Time for another chapter everyone!
(Series Intro)
Chapter 10: Rainy Days
The Great Valley was going through the 'Days of Rising Waters.' It meant that the Great Valley was going to get a lot of rainy days. At Petrie's nest, Petrie and his 3 siblings were getting tired of so much rain. They shook with fear as they saw lightning snake through the sky. It had rained for a couple of days. Petrie paced back and forth.
"Sky water, sky water, sky water! When it stop?" exclaimed Petrie.
"Oh, not for a while Petrie. The Days of Rising Waters have already started" said Petrie's mother. Lightning flashed again, followed by some thunder. Petrie and his siblings shook again.
Petrie then picked up a small stick with a fork on one end. "Me need my snuggling stick."
He held his stick tight. His siblings then hugged Petrie so they all could hold the comforting stick. Their mother tried to comfort her children by telling them that they'll be safe in their nest, since part of the cliff blocked out some of the storm. They saw more lightning flash. Suddenly, lightning struck a tree on top of the cliff. The tree split in half and parts of it fell off to the ground. Thankfully, the tree didn't hit Petrie's nest. But then, another problem happened. Petrie's mother saw that mud started to come down the cliff, due to the heavy rain. A mudslide was created. Petrie and his family gasped.
"Fly children, fly!" yelled Petrie's mother. Petrie's siblings then flew out and their mother followed. But Petrie didn't fly yet.
Petrie still held his comfort stick and looked around. "Fly? Fly where?"
The mud then came down and washed Petrie off the cliff. Petrie's mother gasped. She then swooped down and caught Petrie. She took Petrie up to another part of the cliff. Petrie's siblings were waiting for them. They hid from the storm by a large rock. They watched in sadness and horror as the mudslide got stronger. It completely wiped out their nest.
Petrie gasped. "No! Our home!"
"Quick children! Gather what you can find from our old nest" said Petrie's mother. The Flyer family flew off. They landed on the ground and started to gather what was left of their nest. Only a few sticks remained.
Meanwhile, Sonic then suggested to Littlefoot, Ruby, and Chomper that they check on Petrie since the Valley got so much rain. The 3 kids nodded in agreement. The others stayed put since Ducky and Spike like the rain. Sonic and the 3 kids then walked to Petrie's nest.
"I hope Petrie's ok" said Chomper. "I've never seen so many streaks of sky fire."
Ruby agreed. "Yeah, the sky was so bright that I could hardly see it."
Sonic looked at the others. "So, you guys said that you go through the 'Days of Rising Waters'?"
Littlefoot nodded. "This is the time when the Valley gets a lot of sky water for a few days."
Sonic then thought for a moment, "I hope nobody's nest got flooded."
Littlefoot then spotted something. "Wait a moment, what happened to the rock where Petrie lives?"
Sonic and the kids raised both eyebrows. They saw the large mudslide that washed away Petrie's nest and the rock it was on. It looked like a muddy waterfall.
"Well, that's not good" stated Sonic.
"Wow, it looks really different" said Chomper. Sonic and the kids came over to Petrie and the family. Petrie then felt happy.
"Oh, me glad to see you guys" Petrie said with a smile.
"We came to help you. Are you guys alright?" said Ruby.
"We ok. (Looks at the nest) But our home not ok" said Petrie.
Petrie's mother then came in. "Thank you so much for coming guys. You'll be a big help."
Sonic nodded. "Yeah, we'll fix this up in no time."
The other kids nodded. Sonic and the others started to help Petrie, and his family pick up some sticks. Petrie's younger siblings were a little fearful of Chomper because he was a Sharptooth. Chomper then caught sight of something on the ground. It was a yellow caterpillar.
"Hate to say it, but I'm hungry. (Licks lips) A ground crawler" said Chomper. The Flyer siblings yelped a little as Chomper ran after the caterpillar. But Chomper slipped on the mud and missed. The caterpillar got sent away by the mud splash from Chomper hitting the ground. Chomper was drenched in mud.
Chomper moaned in sadness. "All this sky water is making it harder to find food. I'm getting really hungry."
2 of Petrie's siblings hugged each other at what Chomper said. They were afraid that Chomper was going to have them for lunch. Sonic saw this and tried to ease the little Flyers.
"Hey, it's ok. Chomper won't eat you guys. He only eats bugs" said Sonic.
