Sonic X: Season 3: Shuffle Edition

by KatherineTheMoth

When Sonic had accidently discovered a mysterious board game, he soon asked his friends to play it with him. Little did the gang realize that the board game is cursed and that they are now forced to finish it for the curse to be over. This resulted in a crazy adventure where they have to play the game in order to save their planet, their lives, and the entire universe. Now Game On!

14. The Spelunking Game(pt 3)

Sonic X: Season 3: Shuffle Edition

The Spelunking Game(pt. 3)

"...Honestly, I can't believe that worked. We really did manage to fool those dumb Metarex robots and safely got away from them. And on top of that, we ended up securing another Chaos Emerald! We make a pretty good team, Cosmo. It goes to show you that we're more than just unlucky people. We're clever and resourceful too! Aren't we?" Tails said calmly yet brightly with a cheerful smile as he walked down further into a cave passageway with Cosmo next to him.

Cosmo smiled at this while holding onto the Chaos Emerald in her hands. She looked at Tails and replied calmly, "We really are, Tails. Not to mention...you're very brave. I...I was very impressed on how brave you are while we were in that power plant".

"O-Oh! R-Really? You think that I'm...b-brave?" Tails replied awkwardly yet shyly with a sheepish smile and with a blush as he looked at Cosmo on his left.

Cosmo nodded and smiled calmly at him as she replied gently, "...Yes, I do. As much as I admire Sonic and Knuckles for their bravery, I really do see you as the bravest one of all, and I'm not just saying that because you are the captain of your own ship. I'm saying it because...".

She then looked a bit sad as she calmly continued, "...You try your best to stay bright within the bleakest and scariest situation that we're in now...which is...surviving the game".

"Huh? 'Surviving the game'?" Tails repeated calmly in curiosity and in confusion as he stared at Cosmo with a little frown.

Cosmo stopped walking and stared at Tails with a sad look on her face. Tails stopped walking too and stared back at Cosmo with curious eyes. Cosmo nodded slowly before she continued calmly with a solemn frown, "Yes, that's right. Surviving from the cursed board game that you and your friends are playing. You keep on playing that game and keep on fighting for your life as you fend off the poachers chasing you. To keep on doing that while staying optimistic...it's rather brave. Especially since...you can die at any time".

"..." Tails was stunned after hearing Cosmo say that. In a way, she's right. To be surviving in a deadly game for so long and still manage to stay positive about it...it takes guts to do that...not to mention...strength.

Cosmo still looked solemn as she continued, "I...I just couldn't wrap my head around it. You and the others are so brave and strong. I've honestly expected that at least one or two of you would break down and want to give up playing the game altogether. It had happened before with the previous players in the past as they had attempted to finish the game. Lots of them had lost their minds, cried their hearts out, tearing out their hair in frustration, and...be swallowed up in despair. None of them had the will or the strength that you and the others have. Even Chris, who is not a player, is brave and persistent. I...I just don't understand why you are so brave, Tails. Are you not...afraid at all in the situation we're in right now?".

"..." Tails was still stunned as he stared at Cosmo in shock. He felt surprised that Cosmo is saying all this to him. Because in truth he's absolutely terrified in this whole ordeal. He's just as confused as Cosmo is that he had made it so far in the game while staying positive about it. Not even he knows what's going to happen in the future or whether he's going to survive the game or not. None of his friends know what's going to happen to them. Will they survive and beat the game? Or...die trying to? He has no clue, and yet...he has faith that he's going to make it to the very end. The very end...of this horrendous game.

Cosmo looked down as she finished sadly with a frown, "I...I'm not like you, Tails. I'm not like any of your friends. I'm just too cowardly and weak. All I want to do is run away and not fight back. I can't do anything by myself. I have no clue on how I had survived so long being the guide of the board game without getting killed myself. I'm so clumsy and pathetic that I get in so much trouble and gave the other players so many problems. I'm like a nuisance to them. I may be a quiet nuisance, but...I'm still a nuisance. I mean...we won't be here right now if I hadn't pushed that stupid button. Just what...what good am I really? If I can't be brave, strong, or helpful, then...what use am I? I'm just a worthless guide to others. That's who I am".

"No! You're not! You're not worthless! You've been very helpful to us so far! We wouldn't know anything about the board game and what's going on without you! We would've been clueless the entire time if you weren't around!" Tails exclaimed in shock as he grabbed Cosmo's shoulder while looking concerned.

"But...I had caused you guys so much trouble. I make your lives harder by having you protect a person who can't fight. I get myself into trouble all the time with my horrible luck. You would've had an easier time if I wasn't around," Cosmo replied sadly with a frown as she looked at Tails again.

"No, we would not! Without having a guide, we wouldn't even have a clue on what the history is behind the board game, why the Metarex want to poach us and take the Planet Eggs, and why certain events are happening surrounding the board game. I mean. Just a while ago, we didn't even know why the board game couldn't take Cream's or Sonic's turns. But with you there, you had helped us out by explaining why it couldn't work. If you weren't there, then we would've assumed that it was broken!" Tails replied solemnly with a frown as he looked even more concerned towards Cosmo.

"...Ah...I...I..." Cosmo muttered awkwardly with a little frown as she stared at Tails with surprised eyes. I...I kind of forgotten about that. I did help them out a little...I guess...Cosmo pondered calmly with a frown.

Tails then looked sympathetic as he continued calmly yet sadly, "Besides...it doesn't matter to us if you can fight or not. We're going to keep protecting you because you're our friend. Friends always look out for each other. Even those who are weak. We like to help others who are weak, and we never think less of them when we do it. It's the same thing with you, Cosmo. None of us think less of you due to your weakness or your clumsiness".

"But! I...I still get you guys into so much trouble. You guys must feel some sort of frustration or resentment towards me. That was what the other players had felt in the past. I'm sure that you and the others feel that way too and just hide it by being nice to me," Cosmo replied sadly with a frown as she looked down again.

"Cosmo..." Tails muttered sadly with a frown as he felt empathetic towards Cosmo. Poor girl. She must've felt very alone if that was how she was treated in the past. She needs much more comfort and convincing than I thought. Tails brooded with a sad look on his face. He then wrapped his left arm around Cosmo's shoulders and gently squeezed her a bit in comfort. Cosmo gasped in surprise of this and looked up at Tails' concerned eyes.

"Tails..." Cosmo muttered in sadness as she stared into Tails' concerned look on his face.

"Hey...let's just sit down for a while..." Tails replied softly with a sad look on his face. He then held Cosmo and assisted her to sit alongside the right wall of the cave. Cosmo followed him and had sit down on his right. Tails sat down with her and had wrapped his right arm around her in comfort. Cosmo stared at Tails while having the white Chaos Emerald in her lap. She looked stunned yet curious at what Tails would do or say next. Tails stared back at Cosmo while sighing deeply for a moment.

…

After being silent for a moment, Tails started calmly with a concerned frown, "...Cosmo...I will say this right now that my friends and me...don't hold any resentment or frustration towards you no matter what mistakes or accidents you had done in the past".

"...! But-!" Cosmo exclaimed and gasped in shock before Tails quickly interrupted her.

"'But' nothing, Cosmo. It's the truth. Every instance of kindness or thoughtfulness that we had shown towards you was real. We cared for you, and we'll keep on caring for you for as long as we live. That's just who we are, Cosmo. We are real friends. Not fake ones," Tails replied calmly with a solemn frown and with solemn eyes.

"..." Cosmo was speechless when she saw how serious Tails looks right now. She can see his eyes twinkling in the darkness of the cave and that little, solemn frown on his concerned face. She can feel her heart beating as she listened quietly to Tails' speech.

"Listen, Cosmo. Those other players that you had met in the past we're not good friends. In fact, I don't even think that they even saw you as a friend. Those people we're just faking it because...they had no choice. I mean. You were a guide, and they we're the players in the game. They have to associate with you and interact with you since you were a part of the game. It's no mystery that they had felt frustrated or resentful because they we're stuck in an unfortunate situation that none of them had ever expect. Of course, they're going to pretend to be nice towards you despite feeling frustrated because they didn't want the horrible circumstances to happen to them ever, and any reminder of that is going to trigger a strong negative response within themselves. I may not like the situation that we're in either, but I'm not going to feel frustrated with you or feel resentful towards you because of that. And neither will my friends," Tails continued calmly yet solemnly with a frown.

"...Tails..." Cosmo whispered in awe as her eyes twinkled while staring at Tails with a stunned look on her face.

Tails still looked solemn but had softened his look a bit as he felt empathetic towards Cosmo. He continued his speech while saying quietly, "...You don't like the horrible game. I don't like the horrible game. Sonic, Amy, Cream, Chris, and Knuckles don't like the horrible game. None of us like the game that we're in...But that doesn't give us the excuse to treat you coldly or cruelly. In fact...it encourages us to do the opposite. This scary, horrendous situation makes us want to get stronger and be kinder to others than ever before. We know that we can die at any time, and what a better way to make the best out of the worst situation than being kind, generous, thoughtful, and comforting towards others. Besides...we are suffering from the same thing, so, why...why should we make another person's life harder than needed to? It's merely a waste of time...".

"..." Cosmo was stunned by hearing Tails' wisdom yet again. She felt...rather touched that Tails is comforting her this way.

Tails sighed a bit before continuing calmly, "...Besides, Cosmo...It's not like any of us aren't afraid. Every person I had spoken to privately had told me that they're scared of what will happen next. Yes, even Knuckles had said that he's scared. I mean...A while ago, we heard Knuckles say that he's scared of playing the board game even further. Sonic had admitted that he's scared of it too. ...You may not remember it, but we all agreed that we're scared of the board game. I'm...I'm scared of it as well. In fact...I'm the most fearful one out of all of us because...I...I...".

He then looked sad and worried as he continued weakly, "...I...I'm scared that I'm going to lose everyone that I love. Including my...my...big, adoptive brother, Sonic...".

"...! T-Tails..." Cosmo whispered softly after gasping in shock as she looked worried while gently grabbing Tails' shoulders and held them. I...I had no idea that Tails was very afraid. He looked so brave to me the entire time. Cosmo pondered in shock while staring at Tails' sad yet worried face.

"...I'm scared that I'm going to make us lose the game because of my own horrible luck and weaknesses. I'm terrified that I'm going to lose by being the first one to die in this deadly game, and...I'm very afraid that I'm going to fail you by not being able to lift the curse from the board game. You wanted the curse to be over, and I...I wanted to help you by doing that. Because I wanted to help you...I...I...I've decided to become brave and to continue playing the game despite how terrified I am about everything," Tails continued calmly yet weakly with a sad, worried look on his face.

"..." Cosmo was silent as she stared deeply into Tails' eyes with her own shocked ones. ...So...he's terrified too...That's...That's a relief. I...I feel very relieved that I'm not the only one who feels that way. With Tails being scared, I can...be scared with him. Still...I can't believe that he became brave just for me. I really didn't do anything to deserve it. I was just...complaining on how long the game keeps on going by destroying more planets and people. I didn't say anything to Tails or do something for him that would...give him a reason to be brave for my sake. Hmm...Maybe...Maybe I should ask him about it...Cosmo pondered calmly with a shocked look on her face.

"H-Hey...Tails?" Cosmo asked meekly with a little frown.

