Chapter 72: Glow
As soon as Sonny Miles and Chip reached the Savannah Citadel, Eggman's robots had rounded up the Mazuri people who had dark skin and wore minimal clothing with Eggman gloating in his Egg Mobile.
"Now, fellow villagers," Eggman said. "If you would be so kind as to tell me where the Gaia Temple is, I won't have to harm you."
"We will never tell you!" shouted a young boy who picked up a stone that was lying on the ground and threw it at Dr. Eggman.
The stone hit Dr. Eggman right on the jaw, which made him flinch and press a button. Then just as the robots were about to fire their lasers, Sonny jumped off the Tornado-1 and decimated every single one of the robots by landing on top of their heads. He then stood between the Mazurians and Dr. Eggman whose jaw had dropped.
"Sonny?" Eggman said hesitantly. "Shouldn't you be dead along with Sonic?"
"Nope, we're still kicking and your butt's going to be the first thing to go," Sonny retorted.
"Still witty as ever, I see," Eggman grumbled as he flew off. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a temple to find!"
"Hey, he's getting away!" Chip exclaimed, using his pixie wings to fly after Eggman's retreating Egg Mobile.
"Wait up, Chip!" Sonny said as he ran after the flying boy.
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After catching up, Chip and Sonny pursued Dr. Eggman's Egg Mobile across a wooden bridge that ran across the treetops that were scattered about the Savannah Citadel. Though Sonny was pushing his limits in terms of speed, he eventually did catch up to Eggman.
"Hey, Eggman!" Sonny cried.
In response, Eggman looked down at Sonny and his eyebrows arched upward. "How did you manage to catch up to me? Only Sonic can do that!"
"Several hours of running and a steady diet of chili-dogs," Sonny responded.
"Now you're starting to irritate me," Eggman said as he turned his Egg Mobile around to face Sonny while a giant robotic beetle flew down at attached itself to the Egg Mobile's lower-half. "Let's see if you can match up to my new Egg Beetle robot, which I originally programmed to fight Sonic!"
As Eggman moved the Egg Beetle forward with its large pincers snapping, Sonny managed to ram into the Egg Beetle's center in between snaps. This in turn caused the Egg Beetle to go flying down the bridge before it corrected itself to attack Sonny once more. But Sonny rammed it again and again until the Egg Beetle exploded. While Dr. Eggman flew away in the Egg Mobile, Sonny and Chip noticed a large stone structure next to an enormous tree below them.
"Do you think it could be the Gaia Temple Professor Pickle found?" Chip wondered.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Sonny said as he leaped into the air and spun rapidly toward the structure.
Chip flew after him, and soon they were both at the structure's entrance. Inside was a long stone hallway lit by green crystals. Then at the end, Sonny and Chip came to a circular chamber with a pedestal in front of a stone carving that was illuminated by torches that produced green fire.
"Hm, I wonder what this is for," Chip said as he walked up to the pedestal and inspected it.
Then something glowed from underneath Chip's jacket, and the pedestal suddenly elevated itself while the carvings along the shaft were lit up.
"What did you do?" Sonny asked walking up to Chip.
"I don't know, but something's glowing on me," Chip said as he looked underneath his T-shirt and found a spherical green stone that was attached to his neck by a white choker.
"How long have you been wearing that thing?" Sonny asked looking at the necklace in confusion.
"I'm not sure," Chip responded.
"Weird," Sonny said as he looked back at the pedestal.
Then Sonny took out one of the Chaos Emeralds, which he still carried inside the pockets of his shorts, looking down at it. After staring at the obvious hole in the pedestal and then back at the Chaos Emerald, Sonny walked up to the pedestal and placed the Chaos Emerald on top of the hole. It was a perfect fit as the Chaos Emerald suddenly glowed brightly and levitated in the air. There was a brief flash of light and the Chaos Emerald had gone from gray to green.
"Hey, the Emerald changed color," Chip noticed.
"So this was a Gaia Temple, after all," Sonny remarked.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble violently. Sonny and Chip immediately ran back to the temple's entrance, and once they got there the tremors stopped immediately.