"But what if he decide to eat one of us?" asked a Flyer sibling.
"Don't worry, Chomper's our friend. He'd never hurt you guys" said Sonic. Sonic and the Flyer siblings looked at Chomper. The little Sharptooth was trying to find some more bugs to eat. The siblings believed Sonic but they still felt nervous around Chomper.
Meanwhile, by a river, Ducky and Spike were playing in the water. They loved the Days of Rising Waters because they could have fun in the rain and splashing in the deeper waters. After all, Swimmers do like water. Cera and Tricia sat under a bush to keep dry from the rain. Some of Ducky's siblings joined them in some splashing. Cera didn't feel like getting wet or splashing at all.
Cera groaned. "Oh, when is this dumb old sky water gonna stop already?"
Tricia started to smile as she watched Ducky and Spike having fun in the waters. Tricia giggled a little. Cera looked at Tricia.
"Never mind those Swimmers Tricia. They're not having as much fun like they seem like they are" said Cera.
Ducky then looked at Cera. "Hello Cera and Tricia. Today's a great day for swimming. Yes, yes, yes."
"So why don't you keep swimming then?" said Cera.
"You do not want to join us? Swimming in the sky water puddles is so much fun" said Ducky.
Tricia wanted to swim. She decided to walk to Ducky but Cera blocked her path as she answered Ducky, "Well, Tricia and I are having just as much fun right here thank you very much."
Some water then fell off the leaves of the bush and splashed Cera. Cera groaned as Tricia laughed a little.
Ducky raised an eyebrow. "You do not look like you're having fun."
Cera frowned. "What do you mean? (Expression turns into a prideful one) Sure we are. (Looks at Tricia and taps her on the shoulder) Tag, you're it Tricia."
Cera then runs off. Ducky and Spike watched Cera for a moment, and then they go back to swimming. Cera then stopped running as she saw that Tricia didn't follow. The little Three-Horn wanted to play with Ducky and Spike in the water.
"Hey, Tricia! Come back" said Cera. She then ran back to her little sister. Though, nobody noticed that Ichy was watching from a distance. He stayed under some branches to stay dry. Eggman was up to something bad again.
Back at Petrie's nest...
Sonic and the other kids helped Petrie and his family with their ruined nest. They gathered all the sticks that were left of the nest into a pile.
"Well, at least we have some of our home left" said Petrie's mother. Petrie then gathered up some sticks and flew upwards. But his mother flew up to stop him.
"Petrie what are you doing?" asked Petrie's mother.
"Me putting nest back together" answered Petrie.
"The ledge cannot hold our nest anymore Petrie" The mother told his son as they flew back down.
"But that our home" Petrie said with a sad expression. His mother told him that they cannot rebuild their nest since the rock ledge is gone and the rain hasn't stopped yet. And they would have to keep rebuilding their nest if they stayed. Petrie moaned in sadness. Petrie's mother then said that they have to move and find a new nest.
"Ok" said Petrie's siblings. Petrie then agreed too but then blinked. He put his hands to his head and exclaimed, "Move?!"
"You'll have to, Petrie" said Sonic. Petrie felt very upset.
Back at the river, Tricia was splashing with Ducky in the shallow water. Cera was not happy about it even though the water was ankle deep.
"Ducky, what are you doing? My sister cannot swim" said Cera.
"She does not have to swim in the water. She can stand in the water" said Ducky. Ducky and Tricia kept splashing each other while laughing. They were having fun.
Cera frowned. "Tricia come out of there right now."
Tricia then mumbled to Cera that she's fine. Tricia then chased Ducky while splashing. Suddenly, Tricia fell in a deep hole nearby. She tried to swim but it was difficult.
Cera gasped. "Tricia! Hang on Tricia!"
Cera jumped in the water and grabbed Tricia. She put her little sister on her back and started to go back to land. Ducky and Spike looked at Cera with a raised eyebrow.
"Um... are you ok Cera?" asked Ducky. Cera then raised an eyebrow too. She then realized that the water was shallow again.
Cera hmphed. "I'm fine. (Brings Tricia back to land) But Tricia almost sank. (Frowns) If YOU hadn't made such a big deal about swimming, Tricia wouldn't have jumped in."
Ducky felt upset. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
Cera interrupted. "Ducky, the Days of Rising Waters can be really dangerous for young ones like Tricia."