"Huh? Yes, Cosmo?" Tails asked curiously with raised eyebrows as he was surprised that Cosmo had spoken up while he was in the middle of his speech.

"Umm...I know that you became brave for me because you wanted to help me, but...I was just wondering...What did I do to make you decide that...you wanted to be brave?" Cosmo replied calmly yet quietly with a curious look on her face.

"Uhh...Umm...Because...I wanted to help you?" Tails answered in confusion as he was a bit lost on Cosmo's wording.

"Look. What I meant was...Why me? Why help me lift the curse from the board game? I can understand if you wanted to lift the curse from the game because you wanted to save yourself, your friends, and your planet from extinction. But...since you wanted to do it specifically for me...I...I just don't understand why you would go through the effort to be brave for me. What is it that you see in me that warrants any bravery? I'm just a cowardly, weak, pathetic person who just wants the universe to have peace. Why would you want to be brave for a person like me?" Cosmo replied calmly yet sadly with a confused look on her face as she stared into Tails' concerned eyes.

Tails looked sad when he heard Cosmo downplaying herself again. He felt bad that Cosmo has such self-deprecating thoughts of herself, and yet...he's also empathetic towards her because of those thoughts.

"...You want to know why?" Tails asked calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown on his face.

"...Y-Yes...Please tell me...I...I need to know why..." Cosmo muttered softly with a hopeful look on her face as her eyes twinkled. Tails saw that look, and his eyes had twinkled too. He then grabbed Cosmo's shoulders and pulled her a bit towards himself to have her fully face him.

With a solemn look, Tails answered calmly, "...It's because...you're my friend too".

"H-Huh?" Cosmo muttered in surprise and in confusion as her eyes went wide and as her mouth went wide too.

"...You are right, Cosmo. I am determined to beat the board game for myself, my planet, and...my friends. ...But that includes you, Cosmo. You're my friend. A great friend. And I...I want us to become even closer. You can become my second best friend. Sonic was and still is my first best friend. I...I wouldn't mind if I had two, Cosmo. And honestly...I think that...you're going to surpass Sonic someday since...we're...the same," Tails continued calmly with a solemn frown as he stared gently into Cosmo's eyes.

"What? 'We're...the same'?" Cosmo repeated in confusion as she looked even more shocked.

Tails nodded a bit before grimacing as he continued calmly yet solemnly, "...That's right, Cosmo. We're the same, and I'm not just talking about our bad luck here. I'm talking about...ourselves as people...".

"..." Cosmo was speechless at that as she was wondering how Tails could say that. But...that doesn't make any sense. Tails is so brave, strong, and capable. He's smart and clever. ...He's everything that I wish that I could be. How could...he say that we're the same when it's obvious that we're different? I mean...He's more optimistic than I am for crying out loud! I can never see him be so down and be ready to give up! That's my thing! I would just give up the moment a road had been blocked! I couldn't...look past the negatives no matter how much I try. How can Tails say that...he's like me? He's the opposite of me! There is no way that anything he says now could convince me that we're-! Cosmo brooded with a stunned look on her face.

"Cosmo...I'm also a cowardly, weak, pathetic person too. My...My...(Sigh)...My old bullies will tell you that..." Tails confessed sadly with a solemn frown and a tired sigh as he closed his eyes.

"...! You...You...You had...bullies?" Cosmo asked slowly in shock as she gasped and had covered her mouth with her hands. I thought...I thought that I was the only one who was ever bullied. I didn't think that Tails would be bullied too. For how sweet and kind he is, I couldn't even imagine why he would get bullied. Why is fate...so cruel to us? Cosmo brooded with a shocked look on her face while staring into Tails' sad yet solemn eyes.

"Yes, I did. It was back when I was very young and didn't have any friends. It was a time before I had met Sonic. I was...usually alone due to my odd appearance and my high intelligence. I wasn't like anything that the other kids had seen before, and...they took those two unique aspects about me and decided to make fun of me. I've been called all sorts of names such as being 'a two-tailed freak', 'a fox helicopter', 'the abominable Einstein', and 'Ninetails' misfit cousin'. They've all said those terrible things to me and laughed at me. All because I was different from them," Tails replied sadly with a grimace as he nodded a bit. He cringed a bit as he recalled the children's bitter laughter and sneering. He didn't wish to reminisce on that horrible time, but alas...he had to...for Cosmo's sake.

"...That's...That's awful. I've seen a lot of people in different planets who are different from me, and I had never made fun of them on how they look. I mean...What's the point? Seeing different people and going to different places is a normal thing in my life even when it's against my will. Since I'm expecting to see something different and new...there's no reason for me to point out the oddities and strangeness within people. I don't understand why kids would do such a thing like that," Cosmo replied sadly with a frown as she felt empathetic towards Tails.

Tails shrugged a bit while answering calmly with a frown, "Well...I mean...Kids are just being kids. Even though I still don't like the kids who had made fun of me and put me down, I can't hold a grudge against them since they're not used to seeing people or things that they don't understand or don't see as normal. Kids love normality and hate things that are abnormal like scary monsters for example. They want to feel safe in the real world where things are normal and where things make sense to them. They don't want to think about how different people are outside from their 'normal bubble'. They just want things to be kept the same and have a routine based on that sameness or 'normalcy' if you will. And if something weird, strange, or abnormal shows up in their lives, their immediate response usually ranges from mockery and ridicule to fear and disgust. Because of that logic, even the sweetest, nicest kid can be the cruelest since they want things to be normal too".

"That...That's very true unfortunately...(Sigh)…" Cosmo replied sadly with a sigh and a frown. That also explains why I was teased a lot as a younger kid. All because I expressed an interest into something that nobody even cares about. My people thought that I was being "cute" when I had loved something that was enjoyable to me. I just wanted to express my love into something I enjoy, but then the next thing I knew, I was being teased left and right for something they never had any interest for. Of course, none of them have an interest in walking escalators because...it would be an abnormal thing to have if any of them did had that as an interest. So...I was doomed to be abnormal from the beginning then...Sigh...Cosmo brooded with a sad look on her face.

"Yeah...They're also not used to other kids being smarter than them. It makes them feel lesser about themselves, and that awful, frustrating feeling is the reason why they act out and hurt kids who are smarter than them. If they can't beat them in smarts, then...they can beat them in power. And that...is what I had been hurt often from my bullies. They beat me up...like a lot," Tails continued sadly with a grimace as his eyelids went down halfway in a sad way.

"...! ...Oh...Oh my..." Cosmo muttered softly with a gasp as she frowned deeper in sadness. Poor Tails...Cosmo pondered in empathy with a sad frown.

Tails nodded sadly as he continued solemnly, "...I know. It's terrible. You don't know how many times they would punch me, slap me, kick me, or pull onto my two tails. The worst of the bulling came whenever they twist my two tails into knots and just...hung them over a tree branch. …...Since I had no parents or friends...I would...be the one to untie my tails. Sometimes...it would take hours for me to get the knots out. It was...so horrible...so cruel...and so unforgiving...".

Tails soon had some tears in his eyes after recalling the terrible abuse from his past. He let his tears fall while still looking calm and solemn. Cosmo gasped when she saw Tails' tears from his solemn face. She had half expected him to break down and cry since he's recalling his horrible past, but to her surprise and possibly disbelief...he was still being calm. It was either if...he was numb to the pain of his abusive past or...was just putting up a brave face in front of her. She's betting on the latter cause...he can't be this calm if he's talking about traumatic memories like this.

Tails continued calmly while still having tears fall from his eyes, "...But...my bulling didn't just end with the name calling, the jokes, and the physical beatdowns...No...They had to go one step further and...destroy any invention that I had built or machine that I had tinkered with. They...(Sniff)...They refuse to let me have any sort of joy in life such as...my brilliant inventions. When I was a young child, I loved machines and planes. I was in love with science and technology. It was definitely an interest that none of the kids have. They didn't understand why science and technology was a huge deal to me. They didn't care for it and didn't want to try to understand it. In fact...even when I gave them a basic explanation as to why we breathe air in the first place, they would just cover their ears and ignore what I'm saying to them. …(Sniff)…And honestly, if you ask me...that...that was...that was when I had reached my breaking point. I can take all the names and the jokes of the world...I can take the rough beatings and live...But...when you just ignore me...and...not listen to me when I talk about my interests and my hobbies...That is when I draw the line for others. It is when I know that those people can never be my friends...".

"..." Cosmo was speechless as she looked empathetic towards Tails.

"...(Sniff)…I'm being dead serious here, Cosmo. The worst kind of bulling is when you ignore others. None of your ideas, thoughts, likes, dislikes, interests, beliefs, or values will ever be reached to those who are indifferent and distant. I'm not saying that words and physical attacks aren't hurtful either. They're very awful and make you feel less. But...(Sniff)…But those types of abuse are nothing than to those who refuse to listen to your voice. Because...it makes you feel like you're all alone and that you don't matter to others. It's a type of abuse that's invisible because well...you're technically not hurting somebody when you ignore them. Also...you can't get authority figures to punish those who ignore you because...they even don't see it as a problem. The more you get ignored by others...the more you feel very different from others and more...pathetic due to how much you're...you're...(Sniff)…you're making it a big deal when it's clearly nothing! (Sniff)…(Sob Sob Sob)…" Tails continued solemnly with a grimace as he sniffed a bit before crying quietly.

"Tails!" Cosmo exclaimed surprise as she immediately hugged Tails without thinking. Tails hugged Cosmo back while crying quietly in sadness. They held each other very tightly.

"...(Sob Sob Sob Sob Sob)...I...I...I hated how they bullied me by ignoring me! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)...It's like I don't exist! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)...It's clear that those bullies wanted me to not exist by destroying my inventions! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)…I get it! I'm not one of you! Can't you just accept that and move on with yourselves?! Why do you guys want me to remember that I'm different?! Why?! (Sob Sob Sob Sob Sob Sob)…" Tails yelled in frustration as he cried quietly while holding Cosmo tightly. He can even feel the white, glowing Chaos Emerald being huddled between his and Cosmo's bodies. The emerald was glowing bright and was very warm as usual.

"...Tails...Oh, Tails...I'm...I'm so sorry..." Cosmo whispered softly with a sad frown as she looked at Tails while hugging him tightly. I...I knew it. He was putting up a brave face for me...I guess...having him talk about his traumatic past had...finally broken his resolve. Poor Tails. I...I share your pain...Cosmo brooded empathetically with a frown.

Tails just cried a bit louder as he had finally given up trying to stay strong and calm. I'll...I'll never get over it. It's the worst pain in the world...Being ignored and being...all alone...Tails brooded in sadness as he kept crying as much as he could.

"...(Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!)...I'm so sorry too, Cosmo! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!) I'm sorry that I'm not as strong and tough as I had made you believe! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!) I'm nothing but a coward! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!) When I was bullied, I would either run away or hide from my bullies because I didn't want to get beaten up! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!) I just couldn't fight back, and I didn't want to! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!) I just wanted to have friends! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!)" Tails yelled even more in sadness as he cried louder.

Cosmo started to have some tears in her eyes too as she listened to Tails crying. It had hurt her so much that her friend was crying this much and was in such distress. She tried to comfort him even more by rubbing his back.

"Tails...It's alright. I'm not disappointed or let down...I understand why you would do that...I mean...I've done that the entire time when the Metarex had started attacking my people and the others. I couldn't fight back either, and I've always ran away from them and hid from them. Being scared and cowardly is...normal..." Cosmo consoled softly with a sad frown as she rubbed Tails' back gently.

