(Realm Sagas: Story Six: Masks) By: Chandra Rooney ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Legal junk: Sonic & Knuckles, and all related characters are copy-right of Sega and Archie comics. KTE, ETK, Jack, and Masked Echidna are copy-right of KTE. Mickey and Knuckles are copy-right of Knuckles. Rage the Echidna is copyright of Rage the Echidna. Moon the Echidna, Gabriel Shadows, k.a. Echidna, The Chaos Knight, Selene, Sailor Evil, EnerAsh, and all other original characters are copy-right of Chandra Rooney. All the characters and ideas presented are my own, unless otherwise noted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chapter One: Floating Island, Somewhere in the Sandopolis Ruins Realm Location: "Archie" Realm KTE opened his eyes and gasped. His entire left side was a intricate web of pain. He looked up. Inky blackness was all he could see. Somehow that sailor chick had made the floor open up and swallow him whole. It had closed over top of him. Now he was trapped. With no way out! KTE gasped. It was too hard to tell how far down he'd fallen. But one thing was sure. If he was trapped with no way out...he was as good as dead. If he didn't die of starvation, or thirst...surely sooner or later the air was going to run out. He slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked around. There...faintly off to his right...was a small light. Light! It had to be a way out...it had to be. KTE groaned and made his way blindly towards the faint glimmer of hope. He cursed himself for being so stupid. Surely that meeting with Julie-Su had all been a set-up to get him out here. No doubt, she probably wasn't even the *real* Julie-Su... And he'd left k.a. with her! Great. Now the kid was probably up to his dreads in trouble. He had to get out and find k.a. And Moon and...Shadows. Enerjak was in control of the island...and they were all in very real danger. Enerjak watched as k.a. brought the golden mask up to his face... The was a flash of brilliant emerald-colored light...briefly illuminating the dark room. Enerjak blinked his pupil-less eyes. Standing before him was a mature male echidna. He looked about seventeen. His large, dark green eyes blazed. Enerjak smiled. The echidna looked like a cross between his former face, Dimitri, and Knuckles the Echidna. His eyes focused on Enerjak. "I trust you are responsible for my return?" "I am." Enerjak replied. "I believe the two of us have much in common." "Oh?" the echidna asked. "Do explain." "I shall." Enerjak gestured to a chair. "Do have a seat. There is much to discuss." Moon the Echidna opened her dark blue eyes. Something was wrong. Something beyond that fact that she was kissing a vampire. She shifted, silver dreads falling against her cheek. <> she projected telepathically. <> <> his thoughts were fuzzy, focused elsewhere. <> "Well ain't this cute?" a voice asked. Moon peered over Gabriel Shadows shoulder to see the red guardian-look-a-like. "KTE," she managed. Then she looked around. "Where's k.a.?" "k.a.? Oh...he's with Knuckles." KTE shrugged. "So, you two sent him with me so you could get cozy?" "That's not what happened," Gabriel pushed back from her. His green eyes narrowed at KTE. He pushed back his tousled black hair. "Sure..." KTE winked at him. "Don't worry pal. Your guys' secret is safe with me." <> Gabe's confused thought rocked through Moon. KTE showed no reaction to having his mind invaded. "Thanks, KTE, we owe you one," Moon smiled. She cast a 'just trust me' look to Gabe. "Well ain't that what buddies are for?" KTE continued oddly. "Yeah, I guess it is." Gabe replied, he cast a concerned look at Moon. "So, you found Knuckles?" Moon asked, changing the subject. "Yep." KTE nodded. "So did you tell him why we're here?" "Yep, sure." "Well, does he know anything helpful?" Moon asked, annoyed at KTE's vagueness. "Uh...nope." KTE scratched at the back of his neck absently. "So we're on our own then." Gabe stood. "Any idea where we start looking?" "KTE," Moon began. "I'd like to go see Knuckles. Can you take us to him?" KTE blinked, and swallowed. "Well...I...yeah, sure I can." "Great." Moon nodded to Gabe. "Lead on, KTE." "So you see my need to remove all obstacles," Enerjak was saying. "And, as much as I dislike to admit it, these 'Realm Protectors' are a potential threat." "To you." the other one said. "To both of us." Enerjak leaned back. "And seeing how you are knowledgeable in the matter of their strengths and weaknesses..." "You wish to form a partnership." "Yes." The other one leaned back. His lips pressed together into a thoughtful frown. "Yes. I can see how it could be mutually beneficial. I believe I could aid your plight...but I desire part of the rewards." "Of course." Enerjak nodded. "I would not settle for anything less." "Then it is agreed," the other extended his hand. Enerjak shook the hand. "You have made a wise decision, EnerAsh. A very wise decision." KTE crawled