Sonic GeneX: Doomsday
Chapter 47 - Absolution
Stage 22x - Flame Core
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
"And who knows what of our future?
We can all try to change the past.
Only you know if you'll be together tonight...
Cause every night I will save your life,
And every night I will be with you.
Cause every night I still lay awake,
And I dream of an absolution.
Cause every night I will make it right,
And every night I will come to you,
But every night it just stays the same,
In my dream of an absolution." - Dreams of an Absolution, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006
Previously on GeneX…
After losing her home to the Lost Ones, Blaze has been on a journey to gather the Sol Emeralds and take revenge, joined by Silver and Marine. Now with six Sol Emeralds gathered and Capricorn the ferret joining them, the group finds themselves following Blaze's senses through a cavern on Demon Island in search of the final emerald...
Now, our tale continues...
"Losss... Lossss..." The ominous whispers could be heard echoing through the cavern, the area that Chaos Shrine's basement had led Blaze to. The exact purpose of that basement was difficult to determine, but now they were passing into the depths of Demon Island, and in the shadows they could see ominous figures. "Lost Ones... I'm not sure we should keep going..." Capricorn said nervously. "Nothing's going to stop me..." Blaze grumbled. Marine, however, was more hesitant. The figures in the dark looked familiar. The raccoon gulped. "C-cobbers?" Stepping a bit closer, the figures in the dark became clearer to see. They were koalas, reborn as Lost One zombies. They were Marine's friends, the Coconut Crew! "Stay back!" Silver warned, "This has to be a trap... They know we're here!" Blaze was still determined to press on, but in front of her, the Doomsayer stepped out of the darkness. "Sonic? Out of my way!" she shouted. The Doomsayer removed his hood, indeed he was Sonic. "You asked me where I was from. I am from one version of this world's future, one of many futures I have been witness to." he said, holding up a hand to feel the rain that even followed him underground, like sorrowful tears from the atmosphere around him, "No matter how I tried to alter the past, the Lost Ones always prevailed. I lost count of the attempts...all the times I watched my friends fall. The only way is to join the Lost Ones. Their apocalypse is inevitable." he said. Silver growled. "No! I won't believe that! I know I've had to fix the past quite a few times myself... but there has to still be hope! Giving up...becoming THIS!?" he shouted, motioning toward the Lost Coconut Crew, "...Sonic wouldn't agree with that either. I don't know what happened to you, but you aren't Sonic anymore!" he cried. The blue one nodded. "I am only...the Doomsayer!"
While they were distracted, they suddenly felt a lack of floor under them. "Have a nice trip! Don't worry, I'll send the emerald you're looking for right over!" Lospecter's voice drew Silver's attention, and he also looked to see his friends falling down into a portal while he was safely floating above it. "Blaze!! No!" he cried, diving into the portal after her! He wasn't quite fast enough to catch them, but he used his powers to slow his friends' descent, softening their landing onto the rocky ground below. Blaze looked around the place they found themselves, a volcanic crater. "F-flame Core? This is Flame Core... How can this be??" she stammered. "The Chaos Key can open a path to ANY place!" Capricorn explained. Any place, true, but not any time. This had to be an alternate dimension. Silver looked up to see the portal vanish. "The Doomsayer was a diversion to trap us... This place... Didn't I see this place in the Time Eater's crazy White Space?" he recalled. Marine looked at the lava flowing around the rocks they were standing on and gulped. "Right, well, that's enough sightseeing. Can we go home now?" she whimpered. Another portal emerged close by, and out of it stepped a familiar foe. It was the turqoise skinned vampire-esque demon, Losipher. "After fleeing me like cowards, it is my understanding that you pitiful creatures are looking for me? Or rather, you're hoping to take back the power I devoured..." he sneered, the portal vanishing behind him. Losipher had swallowed the red Sol Emerald back in Blaze and Marine's own dimension, and nearly devoured them as well. Now, to complete the Sol collection, they would have to fight him again!
