Chapter 9 - The Realm of Darkness

Tails the Fox
Chapter 09 - The Realm Of Darkness
Boss 05 - E-3X Terra

2BIT: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?

Darkness shrouded the ruins throughout, completely blocking out Punchy's vision. Rainbow, however, seemed unfazed. "Whatcha talkin' about, Mousy?" she said, already calling Illusi by a nickname. Illusi turned to Rainbow and replied, "I speak of nothing that concerns you, guardian! And, to be sure you do not interfere..."

Illusi snapped his fingers, and strange, floating creatures appeared around Rainbow, blocking her from moving. They looked like red circles, with a diagonal line going across the middle of them. They had two round eyes at the top of their heads, and floated in midair. "Don't worry, " Illusi said, "the Wrongos won't hurt you as long as you don't do anything wrong! Just stay put, ma'am. The Dark One must find the relics to free you."

"Stupid flying donuts..." Rainbow said, looking around. "But this is easy! The relics are right there!" Rainbow said, pointing. Punchy was in complete disbelief. "How can you see anything in this dark!?" he grumbled. Illusi laughed. "Rainbow's spirit is too full of light to see my darkness! But you, on the other hand, are so filled with darkness that it seems to be all you can see! You will never find the relics!"

Punchy ran in the direction of Illusi's voice, but tripped over something. As he stood up, a wrongo flew past his face, and a bolt of lightning surged through his body. "Bad boy!" Illusi said, "You've no need to come after me. Just look! I hid the relics in plain sight! Can't you see them? Hee hee..."

"Over here, One!" Rainbow called. "I can point ya in the right direction!"

"You simple minded fool!" Illusi shouted, "My wrongos will barbeque you if you don't keep quiet!"

Punchy ran in the direction of Rainbow's voice. "Enough of this game!" he growled. He kicked blindly in the dark and hit a wrongo, knocking it aside! He then reached foreward and grabbed Rainbow's arm, pulling her away from the other wrongos! At once, the darkness clouding Punchy's vision vanished, and he saw the relics. He pulled Rainbow along by the arm, running from the wrongos, and grabbed the relics with his other hand. "THESE are the relics!? They're just little copper coins!"

Illusi clapped his hands. "Bravo, Dark One. You truly are good at cheating. Next time, I'll try to make it cheat proof!" With that, Illusi snapped his fingers, and he and the wrongos vanished.

Rainbow stepped to the door of the temple she calls home, and held the relics over her head. They glowed with a dazzling light, as the barrier around the door faded. "C'mon in, One!" Rainbow said.

Rainbow's home was quite large,a cavern within a cavern. It looked like an ancient ruin, with various statues and relics all around. "Home, sweet home!" Rainbow said happily. "Say, Rainbow, what kind of relic is it that you're guarding down here?" Punchy asked curiously. "I dunno." Rainbow said. "I never seen it. My ma didn't tell me where it was before she died. Naturally, I've tried to find it, but I never was able to..."

After a moment of unsettling silence, the silence was broken by an explosion. One of Eggman's robots stood in the destroyed doorway. It was from his new E-X line of robots. This was E-3X, as the number on his purple and black power armor read. Its glowing red eyes were fixed on Punchy. "Knuckles detected! I, E-3X Terra, shall destroy you!"

Rainbow looked at her hands. "You're gonna shoot us for havin' knuckles?" Obviously, she didn't know what Terra was talking about. But Punchy did. "I am not him!!!" Punchy shouted with rage. Terra opened fire on Punchy, its hands having turned into gatling guns, but Punchy simply leapt past the shots and gave the robot a swift kick in the chest, knocking it back out the doorway and straight through the wall of another building.

"There goes the library..." Rainbow sighed. "Remind me never to call you a knucklehead, right, One?" Punchy opened his mouth to yell, but quickly stopped himself. "Call me Punchy." he said calmly.

Terra flew out of the hole in the wall, sparks flying from one of his arms, which was now missing a hand. "Subject power miscalculated." Terra growled. "Must return to base for repairs."

"Right! I'm gonna follow him and give his boss a talkin' to!" Punchy declared. "Mind if I tag along?" Rainbow asked. "I get awful bored guarding a relic I can't find. A nice adventure sounds fun!"

"Go away." Punchy grumbled. "You're annoying. Scram!" And he ran off chasing the robot. "Don't be like that, One!" Rainbow shouted back, following him. "I owe you one, so I'll help you to pay off my debt!" Punchy continued running for the exit, following the robot, neither stopping, nor helping Rainbow. Not that she needed help. She was soon running by his side. "C'mon One! You can't be this slow! I'll race you!" And she ran ahead of him. "Hey! Slow down! We have to make sure the robot doesn't see us! RAINBOW!!!" Punchy knew now it was going to be a long journey. But where the journey would lead, he could not guess.

To be continued...

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