Nimbus' Destined

Energy Colored Sky

By nightfall, they were exhausted, but they couldn't stop until they reached a sheltered place to rest, where they weren't in plain sight or at risk of being trampled by those Icoria things.

Everyone knew this, but that didn't stop the second-in-line from complaining. "We're going in circles...!"

Shadow sighed, how much farther was Wicketier's Ridge?
The breeze blew by him, giving him a sense of comfort as he stared up at the moon. It's color seemed to change, however, morphing from white to pale shades of blue, green, purple, yellow and pink as the wind blew by.

Suddenly a gunshot shook him out of his stare, and he looked around frantically for the source.

Everyone else was on alert as well, and Shadow watched his twin slowly fade into invisibility. "I'll check it out..." He whispered.

"Get down into the tall grass...!" Quetzal hissed.

Shadow got down on all fours with the others, though still listening for Sonic's return or another attack.

"Silver, turn off the lights there!" Amy hissed.

"I'd have to be unconscious to do that!" Silver whispered, looking at his glowing gloves and boots. He gasped as Amanda suddenly tossed mud onto him, rendering his markings invisible through it. "Puh! Thanks..."

"You can shower later." Amanda replied.

Suddenly there was another gunshot, and Shadow saw soldiers up on the hill, searching for them in the darkness. "Stop." They all froze in place, hoping they wouldn't be seen.

Where was Sonic?

Then the soldiers fell over. Knocked over by an invisible force. There he is...

"I saw a big ridge about five minutes from here if we run!" Sonic hissed as he came back into view.

Shadow nodded. "Alright, let's go."

They all got to their feet, then ran after Sonic, finally reaching the ridge. It stood tall and steep, but Shadow was certain he saw lights on the other side. Could it be...home?

Another gunshot made him jump, and he saw more soldiers coming towards them from behind, and more appeared on top of the ridge, weapons aimed to shoot. "Great...!"

"End of the line, you royal brats...!" A larger wolf soldier stepped forward, his face scarred and holding a large gun in front of him.

Venice took in a deep breath, but before he could make a sound, a soldier fired, and Venice's breath came out in a soft squeak as he fell.

"VENICE!" Silver caught his twin, holding him close as Venice's shirt started to stain with blood from the wound in his side. "Venice, no!"

"You've got nowhere to go. We've got you cornered, and you can't fight all of us without...losses."

Shadow growled, then heard a loud roar, and he gasped as part of the ridge came to life behind him. Boulders became massive arms and legs, violet veins pulsing with light between them. "What in-"

"Move!" Amanda shouted, and they ducked as the golem stomped over them and towards the soldiers angrily. "Looks like we disturbed a Granifier Giganticus. Good thing it's after them, not us."

"Venice...!" Silver whimpered. "Please...please don't die on us!"

"I just...just wanted to feel like...like a hero...like you guys...!" Venice whimpered. "To feel...to feel like I belonged-"

"Shh..." Shadow bent down. "Just don't die, okay...?"

"You guys are Chaos Fae, for Chaos' sake!" Rouge exclaimed. "You can heal him!"

"How? The Chaos Emeralds were shattered." Silver whimpered.

"And their energies spread to the air!" Amanda argued. "If you focus-"

Shadow was already doing that. He closed his eyes, feeling the Chaos energy swirling around him. Pretend you're going super, pretend you're going super...! He thought repeatedly.

As the gold aura ignited around him, he placed his hand on Venice's side, the other on his little brother's forehead. Venice's eyes closed, but as Shadow removed his hands, he was breathing normally and Shadow held the bullet in his hand. "He's gonna be okay..."

Everyone gave sighs of relief, then Shadow carefully picked Venice up in his arms. "Let's get him to Sinseria...Chaos...Control!" And in a flash, they were gone.