshop Kaze kept hearing the Harris talk about so much. It seemed smaller than what he described it, but there were so many tools lined along the walls, it seemed impossible for him to think of parking a car in there!

"Um, Mr. Harris," the chao began to say.

"Oh, relax for a bit," her boss told her as he reached for a small blanket stuffed in a compartment under one of the seats. "Cover yer friend with this, will ya? Bad weather and broken machines don't mix.

"I ain't broken!" Chibi Sonic spat. "I just got a few scratches, that's all!"

"You stay quiet," Kaze scolded, poking at him with a fingerless hand. "I've got enough to worry about without you going around getting beat up by runaway mechs!"

"Ah, here it is." Harris, clearly ignorant of the two of them, took out the tattered lavender blanket and shoved it into her arms. "Go on now, get goin'! We don't have all day."

Kaze was pressed against the front passenger door with an "Oof!" before the human opened the other side and departed, leaving her alone with CSR.

"Oh, no," the robot spoke when she turned to him. "You're not puttin' that thing on me! It's all dirty an' stuff!"

"SHUT UP!" The chao lunged forward with a cover in hand. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO TALK!"

CSR shut his eyes as she flung the fabric in his face. "Ow! Don't do that! Kaze~!"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Kaze tugged it over his head. "I'M TIRED AND I WANT QUIET, DAMMIT!"

While the struggle went on, the two of them didn't notice Harris return with an umbrella one hand and open the rear passenger door behind Kaze's back.

"Ya done yet?" he spoke up, making her jump.

"S-sure…" Kaze moved aside a bit, making room for him.

"What was that for?"

"Aren't you going to move him?"

"Oh, no. You are, little Miss Chao. In case you've noticed, I only have one hand free. I shall assist ya, if ya please."

"Yeah, whatever," Kaze said back, hopping over to CSR's head. "Let's get this over with, already…"

"All right then, be careful now." Harris carefully got a hold of CSR's legs and started to slowly back out of the open door. Kaze followed suit, keeping the robot aloft by holding on to his ears (he complained when she tried to get a hold of his arms).

Before long, the trio was out of the rain and into much-needed shelter. CSR lay flat on his back on what Kaze thought looked like an operating table while Harris walked about the garage gathering different tools. The chao felt sorry for her robot companion, knowing he hated sitting in one spot for long periods.

"This is probably going to take a while, Kaze," Harris called from the other side of the room. "Ya might as well sit tight, and eat a sandwich, eh?"

"No thanks. I'm bushed."

"All right then." Harris turned to CSR, who was looking at Kaze a bit worriedly. "Don't worry about her, little buddy."

"Why not? She's my friend! I got a right t'be concerned! Hey, are you listenin' t'me?"

Harris simply nodded, placing this robotic hand on the hedge-bot's head. "Chibi Sonic Robo, de-activate all systems. Go into stand-by mode."

CSR's eyes flashed green for a brief moment, saying in a monotone voice, "Initiating stand-by." His head leaned slightly to the side as he drifted quickly into artificial slumber.

"'Not really human,' eh? That's a new way to put it." Jake shook his head, letting rainwater fly everywhere.

"New way to put what?" Saya inquired. "What do you mean?"

Jake took a few steps closer to her. "Now's not the place," he said, casting a sideways glance at the few citizens still stopping to stare at the two of them. "If you follow me, I'll tell you more."

"Um…I don't know..."

"Well, look, I gotta get back. You can do what you want." The boy started to walk away. "You can look for me when you stop being indecisive."

After he turned towards an alleyway and disappeared from her sight, the Sailor Scout looked around as the spectators started to go about their business, murmuring amongst themselves and occasionally staring back at her.

She didn't know where else she could go. Trying to find her way back home was out of the question; she'd already become lost in this metropolis of a world, and she couldn't even begin to think about what direction to go.

Concluding that she had nothing better to do, she decided she'd look for Jake. There was something she couldn't ignore… perhaps it had something to do with the sense of dread she had been feeling lately…

As soon as she stopped by the alley where Jake had turned away, she suddenly heard his voice.

"I kind of figured you'd come this way."

"Kyah!" the chao-girl exclaimed, nearly jumping. "Don't scare me like that!"

"It's not my fault you scare easily," Jake snorted. "Now, come on, let's go."

"Go where?"

"Away from here… by the way, I never did ask your name."

"It's… Saya. My name is Saya."

"Saya, huh? Nice name."

"Thanks…" Saya face turned a little red. "It was from a dear friend of mine."

She didn't notice that Jake had stopped short suddenly until she bumped into him. "Oh! I'm sorry, Jake, it's… just…" She stopped speaking at this point, immediately realizing why he had paused.

Emerging from the darkness at the end of the alley was a pair of glowing green eyes that belonged to a dark chao. Armed with an undersized scythe and part of its face hidden by a flowing blood-red scarf, the small creature didn't look like he'd strike fear wherever he went. Yet, just gazing at it sent chills down Saya's spine. Surely, this foot-tall being was what she had been looking for… but there was something familiar about it…

"Looks like you've no place else to run now, dog-boy," the chao drawled. "You just hate listening to orders, eh?"

Saya gasped. That chao just talked! But… that can't be; the one I know who can speak is…

"Shut up!" Jake spat angrily. "I'm not gonna let you use me or the others, Kumo."

Wait… Jake knows this chao? What's going on? Saya took a step back, her shoes making a squish sound in the mud of the dark passage.

The next thing she knew, the dark chao was hovering right in front of her, giving her an intrigued look. "Well, what do we have here? If my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, I'd say this is the first chao-human hybrid I've seen in this world…"

Saya nearly fell backwards in surprise. "You mean you're not from around here?"

"'Not from around here?' You sure are a strange little one. Now that I think of it…" The dark chao flew slowly in a circle, as though to examine her. "You remind me of someone I know, with those sky blue eyes…"

Jake protectively stepped in front of the girl. "Stay away from her," he growled his voice low- and starting to sound less human.

"Or you'll do what, dog-boy? Bark at me?" Kumo shifted his scythe to hold in both hands. "I've told you time and again, no one's ever going to accept you hybrids. It's best that you join forces with me and with each other. We can get our revenge on the ones who wronged you, and change this world for the better…"

Something about this raised a red flag in Saya's mind. "For the better?" she spoke up. "W-what do you mean?"

Kumo's eyes shifted to her. "You're sure asking a lot of questions, little missy… I'd suggest you stay quiet, lest you want to be sent to your death."

"I can't," Saya shot back, stepping from behind a slightly surprised Jake. "I-I can't just sit idly by while something bad is just waiting to happen!"

