Hello everyone! Sorry for a long delay but I suffered a little bit of Writer's Block and dealing with some things in life but I'm back. In this chapter, I will explain about an ancient enemy the Paleons had to face in the past and some other things in the present. Onward to the story!
(Series Intro)
Chapter 3: Ruby's Star Day
In the past on Paleoton…
A lot of Paleons were running in great fear of a powerful ruler. Many hid in their homes and covered their heads while others stayed to fight. Mothers took their children and ran to protect them while some of the fathers stayed to help fight the evil and powerful ruler known as… Daegon.
Daegon's appearance: Similar to Mesogog (PRDT).Obsidian and orange colored. Combination of a dragon and a dinosaur. Has a long and strong tail, sharp claws, small spikes on the spine and tip of tail, white of the eyes is dark orange and the iris is red and slit, and 8 feet tall.
Voice: Shredder 2003 (From TMNT 2003, voiced by Scottie Ray)
Daegon ruled Paleoton with an iron fist. Many Paleons feared him and his power. Any who challenged Daegon were wiped out completely. Awhile back, Paleoton was still a peaceful planet. Until a large dark orange colored meteor entered the planet and Daegon appeared. He had 2 powerful beings that were his ultimate weapons: 2 titans called Drazirok (DRAY-zirock) and Viperon (Vipe-ron). He also could summon 2- horned, dark orange and black colored raptors that could breathe fire.
Drazirok's appearance: Combination of a Carnotaur and Diablo (From Primal Rage), 2 large sharp horns on both sides of head and one small horn on the snout, dark red colored body, dark yellow slit eyes, and has the power of fire and magma.
Viperon's appearance: Similar to Vertigo (From Primal Rage), dark gray colored body, sharp fangs, long slender tail that can be used for coiling and suffocating, dark green slit eyes, and has the power of deadly poison and can turn living beings to stone.
Many lives were lost on the day that Daegon took over Paleoton. The planet was shaped in a horrible way to Daegon's liking. However after one year had passed, 3 powerful Paleons decided to help save their home from Daegon's grip. Their names were Alder, Zandor, and Elwyn.
The 3 Paleons' voices are up to the readers.
Alder was a male gray colored Longneck who had the power of earth and he was the wise leader. Zandor was a male Hyp dino that was blue colored and had the power of ice. He was sometimes a bit naïve. Elwyn was a female orange colored Fast Runner who had the power of energy and was also wise. They were Avalar's ancestors. When the time was right, they confronted Daegon. They fought his fire raptor army and then fought his titans. Alder transformed into a titan sized Longneck made out of rock while Zandor transformed into an ice golem. Elwyn surrounded herself in a large ball of powerful energy. Working together, they took down the evil titans. The 3 heroes also had a group of Paleons that helped to defeat the rest of the raptor army and make sure the titans stayed down. The 3 great Paleons then confronted Daegon. They glared at the dark ruler who was very angry.
"No more games. You may have defeated my army and my titans, but you all will fall by my claws" Daegon said as he glared fiercely at the 3 heroes.
"You're evil reign is over Daegon!" exclaimed Alder.
"You will not threaten our home any longer" added Zandor.
"And we'll send you back from whence you came" added Elwyn.
Daegon scoffed. "You all think that you can stop ME! I'm far more powerful than anyone on this planet! You cannot defeat a god!"
"No one is untouchable Daegon" stated Alder.
"We're going to prove you wrong because you don't know what we're capable of together" added Elwyn.
Daegon growled. "You will all… PERISH!"
The 3 Paleons got ready to fight and took a stance. They fought with their powers but Daegon was barely fazed. Then the heroes fought harder and almost took Daegon down. Daegon roared in anger and transformed into a powerful dragon that was as big as his titans. After a long battle, they finally managed to defeat Daegon. They used the Crystal Gauntlet to seal Daegon away because it was one of the relics that was indestructible and they sealed his titans in the core of their planet. They were really tired and wounded from the great battle. All the Paleons praised the 3 great Paleons as heroes. They put the gauntlet in the relic chamber. They told Avalar's father Talmar about what happened. After quite a few years later, the 3 heroes passed away. The Paleons carved 3 statues of them in the middle of their planet and carved a symbol of their powers by each statue. All the Paleons worked together to restore and heal the damage that Daegon had done. In no time, the Paleons were able to get back to their normal lifestyles.
10 Years later…
It was nighttime. Talmar already had passed on and gave his leadership role to his son. Daxter was now Avalar's assistant but it wasn't enough for him. He walked around the relic chamber while looking at the relics. He wished that he could be the most powerful Paleon ever. Suddenly, he heard a whisper from somewhere. He looked around but saw nothing. He heard it again. Something that whispered his name. "Daxter… Daxter…"
"Who's there?" demanded Daxter.
