December 31st, 1 A.E. — 10 months ago…

Under the evening twilight, a fishing hook plops into the calm ocean water, a red and white bobber remaining on the surface to mark its position. The line has been cast out incredibly far—far enough to reach all the way up to where Big the Cat sits, perched on the very top of the Eggshelter.

"Everyone sure sounds worried about that tiny planet thing, huh, Froggy?"

Froggy bounces once on his head. "Ribbit."

"I don't know why the planet is small. I always thought it was pretty big. But I do know that we're gonna catch a bunch of big fish, so Cream can make a big meal for everyone when they get back."

"Ribbit."

"That's a silly thing to say, Froggy. Of course they'll be hungry."

"Ribbit! Ribbit!"

"Huh? Do you see something?" Big strains his eyes to see down into the water far beneath them. "There's nothing there…" A colorful glow begins to shine above his head.

Froggy jumps up and down even more frantically, eyes transfixed not at the water, but in the air up above them. "Ribbit ribbit ribbit!" After the next jump, Froggy doesn't come back down.

"I think you should quiet down a bit, Froggy. You might be scaring away the fish."

"Riiiiiiiiibbiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!"

"Oh?" Big moves his hands up to his head, feeling around as he realizes that Froggy isn't there anymore. Finally, he looks up. "Froggy?" What he sees above him is a blinding trio of colorful strobing lights, casting down a ray of energy that slowly sucks Froggy higher up into the sky as the frog's limbs flail about. "Froggy, where are you going? Come back!" The ray of light also seems to be pulling up on Big's fur, but his weight seems to keep him down. He reaches up for Froggy, but his arms are not nearly long enough to reach. "Froggy!" He makes a few futile hops to try and reach higher. Each jump is slow and high as if gravity itself were reduced. The lights above strobe faster, producing an intense whirring sound as Big's jumps get higher. Finally, he breaks away from the ground entirely, and floats up after Froggy.

"Ribbit!"

"Gotcha!" Big wraps his arms around Froggy, pulling him in close as they continue to float upwards. "Don't you know better than to run off like that, Froggy?"

Froggy is the only one who still seems to be paying attention to the lights up above them. "Ribbit…"

"Froggy…? How are we gonna get back down now?" Between the three lights above them, a panel seems to open up in the sky itself. Big and Froggy are drawn all the way up into the opening. "This doesn't look good, buddy…" The panel closes behind them, sealing them inside. With a slight shimmer in the air, the shape of the abductor is revealed—a flying saucer with two sections that rotate continuously in opposing directions. As the three lights underneath begin to dim, the saucer takes off, disappearing into the dusk sky.

Big's dropped fishing rod slips off of the Eggshelter and tumbles into the water, sinking down and leaving just the bobber as the only sign that Big was ever there. After a moment, it too is pulled under by the weight of the rod, leaving no sign at all.

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 3, Episode 11

Big's Big Space Adventure 3

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

? ? ?

"Feels like we're moving. Guess you and I are going on a trip, buddy." Big takes a look around the dimly lit dome that appears closed tightly around them. "This is a pretty weird place you've found." Small panels open up around the domed enclosure, simultaneously spraying out a thin mist from all angles. "Tee hee. That tickles." As the moisture begins to condensate on his fur, Froggy begins to stretch out in his hand, apparently enjoying the warm, moist air. Big wipes some water droplets from his nose. "And now we're all sparkly."

Suddenly, the flow of mist is replaced by harsh gusts of air. Big holds Froggy protectively against his chest as his fur is ruffled into complete disarray. He's left blinking in confusion once the air is cut off as well. Finally, a bright layer of red light appears at the top of the dome, slowly sweeping down over Big's body. When it finally reaches his feet, a soft chime sounds out, followed by the robotic voice of a computer proclaiming, "No pathogens detected. Further quarantine unnecessary."

"That sounds good, I think."

With a faint hiss, a seam in the dome pops open, and light floods through as the walls retract away. Revealed on the outside is a much wider interior, still rounded in design, with white metal walls and ceiling, and windows in every direction that show a moving starfield outside. Standing all around Big are the occupants of the strange ship. They appear to be entirely mechanical in nature, with big domed heads and thin, single-jointed limbs. Every one of them holds a two-pronged spear upright at their sides.

"Uhh… Hi. My name's Big, and this is my best pal Froggy. Who are you?"

The machines turn their black dome heads at one another as they begin to let out a rapid series of beeps and clicks in a cacophonous communication. Finally, one of them, the one with the most intricate-looking body, looks back at Big. The black tint around its glass dome head begins to fade away, revealing the inside to be filled with water—and what appears to be an ordinary fish. But as the fish inclines its head in various ways, the mechanical body that carries its fish tank appears to respond. It speaks in a broken and monotonous tone. "I. Am. Magistrate. Trout. We. Come. From. Constellation. You. Call. Pisces."

"Look at that, Froggy. They're fish people. That's funny."

"We. Need. Help. Of. Hero. Sonic. Hedgehog."

"Oh, I know Sonic. I don't think he can help right now. He's a little busy."

The Pisceans once again turn to each other to communicate in their fast beeping language. Then back to Big. "Sonic. Is. Blue. Mammal. Not. You?"

"Me? I'm not even blue." He takes a moment to double check the color of his arm. "Well, I guess in the right lighting…"

More beeps. "Close. Enough. You. Will. Come. With. Us. To. Pisces."

"Okey dokey, Mr. Magic Trout. I've always wanted to see Pisces. You hear that, Froggy? We're not going on just any trip. We're going on a space trip."

"Ribbit?"

—–—

Beta Piscium — 400 lightyears away

The flying saucer of the Pisceans approaches a planet which appears to be covered almost entirely in water, save for its small polar ice caps and a few patches of city lights that appear to shine over the water on the night side. It continues to fly down towards one such patch of lights.

The city itself appears to be made up of many interconnected dome structures situated a short distance above the water level, some with glass ceilings that show the bright lights inside, and others with opaque metal built with seams and hinges that allow them to open to the sky. One such dome, adjacent to the largest in the center of the city, opens to let the saucer in.

The bottom hatch of the saucer opens, and Big is dropped onto his back against the hard metal ground. "Owie…"

Magistrate Trout comes down behind him, his fall slowed to an elegant landing by the saucer's tractor beam. The saucer rises back up out of the structure as the ceiling closes behind it. "This. Is. Our. Spawn. Pool."

Big gets up to look around as he rubs at the back of his head. The room appears to take up the entire space of the structure, with a wide circular wall decorated by hanging ropes and what might be floatation devices. A large portion of the center of the floor is cut out, open to the water below. "Uhh…why are we here again?"

"Come. See." Trout leads Big to the edge of the pool and points down into the water. "Our. Children. Will. Hatch. There."

As Big strains his eyes to see under the surface of the water, a massive shadow swims in and out of view.

"But. Pool. Was. Invaded. By. Mutant. Demon. Shark."

"What's a mutant demon shark?"

"Apex. Predator. Many. Times. Normal. Size." The massive shadow passes once again. "Many. Bravest. Warriors. Swim. Down. To. Fight. None. Return."

"Oh no. I hope they're okay."

Trout's unblinking eyes are magnified by the glass fishbowl around him as he stares oddly at Big. "We. Need. Help. Of. Big. Hero. Sonic. Hedgehog. Or. Our. Children. Won't. Hatch. Our. Kingdom. Will. Die."

"Hmm… Well, I'm still not Sonic, but I did get an idea. I just gotta borrow this." He yanks the two-pronged spear out of Trout's mechanical hand, and takes a closer look down at the water. The shadow creeps back around in its continuing patrol. "Looks like…3000 kilograms." He pounds the end of the spear against the ground a few times. "I think this should be sturdy enough."

