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"The Birth of the Elements"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Part Three: The Powers of the World

   At least three-thousand years had passed since Shadow, the Dark Elemental, took up a life of isolation walking the planet known as Eries to the Stars and Mobius to her people, keeping watch over the Children of Arandor, including his children with Mitsukai when he took the guise of Kashoku the Echidna, and his child with Hakumei the Hedgehog, as Arandor.  Much had transpired since Shadow left his home in the stars, and now we are in present day, and the final survivors of his children were safely born and raised, and though still children, the powers that rested within them were soon to be awakened, for the time of War had come.

   Kalak came to his son, who for years did nothing but weep and mourn the tragedies in his life, speaking only to his friends and rank of stars, the Goldenstars; however, in the past five-hundred years, his grieving slowed, and his heart healed, and while his immortal but imperfect heart prevented him from being truly and thoroughly healed, he was as well off as he could ever be…his disposition and personality becoming just as Shadow’s was before he departed.

   This day, the prelude to the War would begin.  The first war would take place once his final “child” turned sixteen, the age Shadow and Arandor were when they first walked the world, and this was only a short twelve years away.  Kalak had cooked up a new plan to help the Children of the Light, (as Arandor’s descendents were being called), wage war against a now very powerful Mukot.  As he and Arandor were walking together, Kalak explained exactly how powerful Mukot had become.

   “My son, as you have rested and healed these past three millennia, so has Mukot increased in strength…and I weep to tell you that there is no way you and Shadow can ever beat him on your own…or even his new tools, the UnLight and UnDark Elementals.  They were born of the perfect souls you and Shadow abandoned, and were fashioned and twisted by Mukot’s own cruel design.  They wield the same power as you and Shadow but for the intent of serving Ultimate Evil, and thus their powers are increased ten-fold through Mukot’s Pure Evil Power.  Yet it was known all along only the Son of Strength and Daughter of the Light could defeat Mukot himself in the end, with the Master of Time and Space and Master of the Elements to guide them…thus you have four children remaining to you, and while young, far from the youngest’s sixteenth year, the time to prepare for battle it now,” Kalak explained.

   Arandor’s eyes sparkled, and a smile graced his face at the thought of seeing his descendents at long last, but keeping to the matter at hand, he replied, “This I know father, and I have given much thought to it.  I desire nothing more than to join Shadow at last and help bring the Children along; once their powers awaken, I will bring them into their own, and show them their true power.  I also long just to see their faces…memories of a now happy past hidden in their eyes and smiles.  I dare not tarry longer.”

   Kalak sighed deeply as they walked into the Star Sanctuary, where a new bridge from the stars to Eries had been forged.  He placed a hand on his son’s shoulder and said, “I’m afraid your return to Eries must first be graced by a new mission.  I mentioned how strong these new enemies are, frightful and terrible to imagine, worse than even the power of yours and Shadow’s Anti-Elemental forms.  So, to protect the Children of the Light, as well as Shadow, yourself, and your allies, I have designated the Powers of the World to guide you.  Surely from your teachings you can recount what these powers are?”

   After a thoughtful pause, Arandor replied, “Truly, you taught me and Shadow when we were still in our youth, that all life needed more than just the Powers of Light and Darkness to survive.  As much as life needs both Light and Darkness, there were four other powers, powers that made up the lifeblood of the world, protecting it from evil as well as nourishing its growth and prosperity.  They are the Four Powers of the world, known to those who walk the world as the Four Elements, though they know not how important these powers really are in the survival of life of all kinds.  They are the Power of Earth, or the Earth Element, the power that nourishes life that grows from the ground and thus all that lives off these plants and fruits and delight in their beauty.  The Power of Fire, or the Fire Element, blessing all life with the nourishing and comforting warmth of the Sun and Fire, (and is the Element closest associated with Light); it is Fire that cradles all life in its warmth, yet in its power can destroy or create depending on the wills of those that wield it.”

   Nodding in praise, Kalak continued, “Then you have the Power of Water, or the Water Element, its very essence critical to the survival of life, water providing the life-source all things, plant and animal need to survive.  The Power of Water is also the most ever-present of the Four Powers, besides the final, as water makes life possible for some types of life that can survive no other way through the ocean, rivers, and lakes, as well as the life giving rain it brings.  At last, we have the Power of Air, or the Air Element, perhaps the most mentioned of the Four after Water as Air breathes life into all things, and without Air, no life can exist.  It is the Air through wind that cools things off on a hot, summer day, and brings joy to souls as they walk along the beach.  Truly my son, each of the Four is instrumental to life…take away any one of them and all life will quickly die.  Yet it is this power they possess to support, create, and protect life that draws me to their awesome powers, and this involves the job I have for you upon your return to Eries below.”

   The smile on Arandor’s face quickly turned to a look of determination; he enthusiastically answered, “Just say the word father, and I’ll see to it that your plans are fulfilled.”

   Kalak’s face brightened a bit, and he smiled at his son’s determination, replying, “Indeed my son, I have confidence in your skills, for you have now healed and can carry this task out expertly.  I have rested the fiercesome, awesome, and heavenly powers of each of the Four Elements into four different souls, two boys and two girls, and they are now quite young…all born within days of each other.  They are barely two years old, even as the youngest of your children is four years old.  There’s danger brewing Arandor; Mukot knows that Shadow is looking after your Four survivors, but he hasn’t caught wind of their importance just yet, and now he is ready to kill the Four Elements in a frightful storm; while this is good seeing as it will spare your children a bit longer, the lost of any of the Elements as I said would be fatal.  So I need you to find Shadow, and rescue the Four Elements.  Start from the Hill of the Stars where you’ll land; you’ll find one of them in each direction: North, South, East and West.”

   Arandor’s eyes widened and he nodded quickly.  Ready to step into the gateway to Eries, the path that would lead him from the Radiant Castle to Hill of the Stars on Eries, he simply replied, “You have my promise father, through the Light that I love, I will complete the task you’ve given me, and through the Light may I never falter.”

