Chapter 11: Eclipse The Darkling PT 3

Space Colony ARK...

The group arrived on the circuit track right below the ARK where Sonic and Shadow raced on, and Annie and Clarabel were a little terrified.

"Oh dear, we're really high up!" Annie said.

"Indeed, Thomas how did you get used to this?" Clarabel asked.

"Actually, I'm not used to it." Thomas gulped.

"Where could he be now?" Rouge wondered.

"Probably already in the Eclipse Cannon control room." Shadow figured.

Sonic chuckled seeing the coaches-turned-mobians clutch onto Thomas in fear while the blue engine-turned-mobian himself was blushing, even Rouge had to smirk at this. Suddenly they heard an evil chuckle.

"My, my, I knew this would go exactly as planned."

"YOU!" Rouge pointed out.

Eclipse stood a few feet away, chuckling with his claws on his hips. He then gritted his sharp teeth looking at each of them. He noticed the blue hedgehog and figured he was the one called Sonic.

"WHERE ARE THE EMERALDS?" Shadow growled.

Eclipse turned to him, his grin becoming a scowl.

"YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED MY MASTER!" Eclipse growled.

"YOU DAMN RIGHT I DID! AND YOU'RE JOINING HIM!" Shadow roared.

"YOU KILLED SEVERAL INNOCENT PEOPLE ON THAT ISLAND!" Sonic yelled.

Eclipse clenched his claws into fists...then he laid his eyes on Thomas and the girls. He had remembered how Cream told him that Thomas had a number one on his sides. This cat had a number one hanging on his necklace.

"Well now...Thomas the tank engine...I've heard so much about you. You've saved that island plenty of times." Eclipse began.

He begin to walk towards Thomas while Sonic and Shadow got ready in case he jumped at them, Rouge and Tails decided to sneak off and get to the Eclipse Cannon when Eclipse wasn't looking. Eclipse walked straight up to Thomas while Annie and Clarabel hid behind them. They turned out to be the same height.

"It still amazes me you died and came back...all through the power of a engine called Lady. That kind of power can only be controlled by a few people, but can be given to many. Whatever this magic railroad of your holds, I'll be sure to destroy it." Eclipse growled.

Thomas scowled.

"No one will harm Lady, I promised to protect her railway, and she would do the same for mine. It's a promise we intend to keep." Thomas retorted.

Eclipse laughed and shook his head.

"You fool, neither you nor your girls can't really believe you'd defeat me, please. I know you're scared...you're not so special, you're pathetic. You're no hero...nor do you deserve to be number one for anything. Whenever the island was in danger, you needed HIS HELP!"

Eclipse pointed back to Sonic who looked taken back...that wasn't all true.

"I've done many things on my own." Thomas said.

"Maybe...but it was only luck." Eclipse countered.

Now Annie and Clarabel were angry.

"That's enough!" Annie growled.

"Leave him alone." Clarabel snarled.

"Ladies please...back away before I blast you further into space." Eclipse threatened.

Suddenly Shadow received a call from Rouge.

"We got all the emeralds out of the cannon control room."

"WHAT?" Eclipse gasped.

"YES! Nice job Rouge!" Sonic cheered.

"NO!" Eclipse growled.

"THOMAS CATCH!"

Sonic and Shadow tossed him their emeralds and Thomas smirked.

"You want these Eclipse? COME GET THEM!"

Thomas, Annie and Clarabel jumped into the car and sped off down the track.

"RRRRRAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRR!" Eclipse roared.

"Sonic, we need to get to Tails and Rouge." Shadow said.

"Right!"

Shadow contacted Rouge.

"Rouge, think you can help Thomas get away from Eclipse? We're going to help Tails secure the emeralds you found."

"On my way!"

Sonic and Shadow left hoping Thomas would be okay. Thomas and the girls raced around the track with Eclipse running right behind them. The darkling leaped several times almost latching onto the back of the car. Thomas found it very simple to drive the car.

"I think I got this under control." Thomas said.

"I hope so Thomas." Annie said.

