Gotta Go Fast (Sonic X Theme) by NateWantsToBattle
At Station Square, it was night time with a crescent moon in the sky while sirens were heard.
On a sidewalk, a newspaper flew due to the wind and it flew by Knuckles who sitting on a paint bucket. When the newspaper flies on his leg, he picks it up and looks to see a picture of Sonic charging at Dr. Eggman. This made Knuckles sigh in frustration, thinking Sonic likes to show off before he lets go of the newspaper, causing it to fly away in the sky before remembering a memory.
A flashback plays and it shows a hawk hawking and flying in the skies above Angel Island. Knuckles was standing in front of the Master Emerald guarding it.
Back to reality, Knuckles grumbles from the thought. Then suddenly, a foot step came out of the shadows. "Huh?" Knuckles asked before he gets up and goes into a fighting stance as the foorstep came from a figure that was walking out of the shadows. "Huh?" Knuckles asked again when he saw that it was Dr. Eggman coming out of the shadows. "What do you want, Eggman!?" Knuckles asked before Dr. Eggman wines, gets down on his knees and begs for help. "Please help me, Knuckles!" Dr. Eggman says, "Huh? Ah!" Knuckles says as Dr. Eggman grabs his hands. "If we don't do something fast, Sonic could make us prisoners on this planet forever." Dr. Eggman says, "Huh" Knuckles says, still looking confused. "If we can gather all seven of the Chaos Emeralds, there's a fighting chance that we can somehow reverse the effect that sent us to this world and return to where we came from." Dr. Eggman says off screen.
A flashback shows the events that Dr. Eggman remembered before Chaos Control took place. "Sonic knew he could use the Chaos Emeralds to warp himself through time and space. That's the reason he attacked Chaos Control. He found out that I'd collected all the Chaos Emeralds to keep them out of his grasp! You know how reckless Sonic is. I was afraid of what he might do if he got hold of the Emeralds. So I set up defenses, but there was no stopping Sonic. He was determined to push his selfish search for thrills all the way this time, no matter who got hurt. Finally, Sonic invaded Chaos Control, and to my horror, he finally achieved his goal. Sonic destroyed Chaos Control and sent us all here just for the fun of it" Dr. Eggman says off screen before finishing.
Back to reality, Knuckles looked shocked. "Sonic... He's crazy..." Knuckles says, before Dr. Eggman starts crying with a pink towel. "I've changed my ways and wanted to live in peace, but Sonic won't let me!" Dr. Eggman says before he blows his nose and continues crying. Knuckles seemed suspicious, but when Dr. Eggman hid his face, he snickers while his glasses shine as it revealed that he was just tricking Knuckles into his lies, but continues to go on. "What can I do? He won't even give me a chance to fix things. I want to get us back, but when I found one of the Chaos Emeralds, do you know what happened? Sonic snatched it from me and said he's going to stay here as long as he pleases." Dr. Eggman says off screen, causing Knuckles to get angry. "That selfish hog." Knuckles says looking up at the sky. Dr. Eggman saw how this was going and continues. "He said that we can't leave here until he says so. He thinks this world's a lot more fun than ours, and if we don't agree, it's our tough luck." Dr. Eggman says off screen and Knuckles growls and gets even angrier. "You think he'd be more concerned about his buddy..." Dr. Eggman says, "Sonic isn't my buddy! I'm sick and tired of Sonic turning everything into a game. Either Sonic gives us that Emerald or I'm going to take it from him" Knuckles says, "Be careful! Sonic says he'll crush anybody who tries to get it back!" Dr. Eggman says, "So then, a battle to the bitter end!" Knuckles says as he looks in the sky. What Knuckles doesn't see is the look on Dr. Eggman face that all Dr. Eggman told Knuckles were lies. "My chronic Sonic troubles are over" Dr. Eggman says in his head while smiling evilly, knowing his plan is now ready for action.
Clash! Steven vs. Knuckles (Cracking Knuckles)
The next morning inside Chuck's room of the garage of the Thorndyke Mansion, Tails, Chris and Chuck were looking at the Green Chaos Emerald that was inside Chuck's chamber. "A Chaos Emerald. Does anybody know where they came from or how they work?" Chris asked, "Nobody knows much except that they're real powerful." Tails says, "I hope my analysis reveals something about its makeup." Chuck says. But before anyone can say anything else, footsteps and a bang was heard from the floor door. "Huh?" Tails, Chris and Chuck asked as they turn to it. "I know you're in there. You haven't let me clean your room in so long, I'm issuing a dirt alert." The mansion's maid Ella says off screen. "Oh, no, it's Ella! Quick, Tails, hide!" Chris says, "Ah! Where!? Huh? Uh... Whoa!" Tails says as he didn't know where to hide. Before Ella walks in, Tails runs up to a yellow bean bag, "Hmpf" Tails says as he acts like a stuffed animal, "Uh..." Chris says, looking at the ceiling as he and Chuck play it cool. "I thought I'd find you up here, Christopher." Ella says, "Oh, hi there, Ella..." Chris says as he waves and Ella looks around to see how dirty the room looked. "Hmm. Keeping this room dust free is a losing battle. Not that I'm complaining, but it's like trying to vacuum a dirt road. I…" Ella says, but before she can continue, she spots Tails acting like a stuffed animal. Ella gets surprised and Chris and Chuck start to get worried. "Ah!" Ella says, "Uh..." Chris says, nervously before Ella gets a closer look at Tails. "He's so precious. Is this your toy?" Ella asked, "Uh, I'm taking care of it..." Chris says while putting his hand behind his neck. "Aah, it almost look real to me!" Ella says as she looks at Tails again, but Tails moves his eyes towards Ella. "Ooh!" Ella says as while looking surprised before Chris takes Tails. "I… think I'll go outside and play..." Chris says, "Oh" Ella says before Chris chuckles nervously and starts to make his way out. "Uh, me too!" Chuck says as he and Chris leave the room before closing the floor door. "Oh!" Ella says, in surprised.
