CHAPTER TEN:
============
Back at the ryokan, Shoko finally awoke from her conconsciousness, "Where is everybody?"
Suddenly, a stout, short man approached her, complete with a shuriken in his hand.
She screamed, "Sen Sayokudo!"
He moaned, "Yes, Shoko Kazamaru. I know you, and I'm going to battle you."
Shoko backed up and bumped into one of the tables in the hall. A shiny katana tumbled off its stand on the table. Shoko heard this and reached a hand back as if to steady herself. She grasped her hand around the sword handle, "How did you find me?"
He studied the shiny shruiken in his hands, "Actually finding you here is quite the surprise... I was only after those two girls who came to stay at your ryokan-"
"So, you're working for Eggman too?"
"Eggs-actly. Oh, please eggscuse the pun," Sen chuckled, "This is perfect! Not only did I perform a flawless job for Eggman, but now I get the pleasure of disposing of you, my old friend, as well..."
"You are no friend of mine! You slaughtered my family!"
"A small price to pay for fame and fortune," he smiled, "Or it would have been had you not escaped from me that day... Do you realize how much that little stunt of yours cost me?"
"What it cost YOU?" Shoko growled, her eyes watering a little.
Sen laughed, "Well, I'm here to finish that job I started so long ago, and finally claim my reward for finishing off the last of the Kazamaru line..."
He frowned, "It's kind of sad really... you being from a family of warriors, I was hoping for a real fight," within the blink of an eye, he flung the shruiken at Shoko who immediately swung her katana forward and reflected it.
Sen jumped back and tried to dodge as the shruiken hit him in the shoulder blade, the cloth of his shirt turning red, "You! How could you? You're just a-a..."
Shoko whacked him on the head with the handle of her katana, and he toppled unconscious onto the floor. Shoko replaced the sword on the stand and bowed. She smiled to herself. Her family would be proud too, "A girl. Yes... I am."
She excitedly ran to the phone sitting on a short table in the hallway and called the police, "And you, are busted..."
***
Eggman whipped around to see a very angry looking blue hedgehog. "Put him down Eggman! Before I do something rash!" Sonic nearly growled. Tails lifted his head at the sound of Sonic's threat. Once he saw Knuckles dangling from Eggman's grasp he too jumped to his feet.
Eggman was stunned. How could this be happening? Why? He was supposed to win this time! He began backing up, forgetting he was still holding Knuckles. The tiny echidna wasn't giving up though. He reached up and swiped at the hand holding his ankle. The tip of his razor sharp knuckles slashed across Eggman's wrist. Crimson blood stained the evil doctors pristine white gloves. Eggman instantly let go of Knuckles and gapped at his wound. "Knuckles!" Sonic shouted as he revved up his feet. Knuckles fell face first towards the floor, but before he made contact he found himself in the arms of our cobalt hero.
"Oh thank goodness!" Amy breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the child fall safely into Sonic's arms. Cream wasted no time in hurrying over and taking Knuckles from Sonic's arms.
"You poor thing!" the rabbit cooed as she hugged the little echidna. Knuckles obviously didn't mind the attention. Eggman, who had been tripped when Sonic dashed for Knuckles, looked up to see a popgun aimed right at his forehead.
"Like I said, No one cheats Fang the Sniper and gets away with it!" the bounty hunter snarled. Tails picked up the Juvenilator and looked it over.
"Cream, bring Knuckles over here for a sec!" As Tails deciphered how to use the ray gun, Sonic noticed Amy Rose still struggling in her bonds. He made his way over the fallen Metal Sonic and bent down beside her and started to untie the pink hedgehog.
"You all right Aimes?" he asked as he helped her up. Amy instantly pulled Sonic into a hug, but this time Sonic allowed it. He smiled and pat her on the back. Almost as instantly as she had hugged him, Amy pulled away and slapped him on the arm.
"Hey!" Sonic said in confusion as he jumped back. "What was that for?!"
"Don't you ever scare me like that again Sonic Hedgehog!" Amy Rose scolded as she shook a finger at him.
***
"My friend," Eggman smiled nervously at Fang, "I would never cheat you!"
