Chapter 6: Grand Theft Chaos Emerald V

Momoijifan-low Ki is the greatest person in the world. May they always have success in everything.

Sonic is a quiet, unfriendly and shy sort of fellow who works best when he plays off other characters, but takes a supporting role. Some characters are like that, and there is nothing wrong with it. Chris may have been more liked, if he was established to have other hobbies besides hanging out with Sonic. Also, if Frances, Helen and Danny were not around to keep him company, his backstory about being lonely and neglected would hold much more water.

Mr Tanaka and Ella the maid are also so nice to him. Chris should be much happier. He grew up nice and happily during the 6 years when Sonic was away, and even married Helen. I would actually argue that Sonic was a bad influence on him.

How much company could one guy like Chris possibly need? Even Tails and Amy like to have time alone. Further muddying the waters: is the fact that when Chris's mother and father do come to give him attention, he often reacts uncomfortably or embarrassed. Like when he shrinks back from his mother's hug.

I'm surprised more people don't see the similarities between Sakura Haruno from Naruto, and Amy Rose from Sonic. Similar appearance, but also similar personalities, likes and dislikes. Also, both of them are considered "weak" compared to their main characters, but are still confident and happy to tag along.

Mostly though. Both Roses and Sakuras are types of flower. The point of this story is also to show that you don't need superpowers like Sonic or Shadow, to be useful.

POV means Point of view.

Amy POV

As we got back onto the underground train, which was quite empty today, I had the chance to ask my new human friend as well as fellow universe warper Sakura, a few more questions. I had already established that the world she was from, was not much different from my own. Aside from it being populated by mostly humans, "the land of Fire" where Sakura hailed from, was not much different from Mobius.

The strong ruled over the weak. Power-hungry overlords wanted absolute authority at any cost. Speed and strength were highly coveted traits among the people. Instead of 7 Chaos emeralds which were immensely powerful, but very difficult and dangerous to try and control, Sakura's universe had nine mythological beasts that achieved much of the same effect.

Except that unlike the Chaos emerald of mine and Sonic's universe, these tailed beasts tried to bite you and rip out your throat if you so much as went near them. It took a crazed bozo to try and control the Chaos emeralds. It took a bigger fool still, to try and tame the tailed beasts.

"Why do you use a Kunai, Sakura? Why not a gun? Or a grenade? Or even a tazer? It's not like those don't exist."

"For the same reason you use a hammer Amy. It's my personal choice what weapon I decide to use. Furthermore, a ninja needs to be silent and unseen. A gun would make too much noise. Lastly, guns are expensive. Kunai are cheap. I can use the same Kunai over and over, but a bullet can only be fired once."

"Do you ever miss your own world, Sakura? Sometimes I can't help but miss mine, even though Sonic and all my other most important friends were teleported to this world with me." I allowed myself a note of sorrow at the mention of Sonic.

My first true romantic partner. I could only at best pretend to have abandoned him. But try as I might, Sonic would live on in my heart and mind as long as there were stars in the sky. My time away from Station Square had failed to make me forget my beloved Sonic.

"Well I miss Naruto and Sasuke. My old friends and teammates." Sakura said sadly. "But if you'd believe it Amy, I miss Ino the most. Even if she can be a bit rude sometimes. She was my first friend. My best friend. The nicest, kindest person ever to me."

She let out a brief sob.

"Ino Yamanaka. Everything good in my life, came from Ino. Ino was the true hero of my world. I daresay, that she was even more important than your Sonic ever was to Mobius. No offense Amy."

"None taken, Sakura." I quickly and seriously replied.

"I just couldn't see it" Sakura crossly cried, balling her hand into a fist and bringing the fist to her face. It took me tightly holding onto the shaking arm, for Sakura not to pummel the mace of flesh and bone into her skull. "I only had eyes for Sasuke, and that meaningless attraction, completely blinded me. It is my fault that my land is being razed to the ground by Sasuke's rage-fueled crusade."

Sakura's one sided crush on her old boyfriend Sasuke. Not unlike my slowly fading but still ever present crush on my Sonic. I knew that while he most likely wouldn't snap and go on a killing spree like Sasuke, continuing to chase after my Sonic could only lead to utter ruin.

