GeneX - Soleanna Struggle
Chapter 21 - Showdown Of Darkness

Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and 
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.

"'Cause every night I will save your life,
And every night I will be with you.
'Cause every night I still lay awake,
And I dream of an absolution." - Dreams of an Absolution, SONIC the Hedgehog (2006)


Silver the Hedgehog had gone on quite an adventure. After meeting Mephiles, he traveled to the past, hoping to stop Iblis by destroying Sonic, whom Mephiles had named the "Iblis Trigger." After some unsuccessful attempts, Silver traveled further into the past with Shadow, to see what had happened at the Aquatic Base laboratory ten years before. The truth was revealed to him: Iblis and Mephiles were both created from the same flames, and each was sealed away. Shadow sealed Mephiles inside the original Scepter of Darkness, while Iblis, the Flames of Disaster, was sealed within a young Princess Elise, through the power of a Chaos Emerald. Now, he was back at his own time, traversing Flame Core with the assistance of his friend, Blaze the Cat. He could feel he was getting close to Iblis, and now thought back to his entrance to Flame Core...

He'd helped Sonic to chase the Egg Carrier, where Princess Elise was being held captive, but they were too late. The ship crashed, supposedly taking the princess with it. As Sonic began to despair, Silver had an idea. Using the Chaos Emeralds that they'd each collected, they created a portal for Sonic to use to go to an earlier point in time and save the princess! Before he left, Sonic tossed Silver his Chaos Emerald. He realized that Silver had his own mission now, so he promised to take care of Elise himself. After Sonic departed for the past, Silver and Blaze used the time portal to return to the future. As they reached the entrance to Flame Core, Silver held out the cyan and white Chaos Emeralds he'd collected. "I know how to save our world now. We don't have to change the past. I'm sure of it." he said, certain he knew what to do. "So, you have a plan?" Blaze had asked. Silver nodded, and they both turned towards Flame Core. "Well, then let's hurry! I sense his flames..." Blaze said before the two of them walked towards the volcano ahead of them...

By now, Silver and Blaze had fought their way through Flame Core, and were getting close to Iblis. They hurried ahead, eager to finally end their battle with Iblis once and for all. Soon, they found him, waiting in a giant pool of lava below a steep cliff. Despite how low the pool was, Iblis was large enough to stand in the lava and still look down on Silver and Blaze on the cliff! However, Silver had fought with Iblis so many times by now that he wasn't afraid. "Come on, Iblis! This time I'll finally stop you!!" he shouted, ready for battle! Iblis simply roared at him in response. With that, the battle for the future had begun!


As Silver's final battle was beginning, Gemini and Guard were on their way to their own final battle. Losipher was powerful as well, and would surely be a terrible danger to the world if Iblis was removed from his path. As Gemini and Guard made their way through the treacherous landscape of Flame Core, they were soon greeted by Lospecter! "Well, well, well, aren't you two stubborn! How many times does Losipher have to kill you, gargoyle?" he said with an evil grin. Guard responded by using his scythe to fire an energy blast at Lospecter, which was easily dodged by the dark spirit. "Hehehe, you stink. Seriously, don't be fooled by Losipher's depressed, 'I'm always suffering' act! He's not a pushover! Why, if Iblis hadn't taken us by surprise by being freed sooner than we'd expected, you'd see an ocean of ectoplasm choking this sad little planet instead of all that fire! Face facts, no matter how you fight fate, no matter how much you try to change the past, you're still gonna be stuck with the same, sad story of your friends dying! Ooooh, that day must haunt your nightmares, don't it, fennec?" Lospecter taunted. Gemini was a little shaken by his words. What if he was right? What if her friends were destined to die, no matter what? The thought made her journey to the past seem even more foolish. Still, she'd put it behind her. "I'm not trying to change the past anymore! I'm going to defeat Losipher here and now! And if you stand in my way, I'll take you down, too!" she threatened. Lospecter gasped with mock fright. "Ooooh, I'm shaking in my... smoke... HA! Come on! Iblis doesn't even scare us! Losipher's been saving up power, preparing to take on that fireball since it took over! And you, you're just a couple of dust bunnies, waiting to be swept into the lava! I don't need to stand in your way... My little minions are more than enough!" he declared, pulling out his cards and taking half of them from his deck. "You wanna fight Losipher? Earn it!" he shouted, tossing half of his deck into the air, causing a legion of Lost Ones to be summoned wherever they landed!

