Sonic X: Season 3: Shuffle Edition
Game Start!
[Meanwhile At Space; Above Sonic's Planet]
"Grr! AAAAAARGH! OOF! YAGH! YAH! HIIIIIAAAAAAH! OOF! …...(Pant Pant Pant Pant)….." Sonic grunted before he stopped and panted a lot. He honestly had no idea why he is now in his super form, but he wasn't going to question that part. What he will question is why a giant robot had challenged him to a fight in his super form.
All he had remembered before this was that he was playing a board game with his friends at Tails' house. But then, in the next minute, he had teleported to space while in his super form. To top it all off...a giant, dark-blue robot with a long yellow sword had appeared across from him in space. The only thing that the mysterious robot had said to him was, "...Do you want to play a little game?".
After he said that, he immediately started to fight Sonic right away. He first tested Sonic by making him fight his little robot army before fighting himself. When he did start attacking Sonic, he was ruthless in his attacks against him. Sonic did his best to defend himself by either dodging the robot's attacks or ramming into him to fight back. The little skirmish had gone on for a couple of minutes before the robot and Sonic had both stopped fighting to take a break. Sonic was smiling as he panted for his breath.
Heh...I think that I actually like this game. Sonic thought calmly in amusement while smiling brightly.
The two soon fought again as they continued their skirmish. They both refused to give up, yet eventually, they stopped again as they saw how evenly matched they were.
While Sonic was panting for his breath, the strange robot with a cape spoke again, "Very impressive. You do seem to have a lot of power while in that form. Your skills do fascinate me, my prey".
Sonic's eyebrows were raised slightly by that "prey" comment, but he smirked as he spoke back, "Yeah, that's what you get for trying to kill me. I would naturally fight back against anyone who would want a piece of me!".
The robot laughed darkly. "Heheheh. How bold of you to say that when you are confronting a poacher," the giant robot said calmly.
"Wait. Wha? A...A poacher?" Sonic replied in surprise and confusion.
"Yes, my prey. I am not just any ordinary robot. I am a space poacher robot. Allow me to explain. Do you remember that board game you and your friends had played a few minutes ago?" the robot replied sinisterly.
Sonic gasped a bit before he grunted. He did not like where this was going. The robot then continued explaining, "You see. I came from that board game and so does my empire: The Metarex. I, as well as my elite, are poachers. I am the leader of the Metarex. I am known as Dark Oak, and my empire desires all forms of life as part of our gain. It is a part of our game that I as well as my empire like to play. I like the thrill of a good hunt, and I had never had such a thrill like this in a long time. You as well as your friends will make this hunt very, very entertaining as I not only will take your lives but your planet's life".
Sonic smirked as he replied, "So, you are trying to hunt me down, are ya? Heh! You'll never catch me or kill me because I'm The Fastest Thing Alive, Sonic the Hedgehog!".
"Hmph. Very well, Sonic the Hedgehog. You will do well to continue to fight to survive. The same thing can be applied to your friends. You must understand that I like a good, fair challenge. Tell you what. If you can release the Chaos Emeralds and separate them across the galaxy, then I'll spare your life for now. It'll be like giving you a running start to a race. I'll give you enough time for you and your friends to run away, but when the time limit had run out, don't be surprised when I show up to hunt you again," Dark Oak replied calmly yet menacingly.
Sonic nodded as he then said, "If it's a challenge you want, then it's a challenge you get! Besides...I like playing games too, and this game sounds interesting. So, I'll give you what you want Dark Oak, but don't think that I'm giving up easily because I'll be ready for you and so will my friends!".
Sonic then flew a bit back and put up his arms as he summoned the Chaos Emeralds out of his body. The Chaos Emeralds soon surrounded him as they were out of him. He then shouted, "Chaos Control!". The emeralds glowed a bright light within each of them. Then, the emeralds separated into different parts of the galaxy that are far away from Sonic's world. As Dark Oak saw that the emeralds were gone, he nodded his head to show that the deal was now made. Sonic smiled briefly at him before he soon fell down from space since he lost his super form. He soon fell back to his home world.
Dark Oak looked down on his damaged armor where Sonic had broken in his Super Form. Apparently, he saw that the damage was very troublesome since his left side was torn off. He can't help but feel a bit grim about this.
"Hmmm...This is concerning. I hadn't thought that this prey would be this strong. However...it will be a worthy challenge to overcome. …...My fellow forces, be ready for a tough yet interesting hunting mission. I order you to search for the seven Chaos Emeralds. These emeralds are vital since they will help us successfully kill our prey. Our survival is dependent on those emeralds. This is the only way that we will win this hunt. Understood?" Dark Oak said to himself before he ordered his loyal robot forces.
The robots responded by revealing their red eyes behind him. They all told him they're ready in their own way. Dark Oak understood their message as he then said.
"Well then...let's just wait for the game to continue...shall we?".
He soon turned around and flew away. While this was happening, Sonic continued to fall from space as he was turning back to his normal form. It will certainly be a long fall down.
-Meanwhile Back On Sonic's World-
"See? I told you that Cream's idea was the best!" Amy exclaimed as she waited for the meteor shower with Tails and Cream. They were all sitting on top of a hill like Cream had suggested. There were flowers on top of the hill from where they were at.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. It is very pretty here. Would you please get off my case?" Tails said as he rolled his eyes. He was busy setting up his camera to view the meteor shower that was about to happen soon.
"Oh, don't worry, Tails. We'll give you a break," Cream said happily. Tails sighed while he still worked on his camera.
"Still! I can't believe that we are going to see a meteor shower! I never heard of a meteor shower that shows up every 500 years! This one has got to be very rare if it shows up once every 500 years!" Amy exclaimed happily as she can't wait to see the meteor shower.
"Yep! And when that happens, over hundreds of stars will past over us faster than Sonic could run! That's how impressive they are!" Tails added as he smiled. He had always liked talking about science whether the opportunity showed itself.
"Are you ready for the star show, Cheese?" Cream said to her chao, Cheese. Cheese responded by saying, "Chao chao chao!".
"Teehee, I'm ready too, buddy!" Cream replied with a smile.
"Ohh, if only Sonic was here to join us. Just...why did he disappear while we were playing that board game? He certainly was excited that a meteor shower was coming, and he wanted to come with us. But why did that happen? Where is he now? Aw man, this would totally be the most romantic moment of our lives!" Amy replied with a sad smile before she frowned in disappointment. Speaking of the strange board game, Tails, Amy, and Cream had brought the board game with them after Sonic was gone. The game was sitting between Amy and Cream.
"Amy, not every moment needs to be romantic with you and Sonic. And secondly, you know Sonic. Maybe he must have gone to another place as a part of his adventuring experience. I'm sure that he's fine. But even I'll admit that I'm worried on whether he's okay or not. He always takes risks whenever the time provides it, so, I worry whether he can come back to us or not. I'm sure that he'll get back to us...but if not..." Tails replied as he looked back at Amy with a frown.
