Crew Guy 1: You really don't seem to care anymore about this project, do you?
Author: It's always in the back of my mind for some reason.
Crew Guy 2: Can you get sued for this?
Author: I'll disclaim all rights I don't have at the end.
Crew Guy 1: Can you work harder to finish this?
Author: Theoretically speaking, I could, but I never seem to be able to focus on it.
Crew Guy 1 and Crew Guy 2: SO WRITE!
Chapter 14: The Road HomeOnce aboard the plane, the flight went through with no complications. Or so they thought, as a sort of a déjà vu feeling occurred as the pilots, NiGHTS and the robotic Chao, were dumb enough to pull the same stunt twice. Unlike their previous attempt, Tails was not the one to lead the pilots back into the plane, rather the airline thought ahead this time and had a backup pilot take over the flight as NiGHTS was enjoying himself (or at least that's how it's referred to). Besides the threat of almost crashing a 250 ton (22686 kg) Boeing 747-8I type plane into a major city, this time Memphis, Tennessee, the trip ended up rather smoothly, and almost not worth mentioning.
"So where are we off to now boys?" Director Chao wondered. It was a good question indeed, as no one, not even the genius of the trip was able to figure this out. After an awkward pause, Amy led the group, with Knuckles and Tails following closely. Sonic not wanting to be left out or out done quickly dashed to the lead making Amy chase after him. The others were dragged along, quite literally, as well. It was only after this event that the Chao realized what was going on and decided to follow the gang's lead. This time, they had to head straight home without a plane.
Though getting to the Earth to see the movie in a big city was relatively easy, going back to Sonic's planet from a city was difficult. The gang headed south, knowing there to be portals there. They followed a major road (Interstate 75), and Sonic made sure that he and his friends were moving too fast to be seen. The fact that it was a windy day helped the gang keep their cover. They finally found what they were looking for, in a little town called Hampton, Georgia.
"Guys, this it it. It's the portal home," Tails said, as he peered in a portal in a city owned park. "Then let's go," Sonic said. "Wait!" Tails blurted out, "If the Master Emerald passes through that portal, the gate will destabilize." "What if I just go in last?" Knuckles pondered, fearing what would happen if that giant rock got into the wrong hands. "That could work. But we better hurry, as this portal will only last five more minutes at best." Tails acknowledged. "Let's hurry then," Sonic snapped, impatient to leave. They all jumped in to the portal, Sonic first, then Tails, followed by Amy, Director Chao, Chaos, and lastly Knuckles in that order. They and the portal disappeared, and the citizens of Hampton swore never to speak of what they had witnessed.
The gang landed in the Ice Cap Zone, a place that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles had not seen since 1994. "Ice Cap Zone, huh? What a weird place to end up," Sonic noted. "Don't worry Sonic, we've been here before, and I'm sure we can find our way back," Tails stated, reassuringly. Then, in a surprise move, Amy steeped forward and declared confidently, "I'll lead the way!" Everyone else started laughing, but Chaos was cut short of his laughing because he was starting to freeze. As everyone noticed, Director Chao then said to Amy, "Amy, we all know you haven't been here. How do expect to lead the way?" Amy, obviously not pleased with his statement replied "So you doubt me, huh? Well I'll show you. Follow me!" She then proceeded to run off, hammer in hand, through the entire Ice Cap Zone.
The road home was a long and difficult one, mostly because of the difficulty of speed-running through a zone with a hammer as your only weapon, but surprisingly, she made it through both acts safely, as if she had been there before. "See, I told you!" Amy remarked, but everyone else was still too dumbfounded to respond. Sonic decided to then take the lead here, seeing as how they were still a long ways aways from Emerald Town, and since he wanted to get there fast. "Hey, let me go!" He literally dragged the slow ones with him as he sped his way back to the mainland. And so they returned home.
Author's Note: This chapter could've been uploaded ages ago, but it wasn't. Sporadic updates seem to be a trend for enthusiasts like me. For reference, this chapter was uploaded to on January 5, 2015 but started on September 15, 2011. To reiterate: updates may or may not continue, and if they do continue, will only do so rarely. (Even I'm surprised by the gap.)