Later after lunch, Sonic and his family had gathered back in the living room, the hedgehog relaying everything else he had been telling his daughter.
"I nearly forgot about those skaters you met," Tails said. "Of course you met a lot of people in your travels."
"Totally, Earth was full of a lot of fun surprises," Sonic said. "Really made the time spent there fun."
"Such lovely sights too," Amy said. "A lot different than you'd get on Mobius."
"Yeah, that's nice. So...when did you find the Chaos Emeralds?" Sonia asked. "Where were they anyway?"
"They were pretty far to say the least," Sonic said. "Weird things kept happening and before we knew it, we were set for a big adventure."
Back in the past, it had been a few days since everyone had settled in Ryo's house. The young man was practicing martial arts with his father and Fuku while Sonic observed the three, taking mental notes of their stances and attack patterns.
Amy was inside helping Ine with some cooking while Tails was configuring his Emerald Radar, still trying to pick up any sign of the emeralds. Beside him was an atlas of the world, Tails hoping to use it to his advantage, but in spite of everything, he still had some struggles.
"Finding the emeralds back home was always tricky, but never this bad," Tails said. "This world has too many unknown variables, and traveling isn't that much easier. Even Sonic is a bit limited, this planet is mostly water, and Sonic doesn't do well with that."
"I don't think the water will bother him too much, Sonic can just run across," Amy said from the kitchen. "He's got the stamina to pull if off."
"I know he does, but it still feels risky," Tails said. "Then again, if anyone can handle a task like that, it's Sonic. While I have faith in his abilities, running around willy-nilly without a plan isn't smart either."
"You and Sonic have been exploring Japan at least, right?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, he takes the ground, I take the air," Tails said. "Though apparently we have to be careful how we use our powers due to some human laws here. Plus some locations seem to have rules against where I can fly my plane, which is why I needed to work on a stealth feature, but it's still got some bugs in it."
"Guess they're stricter about this type of stuff here than back home," Amy said.
"It may also depend on the country," Ine said. "Some are more lenient in their rules than others."
"Wish we knew which ones, it'd be easier to search without worry," Amy said. "Anyway Tails, just keep trying with your radar, if anyone can figure that part out, it's you."
"I'll do my best, hopefully I can figure out everything I need to and get us home," Tails said. "Earth is nice but I kind of miss my workshop back home."
"Yeah, I miss my little house too, and..." Amy glanced toward Cream, the girl watching TV in the other room. "I think Cream misses her mom."
"Oh right," Tails said, the boy coming to a troublesome realization. "Vanilla must be really worried too. I need to act fast, for Cream's sake."
Inside the dojo, Fuku was hit with a hard takedown by Ryo. Sonic was very impressed with Ryo's ability and discipline, the boy was really skilled.
"Your form is good son, but remember to keep your guard up, even when your opponent is down," Iwao instructed.
"Yes father," Ryo said.
"Fuku, you have good technique, but you still tend to rush into it," Iwao said.
"Sorry sir, it's just hard finding an opening," Iwao said.
"Defense is just as important as offence, sometimes you need to let your opponent come to you," Iwao said. "Waiting for your moment pays off in the end."
"Yes sir," Fuku said, standing up.
"I think that is all for today," Iwao said. "I will stay here and tend to the clean-up. You boys are free to go."
"Alright, I'm heading into town, wanna join me, Ryo?" Fuku asked.
"Maybe later, I have some schoolwork that needs to be done," Ryo said.
"Fine with me, I'll see you later," Fuku said, making his exit.
As Ryo grabbed his shoes, his attention briefly turned to Sonic, the hedgehog now throwing some air punches. "Trying out the moves for yourself?"
"Sort of, I'm no stranger to fighting, been doing it all my life," Sonic said. "Well, as long as I can remember."
"Was it that Eggman fellow you mentioned?" Ryo asked.
"Yeah, usually," Sonic said, trying for a kick.
"You're more than welcome to learn from my father directly," Ryo said. "Though, given your sound observation, perhaps just following along helps too."
"Whatever makes it work," Sonic said, doing a spin kick.
"That girl Amy seems to enjoy practicing martial arts herself," Ryo said. "She's really great when it comes to her boxercise. Her form is top notch and her movements nearly professional. If she keeps it up, she could become a very formidable fighter."
"Amy's got moves for sure," Sonic said. "I'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of her punches."
"I don't think I want to be either, but I get the feeling that you never have to worry about that, she greatly admires you after all," Ryo said.
"Yeah, she and Tails have been keeping up with me and staying by my side for as long as I can remember," Sonic said.
"You're lucky to have such devoted friends," Ryo said.
"You got a good friend yourself in Nozomi," Sonic said.
"I suppose I do," Ryo said.
Sonic and Ryo had gone back inside the house, Sonic taking note of Tails's work, the boy still trying to configure the radar's range.
"No luck Tails?" Sonic asked.
"Not yet," Tails said. "I can't even tell if the calculations are accurate without an emerald to test them on. They really should have landed much closer than they did too. I mean, if we're here, so should they."
"Hard to predict the Chaos Emeralds," Sonic said. "We'll find them soon, try not to worry about it too much."
"Mr. Sonic! Everyone! Look!" Cream said, running into the kitchen with a small TV. To their surprise, a familiar island was shown, along with a very familiar giant emerald.
"No way! Is that The Master Emerald!?" Tails asked. "It's here on Earth?"
"The TV person said it's floating in the air near an old forest area called 'The Mystic Ruins', somewhere in a place called California," Cream said.
"California?" Amy asked. "Where's that?"
"That's across the Pacific Ocean, in the United States of America," Ryo said.
"How far away is that?" Amy asked.
"By plane, about ten to eleven hours," Ryo said.
"That long!?" Amy asked.
"California is over 5000 miles away I'm afraid," Ryo said. "Not somewhere that can easily be accessed from there."
"Nothing I can't handle, just point me in the right direction," Sonic said.
"Sonic, you did hear me say it's across an ocean, didn't you?" Ryo pointed out. "Unless your speed lets you swim fast too."
