Chapter 16: Lava Mountain

The Sea Fox slowly ascended from the depths of the Aquatic Ruins Zone, the sun above reflecting off the glass casing protecting Tails from the elements. The young kitsune allowed his eyes to adjust to the natural light before opening the hatch. Pulling himself out of the vessel, he rested on top, using his arms for balance as he took in the fresh mountain air all around him.

Closing his eyes, he basked in the sun, allowing weariness to take hold as he shut his eyes, unaware of the biplane flying high above.

Landing the Tornado nearby, Sonic approached the steep stone shore, looking at the vessel from afar.

"Hey Tails!" Sonic shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "I'm here to pick ya up! You okay?" He heard nothing, but he was able to make out the orange fox sleeping peacefully on top of the Sea Fox, appearing perfectly healthy.

"Hmmm…" The blue hedgehog itched a gloved finger under his chin as he looked around. Noticing a rock the size of a Chaos Emerald, Sonic smirked as he kicked it across the water, splashing a few meters away from the submarine. The blue hedgehog pumped his fist in accomplishment as he saw his young brother wake from his nap.

"Hey, buddy!" Sonic yelled, waving his hand. "Over here!"

"Huh?" Tails rubbed his eyes before looking around the perimeter, trying to identify the source of the shouting. "…Sonic?" Using a hand to cover his eyes from the sunlight, the young kitsune spotted his older brother waving at him from dry land.

"Sonic!" Tails got up and pulled the cyan gem out of his utility belt, waving it for the blue hedgehog to see. He could make out his older brother giving a celebratory breakdance from afar, causing him to chuckle as he slipped the emerald back into his belt, dropped down to his knees, and paddled back to shore with his arms.

"You did good, Tails!" Sonic exclaimed as he pulled his younger brother out of the vessel.

"Oh, it wasn't a big deal…" Tails looked away, a smile on his face as he gently blushed and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"You encounter any trouble down there?" Sonic asked, rubbing the base of his nose before folding his arms.

"Not really…" Tails looked away once more, not sure how to describe his narrow escape.

"Not really?" Sonic sat down along the stone drop off, plunging his feet into the water. He patted the ground to his left, beckoning Tails to join him.

"Your feet are getting wet though." Tails approached the blue hedgehog by the side as he slowly lowered himself to the ground.

"Relax, bud. These are waterproof, remember? Designed by the smartest guy I know."

"Well, I suppose…" Itching the back of his head once more, he chuckled under his breath as he took a seat next to his brotherly companion, allowing his sneakers to dangle below the water's surface alongside Sonic's shoes.

"So tell me about your riveting adventure." Sonic smiled as he placed his arm around Tails' shoulder, pulling him in closer.

"Well," Tails began, "I came across an underwater tunnel with a breathable, spacious cavern. The cyan emerald was just sitting in there on a pedestal nearly identical to the one Rockefeller owned."

"You don't say." Sonic nodded his head a few times as he put two and two together. "It was Eggman, wasn't it?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Tails gestured his hand forward. The two chuckled before the orange fox continued his story. He explained how he was able to thwart the evil doctor's pedestal weight mechanism, spoke with Eggman through a communications system installed in the tunnel, and escaped within seconds of his life after Robotnik set off his explosives.

Sonic whistled as he patted the fox's shoulder.

"Looks like you got out of there without a scratch, huh?"

"I did," Tails replied as he looked over at the docked submarine nearby, "but the same can't be said for the Sea Fox." Gesturing toward the vessel, Sonic observed the small paint scratches and minor dings from the rocks that fell over it during their perilous escape.

"I'm sure ya can buff it out later, and besides," Sonic turned around, "the only thing that really matters is that you're safe and sound." The blue hedgehog smiled at his younger brother, who returned it with a grin of his own and a thumbs up.

"I learned from the best." Tails pulled his soggy feet from the water and extended an arm out, allowing Sonic to grab hold before pulling him up.

"How's your arm doing, Sonic?" Tails glanced at the blue hedgehog's sprained right arm.

"Ya know, I think it's gettin' better." Sonic moved it about as he massaged his shoulder. "Still kinda sore, but I'll manage."

