Episode 21 Endings Begin
Horatio was pale. No matter how many times Ame said it, news that his father could still strike at him affected the young genius.

"Stop saying that!" he told Ame, "My father is dead. Just because his body is missing doesn't mean I have anything to worry about!"

"Of course," Ame said, eyes going blank. Horatio had given him a direct order, and it settled in his mind. He blinked twice, and animation returned to his face.

"That will be all for today, unless you have something else to tell me."

"Only that something big is coming, and soon."

"What? What's coming, and how soon?"

"I... I don't know," Ame answered, genuinely confused. For a moment he gazed deeply into Kuokan then looked as if he was about to continue, but didn't get the chance, as Fenrir burst through the door, holding a sheet of paper, and looking very breathless. Horatio looked away from Ame, knowing thar his aide wouldn't disturb them unless it was of the upmost importance, and waited patiently until Fenrir could speak.

"Sir," Fenrir began, a sure sign he had a lot on his mind, "As per your instructions, I started monitoring Chao Tower for Chaos energy. Minutes ago there were two readings, but these moved to an area in the warehouse district."

"This could be our chance to aquire them," Horatio smiled, "Get a car ready, we'll keep it low-key. Just you, me and Ame."

"Are you sure that that's wise?" Fenrir was shocked.

"Between us, we have an active Emerald, and someone who is well versed in its use, my own mind abilities, and both you and I have extensive training in martial arts."

"Still-" Fenrir tried again.

"We will be enough," Ame told them.

Hortaio nodded, and left for the garage.


Metalix was surer on his feet than Super Sonic, and reach Aques, despite the building's shaking and Loki's speed. Even so, he didn't have chance to interface with the gem, before the cat-boy reached him, and gripped the stone. As it was held between them, Klonoa couldn't risk attacking Metalix without maybe hurting Loki.

"Let go!" Loki shouted, trying to reach Metalix with a kick.

"After you!" Melaix growled, before launching a shock attack that threw Loki across the room. As he held Aques above his head in triumph, he wasn't expecting the mallet blow that Amy landed on the back of his head, as she, Knuckles, Rouge and Scarlette had found a back way in.

Shadow glanced around. Sonic and Klonoa blocked the door, Tails had ran to Loki, and he was surrounded by the Emeralds. Backing away from Super sonic and Metalix was the best course of action, if only to see how this played out. However, his nature as one of the best survivours shone through, and he managed to collect Helios as he back away from the conflict.

"Burnstrike!" twin voices commanded, and a ray of heat seperated the two remaining members of the S.L.A.

"Too little, too late," Metalix said, as his chest cavity opened and he inserted the stone. His eyes began to glow brighter, and for a second, as the compartment closed, electricity crackled over his body, until the roof fell in on him.

Klonoa smiled, as he stood, one hand on Gaiya, the other pointing to where the roof was above Metalix.

"Nice shot," Tails congratulated, "But it wont hold him."

"And you still have me to deal with," Super Sonic told them, lucid at the moment, and that made him even more dangerous.


Dr Robotnik hadn't been idle in his few days post mortem. His spies at Kintobor Industries had informed him on all of his son's dealings.This was made easier by the fact the younger Robotnik no longer felt the need to reinforce his commands that his father should be told nothing, even though Ame had warned him to the contrary.

"I should have tried dying weeks ago!" Dr. Robotnik's image said from the screen, "Either that or I should never have bought my good for nothing son home in the first place!"

"Sir?" a technichian said.

"Idle thoughts!" Robotnik told him in an 'ask no questions' voice.

"Sir!" he replied before returning to the pages on the desk infront of him. He was the head of the doctor's major, and only, project. His resurgance, the second transfer of the genius mind of Dr. Robotnik, into a body far superior to his old one. A body where steel replaced flesh, titanium replaced bone, and wires replaced blood. It scared him that this was possable, but he knew that not only could it work, but that it already had, as they had succeeded in changing thoughts into programming. Now it would be a far easier task to transfer these programmes into a robotic body. If only Robotnik could decided on the body he wanted.

"Remember," his voice startled the technichian, "I need to be up soon!"

"Sir!" It was the only thing he could think of saying. The plans were almost finished, the final addition had been seven cavities in the chest, each the same size, connected to the power supply. The doctor had simply said, "I got the idea from an outdated model!" and gave no further explanation.


