Chapter 15: Down the Hole We Go!

Relic Island – Outside the Crashed Egg-Bullet, Morning Hours

The aftermath of the Egg-Bullet's crash left a chaotic scene. Smoke billowed from the wreckage, and the sharp scent of burning metal hung in the air. Shattered robots and debris littered the landscape, with the train itself now a mangled heap of twisted metal. Its once-menacing presence had been reduced to ruin.

Neera and Gong had managed to avoid the collision, thanks to Neera creating an ice trail with her Cryo staff just in time, allowing them to land safely before the train hit the mountain. They now stood at the edge of the wreckage, their expressions grim as they inspected the damage.

"Sheesh, look at all this," Gong muttered, frowning at the destruction and scattered debris.

"We did what we could," Neera replied evenly as she glanced around and spotted several broken robots, some still sparking with life. "Let's clean up."

Together, they made quick work of the remaining active robots, easily dispatching them with precise strikes.

As they sifted through the wreckage, Gong's eyes narrowed, spotting two figures trying to slip away through the smoke. "Neera!" he pointed, gesturing toward the fleeing forms.

"Freeze!" Neera's voice echoed through the smoke-filled air as she swiftly used her Cryo staff to shoot an ice lasso, encasing the fleeing figures in a block of ice up to their necks. Vern and Leo, the two Shang Mu soldiers who had driven the train, grunted in frustration, now trapped and unable to move.

"Oh man, this stinks!" Vern groaned, his head barely poking out of the ice, while Leo growled in defeat as they watched the pandas approach them, stern looks on their faces.

Neera's tone was cold as she glared at the soldiers. "You've committed a grave crime. And you both will answer for this," she declared, before turning to Gong. "Move them for interrogation. And inform the soldiers stationed at the ruined temple to come here for cleanup," she ordered.

Gong nodded as he began dragging the ice-encased prisoners away, both grumbling and complaining as they were hauled off toward Shang Tu.

Once they were gone, Neera looked back at the broken train, sighing deeply. They had managed to stop it, but the cave entrance was now clogged with debris. Worst of all, the kids were nowhere to be seen. "Don't tell me they're inside..." she muttered as she sat down heavily, the exhaustion of the past few days catching up to her. She leaned against a broken cart to rest. "We'll figure it out... I just need... a little rest..." Her eyes closed as the weight of her sleepless nights finally overcame her, her body begging for the sleep she had denied herself.

As Neera dozed off, high on a nearby hill, Milla watched the scene unfold with wide, worried eyes. Clutching her yellow Chaos Emerald tightly, the little white dog's earlier excitement had turned into growing anxiety.

"Oh no..." Milla whispered, her ears drooping as she looked at the wreckage. "How am I supposed to meet the dragon now?" She let out a soft whimper, her hope seeming to fade. But just as quickly, her spirits lifted when she spotted the red biplane from earlier flying above the lush green mountain in the distance.

Her eyes widened with a new idea. "That flying thingy was with them! If I follow it..." Milla's tail wagged as her hope returned. "I might be able to see the purple dragon!" Determination filled her voice as she set off, running on all fours, chasing the biplane's trail.

But unknown to Milla, a yellow vehicle approached from the distance, flying above the ground. The strange craft had two sidecars, each occupied by shadowy figures. In the center, the pilot glanced at a green radar screen, which displayed a yellow dot slowly approaching the top of the mountains. A sinister grin spread across the pilot's face. "Finally," he said in a thick accent, revving up the engines and accelerating toward Milla with ill intent.


Relic Mountain – Kingdom Stone's Resting Place

Deep underground, Sonic, Lilac, and Carol landed in an elevator shaft that took them far beneath the surface, descending into the heart of the mountain. As the elevator halted with a metallic clunk, the trio stepped out into a breathtaking cavern, their eyes widening in awe.

