A/N: Well, this is my fourth chapter of 2021. I don't know if I'll fulfill my initial promise from the start of the year. Nevertheless, I wanted to get back into this story because an idea popped in my head as to where I want the final Emerald to be found. I originally had Isle Delfino in my outline, but that was a placeholder since the heroes have already explored a tropical island. Instead, you'll see for yourself.
Thank you all once again for waiting. Another huge shoutout goes to my friend, The Sensational SpiderDom321, for his recent feedback and help on this crossover. And I appreciate everyone else for reading and reviewing up to this point!
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Mario and Sonic franchises.
Chapter 52: It's Under Where?
~Bowser's Castle
From possessing one Chaos Emerald back to having none once again, it was a punch to the face for Bowser and Eggman. Nothing angered them more than their archrivals one-upping the competition and outsmarting them with their maneuvers. Knuckles, Shadow, and the remaining Mobians were rescued thanks to Mario, Sonic, and company, and they decided to let them be. There was no point to recapture again... Unless Bowser devised a new plan to abduct Princess Peach like he does every now and then.
And that's what he was trying to do at this moment.
After all, Eggman did say waiting it out might be beneficial for them. Jumping the gun would probably be okay or bad in the short term, but it wouldn't be clever nor good enough to accomplish their goals for the future. In fact, the Koopa King was brainstorming in his throne room, pacing to and fro in front of his royal chair. Inside the room with him was the Elite Trio, who were all back on duty to help the Koopa Klan fix the front door Jr. busted up.
"So..." Sergeant Guy awkwardly broke the silence. "Any potential ideas, Your Thoughtfulness?"
Corporal Paraplonk slightly jabbed him with his elbow. "Shh... He's still thinking."
"Oh, really? I thought he was writing a fancy haiku."
"Corporal. Sergeant. I need some peace and quiet," the king ordered.
"S-Sorry, Your Highness."
"At least I didn't get ridiculed," Private Goomp sighed in relief.
"You say that as you spilled the bucket of paint on the way to the front entrance," Paraplonk shook his head.
"Not to mention, you apparently can't tell the difference between left and right. They're two simple directions!" hissed Sergeant.
"I was not the one who broke Wendy's mirror!" Goomp exploded out of sheer anger.
"Private! Zip it!"
The Goomba shuddered from Bowser's loud demand and hid behind the other henchmen, crouching in between them. Despite not having hands or arms, he imitated a zipper, keeping his mouth completely shut.
Although it took him longer than he wanted, Bowser snapped his fingers. He finally developed an idea on how to steal the other Chaos Emeralds. But to begin, he wanted to track down the final one, wherever it was. Even if his minions fail to retrieve the last gem, he had a backup plan to put the heroes' names in mud.
"Elite Trio!" Bowser called for attention, earning some worried looks. "Tell Dr. Eggman to meet me here, pronto. I've got something very important to discuss."
"Yes, sir!" the three saluted and scurried out of the throne room.
Bowser nodded in satisfaction as he watched them exit. With him all alone to himself, he reached his throne and sat down, deeply sighing to himself. An evil smirk was present on his face though. He wasn't an overly pessimistic Koopa; whenever he began a new act of subduing his foes, his confidence was at an all-time high. It only boosted his ego, convincing himself that he was stronger and smarter than a puny, pudgy plumber in overalls and a speedy, blue rat combined.
~Boo Woods
Sonic paced ahead of all his other friends. But he wasn't too far where he was speeding miles away and lost sight of the people walking from behind. Nevertheless, the hedgehog did everything in his power to avoid eye contact with anyone at the moment. He hated to ignore the Mobians, the princesses, and even the Polterpup, but he just knew they were going to bombard him with more questions.
All Sonic could think of was Mario. Although he had been understanding with his friends many times in the past, the current situation was neither a laughing or joking matter when he's more focused on the status of his partner. That's saying something when he could've been ecstatic to uncover the final Chaos Emerald. For some reason, there was a feeling in his gut where he wanted to sprint all the way back to the pipe in Toad Town, return to Mario's house, and demand an explanation on what transpired before Luigi and Tails departed. But Sonic was experienced enough to know how his impulsive actions can lead to terrible consequences. Plus, he thought yelling into Mario's face was a major red flag. He wasn't going to take back his words when the plumber needed his space.
By then, Amy sped up to the Blue Blur. He didn't notice the pink hedgehog until he heard her voice.
"Sonic, I don't want to be rude, but do you mind slowing down for the rest of us to catch up?"
He shook his head rapidly and blinked. "Huh? Oh... Sorry, Ames."
