Chapter 5

Once Knuckles saw me alongside the red-faced and sniffling Tikal, he looked annoyed. And by that, I mean that he tried to tackle me right away without a second thought.

"Hey what's your problem, man? Don't you know you should never hit a girl?!" I asked in annoyance, him then frowning at me.

"Enough talk, you! Eggman told me everything! He said you were the ones to shatter the Master Emerald and that you've been collecting the shards! And I'm going to have them right now!" he said angrily as he then tried to attack us again, me simply dodging again and then, while he tried to turn, I connected a kick to the back of his head, him then groaning as he had to pick himself off the ground.

"Eggman has been trying to steal from us with plans of world domination. And we're NOT stealing Master Emerald pieces. We're collecting the Chaos Emeralds before he can get them, ya dunce!" I shouted. But that only made Knuckles more annoyed.

"If that's the case, then why did you shatter the Master Emerald in the first place, huh?" he questioned me. I simply put Tikal down and sighed.

"Because of one thing. I was teleported into it from another dimension and I have very bad Claustrophobia. I can't stand tight spaces. So I proceeded to punch and kick my way out of that thing because I was scared. I've already told you this, so why am I telling you a second time?" I groaned as I simply produced the two emeralds from my bra and sighed. "These emeralds, though? We need to protect them from that mechanical menace. He's using them to make Chaos stronger. And if what your ancestor here says is true, Chaos will be impossible to defeat when she gets all seven," I said in annoyance. But as I was talking? I noted that something was under my feet... something... wet?

Before I could react fast enough, the arms of Chaos reached out from the ground and snagged the two emeralds from my hands! And right after she did that, she then formed herself fully underneath me, me then gasping as I was thrown into the nearby watery pond... and I gasped as I noticed one crucial detail. Something that could help me out BIG TIME. It was a Chao Egg, this one being orange with pink stripes on it. I simply held onto it with one hand (it was about the size of an ostrich egg, so it was still pretty heavy) and I then saw Chaos jump down to the pond in her fourth form.

"Chaos! Keep them occupied while I call forth the Egg Carrier!" Eggman shouted as I then saw that he threw Tikal and Knuckles down to us as well, me then looking at Chaos, who growled lowly at me.

"You will perish here..." she said angrily as I simply held the egg in front of me. Chaos looked at me in confusion before she realized what it was that I was holding. "W-Wait... is that...?" she asked as I simply smiled.

"I'm going to protect this little one with my life. All I ask is that you leave me alone. I promise that I'll care for the little guy... or girl... whenever its born," I said as I simply petted the Chao egg gently... but color all of us shocked when, just from me petting it, the egg actually started to move!

"I-It's hatching!" Tikal gasped quietly, me then being even more gentle with it as, after a bit more work, the baby Chao finally emerged from the egg. And she was extremely adorable. She had a color of yellow on her, had a couple freckles on her tiny face, and she had a very cute, small smile on her. And Chaos looked at me with what looked to be... a smile? It was hard to tell in her Chaos 4 form, especially since it looked like me if I was crossed with a shark.

"Fine. You'll live... but I will kill you if you hurt her... or any of my children," Chaos said, me then looking at her with a frown.

"Just because one group of people hurt your kin, it doesn't mean that everyone is deserving of punishment, Chaos. I had to learn that on my own... besides, since you have my genes, then that must mean you know a bit about me already, right?" I asked, Chaos then looking at me and then tilting its head.

"Hmph..." she said before then melting into her puddle form and swimming away... still with the Chaos emeralds in her. As for my little friend? She looked a bit hungry, so I simply looked around and saw that there was a small raspberry bush nearby. I simply went there and got a couple of them, me then giving the little girl a couple of them. She had teeth, oddly, so she was able to chew them and swallow, which made her happy.

"Mama chao," she cooed before then falling asleep, me smirking at her cuteness. And when the sky above us started to get dark and I heard a very loud humming?

"BEHOLD! The Egg Carrier, my crowning masterpiece! I have plans to be off to, so adieu with you meddling worms!" Eggman shouted loudly, Tikal then shushing him... but it was too late. The baby Chao started to cry, me then simply holding her in my hands and petting it on its little head and humming a bit of a tune to it. After a bit, she finally calmed down, just in time for Sonic and Tails to show up, both late to the party.

"What's that in the sky?" Tails asked.

"Eggman's crowning achievement, the Egg Carrier... for a guy who hates being called Eggman, why does he call his machines egg names?" I asked, that making Sonic smile.

"Sonic, we can chase after it in my spare Tornado! Let's get to my workshop and chase after him!" Tails said, him and the blue blur going there as I looked at Knuckles.

"Now that that's been sorted out and you know Eggman was tricking you, how about you help out a little bit during your shard hunt?" I asked, Knuckles looking at me in confusion.

"What kind of help do you need?" he asked, me smirking as I looked at the baby Chao with a smile.

"I want to ask if you could help find anymore Chao eggs or living Chao and try to protect them. Because, I don't know if you noticed, but Chaos backed off of us the moment she saw I had this baby Chao on me. Can you try to help with that?" I asked, him then sighing and simply nodding.

"Fine. Consider it an apology for me attacking you," he said, me smiling at him.

"Thanks... now if you'll excuse me, I have to get Tikal to the resort in Station Square and get her looked at a doctor. She's gotten a cold from the chilly mountain," I said, him nodding as I then placed the baby Chao inside of my cleavage for protection. And when she was in there, she immediately went to sleep from the warm softness within. I then held Tikal in my grasp and smiled at how she was happy.

"Your plan worked... thanks..." Tikal smiled.

