Shock's POV (Cont.): She doesn't even try to defend. Blo.ody nose, black eye, bruised, beaten, swollen. She just stares at me with the same dead eyes. A kick to the side of the head sends her to the ground. I hear a roar. From the corner of my eye, I see Flame fighting Shadow, screeching unrepeatable words at me. I turn back to my real target. She's on her knees looking at me with that stare, blo.od flowing freely down her face. I draw my leg back... A force pulls me back, or rather, two forces. Ronni and Leails. "Let go of me!" I yelled, lashing my head. I snap it back to Sam. "Fight back you coward, fight back! Get up! Fight! You call yourself a leader?! FIGHT BACK!" A ringing starts in my ears. "FIGHT!" A crowd has formed around us. I throw Leails and Ronni off. "Shock, stop this!" Mora yells from the crowd. "No! She needs to prove her worth!" The ringing is worse. The crowd is egging us on. "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" Sam gets to her feet. Dead eyes. Blo.od gushing from her nose. Dead eyes. The ringing is almost unbearable now. Dead eyes. All that I knew before the pain were the cold dead eyes that bore into my soul.

Cinos's POV: I try my best to shield Maria from this. The yelling, the fighting, the pain, the fear. Inferno attempts to do the same to Flameno. But they're smart. They know what's happening. "Mom? Why are they fighting? They're on the same side." Maria points out. "I know sweetheart. But Shock is angry, and Sam is broken. And broken and angry don't mix." "But, if Sam's broken, can't we just fix her?" I sigh and hug her closer. "Oh my darling, it's more complicated than you know." I look up. Vio.let and the queen are trying to stop Flame and Shadow. Sam has stood up and is advancing. A sc.ream claws its way from my throat. "No!" But even though Sam's hearing is at its pinnicle, she obviously wasn't listening. The first punch was to Shock's temple. The blue hedgehog took the blow full on. He staggered and tried to step back... Sam advanced with him. Her eyes cold, steely, dead. He doesn't have time to react as the second fist winds him. Shock doubles over. Head down, he takes a snap kick, snapping his head back, exposing himself. The flat-handed jabs con.nect with his torso. Sam doesn't even think. Her expression, blank as she continues her barrage. Blow after blow Shock is pounded. Leails, Ronni, Mora and I scr.eaming at her to stop, to have mercy. Maria watches in horror. Finally, Mora breaks through the crowd and throws herself over the broken form of Shock. Sam stops in mid-motion. Mora is sobbing, begging her to stop. I realize, that the crowd is now silent. Sam's gaze, unnerving. "You think I wanted this?! Do you think I wanted any of this! Do you think I want to fight?! To ki.ll?! I have been tested. You came to me when I have been attacked and attacked, again and again. Mentally and physically by the Dark One. And every time I get back up. And you tell me..., me, to FIGHT BACK?! None of you know what it's like! None of you! Did you think we'd be dining in a five star hotel?!" She yelled. "STOP IT NOW!" I scr.eamed. I march over. "Look at you! Both of you!-

"What are you doing to each other?! We're on the same side! Look at me! Both of you!" Sam and Shock stare at me. "You!" I point to Sam. "You are our leader! Act like it! If you expect to win this war fighting your teammates you are sorely mistaken! Get. Your. Act. Together! NOW!" Sam hung her head. "And you!" I whip around to Shock. How dare you attack her! She has risked her life to help you! She has just lost everything! She has fought harder and longer than any of us! How dare you make her fight more! Both of you, get out of my sight! Settle this peacefully! Do something productive! But for the love of this war, STOP FIGHTING!" I realize everyone is staring, wide eyed and open mouthed, especially Sam and Shock. They both also look horribly ashamed. Sam walks over and gives Shock a hand up. They both mumble a "sorry" and head off. I walk over to my queen and Maria follows me. "Wow, that was, just wow." She says. I blush. "It's nothing, really..." "It's everything! You just, stoped them! In their tracks! That was amazing!" "Well, I have to stop these two from arguing." I say, gesturing to Flameno and Maria. "Now, before all this, I heard you talking about a prophecy..."

...wow

Flame's POV: The fight's over. Shadow lets me past and I sprint to catch up to Sam. Something in my hand flies out, sli.cing it. I curse and bend down to see what it was. The black crystal. I'd completely forgotten about it. I clentch my injured hand, trying to stop the bleeding and try to pick up the stone with my other hand. It flies out. I try again. Sam is getting away. This time the stone stays, but when I walk toward her, it flies away again. I curse and leave it be. "It's like they're magnets opposing each other..." I mumble, then run to catch up to Sam. She's siting on some rubble of the temple, her back to me. "Flame, go away. I just need to be alone now." I sit down next to her. "You've been alone your entire life. I think you can spare a few minutes." Despite everything that's going on, she manages a small smile. But then, it turns to a frown. "Look Flame, we can't, I can't... we shouldn't see each other..." "What?" "Flame, we can't see wach other. Look over there. See them?" She points to Mora and Shock holding hands. Being... together. "I can't have that. I don't want to hurt you... You should find someone else." "Wha, huh? What are you saying? That we can't-" "Please Flame. Don't make this any harder than it is. Please." She turned to face me. Her eyes on the verge of tears. "I hurt everyone close to me. I don't want to hurt you." "Well too late!" I snap. I get up and start to walk away. "You should've thought of that before!" Sam turns away. I stomp off, grab the stone, and march back to the others. I know now what it's like to be broken inside. It's like a never ending ache. My mother and Cinos are talking. "Inside, at the deepest point, they can be greeted by the great animals. They will be gifted. Then and only then can they prevail." I turn away and Leails senses something wrong. "She pushed you away didn't she." It was a statement, not a question. "Yeah... I mean why? Am I not good enough or something? What am I doing wrong?!" "Flame, she does-

that to all of us. She feels like this is her fault. She's tired of all this death." I sigh. "Then what do I do?" "Give her time. She'll come around." "But-" The sound of a roar cuts me off. Inferno's roar. "Everyone listen up! We need everyone over here now!" "Great, now what?" I mumble angrily, walking over.

Awesome!!!

inferno:yes an other long pov