"Is there something you want to get off your chest? I'm all ears."
Another sigh escaped his lips. He wasn't trying to come off as annoyed, but it didn't convince Amy as she seemed a tad offended by his first reaction. "Like I said, Amy, Mario needs to be by himself. I don't know how long he'll recover, but I really don't want to be a bother when I made a promise to him."
"Okay, okay..." she trailed off. "I didn't mean to get on your nerves again."
"Amy-"
"No, I'm serious, too," she paused from her stroll, prompting Sonic to copy her. "I'm just... trying to push all of this negative energy away. Besides, we should be grateful we got our friends out of the hell we know as Bowser's Castle. Plus, we're only a single Chaos Emerald away from powering up E. Gadd's teleportation device."
Knuckles managed to hear the end of Amy's statement as he caught up to the hedgehogs. "Speaking of which, are you positive this E. Gadd dude can help us return to Mobius?"
"I know you're very skeptical, Knuckles, but he's been helping Mario and Sonic from the very beginning! He's intellectual and handy with his inventions."
"Well, I'll see for myself," he folded his arms in front of his chest. By then, the rest of the group were all together again.
"Are we there yet?" Vector implored as his feet were getting tired.
"Almost. His lab is a bit further down this trail," Peach pointed north.
"Is it just me, or are these trees giving you guys the creeps as well?" asked Charmy.
"What's your deal? They're just barren stalks of wood with a bunch of cawing crows," Shadow muttered.
"Yeah, they're not as scary compared to most things," Espio tried to calm the bee down.
"I know, but I'm getting bad vibes from them."
"More so than someone frightening, like King Boom Boo?"
"King Boom Boo? Who is he?" Peach questioned.
"His name sounds very similar to a ghost king we know as King Boo. It's literally the same name but without the 'Boom!' in the middle," Daisy emphasized with an explosive hand gesture.
"Funny you mentioned the word 'ghost' because he's also a ghostly ruler who is known for trying to play tricks on unsuspecting people. He has a huge, ugly face and some sharp teeth. One time, when I was excavating a pyramid base of Eggman's, the ghost came out of nowhere to ambush me with his pyrokinetic powers. I had to counterattack by opening up a hatch for the sunlight to shine through and weaken him."
"I see," Peach nodded. "If anything, it makes sense how ghosts are vulnerable to any source of light. Luigi and Polterpup know this by experience when King Boo was responsible for destroying the Dark Moon in Evershade Valley, a place far from the Mushroom Kingdom."
"Bark! Bark!" Colombo wagged his tail.
"Evershade Valley was one of many spots for E. Gadd to conduct his research. He helped Luigi save Mario from King Boo; twice, in fact."
"And this all while he was afraid of ghosts, too," Daisy added to Peach's anecdote.
"Really?" Blaze was enthralled. "This Luigi person must've been brave to conquer his fears and save his sibling."
"By the way, I don't think we know much about him other than he's Mario's younger brother. Is he here?" Silver wondered, unbeknownst of his passing.
"I'm afraid not," Peach frowned.
"Oh... I'm sorry I asked."
"Don't worry about it," Daisy laid a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, we heard and learned a lot about Tails when we first ran into Sonic. So, we understand where you guys are coming from after losing a close friend of yours. It's the same thing with us."
"All of this talk about death is getting me choked up again," the young rabbit held in a sob. Cheese also whispered a soft 'Chao', indicating how he was also sad.
"It's definitely unfair and cruel how their lives were taken away far too early. The fact that Tails hadn't turned nine yet only enrages me for what Eggman did," Rouge curled her fingers tightly.
"Luigi may have been in his mid-twenties, but he had such a bright future ahead of him," Peach held a hand over her heart.
"One thing is for sure, we're gonna get some revenge on Eggman and Bowser someday," Sonic scrunched his eyes with determination. "Getting the upper hand and taking the Emerald from the castle last night was just a part of it. But I'm not fully satisfied until we show those dorks how they should've never crossed the line."
"Well, if we want to continue this trend, let's get to E. Gadd's ASAP! Come on, let's bring up some positive energy!" Daisy rallied.
"I rather not," Shadow declined.
"Whatever, man," Knuckles waved off the Black Blur. "The quicker we arrive, the faster we can start hunting for the seventh Chaos Emerald!"
"Yeah!" Most of them cheered as they started jogging down the dirt path. Sonic felt a little better, knowing his buddies were there for him. Sooner or later, they were going to achieve their objective. Before he could catch up, he heard a familiar voice.
"Sonic!"
The blue hero turned around and was both surprised and relieved to spot the mustached man in red.
