Author?s Note:
This hasn?t been one of my better writing pieces as this just basically follows the plot of the original Sounds of Silence story. Fact is that there wouldn?t need to be much change for it in this instance, but it needed to be put out for future chapters involving the fate of Naugus, otherwise it wouldn?t make much sense. Anyway, I forgot a few details in the last part due to stuff that happened, so I have updated it.
Also, it?s been a very crappy week for me. I don?t know how much longer I?ll be able to put out fanfics at a decent constancy before shit hits the fan. Bare with me.
PART 2:
At the palace in Mobotropolis, Queen Aleena had been kind enough to allow King Acorn to be brought there where they could have more civil discussions face to face while the partially crystalline king was being cared for.
Sonic and the others arrived in the palace, returning to flesh and blood appearance, to fill in the two monarchs on what was happening.
``-no idea that the probe would release the deadly trio.'' Rotor finished up.
``Their leader Ixis has a magic wand that seemed to create crystal on whatever it impacts. How is that possible?'' Sally asked.
``Also, Ixis, Uma and Kodos didn?t begin to turn to crystal after leaving the zone like you did,'' Sonic added. ``Though I wonder if it?s because of the timeline changes.''
King Acorn looked to everyone with concern. ``...Ixis Naugus...a name I never thought I would hear again...''
Sonic folded his arms. ``Well we?re gonna hear a lot more of him if we don?t stop him from trying to claim that Mobotropolis is ?rightfully? his.''
``If this was the original timeline...he would be...'' King Acorn said, causing everyone to react in shock.
``Huh?!''
Doctor Quack looked up to the others in worry. ``I believe our king?s condition is causing a lapse in his reasoning.''
Shadow leaned in to murmur to Sonic. ``He?s just now noticing this?''
``No...I assure you doctor, my reasoning is more sound than it has been lately,'' King Acorn responded, looking to Queen Aleena apologetically.
``Daddy?'' Sally asked, sitting down on the bed next to him in question and worry.
``It?s okay, my little princess,'' he responded, putting an arm around her to comfort her. ``I just thought Naugus would...escape...the Zone of Silence...'' He sighed and looked down. ``...I never thought I would either, for that matter....'' He looked back up at them. ``You all believe my crystallization was a by-product of leaving the Zone after being exposed to its harsh environment for so long. But...that is not entirely true.'' He sighed. ``After Julian betrayed my trust...the KINGDOM?S trust...I had to use all my skills to survive in what was to be my new...home...'' He looked to them. ``But after being trapped for so long...I began to no longer care for my survival...
``It takes a few days for exposure to the Zone to take effect. After all, the Zone of Silence is so named for that after enough time has passed, sounds and vibrations cease to exist. That kind of effect is MADDENING!'' He shivered at the thought, causing some of the others to shiver as well. ``I was nearly taken in by the black hole in the central part of the zone, before I was rescued from death...my rescuer, however, was going to make me wish it had taken me.'' He grimaced. ``My former Royal Wizard, Ixis Naugus, had disappeared many years ago, and now I know what had happened to him. For he was the one who saved me from death. Apparently he had found a means of becoming immune to the Zone?s effects, using his dark magicks and the zone?s natural resources.'' He took a deep breath. ``I forged...an unholy alliance that day...exchanging flesh and blood for organic crystal...to become immune to the effects. But I had to give fealty to him, for the rest of my days as his knight...as had...the others in the Zone.'' He looked down again. ``We all had the ability to change from crystal to flesh and back again at will...I lost that ability when I escaped the zone.''
At that moment, King Acorn collapsed back on the guest bed. ``Dad!'' Sally yelped.
``My liege!'' Geoffrey gasped in worry.
Doctor Quack looked at them. ``He?ll be alright, children. He just exhausted his energy telling you his story.''
Uncle Chuck pondered there for a moment before looking to Queen Aleena. ``If what King Acorn is true...if he did swear his loyalty to the wizard-''
``-it doesn?t change the fact that this is still my kingdom, Chuck,'' Aleena said with a frown.
``...but Naugus doesn?t know that,'' Sally responded. ``But we won?t let him have this kingdom either way.''
Sonic grinned, nodding. ``Yeah, ol Ixe can go get lost!''
Everyone cheered in agreement to this.
Aleena finally turned to the royal guards, both hers and Acorn?s. ``Secure the palace. If Naugus thinks he can march in on my throne without a fight, he?s sorely mistaken-''
There was a sudden explosion from the doorway leading towards the throne room, followed by a shower of crystals flying from the doorframe. The guards took off to check on the explosion, with Sonic about to follow, when Shadow grabbed his arm. ``Sonic, wait-!''
Sonic looked at Shadow, about to protest, when he noticed his gaze. He followed it to where he saw the crystal shards on the floor. ``Yeah, I see...oh...WAIT!'' He yelled towards the guards. ``Don?t, come back-!!!''
There were sudden screams of horror, and Shadow quickly got into a defensive position to protect Sonic as they could see Warlord Kodos approach, his axe having been fixed by the handle being made of crystal. And blood dripped from the blade. ``Who else would face me in battle?'' he growled.
