Preface: Hello again! Now that we've entered the final week of the year, I'm gonna try to plow through the rest of this act, starting with the big battle for the Key of Balance! Let's get into it!

MINECRAFT MANIACS:
LIGHT AND DARK

Previously...following an ambush from the Manipulator, Danny set out on a trip to Bonegea with Liam, Kevin, and their companions. After some initial skepticism brought on by nightmares, Bluey showed much more willingness to go after transforming into her Chaos Princess state. The party then traveled to Mobius, where they and some of their allies there decided to split up to fill the next Key of Balance.

Now...Liam contacts Danny after their respective escapades...

Roll Call

Danny - Alfred von Any: Hero with emotional issues. The leader.

Liam - Willy Blanq: Expert crafter. The maker.

Kevin - Nevile Napoleon: Part-gangerman player. The brains.

Pork Chop - Dee Bradley Baker: Danny's companion. The pet.

Spawny and Spawnette - Damien Laquet: The rabborg siblings. The heart.

Balancia - Marieve Herington: Guardian allay. The fairy.

Sonic the Hedgehog - Issac Ryan Brown: Fastest thing alive. Hero of Mobius.

Miles "Tails" Prower - Kate Higgins: Tech-savvy sidekick. High-flying pal.

Amy Rose - Jenna Ortega: Self-proclaimed girlfriend. Hammer-wielding ally.

Ray the Flying Squirrel - Joshua Rush: Mighty's little buddy. Adventurous flyer.

Mighty the Armadillo - Issac Ryan Brown: Ray's big buddy. Bruising pacifist.

Bluey Heeler - Actress Name Withheld: Six-year-old blue heeler. Loves to play.

Bingo Heeler - Actress Name Withheld: Bluey's little sister. Slightly more sensitive.

Bandit Heeler - Dave McCormack: 2019 Canine FOTY. Ready for adventure.

Chilli Heeler - Melanie Zanetti: Just-as-competent mum. Ready for adventure.

Chloe - Charlotte Stent: Soft-spoken dalmatian. Bluey's best friend.

Indy - Actress Name Withheld: Hippie afghan hound. Bluey's other best friend.

Lila - Actress Name Withheld: Shy little maltese. Bingo's special friend.

Chapter 14:
Chaotic Teamwork, Part Four -
Yin Yang No!

[Main Party Selected: Liam, Kevin, Tails, Knuckles, Bingo, Bandit]
[Supporting Party Selected: Spawny, Ray, Lila]

[Character Selected: Liam]
[Current World: Mobius]
[Current Location: Mirage Saloon Zone, Tranquil Gulch]

"What? Whaddya mean you lost your half?"

Liam was incredulous to hear Danny's message on the other side of the phone call. He lost his half of the key? How did that happen?

"Yeah, it was pretty out of nowhere," Danny explained. "Remember those rogue gangermen Andy and Mark warned us about?"

"Who, Per and Don?" said Liam. "Well, Per almost managed to get the half of the key we had, but Andy wound up saving our butts."

"That happened to me, too, with Don," said Danny. "He used a tractor beam to take the key half. But then Mark managed to shoot him down!"

"Where did he land?" Liam asked, and when Danny gave him the answer, he relayed it to his party. "Danny says that his half of the key is on Speedster Island."

The others had been listening attentively to Liam's conversation up until that point, but the last bit of information made Tails' ears perk up. "Oh! That's the rendezvous point I picked out!" the fox cub said.

"Huh, that's convenient," Liam remarked, returning to the phone call. When he gave the information to Danny, his friend had the same reaction. "Yep, so I guess we just gotta use those rings and meet up, then see if we can find Don!"

"Gotcha. We'll see you there," said Danny, and the two hung up, their new mission clear.