Outside of the Thorndyke Mansion, Chuck and Chris were running while Tails was on Chris's back. "Wow, Tails, that was a close call." Chris says, "We sure fooled her!" Chuck says, "Yeah" Chris says as they continue running and laughing, making Sonic get his nap disturbed on the balcony. "Can't I nap in peace?" Sonic asked with one eye opened a bit. As Chris, Chuck and Tails continue laughing, they didn't see where they were going and bump into Chris's butler Mr. Tanaka, this made Chuck bump into Chris and hold his nose in pain. "Master Chris, what, may I ask, is going on?" Mr. Tanaka asked as Tails plays stuffed animal again. "Um, we're, uh, just playing "Capture the stuffed animals." Chris says before he laughs nervously and runs away with Tails. "Bye..." Chris says off screen as Mr. Tanaka watches him go. "Hmm." Mr. Tanaka says in suspense. "I think I'll…" Chuck says, but was cut off. "Sir" Mr. Tanaka says, "Huh?" Chuck asked, "While I commend your desire to stay fit, I would stick to adult sports like bowling." Mr. Tanaka says, "You can't tell me what to do. I'll play "Ring Around The Rosie" if I… uh…" Chuck says as he crossed his arms, looked away and closed his eyes before he gets cut off by Mr. Tanaka's glare. "Perhaps you should slow down. Rest is important, and I believe it's time for your nap." Mr. Tanaka says before pushing Chuck inside the Thorndyke Mansion. "I-I don't need a nap..." Chuck says, "You can play later" Mr. Tanaka says, "I have work to do!" Chuck says, "Come along Mr. Thorndyke..." Mr. Tanaka says off screen. "Forget it" Chuck says off screen. "Off to bed" Mr. Tanaka says off screen. "Take your hands off me" Chuck says off screen before they went inside. "Huh?" Tails asked while Chris sighs in relief before being bumped by Amy. They all fall on the grass and Amy groans in pain. "Owww..." Amy says in pain. "Uh… Amy!? You know it's dangerous to go wandering around here by yourself." Chris says and Amy gets up, "I just saw a news report! It looks like they found another Chaos Emerald!" Amy says, "Oh..." Tails and Chris says, "Where are Cream, Cheese and Steven?" Amy asked, "Cream and Cheese are watching Steven who's doing more training in the back of the garage" Chris says, "Then let's get them!" Amy says and she, Tails and Chris went to find Cream, Cheese and Steven.
With Cream, Cheese and Steven, Cream and Cheese were watching Steven train. Steven's training consist of holding the same log from before, but this time instead of running and zig zagging, Steven was climbing steps from a small water wheel windmill that Sonic found for him. Steven was basically climbing the stairs while holding the log and sweating as if it was an step-mill. Steven also has a sweat rag around his neck. "What type of training is this, Steven?" Cream asked while Cheese chirped. "This is... Leg muscle training... Cream and Cheese..." Steven says as he pants and sweats. "Leg muscle training?" Cream asked, "Yes... I'm basically climbing stairs... While carrying this log... Sonic said that climbing stairs helps strengthen and tone leg muscles... It helps keep your legs flexible so that way I can move more easily without too much resistance... But also it's good for my overall body because the better my blood flows in my legs... The healthier my heart and body turns out..." Steven says, "That's good to know, but why are you carrying that log?" Cream asked, "Me and Sonic... Thought that if I keep holding this log... I can work both my strength and flexibility at the same time... I also want to see if I can handle more than one thing at the same time..." Steven says, "That's wonderful, Steven! You'll become a hero like Sonic really soon then" Cream says, "Chao, chao!" Cheese says, "Thanks, guys... I appreciate your support... And I hope so too..." Steven says, "Cream! Cheese! Steven!" Chris says off screen. "Huh...?" Steven asked as he, Cream and Cheese turn to Chris, Tails and Amy who ran up to them. "What's wrong, Chris?" Steven asked, "I saw a news report that another Chaos Emerald was found!" Amy says, causing Cream to gasped, "Chao!" Cheese says, "Really...? That was quick..." Steven says before stop climbing and putting log down. Steven then grabbed his sweat rag and wiped his forehead. "Where's it... located...?" Steven asked, "Follow me and you all will see" Amy says before she, Tails, Chris, Cream, Cheese and Steven make their way inside.
In the living room of the Thorndyke Mansion, the TV showed a mountain field area while Steven, Amy, Cream, Cheese, Tails and Chris were sitting on the couch watching. "The strange energy spikes which seem to be coming from the Silver Valley area have played havoc with computers and machinery across the entire region. Investigators are looking into…"The news anchor says off screen as he continues. "I bet it's a Chaos Emerald." Tails says, "It must be somewhere in that Silver Valley area" Steven says, "You know, Silver Valley isn't very far from here. Let's check it out" Chris says, "Cool. Adventure awaits us" Steven says as they were about to leave the living room. "You're in a good mood, today" Chris says, "Yeah. I feel pumped up for some reason" Steven says, "Maybe that training you was just doing got you worked up" Tails says, "Maybe..." Steven says.
Back outside, Amy, Chris, Tails, Cream, Cheese and Steven head outside and prepare to leave. Before they could leave, Amy goes to see if Sonic wants to come. "Hey, Sonic, you heard the news?" Amy asked, "Huh?" Sonic asked as he opens one of his eyes a bit. "We're going to Silver Valley! Come along and we'll have a picnic there!" Amy says as she clasps her hands and closes her eyes. "But we're going for the Emerald!" Tails says, "Maybe we can stay for a bit after we find the Chaos Emerald, Tails" Steven says, "I guess" Tails says, "No, I've been there before." Sonic says while looking up. "Huh? You went without me? Oh, so you stopped there during your runs, huh?" Amy asked, "Yep, you guessed it" Sonic says, "Fine, Sonic! Come on! We'll have more fun without him anyway!" Amy says as she walks back to Tails, Chris, Cream and Cheese. Steven then goes to look at Sonic. "I'm going with them, Sonic. Is that okay with you?" Steven asked, "Sure, Steven. You've earned your break from training. Enjoy the peace of nature when you get there" Sonic says, "Okay, thanks, Sonic. We'll see you later" Steven says before walking back towards, Chris, Tails, Amy, Cream and Cheese. "How can we get there without a car? My grandpa's resting, and I can't ask Mr. Tanaka to drive." Chris says, "Maybe Tails can drive us over there" Cream says, "If I drive, I'm gonna get spotted." Tails says, "Oh. Never mind then" Cream says, "What can we do?" Chris asked, "Is there a transportation that can take us over there without us being noticed" Steven asked before Tails gets an idea from it. "Hey, I know how we'll get there!" Tails says as he explains the plan to them. "You sure that'll work, Tails?" Amy asked, "It's our only option, guys" Tails says, "I just hope you guys don't look too obvious" Chris says, "I don't know. It sounds scary when you think about it" Cream says and Cheese chirps. Steven saw how Cream and Cheese felt and tried to think of another plan. "I know, Cream. I wish there was another way, but this is our only option" Tails says off screen. After a few seconds, Steven gets an idea and snaps his fingers. "I've got it. I can take Cream and Cheese with me to Silver Valley by zip lining" Steven says, making Chris, Tails, Amy, Cream and Cheese gasp in surprise. "Really?" Cream asked, "You would do that, Steven?" Amy asked, "Sure. I'll do anything for you guys if you have a problem" Steven says and he chuckles. "Oh, thank you, Steven" Cream says as she and Cheese bow and Steven chuckles again. "You're welcome, guys" Steven says as he rubs his head in embarrassment. "Hang on, Steven. Let me get a map for you" Chris says before he runs inside. After a minute, Chris comes back with a map in his hands. "Here, Steven. Here's a map on how to get to Silver Valley from here" Chris says as he passes the map to Steven. "Thanks, Chris. This will help a lot" Steven says as he takes the map and looked over it. After a few seconds, Steven rolls it up. "Okay, I figured out where Silver Valley is from here" Steven says as he gave the map back to Chris. "Alright, then it's settled. We'll meet you guys over there" Amy says, "Try not to get spotted" Chris says, "Be careful Cream and Cheese. Stay close to Steven and Steven, make sure nothing happens to them" Tails says, "We will" Cream says and Cheese chirps. "I'll make sure they're okay. Okay, guys. Hang on" Steven says before picking up Cream and Cheese up and use his grapple gun to leave the Thorndyke Mansion.
