Time for another chapter! This chapter is another original. ONWARD to the story!
(Series Intro)
Chapter 16: The Ooze
It was another beautiful day in the Great Valley. Some clouds were in the sky. Sonic and the kids were playing Swimmer Splasher in a small pond. All the kids splashed each other and Sonic had fun too. Cera then got out and walked up a small hill. She smiled slyly and jumped. She hit the water with a big SPLASH. Everyone got soaked. Everyone then laughed.
"Can any of you beat that?" said Cera. The others thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I think Cera is really good at splashing" said Littlefoot.
"Yeah, Cera very good at splashing" said Petrie. The others except Sonic nodded.
Sonic then smiled. "Oh yeah? I think I can beat it."
The kids looked at Sonic. Cera then raised an eyebrow.
"How can you? You're not exactly the best at splashing since you're not the best swimmer" said Cera.
Sonic then smiled slyly. "Oh really? You mean I can't do this?"
The Blue Runner then ran around the kids in the water. Within seconds, Sonic's speed created a small waterspout. The kids hovered in the waterspout. Sonic then ran harder and the waterspout grew bigger. Nearly all the water got sucked up in Sonic's waterspout. The kids hovered higher and had surprised expressions. Sonic then stopped running and the waterspout span for a few seconds. The kids then hovered down, and the waterspout unraveled. The kids got hit by an enormous SPLASH. All the water fell back into the pond. The kids were really soaked. All the kids except Cera smiled.
"Wow, that was a big splash Sonic!" exclaimed Littlefoot.
"That was incredible!" exclaimed Chomper.
"Yeah, all the water went into the air and made a big splash" said Ruby.
"Sonic is very good at splashing. Yep, yep, yep" added Ducky. The others except Cera nodded.
Sonic chuckled lightly. "Ha! Try beating that."
Cera groaned but gave in. "Okay, you're really good at splashing than I am."
Sonic and the kids laughed, even Cera joined in. The group then splashed some more. However, the group didn't know that Daxter was watching from up a high cliff. Daxter then frowned at the group.
"That blasted hedgehog! He ruined a lot of my plans. I must get his time band so I can release my master" said Daxter. The mean Dome-Head then thought for a moment. He then raised both eyebrows as he had an idea.
"I got it. I'll use that one crystal I thought about before" said Daxter. The Dome-Head then snapped his claw and his pocket portal appeared. He pulled out the crystal that had blue goo in it. He examined it for a moment.
"Yes, I can use this creature to really cause havoc. After all, this goo is sort of like a parasite" said Daxter. "This goo can cause division among them and, then that time band will be mine. Hm, hm, hm."
Daxter had got the goo from one of Avalar's crafts that came from the planet Glomp. The goo was like a symbiote but different. Daxter was deciding to release the goo creature. But the mean Dome-Head thought for a moment. He then grinned as he thought of a terrible idea.
"I'll let loose the ooze in the night. They won't know what hit them" Daxter said with a dark grin. He decided to wait til nightfall to enact his evil plan. He was going to use the ooze on one of the kids. Daxter then headed back to the Mysterious Beyond. The dino parents then called their children over to dinner. Sonic then relaxed by a tree.
At nighttime...
All the dinosaurs were sleeping. Sonic slept by Littlefoot's nest. Daxter then stood by a high cliff, ready to put his evil plan into action. Daxter then let out an evil but quiet chuckle. The Dome-Head then snuck down to the Valley. He thought of who to use the crystal on. He looked at some dino nests for a moment. He then looked at Ducky's nest.
"Oh, yes. You'll do fine" whispered Daxter. The Dome-Head then walked over to Ducky's nest. Ducky and her family were sound asleep. Daxter then got close to Ducky. He had the crystal in his hand. He then crushed it and tossed the goo to Ducky. Ducky slept on her side. He watched as the blue goo then moved towards the little Swimmer. The blue goo then gurgled quietly as it climbed on Ducky's back. Ducky moaned lightly as the goo then moved towards her tail. It sat and became part of the tip of her tail. Ducky then yawned. Daxter then grinned evilly.