"Actually...I don't know how to swim," Sonic sheepishly admitted.
"You can't swim!?" Ryo asked. "I mean, I don't mean to judge but how can someone with super speed not know how to swim? A key part of swimming is kicking your feet and you have the speed for it."
"I just never learned, usually I run over the water," Sonic said. "Actually, it's kind of fun."
"How can it be fun? You just told me you can't swim," Ryo said.
"I know, but the danger level kind of makes it fun, it's adrenaline rush," Sonic said.
"That sounds irresponsible, but then again, I do not have superspeed, so it might be safer than I think it is," Ryo said.
"If anyone can run 5000 miles across water with no trouble, it's definitely Sonic," Amy said. "Might be harder for us to run across though. Tails can probably handle it since he can fly but I might have some struggles."
"Just use the Tornado," Sonic said. "It's faster than a normal plane, and Tails is still modifying it."
"Yeah, I'm still doing work on it," Tails said. "I'm hoping to make it unstoppable in the air."
"Sonic, where did you even get a plane?" Ryo asked.
"Not sure, had it for as long as I can remember," Sonic said. "I rarely fly it these days, I usually leave it to Tails since he's the better pilot."
"Heh, I appreciate the compliment, Sonic," Tails said. "That plane of yours should definitely get us across the ocean."
"What about Knuckles? Shouldn't someone tell him about the Master Emerald?" Amy asked. "It is his job to guard it after all, plus I'd rather not leave him in this country alone. I'm kind of worried about him."
"Before you do anything, you really should properly prepare for this trip," Ryo said. "California is different than Japan. People there speak a different language; they have different foods and different cultures. Even the time zone is different, while it's day here, it can be night over there."
"Even so, we have to try something," Tails said. "It could be our lead back home."
"Very well, but where will you stay?" Ryo asked.
"I don't suppose you know anyone that lives in California, do you?" Amy asked.
"Sorry, most of the Americans I know that live or visit here aren't from California," Ryo said.
"I don't really need a place to stay, I'm fine camping out, been doing it all my life," Sonic said.
"You'll still need someone there to help you out," Tails said. "Maybe I can build a house or a workshop there. I'll need to see if there's a nearby forest, this way you can search and I can provide back-up."
"Hey, you're not going off without me, are you?" Amy asked.
"Do you still want to come? You might have to stay in my workshop," Tails said.
"I'm perfectly fine with that," Amy said.
"California has nice hotels, but you would need currency for that," Ryo said. "I can give you some yen to transfer into US dollars, but I don't think it would be enough for a hotel."
"I can give them something," Ine said. "Enough for them to get food at least."
"That would be great, thank you Ine-san," Ryo said.
"Alright, if that's settled, I'll try to get Amy, myself and Sonic to California then," Tails said. "After we pick up Knuckles at least."
"What about me?" Cream asked.
"Uh, it might be better if you stay for now, Cream," Tails said.
"But I really want to help," Cream said.
"I know, and we appreciate that," Tails said. "But it's a long trip, and it might be dangerous."
"Aw..." Cream lamented the situation. "I really want to be of use though."
"Hey," Sonic said, kneeling before the girl. "We're just going to survey the area. It might take a couple of days, but once we're done, I'll come back and get you, alright?"
"Okay Mr. Sonic," Cream said.
"We'll try not to take too long," Sonic said, then turned to Ryo. "You don't mind watching over her while we're away, do you?"
"Unless you want to come to California with us," Tails said.
"As exciting as that sounds, it would be very inconvenient for me to travel overseas," Ryo said. "I will stay here and keep an eye on Cream and Cheese."
"Think about this, Cream," Tails said. "You can see your mother again soon if we figure out situation with The Chaos Emeralds."
"That would be nice," Cream said.
Tails placed his hand on her head, giving her a gentle rub, "When we get back home, I'll take you to get ice cream if you want, sound good?"
Cream bashfully nodded, "Okay Mr. Tails."
"This is so cute!" Amy mentally gushed.
"We should still find Knuckles," Tails said. "I think I saw where he was staying at when I was traveling with Amy."
"Oh yeah, an old mountain region," Amy said. "Let's pay him a quick visit."
"You should go too, Ryo," Ine suggested. "If your friends are going to leave, have one little adventure with them before you do. Might do you well to see the mountains."
"I suppose you're right, Ine-san," Ryo said. "We can bring Cream and Cheese too; I'll keep an eye out for them."
"I'll do my best to help talk Mr. Knuckles into coming," Cream said.
"It shouldn't be too hard; I mean how stubborn can Knuckles be?" Tails asked.
Back in the present timeline, Sonia seemed to have a very smug grin on her face, almost knowing where this story was going.
"Let me guess, Uncle Knuckles didn't make this easy, did he?" the young hedgehog girl asked.
Sonic chuckled a bit while he sheepishly rubbed his head. His daughter knew the rivalry between himself and the Echidna quite well; at this point, "No...he did not."
"It was really irritating," Amy added.
Back in the past, everyone had indeed found Knuckles on the mountain area, but the Echidna looked ready for a battle.
"SONIC!" Knuckles tried punching the blue hedgehog not too long after arrival, Sonic effortlessly dodging the attacks while his friends stood nearby in annoyance.
"Ugh, why must those two always fight!?" Amy asked in frustration.
"They can't help it, they're rivals," Tails said. "Still, I figured Knuckles would be happy to know about the location of The Master Emerald."
"Mr. Knuckles never really trusted Mr. Sonic, but I don't think he would attack him for no reason," Cream said.
"He wouldn't," Came the voice of Doctor Eggman. Everyone turned to see a small computer screen being carried by one of he Doctor's Robots, Bokkun. "Not without some persuasion."
"Eggman!" Tails shouted. "What did you do to Knuckles?"
"Oh nothing really, I just convinced him that you were all his enemies," Eggman said. "That gullible Echidna will believe anything I tell him to, and all I had to do was tell him that you don't want to go back home, you're just tricking him to get him out the way so you can harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds for yourself."