"You. Will. Defeat. Demon. Shark. With. One. Spear?"

"Huh?" Big has already started wandering off towards the wall. "Oh, yeah, sorta. Need to borrow this too though." He slices a rope hung on the wall between the blades of the spear, and starts to pile the rope in his arms as he pulls it down from the wall, knocking down many of the hanging wall decorations as he goes.

"I. Have. Not. Seen. This. Tactic. Before."

Big pulls out one of the hooks from the wall that was used to hang the decorations, and ties it onto the end of the rope. Then he wraps the other end around the end of the spear, creating, unsurprisingly, a makeshift fishing rod. He promptly sits down by the edge of the pool and casts his line.

"Curious. Device. What. Is. Its. Purpose?"

"It's for fishing."

"Fish. Ing. I. Don't. Understand."

"It's easy. You just gotta cast your line where the fish is…" The shadow slowly approaches the line. "…and when it bites, you just pull up real hard." Just as he says, a strong tug comes at the line. "It's biting!" He quickly gets on his feet, pulling back as hard as he can in a fight against the massive fish. "Wow…he's…really…strong!"

Froggy bites down on the back of Big's tail to help him pull.

"I. Understand. But. What. Will. You. Do. When.—"

With one last mighty tug, the mutant demon shark breaches the surface, pulled into the air and high above Big's head. Its appearance is as terrifying as the name would imply, with razor sharp black scales and rows of gnashing teeth. And it falls straight towards Big.

"Uh oh…" Big cowers down and raises his arms to protect his head, while Froggy hops away in fear.

The shark lands with an earth-shaking flop. But Big is left unharmed. He cautiously opens one eye and looks up in confusion. The shark's body sits just above his head, propped up by the point of the fishing rod-spear that it landed on, right where its heart should be.

"Huzzah! You. Have. Done. It. We. Are. Saved."

"Oh. Cool."

"Come. We. Will. Hold. Feast. In. Your. Honor. Big. Hero. Sonic. Hedgehog."

"I'm still not Sonic. But okay." He reaches up to pat the belly of the shark. "Sorry Mr. Sharky. Guess I gotta go now."

—–—

A continuous chorus of beeps and clicks fill the dining hall with a lively yet disconcerting sound as Big awkwardly takes a seat at a chair that is clearly far too small for him. This room is in a far larger dome, far more poshly decorated with red and gold carpets and tapestries. The near-fully occupied round table, appearing to be made out of carved coral, stretches all the way around an open pool of water in the center of the room, much like the one in the hatchery.

Sitting beside Big, Magistrate Trout announces, "Appetizer. Is. Served." The mechanical chatter in the room quiets down as a squad of Piscean servants breach out of the central pool with cloche-covered trays of food in hand. They all land in sequence around the inside ring of the table, each one presenting a tray to their assigned diner. Once the trays are served, they dive elegantly back into the water.

Big stares curiously at the metal dome over his tray of food.

"Please. Enjoy. Rare. Delicacy." Trout reaches over to remove Big's cloche for him, revealing the hors d'oeuvres underneath. "Live. Worms." A plain metal cup filled to the brim with writhing, fleshy pink worms is all that sits on the tray.

Big doesn't appear particularly more or less confused than he was before. He watches around the room as Pisceans lift a worm at a time up to a port on their robotic exoskeletons, which immediately sucks it up into the fishbowl at the top, where the fish inside can chomp down on it. "Well…if the fish eat it, I guess it can't be that bad…" He gently pinches up a worm from his own cup, awkwardly trying to lift it to his mouth without allowing it to touch his face as it squirms. Finally, he manages to get it all in his mouth at once, and forces himself to begin chewing. He doesn't appear too pleased by the flavor at first, but gives it a second thought after a few moments. Then he swallows it all, causing him to shiver. "Hmm… Maybe what's good for fish isn't so good for me… Oh, but I'll bet you'd like it, Froggy." He picks up another worm to offer to Froggy, but as he looks around, he quickly realizes that Froggy isn't there. "Froggy? Where'd you go?" He checks under the chair and over in the pool of water, but Froggy is nowhere to be seen. "Not again…" He looks over at Trout, polishing off the last of his own worms. "Excuse me, Mr. Magic Trout? I think I need to go—"

Trout suddenly rises to his feet, followed by all the other Pisceans at the table as they all go silent. Trout announces, "Please. Welcome. Our. Beloved. King. Salmon."

From a door that has slid open on the opposite side of the dome, a new Piscean has emerged. This one's exoskeleton appears to be made entirely of gold, and is nearly twice the size of the others. As he approaches the large empty seat opposite to Big, he voices in a tone only slightly more coherent than the rest, "I offer. My thanks. To our. Honored guest. Big hero. Sonic Hedgehog."

The rest of the Pisceans beep and click in agreement. Big finally realizes that he was expected to stand up only as everyone else sits back down. "Actually, my name's Big, not Sonic, and I really have to go look for—"

"My apologies. Big not. Sonic Hedgehog. Please don't. Be worried. About anything. We will. Provide whatever. You need."

"It's my friend. I haven't seen him in a while, and he likes to run off sometimes."

"Our guards. Will look. For him. Meanwhile. Please enjoy. Your meal."

Another squad of Piscean servants leap out of the pool with a new set of cloched trays. They take the appetizer trays back down with them, leaving Big with another mystery food to guess at. Still a bit on edge, he reaches out to lift the cloche by the handle.

"Our finest. Freshly grilled."

A look of absolute horror spreads across Big's face.

"Frog legs!"

"F-…F-…F-Froggy…?" His chair breaks against the ground as he backs away in horror.

Many of the Pisceans seated at the table beep in astonishment at Big's reaction. One voices, "How. Rude." Some of them even move to grip the spears left beside their chairs.

King Salmon announces, "Everyone please. Be calm. Our guest. Doesn't eat. Like us. We mustn't. Take offense."

Trout swims around in his fish bowl to look at Big. "What. Do. You. Eat. Big. Not. Sonic. Hedgehog?"

Big is distracted from his stupor long enough to answer, "Uhh… Mostly fish, I guess."

King Salmon suddenly shouts in dismay, "Fish eater! Arrest him!"

Every Piscean in the room takes up arms. All except Trout, who gently tries to place a mechanical hand on Big's shoulder.

Whatever Trout was about to say is lost, as Big turns in fright, accidentally knocking him over. Trout's fish bowl shatters against the ground, leaving the fish inside flopping helplessly on the ground.

Salmon repeats even louder, "Arrest him! Right now!"

Piscean guards start to swarm in from doors all around the room. Big looks around frantically, seeing spears pointed at him everywhere he turns. "I'm sorry! It was an accident!"

"Ribbit! Ribbit!"

Big turns around in shock. Froggy hops up and down in a doorway directly behind him. "Froggy! You're okay!"

Froggy turns around and hops away through the door.

"Hold on! Wait for me, buddy!" Big races after Froggy, pushing down a Piscean guard as he goes. Its fish bowl shatters just like Trout's.

Froggy leads Big on a long chase down serpentine paths through the domes of the city. The number of Piscean guards on their tail picks up in every room they pass through, until it appears that hundreds of them follow along in the chase. Even when Froggy and Big run in a near complete circle around the walls of a dome, the guards move together in a single school rather than making any effort to cut them off.

Finally, Froggy leads Big into what must be a hangar bay, filled with flying saucers that hover just off of the ground. Froggy hops into the bottom hatch of the closest one. When Big catches up with him, the tractor beam activates, pulling him inside and sealing it after him. The saucer quickly lifts up higher off the ground. As the school of Piscean guards catch up, they start throwing their spears at the rising saucer. They seem to do little damage before the saucer crashes out through the glass ceiling.

