Author's note: Actually, I'm not a big music person, so I can't identify either of the songs Sk27 mentioned. Oh, well. Next segment!
Segment 3: Echidna Not
Chapter 1: A New Direction
(Leo)
Lunch was pretty filling, actually. The two of us ate some sandwiches at a local diner, and were able to charge the meal to Amy's account to boot. I don't think she's found out yet.
After eating, Kim put the map on the table and pointed out the marks Tails had made. "Which one do you think we should go to first?" she asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Doesn't make much difference to me. Do you have any opinions, Kim?"
"This one looks good to me," Kim decided, pointing at one of the marks. According to the map, and the "Tourist's Guide" printed on the back, this was Echidna Fields, a curious arrangement of ruins due north of Emerald Town.
"Sounds interesting," I decided. "It's settled, then. We go to Echidna Fields next. Come on, let's tell Tails what we're doing."
"Echidna Fields?" Tails repeated once we'd told him the news.
"That's right, Echidna Fields," Kim confirmed. "It's right here on the map. Does that sound ideal?"
Tails nodded after a pause. "Yeah, I think that would be a good choice for your next destination. Good luck finding that next Black Emerald."
It was then that something occurred to me. "Say, Tails… speaking of Emeralds, what happened to those Chaos Emerald things? You know what I'm talking about, right?"
"Oh, yes, the Chaos Emeralds," Tails confirmed. "Don't worry, I've got them stored in this lab."
Kim's heart must have skipped about six beats. "You have them here? All seven of them?"
Nodding, Tails displayed a large chest, even stronger and harder to crack than the one he'd put the Black Emerald in. He unlocked it, and inside were the Chaos Emeralds, all in a heap.
Before we could get a closer look, Tails slammed the lid shut. "I can't allow the gems out of this chest for any reason now that the demons are out and about," Tails explained. "If the demons got even one of them, disaster would strike!"
"I bet," I commented. "Don't worry, we'll get those Black Emeralds for you! Those demons don't stand a chance!"
Kim glanced at me as if I were a bit loco, and I might have been, but either way, we began to leave the lab.
As we were on our way out the door, I noticed a familiar-looking deactivated robot in the corner. It was painted a few different colors, but mostly red. Recognizing it, I pointed it out to Kim, who laughed a little as she recognized it as well.
"What's so funny?" Tails yelled from across the room. We didn't respond.
Amy was waiting just outside. "Hi, Leo, Kim," she greeted us. "Where are you going?"
"Hey," Kim responded, displaying our map. "We were just headed for Echidna Fields."
"Echidna Fields?" Amy confirmed, apparently recognizing the name. "If you're going there, be sure to say hi to Knuckles. You'll know him when you see him. He's red, and there's a white crescent on his chest. He's also got a bit of a short temper, so be careful."
I gave Amy a ten-four signal. "All right, Amy, we'll do that. Anything else we should know?"
"Er, yes," Amy explained. "Knuckles… it's his job to guard something called the Master Emerald. You'll know it when you see it. Trust me."
"All right. What's the fastest way there?"
"Just go north that way and follow the trail," Amy told us, pointing. This sounded good, so we left in that direction.
Damn, I need to write longer chapters. What is wrong with me?