Having quite a few plotlines can be challenging to write but watching them slowly come together is satisfying.
"Alright I think we can start now" said Sonic stretching out.
Above Angel Island, back in the Master Emerald altar, Sonic was trying to get everyone back on with a good mood so they could start the recovery mission as he called it. After last night and his attempts to cheer up Knuckles it was clear that the mood around the place changed, it was one of those where talking would be a good choice but it wasn't the right moment to do so, so when Sonic finished his own talk with Knuckles everyone on the island eventually went dead silent ending with the team sleeping.
During most of the night Sonic managed to stay awake just a little bit longer standing near the edge of the island reflecting about a few things. Helping Knuckles was something he wanted to do, even if it was another dimension this felt exactly as if it was the one he used to know… But what about his own dimension? He personally didn't mind the fact of being in another dimension –after all he spent six months in Chris' world- but that was with his friends, right now they should be waiting for him back in his own dimension. At the same time he knew that being in this dimension was not going to be for long, he didn't knew what brought him here in the first place but he couldn't care less, right now he had an echidna to help…
And maybe finding if Chris was brought along for the ride wouldn't be so bad as well.
Now in the morning it was time to put in action his non-existent plan.
"Do you know where we're heading?" asked Espio.
"Nope, but it doesn't matter I'll think about it in a minute, where's Knux anyway?"
Espio pointed upwards where the Master Emerald usually is and when –of course- the guardian of it also has to be, Sonic shrugged the fact that, once again, he was up there and still hadn't talked with the people that are supposed to be his friends. Reaching the top of the altar in a few jumps was surprised that Knuckles wasn't grieving or something like that but instead touching the Emerald itself lost in thought with closed eyes concentrating on it very deeply.
"Uh, Knux?" Sonic asked after looking at him for a while making Knuckles snap out of it "What was that?"
"I was…" he replied thinking about it "Trying to see them".
"Trying to-? Can it do that? I mean, unless it's something from this dimension 'cause the one I know definitely doesn't".
"It can't, not in a direct way but… something close to it".
"Uh-huh, and did you do it?"
A silence mixed with a lowered confirmed that it was indeed a failed attempt.
"Soo… how can we move around in this world? I don't think the Tornado is around here and I doubt we can drive our way out of a flying island".
Knuckles didn't replied; he just opened his hand revealing a little ring.
"A power ring?"
He ignored the question making instead a demonstration of the item, throwing it in front of him revealing like a door to another place, one that looked to be a forest of some sort.
"Whoa, a portal?" the hedgehog asked surprised.
"It's called a Warp Ring… You see what they do," he reached out his hand and the portal vanished immediately returning automatically to his hand "I have this one and they have a second one… Now, what do you want to do?"
Sonic was a bit struck a little by the suddenness of the question but didn't mind about it, instead thinking of a proper response because having two instant teleportation devices was a major game-changer… that he didn't know how to use it. It sounded good in paper but it also had to be good in execution and this thing about making plans wasn't his forte, it was usually someone else who told him what to do and he just did it, and it was usually defeating a generic and pathetic Eggman robot, all of this was immensely different.
"If we leave then who is gonna guard it?" he pointed to the Emerald.
"No one will do that" Knuckles replied very straightforward, very seriously which was what surprised Sonic the most so far.
"Um, what? Am I talking with Knuckles? The one that would destroy someone just because he touched the Emerald? Are we sure that it's the same Knuckles that would-"
"Listen," he said once again with a threatening aura "The last time that happened those two people are now gone, if you are going to-".
"Knuckles…" interrupted Espio who reached the top in one jump "Ray and Charmy can stay here if that's needed, leaving the Master Emerald unguarded will-".
"If someone has to stay then it's going to be me".
Sonic and Espio both looked each other with the hedgehog in confusion and the chameleon shaking his head at Knuckles who turned around looking at the Emerald.
