While it still seemed like just the other day for many around the world, more than two months had passed since the destruction of the Battle Moon, the ultimate weapon of the Battle Kukku Empire. In the interim, extensive search efforts had been made by G.U.N. and other authorities around the space it once occupied, as well as where its remnants survived re-entry and fell to the planet. Neither hide nor feather of the Empire's leader, Battle Kukku XV, had been discovered, and attempts to locate his second-in-command, Dr. Fukurokov, had also proven fruitless. Many of the soldiers that were still around and kicking had been gathered up and tried for their crimes, few of which received leniency. As for Kukku and Babylonian tech that had been discovered, that which could be used was taken, and the rest, deemed too dangerous or horrific, had been scrapped and broken down so they could be recycled into something better, or at least something more humane.
The whole ordeal had gone on for a bit over 40 days before G.U.N. decided that nothing more could be done or gained. On November 21st, national leaders around the world affiliated with the group formally confirmed the dissolution of the Battle Kukku Empire. Its leaders were declared deceased, and the last remaining heir, "Speedy" Battle Kukku XVI, had abdicated his right to rule, and was now working as an operative within the organization. And though G.U.N. themselves had been reluctant to do so, figures such as the President of the U.S.A. had given thanks to Miles Prower for fighting against the avians once they'd learned he'd been the one responsible for bringing them down. The world had already seen him fight before, but with confirmation that he had ended the Empire, it had solidified his public status as a hero beyond his cozy island home.
Of course, the people of Cocoa Island had already known that their local celebrity had been the one to do the deed long before the announcement was made. The fox himself hadn't gone shouting it from the rooftops, but his young partner, Sonic the Hedgehog, had basically done just that. The kid and the others that had been there with him on Angel Island had spread the word before he'd arrived in time for his 16th birthday, though they'd left out a few details for the fox to fill in later. Thus, when the official announcement came, it only confirmed what they'd already been told, although many were glad that Miles was getting more exposure.
As for the fox himself, he'd chosen to take a rather extended vacation from adventuring after the last big outing. He hadn't left Cocoa Island since he'd returned, nor had he spent much time down in the submarine lab. Miles had instead been hanging around with his adoptive family and the friends that were there. He'd lost count of how many times he and Sonic had raced around the island, and it brought him much amusement seeing how annoyed the kid got over the fox's winning streak remaining unbroken thus far. Like he'd done more frequently when he was younger, he helped Gob out at the scrap yard, as well as assisted Guen in cleaning around the Wolf family house. Gadget had been spending more time with Fuchsia, which the cat honestly needed after what she'd been through, so it was mostly Gizmo that had been working with the fox on his projects. The twins had also celebrated their shared birthday in early November, having turned 22, though the party had been relatively modest compared to his. As for the Chaotix trio, they'd returned to West Side Island for now, but Charmy had promised him that he'd be back before the end of the year.
As for today, the teen had sprung out of bed with some extra pep in his step. He'd glanced at the calendar function in the Miles Electric and grinned when he saw the date: December 17th.
It was the day that Miles had been looking forward to ever since the night of his 16th birthday. He'd proposed an outing to Never Lake, and by extension Little Planet, with Cream the Rabbit and her Chao, Cheese. Originally, he'd just wanted it to be himself and the bunny girl, but given her little friend's protective and somewhat clingy nature, Miles had to compromise. He didn't mind all that much, though, since this was supposed to just be an opportunity to get away, and not anything like a date.
'That's what I keep telling myself, anyway,' he thought, feeling his cheeks burn as he thought back to the end of that night.
After the smashing success of his band's comeback concert, a lovely after party, and Cream accepting his idea, he'd thought the day couldn't get any better. But then, just before he'd prepared to head off to bed, the rabbit had stopped him and gave him a sweet, short, and chaste kiss. His first ever full-on muzzle kiss, in fact. He'd been expecting it to come about in a different time and circumstance, but the surprise had been a pleasant one nonetheless. The warm feeling he'd experienced in that brief period was something special, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to do it again. Now, he could say he had a vague idea of what Gadget and Fuchsia felt for each other.
