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"For the Love of Eternity"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 10: The Final Confrontation and the Mournful Resolution

   Though this door was much larger and appeared more fortified than the front entrance to the base, Shadow and Sonic were ready to plow through it anyway, and yet, before they could pull into a twin spindash, the power of the chaos emeralds charging up their blast, they paused.  A creaking sound could be heard, followed by what sounded like a large door lock unlatching immediately afterwards.  The door suddenly began to peel apart before them, the sides of it pulling back into the room, revealing the path behind it.  The group was silent as chills ran through them; eyes widened, it was their turn to behold this coliseum of a room, where the final battle would begin.

   Nobody moved as the doors slowly creaked open.  Finally, they reached the end of their journey, the doors no longer hindering their sight to what lay before them.  While the sheer size and height of the semi-lit room was enough to bring them to awe and fear, the chaos emeralds began to flash to a constant glow, drawing their eyes forward, showing them at last, the Master Emerald sitting on a pedestal only yards before them.

   Sonic, recovered all too quickly from any shock or fear, let out a sigh of relief and said, “Well gosh, this was all too easy.  All we have to do now is find this zero and rescue Knuckles, Hidama, Amy and Delilah.  Feh, how in the world was he going to use the Master Emerald anyway…with computers?”

   The blue hedgehog took the first steps into the room, heading straight for the Master Emerald as it sat in this ring of computer equipment sunk into the ground.  Shadow wasn’t as sure about things as Sonic was however, and as he followed him he said, “Hold on now Sonic; if this guy was capable of destroying Angel Island and capturing not one, but two guardians and stealing the Master Emerald, it’ll pay not to get comfortable with him.  You’ve got to stay prepared for the worst!”

   While Shadow kept Sonic from going any closer to the Master Emerald, trying to reason with him, Rouge and the others finally made their way in behind them.  Amberly walked between her mother and Kelsey and said, “Ugh, this place gives me the creeps.  You’d figure with how bright and flashy the rest of the base is that they’d give a little more luster to this place.”

   Aries, who was walking on the other side of Rouge said, “I think Dad is right; I hardly sense a threat out of this…for all we know one of us took out the brains of this operation already.  I guess I was just expecting something…I don’t know…more menacing and dangerous.”

   “I have to go with Shadow you all,” Rouge said, “The leader of Team Maniacal is obviously very capable at what he’s doing.  You told me your friend Mr. Marks mentioned they were planning this for a long time, and if that is true, especially if they were cocky enough to kick Eggman out of their ranks, these people aren’t to be underestimated or taken lightly.  Something just isn’t right.”

   The others continued to walk forward, accept for Amarie and Pyro, who still walked hand in hand, but at a much slower pace.  Dragging her slightly scorched hammer on the ground behind her with her free hand, she hung her head slightly, glancing from side to side, whimpering softly.

   Pyro was silent as they walked together, but glanced at her with a concerned and worried eye; finally, he stopped walking, slowing her to a stop that she was ignorant to notice.  She trembled slightly, still glancing at the uncertain darkness around her.  The hedgecat placed his free hand on her shoulder gently, startling her slightly, causing her to let out a small squeak of a gasp.

   “It’s okay!” Pyro murmured.  As Amarie looked to him, still trembling, he tried his best to smile and whispered, “Hey, are you okay Amarie?  What’s wrong?”

   Amarie looked paralyzed by fear, and Pyro, though still a child, had his heart flooded with concern for her.   Putting an arm around her he said, “C’mon Amarie, what’s wrong?  Everything’s fine now…the worst is over!  Dad and Shadow are gonna beat this guy to a pulp!”

   Even Amarie was able to smile after that; she sighed however, and shook her head, murmuring, “I just wonder where my Mommy and Daddy are.  I miss them so badly…Uncle Hidama and Aunt Delilah too.  I just wanna rescue them and go—well…”

   “What’s wrong?” Pyro asked.

   Amarie looked at him with disbelief in her eyes and said, “Well, I was going to say so we could go home after all this but…those guys, they destroyed my home when they attacked.  I have nothing to go home to…none of us do…well, except you and your family…and Amberly and her parents I guess.”

   Pyro’s eyes widened, and then narrowed with disgust.  He looked back at the Master Emerald, then glanced up at the ceiling, which, lost in the darkness, he could barely make out.  He growled softly, hugging her gently and said, “They’re gonna pay for this.”  He then looked back at her, smiling again and said, “Come on Amarie; let’s make them pay for what they did to you and your family.  We’ll teach them not to mess with us, and your parents will be okay, you’ll see.”

   The two children, though only ten and twelve, had quickly formed so much more than just a strong camaraderie with each other.  They had formed a strong and trusting friendship, which already, showed the promise of growing into so much more.  It did appear that even though so much sorrow had come from these events that at the same time there was still the promise for hope and renewal, for better times to come, and the knowledge that even these bad times must pass, in favor for a bright future.

   And yet, even though this glimmer of hope could be seen the brave smiles exchanged by Pyro and Amarie, there was still one more obstacle before them.  They still had to rescue the Guardian brothers, Amy and Delilah, the Master Emerald, and of course, take out the leader of the operation…but…where was he?

   Kelsey and Mikomi continued to walk with Rouge, Amberly and Aries, and yet Kelsey too glanced around with fear.  She murmured, “Oh Miko, where are our parents?  Where can they possibly be in such a horrible place?”

   Mikomi shrugged and said, “I don’t know Kelsey…I just wish they’d bring the lights up a little…” He too began to glance around, looking for more sources of light, and thus his attention was brought up to the wall, where he saw a soft, glowing, neon green light in a capsule, which to his horror, he discovered held his father Knuckles in silent, unmoving suspension.  He froze, eyes widened and whitened in terror as he shouted, “Dad!  My word…Dad!”

   At a loss for words, Mikomi was thrown into a panic, only able to let out terrified cries, drawing everyone’s attention to the scene.  Shadow and Sonic, who seemed to be at odds about something, immediately looked to the wall behind them, only to see that Mikomi indeed had reason to be worried.  The capsule Knuckles was locked in seemed to serve as more than just a holding tank.  With all the equipment nearby it, Shadow could quickly draw the conclusion that this was how the mastermind behind all this planned to use the brothers; he would draw their power from them, channel it to the Master Emerald, and try to use it as he wished to, which he obviously did not know, was already impossible.

   “Gosh…it’s Knuckles!  But…where’s Hidama?” Sonic asked.

   He was soon answered by Kelsey’s terrified screams.  She looked to the opposing wall, only to find Hidama contained in the same kind of structure, motionless and silent, showing his wear and tear.  Kelsey fell to her knees, almost beyond consolation.  Mikomi did his best to comfort her, as did all of the kids, including Amarie, who now wept for her father and uncle.  While Pyro did his best to comfort her, he was beginning to get sick and tired of all the misery Amarie and the others were suffering, and true to his father’s spirit, he wasn’t gonna keep quiet about it.

   Pyro growled softly, looking up and over to the Master Emerald.  He bolted away from the group, within feet of the Master Emerald and shouted, “Alright!  Whoever you are, get your butt out here and face us!  What are you, scared?!  After hurting Amarie and her family so much the least you could do is come out and fight!”

   “Pyro stop!” Sonic cried.  He ran halfway to Pyro, only to be stopped as the lights suddenly flashed brighter, fully illuminating the room.

   A shrill cackle could be heard, and then a voice rang out strong, saying, “With pleasure child!  With pleasure!  I just wanted to give you a few moments to let the beginning of the end set in!  Ready for a new world order my boy?”

   The hedgecat whipped around, fire blazing from his wrists as he shouted, “Like heck you lame brain…as if you can use the Master Emerald to get what you want.  You’re nothing but a buffoon.  Come out here and let me make you pay for hurting Amarie!”

   Suddenly, a bolt of energy came from above, zapping the floor right at Pyro’s feet, sending shock waves through him.  He let out a cry as it sent him flying into the air, where Sonic, terrified at the scene, ran to catch him.

   “Pyro!” Amarie cried.  Sonic sped up and managed to catch his son before he crashed to the ground.  His hair was smoky, his shirt, shorts, and shoes were singed, and he was twitching uncontrollably from the excess energy that had forced itself into his small body.

   Sonic carried him over to Amarie and the others, sitting him down gently, his face racked with worry.  Pyro looked up at him, as well as his sister and Amarie who sat beside him and said, “Dad…I’m—I’m sorry I didn’t listen.  That…that packed quite a wallop.”  Pyro then fell silent, resting his head on Amarie’s shoulder.

   “No…,” Sonic murmured.  He looked up in the direction where the blast came from, his eyes blazing with a rage no words could express.  He let Pyro go gently, handing him to Amarie who now held on to him.  Amarie too was angry, all of them were.  This fiend had already done so much, and now he had just tried to take out the youngest of them; it was a heartless act, and like everything else, would now be punished.

   Shadow too was looking in this direction and shouted, “That was real big of you Sir Burns…now why don’t you come down and stop throwing attacks at us like a mouse stuck up in a tree?  Or are you too afraid and believe that technology can do all the work for you?  You’re nothing but a coward, an ignorant coward.  Do you honestly think the craft of mankind is enough to control the Master Emerald…that the hand of no man can destroy?  You’re a fool!”

   There was silence for a moment, and then finally, a platform could be seen descending from the ceiling above.  As it lowered to the ground, a figure could be made out standing on it.  He wore a black and grey jumpsuit, black gloves, black boots, and a black cape, and had long red hair pulled back behind him.  He held a gun by his side, but it wasn’t any regular gun; this was what was responsible for that blast that hit Pyro, and as the platform landed, and the man stepped off it, he let his victory be known.

   Walking towards Shadow slowly, Sonic and Rouge ran up to stand beside him, while Mikomi, Kelsey and Amberly hung back to look after Amarie, Pyro and Aries.  Sir Burns sneered at Shadow, but looked to Sonic and said, “Tsk, tsk, Sonic…I can’t believe it only took a level one ray shot like that to take out your son…but oh, that’s right, he’s nothing but a hybrid brat like the rest of them.  Humph, seeing as you beat down my science so much, it appears you are the ignorant ones, only offering yourselves and these sorry excuses for children as your defense.  You forget, I have more than just the Master Emerald in my possession…I also have the only surviving echidnas left to power it.”

   Sonic let out a scream and shouted, “Shut up!  How dare you say that about my son!  I’ll have you know he and Aries are stronger than you’ll ever be, and I also won’t have you insulting their mother that way!  Just shut it!”

   Sir Burns let out a wild laugh, trying his best to catch his breath before waving his hand and saying, “Whatever, whatever my friend…I didn’t expect you’d involve yourself in this…although, I’m especially thrilled that you decided to come along for the ride Shadow…and you even brought your wife and own hybrid freak of a child along with you.  My, my, still playing Daddy to Hidama are you?  Feh, you’d figure for all his power he would have been better prepared to face me rather than falling to pieces over his precious Delilah…the wretch.”

   Kelsey overheard Sir Burns’ words; both she and Mikomi stared at him in disbelief, this one man who was responsible for destroying their lives, and now threatened to strike the final blow at this very moment.  Kelsey shouted, “What did you do with my mother?  And Aunt Amy?  Where are they?”

   “My, my…you really are as fiery and defiant as both of your parents…it seems you are truly an annoying mix of the both of them.  Humph…perhaps other than Knuckles’ son I shall enjoy destroying you the most,” Sir Burns started, “As for your mother and aunt they are in the control room over there…but, don’t worry…I’m taking good care of them so they’ll be able to witness your downfall.”