Gemini and Guard had come too far. No matter how many there were, the Lost Ones were not about to stop them! Without wasting a second, they charged straight ahead, Guard with his scythe and Gemini with her wand! Every type of Lost One either of them could remember, and a few they hadn't seen yet, stood in their way, but they bravely fought their way through. Even Losol Golems and Lospirit Lords attempted to stop them, but Gemini was ready for them. The power boost Fred had given her wand gave her enough strength to defeat even those giant Lost Ones with only a little effort. As they fought their way to a large lake of lava, with a high cliff on the other side, Guard picked up Gemini to fly her across. "Grrrr.... Hold on!! This could get dangerous!" he said, observing that flying Lost Ones, accompanied by flying monsters, were swarming the area ahead of them! They took off right through the swarm, and Guard deftly avoided every foe in his path as they made their way to the cliff, which was covered in a fiery waterfall which flowed from a lava river! The only way to cross the river was by using the stone platforms being carried along by the flowing lava, so Guard quickly landed on the first one, then jumped from platform to platform, still carrying Gemini in his arms! Soon, they reached solid ground, but there was no time to rest! Dozens of monsters awaited them there, and the flying Lost Ones they'd flown away from were chasing them! "Grrrr... This sure doesn't look good..." Guard growled as he dropped Gemini on her feet. Gemini pulled out her wand again. "Well, no one said this would be easy! Let's get them!" she said with determination. Lospecter watched them from above as they continued to charge ahead, defeating their enemies one by one. "Whoa! They sure ain't playing around! Aw, well. They'll tire themselves out by the time they reach Losipher. I might as well just go back and pick up my cards! So long, weirdos! I'll miss torturing ya!" he said, flying away. Not long after Lospecter left, Gemini and Guard managed to defeat the monsters. Without taking a break, they hurried ahead!

It took some doing, but soon Gemini and Guard found their way to a giant cavern filled with lava. Stone footholds were scattered throughout the lava pool, and on a foothold in the center of the pool stood Losipher! Gemini and Guard hopped across the footholds to catch up to the dark lord. "I predicted you would come. You failed to defeat me in the past, so you wish to try again now. Can you not leave me alone with my misery? My souls are blacker than the night sky... I hear their screams each night... Those I have consumed. DO I NOT SUFFER ENOUGH!!?!!" Losipher moaned, as depressed and hateful as ever. "Don't give me that!" Gemini shouted. Losipher turned around to face her. "What.... did you.... say to me!?" he said, quivering with rage. "You don't suffer. You're just using the misery of the souls you've consumed to try to deceive us! Their pain... their misery... It pleases you, doesn't it!?" Gemini realized. "Grrrr!! You're a foul, twisted creature! And we're here to defeat you!" Guard added, raising his scythe. Losipher took a step forward and glared at them. "Did you... just try to tell me... I don't suffer? Did you just DARE to tell me that!? I AM what I consume!! Of course I suffer! Suffering fuels me!! Death satisfies me!! Yes, I CRAVE misery!! So, I will devour every soul I can find!! That is my destiny!! And now, you will meet your destiny here! NOW, YOU WILL KNOW TRUE HORROR!!!" With each passing moment, Losipher grew less depressed and more hateful, and now he was through talking. He backed away from Gemini and Guard, and stepped into the pool of lava. Rather than being consumed by fire, his ectoplasmic slime spread through the pool, consuming it! As his bubbling slime replaced the lava, his body convulsed and twisted itself, slowly growing larger until he finally took on the shape of an enormous, vampirical demon! He stood in the pool, with his legs completely submerged. His face still resembled its original form, but his teeth had all become fangs, which were too big for his mouth! Gemini and Guard scrambled to get away as Losipher destroyed the footholds immediately next to him. From the pool of slime, tentacles began writhing and flailing about! "Now, for the final time, prepare to lose thy soul!!!" Losipher roared in a twisted, demonic voice!

