A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter is so late! I was feeling very tired and unmotivated these past few months, and I didn't have a lot of energy. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't suffering burnout from Chaos on Earth, in fact, it's still my number one story! I just needed a little time to relax and get my energy together to keep writing. I wanna thank you guys so much for being patient these past four months!
Also, I'm pleased to announce that I got to see the second Sonic movie in theaters, the week after it premiered in America! I won't say anything about it for those who haven't seen it yet, but it was so much better than the first movie! I also made sure to not see the second trailer so I wouldn't spoil too much for myself. And I wasn't counting on it being half an hour longer than the first movie! XD As much as I love making references to other Sonic media in my stories, I won't do that with Sonic 2 until close to the end of the year.
Thank you everyone for putting this story past 200 favorites and follows, and 100,000 views! I had no idea I would ever write something that would become this popular, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without you all! Thank you readers!
I don't wanna say much about this chapter, except we're wrapping up the Chaos Saga today! And like I said last time, I'm not writing episode 31 because that episode was wrapping up Amy's and Gamma's stories, and I'm doing something different this time.
I would like to thank jorgemc835, Animation Adventures, aristene-silva, Keo namikaze, Seattle Raccoon, dragon tongue, Minatohen, AValiantIdiot, alietgonzalez0521, PhineasFan50, LiaDrakon, and 42milesperhour for favoriting and following since my last chapter!
Shoutout of the chapter goes to Animation Adventures! Thank you for DMing me your idea that turned into my oneshot True Intentions! Check it out if you haven't already!
Without further ado, let's move on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!
dbehi1
Sadly, I didn't get the reference because I never heard of that arcade game before.
Ushigomesan123
I'm sorry you had a bad morning, and I'm glad my story was able to help you feel better! That is really cool, good luck with your fanfictions, and thank you! :)
blazenight01
That's true, and his experience may help to save him this time!
D.J. Scales
Nope ;)
thor94
Chaos being able to heal people is a headcanon, and it doesn't always happen, but don't worry, I will explain it this chapter.
Boss Teal
That's right, Knuckles needs his hat when he's going treasure hunting!
I do like giving Sonic his 90's lingo, but I don't wanna overdo it because I don't want to make him too cringe.
Yes I did XD
PowerKey
Yeah... That is actually an idea I could add to this story!
snake screamer
I'm reconsidering Infinite for now, but if I can find a way to add him in a way where it makes sense, I will definitely do that.
Animation Adventures
Even though I came up with the idea of Jerome being Eggman's sidekick before the first Sonic movie came out, I'm finding an interesting parallel between him and Agent Stone, so yeah, they so have similar roles. There will definitely be more Jerome later on!
I wanted to make the Egg Carrier feel more spacious, and I was inspired by Star Wars' Imperial Star Destroyers, so I figured, why not have a hangar and escape pods?
If Gamma were to gains sentience and awareness against Eggman, then I can definitely see him teaming up with Omega. Maybe that could be a future oneshot idea?
Just-A-Fan
I really like that idea! If I did write it, I could make it a oneshot, because I'm not sure how I could make Blaze contribute to the overlying plot.
Guest
It's actually a blend of a lot of things, but I'm not really using the movie's canon for my canon. It's mostly separate from the movie. My canon is a blend of the games, SatAM, Archie, and IDW, even though I'm not going to have any IDW characters appear in this story. As for Archie, it's mostly the appearances of some of the characters, rather than the stories the comics told.
Five-Chosen
I'm sorry to hear you can't log in, I really hope the issue is fixed so you can log in again.
I really like your idea, but I already have a plan for that part of the story. I really like your idea though!
CreativeKitty975
That is true, Super Sonic should have better control over himself now that the Master Emerald is here to stabilize the Chaos Emeralds!
And yeah, Chris definitely needs a break from everything that's happening to him. Poor kid...
I really like the idea that Jerome is an assistant to Eggman, because after he became poor, he also because a comic relief filler character. This time, I want to flesh him out a bit more.
Thank you! I'm really happy you're enjoying the story!
Guest
I haven't read Archie Sonic Online, but I have been reading the normal Archie Sonic comics (I'm almost at issue 50), but I do plan on reading it when I finish. And no, the Super Genesis Wave is not a part of my continuity because in my opinion, it just makes things confusing.
ILikeFanfiction4296
Thank you for your review!
Guest
I'm actually having second thoughts about Ininfite, because I'm doing more planning for later this season, and I'm not sure if I can fit Infinite in there the story anymore, but I'm not going to rule out recycling my ideas for a new one shot. As for the Phantom Ruby, you'll just have to wait and see ;)
Guest
I would consider Cream to be a helper of the Freedom Fighters, like if there's a such thing as a Junior Freedom Fighters, she would be that. But I'm not sure if she would be a normal Freedom Fighter outright.
VirgoDrago
Thank you :) I do my very best to make sure everyone stays in character, especially Knuckles who can be a bit tricky for me to work with. And Sonic, Eggman, and Chris are my favorite characters to write with. As for Big, for my very first time, I think I did pretty well :) I didn't want him to be overly dumb and unlikable, so I gave him a facelift.
I agree, #HugsForTails! And I wanted to give ZERO a more active role since he barely appears in Sonic X, aside from kidnapping Amy and then Amy having her revenge on him.
#ChadChaos!
I can't wait to see your theory!
Chapter 30
Episode 32
The Waters of Fear Gather – Perfect Chaos Awakens‼
The Perfect Storm
The Egg Carrier – Sat November 19; 10:05 AM – Sonic's POV
Time had never been more of the essence than right now.
Me, Knuckles, Chris, and Big were running as fast as we could through the forest, hoping we would have a chance at reaching the last Chaos Emerald before Eggman did. But he was several steps ahead of us, because we had just watched an Egg Dropship flying ahead of us.
I didn't want to leave everyone behind, and it was tricky for me to run at everyone else's pace. Every time I ran, it was always at supersonic speeds, so it felt quite weird for me. Knuckles could easily run ahead too, but if he did, I wanted to make sure at least one of us would stay behind to make sure Chris and Big were okay.
If Eggman were to get the last Emerald, he would combine its power with the other six he had, and use them to make Chaos achieve its perfect state, which would spell disaster for the entire city. And I had to make sure that wouldn't happen.
"I'm gonna go ahead and stall it," I told everyone before taking off through the forest in pursuit of the Egg Dropship.
I had to be extra careful running through the forest, because it wasn't the Great Forest I was used to back when I was just starting out as a hero. All the redwoods were different, and I had to slalom a few times to avoid hitting any of them.
All the same, I was gaining on the dropship, even though by now it already had a decent head start. But as I got closer, I figured it would be better for me to switch tactics. I didn't want to cut it off, because if I did, I wouldn't be able to find out what Eggman was up to. So I decided to follow it undetected instead.
As the dropship started to slow down, I stopped and watched it from behind one of the tall trees. I had no idea if Eggman knew we were alive or not, but whatever the case, I was super glad he wasn't sending any Badniks after us at the moment.
I could hear a tiny click sound coming from the dropship as something fell from directly underneath it. It was hard to see what the object was, but whatever it was, it made a splash as it fell through the leaves and onto the forest floor. I could also hear water dripping from the trees above us, and that's when I realized that Chaos had literally dropped in.
I kept a careful eye on the puddle of water as it started to recollect itself at a turtle's pace. Why was Chaos here? And why was it moving so slowly?
I could answer the second question; Chaos has been scattered a little bit in the fall, so it was taking some time to take complete form. But as for the first question, I was just about to figure out the answer to that when I got startled by footsteps from behind me.
I turned to see Knuckles behind me, and I put my finger to my lips to motion for him to stay quiet for a moment.
"Anything?" he asked as he crouched down next to me.
"Well, it just… dropped Chaos and left," I said. I could still hear the droplets of water dropping down from above us.
"Hm," thought Knuckles. "It's definitely here for the last Chaos Emerald. I guess Eggman couldn't bother with finding the Emerald himself this time."
"Yeah, he's getting sloppy," I agreed as I turned to look back at him, only to realize he was alone. "Hey, where are Chris and Big? You didn't leave them behind, did you?"
"Wha-" the echidna also turned around, and he was surprised to find that he was alone. "Oh… But they were just with me!"
"So now they're lost in the woods somewhere," I said as I got up and turned back the way we came. "It's already bad enough that they lost in this gigantic forest, but now Chaos is here, and so is the seventh Chaos Emerald. Knuckles, they're in mondo grave danger."
Knuckles sighed. "Look, I just made another mistake is all. I got too excited, I wanted in on the action. I probably shouldn't have gone too fast, okay?"
"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry for, Knux," I said, before smirking. "Unless you want me to find something to blame you for-"
"Sonic, would you shut up for five seconds while I sense if the Emerald is here," ordered an annoyed Knuckles.
I decided to give him his space while he closed his eyes. As tense as the situation was, I couldn't help but poke fun at him. We had been teasing each other ever since the day we met.
I looked around, trying to pinpoint exactly where Chaos was. I couldn't see anything that remotely looked like Chaos 6, or even a puddle, from where I was. But wherever Chaos was, it was doing a really good job at hiding from us.
"Ah, I can't sense it clearly," Knuckles groaned as he opened his eyes. "I'm probably sensing the ones Chaos already has, and it's pretty overwhelming-" He froze. "Wait, wait, wait… It's getting stronger…"
I stood ready to get out of there if we needed to.
"So does that mean Chaos is coming?" I asked.
But before Knuckles cound answer, another voice rang through the air.
"Guys, guys! I found it! I found the last Chaos Emerald!"
I felt relief that Chris was safe, and that he had the last Chaos Emerald. As he was running toward us, I looked beyond him to make sure Big was okay, and sure enough, he was following not far behind.
Knuckles, however, was pale.