"Maybe you should sit out the next one," Tails suggested as he approached his submarine. Giving a short vocal command, the Sea Fox transformed back into T-Fox, retracted its helicopter-like wings, and hovered in place above the water.

"Nah, I think I'm good. I'm sure Eggman won't have anything too worrisome up his sleeve, and besides," Sonic peered down at his little brother and rustled his hair, "I wanna protect ya, even if my arm isn't at a hundred percent."

Sighing to himself, the orange kitsune knew it was useless to try convincing Sonic otherwise.

"Let's go, T-Fox." Tails gestured his arm forward, commanding his robotic creation to follow the brotherly duo as they made their way back to the Tornado 2.

"Ouch!"

Bokkun dropped his ladle in a pot of bubbling soup. Cleaning the broth splashed across his arm, he sighed before returning to work.

"Bokkun!"

The small messenger robot spun around on the tall barstool and faced Eggman, who had leaned over to inspect the food boiling on the stovetop. Nodding slightly as if in approval, he stepped back and faced the kitchen door once more.

"I expect my dinner in five minutes. If I don't get nourishment soon, I'll run out of steam! And a man of such intelligence as myself needs as much fuel as he can hold to keep his brain going." The doctor walked out, having repeated an iteration of the same speech he always gave whenever he was feeling particularly hungry.

"I know exactly where you can shove your brain…" he muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Eggman peeked his head back into the kitchen.

"Ohhh, ummm…" Bokkun raised a single hand behind his head. "I said 'dinner is almost ready, sir'." Sweat rolled down his face as the evil doctor eyed him suspiciously.

"That's more like it." Eggman turned to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of soda from within. "Oh, and don't forget to feed that rabbit and her miserable pet." Kicking the fridge door from behind, he returned to his command center.

Sighing to himself once more, Bokkun grabbed the ladle and mixed the concoction. Taking a whiff, he filled two bowls, placed a spoon in them, set the soup on a tray, and walked out of the kitchen with the meals.

"Guess I should get this over with." Looking down at the soup with a downcast face, he slowly walked toward the staircase leading to the holding chambers. In his daze, he imagined the bits of meat, noodles, and vegetables forming the shape of a small, cute bunny not unlike Cream the Rabbit. Blushing to himself, he shook his head, returning to reality.

"Face it, Bokkun," he said as he walked down the stairs, carefully holding the tray in his hands, "Eggman will always come first. Always has. Always will…" Setting the tray down after reaching the base of the steps, he used his jetpack to fly up to the nearby door handle, turning it as he opened the door to reveal a narrow path of holding chambers. Grabbing the food once more, he walked to Cream's cell and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Cream stood up from her bed and pressed a flappy ear against her side of the door.

"It's…me…" Bokkun unlocked the door, his face blushing red. The bunny opened it moments after hearing the click of the locking mechanism.

"Well if it isn't Bokkun!" She smiled as she let her guest into the small cell.

"I…have your dinner…" The messenger robot raised the tray. Curiously peering down at the contents, Cream took a whiff.

"Smells delicious!" She said in a cheerful voice. "Here, you can set it down on the bed here."

"Okay…" Bokkun carefully stepped into the bunny's holding chamber and did as he was instructed. Cream reached for her bowl but quickly pulled her hands away.

"Careful!" Bokkun exclaimed as he dove forward, grabbed Cream's arms, and inspected her hands. "You okay? Did you get hurt?"

"Oh…" Cream looked down at Bokkun's hands with a flushed face. "I'm okay…the gloves kept my hands safe."

"Okay…" Bokkun pulled his hand away and rubbed the back of his head. The two stared awkwardly toward opposite corners of the room.

"I should probably get going. Eggman expects his soup on the double."

"Wait!" Cream exclaimed before patting the bedside. "Sit for a minute. It'll be nice to talk to someone besides Cheese for a change." Cream looked over at the chao, who sat next to her on the bed with a furrowed brow and arms folded, not amused by their master's words. "Sorry, Cheese." She chuckled nervously with her eyes closed.

"I suppose I have a minute or two…" Bokkun replied nervously as Cream reached for her bowl once more, this time cool enough to be held. She blew into the broth and took a bite.

"Woah, this is really good! You make this yourself?" Cream's face radiated with a warm smile.

"Well, I just followed the instructions on the can." Bokkun blushed as he placed a hand behind his head.

