Chapter 63 - The Next Guardian Issue # 63

The two climbed Mount Aquas (Sega_Man7). At one point, Linda-Su mentioned “I haven't seen Knuckles or Sonic around” Ekyt didn't bother to answer. He climbed faster. Then his foot slipped. He fell a short distance before Linda caught his hand. “Showoff.” She said to him as she rolled her eyes.

They reached the top at last. The two scanned the top of the huge mountain. They had taken only a short walk before a huge monster confronted them. “Not Again!” The dust banshee (Sega_Man7) had returned. He pushed Linda-Su behind him. “I'm not taking any chances. I can't afford to get killed now…not again.” (He doesn't know both times he died it was a test- N.G.) He held the clasp of the belt for his coat, which was actually a miniature power ring. The dust banshee bit him, but between the emerald's protection and the power ring, he was unharmed.

Dust banshee. Hmm. The air column of his shoes acted like a miniature vacuum. But the way they worked required a huge risk on his part. He retreated into a crevice. Linda had ducked in there for cover. She did not lack bravery, but she didn't lack brains either. “What's the plan?” she asked him. “I'll distract him, you get the others free.” He ran out of the cave first, drawing the banshee's attention. It spit venom at him, which he dodged narrowly. Once he saw Linda was safely out of the way, he crouched and jumped straight into the monster. He landed inside it and crouched. The dust got sucked into his shoes, trapped in the air columns. That was one monster down. But if this one had survived, then that stupid eel…!

He tossed his shoes off the cliff and ran after Linda. She had already met the eel. She fired her crossbow into it, and followed up with a flying kick that sent the eel monster falling into a rock. Linda then got a running start and punted it like a football.

Ekyt stood, amazed. “What…how…huh?” was all he could manage. She laughed at his expression. She held up her boot and tapped it. A clang sound came out. “Metal plate.” She said by way of explanation.” “So that's why you always K.O. me when we spar…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Let's rescue the others and get out of here.”

They sprinted toward the others and had barely untied them when a giant stomp shook them. Sega (Sega_Man7), Ragnarok (Sega_Man7), and Mariic (Sega_Man7) all turned a ghostly white. Sega pointed. Ekyt and Linda turned around. Then they gasped in unison.

Without exaggeration, the thing was at least ten feet tall. It held a staff in one enourmous hand, which had humongous claws protruding. It slashed down as all of them dove for cover. Sonic sped into it with a punch, while Knuckles glided into it's midsection. Linda-Su and Ekyt tried to take out the legs. It swatted them all away, scattering them in different directions. They all landed, unhurt, and regrouped.

“What is that monstrosity?” asked Sonic. “That would be the Fire Dust Mage.” (Sega_Man7) answered Sega. “And how do we get rid of it?” asked Knuckles. Cosmic (Sega_Man7) answered this time. “In my world, it still lives. It's power is only matched by that of the chaos emerald and five heroes. If only we could fuse. I know myself, mom, and this sleeze bag,” she motioned toward Mariic “are compatible, as is Sonic, but the human…” (Ragnarok is not really her Mom, but she doesn't know- thanks Sega Man7- N.G.).

Ekyt, eyes half-lidded, took a deep breath. “I have access to the emerald's power in emergencies. If this is the only chance, we have to try.” Ekyt drew a symbol on the ground

“Knuckles, if I remember correctly, I have to redraw the image, and then set it on fire…” Knuckles nodded. “Yeah, that's right. But we need fire.” Cosmic smiled mysteriously. “The Fire Dust mage can help.” At that moment, the monster plaguing them used it's staff to shoot fire at the group. They all dodged, though Ekyt's coat was set ablaze. Quickly, he redrew the image and set the coat on the image. It set ablaze, but now it glowed green.

The five fused together. Their new being did not have a name. It didn't Knuckles used all his energy to hold them together. The emerald used the guardian as a conductor.

The next fire blast hit dead on, but the five combined formed an ultimate being that remained untouched. Ekyt, with his body floating behind a rock, used his mind to shoot a green blast at the creature. It struck dead on, driving the mage backward. It tottered on the cliff. Cosmic used some power to break seclude the piece of the cliff it was on.

Knuckles finally fainted after exerting all his energy holding them together. As they fell apart, back to their own bodies, the piece of the cliff the mage was on plummeted. It was over.

After tending to Knuckles, Ekyt walked over to Sega, Ragnarok, Cosmic, and Mariic. “Thanks for the help.” After shaking hands with all of them, he turned to walk away. Something held him back. It was Comsic. She pulled him back into a hug. “I hope we meet again, guardian…” She turned and walked back to the her “family”

“I think someone's got a crush on you…” Linda-Su laughed. Ekyt rolled his eyes. “So what else is new? Every girl I meet…” Linda gave him a comical look. “You know what I mean!” Ekyt said, exasperated.

A rumble came beneath their feet as the mountain moved. Sega shouted over the rumble. “Hurry, Mount Aquas is going back to Zoness (Sega_Man7). We'll meet again. You have rid our world of three great evils!”

Knuckles and Linda glided off the mountain. Sonic sped down it. That left Ekyt, Ragnarok, Mariic, and Cosmic. “Goddbye, guardian. I must return to my own time.” Cosmic disappeared. Ragnarok, being a cat, shimmied down the mountain quickly. Ekyt spotted a tree. “Mariic, jump for the tree!” He did.

Ekyt concentrated on his ring, as it flashed a majestic gold. He himself glided back down.



NEXT ISSUE: SOUL TOUCH

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment