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| - "Glad to see you two again," Sonic stated. Both of the newcomers nodded, and the light faded fully. The girl was actually floating, while the young woman was holding an enigmatic staff. They turned to each other in confusion, then turned to Sonic and simultaneously asked, "Who's this clown?" "Before you two start bickering like a couple of knuckleheads, let me start the introductions. Shahra, this is Merlina the Sorceress. Merlina, this is Shahra the Ring Genie. Now don't insult each other, because I need the help of both of you." There was a thud from behind, and Sonic, Shahra, and Merlina all simultaneously turned to see Silver facefirst on the ground. Blaze, Infera, and Shadow were still in the trees, all swinging their heads like pendulums. Merlina and Shahra looked at them in confusion. "Galahad?" she called, confused. "Lancelot? Percival? What would you three be doing here already?" "Is that..." Shahra stuttered, "another... Darkspine?" Sonic shook his head as Silver pulled himself out of the ground. "No no, see, these are my friends. The one who looks like Lancelot is my pal Shadow. Percival is actually the fiery princess of another dimension, Blaze. And Galahad facefirst in the sand is my cocky, pyschokinetic friend Silver. Meanwhile, the pyrokinetic who looks like my Darkspine form is Shadow's girlfirend, Infera." Infera turned an embarrassed crimson red. Shahra eventually turned away from Infera to see Sonic's Dracon wings. "Oh my god!" she cried, coming low. "What happened to you?" Merlina's head jerked to the side at the sound of Shahra's voice to see the wings. "Sweet Excalibur," she stated, kneeling next to Sonic. "What's happened here?" "Relax, girls," Sonic replied. "It's a long story, but before that, we're going to need some help." Turning first to Shahra, Sonic asked, "You still got that ring of yours?" Shahra replied by wrapping Sonic's hand in a white light. When it faded, there was a ring on his finger with a soft amythest resting in it. "What about the other seven?" Shahra gasped in shock. "You're not seriously thinking of..." Sonic mouth curved into an arc. "Yep. That's exactly what I'm thinking of." Silver interrupted, shouting, "Wait about thirty-five moments!" The three of them turned to Silver as the other three entered the clearing. "You mean to tell me that after all this time..." "...your tales taller than a Chaos Shot are true?" Shadow finished. Sonic thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah." Turning back to Shahra, he stated, "I'll get back to you on that." He turned to Merlina. "I'm going to need my blade again." Merlina smiled. "I have a feeling all three of us are going to enjoy viewing the spectacle that your world would appear to be." She embedded her staff in the ground, and it started to glow harshly as a blade started to form in Sonic's hand. Sonic grinned, then swung as it took full form. "Long time no see, Caliburn," he stated. "Welcome back, Sir Sonic," a voice replied. It was too much. Silver gave a harsh scream that forced Sonic to turn and hold Caliburn in a defensive stance. "Woah woah woah woah WOAH!" he shouted. "This is all way too much!" Sonic held the blade to Silver's neck. "Calm down and get used to it. Let's get moving." Turning back to Shahra and embedding Caliburn in the ground, he stated, "Seriously, I'm going to need the World Rings." Shahra shook her head. "No, it's too risky. There are many stories told in the Arabian Nights, but your draconic transformation is a whole different power. Using the power of the World Rings in conjunction with that is just... too risky." Sonic sighed. "Then I've got an alternative." Lying a hand on the crystal around his neck, he closed his eyes. His wings were enveloped in a powerful light, and slowly faded. When they had vanished, Sonic raised his head. "Shahra, the rings." Shahra shrugged. "Very well." She closed her eyes, and seven energial rings appeared around her, slowly taking colour; blue, purple, red, green, aqua, yellow, white. Sonic smiled. "What are those?" Merlina asked curiously. "Merlina has a point," Infera asked, slowly stepping closer. "None of the rest of us know about these." Sonic turned to them. "My apologies," he replied. "The seven hearts that make up the stories; these are the seven World Rings