-Chapter 111-
Old Wounds
Station Square
In the wake of Chaos 2's attack, the group had decided to take a break and get some much needed rest. Not wanting to leave the city for fear of missing Robotnik and his watery friend, Chris had opened his home to the group. It was morning, and almost everyone was awake and refreshed. The only ones still catching Z's were the kids, who had flopped into a small pile on the couch, which Hope having curled up on Big's stomach at his request, needing a weight there to sleep comfortably. Several blankets had been draped over them by either Ella or Tanaka, and Sonic almost felt bad about waking them. Nonetheless, they had a job to do, and he got to rousing them. Within the hour, all of them were awake and gathered around the breakfast table, sipping coffee and munching on cereal or eggs. Feeling they needed some good news, Chris set out the Chaos Emerald they had retrieved from HEXAeco.
"Eggman may have got two Emeralds, but Aunt Laura came through for us here." he told them.
"First good news we've had in awhile," Sally remarked.
"Good job, you three," Sonic told them.
"Either way, the score's two to one, and Eggman's winning," Hope pointed out. "We can't let Chaos get any stronger."
"Don't worry, Hope," Sonic assured. "Robuttnik will not win. I won't let him."
"The hunt for the Master Emerald shards is looking good at least," Kat chimed in.
"Right, we've gathered about 36% of the shards already," Knuckles added. "If it wasn't for you guys helping us out, the number would probably be alot smaller."
"That's what friends are for," Tails perked. "Which reminds me…"
He pulled out the Miles Electric, fiddling with it and checking over the radar.
"Chaos or Master?" Sonic asked.
"I'm getting readings of both. On Angel Island."
"Is that so?" Kat questioned.
"We never did actually check the island itself," Knuckles realized.
Both looked at one another, then facepalmed in unison.
"We're such idiots…" they grumbled.
"Easy," Rotor told them, "everyone makes mistakes."
"Any specific areas, Tails?" Mina asked.
Tails checked the map.
"The Chaos Emerald signature's coming from the Ice Cap Zone, and I'm getting about three shard signatures around the volcano."
"The Red Mountain Zone," Knuckles declared.
"Don't you mean Lava Reef?" Sonic questioned.
"No, that's the area inside the volcano. Red Mountain is the outside and surrounding area."
"Guess that means we won't need the Flame Shields to get them back," Kat sighed. "Thank Aurora."
"Sonic, you and Tails handle the Emerald in the Ice Cap," Sally ordered. "You know Angel Island better than the rest of us."
"Just try and steer clear of Echidnaopolis," Knuckles warned. "My dad's got the place on high alert, and I'm pretty sure he'll attack any non-echidna that's not Kat or Chaotix."
"And even that's iffy," Kat added.
They finished their breakfast, but before they could go, Chris held up a hand.
"Wait," he piped up. "Before I forget, I wanna give you something, Sonic."
"More shoe additions?" Sonic asked.
"Better. Come with me."
He took him to the workshop out back, where an object was seated under a tarp. He pulled it away to reveal sneakers identical to Sonic's own, but solid gold.
"Gold-plated Power Sneakers?" Sonic asked.
"Not exactly," Chris clarified. "I call them Light Speed Shoes. Upon contact with the ground, they increase friction to let you reach unparalleled speeds, all using state-of-the-art Blast Processing technology."
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Blast Processing? Sounds like phony baloney buzzwords to fool the simple minded."
Chris shrugged. "Your Uncle Chuck's notes used it to refer to the Power Sneaker crafting process. I thought it was catchy."
He held out the shoes. "Just take them. Who knows, they may come in handy."
Sonic nodded, taking them.
"Eh, what have I got to lose?" he decided. "Helps to be prepared."
"Good luck," Chris told him.
Red Mountain Zone
Once they warped to Angel Island, Knuckles and Kat headed for Red Mountain, leaving Sonic and Tails to scale the Ice Cap. The two Knuckleheads looked up at the mountain, sizing it up.
"Feel anything?" Kat asked.
Knuckles closed his eyes, focusing. Kat did the same, both of them feeling out. As they did, they both felt a tug near the summit of the mountain.
"Up there," Knuckles reported.
"Hang on, I got another one," Kat added. "But it's down."
"Where exactly?" Knuckles questioned.
She pointed, right where a massive outcropping of rocks were gathered. Knuckles sighed.