Blaze clenched her teeth. Their chances didn't seem good if their last run-in with Losipher was anything to go on. But she had to try. Fortunately, Silver wasn't preoccupied trying to protect numerous other people this time. He glowed with psychokinetic energy, and reached out with it, making Losipher gag as he grabbed the Sol Emerald inside him and wrested it up through the demon's throat and out of his mouth! "Hah! I got it!" he laughed. "That was super-gross..." Marine groaned. Seeming to not even feel pain from all that, Losipher seized the floating emerald in his hand, pulling against Silver's power! He laughed at them softly. "Take a good look. This rock will do you no good!" he sneered. Blaze gasped as she looked at it. The emerald's red glow had faded, and it looked like an ordinary stone! "What have you done to the emerald's power!?" she shouted. "Feasted on it!" Losipher cackled, "Ask your friend..." he said, pointing at Capricorn. They glanced at her, and she rubbed the back of her head. "Ophiuchus promised the Lost Ones the world in exchange for leaving the flow of time the way he wanted it... He had Chaos scientists in the future work with the Lost Ones, and they created...the Sol Emeralds. By transforming the Chaos Emeralds. They are the enduring, fiery soul of the Chaos Emeralds...fiery like the Earth's core..." she said. Losipher released the lifeless emerald and let Silver take it. "We devour souls... The protective layer of Chaos energy was removed so that the emeralds could be a power source for US!" he declared. Blaze glared at Capricorn. "You knew this??" she hissed. Capricorn sighed. "I believed our deal was necessary... Ophi made me believe it..." she said. Losipher scowled at them. "Now you can all die just as that snake did!"
Losipher reached back into his throat and pulled out a sword, which burst into blue flames. "Stop doing that!" Marine shouted, grossed out again. Capricorn stood in front of the raccoon, raising her arm protectively. "Stay back!" she warned Marine. Losipher pointed his blade at the ferret. "Why so hypocritical? You said it yourself. You and Zodiac willfully aided us. Just because your foolish leader's plans fell apart doesn't mean you shouldn't expect us to claim the world we were promised. Stand down, Zodiac failure..." he hissed, stepping towards her. She backed up a step, along with Marine, but Capricorn mostly stood her ground. "I am no longer Capricorn of the Zodiac Council. I am an ordinary person again. And though I can't yet remember my name... I will protect those weaker than me, with my last breath if necessary!" she shouted. Losipher raised his blade. "So be it..." However, as he swung his arm, the blade didn't move with him! Silver held it in the air with his psychokinesis. "Don't forget us! We'll protect them, too!" he shouted, Blaze positioning the other six Sol Emeralds on the ground around the lifeless emerald during Losipher's distraction. "Perhaps the other Sol Emeralds can reawaken this one..." she murmured. Their colorful lights glowed, but Losipher simply laughed at them. "You know... I'm not one for laughter... But the more you deny your fate, the more delicious your utter despair will be once I strip you of your souls. I crave such suffering! And now, I shall satiate that craving..." his eyes glowed red when he turned to Blaze. Red like the Sol Emerald he'd drained. He unhinged his jaw, and with a strangely mournful roar, he started to inhale forcefully, seemingly trying to suck in the Sol Emeralds!
Though Capricorn felt the need to move Marine back, the force of the inhalation really wasn't enough to lift anyone. Blaze collected the Sol Emeralds into her arms quickly, protectively holding them against Losipher's inhale. Instead of getting the emeralds, he seemed to suck up their color, their very power, and before their eyes, Losipher started to grow and transform! Massive wings. Long, sharp claws. More fangs than his mouth could handle. Endless tentacles that seemed to both replace his legs and also wrap around most of his body. Losipher was a nightmarish, demonic beast, and he roared at them like a beast! The four Mobians backed as far away from him as they could, but any escape was blocked by streams of lava! Blaze found herself holding gray, lifeless emeralds, but there was no choice. "I... have to believe. If these emeralds are an enduring, burning soul... I can reignite them!" she cried, eyes glowing with fiery power! As Blaze's body heated up, the Sol Emeralds responded, starting to glow faintly once more! She was lifted off the ground as Losipher watched, snarling at her. The Sol Emeralds vanished in a dazzling burst of light, and Blaze emerged, her fur pink, her coat red, a powerful glow surrounding her. She had transformed into Burning Blaze! Silver floated up beside her, lacking in emerald power, but still ready to support her any way he could. "That's impossible... I've taken everything...all of the emeralds' despair!" Losipher snarled. Blaze scoffed at him. "You should know that souls are made of more than despair... There's fiery passion! And vengeful rage! These flames...they will avenge our world!!" she declared. Losipher snarled. "I am filled with Sol energy... See if you can even harm me!"
