Mobius Destiny (A Sonic Boom Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Kay couldn't believe what she was seeing. She took a step forward, eyes wide, and breathed, "Oh, no. Station Square."

The downtown portion the three of them were standing in was absolutely decimated. No building had gone unscathed. Glass shards from broken windows littered the streets. Street lamps lay toppled over, cars wrecked everywhere. If it weren't for the landmark hill that housed G.U.N.'s Headquarters, she would have had no idea where she was.

"Infinite hit this place harder than most," Knuckles muttered beside her, looking around at the city that was now a ghost town. "Seemed he had a particular vendetta against Station Square."

Silver's voice was even quieter. "Looks a lot like the future, actually."

Knuckles raised his wrist comm. "Shadow, where are you?"

"Calm down," came the gruff reply. "I'm on my way."

The echidna sighed. "Some things never change."

Several moments later, a red streak appeared at the end of the road. Shadow came speeding up to them, stopping a few paces away, arms crossed. Kay was so used to the other dimension's version of him teleporting everywhere that seeing him actually run with his rocket shoes threw her off momentarily. She blinked several times. Shadow barely glanced at her.

"What is it? It better be important."

"It's important," Knuckles snapped. He gestured to Kay. "Our Emerald's Chosen has returned."

"Our what?" Shadow finally turned his crimson eyes to her, as forbidding as ever. Kay felt a chill but stood her ground, used to it by now. "Who is this?"

It was clear not only from his words but from the way his eyes searched her and came up empty that Shadow did not remember Kay whatsoever. She felt a slight pang from the reality of it, but pushed through. This, too, she was used to.

"Shadow," Silver started, but she stopped him.

"It's okay, guys. Not everyone remembers me." She looked at Shadow. "My name is Kay. I'm from an alternate dimension. And I need your help."

Shadow scoffed. "Give me a break. This is important? I don't have time for alternate dimensions on top of everything else."

Kay struggled to remain composed. "My dimension is crumbling to the ashes of its former self and it's going to take every other dimension with it if you don't help me. What's left of your world will no longer exist. Believe me, if there were a way to fix it on my end I would have done it already."

"Perhaps you should try harder." Shadow turned on his heel. "I'm out of here."

"Shadow!" Knuckles snapped. "You don't know who you're talking to! Show some respect."

Seeing that the black hedgehog was about to take off and knowing he would be unmovable on the subject unless they stopped him right now, Kay pulled out her trump card. "Maria."

In an instant, Shadow froze. He turned back to her slowly, glaring. "What?"

Kay reached into the pouch at her waist and pulled out the photograph of Maria and Gerald Robotnik, holding it up for him to see. When it was clear he recognized it and before he could interrogate her, she said in an even voice, "Now will you listen?"

"Where did you get that?" he demanded, striding toward her.

Kay held out her hand to stop Knuckles and Silver from moving to protect her. If she could defeat Dark Enerjak and Dark Gaia, she could handle Shadow the Hedgehog. "You gave it to me." When he stopped in his tracks, she amended, "At least, my dimension's version of you did."

Shadow frowned. "It's...not mine?"

"It is yours. There's no Maria in my dimension. He stole it from you. I'm here to give it back." She held the photo out to him. "And to ask for your help."

Silently, Shadow closed the small distance between them and reverently took the photo. He looked at it for a moment, then held it close and lifted his eyes to her. "I'm listening."

Finally, for the first time, Kay launched into her explanation. "During the Dark Gaia crisis, a Genesis Portal opened up in my dimension, and an echidna stepped through into your world. While she was here, the spirit of Enerjak took hold of her, and she took a Chaos Emerald back with her."

"The blue one?" All three boys asked at once.

Startled, Kay looked at each of them. "Yes, the blue one."

"No wonder we can't find the blasted thing anywhere!" Knuckles exclaimed. "It's been in another dimension all this time!"

"We could have already taken care of Eggman by now if we'd had it!" Silver cried.

Kay threw up her hands helplessly. "How was I supposed to know what was going on here? I didn't even know the Chaos Emerald was in my dimension until recently. I've been trying to get it back to you ever since."

"So Enerjak took the Emerald back to your dimension," Shadow said, getting them all back on track. It was also then that Kay realized with a start that she'd been calling it her dimension all this time. "Then what?"

"She started a coup in the Dragon Kingdom, crippling it from the inside out. She's murdered the royal family and left only one heir." Kay decided not to mention that this heir was Espio. She didn't want them to get off topic again. "I've been helping the prince figure out who she is and what she wants. She's been recruiting Mobians to her side at record speed, showing them who they could be if Chaos were introduced to our world."

"There's no Chaos where you're from?" Silver asked.

"No."

Knuckles murmured, "That sounds nice."

Exactly what I've been trying to tell Aurora all this time. "Our Shadow the Hedgehog discovered you with her help, and stole the photo of Maria from you because there is no Maria in our dimension, and he was curious. It's not an excuse." Kay silenced the black hedgehog with a look before he could interrupt. "I'm just telling you, that's how I figured out how to get back here."

"So what's the problem? What exactly do you need my help for?"

"Enerjak is the one who had the means for me to travel between dimensions, which means that in order to get here, I had to surrender the Chaos Emerald to her power just long enough for me to escape and find you. Shadow, you can cause Chaos Control with just one Chaos Emerald. You can open a rift between dimensions without the use of fancy equipment, like Enerjak had to use." Kay took a deep breath. "I need you to come back to my dimension with me just long enough for you to get the Blue Chaos Emerald and return to this dimension."

"How will that solve your problem?"

"Wait," Knuckles said suddenly, the light in his eyes making it clear he was catching on. "You just said there's no Chaos in your world. Enerjak is a spirit of Chaos. The only way he – she – can exist is if any element of Chaos exists with her. That includes a Chaos Emerald."

Shadow nodded. "So if I remove that element by retrieving the Blue Emerald and taking it back here..."

"Then Enerjak will have no way to exist in my dimension and no way to escape it," Kay finished, nodding back at him. "And she'll be gone for good."