"But I can't go back." She concluded. "If I go back. Who will take care of all the children on the streets? I'm the only person who cares enough about them. I know you care too, Amy. But I also know you have places to be."

"Chris can take care of them." I quickly replied as the tunnel sped past us outside the train. "Chris Thorndyke is a very rich boy with a very succesful mother and father."

"Lindsey and Nelson Thorndyke? Yes. I think I've heard of them. Lindsey's amazing films are so romathic, and Nelson's electronics are great too. But what would Chris want with a bunch of vagrant children with no homes? From how you described him to me, he sounds very cold-hearted." Sakura drew out her Kunai, as she finished her sentence darkly, causing me to shudder coldly.

"He's lonely. That's all." I reassured Sakura confidently. I knew Chris wasn't a bad person, even if he sometimes made bad decisions. He was only human. "Once we introduce him to Bull, Reena, Beth, Damian, Emily, Sam, Megan, Richard and Maggie. I'm sure he'll be glad to have them at his mansion, which gets so empty during the day anyway, when Sonic and I go to fight Eggman. He loves other children. And I know he will love them, and they'll love him."

Sakura still did not look convinced. She kept her razor-sharp Kunai at the ready. Never a good sign.

"I mean it. He's nice. I will personally make sure everything goes well between him and those loveable little squirts. It will be okay. Sakura. Chris likes me, even more than he likes Sonic (even though he'll never say it out loud). Then you can go back and see your beloved Ino again."

Once we found the Chaos emeralds first. Now I had every reason to turn this country, and all other countries upside down in search of the remaining emeralds. Eggman or not, Sakura needed a delightful reunion with Ino. After all the good I had clearly see her do in this world which was not even hers, that was the least she deserved. I swore that I would find the chaos emeralds for Sakura, or die trying.

"You often say I'm nice and gentle Amy." Sakura stated, with a face of shame, as she finally sheathed her Kunai and uncurled her fist, which she had been trying to hit herself with.

"Yes Sakura. Because you are both those wonderful things." I joyfully remarked, a tad confused.

"Well I'm neither of those things, Amy. I'm mean, nasty and I have an awful temper." Sakura sadly moaned, as her head sagged low and she hid her hands in her face. "When things don't go my way, I throw a hissy tantrum and hurt everyone I love. It's all my fault, Amy. All mine. I was the one who drove Sasuke over the edge. I'm the reason why Naruto still hates himself, even though he did absolutely nothing wrong. And I'm the one who ruined my best friend Ino's life from top to bottom, with my endless jealousy."

I listened patiently in respectful silence. I thought of all the horrible things I'd done to Sonic. All the times I tried to thwack him with my Piko-Piko hammer. All the other girls I threatened with violence, when I thought they were trying to get closer to Sonic, even for completely innocent reasons, that had nothing to do with romance. All the times I blew my top and lost control of myself. When my body caught on fire and I went hot all over.

Sakura was as always, my human mirror. In both my good ways and the bad. To condemn her for crimes I was guilty of myself, would be the peak of hypocrisy. Once again, I had found something else we had in common.

Sakura and I, both hurt our loved ones with our fits of rage, and anger issues. But we both repented. We both believed that we had the power in our bright futures, to redeem ourselves for our past mistakes. Our redemption started here. With saving Sonic, when he could no longer save himself or us.

But here was a difference too. In Sakura's world, her version of Rouge the bat never turned criminal and tried to steal what was rightfully hers. In our miserable world...

"This Pain villain you defeated back in your world, Sakura. He sounds a lot like one of Dr Eggman's robots to me."

"That is correct. Amy. One thing people often said about Pain the torturer, was that he was more machine than human. Pain had no feelings. He knew neither right, nor wrong. He was just like a robot. Like a hollow, empty shell with no soul and no feelings. To give you an idea of how robotic Pain was, he didn't even cry when I beat him and ran him through with my Kunai. He laughed maniacally instead."

"Hinata Hyuga and Cream the rabbit would have been a good influence on each other" I regretfully remarked to Sakura, as the train rattled onward to our destiny.

"They certainly would. Amy. They certainly would."

"And your Naruto and my Sonic would have been a nice team."

"Indeed. Amy, I almost wish our universes weren't separated. Maybe if we found a way to link our universes like how you described the last time, that the chaos emeralds came together."