[Location Change: Speedster Island, Jungle Alcove]

[BGM: Sonic Underground Soundteam - Head Games BGM]

As soon as the modified rings were tossed in their associated areas, they both appeared as portals, directly across from one another, in a jungle on Speedster Island. Both parties hopped out of the portal and began greeting each other. "So, once we get that half-key, we'll be able to get out of here," Kevin conversed with his allies.

"You had that weird magic thing happen, too?" Bluey asked Bingo. The two sisters were surprised to see that they had similar experiences.

"That dance-off was so cool!" Tails excitedly told Sonic. "Even Knuckles had a bit of fun!"

Sonic gave Knuckles an "Oh, did you know?" look. "What can I say? Maybe I do need to get away from my island sometimes…"

"Yeah, I'll say," said Sonic, chuckling. Just then, the hedgehog gave the air a whiff. "Whew! Smells like burnt metal out here!"

Balancia flew out of Danny's inventory and began to fly around, inspecting the premises. "A-ha! There's the UFO!" she suddenly said, pointing towards the underbrush. The group ran over to see the smoking rubble of the UFO Don was no doubt using.

"Doesn't look like there're any bodies there," said Bandit, digging around. "But I think this might be the key, mate." The heeler pulled out the white piece of the key that Don had stolen from Danny.

"Yes! Thank you, Bandit!" said Danny, eagerly taking the key half. "Now let's put this bad boy together and get this show on the road!"

"You've said it!" said Liam. And so, the two held their two halves of the key and began to place them together…

[BGM: Tee Lopes - Who's The Boss? - Hard-Boiled Heavies Mischief Theme]

"I believe that's mine, thank you very much!" Just as the new voice intoned, the tractor beam reappeared, pulling the two key halves from the two players' grasp. Another UFO, bigger than the one that crashed, hovered down, and in the cockpit, the group could not believe who they saw.

"Per?" shouted Danny. "I thought you crashed!"

"You can thank my partner here for hijacking the UFO and saving me," said Per, pointing to Don standing next to him. "But we're not gonna use this key for ourselves quite yet…"

"No, in truth, our commander will be taking it for his own needs," added Don, and he activated the tractor beam once more to give the key halves to the mysterious "commander" he just mentioned.

"Who is this 'commander' you speak of?" Sonic shouted, threateningly. His question was answered by the appearance of a new, hovering machine, resembling the traditional yin-yang symbol. In the small circles in each half, the two halves of the Key of Balance sat, and in slots next to them sat five dazzling emeralds, each a different color. And in the middle of it all was a cockpit holding a portly, mustachioed scientist that most of the party knew too well.

"I'm sure you've had some past history with me, hedgehog," the familiar voice of Dr. Eggman boomed.

"Eggman!" cried Sonic. "So you hired these doofs to get that key from us!" He pointed a finger at the doctor.

"Yes, I feel that was obvious," said Eggman, smirking. "But now, with my glorious Egg Yin-Yang, I shall be in control of the balance that keeps our universe in control!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" said Liam. He turned around to tell Per and Don that they'll come for them next, but was surprised to see that they were no longer in the cockpit.

With his laser gun, Andy managed to stun both rogue gangermen and retake control. "We'll deal with these guys," he said. "You get that key back!" With that, the UFO vanished into the air.

[BGM: Tee Lopes - Ruby Delusions - Eggman Boss 1]

With the previous antagonistic party down for the count, everyone split into three groups, one for the Minecraft crew, one for Sonic and his friends, and one for the Heelers and their companions. Weapons were summoned (including a magic cricket bat for Bandit) and fistcuffs were prepared as the heroes watched in a stand-off.

"Doing this the hard way, are we?" Eggman taunted. "So be it!" And then, the parties charged.

"Let's combo this sucker!" said Danny, determined to win. He gave an overhead swipe of his sword, sending a beam through the machine, followed by a barrage of arrows from Liam's dispenser, Star Bullets from Kevin inhaling some leftover cobblestone, Spawny using his scepter's magic, and Spawnette and Pork Chop combining for a supercharged twirl attack.

