Daniel, Cream and Tails: Musical Maestros
By: DJ Rodriguez
(Authors Notes: Hello everyone! How are you all doing? I hope all of you are doing well, and I apologize for the wait here concerning this story!
Before I say or do anything else, I want to give praise and honor to the Lord. Thank you Jesus for once again getting my butt back in gear with writing! It's been tough for me to find the motivation to write, but thanks to you I feel the fire getting back into my soul, heart, mind and spirit! Will do my best to keep the flame alit as long as I am able! I ask you God to keep looking out for me, my family, my friends and those in the world Lord that need you very much. The world sadly is still very much mixed-up/messed-up, but I will do my best to stick with you & not give in to the world.
It is tough to stay obey and stay true to Jesus Christ considering what is going on in the world, especially with news feeds that seem to pump out outrageous reports that make me question the sanity of people and the way the world is going. But going to do my best, and hope & pray for the best for the planet, the people and the various countries abroad.
And also, there is some news I wish to give out to everyone. I am letting you know that I am done with Disney.
On May 25th of this year, I went to get the mail. I found a rather large brown parcel package, soon opening it up and reading a letter from the Walt Disney Company that was sent on the 23rd of May. I was surprised as I had not written any letters to the Disney company for some years now. I opened the large parcel... only to find that it had ALL of the letters I had sent them, plus pictures showcasing my Monsters and Magic series. It seemed that all this time, they kept the letters & pictures while they just sent me the rejection ones. And now... they just sent back ALL of my letters and pictures, along with another fancy-written but still rejection letter which now seals the deal.
So that is it... my dream of my Disney/Toho works becoming more than fanfiction... it is gone. It is done.
And frankly, I am not that pleased at all with Disney. My viewing of them has dropped significantly since they hopped on the WOKE (or should I say STONED) Movement & New Normal bandwagon. And after receiving the parcel… just decided that it is done.
Heh… after some serious thinking, I believe that it is a blessing in disguise. If Disney had accepted my stories, but changed it to suit today's society and culture standards… most likely it would have seriously broken my heart, seeing my works corrupted/tainted/defiled like so.
So for the time being, just going to stick to the classic and true Disney of old. The kind I grew up with as a kid. But until the company gets off the toxic & wrong bandwagon for good, just done with Disney. No more trips to Disney World or on a Disney Cruise.
But now… this leaves me with one burning question. What do I do now? My dreams/hopes of my works becoming more than just mere fanfiction is now gone, dust. And even if I did make a series of my own, it wouldn't feel right & also there is a good chance that it would be altered/changed to suit the WOKE/New Normal Movement… and THAT I will not allow!
I will do my best for my Author friend danielman21 for this story. And once this story is finished, will focus on my own projects that I hope to get done soon.
I wish to do this for my Tia Pamela Espurova-Allen, and will keep doing it until some solid news comes in. She is working with police and other official groups to locate and bring home a missing girl that is part of a family she works with & has befriended.
Her name is Lina Khil, a little girl that was taken on December 20th, 2021. The search is still on for her, but so far… no luck.
Her information is this: She was four years old when she was abducted; hair brown, eyes brown, race Afghan, weight 55 lbs. & height 4'0. If any can help to locate and find her, please do so and notify the proper authorities. Hoping and praying still that she is found alive & returned to her family. They have put up a special about her on TV thanks to the San Antonio Police Department. Any information you wish to seek about her you can search for online, and hopefully it will help to find her and bring her back home safely.
We cannot please everyone, nor do we ever wish to do so. I believe in the words of my pastor Rick Godwin from Summit Christian Center at San Antonio and it is this: If you try to please everyone, you lose yourself entirely. So while others may not be pleased at this, it is what it is. Our aim is not to please all, but to write a worthwhile story that follows Truth. No more, no less.
There will be NO kind of characters or reference to slash or femme-slash of any kind. There will also be no trans, gender-free, binary/non-binary, gender-neutral characters or notions in this special series, nor in any of my other stories. See my Profile bio to see where I firmly stand in and at. In this I am VERY serious about! Will NOT follow ever the WOKE (STONED) movement or this New Normal junk that has been seriously poisoning the communities, people, societies and culture!
Also, will be giving certain characters OC names from the website 20000-NAMES, as I have done in my previous stories. Each name is linked to a different nation, and has a different meaning. To see what they mean, go to website to look it up.
I do not own the plot, my new Author friend does. Neither of us own Sonic X, as it is a television animated series that was created in Japan. It was directed by Haijime Kamegaki, produced by Takeshi Sasamura & Tadahito Matsumoto. The original network is was broadcasted from is TV Tokyo in Japan, and in the United States by many other networks such as Disney Channel, Jetix, Fox, 4Kids TV and more. It ran from April 2003 to April 2005.
Also, will be utilizing a level or so from the video game Sonic Forces even though I have never played the game itself.
Here are the songs that Tails and the others will be practicing on:
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - 2nd Movement by Mozart
Water Music - Suite #2 in D Major by George Frideric Handel
The 4 Seasons - Spring - 1st Movement by Antonio Vivaldi
Livin' on a Prayer- Bon Jovi
Now, on with the story!)