that bind the pages of the Arabian Nights." He beckoned Infera closer and motioned to the aqua ring. "Take it." Infera tenatively reached out and gripped the ring. A powerful energy surge flowed through her arm, and she reeled back, though keeping a grip on the ring. "This power..." Infera gasped. "What is this power? I feel... enlightened..." Shahra smiled. "Each of the seven World Rings embodies an emotion. The Water Blue Ring, for example, embodies joy." Her smile dropped as she turned to Sonic, adding, "That is one of the reasons that I fear of Sonic's utilization. Using the rings of rage, hatred, sadness, and wishes gave him the very form I mistook you for, and he nearly killed the Erazor Djinn in a burst of rage." Sonic took the ring from Infera. The same surge of power flowed through his own arm, and he turned to the other seven. "I'd like do do a bit of experimenting before we go after Zyx. If Darkspine was a fire form, then if I try and use the other three, in combination with wishes..." Keeping his grip on the aqua ring, he gripped the blue, yellow, and white wings, each one sending its own surge through him until, when he gripped the white ring, there was a burst of icy energy that blew Infera, who was closest, off her feet. Infera, Blaze, Silver, Shadow, Shahra, Merlina, and Caliburn all looked to see Sonic, quills arced down, coulored an icy green, an icy aura surrounding him. Four bright golden rings wrapped around his wrists and ankles. His muzzle and torso were a deep black, as were his eyes and two stripes that ran from his forehead to the tip of his quills. His feet were wrapped in black stripes, and his mouth had dissappeared. The crystal around his neck was dangling in a blizzard wind, but Sonic, like with his standard Super form before, was straining against the transformation. "Shahra," he asked, calm but strained, opening his palm, "if you would, I need your strength." In his palm was the emythest stone of Shahra's ring. Shadow stepped forward. "You're straining against the transformation, like you were before. Is it your Dracon transformation?" Sonic nodded. "Keeping the Draconian energy down while in a powered state is just... draining." He rubbed the gem and asked, "Shahra, lend me your power. I need your help to keep the power down." Shahra nodded, closed her eyes, and waved her hand towards Sonic. A flash of energy wrapped around the crystal, and Sonic closed his eyes. When they opened again, he wasn't fighting anything. "Well," Caliburn stated, "that's a relief, isn't it? But can you wield me with the power of these rings?" Sonic laughed and tore Caliburn out of the ground, spun in a slash, and arced him over his head as the blade was enveloped in ice. "Yeah, I can manage." Merlina stepped forward. "Where to, Sir Lightspine?" Sonic couldn't help but laugh. "Don't, that just ruins the title. There used to be a huge region out on the ocean. Where it used to be is our destination, to take care of an old 'buddy' by the name of Zyx." The eight of them rushed to the shore, and Shahra and Merlina froze when they saw the six bikes in position. "What... what sorcery is this?" Merlina asked in confusion. Sonic shook his head. "It's not sorcery. It's just more advanced than the times of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table." A thought came into his mind like a light bulb, and he asked, "Hey, you still got the other three Sacred Swords?" Merlina cocked her head sideways. "Yes, why?" Turning to Silver, Blaze, and Infera, he replied, "I think we may as well gift these three with blades, seeing as Shadow's got his own Ddraig Goch." Merlina smiled. "Well, if Lancelot has his blade, then the others may as well have their own." She gripped her staff with both hands, and a powerful energy surrounded her. Three blades surrounded her: the Sword of the Lake, Arondight; the Sword of the Sun, Galatine; and the Sword of the Grail, Laviatien. Merlina opened her eyes, though not parting her hands from the staff, and Sonic turned to the others. "Silver, you first," the icy Sonic stated calmly. The psychokinetic approached, and Merlina held her staff with one hand so as to take Arondight from its place. "Galahad," Merlina said calmly, "your blade is Arondight, weapon of the Knight of the Lake." Silver shook his head. "Please, it's Silver," he replied, accepting