6. The Waterfall

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles re-entered the chao garden a couple of minutes later with their chao. Knuckles and Sonic pointed to Tails, noticing a game glitch.

"Hey, look! It's Ninetails!" exclaimed Sonic.

Knuckles pretended to throw something. "Ninetails, I choose you!"

Tails set TJ down and turned to see his tails, plus six.

(Knuckles: yo, miss author lady—watch your math.)

(Sonic: yeah, even Knuckles knows it! That's gotta be easy. The answer's four, anyway.)

(me: just let me fix the game glitch—and put your nose back on, Sonic.)

(Tails: But how can it be a game glitch if this is a literary work?)

(me: do you always have to be so technical? It's a plothole, ok! There—now you're back to two tails, Tails.)

(Tails: thanks)

"Okay!" cried Tails, stretching his arms. "Should we get looking for Cheese again?"

"Sure," sighed Sonic. "We've got nothing else to do."

"What are you talking about?" exclaimed Knuckles. "I've got a Master Emerald to guard!"

Sonic stood up straight and cleared his throat. "Sorry, Knux—I meant to say 'we've got nothing BETTER to do'."

As Knuckles lunged forward, Tails pointed out the waterfall across a small pond. "Hey—why don't we try there?"

"Try where?" asked Knuckles.

"There."

"Where!"

"The waterfall!"

"No way!" yelled Sonic. "I'm not going near the water! All those chao here! Who knows what's in there!"

"Hydrophobe..." Knuckles grumbled.

Just then, Sonic noticed a certain small blue chao whimpering and struggling in the pond. "SQUISHY!" he gasped. "NEVER FEAR! SONIC THE HEDGEHOG IS PRESENT!" Without another word, he dove into the pool and grabbed a hold of the tiny chao.

Tails and Knuckles followed him to the edge of the pool. Tails picked up TJ and flew across to a ledge on the other side of the pool. "So much for not going into the water."

"Um, you might wanna use those flying skills of yours, again, Tails," Knuckles groaned, gliding across. "Sonic's panicking in the shallow water, again."

After Tails had saved Sonic, the three stood on one of the ledges beside the waterfall, trying to take in their surroundings.

"Hey! Look at this!" Knuckles suddenly exclaimed.

"What?"

"This!"

"WHAT?"

"THIS!"

"He means the strange hole behind the waterfall, Sonic," Tails said, glaring at the hedgehog.

At the comment, TJ leapt out of Tails' arms and went through the waterfall to land on the ledge of the tunnel.

"I'm not going in there. You can't make me," Sonic growled, crossing his arms and shrinking away.

Following TJ's lead, KJ and Squishy were drenched by the waterfall as well as they passed through to the tunnel.

"Well, whatcha gonna do now, Sonic? Your chao just abandoned you," Knuckles smirked.

"Yours, too!"

Tails pushed past them and leapt through the waterfall. His fur was drenched from head to toe, but he seemed happy nonetheless. "It's a little cold, but it's alright, Sonic! Come on over!"

"No!" Sonic whirled away from the waterfall to show his disapproval.

"Don't be such a pansy!" With that, Knuckles picked up Sonic and threw him across the gap. "Ooops..."

"Great job. Can't you throw?" Tails yelled at him.

"A punch, but not Sonic, I guess..." Knuckles jumped the gap and then reached down to pull up Sonic from the bottom of the waterfall.

Sonic flew onto the ledge and shook himself off. After recovering from the shock of the impact and fall, he glared at Knuckles. "YOU'RE SO STUPID! YOU THREW ME INTO THE WALL! CAN YOU AIM NEXT TIME, YOU—"

"Hey, at least you're dry, now," Knuckles tried to console as he shrugged off the rapid fire of insults.

"Oh no! The chao are going further into the tunnel!" Tails cried. He was still dripping wet. Just as the dry Sonic stood up to follow, Tails shook himself off like a wet dog.

"ARRRRRGGGHHHH! TAILS!"