"Mario!" he went over and held his hand up for a brief moment, giving him a handshake. "I didn't expect you to be here right now! But it's amazing to see you again!"
"Well, I'm also happy to see your face, too, even if it's been an hour or whatever. Before you say or ask anything, I need to start off with an apology. Plus, I really owe you an explanation."
Mario rambled on for a while, admitting his regret for what he had done. He thoroughly went through every detail he and Luigi shared earlier in the morning. Once everything was explained, Sonic began to picture the whole puzzle now. He never thought Luigi was conflicted with the turmoil and pressure he was facing. And although Sonic never wanted to let go of Tails, likewise with the relationship between the Mario Bros., he couldn't say Luigi's thoughts about death were utter baloney. They were part of the cycle of life, no matter how gruesome or devastating the repercussions were. Either way, it all made sense to him.
"So... that was why you yelled at Luigi?"
Mario uncomfortably scratched the back of his head, glancing down at the ground. "And I regret every bit of it. I wanted to apologize to you for being stubborn with this whole mess. All I cared about was seeing my little brother again. Plus, knowing how you and Tails are very close, I thought it was a good way to not only reunite but to also go on adventures together like in the old days. But Luigi is right. I should've moved on from his passing, and I have to do whatever it takes to keep the world from being overtaken by Bowser – with or without Luigi."
Sonic deeply exhaled through his nose, a cold sensation running deep in his bones. As much as he didn't want to admit it as well, the blue protagonist understood why this was abnormal and wrong in several facets. He didn't even try to defend the purpose of Tails and Luigi's Guardian Angel roles. However, he also didn't want this to end abruptly. Nevertheless, Sonic dreaded the stage of acceptance. He wasn't prepared for it. Maybe he could consider moving on when he and his friends return home, yet this whole situation was difficult to grasp.
"Maybe when we get a chance to see them again, we'll sit down and discuss how we feel. Does that sound alright to you?" suggested Sonic.
The man in red stretched his lips before gazing into Sonic's jade, concerned eyes. He eventually told him, "I guess so. Besides, I have to tell Luigi how remorseful I am for hurting his heart."
"I'm sure he knows you didn't mean to lash out at him. He's your brother, Mario! Your family and best friend, too."
"Yeah, you're right, Sonic."
"Of course I am," he smugly replied.
Mario couldn't help but roll his eyes but in a somewhat playful manner. "It's gonna be one of those things, huh?"
"What are you talking about?" Sonic innocently asked, even though he knew what Mario was referring to.
"Never mind," the plumber chuckled. Frankly, he was happy to get a small laugh out of his system. He and Sonic raced down the pathway until they arrived at the wooden shed. Most of the group had already been welcomed into the lab by the professor himself. Amy was the last one to enter until she heard some quick footsteps from behind.
"Hey, there you are, Sonic! I couldn't find you for a split second. Oh, and Mario, too!" she exclaimed.
"Hi, Amy," the man politely waved.
"It's great to see you again. Pardon me for asking, but are you okay? You don't have to tell me everything if it's personal to you."
"You're fine, Amy. I just needed to be alone for a bit. But I'm ready to help you guys find the last Chaos Emerald."
"See? I told you so!" bragged Sonic.
"Tsk, whatever. Let's go already!"
The heroes nodded as they followed behind Amy. Everyone was now congregated inside E. Gadd's bunker despite how crowded it was. After several introductions and a brief summary of yesterday's events, the professor was delighted to greet them.
"It's a pleasure to know you all! Any friend of Sonic and Mario is a friend of mine. All clichés aside, I'm Professor Elvin Gadd, or E. Gadd for short. I've conducted tons of research on many things, especially paranormal activity and ghosts. But for the past several weeks, I've been studying and learning about the mystical powers of the Chaos Emeralds ever since I discovered one in this region. With that being said, I have created my special teleporter to help you fellers return to your home planet! Introducing the Chaos Conveyor!" he presented.
"Ooh, what a big machine!" Charmy marveled.
"A very intriguing piece of technology indeed," Rouge smirked.
"Eh, I've seen better," Shadow shrugged. "But if it's capable of a huge task, I won't complain."
"So, Professor E. Gadd, have you gotten this thing to work yet?" asked Blaze.
"I've been tinkering for a long time, believe it or not. Even with four Chaos Emeralds, there isn't a sufficient amount of energy to power up the Chaos Conveyor. Plus, my intuition tells me that this baby won't activate until we obtain the entire collection," the inventor slightly frowned.
"On the bright side," Sonic interrupted as he dug through his quills, "we did collect our fifth and sixth ones."