"In there," Ame said, barely glancing at the warehouse they were passing.

"He's right," Fenrir confirmed using the scanner. As they approached, a section of the roof fell in, causing Ame to smile, and mutter to himself,

"Klonoa's learning."

"How many readings?" Horatio asked.

"Five major, three minor, including those out here," Fenrir told him after a moment.

"My.... my friends are in there," Ame said, as if realising it for the first time, "I.... I..... need to help them."

"You have no friends, except me," Horatio reminded him.

"I have no friends," Ame repeated automatically, "Except you."

"But I agree, we can't lose those Emeralds."

"Shall I call for back-up?" Fenrir asked.

"No time," Ame said, running forward. Horatio felt him fighting his control, and had no choice but to follow.

"Flaming Arrow!" twin voices commanded again as one. The fire hit Super Sonic, and did nothing. He stood, smiling in a slightly dereanged way.

"Call that hot?" he asked. The raw power each crystal emitted, and fuled especially by Pyron's presence, caused Super Sonic's dementia to receed. His thinking cleared, and he saw the girls who held Pyron, and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Rouge shouted at him.

"Twins run in your family. Your grandmother had a twin, right?"

Memories had returned with his mind. Pyron was his mother, as much as The Beast Of Anti-life was his father. His first memories of being on this plane were standing in a pentagram, Pyron and a black book stood at one point, and twin bat-women stood reading a passage.

"Wait! Magenta, Cyan, we have succeeded!"

"With Pyron and The Liber Mortis, was there ever any doubt?" they answered as one.

"You don't know what you've done," Pandemonia told them, "You haven't trapped some petty demon, some simple Rhymer, here." He stepped forward two paces, and was outside the star on the floor.

"He shouldn't be able to leave the seal," someone behind him shouted, "Dismiss it!" Magenta and Cyan tried reading a banishment, but to no avail.

"Do you know how they dealt with witches? They Burnt Them!" Pandemonia said, the last was an invocation and he hurled a ball of pure heat at one of the sisters. Within seconds she was nothing more than cinders.

Magenta, the surviving twin, held Pyron n both hands and began chanting. With every word, Pandemonia felt pain. He fell to the floor, clutching his head, and passed out.

"Dismiss it!" someone shouted again.

"I can't," Magenta started crying, and slumped to her knees, "I need Cyan. I've done All I could, and ruined his mind."

"Then get rid of him." Robed figures carried Super Sonic to a place where they thought he could be contained. It worked for a while, but nothing can contain a force of nature forever.

These memories took less than a second to re-live. He knew that Pyron could fully retore his sanity. Both Rouge and Scarlette realised that he wanted their stone at the same time, so backed away, leaving Knuckles to defend them. Super Soinc paid no heed to his blows, and ignored any pain they caused easily. Eventually becoming annoyed, he threw the Echidna like he weighed nothing. Tails and Amy tried next, while Sonic took over seeing to Loki, and continued watching Shadow. They had little more success than Knuckles.

"Maybe we should just give him Pyron," Rouge said in desperation.

"I wouldn't recommend that," Horatio said, silhouetted in the doorway.

"Spirit Beam!" Ame commanded, and a solid ray of power hit Super Sonic, flattening him to a wall.

"Ame?" Sonic shouted, confused by the wolf-guy's presence, or at least his choice of company.

Loki had more or less recoverd, and shook his head to clear it. Looking up, he saw Horatio, and wanted to attack him here and now, but more pressing matters were at hand, unfortuneately.

"We're not strong enough to beat him!" Klonoa called out. It was something they had all realised, but Ame wouldn't give up.

"Spectral Chains!" Chains of purple magic surrounded Super Sonic, holding him for the moment.

"Stop, you're not powerful enough!" Loki shouted at him.

"Power," Tails muttered. Helios was power, but could anyone use it? And where was it? Shadow had realised this too, and held the gem, trying to figure out how to use it. He had seen Super Sonic and Metalix's true colours, and realised he wanted to be nothing like them.

"Please," he whispered to the stone, "If there's anything good in me, anything you can use, help me, help those who trusted me."

Super Sonic had broken the chains, and was being held back by the fighting skills of both Loki and Fenrir. Despite the act they hated each other, they worked well together, but it still wasn't enough, and the golden hedgehog was advancing.