King Salmon steps up behind the guards, shaking his fish head in disappointment. "Let it. Be known. Sonic Hedgehog. Is enemy. Of Pisceans."

In the pool at the center of the room, Magistrate Trout's uncovered head pokes up out of the water, watching as the saucer disappears into the night sky.

—–—

"Phew. That was a close one, buddy." Big breathes a sigh of relief as he collapses into the chair at the controls of the saucer. "We were in real trouble there. That's why you should be more careful about running off like that. It's a good thing I found you."

Froggy stares at Big with unblinking eyes.

Big's stomach growls. "It's too bad I didn't get to eat… I wonder if they have any food on this spaceship." He promptly gets up to start looking around.

Froggy stays at the console, looking out through the front window. After a moment, something seems to catch his attention. "Ribbit! Ribbit!"

With his face buried deep in a compartment, Big answers, "Don't worry, buddy. I'll find some worms for you too."

This doesn't seem to satisfy Froggy. "Ribbit! Ribbit!"

"I don't have time to play right now, Froggy. I gotta eat something, first."

"RIBBIT!" Froggy jumps onto a button, and an alarm begins to wail.

A robotic voice announces, "Warning: unsafe trajectory. Collision with star in less than: 20 minutes."

Big pulls his head out of the closet, finally seeing the bright orange glow that shines on Froggy through the front window. "That doesn't sound good." He walks back over to the controls. "I'm sure one of these buttons can fix it." After staring for a while at the colorful array of unlabeled lights and dials, he finally settles on a big purple button to press. "Let's try that one." The ship shudders in response.

"Warning: unsafe trajectory. Collision with star in less than: 2 minutes."

"I think that made it worse…" Multiple alarms are blaring. Giving up the notion of finding the right button, Big decides to start mashing his hands against every button in the cockpit.

"Warning: shields offline. Warning: life support offline. All escape pods: ejected."

Big's only response is to mash buttons even more frantically. The orange glare rapidly grows through the windows as Big breaks out in a heavy sweat. "It's sure getting hot in here…"

"Warning: unsafe trajectory. Collision with star in less than: 1 minute. Warning: exterior temperature exceeding safety threshold."

Suddenly, another voice breaks in over the computer. "Piscean vessel, this is the SG-1000. I'm detecting multiple malfunctioning systems on your ship. Are you in need of assistance?"

Big stops what he's doing to shout at the console, "Yes! Yes, please, help us!" He waits for a response.

The only response that comes is from the computer. "Warning: hull integrity failure imminent."

The other voice follows a moment later. "Piscean vessel, do you read me? I'm not picking up any response. If you need assistance, please respond!"

Big's head slumps. "It's no use… She can't hear us… I don't know how to work the ship… I don't know how to work the radio… I think this might be it for us, old pal."

"What the devil are you waiting for!? Piscean vessel, stand by, I'm getting you out of there of there whether you like it or not!"

Big cheers, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Froggy does a full backflip. "Ribbit!"

A white teardrop-shaped vessel with sharp blue fins flies in beside the flying saucer, quickly clamping down onto it and pulling it away.

—–—

"I am White Seraph, Chief Xenobiologist of the White Arms. Well met, Big the Cat and Froggy." Seraph removes her helmet as she crosses an arm over her chest and bows lightly from her seat in the familiar cockpit.

"Wow…I don't know what a sneezo-bologist is, but it sure sounds important."

Seraph turns her chair back to the controls to resume moving them away from the Piscean star. "So, I take it you stole that ship?"

"Uhh…"

"It's fine," she laughs. "Those self-entitled Pisceans deserve some recompense every once in a while. They have a tendency to take what they want and ask for permission later. Why don't you tell me what planet they abducted you poor souls from, and I'll see what I can do about getting you home."

Big needs to think about that for a moment. "Planet… Oh, yeah, you mean Earth."

Seraph glances back in surprise. "Oh…I'm so sorry."

"You mean you can't take us home?"

"No, no, quite the opposite. It's an astounding coincidence, really. I'm on my way to Earth right now for my next genetic sequencing assignment. I'm sorry to hear that your planet is dying. I can take you somewhere else, if you'd prefer. I'm told that the southern continent of the planet Cascade is lovely this time of year."

"No thank you, we just really need to get home."

"Hm. Suit yourself. Once we go to Mega Warp, we'll arrive in about 6 hours." She takes another glance back at Big. "So, that's an Earth frog there on your shoulder?"

"Yup."

"That's odd. I was under the impression that Earth frogs didn't have tails."

"Oh no, did you grow another tail, Froggy?"

Seraph laughs. "No, I didn't mean right now. But you can see the protrusion of what should be a vestigial tailbone suggesting that it had a more pronounced tail at some point in its adulthood. Archeological findings have suggested that there was a species of frog on the homeworld of the Ancients that had a similar—… You aren't understanding a word I'm saying, are you?"

"Not most of them. It sure sounds like you know a lot about frogs."

"My life's work is studying the biology of hundreds of worlds. If it grows, breathes, or reproduces, you can trust that I know more about it than most. I can tell you about any planet you'd like. The Pisceans themselves, for example, have an interesting history. They're one of the few known Ancient Races to survive into the present—they evolved on a different planet and achieved space travel before the destroyer of the Ancients appeared in this galaxy. Beta Piscius was their only colony world that went unravaged. There have been small but notable evolutionary adaptations that appeared as a result of their punctuated equilibrium, isolated population, and altered environment—but, ah, I'm rambling again. You—… You appear to have fallen asleep. Standing up."

Just as she says, Big's eyes have closed, and he and Froggy have both begun snoring in sync.

"I'm…sure you've had a long day. But, you'll be home just as soon as we—" She is cut off as the ship shudders violently, and a sickly green warning light turns on. Big is startled awake, looking around in confusion at yet another alarm.

The ship's AI announces, "Impact confirmed. Two worm missiles have detonated. Shields holding at green."

"Worms? The Black Arms are here!?"

"Four bioships have decloaked. Multiple weapons locks confirmed."

"Their raids continue to grow more brazen. My apologies, Big, but I don't think I'll be able to get you home just yet." She takes the controls and throws the ship into evasive maneuvers. "Computer, how long until the Mega Drive is ready?"

"Approximately 600 exins."

"We're outgunned, and we can't run."

The ship shudders again as the AI announces, "Two impacts. Shields at yellow."

"If the ship you stole were in better condition, I'd ask you to help me lose them. But you wouldn't last 6 exins out there. I'm open to suggestions, if you have any."

Froggy suddenly declares, "Ribbit!" He hops off of Big's shoulder and over to the open docking port in the wall that connects to the Piscean saucer.

"Froggy, wait! Now's really not a good time to run off!" Big chases him into the other ship. A moment later, the docking port closes.

Seraph glances back in shock. "I told you not to—" She shakes her head in a moment of frustration. "Computer, maintain evasive course." She gets up from the pilot's seat and runs over to the closed docking port. Through the window, she can see Big looking back in with sorrow in his eyes. "Get back in here, you idiot! They go after crippled ships first, you'll never make it—…" Her eyes go wide as a realization dawns on her. "That's your plan, isn't it? Giving me the time I need to escape…" She reaches up to activate her helmet, instantly concealing the emotions on her face. "Thank you, Big the Cat. I won't forget your sacrifice."