"I miss my momma's cooking, though." The young bunny set her spoon down and looked at her reflection in the broth below. "She makes the best roasts, and stews, and cookies, and—"

"Did you say cookies?" Bokkun looked at her with wide, glistening, beady eyes.

"And not just cookies," Cream continued, spinning the soup around with her spoon. "She also makes muffins, cakes, and her specialty..." the young bunny looked into Bokkun's eyes with a small grin. "pies."

"Pies?" The messenger robot's tongue flopped out of his mouth.

"Yep!" Cream replied, cracking a smile. "And with your help, we could go home and have some. I'm sure my mom would be thrilled to meet my new boyfriend."

"B…b…boy…friend?" Bokkun was frozen, unable to fathom Cream's words.

"Of course! You like me, right?" The rabbit placed her palm against the robot's hand.

"Ummmm…" Bokkun was speechless, looking away from the bunny as sweat dripped from his forehead. "Y…yes…"

"And you want to meet my mother and try her pie?"

"…Y…yes." The messenger robot slowly nodded his head.

"Then let's go!" Jumping off the bed, allowing her soup bowl to crash against the hard floor, Cream placed Cheese on her shoulder with one hand and grabbed Bokkun by the other as she ran out of the holding chamber.

"Wait!" Bokkun yelled, reluctantly moving his feet so he wouldn't be dragged off. "We shouldn't be doing this! We'll get in trouble."

"Don't you want to be rid of Eggman for good?" the energized bunny asked, keeping her attention on the corridor ahead of her as she ran up the stairs.

"I…" Bokkun began. "I…don't know…"

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" Cream turned a corner as the trio left the stairwell.

"I just…don't…" Tears began to well up in Bokkun's beady eyes. "I…" Wiping away the moisture with his free hand, he furrowed his brow before running past Cream, this time pulling her from the front. "I know the quickest way out. Just follow my lead."

Cream's mouth fell agape, surprised at Bokkun's sudden reversal. Releasing her hand from his grip, she ran alongside him, winking as she gave a thumbs up.

Climbing down several flights of stairs, narrowly avoiding congregated groups of loitering Egg Pawns, and bypassing security cameras the henchman knew by heart, the two made their way to the entrance of the base. Approaching a small keyboard near the set of front doors, Bokkun input a complex passphrase.

"Now we can escape without worrying about security!" the robot said, facing the direction of the doors.

"Good job, Bokkun!"

"Ahhh, it was nothin' really…" He blushed once more before shaking himself out of it. "But we gotta go. Eggman will be looking for me any minute, and he's especially furious when he's hungry."

Nodding her head, the bunny followed Bokkun out of the base, running past various mechs which patrolled the perimeter but didn't bother attacking. Reaching the outer gate, Bokkun pulled Cream in close from behind.

"Bokkun, what're you—" She was cut off as the robot activated his jetpack, propelling the two over the gate. Bokkun gently released his grip against the bunny once they were safely on the other side.

"Are you okay, Cream?"

"That was neat!" A smile covered her muzzle once more. "We should do that again!"

"Chao, chao!" Cheese added from her shoulder.

"Yeah!" Bokkun looked back at Eggman's headquarters before turning his attention back to the young bunny. "But we should get far away from here first. Don't wanna be spotted in the sky by Eggman's cameras." As the two made their way through the thick trees surrounding the perimeter, Cream blushed as her mind wondered, eventually stopping in her tracks.

Maybe I am falling for him after all?

"You coming?" Bokkun turned around to see Cream staring off into space.

"Ohh." The young rabbit shook her head to clear her mind. "Yes." Sighing, she jogged toward the messenger robot, walking alongside before she clasped her hand between his own as they widened the gap between themselves and Robotnik's base.

The early afternoon sun was high in the sky, providing warmth to the animal inhabitants of Angel Island as a light breeze filled the air with the natural smells of the outdoors.

Breathing in deeply, followed by a long sigh, Knuckles laid on top of the Master Emerald overlooking his cabin. With one leg crossed over the other, and his hands serving as a pillow, the red echidna absorbed the sun's rays as he peacefully took time to relax.

Snap.