Tentacles lashed out for Silver, Blaze and their friends, forcing the burning and psychic ones to fly out of the way! Capricorn and Marine scrambled about on the ground, trying to avoid getting grabbed. "We could sure use something to defend ourselves with!" Capricorn shouted. Silver sent the sword he'd wrested from Losipher clattering to her feet, and though the blade was burning with Ghost Fire, she carefully took the handle. "Well, beggars can't be choosers... Tentacles off!" she shouted, slicing at one of those tentacles as it reached for Marine! The raccoon sighed in relief, only to gasp in alarm as the severed tentacle started to change its shape! It was a slimy likeness, but it shifted into the form of Mitch the weasel, whom Losipher had devoured at the jungle! He started to chase after Marine, and she screamed in alarm as she fled from him! "Gross gross gross gross!!" she yelled as Capricorn followed, trying her best to protect her. Since the ferret was watching over Marine, this freed up Silver and Blaze to focus more on Losipher. "He must have a weak spot..." Blaze murmured, speeding towards the beast while avoiding his flailing tentacles! His clawed hand swiped at her when she got close, and though her super form was resistant to damage, he was still able to grab her and toss her away, not bothered by her flaming body either! Silver was between two tentacles, struggling with his powers to push them back. He had to focus hard, because Lost Ones were resistant to his power. "Aaaahh!! I-I'm in trouble!" he groaned. Seeing this, Blaze flew to him and lifted him to safety, the pair fleeing pursuit from the writhing tentacles! Losipher gave a smug snarl. "You can't even get close...and your power will burn out before long. I am unstoppable... I am death!"
Things were getting particularly rough for Marine and Capricorn. Every time the ferret sliced a tentacle, another of Losipher's devoured souls manifested. Hope the raven, Zazz the Zeti, some stray Battle Birds. "Blimey, would you stop doing that!?" Marine shouted as these slimy ghosts surrounded her! "I don't know what else to do!" Capricorn cried, turning to strike down one of the slimy Battle Birds with the sword, only to see it start to regenerate on the spot! Blaze had dropped Silver near the edge of the rocky foothold, and seeing the others in trouble, she left him and raced to them, blasting through Zazz and Mitch first, reducing them to puddles of burnt slime! Blaze seemed to be taking the pressure off, but the tentacles were also growing back, and tried to grab for the helpless Marine! "Nooo!" the raccoon cried, ducking and holding her head to brace for the end. When it didn't come, she looked to see Capricorn wrapped up in the tentacles, her body and limbs held tight! She groaned and dropped the sword! "R-run, Marine... Aaah!!" she groaned. "Capricorn, no!" she sniffled. The ferret looked back at her. "That's not...my name..." she said, closing her eyes, "My name... is Felicia... Don't worry...I've been dead before." Though Blaze tried to go after her, Hope and the Battle Birds surrounded Marine, forcing the fiery princess to choose. While she saw to Marine's safety, Losipher pulled Capricorn, or Felicia, to him, and with his jaw unhinged like a snake, he quickly devoured her! "Try finding a cure for that..." the demon snarled, roaring as his broad wings flapped! His gloating roars were interrupted by a fiery boulder being flung into his mass of tentacles, making him howl in rage and turn to the culprit; Silver the hedgehog was lifting what earth he could out of the lava flow! "You won't take another soul! We'll finish you here!!" he shouted.
