Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic and stuff. This fanfic is how I exercise the first amendment. So back off.

---

For some reason, Matt knew something would be special about this summer vacation. He couldn't put his finger on what it might be...but he was just in a really optimistic mood. Maybe it was just because it was so sunny out.

Unfortunately, for the good stuff to happen he would have to sit out this last-minute lecture, which was making five minutes seem like a really long time. He groaned for what was probably the fiftieth time that day. The final track practice was today, and his feet were itching to be out running. He fiddled with his pencil, feeling like his mind was going to explode from boredom...until finally, the bell rang.

"YES!"

He sprinted out of algebra class as fast as he could, his spiked jet black hair blowing behind him, and skidded to a halt once he got to the locker room. And ended up slamming the door, drawing unnecessary attention to himself. Trying to stay low-key, he casually walked to his locker and began changing into his blue track outfit. Although it didn't take too long, considering he always wore his track jersey (over another shirt) anyway. No real reason, he just felt really confident in it.

It was debatable how he first got into the sport, but most signs led back to his childhood hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. He always seemed so confident, so carefree. When Matt was little, he wanted to run just as fast as Sonic...and although he no longer saw that happening anytime soon, he still liked to play a Sonic game or two when he was bored and stuck inside.

When he was finally changed, he jogged out to the track and began doing his stretches. However, the coach was late on this particular day, and he was forced to wait and let his thoughts wander again.

So it was the last day of school, and he, Matthew Nicholas Jeanes, age 15, would be...a sophomore, was it? What a terrible-sounding word. Soff-morr. It was so boring. Still, Matt told himself, it's better than having all the upperclassmen picking on you as a freshman...

Oh, finally, Coach is here.

He snapped his fingers and said "Go," which is what he usually did when he wanted the team to run around the track. Matt started steady, then began to speed up, and in just a few seconds he was in front of everyone else. He was one of the best runners in the district, but he didn't really care. He just smiled, happy to be doing his favorite activity. The sensation of everything turning into a blur around him was one he would never give up.

However, just as he was starting to get into it, his foot hit something, and before he knew it, he was face-flat on the ground, his knee stinging a bit. The coach ran over to him, as well as a few of the other track members.

"Are you okay, Matt?" the coach said in a serious tone. "Any scrapes?"

Slowly, the speed demon got up, examining himself and finding a small scrape on his right knee. "I-I think I'll be fine." His voice was still a bit coarse from the pain. "I don't know what I could've tripped over...though..."

As he looked around, he saw something shining (glowing?) beneath the pavement, in the exact same spot where he tripped. The glow had a bluish tint to it, and for some reason he felt drawn to it. He crawled up closer to see what it might be...but there was only a small hole, in which he could see something cyan-ish in color. He wanted to get a closer look at it, but...how on earth was he supposed to break through the pavement...?

Just then, he noticed a crack near the hole; it seemed to be easily breakable, so he picked and picked at it ("Uh, Matt, what are you doing...?")...until it finally popped off, and another crack formed, this time a bit bigger. He picked at that one as well, and another crack formed. This time he was able to break it off with his fingers, and it was like that with the subsequent pieces that formed. Finally, he came down to the last piece, and the object sticking out of the track was revealed - it appeared to be a giant azure-colored jewel.

"Wow, that must be worth a lot!" exclaimed a team member. "Who on earth would leave their jewelry in a place like this?" wondered another.

But Matt wasn't so worried about the value at this point. What really interested him was the gem's strange aura - almost like it was glowing. No one else seemed to notice it, though that was okay with him, as long as he could keep looking at it more...

...Wait a minute. Crap, he had to get back to practice!

He carefully placed the emerald in his locker, then got back out and practiced his long jumps. For some reason finding that thing had made him a bit more confident, more optimistic than he had been before. Finding such a treasure in such an unexpected place! Now he was sure this summer was going to be great. Maybe even the best he's ever had!

And when he saw that he was jumping a bit farther than before, he thought the sky-colored stone just might be some sort of good luck charm.

