A/N: Finally, it's update time! This one is a personal favorite of mine in the New World Saga, up there with Party Hardly and Satellite Swindle. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Also, I'm now working on the full plot for Party Hardly, and my backlog document is nearly at fifty pages! If you have any questions about future chapters, feel free to ask them!

Story update: I've switched out the "Tails' POV" scene in Chapter 1 with a much-improved third-person POV scene. You might want to go back and check it out. I also plan to revise the Sam Speed POV scenes, as well as fix other errors in Chapters 2 and 3. (EDIT: That was from the original version of this story, back when I was initially figuring things out.)

I've finally finished watching the Metarex Saga, which is probably one of the reasons this might be delayed a little. (BTW, I didn't cry at the Cosmo scene; I knew it was coming.) I also transcripted the whole thing at the Transcripts Wiki, so that writing the chapters will be easier. I would say my favorite episodes are "Cosmic Crisis", "A Chilling Discovery", "Teasing Time", "A Revolutionary Tale", "Hedgehog Hunt", and "The Cosmo Conspiracy". So now I can say I've watched through the entire series of Sonic X. (BTW, I watched the Japanese sub; it totally beats the dub. But I think I can do better than even the sub.)

Random note: It struck me that Sonic X has at least four overused characters: The President, Scarlet Garcia, Jerome Wise, and Mr. Stewart. The President shows up at odd places, notably at the beginning of "Depths of Danger". Also, the Area 99 guys at the beginning of "Satellite Swindle" screamed "Call the President!", but guess who didn't appear that whole episode? Also, the President is not necessarily a superhero! And don't even get me started on the tournament! Sorry, I'm ranting, even though there's a lot more I can say about him. Scarlet Garcia also shows up at odd places. If the city Chris resides in during the Shadow Saga is different than Station Square, then why are Scarlet Garcia, Mr. Stewart, and some familiar-looking cops there? And the President, Christina Cooper, and Sam Speed? As for Jerome, how does he do from "hero" to zero so quickly? And who is Vivian, and how can he not hold a job down? Also, Mr. Stewart butts into scenes he probably shouldn't be in, most notably in "Little Chao Lost" and "Emerald Anniversary". I mean, what does Tanaka want with him, anyway? (Side note: I don't think Sam Speed is really overused, but he can easily be cut out of "How to Catch a Hedgehog".)

And now a note about the chapter itself: I added a few more details with the school scenes, though I don't know how accurate they really are. The reason for this is because I was homeschooled, so I don't know what public school is like at all, and the only time I ever set foot inside a public school was to vote.

As we are dealing with politics with the President's scene, I don't want to show my own political views here, as this isn't the place to debate politics. However, I can say that I am going to switch the order of the President's scene with the Chaos Emerald talk scene.

I want to thank singsong182, One Nutty Author, SwanGirl24, doomxdesire94, Ryu the Weredragon, and JakandDaxterFan42 for favoriting and following since the last chapter!

All right, I think that's enough about me; now let's get to reviews and what matters most: the chapter itself!


GuardianDragon98

Another update to the best rewrite of Sonic X I have ever seen!

I'm glad you had Sonic and Knuckles interact positively with one another. Let's just hope our Guardian of the Master Emerald won't be so gullible to fall for Eggman's tricks this time.

And the surprise the Mobians have at discovering GUN's existence on Earth was a great touch. Huh, I wonder how Shadow would react to that…

This was a great chapter :) Loved reading every sentence of it!

Thanks; I loved writing every sentence of it!

I don't know… With "Cracking Knuckles" coming up next chapter, will Knuckles still be deceived? Or will he learn from his mistakes? Only one way to find out!

The Green Seer

(Too long to repost, but I'll reply anyway)

Yeah, this is a post-Forces rewrite, so the events of those games did already happen. On a related note, sorry, I don't plan on adding the Babylon Rogues or the Deadly Six in this rewrite; I wouldn't really be able to find a place for them. They would have to probably be Chaos Controlled to Earth as well.

I greatly enjoyed the Metarex Saga, even more than I thought I would. I have over 9,000 ideas for it, especially for "Teasing Time". More on that later…

I too am glad I decided to stick to only Sonic and Chris' POVs. Had I not done that immediately, I would have had the scene with Knuckles in the sewer be in his perspective, and several scenes in "The Last Resort" be in Amy's perspective, and I find both characters on the difficult side to write for. For the Metarex Saga, I also plan to write in Cosmo's POV.

Looking back, I think I did make Knuckles a little too nice. And there really wasn't any reason for him to bring up his situation again to Sonic. I'll have that edited soon. But yes, I'm keeping the banter about Rouge. ;) Knuckles is probably one of the hardest characters to keep in character, but I've never written for Rouge or Shadow yet, so this could change.

(EDIT: Fixed!)

On the other hand, I find Sonic and Tails easy to write for. I can easily whip up a few lines for Sonic. And I must say, even I like the new Chris I came up with. He's not the whiny, role-stealing kid people accuse him of being. Amy is more difficult, especially since she is one of my top favorite characters. *blushes* Eggman is fun to write for. I like having the robots be his "family". As for Decoe and Bocoe, I didn't really care for them in the anime, which is why I'm reworking them here. They almost ruined the scene with Black Narcissus when they said "We're also bodyguards? I thought we were comedy robots!" Well, they're not comedy robots here, I'll tell you that.

Ah yes, Matt Thorndyke. I know there ae way too many people with way to many OCs, and I'll tell you, he will be my only major OC for this rewrite, not counting Barney Evans, Sean Rodham, etc. Even then, he will not appear all that often, but I initially came up with him to (sort of) represent myself, and to replace Tanaka at the end of the Shadow Saga. I'm trying not to rant about how Tanaka held Amy back in "Showdown in Space". I also plan to have Matt replace Chris for the entirety of the Metarex Saga, as I don't want to age Chris. Matt also represents the older Chris. Anyway, you can expect to first see him in my rewrite of "Party Hardly" in Chapter 7.

As for Infinite… #KnowingSmile

And no, you're not rambling at all. I love reading reviews, especially lengthy ones; they always make my day. I'm glad you love the story as much as I love writing it!

Guest

If you do put the Freedom Fighters in this story, will you make Sonic and Sally a couple and when will Shadow make an appearance?

I don't have plans to add the Freedom Fighters into this story, as I don't want to have too many characters appear at once. You might get a mention or something later on, though. Also, I'm more of a Sonamy person than a Sonally person, but won't prevent me from having Sonic and Sally have feelings for each other, though.

As for Shadow, he will first appear in my rewrite of "Project Shadow" in Chapter 33 as per the original anime. But why were they churning out promotional content with Shadow right at the beginning when he didn't appear until much later?

SwanGirl24

Will you include a scene of Helen meeting Shadow? (Since fans say that Helen looks a lot like Maria Robotnik.)

No, sorry. For one, Helen lived fifty years in the past, and two, I have different plans for Maria. Maybe if Chris can find a way to travel to the past in addition to Sonic's world…

The Dragon Legend

I'm liking these extra details, like the questions running through Eggman's head when he wakes up in a new world. That's part of what I love about adaptations/novelizations.

Also, thanks for the compliments!

I enjoy writing these extra details. They seem to be easier with first-person POVs, though, but I enoy them nonetheless. Of course, there will be more this chapter as well.

You're welcome! You might be interested in "My Arms Are Blue!" by thekyuubivixen, which is about the Sonic gang watching and reacting to Sonic Boom. It is among the most hilarious stories I have ever read. You can find it in my favorites.


Disclaimer: I do not own any elements in this story except for my own characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by SEGA, who does not endorse or affiliate itself with this work of fiction. Real world locations and organizations are used fictitiously. Real world people will be mentioned, but will not appear, in order to adhere with "Entries not allowed" Rule 4.


Chapter 4
Episode 4
School is in Session! The First Chaos Emerald
The First Emerald


Air Force One – Mon August 22; 5:49 AM – Third-person POV

Red-eye flights were not his cup of tea.

Having visited Florida to see the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Elaine, President Michael Klaus Remerson was flying aboard Air Force One back to Washington. He stifled a yawn as he pondered what he had been briefed on during his stay in Florida.

To start with, he wished he could believe what he had been told. The President believed in the possibility that somewhere, somehow, alien life existed, but he never once thought they would be anything like the ones that showed up in the city of Station Square. While the thousands of reports that flooded in estimated three or four aliens, all of them were consistent with the fact that they resembled anthropomorphic animals of some sort. More than that, they seemed to be, at a glance, very intelligent.

Another astonishing side to the story was the aliens' human-like adversary. They appeared to be locked in combat with one Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who bore the oddly intriguing nickname Dr. Eggman. From the start, it was evident that he was a terrorist. He had threatened and even attempted to blackmail Mayor Pinsky into surrendering his city so that he could build his so-called "Eggman Empire". He would have to look into this empire, as well as come up with a way to stop Dr. Robotnik at all costs.

While America was involved in a war on terrorism overseas, Dr. Robotnik seemed to be an entirely different kind altogether. He had utilized a giant war machine that caused mass destruction in a localized part of the city. At a glance, the technology that was used in Robotnik's robot was as yet unknown to man, not unlike the aliens; in fact, it far exceeded human technology.

According to Robotnik's foreboding message yesterday, he was a human, or at the very least looked like one. This made President Remerson wonder if humans naturally behaved the way Robotnik did on his home world. Perish the thought. The possibility that humans and aliens could co-exist on the same planet was mind-boggling, but not impossible – assuming Robotnik wasn't the only human, that is.

