WOOOT! This is such fun! XD Disclaimers have been said already, I own nothing save the plot and Riyu Doragon and the dragoon populous, and another char I may introduce. ... okay, short-hand, I own nothing Sega owns. Anything else, ASK FIRST please! ^_^
Mew: And why would'ja use it anyway? Not like it's any good...
*irate groan* What's with you?! You're supposed to encourage and inspire me!
Mew: Like I'd tell YOU!
Oh whatever. Let's get moving!
*~*~*
RETURN TO LITTLE PLANET
by Ryuko DragonHalf
*~*~*
The open plains surrounding Never Lake. A gentle breeze floated past, a ripple echoed on the surface of a pond, golden-green pastures as far as the eye could see. The sun shone brightly in the sea of marshmallow clouds above. Everything was full of warmth and life, including the rocky cliffs dotting the landscape. Quiet, peaceful, serene...
..............
"..... wwwwwwwoooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" The calm setting was interrupted by Riyu's gleeful cry, as she held on to Super Sonic's shoulders for dear life. He joined in, shouting and laughing to his heart's delight. Everything soared by in a blur, the wind roared past his ears, and he was having the time of his life!
"Now THIS is the half of it!" he called back to his passenger. He barely moved aside in time to miss a fast-approaching cliff.
"Waaaaaaaaiiiiii!" she squealed in reply. The dragoon peered into the distance, squinting against the rapid breeze. "I can see Little Planet already! You rock!"
"Thank you, thank you!"
A pause. "Do it again, Sonikku-san!"
"Oh c'mon Riyu..."
"Kudasai? I know we're on a really important mission, but can ya do it once more? We've got plenty of time before the planet drops into warp! Please please pleeeeeeeeease??"
The golden hedgehog sighed and relented. "Alright. But just this once, and then we're gone!"
"YAHOO!" S-Sonic didn't let her know it, but ever since Riyu started enjoying the trip, his spirits had considerably risen. The whole situation wasn't so grim, now that she was having fun!
He slowly tilted upward, the ground falling away and the sky rushing towards them. Just as he was about to break through the clouds, he leaned back, performing a huge loop-de-loop. Riyu shrieked joyfully, reaching to the plains above her head with one hand and waving. Our hero soon righted himself, levelled off, and shot at top speed for Little Planet.
"That was AWESOME! I love flying!! Arigatou, Sonikku-san!" giggled the dragoon.
"Umm.. in English please?"
"Oh, I mean, thank you so much!"
"Aaahh, you're very welcome! No more fun 'n' games for a while, though. We've got a planet and a friend to save!" S-Sonic didn't give the girl much time to get a strong grip. He was off like a shot, or, to be accurate, a bolt of lightning. Riyu cried out again and dug her claws into his quills. The little necklace, ever-glowing, beat against S-Sonic's chest like a second heartbeat.
*~*~*
The closer the duo got, the larger Little Planet became. No longer was it a small dot on the horizon; it grew to the size of a small moon. Well, it WOULD be a moon, if it wasn't for the lush greenery and crystal water glittering on the surface. It was just as Sonic had left it. An untouched paradise. Full to the brim with beauty, wonder, and the slightest hint of magic.
He was determined to keep it that way.
But things wouldn't go smoothly for him from the get-go. Heaven forbid THAT should ever happen!
Riyu had noticed her companion becoming more and more tense as they neared the planet. It had ballooned to the point where he was literally shaking from the strain. "Sonikku-san, daijobu desu ka?" she finally asked out of worry. "Are you okay?"
He let out a grunt, signalling that no, he wasn't okay. "Can't.. talk... hafta concentrate..!" Slowly, almost wearily, he angled himself towards the top of Little Planet; any other landing point would give them the oddest gravity shift. That was altogether unpleasant last time, S-Sonic recalled.
"I-is there anything I can do to help?" came Riyu's uncertain voice.
"Rrgh.. quiet!" he muttered through grit teeth. "I'm having trouble flying! ..... argh.. something's pushing.... keeping it back..!"