"Chris! No!" he screamed. I wasn't sure what he was so worried about, until it immediately clicked. And it became more clear as Chaos chose that exact moment to strike.
The entire puddle of water, which I imagine had been following behind Chris up to this point, suddenly shot Chris upward into the air, and he let out a muffled scream as the water once again engulfed him. It was like an explosion and a geyser rolled into one.
As I was weighing my options, Knuckles was the first to act. He ran forward and took a leap toward Chaos 6's brain, and I ran after him too. However, the water monster used just one tentacle to whip us both into a tree. I blinked when I saw that Chris, who was once again trapped inside Chaos without any air, had released his grasp on the Chaos Emerald!
"Big, run!" Knuckles shouted as he scrambled to his feet, and I followed suit.
"Where?" Big called back.
"I don't care! Anywhere but here!"
"We'll find you! Just go!" I called.
Even though it hadn't fully absorbed the final Emerald, Chaos was already beginning to grow before our eyes. I knew I had no choice but to go in there and save Chris myself. And I had a daring idea of how I would do it.
I closed my eyes as I felt myself become completely surrounded by Chaos' essence. There was water all around me, the sensation I hated the most. It wasn't about my fur getting wet. It was about my not being able to swim. Even when I tried, I sank to the bottom like a rock. Amy had to finally give up teaching me swimming lessons all those years ago.
My hearing was muffled as a result of the water, and I tried to open my eyes. I could see Knuckles and Chris floating around in there, and I reached out to them. I couldn't say anything because I was underwater, but Knuckles was able to understand as I took his hand.
With my other hand, I grabbed the Chaos Emerald before it could be fully absorbed, and I used that same hand to grab Chris' hand. I then raised the Emerald up and thought of home. Even though I didn't want to speak underwater and waste precious air, what I was about to do wasn't a waste.
With my energy being drained, I called out to the Emerald.
"Chaos Control!"
Thorndyke Mansion – Sat November 19; 10:11 AM – Third-person POV
Tails guided the Tornado II down toward the driveway. Even though he still had a headache, it was showing signs of going away, but he could still feel it. It was enough to distract him once or twice on the way back.
Lily was safe with Amy, sitting in her lap. After the Emerald she has was taken, she was able to make her way back to Amy and rejoin her and Tails right as the Tornado was taking off.
Once the fox stopped the plane, he shut off the motor so they could talk.
"I don't think there's much time left," Tails said as he unstrapped himself and hopped down. "At this point, Perfect Chaos is pretty much on top of us."
"Yeah, but Sonic only got the warning out a couple hours ago. How's the rest of the city supposed to know to get out of here? And like you just said, there's no time!" Amy realized as she joined her friend on the ground, cradling Lily in her arms. She had regained consciousness on the way back.
"You saw all those helicopters back there, there were like dozens, maybe a hundred of 'em," Tails recalled. Sure enough, they had seen emergency rescue and GUN choppers alike airlifting civilians and taking them out of the city. It was unlike anything the 8-year-old had ever seen in his 30 years as a hero.
"I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about all of this," Amy said as she ran toward the house, Tails following right behind her. "Like it's already too late."
"I know…" Tails said. "We can't use the X-Tornado, and the regular Tornado only has two seats."
"And did you see the sky just now?" Amy asked. Tails cast a worried glance at the increasingly gray sky. The wind was starting to pick up a little, and Amy knew he was never able to completely overcome his astraphobia.
"Y-Yeah…" Tails admitted, his ears folding a little.
Amy slowed down as they neared the door. "I sure hope Chris and Big made it back here," she said.
Tails blinked. "Wait, you mean there's a chance they didn't?"
"Well, if they're not here… then…" Amy didn't want to finish. She couldn't bear the thought of her best human friend being out there somewhere, either lost or in the custody of Eggman. She had sworn to help Sonic protect him. And her fellow teammate was too docile and easygoing to be caught up in something like this.
Amy was the first to get to the door about two seconds before Tails, and she held it open for him before entering the living room after him. Lily flew in after them.
To their surprise, no one was in there, but the house was far from inactive. Their ears twitched in the direction of the foyer as they picked up voices and the occasional shuffling. Already the place seemed a little emptier.
"I guess they're packing," Tails stated the obvious.
"But there's not even time for that!" Amy whispered with an edge of frustration.
Upon entering the foyer, the fox and hedgehog saw Chuck and Tanaka lifting boxes and storage totes and carrying them out to the family RV. There were about a dozen boxes left in the foyer. Amy assumed Cream and Ella were working upstairs somewhere.
"Careful not to have too many leaning on one side," Chuck called as he stepped back through the doors. "Oh, good to see you guys made it back in one piece."
Tails was amazed that that was Chuck's response after Amy was captured, but he knew that Chuck trusted him greatly.
"Yeah, but–"
"Please tell me Chris and Big are here!" Amy blurted. Part of her knew there was a chance they made it back, but the disappointed look on Chuck's face told her otherwise.
"I'm sorry, I haven't seen them since they left," Chuck said as he bent down to pick up another box, grunting as he did so. "You'd be the first to know."
Tails' namesakes stiffened, and Amy looked worried. That was a sure sign that the young fox was feeling very stressed.
"Nngh… They could be anywhere out there!" he exclaimed in a frustrated tone as Tanaka appeared in the doorway.
"Professor, if you would be so kind as to help, the pile I'm working on is quite precarious. Welcome back, Tails and Amy," he said.
"Hi, Tanaka," Tails said, but his heart was not in it.
"All right," Chuck said as he carried the box toward the door. "You should probably go see if Ella needs any help." With that, he disappeared outside.
Amy looked up toward the stairs, but just as she was reaching the first step, Tails strained to listen to where Ella was coming from.
"Uh, I think she's down this way," Tails said, starting in the direction of the downstairs hall. Amy ran after him and joined him.
"Oh!" exclaimed Ella as Amy nearly ran into her. She was carrying a few light boxes toward the foyer.
"S-Sorry!" Amy blushed.
"It's all right, I didn't know you'd be back so soon!" Ella said. "And Tails, you were so brave to rescue Amy even though you were injured."
"I'm feeling a lot better now," Tails said, even though both he and Amy knew it was a stretch.
"Well, that's good to hear," Ella said as she readjusted the three boxes in her arms. "I need to get these to the professor real quick and then get our emergency stash of money. Why don't you two help Cream back the bathroom supplies?"
Speaking of Cream, the tiny bunny bounded out of the bathroom toward them, with Cheese right behind her.
"Amyyyy!" she squealed as she launched herself at her best friend and hugged her tightly, and Cheese hugged Tails. Ella smiled at this as she headed in the direction of the foyer.
"I missed you so much!" she whispered, trying not to get too emotional.
"Aww, Cream, I missed you too," Amy said with a smile.
"Were you scared when you were in jail on Eggman's ship?" she asked, looking up at her.
"Not really," she replied honestly. "I kinda knew what to expect, though I did have a few close calls."
Without warning, Cheese began to chirt repeatedly, and he sounded very distressed. Tails and Amy were surprised at this, while Cream looked worried.
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay…" Amy tried to comfort Cheese. "Can you tell us what's wrong?"
But even in Amy's gentle embrace, Cheese refused to be comforted. There was obviously something wrong with the poor Chao.
"Cheese is acting strange for ten whole minutes," Cream explained. "Remember when he saw Chaos for the very first time? Chaos was really nice, and Cheese got really excited, and he was acting like this… But I think he's scared. He knows something bad is going to happen."
"Oh yeah…" Tails recalled. "And I remember hearing that all the Chao in the Chao Garden were acting like this too when Perfect Chaos showed up." Then his eyes widened. "Guys… I think he's here already…"
"Tails, Tails…" Amy tried to say in an attempt to calm him down, before turning to Cream. "The sooner we finish packing, the sooner we can all get out of here. So… did you need our help with anything Cream?"
"Um…" Cream looked up at one of the highest shelves in the closet. "I can't reach the towels way up there."
"Sure, I got it," Amy volunteered as she stood on her tiptoes to get them. The towels were just out of her reach because she wasn't as tall as most humans, but she was able to pull them off the shelves.
However, she didn't have a good grasp on them, and the six towels fell onto the floor, two of them unfolding.
"Oops!" Amy said. "Uh… Do you have a box or anything I can put these in?"
"Uh, yeah, there's a few empty ones over here," Tails said. He picked one up and brought it to Amy before helping her to fold the towels again and pack them neatly in the box. They could hear Cream trying her best to comfort Cheese, who was still feeling anxious.
"Are we packing too much?" Tails asked, also starting to feel a little anxious.
"Mm, I don't think so," Amy replied as she patted the pile of towels to make room for the next one. "Besides… There might be a chance this house won't be around anymore…"
"Don't say that!" Tails pleaded. "There's no one else who can take us in like the Thorndykes!"
"No, there's Helen, she's really nice–"
"Yeah, but she also lives in Station Square… where Perfect Chaos is…"
"Let's not think of the worst right now, we gotta hurry!" urged Amy.
She and Tails packed the boxes even faster, and Cream and Cheese pitched in and helped them finish. Together, they were able to fully pack three boxes in just under two minutes.
"Okay… I think that looks like enough," Tails said.
"Okay," Cream replied as she tried to pick up one of the boxes, but it was a bit heavy. However, Cheese fluttered over and lifted the other end of the box, and they were able to get it at least a few inches off the ground.
"Here, try this one instead, it's a lot lighter," Amy said, motioning to a smaller box. Cream nodded and picked it up, and she found that she was able to easily lift it all by herself.
Smiling, Amy picked up a box of her own and followed Tails out of the room and down the hall. All three of them were walking as fast as they could while carrying the boxes.
"Is it just me, or does it feel like we're wasting time at this point?" Tails asked no one in particular.
