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Beyond Prophecy	By : blazingskies Category: +S through Z > Sonic Views: 2885 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: All Sonic Underground characters and settings belong to SEGA and DiC. I'm not making money off this.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter
Four - Destiny's Force
Fourteen
Years after the Coup�
The
sound of metal against metal rang out across the deserted scrap yard, the fiery
rays of the setting sun reflecting off the shining surfaces of the swords
wielded by two Mobians as they circled around one another warily, swords
flickering out in the rapid dance of thrust, cut and parry.
"Watched
your guard on your right," The being in the long, cowled cloak said
sharply, tapping the other Mobian's right arm smartly to emphasise his point.
"Ouch!"
His blue-quilled opponent winced, quickly moving his blade into a better guard
position and circling for another attack. They were like that for awhile, slow,
wary circling with occasional quick, darting movements to find an opening, then
a flash of metal almost quicker than the eye could see.
"Very
good," Shadow called, disengaging from Sonic's blade.
"Thanks,
Maestro," Sonic panted, stepping back and resting the tip of his 'sword'
against the floor. It wasn't much more than a crudely hammered length of metal,
with cloth and wire wrapped around one end to make a hilt, but it was of the
correct weight and balance to make a decent practice blade.
Shadow
nodded, "You did well today, but remember to keep up that guard on your
upper right - I tapped you there several times."
Sonic
sighed, "But you usually come at me from the left�"
"I
happen to be left-handed, that's expected. But you can't neglect any guard -
Robotnik's robots are ambidextrous - the ones with only two arms, anyway - and
any Mobian enemy you face will likely be right-handed." Shadow glared at
him sternly, though he knew Sonic probably couldn't see his expression due to
the hood.
"Okay,
okay," Sonic said, holding up his hands, "I'll work on it, I
promise." Then he glanced briefly at his watch.
Shadow
raised an unseen eyebrow, "Have somewhere to be?"
"Actually,
yeah," Sonic replied with a grin, "Uncle Chuck's finally letting me
go on a mission." Sonic's tone was excited and triumphant, but Shadow's
mouth twisted into a frown.
"Hmm."
"C'mon,
Maestro, aren't you happy for me?" Sonic's expression became something
akin to a pout. Shadow sighed.
"That
depends. What sort of mission is it?"
Sonic
answered cautiously, giving only very basic details - presumably he had been
instructed not to reveal anything important.
"As
long as you take care, and remember everything I've taught you." Shadow
said eventually.
"Heh,
always."
Sonic replied with a cheerful smile and a thumbs up.
Shadow only just managed to keep his reserved expression and posture - Sonic's
mercurial moods could be infectious.
"Then
maybe we should call a halt here, so you can prepare for your mission."
Shadow
drew himself up and saluted his pupil with a flourish. Sonic returned the
intricate sword salute and Shadow sheathed his blade.
"So,
I guess I'll see you on Thursday, huh?" Sonic said.
"Yes."
Shadow replied, folding his arms.
"Cool,"
Sonic turned and wrapped his practice blade up in the heavy linen he kept it
in, "See you then, Maestro!"
"Good
bye, Sonic," Shadow murmured back as Sonic dashed off back to his Uncle's
home, "And good luck."
Shadow
turned and silently made his way through the city and back to the tiny, cramped
apartment he called home. Sparsely decorated, with basic furniture and
white-painted walls, it was placed above a bar, and got noisy at night, but
Shadow had learned how to filter out noise and distractions from his many years
in the Royal Army - besides, the bar's owner was friendly, and let him work
there when he needed money. It was suitable for his minimal needs.
Pulling
off the heavy cloak, he hung it on a peg behind the door and entered the
kitchen. Fixing himself a simple meal of a sandwich
and a glass of juice he returned to the box-like living room, with its single
battered couch and small stereo system. He had never bothered owning a TV,
never having liked the nonsense that dribbled off the screen for the
entertainment of the stupefied masses. All the TV channels were owned by
Robotnik, anyway. Shadow far preferred to relax with some music, and had managed
to acquire a decent collection over the years, everything from classical to
rock and metal. Putting on some soft rock music, he leaned back and ate his
sandwich while he contemplated his day.
Sonic
had come along very well with his training. Not just with the sword; Shadow had
painstakingly taught him how to sneak, how to avoid being tracked, techniques
involved in escaping from a prison camp or jail cell, unarmed combat and
wilderness survival. Over the four and a bit years he had been teaching, Sonic had
grown really quite competent.
No,
Shadow thought with a shake of his head, that wasn't fair. Sonic had actually
turned into a graceful and efficient fighter, swift and accurate with his
strikes, sometimes reckless in his attacks, but rarely actually overextending
himself. With a proper sword in his hands, Sonic would truly be quite deadly.