It was 7:00 a.m., the sun rising up over the village that was home to many especially the Rabbit family. The large warm sphere in the heavens dispelled the last remnants of the twilight that was once night. The rays of the large star warmed all that it touched, arousing many living beings from their sleep. Many animals within the forest area of the village roused from their slumber, soon ready to start the day.
Near the pond within the woods near the Rabbit residence, Big yawned as the rays woke him up. He rubbed the sleep dust from his eyes, the large anthro cat feeling his energy stirring up within his being. On top of his head, Froggy was waking up too as the amphibian blinked his large frog eyes to get adjusted to the sun.
Inside the inn that Amy was staying in, the rays were unable to touch her due to the room being in a place away from where the sun rose. Miss Rose kept on sleeping peacefully, by her side an alarm clock that would wake her up at 8:00 a.m.
At the Rabbit abode, the sun's rays were going through the bedroom window of Vanilla. Said motherly beauty was sleeping peacefully in her bed, her right side holding the small sleeping human boy known as Daniel. The two were cuddled together, the little one seeking comfort and warmth from the anthro rabbit. When the sunlight hit the side of Vanilla, she groaned softly as the light started to penetrate through her closed eyelids.
She opened her right eye just a crack, putting one of her hands up automatically to block the light. Normally, the shades to the window would be pulled down. But it seemed that she forgot to do so due to her current company that was snuggled against her. Vanilla soon opened both eyes, her vision gradually getting into focus & soon seeing the clear vision of Daniel sleeping next to her.
The patient anthro rabbit smiled softly down at her current charge, seeing his sleeping face making her giggle. She than looked up slightly and across from him to a clock that was on a dresser nearby. Vanilla saw the time, and knew that it was time to wake up. Normally, she would stay in bed until 7:30 a.m. or so, but today was a special day due to Danny's presence.
He had spent the night with him, the first of many, and she wanted to do something special to commemorate it. She reached out gently to the sleeping boy, using her body to shield the young human from the sun's rays. Vanilla gently shook the boy and whispered in a soft, soothing tone, "Danny… Danny… time to wake up sweetie.".
The little human groaned in a way that was cute, turning over and replying in a tired, mumbled down, "Just… five more… minutes… Mommy…".
Vanilla giggled softly, amused by her charge's reply. She shook him gently once more and stated, "Sorry dear, but you need to wake up. I am going to make you and the others something special, but you need to wake up.".
Danny started to come to, the voice and the words 'special' driving his brain to reboot a bit more and come fully into the realm of awakening. He reached up to rub the sleep dust from his eyes, opening them and speaking softly in a confused tone, "Special? But mommy, it's not my birthday. And why does your voice sound…?".
The words died down on his lips when he turned his head to look upward, his eyes opening slowly and fluttering a bit to get the necessary focus and clarity back in place. He temporary saw the face of his mother, but it soon faded out and was replaced by the smiling face of Vanilla.
The young human looked mildly surprised and whispered in a tone that followed his emotion, "Miss Vanilla? Is that you?"
Vanilla nodded her head and answered, "It's me dear. And no, this is not a dream.". She knew what was going on through his mind, and her assumption was correct.
Young Daniel slowly rose from his current lying position, now sitting up as he rubbed his eyes more. He looked back to Vanilla, than gazed around the room that was now lit up thanks to the sun's rays. He looked around more, than turning his gaze back to the anthro rabbit and whispered in awe, "It… It wasn't a dream. Yesterday… really happened…".
The motherly woman nodded her head once more and said, "Yes dear, everything yesterday did happen. It is all real, especially this one now.". She put a hand to his cheek gently, the young boy feeling the soft warmth from the hand. But not only that, but also the gentle love & strength flowing into the touch. It really did remind the seven-year old of the touch his mother gave to him, causing his eyes to water a little as he remembered that said mother & his father were out there without him.
Vanilla saw the look in his eyes, and seeing the moisture come forth from said eyes and asked in a concerned tone, "Dear, what is wrong?".
Little Daniel answered in a small voice followed by a sniffle, "I wish my Mom and Dad were here… I miss them… sniff…".
Seeing that the small human was about to cry, Vanilla gathered him up in a gentle hug. The warmth of the body, and also the gentle motherly love flowing through it, managed to calm Danny down some. The mature anthro beauty whispered soothingly, "Shhh, shhh… there, there Danny. Your parents will be retrieved and brought back here soon. Mr. Vector and his friends will bring them back soon. Until then, I will take care of you like you were my own.".
The words managed to pierce through the young child's mind, the little one looking up at Vanilla with hopeful eyes. Both at the promise of his parents being brought back to him, and also that Vanilla would look after him as if he were her own child. He sniffled slightly and asked, "Promise?".
Vanilla smiled softly and replied in a positive tone, "I promise dearie.".
This really made the day brighter for Danny, as the young Clark lad clung to the bosom of the anthro woman but in delight as the sadness was replaced with hope and joy. The two remained like that for some time until Ms. Rabbit spoke up, "Okay dear, now its time to really wake up and take day. I'll prepare a bath for you, while you go and wake up Cream, Cheese, Cosmo and Tails please.".