"But it's humiliating! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!) I felt less of a person whenever I didn't fight back! (Sob! Sob! Sob!) I'm not useful to others if I don't fight for them or protect them! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!) I want to be there for my friends! But if I can't help them fight their opponents, then what good am I really?! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!) I'm just a weak, pathetic fox who couldn't use their own body for self-defense! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!)" Tails yelled back in sadness as he cried loudly.

"Even if you can't fight your opponents with your body, you could fight them by using your mind! Your brains make up for the brown that you don't have! I saw it myself when you had protected me from that Metarex robot and eluded the other Metarex robots from chasing after us! You're still brave and strong even when you are scared and weak! Just because you can't fight like Sonic or Knuckles, that doesn't mean that you're useless or pathetic! You're just different from them, and that's okay! Because...I'm different too, you know...Besides...(Sniff)…at least you can fend for yourself...I can't fight at all...and I don't...don't want to..." Cosmo exclaimed solemnly in concern before she muttered in sadness while holding onto Tails much tighter. She let some tears fall after saying that.

Tails soon quieted his crying a bit after hearing Cosmo say that. He realized that she was right. It's still true that his own fighting skills are weak, but his mind is very strong as he fights with his own X-Tornado and the Blue Typhoon. His own piloting skills and knowledge of science and technology is what had gotten him to become stronger and confront his own enemies. He is still weak, afraid, and maybe pathetic, but he was still able to fight back against his opponents and save Sonic and the others from danger.

...Cosmo...You may be right...but...but...Tails brooded with a grimace as he cried much quieter than before.

"...(Sob Sob Sob)...I...I know, Cosmo...(Sob Sob Sob)...But...there's no guarantee that I'm going to survive in the end...(Sob Sob Sob Sob)…I may be smart, but...(Sob Sob Sob)...but I can still die! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)…I can still ruin everything in the end by letting everyone die! Myself included! (Sob Sob Sob Sob Sob)...With my horrible luck, I'm going to get everyone killed and lose the game! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)...I always lose, Cosmo! Always! (Sob Sob Sob Sob)...I'm not a winner! I'm a pathetic loser! (Sob Sob Sob Sob Sob Sob)…" Tails muttered weakly in sadness before yelling in despair as he kept crying quietly.

Cosmo kept crying silently while listening to Tails. But when he got to his last sentences, she closed her eyes and held him tighter while exclaiming boldly, "So what if you're a loser?! So what if you had lost at every board game that you play?! It's just another wall that you need to get past! Besides, all that matters in the end is you beating the game! I've never said that you guys have to win the game! All I've said is that you need to beat it! If it's beaten, then the curse is over!".

"...(Sob Sob Sob)...But...I still have bad luck...(Sob Sob Sob)…I can still get everyone killed with my bad-" Tails muttered weakly with a grimace as he cried quietly.

"There's no guarantee that's going to happen! Just as there is no guarantee that we're going to survive, there's no guarantee that you're going to kill us either! Sure, it's a possibility, but that's all there is! A possibility! It's not destiny! It's just one route that we can avoid! Just like in this cave, there are multiple passageways or routes that we can take! We don't know for certain if we're going to reach an exit or not! We just got to try to find our way out and keep moving forward!" Cosmo exclaimed boldly with tears falling from her eyes as she held Tails dearly in comfort.

"...But...(Sniff)...But what if we...we...get stuck into some bad luck? That...(Sob Sob Sob)...That can still happen..." Tails muttered weakly with a grimace as he cried quietly.

"...Yes...That can still happen...But...like you had said before...we're going to have to deal with it...And if that bad luck involves the possibility of someone dying...then we have to deal with it...If...If we're going to beat the game, then we have to face it..." Cosmo muttered solemnly with a determined frown on her sad face.

Tails was shocked when he heard Cosmo say that. His eyes went wide, and his mouth went agape after hearing Cosmo say such bold, grave statements like that. He found it amazing that earlier he was the one comforting and encouraging Cosmo to continue moving forward while being stuck in this cave. But now...Cosmo is using his own words to comfort and encourage him to continue in the horrible game that he's stuck in. She also wants him to move forward just like he wanted her to move forward.

"...C-Cosmo..." Tails muttered softly yet brokenly as tears kept falling from his face.

"...Tails...Understand that you're not alone here. Aside from Chris, your friends are playing the game with you, and furthermore...I'm your guide. I'm the guide to that cursed board game. If there's anyone who can tell you how you can beat that game, it's me, and I'm saying it right now that you have to keep moving forward if you want to beat it. There is no other way around it, Tails. Either you move forward and finish the game...or...you can stay where you are and get stuck within the game," Cosmo replied calmly yet solemnly as she wiped her tears from her eyes before rubbing Tails' back again.

"..." Tails was silent as he looked at Cosmo with a shocked yet sad face.

"Trust me...I understand how you feel, Tails. I'm just as terrified as you are in this horrible game that we're trapped in together. I want this to be over just as much as you do. I don't want to face my fears. I don't want to deal with this anymore. All I want to do is run away from this and hide from my enemies..." Cosmo continued calmly yet sadly with a grimace as she looked at Tails in concern.

"..." Tails was still silent as tears kept falling from his face.

"...And I'm sure that you want to do the same thing too...But...we can't do that...We have no choice...We have to face the horrible situation that we're in...We have to keep playing the game in order for any of this to be over...We have to keep moving forward if we want to feel peace again...If we keep staying where we are while feeling fearful and anxious all the time...we'll never feel at ease ever again...We have to face our fears and our horrible situations in order to move forward...The step to having peace again is facing those fears...And since I want to have peace in my heart again...I'm going to face my enemies and conquer my fears...It's...a bitter truth to accept, but it's the truth...I mean...Nothing good has ever happened to me whenever I run away or hide from my enemies or my fears...Something bad had always happened to me whenever I do that..." Cosmo continued calmly yet sadly with a grimace as she looked down in shame.

"..." Tails was stunned when he listened to Cosmo's wise speech. He felt empathetic towards her again after hearing that part of her speech because of how true it is.

"...But now...I don't want to run away...or hide anymore...I just hope that...you'll do the same thing too, Tails. I...I want you to face your fears with me...I don't want to face them alone...Please face them with me...With you here...I feel like I have the strength to do so...I feel like...I can do anything that I want to...Such as...being a helpful guide..." Cosmo finished calmly with a little smile as she gently rubbed Tails' back.

"...Cosmo..." Tails whispered softly in awe after hearing Cosmo's speech. Somehow, he managed to smile a little after hearing that. She's...She's right...I can't run away or hide from this situation...The game won't end if we do that, and I want this to be over as soon as possible. So...our only hope in this horrendous situation is moving forward. I...I also want to feel at peace again and not worry about what will happen to us...And with Cosmo being here with me...I think that I'll keep moving forward...for her sake...She needs me now...and I need her...As long as we're together...we can beat this game...Tails pondered calmly with a little smile as he wiped his tears.

"...You're so right, Cosmo. Who cares if we're just scared, weak, pathetic people? We're just going to face our fears and keep moving forward together. After all...that's what truly make us strong and brave...Overcoming adversity and hardships...As long as we stick together, we can beat our enemies and our fears," Tails replied calmly yet softly with a warm smile as he rubbed Cosmo's back too to return the comfort.

"...That's right, Tails. We can do it together as friends," Cosmo replied calmly with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes as she's happy that she had cheered Tails up.

"Heh. You mean 'best friends', right, Cosmo?" Tails replied calmly in amusement as he smiled wider at Cosmo.

"Hehe! Yes, that is what I had meant...best buddy," Cosmo replied calmly yet happily in amusement as she smiled wider too while patting Tails' back.

"Heheheheh...Thanks, Cosmo. Thank you," Tails thanked calmly while chuckling a little as he felt Cosmo patting him on the back a lot. He hugged her much tighter since he felt relieved again. Cosmo smiled a lot from this and had hugged Tails tighter too. They didn't mind being held for a long time. They just felt relieved that the negative stuff was over. They fell silent again while hugging each other in peace.

---

…

...

…

"...You know, Tails...I...I was bullied too in the past...However...my experience wasn't as horrible as yours was..." Cosmo muttered calmly yet quietly with a little frown after breaking the long silence.

"...! What?! You were bullied?!" Tails exclaimed in shock as he pulled away from her to look at her fully. He looked shocked as he couldn't believe that someone other than himself was bullied. But what baffles him the most was that this kind, sweet, thoughtful, meek girl had been bullied in particular. She was the one who didn't want others to fight or get involved with fighting herself! Why did people pick on her anyway if all she wants is to have peace with everybody?! I...I just don't understand...Tails pondered in shock and in confusion as he stared at Cosmo with wide eyes and a wide mouth.

Cosmo nodded and replied calmly with a frown, "Yes, I was. My own people were the ones who had bullied me in the past. Although they were usually kind...they...can't help but tease me frequently...".

Tails frowned a lot from this as he asked calmly, "What did they tease you about?".

Cosmo blushed a little and looked down in embarrassment as she replied calmly, "Please don't laugh when I say this, but...they teased me for liking walking escalators too much...".

"...Wait...What?" Tails muttered in confusion as his eyebrows were raised upwards and as his eyes had widened a bit.

"Yes, you heard me. They tease me over walking escalators...You know, the ones that move on the floor? Yeah, I've been teased ever since I've expressed my joy and love for those things. I was like three years old when I had proudly exclaimed, 'I love these moving floors!', and ever since then, my people made little comments and jokes about it. It's very humiliating that I've been teased over something that I like so much..." Cosmo replied calmly with a little frown as she looked ashamed.

"...Y-Yeah...Very humiliating indeed..." Tails muttered slowly while a smile was forming on his amused face. Cosmo soon looked back up and had gasped when she saw Tails smiling a lot from this.

"Tails! It's not funny! Stop smiling!" Cosmo exclaimed in embarrassment as she blushed and frowned a lot in annoyance.

"Wh-What?! No! I'm...I'm not smiling...I'm frowning! ...The frown's just upside down..." Tails replied in amusement as he smiled a lot while trying not to laugh from this. Am I villain for wanting to laugh at this sad yet humorous bulling experience? Because I think that I am...No wonder why kids are cruel...Because I'm still a kid, and I want to laugh at this! Tails pondered calmly in amusement as he smiled at Cosmo.

"Tails...You're horrible..." Cosmo muttered lowly with a pout as she lets go of Tails and crossed her arms. Tails couldn't resist but laugh a lot after hearing Cosmo say that and seeing that cute, pouty look on her face.

"I knohohohohohohoho! Ahahahahahahaha! I'm sorry that I find it so funny! Hahahahahahaha! I just think that it's cute that you like walking escalators of all things! Hahahahahahaha! I honestly didn't expect that from a refined, polite person like you! Like at all! Hahahahahahahaha!" Tails exclaimed happily in amusement as he laughed a lot from this. He gently rubbed Cosmo's arms while laughing as he tried to make her feel better even though it's obviously not working.

"Ugh...Not again...Don't say that it's cute...I've been called that multiple times by my peers as a part of my teasing..." Cosmo replied calmly in annoyance as she furrowed her eyebrows a bit and frowned deeper.

