6:00 p.m.
Sonic enters the hotel, seeing that Tails and Steve are reading in bed. Amy can be heard in the shower.
"Sonic, you came," says Steve. "Did you save the princess?"
"No," he answers. "She's still with Eggman."
"What do you mean?" the grown fox asks.
Sonic sits on the bed and says to the foxes, "Tomorrow, very early in the morning, Eggman's battleship explodes. The princess dies in there."
"That's awful!" Tails cries as he puts his book.
"I know," Sonic explains. "The reason I'm telling you guys this because I need to get to the Egg Carrier quicker. I only have one chance at this. If we don't take this chance, the princess dies, and Iblis will be released; which means we're all gonna die!"
"Sonic, calm down!" Steve says, putting his hands on the hedgehog's shoulders. "Normally, I would say no, but since this important to you, I'll let you go."
"Yes!" Sonic cheers.
"But on one condition," Steve says. "I'm coming with you."
"Aw!" Sonic whines.
"You're 12 years old," the fox replies. "I don't think the guards will let you find Eggman by yourself at 6:00 at night."
6:15 p.m.
Sonic and Steve are outside the hotel, as they see a Soleanna guard looking around with a pair of binoculars. The two animals run over to the guard, with Steve saying to him, "Hey buddy! We need your help."
The guard puts his binoculars down and asks in an annoyed tone, "What is it?"
"Have you seen the Egg Carrier close by?" Sonic asks.
"I think so," answers the guard. "I should find it with my trusty binoculars."
He gets out his binoculars and looks around. He then sees the Egg Carrier heading east. "Aha!" he says. "It seems Dr. Eggman is heading to White Acropolis."
Perfect! Eggman's base is there, which means Sonic should get there in about an hour. "Thanks!" Sonic says to the guard.
"But since the seaport is closed," the guard begins to ask. "how about I take you there in my helicopter?"
"Sweet!" Sonic happily shouts. "Thanks man!"
7:00 p.m.
After Sonic got dropped off from the helicopter, he finds Eggman's base. He sees several Egg Gunners patrolling the area. How is he going to get past all those robots?
Just then, Eggman's voice is heard from the intercom. "Just a reminder: everyone needs to board the Egg Carrier by 8:30 p.m. Anyone patrolling outdoors needs to be inside by 8:15," he explains. "I have just planted a bomb in the center of the base. If you do not show up in the Egg Carrier by 8:35, this base will explode; and that means bye-bye, whoever dies here! Have a good evening."
Eggman is messed up in the head! He's willing to leave anyone who dies here?
Whatever... A couple Egg Gunners spot Sonic and begin shooting him. Sonic spindashes his way from the robots.
Meanwhile...
In the Egg Carrier, Eggman is showing Elise some pictures of himself. The current picture shows Eggman, about 20 years younger, receiving his mechanics degree.
"This is me getting my mechanics degree when I was in college!" Eggman says to the princess, who clearly isn't interested. "That's also where I invented Robot."
"I see..." Elise mutters as she tries to follow along.
"Too bad he's such a snob!" Eggman complains. "He thinks he's so much smarter than me!"
Elise hesitantly speaks up, "Well... Maybe it's because he is smarter than you..."
Offended, Eggman gasps and slaps the princess across the face.
"OW!" she screams as she puts her hand over her bruised cheek.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Eggman shouts at her. "I have an I.Q. of 300! Nobody's smarter than me!"
7:20 p.m.
Now that Sonic is in the base, he sees more robots coming his way.
"More robots?" he smirks. "Bring it on!"
The Egg Gunners shoot Sonic, only for the ladder to homing attack them.
"Ha!" Sonic says, landing on his feet. "That was too easy."
He then runs off to a different direction.
Back to Eggman...
Eggman is still showing Elise more pictures of himself. This one being of him posing in some weird bathing suit-thing, seductively.
"This is me at the beach," the middle-aged man says. "Do I look sexy or what?"
"MY EYES!" Elise screeches, covering her eyes in horror.
"What? You can't keep your eyes on that hot bod?" Eggman brags to her.
No, you idiot! How is a weird prison/candy cane themed bathing suit attractive, anyways?!
One hour later...
As the Egg Gunners board the Egg Carrier, Sonic runs across a bridge above the aircraft.
"...98, 99...100!" Eggman finishes counting the robots. "Alright, that's everybody! Anyone missing will be blown up in the base!"
The doctor walks inside the ship, the ladder closing. Sonic stands on the bridge, wondering what he should do next.
"Thrust increasing," a robotic computer from the Egg Carrier says. "Engine output at maximum."
"Aw crap!" Sonic cries as he begins running again. He needs to catch the Egg Carrier or else the princess dies!
"Gate open. Lifting off."