Danny nodded his head, eager to obey and please Vanilla very much. He turned and managed to get out of bed, straighten out the pajamas that Tails gave to him. Thankfully the sleeves were the long ones, not the legs, as he soon rushed to leave the bedroom and fulfill Vanilla's request. The motherly beauty giggled softly as she shook her head, rising up and stretching her limbs to get the blood flowing. Once it was done, she went to her bathroom to start the bath for Danny.
Danny went towards Cream's room first, but he momentarily stopped to look down the railing into the living room. He saw the sleeping form of Cosmo on the bed, the alien anthro girl snoring softly as she was still asleep. Smiling at seeing her, the young human decided to wake her up last. He went to Cream's room, testing the door and seeing that it was unlocked. He slowly opened it, the door creaking but thankfully not loud enough to wake up Cosmo below.
The little human saw that the room was pretty dark, save for a nightlight that was on. It seemed that Cream had pulled down the curtains earlier before going to bed, thus the darkness. Said object was in the shape of a gray box with a black picture in it with three blue stars on it. Danny scratched his head, wondering what the nightlight was supposed to be. He soon shrugged his shoulders, believing it wasn't important and looked to where his target was. Cream was sound asleep, snuggling with Cheese like he was a teddy bear. In which case it was apt consider the small size and plushness of the Chao.
The Clark lad really did not want to wake up Cream as she looked so peaceful, but he knew that it had to be done as he did not want to upset Vanilla by disobeying her instructions. He went over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her while whispering, "Cream? Cheese? Come on, it's time to wake up.".
Cream moaned softly, the disturbance from her sleep cycle causing her to wake up. She let go of Cheese, the small Chao plopping beside her on the soft bed mattress. The little blue guy was also entering back in the waking world thanks to the little turbulence, Cheese rubbing his eyes as he slowly opened them.
The little bunny girl propped herself on her elbows slowly, she too rubbing the sleep dust from her eyes. She opened them up slowly, her eyes gaining focus thanks to the room being dark but lit up just right thanks to the nightlight & the light coming in from the doorway. She saw Danny and mumbled sleepily, "Danny? What are you doing here? What time is it?". Cheese floated up to be shown, also speaking in his native tongue on why he was woken up like so.
He smiled at her and answered, "Sorry Cream, Cheese. Vanilla asked me to wake you and the others. And the clock shows… 7:00 a.m.". He pointed to a clock that was on Cream's nightstand, a circular object with a picture of Sonic in the middle of it with his arms stretched out to be the minute & hour hands.
Cream yawned cutely, covering her mouth automatically on reflex, and got into a sitting position. She looked to Danny and said softly, "Thanks for waking me up Danny. Me and Cheese will get ready. And also, good luck at waking Tails up. Sometimes he wakes easy… but sometimes he can sleep through just about anything.".
She was not joking there. While Tails was a light-sleeper most of the time, sometimes it took much to get him out of bed. Vanilla once joked, "A whole army of Badniks could rouse him from his sleep.". It took something extreme to wake him up, such as Chao giving him a Wet Willy, which got the fox boy up good. Chao had seen something like that pulled from watching an old school comedy trio back on Earth, something called the Three Stooges featuring Larry, Curly and Moe.
Danny nodded his head, thanking her for the info before leaving to go wake up Tails. When the young man left the room, going to the one Tails was at and doing what he did earlier to enter Cream's room, he saw that the room was dark & no nightlight was present. The open door did provide some light, so the small human had to walk carefully least he trip on something. Thankfully, Tails always made sure his room was clean so there was nothing to trip over.
When he got close enough, Danny saw the bed and Tails sleeping with most of his body under the covers. He went to the two-tailed fox, shaking his shoulders gently and whispering for him to wake up. It seemed that Tails was now in Light Sleeper-mode, groaning as he started to move on his own accord. He reached over to turn on his lamp, which was near him on his left side. He clicked it on, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and opening said orbs up.
Once he got his vision back into good enough focus, he saw the concerned look of Danny and managed to mumble out in sleepiness, "Danny? What's… yawn… going on? Why are you here?".
The small human smiled as the fox showed he was not cranky when woken up, especially his father Mathias when he woke him up on Saturday mornings. He answered, "Good morning Tails! Vanilla told me to come and wake you and the others up, so I'm doing it. Going downstairs to wake Cosmo up.".
It was then the memories of last night came back to him, and hearing that Cosmo was in fact there made him know that yesterday was not a dream. His crush was back, and he intended to make sure it was for good! He looked to Danny, smiling and said, "Heh, thanks for doing this Danny. Okay, I'm up so go and wake Cosmo up too. I'll get ready shortly.".
Danny nodded his head before turning and going out the door. When he left Tails's brain started to reboot and recall everything from yesterday. So he realized that he and the others needed to practice and get everything ready for Vanilla's upcoming birthday.