She half-expected the dark chao to back down, but to her dismay, he only threw his head back and laughed. "Ha ha ha, that's rich! You, try and stand up against me?! What can you do?"

"Saya, stay back, you'll only get hurt," Jake insisted. "You don't know what he's capable of!"

"I don't care," the chao-girl told him, closing her eyes for a moment. "Jake, thanks for being nice to me. Even though I don't really know you, at least let me return the favor."

"Saya?"

She took a step towards the dark chao, one hand taking a hold of the emerald pendant necklace around her neck. Focusing her senses, she closed her eyes.

"MoFo Power… Chaos Change!"

Almost at once, the dark alley was illuminated briefly by a flash of light almost as blinding as a bolt of lightning, which it disappeared just as quickly as it came.

Now standing in the once again darkened alleyway, she was no longer in her soaking wet street clothes; they had been replaced with a shimmering new Sailor uniform. It was light blue with a yellow skirt and accents on the gloves and boots, and the small bow on the front was indeed pink with a small emerald jewel pinned in the middle. A pair of small, translucent pink fairy-like wings protruded from the back, and she carried a short katana, decorated with a streaming light blue ribbon, which faded to yellow towards the end. Her bandana was also much longer than before and was in the same fashion as the ribbon.

"Saya?!" Jake exclaimed, seeing her after the light faded.

Kumo, who had moved his arm from over his face, stared wide-eyed at the sight before grinning again. "I see… I figured you were a strange one… you're one of those 'senshi' I keep hearing so much about. I've only seen a glimpse of one, but I'm sure they all were much… taller."

"My height is irrelevant." Saya unsheathed her katana and held it at the hovering chao. "You're dealing with the MoFo Scout of Peace and Freedom, Sailor Wind!"

"Huh?"

Kaze sat bolt upright, bumping her head on a severed robotic arm, which was hanging limp just above her. It fell to the floor below with a crash, almost making her jump in surprise.

"Whoa, ya gotta be careful there," Harris said loudly, just before turning on a rather gruesome looking power tool. "I might need those parts for a side project o' mine or somethin', ya know?"

Although the chao couldn't see what he was doing to CSR (his bulk and all the flying sparks effectively covered it up), she knew she didn't need ask how the repairs were going. She had other things on her mind.

Saya… I knew that was her just now… what is she doing out in this weather?!

Picking up her sword and strapping it on, she flew towards the slightly open window on the other side of the garage.

CSR, hold on until I get back… I've got to find Sai…

____________________________________________________________

Just to post a little side note here, I'm sorry about Saya's crappy transformation phrase. Also, I'd like to point out Kaze's a forumer in this fic. It'll be that way for the first few stories. 😛

"I wonder what's taking the others so long-chu…"

It was Pikku's turn to stare out of the window now, as its mind was now swimming with various thoughts about the raging storm just beyond the window.

"I don't like weather like this-chu," it murmured softly, turning around in its seat to look at the television. "I hope Kaze comes back soon-chu…"

Without warning, a jolt of lightning struck outside and a thunderous boom frightened the pocket monster out its wits. As it cowered underneath the coffee table in the center of the room, it wiped away a tear with one of its paws.

"I wish I had my poke-ball now…"

Except for the gentle pattering of the rain around them, all was silent in the alley were Saya stood, keeping a sharp eye on the dark chao hovering a few feet away.

"Heh, you sure are persistent, just like any other human," Kumo spoke up, lifting his weapon over his shoulder. "I'll really make sure to make an example out of you to puppy-boy back there!"

Immediately, he darted towards the Scout, flailing the scythe dangerously at her neck. She blocked it quite easily with her own blade, and knocked him away a bit, a bit surprised at his sudden advance.

He's faster than I thought… and it looks like he won't be knocked out easily… she thought worriedly. What mess have I gotten myself into…?

She didn't notice Kumo come back for a second time and until about a split second later and barely avoided another swing. She cursed under her breath as the blade cut her cheek, but quickly ducked, as it sliced off a few hairs in a return sway.

"Come on!" the Dark chao whined. "This better not be all you can do, ­Chao-girl!"

"I've got some tricks up my sleeve," Saya responded defiantly, knocking him away with the hilt of her sword.

Kumo was thrown back a few feet. Jamming the blade of his scythe into the brick wall, he managed to stop himself.

"You… little wench," he growled, now livid. "You're going to pay for that!" Gripping the weapon in both stout hands, he held it above his head and shouted, "Take a good long look at this, chao-girl! It'll be the last thing you ever see!"

"Oh no," Jake spoke up, finally getting a hold of himself. "Saya, you've got to get out of here!"

"You go," Sailor Wind told him. "I'll be all right."

"You don't understand! He's calling out one of his robot weapons. If we don't get out of here--"

Without warning, the ground began to quake uncontrollably, knocking the two of them off their feet. An enormous robotic arm burst through the building right next to them, showering cement and bricks to the streets below. The masses scattered in all directions in a panic as another arm crashed through a store window, crushing an automobile underneath its fist. Sailor Wind and Jake watched in horror, as the colossal automaton grew larger, destroying the buildings that it surrounded.

Jake cursed under his breath. "It's already completed?!"

"You know what that thing is?" Saya asked in disbelief.

"It's a bunch of machines rolled into one… different parts from different robots used to make this beauty you see right above you," Kumo sneered. "I think I'll test it out on the two of you; it'll be fun to work out the kinks."

At once, a giant hand slammed into the ground in front of them. Saya grabbed a hold of Jake's hand and took to the air with him, her translucent wings fluttering ever so slightly in the graying skies.

"Don't look down," she told him as she headed for the nearest rooftop. "You'll make me fall if you start flailing around."

"Uh… right," Jake spoke up shakily, as he was taken by surprise. "O-okay."

When they landed, the echo of Kumo's laughter drifted to their ears. "How much longer do you think you can run away from me, eh, Sailor Scout? You have nowhere else to run, and no one will be coming to save you. You may as well give up and accept your fate!"

"Guess again!" echoed a familiar voice from far away.

Saya's heart stopped. That voice… She turned her head towards the dreary heavens to see a small blur pass by her in a flash. When she looked forward again, she immediately recognized the neutral chao just a couple of feet ahead of her, soaked from bauble to toe from the rain; the sky blue bandana still flowed in the wind, and the short sword remained at the ready in the chao's right hand.

"Kaze…"

________________________________

Note: Apologies if the whole action scene thing was crappy. ^^;
_________________________________

On the contrary, I think you handled it very well! Kept it at a good pace, the use of dialogue helps things move in battles. I have to get going at this time but I'll edit in more comments, this deserves more attention and I apologize for not replying earlier.