"Please," Shadow whspered, "Now!" he said, lifting Helios above his head. A ray of light shot straight up, then fell, connecting with Sonic. The gem was power, and Sonic was heir to it all. Knowing he could make a difference, Sonic charged, and connected, sending Super Sonic flying.

"Get Pyron out of here!" Horatio shouted at Rouge and Scarlette. He had never made eye contact, so they hesitated, until Ame shouted,

"No! We can only beat him with the stone of his birth." His voice carried strange echoes, "We have to seal him!"

"You're dead!" Super Sonic shouted at Ame.

"Grandma?" Scarlette asked, recognising something in Ame's voice.

"Seal him!" Magenta insisted through Ame.

"They don't know how!" Super Sonic laughed, "And even if they did, I'm too strong! I can't be banished!"

"You're right," Ame said, his voice a littlr blank, but back to normal, " But to seal you, we just need a vessel."

"Fools! No being can contain me! My power will drive them mad!"

"I can try!" Ame said, "Creature of Darkness, prepare to meet your doom!" With that, he placed a hand on Pyron, and began chanting. The effect was instant, as Super Sonic screamed, and his outline began to waver.

"You're insane!" Super Sonic babbled, "You'll lose everything!"

"I must protect those I care for!" Ame said, then resumed the chanting. Super Sonic's body began to break apart, becoming a swirl of energy, that was slowly drifting towards Ame.

"He wont survive it?" Amy gasped.

"He doesn't intend to," Fenrir told her.

"Someone stop him!" Tails shouted, "Use an Emerald or something!"

"It wont help," Hortaio sighed, "Nothing will."

"I can't lose him," Sonic said, running towards the malestrom that used to be a demon.

"He's too good for this," Shadow said, dropping Helios, and ruuning the same way as Sonic.

They reached their destination at the same time, and were both sruck by the raw power that made up Pandemonia. It split evenly, both getting half, seperating the being, and rendering what effect the cloud may have had on one being harmless, but causing both boys to pass out. Amy ran to Sonic, while Tails went to Shadow.

"I think they're okay," Amy shouted.

"Which just leaves us Metalix to deal with," Knuckles pointed out.

"And Horatio!" Loki growled, launching himself at his old enemy.

"Psyco wall," Ame intoned, erecting a barrier between Loki and his new master.

"Ame? Why are you defending that slime?" Loki turned to his friend. The wolf-guy couldn't be that angry, could he?

"Amethyst has new friends now," Horatio smiled, "Now if you'll excuse us, we must be leaving. We all have other matters to see to."

"This is what betrayl feels like," Ame said as he passed the catboy.

As they left, rubble was sliding off the fallen robot. Horatio would have liked to stay, and finish off his conflict with Loki, and collect the remaining Emeralds, but he had felt his control over Ame slipping. He sighed, there would always be next time, or the time after. Amethyst was quite the weapon, and when he had total control, Horatio felt he couldn't lose.

Metalix burst out of the rubble, but unfortuneatley, Loki's blood was up, and all he needed was a target. Haterd for Horatio, Fenrir, and a small amount for himself bubbled up, and he attacked. He felt nothing of the pain in his fists, feet elbows, knees, any part of him that hit Metalix. Though he did very little damage, it kept Metalix off balance, not allowing him enough time to repair the damage the rubble had done to him, or giving him oppurtunity to charge an attack. Soon Loki's hands were coverd in his own blood, but he fought on. Sheer frustration made him act without thinking, until he let everything out in a final attack that dented Metalix's chestplate, causing it to spring open, ejecting Aques. Loki feel to the floor, exhausted, but Metalix's damage was negliable.

"A good effort," he told Loki, "But in the grand scale of things, futile."

"Not at all, his pain is felt," Scarlette began,

"You cannnot hurt, but you can melt!" Rouge finished. "Inferno Storm!" they both commanded.

Wave after wave of intense heat washed over Metalix, changing him from the metalic blue, to glowing red, then orange, to yellow, and finally white before they stopped. All that was left was an oddly shaped pool of molten metal that clinked as it cooled. The mental effort taken to maintain the spell showed on both of the bargilrs faces.

"Now what?" Klonoa asked. The entire group was thrown by Ame's change of loyalties.

