In a small town resting in the mountains of the Orient, Keith, Kat, Helen, and all of their Mobian friends were all waiting for a bus.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Amy asked.
"Hot Springs Village, Tanaka's hometown." Keith informed. "We'll need to transfer to a bus here, then we'll be there in another hour."
"An hour? Why couldn't we just take the Tornado II?"
"Aww, what's the matter?" Knuckles ribbed. "Afraid of a little bus travel?"
"No!" Amy snapped. "I'm just sick of sitting is all!"
"It won't be that much longer," Kat reassured. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Mr. Teacher Spy is trying to pull some strings so we get a quicker bus."
Off to the side, Mr. Stewart was looking over the bus routes, checking the times. When he didn't like what he saw, he activated his comms.
"This is Chalkboard Charlie, do you read me? The bus doesn't arrive for another hour and the subjects are growing restless."
"10-4. You have a replacement en route. Over,"
…
A few minutes later, a charter bus came pulling up to the station, the doors sliding open.
"Alright, everyone in!" Mr. Stewart called out. "Hot Springs Village awaits!"
"Sweet!" Kat let out.
"I'm so excited for this," Cream shared. "Are you, Cheese?"
Cheese chirped happily as everyone started boarding.
"So why is Mr. Stewart here anyway?" Knuckles asked. "I thought this would be an 'us' kind of thing."
"Considering the last few times we've gone on vacation and Eggman's appeared, not to mention your adventure in Oriental City, I imagine the government's more than a little worried about us," Keith rationalized.
"Eh, I guess that makes sense," Knuckles allowed.
"We had Oriental city under control, same with all of the vacations Eggman's crashed." Kat insisted. "I don't see why they're so worried."
"They're worried because you're teenagers," Mr. Stewart piped up. "Honestly, if they had their way, you two would never get involved in any of this. Of course, trouble seems to have a way of finding you, and we risk angering your friends if we try to intervene any more than we already have."
"Damn right," Knuckles snorted. "Ya ain't takin' us from them."
"Awww," Helen let out. "So you do like us."
Knuckles' face turned red and he was instantly on his feet.
"I never said that! Having human allies to help us out around here is just common sense!"
"Oh, is that why you're hanging around me?" Kat questioned, sounding somewhat offended. "Because I'm useful?"
"I… uh… hey, where's Sonic?!"
"Oh, you know him," Tails replied. "He's not one for camping. He said he's gonna explore the city. He should be on his way there now."
Kat crossed her arms, looking out the window.
"Don't think I'm letting that comment slide," she muttered.
…
Sonic meanwhile was running alongside a train heading towards the city. He waved to some of the passengers on the train, then broke off and headed down a dirt path.
…
Elsewhere, the bus arrived at Hot Springs Village , everyone getting off and looking around. The air was crisp and clean, a clear stream gurgling along the outskirts of the town. Mr. Tanaka was waiting for them at the bus stop, giving the group a small bow.
"Welcome to my home, everyone. I trust you had a safe trip."
"The trip was alright," Keith replied. "I gotta say, your home is really beautiful."
"Thank you, Master Keith. I hope you and your friends will enjoy your stay here. It certainly was a wonderful place to grow up in."
"I can see why," Helen spoke up. "It's absolutely beautiful."
The bus drove off, and Tanaka gathered everyone up.
"Alright, listen up. When we get to the campsite, I don't want anyone wandering off alone. These woods are quite large and it is very easy to get lost. If you want to leave the campsite, you will need a partner."
"Keith!" Kat called out, hooking her arm around him. "You're my partner."
"Uh… sure," Keith replied.
"I think I'll hang back for a bit," Amy decided. "Camping's not my idea of fun, so I think I'll just stick with Tanaka. Maybe I can help with dinner or something."
"I'll keep an eye on Cream and Helen then," Tails volunteered. "Someone needs to push her chair,"
"Sounds like fun," Cream replied, Cheese chirping in her grip.
"We can go bug hunting!" Helen cheered.