   Kalak’s eyes sparkled and he nodded slowly, replying, “Go on my son, I have undying faith in you, just as the Light will give you undying power as you wield it for the good of the Light and the protection and lives of others you hold dear.”

  With one last smile and assuring nod, Arandor stepped through the portal, and descended back to Eries, not unlike he and Shadow did together, after nearly three and a half thousand years of dwelling in the stars.  He landed on what was known as the Hill of the Stars to Mobians, or the inhabitants of Mobius, as they called it.  He looked around and nothing was familiar to him; he saw a thriving port town off in the distance along the coast called Station Square, and over the far off ocean he could see an island floating in the sky, Angel Island, which, unknowingly to him was the home of the remaining descendents of his son and their followers, and was where two of the children, The Master of Time and Space, and the all important Son of Strength, still children, took up abode.

   He closed his eyes; using his sensitivity to and control over the Light to track the power of the Master Emerald and Master Jewel.  He found they were separated; the Master Emerald was on the floating island he saw in the distance, and the Master Jewel was on the exact opposite side of the world on another floating island called Spirit Island, where he inferred that the descendents of his daughter and her followers lived, seeing as he had entrusted the care of the Master Jewel to his daughter’s line, the last survivor of his daughter, though still young, would be the Master of the Elements.  Unknown to him however was how the two gems and lines got separated, and out of desire to learn this and more about his Children, he used his Light Power again to search for his dear friend Shadow, whom he had not seen for over three thousand years.

   In doing this, Arandor picked up on his final child, the Daughter of the Light, somewhere in the port city of Station Square.  This comforted him to some extent, but once he picked up on Shadow’s Dark Elemental, he put the thought of his Children second to his concern for Shadow, and so he took off in the direction he felt Shadow’s Elemental…the woods of the old hedgehog village he had once ruled with Hakumei.

   Arandor finally found Shadow, and was overjoyed, but his happiness was shot down when he saw Shadow’s face and disposition.  Over the years, Arandor had healed, becoming much like Shadow was before he left Radiant Castle all those millennia ago, his spirit healed and peace returned to his heart.  Yet, Shadow looked like Arandor did at the time he left.  A grim frown graced his face; his face was paled, as if the health and life was sucked out over time; his glossy, healthy, and thick fur was now ragged, dirty, and dull.  Even his eyes had softened and become dull; he truly looked as nothing but a shade of what he had once been.  Arandor could even feel the drastic change that had taken place in his friend; Shadow’s free and happy spirit was crushed and worn, his heart beaten and bleeding, his soul dying slowly within him.

   Shadow had indeed fulfilled his promise; he kept watch over Arandor’s descendents by both Mitsukai and Hakumei; he had witnessed wars, sickness, strife and change in both families, and yet he never interceded as long as the safety of Arandor’s children was secure.  Yet he had failed once…one of the male descendents of Kashoku’s son having been slain in a battle for power…and yet the lines still survived.  Once too had the heir to the hedgehog monarchy, a son, been threatened by a neighboring tribe in a bout for leadership and integration of the two tribes.  This time Shadow had interceded, bartering the young prince’s life for the seven chaos emeralds, becoming lost to the royal line forever, but the line being saved once again.

   Yet there were only a few instances when Shadow spoke to anyone at all, let alone dwell among the mortal, his immortality binding him to a life of isolation keeping silent watch over the Children of Arandor, and they had inevitably taken their toll.  Arandor spoke softly, saying, “Shadow?  My brother…speak to me and let us have fellowship as brothers once more.  Your duty of servitude is now finished; hurt and grieve no longer.”

   The Dark Elemental froze; he looked up and saw Arandor outstretching his hand to him, and the very Light radiating from Arandor’s soul brought comfort to Shadow’s own.  He stood up slowly, gazing at Arandor as if he were merely an aberration, taking slow, uneasy steps as he reached for Arandor’s hand.  Finally, he took his friend’s hand, and his face brightened a bit, a smile of overwhelming joy and relief forming on his face.  He embraced Arandor tightly, and began to weep, saying, “Oh—Oh dear brother in love…too—too long has it been since I’ve had so much joy!  So much has transpired, and I’m eternally grateful that you are happy again.”

   Arandor slowly returned Shadow’s hug; something troubled him.  Shadow’s voice was almost hoarse and faint, as if he had not spoken for a long time, and still, Shadow had changed over the past three-thousand years…and under that initial joy, Arandor knew Shadow’s spirit was broken, and he would never be the same again.  Still, he embraced Shadow, withdrawing moments later and replying, “There’s no reason to weep my friend…but there is reason for us to take up arms and fight the powers of Ultimate Evil once more.  While I desire greatly to know of the last survivors of my lines, Kalak has something almost equally as important for us to see to.”

   At the mention of action, Shadow’s tears disappeared, and a gruff, determined look came to his face.  He nodded and said, “Mmm, speak then Arandor, and we’ll see Kalak’s wishes are attended to; on the way I can tell you of the now distant history of the planet since you left it for the second time all those years ago.  There is much to discuss.”

   To this Arandor nodded, he replied, “Quickly, to the Hill of the Stars…we must make haste ere trouble comes in the most violent way.”  So the two Elementals ran together as they hadn’t in centuries, and Shadow briefly explained the fates of his four descendents: The Master of the Elements, the Master of Time and Space, and the all important Son of Strength and Daughter of the Light.

   He told Arandor that about one-thousand seven-hundred years ago the three survivors of his children as Kashoku were at odds for full leadership of the growing echidna colony.  The two male descendents of his son specialized in strength through physical combat, while the female survivor of his daughter specialized in strength through the mind, that is, psychic control and power over the elements.  Their individual followers also practiced their leader’s skills, and thus the tribe was slowly becoming divided, and one day, the battle, known as the Battle for Power, began and would ultimately drive them apart.