"You are so detestable," Amy said, aiming her hammer. "Also, hiding behind a computer screen? I thought you liked to show up in person, like a real threat!"
"Normally I would love to deal with you in person, but I have a flight to California to catch," Eggman said.
"Yeah we're going to steal that Master Emerald while you're all distracted by that fight," came the voice of Cubot.
"Zip it bolts for brains! They don't need to know what we're planning!" Eggman scolded.
"You just said you're going to California, what else would it be for?" Tails asked.
"I doubt it's to sight-see," Ryo said.
"What's the big deal if they know anyway? They'll never catch up to us," Cubot said.
"Wanna bet!?" Amy shouted. She turned around to warn Sonic and found a bomb in front of her. "GAH!"
Tails immediately kicked it away, turning his attention to yet another Eggman robot. "Coconuts!?"
Nearby was another of Eggman's creations, Coconuts the Robot Monkey. "Nice moves there Propeller Butt, but nice moves only get ya's so far!"
"Another of Eggman's robots?" Ryo asked.
"Yeah, he's one of the weaker ones, usually seen with those lunk heads, Scratch and Grounder," Amy said.
"Hey! I resent that!" Came the voice of Grounder, the Walking Arsenal appearing nearby along with Scratch.
"Looks like you're all having a blast, mind if we join in?" Scratch asked. "This reunion should be quite egg-tertaining!"
Tails, Amy and Ryo each cast a deadpanned glare while Cream nervously chuckled, not sure how to respond to that.
"...That was terrible," Amy scolded.
"Team Scratch! Attack!" Scratch shouted, earning no response. "Uh, did your hearing processors go offline? I said attack!"
"We hoiyd, but who made you'se the leader of us?" Coconuts asked.
"Simple, I'm the oldest, therefore the smartest," Scratch said.
"Nu-uh, I'm smarterer than you are!" Grounder said.
"In what reality? The whack-a-doo dimension?" Scratch taunted.
"I'll whack-a-doo you!" Grounder threatened, the two robots facing off against each other.
"Uh, guys," Bokkun said, interrupting the tension. "You're supposed to be clobbering them, not-"
"Cheese, Get Him!" Cream ordered, the little chao going after Bokkun.
"Hey! Wait, I wasn't ready!" Bokkun shouted, flying off as Cream and Cheese followed. "Cheaters! CHEATERS!
"Get back here you meanie!" Cream shouted, giving chase.
"Quick, someone nab that rabbit!" Scratch shouted.
"I'm on it!" Grounder shouted, about to give chase.
"Oh no you don't!" Amy rushed in and whacked the Arsenal with her hammer.
"You little brat!" Scratch was about to attack when Ryo kicked him aside, the robotic chicken immediately propping himself back up. "Oh you wanna fight, do ya!? Take this!"
Scratch rushed in trying to land some strikes but Ryo dodged them with little effort and did a few more quick kicks to knock Scratch for a loop.
"Bombs away!" Coconuts tried throwing one of his bombs at Ryo but Tails again flew in and kicked his other bomb away, then used his twin tails to whack Coconuts away.
Sonic noticed the fighting nearby, though while briefly concerned for his friends, he knew they'd be fine.
"Focus on me!" Knuckles shouted, trying to attack but Sonic dodged out the way, landing on top of a nearby cliff, the hedgehog offering Knuckles a glance of disapproval. "Ugh, why won't you fight me!?"
"I really don't want to," Sonic said. "Not like we're enemies or anything."
"You have the nerve to say that after trapping us on this planet!?" Knuckles shouted.
"Tell me, who told you we did that?" Sonic asked.
"Eggman of course!" Knuckles shouted.
"You mean the same Eggman who once tricked you, so he had time to steal the Master Emerald from right under you?" Sonic asked. "The same one who's robots are attacking our friends?"
"Huh?" Knuckles looked to the side, seeing Amy fighting Grounder, Ryo fighting Scratch, Tails fighting Coconuts, and both Cream and Cheese chasing Bokkun. "Eggman's robots?"
"Face it Knuckles, Eggman duped you," Sonic said. "Meanwhile he's off to steal the Master Emerald."
"...Dammit..." Knuckles groaned in frustration. He turned his attention to Eggman's remaining robots. "Hey you rust buckets!"
"He talking to us?" Coconuts asked.
"You like being decoys? How about punching bags instead!?" Knuckles shouted. The angry Echidna appeared before Coconuts and punched him hard through a nearby rock formation, then zipped around, doing the same to Scratch and Grounder.
Bokkun, having finally escaped Cheese's line of sight, had landed nearby. "That was close." It wasn't long before he found himself surrounded by Sonic and his friends, each of them glaring at the now scared and teary-eyed robot. "Y-you're not gonna hurt me...are ya?"
Ryo raised his eyebrow in confusion, "I didn't know robots could cry...or show fear."
"He's faking it, I'm gonna crush this little dweep," Knuckles said, standing over Bokkun.
"Oh don't bother, he's pretty harmless by himself," Amy said. "Hurting him now just seems cruel."
"I agree," Ryo said, glaring at the little robot. "I suggest you pick your friends up and deliver a warning to your master. Sonic and his friends will stop you."
"Y-yeah, sure, here's a token of my appreciation," Bokkun said, leaving a present and flying off.
"Huh? Wonder what's inside?" Tails said, opening the box to see a bomb. "GAH!"
Sonic was quick to kick it away before it exploded, the sound of Bokkun's laughter filling the air as he flew off, "Suckers!"
"Grr, I knew he was faking it!" Knuckles shouted.
"You can tell that little robot is faking his tears, but you couldn't tell Eggman was pulling your leg?" Sonic asked. "So simple minded at times."
"Watch it, or you're next!" Knuckles shouted.
"Boys, enough, we need to get to California," Amy said. "Tails, is your plane ready?"
"Yeah, I can take off now if you want," Tails said. "Though we should bring Ryo back home with Cream first."
"Yeah, good idea, let's hurry," Sonic said.
"I'm so excited to be traveling," Amy said.