Fang pressed the popgun onto Eggman's forehead, "Yeah right. You're not going to make a fool out of me..." Just then an evil smile suddenly dawned on his face, "Actually, I think I'll make one out of you!"
Eggman raised his eyebrows in confusion as Fang tossed his pop gun back into his holdster and snatched the Juvenilator ray gun from Tails.
"HEY!"
"Calm down," Fang said as he fired the ray at Eggman, "I just need this for a second..."
Eggman crouched and vainly tried to dodge the yellow beam. Fang then handed the ray gun back to Tails.
Within a few seconds, Eggman glowed brightly and began to grow shorter. He whined the whole way down, and when he stopped shrinking was just a tiny, but fat toddler with a bulky red nose, beady eyes and a tuft of stringy hair on top of his head. Little bits of mustache hairs stuck out of his nose. The baby sniffled and a stream of drool ran down his cheek.
Everyone leaned back in digust.
"There's a face only a mother could love," Sonic cringed.
"I feel sorry for the mother," Amy replied.
Cream sat baby Knuckles on Eggman's desk. She also pulled Cheese's chao egg out of her pocket and sat it beside him. Tails pointed the juvenihilator at Knuckles, "I hope this works," he fired it and Knuckles and the egg glowed brightly. Everyone gathered around him. Nothing happened.
A flash erupted and suddenly a grown-up Knuckles was seated on the edge of the table, with Cheese sitting in his lap and a crowd of people staring him down, "AH!" He almost fell off, "Have you people ever heard of personal space? Sheesh!"
Cream picked up Cheese and gave him a big hug. Cheese displayed a question mark over his head.
Suddenly, baby Eggman started to cry, and everyone covered their ears.
"Let's get out of here, I can't stand this place," Amy told Sonic.
"For once, I agree with you," Sonic headed for the door, followed by everyone.
Eggman bawled, "WAH! NO FAIR! Me supposed to win! MEEEE!"
Fang shut the door behind them.
"Now who are you?" Sonic asked him.
"A friend," Cream answered, smiling at Fang.
Fang didn't return the smile, tipping his hat down, "For now... Goodbye!" His quick hand threw down a tiny ball that erupted in a fit of purple smoke. Everyone coughed and tried to wave away the smoke. When it cleared, Fang the Sniper was gone.
"Gee whiz, how much stuff did he take from Shoko, anyway?" Amy crossed her arms, "Once a thief, always a thief, I guess."
Cream frowned. Just when she thought she had finally broken down the wall Fang had put around himself, he had built it back up. He just seemed so lonely. Maybe they would run into him again some day.
"Hold it right there!"
Everybody turned to see Scratch and Grounder running down the hall.
"Looks like it's time to speed, keeds. Meet you guys at the Soda Shoppe!" Sonic said, grabbing Amy's wrist and speeding off.
"Right behind you, Blue, and you'd better give me a rematch!" Knuckles called as he and Cream took off after them.
Tails made a silly face at the bots, "Hope you guys like babysitting!" He winked and quickly took to the air flying down the hallway.
Scratch and Grounder finally arrived where our heroes had been standing and stopped to catch their breaths.
"What did Tails mean by that, Scratch?"
"Who cares. We'd better check on the boss," Scratch opened the door and then his eyes bugged out, "OH no! He's a baby!" They dashed in and Grounder picked him up. Scratch sniffed the air, "Pew! Grounder, change his diaper!"
"OH NO! You always make ME do the DIRTY work!" he shoved baby Eggman into Scratch's arm, "YOU do it!"
Scratch passed him back, "Why don't YOU do it? You don't have any sinuses - and I can't STAND that SMELL!"
Grounder tossed the baby to the side and he landed on Metal Sonic, "OH! I know, we'll let METAL do it, hehehe," Grounder snickered.
"OOOh! Good idea! B-WAH-HA-HA-HA! Race you to the rec room!"
"I'm gonna beat you this time!"
They stumbled around and dashed out of the room.
Little Eggman's face turned red and he began to bawl even louder, "Stupid wobots! Stupid hedgehog! Stupid... uh... EV-WEE-THING!!"