"But then the only problem is that Shadow and Sasuke, might give each other some very nasty ideas. And we would have to fight two revenge-obsessed freaks, who don't know when to let things go. I pity them both, Sakura, don't get me wrong, but the tragic loss of their loved ones does not entitle them to burn the world in revenge. If they kill others who had nothing to do with their loved ones' death, what will that do but spread their grief onto everyone else?"

"Amy. You are harmonious and wise. I love that about you. Don't ever change. Destroying the land of fire, will not bring Sasuke's family back to life. And murdering every human in this world, will certainly not give Shadow back his beloved friend, Maria. If Maria was a human, like you said, then Shadow really isn't right in his head."

Sakura shook her head, with her eyes closed in painful pity for both Sasuke and Shadow.

"Tell you what Amy. Once we've saved Sonic from G.U.N, we'll go find Shadow together and I'll do what I can to help him see reason. I do not want to see another brilliant man, head down the same dark road, as the renegade who destroyed my village."

It was as my heart enjoyed a degree of warmth and pride that it had not felt for a long time, that my phone which had been put on silent, vibrated slightly to signify that it had received an urgent call. Ordinarily, I'd have just ignored it.

But something deep within my soul, told me that for someone to call me at a time as urgent as this, must have meant something at least slightly important. Considering only one animal I knew, had my number. Chris didn't give a care about my number, he only wanted Sonic's but Sonic refused to give his number to Chris, or even take a smartphone.

Bringing out the high-tech "Iphone-7" smartphone in it's lovely pink case, given to me as a thank-you gift by Nelson Thorndyke the electronics mogul for my part in soothing Chris's loneliness, I had never felt more proud of myself for giving my young friend Tails the suggestion to trade phone numbers.

I also felt proud of Tails, for not refusing to trade numbers unlike Sonic. Funny how Tails didn't seem nearly as afraid of me as Sonic, despite being 7 years younger than the blue blur at just 8. Another sign that sometimes, people and animals alike were better off as "just friends".

"What is it, Tails?" I sympathetically answered, trying to sound as calm as possible in this time of danger and urgency.

"Twin tails, to Pink rose. Twin tails, to Pink rose. Do you read me, Pink rose? Over." Came Tails' worried, and threatened plea for help over the phone. I knew that unless I answered in a specific way, I would only distress the fox cub further.

"I read you, loud and clear. Twin tails. Permission to speak freely, granted." I soothingly purred. It felt good to hear Tails' voice again. It meant he was not trapped, or captured by the enemy. It meant he could meet my new friend Sakura, sooner rather than later.

Tails had always had a strange fetish of wanting to see a real-live ninja, from his early days in the wilderness alone as an orphan. Perhaps he thought that ninjas were the only fighters both fast like Sonic, smart like himself, and beautiful like me. While also not being uncivilized brutes, like Knuckles the Echidna. Once again, poor, silly Knuckles.

"Twin tails to pink rose. Twin tails to pink rose. Our entire force has been taken captive by the enemy. I am the final member standing, after a disagreement with our leader Blue-blur's gross mistreatment of you, I am sorry for Blue-blur's horrific actions towards you, and I can only apologize sincerely on his behalf."

Tails' voice on the other side was quickly breaking up. He was really, really upset with himself, with Sonic, and the entire world and universe around him. He quickly dropped all pretence of calmness, and cried into the phone.

"I'm sorry Sonic mistreated you Amy. So sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Please don't hold any grudge against him, Amy. But please. You have to come and rescue him. Your our last hope. I can't do this on my own."

"Tails. Tails. Calm down." I insisted, sympathetically but firmly as Sakura listened in respectful silence. Tails would have a wet dream when he witnessed my new human companion. Especially once she showed off some of her most amazing moves. "It's okay. I forgive Sonic. It was my fault too that he did what he did, and I'm sorry too. Just tell me where you are Tails, and I will find you. I would never let Sonic down, after he saved my life as a child, like he saved you Tails."

"Amy. You're the best. Once we find Sonic, I will make sure personally, that he gives you a proper apology himself." Tails' voice was finally calming down.

"Oh and Tails. Before I forget. I'm bringing a special new friend with me on this mission. A human friend. She's really nice.