Even though she was confused, Riyu knew better than to speak up. If he needed to concentrate, so be it! She looked around. They were high above the planet now. She could feel the very edge of Little Planet's gravity tugging them down. Well, if anything went wrong, at least they'd land on their destination. There was still the question of landing safely, but let's look on the bright side of things!
Suddenly, Riyu got the odd sensation of being followed. Daring a glance back, she caught sight of a metallic blue gleam rushing towards them! "Look out behind us! It's Metaru!!"
S-Sonic faltered, and they plunged several feet before he righted himself. "Riyu," he growled, "I need to-- AAAAGGHH!!"
"AAAH! What happened, what's wrong?!"
Whatever force was keeping S-Sonic from functioning properly struck fast and hard. He looked just fine on the outside. Inside, millions of needles pierced through his invincibility, and what felt like a red-hot spike hammered into his skull. He clutched his forehead in agony, dropping sporadically as if bouncing down a staircase, biting back screams, shaking like a leaf.
Riyu was in a complete state of panic. "Sonikku-san! Sonikku-san!! Hang in there!!" She yelped as they dropped even more, and the golden shimmer of his fur began to blink out of existence. "Don't give up! We're still too high! You can't lose now! Sonikku-san!"
The bright aura surrounding them vanished, reverting Sonic's fur to its all-natural blue. He gave an exhausted gasp and became limp, passing out from the exertion. Riyu screamed as they plummeted towards the palm trees below.
*~*~*
This was working out so much better than he'd hoped! Everything was going perfectly, and he was right on schedule. The hedgehog must've been there by now.. and lo and behold! Upon his approach to Little Planet, he caught sight of a golden bolt streaking towards the top of the moon. 'Oh, so it's a race he wants! Well it's a race he'll get, he knows me better than that!'
The engine was pushed to its very limit, the jet-flame flared, and a gleaming blue rocket gave chase to its quarry. 'The last thing he'll expect is for me to show up now. It'll be such a pleasant surprise!'
As he soared down to the planet and adjusted to its gravity field, he noticed the hedgehog waver. The glow was inconsistent, and he was dropping too fast. Was he under attack?
His theory was confirmed when Sonic lost his powers, and he and his passenger dropped like rocks to certain doom.
"OH NO! I'm coming Sonic!!" Miles 'Tails' Prower gunned the engine of the Tornado 3 once again and readied the mechanical claw. He was going to catch them or die trying!
(A/N: HAH! And you suspected Metaru, I know you did! Didn't you? Oh smeg, I'm terrible at plot twists.. still, aren't you all so glad to see 'im? :3 I AM!! GOOOO KITSUNE-KUN!! *cough* Okay, I'm done.)
Little Flicky birds scattered from the treetops as a cobalt-blue rocket-powered biplane skimmed inches above the palm leaves. Tails was sweating bullets. He knew Sonic was taking a major risk! The young fox timed his every move, and at the last possible second, when Sonic and his friend narrowly missed the left wingtip, he punched the bright red button. The claw shot out, grabbed Sonic around the waist and retracted into the spare seat behind Tails.
The girl had a death grip on Sonic's wrist as she was pulled into the plane. Eyes squeezed shut, she yelled, "KYAAA!! TASUKETE! Metaru's got us! Someone heeeeellllp!!"
Unfortunately for Tails, his uber-sensitive ears were working perfectly. "Hey calm down, I'm not Metal!" he winced.
Riyu dared to crack open one eye, then relaxed and heaved a sigh of relief. Just a blue biplane! And this fox had saved them! "Thank goodness you came along when you did!"
"Thank Sonic, he's the one who asked me to meet you here!" he replied, turning to catch a glimpse at the pair jammed in the backseat. He was a bit surprised to find the girl beaming at him. Sonic never mentioned her when he called. Speaking of, the poor guy was still unconscious! The mere sight caused the fox's stomach to turn uncomfortably. "I'm Tails, Sonic's best friend! What happened to him?!"