   One of the male survivors was slain, and his children would produce the lines of the Captains of the Guardian of the Master Emerald, and once this happened, the battle ceased.  The other surviving male heir, in mourning, beckoned the removal of his distant cousin and all her followers to another location, while he would take his followers to another place in isolation, not only to keep the split tribe separate forever, but because the echidna village they had lived in on the sea cliffs for so long now had too many painful memories to allow them to live in peace.  Many echidnas, warrior, maiden, and child were slain, including one of the sons of the surviving male heir, while the only daughter of the female heir was spared, only an infant at the time.

   So the echidna tribe was split forever; the male heir and his followers migrated to Angel Island, the same island that Arandor saw floating over the ocean Shadow explained, and there the surviving males of the line of the Guardian of the Master Emerald, the descendents of Kashoku’s son, now lived.  They were two brothers, the eldest being the Master of Time and Space, and the younger being the all important Son of Strength, and Shadow could only say they were living well and happy with the other members of their tribe, being children of royal blood as their father was the Master Emerald’s Guardian, and thus they were the last survivors of Kashoku’s son; the Captains of the Guardians had lost their ancestry to the royal blood, and thus that surviving male heir passed both the Strength of the Light and the power over time and space to his descendents, and in turn these to young children, and that was all to know about male survivors of Kashoku.

   The lone female survivor was descended from the female heir, leading her people to Spirit Island, taking the Master Jewel with her.  Though separated, the two Master gems remained in tune with each other, each directly affected by the other, and thus that is why Arandor picked up on the Master Jewel as being on the exact opposite side of the world from the Master Emerald, down to the exact coordinates.  The followers of the heiress continued to practice their psychic abilities, with the women playing more of a prominent role in society.  The tribe continued to prosper, and the lone female survivor of Kashoku’s daughter was in line to be the next guardian of the Master Jewel, and was also the all important Master of the Elements.

   Now, he explained the situation of the final child, the Daughter of the Light.  Shadow explained that after Hakumei died, Amarie, though still young, became a great and noble leader, and the laws set down by Arandor before his death held true, until the only heir to the monarchy was born, a male.  About this time, around one and a half thousand years ago, another hedgehog tribe, (which coincidentally was the one Sonic the Hedgehog descended from), tried to usurp the crown for power over both tribes, integrating them into one great hedgehog tribe, greater than the echidnas, who were now broken, had ever come close to.  After the male monarch politely refused, stating his friendship with the broken echidna tribe and thus would never try to govern them, the older male leader of the opposing hedgehog tribe, (Sonic’s ancestor), tried to kill the young male monarch, and this was one time Shadow saw the need to intercede.

   It was then that Shadow bartered the seven chaos emeralds, now in full possession of the hedgehog royalty, for the life of the young prince.  The opposing male hedgehog leader immediately excepted them, and so Arandor’s old tribe slowly fell out of power, but the line of his daughter Amarie still survived, and the Daughter of the Light was now a child named Amy Rose, and Arandor picked up on her power in Station Square, Shadow explained, because now she was nothing more than a commoner, and even the descendent of the male hedgehog leader who threatened her ancestor, Sonic the Hedgehog, would take up residence in the port city from time to time, and he too was still a child.

   Shadow then continued, saying that the Master of the Elements was named Jade, while the two echidna brothers, the Master of Time and Space and the Son of Strength, were named Hinsei Hidama and Knuckles respectively, and that despite all the wars, sicknesses and miseries he witnessed in their ancestries, the Children of the Light were, for now, happy, healthy, and well.

   This brought comfort to Arandor’s heart, and upon arriving on the Hill of the Stars he began to explain to Shadow the task at hand.  However, before they could set off, they looked to the west, and could see the storm Kalak spoke of; a dark storm, born of Mukot’s evil hatred, and cruel desire to smite the young elements. It was ominous, dark, and terrible, and there was no time left for either of them to speak.  As thunder crashed in the distance, Arandor cried, “The storm is gonna destroy them if we don’t hurry!  You take the South and East and I’ll take the North and West, then we’ll meet here to combat the storm as best we can!  Quickly!”

   Shadow nodded, and as the gathering dark formed the super storm, the Light and Dark Elementals split up to rescue the four young elements, as they were nearly as vital to the fate of the world as the Children of the Light were, especially as they grew; It was through this deadly storm, that Mukot hoped to end them all.

   Arandor ran with the speed of the light to carry him, running due west from the Hill of the Stars as his father had commanded.  There, he found the storm wreaking havoc on the home of the young Earth Element, the eldest of the four.  All around him, he saw the dead members of the Earth Elements family, before finding the small child, bloodied but alive; he was in a deep coma, and Arandor wasted no time wrapping the small child, one of an unusual breed, in cloth, and heading off to the North, yet he had to wince as the rain began to pelt his face; he held the Earth Element close to him, cringing as he saw the storm sweep South, the same direction Shadow was heading in now.

   Shadow ran quite swiftly, as if he was the wind itself, his mind set on nothing but rescuing the two elements.  Seeing the bulk of the storm head south, he changed his route to the southern region instead of the East as he had originally intended. His years on the planet alone had hardened and toughened him to a great degree, as well as hardening his heart, giving him more of a grim disposition, yet he still retained his good, honest, and noble heart.  Really he had become more like a Dark Elemental should be; in every aspect he had more of the personality, look, and attitude of a Dark Elemental, but his good heart, what made him an elemental, made him one of the strongest souls fighting for the Light.