"Pleasant dreams, little Swimmer" Daxter whispered with a quiet but dark chuckle. Daxter then snuck back to the Mysterious Beyond. No one knew of the danger that Daxter had planted.
Next Day...
The kids then ate some green breakfast. Sonic was not hungry much and he rested by a tree. The group enjoyed another sunny day. Ducky felt a little funny after breakfast. Some time later, they played a game of Seed Bowling. Sonic only watched cause he knew that he would beat the kids easily at this game. It was Ducky's turn. She got ready and then kicked the rock. To everyone's surprise, the rock rolled fast and knocked down all the pinecones. The pinecones went flying a few feet from each other, and the rock kept going and then struck another large rock. The rock had stopped, but a small crack formed on the large rock. Everyone except Ducky went wide-eyed. The group looked at Ducky.
"Ducky, how did you do that?" asked Littlefoot.
"Yeah, that rock went so far and almost broke another rock" added Ruby.
"You that strong Ducky?" said Petrie. Ducky then crossed her arms.
"Well, I was always pretty strong. What's wrong with that?" said Ducky.
"But Ducky, you would have to be as strong as a Three-Horn to do that" said Sonic.
Ruby nodded. "No Swimmer could do what you did Ducky."
Ducky frowned. "Just because I'm little and a Swimmer doesn't mean I'm weak."
The group felt surprised by Ducky's response. Ducky was acting a bit rude.
"Ducky, are you okay?" asked Littlefoot.
"You don't really act like this a lot" said Cera. Spike mumbled in agreement.
"Is there something wrong?" said Chomper.
Ducky then hmphed. "Nothing's wrong. I'm always like this. Maybe there's something wrong with you guys."
The group then gasped. Ducky then raised both eyebrows.
"What am I saying? I don't think I was this strong. I..." thought Ducky. Ducky then shook her head.
"Ok, there is something wrong here cause you're not like this at all" said Cera.
"What's going on Ducky? Is there something bothering you?" said Sonic.
Ducky frowned. "Me? What's bothering you guys? It's like you don't want me here."
The others felt confused. "But Ducky that's not what we..." started Littlefoot.
Ducky interrupted Littlefoot. "I don't want to play anymore."
The little Swimmer then walked away. The group looked at Ducky.
"But Ducky..." said Petrie.
"Just leave me alone" Ducky said with a hint of anger. As Ducky walked away, Sonic noticed something. He saw that the tip of her tail was blue. Spike groaned in sadness. The other kids didn't understand what Ducky just did. Sonic then rubbed his chin.
"Something doesn't feel right" thought Sonic. The group didn't know that Daxter was watching on a nearby cliff. Daxter then grinned. His plan was working.
Ducky went and sat by a large rock. She sat alone for a few minutes.
"I don't understand. Why are they so mean?" said Ducky. "There's nothing wrong with me. I'm stronger than they think."
Ducky then thought for a moment. "Oh, no, no. My friends weren't mean. I was the one being mean. Why would I..."
Suddenly, the blue ooze on her tail pulsed a little and Ducky felt pain. She heard a voice in her head.
"They aren't your friends. You don't need anyone" said a dark voice. The voice was coming from the ooze. Ducky then shook her head. She didn't want to listen but the ooze's influence was stronger.
"Yes, I don't need my friends. I'll be fine" said Ducky. The little Swimmer then walked away, though she didn't know that Daxter was watching her.
After some time later, the sun started to set. The dino kids went back to their nests. Sonic, of course, stayed by Littlefoot.
At Ducky's nest, her mother brought some green leaves for the kids. Spike and Ducky's siblings ate some green food. Ducky's mother then saw that Ducky wasn't eating. The Mother Swimmer walked over to Ducky.
"Ducky, are you not hungry?" said Ducky's mother.
"I'm fine. I'm not hungry right now" said Ducky.
"But you must be hungry. I didn't see you eat much green food today" said Ducky's mother.
Ducky then got mad. "I'm fine mommy! I don't like green leaves!"
Ducky's mother raised both eyebrows. "Ducky, what's wrong? You never behave like this."
Spike and the other siblings looked at Ducky. Spike mumbled in confusion.
Ducky then groaned. "You don't understand me! Just leave me alone!"