On the train tracks, a train was driving around a field area.
Inside the train, Chris had Tails and Amy act like stuffed animals so they won't be caught while everyone on board was staring and commenting on them. "Those stuffed animals are really cute." A teenage girl says, "Isn't he a little old for those toys?" a woman asked, "Ugh, they're all staring" Chris says, "It's okay, Chris, we're almost at our stop." Tails says while not moving, "Don't talk, they'll hear." Chris says, "Hey, Chris, I need to blink. What can I do?" Amy asked while not moving, but before Chris could say anything, Amy was grabbed by the ear from a little girl as the girl tries waking up her mom. Amy struggles not to move while being in pain. "Oh..." Amy says in pain as a tear was in her eye. "Hey, Mom, could I get one of these? It's so cute! Wake up, Mommy. Look-it. Oh. please can I have one? Please, Mommy, please. You said I could have a toy if I was good. I want it…" The little girl says, while Amy was getting annoyed. "Darn brat... Don't touch me...! The only one who can say I'm cute is Sonic!" Amy says in her head before she kicked the girl across the cart and goes back to playing stuffed animal. "Oh?" The little girl's mother asked until there was a crash sound, making her get up from her seat. Everyone was looking at the little girl in shock before the little girl cries. "Ah, now if I could only blink, everything would be perfect."Amy says in her head.
Back outside, the train continues to make its way toward's Silver Valley.
Back at the Thorndyke mansion, Sonic was still napping on the balcony. "Hmm" Sonic says as he wakes up and a small robot named Bokkun comes flying down to Sonic. "Huh?" Sonic asked while Bokkun lands in front of Sonic and pulls out a small TV from his bag. Bokkun giggles and puts the TV on Sonic's foot. "Message for you" Bokkun says before turning on the TV on. "Here you go!" Bokkun says as the screen reveal Knuckles' face up close. "Sonic, I'm sick of all your selfish stunts. This time, you've gone too far. I'm challenging you to a showdown! Meet me at Silver Valley in one hour, and don't be late." Knuckles says before finishing while Sonic gives a blank look to the readers and Bokkun backs away a bit. "This message was brought to you by the Eggman Empire, which is not responsible for its content, except this part." Dr. Eggman's voice says from the TV speaker before the TV shoots out sparks and explodes on Sonic's face. This made Sonic scream and for Bokkun to fly away while laughing. The smoke clears to show Sonic in dust before letting out a cough. Sonic gets annoyed and grumbles. "Knuckles is gonna regret that!" Sonic says while looking at the readers.
At Silver Valley, Steven landed on the ground and puts Cream and Cheese down before he retracts his grapple wire. "Here we are. Silver Valley" Steven says, "It looks peaceful" Cream says and Cheese chirps, "Yeah..." Steven says as he saw how peaceful it was. It reminded Steven of where his "Home" was back in Sonic's world. Where everything was peaceful with mountains, lakes, and sunny days. "Reminds me of where I lived..." Steven says, "Really, Steven?" Cream asked, "Yes..." Steven says as he continued staring at the scenery. "Cream. Cheese. Steven" Chris says off screen as Cream, Cheese and Steven heard footsteps and saw Chris, Tails and Amy walk towards them while Amy and Tails were stretching and rubbing their eyes. "Hey, guys. You all made it" Steven says, "How did the trip go?" Cream asked, "It felt stiff. I feel like I just turned back to normal from bring a statue" Tails says, "Some people were also commenting on them and it embarrassed me" Chris says, "And I got my ear pulled by a bratty girl!" Amy says, making Steven, Cream and Cheese sweat drop a bit. "Sounds like you guys had a nice ride" Steven says, nervously. "It's a good thing you took Cream and Cheese with you, Steven. I don't think they would handle all that pressure" Tails says, "That doesn't sound like fun" Cream says and Cheese chirps. "Well enough about the ride, let's eat!" Steven says as they find a spot to eat. After a few minutes, they were having their picnic with bananas, apples, oranges, sandwiches, vegetables and beverages. "This picnic was a super idea, Amy!" Tails says off screen before he takes bites on a sandwich. "It was worth the trip, even if there is no Emerald." Chris says, "Yeah. Whoever made all this really knows how to make a picnic set" Steven says as he takes a bite of an apple. "Maybe we could do this again one day" Cream says as Cheese eats a grape. "Great idea. I'll make a note on that" Tails says before Amy looks around. "What's wrong, Amy?" Cream asked, "Shouldn't there be a lot of people here if they found a Chaos Emerald? Amy asked, "Maybe something else caused the energy spikes" Tails says, "I guess it must've been a mistake. We can still have some fun while we're here..." Chris says, "We could take a hike in the mountains, or go swimming in the lake" Tails says, "Now that's what I call a perfect day" Steven says as he eats a berry. "Steven?" Cream asked, "Yes, Cream?" Steven asked before swallowing the berry. "When you said Silver Valley reminded you of your home, where did you live if it looked like this?" Cream asked, causing Cream, Chris, Tails and Amy to look at Steven. "You lived in a place like this, Steven?" Chris asked, "Yes, I have actually" Steven says as he looked back at the mountains, forest and lakes. "I lived in a small area I made on my own around the open field parts of the forest.I had a garden to grow crops for the seasonal times. I had the space and equipment to expand my territory. There was also a pond where I like to swim and catch fish. I had a fire place to roast and cook fish and I did a lot of activities to keep myself healthy and strong. It was so peaceful..." Steven says before he takes another bite out of his apple. "You really liked being in a calm environment, Steven?" Amy asked, "Yeah, the peaceful environment like this always helps me relax and get my mind away from any distractions. It's like my happy place. And now that I'm here training to be a hero, I can have less worries from anything happening to me" Steven says, "I think that's good to know, Steven. But it doesn't matter if you're not a hero or so, you can still enjoy anything you like to do without any problems" Tails says, "And don't forget, you have friends to help you so you're not alone in everything" Chris says and Steven chuckled. "Aww, guys. I appreciate for your help, but I don't want to be a burden to you all" Steven says off screen as they didn't notice the water was bubbling a bit. "Steven, you're our friend. We'll do anything to help you if you have any problems. Sonic would say the same thing too. So don't forget that" Amy says, "Hmm... Yeah, you're right... Thanks" Steven says. Then suddenly, a big splash happens and this caused Tails, Chris, Amy, Cream and Cheese to scream. Steven looked surprised as he saw the splash. "Huh? What's that?" Steven asked as the water goes down slowly. It revealed a robot named E-47 Pumpty. Tails, Chris, Amy, Cream and Cheese continue to scream while their picnic was ruined by the water. "A robot?" Steven asked before he then noticed E-47 Pumpty lifting it's claw. "Let's get out of here!" Steven says as he grabs Cream's hand while she holds Cheese and they, Chris, Amy and Tails make a run for it. But suddenly, the claw digs on the ground and this caused separation with Steven, Cream and Cheese while Tails, Chris and Amy were under the claw. Steven and Cream yelped before they trip from the impact. Steven gets up and looks up to see the E-47 Pumpty dig up Tails, Chris and Amy while they continue screaming. "Guys!" Steven says while Cream and Cheese get up. "Oh no! We have to save them!" Cream says and Cheese chirps as she was about to run forward, but Steven grabbed her hand. "No, Cream. It's too dangerous. We have to find cover and think of a plan. Come on!" Steven says as he, Cream and Cheese ran off. E-47 Pumpty drops Tails, Chris and Amy inside it's glass capsule before the capsule closes. Chris, Amy and Tails then groan in pain while trying to get up. "Where are Cream, Cheese and Steven?" Amy asked.