"Okay, everyone, like we practiced!" Amy commanded. As soon as she prepared her Piko Piko Hammer, the other heroes on her side curled into Spin Attacks, and she whacked every single one of them against the Egg Yin-Yang.

"Face the power of music, you nasty egg guy!" cried Chloe, her magic xylophone in hand. Dinging it in an attempt to freeze the machine, combined with Indy's magic guitar wind, the Heelers attacked. Bluey and Bingo used their wings to fly up and attack from up top, their parents used their modified sports equipment to whack the machine, and Lila turned some nearby rocks heavy and threw them at the boss contraption.

Eggman watched the group attack his new machine, almost bored. "Oh, is that all you've got?" he sarcastically asked before pressing the red button on his control panel. The key halves and Chaos Emeralds embedded into the Egg Yin-Yang began to glow, and in a flash, everyone was thrown off of the contraption, damage being dealt.

"Oof!" cried Kevin. "So that's what it does with those keys!" He shoved some steak into his mouth in an attempt to heal.

"Any good we do is counteracted by something bad," said Balancia, examining the situation. "Hmm…just keep trying to attack him for now, I'll think of a plan."

"I hope this doesn't blow up in our face," said Liam, and the group all began to attack the Egg Yin-Yang once more. Or rather, they attempted to. Every attack was nullified by a counterattack. Arrows deflected back onto Liam. A Spin Dash along the walls of the machine were met with razor blades. Indy's guitar melodies became haunting and thunderous (literally). Nothing could stop Eggman.

After a few failed punches, Knuckles ran away from the battlefield to recuperate. "It's hopeless!" the echidna cried, arms up in the air. "As long as he has that key, he's unstoppable!"

"Yeah, we're gonna have to take it from him," Chloe agreed. "Right, Bluey?" That's when she noticed the blue heeler was no longer behind her. "Bluey?"

"Up here!" Bluey suddenly responded. Everyone looked up to see her and Bingo flying above the Egg Yin-Yang, waving their hands. Energy flowed from them to the machine, causing the Chaos Emeralds to stop powering it. And flying next to them was Balancia.

"Yes! That was Balancia's plan!" shouted Danny, pumping his fist. "Now's our opening!" And so, everyone charged. This time, the sports equipment slaps, Hammer Drops, tail whips, and twirls managed to leave dents on the machine.

"This is where your control over the balance ends, Robotnik!" cried Balancia. A second later, the allay realized she probably should have kept her invisible mouth shut.

"Oh, I don't think so," said Eggman, gripping the controls. "If I could counter everyone with just five Chaos Emeralds, imagine what I can do with all seven!"

"Huh?" Bingo suddenly said. But it was too late. Mechanical hands shot out of the machine, grabbing the two puppies. Eggman gave his signature psychotic laugh as the hands squeezed them tight, causing their crowns to suddenly glow. Right before the young dogs' eyes, the real blue and cyan Chaos Emeralds popped into existence from wherever they were in the Special Zone before floating down to the two empty slots in the Egg Yin-Yang. After that, the hands let go of the now-drained Bluey and Bingo, causing them to drop to the ground.

"Bluey! Bingo!" Bandit and Chilli cried. Dropping their weapons, they ran to catch their daughters as the emeralds in their crowns became gray and powerless, causing them to revert to their regular forms.

Thankfully, both of them were caught safely. But when Bluey opened her eyes, it likely would not have mattered anyway. Everyone had stopped fighting, watching in horror as the Egg Yin-Yang began to glow brighter, powering up. Then, a massive force field appeared from it, covering the entire canopy. "No…no…I failed…" Bluey coughed, tears forming in her eyes. "All…my fault…"

"Bluey!" Liam suddenly cried. He and the other players started to run towards the Heelers, but as soon as one foot hit the ground, they suddenly tripped. "What th-?" Liam made out.

"It's the power of the key and Chaos Emeralds combined!" proclaimed Balancia, watching the havoc being wreaked. "Everything that happens within this force field becomes the opposite!"