closer to the faint light. He was sweating, dirty, and gasping from the lack of oxygen content in the thin air. He pushed at the large boulder in his way and fell onto the cold stone floor. He blinked in the soft light, taking in his new situation. He was in a stone room. He couldn't see how anyone would be able to get in...or out... unless through the way he'd come. And that passage just led to another sealed room. "Welcome," a voice said. KTE spun to see a tall, silver echidna standing in the room behind him. She was dressed in a long, navy-blue robe-dress. "Moon?" KTE blinked. "How'd you get in here?" The female laughed. But not the malicious sound of Sailor Evil's cackle. "I am not Moon, KTE." She smiled. Her large silver eyes had a look of wisdom to them. "Then who are you?" KTE asked. "I am called Belladonna," the echidna replied. KTE frowned. The name rang a bell, but he couldn't place it. "That doesn't explain how you got in here." "Mere stone cannot deem where I may and may not travel, KTE." He noticed she was holding something in her hand. "What's that?" Belladonna raised a black metal mask, shaped like an echidna's head. "This? This is something that someone asked me to give to you." She held the mask out to him. "Go on, and take it. It belongs to you now." "Who sent you?" KTE demanded. "No one sends me. I came here on my own accord. I saw this was the time." KTE took the mask and turned it over in his hands. The face was skull-like. "Time for what?" He demanded. "Where'd you get this?" "This mask belonged to your father, KTE. And he now wants you to wear it." KTE gasped. "My father? But he's dead..." Belladonna smiled sadly. "Things aren't the way you think they are. This is your time for truth, KTE. Your time for a gift. This mask belonged to your father. Now it belongs to you. And one day, perhaps sooner than you think, you will see your family again." "That's impossible!" KTE exclaimed. "My parents are dead! They died when I was a baby!" Belladonna waited patiently for his outburst to pass. "With this mask you shall be able to see things others can't. It has special advancements. Your father built it well." "Why are you doing this to me?" KTE demanded. "Am I hallucinating because of the lack of air?" "This is very real, KTE." Belladonna replied gravely. "Wearing this mask you will be invulnerable to Enerjak or EnerAsh's attacks. So long as they do not know who you truly are, neither will not be able to exert any control or brain-washing power over you." "EnerAsh?" KTE swallowed. "What happened to k.a.?" "Nothing that can't be reversed, with a little help from the Blade of the Guardian." Belladonna paused. "You must reach the other realm protectors, KTE. But they must not be allowed to know who you are. ETK has infiltrated your ranks. Because Sailor Evil thought you to be dead, she sent ETK to replace you. He can destroy the realm protectors from the inside out." "I can't tell them it's me in a mask?" KTE asked. "No. It is safest that you don't. By telling them, Enerjak will learn of your identity. Then your invulnerability to him is sacrificed." She paused. "Any last questions?" "Yeah. How do I get out of here?" KTE asked. "The mask has all the answers, KTE. But you need to learn how to decipher them." Belladonna's voice replied. KTE turned. She'd disappeared. He paused. He looked down at the mask in his hands. He slipped it on. Electronic gears whirled and the face-plate slid down in place. The mask came on-line and a data screen on his left side read: "scan in progress". He looked around the room, seeing it as if it was broad daylight. On the far wall, a darker shape in the wall caught his attention. The data screen read: "exit located". KTE grinned despite himself. "Cool." He walked through the doorway. Sailor Evil was slumped causally on the counter. Her one leg dangled down, absently banging the heel of her high black boot against the cupboard. She idly played with the hem of her black sailor skirt. The skirt matched shades with the scarf, and bows. She then went back to picking at her long gloves. Her long, wild, silver hair was in a fashionable disarray as usual. She yawned, half-closed her dark blue eyes, then opened them again. "I can wait *allllllllllllllll* day, Knuxy, hon." She told the 15-year-old red echidna cuffed in a chair opposite her. "I told you I don't know nuthing about this Shadow Book thingy." Knuckles the Echidna, guardian of this realm's Floating Island replied. "Oh, I think you do, honey," Sailor Evil leaned down and focused her powerful eyes on him. "So why don't you tell me where it is?" "I'm been telling you for the past three days...I don't know what you're talking about." Knuckles turned away. "You won't get away with this. I've stopped Enerjak before...I can do it again." Sailor Evil leaned forward and patted his cheek. "Sure you have, hon. But you've never have to deal with yourself before." "What does that mean?" Knuckles