"Look over here" said a dark voice. Daxter looked towards the voice. It came from the Crystal Gauntlet. He walked to it. The gauntlet glowed dark orange for a few seconds. Daxter stared at the gauntlet in disbelief. It glowed again. A pair of orange and red colored eyes appeared. The eyes looked quite scary as Daxter gasped a little.
"Who… or what are you?" Daxter said with wide eyes.
"I… am Daegon. A great one who once ruled this planet" Daegon said from within the gauntlet.
"Really?" Daxter said in disbelief.
"Yes… but I was denied what was mine. I was defeated and sealed into this crystal prison. I need your help to be free again" said Daegon. The monster's voice scared Daxter. He didn't know if he could trust this being.
"But why should I help you? How can I trust you?" said Daxter.
"Because I heard that you desire to rule as well. You desire power. Free me and I can make you the most powerful being ever" said Daegon. Daxter then thought for a moment. Then a sinister smile formed on Daxter's face.
"Okay, I'm listening" said Daxter.
"Good" Daegon chuckled darkly. Daegon then told his new lackey that a great source of power is needed to free him. Daxter listened very carefully. Daegon then told him about a source of power that passes by galaxies almost every century and it's heading towards Earth. Something called… the Stone of Cold Fire.
Present Day…
Daxter stood on a large cliff in the Mysterious Beyond. He looked at the Great Valley. Using his red rock tool, he saw Sonic having fun with the kids. Daxter frowned at the scene. He was determined to free his master: Daegon. He remembered what Avalar said about the Chaos Emeralds and decided that he wanted to cause trouble for Sonic and the kids. The arrogant Dome-Head started thinking of ideas for terrible mischief.
Night fall…
Sonic was sitting by a rock watching the kids play 'Guess what I am' game with their shadows on a big rock. The full moon gave out just enough light for their game. Cera was not with them. She might be doing something else. Littlefoot imitated a Belly Dragger and then Spike imitated a Hopper. Sonic and the kids laughed. Sonic then yawned a little. The kids then looked at Sonic.
"Hey Sonic. Why don't you try?" asked Littlefoot.
Sonic scratched his head. "Well, I don't know."
"Please Sonic. Please" said Ducky.
"We want to see you make a shadow" said Ruby. The others nodded.
Sonic then sighed. "Okay."
The kids smiled. Sonic then stood up and walked to the big rock. He thought for a moment of what to play as. He then smiled a little. He grabbed 2 giant leaves from a nearby plant and held them on his nose.
"Guess who I am" said Sonic. He made himself look like a certain mustache moron they know about.
"You will never defeat me because I'm the smartest in the world" Sonic said with a silly deep voice.
The kids laughed. "Eggman!"
"You got it" said Sonic. Sonic played some more using his Eggman voice while stroking the leaves on his nose, "I'm also silly looking because I have long nose fuzzies."
Sonic and the kids laughed some more. They're lucky that Eggman wasn't spying on them this time since the mean doctor was sleeping. It was now Petrie's turn. Petrie stood by the rock but then he began shaking in fear. The others felt confused.
"What's that supposed to be?" asked Chomper.
"I don't think that Petrie is playing" said Sonic.
Littlefoot nodded. "It's just Petrie being nervous."
"Do not be afraid of the shadows we are making Petrie" said Ducky.
"Me not afraid of shadows. Me afraid of that!" Petrie exclaimed as he pointed to a rustling in a bush and some kind of figure stepped out. It grunted and snorted at them while jumping around. It was dark out, so it was hard to tell what the figure was.
"I have not seen anything like that before. Oh no, no, no" said Ducky. The kids started to feel afraid. Sonic stood his ground though.
"It sure is… strange looking" Chomper said with a hint of fear.
"What could it be?" asked Littlefoot.
"Me no know. But me think it got Cera" Petrie said while shivering. The strange thing got closer while grunting some more. The kids then hid behind another rock. Sonic then got ready. But then Sonic relaxed when he saw what it was. It was actually Cera with a branch stuck on her front horn.
Sonic let out a little laugh. "It IS Cera guys."
The others came out from their hiding spot. The others sighed in relief. They were glad that it wasn't some kind of monster.
"That's the last time I take that shortcut" Cera said with a frown. Cera tried again at getting the branch off her horn. Sonic laughed a little while shaking his head saying, "Took a too sharp turn huh?"
Cera frowned. "Yeah, very funny. Now will someone get this thing off my horn?"
Spike then pulled on the branch with his mouth but he wasn't strong enough. Sonic then said that they all should help out. They all pulled the branch hard. The branch came off quickly and Chomper and Ruby lost their balance, and fell on their backs.
"Are you guys okay?" Ducky said as she looked at Chomper and Ruby. Both kids rubbed their heads for a moment. Then they both stood up.