"So that means…" Sonic put two and two together. He charged up a Spin Dash and attempted to ram into the machine, but when he made contact, he was met with the most pain he had ever experienced in his life. "Now he's unstoppable!"

But at the moment, it wasn't the focus of the heroes. One by one, they attempted to make their way over to Bluey, met with tripping, bumping into each other, and even spikes appearing from the ground. When they finally did make it over, she was in full meltdown mode. "I'm sorry!" she shouted. "This is all my fault!"

"Bluey, calm down," said Mighty, putting his hands up. "This is not your fault."

"Yes it is!" Bluey argued. "Now everyone's gonna die, and I couldn't stop it, and…and.."

"We have to get her out of here," said Chilli, and Bandit nodded. "Sonic, you said you've been here before."

The hedgehog nodded. "There's a village nearby. It looks like Eggman hasn't done anything to it yet, so ask the chief if you can stay there," he directed. "And take Bluey's friends with you. We don't want them getting hurt."

The two adults nodded and gathered up the kids. "Will you be alright, mate?" Bandit asked, unsure.

Sonic closed his eyes, grimly. "I don't know. I just want to make sure you'll be fine at least."

[Character Selected: Danny]
[Current World: Mobius]
[Current Location: Speedster Island, Jungle Alcove]

[BGM: Continued]

The Heelers and their comrades were down for the count. Eggman had taken control of everything. After the merging of all the worlds two years ago, this may very well have been our darkest hour.

"Go ahead, try and stop me now, everyone!" Eggman taunted. "I'm sure you won't!"

"So, any ideas on what to do now?" I reluctantly asked the others, shrugging.

"Well, giving up can't be an option," said Kevin, "but it definitely feels like that's our only option."

"(Unless…)" said Spawny. "(What about Balancia's yin-yang powers or whatever they are?)"

"I don't really know if that will work on a Key of Balance," said Balancia, "but I think it's worth a try."

"Good, because that's the best we have right now," I said, brandishing my sword. "We'll just have to cause a little distraction." I aimed my sword right at the Egg Yin-Yang, fired a laser, and braced myself for me getting singed instead.

As soon as the laser made contact, Eggman turned his attention back to us. "So you weren't going to let me get away with it," he proclaimed. "Figures, considering you're friends with that petulant little pincushion!"

"Well, if you're not gonna forfeit yourself…" I responded, and that's when I finally found a use for the swiftness splash potion I had been keeping on-hand. I took it out and tossed it into the still-gathered crowd.

"Whoa…I feel…" Ray said, getting accustomed to the effects. "...fast!" And then he took off, flying all around.

"Time for a change of pace, I see," said Eggman. "In that case, it's showtime!" He brought the Egg Yin-Yang back down so he could focus on all of us, and with the swiftness effects, we began to do battle once more.

Of course, it was kinda painful, what with every single attack we did being redirected to ourselves. And let me tell you - shooting yourself with your own lasers is not a good feeling. And neither is smacking yourself with your own hammer, based on what Amy went through. Luckily, we found that we can heal ourselves by smacking the wounds, so you win some, you lose some, I guess.

After a couple of minutes of worthless fighting to keep Eggman distracted, Balancia found the opportunity to sneak behind the Egg Yin-Yang. I could see her flying behind the machine, probably going to where the white half of the key was. "Who're you looking at, you plumbing imposter?" Eggman said, watching me look behind his contraption.

"Just our backup," I responded. Before the doctor could respond, I could hear Balancia's exclaim of "Yin", followed by the white key half suddenly bursting out of its place in the machine.

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!" shouted Ray. He hopped up and flew towards the key half to grab it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Eggman responded. Just as he pulled out the mechanical arms once more to grab the flying squirrel, I heard Balancia exclaim "Yang". And that's when the black half of the key fell out, and Ray grabbed it as well.