   When he arrived in the South, he found the small village where the Fire Element, second eldest of the four, had lived, ransacked.  He called out in vain for any sign of life, focusing his Dark powers to pick up on any element energy.  He ran with haste when he felt a faint source of fire in the ruins of a small building.  There, he heard the crying of a now deaf and mentally dumb Fire Element.  He picked up the small child; he was what appeared to be an echidna/hedgehog cross.  He was crying, keeping his eyes shut, and while Shadow’s heart wept for him, he was overjoyed to find him alive.  Wrapping him up the same way Arandor did the Earth Element, Shadow was ready to flee to the east, but was slowed down as he had to fight off the nasty power of the storm as it tried to finish killing the Fire Element; it was the Dark Power he could barely contend with, but slowly overcame nonetheless.

   As Shadow fought to save himself and the Fire Element, battling his very creator through the storm, Arandor ran, Earth Element in hand, with all speed to the North, where the storm had swept but hardly devastated.  In the small town by the lake however, he found the rain falling in horrifying torrents, and he knew this was the doing of the Water Element.  He found her family dead, and then he found her, a three tailed fox, bruised and bleeding, but most importantly, conscious and crying.  Her tears, and thus emotions, were heavily influencing her still unmastered control over water, causing the rain to fall too fast and heavily, threatening to drown her in literally her own tears.

   He took the comatose Earth Element in one arm and tried to comfort the small Water Element.  For some reason she was comforted by his presence, whether it was because he was the Light Elemental or what, she stopped crying and calmed down, holding back the true fury of the Dark Storm, at least for now.  He held her in his other free arm, wrapping her in a blanket to keep her warm, and stepped back into the fury of the storm.  He and Shadow now looked in horror at the East, where the Air Element remained, only to see the dark storm ripping the town apart, unleashing all it’s fury on the final child.

   They both ran to the East and met within miles of where the last element waited, but they could go no further, for the full force was the storm threatened to kill not just them, but the final three elements.  Arandor comforted the Water Element, begging and pleading with her not to cry, and her tears would only set the odds even more against them.  Once he was sure she’d be alright, Shadow and Arandor teamed up once more, and did battle with Mukot through this hellish, and terrible storm.  The storm was too powerful for them to hold back for long, let alone overcome and defeat, their Elemental power considerably weaker than its Pure form, and thus Mukot threatened to smite them.

   They had already consumed next to all their strength, Arandor even more overwhelmed by the Darkness, which was a poison to him as he bore the power of the Light.  Shadow, however, wielding the power of Darkness wasn’t held back by the weakening effects it had on his friend.  In desperation, used the last of his power to envelope the group in a protective barrier, being made of dark magic better able to resist the dark forces of the storm, until the storm finally passed.  Exhausted, Shadow collapsed immediately, and Arandor tried to comfort the Water Element as he and Shadow both tried to regain their strength, and the Earth and Fire Elements lay silent.

   The sunrise brought poisoned hope to Shadow and Arandor.  They walked to the town where the last element was supposed to be, and were struck by the tragic reality that she was killed by Mukot’s storm, her family too dead and long gone.  The two of them wept terribly, realizing how they were tricked the night before.  The storm pretended to sweep south to divert Shadow away from the East, which it could reach much easier than the South in less time, and provoked the Water Element to tears to slow down Arandor, and also attacked the two of them to keep them from saving her in an attempt to save the remaining three.  They both wept bitterly, but Shadow pulled out of his tears and reminded Arandor that the Earth and Fire Elements were hurting, and needed the healing powers of Kalak and his Elderstars, and so Arandor and Shadow took the three elements back to Radiant Castle, as well as the tragic news of the death of the Air Element.

   After attending to the three elements, Kalak was saddened to hear the news of the Air Element’s passing.  He explained that another Air Element could be created in time for the war, but she would be several years younger than the other three, and thus would be very young and inexperienced when the need for her power came.  Kalak then decreed that when she was born, the Daughter of the Light would protect her.  With only twelve years till the war started, and ten until the Air Element was born, there was obviously much work left to do in the face of oppression, in order to save the world.

   The board was almost set, the three elements, now named Brodie (the Earth Element), Flame (the Fire Element), and Karana (the Water Element), would be raised and protected in Radiant Emerald until their Master, Jade, the Guardian of the Master Jewel and Master of the Elements, was old enough to begin to train them for battle, their powers becoming very powerful and essential to defeating the Darkness as they got older, and once the Air Element was two years old, she would have to achieve some kind of control over her powers, for the other three, as in Kalak’s teachings, were no good on their own, weakened terribly without the fourth element.

   In addition, Shadow and Arandor split up upon their return back to Eries.  Arandor for the first time met Amy Rose, and saw the same Light in her that he saw in his daughter Amarie.  Shadow went to Angel Island, where one year after the storm that attacked the elements, the echidna clan was massacred, save the two echidna princes, Hidama and Knuckles.  Shadow gave much of his attention to raising them properly, making sure they grew up strong and smart, as Arandor did for Amy, and Jade who suffered the same fate as her distant cousins due to the link between the Master Emerald and Master Jewel.  Arandor protected Amy and Jade as they grew, teaching Jade in the ways of the elements so once her mastery power awakened; she would truly be the Master of the Powers of the World.

   He perhaps gave much of his love and attention to Amy, who reminded him so much of Amarie and the Pure Light he loved, as it rested within her pure heart.  He spent much time with Amy and Jade, (as well as Jade’s team, Team Lightning, who would also be important in the war)  He even met Sonic who, while his ancestor almost killed Amy’s ancestor, he became quite friendly with, admiring his speed and dogged determination.

   However, while Arandor and Shadow would spend time together, they remained apart a lot of the time.  Arandor never spent time with Knuckles and Hidama directly, only observing them from afar, his heart filled with love for them.  So too did Shadow remain apart from Amy and Jade, not wanting his dark powers to have any influence on Amy, while he remained apart from Jade simply because he had to give his attention to the echidna brothers, and so the last years passed before the war, and while the Warriors for Light made their last preparations, there was ever a shadow in their hearts in the face of Mukot’s malice and corruption, for they knew soon, all too soon, war…would come.