"Yeah, probably, but this is important to Ella," Amy said, even though she too felt the pressure to go a little faster.
"We gotta get going really really soon," Tails said. "Think about the war. Our lives are way more important than stuff. In fact, I don't know if there's even gonna be a house left when we get back."
As soon as they arrived in the foyer, they set the boxes down in a pile.
"Oh, I forgot the towels and toiletries from Chris' bathroom," Ella called from the other room. "Could one of you go get them?"
"Uh, n-no offense, but we don't have time for–"
The exasperated Tails was interrupted as Sonic raced into the foyer, carrying Chris in his arms. The boy was soaking wet, his clothes were sticking to his skin, and he was shivering all over. Tails and Amy were both confused and worried.
"Hey, mind if I borrow a towel from there?" Sonic asked, peering at the label of one of the totes.
"Sure," Tails said as he opened the tote, selected a towel, and tossed it to Sonic, who gave it to Chris so he could dry his hair.
"So what happened?" Amy asked Sonic. "Where'd you find Chris? And- And where's Big?"
"Wh-Whoa, whoa, one at a time!" Sonic protested. He was a bit overwhelmed, and rightly so, because everyone else had missed a lot.
At the same time, Tails squinted at the readout on his comlink. Something was wrong…
Sonic glanced around. "Long story short–"
"Why, Chris!" Ella exclaimed as she entered the room. "My boor bambino, you're soaking wet! What happened?"
"We need to get out of here now!" Sonic spoke above the noise of the room. "Perfect Chaos is already starting to form, we just barely got away from that thing. Chris, get some dry clothes and get out to the car. You guys just ran out of time to pack."
There was no mistaking the urgency and commanding tone in the hedgehog's voice.
Chuck was next to enter the house. He looked up from his phone.
"Well, it's gonna be interesting when we leave," he said. "We just a severe thunderstorm watch issued for this county."
In case Sonic's dire warning wasn't enough, the pressure was on for everyone, especially poor Tails, who looked more solemn and restless than ever.
"Tails, Amy, you guys get to the Tornado and leave now. Make sure you stay away from that storm."
Without waiting for a response, he sprinted up the stairs, scooping up Chris, who yelped in surprise, and carried him to his room before setting him down.
"Sorry 'bout that, but we're all kinda in a hurry here," Sonic apologized.
"I feel like… like it's my fault all this is happening…" Chris whispered. He was visibly shaking, and he could forbid himself from crying any longer.
"How so…?" Sonic asked, looking more somber.
"If I didn't pick up the Emerald and just stand there like an idiot–" Sonic flinched at Chris' exclamation.
"But you found the Emerald before Chaos did," Sonic said.
"Yeah, and then he found me!" Chris said as he rooted around in his dresser drawers for a change of clothes.
"It's not your fault, Chris! Eggman's the one who brought Chaos to us. He was one step ahead of us is all."
"O-Okay…" Chris wiped away his tears. "Wh-What happened to Big?"
"I don't know, bud," Sonic said as he turned to leave. "I'll check around that area to see if he made it. Get dressed now, faster than your uncle's pit crew. Make 'em jealous! We might not even have an hour before Perfect Chaos gets to this part of town.
A second later, he was back downstairs in the foyer.
"Yo Chuck, know where you guys are going to?" he asked.
"There's a Four Seasons down in LA, I'll take us there," Chuck responded.
"Right on," Sonic said. "Get the car started and get ready to juice in five minutes tops, okay?"
"Okay," Chuck said as he ran out to the car. Sonic ran past him out the front door and made his way to the garage, where Tails and Amy were on their way to the Tornado.
"Hey Tails, punch in the coordinates for the Four Seasons Hotel in LA, that's where everyone's going," Sonic told him.
"Okay, Sonic, and please be careful," Tails said.
"You too, bud. Be brave up there, okay?" Sonic said as he gently hugged his little brother. Amy joined the hug.
"Okay, Sonic. I'll be okay 'cuz Amy's gonna be with me," Tails said with a smile.
"Yup! Can't get rid of me that easily!" Amy added with a giggle.
"All right, take care, you guys," Sonic said as he ran off the property.
He really wished they were still able to use the X-Tornado; that way Cream and Chris would be able to go with them, and that would take a load of pressure off of Sonic. But it was damaged, so they would have to make do.
He tightened his fists, as well as his resolve. His one and only goal was to stall Perfect Chaos before it completely destroyed Station Square.
Angel Island – Sat November 19; 10:33 AM – Third-person POV
Having made it back to Angel Island, Knuckles ran toward the Master Emerald's altar as fast as he could. Sonic had thought quickly and used Chaos Control to send himself, Knuckles, and Chris back to Thorndyke Mansion. Big, however, had been unaccounted for, but he had no time to think about that now. He could only hope he had gotten away safely.
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a brilliant clap of thunder that made him flinch. It was yet another reminder to him that time was running out, and soon water would come from above, as well as from all around the city.
Panting, he made it to the steps of the altar and sprinted up them two at a time with the remaining shards of the Master Emerald. Even though the steps were close together, he had to tell himself to be careful. Any second wasted could mean more people could die before Chaos was dealt with.
Mere seconds later, he made it up to the top and paused before the giant green gemstone, and spread out his hands. The three shards floated out of them and seamlessly filled the empty spaces that were made for them.
There was a sudden jolt, and Knuckles could feel the entire ground moving as Angel Island began to slowly rise back into the air. The Master Emerald was finally complete, but his mission was far from over.
Knuckles let out a sigh, and pressed his hand against the side of the Master Emerald as another rumble of thunder echoed around him. He closed his eyes.
"O Master Emerald," he pleaded. "Please help me. Chaos is here, wreaking havoc among us once again, and… and I'm confused."
When he opened his eyes, he saw the Master Emerald shimmering, and a figure began to materialize from within. His eyes widened as he recognized his ancestor Tikal stepping out onto the altar.
"Hello, Knuckles," she greeted.
"Tikal," Knuckles said. "Chaos is back. He's… I-I don't know how, but he's back."
"This is not the first time this happened," Tikal said.
"I know," Knuckles replied, sounding desperate. "He- Eggman- Eggman used him to nearly kill us back in the Phantom War! I was pushed to my limit!"
But then he did a double take.
"Wait… Wait a minute. Are you saying–"
Tikal extended her hands outward toward the Master Emerald, and its surface rippled once again. Another figure emerged from it, this one a watery humanoid figure with a visible brain and yellow glowing eyes.
"The Chaos you have been fighting must have been another illusion," explained Tikal. "As you can see, the real Chaos has never left the Master Emerald since our arrival on this world."
Knuckles was absolutely baffled. Chaos was becoming perfect far below him, and yet, he was right in front of him. He knew it was not a lie, because Tikal would never lie to him.
"I knew it!" he exclaimed. "History is repeating, I knew it!"
Tikal closed her eyes. "History doesn't truly repeat, noble guardian. Yet those who fail to learn the lessons of the past are destined to repeat it."
"I know, but this time, Eggman's learned from the past, and he's still repeating it! On purpose! But… Now that I think about it, that could actually be his plan…"
"Concerning how he is going about it, I have nothing," Tikal said apologetically. "But perhaps the reason is more simple than you realize. Rest assured Chaos beside me is not real. No illusion can tap into the deeper energy of the Chaos Emeralds the way the real Chaos can."
"We already beat Infinite, this has to be something else," Knuckles pondered as another clap of thunder recreated across the island. "Hold on, what do you mean by deeper energy?"
"Back when I was a little girl, before the day my father stormed the altar, our people revered Chaos as a god. He was said to bring healing to the tribes and cure them of their ailments. Chaos was the one who guarded the Master Emerald, and he kept the Chao's habitats sustainable and healthy. Those whom he found worthy were healed of all kinds of injuries from scrapes to sprains."
Knuckles nodded.
"Yeah… I know that from the ancient tablets," he said as he leaned against a pillar. "What does that have to do with–"
And then it hit him.
Chris…
"He can absorb people," he said. "He can still heal them that way, right?"
Chaos glanced up at Tikal as she sat down on top of the Master Emerald. "Not exactly…" she said as she gently rubbed Chaos' watery back, and Chaos' eyes squinted in happiness and relaxation. "In theory, he can, but only when he is using the positive energy of the Chaos Emeralds. As you know, when he is angered or provoked, he draws out the Chaos Emeralds' negative power, as well as the life force of anyone he happens to absorb."
Knuckles gasped. "That's what happened to Chris…"
"I'm sorry, but I have no power over the other Chaos," Tikal said. "This is something only you and your friends can deal with. Don't worry, we will watch over the Master Emerald while you're gone."
Knuckles nodded before turning and gliding off the altar as the first drops of rain started to darken the surface of the ancient stone structure. The mysteries were adding up more and more, and the echidna was determined to get to the bottom of it all.
Station Square – Sat November 19; 10:27 AM – Third-person POV
Scarlet Garcia's heart was pounding. She could feel it, even hear it in her ears over the sound of the rotors of the news helicopter she was in, and it was further amplified by the headset she was securing onto her head as she prepared to go live. She wouldn't admit it, but she was scared. This was single-handedly the biggest story she would ever report on.
Of the countless stories she covered involving Sonic the Hedgehog's skirmishes with Dr. Eggman, none of them involved a giant monster made entirely of pure water that threatened to engulf the entire city in destruction. At the rate it was approaching, and judging by the numerous traffic jams, it would be a miracle if anyone made it out alive.
Scarlet looked up at the camera as the cameraman counted down from five with his fingers. Then the camera's red light turned on, signaling the start of the broadcast.
"Breaking news, a giant water monster is approaching the city from the north, flooding and destroying everything in its path, and absolutely nothing can stop it. GUN is already on the scene trying to evacuate as many people as they can, but it is a painfully slow process, and officials warn the damage costs and death toll will be staggering.