Miles let out a bit of a contented hum as he sat at the table with his adopted family and Sonic, having taken his time more than usual with his breakfast. Even over the clattering of silverware and the muffled munching and drinking from the others, he was loud and clear.
"You're in a rather good mood today, Miles," Guen said with a smile, "you must be quite excited for this trip you've planned."
The fox nodded, taking another bite of an English muffin that he'd sandwiched around some eggs and bacon. "Mhm."
"I'd be pretty happy if I got to go on a vacation with my girlfriend," Gadget remarked from the teen's left, sipping from his glass while nudging him with his other elbow.
Miles growled, chewing on his food a bit more firmly and then swallowing loudly. "I keep telling you she's not my girlfriend, Gad!"
"But you made plans just for the two of you," Gizmo reminded him, reaching over from his right to teasingly pinch at his cheek fur, "even if she's not your girl, it sounds like you're trying to make it extra special, planning it just before her birthday and all."
The fox pressed his face against both palms and let out an exasperated huff, the twin wolves snickering at how dramatic he was being. Ever since they heard about the impromptu smooch, his siblings had been prodding him almost relentlessly whenever Cream came up. He knew it was all in good fun, but they sure were making up for lost time acting like a more typical older brother and sister.
"If it ain't a date or anything, big guy," Sonic joined in, "then you should let me come along."
The teen groaned irritably. "For the last time, Sonic, I promised Cream that it would be just the two of us and Cheese going to Never Lake."
"We all share his feelings, though, just for different reasons," the teal twin sighed, "you said there was a Chao Garden near her town..."
"And I'd like to see Little Planet," the red twin stated earnestly, "the prospect of being able to explore a celestial object so close to the Earth's surface is enticing in and of itself."
A part of Miles wished he could bring everyone along like with the last couple of outings, but he had told the rabbit he wouldn't. He'd also made a promise to himself that he would be leaving something else behind on this journey. With the latter in mind, he reached down to his utility belt and retrieved the cyan Chaos Emerald from its pouch.
"Well, there is something you guys can do for me while I'm away," he told them, placing his charm past his plate and near the center of the table. Everyone else regarded him with some confusion, wondering what he meant by this. "I...I need to leave the Emerald behind."
Sonic, who'd been the first to finish his meal, cocked his head at his partner. "But why, Tails? It helps you heal up, and you get a boost when you use it. Besides, you take it with you everywhere!"
Miles finished polishing off what was left of his food before he spoke again.
"Not this time," he insisted, getting up from his seat, "I've been relying on it too much." His expression turned more serious. "And while I'm not expecting any trouble while I'm with Cream, if something does happen, I don't want to give anyone even more reason to come after us."
Gob, who'd been quiet for most of the family breakfast due to being preoccupied with organizing his schedule on his phone, put his device away. He then reached across the table and took the Emerald, rubbing over one of its facets before facing his adopted son.
"I've a strong feeling that there's more than you're letting on, boyo," he said with a hint of concern. The wolf put his feelings aside, though, and gave the fox a gentle nod and smile. "But, I won't pester ye about it. If ye trust us to keep it safe, then we shall. We all know how much it means to ye."
Miles felt better after hearing that. He could count on Gob to bring a matter to a close and leave it be until the fox was ready to bring it back up. Of course, he would have to broach the subject at some point, since the lupine patriarch had made such a perceptive statement.
"If you're going to leave it here with us, may I use it in a little project of mine?" Gadget asked him, his hands clasped together and a glint in his orange eyes.
"I should get priority, since your idea requires my design to work in the first place," Gizmo interjected.
"No, it doesn't!" the one with glasses argued back, "you're just taking existing tech and modifying it. I only need what's already there, not your spin on it!"
"Your head is what's gonna be spinning once I show you the finished product!" the one with goggles barked.
The both of them got out of their chairs and literally butted their heads together with their fangs displayed, low growls coming from deep in their throats. Guen promptly pulled the two of them apart and gave them a pointed look.