Knuckles' eyes shot open as he swiftly pulled himself up and peered down at the trees surrounding the shrine. Jumping off the large gem, he looked closely to find a squirrel running across a tree branch. Circling the area around the shrine, he found no intruders.

"I need to chill…" Sighing to himself, the red echidna leaned against the Master Emerald, looking off into the distance, observing the clearing surrounding his cabin and the waters below the edge of the floating island. "I have no reason to believe Eggman's after the Master Emerald, and Rouge seems to be playin' nice…for now…" Knuckles kicked a small pebble down the stone staircase. "I guess I should be thinking about what to do about that date…maybe I should ask Amy if I need to bring a gift? Gahhh, I'd rather be a hermit talking to a large gemstone than thinking 'bout girls…"

Sitting himself down next to the mystical emerald, Knuckles folded his legs and placed his arms against his sides as he began to rhythmically breathe.

"Maybe some meditation will help me clear my mind…"

Sighing once more, he hummed as he froze his arms, allowing all the tension to evaporate from his chest as he kept his back straight and eyes closed. All his worries dissolved as he took in the crisp air. Thoughts of Eggman, Rouge, the missing Chaos Emeralds, Sonic and Tails, the date, and everything else left his mind as the Master Emerald began to soothe him.

Ring ring! Ring ring! Ring ring!

A vein grew along the red echidna's forehead as his eyelid twitched, attempting to ignore the communicator buzzing against his wrist. It ceased after a few more rings, allowing Knuckles to return to his meditation. Moments later, it rang again. He groaned to himself as he lifted his wrist and pressed a few buttons on the communicator, prompting it to project an image of the orange kitsune.

"What is it, Tails?" Knuckles was particularly terse.

"Thank goodness you answered!" Tails looked at the camera lens built into the dashboard of the biplane. "Sonic and I are on our way to the Lava Reef Zone, and we wanted to ask for your help."

"Well sure. What's your ETA?"

"Five minutes." Tails itched the base of his nose with one hand while grasping the yoke with the other.

"I'll be ready." Knuckles abruptly ended the call. He stretched his arms and legs before gliding off the shrine, heading toward the bonfire site near the island's edge, waiting for the Tornado to fly on by.

"Hey Sonic," Tails asked through his intercom, which transmitted his voice to the blue hedgehog balancing on the leftmost wing.

"Yeah, little buddy?" Sonic turned his attention to the cockpit, the air whooshing through his quills as he used his arms to maintain balance.

"If Lava Reef Zone is located on Angel Island, why didn't we just go there first?" Blankly staring back at his younger brother, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Beats me, you're the cap'n." Tails chuckled, realizing he was the one who charted the path to Casino Night Zone in the first place.

"Well, at least now we know what to expect: some sort of booby-trap with the emerald sitting there as bait." Tails raised a gloved hand to his chin, keeping his other hand on the yoke. "Knuckles isn't gonna be happy an Eggman robot infiltrated his island undetected."

"Maybe we just…don't tell him?" Sonic emulated the orange kitsune, raising a gloved hand to his muzzle as well.

"I dunno…" Tails' face tensed up. "I don't like keeping secrets."

"Just think of it as a way to lower his stress." Sonic gave the young fox a thumbs up. After thinking it over, Tails nodded his head and returned the gesture. "In speaking of Knuckles…" The blue hedgehog pointed toward the floating island. "Looks like we're almost there…and I think I see Knuckles! He's giving us a…thumbs down? What does that mean?" Sonic gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"I think it means he wants us to lower our altitude so he can jump on."

"Ohh…that makes sense." Sonic relaxed his muscles as he realized the gesture wasn't a challenge. "The last thing I need now is gettin' on Knucklehead's bad side." Sonic rotated his right arm, wincing slightly as he held it up with his left.

"Lowering altitude now…" The fox pushed the yoke forward slightly, angling the biplane so it would fly below Angel Island by the time they reached the edge. "Looks like we'll be having one extra passenger!"

"Ah yeah, now this is happenin!" Sonic exclaimed as Tails got the plane in position. With impeccable timing, the party spotted Knuckles gliding toward them just as the young kitsune leveled off the plane. Keeping the Tornado steady, Tails flew in a straight line parallel to Knuckle's descending path.