"Maybe you can brag to Bertie's driver back on the island." Clarabel said.

They needed to find a different route to the main deck of the ARK that was long enough so the emeralds could be safe, Annie and Clarabel kept the emeralds tightly in their gloved hands as Eclipse managed to finally leap onto the back of the car.

"AAHHH!" The girls screamed.

"GIVE ME THOSE EMERALDS BEFORE I DESTROY YOU!" Eclipse yelled.

"NO!"

Annie punched Eclipse square in the face knocking him back down.

"Nice punch Annie!" Clarabel said.

"Oh you would've did a better one." Annie smiled.

They finally entered one of the main entrances to the inside of the ARK they could easily drive through and Eclipse chased them down the hallways, all while getting angrier and angrier.

"YOU THREE DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE MESSING WITH! I WILL GET THOSE EMERALDS, AND I WILL DESTROY THIS STUPID PLANET!" Eclipse growled.

Suddenly he began to transform, his whole body became muscular and he grew larger until he towered over the car. Annie and Clarabel screamed as Thomas veered down another hallway. He then channeled the gold dust energy Lady had gave him and shot a few golden blasts from his hands hitting Eclipse in the face.

"AUGH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Eclipse growled.

"That was the power of Sodor!" Thomas smirked.

"THAT POWER...I WANT IT NOW!"

"TOO BAD!"

"THOMAS LOOK OUT!"

Annie pointed to the closed door up ahead. Thomas hoped he could crash through without tearing up the car too much, he'd definitely be feeling the wrath of an angry hedgehog later.

CRASH!

They break through into the main room of the ARK where they could see Earth through the large windows. Thomas, Annie and Clarabel are tossed from the car as it crashes into a computer terminal nearby. Thankfully Annie and Clarabel had held on to the emeralds.

"Phew...you guys alright?" Thomas asked.

"Remind us never to do this ever again." Annie rubbed her head.

"Yes...I'd much rather be on the island right now." Clarabel groaned.

Suddenly Eclipse in his transformed state comes barging in growling.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH! GIVE ME THE DAMN EMERALDS! THEY'RE MINE! I WILL USE THEM FOR MYSELF!" Eclipse roared.

"NEVER! THESE EMERALDS BELONG TO US!" Thomas said.

"YOU IDIOTS! YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME, ALL YOU'LL DO IS RUN LIKE LITTLE WIMPS!"

Thomas' eyes then glowed golden and so did Annie and Clarabel's.

"Then try to take them." Thomas said.

Eclipse roared and charged them with a fist. Getting close enough, he swung hard, but shockingly, his fist was repelled back without even making contact.

"WHAT?"

He tried again, only for the same result to happen.

"HOW CAN I NOT HIT YOU?" Eclipse asked.

"Magic...duh." Thomas chuckled.

Then together, the three cats grew a large golden ball of energy bigger than Eclipse and threw it at him knocking the alien across the room. But as he got up, he is kicked in the back of the head by Rouge.

"Miss me?" Rouge asked.

"ROUGE!" Thomas grinned.

"Hey sweety, need some help? It didn't seem like it." Rouge smirked.

Eclipse quickly grabbed for her leg making her gasp.

"Uh oh." Rouge gulped.

Eclipse tossed her into the car injuring her back.

"OW! DAMN IT!" Rouge snarled.

Eclipse let out a huge roar that even Sonic, Tails and Shadow could hear.

"YOU'RE POWERFUL TANK ENGINE, I'LL GIVE YA THAT! BUT I'LL FINISH THIS!"

Thomas then closed his eyes and concentrated.

"What are you doing?" Eclipse asked.

Thomas took an emerald and it glowed brightly until someone appeared being warped onto the ARK. There was a giant flash, and before Eclipse could move, he is clocked in the face by a metal fist and is sent back.

"UGH...WHO DID THAT?" Eclipse growled.

When he gained his sight again, he saw Metal Sonic and Omega standing there.

"Thanks for the lift Thomas." Metal said.

"What he said." Omega said.

"No problem. Oh and here are some enhancements." Thomas said.