With Steven, Cream and Cheese, they were hiding behind a bush. "Where did that robot come from, Steven?" Cream asked, "I don't know, Cream, but let's stay here and find out" Steven says as he moved the bushes a bit to get a good view of E-47 Pumpty.
Dr. Eggman flew down in his Egg Mobile. "Look what I caught" Dr. Eggman says and he came into view for Amy, Tails and Chris. "Eggman?" Chris asked before Dr. Eggman chuckles. "You rat! You tricked 'em into broadcasting that news story!" Chris says, "Uh-uh, uh-uh" Dr. Eggman says as he waves his finger.
A clip plays of a small robot flying around Silver Valley while creating wave patterns. "I generated artificial energy spikes just like the ones made by the Chaos Emeralds" Dr. Eggman says off screen as the wave patterns affected some parts of Silver Valley. In a family home, the TV was static in the living room with a boy crying and another boy, a woman and an older man looked concern. "It isn't my fault that those news hounds barked up the wrong tree." Dr. Eggman says off screen as outside of a town in Silver Valley, there was an accident due to the interference with the traffic lights.
Back to reality, Dr. Eggman finishes. "I hate to admit it, but Eggman even had me out-foxed." Tails says, "Uh..." Chris says before Amy pulls her Piko-Piko hammer out. "Well, his planned failed, 'cause we are outta here." Amy says as she smashes her Piko-Piko hammer against the glass, but it wasn't leaving an effect. Amy stops as she catches her breath while Dr. Eggman laughs off screen. "You can't leave... ...I need you in case my first plan to beat Sonic fails." Dr. Eggman says, "Sonic isn't here" Amy says while Dr. Eggman laughs again before turning his head around a bit. "He'll be here any second now." Dr. Eggman says off screen and chuckles as he was looking at a red figure on a mountain.
Back with Steven, Cream and Cheese, they saw Dr. Eggman. "It's Dr. Eggman" Steven says, "He's up to no good again" Cream says before Cheese noticed the red figure on the mountain. "Chao, chao! Chao!" Cheese says, getting Cream and Steven's attention. "What's wrong, Cheese?" Cream asked, "What is it?" Steven asked and Cheese points to the figure. "There's someone up there, but who is it?" Cream asked while Steven was focusing on his vision. After a few seconds, Steven saw that it was Knuckles. "It's Knuckles" Steven says, "Knuckles? What's he doing here?" Cream asked, "I don't know, but it looks like he's waiting for something. I even saw Dr. Eggman look in the direction where Knuckles was" Steven says and Cream gasped. "I know what it is!" Cream says, "You do, Cream?" Steven asked, "I think Knuckles is working for Dr. Eggman" Cream says, causing Steven and Cheese to gasped. "Knuckles is working for Dr. Eggman? Why would he do that?" Steven asked, "Because Knuckles sometimes falls for Dr. Eggman's tricks and I think Dr. Eggman tricked him again" Cream says, "Tricked him? But why?" Steven asked, "I think Dr. Eggman is using Knuckles so Knuckles can fight with Sonic" Cream says, "Fight with Sonic? But they're friends. They shouldn't be fighting especially if Dr. Eggman is involved" Steven says, "I know, Steven, but even if Dr. Eggman isn't involved, they sometimes fight to let their stress out on each other because they sometimes see each other as rivals" Cream says, "Okay, I think I can understand that, but still. If it involves Dr. Eggman, they shouldn't be fighting. There's other ways to resolve situations besides fighting" Steven says, "I know, Steven, but if it involves Sonic and Knuckles, then there's no other solution" Cream says. Steven thinks about all this before making a decision. "Well I'm about to make one for them" Steven says as he gets up. "Where are you going, Steven?" Cream asked and Cheese chirps. "I'm gonna see if I can resolve this problem between Sonic and Knuckles" Steven says, "But Steven, you shouldn't get involved when they fight. You could get hurt" Cream says as she tried to stop Steven. "I know, but I have to do this. I'm gonna see if I can resolve this without Sonic or Knuckles getting hurt and find out the reason why Knuckles is working with Dr. Eggman" Steven says, "Are you sure, Steven?" Cream asked, "I'm sure, Cream" Steven says as he gives her a smile. "Okay, but be careful, Steven. Please don't get hurt" Cream says, "Chao!" Cheese says, "I'll try not to. You two stay here and hide. I don't want Dr. Eggman to see you, okay?" Steven asked, "Okay" Cream says and Cheese chirps again before Steven takes off to where Knuckles was. "I have a feeling I'm gonna get into a battle with one of them..."Steven says in his head.