Hmm, now
that was a thought. Sonic's fifteenth birthday was coming up soon, and a decent
sword would probably make a fine gift.�
Finishing
the last bite of his sandwich, he stood and went over to a small cabinet in the
corner of the room. He had managed to rescue a few items from his quarters
after the Coup, and this cabinet contained almost all of them. Unlocking it, he
pulled out a long wooden box and flicked it open to admire the elegant
sidesword nestled within the velvet-padded case. Heavier than a rapier, but
lighter and with better hand protection than a longsword, this sword would
probably suit Sonic's cut-and-thrust fighting style quite well. Shadow drew it reverentially
from its box, inspecting it for rust and other damage. He doubted there would
be any. Though Lieutenant Vector had died many years ago, the care he had taken
with this blade remained apparent.�
Shadow
smiled sadly as he remembered his former lieutenant and his very first command.
He had spent over ten years working his way up the ranks, battling suspicion
and prejudice surrounding his origins and background until finally being given
command of a squad.
He
hadn't realised it at the time, but this particular assignment was considered
by command to be a poisoned chalice. The Chaotix Squad, as they were nicknamed,
were a group of oddballs, eccentrics and troublemakers. None of them had over
done anything bad enough to warrant being kicked out of the army, so they had
been shunted sideways into this dead-end unit. When Shadow had first met them,
they had been stubborn, resentful and difficult� but Shadow had seen something
in each of them, something special and unique. Despite their eccentricities -
or perhaps even because of them - he had moulded them into what became one of
the best elite squads in the entire army. He had valued their skills, and they
had respected his leadership.
Yes, he
could imagine Vector approving of Sonic. The gift was appropriate, then.
He
glanced at a clock briefly, realising he had only ten minutes until his shift
in the bar began. Quickly pulling on a jacket with the name of the bar scrawled
across the back, he made his way downstairs.
"Well
hello, Seth, honey," Rouge, the bar's owner, cooed at him, greeting him by
the name he had assumed after the Coup.
"Hello
Rouge," He said simply. The bat pouted slightly at his reserved greeting,
but shrugged and returned to counting up the booze stock for tonight,
"Johnny's gonna be late, so you're on 'til Midnight. That okay,
honey?"
Shadow
shrugged, "Sure." He said. It suited him. If the Freedom Fighters
kept to their usual patterns, Sonic's mission would not being until 1am, giving
him plenty of time to get to Sonic's location and watch over him. He wanted to
be there to see his pupil's debut solo mission.

"Never
were much of a talker, huh, Seth?" Rouge said in
an amused tone.
Shadow
smirked at her, then went over to assume his place just outside the main
entrance while Rouge began opening up. Looking up into the clouded sky, he
briefly thought of the excited light in Sonic's eyes and hoped that everything
turned out okay.
Sonic. Everything seemed to come back to him,
somehow. Soon it would be the Eldest Prince's fifteenth birthday � had things
turned out differently, that would be the age at which he�d be permitted to
begin paying court to the young Crown Prince. Allowed to give gifts and take
walks together, to enjoy one another�s company at concerts and balls � all
under the strictest of supervision, of course. Sonic would have known Shadow
all his life, would be familiar and comfortable with the other hedgehog�s
presence.
But things had not turned out that way. Instead of the Royal Palace, Sonic
lived in a shack next to a junk yard, and instead of the comfortable quarters
in the Army Barracks, |Shadow lived in a dingy apartment above a bar. Apart
from those twice-weekly fighting lessons, they were virtual strangers. Shadow
was Sonic�s teacher and protector, not his suitor and he would never dream of
taking advantage of the younger hedgehog. This was a different world, with
different rules.
No matter what the damned prophecy said.
---
The
night air was cold and the limp grass beneath his feet beaded and slick with
dew. His breath frosted in the air as he gazed intently at the dimly-lit face
of his watch, waiting for the exact moment he would need to go.
Five
seconds.
As the
second hand ticked down, Sonic dropped himself into a runner's starting pose,
legs angled behind him, the tips of his shoes digging into the ground, fingers
poised in front of him, lighting touching the earth, supporting his weight.
Three
seconds.
He could
see the shifting light of the energy shield surrounding the factory from here.
That shield was why he was out here, rather than any of the more experienced
Freedom Fighters - he was the only one with the speed to get past that shield.
One
second.
He
coiled like a spring, his muscles quivering in anticipation. Get in, plant the
explosives, get out. No problem.
Go.
