Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic or other characters mentioned in this story.
They are copyright of other companies. Besides, I have no money that you
could sue me for anyway.
~~~~~SHADOW
I raced along the plains with Tail's Tornado 2. The wind blew against my face as I flew past trees and hills. I had to hand it to Tails; this machine was pretty nice. I looked down at the controls. I noticed a TURBO button. Was this the button that Tails used when we escaped from Prison Lane?
"Maria, how far is it to your house?" I asked.
"Oh, it's on an island in the ocean," she said.
"Hang on!" I told Maria as I pushed the TURBO button.
"Shadow! Slow down!!" Maria yelled as we flew forward.
Colors were just blurs as we continued over the ocean.
I looked for the brakes. I finally found them and slowed down to normal speed. Maria's house was outlined on the horizon.
"That's the place!" Maria shouted.
I landed the Tornado 2 just outside of Maria's house. She got out quickly and quickly headed inside. I was right behind her.
"Man, this place looks like it hasn't been used in years," I said to myself.
Dust covered the floor, and spiderwebs hung in every corner. The floor made a creaking sound as I walked, and the whole place gave me a chill up my spine. Maria, on the other hand, was racing to her room on the second floor. I followed Maria up the steps and into her room. The place was mostly empty, except for a desk, a bed, and a closet. Hanging above the desk was a mirror that Maria was gazing into.
Maria brought her hand up to her face and felt her wrinkled skin.
"Don't worry about it," I told her. "I'll get you back to the way you were in no time."
"Shadow," she said.
"What is it Maria?"
"Thanks. Thanks for coming back for me."
"Anytime, Maria."
With that said, Maria pulled out a necklace from her desk drawer.
"My mother gave me this necklace," she said.
"Well, it should do. Let's go!" I said as I headed for the door.
She quickly put it on and followed me out of her house. She seemed sad to see it in it's current state, but I assured her that we would fix up the place as soon as she was her younger self again.
"Thanks again, Shadow," she said.
"Like I said before, Maria. Anytime. Anytime."
~~~~~KNUCKLES
I gazed with shock at the scene in front of me. Pieces of robots were everywhere, and the whole place looked like a mess.
"What happened here?" I asked myself.
I headed towards the shrine of the Master Emerald and feared for the worst.
Upon my arrival, I immediately noticed that the Emerald was nowhere around.
"Mmm," I heard from my right.
I looked and saw Tikal lying on the ground. I ran over to her.
"Tikal! Are you alright!?" I asked. Hearing my voice, she looked up.
"Knuckles! Eggman was here! He took the Master Emerald! I tried to stop him, but he had too many robots," she said quickly.
"Are you hurt?" I asked.
"No, I'm alright, just a little sore. I'll be fine in a couple of days," she said.
"Alright, take care. I'm going to go help Sonic out and get back the Master Emerald," I told her.
"Good luck, and be careful," Tikal said as she started getting up.
I rushed from Angel Island and hurried towards Eggman's base.
~~~~~SONIC
"Are you ready?" I asked Rouge.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she said as she pulled on her Treasure Scope.
"Alright, you know the plan. I'll distract Eggman while you get the power crystal," I reminded.
"I know, I know," she said impatiently.
I rushed forward and ran right in between the guard robots at the entrance. They began to chase me. I rounded a corner and stopped. They ran around the corner and right past me. They kept on going.
"Perfect," I whispered to myself as I headed towards the inner chamber.
There I found Eggman, sitting in his chair with his back to me.
"Eggman!" I yelled as I walked forward.
"Sonic," Eggman said as he turned around.
"I thought I'd come here and settle this," I stated.
"Well then? What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Eggman said as he jumped into his Egg Walker that was sitting nearby.
"I'm not falling for that one, Eggman," I replied. "You probably rigged this whole floor with capsule traps."
"Very clever, Sonic. I had to see if the same trick would work thrice, if you know what I mean," Eggman said with a chuckle.
Just as I was about to finish my conversation with Eggman, a robot came out of a corridor carrying Rouge. The robot dropped Rouge near Eggman and started to speak.
"We caught this intruder in the Power Room. She was attempting to steal the power crystal," the robot said.
"Great job. You are dismissed," Eggman said as the robot walked away. "Give up Sonic, and I will spare her life as well as yours. Refuse, and," Eggman put his gun to Rouge's face, "she will die."
"I don't think so."
Eggman turned around and saw Knuckles standing behind him. "Too slow!" he yelled as he threw an uppercut to Eggman's Walker, sending it backwards several feet. Much to his own dismay, the capsule trap enclosed him as it had once enclosed Sonic and his friends.
"Nice try!" Eggman said as he shot through the capsule, shattering it into a million pieces. The shot missed Knuckles by inches and blew up Eggman's computer on his desk. "NOOO!" Eggman yelled as he stared at his wrecked computer.
"Think fast!" I yelled as I smashed into the back of Eggman, sending him forward into the burning computer.
"Heheheheheh," Eggman laughed. "MUWHAHAHAHA!"
"I think Eggman's lost it," Knuckles said.
"Completely," I said.
Suddenly, the lights in the room went out, and when they came back on, Eggman was no longer there.
"Hey! Where'd Egghead go?" I asked as I looked around.
"Right here!" Eggman yelled from behind me.
I turned around and was caught in the blast of a large beam that seemed to keep me from moving.
"Argh! What.is.this.?" Knuckles struggled as he, too, was caught in the beam.
I couldn't move an inch. As much as I struggled, Eggman's beam held me in place.
"MUWHAHAHA! I knew my Stop Ray would get you!" he said.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rouge running out the door. Maybe she could get some help. Because, god, we sure needed it right now.