demanded, shrinking back from her touch. "I see I have to arrange a meeting." Sailor Evil leaned forward and kissed his nose. Then she patted his head. "You take care, dear. We'll talk again...maybe." She waltzed out of the room with it's too dim lighting. The door shut with an echoing "thud" behind her. They were nearing Echidnopolis. KTE hadn't said much. All of them seemed in be stuck in a too awkward situation. "So, we close?" Gabe asked. "Uh huh." KTE nodded. "You'd think we'd be able to hear k.a. by now," Gabe joked. It didn't help. KTE stopped. "What is it?" Moon asked. "Someone's coming." KTE pointed. A figure was approaching their small group. "Anyone you know?" Moon asked KTE. "Nope." KTE frowned and squinted. "What's wrong with his face?" The figure reached their group, and Moon understand KTE's concern. The guy was a red echidna. But he was wearing a black metal mask. She grimaced a little seeing the skull-like metal face-plate. "Who are you?" Gabe demanded. "Greetings Madame Moon, Mr. Shadows." He nodded to them. Moon tilted her head. His voice was formal, but she doubted he was any older than Gabriel. He was a little on the short side...but hanging out with Knuckles Ash had probably messed up her perception of how tall an echidna should be. "Who are you? How do you know our names?" Gabe demanded. "I am the Masked Echidna. I know you through reputation." He nodded to KTE. "I know you also, bounty hunter. You do excellent work." "Well, yeah." KTE muttered. "Thanks." "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Echidna." Moon replied. "Please, call me Masked." The Masked Echidna looked around. "All alone?" "Why wouldn't we be?" Gabe asked, clearly suspicious. "I was hoping the little one would be with you." Masked paused. "I never caught his name, but the word was you were traveling with a child." Moon's suspicious rose. Who was this Masked Echidna? What did he want with k.a.? "I was about to head into the city to look for the Guardian, Knuckles. If you're headed that way, perhaps we can make the journey together?" Masked suggested. "That's probably a good idea." KTE said. "You know...so Knuckles doesn't get the wrong idea about ya." "Then it's settled." Masked nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is." Gabe shrugged. "Let's go." Moon couldn't help but wonder if he could see from behind that mask. The Masked Echidna let his eyes stray over his fellow travelers again. The data screen brought-up information for each. He glanced at the silver echidna walking beside him. The screen read: name: Moon the Echidna/Age: 16/Species: Silver Echidna/Realm Protector Name: Selene/Master Tool: Silver Crescent Moon Wand/Strong Point: Courage/Weakness: Devotion. He looked back at the guy behind him. The screen responded. Name: Gabriel Shadows/Age: 19/Species: Vampire/Strong Point: Viciousness/Weaknesses: Need for blood and vulnerability to wood. The lastly he focused on the other red echidna. The one trailing behind them. The screen offered even less information on him. Name: ETK/Age: 13/Species: Red Echidna/Occupation: Realm Destroyer/Strong Point: Undetermined/Weakness: Undetermined. This mask was something else. But as they neared the city, he grew more concerned. The data screen flickered: "WARNING! Detection of extremely high chaos energy radiation. Proceed with caution." That meant they were getting close to Enerjak. And EnerAsh. Knuckles looked up. The door had opened and "Julie-Su" had come back in. He wasn't sure if that was her real name. But she looked exactly like his friend, Julie-Su. And she'd used that to her advantaged. Catching him completely off-guard. She snapped another bubble. It was a *really* annoying sound. She looked at him and grinned. Then she nodded to the figure behind her and left. Knuckles wondered who was here now. First it had been Enerjak...mostly to gloat about catching him. Then, that Sailor Evil chick had shown up. He was led to wonder how much Enerjak was in charge. The guy walked in and Knuckles nearly choked. He now knew what Sailor Evil had meant. They echidna did bare a striking resemblance to him. Except for the longer dreads, and tail. And he looked like he was a couple years older, and a few inches taller. But the thing that totally blew him away was the blue-green eyes. "Like some bizarre mixture of me and Dimitri..." Knuckles muttered. The other didn't say anything. Instead he walked around the room looking for something. Then he stopped and sat down across from Knuckles. "Who...?" Knuckles began. "Shhhh," the other lifted a hand and seemed to be listening for something. "Okay." He leaned over to get closer to Knuckles. "Look, we haven't got much time. So here's how it plays. I am doing my best to keep you alive. But you have to trust me. What does the Sailor witch want?" Knuckles blinked. "Excuse me? Who the hell are you?" "A friend." The other replied. "My name is Ash, all