"Don't you dare say that! We all thought that he wouldn't come back after that incident six months ago when we left Earth just to come back home! Don't you dare suggest that he couldn't get back! Because he will! He promised me that he will just for me!" Amy snapped back while feeling irritated.
"Ack! Okay! Geez! He'll come back! Just calm down! I didn't mean to upset you!" Tails exclaimed as he panicked a bit.
"Here, Miss Amy. Why don't you take your turn on this board game? Maybe your turn could bring Mr. Sonic back," Cream suggested while lifting up the board game to Amy.
Amy smiled as she replied, "You know what? You're right, Cream! Maybe I'll bring some good luck in my roll! Good thinking, Cream!".
"Anytime, Miss Amy! (Chao chao!)" Cream and Cheese said brightly.
Amy soon took the board game from Cream's hands and set it near her knees. Before she could make her roll, Tails then interjected, "Wait a second, Amy! I don't think that's a good idea. We all saw what had happened to Sonic when I had made that roll. Who's to say that something bad like that is going to happen again? I think it's very possible that more terrible things will happen if we continue to play that game. I just have a feeling, okay?".
Amy and Cream smiled at him before they giggled together.
"Hey! What's so funny?" Tails replied with a frown.
"Hehehehe! Tails! The only reason that the bad thing had happened was because you are unlucky! To be honest, I'm not actually mad that you made Sonic disappear with your roll. You just have bad luck! Hehehehehe! No wonder Sonic had always beaten you!" Amy replied as she giggled.
Tails blushed as he face-palmed himself. Of coarse...blame my bad luck, will you? Tails brooded with shame.
"Yeah, Tails. You have notoriously bad luck when it comes to board games. Just when you say that you are about to beat someone, a lucky break happens between us, and then we beat you. You always keep jinxing yourself. It's very funny. I'm sorry, Tails, but it is. Hehehehe," Cream replied with a sympathetic look as she giggled a little. Tails sighed as he thought. I give up.
"Alight. Fine. You can make your move, Amy. But don't come crying to me when something bad happens again. Because I'll say, 'I told you so' instead," Tails replied as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. Once again, his advice was ignored.
"Okay! Let's do this!" Amy exclaimed as she then pushed the red button on the board game. The numbers started to turn as she made her move. It was a lot of time since Tails' last move, so, Amy figured that the "game event" must be over if she was able to make her roll now. After a few more seconds, the roulette wheel had stopped spinning, and the pink spaceship moved a few spaces.
"Woohoo! I got a four!" Amy exclaimed happily.
"Seriously?!" Tails exclaimed in frustration as he looked back at Amy.
KACHING!
Another white card popped out of the board game from the card slot. Amy took the card out and read it. "'New games are always hard and always confusing. So, why not have a guide for your own choosing?' Eh? A guide? What guide? I thought that the instruction manual that was our guide to this game? Hmm...I wonder what that could mean?" Amy said with confusion on her face.
"Hmm...I don't know either. But hey, I think that it's about time for the meteor shower to start!" Tails said while feeling confused before he smiled and looked back up to the night sky. Amy and Cream looked up at the night sky too. Within a few seconds, a shooting star passed by them.
"Oooooh! It's starting!" Cream cooed in happiness.
"Let's catch this on the footage!" Tails exclaimed as he was ready for his camera to film the meteor shower.
Soon, another shooting star went by...and then another...and another...and then the rest of the shooting stars fell across the night sky in glorious display.
"Wow! It's amazing!" Amy exclaimed while watching the stars go by in fast speeds.
"I'm already getting this on film!" Tails exclaimed happily. The stars keep flying by until one of them was coming straight at Tails, Amy, and Cream.
"Huh? What's up with that star?" Amy asked in confusion as she watched the star coming towards her and the others a bit slowly.
"It looks like it's getting closer to us. Miss Amy, is this the 'guide' that your card had mentioned?" Cream replied as she still looked up in the sky.
"Uuuhhh...Uuuuummmm...I, uh, don't know?" Amy muttered as she felt confused.
The star came closer to them. The star then soared over them. Tails, Amy, and Cream ducked down a bit to avoid getting hit by the star. The star soon crashed down to the ground away from the group. The crash made a bright, white explosion as the star had landed to the ground. Smoke came from the crash site of the meteor. Tails, Amy, and Cream ran towards the meteor site and looked at the site more closely. Amy had the board game under her left arm as she ran with her friends.
Amy soon exclaimed, "Huh?! Look! I see someone on the ground!".
To the group's surprise, the meteor they saw was not a meteor at all. There was a small white pod instead. Also, there was a strange, green, alien girl on the ground. The girl had a round, white face with white hands. She had green hair with two budded red roses on each side of her head. She has a green dress with a red ruby at the front of her dress. And the bottom of her dress was one that looked like a white flower. Her shoes are also green like her dress. In a way, one can say that she looked like a mutated plant alien. Regardless, she was unconscious. Tails, Amy, and Cream ran towards the stranger. Tails picked her up a little and looked confused. Is she...Is she okay? Tails thought in concern.
The green girl gasped and cringed a bit while being still unconscious. Tails sighed in relief as he said, "She's still alive. Oh, thank goodness". Amy and Cream sighed in relief too.
Amy then said, "We should go to Cream's house right now. Her place is the closest from here".
"And we need to treat her quickly! She looks terrible! I'll tell my Mama what had happened! She'll know what to do!" Cream exclaimed as she felt the urgency of the situation. She then quickly flew up with her ears. Cheese followed her too.
Tails was still holding the unconscious girl in his arms as he pondered. What a peculiar girl. Did she...Did she come from that board game? Did she come here when Amy made her roll? Is this..."the guide" that the game had mentioned? Hmmm...how strange.
Tails soon looked up at the sky as he wondered that if the girl had even come from space too. The meteor shower still kept on going as the mystery of the supposed alien girl lingers over his mind.
-Meanwhile In Another Location-
Sonic was lying on a metal bed inside a mechanical building. He was still unconscious and bruised at the time. Eventually, he slowly opened his eyes to see his new surroundings. Huh? Where? …...Where am I? Sonic pondered as his eyes tried to readjust to the light in the room that he's in. Within a few seconds, Sonic's eyes went wide as he quickly got up from the bed. He recognized the place already.
What the-! Am I really in Eggman's base right now?! Wh-Where is he?! Sonic thought in shock as he looked to the right. Yep, there was metal and computers everywhere at where he's at. He soon heard a familiar voice on his left.
"Well, it's about time you woke up, you little pest," a male voice said. It was Dr. Eggman himself in his black chair. He turned around to face Sonic.
Sonic looked to the left and replied in confusion, "Dr. Eggman? You're here?".
"What kind of a question was that, rodent? Did that hard landing you had at the beach made you lose some brain cells under your noggin? I live here you know," Dr. Eggman quipped with a confused look.
"Wait. Huh? You found me at the beach?" Sonic asked in surprise and in even more confusion.
