Chapter 9: Buried Treasure
Gemerl soon arrived at the source of the energy reading he had picked up on.
Cream run up to him feeling a bit exhausted. "Is everything okay, Gemerl?"
Tails stumbles into Cream shortly after they arrive. "Sorry, Cream." He helps her up. "I think what Gemerl Found is the same thing on my radar."
"What is it? Where is it?"
Marine walks up behind them. "I'll tell ya where it is." She points down. "It's right below us."
Tails grabs a shovel. "Whatever it is, it's buried in this exact spot."
Cream holds her own shovel as she looks at Marine. "Do you need one, Ms. Marine?"
The raccoon shook her head no. "I got a better idea than a shovel." She then stood right on top of the dirt where the readings were coming from.
"What is she…?"
Tails shushes her. "She's about to move the earth beneath her."
Marine takes a deep breath as she kneels down with her hands on the dirt. After a few seconds, the ground around her started to shake.
Cream goes over to Gemerl holding onto him.
Tails flies above the ground as he observes the sight.
The raccoon raises her arms up slowly causing the ground beneath her to rise.
Cream watches in awe at her power. "Wow."
Tails scans the dirt that was lifted from the ground. "It's in here."
Marine then slams her palm into the earth beneath her feet causing it to crumble into pieces.
"Great work, Marine."
Gemerl and Cream then start searching the remains of the rubble looking for the source of the strange reading.
Tails scans around finding it. "Here it is." He reaches into the rubble and pulls out a familiar rock.
Cream tilts her head. "A Chaos Emerald? Here?"
Marine picks it up looking closely at it.
Tails was confused. "Marine? Is something wrong?"
The raccoon doesn't respond as she looks closer at the Chaos Emerald. Just when it got close to her eyes, a series of images flash before her eyes causing her to drops the gem. "Ahh!"
Tails catches the emerald looking at his friend. "What's wrong?"
"I… I saw…everything."
Cream holds her hand worried. "What was it?"
"Thirteen bad guys. Just like Ardin said. All fitted with black hoods like him and Metal Blaze."
Tails scratches his chin a bit. "The emerald must've provided you with premonition. Whatever you saw could happen."
Marine sits down. "I saw them wielding all seven Chaos Emeralds. One of them had some kind of glove with them all inserted into it."
The three of them soon heard an applause coming from behind them. They all look back to see Ardin clapping.
"So you finally realized our goal. The power to end all power in this world."
Marine stomps the ground trapping the feline in rock.
Ardin chuckles. "You really don't grasp the gravity of the situation. I'm only one of thirteen. We're all over looking for these gems. No one can stop us from reaching our goal." He then hears trembling.
Cream looks down as the ground starts cracking. "What's happening?"
Tails feels it starting to cave in. "It's hollow!"
Ardin laughs. "Looks like if I go down you go with me."
Marine growls. "This isn't the end!"
The ground beneath them suddenly collapses as all of them fall into a dark abyss below.