Ducky then walked away in anger. Ducky's mother felt very surprised and worried. Spike and the other siblings felt worried as well. Why was Ducky acting so strange?
"Something's wrong with Ducky. I must tell the others in the morning" said Ducky's mother.
Ducky then walked by some bushes. Ducky felt really upset. Ducky then shook her head.
"Why was I so rude to my mommy? I..." started Ducky. She felt pain again as the ooze pulsed on her tail.
"Don't listen. You don't need your family" said the ooze voice.
The Ooze voice: Megatron from Transformers (2007) (Voiced by Hugo Weaving)
Ducky then felt sad. "No, no, no. I do need my family. I care about my family and my friends!"
Ducky felt pain as the ooze pulsed harder. Ducky held her head.
"Please, stop it" said Ducky.
"Silence! You will do as you're told!" shouted the ooze. Ducky felt pain again. Suddenly, she felt normal.
"Yes, I don't need my friends and family" Ducky said with a dark smile. Ducky walked for a moment and then spotted a small spider on a branch a few feet above her.
"Eat" said the ooze. Without a second thought, Ducky jumped up high and grabbed the spider. She then landed and examined the spider. She then ate it and swallowed. She then walked to a tree and sat down. She then went to sleep. Daxter watched from nearby. He grimaced at her eating a spider.
"A little gross but a work in progress" whispered Daxter. "The ooze will take control and destroy the other kids, and then the blue hedgehog will be mine. Hm, hm, hm."
Next day...
Ducky's mother then told Sonic and the other kids about Ducky's strange behavior.
"...And then she walked away. My little Ducky would never act like that" Ducky's mother said with concern.
"That's awful!" exclaimed Littlefoot. Spike mumbled in sadness.
"Why is Ducky acting so crazy?" added Cera.
"Maybe she ate some bad green food?" said Chomper.
Cera rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. And bad green food also made her kick a rock so hard that she broke another rock."
Ducky's mother felt confused. "Broke another rock?"
Sonic then explained how Ducky kicked a rock so hard that she broke some pinecones and nearly destroyed a large rock.
"It's like she had super strength" added Sonic.
"Oh, my! How can she do that?" said Ducky's mother.
Sonic then crossed his arms. "I think it's either Eggman or Daxter who did this."
The other kids looked at Sonic. "What do you mean Sonic?" asked Littlefoot.
Sonic then explained that he saw some kind of blue thing on the tip of Ducky's tail. The others then felt surprised.
"What was the blue thing?" asked Ducky's mother.
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out" stated Sonic.
"What should we do to help Ducky?" asked Ruby.
Sonic then thought for a moment. He then had an idea. He then told the group his plan. They were going to invite Ducky for a Swimmer Splasher game. After all, Ducky enjoys playing in water. Sonic then said that he will find out about the blue thing on Ducky's tail. The group and Ducky's mother hoped the plan would work. Chomper then went to find Ducky.
He saw Ducky sitting by herself. He then walked to her. Chomper then told her to come by the pond for a game of Swimmer Splasher. Ducky felt reluctant but then decided to go. Ducky followed Chomper to the pond. The other kids were splashing in some water. Sonic watched secretly in a tree, while Ducky's mother watched from behind a large tree. Ducky saw the kids playing in some water. The kids saw Ducky as she came near the water.
"Hi Ducky. Come play with us" said Littlefoot. Ducky then thought that it would be a good idea. Suddenly, the ooze shouted in her head, "No!"
Ducky then shook her head and then got upset. "Sorry, but I don't like water."
Sonic and Ducky's mother looked at each other in confusion and then back at the others.
"But why not? You love to play in the water. That's what Swimmers love to do" said Ruby.
Ducky then frowned. "But I don't. I hate the water."
"But Ducky..." started Littlefoot.
"Leave me alone! You don't understand me!" Ducky yelled as her voice turned into a dark voice. The group went wide-eyed. Suddenly, Spike jumped into the water, making a big splash. The water then hit Ducky. The blue ooze shook hard, and Ducky let out a high-pitched scream. The group flinched from the scream. Ducky then ran from the group. The group gasped.
