B.C.E.

She wanted him to stay, but closed her eyes and released him.

Shadow walked back and nodded to echo. They left. Vir followed.

"Wait boys. There is something I need to tell you."

[timeskip several hours.]

Shadow was the first to burst back into Vir's office where Star lay. His shirt was ripped off and he had a few cuts on various parts of his body. He stumbled over to where she was and lifted her head onto his lap so he could sit down.

"Guess what Star." He chortled.

She looked up. She felt a bit better, but she didn't have the energy to protest her head being in his lap or ask him why he had so many cuts... "What?"

Echo walked in in a similar state.

"We just beat the vivacious CRAP out of the entire graduating class!" Echo boasted more to Sunny than to Star. He then held up a golden rapier.

"And Vir gave us these." He pointed with his to Shadow ho was holding a silver one.

The dog grinned widely. "Nice!"

Star only purred, pressing her face against his stomach. She was still so tired...

-flashback to interesting part-

"I never told you what happened the day you're parents died did I?"

"No Vir." Echo said bluntly. Vir rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I wasn't exactly there. The murderers set my house on fire, I had to go back to rescue my family. When I returned I saw the Master Emerald reach what looked like a green hand made of light, wide as a house and tall as a mountain, up into the sky itself. IT clenched its fist and suddenly then so much was happening. Two swords of gold and silver fell from the air, seeemingly without origin onto the floor next to your dead mother. Suddenly from underneath her one could hear the crying of babies. Then standing ontop of the master emerald was a creature made of water. The guardians fired their chaos beams and blasts and there was nothing I could do. I ran up the steps of the alter but I was too late. The water creature sucked every last once of power from their bodies and swelled into an enormous Dolphin. It killed them all in one stroke. Then seven lights appeared in its stomach. IT shivered and moaned and was once again small like an echidna. The seven lights of different colors floated around it.

'In your own image I remake the idiots and fools. They will forever be your servers.' It said. And the lihts became those little things." Shadow and Echo stood there stunned.

"What happened next?"

"The creature and the emerald spoke in telepathy. I ran to your mother and lifted her up. I saw you both lying there. When I looked up again the creature was stepping into the master emerald. IT spoke to me.

'What are those sharps?'

'I know not.'

'They shall be mine with my servers, and my infants.'

'You cannot own them.'

'What?'

'You do not own them.'

'Hold your tounge knave. I know you well. I know you'd be nothing without your friends. You're whole life is a lie and if you wish to keep it you will-'

'The swords either. These are the children of Gilgamesh. Even know I can see what they will do and who they will become. I can see it in my head...as clearly as I see you.'

'A slightly phychic field still hanging in the air from my reach mixed with your own latent phychic abilities. An Afterthought. Nothing more.'

'They deserve something. Their parents died and the elders won't take kindly to infants returning from the dead. Their lives won't be good ones.'

'So leave them here.'

'No.' I took the swords and you two infants and I ran away. I gave you to the elders who put you in the orphanage. And i've kept the blades ever sence." Echo and Shadow were still too shocked to move.

"Come." He led them down a orridor past the school and into the gardens. There was a tower not to far away. He walked inside and accended the stairs until thery reached the top. Echo and Shadow were now quite exhausted. Vir still pressed on until he found a certain spot on the wall.

"Here." He inserted a key and removed a panel. Then took out a long wooden box. He opened the box and sure enough, the two rapiers were inside. Echo and Shadow instantly bonded. Most would think that twins recieving such a gift would imediately begin to quarrel over who gets gold and who is stuck with silver. Not so. For both swords being equal in value and worth, were taken up quickly by each brother, Silver for Shadow and Gold for Echo, as if it was predetermined by providence.

-end-

Shadow took a deep breathe after recounting the story to them. Echo grinned wide.

"then what happened next was unbeliveable."

[what do you think of the backstory?]

[I like it ^^]

Star's eyes were closed, but she was smiling slightly. Vir had saved them from what would have probably been a life of servitude. She never would have met them if not for that...

Sunny grinned. "Well, what happened?"

Echo and Shadow walked slowly into the courtyard. They met a small team of non echidnas standing there.

"Well..." One of them, a purple panther spoke first.

"Team Troy." Echo said.

"What?" A black bird asked.

"Our name."

"We're goign to get pumled."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Shadow said. A bell went off. A herd of echidnas came out and stood there grinning. The small men in the circle prepared themselves. Echo and Shadow took stance.

"Today is the final day of the examinations. A battle royal to determine the strong from the weak." A voice boomed down.

"May the master emerald have mercy on your souls." All kinds of hell broke loose. The echidnas instantly went for the fresh meat. They raised their hoplon shields and held their position as a wall of meat and muscle collided with them.