Tricia started to walk back to the water again. Cera pulled her back by grabbing her tail. Tricia was not liking it. She really wanted to have fun with Ducky.
They didn't know that Ichy and Eggman heard every word. Eggman grinned wickedly as he thought of a new dark plan.
"But Tricia wants to go back in. What will we do?" said Ducky.
"Not WE, I. I am going to teach Tricia to swim" said Cera.
"You? But Three-Horns aren't the best at swimming Cera" said Ducky.
Cera hmphed. "Three-Horns can do anything."
Ichy then flew back to base. The mean doctor started to build something. He called Dil over. The metal croc walked over to the doctor.
"What is it master?" asked Dil.
Eggman grinned darkly. "I have a job for you."
Back with Petrie's family...
Petrie was very upset with moving from the ruined nest. He definitely didn't want to leave his old home.
"Move? Move?! But me not want to move. Me love our home" said Petrie. His mother then told him that they must find a new and safer home, away from the storm.
"But new home won't be OUR home" said Petrie. Chomper tried to comfort Petrie.
"It'll be ok Petrie" said Chomper. "When me and Ruby moved to the secret caverns, I thought they were dark, cold, and really scary. But it turned out to be a great place to live. I love my new home."
"Well, me love me old home. It not fair" said Petrie. The little Flyer was most certainly not used to this kind of change.
"It's what is for the best Petrie" said Ruby.
"You'll have to find a safer place for you and your family" said Littlefoot.
"Besides, home is not where sticks and stones are. Home is where your family and friends are" added Sonic.
"Sonic's right Petrie" said Petrie's mother.
Petrie sighed. "Bye bye old home. Bye old friends."
Ruby laughed a little. "Petrie, just because you're leaving your old home doesn't mean you're leaving your friends too."
"Yeah, you're not really leaving the Great Valley" added Sonic.
"Oh, you right" Petrie said with a shrug.
"And we're going to help you move" added Littlefoot.
Petrie cheered up. "Really?"
"You got it Petrie" Sonic said with a wink.
Petrie's mother smiled. "Well then, we have a nest to move."
The group started to pick up all the sticks and helped the family find a better nest.
Meanwhile, Cera was teaching Tricia how to swim. She showed her how to use her front feet. Tricia moved her front feet like Cera.
"Oh, don't forget the back feet. They're are just as important" said Ducky.
Cera frowned. "I'm getting to that."
Cera then got splashed as Tricia started to kick her back legs as well. Tricia started to splash Ducky and Spike too.
Ducky laughed a little. "The back feet shouldn't be paddling. They should be kicking."
Cera panted a little after kicking her feet. She frowned at Ducky again.
"Alright Ducky. Since you know so much about swimming, why don't YOU teach her?" said Cera.
"But Swimmers don't teach others to swim. We just... swim" said Ducky.
"Well, Three-Horns don't. And thanks to you, Tricia wants to be a Swimmer" said Cera.
Tricia splashed some more in the water. 3 of Ducky's siblings also splashed nearby.
"Well, that's not such a bad thing" said Ducky.
Cera frowned. "It IS if she can't swim! (Gets right up to Ducky's face) And if something happens to her during the Days of Rising Waters, it'll be all your fault!"
Ducky felt upset. "Oh no! I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to Tricia. Oh, no, no, no."
"Good. Then just teach Tricia how to swim" said Cera. Spike mumbled in confusion. Ducky shrugged.
"Now" stated Cera.
"I will try" said Ducky. The little Swimmer then started to show Tricia how to swim better.
Back with Petrie and the others...
The group followed Petrie's mother as she looked for a new nest. Everyone carried some large sticks. Petrie's siblings then screamed when they saw lightning flash. They hid by Chomper. They looked up and saw Chomper give them a toothy smile. They yelped again and ran forward while carrying sticks. Sonic rolled his eyes with a small smile. The group kept walking up a steep hill. Lightning flashed again, followed by some thunder. Lightning then struck a tree nearby. It broke and fell towards them.
"Look out!" exclaimed Petrie's mother. The kids screamed. Sonic raised both eyebrows. The group got out of the way as the tree hit the ground. Fortunately, the tree didn't catch fire.
"Everyone ok?" Petrie's mother said as she landed near the others.
"We're ok" said Sonic. The others said the same thing while panting a little.
Petrie crossed his wings. "Right now, me take any home."
