Sorry for a long delay again everyone. I had some things going on in life. It involved celebrating Christmas and spending time with family. I ask that everyone please be patient about my stories cause I won't always upload very fast and I want to be creative with my stories. Sometimes, life gets in the way. Hopefully, we can all get through this Covid nonsense going on and, to be honest, I've really had enough about it. Anyways, ONWARD to the story.

(Series Intro)

Chapter 4: Criss-Cross

In the past on Paleoton, after Daxter left the planet…

It was a beautiful morning. Avalar woke up with a yawn. He got out of his bed and went to get breakfast. He looked around but he didn't see Daxter. Avalar then searched Daxter's room but he was not there. The wise leader then looked out of his window. Avalar rubbed his beak.

"I wonder what Daxter is doing this moment. It's not like him to disappear at this time of the day" said Avalar. The Flyer then paced the floor for a moment, but then he spotted a glowing green rock on his stone desk. Avalar then raised both eyebrows. Green rocks were special rocks used for leaving or sending messages. Similar to sending a letter but the rock showed an image of who was sending a message. When glowing, the rock has a message put in it. Green rocks were used for sending messages to friends or family that lived farther from the others. Avalar walked over and picked up the message rock.

"Reveal message" said Avalar. The green rock then stopped glowing and a green mist formed out of the rock. The green mist grew to the size of a large rock. It started to form the head of something. The mist revealed the head of Daxter. Daxter had left a message for his master:

"Dear Avalar, sorry to leave early without telling you. But I've been pondering about something for some time and so, I decided to go exploring outside of our world. I will be gone for awhile but I'll be back soon. Let's just say that I have something special planned for Paleoton. Until we meet again. Daxter."

The message ended with the mist returning into the rock. Avalar then placed the rock back on the desk.

"Hmm. What was Daxter thinking about? What is he planning? I hope that he doesn't get himself in trouble" Avalar said to himself. He looked out from his window. He looked around the land. He thought of what could Daxter be planning. He knew his assistant was somewhat rude but he didn't think that Daxter would think of ill will against him and their home. However, Avalar had no idea that Daxter was planning something terrible. Very terrible.

Present Day on Earth…

Daxter stared down into the Great Valley. He remembered that Avalar had absolutely no idea what he was planning, to unleash a great monster whose only intent is conquest and power. Meanwhile, Eggman was discussing a plan with his robotic lackeys. The evil doctor told his helpers that Daxter could be of great use to them. He also told them about the existence of other worlds. Ichy and Dil felt very perplexed.

"So, you're saying that this Dome-Head is from another world? Like an alien?" Ichy asked.

Eggman nodded. "Exactly. He might have come from another planet with more intelligent dinosaurs. They could even have powers like him, and THAT could help us conquer this world. Maybe we could take over that other world as well."

"But how could be true? I thought this world was the only one out there" said Dil.

"Oh you have no idea my robotic croc. Not even Sonic is from your world" Eggman said with a grin.

Dil raised both eyebrows. "Wait, he's not? I thought he looked funny."

Ichy rolled his eyes and frowned. "Oh, gee. Did you figure THAT out on your own?"

Dil nodded but then stopped and blinked. "Uh, figured what out?"

Ichy sighed and shook his head. Eggman groaned while rubbing his head. "Sometimes, these helpers of mine are hopeless" thought Eggman. The mean doctor then told his helpers that they have to try to convince Daxter to join them.

In the Great Valley…

Sonic was having fun with the kids. This time, He invited Tails and Knuckles to come have fun as well. Tails agreed but Knuckles wasn't sure but then after giving it some thought, Knuckles came along too. They played a little 'Kick the Seed' game. Sonic complained when the kids made a rule that Sonic couldn't use his super speed in the game. But Sonic agreed to make the game fair. Meanwhile, in the Mysterious Beyond, Daxter was trying to figure out a plan. A few minutes ago, Daxter saw that Sonic came from a portal with Tails and Knuckles. He also saw the wristband that Sonic had. He believed that if he figured out a way to get the wristband, he could find a power source to unleash the great monster. Daxter looked at the Valley from afar.

"If only I could get that wristband" Daxter said with a frown. Daxter then heard something coming. He saw that a small robot was flying towards him. It stopped in front of him. The robot then displayed a screen showing Dr. Eggman. Daxter raised an eyebrow.

"Hello, my fellow dinosaur" said Eggman.

"Who… are you?" asked Daxter.

"I'm Dr. Eggman. What's your name?" said Eggman.

"It's Daxter. So, you're this 'Eggman' that the blue hedgehog mentioned" said Daxter.

"Yes and I want to talk you about some… business" said Eggman.

"(Hmph) What business?" grumbled Daxter. The Dome-Head didn't know that Ichy was nearby. The metal bird scanned Daxter and the gauntlet.

"I want to propose an alliance. I heard that you can do incredible things that no other dinosaur here could do. You're very intelligent and you can summon crystals with power" said Eggman.

Daxter narrowed his eyes at the doctor. "And WHERE did you hear that from exactly?"

"I have my sources" said Eggman.

Daxter frowned. "Like your toys? For spying on me?"

Eggman then raised both eyebrows. "Well, I…"

"What? You didn't think I noticed?" said Daxter.

Eggman shrugged. "Well, I wasn't spying. I was just… merely observing. Just studying your special powers."

Daxter hmphed. "So, you want me to work with you? Like a partner?"

