Chapter 9:

A/N: I'm actually going to finish this story after a long time awaited. I've mapped out chapter 10, and the epilogue, and will post them hopefully soon!

Weapons fired and smoked the air with fumes and cries, the sunrise giving the land a slight bloody glow in its awakening. City guards loyal to the now evil Sonic unknowingly corrupted by the Dread Lord stood firmly, moving to barricade their gates while a battalion of forces forked towards them.

Zoran was at the forefront. He was uninterested in killing, resorting to knocking out his foes with brute force of his fists and kicks. He knew once Tails and his friends succeeded, the city would have no one to follow. They were only buying time.

It would be a difficult siege. Between the gates and their forces laid a hill they had to ascend, giving their foes a distinct advantage. They could fire down with their weapons before they even got a chance. Pine trees distorted full view of opposition on the hill, and the morning was still not brightly lit. All this while forces of their men not only charged down from the hill or fired from the hill, but came around it, attempting to create multiple fronts.

Wendel the woodchuck, while old, was not foreign to fighting for survival. Zoran was actually astonished that he was up in front with him. His tail swung at an enemy who had tried to lunge with a sword, smacking him down onto the ground. He turned to look towards Zoran after crouching behind a bush.

"We cannot win this." He declared emotionlessly. "How much time do your friends need?"

"I don't know." Zoran said. "But if we want to help them, we need to at least breach the city."

Wendel nodded. "I'll command them to bring our cannons forward. But we will not be able to get all of our men through."

"No matter. We only need enough to rile Sonic." Zoran gestured to forces behind him. "Behind me!"

Zoran started to charge forward, carefully keeping to cover in the trees. Not all of his forces were so lucky. He could hear a burst of electricity in a big blue ball tear through the earth, in between trees, until it hit one of his men. His skin was fried on the spot, and he fell in one swoop.

Zoran knew this was one of Tails's technologies remodeled for war. He turned around, barely seeing a recognizable mass on the ground. He wanted to run back, but Wendel tugged on his arm. "You'd only set yourself up for the next target. Our best chance to make a difference is to find where it was fired and take it down"

Zoran cursed, but he knew Wendel was right. Once his forces carefully made it up the hill, taking out the few forces with fists or blasters on the way, he saw it, perched upon one of the towers overlooking the gate.

"How the hell are we supposed to beat that?" One of his men said, aghast.

"It looks awe, but its completely offensive." Zoran informed him. "Look how its being held up in the tower, by those metal anchors? One good blaster in the right spot and it will collapse down the wall. Might even, with the right aim, break the gate."

"A good plan," Wendel remarked.

"But if we miss, it will aim back and kill the antagonizer," Zoran added. "One of us will have to take the shot… and not miss."

The Dread Lord's men were on the ground, taken out by Shadow. He reloaded his blaster, kicking at the only one barely clinging to life. "Where's Sonic? And I might save your pathetic life."

The man writhed on the ground, splurting out blood. Shadow raised him by the neck, choking him. "Answer me!"

"Shadow!" Cosmo cried.

"Put him down," Tails said. Shadow growled, then threw the man against the wall. "We said no deaths. And you already killed one."

"Then what's two?" Shadow retorted, moving back towards the man.

"N-no! He's in the throne room! Throne room! Please, save m-",

"Shadow!" All of Shadows companions cried as Shadow shot at him.

"You three are too naïve to understand. These are evil men. They thrive on the indulgence of your… compassionate understanding. Act like that with the Dreadlord and you will find yourselves killed. Out there I obeyed you. In here…I take no one else's orders."

Tails glared at him, while Cream and Cosmo looked at eachother uncomfortably. Shadow huffed. "Lets move!"

Shadow exited the door, and they were greeted by blaster fire by robots. "Eggman's make." Tails identified immediately.

"Forgot them. Tails, where is the throne room?"

"North hallway, and then up the stairs. But we can't forget these droids, we have to get past them."

"That's why we're splitting up. Cream and Cosmo will distract them."

"What?!" Tails cried, incredulously. "You aren't throwing them in the face of danger."

"Actually, it's okay." Cosmo said, after firing her blaster into a droid's circuit systems, shutting it down. "I think we can do this."

"Cosmo…" Tails spluttered. Memories of her death filled his mind. He almost forgot to duck from a blaster shot headed his way. Shadow retaliated, sending the droid into pieces. Still, more banged down the hallway unendingly.

"We need to go, now!" Shadow snarled, tugging at Tails.

"I'll see you again, love." Cosmo promised.

Tails watched Cosmo and Cream handle the droids. He never thought Cream would be so fearless. The last few months had changed them all.

Shadow spun himself into the group of droids blocking the stair well, sending them flying down. Tails had never seen him so angry before. Now, inside the palace, it was uncontained. He did not care what happened to who he faced. If they were in any way connected to Sonic, he would make them suffer if they stood in his way.

"The throne room is just down this hall." Tails told Shadow. "Just turn right h-"

As soon as they turned right, in front of the door leading to the throne room, stood Eggman. Absent was his usual evil grin. "I expected you. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not standing in your way. I've disarmed the security of the door which would have exploded a bomb had you tried to open it without authorization."

"Why are you helping us?" Tails asked. "You just sent the droids we just were fighting after us."

"Because corrupted, evil Sonic is not quite a dream for a villain like me. I'm no servant! Besides… even I wouldn't stoop to such lows as he has. So please take care of him so I can assume my work."

"Uh-huh." Tails replied dryly.

"Good. Lets get Sonic." Shadow said, going through the doorway.

Tails peered through, gazing towards the chair. It had been some time, but the smug look on Sonic's face when he saw them enter, was so familiar. He almost wanted to smile and shout friend. But the laser pointed at them and the dark look in his eye reminded him he was corrupted. He saw the Dread Lord behind him, yawning, almost boredly.

Shadow curled his fist, then pointed at Sonic. "Its time for you to die for your crimes, Sonic!"

"Shadow, its him who he is responsible, not Sonic." Tails said, pointing at the Dread Lord.

"Crime is determined by the ruler, not his subjects. What will you have done with them, Emperor Sonic?"

Sonic gazed at them coolly, before his eyes bored down specifically on Tails. "Execute them myself."