"Ducky, wait!" yelled Littlefoot. The group then followed, along with Sonic and Ducky's mother. Ducky stopped by some trees. The group stopped behind Ducky.
"Ducky, what's wrong? What's happening to you?" asked Sonic. Ducky then faced the group with anger. She then growled like some kind of creature. The other kids and the Mother Swimmer gasped. Sonic's eyes went wide. Suddenly, the blue ooze then covered Ducky. The ooze covered her whole body. She started to grow in size. She grew to the size of an adult swimmer with an oozing mouth, and had red and yellow eyes. Everyone gasped at the monster Swimmer.
"You nosy creatures have pestered me long enough. Now, I'll absorb you!" said the Ooze monster. The kids then screamed in fear. Sonic then got into his fighting stance. The Ooze then snorted and spat blue blobs at the group. The kids barely dodged as the goo at the ground. Some sizzling sounds came from the goo. The Ooze monster spat another blob at Sonic. The Blue Runner ducked, and the blob hit a large rock from behind. Sonic looked behind himself. The blob sizzled and started to melt the rock. Sonic silently gasped. The Ooze let out gooey growls. The kids then took off running and the monster chased them. Before Sonic and Ducky's mother could follow, a wall of green fire blocked their path. Ducky's mother gasped. Green fire then circled around them. Daxter then appeared by the 2 beings. Daxter grinned evilly.
Sonic glared at Daxter. "So, it was you who put that goo on Ducky, didn't you?"
"Correct, Runner. And I've waited long enough" said Daxter. "Now, hand over your time band or you can say goodbye to the kids, and the Mother Swimmer."
Ducky's mother gasped and then got mad at Daxter. "What did you do to my little Ducky?"
Daxter then simply smiled evilly. "I only convinced her to get rid of the other kids for me."
Ducky's mother got ready to charge at Daxter, but Daxter stopped her by hitting the ground near her feet with a fireball. Ducky's mother felt surprised.
Daxter then wagged a finger. "Nuh uh, you take one more step Swimmer, and you may regret it. I want the Blue Runner."
Ducky's mother had a frightful expression while Sonic glared at Daxter.
Meanwhile, the other kids ran from the monstrous Ducky. The goo monster nearly caught them. The kids then scattered as the monster munched down to the ground. It missed the kids. The kids then looked at the Ooze monster.
"Ducky, this isn't you!" exclaimed Littlefoot.
Petrie then flew to the monster. "You not the Ducky Petrie know. You need to stop!"
"This is me now. You're mine!" said the Ooze monster. The monster then tried to bite Petrie. The little Flyer barely dodged the gooey bite. Petrie then flew back to the others. The kids were scared. They didn't know what to do to stop the gooey monster. Littlefoot then remembered something. When Spike splashed Ducky, she let out a large scream. What if the ooze hates water? Littlefoot then looked at his friends.
"Run to the pond!" exclaimed Littlefoot. The kids felt confused. Cera then frowned at Littlefoot.
"Littlefoot, this is no time for swimming!" exclaimed Cera.
"Just trust me! I don't think it likes water!" shouted Littlefoot. The others felt confused but nodded. Cera rolled her eyes but agreed. The kids then ran to the pond and the monster followed. The kids then jumped into the shallow water. The monster then stopped by the water. The kids then looked at the monster curiously. The Ooze then growled and tried to step in the water. But when its foot touched the water, the monster growled in anger. A sizzling sound was heard. The Ooze monster nearly lost its foot but it grew back. The kids then smiled.
"You're right! It doesn't like water!" exclaimed Cera.
"The monster can't get us" stated Ruby. Spike mumbled in sadness.
"We know Spike. Ducky is now a goo monster" said Chomper.
"We need to find a way to get Ducky back to normal" said Littlefoot.
"But how?" said Cera. The monster was right by the shore of the pond. It then spat a blob at the kids. The kids ducked and the blob hit the pond. They saw the blob dissolved in the water into nothing. The kids had to come up with a plan.
Back with Sonic, Daxter and Sonic kept fighting in the circle of fire. Ducky's mother could do nothing but watch the fight. Sonic then kicked Daxter hard. He went flying through the green flames. Sonic then hmphed with a smile. Suddenly, the circle of fire vanished. Sonic then looked surprised as there was not a burn mark on Daxter. Daxter crossed his arms with a grin. He then opened his right palm and summoned some fire.