"Knux," Mighty said having reached the top as well with the rest of the Chaotix joining the scene shortly after "You know this is not your fault… I also lost my sister but I did found her, yet I had to rely on others because I was not going to do it on my own and right now you have a chance of getting them back and you are literally turning your back on them. If some of us have to stay then that's what's going to happen".
"Now that's my boy!" said Sonic almost immediately as the armadillo finished giving him an arm-hug "I like you" he said with a smirk while Mighty just sighed.
Knuckles turned around now looking at his full team making him crack a barely visible smile tossing the ring in his hand to Sonic who instantly catched it.
"Are Ray and Charmy okay to stay?" asked Knuckles as casual as ever.
"I don't see why not!" Ray replied cheerfully.
"Yeah! You guys… do the hero stuff" the bee added just as cheerful as Ray but his mood changed through the sentence which off-put Sonic for a sec.
"Cool!" Sonic winked "Now let's go to the only place I can think because I don't even know this world… Where was the last time you saw them?"
Knuckles rolled his eyes and took back the ring because in order to open a portal it was required to actually know the place you were going, so he needed to do it himself.
It was time to go to Albion, ex-home of the echidnas.
"A robotized Sally?" asked Nicole once Sally finished summarizing the mission.
"That's the reason we were brought here… the Antoine and Bunnie from this dimension aren't in a pretty state either but if we have a chance to help them then why not take it".
Nicole made a light smile agreeing with it "I guess so…"
"Um, Tails?" Sally asked softly.
"Yeah?" the fox replied.
"What…" she began to say with a tone of regret "What has this Mecha Sally done?"
Nicole and Tails looked each other appalled by that type of question not understanding why she would even ask it.
"Sally, why-?" the lynx said.
"There's no need for that Sally," Tails stated firmly also a bit surprised "Everything that she has done doesn't matter… she's not our Sally, don't try thinking about it".
"Sorry guys… just a thought".
Among the Sky Patrol the team slowly divided in small little groups to hang out and chill while waiting to arrive to their destination along with exchanging some info. Sally, Nicole and Tails were all in the main room with the young fox trying to come up with the best strategy for an offensive and rescue mission as stealthy as he could, given that he was the only there who was from the dimension, it had to be him the one to laid out the main plan with the two girls offering tips and ideas from time to time.
Antoine and Bunnie were talking in private in their conjoined room that they had on board the ship –with separate beds-. Amy, Rotor and Tom were also in their own room as well with the human expressing his concern for his friend as well as the fact that defeating powerful robots was definitely not his forte and that taking him along could not be that beneficial, he also told them what he was and a fast 'n quick summary of how he helped Sonic back in his own world.
It was Amy the first to reply by saying that:
"Everyone adds something to this team, you'll soon see that even the smallest help can be the difference".
"What do you have in the bag anyway?" asked Rotor after a short pause.
"Um, I- these are a bit important and… they're not exactly mine, so…"
The two mobians looked each other with a slight confusion but shrugged it off going to a more casual topic.
In our final room also with a similar layout, the two Sonics were getting along with the two Tails.
"You built a robo-puppy and this amazing ship!" exclaimed Boom Tails "And who built the A.I? I mean, what have I done back in my dimension? Just fighting some robots of whatever size the episode's budget allows it".
"Bandages" Boom Sonic stated casually lying on the bed causing quite a reaction from his partner.
"Ouch" Archie Sonic said expressing everything.
"What's with the bandages anyway?" his counterpart asked.
"I don't know maybe you should ask him you know? The one with the idea?" Boom Tails replied clearly pissed.
"Fine, fine," he said incorporated on the bed "You, you-completely-not-from-our-dimension Tails, I'm sure we have something you don't like, um, oh, you got a girlfrie-?"
Boom Tails vigorously blushed immediately shushing Sonic next to him maybe too violent without saying a word making the scene a bit too awkward for their counterparts who tried to change the topic a bit by fake-coughing.