With the key halves no longer being within the machine, it began to fall to the ground, and the force field surrounding the area began to dissipate. We all stepped out of the way to avoid the rubble, and before long, it landed with a mighty CRASH! And that's when we all cheered. "Yes! The key is back where it belongs!" shouted Tails, flying in victory. And that's when the Yin-Yang powered back up. "Whoops! That's right! We still need to get the Chaos Emeralds away."

When Eggman's face was finally in view again, we could all see that he was furious. "Alright, you may have received the source of my controlling power," he gritted. "I may be vulnerable now. But I am not going down without one last stand!" He pressed a button that caused all the saw blades, lasers, and explosives he had on-hand to reappear.

"You missed one crucial detail, Ro-butt-nik," said Sonic, getting down on all fours. "You're messing with all of us!"

You tell him, Sonic, I thought as I looked to Liam and Kevin. "Combo?" I asked.

They both nodded. "Yes, Danny," said Kevin. "Combo." And then we charged. Leaping into the air, Pork Chop grabbed onto the missiles and tossed them either away from the island or back at the Yin-Yang. Then, Liam dove out of the way of the sawblades to send a few arrows into the machine's walls, along with most of Sonic's friends and the rabborgs providing ther own attacks. The combined efforts distracted Eggman long enough for Amy to smash the Chaos Emerald containers. Working quickly, I used my sword to create a tower out of the dirt, then hopped onto the machine's top with Mighty. Giving each other a nod, I stuck my sword high into the air before jumping, pointing it downward, and turning around. As my drill attack began, Mighty hopped up and curled into a ball himself, performing his Hammer Drop maneuver. We both drilled right through the machine, and after some more attacks from everyone still on the ground, Eggman finally fell out of the machine. Before he could get any funny ideas, Kevin sucked up the Chaos Emeralds as they fell out themselves, making sure to spit them out rather than swallow them whole.

[BGM: End]

"No! No! Noooo!" Eggman cried, pounding his fists on the ground like a baby. "I had it! It was finally mine!"

"Sorry, Egghead, but the only thing you have is a ticket to a one-way cruise off this island," said Sonic, tapping his foot. "And it leaves right now!" He did a thumbs-up behind his head, telling Eggman to leave.

Frustrated, the doctor got up and walked away. "I really, really, really hate that hedgehog!" he muttered, punching a palm tree on the last 'really'.

With the horrors of the Egg Yin-Yang out of the way, we could finally heal up before moving on to other pressing matters. As I munched on some chicken, Ray handed the Key of Balance back to me. "Y'know, Balancia, I'd say you were the real savior today," I said between bites.

"You really think so?" said the allay, embarrassed.

"We would've been toast if you didn't use your powers to get that key back," said Sonic. "That was way past cool, y'know."

"Aww, thank you," said Balancia, obviously smiling with her unseen mouth. "Now then, let's check on Bluey!"

Following Sonic's lead, we walked towards the village and were guided to the hut where the Heelers and their comrades were staying. They were sitting inside, comforting Bluey, who wasn't crying as hard anymore. "Knock knock," said Sonic. "Eggman's gone now. Everything alright in here?"

"Bluey told us everything," said Bandit. "She was having nightmares from those adventures we've been on all week, she didn't tell us because she didn't want us to worry, and those powers or whatever they are made her feel safer."

"When I lost my magic, I was…" Bluey stopped trying to find the right words.

"Overwhelmed?" Chloe suggested.

"Yes," said Bluey. "I'm sorry I didn't tell anyone."

That's when Bingo crawled up to Bluey and gave her a hug. "Don't worry, Bluey," she said. "I'll always be here."

"Us, too," said Indy, as she and Chloe joined the hug.

"We'll always be here, too," Chilli added, she and Bandit joining in on the group hug. We watched as Bluey's smile slowly returned and her tail wagged.

"Thanks," said Bluey as the hug ended. She took out her powerless crown and stared at it. "But I think the nightmares are gonna come back."