Eggman nodded. "Yes. If we work together, we can dispose of that blue hedgehog and those meddlesome kids. I can help you get anything you desire."

Daxter then narrowed his eyes at Eggman. "Sorry, but I refuse."

"What?!" exclaimed Eggman.

Daxter crossed his arms. "I have my own plans and I serve nobody. Besides, I don't think you can help me with your little toys."

"Toys?! How dare you insult me! I'm the smartest genius in the world! I can create weapons of destruction!" Eggman exclaimed with a frown.

Daxter scoffed. "That's child's play compared to what I can do. Soon I will rule not only this world but other worlds as well."

"Only one will rule this world and many others, and THAT will be me!" Eggman exclaimed with anger.

Daxter then had a dark grin. "I'm afraid that will not be possible for you. So, this is my only warning Eggman.(Frowns) Stay out of my way or I'll get rid of you as well as that blue rodent."

Eggman then glared at Daxter. "Not if I can take this world first."

"We'll see. Good day" said Daxter. The Dome-Head then formed a green fireball and destroyed the robot. Eggman's screen went static. Eggman then crossed his arms.

"I'll teach that Dome-Head what happens when someone crosses me. Nobody insults my intellect" Eggman said with anger. The mean doctor decided that he was going to get rid of Daxter and Sonic. Eggman then sent Ichy to spy on Sonic and the kids. Daxter was now deciding his next move. Suddenly, the Crystal Gauntlet glowed orange again. Daxter then saw the glow. Daegon's eyes appeared again. The eyes looked quite angry.

"H-H-Hello Master Daegon" Daxter said with a hint of fear.

"What were you saying to that… human? That you serve no one?" said Daegon.

Daxter shook his head quickly. "Oh, no master. I didn't mean it that way. I was just saying that to confuse him, to mislead him really. That way, he won't know what our plan is."

Daegon narrowed his eyes. "Very well then. But don't forget where you're allegiance lies in."

Daxter nodded. "Of course, master. I won't forget."

Daegon's eyes then vanished. Daxter then sighed with relief. The Dome-Head knew that he should NEVER get on Daegon's bad side.

Back in the Valley…

The Mobians were spending some bonding time with each of the kids. Sonic was with Littlefoot, Chomper, and Ruby. Tails was with Ducky, Spike, and Petrie. Knuckles was with Cera. Sonic took Littlefoot around the Valley with his speed. He did the same thing with Chomper and Ruby. He only carried one kid at a time. They all enjoyed the rush of it. Tails taught Ducky, Spike and Petrie about some things about Mobius and how he could invent devices. Knuckles and Cera were trying a strength contest. They all didn't notice that Ichy was watching them.

Sonic then showed some air tracks to the 3 kids. He did somersaults and twists in an acrobatic way. The 3 kids were astonished. Sonic then landed by them.

"Those were some great tricks Sonic" Littlefoot said with a smile.

"It was amazing" added Chomper.

"It was quite impressive" said Ruby.

Sonic chuckled. "Thanks. I do this all the time in my world."

"You're faster than any Fast Runner I know" said Ruby.

"Gee, I wish I could be as fast as you Sonic" said Littlefoot.

Sonic laughed a little and patted Littlefoot's head. "I know buddy. But it's not as easy as you think. Even I had to learn to harness my speed when I was very little."

"It still would be incredible to be you Sonic" said Littlefoot.

"It WOULD be incredible" added Chomper.

"Though, I can't imagine what it would be like being a Sharptooth" said Ruby.

"Or being a Fast Runner or even a Three-Horn" said Chomper. Sonic and the 3 laughed a little.

Meanwhile, Tails, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike were near a small pond. Tails was teaching the 3 kids how to skip stones on the water. The 3 kids tried but couldn't skip more than once or the rocks would just hit the water.

"This a bit hard" said Petrie.

"Just keep trying" said Tails. Petrie tried again and threw a rock. But it still only skipped once. Spike did the same thing. Ducky then tried again and threw another rock. This time, the rock skipped 3 times. Everyone smiled.

"I did it!" Ducky exclaimed with a happy expression.

"Good job Ducky" said Tails. Spike let out "Uh huh."

"You better skipper than me" said Petrie. Ducky then looked at Tails with a smile.

"You are very smart Tails. You are. You are" said Ducky.

"Thanks Ducky" said Tails.

"You smarter than all of us. You even learned to fly" said Petrie.

"But he flies with his tails and no one here can do that" said Ducky.

"And no one has 2 tails like me" Tails said as swayed his namesakes. The group laughed a little.

"I wonder what it would be like to be you Tails" said Ducky.

Tails smiled. "Well, you'd have quite an adventure."

"Though it be weird if me were a Spiketail" said Petrie. Spike raised an eyebrow. The others laughed a little.

Elsewhere, Cera and Knuckles broke some rocks near a rocky hill. Cera believed that she could prove to be stronger. The Three-Horn then rammed a very tall rock and it fell to pieces. Cera grinned at Knuckles.

"Try beating that" said Cera.

Knuckles grinned back. "Oh, yeah?" The red echidna then walked over to a large boulder. Knuckles grabbed it and brought it over to the ledge of the hill, with little problem. Knuckles put it down, reared back a fist, and punched it. The boulder went flying far and landed close to the Mysterious Beyond. Knuckles heard that it landed and cracked into pebbles. Cera's eyes went wide. Knuckles looked back at Cera and crossed his arms with a smug grin on his face. It seemed that Cera had forgotten that Knuckles actually bested her dad awhile back.