Dr. Eggman nodded his head as he explained, "Yes, indeed I have. Not to mention, you looked very roughed up with all those injuries and bruises you had when I found you. You see, a little while ago, a was taking my usual jog throughout my base outside...".
"Pffft! You...jogging. Hahahahahaha! Okay, I can tell that you are lying right now if you tell me that you made an attempt at exercise! Heheheheheh!" Sonic teased as he chuckled.
"Oh, shut up, Sonic! I've been on my exercise regime for over three weeks now! Don't you dare mock me in saying that I'm lying about that!" Dr. Eggman yelled in defense as he frowned at Sonic.
"Sorry, Egghead. But until I see it with my own eyes, I will always say that you're bluffing on that!" Sonic replied with a smirk.
Dr. Eggman growled but he continued in his explanation, "Anyways...as I was saying...I soon saw you lying limp on the beach as I...-ahem- made it there. You were completely covered in bruises and looked like you were on the brink of death. ...Somehow...when I saw that sad, defeated position you were in...I just couldn't help but want to take you in and patch you up. ...I guess I still have a conscious somewhere inside my dark, twisted heart to want to let you live. I believe that you should thank me for saving you for doing a good deed for once. Hohohohohohoho!". He ended his explanation with an evil laugh and a grin.
Sonic still looked surprised after he heard Dr. Eggman's reasoning for saving him. It is a little unsettling that he was saved by his own enemy. He didn't know how to respond to that.
Meanwhile, Bocoe, the short, gray robot, had quipped, "Even I was surprised when he said he going to save you!".
"Yeah, although I think he did it because he wanted to be the one who had beaten you, not when someone else had done it," Decoe, the tall, yellow robot, added sheepishly as he put a hand behind his head. Dr. Eggman frowned a bit when Decoe had mentioned that. Ugh. When he put it like that, it seems rather sappy in retrospect. My pride as an evil dictator is at stake here! I don't want it to look like I had done it because I actually care for the rodent! Grrrr. These two...I swear sometimes...Dr. Eggman brooded as he frowned deeper in embarrassment.
"Yeah! Who had beaten you up?!" Bokkun exclaimed bluntly as he floated down in front of Sonic while carrying a mug of hot chocolate.
Sonic looked at Bokkun in stunned silence for a second before he replied as he quickly got up surprisingly fast, "There's no time to talk! I've got to-!'.
Sonic accidently made Bokkun spill hot chocolate over his face as he fell down on his bottom. Sonic meekly apologized as he said, "Oops. Sorry about that. But I got to run!". Sonic immediately ran out from his bed while causing Bokkun to spin in circles for a bit.
"What the-! Sonic! What are you-?!" Dr. Eggman yelled in confusion.
"Thanks for the check-up, Doc!" Sonic joked as he ran up towards Dr. Eggman a bit to thank him before he dashed off again.
"Hey! Get back here you!" Decoe yelled in anger.
"Yeah! How dare he leave without even thanking us for being the ones who had nursed him back to health!" Bocue agreed with Decoe while also feeling irritated.
Bokkun floated down next to them as he also added, "Grrr! That idiot! Why couldn't he be obliged to give us food or gifts or something to show his appreciation?! He is such a layabout!".
Dr. Eggman simply placed his head on his right hand and just frowned in annoyance. Well then...that was rather weird. Why did he run away like that? Was there something urgent that he needed to do? Hmm...Dr. Eggman pondered to himself as his robots continued to complain. Little did he realize that somewhere in the vents, that Rouge the Bat was listening in to this as she hides sneakily.
She smiled as she felt interested at that conversation. Hmmm...interesting. Rouge thought with a smirk.
-Meanwhile At Vanilla's House-
The meteor shower was still going on outside. The green alien girl was still unconscious. She was in a middle of a dream as her face sweats a bit.
-Inside the Dream-
The green girl was running through the dark, metallic hallways. She was panting while running for her life. She felt her heart beating as she runs for her life. While running, she kept on thinking. I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to-
KABOOM!
Before she could finish that last thought, an explosion from a wall before her had happened, and the girl shrieked in panic as she flinched back while covering her face with her arm. As the fiery smoke cleared a little, the girl slowly looked back. She gasped at what she saw.
It was a lone brown robot standing with its back turned. The robot soon turned to look at her. The scared, green alien looked stunned at the menacing robot with its bright red eyes staring at her. The girl couldn't move no matter how hard she wants to run. She was paralyzed in fear. The last words she heard before everything turned bright white was this.
"Your life is now mine," an ominous low voice had said as the bright light had overtaken the green girl.
-The Dream Ends-
The green alien girl gasped in shock as she had woken up. Her vision was blurry as she was waking up. She heard some voices in the background.
"Hey, look, guys! She's waking up!" a young female voice had said. Meanwhile, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Vanilla were standing near the bed where the green alien had laid. They all had worried faces as they looked at the poor girl in the bed. The girl soon sat up while holding the covers very tightly. No...Not that dream again...The green girl thought as she grimaced.
"Hey, dear. Please don't get up yet. You are still injured a little. Just please take it slow, and you'll be fine," Vanilla said to the green alien with concern in her voice. The girl still sat up straight while wearing a sheepish smile as she turned to look at the strangers who had saved her.
"Yeah, seriously. A fall from space isn't something that you should walk it off! You need to take better care of your heath!" Amy exclaimed with concern in her voice.
"Ummm...say where did you come from? Are you from another planet?" Cream asked curiously. The green alien nodded her head to answer that question.
"So, she is from outer space then!" Amy replied to Cream with surprise and intrigue.
"Okay. Anyways...what's your name, Miss?" Cream asked with intrigue.
"Well...uhhh...I'm...Nevermind..." the green girl muttered while looking sad as she pulled the covers closer to her.
"Oh? So, your name is 'Miss Nevermind" then? That's a peculiar name," Cream replied innocently.
"No, you're wrong. That's not my name. I...I...I'm just uncomfortable in revealing my name to you," the green girl replied with sad eyes. Tails tried to speak up, but the girl continued, "But putting that aside, is Sonic in this planet? I need to speak to him. It's important".
"Huh? Why would you want to do that? Why do you need to tell Sonic your name first? You can tell us, can't you?" Tails asked while feeling confused. Meanwhile, Amy was starting to feel irritated as she had her hands on her sides and while tapping her foot.
"I wish I could but..." the girl replied with a guilty look. Amy frowned as she confronted her.
"Is there something going on between you and Sonic that I don't know about?! Why is telling your name to Sonic only a big deal?! We're his friends! And you are talking to Sonic's future wife! So, be more considerate to us!" Amy yelled in irritation as she was impatient now. If this girl is secretly Sonic's girlfriend, I'm gonna...Amy thought as she glared at the green alien girl.
"Huh?! E-Excuse me?!" the green girl exclaimed in shock at the sudden outburst.
Cream pushed Amy back from the startled girl as she exclaimed, "Miss Amy! Please calm down! It is us who need to be considerate here, not the other way around! This girl was only injured only minutes ago! Remember?". Amy just growled in annoyance as she visibly calmed down a bit. The green alien felt lost as she stared at Amy and Cream in confusion.
