Sonic, Blaze, and Knuckles were gathered in the training room along with Blade, which had been built several months ago. Everyone had realized that in order to be prepared for future battles, they needed training. So, that room made and built in the hallway leading to the Garden behind the Castle. Tails was working on the machine to bring Sonic and Co. all back home, which was the same machine that got them into Mario's world.
Sonic: Yo, Tails! Is it done yet?
Tails: Sonic… you know that I still need the Chaos Emeralds to power this, right?
Sonic: Yeah, but it was worth asking, in case you had it ready to demonstrate or something. Just checking in anyway, see ya *walks off*.
Sonic walks out the room, heading to the exit of Peach's Castle to find the second Chaos Emerald. The first one had been with Ninetails when he when he teleported here.
Blade: So… how exactly does this thing work again? Not that I'm trying to replicate it or anything…
Tails: Well, *clears throat* this machine works by extracting the chaos energy from the Chaos Emeralds to power it, and we all know that skilled manipulators of chaos energy can use Chaos Control to teleport, right? So, it "uses" Chaos Control, but on a much more powerful level. When Shadow uses Chaos Control without the Emeralds, he can only go so far. But when-
Blade: Hate to interrupt you, but can you just skip to the point?
Tails: …fine. For us to traverse through, or even rip through, space and time it requires a large quantity of energy. The Chaos Emeralds supply that, and this device does the rest by shooting a large, focused beam of energy with a high enough velocity and strength to… "puncture" the fabric of space and time.
Blade: Oh, cool. But wouldn't it save time just to use the Sol Emeralds instead?
Blaze: You know that they only work during special situations, like when the Eggmen were trying conquer both worlds.
Blade: Don't knock it 'till you've tried it. Remember when you said that you were the only one who's able to transform using the Sol Emeralds, then… that happened. Then there was that time you were telling me about when Sonic and Tails where sent to your world and used both the Chaos and Sol Emeralds to come back-and that gives me an idea!
Tails: If it's using them together again to get back again, it'll never work. Usually, the Chaos Emeralds are unstable and could easily backfire on us. The only reason it worked was because they had sensed something was wrong and tried to fix it.
Blaze: Plus, the last time the Sol Emeralds were in a universe besides their own, they nearly… destroyed the other.
Blade: I was just saying…
Knuckles: And the last time you had one of your "brilliant" ideas, you nearly froze the Castle!
Blade: Let's not go there now Knuckles… and I also said aloud for everyone to hear "This probably won't work"!
Knuckles: Whatever…
Blade: What I was suggesting was that we use the Seven Stars or the Star Rod to help or mayb-
Tails: Nope.
Blade: Wat?
Tails: The energy source must be from our world for this to work.
Blade: Dang…
After a few more seconds of thinking, Blade gives up and walks out.
Blade: I'll be in my room if any of you need me, chao!
Knuckles: Well, I have more important things to do besides watching you nerd out. I'm out. *Starts walking out*
Tails: Before you go, can you hand me that wrench?
Knuckles: Sure, *chucks it at him*.
Thanks to Knuckles' haste, it missed Tails and clanged uselessly against the floor. Realizing his mistake, Knuckles dashes out the door. Blaze kindly gives Tails the wrench before silently walking out.
Tails: *sigh* I've got a long day ahead of me…
Several Minutes Later...
Sonic was speeding through the Elastic Piranha Plant jungle when he tripped over another root and watched as Ninetails sped by, cutting leaves and vines with his sword as he went.
Sonic: This is the THIRD TIME already in less than twenty minutes that those plants have tripped me!
Ninetails seeing Sonic fall and hearing his complaint, circled back.
Ninetails: This is the exact reason I had offered to take up front. I'm not going to waste time waiting for you to keep getting up after you fall every two seconds!
