GammaTron: *dressed up as Indiana Jones*Hiya! Welcome to another chapter, readers!

SZ: Greetings one and all. Man...great to get back to this story, especially since the IDW Sonic comics are out.

GT: True. Here's hoping for a long life for it like the Archie Comics did...with less issues with the writers ala Mr. Penders and his actions.

SZ: Agreed, and let's not bring Penders up. The guy said that IDW was worse than both Marvel and DC

GT: At least with IDW, they... *ducks a pitchfork* Who throws a pitchfork?! *ducks a brick* Okay, okay! Comic Book fans, whoa! Whoa, comic book fans! Raptors, whoa! Down!

SZ: 0-0...what can of worms have we unleashed?! Also, we don't own anything in this story aside from OCs and OC alien forms. S-*ducks under a rocket* rockets?! Seriously?! Just...GT, start this already before we become trapped in thrown objects a-IS THAT GODZILLA?!

GT: Mecha Godzilla, actually...To be precise, Kiryu. ...Someone get the Iron Giant and a Gundam!

"Okay, ready Haseo?" Sonic asked as he and Haseo stood before the stone deck of cards.

"H-hai, Sonic-nii…" Haseo nodded.

Haseo put the ring into the stone, another color having vanished from it. The ring began to glow before the 'deck' broke apart into fifty two 'cards.' The 'cards' shuffled before making a house of cards, exposing a tunnel path where the 'deck' had been.

"Well...That was a lot cooler than the rocks blowing up like last time," Sonic noted with a grin, "I wonder where this will take us next."

"...Water…Why did it have to be water…?" Sonic groaned.

"Yeesh...Did they have a dam here only for it to break?" Makoto pondered, noticing the waterfalls in the distance as the group looked out at the submerged temples.

"It doesn't look like we can use the bus's boat mode here. The paths are too narrow to navigate," Ben noted.

"Phew…" Sonic sighed in relief, "No seasickness for me then."

"...Call it a hunch, but I think the next Time Stone is in one of those temples underwater."

"...Joy…" Sonic slumped.

"Don't sweat it, bro!" Manic noted, "Tsuki and I made some scuba gear."

"Really?"

"Yup. And don't worry about air supply. Got that part covered, "Manic grinned, "So don't worry about travelling through this Tidal Tempest."

"...Tidal Tempest?"

"What? It looks like a tidal wave and a tempest came crashing through."

"Makes sense to me," Makoto shrugged, "So...who's gonna check out the underwater parts?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean...we could split up," Makoto offered, "One team checks out the parts that aren't submerged while the other handles the parts that are."

"...Not it on the underwater!" Sonic declared quickly before scooping Roll up and running off as fast as he could from a standing position from them.

"...Is he...RUNNING on water?" Ragna blinked.

"You've heard him break the sound barrier three days ago, why are you surprised about this?" Sonia raised a brow.

"...Touche," Ragna sighed, "...So Manic, how many of those scuba gears did you make?"

"Not really sure," Manic replied.

"One for everyone," Tsubaki explained, "Though with how long we worked on them, it could feel like we made more than that."

"Ah...good then. Let's figure out who goes where now...and get to Sonic and Roll before something happens," Ben suggested.

"Seriously...WHY did it have to be water?!" Sonic complained as he and Roll stood in one of the temples that weren't submerged.

"Demo..I don't understand. Didn't you…?"

"Traveling on water is fine...minus the seasickness. But going underwater? ...Nuh uh. Ain't happening," Sonic shook his head.

"Soka…" Roll nodded as she started to look at the walls, "I wonder who made these…"

"...Good question," Sonic admitted as he looked around, "...Think maybe this was part of an Echidna tribe or some ancient water Mobian race?"

"Maybe or another race," Roll replied, "Paradox-Hakase and Rachel-sama said this is a planet connected to multiple timelines." she brushed some vines growing on a wall, revealing an intricate mural, "Oh!" she pulled her katana out and quickly cut the vines down, "Sonikku, look!"

Sonic looked over at her. The mural on the wall depicted a four-legged creature with steel growing out of its body and a diamond on its chest carrying blocks of stone while what appeared to be a Chronosapien help push it. A tiny purple creature and a tiny green fairy-like creature were shown after them, carving up a block before showing the four before a temple beside a blue police phone booth and what appeared to be Professor Paradox evident by the white lab coat and pocket watch.

"...Roll, either I'm seeing things, or we're seeing what looks like the Prof on here," Sonic whispered with wide eyes.

"He must have helped make this place," Roll noted as she cut down a bit more of the vines, revealing what appeared to be an overview of what appeared to be seven temples in a circle with a different-colored dot at the top of them, "Maybe this was where the Time Stones were held originally?"

"Most likely. Question is...how the heck did it become submerged in water?" Sonic asked before blinking a bit, "...Think maybe it was Chaos when he went berserk in the past?"

"I'm not sure," Roll replied, "Let's keep looking, ne?"