"Now now, pups," she chided them, "you can sort this matter out after you get back. I'm sure Miles doesn't want his sending off to be full of bickering."
The twins narrowed their eyes at each other simultaneously, took in a breath, and let out a sigh. They knew their mother was right.
"Okay, Mom/Mama."
"And I'll be holding onto this for now," Gob remarked, slipping the Emerald into his tool pouch, "you lot best get ready to drop Miles off."
After clearing their plates and putting everything away, Miles gave both of his adoptive parents a great big hug and wished them well. The quartet then headed to the dock just south of the fox's cabin, the twins taking up the seats while Miles and Sonic secured positions on the top wing. Within a couple of minutes, after making sure everything was good to go, they were off to the northeast, in the direction of the mainland closest to the Emerald Archipelago.
Out in the wilderness, past canyons and over mountains, through forests and across rivers, was Never Lake. And floating a couple kilometers above it, just as it did one month out of every year, was Little Planet. Though a rich and fertile body itself normally, matters had become a lot more dire seemingly out of nowhere.
Ghostly black and purple flames spread across the grasslands and through the forests, and in the ashes, desolate structures materialized. The great factory became broken down and ruined, the ever shining city on its surface little more than a giant, decaying ghost town. The mountains became charred mounds eroded by the passage of time and obviously planned destruction, and the waters from the underground network had flooded out of the caverns, now grimy and tepid. In the blink of an eye, all of Little Planet had transformed into a wasteland of a planetoid.
All except for the crystal palace, that is, though it hadn't escaped unscathed. At that very moment, orbs of the same sort of fire that had devastated the rest of the small world were being spewed at the structure, blasting away chunks of the prismatic and translucent material. The chaos outside was muted within its innermost chamber, where the multi-colored monarch frantically flapped around the Time Stones, seemingly at a loss for what to do.
The doors that led into the plane thundered and shook, held back by a tall and powerful hyena Animal. He had dusky gray-brown fur with blacks spots of varying sizes and vaguely circular shape, while his fuzzy cheeks and most of his front torso had a creamy white coat. He also had silvery gray eyes, a relatively short but full tail, tall and sharp ears with a few nicks in them, and a long, dark brown mane of hair that swept from between said ears to a little past his shoulders. Ocean blue and green hieroglyphic tattoos adorned his fur in several spots, such as an ibis and jackal on his shoulders, simplistic patterns that resembled the Nile River on his biceps and cheek fluff, a silver moon with a golden crescent "bowl" at the bottom on his forehead, and a red solar disc in the middle of his chest. For attire and accessories, he wore only a pair of tan brown moccasin pants, brown studded leather boots, and a necklace composed of the lower jaw and teeth of a sizable shark, as well as two formidable talons from some unknown reptilian species.
"It can't hold for much longer," he growled out in a booming bass, "we've got to do something!"
The urgency in the big Animal's plea seemed to be what snapped the butterfly out of its stupor. With a much more calm and controlled flapping of its wings, it flew over to the center of the chamber and started to shimmer. The seven minerals rose from their resting places on their pedestals, and with a keen ping, they vanished from the white realm. As they did, a horrendous crash blew the entryway open, throwing the hyena clear into the other side of the room, though he managed to brace himself against a seemingly invisible wall. He saw a swirling mass composed of the same malicious flames around the planet suddenly burst through the frame.
"I've no choice but to fight it!" he snarled, bringing up his fists at the ready, "get behind me, great one!"
A section of it reformed into a vague likeness of a human hand, which lunged for him. The large male let out a confused laugh like that his species was known for as he vanished in a flash just as the fiery hand was about to get him. Two glowing blue eyes like intense flames popped into being from the roiling mass, which narrowed at the prismatic insect. It clenched the fist in visible frustration, then let it dissipate, and began to hover closer to the seemingly cornered butterfly.