Remerson had replayed the doctor's message about three times already, listening carefully to his demands. There was a name of an individual that was mentioned a few times: Sonic the Hedgehog. If the President had to guess, this Sonic was one of the aliens that stood out in particular, but the lack of confirmation left him to continue speculating.

According to numerous eyewitness reports, the alien appeared to be a cobalt blue in color, with well-defined quills, red sneakers, and white gloves like the ones a lot of Disney characters wore. These defining features made it stand out, being easily identifiable on camera if it weren't for its unreal running speed.

Sonic had single-handedly destroyed the robot that Dr. Robotnik had deployed. Its method was unique: it curled itself into a tight ball and used its entire spinning body as a weapon. But instead of impacting the robot directly, it used the robot's own missiles against it. Robotnik had fled the scene afterward. According to sources in Station Square, cleanup was still ongoing, and it could be up to a year before the Eckstein Center fully reopened.

This whole situation seemed too outlandish to be real. And yet it was very real. It somewhat reminded President Remerson of the superhero comic books he used to read as a kid. They always had the bad guys causing espionage, sometimes with machines, and the good guys always coming in to save the day. Now, at sixty-eight years of age, it appeared that these superheroes were not completely fiction as he once thought they were.

The more he thought he was getting somewhere with his answers, the more questions arose, and the questions would keep coming.

The sound of someone clearing his throat brought him back to reality. He was sharing his cabin on Air Force One with his National Security Adviser, Jerome Wise. The holdover from the previous President, Wise had done some questionable things in the past, but supported President Remerson nonetheless.

"You're still thinking about the briefing?" he asked in his slight southern accent. The President silently nodded.

Jerome adjusted himself in his seat. "I know, it's impossible to imagine that alien life really exists, and it's walking among us right now."

"Yes," the President said. "As of now, they have not shown any form of aggression toward our people, except, of course, Robotnik."

"Let's face it; they're here, they have weapons unknown to our society, they've proved that they are dangerous. Something needs to be done about them," Jerome said.

"I don't blame you for being paranoid. We all are," the President responded, folding his hands in his lap. "We'll work something out."

"Well, on a related note," Jerome continued, "We're getting a number of calls and emails concerning the aliens. They're still coming in as we speak. Of course, many are from concerned citizens, as well as our senators and representatives, but two in particular stand out from the rest." He pulled his cell phone from his suit pocket and opened his email.

"Wait, about those two…" The President looked up. "Did they have an encounter with the alien Dr. Robotnik referred to as 'Sonic'?"

"Yeah. Well… one of them did." He opened a folder marked Important, bringing up the two emails in question.

"The first one is from Station Square's Mayor Aaron Pinsky. He thinks that Robotnik is also an alien despite his human appearances, and he also thinks he is most likely from the same planet the other aliens are from. We have already confirmed his claim that Robotnik's technology far exceeds our own. He also goes on to say that the debris from Robotnik's robot has been cleared from the streets and is being prepared for analysis at Area 99."

The President nodded. "Okay. I want to know the moment the analysis is complete. That may give us the breakthrough we need. What's the other email?"

"The second email is from Professor Ray Browning, head of Area 99's Research and Development. He witnessed one of the aliens, which by his description, it looked just like Sonic. Anyway, he was stealing an alien test subject and destroying at least a quarter of Area 99's surveillance devices, not to mention sabotage their electrical circuitry. They estimate the damage is going to amount to over four million dollars."

The President sat back and closed his tired, aching eyes. "Mm-hmm. And when was this?"

"That was just yesterday, Mr. President," came the response. "Browning further reports that Sonic had help. He and the test subject made their getaway in a small aircraft flown by yet another alien."

"Was that the same aircraft that was seen in Station Square yesterday?" the President asked. Jerome nodded.

Saturday was reportedly the alien's first full day on Earth. While he may have single-handedly (and temporarily) defeated Dr. Robotnik, breaking into Area 99, however, was practically unpardonable. As much as he hated to admit it, Jerome was right. The alien could be dangerous. Something had to be done. This was not something that could be ignored.

Just then Jerome's phone rang. The National Security Adviser pressed the button to answer it. Fortunately it was already on loudspeaker, so the President could hear too.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Wise. Is the President there?" the man on the other end spoke. It was Rod Stafford, the Secretary of Homeland Security.

"Yes, Mr. Secretary."

"Good," Stafford said. "I have a new development concerning the aliens."

Immediately interested, President Remerson sat up. "Go ahead," he requested.

Stafford cleared his throat. "As you may already know, one of the aliens goes by the name 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. We just got more proof of this from the Station Square Police Department. But the real news comes from the CIA. They got operatives in Station Square, and they confirmed the location of where Sonic is staying."

Remerson's interest was piqued. "Where?"

"He and the other aliens with him are staying at the Thorndyke residence… as in Nelson and Lindsey Thorndyke."

"Whoa, really?" The President was surprised. This was quite a development. "What measures do you propose to take?"

"None yet," came the response, "but I spoke with the CIA Director last night. We agreed to secretly warn the Thorndyke family of the potential dangers these aliens may pose to them and the country."

"Hold off on that for now," the President decided. "We need to weigh all the options first, and besides, there have been no reports of the aliens attacking our people – the ones other than Sonic, I mean. And furthermore, I don't think it's wise to bring more attention to the Thorndykes than necessary. In fact, they have a request of privacy, and to honor that request, I'm considering telling the media to not report that that's where the aliens are living."

"Good idea," Wise said. "And what of Robotnik, Mr. Secretary?"

"The military got him on radar. We traced him to a mysterious headquarters on Santa Rosa Island, which is about a hundred miles off the coast of Station Square. It's in the Channel Islands National Park."

"And we haven't seen anything of this headquarters until now?" the President asked.

"We can confirm it wasn't there last week," Stafford replied.

"Interesting," muttered the President. "What actions have you taken concerning Robotnik?"

"We sent outa navy reconnaissance team last night to the island to keep tabs on him. They should be there at the island by late morning."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Dr. Robotnik must be stopped as soon as possible," the President said. "He already proved himself to be a clear and present threat to the American people."

"Oh don't worry, he will be stopped, Mr. President…" Wise reassured. "You can count on it."

"For the time being," the President folded his hands, "we need to learn all we can on this Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends. Perhaps we can do it through the Thorndykes."

"But I thought you said–"

"In secret."

"I've already done my own research on them," Stafford said. "Nelson and Lindsey are currently not at home, and we don't know when they will return. However, they do have a twelve-year-old son named Christopher. We can learn about Sonic through him."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Because spying on a minor is not in our nature, and besides…" the President mused.

"We've already made arrangements, Mr. President. I already appointed an agent to the school he goes to fill in for his current teacher, Wendy Westerly, who, coincidentally, is on leave to compete in the National Spelling Bee. The agent made arrangements with the superintendent there to teach young Mr. Thorndyke's class, while trying to learn all he can on Sonic and his species."

The President nodded. "I approve. Have this agent report back to the CIA each day after school with new developments."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"As for you, contact me with any new developments as you receive them."

"Yes, sir."

With that, they hung up. Jerome turned to the President, a questioning look on his face. "Shouldn't we be more concerned about Dr. Robotnik?" he asked.

"It appears to be an internal affair," the President explained, "but they have taken their battle to American soil. As of now, we are monitoring the situation, but should the need for intervention arise, we will act swiftly and without hesitation."

"But we also can't ignore Robotnik's warning message," Jerome countered.

"You're right," President Remerson nodded.

As Air Force One continued its flight back to Washington, the President knew that Robotnik had to be dealt with first, then Sonic, or so he was nicknamed. Robotnik was far more dangerous, and his full capabilities were still unknown.


Thorndyke Mansion – Mon August 22; 7:28 AM – Chris' POV

Shoveling the last few bites of my pancakes into my mouth, I pushed my chair back and stood up.

"Bye, Ella! Thanks for breakfast!" I called.

"You seem to be in a hurry this morning," Ella noted as she came over to clear up.

I glanced up at the clock on the wall. 7:28. So I did rush a little bit getting ready for school…

"…I wanted to make sure I had enough time to say goodbye to So– Grandpa," I quickly corrected myself. And hear about how Sonic and friends got here, I mentally added. I couldn't believe I had slipped up just then. Fortunately, Ella showed no signs of suspicion.

"That reminds me," Ella said, "how is your grandfather's project coming along?"

I didn't answer right away, because I didn't know what to say at first. "U-Um, about that… h-he said it should be done in a couple weeks."

Whew. I just dodged a bullet.

"All right, dear." We exchanged a hug. "Enjoy your first day in sixth grade!" she called after me as I left the room.

"I will!" I promised. "Bye, Ella!"

Checking to make sure I had my Avengers backpack with me, I made my way toward the foyer, and took off out the front door. Instead of getting on my bike right away, I made a beeline for the garage, wondering how everyone eventually arrived here on Earth.

I couldn't wait to have something illogical and unrealistic explained to me. Whatever their story was, if I repeated it to anyone on an average day, they would think I was crazy. But no, I knew firsthand this was very real.

I remembered yesterday hearing them talking about all kinds of things that went clear over my head. One word they repeated a lot was "chaos".

All will be revealed, I told myself. That is, if I can make any sense out of any of it.

I entered the garage through the side door, feeling glad that Ella and Mr. Tanaka had heeded the note and stayed away from the garage. The first thing I heard was the sound of quiet voices upstairs. That meant they were awake…

I crept up the stairs and slowly pushed the trap door open. Upon entering Grandpa's lab, I saw that he was seated at his desk, his computer displaying the classic 3D pipes screensaver. Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese were sitting on the new beanbags he bought. Three inflatable mattresses were deflated and neatly folded in the corner.