"Good idea," Sonic nodded, "Think the others will catch up?"

"Most likely...Given how big this temple is, they might've split up into two different teams."

"...Given how big this place is? Yeah, most likely."

"Huh...you figure these things would be snug," Makoto noted, looking at the black and orange diving suit she was wearing, "Heh...feels like we're wearing nothing at all. Eh, Mai?"

"Kinda," Mai agreed, wearing a black and off-white diving suit.

"Not sure why I have to wear one," Ben pondered, wearing a black and green diving suit.

"There's a chance your watch will time out should you turn into Ripjaws or any other water based Alien," Tsubaki noted.

"Yeah, dude. Don't want ya to start drownin'," Manic added.

"...That's fair I guess," Ben shrugged, "So...both teams ready?"

"H-hai," Noel nodded, wearing a black and azure-blue diving suit.

"Yeah yeah…" Ragna rolled his arm a bit, "We'll contact you guys if we come across another of those monoliths."

"And same for us," Ben nodded, "So...how do these work?"

"Press the badge when you go underwater and it'll make a bubble of oxygen around your head," Manic explained, pointing at the badge depicting a red fireball with a pair of green drumsticks over it on the left side of Ben's upper torso, "It'll pop when you exit the water and the badges constantly filter oxygen from the water as you swim through it like how it does for fish. All hands on, really."

"Ahh….very handy," Ben nodded.

"...Pfft…!" Makoto snorted back a laugh, "Nice one, Ben."

"..." Manic facepalmed, "I walked into that...I walked right into that one."

"Cannonball!" Makoto cheered as she jumped into the water, "ACK! WHOO! COLD!-!-!"

"...And now I am happy," Manic chuckled.

"Just tap the badge twice when your head's above water to heat the suit up!" Tsubaki called.

"TELL ME BEFORE I JUMP INTO THE FREEZING COLD WATER NEXT TIME!"

"...I...I'll just go and follow after her," Mai said as she jumped in next, "Ahh! Cold! Freezing cold!" she immediately pressed the badge twice, "Ahh...better."

"Mmmm…" Noel whimpered, tapping the badge twice before getting in, "P-Phew...Not cold..." a splash went off, "?"

"I don't know. Feels nice to me," Noel turned to see Ripjaws.

"...Ah…" Noel squeaked before fainting.

"...Huh...Guess I never transformed into Ripjaws around her before," Ripjaws noted.

"Ya think…?" Makoto deadpanned as Mai grabbed Noel before she could sink.

"...Okay. This place is starting to become a maze…" Sonic muttered in annoyance.

"I've been expecting traps myself," Roll added.

"...Roll…"

"Hai, Sonikku?"

"Don't. Just...please don't invoke Murphy."

"...Oh! H-Hai," Roll nodded as Yacker poked out of her hair and pointed, "Oh! Another mural!"

Sonic turned to where Yacker pointed. The mural on the wall depicted a strange machine, attacking the ruins. The four-legged beast seemed to be floating above it, releasing a blue beam at the machine with the Chronosapien firing its own beam while the purple creature threw a white sphere alongside the thrown green sphere by the tiny green fairy. As the mural continued along the wall, it showed the machine trying to get the seven different colored dots with Paradox and the police telephone box between them and the machine. It showed the door to the box was opened with an arm sticking out, carrying something releasing blue waves at the machine. At the end of it, it showed the machine heavily damaged, but firing a final blast at a marble dam between two volcanoes that were erupting.

"It looks like this place was attacked. They defended it, but the repelled invader caused the temples to be flooded," Roll noted.

"Which explains the waterfalls we saw in the distance," Sonic figured, "As for said invader...where did it come from?"

"I don't know…" Roll answered, "Hmm..oh! Maybe we might find out as we travel further in!"

"Wouldn't hurt to try," Sonic shrugged, "Heck, we might run into the monolith sooner or later."

"Hai!" Roll smiled.

"Anyone in there?" Ragna's voice echoed behind them.

"...Was that Ragna?" Sonic blinked.

"Yo Bro! Step-Sis! You in here?!"

"Hai! We're down this way, Manic-nii!" Roll called.

"Okay! Don't move, please!" Tsubaki's voice called.

"Ugh…" Sonic groaned, "Waiting…"

"...Betting Solitaire?" Roll suggested as Yacker pulled out a deck of cards.

"Bet-what?"

"Oh, we take turns playing Solitaire, but we make a bet each time like if they win that time, the loser does something," Roll explained, "My Aunt Fubuki taught Haseo-chan and I it."

"...Alright. I'm game," Sonic smirked.

Back over with Ben and the rest of the girls, the group was traversing through the submerged part of the temple. Ripjaws swam in the leader before they came upon a collapsed entry into a temple. Ripjaw stretched out his jaws and began to rip stones out of their way until there was an opening big enough for them to go through.

"...That was just disturbing…" Mai whispered with wide eyes.