Tails decided to change the subject by introducing himself to the new girl. "Amy is telling the truth about all of us being friends with Sonic," Tails said with a smile.
"Oh? Is that true?" the green girl replied with a nod.
"Why yes. My name is Miles Prower, but everyone just calls me Tails. It's easier to remember me that way," Tails said as he introduced himself with his hand over his chest.
While holding Amy, Cream introduced herself, "My name is Cream the Rabbit. It's great to meet you. I hope you will get better soon!".
"And like I had said before, I'm the future wife of Sonic, Amy Rose! So, you better watch yourself, Missy!" Amy introduced herself a bit more rudely than Tails and Cream. The two kids frowned a bit as Amy had said that. They soon turned back to the new girl with apologetic faces.
Tails ignored that last quip from Amy and said, "I'm sorry, but we don't know where Sonic is right now. He just disappeared right in front of us the last time we had saw him. It was when we were playing a board game that he had mysteriously disappeared".
The green girl gasped a bit. Tails looked confused as he asked, "Huh? Is something the matter?".
"Oh...umm...nothing. Nothing at all. C-Carry on then..." the green girl replied awkwardly as she looked away for a bit.
Tails blinked for a bit as the girls looked at the new girl curiously. What was that all about? All three of them had thought in confusion.
Tails then decided to brush it off for now as he then replied, "...Well, anyway, maybe it would be best if you continue talking to us. If you can't tell us your name, you can at least tell us what happened. We can help you with something if you asked".
"I...I...I can't...it's too unbelievable for you guys to understand. You won't believe me. I won't tell you. My apologies..." the green alien humbly apologized.
"Hmm...it's that bad, huh?" Tails replied as he frowned in disappointment. Amy and Cream also frowned when hearing this. The green girl nodded in shame as she continued to look down on her bed. It was a bit quiet after that.
…
Tails still looked confused as he scratched his head. Man, how are we ever gonna help this strange girl? If she is being this shy, then there is no way we can help her. If only there was something that we could do to ease her into opening up to us. But what is it? Hmmm...Tails pondered while scratching his head.
Meanwhile, Cheese then pulled onto Cream as he said, "Chao chao chao!".
"Huh? Do you think that playing that board game will help this girl relax, Cheese?" Cream said as she looked at Cheese with curious eyes. The green girl then had widened eyes as she heard this. No...please don't...The strange alien thought.
"Chao chao!" Cheese exclaimed with a happy smile. Cream smiled too as she replied, "Well, I guess that could work. After all, I hadn't had my turn yet. So, let's continue to play the game!". Cream soon walked away to grab the board game that was on the table at the side of the room and took it to the bed where the green alien was.
Cream was smiling to the new girl as she said, "We were a bit busy trying to play this board game, but we keep getting interrupted while playing it. At times, we kind of forgot about it, however, I'm glad that it's peaceful now so that we can continue to play it. I suppose I should take my turn now. You can watch the three of us play if you want".
"Don't play it! Please don't play it! I...I..." the green girl blurted out without thinking before she clamped her mouth shut with her hands. She felt scared about what will happen next. Don't make your move. Don't make your move. Please...oh please, don't make your move. Anything to delay this any longer so that Sonic could arrive in time will be—The green girl thought as she panicked.
"Huh? Oh, don't be silly. Nothing is going to happen if I make my move. It's just a game. There is no need to get all worked up. So, please calm down, Miss," Cream replied while having her hand over the red "Go!" button.
The green girl felt petrified as she looked back at Cream with wide, pleading, blue eyes as if she was signaling her to not press that button. You...You don't understand! If you press that button, then...The green girl thought as she feared for the worst. She wished she could open up her mouth to say that, but somehow, no matter how hard she tried, she can't move her hands away from her mouth. It's as if her body was being pulled like strings to a puppet.
Tails looked concerned for the green alien as he saw the fear in her eyes. What's going on with her? Is she afraid of the board game or something? Tails pondered as he had a finger over his mouth as he thought deeply about this strange reaction from the green alien girl.
Before Tails could piece the pieces together in this strange puzzle, Cream decided to make her move by pushing the red button on the board game.
NOOOOOOOOOO! The green girl screamed in her mind while her mouth is clamped shut.
The numbers on the roulette kept going before they stopped at a certain number.
"Oh! I got a three!" Cream exclaimed happily. Tails silently cringed while rolling his eyes. Why am I not surprised by that? Tails thought in annoyance. The peach spaceship then moved three spaces as it passed Tails' game piece.
KACHING!
Thus, a white card come out of the card slot again. Cream took the white card out of the card slot and turned it around to read it out loud.
"'Life is so precious, and we take it for granted. But what will happen if it was taken from where it was once planted?' Huh? I don't understand this one. Do any of you two know what this riddle means?" Cream read the card before looking at her friends and asked them for help.
"I dunno," Amy answered with a shrug.
"Me neither. Although if I were to wager a guess, then maybe it means-" Tails replied before he was cut off by a loud boom in the sky. Tails, Amy, Cream, and the strange girl gasped at the loud noise. Tails and his friends were about to dismiss it off as just thunder, but their instincts are telling them to go look outside as they sense a threat nearby. Tails, Amy, and Cream soon looked out from the window together to see what's going on outside.
"Just what is going on out there?" Cream asked in confusion. Soon, they all saw robot slowly coming down from the dark, cloudy sky. However, since the robot is far away, the gang couldn't see what it was.
"What is that thing?" Tails asked in worry. The girls gasped with him.
"Miss, please. Y-You shouldn't get up yet. Please stay in bed," Vanilla asked as she tried to stop the green girl alien to keep on moving. The girl was standing up but was held back by Vanilla.
"P-Please...take me to the window..." the green girl asked meekly. Vanilla frowned a bit but did as the young girl had requested. She slowly walked to the window while holding onto the girl's shoulders to steady the girl's walking pace. They soon got a bit closer to the gang but stopped a bit as the girl stopped moving.
Vanilla looked concerned as she said, "Huh? Why did you stop moving? Is something the matter?".
The green girl didn't say anything but stared wide-eyed as a huge, dull green robot kept on floating down from the sky. She felt scared again. Scared of what will happen next. Oh no...it is going to happen again. W-Why? Why should this happen? She thought in despair.
"Metarex..." the green girl alien simply said as her worst fears are coming true yet again.
The destruction of another planet.
-Meanwhile On Angel Island-
Knuckles the Echidna was sleeping near the Master Emerald on top of the altar. He was completely relaxed before he heard some noises from the sky above. He opened his eyes and sat up once he was very surprised at the huge robot that was casually floating down from the sky and into the forest below his island. The giant robot soon landed down to the ground in the forest.
Knuckles was still shell-shocked as he said while on his knees, "W-W-What the heck is that?! Is that a giant robot monster or something?!".
The robot's single eye glowed red as it had announced, "A Planet Egg has been discovered! The removal stage will be initiated immediately".