Cera rolled her eyes. "Okay, you win. You're very strong."

Knuckles laughed. "You got that right."

"But I bet I could beat you if I was like you" said Cera.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't last a whole day if you were me."

"I would too" Cera said with a grin.

"You would not" said Knuckles. Cera and Knuckles argued some more.

"Would too."

"Would not."

"WOULD TOO!"

"WOULD NOT!"

"WOULD… not"

"WOULD TOO!" Knuckles then froze. Cera laughed in a prideful way. Knuckles groaned in annoyance.

"Told you!" Cera said with a smug grin.

Knuckles shrugged. "Okay, you got me." Cera and Knuckles laughed.

Ichy listened to all the groups. The metal bird then flew back to base. Eggman rubbed his chin about everything he heard. The evil genius then had a dark grin.

"So, they all wished that they were in each other's shoes. Maybe I can help with that" Eggman said with an evil laugh. The mean doctor started to put a device together. It wasn't long until the device was ready.

The Mobians and the kids then regrouped. They all sat down and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day. They all talked about the fun things they did together. Suddenly, they all heard a cackle from above. Everyone gasped and saw the mean doctor. The Mobians glared at Eggman. The kids felt a little afraid but Cera glared at Eggman. The mean doctor arrived with some kind of device that had 3 electrical nozzles. Ichy then came by and landed on Eggman's hover ride.

"Eggman" said Sonic.

"What do you want now?" Knuckles said who was ready for a fight.

"One thing actually, for all of you to see things from a new perspective" said Eggman. The kids felt confused.

"What's a 'perspective'?" said Cera. The other kids shrugged.

"It means to see things much differently, like seeing through someone else's point of view" Tails answered. But before anyone could speak or react, Eggman activated the device. The 3 nozzles shot out purple electrical currents at the whole group. The Mobians and the kids were paralyzed and yelled out in pain. Eggman then laughed. The device then stopped and the wheel connected to the nozzles turned right 2 times and then fired again. The group yelled out again in pain. The group was knocked out cold when the device stopped. Eggman and Ichy then laughed evilly.

"Enjoy your new positions" Eggman said with another laugh. Eggman and Ichy then flew away. After a few seconds, Sonic and Littlefoot started to awake up. Sonic moaned a little.

"Is…Is everyone alright?" said Sonic. Sonic blinked a couple times.

"Yeah… I'm okay" said Littlefoot. Sonic looked towards the voice. But then he went wide-eyed. He was looking at… himself? Littlefoot saw… another Longneck?

"What's going on?" asked Sonic as he was looking at another blue hedgehog? Or someone else? Littlefoot felt confused. Why did this other Longneck sound like Sonic?

"Sonic?" Littlefoot said with wide eyes.

"Littlefoot?" Sonic said with wide eyes. Both Sonic and Littlefoot blinked. Both then screamed. Littlefoot was Sonic and Sonic was Littlefoot. They swapped bodies. Sonic looked at himself.

"You gotta be kidding me!" exclaimed Sonic.

"I'm you, Sonic?" Littlefoot asked as he looked at himself as well.

Sonic nodded. "And I'm you. (Looks at his feet and sighs) Now I know what Eggman meant, by seeing things differently. We changed bodies."

Littlefoot gasped and looked at his 'hands.' He moved the fingers in a weird way. He felt the 'quills' on his back. Littlefoot then tried to stand. He slowly got up. But he shook while standing. He had never walked on 2 legs before. Though Sonic had no problem standing up but he definitely didn't like walking on fours. Littlefoot tried to walk but he wobbled while walking. He let out "Whoa!" as he lost his balance and fell on his back. He sighed in sadness.

"Now what are we gonna do?" asked Littlefoot. Before Sonic could answer, the others started to wake up. Both Sonic and Littlefoot heard some moans from the others.

"What's with the screaming?" asked Knuckles. Both Sonic and Littlefoot went wide-eyed as they looked at Knuckles. Knuckles raised an eyebrow.

"What?" said Knuckles. Knuckles was… Cera?

"Knuckles?" said Sonic. Knuckles then raised both eyebrows.

"Uh, why does Littlefoot sound like Sonic?" asked Knuckles.

"That's because I AM Sonic" said Sonic. Knuckles looked at Sonic's body.

"Then who…?" said Knuckles.

"I am Littlefoot" said Littlefoot. Knuckles went wide-eyed.

"What happened? Who screamed?" asked Cera. Cera sat up and looked at Sonic and Littlefoot. She then looked at… a Three-Horn?

"Uh, who are you?" asked Cera.

Knuckles stared at… himself. "Cera?"

Cera then raised both eyebrows. "Knuckles?"

Both Cera and Knuckles blinked. Both then screamed. Sonic and Littlefoot cringed a little. Knuckles looked at his body.

"I'm… A THREE-HORN?!" exclaimed Knuckles. Cera then looked at her body.

"And I'm a Digger?" said Cera.

"That hurt" Ducky said as she rubbed her head.

"Me feel a little dizzy" said Petrie. Spike moaned a little. Chomper and Ruby then sat up.

"What did Eggman do?" asked Ruby. Sonic and Littlefoot looked at Ruby. Ruby's voice came from Chomper.

"Ruby?" said Ducky. Ruby looked at the voice. It came from… Tails?