"Yeah, I'm okay" answered Chomper. Ruby was about to say the same thing but then something caught her eye. She looked at the night sky and smiled.
"Oh my! My star!" exclaimed Ruby. The others thought Ruby was a bit dazed.
"Me sometimes see stars when me fall" said Petrie.
Ruby shook her head. "No, my Star Day star. Look."
Ruby pointed to a bright star that was pretty close to the right side of the moon.
"It's special because it can only be seen 3 nights between Cold Times" said Ruby.
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "What's a Star Day?"
"Yeah, what is it?" added Cera.
"A Star Day is the day you hatched" Ruby said with a smile. Sonic then replied with an "Oh."
"I wondered what they called 'Birthdays.' But now I know" thought Sonic.
Ruby then said that her family chose the star near the moon for when she hatched. Ruby and Chomper remembered the day they left the Mysterious Beyond where Ruby's family lived. Ruby told everyone about a memory that happened awhile back. Ruby's family were Fast Runners as well and she had 2 siblings. Her mother was the same color she was and her father was a bluish gray color. Ruby had fun with her family until Chomper told them that Red Claw was coming. Ruby had to leave her family as they escaped from Red Claw and his Fast Biters. Chomper saw Saurus Rock and knew that they were not too far from the Great Valley. Ruby didn't want to leave her family but she knew that they would be safe because her family was smart. Ruby decided to follow Chomper to the Great Valley.
Sonic and the kids were pretty surprised by Ruby's story. Sonic felt sympathy for Ruby.
"That Star Day was the last time I saw my family" Ruby said with a sad expression. Her Star Day always made her happy but the memory now made her sad. Chomper then wanted to cheer Ruby up by saying that they could play more of their shadow game. But then Ruby said that she didn't feel like playing anymore. She started to walk away. Sonic and the others felt sad for Ruby. Sonic tried to think of something to help Ruby because he can't stand it when someone cries. But he decided that Ruby needs some time alone.
"Me no understand. Ruby not alone. She with us" said Petrie.
"But we're not her family. It's not the same" said Littlefoot.
"But we're like her family" Sonic said with a smile. The others nodded.
"She misses them very much. She does. She does" said Ducky. The others agreed. Chomper then said that he wanted to cheer up Ruby. But Sonic and Cera stopped Chomper and Sonic said that Ruby just needs some alone time. Ruby walked to a river and sat down. She looked at her reflection in the water. A tear fell from her eye and into the water. She remembered the other Star Days she had with her family. She wanted to be happy but because her family was not in the Valley, she still felt upset. She sighed in sadness.
Back with the others, Littlefoot then suggested that they do a 'Giving Ceremony' for Ruby's Star Day. The others except Sonic and Chomper agreed happily with the idea.
"And we can make it a surprise" added Cera. The other kids nodded.
"Wait everybody. What's… a Giving Ceremony?" said Chomper.
"Yeah, I never heard of that" added Sonic.
"A Giving Ceremony is when you give someone their favorite food, duh" Cera said while rolling her eyes. Ducky added that it was also about friendship, giving, and sharing. Spike nodded while eating some leaves.
"That's a very good idea then" Sonic said with a smile.
"So what is Ruby's favorite food?" asked Littlefoot. Chomper then said that he knew the answer. It was Sweet Bubbles. Ducky agreed with Chomper saying that Sweet Bubbles were Ruby's most favorite.
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "What are Sweet Bubbles?"
"They're little purple things that grow on plants and they taste really sweet" answered Littlefoot.
"Oh, you mean berries" said Sonic. The kids felt confused.
"Berries?" said Cera.
"It's what they're called from my world" stated Sonic. The others replied "Oh." Littlefoot then said that they will go get some sweet bubbles at first sign of the Bright Circle.
"Yeah, we're gonna give Ruby the best Star Day ever" added Chomper. Sonic and the others agreed. They all decided to get some shut eye for now. But they didn't notice that a certain Dome-Head was watching in the night. He heard every word from the group. He rubbed his hands.
"A Star Day for a sweet child? How delightful" Daxter said with an evil grin.
Next Morning…
Ruby was now washing herself in a river. The other kids decided to go find some berries quickly but it had to be kept secret. Sonic then said that he'll make sure that Ruby doesn't find out the surprise while they prepare. The others agreed. Littlefoot then said that they could find some berries in the Sheltering Grass. The others nodded. They all walked carefully so Ruby wouldn't notice them. Sonic just watched Ruby from behind a log. Ruby swam a little underwater. She then went to the surface and finished bathing. Ruby then saw a Swimmer family. The mother had fun playing with her children in the water. Ruby felt sad again. She remembered when she saw her siblings hatch or when she told her family that she was going to take care of Chomper with the others. She sighed. Ruby then swam back to shore. She then sat down by the edge. Sonic saw how sad Ruby was. Sonic felt sad too but then his expression turned happy. He wanted to cheer her up. He walked over to Ruby.