   Mikomi stepped closer to Shadow and Sonic, coming between them, staring hard and cold at Sir Burns.  He said, “Just tell me why…I don’t really care why you want to kill me…and in the end I can even live with losing Angel Island, because even then I would have those I care about to see me through, and a free world to live in.  What I want to know is why you want to even attempt to use the Master Emerald for your ‘new world order’ when even I, a weak hybrid freak as you put it, know for a fact that only a well-trained and experienced guardian has the intelligence to control it properly?  Sure your machine can get the power it needs, but no computer…no man, not even I can control it because we don’t have the knowledge and power to do so correctly.  It’s only going to blow up in your face and destroy us all.  If you’re so smart, then tell me why you didn’t know this ahead of time?  Is it just that you’re so full of yourself and your pride that you are ignorant to any danger?”

   It appeared that Mikomi’s question was enough to shut Sir Burns up.  His laughing stopped, and now he stared only at Mikomi…who he now realized posed the greatest threat to him.  It wasn’t Shadow, Sonic, or the power of the seven chaos emeralds that threatened to undo his entire plan, but this one echidna hybrid…the son, not of Hidama, but of the younger brother Knuckles, who threatened to be not only the demise of his plans, but him as well.

   He stepped close to Mikomi, Shadow and Sonic going on the defensive as he approached; he stared at the echidna hybrid, coming with inches of his face, and whispered, “Do you really think you can save them my boy?  Can you really save your parents, uncle and aunt…your friends and family, can you really save them?  If the best of my machines and the powers of the guardian can’t control it, what makes you think you have any hope?”

   Taking a deep breath, Mikomi whispered, “I don’t plan to control it…I intend to dismantle it…for good.  My father and uncle won’t be around forever…it’s their responsibility as well as mine to protect it from misuse, and now, it’s only more evident to me and everyone else that the best way we can do that is to destroy it forever, freeing everyone from the burden of its power, and I intend to do just that.”

   Shadow and Sonic exchanged glances, unsure exactly what Mikomi meant, but Sir Burns was only too sure of what the echidna hybrid meant to do.  His eyes widened in anger and dread as he stood erect, stepping back and shouted, “Fools!  This exchange of crude words has gone on long enough!  The hour grows late, and it’s about time I showed you just what Team Maniacal is capable of with our technology and intelligence!  With the machines around you, you shall be the first to witness my rise to power!”

   He made a dash up to the platform that the Master Emerald sat upon, while Shadow, Sonic and Mikomi looked on in horror.  “Sir Burns, stop!  Once you unleash its power it’ll have nowhere to go!” Mikomi shouted.  “No machine is capable of wielding this power correctly!  You’ll overload it, and the consequences will be much worse than just a failed plan for world domination!  It’ll be the end of us all!”

   Ignoring Mikomi’s cries, Sir Burns cackled wildly and turned to the control room, shouting, “Nelson!  Let’s get this party started!  Activate the main power!”

   Suddenly, every machine and computer monitor in the room roared to life.  The ring of equipment around the Master Emerald began buzzing like crazy, uploading and programming data, and ready to answer and run Sir Burns’ commands.  The neon glow of the capsules that held Hidama and Knuckles began to brighten and dilute, and it was finally time for things to get intense.

   Shadow turned to Sonic and said, “There’s no reasoning with him Sonic.  He’s going to summon the power of the Master Emerald no matter what, and not unlike Lord Feldmort I’m sure he intends to intensify it even more with his own programs, making its power even more devastating.  I just hope the chaos emeralds can handle the power at that level.”

   Looking back to Pyro, Sonic lowered his eyes, looking at the chaos emeralds and said, “We have no choice anyway. There’s nothing else we can do anyway.  If we don’t deal with the Master Emerald directly, its power will run rampant and destroy everything in its path.  We must try to disable the machinery while dealing with it at the same time, as well as try to free Knuckles and Hidama, and protect the others.”

   The hedgehogs looked at each other, and Shadow said, “Just like old times, right?”

   Sonic managed a smile, nodded and said, “Just like old times…”

   They were interrupted by another maniacal laugh from Sir Burns, who now held a control panel in his hands.  As his laugh settled down, he looked to Shadow and Sonic and said, “Oh my, I’m just glad I could have you two distinguished as audience to my take over.  I may even spare your lives when all is said and done…I can’t say the same for the son of Knuckles though…he is far too dangerous to me…as sad as that sounds.”

   Mikomi growled and shouted, “Stop this!  You have no idea what you’re about to do!  We’ll all be destroyed!”

   But Sir Burns wasn’t going to listen, and it appeared that now doomsday was on their doorstep.  Shadow looked to Sonic and shouted, “That’s enough, we have to go Super now!”

   Before they could summon the power of the chaos emeralds however, Sir Burns let out another laugh and said, “Relax my child, for now I shall spare you…because nothing shall spoil this moment for me!”  Glancing affectionately at the Master Emerald, he said, “Time to show the world what you can really do…time to show everyone you were meant to have your power exercised instead of being made to sit idly by while the world around you falls into decay.  Let’s show them what you can really do in capable hands!”

   Much to the horror and dismay of Mikomi, Shadow, Sonic and the others, all it took was the flick of a switch to set off the nightmare.  Up in the capsules the green lights suddenly burst into almost blinding white lights, enveloping both Hidama and Knuckles; somehow, however the machinery of Team Maniacal was meant to work, it began to sap the guardian power from Knuckles and Hidama.  Because they were both beaten into complete and total submission and surrender, they offered no resistance to this, not because of the comatose like state they were in, but because their spirits literally had nothing left to offer.

   Shadow gazed with sadness at the sight.  He looked to Sonic and says, “This alone speaks volumes of this man’s madness.  He literally beat them into surrender, making it so even their souls were willing to give up the fight.  This would never work for him if he did not do that, for even putting one of them in the deepest state of unconsciousness would not be enough to sap the power from them.  He literally broke their spirits first…with both the power of Hidama and Knuckles at his disposal, we would normally be facing the worst the Master Emerald has to offer, for when both brothers wield it together it has the power save all life and peace.  I can only surmise in his hands that this the complete opposite, and with this extra power he is feeding it…this is indeed a dark day for our time.”

   Sonic could only nod, for a great fear had taken their souls as they watched the power from the guardian blood of both Hidama and Knuckles being sapped from them, channeled into special tubing and fed into the Master Emerald.  After days of remaining dormant and dark in the Maniacal base, the inner glow of the Master Emerald flickered bright once more, and yet it was not at full strength…something was wrong.

   “Blast it!” Sir Burns shouted, “Something is keeping the Master Emerald from reaching its full strength!”  He glared at Shadow and Sonic, and saw at last that they indeed had all seven chaos emeralds in their hands…the only thing that could counteract and balance this behemoth’s power.  He set down the control panel gently, taking a step towards Shadow and Sonic and said, “Hand over the chaos emeralds hedgehogs…they are interfering with the Master Emerald…how do you expect it to have enough power to go global with those things around?”

   Shadow and Sonic exchanged worried glances, knowing in their hearts it wasn’t the seven chaos emeralds that were affecting the Master Emerald.  Rather, it was most likely the little guardian blood that flowed through Mikomi’s veins that gave him that sliver of control over it, and thus threw off Sir Burns’ plans.  The great leader, despite his well calculated plans and intelligence, had neglected to consider the effect that Mikomi’s guardian blood, as small as it may be, would have on his plans, keeping the power of even his uncle’s and father’s blood through the Master Emerald at bay.

   This was the only hope they had for taking Sir Burns down without risking the lives of everyone on the planet.  As long as he thought the chaos emeralds were the culprit, perhaps they could rescue Hidama and Knuckles, as well as Amy and Delilah, and bring down this maniac for good.

   They exchanged glances once more and slowly began to draw power from the chaos emeralds.  Sir Burns grew furious with them as the chaos emeralds began to glow.  He shouted, “What are you doing?  You two are ruining everything!”

   Shadow laughed and said, “That’s exactly what we want to do Sir Burns, because unlike you we like our world the way it is, and can do without a clumsy and fool-hardy man for a world dictator.  So, why don’t you step back and be a witness to your own demise!”

   With that, Sonic and Shadow went into their Super forms, surrounded by a wave of light as they did so.  Sonic, now golden yellow in color, and Shadow the same, only a more pale gold, and maintaining his red stripes, both rose into the air, ready to bring Sir Burns down once and for all.

   It appeared that the battle was now more than over.  It wouldn’t take Shadow and Sonic long to take this guy down now, and once he was done away with, they could rescue Hidama, Knuckles, Amy, and Delilah and end the nightmare for good.  And yet, though Sir Burns could be dealt with, they had forgotten one very important thing, which in the end, could spell disaster for not just them, but all life.

   “How dare you defy me you imbeciles!  How dare you!  You shall pay for this!” Sir Burns shouted, “I don’t need the Master Emerald at full strength in order to show you what it is capable of doing!”

   Power now flowed to the Master Emerald, and even though the presence of Mikomi’s guardian blood kept it from reaching its full ferocity, this power was still immense and terrifying, and it was still uncertain whether or not the chaos emeralds and Super Sonic and Super Shadow could take it down.  Before either of them could make a move, Sir Burns reached for the control panel one last time.  All it took, was a few presses of the buttons and flicks of a switch, to set the final battle into motion.  It wasn’t Sir Burns who would decide their fate, rather, the Master Emerald that would decide the fate of the entire world.

   All breath in the room froze as the machine let out a vicious roar.  The overflow of commands was beginning to overpower the computer, and sparks and smoke rose from some of the consoles.  The walls of the room began to rattle, the floor shaking.  Back towards the door, Pyro began to stir awake as Amarie held him, and looked up, opening his eyes halfway, seeing his father in his super form.

   Reaching out to him, he murmured, “Father…be—be careful…,” in a weak and fading voice.

   Aries and Amarie looked to him, worried for him, and everyone, as the room began to shake around them.  The girls looked to one another as he closed his eyes once more; Amarie, almost ready to cry again held her strength and said, “We need to get him out of here…that blast hurt him.  I’m afraid for him.”

   “I know Amarie, but what can we do?  Things are getting—,” Aries started.  She was broken off by a big shudder, caused by a portion of the ring of computer equipment exploding and starting to burn.

   Rouge backed up a few paces, keeping Amberly and Kelsey behind her, but Mikomi still stood close to Shadow and Sonic, allowing interference with the Master Emerald, keeping it from reaching full power as long as the little, hidden, control he had remained close.  Though they had every intention to take Sir Burns down, now he was in danger from the malfunctioning computer equipment as the Master Emerald began to overload with both guardian power, and power being fed into it, and with no guardian to control it, it was threatening to unleash itself in a wave of power similar to all of the super volcanoes of the world erupting at once in one large, cataclysmic explosion, only the rush of power threatening to blow now, would be infinitely more devastating.

   Still, Shadow and Sonic, still in super form, realized that even though this was all Sir Burns’ doing, it wouldn’t be right to set by and watch him die.  They both rushed in, pulling Sir Burns away from the console just before it exploded into flame.  Though the equipment was blowing apart, the Master Emerald was far from done unleashing its power.

   As they lowered Sir Burns to the ground, Shadow and Sonic glared at him, and even now could see that though he was stubborn, he was slowly beginning to realize the error of his ways.  Shadow said, “I hope you’re happy Sir Burns…now there’s nothing any of your technology can do.  Our only hope is for you to release Hidama and Knuckles so they can try and counter this.  If not, the power the Master Emerald is exerting will be impossible for it to contain, and with nothing to control it, it will run rampant and destroy the world.”

   Still, the Team Maniacal leader was unwilling to cooperate, even after Shadow and Sonic had just saved him from his own malfunctioning devices.  He folded his arms, getting up and said, “Humph, free the echidnas if you can…I don’t care.  As for the Master Emerald, to heck with it, I shall escape the destruction, and when I do, I’ll be there to take over after it…I’ve won anyway you fools!”  He cackled wildly, taking off with all speed down the hallway, and eventually his two henchmen, Nelson and Johnson, no longer at the controls, raced after him.

   Sonic shouted, “You’re nothing but a coward!”