Downstairs, Danny had managed to wake Cosmo up. Unlike the others, the alien plant girl actually smiled as she rose up with grace. It seemed that like a plant, she gained energy from the sun & the rays of the sun that had managed to come through the windows had roused her from her slumber & she was very much waiting to take the day. She thanked Danny for waking her up, the young smiling as he said he was glad that she was up.
Seeing him in those pajamas made Cosmo giggle slightly as she found it cute on him, and seeing him tilt his head slightly in confusion at her actions just made him more adorable to her. Cosmo than said with joy in her tone, "Come here Danny! You look so cute right now that I just want to give you a hug!".
The young man smile was as bright as the sun itself when he came on the mattress and gave Cosmo the hug she wanted to give. It was a cute moment, as Cosmo was like the older sister & Danny was the younger brother. A family moment that one would wish they could get a picture of and save it in the scrapbook.
After a few moments, Cosmo let Danny go & it seemed that someone's timing was good as Vanilla's voice called out from upstairs, "Danny dear, your bath is ready! Time to get cleaned up!".
The seven year-old called out, "I'm coming!". He looked to Cosmo, thanked her for the hug and rushed upstairs to take his bath. The alien plant beauty giggled softly, saying to herself that Danny was just too adorable for his own good.
It was 7:45 a.m., and now everyone was at the table. While everyone got cleaned up, Vanilla had taken the opportunity to make breakfast which was pancakes. In the past, her pancakes were usually fluffy and thick but she did learn a new trick to making them better from Ella. She put a little more milk into the mixture, and adding some melted butter into the batter. And to pour it onto the griddle lightly and spread out so they would be thin, not thick.
But that turned out to be a good thing as the pancakes were almost paper-thin, but so delicious that it was divine to Vanilla. And so she would make her pancakes like so, and it was a boon to Cream and Tails as whenever she made them… they looked like they had died and gone to Heaven after eating just one bit of her creation.
While she was making breakfast, Cosmo took the sheets & covers off the mattress and levitated said bed back into the storage space closet. She also used her powers to move the couches and such back into their original positions in the living room. That is when Tails and Cream came down, all freshened up after a quick shower in the other restroom. And emerging last was Danny, who had finished his bath and dried himself off. He was in some of Tails' old clothes that did fit him, though again the sleeves were a bit longer on his arms. But it was not much of an issue.
And now everyone was at the table, enjoying the sweet food and drinks that Vanilla provided.
While they ate, Vanilla asked her children, "So Tails, what are your plans for the day?".
The two-tailed genius fox swallowed some of his pancakes, looked to his mother and answered, "Well, I think I would show Danny how my workshop works and also show him some of my inventions.". It was a clever ploy, as Tails had whispered to the others earlier while Vanilla was making food exactly what they were going to do, which was practice some of the music. As soon when Vanilla was off the premises, of course.
Danny gulped down some orange juice to wash his food down and stated with energy, "Yeah! I would like to see what kind of things you do invent! I bet they're all cool!".
Vanilla looked to her daughter and asked, "And what about you Cream? What are your plans?". Normally, the children would be at school but said establishment was closed for two weeks for renovations.
Cream answered back in her adorable tone, "Well, I was thinking of showing Danny around the forest with Amy, Cosmo and Big. Also I want to show him and Cosmo one of my special spots.".
This intrigued Cosmo and Danny as the young lad looked up and asked what it was, with Cream answering that he'll just have to wait until she does show it him. Vanilla and Tails smiled at this, as they knew of Cream's special spots. They had been to one of them before; the special spots were caverns that were spread out deep within the forest, and were linked to other caverns that snaked throughout the entire planet itself underground.
The cavern walls were glistening with sparkling crystals, making it look like the stars in the night sky had gotten stuck on the walls. It was a beautiful sight indeed, and also that if one would go deeper, they would find various gemstones such as small rubies, diamonds, sapphires and the like. However, there as a reason that the Rabbit family never cashed in on the gemstones or crystals. They believed that by removing any of it and cashing it in, it would cause many kinds of people to come and mess up the forest and clearings to dig into the caverns. That it would mess up the natural beauty and splendor of nature, so they decided to keep it to themselves.
In fact, last week Tails, Cream and Cheese went down to one of the cavern tunnels and discovered that a small temple! It was not as big or grand as some of the places Tails had seen on his adventures with Sonic, but it was still impressive that one was underground! And more so when they discovered one of the Chaos Emeralds in it!
You see, when the Chaos Emeralds are used, they are scattered to the very far corners of the planet & settle in random places. And it was actually Knuckles that discovered interesting, finding something from one of his ancestors pages. And it was that the Chaos Emeralds sometimes would return to a place where it had rested for years. They would hone in on the energy signature and soon settle down back in it. It was at random chance, but it was studied enough to prove the theory true, at least for Knuckle's ancestors.
They decided to leave the Emerald there, as it would be risky to remove it as it would attract unwanted attention… especially those of the megalomaniac sort like Robotnik.