Meanwhile, the others were walking by a small dried up river on a small cliff. Petrie then said that they were getting pretty close to the Mysterious Beyond. Littlefoot then said that they'll be fine. But they didn't notice a certain metal bird was watching by another cliff. Suddenly, the ground started rumbling. The kids yelled "Earthshake!" The kids screamed in fear. Before they could run, the cliff they were on started to break apart. Littlefoot managed to grab a loose vine and Petrie flew, but the others fell down to the dried up river. Fortunately, they didn't get seriously hurt. Littlefoot then climbed back up the small cliff. But now, the others had a problem. The small earthshake unblocked the small river. Water started to flow past their feet at a fast pace.
"We gotta get outta here fast!" exclaimed Cera. The others started to feel afraid. Thinking quickly, Littlefoot told Petrie to use the loose vine to get the others out. Petrie then grabbed the vine and tied it to the tree near the cliff. Petrie got a little dizzy cause he flew in circles around the tree. Littlefoot then pulled hard on the vine and pulled Ducky and Chomper up. Once Ducky and Chomper got to the top safely, Petrie quickly brought the vine down to Cera next. The others pulled Cera up. Cera made it out and then Petrie brought the vine to Spike. Spike held the vine tightly with his mouth. The river was starting to rise quickly. The others started to pull Spike up. But because Spike was a bit too heavy, the vine started to break. The kids pulled hard but then the vine snapped. Spike fell back down into the river. The others gasped. Spike struggled a little against the current. The kids tried to think of something to help Spike quickly. Cera looked around and saw a long branch by a small tree. She ran over and snapped it loose. She grabbed it and brought it over to help. She lowered it down to Spike. Spike grabbed it immediately. Cera, Chomper, and Littlefoot pulled hard to get Spike out. Spike then made it out safely. The others were happy that Spike was okay too. Spike then shook all the water off and the others got a little wet. Cera frowned a little. Chomper then smelled something and the others began to smell it too. It was the smell of Sweet Bubbles. They felt really happy. They walked for a few moments and went past the Sheltering Grass. Ichy followed and landed on a tree nearby. The kids then saw some vines that produced a lot of berries. Chomper then tried pulling some vines loose to get some berries. But it looked like some kind of big rock, that was covered in some grass, held down the vines. Chomper tried pulling harder but the vines were stuck.
"I can't move it" stated Chomper.
"That rock's on our sweet bubbles" Cera said with a frown. Littlefoot then said that they all should pull together. They all grabbed a vine and pulled. Suddenly, the 'rock' moved and shook off the grass. The kids screamed in fear and hid in the tall grass. The big rock was actually an Ankylosaur (Club Tail). The kids came out of their hiding spots.
"That is not a rock. Oh no, no, no" said Ducky.
The Club Tail hmphed. "A rock? What are you kids doing here?"
"We're here to pick sweet bubbles" answered Littlefoot.
"(Hmph) These are my sweet bubbles. Get your own somewhere else" said the stubborn Club Tail. The others felt a little upset at the rude Club Tail but they didn't want to give up. Cera frowned and walked over to the Club Tail. She then said that they're not leaving without getting some sweet bubbles. The Club Tail responded by burping in her face. The little Three-Horn got covered in chewed up berry juice. Cera walked back to the others. The other kids had disgusted looks.
"That WAS gross" Cera said with a big frown. Chomper then said that he'll try to scare the Club Tail since he was a Sharptooth. He then walked over and growled at the Club Tail. The hungry Club Tail just laughed at Chomper and Chomper got covered in berry juice as well. Chomper walked back to the others. Ducky then suggested that they should tell the Club Tail why they needed to get some sweet bubbles. Cera then said that the Club Tail wouldn't listen because he was busy eating the sweet bubbles. But Littlefoot said that it was worth a try. Ducky then walked over to the Club Tail while feeling a little nervous.
"Excuse me. We would like to have some sweet bubbles for our friend's Star Day. They are her favoritest food" said Ducky.
The Club Tail then gasped and then smiled. "Did you say Star Day?" The Club Tail then said that they could have as many as they want. The kids felt really happy. They took a small pile of berries for Ruby and walked back.
Back with Ruby and Sonic…
Ruby then smelled some flowers near the water and remembered more about her family. She really missed them. Sonic then came over and sat down.
"Hey Ruby" said Sonic.
Ruby smiled a little. "Oh, hi Sonic."
"You miss your family huh?" said Sonic. Ruby nodded. Sonic then thought for a moment. He then smiled and looked at Ruby.
"You know? You and your friends are lucky that you have families. (Feels a little sad) But I never knew MY family" said Sonic.