"Ducky?" said Ruby. The others said the others' names too. The others screamed. Sonic, Littlefoot, Cera, and Knuckles cringed a little. Knuckles was Cera. Cera was Knuckles. Ducky was Tails. Tails was Ducky. Spike was Petrie. Petrie was Spike. Chomper was Ruby. Ruby was Chomper.

"What in the world happened to us?" Ruby asked as she looked at herself.

"Eggman. That's what happened. He changed our bodies" answered Sonic. All the kids except Littlefoot gasped.

"Someone please tell me I'm dreaming" Knuckles pleaded.

Sonic shook his head and replied, "Nope."

Knuckles groaned. "Great. Just great. That rotten doctor. I'm stuck as a baby Three-Horn."

Cera frowned. "Hey, that's MY body you know and I'm NOT a baby."

"I have 2 tails" Ducky said as she looked at herself.

Petrie groaned in sadness since he had Spike's body. "Me have no wings anymore."

Spike looked at himself in Petrie's body. He shook his 'wings.'

Tails shrugged. "Well, I may be stuck as a Swimmer but I still have my smart brain."

"So I'm a Sharptooth" said Ruby.

"And I'm a Fast Runner" said Chomper. It wasn't hard for Ducky to walk in Tails' body but it was hard for Cera trying to walk in Knuckles' body. Littlefoot and Cera kept trying to walk in their new bodies. But they kept falling on their backs or tummies. Sonic then sighed. But then he thought of something.

"Hey, we may have changed bodies but I wonder if we still have our powers" said Sonic.

Tails shrugged. "Maybe. But I think that our abilities are tied to our actual bodies." Sonic then decided to test it. He ran in a circle fast. But he gained no more speed and he was panting after a couple of minutes. The group watched Sonic. Sonic then stopped running.

"Yep (pant). Our powers are in (pant) our real selves. And I can't believe I'm (pant) out of breath. I don't EVER run out of breath from running" said Sonic.

"That's because Littlefoot's body is just a child and has no powers. And that means I can't fly either" Tails said as he felt upset.

Littlefoot raised both eyebrows. "So, I have your powers Sonic?"

Sonic nodded. "I believe so. And I… just have a long neck.

"And I can fly like a Flyer?" Ducky asked.

Tails nodded and replied, "Yep."

Cera then had a big grin. "Which means, I have Knuckles' strength."

Cera then laughed at Knuckles. Knuckles frowned at Cera.

"Ha ha. I'm stronger than you now because I have your powers" Cera said with a prideful smile.

Knuckles groaned and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Very funny. Laugh it up."

Cera now wanted to have fun with Knuckles' powers. She stood up and walked in a funny way over to a rocky wall. The others raised an eyebrow.

"Let's see if I can break this" Cera said with a smile.

Sonic then raised both eyebrows. "Not a good idea Cera."

Cera rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I got this."

Cera then reared back a fist. The others went wide-eyed.

"Cera, wait!" yelled Littlefoot. Cera didn't stop as she punched the wall hard. The wall shook greatly and the group felt the land shake a little. The group watched as cracks started to form on the wall. The cracks spread fast and the land started to shake again as a large chunk of the rock wall started to crumble. The kids gasped. Sonic then yelled, "Get out of the way!" The group then ran as the wall fell apart and made a large rock pile. Pebbles went flying and a dust cloud was made. After the dust settled, everyone then walked back to the wall, though Cera and Littlefoot walked on fours. A very large chunk of the rock wall was missing. Fortunately, none of the adults saw the damage that was done. Everyone then frowned at Cera, though Knuckles was mad.

Cera then laughed nervously. "Um… oops."

Knuckles glared at Cera. "Do you even realize that you could've gotten us all hurt or killed?! Did you even think about this?!"

"Okay, I'm sorry! I just wanted to see how strong I was" Cera said with sadness.

Sonic sighed. "This is why you cannot play around with powers Cera. It can be dangerous."

Cera sighed in defeat. Tails then came in, "Well, at least nobody got hurt." The others agreed.

"But you need to be careful next time you use Knuckles' strength" Sonic said as he looked at Cera with a serious expression.

"Okay" Cera said with a hint of sadness.

Littlefoot then raised both eyebrows as a certain thought came to his head. "Oh, no! How are we gonna explain this to our parents?"

"What? That Cera broke a wall?" Knuckles said as he frowned at Cera.

Cera frowned back but then smiled. "Well, it was actually YOU because it's YOUR body." Knuckles then groaned in annoyance.

Littlefoot shook his head. "No. About how we changed bodies?"

"Littlefoot has a good point. How we will tell the grownups that we're okay but we're not really ourselves?" said Ruby.

"Actually, we won't" Sonic answered. The kids let out, "Huh?" while Tails and Knuckles looked at Sonic with confusion.

"What do you mean?" asked Ducky.

Sonic then a look of determination. "Because we're gonna find Eggman and get our bodies back."

"But how? We don't know where he went" said Littlefoot. Tails and Knuckles agreed with Sonic's plan. Sonic then told the group that he knows where the mean doctor went because he saw where Eggman flew after his first talk with Daxter.

"Where?" Littlefoot asked.

Sonic simply replied, "To the Mysterious Beyond."

The kids gasped. "Oh, no. Not the Mysterious Beyond" said Petrie.

"Sonic's right. We're gonna have to go after Eggman" Tails said with a brave expression.

"But the mean Sharpteeth live there" said Ducky.