As everyone else made their plans for what would happen at the campside, Knuckles approached Kat, more than a little confused.
"Kat, why pick Keith? I mean, you and I partner well."
""What was that?" Kat asked, her tone hard and cold. "You want me to partner with you? Am I of some use to you now?"
Knuckles choked on his words, Kat snorting and pulling Keith along. Mr. Stewart approached Knuckles, giving him a look.
"You alright?"
"Fine!" Knuckles insisted, walking off. "I do better alone anyway."
…
In the city, Sonic ran across the rooftops, taking in the view.
"Man, this place is pretty cool. I should have come here sooner."
He jumped off the roof, landing on the street, right in front of two girls wearing kimonos. When they saw him, both of them immediately gasped.
"Sonic!" One exclaimed. "Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"We've seen you on TV," her friend explained. "It is an honor to meet you in person."
"Thanks. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where a hedgehog can get some food around here, would you?"
"Go to the shopping district," the first girl suggested. "Lots of freshly made food, hot off the griddle."
"Try takoyaki while you're there. It's a local delicacy."
"I will. Thanks!"
With that, Sonic sped off, the girls holding down the skirts of their kimonos as he did.
…
The group had arrived at the campsite, where everyone had split up to go enjoy themselves. Amy was happily chopping onions for some shishkabobs Tanaka had planned. Mr. Stewart even lent a hand, enjoying the mundane chore and the calmness of the area.
"Your culinary skills have grown immensely Amy," Mr. Tanaka commended.
"Thanks," Amy replied, blushing slightly. "Ella's shown me a few tricks here and there. I don't think I'll ever be as good as her, but I'm definitely no slouch in the kitchen."
"It shows."
Not far from the camp, Cream and Helen were looking at all of the wild flowers, marveling at some of the butterflies that were flying about. One landed right on Cheese's face, the bug's wings completely obscuring the chao's face. This made both girls giggle as Cheese sneezed, falling onto his back and scaring the butterfly away. Tails watched them, playing with a pill bug and a stick. He looked up, chuckling a bit, then went back to his bug
…
In a different part of the forest, Keith and Kat had managed to locate one of the village's titular hot springs. They both quickly removed their electronics, and in Keith's case, his glasses, changed into their swimsuits, then slid into the steamy water.
"Ah…" Keith let out. "This is nice."
"Oh yeah..." Kat sighed. "We should come here more often. It's like nature's own hot tub."
"Right." Keith took a breath. "So… you kinda gave Knuckles the cold shoulder earlier."
Kat snorted.
"Your point?"
"That you were maybe a little too hard on the guy."
"You heard what he said."
"Come on, everyone knows you two are inseparable. Including him."
"That's what I thought. He made it quite clear how he really felt."
"Well, from what he and Sonic told us, he didn't have much practice socializing on that island of his, Maybe he's just not used to having friends."
"Even so, he shouldn't have said that. I'm no one's tool, and I don't like being used..." she got out of the hot spring. "I'm gonna go dry off."
Keith just sighed, realizing that things weren't gonna get better by talking to her.
…
Back with Tails and the girls, Cream was wading in a nearby stream while Helen made a flower crown from some of the flowers the group had picked. Cheese meanwhile was chasing the butterfly from earlier, chirping happily as he tried to catch it. As the butterfly flew closer to the stream, Cheese jumped to try and catch it. He ended up missing, falling into the water. Helen heard the splash, looking up.
"Cream! Cheese fell in the water!"
Cream instantly looked up and saw her Chao friend floating away.
"Cheese!" Cream let out, following after.
Before she got too far, Tails grabbed her.
"Cream, wait," He insisted. "The current's moving too fast. Our best chance is to tell the others. Don't worry, we'll get him back."
…
Later, everyone regrouped at the camp as Cream explained what happened.
"Cheese must be downstream somewhere," Mr. Stewart rationalized. "It shouldn't be too hard to find him. If we follow the river, the current will eventually even out and the little critter will be as right as rain."