"We need to get home," Tails told him, "We all need to recover, some more than others."

Hours later, when those who hadn't been present had been told what had happened, and thoase who needed attention had been seen to, one question had to be asked.

"What now?" It was D who voiced it, "Do we even have a plan?"

"The plan still stands. We need to get into the Kintobor building." Loki said without emotion.

"To get Celestus," Tikal nodded.

"And to find out what Ame's thinking," Mina shook her head, a disapproving tone was in her voice.

"He's not, right?" Amy asked, "Horatio has control of him. He wouldn't betray us, would he?"

"No, he must be under his control," Sonic said sounding sure.

"So we go in, get the Emerald, rescue Ame, and get out," Shadow nodded, "And I know a way in."

"Then we have a plan, or the start of one anyway," Tails nodded. All negative feelings about Shadow had fled.


During this conversation, Topaz had sat silently. His brother was working for the enemy. It didn't make sense. Ame had always been the good one. Paz had been smoking, and in to petty theft and vandalism half of his life, while Sapphire had used to come back after a night out with blood on his clothes, stinking of drink, and Ame had always coverd for both of them. He made one mistake, and he got run out of town, and gets mixed up in who knows what. The day he had left, he'd told Paz something.

"Each of us has good and evil in us," he'd said as he packed a few things, "Litle voices that tell us how to act, or react."

"Huh?" Paz hadn't understood.

"In me, both voices are deafening. I tried to listen to the good, but I suppose I messed up. Take care of yourself." With that he had left, and Paz hadn't undestood, until years later, when Diamond had told him that white Lunas had two sides, one for light, the other dark, and could hear the voices of the dead, who could drive anyone to do things they had left undone, and the only way to get by was to block them out completely.

Topaz had to see Ame. If Horatio had taken control of him, then surely he would have lost his mental guard, meaning he'd be swamped with the dead. He slipped out of the room, and no-one commented on him leaving. It was one of the three things he was good at. Everyone had something on their mind, so he knew he wouldn't he missed. He was only partly right, as Tikal watched him go, but made no comment on it. Somehow she knew that it was for the best. Lately she had been having more moments of clarity like this. It was since she had been to the Mystic Ruins for he second time. Things made sense, even when she should be confused. Something had been triggerd at the site, and now it was only a matter of time before everything came together. That thought scared her. The three things that Paz excelled in were not being noticed, theft, and confusing people. It had taken him a matter of minutes to steal a bunch of flowers and a delivery uniform. Now for the next stage of his plan, Paz was in the lobbey of the Kintobor building, looking at a square of paper that he had hastily scribbled on, and acting confused. He walked up to the receptionist, and smiled in a puzzled fashion.

"Flowers for, I think it's Amethyst," he quickjly flashed the paper to her, then said, but I can't read who sent them."

"Leave them here," she told him, "I'll make sure he gets them."

"Love to, but I can't be sure, and it's my job. Looks like it starts with an 'R'?"

"You can trust me," she sighed.

"According to section four, paragraph two if the handbook...." Paz kept going, getting faster, qutoing a multiude of made up rules, never repeating himself, and leaving the eceptionist dizzy, until she waved him on, and tried to find something for a headache. "Now for the hard part," Paz grinned.


Sonic stood on the balcony, breathing deeply. His mind was racing. First there was a strange raging, but that barely even distracted him, unless he focused on it. It felt like power, but one that would come at a price. Second, he felt the bite of Ame's betrayl. It didn't seem right. He had trusted Ame deeply. Whenever he hurt this much in the past, Ame had made him feel better. Everyone felt that way, he was stable in his insanity, that was how he put it. Finally a new connection. If he closed his eyes, he could feel Shadow's thoughts. He seemed just as scared as Sonic. They were the same now, almost. If Shadow had been given Sonic's life, they probably would be. He knew Shadow was standing next to him now, and opening his eyes confirmed it.

"Done planning?" Sonic asked.

"Almost. Loki wants to go now, we're trying to convince him it's not a good idea."

"Good luck. When Horatio is concerned, he stops thinking."

"I noticed."

"So."

"So," Shadow repeated, "You fee it too?" Sonic nodded.

"I can feel your thoughts."

"It's strange for me too. I've always been alone, then suddenly I have friends, and connect, first with Ame, then with you."