"Yeah, remember? Sharpteeth bad" Petrie said with fear.

"I know but it's the only way to get our bodies back" said Sonic.

Ruby then looked determined. "He's right. We have to change ourselves back before the grownups find out and I don't wanna be stuck as a Sharptooth."

"And I don't wanna be stuck as a Fast Runner" added Chomper.

"Then we better get moving" said Knuckles. The group then started walking to the Mysterious Beyond. Littlefoot and Cera tried to walk but they walked in a wobbly way. Littlefoot then rushed a little with Sonic's speed. He then rushed again but then ran into a tree. Littlefoot then rubbed his head and stood back up. He zoomed again but then ran into a rock. He started to regret his thought of being like Sonic.

Littlefoot rubbed his head in pain and let out, "Ouch." Cera tried to run on 2 legs but then fell on her face after 3 steps. She then got up and groaned. Sonic and the other Mobians shook their heads.

Sonic sighed. "Maybe we should just teach you guys how to use our abilities first." Sonic and his Mobian friends started to teach the kids how to use their powers. First, Sonic and Tails were teaching Littlefoot and Cera how to walk on 2 legs. Littlefoot and Cera kept failing a few times to walk but they kept trying. After a few times, Littlefoot and Cera started to walk better. Sonic started to teach Littlefoot how to use his speed. Tails started to teach Ducky how to fly with 2 tails. Knuckles started to teach Cera how to use great strength. And Petrie was trying to teach Spike how to be a Flyer. The 3 Mobians took the 3 kids with them to separate places to train. Littlefoot then tried to use Sonic's speed the right way. Littlefoot carried Sonic while Littlefoot practiced running fast. There were a few times that Littlefoot almost ran into a rock or a tree again.

Knuckles taught Cera how to fight well. Cera had no problem breaking more rocks. Knuckles trained using Cera's body. He wasn't as strong as his normal self but still strong enough. He broke some rocks using his Three-Horn head.

Ducky started to fly slowly as Tails sat on Ducky's shoulder. Tails then told her to fly a little higher. Ducky felt nervous but tried anyways. Ducky was flying pretty high now. She started to like the view from above. It reminded her of riding in the Tornado. However, Petrie wasn't a very good teacher because he couldn't get Spike in trying to fly higher. Spike would either flap his wings too fast or too slow because Spike was pretty nervous.

"Come on, Spike. You can do it" said Petrie. Spike still felt nervous but he tried again. He started to flap his wings and started to fly. Petrie smiled as Spike flew a little higher. Spike then flew a little higher while looking up.

"You're flying like a Flyer" Petrie said with happiness. Spike then looked down and got nervous again. He started to panic and flapped his wings too fast again. Spike then fell. Petrie gasped. He ran and caught Spike on his back. Spike then rubbed his head and groaned in defeat.

Petrie sighed. "This hard. Me wish I was a Flyer again."

Littlefoot practiced some more with Sonic. Littlefoot carried Sonic as Littlefoot ran with great speed. After some time, Littlefoot started to do much better.

"You're starting to get the hang of it now" Sonic said with a smile.

Littlefoot smiled. "Thanks. Now I know what it feels like to be you. (Sigh) But now, I wish I was myself again."

"Hey, don't worry. We're gonna be back to normal in no time" said Sonic. Littlefoot cheered up again and practiced again.

Cera learned how to use super strength in a better way. Knuckles was doing well too.

Cera smiled. "I wish I could be this strong forever. Then my dad wouldn't have to worry about me anymore."

Knuckles frowned lightly. "Well don't get too used it. We gotta return to our normal selves soon."

"I know. But it would be amazing if I could stay this way" said Cera.

Meanwhile, Ducky learned how to fly well with 2 tails. Chomper and Ruby watched Ducky as she landed.

"Flying is pretty fun" said Ducky.

Tails nodded. "It sure is huh?" Tails then saw that Spike was still trying to fly better but then he fell again and Petrie had to catch him. Tails then shrugged, "Though, I can't say the same for Spike." Ducky giggled and shrugged too.

"Well, it is very difficult for a Spiketail to learn to fly because they can't really fly" said Ruby. The others nodded. Spike moaned a bit in sadness. Petrie sighed.

After some time later, everyone regrouped. Everyone had trained enough, though Spike was still learning. Sonic then said that he has a plan to sneak inside Eggman's ship. The kids felt uneasy about the plan but they knew that they had no choice. They must hurry before the grownups find out. The group then headed into the Mysterious Beyond. Ducky then flew up to get a better view. She found Eggman's ship and told the others. The group then headed over to the ship. But then, the group heard some noises. It sounded like machine parts. The group followed the sounds near a rocky hill. They all climbed and looked over the hill. They saw Egg bots working on some kind of station near a big river. There was some kind of chamber built over the river. The kids were confused.

"What are Eggman's robots doing?" asked Ruby.

"It looks like they're building something" said Littlefoot.

"Yeah, but what?" said Knuckles. Sonic and Tails looked closely. They saw Egg bots pouring some kind of purple liquid in the chamber. The Mobians raised both eyebrows. They had an idea of what the evil genius was planning now.

"This is not good" said Tails. The kids looked at Tails.

"What do you mean Tails?" asked Littlefoot.

"They're about to do something terrible. That purple stuff is some kind of dangerous chemical" said Tails. The kids thought for a moment as they looked at the liquid tank. There was a nozzle at the bottom. The kids then thought again.

