Chapter 22: Chaos
A week had passed and neither Dr. Eggman nor Chaos resurfaced, leading Sonny and the others to believe that they had been defeated for good. While Biggs had miraculously managed to escape from the Egg Carrier and decided to become Amelia's friend, Chuck was busy trying to find Tia. He had found the last of the Master Emerald shards on the Egg Carrier and was planning to return to Angel Island, but Sonny insisted that Chuck should at least say goodbye to Tia before he left. Then one sunny day while Chuck was resting in the park, he had another dream where Tia was standing before the altar on Angel Island while fires were burning all around her with fallen warriors and the droplet-shaped creatures from the Mystic Ruins mosaic lying dead. She pleaded the Master Emerald to save her people, and then there was a bright flash of light.
A voice woke Chuck, and he found himself staring up at Tia's radiant face.
"Tia," Chuck said as he sat up from the park-bench. "I've been looking all over town for you."
"Same here," Tia responded. "I tried finding a home, but no one will talk to me or acknowledge my presence for that matter."
"So what have you been doing?"
"Living on the streets. It hasn't been that bad, but I do get cold and lonely."
"But you shouldn't have to live like that. Where are your parents?"
"I don't know. I've been living in various foster homes throughout my life, and then at the latest one I got in a bad fight and ran away."
"I see." Chuck rubbed the back of his neck for a few minutes and then he said, "Well, if you want, you could come live with me."
"That's very kind of you, Chuck, but I wouldn't want to impose on your friends."
"I'm not talking about living with my friends. My business in town is done, and I was going to head back to my real home."
"Where is it?"
"Ever heard of a place called Angel Island?"
Tia's eyes widened. "Isn't that the island that supposedly floated a long time ago?"
Chuck nodded. "Yep, that's the one, only…it really does float."
"So how would we get there?"
"I have my own way, but I'm kind of embarrassed to show you right here."
"What's it like? Angel Island, I mean."
"Well, it's got snowy mountains, jungles, a volcano, a desert, and some interesting ruins. There aren't very many animals, but there's plenty of tropical fruit and freshwater springs for sustenance. The temperature changes depending on which area you're in, but it doesn't get unbearably hot or too cold. So it's livable, though mostly quiet."
"That sounds nice," Tia noted. "Are there any other people?"
"Nope, just me."
"Then you must get pretty lonely up there."
"Sometimes, but I've gotten used to it."
"Is there a particular reason why you live on Angel Island all by yourself?"
"It's kind of a long story."
"I'm all ears."
Before Chuck answered, he noticed Sonny, Miles, and Amelia at a hot-dog stand near the edge of the park.
"My friends are over there," Chuck said to Tia. "Would you like to meet them?"
"Sure!" Tia smiled.
So Chuck took Tia's hand and they ran towards the hot-dog stand. When they got there, Chuck let go and blushed when he realized what he did. Then while Tia waited, Chuck walked up to Sonny and got his attention.
"Sonny," Chuck said boldly. "I managed to find Tia, and I'd like you to meet her."
"Oh, cool," Sonny responded, taking a bite out of the chili-dog he just ordered. "Where is she?"
"She's right over there," Chuck said, waving his hand in Tia's direction.
Sonny, Miles, and Amelia looked in the direction Chuck indicated, but they didn't react.
"Um, where exactly?" Sonny asked.
"Right there," Chuck insisted, pointing at Tia. "Don't you see her?"
"I don't see anyone," Miles said. "Are you sure you're pointing in the right direction?"
"Of course I'm sure," Chuck said as he motioned Tia to come over.
Once Tia stood in front of them, Sonny, Miles, and Amelia's eyes widened.
"Chuck," Amelia pointed nervously. "What's that weird glowing orb that's right next to you?"
Chuck looked at what Amelia was pointing at, but all he saw was Tia. "I don't know what you're talking about, but Tia's standing right in front of you guys and you're not noticing her!"
"Don't get angry, Chuck," Tia pleaded. "Not for my sake."
"Did you hear something?" Amelia said, looking around.
"Yeah, it sounded like a faint whisper," Sonny responded. "I think it came from that orb floating next to Chuck."
"If this is some kind of sick joke, it's not funny," Chuck growled.
But just as Chuck was about to walk away, Miles spoke up. "Wait, Chuck, I think I have an idea about what's going on. Tia, hold out your hand."