"Huh? I dunno! We were flying along and he started screaming like he was in pain or something. Then he passed out!"
Tails frowned in concern. "That's never happened. Wonder what could've caused it.."
"You think Metaru had something to do with it?"
"Nuh uh. That robot couldn't possibly sap Chaos energy! At least I don't think he can. Try to wake him up while I find a safe spot to land!"
The Jikan dangling from Sonic's neck suddenly flashed, thrumming to life. Riyu looked on in wonder for a moment and gasped. "Uuuhh, kitsune, heh, we'd better land quick!" she called nervously.
'Kitsune??' "Why? What's wrong now?"
"You know that Little Planet drops into the timestream, right?"
"Yeah.."
"Do you know what HAPPENS when it does?"
Suddenly, Tails wasn't liking this at all. "... n-no, what?"
Riyu quickly took charge. "You don't wanna know, not while we're up here anyway! Get landing, I'll try to bring Sonikku-san around!"
"Now?!" Tails glanced at the sprawling forestry below. There were a couple of gaps, but none big enough for a safe landing. "How'm I supposed to land, I need a good space--"
"There's no time for that! We'll have to crash!" she shrieked. The Jikan was flashing rhythmically now. "Oh, not good, not good, Sonikku-san, wake up!"
Tails grimaced at the thought. "I don't wanna crash-land if I can help it," he stated firmly.
"Are you completely NUTS?!" Riyu squirmed out of her shared seat and clawed her way to Tails. "You baka!! Gimme the controls, we're landing NOW!"
"HEY! Leggo! I'm the pilot, this is MY plane!"
"You don't understand! We have to!"
"NO!"
The Tornado 3 rocked back and forth, up and down, while the two battled for control. It gradually dipped lower, until a particularly large tree caught one wing. With a violent jerk, the plane and its passengers were sent tumbling to the forest floor.
Sonic was blissfully unaware the entire time. His necklace gave one last flash, and in the blink of an eye, Little Planet and everyone on it vanished into thin air.
*~*~*
Sonic... take care.. I cannot help you..
"Who..? Who's there? Where am I!"
You're on your own for this one.. well, your friends are there..
Through the blackness of his temporary nap, a water-based figure swam into Sonic's vision. It stood at his height and regarded him with a blank stare. "Chaos!" the hedgehog exclaimed. "Start explaining a few things to me, I can't make sense of anything around here!"
Chaos Zero's shoulders shook, as though he were laughing. "Huh.. technically, you aren't supposed to. By the way, nice job. I didn't think you could tap into my power without the seven physically there."
Sonic was taken aback. Talking one-on-one with the essence of the Chaos Emeralds so caually was a bit daunting, not to mention odd, at first. "Uhh.. thanks, I guess. I was gonna try it sooner or later..."
Chaos paced around Sonic slowly, his footsteps sloshing. "I'll make things quick. Little Planet is deemed off limits for myself and the Chaos Emeralds. Just by communicating with you is pushing it. So don't even think about transforming during your stay, unless you want a hundred more times the pain you just experienced."
"Of course," he sighed, feeling more comfortable. "Dare I ask why?"
"Very daring of you. It's a long tale with a bit of history, which I haven't the time to explain right now. You've survived here without me anyway."
"True, true. But I was hoping..." He trailed off uncertainly. Hoping to use his powers so soon in the fight? He'd never done that before. Did he really need to?
Chaos paused. "I know you're eager Sonic, but really, you'll do fine. The key to victory is time, remember that." The liquidy creature was suddenly shoved by an unknown force. If he had a mouth, he would have been smiling grimly. "Coincidentally, my time's up. It's all you now." He dissolved into a common puddle and faded away. Sonic called out to him, but a bright blue flash seemed to drown his voice, and he returned to the land of the living.
*~*~*
There's nothing better to wake up with than a pounding headache, huh? Sonic groaned loudly and sat up, then took in his surroundings. He was next to a gushing waterfall and bubbling river in the middle of a tropical rainforest. Flickies chattered and flew in all directions, and the lush greenery came in hundreds of shades. Looking up, he could barely see the azure sky peeking through the canopy. Sonic pulled off a cold, wet cloth from his forehead and massaged his temple. They seemed to have landed okay.. but where was...