Yep, he agreed with himself. Best. Summer. Ever.

---

Finally, Matt was back home. He smelled Mom's celebration meal through the window - rice, french fries, and...ooh, apple pie! He was getting hungry already! He set his scooter against the wall and opened the door, to be greeted by a blond-haired little boy.

"Hi, Matt! Mom's almost done with dinner."

"You think I can't smell it?" he joked, and winked.

Matt smiled; Miles seemed to be fitting in well so far. You see, a few weeks ago they had found this little boy living in a box by the department store nearby - apparently he remembered nothing about his parents, and he had living like this for most of his life. Eventually, they had decided to take him in, and now he and Matt were brothers of sorts. The strange thing was, though, even after a few weeks the boy was starting to get attached to Matt already.

Consequently, the two ended up hanging out together a lot, and after a while they started to become close friends. Right now, however, Matt had something special to show his pseudo-brother.

"Hey, I want you to check this out." He reached a hand into his duffle bag, feeling around for it...yep, there it was, in the bottom of his bag, right where he had put it. Carefully, he pulled the gem out of his bag, and held it up to Miles' face. "Ta-da!"

Miles gasped, and grasped it in his hands. "Wow...it's all...glowy!" He ran his hand over it, trying to see what might be causing it. "Where did you find this...?" he managed to mumble before falling into a trance much like Matt had before.

Matt managed to swipe it from Miles' hands before he fell face-down onto the floor. "It's cool, ain't it?" he exclaimed. "I found it at track practice. It was under the pavement for some reason." He was beginning to go back into the trance himself, but shook himself out of it before he could. "Geez, that glow is just...hypnotic."

"Y'know what it looks like?"

"What?"

"A Chaos Emerald."

Matt had to do a double take; he looked at the jewel again, and realized that it totally did! Only Miles would be the type to know that - he had been obsessed with video games, especially the Sonic series, ever since the family had taken him in.

"You think it is one, Matt? Do you?" He was clearly excited at the possibility that it might be, and Matt hated to disappoint him, but...

"...No, I doubt it," he answered reluctantly after a bit of thinking. "The chances seem way too slim. It's probably something else."

"Oh..." Miles sighed. "Well...I shouldn't have expected anything. Besides, I'm getting a bit hungry..." Just as he said that, his stomach grumbled, and he let out an embarrassed chuckle. At that moment, Mom shouted that dinner would be ready in half an hour, implying she had probably been listening to the last few seconds of conversation.

"A half hour?! That's too long!" His stomach grumbled again, and he growled.

"Uh..." Matt tried to find a way...and all this talk about emeralds and Sonic gave him the answer. "Wanna go play video games?" he asked casually, sticking his hands into his pockets as he often did.

Miles was reluctant, but he pouted and walked upstairs anyway. "Fine...but only if we can play Sonic."

"Of course!" Matt agreed. He himself hadn't played a Sonic game in a while, and thought it would be a nice way to start the summer break. He followed his sort-of-brother up the stairs, put in Sonic Adventure 2, flicked on the Dreamcast (which he had owned since he was ten), and grabbed his controller. Pretty soon, they were immersed in a competitive virtual race between each other, with Matt as Sonic and Miles as Tails, just like always.

Matt chuckled at the thought. If Miles was obsessed with the Sonic series, he was obsessed with Tails even more. Maybe because they shared a name. But he was pretty smart, too...although only about half as smart as the little fox.

But just as he was thinking, Miles had to go and freeze him! Geh...a whole 30 seconds of waiting...come on come on come on...YES! Speed boost and GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO...

He had won. As usual. Miles had only won one time, and Matt kinda felt bad for him, but...well, what could he do? The kid just had to practice.

Before Miles could request a rematch, they were called down for dinner, and had to turn the Dreamcast off for the day.

---

This really was the best fried rice EVER. Mom had really outdone herself this time!

Still, something about that jewel he had found really bothered him. Why on earth was it so...hypnotizing? He kept wanting to stare at it...his brain knew this wasn't the time, but his...his instincts told him that something like that didn't really matter. Slowly, he began turning his head toward it. There it was, that absolutely addicting glow. Matt had no idea why it was so fascinating, but something just told him he was supposed to look at it...