"We have been informed that the Air Force has been deployed, but unfortunately they are not making any progress against the monster.
"And looking down, you can see numerous traffic jams in the streets below. Sonic gave the city a warning about this threat early this morning, and people are leaving the city in droves, but the situation escalated much faster than anyone expected, hence the traffic jams. However, there are still a lot of people who have not heeded the evacuation warning.
"This is not something you should take lightly. If you are in the path of this thing, the survival chances are slim to–"
She caught a glimpse of Perfect Chaos way off in the distance, and her heart skipped a beat. It was scarier and worse than she expected.
"It's… It's huge– Oh my gosh, that thing is huge… L-Like Godzilla, but much, much worse…"
Scarlet took a deep breath to try to steady her nerves.
"Sonic informed authorities that there is a way to defeat this monster, but he didn't elaborate on details, claiming time was of the essence. However– Oh, Sonic has just entered the scene now. Whether he can defeat this monster before it wipes out the city…" She paused, not able to believe her own words. " …only time will tell."
Station Square – Sat November 19; 10:28 AM – Sonic's POV
Thunder rumbled across the sky as I raced into Station Square. I weaved my way through the many skyscrapers, narrowly missing a car. The sky was rapidly darkening, and in mere moments, the impending storm would be upon us.
I scaled the wall of the recently repaired Eckstein Building at supersonic speed before landing on its roof, briefly remembering my fight I had there with Eggman's Missile Wrist.
As I looked down, I could see traffic jams as far as the eye could see as people were trying to leave the city. So many people wouldn't be able to make it. I didn't even want to think about that. The sooner I acted, the more lives I would save.
I sped north, back toward the forest I had just come from, hoping I could at least get one step ahead of it. Last time I checked, a giant water monster that could literally tower over a city was pretty hard to miss. But that seemed to be the case, because I couldn't see it anywhere.
Letting out a sigh of frustration, I turned around and sped back toward the city, making a note of any possible trajectory it might have taken from the forest to Station Square.
I was already too late.
While it was still quite a ways off from the heart of the city, I could spot Perfect Chaos way out in the distance. And just as my luck would have it, not only had it already caused a considerable amount of destruction, but it was closing in fast.
Back when Eggman unleashed the Time Eater, I had to face off against Perfect Chaos once again. While I was able to defeat it without the aid of my super form, this time felt different. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I didn't have the confidence I usually had to take on something like this. It was going to be a challenging battle, and with Chaos' speed, I didn't have a lot of time.
With not much of a choice, I charged head-on toward Perfect Chaos, tightening both my fists and resolve. Even though I had little to no chance to stall it, there was a chance that I could distract it enough to keep it away from the heart of Station Square.
But as I got closer, I realized that my mission had just gotten a whole lot harder. There weren't any buildings or anything tall enough for me to reach Chaos' brain. The biggest buildings around me were six-story highrises, and what I was looking for was something like a skyscraper.
I yelped as a sudden wall of water cascaded toward me like a tsunami, and I was forced to backtrack. There was not a lot of room to run, because while some parts of town were chillingly empty, others were getting more claustrophobic with traffic jams, which was one of the biggest reasons I preferred running over anything else.
I found myself wishing more and more that if I didn't have the Chaos Emeralds on me, that I at least would have a ring, but they were all back at the mansion. My next best option was backup, but Tails had never tried fighting Perfect Chaos using the Tornado, and I didn't know how effective it would be; besides, he was tasked with getting himself and Amy away from the mansion. Besides that and following the Thorndykes down to Los Angeles, he didn't have anything else to do. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and call him in.
I felt glad that Tails made the wrist communicators for people who weren't as good with tech in mind, like me. As soon as I activated it, Tails appeared on the screen. He looked both determined and stressed at the same time.
"Hey, you guys left the house yet?" I asked.
Tails nodded. "Yeah, me and Amy are on our way over now to help you out."
"Oh!" I realized, before chuckling. "You're way ahead of me, buddy! I was just gonna call you to see if you could swing by."
"Is he giving you trouble?" Tails asked.
"Weeelll… Let's just say I may or may not have downplayed the threat of this thing. There's no way I can get anywhere near its brain, and it already has me on the ropes."
"Hmm… Okay, I'll see what I can do, but unless there's a way to depower Chaos and get all the Emeralds out of it, the only thing we can do is keep it away from the city."
"Already on it," I told him. "Did the others make it out too?"
"Uh, they should be out by now, but I can't get any updates from them."
"Wait, what?" I asked as I took a 90-degree left turn at an intersection. "What do you mean? Whoa, this thing is right at my heels…"
"Well, the thing is, when Chris got absorbed by Chaos, his comlink shorted out. I-I… If I knew this– a-any of this would happen, I would have made 'em all waterproof!"
Which meant my own comlink got lucky last time…
"Hey, hey!" I tried to calm down my flustered friend. "You don't have to kick yourself over that, Tails. We didn't see any of this coming, and besides, now you got a chance to work on 'em and make 'em even better!" I glances back to see Perfect Chaos getting even closer, and I tried not to show fear. "My warning got through, I know it did."
"Just hang in there, Sonic, just gimme a few minutes," Tails told him.
As we hung up, I could notice that Tails' ears were folding against his head, and he was stressed from the thunder all around him. I could hear it too as it echoed across the sky.
As if all the water behind and around me wasn't enough, it started to come from above too. The rain stung like needles as I ran and soaked my fur to the skin, but I couldn't stop for anything because I was barely managing to stay ahead of Perfect Chaos. I hated this with every fiber of my being. Chaos was the living essence of my worst nightmare, and now I had to deal with it all over again.
I had no idea how Chaos was moving so fast this time around, but before I could process what was happening, the waves finally absorbed me and pulled me inside the monster. I forced myself to stay awake, resisting the overwhelming sensation of blacking out. I couldn't do it now, not when there wasn't anyone else who could ultimately defeat Perfect Chaos and save the city.
Station Square – Sat November 19; 10:33 AM – Third-person POV
Tails was gripping the Tornado's yokes so firmly he was sure his knuckles were turning white under his gloves. His eyes were squinted in concentration, and his ears were flattened against his head. Another crash of thunder reverberated around him, causing the poor fox to whimper.
"Hey Tails, I know you're afraid, but try and concentrate," Amy told him. "Sonic's life is at stake!"
Tails nodded, taking a deep breath in and then letting it out to try and calm himself. It wasn't helping that the rain was stinging him and Amy all over.
"I know…" Tails said quietly, just loudly enough for Amy to hear him. "I'm going as fast as I can! Maybe there's a way I can lure it out to sea somehow…"
He was about to say he couldn't believe this was happening again, but he stopped himself; he had already said that once less than five minutes ago, and he didn't want to sound like a broken record in a dire situation like this.
"Okay, there he is," Tails said to himself as they were getting close to Perfect Chaos, who was still going on a rampage. "And, uh… I don't see Sonic anywhere."
"Oh no…" Amy whimpered, fearing the worst, before she shook her head. "N-No! Sonic's still out there, I know it!"
By now Chaos had become aware of the Tornado's presence. Like it was a giant fly, it whipped one of its tentacles at it, trying to swat it down, but it barely missed.
"Yipe!" Tails flinched. "Whoa… th-that was close! I think I'm gonna need the extra speed this time."
"Good idea, Tails," Amy said as she held onto her seat tighter.
Tails started to initiate the plane's conversion, something he hadn't needed to do in combat since he arrived on planet Earth. But as it was changing into an X shape, he was given a friendly reminder that he was against the odds in the form of a lightning bolt that stuck close by, along with a deafening roar of thunder. Tails screamed and almost lost control.
"Okay… that was close," Amy said as she regained her composure. "You doing okay, Tails?"
"N-No," said the shivering ball of fur in the pilot's seat. "Th-this is why I don't fly in thunderstorms!"
Just as Amy was about to speak again, her comlink went off, and she answered it.
"Oh, Knuckles is calling us," she told Tails.
"Can you talk to him please…?" pleaded Tails. He wasn't afraid to talk to Knuckles, it was just that he was practically reduced to the fetal position in mid-flight, but he had to remind himself to keep control of the plane.
"Sure, Tails," Amy said, smiling despite the grim situation, before turning to look at the echidna on the screen. "You doing okay there, Knuckles?"
"I'm not really sure," Knuckles replied. "Like, would you be okay if someone just told this Chaos we're fighting is fake?"
"Wait, what?" Amy had a quizzical look. "Knuckles, what do you–"
"Amy, listen," Knuckles spoke urgently. "I just spoke with Tikal, she told me that the real Chaos is back in the Master Emerald, she even showed me! And she also said she doesn't have any control over the fake Chaos either."
Amy gasped as realization hit her. "No… No, no… Not again…!"
But Knuckles' expression was serious. "Yeah, I know… I kid you not, Amy," he said.
"What? What happened?" Tails asked, gritting his teeth as he adjusted his aviator's cap he was wearing to protect himself from the wind and stinging droplets.
"W-We just got rid of that thing…" Amy whimpered, trying her hardest not to panic.
"What thing?" Tails asked. Now he was genuinely curious and confused.
And that's when he knew what Amy was talking about.
"Oh… Yeah… This is bad…" he admitted. He didn't even need to say what it was, he and Amy both knew from experience what was causing the fake Chaos to be manifest in the city.
"Tails, look out!" warned Amy, and the fox was forced to bank to the right to avoid a sudden tentacle attack from Chaos.
"He's really strong, even if he's fake," Tails said. "He sure looks real though!"
"I gotta go," Knuckles said over Amy's comlink. "You guys hold him off 'til I get there!"
As the transmission ended, Tails steered the plane back toward Perfect Chaos and unleashed an attack of his own. A spray of lasers landed on and around its brain casing, but not only did it not work, but Chaos was able to harmlessly absorb them.