Description
"The Birth of the Elements"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl
Part Three: The Powers of the World

   At least three-thousand years had passed since Shadow, the Dark Elemental, took up a life of isolation walking the planet known as Eries to the Stars and Mobius to her people, keeping watch over the Children of Arandor, including his children with Mitsukai when he took the guise of Kashoku the Echidna, and his child with Hakumei the Hedgehog, as Arandor.  Much had transpired since Shadow left his home in the stars, and now we are in present day, and the final survivors of his children were safely born and raised, and though still children, the powers that rested within them were soon to be awakened, for the time of War had come.

   Kalak came to his son, who for years did nothing but weep and mourn the tragedies in his life, speaking only to his friends and rank of stars, the Goldenstars; however, in the past five-hundred years, his grieving slowed, and his heart healed, and while his immortal but imperfect heart prevented him from being truly and thoroughly healed, he was as well off as he could ever be…his disposition and personality becoming just as Shadow’s was before he departed.

   This day, the prelude to the War would begin.  The first war would take place once his final “child” turned sixteen, the age Shadow and Arandor were when they first walked the world, and this was only a short twelve years away.  Kalak had cooked up a new plan to help the Children of the Light, (as Arandor’s descendents were being called), wage war against a now very powerful Mukot.  As he and Arandor were walking together, Kalak explained exactly how powerful Mukot had become.

   “My son, as you have rested and healed these past three millennia, so has Mukot increased in strength…and I weep to tell you that there is no way you and Shadow can ever beat him on your own…or even his new tools, the UnLight and UnDark Elementals.  They were born of the perfect souls you and Shadow abandoned, and were fashioned and twisted by Mukot’s own cruel design.  They wield the same power as you and Shadow but for the intent of serving Ultimate Evil, and thus their powers are increased ten-fold through Mukot’s Pure Evil Power.  Yet it was known all along only the Son of Strength and Daughter of the Light could defeat Mukot himself in the end, with the Master of Time and Space and Master of the Elements to guide them…thus you have four children remaining to you, and while young, far from the youngest’s sixteenth year, the time to prepare for battle it now,” Kalak explained.

   Arandor’s eyes sparkled, and a smile graced his face at the thought of seeing his descendents at long last, but keeping to the matter at hand, he replied, “This I know father, and I have given much thought to it.  I desire nothing more than to join Shadow at last and help bring the Children along; once their powers awaken, I will bring them into their own, and show them their true power.  I also long just to see their faces…memories of a now happy past hidden in their eyes and smiles.  I dare not tarry longer.”

   Kalak sighed deeply as they walked into the Star Sanctuary, where a new bridge from the stars to Eries had been forged.  He placed a hand on his son’s shoulder and said, “I’m afraid your return to Eries must first be graced by a new mission.  I mentioned how strong these new enemies are, frightful and terrible to imagine, worse than even the power of yours and Shadow’s Anti-Elemental forms.  So, to protect the Children of the Light, as well as Shadow, yourself, and your allies, I have designated the Powers of the World to guide you.  Surely from your teachings you can recount what these powers are?”

   After a thoughtful pause, Arandor replied, “Truly, you taught me and Shadow when we were still in our youth, that all life needed more than just the Powers of Light and Darkness to survive.  As much as life needs both Light and Darkness, there were four other powers, powers that made up the lifeblood of the world, protecting it from evil as well as nourishing its growth and prosperity.  They are the Four Powers of the world, known to those who walk the world as the Four Elements, though they know not how important these powers really are in the survival of life of all kinds.  They are the Power of Earth, or the Earth Element, the power that nourishes life that grows from the ground and thus all that lives off these plants and fruits and delight in their beauty.  The Power of Fire, or the Fire Element, blessing all life with the nourishing and comforting warmth of the Sun and Fire, (and is the Element closest associated with Light); it is Fire that cradles all life in its warmth, yet in its power can destroy or create depending on the wills of those that wield it.”

   Nodding in praise, Kalak continued, “Then you have the Power of Water, or the Water Element, its very essence critical to the survival of life, water providing the life-source all things, plant and animal need to survive.  The Power of Water is also the most ever-present of the Four Powers, besides the final, as water makes life possible for some types of life that can survive no other way through the ocean, rivers, and lakes, as well as the life giving rain it brings.  At last, we have the Power of Air, or the Air Element, perhaps the most mentioned of the Four after Water as Air breathes life into all things, and without Air, no life can exist.  It is the Air through wind that cools things off on a hot, summer day, and brings joy to souls as they walk along the beach.  Truly my son, each of the Four is instrumental to life…take away any one of them and all life will quickly die.  Yet it is this power they possess to support, create, and protect life that draws me to their awesome powers, and this involves the job I have for you upon your return to Eries below.”

   The smile on Arandor’s face quickly turned to a look of determination; he enthusiastically answered, “Just say the word father, and I’ll see to it that your plans are fulfilled.”

   Kalak’s face brightened a bit, and he smiled at his son’s determination, replying, “Indeed my son, I have confidence in your skills, for you have now healed and can carry this task out expertly.  I have rested the fiercesome, awesome, and heavenly powers of each of the Four Elements into four different souls, two boys and two girls, and they are now quite young…all born within days of each other.  They are barely two years old, even as the youngest of your children is four years old.  There’s danger brewing Arandor; Mukot knows that Shadow is looking after your Four survivors, but he hasn’t caught wind of their importance just yet, and now he is ready to kill the Four Elements in a frightful storm; while this is good seeing as it will spare your children a bit longer, the lost of any of the Elements as I said would be fatal.  So I need you to find Shadow, and rescue the Four Elements.  Start from the Hill of the Stars where you’ll land; you’ll find one of them in each direction: North, South, East and West.”

   Arandor’s eyes widened and he nodded quickly.  Ready to step into the gateway to Eries, the path that would lead him from the Radiant Castle to Hill of the Stars on Eries, he simply replied, “You have my promise father, through the Light that I love, I will complete the task you’ve given me, and through the Light may I never falter.”