Just as the Egg Carrier begins to move, Sonic jumps off the bridge and onto the ships thin metal tail. The ships leaves the base, the ladder exploding because of the bomb.
Phew! That was way too close! Sonic thought he could've died for sure, and that wouldn't be good. The hedgehog walks on the tail and sees a closed door right in front of him.
Alright... Now he needs a way to get inside. And in the nick of time, an Egg Gunner exits from the aircraft, who unfortunately fall off the ship. That robot will not be missed.
Seeing that the door is unlocked, Sonic runs inside and sees that the room is dark. He walks around, noticing lots of different robots and machines. One in particular is red, and looks like some type of bird.
He figures Eggman might use one of these things if he finds him, so Sonic comes up with the bright idea of removing a small part from the middle. The 12-year-old has heard removing a middle part of a robot might end up breaking apart eventually.
But suddenly, another robot comes by and whacks Sonic's head with a hammer, knocking him out. The robot drags him out of the room and puts him in a closet. The door closes, leaving the unconscious hedgehog behind.
4:50 a.m.
RING! RING! RING! An alarm goes off in the Egg Carrier, and Sonic sniffs some really bad smoke from this very closet, causing him to wake up.
The hedgehog looks around and asks himself, "How did I get in here?"
He keeps breathing in the toxic smoke, and he immediately covers his nose! Man, that stinks! He then realizes something: the Egg Carrier is malfunctioning! That's why there's smoke and the alarm going off! But how's Sonic going to get out of here?
After coming up with a plan, Sonic kicks the door down and runs up ahead in the hallway. He then hears some voices at the front.
"I think we put too much fuel in the Egg Carrier back in White Acropolis!"
That must be Eggman! Sonic runs up to the door to get a better listen.
"No!" Eggman screams. "We're about to crash!"
"What do we do, doctor?" Robot asks.
Sonic kicks the door down, and will you look at that: Princess Elise is here too.
"Playtime's over, Eggman!" Sonic says.
Elise smiles as she sees the hedgehog. "Sonic!" she screams, running to his side.
"HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!" Eggman hollers at Sonic.
"I have my ways," he answers.
Eggman turns to Robot and yells, "Get the Egg Wyvern! I have a bone to pick with this hedgehog!"
Robot nods as he runs out of the room.
"You know," Sonic begins. "it's kinda pointless to battle me when this ship is about to crash."
"SO THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Eggman screams, then turns around, seeing a mountain up ahead. So it's true... The fat doctor throws a temper tantrum and growls in frustration.
"NOOOOO!" he screams. "HOW WILL I REVIVE THE FLAMES OF DISASTER NOW?!"
Robot comes in and says to Eggman, "I hate to say this, but it seems the Egg Wyvern is destroyed..."
"Never mind about the Egg Wyvern!" Eggman screams. "We're gonna escape!"
"Escape?" Robot wonders.
"Our ship is about to crash!" Eggman says as he and Robot get in the Egg Mobile. "We'll let those two lovebirds die together!"
Lovebirds? Is that what Eggman sees Sonic and Elise as? Whatever...
The villains leave the almost destroyed battleship, and Sonic picks up Elise, wondering what's gonna happen between these two.
"Sonic," Elise worries. "we can't just die here."
"I know," says Sonic. "I'll think of something."
A front section of the Egg Carrier explodes, making Sonic jump and Elise scream. There's only one way to escape this madness.
"Hold on tight," Sonic orders Elise. "We're jumping out of here!"
Elise clutches onto Sonic as he jumps out of the Egg Carrier. Thankfully, he lands on a wing of the ship. He sees that they're getting closer to the cliff of the mountain.
Sonic turns to Elise asking her, "You ready?!"
"Ready!" Elise answers in fear, yet determined at the same time.
Sonic jumps over to the cliff, only to find out these two are falling. The Egg Carrier crashes into the mountain and explodes, launching Sonic and Elise up to the top of the mountain and roll along the grass.
Sonic gets up just fine, but Elise on the other hand... She's still laying on the ground, eyes closed.
"Elise?" he asks, walking over to her. Oh no... Is she dead?
The princess opens her eyes, and Sonic lends his hand for her to sit up. Elise sits up, and the two start laughing after that wild adventure they just had. Sonic turns to the princess, who is actually smiling!
"Nice smile!" Sonic compliments her.
"Thank you!" Elise responds.
The two minors sit on the grass and watch the sun rise, wondering what today has in store for them.
And that was Chapter 20! Just a reminder: I will be busy for the remainder of the week, as I have prom this Saturday night. I also want to focus on other things (such as fanart for Instagram) as well.
So expect the next chapter to come out at least next week, which will involve Shadow's last part to his story. Please review this story (what is your favorite part/character so far) and I'll see you in Chapter 21!