   Ready to chase off after him, Shadow pulled on his arm and said, “No Sonic!  We have to take care of the Master Emerald first!  Even if he gets away for good, we can get him later!”

   Sonic nodded, and both of them looked up to where Hidama and Knuckles were contained, yet before they could fly up to dismantle them, Aries, Kelsey and Amberly rushed by, chasing after Sir Burns and his henchmen.  Rouge followed them, and paused near Shadow, who looked at her confused.

   “Don’t worry Shadow; we’re going after those three and looking for Amy and Delilah so we can free them!  You just focus on freeing Knuckles and Hidama!  Mikomi is staying with Amarie and Pyro!” Rouge explained.

   Shadow nodded, smiling slowly, and said, “Be careful.”  Rouge smiled, and then took off after the girls.

   And not a moment too soon, for now that all the computers were disabled, the lights began to flicker, the room began to shake, and a fire began to rage.  The Master Emerald began to glow with a dark and threatening light.  Power raced through it, and without a guardian to control it, it threatened to destroy them all.

   “Quickly Sonic!” Shadow shouted.  They knew they had no time to waste.  They flew up to the capsules, Shadow went to Hidama, and Sonic went to Knuckles, and they both began a desperate attempt to break the guardians free from their prisons, but to no avail.  This glass was shatterproof, and even their super-form attacks were having a hard time breaking the echidna brothers free.  Unfortunately for them, they were now running out of time, and Mikomi knew it.

   Mikomi was now standing beside Amarie, who still held a trembling Pyro in her arms, resting in her lap.  She looked up to Mikomi and said, “This looks bad Mikomi.  If Dad and Uncle Hidama aren’t freed soon we’ll be done for.”  She looked down at Pyro, still badly injured from the ray blast, and whimpered, “I wish that the stupid Master Emerald never existed…it’s gonna destroy us all.”

   He looked at his sister sadly as tears formed in her eyes.  He could see how fond Amarie already was of Pyro and knew she was worried for him greatly.  Yet what concerned Mikomi most was Amarie’s future, not just with Pyro…but in general.  Even if they did survive this…what would happen to them once their father and uncle died?  Who would control the Master Emerald then?  He knew the Master Emerald was a burden for his father in his youth, and for Mikomi, Amarie and Kelsey it would only be worse.  How would they be able to live any sort of happy life with that burden around?

   Amarie was right; Mikomi too wished the Master Emerald never even existed.  Sure, things would be much different, but it would also mean none of this was going to happen, and that they wouldn’t have such a bleak future ahead of them as they had to try and look after this burdensome jewel with barely a drop of guardian blood to do so.

   That feeling from before came back to him.  He realized why the Master Emerald could not reach its full strength…because he was there, and though much less than his father or uncle, it was enough to tame that small fraction of its power.  Mikomi realized that if Hidama and Knuckles weren’t freed in time, they were all doomed, but maybe…just maybe…there was something he could do to stop it.

   He looked at the Master Emerald; he knew that if it shattered after this rush of power it would simply mend itself once more.  If all the power was pulled from it forever, it was possible that the massive gem could be undone, and no longer be a burden to those that would follow his father’s and uncle’s footsteps.  He had heard many times before that Hidama and Knuckles had the power to undo it, and planned to before their deaths, but, did that possibly mean that Mikomi too had this power if he could control it that little bit?

   Walking towards it he whispered, “Perhaps if I let the flow of power channel through me when it breaks free, the little guardian blood I do have can capture it and drain the remainder of its power rendering it powerless for good.”  He paused, taking a deep breath, unsure of what would happen when he did so, but determined nonetheless.  He was willing to make any sacrifice for those he loved…for his little sister, for his cousin, for his new friends, for his family…even the entire world and mankind, which he once hated, and was now ready to give his life for.

   As he walked up to the Master Emerald, Shadow and Sonic finally broke the capsules free from the wall.  Unfortunately, as Hidama’s fell Shadow was unable to catch it, and it tumbled to the ground, finally cracking and breaking, setting Hidama free as he tumbled out of the wreckage and to the ground only inches from where Amarie held Pyro.  She pulled Pyro close to her, hiding her face in his hair, but looked up, to see her uncle free and alive, but still deeply unconscious.

   “Uncle Hidama!” she cried.

   He didn’t move or speak, and at the same time, Sonic let Knuckles’ capsule tumble to the ground, and in the same way, the echidna rolled free, coming to a stop near his brother, and remaining motionless, even as Amarie cried out to him.

   Shadow and Sonic landed, still super, but now even more desperate to wake the brothers.  The room continued to quake and a fire now raged.  Shadow knelt down beside Hidama, taking him to his arms and shaking him slightly.  “Hidama!  Hinsei Hidama!  Speak to me!  You’ve got to wake up!”  He looked to Sonic and said, “We’ve got to wake them up!  If we don’t they won’t be able to stop the outburst of power from the Master Emerald!  Hurry!”

   Shadow, Sonic, and now Amarie cried out desperately for Hidama and Knuckles, but were unable to get even a deep breath from either of them.  In their fear, they didn’t see Mikomi slowly advancing towards the fire and thundering Master Emerald.  Soon it would be impossible to stop him, and even if they could, Mikomi’s mind was made up.  He was willing to save his loved ones and the future of the world, no matter the cost.

   Only seconds later, Rouge rounded the corner with Amy and Delilah behind her.  Amberly, Kelsey and Aries followed shouting ahead, “We got Sir Burns and his goons tied up and restrained!  We’ll take care of them later!”

   Amy ran up to Amarie, hugging her tightly, and Amarie did the same, even though she still held on to Pyro with one arm.  She looked to her mom and said, “This is Sonic’s son Pyro…he needs help Mom…he got blasted…we’ve got to wake up Daddy and Uncle Hidama!”

   Poor Amy in all the confusion neglected to notice Mikomi as he approached the Master Emerald, but instead looked to Knuckles, who lay helpless on the ground.  She crawled over to him and Sonic who continued to plead with the echidna to speak.  Amy sat beside Sonic, taking Knuckles into her arms and did the same.  On the verge of tears, she cried, “Please, Knuckles…please, you’ve got to wake up.  We all need you; if you don’t wake up, the Master Emerald will destroy us all.”

   Delilah was now doing the same thing, holding on to Hidama tightly as Kelsey knelt down beside her.  “Please Daddy…please, you’ve got to wake up.  You just have to,” Kelsey pleaded.

   The entire group was now entirely focused on waking the guardian brothers, who were now their last hope.  They cried to them, shaking them, and Shadow and Sonic even went out of the super form, hoping maybe the energy of the chaos emeralds could jar them out of their unconscious state.  Slowly, it appeared that it was working as they began to take deeper breaths and slowly flex their fingers.  The brothers were finally waking up, and not a moment too soon, for now the shaking had slowed, and though the fire still raged, the Master Emerald was now within seconds of releasing its full power.

   Shadow eyes widened with fear; he shouted, “It’s too late!  We have to run for it!  Once Knuckles and Hidama wake up they can do their best to hold back the rest of the wave, but until then we have to run!

   The group got ready to flee.  Shadow took hold of Hidama, Sonic picked up Knuckles; Amy, Delilah and Rouge got the girls together, while Aries helped Amarie carry Pyro.  Yet, before they could flee, they realized one of them was missing.

   Amy looked around with panic.  She cried, “Mikomi?  Where is he?  Where’s Mikomi!?”

   Everyone looked around and with horror, saw Mikomi standing beside the Master Emerald, even as it threatened to unleash this outburst of overwhelming and destructive power.  Shadow sat Hidama down and ran next to Amy.  He shouted, “Mikomi no!  Get away from there now!  It’s suicide to stand there!”

   He couldn’t wait, Shadow started to run to Mikomi, even as the wave of power began the countdown to eruption.  Hidama at this moment began to stir, as did Knuckles, giving them only seconds to see the tragedy unfolding before them.

   “Mi—Mikomi?” Knuckles murmured.  Finally fully awake, the echidna realized the danger his son was now facing.  He stood up fast, pulling on Hidama’s arm and cried, “Hidama!  Hurry!  We’ve got to save Mikomi!”

   Terrified, Hidama stood up fast, both brothers ready to bring an end to the Master Emerald’s destruction…and yet…their time was now up.  Shadow was frozen in his tracks, forced to turn his face away from this outpouring of energy that now erupted.  What the group didn’t see, was the sacrifice Mikomi was now making for them all.

   “Yes…it may be suicide Shadow…but…it’s not in folly,” Mikomi murmured.  He turned away from them, a tear falling from his eyes, but a brave smile on his face, he placed his hand on the volatile Master Emerald and said, “I love you all, so very much, with the entirety of my heart and soul…this is just a small price to pay to know you won’t have this burden on your shoulders anymore…and that the future of the world will be secure forever.  Now it won’t have to stick around until Dad and Uncle Hidama are ready to die, bringing more risk to the world.  I know that even those who have hated me will be alright…yes, even if they don’t love me in return…I will show care for them…and save them from destruction.”

   Soon the blinding dark light began to fade, and everyone was almost afraid to open their eyes.  Shadow slowly looked to where Mikomi was once standing, only to find that nothing remained of the son of Knuckles and Amy.  All that was left, was the now dead Master Emerald, drained of all its power, only this time, there would be no regenerating itself.  The Master Emerald was now undone, the question was, how was this possible?  How was that dangerous wave of power stopped dead in its tracks…and where was Mikomi now?

   Hidama and Knuckles now ran ahead and up to Shadow as he now stood on the pedestal where Mikomi once stood.  He placed his hand on the Master Emerald, closed his eyes, and murmured, “The Master Emerald is…dead.  There’s no power even in the heart of the gem.  Did Mikomi really have enough guardian blood within him to do what Hidama and Knuckles could?”

   The brothers came up to him, and as he looked to them, Knuckles, on the verge of a breakdown, looked to Shadow and said, “Where is he?  Where is my son?”

   The hedgehog looked to Knuckles with disbelief, he shook his head and then looked to Hidama and said, “The Master Emerald is no more…only the gem itself survived.  The core of its power is gone forever…and I…I can only surmise this was Mikomi’s doing.  Because of him Sir Burns was never able to bring the Master Emerald to full strength, even with the combined power of the both of you.  The little power he had flowing in his veins was enough to soothe that little bit…and in doing that I guess he only realized that he could do this…and in desperation he surmised this was the only resolution…but I’m afraid…it was just too much for him.”

   Knuckles went pale, looking to Hidama who could only hang his head.  He murmured, “You and I both knew it would mean sacrificing our lives to undo the Master Emerald…I don’t know if Mikomi knew but…I—I can’t believe he’s…dead.”

   The three could no longer speak.  Tears flooded both Shadow’s and Hidama’s eyes, while Knuckles could only stare at the ground, unsure of whether to be angry, sad, or horrified, he clenched his fists, growling softly, before looking skyward and shouting, “Mikomi!” as loudly as he could muster.

   Amy, disoriented and scared ran to Knuckles, clinging to him, looking at him with disbelief.  He looked at her with tears forming in his eyes, unsure of what to say or how on earth to break it to her that their only son had died to save them all.  Perhaps his tears said enough because Amy, holding on to Knuckles as tightly as she could let out her own scream, pleading for Mikomi to come back to her.

   The two parents mourned terribly, standing together, holding on to each other tightly, unable to find any source of relief.  At the same time, the others finally came up to them.  Rouge ran up to Shadow with Amberly beside her.  She took her father’s arm and said, “Daddy?  Is Mikomi really…gone?”

   Shadow looked at his daughter, unsure of what to say, and while he was glad that she was alright, his heart was breaking as Knuckles and Amy had to deal with losing their son.  Unable to answer her, Amberly burst into tears, turning to hug Rouge and cried, “Oh Mikomi…oh why…”

   Sonic was now carrying Pyro, as Aries and Amarie walked beside him.  Amarie left Pyro for now, going up to her mother and father.  They looked down to her and she said, “Mommy…Daddy…I—I can’t believe Mikomi is…gone.”  Finally, she burst into tears, grabbing on to her father’s leg and crying harder than she ever had in her life.  Amy knelt down beside Amarie and held her, as did Knuckles, putting his arm around them both.  Though the three of them had each other, losing Mikomi, was a bitter and hard pill to have to take.