After a pause, Tia did as Miles asked and held her left hand out to Miles. Next, Miles tried to shake Tia's hand, but he touched nothing. Chuck watched and saw Miles' hand move right through Tia's. Miles then stared intensely at the orb that floated in front of him, and lowered his head.
"You said her name was Tia, right?" Miles said, turning to Chuck. "What's her last name?"
"Kale," Chuck answered. "Why do you ask?"
"It's just as I thought," Miles said to himself. Then he said to Chuck, "Two days ago, while I was looking up Tia on my computer to help you find her, I came across an article about a runaway teenage girl who died in a hit-and-run last week. That girl's name was Tia Kale and this is what she looks like."
Miles then pulled an iPhone out of his shirt-pocket and showed it to Chuck. The girl in the photograph looked exactly like Tia, only she wore a plain white T-shirt and bellbottom jeans. Stunned, Chuck glanced between the photo and Tia herself, who was shaking violently.
"Tia can't be a ghost," Chuck muttered. "I held her in my arms the first time we met, and she felt real."
"Maybe your mind tricked you into thinking that she was real when she really wasn't," Miles suggested.
"Yeah, but why does Chuck see her as a girl when we see her as a floating orb?" Sonny asked.
"That I don't know," Miles replied.
A sudden storm rolled in from the sea and brought heavy rainfall with it. While Sonny and the others ran for cover underneath the bus-stop, Chuck stood where he was watching Tia as she knelt on the ground moaning. Then a bright yellow aura appeared over Tia's head and enveloped her.
"Tia!" Chuck exclaimed, running towards her.
But by the time he got to her, Tia had disappeared. A loud gushing noise caught Chuck's attention, and he looked in the direction of the ocean. His eyes widened when he saw fire-hydrants and sewers erupting fountains of water, causing the streets to flood.
Immediately, Chuck ran over to the bus-stop where Sonny and the others were waiting and said, "We have to get to higher ground, guys! The city's flooding!"
Upon hearing that, the other people waiting at the bus-stop panicked and ran to the nearest buildings. Just as they did, a distant roar caught Sonny and the other's attention. Down the street, a large wave was coming in fast swallowing up cars and people alike.
"Uh, now might be a good time to transform," Sonny said and started concentrating.
"But Sonny, we're out in the open," Miles warned.
"We don't have time to worry about that, Miles!" Amelia exclaimed.
"Yeah, if we don't do it now we'll all die!" Chuck added.
Before the wave hit them, the four teens transformed. Afterwards, Tails picked up Sonic and they flew to the rooftop of the nearest two-story building. Meanwhile, Amy held onto Knuckles as he glided up toward the same building and climbed all the way up to the top. Once they were all on the roof, the four watched in horror as the city's streets flooded with water. Then the tallest building in Station Square fell apart as water filled it all the way up to the brim and from it emerged a terrifying creature with tendrils extending from its serpentine body and jaws full of sharp teeth that snapped frequently.
"Chaos," Knuckles said in surprise.
"He must've found all the Chaos Emeralds while we weren't looking and has now achieved his true form," Tails guessed.
"We've got to stop him," Sonic said firmly. "If he continues on this rampage, Station Square will be completely destroyed!"
"But how?" Amy asked. "That thing is huge, and if it has all the Chaos Emeralds then we don't stand a chance."
"Amy's right," Tails responded. "There's no way we can beat that monster with all the Chaos Emeralds inside it."
A couple of armed missiles flew in from the north and hit Chaos on the side. They exploded on the surface, but they didn't penetrate the creature's liquid body. Then the Egg Carrier appeared shortly after the missiles with its lower-deck turret guns pointed in Chaos' direction.
"Eggman," Sonic murmured. "Why is he attacking Chaos if they were working together?"
"I don't know," Tails said.
The turret-guns fired, but like the missiles they only scratched the surface. Chaos then extended its watery tendrils and wrapped them around the Egg Carrier. While the Egg Carrier tried to break free, the tendrils squeezed the ship tighter until it broke in half. As Chaos flung both halves into nearby buildings, a single hovering vehicle flew away.
"Well, I guess he made it out all right," Knuckles said. "That coward always has a back-up plan when things don't go his way."
The Egg Mobile managed to avoid the tendrils and then it sped right toward the building Sonic and his friends were standing on.
To be continued…