The family and friends had soon finished their breakfast, Vanilla putting up the plates with an eager Danny coming to help her. Once all of the plates were in the sink, a knock on the door was heard. Tails answered it, and stepping forth was Amy Rose and she was in a new outfit. She was wearing a white sleeveless shirt with a skirt that had the colors of yellow, red and green on it. And she wore pink heeled shoes that really complimented both the outfit & the wearer.
Tails whistled softly and said with appreciation in his tone, "Wow Amy! You're looking good today!".
The pink hedgehog beauty blushed slightly and replied, "Hahaha! Thanks Tails! Is everyone up, or…?". Her words were cut when she saw Danny running up from behind Tails, indicating that her answer was going to be.
Danny stopped when he saw Amy, seeing her in a new outfit like so made his little heart race. His puppy crush on her was already strong, and this only compounded it more. He blushed and was staring at Miss Rose, who smiled and giggled at the sight before her which was adorable. Tails let her in, the pretty pink anthro lady walking to Danny and saying in a sweet tone, "Good morning little guy. How are you doing today?".
He fidgeted a little, all nervous which caused the ladies & Chao who were watching from a distance behind him giggle softly as they found the scene just too cute. Vanilla wished she had a camera to capture the moment. After a few moments, Danny answered in a shy tone with his face all red, "G-Good morning Amy. Y-You look very pretty today…".
Amy smiled and ruffled his hair, making the little human child blush even more if that was possible. She soon walked past him to greet the others, Tails snickering slightly and shaking his head. He wondering if later on in life his father would show him the ropes on what it meant to woo a lady, when he got old enough that is. He just hoped that he did not pick up Sonic's habit when it came to women.
Now Sonic was a large flirt back in the days, but he soon decided that being single was the best life for him since being tied down would slow him down. And if anything was Sonic, it was to seek a life that was fast and free like the wind. While he had a natural charm with the fair and beautiful opposite sex, he would only flirt with them lightly before going back on the road.
Back to the ladies, Amy asked Vanilla if breakfast was over & she confirmed that it was. Amy was a bit disappointed, as she did have breakfast at the inn but it was mostly cereal and toast. Quickly washing away the feeling of disappointment, she looked to the motherly anthro rabbit and said, "Oh! One thing I need to tell you. Mr. Detheroc needs your help with something at his home. He said that he and his wife are rearranging the furniture, and they need your opinion on it.".
Now this did surprise Vanilla, if only mildly. Mr. Detheroc was an anthro lizard that was a member of the Dragon race, although he did not look anything like Dulcy the Freedom Fighter dragon. He was tall and lean with dark blue scales on most of his body with silver scales on his arms and legs. And even though he was tall and lanky, it was a mistake to underestimate him as the arms were like solid coiled titanium alloy! During robotic attacks on the village, his claws could smash through the metal like they were tinfoil!
And his legs would crush any robot it hit, either by kick or stomp! And his slender tail was like a whip, would slice through almost anything or send anything flying back good! And his teeth could rip through anything with the power of a T-Rex!
And while a fearsome fighter on the field, he was a gentle and sweet to his lady love named Leokadia, another member of the Dragon race. Anything she wanted, he would do with no hesitation. And he would provide, care, love, protect and sacrifice for her with all of his being. Many in the village looked to them as being the prime example of what it meant for love, marriage and a relationship.
There was also the fact that Mr. Dethroc was also a proud being. While not in an arrogant, negative way… he did prefer his own opinion, and also that of his wife.
Vanilla was curious on why they would need her for something like that, but since she did not have much to do, she would be glad to lend any kind of assistance. She looked to Amy and replied, "Do you think you can watch the kids while I'm gone? I'm sure that it won't be that long but…".
Miss Rose smiled and answered in a kind tone, "Of course I can watch the kids, so don't worry.".
The motherly rabbit thanked her for doing this, bending down to give Cream and Cheese a hug and wishing them good luck with the day. She walked over to her son and Danny, giving the two warm hugs and telling them to mind Amy while she is gone. They agreed that they would, the anthro rabbit soon making her way towards the home of the Dragons.
Once she was a suitable distance away, the others looked to Amy who smirked and stated, "Detheroc told me that he and certain other neighbors will try to keep Vanilla busy as long as possible so we can practice. But Mrs. Dragon told us that most likely she'll head home at 11:30 a.m. or so, most likely to rest and have lunch with us.".
Tails and the others were glad to hear this, as it would give them time to practice with their music. The two tailed fox looked to them and stated, "Okay now, let's get our instruments out and go out back to the woods to play. I believe that Big and Froggy are still, so we can find them and have an audience that will help us out. Let's get as much as we can today!".
The group did a little shout that was a form of showing their dedication and encouragement, going to get their instruments & soon leaving the home to go in the back area of the abode. And they saw Big, who was lumbering towards them with Froggy on his head. He waved a greeting to them, the others doing the same before going deeper into the woods to practice.
Big followed them back in, not hungry as he had caught breakfast earlier and ate it over a small campfire he made. He made sure to put it completely out though, as to not want to start an accidental campfire. Many would call big simple or something negative, but when it came to safety and respect for nature, he was no fool.
