Sonic 06: Lilithmon

Ch. 6 Meet the Seven Great Demon Lords

Chapter 6: Meet the Seven Great Demon Lords

Sonic regained consciousness slowly with a start, his mind racing as he sat up with a jolt. He was in a dungeon.  Was he... alive? What the hell happened? He looked around and saw that his hands were shackled behind him and that he sat on a stone floor surrounded by darkness. It was pitch black except for the faint light from an open door a few meters to his right. Sonic strained to see what it was - some sort of torture chamber?

He remembered he fought Plutomon back on the shore where he lost his battle and then got kidnapped by that horrible knight, who had been using his dark powers.  The same powers that had gotten him into this mess.  His head ached, but at least his powers had been restored. At least now, he could get out of this. If only there were a way for him to escape this hell in a cell, instead of being chained up like some kind of animal! But first things first. He needed to figure out a way to break free of these bonds before he could do anything else.  And he knew how! His fingers glowed brightly as blue lightning crackled along them.  But that was not enough.  He needed more power.  More than just his powers.

Suddenly, the heavy door opened when Sonic heard footsteps coming down the hall.  A tall dark shadow loomed over him, Sonic's heart jumped into his throat, but he stayed valiantly calm, trying to hide his nervousness from whoever was standing over him. The shadow revealed the old man with a long white beard, carrying his wand. He wore a purple cloak with a red triangle pattern, khaki pants, and red loafers. He wore a lot of jewelry on his wrists and fingers and an earring and necklace.

The old man grinned at the azure hedgehog in the cell who looked pissed off but tried not to show it.

"Well, well, look who we have here," the old warlock said gleefully in a strange accent. "Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing's alive."

"How do you know about me? Who are you?" the blue hedgehog demanded.

The old warlock chuckled. "Oh, my dear boy, I've known all about you since you arrived in the castle," he answered cryptically. "One of my favorite pastimes has always been watching you, and I must say, it seems you're quite remarkable. You have defeated many great villains throughout your journey."

Sonic glared defiantly at him. "Don't patronize me!" he exclaimed, shaking his chains. "Who are you anyway, what do you want with me?! And why am I locked up in the dark?!"

"Oh, why don't we take our seats, Sonic, and talk it over?" the old warlock asked pleasantly. "There's so much we have to discuss. My name is Barbamon, the Demon Lord of Greed."

"Greed? How can greed tempt me?!" he asked indignantly, feeling offended. "I'm here because I wanted to help people!"

"Ah, but you haven't told us what it is you plan to do. What do you think will happen if you help the humans?" asked Barbamon.

"What do you mean?" asked Sonic.

"You see, my boy, when humans fall into despair their minds begin to wander. When they become desperate enough, they seek strength. When they come to rely on other creatures, they become prey themselves. Humans are easy targets, especially when their bodies are weak," said Barbamon.

"That's rubbish!" said Sonic angrily. "I wouldn't let that happen to anyone! I'll protect all of humanity!"

Barbamon chuckled again, showing several rows of sharp teeth. "And just what do you intend to protect them from, Sonic? From the humans themselves or those that they trust?" he questioned knowingly. "If that happens, the whole world will collapse. Do you realize that? There will be no hope of survival in the face of this disaster."

"I don't know what the hell are you talking about, but if that happens, you're not going to stop me from helping people. I'll be able to save everyone!" Sonic retorted firmly.