GeneX - Tails the Fox
Chapter 42 - Darkness and Light
Stages 21-22 - Chao Chambers
Boss 30 - Knuckles Vs Punchy

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

The room shook, and a dark energy filled the air as Punchy's anger took over! "It's not... true! IT'S NOT TRUE!!!!" His body was lifted into the air by an unknown force, and the earthquake worsened, making it difficult for everyone to keep their footing. "What's happening!?" Gemini shouted as everyone finally began to understand the danger of the situation. "One! What's wrong!?" Rainbow shouted. "I've got a bad feeling about this!" Knuckles added.

Illusi explained the situation. "All the anger, the rage, the fear... All the bad feelings that Dark One had been keeping bottled up within him is surfacing! And a terrible power has been awakoned within him! With all the anger building like this, I fear he may explode!" "Don't have to tell me twice!" Rouge shouted, running away along with Gemini. "It's no use! If this is allowed to continue, he'll take out the whole tower, and possibly himself along with it! We must get through to him!" Illusi shouted, trying to talk over the sound of dark energy surging through the room. The energy was coming from Punchy, and everyone could see that what Illusi was saying had to be true. Knuckles tried to get through to him. "Punchy!! You must control yourself!" "One, stop it! You're scaring us!" Rainbow added desperately. As everyone approached to try to reason with him, Punchy could only see enemies, out to attack him, and sent the dark energy soaring through the air, knocking them all away! He roared loudly, and his voice now sounded almost like a beast. "I AM NO ILLUSION!! I AM NO COPY!! I AM NO FAKE! I AM DARKNESS!!! DARK PUNCHY!!!!"

Darkness surged through Punchy's body, and he bagan to transform, becoming the very image of his dark form which Illusi had pit him against back at the GUN Warship. Now, Dark Punchy seemed very real, and appeared to have an urge to kill. Landing on the ground, he ran after Knuckles with an impossible speed, almost as though he was warping! He grabbed Knuckles by the throat and hurled him across the room, sending him through the wall! "No one can stop me! No one!!" Dark Punchy roared. The dark energy emanating from within him made it nearly impossible to approach him, and his murderous rage wasn't making it easier. Knuckles slowly climbed back into the room through the hole in the wall. He had been badly injured, and Dark Punchy's darkness had begun spreading through the room, causing it to shake even more violently. Dark Punchy rose into the air once again, moving to the center of the room, sending darkness through it like an evil power generator going haywire. Anything that wasn't either alive or magical was destroyed as the darkness touched it. (except miraculously the floor and walls...) The Master Emerald shards and the people in the room were pushed to the edge, injured by the force of the dark energy hitting them. Everything looked hopeless, but two people in the room fought valiently to get through the darkness, Knuckles and Rainbow. "Stop it, Punchy! You're going to hurt someone!" Knuckles shouted. "That's the idea!!!" Dark Punchy shouted back, pushing Knuckles away somewhat. "Rainbow! Get back!" Illusi shouted. "No way! One needs me!!" she insisted. Knuckles scrambled to his feet and tried to get to Punchy first. "You know you don't want to do this, Punchy! You didn't make those friends by trying to kill them! This hatred has turned you into something you're not! You have to stop it!" Knuckles shouted desperately. "What do you know, fool!? Get away from me!! Die!!!" Dark Punchy tossed Knuckles back through the hole in the wall using the power of darkness. Rainbow was getting closer, but she was behind him, and for the moment he didn't notice. "Why won't he just die!?" Punchy snarled as Knuckles slowly started to climb back through the hole. Suddenly, Dark Punchy started to turn around. Rainbow reached where he was hovering in the air just as he saw her. Knuckles looked out of the hole helplessly, and everyone suddenly shouted after her. "Rainbow!!!!"

Rainbow held out her hand to Punchy. "Please, One! Stop hurting everyone! Come down from there, and we'll fix the big gem and go home!" Illusi, horrified by what he believed was about to happen, cried out, "Dark One!! No!!!" Dark Punchy clenched his fists, eyes still blazing with rage, the tower shaking even more fiercely, and sent a wave of darkness through the room, blocking out all light and making it impossible to see what was happening. At the last moment, Rainbow jumped up to him and threw her arms around him, screaming. 

"PUNCHY!!!!!!!!!!!"

At the next moment, a blinding light cut through the darkness, causing everyone to look away and close their eyes. Slowly, the darkness began to fade, and everyone looked to find Punchy and Rainbow, gasping for breath, with his arms around her. He was normal, green Punchy again. "It's me, One... Your friend..." she said, shivering. Punchy's mouth hung open, horrified by what he almost did. He let her go and backed away somewhat. "R-Rainbow....?"

Everyone suddenly ran over to them except for Gemini. "Are you OK, you two?" Knuckles asked, out of breath. "That was too scary." Gemini gasped. "I'll keep my distance if that's okay..." Illusi let out a big sigh of relief. "She did it..." he muttered quietly.