   Pyro opened his eyes, looked to his father and said, “Daddy?  Is Mikomi really dead?”

   Sonic, who loved Knuckles like a brother, and Amy like a sister, could feel his heart weeping for their pain, and as he gazed at his beautiful daughter and son, he could barely feel thankful for their safety without weeping for Knuckles, Amy, and their loss.  He looked to Pyro and said, “Yes, son…he’s gone now.  He must have taken the full wave of power from the Master Emerald and stopped it.  He saved us all, but died in the process…the poor soul.”

   The hedgecat looked to Amarie and said, “Dad…put—put me down.  I can walk.”  Sonic sat Pyro on his feet, and though he was still pained by the injuries from the ray blast, he limped over to Amarie, placing a hand on her shoulder.  She looked to him, and he said, “Amarie…I’m just…so sorry about all this.  I wish it didn’t have to be this way.  I—I’ll try and help you however I can…since he can’t anymore.”

   Amarie, her eyes filled with tears, cried, “Oh Pyro…,” she couldn’t speak anymore, but latched onto Pyro, hugging him tightly.  He knelt down beside her, hugging her securely but gently.

   He placed a hand on the back of her head, cradling it against his shoulder and whispered, “Shh…it’s okay.  Everything will be alright now…I promise.”

   As Pyro comforted Amarie, Kelsey and Delilah ran up to Hidama.  Kelsey was in tears, already aware of what had happened to her dear cousin, and until now her only true friend, and was unsure of how in the world she would cope.  She ran to Hidama, hugging him tightly and cried, “Oh Daddy, how did Mikomi die?  Why did he die?  He just can’t be dead!  I won’t let him go!”

   Hidama’s heart was shattered as well…he loved Mikomi as if he were his own son, and was devastated that his brother had to go through this pain.  He could only hold on to Kelsey as Delilah ran up and hugged them both.  She cried, “Oh Hidama…I am so glad you’re alright…I just wish so badly that it didn’t have to come to this.”

   The echidna smiled weakly, kissing her on the forehead, but hardly able to be grateful for his good fortune.  He looked to Shadow and said, “I’m confused.  The Master Emerald was completely undone yes…but…how did Mikomi do this with naught but half the guardian power Knuckles or I possess?”

   Shadow, who was trying to comfort Rouge and Amberly, looked to Hidama, as everyone looked to him and said, “He gave his life to save the world.  That is why the Master Emerald existed right Hidama?  It was meant to protect the world from all harm, and yet now it was being used to do the exact opposite…to plunge it into death and erase it from existence.  Mikomi…after mistrusting mankind for so long, realized the same thing you did when you pardoned Olermere…that all it takes is the love of one, to undo the hatred of many, and save the fate of all who are in danger.  Mikomi simply sacrificed his life to save us all…he gave his life, to save the future of a world…that never really loved him in return.  That is the ultimate gift of love and sacrifice, undoing not only the hatred that threatened it, but the one instrument that could not do this.  You…you and Knuckles are free now, and so are your descendents…for the Master Emerald is gone forever, and now the world is free from its temptation, as well as Sir Burns’ madness…and yet, it is only because Mikomi gave it all away…the poor child…if only…it could have been different…”

   Hidama lowered his eyes, looking at Kelsey and Delilah and said, “I feel terrible; here I am grateful that you two are unharmed while my brother has lost his son, and I my dear nephew.  Why…oh why did it have to be this way?  What did Mikomi do to deserve death…and at the hands of the Master Emerald no less?  I…I have failed him…my brother, everyone…”

   Shadow walked up to Hidama, placing a hand on his shoulder and said, “Don’t say that Hidama…this was his choice…he saved the lives of so many who hated him, and even more who will never know him and the miracle he gave them, because he wanted to.  Somewhere along the way, he finally learned the same lesson you did…that’s all…do not feel sorry…you did the best you could with the cards you were dealt…now…you simply have to rebuild your life again…we all do.”

   Kelsey sniffed, trying to dispel her tears and whispered, “I just wish he could come back to us…”

   Suddenly, a faint but bright light appeared on the platform where Mikomi once stood beside the now dead Master Emerald.  Mikomi began to appear, but only as a lit hologram, making one last appearance before passing away.  He whispered, “Okay…but only for a little while.”

   Everyone looked up at him in disbelief.  Amy cried out his name, and everyone ran up to the platform where Hidama, Delilah, Kelsey and Shadow already stood.  Amy cried, “Oh Mikomi…please, don’t leave me…how can I let you go?”

   Mikomi lowered his eyes, trying to smile and said, “I’m sorry Mother…I…I don’t mean to make you weep…but, somebody had to stop the Master Emerald right?  It would be more than just me that died had its final attack been unleashed…at least now you all, and mankind, will be safe.”

   Kelsey looked to him and said, “Mikomi…I wish…it didn’t have to be this way…those damn humans…this is their fault…I hate them so much.”

   Mikomi knelt down, reaching for Kelsey, touching her face as he wiped her tears away.  He whispered, “Oh Kelsey…don’t say that…none of you say that.  This wasn’t the fault of the humans…well, at least not all of them.  Poor Sir Burns and the other Maniacals, our grandfather, they were no different than the mutants led by Olermere and Feldmort.  It was the power of the Master Emerald that corrupted them, and nearly destroyed us all.  Were it not for the Master Emerald, they would never have been led to this kind of death and destruction…the hatred you should feel, is for the Master Emerald, and the hold that sins…greed, anger, hatred…took over those who afflict us.  Do not hate their souls…but hate what corrupted them, dooming us, the world, and them as well.”

   Everyone fell silent, moved and frozen by Mikomi’s words, offering both peace and forgiveness to those that hurt him, even giving his life for so many.  No one was sure of what to say in reply; Mikomi had taught them the lesson that Hidama had learned so long ago.

   Mikomi sighed and said, “I’m sorry…but I can’t stay for much longer.  You all have your own lives to live now, no longer bound by the Master Emerald.  Perhaps now, the wounds of the world will heal, and everything will be at peace.  That comforts me enough even though I must leave you all behind.  I’m sorry it had to be this way Mom…and Dad, and Amarie.  I love you three so much, and don’t forget, we’ll be together again someday…I’ll never leave you.”

   Amy fell to her knees, trying her hardest not to weep, and whimpered, “Oh my baby…oh my son…I love you with all my heart.”

   Knuckles could only lower his head, but nodded and said, “I love you Mikomi…with all my heart…you’ll always be my son…and I’ll always be proud of you.”

   Amarie whimpered, “I love you Mikomi…I’ll miss you so much.”

   Mikomi smiled at his sister and said, “Hey…you’ve got to look after Mom and Dad now…and hey, you’ve got Kelsey, and our new friends…I think Pyro said something about looking after you now too right?”

   The hedgecat walked up to Amarie, but looked to Mikomi’s spirit and said, “I promise Mikomi…I’ll look after her.  Aries and I can travel dimensions now too so we can always be here.”

   The hybrid echidna laughed and nodded saying, “You take good care of my sister okay?”  Pyro nodded, trying his best not to cry himself, and Aries who walked up to him, did the same, though tears fell from her eyes and over her weakened smile.

   Mikomi then looked to Hidama, and could already guess what Hidama was thinking.  He shook his head and said, “Uncle Hidama…don’t you and Dad blame yourselves for this…what happened can never be undone, so it’s not worth weeping over for long.  You did everything you could, and even though I must leave you now, you both fulfilled your duty.  You are both the last guardians to walk this earth…I’m just…relieved you’re both free now.  I’ll always love you Uncle Hidama…you too Aunt Delilah.  Please take care of Mom and Dad for me okay?”

   Hidama managed a weak smile, nodding, and though hardly able to speak, whispered, “That’s a promise Mikomi…I’m sure when you reach the afterlife you’ll find that every guardian before you will shower you with praise, for you did something none of their deeds could ever approach…neither could mine.”

   “Heh…I don’t know about that,” Mikomi said, but he didn’t want to make anyone sad by talking about that, so instead he looked to Shadow, who after all he had done, would be forever grateful to him.  He said, “Shadow…Rouge, thank you so much…if it weren’t for you two, me, Amarie and Kelsey would have been in a lot of trouble.  You helped us save our parents, and defeat these Maniacals…we owe you a lot of thanks.  And Shadow…I owe the most to you.  You helped me realize what is now only too clear; I didn’t need to hate all of mankind for the mistakes of a few…and even so I needed to learn to forgive those who hurt me…without that lesson…we’d all be gone by now…”

   Shadow, who found the strength to dispel his tears, looked to Mikomi and said, “Well said Mikomi…well said…indeed it is not you who owes us, rather, it is us, and the entire world, that owe you a debt of gratitude.  Be at peace…”

   Mikomi nodded, then looked to Amberly and Kelsey who stood side by side now, trying their best to comfort each other.  He walked over to them, and said, “You two became best friends right quick didn’t you?  I’m glad…now I know you can both look after each other now.  I know it’s hard…but, remember I’ll always be with you.”

   Amberly and Kelsey tried to smile but couldn’t, tears still pouring from their eyes.  Mikomi looked to Amberly and said, “It is just so awesome that you can fly now…and now you won’t have to feel bad about yourself anymore.  You are just so wonderful, bright, smart and strong…take care of yourself, and your parents too, okay?”

   The hedgebat looked at him, smiled weakly and said, “I—I will Mikomi…”

   At last, Mikomi looked at Kelsey, who returned his gaze, and looked helpless as to how she would move on without him.  She said, “Please…Mikomi…you can’t leave me…I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”

   He managed a smile and said, “I do…you’ll go on living.  You’ll live a wonderful, beautiful, happy life.  You’ll find someone who loves you more than I ever could…you’ll have a family…and you won’t be bound to the Master Emerald, ever.  You’re going to be blessed so much Kelsey, and though I know that seems far away and out of reach now, you’ve just got to trust me, and promise me you won’t give up, no matter how dark or hopeless things may seem, okay?”

   “I—I can’t Mikomi…I can’t…,” she whimpered.

   Just then, Mikomi, though only his spirit remained, leaned in and gently kissed her on the cheek.  As he pulled away slowly he whispered, “Promise me Kelsey…promise me.”

   Though frozen in disbelief, Kelsey smiled bravely and said, “I—I promise Mikomi…and I’ll never break that promise.”

   Mikomi smiled, walking back towards the dead Master Emerald and said, “Don’t mourn me forever everyone…for I’m at more peace than I ever once was in life…and you all shall enjoy your own peace now, even in my absence…you’ve just got to believe that.”  He paused and said, “I love you all…especially you Mom and Dad, for you gave me such a wonderful, warm and loving life…and even though it’s over now, we won’t be separated forever…we’ll meet again.”

   Shadow, perhaps the only one who could still speak, nodded, closing his eyes and whispered, “Be at peace Mikomi.”

   Then, the same light that gave him the chance to say goodbye, returned to slowly pull him away.  He looked back once more and whispered, “See you all later…” Then as the light enveloped him, he disappeared, finally able to pass on.

   While being able to say goodbye helped things, Knuckles was now more angry than anything else.  As Hidama walked over to him, he shouted, “I’m just…so angry…why did it have to end like this?  Those damn Maniacals…Sir Burns…why did they have to kill my son?  Why didn’t they kill me?  Why!?”

   Hidama hugged him tightly and said, “Oh Knuckles…it wasn’t really them who killed him…oh…” He just couldn’t find the words to say to make things easier, for he too was angry, and was unsure how he could ever live this tragedy down.