It had taken the group some time, but they found themselves passing over a remote spot on the southeastern coastline. There was a dense forest composed of both deciduous and coniferous trees, the former of which had lost most of their leaves due to the oncoming winter season. They spotted a spacious glade after a few more minutes, and then their destination just south of it. It was a quaint little village that looked to be dominated by single-family houses and cottages, most of which were fairly spread out. To everyone's surprise except for the fox, it appeared to have an even smaller population than Puru Puru Village.
"There it is, guys: Floral Forest Village!" Miles called out over the wind, "time for me to go now!"
"Take care, little bro!" Gadget shouted back from the pilot's seat, "if anything happens, don't hesitate to call!"
"We'll come flying the moment you need help!" Gizmo promised, "but do try to have a good time, and tell Cream and Cheese we said hello!"
The fox nodded to the both of them, then turned to Sonic, holding out a fist to him. The hedgehog grinned and bumped it back heartily.
"Have fun, big guy! We'll see ya soon!"
"Later, kid. Don't get up to too much trouble without me!"
With that, they went in low over the glade, where Miles proceeded to leap from the top wing of the Tornado. A brief spin of his two tails let him land softly in the grass, and he waved to the other three as they passed over once more, heading back the way they'd come. When they were but a speck in the distance, Miles got going himself, zipping on over to the outer limits of the village.
As per usual when going abroad, he twined his tails together to disguise them as one, and made sure his wayfarers covered his eyes as much as they could. It didn't stop him from getting some looks, which told him that Floral Forest didn't get a lot of visitors. They weren't unfriendly, though, merely curious, and the teen nodded his head politely to those more openly acknowledging him. He eventually came to a small white house with a pale red-orange slanted roof, wood shutter windows, and a light magenta door with a circular glass window near the top of it. Bushes of pink lenten roses grew from the sides of the entrance along the house, going under the windows and stopping at the corners.
'It's exactly like how she described it,' Miles mused.
He stepped up to the round stone that served as a sort of doormat, searching for a doorbell. When he didn't find any, the fox shrugged and knocked on the door a few firm and evenly spaced times. Miles didn't have to wait long before it opened, revealing a rabbit that wasn't Cream, but certainly was whom she'd gotten her looks from. Like the girl he knew, the woman was tall, almost as much as he was in fact, and cream-colored with a white muzzle and a small brown nose. Her eyes were the same shade of cinnamon brown, and her markings were similar to that of the younger lapine, though her hair and ears weren't quite as long, with the latter coming down just below her cottony tail. For attire, she wore a sleeveless vermilion dress with a white collar and a light blue cravat, white gloves with a golden cuff link on each cuff, and vermilion and yellow slip-on shoes with gray soles.
"Oh, good afternoon," she greeted him with a warm and graceful mezzo-soprano, "you're a new face."
Miles briefly thought about what Cream had told him about her mother. 'What was her name again? Started with a V...oh yeah!'
"Are you Ms. Vanilla the Rabbit?" he asked respectfully.
"I am," she affirmed in a straightforward, but gentle manner, "and who might you be?"
The fox glanced around for a moment to see if anyone else was observing their conversation. When he saw that they were far enough away from any prying eyes, he lifted his shades and undid his tails so that the lady could see both.
"My name is Miles Prower," he answered with a light bow of the head, holding out one hand, "I'm the one that your daughter, Cream, recently visited back in October."
Upon seeing the young man's true appearance, and hearing the remark, recognition crossed her features. She let out a soft chuckle and covered her mouth with one glove while she reached out with the other, giving his own a shake.
"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Miles," Vanilla told him earnestly, "I want to thank you for bringing Cream and Amy back safe and sound. She also said she had a magnificent time visiting your hometown and meeting your friends and family.
Miles rubbed the back of his ears bashfully. "Aww, I'm glad to hear that she enjoyed it. And as for the former thing, don't worry about it, really."
"Oh, how modest," the rabbit lady said, letting out another giggle, "but I insist. Cream told me she was expecting you, and since you've come all this way, at least let me fix you some tea. I already have some water heated up, as I was going to pour myself a cup, so it's no trouble."
