In another part of the city, inside a gloomy laboratory.

In front of several test-tubes, a tall man wearing a lab coat was standing. He had white hair, but his face was shrouded in shadows. The lenses of his glasses were shining as he inspected the strange-colored gem in his hands.

"Kaolinite," he called.

A beautiful woman with pale skin, wearing another lab coat over her red dress, stepped into the room. "Yes, Professor Tomoe?"

"Just where did you find this interesting gem?"

Kaolinite smiled. "Under some bushes in the park. A dog had digged it up."

Tomoe held up the yellow gem. "It contains a most intriguing source of power, almost... chaotic! But it is very, very powerful... perhaps it will help us bring our master to Earth. Its power exceeds that of a heart crystal, that's for sure. But who knows if other gems like this exist...?"

"Professor, leave it to me. I'll go and find out. And if there are more like it... I will bring them to you."

The professor nodded. "Good, good... And don't forget to harvest more heart crystals. If this strange gem seems to be the only one of its kind, we have to use them like we intended to."

Kaolinite bowed. "I won't fail you, Professor!" She got ready to leave.

"Oh, Kaolinite?" the scientist called her.

She turned around. "Yes?"

"Have you already found a trace of Mistress 9's host?"

Kaolinite gulped. "N-no, Professor... But, I'm sure I'll find her pretty soon."

The professor's glasses glimmered. "I hope so, for your sake. It would be most annoying if I had to bother the Witches 5 with this task. You know what I mean?"

"Y-yes, professor! Of course!"

Tomoe grinned. "Excellent! Now, leave and go looking for the gems." He held up the yellow Chaos Emerald. "If there are more of these out there, I think I'll start my own little collection."

And he reared back his head and laughed maniacally. "BWAHAHAHAHAH! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAH!"

----

Kaolinite appeared in the top of a tall building. She was sweating. If the professor was unsatisfied, she would be in big trouble... so she had to make sure to find more of those gems, collect many heart crystals AND find the host of Mistress 9.

Life could be so cruel.

Well, at least the professor had created a new daimon egg that was already going for a suitable person with a pure heart.

----

The strange-looking white capsule floated over the city, out into the wilderness and towards the Mystic Ruins. Here, it approached a certain little workshop situated on a hill. It entered through a window and landed on top of a grey-colored plane that was waiting for its test ride. Slowly, the daimon egg got absorbed into the plane's surface.

Next to the grey plane, another plane was standing, red with two fox tails on its backside. From inside the cockpit, a blue-furred fox-girl looked up and peered around the room.

"I thought I heard something," Ami Prower murmured before shrugging and going back to work on the computer system she was going to build into the Tornado.

The doors leading to the hangar opened. "Sis, I'm back," the young fox shouted.

Ami appeared from the Tornado's cockpit. "Hey there, bro," she said. "I almost finished attaching the computer to your friend's plane, I only have to install the software. Using this, he just has to input a place that is in the database, and the computer will show him the fastest way to get there."

Tails grinned. "Well, the most quickest way would be if Sonic runs there. But as Eggman often builds flying fortresses, we need this plane. But thanks anyway, Ami."

The blue-furred fox twirled around her two tails. "Anytime, Tails! Well, I have to finish this tomorrow. I have to go to the meeting with my friends, most of them have to learn for their exams, and without my aid, they can be pretty hopeless."

Tails laughed. He knew Usagi pretty well. "I can imagine. See ya later, sis!"

As his sister left the room, he put down his toolbox next to the grey plane... and pulled out a Chaos Emerald. The red one.

"Okay," he smiled. "Let's see if you work as well as I'm hoping. You seem to have unlimited powers... so when I use you to power up the new plane, it won't need any fuel."

He attached the emerald to its place in front of the propeller. "There," he said while admiring his work. "That should be sufficient."

He jumped in and started the engine. Powered by the emerald, the plane's propeller rapidly began spinning.

"Away we go," Tails shouted, as the plane rolled out of the hangar and slowly began ascending into the air.

----

Everything went great, until they flew over Station Square. Suddenly, the whole plane started to glow. "Uh-oh," Tails shouted. "What's this?"

And all around its little pilot, the plane began changing shape. Under the wings, arms appeared, and the landing gear turned into shapely, female legs. The propeller was situated on the creature's chest, while on its head, a hard helmet appeared. Tails had only time to hang onto the creature's wings as it shouted:

"CYCLONE!"

'Oh my god,' Tails thought. 'That was amazing! I wonder how this is possible. Is it a reaction of the Chaos Emerald?'

It doesn't look like it, as the daimon ripped the red gem off its chest and smiled. "This will be a nice present for my mistress," she grinned. "But first, I need your pure heart."