Losipher was now more intimidating than ever. With his slime covering the entire area, Guard was forced into the air to avoid the violently flailing tentacles erupting from the slime! Gemini defended herself with a magic shield, but found that the power Fred had loaned her had already been used up while she fought with the monsters earlier. Losipher's monstrous form only needed to watch as the tentacles quickly broke through Gemini's shield and began going after her! Guard flew to Gemini and defended her, slicing the tentacles to pieces as they attempted to attack her! As the pieces of the tentacles landed on the foothold, they became losol, and jumped onto Gemini! "Yikes!! Get these gross things off me!!! Aaaaahh!!!" she screamed, struggling to shake them off! When the losol found they couldn't absorb her soul, they simply jumped off of her and turned their attention to Guard, who was forced back into the air to escape them! "Blastrotall!!" Gemini shouted, firing bolts from her wand at the losol. By this point, Losipher had wandered close to the foothold Gemini was standing on. "If your soul cannot become lost, then I will just have to kill you!!!" he bellowed. Gemini rushed to another foothold as Losipher smashed the one she had been standing on with his giant fists! As she landed on the next foothold, she attempted to attack Losipher. "Blastrotall!!" The bolts from her wand merely bounced off Losipher, causing no damage whatsoever! Losipher laughed at her feeble attack. "I'm far too powerful to be harmed by your pitiful spells! You have no hope of defeating me!!" he snarled. As he began to chase Gemini, Guard flew in front of him and fired energy blasts from his scythe, serving only to annoy him. "You foolish little insect!! For that, I will swat you first!" Losipher growled, chasing after Guard. Gemini was kept busy as the tentacles surrounding the foothold she was on began attacking her. "Slibeam!!" Gemini shouted, swinging her wand like a sword! Beams shot from her wand and sliced through the tentacles, causing them to drop and become losol, which Gemini easily destroyed with a few bolts from her wand. She was holding her own, for now, but it began to seem clear that she could not win this fight!

Guard was busily keeping Losipher occupied, flying around and attacking when there was an opening. However, his attacks could not harm Losipher. "You already know you cannot beat me!! I killed you once, and that was a more experienced you!" Losipher growled, attempting to swat Guard with his giant hands. Guard flew out of the way and fired more energy blasts at Losipher. "Grrrr!! That may be true, but you will not win this time! Grrrr!! Take this!!" As the battle between Guard and Losipher continued, Gemini found herself watching helplessly from the sidelines once again. "This is just like every other time I encountered Losipher... I'm just too weak to beat him..." she said hopelessly. Suddenly, she heard a sinister laugh that sounded like gurgling. Looking behind her, she saw Los Cuthbert again! "I told you... Lost is the only way. All souls that do not become Lost will be destroyed. Since you have made the foolish error in denying the power of the Lost Ones, and can no longer become Lost, you are doomed!!" the twisted alligator said, with a sinister smile. Gemini backed away from him. "You're wrong..." she said shakily. Cuthbert laughed at her again. "I can see it in your eyes... You know the truth. It is over! You've failed utterly! The only remaining option for you is to accept your fate! Give up!" he snarled. His words echoed in her mind. Give up? The suggestion seemed to be the only option. Still, she'd come to defeat Losipher. As she thought about what Cuthbert had said, she glared at him and raised her wand. "You're not Cuthbert. He would never tell me to give up, and neither would any of my friends! You're nothing but a cheap imitation!" she shouted. Los Cuthbert growled at her. "You are pathetic! What could you ever hope to accomplish all by yourself?" he said. "I'm not by myself! My friends... Even the ones that were killed... Even the real Cuthbert... As long as I remember them, they're always with me! Now, go away, you fake! Slibeam!!" Gemini shouted, using her magic to destroy Los Cuthbert with one swift attack! Gemini next turned to Losipher. "Even when I'm alone, my friends give me strength! And with that power behind me, I'll beat you, Losipher!" She held her wand over her head. She didn't know any spell to help her, so she made up her own. "Light of Friendship!!"