"I'll pop back to town and get the Shovel Claws," he decided. "You head for the summit."
Kat gave a two-fingered salute. Knuckles headed off to the city, leaving her to scale the mountain.
Ice Cap Zone
Sonic and Tails looked up at the snowy peaks of Ice Cap, clad in parkas to ward off the cold as Tails looked at the radar.
"It's up there," he reported.
"Let's get going," Sonic insisted. "We've got a lot of snow to dig through."
He began wading through the thick snow, Tails just flying above it as he kept an eye on his radar.
"That's cheating, y'know," Sonic deadpanned.
Tails simply shrugged before feeling a tickle in his nose. He tried to hold it in, but it was too much for him. He let out the biggest, loudest sneeze that seemed to echo across the mountain. As he sniffed and wiped his nose, there was an ominous rumbling. They looked up, seeing a mass of snow descending down the mountain toward them.
"Oh, no…" Tails managed. "Avalanche!"
Both of them quickly started running in the opposite direction, but the avalanche was quickly catching up with them. Looking around desperately, Sonic caught sight of an old log half buried in the snow. Thinking fast, he grabbed it, hopping onto it and bracing himself. It slid along the snow like a snowboard, Sonic grinning at his ingenuity.
"Now this is more like it!" he cheered.
"Sonic!" Tails cried. "Are you okay?!"
"Never better! Let's scram!"
Sonic shot down the hill, easily keeping ahead of the avalanche as Tails followed. The fox checked the Miles Electric, seeing the signal getting stronger with every step.
"We're getting closer!" he shouted.
"Sweet! Just let me know which way to go!"
"Bank left!"
Sonic did, hitting a small incline and getting launched Into the air. He took the opportunity to do a small flip before landing.
"Oh yeah!" he cheered as they went.
Eventually, they reached the bottom of the hill. Seeing nothing, Tails checked again.
"Looks like it's beneath us."
"Lucky for us, hedgehogs are burrowers," Sonic stretched his arms. "Stand back."
He jumped up before tucking into spin mode and digging down. Snow was violently kicked up as he dug, forcing Tails to take cover. After a minute, the digging stopped, Sonic launching out of the hole.
"Got it!" He proudly displayed the blue Chaos Emerald. "Now let's get outta this ice box."
"No argument here," Tails agreed.
Red Mountain
By this point, Kat had made it to the summit. After getting her bearings, she looked around.
"Alright, where are you…"
She felt around, trying to discern exactly where the shard had ended up. The red light from before returned, swirling around her and landing on her head. She didn't notice, but she did notice the signal suddenly coming in much clearer.
"There you are…" she muttered.
The light remained on her head as Kat smashed through some of the stone, revealing the embedded shard. She pulled it out with a grin before hearing a tunneling sound. Kat looked down, seeing dirt being kicked up as Knuckles went to work with the Shovel Claws. With a smirk, Kat slid down the mountain, landing on the edge of the pit Knuckles was digging.
"You sure took your time," she quipped. "Flirting with Julie-Su?"
"Hilarious," Knuckles deadpanned.
"Hey, I found my shard," Kat informed him, holding it up.
"Good work," Knuckles replied. "I've almost found mine. Just a few more inches…"
Eventually, he unearthed another shard.
"Got it!" He climbed out, holding the shard in hand. "Now we just need to find that last one. Shall we?"
Kat gestured with a smile. "After you."
Knuckles led the way as they searched out the final of the three shards. The red light hopped from Kat's head to Knuckles' , images of a gnarled, twisted tree filling his mind.
"I've got it. Follow me."
They found the tree from Knuckles' vision, a faint green glow emitting from a splintered hole in its trunk. Knuckles stuck his hand in, rummaging a bit before pulling out the third shard.
"And we have them all," he declared.
He held out the shard and Kat reached for it. When both she and Knuckles were touching it, the red light made itself known, swirling around them visibly.
Before they could do anything, their world went white again…
When the light cleared, they found themselves in the ancient Echidnaopolis, finding numerous Echidnas with tribal clothing and war paint roaming about.
"This again…" Knuckles muttered.
"This is definitely getting weird," Kat remarked. "They look like they're getting ready for war."
They heard a commotion near the city gates, and went to check it out, stopping short to see Pachacamac being confronted by Tikal and Solaran. The two blinked at the sight of him.