The huge robot then used its two metal horns on its head to attack the entire forest with red electricity. The ground and trees blew up immediately by that powerful attack and caught on fire. The robot kept on attacking the fire by setting it on fire. Flames keep going faster as multiple trees got on fire and spread to the other parts of the forest.
Knuckles was not happy about this. "What is wrong with this robot?! What is it gaining by setting the forest on fire?!" Knuckles yelled in shock. Knuckles soon growled in anger as he felt furious that someone dares to attack the planet that he lives on. Nobody destroys the planet and gets away with it! Not on my watch! Knuckles brooded as he immediately stood up while feeling determined to fight him. He soon jumped up and glided towards the burning forest to fight the huge robot.
Meanwhile, multiple fires are everywhere as the robot keeps walking through the burning forest. Fire and smoke are seen where the huge robot was standing.
The robot then heard Knuckles yelling loudly, "You stop right now! You metallic monster!".
He soon tried to punch him very hard. He did land a hit on the metal armor of the robot, but Knuckles was surprised that it didn't do anything. What the heck?! Knuckles thought with wide eyes. Before he can react, the huge robot fought back by swinging its metallic arm at him very hard. Knuckles was soon knocked away from the robot. To be fair...it was a pathetic attempt to attack the robot anyway.
Luckily, Knuckles had somehow managed to land on his feet while skidding through the ground for a bit. As he stopped skidding, he grimaced as he looked up at the huge robot. This is going to be tougher than I thought! Geez! Knuckles thought in irritation.
Meanwhile, incoming missiles came to attack the robot. The missiles hit the robot as explosions came upon the robot's armor as a result of being hit. Knuckles was surprised by this sudden attack and looked up to see who had fired those missiles. He can see the X-Tornado flying over the forest with Tails piloting it.
"Don't worry, Knuckles! We got your back!" Tails exclaimed as he flew over Knuckles and over the burning forest.
"Tails! Do you know who this thing is?!" Knuckles shouted to Tails while looking serious.
While in the plane, Tails exclaimed, "Beats me! That's what I want to know!". While Tails is flying the plane, the green alien girl was looking outside the plane's window.
"Hmm?" Tails muttered as he looked at the girl behind him to see the girl staring outside the plane. The girl grimaced as she brooded. Can nothing stop these things?
Meanwhile, Knuckles was attempting to attack again as he ran forward. He shouted, "Well, in that case, then you better fight as hard as I do because I refuse to let this stupid robot best me in a fight!".
Tails then soon steered the plane around to face the huge robot again. His eyes looked back at the strange alien girl as he said, "Listen, this is going to be a rough flight while I fight this robot. Do you trust me enough to let me protect you as I pilot this plane? You probably had never flown inside a plane before, so, I could understand if you feel anxious while flying in the plane with me. I can take you down to the ground if you want if you don't trust me. I just want you to be safe".
The green girl gasped in surprise before she nodded and replied, "It's okay. I...I trust you. Please...please protect me. I beg of you. I...I want to live. I don't want to die".
Tails then looked solemn as he replied calmly, "Don't worry. I'll protect you. I promise. Now, let's go!".
"Yes! Let's do this!" the green alien girl agreed with a nod. Tails then looked ahead as he continued to pilot the plane. He soon began attacking by firing bullets from the plane.
Meanwhile, as the fire continued, Amy and Cream had finally caught up to where Tails went to with his X-Tornado. Cream was carrying the board game in her arms as she runs to the burning forest with Amy.
When Amy saw that Cream carried that board game with her, Amy snapped at Cream as she exclaimed, "Why did you bring the board game here?! This isn't the time or the place to play the game!".
"I'm sorry, Miss Amy! But I just don't us to forget it! I had to bring it here! After all, what if Mr. Sonic comes here and would want to take his turn now?! It could happen!" Cream exclaimed in her defense while holding the board game closely to her chest while standing on the ground in front of the forest.
"Just why the heck would Sonic want to play the game now?! The forest is on fire, and there's a giant robot destroying the forest! He would have to be nuts if had stopped for a minute to play the board game right now!" Amy exclaimed in irritation.
"Eep! I'm so sorry, Miss Amy! I...I d-didn't to impose..." Cream exclaimed in surprise as she looked away from Amy in shame and in slight fear of Amy's anger.
Amy then felt guilty for yelling at Cream as she apologized, "I'm very sorry, Cream. It's just that this sudden attack from that crazy robot made me feel so anxious that I reacted out of fear. I'm actually angry at the robot for attacking this forest. I didn't mean to snap at you, Cream. You did nothing wrong. I'm sorry that I yelled at you for doing just a minor thing. Please forgive me".
Cream looked back with sad eyes as she nodded in understanding. "It's okay, Miss Amy. I forgive you. I'm nervous too. I didn't want this to happen either".
Amy nodded as she looked back at the burning forest. Cream also looked at the forest with her. Cream frowned as she then commented, "This is just tragic. The poor forest did nothing to deserve this".
"Yeah...why is that strange robot attacking our forest anyway?" Amy added while frowning.
Meanwhile, Tails kept on flying over the forest while staying a bit away from the huge robot. Amy watched the plane keep flying as she added, "Just who is that strange girl anyway? And does she look like she knows what that robot is? Hmmm...very strange indeed".
While on the plane, the green alien girl kept on staring at the huge robot outside the plane's window. She could see Knuckles trying to attack the robot again, but the robot simply swatted him with its arm again. Knuckles was knocked away pathetically yet again. Tails then fired more bullets at the robot's chest as a way to damage it. Yet, the robot had resisted the attacks as the bullets did no damage at all.
"Shoot! That didn't work at all! Just what should I do now?!" Tails exclaimed in worry and in slight frustration.
"I'm sorry, Tails, but those attacks are useless against the Metarex. Normal attacks like that are weak against the strength that the Metarex naturally has," the green girl replied calmly.
"Okay! If you know so much about them, then can you please tell me how to beat them then?! Listen, I know that you need to talk to Sonic here, but we're running out of time to save this forest from being completely burnt down! Can you make an exception here and tell me?! Please help me!" Tails exclaimed as he sounded desperate. He doesn't care if he sounds weak here. He just wants to save the forest. It's a part of his home since he lives here on this planet.
"Very well. That Metarex robot is a space poacher that hunts down the lives of planets. He takes the 'soul' that each planet has...The Planet Egg. The 'seed' that gives the planet all life on it," the green alien girl calmly explained.
"Planet Egg? Just what are you talking abou-" Tails replied before he cut himself off once he saw the familiar blue ball flying across the sky in super-fast speeds. It made sense since that blue ball could only belong to...
"Sonic!" Tails exclaimed happily as he beamed. Sonic rammed into the huge robot's chest with his famous Super Spinball Attack. He was able to successfully knock the robot down with that attack. The robot fell to the ground on its back after that attack. Sonic eventually landed on top of a cliff that oversees the burning forest. He landed on his feet while bending his knees a bit. He then stood up more firmly. Tails wasn't the only one happy with Sonic's return.