The tip of Gemini's wand began to glow brightly, and the rest of her body soon followed! The magical energy surrounded her, filling her with new strength! Additionally, the magic light caused a pair of glowing energy wings to grow on her back! With this newfound power, Gemini jumped from the foothold and flew towards Losipher! Guard was distracted by the light from her attack, and Losipher took the opportunity to swat him aside! He tumbled through the air and hit the wall, but recovered quickly and joined Gemini as they faced Losipher! "So, you've found a more powerful spell, eh? Then by all means, attack! I look forward to hearing your anguished cries of despair as you die!" Losipher roared, unimpressed by Gemini's wings. "You'll be sorry you said that! This time, I'm fighting back!" Gemini shouted, flying at Losipher! She and Guard attempted to get close to him, but Losipher merely smacked them away. Still, they had been filled with new determination, and quickly recovered! To keep them at bay, Losipher spewed blue flames from his mouth, singeing their wings as they flew out of the way! Guard tried shooting energy blasts from his scythe at Losipher's eyes, which annoyed him more than usual. Gemini joined him by firing some of her own magic attacks at Losipher, but they still caused little, if any, damage. "I grow weary of your annoying attacks! Now, face my true wrath!!!" Losipher roared, using his dark powers to grow the tentacles in the slime pool larger so that they could attack Guard and Gemini, even as they flew high above the pool! As Guard and Gemini set to work slicing up the tentacles, Losipher blew more fire at them, making it even more difficult to avoid taking a hit! While Guard was practically immobilized, Gemini used the power her spell had granted her to gracefully avoid the attacks and make her way to Losipher! "It's useless! None of your feeble light magic can scratch me!! Accept your fate!! DIE!!!!" the monster roared, attempting to crush Gemini in his hands! Gemini flew out of the way and focused all of her power into her wand. "Losipher... Get a life!!" she said before calling out her spell. "Solare!!!" Using all of the power she could muster, Gemini fired a brilliant beam of golden light from her wand, consuming Losipher in its glow! "GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!" Losipher let out an ear piercing roar as the force of the attack caused him to explode, scattering his slime into the pool below!

As the light faded, Gemini and Guard landed on the ledge near the exit. As she landed, Gemini noticed her wings vanish, meaning her spell had worn off. The slime had begun to be replaced by lava once again, and Losipher had apparently been defeated! "It's... over... I've finally... done it..." Gemini panted with relief. "Grrrr.... That was very impressive. Grrrr... I was worried for a minute, but you really..." Guard said, his voice trailing off. Gemini smiled and shook his hand. "Thanks, Guard. I couldn't have come so far without you!" she said. For once, Guard found himself smiling a little. "I should thank you. Grrrr... You've avenged my death for me." he said. Gemini gazed at the lava pond thoughtfully. "I really have done well, haven't I? Now that Losipher's been defeated, maybe my friends’ souls are free. In fact, I'm sure they are!" she said happily. Guard turned towards the exit. "Grrrr... There's still one matter of business to attend to. Grrrr... We need to get you home to your friends." he said. Gemini nodded. "Yes, I wouldn't want them to worry about me any longer. Afterwards, we'll find a way to get you home, too! OK, Guard?" she said, following the gargoyle out of the room. As they exited the cavern, things appeared peaceful. However, a small puddle of slime had remained in the center of the pool of lava. It slowly floated along, until it reached one of the footholds. Like a slug, it stuck itself to the edge of the foothold and slowly climbed onto it. From there, it began to grow and take shape, until at last, Losipher stood in the room once again! His eyes remained shut for a moment, as he shakily found his balance. As he opened his eyes, he glanced around the room, looking for any sign of his enemies. "Cursed wretches... I can't go after Iblis now..." he groaned, his voice starting out scratchy until he fully recovered. He began walking towards the exit to the chamber, a lonely look in his eyes. "Whether my misery is a ploy or not, I cannot say. My stolen souls speak for me, for I have no soul of my own." he muttered sadly. His sadness quickly turned to rage. "This, I vow. That girl will suffer a horrific death by my hand! Be it in this time, this world, or elsewhere! I will have my vengeance!!!"