Arondight. Merlina smiled. "No, I find that Galahad suits you better," she stated. "Be wary with that; it was designed for a backhand grip and hence may not work properly with a standard hold." "Blaze, you may as well come get yours," Sonic called. The princess approached carefully as Merlina held out Laviatien. "Percival," she stated, "yours is Laviatien, the Sword of the Grail." Blaze accepted the weapon carefully, stepped back, and swung it in a perfect arc over her body. "Perfect," she stated, "It's like a Sol Blade, perfectly accustomed. Although I take it you'll stick with the names of the knights from your world?" "That I will," Merlina replied softly. "My apologies, but it just feels more natural to me. And, Infera was it?" This time the sorceress had to part both hands from the staff in order to grip both of the Galatine blades. "Your weapon is Galatine, original weapon of the Knight of the Sun, Gawain." Infera accepted the blades, but Sonic seemed to be shaking his head. "Please," he stated sadly, "don't mention Gawain. Knuckles from this world was murdered by Zyx." Infera held the dul blades above her head, then brought them down. The others had to actually jump out of the way as she swung across her body, up into a spin, leapt into a backflip buzzsaw, and finished with a diving slash. "Kay," Merlina said softly. "What now?" Infera called, spinning and prompting the others to stay back. "I'm sorry," she said, "it's just that although I have never met the knight called Kay, your actions just so remind me of the descriptions the other knights have given of her." Infera smiled. "Not a problem, Merlina." Shahra broke into the conversation. "All names aside, I say we get moving now." Sonic smiled. "Not a problem, Shahra. Let's get going, but leave the bikes here." Shadow turned to him with shock. "Then how are we going to get off this island?" This prompted Sonic to burst into laughter, then raise his hands. An icy vapour started to whip around the group of them as Sonic tore Caliburn from the ground, and they suddenly vanished. Zyx was standing on the top floor of his building, unpowered as he gazed over the region. Rose truly had done a magnificent job, reincarnating the region most absolutely. He was taking in the view when the Dark Master spoke to him. "Why have you enlisted the pink hedgehog?" he asked. "The holder of the Flames would have been a good idea, but the pink hedgehog is just... ordinary. There is no purpose for her assistance." "What's wrong with a second recruit?" Zyx replied mentally. "And besides, this way the blue hedgehog is weakened by her absence in his life. It is... how do those Mobians call it? A win-win situation." At that moment, a voice called, "Zyx! We've got company in the form of a liar!" Zyx spun to see Rose coming forward. "He and his friends have appeared at the shores. And it turns out I owe him a cracked skull." The voice that emerged as the reaper took form was in shock. "What do you mean?" Rose, linked to him, was also changing as she replied, "I mean he and his friends are wielding the very blades I brought a hammer into his head for. And not only that, he has become an icy incarnation of Darkspine." Zyx smiled. "I knew they weren't just tall tales. Which means you also owe me three broken knucklebones. Come, let us see what they can do to us." Forming his scythe, and Rose forming her axe, they flew out towards the shores, prepared for the battle that they knew was going to come. Sonic was the first to see the darkness coming. He and his team appeared on the shores in a flurry of ice energy. Almost immediately he noticed the dark dots moving across the sky. He turned to Shahra quickly. "Shahra, Merlina, I'm going to need your help. If anything breaks, send it back to where it came from. If either of you are hurt too severely to fight, head back to your own stories." Shahra was shocked. "What about the World Rings?" Merlina nodded, adding, "And Caliburn?" Sonic shook his head. "Alright, leave them here, but past that take anything that isn't from here back when it breaks. Anything left to say before hell breaks loose?" Although the Genie of the Ring shook her head, the Royal Sorceress stated, "It turned out you were telling the truth." Sonic turned to her as she added, "Though the pages may end, the world behind them continues. I haven't