Chapter 2: Unexpected Alliance
Rainbow, accompanied by Brian, touched down on the grass in front of Tails workshop and airstrip.
"What's the issue Sonic?" she asked, dismounting as Brian and Twink slipped off behind her. "Brian said it was important, even to me. I'm not supposed to be involved in events on Earth."
Sonic went over the events last time he tangled with Chaos [see Sonic Adventure 1 -ed], as well as Knuckles encounter with Murky and Lurky.
"That does sound serious," said Starlite.
"Murky's found a way to get to Earth, that's bad enough," said Rainbow, "but he's found away to corrupt a powerful elemental force. This could be disasterous!"
"So what are we going to..." began Tails.
"Why are you three talking to empty air?" asked Amy, tapping her hammer on the ground expectantly.
"Who's that?" asked Brian. This one wasn't on his paper route.
"That's Amy," Tails whispered to him, "She thinks she's Sonic's girlfriend."
"I heard you talking about the return of the icky Chaos," Amy said, accusingly. "Knuckles sounded panicked. Why are you two waiting around here, huh?"
"How exactily do you think we're going to find them, Amy? It's not like you can help us."
"I *can* help! You know I'm can!"
Rainbow observed the feisty pink-haired hedgehog. This was getting insane bhow many people knew of her... she blamed Murky..
Brian's eyes widened as Rainbow's hand reach for her belt. "This explanation is gong to take a while," he mumbled.
* * * * * *
Knuckles reached down, scraping a piece of the emerald, depositing it in a pouch.
"One down. Maybe another hundred to go. Glah! I hate having to go through this. Which way?" He looked around, "That way, I think," and frowned.
"Am I being watched?"
Lightning cracked across the sky, and Knuckles abandoned the idea to keep moving. The only thing worse than searching for the shattered pieces of the emerald was doing it in the rain. The haunted hills were bad enough.
* * * * * *
Murky brought the gloomshuttle in for a perfect landing. Which he could do when Lurky was interuppting him. The swamp blurbled nearby.
"Heheheee... sounds like home. Bottle some of that Lurky. The emerald is around here somewhere,"
"Ok, Murky! I'll bottle some!"
"Why do you repeat everything I say, Lurky?"
The furball stared at him, then scooped down with a massive bottle. "I'm bottling it Murky."
Murky sighed, then looked around. "I feel the energy... I think it's.... there! Dark Chaos! It's for you!"
A slurping noise was here as a black mass emerged from the shuttle, and the oozed it's way toward the yellow emerald Murky held. Murky dropped it, and the mass collapsed in on it.
The emerald faded, until merely a yellow glimmer could be seen from the center. Murky cackled.
"One down, six to go, Lurky. Let's keep moving."
Murky manuvered the gloomshuttle back into the air, glancing down at his panel for the next location of energy.
Another airship watched him go, and after it was confident that he wasn't going to return, a small grappling hook descended, collecting the formerly yellow Chaos Emerald, retreiving into the craft.
"I owe him one... and I know who I can call on. He knows *her*."
* * * * * *
"No! Rainbow, I should be going with you!"
"I'm sorry Brian. Starlite can only carry three of us, and that includes Twink. The Tornado only carries two. I need you to wait here to keep contact between me and Sonic!"
"But, I want to help too," Brian protested.
"You can Brian. Once Sonic comes back, take the key and meet us in Rainbowland."
"Sorry, Brian. We've got to get moving! To the Tornado, Tails!"
Brian watched crestfallen as Sonic and Tails ran back towards Miles's workshop. Rainbow gaven him an apologetic wave, and Amy held her palms upward, holding on to Rainbows back, even as Twink held her.
For about five minutes, Brian watched them depart. Then he felled a sudden chill as a shadow crossed over his body. He looked up to see a familiar sight: Robotnik's pod.
"You want to help, do you?" came the voice. "I need ground support to go after the Emeralds myself. A robot body that you can use. Three teams, racing against Murky Dismal and the Dark Chaos. Care to join?"
"How can I trust you?" Brian shouted.
In answer, a large piece of grey crystal fell into his hands. It was warm, and it tingled with energy in his hands.
"A chaos emerald," Brian said in awe, noting the small yellow color at its center.
"Murky got to the first one before me. His Dark Chaos is growing as we speak. Can you risk not to?"