Muscles
uncoiled as Sonic shot forward. He accelerated towards the glowing red light of
the shield, feeling the push of the atmospheric phenomenon that shared his
name. He pushed harder against the sonic wind, harnessing the power and
adrenaline running through his veins. The sound barrier broke, leaving the
whip-crack sound of a sonic boom trailing along far behind him.
The red
shield filled his vision now. He snatched a quick breath, lowering his head
slightly as he charged into it at top speed. Pain buzzed violently through his
nerves, scorching his fur and quills and making his steps falter for a fraction
of an instant.
Then it
was over. Dragging in a ragged breath, he sped up again, evading the robots and
other equipment in his path, he dropped the first of the explosive charges. He
kept going, running around or leaping over any equipment or debris in his way
as he lay the charges in the pattern he had been told before he headed towards
the area he would be using as an exit.
Then he
realised. That tiny, fractional stop as he had powered through the shield had
thrown off his timing - he wasn't going to get out in time to escape the blast
radius.
Frantic,
he tried to summon up more speed, but his muscles still burned from the shock
they had taken coming through the shield and refused to yield any more energy
to him.
Leaping
desperately over the wall that surrounded the factory compound, he heard the
first 'BOOM' as the explosives went off, followed in rapid succession by a
string of similar explosions. A burning hot wind caught him when he reached the
apex of his jump, and he screamed as he felt it frying the quills on his back.
Succumbing to hedgehog instinct, he curled up into a ball as the shockwave
drove him violently into the dirt. He rolled, his sharp quills driving a furrow
in the earth with the force of his impact.
Smoke,
steam and tears blurred his vision as he tried to open his eyes. His ears rang
with a constant high-pitched whine, deafening him to any other sound, every
inch of him was shrieking in pain. He uncurled and tried to stand, but his
limbs wouldn't support him. Trembling, he collapsed back into the crater his
impact had created. His vision seemed to narrow, black borders taking up his
field of vision as everything seemed to grow distant, even the ringing in his
ears fading away until, mercifully, he passed out.
The
night faded back into stillness, save for the burning light and crackle of
flames from the immolated factory. In a flare of light barely distinguishable
from the flickering firelight, Shadow arrived.
The
darker hedgehog couldn't suppress a sharp, horrified intake of breath when he
saw the state his student was in.
"Sonic�"
He breathed with a sigh and a shake of his head, "What am I going to do
with you?"
With
infinite care and gentleness, Shadow knelt down to gather up the unconscious
cobalt hedgehog into his arms. Narrowing his eyes, Shadow gathered up the
threads of chaos energy and whispered,
"Chaos
control!"
---
Far
away, in the dark, metallic command centre in the centre of a city that had
once been known as Mobotropolis, Lord Robotnik sat brooding on his throne-like
control chair. He glared out at the cityscape, his vast orange moustache
twitching in irritation as he contemplated the recent destruction of one of his
more prominent factories - despite the powerful force shield he had installed
to prevent sabotage.
A small
roughly cylindrical robot came gliding in just then, a
data pad held loosely in one of its many appendages.
"Well?"
Robotnik demanded of the machine.
"The
analysis from the sensors at Factory 2015-b, Sir." The robot buzzed in reply.
"I
know that, blockhead!" Robotnik thundered, "What does it say?"
"Subject
responsible for sabotage of Factory 2015-b was a single target. Subject
circumvented the force-shield by attaining supersonic speeds."
"Super-sonic?" Robotnik growled, "Have
those accursed Freedom Fighters acquired a supersonic jet, now?"
"Negative,
Sir," The robot replied in its flat monotone, "Subject is confirmed
as organic."
Robotnik's
eyes widened, and somewhere in his blackened heart he felt a tiny shiver of
fear.
'Impossible!
It couldn't be him.' Robotnik thought to himself, 'He was killed during
the assault on the palace. Even if he did escape somehow, why would he wait
fourteen years to make his move?'
"Anything
else?"
Robotnik demanded of the robot in a dangerous quiet voice that suggested that
there better be something more, or this particular robot would end up in a
slag-pit.
"Subject
was� blue, sir." The robot said with just the slightest hint of
hesitation.
"Blue?!" Robotnik said incredulously.
"Yes,
sir."
"Go
back and re-analyse that data!" He snarled, his face flushed with
barely-contained fury, "And don't come back here unless you have something
useful to report!"
"Yes,
sir!" The
robot said as it shot out of the room as fast as its repulsors could carry it.
Robotnik
slumped back on his chair, moustache twitching once again.
'Blue�
not him, then. Then who? Who else would have
that power?'