Petrie then suggested that they could make a nest under the fallen tree but his mother said that tree wouldn't be sturdy and thick enough to shelter them.
Petrie moaned in sadness. "Oh, what if we never find home that is right for us?"
"We will" said Petrie's mother. The mother Flyer then thought for a moment at where they could find a good spot. She looked around and spotted something up near the top. There was a large rock that sheltered over another rock area. It was held up by 2 other rocks and some plants grew over it. They could use that spot.
Meanwhile, Ducky taught Tricia some swimming motions. Cera and Spike sat nearby and watched. Ducky got on her tummy and showed Tricia some more swim movements. Tricia tried the movements in a silly way.
"That's a good start. Now let's try it in water" said Ducky. Cera and Spike watched as Ducky and Tricia walked into the water. Ducky showed Tricia how to swim. Tricia tried the movements but she only splashed some more in the water.
Cera rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's great Ducky. You taught Tricia how to make a bigger splash."
Ducky shrugged. "Well, it's a start. She is trying."
Cera then smiled a little. Tricia was trying to learn to swim better. However, they didn't notice that far up the river, Dil went into the water. She slowly made her way down the river. Eggman then got a new machine ready.
Back with the others, Petrie's mother led the group to this new rock shelter she found. It was just sturdy and tough to keep out the rain and to protect them. And it was big enough for the family. Petrie's mother then said that this spot is great and it will be their new home.
Sonic smiled a little. "Looks good enough to me."
"Yep, it looks very good" said Ruby.
Petrie felt doubtful. "But it no look like home to me."
"It will. After we build our nest" said Petrie's mother. Petrie's siblings shouted in joy. The group then started to build the new nest with all the sticks they gathered. The group set down all the sticks. The mother Flyer and the siblings started to arrange the sticks to make the nest look better. Petrie still felt unsure about the new nest though.
"Thanks for helping with the move everyone" said Petrie's mother.
Sonic nodded. "No problem."
"That's what friends are for" said Chomper. Littlefoot and Ruby nodded.
Petrie crossed his wings with a frown. "Still not look like home."
"But Petrie, you have lots of stuff from your old nest" said Littlefoot.
"And we're on a rocky ledge, just like your old nest" said Chomper.
"And there are lots of nice views from here, just like ones from your old home" added Ruby.
"Ruby's right. It's pretty nice" Sonic said as he took in all the scenery. There were some nice views of the Valley despite the rain. Though, no one noticed that Daxter saw them from up another ledge. He grinned darkly as he thought of more mischief. He was determined to get Sonic's time band.
Petrie thought for a moment. "Maybe. Okay, me make new nest look like old nest."
Petrie put some sticks in specific places. But then he noticed something missing.
Petrie gasped. "Oh, no! Where me snuggling stick?"
"We may have lost it on our way up the hill" said Petrie's mother.
"Lost it?! Me cannot lost it. Me had snuggling stick since we came to Great Valley. Me no sleep without it" said Petrie. Petrie then felt determined to get back his comfort stick.
"Me go find it!" exclaimed Petrie. Petrie then flew off to find his stick. But his mother flew right up to him and told him to stay. His mother then said that it was dangerous, and she'll go find it. Petrie felt upset but he listened. He flew back to the others while his mother flew to find his stick. The group watched from the ledge as Petrie's mother flew down below to find the stick. She looked for a few moments and found nothing. But then, she spotted a stick stuck in some rocks.
"I think I found it" Petrie's mother called to the others. Petrie felt really happy. The mother Flyer then pulled the stick loose after one good tug. But then suddenly, mud started to come down the hill fast. Another mudslide was created.
"Oh, no!" exclaimed Littlefoot. The others gasped. Petrie's mother tried to get out of the way but the mudslide then got stronger due to the heavy rain. Petrie's mother then got washed down the hill.
"Oh, no! Mom!" cried one of Petrie's siblings. The mudslide washed Petrie's mother farther down the hill. Daxter then rubbed his hands together as he thought of another plan. He made his way down the hill without being seen. The others couldn't see Petrie's mother because the rain was still heavy.
"I can't see down there" said Littlefoot.
"What we do?!" exclaimed Petrie. Chomper then used his good sense of smell. He believed that he got Petrie's mother's scent.
"I got it. I'll use my sniffer to find her" said Chomper. Petrie felt happy that his friend is going to help. But Petrie's siblings grabbed Chomper's tail to stop him.