"Sonic! (Mr. Sonic!)" Amy and Cream exclaimed happily at the same time. They were both glad that Sonic had returned after his mysterious disappearance.
"Now that Sonic's here, he'll save the forest! He's my hero! Oooooh!" Amy exclaimed while aweing at the end in a love-struck manner.
"He can do it! I know he can! (Chao!)" Cream exclaimed happily with Cheese joining her.
Tails finally saw Sonic standing on a cliff in his plane. As he flew by, he looked out at his window and said, "Hahaha, it's about time he came back to us! Always with the dramatic entrances, am I right?". The green girl looked out of her window to stare at Sonic. She was startled by his sudden appearance. That's him! That's the one who—OW! The green thought excitedly as she sat up higher just to accidently hit her head on the window of the plane on top of her. The girl cringed in pain as she clutched her head with her hands.
"Umm...are you going to be alright back there?" Tails asked in concern for the girl.
"Ugh. S-Sorry. I was just a little excited is all," the green girl replied meekly.
"Well...okay. If you say so..." Tails replied slowly while still having doubts about her behavior. He turned back to focus on his piloting.
The green girl mumbled softly with looking out from the window of the plane, "I...I just can't believe it. I finally found the one who had discovered the board game. I just pray that...he will be the one who will lift up the curse".
Meanwhile, Sonic was standing boldly on top of the cliff while staring at the huge robot as it had finally got back up to its feet. Sonic and the robot stared at each other in the midst of the burning forest around them.
Sonic then cockily said, "So...you must be one of those poachers, aren't ya?". As he swiped over his mouth with his hand coolly, he smirked as he thought. Okay...now this is where I believe that game is really going to start! Heh! In that case, let the games begin!
"Sonic! Are you ready?!" Tails exclaimed from his plane. He threw down a small Power Ring to Sonic below.
Sonic grabbed the ring and replied with a smile, "As ready as I'll ever be! Let's do it to it!". He then went into his more powerful Super Spinball move and went to attack the huge robot in the chest again. As he spins away from the robot after that first hit, the robot countered back by throwing out its long metallic pincher tentacles from its body towards Sonic. Sonic saw this and quickly dodged each of them to avoid getting snared into them. Knuckles also joined the fight by trying hit one of the tentacles with his fist, but it seems like metallic pincher tentacle was stronger than the fist. Thus, Knuckles was knocked away for the third time. As Knuckles flew, he thought in irritation. Oh, for crying out loud! Why does this keep happening?!
Sonic landed gracefully on his feet on the ground after dodging the tentacles. However, Knuckles landed on the ground in a not-so graceful landing as fell on top of his stomach. Sonic looked down at Knuckles with slight concern in his eyes. Knuckles grunted as he was in a bit of pain.
"S-Seriously?! Three times?! I've been knocked down three times by this stupid robot ever since I've started fighting him! What gives?! Are my attacks useless or something?!" Knuckles yelled in frustration.
Sonic smiled a little as he looked back up. He replied, "Heh. I never expected a hard boss in the first level of the game".
"Hard...boss? Just what are you blabbering about now, Sonic?" Knuckles replied in confusion as he stood back up and stared at Sonic.
"Nothing important. Just busy having fun. Now, let's try again!" Sonic replied before he ran off. Knuckles saw where Sonic was running and followed him too.
Meanwhile, Tails was still flying the plane over the forest. The green alien spoke up after a minute of silence. "Sonic...he's the one who can control the Chaos Emeralds at his will, right?" The green alien girl said calmly. Sonic was busy running towards the robot.
Tails looked back at Sonic too with the new girl. "Oooh, that doesn't look good. Sonic isn't running as fast as he usually does. It looks like he's tired. Did he...had a fight earlier?" Tails added while looking worried.
The robot then attacked again by firing its red electricity from its two horns again. The robot hit the ground and made it blew up in flames. Sonic shielded himself away from the bright light, fire, and flames by using his arm. Knuckles did the same thing with his own arm. Tails tried to attack the robot with the plane's missiles. The missiles had hit the robot, but it still didn't do anything.
"Darn it! I can't do anything with these missiles or bullets! That robot's armor is just too tough! We can't win this battle if we can't damage it!" Tails exclaimed in frustration. Both Tails and Knuckles are starting to feel very frustrated with this huge robot.
"Okay! This has gone for far too long! Sonic, you should pull out the Chaos Emeralds and attack the robot! I'll give you time to transform as I distract the robot! You deal with the finishing blow after I try to fight it again!" Knuckles exclaimed in determination as he turned to look at Sonic.
Knuckles expression dropped a bit when he heard Sonic awkwardly say, "Errr...yeeeeaaaahhh....about that...".
Knuckles turned around fully with stunned eyes. He replied, "Noooooo...you didn't...".
With a sweat drop on his head, Sonic awkwardly scratched his head as he explained, "Y-You see...I made a deal with the leader of these robots by releasing the Chaos Emeralds from my body and made them scatter throughout space as a way to hide them. I did that...in order for him to spare my life and your life as well as my other friends' lives for a little while longer before he starts to hunt us all down and kill us".
Knuckles was speechless for a second before he replied slowly, "So...what you're saying is...we have no Chaos Emeralds because... you wanted to spare us... temporarily...is that your reason?".
"Weeell...that aaaaaaannnnddd...I thought it was all part of the game that me and my friends were playing..." Sonic continued awkwardly as he felt a bit embarrassed.
"A...A...A game? You did that...all because...you thought it was some sort of a game?" Knuckles repeated as he processed the information slowly. He is starting to feel a headache coming on.
"A board game to be precise!" Sonic clarified as he shrugged. Right then and there, Knuckles had lost it.
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" Knuckles shouted angrily as he grabbed Sonic's shoulders and glared at him intensely with his furious eyes.
"Aw, but Knuckles, board games are fun!" Sonic replied brightly with a grin.
I am going to murder this hedgehog once this whole gong show is over. Knuckles brooded darkly as grimaced at Sonic. Sonic wiggled his eyebrows as a teasing gesture. Before Knuckles had the chance to yell at Sonic for being too cocky, the robot attacked again by hitting the two of them with its metallic pincher. The two went flying through the air after that attack. They yelped in pain while flying through the air.
Amy and Cream got closer inside the burning forest. They both had worried looks on their faces. Cream was still carrying the board game with her as usual. "Sonic! You can do it!" Amy exclaimed as a way to encourage Sonic.
"Mr. Knuckles! I believe in you! Don't let that robot beat you!" Cream exclaimed in encouragement too.
A metallic pincher was soon coming towards them, and Amy quickly saw that and grabbed Cream down while saying, "Ack! Get down!". The metallic pincher missed the girls as they were down on the ground already. Meanwhile, Cheese was panicking as he yelled, "Chao chao chao chao chao chao!".