Ruby felt surprised. "Really? You don't remember your family?"
Sonic shook his head. "The thing is… me and Tails never really knew our families. We both were, sort of, orphaned."
Ruby raised both eyebrows. "You and Tails don't remember your mommies and daddies?"
Sonic shook his head again. "Not really. You see, a long time ago…"
Sonic then told Ruby about how he figured out how to take care of himself at a young age. Since he was alone for some time, he always explored new areas. He was always curious about the world and was eager for an adventure. Sonic also told Ruby how Eggman, who was once called Robotnik, found a way to travel to his home and tried to take over Mobius. Sonic took on the responsibility of protecting the other Mobians. He was the only one who was truly the fastest. Time and time again, Sonic thwarted Eggman's plans. Sonic then said how he met Tails, once called Miles, and that Tails wanted to help Sonic. Though back then, Sonic believed that he did better when he was alone and didn't want a partner. But Tails proved that he could help because he was very intelligent and he could fly with his tails. Sonic then let Tails come along. Working together to protect Mobius, they always stopped Eggman from taking over. As time went by, Sonic saw Tails like a brother and Tails thought the same. Sonic even gave Tails his nickname. The 2 Mobians were inseparable. Sonic then explained a little of how he met Knuckles and then met Amy.
"…And that's what my life was about" finished Sonic.
Ruby felt really amazed. "Wow! You even fought Eggman when you were little and your friendship with Tails. That's some adventure you had."
Sonic nodded. "Sometimes I like to do things alone, but I don't want to be alone all the time. I may not remember my real family but my friends were always there for me. THEY were my family."
Ruby then smiled. "So, I may not be with my family, but I CAN be with my friends. And when I'm not alone, I won't feel alone."
Sonic nodded with a smile. "Uh huh. You got that right."
Ruby then stood up. "First we have to find everybody."
Sonic raised both eyebrows. He knew that the others were not ready yet. Sonic stopped Ruby before she began walking off.
"Uh, wait Ruby" said Sonic.
Ruby looked at Sonic and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong Sonic?"
Sonic scratched his head as he thought of a way to distract Ruby from the others. "Uh, I… think I know where the others went" said Sonic.
"Oh? You do?" said Ruby.
Sonic nodded and gestured with a 'This Way' hand. "Uh, yeah. Just follow me."
Sonic then led Ruby through some woods. He made sure that they didn't find the others… just yet.
Meanwhile, the kids were getting things ready for Ruby's surprise. They gathered around a rock area and put the berries on a flat rock. Ichy continued eavesdropping from a tree. He scoffed at the sight.
"A Giving Ceremony huh? Tch, big deal" Ichy said to himself. Ichy then told Eggman about Ruby's Star Day.
"Star Day? What's so special about picking your favorite star?" Eggman scoffed.
"Uh, a Star Day is actually the day someone hatches Doc" said Ichy. The doctor felt a little surprised.
"Oh, it's her birthday then?" said Eggman. Ichy felt a little confused at the word. The evil genius thought for a moment and then smiled darkly.
"Well, then. I'll make sure to give her a special present. He he he" said Eggman. The mean doctor started to think of a terrible plan. Ichy then looked around while yawning but then, he spotted something. Ichy saw someone watching the kids from up a hill. Ichy spoke before Eggman could think of something.
"Hey Doc. Do you see what I see?" asked Ichy. Eggman watched through Ichy's vision and saw a figure.
"What's this?" said Eggman. The doctor then told Ichy to fly closer to the stranger. Ichy flew close and made sure the stranger didn't see him. Ichy landed by a large rock nearby and got a good look at the stranger. The stranger was a Dome-Head with some kind of crystal armband. He watched the kids closely with an evil smile. The doctor looked at Daxter with fascination. He also looked at the crystal bracelet. The bracelet glowed for a second. It was definitely NOT something normal dinosaurs carried. Eggman then raised both eyebrows.
"Could it be? Is it possible? Is this some kind of dinosaur from another world?" said Eggman.
Ichy felt really confused. "Another world? What do you mean by that?"
"I'll explain later. Keep your eyes on this creature. I want to see what he's planning" said Eggman.
"Uh, okay" Ichy said with a shrug. The kids were about ready to show Ruby their surprise to her. Littlefoot then said that he, Ducky, and Chomper make sure that Ruby doesn't find out yet while the others finish up the ceremony. The others nodded. The 3 kids ran off.
Meanwhile, Sonic continued walking around the woods with Ruby following. Ruby wondered why they couldn't find the others. She still didn't know about the surprise. The other kids watched while hiding in some bushes.
"Where could our friends be? We walked all around for some time" said Ruby.
"Hmm. I don't know but I'm sure we'll find them" Sonic said with fake surprise. Sonic then saw Littlefoot hiding by some bushes. While Ruby was looking around, Sonic zoomed over to Littlefoot.