"That hedgehog... he looks just like Sonic!" Knuckles exclaimed. "You think he's...?"
"Maybe," Kat shrugged. "I dunno."
"We have to check this out,"
They went as close as they dared, hearing their argument.
"Solaran?!" Pachacamac glared at Tikal. "This is your doing, isn't it? You went over my head and got him involved!"
"She's just looking out for your best interests, Patch," Solaran insisted. "Surely you see-"
"My name is Pachacamac!" Pachacamac snapped. "And you will address me with respect, Solaran."
"This isn't about me," Solaran shot back. "It's about you. You need to let go of your ambitions and hunger for power before they destroy everything you hold dear."
"Am I to stand idly by while the Nocturnus Clan and Felidae threaten my clan?!" Pachacamac demanded. "The Nocturnus' Gizoid machines have enabled them to turn the tide, and the Felidae encroach every day! The Knuckles Clan will not survive without the Emeralds, Solaran!"
"The Nocturnus Clan is only defending their territory, and the Felidae only do the same," Solaran countered. "They attack your home because you threaten theirs."
"Please listen to him, father," Tikal pleaded. "I beg of you, do not go through with this."
"Patch, I'm asking you as a friend," Solaran began. "The cup you choose to fill has no bottom. It's time to end this madness. You'll only make things worse for yourself in the long run if you continue on this path."
"You are my friend, no?" Pachacamac replied. "Then here's my counter-offer. Join me on this conquest, Solaran."
Solaran recoiled, blinking.
"Have you lost your mind?! I didn't ask for your aid in defeating the likes of Lyric and the Drakons just so you could take their place!"
"Don't you understand?!" Pachacamac demanded. "We are smarter! We are stronger! We are invincible! We have the power! We are superior to them! We could rule Mobius side-by-side, bringing peace and unity to the world! You could have anything you desired!"
"I already do," Solaran retorted. "I serve the people, Pachacamac. They don't serve me."
"Then think about it this way," Pachacamac began. "Imagine what we could accomplish together. What we could create... or we could destroy, causing the deaths of countless innocents in selfish battle again, and again, and again, until we're both dead! Is that what you want? Think about it, old friend."
The two observers watched the exchange in absolute horror. Knuckles looked just about sick to his stomach and Kat was clutching the echidna, staring in disbelief. Their expressions were mirrored by Tikal, who had tears in her eyes as she realized just how far her father had fallen.
"I don't need to, Patch," Solaran said at last. "I refuse to be part of this, nor will I allow you to become a threat to all life on Mobius."
Pachacamac sighed, shaking his head.
"And I can't allow you to stop me, Solaran. I give you one last kindness in the name of our past friendship. Leave my city, and stay out of my way."
Solaran stepped back. To the untrained eye, it would look like a retreat, but the two observers recognized the stance immediately. It was what Sonic always did right before he was expecting to fight.
"I can't do that, Patch. I'm sorry."
Pachacamac took up a stance identical to Knuckles, putting his fists up. "So be it."
They charged, grappling and wrestling with each other as Tikal pleaded for them to stop. Just as the two elders clashed, everything went white once more.
Angel Island
They found themselves at the spot where they warped in, Sonic snapping his fingers in Knuckles' face while Tails waved his hand in front of Kat's.
"Rise and shine!" Sonic exclaimed.
Both quickly snapped back to reality. Knuckles batted Sonic's hand away on instinct, pulling Kat close.
"Whoa, cool your jets," Sonic held his hands up. "It's just us."
Knuckles looked around, slowly relaxing. He maintained his grip on Kat, and she showed no sign of wanting him to let go.
"Are you two okay?" Tails asked. "You were just standing there zoned out. Like zombies."
"Honestly... I don't know," Kat admitted. "Something keeps happening when we find new shards."
"Like… visions," Knuckles added. "I don't know how to explain it."
"And this last one…" Kat shuddered. "The echidnas are screwed up. No offense, Knux,"
"None taken," Knuckles replied. "Even I think that was screwed up."
He rubbed his eyes. "The Brotherhood always told me that Pachacamac's actions nearly brought about the extinction of our race. I'm beginning to see why."
Before Sonic and Tails could question it, they heard a saurian roar, and turned to see a familiar raptor running up to them frantically.
"Chomps!" Kat and Knuckles said simultaneously.