right?" "Sure. Fine. Whatever. Listen, Ash, can you get me outta here?" "No." Ash shook his head. "Tell me what you know and I'll tell you what I know." Knuckles sighed. This guy was as stubborn as he was. "Okay. My good buddy KTE comes and tells me that he needs to show me something. I go with him and he takes me to this Sailor Evil, and Julie-Su is with her. Somehow this Sailor-girl got Enerjak back onto the Floating Island. Then it turns out KTE and Julie-Su are working with her and Enerjak and a couple others. The Dark Legion completely imprisons all the citizens of Echidnopolis...at least I think they got all of us. So I get thrown in jail. Enerjak comes in and gloats...and Sailor Evil drills me for the past three days about something called the 'Book of Shadows'." Ash sat up attentively. "Book of Shadows? What is that?" "From what I can gather...it's a book that has a bunch of information on the things she's looking for. As for what that is...don't ask me." Ash frowned. "All right. Sailor Evil, and the others are Realm Destroyers. They work for a Vampire Queen known as Hecate-Chaos who wants to find all the Master Tools so she'll be the ruler of all the realms. Most likely the KTE that took you to Sailor Evil wasn't really KTE at all. It was probably his evil clone ETK. And that Julie-Su you saw was a Julie-su from another realm. It might seem like Enerjak's in charge...but I think Sailor Evil is the one to be concerned about. The only ones that can stop her, are the Realm Protectors. We've found... three of them so far. They each have a Master Tool and are trying to keep all the realms safe from Hecate-Chaos and all the others that are evil." "Wait...what's a realm?" Knuckles asked, confused. "An alternate reality. A parallel world. A realm. There's millions of them." Knuckled blinked. "Look, you have to get me out. I have to get outta here. I have to stop Enerjak." Ash sat back. He rubbed his eyes. "I can't get you out. Not yet. Look, there are people that can help stop Enerjak. As far as I know, they're still safe...but they're being monitored. Do you have any friends that weren't captured?" Knuckles hesitated. What if this was a trap? "How do I know I can trust you?" "You don't..." Ash sighed. "I know I'm asking a lot on faith but it's important." "Yeah, I know of someone who got out of the city. He's hiding out." "Where?" Ash demanded. "I can't tell you...but I could *show* you. Get me out and we'll go to him together. He won't trust you without me along." Knuckles replied. "I told you, I can't get *you* out." Ash paused. "Is there anyone else that can tell me where to find him?" "Yeah, but I could do that. You don't understand. He won't trust you unless I'm there." "Isn't there someone else I can take with me? Enerjak...doesn't suspect anything right now. But if you suddenly go missing and I can't be found for a while...He will." Knuckles sighed. There was someone that Enerjak might not suspect...someone that Knuckles was eager to get out of His grasp. "There is someone.." he began. "Who?" Ash demanded. "His name's Mickey and he's in cell 22-3." The Masked Echidna walked ahead of the other travelers. Thanks to his mask he could tell when and where trouble was originating from. He noticed the message blinking on the data screen. "Hold." He motioned behind him for the others to stop. "There's something up ahead. I'll go investigate it, and report back. Hold here until I return." Behind him there were murmurs of protest from the two males. "We'll stay put." Moon spoke. Masked nodded. It was pretty much settled then. If Moon said stay...Shadows would stay. And surely the other one knew better than to defy the daughter of a Dimitri. Speaking of Dimitri, there was an awful high energy reading coming in on the mask's scanners. Possibly even high enough to be Enerjak. He didn't honestly know...he'd never had to face Enerjak before. The hand grabbed his shoulder a second later. "Where's Moon?" a voice hissed in his ear. Masked paused only for a second. Then he grabbed the hand, and threw the guy into a nearby wall. The guy, who was oddly dressed all in white, landed with a thud. After a minute, he got up. Masked was there in a instant, ready to let any one of his deadly punches go. "Would you relax?" the guy gasped, he seemed to be a little winded from his brush with the brick building. "What do you want?" Masked demanded. The data screen was already spitting out information. Name: Chaos Knight/Occupation: Realm Protector/Master Tool: the Blade of the Guardian/Strengths: undetermined (suggestion: speed?)