"Fire doesn't hurt me rat, because I command it" stated Daxter. Daxter then shot more fire at Sonic. The Blue Runner evaded. Ducky's mother then ran off to find Ducky while Daxter was focused on Sonic.
Meanwhile, the ooze monster kept trying to spit gobs of goo at the kids, but it kept missing. The Ooze growled at the kids. The kids then smiled lightly.
Cera had a confident grin. "You can't get us cause you hate water."
"You can't stay in the water forever" said the Ooze. The kids then felt worried. They knew the monster had a point, but they had to find a way to get Ducky back to normal. The kids then saw Ducky's mother running over. The kids gasped.
"Ducky?" said Ducky's mother. The Ooze then turned to face the Mother Swimmer. It growled a gooey sound. Ducky's mother felt determined to help her daughter.
"Ducky, it's me. Your mother. Don't listen to that goo monster" said Ducky's mother.
The Ooze monster growled. "I'm not Ducky anymore. I will..."
The monster then stopped and grabbed its head. It growled in pain. The others looked surprised.
"Mommy! Please help me! I can't hold it back!" exclaimed the Ooze as Ducky tried to get free. Ducky struggled to get the Ooze off. The monster then pulled at itself. The goo stretched a little but then snapped back into place. The monster shook its head. The Ooze then grinned darkly. Ducky's mother gasped.
"Ducky is gone. And you're mine!" said the Ooze. The goo creature then summoned gooey tentacles from its back. The goo tendrils then grabbed and coiled the Mother Swimmer before she could react. Ducky's mother struggled to get free, but the tendrils were too strong. The monster was going to eat her! The kids then gasped. Littlefoot then an idea. Littlefoot then looked at his friends.
"Come on guys! Let's give that monster a big splash!" exclaimed Littlefoot. The others nodded in agreement. The kids then stomped and jumped in the water, making big splashes. Some water then splashed on the goo monster. The monster's eyes went wide, and it screamed in pain. The monster instantly let go of the Mother Swimmer. She fell on her back. Parts of the Ooze's body began to dissolve. It then faced the kids and growled in anger.
"I'll swallow you brats!" shouted the Ooze monster. Ducky's mother then glared at the monster and stood up. She then used her tail and hit the goo monster. The monster then staggered forward. The kids then scattered. The monster tried to regain its balance, but it couldn't in time. The goo monster then fell into the shallow pond. The monster then howled in pain. Everyone then covered their ears from the howl. Steam rose from the monster as it began to dissolve in the water. The monster began shrinking. The goo monster shrunk to a little Swimmer. Suddenly, a small piece of ooze jumped off the little Swimmer's back. It landed on the shore. It disappeared behind some bushes. The group then saw the rest of the ooze wash away. Ducky was now normal. The rest of the ooze dissolved into nothing. The kids and the Mother Swimmer ran to Ducky. Ducky then moaned and sat up. She looked at the group.
"Mommy? Littlefoot? My friends!" said Ducky. The group then smiled happily.
"Ducky! You're alright!" exclaimed Ducky's mother.
"Ducky, you're ok!" exclaimed Littlefoot.
"Yes, yes, I am!" exclaimed Ducky. Ducky's mother then held her daughter in her arms in a hug. The kids then came over with happy smiles. After Ducky parted from her mother, the other kids hugged Ducky. After they parted, Ducky then felt upset.
"I'm so sorry that I was so mean. I couldn't control myself. Oh, no, no" said Ducky.
"It's ok Ducky" said Littlefoot.
"It was that goo who controlled you" said Cera. Spike then licked Ducky like a happy dog. Ducky laughed. The little Swimmer then looked at her mother.
"And I'm so sorry for what I did" said Ducky.
Ducky's mother smiled gently. "It's alright. I know that you would never do that Ducky."
Ducky then smiled as well. The others also smiled. Ducky's smile then faded as she remembered something.
"But where's the goo monster?" asked Ducky.
Cera then came in. "The goo monster is gone. It washed away in the water."