"Okay, this is really bad!" Tails said, trying not to panic. "I don't know if–"
"Behind you!" Amy exclaimed. Tails looked back just in time to see Perfect Chaos just starting to fire a massive laser beam out of its mouth directly at them. Amy yelped as Tails was forced to put the plane into a nosedive to avoid being incinerated in midair.
Once he leveled out the plane, Tails sighed in relief, and Amy did the same afterward.
"Okay, that was close," Tails said. "And I'm saying that way too much now."
"It's fine, Tails, we'll be out of this in no time," Amy said, nervously looking back at Chaos. "Just need to keep a level head."
Tails looked at the giant water god too, scanning its body up and down. There was nothing inside but water, dirt and debris. The devastation in its wake was nothing short of catastrophic.
"I don't see Sonic anywhere…" Tails said. "There's gotta be a way for him to still be alive."
The sounds of the rain and the plane's engine made it tricky for Amy to hear him, but with enhanced Mobian hearing, she was still able to understand what he was saying.
Tails gasped. "Oh no, please don't tell me…"
It was almost like Amy could read his mind. "Yeah… There's no way he can survive in there… He's scared of water…"
"Yeah…" Tails said. "I don't remember Perfect Chaos ever being this hard for us to fight. And it's not even real…"
"It sure looks real though," Amy said, before she gasped and pointed down.
"What?" Tails asked in curiosity.
"Sonic! He is in there!"
"Wait, what?!"
Tails didn't know whether to feel excited or scared for his big brother. Not only did they see Sonic, but he was trapped inside Perfect Chaos' liquid body.
"Do you see him moving in there?" Tails desperately asked.
Amy squinted. "N-No…" she said with regret.
Tails gritted his teeth before firing off another volley of lasers at Chaos' brain, once again doing absolutely nothing. In return, one of its watery tentacles whipped past the plane so close that the motion and wind it generated nearly caused it to lose control.
Tails squeezed his eyes shut as stress overcame him.
"I-I can't… I can't do this…!" he whimpered. "Sonic is gonna die in there because nothing's working…"
"Hey Tails, it's okay, you just gotta believe in yourself," Amy told him.
"I-I know, but…"
"I mean, that's what Sonic wants you to do, right? He never gives up, and neither should you!"
Tails nodded as he pondered this, thinking of any possible solutions to the problem.
Amy was left to her own thoughts as she looked down over the city, and at all the destruction Chaos had caused. There was water and leveled buildings as far as the eye could see. She didn't even want to think of how many people lost their lives to this monster.
Amy had been in the air over this part of town many times when she was helping her friends hunt for the Chaos Emeralds. It was frightening to know that it was only a mere ten miles from Chris' house. She could only hope it wasn't damaged by now. If it was… where would she and her friends possibly stay? Who would take them in? She didn't trust Earth's military to house them like she trusted the Resistance back in the war. She didn't want to think about it. Aside from Helen, she didn't know anyone who was just as kind and compassionate as Chris. There were Danny and Frances too, but in a way, they didn't stand out as much as Helen. Her level of compassion and empathy rivaled Cream.
Another rumble of thunder caused Tails to grip the joystick in front of him harder. His namesakes puffed out in fright, and he tried his hardest to keep his control and not whimper or cower.
There had to be a way to revive Sonic and give him his energy back so he could help them take down this monstrosity. Lasers weren't working, and he didn't know if he could give Sonic a–
"W-Wait a minute! There's still something I haven't tried yet!"
"What?" Amy asked excitedly.
"Ring rocket!" Tails exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that before?"
"Perfect! That's gonna work for sure!"
"Okay, it's gonna be really tricky to get the shot just right, but I know he can use the ring energy to get to the Emeralds and turn super," Tails calculated.
"You got this, Tails!" cheered Amy.
Tails grinned as he took the controls more confidently and turned the plane back toward Perfect Chaos, flying toward it head-on. As soon as Sonic was in his sights, he squinted his eyes to try and get a precise aim, and fired not one, but two ring rockets directly toward him. He didn't know if Sonic was even conscious inside there, but he had to try. This was his only shot at turning the tide against Chaos.
As he expected, the rockets got absorbed by Perfect Chaos' body, greatly slowing their forward motion. Two lights popped out of them, and in the next moment, Sonic could be seen holding them in his hands.
"YES!" Amy cheered. "He got 'em! He got 'em!"
"Now all we gotta do is survive until Sonic beats this thing," Tails said.
Station Square – Sat November 19; 10:37 AM – Sonic's POV
I was desperately fighting against the overwhelming sensation of drowning. I couldn't move no matter what I did. Perfect Chaos looked like it was made of water, but it was thicker than water; it felt more like jelly. I had to stay conscious no matter what.
I knew this was exactly like what Chris went through on the Egg Carrier, only it felt a thousand times worse to me. In fact, if he was in my situation, he would have passed out within seconds of being absorbed, and then died shortly after. I refused to let that be my fate.
However, since I had positive Chaos energy, it was helping to keep me conscious and awake and not succumb to the hatred and anger that Chaos was exuding. However, it required effort on my part too. I had to physically keep my eyes open as I helplessly floated around within Perfect Chaos' body. It wouldn't feel so bad if it weren't for the fact that I felt like I was drowning. This was the exact same kind of nightmare that Chris went through only an hour ago.
But things changed when I noticed two bright lights heading in my direction. For a moment I was reminded of the car headlights I saw when I first landed in Station Square. But I was nowhere near the ground, and as I looked closer, they slowed down as they approached me, and I saw that they were Power Rings, exactly the stroke of luck I needed.
With the little strength I had left, I reached out and took one in each hand, feeling them dissolve into me. Even with the overwhelming pressure and draining negative energy around me, I could feel a boost of stamina, giving me just enough strength to make my next move.
I was sure Tails and Amy were counting on me to know what to do with them, and I knew I wouldn't disappoint, because I had already formulated a plan. Assuming the Chaos Emeralds were up near Perfect Chaos' brain like before, I could just propel myself up there and become Super Sonic.
I curled up into a tight ball and spun upward toward the brain. To my surprise, it took a whole lot more effort than I wanted to use. Even though I made some decent headway, it nearly pushed me to the limit with my ring energy.
At last, after about twenty seconds, I reached the top of Perfect Chaos, and after I slowed myself down to a stop, I could see all seven Chaos Emeralds orbiting around each other inside the monster's head.
I started to weigh my options. I could spin myself toward its brain and destroy it from the inside, but it was incredibly risky, not to mention the Power Rings' energy was draining fast. It was much easier and more efficient to use the Chaos Emeralds instead.
Even though I couldn't swim, I pushed myself through the turbulent waters toward the Emeralds, hoping they would gravitate toward me. But with each passing second when they didn't, I realized I had to keep moving forward.
After reaching out a little further, at last, the Emeralds began to slowly move toward me. I could feel all my strength returning as they orbited me. Furthermore, I could feel Chaos stopping its forward motion as it started losing power.
I closed my eyes as my fur started tingling, followed by a warm feeling in my core. This was what it was like to turn super. Surprisingly, I found that I was able to breathe now, even though I was surrounded by water. However, as much strength as I was feeling, I didn't feel as strong as I usually did on account of the Emeralds' negative energy being extracted by Perfect Chaos.
My quills started to rise and point upward, and my fur changed into a golden yellow. I always enjoyed becoming super; it was a wonderful, powerful feeling that I couldn't describe in just a few words.
Now that my transformation was complete and I was filled with incredible power, I surged forward and burst out of Perfect Chaos' head, and it only took me a few seconds to locate the Tornado II a few hundred feet away. I gave Tails and Amy a thumbs-up, and even though they were far away, due to my enhanced senses, I could see them return the thumbs-up.
Turning back to Perfect Chaos, even as it was staring me down, I prepared myself for battle.
"I won't let you touch my city!" I declared.
I flew straight toward Chaos, who quickly created an energy barrier around itself. I was expecting it to do something like that, but I felt a bit rusty, because I hadn't dealt with Perfect Chaos in such a long time.
The last time I turned super, I constantly felt like I was having a supersonic heart attack. I kept losing control of myself no matter what I did. This time, however, I had complete control of my power and direction, so I was feeling quite confident in myself this time around.
I soared forward, smashing through the barrier at full force, and it was satisfying watching the energy shattering like glass. However, Perfect Chaos whipped up a giant water tornado and sent it spinning straight toward me. Immediately it began to buffet me and pull me off course. It was really rough maintaining my control against the violent winds and spray the vortex was kicking up.
But then I started getting an idea. I changed course and flew down parallel to the surface of the water. I didn't like being so close to the water like that, but it was the only I could avoid the worst of the strong winds. Luckily, it passed me by a few dozen yards and dissipated some distance away, but not before it finished destroying a few two-story buildings.
I made sure not to touch the water as I flew back toward Perfect Chaos. I peripherally looked around; there was water everywhere, as far as the eye could see. It was almost as if the entire city was sitting under eight feet of liquid destruction. It was getting increasingly murky now, but as far as I could tell, I didn't see any dead bodies. It was for the better, but I hoped I wouldn't see any.
Now that the waterspout was gone, I lifted off the surface of the water and ascended toward the monster's head, but it saw me coming and decided to attack with one of its tentacles. As it sped toward me, I whipped my head back just in time and caught it in both hands. There was negativity in the way it was using the Chaos Emeralds, but for whatever reason, it wasn't raw and pure like I remembered now that I thought of it.
I kept that in mind as I concentrated deeply and tapped into my inner Chaos energy. I willed it to materialize in my hands, then spread outward across Perfect Chaos' watery limb. I watched as it dissolved, which caused Chaos to roar in anger. Now was my chance to go for the brain.
However, just as I entered Chaos' body once again, it started to sink under the water, taking me with it. Even in my super state, I had a deathly fear of water, and since I didn't want to be drowned, I was forced to abort and try again.