The chamber before them was vast, with walls adorned in luminous blue crystals that cast an ethereal glow over the entire space. Ancient carvings decorated the stone walls, telling the tale of Avalice's history. Abandoned mining equipment was scattered across the ground, hinting at a time when this cavern was once bustling with activity.

Sonic let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Now this is what I call a sight," he said, taking in the grandeur of the chamber. The cool air carried the faint sound of water dripping from the crystal-encrusted walls.

Lilac nodded in agreement, her voice filled with wonder. "It's... incredible."

"Cool," Carol grinned and added, but her tone still carried a note of appreciation as she scanned the room.

The trio began moving forward, jumping from one rock platform to another, carefully avoiding traps and ancient guardian robots that still roamed the cavern, standing guard for centuries. Despite the danger, they engaged in casual conversation.

Sonic, curious about their earlier encounter, brought up a question. "So, the Ice Queen seems to know you two pretty well. What's her deal?"

Carol snickered at the nickname, climbing up a blue stone wall. "Ice Queen! That's perfect! I am definitely using that next time!"

Lilac chuckled at the nickname as well. "Yeah, we know her and the other panda. They're Lady Neera and General Gong. They sometimes guard the ruins of the ancient temple outside. We pass by whenever we travel from Shang Tu to Shang Mu, either for errands or to visit the shopping district." She explained, adding with a smirk, "We even chat with them sometimes, though Gong's the only one who actually gives us a conversation. Neera usually just ignores us or scolds Gong for not doing his job properly." She smiled, it was honestly a bit fun.

Carol, grinning mischievously, added, "Yeah, we've known them for a couple of years now. Though... We might have a tendency to annoy them just a bit here and there." She snickered, clearly proud of that fact.

Lilac rolled her eyes. "By 'we,' you mean you, Carol. Because I never decided one day to sneak through the ruins trying to find the Kingdom Stone. You remember how that went, right?"

Carol pouted, giving Lilac a mock glare. "Hey, that was a prank. I totally wasn't trying to steal it!"

Lilac raised an eyebrow. "A prank that could've endangered the whole archipelago?"

"A really good prank," Carol muttered under her breath.

Sonic laughed at their banter, easily jumping over a wide gap. "Yeah, Neera seemed pretty stressed out. She's got a lot on her shoulders, huh?"

Lilac nodded, her expression more serious now. "Yeah, the impending war... it's affecting all of us. It's hard to keep up with everything that's happening."

Sonic listened intently as he looked ahead. He had faced his fair share of villains, but this kind of large-scale conflict was something new for him. Despite that, he knew he'd come up with something, not just for himself but for his new friends too.

As they continued through the cavern, the group came across a series of intricate carvings on the stone walls. The carvings depicted majestic dragons descending from the sky, their forms grand and imposing. Among them were other figures, though their features were too worn or obscure to be easily recognized.

Sonic paused for a moment, squinting at one particular carving. "Hey… that one kinda looks like Knuckles," he mused to himself, noticing a figure that somewhat resembled an echidna, seemingly interacting with the others unknown figures. He stared at it for a moment longer, then shrugged. "Meh, probably just a coincidence." Without giving it much thought, he sped ahead to catch up with the others.

As they neared the end of the cavern, Lilac eyed Sonic for a moment before turning to him, curiosity in her voice. "Hey, Sonic," she began, her tone thoughtful. "After all of this, what are you going to do?"

Sonic grinned, but his answer surprised them. "Beats me!" he said casually. Both girls raised their eyebrows. "I'll probably explore the other islands, taste the food, check out the sights, you know? Play the tourist for a while."

Lilac clarified, "I mean after you leave Avalice." She asked more seriously, clearly eager to hear the answer, knowing Sonic and Tails were only here because of the Doctor. "What will you do?"

Sonic paused for a moment, thinking it over as both girls watched him expectantly. Finally, he smirked and said, "Beats me!" again, this time with a playful shrug. The girls sighed at his answer. "I don't have a plan," he added, "I just go wherever the wind takes me."

