Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Berry, and Pepper, (A.K.A. The Friendship the Emerald), walked up the mountain... in that order.

"How come Sonic gets to be the leader?" Espio wined.

"I fear that he's up there for a reason. I just have a feeling it's a bad one." Shadow answered.

(Shows Sonic and Tails, who were farther up than everyone else)
"Hey Tails! Watch this!" Sonic started up spin dashed. Soon Sonic became a small snowball and it began to grow as he continued to spin. Then he stopped and the snowball began to roll down hill. It swallowed up Tails and continued down, rolling into gigantic snowball.

"Uh, Espio?" Shadow said staring up the hill.

"Yeah?"

"Remember I told you about that bad feeling?"

"About Sonic in front? Yes..."

"Well, its here." Shadow turned around and ran away screaming while Knuckles followed behind doing the same. Yet, Espio stood there.

"Why waste my energy if it catches me later..." he says to you. Then he was trampled and became part of the rolling snowball, cause by Sonic, of doom. The Shadow and Knuckles were swallowed up. Then Vector and Charmy and soon the two chao. They rolled down very fast and smashed into a tree, making the sound of a bowling ball hitting the pins. Everybody flew everywhere and landed on everything.

"Must be the 'every' mountain..." Shadow mumbled. He felt the snow shift below him and muffled cries. He got up and looked down. Sonic emerged from the ground with a dazed look on his face.

"Let's do that again!"

"No!" Everyone yelled.

"Okay..." Sonic said. He kicked the snow on the ground. "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"What?" Shadow asked annoyed.

"The Chaotic Emerald! It's gone!"

"Don't worry it couldn't have gone far!" Knuckles said. "And I'm a treasure hunter... I'm sure I can find it. I know I can... OH, I CAN'T TAKE THE PRESSURE!!!!" Knuckles grabbed Sonic by the shoulders. "IT'S JUST TOO MUCH TO HANDLE!!!"

"Get a hold of yourselves, man!" Sonic said in a Scottish accent. Sonic slapped Knuckles in the face.

"Oh, Thank you... I needed that." Knuckles paused, looked around with his eyes.

"WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!" Sonic jumped and Knuckles and started beating the crap out of him.

"Hey wait a minute..." Sonic said. "I'm not stupid anymore... Oh yeah, baby! I'm immune!"

"Or could it be the emerald is not around your neck anymore..." Knuckles suggested. Sonic looked down and saw only his bare chest. He looked around frantically for it with the others. Vector walked up to them with the emerald.

"Looking for this?" Sonic nodded. "It is strange..."

"What is?" Knuckles said as he came up to Sonic from behind.

"Aunt Freddy's cooking... But why we must suffer fear and doubt over such a small object?" Everyone looked at each other and said one thing:

"It's the author's fault..."

"The emerald's overrated..." Vector walked over and put it in Sonic's hand. Knuckles then released his ice cream cone; thankful he didn't have to use it.

(Meanwhile...)
The ARK was busy. Many busy things built other busy things, which kept everyone very busy. Eggman was over looking his production of his E-100's, 200's, 300's, 400's, 500's and... well you get the picture.

"Well Shadow... If you can't get over the mountain. Would you risk more dangerous terrain?" Eggman walked over to his computer. It had a microphone on the monitor and SimCity Terrain Editor editing a snowy mountain on the screen. "How about this? Disasters..." he clicked on the evil grinning face. "Blizzard..." Eggman clicked on the word blizzard. He clicked the zoom button until he saw The Friendship.

(Now back our heroes...)
Our heroes were traveling around the mountainside. Almost at the top of the mountain, it suddenly began to snow heavily. The wind picked up, now making it difficult for them to move and see.

"There's a fell voice over the air!" Knuckles yelled up to Shadow.

"It's the author! We're up so high, we can hear him telling the story!" He explained.

"Not that, there is another, listen!" Everyone stopped and listened to the howling wind. Then Eggman's voice appeared as he began to laugh.

"It's Eggman!" Tails yelled.

"Thank Captain Obvious!" Espio said.

"We must move on ahead!" They picked up the pace.

"DISASTERS!" Eggman's voice roared.

"THIS ISN'T A GAME, EGGMAN!" Shadow roared back.

"OH, BUT IT IS! EARTHQUAKE!" The ground began to shake furiously. After a few minutes of fear, it stopped.

"HAH! That didn't even hurt us!" Sonic yelled out. Suddenly, tons of snow fell on everybody... There was just stillness... Nothing but the snow and the sound of wind...

Everyone started digging themselves out. Heads popping out of the snow like daisies.

"We have to get off this mountain and get to Ancient Ruin!" Vector yelled over the wind.

"It's too close to the ARK! He'll find us there for sure!" Knuckles explained.

"Why don't we go to the Hidden Palace Zone of Moria?" Charmy yelled.

"Did you say Maria?" Tails asked.

"No, Moria!" Espio answered.

(Eggman)
Eggman watched the screen listening to their conversation with his surround sound stereo system.

"You fear to enter Mari, er... Moria..." Eggman said as he picked up a book.

"You know what was banished there long ago and has collected strength since your last battle..." Eggman opened the book. The pictures popped up, showing a gate. Then he turned the page and another picture popped up, showing a dark figure in a prison cell.

"Muahahahahahahahaha!" Eggman laugh as he tossed aside. As it slid into view, the tile read, "Pop-up book of why Shadow is afraid to go into the Hidden Palace Zone of Maria, I mean Moria."

(The Friendship)
"The Emerald bearing idiot shall decide..." Shadow announced.

"Hmm..." Sonic uh... hmmed? Sonic looked around at everyone. They were looking menacing at him and cracking their knuckles.

"Oww... Oww... Oww!" Knuckles yelled every time someone cracked him. Their faces had that 'you better pick my idea or I'll do very mean things to you' look on them.

"I uh... I mean... I choose to, um..." Sonic looked around nervously again. "Go to the Hidden Palace Zone of Maria!"

"Moria!" Everyone yelled.

"Oh well, I guess that isn't so bad..." Vector said. Everyone agreed. Sonic sighed in relief.

"So be it!" Shadow said dramatically.