So I just hovered there in midair, waiting for Chaos to resurface. I would have tapped my foot impatiently and said "I'm waaaitiiing…", but I didn't feel like taunting my foes in that way in my super form, plus I wasn't standing on solid ground, not that there was a lot of it around me. But my point still stood; I only had so much time until my super form wore off.
Finally after what felt like a whole entire minute, but was more like fifteen seconds, Chaos resurfaced a few blocks away, and with it came another massive laser it fired out of its mouth. I was actually caught off guard, even with my enhanced instincts, and I was barely able to dodge its attack.
All right, no more time to play around, I told myself. The sooner I beat this monster before it reaches the heart of the city, the more people will be saved.
However, I realized that Perfect Chaos had made a critical error.
When it has fired its laser at me, it had not finished rising out of the water, which means it exhausted some of its energy and was now on cooldown. This was my one opportunity to target its brain and put and end to the disaster.
I flew at sub-sonic speed straight through its brain, causing it to roar again. That was one hit down, but I knew it would take several more to go. I turned around, and was just about to deliver another hit when the monster unleashed several spine bolts straight at me. I was nimbly able to avoid them all, but Chaos was lucky to score a hit on my shoulder. Technically, it was painless, but I could feel a little bit of my energy go out of me. I told myself to hurry up and get this over with.
The onslaught of projectiles continued to barrage me on top of the rain that was falling all around me, and at the same time, Chaos was charging another mouth laser. I knew I couldn't strike its brain before it fired the laser, so I backed up to give myself more room to dodge it.
Sure enough, with a mighty roar, it unleashed its laser at me, and I realized I didn't give myself enough room to avoid it, so I was left with no choice but to catch it.
"Anger and sadness may last for a time," I said as I struggled to push the laser back toward Chaos, "but as long as there's hope, it can't last forever!"
As I gained momentum, I found it easier to push its laser, and I started to go faster and faster. As soon as I reached its mouth, I could see it starting to implode as the laser impacted its own brain from the inside. Perfect Chaos glowed intensely bright, enough so that I actually had to shield my eyes. I backed away, then fled back about half a mile, expecting a brilliant explosion.
I had beaten Chaos in the nick of time, because I could start to feel my power wearing off. Once I felt like I was far enough away, I looked back…
…but Perfect Chaos was gone.
He was there the first moment, but now he had literally vanished. There was absolutely no sign of the god of destruction anywhere. The only sign he was ever there was the floodwaters and all the destruction it caused.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Tikal either since I returned to Station Square. When I fought Perfect Chaos the first time, she was there, and so were a number of Chao. But they weren't here this time, which cemented the fact that history wasn't repeating. Eggman was just putting on a show for Earth's population. And I needed answers as to how he was doing it.
Beyond my control, I slowly started to drop in altitude as my golden yellow fur gave way to azure blue. I quickly looked around for a safe place to land, and I found a relatively undamaged rooftop – a rare sight in the practical ocean that was covering the suburb.
However, as much as I steered my body toward it, I fell a few feet short of it and landed in the floodwaters. Panic immediately set in as I struggled and flailed. It was already worse than the time I fell in Chris' pool, because at least the water was clean and relatively shallow. And on top of that, I was feeling exhausted from using up all that Chaos energy. I tried not to faint as I tried to keep myself afloat.
By a stroke of luck, I found something floating around that I could use as leverage to get my head above the water. It wasn't much, and it was too murky to see what it was, but I didn't care, because the only thing I cared about was getting a lungful of fresh air.
When I looked back, I saw that the object was a whole car floating in the water. I recalled hearing that two feet of water was all it took to float a car, so that was a scary thought.
"Give me your hand!" a familiar voice shouted from above me. I couldn't afford to look up, but I knew right away it was Knuckles.
I cautiously lifted my land up, which caused me to start sinking beneath the surface again. However, Knuckles firmly took my arm, and with a sudden yank, pulled me out of the water and up to safety on the rooftop.
I chuckled despite the danger I was in.
"Hey, thanks for dropping by, Knuckles!" I said, figuring that it wasn't hard for him to follow the obvious trail of carnage to find me. "You, uh… kinda missed all the action."
"I figured," Knuckles shrugged. "Also, you notice anything different about this Chaos?"
"Yeah, a couple things," I said. "Why?"
"I just saw Chaos back in the Master Emerald."
I blinked. "What do you mean? Chaos was right–"
And then it hit me.
"He was here… and he was in the Master Emerald at the same time?"
"Yup. Tikal showed me herself. This is definitely something the Phantom Ruby would do," Knuckles said, voicing my thoughts. "Or something similar."
"Okay, no wonder Tikal didn't show up the whole time I was fighting that thing," I said. "And all those emotions I was feeling when I was trapped inside of Chaos… it was like they were fake. I mean, I was still losing energy, but it wasn't– it wasn't full of anger and hate like the real Chaos. And I also realized, I wasn't getting healed or anything in there. I know Chris didn't when he was–"
"About that, the fake can't heal people," Knuckles told me. "It's not the real Chaos, it can't tap into those kinds of powers like the real one can. And also, he can only heal when he's using the Emeralds' positive energy."
"Ohhh, gotcha," I nodded. "So that's why it didn't heal Chris."
"Exactly, and I'm pretty sure Chaos doesn't have to absorb people to heal them. So next time you come to my island, you and I are gonna have a little history lesson."
"Uhh… I dunno, Knux, history ain't my best subject," I shrugged. "More importantly, we gotta go find Big and make sure he's okay!"
"Oh, no need to worry about him," Knuckles said. "I found him floating in the water back near the forest on my way back to Angel Island. I'm kinda hesitant about it, but I'm thinking he's gonna have to stay at my place until we can get things sorted out." He looked around at the total destruction surrounding us. "Looks like we got a lot of cleanup ahead of us…"
"Tell me about it," I remarked as I sat down, dangling my legs off the roof. "All things considered, at least it didn't touch the heart of the city. I prevented another situation like that, all in a day's work." I frowned. "Still, though, this is gonna take forever to get back to normal."
"Well, I would head back to the Master Emerald now, but when I think about, it doesn't feel right to do that now," Knuckles said. "Millions of lives are displaced, and all this is gonna amount to billions of rings– d-dollars, dollars, in damage, not to mention this part of town may never really recover. And I don't wanna think about all the deaths."
I grimly nodded.
"Yeah…" I replied. "This is all Eggman's fault. I don't know what his endgame is with all this 'history repeating' stuff, but we gotta find out."
By now, the rain was gradually letting up, and the sun started to peek out between the clouds. There was even a rainbow forming in the clouds. It was a bittersweet end to the conflict we had all endured.
"Uh, speaking of Eggman," Knuckles said, "did he ever show up again after we parted ways?"
"Nope," I replied quietly. "Just me and Chaos. And Tails and Amy, they were here too. But yeah, Eggman must have wised up and decided not to use an Egg Carrier 2. He probably didn't need to do that, 'cuz he still has the old Egg Carrier. Doesn't need to fix what isn't broken."
I closed my eyes. "But this time, all the E-100 robots are still alive and kicking, which means Eggman can bring 'em back and use 'em again to fight us."
Knuckles mumbled his agreement.
"Amy told me she used to have an attachment with one of them. He broke her out of prison the first time they met, which means they must have had at least a little heart in them. But now… they're being programmed to have even less heart."
"Just like their master…" Knuckles quietly agreed.
There was another moment of silence. It was eerily quiet – there weren't even any birds chirping, only the sound of the dissipating rain hitting the lake that was once a suburb of Station Square.
I stood up, being careful not to slip on the roof.
"I know where the others are gonna be staying at," I told Knuckles. "It's a hotel down in Los Angeles."
"Okay," Knuckles nodded.
"It'll probably take a bit for them to get there with all the traffic jams, but we gotta get together and talk about what we're gonna do next."
Knuckles nodded.
The Egg Carrier – Sat November 19; 10:51 AM – Third-person POV
Hands clasped behind his back, Eggman watched impassively as his nemesis delivered the finishing blow to Perfect Chaos.
"And that's a wrap," he said. "Of course, Sonic has to go and pungle my plans once again… Why am I not surprised?"
"I suppose it's because you're used to it by now," Orbot replied.
"Yeah! Now you know a million plans that don't work!" Cubot added.
"Hmph," Eggman said. "Old habits are indeed hard to break, and knowing Sonic, his will is even harder. Believe me, I tried before. Time and again. That hedgehog will not crack under pressure. However, there are still other ways I can accomplish my goals.
"WHen I first arrived on this backward planet, I was left with little more than a fortress and a small army of robots. But now, I have an airship, a massive army, a new accomplice at my beck and call, as well as my complete, original, reprogrammed E-100 series, made to never commit robo-genocide or betray me ever again. And no matter how many times Sonic tries to stop me, I have a virtually infinite supply of parts for all my creations! And speaking of virtual… I found this."
Eggman held up a ruby-red crystal pulsating a strange energy. Orbot and Cubot gasped.
"Is that…
"…the Phantom Ruby?"
Eggman grinned. "Indeed it is. I was lucky enough to discover it on Angel Island almost immediately after it arrived. I thought it had vanished forever after the war. Now Cubot, you said I know a million plans that don't work. That's exactly why I have the Phantom Ruby, to give myself redemption at my old plans. This way, I can repeat my plans and fine-tune them to perfection! It's ingenious, why didn't I think of it sooner?"
"Perhaps it's because you didn't have the Phantom Ruby at the time, Doctor?" Orbot suggested.
"Why, perhaps it is," Eggman sarcastically replied. "But now, the next part of my plan may be a little risky. This time, I will combine the Phantom Ruby with some other resources to make it the most powerful it has ever been!"