On the other side of the glass, Big is struggling to pull open a part of the door that clearly isn't meant to open. "I can't hear you! What are you saying!?" He watches as she turns and disappears from view. "Wait! Please don't go!" A moment later, the saucer shudders lightly as Seraph's ship detaches and pulls away.

A few moments later, four Black Arms bioships converge around the saucer as it floats dead in space. Big watches through the window as Seraph's ship streaks away into Mega Warp, winking out in the distance.

—–—

Six months later — July 15th, 2 A.E.

New Kaos City — Planet Orthan IV

Under a grim cloud-covered sky, in a city lit only by the red bioluminescence of the Black Arms, Big the Cat, his fur matted and dirty, works under the watchful eye of a towering Black Oak guard. A living worm-chain is latched around Big's ankle, tying him to another prisoner that works at his side—a tall and emaciated Orthani male with a long scar cutting through the feathers on his back. Together, Big and the Orthani go back and forth, lifting massive symbol-covered tiles one at a time from a pile next to the guard, and carrying them over to lay them down at the end of the road.

A familiar manta-shaped bioship descends through the clouds above, moving to land near the base of the Ebony Tower in the center of the city.

Once they've lifted the next tile, the Orthani voices quietly, "Swee-whee, weh-weet ah-wah oo-whee ee-weh-ee?"

Big cocks his head to the side. "I don't know what you're saying, Mr. Bird Man. But I don't think we're supposed to talk to each other. Last time I talked too much, they took Froggy away…"

"Hoo-whee, ah-wah nay-wah-swee oh-wh—" The Orthani suddenly cries out in pain as he's struck in the back by the guard's glowing purple whip. He manages to keep his hold on the tile, and goes silent as they carry it the rest of the way.

In the near distance, not far from the tower, the sight and sound of a weapon flashing catches their attention. The shot is quickly followed by several more, some of the laser blasts even ricocheting up into the air.

Without a word, the Black Oak guard turns and walks away towards the commotion.

Once it's out of earshot, Big whispers, "I wonder what's happening over there…"

"Hee-whee, kah-ka-whee ah-pwee!"

"Huh? I still don't—" Big turns in surprise to see the Orthani attempting to fly away, only to be stopped as the worm-chain connecting him to Big snaps taut. Big, being as big as he is, is hardly budged by the sudden force. The Orthani is slammed back onto the ground. "I don't think you can fly while we're tied together like this, Mr. Bird Man."

The Orthani quickly gets back up and starts tugging on the chain. "Oo-whee, pwee-weh-oo-wee ah-wah! Twee-whee, hee-whee ah-wah, pwee-weh!"

"You want me to go with you? But…what if the big guy comes back?"

The Orthani repeats, "Twee-whee!"

The floor suddenly rumbles at the sound of some immense creature roaring in the distance. This seems to startle Big into action. "Okay. We can go." They both run off together.

—–—

Big and the Orthani have run all the way out into a barren wasteland, leaving the Black Arms City far on the distant horizon, by the time Big finally drops to his knees, gasping for breath. "I can't…run anymore…"

The Orthani whistles in what might be exasperation, dropping to sit on the dirt beside him.

Once Big finally recollects his breath, he whispers, "What are we gonna do now…? We don't have any food… Or water… Or anywhere to go…" He pulls at the worm-chain connecting them. "And we're still stuck together by this thing. If Froggy were here, he would know what to do…"

"Ribbit! Ribbit!"

Big looks up in amazement. "Froggy! It's you!"

Froggy hops towards them from the direction of the city, carrying some sort of small device in its mouth.

"I guess I should stop being surprised, eh, pal? You can really find a way out of anything. What's that you got there?" Big reaches for the device in Froggy's mouth, but Froggy holds it away from him, offering it to the Orthani instead.

The Orthani watches the frog quizzically as he takes the device. He squeezes down on it, and a holographic screen is projected upwards from its surface. The Orthani shows instant recognition. "Ah-pwee! Hoo-whee pah-whee ee-whe-ee hee-whee." He quickly begins to move his fingers through the screen, tapping and swiping at various alien symbols.

Big tries to get a look at what he's doing. "Is that thingie going to help us?"

"Nay-whee, ah-wah pwee-weh-weh-oo-whee, ah-wah pwee-weet-whee."

"It sure isn't helping me understand you…"

The Orthani looks up for a moment, then back down at the screen. After another few taps, he looks up again. "How about now?"

"Oh! Those words sounded just like words in my language."

"That's because they were words in your language. This thing's a standard galactic multitool. Translator, communications device, about a hundred other things too. Your buddy there grabbed just the right thing for us."

"Yeah. Froggy has a habit of finding cool stuff when he runs off." After a moment, he starts looking around in confusion. "Huh? What's that noise?"

"You should probably take a step back. The train I called is here."

Big obediently takes a step back, only to be reminded that the distance he can go is still limited by the chain. The Orthani signals for him to stop there. A moment later, the ambient hum breaks into a roar as a colorful vortex opens to their side. A futuristic and aerodynamic train decorated with stars comes hurtling out of the portal, running over the chain between them and snapping it instantly, momentarily separating Big and the Orthani. A few cars down, the train screeches to a halt, and doors open on both sides, allowing Big to see through to the Orthani on the other side.

A voice announces over the intercom, "All aboard!" Big and the Orthani both step on, and the doors quickly close behind them, letting the train resume its course into a new portal.

—–—

The inside of the train is luxuriously carpeted, filled with many rows of red and gold seats occupied by every kind of alien species imaginable, keeping up a constant chatter and hardly noticing the dirty and disheveled cat and Orthani taking one of the seats.

"So where are you going to go now, Mr. Bird Man?"

"Well, anywhere's better than where we were, right? Maybe I'll find a new place to set the business I was running before the occupation back up."

"What business was that?"

"Conning suckers out of ludicrous amounts of money. By the way, you got 50 credits I can borrow?"

The conversation is interrupted as the voice on the intercom returns. "Welcome, passengers, to Cosmo-link Stardust Line, making stops at popular destinations such as the Algolian system, Green Gate, and Earth. Feel free to move about the cabin as we take you to your destination at your species' ideal level of comfort."

Big breathes a sigh of relief. "Finally. We get to go home. Aren't you glad, Froggy?"

"Also, would the owner of the green Earth frog please come up to the conductor's cabin? We found your pet. Thank you."

Big stands up and shouts with concern, "Froggy!" This earns him several odd glares from the other occupants of the cabin.

The Orthani waves him farewell. "Maybe next time, then. See you around, friend!"

Big, being a bit too large for the center aisle, has to squeeze his way around several strange aliens sitting in the outside seats, quietly voicing, "Sorry," and "Excuse me," as he goes. He makes his way through the door at the front of the car into the next. His breath instantly condenses into a fog as he enters the chilly blue cabin. The aliens here appear even stranger, but Big nonetheless makes his way forward in much the same way. Each car he passes through seems stranger than the last. One car seems to have no gravity, forcing him to swim through the air to the door. In the next, it appears to be heavily raining indoors from a layer of clouds by the roof. The next has rocky walls covered in cracks filled with what appears to be burning hot magma. Big's fur is left conveniently washed and dried as he finally makes it all the way to the conductor's cabin.

"Great, there you are," the conductor announces from the chair at the train's controls. "You know, it's pretty rare to meet another Earthling out here." The chair turns around to reveal the conductor, offering out their hand to shake. The animoid with beige-red fur wears a simple teal jacket and red bow tie, with a nametag stuck to the front, reading, 'Hello, my name is:' followed by some questionably legible handwriting. The animoid fills in the information themselves. "Barry the Quokka. Nice to meet ya."

Froggy hops on the arm of the chair. "Ribbit!"