~In the Mystic Jungle area~
In the dense and dangerous jungle that only the most daring of beings would dare to tread, a group of beings were also waking up. It was Team Chaotix, who had managed to make it to their destination! Thanks to their jet, and also a strong tailwind that actually gave them an extra burst of speed, they managed to reach the jungle at 11:25 p.m., Central time! You see, there was an hour difference where they were and where the Rabbit abode was at, being an hour behind to be precise so all adjusted their watches as soon as they crossed a certain time zone.
Vector had miraculously managed to find a suitable spot to land in despite it being night & with no man-made runway. Once they got out from their jet, Espio suggested that they camp for the night as there was little they could do. All were quite exhausted from being in a small area for a little over seven hours, and also being tired meant that one would be easy food to the natural inhabitants of the jungle.
So they used their adventuring supplies to make camp, and now they were waking up as the sun touched the earth. Charmy yawned as he stretched his arms and body, mumbling to himself in sleepiness, "Oh boy… I wish morning would start at noon. I'm still tired after that long flight.".
Espio commented as he did his morning stretches, "I too am lacking a bit of energy, but we cannot let that stop us from completing our mission.".
Vector did a stretch that had his back making a loud POP sound that would make anyone wince. He looked to his compatriots and stated, "True that. So after breakfast, we go and find this Danny kid's parents. I just hope that they are still in one piece and breathing…".
While graphic indeed, it was true as regular humans would have no chance in a jungle that was quite dangerous. So the group made a quick breakfast which consisted of toast, eggs and bacon that was cooked in a pan over a fire, and Charmy using some honey he brought with him in a jar. Once their food was cooked and eaten, washed down with some water, the group started at 7:30 a.m. to find their quarry.
The trio went through the underbrush, heading towards the Casino Forest Zone. Vector spoke up, "If I'm reading this map correctly, the Zone is west of us. So let's walk away from the sun.".
Charmy than inquired in a confused tone, "Walk away from the sun? Why?".
Espio looked to the energetic young bee and answered in a sage voice, "When the sun rises, that is where east is. And when the sun sets, in the west direction. So by walking away from the sun, we head westward.".
The young bee was certainly impressed by such logic and exclaimed in awed tone, "Whoa! That is so cool! Where did you learn that kind of stuff?!".
Vector turned to him with a smirk and answered in a tone that was filled with confidence, "I learned it from my folks, and also in survival school! Which is good because… well, forgot to bring a compass.". This made Espio and Charmy be only mildly surprised. It has happened before, where they often forgot something that was small yet crucial in their missions. Luckily, the duo did take some survival training courses though it seemed that Charmy did skip some lessons.
So they trekked through the dangerous landscape, going through various bushes and plants while also avoiding certain natives of the jungle. Of course, they did run into some really old enemies… Badniks. Yes, they had run into some old machines that Robotnik had created long ago to defend the area from Sonic. Many had been defeated by said hedgehog, Tails and also Knuckles. However, it seemed that some still managed to avoid detection and still roamed the land.
They met up with a couple of Rhinobots & Monkey Dudes, but thankfully they were dispatched with ease. The small animals that had been powering them up were free, and amazingly they still looked quite young! It seemed that being a living battery like so had protected them from the ravages of time, so when they came forth after their robotic shells were destroyed, they looked young despite how much time had passed!
Vector and the others kept on moving, using their instincts to guide them even though it was often a coin toss if their instincts were right or not. They soon arrived at the casino area, seeing the forest reclaim what was once to be a place for beings to gather around and gamble the nights away. They had to do their best to avoid certain areas as they walked through it, lest they be bounced around like pinballs for a good amount of time.
It was around 11:00 a.m. when Espio heard something in the distance, the chameleon stopping in his tracks & adopting a ninja pose. Seeing this, Vector also stopped as he turned to his friend and inquired, "Hey Espio, what's up?".
The anthro ninja closed his eyes for a moment… then they shot wide open as he answered back in a serious tone, "I hear voices in the distance. Some familiar… and some not, but they sound human.".
Realizing that they may have found their quarry, but also someone else in the process, the trio followed Espio as he took the lead. The ninja told them that silence was now key, to be as quiet as possible while moving through the brush. They soon reached a cliff, where they looked down to see quite the odd sight.
Down below, they saw Rouge and Shadow in what appeared to be an ancient stadium. What they found was a remnant of from the Ancient Mobian days, similar to the Aztec/Incan/Mayan civilization from Earth. It was once used as a training ground for young warriors; impressive & clever traps and devices that were used to test a budding warrior's mettle, mental capabilities, reflexes and strength. And considering the level of technology and such back then, it would make any historian smile with glee to see how effective the Ancient ones did with nothing but pulleys, ropes, switch triggers and such.
But now, it seemed that the training area was back into effect, as Shadow and Rouge were making two humans go through the obstacle course that surprisingly was still in good working condition! Team Chaotix focused on the two humans, seeing that it was a man and a woman. And that is when they quickly realized that it was Mathias and Torli Clark, their targets!
Charmy Bee was about to whoop in delight at having found their client's targets, but Espio put a hand over his mouth. He held firm to the struggling bee and whispered harshly, "Charmy, shush! We do not want to give away our position!". They still had the element of surprise, and needed it to be kept that way.