"I hope the Master Emerald's arrival isn't causing too much suspicion though," Tails said.
Meanwhile at near UA High School, Johnny Storm ran over to his friends, "Peter, Dashie, pack your bags, we're going to Station Square, California!"
"Now?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yeah, we got ourselves a mission," Johnny said.
"How'd we get that?" Peter asked.
"I volunteered us, this way we can do hero work and maybe stop by the beach," Johnny said. "I hear that there's a super awesome hotel there, the Emerald Coast Resort."
"Cool, but why only us three?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I have my reasons for inviting you Dash…but Peter needed to prove himself since he ticked some people off by running into battle the other day by himself," Johnny said.
"Not like I regret trying to save people," Peter said.
"Still, just pack up dude, we're leaving in a couple of days," Johnny said.
Back in the future, Sonia was on the edge of her seat, eager to hear the rest of it all. "I can't believe you and Uncle Knuckles just fought like that." She took a moment to think that over, "Actually, maybe I can believe it, even now he still gives you that tough guy look."
"That's Knuckles for ya," Sonic said. "Great guy, but had a really bad habit of getting tricked by Eggman on more than one occasion."
"He got better over the years at least," Amy said. "Soon enough, Eggman stopped trying."
"That's a plus," Sonic said. "Anyway, right after dropping Cream and Ryo off in Yokosuka, we flew over to California."
"Flight wasn't too bad either, the Tornado got us there in one piece," Amy said.
"You know, I've always wanted to fly the Tornado," Sonia said. "Dad, when are you gonna give me flying lessons?"
"When you're a little bit older," Sonic said. "I'd like for you to be able to actually see out the cockpit."
"Hey if she can pilot the plane, maybe she should take it over when she's able to," Tails said.
"Up to you buddy, the Tornado's your plane nowadays," Sonic said.
"You know, I do have other versions, I'd gladly give the original back to you and your family," Tails said.
"Dad already promised me one of the Tornados," Skye said. "Come to think of it dad, didn't you give one of them to Princess Sally?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly a Tornado model but I did build a plane for her to get around in," Tails said. "Her handyman Rotor tends to do maintenance on it nowadays."
"So cool that Aunt Sal can fly a plane too," Sonia said. "Then again, Sally's so talented there probably isn't much she can't do."
"Weird for you to say considering your parents can go super-fast, not to mention your mom has super strength," Skye said. "She's probably stronger than Knuckles."
"No, Knuckles is definitely stronger than me," Amy said.
"Hardly," Sonic said. "I mean, whatever power he has over you is minimal, you can definitely take him on in a fight."
"I guess, of course I wouldn't want to fight Knuckles, he's our friend after all," Amy said. "He's like a big brother to me."
"I thought that Earthling with the silly spider suit was?" Skye asked.
"Skye, don't call Peter's suit silly," Tails said.
"Still my earlier point stands," Skye said, turning to Sonia. "Your parents are amazing, as are mine. What makes Sally special?"
"You mean besides being our Queen?" Sonia asked.
"Take that away, and what does she have?" Skye asked.
"Skye, you shouldn't say such things," Cream said.
"Yeah, Sally's our friend, plus she doesn't need superpowers to be cool," Sonia said. "She does a good job of fighting bad guys without them, so that makes her cool in her own right. She's basically Batman."
"Who?" Skye asked.
"...You don't know who Batman is?" Sonia asked. "Geez Uncle Tails, give your son a bit of culture."
"Sonia, don't talk like that to Tails," Amy scolded.
"Hey he's gotta know about the superheroes from Earth that daddy hangs out with," Sonia said.
"Um, I don't actually hang out with Batman or anything, nothing against him but he can be a bit moody, and a bit of a loner," Sonic said.
"And you're any different?" Tails asked.
"H-hey, I'm not moody," Sonic said, slightly irritated. "Can we just get on with the story?"
"Sure, let's skip ahead to when we get to California," Tails said. "I spent a couple of days building a workshop there so me, Amy and Sonic could stay."
"Granted Sonic barely came by the workshop, once he was in a new country he ran off to explore," Amy said.
"Can you blame me? Earth has some pretty amazing places," Sonic said. "The architecture was cool and the natural areas were the best."
"What about Uncle Knuckles?" Sonia asked.
"He went straight to Angel Island, which was right off the coast of Mystic Ruins," Tails said. "He was happy to be back with the Master Emerald, meanwhile the rest of us were looking for the Chaos Emeralds."
"Then, things got really hairy one night," Sonic said.
Back to the past, Sonic was seen speeding through the town of Station Square. It was nighttime and while he was on the look for Chaos Emeralds, he also took a bit of time to have some fun.
"Oh yeah, this feels great," Sonic said, staring into the night sky. He then heard some sirens going off down below. He could see some police cars rushing toward a single location. "Wonder what's going on?"
In the distance, a mysterious creature made out of water was seen in front of city hall, several police officers surrounding it.
"Quick! Open fire!" the policeman said as they shot at the monster. Unfortunately the bullets just dropped from the beast's body like it was nothing. "Oh no! Our weapons are useless! Retreat!"
"Someone call a pro hero!" another officer urged.
Within seconds, Sonic appeared in front of the cars, "Heh, this could be fun."
The water beast tried attacking Sonic with an extended punch, the hedgehog immediately dodging out of the way and hitting his homing attack on the monster's head, reducing it into a puddle.
"Is it over?" Sonic wondered.
The monster immediately reformed and leapt up to a nearby streetlight and tried attacking from above, Sonic quick to roll out the way. He ran up a light and then hit another homing attack, knocking the monster down as he rolled around and bashed into it, knocking it back into a puddle.
"What is that?" a policeman asked.
"Is it a pro hero?" another asked.
"Never seen one like that before," a third said.
Sonic stood ready for more, but instead of fighting, the creature began to make it's exit. "You running away?" As he followed, it went into a sewer, leaving the scene behind. "Wonder what the deal is with that big drip of a monster?"