He belted out an evil laugh, before the door slid open behind him. In walked Jerome Wise, who saluted.
"Doctor, I have successfully established communications with CLIP General Card Passer," he reported. Eggman grinned.
"You weren't lying when you said you had friends in high places," he said. "Good. Then let us move on to Phase Two…"
As he said this, the Phantom Ruby crackled, making a strange and unearthly sound, as it emanated dozens of red cubes that formed into the shape of the Ultimate Lifeform known as Shadow the Hedgehog…
Four Seasons Hotel – Sat November 19; 10:02 PM – Third-person POV
About two hours later, everyone was gathered in one of the three hotel rooms they had rented. Needless to say, Sonic and Knuckles, followed by Tails and Amy, got there long before the Thorndykes did, since they were taking an RV along Highway 101, which was snarled with traffic trying to escape the wrath of Perfect Chaos. They did make it to the hotel in time for dinner, though.
A fancy dinner was considered, but Sonic and Chuck decided to preserve money and get something like McDonald's that night. Everyone else agreed with them, and Sonic placed in an order. He was a little low on cash, but luckily, Knuckles had a little extra to pitch in.
Everyone was quiet. No one spoke. Chris, Cream, and Ella all looked on the verge of tears because they couldn't believe what had happened to their beloved Station Square, and Tails and Amy had never looked more solemn.
After UberEats delivered dinner for everyone, Sonic and Knuckles brought it into room 311, where Tails, Chris, and Cream in particular perked up at the sight of McDonald's.
"Hey guys, hope you weren't waiting long," Sonic said, not sounding as cheery as he usually did.
"Oh, no, you're good, Sonic," Chuck said. "The rest of us just got here five minutes ago. We're lucky we even got here at all. Traffic was awful."
"You guys should get a helicopter, I mean, you do have the landing pad up on the roof," Knuckles pointed out.
"Hmm… That would have saved us a lot of time if we had one," Chuck replied. "Usually the pad is reserved for Nelson, but you know what, I'll pencil one in as soon as this ordeal is over."
"Don't know what everyone's favorites are, so I hope you all don't mind Big Macs," Sonic said as he and Knuckles passed the food around. "Got vanilla shakes for everyone too, and some fries too." Ella and Mr. Tanaka did not normally eat fast food, so for them, it was an interesting change of pace for their diet.
"Hoo boy," Chuck sighed as the day caught up to him. "I didn't expect to see you here, Knuckles, but you're more than welcome to join us."
"Hey, I wasn't planning on being here either," Knuckles replied. "But this day… it really took off, didn't it?"
Cream looked up from where she and Cheese were sharing fries. "Mr. Sonic? Did you defeat Chaos?" she asked.
"Yup, it's toast," Sonic said from where he was leaving against the counter. "Unfortunately, so is a pretty big chunk of the northern part of the city. There's a ton of water up there, so no going that way for a good long time."
All the humans in the room looked solemn. It was worse than everyone thought. The Mobians looked relieved that the damage wasn't worse than the first time they encountered Chaos.
"Okay, but what about the house? Is it safe?" Amy asked. Even though the mansion was on the southwest side of the city, she still wanted to make sure.
"Haven't checked yet," said Sonic as he turned to leave. "Gimme a Sonic second." He bolted out of the room, throwing open the door at a speed no one thought was possible.
Once he was gone, Ella stood up from the table. "I'm going to call Mrs. Thorndyke and tell her this," she said as she walked toward the bathroom and closed the door behind her. The room was quiet once again.
"What I don't get is how Eggman's able to do all this again," Knuckles said. "I mean, I know how, but not… how. Like, I know this Chaos was fake, but it felt more real than ever. I even kept telling myself it was fake."
"But how is it not real?" Chris asked after he swallowed a bit of his burger. "Sonic just said it destroyed a part of the city!"
"That's the part I don't get, Chris," Knuckles said. "I mean, I can't help that this is familiar somehow…"
"Familiar how?" Chuck asked from across the table. "Besides the history repetition thing?"
"It's not exactly–"
"It's not good," came Sonic's voice as he entered the room, putting away the room card he had borrowed.
"Oh no…" Cream whimpered.
"Do I wanna know…?" Amy asked cautiously.
"Well, there's a couple inches of water covering the entire downstairs, like standing water, and on top of that, I kinda had to tread water just to get there. So yeah… the overall damage is way worse than I thought."
Needless to say, everyone was shocked.
"S-So our house is flooded…?" Chris repeated in surprise.
"I'm afraid so, Chris… I'm sorry…" Sonic said, looking at Chris in sympathy.
"All the antiques and area rugs…" Tanaka lamented.
"So this means we can't go back there, not until all the flooding is gone, at least," Chuck said. "We may have to stay here for a little while."
Tails had mostly calmed down after the storm ordeal by now, and he had mostly been quietly finishing his fries, but he immediately sat up.
"Oh! I just realized, the flood may have affected the X-Tornado! I gotta go check and see if it's okay!"
Tails was just starting to get up when Sonic motioned for him to sit back down.
"Hey, hey, relax, Tails!" Sonic said, watching as Tails reluctantly sat back in his seat. "I checked on the X-Tornado when I was there before. It made it back safe and sound, and it's in pretty good condition… well, except for the crash before."
Tails let out a sigh of relief. "Okay… that's good. I think I should probably go back tomorrow and fix it up.
"Okay, good idea," Sonic agreed.
The room was quiet for another moment as everyone pondered what to do next.
"Well, we can't stay in this hotel forever," Amy said, her arms folded across the table. "There's gotta be another place we can stay until the house is fixed."
"Well, maybe we can all go to Angel Island!" Cream piped up.
"Hmm… I'd rather not," Knuckles said. "Don't get me wrong, that's not a bad idea, but Angel Island is sacred to me, and besides, I'm not really the type to take visitors. I know I already have Big up there, but only because he doesn't have anywhere else to go. As for you guys, I can recommend your cousin Matt."
Chuck nodded. "You're right. He's our best and only option now that I think about it."
He pulled out his phone to text Matt, but then realized there would be too much to text him, so he got up and walked to the kitchen where he dialed Matt's number. At that time, Tanaka returned.
"It's been a long time since we saw Matt," Tails said as he finished his shake. "You excited, Chris?"
"Yeah, but… I'm gonna miss Station Square," Chris admitted. "I'm already homesick… And…" His emotions started to overcome him, and he got up and walked over to one of the beds, burning his face in the pillows.
Tails noticed Chris' strange behavior and got up to be by his side. Amy saw this, and she joined her friends.
"Chris…?" Tails gently said.
"It's all my fault…" came Chris' mumbled voice.
"What is?" Tails asked, looking a bit worried.
"Everything…" Chris slowly turned to look at Tails and Amy, but averted his eyes because he felt like he was getting too much attention. "The whole city's flooded… and it's all my fault… because I gave Chaos the last Emerald…"
This was news to Tails and Amy, and it was evidenced by their mouths falling open. Surely Chris wouldn't do that!
"Wh-What…?" Amy quietly asked in disbelief.
"Hey Chris, it wasn't your fault," came Sonic's voice from behind him, startling him. "You had no idea Chaos was that close to you. I mean, seriously, even if you weren't there, I'm pretty sure Chaos would have found a way to get that last Emerald anyway. All that matters is that Chaos is beaten."
"All's well that ends well– N-No, s-sorry…" Tails started to say, before blushing and rubbing the back of his head. "Time and a place for that."
"It's okay, Tails!" Amy said, giving her friend a gentle hug. "You know, you were really brave in that storm earlier. I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, Amy," Tails quietly said with a smile as he returned the hug. "It was really scary, but I was pretty focused on Chaos, and besides, you were there with me."
Before Chris could say anything, Ella emerged from the bathroom.
"Okay, I just got off the phone with Mrs. Thorndyke," she announced. "She told me she will be in town by the end of tomorrow to assess the damage done to our home."
"Okay," Amy replied, gently patting and rubbing Chris' back to help him fully calm down. "I just hope not too much is ruined, because the library and game room are downstairs, and a lot of those things are pretty expensive."
"They are," agreed Ella.
"It's okay Chris, it's okay, it's not your fault," Amy spoke gently to her friend, who was trying his hardest to recover from what happened that day. At that time, Chuck hung up the phone.
"Okay, Matt says he would be more than happy to have us all over at his place," Chuck announced.
"That's wonderful!" Ella said, who hadn't been informed of that decision before. "But how long are we going to be there? Because the sooner we're able to go back home, the better."
"I couldn't agree more," Chuck said as he put his phone away, "but it sounds it's going to be more than a couple weeks. Did something like this happen when history repeated? Anyone know?"
"It did," Knuckles replied quietly. "Only this time, we prevented it from becoming a major disaster. Because before, it managed to wipe Station Square off the face of Mobius. They never rebuilt. And after that, I have a healthy amount of respect for Chaos. And as for history repeating, I'm pretty sure Eggman is involved, but as for how he's doing it, we need more evidence."
"Sonic," Amy quietly told Sonic, getting his attention. "We need to talk about what we're gonna do next."
Sonic nodded. "Yeah, definitely."
Four Seasons Hotel – Sat November 19; 10:40 PM – Sonic's POV
The whole time after dinner, I had been anticipating the meeting to come. I knew it was very important to talk about what happened, and what we were to expect next.
After we went out and got dessert, we settled in our rooms. Tails, Chris, and I stayed in room 311 where we all gathered; Amy, Cream, and Ella got room 313; and Chuck, Tanaka, and Knuckles got room 315.
Chris was in the shower, and I was idly lounging on the bed, watching Tails as he flipped channels on the TV before settling on the news channel. The reporter was talking about the devastation in Station Square, and the floodwaters had reached the downtown area. Rescue helicopters were still rescuing people who were stranded on rooftops. However, the northern suburb, known as Farnsworth, was completely destroyed.