"And here he is," Grandpa affectionately announced. The other-worlders smiled as I entered the lab and closed the trap door behind me.

"You can sit on the bed if you want," invited Grandpa. "We were just talking about what Sonic's home world is like."

"That's cool," I nodded as I sat down on the bed.

"Where's Sonic?" I asked. "Is he gonna tell us about how you got here?"

"He is," answered Tails. "He told me that he wants to have an early morning run every day for as long as he's here. So… I think he's gonna be back any time now."

"What's that backpack for, Chris?" Amy asked, before she answered her own question. "Ohh, you're going to school today!"

"Yeah," I answered. "It's the first day of sixth grade, and… it starts in twenty minutes."

"Oh, okay," Amy said. "Hopefully Sonic doesn't keep you waiting for long."

Even though I knew that they could just as easily tell us the story themselves, I would be missing out on Sonic's point of view, and I kind of wanted to hear the whole story.

True to his word, Sonic burst through the trap door a moment later.

"Aaaand I'm back!" he announced. "Morning, Chris! Sleep well?"

"Yeah," I responded.

…Okay, maybe that was a little white lie. I couldn't sleep much knowing I had aliens living in my house. I had to get to sleep a little sooner each night. Once the initial hype died down, I would be able to sleep normally again.

"So… Time to tell you all how we ended up here," Sonic started. "Everyone here?" He quietly counted heads before leaping over to the windowsill and reclining on it. He cleared his throat.

"'Kay, so two nights ago, which was the night we got here, we got into a huge battle with Eggman. It started out kinda ordinary, actually."

"Hold on," Grandpa interjected. "Ordinary? You mean you fight that maniac on a regular basis?"

Sonic shrugged. "Been doin' it all my life, yeah."

This only added to Grandpa's surprise. "But… H-How do you even cope with the stress? I mean, it's… it's war, pretty much. Do you ever get to live in peace?"

"Oh, sure," Sonic answered. "Many of our encounters with Eggman are just little fights. Kind of like yesterday. Sometimes we go for a whole month without ever seeing him, give or take." He dug in his ear with his pinky. "As for stress, we just kinda roll with it. In my case in particular, I just like to break Eggy's toys.

"Anyway, that one night, the doctor had six out of seven of these powerful artifacts called Chaos Emeralds. He took them from us right around the time I found the last one. He eventually found out about the last Emerald, and kidnapped Cream as ransom. So Tails, Amy and I came up with a rescue plan. We had to stop Eggman before he used the Chaos Emeralds' power to make a machine turn everyone within 100 miles into robots."

Grandpa and I gasped simultaneously. How could this be? I thought destroying a city with an army of killer robots was bad enough, but from how Sonic described him – casually, I might add – Dr. Eggman was a real threat. If he could turn everyone within 100 miles into robots… then the consequences would be catastrophic. And to think he could easily be beaten by Sonic before breakfast daily.

" …I didn't… think he was that evil…" Grandpa said grimly.

"Oh, it gets worse," Sonic said in a more serious tone, as if he was holding back. He counted on his fingers. "Egg Grapes, World Roboticizer, Doomsday Project – even split Mobius apart once."

I was incredulous. "He what?!"

"All thanks to a powerful entity called Dark Gaia," Sonic said. "But we stopped him like we always do."

"Hey Chris, it's not gonna happen again," reassured Tails. "The world was put back together again, and I don't think Eggman can even try and do that again… especially since he doesn't have the resources to do that."

"I-I'm still scared…" I admitted. And here I foolishly underestimated him to a degree.

"Hey, that's what we're here for," Sonic grinned at me. "We scrambled Eggman hundreds of times before. Yesterday wasn't any different.

"So anyway, we broke our way into the base and rescued Cream and Cheese. Knuckles showed up and helped us destroy a security robot. But the next part, I'm not really sure what happened. Knuckles claims the robot shrapnel hit the machine which caused it to malfunction. Sure, it could have been that, but I kinda think it was something else… But all seven Chaos Emeralds were still powering Eggman's machine. Something happened, and Chaos Control sent us all here."

"What's Chaos Control?" I asked.

"Chaos Control…" Sonic closed his eyes, trying to think of how to explain it. "Basically teleports you. I'm pretty sure Tails can do a better job explaining it than I can."

"It's a big burst of power that the Chaos Emeralds give off, and they can teleport whoever uses them through time and space," Tails explained. "Usually one Chaos Emerald is all you need for Chaos Control, and normally they only transport people who are touching the Emerald itself… However, it never happened on a scale like that before."

"Fascinating," Grandpa said as he took in all that Sonic had said. "Can you tell me what else they can do? Or even what they are?"

Tails looked thoughtful. "They have a pretty complicated history, but we gotta make it short 'cuz Chris has school soon. Basically, they're powerful gemstones that can give certain people like Sonic a lot of power."

Giving people power… if people could use them to teleport, then maybe I could-

"M-Maybe I can use them…?"

"Um… No, sorry…" Amy told me. "Humans can't really use the Chaos Emeralds like that. I mean, I think you could use them to teleport, but you can't actually gain power from them the way Sonic can."

Okay, that made a lot of sense. So I guess other-worldly gems were only made for other-worldly people. I could live with that.

"What else can they do?" Grandpa asked as he folded his hands in front of him.

"I use them to power some of my machines sometimes," Tails said. "Also, if there's an emergency, Sonic can use all seven of them to turn into a superpowered state in which he's known as Super Sonic. That's what we call 'going super'."

"Yeah! So far, there hasn't been a single enemy I couldn't beat when I was super," Sonic bragged. I just hoped this was true, and not just him tooting his own horn.

"Here, I'll pull up an image of them, so you can know what they look like if you happen to see one," Tails said as he got up and grabbed the Miles Electric from off of Grandpa's desk. A few taps and swipes later, he turned the device around to face us.

I studied the Emeralds carefully, even though it looked like there wasn't much to study. There were seven of them, each having its own color - red, green, blue, cyan, purple, yellow, and clear.

"A lot of the time, after someone uses the Emeralds, they will be drained of their energy and feel really tired and weak for a while," Tails explained.

"Is that because their bodies can't handle so much energy?" Grandpa asked.

"Yeah," confirmed Tails as he put away his computer. "It doesn't affect Sonic as much, because he actually has Chaos energy in his body naturally."

"Wait, W-Wait- Hold on, there's energy in him?" Grandpa asked. "How does that work? What about the rest of you?"

"We don't for some reason," Tails shrugged. "Also, apparently the Emeralds can play havoc with technology, including my own, but they only do this if the Master Emerald is not there to control them." He shifted his position on his beanbag. "And since the Master Emerald isn't here as far as we know, that means things are probably gonna get rough if we do find the Emeralds. They'll need a bit of time to adapt to each other."

"Now Chris," Sonic looked me squarely in the eye. "I know you're a good kid, but I want you to know that the Chaos Emeralds are not toys, jewelry, or anything like that, and they're not meant to be treated like any of those, okay? They're too powerful to be misused by anyone."

"Okay, Sonic," I agreed.

Cream, who had been quietly listening until this point, spoke up. "Are the Chaos Emeralds here too?"

Sonic sighed. "I can't say I really know the answer to that, Cream. There's only one way to find out."

Turning to Tails, he added, "This is exactly why Tails has been working on a Chaos energy detector last night. Speakin' of, did you finish it, Tails?"

"I sure did!" Tails perked up. "Sadly, I wasn't able to detect any Chaos energy yet. Maybe I should tweak it later…"

"Another thing about the Chaos Emeralds is that if they're all gathered together in one place, they can scatter and disappear all over again," Sonic said. "It's their nature."

"W-Wait, then that means it's gonna be impossible to get all seven!" I realized.

"Not… quite," Sonic countered. "There have been lots of times where we managed to get all seven together before. The thing that makes them scatter is if they're all used at the same time. Like last night."

I nodded. I felt like I was beginning to understand…

"Oh Chris, you only got ten minutes until class!" Grandpa pointed out. "You gotta get going!"

Oh no! I was so absorbed by their story and talk about the Chaos Emeralds that I forgot all about school!

"O-Okay, bye guys!" I waved while heading for the stairs.

"Bye, Chris!" echoed Tails and Amy.

"Have fun!" Cream added.

I grinned as I carefully descended the steep steps and re-entered the garage. I hoped for their sake that they could find all seven Chaos Emeralds and head back home. But the more I thought about it, I got a sense of attachment, like I didn't want them to leave. Not yet. But I put that thought in the back of my mind as I got on my bike and pedaled off to school.


Oakview Elementary School – Mon August 22; 11:22 AM – Chris' POV

After a few classes, including the boring ones like English, it was time for my favorite subject – math. Sure, there were some concepts I struggled with, particularly long division, but the subject overall was surprisingly fun.

As I had been preoccupied with Sonic and his incredible story, I wasn't surprised to find that I was one of the last students to enter the classroom. Nevertheless, I had made it just in time.

I located an empty seat at one of the tables and sat down. There were only two students at that table – a dark-skinned boy wearing a green shirt, and a red-haired girl wearing overalls. I didn't recognize either of them from last year, so they had to have been new students.

Even though I was late, there were still a couple minutes left until class began. I considered starting small talk with them, but the boy beat me to it.

"Hey," he said.

"H-Hi," I replied.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Chris," I responded.

"As in Chris Thorndyke?" he asked.

"Uh …Y-Yeah? Th-That's me…"

"That's cool. Some of the other kids here were telling me about you. How long have you been going here?"

"Since first grade," I responded.

"Cool. My name's Danny."

"And I'm Frances," added the girl.

"N-Nice to meet you," I politely said.

"Did you see the alien on the news?" Danny asked. I was almost caught off guard… almost.