Up above, the sinister Eggman was smirking down below. "You're too late hedgehog, I have already unleashed my newest weapon. Chaos, the God of Destruction."
"Sir, if I may ask," Orbot said. "What purpose did you want with Chaos again?"
"I told you that I need his power if I'm going to reshape this world into my image," Eggman said. "To do that, we need to find some Chaos Emeralds."
"Does this mean we're not going back home?" Cubot asked.
"Perhaps in time, but I want to build my empire," Eggman said. "I don't care if it's on our home planet or on this one, I will reign supreme!" He checked his wrist. "Bocoe, Decoe, any sign of Bokkun and the S.S.S.S.S. Squad?"
"They're still taking that boat here, it's taking quite a while," Bocoe said.
"We suspect another day or two," Decoe said.
"Alert me when they arrive, I still have work to do on the E-Series Robots," Eggman said. "Orbot, Cubot, let's go!"
"Say, why are Scratch, Ground and Coconuts the Super Special Sonic Search and Smash Squad?" Cubot asked. "Why aren't we?"
"Well, are you going out to Search and Smash Sonic?" Orbot asked.
"Um...no," Cubot said.
"There's your answer," Orbot said. "You and I have our functions, Scratch, Ground and Coconuts have theirs."
"Hurry up you ninnies!" Eggman said, the two robots picking up the pace.
As we return to the present timeline, Sonia had only one question for her father. "So...Chaos. Quite the enemy, huh daddy?"
"You could say that," Sonic said.
"I mean, he's a monster made out of water," Sonia said.
"Well monster might be too strong a word to describe him," Sonic said. "You see-"
"Weren't you terrified of him?" Sonia asked. "I mean, he was MADE out of WATER!"
"Yeah...you going somewhere with this, kiddo?" Sonic said.
"You hate water," Sonia said.
"I don't hate it...I just don't like being in it," Sonic said. "I don't mind drinking it, I don't mind running on it, if I hated water, I'd never shower."
"And you'd never be allowed back in our house again," Amy said, Sonic chuckling to himself.
"Wait, how exactly did Eggman free Chaos?" Sonia asked.
"He broke the Master Emerald," Sonic said. "Knuckles can tell you all about that."
"Sweet, let's go find him!" Sonia said, about to leave.
"Hold it, young missy!" Amy called. "Don't go dashing off to Angel Island!"
"Why? Uncle Knuckles likes me," Sonia said. "Plus I feel like we need his side of the story too. I mean, everyone involved must of had their own point of view. You, daddy, Uncle Tails and Uncle Knuckles."
"Maybe you can get Big's view while you're at it," Tails joked.
"Big? Did he do anything special?" Sonia asked.
"Well, no, he just spent the entire time fishing," Tails said.
"Fishing? A grand epic adventure and he spent time fishing?" Sonia asked. "What kind of lame-O fishes during an adventure?"
Sonic furrowed his brow at that statement, something Amy was quick to notice.
"Sonia honey, don't be too hard on people who fish, it's actually a good way to relax and take your mind off of things," Amy said.
"Yeah, it's good to kick back in the middle of an adventure, recharges the batteries so to speak," Tails said.
"Eh, sounds boring to me," Sonia said. "Anyway, about Uncle Knuckles."
"We have been meaning to go see Knuckles, now might actually be a good time," Amy said.
"Oh yes, we can invite him, along with Rouge and Lara over," Cream said. "If they want to at least."
"Oh Lara, she's cool," Sonia said. "I know Manik really likes her."
"Tell me about it, he may have already found his queen," Skye joked.
"As long as it's not Melody," Sonia said.
"Sonia, that's not a polite thing to say," Amy scolded. "Melody's a nice girl."
"Uh-huh, sure she is," Sonia said, the girl huffing with her arms crossed.
"Eh, look, I'll go find Knuckles, it's not that far to Angel Island," Sonic said.
"You don't need to, I can contact Rouge," Tails said, bringing out a device. "I can get them over here in no time."
"Sweet, more to the story," Sonia said.
Meanwhile back near the outskirts of Mobotropolis, Bunnie and Tangle were surveying the coordinates where the drones spotted potential robots, the two having been looking for a good chunk of time.
"Where are you, robots?" Tangle said, keeping a close eye out. "Come on out so I can squash ya! My tail is ready to go!"
"Tangle honey, it's great that yer enthusiastic, but dial it down," Bunnie said. "This ain't a game after all."
"Yeah, I know, but something about smashing robots is kind of stress relieving in a way," Tangle said.
"Can't argue with that," Bunnie said, keeping her arm aimed. "Just try to be careful, never know what Robotnik could be planning."
"Right, of course," Tangle said. "Say, do you think he's working with Nagus?"
"I'd be quite surprised if he did, considering Robotnik and Nagus get along as well as beach days and stormy weather," Bunnie said.
"I mean, yeah the two don't like each other, but they both hate Princess Sally," Tangle said. "Even more, they hate Sonic. I mean, of course they'd not only want to bring down the Queen of Mobius, but also this world's best hero...er, no offense to you Bunnie."
"None taken, Sonic's ten times the hero ah am after all," Bunnie said. "Even though he don't quite care fer the title."
"Pfft, you mean Sonic? Of course he does, I mean who doesn't like being a hero?" Tangle asked.
"It ain't easy, comes with a lot of pressure, sugar," Bunnie said. "Not that pressure would ever stop Sonic, he would always help anyone in need, he's just that nice of a guy. Being an actual hero and having to live up to it though, ah mean, I'm not in this fer the glory, ah just want mah friends and family to be safe and happy, just like Sonic."
"Still, having everyone love you must be neat," Tangle said.
"All ah need is mah Antoine and our darling angels," Bunnie said. "Just like all Sonic needs is that sweet young, Amy Rose and their adorable daughter."
"What about Manik?" Tangle asked.
"Him too, Sonic won't forget about his little boy," Bunnie said, the cyber girl furrowing her brow. "Too bad he's too stubborn to accept his father into his life."