The astounding combination of purple and white shined brightly in front of everyone. Captivating the professor, he delightfully clapped his hands. "Ah, another job well done, lads! I had an inkling you wouldn't have left Shiver Mountain and Bowser's Castle without the main objective."
"Hey, don't forget about us! We ain't chopped onions on a chili dog!" boasted Vector.
"Well, now I'm hungry again," the Blue Blur chortled.
"Yes, I can't forget about you all. I'm happy you don't have to deal with Bowser's dungeon anymore. In fact, the more help we can get, the merrier. Locating the last Chaos Emerald should be a cinch!"
"Actually, Professor..." Mario spoke.
"Yes?"
"We haven't told you about what happened during our trip at Shiver Mountain."
"Oh? What is it?"
Colombo emitted a soft whine while Mario remained silent. Sonic, who was the most guilty, stepped forward and handed E. Gadd the purple and white Chaos Emeralds before explaining.
"You see, I got bewitched by Kamek's magic. I was acting like a total jerk to Mario and abandoned him. Because of this, I took the Emerald Detector and willingly gave it to that conehead before getting rid of the spell. Mario and Colombo swooped in to save me, and then we rushed to recover the purple Chaos Emerald that descended down the mountain. Although we claimed it, Kamek and those Koopas have stolen the detector."
"Oh, dear. What an unfortunate turn of events. If anything, the worst-case scenario is Bowser and Eggman utilizing the detector to steal the six we've saved. They could also unearth the seventh, no less."
"How do you think we can find it without the Emerald Detector?" questioned Silver.
"It would be a pain and a waste of time if we were to search aimlessly throughout every square foot of this kingdom," Espio murmured.
"I've actually mentioned this earlier before we broke you all out. We could use at least one Chaos Emerald and use its energy to pinpoint the seventh one," Amy clarified.
"Well, that is true, and I can't say it's not a bad idea. But dating back to Espio's point, we would be better off if we could decide on a good place to start exploring," Knuckles considered.
"And it has to be almost precise. The more we search, the longer it'll take to finish this Chaos Convection Oven," Charmy fretted.
"Chaos Conveyor," E. Gadd corrected.
"I honestly don't want to be tired of running around like we did in Sarasaland," Cream mentioned before processing what she said. "Ooh, no offense, Princess Daisy. Your kingdom is still beautiful."
"Nah, I get what you mean. None of us were expecting to go through a desert and an island with an erupting volcano."
"But we still had a heck of a journey," Sonic beamed.
"Chao!" Cheese agreed.
"So far, my best guess is to head back to Merluvlee's house. If she told us about Sonic's friends and the sixth Chaos Emerald, maybe she'll assist us with the last one," proposed Mario.
"I think that makes sense," Peach nodded. "She's never been wrong before."
"Who is this Mer... Mermaid, er-"
"Merluvlee. She's a fortune-teller who has helped us on many occasions by giving hints or details on where to progress," Mario elucidated to Silver.
"Ah, I see. She's probably better than me at predicting the future, even though I'm technically from that timeline."
"Where does this Merluvlee person reside, by the way?" Rouge questioned.
"Up north at the base of Shooting Star Summit. It'll be another long walk, but I'm positive it'll be worth it," Peach told her.
"Well, I'm not one to waste my time standing still like a statue. I'm heading over there now," Shadow started to leave.
"Shads, you'd probably get lost in a matter of two seconds. Let me lead the way."
"How many times do I have to tell you not to use that stupid nickname, Faker?!"
"Would it cheer you up if I race you there instead?"
Shadow was about to start a comeback until Sonic's suggestion registered in his head. Letting out a low grunt, he accepted the invitation. "Alright, fine. At least I get to prove how faster I am compared to you."
"Oh, so is this another bet?" Sonic smirked.
"I wouldn't imagine it not being one," he mirrored the expression of his blue counterpart. "Don't come crying to me when I beat you by a landslide."
The blue hedgehog maintained the smirk despite Shadow dashing out of the lab with a head start. "The same for you when you land head-first into a pile of dirt!" he yelled before sprinting after him.
"Oy, those two idiots never change," Knuckles groaned.
"Anyway, it's probably best for you all to take at least one Emerald for your next adventure. Even though Sonic just gave these to me, you might as well take them back, just in case you split into groups or get separated. I'll remain here to continue working on the Chaos Conveyor. Besides, it probably won't be at full power until I have scanned all seven."
"Thanks, Professor. Are we all ready to go?"
"I believe so!" Amy smiled.
"You still coming with us, Colombo?"