The daimon Cyclone suddenly turned around and nearly threw Tails off. She spread out her arms and wings and dove towards the coastline, next to the Station Square Hotel.

"Whaaaaaaah!" Tails shouted as the daimon's speed increased. "Stop it! We're gonna crash! Mayday! Mayday!"

Cyclone turned around her head. "We're landing shortly... please do NOT fasten your seat belts. He, he, he..."

Cyclone had planned to just ram her small passenger into one of the palm trees. But just before this happened, Tails kicked her on the head and began twirling his tails. Flying up like a tiny helicopter, he was able to land safely on the beach.

Unfortunately, Cyclone miscalculated her flight angle because of that kick and crashed right into a palm tree.

"Phew," Tails said. "That was close."

The daimon got up and rubbed her head. "Grrrr," she snarled. "That hurt!"

Tails gulped. That looked like trouble.

----

Sonic was just relaxing at the hotel's swimming pool, as he saw Tails and Cyclone coming down. He winced as he heard the crash and groaned. "Oh man, Tails... have you gotten yourself in trouble again, little buddy?" And he ran to the crash site with Sonic speed.

----

As Angel Island was a little hard to reach, the Senshi meetings were being held in Makoto's apartment, which was situated near the train station.

Rei still glared at Minako, which made the blonde bat wince. "I still don't know what's worse: The fact that Rouge wants to train you to become a master thief or that you actually like the idea. And you wanted to steal the Master Emerald, of all things!"

Minako grimaced and bowed her head again and again. "Sorrysorrysorry, I'm so sorry! Won't happen again! I just didn't know that it was that important."

"It's not only important," Rei snapped. "It's the only thing that keeps our whole island floating. If you had stolen it, the island had crashed down into the sea, together with you and me!"

"Wow," Makoto said while nibbling on a carrot. "Your job as one of its protectors must be pretty hard, Rei."

Usagi grinned. "Can that stone also make my homework finish itself on its own? That would be cool."

Ami shook her head. "Usagi, you just have to study harder," the blue fox scolded the hedgehog. "How do you plan on saving the world, if you can't even handle simple Algebra?"

"Algebra?" Usagi asked featherbrained. "Is that some kind of animal?"

The others just sighed.

'I miss Luna,' Usagi thought. 'She would have immediately scolded me for that... but I still somehow miss her voice.'

Suddenly, they all heard a loud crash coming from the beach.

They all looked up. "A daimon?" Makoto asked.

"Perhaps," Rei replied. "But we should take a look anyways. If it was a plane that crashed, there may be injured people."

Usagi munched on her lunch. "Man, always when I'm eating," she mumbled with a full mouth.

----

When Sonic arrived at the scene, he could see Tails kneeling next to the hotel's wall. The daimon had knocked him back.

Cyclone grinned. "And now, for your heart crystal..." She opened a little lid over her stomach and uncovered a small black star that was situated directly on her skin. A beam of black light shot out of the star and hit Tails directly on his chest.

When he heard his little buddy scream, Sonic snarled and rushed into battle.

----

Haruka angrily shook the water out of her fur. This wasn't her lucky day. She didn't even manage to catch one single fish.

She mounted her trusty motorcycle and got ready to drive home... that means, to the Chaotix' apartment.

When she suddenly heard the loud crash coming from the beach.

Haruka thought about it. She preferred riding her bike, but she would be faster if she just ran on foot. And she had to get Michiru before she could check it out.

She let the motorbike stand where it was and grumbled: "Don't let anyone steal you, got it?" Then she started running.

Her speed wasn't nearly as formidable as that of the local hero number one, Sonic the Hedgehog, but she was faster than every human she had met up to now. Espio was as fast as her, as they found out in a racing contest.

She reached the apartment block, jumped down into the cellar and looked around. Vector and Charmy were still arguing, but Michiru was conversing with Espio.

Haruka coughed to get Haruka's attention, then gestured towards the door with her head.

Michiru frowned, but put down her glass and got up. "Is something the matter?" Espio asked. Michiru shrugged. "I guess it's important. Haruka always gets cranky if she has to wait for something, so I better see what's up. See you later!"

Espio watched the dolphin as she ran out of the door. Sometimes, those two acted strange...

----

Sonic dodged a propeller blade as the daimon fired one after another at him. "Too slow, you tin can," he shouted. "Even Big would have dodged that. I would advise trying something else."

Cyclone got angry. "Well, if you insist..." And she let the propeller on her chest spin rapidly. Caught by surprise by the gust of wind, Sonic nearly lost his footing. "Whoa, nice breeze. But a little drafty. I better close the window." And he sped towards the daimon to hit it with a Homing Attack.