Sonic: Did you forget who you're talking to? I'm Sonic! Sonic the hedgehog, the fastest thing alive! *jumps up* and I'm not gonna let any over-grown weed slow me down! *takes off*
Ninetails: (At the rate we're going, it's hard to remember) *runs after him*
After running (and tripping) through the jungle for a while, the duo encountered a large temple-like structure with huge vines wrapping around the exterior. Upon closer inspection, they find that the vines also go inside the large opening that is the only entrance. Ninetails shouts in to check if anyone's there, but he didn't even get an echo.
Sonic: According to the… Chaosfindingthingamabobinatorthatdoessomethingelseimportantbesideschaosemeraldtracking… thing.
Ninetails: You mean the Emerald Locator?
Sonic: Yeah… that. Anyway, the second Chaos Emerald should be in there!
Ninetails: Well, I don't see a reason not to walk in and grab it. I also don't see anything else for that matter.
Sonic: I've got that problem solved, watch.
Sonic pushes a button on the small Gameboy Color that turns on a smaller light.
Ninetails: …wow. That was seriously anti-climactic.
Sonic: It's not done yet.
The light then starts to intensify into a bright beam and widens, illuminating the entire interior. The area that's inside only consists of a large square with a shrine in the middle, and on top is the Chaos Emerald.
Ninetails: That's a seriously impressive toy there… and there's the Chaos Emerald.
Sonic: But from all my years of tracking and collecting them, we should proceed with caution.
Ninetails: True, if I saw something of extreme importance just sitting on a shrine in the middle of nowhere left unguarded, I would assume it's either a trick, or a trap. I'll go and grab it because if it is a trap, I can use Chaos Control and get out of here.
Sonic: What about me?
Ninetails: Stick close so I can grab you and teleport. Do you really think I would leave you behind? While me and Shadow may be similar in character, that doesn't mean I'd try and kill you… (yet).
They do just that, with Ninetails leading and Sonic within arm's reach. The duo reach the shrine and wait for a moment to see if anything would happen, and nothing did. Ninetails reaches out and grabs the Chaos Emerald then immediately seizes Sonic's arm and teleports out. When Sonic turned around after getting his bearings, he saw that the structure was still intact.
Sonic: Huh, whadaya know?
A loud feminine screech was heard from inside the structure, followed by a booming voice.
Voice: WHO DARES TO TAKE MY STONE!? WHOEVER IT IS, I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING AND I WILL FIND YOU! AND WHEN I FIND YOU, I… WILL… um… what do I do when I find people… JUST KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE CONSIQUENCES!
Sonic: Spoke to soon?
Ninetails: Let's just get outa here, I don't want to deal with more than I have to…
Sonic: Alright, then let's go!
The two hedgehogs ran out of the clearing and back into the dense, Elastic Piranha Plant filled jungle to head back home.
Thirty minutes later
Everyone was gathered in the Kitchen/Dining Area for the Dinner that Mario and Luigi had decided to make. All the seats were filled in except for two, which were Sonic's and Ninetails'.
Amy: Do you think Sonic is alright?
Peach: Amy, Sonic is going to be fine. We've all seen what he's capable of.
Blade: Plus, Nine's there, so he should be fine.
Amy: That's why I'm worried so much.
Blade: Relax, he made a promise to me that he wouldn't attack anyone without a good reason to.
Knuckles: To him, so much as existing would be a good reason.
Blade: *scoff* whatever. You're just over-reacting. Besides, he knows what would happen if he did something like that…
Ninetails and Sonic walk in a few seconds after that and take their seats. Sonic grumbles to himself about never going back into that jungle and shakes off a few vines before scooting his chair in.
Peach: So how was it boys?
Sonic: Could've been worse…
Ninetails: One of the greatest times I had in a while *glances at Sonic*.
Sonic: I'm just glad we didn't run into Petey.
Blade: Don't remind me *shudders*.
Knuckles: What's wrong? Scared of an over-sized plant?
Blade: Shut up! You're in no position to speak, Mr. Ican'thitaflybecauseIcan'taimfo-
Mario and Luigi walk out of the Kitchen with several bowls of spaghetti, which they put in front of everyone for them to eat. The Bros. then proceed to place their own bowl and start eating. Every now and then, Knuckles would shoot at Blade glares while eating. Eventually, Blade got fed up and bared his teeth at him, ending that problem. Then Knuckles started flinging tiny chunks of meatball at Blade when no one was looking.