"Hiya, Barry. Thanks for finding Froggy for me."

"He was in the trash can. Just don't ask why I was looking in there."

"Uhh…"

"So, I bet you're probably wondering how someone like me ends up being the conductor on a space train."

"Not really."

"Well, I used to just run the microwave in a dining car, but after I won the lotter— Oh. Maybe…you want to hear the story about how I investigated the murder of Sonic the Hedgehog? Everyone wants to hear that one."

Big appears to have become distracted by a robotic hand with an eye in its palm that stares at him from the wall. "Huh? Were you saying something?"

Barry suddenly cries, "Please just talk to me, I'm so lonely!" They quickly bury their face in their hands and groan, "Oof… Why can't I just act like a normal person for once?" After a moment, they clear their throat and try again, "Sorry, what I meant to say was, why don't you sit down for a while? It's a long trip to Earth, and I'd appreciate the company. Yeah, that's something a normal person would say."

"Okie dokie." Big hops back to sit down on the controls.

"Wait, not there, that's the—" All the lights in the cabin suddenly go dark. When they turn back on, Big and Barry appear to be floating without gravity in a rainstorm between one very hot wall where the water flash evaporates, and another very cold wall where it freezes into snow. "…environmental controls for the entire train… I think I'm about to have some very unhappy passengers…"

—–—

A pair of robotic hands toss Big and Froggy out onto the dirt.

Barry calls after them, "Sorry, security system is completely automated! I'd let you back on if I could!"

The robot hand glares at Big menacingly.

"I know what you're thinking, but don't worry, this train definitely wasn't built by Eggman. I assume. Or…at least…probably not… Hold on, I need to think about this." Barry whips out a small handheld device labeled as a 'Dream Gear'. But before they can finish thinking, the doors snap shut, and the train takes off. Within moments, Big and Froggy are left stranded again.

"Welp…so much for taking the train home…" Big looks around at the barren wasteland they've been left in. "Where do you think we are now, buddy?"

"Ribbit!" Froggy chooses a direction and starts hopping, at a pace slow enough for Big to follow.

"Yeah. I guess we'd better start looking for a new way home…" Big falls in step behind Froggy, taking in the sight above them—a dark starfield filled with countless chunks of floating rock and earthy debris.

From a wider and wider view, it can be seen that there is little but crater-filled wasteland for miles around. And beyond that, the land disappears. What Big walks on is less than half of a planet, floating in space among the rubble that was created when the planet met its end.

Location Unknown — Former Homeworld of the Ancients

—–—

"Gee, Froggy. We've sure been walking for a long time now. Everything looks the same. I don't know if we're going somewhere, or just walking in circles."

"Ribbit!"

"If you say s— Whoah!" The ground suddenly crumbles beneath Big's feet, sending him tumbling down into some sort of chamber below. He hits the floor face-up with a thud. "Owie…"

Froggy peers down from above over the edge of the hole that Big's weight created. "Ribbit!" He hops down to land safely on Big's belly.

Big rubs his head in pain as he gets back up. "What happened…?" His gaze is met by a tall stone structure, shaped like a throne. Despite everything else in the chamber decaying beyond recognition, the Cyber Space Portal appears mostly intact, with an empty gear slot standing out clearly among the dusty weathered stone. "Wow… What's this thing?"

Froggy makes a strange noise next to him.

"Huh?" Big looks over to see Froggy repeating the retching motion before finally coughing up a large gear decorated with glowing blue lines. "Froggy, is that what you were eating out of the trash? You should know better, silly." He bends down to pick up the Portal Gear. He looks up from the gear to the gear-shaped slot in the throne structure, and back down again. "Hmm…" He looks up and down one more time, just to be sure. "Froggy, how did you fit this big old thing in your little belly?"

Froggy stares at him with unblinking eyes.

"Welp…I guess we should start looking for a way back up."

"Ribbit!" Froggy leaps up to snatch the gear back out of Big's hand and carry it up to the stone monument.

"Froggy, no! Don't eat the trash again!"

Froggy does not eat the gear, but instead sticks it into its slot. Instantly, it dissolves into a light that spreads up the length of the monument, activating the portal. Froggy's form quickly dissolves into motes of purple light, which are absorbed into the portal.

"Froggy, wait!" Big runs up to the monument, and is soon transported into the digital dimension as well.

—–—

Kronos Island Replica — Western Fishing Spot

Big lets himself fall backwards onto the grass. "Finally…" He takes a long breath as he soaks up the digital sun. "I don't know if this place is home or not…but it sure is nice, don't you think, pal?"

"Ribbit!" Froggy splashes into the pond for a swim.

Big gets up to look into the pond. "And there's fish! I think we've earned a break, don't you, Froggy?"

Froggy pokes his head over the surface of the water. "Ribbit!"

"Well then, I think it's time to do what I do best."

—–—

12 days later…

July 27th, 2 A.E.

Rippling distortions spread through the pond as Big's new fishing hook hits the water. "Do you think Mr. Shadow found Sonic okay, Froggy?"

Froggy hops out of the water to Big's side. "Ribbit!"

"I sure hope so. Sonic always seems to be in some sort of trouble, huh? I guess we're starting to learn what that's like."

"Ribbit?"

"Well, I would've said something, if he stayed to fish with me. But he was in such a hurry, I'm sure whatever he was doing was more important. Besides, they know we're here. It's not like they'd just leave without us, right?"

A massive red portal tears open in the sky. From the top of a tower in the distance, the Black Manta takes off and flies away.

"Oh. Oh no…"

Suddenly, the entire sky seems to flash white. Big's concern continues to grow as the strobing sky rapidly breaks the illusion of reality. Objects in space all around him glitch away into nothing. More and more of the island distorts and unravels, until finally, the floor beneath their feet fizzles away, leaving them floating alone in a corrupted digital void.

"Hello? Where'd all the fish go?"

—–—

12 hours later…

"Floating here like a fish in an endless sea of emptiness, I begin to wonder what the meaning of reality really is. Is life not just an ocean just like this one? We swim and we swim, but the way ahead is so unclear. The water around us is always dark. Do any of us really know where we're going, reaching as far as we can across the void? Something finally appears in the darkness… Is it a friendly fish? Or is it the lure of the fisherman above? Can we really know the difference? Does the difference really matter, if what we see is the only thing that's real? If we reject what we see out of fear, then what else is there? Just wandering… Meaningless wandering…"

"Ribbit!"

"I already know that you're real, Froggy. Or…are you? I don't know anymore…"

"Ribbit!"

"You're right. Even if you're not real… Even if nothing's real at all… Even if we never make it home… You're still my best pal. And there's no way that could ever be fake."

In a flash of red particles, a figure appears in the void. The digital child in a corrupted black gown, Sage, looks upon Big and Froggy with curiosity. "Fascinating. When I found an anomaly in the corrupted data field, I was not expecting to find any whole living beings."

"Uhh…me neither?"

"I calculate the odds of the runaway stack overflow branching over your particular data set without harm at more than forty billion to one."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you are indescribably lucky."

"It sure doesn't feel that way… We keep trying to get home, but it feels like we keep getting farther away…"

"I see." Sage closes her eyes for a moment. "I cannot return you to Earth without a significant risk of spreading the corruption out of this simulation and destroying the rest of the Ancients' network. However, my calculations show that the jump instruction which spared your code would most likely have also left a nearby data port intact. I can return you to your dimension through that port. However, I do not have any information regarding where that port leads. The network is linked to many computer systems across the galaxy. It would be up to you to find your way home from there."

"You would do that for us?"

"Your ability to defy the odds appears to be shared in common with that of Sonic the Hedgehog. It is an anomaly which warrants further observation. That is all." With a wave of her hand, Big and Froggy become covered in a harsh red glow.

