Author's note: I'm going to update this one more often than "Hedgehog and Bat", because I expect this to be longer than that. Still, nobody seems to be paying attention to that story. Ah well.
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Segment 2: The Trouble Starts
Chapter 4: 1st Black Emerald
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(Leo)
Upon landing, Kim and I looked around to make sure we were back in the "good" Verdant Woods. Kim seemed quite relieved to be back in one piece.
Foxwood was there to greet us. "So, Leo, Kim, you're safe. Anything happen in there?"
Kim and I explained the whole thing. "You're kidding!" Foxwood remarked. "Do you expect me to believe that those demons have set up an alternate version of this forest in that crystal?"
Smirking, I displayed the dark Emerald we'd picked up. Foxwood was stunned. "Such dark power… I can feel it from here… I'd hate for that thing to fall into the wrong hands."
Kim nodded. "Don't worry, we'll keep it safe. Come on, Leo, let's go back to Tails'- hey, what's happening to the crystal?"
I turned my attention to the crystal that had warped us into the dark Verdant Woods. The absence of the Black Emerald, apparently, had caused it to lose its energy, and it vibrated and shattered all over the immediate vicinity.
"Aha, so that takes care of that," I commented. "Let's get out of here."
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Tails opened the door when we knocked. "Leo? Kim? That you?"
"That's us," Kim confirmed. "We brought back something."
"Yes," I explained, displaying the dark Emerald we'd recovered. "An odd crystal served as the gateway to a demonic world where we found this thing. You can just feel the evil energy radiate from it, can't you?"
Seeming in awe about the Emerald, Tails snatched it from our hands. "Leo! Kim! This is a Black Emerald, the demons' power source. There are a total of seven of them. You must find the other six as quickly as possible; who knows what might happen!"
Saying this, Tails placed the Emerald in an empty safe and locked it. "I'll keep it here at the lab. If you carry it around, the demons might steal it from you, and then who knows what'll happen."
I was a little uneasy about this, but I nodded. "All right, Tails. I guess we can trust you. Do you know where the other demon settlements are?"
"Yes, I do," Tails explained. "My radar equipment is second to none. Give me your map, please."
Tails took the map and made several marks on it. Looking at it, we counted six in total. "Looks like they're all over the place," Kim commented. "Leo, are you sure we should go through with this?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Kim," I assured my younger sister. "Those demons are no match for you and me. Those other six Black Emeralds are as good as ours."
"That's the spirit, Leo," Tails cheered. "The entire world is at stake, but take your time. Don't push yourself too hard, but be sure to get the job done."
I smirked. "Thanks, Tails"
Around then, I realized that Sonic was no longer present. "Tails," I asked, "where's Sonic?"
"His condition got serious," Tails explained, "so I dropped him off at the hospital. Visiting him is a waste of time, though; he can't be disturbed under any circumstances. That's how serious it is."
Kim nodded. "I can understand that. We had better tell Amy."
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"This is Amy's apartment," Kim confirmed, looking at the number. "Let's speak to her."
I knocked on the door. "Come in, it's not locked," Amy called out from behind it.
As we entered, I saw that Amy was listening to the radio. "Hi, Amy," I greeted her. "What's that you're listening to?"
"It's called a radio," Amy responded without blinking.
That made me laugh a little. "I'm listening to music to try to get my mind off Sonic," Amy continued. "This is 'That's The Combination' by the Nocturnal Triad. Twilight the Wolf sings, Eclipse the Bat pounds the drums, and Night the Panther plays the guitar for a rock-music masterpiece."
Now I was interested. "Tell us more."
"By day, the Nocturnal Triad plays on the radio, but by night, they go live at night clubs. 'That's the Combination' is the Nocturnal Triad's latest hit. The lyrics are just amazing, and exactly what they mean has been a mystery. Listen for a little."
Kim and I listened. The lyrics, I do admit, were a little mesmerizing. "You go left five steps, right eight / Not too early, not too late / And don't lose to desperation / You go left six steps, right ten / Now prepare to go again / Oh yeah, that's the combination!"
The music continued. "Ooh, that's the combination, kid / The only way to open the safe / Is by dancing like I did / You go left five steps, right eight / Like it's something that you ate / It's a singing, dancing nation / You go left six steps, right ten…"
We listened to the song right through to the end. Then, the singer spoke up again. "That was our latest hit, 'That's the Combination'. Our next song is dedicated to my cousin, Skyler, wherever he is today. Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you 'Into the Clouds'!"
Noticing a possible double entendre, Kim smirked. I was already smirking, having heard a familiar name.
"But enough about me," Amy interrupted, turning off the radio. "What have you been up to?"
I explained everything to Amy, who was in shock. "What? Sonic's in the hospital? How terrible! I have to go over and… no, no, Amy, fight it. Sonic shouldn't be disturbed, and he'll be out in due time. Just keep yourself busy."
"Let's leave Amy to her own self-control issues," Kim decided. "I'm famished. Let's find someplace to eat."
I nodded. "Yeah, now that you mention it, the last time I was here, I never did eat anything. Let's find a diner or something."
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END OF SEGMENT
That's two segments down. What comes next?