The fox wanted to push right back and say that she really didn't have to go that far. But, he knew that there was such a thing as being too humble, and it could sometimes come off as rude. And besides, it was an opportunity to not only get to visit with Cream, but also to get to know her family. Why not?
"Well, alright," he relented with a smile, "if you have any mint tea, that would be lovely, Ms. Vanilla. Otherwise, I'm fine with whatever you have."
She nodded kindly and moved to one side to let him inside. He accepted, and after the bunny shut the way behind him, she led him into the living room. There was simple, but soft white carpeting, with two comfortable white chairs seated opposite of each other, and a chocolate brown couch that could comfortably seat three. They were placed around a wooden coffee table that had primarily mythological Animals engraved in each corner: a dragon in the northwest, a unicorn in the southwest, a phoenix in the southeast, and a skeletal dog type of being in the northeast. Pictures of Vanilla with Cream at various ages were placed here and there, with more recent ones showcasing Cheese in them as well. He also noticed, however, that the girl's father was nowhere to be seen in any of the photographs.
"Mother?" came Cream's voice from around the bend of a hallway, presumably one the one adjacent to her bedroom, "who was that at the door?"
"It's your friend, Miles," Vanilla told her as she started walking towards the kitchen, "he just arr–"
The motherly rabbit's eyes went wide as a cream-colored blur ran past her and just about tackled the fox. Miles had to use both of his tails to push back against the ground to help anchor his legs as he caught her.
"Oof!" he grunted out, trying to play it off with a chuckle as he gave his friend a hug, "hello, Cream." Cheese fluttered around the corner and let out a happy noise as it went in and hugged the top of his head. The teen smiled and reached one hand up to pet the thing's own head resting between his ears. "Hello to you too, Cheese."
He let the two of them go, briefly dusting his chest fluff before taking a seat in one of the single-person chairs. Cream and Cheese each took up a cushion on the couch, and Vanilla soon rejoined them. She set down a tray with a pearly white teapot and three matching cups with accompanying saucers, each of which had its own teabag, along with a tiny demitasse of milk for the resident Chao. There was also a separate, larger container for more milk, as well as two others that had sugar and honey. Miles sniffed the air as she poured the hot water, smiling as he picked out the scent of mint, peering over to see the liquid turning a pale green. There was also the soothing and mild smell of chamomile, which he figured was Cream's, but also the strong and bitter odor of dandelion root coming from Vanilla's own cup.
"Yours and Cream's should only take a few minutes to steep," she told him while she sat in the chair across from him, "mine will require more time." She folded her hands in her lap. "Though, once we are finished, perhaps it would be best if you two got started with your journey."
Miles hummed at that. It seemed that Cream hadn't spared any details about their plans, though he was surprised that Vanilla was so accepting. Maybe she had relaxed a little bit in the few years since her daughter's unexpected first adventure.
"I suppose you're right," he replied evenly, "even at a good pace, it'll take us a while to get to Never Lake." The fox glanced over at the pair coming with him on this trek. "Do you have everything you need ready to go?"
"Yup!" Cream chirped, "I packed enough food and drinks for the three of us to last the next few days, as well as a coat in case it gets cold."
Miles took a moment to give himself a once over. He didn't have to worry much about the weather himself, as his fur had thickened with the seasonal shift. While his back had once been uniformly amber like much of his overall coat, there were now clear splotches of white in some spots. The chemical burns he'd suffered from the corrosive substance the Auto Arachnid used had been healed, but not enough to prevent scarring. He wasn't too broken up about it, though, not when the off-color fluff provided the same amount of comfort and external temperature regulation.
"That's good," he said, rifling through his pouches, "I brought some dried food and other rations myself, so we should have more than enough to tide us over."
A little while longer, each of their respective cups were about done. Vanilla squeezed out the teabags with a pair of small tongs, then handed her daughter and her guest their brew, each of them uttering a soft "thank you". Miles poured a fair helping of honey into his tea, then took one of the stirring spoons Vanilla provided to make sure it was all nice and mixed up. He blew on it a few times, then tentatively took a sip of the piping hot liquid.