"Amy told me she's gonna come and host a meeting soon," I told Tails.
"Okay," Tails said. "It's probably about the whole redux thing, which I still don't buy. However, if the Phantom Ruby really is involved, then that makes a whole lot more sense."
"Yeah, I know, buddy," I replied. "But for now, until we get solid evidence, we gotta take it at face value."
Just then the knock on the door I had been expecting happened, and in a flash, I opened it to let Amy and Knuckles into the room.
"Oh, hey! I, uh, wasn't expecting you at first, Knux, but welcome!" I said.
"I figured, why not?" Knuckles shrugged. "Besides, Amy insisted it was top priority." Amy nodded as I closed the door.
"Is Cream coming?" I asked.
"She's feeling tired, so she's gonna go right to bed," Amy said as she glanced around the room. "Where's Chris? Is he here?"
"He's in the shower," Tails replied without taking his gaze off the TV.
"So should we wait for him?" I asked Amy. "'Cuz he's still new to this kind of thing, and he's never been through any of our history before."
"Normally I would say yes," Amy said, "but I feel like he's gonna get really worried if he finds out what happened next, like what the next major adventure we had was."
I tried to think back to what it was, but I couldn't remember since I had been on so many adventures.
"Think you'll need to clue me in," I said. "My memory's a bit rusty."
"Here's a hint," Amy said. "You met one of your biggest rivals that day."
"I know what it is!" Tails piped up as he turned off the TV. "But I wanna see if you can guess it first, Sonic," he added playfully.
The gears immediately clicked in my brain.
"Oh… Ooohhh…" I realized. "It's the whole Space Colony ARK thing with Shadow, isn't it? Yeah, I can see why you'd be worried about Chris with that."
"Yeah," Amy nodded. "Now if I remember correctly, GUN was after you because you got framed for stuff Shadow was doing."
"That was really rough on me," I said. "It's way past me how people couldn't tell black from blue, but it was the dead of night, so I'll give em the benefit of the doubt. But this time, I'm probably more popular here than I am back home, and GUN doesn't have all the hi-tech stuff they did on Mobius either. In fact, as far as I know, they don't even have a giant truck."
"Doesn't make 'em any less dangerous," Knuckles pointed out. "I'm sure they'll get you on something or other. Wanna put this world's jail cells to the test?" he added with a laugh.
"Knuckles…" I whined. "It wasn't funny then, it's not funny now."
"Does that mean I get to come and rescue you again?" Amy said with a wink.
"Guys, guys," Tails said, holding up his hands to try and put the meeting back on course. "None of this makes any sense from a logical standpoint. Even with the Phantom Ruby, history can't just repeated and be simulated, just like that, with just a few changes. Sure, I can go with Chaos being a Phantom Ruby illusion, but that's about all the Phantom Ruby can do at max power. And all the history stuff that went with is is probably a big coincidence. In fact, I think Eggman made the Egg Carrier and E-100 Series robots just for this event.
"But think about it. This world doesn't even have a Space Colony ARK or a Prison Island! I mean, the closest things we have to that is Alcatraz and the International Space Station, but… the International Space Station is way smaller than the ARK, and I'm pretty sure they don't use Alcatraz anymore.
"And on top of that, Shadow was created fifty years before we met him, and on this planet, technology in the seventies is really primitive compared to today's tech, and even that can't rival the tech on the ARK."
Everyone was silent after Tails speech as we all soaked in Tails' words. The fox blushed slightly; he wasn't used to giving big speeches like that, even in front of his friends.
"That's… a really good point…" Knuckles agreed.
"Normally I'd be with you on that, Tails," I said as I paced the floor, "except remember the giant virtual sun Eggman created to throw at us?"
"Yeah…?" Tails asked, his eyes closed partway in thought.
"Well, Eggman could make his own ARK and use that," I said.
"Yeah, but… It would have to be sustained with something, because the ARK is really huge, and besides, it's virtual, so it's not really real, so… I can't really see that happening. And– And in fact, he could do literally anything! He doesn't have to follow history!"
"True, but remember what Eggman told us back when we fought Chaos at the lake? He tried to tell us even he was aware of history repeating itself, so that tells me that's his plan," I said.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that…" Tails realized.
"So assume he goes with the whole Space Colony ARK thing. What do we do then?" I stated.
"Well, I know you can definitely go super and stop the ARK from falling to Earth once again, but then there's the issue of Shadow," Amy said.
"But that doesn't add up," Knuckles said. "Shadow knows you well, Sonic."
"And we haven't seen Shadow at all since we got here," I pointed out. "I mean, if we were gonna run into him, we would definitely have seen him by now, so this just goes to show that we haven't seen nothin' yet. We should be ready for anything and expect the unexpected, am I right?"
"Yeah!" Tails agreed. "But, um, what about Chris? He's never been through anything like this, like… ever."
"Plus he's never been to space, and it's too dangerous for him to go there," added Amy. "Especially with all the traps…"
"Ames is right," I said. "As much as he loves goin' on adventures with us, it's probably best that he sits this one out. 'Cuz just a couple hours ago, Chaos almost drowned him twice."
"Yeah…" Amy said.
Just then the bathroom door opened and Chris emerged, wearing his pajamas. He looked confused to see Knuckles and Amy in the room too.
"…So what are we gonna do tomorrow…?" he asked. I didn't quite expect the sudden change of topic.
"I'm thinking we should probably go and help some people out with the aftermath of Chaos. Way too people lost their homes, and their lives too. I don't even know the official death toll, but… it's too high."
"Good idea," Knuckles added. "I'll pitch in too, just like the Restoration days."
"But for now, I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm about ready to hit the hay," I said, stretching and yawning.
"Me too…" Amy said quietly. "Good night, guys."
"Night," Knuckles added.
"Good night!" The rest of us said as Amy and Knuckles headed off to their own rooms. Now it was just me, Tails, and Chris.
"Um… is something wrong… Sonic…?" Chris asked me. I shook off the expression I didn't know I had.
"Oh, nothing for you to worry about," I told him. "But this adventure is gonna be the first of many you have for a bit."
Chris blinked. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"It's… Well, the history repeating thing," I told him. "But I'm gonna make sure you sit out this time if it's okay. I don't want you getting involved, I mean it."
"Is it that bad…?" Chris asked.
"Kinda, yeah," I said. "I'd tell you what to expect, but I want you to get some sleep tonight. We all earned it."
"Hmm… Okay," Chris said as he climbed into his bed.
"Sonic…? You doing okay…?" Tails asked gently as he climbed over to me. "Because you were trapped inside Chaos, and I know you really hate water."
"Well, to be honest with you, it kinda felt like I was drowning in Jell-o," I told him. "But all that really matters is I got the Emeralds and beat Chaos. Thanks for the rings, buddy. I hope you weren't too scared by the storm."
Tails glanced out the window. Even though it was dark outside, the clouds were rapidly clearing.
"I was a little scared…" Tails admitted. "I really hate flying in storms… It took everything I had to stay focused, and Amy helped me a lot. All I had to do was believe in myself… just like you always told me, Sonic," he finished with a smile.
"That's right, I couldn't have done it without you, little bro!" I smiled back. We embraced in a brotherly hug. Just like everyone else probably felt, I was glad we could just breathe and enjoy a moment like this.
"I think it's time we hit the hay," I told Tails once we finally let go. "We got a big cleanup day tomorrow."
"All those poor people who don't have a home anymore… Where are they all gonna go…?"
"I'm pretty sure we won't be the only ones helping out," I said. "We saw all those rescue choppers on the news, right?"
"Yeah," Tails replied. "And I'm gonna help too, just like Aunt Sally helped everyone after we all beat Eggman for the very first time!"
"Yup, well put!" I smiled. "It's nothing we haven't done before. In fact, since this planet is not torn apart by war like ours was after the war, this jo should take about one month instead of six."
"I hope so, or even less than that," Tails said as he stood up. "Perfect Chaos was really powerful."
As Tails went in the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower for the evening (I already went before the meeting), I lay back down on the bed.
It was a really big day. Eggman showed up for the first time in six months, resulting in the longest day I had since his first downfall on Earth. Thanks to the history repeating incident, or the Phantom Ruby, or whatever happened, I replayed a whole adventure, all in one day. If I had one regret, it was that I didn't warn the people of Perfect Chaos soon enough. But I had no idea everything would happen so fast.
Eggman tried to stay one step ahead of us, all while me and my friends were doing our best to do the same thing. It turned out oddly interesting now that I thought about it.
I knew that one day, Shadow would show up on Earth; that is, if the formula continued that way. And whatever tricks Eggman would have up his sleeve, I would be ready for him.
A/N: And that concludes "Flood Fight", as well as the Chaos Saga. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, especially the last chapter, which is my personal favorite episode of this arc.
Dun dun duuun! The Phantom Ruby is here! I'll go into detail in a later chapter, explaining how Eggman got it. Originally it wasn't going to be introduced until a whole lot later in the story, close to the Homebound Saga, but I'm glad I introduced it sooner, because it makes a whole lot more sense that way given the direction of this story.
That's right, the Phantom Ruby is my answer to how the Chaos Saga is able to happen even though it already happened with Sonic before. In my opinion, Season 2 is my least favorite Sonic X season, because things seemed unorganized and there was no overlying plot, and if it weren't for the Shadow Saga and Homebound Saga, you could actually skip over this whole season. But I wanted to redeem it and write it the proper way. Things are only to get more interesting from here...
Also, I know you guys wanted an explanation as to how Chaos can heal people, so I improvised a little and wrote some echidna lore. Let me know what you think of it.
As usual, if you have any constructive criticism or idea for improvement, feel free to leave them in a review or PM.
Next time: "Project Shadow", where Eggman sets the next phase of his master plan in motion! Don't miss it!