"Okay! Okay! I won't say that it's cute! Hahahahahaha!" Tails exclaimed happily while laughing a little.

"Thank you, Tails..." Cosmo muttered calmly with a little frown as she relaxed a bit.

Tails then looked mischievous as he added playfully, "...But I will say that it's pretty adorable...".

"..." Cosmo was silent as she pouted again at this. She blushed a lot in embarrassment while staring at Tails' mischievous smile on his amused face. ...He must think that he's so smart while saying that...Well, two can play at that game...Cosmo pondered with a pout on her flustered face before smiling a little in mischief.

"Hmph...Well, I think that you're adorable too, Tails. Especially when you laugh..." Cosmo replied calmly with a mischievous smile as she uncrossed her arms and leant a little closer to Tails.

"H-Huh?! You...You think that I'm...adorable? Even when I...laugh?" Tails asked in confusion and in embarrassment as he blushed deeply at this while staring at Cosmo curiously.

"Why of course, Tails. You have a cute laugh...Why don't I hear it again?" Cosmo replied calmly yet coyly with a little, playful smile. She then quickly moved her hands under Tails' armpits and tickled him playfully. Tails instantly burst into laughter and recoiled a bit from Cosmo.

"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Cosmo! Dohohohohohohohohohon't! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! I'm ticklish! Ahahahahahahahahahaha! Stop!" Tails protested playfully while laughing a lot as he lets go of Cosmo's arms and tries to pry her hands away from him. However, she was relentless as she moved her hands again to Tails' sides after she saw him trying to grab her hands. Cosmo was just smiling in amusement as she tickled Tails further while listening to his uncontrollable laughter.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Nohohohohohohohohoho! Not the sides either! Hehehehehehehehehehe! Quit it! Ahahahahahahahahaha! Please!" Tails protested further in amusement as he laughed even more when he felt his vulnerable sides being tickled. He squirmed to side to side as his sides were being tickled.

"I would stop, but you're being so adorable right now. Why don't I try your cute, little tummy and see how adorable you'll be when I tickle it?" Cosmo replied playfully with a mischievous smile as she kept tickling Tails' sides by moving her hands up and down.

"Nohohohohohohohohohoho! Don't tickle my tummy! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! It's my weak spot! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I beg of you, Cosmo! Dohohohohohohohohon't!" Tails protested playfully while laughing a lot while shaking his head "no" pleadingly.

"Well, are you sorry for laughing at me?" Cosmo asked coyly with a playful smile.

"Yes! Yes! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I'm sorry that I had laughed at you! Hahahahahahahahahaha! I'm sorry that I had called you cute and adorable! Ahahahahahahahahahahaha! Just stop tickling me! Hehehehehehehehehe!" Tails exclaimed back in amusement as he laughed a lot while still squirming side to side.

"Very well. Apology accepted..." Cosmo replied calmly with a gentle smile as she stopped tickling Tails. Tails kept laughing while holding himself. Hahahahahaha...I didn't expect that Cosmo of all people would tickle me...Hahahahahaha...I guess that even she has a playful side too...It's just hidden behind her refined, polite demeaner she usually shows...Hahahaha...Heh. Is it weird that I kind of wanted her to tickle me a little more? Maybe it is, but I guess that I wanted to have a bit some fun with her since...I'm not sure how much she did have fun in her own depressing past...Tails pondered in amusement before in empathy as he slowed his laughter down until he was smiling sympathetically towards her.

"...Hahaha...Okay, I deserved that. But anyways...Cosmo...I'm going to be honest and say that you're not alone into thinking that walking escalators are cool. I also love walking escalators too," Tails replied calmly with a chuckle as he smiled gently at Cosmo in empathy.

"What?! You too?! I thought that I was the only one who loves them!" Cosmo exclaimed in shock as she covered her mouth with her hands. Her heart had skipped a bit when she heard Tails say that he loves walking escalators too.

Tails smiled sheepishly at her while scratching his head a bit as he replied calmly, "Heh. Me too, Cosmo. I thought that I was the only one who likes them very much. When I first saw those things in Chris' world, I thought that they're the coolest things in the universe. Of course, my friends hadn't expressed that strong of an interest in them as much as I do. It's not to say that they didn't like them too, but it's not as strong or as passionate as mine was. I mean. It's technology for crying out loud! Anything that involves machinery or science always grabs my attention! And those...Heh...'moving floors'...are no exception. It's like looking into the future of modern civilization!".

Cosmo smiled gently at Tails after hearing him express his love for walking escalators. She then replied calmly in curiosity, "Well, if you feel that way towards walking escalators, then why did you laugh at me for liking them? Hmm?".

"It's because it's so unexpected! Hahahaha...I mean. Honestly! Of all things that you would like...walking escalators is far from my mind! Just...how could a meek, refined girl such you would love something so random and technological as walking escalators? It's so bizarre in retrospect! And funny too!" Tails replied happily in amusement with a grin as he chuckled a little.

Cosmo smiled playfully at Tails as she replied calmly, "Hey, even refined folks such as me can enjoy little trinkets and toys too. I just love walking escalators because it's so fun to ride them. I may not know much on how they work or what machine parts are used to make them, but I love riding them. It's convenient and fun".

"It sure is, Cosmo! Hahahaha...It sure is..." Tails replied calmly in amusement with a smile as he chuckled a little. He then smiled even more warmly at her as he saw her smiling warmly at him too. So, that's why Cosmo likes walking escalators. She just loves riding them...And I love riding them too...Tails pondered calmly in amusement while smiling warmly at Cosmo.

"...Say, Tails...Speaking of walking escalators...I think that we should keep on walking too...We've stayed at one place for a long time, and I'm not sure of how long the Metarex robots will keep following the fireflies. So, let's keep on moving to stay safe," Cosmo replied calmly with a little smile as she looked a bit concerned.

"Good idea, Cosmo. Let's get back up and keep on moving forward," Tails replied calmly with a smile and a nod as he carefully stood back up and offered his hand towards Cosmo.

Cosmo looked up at Tails and smiled gently at him as he grabbed his hand while holding onto the Chaos Emerald in her other hand. Tails carefully pulled Cosmo back up to her feet and lets go of her hand after she's standing right beside him.

"Let's go," Tails said calmly with a smile as he and Cosmo walked further into the cave.

---

…

…

…

Tails and Cosmo walked together for five minutes in silence while having calm looks on their faces. Cosmo was still holding the white Chaos Emerald in her hands while smiling gently at it. Tails then looked at her and said with a smile, "You know, Cosmo. If you want, I could build you some walking escalators for you to ride on. Do you want me to do that? I don't mind working on them. It'll take my mind off of that board game for a while if I build them".

"Ah! Can you do that?" Cosmo replied in shock as she stared at Tails with wide, hopeful eyes.

Tails shrugged casually while smiling gently at Cosmo as he answered calmly, "Of course, I can. Like I had said, I don't mind. Making new inventions is nothing to me. It's not difficult at all. Sure, it keeps me busy, but it's not hard".

"...I...I...Umm...N-No...I can't...I can't ask you to make them for me...I don't want to be a burden to you..." Cosmo replied calmly yet sadly with a frown as she shook her head and looked down to the ground instead.

"Cosmo...It's fine. You're not a burden to me, and you never will be. If want something from me, then you can freely ask for it, and I'll freely give it to you. That's what good friends do. It's a give and receive relationship," Tails replied calmly with a gentle smile as he looked caringly at Cosmo.

"...I...I see...Then...what should I do to return the favor if you make me some walking escalators?" Cosmo replied calmly with a nod and a frown as she looked at Tails again.

"You can give me anything, and I'll gladly receive it with open arms. You don't have to give me something equally as valuable as new inventions or machinery. Don't get me wrong. I love getting new gadgets and technology, but I'm fine with other acts of kindness such as giving me physical affection or gifts or letters or cards or food. Heh. Definitely food. I can eat a whole feast of delicious food or treats if I had one," Tails replied calmly with a huge, warm smile.

"Hehehe...So, it's food that you like the most, huh?" Cosmo replied calmly in amusement with a giggle as she smiled a little at Tails.

Tails scratched the back of his head while smiling sheepishly at Cosmo as he replied calmly, "Well, what can I say? A genius mind can't stay as a genius forever if it doesn't get any tasty food. I need it to stay focused and energized".

"Hahahaha...You just want me to make a lot of sweets for you, don't you, genius boy?" Cosmo replied calmly yet playfully with a grin and a giggle as she gently poked Tails' left cheek a bit.

Tails blushed a lot from this sweet action and smiled even more in sheepishness. "Heheheh...Well...M-Maybe...If you want to..." Tails replied calmly yet shyly as he blushed in embarrassment.

"Teehee! Why I'll be glad to, Tails. You're lucky that I'm very good at baking and cooking. So, I'll be happy to serve you as many treats as you like," Cosmo replied calmly yet happily with a smile and a giggle.

"Uhh...Umm...Th-Thank you, Cosmo. And I'll...I'll be happy to make you those walking escalators for you...You still want me to make them, do you?" Tails replied calmly yet sheepishly with a shy smile and a blush.

"Umm...Of course, Tails. I do want you to make them for me...Maybe we can ride on them together when you're finished," Cosmo replied calmly yet sheepishly too with a shy smile and a blush.

"Oh! Uhh...Y-Yeah...We could...Umm...I can't wait to get started on them! Hahahaha..." Tails replied awkwardly with a huge smile and a chuckle while rubbing the back of his head in sheepishness. He blushed a lot as he said that.

"Hehehe...Me too, Tails..." Cosmo replied quietly with a shy smile and a giggle as she blushed a lot too while staring at Tails. He really is adorable. Even though I might've said it in a joking way, I still think that he's cute. Especially when he's looking shy...Cosmo pondered calmly with a shy smile as she stared at his flustered face.

Tails stared at Cosmo too for a while but soon looked away from her shyness. Geez...Stop staring at me, Cosmo! You're making me blush again! Tails pondered in amusement as he smiled a lot while blushing deeply in embarrassment. As if she had read his thoughts, Cosmo soon stopped looking at Tails and looked down at the Chaos Emerald instead.

…

After walking in silence for another minute, Tails looked back at Cosmo after recovering from his embarrassment. He smiled brightly as he said calmly, "We certainly got lucky when we found the Chaos Emerald in that power plant. I thought that we're going to walk aimlessly through the caves until help arrives".

Cosmo nodded in agreement and smiled at Tails while replying calmly, "That was what I had thought too, but I guess fate decided to pity us and show us the way to the Chaos Emerald instead".

"Either that or the writers wanted us to find it together to strengthen our bond for totally non-romantic reasons," Tails replied calmly with a smug smile and a shrug as he stared at Cosmo.

"Huh? What writers?" Cosmo asked curiously in confusion.

"Oh, never mind that. They don't exist in our universe. Anyways..." Tails replied casually with a hand wave before smiling calmly as he continued, "...Now, that we have the real Chaos Emerald with us, we can finally try to find the exit from this cave. I bet that the others would be pleased that we had found a Chaos Emerald ourselves".

Cosmo nodded in agreement again and smiled a lot at that. "I'm sure that they would be...Hmm...But still...Are you even sure that we got the real one? How could you even tell from the fake emeralds aside from the fact that this emerald was contained in the middle of the room?" Cosmo replied calmly with a smile before frowning a little as she stared at the Chaos Emerald curiously.