There was no time to mull over the significance of Capricorn remembering her name. Felicia, it was the name Fera had taken during her amnesia. There are no coincidences...but perhaps this mystery would forever go unsolved. What wasn't a mystery was the depth of anger felt by the trio as they stared down Losipher. Even Marine was through running at this point, picking up the sword Capricorn had dropped, even though it was a bit heavy for her. The demon laughed at their bravado. "You couldn't defeat Iblis, and you can't defeat us. It must play out in your mind every night, princess... The despair of leaving your friend alone in that ruined world. Too bad he cannot remember. But we are privy to time's secrets, yes..." Losipher said, taunting Blaze. Silver tossed another ball of flaming rock at the demon, who swatted it aside with his clawed hand! His tentacles were spreading out, creeping towards him, as well as Marine, who wasn't as effective at swinging that sword as Capricorn was. Blaze floated in front of the demon, her thoughts on his words. It was true, the Silver she first knew was overwritten by a new timeline, one that didn't overwrite her as she found herself in Marine's dimension. "I couldn't defeat Iblis... instead..." she murmured, "Instead... I burn with his flames!!" she proclaimed, her burning form suddenly burning brighter, a brilliant light that stunned Losipher! "You would tap into the flames of disaster?! Desperate fool! I will consume Iblis as well!" he roared. Blaze seared off towards him, burning right through any tentacles that tried to grab her! "Only I can play with fire..." she said, twirling a mighty kick into the demon's head, "...without getting burned!" Silver and Marine raced closer, worried for their friend, but they stopped and gawked as Losipher let out a howl of pain, and light enveloped them both!
It should have ended there. Blaze collapsed, the Sol Emeralds dropping around her. Losipher should have been destroyed, but the puddle where he once stood began to churn. Losipher's enraged voice howled, and the mass of slime split apart into a thousand smaller Lost Ones, resembling losol slimes with Losipher's fanged face attached! Before they knew it, the mini-Losiphers had surrounded Silver, Blaze and Marine! "Crikey!! He really is invincible! We're done for!" Marine cried. Blaze had put all her power into that last attack, and she was just collapsed on the ground, seeing the demons approaching and starting to feel that it was indeed over. "It can't...end like this..." she panted, clenching her teeth and shutting her eyes. Silver looked around. As hopeless as it looked, it was all up to him now. "No, I won't give up! We're getting out of here!" he shouted. The mini-Losiphers hissed and chuckled in amusement. "You... cannot... escape... Die... now!!" their voices chanted, speaking slowly and with effort, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be deadly to touch. Silver reached out his hands, glowing with psychokinetic energy. One by one, he lifted up the Sol Emeralds, and guided them back to their group. "Sol Emeralds! I know we've asked a lot of you, but help us just this once more!" he cried. "It's... too... late!!" Losipher hissed, his scattered pieces leaping to attack the trio! The Sol Emeralds flashed just in time, and the pieces of Losipher crashed into each other, finding no Mobians and no Sol Emeralds to devour. Instead, Losipher's segments recombined, and returning to his default form, he glared up at the dark sky and wailed in fury!
Blaze found herself falling, plummeting in the sky wherever the Sol Emeralds had sent them. Silver was frankly lucky to get the emeralds to transport them at all, given his lack of experience with them. The others could be anywhere, and Blaze was oddly at peace. As long as the Lost Ones didn't get the emeralds or her soul, she could accept it if her end was here. But as she reached that conclusion, she was suddenly caught in someone's arms, Silver's arms! She held onto him tightly, a wave of relief washing over her to see him okay. Marine was holding on to his ankle as the hedgehog floated across the cloudy sky, carrying his friends to safety. "We made it... but... the Sol Emeralds are gone." Silver sighed. The emeralds aided them, but where they went afterwards was anyone's guess. They wouldn't be of any use to anyone now. Blaze continued to hold him, even cuddling him a bit. "It doesn't matter, Silver... What matters is we're still here." she said softly. She had pursued revenge all this time, but in that moment where she nearly lost even more, she finally realized what was truly important. The Lost Ones still had to be stopped, of course; But they'd never defeat the Lost Ones if they forgot what they were fighting for. "Ay, mates!" Marine shouted, "Any chance for us to find land soon? My arm's gettin' tired!" she grunted. Silver nodded. "Hang in there a bit longer..." he said. Truthfully, he didn't want this moment to end, with Blaze in his arms. Although his memories of their original timeline together had faded, there was still always a nagging feeling deep within him. A failure, a profound loss. But at last, they were together, safe for the moment. That nagging feeling was gone... Replaced with a realized dream. Absolution.
To be continued...