"Mm, it tastes wonderful," he said blissfully, letting out a contented puff, "I'll have to take a few home with me, if that's okay."
"Certainly, Miles," Vanilla replied kindly, "I hope that you'll also enjoy the cake I'm baking for Cream's birthday on the 19th."
The fox briefly imagined that if her tea tasted this good, then her baking must have been something else. "I suppose I'll just have to wait and see, but I'm looking forward to it."
They visited for a little while, during which Miles told Vanilla a little bit about himself. These included where he was from, what he usually did when he wasn't out traveling, and a few things about his adopted family, among other matters. In turn, the teen learned that Vanilla was a fairly active member of the village community, which helped her in supporting Cream. Even so, she always made time for her daughter whenever she could, seeing as she had no father to help with raising her. She hadn't gone into detail about it, and Cream hadn't elaborated either, so he decided not to ask about that detail.
Once they had finished and cleaned up, Miles, Cream, and Cheese all bade Vanilla farewell for the time being and made their way to the north where the fox had initially entered Floral Forest from. They passed through the glade, where the bunny girl told the fox that it was rather close to the Chao Garden near her town. And beyond that, on the other side of the forest that surrounded the coastal area, were bumpy, rolling plains with scattered and short plateaus.
"Alright, Cream," Miles said as he stretched his arms and legs, then got into a runner's starting pose, "we're going to try and get there as fast as we can so we can have time to enjoy our visit. Let's go!"
"Okay!" she cheered, pumping a fist and then taking her Chao in both arms, "hold on tight, Cheese!"
On the count of three, both Animals rushed into the wilderness, leaving amber and cream-colored trails behind them. The younger of the two was putting in more effort than the older one was, but he was still impressed with her pace. Miles gauged that Cream was going at about half of her full speed, while he was comfortably coasting at roughly thirty percent. Even so, the landscape around them was a blur, with nothing but the wind and the thumps of their shoes hitting the ground to fill their ears.
They shot through a brief pass and ran across the surface of a river, kicking up a spray that left behind a brief rainbow. The trio weaved through the trees of a dense forest just beyond the water, and leapt across a gap between two high hills. Using their respective tails and ears, they hovered down a sudden and steep series of cliffs, then bolted down the nearest safe slope and shot through a cylindrical rock tunnel. This led them into a rather green badlands type of area, where many towering spires and deep crevasses awaited them. With all of them possessing the ability to fly, however, it was easy enough to traverse.
Miles, Cream, and Cheese jetted over a smaller lake and over the rim of the cliffs that contained it, spotting the immense plateaus that bordered the valley around Never Lake not too far away. They closed the distance within a handful of seconds, then dove down into the isolated region, where they finally caught their breath at the edge of the woods near the rocks.
"Alright, less than ten minutes!" the fox reported enthusiastically after checking his multitool, "you're way faster than you were three years ago, Cream!"
She smiled modestly and let go of Cheese to let him flutter around freely. "Thank you, Miles. There wasn't much for me to do when Mother kept me on a tighter leash, so I spent some of the time improving my running and flying. Keeping in good shape is important, after all, especially when you're growing."
"And it looks to be paying off," he complimented her further as they walked and talked, "I think if you keep at it, you'll really be something. You're already above most people and a number of vehicles in terms of meters per second."
Their conversation was cut short as they turned the corner of one of the spires around Never Lake. To their confusion, Little Planet was not there as expected. Cheese cried out, however, and pointed out at something in the distance to the east. Cream gasped and covered her mouth when she followed her little friend's direction, while Miles stared and growled at the sight that awaited them.
Little Planet had floated away towards a heavily wooded area that looked to be housing an old ruined castle and several decrepit structures. The planetoid itself had scorched earth with plumes of black smoke rising up into the sky. Mountains that appeared to have crumbled over millions of years in a fraction of a fraction of the time. Waters that were dark and corrupted by the surrounding spoiled environment. And in one corner, he could spot what looked to be the hollowed ruins of the once thriving city they had passed through during their last visit. It was such a drastic change from how Little Planet had previously been, that the fox was at a momentary loss for words.