Back with Knuckles, he was sitting on a rock waiting for the Sonic to show up. "Where's Sonic...? ...He should've been here by now!" Knuckles says in his head before opening his eyes to see Sonic appear with a smile on his face while having his eyes closed. "Hey there, Knuckles!" Sonic says before Knuckles stands up. "You're late, slowpoke!" Knuckles says, "Yeah, well, I stopped to enjoy the scenery! This planet is pretty cool!" Sonic says, before sniffing a flower he picked up during his arrival. "It's nice here! Yeah, you'd like this world, too, if you weren't such a party-pooper." Sonic says, "Enough talk... Let's go!" Knuckles says, "Ah, relax, will ya? We have all afternoon to duke it out, buddy-boy." Sonic says, "I'm not your buddy, and don't forget it, smart aleck! Now, put 'em up! I didn't come here to sniff the flowers!" Knuckles says, getting angrier. "That's your loss... ...You don't know what you're missing. But if you'd rather get clobbered by me…" Sonic says as he opened his eyes. "Shut up! Give me the emerald you stole, or else…!" Knuckles says, getting ready. "Oh" Sonic says in surprise before going back to his attitude. "Your brain's even slower than your feet!" Sonic says, making Knuckles even more angrier that he had a yellow vain on his head. "Aargh!" Knuckles says as he gets ready to fight. "Sonic!" Steven says off screen, "Huh?" Sonic and Knuckles asked as they see Steven go up to them. "Steven? What are you doing here?" Sonic asked, "You again..." Knuckles says while looking at Steven. "I came to see what was going on between you and Knuckles, Sonic" Steven asked, "Well if you must know, me and Knuckles were about to settle a score here" Sonic says while sniffing the flower again. "You bet your tail we are, Sonic!" Knuckles says as he was about to charge at Sonic. "Wait, wait! Hold on, Knuckles!" Steven says as he raised his hand towards Knuckles. Steven then faced back to Sonic. "Why are you guys fighting, Sonic?" Steven asked, "Ask him" Sonic says while pointing his finger to Knuckles. "Knuckles, what's going on? Why are you and Sonic about to fight?" Steven asked, "Sonic took the Chaos Emerald and wants to stay here forever because of his selfish deeds!" Knuckles says, "What? But that can't be. Sonic wants to find the Chaos Emeralds so you can all go back home" Steven says, "Huh! Yeah, right! I've known Sonic for years and I know when he can be a selfish hog!" Knuckles says, "And in all those years you haven't learned a single thing from them, huh?" Sonic asked, causing Knuckles to growl angrily. "Okay, stop! Don't get on each other's bad side right now. Listen, you guys shouldn't be fighting. You two are friends and friends don't just pick fights with each other just for different opinions" Steven says, holding his hands in front of Sonic and Knuckles. "Stay out of it, kid. This doesn't concern you" Knuckles says, "For once, he's right, Steven. I don't want you to get hurt" Sonic says, "Well I'm not gonna let you guys fight just because you have different perspectives against each other. There's other ways to solve differences besides fighting" Steven says, "Get out of the way, kid" Knuckles says as he punched his knuckles. "Steven, stay out of this. I'll handle this" Sonic says as he stepped in front of Steven. Steven then saw that Sonic and Knuckles were about to fight. "Great. They're about to fight and there's nothing I can do about it. If only they would fight without hurting each other... ...Wait a minute... Maybe I... Well, I've never been in a fight before... But if I can just avoid the attacks... ...I can let Knuckles release his stress! I'll have Knuckles fight me while I avoid his attacks. That way he'll calm down and we can get to the bottom of all this together. I have been training and exercising like crazy so maybe we can put all to the ultimate test and see if I'll succeed. Well, here it goes..."Steven says in his head. After a few seconds before anyone could do anything else, Steven said something unexpected. "Fight me" Steven says, causing Sonic and Knuckles to look at him in shock. "Huh?" Sonic and Knuckles asked, "Fight me, Knuckles" Steven says, "...What...?" Knuckles asked, "Steven, what are you doing?" Sonic asked, not liking where it was going. "Sonic, I know things are not going the way they should, but I have a good reason to do this. Sometimes a person has to do the unthinkable in these situations, so I've thought about and it would be good for the three of us" Steven says, "What's that?" Sonic asked, "It's like you said, we have to master peace in addition to war. We need to achieve victory by the odds of war. Victory is won through strategy. Strategy is derived from peace" Steven asked, "Okay, but what exactly are you getting at, Steven?" Sonic asked, "I'm gonna let Knuckles fight me while I avoid his attacks. That way Knuckles can release his stress, no one gets hurt and we can get to the bottom of this. I also want to put my training to the test. So please, Sonic, let me do this" Steven says. Sonic thinks about it and after a few seconds, he decides it. "Alright, Steven. He's all yours. I don't want you to get hurt , but be careful. Knuckles is an expert when it comes to combat" Sonic says, "I know, but I've got to do this for all of us, and while we're doing this, can you spectate us just in case? If anything happens to the both of us?" Steven asked, "Sure, no problem" Sonic says, "Thanks, Sonic" Steven says before facing Knuckles. "Knuckles, if you want to fight Sonic, then you'll have to fight me first" Steven says, "Kid, get out of the way. This is my fight with Sonic" Knuckles says, "Knuckles, I'm not moving whether you want me to or not. You're fighting me and not Sonic. Before you protest, let me explain" Steven says and Knuckles didn't say anything. "It wasn't Sonic that got the Chaos Emerald, it was me" Steven says and Sonic and Knuckles looked surprised. "I got the Chaos Emerald, but I didn't take it just for Sonic to stay here forever or anything like that. I got it so we can hold on to it while we find the rest of them and go home, but if you don't believe me or Sonic and you still want to fight, then fine. Fight me. Throw me everything your gonna give me" Steven says off screen as Knuckles just looked at the ground. "I'm not fighting you, kid..." Knuckles says, "I'm sorry, Knuckles, but if you want to fight Sonic, then you'll have to get through me first. If you think I'm being a burden, then take your anger out and throw everything you got at me with a fight then" Steven says and Knuckles kept looking on the ground. "So, are you ready then, Knuckles?" Steven asked. Knuckles thinks about it for a few seconds as he knew there was no way out of this now. After a few seconds, Knuckles decided his choice. "Grr! Fine then, kid! You asked for this and you brought on yourself! If I win, I'm fighting Sonic. Is that clear?" Knuckles asked, "Hmm" Steven says as he nodded. "Fine! Then have it your way! Get ready because I'm not holding back" Knuckles says as he gets ready. "As you wish, Knuckles" Steven says as he slowly moves his fingers around. Sonic looks Steven and Knuckles and thought this battle may be interesting after all. "Be careful, Steven. This will be the 1st challenge in your training session..." Sonic says in his head. After waiting a few seconds, Sonic throws the flower away in the air, signally them to start before jumping back and watching. Knuckles chargers at Steven and was about to punch him, but Steven dodges by jumping out of the way with rocks flying everywhere. "Whoa! This might be a little difficult than I originally thought..."Steven says in his head before landing back on the ground. Knuckles charged at Steven and tried throwing a lot of punches, but Steven dodged them by running backwards. "Okay, so far so good..."Steven says in his head.
Then Knuckles' fist punch and broke a boulder.
Knuckles looks up to see Steven on top of another boulder. Steven catches his breath before getting ready.
With Sonic, he was watching from a distance. "Hmm" Sonic says, wondering what's gonna happen next as he continues to watch.
Eyecatch Cards
CHRISTOPHER "CHRIS" THORNDYKE
MILES "TAILS" PROWER
Back at the fight, Knuckles the runs forward before jumping. "Aargh!" Knuckles says as he chargers at Steven again. Knuckles was about to punch Steven, but Steven jumped out of the way again, making Knuckles look shocked. "Yikes!" Steven says and he does a flip and lands back on the ground. Back with Sonic, he was surprised. "Wow. Steven hasn't taken a single hit from Knuckles..." Sonic says in his head. Knuckles looks back before charging at Steven again with more fast punches while Steven dodges and runs backwards again.
Steven and Knuckles continued their battle at a waterfall area with Steven dodging Knuckles' punches by jumping on rocks.
Knuckles' fist then punched another boulder and it breaks again.