"Bark! Bark!"
"I'll take it as a 'yes' then!"
Stuffing the Chaos Emeralds in the pocket of his overalls, Mario waved goodbye to the scientist and led everyone out of Boo Woods. During his walk, he remained curious as to where the seventh Chaos Emerald might be. At the same time, Luigi was stuck in the back of his mind. If he's alone again, Mario planned to use the opportunity to make up with his younger sibling. All he hoped was that Luigi didn't stay livid at him.
Since the great escape, Dr. Eggman didn't take Sonic and Mario's heroics very kindly. Nor did the evil scientist accept Jr.'s half-hearted, effortless apology for unintentionally using his Bullet Bill Blaster and wrecking the castle gate. His fueling hatred towards them kept boiling like the mercury inside a thermometer on a sweltering afternoon. Yet it also drove him to work as hard as he could to complete the next step of torturing their enemies.
Like the previous events, a sleepless night at Bowser's Castle didn't stop him from continuing his builds for the Metal Mario and Metal Luigi robots. With the Sonic and Tails clones beat up, Eggman figured they needed to recharge their systems anyway. In fact, most of the Koopalings and Bowser's troops needed a break after they failed to recover the white Chaos Emerald. This was where their substitutes were about to enter the spotlight.
Even though Metal Sonic and Metal Tails failed their old mission at the Forest of Illusion, the doctor had to respect the latter for him being a brainiac. After all, it was his goal to create a better version than the original; the same purpose was relevant for Metal Sonic. What other reason did he have? It still remained a genuine surprise to him and Bowser that he somehow managed to acquire a vital component from the green plumber. Additionally, it was ludicrous and practically impossible for this to occur. Once Kamek confirmed the suspicion, it led to many speculations that there was something fishy going on as they don't know the full story. Even the expert magician was baffled to this day as he was assisting the man again with his Metal Luigi mechanism.
"You sure this voice chip will work?" Eggman expressed doubt in his invention, which was a rare thing for him.
"I'll be candid and say he will sound mostly synthetic. My magic isn't ideally used for voice acting, you know. You have to get his accent, the pitch, all the little details that made him globally known as the man in green. Even his timidness and constant fear of ghosts."
"Will he be close to the real deal at least?"
"It's a close replication. Unless you want him to be an exact copy, he should suffice in your next mission if you were to send him off," assured Kamek.
"At this point, even if he's 90% the same as the true Luigi, I won't complain. But what I will complain about is how those Koopas couldn't stop that irritating, blue menace! He and Mario just had to ruin everything again by trespassing my workshop and stealing the Chaos Emerald!"
"Do not forget, Doctor. The Emerald Detector I stole from Sonic can be helpful later on. We need to make good use of it without breaking or losing the device. It's our only ticket to redeem ourselves."
"Hrmm, you're right. Besides, I think this green-hatted clone is raring to go! I already finished Metal Mario in the middle of the night, and I couldn't stop my progress when I'm this close to completing my project!"
"Regardless, you're going to need a well-earned siesta to replenish your energy. That, or you need some kind of chocolate bar with caramel and peanuts."
"Any explanation as to how you came up with the last part?" Eggman perked an eyebrow at the Magikoopa.
"All I know is you aren't yourself if you're hungry. I should know this after years of protecting and overseeing Lord Bowser ever since he was a young prince. Plus, his son is basically another version of the king, except more immature and rowdy. To his credit, however, Jr. has a ton of charisma. Either way, both can be incensed easily in many ways, but a little food always seems to be a cure."
"Interesting..."
The door to the castle hangar banged loudly against the stone wall, catching Eggman and Kamek's attention. As they momentarily left their workstation, they caught sight of the Elite Trio heading down the steps.
"Grr... Who's making a racket?!" Eggman grumbled.
"Corporal, Sergeant, Private," Kamek acknowledged. "What matters do you have on your hands?"
"Sorry to abruptly barge in like this," the Paratroopa apologized, "but it's kinda important, Kamek."
"How so?"
"Lord Bowser would like to speak with you," explained the Green Shy Guy. "Apparently, he has thought of a foolproof scheme to recollect the Chaos Emeralds."
"Oh yeah?" Eggman bluntly replied.
"Knowing you and your relationship with those powerful jewels, I thought you would be more excited in Master Bowser's plan," the Goomba spoke.
"In case you imbeciles aren't aware, you interrupted our progress as I'm polishing up the final touches of my new metal henchmen!"
"New metal henchmen?" Sergeant and Paraplonk echoed.
"I thought the hedgehog and double-tailed kit were your latest helpers," Goomp was confused.