"Sounds like they will," said Sonic, stepping up. "But I think I know someone who can help you come to terms with them."

"Really?" asked Bluey, and the hedgehog nodded. "Thanks, Sonic."

"So I guess all's well that ends well," I said, wiping my hands. "Well, mostly, anyway."

"Say, Tails," Liam suddenly asked. "Why did you pick this place anyway?"

Tails looked outside the window of the hut. "Let's just say there's an event tonight that I think the little ones will like…"

[Character Selected: Sonic]
[Current World: Mobius]
[Current Location: Speedster Island, Festival Grounds]

[BGM: Sonic Underground Soundteam - Head Games BGM]

It was night now, and Sonic decided to step away from the grounds of the festival that was occurring to bid the players farewell. The event Tails was talking about was the Festival of Light - a celebration of winter ending and spring coming in. The fox cub figured that it would be a nice place for Bluey, Bingo, and their friends to unwind after the stress of the battle.

It definitely was - with all the tasty food, craft opportunities, and opportunities to practice Polynesian-style dancing, they were able to let go of their worries for a while and relax. The others also had a good time, especially Knuckles - who knew he could play the drums like a pro?

The sun was setting now, so the players had to return to their world. "Man, what a festival, huh?" said Sonic, meeting up with Danny.

"Definitely," said Danny, nodding. "Maybe I should bring the Lavieres next time!" The two chuckled before shaking hands.

"It was way past cool seeing you guys again," said Sonic, giving a respectful nod. "Good luck taking care of the Manipulator, and if you need my help, I won't hesitate."

"Thanks for that, Sonic," said Liam. The rabborgs ran up to the group, having had their fill of fun. "Well, that would be our cue to leave." With that, Liam tossed the ring portal that would take them back to Angel Island, and Sonic waved goodbye to the group as they stepped through to return to their world. After that, the hedgehog ran over to where Chilli was sitting, watching the kids dance like they were island natives.

Sonic sat down next to the red heeler and watched the kids finish their dance, and as they did, Chilli applauded. "That was wonderful," she said.

"Thank you, Bluey's mum," said Indy, curtseying. "I taught the people here some moves, too."

"Yeah. It was from our holiday to Hawaii!" said Chloe, nodding.

"It was fun," Lila admitted, toying with her grass skirt. "Especially when I was with you, Bingo." The maltese blushed and kissed the red heeler on the cheek.

Sonic stretched out his legs and relaxed as he watched the kids make their way to the water. "So, have you and her dad discussed what to do with her yet?" he asked.

"Well, remember what that Danny kid said?" said Chilli. "We can't tell a psychiatrist in my world about this, they'd laugh it off. But regardless, I feel it's best we try to remove her from anything like this."

Sonic nodded. "Probably for the best," he agreed. Then, he sheepishly added, "Well, just one problem…"

"What is it?"

"Remember that person I said would help Bluey?" A nod from Chilli. "Well…they're in another dimension."

"Oh, biscuits…" said Chilli, quoting her husband. "Well, as long as it doesn't involve monsters, it'll be fine."

Just then, Bluey and her friends gasped. Sonic ran over to see what was going on. "What is it?" he asked.

Bluey and Bingo excitedly turned around. "We were holding our crowns," Bluey said, "and we were all sitting with our feet in the water, and then…" The two heelers proudly displayed their crowns, which now had their color and power restored.

"Whoa-hoah, you fixed it!" said Sonic, impressed. He watched as the two puppies put the crowns back on and transformed back into their Chaos Princess forms.

Bingo turned to Indy and Chloe and smiled. "I have an idea…" She walked over to them, waved her hands over their legs, and said…"Tail!"

What happened next prompted Sonic to run back over to Chilli. "Yeah, Bluey's mom…you may wanna hide the crowns from them."