Thanks again. It's surprising that nobody else is reading this (it's not a problem, though). The next chappie is still in the works.

You've been subtly building up the strength of the storm over the course of the fic; that's really cool and perhaps symbolic of the rise in the conflict and trouble going on.

You've also handled the action well. I can visualize what is going on. Clarity of motion is important to show, not tell, the story. You use that.

One thing that you may work on is adding more details that appeal to the other senses than sight. You do make use of some sound, but you could add the rough scraping of Kumo's scythe against the brick wall as he uses it to stop himself, or the temperature of the rain as it falls onto the combatants. Expanding on the senses is something that can add depth without sacrificing the pace of the action if it's pieced in here and there. This is something I often have to work on myself, truth be told.

Good work, I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

"Whew, this is sure taking longer than expected."

Harris took off his welding mask and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Whoever thought that CSR would be so complex?"

Taking a brief moment to stretch, he turned to look over what he had done so far. "This is only the second time I've had to repair him, and each time, it's been such a doozy! I know how you feel now, Kaze!"

However, there was no answer. Harris glanced over to where he had last seen the chao, only to find an empty spot. "Kaze?"

He finally noticed the open garage window just above, immediately becoming concerned.

"Oh, I hope she hasn't gone to do anything reckless, like take on a monster a hundred times her size or something," he said bitterly, fishing out some wiring from a crate. "I'm sure she'll be all right, though…"

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

All was silent among the rooftops of Eastern Sega City, except for the steady pattering of the frigid rain and the echoes of cries for help from the citizens below. Kaze kept her eyes locked on the dark chao standing on the bulky mecha just a few yards ahead.

Saya and Jake remained behind her, at a loss at what was going to happen next. The rumbling thunder kept Saya on edge.

A wicked grin crept across Kumo's features as he looked on at Kaze. "Heh heh heh heh, I knew I'd see you sooner or later, dearest sister," he said, shifting his scythe so he held it in both hands. "Too bad our reunion happened to be on such a boring day…"

"Cut the bull, Kumo," Kaze said, keeping her voice low. "What are you doing here in this world?!"

"Heh, what does it look like? I'm taking my new toy out for a joyride. Would you like to join me?"

Kumo tapped the scythe on the robot's head. "Rise, Obliterator, and do your master's bidding!"

At once, the terrain began violently trembling as the mecha rose to its full height, crushing the structures right behind it with one of its arms.

Kaze quickly turned to see if Saya was all right; luckily, the chao-girl had already taken to the air, carrying another kid by the arms.

"Sai, you take your friend and get out of here!" Kaze shouted. "Things are about to get messy!"

"But, what about you?"

"NOW, SAI! GO!"

Saya gave the chao a reluctant look, then nodded and flew away as quickly as she could.

"No you don't!" Kumo pointed his weapon at the departing hybrid teens. "No one gets away from me! Get them! Crush them!"

Not if I can do anything about it!Kaze thought.

Flying as fast as her wings could manage, she swung her blade at one of its fingers with the faint hope that she stopped it.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen…

WHAM! The chao screamed in pain as she was struck by the overgrown mass of electronics and robot parts. Not much force was even used, yet it felt as though she were hit with a giant fly swatter.

When she hit the brick wall of a building several yards away and started to fall, she felt herself let go of her sword.

It's too strong… I can't beat it…

Kumo's laughter echoed through the dismal atmosphere. "Heh heh, you expect me to believe you're going to protect this world with pitiful strength like that, sis? How sad! I thought at least you would've gotten stronger after all this time, but I was wrong."

Kaze tried to move her arm, but winced. She couldn't move; her whole body was aching. Darn it all…

"You're really weak, Kaze. You always have been. I don't even know why Professor Benedict ever created a weakling like you…"

Seeing the ground rushing up to greet her, the neutral chao closed her eyes. I guess… this is it for me…

"I hope your friend is okay," Jake spoke as he and Sailor Wind landed on a rooftop at a safe distance away from the huge mecha. "I thought I saw it just before Kumo's robot swung its arm…" He trailed off, one of his dog-ears twitching as he watched her staring ahead at the destruction.

"Saya…?"

"I'm going back, Jake. I've got to help Kaze."

"WHAT?!" Jake jumped back in surprise. "Y-you can't! It's suicide! Besides, it's not safe there anymore! Kumo's robot'll crush you! It probably did your friend in already, too."

Saya stifled a snicker. "I wouldn't bet on it… not yet…"

"Why not?"

"Because…" She stepped on the ledge of the rooftop. "…I believe in her…"

Jake started after her. "Saya, wait!"

"Thank you for your kindness today, Jake. I shall repay you someday." Sailor Wind was once again airborne, just as the thunder rumbled once more. "Please, go someplace safe. I don't want you to get hurt."

Before the humanoid boy could say anything else, she was far from his reach. He swore aloud and stomped his foot in anger. "How can she just throw her life away like that?"

"Wake up, you stupid weakling! You're not dead, you know!"

Kaze's eyes snapped open as she came to. Almost at once, the sharp, stabbing pain in her whole body returned with a vengeance, blurring her vision.

Just ahead of her was the distorted form of Kumo, holding his own scythe in one small, fingerless hand and the neutral Chao's sword in another.

"You've got some luck on your side today, sis," her brother drawled.

"Where… are we?" Kaze asked, looking around at her muddled surroundings. "What have you done, Kumo?!"

"We're standing on the Obliterator of course. I had him catch you as you fell. I was going to tell him to crush you, but I'd much rather take your life myself."

"Hmmph… you haven't changed a bit," Kaze said weakly. "Ever since that day…"

"Neither have you..." Kumo dropped Kaze's sword and kicked it over to her, making clattering and scratching sounds as it scuffed the surface of the Obliterator. "The party's going into full swing now, Kaze. You think you can keep yourself alive long enough to take me down?"

That's it for part V. The next (and hopefully last) chappie along with the epilogue should be started soon enough.

Alright, this is the beginning of the final chappie. Expect more to come as it gets written. Chao~!

All the while the inevitable battle between two chao siblings was beginning to unfold on the surface of a giant robot, the robot continued stomping its way through the streets of Sega City, smashing through random skyscrapers and stepping on cars.

It stood out like a sore thumb; even after leaving Jake behind, Sailor Wind easily spotted the mass of electronic appliances and small robot parts not too far from where it had initially risen.

Her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened as the thought of all the senseless destruction-even if it was at the hands of a foot-tall, winged dark creature-was more than she could bear.