"Don't go after her" said one sibling.
"Leave our mom alone" said another sibling. Littlefoot and Sonic pulled the siblings back. Petrie then tried to comfort his siblings.
"Guys, it ok. Chomper trying to save her" said Petrie.
"Yeah, and I'll help too" said Sonic.
"Be careful Sonic" said Littlefoot.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine" Sonic said with confidence. Chomper and Sonic then made their way down the hill. Daxter watched nearby another ledge.
Back at the river, Tricia tried to swim some more. But she splashed Ducky a lot. Ducky coughed a little but she was happy that Tricia was learning.
"You're almost swimming" said Ducky. Tricia then did a big splash. Cera and Spike got hit by the splash. Cera shook off the water with a frown.
"She's just splashing Ducky" said Cera.
"She's splashing better than before" said Ducky.
"And how's that gonna help her swim?" said Cera.
"She must feel relaxed in the water before she can float" said Ducky. "Soon, she'll be able to swim on her own. She will, she will."
Tricia kept splashing and laughing. Cera sighed.
"I'll believe it when I see it" said Cera. Suddenly, everyone heard an evil laugh from above. The kids looked to see that Eggman has arrived. He drove his hover ride that had a lid that kept him from getting wet in the rain. His vehicle carried some kind of fan device. The fan had 4 blades and it pointed downwards. The kids could hear Eggman's voice from a speaker on his vehicle.
"Hello children. Having some fun in the waters?" said Eggman. Ichy then watched by a tree.
"Oh no! It's Eggman!" exclaimed Ducky. Ducky's siblings gasped. Cera and Spike had scared expressions. Even Tricia felt scared.
"Why don't we try something different. Let's go for a spin!" said Eggman. The mean doctor laughed evilly as he flew close to the water. He activated his fan device. The fan span very fast. Suddenly, the water got sucked up by the device and started to spin the water in a very fast rate. Eggman flew upwards and a waterspout was made. Ducky and Tricia felt the waterspout starting to suck them in. Cera and Spike gasped.
"Quick! Get outta the water!" yelled Cera. Spike mumbled in fright. Both Ducky and Tricia gasped. Ducky's siblings got out of the water. Ducky and Tricia ran as fast they could but the waterspout was stronger. The waterspout was slowly pulling them. The force from the vacuum was too strong. Ducky and Tricia were going nowhere as they ran.
"We're trying, we're trying!" yelled Ducky. Ducky and Tricia kept running but the water device was slowly pulling them towards the water twister. Cera then jumped in the water to help. Spike then grabbed Cera's tail as Cera tried to reach Ducky and her sister. Cera reached out her front foot to Ducky. Ducky then ran harder and grabbed Cera's foot. Tricia then managed to grab Ducky's tail.
"Pull Spike! Pull!" yelled Cera. Spike nodded and pulled as hard as he could. Sadly, the little Spike tail wasn't strong enough. He pulled more but he couldn't pull them to shore. The others held on tight, but they didn't know that Dil was closing in on them. Ducky's siblings helped too by grabbing onto Spike's tail. They pulled hard too.
Meanwhile, Chomper and Sonic made it down the hill. They saw the muddy waterfall flowing down the hill. The mudslide started to slow a little. Sonic then looked at Chomper.
"Come on, we gotta find her!" exclaimed Sonic. Chomper nodded. They both jumped in the deep mud and made their way through it. The rain started to slow down. The others could see a little more clearly.
"I see them! Right down there!" exclaimed Littlefoot. The others saw Sonic and Chomper searching for Petrie's mother. Chomper sniffed the air really good. Sonic then did his spin dash to clear some of the mud. He saw nothing in one spot. He walked over to some more mud and spin dashed again. Chomper sniffed some more. Chomper then spotted a pile of mud near the wall. He sniffed again and then gasped. He smelled Petrie's mother for sure. Chomper then looked at Sonic.
"Sonic, over here!" exclaimed Chomper. Sonic then looked at Chomper and ran over.
"She's in here? In this pile?" said Sonic.
Chomper nodded. "I think so."
Sonic and Chomper started to dig through the mud. Chomper grabbed mud with his mouth and then spit it out. Sonic dug using his spin dash.