"Either you didn't get the memo, or your brain is the size of a raisin! They're duplicates of the so-called heroes of this kingdom!"
"Oh... I must've not paid attention then."
"Or you were probably snoozing for one too many hours while we hauled our butts off," rebuked Sergeant Guy.
"What?! You're telling me I haven't done jack to help our king? I've done plenty of things for a creature with no thumbs!"
"Or arms, but you're still a Goomba," teased Paraplonk.
"Elite Trio, enough jabbing and bickering," Kamek ordered. "Tell Master Bowser that he can meet with Dr. Eggman when he is done with his personal duty."
Goomp failed to hold in a snicker. "Duty..." he whispered with a grin.
"You're pathetic, you know that?" the flying turtle rolled his eyes.
The Goomba was about to retaliate until Kamek interjected. "Paraplonk, I repeat, stop it. Goomp, get your act together."
"Sorry," they both muttered.
"Listen, I'll go see him in a little bit. My mechanical work is very important to me if we want to make their lives more miserable. We already had a turn of those freaks of nature, and I bet Sonic is weeping at the fact he's been running around without the annoying fox kid by his side. Mario is up next on the list. I'll bet a hundred rings he'll be sobbing a bigger waterfall!"
"A little harsh on the emotions there, but I'm not going to interfere whatsoever," Sergeant Guy shook his head indifferently.
"Relay the message to Master Bowser. If he gets upset, I'll accept the blame," commanded Kamek.
The Elite Trio shrugged to themselves before exiting the hangar. Along the way, they planned to entice the fierce Koopa with a TNT drumstick to keep him distracted and satiated.
~Shooting Star Summit
"Here we are. This is Merluvlee's home," Mario guided the Mobians, knocking twice on the wooden entrance.
"Back at it again. Let's hope it's buried in an easy spot and call it a day," Daisy huffed.
"After spending the last several days preparing for the Mushroom Concert, I definitely want to take a break from all that. I think the same could be said for you guys, right?" Peach glanced at her female friends.
"Oh, you bet!" Amy exclaimed. "I will say, however, the city looks beautiful at night with all those dazzling lights and decorations!"
"Me, too! All of the people around the city were just as nice as the ones in Toad Town," Cream gratefully added.
"But as you implied, Peach, I'm ready to help out with the Chaos Emerald hunt once more, especially since we're one away from a complete collection!"
"So, Shadow..." Sonic mockingly lowered his eyelids. "How was it getting lost in Toad Town? I bet you and Toadsworth enjoyed the splash zone in the fountain."
The black hedgehog, who was dripping wet from the edges of his quills, was too irritated to speak. All he did was clench his fists and glare at his speedy foe, his eye barely twitching in ire. He also received a nasty bump to the head from the old Toad's cane.
Once Merluvlee answered the door, she was both exasperated yet ecstatic to see some new faces on her doorstep. "My oh my! Another round of interesting creatures amongst the heroes! To keep it plain and concise, please follow me and watch your step!"
The entire group made themselves comfortable without cramming close together. Knuckles, Rouge, and Shadow preferred to stand against one of the walls while Espio, Vector, and Charmy gathered near the opposite partition. The remainder either sat down or circled around the other end of the fortune-teller's table. Once everyone was settled, Merluvlee brushed hair locks and jumped straight into business.
"Now then, I easily remember most of your faces since you visited my abode not too long ago. However, I also spot eight faces who are somewhat new to me if the spirits didn't bring light into the situation. Yes, I welcome you all – Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Silver, Blaze, Charmy, Espio, and Vector."
"Whoa. You know our names?" the futuristic hedgehog was astonished.
"Yes, indeed!"
"Well, we kinda told her them at one point," Cream clarified.
"Nevertheless, it is a relief to know you all escaped Bowser's dank dungeon with the Chaos Emerald. Or at least, I presume you snatched it from Eggman's workshop."
"Yes, we did! I got it right here plus the one from Shiver Mountain."
"Wait, I thought I gave those to E. Gadd," Sonic was confused.
"You left before he mentioned that we should keep these. Remember what Amy told us about their Chaos Energy?" Mario reminded.
"Oh, duh! How could I forget?!" the hedgehog nearly facepalmed himself.
"Come on, Sonic! You should listen to me more often!" Amy placed her hands on her hips.
"Can you all simmer down already?" Knuckles held his hands up. "We just need to find out where the final one is hidden."
"And hurry up, will ya? I've already spent far too long in the ugly turtle's prison that it was as claustrophobic as being stuck inside a capsule for what felt like an eternity. Once I make it back to Mobius, I'm taking a vacation," grunted Shadow.