Once they pulled back Shadow used a chaos spear and launched echo into the air. He came down with two more in hands and right into the din. Shadow moved in the forwards and they literally cut the advance into two flanks. The others were too shocked to move. These two were 2 years younger than any of the fighters.

"CHARGE!!!" Echo or Shadow shouted. They couldn't tell; but they didn't dare disobey. They marched forward and slammed into the broken front line. Soon half of the enemy was down.

Echo and Shadow emerged from the din, covered in sweat and blood that was not their own. Their clothes were torn and their newest weapons gleamed in the heat. Echo smirked and turned to see the other echidnas backing away.

"Yeah...yeah yeah!" He laughed. Shadow panted.

"I don't think they're done yet." And they weren't. Suddenly a new team of echidnas came out. They were twice as big as the others and Echo and shadow recognised them instantly. The bullies again.

"Forward!!!" They cried. The others followed their new leaders. Echo and Shadow used their main strategy but were quickly over powered. Echo was thrown to the ground and Shadow was just tossed about. They got up again.

"Give up or else." One of the hulks ordered.

"We have not yet begun to fight!" They said at once. They withdrew their rapiers and rushed the enemy.

It was like nothing else. They were like Chaos spears except they weren't brittle like sticks and were much more powerful. They burned and slashed and cut and from the hilt to the tips they were like pure power in a solid forme.

Not a single echidna team that fought them passed. Even at one point the teachers joined in to try and stop them. They were beaten the worst of all. Vir Cotto smiled and walked onto the field, the men bowed down and were knighted.
_______________

Shadow scratched behind Star's ears. Echo finished the story.

"I bet the teachers are making a suicide pact right now!" He chortled.

Her purring faltered. They were knights now? Oh, he shouldn't be anywhere near her...

Sunny chuckled. "Way to go, you guys."

"Is something wrong?" Shadow asked.

"Tired," she whispered. Her stomach still hurt some, but she didn't want to bother him.

He rubbed her cheek.

"I hope I can take care of you...."

*

[and now the fight scene]

Vir walked down the halls with a spring in his step. He finally beat them. He beat everyone! He laughed out loud. He had beaten racism. Even know his heart was beating.

beating.....beating.....

He clasped a hand over hsi chest. This couldn't be a heart attack. He was in perfect health!

"Cotto..." No....

"You're too late Master Emerald. I've given them the swords."

"Do you not think even now I cannot see? I know they have their weapons. Those were always to be their weapons. As they are to be mine." Hius heart jerked in his chest. Vir coughed some blood as it began to beat dangerously fast.

"They will never be yours."

"Bring them to me. And I won't have to do this Vir."

"You will never have them."

"You think a great folley."

"But I saw. I saw into the future."

"You saw a reflection."

"I saw they were happy. And you cannot conquer that!"

"Do you not realise my power?!" It was angry now. It tightened his chest. He fell upon the railings of the hall.

"Am I not more powerful than any mere mortal? Am I not the like Sea, the Skies, or the Sun? Am I not the most beautiful being in creation; the wonder of the world!?....perhaps of all worlds......"

"Trojans.....never ever will be slaves......" He was singing now as it gripped his heart.

"Those boys are beautiful! The future will be a better place for them alone!"

&

"What was that?" Shadow asked, getting up. (but setting her head gently upon the pillow.) Echo walked twords the door.

"Let's go find out."

^

Vir could feel himself fading.

"Shadow...Echo...." The boys ran down and got to him just before he went.

"Vir!"

"Listen to me!" He shouted.

"You boys are not slaves! You owe you're father nothing!" He was almost delirious they thought. "And shadow!" He cried, looking at shadow.

"An arrow will pierce her heart!" He convulsed......and that was that.

Sunny had gone after them, and now took a quick step back. "What just happened?!"

Echo was shocked and couldn't move. Shadow looked up.

"I...I think he's dead...."

[Yup. That's how Vir died....the master emerald killed him.]

[Cool]

"Who the hell did he mean...? Who'd get shot in the heart?"

"I don't know...." Shadow said, shocked. A few teacher echidnas came and took the body to the hospital.

"We should go see Star." He said.

Sunny went right back into the room, frowning. With Vir dead, they needed to get her out of there...

Echo and Shadow got back to the room. Echo locked the door behind them.

"Now what?"

"We wait I suppose."

Sunny frowned. "Wouldn't it be better to get Star out of here? She's a mix! They'll kill her if anyone finds her!"

Echo and Shadow looked at each other.

"No. If we try and sneak her out people will definately see her. If we stay here they might not."

The hedgecat trembled. "What's going on?" she whispered.

"Vir's dead. We're going to wait and see what happens." Shadow said, sitting down next to her.

Her body quivered, fear filling her. "They'll kill me," she whispered.

"I won't let them!" Shadow said bravely, unsheathing his sword.

"Put that away," Sunny muttered. "Who knows if we'll need it? We can barricade the door, outlast 'em."