"Is it ready yet?" Sonic whispered.
"Not yet but almost. Just keep distracting her" Littlefoot whispered.
"Will do" Sonic whispered with a wink. The Blue Runner then zoomed off. He got back with Ruby before she noticed. Ruby felt a little down again. She then thought of something.
"I need to do some thinking in my thinking place" said Ruby.
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "You have a… thinking place?"
Ruby nodded. "It's a place where I need to think really hard about something. Maybe I could think of where our friends could be."
Sonic simply shrugged. "I guess that could work."
Sonic then followed Ruby to her thinking place. They went through a small cave that led to it. It was by a cliff that had a nice view of parts of the Valley. Ruby and Sonic sat down by the edge. Ruby started to think for a moment.
Ruby sighed. "I guess a lonely Star Day is better than no Star Day."
Ruby then thought that if she had no Star Day, she wouldn't have hatched. And that would be much more lonelier. Sonic then told Ruby that she isn't alone and that she has him and the others. Ruby then smiled. She then tried to think of where the others could be. Sonic then raised both eyebrows. He sensed something wrong. Suddenly, an earthquake happened. Ruby gasped. Sonic then had a brave expression. Both Sonic and Ruby stood up. Some rocks came down around them. They covered their heads. Suddenly, a part of the cliff came apart and Ruby slipped. Sonic's eyes went wide. Ruby managed to grab the edge of the cliff. Ruby screamed in fear while holding onto the cliff.
While Littlefoot and the others started to finish up the surprise, they felt the earthquake as well. They all screamed in fear. Fortunately, the quake only lasted a few seconds. The others then heard Ruby's cries for help.
"Oh, no! That's Ruby yelling!" exclaimed Ducky.
"Sonic is with her too" stated Littlefoot. Chomper then sniffed the air for Sonic and Ruby's scents. He got something.
"They're both at Ruby's thinking place" stated Chomper. Chomper then told the others to follow. The others nodded and followed.
"Hang on!" exclaimed Sonic. He managed to grab Ruby's hand and pulled her up. Just when Sonic pulled Ruby back up, another part of cliff came off. He helped just in time. Suddenly, the cliff shook again and more rocks came loose. Sonic then pulled Ruby out of the opening just as a big rock came down and closed the hole. Sonic and Ruby were now in the cave close to the Valley.
"Oh no!" exclaimed Ruby. Her thinking place entrance was now blocked by a big rock. Ruby and Sonic were about to use another exit but then, more rocks came down closed the other exit. They were now stuck in the small cave.
"Oh, I wish the others were here" Ruby said while feeling scared.
"Hey, don't worry. We'll find a way" Sonic said as he put a comforting hand on Ruby's back. Ruby then looked at Sonic and felt a little better.
"You have to always remember that no matter what dangerous problem you're in, there's always a way out" Sonic said with a smile. Ruby then smiled and hugged Sonic. Sonic hugged back.
"Thank you Sonic" said Ruby.
"You're welcome" said Sonic. Just when they parted, they heard Chomper call out from outside the entrance of the thinking place.
"Sonic! Ruby!" Chomper yelled.
"Chomper, in here!" yelled Ruby.
"You guys okay?" said Chomper.
"We're fine. Looks like an earthshake happened" said Sonic.
"This big rock will keep us in here instead of us being out there with you" said Ruby.
Littlefoot then said that they will all have to work together to move the rock. Sonic simply replied, "You got it." They all started to push the rock. At first, the rock was too heavy. Even for Cera's strength. But then they pushed harder. Sonic then used a little of his speed to help and the rock started to move. The entrance was now opened again. Sonic and Ruby stepped out. Ruby smiled brightly. They were safe now.
"How did you find us?" asked Ruby.
"We heard you yell and Chomper knew where to find you guys" said Littlefoot. Chomper then smiled. He was happy to help. Ruby felt really happy.
"What more could I ask for than to ask for great friends like you guys" said Ruby.
Sonic then crossed his arms with a smile. "I couldn't agree more."
"Well…" Cera started with a smile.
"You could ask for a Star Day surprise!" exclaimed Chomper.
"A Star Day surprise? What a surprise!" exclaimed Ruby. Sonic then told Ruby that he pretended to not know where the others were because of the surprise. Ruby now knew why, but she was happy that Sonic did it. Sonic laughed a little. They all then went to the rock area for Ruby's surprise. Sonic then raised both eyebrows when they got there and zoomed off. The kids wondered why Sonic ran off. They all then looked at the area. A small rock slide destroyed most of the berries. There was a very large rock pile that squashed the berries. The others felt really sad.
"Oh no. My giving circle" Cera said with sadness.
"The sweet bubbles" Petrie said in sadness.
