ARC 4: Titans Of Sodor
Chapter 6: Chaos PT 1
The Steam Team remained upset and angry as they were forced to sleep in different places, it reminded them of when they had accused the diesels of ruining the sheds long ago. Luckily for Toby he got to go back to his shed. Emily went back to her older shed, Gordon slept at Knapford station, James slept at the docks. Edward and Henry had to sleep in the Steamworks plus they needed repairs. Percy and Shade headed off to the Smelter's Yard, though they were wondering where Thomas and Big had run off to. Percy was still surprised at how Thomas attacked Shadow, though he did deserve it...but still. Percy still had chills when coming near the Smelter's Yard after what had happened last year.
"Ooh, I wonder if Thomas is okay. Maybe I should go look for him." Percy figured.
Shade yawned from inside the cab and stretched.
"I'm sure wherever he is he's fine, it's best to worry about it tomorrow and hope we figure out who's causing all this." Shade said.
"I guess so...oh dear."
Meanwhile, Thomas was panicking over by the buffers. He worried if Big was okay, he could possibly get lost there. He knew he'd eventually have to tell Sonic and the others what happened. He thought about heading in after him, but there was nothing beyond the buffers that could really harm him, if anything, what was hidden would keep him protected. Besides, he had no idea where Sonic had gone, so it would be useless to tell him now. And so Thomas left to find some other place to sleep.
The Magic Railroad...
Big had abandoned the freight car and was now floating down the long stretch of track admiring the night sky of this strange little world. It looked a bit like Sodor, it's beautiful mountains, it's light green grass, and the twinkling stars.
"Ooh...it's so pretty." Big said.
Froggy remained on his shoulder as they continued to float down the golden rails.
"I wonder where I'm going." Big said.
"Ribbit!" Froggy said.
Eventually they were coming closer to another set of buffers. Their floating speed picked up and they started to wobble.
"Whoa...wait it's the end of the line, what happening? HANG ON FROGGY!"
Big and Froggy zip into the portal created by the buffers and they were gone again. A few seconds later they exited out another set and into a large tunnel. Big landed on his butt while Froggy landed next to him.
"Oof! Owie...hey where are we now, it's too dark." Big said.
Nervously, he walked forwards and could see something in the distance with dimmed lights. Exiting the tunnel, he saw what looked like an engine a bit smaller than Thomas...it seemed asleep. Or so he thought. Big gasped when the engine woke up and looked at him with a smile.
"Oh hello there."
Island of Sodor...
The next day, the island was being visited by a special guest, Sonic and Tails never thought they would ever see these two again. With Gordon sleeping at Knapford Station, he knew he'd be ready for the express, though he had to wait until either Thomas or Percy fetched his coaches.
"I wonder who this famous celebrity is." Gordon wondered.
Emily arrived yawning next to him.
"Ooh, I heard about him, he made this movie with these little alien things called Chao. I think the movie was called 'Planet of the Chaos'. It sounds very interesting, he and his assistant are coming, maybe they'll be on your express!" Emily said.
"Well I'll be sure to give them a good run. Though those little ghosts may become a bother...they'll probably try to scare him away." Gordon rolled his eyes.
"I'm sure they won't do that, just keep a lookout for him." Emily said.
She steamed away while Percy came over shunting Gordon's coaches and pushing them into the back of Gordon. Percy then moved beside Gordon and came up to him.
"Gordon, have you seen Thomas? I can't find him, nobody can." Percy said.
"No I haven't seen him, I've been here all night thanks to the large lizard destroying the sheds. I hope they get fixed soon." Gordon grumbled.
"Yeah me too, I'm gonna continue to find Thomas." Percy left.
Percy thought about checking where the magic buffers were, surely Thomas had to have gone there...he just hoped whoever they saw trying to attack them wasn't around. Unfortunately he was wrong, the crystalized hedgehog spied on Percy as he headed towards the buffers.
"Hmm...what is this engine up to?" The hedgehog wondered.
Before Percy could even get close to area the buffers were located in, a small alien ship goes flying by seemingly out of control.
"Whoa...who could that be?" Percy wondered.
So instead Percy abandons his mission and decides to follow the ship down another set of track, unknowingly angering the hedgehog. Meanwhile, Shade found Sonic standing on a large hill by the Windmill. He looked puzzled and angered at the same time.
"Something troubling you Sonic?" Shade asked.
"I'm just still angry over how Shadow treated everybody, they didn't deserve that, and thanks to him we can't even find Big...or Thomas." Sonic sighed.