Sonic grabbed Shadow?s shoulder, looking at him pointedly. Shadow tensed up a moment and sighed, stepping aside as Sonic began to approach, switching his body from flesh to metal. ``I will...'' and grinned cheekily. ``But do I HAVE to face you? You?re rather ugly!''
``Kodos, end this!'' Naugus command, spying the others trying to escape from the room by wheeling King Acorn?s bed out.
Kodos raised his axe to bring down upon Sonic. Using the jets in his feet, Sonic flew back to avoid the axe being brought down. ``Whoa, that was a close one!'' He then turned to aim himself to jet directly at Kodos, fists aimed out to slam directly into his face. ``Maybe this will fix that ugly mug of yours!''
As the others were running with the bed, Geoffrey looked up to see Arachnis on the ceiling, about to get the drop on the king. ``Your precious Acorn is about to get cracked!''
Geoffrey leaped forward to pull King Acorn off the bed before Arachnis?s nun chuck was brought down upon them, instead hitting the bed as the two had fallen off the side of the bed. Geoffrey reached for the inside of his cloak and was groping thin air. ``Hey-where?s my crossbow?!''
Standing to the side, Shadow worked with his gun, having finally unjammed it, and trying to take aim at Arachnis, who was constantly on the move. ``Dammit, I can?t get a good shot!''
Sally finally ran up to Shadow, seeing him struggling, and tugged at his arm. ``Shadow!'' she pointed upwards. Just over Arachnis was a decorative drape hanging from the ceiling. She pulled out Geoffrey?s crossbow that she had borrowed. ``You take one side, I?ll take the other!''
Shadow nodded, and the two took aim to shoot the drape, knocking it down and covering the spider ninja.
Watching both of his henchmen getting trashed, Naugus was nearly foaming at the mouth when he was suddenly hit in the back of the head with a scepter. He whirled about to see Queen Aleena standing there, glaring and gripping the scepter. ``Get out of MY KINGDOM!''
``YOUR Kingdom?! Who are-?!'' He looked between her and King Acorn on the ground before growling in rage. ``ENOUGH!!!!''
Everyone nearly came to a stop as Naugus raised his staff. ``I do not know what has happened here, but I will not let a change in the monarchy stop me from claiming what is rightfully mine. ARACHNIS, KODOS!''
He aimed his staff at the two and zapped them, transforming them to crystal. ``BE TRANSFORMED! DESTROY THEM ALL!!! I COMMAND IT!!!''
Shadow, Sally, and Sonic took aim with their weapons to shoot the crystallized figures, but their projectiles and lasers just bouced right off their nearly impenetrable forms. ``There is no hope for you now!'' Kodos growled.
Suddenly Sonic stopped and used his robotic systems to broadcast a high-pitched whistle. ``TIME OUT!!!'' he yelled.
For the second time, everyone came to a complete halt as Sonic approached Naugus. ``Okay Ixe. I seen a few things here today, and while you?d LIKE for us to think that you?re gonna win, that?s just not true, isn?t it?''
``SILENCE!'' Naugus demanded, trying to intimidate Sonic by raising his staff. But the robotic hedgehog wasn?t having it.
``Or what? You?re going to turn me into crystal like Arachnis and Kodos? Go ahead, I?m already roboticized. Turn me intro crystal and all you?re doing is giving me power that I can turn back upon you!''
In anger, Anugus shot his power at Sonic directly, who lifted his arms to shield his eyes.
``My son!'' Aleena screamed.
``NO!!!'' Shadow screamed, moving forward to grab Sonic before it was too late.
The bolt of crystal lightning bounced off his metallic body and nearly hit Naugus, who jumped back in time. Shadow had tackled Sonic off to the side, gripping him tightly and shaking. Sonic twisted a bit to comfort Shadow. ``Shadow, it?s okay, I?m fine. Let me up.''
In surprise, Shadow was more than happy to get up and help Sonic to his feet, who then turned upon a cursing Naugus. ``Just as I thought. Your power is more about show. It can do little more than shower crystals and affect your minions already under the effects of the spell. That?s why you would only blast us at our feet and not us directly.''
Sonic surged forth suddenly, using the jets in his feet to grab Naugus?s staff as he zoomed past him. Once he landed, he took the staff and smashed the orb atop of it into the floor. ``Well, no more!''
Naugus hissed loudly and in a flash of light, he disappeared. The crystallized forms of Arachnis and Kodos fell over, stiff as statues. Everyone began to gather around them. ``What happened to them?'' Sally asked.
Uncle Chuck looked to them. ``My guess is that with out Naugus?s staff to control them, they are like puppets without strings.''
Sonic looked back to where Naugus WAS standing, beginning to shift back to organic form. ``Where?d you think that horn-headed cream went to anyway?''
``Gone...you think he?s destroyed?'' Rotor asked.
Sonic sighed and folded his arms. ``I doubt it. Villains always have a way of coming back when you least expect it...''
THE END, FOR NOW
NEXT - TEMPORAL SHADOW: TEMPORAL TALES