"And then we lose Ame," Sonic smiled, "And you're stuck with just me."

"I'm glad I still have you. I can feel your thoughts, and I know you always stood up for me. Thanks." Shadow kissed Sonic once on the lips, then left him alone.

Sonic went in after a minute, and heard Loki and Mina arguing about something unimportant. He let them continue, knowing it was better to keep Loki occupied than let him run off and get hmself killed.

"What's the plan?" he asked Knuckles.

"We have a way, thanks to Shadow, so we sneak in anyone who can't use an Emerald, which is me, Tails, Amy, Tikal, Mina, D Felica and Paz."

"They all volunteerd?" Sonic asked.

"Except Paz, he went out, but yes. And we need all the help we can get," Knuckles nodded, "That place is huge. So we search. Luckily we managed to download a plan."

"And if you get caught?"

"Then Horatio will offer us in exchange for the Emeralds, or you attack with them."

"But that's a last resort," Tikal put in, "We can't let him get his hands on any more. Each of you have to hide you Emeralds, and not tell us where."

"Wait, you're not trying to get caught are you?"

"No, but if we do Horatio is unlikely to take his out with him if we trade, so why his guard is down we take it. So it's win win."

"It won't be that simple," Sonic told them, "I just know it."


Horatio was walking to his private rooms with Fenrir. They had locked Ame in his room, but left him with Koukan.

"You worry too much," Horatio told his aide, "He is totally under my control, otherwise why would he protect me?"

"I don't like it," Fenrir said again, "He was fighting you."

"And he lost. So far only cat-people have been able to resist my eyes."

"But I don't trust him."

"You're not jealous of my new toy are you?" Horatio laughed, "Don't worry, he could never replace you."

"I'm not..." Fenrir started, knowing that in some ways he was.

"He is a tool. Once I have all the Emeralds, he will be useless. I will use him, then diiscard him. I may even give him his mind back at the end, just so he can see what he's done."

As they walked, they weren't paying too much attention to their path, and as a result, almost collided with a delivery boy.

"Sorry boss, can't see past the flowers," he said cheerfully.

"Be more careful!" Fenrir snapped.

"Leave him," Horatio shook hid head. "Nice, who're they for?"

"A Mr. Luna-Munroe."

"No doubt from one of his many admirers. Well, carry on, he probably expects you."

"Thanks boss," he replied, and hurried past.

"Now why don't you ever send me flowers?" Horatio laughed.

"My boss doesn't pay me enough," Fenrir said dryly, causing Horatio to laugh again.


Paz sighed heavily. He'd just run into Horatio, the enemy, almost literally. He ran down the last corridor, and banged heavily on the door. He heard Ame's voice from inside, telling him,

"Sorry, but I think it's locked." Paz knelt next to the lock, pulled out a leather roll, and selected a tool from it. He surprised himself at the speed he undid the lock with, and smiled at how easy it was as the door swung open. He stepped in, threw down the flowers, and shut the door behind him, before shouting,

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"The door was locked, I couldn't leave. Nice flowers, who should have got them?" Ame asked as he picked them up.

"That doesn't matter, and answer my question!"

"Horatio told me to stay here," Ame told him, his eyes going blank.

"Cut the crap. You don't let anyone control you. Diamond taught you better!"

"Fine," Ame said, focusing again, "I was under his control, but I broke it. I'm here of my own free will. Happy now?"

"You hurt your friends, physically and emotionally, and you don't even care? Why?"

"Because I can. Here I can be totally amoral, just like you."

"Yeah, well here's your wake up call. If you're doing the whole 'badboy' bit, looks like I'm gona have to be your consceince. Now why the fuck are you still here?"

"Because I want to leave, not just this building, or the city, hey, maybe even the planet, and I'm gonna have one hell of a going away party. Looks like you just got crossed off the guestlist. Spectral Chains!"


okay, maybe i like Ame's dark side a little..... is that so wrong? [grins evily]
Ame

(Bella rather likes Ame's dark side too...but is a bit more partial to good Shadow, which is just *cute*...and yes, she is talking in third person, it feels later than it is, her neck hurts and she's sick. but she's being a good webmistress (as Ame put it) and posting the fics. Happy now?...now must go read russian lit)

E-mail Ame.

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