"Don't be so rude and hasty," Blaze scowled. "He's usually like that, Merluvlee. Just ignore him."
"Oh, it's no worries at all. He's just as impatient as Bowser whenever I took the time to look into the crystal ball. All he cared about was finding the Pure Hearts quickly so he could return to becoming the main villain again."
"What exactly does that mean?" Espio quirked an eyebrow.
"A very long story full of love, tragedy, drama, and danger. But I won't divulge into those details if you've got other affairs to handle. Now then, let me concentrate and ask the spirits once more for some guidance."
She repeated her usual routine, catching the attention of the new Mobians. Finishing her dialogue, the crystal ball shined brightly as the path was drawn into her brain.
"Yes... Yes, I see the light. The red glow of a Chaos Emerald, to be specific. With the blue, turquoise, yellow, green, purple, and white gems already found, the ultimate one is waiting to be amassed with your assemblage."
"So, where is it?" Shadow demanded a clear-cut answer.
"Why, this is odd..."
"Is something wrong?" Daisy tilted her head. Even Colombo and Cheese copied her head movements.
"This location... It's being etched in my memory banks. I never expected this place would be relevant in your expedition."
"What place?" Knuckles implored.
Staring directly into Mario's eyes, Merluvlee responded hesitantly, "The Underwhere."
"Under what now?" Rouge was baffled.
"Are you talking about somebody's briefs or boxers? Because I can always-"
"HEY, HEY, HEY! Don't go there, Charmy!" warned Vector, placing his hand over his mouth. He immediately withdrew it. "Ew! Don't lick my hand, you weirdo!"
"Then don't cover my face!" The bee blew a raspberry.
"Guys, chill out, would ya? Not gonna lie, I was also thinking of the same thing," Sonic chuckled.
"In my defense, this is not a jest. The site is literally called The Underwhere, also known as an afterlife dimension where souls are directly transported after their games are over."
The second he heard Merluvlee's description, the blue hedgehog's smirk suddenly vanished as he realized what she meant. He reluctantly shifted his head to the left, catching sight of the plumber. Sonic could easily detect the apprehension on his unmoving face. He also peeked at Princess Peach, whose blue eyes were as wide as dinner plates.
Flashback to when Luigi and Tails surprisingly ran into them for the first time after their respective deaths. He immediately recalled what they said – from their souls being sent to the Underwhere to the moment where they were granted access to live in The Overthere peacefully. And this was long before both of them became Guardian Angels. As for what this meant in their Chaos Emerald hunt, was fate somehow bringing them together again, but in an unconventional and unexpected way? Or was it a simple coincidence?
"For those who don't know, and I can probably say this to all of you fellow Mobians," Merluvlee continued, unaware of Sonic's prior knowledge, "many people would arrive in this dimension to have their souls weighed by the ruler, Queen Jaydes. For any person who was considered 'good', the sinless spirits were allowed to reach The Overthere, where her husband, King Grambi, resides and overlooks the angelic Nimbi population. Anyone who was deemed 'bad' would get banished to the depths of The Underwhere, their souls to be locked up for all eternity so that their evil presence wouldn't disturb the peace. Nor would they interfere with the members who remain in the Underwhere...
"In conclusion, there are three tiers to determine the outlook of any being, with three separate places for them to live in either harmony, neutrality, or Hell. The Underwhere, however, is the site the spirits are telling me; the red Chaos Emerald is somewhere in that region."
"And how exactly do we get there?" Silver skeptically asked.
"Hmm... I can only think of one solution. There is a door at the top of a tower in an interdimensional city called Flipside. It should instantly take you to the promised land. Or actually, wait... Oh, you get what I mean," Merluvlee giggled.
"Then let's head over... Er, I mean, under there, right now! We've got another glorious jewel to snatch!" Rouge pumped her fist.
"One problem, Batty Eyes," Knuckles interposed. "How do we get to Flipside, which would take us to The Underwhere?"
"Perhaps my crystal ball can help. I own another house in the city that's close to Flipside Tower. I can tweak with my powers and send you all there. Once you arrive, exit through the front and make a right towards the base. You'll find an elevator that can take you to the top. The purple door should be the farthest one down."
"Sounds self-explanatory. We appreciate it," Espio nodded.
"My pleasure! Now please, come together," the fortune-teller gestured.
"Arf!"
"Chao!"
While everyone gathered around the table, Mario pulled Sonic to the side, several feet away from their friends.
"I don't know what this means for Luigi and Tails, but... do you think they'll find out about them?"