"What was that about?" Chip asked.
"Sonny!" Miles shouted, running toward Chip and Sonny. "I just got some satellite footage from G. U. N. and the continent of Mazuri just moved back into place on top of Mobius' core. Did you find the Gaia Temple?"
"Right behind us," Sonny said thumbing the temple's entrance. "We just placed a Chaos Emerald on this pedestal-shaped thing inside, and the Chaos Emerald's power was immediately restored."
"Excellent!" Miles smiled. "Let's head back to Spagonia and see if the professor had translated more of the Gaia Manuscripts."
"Can't you just call him?" Sonny asked.
"He doesn't have a cellphone," Miles said sheepishly.
"Wow, he's that old-fashioned," Sonny said sarcastically.
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As night fell over Spagonia, Miles and Chip watched as Sonny reluctantly transformed into Werehog Sonic in Professor Pickle's study.
"Is it always painful when you transform?" Miles asked.
"Yeah, but I'm kinda getting used to it," Sonic replied.
"Can I look now?" Professor Pickle said with his hands over his eyes.
"Yes, Professor, the transformation's over," Miles said.
As Pickle removed his hands, he said, "While you three were gone I managed to translate more of the Gaia Manuscripts and I believe there is a temple somewhere here in Spagonia."
"Really?" Chip exclaimed.
"Where is it?" Sonic asked.
In response, Pickle frowned. "I wish I could tell you, but the Manuscripts aren't very specific about the exact location of the temples so you'll have to look around."
"Then let's get going, guys," Chip said as he eagerly went to the door.
Outside, Miles gave Chip a special camera that could supposedly exorcise the Dark Gaian monsters that possessed weak-minded individuals at night before taking off. While Chip tested the camera by taking pictures of random people on the street, Sonic clung to rooftops looking for any signs of a stone temple. A familiar-sounding shriek suddenly caught his attention, and Sonic immediately went to its source. He came across a cobblestone street where several people were randomly dancing with Professor Pickle's assistant among them. Sonic also noticed Amelia, who was trying to get the assistant to let go of her hand but he wouldn't.
Just as Sonic was about to attack, Chip suddenly appeared down the street and flashed the camera at the crowd. The people suddenly collapsed onto the floor as demonic-looking creatures emerged from them. Amelia tried to get away, but the assistant still held her hand, and so she fainted. Before the creatures could approach her, Sonic leaped down and tore the creatures to shreds.
"Whoa, this camera really does work," Chip remarked.
"Nice work, Chip!" Sonic said giving Chip a thumbs-up before he released Amelia from the assistant's grip and picked her up.
As the other people started to stir including the assistant, Sonic took off toward the university with Amelia in his arms and Chip following behind.
"Who's the girl?" Chip asked as he caught up to Sonic.
"She's my host's girlfriend," Sonic answered.
"Oh, she's kind of cute," Chip remarked.
Then Amelia's eyelids fluttered open, causing Sonic to stop in his tracks. He then placed Amelia on the ground and leaped onto a nearby rooftop just as she noticed him. Surprised, Chip took off after Sonic before briefly waving at Amelia.
"Was that…Sonic?" Amelia wondered as she stood awkwardly in the middle of the street and rubbed her head.
"Amelia!" Miles exclaimed as he came down the street towards her. "Are you okay?"
In response, Amelia scuffed. "I'm fine, but you've got a lot of explaining to do, Miles. I was just attacked by a bunch of creepy monsters, and then saved by some creature that looked like Sonic."
"Yeah, I'd like to but I gotta run so if you want to know what's going on talk to Professor Pickle," Miles said as he went off in the same direction Sonic went.
Amelia growled in frustration and marched her way up to Professor Pickle's study who regarded her with surprise.
"Can I help you, Miss?" Pickle asked.
"Do you know Sonny or his alter-ego Sonic?" Amelia asked irritably.
"Both, actually," Pickle responded.
"Then I want you to tell me what has happened to them and why the streets are suddenly crawling with monsters."
"And why do you wish to know?"
"Because I'm his girlfriend," Amelia said as she transformed into Amy out of anger.
To be continued…