The girls slowly got up. Cream kept holding onto the board game while staring where Cheese had said. Soon, the two girls saw a bright light in front of them. While on their knees, the girls stared at a light-blue beam shooting up at the sky. The robot was staring at the beam too across from where the girls were.
The huge robot then said ominously, "Finally...this hunt was successful. Our survival will continue. This is such a bountiful gain indeed". The light-blue light grows bigger as more ground keeps coming up in chunks.
Meanwhile, the green girl in Tails' planed cried out, "Please! I beg of you! Not another life! Don't take it! Don't kill it!". Tails gasped in surprise over the girl's pleas. What the-! Another life?! Did this girl witnessed other planets being killed by these Metarex robots?! Maybe...Maybe she knows more about these robots than she's letting on. Tails pondered as he looked down where the green girl was staring at.
The light-blue light was very wide now as more chunks of ground floated up in the air. The light grew even brighter. It was so bright that Amy, Cream, and Cheese covered their eyes with their arms. Sonic and Knuckles both stared up at the light with shocked and grimaced faces. Then...the light disappeared.
Smoke kept rising from the ground near where the robot was standing at. Within the large hole in the ground, there was a rectangular, magenta gem with a galaxy inside of it. It had floated up from the hole it was from. The magenta gem floated up higher and higher near the huge robot.
Sonic and Knuckles stared at the floating gem in shock. "What the heck is that gem? And why was that there in the ground?" Knuckles asked out loud in shock.
As Tails flew plane higher in the sky, the green alien girl said sadly, "No...they got another one...".
"'Another one'? Another one what?!" Tails asked in confusion.
"...Another Planet Egg..." The green girl answered with a frown. Tails gasped again as he pondered in realization. Ah! So, that's what that magenta gem is!
"...It's the 'seed' of the planet's life..." the green girl continued solemnly.
The ground from the hole soon grew dark. Suddenly, all of the plants and trees had started to wither away until they are barren. It's clear that it wasn't the fire that did that. As more plants wither away, the green alien continued to explain in a grave tone, "...Like every living thing, seeds are the birthplace of all life. So, when the seed is taken away, the life growing inside the seed dies. Therefore, without the Planet Egg, the planet dies. All of the planet's energy will be drained out until it is dry to the core. That is how vital the Planet Egg is to each planet".
As all of the trees of the forest had become barren, Amy and Cream stared at the forest with shock and with sadness. Even Sonic and Knuckles couldn't believe what they were seeing. The sky even changed to clear daylight now. Then the huge robot had finally captured the magenta Planet Egg in its hands.
The robot said, "The hunt is over. Mission complete. The game shall now continue. Prepare to take off". The robot flew back up into the sky while carrying the Planet Egg with him. As the robot was flying away, Sonic still wouldn't give up fighting him.
"Stop! Give that back!" Sonic yelled before he attacked again by going into his spinball move. He went up and tried to attack, but another metallic pincher knocked him away with its strong tentacle. Sonic then fell back down from the sky.
"Oh, shoot!" Knuckles yelled as he quickly ran and leaped to catch Sonic to break his fall. Luckily, they landed a bit safely while skidding through the ground. Knuckles was just dazed while Sonic was just fine. Sonic and Knuckles soon heard Amy in the distance.
"Sonic! Knuckles! There you guys are! Did you see what had happened?! Just what the heck is going on around here?!" Amy yelled at that while running towards them. Cream and Cheese followed Amy behind too. Cream carried the board game too while running towards the two boys. The boys looked at the girls in slight confusion as they were still a bit dazed.
"Oh...ah...um...hey, Amy" Sonic replied with a weak smile as he suddenly felt exhausted. Uggh. Perhaps my fight with Dark Oak was rougher than I thought. Sonic pondered as he moved a bit away from Knuckles. Amy soon stood before Sonic and stretched her hand out to give Sonic a hand. Sonic smiled to her and grabbed her hand to get up. Amy beamed as she was very happy to just hold Sonic's hand, even if she's only just helping him to get up. Cream went over to Knuckles and extended her hand to him to show him that she wants to help. Knuckles slowly pushed himself from the ground with his hands and shook his head a little to get his bearings straight. As he opened his eyes, he looked up to a smiling Cream as she held some kind of a box with one arm while extending her other arm to him.
"Mr. Knuckles, I want to help you. Do you want to take my hand?" Cream asked politely with pleading eyes. Cheese smiled a bit as he floated over Cream.
Knuckles smiled a little as he declined politely, "Thanks for your consideration, Cream. But I'm still fine".
"Awww...(Chao chao)" Cream replied in disappointment as she frowned and put her arm back to the board game. Cheese also joined with her in disappointment. Knuckles shook his head as he kept on smiling. Heh. Good grief. Knuckles thought as he felt slightly sorry that he had to decline a generous offer from a kind little girl. He then pushed up again so that he could start to stand up. Once he got up, he smiled down at the disappointed Cream and placed his hand on top of her head. Cream looked back up as she felt Knuckles' hand on top of her head.
"Mr. Knuckles?" Cream asked in confusion.
"You're a good kid, Cream...Thank you," Knuckles replied calmly with a smile. He slightly petted Cream's head as a kind gesture.
Cream then beamed at Knuckles as she exclaimed, "You're welcome, Mr. Knuckles! You're the best Dad ever!".
Knuckles immediately took his hand back in shock as he yelled with wide eyes, "What?!".
"HA! I told you that you were our Dad, Knuckle-head! And you didn't believe me!" Sonic teased as he turned and grinned at him after he stood up. He was still holding Amy's hand at the time, and Amy was glad that Sonic hadn't noticed it yet.
Knuckles turned and glared at Sonic as he yelled back, "For the last time, I am not a Dad! I am no one's Dad!".
"I dunno, Dad. The way you keep on ragging on us over the past six months says otherwise," Sonic continued to tease with a smile. Amy giggled a little at this.
"THAT WAS BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE IDIOTS! HOW ELSE WILL YOU GUYS EVER STAY IN LINE IF I'M NOT AROUND?!" Knuckles shouted as he raised a fist at Sonic while a vein popped in his head.
"And spoken like a true Dad would," Amy added with a smug grin. Sonic looked at Amy and winked at her as he whispered, "Good one, Amy". Amy giggled some more.
"Grrrrrrrr!" Knuckles growled before he placed his hands over his eyes in exasperation. These guys are going to be the death of me. I swear. Knuckles brooded while frowning. Cream stepped a little away from Knuckles while smiling a bit. Even she had to admit that Knuckles was funny whenever he gets to hear that nickname. His reactions were funny to her. Of coarse, she did her best to not laugh or giggle at him because she wanted to be polite to him.
Poor Mr. Knuckles...Cream thought with a sympathetic smile as she watched Knuckles get frustrated at Sonic and Amy for teasing him.
Meanwhile, back in the sky, the huge robot kept on flying away. Tails attempted to catch up to him with his plane.
Tails then exclaimed boldly, "Not on my watch, buddy! You're going down!". Tails chased the robot through the air. The robot flew a bit faster. Tails tried to keep track of it, but the robot flew even higher into the atmosphere and entered into space.