Description
"For the Love of Eternity"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Chapter 10: The Final Confrontation and the Mournful Resolution

   Though this door was much larger and appeared more fortified than the front entrance to the base, Shadow and Sonic were ready to plow through it anyway, and yet, before they could pull into a twin spindash, the power of the chaos emeralds charging up their blast, they paused.  A creaking sound could be heard, followed by what sounded like a large door lock unlatching immediately afterwards.  The door suddenly began to peel apart before them, the sides of it pulling back into the room, revealing the path behind it.  The group was silent as chills ran through them; eyes widened, it was their turn to behold this coliseum of a room, where the final battle would begin.

   Nobody moved as the doors slowly creaked open.  Finally, they reached the end of their journey, the doors no longer hindering their sight to what lay before them.  While the sheer size and height of the semi-lit room was enough to bring them to awe and fear, the chaos emeralds began to flash to a constant glow, drawing their eyes forward, showing them at last, the Master Emerald sitting on a pedestal only yards before them.

   Sonic, recovered all too quickly from any shock or fear, let out a sigh of relief and said, “Well gosh, this was all too easy.  All we have to do now is find this zero and rescue Knuckles, Hidama, Amy and Delilah.  Feh, how in the world was he going to use the Master Emerald anyway…with computers?”

   The blue hedgehog took the first steps into the room, heading straight for the Master Emerald as it sat in this ring of computer equipment sunk into the ground.  Shadow wasn’t as sure about things as Sonic was however, and as he followed him he said, “Hold on now Sonic; if this guy was capable of destroying Angel Island and capturing not one, but two guardians and stealing the Master Emerald, it’ll pay not to get comfortable with him.  You’ve got to stay prepared for the worst!”

   While Shadow kept Sonic from going any closer to the Master Emerald, trying to reason with him, Rouge and the others finally made their way in behind them.  Amberly walked between her mother and Kelsey and said, “Ugh, this place gives me the creeps.  You’d figure with how bright and flashy the rest of the base is that they’d give a little more luster to this place.”

   Aries, who was walking on the other side of Rouge said, “I think Dad is right; I hardly sense a threat out of this…for all we know one of us took out the brains of this operation already.  I guess I was just expecting something…I don’t know…more menacing and dangerous.”

   “I have to go with Shadow you all,” Rouge said, “The leader of Team Maniacal is obviously very capable at what he’s doing.  You told me your friend Mr. Marks mentioned they were planning this for a long time, and if that is true, especially if they were cocky enough to kick Eggman out of their ranks, these people aren’t to be underestimated or taken lightly.  Something just isn’t right.”

   The others continued to walk forward, accept for Amarie and Pyro, who still walked hand in hand, but at a much slower pace.  Dragging her slightly scorched hammer on the ground behind her with her free hand, she hung her head slightly, glancing from side to side, whimpering softly.

   Pyro was silent as they walked together, but glanced at her with a concerned and worried eye; finally, he stopped walking, slowing her to a stop that she was ignorant to notice.  She trembled slightly, still glancing at the uncertain darkness around her.  The hedgecat placed his free hand on her shoulder gently, startling her slightly, causing her to let out a small squeak of a gasp.

   “It’s okay!” Pyro murmured.  As Amarie looked to him, still trembling, he tried his best to smile and whispered, “Hey, are you okay Amarie?  What’s wrong?”

   Amarie looked paralyzed by fear, and Pyro, though still a child, had his heart flooded with concern for her.   Putting an arm around her he said, “C’mon Amarie, what’s wrong?  Everything’s fine now…the worst is over!  Dad and Shadow are gonna beat this guy to a pulp!”

   Even Amarie was able to smile after that; she sighed however, and shook her head, murmuring, “I just wonder where my Mommy and Daddy are.  I miss them so badly…Uncle Hidama and Aunt Delilah too.  I just wanna rescue them and go—well…”

   “What’s wrong?” Pyro asked.

   Amarie looked at him with disbelief in her eyes and said, “Well, I was going to say so we could go home after all this but…those guys, they destroyed my home when they attacked.  I have nothing to go home to…none of us do…well, except you and your family…and Amberly and her parents I guess.”

   Pyro’s eyes widened, and then narrowed with disgust.  He looked back at the Master Emerald, then glanced up at the ceiling, which, lost in the darkness, he could barely make out.  He growled softly, hugging her gently and said, “They’re gonna pay for this.”  He then looked back at her, smiling again and said, “Come on Amarie; let’s make them pay for what they did to you and your family.  We’ll teach them not to mess with us, and your parents will be okay, you’ll see.”

   The two children, though only ten and twelve, had quickly formed so much more than just a strong camaraderie with each other.  They had formed a strong and trusting friendship, which already, showed the promise of growing into so much more.  It did appear that even though so much sorrow had come from these events that at the same time there was still the promise for hope and renewal, for better times to come, and the knowledge that even these bad times must pass, in favor for a bright future.

   And yet, even though this glimmer of hope could be seen the brave smiles exchanged by Pyro and Amarie, there was still one more obstacle before them.  They still had to rescue the Guardian brothers, Amy and Delilah, the Master Emerald, and of course, take out the leader of the operation…but…where was he?

   Kelsey and Mikomi continued to walk with Rouge, Amberly and Aries, and yet Kelsey too glanced around with fear.  She murmured, “Oh Miko, where are our parents?  Where can they possibly be in such a horrible place?”

   Mikomi shrugged and said, “I don’t know Kelsey…I just wish they’d bring the lights up a little…” He too began to glance around, looking for more sources of light, and thus his attention was brought up to the wall, where he saw a soft, glowing, neon green light in a capsule, which to his horror, he discovered held his father Knuckles in silent, unmoving suspension.  He froze, eyes widened and whitened in terror as he shouted, “Dad!  My word…Dad!”

   At a loss for words, Mikomi was thrown into a panic, only able to let out terrified cries, drawing everyone’s attention to the scene.  Shadow and Sonic, who seemed to be at odds about something, immediately looked to the wall behind them, only to see that Mikomi indeed had reason to be worried.  The capsule Knuckles was locked in seemed to serve as more than just a holding tank.  With all the equipment nearby it, Shadow could quickly draw the conclusion that this was how the mastermind behind all this planned to use the brothers; he would draw their power from them, channel it to the Master Emerald, and try to use it as he wished to, which he obviously did not know, was already impossible.

   “Gosh…it’s Knuckles!  But…where’s Hidama?” Sonic asked.

   He was soon answered by Kelsey’s terrified screams.  She looked to the opposing wall, only to find Hidama contained in the same kind of structure, motionless and silent, showing his wear and tear.  Kelsey fell to her knees, almost beyond consolation.  Mikomi did his best to comfort her, as did all of the kids, including Amarie, who now wept for her father and uncle.  While Pyro did his best to comfort her, he was beginning to get sick and tired of all the misery Amarie and the others were suffering, and true to his father’s spirit, he wasn’t gonna keep quiet about it.

   Pyro growled softly, looking up and over to the Master Emerald.  He bolted away from the group, within feet of the Master Emerald and shouted, “Alright!  Whoever you are, get your butt out here and face us!  What are you, scared?!  After hurting Amarie and her family so much the least you could do is come out and fight!”

   “Pyro stop!” Sonic cried.  He ran halfway to Pyro, only to be stopped as the lights suddenly flashed brighter, fully illuminating the room.

   A shrill cackle could be heard, and then a voice rang out strong, saying, “With pleasure child!  With pleasure!  I just wanted to give you a few moments to let the beginning of the end set in!  Ready for a new world order my boy?”

   The hedgecat whipped around, fire blazing from his wrists as he shouted, “Like heck you lame brain…as if you can use the Master Emerald to get what you want.  You’re nothing but a buffoon.  Come out here and let me make you pay for hurting Amarie!”

   Suddenly, a bolt of energy came from above, zapping the floor right at Pyro’s feet, sending shock waves through him.  He let out a cry as it sent him flying into the air, where Sonic, terrified at the scene, ran to catch him.

   “Pyro!” Amarie cried.  Sonic sped up and managed to catch his son before he crashed to the ground.  His hair was smoky, his shirt, shorts, and shoes were singed, and he was twitching uncontrollably from the excess energy that had forced itself into his small body.

   Sonic carried him over to Amarie and the others, sitting him down gently, his face racked with worry.  Pyro looked up at him, as well as his sister and Amarie who sat beside him and said, “Dad…I’m—I’m sorry I didn’t listen.  That…that packed quite a wallop.”  Pyro then fell silent, resting his head on Amarie’s shoulder.

   “No…,” Sonic murmured.  He looked up in the direction where the blast came from, his eyes blazing with a rage no words could express.  He let Pyro go gently, handing him to Amarie who now held on to him.  Amarie too was angry, all of them were.  This fiend had already done so much, and now he had just tried to take out the youngest of them; it was a heartless act, and like everything else, would now be punished.

   Shadow too was looking in this direction and shouted, “That was real big of you Sir Burns…now why don’t you come down and stop throwing attacks at us like a mouse stuck up in a tree?  Or are you too afraid and believe that technology can do all the work for you?  You’re nothing but a coward, an ignorant coward.  Do you honestly think the craft of mankind is enough to control the Master Emerald…that the hand of no man can destroy?  You’re a fool!”

   There was silence for a moment, and then finally, a platform could be seen descending from the ceiling above.  As it lowered to the ground, a figure could be made out standing on it.  He wore a black and grey jumpsuit, black gloves, black boots, and a black cape, and had long red hair pulled back behind him.  He held a gun by his side, but it wasn’t any regular gun; this was what was responsible for that blast that hit Pyro, and as the platform landed, and the man stepped off it, he let his victory be known.

   Walking towards Shadow slowly, Sonic and Rouge ran up to stand beside him, while Mikomi, Kelsey and Amberly hung back to look after Amarie, Pyro and Aries.  Sir Burns sneered at Shadow, but looked to Sonic and said, “Tsk, tsk, Sonic…I can’t believe it only took a level one ray shot like that to take out your son…but oh, that’s right, he’s nothing but a hybrid brat like the rest of them.  Humph, seeing as you beat down my science so much, it appears you are the ignorant ones, only offering yourselves and these sorry excuses for children as your defense.  You forget, I have more than just the Master Emerald in my possession…I also have the only surviving echidnas left to power it.”

   Sonic let out a scream and shouted, “Shut up!  How dare you say that about my son!  I’ll have you know he and Aries are stronger than you’ll ever be, and I also won’t have you insulting their mother that way!  Just shut it!”

   Sir Burns let out a wild laugh, trying his best to catch his breath before waving his hand and saying, “Whatever, whatever my friend…I didn’t expect you’d involve yourself in this…although, I’m especially thrilled that you decided to come along for the ride Shadow…and you even brought your wife and own hybrid freak of a child along with you.  My, my, still playing Daddy to Hidama are you?  Feh, you’d figure for all his power he would have been better prepared to face me rather than falling to pieces over his precious Delilah…the wretch.”

   Kelsey overheard Sir Burns’ words; both she and Mikomi stared at him in disbelief, this one man who was responsible for destroying their lives, and now threatened to strike the final blow at this very moment.  Kelsey shouted, “What did you do with my mother?  And Aunt Amy?  Where are they?”

   “My, my…you really are as fiery and defiant as both of your parents…it seems you are truly an annoying mix of the both of them.  Humph…perhaps other than Knuckles’ son I shall enjoy destroying you the most,” Sir Burns started, “As for your mother and aunt they are in the control room over there…but, don’t worry…I’m taking good care of them so they’ll be able to witness your downfall.”