"Unfortunately, about a mile from here, the river splits in two different directions," Mr. Tanaka informed the group. "It is nigh impossible to tell which way Cheese could have gone."
Cream began to tear up, hiccuping as she rubbed her eyes. Kat bent down, gently rubbing the rabbit's back.
"Don't worry Cream," she reassured, "We'll find him."
"Yeah," Amy insisted. "Chao are made for the water, so you know he'll be fine. I'm sure he's just waiting for you to come find him."
"I… guess so…" Cream let out.
"I'm so sorry Cream," Helen said mournfully. "I wish I could have done something to help..."
"There wasn't anything anyone could do," Tails reassured. "Even I couldn't keep up with the current at that speed."
"Fortunately, there are many areas in the river where the water is shallow," Mr. Tanaka informed. "Cheese may very well be stuck in a patch of sand somewhere."
"Then let's get searching!" Keith declared.
…
Meanwhile, Robotnik, Orbot, and Cubot were making their way through the forest, wearing explorer helmets and lugging backpacks full of supplies.
"How much farther must we travel in this grueling wilderness?" Orbot questioned. "If I had feet, they would be killing me."
"I don't have feet and they're killing me!" Cubot whined. "And my helmet won't stay on my head!"
"Did you use the duct tape like I suggested?" Orbot asked.
Cubot took off his helmet, revealing a roll of duct tape underneath.
"Yeah, and it didn't do anything."
Orbot just facepalmed in response.
"Quiet, you two!" Robotnik demanded. "It's bad enough that I have to listen to you two yammering, but I have to do it when it's 120 degrees out here!"
"Actually, it is 95 degrees Fahrenheit," Orbot corrected.
"Really?" Cubot let out. "I thought it was 35 degrees Celsius."
"I didn't ask for a weather report!" Robotnik snapped. "This is as good a place as any. Orbot, my chair! Cubot, my fan!"
Orbot removed a folding chair from his backpack, setting it up on the ground. Cubot pulled a fan from his, a long pole extending from the end so he could hold it and gently fan Robotnik. Orbot then began gently wiping sweat off Robotnik's head with a cloth.
"There, is that cooler, doctor?" the round robot asked.
"It's something of an improvement," Robotnik replied.
"I don't understand why you're insisting on this vacation," Cubot remarked. "I thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing. This is the opposite of relaxing. This is… What's the opposite of relaxing?"
"Unrelaxing?" Orbot proposed.
"Yeah, that!"
"Well, it's not supposed to be relaxing for you," Robotnik told them. "It's supposed to be relaxing for me. Now shut up and keep fanning me!"
At that moment, Bokkun came flying out of the treetops and towards the three.
"Hi ya doc!" Bokkun greeted.
"Bokkun, what are you doing here?! I thought I gave you strict orders not to disturb me!"
"Well that was before I saw something by the river! You have to come see!"
...
Bokkun led Robotnik to a nearby clearing, where he poked out and saw the group attempting to search for Cheese. Since they were a fair distance away, he couldn't make out what any of them were saying, only seeing that they were looking for something.
"What are those clowns doing here?" Robotnik asked.
"They appear to be searching for something," Orbot rationalized.
"Maybe it's a Chaos Emerald," Cubot guessed.
"Perhaps it is," Robotnik mused.
He then saw Knuckles attempting to approach Kat. Though they were too far away to hear what was said, it was easy to see Kat spurning him, pointedly ignoring him and walking away.
"Well now. It seems Sonic's B-team is having a rough patch. Someone should take advantage of that…"
"What are you suggesting, Doctor?" Orbot asked.
"I'm thinking that if we can add a little fuel to this fire, they'll be so busy with the B-Team that the Emerald will be ours for the taking."
…
The group continued their search for Cheese, with Knuckles trailing behind. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists, feeling like there was a knot in his chest. Everyone else just continued the search, calling out Cheese's name as they headed further and further downstream. As Knuckles continued to follow, he heard a small noise coming from the bush nearby. He turned, curious. Deciding to check it out on his own, and still feeling upset about being ignored, he headed after the noise. As he moved through the brush, he came face to face with Robotnik.