Steven was then about to land on the ground again. "Wow!" Steven says with Knuckles watching. Steven lands on the ground and started running through the forest. Knuckles ran after Steven while Sonic followed them from behind. Steven activated his grapple gun and aimed it on top of a rock wall. Steven then started going upwards. As Steven went up, Knuckles climbed up the rock wall and Sonic ran on the rock wall. Steven looked behind to see Knuckles rushing up the rock wall. Steven then saw the top of the rock wall and saw a tree up close. Steven reached the top and retracted his grapple gun. Steven then started climbing up the tree before making his way all the way to the tip of the top. Steven was then panting and catching his breath. "Wow...! This is the most intense fight I've ever been in... I've been dodging so many attacks and I haven't taken a single hit... It feels as if I'm getting a good work out..." Steven says before looking at his hands. "I guess all that training I did is making me go a lot faster than before... I wonder how strong I would be if I was actually fighting..." Steven says as he looked at his hands. Then suddenly, the tree he was on started to tip over a bit. "Whoa! What's going on?" Steven asked as he tried to hold his balance. It revealed that Knuckles pulled the whole tree off the ground and grunted before throwing it. "Take that!" Knuckles says off screen as he threw the tree. Steven screams as he flew in the air. Steven saw that he was gonna hit the ground before activating his wrist mounted grapple gun. Steven aimed the grapple gun at a tree before shooting the grapple at the tree. Steven flew towards the tree and held on to the branch. Steven saw he didn't crash and sighs. "Phew. That was close" Steven says before landing back on the ground. Then suddenly, Steven looks behind and saw that the tree he held on was about to fall on him. Whoa!" Steven says as he jumped out the way from getting crushed. Steven falls on the ground before seeing something else. "Yikes!" Steven says as he jumps out the way from another tree that fell. It revealed that Knuckles was punching the trees down as he just punched another one. and it started to tip over. Knuckles then punched another one and it also tipped over. Knuckles punched another tree and it tipped over once again. Steven started running away from the trees that were crashing on the ground from behind him. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Steven says before he yelps as he almost tripped, but got back up and continued running. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Steven says, "Aargh!" Knuckles says as he was punching a lot faster now. The trees began to drown down like dominoes. Steven then jumped on a fallen tree, but was suddenly pushed up due to another tree crashing on one side of the other. "Whoa!" Steven says as he flew in the air before he suddenly hit the top of a tree that was falling. "Ow!" Steven says as he tumbled and grunted as he was making his way down. Knuckles saw Steven tumbling down while the tree he just broke falls down. Knuckles was about to stop Steven, but due to how fast Steven was coming, Knuckles was pushed and grunted from the impact. Steven and Knuckles rolled down a hill while they were curled into one ball. Knuckles tried to stop themselves, but couldn't as they continued rolling like a ball. Steven and Knuckles then grunted in pain as they crashed into a tree, causing it to break. Knuckles than wrestled with Steven while he and Steven were rolling down a hill at a fast paste. Steven and Knuckles eventually crashed into a river with a big splash. Back with Sonic, he ran to where Steven and Knuckles crashed. "I don't know how, but Knuckles is giving everything he's got and Steven's just dodging them like it's no problem. That training I made Steven do was just the beginning and already Steven's having no problems whatsoever with dodging" Sonic says before Steven and Knuckles jump out of the water and land on different sides of the lake. "Maybe Steven's gotten a lot faster than before. That's gotta be the reason why Steven's having no problems. Still it's impressive for the way how he's keeping this up" Sonic says in his head. Steven was catching his breath as he and Knuckles were wet. "You had enough, Knuckles...?" Steven asked, "Hmph! Let's end this now!" Knuckles says as they wait for the other to make the next move.
Back to where Dr. Eggman, E-47 Pumpty, Amy, Tails and Chris are, they were watching Steven and Knuckles look at each other while Sonic was watching in the middle. "Come on, Knuckles! Get rid of that hedgehog child and show Sonic that he can't keep us stuck here. Our only hope is for you to trounce that tyrant, but you have to get rid of that hedgehog child out of the way first" Dr. Eggman says.
Back with Cream and Cheese, they were worried that Steven might have gotten hurt. "Please be okay, Steven..." Cream says and Cheese chirps.
Back with Chris, Amy and Tails, Chris was nervous and Amy was surprised. "Sonic! Steven!" Chris says, "Steven's fighting Knuckles? That's strange. Normally its Sonic and Knuckles fighting, but now it's like Steven took Sonic's position to fight Knuckles. Geez, Knuckles can be so gullible! He doesn't realize that Eggman is just using him!" Amy says, "You're right and Sonic's just watching them fight" Chris says, "But does he have to watch them fight? Can't Sonic free us first while they're waiting?" Amy asked while Tails was trying to open a hatchet with a screwdriver. "There" Tails says as he got the hatchet open. "Huh?" Amy asked as she and Chris turn to Tails. "Good work. How'd you do it?" Chris asked, "I used my screwdriver" Tails says while holding his screwdriver up. "You're really handy" Chris says, "No big deal. Now I just have to figure out how this thing's wired..." Tails says as he looks at the circuits. "We don't have time for this, Tails! Step aside! I'll fix this robot!" Amy says as she takes a few steps forward with her Piko-Piko hammer and gets ready to swing. "No, don't!" Chris says as he tries to stop Amy. "Amy!" Tails says, "Hi-yaa!" Amy says as she smashed her Piko-Piko hammer against the main power source, causing it to break into pieces and shoot out sparks. Tails, Chris and Amy scream until an explosion happens. The explosion caused the glass to break from E-47 Pumpty.
Back with Cream and Cheese, they see the smoke rising. "Oh no!" Cream says, "Chao, chao!" Cheese says.
Back to where Sonic, Knuckles and Steven were. Sonic turns around to see smoke in the air. Steven then saw Sonic look at something. "Sonic, what's wrong?" Steven asked before turning around to see the smoke. Steven gasped as he knew where the smoke was coming from. While Steven is distracted, Knuckles took the chance to run up to Steven and punch him. Steven yelped in pain while he flew into the sky. "Steven!" Sonic says as he looks up. "Oooh...! I should've kept my guard up... Huh?" Steven asked as he rubs his right cheek and looks forward. In a far distance, he can see Dr. Eggman in his Egg Mobile while looking at the smoke.
Back where Dr. Eggman was, he was sitting up from his Egg Mobile while looking to where the smoke was rising. "Don't break it! Hey you, stop it!" Dr. Eggman says.
Back with Sonic, he saw what Steven was looking at. "It's Eggman!" Sonic says before Steven lands on the ground. "Come on, Steven!" Sonic says as he then grabs Steven's hand. "Whoa!" Steven says as he and Sonic left Knuckles. Knuckles looks to see Sonic and Steven going farther. "Get back here!" Knuckles says before running after Sonic and Steven. "You quitter!" Knuckles says. Sonic then gave Knuckles an annoyed look. "You two can settle this later" Sonic says. Sonic then puts Steven down and Steven runs next to him. "Are you alright, Steven?" Sonic asked, "I think so. I just got a little pain on my check, but other than that, nothing else. What's going on?" Steven asked, "Eggman's up to something and I think the others are in danger" Sonic says, making Steven realize something. "Oh yeah, that's right! That explosion was... Oh no! Cream and Cheese were around that area. I have to see if they're okay because I saved them from a robot and they're still hiding in the bushes" Steven says, "Alright, I'll see what happened where Eggman is while you check on Cream and Cheese, okay?" Sonic asked, "Yeah" Steven says before he and Sonic went in seperate directions. Sonic then reached to where Dr. Eggman and E-47 Pumpty were while Steven went by the trees.