~~~~~SHADOW
I raced along the plains with Tail's Tornado 2. The wind blew against my face as I flew past trees and hills. I had to hand it to Tails; this machine was pretty nice. I looked down at the controls. I noticed a TURBO button. Was this the button that Tails used when we escaped from Prison Lane?
"Maria, how far is it to your house?" I asked.
"Oh, it's on an island in the ocean," she said.
"Hang on!" I told Maria as I pushed the TURBO button.
"Shadow! Slow down!!" Maria yelled as we flew forward.
Colors were just blurs as we continued over the ocean.
I looked for the brakes. I finally found them and slowed down to normal speed. Maria's house was outlined on the horizon.
"That's the place!" Maria shouted.
I landed the Tornado 2 just outside of Maria's house. She got out quickly and quickly headed inside. I was right behind her.
"Man, this place looks like it hasn't been used in years," I said to myself.
Dust covered the floor, and spiderwebs hung in every corner. The floor made a creaking sound as I walked, and the whole place gave me a chill up my spine. Maria, on the other hand, was racing to her room on the second floor. I followed Maria up the steps and into her room. The place was mostly empty, except for a desk, a bed, and a closet. Hanging above the desk was a mirror that Maria was gazing into.
Maria brought her hand up to her face and felt her wrinkled skin.
"Don't worry about it," I told her. "I'll get you back to the way you were in no time."
"Shadow," she said.
"What is it Maria?"
"Thanks. Thanks for coming back for me."
"Anytime, Maria."
With that said, Maria pulled out a necklace from her desk drawer.
"My mother gave me this necklace," she said.
"Well, it should do. Let's go!" I said as I headed for the door.
She quickly put it on and followed me out of her house. She seemed sad to see it in it's current state, but I assured her that we would fix up the place as soon as she was her younger self again.
"Thanks again, Shadow," she said.
"Like I said before, Maria. Anytime. Anytime."
~~~~~KNUCKLES
I gazed with shock at the scene in front of me. Pieces of robots were everywhere, and the whole place looked like a mess.
"What happened here?" I asked myself.
I headed towards the shrine of the Master Emerald and feared for the worst.
Upon my arrival, I immediately noticed that the Emerald was nowhere around.
"Mmm," I heard from my right.
I looked and saw Tikal lying on the ground. I ran over to her.
"Tikal! Are you alright!?" I asked. Hearing my voice, she looked up.
"Knuckles! Eggman was here! He took the Master Emerald! I tried to stop him, but he had too many robots," she said quickly.
"Are you hurt?" I asked.
"No, I'm alright, just a little sore. I'll be fine in a couple of days," she said.
"Alright, take care. I'm going to go help Sonic out and get back the Master Emerald," I told her.
"Good luck, and be careful," Tikal said as she started getting up.
I rushed from Angel Island and hurried towards Eggman's base.
~~~~~SONIC
"Are you ready?" I asked Rouge.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she said as she pulled on her Treasure Scope.
"Alright, you know the plan. I'll distract Eggman while you get the power crystal," I reminded.
"I know, I know," she said impatiently.
I rushed forward and ran right in between the guard robots at the entrance. They began to chase me. I rounded a corner and stopped. They ran around the corner and right past me. They kept on going.
"Perfect," I whispered to myself as I headed towards the inner chamber.
There I found Eggman, sitting in his chair with his back to me.
"Eggman!" I yelled as I walked forward.
"Sonic," Eggman said as he turned around.
"I thought I'd come here and settle this," I stated.
"Well then? What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Eggman said as he jumped into his Egg Walker that was sitting nearby.
"I'm not falling for that one, Eggman," I replied. "You probably rigged this whole floor with capsule traps."
"Very clever, Sonic. I had to see if the same trick would work thrice, if you know what I mean," Eggman said with a chuckle.
Just as I was about to finish my conversation with Eggman, a robot came out of a corridor carrying Rouge. The robot dropped Rouge near Eggman and started to speak.
"We caught this intruder in the Power Room. She was attempting to steal the power crystal," the robot said.
"Great job. You are dismissed," Eggman said as the robot walked away. "Give up Sonic, and I will spare her life as well as yours. Refuse, and," Eggman put his gun to Rouge's face, "she will die."
"I don't think so."
Eggman turned around and saw Knuckles standing behind him. "Too slow!" he yelled as he threw an uppercut to Eggman's Walker, sending it backwards several feet. Much to his own dismay, the capsule trap enclosed him as it had once enclosed Sonic and his friends.
"Nice try!" Eggman said as he shot through the capsule, shattering it into a million pieces. The shot missed Knuckles by inches and blew up Eggman's computer on his desk. "NOOO!" Eggman yelled as he stared at his wrecked computer.
"Think fast!" I yelled as I smashed into the back of Eggman, sending him forward into the burning computer.
"Heheheheheh," Eggman laughed. "MUWHAHAHAHA!"
"I think Eggman's lost it," Knuckles said.
"Completely," I said.
Suddenly, the lights in the room went out, and when they came back on, Eggman was no longer there.
"Hey! Where'd Egghead go?" I asked as I looked around.
"Right here!" Eggman yelled from behind me.
I turned around and was caught in the blast of a large beam that seemed to keep me from moving.
"Argh! What.is.this.?" Knuckles struggled as he, too, was caught in the beam.
I couldn't move an inch. As much as I struggled, Eggman's beam held me in place.
"MUWHAHAHA! I knew my Stop Ray would get you!" he said.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rouge running out the door. Maybe she could get some help. Because, god, we sure needed it right now.