"Eggman!" Knuckles let out, taking a fighting stance. "What are you doing here?! What did you do to Cheese?!"
"Calm down, Knuckles, I didn't come to fight," Robotnik reassured. "As it happens, I'm on vacation."
Knuckles snorted, crossing his arms.
"Just how gullible do you think I am?"
"Oh, I don't think you're gullible. In fact, I think you're more than capable of handling things all by yourself."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well I was passing by the area and couldn't help but notice you and your partner aren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment."
"I don't see how that's any of your business."
"And I don't see why you keep her around. Surely she's just a burden. I mean, how many times has she actually been useful to you? I bet you would have already found all seven Emeralds if you weren't always dragging her dead weight wherever you go."
"The only dead weight I see around here is you."
Robotnik sighed, shaking his head.
"Look Knuckles, I'm just trying to be rational. Like I told you before, I want to get back to Mobius. At the moment, you and your friends hold all the cards, quite literally. If you want to get home too, then drop the girl and get back to the Emerald hunt"
Confused and irritated, Knuckles just stormed off, leaving Robotnik standing there smirking.
…
Back with the group, they continued their search for Cheese. When Knuckles came back out of the brush, Tails took notice.
"Knuckles, there you are. Where did you go?"
"Probably went off on his own because we were holding him back," Kat snorted. "Ditching the useless tools, right?"
Knuckles was about to respond when Keith put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, uh, Knux. Can we talk?"
"Uh, sure," Knuckles replied as they held back.
Mr. Stewart glanced back, looking at Keith with concern. Keith waved him off and the group moved on. Knuckles turned to Keith, growling.
"What the heck's her problem?"
"Kat's… complicated. Trust me, you shouldn't take it personally."
"Yeah, well it feels personal. I know what I said was dumb, but she acts like I spat on her grandmother's grave or something. Why is she ghosting me like this and why is it bugging me this bad?"
"Well…" Keith let out, rubbing the back of his head before sighing. "Kat's… never been able to really make connections. She sticks out alot, and that had her ostracized since day one. People would get close to her, but only because she was tough and they felt she could protect them. They were just using her, and she hated it. The only person that ever really cared about her was her mom. Her mom always encouraged her to be her own self and to not let anyone change her into something she's not."
"Her mom…" Knuckles realized. "She… never really talks about her. I've never even met her."
"That's because she… she died. Car accident three years ago. Kat… didn't take it well."
"Whoa…"
"Yeah. After that, Kat kinda… stopped caring. She stopped trying to make connections or do much of anything. She'd lash out at anyone, and she lost any and all tolerance for people just kissing up to her because they wanted to use her or because they felt pity for her."
"That's why she reacted to what I said like that…"
"Yeah… Aside from me, you're the first person Kat's ever considered a friend. Heck, even I'm not as close to her as you are. She actually opened up to you, and that's why what you said really hurt her."
Knuckles let that sink in, rubbing his head slightly.
"Man… I really screwed this one up, didn't I?"
"It might not be too late to fix things."
"Hey guys!" Tails called out. "We found something!"
Knuckles and Keith quickly ran to catch up with the group, who was gathered around the mouth of a small cave. The stream seemed to flow down into it, creating a small slide.
"You think Cheese might have drifted into the tunnel?" Keith asked.
"It's possible," Mr. Stewart allowed.
"Hey Keith," Tails spoke up. "Try those goggles of yours. They have a night vision setting. See if you can see down the end of the tunnel."
Keith nodded as he put his goggles on, which were scanning the length of the tunnel for anything inside.
"I think there's something at the end of the tunnel, but it's too long to get a good read."
"Unfortunately, the tunnel's too big for me to fit," Mr. Stewart lamented.
That's when everyone heard a splash. They looked to see Kat sitting in the stream like one would for a water slide.