"Really?" Carol asked, intrigued and pressing further. "You don't have anywhere to go?"

"Nope," Sonic replied easily.

"Visiting your friends?" Carol probed.

"I'll catch up with them along the way," Sonic shrugged again.

"Your siblings?" Carol asked, her voice softening at the mention of siblings.

"Don't have any, as far as I know," Sonic said with a hum.

"What about your parents?" Carol asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Sonic hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "Uhhhh..."

Lilac's eyes widened slightly. "Sonic, you don't... have parents?"

Sonic shrugged again, trying to keep his tone light and casual. "Not really. Never really cared."

A moment of silence followed as they continued deeper into the cave, the mood shifting slightly. The girls felt a bit awkward for asking such personal questions, wondering if they'd crossed a line.

The group approached a large stone door. Sonic pressed the switch beside it, the mechanism slowly creaking to life.

As the door slowly creaked open, revealing a grand entrance, Sonic took a deep breath and spoke with a sincerity that caught them off guard.

"But, hey," he started, a soft smile forming on his face, "you girls don't have to worry about me. I'm not the kind of guy who gets hung up on where I'm going or where I'll end up. For me, it's all about the journey—the freedom to explore, the thrill of helping people along the way. Every adventure's a chance to make the world just a little bit better." His tone grew softer, more thoughtful. "And that's enough for me."

A mysterious breeze swept through the cavern, ruffling Sonic's quills slightly, adding to the moment. Carol and Lilac looked at him, their expressions shifting from curiosity to admiration, caught off guard by the depth behind his carefree nature.

"Woah," Carol breathed, clearly moved by his words. She then grinned sheepishly, scratching her head. "I was just planning to take a nap when we got back."

Sonic and Lilac chuckled, the serious moment easing into something more light-hearted. "Well, after you, ladies," Sonic said, bowing mockingly with a playful grin.

Lilac rolled her eyes playfully. "What a gentleman," she teased as she and Carol stepped through the entrance, Sonic following behind.

As the stone door slowly closed behind them, sealing them inside the ancient cave, a sense of anticipation lingered in the air. The three of them continued forward, the path ahead leading toward the Kingdom Stone, ready for whatever challenges awaited them.


Relic Mountain – Around the Mountain

"Ugh…" Torque muttered to himself as he navigated the rocky and grassy terrain surrounding the mountain. "We'll get there when we get there..." he grumbled, clearly frustrated by their lack of progress and maybe something else. They had parked the Tornado nearby and split off to find another entrance into the cave, but so far, their efforts had been fruitless.

Torque's gun murmured in its alien language, gibberish to most but not to him. He frowned as he inspected it, responding, "Yeah... The fact that Robotnik's using his technology is... troubling."

"Torque!" Tails called out, hovering down toward him on his twin tails. "Did you find anything?"

"Nothing here!" Torque shouted back.

"Drat," Tails muttered under his breath as he landed beside Torque. "Maybe we should try over there?" he suggested, pointing toward another rocky area.

Torque nodded. "Sounds good to me."

They started walking in the direction Tails indicated, the silence between them growing slightly tense. Tails glanced at Torque, clearly wrestling with a question on his mind. Finally, he broke the silence.

"Torque, I've been meaning to ask..."

BOOM!

A sudden explosion reverberated through the forest, cutting off Tails mid-sentence. Both of them froze, their eyes wide in alarm.

"W-what was that?!" Tails exclaimed, his tails twirling in agitation.

"I don't know!" Torque replied, immediately tightening his grip on his laser gun. "But we'd better find out." Without hesitation, they rushed toward the source of the sound, moving cautiously but quickly as more explosions echoed in the distance.

As they arrived at a small clearing, they peered through the bushes and spotted a disturbing scene: a young white dog, trembling on the ground, surrounded by three menacing figures. The trees around them were blown apart, fallen and smoldering.

"L-leave me alone, you meanies!" the dog cried, her voice shaking with fear.