"Say, you think Sally's still sad about how things turned out?" Tangle asked. "I mean, nothing against Amy, but I really thought Sonic and Sally were perfect for each other. The Powerful Hero and the Queen of Mobius, a real storybook ending, wouldn't you say?"
"You ask Sonic about storybooks, he'll have a much different opinion than the average folk," Bunnie said. "But truth be told, that reason you gave ain't the best reason those two should be together."
"Well, who do you think is better? Sally or Amy?" Tangle asked.
"Tangle, you remember the last time everyone started asking about that?" Bunnie asked. "Honestly the day everyone found out about Sonic breaking up with Sally is one thing, but the public response to him going with Amy...honestly it's no wonder Sonic don't like his relationships in the spotlight, or the spotlight in general."
"Yeah, that was drama for sure, but..." in the middle of her opinion, Tangle spotted something nearby. "Robots!"
Within moments, a flurry of robots started dashing in. Bunnie was quick to zap each of them with her lasers as Tangle bounced in and used her tail to whack a bunch of the robots into each other like bowling pins.
Fortunately for the two girls, there were only a few robots, at least for the moment.
"That takes care of them," Bunnie said. "Still, Robotnik usually has more robots than this, something tells me there's more to worry about."
"It's fine, there's nothing the two of us can't handle," Tangle said, flexing her tail.
"Don't get too cocky, sugar," Bunnie warned. "That tail of yers is strong, but strength don't matter if you let yer guard down."
"Of course," Tangle said, following Bunnie.
On the other side, Fiona was seen scouting the area, keeping a close eye on any sign of danger. As she passed by some trees, she felt a gust of wind nearby, wind that felt too fast for it to be a normal breeze. "Sonic?" She turned around and to her disappointment, instead found Mina. "Oh, it's you."
"You're not exactly someone I was eager to see myself," Mina said.
"What are you even doing here?" Fiona asked.
"I came to see if there's anything I can do to help," Mina said.
"What for? You're not a knight or a hero, you're just some entertainer," Fiona said.
"Hey, I can be a hero too, plus I want to keep my daughter safe," Mina said.
"Fine, just go scout ahead if you really want to, and stay out of my way," Fiona said.
Mina furrowed her brow in annoyance, "Why are you always so mean to everyone? Given that you came close to betraying us that one time, I figured you'd be trying hard to earn our trust."
"I have Sally's trust, that's all I need," Fiona said.
"That doesn't make anyone feel better, for all we know, you could be planning to betray her," Mina said.
"Well you have no proof that I am, plus it's obvious that if I wanted to betray her, I would have stuck with Scourge, but I didn't," Fiona said. "Like it or not, I'm still part of the Acorn Royal Defense."
"For Sally's sake, I hope you're not up to anything," Mina said, staring Fiona in the eyes. "But if you do anything to hurt Sally, I will be among the first to come after you. Only this time, you won't know I'm here until you're already laying bruised on the ground."
"Whatever lady, if I were you, I'd focus less on finding Robotnik and more on finding the father of your baby," Fiona said.
"Oh screw you," Mina said, dashing off.
Fiona scoffed in annoyance, "Stupid girl thinks she's a hero just because some Mammoth guy decided to give her powers for no reason."
"Jealous?" Whisper said, suddenly appearing beside Sally as the girl aimed a laser gun at her face.
"What the fuck is the matter with you!?" Fiona shouted, placing her gun away. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"You speak so crudely," Whisper said.
"I speak however I want," Fiona said. "Why are you even here?"
"Like you, I am here to see if Doctor Eggman truly is here like Princess Sally believes he might be," Whisper said.
"Well I haven't seen Eggman yet," Fiona said.
"Of course, you were too busy driving away Mina Mongoose," Whisper said.
"What were you eavesdropping the whole time?" Fiona asked. "Also weren't you supposed to be checking on Manik?"
"I already warned him, and brought him to safety," Whisper said. "Well rather Antoine D'Coolette took over in protecting Manik."
"Wow, you actually left that loser in charge of keeping Manik safe?" Fiona said.
"That 'loser' is Captain of the Acorn Royal Guard and a skilled swordsman," Whisper said, casting a cold glare to Fiona. "I would sooner trust him with Manik's safety, than yourself."
"Oh no, my poor feelings," Fiona mocked. "Look if you're gonna go and help then get to it. The less we're in each other's way, the better."
"If that is what you believe, then the choice is yours," Whisper said, making a hasty exit.
Fiona scoffed in annoyance, "I freaking hate when she talks like she's so much better than everyone, and wiser too. Like, we're both practically the same age, and I've learned more about the world than she has at a younger age." Fiona kicked a rock away, "Whatever, I can do this without help, and remind Sally that I'm her best agent."
Meanwhile in the castle, Manik was seen looking out the window, wondering what was happening near his home. Much as he wanted to check, his mother's orders were clear, he had to stay in his room.
Despite that, he couldn't just sit back and do nothing, "What kind of Prince would I be if I didn't look into this? I must go and perform my duty, as the Crown Prince of Mobius!"
The boy grabbed a grappling hook and rappelled down the castle, the over the walls of his city, into the forest where the danger was spotted.
Later in the day, a knock was heard on Tails's door.
"I got it!" Sonia rushed past Tails as he was about to answer, the fox spinning in circles for a few seconds, dizzily walking it off afterwards.
Sonia answered to see whom she was hoping for, "Uncle Knuckles!"
"Hey Sonia!" Knuckles held his fist out. "Give me some!" Sonia proceeded to fist bump her uncle figure, the guardian reeling his hand back. "Whoa, I felt some power in that, you getting stronger kid?"
"Every single day," Sonia said. "I'm going to be unstoppable one day."
"I don't doubt that," Knuckles said, taking his hat off as he was greeted by another hedgehog. "Amy!"
"Knuckles!" Amy gave a hug to the Echidna. "How are things on Angel Island?"
"Eh, the same as usual," Knuckles said.
Rouge was the next one inside, the woman kneeling before the young hedgehog, "Sonia, come give auntie Rouge a hug." Without a chance to react, Rouge picked Sonia up, kissing her on the cheek. "So adorable."