"HOI! Teirusu, he's awake!" Sonic whirled in surprise towards the relieved voice. Riyu bounded through the trees and hovered to his side. "You're okay! At least, do you feel okay Sonikku-san?"
He grinned weakly. "Sorta, just a nasty headache. Did you say--"
"SONIC!!" A familiar and welcome figure launched itself at him, stopping mere inches before bowling him over.
"Tails! Hey, you made it, bud!" The hedgehog stood and pulled Tails into a brotherly half-hug. "Rough trip?"
He laughed. "You're one to talk! Although this Riyu girl didn't help much.."
Riyu, off to one side, scoffed in surprise and crossed her arms angrily. "Excuse me! I saved all of our hides from being burnt to a crisp!"
"Yeah, by crashing my plane!"
"I told you already, the Jikan protect Little Planet from the dangers of the timestream by means of a force field! If we'd'a kept flying, we'd be little bits of finely cremated dust!" The two companions grimaced visibly at the thought, which pleased her.
Tails huffed. "I worked so hard on that plane... third one.." He muttered as he lead the way back to the biplane's crushed remains. Behind him, Sonic could hear Riyu grumbling under her breath in her native language. He laughed to himself. This was gonna be a fun trip with these two.
The trio gathered briefly and surveyed the damage. The blades of the propeller had broken away. The wings were either snapped clean off or barely hanging by a sliver of stubborn metal. Because the plane landed "gently" on it's tail, the entire back end crumpled a la accordion. Other than those minor details, everything was ship-shape!
"Like I said, rough trip?" Sonic joked.
"Oh be quiet," snapped Tails, but he managed a wry grin anyway. "It's all because I named it Tornado. Gives me nothing but bad luck! My next plane's gonna be different!" He twisted his tails and hovered over his precious biplane, searching for any surviving gear. Riyu watched in jealous awe.
Sonic grinned and said, "Always the positive one, ain't'cha? Find anything?"
The fox remained afloat as he peered into the seats and compartments. "A backpack, about a day's worth of food, some blankets and that first-aid kit I got your cloth from," he reported.
"That's about all we'll need," Riyu spoke up. "I can show you how to get food and shelter around here."
Tails choked loudly. "Y-you mean, you're coming with us?!"
"I said she could," intervened Sonic. "Riyu knows more about the planet than I do. We could use a guide." He moved to grab the supplies from Tails and stuffed them into the well-used rucksack. The little dragoon shot her newest "pal" a smug look.
"You don't have a problem with that, do ya, Tei-ru-su?" She carefully pronounced each syllable, giggling as Tailed shuddered.
"I said I didn't LIKE that--"
"Okay okay, enough you two! We're on a serious mission!" Sonic tapped his necklace to reinforce his point. "You can argue plenty after Metal's taken care of!"
The young ones sheepishly bowed their heads. "Alright, fearless leader," Tails said at length. "Where do we go first?"
"Let's head for Riyu's home. This Elder of hers apparently knows a lot about the Jikan. Maybe he can help us find Amy and Metal."
"Worth a shot," agreed Riyu. "C'mon, I'll lead the way!" She made a running start back to the river while Sonic and Tails followed. All three leaped over the gushing water and landed on a clear-cut path. Tails soared just overhead as his companions ran through the jungle. It starts!
*~*~*
AAAAGGHHH!! Stupid comp didn't save my last-minute changes! T_T This chappie was such a bear to write! Ah well, the next chap's gonna be cakewalk! It's all planned out and everything! XD
You know the drill by now! I humbly request, ask, beg and grovel at your feet to please leave a review! I need ta know how I'm doing! Good for motivation and all! :3 Check me profile for updates! (Yee, I've joined the "bio update" bandwagon!)