I'm coming to help… Just hang in there…

"I think that's about it…" Harris lifted the welding mask from his face as the wiped the sweat from his brow with a red handkerchief. "Took longer than I thought it would, but then again, he is very high-maintenance."

Harris looked down at the newly repaired Chibi Sonic, making sure he looked just as new as when Kaze first found him… or something similar to that.

"All righty," he announced, connecting some wires to the back of the robot hedgehog's head and typing for a bit on a tiny laptop sitting on a nearby table. "Time to wake… up!"

He reached over to press a concealed switch in CSR's ear and stood back. Within a few moments, he saw one hand twitch, followed by CSR opening his eyes.

"Well, whaddaya know… I'm feelin' better than ever!" the robot hedgie said happily. "'Preciated as always, old man!"

"Old man? That's a new one" Harris chuckled. "You really were a pain to repair, ya know?"

"Sorry… say, you wouldn't happen to know where Kaze is, huh?"

"She's been gone for a while… don't know where she went. It's stormin' somethin' awful out there, ya know, CSR. I sure hope that the li'l chao ain't--"

At the moment, Harris was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind, which sent several robot parts piled on a couple of the tables crashing to the floor. Turning around, he noticed the empty space where CSR once was, followed by the open side door and his now soaked "Welcome" rug.

"Dangit, that's one impatient li'l machine," the human grunted, carefully stepping over the cluttered mess to close the door.

He then grabbed his jacket from a chair close by and scrambled through the messy garage to his car.

That idiot! If he goes runnin' 'round out there now, he'll get fried!

Dammit! Why am I even doing this?! Jake thought as he ran through the crowded streets in the direction he'd seen Sailor Wind leave. It's pouring out here and !+%@, and I'm headed right for a giant robot piloted by a talking chao that's wrecking everything in sight… and then-

One of his dog-ears perked at hearing a crashing sound coming from somewhere. Looking up, the boy's feet froze as he detected a boulder-sized chunk of brick and cement above break off from an apartment building, ready to fall right on him!

His mind was in a panic; he needed to run, he wanted to run, but he was rooted to where he stood.

!+%@… I'm about to die…

Just a split second before the large piece of debris crashed into the pavement, the dog-boy thought see saw a short blur heading right for him. Before he knew it, wind and rainwater was pelting his face as someone-or something-running at a high speed, was carrying him. It soon came to a screeching halt, causing him to fall over and onto the sidewalk.

"What the-what just happened?" the bewildered adolescent gasped as he got up, attempting to straighten up his now mud-covered, completely soaked clothes.

"Hey guy, you must be pretty lucky today."

All right, CSR is back in action! And not a moment too soon, either!

Glad to see this continuing. More good writing for the MFW setting.

Sorry, i only got in to the first half of part 1. Ebert and Roeper say:

Ebert: It's unlike any story ive seen, read, or heard before. Thats a big thumbs up from me.

Roeper: I thought the characters were a little off. Like "Chibi Sonic Robot?" though the story was good, and i like how you made a story involving a character that you made up though! im gonna give it a thumbs down.

Terg: Thanks a lot. Going by what I've got planned for the rest of this chapter so far, I'm only about a third of the way through. XP

LWSrocks: It's nice to find that someone else has at least read some of and commented on the writing. I appreciate your opinion. I sincerely hope you've probably learned a thing or two on how to better your own works. 🙂

Thanks Kaze! (Im talking about you, not the story character.) I don't beleive it would help me THAT much, i only read a half of the beggining!

"Wha-?" Jake looked around for the source of this childlike, robotic voice. "Who just said that?"

"Look behind you, buddy."

He spun around and spotted a little chibi-tized Sonic robot standing behind him, arms crossed. His emerald eyes glared at the hybrid boy.

"You humans are weirder than chao. Everyone else is runnin' away from whatever's makin' this mess while you're headin' right for it. What's goin' on?"

"Look, I don't have time," Jake muttered, "I've gotta go."

He turned away and started to walk, only to find the robot standing right in front of him again.

"Mind if I tag along, buddy? I can get us both there faster and you can serve as a pretty good umbrella."

"Whatever, let's just get going already…" The boy sidestepped past the robot and started running ahead.

A second later, however, he found himself once again traveling at high speed, as the mech hedgehog had lifted the youth once more over his head. "Come on, man, you're slower than everyone else in this city! Leave the runnin' t'me!"

"We interrupt this program for the following breaking news bulletin…"

Pikku, completely transfixed by the television, absentmindedly dropped the chocolate-chip cookie she had been munching as footage of a formidable, but ridiculously and sloppily constructed giant robot (possibly made out of what looked like millions of pieces of robot parts and broken electrical appliances all melded together) stomped its way through the streets of the city.

"What you see in front of you right now is nothing but complete and utterly senseless chaos and destruction. No one knows where this monstrosity came from, but some eyewitnesses claim they had seen it rise from underneath the city and begin its rampage. Police are baffled as to who-or what-is operating this mecha.

"The Administration has issued an evacuation order for the Eastern and Downtown Districts, and urge all citizens to please remain calm…"

As the broadcast continued, footage of numerous police cars headed for the mecha was shown followed by helicopters and other flying robots. Pikku looked on at the sight, wide-eyed as though she'd stumbled upon a treasure trove of nothing but Poke-block, especially as one news camera caught sight of a familiar, fast-moving blur for only less than a split second. All it left behind was a faint trail of dust, and the very stupefied canine reporter and the rest of the crew.

"Wha-what was that? Something headed for the giant automaton?"

"It's Chibi Sonic-chu!" the tiny mouse-like creature squealed at the television, more surprised than the people on the screen in front of her. "Why's he running for that monster-chu?"

*CLANG! CLANG!*

Back and forth, blades clashed as Kaze focused every last ounce of her strength to at least counter Kumo's erratic, wild attacks. Her fatigue was catching up with her; she didn't know how much longer she could continue, and even questioned whether she'd bitten off more than she could chew. It wouldn't be the first time she was stuck in a situation like this…

"Let 'im go, Marcoh! Let my brother outta there!" the chao screamed out at the short old man sneering at her from the other side of the laboratory room. In a capsule behind her, Kumo, a chao just like her only with bright green eyes back then, banged his fingerless hands on the glass, shouting, crying, wanting to be freed.

"What are you going to do, Project-01? You're just a weak little lab experiment, just like your 'brother' over there. We created you. You cannot defy us. We are your masters. Can't your tiny brain even comprehend that much?!"

"I'm not an experiment! I'm Kaze!" the small chao rushed at Marcoh, only to be knocked away into a glass cabinet containing lab equipment.