"All right, Robotnik. I'll help you."
Rainbow, accompanied by Brian, touched down on the grass in front of Tails workshop and airstrip.
"What's the issue Sonic?" she asked, dismounting as Brian and Twink slipped off behind her. "Brian said it was important, even to me. I'm not supposed to be involved in events on Earth."
Sonic went over the events last time he tangled with Chaos [see Sonic Adventure 1 -ed], as well as Knuckles encounter with Murky and Lurky.
"That does sound serious," said Starlite.
"Murky's found a way to get to Earth, that's bad enough," said Rainbow, "but he's found away to corrupt a powerful elemental force. This could be disasterous!"
"So what are we going to..." began Tails.
"Why are you three talking to empty air?" asked Amy, tapping her hammer on the ground expectantly.
"Who's that?" asked Brian. This one wasn't on his paper route.
"That's Amy," Tails whispered to him, "She thinks she's Sonic's girlfriend."
"I heard you talking about the return of the icky Chaos," Amy said, accusingly. "Knuckles sounded panicked. Why are you two waiting around here, huh?"
"How exactily do you think we're going to find them, Amy? It's not like you can help us."
"I *can* help! You know I'm can!"
Rainbow observed the feisty pink-haired hedgehog. This was getting insane bhow many people knew of her... she blamed Murky..
Brian's eyes widened as Rainbow's hand reach for her belt. "This explanation is gong to take a while," he mumbled.
* * * * * *
Knuckles reached down, scraping a piece of the emerald, depositing it in a pouch.
"One down. Maybe another hundred to go. Glah! I hate having to go through this. Which way?" He looked around, "That way, I think," and frowned.
"Am I being watched?"
Lightning cracked across the sky, and Knuckles abandoned the idea to keep moving. The only thing worse than searching for the shattered pieces of the emerald was doing it in the rain. The haunted hills were bad enough.
* * * * * *
Murky brought the gloomshuttle in for a perfect landing. Which he could do when Lurky was interuppting him. The swamp blurbled nearby.
"Heheheee... sounds like home. Bottle some of that Lurky. The emerald is around here somewhere,"
"Ok, Murky! I'll bottle some!"
"Why do you repeat everything I say, Lurky?"
The furball stared at him, then scooped down with a massive bottle. "I'm bottling it Murky."
Murky sighed, then looked around. "I feel the energy... I think it's.... there! Dark Chaos! It's for you!"
A slurping noise was here as a black mass emerged from the shuttle, and the oozed it's way toward the yellow emerald Murky held. Murky dropped it, and the mass collapsed in on it.
The emerald faded, until merely a yellow glimmer could be seen from the center. Murky cackled.
"One down, six to go, Lurky. Let's keep moving."
Murky manuvered the gloomshuttle back into the air, glancing down at his panel for the next location of energy.
Another airship watched him go, and after it was confident that he wasn't going to return, a small grappling hook descended, collecting the formerly yellow Chaos Emerald, retreiving into the craft.
"I owe him one... and I know who I can call on. He knows *her*."
* * * * * *
"No! Rainbow, I should be going with you!"
"I'm sorry Brian. Starlite can only carry three of us, and that includes Twink. The Tornado only carries two. I need you to wait here to keep contact between me and Sonic!"
"But, I want to help too," Brian protested.
"You can Brian. Once Sonic comes back, take the key and meet us in Rainbowland."
"Sorry, Brian. We've got to get moving! To the Tornado, Tails!"
Brian watched crestfallen as Sonic and Tails ran back towards Miles's workshop. Rainbow gaven him an apologetic wave, and Amy held her palms upward, holding on to Rainbows back, even as Twink held her.
For about five minutes, Brian watched them depart. Then he felled a sudden chill as a shadow crossed over his body. He looked up to see a familiar sight: Robotnik's pod.
"You want to help, do you?" came the voice. "I need ground support to go after the Emeralds myself. A robot body that you can use. Three teams, racing against Murky Dismal and the Dark Chaos. Care to join?"
"How can I trust you?" Brian shouted.
In answer, a large piece of grey crystal fell into his hands. It was warm, and it tingled with energy in his hands.
"A chaos emerald," Brian said in awe, noting the small yellow color at its center.
"Murky got to the first one before me. His Dark Chaos is growing as we speak. Can you risk not to?"
"All right, Robotnik. I'll help you."