NEXT TIME: Golly, this adventure's giving me deja vu! LOOK OUT TAILS!! There's no place like home... or what's left of it! The bad guy's revealed! Believe me, you'll be surprised! ^_~ STAY TUNED!
Mew: And why would'ja use it anyway? Not like it's any good...
*irate groan* What's with you?! You're supposed to encourage and inspire me!
Mew: Like I'd tell YOU!
Oh whatever. Let's get moving!
*~*~*
RETURN TO LITTLE PLANET
by Ryuko DragonHalf
*~*~*
The open plains surrounding Never Lake. A gentle breeze floated past, a ripple echoed on the surface of a pond, golden-green pastures as far as the eye could see. The sun shone brightly in the sea of marshmallow clouds above. Everything was full of warmth and life, including the rocky cliffs dotting the landscape. Quiet, peaceful, serene...
..............
"..... wwwwwwwoooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" The calm setting was interrupted by Riyu's gleeful cry, as she held on to Super Sonic's shoulders for dear life. He joined in, shouting and laughing to his heart's delight. Everything soared by in a blur, the wind roared past his ears, and he was having the time of his life!
"Now THIS is the half of it!" he called back to his passenger. He barely moved aside in time to miss a fast-approaching cliff.
"Waaaaaaaaiiiiii!" she squealed in reply. The dragoon peered into the distance, squinting against the rapid breeze. "I can see Little Planet already! You rock!"
"Thank you, thank you!"
A pause. "Do it again, Sonikku-san!"
"Oh c'mon Riyu..."
"Kudasai? I know we're on a really important mission, but can ya do it once more? We've got plenty of time before the planet drops into warp! Please please pleeeeeeeeease??"
The golden hedgehog sighed and relented. "Alright. But just this once, and then we're gone!"
"YAHOO!" S-Sonic didn't let her know it, but ever since Riyu started enjoying the trip, his spirits had considerably risen. The whole situation wasn't so grim, now that she was having fun!
He slowly tilted upward, the ground falling away and the sky rushing towards them. Just as he was about to break through the clouds, he leaned back, performing a huge loop-de-loop. Riyu shrieked joyfully, reaching to the plains above her head with one hand and waving. Our hero soon righted himself, levelled off, and shot at top speed for Little Planet.
"That was AWESOME! I love flying!! Arigatou, Sonikku-san!" giggled the dragoon.
"Umm.. in English please?"
"Oh, I mean, thank you so much!"
"Aaahh, you're very welcome! No more fun 'n' games for a while, though. We've got a planet and a friend to save!" S-Sonic didn't give the girl much time to get a strong grip. He was off like a shot, or, to be accurate, a bolt of lightning. Riyu cried out again and dug her claws into his quills. The little necklace, ever-glowing, beat against S-Sonic's chest like a second heartbeat.
*~*~*
The closer the duo got, the larger Little Planet became. No longer was it a small dot on the horizon; it grew to the size of a small moon. Well, it WOULD be a moon, if it wasn't for the lush greenery and crystal water glittering on the surface. It was just as Sonic had left it. An untouched paradise. Full to the brim with beauty, wonder, and the slightest hint of magic.
He was determined to keep it that way.
But things wouldn't go smoothly for him from the get-go. Heaven forbid THAT should ever happen!
Riyu had noticed her companion becoming more and more tense as they neared the planet. It had ballooned to the point where he was literally shaking from the strain. "Sonikku-san, daijobu desu ka?" she finally asked out of worry. "Are you okay?"
He let out a grunt, signalling that no, he wasn't okay. "Can't.. talk... hafta concentrate..!" Slowly, almost wearily, he angled himself towards the top of Little Planet; any other landing point would give them the oddest gravity shift. That was altogether unpleasant last time, S-Sonic recalled.
"I-is there anything I can do to help?" came Riyu's uncertain voice.
"Rrgh.. quiet!" he muttered through grit teeth. "I'm having trouble flying! ..... argh.. something's pushing.... keeping it back..!"