"So, the overly sentimental Benedict gave you a name, too, did he? He was always such a foolish young man. Don't worry, little chao… Once I'm done with 'Kumo,' you can join him as well!"

Covered in cuts and bruises, the last thing the chao saw was Marcoh activating his machine and her only family, her brother, changing before her very eyes as everything went black…

I know I've mentioned it before, but I do believe this chappie will be the longest. However, if it is ends up being too long for me, then I'll make a second half of it the last chapter instead. Just a minor heads-up coming from me. Don't get me wrong, though, I really do plan on finishing this.

I think that it would be cool if Kaze could make a cameo in a Sonic game, and CSR. By the way, im writing Chapter 2 of "Sonic X Saving Mobius" on my thread right now. So if you want to read any of it, then go ahead. Though you might not have found out about my new story yet, just letting you know. And tommorow im starting a new one called "Lovesick Sonic"!

LWS, instead of bringing up your stories in every topic you go to, why don't you create a signature that will automatically put a link to your story topic in your posts? It's the legal way to advertise around the board.

Use this link to get help on creating signatures: Link to signature topic If you have questions about signatures, I'd recommend posting in that topic. I'll include a (somewhat non-functional) example of a signature in my post I'm making here now.

Kaze, excellent writing once again. The mental image of Jake being carried by CSR is amusing, and the shock and surprise that Pikku displays feels very genuine. And of course, the flashback reveals the depth of the struggle that Kaze is going through, because she is literally fighting her brother who was essentially made or forced into being what he is today.

Glad to hear you plan on finishing too 😛 but don't let me give you too hard a time of it, I do look forward to seeing how this will all wrap up!

Ok sorry. I just havent gotten any post's in my thread in weeks. P.S. im also making an art thread!

"Pay attention when you're in the middle of a battle!" The dark Chao's voice bellowed. "I'd rather kill you when you're actually putting up a fight, Kaze!"

She had only noticed him a split second before he slashed at her, nearly stumbling backwards in surprise.

"Much better… but it's still not enough," he sneered.

In what looked like a lightning-fast motion, he flipped the scythe his hands were near the blade. In another, he struck her in the head with the handle, knocking Kaze onto the cold, metallic surface of the Obliterator. Her sword, once again thrown from her hands, landed about two more feet away, making a horrid scraping noise.

Kumo walked over to the fallen Chao, scythe over his shoulder. "And here I thought you'd actually entertain me for a change," he muttered bitterly. "I suppose it doesn't help that you were suffering anyway… don't worry, though, Kaze; I'll end it for you."

He raised the weapon over his head now, ready to deliver the final strike…

"Stop right there!"

The dark Chao looked up to his left, puzzled, and was suddenly struck by a shockwave of air. The force sent him back to towards the massive, horned head of his mecha with a thump.

Kaze, struggling to stand, found herself lifted from the robot's shell by someone…

Her eyes widened when she recognized who it was…

"S-saya?!"

Sailor Wind smiled in relief. "Thank goodness… I wasn't so sure if that was going to hit, but I'm glad it did…"

"Saya," Kaze spoke, her voice almost a whisper.

"I apologize, Kaze, but I had to come back… I hope you're not mad at me."

"Why would I be?" The chao managed a weak grin. "You've saved my life."

The hybrid Scout nodded in agreement. "Right."

"You… you @$!$$!% dirty hybrid, how dare you?" Kumo growled, emerging from a large dent he had made when he was slammed into the Obliterator. The dark chao was bleeding a little from his head, and he looked pretty ticked off. "Interfere with my fun, will you?!"

Sailor Wind let go of Kaze, setting the chao to the ground and handing the chao her sword.

"Thanks, SW. I'll be fine now."

"I'm not leaving you behind again. You aren't even in any condition to fight anymore!"

"I'll be fine." Kaze looked into Saya's eyes. "After all, I'm not alone anymore."

Her sights then focused on Kumo, who was giving her quite the venomous glare.

"You done with your touching moment with your friend, Little Sister?" the dark chao growled, readying his weapon. "Now we can continue where we left off."

"Of course." She briefly glanced to Sailor Wind. "Go and find CSR. Find a way to bring this thing down."

"Right." The chao hybrid flew off, leaving the chao alone once more with her sibling.

Kaze held her sword in front of her with both hands. "Let's end this once and for all, Big Brother."

"DAMN IT, YOU LITTLE ROBOT! CAN'T YOU SLOW DOWN?"

Jake hung on for dear life as the robot hedgehog bobbed and weaved through the crowded streets. The screaming of the masses evacuating the area almost drowned out the rolling thunder, but it still made the poor boy's head ring.

"No can do! Gotta keep goin' till we reach that big thing up there," CSR chimed out in a singsong voice."Don't think, don't blink, just GO, GO, GO, GO, G-G-G-GO, GO!"

He suddenly sped up at this point, and Jake thought that his fingers were going to be ripped off as the diminutive robotic hedgehog bobbed and weaved past the crushed cars and large pieces of brick and concrete that littered the streets.

Just when it seemed like his poor hands were about to let go, Chibi Sonic finally skidded to a halt. Jake felt himself fly forward, but, luckily, his hooded sweatshirt was grabbed just in time.

"We're right in front of it now," CSR stated, his voice suddenly serious.

The hybrid boy followed his upward gaze at the towering giant robot, almost overwhelmed at the sight. He had to take a step back to even get a better look.

This is it… the Obliterator… to think that she's still up there…

"Hey, how come it's not movin'?" CSR was speedily examining the foot and lower leg of the mech. It was trashin' stuff before it got here, I heard it while I was runnin'."

"Get away from it, moron!" Jake called out. If it even takes another step, we'll be crushed!"

"Hehe, this comin' from some dog-boy who was runnin' the wrong way," CSR snickered. "Don't think I didn't notice those weird ears of yours when I grabbed your shirt!"

"You little--" The adolescent shook his fist.

"Time's up, umbrella!" The hedge-bot had zoomed and lifted the bewildered youth over his head again. "Hold on as tight as you can, I'm aimin for the top!"

"What, wait a minute, you!" The hybrid spat. "I didn't even get a chance to rest after you--"

"BAANZAAAAAIIIII!!"

Edit: Sorry sorry sorry! I know this thing's like, dead or something (mostly because I hadn't really had the time or the drive to really finish... school is a drag) but I've actually edited his part of the last chapter. Hopefully it reads better. :<

The two chao stood facing each other for some time as the wind seemed to howl around them. The rain was already letting up, though the dark gray clouds still hung overhead.