Only to be hit with another propeller blade she had hurled at him. She snarled. "Now stay down, you pesky rodent!"

"Hey, hedgehogs are no rodents..." Sonic murmured while trying to get up. The daimon returned her attention to the heart crystal that was floating over Tails' chest.

She grinned. "Your friend's heart seems to be very pure. It will provide us with a remarkable amount of energy."

"No one's... going to steal Tails' heart," the blue hedgehog muttered, before another gust of wind blasted him back to the ground.

"Please, do not disturb me while I'm working," Cyclone said. She turned back to Tails' unmoving body.

"STOP IT RIGHT THERE!" an angry voice yelled.

Cyclone looked up. "Who's there?"

On a balcony of the hotel, five humanoid animals wearing Senshi fukus were standing. The blonde hedgehog that seemed to be their leader pointed at her with a finger. "This little boy's heart is filled with friendship towards his friends. He enjoys working on machines and testing them. And you want to steal his heart? I don't think so! We're the Sailor Senshi and don't like your attitude. I'm Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon... I'm going to punish you!"

Sonic looked at the five warrior girls. "So, those are the Sailor Senshi they always talk about on TV, huh?" he murmured. "I don't know if they can beat that thing, but they better quit giving such long speeches."

Cyclone snarled. "Damn! Sailor Moon! You won't defeat me as you did with the other daimons!" And she sent several propeller blades at the Senshi.

The furry protectors of the Earth jumped into the air. Two of them let their magic attacks fly at the daimon.

"Fire Soul!"

"Crescent Beam!"

Cyclone managed to dodge the fire attack, but Sailor Venus' beam hit her on the arm, so she had to drop the crystal. It floated to the ground.

Mercury gasped. "I have to get the crystal back," she shouted. "Cover me!"

While the others restrained the daimon, the blue-furred senshi twirled around her tails and flew towards the heart crystal. But before she could grab it, an orange blur zoomed past her and snatched it.

"Wha...?" she said.

Cheetah Uranus hold up the crystal. "I'll be taking that. Just have to check if it's a talisman. Thank you!"

"No," Ami shouted. "If we don't put it back, the boy could die." She was really worried about her brother.

Then, the dolphin of Neptune jumped in front of her. "I'll take care of her, Uranus," she said. "Get the heart crystal away from here, we'll check it later."

Sailor Uranus nodded. "Got it." And she started running.

Sonic growled. "Oh no, you don't." And he ran after her.

Cyclone barely registered the two speedsters getting away with the heart crystal. "No! That's mine!"

"Oh, shut up," Jupiter the Rabbit shouted. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

The lightning attack hit the daimon in the chest. Cyclone screamed and let the Chaos Emerald drop to the ground. "Now's your chance, Sailor Moon," Jupiter shouted.

Sailor Moon raised her wand. "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"

Cyclone screamed again as the hearts hit her and turned her body back into a plane. The daimon egg fell to the ground and cracked open. A dark shadow flew out of it and vanished.

----

The chase between Uranus and Sonic took them through the whole city. By now, they had reached the impressive highway called 'Speed Highway'. Uranus looked back. "World Shaking!" But she wasn't used to attack while running, so she missed the speedy hedgehog entirely.

Sonic smirked while he collected the rings. Those girls seemed to be able to use magics without needing rings, so he was happy that she left more for him. "So you wanna cheat, huh?" he smirked. "Well, I've got just the thing for you... Sonic Wind!"

He used the rings' magic to create a vortex of blue wind that surrounded the cheetah. The good thing of that attack: It almost never missed. Uranus yelled in anger as the hit caused her to drop the heart crystal. It nearly fell of the highway.

But Sonic snatched it in time. "Gotcha!" He skidded to a stop and smirked. "I'd love to race you some more, but I have a heart to deliver. See ya!" And he zoomed back to the coast.

Uranus growled angrily.

----

Uranus breathed deeply as she vanished into the dark back alley.

Neptune was waiting for her. "The heart crystal?"

Uranus shook her head. "I'm sorry... I couldn't do anything. That blue hedgehog got it."

Neptune frowned. "Aren't cheetahs supposed to be the fastest animals on Earth?"

Uranus growled. "Tell that to this damn hedgehog. He was also able to attack me with some magic. But he clearly was nothing like a Senshi. I wonder if it has to do with those rings..."

Neptune nodded. "Yeah, I always wondered why they were lying around everywhere. Well, maybe next time."

They dropped their Senshi magic and turned back to their civilian selves.

"That fox... somehow I pitied him," Michiru said in a small voice. "He was still so young."