"Is Shadow always this mean?"
"No, he can be a jerk...but he's never this...grumpy I guess. Heh, probably just jealous we could handle the Biolizard without him, not like he remembers much from the first time."
"I guess so. Hey Sir Topham Hatt said that some celebrity is supposed to be coming in an hour, Tails said you all might know him."
"A celebrity eh? I don't know many of those...guess I'll be surprised." Sonic smirked.
"Hello Sonic!" Came a voice.
Sonic and Shade nearly jumped in shock, but as they turned around, Sonic smirked recognizing the person.
"Heh...didn't expect to see you here again." Sonic chuckled.
All around Sodor, many were wondering who the famous person was, not many have about the movie, but soon they were sure to learn all about it. Back with Percy, he continued to follow the ship, it looked very similar to one of the Metarex ships. Finally the ship crashes into the side of the Steamworks. Luckily no one was hurt, though Victor and Kevin quickly come out to see what was going on, some workmen were a little scared when they saw the ship. Percy arrived a little worried.
"Is everyone alright?" Percy asked.
"Just fine Percy, but whatever is this thing?" Victor asked.
"I don't know, I was following it down the line, it seemed out of control." Percy said.
Suddenly everyone backed away as the top opened up and inside was in fact one of the Metarex, not any of the commanders however, instead it was the insane Metarex Kingape, the Metarex that looked like a monkey.
"Ugh...I really need to work on better landings." The metarex rubbed his head.
"Oh no! We're being attacked by the Metarex again!" Percy gasped.
"We need to get Sonic!" Kevin said.
"Defend the Steamworks!" Victor yelled.
Several brave workmen gathered crowbars and hammers and went to attack the mech who began to panic.
"WAIT WAIT! I'M NOT HERE FOR AN ATTACK! STOP IT! STOP!" Kingape clutched his head.
"Then what could you possibly be here for?" Percy asked letting off steam angrily.
"Our leader has gone missing and his signal was traced back down here, figures, I can understand aliens on this planet, but to end up on this Island again? Why?" Kingape wondered.
"Wait so only Dark Oak is missing?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah the other 4 sent me down here to look for him, apparently he could be very hurt. When I find him, the others will come to get him." Kingape explained.
"But how did he end up here?" Percy wonderred.
"That's what I'll find out when I find him. But now there's a new problem, my ship is totaled and I'm sure no human could fix it." Kingape gestured to the workmen who scoffed.
"Hmm, maybe Tails will know what to do. Look you can come with me and we'll go get Tails, maybe we'll run into Dark Oak along the way. As long as it's not literal." Percy remembered the deaths of Captain Whiskers and Johnny.
Kingape scratched under his head with his sharp claws, could he really trust these sentient machines...then again...they were kinda connected after all, well if you ignore that fact that Dark Oak and the commanders were once plant-like aliens now fused into bio-robotic forms. But besides that, they were all machines now.
"Very well..take me to this Tails you speak of." The Kingape said.
He jumped into the cab nearly knocking over the driver and fireman. Kingape himself nearly hit his head on the roof.
"Ugh...at least you're not any smaller." Kingape groaned.
Percy only chuckled before leaving to find Tails at Sir Topham Hatt's house. The fox was being informed by the fat controller of the special guest.
"Whoa...so he's actually coming. It's been awhile since we've seen him, just hope he's doing well for himself." Tails said.
"I heard his next movie is almost finished. He wants the last scene to take place here on the island, as sort of a peaceful ending." STH explained.
"Oh...he may have a hard time with that." Tails said.
"Well, we need to figure out who's causing all of this trouble." STH said.
"Don't worry sir, me, Sonic and Shade will handle this mess. I don't know where Shadow went off to, that guy can be so mysterious, and we still haven't found Big." Tails said.
Suddenly Percy arrived with Kingape who was admiring the view.
"So why do you call him the fat controller?" Kingape asked.
The driver and fireman felt uncomfortable explaining that and Percy thought it was pretty obvious why. Tails, STH and Lady Hatt came out greeting Percy.
"Hey Percy...AAHH A METAREX!" Tails shouted.
"I'M NOT HERE TO FIGHT! Ugh...I'll have to explain this to everybody." Kingape groaned.
"Tails, Kingape's ship is ruined and I thought maybe you can fix it. Apparently Dark Oak got sent here by some unknown source and now he's missing, so he needs to find him." Percy explained.
"Wow...now that is strange. Well I guess I could take a look at it. Where did you crash it?"