"Yeah, thanks Auntie," Sonia said as Rouge put her down. "Where's Lara?"
"Sup?" Came the voice of the young echidna, the girl rubbing Sonia's head. "How you been, squirt?"
"All good," Sonia said.
"Knuckles, Rouge, Lara, glad you could make it," Tails said.
"Of course, thanks for having us over," Rouge said.
"We were a bit surprised you invited us over," Knuckles said. "But we were itching to get off the island for a bit."
"Well mom and I can leave whenever we want," Lara said. "Mom usually heads to a nearby city and I...actually I'm usually there with my dad."
"Like father, like daughter," Sonic said, making his way over. "Hey Knux."
"Sonic," Knuckles said, fist bumping his friend. "Been a few weeks since I've seen you."
"You know me, always traveling the world," Sonic said. "Especially with Amy."
"We've been wanting to see you for a while, just to make sure things are going well with you," Amy said.
"Well we're glad you invited us, it's a Team Heroes reunion," Knuckles said.
"Pretty sure we're Team Sonic," the normally reserved hedgehog sassed.
"Hey I never agreed to be called that," Knuckles said.
"Should have voted on a name then," Sonic said.
"When did we have a vote!?" Knuckles asked. "Are you making things up?"
"Geez, come on boys, not even five minutes and you're already willing to square off?" Amy asked.
"Oh let them be, dear," Rouge said. "This is how boys like to greet each other sometimes."
"Who made you the leader anyway? I should be the leader, I'm older," Knuckles said. "I was a commander at the Freedom Fighter HQ when Eggman and Infinite nearly took over the world!"
"Knuckles, three words, Operation Big Wave," Sonic said.
"It could have worked!" Knuckles shouted.
"Ahem..." Sonia said, getting their attention. "Exciting as this story sounds, dad, you were telling me another story. And since Uncle Knucles is here, we can get his perspective as well."
"Oh, telling stories of our adventures?" Knuckles asked. "I like to do the same with Lara."
"My favorite is about dad leading The Chaotix," Lara said.
"Huh? That never happened!" Sonic said.
"It did! It totally did!" Knuckles said. "Back when it was me, Vector, Espio, Charmy, Mighty and Ray."
"You sure that happened in this dimension?" Sonic asked.
"You can go ask them!" Knuckles said. "You can even ask Heavy and Bomb!"
"Who and who?" Skye asked.
"Come on Sonic, if Knuckles says he led the Chaotix, just let it be," Amy said.
"Fine, but I'm totally asking Vector later," Sonic said.
"Oh so you'll believe Vector but not me?" Knuckles asked.
"Ahem!" Sonia said. "This is getting way too confusing and dragged out. Dad, listen to mom and let Uncle Knuckles have this."
"Ha, both your wife and daughter are on my side," Knuckles said.
"You know what would suck? If you couldn't find your emerald in the morning," Sonic taunted.
"I...will destroy you if you tried," Knuckles warned.
Amy sighed in annoyance, "Geez, it's like you two were never apart."
"It's kind of cute actually, they're like brothers," Cream said.
"It's only cute because you didn't have to listen to this on the regular back in the day," Tails said. "At least it's better than Sonic and Shadow."
"Or Sonic and Mario," Amy said.
"I remember Mario, he let me race with him and his friends," Sonia said. "I nearly won too...until that stupid Luigi threw that Blue Shell at me!"
"He didn't mean to," Tails said.
"Ha! Likely story!" Sonia said. "I'll get him back for that soon."
"Well anyway, before we get sidetracked, Sonia here wanted to hear a story, and made sure to hear my side," Knuckles said. "What story is it anyway?"
"Well we're detailing the time we went to Earth," Sonic said. "We already covered the part where we first arrived on Earth, met Ryo in Japan, fought the Missile-Fist robot, and were on our way to California during the incident with Chaos."
"Is it true Eggman tricked you into fighting dad in Japan?" Sonia asked.
"He didn't exactly trick me, he just told me that it was Sonic's fault that we got stranded on Earth," Knuckles said. "Which he was technically right about."
"Dude, he tricked you, just like he did when we first met on Angel Island," Sonic said.
"You mean the time I punched you out of your Super form?" Knuckles asked. "Maybe you're still mad about that."
"I'm...not even gonna get into that," Sonic said. "Sonia just wanted to know how Chaos got free."
"That I can tell you," Knuckles said. "After separating from Sonic and the others, I went to my island. I did explore the ruins a bit, and I had to admit, the architecture looked very similar to the where my ancestors used to live. It's almost like The Master Emerald just wanted to be somewhere familiar."
"Oooh, mysterious," Sonia said. "Continue."
Back to years prior, after making his way onto Angel Island, Knuckles sat near the Master Emerald, resuming his duty of guarding it. While he didn't know why he had to guard this emerald, he readily accepted it as his duty, one that he took to heart.
But one night, as Knuckles rested near the Emerald, he heard something crack. "What happened?" As he turned around, he saw that the Master Emerald had completely shattered. "Oh no! What happened?"
Knuckles looked to the side and saw the monster that was Chaos standing near some broken pieces.
"Did you do this to my Emerald!?" Knuckles shouted, ready to fight. "I'll make you regret that!"
Knuckles went to attack but the creature was quick to dodge and punch Knuckles, knocking him down the steps.
"Damn..." Knuckles quickly climbed back up but by the time he got to the top, the creature was gone. "Where'd it go? What was it anyway? Was it native to this planet or something?" Suddenly the ground rumbled below him. "Wait, the island, without the Master Emerald, it's going to-"
Suddenly the island fell to the ocean, next to the Mystic Ruins. Knuckles was alright, but he was also just as concerned. Now the Master Emerald was shattered, its pieces seemed to scatter across this land.
"I gotta hurry and piece the Master Emerald back together," Knuckles said, making his leave, unaware that a small pink orb was also seen leaving where the Master Emerald was supposed to be.
Thus Knuckles's part of the adventure had also begun.
