Switched

Day 4: Chaos

Elise was on edge as they approached it. They all were. Chaos Emeralds weren't to be taken lightly.

Silver showed her how to use his gloves to light up the cave as they traversed through its tunnels. None of them held either Knuckles or Blaze's power, so it had been difficult to continue tracking the emerald in the morning. But they had been close enough to the cavern that Elise's, or more accurately, Silver's, sensitivity was alerted. As they moved deeper and deeper into the cave, she was certain they were in the right place.

The cave was bursting with Chaos, the energy seemingly bouncing off the walls. Elise had never felt Chaos like this before. Her previous knowledge was minimal, only being able to sense the slightest changes. But Silver's, the power she now wielded, was stronger, more potent. It was incredible to her how different the experience was in the eyes of someone who could use the Chaos Emeralds.

The trio's footsteps echoed in the cavern's heavy silence. The bat wings on Silver's back fluttered anxiously. Blaze seemed tense as well, her fingers flexing as they normally would when she'd use her magic. But dressed as Amy, it would do no good.

The blue light emitting from Elise's futuristic gloves was minimal, but it still revealed faint etchings on the walls. Elise didn't inspect them, but they seemed to be the remains of paintings, long-ingrained on the stone. "How long do you think these tunnels have been here?" Silver asked.

It wasn't until Blaze looked at her that Elise realized that the question was directed at her. Blaze and Silver weren't from this time, she remembered. "Hundreds, maybe thousands of years," she said uncertainly. "It looks much older than anything I've seen in Soleanna. A lot of these smaller islands used to be home to ancient civilizations before they moved to the mainland. I wouldn't be surprised if we're the first people to have been here in a hundred years."

"Wow!" Silver's voice pierced through the caverns. "Everything where we're from gets destroyed within a few years of being built!"

Blaze hushed him as a deep rumbling came from within the cave. Elise held her breath in fear, but a few seconds later, the tremor ceased. Once she was certain the danger had left, Blaze spoke softly. "We need to be quiet. Sol energy can be very unstable. We must tread carefully."

Silver nodded gingerly, but Elise's focus was centered on the end of the tunnel ahead of them. A few moments earlier, it was as pitch black as the rest of the caverns had been. But now, the opening glowed a bright white. "Guys?" She swallowed tensely. "Is that it?"

They all approached the glow, the mood shifting significantly. As suspected, it was the Chaos Emerald, hovering above a pedestal. The power pouring out of the clear jewel was overwhelming. She felt as though she were bracing against it, as though it might knock her over at any moment. But a glance over to Blaze and Silver showed that they were having no such trouble.

"It's the gamer gem," Silver said quietly.

"What?" Blaze turned to Silver quickly.

"Sorry," Silver said sheepishly, a grin creeping on his face, "That's what Shadow called it when we were in Soleanna."

Elise stifled a giggle. Blaze rolled her eyes, taking a step towards the emerald, but was stopped by Elise's hand on her shoulder. "Wait." She stopped. "Let me." Blaze looked at her in confusion. "You're right. Chaos can be unstable. But I have Silver's connection to the emeralds. I might be able to control it. Hang back with Silver. That way if something goes wrong, the two of you can get out quick."

Silver stepped forward. "What about you?"

"I have your powers, remember? I'll be fine. But, Blaze, you have Amy's, which might be good for a fight, but aren't great for getting out of somewhere quick."