The surface of the Obliterator felt cold and slippery underneath Kaze's feet. This isn't going to be easy…

Somewhere, the faint echo of rotating helicopter blades was heard, something that hadn't gone unnoticed.

I'd better make this quick… If there are still others around here, I don't want them to get hurt. I hope Sailor Wind finds out what makes this giant robot tick.

Kumo gritted his teeth impatiently, and started to fidget a little. "I'm tired of waiting for you!" he grumbled, lunging for her. "FIGHT ME!!"

As the dark chao wildly swung the scythe back and forth once more, Kaze countered with the sword. Blade clashed against blade over and over again until the two locked, as one sibling tried to push the other off balance. It was an even match, and both of them knew it. Kumo's venomous glare seemed to bore into Kaze's very being, he didn't like it that she was matching him move for move.

With a grunt of effort, he managed to push his sister away and backed away a few paces. The battle was taking its toll on him now; he leaned against his scythe for support as he paused to catch his breath. He knew Kaze felt the same way, yet she still stood in a defensive stance, as though waiting for Kumo to come at her once more.

"I don't understand," the dark chao rasped. "How can you still stand there like that?"

"Heh, you still haven't figured it out yet, have you?" A smirked came across Kaze's features as she looked Kumo in the eye.

"What is it, Kaze? ANSWER ME!"

Kaze's grinned widened. "You really want to know? I don't think you can take it."

Thunder rumbled overhead, drowning out Kumo's infuriated cry. Literally trembling in rage and hatred, the dark chao picked himself up and rushed at Kaze again.

Perfect. This is just what I was counting on.

Last piece of Part VI. This whole thing's gotten longer than I thought it would be, but I enjoy exploring the kinds of things I can do here.

If I don't end up dragging this on further than it has to, though, then the next bunch of narrative chunks will be the last of BRaEC.

It's been a long road with this story. I'm still working on the last part, and well, looks like the formatting got messed up a bit. I'll have to fix it up. o.o

I don't actually have much typed for the last chapter yet. Luckily I have Spring Break next week (though it's pretty early for it in my opinion), so hopefully I'll get more done.

Part VII

-

"I thought you were 'aimin' for the top,' robot."

"I am. So what, dog-boy?"

"I'm just wondering why the heck you're running around in circles when we're probably like 20 feet off the ground," Jake snapped.

"Runnin' straight up is BO-RING," Chibi Sonic muttered. "This is more fun!"

"What if you stop running all of a sudden, huh?"

"Relax, that won't-huh?"

The robot screeched to a halt as he caught sight of a familiar figure. Oblivious to the fact he and Jake were starting to tip slowly backwards and the youth was shouting in his ear, he stuck one hand out and waved. "Yo! Sailor Wind!"

The Scout was just hovering in mid-air just a few yards away. She turned her head and caught sight of the duo, looking quite surprised.

"CSR? Jake?"

As she flew over to them and took hold of Jake's arm in one hand robot hedgehog's arm with the other, the boy said to him, "You know her?"

"'Course I do! She's a friend of mine! What about you?"

"We just met today," Sailor Wind responded before Jake had a chance. "What are you doing around here, anyway?"

"I came here lookin' for Kaze, that's what!" CSR said indignantly. "Where is she?"

Sailor Wind shook her head. "Now's not the time. I'm taking you back down… you're way too heavy."

"Oh all right then…" CSR pouted for a moment, and then looked forlorn as he stared back at the Obliterator.

Within moments the trio was once again on solid ground, and Sailor Wind explained what happened to the increasingly impatient robot hedgehog.

"Whaddaya mean, she wanted to fight alone?!" he nearly shouted. "The last time she pulled something like that, she-"

"This is different, CSR. Kaze is dealing with her own past." Sailor Wind stared him right in the face. "We cannot interfere."

CSR's expression turned furious. "Interfere? INTERFERE?! That little--" He stopped speaking and turned about face. "I'll show that chao what interfering REALLY is! An' don't try t'stop me, Sailor Wind."

Before the Scout could call after him, CSR zoomed off in the blink of an eye. Jake gaped at the spot where the robot once stood. "Is he always like that?"

She nodded. "Always." She was still staring upwards. "I'm going after him."

"Eh?" The boy turned to her. "But…" His sentence was cut off as Sailor Wind took hold of his hand and rose into the air.

"Don't look down," she said to him. "You'll lose your grip."

Jake said nothing, but nodded. Somehow, he knew where her focus currently was. As they steadily continued their second ascent of the Obliterator, he couldn't help but feel that something was slightly amiss.

*CLANG!*

The scythe went flying in the air and clattered noisily on the metal surface just feet away. Kumo, with an expression of pure shock, was staring down at the tip of the sword pointed at his neck.

"The answer… is friendship."

The dark chao's gaze shifted to the neutral chao ahead of him holding the blade. "Friendship?"

"The one thing you will never understand as long as you remain the way you are," Kaze told him. "This fight is over, Kumo. You've lost."

At first, Kumo remained silent. After a moment, he suddenly burst out laughing. "All right, all right, I admit it; you've at least gotten some more spunk. I guess it won't hurt to tell you…"

Kaze's expression faltered. "Tell me what?"

The dark chao sneered. "There's no way for you to 'save' me." He moved the blade to the side and leaned forward to look directly into her widened eyes. "At least, not while I still live and breathe."

The words took a while to sink in. As it did, it seemed to cut into Kaze's very being, sending chills all over. It was a strange emotion, one she hadn't experienced often… fear.

What made it all worse was her brother's twisted grin; he was relishing the moment, knowing he was the one who triggered it, this fear and sense of hopelessness and despair.

"KAZE!!"

The chao heard the voice before she saw the familiar blue blur. Before she knew it, Chibi Sonic had taken hold of her, staring right in the face, his emerald green eyes reflecting his concern.

"Kaze! Kaze, are you okay? You look pale as a ghost!"

The chao didn't respond. She just stared blankly ahead, as though he weren't even there.

He rounded on the dark chao "You! What have you done to Kaze?!"

"Nothing at all," Kumo chuckled. "Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing you at the construction site before. You know, the robots here are very easy to tamper with; just switch a few wires here and there, and they go stir crazy, rampaging everywhere." He looked up at CSR, sneering. "How was it? I suppose it was tough, considering the damage you'd taken from it. Dear sister's face was priceless…"

"Why you little…" The robot took a step forward.

"No… stop, CSR…"

He stopped at once, looking down to Kaze, whom he carried in one arm. "What's the deal, Kaze?! This chao talks like you an' stuff! He's talkin' all kinds of trash and called you his 'sister!' Give me one reason not ta trash 'im here and now!"

"They're siblings."