"Don't thank me yet, Tikal. Chaos still wants all the emeralds, so we're going to need to convince her some more before the day is truly saved... but now, it's time to get you some rest," I said, me then carrying her on foot to the train station, both of us entering the tram and proceeding on our way to Station Square. And wouldn't you know, the sun started to rise at the same time.

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After getting Tikal to the resort's infirmary, I then went over to the entrance to Twinkle Park and going to the bumper cars area of the park in question and simply waited. And after waiting for about ten minutes, I noticed a hooded figure come into the room from the doorway, me smirking at the blonde hair emerging from inside the hood.

"I see you came earlier than me," Maria said, me nodding at that.

"Yes, I did... so... you want to tell me some things about you?" I asked, her then frowning and then nodding.

"I will, but on one condition... how did you know my last name?" she asked, me sighing and looking around and then at her.

"Promise me that you don't have anything recording our conversation, okay?" I said, her smiling at me.

"I may be in the witness protection program, but I'm not dumb enough to affiliate myself with anyone in the government. You're safe," she said, me sighing and then breathing in a deep breath.

"I come from a different universe... one that knows almost everything about this one... because this entire reality is a video game in my world," I said, Maria frowning at me.

"Is this a joke?" she asked as I then simply decided to speak the full truth to her.

"Don't believe me? Your grandfather is Professor Gerald Robotnik. You were placed on the Space Colony ARK at a young age because of your incurable NIDS. Gerald tried to make a cure for you with help from GUN, a government agency that works for the United States. The cure in question became your best friend, Shadow the Hedgehog. GUN sent a cease and desist order to Gerald about the experiment and the secret weapons creations he had. You tried to have Shadow escape, but you got shot in the process... is any of that incorrect?" I asked, Maria gawking at me knowing that.

"Okay... I believe you now... not even GUN knows that much about me... why tell me this?" she asked as I simply smiled.

"You asked for how I knew your last name? Well that's my answer... but now time for a question from me... in the games, you were announced as dead and you were only seen via flashbacks from Shadow's point of view... so why are you alive, on Earth, and not sickly?" I asked, her then smiling at that.

"When I got shot, it was by a soldier that was aiming at Shadow... but she shot me accidentally. Afterwards, I was nearing death... but she saved my life. As for how... try to touch my arm," she said, me then deciding to do that... and when I touched her arm with my hands... I gasped at what it felt like. It was like she had skin overtop of a metal frame. "She saved me by inputting my mind into a machine my grandfather had made. It was originally designed to switch minds, but she had my brain switch into a key card. And from then on, she worked with GUN to try and make me a new body, completely unbeknownst to my grandfather... I didn't like that they executed him for fear of Shadow's power, but at least I was saved... I'm just upset that I can't age. I may look 21, but I'm actually 50 some years old," she said, me smiling at her as I decided to give her a small hug, her then being surprised at me doing this.

"I don't know if it means anything... but you were my favorite character in the series... I'm just glad to know that you're alive and not dead... but I do need to tell you something important," I said, me placing her head in front of mine for eye-contact. "The next game in the series is after these adventures... and Shadow is revived from cryogenic slumber." Maria's eyes went wide at that.

"Shadow... he's still alive?" she asked, me nodding at that.

"But there's a problem... after your 'death', Gerald went insane. He's gone so far as to implant fake memories into Shadow. Memories of you wanting him to seek vengeance on all of humanity," I said. And Maria sighed and hung her head down. "So that's why I wanted to ask you a question. From girl to girl, I want to know if you'd like to join me on my adventures. So I can reunite the two of you, hopefully with no casualties." Maria then smiled at me happily.

"I'd love that, miss Cheryl. So... what do we do as of now?" Maria asked. And it was then that we heard a commotion coming from the doors nearby.

"Right now? We're going to try to work together to stop a creature called Chaos from finding all the Chaos Emeralds. If she does, then she'll flood Station Square and want to destroy the world. And... uh... your cousin, Ivo... he's uh..." I said, her then sighing.

"Eggman, yes, I know. I've heard of his evil misdeeds. I guess that means I'm the black sheep in the family, huh?" she asked, me smirking.

"Definitely not the same as a black hedgehog." Maria then finally looked like she was ready to laugh out loud, her mouth quivering and her looking to hold it in... but then, the door behind us opened up. And what happened after?

"Come on, we need to get outta here!" shouted Amy Rose, her then rushing past Maria as we saw that Amy had the little Flicky with her (the pendant wasn't NEARLY as big, though) and shortly after they got in a bumper car and rushed away, Zero appeared, looking around and then at us.

"Question: Where. is. the. bird?" Zero asked like he was friggin' Steven Hawking.

"What bird? We were just having a little chat together. Besides, when do birds play with bumper cars? They don't have fingers," I smirked at him, feigning innocence with a very convincing smile. Zero then looked around and then beeped a couple more beeps.

"Statement: Thank. You. Citizen. The. Bird. Must. Be. Elsewhere," it said before then turning around and going to the nearby door that, when he went out of it, I saw that it actually led to the hall of mirrors.

"That was one of Eggman's machines, wasn't it?" Maria asked.

"Yes, yes it was... it wants that bird because it has a Chaos Emerald. And that pink hedgehog wants to protect it. So now, we're going to keep a close eye on the two. Hopefully we can get the emerald and stop the robot from doing anything nasty," I smirked. And thus, it was official. With no idea on how to return home, and that Maria was alive (even though she was a robot) I was definitely going to ask her out at some point... the only issue I would have is if she'd even be able to do anything in her new body...