Even though she was confused, Riyu knew better than to speak up. If he needed to concentrate, so be it! She looked around. They were high above the planet now. She could feel the very edge of Little Planet's gravity tugging them down. Well, if anything went wrong, at least they'd land on their destination. There was still the question of landing safely, but let's look on the bright side of things!
Suddenly, Riyu got the odd sensation of being followed. Daring a glance back, she caught sight of a metallic blue gleam rushing towards them! "Look out behind us! It's Metaru!!"
S-Sonic faltered, and they plunged several feet before he righted himself. "Riyu," he growled, "I need to-- AAAAGGHH!!"
"AAAH! What happened, what's wrong?!"
Whatever force was keeping S-Sonic from functioning properly struck fast and hard. He looked just fine on the outside. Inside, millions of needles pierced through his invincibility, and what felt like a red-hot spike hammered into his skull. He clutched his forehead in agony, dropping sporadically as if bouncing down a staircase, biting back screams, shaking like a leaf.
Riyu was in a complete state of panic. "Sonikku-san! Sonikku-san!! Hang in there!!" She yelped as they dropped even more, and the golden shimmer of his fur began to blink out of existence. "Don't give up! We're still too high! You can't lose now! Sonikku-san!"
The bright aura surrounding them vanished, reverting Sonic's fur to its all-natural blue. He gave an exhausted gasp and became limp, passing out from the exertion. Riyu screamed as they plummeted towards the palm trees below.
*~*~*
This was working out so much better than he'd hoped! Everything was going perfectly, and he was right on schedule. The hedgehog must've been there by now.. and lo and behold! Upon his approach to Little Planet, he caught sight of a golden bolt streaking towards the top of the moon. 'Oh, so it's a race he wants! Well it's a race he'll get, he knows me better than that!'
The engine was pushed to its very limit, the jet-flame flared, and a gleaming blue rocket gave chase to its quarry. 'The last thing he'll expect is for me to show up now. It'll be such a pleasant surprise!'
As he soared down to the planet and adjusted to its gravity field, he noticed the hedgehog waver. The glow was inconsistent, and he was dropping too fast. Was he under attack?
His theory was confirmed when Sonic lost his powers, and he and his passenger dropped like rocks to certain doom.
"OH NO! I'm coming Sonic!!" Miles 'Tails' Prower gunned the engine of the Tornado 3 once again and readied the mechanical claw. He was going to catch them or die trying!
(A/N: HAH! And you suspected Metaru, I know you did! Didn't you? Oh smeg, I'm terrible at plot twists.. still, aren't you all so glad to see 'im? :3 I AM!! GOOOO KITSUNE-KUN!! *cough* Okay, I'm done.)
Little Flicky birds scattered from the treetops as a cobalt-blue rocket-powered biplane skimmed inches above the palm leaves. Tails was sweating bullets. He knew Sonic was taking a major risk! The young fox timed his every move, and at the last possible second, when Sonic and his friend narrowly missed the left wingtip, he punched the bright red button. The claw shot out, grabbed Sonic around the waist and retracted into the spare seat behind Tails.
The girl had a death grip on Sonic's wrist as she was pulled into the plane. Eyes squeezed shut, she yelled, "KYAAA!! TASUKETE! Metaru's got us! Someone heeeeellllp!!"
Unfortunately for Tails, his uber-sensitive ears were working perfectly. "Hey calm down, I'm not Metal!" he winced.
Riyu dared to crack open one eye, then relaxed and heaved a sigh of relief. Just a blue biplane! And this fox had saved them! "Thank goodness you came along when you did!"
"Thank Sonic, he's the one who asked me to meet you here!" he replied, turning to catch a glimpse at the pair jammed in the backseat. He was a bit surprised to find the girl beaming at him. Sonic never mentioned her when he called. Speaking of, the poor guy was still unconscious! The mere sight caused the fox's stomach to turn uncomfortably. "I'm Tails, Sonic's best friend! What happened to him?!"
"Huh? I dunno! We were flying along and he started screaming like he was in pain or something. Then he passed out!"
Tails frowned in concern. "That's never happened. Wonder what could've caused it.."