Vector added in, "Yeah Charmy! Use your head, kid! Besides, we need to move carefully here. Shadow and Rouge ain't no amatures.". He was right in that aspect. Both anthro beings were extremely capable fighters, and going up against the head-first could result in disastrous results. And also the possibility that they could use the humans as shields, which was again a very strong negative outcome.
Espio whispered, "We'll try the stealth approach. Vector, you go from the right side where Rouge is at. Charmy, you take the left that is on Shadow's side. I'll create a distraction with some of my smoke bombs, and you two go in and take the humans. Remember, timing is everything.".
The two nodded, each one taking the required side as Espio gazed down at the two anthros who seemed to show enjoyment at putting the humans through the obstacle course. He reached into his right side pouch, pulling out a blue sphere that was about the size of a softball. The ninja anthro chameleon took great pride in making his own equipment from scratch, using the techniques passed down to him from his teachers. The smoke bomb he created was of his own design; not only did it possess the necessary ingredients that created the smoke upon impact, but he mixed in a good amount of pepper extracts within it.
Now not only would it blind the targets, but also irritate the eyes and noses so that the victims would be more disabled. Espio did not have to worry about his comrades being affected by it, at least not by much. For Vector, he could safeguard his eyes more with something he had discovered during their time on Earth. He learned that crocodiles on the planet had a third eyelid that was meant to protect the eyes & see in murky waters for prey!
And he soon discovered that he had the same kind of ability as well! It surprised him that he had something he never knew about in the first place.
Charmy Bee had his goggles, and it would protect him from the smoke as well. And most likely they could do something to protect their noses from the smoke/pepper mixture.
The plan now in place, Espio turned himself and the ball he was holding invisible. Using his ninja stealth, he started to quietly make his way towards the favorable position to unleash the bomb.
Meanwhile, Mathias and Torli were sweating and very much exhausted. The two scientists had been woken up by Rouge and Shadow in the early hours of the morning, the black hedgehog stating that they had to go through tests after breakfast. Said meal consisted only of some fruits that were native to the area, but it was better than nothing. And for the parents of Danny, the fruits actually tasted somewhat better than any of the fruits back in their world.
But what occurred next was something akin to military training.
After breakfast, they were taken to a place called Lambent Grove, a place that looked more like a race track than anything else & also would be considered an extreme sportsman/woman's dream. The duo were forced to go the entire track, but it was too much for them and only managed to get halfway through it if just barely. The humans were scientists; utilizing more of the brain than of brawn. Oh, they were in good shape to be sure but they simply were not cut out for such an area.
So Rouge and Shadow brought them back to their base, commenting on how weak they were. Truth be told, they just wanted to have some fun with them. To see them be put through the ringer was enjoyment for the duo, though there was a hint of respect for the two as the parents were doing this in order to see their child again.
So after letting them rest for thirty minutes, the two stated that they needed more training so they had them go into one of the arenas that had the obstacle course. Torli was surprised to see how the Ancient Mobians had a place that was similar to the Central and South American tribes from Earth's past. However, her surprise gave in to shock and surprise to see that the obstacles in the place still functioned… and they had to go through the gauntlet!
Mr. & Mrs. Clark had to run on trackways that had spots on certain paths were trap doors would open & spring up logs that had deadly wooden spikes put on them! They had leap & swing across gaps that had pits filled with purple poison water! Climb over walls that had small footholds/handholds on it… and finally avoid swinging tree trunks in order to avoid getting squashed flatter than a pancake!
All this time Shadow and Rouge watched on, giving certain colorful commentary and mocking them that certainly made the humans have less than stellar views on them. And this lasted for about two hours… until something occurred!
Rouge looked to Shadow with a smirk and stated, "Hahahaha! Reminds me of the days on Earth when I joined G.U.N.! Although their obstacle course was nowhere near as lethal as this one!".
The black hedgehog smirked and replied back, "Heh, know what you mean. Although I have to give the humans props. They are lasting longer than those human scientists who were on the A.R.K. Those fools wouldn't have lasted this long. It seems that doing anything to get to their kid is real motivation.".
His partner was about to say something when a voice called out, "Doing this for your own amusement while toying with their dedication to their child? Now that is a low, even for a ninja.".
The words instantly had Shadow and Rouge on guard, while at the same time forcing the exhausted parents to stop in their actions. Sweat had drenched their already decimated clothes, breathing hard as the exhaustion was great.
Rouge exclaimed, "Who are you?! Show yourself!".
The mysterious being called out, "Not just yet! But here… TAKE THIS INSTEAD!". A clinking sound was heard, causing the two to look behind them and down to see a rolling metal blue sphere. But before they could do anything… it exploded, covering a good amount of the area in thick red & white smoke!
Shadow was about to teleport using his Chaos Control, but he soon started to sneeze and also have great irritation in his eyes! He needed absolute control and focus to do his teleporting technique, and right now his focus was cut as his eyes and nose stung like crazy.