"Yeah… I think it's pretty cool, but Dr. Eggman is kinda scary." Frances nodded her agreement.

"And then I saw this blue alien totally kick that Eggman's butt!" Danny exclaimed. "I saw it all on the news. My mom doesn't even know what to think about it!"

"Do you think anyone is ever gonna catch those aliens?" Frances asked.

"I actually don't think so," I answered. At least I didn't let it slip that they were staying with me. I figured we were on this subject long enough, so it was time to shift gears to a more comfortable subject.

"Um… A-Are you new here?" I asked.

"Yeah," Frances answered. "We just moved here from Los Angeles."

"Ah, okay," I replied.

Sadly, I didn't have any more time to talk to them, as Principal Everett walked into the room, followed by a man I had never seen before. He was a tall man with dirty blonde shoulder-length hair and shades. Though, I couldn't help but wonder why he was wearing sunglasses inside.

"Students, may I have your attention, please?" the principal called over the noise of the room. A couple seconds later, everyone was quiet.

"I know that many of you were eager to have Miss Westerly teach this class for sixth grade. Unfortunately, she will not be able to teach this class any more, because she got an opportunity to move to France. Instead, your new teacher will be Mr. Franklin Stewart. Say good morning, class."

"Good morning, Mr. Stewart," we all said in unison.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Stewart greeted us. He glanced at me as he walked up to the front of the class.


Oakview Elementary School – Mon August 22; 12:04 PM – Chris' POV

About forty minutes later, it was finally time for lunch. We filed out of the classroom and headed down the hall toward the cafeteria. No one spoke to me at all (I didn't really expect anyone to), which left me to my thoughts about what I had learned.

Danny and Frances were pretty nice. Sure, I got to talk with other kids in the past, but I wondered if I could become friends with them. But then again, I thought the same thing about a lot of other kids too.

Right now, they didn't know Sonic was staying with me. But I had to ask myself, what would happen if they did find out? What if anyone found out?! Then there would be trouble for sure. We would be charged with harboring someone who broke into a highly-secure government facility. I just hoped all would go well…

As for Mr. Stewart, he was a good teacher, pretty similar to my second grade math teacher. He cracked a couple of jokes every now and then, but he stuck to the lesson. Just like always, we were given homework to do tonight. It wasn't so bad, even if I had just gotten back to school. But I couldn't get his first impression of me out of my mind. The way he looked at me… In fact, he had glanced at me again as I left the class. It was the exact same kind of look. I wondered if–

"Hey Chris."

I turned around to see Mr. Stewart approaching me from behind. Was I in trouble? No, I didn't think so. But the way he looked at me earlier, maybe he wanted to talk to me or something.

"Do you happen to be Lindsey Fair's son?"

I nodded. "Y-yeah…?"

"Awesome," Mr. Stewart replied as he stuck his hands in his pockets. He looked genuinely excited for some reason.

"W-Wait, how did you know?" I asked next.

Mr. Stewart held back a laugh. "How many other Chris Thorndykes are there?"

"O-Oh yeah, true," I said. I mentally slapped myself. This was why I was an introvert. I got way too much attention.

"It's my privilege to be your teacher," he said as he reached out to shake my hand. "And I just wanna say I'm a big fan of your mom's movies."

"R-Really?" I asked as I shook his hand. I myself wasn't that famous like my parents, but it was what it was.

"Yeah," Mr. Stewart replied. "I'm like… a megafan, you could say. I own pretty much the whole Blu-Ray collection, and I'm gonna see Valencia in theaters as soon as it comes out."

"That's cool," I replied.

"And uh, before you go, you been following the alien story lately?" he asked. I knew I had to keep my cool no matter what.

I nodded. "Y-Yeah…"

"I heard they were spotted near your house yesterday. You know anything about this?"

I was nearly taken aback for the second time that day. How did he know?! I was glad that he at least didn't say anything about them actually living in my house.

"Uh… y-yeah," I answered as calmly as I could. "Our maid told me about it yesterday."

"I'm just worried, you know? No one knows too much about them, and… well… just take good care of yourself, okay?"

"Hey Chris! Hurry up!" I heard Danny call from the distance.

Mr. Stewart nodded. "You better get a move on," he said. "See you tomorrow, and it was good meeting you once again."

I left him and hurried after my new acquaintance. My conversation with Mr. Stewart left me with a weird feeling on the inside. In fact, my teacher was pretty weird overall. First he was looking at me funny, then he asked me about the aliens in a not-so subtle way. Did he know something I somehow didn't? More importantly, did he know Sonic and friends were staying with me? If so… this could get bad really fast.


Station Square - Midtown – Mon August 22; 3:27 PM – Third-person POV

A new Walmart was being built at the corner of Crawford Avenue and West Juniper Street. The construction workers had just come off their break and were getting back to work.

However, the backhoe driver didn't see an object embedded in the dirt or the green glow it made until it was too late and he ran it over.

Suddenly several streaks of green electricity ran up the sides of the backhoe and flowed through its circuits, miraculously leaving the driver unharmed. However, the vehicle began to pick up speed. The driver tried every attempt to slam on the brakes, but to no avail. It kept traveling straight forward out of control.

The backhoe wouldn't stop for anything, all because of that object in the ground. It smashed into the side of a dump truck before it turned and careened toward three workers who were discussing a blueprint.

"Ahh! Run! RUN!" one of them shouted as he scrambled out of the way, followed by the other two men. They were able to get out of the way just in time.

The backhoe went on to plow through a chain-link fence as if it were a house of cards. It drove on for another couple hundred feet before finally stopping well outside the construction zone. Onlookers were shocked and confused. Some of them even took their phones out and started recording.

Several men, including the foreman, approached the driver.

"Sir, are you okay?" the foreman frantically asked the driver.

"N-No…" the driver replied. "Wh-what happened…?"

"I don't know; you were going just fine and suddenly the whole thing started sparking."

The driver started climbing out of the vehicle. "I couldn't control it…" he admitted.

"Hey guys!" shouted one of the workers as he ran toward the backhoe. "I think I might have found the problem!"

"Okay, we're on our way over!" the foreman shouted back as he and the other workers, including the driver, followed him. In just a few moments, all the construction workers were gathered around the green glow in the ground.

"What is it?" one worker asked.

"Is that a gemstone?" another worker asked.

"How can a gem do all that?" a third added.

"How come none of us knew about it before?" a fourth asked as he bent down to pick it up.

"Hey, don't touch it," the foreman stopped him. "You saw what it did to that machine. There's no telling what it can do to people. I'm calling 911."

As he took out his phone and dialed the number, they had no idea that one of Dr. Eggman's Spy Bots was watching the Emerald and relaying its location back to his headquarters…


Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:27 PM – Third-person POV

Knuckles had found a secluded alley to hide in so he could avoid being seen by the humans. He was even able to spend the night there without anyone seeing him. It wasn't pretty, and it definitely wasn't Angel Island, but it had to do, at least until he got back to Mobius.

He thought back to yesterday. It was by far the most productive day he had on this planet. He had confirmed that Sonic, Amy, Tails, Cream, and Cheese, not to mention Eggman, had all safely made it to this world. Some had it rougher than others, but in the end, everyone was safe, and they even had a few new locals they could rely on for help.

Knuckles was shocked to know that this world had not only its own Station Square, but also its own Guardian Units of Nations organization as well. There was no way this was a coincidence. He wondered what Rouge and Shadow would think if they happened to find out. He shrugged, figuring they would feel right at home with the team.

Confirming his musings in the sewer, Eggman had indeed showed up with a robot. He began to seriously believe that his base was transported here as well. How else was he able to use a robot? At least while he was here, his resources were greatly diminished. No Egg Fleet, no Phantom Ruby, no Death Egg. Just the classic Robotnik and Badniks to deal with. And E-Series robots.

They clashed in Station Square yesterday. Sure, Knuckles could have easily destroyed Missile Wrist without Sonic's help, but there was no point in harming innocent people in the streets below. He had decided to let Sonic take care of the robot as soon as he showed up, but that did not stop him and Amy from taking out the robot's powerful hands. When Missile Wrist was destroyed by its own missiles, Knuckles was relieved that the majority of the robot remained on top of the building. Only small chunks managed to fall into the street.

It was their first victory on this new world, but this was surely not their last encounter. Not by a long shot. Eggman would see to that.

Today, Knuckles would not be idle like he was when he got there. He was determined to get some progress done toward the Emerald hunt. Last night, he was a bit too fatigued to immediately search for the Chaos Emeralds, but he planned to look for them first thing in the morning when he got enough rest.

Now, he was secretly moving through the alleys and underpopulated parts of the city, searching for any possible sign of a Chaos Emerald. He froze, sensing what could be a possible Emerald. He felt the same tingling sensation yesterday, but he had dismissed it because he was very tired, something he rarely did. But this time, it was stronger than before, and he knew it wasn't just him. His senses didn't lie. There was no way he was going to dismiss them this time. The Emerald had to be somewhere in the city. Knuckles would not give up until he found it.


