Disclaimer: I don't own these characters...sadly....cuz if I did the Sonic Series never would have ended!!

Authors note: I'm aware that there wuz a storyline in the sonic comics where they did discover Time Stones, but this story takes place assuming they never discovered those time stones, and I didn't read those comics until after I started writing this story, so this, in no way, relates to that idea. I came up with it myself. With that said, on with the fic!

Extreme Measures

by luvmydogz

Ch. 4- Encounters


"Wow, this mountain region is farther away than I thought" muttered Sonic as he continued his journey through the forest. "And with my speed too! Let's see, according to the map, I should reach the mountains right about...."

SMACK. At that moment, Sonic ran right smack into a gigantic rock wall, and fell back with a loud thud. He stood up, rubbing his head, and muttering a few inaudible words to himself, before checking the map once more.

"Well, right about now, apparently. Owww. Okay, let's see, the map says to go up, so looks like I'm going...."

Sonic then looked up for the first time at the boundary that he had crashed into moments before. The wall of rock was about as long as it was steep. The hedgehog's mouth gaped open in awe while he shook his head in disbelief.

"...Up. Aw man. Sal wasn't kidding when she said this wouldn't be easy. But it doesn't look like I've got much choice. So up I go."

With that, the speedy blue hedgehog began his long climb up the side of the mountain, unaware of the eyes peering at him from the top of his destination, no doubt waiting for his arrival. Unfortunately for Sonic, his speed wasn't much of an asset when it came to climbing, and the scaling of the mountain took quite a long time.

By the time he reached the top, the sky had become dark, and night had already set in. Sonic collapsed from exaustion, no doubt due to the day of climbing he had just taken part in. He willed himself to go on, but then thought better of it, remembering Sally's warning of the creatures living in the mountains. He would be unable to defend himself if one were to attack him if he didn't get some rest. So he made his way to the base of a tree, settled down, and shut his eyes.

Little did the hedgehog know that he wasn't about to get a peaceful night of sleep, whether he wanted to or not.

The same peering eyes that had been intently focused on the hedgehog from the top of the mountain were now moving in towards the tree where Sonic had stopped to rest for the night, but it was no longer alone. Several other creatures now joined the once lone animal, all of which slowly circling around their soon-to-be victim.

In a stroke of luck on the part of Sonic, however, one of the creatures accidentally stepped on a branch, creating a loud snapping noise that instantly awoke the hedgehog. With lightening fast reflexes he jumped to his feet, and peered around at his attackers. They all looked to be about half his size, but the rest of the details he couldn't make out due to the fact that it was night.

Before Sonic could even come up with a plan of attack, the creatures swarmed him all at once. Without a single thought, the speedy hedgehog revved up his feet and bolted off in the opposite direction. The creatures followed in hot pursuit, and due to Sonic's exaustion, were able to hold their own and keep the hedgehog in their sights. Sonic realized this, to his dismay, and desperately tried to increase his speed, but his legs were just too tired.

With outrunning his attackers out of the question, Sonic now had to brainstorm a new plan of attack. "I could just stop and fight them," he thought, "but I don't want to harm these animals, well, not yet atleast. What am I going to do?"

Suddenly, the temperature in the area began to drop. Sonic began to shiver, suddenly wishing he had brought a jacket. He looked back, and realized that he had been running uphill. "I must be going farther up the mountain," he thought, "well, the faster I get up the mountain, the faster I'll get to that cave, and the sooner I'll get Tails back! I suppose those animals chasing me was for the better. But how am I going to get rid of them?"

Sonic looked behind him once more, and sure enough, the creatures were still on his tail, trudging through the now appearing snow at a distance not too far from his back. With the sun now beginning to rise, the details of the creatures became clearer. They ran on all fours, and their bodies were covered in brown fur. As hard as Sonic tried, he could not identify them.

"Man, I wish Sal was here. She'd know what the heck those creatures are. Maybe I shouldn't have left without them......" But it was too late for regrets now. Sonic needed a plan, and he needed one fast, for his legs were quickly becoming exausted, and his pursuers showed no sign of slowing down. If he wanted to get out of this without being eaten alive, he had to come up with something quick.

It was then that a row of snow-covered pine trees came into his view.

"Perfect!" he cried, an idea finally creeping its way into his head. He immediately turned and began heading straight for the line of giant snow-capped evergreens, and the animals followed right behing him. He ran up to the first tree in the row, curled up into a spin-dash, and smacked into it head on, which caused it to lean into the next tree, which leaned into the next, and so on down the row.