"The earthshake must've caused a rock slide" said Littlefoot. Littlefoot also then told Ruby that they got her some berries. Ducky then pulled out a tiny vine from under a rock with only a couple of berries left. At least, they managed to save some of the berries. Ducky then gave the berries to Ruby.
"Sorry your Star Day isn't so happy" Chomper said with a sad look. Ruby then ate the berries and smiled.
"But it IS happy" said Ruby.
Chomper raised an eyebrow. "It is?"
Ruby nodded and looked at her friends. "Sure. You didn't have to do what you did but you did."
The others then felt happy too. Chomper then looked around.
"But where did Sonic go?" said Chomper. Before anyone could answer, they felt a rush of wind. They all saw that Sonic returned in a flash.
"I'm right here and I brought something" Sonic said with a smile. The kids saw that Sonic grabbed some more sweet bubbles.
"Sonic got more sweet bubbles" Littlefoot said with a smile.
"So, that's why you ran off" said Chomper. Sonic simply nodded and replied "Uh huh." Sonic handed everyone some sweet bubbles.
"Thank you again Sonic" said Ruby.
Sonic then winked. "No problem."
Ruby now felt as happy as Chomper did when he found out that he wasn't turning into bones. Ruby then told the others of what Sonic told her, that friends can be like family as well. Everyone smiled at Sonic. Sonic nodded. But they didn't notice that Daxter was now hiding by the large rock pile. Daxter grinned evilly at the group. The Dome-Head then grabbed a rock from the pile. Ichy watched Daxter closely. Daxter breathed on the rock in his hand.
"Golem Viventem" chanted Daxter. His gauntlet glowed a little and the rock in his hand formed into a small greenish brown crystal. Daxter then placed the crystal on the pile. The crystal then sank into the pile of rocks. Ichy and Eggman looked at the scene with wide eyes. This Dome-Head could summon crystals as if… by magic. Daxter then went back to his hiding spot. Both Ichy and Eggman watched what was about to unfold before them. Sonic and the kids finished eating some more berries. Ruby was enjoying her Star Day after all. But then, they all saw some rocks falling off the pile. Sonic and the kids then looked up at the large pile of rocks. They didn't see anyone on the pile. Sonic raised an eyebrow. He began to think that something bad was about to happen. Suddenly, large rocks were rolling towards each other and began to form something. The rocks seemed to glue onto each other. The figure started to grow in size and started getting taller as well. Within seconds, it formed some sort of… golem. It had big hands and legs. The kids felt quite perplexed. They knew that rocks couldn't do that. Sonic frowned at the rock being. The being then stood at 10 ft tall. Green eyes then formed on the large rock that was its head. It glared at the group. The kids were starting to feel really scared. Sonic stood his ground.
"W-W-What is that thing?" stuttered Cera.
"I-I've never seen something like that. Oh no, no, no" Ducky said while feeling scared.
"It's some kind of… rock monster" Littlefoot said with fear.
Sonic then put his hands up. "Looks like Eggman's causing more trouble."
Daxter raised an eyebrow at what Sonic said. "Who in the world is Eggman?" thought Daxter.
The rock golem looked at the group and growled deeply. It put its hands on the pile. Sonic's eyes went wide. The golem was going to jump towards them!
"RUN!" yelled Sonic. Sonic and the kids scattered just as the golem jumped and landed, causing a small rumble of the earth. The golem then stood up and looked at the kids. Cera then glared at the golem.
"Leave us alone, you rock thing" said Cera. The young Three-Horn then charged at the golem.
Littlefoot's eyes went wide. "Cera, WAIT!"
Cera didn't stop as she charged. She then hit the leg of the golem. She stopped and shook her head. She then looked up as the golem looked down at its attacker. The golem didn't even budge from Cera's hit. She couldn't believe her eyes. All she really did was make the golem angry. The golem then growled loudly at Cera. The little Three-Horn gulped in fear. The golem then raised its leg. It was going to stomp on her! Cera screamed in fear. Sonic zoomed and saved Cera just as the golem stomped the ground hard. The impact made a small web of cracks in the ground. Sonic then put Cera down.
"Thanks" said Cera. Sonic nodded. The golem saw that it missed. The golem then looked at the others. It growled again. The kids then tried tossing some rocks at the golem. But their efforts had no effect. The golem then tried to hit them with its fists. Sonic and the kids moved out of the way. The golem kept trying to hit the group but kept missing. The golem then slammed another fist to the ground. The impact knocked Littlefoot and Ruby on their backs. The golem set its sights on the 2 kids. The 2 kids gasped as the golem grabbed them. It held Littlefoot in its right hand while gripping Ruby in its left hand. The others then gasped greatly. The 2 kids struggled to get free but it was hopeless. The golem was too strong for them. Ichy and Eggman grinned at the scene.