"Oh, that's simple. Because only real emeralds feel very warm to the touch. It's to show how powerful their energy is. A fake emerald, on the other hand, does not feel warm at all. It's just cold instead," Tails answered calmly yet confidently with a smile as he stared at Cosmo.

"Huh? How do you know what a fake Chaos Emerald feels like? I've never seen you hold a fake Chaos Emerald before. So, how do you know, Tails?" Cosmo asked curiously as she stared back at Tails in confusion.

"That's easy. I've made a fake emerald before," Tails replied casually with a smile and a shrug.

"Wait! What?! You made a fake Chaos Emerald before?! When did you do that?!" Cosmo exclaimed in shock as her eyes went wide and as her mouth went wide too.

"I've made one during that Space Colony Ark incident back on Chris' world. I've made a fake Chaos Emerald because I wanted to override the Ark's Eclipse Cannon and stop it from firing at Earth. While I was making it, I've noticed that it doesn't feel warm when you touch it. The emerald's warmth is a physical attribute to show its raw power. No matter how accurate you can create the real emerald's wavelength and properties, it'll always be less powerful than the real one. Its evidence is within the emerald itself," Tails explained calmly with a smile as he stared at Cosmo and at the Chaos Emerald.

"I...I see. So...it's just like how true love is...Real love is warm, kind, gentle, and inviting. Once you're in a loving environment like that, you just don't want to get out of it. It's like a cozy blanket...and holding this emerald is so enjoyable to me. I...I don't want to get it out of my hands or part with it...Ever..." Cosmo replied calmly with a smile as she looked at the Chaos Emerald next and soon closed her eyes. Her mind traced back to her mother as she said that. Even when my mom doesn't speak to me...it's clear that she loves me deeply...I could sense her warmth whenever I was near her...How I wish...that I could feel her warmth yet again...However...I...I can't do that anymore...but...this emerald is helping me cope with it...Cosmo pondered calmly with a sad smile as she opened her eyes and stared at the glowing, white emerald.

"You know...I hadn't thought of it that way, Cosmo," Tails replied calmly with a smile.

"Huh? Really?" Cosmo asked in confusion as she looked at Tails next.

"Yeah. Like Chaos Emeralds, people would want to go after the real thing than the fake ones, and whether they get their hands on the fakes, they feel both disappointed and angry that they've captured the fake than the real deal. One's warmth is an invaluable treasure to have, and they don't want to part with it for something fake. So, it kind of makes sense that villains and thieves would want to have the Chaos Emeralds because it does give them some sense of warmth in the cold world that they live in daily," Tails replied calmly yet wisely with a smile as he raised his finger up for emphasis.

"That is very true, and that explains why my older sister, Galaxina, always gives me this odd piece of advice just in case I have a crush on someone," Cosmo replied calmly with a smile as she stared back at Tails.

"Uhhh...What was her advice?" Tails asked awkwardly with a little frown as he blushed deeply.

"'Always check on your crush's temperature to see if he's warm or not'. That is what she would always say to me," Cosmo answered calmly with a gentle smile on her face.

Tails blushed even further after hearing that. He smiled sheepishly as he replied awkwardly, "O-Oh...That's...That's honestly clever...".

"Yeah, it makes sense now after you had pointed that out. People who truly love you will be warm towards you and never give you the cold shoulder even when you do mess up...And you and your friends had never given me the cold shoulder. Not even Knuckles in which I was surprised by due to how...rude he was to me when I first got to know him..." Cosmo replied calmly with a bright smile and a nod.

"Heh. Well, that's Knuckles for ya. He can be pretty mean and hard-headed at times, but he does have a heart of gold on the inside. He warms up to new people eventually, but it's very slow for him to do so. I don't think that I know anybody who had ever gotten to be fast friends with him when they first met him. Even Knuckles had said it himself that he doesn't know anybody like that. But boy, would it be a day for him if he somehow did find that person though. It'll certainly be a first for him when that day arrives," Tails replied calmly with a smile and shrug.

"Mmhm. I do hope that he meets that special person whoever they are," Cosmo replied calmly with a smile and another nod. Tails nodded too and smiled at that. Yeah, me too. He can use someone like that in his life. What he needs is a "Sonic". Not Sonic the Hedgehog himself. But a "Sonic". Tails pondered calmly with a smile.

...

"You know...there was another thing that my sister had told me a lot in the past..." Cosmo added calmly with a smile after that moment of silence.

"Oh? What's that, Cosmo?" Tails asked curiously with a smile.

"It's about the Chaos Emeralds themselves actually. She and her colleagues have done a lot of research on the Chaos Emeralds and had discovered its tremendous strength when they are gathered together. She had told me about its legendary power and how it can grant any wishes that you have in your heart whenever you brought all seven of them together. I've heard her say that it would be great for us to have them someday and wish that the war within my people would cease," Cosmo replied calmly with a smile as she looked at Tails before looking at the Chaos Emerald again.

"Really? Your people wanted the Chaos Emeralds just to wish for peace within your people?" Tails asked curiously with a surprised look on his face.

"...Yes...Even I desired to have them in my hands someday...All I wanted is the whole universe to have peace at last...No more killings...No more planets dying...And no more Metarex dominating space with their forces...Just total peace and nothing more..." Cosmo replied calmly with a smile and a nod as she held the white Chaos Emerald closer to her chest.

"Well, when you say it like that, then maybe we can let you use the Chaos Emeralds and let you make that wish..." Tails replied calmly with a smile and a shrug.

"Huh? Really? You would...let me?" Cosmo asked curiously in surprise as she looked at Tails with a confused look on her face.

"Why of course! I mean. Maybe we can wish upon the Chaos Emeralds to lift the curse from the board game! You wanted to stop the Metarex from taking over the universe, and since they are using the board game's curse to do that, then obviously we can use the Chaos Emeralds to stop the board game from cursing us and other victims who might've fallen into the curse. We can save the universe that way without completing the board game. In other words...what we're going to get is a 'cheat code'," Tails replied calmly with a smile as he raised his finger up again.

"...! ...A...A 'cheat code'? You mean that what we're going to do is...cheat? I...I don't want to cheat...That's not a fair way to win at something, Tails," Cosmo muttered sadly with a frown after gasping a bit and looking down to the ground in shame.

"Oh, relax, Cosmo. It's just a metaphor. Besides, I think that it's better if we just wish the curse away from the board game than just beating it ourselves. It would save us the trouble into completing it fully, and I don't think that any of my friends will object to that. We want to be safe and alive in the end, and I'm sure that we'll be fine if we let you make the wish and end the whole game yourself," Tails replied calmly with a smile as he lets down his hand again.

Cosmo stared at Tails again before looking down at the white Chaos Emerald. She can see it glowing brightly as if it was teasing her heart to make the wish. She can feel the temptation to make the wish to save everyone...the universe...and herself from destruction...However...she realizes that it would be too easy. Sure, she may be a hero in the end...but she knows that it wouldn't be earned. She would just cheat to win and get the glory even though...her friends did all the hard work for her.

...It's...It's just not right...I can't do it. I can't make the wish...I'm...I'm a lazy coward who gets to be a hero in the end by doing absolutely nothing! This isn't right! My friends are the heroes here! Not me! I can't be a hero! Especially all that I've done in the past...Cosmo brooded with a guilty look on her face. She soon stopped walking and looked very sad. Tails stopped walking too as he noticed Cosmo's change in demeaner.

"Huh? Cosmo? What's wrong?" Tails asked curiously with a frown as he turned around and looked at Cosmo.

"I've changed my mind, Tails! I don't want to make the wish! I'm too selfish!" Cosmo exclaimed in sadness with a frown as she pushed the Chaos Emerald towards Tails while having her eyes closed.

"Wait! What?! What do you mean, Cosmo?! That wish was selfless! How can you say that you're selfish if you wanted a wish like that?!" Tails exclaimed in shock and in confusion as he grabbed the Chaos Emerald and held it in his hands.

Cosmo slowly looked up at Tails while having a guilty look on her face. She replied calmly yet solemnly, "Because only cowards would want to make a wish like that to avoid adversity and hardships in their lives. It may sound like a good thing to wish for peace, but that would just undermine the everyone's efforts and hard work to achieve peace. I don't want to take the credit for saving the universe from the Metarex. You, Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, and Chris had been working hard to fight against the Metarex and stopping them from killing other planets. I've done none of that. I'm not a hero, and I don't want to take the credit for something that I didn't do. If I made that wish, then I'm just a lousy, lazy, cowardly cheater who took the easy way out from her own problems!".

"..." Tails was speechless as he looked stunned at Cosmo after hearing her boldly say that. Cosmo...I didn't know that you felt that way...Tails pondered in shock.

Cosmo looked even sadder as she had her hands near her chest. She continued sadly yet solemnly with tears in her eyes, "...I'm tired of taking the easy way out. I've done that so many times in the past...I'm a dirty cheater...A cheater who had let down and had betrayed her own people...A cowardly cheater who had...had...ruined everyone's lives...I can never be a hero after what I had horrendously did...I just...don't deserve to be seen as a hero...I just don't, Tails...".

"...Cosmo...I..." Tails muttered slowly while looking pitiful for Cosmo.

"I'm so ashamed of myself, Tails! I'm no different than the Metarex who had killed my people! They killed them because they wanted the easy way out from their problems! They killed to survive! They wanted to save themselves from death! And I wanted to save myself from death too by making that wish! I wanted to survive! And I wanted to do that the most selfish way possible and be seen as a good person in the end! It's completely selfish, and I'm so ashamed of myself for thinking that way for a very long time! I'm so sorry, Tails! I'm so sorry for being selfish!" Cosmo exclaimed even more in sadness as she closed her eyes as some tears fell.

Tails looked very sympathetic of Cosmo as he was frowning a lot and as his eyelids had lowered halfway. He can see why Cosmo would feel so guilty about this. She didn't want to take away all of his and his friends' hard work for saving the universe. She wanted to save the universe fair and square. Not by using shortcuts or by cheating. Even if it meant taking the hard, long road to get there.

"Oh, Cosmo...I understa-Ack!" Tails muttered calmly with a frown before yelping in pain when his face was whacked by a long tail.

"Ah! Tails!" Cosmo exclaimed in shock when she opened her eyes and saw Tails being knocked away while dropping the Chaos Emerald. The emerald quickly fell to the ground, and Tails had hit a rocky wall behind him. Tails cringed in pain after hitting the hard wall with his back and head. Uggh...Okay, who was the one who had interrupted our intimate moment together? Tails pondered in annoyance as he slowly opened his eyes while grimacing in pain. Cosmo ran towards Tails after seeing him being hurt. She knelt towards him and held his shoulders.

"Tails! Get up! Please!" Cosmo exclaimed in worry as she shook Tails a bit.

Tails shook his head a bit to get his bearings and soon gasped in shock when he saw the Metarex robot grabbing the Chaos Emerald with his tail. Tails soon looked solemn again as he yelled at the Metarex robot, "Hey! You got some nerve into ruining our moment together! Just go away and leave that emerald behind!".

"What?! He got the emerald?!" Cosmo exclaimed in shock as she looked back at the Metarex robot too. She grimaced as she brooded in annoyance. I should've picked up the emerald when I had the chance. Why are you so useless sometimes, Cosmo? This is not the time to be sucking right now!