"Chomper's eating the mud?" asked one sibling. The others saw that a head popped out of the mud. It was Petrie's mother! She gasped as she breathed some air. In no time, Petrie's mother got out of the mud. Petrie's siblings then flew down to their mother. They hugged their mother.
"You ok?" asked one sibling.
"I'm fine children. Thanks to Sonic and Chomper" said Petrie's mother. "(Sonic and Chomper smiled) But poor Chomper had to eat some mud to save me."
Chomper then spit out some more mud. "It's ok. The mud is yucky but there's some delicious ground crawlies in it. (Swallows)"
The siblings had disgusted expressions. Sonic was covered in some mud. So, he spin dashed to get the mud off. Sonic shook off some more mud. The mudslide had now stopped. Petrie then flew down.
"Thank you guys, for saving my mama. Me glad me to have such great friends" said Petrie.
Sonic nodded. "You're welcome."
Chomper then said the same and Petrie's siblings also thanked Sonic and Chomper. They now knew that Chomper wouldn't hurt anyone and he was their friend. However, near another ledge, Daxter thought of a terrible plan. He grinned darkly. He picked up some mud and breathed on it.
"Monstrum vivum luto" chanted Daxter. The gauntlet glowed and the mud then formed into a brown crystal.
"Get rid of them and bring me that time band" commanded Daxter. Daxter then dropped the crystal. Littlefoot then spotted something falling down to the mud. Littlefoot then looked closely and saw that it was a small crystal. The crystal then sank into the mud. The mud started to gurgle and bubble. He then looked upwards and saw Daxter by another ledge.
"Ruby, it's Daxter!" exclaimed Littlefoot.
"Oh no! (Looks down to the others) Guys, watch out! Daxter's here!" exclaimed Ruby.
Sonic and the others heard what Ruby said. Daxter heard it as well and raised both eyebrows. Sonic looked up and saw Daxter. He glared at the Dome-Head. Daxter then glared as well and hmphed. He then left. But before Sonic could follow Daxter, the mud started to bubble all around them. Chomper, Petrie, and Petrie's family felt confused. Sonic then knew that trouble was brewing. Suddenly, they started to sink into the mud. The mud bubbled and gurgled some more.
"What's happening?!" exclaimed Petrie's mother.
"We're sinking!" exclaimed Chomper. Petrie's siblings cried out in fear. Littlefoot and Ruby saw that the others were sinking into the mud. Both kids gasped. Littlefoot looked at Ruby.
"We gotta help them!" exclaimed Littlefoot. Ruby nodded. The 2 kids quickly climbed down the hill. The others tried to get out of the mud, but it only strengthened the pull of the mud. It was just like quicksand. Sonic then used his spin dash and got free from the mud. Sonic then saw a big muddy head appear from the mud. The head formed yellow eyes and had a gooey mouth. It growled at Sonic. Petrie and his family screamed. Chomper screamed as well.
"A mud monster!" yelled Chomper.
"Don't worry guys! I'll handle this!" yelled Sonic. The mud monster growled again and tried to hit Sonic with a long muddy hand. Sonic zoomed and got everyone free from the mud's grasp with his speed. The monster then formed 3 more muddy hands. All the hands tried to grab Sonic. Sonic managed to dodge the hands. Sonic then smiled since the mud monster couldn't grab him. But then Sonic got stuck in the mud. 4 muddy hands held his feet. He grunted as he tried to get free. The big gooey head slid over in a slimey way. It then tried to eat Sonic. The group gasped as the mud monster chomped down on Sonic. Sonic then tried to get out, but the monster held him. Suddenly, some rocks went flying at the monster. It grunted as some more rocks hit it. It looked up and saw Littlefoot and Ruby throwing rocks.
"Leave Sonic alone!" yelled Littlefoot. Another rock hit the monster's head. The monster growled and shot out 2 long hands at the 2 kids. Both kids gasped and ducked. The muddy hands missed and retracted. Before the monster could try again, the monster's head started to shake. The others heard that Sonic was charging his spin dash. Within seconds, Sonic burst out of the mud monster. Mud splattered everywhere. He landed and coughed out some mud.
"You alright Sonic?" asked Petrie's mother.
"I'm okay" said Sonic. The group then saw the mud monster put itself back together. The monster growled at the group. Everyone had fearful expressions, except Sonic and Chomper. Chomper then lunged forward and chomped down on the mud a few times. Sonic then did his spin dash again. Chomper then chewed on something hard. He blinked and spat out something on his claw. It was a brown crystal. Sonic then looked at Chomper.