   Kalak’s eyes sparkled and he nodded slowly, replying, “Go on my son, I have undying faith in you, just as the Light will give you undying power as you wield it for the good of the Light and the protection and lives of others you hold dear.”

  With one last smile and assuring nod, Arandor stepped through the portal, and descended back to Eries, not unlike he and Shadow did together, after nearly three and a half thousand years of dwelling in the stars.  He landed on what was known as the Hill of the Stars to Mobians, or the inhabitants of Mobius, as they called it.  He looked around and nothing was familiar to him; he saw a thriving port town off in the distance along the coast called Station Square, and over the far off ocean he could see an island floating in the sky, Angel Island, which, unknowingly to him was the home of the remaining descendents of his son and their followers, and was where two of the children, The Master of Time and Space, and the all important Son of Strength, still children, took up abode.

   He closed his eyes; using his sensitivity to and control over the Light to track the power of the Master Emerald and Master Jewel.  He found they were separated; the Master Emerald was on the floating island he saw in the distance, and the Master Jewel was on the exact opposite side of the world on another floating island called Spirit Island, where he inferred that the descendents of his daughter and her followers lived, seeing as he had entrusted the care of the Master Jewel to his daughter’s line, the last survivor of his daughter, though still young, would be the Master of the Elements.  Unknown to him however was how the two gems and lines got separated, and out of desire to learn this and more about his Children, he used his Light Power again to search for his dear friend Shadow, whom he had not seen for over three thousand years.

   In doing this, Arandor picked up on his final child, the Daughter of the Light, somewhere in the port city of Station Square.  This comforted him to some extent, but once he picked up on Shadow’s Dark Elemental, he put the thought of his Children second to his concern for Shadow, and so he took off in the direction he felt Shadow’s Elemental…the woods of the old hedgehog village he had once ruled with Hakumei.

   Arandor finally found Shadow, and was overjoyed, but his happiness was shot down when he saw Shadow’s face and disposition.  Over the years, Arandor had healed, becoming much like Shadow was before he left Radiant Castle all those millennia ago, his spirit healed and peace returned to his heart.  Yet, Shadow looked like Arandor did at the time he left.  A grim frown graced his face; his face was paled, as if the health and life was sucked out over time; his glossy, healthy, and thick fur was now ragged, dirty, and dull.  Even his eyes had softened and become dull; he truly looked as nothing but a shade of what he had once been.  Arandor could even feel the drastic change that had taken place in his friend; Shadow’s free and happy spirit was crushed and worn, his heart beaten and bleeding, his soul dying slowly within him.

   Shadow had indeed fulfilled his promise; he kept watch over Arandor’s descendents by both Mitsukai and Hakumei; he had witnessed wars, sickness, strife and change in both families, and yet he never interceded as long as the safety of Arandor’s children was secure.  Yet he had failed once…one of the male descendents of Kashoku’s son having been slain in a battle for power…and yet the lines still survived.  Once too had the heir to the hedgehog monarchy, a son, been threatened by a neighboring tribe in a bout for leadership and integration of the two tribes.  This time Shadow had interceded, bartering the young prince’s life for the seven chaos emeralds, becoming lost to the royal line forever, but the line being saved once again.

   Yet there were only a few instances when Shadow spoke to anyone at all, let alone dwell among the mortal, his immortality binding him to a life of isolation keeping silent watch over the Children of Arandor, and they had inevitably taken their toll.  Arandor spoke softly, saying, “Shadow?  My brother…speak to me and let us have fellowship as brothers once more.  Your duty of servitude is now finished; hurt and grieve no longer.”

   The Dark Elemental froze; he looked up and saw Arandor outstretching his hand to him, and the very Light radiating from Arandor’s soul brought comfort to Shadow’s own.  He stood up slowly, gazing at Arandor as if he were merely an aberration, taking slow, uneasy steps as he reached for Arandor’s hand.  Finally, he took his friend’s hand, and his face brightened a bit, a smile of overwhelming joy and relief forming on his face.  He embraced Arandor tightly, and began to weep, saying, “Oh—Oh dear brother in love…too—too long has it been since I’ve had so much joy!  So much has transpired, and I’m eternally grateful that you are happy again.”

   Arandor slowly returned Shadow’s hug; something troubled him.  Shadow’s voice was almost hoarse and faint, as if he had not spoken for a long time, and still, Shadow had changed over the past three-thousand years…and under that initial joy, Arandor knew Shadow’s spirit was broken, and he would never be the same again.  Still, he embraced Shadow, withdrawing moments later and replying, “There’s no reason to weep my friend…but there is reason for us to take up arms and fight the powers of Ultimate Evil once more.  While I desire greatly to know of the last survivors of my lines, Kalak has something almost equally as important for us to see to.”

   At the mention of action, Shadow’s tears disappeared, and a gruff, determined look came to his face.  He nodded and said, “Mmm, speak then Arandor, and we’ll see Kalak’s wishes are attended to; on the way I can tell you of the now distant history of the planet since you left it for the second time all those years ago.  There is much to discuss.”

   To this Arandor nodded, he replied, “Quickly, to the Hill of the Stars…we must make haste ere trouble comes in the most violent way.”  So the two Elementals ran together as they hadn’t in centuries, and Shadow briefly explained the fates of his four descendents: The Master of the Elements, the Master of Time and Space, and the all important Son of Strength and Daughter of the Light.

   He told Arandor that about one-thousand seven-hundred years ago the three survivors of his children as Kashoku were at odds for full leadership of the growing echidna colony.  The two male descendents of his son specialized in strength through physical combat, while the female survivor of his daughter specialized in strength through the mind, that is, psychic control and power over the elements.  Their individual followers also practiced their leader’s skills, and thus the tribe was slowly becoming divided, and one day, the battle, known as the Battle for Power, began and would ultimately drive them apart.