"But is she trustworthy? I don't think humans are trustworthy..." Tails doubtfully replied.

I looked Sakura up and down. I took special attention of her long, pink hair, which could almost be mistaken for hedgehog spikes. I studied her now sheathed away Kunai, and how its sharpness and shape mirrored a hedgehog's deadly spike.

I recalled all the times Sakura utilized a jumping roll to avoid attacks from the petty crooks down in Harlem, and how neither Sonic and I would not look out of place executing the same move ourselves. Even though we were hedgehogs and not humans, like Sakura was. Sakura could also spin herself very quickly while holding her Kunai, and roll forward to skewer enemies in a manner that imitated Sonic's signature move "the spin dash", almost flawlessly.

I had heard of there being styles of Kung-Fu like Snake style, Crane style, Tiger style, Leopard style and even Panda style.

But Sakura had invented her own new style, that knocked it clean out of the park.

Sakura Haruno. The true Lord Hokage of her land, that grossly underestimated her. Inventor of "the hedgehog style."

"Sakura, my new friend. Is VERY trustworthy." I empathetically answered. "She is also, a ninja."

Tails let out an excited yell of sheer bliss, that nearly made me drop my phone. I had not heard the young fox so cheerful since the day he recounted meeting his lifelong partner Sonic. The three of us would be a very effective team.

"You're not a bad ninja Sakura. You should have been made the head of the leaf village, and not the incompetent and mean Hokage, who forced you, Naruto and Sasuke to endure a childhood of neglect, all because of sad factors outside of your control." I said sentimentally, after Tails rang off after giving us his secret location in the woods behind Chris's mansion.

"And you're not weak Amy. What you don't have in Sonic's speed, Tails' mechanical skills and Knuckles' brute strength, you more than make up for with your kindness, your empathy, and above all else: your understanding of what it really means to practice balance." Sakura passionately shot back, looking me straight in my eyes as she held both my arms like I was the second coming of the Prophet and Messiah.

"Never let Sonic and the others call you weak. Ever again. I've said it before Amy, and I will say it again. To train Bushido, is to train the mind, the soul and the body. You and you alone know this. But your friends do not. That makes you special. Very special."

Sakura had such a wonderful way with words.

Scarlet POV

"Go faster" I ordered to the driver of the news truck, who jammed her foot even harder into the gas pedal. She had to beep many times to scatter the cars in front of us, and we had to drive many times into the other lane, but it was worth it to divert course and get to the Thorndyke manor quickly.

The junior reporter was covering the horrific incident at the Thorndyke manor, and I was rightly horrified at the footage I was now skimming through, despite the fact it gave me motion sickness while viewing it at such high speeds in a speeding vehicle.

A policeman had called to let me know that both Frances and Helen were completely safe, and rounded up an entire trio of dangerous, high ranking G.U.N agents to boot, which were now being driven to Liberty city Police Headquarters for further questioning. As well as both the Electronic games store, Pizza express and "Toys castle" letting me know that all my deliveries had arrived, at exorbitant cost. If I was going to match the boasts of Chris's parents, I might as well go all the way.

But husband Manuel, Frances's dad would understand. He would be proud of my decision. He would be glad that I saw the value of money, to be spent and not saved up until the day I was buried and it was useless to me. Finally he would pester me no more, that getting a promotion from Junior reporter to Head reporter was pointless, and gave me even less time to spend with our little Frances with no payoff.

Frances had even called me herself earlier, on my cracked screen phone that somehow still worked.

"It's me. Frances. It's alright mum. Really. I forgive you and dad. I know you love me, and I love you both too." She quickly stated, before I even had a chance to address my mature, flawless and understanding daughter. The greatest blessing that the heavens had ever blessed upon me and Manuel, after he rescued me from the stinking slum I grew up in, back in Mexico Gulf.

A dirty, unsanitary and disease-filled slum. Where a lot of crimes were committed every day. Where vulnerable children were strong-armed into sniffing Cocaine, Heroin, Pot, Cannabis, Marijuana and other such toxic substances. Before being sold to the brothel as a piece of flesh. Where everyone lived in a cardboard box, which could keep out neither the rain, the sun, the hot or the cold. Except the crime-lord and his goons, naturally.