/Weaknesses: undetermined (suggestion: arrogance?). "I need to get to Moon and KTE," Chaos began. His usual mockery seemed to be lacking. "I saw you with them." "That isn't my problem." Masked replied. He had never liked this guy. "Go and get them yourself. I refuse to play whatever games you have planned." "It's not me that has the games planned!" Chaos looked around. He seemed a little paranoid. Always looking behind him. "What is your problem?" Masked demanded. "You approach a complete stranger and start demanding things of him?" "You were with Moon...I assumed you were safe..." Chaos looked around again. "You have to come with me. There's someone who can help you stop Enerjak. But you need to take someone with you." "Who? You?" Masked demanded, the data screen was flashing some interesting information. It reported that Chaos had been in contact with k.a. recently, and for a long enough period of time for k.a.'s energy pattern to leave some residue on Chaos'. The five-year-old's distinct energy pattern was faint, but the mask could still pick it out from Chaos'. "Where's the child?" "Mickey's over here. I hid him, but Enerjak could detect him at any moment." Chaos looked frantic. "Hurry." Mikey? Masked blinked beneath the metal mask. He wasn't talking about Mikey. This was all too suspicious. Chaos was acting as if he knew who Masked was. Chaos was pulling something out of a small space. "I told him to hide while I got help." Masked watched as Chaos pulled out a small, one-year-old, red echidna. "Where Knux?" Mikey asked. "Give the child to me, and tell me what you're doing with him." Masked ordered. The data screen had picked up another interesting tidbit on Chaos' energy pattern. "Knuckles told me that Mikey can take us to someone in hiding. That person escaped the siege of the city, and he can help us free Knuckles and the Chaotix. Then we can defeat Enerjak." Chaos seemed all too happy to spill his plan to a complete stranger. Masked took Mikey. "That right?" "Yes." Chaos nodded. "You're a bloody liar." Masked snapped. "I don't know what you had planned for Mikey, or what you're doing to Knuckles, but you're going down *Enerjak*." "Enerjak?" Chaos blinked. "Yeah." Masked nodded. "Game over. I know you're not the Chaos Knight. Next time, find some way to make your eyes blue. And not register off the energy scale." Enerjak's eyes narrowed. "You *idiot*..." Masked's courage faltered slightly. If what Belladonna had said was true, he was invulnerable to Enerjak...but Mikey wasn't. What if Enerjak tried something? "You don't scare me...Ener*jerk*." Masked snapped. "You just go ahead and try something... one sound from Mikey and there'll be two other warriors here in no time." "Masked?" a voice called. "Are you okay up there?" "See?" Masked asked. "They're already on their way." Enerjak glared stone cold at Masked. "This is *not* over..." He vanished. "Masked?" Moon was coming up the hill. "Who's that with you?" Masked looked down at Mikey in his arms. "This is the Guardian, Knuckles', younger brother, Mickey." "Where'd you find him?" Moon asked. "He looks awful little to be out on his own." Masked paused. He didn't want to lie...but Moon had lied to him about Shadows. "That must be why the DL's missed him." He stopped, thinking about what Enerjak had said. "I think I know what he was talking about..." "What who was talking about?" Gabe asked, coming over the rise of the hill. 'KTE' was a few steps behind him. "There's someone that can help us free Knuckles and the Chaotix," Masked replied. That meant of course, he had to trust that Enerjak had been telling the truth. It was asking a lot on faith. But what choice did they have? "Who?" 'KTE' demanded. No doubt the clone was hoping for something to report back to Enerjak. Masked considered the dangers of continuing to let ETK masquerade as KTE. "Come on, we've got to hurry, before Enerjak discovers what we're up to." He hesitated. "Here, you lead us to this person," Moon reached out. "If Mikey's okay with it, I'll carry him." Mikey went to Moon. "Funny culler," he chuckled and patted Moon. Masked smiled beneath the mask. One thing he did have to admit...she had a way with kids. "Okay, it's this way," he gestured and began walking off alongside the Echidnopolis border. "Where are we going?" 'KTE' demanded again. "To see someone," Masked decided not to say anything about the location, unless he had to. ETK could be wired with a transmitter or something. "Who?" 'KTE' was losing his patience. Maybe if he kept him angry, ETK would slip up. Masked turned to 'KTE'. He said only one word. A name. "Rage." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cast: Moon: Does she suspect that 'KTE' is really ETK? Gabe: Does he trust the Masked Echidna? Masked Echidna: Go Masked! Beatin' on the Chaos Knight like that! But can he stop Enerjak? Knuckles: Can he trust Ash? Will he be freed? Rage: How can he help stop Enerjak? Chaotix: yeah, I guess I should put them.... ETK(he's pretending to be KTE): What is his part in all this? Julie-su: When's someone gonna take that gum away from her? It's annoying *everyone*! Sailor Evil: Is she the *real* leader? Enerjak: Is he *really* in charge? EnerAsh/Ash/Chaos Knight: What's going on? First he's EnerAsh, then he's Ash...then Chaos Knight's getting beat on by Masked...