   Mikomi stepped closer to Shadow and Sonic, coming between them, staring hard and cold at Sir Burns.  He said, “Just tell me why…I don’t really care why you want to kill me…and in the end I can even live with losing Angel Island, because even then I would have those I care about to see me through, and a free world to live in.  What I want to know is why you want to even attempt to use the Master Emerald for your ‘new world order’ when even I, a weak hybrid freak as you put it, know for a fact that only a well-trained and experienced guardian has the intelligence to control it properly?  Sure your machine can get the power it needs, but no computer…no man, not even I can control it because we don’t have the knowledge and power to do so correctly.  It’s only going to blow up in your face and destroy us all.  If you’re so smart, then tell me why you didn’t know this ahead of time?  Is it just that you’re so full of yourself and your pride that you are ignorant to any danger?”

   It appeared that Mikomi’s question was enough to shut Sir Burns up.  His laughing stopped, and now he stared only at Mikomi…who he now realized posed the greatest threat to him.  It wasn’t Shadow, Sonic, or the power of the seven chaos emeralds that threatened to undo his entire plan, but this one echidna hybrid…the son, not of Hidama, but of the younger brother Knuckles, who threatened to be not only the demise of his plans, but him as well.

   He stepped close to Mikomi, Shadow and Sonic going on the defensive as he approached; he stared at the echidna hybrid, coming with inches of his face, and whispered, “Do you really think you can save them my boy?  Can you really save your parents, uncle and aunt…your friends and family, can you really save them?  If the best of my machines and the powers of the guardian can’t control it, what makes you think you have any hope?”

   Taking a deep breath, Mikomi whispered, “I don’t plan to control it…I intend to dismantle it…for good.  My father and uncle won’t be around forever…it’s their responsibility as well as mine to protect it from misuse, and now, it’s only more evident to me and everyone else that the best way we can do that is to destroy it forever, freeing everyone from the burden of its power, and I intend to do just that.”

   Shadow and Sonic exchanged glances, unsure exactly what Mikomi meant, but Sir Burns was only too sure of what the echidna hybrid meant to do.  His eyes widened in anger and dread as he stood erect, stepping back and shouted, “Fools!  This exchange of crude words has gone on long enough!  The hour grows late, and it’s about time I showed you just what Team Maniacal is capable of with our technology and intelligence!  With the machines around you, you shall be the first to witness my rise to power!”

   He made a dash up to the platform that the Master Emerald sat upon, while Shadow, Sonic and Mikomi looked on in horror.  “Sir Burns, stop!  Once you unleash its power it’ll have nowhere to go!” Mikomi shouted.  “No machine is capable of wielding this power correctly!  You’ll overload it, and the consequences will be much worse than just a failed plan for world domination!  It’ll be the end of us all!”

   Ignoring Mikomi’s cries, Sir Burns cackled wildly and turned to the control room, shouting, “Nelson!  Let’s get this party started!  Activate the main power!”

   Suddenly, every machine and computer monitor in the room roared to life.  The ring of equipment around the Master Emerald began buzzing like crazy, uploading and programming data, and ready to answer and run Sir Burns’ commands.  The neon glow of the capsules that held Hidama and Knuckles began to brighten and dilute, and it was finally time for things to get intense.

   Shadow turned to Sonic and said, “There’s no reasoning with him Sonic.  He’s going to summon the power of the Master Emerald no matter what, and not unlike Lord Feldmort I’m sure he intends to intensify it even more with his own programs, making its power even more devastating.  I just hope the chaos emeralds can handle the power at that level.”

   Looking back to Pyro, Sonic lowered his eyes, looking at the chaos emeralds and said, “We have no choice anyway. There’s nothing else we can do anyway.  If we don’t deal with the Master Emerald directly, its power will run rampant and destroy everything in its path.  We must try to disable the machinery while dealing with it at the same time, as well as try to free Knuckles and Hidama, and protect the others.”

   The hedgehogs looked at each other, and Shadow said, “Just like old times, right?”

   Sonic managed a smile, nodded and said, “Just like old times…”

   They were interrupted by another maniacal laugh from Sir Burns, who now held a control panel in his hands.  As his laugh settled down, he looked to Shadow and Sonic and said, “Oh my, I’m just glad I could have you two distinguished as audience to my take over.  I may even spare your lives when all is said and done…I can’t say the same for the son of Knuckles though…he is far too dangerous to me…as sad as that sounds.”

   Mikomi growled and shouted, “Stop this!  You have no idea what you’re about to do!  We’ll all be destroyed!”

   But Sir Burns wasn’t going to listen, and it appeared that now doomsday was on their doorstep.  Shadow looked to Sonic and shouted, “That’s enough, we have to go Super now!”

   Before they could summon the power of the chaos emeralds however, Sir Burns let out another laugh and said, “Relax my child, for now I shall spare you…because nothing shall spoil this moment for me!”  Glancing affectionately at the Master Emerald, he said, “Time to show the world what you can really do…time to show everyone you were meant to have your power exercised instead of being made to sit idly by while the world around you falls into decay.  Let’s show them what you can really do in capable hands!”

   Much to the horror and dismay of Mikomi, Shadow, Sonic and the others, all it took was the flick of a switch to set off the nightmare.  Up in the capsules the green lights suddenly burst into almost blinding white lights, enveloping both Hidama and Knuckles; somehow, however the machinery of Team Maniacal was meant to work, it began to sap the guardian power from Knuckles and Hidama.  Because they were both beaten into complete and total submission and surrender, they offered no resistance to this, not because of the comatose like state they were in, but because their spirits literally had nothing left to offer.

   Shadow gazed with sadness at the sight.  He looked to Sonic and says, “This alone speaks volumes of this man’s madness.  He literally beat them into surrender, making it so even their souls were willing to give up the fight.  This would never work for him if he did not do that, for even putting one of them in the deepest state of unconsciousness would not be enough to sap the power from them.  He literally broke their spirits first…with both the power of Hidama and Knuckles at his disposal, we would normally be facing the worst the Master Emerald has to offer, for when both brothers wield it together it has the power save all life and peace.  I can only surmise in his hands that this the complete opposite, and with this extra power he is feeding it…this is indeed a dark day for our time.”

   Sonic could only nod, for a great fear had taken their souls as they watched the power from the guardian blood of both Hidama and Knuckles being sapped from them, channeled into special tubing and fed into the Master Emerald.  After days of remaining dormant and dark in the Maniacal base, the inner glow of the Master Emerald flickered bright once more, and yet it was not at full strength…something was wrong.

   “Blast it!” Sir Burns shouted, “Something is keeping the Master Emerald from reaching its full strength!”  He glared at Shadow and Sonic, and saw at last that they indeed had all seven chaos emeralds in their hands…the only thing that could counteract and balance this behemoth’s power.  He set down the control panel gently, taking a step towards Shadow and Sonic and said, “Hand over the chaos emeralds hedgehogs…they are interfering with the Master Emerald…how do you expect it to have enough power to go global with those things around?”

   Shadow and Sonic exchanged worried glances, knowing in their hearts it wasn’t the seven chaos emeralds that were affecting the Master Emerald.  Rather, it was most likely the little guardian blood that flowed through Mikomi’s veins that gave him that sliver of control over it, and thus threw off Sir Burns’ plans.  The great leader, despite his well calculated plans and intelligence, had neglected to consider the effect that Mikomi’s guardian blood, as small as it may be, would have on his plans, keeping the power of even his uncle’s and father’s blood through the Master Emerald at bay.

   This was the only hope they had for taking Sir Burns down without risking the lives of everyone on the planet.  As long as he thought the chaos emeralds were the culprit, perhaps they could rescue Hidama and Knuckles, as well as Amy and Delilah, and bring down this maniac for good.

   They exchanged glances once more and slowly began to draw power from the chaos emeralds.  Sir Burns grew furious with them as the chaos emeralds began to glow.  He shouted, “What are you doing?  You two are ruining everything!”

   Shadow laughed and said, “That’s exactly what we want to do Sir Burns, because unlike you we like our world the way it is, and can do without a clumsy and fool-hardy man for a world dictator.  So, why don’t you step back and be a witness to your own demise!”

   With that, Sonic and Shadow went into their Super forms, surrounded by a wave of light as they did so.  Sonic, now golden yellow in color, and Shadow the same, only a more pale gold, and maintaining his red stripes, both rose into the air, ready to bring Sir Burns down once and for all.

   It appeared that the battle was now more than over.  It wouldn’t take Shadow and Sonic long to take this guy down now, and once he was done away with, they could rescue Hidama, Knuckles, Amy, and Delilah and end the nightmare for good.  And yet, though Sir Burns could be dealt with, they had forgotten one very important thing, which in the end, could spell disaster for not just them, but all life.

   “How dare you defy me you imbeciles!  How dare you!  You shall pay for this!” Sir Burns shouted, “I don’t need the Master Emerald at full strength in order to show you what it is capable of doing!”

   Power now flowed to the Master Emerald, and even though the presence of Mikomi’s guardian blood kept it from reaching its full ferocity, this power was still immense and terrifying, and it was still uncertain whether or not the chaos emeralds and Super Sonic and Super Shadow could take it down.  Before either of them could make a move, Sir Burns reached for the control panel one last time.  All it took, was a few presses of the buttons and flicks of a switch, to set the final battle into motion.  It wasn’t Sir Burns who would decide their fate, rather, the Master Emerald that would decide the fate of the entire world.

   All breath in the room froze as the machine let out a vicious roar.  The overflow of commands was beginning to overpower the computer, and sparks and smoke rose from some of the consoles.  The walls of the room began to rattle, the floor shaking.  Back towards the door, Pyro began to stir awake as Amarie held him, and looked up, opening his eyes halfway, seeing his father in his super form.

   Reaching out to him, he murmured, “Father…be—be careful…,” in a weak and fading voice.

   Aries and Amarie looked to him, worried for him, and everyone, as the room began to shake around them.  The girls looked to one another as he closed his eyes once more; Amarie, almost ready to cry again held her strength and said, “We need to get him out of here…that blast hurt him.  I’m afraid for him.”

   “I know Amarie, but what can we do?  Things are getting—,” Aries started.  She was broken off by a big shudder, caused by a portion of the ring of computer equipment exploding and starting to burn.

   Rouge backed up a few paces, keeping Amberly and Kelsey behind her, but Mikomi still stood close to Shadow and Sonic, allowing interference with the Master Emerald, keeping it from reaching full power as long as the little, hidden, control he had remained close.  Though they had every intention to take Sir Burns down, now he was in danger from the malfunctioning computer equipment as the Master Emerald began to overload with both guardian power, and power being fed into it, and with no guardian to control it, it was threatening to unleash itself in a wave of power similar to all of the super volcanoes of the world erupting at once in one large, cataclysmic explosion, only the rush of power threatening to blow now, would be infinitely more devastating.

   Still, Shadow and Sonic, still in super form, realized that even though this was all Sir Burns’ doing, it wouldn’t be right to set by and watch him die.  They both rushed in, pulling Sir Burns away from the console just before it exploded into flame.  Though the equipment was blowing apart, the Master Emerald was far from done unleashing its power.

   As they lowered Sir Burns to the ground, Shadow and Sonic glared at him, and even now could see that though he was stubborn, he was slowly beginning to realize the error of his ways.  Shadow said, “I hope you’re happy Sir Burns…now there’s nothing any of your technology can do.  Our only hope is for you to release Hidama and Knuckles so they can try and counter this.  If not, the power the Master Emerald is exerting will be impossible for it to contain, and with nothing to control it, it will run rampant and destroy the world.”

   Still, the Team Maniacal leader was unwilling to cooperate, even after Shadow and Sonic had just saved him from his own malfunctioning devices.  He folded his arms, getting up and said, “Humph, free the echidnas if you can…I don’t care.  As for the Master Emerald, to heck with it, I shall escape the destruction, and when I do, I’ll be there to take over after it…I’ve won anyway you fools!”  He cackled wildly, taking off with all speed down the hallway, and eventually his two henchmen, Nelson and Johnson, no longer at the controls, raced after him.

   Sonic shouted, “You’re nothing but a coward!”