THE END
============
Back at the ryokan, Shoko finally awoke from her conconsciousness, "Where is everybody?"
Suddenly, a stout, short man approached her, complete with a shuriken in his hand.
She screamed, "Sen Sayokudo!"
He moaned, "Yes, Shoko Kazamaru. I know you, and I'm going to battle you."
Shoko backed up and bumped into one of the tables in the hall. A shiny katana tumbled off its stand on the table. Shoko heard this and reached a hand back as if to steady herself. She grasped her hand around the sword handle, "How did you find me?"
He studied the shiny shruiken in his hands, "Actually finding you here is quite the surprise... I was only after those two girls who came to stay at your ryokan-"
"So, you're working for Eggman too?"
"Eggs-actly. Oh, please eggscuse the pun," Sen chuckled, "This is perfect! Not only did I perform a flawless job for Eggman, but now I get the pleasure of disposing of you, my old friend, as well..."
"You are no friend of mine! You slaughtered my family!"
"A small price to pay for fame and fortune," he smiled, "Or it would have been had you not escaped from me that day... Do you realize how much that little stunt of yours cost me?"
"What it cost YOU?" Shoko growled, her eyes watering a little.
Sen laughed, "Well, I'm here to finish that job I started so long ago, and finally claim my reward for finishing off the last of the Kazamaru line..."
He frowned, "It's kind of sad really... you being from a family of warriors, I was hoping for a real fight," within the blink of an eye, he flung the shruiken at Shoko who immediately swung her katana forward and reflected it.
Sen jumped back and tried to dodge as the shruiken hit him in the shoulder blade, the cloth of his shirt turning red, "You! How could you? You're just a-a..."
Shoko whacked him on the head with the handle of her katana, and he toppled unconscious onto the floor. Shoko replaced the sword on the stand and bowed. She smiled to herself. Her family would be proud too, "A girl. Yes... I am."
She excitedly ran to the phone sitting on a short table in the hallway and called the police, "And you, are busted..."
***
Eggman whipped around to see a very angry looking blue hedgehog. "Put him down Eggman! Before I do something rash!" Sonic nearly growled. Tails lifted his head at the sound of Sonic's threat. Once he saw Knuckles dangling from Eggman's grasp he too jumped to his feet.
Eggman was stunned. How could this be happening? Why? He was supposed to win this time! He began backing up, forgetting he was still holding Knuckles. The tiny echidna wasn't giving up though. He reached up and swiped at the hand holding his ankle. The tip of his razor sharp knuckles slashed across Eggman's wrist. Crimson blood stained the evil doctors pristine white gloves. Eggman instantly let go of Knuckles and gapped at his wound. "Knuckles!" Sonic shouted as he revved up his feet. Knuckles fell face first towards the floor, but before he made contact he found himself in the arms of our cobalt hero.
"Oh thank goodness!" Amy breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the child fall safely into Sonic's arms. Cream wasted no time in hurrying over and taking Knuckles from Sonic's arms.
"You poor thing!" the rabbit cooed as she hugged the little echidna. Knuckles obviously didn't mind the attention. Eggman, who had been tripped when Sonic dashed for Knuckles, looked up to see a popgun aimed right at his forehead.
"Like I said, No one cheats Fang the Sniper and gets away with it!" the bounty hunter snarled. Tails picked up the Juvenilator and looked it over.
"Cream, bring Knuckles over here for a sec!" As Tails deciphered how to use the ray gun, Sonic noticed Amy Rose still struggling in her bonds. He made his way over the fallen Metal Sonic and bent down beside her and started to untie the pink hedgehog.
"You all right Aimes?" he asked as he helped her up. Amy instantly pulled Sonic into a hug, but this time Sonic allowed it. He smiled and pat her on the back. Almost as instantly as she had hugged him, Amy pulled away and slapped him on the arm.
"Hey!" Sonic said in confusion as he jumped back. "What was that for?!"
"Don't you ever scare me like that again Sonic Hedgehog!" Amy Rose scolded as she shook a finger at him.
***
"My friend," Eggman smiled nervously at Fang, "I would never cheat you!"