"Destroy that shiny rock. It's what keeps it alive" said Sonic.
Chomper nodded. "Okay."
Chomper then put the crystal on the ground and crushed it with his foot. The crystal was in tiny pieces, its power fading away. The mud monster then fell apart. It was now just mud. The others cheered in joy. Petrie and the family hugged both Chomper and Sonic. Littlefoot and Ruby came down to the others.
"Thank you guys. You saved us again" said Petrie's mother.
Sonic nodded. "No problem."
Chomper smiled. "You're welcome."
Littlefoot then came in. "So, Daxter created a mud monster."
Petrie's mother felt confused. "Daxter? Who's Daxter?"
Petrie then came in. "He a bad Dome-Head. He caused big trouble for my friends. He even do magic."
"Really? I didn't think that something like that would happen" said Petrie's mother.
"Yeah, he's just as bad as Eggman" said Sonic.
"Well, everyone is okay, thanks to you and Chomper" said Petrie's mother. The others agreed. Sonic and Chomper smiled. Sonic then heard Daxter yell out, "Blast you rodent!"
Sonic then zoomed up the hill and landed. He saw Daxter glaring at him with his arms crossed. Sonic then dashed at him but went right through him. Sonic stopped and looked at the fake Daxter. Sonic looked at the ground. He saw a clear crystal that displayed an illusion of Daxter. Sonic then stomped on the clear crystal. The false image vanished instantly, like smoke. Sonic looked around but didn't see Daxter. Sonic then heard Daxter yell out, "We'll meet again hedgehog!"
Sonic then knew that Daxter got away again. He'll get him next time. Sonic crossed his arms and hmphed. But then suddenly, Sonic heard cries for help in the distance. Sonic looked into the Valley. He saw a waterspout near a river. He then saw Eggman on top of it. Sonic glared at Eggman. Sonic then looked down at the others as they started to climb back up.
"I'll be back guys! Our other friends are in trouble!" yelled Sonic. The others gasped.
"Go help them Sonic! We'll be fine!" exclaimed Petrie's mother. The others nodded. Sonic nodded back and then zoomed off.
Back at the river, Spike and Ducky's siblings still held onto Cera and the others. The waterspout was still spinning fast. The kids noticed something else in the water. Dil then popped out of the water, baring her sharp teeth. The kids gasped in fear while Spike's eyes went wide.
"Surprise! Now, which one will I have for dinner?" Dil said as she licked her lips. Spike was now slipping, and Tricia was starting to lose her grip. Dil had her sights on Spike. Spike's eyes went wide.
"Help! Somebody help us!" yelled Ducky.
"Help!" yelled Cera.
Eggman grinned wickedly. "You won't escape me this time! Ha ha ha!"
Tricia then lost her grip. She went flying towards the water twister.
Cera gasped and her eyes went wide. "Tricia! NO!"
The others also had fearful expressions. Tricia screamed as the waterspout sucked her towards it. But right before she went in, a blue blur caught her. Eggman then yelled, "What?!" The others then smiled as they saw that Sonic rescued Tricia. He landed and put Tricia down. Tricia giggled in joy and hugged Sonic. Sonic rubbed her head gently. Sonic then heard the others crying for help. Sonic had a brave expression. He then zoomed and rescued the others from the powerful suction. First, Ducky, then Cera, and then Spike, and then Ducky's siblings. He managed to save Spike from Dil's jaws.
"Thanks Sonic!" exclaimed Ducky.
"Yes, thank you very much for saving Tricia" said Cera. Tricia then ran over to Cera and hugged her.
"And part of my family. yep, yep, yep" added Ducky.
Sonic nodded. "You're welcome."
The group then heard Ichy and Dil coming over. Ichy and Dil glared at Sonic.
"I'm really getting sick of you ruining my dinner!" exclaimed Dil.
"Yeah, you ruin everything you spiky rodent!" added Ichy. Sonic glared back but then he looked at Eggman's machine. Eggman then glared at Sonic and turned up the power. The waterspout got a little stronger. The group could now feel some part of the suction on land. Sonic then had an idea as Ichy and Dil got closer to them. Sonic looked at Cera.
"Hey Cera? Do you mind giving me a hand?" said Sonic.
Cera felt unsure but answered, "Uh, okay."