Big waves and calls in farewell, "Thank you!" They dissolve into motes of red light.

"Farewell, Big the Cat and Froggy."

—–—

? ? ?

At the work desk of an employee in a strange leopard print uniform, a simple desktop computer suddenly goes into overdrive, whirring loudly and lighting up even in places where there shouldn't be light. The employee backs away in fear as the light coalesces into the shapes of Big and Froggy, dropping them onto the floor.

In the massive room that can only be described as the show floor of an outer-space motor company, aliens of all kinds browse through various shiny vehicles displayed on pedestals, both winged and wheeled, many escorted by salespeople in matching leopard print uniforms. The employees all appear to resemble mythical creatures—Dragons, Unicorns, Tanuki, and many others.

Most of the show floor has gone silent as they all stare at the source of the commotion. Big looks around back at them, waving awkwardly.

The occupant of the desk, a Kappa, breaks the silence by asking, "Uhh…do you have an appointment, sir?"

Big has to think about that for a moment. "Hmm… I don't think so."

"Let me get my manager for you." The Kappa quickly disappears behind a nearby door. The rest of the room resumes its normal activity.

Big looks around in wonder at all the shiny vehicles on display. The wall of the main entrance is almost entirely windowed, granting a clear view of the outside. The show floor appears to be built atop a large asteroid, looking out over a brilliantly colorful nebula filled with purples and blues. A sign hangs above the entrance. 'Donpa Motors of the Orion Spur.'

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friend, Large Feline!" Stepping out from the manager's office is a familiar Tanuki with a tall red crown and a far more regal version of the company uniform. Dodon Pa greets, "Welcome to my kingdom, young lad. How has this cruel old universe been treating you, hm?" He steps up to pat Big on the shoulder.

"Hey there, Mr. Pa. I've actually been—"

"Say no more, say no more! Everyone looking to escape comes by Donpa Motors somewhere along the way. I guarantee we have the perfect vehicle for you. Hohohoho! Come take a look around with me, won't you?" He marches onwards without giving Big the chance to answer.

"H-hey, wait for me!" Big waddles up behind him.

"Yes, here at Donpa Motors, our business is striving for the utmost perfection in every machine we craft—and how you use it is your business! Why don't you tell me a little more about what you're looking for? Perhaps a new racing machine for one my most promising serv—…I mean contestants?"

"Actually, Froggy and I really just need to get back to Earth as soon as we can."

"I see, I see. Then you'll be wanting something personal in size, durable for long-distance travel, and fast as can be! I have just the thing!"

"Well, if we could just get a ride from someone, that would be—"

"Behold!" Dodon Pa throws his hands out in showmanship to direct Big's attention to the vehicle they've stopped at. "The Donpa Motors signature TeraDrive! You want fast? This baby's nothing but one big Mega Drive with a comfortable cockpit and convenient onboard computer. Sleek, stylish, and perfect for any budget. Speaking of which, what's your budget?"

"Uhh…zero?"

"You…don't have any money? None at all?"

"If we could just borrow—"

"Hohohoho! Not to worry my boy, not to worry. I'm sure we can work out some…" Dodon Pa begins to rub his hands together deviously. "…alternative arrangement. I am trying to run a business here, after all."

Big gulps nervously.

—–—

One week later…

August 4th, 2 A.E.

Mother's Canyon — Planet Wisp

Behind the wheel of his newly-polished Frog Cruiser, Big aggressively rounds the last corner of the alien racetrack, sending up smoke as he drifts around the metal tunnel, hugging close—but not too close—to the inside wall.

Dodon Pa's voice announces, "The large feline holds the lead as we enter the final stretch of the race! But his mystery opponent is gaining quickly! This is going to be a close one!"

Behind Big, a small car, jet black, low to the ground, and covered over to conceal its driver, makes its turn ever so slightly tighter.

Seeing how close his opponent is getting, Big tightens his turn even more—too much. His course moves him straight towards a spring sticking out from the wall that would knock his car far from the goal.

Suddenly disregarding whatever plan it had before, the black car pulls out of its turn to race straight ahead, knocking into the side of Big's car and preventing it from hitting the spring. Both cars pressed together, with Big's slightly ahead of the other, they both cross over the finish line together.

"And by a frog's nose, the large feline is the winner!"

The large crowd of Wisps and Chao cheer as the two cars roll out of the tunnel and into the open canyon. Big pulls his car to a stop and hops out, not appearing to be particularly excited by his victory.

"That was excellent racing, young lad! Truly excellent!" Dodon Pa flies down to Big in his red and white striped hovercraft.

Big shakes his head in dismay. "What's the point? After Froggy ran off, I couldn't make the Friendship Energy thingie you needed anymore."

"Now, now, didn't I tell you before? Your friend didn't share your dream of becoming the galaxy's greatest racer, but you shouldn't let that get you down."

"But that isn't my—"

"Nonetheless, you can rest assured that today's race generated more than enough Ultimate Team Energy."

"Enough to buy a spaceship?"

"No, no, not that much. But at this rate, I believe that the down payment should be covered in two to three more…years."

Big hangs his head. "I'm never gonna get home…"

"Ah, but that may change yet. You and this mystery racer have the potential to make quite the team. What do you say we both meet him, eh? Come on out, small one!"

A hatch on the top of the black car opens. A moment later, a familiar face pokes out of the hatch. "Ribbit!" Froggy hops out and over to join Big and Dodon Pa.

"Froggy! When did you learn how to drive a car?"

"Of course," Dodon Pa exclaims. "Two racers, twice the energy! And then some! Why didn't I think to put the frog on the track in the first place?"

"Is it true, Froggy? Did you run off so you could find a car and race with me?"

"Ribbit!"

"Wow. You're the best friend ever. But…where did the car come from?"

"Well, I did hear something about a stolen Piscean vehicle matching that description. But that's none of my business! Let's discuss our next race, shall we?"

A Chao in the audience screams. The voice of panic is rapidly joined by many more. Everyone looks up as a shadow covers the sun.

Dodon Pa shouts in dismay, "It can't be! Not here!"

"What is it, Mr. Pa?"

A small explosion pops in the stands, followed by several more. The audience members scatter and flee. Ropes drop down from the silhouetted ship above, and figures slide down from inside. They all wear the same robed outfits, with hoods decorated to give the appearance of the pointed beak and narrow eyes of a bird. They wear futuristic visors over their eyes and cloth masks over their mouths, and they carry long spear-like energy weapons.

"S-scavengers! Pirates! Thieves!"

One of the scavengers points their weapon straight at Dodon Pa. "Carrying on the legacy of the Babylon Rogues. Now you, King, will be handing over all of your valuables. Unless you want your star racer here to be sold to the highest bidder."

Dodon Pa slowly reaches up to remove his crown. "My sincerest apologies for this, my large feline friend…" He looks down at the violet crown jewel. "…but you're on your own! Bye!" He suddenly takes off, flying away from the confrontation at top speed.

Big waves farewell. "Bye bye, Mr. Pa!" He looks down at Froggy. "Isn't he nice?"

All of the scavengers' weapons turn on Big. "Still a good deal for us, boys! What do you think? How much will the arena pay for him?"

Another scavenger answers, "Only one way to find out."

Big lifts his hands in surrender. "Not again…" Ignoring the complaint, all of the weapons charge, and fire.

Big hears a loud squeak before everything goes white.

—–—

Big awakens to find himself floating amidst a sea of colors. "Huh…? Froggy, what happened…?" As his vision regains focus, the colors resolve into living creatures—at least a dozen Wisps in a bubble around both him and Froggy, carrying them off to safety.