   Ready to chase off after him, Shadow pulled on his arm and said, “No Sonic!  We have to take care of the Master Emerald first!  Even if he gets away for good, we can get him later!”

   Sonic nodded, and both of them looked up to where Hidama and Knuckles were contained, yet before they could fly up to dismantle them, Aries, Kelsey and Amberly rushed by, chasing after Sir Burns and his henchmen.  Rouge followed them, and paused near Shadow, who looked at her confused.

   “Don’t worry Shadow; we’re going after those three and looking for Amy and Delilah so we can free them!  You just focus on freeing Knuckles and Hidama!  Mikomi is staying with Amarie and Pyro!” Rouge explained.

   Shadow nodded, smiling slowly, and said, “Be careful.”  Rouge smiled, and then took off after the girls.

   And not a moment too soon, for now that all the computers were disabled, the lights began to flicker, the room began to shake, and a fire began to rage.  The Master Emerald began to glow with a dark and threatening light.  Power raced through it, and without a guardian to control it, it threatened to destroy them all.

   “Quickly Sonic!” Shadow shouted.  They knew they had no time to waste.  They flew up to the capsules, Shadow went to Hidama, and Sonic went to Knuckles, and they both began a desperate attempt to break the guardians free from their prisons, but to no avail.  This glass was shatterproof, and even their super-form attacks were having a hard time breaking the echidna brothers free.  Unfortunately for them, they were now running out of time, and Mikomi knew it.

   Mikomi was now standing beside Amarie, who still held a trembling Pyro in her arms, resting in her lap.  She looked up to Mikomi and said, “This looks bad Mikomi.  If Dad and Uncle Hidama aren’t freed soon we’ll be done for.”  She looked down at Pyro, still badly injured from the ray blast, and whimpered, “I wish that the stupid Master Emerald never existed…it’s gonna destroy us all.”

   He looked at his sister sadly as tears formed in her eyes.  He could see how fond Amarie already was of Pyro and knew she was worried for him greatly.  Yet what concerned Mikomi most was Amarie’s future, not just with Pyro…but in general.  Even if they did survive this…what would happen to them once their father and uncle died?  Who would control the Master Emerald then?  He knew the Master Emerald was a burden for his father in his youth, and for Mikomi, Amarie and Kelsey it would only be worse.  How would they be able to live any sort of happy life with that burden around?

   Amarie was right; Mikomi too wished the Master Emerald never even existed.  Sure, things would be much different, but it would also mean none of this was going to happen, and that they wouldn’t have such a bleak future ahead of them as they had to try and look after this burdensome jewel with barely a drop of guardian blood to do so.

   That feeling from before came back to him.  He realized why the Master Emerald could not reach its full strength…because he was there, and though much less than his father or uncle, it was enough to tame that small fraction of its power.  Mikomi realized that if Hidama and Knuckles weren’t freed in time, they were all doomed, but maybe…just maybe…there was something he could do to stop it.

   He looked at the Master Emerald; he knew that if it shattered after this rush of power it would simply mend itself once more.  If all the power was pulled from it forever, it was possible that the massive gem could be undone, and no longer be a burden to those that would follow his father’s and uncle’s footsteps.  He had heard many times before that Hidama and Knuckles had the power to undo it, and planned to before their deaths, but, did that possibly mean that Mikomi too had this power if he could control it that little bit?

   Walking towards it he whispered, “Perhaps if I let the flow of power channel through me when it breaks free, the little guardian blood I do have can capture it and drain the remainder of its power rendering it powerless for good.”  He paused, taking a deep breath, unsure of what would happen when he did so, but determined nonetheless.  He was willing to make any sacrifice for those he loved…for his little sister, for his cousin, for his new friends, for his family…even the entire world and mankind, which he once hated, and was now ready to give his life for.

   As he walked up to the Master Emerald, Shadow and Sonic finally broke the capsules free from the wall.  Unfortunately, as Hidama’s fell Shadow was unable to catch it, and it tumbled to the ground, finally cracking and breaking, setting Hidama free as he tumbled out of the wreckage and to the ground only inches from where Amarie held Pyro.  She pulled Pyro close to her, hiding her face in his hair, but looked up, to see her uncle free and alive, but still deeply unconscious.

   “Uncle Hidama!” she cried.

   He didn’t move or speak, and at the same time, Sonic let Knuckles’ capsule tumble to the ground, and in the same way, the echidna rolled free, coming to a stop near his brother, and remaining motionless, even as Amarie cried out to him.

   Shadow and Sonic landed, still super, but now even more desperate to wake the brothers.  The room continued to quake and a fire now raged.  Shadow knelt down beside Hidama, taking him to his arms and shaking him slightly.  “Hidama!  Hinsei Hidama!  Speak to me!  You’ve got to wake up!”  He looked to Sonic and said, “We’ve got to wake them up!  If we don’t they won’t be able to stop the outburst of power from the Master Emerald!  Hurry!”

   Shadow, Sonic, and now Amarie cried out desperately for Hidama and Knuckles, but were unable to get even a deep breath from either of them.  In their fear, they didn’t see Mikomi slowly advancing towards the fire and thundering Master Emerald.  Soon it would be impossible to stop him, and even if they could, Mikomi’s mind was made up.  He was willing to save his loved ones and the future of the world, no matter the cost.

   Only seconds later, Rouge rounded the corner with Amy and Delilah behind her.  Amberly, Kelsey and Aries followed shouting ahead, “We got Sir Burns and his goons tied up and restrained!  We’ll take care of them later!”

   Amy ran up to Amarie, hugging her tightly, and Amarie did the same, even though she still held on to Pyro with one arm.  She looked to her mom and said, “This is Sonic’s son Pyro…he needs help Mom…he got blasted…we’ve got to wake up Daddy and Uncle Hidama!”

   Poor Amy in all the confusion neglected to notice Mikomi as he approached the Master Emerald, but instead looked to Knuckles, who lay helpless on the ground.  She crawled over to him and Sonic who continued to plead with the echidna to speak.  Amy sat beside Sonic, taking Knuckles into her arms and did the same.  On the verge of tears, she cried, “Please, Knuckles…please, you’ve got to wake up.  We all need you; if you don’t wake up, the Master Emerald will destroy us all.”

   Delilah was now doing the same thing, holding on to Hidama tightly as Kelsey knelt down beside her.  “Please Daddy…please, you’ve got to wake up.  You just have to,” Kelsey pleaded.

   The entire group was now entirely focused on waking the guardian brothers, who were now their last hope.  They cried to them, shaking them, and Shadow and Sonic even went out of the super form, hoping maybe the energy of the chaos emeralds could jar them out of their unconscious state.  Slowly, it appeared that it was working as they began to take deeper breaths and slowly flex their fingers.  The brothers were finally waking up, and not a moment too soon, for now the shaking had slowed, and though the fire still raged, the Master Emerald was now within seconds of releasing its full power.

   Shadow eyes widened with fear; he shouted, “It’s too late!  We have to run for it!  Once Knuckles and Hidama wake up they can do their best to hold back the rest of the wave, but until then we have to run!

   The group got ready to flee.  Shadow took hold of Hidama, Sonic picked up Knuckles; Amy, Delilah and Rouge got the girls together, while Aries helped Amarie carry Pyro.  Yet, before they could flee, they realized one of them was missing.

   Amy looked around with panic.  She cried, “Mikomi?  Where is he?  Where’s Mikomi!?”

   Everyone looked around and with horror, saw Mikomi standing beside the Master Emerald, even as it threatened to unleash this outburst of overwhelming and destructive power.  Shadow sat Hidama down and ran next to Amy.  He shouted, “Mikomi no!  Get away from there now!  It’s suicide to stand there!”

   He couldn’t wait, Shadow started to run to Mikomi, even as the wave of power began the countdown to eruption.  Hidama at this moment began to stir, as did Knuckles, giving them only seconds to see the tragedy unfolding before them.

   “Mi—Mikomi?” Knuckles murmured.  Finally fully awake, the echidna realized the danger his son was now facing.  He stood up fast, pulling on Hidama’s arm and cried, “Hidama!  Hurry!  We’ve got to save Mikomi!”

   Terrified, Hidama stood up fast, both brothers ready to bring an end to the Master Emerald’s destruction…and yet…their time was now up.  Shadow was frozen in his tracks, forced to turn his face away from this outpouring of energy that now erupted.  What the group didn’t see, was the sacrifice Mikomi was now making for them all.

   “Yes…it may be suicide Shadow…but…it’s not in folly,” Mikomi murmured.  He turned away from them, a tear falling from his eyes, but a brave smile on his face, he placed his hand on the volatile Master Emerald and said, “I love you all, so very much, with the entirety of my heart and soul…this is just a small price to pay to know you won’t have this burden on your shoulders anymore…and that the future of the world will be secure forever.  Now it won’t have to stick around until Dad and Uncle Hidama are ready to die, bringing more risk to the world.  I know that even those who have hated me will be alright…yes, even if they don’t love me in return…I will show care for them…and save them from destruction.”

   Soon the blinding dark light began to fade, and everyone was almost afraid to open their eyes.  Shadow slowly looked to where Mikomi was once standing, only to find that nothing remained of the son of Knuckles and Amy.  All that was left, was the now dead Master Emerald, drained of all its power, only this time, there would be no regenerating itself.  The Master Emerald was now undone, the question was, how was this possible?  How was that dangerous wave of power stopped dead in its tracks…and where was Mikomi now?

   Hidama and Knuckles now ran ahead and up to Shadow as he now stood on the pedestal where Mikomi once stood.  He placed his hand on the Master Emerald, closed his eyes, and murmured, “The Master Emerald is…dead.  There’s no power even in the heart of the gem.  Did Mikomi really have enough guardian blood within him to do what Hidama and Knuckles could?”

   The brothers came up to him, and as he looked to them, Knuckles, on the verge of a breakdown, looked to Shadow and said, “Where is he?  Where is my son?”

   The hedgehog looked to Knuckles with disbelief, he shook his head and then looked to Hidama and said, “The Master Emerald is no more…only the gem itself survived.  The core of its power is gone forever…and I…I can only surmise this was Mikomi’s doing.  Because of him Sir Burns was never able to bring the Master Emerald to full strength, even with the combined power of the both of you.  The little power he had flowing in his veins was enough to soothe that little bit…and in doing that I guess he only realized that he could do this…and in desperation he surmised this was the only resolution…but I’m afraid…it was just too much for him.”

   Knuckles went pale, looking to Hidama who could only hang his head.  He murmured, “You and I both knew it would mean sacrificing our lives to undo the Master Emerald…I don’t know if Mikomi knew but…I—I can’t believe he’s…dead.”

   The three could no longer speak.  Tears flooded both Shadow’s and Hidama’s eyes, while Knuckles could only stare at the ground, unsure of whether to be angry, sad, or horrified, he clenched his fists, growling softly, before looking skyward and shouting, “Mikomi!” as loudly as he could muster.

   Amy, disoriented and scared ran to Knuckles, clinging to him, looking at him with disbelief.  He looked at her with tears forming in his eyes, unsure of what to say or how on earth to break it to her that their only son had died to save them all.  Perhaps his tears said enough because Amy, holding on to Knuckles as tightly as she could let out her own scream, pleading for Mikomi to come back to her.

   The two parents mourned terribly, standing together, holding on to each other tightly, unable to find any source of relief.  At the same time, the others finally came up to them.  Rouge ran up to Shadow with Amberly beside her.  She took her father’s arm and said, “Daddy?  Is Mikomi really…gone?”

   Shadow looked at his daughter, unsure of what to say, and while he was glad that she was alright, his heart was breaking as Knuckles and Amy had to deal with losing their son.  Unable to answer her, Amberly burst into tears, turning to hug Rouge and cried, “Oh Mikomi…oh why…”

   Sonic was now carrying Pyro, as Aries and Amarie walked beside him.  Amarie left Pyro for now, going up to her mother and father.  They looked down to her and she said, “Mommy…Daddy…I—I can’t believe Mikomi is…gone.”  Finally, she burst into tears, grabbing on to her father’s leg and crying harder than she ever had in her life.  Amy knelt down beside Amarie and held her, as did Knuckles, putting his arm around them both.  Though the three of them had each other, losing Mikomi, was a bitter and hard pill to have to take.