He engulfed the robots in a golden aura boosting their energy.

"I FEEL MORE POWERFUL, FIT FOR A ROBOT LIKE ME!" Omega yelled.

"AH YES! NOT EVEN EGGMAN COULD EXTEND MY POWER LIKE THIS!" Metal said.

Eclipse cracked his knuckles and squared off with the two. Thomas ran to help up Rouge while Annie and Clarabel kept the emeralds. Thomas blushed as he wrapped one of Rouge's arms over his shoulder. She looked at him with a smile.

"Thanks Thomas...you sure know how to treat a women...well several women." Rouge said.

"He-he, I'm always willing to help out anyone in need. It's what friends are for right?" Thomas asked.

"Exactly."

Then she kissed him on the cheek making Thomas go completely red, Annie and Clarabel quietly snickered. As they quickly escaped the violent brawl, they met up with Tails and the hedgehogs in the hallway.

"Hey guys, where's Eclipse?" Sonic asked.

Without a word, Thomas opened the door alarming everyone as they saw Eclipse, Metal and Omega fighting in a large dust cloud covering most of the room, it looked like Metal and Omega were even fighting each other since they still had a rivalry. Thomas quickly shut the door and Sonic figured out something was missing.

"GAH! MY CAR! WHERE IS IT?" Sonic gasped.

"Yeah...I crashed it in there." Thomas pointed behind them.

Sonic got on his knees and yelled to the ceiling.

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Relax Sonic I'll just repair it later. But at least now we have all the chaos emeralds." Tails said.

"So we just wait?" Thomas asked.

"Seems like it." Sonic sighed.

The group literally just chilled out in the hallway talking or looking out the windows into space. After about 10 minutes there was a loud crash and then silence.

"Finally." Tails sighed.

They walked in seeing Metal and Omega dented up but alive and standing near a beaten up Eclipse who was on his back panting.

"No...I can't be defeated so easily." Eclipse growled.

Sonic and Thomas smirked at each other.

"One more time?" Sonic asked.

"One more time." Thomas nods.

The two are circled by the emeralds until they turn into Super Sonic and Super Thomas. It was the first time Thomas used a mobian form for it as his fur was yellow with blue stripes. Together they charged at Eclipse and shoved him out into space.

"SHADOW GET READY!" Sonic yelled.

The two made sure to get far enough, and then circled back towards the ARK. Eclipse screamed as they went faster and faster. Shadow concentrated his chaos energy into his fists.

"CHAOS..."

As soon as they entered the ark, Shadow swung his energized fist.

"...BLAST!"

The punch was strong enough to knock Eclipse right out of his stronger form and he barrel-rolled onto the ground. Then Sonic and Thomas released their super forms and Thomas slid onto the ground turning into his train form and before Eclipse could process what happened, Thomas rammed into him so hard the alien topples up and over Thomas' funnel, dome, cab and back on the ground.

"HAH! You just got rail-roaded!" Sonic joked.

Sonic went to get a high-five from any of the others, but instead gets slapped in the back of the head by Annie and Clarabel.

"Nice one girls." Rouge laughed.

Sonic groaned as the three girls laughed at him.

"Let's just get back to the island." Tails sighed.

"DON'T FORGET MY CAR!"

Sodor...

At Knapford Station...a very weakened Eclipse was dragged into the office by an angry Shade and Bunnie.

"Why the hell am I here?" Eclipse growled.

"Someone would like to see you." Shade said.

"Who?"

"You'll see." Bunnie said.

Pushing him inside, he's met by someone sitting in the office chair turned away. Eclipse is pushed into the desk as the two girls back away.

"Who are you?" Eclipse asked.

Then the chair spun around, Eclipse almost expected it to be the controller of he railway, instead...it was Lady in her mobian cat form. Eclipse remembered Cream mentioning how Lady gave Thomas, Percy, Annie and Clarabel the forms.

"Are you...that magical engine?" Eclipse asked nervously.

"You damn right I am..." Lady growled.