"Shoot! He already went into space! My plane can't fly any higher than that! Arrrgh! Just what should I-Huh?" Tails exclaimed in frustration before he heard a bit of groaning in the back. He could see that the green alien girl looked dizzy. "Uhhh...oops. Are you going to be okay?" Tails replied sheepishly as he sweated a little.
"Uuuuuumm...uhhhhhhh...maybe?" The green girl replied while still feeling dizzy. What a wild ride that was. The green girl thought. She soon shook her head.
"Whew. That's a relief. But seriously, how are we going to chase down that robot now?" Tails replied as he looked back to the view ahead of him.
"Say...does this thing open?" the green girl asked quietly while putting her hand on the glass window above her. Tails looked back in curiosity as the girl continued, "I mean it did got open when we got into it, right?".
"Well, yes, but we are really high up in the sky. Not to mention, we are flying at really high speeds, so, the wind would be blowing very strong right now. So, I would suggest that we should keep this closed until we land," Tails answered patiently with a frown.
"Are you sure? Please. Can you please open it for me? Just this once?" The green girl requested with pleading eyes. Tails frowned a bit deeper as he felt worried. Just what is she thinking? She isn't thinking about jumping off the plane, is she? Tails thought in exasperation.
He sighed as he replied quietly, "Okay then...if you want it that way then...". As he said this, he pushed a button to open the plane's window. The wind is now blowing in their faces after the window was now open fully. "D-Do you like it now?" Tails asked. But to his complete surprise, the green alien girl unlocked her seatbelt and flew out of the plane. She flew down to the barren forest below.
Tails gasped as his face was in complete shock by this. She...She...SHE CAN FLY?! HOW?! SHE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY WINGS! Tails thought in stunned silence while his mind was screaming to this unbelievable sight. Oh... my...word...SHE LITTERALLY DID JUST JUMP OUT OF THE PLANE! Tails reflected in shock as a sweat drop went down on his head.
Meanwhile, back on the ground, Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and Cream were standing together in a circle while discussing a little.
"So, let me get this straight. You fought a giant robot like the one we just fought in space AFTER Tails made his role...on that board game you and your friends were playing at the time...correct?" Knuckles said as he took in the information of this bizarre reasoning that Sonic and his friends were sharing at the time.
"Yep! After Tails had made his turn, he had read a white card from that game, and then I had warped into space while in my super form for some weird reason. I know that I had the Chaos Emeralds with me at the time, but I hadn't thought that I would immediately go super when I had teleported to space," Sonic replied with a wink and a smile.
"Sooo...those injuries you had gotten...that was from that fight then...right?" Knuckles replied as he understood almost everything. That part about a board game being responsible for that happening was still far-fetched in his mind.
"You got that right!" Sonic exclaimed with a grin.
"Ummm...Sonic? Don't you think you should rest? Those injuries look very bad," Amy replied with concern in her voice.
"Oh, please! This is nothing! Besides, I hadn't had my turn on that board game yet!" Sonic exclaimed confidently while covering his left arm with his right hand.
"Ummmm...Mr. Sonic...I'm not sure that we should keep playing this," Cream replied with worried while clutching the board game in her arms a bit tighter.
Sonic turned to look at Cream with slightly raised eyebrows. He replied, "Huh? Why now? What had got you thinking that we shouldn't? I mean we barely made any progress in our game! Why stop now? We're only just getting started!".
"But...But! Umm! I...Uhh..." Cream replied awkwardly as she looked nervous while looking down on the game in her arms.
"You know what, Sonic? I...I...uhhhh...I kinda agree with her on this one. I don't know why, but...is it just me or did all those terrible events had happened every time we tried playing that board game?" Amy replied while looking at Sonic with concerned yet solemn eyes.
"Weeeeell...I will say that Dark Oak dude did say that he came out from that board game buuuut-" Sonic replied sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head before he was cut off by Amy and Knuckles.
"OH! SO, NOW YOU TELL US!" Amy and Knuckles shouted in anger. They looked at each other for a bit before frowning at Sonic.
"Uhhhh...Heheheheheheh...umm...S-sorry," Sonic meekly apologized while having a sheepish smile.
Before Amy or Knuckles were about to strangle Sonic, they as well as Sonic and Cream and Cheese had heard some flying sounds from above. To their utter shock, they saw the strange, green alien girl floating down from the sky. The girl soon landed in the middle of the group in front of Sonic. She dusted herself a little before looking at Sonic.
She smiled as the green alien girl finally introduced herself to Sonic, "Why hello there, new player. My name is Cosmo. I am going to be your guide through that board game that you and the other players had begun to play. Is your name Sonic by any chance? Were you the one who discovered that board game on the beach?".
With a slightly confused face, Sonic answered quickly, "Uhh...Yes. I am. I was the one who had found that game".
"Then congratulations! You and your friends are our 100th players who had played decided to play the game called 'Shuffle'!" Cosmo exclaimed with a smile.
Sonic and his friends were surprised by that claim. "Wha? 100th?" Sonic asked in surprise as his eyes went wide.
Cosmo folded her hands as she continued, "That is right, Sonic. There were many players before you who had tried to beat this game, but none of them had succeeded. Thus, as a result, this board game had been passed along to other planets so that other players could try to complete this game fully. This board game had never been beaten...ever. And now...Sonic...you and your friends are the new players for this game. Since you were the one who had found the board game, there is just one question that I would like to ask you".
"...And that is?" Sonic asked curiously with raised eyebrows.
"Will you continue? Will you continue to play the game? If you do decide to continue to play the game, then you will have a shot at trying to break the curse that the board game has. If you want my honest opinion, you have a greater chance in beating this game since you have the power to control the Chaos Emeralds, the universe's strongest power source. Please...save the universe from the board game's curse. I...I beg of you. Please..." Cosmo pleaded with her sincere blue eyes. She then bowed to him as she finished her plea.
Sonic was still confused as asked, "Huh? A curse? What curse?".
"The curse...of ALL life dying by the hands of the Metarex," Cosmo clarified gravely.
…
Complete silence was the answer for all four of them after that bleak clarification. However...she was right. Their fate and the rest of the universe's fate resides on that one decision.
Continue or...not continue?
And thus, another chapter done! Oh man, another cliffhanger! If any of you had noticed that some parts of the original episode were not shown here, don't worry. They will be shown in the next chapter. The only reason I left it out or had cut the episode short was for dramatic storytelling purposes. Everything will be covered whether I had cut episodes short or not. Like I had said last chapter, I'll still follow the story structure, but I will change it for reading purposes also for more creativity with it. Also, like I had said in the last chapter, this isn't a full-on abridged version of Season 3 of Sonic X because I'm not talented enough to write a parody abridged series kinda like how Dragonball Z: Abridged or Yu-gi-oh: Abridged series were. But that doesn't mean I won't try! Anyways, always R&R if you had enjoyed this! Well then, onto the next chapter!