The group roamed through the desert without having succumbed to mirages of any kind. They eventually reached back to HQ at last.
"Guys, what happened?" Tails came to the group along with Nights, Blaze and Silver concerned. "You look terrible."
"We just escaped from Nightmare with our lives." Sonic informed Tails.
"And we managed to retrieve these." Shadow said pulling out the two Chaos Emeralds from the previous episode.
"But how did you all manage to escape Nightmare?" Nights asked.
"That was thanks to me." Patrick answered stepping in from behind Tyler, Sonic, Klonoa and Shadow.
"Who are you?" Nights asked.
"I'm Patrick and I'm Tyler's brother." Patrick answered Nights' question.
"So, you know our leader?" Silver asked Patrick.
"Yep. And I'm gonna help you guys until me and my brother free this place from Wizeboy." Patrick said.
"Wizeman." Nights corrected Patrick's mispronounciation of Wizeman.
"Right." Patrick said.
"Where do we go now, Master?" Shadow asked Tyler.
"Good thing I have this." Tyler said as he pulled out an old tattered piece of paper from his pocket.
"A piece of paper?" Sonic asked confused. "How's that gonna help?"
"It's not just a piece of paper. It's a map." Tyler said showing the paper's contents to confirm his statement.
"A map of what?" Shadow asked.
"Nightopia." Tyler answered as he and the others took a look at the map.
"What's that area right there?" Nights asked pointing at an unmarked area on the map.
"I'm not sure. Never been there." Tyler said.
"Where did you come across this map?" Shadow asked Tyler.
"I found it during my solo explorations." Tyler told Shadow.
"Where did you go?" Klonoa asked Tyler curious about his travels.
"Just went out exploring." Tyler simply told Klonoa.
"So, I guess we're going there?" Shadow asked pointing to an unmarked area on the map.
"Right." Tyler said. "Let's go."
"How many of us are going with you?" Sonic asked Tyler.
"6." Tyler answered.
"All right, then." Shadow said.
"Nights." Tyler said.
"Okay, Tyler." Nights said.
"Shad." Tyler said.
"Thanks." Shadow thanked Tyler.
"Patrick." Tyler said.
"Good." Patrick said.
"Klonoa." Tyler said.
"Yeah!" Klonoa cheered.
"Tails." Tyler said.
"Thanks, Tyler." Tails thanked Tyler.
"And finally, Silver." Tyler said.
"I won't let you down." Silver assured Tyler.
"Shadow." Tyler turned to Shadow and asked him. "Can you use Chaos Control to send us there?"
"I'll try." Shadow answered as he used Chaos Control to warped both him and the team to their destination.
They were warped to what seemed like a forest of dead trees.
"Where are we?" Patrick asked.
"Here's a sign." Klonoa said pointing out a nearby sign and reading from it. "Welcome to Curien Mansion?"
"This feels familiar somehow..." Tyler said suddenly having a feeling of deja vu.
"Tyler, look." Nights informed Tyler pointing to something on the ground.
Tyler knelt down and analyzed what was on the ground. "Hmmm..."
"What is it?" Nights asked.
"Footprints and blood." Tyler answered getting up.
"Blood?" Shadow repeated.
"Yes. They're both fresh and probably lead to the mansion." Tyler stated.
"FREEZE, CURIEN!" An offscreen voice ordered Tyler.
Tyler drew out his light sword and brought his guard up. "Who's there?"
"Drop the sword, Curien!" The voice ordered.
Tyler did as he was told as the sword made contact with the ground as it clinged quietly. "Reveal yourself."
The person that the voice belonged to emerged from the fog.
"You're not Curien." The stranger said recognizing that Tyler is not who he was looking for.
"No, I'm Tyler of the Sega Chronicles." Tyler greeted himself to the man. "Who are you?"
"My name is James. I apologize for my behavior. I thought you were that mad man, Curien." James told Tyler.