forgotten that. And I realized my actions were futile." Sonic gave her a soft smile, then turned, swinging Caliburn in an arc. "Let's get this party started!" No sooner had he said that than Zyx and Amy appeared. Sonic took an icy battle stance, Caliburn cutting his figure in half. Shadow threw Ddraig Goch into the air, turned, and gripped it as it fell. Silver, wielding the deadly Arondight with his psychokinesis, took his customary battle stance. Infera held the powerful Galatine arced before and behind her. Blaze ignited the sharp Laviatein and held it over her body. Merlina gripped her staff with a powerful aura, and Shahra formed a mystical energy that eventually embodied itself as a crossbow. Zyx and Amy were likewise ready to fight. Zyx was holding his sharp reaper's scythe, while Amy was wielding her deadly battle axe. Both of them were in battle positions, scanning the battle area with complete focus. Their eyes lingered on Merlina and Shahra for a while before they shot into the battle, giving deadly cries. Zyx first locked up with Blaze and Silver while Amy took Infera and Shadow. Zyx didn't even need to try, just twirl his blade as flames and mind attempted to fight him. They hadn't even gone five slashes each when Zyx moved at the speed of light, slashing both of their blades in half. As promised by Shahra and Merlina, the weapons vanished as pyrokinetic and psychokinetic transitioned to Sol Blades, continuing to swing at Zyx. Amy was likewise at ease against Shadow and Infera. Although they continued to attack, she simply had to hold her axe up to defend against the blades. After they had tired a bit, she thrust with her axe towards Infera. The pyrokinetic crossed her blades, but the axe spliced them in half, causing them to vanish. Amy swung towards Shadow, but he ducked rather than parried before kicking the axe into the sky. Amy grabbed the weapon as it fell. Eventually, Sonic gave an icy whistle, and the others leapt back, dodging attacks as he moved into the picture. Zyx's eyed Caliburn, who eyed him back. That freaked him out somewhat. But Sonic himself had locked eyes with Amy. No, it was Rose. He had to remember that. But in his heart he knew that Amy was still there somewhere. He couldn't fight that down. The Lightspine twirled his blade and pointed it at the two of them. "Zyx. Amy. Let me see what you can do, shall we." Zyx twirled his scythe and rushed forward first, ready to slash. Rubbing the gem on his finger, Sonic flashed forward and parried three slashes before moving in for his own slash. The shining Caliburn struck Zyx with a powerful blow that sent him flying back. Amy shot forward next, but Sonic raised his hand, blocking her stab with Caliburn, before twirling the blade behind his back and throwing him at Amy. She dodged it by a millimetre, but with a little icy power she was slashed from behind, the blade striking down and slicing off all of the quills on her right side before spinning and reappearing at Sonic's side. Amy gave a scream as she collapsed, and Sonic was quick to grab the blade and turn to Zyx. Zyx parried a slash and flew towards Merlina. The sorceress didn't see it coming and was struck in the arm by Zyx's staff. She screamed as the reaper cut in deep, then removed the scythe and spun, slashing into her other arm. When he was done, she fell like a rock, nearly unconscious. Zyx then turned to Shahra and held the weapon up, bringing it in an uppercut that slashed her energy crossbow in half. "Well, Genie of the Ring, what shall it be? Slash your head off like an executioner?" Shahra was paralyzed by dark energy as he spun and leaned his scythe over her back, saying, "Or cut through your back like the Erazor Djinn?" He thought for a while, then brought his weapon in an arc, shouting, "Now die!" The blade of the scythe came dead into her heart. Shahra, Genie of the Ring, gave a helpless gasp as a bright white pattern appeared behind her. Powerless, she fell back into the energy, vanishing as she came into contact with it. On Sonic's hand, the amythest gem shattered. Zyx laughed. His voice altered to mimic that of Erazor Djinn as he stated, "In the end, such is the weak power of a Genie of the Ring." He turned to Sonic, ready to deal a deadly blow to the faint-hearted Lightspine.
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