RES University

"...we...we were at a school...we were all friends once....and he showed up. he...he..we...they...bullied....him...and he got...his revenge..." The creature spoke, slightly louder.

"The heck is it on about?" Crack muttered.

"Something. I dunno." Paws sighed.

"Who showed up?" Hazel asked. "What kinda revenge did he get? C'mon, tell us..."

"Does it really look like it'll tell us the entire story?" Gardenia piped up. "It's obviously in some kinda... I dunno. Not a talkkng mood."

"he used the dark. He twisted us all. He made us this. he...is..the dark. Every time we sleep...we see him. In our dreams. It is him. He. Him. The one...." The creature twitched.

"..hold on a sec. What?" Ace said, stopping and turning around.

"... What did you say?" Hazel asked. "Who is he? He made you into a creature?"

"Now this is getting interesting." Gardenia remarked.

"As revenge. For the torment...he killed us...twisted our souls...into...into.." The creature stammered, shaking.

"...The hell.." Crack murmured.

"It's getting really interesting..." Gardenia muttered. If she had a face, she'd likely be grinning. 

"It's more creepy than anything." Amethyst muttered.

Hazel, meanwhile, was trying to coax the creature into talking. "So, he made you this? Who is he? Did you hurt him somehow?"

"We are poor little souls, who have lost all control, and we're forced here to take this role.....because...of...The.....he changed his name...Dark.....m..." The creature cut off, shaking too much to stand.

"Uh, is it alright?" Crack asked.

"H-Hey, are you okay? You can tell us later. Don't worry. Please, calm down..." Hazel tried to comfort the creature, obviously concerned. 

"He changed his name to...t....to....to.... the DARK MASTER!" It shouted, absolutley terrified, shivering.

"Geez, not so loud, damnit!" Crack hissed.

"The Dark Master?" Hazel echoed. "He made you into this? You weren't born this way? But at one point... he was the victim? You bullied him?" She sighed, realizing she was asking too many questions. "... Sorry. Thank you for telling us."

"I don't like these tunnels." Red said suddenly. 

"..we were all children once....and the bigger ones...teachers.." The creature mumbled.

"Right, it just got ten times creepier. Yay." Crack muttered sarcastically.

"So, Dark Master basically took all his classmates and turned 'em into monsters." Hazel concluded. "That's..."

"Certainly creepier." Amethyst finished. 

"...Can we get moving?" Ace asked.

"....there was one he liked....G....a dragon....green scales...nice to people.." The creature mumbled, standing up.

"Yeah." Red agreed. "Let's get outta here."

"Thank you for telling us all this." Hazel smiled at the creature. It was such a poor little thing...

The shadow creature sniffed as it walked along with the group.

Soon enough, light was ahead.

"I'm  surprised nothing was waiting for us in those mines. I guess he doesn't know about em." Ace admitted.

"Well, hey, that's a good thing!" Hazel chirped, grinning.

Red cheered. "Yay! Finally outta the tunnels!"

The group got out of the mine, and in front of them was a mountain. Shocker's mountain.

However, the very top, where he lived, had been destroyed. Blown up. 

DM's airship was flying away from it.

"Damnit...are we too late?!" Crack wondered aloud, in a panic.

"Shocker isn't stupid. He'd have known there was a threat. He may be nearby." Ace said calmly.

"Yeah, let's try to be positive!" Hazel agreed, looking around. "But where could he be..?"

Phoenix landed on a rock nearby, squawking.

"Oh. It's him. Whaddyawant?" Paws asked, tilting his head.

"I think he wants us over there." Ace nodded.

"Then we should go over there." Hazel said, scampering over to Phoenix. Gardenia, Red, and Amethyst followed, all curious.