The robot turned about face. Sailor Wind was hovering in mid-air behind him, lowering a boy with dog-ears onto the surface.

"Siblings?" CSR asked incredulously. "You mean, they're related?"

Kumo smirked. "It's been fun while it lasted," he said coolly, turning his back to the small group to pick up the scythe nearby, "but, alas, I must take my leave."

"Wait!" Jake rushed forward. "Graham and the other kids you're hiding! Where are they?"

The dark chao stared at him as though he'd just said something insulting. "Why don't you go look for them, boy? I sure ain't gonna tell the likes of you." He lifted one nubby hand holding some sort of round object. "See you around, Kaze." He threw it down, unleashing a cloud of dark smoke that blocked everyone's vision and made them cough. As it cleared, he was gone.

Feeling all the strength drain out of her, Kaze's stance faltered. To support herself, she stuck her blade in the surface. Nearby, CSR punched and kicked angrily at the air, and Jake kept swearing under his breath. Sailor Wind, the only one who looked remotely calm, knelt down next to the chao.

"You'll have to tell Chibi Sonic everything one of these days. About your past."

"I… I know," Kaze said wearily.

"He was upset when he found out you were alone up here," the Scout told her.

The chao managed a weak smile. "He'll never forgive me for the last time. Robots never forget, don't they?"

Before the Scout could answer, the Obliterator suddenly began to quake, throwing the group off-balance. "We've got to get off here! It's going back underground!" Jake called out.

Sailor Wind nodded then turned to Chibi Sonic. The hedge-bot gave a salute. "Got it!" He jogged over and picked up the exhausted chao. "I'll be seein' ya down below. Don't leave me hangin', Say- I mean, Sailor Wind!"

Jake scampered to the trio. "Wait; don't tell me you're planning to--"

The hedge-bot grinned at him. "See you too, dog-boy!" He turned about face and sped off, leaving the other two alone.

The youth stared at the spot where he stood, then turned to the chuckling Scout. "Is… is he always like that?"

The Scout nodded as she took a hold of his hands again and rose into the air. "That is why he is one of my dear friends."

The words puzzled the boy, but he didn't say anything else as they descended towards the ground below, dodging by falling debris as the Obliterator smashed its way to whence it came. The ground and whatever buildings were still intact stopped shaking after a few minutes, though the damage was extensive. As the small group watched from a safe distance, it had left a gaping hole in the ground where it once stood. Chibi Sonic stood near the edge, still carrying Kaze in one arm, whistling as he observed how deep it was.

"That was a close one, I thought for a minute I was gonna fall in when some of the street caved in," he said triumphantly, "wiping" his nose with a thumb. "Woulda been done for, eh, Kaze?"

"It should have been destroyed."

CSR looked down at the chao. "Huh?"

"It should have been destroyed," she repeated feebly. "It's sickening knowing that my bro-that he caused all this…"

"Even if you did find its weakness, you wouldn't be able to stop it," Jake spoke up harshly. "Knowing Kumo, he's bound to fine tune it, make it better and stronger. When he's done, he'll take it on another joy ride and…" He stopped speaking at once, seeing CSR give him a nasty glare.

"You know, I gotta question for you. How do ya know that trash-talkin' chao, huh? You his buddy or something?"

"Hardly," the boy told him indignantly. "You wanna hear my life story? It's long and boring and you don't wanna hear it now so I'll tell you this: I'm a half-breed. And I'm not the only one living in this city. There are others. Yes, more like me. Different kinds of 'em, big whoop. There my buddies. The problem is that they're all Kumo's buddies, too. They stole all the parts that chao used to build that huge weapon of his. They think he's gonna make this whole place better for them. The catch is that he's just using them to further his own goals and they don't realize it!"

CSR stared at him blankly, as though he slowly comprehended what the youth just said. "He's evil. We get it," he said flatly. "Don't need you to shout."

Jake opened his mouth to retort, but no words came. Hastily, he turned his back to the robot hedgehog, crossing his arms.

"Many more things are to happen, many people will be hurt. The path that lies ahead must be taken."

All eyes turned to Saya, who had transformed back into her normal form. Like CSR, she stood near the edge of the hole in the street, but her gaze was into the dismal, gray sky.

Jake looked to CSR and Kaze to find their expressions grim. "What does she mean? Is that like a prediction or something?"

"Nah, nothing like that," Chibi Sonic answered back. "It's just Saya's crazy sixth se--"

His sentence was cut off as tires screeched some distance away. As they turned to look, an old automobile had careened around a street corner and sped down the street towards them and screeched to a halt just a few yards away. The driver's side door swung open, and a chubby middle-aged man stepped out. His robotic arm closed the door, and as his balding head turned to the rest of the group, his eyes fell to the dog-eared boy standing next to Saya.

"Jake? Is… is that you?"

The boy stared back at him, rooted to the spot. "Uncle?"

The other three looked back and forth at them. CSR opened his mouth as though he were going to ask the obvious but instead questioned, "Old man Harris, what are you doin' out here?"

Harris seemed to snap back into reality. "M-me?" he stammered, rounding on him. "That's my line! You've any idea what I had to-"

"The police are coming."

All eyes were on Saya again. She was facing them this time, her bright cyan eyes looking around at everyone else. "Do you not hear the sirens?"

"What she said," Harris continued. "Unless you all wanna be cooped up downtown all night bein' questioned 'bout this mess, I suggest you hop aboard while you got the chance."

"I don't think that's going to work," Kaze said softly from CSR's arms. "If we run away now, then it'll make us seem like the guilty ones. We didn't do anything wrong, in fact we tried to stop it."

The sirens were becoming louder. Flashing red and blue lights could be seen in the distance now, reflecting off buildings both fully intact and damaged. Harris looked back, and then turned his head to the rest of them. "You sure about that?"

"Yes."

"Suit yerself, then." Harris opened the driver's side door to the old car and sat inside. "I'll be seein' ya later. Kaze, get plenty o' rest now, ya hear?"

"Wait, Uncle!"

The old man's eyes looked to Jake again. "Don't worry about anything, kid. I'll tell yer parents yer just fine."

Jake stopped in his tracks. After a moment, a tiny smile crossed his features and he silently nodded. "A-all right. Thanks, Uncle."

Harris nodded again, and drove off. Everyone else watched as the old automobile headed down the road and disappeared as it turned onto a nearby side street. At the same time, a group of police cars were headed in their direction, their sirens blaring increasingly louder.

"You know, it ain't too late, Kaze," CSR whispered. "I can get us all home real fast an--"

"No," the chao told him sternly. "I'm following what Mr. Harris told us earlier. We're telling them everything we know."