"Wait, does this mean…?" said Cera.

Tails nodded. "Eggman's going to poison the river."

The kids gasped. Tails explained that once Eggman pours the purple liquid into the river, their water supply will be poisonous. Some dinos could get sick or worse. All the kids frowned at the liquid tank.

"That bully is going to poison our drinking water!" exclaimed Cera.

"This is terrible!" exclaimed Ruby.

"Which means the grownups could get very sick from drinking it" said Littlefoot.

Sonic then had a look of determination. "Then we're gonna have to stop Eggman."

"We have to destroy that tank" stated Knuckles.

"But we have to turn ourselves back to normal" said Cera.

"I'm afraid that's gonna have to wait, Cera. We have to save the water supply first" said Tails. The kids sighed but Tails had a point. But how could they do it? Sonic was now thinking of a plan. Sonic then had a brave expression.

"Alright, I got a plan" said Sonic. The others looked at Sonic and listened carefully.

"What can we do?" asked Ducky. Sonic looked at Tails.

"Tails. You, Ducky and Spike go find a way into Eggman's ship and find that swap device. The rest of us are gonna take care of the Egg bots and that tank" stated Sonic. The kids went wide-eyed. Spike felt really nervous.

"But how are we gonna stop Eggman?" asked Littlefoot.

Sonic smiled. "By using the powers you have."

Cera then smiled. "No problem. I can take those the robots."

"We'll have to work together" said Sonic.

"But Eggman's ship might be dangerous" said Ducky.

Tails then had a brave expression. "We can do it Ducky. Just remember what I taught you."

Ducky felt unsure but then replied, "Okay." The other kids agreed except Spike. Spike moaned in a sad and scared way.

"Don't worry Spike. We can do it together" said Ducky. Spike still felt nervous but then nodded.

"Alright. Let's go!" exclaimed Sonic. The others nodded in agreement. Tails, Ducky, and Spike then headed to Eggman's ship. Tails sat on Ducky's shoulder as Ducky flew up while Spike started to fly as well. Spike still felt nervous but he followed. The rest of the others made their way over to the river.

Meanwhile, back in the Valley, the parents started to notice that they didn't see their children nearby. They didn't even see Sonic or the other Mobians. Grandma Longneck started to worry a little.

"I hope Littlefoot and the others haven't gotten into trouble again" said Grandma Longneck.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Sonic is watching them. Besides, he even has Tails and Knuckles with him" said Grandpa Longneck.

"I know but I'm afraid that Eggman might be up to his horrible plans again" said Grandma Longneck. Grandpa Longneck then told her that the kids will be okay and they'll come back safe and sound. Grandpa Longneck thought Sonic and the kids were doing some kind of activity. Grandma Longneck smiled but she still wondered if the others were all doing okay.

Back in the Mysterious Beyond…

Ducky flew to the top of Eggman's ship with Tails and Spike. She landed on the top. Thankfully, they didn't see Eggman or any robots. Tails jumped off Ducky's shoulder and Spike landed. Tails rubbed his chin.

"Okay, now we just need to find a way inside" said Tails. The 3 looked around but didn't see a door or latch yet. Tails then spotted a small latch. Tails then gestured Ducky and Spike to follow. Tails then tried to open the latch but he wasn't strong enough in Ducky's body. Ducky and Spike then gave a hand. They opened the small latch. Tails saw some wires and cables in the hole. Tails then said that he'll go in and open another door for them. Ducky and Spike nodded. Tails then climbed into the hole and closed the latch. Tails was able to climb through the small tunnel thanks to having Ducky's small size. But he still wished that he could be himself again. Tails then made his way through a bunch of cables and wires. He then saw another hole and found himself inside Eggman's robot room. It was filled with robot parts or incomplete robots. Tails then ran through and found another door. But he had to climb into another hole because he wasn't tall enough to open the door. He climbed through some more wires. He then found himself inside the computer room.

Tails sighed with relief. "Now we're getting somewhere."

Tails then climbed onto Eggman's chair and looked at the computer screen. He then looked at some buttons and switches. He searched for a roof switch. He then found it and pressed it. Ducky and Spike then saw a big door open up. Ducky and Spike carefully climbed in. Tails then met them and told them that they need to find the body swap device. Ducky and Spike agreed. The 3 went to find the device. But they didn't know that Ichy and Dil heard that someone opened the roof. The 2 robo creatures followed the sound of footsteps.

Meanwhile, Eggman stood by a high cliff overlooking the river. He watched as his robots worked on the poison tank. It was about time to unleash the poison.

Eggman grinned evilly. "He he he. Sonic and those foolish children have no idea what awaits them now. They're too busy playing the 'who's who?' game. Once the water is poisoned, the rest of dinosaurs will die from drinking it. Then, I'll have no trouble taking over this world."

The evil genius laughed wickedly. After a few more minutes, the poison tank was ready. Eggman then piloted his hover ride and flew over to the tank. He then looked at his robots.

"It's time. Let loose the poison!" yelled Eggman. Some of robots nodded. 2 robots went over and grabbed a large switch by the tank. Just when the robots were about to pull the switch, Littlefoot and Cera then jumped over and destroyed the robots.

"What!?" exclaimed Eggman. The evil doctor saw Sonic and the others arrived just in time to stop Eggman. Sonic and the others glared at Eggman.

"Looks like your 'switch' idea didn't turn out so well. We figured out what to do" Sonic said with a cocky smile.

