Chapter 20: Skeleton Ameisenbär!

The next day, the kids got up and packed up their supplies, ready to move on to the Cave of the Unknown Monster.

"Are we there yet?" Alfred asked.

"No," said Knuckles.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No!" Knuckles slashed at Alfred, almost cutting some of the boy's hair.

"Wow, that's amazing! Perfect aim!" Alfred exclaimed in amazement.

"What are you talking about?" Knuckles said irritably. "I missed."

Alfred gulped.

"Al, will you quit being a bloody git?" Arthur said.

"Sorry, Iggy," said Alfred.

Some time later...

"Good news, everybody," Knuckles said, smiling at the kids and his friends. "We're almost there. Won't be long now."

"Awesome!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"Finally," said Roderich. "I'm getting tired of walking."

"Roddy, stop being lazy," said Ludwig.

"Shut up, LuLu," Roderich retorted childishly.

"Lizzie, he called me LuLu!" Ludwig whined.

"Will the both of you stop?" said an exasperated Elizabeta.

"What are you guys fighting about?" asked a girl with pink hair and dull gray eyes, clad in a black robe. This girl wore a monotone expression on her face that was very unlike any other twelve-to-fourteen-year-old child.

"This is none of your business, little girl," said Roderich. "This concerns me and my idiot cousin, Mudgig."

"My fucking name's not Mudgig! It's Ludwig! L-U-D-W-I-G! Get it right, motherfucker!" Ludwig shouted, getting in Roderich's face.

"Colorful vocabulary, Lui," Nina said with a chuckle.

"Please, don't fight," said the pink-haired girl. "I don't think I can deal with fighting right now."

"Then go away," said Roderich.

"That's not nice!" said Katyusha. She turned and spoke to the girl. "My name's Katyusha Braginski. What's your name?"

"Crona," the girl replied.

"What are you doing around here, Crona?" Amy asked.

"A talking pink hedgehog!" Crona said, backing away from Amy and hiding behind Katyusha. "I don't think I can deal with that right now!"

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you," said Amy.

"Guys, we have to keep moving," said Knuckles.

"Oh, right," said Amy. She and the others headed for the Cave of the Unknown Monster.

"Hey, Crona, why don't you come with us?" asked Harley.

"Uh, okay," Crona replied. She followed the kids to their destination.

The kids arrived at the cave.

"Aaaaahhhh! A dark cave with unknown things in it! I don't think I can deal with that right now!" said Crona.

"Nothing in there's gonna hurt you," said an annoyed Sonic.

"Come on," said Knuckles. He was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists to keep from attacking Crona.

Once in the cave, everyone had to stay close for fear of getting separated in this place. Ludwig grabbed on tight to both Roderich and Gilbert's hands, with absolutely no intention of letting go any time soon. Amy and Tails held onto Sonic, while Rouge climbed on Knuckles' back again. Vash and Elizabeta ended up having to hold hands, and Crona held onto Katyusha, who was holding onto Ivan and Natalia. Feliks and Toris clung to each other, as did the Vargas and Jones brothers, and even the Honda brothers, and Francis and Antonio (mainly because Tony wanted to keep Francis from trying to touch Roddy's butt). Nina, Harley, Sharnid, Felli and Layfon were holding onto each other as well.

"I wonder if we'll get to see what kind of monster lives in this cave," Gilbert said.

"Me, too," said Alfred.

"Me three," said Sharnid.

"I hope we don't," Roderich and Yao said in unison.

"Protect me, Brother. I'm scared," said Natalia.

"Don't worry, Natalia," said Ivan. "Katyusha and I will protect you."

"Yeah. Your big brother and sister are here," said Katyusha.

"Like, don't worry Liet. I'll totally protect you from the cave monster," said Feliks.

"Thanks, Feliks," Toris replied.

"Don't be scared, Knuckles," said Rouge.

"I'm not scared," said Knuckles.

"Then how come your knees are shaking?" Rouge asked teasingly.

"Those are your knees, Rouge," said Knuckles. "And will you get off my back? I'm not your donkey."

"But Knucky-pooooo—" Rouge whined.

"Quiet! I heard something!" said Lovino.

Soon, all the kids could hear the sound of something growling behind them.

"I'm scared, Tony," Francis said.

"Me, too," said Antonio.

"Don't worry,' Gilbert said to Ludwig. "Your awesome big brother will protect you from—" Gilbert turned around, ready to fight, when he saw a skeleton of an anteater snarling and glaring at him! "Skeleton anteater!"

"Shit!" said Knuckles. "I've got it." He punched the anteater, and the bones scattered all over the place.

"That wasn't pretty," said Tails.

"You can say that again," Layfon said, looking at the scattered skeleton.

"But it had to be done," said Sonic.

but the anteater didn't stay down for long; it started to regenerate, causing the others to get really scared.

"Oh no, the anteater's coming back to life! I don't think I can deal with that right now!" said Crona.

"Shut up, Crona!" said Arthur.

"Guys...ruuuuuuuunnnnnn!" Vash shouted.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" the whole group screamed. They started running from the anteater.

Micchu Pachu is a-gonna get you

A ghostly, ghastly anteater

Micchu Pachu is a-gonna eat you for breakfast, lunch and dinner

The kids continued running and ended up bumping into the anteater, all the while listening to Crona's annoying "I don't think I can deal with that right now!"

He's over here, he's over there, the anteater is everywhere

Look out! Don't you shout!

He's up and down, he's all around

You cannot hide 'cause you'll be found, no doubt

You better shout!

Gilbert screamed as he, Roderich and Ludwig clung to each other.

"I don't think I can deal with this!" said Crona.

The kids continued running, trying to evade the scary anteater.

Micchu Pachu is a-gonna get you

A ghostly, ghastly anteater

Micchu Pachu is a-gonna eat you

For breakfast, lunch and dinner

A ghostly, ghastly anteater

The kids finally made it out of the cave.

"That...that was...close," said Knuckles.

"Yeah..." said Sonic.

"Wait a minute," said Roderich. "We're one short."

"Who?" Toris asked.

"Yeah, who?" Felli asked.

"Crona!" said Vash.

Crona's voice was heard from inside the cave. "Hello? Guys? Get me out of here. I don't think I can deal with being in a dark cave all by myself. Anyone? Hello?"

"Oh no!" said Matthew.

"Don't worry, Crona!" Alfred called. "The hero's coming!" He was running to the cave, and stopped when he heard the anteater growling loudly and Crona screaming. "Oh no...it got her. Some hero I am, huh?"

Arthur went over and led Alfred back over to the others. "It's okay, Al. You did your best."

"Let's just go," said a very scared Elizabeta.

"Right," everyone else agreed. They all walked away from the cave, shaken up from their ordeal in the Cave of the Unknown Monster.

"Where are we headed now?" Kiku asked Knuckles.

"The Bridge of Death," said Knuckles.

Author's Note: "Skeleton Ameisenbär" is German for "Skeleton Anteater".