"The Steamworks."
Back with Sonic, he and Shade were still staring down the unexpected person.
"So what's the deal Metal?" Sonic asked.
He and Metal Sonic just stood there inches apart staring at each other. Knowing they were unable to tell how he was feeling, he simply stood there with sharp claws clenched into fists at his sides.
"I'm just here for a visit...what brings you here Sonic?" Metal asked.
"Saving the island again, though now I'm thinking you have something to do with everything that has been happening." Sonic accused him.
"Hah...I don't even know what's been happening. I just got here." Metal Sonic said.
"Sure you did. You're working with that strange crystalized hedgehog we saw yesterday aren't you! I thought you were done working for people." Sonic said.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Metal growled.
"JUST FESS UP!"
"SHUT UP!"
Shade could sense the strong tension between them and was thinking about breaking it up, suddenly they are joined by another person.
"Wow Sonic...you really do know how to cause tension, this is perfect!" Came a familiar voice.
The three turn to see a female echidna holding a video camera. Sonic blinked a few times trying to register who he was seeing.
"Tikal? Is that you?" Sonic asked.
"Hi Sonic, long time no see. How are you?" Tikal asked.
"I'm doing great Tikal, how's Chaos?" Sonic asked.
Suddenly the large blue ex-enemy Chaos 0 came over wearing some sunglasses, he only nods to Sonic.
"Chaos! Hey wait...but I thought you were one with the Master Emerald." Sonic said.
"We found ways to still maintain physical forms, plus Chaos even managed to become popular enough to be given a movie deal. Surely you've heard of 'Planet of the Chao'." Tikal said.
"Yeah, but I didn't get to see since Egghead constantly attacked. Meaning I didnt know Chaos had became a celebrity." Sonic shrugged.
"Huh...even I missed it." Shade said.
"You had a movie?" Metal tilted his head.
Chaos nodded and Tikal had to speak for him.
"So did we interrupt something?" Tikal asked.
Sonic and Metal turned back to each other.
"Sonic...I'm only here to visit, but if the island is in danger again...then I'll help." Metal said.
Sonic and Metal continued to stare at each other for another minute. Shade, Tikal and Chaos watched worried about what was going to happen. Metal figured if he was gonna have to fight Sonic over this, he'd gladly do it. But thankfully, Sonic backed off.
"Heh, I guess you've really softened up." Sonic teased.
"ME? NEVER! NOT FOR YOU!" Metal growled.
"Keep thinking that." Sonic said.
Seeing he had ticked off the robot, Sonic raced off with an enraged Metal right behind him. The girls laughed while Chaos only adjusted his sunglasses.
"So I heard you're looking to do some film-making here right?" Shade asked.
"Yes." Tikal nodded.
"Maybe I can help with that."
Nearbye, the crystalized hedgehog evilly laughed.
"So they're trying to make another film huh? I'll give them the footage that they so desperately want." He growled.
By the docks...something was rumbling in the water causing a few large waves to come crashing into Cranky who was getting worried.
"What's going on in the water?" Cranky wondered.
Salty and Edward looked towards the water seeing more rushing waves.
"I don't know matey, but maybe we should shut down the docks until it settles." Salty figured.
"It would be the best option." Edward agreed.
While the worry continued at the docks, Percy had dropped off Tails and Kingape back at the Steamworks where Tails went to work on the ship. Percy noticed someone standing far in the distance and squinted his eyes.
"Huh? Who's that?" Percy wondered.
Then he saw the person motion him to come over, Percy was very skeptical.
"I don't know if I should go, could be some kind of trick." Percy said.
He shuts his eyes tightly for a few seconds, and when he reopens them, the figure was gone.
"Phew, maybe I was just imagining things." Percy smiled.
"Oh I wouldn't be so sure." Came a voice.
Percy's eyes widened and he looked around, no one was there.
"Who's there?" Percy asked.
But he got no answer, so he instinctively raced away and hid in a nearby single shed. He hoped whoever it was would go away.
"I think I'm safe." Percy whispered.
"I don't think so."
Percy suddenly found his eyes forced shut, then when he gets to reopen them, he was staring into blood red eyes with yellow pupils and a black slit in the middle of them.
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Percy screamed backing up.
With one clawed hand, the hedgehog swiped the air and the force knocked Percy into the back of the shed. Percy saw it was the same crystalized Hedgehog from before.
"You...why are you here? What do you want?" Percy asked.
"I am...Mephiles the Dark."
To be continued...