Sonic and Tails quickly backpedaled, remembering the last time they'd encountered the dino.
"Easy, he's cool," Knuckles assured before placing his hands on Chomps' shoulders. "What is it, boy?"
Chomps let out a low roar, chuffing nervously.
"I… don't speak raptor," Sonic remarked.
All of a sudden, Chomps turned to Sonic. He recoiled, but the dinosaur gently grabbed his sleeve in his teeth, tugging on it while pointing in the direction of Echidnaopolis.
"Something's happened in town," Knuckles realized. "And he wants us to go check it out."
Chomps roared again, then lowered himself, as if offering a lift. Knuckles and Kat quickly climbed on.
"As if we didn't have enough to deal with already," Sonic sighed. "Alright, let's go check it out."
They hurried to the city, stopping short at the sight of numerous Felidae warriors assaulting the area.
"What in Green Hill?!" Sonic exclaimed.
"The Felidae!" Knuckles shouted.
Kat raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"A clan of cats who live in the Mystic Ruins," Knuckles explained. "One of the groups Pachacamac antagonized."
"So that's why they're here?" Sonic asked.
"All known records on Felidae culture describe them as xenophobic and super-paranoid," Tails recalled. "They must've seen Angel Island fall and assumed the worst."
"Damn it…" Knuckles cursed. "We need to stop this!"
They hurried forward, seeing the Chaotix pinned down. Lara-Le rose up, holding her hands in a placating gesture.
"Please, we mean you no harm!" she pleaded. "We mean you no harm!"
"Lies!" Razorklaw roared. "We trusted you filthy Echidnas once before, and paid for it in blood! We will not make the same mistake twice!"
"Then how about listening to a hedgehog?"
Sonic stepped in, Tails, Chomps, and the dino's two riders flanking him.
"This doesn't involve you!" Razorklaw snapped.
"When you attack innocent people, it does," Sonic shot back. "Whatever beef you have with the Echidnas happened thousands of years ago. The ones in the here and now have done nothing to hurt you."
"Lies!" Razorklaw hissed. "The Echidna have done nothing but take and destroy! I refuse to believe that these creatures know nothing but conquest and death!"
"Oh really?" Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Answer me this, kitty kat. Who's attacking who right now? From where I stand, you and your cat pals invaded Angel Island and attacked people who were just minding their own business."
"That is where you are wrong, Hedgehog," Razorklaw snapped. "They dropped their Island from the sky, attempting to use the waters surrounding the Mystic Ruins to drown us! They struck first! We are simply defending ourselves from long hated enemies!"
"The island lost power and fell on its own! Doesn't matter whether you believe me or not, it's the truth!"
Razorklaw refused to budge, Sonic sighing.
"So that's how it's gonna be."
He prepared to fight, the standoff tense when…
"Enough!"
All eyes turned to Locke as he approached, Hathor herself stepping forward.
"Your Majesty, we have no desire to take your territory or threaten you," he insisted. "The grudge between our cultures has gone on for four thousand years. It's time to let it rest."
Hathor scoffed. "And why would I trust anything a descendant of that repulsive Knuckles Clan has to say?"
"Perhaps mere words cannot change your opinion of me, or my people," Locke mused. "However, we are not what we once were."
"Talk is cheap," Hathor shot back. "There's only one way to determine your fate."
Razorklaw stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. Sonic made to confront him, but Locke blocked his path.
"This is between the Felidae and the Echidnas, Sonic," he informed him. "I'll handle this."
"Dad!" Knuckles objected.
"Locke, no!" Kat insisted.
Locke ignored them, facing Razorklaw, who scoffed at the older Guardian's appearance.
"This should be easy," he gloated. "I'll try to make it as painless as possible, old man."
"Do not overestimate your skills," Locke retorted. "I didn't rise to the rank I did by doing nothing."
They faced off, Locke dodging around Razorklaw as he slashed and attacked. Eventually, he grabbed him in a headlock, beginning to choke him out.
"Don't fight it," the cat said with a cruel smirk.
Locke squirmed and choked, trying to break his grip. He managed to get a solid foothold on the ground before jerking his head back with all his might, blood squirting and bones crunching as Locke's headbutt hit home right on Razorklaw's nose.
"Yeah!" Knuckles cheered. "Go, Dad!"
Razorklaw stumbled back, clutching his bleeding nose.