"Maybe this rock creature will take care of the kids for us" said Eggman. Ichy chuckled darkly. Even Daxter grinned at what was happening. The golem was about to crush the kids in its hands. Suddenly, the golem got hit by a powerful attack: Sonic's Homing Attack. The golem then dropped the kids as it staggered back. The 2 kids were a bit dazed but they were okay. The golem balanced itself and glared at Sonic. Sonic glared back. Sonic then charged his spin dash and gathered energy. The golem reared back its fist for another punch. Suddenly, Sonic then burst forward and hit the golem with great force. The impact then shattered the golem. Its body formed a pile of rocks. Sonic then landed and looked at the pile. Sonic hmphed with a smile. The kids then cheered Sonic.
Daxter still grinned at the group and said to himself, "You'll have to try better than that, rat."
The pile then formed back into the golem in seconds. The golem wasn't defeated yet. The golem glared at Sonic and kids again. It growled loudly. The group's eyes went wide.
"It just… put itself back together" Ruby said in disbelief.
"That bad. VERY bad!" exclaimed Petrie.
"What do we do Sonic?" Littlefoot said as he looked at Sonic. Sonic was the only one who could harm it since he was strong enough. Sonic then looked closely at the golem. Something then caught his eye. He saw a green glow in its chest area. Sonic then thought of an idea. The golem was about to attack again but Sonic zoomed and hit the golem with a Homing Attack. The golem then fell down on its bottom. Sonic zoomed and spin dashed on its chest area. The kids wondered what Sonic was planning. Some rocks went flying from the golem. A hole was made in the chest. Sonic stopped his spin dash and looked inside. He saw a small glowing crystal. Sonic then grabbed it. He threw on the ground and stomped on it. The crystal was now a small pile. The golem just froze in place. The kids got confused. The golem's eyes then vanished and fell apart. It was now a pile of rocks again. Daxter then raised both eyebrows and then glared at Sonic. Sonic figured out that the small crystal was its life source. Daxter groaned in annoyance and walked away. He would get them next time. Eggman and Ichy groaned as well. Ichy then flew back to base for now. The kids then thanked Sonic. Sonic nodded. They all looked at the pile of rocks that was once the rock monster.
"So what was that thing?" said Littlefoot.
"It didn't look like a robot" said Cera.
Sonic nodded. "Yeah, it definitely wasn't something made by Eggman."
"Then who or what did it?" asked Cera.
"Do you think it was something else? Like… magic?" said Chomper.
Cera thought of something. "Like the Stone of Cold Fire?"
"Maybe. It could be" said Littlefoot. Sonic then picked up a small piece of the crystal. He looked at it closely. He then remembered the stranger from before who wore a crystal bracelet. The crystal he saw looked just like the crystal that Daxter crushed back in the Mysterious Beyond, that caused a quake under Sonic's feet. Sonic then thought that it could be Daxter's doing.
"Or maybe, it was from a certain stranger" said Sonic.
"What stranger?" said Ducky. The kids were baffled when Sonic told them that he met another dino alien like the Rainbow Faces and that he was looking for the Stone of Cold Fire.
"But what does he want with the stone?" asked Ruby.
"Not sure. But I'm guessing something bad. He didn't seem friendly to me" said Sonic. The kids felt a little on edge about another alien dino that was evil. Sonic then said that they should keep this a secret for now so their families don't have to worry about it. The kids nodded in agreement. Sonic then said that he'll protect them, no matter what. The kids felt better. Sonic then said that they should now have some more fun on Ruby's Star Day. The kids smiled. They all played some more.
At nighttime…
Sonic and the kids watched the night sky. They saw Ruby's star and said "Happy Star Day" to Ruby. Ruby then said that she does miss her family but the Valley really felt like home too. They all enjoyed the night together. Sonic then told his life story to the other kids. They were quite surprised at Sonic's story but happy that Sonic considered them like family too. They gave Sonic a group hug.
In the Mysterious Beyond…
Daxter looked at the Valley in frustration. He couldn't believe that his plan was ruined by a blue rodent.
"I'll make that hedgehog and those kids pay for this" Daxter said with a frown. Suddenly, the gauntlet glowed again. Daxter then saw Daegon's eyes appear.
"Have you found the Stone yet?" said Daegon.
"Uh, I did but… I lost it" said Daxter.
"What?!" Daegon exclaimed in anger.
"Well, a blue hedgehog from Mobius sent the Stone into space. I'm sorry but I will find another source, I assure you Master" Daxter said while feeling nervous.
"Be sure that you do and get rid of this… blue hedgehog" Daegon said with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, don't worry. I will deal with him personally" said Daxter. The gauntlet then stopped glowing and the eyes disappeared. Sonic and the others had no idea of the great danger that was slowly brewing.
End of Chapter 3