Stories:Tonight, the Moon Falls: Chapter 1: Beginning of the End

''The news has been received that the world is about to be destroyed. Everyone is scared. Some are running and screaming, some are staying put in sorrow. Everyone but one person. They have no name, but what truly matters is that they have the courage and leadership to save the world. They just need some allies...''

Chapter 1: Beginning of the End
Espio is seen walking through a dark rainforest. He spots a peculiar blue glow from afar. He decides to follow it, and notices a strange being and some of his minions discussing something.

Lunatic Cultist: The time is now! Humanity has broken this world's force far beyond possible repair! We must end everything now and start from the beginning!

Devote: Is it time to use that spell?

Lunatic Cultist: What!? Of course it is! Give me the tome, and within 24 hours, the world will be no more, leaving room for a new beginning.

The Devote attempts to hand the Lunatic Cultist the tome, but Espio jumps out and slings a shuriken at him, killing him.

Espio: I have no idea what crazy plan you're trying to go through with, but I simply can't allow it.

Lunatic Cultist: Ignorant purple freak! Do you realize how much society has left this lowly planet in shambles!? It's time to end this mess!

Espio: I get it that you wish to restore the world to its former glory. But this is not the way to do it!

Lunatic Cultist: You don't understand! I cannot fix this mess, no matter what! Humanity has gone too far! A replacement is the only possible solution!

Espio: It seems perhaps you are the one shrouded by delusions. I bet you haven't even tried to restore it with how addicted you are to mass destruction.

Lunatic Cultist: I don't know how to get the facts through your thick skull, but it seems that you've left me no choice than to terminate you!

The Lunatic Cultist fires three fireballs at Espio. He dodges two of them and tosses a shuriken at the third one, blowing it up. He then dashes at Lunatic Cultist and kicks him.

Lunatic Cultist: I say, you have a lot of combat prowess for someone who believes in such misinformation of the state of the world. Take this!

The Lunatic Cultist proceeds to launch a ball of ice, which proceeds to shoot crystals at Espio. Espio gets hit by one, but is mostly unscathed. He then pulls out three kunais and tosses them at the cultist, but he teleports out of the way and creates an orb that attempts to zap Espio when he gets near.

Espio: Teleportation!? You're not even playing fair at this point!

Lunatic Cultist: When such an important event is concerned, rules are off!

Espio and Lunatic Cultist continue battling, until Lunatic Cultist creates two decoys of himself. Espio gets confused, and attacks a decoy. The decoy turns into a dark blue dragon that flies at Espio, knocking him back. He slays it, but gets hit with a blue circle, which knocks him over. As he gets up, he narrowly dodges three fireballs.

Espio: You've just revealed the true one!

Espio attacks the true Lunatic Cultist and ends up destroying the other decoy in the process. Lunatic Cultist simply summons more decoys. They all perform a ritual that heavily burns Espio with shadow flames. Espio can barely stand up.

Espio: I'm... I'm t-t-trembling... Is this what fear is like? Just... what... are you?

Lunatic Cultist: I'm glad you asked, chameleon. I am the Lunatic Cultist. I am the one who is going to change the world forever, bring it back the way it should've been. And you? You are nothing. There is no way anyone can stop this ritual. What ritual? After I harness the full power of this tome... Tonight, the moon falls. Don't worry, though. You won't have to endure the tension!

The Lunatic Cultist fires a beam of death at Espio, and the screen fades to white, before zooming out to reveal it was a crystal ball illusion, shown by Zakira to a large group of people.

Zakira: He was no match for the Lunatic Cultist... And now, with seemingly nobody to oppose him, he has started the spell. We only have 24 hours before the moon hits the earth and kills us all.

Civilian 1: Oh no...

Civilian 2: What can we do?

Tails: We are hopeless...

Charmy (Crying): It's over! It's all over!

Vector (Comforting Charmy): There there... It'll be alright...

Zakira: I don't know what we can do. In fact, I don't think there's anything we can do. I'm an optimist, but I'm also a realist. Defeating this man in only a day seems like an impossible task.

A new, unknown character is watching from afar.

???: Hmm... An impossible task? We'll just see about that. No reason not to try, at least...

To be continued...