"Umm...How about 'no'?" the Metarex sergeant replied tauntingly while holding the emerald in his claw hand.

"He said 'no', Tails! Now, what do we do?!" Cosmo exclaimed in worry as she looked back at Tails.

"We're going to deal with it! That's what we're going to do!" Tails exclaimed boldly with a solemn look on his face as he glared at the Metarex robot.

"H-Huh? 'D-Deal with it'? Like how?" Cosmo asked curiously in confusion as her eyes were wide and as her mouth gaped widely.

"Like this!" Tails exclaimed as he got back on his feet and prepared his body for battle. Cosmo looked worried as she stared at Tails while he's looking brave again. He's...He's not doing what I think he's doing, is he? Cosmo thought in worry as she stared at Tails and then at the Metarex robot.

"Oh? Are you wishing to have a fight against me? Hahahaha! What a joke! You're not even player four or five! You're just player one! Hahahahaha!" the Metarex sergeant said in amusement as he laughed coldly. As he kept laughing evilly, his Metarex lackeys joined up with him and slithered slowly towards Tails and Cosmo in an intimidating fashion.

"Oh, dear! There's too many of them! We're surrounded! Tails! I think that we should run away! Now!" Cosmo exclaimed in worry and in fear as she stared at the Metarex robots surrounding her and Tails.

"No way, Cosmo. We're going to deal with this together," Tails replied calmly with a solemn look on his face. I've been taking the easy way too, Cosmo. I've ran away from my problems too because I wanted to save myself from harm. But not this time. This time, I'm going to face my problems head on by fighting them! Tails pondered calmly with a solemn look on his face as he glared at the Metarex robots in front of him.

"Okay, you stupid poachers! You've been pushing us around and scaring the daylights out of us for far too long! Now, it's time to see if you guys can back up your bark with your bite! Just come on here and fight me! I dare you! I triple dog dare you! You don't have what takes to fight us players! You're just a bunch of cowards trying to act tough, aren't ya?!" Tails yelled boldly with a frown as he had his hands into fists. Cosmo gasped in shock after hearing Tails boldly say that to a dozen of Metarex robots. Ooooh, this is bad...Cosmo thought in worry and in fear as she looked even more worried than before.

"...Hahahahahahahahaha! Is this a comedic stand-up? Because this is just hilarious to us! Saying that we, the Metarex, are cowards? Hahahahahahaha! The thought is just too absurd and hilarious to think about! We are not scared! But I'm pretty sure that you guys are! After all..." the Metarex sergeant replied in amusement while laughing a lot with the others. He then finished by adding darkly, "...you're just a bunch of weak players being trapped in a hunting game...".

Tails frowned deeper at that while still looking solemn. Cosmo looked worried as she muttered weakly, "...Tails...Please don't provoke them any further...".

"Relax, Cosmo. They're just saying all that stuff just to frighten you. Just trust me, Cosmo. I'll protect you from them," Tails replied calmly with a solemn frown. He looked at Cosmo as he added with a smile, "Who are you going to believe? Me or those cowardly poachers?".

"...! …...Y-You..." Cosmo muttered in shock as she gasped.

"You made the right call, Cosmo. Just believe in your friends, and they'll come through for you. You'll see...as I tear these Metarex creeps into shreds!" Tails replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown as he stared at the Metarex robots again. Immediately after saying that, Tails jumped up into the air and flew towards one of the Metarex robots. He then rammed into the Metarex sergeant with his elbow and knocked him down. Cosmo gasped in shock when she saw Tails do that.

...Tails...You are just so brave to me...Cosmo thought in adoration as her eyes sparkled while she stood up.

When Tails knocked down the Metarex sergeant, the Chaos Emerald fell to the ground again. Cosmo saw that the Chaos Emerald was on the ground and looked shocked. Oh, shoot! What do I do?! What do I do?! What do I do?! Cosmo thought in panic as she stood in place while staring at the emerald with wide eyes.

"Just take the emerald, Cosmo! Do it!" Tails exclaimed solemnly with a frown as he looked back at Cosmo while flying through the air.

"Ah! Of course! The obvious! Duh!" Cosmo exclaimed in shock as she quickly ran towards the Chaos Emerald.

"Oh? Trying to be a hero, huh? Well, guess what? You're not!" the Metarex sergeant said coldly as he got back up and saw Cosmo running towards the emerald. He quickly slithered towards Cosmo to stop her from picking up the emerald.

"Oh, yes, she is!" Tails exclaimed boldly as he turned around and flew right back towards the Metarex sergeant.

"No, she's not! And neither are you, player one!" the Metarex sergeant yelled angrily as he quickly looked back and swung his long tail at Tails. Once Tails got near him, he was surprised when he felt the long tail wrapping around his body and trapping him in it.

"Grrrrrghh! Nggggh! Let! Me! Out! Of! Here! Grrrrnnngh! Urrrrrrgggh!" Tails yelled angrily while grunting a lot as he struggled to pull out from the tail. However, the tail just squeezed him tighter in response to his protests.

"Hey! I got it! Tails, I-Oh, my goodness! No!" Cosmo exclaimed in joy when she picked up the emerald but soon exclaimed in worry when she saw Tails being trapped in the Metarex's tail.

"Well, well, well, it looks you're trapped, player one. How does it feel to be the prey in this scenario?" the Metarex sergeant replied tauntingly as he stared at Tails.

"It freaking sucks!" Tails yelled back angrily as he gritted his teeth while glaring harshly at the Metarex robot in front of him.

"Ah. Ah. Ah. Watch your tongue, young prey. You might bite it," the Metarex sergeant warned calmly yet tauntingly as he squeezed Tails very hard to make his point.

"Owwwwwww! My tongue!" Tails yelped in pain as he cringed when he bit his own tongue after being squeezed hard again. I may be brave now but at what cost? My dignity? Yes, my dignity. Tails brooded with a grimace as he kept cringing in pain.

"Now that you've learned your lesson. It's time for your friend to learn hers. ...Such as why the game will continue forever and ever without any end...Hahahahahaha!" the Metarex sergeant replied calmly yet darkly as he stared at Tails before at Cosmo. Tails looked at Cosmo and grimaced in worry when he saw her backing away from a dozen of Metarex robots while having the Chaos Emerald in her hands. Cosmo looked at her right and left and saw the Metarex robots surrounding her. She felt very scared and worried as she saw that she was backed into a corner with no way of escaping.

…Oooooh...Why does the hard road have to suck? If only I can cheat again by giving up the emerald and let the Metarex spare my life...But now I...I...Uggggh! I might do again if no one's going to save me! Tails...I'm so sorry...But I'm weak... Cosmo brooded in worry with a huge frown on her scared face as she kept looking around the area.

…We're so screwed. So much for saving the day...Tails brooded in sadness and in worry as he frowned a lot at Cosmo.

"...(Krrrzt)…...(Krrrzt)…...Hey! I found them, guys! Tails and Cosmo are right down here! I'm going in!" Chris exclaimed through the wrist communicator as it was lying on the ground after it was knocked off from Tails' wrist. The Metarex robots were confused by this and had looked around the area to find that person's voice.

"Ah! That's-!" Cosmo exclaimed in shock as she looked down at the ground and saw the wrist communicator. She was very surprised that it was still on the entire time. You know, I kind of forgotten about it for a while. Talk about convenient timing. Cosmo thought in surprise as she stared at the wrist communicator.

"Chris! Come quickly! We're trapped! Literally!" Tails exclaimed loudly so that his voice could reach the wrist communicator's speaker.

"I hear you, Tails! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Chris exclaimed through the wrist communicator.

"(Krrrzt)...Sorry, Chris! But you're too slow!" Sonic exclaimed through the wrist communicator the second Chris had finished talking.

Tails smiled a lot in amusement when he heard Sonic speaking through the wrist communicator after hearing Chris. Tails stared at the Metarex robot with a confident smile as he thought in amusement. So, you'd rather face player four, huh? Well then, suit yourself! You got player four!

A few seconds later, the cave's ceiling was collapsing as Sonic was drilling through while in his Spinball Form. Rocks and dirt went down as Sonic spun right through the ground. He then made a hole from the ceiling and immediately bashed a Metarex robot's head in with his Spinball Form. The Metarex robot collapsed after being struck hard in the head. Sonic then kept attacking by flying over to a row of Metarex robots and rammed into them at their stomachs. Those Metarex robots fell to the ground after being hit hard too. Yet again, Sonic had struck down more Metarex robots very quickly by ramming into each of them individually in a zig-zag pattern. Thus, even more Metarex robots had fallen to the ground.

Heheheh...I'm having fun...Sonic thought in amusement as he kept spinning through the air.

"Why are we so pathetic?!" the Metarex sergeant yelled in annoyance as a sweat drop formed on his head after watching his lackeys fall easily to the ground.

"Maybe it's because you're just level one enemies! That's why!" Amy yelled back tauntingly in the distance.

"Say what?!" the Metarex sergeant yelled back in shock as he turned around and saw Amy about to attack him with her hammer as she fell towards him. Amy was looking solemn as she swung her hammer back before swinging hard at the Metarex sergeant's face.

BAM!

CRAAAAAASSSHHH!

"Ooooggggghh...I felt that one..." the Metarex sergeant muttered weakly while groaning in pain as tons of rocks fell on him.

"Yes! I lived! I lived!" Tails exclaimed as he quickly flew away from the Metarex sergeant after being released from his tail and went towards Cosmo. He soon got back down to the ground and smiled widely at Cosmo.

"Look, Cosmo! I survived!" Tails exclaimed happily with a huge smile as he stared at Cosmo.

"I know! And I'm so glad that I survived too!" Cosmo exclaimed in relief as she smiled warmly at Tails.

"We're all glad that you two had survived! We wouldn't know what we would do if you guys were done for. We'd probably scream in panic if that was the case," Chris replied calmly as he and Cream dropped down into the cave with Tails, Cosmo, Amy, and Sonic. Chris and Cream were standing in between Amy and Sonic. They were all smiling calmly at Tails and Cosmo as they stood together.

"Yeah, it's probably a good thing we didn't die in this cave. Better to be saved later than never I suppose," Tails replied casually with a smile as he and Cosmo looked at the group across from them.

"You can say that again! I thought that we would never find you guys! However, I will say that our search for you was rather fun! ...Thanks to Sonic over here..." Amy replied brightly with a smile before she glanced at Sonic and smiled fondly at him with sparkling eyes.

"Heh...Yeah...It's a good thing that Cream was there the whole time because otherwise...things would have been...awkward...to say the least..." Sonic replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile as he looked away from Amy while blushing a bit.

"You mean adorable! Cause we would have been all alone and play childish games together just like we did with Cream earlier!" Amy exclaimed happily with a grin as she held her hammer closer to her.

"Again...Completely awkward..." Sonic muttered weakly with a frown as he looked embarrassed.

"'Awkward'. 'Adorable'. Same thing really," Amy replied casually with a smile as she closed her eyes and waved her hand a bit.

"Just what did you guys do while you were searching for us?" Tails asked curiously with a little, amused smile as looked at Cream when she walked up to him and stood in front of him.

"Why Mr. Sonic gave us the idea to play hide-and-go seek as well as freeze tag to pass the time!" Cream exclaimed cheerfully with a sweet smile. Cheese nodded in agreement.