"See you at the bottom!" she cheered before pushing herself into the tunnel.
"Kat, wait!" Keith let out. "Ugh, guess we'd better follow."
One by one, the others began sliding down the slide. Mr. Stewart even pulled Helen from her chair, setting her in the water.
"The water is shallow enough you'll be alright," he assured her. "Besides, I'm certain they'll catch you at the bottom."
Helen grinned from ear to ear.
"I've always wanted to go down a water slide."
He gently pushed her down, allowing her to slide down after the others.
…
Meanwhile in the city, Sonic came to a stop in the shopping district. He could smell all sorts of exotic foods that were making his mouth water.
"So much good stuff here. I don't know where to start."
"Takoyaki!" a man called out. "Fresh, hot takoyaki!"
"I guess there's as good a spot as any."
Sonic walked over to where the man was standing, the smell of the takoyaki filling his nose. When the man saw him, his eyes went wide.
"Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"Hi. how much for the, what'd you call it? Takoyaki?" he reached into his spines, pulling out a small leather satchel and dumping a few golden rings into his hand. "I don't know if you take Mobian rings, but it's all I-"
"It is on the house. A gift for the great hero Sonic."
"Wow. Thanks."
Sonic took the dish and bit into it, smiling widely and giving a thumbs up.
"It's delicious!"
Some of the surrounding citizens clapped in response.
…
At the end of the tunnel, the group splashed down in a shallow pool that was barely a foot deep. Keith picked up Helen and placed her on his back, the entire group looking around to see an absolutely beautiful sight. They were in a field of flowers, a large willow tree providing shade over the pool. However, the most surprising thing that they saw was an entire colony of wild Chao.
"Whoa…" everyone let out.
"I can't believe it," Tails declared. "It's a Chao colony!"
"But how is that possible?" Knuckles questioned.
"Could it have been transported with you guys?" Kat asked.
"No way," Tails answered. "Chao can only exist in pure environments with plenty of fresh water. This colony's been here for awhile, far longer than we have."
Several of the Chao started flying towards them, all chirping happily and flying around the group. All of them seemed quite happy to have company.
"I think they're happy to see us," Helen noted.
"Chao are naturally friendly," Cream told her. "They love meeting new people." She then gasped. "Maybe Cheese is here!"
"Maybe," Kat agreed. "We just need to find our Chao in a sea of others."
"Just look for the Chao with the bow tie," Knuckles told her. "He shouldn't be too hard to spot."
She'd already walked off by the time he said something, joining the others in search of the bow tied Chao. Everyone began searching, pulling Chao out of the tree and from the water, but none of them had Cheese's bowtie.
"Cheese is that you?" Cream asked a nearby Chao before seeing it wasn't him. "I guess not."
Another Chao flew by, causing her to perk up.
"Cheese?!" She soon realized it was the wrong one. "Oh, sorry…"
All of a sudden, one of the Chao began chirping wildly. Cream turned, seeing a Chao in a red bowtie making a beeline for her. With tears in her eyes, Cream ran to intercept her friend.
"Cheese!"
Cheese turned towards her and chirped happily as he flew towards her. The two instantly hugged, falling back into the water.
"Oh Cheese, I missed you so much! Don't scare me like that again, okay?"
Kat let out a sigh of relief, flopping onto the grass.
"Thank goodness. I was afraid she'd lost her friend..."
"I know how that feels," Knuckles replied, standing next to her.
Kat glanced over at him, giving him a skeptical look.
"What do you know about friends?"
"Not much… and it clearly hurt you. I'm sorry about what I said. I guess I'm just… still getting used to having people I care about."
Kat's expression softened. She sat up, meeting his eye.
"You mean that?"
"I do. You're… really important to me, Kat. I like having you around. Not because you're useful or because you're good in a fight. I just… its nice not being alone."
Kat smiled, pulling Knuckles closer and hugging him.
"Apology accepted."
Just then, all the Chao began vocalizing around them. Kat and Knuckles just chuckled in response.
"They seem happy," Kat noted.