"This is horrible!" Cream exclaimed sadly, voicing some of the thoughts that they all shared, "how could this have happened!?"
Miles shook his head, trying to think. What could have caused Little Planet to be altered so dramatically and so quickly? It didn't take long for him to come up with the answer, when he really put his mind to it.
"Some of that destruction was clearly inflicted by outside forces," he mused out loud, "but things like the mountains breaking down appear to have been at least partly caused by natural processes like erosion. For that much to occur in three short years would normally be impossible." He then gave the rabbit a knowing and worried look. "However, if one had the ability to alter the flow of time, or even change the past..."
Cream's eyes widened, understanding where he was going with his theory. "You mean, someone found the Time Stones and is using them to do bad things to Little Planet in the past?"
"It's the only thing that comes to mind that makes even a modicum of sense," he confirmed, "I'd be skeptical about it, but after seeing what the Chaos Emeralds can do, it's probably safe to assume the stories about the Time Stones are also true." He raised one fist towards the ruined planetoid. "And if so, then we have to stop whoever or whatever is abusing them before the rest of the world is affected!"
The rabbit let the worry show a bit more on her face, but not just about the current situation. "I hope we can convince them to stop. I really don't want to have to fight if I can help it, Miles."
"I can't promise it'll be that easy," the fox answered honestly, putting a hand on her shoulder, "it would be nice if it was. But you don't have to fight if you don't want to." He gave it a squeeze and looked her in the eyes more directly. "I'll be the one who gets his hands dirty if things go in that direction, and I'm sure Cheese would help me watch your back."
"Chao!" the little guy affirmed resolutely with a serious expression on his face, one hand raised high as if to swear he would.
More reassured by the confidence in her friends, the girl cheered up and gave them a courageous nod. "Alright, then let's go!"
With that, Miles, Cream, and Cheese raced off in the direction of Little Planet, which continued to drift further and further away. Unbeknownst to the trio, another group of three figures watched them from atop one of the many spires that surrounded Never Lake.
One of them was a wolf with mostly cornflower-blue fur, with a patch of darker fur on his chest as well as the tip of his moderately long tail. He had blue eyes, a tan flesh muzzle with a red nose, almost devilish looking upward-curving ears, and a trio of thick, downward-curving tufts on each side of the back of his head. He simply wore dark navy blue shoes with mustard yellow soles and decals, and matching gloves with the latter color on its backs and cuffs. His muzzle was fixed into a seemingly permanent, toothy grin, letting out an unnerving laugh as he watched from atop his ride. It appeared to be a board that shared the colors of his gloves and boots, with a pair of gunmetal gray thrusters attached to the back, which were currently keeping him afloat.
To his left was a tall and slender female rabbit with white fur, a peach muzzle with a small black nose, green eyes, and a short triangular tail. The fur on her head flared out at two points on the back, two long eyelashes adorned each of her pair of eyelids, and she sported teal markings around her eyes as well as on the tips of her ears. For clothing, she wore a teal vest with a golden button over a sleeveless red shirt, teal pants with red stripes at the ends of the legs, dark teal gloves with red cuffs and a golden cuff link, and dark teal and red shoes with white soles. She also had red ribbons tied around each ear, and a red sash around her waist that was tied off in a large bow at the back. She was humming cheerfully as she laid on her own hoverboard, which was shaped and colored much like a typical orange carrot, complete with a rear decoration modeled after the stem and greens.
To her left was a big and somewhat chubby grizzly bear with mostly brown fur, a lighter brown muzzle, and a patch of white fur in the shape of a five-pointed crown on his chest. He had ruby red eyes, a short pointed tail, small rounded ears, and knife-like teeth set in a constant, vicious frown. Like the wolf, he had minimal attire, wearing white gloves with red and green cuffs, and deep blue shoes with white soles and a red stripe that ran vertically down the middle on top. The bear stood atop a mostly blue board with a red-eyed, toothy shark face painted on the front, a pair of green pectoral fins in the back, and a red dorsal fin between them.