   Pyro opened his eyes, looked to his father and said, “Daddy?  Is Mikomi really dead?”

   Sonic, who loved Knuckles like a brother, and Amy like a sister, could feel his heart weeping for their pain, and as he gazed at his beautiful daughter and son, he could barely feel thankful for their safety without weeping for Knuckles, Amy, and their loss.  He looked to Pyro and said, “Yes, son…he’s gone now.  He must have taken the full wave of power from the Master Emerald and stopped it.  He saved us all, but died in the process…the poor soul.”

   The hedgecat looked to Amarie and said, “Dad…put—put me down.  I can walk.”  Sonic sat Pyro on his feet, and though he was still pained by the injuries from the ray blast, he limped over to Amarie, placing a hand on her shoulder.  She looked to him, and he said, “Amarie…I’m just…so sorry about all this.  I wish it didn’t have to be this way.  I—I’ll try and help you however I can…since he can’t anymore.”

   Amarie, her eyes filled with tears, cried, “Oh Pyro…,” she couldn’t speak anymore, but latched onto Pyro, hugging him tightly.  He knelt down beside her, hugging her securely but gently.

   He placed a hand on the back of her head, cradling it against his shoulder and whispered, “Shh…it’s okay.  Everything will be alright now…I promise.”

   As Pyro comforted Amarie, Kelsey and Delilah ran up to Hidama.  Kelsey was in tears, already aware of what had happened to her dear cousin, and until now her only true friend, and was unsure of how in the world she would cope.  She ran to Hidama, hugging him tightly and cried, “Oh Daddy, how did Mikomi die?  Why did he die?  He just can’t be dead!  I won’t let him go!”

   Hidama’s heart was shattered as well…he loved Mikomi as if he were his own son, and was devastated that his brother had to go through this pain.  He could only hold on to Kelsey as Delilah ran up and hugged them both.  She cried, “Oh Hidama…I am so glad you’re alright…I just wish so badly that it didn’t have to come to this.”

   The echidna smiled weakly, kissing her on the forehead, but hardly able to be grateful for his good fortune.  He looked to Shadow and said, “I’m confused.  The Master Emerald was completely undone yes…but…how did Mikomi do this with naught but half the guardian power Knuckles or I possess?”

   Shadow, who was trying to comfort Rouge and Amberly, looked to Hidama, as everyone looked to him and said, “He gave his life to save the world.  That is why the Master Emerald existed right Hidama?  It was meant to protect the world from all harm, and yet now it was being used to do the exact opposite…to plunge it into death and erase it from existence.  Mikomi…after mistrusting mankind for so long, realized the same thing you did when you pardoned Olermere…that all it takes is the love of one, to undo the hatred of many, and save the fate of all who are in danger.  Mikomi simply sacrificed his life to save us all…he gave his life, to save the future of a world…that never really loved him in return.  That is the ultimate gift of love and sacrifice, undoing not only the hatred that threatened it, but the one instrument that could not do this.  You…you and Knuckles are free now, and so are your descendents…for the Master Emerald is gone forever, and now the world is free from its temptation, as well as Sir Burns’ madness…and yet, it is only because Mikomi gave it all away…the poor child…if only…it could have been different…”

   Hidama lowered his eyes, looking at Kelsey and Delilah and said, “I feel terrible; here I am grateful that you two are unharmed while my brother has lost his son, and I my dear nephew.  Why…oh why did it have to be this way?  What did Mikomi do to deserve death…and at the hands of the Master Emerald no less?  I…I have failed him…my brother, everyone…”

   Shadow walked up to Hidama, placing a hand on his shoulder and said, “Don’t say that Hidama…this was his choice…he saved the lives of so many who hated him, and even more who will never know him and the miracle he gave them, because he wanted to.  Somewhere along the way, he finally learned the same lesson you did…that’s all…do not feel sorry…you did the best you could with the cards you were dealt…now…you simply have to rebuild your life again…we all do.”

   Kelsey sniffed, trying to dispel her tears and whispered, “I just wish he could come back to us…”

   Suddenly, a faint but bright light appeared on the platform where Mikomi once stood beside the now dead Master Emerald.  Mikomi began to appear, but only as a lit hologram, making one last appearance before passing away.  He whispered, “Okay…but only for a little while.”

   Everyone looked up at him in disbelief.  Amy cried out his name, and everyone ran up to the platform where Hidama, Delilah, Kelsey and Shadow already stood.  Amy cried, “Oh Mikomi…please, don’t leave me…how can I let you go?”

   Mikomi lowered his eyes, trying to smile and said, “I’m sorry Mother…I…I don’t mean to make you weep…but, somebody had to stop the Master Emerald right?  It would be more than just me that died had its final attack been unleashed…at least now you all, and mankind, will be safe.”

   Kelsey looked to him and said, “Mikomi…I wish…it didn’t have to be this way…those damn humans…this is their fault…I hate them so much.”

   Mikomi knelt down, reaching for Kelsey, touching her face as he wiped her tears away.  He whispered, “Oh Kelsey…don’t say that…none of you say that.  This wasn’t the fault of the humans…well, at least not all of them.  Poor Sir Burns and the other Maniacals, our grandfather, they were no different than the mutants led by Olermere and Feldmort.  It was the power of the Master Emerald that corrupted them, and nearly destroyed us all.  Were it not for the Master Emerald, they would never have been led to this kind of death and destruction…the hatred you should feel, is for the Master Emerald, and the hold that sins…greed, anger, hatred…took over those who afflict us.  Do not hate their souls…but hate what corrupted them, dooming us, the world, and them as well.”

   Everyone fell silent, moved and frozen by Mikomi’s words, offering both peace and forgiveness to those that hurt him, even giving his life for so many.  No one was sure of what to say in reply; Mikomi had taught them the lesson that Hidama had learned so long ago.

   Mikomi sighed and said, “I’m sorry…but I can’t stay for much longer.  You all have your own lives to live now, no longer bound by the Master Emerald.  Perhaps now, the wounds of the world will heal, and everything will be at peace.  That comforts me enough even though I must leave you all behind.  I’m sorry it had to be this way Mom…and Dad, and Amarie.  I love you three so much, and don’t forget, we’ll be together again someday…I’ll never leave you.”

   Amy fell to her knees, trying her hardest not to weep, and whimpered, “Oh my baby…oh my son…I love you with all my heart.”

   Knuckles could only lower his head, but nodded and said, “I love you Mikomi…with all my heart…you’ll always be my son…and I’ll always be proud of you.”

   Amarie whimpered, “I love you Mikomi…I’ll miss you so much.”

   Mikomi smiled at his sister and said, “Hey…you’ve got to look after Mom and Dad now…and hey, you’ve got Kelsey, and our new friends…I think Pyro said something about looking after you now too right?”

   The hedgecat walked up to Amarie, but looked to Mikomi’s spirit and said, “I promise Mikomi…I’ll look after her.  Aries and I can travel dimensions now too so we can always be here.”

   The hybrid echidna laughed and nodded saying, “You take good care of my sister okay?”  Pyro nodded, trying his best not to cry himself, and Aries who walked up to him, did the same, though tears fell from her eyes and over her weakened smile.

   Mikomi then looked to Hidama, and could already guess what Hidama was thinking.  He shook his head and said, “Uncle Hidama…don’t you and Dad blame yourselves for this…what happened can never be undone, so it’s not worth weeping over for long.  You did everything you could, and even though I must leave you now, you both fulfilled your duty.  You are both the last guardians to walk this earth…I’m just…relieved you’re both free now.  I’ll always love you Uncle Hidama…you too Aunt Delilah.  Please take care of Mom and Dad for me okay?”

   Hidama managed a weak smile, nodding, and though hardly able to speak, whispered, “That’s a promise Mikomi…I’m sure when you reach the afterlife you’ll find that every guardian before you will shower you with praise, for you did something none of their deeds could ever approach…neither could mine.”

   “Heh…I don’t know about that,” Mikomi said, but he didn’t want to make anyone sad by talking about that, so instead he looked to Shadow, who after all he had done, would be forever grateful to him.  He said, “Shadow…Rouge, thank you so much…if it weren’t for you two, me, Amarie and Kelsey would have been in a lot of trouble.  You helped us save our parents, and defeat these Maniacals…we owe you a lot of thanks.  And Shadow…I owe the most to you.  You helped me realize what is now only too clear; I didn’t need to hate all of mankind for the mistakes of a few…and even so I needed to learn to forgive those who hurt me…without that lesson…we’d all be gone by now…”

   Shadow, who found the strength to dispel his tears, looked to Mikomi and said, “Well said Mikomi…well said…indeed it is not you who owes us, rather, it is us, and the entire world, that owe you a debt of gratitude.  Be at peace…”

   Mikomi nodded, then looked to Amberly and Kelsey who stood side by side now, trying their best to comfort each other.  He walked over to them, and said, “You two became best friends right quick didn’t you?  I’m glad…now I know you can both look after each other now.  I know it’s hard…but, remember I’ll always be with you.”

   Amberly and Kelsey tried to smile but couldn’t, tears still pouring from their eyes.  Mikomi looked to Amberly and said, “It is just so awesome that you can fly now…and now you won’t have to feel bad about yourself anymore.  You are just so wonderful, bright, smart and strong…take care of yourself, and your parents too, okay?”

   The hedgebat looked at him, smiled weakly and said, “I—I will Mikomi…”

   At last, Mikomi looked at Kelsey, who returned his gaze, and looked helpless as to how she would move on without him.  She said, “Please…Mikomi…you can’t leave me…I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”

   He managed a smile and said, “I do…you’ll go on living.  You’ll live a wonderful, beautiful, happy life.  You’ll find someone who loves you more than I ever could…you’ll have a family…and you won’t be bound to the Master Emerald, ever.  You’re going to be blessed so much Kelsey, and though I know that seems far away and out of reach now, you’ve just got to trust me, and promise me you won’t give up, no matter how dark or hopeless things may seem, okay?”

   “I—I can’t Mikomi…I can’t…,” she whimpered.

   Just then, Mikomi, though only his spirit remained, leaned in and gently kissed her on the cheek.  As he pulled away slowly he whispered, “Promise me Kelsey…promise me.”

   Though frozen in disbelief, Kelsey smiled bravely and said, “I—I promise Mikomi…and I’ll never break that promise.”

   Mikomi smiled, walking back towards the dead Master Emerald and said, “Don’t mourn me forever everyone…for I’m at more peace than I ever once was in life…and you all shall enjoy your own peace now, even in my absence…you’ve just got to believe that.”  He paused and said, “I love you all…especially you Mom and Dad, for you gave me such a wonderful, warm and loving life…and even though it’s over now, we won’t be separated forever…we’ll meet again.”

   Shadow, perhaps the only one who could still speak, nodded, closing his eyes and whispered, “Be at peace Mikomi.”

   Then, the same light that gave him the chance to say goodbye, returned to slowly pull him away.  He looked back once more and whispered, “See you all later…” Then as the light enveloped him, he disappeared, finally able to pass on.

   While being able to say goodbye helped things, Knuckles was now more angry than anything else.  As Hidama walked over to him, he shouted, “I’m just…so angry…why did it have to end like this?  Those damn Maniacals…Sir Burns…why did they have to kill my son?  Why didn’t they kill me?  Why!?”

   Hidama hugged him tightly and said, “Oh Knuckles…it wasn’t really them who killed him…oh…” He just couldn’t find the words to say to make things easier, for he too was angry, and was unsure how he could ever live this tragedy down.