"Huh? How come you guys did that? Weren't you supposed to be searching for us?" Tails asked in confusion as he frowned at that.

"That was what I had been telling them...no...Sonic the whole time!" Chris exclaimed in exasperation as he frowned a lot while glaring at Sonic. Sonic just had his hands behind his head while whistling nonchalantly with a playful smile.

"Sonic?! You were just fooling around the whole time?! Why?!" Tails exclaimed in shock as he stared at Sonic with wide eyes.

"Because I was bored! I've searched for you and Cosmo for like a minute before I gave up! Besides, I believed that you could take care of yourself and Cosmo for a long time on your own! I mean...You weren't in danger the entire time, right?" Sonic replied brightly in amusement as he looked at Tails while grinning a lot.

"Sonic! I...Huh? You believed that I would take care of myself?" Tails replied in shock before in confusion as his eyes went wide and as his mouth was agape.

"Well, of course, buddy! You're coming into your own! I mean! That's what this whole chap-Err I mean-episode is all about! Showing to everyone that you're not the same weak fox that I've known you for! You're a strong fox now, Tails! You truly are player one!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a grin and a thumbs-up.

"Ah! R-Really? You think that I'm...strong?" Tails replied in shock and in joy as he smiled widely and as his eyes twinkled while having his hands at his chest.

"You totally are, little bro! The strongest!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a grin and a wink.

"Ahh...Ahahahahaha!" Tails muttered calmly before he laughed a little in happiness. Cosmo was smiling proudly too at Tails.

"You really are strong, Tails...I just hope that I can be as strong as you someday..." Cosmo said calmly with a proud smile as she stared at Tails. Tails looked at Cosmo with wide eyes and had blushed a lot in embarrassment. He smiled sheepishly at her as he pondered to himself. I never thought that I would have Cosmo looking up to me for my strength. I feel rather flattered and humbled at the same time...

Chris smiled at that before looked at Sonic with a smug look on his face. "I appreciate the sentiment that you had given to Tails, but don't think that this will clear you from your neglectfulness on the search mission, Sonic. I still say that you should've searched harder and stay focused on your mission. Not goof off and let me do all the work," Chris said calmly with a smug smile and half-lidded eyelids as he stared at Sonic.

"Uhhh...Heheheh...Are you sure that you couldn't just forgive me for that and be...over it?" Sonic asked awkwardly with a sheepish smile and a shrug as a sweat drop fell from his head.

"Oh, don't worry, Sonic. I forgive you...But you still owe me for that. How about you take over my cleaning duties for the day, and then we'll call it even," Chris replied calmly with a smug look on his face.

"...Heheheheh...Uhhh...Alright. Fine. I'll do it. Sorry about that, Chris. I just got too sidetracked there," Sonic replied awkwardly with a sheepish smile as he looked down to the ground in embarrassment.

"It's alright, Sonic. I know how your one-tracked mind works. It's all good..." Chris replied calmly with a smile and a nod. He then lowered his eyelids again as he pondered calmly. Every day, I'm understanding Knuckles a bit more on how he feels with Sonic sometimes. Now that I'm older and more responsible...I can see where Knuckles is coming from on how annoying Sonic can be sometimes with his irresponsibility and recklessness. I never knew how much of a pain Sonic can be while trying to do something important...such as searching for your friends for example...Sigh...I pity Knuckles very much now after dealing with Sonic's shenanigans today...

"Awwww...Look at them, Sonic! Tails and Cosmo are looking so cute! Do you think that they had gotten a lot closer thanks to this experience?" Amy said brightly with a smile as she stared at Tails and Cosmo before looking at Sonic.

"Ummm...Maybe...I guess..." Sonic muttered awkwardly with a sheepish smile and a shrug as he looked at Amy.

"Do you want to get trapped in a cave with me, Sonic? We can have an adventure together if we do that! That would be romantic!" Amy replied brightly with a sweet smile as she had her hands together.

"And possibly get stuck for a long time with no way out? No thanks..." Sonic replied in annoyance with a frown and with lowered eyelids as he crossed his arms.

"How come you don't want to have an adventure with me, Sonic?! Why do you keep turning me down?!" Amy exclaimed in annoyance as she frowned a lot at this. Chris looked at Amy and Sonic in awkwardness while stepping a bit away from them. Oh boy. This is awkward. Chris thought with a frown.

"Because I want to keep you safe! Not all adventures are safe rides, you know!" Sonic exclaimed back with a frown while looking concerned.

"You think that I don't know that?! I'm not brain-dead, you know!" Amy yelled back irritably with a pout.

"I know that! But...But I just...ummm..." Sonic muttered awkwardly with a frown as a sweat drop fell from his head. T-Tails? What are you doing right now? Sonic thought in awkwardness as he stared at Tails and Cosmo again while ignoring Amy's ranting.

"I'm just relieved that you two are safe and sound!" Cream exclaimed happily with a bright smile.

"Yes, I'm glad that we have you guys to defend us. I now understand what Tails had meant when he said, 'believe in your friends, and they'll come through to you'. Because just as when we were in a hopeless situation, you guys had showed up and saved us from disaster. It's all over now," Cosmo replied calmly with a smile as she looked at Cream while looking at Tails briefly at times.

"Or is it?" the Metarex sergeant said deviously as he got back up from the ground and got out from the pile of rocks. Everyone gasped in shock as they looked at the risen Metarex robot. Oh, thank goodness, a distraction! Sonic thought in relief as he sighed a bit as he looked at Amy briefly before looking at the Metarex robot again.

"Oh no! He's not dead!" Cosmo exclaimed in shock as she stared at the Metarex robot out of fear.

"Of course, I'm not dead! The Metarex will never die! Especially when we have all seven of the Chaos Emeralds! Now, just hand over the Chaos Emerald nice and easy or else my lackeys will shank you until you drop it!" the Metarex sergeant exclaimed confidently as he pointed at the group as more Metarex robots moved towards the group to defend their boss.

"Not unless we shank you first!" Amy exclaimed boldly with a confident smile as she bolted towards the Metarex robots with her hammer ready.

"I second that statement, Amy! Fore!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a confident smile as he ran towards the Metarex sergeant before going into his Spinball Form.

"Go Sonic and Amy!" Chris and Cream cheered brightly with determined smiles on their faces.

"Nice try, player four! But I'm ready for you!" the Metarex sergeant exclaimed as he jumped to dodge Sonic's Spinball attack. Sonic had missed the initial attack.

"Hahahahahaha! Owwwwww!" the Metarex sergeant laughed evilly before yelping loudly in pain as Sonic had struck the back of his head with the second attack.

Amy then ran towards some Metarex robots and had raised her hammer up before swinging it a lot towards them. The Metarex robots yelled in panic before they were knocked around with Amy's hammer swings.

"Ah! Ugh! Whoa! Stop trying to hit me! Let me attack you once! Oh! Ah! Nggh! No fair!" the Metarex sergeant yelled in shock and in anger as he tried to dodge Sonic's fast attacks.

"Oh, yes, it's fair! It's all fair play, you poacher!" Sonic exclaimed back while hitting the other Metarex robot next to the sergeant.

"Ack! But we're not even-!" the Metarex sergeant yelled in panic as he ducked before looking at his fallen comrade behind him. The Metarex lackey had crashed into the rocky wall while looking defeated. Well...this is a bust...Sigh...I'm so fired...The Metarex sergeant thought with a sweat drop on his head as he looked and watched more of his lackeys getting beaten up by the others.

Cream had thrown Cheese at some Metarex robots, and Cheese had easily knocked them down to the ground by bouncing into them like a dodge ball.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"Chao!" Cheese chirped enthusiastically with a smile. Cosmo was stunned when she saw Cheese knock three Metarex robots down. How could one, little creature take down such tall foes? The world may never know...Cosmo pondered in shock as she stared at Cheese in amazement.

"Gaaaaah! My heart! My heart!" the Metarex lackeys exclaimed in pain as their chests were being hit a lot. They then collapsed to the ground after being hit so many times in the chest.

Heh. Oh, yeah. I totally knocked those poachers out with my ninjutsu moves and not with a gun. Come on. That would be crazy! Chris pondered calmly in amusement as he blew his hand a bit while crouching.

"Now, do you understand, Cosmo? Since we've decided to face our problems head on, we've stuck it out to the end, and we were rewarded by having our friends save us! This would not happen if we gave up and not fight back! We would've lost a Chaos Emerald if we did that instead," Tails said calmly with a smile as he stared at Cosmo.

"Yes, I do understand now, Tails. I think that I will try to face my problems more head on now thanks to this experience. Thank you, Tails...for everything," Cosmo replied calmly with a sweet smile as she stared at Tails.

Tails then smirked a bit as he replied calmly, "Don't thank me yet, Cosmo. We still have one last Metarex poacher to deal with first".

"No! Stop! You have it all wrong! I'm not a poacher! I'm an ex-poacher! Really! Me and my crew were demoted months ago!" the Metarex sergeant yelled in panic as he had his claws up in self-defense.

"Pffft! You got demoted?! Man, that explains why your buddies had been taken down so easily! You guys suck!" Sonic exclaimed in amusement as he grinned a lot from this. The others had chuckled a little at that comment.

"Grrrrrr! Stop mocking me! Even though you guys had achieved another emerald, you will still lose in the end! I swear! All of you players will lose, and the poachers will be the winners!" the Metarex sergeant yelled in anger and in determination as he glared at the group.

"..." Everyone was just silent while having huge smiles on their faces.

"...What? Did I say something funny?" the Metarex sergeant asked in confusion as a sweat drop went down from his head.

"Yeah. Because you said that you poachers are going to win. Ha! What a joke!" Sonic replied teasingly with a smirk.

"Ah! I-! I-!" the Metarex sergeant yelled in exasperation.

"Psh. Pathetic. Sonic? Can you do the honors?" Tails said calmly with a smug look on his face as he looked at Sonic.

"With pleasure, little bro! With pleasure!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a grin as he stared at the Metarex robot before him.

"You think that you can beat me, player four?" the Metarex sergeant asked coldly yet tauntingly as he stared at Sonic.

"I don't 'think'! I know!" Sonic exclaimed back with a grin.

"Yeah, right. As if you can beat me with that little ring of yours," the Metarex sergeant replied tauntingly.

"Who says that it has to be a ring? Sonic! Show this poacher what I mean!" Cosmo exclaimed boldly in the distance. Sonic looked back and had grinned a lot when he saw Tails carrying Cosmo while she's holding the white Chaos Emerald in her hand. She then threw the white Chaos Emerald at Sonic and he had quickly grabbed it.

"No problem, Cosmo! I'll make a show of it!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a grin as he held the Chaos Emerald tightly in his hand while staring at the last Metarex robot.

"Ah! Uh! Time out! Time out! Why don't I just slither away and let you guys keep the emerald?! How's that?!" the Metarex sergeant yelled in panic as he looked shocked while more sweat on his robotic head.

"No deal!" Sonic exclaimed back with a smirk as he kept holding onto the emerald as it glows brighter and brighter.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! Nooooooooooooo! Mooooooooommmmy!" the Metarex sergeant screamed in fear as the white light was enveloping the cave.

Tails smiled in victory as he watched Sonic go into his charged up Spinball Form and flew towards the Metarex robot. Who's the coward now, poacher? Who's the coward now? Tails thought calmly in victory.

