"So, you just die if people stop liking you?" Sonic asks, sounding a little concerned.
"Eh, pretty much." Uzume responds as the trio dashes through the forests of Lowee.
"It's not too surprising. Lots of gods and goddesses get their power from those who believe in them." Nira says trying to quell Sonic's concerns.
"I know, but that just sounds like a terrible way to live your life. Being forced to do all sorts of things, even if you don't agree with them, just to make other people like you so you don't cease to be just sounds so wrong!" Sonic rebuts, clearly feeling very strongly about this.
Uzume ponders for a moment on how she can reassure the hedgehog before replying "Well, do you like me Nicsy?"
"Well yeah, I don't have a reason to not like you." Sonic replies.
"And is anything going to change that?" the goddess asks again.
"No, of course not." the hedgehog replies again.
"Then I don't have anything to worry about!" Uzume says cheerily as Sonic realizes what she means.
"Well, alright you got me there. Let's just focus on saving your friend." he says before continuing "I know a way to the darklands through some mountains, but I don't know where they'd be now."
The group stops in a small clearing to get their bearings. Sonic then notices something in the snow.
"Woah, look at this footprint!" Sonic says in surprise before turning to Nira.
"Hey Nirs, ever seen a track like this before?" he asks the dragoness, who goes bug-eyed before replying.
"Yes and we should be very careful Sonic! These are wyvern tracks and we should probably leave now because-" a loud stomp interrupts Nira's sentence as the group finds themselves in the shadow of a large beast.
"-it might still be nearby." Nira finishes as they look up to see a very hungry looking Tigrex.
The monster raises a claw ready to strike, but before it can it's pummeled from above by a barrage of blue blocks followed by a blaster shot to the face.
The wyvern growls in frustration before flying away. The group looks in the direction the blast came from to see two people, a boy and a woman, entering the clearing.
"Hey guys, what's goin on?" the woman says, revealing herself to be none other than C-Sha of Gold Third. With the boy accompanying her being Mega Man, currently equipped with the block dropper.
"Oh, hey C-Sha, I see you've heard the news too." Uzume says as she greets the two.
"And I see that you've made some new friends. You also seem to have partially turned into one of them." C-Sha says, commenting on Uzume's new appearance.
"Heya Sonic!" The Blue Bomber happily greets his old crossover buddy.
"Sup Rock! Haven't seen you since Smash Bros. How've you been doing?" The hedgehog greets back.
As the two catch up, C-Sha says to Uzume "We were on our way to save Blanny from Bowser when we ran into you and that Tigrex. Everything ok?"
"Yeah we're fine. We were actually on our way to save Blansy too. Nicsy says he knows a shortcut to the darklands but he doesn't know where they are anymore." Uzume says.
"Well then, looks like we should work together. We'll stand way more of a chance against Bowser! That is if we even have to fight him." The burret-clad brunette suggests.
"Sounds like a pl- Wait what do you mean IF?" Nira asks as she approaches the other girls.
"You'll know once you meet Blanny yourself!" The hunter says with a wink.
"Hey guys! We found something." Mega Man calls out from the woods.
The girls rejoin the boys and see the forest leading out into a wide open field dotted with multicolored polka-dotted hills, floating blocks, and giant mushrooms.
"Is this the Mushroom Kingdom?" Uzume asks bewilderedly.
"Yep, and I think Sonic's shortcut is through here." Nira answers. "But first." She continues, pointing towards some pipes.
"Maybe we can get some more help from some damsel saving experts." She finishes as the group notices two immediately recognizable brothers running and jumping about.
Another chapter done and C-Sha joins the fray.
C-Sha's always been my personal favorite in Gold Third as I'm a way bigger fan of Capcom than any of the other members of Gold Third.
Anyways feel free to leave a review and see you on the next one. Cuz it's-a Mario time!