Eggman's base - Command center – Mon August 22; 3:35 PM – Third-person POV

"We interrupt your regularly-scheduled broadcast to bring you breaking news. An unidentified object has been unearthed at a Walmart construction site in midtown Station Square. Eyewitnesses have described this object as a gemstone resembling a cut emerald, and it has reportedly interfered with technology. Already it has caused a power surge, and reports are coming in that the surge automatically shut off several smartphones within the immediate area. And it doesn't stop at phones; it has also caused cars to become unresponsive, backing up traffic on Crawford Avenue as far as a quarter mile. However, the most serious incident was when the emerald caused a construction vehicle to move completely on its own, leaving the construction site and damaging the surrounding fence, as well as some of the equipment. Thankfully, the backhoe did not enter the roadway, and there are no reports of injuries. Police are on the scene as we speak, and the bomb squad has officially been called out. We have received word from our CNN affiliate that news crews are not permitted on the scene, as there are fears that the emerald could cause permanent damage to equipment. In fact, police are warning all Station Square residents to stay clear of the Walmart construction site until the bomb squad can safely remove the unidentified object. … This just in, we have just received our first eyewitness photo of the emerald. This Twitter photo was taken by lukemanning91, and you can clearly make out the half-buried shape of the gemstone. It appears to resemble one of those imitation gemstones you might find at a gift shop. Luke was able to take this photo because the emerald appeared to be on cooldown, so it may have exhausted its power for the time being. Its original is still unclear, but people are already speculating that it came from the aliens' home planet. We will bring you further updates as they come. I'm Scarlet Garcia for Channel 4 News; now back to General Hospital already in progress."

Dr. Eggman turned off the jumbo screen. Now the humans knew about the Chaos Emerald.

The mad genius marveled at the fact that it had taken the public well over a day to discover the Emerald after Eggman did. He figured that was because they didn't have anything remotely close to a Chaos energy scanner. However, he did not expect the single Chaos Emerald to cause this much… chaos.

His clever brain immediately made a logical conclusion. The reason the Chaos Emerald was so erratic was because Angel Island had not been sent to Earth. It was not Chaos Controlled to this world; therefore, the Master Emerald was not present to keep the Emeralds' power in check. Without the Master Emerald, the seven Chaos Emeralds would surely live up to their name.

Bocoe turned to Eggman. "Doctor, requesting permission to deploy Egg Pawns to retrieve the Chaos Emerald."

Eggman thought for a moment. "No," he decided. "I want to get the Emerald myself. I can't risk sending my robots to their destruction over a single Emerald when I can save them for my conquest."

"But Doctor, you cannot return to Station Square because the citizens will be prepared for you," said Decoe.

"Oh, but I am," contradicted Eggman as he stood up. "Who cares about them? It's Sonic who's the real threat. Decoe, prepare my Eggmobile. Bocoe, get my cards… the ones that aren't in the case."

"Yes, Doctor," the two robots replied in unison.

Bocoe promptly walked over to the drawer that contained Eggman's cards and picked up the deck with the rubber band around it. As Decoe entered the elevator, Bocoe handed the deck to Eggman, who quickly removed the rubber band and inserted the deck into the slot in the console.

"Are you conflicted as to which robot to dispatch?" asked Bocoe.

Eggman pulled the lever and folded his hands together. "Of course; why else would I need the cards? Any robot could distract Sonic as easily as another."

The three slots spun, making their contents appear like a blur. Eggman had rigged them to always show the same robot on all three slots.

"I hope it's an flying robot!" exclaimed Bokkun as he hovered just behind Eggman.

The slots slowed to a stop, and they landed on…

"E-11 Beacon! Awesome choice!" shouted Bokkun as he fist-pumped.

Eggman smirked as he stood up. "E-11 is one of my most skilled aerial robots. It's fast, and it can occupy both the Tornado and Sonic simultaneously while I go get the Emerald."

The mad doctor made sure to press Confirm before heading to the metro elevator. He pressed the button and waited the fifteen seconds it took for the elevator to rise. Once it rose, he stepped inside. Another fifteen seconds later, he was below ground with the Eggmobile and Decoe waiting just outside the elevator.

"The Eggmobile has been prepared as you have requested, Doctor. However, it is taking longer than expected to prepare the robot you have selected."

Eggman did not expect this sudden setback. "Why is that?"

"It appears the slot machine is only designed for single robots, and not for mass-produced robots such as the E-11 unit you have summoned."

"How long will the delay be?"

"Approximately ten minutes, Doctor."

Eggman sighed. "Well, might as well come back upstairs with me. I'll get something to eat while I wait."

Decoe followed Eggman into the elevator, and it only took another fifteen seconds to get back to the control room. Bocoe looked surprised to see him back.

"I did not expect your return to be so quick," he said.

"My robot's delayed," Eggman admitted as he headed toward the kitchen.

"Doctor, our most recent surveillance patrol unit has detected personnel affiliated with the Guardian Units of Nations."

"What?!" exclaimed an incredulous Eggman. "That's impossible! What are they doing here?! They're supposed to be back on Mobius!" Then he had another thought. "Unless this is related to the enigma of how Station Square is also here. Bocoe, what is GUN doing here?"

"It appears they are monitoring our activity."

Eggman stroked his luxurious mustache. "Surveillance. Okay. We will carry on with our plan. You two, make preparations to tighten the security around here and keep tabs on them, but don't do anything about GUN just yet."

"Affirmative."

As Bocoe spoke over the intercom in his first step toward increasing the base's security, Eggman left the command center and headed down the main elevator to the second floor of his impressive eight-floor fortress. This was where the kitchen was. He wasn't overly surprised to see Bokkun already there. The messenger robot was idly eating a microwaved sandwich.

"I thought you were going to get the Emerald, Dr. Eggman," Bokkun said around a mouthful of sandwich. "Changed your mind?"

"Not quite. My robot's delayed is all," Eggman sighed as he reached into the freezer for a sandwich of his own. "Remind me to modify the slot machine so I can avoid these delays next time."

"Okay," Bokkun replied in his always-cheerful voice. "You need to–"

"Not literally right now, Bokkun," Eggman corrected.

He popped the sandwich into the microwave and set it to the correct setting. As he watched it spin, he thought to himself that he was glad he had his own food supply and it was sent here to Earth with him.

At last the sandwich was done, and Eggman took it out of the microwave. "Robot's going to be ready in about two minutes," he announced as he took a bite of the sandwich and ran from the kitchen. Only a couple minutes later, he was back in front of the Eggmobile. That was also the amount of time it took for him to finish his sandwich. He tossed the wrapper into a nearby garbage can. Even though he was a supervillain, he would never stoop to something as low as littering. Only idiots would do that.

Eggman realized he had made it just in time. The massive doors to the robot factory were just beginning to open. Eggman was rarely inside the robot factory, but thanks to the ingenious design of the fortress, he knew everything ran smoothly within, so he never needed to go in there.

The E-11 Beacon he ordered rolled out onto the runway as the secret entrance at the end of the runway opened up. With the Beacon now in position, Eggman climbed into his Eggmobile. Good thing Decoe already entered the PIN for him – the Eggmobile's identity was made only for himself and his top robots.

Pointing forward, Eggman took off up the sloped runway, with the Beacon following.

"Chaos Emerald, here I come," whispered Eggman as he and his latest robot emerged into the open air.


Thorndyke Mansion – Mon August 22; 3:35 PM – Third-person POV

Sonic was relaxing in one of the boughs of an oak tree outside the living room window. It had become one of his favorite spots to kick back and relax since he arrived. The other was the roof. Both places felt nice and open – the perfect place for one as free as the wind to chill.

Except for the occasional bird chirping, the quiet environment allowed the hedgehog to let his thoughts wander. He wondered how Chris was doing at school, as well as whether he would make it back to Mobius in the near future. Sure, he liked this world, but nothing could beat home sweet home.

Just then Sonic heard the mansion's side door open, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Nervous for Chris' sake that he might be caught, he was just about to scramble out of sight when he saw that it was only Cream. He had caught word from Chuck that she was allowed to be inside today, as the maid and butler had left to shop and practice karate respectively.

"Mr. Sonic, they found one! They found one!" Cream excitedly announced.

"Found what, kiddo?" Sonic asked in interest as he relaxed a little in the tree.

"A Chaos Emerald! They found a Chaos Emerald, Mr. Sonic!" she cheered, doing a little dance of glee.

Elation washed through Sonic as well. This was the best thing he had heard all day.

"Did you see this on the news?" queried Sonic.

"I did, Mr. Sonic."

"Did anyone say where it is?"

Cream looked down at the grass, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry… I wasn't paying attention until they showed a picture of it."

"Hey, it's okay, Cream," Sonic said as he hopped down from the tree. "I'm the fastest thing alive. You know I'll find it before long." He flashed her a wink.

"But you don't know where it is," Cream pointed out.

"Oh, I'll run into it at some point," Sonic promised. "Plus, Knux offered to help out. Go tell the others about this. I gotta juice!"

With that, the hedgehog took off. Cream immediately ran toward the garage as well, with Cheese right behind her. As she flew to gain more speed, she was mildly annoyed with herself for not finding out where the Emerald was. This was a crucial detail, and Eggman might get it first because of her. But since Sonic was after it right now, there was a chance things wouldn't turn out to be so bad.

Cream landed and quickly found Tails and Chuck working on the Tornado in the garage.

"Mr. Tails, Mr. Chuck!" she gasped, out of breath. "They found a Chaos Emerald!"

"Whoa, really?!" exclaimed Tails as he looked up from his Miles Electric. "Where? Where did it say?"

"Um…" Cream looked a bit nervous. "I'm sorry, Mr. Tails, but I didn't hear it…"

"Hey, it's okay," Tails replied as he put down his tablet. "If you saw it on the local news, then chances are it's somewhere in the city."

"What's going on?" came Amy's voice as she walked down the stairs.

"Miss Amy, there's a Chaos Emerald!" summarized Cream.

"For real?!" squealed Amy.

"Yes!" Cream exclaimed with just as much enthusiasm.

Amy felt so much hope in that moment. She thought they were going to be trapped on this planet forever. But now Cream came into the room with the news that there was actually a Chaos Emerald on this planet. In fact, she felt herself tearing up. She was feeling true hope.