"Wait, Dr. Roy Curien?" Tyler soon asked.
"Yes. Why?" James answered.
This made Tyler a bit suspicious of the possibility of a Chaos Emerald in the hands of Dr. Curien.
"James, did Curien have a gem with him?" Tyler asked James.
"Yeah, I think so." James told Tyler. "After I shot him, he ran."
"Oh, no. This is not good." Tyler said.
"What's wrong?" James asked Tyler.
"If Curien has that emerald, who knows what could happen?" Tyler explained.
Then a groan was heard echoing throughout the woods catching the heroes by surprise and coming out of the woods was a group of zombies stumbling toward them.
"Zombies?!" Shadow exclaimed.
James took out his gun and shot the zombies three times before it clicked. "Great. Out of ammo."
As a zombie was stumbling toward James, the creature was shot from behind by a hooded figure weilding a shotgun.
"That should do it." The figure commented.
"Who are you?" Tyler asked the hooded figure.
The figure removed his hood, revealing himself as Tyler's friend, John.
"J-man? How did you get here?" Tyler asked John surprised to see him in this world.
"I'm unsure myself, but I must go." John responded.
"Wait, J-man, we might need you for the zombies." Tyler halted John and suggested.
John hesitated for a moment.
"Okay, then." John then decided.
"Then, let's go to Curien Mansion." Tyler said.
They all went toward where Curien Mansion is supposed to be. It took them about half the day before they reached the mansion's entrance.
"Looks like there's 4 floors of this mansion." Shadow said surveying the architectural design of the mansion. "What do we do, Tyler?"
"We each take a floor." Tyler stated. "Shad, James and Patrick take the 2nd floor. Klonoa, Tails, you both get the 3rd floor. And me, Nights, J-man and Silver will take the attic."
They entered the mansion where the first room they stepped into was the foyer.
"Okay, everyone. Split up." Tyler instructed everyone. "If you find the Chaos Emerald, tell your location with these walkie talkies." Tyler gave everyone each their own walkie talkie.
"Understood." Shadow said.
"All right, then." Nights said.
"Come one, let's go!" Klonoa said dashing off to find the Chaos Emerald as everyone but Tyler began their search.
"Wait!" Tyler halted the others. "Each of you take a flashlight."
Tyler then handed everyone their own flashlights.
"Now, we split up." Tyler said affirming everyone to split up as planned.
It showed Shadow, James and Patrick exploring a hallway on the second floor.
"So, how do we find this thing?" James asked.
"Chaos Emerald." Shadow corrected James.
"Whatever." James said irritated before asking again. "So, how do we find it?"
"No idea." Patrick answered.
"I can sense the emerald's energy." Shadow said sensing the Chaos Emerald nearby. "But it's not on this floor."
"He, he, he... Well, well... Who do we have here?" Someone said offscreen as the trio looked behind them and found the voice belonged to Judgement.
"You!" James exclaimed recognizing Judgement.
"I've already taken care of G. You 3 are next." Judgement said to James. "Go, Kaurl!"
"I never thought I'd face you again, Judgement." James said to Judgement.
"Now, Dr. Curien will be pleased." Judgement said.
James took out his gun and fired 3 shots at Judgement. They were all direct hits.
"Dr. Curi-" Judgement barely said before he dropped to the ground dead.
"This is bad. Curien's creations are everywhere." James said realizing the situation and turning to Shadow. "You, hedgehog, what was your name?"
"Shadow." Shadow answered.
"Shadow, can you get us to the 3rd floor with your magic?" James then asked hoping Shadow's Chaos Control would give them an advantage.
"It's not magic. It's called Chaos Control." Shadow once again corrected James.
"Right." James said.
"But I understand your intentions. We need to warn everyone about what we're up against." Shadow said. "Chaos Control!"
Soon, Shadow warped James, Patrick and himself out of there to go warn everyone starting with Klonoa and Tails in the 3rd floor.
To Be Continued...