Grabbing hold of the rightmost wing, Knuckles flipped himself around and pulled himself up, pinwheeling his arms to keep his balance before turning to Tails in the cockpit and Sonic on the opposite wing.

"Afternoon, fellas. Looks like you're in need of an expert treasure hunter." The red echidna grinned.

"Indeed!" Tails winked from the pilot's seat as Sonic gave him a thumbs up. "Angel Island's pretty big, so I'm not sure the best place to land. Mind guiding us?" Tails swooped the Tornado around and flew over the floating island.

"Sure thing." Knuckles crossed his arms and observed the trees surrounding the large volcano near the center. "There are some flatlands just to the north." Tails nodded as he furrowed his brow and began the biplane's descent. As Knuckles indicated, a strip of land was available to the young kitsune to land. Taking advantage, he lowered the landing gear and meticulously grounded the aircraft, allowing it to roll to a stop.

"All right, Knuckles," Sonic said as the gang dropped to the grass below, "what's the best way in?"

"If you'd like to skip the old mining tunnels, we can just enter through the volcano's mouth."

"Sounds scary," Tails replied, looking up at the mountainous structure with a shiver.

"No need to worry," Knuckles assured, patting the young fox's shoulder, "the volcano hasn't been active since Eggman occupied it."

"Whew." Tails sighed, wiping his brow. "Well, if the quickest way is through the mouth, then let's fly!"

"Ah yeah, now we're talkin'!" Sonic gave his younger brother a fist bump as the orange kitsune began spinning his namesakes, hovering above the ground shortly after.

"Wait…what's goin' on?" Knuckles asked, looking at the brotherly duo in confusion.

"You down for tryin' a new formation, Knucklehead?" Sonic asked as he clasped Tails' legs. The young fox ascended higher, allowing the blue hedgehog to dangle several feet from the ground.

"Ah, I get it." Knuckles completed the chain, hanging from Sonic's legs as Tails carried the weight of his two friends toward the mouth of the volcano. The burden forced Tails to travel at a slow pace, using the gentle breeze to help aid his ascension, eventually reaching the volcano's rim. He slowly approached the earthy, rocky surface, allowing Knuckles to plant his feet on the rim before swerving a few meters to his left, depositing Sonic before eventually dropping himself.

"You…need to…lay off…the chili dogs…Sonic…" Tails cracked a smirk as Sonic's face twisted in faux offense.

"Maybe if you'd stop buyin' the fixins at the store, I wouldn't be such a big chonker." Sonic patted his belly, emphasizing his gut as the party erupted in laughter.

Knuckles peered down the volcano's mouth with his arms folded. Kicking a small pebble into the hole, they waited several moments before eventually hearing the sound of the rock crashing against a hard surface at the bottom. Sonic whistled as he placed his hands against his hips.

"That sure is one big fall." Sonic looked over at the red echidna. "We're followin' your lead."

"All right, here's the plan." The three huddled in, crossing their arms over their shoulders like football players. "I'll climb down with my knuckles while you two float down as a pair. Sound good?"

"Roger," Sonic and Tails replied simultaneously. The three fist bumped before breaking away, peering down the volcanic mouth once more.

"I never realized just how much of a number Eggman did to the volcano." Looking more closely, Sonic observed the crumbling inner-ring of the volcano, damaged by the Death Egg as it fell from space during one of their prior adventures. Indeed, from an aerial view, the volcano's mouth was significantly wider than it would've been naturally.

"Given the force, I'm surprised the volcano is still standing." Tails nodded as he flew up once more, grabbing Sonic's gloved hands and descending into the volcano. Knuckles followed, sliding down with a single fist against the side.

Clearing the vent, the brotherly duo watched in wonder as the walls of the Lava Reef Zone glowed purple, aided by the flickering, molten magma bubbling at the bottom below several artificial, metal platforms, a remnant left over from Robotnik's brief stay. Hovering between long stalagmites dotting the cavernous ceiling, they descended to the floor below, Sonic's shoes clanging against the turquoise platform as he let go of Tails' legs, allowing him to land alongside. The red echidna soon joined them, brushing the pebbles caking his knuckles against his arms.

"What's the detector say 'bout the emerald, Tails?" Sonic asked, itching the base of his noes as the orange kitsune raised his wrist near his face and pressed a few buttons. A projection of the detector application hovered over his watch, allowing the party to see the blinking dot a short distance away from their current location.