"I think they're celebrating us making amends," Knuckles surmised.
"Of course they are," Helen agreed. "It's always good when friends make up."
"It sure is Helen," Knuckles agreed. "It sure is."
…
Back in the city, Sonic leapt from rooftop to rooftop until he landed on top of a temple. Down below him, several people saw him and began waving. A few snapped pictures of him or called his name.
"Hey there!" Sonic called out, giving a special wave to some school girls below. "Hiya girls!"
He then jumped off the temple, speeding off.
…
Back at the Chao colony, everyone was having fun with the Chao. Keith pulled some large berries off of the willow tree, tossing them to the Chao. Curious on how they tasted, he tried one for himself.
"Mmm," Keith let out. "Delicious."
"Can I try one?" Helen asked.
"Yeah, toss me one, Keith!" Kat requested.
Keith quickly tossed one her way, as well as one for Helen. Kat passed her the berry and they both partook.
"Whoa, it's so sweet!" Helen cheered.
"Man, normal berries are gonna taste like dirt now compared to these," Kat remarked.
Knuckles watched the three enjoy themselves, then turned to Tails.
"Okay, the Chao being here is one thing, but Chao berries? Something's up here."
"It is highly suspect. I wonder how long this colony has been here."
"Could it have been here since before we got here?"
"If that's the case, then I don't think we're the first Mobians to come to this world," Tails pondered. "We should tell Sonic and the others."
.…
After saying their goodbyes to the Chao, the group departed back up the creek. Thankfully, the water was shallow enough that walking back up was easy. Knuckles carried Helen, his strength and agility making it easier for him to do so. As they made their way out of the tunnel, they were unaware they were being spied on by Orbot and Cubot. When they saw Knuckles helping Kat to her feet, both bots seemed dismayed.
"Uh oh," Orbot let out. "It seems everybody's friends again."
"The boss isn't gonna like this," Cubot dreaded.
The two robots then flew off to inform Robotnik.
…
"What?!" Robotnik let out. "Doesn't anybody know how to hold a good grudge around here?!"
"Something must have happened in that cave that made them make up," Orbot suggested.
"Eh, fine. If they won't turn against each other, we'll just have to go back to basics."
"You think it was a Chaos Emerald that made everyone all happy?" Cubot asked.
"If it is, taking it will make me happy."
He rolled up his sleeve, activating a small device on his wrist. It gave him a holographic display of all of his robots, allowing him to scroll through them. He gave it about three flicks before stopping on a dome-shaped robot with spiked fists and heavy metal boots.
"Ah, E-66. Just what the doctor ordered."
…
At the camp, Amy and Tanaka were finishing up the meal prep. Amy was tossing a salad in a bowl, her gaze a thousand miles away.
"Do you think they'll be okay, Mr. Tanaka?"
"I'm sure they are fine. When I was a boy, I would play in those mountains from sunrise to sunset. I am confident they'll be back soon."
"I hope you're right," Amy let out.
Just then, a large shadow fell over them. They looked up and saw a large robot flying over their tent. Amy covered her ears, the sound of the engine too much for her.
"Amy, are you alright?"
"I am, but the others wont be!" Amy replied. "That was an Eggman robot!"
…
"A secret colony of beings like Cheese?" Mr. Stewart gasped. "That's astounding!"
"You don't have to tell us," Knuckles replied.
"Please don't tell anyone about it, okay, Mr. Stewart?" Tails begged. "They need a clean environment to survive."
"Don't worry. I have no reason to report this to my superiors. It doesn't involve Robotnik, so there's no problem."
Cheese just chirped in a somber tone, something that Cream took notice of.
"What's wrong Cheese? Is it because we left the colony?"
Cheese nodded.
"Don't worry. I'm sure we can come back someday. Right, Keith?"
"Sure. We can pack a picnic and make a day of it."
"I'll bring some tennis balls so we can play catch," Kat offered.