Only by running and hiding, and occasionally shooting back at the shooting criminals, could any child hope to survive. I was among the lucky few. I was shooting guns long before I shot pictures with my camera. I was crying out a valiant battle cry as I charged the evil mobs after me, long before I cried the news for my adoring fans.

Younger me looked nothing like today. I had only a plastic bag to wear, and a scruffy face with messy untrimmed hair, that I had no mirror to look into for brushing it or cutting it. Manuel saved me from it all, and I was indebted to him ever since. That life debt drove me to lovingly recite our wedding vows on the altar, and to stay with him ever since. Where I bore him our beloved little Frances, and then went with him to Station Square, when he declared our old home unsafe for such a delicate young soul.

We left the Gulf of Mexico behind to get away from all the chaos and danger. Not to put poor Frances in even more danger. Eggman and G.U.N would pay for denying us as a family, the peaceful second chance we were due. I would see to it personally. I would shoot the crazed Egg-shaped scientist down myself, consequences be damned, if I had to.

"Mum. Its alright. We are safe. We are heading to police headquarters right now, where the police will ask me and Helen some questions. Officer Jenny has been very kind to us, and has provided us both with plenty of nice doughnuts, tea and colouring books."

The mere mention of Officer Jenny, diffused all fear and panic I still had, for my lovely little one and her disabled friend. The one competent police officer on the force. With an amazing outfit that looked straight out of Hollywood, putting movie star Lindsey Thorndyke, to eternal shame.

So Frances and Helen could wait. At least for now. In the warm, and welcoming embrace of Officer Jenny Nice. Right now, Chris's family needed my assistance. His nice servants Mr Tanka and Ella, had always been good to Frances and Helen when they weren't tending to master Chris, and such loyalty deserved to be justly rewarded.

"Good job dear. You truly have the spirit of a warrior." I proudly told Frances, knowing it was useless to try and criticize her for being rash and putting herself in danger. She was only taking after her father, and to a lesser extent, me. Since I could not run from danger that threatened the nation, without first reporting it. That was the professional duty of a reporter. "Stay put at the police station, and mummy will be with you shortly, dear."

Before I could ring up, I could hear Frances talking to Helen on the other end of the line: "My mother's awesome isn't she, Helen?". To which the sweet voice, I knew to belong to Helen replied. "That she is. Frances. Very awesome, and so beautiful."

I smiled, and cried a single tear of motherly love. Frances was a good girl. Her friends were good friends.

"This is Scarlet Garcia reporting live, as we finally arrive at the Thorndyke mansion. Where just hours ago, all its residents were taking captive by the mysterious extremist group known as G.U.N" I speak into my microphone, as I remember that I'm on a news channel and that billions of lives are depending on me. My channel also reached outside of America.

"Liberty City Police Department (LCPD) are closely tracking this dangerous group. But for now, all citizens are recommended to stay in their homes and wait for further information. Please avoid contact with all suspicious-looking persons, especially ones carrying a firearm of any kind."

We arrived at the driveway. I knew there had been plenty of time for G.U.N to leave this place far behind. But a feeling deep within me told me, that something or rather, someone, was still waiting there. Waiting for a hero of justice to come and bring hope to humanity.

Just like how Manuel Garcia, the coalition soldier, brought hope to me. As I stepped closer, the camera crew behind me, just as anxious as I was at the unknown danger I knew to be lurking behind the door to disaster.

The windows by the door were all smashed. Dried blood, caked the welcome mat that didn't look welcoming at all, covered in dark crimson. Though subtle, there was a definite shuffling sound coming from behind the wide grand oak doorway.

Someone was in there. Someone, who didn't want to be found. Someone who wanted to hide. From justice. From the light. From peace and love.

The faint sound of a saxophone, rang from within the trashed building. It was quiet, but soon reached a crescendo which caused it to louden. Soon, the saxophone's sassy notes began to deafen me so much so, that I had to briefly cover my ears in pain.

This was no ordinary music.

This was boss music. Music that played only when a very difficult confrontation with a very cunning, and deadly adversary was upcoming.

I put one foot in front of the other, and raised both hands as I adopted a battle-ready fighting stance.

As the Spaniards who colonised the Gulf of Mexico, my home, liked to call these life-threatening situations where to the victor went the spoils: "mano el mano" . Hand to hand.