"According to my calculations," Tails replied, looking at the image closely, "the gem should be right up these stairs." Pointing toward the path ahead, the party observed the metal platforms gradually forming into steps. "And it should be infinitely safer than the last time we were here."

"Unless Eggman pulls another stunt," Sonic replied, planting a gloved fist against the palm of his other hand.

"What stunt?" Knuckles asked, looking toward the brotherly duo.

"Well, you see…" Tails shifted his legs as he placed a hand behind his back, "Eggman already had the first two missing emeralds and tried to bait us with them."

"The first one was tryin' to get us to lose a gambling bet," Sonic continued, "and the second nearly sank Tails in the Aquatic Ruins Zone."

"I see," Knuckles replied, crossing his arms as he closed his eyes. "So that must mean…" Growing quiet to connect two and two together, his eyes shot open as a blood vessel protruded along the side of his forehead. "EGGMAN! YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET AWAY WITH INFILTRATING MY ISLAND, YOU F…"

"Wait!" the brothers yelled, grabbing the red echidna before he could march up the turquoise stairs.

"We need to approach the emerald with a clear head, Knucklehead," Sonic said, restraining him from his left.

"Sonic's right, Knuckles," Tails said from his right. "If it's anything like the first two, we need to tread carefully."

Eventually calming down, the red echidna loosened his arms and sighed as his two companions let go.

"Either way, he is going to regret ever stepping foot on my island. Come on, guys." Knuckles furrowed his brow as he waved his hand forward, beckoning Sonic and Tails to follow him up the stairs. Climbing the platforms, they came to a flat metallic clearing with a pedestal sitting at the center. Magma bubbled below as the walls glowed a deeper shade of purple.

"Just as we thought," Tails said, stepping forward to observe the yellow Chaos Emerald protected by a glass casing. Unlike the other ones, however, this pedestal had a keyboard and a digital password screen blinking above it. "Ah, this one should be a cinch!" Scanning the pedestal, he observed its internal schematics, revealing nothing of interest save for the computer components that comprised the locking system. Pressing a few more buttons, a set of digits appeared over the diagram.

"Okay…" Tails stepped toward the keyboard. "EggmanisPo$itivelyperilouzz." Clicking the confirmation key, the screen turned green as the glass casing opened, allowing him to pluck the gem out from within.

"Hmmm…" Sonic rubbed his chin. "This almost seems too easy."

"Right you are, you little blue swine!"

The trio turned their heads, looking around the room for the source of the voice.

"I'm right here, you fools!" Looking up, they saw a television descend from above, hovering over them with miniature helicopter wing-like apparatuses. "You may've cracked my passphrase, but don't expect to leave the Lave Reef Zone alive!"

"Oh yeah?" Sonic asked, placing his hands on his hips. "If you're so confident, why don't you face us mono y mono? Or are you jus' gonna hide at that little base of yours with a little kid as your hostage?"

"You think you're such a wise guy, don't you, rodent?" Eggman stroked his orange moustache. "But I'm late for lunch, so we can either continue throwing insults at each other, or you can meet your doom quickly so I can satiate my appetite." He laughed maniacally as he showed the party a remote controller. "Now all I got to do is push this button…" Robotnik proceeded to press down on the red, circular trigger. Seconds later, the metallic plates under the party began to shake as the magma below started bubbling violently. "In a few moments, you'll be burned to a crisp, and don't even think about escaping from the volcano's mouth. Ta-ta!" The screen of the television went black as it crashed to the floor.

"If we don't escape now, we won't make it!" Tails exclaimed. "C'mon, grab my legs so we can fly outta—" His order was interrupted by the sound of shaking up above. The party looked up to find the mouth of the volcano closing in, a circular metal door obstructing their only feasible exit.

"Well there goes that plan," Sonic complained, waving his hands forward. "Our last bet is cutting through the old mining entrance."

"Wait." Sonic and Tails froze in place as Knuckles' voice halted them in their tracks. "I have a plan. Just…sit down."

"Sit down?" Sonic asked. "Are you insane?"