"No can do, mutt," growled the leader of the trio, a purple-furred jerboa pointing a gun directly at her. His smirk oozed arrogance. "We ain't goin' anywhere until ya give us what we want!"

The jerboa, tall and lean, sported purple and white fur, a large fang protruding from his mouth, and long ears, feet and tail. He was dressed in a brown Stetson hat, belt, gloves, and boots, giving him a rugged outlaw look. He was none other than Fang the Hunter.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the dog pleaded, tears welling in her eyes as she cowered before the gun.

Fang's sneer deepened as he stepped closer, the gun never wavering. "Don't lie, ya mutt! My Marvelous Queen detected it on ya, and she never lies! So hand it over!"

"Yeah, or else we'll make things go boom-boom!" cackled a green woodpecker, who was holding two bombs in his hands, his grin manic.

This woodpecker had yellow legs, a yellow beak, and two tufts of feathers sticking out from his head. He wore a red neckerchief, white gloves, and red shoes. He was Bean the Dynamite.

"Hmph," grunted the third member, a hulking polar bear, cracking his knuckles with a low, rumbling menace.

His towering frame was imposing. Cream-colored with a chubby body, muscular arms, and short legs, he was clad in an orange and red toque, green scarf, and brown mittens and boots. This was Bark the Polar Bear, the muscle of the group.

The three of them formed the infamous mercenary trio known as The Hooligans.

"Please! I really don't know!" the dog whimpered, looking utterly terrified.

Fang's patience snapped. "Fine, ya wanna play dumb? Then so be it! Don't complain to mommy when ya get flattened!" He raised his pistol, preparing to fire.

Without hesitation, Tails burst from the bushes, his voice ringing out. "Watch out!" He dived toward the dog, pulling her to safety just as Fang fired. The bullet whizzed past them, missing by mere inches.

The two tumbled to the ground, but Tails quickly sprang to his feet, arms outstretched to protect the girl. His gaze hardened as he faced the Hooligans. "You're not hurting her!" he declared, his voice filled with courage.

The dog stared up at Tails, eyes wide with surprise and awe at his sudden, brave intervention.

"Wha— you?!" Fang shouted, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "What are ya doin' here?!"

Tails glared at the Hooligans, stepping in front of the dog protectively. "I should be asking you the same question, Fang!"

Bean scratched his head in confusion. "Wait, is this a reunion?" He gasped dramatically, "Why didn't anyone tell me?! I would've brought more presents!" he said, pulling out yet another bomb, giggling to himself.

Bark remained silent, raising an eyebrow at Tails' sudden appearance, his massive frame still radiating menace.

"You shut it, ya bomb-happy loon!" Fang snapped at Bean before turning back to Tails with a sneer. "The big man said ya were pokin' around on the archipelago, but I didn't expect ya to show up here. And if you're here, then that means Fleet Feet's not far behind…"

"Sonic's not the issue here!" Tails retorted, fists clenched and eyes locked on Fang. "You're not getting away with this!"

Just then, Torque emerged from the bushes, standing beside Tails with his laser gun aimed. "He's right. Whatever you are planning is over, you're done here."

The dog girl, now safe behind them, looked up at her rescuers, hope starting to flicker in her eyes.

Fang spat on the ground, glaring at the duo before a grin spread across his face. "What? Just you two? The fox shrimp and that duck-lizard thing? Pfft, this'll be easier than I thought!"

Bean suddenly perked up. "Wait, Fangy! Isn't that duck-turtle guy from one of our bounties too?" He pointed excitedly at Torque, clearly delighted at the revelation.

Tails and Torque exchanged worried glances.

Fang pulled out a crumpled paper, Torque's face plastered on it. His grin widened. "Well, ain't this a treat! Two bounties for the price of one! We'll be rollin' in dough! So why don't ya just make it easy for us and surrender, or I'll turn ya three into Swiss cheese!" He leveled his gun, ready to fire.

