Chapter 08: The Wind Stone
Day 3 Station Square 2:35 P.M. "Owww! It bit me again!!!" Jett complained. Knuckles, Jett and Jo were outside of the Station Square Hotel enjoying a late lunch. Knuckles had gotten a new chao. His name was Chahura. Chahura had a great set of chompers, and Jett was finding out the hard way. Earlier after breakfreast, Knuckles, Jett and Jo met up with their other friends. Lauren, a fox, and Bryce, who claimed to be part echidna himself, had entered the Chao Gardens and Knuckles was introduced to chao. At first they looked kind of wimpy, not cool looking at all. But then he saw for himself what chao are capible of. They fight. Self-defense, of course, but there can be a struggle among chao themselves, and they end up in a battle. After watching one, Knux decided he wanted to adopt one of these great fighters for a companion when he returns to Angel Island. Jo suggested one of the unowned chao that were paticipating in the Chao Trials. Knuckles spotted a chao that fended off some bully chao and chose him. That's when the trouble there that morning began. Knuckles had overheard a man talking to a cameraman, who were setting up to report the upcoming Chao Trials. Knux noticed they were from Station Square News. "Whatdya MEAN we can't go on air?!" the large overlander yelled at the cameraman. "Exactly as I said! O'Brian got sick, and Nellie's gone missing!" the cameraman argued. "Stargazer's got an emergency brodcast at the ruins. Just GRAB someone! Reporting isn't hard!" "Hey what's going on?" Knuckles asked. "You! Aren't you that crazy maniac from earlier this morning?" the man asked. Knuckles gave him an odd look. Before he could answer, the man continued. "Never mind. You're perfect. Here-" The man handed Knux a microphone. "Start reporting." Needless to say, by the time the report was over, Knuckles chao had won 2nd place at the race, beaten by a much faster chao. He earned some new-found respect from his new friends, and gained a few fans from those who watched him. Knuckles smirked. Whoever Nellie Stargazer was-she had competition. Mystic Ruins Hangar 2:43 P.M. "Hang on Sonic," Tails said, setting Sonic's ankle into a funny looking machine that reminded him of some sort of scanner. Sonic's latest battle with Dr. Robotnik left Sonic injured with a twisted ankle. Tails, Nellie and Bane all helped him inside the Hangar nearby, where Tails said he had a new piece of machinery he wanted to try. Apparently it was a machine that increased the healing rate, therefore mending Sonic's ankle quite nicely. When it was done, Sonic sat up, rotationg his foot. "Good as new!" Sonic commented. "So it works," Tails smiled. "Yep!" Sonic said, standing up. "Come on, let's go outside!" Sonic, Tails, Bane and Nellie ran outside to appropritely enjoy the view of the area. The area was near a cliff that overviews the ocean. Sonic breathed the fresh air and sighed, relaxing for a moment. But he could not rest. Dr. Robotnik was still out there. And he has an emerald-eating water monster. Something about more emeralds? He had to find them before Robotnik does! A commotion nearby turned heads towards 2 men that was standing over a nearby hole. Sonic and the others approached them. "Hey, what's all the hub, bub?" Sonic inquired. One man faced him. "We found a startling artifact that seems to glow, but we cannot budge it!" the man explained. "Really? What is it?" Sonic asked, trying to get a look. "It's a green stone. In it glows the Echidnain sign "yawia", which means wind. It looks like a miniture hurricane, trapped inside the green glass, slowly whirling." Sonic took a closer look. It looked like a green glass rock, with the white symbol in it. He kinda stared at it, and looked back at the man with a funny look. "That's it-?" Suddenly, there was an explosion of light from behind Sonic as the stone suddenly started floating in a gust of air and light. Slowly, it rose up to eye level as everyone gathered around it. "Wow, it's pretty!" Nellie commented. Bane reached out to touch the stone, but it shocked him, preventing him from touching it. "Whoa..." Sonic breathed as it matched to eye level with him. He stared deep into the heart of the stone, hynotised. "Sonic...? What IS it?" Tails asked. "I dunno....but.....it's as if....it was meant....just for me...." Sonic's hand drifted to the stone. "Sonic-!" Bane started, but Nellie held him back. Sonic grabbed the stone, and then Sonic himself started to glow. He slowly raised the stone, then in a voice that was his own, yet it seemed not like his own, he said, "Show me the way." A blast of light shot from the stone to a cave across the way. He turned to the others and annouced. "I must go! In that cave is something important. Youy can come if you like." Sonic said. "I'll go, Sonic!" Tails volinteered. "Bane and I will stay here and interview the expedition team," Nellie said. "See ya later, Aunt Nellie!" Tails shouted, running after a Sonic who had already taken off. When he finally caught up with Sonic, he was standing in front of a pedistal inside the cave. There was a slot shaped to fit the stone as Sonic did so. He stopped glowing, but all that power soaked up into his medallion, making it glow brightly. "Whoa, what a rush!" Sonic said, woozily. "What happened, Sonic?" Tails asked. "Not too sure, lil bro. All I know is....something is calling me inside this cave...." Sonic said. As he walked forward, a blast of wind shot him upward. "SONIC!!!" Tails cried, going after him.