"Just trust me, I know what I'm doing." Knuckles sighed as he sat himself down, crossed his legs, raised his arms slightly above his lap, and began to hum. The brotherly duo nervously sat on either side of the red echidna, watching as he called forth a mystical aura, a green mist forming around him.

"The severs are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power…power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos." His expressionless eyes glowed as the aura swirled around him.

"Master Emerald, I call upon you to calm the volcano's wrath spurred on by an evil foreign invader. Please, help us save the Lava Reef Zone and the animals who call your island their home. You're the only one who can help us now!"

The aura faded from the red echidna as the magma receded, the bubbles simmering down as the temperature returned from scorching to just regular hot. Placing his hands against his knees, Knuckles caught his breath as sweat rolled down his face.

"You did it, Knuckles!" Tails exclaimed, approaching the red echidna along with his hedgehog brother. "You saved us!" Reaching a hand down, Knuckles cracked a small grin as he grabbed hold, allowing the orange kitsune to pull him up.

"Too bad the Master Emerald couldn't open the door, too," Sonic said, pointing up at the artificial metal structure keeping the mouth closed.

"The Master Emerald just saved your life!" Knuckles yelled, losing his temper once more. "For someone who relies on the Chaos Emeralds more than anyone else, you sure don't seem to respect them!"

"Woah, cool your jets there, Knux," Sonic raised his hands, "I was jus' jokin' 'round is all."

"You can apologize to the Master Emerald when we get back." Huffing as he turned away from the blue hedgehog, he began walking to the metal stairs leading downward. "C'mon, we have a long trek through the mining tunnels." Sonic turned to Tails and shrugged before following the red echidna.

Looking down at the yellow Chaos Emerald in his hand, the young kitsune felt its mystical energy pulsing through his palm. Staring at it intently, he nodded his head as he deposited it into his utility belt, storing it snuggly next to the other three gems: the green emerald Rouge stole from Eggman's base, the blue gem from the Casino Night Zone, and the cyan stone from the Aquatic Ruins Zone. Zipping the compartment, he spun his namesakes as he flew forward to catch up to the blue hedgehog and the red echidna already heading for the exit.

"Gahhh!" Eggman slammed his fist against his control panel. "Why must those vermin always thwart my perfectly devious plans?!" Collecting himself, he ran a gloved hand through his orange moustache. "No matter…they've saved me the trouble of re-collecting the emeralds…once they've brought them to me, they'll cower at my ultimate power! Wooahhooohoohooo!" His bellowing laughter was disrupted by the sound of gurgling from his rotund belly.

"Where is my lunch? Bokkun should've brought it to me minutes ago!" Toggling through security camera feeds, he found the kitchen empty, as were the various hallways comprising the headquarters. Reaching the feed from his holding chamber, he found Cream's door wide open. Clicking through once more, he grew visibly angry at the sight of the little bunny's empty cell.

"Confound that Bokkun! Can't he do anything right?" Toggling through the rest of the feeds, he found the small messenger robot holding the young bunny against his chest as they flew across the outer fence.

"WHAAAAT!?" Slamming his fists against the dashboard once more, he yelled for his two robot servants.

"You called, Eggman?" Decoe asked.

"What is your command?" Bocoe added, standing next to his metallic brother.

"Bokkun has double-crossed me! He's escaping with Cream as we speak." Robotnik picked up a small cellphone-sized tablet from his dashboard. "Here." He threw it toward the two robots. Each grabbed for it, but they simultaneously fumbled the device, only managing to catch it together after slipping through their metallic hands several times. "Bokkun's probably too dumb to remember that I've installed a tracking chip into each of my robotic creations, so no matter where he goes, I'll be able to follow…" Eggman pointed toward Decoe and Bocoe. "Or should I say you will follow."

"Aye aye!" The two cried, saluting their creator before running out the room.

Eggman sighed as they left the room, leaning back against his chair as his stomach continued gurgling. Taking a gulp of his soda, he pulled up a pizza delivery website from his dashboard computer.

"I wasn't in the mood for stew anyway."

I hope you enjoyed chapter 16! Chapter 17 will be uploaded no later than Wednesday, November 18, 2020.

Meanwhile, chapter 5 of my other ongoing story, Tails and the Abandoned Fox Cubs, will be updated no later than Wednesday, November 11, 2020.