Cheese chirped happily in response, only to have a worried expression on his face instantly after. Everyone looked up to see Robotnik piloting his massive E-66 robot. Everyone was immediately on edge, Mr Stewart stepping between everyone and Robotnik.
"Well well, if it isn't my favorite group of explorers. And the teacher who thought it smart to oppose me."
"Eggman!" Knuckles let out. "I knew you were up to something!"
"Wait, you knew Eggman was here?!" Kat exclaimed.
"He told me he was on vacation!"
"And you believed him?"
"Not for a second! He actually tried to get me to ditch you. Didn't work by the way!"
"So I noticed," Robotnik replied, setting E-66 down on a few trees. "So we'll just go with plan B. Bring me the Chaos Emerald, or else!"
"Chaos Emerald?" Keith repeated.
"What Chaos Emerald?" Helen questioned.
Kat adjusted her grip on her messenger bag on instinct.
"Don't play dumb with me," Robotnik continued. "I saw you fools snooping around. I know you found one. Hand it over and I might let you live."
"He must've seen us looking for Cheese and thought we were hunting for a Chaos Emerald," Tails reasoned.
"Unfortunately… I have one on me…" Kat muttered quietly.
"Yeah, but he doesn't know that," Knuckles reassured before turning to Robotnik. "Sorry to break it to you, Eggman, but there aren't any Emeralds here!"
"How foolish do you think I am?!"
"Scale of one to ten, or just in general," Keith quipped.
Robotnik just growled mercilessly.
"You asked for it, you little brats! E-66, pulverize them!"
E-66 took a massive step forward, creating a shockwave that rattled the group. Robotnik laughed maniacally as everyone became uneasy, only for the massive robot to step down on some loose dirt, completely toppling to one side. It slid down the mountain, causing a massive wave of dirt to cascade into the river. Everyone just stared.
"Well, that was random," Kat declared.
"The heavy mech was too much for the soft soil," Tails rationalized.
"That's what he gets for messing with us," Knuckles snorted. "Though I wish I could've been the one to knock the mech down a peg or two."
Cheese suddenly chirped frantically, pointing towards the river. Everyone saw all the dirt in the water, which was now an ugly, opaque brown.
"That river runs into the Chao colony," Knuckles realized.
"We have to go back and clear it up!" Helen insisted.
Without a moment of hesitation, they all turned around, heading back for the colony.
…
At the base of the mountain, Robotnik pulled himself from the cockpit of the muddy bot. He then fished around for a moment, yanking out Orbot and Cubot.
"What was that?! Whoever heard of a mushy mountain?"
"I suppose E-66 wasn't built for rugged terrain," Orbot surmised.
"Yeah! I think he belongs somewhere flat and hard…" Cubot surmised. "Like a city!"
"Both of you, shut up! Now help me dig this klutz out of the dirt. We've got Emeralds to take!"
…
Minutes later, E-66 was dug out of the dirt and completely cleaned off. Orbot and Cubot both wiped their faceplates, smearing mud on themselves.
"All done, Doctor," Orbot declared.
"Uh-huh, but now we're the ones that need baths," Cubot whined.
"Now then," Robotnik spoke up. "Let's get to work."
"Uh, boss," Orbot spoke up.
"Now what?"
Orbot pointed down towards the ground, where Sonic was walking up to them holding a white bag.
"Hi ya Eggman," He greeted. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Sonic?!" Robotnik let out. "Uh, I… I mean, we… we were just doing a lovely bit of sightseeing."
Cubot looked at Robotnik in confusion.
"I thought we were looking for a-"
Orbot nudges him to be quiet.
"Yes, sightseeing for our vacation."
Sonic looked at them incredulously, then he tilted himself to the side so he could look at the massive mudslide they'd created.
"Vacation, huh?"
"Yes. See, I've been such a gloomy Gus as of late. I thought some leisure time in the fresh air might do me a bit of good."
"He's in desperate need of a break," Orbot added.
"Aren't we all," Cubot remarked.
Sonic gave a snort of disbelief, crossing his arms.