Bean cackled maniacally, juggling his bombs in anticipation. "Time to go boom-boom!" he cheered, while Bark cracked his knuckles, preparing himself for a brawl.

Tails stood protectively in front of the girl, his fists clenched. Torque steadied his aim, ready for whatever came next.

Tails took a quick glance at the frightened dog, offering her a kind smile despite the tension. "Hey, don't worry. What's your name?" he asked gently.

The dog girl hesitated but, looking at her two protectors with admiration, shyly responded, "M-Milla…"

Tails' smile brightened. "Don't worry, Milla. We've got this. We'll protect you." His bravery grew as he and Torque faced down the Hooligans, ready for the impending clash.

The air was heavy with tension as both sides prepared for an all-out showdown.


Relic Mountain – Kingdom Stone's Resting Place

Meanwhile, deep within the mountain, Sonic, Lilac, and Carol stepped out of the ancient ruins, making their way along a long, winding path that led deeper underground. The journey had not been without challenges—solving ancient puzzles and fending off guardian robots still active after centuries—but the trio had handled them with ease.

Eventually, they entered a vast circular chamber, and the sight before them took their breath away.

The walls of the chamber were adorned with intricate carvings depicting long-forgotten legends of Avalice, bathed in the soft glow of luminous crystals that lined the walls and ceiling. The crystals cast shimmering reflections across the room, making the space feel both mystical and otherworldly. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, and the cool, damp air was tinged with the scent of ancient stone and minerals.

In the center of the chamber rested the legendary Kingdom Stone—a magnificent crystal orb standing idly above an ancient rock that served as an altar. Its surface gleamed like a polished star, while inside, swirling patterns of energy flowed like miniature galaxies. The stone pulsed gently, radiating a calming yet powerful aura that filled the room with an almost divine presence.

The trio stood in awe, gazing at the stone. For a moment, all they could do was marvel at its beauty and power.

"Now this is something else," Sonic muttered, his eyes wide with wonder.

"It's... incredible," Lilac whispered, her voice hushed in awe.

Carol, unusually speechless, simply nodded in agreement, her gaze locked on the mesmerizing crystal.

The trio would have been captivated by the breathtaking sight for a longer time if not for the presence of a figure standing atop the altar, holding the Kingdom Stone by a rope tied to the rocky ceiling. A hole above led straight to the surface outside.

"Is that…" Carol started, her voice trailing off in shock.

"Hey!" Lilac shouted, her voice echoing through the vast chamber. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The figure, a slim panda with black-and-white fur, green eyes, and messy hair, exuded an air of cool confidence. He wore a sleeveless black shirt, brown jeans, black shoes, red biker gloves, and a belt with a spade-shaped buckle. A pair of red glasses sat atop his head, and a red scarf was tied loosely around his neck.

The panda glanced at them with a smirk, clearly unimpressed. "Huh, took you long enough. Thought you might've gotten lost for a second," he said, his tone laced with sarcasm. "But nah, you were just too slow."

Sonic, unfamiliar with the panda, could immediately sense the tension hanging in the air. Carol and Lilac, however, recognized him instantly. He was Spade—a member of the Red Scarves. And he was currently holding the Kingdom Stone with a smug face.

The air thickened with anticipation, the ethereal light from the Kingdom Stone casting shadows as the trio and Spade locked eyes. The Kingdom Stone shining brightly between them, its mystical glow set the stage for the incoming standoff.


{Post A/N}

Now that almost all the players are here, how about we take a look at their ages in this story? More as a curiosity than anything.

Sonic: 14 years old

Tails: 10 years old

Lilac: 15 years old

Carol: 12 years old

Milla: 10 years old

Torque: 18: years old

Spade: 19 years old

Neera: Mid-20s

Gong: Early 30s

Robotnik/Eggman: Mid-50s

Fang: 19 years old

Bean: 16 years old

Bark: 14 years old (yes, he is this young)