The robot opened his mouth to complain, but decided against it. He couldn't argue against it this time. Instead, he started muttering under his breath as though the chao weren't there, even though she clearly caught the words, "boring," "stupid," "slow," and a swear word or two. She chose to stay silent; Chibi Sonic would pay the price for it later.

It was late evening, and the entire apartment was dark. That is, except for the dim light from the living room television which shone on the couch and, to some extent, seemed to illuminate the sleeping Pikku curled up next to a small pillow. Sitting on the coffee table was a half-eaten red bread-like food with blue sprinkle-like spots sitting on a plate next to a plastic cup lying on its side. An empty blue box labeled "PokéPoffins Deluxe" lay on the floor.

As soon as the locks on the front door clicked, the Pichu's ears twitched, and her head slowly rose. Seconds later, the front door flew open with a slam, startling her so badly she yelped in surprise and fell off the sofa, sending off a shower of sparks.

"Why'd they keep us there so long?" Chibi Sonic Robo's voice complained loudly. "They act like we were the ones controllin' that thing! Those lousy rotten little…"

Pikku had just climbed back onto the coffee table and turned to see the frustrated robot step over the threshold and storm into the living room. Right behind him was Saya, who carried Kaze in one arm and the chao's sheathed sword in the other. Neither of them seemed to notice or really care that the metal front door now bore an imprint of CSR's fist. Kaze especially looked unnaturally paler than usual.

"Welcome back," the Pokémon piped up. "Pikku saw you on the news-chu. You all look terrible, though. What happened?"

"The police had us all detained," CSR grumbled indignantly. "Questioned us for hours, they did. They swore up and down that we were the ones controlling the thing that wrecked the city. They've probably still grillin' dog-boy in the hot seat, since he knows so much."

"That's enough," said Saya sternly. "I know what you are feeling, Chibi Sonic, but it is over now."

CSR opened his mouth to respond then closed it again. Instead, he stalked over to the sofa and flopped on it. Snatching up the remote with his left hand, he angrily jabbed buttons on it with this right index finger, changing channels until he spotted a television ad promoting a video game console.

The chao-girl watched him for another moment before closing the door behind her. "I apologize for being out so long, Pikku. I trust that you were all right here by yourself?"

Pikku nodded. "I'm fine-chu! But, what about Kaze-chu? She--"

"I'll be fine," Kaze said blankly as Saya turned her loose. "It's been a long day, and I'm turning in early. Good night."

Pikku and Saya watched as the chao headed towards the back hallway and disappear around a corner. The Pichu's ears drooped. "Did… did I do something wrong?"

"It's nothing of the sort," Saya answered, closing her eyes. "The day's events have left a personal impact on her. She just needs time alone, is all."

The door to the bedroom Kaze shared with Saya was slightly ajar when she reached it, but she didn't seem to notice.

Oblivious to the homely surroundings and pale yellow walls, the chao made a beeline for the bed towards the left side of the room. She let herself drop onto the fluffy blankets; every inch of her ached, it hurt to move an arm or even blink. She was tired, completely drained of all strength; all she wanted to do was sleep. She rolled over on her back, staring at the ceiling of the room, and her eyes started to close… That is, until she heard the door open.

"You're still hurting… aren't you?" The voice was drifting and serene; the chao didn't have to look up to know who it was.

"I'll be fine, Sai," Kaze whispered back.

"I mean, about what happened with your brother. What he said to you…"

The chao rolled over to her side. "He's no brother of mine."

"You truly do not mean that, Kaze." Saya walked over to the side of the bed she was facing and knelt down to her eye level. "You and I both know that."

Kaze stared into her eyes for a moment before silently turning away again. Her small form began to quiver, as though she'd felt a chill. When she spoke again, her voice was barely audible.

"Saya… I'm scared. I don't know what I should do. Would it be the right choice or a wrong one? I… think I may actually have to…"

Saya reached out and placed her hand on the chao's head. "You know what I think?" the human spoke up. "I think that it was meant to happen sooner or later, Kaze. Though, how would I know something like that?"

A moment of silence passed. Saya removed her hand and stood up to full height again, then turned to face the night sky through the window. "I don't really understand it myself, actually," she mused. "It's like some small voice is speaking to me, telling me these things. Maybe… it's the wind."

She gave Kaze one last look as she walked back to the door. "I'll make sure CSR and Pikku stay quiet," she concluded, as though the silence didn't faze her. "Rest easy, Kaze."

The chao rolled back over to the window, gazing up at the moon, which was half obscured by some branches. Her eyes finally closed after few minutes as she drifted into a dreamless slumber.

Just beyond the bedroom window, a dark chao appeared on the lowest branch. It seemed to stare intently at the sleeping chao as its crimson scarf, illuminated in the moonlight, flowed with the direction of the wind. Its eyes reflected the grim expression it wore, almost showing concern.

"The next time we meet, I will be expecting your decision."

The wind started to pick up, and the dark chao started to ascend towards the sky. It turned back on last time to the window, eyes narrowed.

"… Stay true to yourself, dear sister."

-Fin-

____________________________________

Finally complete. I can't really believe it took this long for me to get it done. o.o; I just hope I don't end up taking that long again. I admit, there were times where I really couldn't think of anything that would fit in the right spot or shifted something else into another spot. Not to mention various I also had various ideas that seemed good at first, but when I decided to use them, were really bad to me. Nevertheless, it was fun to write this.

Next in development: Nothing definite yet, though it would be fitting to delve into Kaze's and Kumo's "humble" beginnings.

Excellent work, Kaze. I really like what you've done with giving Kaze that personal and most difficult choice; it makes everything she does prior to that decision shape what it will become. I also like the introduction of half-breeds, and of their being used for evil ends, since that introduces an element of how things aren't peachy-keen for everyone in Sega City - there are people who are so different that they may not fit in any world, or at least they may not feel like it. And making sure that the Obliterator and Kumo got away for another day means that there's plenty of opportunities for either to show up later, either in GMs or other fics. Especially with the bit at the end, there's a sense of urgency, and it emphasizes the dramatic impact of the story.

Congratulations on your first complete MFW fic!

Thanks. I had gotten the idea of half-breeds living in the city from the MFW discussion thread on EB while GME was active, and I thought I could put it to good use somehow. I considered delving into it a bit more, but it really wouldn't have fit, in my opinion. I'd also originally planned on getting rid of the giant robot, too, but the whole story would've dragged on longer than it should have.

Thanks again. I'm still fiddling around with how to approach the next and working on character profiles. I'll have them up as soon as I'm done with them. ^^