Littlefoot then explained that the ooze monster tried to hurt them but it fell apart in the water. The ooze didn't like water cause it burns the ooze. Water was its weakness. Ducky then sighed in relief but then remembered another thing.
"Where's Sonic?" said Ducky.
"I think he's still fighting Daxter" answered Ducky's mother. The kids then gasped. Suddenly, they all saw smoke from behind some trees. The group then ran towards the smoke.
Sonic and Daxter kept fighting, but Daxter was starting to get tired. Sonic only smirked which got Daxter mad. Daxter then shot another fireball. Sonic dodged with ease. Sonic then heard a gurgling sound behind him. He looked over his shoulder. He saw a small piece of the ooze moving towards him. Sonic was the next target. Sonic then looked back at Daxter. The Dome-Head prepared a large fireball. Sonic then grinned as he had an idea. He got ready. The ooze got really close to Sonic. Daxter then shot the large fireball. Sonic then jumped away. The fireball went flying towards the ooze. The goo's eyes went wide. Daxter's eyes went wide as he realized too late that his fireball was heading towards the ooze.
"No!" Daxter shouted as the fireball struck and burned the goo creature. The goo mumbled in pain and dissolved into ash. Daxter saw that his ooze creature was destroyed, by his own hands.
"No! My ooze creature!" exclaimed Daxter. Sonic then crossed his arms and hmphed.
"It looks like you just destroyed your own plan Daxter" said Sonic.
Daxter then growled in anger at Sonic. "Don't think this is over! I will get your time band and then you, and all of this Valley will suffer greatly!"
Sonic hmphed. "Not while I'm around."
Daxter then summoned a circle of fire on Sonic. The Blue Runner shielded his eyes with his arms. After a few seconds, the circle of fire vanished. Sonic looked around but saw no sign of Daxter. The mean Dome-Head got away yet again. Sonic then heard others running to him. Sonic saw that it was Ducky's mother and the kids. He saw that Ducky was normal. Sonic felt a little surprised.
"Sonic, are you alright?" said Ducky's mother.
"We heard that you were fighting Daxter" added Littlefoot.
"I'm fine. Daxter's gone for now" said Sonic. "But what happened? Ducky looks normal now."
"Well, we found out that the ooze monster doesn't like water" said Littlefoot.
"Really? So that's why it wouldn't let Ducky go into the water" said Sonic. The others nodded. Ducky's mother then explained how the ooze monster almost got to her, but the other kids saved her by splashing the monster. She also explained that ooze monster fell apart and disappeared. Sonic then came in by saying that he destroyed what was left of it after they splashed it.
"So it looks like you guys saved Ducky while I fought Daxter. Great job guys" Sonic said with a smile. The other kids smiled in happiness. Ducky then apologized to Sonic, but Sonic knew the truth and said that it was no problem.
"You weren't yourself but you're ok now" said Sonic.
Ducky nodded. "And I do remember that it made me eat a creepy crawly. Yuck!"
The others except Chomper had disgusted expressions as well. Chomper then came in.
"Well, I think creepy crawlies are good and delicious" said Chomper. The kids then laughed. Sonic and Ducky's mother shook their heads.
"Hey, why don't we play some Swimmer Splasher" said Sonic. The kids replied, "Yeah!"
The group, even Ducky's mother, played in the pond. After some time later, Tricia and Ducky's siblings came to play too since it was safe.
In the Mysterious Beyond...
Daxter paced back and forth by his meteor ship. His plan had failed again.
"Grr. Blast that hedgehog! I need to come up with a plan that will destroy him and those kids for good" Daxter said in anger.
Suddenly, the Crystal Gauntlet glowed orange. Daxter saw Daegon's eyes appear again. Daxter felt nervous.
"I heard that you still haven't found a way to release me yet, and you still didn't get rid of that hedgehog" said Daegon.
"I know master. I'm still working on it. I won't fail you" said Daxter.
"You better not. For if you do, you'll most certainly wish you hadn't met me" Daegon said as he narrowed his eyes at his lackey.
"Of course Master Daegon" said Daxter. The evil eyes then vanished from the gauntlet.
End of Chapter 16