"So…" Archie Sonic interrupted "I'm pretty sure you have something not to be embarrassed for that you've done back in your world".
"Yeah!" Archie Tails added "And maybe in this mission you'll be able to do great stuff as well! We are the same person after all, you may be able to help me with something".
"Oh, and is there anything-?"
"Um, buddy," Boom Sonic interrupted again "It really doesn't matter we have our way with dealing with stuff and they have they have theirs and besides, aren't they the same as us? We've probably done the same things as them… maybe even more" he said this last thing in a whisper and a huge cocky smile.
Archie Sonic chuckled
"Oh, really?" his counterpart also grinned indicating that a verbal showdown was about to take place "Have you turned into a ravaging monster?"
"No? Why would that even be something positive, amirite?" he elbow-hit his fox companion looking for approval.
"What about defeating an entity from literally the underworld with your super form along with a powerful fairy?"
"A… super… form? Meh, I defeated a giant evil snake once with the help of-.. no one, I did it by myself so how's that?"
Boom Tails looked at his Sonic in confusion knowing that he was definitely lying something that the other Sonic also noticed grinning like an idiot.
"You don't have a super form?"
"Who cares? I've done many things without whatever that is…"
"Really? My latest adventure had me going around the world and you seem like the guy that barely gets out of bed".
"Okay! That's enough," Archie Tails rightfully interrupted "We have plenty of 'adventure' to go for your quill-measuring-contest, right now we should be getting along instead… ain't that right other me?"
The two Sonics looked each other one proud for what he did and the other one with an angry or jealous stare while the two Tails gave a handshake.
From the main room, Sally and Tails heard an odd scream with the chipmunk being more confused by it than the fox but they dismissed it thinking that it wasn't probably something to be worried about, a few seconds later both Sonics and Tails arrived in the area with the foxes seeming to be in great pain holding their own hands with now everyone being alarmed, including Rotor who also heard the scream.
"What happened?" asked Sally with the two Tails panicking trying to speak at the same time which mostly resulted in a mess "Sonic… what happened?"
"I would also like to know, they just touched their hands and suddenly they… did what you heard, it looked very bad".
Before getting more info, Bunnie also came in but not to join the conversation but rather she called Sally to follow her, Sally was confused about it went with her to see what could possibly be leaving the group to figure out what just happened. Following her to their room she closed the door seeing both Antoine and Bunnie with a very deep and troubled look.
"What is it Bunnie? Something happened back there and I think that it's of high importance".
"I know, I'm sorry but… don'tcha feel like we can do more? I mean, we were brought here to help 'em so maybe we should do it to the fullest".
Sally didn't got exactly what she meant so it was Antoine who completed what she was trying to say.
"She wants to help ze other Bunnie from zis dimension".
Bunnie immediately noticed Sally's surprise face so she quickly continued her argument to not leave her hanging.
"Think 'bout it, I know how she must be feeling and maybe what she's gonna do… she felt weak, a liability and responsible for what happened to the 'Twan from this dimension, just because she didn't had a blaster or anything and then she disappeared… I may not know where she's going but I can know why".
"And what is she going to do?"
"I- I'm not so sho' but-".
"I sorry Bunnie, but there's too much going on right now, and I really need to find out what's happening back there".
"Yeah… but I know you also want to save the Sally from this dimension as well, just think 'bout it".
Sally just nodded and left back to the main action wondering why Bunnie got that thought a bit out of nowhere but she could completely understand and relate to how she felt not at a hundred percent but close enough. For some reason that she couldn't explain, she felt just as determined as anyone from this dimension to rescue Mecha Sally despite having zero connection other than the fact that it was another version of her. Maybe Bunnie just wanted to help her counterpart and that's it, nothing much deeper than that… Whatever it was, Sally needed to go back to find what had happened with the two foxes.
And it ends here, yep, right here... every time I end something I have to think where it starts in the next chapter so the challenge I give to myself is exciting... I'm really excited for what I have planned ngl
See you soon!