"You think Metaru had something to do with it?"
"Nuh uh. That robot couldn't possibly sap Chaos energy! At least I don't think he can. Try to wake him up while I find a safe spot to land!"
The Jikan dangling from Sonic's neck suddenly flashed, thrumming to life. Riyu looked on in wonder for a moment and gasped. "Uuuhh, kitsune, heh, we'd better land quick!" she called nervously.
'Kitsune??' "Why? What's wrong now?"
"You know that Little Planet drops into the timestream, right?"
"Yeah.."
"Do you know what HAPPENS when it does?"
Suddenly, Tails wasn't liking this at all. "... n-no, what?"
Riyu quickly took charge. "You don't wanna know, not while we're up here anyway! Get landing, I'll try to bring Sonikku-san around!"
"Now?!" Tails glanced at the sprawling forestry below. There were a couple of gaps, but none big enough for a safe landing. "How'm I supposed to land, I need a good space--"
"There's no time for that! We'll have to crash!" she shrieked. The Jikan was flashing rhythmically now. "Oh, not good, not good, Sonikku-san, wake up!"
Tails grimaced at the thought. "I don't wanna crash-land if I can help it," he stated firmly.
"Are you completely NUTS?!" Riyu squirmed out of her shared seat and clawed her way to Tails. "You baka!! Gimme the controls, we're landing NOW!"
"HEY! Leggo! I'm the pilot, this is MY plane!"
"You don't understand! We have to!"
"NO!"
The Tornado 3 rocked back and forth, up and down, while the two battled for control. It gradually dipped lower, until a particularly large tree caught one wing. With a violent jerk, the plane and its passengers were sent tumbling to the forest floor.
Sonic was blissfully unaware the entire time. His necklace gave one last flash, and in the blink of an eye, Little Planet and everyone on it vanished into thin air.
*~*~*
Sonic... take care.. I cannot help you..
"Who..? Who's there? Where am I!"
You're on your own for this one.. well, your friends are there..
Through the blackness of his temporary nap, a water-based figure swam into Sonic's vision. It stood at his height and regarded him with a blank stare. "Chaos!" the hedgehog exclaimed. "Start explaining a few things to me, I can't make sense of anything around here!"
Chaos Zero's shoulders shook, as though he were laughing. "Huh.. technically, you aren't supposed to. By the way, nice job. I didn't think you could tap into my power without the seven physically there."
Sonic was taken aback. Talking one-on-one with the essence of the Chaos Emeralds so caually was a bit daunting, not to mention odd, at first. "Uhh.. thanks, I guess. I was gonna try it sooner or later..."
Chaos paced around Sonic slowly, his footsteps sloshing. "I'll make things quick. Little Planet is deemed off limits for myself and the Chaos Emeralds. Just by communicating with you is pushing it. So don't even think about transforming during your stay, unless you want a hundred more times the pain you just experienced."
"Of course," he sighed, feeling more comfortable. "Dare I ask why?"
"Very daring of you. It's a long tale with a bit of history, which I haven't the time to explain right now. You've survived here without me anyway."
"True, true. But I was hoping..." He trailed off uncertainly. Hoping to use his powers so soon in the fight? He'd never done that before. Did he really need to?
Chaos paused. "I know you're eager Sonic, but really, you'll do fine. The key to victory is time, remember that." The liquidy creature was suddenly shoved by an unknown force. If he had a mouth, he would have been smiling grimly. "Coincidentally, my time's up. It's all you now." He dissolved into a common puddle and faded away. Sonic called out to him, but a bright blue flash seemed to drown his voice, and he returned to the land of the living.
*~*~*
There's nothing better to wake up with than a pounding headache, huh? Sonic groaned loudly and sat up, then took in his surroundings. He was next to a gushing waterfall and bubbling river in the middle of a tropical rainforest. Flickies chattered and flew in all directions, and the lush greenery came in hundreds of shades. Looking up, he could barely see the azure sky peeking through the canopy. Sonic pulled off a cold, wet cloth from his forehead and massaged his temple. They seemed to have landed okay.. but where was...