Back to where E-47 Pumpty was, Amy, Tails and Chris were recovering from the impact that Amy caused while more smoke continue to come out of E-47 Pumpty. "We can't get out!" Chris says off screen "Hey, get us down from here!" Amy says while Dr. Eggman flies in front of them. "Look what you've done! You've wrecked my robot, and it isn't even insured!" Dr. Eggman says before a blue blur goes past them, getting their attention. The blue blur ran past E-47 Pumpty's legs and this caused one of the E-47 Pumpty's legs to explode and tip over. Tails, Amy and Chris then scream off screen as E-47 Pumpty crashed on the ground. The smoke clears up and Amy, Tails and Chris recover from another impact and groan. Sonic then appears in front of them. "Hey, what's up?" Sonic asked as he waves, getting their attention. "Thanks, Sonic. Where's Steven?" Chris asked.
Back with Steven, he was looking around the bushes where Cream and Cheese were supposed to stay hidden. "Cream! Cheese! Are you guys here? Where are you?" Steven calls out while looking around. "We're right here, Steven!" Cream says off screen and Cheese chirps off screen as they came out of a bush. Steven sighs in relief and goes up to them. "Are you two okay?" Steven asked, "We're fine, but are you okay, Steven?" Cream asked, "Yeah, I'm alright for now. Just a little pain on the cheek, but it's okay" Steven says, "That's good, but I think Sonic and the others need our help" Cream says as she, Cheese and Steven look to see E-47 Pumpty on the ground and Sonic looking at his friends. "Okay. I have to help Sonic take Dr. Eggman down. Hang on, guys" Steven says before he grabs Cream and Cheese and run out of the bushes.
Back with Dr. Eggman, he was mad. "It's not over, Sonic. My robot may be down, but it certainly isn't out" Dr. Eggman says and E-47 Pumpty positions its legs. "Huh?" Sonic asked before E-47 Pumpty gets back up on its feet. Chris, Amy and Tails scream while E-47 Pumpty's eye appeared on top. Steven, Cream and Cheese arrive near the area where Sonic, Dr. Eggman and E-47 Pumpty were. "Alright. Stay here, guys. I'm gonna try and help Sonic" Steven says while Cream and Cheese nodded and stayed behind a rock and Steven ran off. E-47 Pumpty started to aim it's turrets at Sonic. "Attack!" Dr. Eggman says and E-47 Pumpty started firing it's fire power. Before Sonic could react, Steven grabbed Sonic's hand and they went behind a rock and shielded themselves. "Phew! That was a close one. Perfect timing too there, Steven" Sonic says, "Yeah..." Steven says as he sighs in relief, but E-47 Pumpty shot the rock, making the rock disappear and for Sonic and Steven to be seen. "Huh? Uh-oh" Sonic says, "That was unexpected..." Steven says before more fire power was shot. Steven reacted quickly and grabs Sonic's hand and activated his grapple gun before flying off and dodging the fire power. "Good work, partner! keep it up" Sonic says, "Thanks!" Steven says as he held his grip on Sonic's hand as they swing around and dodge the fire power. Then suddenly, Knuckles appears and lets out a roar before kicking one of the turrets from E-47 Pumpty out. "Ooh!" Dr. Eggman says as Knuckles landed. "This is a battle between the kid and me! I'll fight my way!" Knuckles says while looking at Dr. Eggman and for Sonic and Steven to land on the ground. Steven saw this and was confused. "What's Knuckles talking about?" Steven asked and Sonic just shrugged his shoulders. "Fight your way!? If you're going to insist on fighting a clean fight, then I'm going to start playing dirty!" Dr. Eggman says as E-47 Pumpty activated it's engine and fly in the air. Sonic, Knuckles and Steven looked up to see E-47 Pumpty fly in the air.
Back with Amy, Tails and Chris, they scream as they felt the take off.
Back with Sonic and Steven, they look in shock. "Oh no!" Steven says while Dr. Eggman flies to the middle of the lake while E-47 Pumpty landed on the other side of the lake. "Plan A didn't work, so now we'll have to go to plan B! Bring me that Chaos Emerald, or you'll never see your friends again!" Dr. Eggman says. "What is this...? Eggman swore to me that all he wanted was to live in peace" Knuckles says, making Steven confused. "Wait, Knuckles. What did Dr. Eggman exactly say to you?" Steven asked, "Last night, Eggman told me that all Sonic wanted was to stay in this world whenever he felt like it and Eggman wanted to change his ways" Knuckles says, causing Steven to gasped. "What? Knuckles, Dr. Eggman lied. He lied about everything to you. He said all that just for you to help him with his plans. He doesn't actually mean all that. He just wanted to use you to take down Sonic" Steven says, causing Knuckles to gasped. "What...?" Knuckles asked while Sonic to put his hands behind his back, close his eyes and smile. "He's sure tricky, isn't he?" Sonic says and Knuckles gets angry. "That swindler, he lied!" Knuckles says, "You're catching on, pal" Sonic says and Knuckles was furious as he growled. "Knuckles, it's okay. You didn't realize the first time. It's not too late to set things right" Steven says, "Sonic!" Dr. Eggman says off screen. "Hmm?" Sonic asked as he opens his eyes to Dr. Eggman. "We all know your weak spot is water, so I stuck your friends over there where you can't save them without treading H2O" Dr. Eggman says as he points where E-47 Pumpty is. Sonic just simply chuckled. "Yeah, that's what you think..." Sonic says before he started running around the lake. "Huh?" Dr. Eggman asked in shock as he watched Sonic run. Steven took the chance and went back to where Cream and Cheese were and grabbed them and headed to where the others were. Knuckles simply stared at Steven who just left with Cream and Cheese. "Not too late to set things right..." Knuckles says in his head.