Blade: On a scale of one to ten, how much would any of you care if I got up, and punched Knuckles in the face now?
Peach: Why would you want to do that? He didn't do anything more than taunt you earlier.
Blade: So I'm gonna take that as like… a two?
Luigi: Blade… don't start anything now please…
Blade: Fine…
Everyone went back to eating after that, with Knuckles laughing to himself.
Ten minutes later
Everyone was finishing their spaghetti when Blade had walked out. He had already finished his, of course. Blade always finished his meals, if not get halfway through his second helping by the time people were just finishing their first. He decided it was best to wait until everyone finished eating before he faced Knuckles, because it would be rude to attack someone while they're enjoying food. Blade stood a few feet away from the doorway so that he could easily get Knuckles when he walked out. A few minutes went by, then Mario walked out and gave him a concerned look and didn't question him further when there was a knock on the front door. Luigi came out soon after and started to ask Blade what was wrong, but he refused to answer (he just stayed silent). So, Luigi decided to stand next to Blade until anything happened. Amy, Cream, and Peach walked out chatting with each other, completely oblivious to Luigi and Blade. Silver floated out by himself, and acknowledged Luigi's presence but when he looked at Blade, he was met with an icy, forbidding stare. Luigi softly ribbed Blade for doing that, but all he did was roll his eyes. Waluigi was running by after successfully getting past Mario by having Wario distract him. Then Blade tripped him and half smiled to himself after hearing Waluigi's comical "WAAAAAA" following his fall. Ninetails and Blaze walked out and saw Waluigi on the floor near Blade, they immediately thought the same thing and walked over to him.
Blaze: Blade, what's wrong?
Silence.
Blaze: Blade, I'm not going to ask again.
Ninetails: Oh snap, things just got serious!
Silence.
Sonic and Knuckles walked by and Blade lunged, fist first, into Knuckles. He hit him with full force, causing Knuckles to fly back a bit.
Blade: Did you really think I would forget?
Knuckles got up and dusted himself off before walking toward Blade.
Knuckles: No, I just that you would… *grins* chicken out.
Blade ignores his taunt and walks up to Knuckles, and because his size (and personal space invasion), he backs off a bit.
Blade: I'll be nice and let you apologize. Or, you be your usual stupid self and throw it out the window by taunting me again... your choice!
Knuckles: I'm not afraid of you. Bring it on, I've got other important stuff to do besides this.
Blade: Let me guess… talk to your self about how "awesome" you are? Once I'm done with you, the only talking you'll be doing is with the doctor!
Knuckles jumps and glides towards Blade at a high speed. All he does is just sidesteps Knuckles and brings down his hammer onto Knuckles' back, sending him straight down onto the floor. Blade grabs Knuckles by his feet and starts swinging around at higher speeds than Mario does when he swings Bowser around.
Blade: Let's go for a spin, shall we?
Blade started to increase his spin speed, but Luigi landed a solid stomp on his head before he could go any faster. The stomp had caused Blade to lose his grip on Knuckles and send him flying into a nearby wall, and almost hit Shard, who happened to walk by after a long day. Shard completely ignored what was going on and tried to sneak into the Kitchen to grab a bite and evade Ninetails. Blade stopped spinning and got into a fighting pose to face Luigi, but realized, it was Luigi. So, he took his normal stance, and stood there with one arm crossed and the other rubbing his head.
Blade: What the heck was that for!? I was only giving what he had coming for him!
Knuckles moaned over at the wall he was at before passing out.
Luigi shoot a serious look at Blade, and he knew what that meant all too well. He took a few steps back before looking around to see if there was another exit that he could get to before Luigi beat him to it. Then he realized that he was in the center of the room and started to wonder how he got there.
Blaze: …I don't know what's going on between you two, but I'm going to take Knuckles to rest and let you two figure out what's going to happen next.