Suddenly, to his surprise, the glow began to increase. He was a bit frightened, but he couldn't force himself to look away. Suddenly, images began to appear in his mind. Something blue. Something yellow. Gradually the images became clearer...was that...Sonic...?

He immediately looked away, wondering what had gotten into him. He had been playing too much video games! But then...was that really a Chaos Emerald...?

Oh, forget it! It didn't matter right now anyway. He got back to eating his peas. Something very, very odd was going on, and he was going to figure it out by the end of the summer...but first, he needed to relieve some stress.

Lucky for him, his mom was just starting a conversation.

"Matt, you know that your father and I will be going out on a date," she explained, "so I'll need you to operate the motel counter while we're gone."

He nodded. His parents owned the motel next door, and this was something he did all the time. He didn't mind it too much; if anything, it meant extra allowance.

"Well, there's something I need to tell you," she continued. "A scientist is going to be staying there tonight, and he's rented out the basement during his stay so he can use the equipment he brought." After taking a bite of her peas, she finally continued again. "I know you like to hang out in the basement, Matt, but...please don't bother him while he stays here."

He gave her the thumbs-up sign. "No problem! I can get started right after dinner!"

Miles moaned. "But Matt, what about dessert...?"

Matt grinned, and pet his shaggy blond hair. "It's right next door, so you can come visit me anytime." His brother seemed to be reassured, and smiled.

Finally, the spiky-haired boy inhaled the last of his peas, grabbed his duffle bag, and as he was about to get his pajamas (he nearly always spent the night there), he came across the emerald, which nearly entranced him again before he managed to smack himself in the head. He pondered whether to take it with him or not...he didn't necessarily want more weird images in his head, but if he was to solve the mystery, he would have to study this thing more...

Eventually, he dropped the jewel into his bag, grabbed a pair of PJs from the stairs, and ran off to the Jeanes Motel, making sure to wave goodbye to everyone before he exited. When he stepped outside, he noticed once again how impossibly clear the sky was, and the optimism returned again. He opened the hotel doors, where he encountered his dad, who was standing behind the counter.

"Wow, you sure got here fast!" Dad chuckled, ruffling Matt's hair. "But then, that's what I'd expect from my speed demon."

Matt blushed, realizing he would have to re-gel his hair. "Uh, thanks...so, you can go off on your date now."

"Yes, yes, of course." And just like that, his dad was out the door, and Matt climbed over the counter (there was a door, but he preferred not to use it), ready to get on the job. In the meantime, although he was getting rather tired, he got out his DS and started playing.

Both Sonic games, huh? The images of Sonic flashed in his mind again. Trying to get his mind away from all that, he switched the game to Animal Crossing, waiting for someone to arrive.

---

"Hello? Excuse me? Hello?"

Slowly Matt opened his eyes, wondering why it was so dark out. Wait...crap! He hadn't fallen asleep, had he? Looks like he did. Running his hand over his hair, he realized it was messed up even more now - not so great when you were at a service counter. But then, he had to get back on track. Bad hair or not.

"Uh...y-yes," he stammered, picking up the clipboard. "Name, please?"

"Rosenberg."

Rosenberg...Rosenberg...ah, right there. Oh, he was the guy using the basement, right? It said so on the sheet, at least. Something bothered him about the man's appearance; he knew he had seen this guy somewhere before. His was a rather...large man, with a prominent mustache, but...eh, forget it. It wasn't worth getting worked up about.

"Yes, yes..." He checked off the name, and opened the door through the counter. "If you want to start setting things up, the basement is right through here."

"Yes, thank you." The man began to walk toward the stairs, until something caught his eye. He paused for a second, and Matt found that for some reason, he was staring intently at...his duffle bag?

"Uh....why are you looking at..."

"May I see what's in that bag?"