"It's tough to say," Sonic answered genuinely. "I really hope it doesn't jeopardize this whole thing between us. At the same time, maybe it'd be cool for them to find out for themselves.""
"Assuming nothing goes wrong, which is the main concern," Mario mumbled.
"I know, but still... Are you ready?"
The man in red deeply sighed before closing his eyes. He just didn't know how he was going to handle this new weight lingering on his shoulders. With the Chaos Emerald's resting spot holding major significance to him, there was no way of knowing how things were going to transpire. But if it meant he could see Luigi in some way, it might be worth it. Then again, he had to remind himself that his green-clad brother wasn't residing in the dark dimension. Part of him thought he'll have to make a plea to Queen Jaydes, whom he hasn't seen for ages. He wondered how much she knew about Luigi and Tails.
"Hey! Would you get over here and hurry up?" Shadow grumbled.
"Calm your quills, Shads! Hey, I'll be with you all the time. I'm not going to pull a dumb move and leave you alone like I did at the Crystal Palace," Sonic gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You left by force. I know you wouldn't leave me be. I trust you, Sonic."
"Same here, buddy."
After another shaky exhale, he adjusted his cap and faced his friend with newfound determination. "Let's-a-go!"
"Let's do it to it!" Sonic smiled.
The two heroes rejoined their circle of friends as Merluvlee began a long chant. Sparkles surrounded the crystal ball and glistened so brightly before they shot directly at the party. Instantly, her magic made them disappear as the twinkling stars flew straight into her crystal ball, sending them to her Flipside residence.
"Good luck, young heroes. You're gonna need it."
After growing restless in his throne and hearing his son throw another tantrum over something trivial in his eyes, Bowser managed to convince him to take it easy and nap for a few hours. Because that's what fathers do, right? By then, the Elite Trio gave him the gist on Eggman. Since he was already up, the Koopa figured he would pay his intelligent partner another visit in his workshop.
Chewing off a huge bite of meat from the drumstick he received from his minions, he stomped his way into the hangar. Another loud bang reverberated throughout the room, disturbing Eggman and Kamek. The doctor was on the verge of losing his cool until he realized who stopped by.
"Oh, it's you, Bowser. I have excellent news!"
"Really? Then enthrall me."
"Kamek! Bring them out here!"
A few, cluttering clanks echoed from the inside of his workshop. The magician soon walked outside with two robotic organisms following right behind him. With sleek, metallic and chrome attachments, their bodies represented the embodiment of the famous Mario Bros. Of course, there were certain differences between the carbon copies versus the actual plumbers. Nonetheless, the robots' eyes flashed red, all souped up for action.
"Metal Mario, reporting for duty! Primary objective, overpower the mustached hero in red and his cohorts," the red-hatted robot spoke in a familiar, Italian accent.
"Metal Luigi, fully activated as well. Must vanquish foes and steal all of the Chaos Emeralds," the green copy uttered out loud.
"What do you think?" Eggman gloated, massaging his mustache.
Bowser was thoroughly surprised by the final outcome. "Oh, yeah! Now this is what I'm talking about! You've outdone yourself yet again, Eggman."
"Anything for my colleague! Normally, I would take all the credit for my hard work. Although in this case, Kamek provided some magic and helpful information to make them perfect!"
"The entire process was a bit arduous, but the task wasn't as troublesome as we initially thought," Kamek commented.
"Now, I did hear from your underlings that you had some sort of plan. Is that correct?"
"I do, and let me tell you how it works," Bowser sneered, divulging the details to both of them. Eggman slowly understood what he meant and rubbed his hands sinisterly.
"Hmm... conniving and delightfully devilish."
"Just as devilish as this TNT drumstick. The chefs definitely went heavy on the spices. But my fire breath will be hotter and ready than ever to roast those annoying pests for good! Soon, we'll pilfer all of the Chaos Emeralds from right under their noses!"
END OF CHAPTER
Another chapter down, and we have our destination for the final Chaos Emerald. The Underwhere. What will this mean for Mario and Sonic? Will they run into the Guardian Angels by chance? Or will their secret remain amongst themselves? Plus, will Eggman's new machines be the difference maker to stop our heroes? What kind of scheme does Bowser have up his metaphorical sleeve?
I hope you enjoyed this part of New Brotherhood! If I can get one more chapter before the start of 2022, I'll be really happy with that. If not, I hope to get something finished heading into the fifth-year anniversary of this crossover. Yeah, nearly five years and I can't believe how time flew by so quickly. Until then, the concluding arc of the Chaos Emerald hunt will commence soon! See you then! This is TGN, signing off.