---
Everything
felt blurred and distant to Sonic the Hedgehog as he floated serenely above the
agony and exhaustion. He was distantly aware of things happening around him,
but couldn't seem to actually connect with them. His ears twitched as he heard
a soft male voice speak to him, the comforting sensation of being carefully
carried - a sudden burst of light and a feeling of indescribable power that
went with it. Then� soft cushions, his uncle's voice reassuring him, cool,
soothing things rubbed into his skin. It was all so very far away� and the
burning pain was still there, beneath the surface. He slipped away into
unconsciousness once again.
Then;
warm, soft light penetrated the dark blanket of unconsciousness, easing his
pain, lending him strength, calling him back into wakefulness.
"Mrrrggghhh?" Sonic groaned groggily as he
cracked open his eyes. As the room slowly came into focus, he realised someone
was standing over him, and it wasn't anyone he recognised. Fighting reflexes
kicked in, and his tried to jump into a clear space to prepare for a fight,
only to find his body was sluggish and wouldn't react. He stumbled, almost
falling off the sofa he was sprawled on.
"Who
are you?" Sonic demanded of the stranger, "And what've you done to
me?"
The
odd-looking stranger held up his hands in a peaceable gesture, "I am the
Oracle of Dephius, young Prince Sonic," He introduced himself with a short
bow, "As for what I have done to you� I have merely healed your injuries.
As a consequence, you may feel tired and drained, since such healing does draw
much on your body's resources."
Sonic
mulled that over, "Fine, thanks for the help. Now, where's my Uncle
Chuck?" Sonic's gaze remained fixed on this 'oracle', his eyes hard and
suspicious.
The
Oracle sighed and bowed his head, "That is why I came here, Prince Sonic.
This place can no longer serve as your safe haven. Your Uncle Charles was
captured by Robotnik's forces when he tried to procure medical aid for
you."
Sonic
gasped, guilt stabbing into him sharper than any knife, "No� we gotta help
him!"
The Oracle
shook his head, "I'm afraid it is too late for that. Charles has already
been subject to the worst horror Robotnik can impose upon those that defy
him."
Roboticised. Despite the flowery language,
Sonic understood exactly what the Oracle meant and felt his heart sink like a
stone, the first flash of grief and loss clenching around his stomach.
"You
must run, young Prince, lest Robotnik's forces come for you, next. The time has
come for you to reunite with the rest of your siblings."
Anger
flashed through Sonic's eyes as he glared up at the Oracle, "Look, pal,
can you just talk sense? Why the hell do you keep calling me
'Prince'?!"
The
Oracle smiled fractionally, "I apologise. I will attempt to explain
properly�"
A
thoughtful look then crossed Sonic's face and he held up a staying hand, "Wait
- hold up. Did you say I had� siblings?"
---
Late
evening on Thursday, Shadow arrived in the junk yard, wrapped as usual in his
heavy cloak to engage in his usual training session with Sonic. At least, it
would be if the younger hedgehog was recovered by now.� Shadow hoped he was, as under his cloak he
carried the box containing the sidesword he intended to give to Sonic as an
early birthday gift.
The area
was still and silent, which made Shadow raise an eyebrow instantly. Usually
Sonic would be waiting for him, practicing his form or simply running laps
around the junkyard, so the noise was distinctive. This time, there was
nothing.
Stepping
into the clear area they usually practiced in, Shadow kept one hand on his sabre
hilt and stepped cautiously into the clearing. Straight away, he noticed
something wrong.
Sonic's
practice blade was stuck point-first into the hard-packed earth and, wrapped
untidily around the hilt, was a scrap of paper, its edges fluttering in the
erratic evening breeze.
Still
feeling wary, he carefully stepped towards the blade and gingerly unwrapped the note from the hilt. It was a note, written in
Sonic's careless scrawl.
Maestro,
Sorry
I couldn't say this in person but I wouldn't to tell you somehow.
The
bad guys got my Uncle Chuck, so I gotta leave. First
thing you ever taught me was to defend with my feet so I'm following your
advice. Don't know where I'm gonna go yet, but turns out I've got some family I
didn't know I had, so I think I gotta go find them.
Thanks
for everything you've done for me, and all the lessons I've learned from you.
You've taught me a lot - not just about fighting.
I
hope I can see you again someday.
Sonic.
The note
crumpled in Shadow's suddenly tight grip. A sense of loss wailed through
Shadow's soul. Sonic's trail would be cold by now and he had taught Sonic all
the tricks to avoid being followed.
Now it
seems he had taught the younger hedgehog rather too well, since it meant he
would have no way to track Sonic now.
Despite
everything he had promised, all the oaths he had sworn, it seemed that Shadow
had failed in his most important duty - to defend the Crown Prince.
But
despite that awful guilt, something else cut still deeper:
He would
miss Sonic's company.
To be
continued in Chapter Five - 'On The Run'
- 4
- 5
- 6
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Beyond Prophecy