Tails the Fox
Chapter 25 - The Power of the Lost Ones
Boss 17 - Los Gemini

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

Gemini roared as a traditional dragon might. The Doomsayer turned to Knuckles and Vortex, his golden eyes seeming on fire! "Your friend is lost!" Thunder crashed around the Doomsayer, which was odd considering they were inside. Knuckles let out a startled "Yaaah!" before questioning the Doomsayer. "Who are you? What have you done!?" The Doomsayer remained serious. "It is not what I have done. It's what she has done. Entering a world where one does not belong, can only lead to tragedy." The Doomsayer turned to face Gemini, and pointed to the slime that she was knee deep in. "The children of doom, the Lost Ones, have devoured this girl's soul! You cannot save her!"

Knuckles clenched his fists as a show of his resolve. "I'll save her! You just watch!" The Doomsayer turned to the feisty echidna. "You can try! Oh, yes, you can try... But in the end it is pointless! The doom will destroy you all!!" Ice and hail surrounded the Doomsayer as he vanished, leaving Knuckles and Vortex faced with a possessed dragon girl to deal with! "Ssso, thisss isss the dragon girl. I did not believe you at firsssst." Vortex said, gazing in awe at the crazed beast before them. "The losssssol are controlling her! We mussst act fassst!" Knuckles looked at Gemini, then at the losol blob possessing her. "How do we do it?" he wondered aloud.

"We mussst get the losssol away from your friend, then desssstroy them!" Vortex said. "It won't be easssy. They never like to let go until the victim'sss ssssoul isss completely theirssss! We need to force them off!"

"All right!" Knuckles leapt into action, unleashing a flurry of punches at the losol. However, this did little, and now "Los Gemini" was on the attack! She opened her mouth and let loose her fiery breath toward Knuckles who was forced to move the hard way. Knuckles ran to get away from the flames, having already recieved some nasty burns. Vortex shook his head. "You'll jussst get yourssself killed that way!" he remarked. "You need to ussse the lossssolssss weaknessss againsssst them!"

"And what would that be?" Knuckles groaned. Before Vortex could answer, Los Gemini took to the air, the losol still attatched to her legs, and soared over them, blowing flames in their direction. Knuckles and Vortex ran for cover, and Knuckles grabbed onto the wall. "Gotta go with what I know..." Knuckles thought, "...and I know how to fight!" He climbed up the wall and leapt off, gliding at Los Gemini, who was busy chasing Vortex. Knuckles landed on her back, and attempted to knock some sense into her. His attacks caused her to roar in pain and rage, and she attempted to shake him off. Vortex, in the mean time, had hidden behind a computer terminal that was near the back wall. He called out to Knuckles. "The losssolsss weaknesss! It'sss ice!!! Break open the sssspinning torchesss and take the ice flame within!"

Knuckles was too busy trying not to be thrown from Los Gemini's back. "Why can't you do it!?" he shouted while panicking from his situation. Vortex glared in his general direction. "Ice isss my weaknesss assss well! I'm a cold-blooded creature! Cold makesss me hibernate, and too much cold makesss me die!" Knuckles was flung off the dragon, and he landed beside Vortex. "You make a good point..." he said in a dazed and shaky voice. Vortex smacked some sense into him. "I needed that..." Knuckles muttered. Vortex winked at Knuckles. "Fire isss not my foe sssso much! I'll dissstract her, you get the ice!"

Vortex took off into the center of the room, shouting at Los Gemini to provoke her. "Come on, dragon! You'll never ssslay me!" Knuckles looked around, and noticed that the nearest torch was on the other side of the room near the entrance, where all the torches were. He ran out from behind the computer terminal and tore along the wall to the other side of the room. However, he found a Loskel there waiting for him, carrying a sharp looking blade. "I don't have time for this!" Knuckles shouted, launching a punch at the skeleton before it could swing its blade. Knuckles managed to break clear through it, but it quickly started reassembling itself. Ignoring that, Knuckles ran to the nearest torch and smashed it with his fist! Bad idea, though, as his hand touched the ice flame and got freezer burn! "YEOW!!!" he screamed, which drew the attention of Los Gemini. Knuckles picked up the ice flame torch, but was being backed into a corner by Los Gemini and the Loskel. "Chaosss Inferno!!" Vortex called, rushing to the loskel and blasting it from existence! "Now, Knucklessss! Ussse the torch!!"