"G-Guys…" she said, feeling her voice breaking. "W-We can go home…"

"And that means I can see my mama again!" cheered Cream!

Tears started running down Amy's muzzle. She was feeling more resolve now that the Chaos Emeralds were finally confirmed to be on this planet. She had started to lose hope since last night.

Determination flashed in her jade eyes. "Tails…" she said. "I'm coming with you."

Tails nodded. "I'm gonna need all the help I can get, so thanks for coming, Amy."

Cream looked up at Chuck. "Are you coming too, Mr. Chuck?"

Chuck laughed a little. "Oh no, I'm a bit too old for this kind of thing. Besides, the Tornado can only seat two people." Chuck left out the part where he also wouldn't fit in the Tornado because it was not made for Mobians even though Chris could fit in the passenger's seat, which Chris had told him it was a little tight.

"Okay," Cream nodded in understanding. "Mr. Sonic already left to find it, but he doesn't know where it is."

"What do you mean?" asked Amy.

"B-Because I didn't pay attention to it on TV!"

"Hey, it's okay, Cream!" reassured Amy as she climbed into the passenger's seat of the Tornado. "You know we're gonna find it sooner or later. Oh, and Tails? How are we doing on the ring supply?"

"I think we should be good for a while," reported Tails. "I was a little rusty, but I managed to figure out how they're made, and I made a few dozen more rings today. We were only down to like three."

"Which reminds me," Chuck spoke, "Do you mind if I study them while you're gone? They look really intriguing."

"Sure, go ahead," Tails said. "But I would be careful with them just in case, even though they're only made for Sonic."

Chuck scratched his graying head. "What do you mean?"

"I'll explain when we get back," promised Tails, smiling. "They have a pretty complicated past, and I need a bit of time to tell you."

"It's okay, I can wait," Chuck said. "But in the meantime, I hope you stay safe out there."

"We'll be okay, don't worry!" Tails called behind him as he taxied his plane forward.

"Bye-bye, Mr. Tails!" Cream called.

"Chao-chao!" echoed Cheese.

After making sure everything was in flying order, he eased forward on the throttle, accelerating down the driveway. He pulled back on another throttle, pulling the plane into the sky.


Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:38 PM – Sonic's POV

Trying to find a Chaos Emerald that wasn't giving off any power was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Even though I wasn't sensitive to the presence of a Chaos Emerald like Knuckles was, I still managed to track them down anyway.

Even when traveling at a leisurely 350 miles per hour, I could still feel myself drawing stares from pedestrians. Sure, I knew they saw me fighting Eggman yesterday. But I didn't care who saw me at this point. That wasn't important. All that mattered was that I found the Emerald and got it away from Eggman. And for all I knew, the doctor probably already knew about it by now.

Then I got an idea. What if I ran up a skyscraper to see if I could spot any sign of the Chaos Emerald from above?

Going through with my plan, I ran up the side of the nearest building, and in seconds, I was rewarded with a bird's-eye view of Station Square. The city was big and beautiful, but there was no familiar glow or any sign of Chaos it might cause down there.

Since there was no point in searching alone when I had no leads to go on, I decided that my best course of action was to wait for Tails to come. With any luck, he had seen the news himself and learned the location of the Chaos Emerald. On the other hand, since Eggman was probably on his way over as well, what if – I chuckled to myself – he was able to unknowingly guide me to the Emerald?

I decided to do that once he arrived, assuming he came before Tails. All I had to do was wait…


The Pacific Ocean – Mon August 22; 3:49 PM – Third-person POV

Eggman and his E-11 Beacon weren't even five minutes into their flight to Station Square when they spotted something below them that could pose an immediate threat to Eggman's plans.

A U.S. Navy battleship.

In his haste to prepare for his mission to obtain the Chaos Emerald, Eggman had not taken into account the fact that GUN would be backed by the Navy, or even worse, the Air Force. This ship appeared to be headed away from the island, and Eggman assumed it was there to drop off the GUN surveillance team not long ago.

But then again… what kind of threat could one single ship pose to Eggman's mission?

As an answer, the ship fired two missiles directly at the Beacon.

"A minor setback," mused the unfazed doctor as he turned to his robot. "Beacon, you know what to do."

The Beacon broke away from Eggman's side, allowing the missiles to lock onto it. It increased its speed slightly before descending in a steep dive toward the ocean. Once it was low enough, the Beacon suddenly pulled up, allowing one of the missiles to crash into the ocean. The other was still in hot pursuit.

The Beacon looped back down toward the ocean, with the missile following closely. It crashed through the ocean's surface, and emerged a moment later with no missile tailing it. The Beacon had not suffered any water damage in the process, a sure sign that Eggman's tech was supreme.

"Even the United States Navy couldn't destroy a single robot of mine?" Eggman asked as the Beacon returned to his side. "Surprising," he sarcastically added.

The two proceeded to the city of Station Square which drew ever nearer. He knew exactly where the Chaos Emerald was, and he intended to collect it without any further drama.


Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:51 PM – Chris' POV

"West Juniper Street. West Juniper Street," I repeated in my head as I pedaled. I had just finished school for the day, and I was riding my bike as fast as I could so I could get to the Chaos Emerald. It was an incredible stroke of luck that I just so happened to catch some of the staff talking about the latest news, and I was even luckier that I caught the location it was at.

One student asked why I was leaving so quickly, to which I said I was expecting a friend over in a few. It may have been a little white lie, but I had to cover for my new friends in any way I could.

Juniper Street was near midtown, which was not too far away from Harris Bingham Memorial Park. Part of me expected the Emerald to no longer be there by the time I got there. Either Eggman or Sonic could have already claimed it long before I left school. But the other, more dominant part of me said it might still be there, waiting for me to claim it for Sonic. That was the part I listened to.

I held back a smile. I didn't think that anyone would possibly think that I, an ordinary kid, would try to get the Chaos Emerald all by myself, let alone out of a construction site which probably had a giant fence around it. That sounded really foolhardy.

Just then I heard the noise of a small plane above me. I knew there weren't any airfields near me, so I was confused until I looked up and saw the Tornado flying above me, traveling in the same direction I was headed in. Its motor seemed quieter than other small planes I had seen before.

I didn't think Tails saw me at all, because he kept flying straight. It was good to know that he was also looking for the Chaos Emerald.

I followed the Tornado down the street, when I got the feeling I was being followed myself. Throwing a quick glance over my shoulder, I caught sight of a green SUV nearby. I thought I saw that car earlier in my trip. But I dismissed it as I saw Crawford Avenue in front of me. I made a left at the light and continued my journey.


Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:52 PM – Sonic's POV

Over ten minutes was a painfully long time for me to wait for anything.

I had crisscrossed the city several times looking for the Emerald before returning to my post on top of the skyscraper, waiting for Tails. What was taking him so long? And why was the Chaos Emerald this elusive?

As I was glancing in the direction of the damaged Eckstein Center, I became aware of the sound of an engine. I knew right away that it couldn't be the Tornado, not with the turbo whine this new engine carried.

As soon as I turned around, I was met with the sight of one of Eggman's E-Series robots. Great… According to the data we pored over from that infiltration mission we did, this was an E-11 Beacon, which was basically just an oversized Balkiry. And sure enough, a certain round bald guy was flying his Eggmobile next to it. I bet a couple chili dogs they weren't here to chat.

Come on, Tails, I thought. Now would be a good time for you to show up.

My next thoughts turned to Chris. I hoped for his sake he didn't see the news report, or otherwise catch news of the Emerald. Sure, I knew he was in school, but I didn't know what time it was, so for all I knew, he was home already.

The first thing I noticed about Eggman and his bird-shaped Beacon was the fact that they didn't see me at all. This meant that I had the element of surprise on my side, and I decided not to act right away.

Instead, I put my plan into action and watched where Eggman was headed. Sure, I could just stand there and watch it, but then I wouldn't be right there with the Emerald when the Beacon came to a stop.

I made a lightning-fast change of plans, and took a flying leap off the building and landed squarely on the back of the Beacon, spreading my arms for balance. It was definitely worth the risk to get a birds-eye view of the city below me.

One of the biggest tourist attractions appeared to be a construction site. The area near it and the couple blocks around it were packed with people. They started to clear out as soon as they saw Eggman. They were either taking pictures or screaming and running for their lives, the majority choosing the latter.

That must be where the Chaos Emerald is, I thought.

Then I noticed that there were absolutely no news crews anywhere near the site – only a heavy police presence. I could see why. From Knuckles' experience, without the Master Emerald in this universe, the Chaos Emeralds tended to be more chaotic. It would have done a lot of damage to the equipment.

Now that I knew where the Emerald was, I decided to ditch my ride.

"Thanks for the lift, Eggy! Keep the change!" I called before attempting to grind through the Beacon. It would have worked had it not seen it coming. It pulled up and flew with its nose pointed directly upward, causing me to almost lose my balance. Then I saw its beak open, and a pink energy wave threw me off of the Beacon. Good thing I was planning to get off anyway.

"You're getting smarter, Eggman," I muttered. "I'll give you that."

I landed on the roof of a smaller building, and decided to go after the Beacon so that it wouldn't be a nuisance when I tried to find the Emerald. I vaulted myself back toward the Beacon, but it reactivated its energy shield, bouncing me off and throwing me to the ground. I grunted as I stood back up. There had to be a way to get past that shield…

I heard another motor in the sky, this time a much friendlier-sounding one. Looking up, I saw the familiar blue fuselage of the Tornado 2, complete with my name printed on the side. Backup had finally arrived. I squinted, and I could barely see Amy in the back seat, holding out a Power Ring for me. I smirked. That could be my one ticket to breaking the energy shield.