"Impressive, I'll give you that," he confessed. "But it'll take more than a broken nose to take me down."
"Then come, and I will break something far more valuable."
They clashed for a while, before Locke got a lucky shot and brought Razorklaw to his knees with a knee to the gut, following up by throwing him over his shoulder and knocking him unconscious. Standing triumphantly, Locke turned to Hathor.
"Now that your champion is down for the count, what do you say we sit down and talk about our problems like civilized people?" he offered.
Hathor looked down at Razorklaw with a look of disgust and disappointment, then her gaze turned to Locke.
"I'm listening," she conceded.
Locke turned towards Sonic's group, pointing at them.
"What do you see?" he asked.
Hathor looked between each one, her eyes falling on Kat. She noted Knuckles' protective grip on her, and the echidna garb she was wearing.
"This child, she-"
"Is of this tribe," Locke cut in. "Taken in by my son as one of us. The Echidnas of Pachacamac's time would have never taken in one that was not of their own kind."
Hathor's eyes drifted from Kat to Sonic, then to the captive Chaotix, further proof of the difference between the Echidna of old. After a minute, she raised a hand.
"Stand down,"
The Felidae warriors immediately stepped away from the Chaotix, lowering their weapons.
"We were mistaken," Hathor informed them. "Those of the sky island are not trying to invade. The many should not suffer for the sins of the one."
The Chaotix got up, moving away from the Felidae and regrouping with Sonic's entourage. Knuckles gave Julie-Su a worried look, but a small nod calmed his nerves.
"We have no desire to dredge up long dead conflicts," Locke informed them. "If anything, we seek to finally bring it to a true end."
He held out a hand. "If you wish it."
After a moment, Hathor took the hand, the two shaking.
"Yes, you're right," she conceded. "It's been four thousand years. Perhaps it is time to let it rest."
They parted ways, Hathor turning to her people.
"We have done enough to these people. We shall leave in peace."
The Felidae all dispersed, Razorklaw lifted up and carried by some others back to their boat.
"Well, glad that ended with a minimum of bloodshed," Sonic spoke up.
"Agreed," Knuckles nodded, sliding off of Chomps with Kat in tow, approaching his father. "Did you mean what you said?"
"Yes," Locke nodded. "While I still may have reservations about her being a Guardian, there is no denying Kathryn is of our tribe. Echidna or not, she's one of us."
Kat looked shocked, tears of joy in her eyes at the admission. Locke patted her head before turning to the others.
"Alright, that's one crisis down, but you kids still have work to do. Chaos is still on the prowl."
"Right," Knuckles recalled as he handed over the shards they'd found. "Sonic, you find it?"
"Yep!" Sonic held up the Emerald.
"Let's go meet up with the others," Tails said.
Great Swamp
The group left Angel Island, heading through the Mystic Ruins to regroup with the others.
"Okay, seriously," Kat sighed. "Why are we not Warp Ringing back?"
"Because we need to conserve the rings for the shards," Tails answered. "The sooner the Master Emerald is back up the better, and we have no idea how many more shards are out there."
"Too many…" Knuckles sighed.
Eventually, they met up with the rest in a more swampy area of the ruins.
"Is this Mystic Ruins or Soggy Ruins?" Hope asked.
"The Great Swamp," Big cut in. "Where Froggy and I first met. Lotta big Mobini bugs around here, so watch it."
"Ugh…" Hope cringed. "Bugs."
Big pulled her onto his back, gently patting her head.
"Thanks, Big."
"Have you got it?" Sally asked.
Sonic displayed the Emerald, and that's when they heard a familiar laugh before Robotnik came flying in. He darted past them at high speed in the Egg Mobile, the group scrambling to avoid and dropping the two in their possession. He scooped them up, grinning.
"You fat bastard!" Kat screamed. "You followed us here?!"
"My scheme worked like a charm," Robotnik gloated. "You get all the groundwork, and I get all the glory, not to mention the Chaos Emeralds! I'll see you next time you find more!"
He began to fly away, but Sonic ran forward, leap-frogging off Big's head before landing on the Egg Mobile.
"You're not getting away that easy!" he shouted.
"Get off, you useless pile of spines!"
He grabbed Sonic, trying to shove him off. "I don't take hitchhikers!"
"Make an exception!"
They grappled furiously, the Egg Mobile careening out of control. Sonic eventually fell off, the two Emeralds falling into the swamp with a plop.