Punchy looked at his feet in shame. "I just... Lost it..." he gasped. Rainbow placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "It's OK. No one was hurt... much..." Punchy looked around the room. "I'm sorry... All of you. This whole fight was my doing... I'm really sorry..." Knuckles crossed his arms. "If you're really sorry..." he said, trailing off. Punchy, understanding, tossed his Master Emerald pieces to Knuckles. "You're right. That emerald's not mine. I don't need it." he said. Knuckles was a bit surprised. "Just like that?" "I don't really know how to fix it anyway. And some things are more important than treasure." Punchy said, looking at Rainbow and smiling.

Knuckles wasted no time repairing the emerald. "Perfect! Another job well done!" he said. Rouge ran over and snatched the emerald from him. "It sure is! And now it's all mine!" she laughed as Knuckles chased her out of the room. "Come back here, you thieving bat crook!!" Knuckles shouted. "Here we go again..." Gemini sighed. Before leaving, she asked Illusi where her spell book's missing page was, and he whispered something in her ear. "That should do it! Good luck, Gemini!" he said as she took off in the direction Knuckles and Rouge went.

Punchy turned to Illusi. "What hapened back there. I know you know something, so talk!" Illusi looked at Punchy and Rainbow, and realized he owed them the truth. "My illusion, Dark Punchy, was a manifestation of the darkness within you." Rainbow's jaw dropped. "So, Dark One is real!? Is that why you kept calling him that?" she asked. Illusi's voice dropped to a low whisper. "Yes! If he hadn't seen the light at that last moment, he would have fully become Dark One, and killed us all!" Punchy looked at his hands. "You mean, there's someone else inside me? Someone evil?" Illusi looked a bit unsure. "At the moment, he does not truly exist. But if you allow your anger to get out of control, Dark One could be freed.... Think on that for a while, Punchy the Echidna!" Illusi said before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Now, Punchy turned to Rainbow. "I... I want to thank you. It wasn't exactly 'light' that stopped me back there." he said. Rainbow, not quite seeming to fully understand, just smiled at him. "Don't mention it! Now, let's get going!" "Huh?" Punchy was confused. "Where?" "Where else, One? Follow me!" she said, taking off after Knuckles. Punchy chuckled a moment, then remembered something. "Stop calling me-- Aw, she'll never learn..."


After a while, Knuckles got the Master Emerald back and gave all those thieves the slip, allowing him and Gemini to search for the missing page. Following Illusi's directions, they soon found it in Eggman's control room. "Now I can change back into my true form!" Gemini cheered. "Congratulations, Gemini!" Knuckles applauded. Gemini smiled at him. "I couldn't have gone this far without you, Knuckles! Thank you!" Knuckles shook his head. "No, thank you. I couldn't have restored the Master Emerald without you!" Gemini chuckled. "We must've been destined to meet then. Let me just see now... What the spell is..." she said, looking at the page. "Good luck..." Knuckles said. Holding her wand above her head, Gemini read the spell. "Morphicadabra!!"

A brilliant flash of light shone forth from her dragon body. The light lifted her into the air, and she began to transform. Her body grew smaller, her tail became small and fluffy, her dragon horns being replaced by fox ears with small tufts of light blue fur on the tips. Her wings seemed to wrap around her, becoming a pink shirt and blue jeans. Her fur was a beatifully shiny white, with a light blue muzzle. As the light around her faded, she slowly dropped back to the floor, landing on her feet. Standing before Knuckles now was no scary dragon, but a very lovely girl. "Holy smokes... You're beautiful..." Knuckles said quietly. "What are you?" he asked. "You can call me Gemini.... the fennec!"

Just then, Rouge stepped into the room, and quickly realized what had happened. "That's the dragon!? I guess that was a powerful spell cast on her..." Gemini and Knuckles didn't notice Rouge, and began to say their farewells. "Thanks for everything, Knuckles. I guess now it's goodbye..." Knuckles smiled. "Don't be sad. I'm sure we'll meet again someday..."

"Oh, great! A mushy goodbye!" Rouge shouted. "Allow me to just throw up now!" Knuckles ran up to her, shaking his fist. "Who even said anything to you!?" he growled. Rouge very calmly said, "No one. So, I'll just take this and be on my way again!" Moving fast, she grabbed the Master Emerald away from Knuckles and ran off. "What the?! Hey, give that back!!!" Knuckles shouted, chasing her. Gemini waved to him as he left. "Bye, Knuckles!" "Bye! Sorry to leave like this!!" Knuckles called back. Gemini looked at herself in the reflection of one of Eggman's computer screens. "Finally, I'm me again! I feel so bad about everything I caused today. I guess I'll find everyone and apologize later." she thought, starting on her way out of the control room. "So long, Eggman! Looks like your plan's finished!"

To be continued...