"HOI! Teirusu, he's awake!" Sonic whirled in surprise towards the relieved voice. Riyu bounded through the trees and hovered to his side. "You're okay! At least, do you feel okay Sonikku-san?"
He grinned weakly. "Sorta, just a nasty headache. Did you say--"
"SONIC!!" A familiar and welcome figure launched itself at him, stopping mere inches before bowling him over.
"Tails! Hey, you made it, bud!" The hedgehog stood and pulled Tails into a brotherly half-hug. "Rough trip?"
He laughed. "You're one to talk! Although this Riyu girl didn't help much.."
Riyu, off to one side, scoffed in surprise and crossed her arms angrily. "Excuse me! I saved all of our hides from being burnt to a crisp!"
"Yeah, by crashing my plane!"
"I told you already, the Jikan protect Little Planet from the dangers of the timestream by means of a force field! If we'd'a kept flying, we'd be little bits of finely cremated dust!" The two companions grimaced visibly at the thought, which pleased her.
Tails huffed. "I worked so hard on that plane... third one.." He muttered as he lead the way back to the biplane's crushed remains. Behind him, Sonic could hear Riyu grumbling under her breath in her native language. He laughed to himself. This was gonna be a fun trip with these two.
The trio gathered briefly and surveyed the damage. The blades of the propeller had broken away. The wings were either snapped clean off or barely hanging by a sliver of stubborn metal. Because the plane landed "gently" on it's tail, the entire back end crumpled a la accordion. Other than those minor details, everything was ship-shape!
"Like I said, rough trip?" Sonic joked.
"Oh be quiet," snapped Tails, but he managed a wry grin anyway. "It's all because I named it Tornado. Gives me nothing but bad luck! My next plane's gonna be different!" He twisted his tails and hovered over his precious biplane, searching for any surviving gear. Riyu watched in jealous awe.
Sonic grinned and said, "Always the positive one, ain't'cha? Find anything?"
The fox remained afloat as he peered into the seats and compartments. "A backpack, about a day's worth of food, some blankets and that first-aid kit I got your cloth from," he reported.
"That's about all we'll need," Riyu spoke up. "I can show you how to get food and shelter around here."
Tails choked loudly. "Y-you mean, you're coming with us?!"
"I said she could," intervened Sonic. "Riyu knows more about the planet than I do. We could use a guide." He moved to grab the supplies from Tails and stuffed them into the well-used rucksack. The little dragoon shot her newest "pal" a smug look.
"You don't have a problem with that, do ya, Tei-ru-su?" She carefully pronounced each syllable, giggling as Tailed shuddered.
"I said I didn't LIKE that--"
"Okay okay, enough you two! We're on a serious mission!" Sonic tapped his necklace to reinforce his point. "You can argue plenty after Metal's taken care of!"
The young ones sheepishly bowed their heads. "Alright, fearless leader," Tails said at length. "Where do we go first?"
"Let's head for Riyu's home. This Elder of hers apparently knows a lot about the Jikan. Maybe he can help us find Amy and Metal."
"Worth a shot," agreed Riyu. "C'mon, I'll lead the way!" She made a running start back to the river while Sonic and Tails followed. All three leaped over the gushing water and landed on a clear-cut path. Tails soared just overhead as his companions ran through the jungle. It starts!
*~*~*
AAAAGGHHH!! Stupid comp didn't save my last-minute changes! T_T This chappie was such a bear to write! Ah well, the next chap's gonna be cakewalk! It's all planned out and everything! XD
You know the drill by now! I humbly request, ask, beg and grovel at your feet to please leave a review! I need ta know how I'm doing! Good for motivation and all! :3 Check me profile for updates! (Yee, I've joined the "bio update" bandwagon!)
NEXT TIME: Golly, this adventure's giving me deja vu! LOOK OUT TAILS!! There's no place like home... or what's left of it! The bad guy's revealed! Believe me, you'll be surprised! ^_~ STAY TUNED!