Elsewhere on the mountain, Silver and Blaze had managed to weaken Iblis. The Flames of Disaster now rose up above them as a blazing ball of fire! Silver stepped towards it, holding in his hands the two Chaos Emeralds. It was time to put his plan into action! "Chaos Emeralds, lend me your power." he said, looking up at the fireball. "Eternal Sun! The living flame that has been entrusted to the royal family! Fall into slumber with my soul, Iblis! You cursed flames of disaster!" he shouted, activating the emeralds' power in an attempt to seal Iblis within himself! The flames soared to him, and he let out some pained yells as the fire bounced off of him. "Ah! No! Why won't it accept me as the vessel!?" he shouted, realizing that his plan wasn't working. At this point, Blaze came to understand the plan, and walked towards Silver. "Blaze!?" Silver gasped as she reached for the Chaos Emeralds. The cat grabbed them out of his hands. "I'll take Iblis. Don't worry, my soul is already alit with flames. I will be accepted." she said, holding up the emeralds the way Silver had moments before. The flames changed course and flew into her! She was right, the flames had accepted her. However, Iblis had grown too powerful for her to contain, and the fires struggled to escape from her! "Come on! Make it quick! Use your Chaos Control to stop time! Then, seal us into a different dimension!" Blaze shouted, feeling that was the only choice. Silver was horrified by the very idea. "No!! I can't do that to you!" he said. Blaze glanced back at him. "Didn't we already go through this? We agreed to save the world at ANY price!" she said firmly. Silver knew she was right, so he raised his hand in preparation to do what was necessary. However, he held himself back. "I can't! I wouldn't know what to do... without you! You've fought alongside me to save the world! You're my friend... right?" he said, looking at the ground with uncertainty. Blaze turned to Silver. "You're still so naive..." she said, "But I've always liked that about you..." She dropped the Chaos Emeralds and began to rise into the air. Silver looked up at her and ran to the edge of the cliff. "Blaze!!!" he called out desperately. Blaze's body had become transparent, consumed by Iblis' flames. As she rose up into the heavens, she looked down at Silver, smiling. "Good luck, Silver!" she said in parting. A bright flash of light followed, parting the dark clouds overhead, and allowing the light from the sun into Silver's world for the first time...

Silver stood between the two Chaos Emeralds that Blaze had dropped, and scanned the skies for her. She was gone. He looked down at the ground, glanced at the Chaos Emeralds, and in a moment, found tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Blaze..." he whispered, leaning down to pick up the Chaos Emeralds. Behind him, Gemini and Guard were entering the area, gazing up at the bright sky above them. "The sun... I've only ever seen it in the past..." Gemini gasped. Guard tapped her shoulder and pointed to Silver, without saying anything. Realizing that Iblis was defeated, Gemini ran over to Silver excitedly. "You did it, didn't you? You beat Iblis! Joyous day! We're all free, at last!" she cheered. Guard walked over and tugged at her arm, motioning to Silver. As she looked at Guard's serious expression, she turned back to Silver and realized he was crying. A grim thought went through her mind. "Wh... Where's Blaze?" she said quietly. Silver glanced up at her, and she could guess right away what had happened. She stepped to Silver and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I... I'm so sorry, Silver..." she said, unable to think of anything else to say. Silver didn't move at first. "Is there anything I can do?" Gemini asked him. He shook his head. "I think I just want to be alone right now..." he said, walking away. Gemini started to follow him, but Guard held her back. "Grrr... Let him be. Grrr... I don't think you can help him right now." he said. Gemini sighed sadly. "I know... Because I know how he feels. We can beat the bad guys and avenge our friends... But it doesn't bring them back." she said, shedding a few tears as she recalled the friends she had lost...

To be continued...