Cera walked over to Sonic and stopped by his left side. She felt uneasy around Dil. The metal croc growled and Ichy glared at Sonic and Cera.
Sonic whispered. "You get Ichy. I'll get Dil."
Cera raised an eyebrow and whispered, "What's the plan?"
Sonic nudged his head towards Eggman's waterspout device. Cera then looked at the water twister and then back at the henchmen. She then smiled mischievously. She knew what the plan was. Cera looked back at Sonic.
"No problem" whispered Cera. Both Sonic and Cera nodded. They faced the 2 henchmen. They were about to attack. Sonic charged his spin dash and Cera pushed some dirt aside. They both got ready to charge. The 2 henchmen's eyes then went wide. Both Sonic and Cera went forward, and bashed both henchmen. Both Dil and Ichy were sent flying towards the water twister. They both saw they were being sucked into the waterspout.
"Uh oh!" exclaimed Dil and Ichy. They both went inside the water twister. The twister spun them around and slowly sucked them to the top. Eggman then saw that he caught his henchmen instead. After a few seconds, they hit the top and Dil's mace tail hit the fan. The device exploded and the waterspout unraveled. Both henchmen then hit the water. Both were still dazed from the twister spinning them. Eggman hit his ride with his fists.
Eggman had an angry expression. "Blast you Sonic! I'll get you next time!"
The mean doctor then shot down some robotic hands and picked up his dizzy henchmen. He then flew back to base. The kids shouted in joy. Sonic did it again. The rain actually started to fade. Cera and Ducky looked at Sonic.
"Thank you so much Sonic, for helping us again" said Ducky.
"And thanks for helping Tricia. I thought I would lose her" Cera said as she nuzzled Tricia. Tricia giggled.
Sonic chuckled. "You're welcome. So, what are you guys doing down here?"
Ducky then explained that they were playing in the water while it was raining and had fun. She then explained that she had to teach Tricia how to swim since Tricia watched how Ducky and Spike had fun. Cera then saw that Tricia went back in the water. She was starting to swim much better. Ducky looked at Cera.
"I did teach Tricia how to swim very good. I did, I did" said Ducky.
Cera sighed. "Alright, you did good."
Sonic nodded. "You did a great job, Ducky."
"Thanks" replied Ducky. Sonic and the others watched Tricia swim some more.
"She's better at swimming than you Cera" said Ducky.
Cera raised both eyebrows. "Better than me? (Hmph) I don't think so. Watch this."
Cera then went swimming as well. She could swim but she wasn't the best at it. Ducky, Sonic, and Spike laughed. Ducky then looked at Sonic.
"So, is Petrie okay? We heard that you, Littlefoot, Ruby, and Chomper went to see if he was in trouble" said Ducky.
Sonic then crossed his arms. "He's ok but his nest got wiped out from the rain."
The others gasped. But Sonic assured them that Petrie was ok and had to find a new nest. The others felt relieved. Sonic talked some more but they didn't notice that someone was walking to them.
"We also ran into Daxter again. But me and Chomper took care of him" Sonic said with a smile.
"You and Chomper?" said Cera.
"Yeah, we had to deal a mud monster but it was no problem. We also saved Petrie's mother from a mudslide" said Sonic. The other kids felt worried but then felt happy.
"So, you and Chomper saved the day" Ducky said with a smile. Sonic nodded.
"Daxter? Mud monster?" said a voice. The group then turned towards the voice. It was revealed to be Topps.
"Oh, hi daddy" said Cera.
"What's going on here? I thought I heard someone crying for help" said Topps.
"It was Eggman again. He tried to hurt me and Tricia. (Topps then looked worried) But Sonic saved us just in time" said Cera. Cera then smiled at Sonic. Sonic smiled as well and nodded. Topps then thanked Sonic. Sonic simply replied, "No problem." The sky now started to clear and the sun came out. The rain had finally stopped.
After some time later, the other kids were climbing down the hill. Petrie liked the new nest after all. Sonic then had to explain to the parents about Daxter now. The parents were quite perplexed at hearing that a Dome-Head could use magic. Sonic told the parents and the kids that he'll make sure that Daxter doesn't harm anyone. The dinosaurs knew that they could always count on Sonic. Sonic knew that he had to be ready for when Daxter, Red Claw, or even Eggman would plan their next move.
End of Chapter 10