"Heehee, look who it is!" the wolf barked gleefully, gripping the edge of his board and swinging his feet, "he's bigger and a little more brown, but you can't miss those two tails, haha!"
The rabbit let out a sound like she'd just been awakened from a daydream. She then peered down at where the lupine was gazing and felt her lax smile broaden a bit.
"Oh hey, you're right, Focke-Wulf," she giggled, "he sure is in a hurry, isn't he? I wonder where he's going?"
The bear growled and pounded his fists together, his scowl shifting into a sinister smirk. "Doesn't matter where he runs to, Carrotia. I'll pay him back for what he did to me!"
"Save some for me, Bearenger!" Focke-Wulf cackled, slapping his palms against his ride and flipping back into an upright stance with his left foot forward, "I'd kill for a chance to show our old friend some new tricks!"
"Don't leave me out, boys," Carrotia said flirtatiously as she rose to her feet, giving them a wink, "like, we all want the same thing anyway, right? If we share, we can each get a chance to play with the foxy before we break him!"
Bearenger grunted his agreement, while Focke-Wulf let out a slightly more subdued chuckle. Even though they were free from their position as Wendy Witchcart's minions, they wouldn't pass up this opportunity. The trio activated the thrusters on their boards and rode down the side of the spire. They stopped when they were a couple of meters above the ground below and then blasted off at high speed, leaving blurs of their respective vehicles' colors behind them. At this rate, they figured they would catch up with Miles in no time, and when they did, they'd unload the years of spite they'd built up for him. They had no idea that they, as well as the first trio, were being watched by steely eyes.
"All the prophesied players have arrived, save one," mumbled the hyena as he stood up from a spot in the tall grass around the lake.
He started after the group, only to stop when his tall ears picked up a new sound. The spotted fellow turned his head to see a young pink hedgehog with a green puffy-sleeved shirt, orange pleated skirt, and white and lavender shoes running his way. She stopped to catch her breath once she reached him, her hands on her knees as she panted heavily.
'And here she is,' he thought.
"E-excuse me," she said between breaths, "did you see a cream-colored bunny and an amber fox come this way?"
The hyena gestured to the direction that Miles and Cream had run off to. The girl followed where he was pointing and almost screamed when she saw the state of Little Planet.
"Oh no! I bet they've already gone to try and help that little butterfly!" she exclaimed, completely ignoring her earlier fatigue and starting to sprint again, "I gotta get there, too!"
A dusky brown streak zipped in front of her, and she nearly let out a shriek until she got a moment to look. A feral hyena Critter was now standing before her, sporting the same tattoos and eyes as the Animal she'd just been talking to. She glanced back to where he'd been standing, and sure enough, he wasn't there.
"It'd be faster for me to carry you there," he told her, kneeling down so she could climb onto his back and take hold of his mane like horse riding reins.
Although hesitant, the hoglet eventually accepted the invitation from the strange hyena. Her mother had always told her not to be so trusting of strangers, but for some reason, she felt good vibes coming from this guy. If he'd wanted to hurt her or do anything unpleasant, he could have easily done so long before now. And if he was going to offer, why not? It honestly wasn't the strangest thing she'd ever seen, though it was pretty high on the list.
"Well, okay," she said, taking the thick fur of his mane into her gloves, "thanks, mister...um–"
"Khaldun," the hyena answered, "I prefer Khal most of the time."
"Nice to meet you, Khal, I'm Amy Rose!" she giggled, then gave his fluff a little tug, "now, you said it'd be faster this way, so let's hurry and catch up to my friends!"
The spotted mammal didn't need any more prompting than that, digging his heels into the grass and then taking off faster than the wind. Amy's scream from the sudden acceleration and high speed went from terrified to delighted before long, hugging around Khal's long and powerful neck as they rocketed towards the dense forest in the distance and the celestial object passing over the ruins within.