Back with Sonic, he continued running. "Ha, ha!" Sonic says as he went faster, causing lighting to strike a bit. When Sonic ran pass E-47 Pumpty's legs, it caused E-47 Pumpty to fall with Amy, Chris and Tails screaming before E-47 Pumpty hit the ground. "Hmm" Sonic says as he stops running. "Show-off..." Dr. Eggman says before Sonic grabs Chris's hand and helps him and the others out of E-47 Pumpty. "You all right?" Sonic asked off screen before helping Chris out. "I'm okay" Chris says as he stands up and he and Sonic look to see Amy and Tails dizzy from the fall. "Oh..." Amy says before hugging Sonic tightly. "Sonic!" Amy says, "Whoa" Sonic says while Amy sobs, "Take it easy, Amy..." Sonic says as he and Amy look at each other before Amy hugs Sonic tightly again. "I just knew that you'd come here to save me!" Amy says until a noise was heard from E-47 Pumpty. "Huh?" Sonic and Amy asked as they and the others look at it. "It's still moving!" Tails says before they ran away from it. "Move away!" Sonic says as he held on to Amy while E-47 Pumpty rises in the air. "Sonic, Chris, Tails, Amy! Over here!" Steven says off screen, getting everyone attention to see Steven, Cream and Cheese behind a few rocks. Sonic and the others rushed to where Steven, Cream and Cheese were and hid themselves. "I'm not calling it quits yet, Sonic... You only had a preview of this robot's firepower! You and your friends are through!" Dr. Eggman says and E-47 Pumpty shot missiles and fire power everywhere in the Silver Valley. "I've got you now!" Dr. Eggman says as the missiles exploded around the area. Sonic, Steven, Chris, Tails, Amy, Cream and Cheese were taking cover from the explosions and fire power as it continues around the area "Oh, no!" Amy says, "I'm scared" Cream says and Cheese chirps while Steven protected them. Then suddenly, Knuckles appeared in front of them. "Argh. Let me take care of Eggman" Knuckles says, getting Sonic and Steven's surprised attention. "O-kay" Sonic says, "Be careful, Knuckles!" Steven says and Knuckles charges to E-47 Pumpty. E-47 Pumpty shot more fire power and Knuckles dodges them by side stepping. After he thought he was close enough, he then performs a jump. "Aargh!" Knuckles says before punching E-47 Pumpty, making holes on it and climbing to the top of it. After he made it to the top, Knuckles jumped up to where Dr. Eggman was. "YOU!" Dr. Eggman says in shock, Knuckles grunted and prepares his punch. "You LIAR!" Knuckles says before punching Dr. Eggman to the sky. "Curse you Soniiiiiiiiiic!" Dr. Eggman says out before disappearing with a twinkle in the sky. Knuckles lands back on E-47 Pumpty's head and punched through it with his first. This caused E-47 Pumpty to crumble with a light brightening inside it and explode with a strong shake and black smoke. Sonic, Steven, Chris, Tails, Amy, Cream and Cheese shielded themselves again from the debris that were flying away due to the strong wind. Sonic took action and ran to where Knuckles was. "Huh?" Steven asked as he saw Sonic flee. Knuckles was being blown away until Sonic grabbed his hand. "Knuckles!" Sonic says while he was holding on to a branch. Steven saw that the branch that Sonic was holding is about to break off. "Wait here, guys" Steven tells the others as he runs to where Sonic and Knuckles were. The branch started to break off and Steven took the chance to jump and grab Sonic's hand. "Sonic! Knuckles!" Steven says before activating his grapple gun and aiming at another tree to hold them from the wind. They struggled on holding they're grips as Sonic gave Steven a smile. "Thanks, buddy!" Sonic says, "No problem!" Steven says and Knuckles simply stared at Steven again without saying anything.
After a few minutes, the wind stopped and the area had black smoke going up the air. "Huh?" Amy, Tails, Cream, Cheese and Chris asked as they blinked their eyes a bit.
Back with, Steven retracted his grapple gun and it caused him, Sonic and Knuckles to land on the ground. Sonic and Steven smiled at each other before looking at Knuckles. Knuckles slowly smiled at them "Sonic!" Amy says off screen, getting the three's attention. "You three made it!" Chris says as he, Tails, Cream and Cheese go up to them while Amy hugs Sonic tightyly. "We sure did" Steven says, "Ugh, yeah!" Sonic says, "Oh, Sonic! Are you really all right?" Amy asked, "Amy, Knuckles, Steven and I had it all under control" Sonic says off screen. "You three make a great team" Cream says off screen. "You think so?" Steven asked off screen. "Yeah" Tails says off screen. "Hmpf" Knuckles says before walking away from the group. "Huh? Knuckles!" Chris says, "Huh?" Sonic and Amy asked as they all look at Knuckles walking away. "Knuckles, where are you going?" Steven asked, "Hmpf" Knuckles says again as he waves at them. Sonic, Steven and Amy stare at him in confusion, "Hmpf" Amy says before running up to Knuckles. "I bet you want to apologize to Sonic for believing all the lies Eggman told about him as well as for fighting Steven... And you probably want to thank them, too, only you're too proud" Amy says, "Zip it!" Knuckles says, "Hmm?" Amy asked before Knuckles chuckles and faces Steven. "I will apologize and thankthe kid" Knuckles says, "Apologize and thank me for what?" Steven asked as Knuckles went up to Steven. "I'm apologizing for falling for Eggman's trick and fighting you" Knuckles says, "Well for Dr. Eggman tricking you, it's like I said it's okay, Knuckles. You didn't realize the first time. And for the fight, it's fine because I knew if I fought you, it would help all of us" Steven says, "What do you mean?" Knuckles asked, "What I mean is that even though I wasn't really fighting, I let you take your stress out on me while I was avoiding your attacks. I gave you what you wanted and nobody got hurt. Did it help?" Steven asked, Knuckles thought about it before nodding his head. "You're right. It did help me a bit. Thanks, kid. I gotta admit, you know how to set certain things right for everyone. And thanks again for helping me and Sonic back there" Knuckles says before offering Steven a hand shake. "It's no problem, Knuckles" Steven says as they both shook hands. "I didn't really catch your name, kid. What's your name again?" Knuckles asked, "Steven. Steven the Hedgehog" Steven says, "Well it's great to meet you, Steven. I have to admit, your performance on your acrobatic skills and reflexes were something else. Are you a fighter?" Knuckles asked and Steven shook his head. "Not yet. Sonic's been training me to be a hero like him, you and the others" Steven says, "Hmm. How about this. I can teach you a couple of combat moves I know of when the time comes. That is if you're interested" Knuckles says, "Hmm" Steven says before thinking and looking to back to Sonic and the others. Sonic nodded his head in confirmation before Steven faces Knuckles again. "Knuckles, it would be an honor for you to train me" Steven says, "Then that settles it. When the time comes, you better be ready for anything Steven" Knuckles says while he and Steven shake hands, "I'll try" Steven says, "Until then, I wish you luck with Sonic and the others, Steven" Knuckles says, "Sure, Knuckles" Steven says as he chuckles and looks back at the group who also chuckled. "Hmm. Later" Knuckles says before waving to them again and walking into the forest, leaving the others with a smile as well as a purple sky as Steven has another instructor to teach him a few things when the time comes.
Fu-tu-re (ミ・ラ・イ, Mi-ra-i)
Clips were playing from the next Chapter/Episode. "Hello! It's me, Steven the Hedgehog! Chris told us that his parents were coming to visit him and we gotta keep out of sight until they leave. As we went through the day, I suddenly didn't feel too happy today. So Sonic thought training would ease up the mood and it actually helped a bit. Meanwhile, Chris and his classmates encountered a robotic teacher named E-51 Intelligente. It was obviously sent by Dr. Eggman, but the robot seems to enjoy teaching Chris and the others and doesn't follow Dr. Eggman's orders. But suddenly, Dr. Eggman stops by and it caused the robot to go berserk. Now Chris and the others are in danger. Sonic went ahead and I decided to help put an end to this robot and help Chris and his friends return to their homes! Next time in the next Chapter/Episode of Sonic X: Steven the Hedgehog! "Fierce Battle! School Wars" ("Techno-Teacher"). Here we come, Chris!" Steven says off screen as the current Chapter/Episode ends.