I've updated the story details and named each chapter. This chapter's also longer than normal. Enjoy!

I knew the reason behind Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles having tin foil on their heads: they wanted to protect themselves from being switched. After I used the flashbang, I took Knuckles's foil, but Tails later gave him his. With no better option, I switched with Tails. That's what happened, as far as I knew. Just then, my most hated hedgehog burst through the door of Tails's workshop.

"Alright! The transfer's done - everyone's back to their own bodies! I think it's time to bring Knuckles back and celebrate!" I froze. He thinks that everyone's back to their own bodies? How could that be? I don't care. Sonic believes that, so he's in his own body. Tails is in Knuckles's body and I'm in Tails's. That means Knuckles is either in my body or that robot. Well, Sonic believes that everyone is in their own body, so the robot must be unoccupied - Knuckles is in my body. "Uh, Tails? You okay?"

I snapped from my thoughts. "Oh, yeah. I was just thinking through the situation - making sure I didn't miss anything."

"Oh, okay… So, did you miss anything?"

"Nope! Everyone's back to their own bodies!"

"Cool! Let's go get Knuckles, now!" I smiled. I have his trust again. He's under my control, but not for long. Tails will be back soon, so I have to act fast. And I know just what to do!

x-x-x

I woke up on a hard floor. Did I pass out? I didn't feel that tired! I rubbed my eyes and stood up, but something jerked on my head. I then heard a small explosion directly behind me. It was the switching machine, of course. I pulled my head out of the harness, which was no longer attached to the ruined machine. Eggman had rigged it with explosives so that it would blow up as soon as I stood up. Smart. I looked around and realized that I was in Eggman's mountain base. I was occupying the body of a red echidna. But… But Eggman was switching with Knuckles! How could he… Oh, no… He was just sleeping! How could I jump to such a conclusion? I should've considered that he was just sleeping! Now I… find the computer room!

I searched the base for a computer room. I found it within several minutes. I pulled up a search browser.

"Prower Technologies dot com," I said as I typed it in. Once it loaded, I clicked 'Product Services', 'Communicator', and 'Find My Communicator'.

Please enter your communicator's serial code. If you've forgotten it, the link below will lead you to a purchase verification page.

I typed my communicator's serial code and pressed enter. A map appeared on the screen. A red dot began to flash near my house, but it was moving. It was slowly inching towards my location. Sonic probably told him to pick me up. He's gonna try something on the way here - I know it! I've gotta take the Eggmobile!

Unsurprisingly, the Eggmobile was parked in the hangar. When I got into it, I noticed five shards of the Master Emerald behind the seat. They were useless, so I ignored them. I started the Eggmobile and flew towards my home.

x-x-x

Sonic was riding in the seat behind me. His feet were propped up and his eyes were closed. Perfect. I quietly removed the four chaos emeralds from their compartments. I jumped from my seat, kicked the yoke upwards, and flew. Sonic would crash, hopefully, and I'd have four chaos emeralds! Double win!

x-x-x

One hundred meters in front of me and roughly a kilometer above me, I spotted the Tornado 3 in a nosedive. Anger and fear course through me. I knew that Eggman had taken the emeralds and put the plane in a nosedive - there was no other explanation! There was no way that I could save it - and Sonic… Unless I can jump into the cockpit! Doing so would require extremely accurate timing, but I was committed to it. I closed the hundred meter gap, steeled my nerves, and prepared to jump. Alright, Knuckles can jump horizontally at, uh… five meters per second? And I'm five meters from where the plane will pass. It'll be one second above me in… I don't know the altitude or velocity! I have no idea when to jump… Ack! NOW!

For the first time in a while, I relied on my sense of timing instead of algebra. I lept, sincerely hoping that I wasn't too late. In my peripheral, I saw Sonic fighting the wind to reach the controls, but I kept my eyes on the yoke. I didn't care if I landed in the plane - I only needed to push the yoke downwards. I was a bit early - I landed on the anterior windshield, but that was close enough for me to reach down and level the plane. I pulled myself into the seat. I was shaking badly.