Sonic then sped passed the remainder of the trees, just as the snow that once dressed their branches began to make its way down to the ground. Sonic made it through the trees in time to avoid the snow, but the creatures following him weren't so lucky. They were all buried under the newly fallen piles of snow.

"Haha! Yes! Way past cool! Now that's what I call using your head!!" Sonic danced around in a mock-victory dance, "Sorry about that, you whatever-you-ares, but ya looked like you needed to chill! hahahaha" Sonic cracked up at his own so called humor and fell back into the snow, finally able to rest his legs.

"Geez hedgehog, ya don't gotta add insult to injury. Ya beat us, now spare us your awful jokes."

Sonic sat bolt upright. "Wha....? Who said that?" he questioned, looking around him.

"I did genius. Over here."

Sonic looked over, and too his disbelief, saw one of the brown creatures staring right back at him.

"You...you can talk?" asked a bewildered Sonic.

"Of course we can talk. Don't look so surprised. If anything, it should be us who are surprised that a life form such as yourself knows how to talk." snubbed the creature.

"Hey, watch it you little......thing. I just outsmarted you ya know."

"Yes, well, I suppose you did. I guess you'll be stealing our summer harvest now. You won it fair and square." answered the animal.

"Your summer harvest? I'm not after your summer harvest." answered a confused Sonic.

"What? Your not? Then why did you climb all the way up here?" asked the creature.

"I'm in search of the time stone." Sonic told the animal.

"The time stone?? Are you crazy? Are you aware that there is a protector that watches over that stone??" asked the creature

"Well, yeah...." responded Sonic

"And are you aware of how BIG that protector is?" questioned the creature yet again

"Um, no......but, I'm sure I can beat it." stated a confident Sonic

"Oh really? Aren't we overconfident! You couldn't even fight us, and we're half your size!"
mocked the creature.

"Hey, I couldv'e fought and defeated you easily, but I just didn't want to hurt you!" countered Sonic.

"Suuuure hedgehog. I believe that" said the creature sarcastically

"Alright, you wanna go right now?!?" asked a fast-angering Sonic

"Bring it on!" taunted the creature.

"Boys, cut it out!" interjected a voice from the snow heap. "What are you, children?"

"And who are you?" asked a now annoyed Sonic, directing his question at the newly visible creature that had made its way out of the snow heap.

"I'm Maple. I see you've already met Snig. Sorry about that."

"Hey!" complained Snig, turning to face his fellow comrade.

"He can get quite annoying." she continued.

"Hmph." was Snig's only reply.

" I'm sorry we attacked you. It's just that our summer harvest is very important to us, you know? You can never be too careful." explained Maple.

"I understand, but try asking first next time before you wake a guy up and chase him up a mountain." said Sonic, a hint of sarcasm present in his voice.

"Point taken, hedgehog. So you're after the time stone, eh?" questioned the female.

"Well, yeah. I am." answered Sonic, now calming down.

"Not that he's going to get it" chimed in Snig.

"Quiet Snig!" yelled Maple. Snig only shrunk back in reply. Sonic couldn't help but snicker at the misfortune of his rival.

"Well, good luck with that, then," said Maple, "the protector truly is a challenge. There hasn't been a creature yet who has defeated it."

"Yeah, well, there hasn't been a creature yet like me." stated Sonic, becoming confident once more. The rest of the group of creatures had now made their way out from under the snow, and were crowded behind their apparent leaders.

"Well, we really have to be getting back to our village," stated Maple, "It was nice meeting you, uh, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, right. It's Sonic."

"Ah, Sonic then. I wish you the best, and I hope that your cause is well worth it, considering the danger you're about to put yourself in."

"Believe me, it is," answered Sonic as he turned to continue on his journey. "Bye!" he yelled as he dashed off further into the winter wonderland.

"Bye Sonic! Good luck!" yelled Maple

"Break a leg!" added Snig

"Eat snow, Snig!" yelled Sonic as he hurled snow in the direction from which he had came. A moment later Snig was hit in the face with a flying snowball. "Ha!" echoed Sonic's voice through the mountains.

"I hate that hedgehog.." muttered Snig, whiping snow from his eyes.

"You had that coming," laughed Maple. She then turned and faced the section of the mountain to which Sonic had just run off. "I hope that hedgehog knows what he's getting into."


and there ya go! chapter 4 completed!! Now passed his obstacles, the only thing left in Sonic's way is this protector. Is it really as dominating as the creatures warnings head? And what of robotnik? where is he throughout all this? Knowing Robotnik, he can't be too far away. So what's going to happen? well, youll just hafta wait till the next chapter to find out!!