Fang pressed the popgun onto Eggman's forehead, "Yeah right. You're not going to make a fool out of me..." Just then an evil smile suddenly dawned on his face, "Actually, I think I'll make one out of you!"
Eggman raised his eyebrows in confusion as Fang tossed his pop gun back into his holdster and snatched the Juvenilator ray gun from Tails.
"HEY!"
"Calm down," Fang said as he fired the ray at Eggman, "I just need this for a second..."
Eggman crouched and vainly tried to dodge the yellow beam. Fang then handed the ray gun back to Tails.
Within a few seconds, Eggman glowed brightly and began to grow shorter. He whined the whole way down, and when he stopped shrinking was just a tiny, but fat toddler with a bulky red nose, beady eyes and a tuft of stringy hair on top of his head. Little bits of mustache hairs stuck out of his nose. The baby sniffled and a stream of drool ran down his cheek.
Everyone leaned back in digust.
"There's a face only a mother could love," Sonic cringed.
"I feel sorry for the mother," Amy replied.
Cream sat baby Knuckles on Eggman's desk. She also pulled Cheese's chao egg out of her pocket and sat it beside him. Tails pointed the juvenihilator at Knuckles, "I hope this works," he fired it and Knuckles and the egg glowed brightly. Everyone gathered around him. Nothing happened.
A flash erupted and suddenly a grown-up Knuckles was seated on the edge of the table, with Cheese sitting in his lap and a crowd of people staring him down, "AH!" He almost fell off, "Have you people ever heard of personal space? Sheesh!"
Cream picked up Cheese and gave him a big hug. Cheese displayed a question mark over his head.
Suddenly, baby Eggman started to cry, and everyone covered their ears.
"Let's get out of here, I can't stand this place," Amy told Sonic.
"For once, I agree with you," Sonic headed for the door, followed by everyone.
Eggman bawled, "WAH! NO FAIR! Me supposed to win! MEEEE!"
Fang shut the door behind them.
"Now who are you?" Sonic asked him.
"A friend," Cream answered, smiling at Fang.
Fang didn't return the smile, tipping his hat down, "For now... Goodbye!" His quick hand threw down a tiny ball that erupted in a fit of purple smoke. Everyone coughed and tried to wave away the smoke. When it cleared, Fang the Sniper was gone.
"Gee whiz, how much stuff did he take from Shoko, anyway?" Amy crossed her arms, "Once a thief, always a thief, I guess."
Cream frowned. Just when she thought she had finally broken down the wall Fang had put around himself, he had built it back up. He just seemed so lonely. Maybe they would run into him again some day.
"Hold it right there!"
Everybody turned to see Scratch and Grounder running down the hall.
"Looks like it's time to speed, keeds. Meet you guys at the Soda Shoppe!" Sonic said, grabbing Amy's wrist and speeding off.
"Right behind you, Blue, and you'd better give me a rematch!" Knuckles called as he and Cream took off after them.
Tails made a silly face at the bots, "Hope you guys like babysitting!" He winked and quickly took to the air flying down the hallway.
Scratch and Grounder finally arrived where our heroes had been standing and stopped to catch their breaths.
"What did Tails mean by that, Scratch?"
"Who cares. We'd better check on the boss," Scratch opened the door and then his eyes bugged out, "OH no! He's a baby!" They dashed in and Grounder picked him up. Scratch sniffed the air, "Pew! Grounder, change his diaper!"
"OH NO! You always make ME do the DIRTY work!" he shoved baby Eggman into Scratch's arm, "YOU do it!"
Scratch passed him back, "Why don't YOU do it? You don't have any sinuses - and I can't STAND that SMELL!"
Grounder tossed the baby to the side and he landed on Metal Sonic, "OH! I know, we'll let METAL do it, hehehe," Grounder snickered.
"OOOh! Good idea! B-WAH-HA-HA-HA! Race you to the rec room!"
"I'm gonna beat you this time!"
They stumbled around and dashed out of the room.
Little Eggman's face turned red and he began to bawl even louder, "Stupid wobots! Stupid hedgehog! Stupid... uh... EV-WEE-THING!!"
THE END