   One of the male survivors was slain, and his children would produce the lines of the Captains of the Guardian of the Master Emerald, and once this happened, the battle ceased.  The other surviving male heir, in mourning, beckoned the removal of his distant cousin and all her followers to another location, while he would take his followers to another place in isolation, not only to keep the split tribe separate forever, but because the echidna village they had lived in on the sea cliffs for so long now had too many painful memories to allow them to live in peace.  Many echidnas, warrior, maiden, and child were slain, including one of the sons of the surviving male heir, while the only daughter of the female heir was spared, only an infant at the time.

   So the echidna tribe was split forever; the male heir and his followers migrated to Angel Island, the same island that Arandor saw floating over the ocean Shadow explained, and there the surviving males of the line of the Guardian of the Master Emerald, the descendents of Kashoku’s son, now lived.  They were two brothers, the eldest being the Master of Time and Space, and the younger being the all important Son of Strength, and Shadow could only say they were living well and happy with the other members of their tribe, being children of royal blood as their father was the Master Emerald’s Guardian, and thus they were the last survivors of Kashoku’s son; the Captains of the Guardians had lost their ancestry to the royal blood, and thus that surviving male heir passed both the Strength of the Light and the power over time and space to his descendents, and in turn these to young children, and that was all to know about male survivors of Kashoku.

   The lone female survivor was descended from the female heir, leading her people to Spirit Island, taking the Master Jewel with her.  Though separated, the two Master gems remained in tune with each other, each directly affected by the other, and thus that is why Arandor picked up on the Master Jewel as being on the exact opposite side of the world from the Master Emerald, down to the exact coordinates.  The followers of the heiress continued to practice their psychic abilities, with the women playing more of a prominent role in society.  The tribe continued to prosper, and the lone female survivor of Kashoku’s daughter was in line to be the next guardian of the Master Jewel, and was also the all important Master of the Elements.

   Now, he explained the situation of the final child, the Daughter of the Light.  Shadow explained that after Hakumei died, Amarie, though still young, became a great and noble leader, and the laws set down by Arandor before his death held true, until the only heir to the monarchy was born, a male.  About this time, around one and a half thousand years ago, another hedgehog tribe, (which coincidentally was the one Sonic the Hedgehog descended from), tried to usurp the crown for power over both tribes, integrating them into one great hedgehog tribe, greater than the echidnas, who were now broken, had ever come close to.  After the male monarch politely refused, stating his friendship with the broken echidna tribe and thus would never try to govern them, the older male leader of the opposing hedgehog tribe, (Sonic’s ancestor), tried to kill the young male monarch, and this was one time Shadow saw the need to intercede.

   It was then that Shadow bartered the seven chaos emeralds, now in full possession of the hedgehog royalty, for the life of the young prince.  The opposing male hedgehog leader immediately excepted them, and so Arandor’s old tribe slowly fell out of power, but the line of his daughter Amarie still survived, and the Daughter of the Light was now a child named Amy Rose, and Arandor picked up on her power in Station Square, Shadow explained, because now she was nothing more than a commoner, and even the descendent of the male hedgehog leader who threatened her ancestor, Sonic the Hedgehog, would take up residence in the port city from time to time, and he too was still a child.

   Shadow then continued, saying that the Master of the Elements was named Jade, while the two echidna brothers, the Master of Time and Space and the Son of Strength, were named Hinsei Hidama and Knuckles respectively, and that despite all the wars, sicknesses and miseries he witnessed in their ancestries, the Children of the Light were, for now, happy, healthy, and well.

   This brought comfort to Arandor’s heart, and upon arriving on the Hill of the Stars he began to explain to Shadow the task at hand.  However, before they could set off, they looked to the west, and could see the storm Kalak spoke of; a dark storm, born of Mukot’s evil hatred, and cruel desire to smite the young elements. It was ominous, dark, and terrible, and there was no time left for either of them to speak.  As thunder crashed in the distance, Arandor cried, “The storm is gonna destroy them if we don’t hurry!  You take the South and East and I’ll take the North and West, then we’ll meet here to combat the storm as best we can!  Quickly!”

   Shadow nodded, and as the gathering dark formed the super storm, the Light and Dark Elementals split up to rescue the four young elements, as they were nearly as vital to the fate of the world as the Children of the Light were, especially as they grew; It was through this deadly storm, that Mukot hoped to end them all.

   Arandor ran with the speed of the light to carry him, running due west from the Hill of the Stars as his father had commanded.  There, he found the storm wreaking havoc on the home of the young Earth Element, the eldest of the four.  All around him, he saw the dead members of the Earth Elements family, before finding the small child, bloodied but alive; he was in a deep coma, and Arandor wasted no time wrapping the small child, one of an unusual breed, in cloth, and heading off to the North, yet he had to wince as the rain began to pelt his face; he held the Earth Element close to him, cringing as he saw the storm sweep South, the same direction Shadow was heading in now.

   Shadow ran quite swiftly, as if he was the wind itself, his mind set on nothing but rescuing the two elements.  Seeing the bulk of the storm head south, he changed his route to the southern region instead of the East as he had originally intended. His years on the planet alone had hardened and toughened him to a great degree, as well as hardening his heart, giving him more of a grim disposition, yet he still retained his good, honest, and noble heart.  Really he had become more like a Dark Elemental should be; in every aspect he had more of the personality, look, and attitude of a Dark Elemental, but his good heart, what made him an elemental, made him one of the strongest souls fighting for the Light.