-Few Minutes Later-

Everyone soon got out from the cave and got back to the Blue Typhoon. They were all relieved that everything was okay and that they had acquired another emerald. Sigh...All's well that ends well...Sonic thought calmly with a smile as he relaxed a bit on top of the Blue Typhoon.

"Are you serious? You mean to tell me that you had collected information from the Metarex's computer and downloaded them into your wrist communicator? That's incredible, Tails! You guys were lucky after all!" Chris replied brightly with a smile as he looked at Tails' wrist communicator while holding it.

"Yep. Whatever is stored in their computers will give us some insight into the Metarex's plans, and with Cosmo here, we can decipher its strange language and discover whatever information they have," Tails replied calmly with a smile and a nod as he glanced at Cosmo. Cosmo smiled brightly at Tails after hearing him say that.

"Ah! That's great, guys! We certainly have a leg up in this game now! Heh! I'm not even a player, and even I'm excited at this!" Chris exclaimed happily with a smile as he looked down at Tails and Cosmo.

"Did you hear that, Cheese? We have something against the Metarex! We're going to win the game now for sure!" Cream said brightly with a smile as she looked at Cheese.

"Chao! Chao!" Cheese chirped happily with a smile as he moved his arms a bit.

"Cosmo, I didn't know that you're bilingual. Why didn't you tell any of us about this?" Amy said brightly with a smile as she looked at Cosmo.

"Uhh...Well...I...I thought that it wouldn't be of any use in this game. It was never brought up when the previous players had played the board game. I just thought that it's going to be the same thing with you guys," Cosmo replied calmly yet sadly with a frown as she closed her eyes and moved her head down in shame.

"Well, it looks like it's going to be of use to us since you're going to our translator, Cosmo. You are our guide, you know. We can use any help that you're willing to give us. After all, a good player will always have a 'guide' ready at hand!" Tails replied calmly yet brightly with a smile as he moved his hand a bit.

"Ah! Really?! You guys really...need me?" Cosmo asked in shock as she stared at Tails and at Cream and Chris.

"Of course, we need you! You're our friend! Friends will need other friends to help them out with their own problems! Just as we help out with your problems, Cosmo, we need you to help us with our own problems! (Chao! Chao!)" Cream exclaimed brightly with a cheerful smile as she stared at Cosmo. Cheese chirped happily with Cream after hearing her saying that.

"...!" Cosmo gasped in shock as she stared at Chris next.

"Cream's right, Cosmo. Everyone needs help with something. Even you can help someone out, Cosmo. And we certainly need your help more than ever if any of my friends are going to beat the board game. Heh. Take it from me as 'the players' ally' in the game," Chris replied calmly with a smile as he nodded in agreement.

Cosmo was stunned as she heard this. She then looked at Tails and saw him smiling at her. He then winked at her to show that he agrees with Cream and Chris on those statements. Cosmo saw that and soon smiled very much in happiness. They're...They're right. I really am helpful to others! They need me, and I'm going to work very hard to help them succeed into beating the game! Cosmo pondered calmly yet happily with a bright smile.

"Heheheh...Well, now that you two are safe and sound at last...There is just one last thing that we need to do before we head off into space again," Chris said calmly with a huge smile as he got closer to Tails and Cosmo while looking at Cream and Amy.

"Hehehe! I agree completely, Chris! It's very important that we do this! You know...as a group celebration!" Amy exclaimed brightly with a happy smile as she got behind Tails and Cosmo.

"H-Huh? What's all the fuss, guys? Did something come up?" Tails asked curiously in confusion as he looked around at Chris, Cream, and Amy. Cosmo was looking confused too as she looked at the gang too.

"Oh, it's nothing, Tails! It's all Mr. Sonic's idea! Right, Mr. Sonic?" Cream replied calmly with a bright smile as she got close to Tails and Cosmo too while looking up at Sonic. Sonic opened his eyes and smiled brightly at the group before getting up and jumping down from the Blue Typhoon. He walked up next to Tails and Cosmo while smiling warmly at them.

"Oh, you bet ya, Cream! Come on, everyone! On one...two...three!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a warm smile as he got close to Tails and Cosmo and stood next to them.

"I love you!" Everyone besides Tails and Cosmo yelled happily in unison as they hugged Tails and Cosmo at the same time.

"...!" Tails and Cosmo gasped in surprise when they felt the others hugging them tightly yet warmly. Sonic, Cream, Chris, and Amy were smiling brightly yet warmly as they held Tails and Cosmo. Tails and Cosmo looked at each other with shocked expressions before they smiled a lot from this as they enjoyed this surprise group hug.

"Aww...I love you guys too," Tails replied calmly with a warm look on his face as he hugged Cream and Sonic back.

"Thank you so much, guys. I really needed a hug after this terrible day," Cosmo replied calmly with a warm look too as she hugged Chris and Amy.

"Heh. I had a feeling that you needed one, Cosmo. Did Tails cheer you up today?" Sonic replied calmly with a warm smile as he looked at Cosmo while hugging Tails and her a little.

"Ah! Sonic!" Tails exclaimed in embarrassment as he blushed a lot while looking at Cosmo. Cosmo looked at Tails and smiled a lot from this.

"Why yes, Sonic. Tails had definitely cheered me up today. He even taught me a lot today as well. You have a good little brother, Sonic. You should be proud of him," Cosmo replied calmly with a warm smile as she stared at Tails before at Sonic.

"C-Cosmo..." Tails muttered shyly with a sheepish smile as he blushed even more at that.

"Heh! I already am, Cosmo! You were quite a hero today, buddy! Keep up the good work!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a warm smile as he looked at Tails.

"Heheheheh...Thanks, Sonic. I will. I will," Tails replied calmly with a smile and a chuckle as he held Sonic a bit tighter.

"Hey, Sonic? Why don't we let Tails and Cosmo hug each other and then hug them afterward? It's their turn to show how much they love each other! Teehee!" Amy suggested brightly with a smile as she looked at Sonic before looking at Tails and Cosmo with a knowing look.

"Ah! Amy!" Tails and Cosmo exclaimed in unison as they both blushed in embarrassment while staring at each other with shocked faces.

"You have a good point, Amy. We have showed Tails and Cosmo that we love them, but Tails and Cosmo themselves hadn't showed each other how much they love each other! Heh. Well, you two? Care to show us all how you guys feel?" Sonic replied calmly with a bright smile as he looked at Tails and Cosmo.

"...S-Sonic...Really? I-In front of everyone?" Tails muttered quietly in embarrassment as he blushed a lot while looking down to the ground.

"Aww, come on, Tails. You know that you want to," Sonic replied calmly with a knowing smile and a wink as he can tell why Tails is being shy right now.

"Ummm...Hmmm...A-Alright...I'll do it...C-Cosmo?" Tails muttered awkwardly yet slowly with a deep blush as he lets go of Sonic and Cream and turned around to face Cosmo.

"...T-Tails?" Cosmo asked quietly as she lets go of Chris and Amy to turn around and face Tails as well. The others let go of Tails and Cosmo briefly so that they can give each other the hug. Tails and Cosmo stared at each other with flushed faces. They were a bit hesitant to hug each other with the others staring at them, but they soon smiled warmly at each other and had leant forward to embrace the other.

"...I...I love you..." Tails and Cosmo muttered shyly yet warmly in unison as they embraced each other tightly. They blushed a lot while doing this, but they were happy regardless.

"Now, that's what I'm talking about! Aright, guys! Group hug!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a smile and a thumbs-up before he leant forward towards Tails and Cosmo again.

"Yeah!" Cream, Chris, and Amy exclaimed in unison with huge smiles on their faces as they hugged Tails and Cosmo again along with Sonic. They were all feeling happy as they had another group hug and wished that it wouldn't stop.

But of course, nice moments aren't meant to last long.

CRAAAASSHH! POW!

"Urrrrgh! Yah! (Pant pant pant)…...Finally...I'm back outside...and...(Pant pant pant)…And I brought the board game all the way here..." Knuckles muttered breathlessly after grunting a bit as he dug up from the ground and placed the board game on top of the ground. He panted and sweated a lot before looking at the others in concern.

"Guys! Guys! This is serious! I still can't find Tails and Cosmo! I've dug underground for hours, and I still can't find them!" Knuckles exclaimed in concern as he stared at the group with a worried look on his face.

"Knuckles! You've ruined the moment!" Cosmo exclaimed in annoyance with a frown as she looked at Knuckles. The others looked at Knuckles too after hearing him speak.

"Oh...Uh...Sorry, Cosmo. WAIT! COSMO?! TAILS?!" Knuckles muttered calmly with a little frown before he shouted in shock after realizing that Tails and Cosmo were standing right there in the middle of the group.

"It's about time that your brain had finally caught up to you, buddy," Sonic quipped teasingly with a smirk as he lowered his eyelids at Knuckles.

"Ah! …...Now, wait a minute! How are you guys here?! You guys were supposed to be trapped within that cave! And...And...Hang on. Why are you guys hugging each other?" Knuckles exclaimed in shock and in confusion as he rubbed his eyes before muttering in confusion after seeing that the group was still hugging each other. The others looked at each other for a moment before laughing a lot in amusement.

"H-Huh?! Hey! Why are you guys laughing?! Is this a joke to you?! I'm being serious here! Why are you guys hugging each other and...and...and laughing at me even?! Hey! HEY! ANSWER ME, DANG IT! DON'T TELL ME THAT I HAD DUG THROUGH THE GROUND FOR NOTHING!" Knuckles exclaimed in shock before shouting in anger as he frowned a lot while staring at the group as they laughed for a long time.

For all the unluckiness that everyone had gone through today, there is one thing that luck doesn't overcome...and that is teamwork.

However...someone thinks otherwise as he was watching this all play out.

-?-

"...Stupid ex-poachers...I knew that I should've assembled more competent poachers into my army. But no matter...at least we have collected more information from the Chaos Emeralds and from those foolish players..." Dark Oak said calmly while sitting in his chair at the control room. As he said it, the mystical, strange fireflies flew up from the vent and had surrounded him.

He continued his monologue by saying darkly, "...It seems that our plan is working. Those fools genuinely believe that they are winning now...Heheheh...Perfect. They have completely fallen for our trap...".

He grabbed one little firefly with his fingers as he continued monologuing, "Once those players reach the end of the game, that is when I'll unveil my hand and show them why no one ever beats our game. No one!".

Dark Oak crushed the firefly in his fingers after saying that last part. He kept staring into the screens as he finished monologuing by saying deviously, "It doesn't matter how skilled you are at a game. You will always be beaten by luck in the end. And your luck...is about to run out...Hahahahahahahahaha!".

...On second thought...maybe luck can overcome teamwork after all.

And thus, part three is done, and episode 62 is finished! It's been a while, but we finally made it! After that is the bonus game! Now that I had finished this episode, I think that I will make the rest of the episodes into parts instead of their full length since it has been a bit easier to write the episodes this way. I'm making progress in both the episodes and in chapters, and I can upload new chapters that way too. So, I think that I will keep this change especially since I still want to work on my other story alongside this one. This time, I'm going to exchange between the two whenever I finish a part in each story so that neither of them will be delayed for months. I don't want to make a story sit still for almost three months again. I not only want to get my stories done, but I also don't want to make you wait for a long time. But regardless, thank you so much for being patient and for supporting this story! Next time, it's the first bonus game! See you all next time!