"No!" Knuckles screamed as he rushed to the water's edge, only to see the water glowing and bubbling violently. "No! No! NO!"
"Yes! Yes! YES!" Robotnik cheered, grinning from ear to ear. "You can come out now, Chaos!"
From the swamp emerged the body of Chaos, transformed again. He was more fish-like, differing greatly from its appearance as Chaos 1 and 2. Chaos 4 had a shark-like body with a dorsal fin on both its back and a horn on its forehead, and the flaps on the sides on its head had grown longer. It also had two sharp pelvic fins and a pair of arms like Chaos 2's, except its hands looked more like fins and lacked thumbs. Inside its hands and wrists it had grey bones, each with a Chaos Emerald embedded in them. It also had bones running from its tail fin to its belly where it had a pelvis-like bone holding two Chaos Emeralds.
"Man, no one ever cuts us any slack…" Sonic moaned.
Nonetheless, he hopped onto a lily pad to face the creature, or he went to, before he was intercepted by Rotor.
"I got this one, Sonic," the walrus insisted. "Water is my element."
Sonic nodded. "Aim for the brain."
"Gotcha." Rotor cracked his knuckles and popped his neck, balancing on the lily pad. "Your move, Chaos."
A water geyser erupted beneath him, forcing Rotor on the move. He hopped from pad to pad before jumping at him fist first, splattering him into bubbles as he went into the water. Chaos 4 soon reformed, unleashing a shockwave that Rotor dove to avoid before charging at him, grabbing on and both going down.
"Rotor!" Tails cried.
"You got this, Chaos!" Robotnik cheered. "Keep dunking the walrus until he's totally washed up!"
Chaos started leaping out of the water repeatedly like a dolphin, Rotor holding on with all his might.
"You won't buck me off!" Rotor shouted. "Now cough up those Emeralds!"
He slammed his fists into Chaos' head, trying to reach his brain. Eventually, he got a lucky shot and Chaos roared in pain before dissolving again. Rotor splashed down, paddling over to the others as Robotnik sucked up Chaos' puddle.
"This round you got a lucky break, but next time you'll just get broken!" he swore. "In the meantime…"
He pressed a button on his glove, and the group heard a loud engine running. The sun was blocked out, the gang looking up and gasping to see a massive flying battleship with a red, yellow, black and white colored hull, an open deck, and the Robotnik Empire's decal emblazoned on it. Each side was covered by a large plate of armor which could be folded out into wings, and on the front was a pointy bow which could fold out into a cannon. On the rear were two massive engines..
"Behold my floating masterpiece, the Egg Carrier!" Robotnik boasted. "It pales in comparison to the power of Chaos, but it gets the job done. Now, I bid you all adieu."
He laughed as a tractor beam came from the Carrier, calling him up.
"Rotor, are you okay?" Sally asked.
"Yeah," Rotor assured. "Pissed I couldn't get the Emeralds back, but fine."
"Hey Rotor," Sticks piped up suddenly. "Hold still."
Rotor blinked. "Huh?"
"Just shut up and hold still."
Rotor did so, Sticks going around to his back and drawing her boomerang, sliding it up and down on something. There was a small, wet plop, and Sticks tossed something into the swamp.
"Alright, you're good," she told him.
"Do I want to know?" Rotor deadpanned.
"Eh, it was just a swamp leech," Sticks assured.
"Aren't you supposed to burn them off with fire or a lit cigarette?" Mina asked.
Sticks shook her head. "Do that, and it'll puke into the bite and increase the chances of a nasty infection."
"Now that that's done, we can't let Eggman go away." Tails insisted.
"Agreed," Sonic nodded. "Let's grab the Tornado 2 and chase him down."
Using the Miles Electric, Tails summoned the Tornado 2. He got into the cockpit, Sonic hopping onto the wings.
"The rest of you, back on the Emerald hunt." Sonic ordered.
"Good luck, Sonic!" Sally called.
Sonic gave a two fingered salute as the plane took off.
Author's Note:
Four Emeralds to down, three to go. What will happen next?
The design of the Light Speed Shoes were taken from Sonic Unleashed, while their speed-boosting abilities were taken from the Ultrasonic Speed Amplifier from Sonic Boom, since Rings don't just float around in straight paths for Sonic to zip along.
Please R&R. Until next time!