"Eggman, just how dumb do you think I am?"
"Let it fly!" Robotnik ordered.
Suddenly, E-66 brought its spiked fist down towards Sonic, who leapt out of the way with ease. He flipped in the air, landing right next to Robotnik.
"Seriously Eggman, when are you gonna learn? You'll never be fast enough to catch me."
Sonic then tossed his bag in the air before dashing down E66's arm. He then looped around and homing attacked the robot's head, causing it to explode and sending the three villains flying through the air. Sonic landed gracefully as he caught his bag.
"See ya later!" Sonic called out as they vanished across the horizon.
"Sonic!" Amy shouted.
Sonic turned, seeing Amy and Tanaka running up to him. They quickly took stock of what was going on, Amy letting out a sigh of relief.
"Oh good, you stopped the Eggman robot."
"No sweat," Sonic reassured.
"Sonic, follow the river and see if you can find the rest of the group," Tanaka instructed. "Cheese was swept downstream and everyone else went to find him. They have yet to return"
"Don't worry, I'll find them. Hold this for me, will ya?"
He tossed his bag to Amy before running off. Amy tried catching the bag, but the contents spilled out, revealing the various souvenirs Sonic had collected from the city.
…
The group had returned to the colony, fashioning makeshift scoops from twigs and leaves while Knuckles used his shovel claws. They were trying to get all the mud out of the water, but it was a slow process that was proving impossible.
"Are these things even working?" Kat questioned, holding up her scoop.
"We have to keep at it," Knuckles told her.
"Knuckles is right," Tails concurred, helping Keith carry away some mud. "Without clean water, the Chao will start to get sick."
Kat looked up at the Chao, then down at her scoop. She then steeled her gaze and got right back to work.
"No way am I letting these little guys suffer because of Eggman."
"Now that's what I like to hear!" a familiar voice declared.
Everyone turned, seeing Sonic standing at the mouth of the tunnel.
"Sonic!" Tails cheered. "Great timing! Eggman polluted the Chao's river."
"A Chao Colony? Here?"
"Yeah, we know. Think you can give us a hand?"
"No problem! Everyone, out of the water and away from the pool."
Everyone did as they were told as Sonic started running around the river at high speeds, draining the mud. He also ended up flinging it all over the group, but in no time, the water was crystal clear again.
"There we go," Sonic declared, skidding to a stop. "All clean."
"Nice work, Sonic," Keith commended as the others ran up.
"Seems you guys weren't clear of the splash zone," Sonic remarked, gesturing to them.
They all look down at themselves in disgust.
"Ugh," Kat let out. "That's gonna be a bear to clean…"
"A bear?" Knuckles asked.
"It's gonna be really hard to get all this mud out," she clarified.
"Well, why didn't you just say that?"
Kat just chuckled, then grabbed Knuckles and gave him a massive noogie. Keith watched this and smiled, happy the two were talking again.
…
That night after everyone got cleaned up, they all returned to camp and told Amy and Mr. Tanaka what happened.
"It was absolutely beautiful!" Helen gushed. "There were so many Chao!"
"It was like walking into another world," Kat insisted. "And the berries. They were like candy!"
"Sounds amazing," Amy marveled. "Don't suppose you brought one back with you?"
Helen grinned, reaching into her pocket and pulling one out.
"I thought you might want one," she explained. "I have another saved so I can plant it back home."
Amy happily took the berry, popping it into her mouth.
"You weren't kidding. These are amazing."
"They certainly are," Tanaka agreed.
This caused Keith to perk up.
"Wait, Mr. Tanaka, you knew about the Chao colony?"
"Yes. I stumbled upon it when I was a boy."
"So that's why you were so cool with me when we first met," Sonic realized.
"Indeed."
"Then, that colony's been here for years, decades even," Tails mused.
"Maybe even longer," Knuckles pointed out. "I'm starting to think it's not a coincidence that Chaos Control sent us to this world."
"If that's the case, then we've got one heck of a mystery on our hands," Sonic realized.