Haruka shook her head. "We cannot afford any pity. We have to find the three talismans, or the world is doomed."

"Now, that is pretty interesting," a calm voice said to their right. "And would you tell me what's so important about those talismans that you are willing to sacrifice lives?"

Haruka and Michiru were startled when suddenly, Espio appeared out of thin air. They totally forgot his ability to turn invisible.

"What...? How long have you been standing here?" Haruka asked in surprise.

Espio looked at her. "Long enough... Sailor Uranus! I suppose you won't just stop endangering helpless people just for a chance to find those talismans you talked about, right?"

"You don't understand," Michiru said in a quiet voice. "Those talismans... if we don't find them, the Earth will be destroyed by the Silence."

Espio raised a non-existing eyebrow. "Interesting," he said. "But I'm afraid saving the world normally would include protecting their inhabitants... and that's exactly the opposite from what you're doing."

"Espio, you won't stop us." Haruka said. "You're a nice guy, but you just don't know what you're talking about." She reached for her transformation pen.

But it wasn't there. "What?"

Espio raised the two pens and smirked. "Are you looking for this? Before you get them back, I suggest we should talk a little. Do you disagree?"

"Give those back," Michiru shouted. "We're the only ones that can find the talismans!"

The chameleon sighed. "You aren't making this very easy, you know? Well, think about it first. I'll be waiting for you at our apartment. If I really can't convince you, I'll give them back to you. I swear it on my honor as a ninja."

Michiru stepped back. She knew he wouldn't make jokes about his ninja heritage. "All right, agreed. But give us some time to think this through, okay?"

He smiled. "That's exactly what I want you to do. See you later..." And he vanished in a swirl of air and leaves.

"What should we do now?" Haruka asked.

Michiru shook her head. "I wonder... perhaps he's right."

"What are you saying?" the cheetah shouted. "You are the one that told me that the Silence will destroy the Earth when our enemies get the Holy Grail, right?"

"Yes, that's true," Michiru said. "But... perhaps there are other ways of finding the talismans. We really don't know much about it. And relying on the hearts our enemies take from their victims isn't really the best method, don't you agree?"

Haruka sighed. "Perhaps, perhaps... Well, we should talk to Espio. Maybe he and his friends can help us, after all."

The elegant dolphin nodded. "Yes, that's what I'm thinking too. Let's go."

----

Tails stood up. "Whoa, what happened?"

Sonic smiled at him. "You're lucky I and those Sailor Senshi were around, buddy. That plane monster almost got your heart."

Tails gasped. His hands flew to his chest. "My... heart?"

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, she turned it into some kind of crystal, and some crazy cheetah-girl wanted to steal it away from you... but I got it back. And the monster is toast, too."

Tails smiled. "Thanks, Sonic. What would I do without a friend like you?" He looked around. "Where are the Senshi? I want to thank them too."

Sonic shrugged. "Dunno. When they saw that you're all right, they vanished. But they were pretty worried about you. The blue fox-girl especially made sure that I'm taking good care of you."

"Blue fox-girl? You don't mean...?"

Sonic shook his head. "Nah, can't be your sister. Ami looks totally different from that fox. She only has the same fur color. But what surprised me most is that one of those girls was an echidna. I thought Knuckles, his girlfriend and the old guy were the last remaining of their tribe. Have to ask him if it's possible that some of them are hiding somewhere." He picked up the Chaos Emerald. "What about that thing? The Senshi said it would be safe if we guard it from evil guys like that."

Tails nodded. "I think they're right. I have to think about it, though... I don't know if I'm going to use it as a power source after all this."

----

The Senshi had returned to Makoto's apartment. "Is it really okay to leave that emerald with Sonic?" Usagi asked.

Rei nodded. "It's okay. He used them before. And something tells me that he somehow is destined to protect them, just as our tribe protects the Master Emerald."

"Master Emerald... Chaos Emerald..." Ami thought aloud. "You think there's a connection?"

Rei shrugged. "Perhaps. But we should concentrate on our enemies. And we still couldn't find Luna."

"And Artemis," Minako agreed. "I wonder where they are..."

----

"Excellent," Dr. Eggman grinned. "All systems, full power!"

The red robot looked around the room. "Look at me," Eggman shouted. "I'm your creator, the cunning Dr. Robotnik. You will obey only me. You're the second one of my E-100 model machines. Code name: Gamma!"

"Gamma!" the robot repeated in a female voice. It was looking exactly like Beta, only red instead of white. And on its chest, the number 'E100' was written.

And while the new robot called E-102-Gamma prepared to follow his master's first order, a black cat that was imprisoned within its metal frame was crying to be let out.