Eggman then hmphed. "It doesn't matter. You won't stop me this time."

"You sure about that doctor?" Knuckles said with a smile.

"We're gonna take you down" said Cera. Eggman then commanded his robots to attack. Some Egg bots pulled out laser guns while the others pulled out hammers or swords. Littlefoot and Cera then fought some of the robots. Knuckles helped as well. Sonic and Petrie had to steer clear for a moment since they didn't have their normal abilities. Littlefoot and Cera fought pretty well and nearly destroyed all the robots. Chomper and Ruby helped by throwing rocks at the robots. Some robots were now headed towards Sonic and Petrie. Petrie went wide-eyed and covered his eyes. Sonic stood his ground and tripped some of the robots with his tail. Sonic then saw a hammer that a busted robot left. He then smiled and grabbed the hammer with his Longneck tail. He started hitting some robots. Littlefoot and Cera took care of the rest of the robots. Eggman then growled and flew away. The others didn't know that the doctor wasn't finished yet.

Back in Eggman's ship…

Tails, Ducky, and Spike continued searching for the swap device. They searched a few rooms but still no luck.

Tails rubbed his chin. "Where would Eggman keep that device?"

Ducky and Spike shrugged. "We don't' know Tails. We do not" said Ducky. Tails then said that they had to keep searching. They searched another room but it turned out to be the engine room. They searched another room that was full of different hover vehicles and some busted ones. Tails looked around but then he spotted something. He saw the swap device.

Tails smiled. "There it is."

Ducky and Spike smiled as well. "We found it. Yep, yep, yep" said Ducky.

"Now, we gotta help the others" said Tails. Ducky and Spike nodded. They ran to the device. Tails then climbed on the top and searched for the power button.

"At least nobody knows we're here" said Ducky.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that" said a mean voice. The 3 beings looked towards the sound. It was Ichy and Dil! Ichy was the one who spoke. The 3 gasped.

"You shouldn't have come here" said Ichy.

"And now you're in trouble" said Dil.

"The doctor's going to be very proud of us once we take care of you guys" Ichy said with an evil smile. The 2 metal predators got ready to attack their prey. Tails then looked at Ducky and Spike.

"You guys distract them while I work on the device" Tails said with a brave expression. Spike had a scared expression. So did Ducky.

"But how?" said Ducky.

"Use your abilities" Tails said with a brave expression. Ducky and Spike felt unsure and a bit afraid. Ichy and Dil then ran at them. Ducky and Spike then flew up and led the 2 predators away. Tails then worked on the device. It was a bit hard for Tails since he had to stand on top of the controls. Ducky and Spike kept trying to dodge the 2 predators' attacks. Ichy then swooped and hit Spike. Spike then fell and hit the metal floor. Ducky gasped. Dil then licked her lips. Spike rubbed his head and then went wide-eyed at Dil.

"It's lunchtime!" exclaimed Dil. Dil then opened her jaws. Spike shook with fear. Ducky then came over and stomped on Dil's head hard. Dil then groaned in pain. Ichy then glared at Ducky.

"Hey!" yelled Ichy. The metal bird then swooped down at Ducky. But Ducky had an idea. She then caught Ichy in her 2 tails. Ichy then said, "What the…?"

Ducky then smiled at Ichy. Ichy raised an eyebrow. Ducky then spun her 2 tails really fast. Ichy started to get dizzy.

"Ahhhhhhh! Stooooooooooop iittttttttt!" yelled Ichy. Ducky laughed a little at hearing Ichy scream. Spike also laughed. Ducky then stopped after a few seconds. Ichy moaned as he felt really dizzy. Ducky then dropped Ichy. Tails then came over with the device. He saw that Ducky managed to handle Ichy and Dil.

"Good job Ducky and you too Spike" Tails said with a smile.

"Thank you Tails" said Ducky. Spike nodded.

"Come on. We gotta get back to Sonic and the others" said Tails. Ducky and Spike nodded. Both kids climbed into the hover vehicle. Before they took off, Tails smiled as he had an idea for the 2 metal henchmen. Ichy and Dil were still a little dazed. Tails then activated the device on Ichy and Dil. The device fired purple electrical currents at the 2 metal beings. The 2 henchmen screamed in pain and then fainted.

"Now let's see how they like it being someone else" said Tails. The 3 beings laughed and then flew out through the roof of the ship. After a few seconds, both henchmen started to clear their senses.

Ichy moaned. "What was that all about?"

Ichy then looked around and saw… another metal bird? Dil then looked at another Belly Dragger.

"Who are you?" said Dil.

Ichy went wide-eyed. "Dil?"

"Ichy?" said Dil. Both henchmen blinked and then screamed. Tails and the 2 kids laughed as they heard the 2 robo animals scream.

Meanwhile, Sonic and the others were now tearing down the poison tank. Cera and Knuckles then laid down the tank carefully. Sonic then smiled.

"Looks like we managed to stop Eggman again" said Sonic.

"You can say that again" said Knuckles. The kids looked around but they didn't see Eggman.

"Where did Eggman go?" said Ruby.

"Who cares? If that mean doctor comes back, I'll show…" started Cera. But before Cera could finish, everyone then heard an evil laugh from above. All the kids gasped. Eggman returned with a giant robot. It was silver and blue colored with a giant spiked hammer.

"Meet my Egg Hammer. Now I'll squash you all like the annoying bugs you are" said Eggman.