Boy, what a rude question! "Uh, no. It's mine. I'd prefer it if you didn't look in there." Quickly, he locked the bag in the cabinet under the desk, and urged Mr. Rosenberg to get down to the basement and set up his equipment. Now something about that guy's attitude was really bothering him...

Something about him was just so familiar, and he couldn't figure it out at all. He looked at the clipboard again; Mr. Rosenberg was the last person staying here today, so Matt figured he could turn in for the night. He grabbed the duffle bag out of the cabinet, walked into the employee bedroom behind him, and after changing into his PJs, plopped into his bed.

---

Although Matt had dozed off for a bit, now he couldn't sleep. At all.

A strange noise had woken him up...and since then, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Struggling to stay still, yet completely unable to, he finally gave up and grabbed his DS, having nothing else to do but play Animal Crossing.

Oh, great. Resetti. He must've forgotten to save the game before he fell asleep. The music hurt his ears. Forget Animal Crossing, he didn't want to deal with Resetti. He got up, opened his duffle bag, and plopped it near the bottom...only to notice something.

It was undeniable. No matter how much he felt around in his bag for it, it wasn't there.

The. Jewel. Was. Gone.

He couldn't believe it. It had just been there! Did it disappear? Was it stolen? This was bad, this was very, very bad...

Suddenly, though, images were beginning to appear in his head. Lord, not again...this was already getting weird, and now it happens again... As the images became clearer, he saw the man from earlier - Mr. Rosenburg. To his shock, he saw Rosenburg sneak into his room, take the gem out of the bag, and sneak back out again. Unfortunately, he happened to trip over the DS he had left on the floor...and as soon as Matt woke up, he rushed out of the room as fast as he could, leaving Matt wondering what happened.

The last image he saw...was one of Dr. Eggman.

Oh my god. This couldn't be happening. Did that...did that really happen? Was he going crazy? And Rosenburg looked so much like Eggman...or Robotnik, or whatever. It was making his head hurt!

His instincts were pulling weird tricks again. This time they told him to go to the basement and stop whatever might be going on there. He didn't want to get himself in a mess, but if his visions were true...what on earth did he want the azure stone for? He again questioned if it was really what Miles had thought it was...

...Chaos...Emerald...?

Well...there was only one way to find out, right? Slowly, his heart pounding, he snuck into the hallway and opened the basement door, which creaked much more than he would've liked. The stairs creaked even more, but even so, something in his mind told him to keep going. Slowly...slowly...he was approaching the bottom...slowly...

He couldn't believe what he saw. The equipment was so complex! There he saw the jewel, hooked up to several wires. A large monitor was displaying all kinds of data he couldn't understand if he tried, and Mr. Rosenburg was taking notes, concentrating intensely.

Unfortunately for Matt, he accidentally let out a "Woah..." and Rosenburg had heard it. Although Matt covered his mouth as fast as he could, it didn't help to hide himself at all, and he began shaking nervously as he was discovered.

"What are you doing here?" the scientist asked blankly.

Matt was silent. His heart was beating at one million BPM, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get any words out of his mouth. But as he looked at that aura - that hypnotic, sky-colored aura - somehow he calmed down a bit, and was able to take a deep breath. With a tone of confidence, he finally said...

"I want it back," he declared, "and I'm going to get it back."

Rosenburg simply smirked, which made Matt a tiny bit angry inside. "All right, boy, you want it?" he taunted. "Come and get it."

Matt sighed. There was no way he could turn back now. With all his might, anger building up, he ran blindly toward the gem...only to be grabbed by the shirt collar.

Then the man pressed a button, and suddenly he felt some high-tech type of handcuffs form around his wrists. He then proceeded to set Matt down on the floor, where he wouldn't be able to get up.

"That's what mischevious boys get for trying to get involved in adult jobs," Rosenburg taunted. "Make yourself comfortable; you won't be getting up anytime soon."

Matt tried, but it was extremely difficult to get out of this position without the use of his hands. He sighed.

This obviously wasn't going well.

---

Chapter 2 should be done soon! And if it's not, make sure to nag me as much as possible, 'kay? ;) See ya then!