"Wh… Kn… Kn… Knuckles!"

"Nope: Tails!"

"But… Then who-"

"Eggman."

"So where-"

"In Eggman's body."

"How-"

"I'll tell you later! Eggman's right there! I need you to bring him to the ground!" I pointed to Eggman, who was still descending. He was almost to the ground, though.

"A-alright! Ready!" I smiled. Sonic was always a quick thinker. Most people would still be in shock, but Sonic was ready to go. I flew three meters from the ground and reached towards Eggman. As I passed by him, Sonic sprang from the plane and tackled him from the air. The chaos emeralds flew from his grasp. I set the plane on auto-park and jumped out. Sonic had already collected the emeralds, and Eggman was in a tree. Before Sonic could climb the tree, Eggman had seen the Eggmobile floating in the air. He flew to it and drove away without a word. I high-fived Sonic. We hopped in the plane and flew home.

x-x-x

WHAT HAPPENED? HOW IN THE WORLD DID TAILS GET HERE SO FAST - AND HOW DID HE SAVE SONIC? Whatever - I'll crush them next time!

x-x-x

"Yeah, this is Knuckles in Eggman's body."

"That's what I said!" Knuckles banged on the glass with his human hands.

"Yeah, I know. How'd this happen anyway? Wasn't Eggman in the middle of switching with him?"

"It looked like it at first, but it turns out he just fell asleep. He only woke up when I slammed the pod door. I should've considered that he was sleeping before!"

"It's no big deal - he didn't get the chaos emeralds and we all know who's who now."

"You almost died!" I felt the tears trying to escape my eyes.

"And you saved me, huh?" I nodded.

"Y-yeah…"

"So what's there to feel bad about?" He patted my back. I smiled.

"Yeah, yeah: all's well that ends well. Will you get me outta here, now?"

"Oh! Yeah!" Sonic unlocked the chamber and opened the door.

"I guess you want your body back, huh?" I gestured to the body I was occupying.

"Yeah. Better late than never!" I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, get in the pod!" He did so, and I got in the other one. After switching, Knuckles started stretching. He was obviously happy to be in his own body.

"Alright, Sonic." I gave him a look of sympathy.

"Yeah, I know: I'm the only one who'll be useful in that robot, so you'll be using my body. Let's do it, already…" I nodded. We got in our pods and switched. Sonic remained in his pod while I put the robot in mine. I switched them and put Eggman's body back on its IVs - which we borrowed from the local hospital. Sonic emerged from his pod.

"Sorry, Sonic," I said in his voice.

"It's no big deal - this is actually pretty similar to my body!"

"Yeah… It's getting late, we should head to bed," I yawned.

"I agree. Don't forget to lock up the emeralds, though."

"I won't." I grabbed the emeralds from the plane. We left the workshop, entering the living room. "Good night!"

"Good night, bud!" Sonic took the couch, as always. I found Knuckles in the kitchen. He was eating grapes, which I always allowed him to help himself to.

"I've got guest bedrooms upstairs. You gonna use one?"

Hm? Oh, yeah. Thanks!" I nodded and went upstairs. After locking the emeralds in my safe, I entered one of the guest bedrooms. I took several blankets from the closet and prepared the bed. Once I was done, Knuckles was already up the stairs.

"Night, Knux!"

"Night, Tails!" I went to my room, got in my bed, and fell fast asleep.

Edit: FFN's mandatory auto correct is stupid and annoying. It changes whatever it thinks is wrong into whatever it thinks is right whether you like it or not. That's caused missing file names, missing but in the coding part, and now web addresses. It changed Prower Technologies dot com into just '.com'. I'm annoyed.

gabage6.2: Mecha Sonic's back!

Mind - Body

Tails - Sonic

Sonic - Mecha

Knuckles - Knuckles

Eggman - Tails

None - Eggman

Appreciation.