Knuckles ran at Los Gemini, who had landed in front of him, and thrust the torch at the losol like a sword! The losol screeched and released Gemini from their grip, forming a Losol Golem nearby! Gemini's coloring returned to white, and her eyes closed as she fell to the ground. Knuckles decided now was the time to finish the Losol Golem once and for all! "Freeze, scum!!" he shouted as he flung the torch into the blob, freezing it in ice. Vortex followed up by using Chaos Inferno once more, blasting the Losol Golem into nothing more than a puddle of water on the floor, which was the remains of the ice!

Knuckles shook hands with Vortex. "Thanks, pal. I couldn't have done it without you!"
Vortex smirked at him. "Don't forget that. You owe me now, ssssucker!" Vortex turned to walk out the door, then stopped short. "Take care of her, Knucklesss. Sssshe'll wake up ssshortly." He then walked back towards his room, without another thought. Knuckles waved good bye to him, then turned his attention to Gemini.

The dragon lay still for a few moments, then slowly opened her eyes. "H-huh? Knuckles?" she muttered, standing up slowly. "You saved me?"
Knuckles winked at her. "Of course! I'd never abandon a friend, no matter what!"
Gemini smiled warmly. Gone was the crazed eyes of Los Gemini. It was clear that she was back to normal! Gemini then turned to the computer terminal. "My magic led me to that computer. The Lost Ones attacked me there. But not before I used my magic to find out who'd been using it. The last one to use that computer was Dr. Eggman!"
Knuckles was shocked somewhat. "Eggman?! What was he doing in a place like this!?"
Gemini shook her head. "I have no idea. But I do know one thing!" she turned to face Knuckles again. "I sensed it while I was possessed. The Master Emerald has been shattered!"

Knuckles nearly fell over from the news. He stood up straight, took a few deep breaths to calm down, and then screamed like he was being hit between the legs with a steel baseball bat!! "HOW MANY TIMES CAN THAT DUMB GEM BREAK ANYWAY!!!!!" He started ranting and raving until Gemini smacked him. "I needed that one, too..." he mumbled. "Calm down, Knuckles! All the pieces are in the same area!" Gemini said. Knuckles tried to remain calm, but his voice gave away his tension as he impatiently demanded, "Where!?"

Gemini pulled out her wand and started waving it about. "Hold on... Abra-ka-searchra!" she said. A flash of light erupted from the wand, illuminating the whole room. The light lifted Gemini into the air, and a gust of wind seemed to be blowing her wings around as her magic searched. Finally, she dropped slowly to the ground and reported her findings. "It's at Eggman's base."

Knuckles clenched his fists and growled. "Eggman! I should have known! Let's go, Gemini!" his voice then took a more reassuring tone. "I promise you, we'll find your spell book's last page, and the Master Emerald, too!" Gemini smiled excitedly at his words. "Great! I'll meet you outside! Abra-ka-Warpra!" With a flash of light, Gemini teleported out of Shadow Arc. "I better get going, too." Knuckles said. However, he was curious about something. He stepped over to the computer screen and looked up what Eggman was using it for. A document appeared onscreen. "X Experiments..." Knuckles muttered, reading. Pictures were onscreen of five experiments. "Ah! This is about Punchy and the others! Vortex is here, too..." he exclaimed. He gazed at the picture of Experiment 3, which was apparently taken in the dark, as all Knuckles could make out was a silhouette. A very creepy silhouette. "Who or what is that thing!?" he muttered. "Forget it, Knuckles!" he said to himself. "It's time to stop Eggman and save the Master Emerald! I'm outta here!" With a resolve stronger than ever, Knuckles turned around and started on his way to find the Master Emerald and defeat Eggman and Punchy once and for all!

To be continued...