I got a running start and leaped toward the Tornado. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eggman pointing directly at the Tornado.

That better not be an interception order, I thought.

But sadly, it was an interception order.

The Beacon flew over and nudged the belly of the Tornado ever so slightly as it passed it. That was all it took to jostle the plane and cause Amy to lose her grip on the ring. But that wasn't all.

As I ran toward the ring, the Beacon flew over and bumped it away from me. I lost sight of it somewhere, and I knew I couldn't waste precious time searching for it. Maybe I could come back after this battle and look for it – that is, if someone hadn't sold it on eBay already.

Its next target was me. As it swooped down toward me, I attempted to home attack it with all my might, but only resulted in giving myself a headache as I was thrown backward again. This was not my day…


The construction site – Mon August 22; 3:53 PM – Chris' POV

At last, I saw Juniper Street in front of me. And oh boy, I might have bitten off a lot more than I could chew…

There were police officers and cars everywhere. Traffic appeared to be mostly clear in the area, but there was debris from… something. Not to mention I saw Sonic in the distance fighting Dr. Eggman and what looked like a new and far more dangerous robot of his.

Fortunately, the battle appeared to offer a distraction for everyone, and since no one was making a move for the construction site, that meant the Chaos Emerald was still there.

But how do I get in there? I mused.

I spotted a part of the fence that appeared to be destroyed, as if a heavy vehicle had driven through it. And I spotted the culprit, a backhoe, further down Juniper Street. It was being flagged off by police tape. I had no idea what happened, but I felt like I would find out soon enough.

That hole in the fence was my way in. There was always a chance that I would be caught, but I chose not to think about it.

I ditched my bike at the street corner and crossed the empty street. There was no need to press the crossing button, as there wasn't really any traffic nearby. Taking another quick look up, I saw Sonic and Eggman's robot still fighting, but Eggman himself was nowhere in sight. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I carefully climbed over the broken fence and entered the construction site, all the while wondering why no one was trying to stop me.

It was pretty much what I expected a construction site to look like – dirt, trucks, cement, and steel girders everywhere. The place was huge! Maybe a little too huge considering I was on an urgent mission to find a magic gemstone from another world. I didn't have to do this, and I knew I probably shouldn't have trespassed, but I was already in too deep.

Wait a minute…

I quickly spotted a small green glow in a mound of dirt on the other side of the construction site.

I found the Chaos Emerald!

I ran for all I was worth toward the unearthly glow. And indeed, it was unearthly. No one would believe me if I told them that for someone who has had no experience in mining or anything similar, I, an ordinary kid, had found a precious gemstone buried in plain sight. Not only that, but I also beat Sonic and Eggman to it!

I finally reached the Chaos Emerald and quickly used my hands to unearth it. Sure, my hands were dirty now, but it was totally worth it.

Once I finished removing all the dirt around the Emerald, I picked it up and examined it. It may have looked like a gem I would probably find at a gift shop, and it even felt like one too, but its beautiful, bright glow was mesmerizing. It was even warm to the touch, as if its power had recently been used. Furthermore, I could actually feel the Emerald's power coursing through me. I felt as if I was more alert, and possibly stronger. In fact, I could feel a slight tingling sensation running through me, and I felt a bit nervous to hold it for too long.

I cautioned myself to not get too carried away, as Amy had mentioned something about humans not being able to use the Emeralds like Sonic could. After all, I was not a Mobian.

I had been so enchanted by the Emerald's beauty and power that I almost forgot I had legs. Legs to run off the construction site before I was fined for trespassing. Legs to take the Chaos Emerald home and show the others. Legs to avoid Eggman before he forcefully pushed me to the ground.

I was sent roughly sprawling to the dirt. I didn't know how I didn't hear the engine of Eggman's hovercraft, or the sound of his footsteps. As soon as I turned around, I yelped and took a step back when I saw the doctor himself, and the Emerald safely in the palm of the grinning scientist's gloved hand.

I stood up and faced him. Now that I was seeing him up close for the first time, he looked like both a cartoon character and a real threat at the same time. His red suit, his goggles, his glasses, his oversized mustache – he looked every inch the adversary of Sonic the Hedgehog. And it frightened me to see him up close.

"G-Give it back!" I demanded.

"Finders keepers," Eggman said with an amused chuckle. "I'll have you know I called dibs on this last night. It was never yours to begin with."

"But–"

"Waaait a minute," he realized, as if he recognized me. "Aren't you the one I saw with Tails in the Tornado yesterday?"

I nodded, shaking in my sneakers.

"Well, did those furries living with you ever tell you that humans have absolutely no use for Chaos Emeralds? None! Zero! Besides, you're just a kid. You would hardly know what to do with such a powerful artifact as a Chaos Emerald!"

I felt more than a little frightened in his presence. I mean, this was Sonic's arch-nemesis. If he was as bad as Sonic said he was, then…

"Um… N-No," I responded as evenly as I could, "b-but Sonic does…"

"Really now," Eggman said. "So can I. You should see what I've used the Emeralds for in the past."

"I-I don't care!" I almost shouted. "How did you know it was here? How did you know that Sonic is living with me?"

Eggman folded his arms. "I have my ways," he simply stated. "Besides, I don't even need to know where your house is to know they're staying with you. I knew this when I saw you yesterday. Now leave."

No way would I leave, not when the fate of the Emerald rested on my shoulders. Suddenly I felt brave. I ran after Eggman, who was surprisingly fast in spite of his weight. He leaped into his hovercraft and started to rise into the air. With an extra burst of adrenalin, I grabbed hold of the right wing, and I was lifted up into the air with Eggman. I would not let go. Not for anything in the world.

"Leave him alone!" I heard a gruff voice shout beneath us. I dared to look down, and I saw Knuckles, who had a mixture of fear, horror, and anger on his features.

I immediately regretted looking down. We were a good fifteen feet above the ground, and I was already starting to get vertigo. Eggman responded by swiveling the hovercraft to the left. I tightened my grip on the wing, wondering if I had been foolish to do what I did.

"Let go! I'll catch you!" Knuckles shouted, right before he was hit by a laser fired by the hovercraft. Well, there went my rescue attempt…

With Knuckles down, the hovercraft continued to rise into the air. I couldn't let go. I wouldn't. The city was getting further and further away. Suddenly it hit me how foolish I had been. I didn't know I was going to risk my life for a powerful artifact like the Chaos Emerald. I clung to the wing so hard that not only did my knuckles turn white, but I knew I would probably get callouses later.

Death was a very real possibility.

And I was too scared to scream for help.


Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:55 PM – Sonic's POV

The Beacon I was still fighting may have been fast, but it still had nothing on me. I gained on it as it flew away from me. Then it flew straight up and flipped over, so now I was on the receiving end of the chase. Instead of running like it probably wanted me to, I home-attacked the Beacon again. Once again, its shield protected itself from all damage. I was starting to get fed up with it.

Just then I saw a missile flying down from above. I was confused at first, until I realized it was the Tornado launching a Power Ring down to me. I would get a chance at redemption, a second shot at taking down the Beacon.

Once it was within range, the ring popped out of the tip of the rocket and landed in my open hand, empowering me with its energy. We had performed drills with fake rings in years past, so Tails and I had perfected this technique. The now-hollow rocket exploded on impact with Beacon, doing no damage because of the energy shield.

The Beacon began to fly upward again, like it was trying to taunt me. Challenge accepted.

I was just about to chase it when I heard someone calling my name. Turning, I saw Knuckles approaching me, looking like he was out of breath.

"The kid…!" he started to say, but stammered.

"Slow down a bit," I encouraged, secretly hoping he wouldn't, as Power Ring energy could only last so long.

"The kid…" he panted, pointing above us. "He's up there with Eggman… I couldn't stop him…"

"Chris…" I muttered, before immediately running up the nearby skyscraper. I could kill two robo-birds with one spin-dash: kill this robo-bird with a spin dash, and see where Eggman and Chris were.

So I landed a perfect ring-powered impact in the Beacon, leaving a Sonic-shaped hole in its inner workings right before it exploded. Landing on the skyscraper, I caught sight of the Eggmobile, and made out poor Chris clinging to its wing for dear life.

I had no idea how or why he was up there, but as I ran back down the skyscraper, I knew I had to brace myself for a life-or-death rescue.


Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:55 PM – Chris' POV

I had never been more scared in my whole life.

There I was, hanging onto Eggman's hovercraft for my life about two thousand feet above the ground. I couldn't make myself look down. I wouldn't. Doing so would only make my fear worse.

But I knew I couldn't back down on my mission. It was far too late for that.

I worked up just enough courage and willpower to lift my right leg onto the wing of Eggman's hovercraft. Once I was sure I had a secure footing, I let go of the ledge and raised my other leg onto the wing. Now I was fully on the wing.

It was a wonder Eggman didn't see me yet. He was busy activating his radio.

"Eggman to E-11," he spoke. "We got what we came for. Return to base."

No response.

"Eggman to E-11, do you hear me?"

Still nothing.

"Blast that meddling hedgehog," he growled. That was a good sign. Maybe that meant Sonic destroyed the robot!

Then I saw it – the Chaos Emerald was resting in Eggman's lap. It was within my reach, but I would have to be very stealthy about obtaining it, though.

Very carefully, I inched my way toward Eggman, then suddenly lunged for the Emerald. I briefly touched it, but it managed to escape from me and roll to the other side of Eggman's lap.

Of all the miserable luck… And of course, Eggman saw what I was trying to do.

"You obviously didn't think that through, did you," he chastised. "You should know I don't like hitchhikers."