Rouge was sneezing and coughing, her eyes squeeze shut as the smoke started to do its work. She cried out between coughs in a panic, "Cough! Hack! W-What is this?! Ack! S-Something is making my m-mouth and eyes feel like it's on fire!"
Espio soon revealed himself, sticking to the side of the wall as he watched his creation do its chore. Now he hoped that Vector and Charmy would come through.
As soon as the smoke exploded, that is when Vector and Charmy did indeed act! The two emerged from entrances on the side of the arena, Vector's eyes looking clouded but it was just his third eyelid in action. Charmy had his goggles on, and also both had large leaves acting as clothes over their maws to protect them from the smoke/pepper combo.
The two rushed under the cover of the smoke, finding their quarry who were covering their mouths and squeezing their eyes tightly. Mathias and Torli managed to cover their sensitive areas quickly, though a small amount did go into their noses. They would be fighting the urge to sneeze for some time until they could wash it out.
Vector managed to get to Mathias, Charmy to Torli. The crocodile called out even though it was muffled, "Come on, this way!" He slung the human over his shoulder, Charmy pulling on the wife as he followed his friend. Espio managed to see them through the smoke thanks to his special eyesight that through ninja training helped him to see through the cover.
He turned invisible again and rushed with great speed towards the area where Vector went through.
After several moments, Shadow decided to do something about the situation. He spun around tightly and with great speed, creating a vacuum tornado that sucked all of the smoke & expelled it through the top opening like a spout! Rouge managed to keep herself grounded thanks her heels digging into the stone floor. When the smoke fully dissipated, Shadow ceased his actions. The duo managed to rub the smoke and pepper out of their eyes and regain enough focus to see that the arena was completely empty. Their captives had escaped!
Rouge growled with a look of fury on her face and exclaimed, "When I find the jokers who did this, I'm going to kick them into next month!".
Shadow had his classic scowl on and added, "It seems that we have some unwanted visitors. And judging from that smoke bomb and how the person talked… I say we have Team Chaotix here.".
The buxom bat beauty looked to her partner in surprise and stated with confusion in her tone, "Team Chaotix? You mean those three deadbeats who play detectives are here? Why would they even be here?!". It would seem that her opinion of the team was quite low.
The Ultimate Life Form replied in his neutral tone, "We can ask them once we capture them, and the humans. Come on, we need to start searching.". He soon sped off from the arena, Rouge following him. The duo would first go to a river source to wash their faces to get rid of the after-effects of the smoke bomb, then they would start to go hunting!
(Author's Notes: And… cut! That is it for this chapter! Thought I end it in a bit of a cliffhanger here. So, how did you all like this?
Before I say or do anything else, I wish to give praise and honor to the Lord. Thank you God for helping me once more with this story, and I will rely on you more Jesus for help with this and all that I do. I will continue to try and improve myself, both with writing and also with myself, but I will need your guidance, correction and also discipline in all areas to make sure my works are suitable for you Lord. Thank you once more God for everything!
I certainly hope you all enjoyed this. I need to go back and re-read my works in order to effectively see where I need to go with this and my other works. Need to get my imagination and writing groove back in shape. Also, I hope that Author dethroc likes how I put him in here like so! A little shout-out to an old friend and reviewer of mine from the past. Also, hoped you like the way I brought in the Invincibility power-up like so in the form of a nightlight!
Also, there is a special thing with the pancakes. You see, my Dad's mother who passed away years ago… she used to make the most incredible of pancakes ever! So thin, buttery and sliding down your throat in a way after eating a piece… to me and family, it was a national treasure! Sad to say, me and my Dad tried to replicate it. And so far, gotten close to it but not quite. And with my Dad gone now, have to do what I can to make sure the way is done right.
And finally, Amy's dress is based on a picture my dear friend Author Dreams Come True 996 created for me to use & show in one of my Disney/Toho specials. So if you wish to see it, PM her and she will give you the details on where to find the pic.
In any case, just hope you liked this one! Next chapter, we see how practice is going for Tails and the others. With how the neighbors and such are keeping Vanilla busy so the group can practice… and also on how Team Chaotix will try and get their targets out from the jungle with a ticked off Rouge and Shadow after them!
And now for the questions! Ahem…
If you were Danny, how would you feel at waking up and seeing Vanilla greet you like so?
What kind of breakfast would you help Vanilla make?
What would you think of the sight of Danny's puppy crush on Amy growing like so?
If you were Tails, what would you have the group practice on first?
If you were Team Chaotix, what would your plan be after spotting Rouge, Shadow, Mathias and Torli?
And finally, if you were Espio, what other kinds of non-lethal but effective bombs would you create that would help in the situation?
And here is an Optimal Question: If you could, what kind of survival teaching/training would you give to each member of Team Chaotix? Personally, I would enroll them in Burt Gummer's Survival School. And yes, I am talking about the legendary Burt Gummer from the Tremors franchise. And also the school was seen in one of the episodes of Tremors the Series, a TV series that showed much promise and potential… but was cancelled before it could reach it, sad to say.
R&R, no flames, enjoy and leave LONG reviews!)