A few moments later, the Wisps disperse, dropping them softly onto the grassy floor. Big takes a moment to take in their surroundings. They've been taken to the lip of a canyon, with a sprawling view of the largely naturalistic landscape beyond, interspersed occasionally with abandoned mechanical structures once built by Eggman.

A deep, soft hum echoes over the land as a hazy pink glow rises from below the canyon. The glow takes on the shape of a massive alien figure. Resembling the shape of a jellyfish, the three-eyed matriarch of the Wisps produces another hum in greeting to the much smaller Big.

"Uhh… Hi."

The Mother Wisp slowly raises a pink tentacle, placing it gently over Big's face. Once there, it takes on a brighter glow. "Greetings, Big the Cat and Froggy. I am the Great Mother of the Wisp race. Henceforward, you shall carry a piece of my Hyper-Go-On within you, allowing you to understand our thoughts."

Big's voice is muffled through the tentacle on his face. "I don't really know what's going on here, but it's nice to meet you, Miss Mother."

Mother Wisp removes her arm to look Big in the eyes. "I sense that you have traveled a great distance to arrive here in my domain. I am grateful that my children were able to rescue you from your peril. It is my hope that we might help with your plight."

"Can you help us get home to Earth?"

"I alone cannot. However, when a great many Wisps come together, they can produce enough energy to travel the stars. Using this gift of communication I have granted you, you must gather the assistance of one thousand Wisps. If they all agree to do so, they will take you back to your home."

"That sure sounds like a lot. Can't you ask them for me?"

"My children lead their own lives. My own wishes do not concern them. If they are to change the course of their lives for you, you must convince them that your cause is a noble one. You've experienced more of this galaxy than most ever will. I believe that your experiences can enrich their lives. But only you can show them that. I wish you the best of luck, Big the Cat and Froggy." She disappears into the canyon as quickly as she arrived.

Big sighs. "Luck… Of course…" Big trudges off dejectedly.

"Ribbit?" Froggy follows close behind him with apparent concern.

—–—

"Excuse me? Could you—"

A Pink Spikes Wisp darts past Big's face, nearly knocking him over in the process. The Wisp keeps going until its spiked head sticks into a tree, disrupting the balance of a nearby stack of Blue Cube Wisps, and causing them all to tumble over.

"Hey, could any of you guys—"

The Blue Wisps all scurry away at the sight of him. Instead, he looks up to see a trio of White Wisps led by an Orange Rocket Wisp all sliding down a smooth channel made of wood.

"Hey, I could really use your—"

They all keep sliding right on past him.

Big slumps down into a seat in the shade of the tree. "It's no use… We're never gonna get back to Earth…"

Froggy hops into Big's lap, and stares at him from there. "Ribbit."

"Yeah… At least we have each other…" He doesn't sound entirely convinced.

A strange noise sounds behind Big's ear. But when he turns his head to look at it, nothing is there. Something hazy and green appears by his other ear as the sound repeats.

"Huh? Who's there?" Big reaches out to touch it. But before his finger makes contact, the Jade Ghost Wisp becomes fully tangible, baring its jagged mouth with a hiss. Big recoils backwards in fear

The Jade Wisp chuckles with delight before whispering, "Hey… I heard you're lookin' to get to Earth."

"I'm trying to. But your mom said I need to make a thousand friends first. That's so many…"

The Jade Wisp snickers deviously. "What would you say if I told you…that I could get you there all on my own?" He chuckles again.

"Oh, please, won't you?"

"Right this way…" The Jade Wisp fades partially out and flies away, passing through trees as it goes. Big quickly gets up to chase after him.

—–—

Hex Valley

"Wow…" Big shields his face from the gusts of wind that blow out from the wide, deep valley cut in the perfect shape of a hexagon. "It's a pretty view…but how will this help me get back to Earth?"

The Jade Wisp snickers behind him. "Close your eyes and count to ten."

"Okie dokie." Big covers his face with his hands. "One… Two… Three… Uhh…four. Uhh… … …"

Behind Big's back, a pack of other Jade Ghost Wisps have gathered together. They all chuckle as the leader shouts, "Ten!" As one clump, the Wisps ram into Big from behind, causing him to stumble and fall over the cliff.

"Wahhh!"

Froggy hops down after him.

After a moment of apparent contemplation, the leader of the Jade pack flies down to follow them, leaving the rest in their fit of laughter.

Big holds Froggy close to his chest and covers his eyes again as he falls towards the bottom of the valley. The Jade Wisp flies down and around him, taking on a bright glow as it touches him on the shoulder, transferring enough power to make them all intangible as they sink through the grassy floor below.

—–—

Windy Hill Zone — The Lost Hex

Big looks around in confusion, surprised to find himself alive, sitting upside-down on the bottom of a small planetoid looking down over the Lost Hex.

"Earth portal's this way. Come on." The Jade Wisp leads Big away as if all of this were completely normal, and Big scrambles to follow.

—–—

Sky Road Zone

Although big stands on a chunk of land floating high in the sky, the strange things happening on the Lost Hex below are quite apparent. A glowing green energy flows between the seams of each hex on the floating continent, all appearing to lead towards some other distant zone. "I think there's something weird going on…"

"Do you wanna get back to Earth, or do you wanna keep looking at the pretty lights?"

"Earth please."

"Then look up there." The Wisp points with a tentacle towards what doesn't appear to be any particular spot in the sky. "See that cloud? Portal's in there."

"How are we supposed to get all the way up there?"

"Easy. Shoot yourself out of this cannon." The Wisp flies over to indicate a blue and purple checkerboard cannon sitting on the ground.

"That doesn't sound safe…"

"Don't worry. There's ground on the other side if you miss." He points to a distant speck of floating land beyond the cloud.

"Hmm… Okay." A few moments later, Big has squeezed himself into the barrel of the cannon, holding Froggy tightly in his arms.

"Fire!"

The cannon fires, launching Big out towards the sky. As he sails through the air, he cheers, "This is it, buddy! We're finally going home!"

A distant voice echoes across the continent. "Sacred Ninja Arts: Angel's Seal!"

The green energy streaming through the world suddenly burns white, shooting higher and spreading wider. The white glow seems to burn away the cloud in Big's path, leaving nothing but open sky. "Oh no…" They keep flying until they smash into the floating chunk of land beyond. "Owie…"

The Jade Wisp flies up behind them a few moments later. "Welp…that's the only Earth portal I knew about. So…I guess I can't help you after all. Later!" He flies away, leaving Big and Froggy alone in their crater on the ground.

Big struggles to get up to his hands and knees. His limbs tremble. His hand clenches into a fist. His tears splash onto the ground.

"Ribbit?"

"I'm not giving up, Froggy. Not until I get us home. We've always found a way before, and we'll find a way now."

"Ribbit…"

Big gets back to his feet, wiping his tears away with a sniffle. "Let's go."

—–—

Big and Froggy spend weeks wandering the Lost Hex together. Every now and then, they get guidance from a friendly Wisp. They're led to try portals in Silent Forest, Lava Mountain, Frozen Factory and even the new Bridge Zone, but all of them appear to be closed.

In a strange zone with wide open plains and the ruins of a medieval castle that was ripped from the ground and now floats in the air, Big tries another portal in a cave. This one appears to work. On the other side, he gets a sprawling view of a kingdom under construction, with floating sky islands high above, and gloomy chasms open to the depths below. He takes a long look up and down the tiers of the kingdom. Quickly deciding that this isn't Earth, he turns around with a sigh.

