Tails the Fox
Chapter 22 - Chaos and Doom
Stage 12 - Chaos Shrine
Boss 15 - Vortex

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

SPOT had tracked the "black fox" to a hidden shrine deep in the Mystic Ruins. Tails had left on his own to investigate, leaving Amy and Cream with SPOT. Surely, the three of them would be safe together. Without hesitation, Tails entered the Chaos Shrine.

Stepping into the entrance room, a terrible chill went down the young fox's spine. Something was eerily familiar about this place. The darkness of the temple seemed similar to something he had seen before, though he could not recall what. However, Copter was likely in here, and Tails felt he had to confront him. He headed for the stairway to the underground, but before he could get there, something flew in front of him! It was a black and red hornet, wearing a visor. "You're not thinking of going in there, are you?" the hornet asked. Tails nodded. "I'm looking for a black fox. Did you see him come through here?"

The hornet flew in circles around Tails. "You look like him. That's very interesting..." he stopped in front of Tails. "He went downstairs."
Tails started to walk past the hornet, but it blocked him again. "You can't go in there alone! Please, allow me to go with you. I'm called Zipp, by the way!"
Tails shook Zipp's hand. "Sure, I don't see why not. Let's go!"

The two crept down the long stairway leading to the hallway Copter had been through earlier. Entering the hall, Tails and Zipp immediately noticed something startling. There were Chaos Guardians everywhere! "And this is why you can't go in here alone!" Zipp shouted. "We'll have to fight our way through! I'll give those beasts a taste of my stinger!"

Zipp took off through the monsters, smacking any that got in his way with his stinger. Tails, on the other hand, realized that it would be foolhardy to try to fight them. Activating his Spring Shoes, Tails launched himself into the air and attempted to fly over the monsters. However, he soon found that the Chaos Guardians could also fly. "Uh-oh..." Tails barely managed to dodge an attack by a guardian's flailing tenticles. He quickly returned to the ground, rolling under the ones that were flying and taking off at a run, trying to escape through the long hallway. He suddenly noticed a pair of red spikes heading his way! Tails ducked, then looked behind him as the spikes smashed into some of the guardians. Looking back at where they had come from, he saw Zipp aiming his stinger and "shooting" it at the Chaos Guardians. "That's... different..." Tails muttered.

The two fought until they were close to the end of the hall. The Chaos Guardians were much too tough, and they had given up on fighting and were running away from them. Suddenly, Tails heard a voice in front of them. "Chaossss Hole!"
At those words, a black vortex emerged behind Tails and Zipp, sucking the Chaos Guardians in like a black hole! Soon, all of the guardians were long gone, and the vortex collapsed on itself. "Thosssse beassstsss are quite annoying."
Votex the Chameleon dropped down from the ceiling where the black hole had been. "Well, that'sss tiring. I won't be able to ussse that attack for a while..."

Zipp gave Vortex a high-five. "You're just the ultimate killing machine, Vortex! Well done! By the way, this fox wants to find the black fox!"
"Oh, doessss he now?" Vortex said, giving Tails an evil glare. "We'll jusssst ssssee about that!"
Tails was taken aback. "Wait a minute... You mean, you just led me here to,,,"
Zipp broke in, "Yes, I led you here so Vortex could kill you! Aren't I a trickster! Bye now!" the hornet flew off down the hallway, laughing manically.

Vortex hissed at Tails. "No one harmsss Experiment 2! I sssshall sssssee to that!"
Tails was shocked. "Experiment? What does that mean?"
Vortex gave Tails a puzzled look. "You didn't know? Experiment 2 isss the black fox. He wasss created by.... Ooopsss, don't wan't to give away the ending now, do I?" Vortex laughed. "Not that you'll live long enough for it to matter! Chaosss Inferno!!!" Vortex fired a laser beam of chaos energy from his hands, which Tails scrambled to get away from. The blast hit near Tails' feet, resulting in an explosion that threw him into a wall. Tails quickly picked himself up and, realizing that there was no way out of this fight, charged at Vortex, hoping to punch the fight out of him. Vortex caught his fist and kneed him in the chest, causing Tails to fall to his knees. "How can ssssomeone sssso ssssimilar to Experiment 2 be ssssso pathetic?" Vortex said in an irritated tone. "You're a wasssste of my time!" Vortex knocked Tails on his chest with a karate chop to the back. "That fool Zipp sssshould do thisss. He might jussst take pleasssure in it. Oh, yessss. He'd have fun with you." Vortex let out a sinister hissing laugh. "Time to end it!"