"Get ready guys!" yelled Sonic. The group got ready to fight. Littlefoot and Cera put their hands up. Littlefoot and Cera ran forward. Eggman then hit the ground with his hammer. The impact sent Littlefoot and Cera flying a few feet. Sonic and the others started to throw rocks at the giant robot, but the rocks had little to no effect. Eggman walked over and got ready to smash Sonic and the others. Littlefoot and Cera then jumped and hit the robot hard. Cera then grabbed a giant rock and threw it. Eggman's robot almost lost its balance. Littlefoot then used a Homing Attack. Eggman's giant robot then lost its balance and hit the ground. Littlefoot and Cera smiled. But then the robot got back up. Littlefoot and Cera gulped. Sonic looked around and saw some more weapons that the Egg bots left behind. Sonic then told Knuckles to use the old weapons. Knuckles nodded. Eggman then eyed the tank. The tank was still close to the river. Eggman then raised the giant hammer. Sonic and the others saw what Eggman was planning. He was going to smash the tank and the poison would pour into the river. The group went wide-eyed.

"Say good bye to your families, kids!" yelled Eggman. But before Eggman could move, an energy ball then hit Eggman. The giant robot stepped back. Eggman looked up and saw that Ducky used Tails' arm blaster. The 3 others have arrived with the device. Sonic and the others smiled.

"Tails, you made it!" exclaimed Sonic.

"And just in time" Knuckles said with a smug grin.

Eggman then glared at the 3 others. "Hey! That's MY swap device!"

"You got that right" said Tails.

"We're going to stop you Eggman" said Ducky. Eggman then growled and got his weapon ready. Sonic and Knuckles then threw small hammers and swords at Eggman. The giant robot staggered back. The others threw some more rocks. Cera then looked at the poison tank. She smiled mischievously. She ran over and lifted the tank. Eggman then swung the hammer. Sonic and the others ducked in time. Eggman then lifted the hammer over his head.

"Farewell!" yelled Eggman. The kids gasped. Sonic and Knuckles had brave expressions. But then suddenly, Cera yelled out "Hey Eggman!" The mean doctor ceased his attack and looked at Cera. The others looked at Cera too. Eggman' eyes went wide. Cera was carrying the tank over her head.

"Try this!" yelled Cera. Cera then threw the tank at Eggman. The giant robot shielded itself with its arms. The tank hit the giant robot hard. The robot then hit the side of a high cliff. A large crack formed on the tank and the poison poured onto the robot. The chemical ruined the robot suit. Fortunately, the poison didn't hit Eggman. The giant robot sparked with electricity. Eggman then flew out of the robot as it fell apart and exploded. Suddenly, the cliff shook and large rocks fell and buried the robot, and the tank. Tails then came over and activated the device. Tails put the hover vehicle on auto pilot and jumped down. The device then shot purple electricity and hit the group. Everyone felt paralyzed again and they fainted again. After a few seconds, everyone woke up.

"Is everyone okay" asked Sonic.

"I'm okay" said Littlefoot. The others started to say the same thing. Sonic looked and saw… Littlefoot. The others looked at themselves. They were normal again!

"I'm me again!" exclaimed Sonic.

"Me too!" exclaimed Littlefoot.

Knuckles sighed. "So glad I'm not a Three-Horn anymore."

Cera groaned. "I'm going to miss being very strong."

Knuckles then patted Cera's head. "But you did good" said Knuckles. Cera smiled.

"Me have wings again" Petrie said with a smile.

"And I'm not a Sharptooth anymore" said Ruby.

The others felt relieved as well. Eggman then saw that everyone was themselves again.

Eggman pounded his vehicle in anger. "No, I can't believe this!" The mean doctor then saw his swap device. He flew after it. Knuckles saw what Eggman was doing.

"Oh, no you don't!" exclaimed Knuckles. The red echidna jumped and punched the vehicle to the ground. Knuckles then destroyed it. Eggman glared at Knuckles. Knuckles crossed his arms and hmphed.

"Blast you all! I'll be back!" Eggman exclaimed in anger. The evil doctor then flew back to base.

"You'll never beat us Eggman!" Knuckles shouted back. The others came over to Knuckles.

"Good work Knuckles" said Sonic.

Knuckles shrugged. "It was nothing."

The kids then looked at the sky. It was nearly sunset.

"We better head back now that we're normal again" said Littlefoot.

"Good idea Littlefoot" said Sonic. The group then headed back to the Valley. When they got back, the kids then told their parents that they did some kind of fun activity. They didn't reveal the swap device and they said that Sonic fought Eggman again. The parents were relieved that their children were safe.

Back at Eggman's base…

Eggman was sitting at his computer, thinking of his next plan. His poison plan had failed.

"I'll get Sonic and those rotten kids" Eggman said with anger. His 2 henchmen then came over.

"Um, Doc? We gotta a little problem" said Ichy. Eggman kept his eyes on his computer.

"What? Can't you see I'm busy?" Eggman said with annoyance.

"Well, we're not really ourselves" said Dil. Eggman then felt confused. He then looked at his henchmen.

"What do you mean?" Eggman grumbled.

"Well, I'm a Flyer and he's a Belly Dragger" said Dil.

"Yep" added Ichy. Eggman raised both eyebrows. Icy was Dil and Dil was Ichy. Eggman then slapped his forehead.

"Oh, I HATE Sonic and those kids" Eggman groaned. The mean doctor felt a headache coming on.

End of Chapter 4