Each failure replaces more of the resolve on his face with a hollow depression. In the dark interior of the Desert Ruins Zone, at the urging of a Yellow Drill Wisp, Big hurries down a pitch black hallway, excitedly finding that it does take him somewhere else—the opposite side of the room he was just in, staring at the entrance of the hallway he just took, and the Wisp floating beside it. The Wisp shrugs, points him in a new direction, and flies away. Big's shoulders slump as he continues on his quest.

—–—

s
៴
Desert
Ruins Zone

"Duhhhh…" Standing on a long stick of floating licorice, Zomom takes a big bite out of a ridiculously large wad of cotton candy. "Yeah, there's a portal to Earth somewhere. None of us knows where though." He takes another bite and belches loudly. "I guess your friends didn't want us bothering them or something."

Big pleads, "Isn't there any way you could help us find it?"

"Hrrmmmm… Well…" Zomom's eyes fall to Froggy. "That little green thing looks pretty tasty. If you let me eat it, I can help you look."

Big looks down at Froggy, then back up at Zomom. He blinks a few times, his eyes betraying no hint of emotion. Then he punches Zomom in the face, knocking him out onto his back in one blow. He turns to leave without another word.

—–—

One month later…

Sea Bottom Segue

Big no longer treks forwards. He sits at the end of a long underwater tunnel, dipping his feet in the water that is magically kept apart from the inside of the tunnel. "Froggy…do you think this is all worth it?"

Froggy sits silently at his side, staring out at the water.

"We could spend forever looking for that portal. But we don't have to. We could just stay here. The weather's always nice, and there's lots of fish to catch. It's like a paradise, isn't it?"

"Ribbit."

"Compared to home…where we live in a little metal room, and everyone's fighting all the time… Isn't this better?"

"Ribbit."

"If we'd just let the sneezo-bologist take us somewhere else, things woulda been so much easier…and we'd be doing the same thing in the end…"

"Ribbit."

Big buries his face in his hands, and begins to sob. "But I don't wanna stay here! I miss my friends! I wanna go home! I'd do anything to go home!"

"Ribbit?"

Big uncovers his face to see Froggy in his lap, staring up at him. "Yeah… Anything."

Froggy turns and leaps into the water.

Big sighs. "Froggy… Now's not the time for the catching game…" Regardless, he pulls out a fishing rod and casts it into the water. "I wish you wouldn't run off all the time, Froggy. It seems like there's always trouble when you do…"

The line catches on something. Big pulls back. Something glows beneath the surface of the water as he reels it in closer. Froggy's head pokes up over the surface some distance away.

"Froggy? If you're over there, then what am I…?" Big's catch is finally pulled up out of the water. It is not a frog, nor fish, nor any kind of living creature. Instead, it appears to be a small cracked gemstone with a rainbow hue. "Ooh… Pretty…"

"Don't touch it!"

Big's hand freezes an inch from the gem. Behind him, the air itself appears to have shattered into an open hole, out of which steps an animoid concealed by a cloak with swirling black and white patterns.

"Trust us. You don't want to touch that. We're going to take it somewhere safe." The Yin-Yang Cloaked figure steps closer to take the gem.

"What…is it?"

The figure looks down at the gem he's taken. Its surface is grainy, and its shape is uneven. "An accretion of errant Paradox energy."

"What does that mean?"

"It's a sign of very bad things."

"And who are you?"

The Yin-Yang figure goes silent for a moment. Then he reaches up to lower his hood, revealing his identity to Big.

"Mr. Shadow! You came back for me!"

"We didn't. And we aren't who you think we are. We were once…twice…Shadow the Hedgehog. But we've become something else. We are both defender and destroyer. Past and future. Light and dark." He looks down again at the crystal in his hand. "We are Paradox."

"You'll still help us, won't you?"

Shadow—or rather, Paradox—closes his eyes. "Do you have any idea…how lucky you are?"

"That's what the computer girl said. But I don't know…"

"Endless universes…endless timelines…and in every single one of them, this journey of yours was doomed to be your last. But not this one. The fact that you are standing here is in defiance of everything predictable about this world. And you might have wandered here without knowing forevermore, if we had not been forced to intervene. You are, without question, the luckiest person in any world. But we still can't—"

A voice speaks from behind the shattered portal that Paradox came from. "Hold, Paradox. Perhaps we can help him. He could be a Prime Candidate."

Paradox glares back at the portal. "Him? Impossible. Just look at him."

Big scratches his head in confusion.

"We need survivors, Paradox."

"We need competence. Luck alone won't get him anywhere."

"It will with the right team."

While Paradox argues with the voice on the other side, Froggy's eyes have become transfixed by the gem in his hand. Without warning, Froggy leaps up, snatches the gem in his mouth, and swallows it whole before his feet hit the ground.

"No!"

"Froggy!"

Froggy's eyes flare to life with a radiant rainbow energy.

Paradox clenches a fist. "That was unfortunate. I'm sorry. This changes things. I need that crystal back. And now there's only one way to get it."

"Wait! Please don't hurt Froggy, he didn't mean it!"

"I don't have a choice. The entire multiverse is at stake." He rushes at the lone frog.

Froggy's croak echoes and rumbles across the zone. "Rriibbbbiitt!" He leaps back at Shadow. But as they're about to collide, the air in front of Froggy's path shatters into a small portal for him to fly through.

An instant later, the air behind Big bulges outwards, until it shatters into an exit hole for Froggy's apparent teleportation. He takes cover behind Big's foot.

Paradox quickly pivots to see the frog's new location. "You won't get away."

Big holds his arms out wide. "Stop! I won't let you hurt him!"

"Stand aside, Big. This is more important than any of us. And that's just a frog. It isn't worth your life."

"Froggy's my best buddy, and he's saved me more times than I can count! Which isn't a lot, but still! Nothing's more important than our friendship! Nothing!"

Paradox goes silent as he observes Big carefully. After a moment, he finally relaxes. "You've certainly changed this past year, haven't you? No longer content to let the flow of time carry you where it will…now you wish to determine your own destiny. And that frog…" Froggy peeks out from behind Big's foot. "…we understand now. That's no ordinary frog." He kneels down and offers a hand forward. "Come here. We won't harm you."

Froggy fearlessly hops out and onto Paradox's hand, staring up at him with glowing eyes.

Big cries, "Froggy, wait!"

Paradox calms him with a hand. "Don't worry. There's something we want to see." He gently touches a finger to Froggy's forehead. Glowing cracks in reality spread outwards from the point of contact. Paradox seems to read something from their shape and form. "You have a very special friend, Big. All those times that Froggy saved your life…he knew exactly what he was doing. All those years ago, when he swallowed the Chaos Emerald, and with it a piece of the creature called Chaos, he acquired a unique power. The power to see possible outcomes. It is no accident that you've made it this far. Froggy has guided you every step of the way." He pulls back his finger, and the cracks fade away. "And now, in contact with enough Paradox energy to drive any mortal mad, he still thinks only of how best to protect you."

The voice from behind the portal gloats, "I tried to tell you."

Paradox closes his eyes and sighs. "If you get your candidate, we get ours."

The voice behind the portal pauses. "…We can discuss it."

Paradox nods slowly. "Very well. Big the Cat. You stated that you would do anything to get home. Your friend brought us here for exactly that reason. We want your help to save the multiverse. If you agree, then you have our word that you will be returned home afterwards. Will you accept?"

Big looks down at Froggy, still sitting comfortably in Paradox's hand. "If Froggy trusts you…then I do too."

"Good. Let's go." Paradox turns and leads Big back into the portal he came from. The cracks in reality seal back together, leaving a dropped fishing pole as the only sign that they were ever there.

To be continued…