Electric Blue Skies
Chapter 1
I'm Too Slow
"Sonic, I finished the Simulator!" Tails walked outside to the front of his laboratory, and Sonic was (impatiently) tapping his foot. He turned to Tails looking at him and waiting for him to explain what it was wordlessly. "The Simulator can well… simulate anything! So long as we feed it enough information on the subject, this thing can create anything it its world!"
"Anything? Wait, even Chaos Emeralds?" Sonic blinked. [It has been a while since they've all been gathered in one place, so if it can simulate them… I might be able to practice battling as Super Sonic…]
Tails's twintails swirled around as he took flight up to the top drawer of a large file cabinet. "Sure! I just need to scan the Emerald we found last month." Tails pulled out the crimson-colored gem and took it down to his computer. There was a small box and a few beds with lids. The beds with lids seemed to be pods so that the people in them could enter the Simulator. Tails placed the Emerald in the box, and it was scanned. Tails covered his eyes as some of the lasers that scanned the emerald reflected into his eyes. "Ah… better turn down the intensity of the beams soon…" He typed on the computer. "Perfect, it's all set, Sonic! Seven Mock Emeralds are in Prowlerville."
Sonic facepalmed. "You used your last name… That's being full of yourself, Tails… Anyways, thanks. I don't normally train like this but… The emeralds have been scattered for a good long while now… I just want to make sure I'm in tip-top shape next time Eggman tries to pull something." He walked over to a bed, slowly lifting the bed off. It made a pressurized hiss as the lid was opened. [Whoa… It's like some space age time chamber or something…] He slowly climbed in looking around from inside.
"Don't worry, Sonic. I'll be monitoring your heartrate and breathing. If something goes wrong, I'll stop the Simulator and make sure you're alright. Alright, here you go. I'll…" Once Tails pressed a button on his keyboard, Sonic could feel himself drifting off. The chamber closed, and Sonic passed out.
Sonic slowly got up, rubbing his eyes. "Wow… …" He looked around. There was a small town ahead, barely in view, while everything else was wilderness. He tried dashing forwards at the speed of sound, but he was running just like a normal person. "Gah! Where'd all my speed go!? Tails, what did you do!?"
Something glowed in the sky and fell rapidly, lodging itself in the ground in front of him. Sonic jumped back initially, but picked it up. It appeared to be a Chaos Emerald… but Sonic felt.. Nothing when he touched it. No potential, no anything. A lens was nearby it, and he picked that up too. [Knowing Tails, it'll be a communications link.] He placed it over his left eye, and the lens sparked slightly, zapping the Emerald. Sonic jumped back, dropping the emerald. The emerald glowed, and the potential Sonic normally felt from holding one now was in the air. "...So that's why it was empty.." He reached to pick it up when a dark crimson dashed by, snatching up the emerald and burning through the wilderness towards the city.
"You're too slow~!" The hedgehog, male judging by the voice, teased Sonic in the way he used to tease others. [...You're kidding me. Of course someone would have to have my speed that was just taken from me.]
A message popped up on the lens. -NEW EMAIL: SUBJECT: DATA EMERALDS-
"Sonic, it's Tails. A couple of things. First, you probably have noticed that you don't have your speed. If I went in, I couldn't fly, Amy wouldn't have her hammer etc. That's the downside to this world. Secondly, I can't see into the world. I can put stuff in, but I don't know where I'm putting it. I can send stuff to you, which is how you got the lens. Third, I suggest that you not let anyone have the Data Emeralds after you charge them with the lens… I can't predict what the people can do…" [Thanks for warning me, Tails…] "...with the power of a Chaos Emerald. Finally, we have our own counterparts. There's someone who can run at the speed of sound, someone who crushes on the sub-sonic crusader, a sidekick, and some emo counterpart. Hopefully Shadow doesn't find this message and kill me…
-Tails"
Sonic sighed, slouching over some. "Great… Not only is there another me who's got all my speed, I've lost the Emerald… Guess I've got a lot of catching up to do."