Knowing the door was still locked, and also knowing that there was no time to fetch a crowbar or any other tool, I kicked in the door. As head reporter, I had a duty to my many viewers, to spend plenty of time in the gym, pushing my body to near-fatal extremes. Not only because my fans deserved nothing less of me, their idol, but also because I often had fearful nightmares where the merciless crime-lords from my youth, would come to chase me down once more.

My kicks, were every bit as effective as any battering ram. The door was soon kicked to splinters, only leaving me slightly out of breath.

"We now enter the scene of the crime, to closer observe the dreadful tragedy that has befallen the Thorndyke family and their faithful servants." I whispered to the short, blonde-haired cameraman, who looked as white as winter snow. He had clearly never seen this aggresive side of me before, and I prayed this would be the last time he would have to. Cameraman Ronald Davies had seen enough gore for one lifetime, in his chaotic childhood ghetto of Los Angeles.

The saxophone was still blaring loudly further down the hallway. I knew that just beyond the door at the far end to where I was now cautiously stepping, there lay a felon so unrepentant, that words alone could not describe the magnitude of their manifold crimes against humanity. A heart so dark, that no amount of gentleness, kindness nor compassion could rouse it to sympathy.

I had a pretty good idea of who it already was, long before I flung the basement door open to give the grand larcenist in the middle of her latest robbery, the scare of her lifetime.

To say she was inhuman, was all too accurate a statement. Not just because she had no human heart. But because her pointed ears, white furry body, dagger-like nails and large wings clearly marked as not a human, but a bat.

Rouge the bat. Or to be more precise Rouge Skeffington. Criminal Serial number 137118. Six stars wanted, in a justice system where the typical maximum was five stars. Prison sentence: life in jail, without any sliver of a chance for parole or bail of any kind.

In both her hands, she held the two precious gemstones that my daughter Frances had once told me: were vital if Sonic and his friends were to have any chance of returning to the idyllic world they were dragged away from. Two precious stones, that could destroy the entire world if fallen into the wrong hands and used recklessly. Two priceless treasures, that Chris kept under heavy guard in the most secure room he had in his mansion, and did not tell anyone he did not trust about.

Two Chaos emeralds. The same emeralds that space colony ARK was involved with, several decades ago, when my unfairly slandered dad. gave his own life to protect them from the power-hungry, grasping hands of G.U.N.

He did it to protect the world from devastation. To unite all peoples within our nations. To denounce the evils of lies and hatred. To extend our reach to the stars above. But mostly, he did it to protect Maria Robotnik. The one good member of the Robotnik family. A nice, happy girl, without a single mean bone in her frail and sickly body.

But daddy, or Dr Santos Garcia, couldn't protect ARK, the emeralds or Maria. This meant that his burdens, fell to me, his devoted daughter, who respected both his legacy and his life's purpose of fighting against injustice. Respect our elders where respect was due. Another custom of the Garcia line. Passed to me from daddy, and from me to my dear daughter Frances.

One purple. One blue.

Both in Rouge's hands.

I did not bother to address the camera, nor the viewers. This was no show, but a life-or-death situation not just for me, but for everyone I cared about and everyone they cared for.

"Stop, thief!" I called out boldly, knowing I had blown my cover anyway when I kicked in the door. "This time I'm locking you away myself. You're going to be yesterday's news. You have transgressed the laws of this peaceful nation, and now you must answer for your crimes."

Hang in there Frances, Helen, Danny, Chris, Sonic, Tails, Cream (and Vanilla) and of course, Amy. Even you Knuckles. Your violent ways are undeniably immoral, and make you a menacing threat to society, but you too have saved our beautiful country alongside Sonic and the other heroes and therefore, should be respected too. This world can hurt you. It cuts you deep and leaves a scar. Things fall apart, but nothing breaks like a heart.

The power-hungry president has been cruel to you Sonic, and friends. The police and public have only spat on your attempts to do what is clearly the right thing for everyone. The irresponsible media has done everything it can, to drag your good names through the mud. So let me, reporter Scarlet Garcia, repay some of these debts. Let me show you, that aside from Frances and Helen, one other responsible citizen supports your altruistic and benevolent cause.

...

Thank you so much for reading, please review. You really are all amazing people and I love you all.