She got up so fast the chair went flying back into the wall. Eclipse backed away, only to be blocked by Shade and Bunnie.

"Going somewhere?" Shade growled.

"Not today sugar." Bunnie shook her head.

Eclipse just gulped as Lady got in his face.

"Listen up Eclipse...this is MY ISLAND! I vowed to protect it FOR AS LONG AS I'M STILL HERE! The actions you made have caused confusion, delay...and tragedy. And I don't take too kindly to creeps like YOU terrorizing it the way you did! And now..."

Lady seized Eclipse by the chest making the ultimate alien gasped in horror as he's lifted up. Lady's eyes began to glow.

"YOU WILL PAY!"

She began to absorb any powers Eclipse had as the alien screamed in agony. Then she threw Eclipse into a wall before snapping her fingers. Suddenly 6 Boos spring out from the walls scaring Eclipse. They were all angry and ready to attack.

"GET HIM!" Lady yelled.

Lady, Shade and Bunnie race out of the office and high-five as the Boos pummel Eclipse, after another minute he's tossed out more injured than before. He laid their crying and curled up in a ball.

"Hmph, how pathetic." Shadow came over with Sonic, Tails and Rouge.

"So what are you going to do with him?" Tails asked.

"Let me make a call." Bunnie pulled out her phone.

Later that night, all the engines and mobians gathered at the sheds. Gordon was repaired and back in his shed with the others.

"Good to have ya back on the rails Gordon." Thomas said.

"Thanks Thomas...and thank you for saving the world...again." Gordon said.

All the engines whistled for Thomas. Annie and Clarabel had decided to stay in the shed as well but behind Thomas. Lady was back in her engine form had floated next to Thomas.

"What would we do without you Thomas?" Lady smiled.

Sonic turned to Shadow.

"The engine just keeps surprising us." Sonic said.

"Indeed, he's growing stronger." Shadow said.

"And he's still handsome as a mobian." Honey sighed.

"Ah, he's okay." Predator Hawk scoffed.

"Somebody's jealous." Rouge teased.

"Mama, we can still stay for awhile right?" Cream asked.

"Of course!" Vanilla nodded.

"Sweet." Gemerl said.

"CHAO!" Cheese cheered.

"I WILL STAY ONLY BECAUSE I NEED TO BEAT METAL IN A RACE!" Omega said.

"You're on!" Metal agreed.

"HOORAY WE SOLVED THE BIGGEST CASE OF OUR LIVES!" Charmy cheered.

"Uh...no we didn't." Espo face-palmed.

"I wonder the computer room is around here." Vector scratched his chin.

Shade and Bunnie were holding a power-stripped Eclipse by his arms as he whined...apparently after all the power was taken away, he was converted into nothing but a crybaby.

"So when is-"

Shade is cut off when Blaze arrives through the Sol Emeralds.

"Hey everyone." She greeted.

"Hey sugar-cat, this is the guy I was talking about." Bunnie pointed to Eclipse.

Blaze evilly smirked and Eclipse gulped.

"I think he's perfect for the job, after all, being a servant in my kingdom isn't too bad." Blaze rolled her eyes.

Honey then raced over excitedly.

"Hey, maybe he can also be my new model when I sell my Sodor Collection in your dimension." Honey suggested.

"I like the way you think." Blaze smirked.

"WHAT? NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!" Eclipse screamed.

SMACK!

Honey smacks him in the back of the head making him whimper.

"Oh shut up you alien punk." Honey growled.

Just then Sir Topham Hatt arrived in his car, getting out, he smiled big as everyone turned to him.

"I see everything had finally been resolved, good work everyone. Especially you Thomas, you saved this island once again from being destroyed by an evil alien race. You know it's amazing just what my engines can really do when they're not on the rails. I'm proud of you, I'm proud of you all for staying calm and doing anything you could to keep the threats away. Now the island is safe once more." Sir Topham Hatt smiled greatly.

All the engines whistled and the mobians cheered.

"Maybe now we can finally do some relaxing." Sonic shrugged.

"Too tired to handle any more threats Sonic?" Shadow smirked.