He immediately tilted his hovercraft to the right. I nearly lost my balance, but the sudden adrenalin rush I got gave me a second wind, and I reached for the Emerald once again. This time, I firmly felt it in my grasp. As I continued to lose my balance, I made a wild grab for anything to stay aloft, which in this case happened to be his very long mustache.

"GAAHHH! Let go let go let go!" he screamed. It would have been funny under different circumstances. He immediately leveled his vehicle out in an attempt to get me to let go, which I did not.

"Give me that Emerald!" he said as darkly as he could under the pain of his facial hair being pulled.

I summoned all the courage I could muster to bellow a hearty "NO!"

The struggle continued, with me trying to grab onto other parts of Eggman's hovercraft to keep myself from falling, and Eggman trying to make me let go of his mustache and the Chaos Emerald. In our scuffle, he accidentally pressed two buttons, causing the entire vehicle to tilt to the side, leaving me hanging over the air!

Never before had my heart pounded this fast and hard. And it beat even harder when I felt my grip slipping.

"H-Help me!" I pleaded in a last-ditch attempt, hoping he would have even a sliver of mercy.

And with that, I fell.

Only two thousand feet separated me from the cold hard ground below. I began to wonder if I shouldn't have let go. My grip on the Chaos Emerald tightened. I knew I would die, but I would make sure the Chaos Emerald went down with me. Eggman would never get a hold of it.

I honestly had no idea whether or not Eggman would help me. I knew he was Sonic's enemy, and since I was Sonic's friend, common logic stated that I was Eggman's enemy as well. But maybe there was a little compassion in him, if any…

My heart pounded like a drum in my ears. The wind was hitting my face so hard I was almost forced to close my eyes. I knew that death was within seconds. Sonic was still fighting that robot, and Tails was too far away to do anything. All hope was lost.

All that was processed in about nine seconds. The last thing I remembered before I passed out from total fear was the sensation of two gloved hands breaking my fall and carrying me to safety at supersonic speed.


Thorndyke Mansion - Chuck's lab – Mon August 22; 4:12 PM – Chris' POV

"I gotta be honest, I'm a bit worried about what it's gonna do to… pretty much everything in here."

"Hey, don't worry Chuck, I can always fix 'em up for you. Buuut, I may or may not end up making 'em work better…"

I slowly regained my senses, my eyes fluttering open as I became aware of the sound of soft conversation around me as well as amused chuckling. I was in Grandpa's lab. But… how did I not die? I was supposed to hit the ground below and… But I was here…

"I think he's waking up…" I heard Tails softly announce to the rest of the room.

I turned my head to the right, and I saw the small orange fox standing next to the bed I was in. With him were Grandpa, Amy, Cream and Cheese. They were all looking down at me with very worried expressions. Little Cream was wide-eyed at what had almost happened to me. The adrenalin was still draining from me, so I was feeling weak and very tired.

I started to slowly sit up, So many questions were on my mind, but just as I was about to ask one, Grandpa motioned for me to lie back down.

"Lie back down, Chris," Grandpa instructed. As I did so, he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Chris… you almost died today," he spoke, his voice sounding strained. "You nearly fell to your death."

"Y-Y-Yeah," I responded quietly as I looked down. I felt tears in my eyes from the memory.

"Chris… look at me. Your friends were very worried about you. Now I know you want to help your friends… help them collect these Chaos Emeralds and help them return home… but you can't put yourself in danger like that again. You know how your parents worry about you, so please… promise me you're going to be more careful in the future and not… throw yourself into danger headfirst."

"Y-Yes, Grandpa," I responded, before I looked around the room. "Um… D-Did S-Sonic save me…?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "He caught you just a couple seconds before you hit the ground."

"I saw you falling," Tails added, "but sadly, I couldn't do anything to help you. I'm glad Sonic saw you when he did." He took a deep breath. "I was really worried…"

"We all were…" Amy said.

My thoughts drifted to the prize we had found today.

"And… wh-what happened to… th-the Emerald…?" I didn't know if I had accidentally dropped it after I passed out.

In response, Cream picked up the shiny green gem from off the desk on the other side of the room. She then walked over to me and gently placed it into my hands. Cheese hovered toward me and gave me a gentle hug, nuzzling against my cheek (he was really soft), like he was assuring me that I was going to be all right.

"We're one step closer to home now…" Cream solemnly whispered.

"Chao chao…" Cheese replied just as quietly, and I hugged him gently like a teddy bear. I was still very much shaken up.

I examined the Chaos Emerald. It was not as warm as it was before, but it still felt exactly the same nonetheless. If that was only a fraction of its power that I had witnessed… then what was its full potential? What would it be like if all seven of them were to come together? Then spectacular things would happen… and Sonic and friends would be able to go home. Now that I was getting to know them better, I didn't know if I really wanted them to leave right away.

I had put those thoughts aside before I got too worked up on the inside.

"Um… I-Is Sonic here?" I asked.

"Right here, buddy," Sonic called from the windowsill on the wall behind me. He hopped off and walked to my bedside. "Good to see you're still kickin'!"

"Um… S-Sonic…" I began, not sure how to phrase what I was about to say.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry… f-for getting in danger like that. I almost lost the Emerald… and it's my fault-"

"But you got it back in the end, didn't ya?" Sonic replied with a confident smirk. "That's all that matters. Heh, for a kid… I gotta say you're really daring. I mean, risking it all to take a Chaos Emerald right out of the hands of Eggman himself – that's awesome in my book. You were way past cool back there!"

As Sonic gave me a thumbs-up, I couldn't help but smile at that really big compliment!

"You know, I think we might have actually lost it if it weren't for you, Chris," Amy added. "Great job!"

"By the way, how did you find out about it?" asked a curious Tails.

"I think I heard some of the teachers talking about it when I was leaving," I replied, adjusting myself beneath the covers of Grandpa's bed. "I think it's a good thing I'm a fast biker," I chuckled weakly.

"You did good today, Chris, but Gramps is right. You gotta try and take care of yourself next time, okay, buddy?" Sonic said. Grandpa nodded his agreement.

"Okay," I answered. I hoped I would never find myself in one of those situations again.

My gaze returned to the Emerald. There was so much power inside this gem…

"One down, six to go…" I whispered.

"Yes," Cream responded, starting to get excited. "Then we can all go home, and I can see my mother!"

"Yeah!" replied Amy. "And the Chao Garden too!"

"Yaaay!" cheered Cream.

Again it hurt me that Cream had to be without her mom for an extended period of time, especially since she was only six. But I knew she also had great, supportive friends who could take care of her, just as I did. There was definitely something different about Mobians compared to humans - a special kind of different. They were true friends, willing to risk it all to protect their own and keep them from harm. And I was proud to be called one of their friends.

I looked from Sonic to Grandpa, to Tails, to Amy, to Cream and Cheese, before returning my gaze to the beauty of the Emerald. We had won, but it almost came at a really high cost. At least we had gotten the Chaos Emerald at the end of the day. Even though I was shaken from my near-death experience, I couldn't wait to see what my next adventure would bring.


A/N: I can't resist my fluff endings, can I? We always need some fluff to offset the seriousness of the story.

Anyway, that's "Chaos Emerald Chaos"! Once again, I enjoyed writing this chapter, as it is one of my favorite early episodes. For a bit, I struggled with the school scenes, as I thought that would make complications with my "Techno-Teacher" rewrite. That one was hard to write; more on that when we get there.

I knew the President needed an actual name besides being called just the President. According to the Japanese version, he was addressed as "Michael K" in "Prize Fights", but he signed his name as "Michael R" in the Shadow Saga. So I combined both aspects and called him President Michael Klaus Remerson. (Remerson is one of my ancestors' last names in real life, BTW. Klaus I totally made up.)

One part that drove me up a wall in this episode was the ending sequence. I know I couldn't have Mr. Stewart attempt a rescue. That would blow his cover, Chris would still die on impact with the cushioned seat because of his fall rate, and he was too far away. But that's not what got me. What got me was the fact that Chris was standing and completely fine in the last scene with no signs of adrenalin rush whatsoever. So the point is: Chris can't be "just fine" after nearly falling to his death! Also, his grandpa shrugged off with a laugh the idea that his only grandson nearly died that day. …Wow.

Overall differences:

- I switched the order of the first two scenes.
- I greatly extended the scene where Sonic and his friends were telling Chris and Chuck, and also, added in that they already knew about Super Sonic. In the original anime, "Countdown to Chaos" was apparently the very first time Sonic went super. That is not nthe case in this story.
- I decided that before this episode, Chris was not friends with Danny and Frances yet, to add more legitimacy to Chris not having friends before Sonic. As for Helen, I sadly couldn't fit her in this chapter.
- I did my best to have Mr. Stewart act more natural around Chris.
- I removed the scene where Cream was reading, as it would have made the news report scene redundant.
- I took a creative liberty by giving E-11 Beacon a force field.
- I added Knuckles to the chapter.
- I rewrote the entire ending to the episode, as per what I mentioned earlier.

Originally I was going to have Chris tell Danny and Frances that Sonic was living with him. I'm glad I revised that.

And I think that just about does it! If you like it, leave a review; they are very encouraging. If you see something that needs editing, like a continuity error or an OOC character, let me know as well, and I'll correct it!

Also, I'd mention this this at the beginning, but I don't know if readers would forget by the time they get to the end. Anyway, I'm looking for a beta reader for this story. If you are a beta reader, PM me and we can work something out. Also, I'm available to beta read if you have a story that needs my services. (EDIT: I already have one now!)

Next time is "Cracking Knuckles", where Sonic and Knuckles go head to head in an all-out fight! Don't miss it!