Tails couldn't believe what was happening. Why would Vortex be so intent on murdering him? But there was no time to think. Vortex was aiming his hands as if to use Chaos Inferno again. This would be Tails' only chance...

"Chaossss Inferno!"

Once Vortex called the attack, Tails quickly rolled on his side to get out of the way, jumped to his feet, rushed behind Vortex, and came at him with all his might, smacking Vortex off his feet with a powerful tail whip. Vortex fell to the ground and crawled backwards on his hands and knees, apparently hurt. "No, impossssible! Get away from me! Ssssstop!!" the chameleon whimpered. Tails was surprised how easy this was, but didn't give it a second though. "Now, tell me everything you know about Experiment 2!" he demanded.

Suddenly, Tails heard a loud buzzing sound behind him, and felt cold metal pushed against his back! Zipp's voice was heard behind him. "I've been itching to shoot something all day! I can't believe you fell for Vortex's fakey 'No, help, stop' routine, though!" Zipp clutched Tails' shoulder with his left hand, burying the barrel of the gun into his back with the right. The bloodthirsty hornet whispered in Tails' ear, "I hope you're a screamer..."

Tails' life flased before his eyes during the whole ordeal. It appeared that this was the end. Tears streamed down the fox's face. He wished in his heart that he could see his friends one last time...

Suddenly, a blast of cold air blew through the hallway. Snow and hail erupted from Zipp's right. The hornet removed the gun without firing and pointed it in the direction of the wind. The ice made it impossible to see what was causing the wind, but Zipp's helmet could make out a dark silhouette. He fired at the figure, but a wall of hail blocked the attack. Zipp released Tails from his grip, and both of them fled in opposite directions. "What is this devilry!?" Zipp shouted. Vortex shivered and a look of panic washed over him. "It'sss too dangeroussss, Zipp! I mussst retreat!"
"What!? No!" Zipp shouted back.
"I'm cold-blooded!" Vortex shouted back. "Too much cold can kill me!"

The pair took off toward the exit of the shrine in utter defeat. "Whoever you are, I'll get you for this!" Zipp shouted back, just before leaving. As the villains vanished from sight, the icy wind ceased, and the dark, cloaked figure of the Doomsayer was all that remained!

Tails was totally shocked by the events that had occurred here. "You... saved me?" he finally said. The Doomsayer glared at Tails with his piercing gold eyes. "Don't misunderstand. You will still die." he said in a grave tone. "I merely stopped my first prediction from coming true so that you may have a second chance. Escape this world! While you can." The cloaked figure turned to leave. "Vortex and Zipp were both experiments. That is what I meant when I warned you. Now I leave you with a final warning. The doom is still coming." 
"Wait!" Tails called. "You stopped your prediction once! We can do it again! Together! We can save the world!"

The Doomsayer let out a low growl. "So naive! Who even said I want to stop it? You may do as you please, hero, but do not expect me to save you again!" He turned to face Tails, and summoned up another hail tornado. "Farewell!!" When the hail subsided, the Doomsayer was gone once more.

Tails pondered all that was going on as he headed for the end of the hallway. "Who is the Doomsayer anyway? I wonder if he can be trusted. Who created the experiments? Why does that military guy hate us? I wonder if all this has something to do with the Doomsayer's prophecy..."

His pondering stopped as he reached the end of the hall. The stone doors at the end were still open as Copter had left them. Tails peered into the room. Then, he saw his nightmares made real...

To be continued...