   When he arrived in the South, he found the small village where the Fire Element, second eldest of the four, had lived, ransacked.  He called out in vain for any sign of life, focusing his Dark powers to pick up on any element energy.  He ran with haste when he felt a faint source of fire in the ruins of a small building.  There, he heard the crying of a now deaf and mentally dumb Fire Element.  He picked up the small child; he was what appeared to be an echidna/hedgehog cross.  He was crying, keeping his eyes shut, and while Shadow’s heart wept for him, he was overjoyed to find him alive.  Wrapping him up the same way Arandor did the Earth Element, Shadow was ready to flee to the east, but was slowed down as he had to fight off the nasty power of the storm as it tried to finish killing the Fire Element; it was the Dark Power he could barely contend with, but slowly overcame nonetheless.

   As Shadow fought to save himself and the Fire Element, battling his very creator through the storm, Arandor ran, Earth Element in hand, with all speed to the North, where the storm had swept but hardly devastated.  In the small town by the lake however, he found the rain falling in horrifying torrents, and he knew this was the doing of the Water Element.  He found her family dead, and then he found her, a three tailed fox, bruised and bleeding, but most importantly, conscious and crying.  Her tears, and thus emotions, were heavily influencing her still unmastered control over water, causing the rain to fall too fast and heavily, threatening to drown her in literally her own tears.

   He took the comatose Earth Element in one arm and tried to comfort the small Water Element.  For some reason she was comforted by his presence, whether it was because he was the Light Elemental or what, she stopped crying and calmed down, holding back the true fury of the Dark Storm, at least for now.  He held her in his other free arm, wrapping her in a blanket to keep her warm, and stepped back into the fury of the storm.  He and Shadow now looked in horror at the East, where the Air Element remained, only to see the dark storm ripping the town apart, unleashing all it’s fury on the final child.

   They both ran to the East and met within miles of where the last element waited, but they could go no further, for the full force was the storm threatened to kill not just them, but the final three elements.  Arandor comforted the Water Element, begging and pleading with her not to cry, and her tears would only set the odds even more against them.  Once he was sure she’d be alright, Shadow and Arandor teamed up once more, and did battle with Mukot through this hellish, and terrible storm.  The storm was too powerful for them to hold back for long, let alone overcome and defeat, their Elemental power considerably weaker than its Pure form, and thus Mukot threatened to smite them.

   They had already consumed next to all their strength, Arandor even more overwhelmed by the Darkness, which was a poison to him as he bore the power of the Light.  Shadow, however, wielding the power of Darkness wasn’t held back by the weakening effects it had on his friend.  In desperation, used the last of his power to envelope the group in a protective barrier, being made of dark magic better able to resist the dark forces of the storm, until the storm finally passed.  Exhausted, Shadow collapsed immediately, and Arandor tried to comfort the Water Element as he and Shadow both tried to regain their strength, and the Earth and Fire Elements lay silent.

   The sunrise brought poisoned hope to Shadow and Arandor.  They walked to the town where the last element was supposed to be, and were struck by the tragic reality that she was killed by Mukot’s storm, her family too dead and long gone.  The two of them wept terribly, realizing how they were tricked the night before.  The storm pretended to sweep south to divert Shadow away from the East, which it could reach much easier than the South in less time, and provoked the Water Element to tears to slow down Arandor, and also attacked the two of them to keep them from saving her in an attempt to save the remaining three.  They both wept bitterly, but Shadow pulled out of his tears and reminded Arandor that the Earth and Fire Elements were hurting, and needed the healing powers of Kalak and his Elderstars, and so Arandor and Shadow took the three elements back to Radiant Castle, as well as the tragic news of the death of the Air Element.

   After attending to the three elements, Kalak was saddened to hear the news of the Air Element’s passing.  He explained that another Air Element could be created in time for the war, but she would be several years younger than the other three, and thus would be very young and inexperienced when the need for her power came.  Kalak then decreed that when she was born, the Daughter of the Light would protect her.  With only twelve years till the war started, and ten until the Air Element was born, there was obviously much work left to do in the face of oppression, in order to save the world.

   The board was almost set, the three elements, now named Brodie (the Earth Element), Flame (the Fire Element), and Karana (the Water Element), would be raised and protected in Radiant Emerald until their Master, Jade, the Guardian of the Master Jewel and Master of the Elements, was old enough to begin to train them for battle, their powers becoming very powerful and essential to defeating the Darkness as they got older, and once the Air Element was two years old, she would have to achieve some kind of control over her powers, for the other three, as in Kalak’s teachings, were no good on their own, weakened terribly without the fourth element.

   In addition, Shadow and Arandor split up upon their return back to Eries.  Arandor for the first time met Amy Rose, and saw the same Light in her that he saw in his daughter Amarie.  Shadow went to Angel Island, where one year after the storm that attacked the elements, the echidna clan was massacred, save the two echidna princes, Hidama and Knuckles.  Shadow gave much of his attention to raising them properly, making sure they grew up strong and smart, as Arandor did for Amy, and Jade who suffered the same fate as her distant cousins due to the link between the Master Emerald and Master Jewel.  Arandor protected Amy and Jade as they grew, teaching Jade in the ways of the elements so once her mastery power awakened; she would truly be the Master of the Powers of the World.

   He perhaps gave much of his love and attention to Amy, who reminded him so much of Amarie and the Pure Light he loved, as it rested within her pure heart.  He spent much time with Amy and Jade, (as well as Jade’s team, Team Lightning, who would also be important in the war)  He even met Sonic who, while his ancestor almost killed Amy’s ancestor, he became quite friendly with, admiring his speed and dogged determination.

   However, while Arandor and Shadow would spend time together, they remained apart a lot of the time.  Arandor never spent time with Knuckles and Hidama directly, only observing them from afar, his heart filled with love for them.  So too did Shadow remain apart from Amy and Jade, not wanting his dark powers to have any influence on Amy, while he remained apart from Jade simply because he had to give his attention to the echidna brothers, and so the last years passed before the war, and while the Warriors for Light made their last preparations, there was ever a shadow in their hearts in the face of Mukot’s malice and corruption, for they knew soon, all too soon, war…would come.