"Hah, you wish faker." Sonic nudged him.

Later that night, all the engines were still in their sheds talking, except one.

"Man...this has been a crazy week...I'm glad it's over." Percy sighed.

"Tell me about it...now the only to worry about are those Boos bugging Henry." Edward chuckled.

"I'm not scared of those things anymore." Henry pouted.

"Hah...sure you're not." Gordon teased.

"So if one pops up in front of you, you won't jump." James asked.

"Nope." Henry said.

Suddenly 8 Boos popped up right in Gordon and James' faces causing them to scream and race to the back of the shed and the others laughed. Henry even chuckled as the Boos flew around laughing in victory.

"Say where's Thomas?" Emily asked.

Toby then trundled up with Henrietta.

"I heard he took the mobians out for a trip." Toby informed her.

Out on a long stretch of track, Thomas was pulling Annie and Clarabel with everyone inside, well almost everyone. Sitting on top of Thomas was Sonic, Tails, Shadow and Rouge who were looking out at the view.

"What a nice night...so peaceful." Sonic sighed.

"I agree, there's been a lack of starry nights lately." Tails said.

Rouge was admiring a few of the jewels she collected and noticed Shadow standing on the cab looking up into the sky.

"Shadow? You've been staring up at the sky for awhile now, everything alright?" Rouge asked.

"Just thinking about some things that's all. Nothing too important." Shadow said.

"Like always." Rouge turned away smirking.

She didn't even notice Shadow's sudden smirk. Thomas spoke to his coaches.

"Annie, Clarabel, how is HE holding up?" Thomas asked.

"Oh trust us...they're keeping an eye on him." Annie assured.

"Heh, I'd love to see his face Clarabel chuckled.

Inside Annie, all the remaining mobians were chatting, Predator Hawk was enjoying listening to Metal and Omega bicker, Honey was talking to Blaze about selling her clothes in her dimension, Vanilla, Cheese, and Gemerl were talking, the Chaotix were resting after their attempts at solving the case, and of course Shade and Bunnie guarded Eclipse who was sulking in the back. Cream noticed how sad he was and decided to do something. To everyone's shock she walked straight over to Eclipse with a large smile. Vanilla looked ready to lunge and drag Cream back but Cream spoke first.

"Hello Mr. Eclipse..." Cream smiled innocently.

Eclipse looked up at her, worry in his eyes instead of anger.

"Cream?"

Cream locked her eyes on his.

"Listen Mr. Eclipse, I know you wanted to destroy this island and then the world as part of you master's plan, but from what I heard, you were the only minion that had an independent mind, you can do whatever you want. But you won't accomplish anything if the world is gone, you'll have no other place to go. Black Doom won't even know what you did...you should be free to choose what you want to do. It's like what Shadow did...he forgot about the past and moved on with his life. Don't you want to do the same?"

Eclipse just looked at her astonished that she would even speak to her after all the trouble he put her and the others in. But his black heart was starting to pump faster...and some light was finally turned on in his body. He stared at Cream as slowly, a large sharp-toothed smile emerged. The others were thinking he was about to attack, but then Cream hugged him. All the tension in the air rose.

"Everyone needs a hug once in a while." Cream smiled.

Eclipse gasped at first, but seconds later he hugged back as tears flowed down his eyes, the others were just left in shock.

"Thank you...Cream."

"Anytime, Mr. Eclipse."

Back with Thomas...he talked with Sonic.

"So Sonic might you're next adventure hold?" Thomas asked.

"Hmm, not sure yet. No doubt Eggman will try to attack again." Sonic said.

Thomas looked out into the distance with a large smile.

"I see, so uh...anyplace on the island you guys want to see?"

Sonic closed his eyes and held a thumbs up.

"Wherever the rails take us I guess, it's a pretty big island!"

THE END

And that concludes the third and final Sonic/Thomas crossover story. I hope you all enjoyed this trilogy and look forward to any more stories I have planned in the future. I loved this one much more than the other two and I felt it was written better. Anyways, until next time, KINGSTRIKER OUT!