Back in the future, in Mobotropolis, Manik was still searching the outskirts for any sign of danger, the boy armed with his sword and ready to fight.
"Alright, Robotnik, or Nagus, or whoever is out here, show yourself!" Manik had his sword aimed carefully. "I, Manik Maximillian Acorn, Prince of Mobius, will not stand idly by and let you take what belongs to my family!"
"Oh does it now?" Came a voice.
Manik frantically looked around, "Who's there?" It took him a few seconds to register, "Wait, I recognize this voice. Ixis Nagus!"
"Ah, how perceptive," Nagus said, the wizard appearing beside Manik, the boy leaping back. "The proud son of Queen Sally Acorn."
"Y-yeah, I am," Manik said, keeping his sword aimed. "What are you doing here? Another futile attempt to take my family's throne? The Castle of Acorn belongs to us! A villain like you does not deserve the throne!"
"Such youthful arrogance," Nagus said. "I must commend you though, a small child facing off against me, you certainly have your mother's bravery, and her foolishness."
"Do NOT insult my mother you knave!" Manik warned, aiming his sword close.
"Heh," Nagus used his magic to knock Manik's sword from his hand, then used it again to lift Manik into the air. "This was fun, but I do tire of this chat. I am not without mercy, so I will make you an offer. Join me and I will spare your life, and possibly your mother's. Resist, and I will have no choice but to destroy you."
"Are you nuts! I can't just betray my Kingdom!" Manik said.
"Very well," Nagus said, readying his magic.
"Nagus you varmint!" Bunnie was heard shouting as she blasted Nagus with her arm, sending the wizard flying back. She went to pursue but Nagus hit the girl with a fireball as he began to flee.
Tangle caught Bunnie as she fell and placed her beside Manik. "I'll get him!"
"Tangle wait!" Bunnie called, but her teammate was long gone. "Ugh, Manik! You shouldn't be out here! Just wait till Sally hears about this."
"Hey she doesn't need to know, does she?" Manik asked.
Suddenly some robots emerged from the forest, ready to strike. Before Bunnie could attack, the robots were immediately cut in half and destroyed, courtesy of the sudden arrival of Sally, the Queen having just used her Ring Blades to take down the enemies.
"Mom!?" Manik asked.
"Sally girl!" Bunnie said.
"You two alright?" Sally asked.
"Yeah, we're fine, but Tangle is giving chase to Nagus," Bunnie said.
"Go after them," Sally said. "Leave Manik here with me."
"You got it," Bunnie said, flying off.
"Aunt Bunnie! Wait!" Manik called, the boy lamenting his situation as he awkward turned to the Queen. "Hey mom, how's it going?"
"Are you out of your mind!?" Sally shouted, startling her son. "When I sent Whisper to bring you to your room, I figured you'd know that it means do NOT go out and look for danger!"
"I figured it was dangerous, but I couldn't just sit inside and do nothing!" Manik said.
"Manik, you're only eleven, you're not properly trained for combat, you don't need to be out here!" Sally said.
"Oh come on, I'm older than Tails and Cream were when they were fighting Robotnik!" Manik said.
"I'm not their mother," Sally said. "You're my son, you do what I tell you to do."
"But mom, I bet Amy Rose would let Sonia fight!" Manik said.
"Sonia has powers, Manik," Sally said. "Just like Tails and Cream. I don't condone any of them fighting but at least they're better off protecting themselves. All you have is a sword that you're not really good at using!"
"I'm doing my best!" Manik said.
"Your best is not good enough!" Sally shouted, startling her son. "Now go inside, you're grounded until further notice."
"But mom!" Manik pleaded.
"Move it!" Sally shouted, leaving Manik disappointed as he dejectedly went toward the walls, the boy grappling back up. She kept an eye on him to make sure he was safe behind the walls of the castle before talking into her wrist band. "Nicole, activate high alert security, and make sure my son doesn't sneak out again."
"You got it Sally," Nicole said, the Hollow Lynx activating the security.
"And retrieve my son's grappling hook, or anything he could use to sneak away," Sally said.
"Of course," Nicole said.
Once Sally calmed herself down, she started to feel crummy, "I hate having to yell at him like that."
As she went back into the forest to check on everything, Eggman was seen observing from a nearby monitor.
"Looks like Queen Sally can handle anything, except motherhood," Eggman taunted. "If she wants lessons on how to be a good parent, she can come to me."
"You have kids?" the bounty hunter Dingo asked.
"Quiet you fool," his partner Sleet said. "He obviously means his robots."
"Yes, especially one AI in particular," Eggman said with some hint of pride, before shaking it off. "But that doesn't matter right now! You two need to be on the standby for my Master Plan to take hold. Right now Nagus is offering the distraction, alongside my robots. In time you two will go assist in defeating that pesky Sally Acorn. Then when the time comes, that blue pain in the neck will come rushing over like the big superhero, and that's when I'll swoop in. I will not only defeat Sonic, I will do it in front of his former subjects, his ex-wife, and his poor excuse of a son."
"What about his other friends, and the wife he has now?" Dingo asked.
"No doubt they'll be here too, but I've planned for them," Eggman said. "There are plenty who want revenge on Sonic, my robots are out gathering them. Soon I will have complete control of the world, and rebuild it in my name, this world will belong to the glorious Doctor Eggman!"
"And once you achieve your goals, I imagine Dingo and I will be paid handsomely," Sleet said.
"Yes, of course, "Eggman said. "Now, we have made it clear that you will get your payment after I take over the world, correct?"
"That we have, your leadership," Sleet said.
"Good, because last time I hired some fools, they were too impatient to wait for me to pay them," Eggman said. "One of them even stung me!"
"Ouch, sounds painful," Dingo said.
"And rude," Sleet said.
"I know, right!?" Eggman said. "What a pain. But no matter, just be ready for action, I need to continue work on my latest masterpiece, the very thing that will destroy Sonic and his friends! Mwahahahahaha!"
The Adventure continued in the past and the present, while Sonia learned the tales of her father, Eggman plotted his ultimate revenge, and his takeover of Planet Mobius.