"What did they do?" Chilli asked. Her question was answered by the sight of Indy and Chloe jumping out of the water. Only, their legs were replaced with fish tails. "Oh, dear…" Chilli added, exasperated.

Sonic sat down as he watched Bluey and Bingo become mermaids themselves, alongside Lila. A yellow tail for bluey, orange for Bingo, blue for Chloe and Lila, and rainbow-colored for Indy. "Well, what can you do?" Sonic said, watching the kids enjoy their new forms. "It's all just child's play."

[Character Selected: Mark]
[Current World: Minecraftia]
[Current Location: Planet of the Gangermen, Dungeon]

Andy and Mark stood in front of the cell, waiting for Per and Don to wake up. When the rogue gangermen finally opened their eyes, they looked around in horror. "Nonononononono…" they said, panicking.

"Welcome to maximum security," Mark announced with mock enthusiasm. "This is what you get for deciding to continue the legacy of that tyrant Doppel!"

"You're going to be here for a very long time," said Andy. He pressed the button on a nearby command block, and the iron bars were covered with bedrock, complimenting the walls, ceiling and floor of the cell that Per and Don were now trapped in, possibly for life.

With that, the two gangermen-in-chief walked away, pleased with themselves. "Y'know, it feels good to get right in the action again," said Mark, smiling. "Not just sitting behind the big scary desk or being tech guys or whatever."

"Maybe one of these days we can go on an adventure with the Maniacs," said Andy. Just then, a thought occurred to him. "Oh, I just remembered something!"

"What is it?"

"Let's wait until we're back at the lair…" As soon as the two gangermen returned to their base of operations, Andy showed Mark what he found while they were locking up Per and Don: three more white objects, glowing red, yellow, and blue.

"Wow, Danny was right!" said Mark. "They were making an artificial set of Gadgets of Order."

"We better lock these in the sealed room," said Andy. "Don't want them to get a hold of these if they escape, after all."

Mark shook his head in disbelief. "Not denying it's a good idea, but please, there's no way those two are gonna escape…"

To be continued...and next time: back to the code!

Next chapter: "The Third Trial" With high risks comes high rewards, as the Maniacs discover when they return to the Minecraft code for the third Trial of the Code! Their redstone skills will be put to the test as they try to pen a door without blowing up the room and commandeer a flying machine over a pit of phantoms!

Postface: Chapter complete! And that's it for the 'Chaotic Teamwork' arc! Sonic and Bluey will reappear one more time before the act ends, but for now, it's back to the players!

Trivia time! The setting for this chapter is Speedster Island from the Sonic Underground episode Head Games. I mainly chose it for the island party ending, since that's how the unmade side story that inspired this arc ended. Of course, I wanted Dr. Eggman to make an appearance, and that's how the Egg Yin-Yang came to be! Playing with the themes of this story, the machine was designed as a way for Eggman to harness the Keys of Balance's power, which he'd naturally use to make all who oppose him face punishment. And of course, the high point of Bluey's mini-arc is here - she's finally forced to admit her fears to her family now that her powers were removed. She sure is going through a lot, but don't worry - now that everyone knows, she'll be getting the help she needs. Also, some may notice the ending seems to reference my Bluey side-story, Beach Doggies. I'd like to apologize for how long that's taking - I really don't know what's gotten into me. Look for the last chapter sometime in the new year.

Uh-oh. A full artificial set of Order Gadgets is here. That can't be good...

That should be it! Please read, review, and share around, and I'll see you all next time for the third Trial of the Code! Stay diamond, everyone!

-Alfred

~Minecraft and everything related to it are properties of Mojang Studios and Xbox Game Studios. Bluey and everything related to her are properties/licensees of Ludo Studio PTY., LTD., the Australian Broadcasting Corp., and BBC Studios Dist., LTD. Sonic the Hedgehog and everything related to him are properties of Sega Corp. No copyright infringement with any of these companies nor financial gain was intended in the making of this story. Any resemblance to real-world people or events are either coincidental or done fictitiously.~