"You clearly haven't seen Ghostfreak…" Makoto whispered, "Especially when he takes off his outer skin."

"...I-I'm sorry...What?!" Mai exclaimed at that as Makoto swam forward after Ripjaws, the alien using its lure to light the way, "...I really need to learn more about those forms of his…"

"H...hai…" Noel agreed, having regained consciousness on the way as the two followed after Makoto and Ripjaws, none of them noticing something following after them.

"...Okay. Some of these murals are freaky…" Manic muttered as his team walked down the same path Sonic and Roll went through.

"Isn't that Professor Paradox?" Tsubaki pondered, looking at them.

"I think it is…" Sonia noted, "Odd...Why is that though?"

"The guy's constantly time traveling. Who knows why," Ragna snorted.

"...M-maybe he helped create this temple before it got flooded," Haseo guessed.

"Like I said. Guy's constantly time traveling. Wouldn't surprise me," Ragna shrugged.

"Oh...r...right then," Haseo nodded a bit.

"Come on...where does it go…?" Sonic's voice muttered.

"Faster, Sonikku~"

"...What?" Tsubaki blinked twice.

"I'm trying here. It's just hard to figure out where…"

"Down here."

"..." Ragna's eye twitched.

"Right here?"

"Maybe~"

"..." Tsubaki's face began to turn red around her cheeks.

"Okay. This is kinda tight for me."

"You're doing really good so far, Son-ik-ku~"

"...A...are they…?" Manic began.

"Manic, if you finish that sentence, I will take your drums and smash them over your head," Sonia threatened, her own face a bright red from the blush on her cheeks.

"Okay, I think I'm almost there, Roll."

"Oh my~ You're going so fast now!"

"...n...nani…?" Haseo blinked, tilting his head.

"Just about there…"

"Hai...hai~!"

"...That's it!" Sonia snapped as she stomped forward and around the corner, "What are you two do...ing...here?"

"Yes! I finished it!" Sonic grinned.

"Mou...I was hoping I'd win this round," Roll pouted before giggling, "Sugei, Sonikku. You're really getting good at Betting Solitaire."

"...Solitaire?" Sonia blinked before looking down at the cards on the floor, "...Oh thank Chaos…"

"Hm?" Roll and Sonic looked over at her as the others came over.

"Oh, hey guys! Roll and I were playing a game of cards while waiting for ya," Sonic waved, "...Uh...Sis? Tsubaki? Are you okay? You both look feverish."

"...Well...it's just…." Sonia began

"...Just what?" Roll blinked, tilting her head.

"...well…" Tsubaki paused, kneeling down to Roll before whispering into her ear.

"...Eh? O-Oh my…" Roll giggled, "Y-You thought we…?" Tsubaki nodded, her face blushing brighter, "..." Roll began to laugh at that, "Aihihihihihihi!"

"What? ...What?!" Sonic asked, "What's so funny, Roll?" Roll then whispered something to him, "...oh...Oh. OH! ...Pffft! Kahahahahahaha!"

"It's not funny!" Sonia and Tsubaki barked.

"You were the ones who assumed it!" Sonic laughed.

"Eh? Manic-nii, I don't get it," Haseo whispered.

"I'll tell ya when you're a bit older, little bro," Manic replied.

"...Why does everyone keep saying that…?" Haseo whispered.

Ragna didn't really pay attention. His eyes were focused on the mural of what happened to the temples...or, to be precise, the machine in it. He held up his Azure Grimoire and started looking at the two.

"...That thing...what…?"

"R-ragna-san?"

"Hmm?" Ragna blinked as he looked down at Haseo.

"D-daijoubu?"

"...Yeah, I'm alright," Ragna replied, giving Haseo a pat on the head, "Come on. Let's get going."

"...H...hai."

"Hoo~! Finally...a spot to rest on…" Makoto gasped out as Ben's group found a small mass of floor that wasn't submerged.

"You know those murals we've been seeing? I'm starting to think this place was made by visitors to Little Planet when it's in the timestream," Ben noted.

"Really?" Mai asked.

"Yeah. I mean, there was Professor Paradox and Chronosapiens in those murals showing how this place was built," Ben explained.

"Huh...I suppose you're right," Mai nodded a bit.

"...Demo...What about that invader we've seen on the murals?" Noel asked.

"That...I'm unsure of," Ben admitted, "But I can guess one thing: Those colored dots? They might be the Time Stones."

"...Think maybe this place used to safeguard the Time Stones?" Makoto guessed.

"It could've been," Ben noted.

"Ano...M-Maybe that invader...was the Master Unit?" everyone looked at Noel, "D-didn't Rachel-san and Paradox-Hakase mention that the Time Stones would m-make someone immune to the power it has?"

"...That's a good point…" Ben whispered with wide eyes.

"It could've been invading because it wanted to take the Time Stones and prevent anyone from interfering with its powers," Makoto noted, "And yet when someone tried to stop it...well...I guess the submerged temple and waterfalls in the distance are the end result."

"Most likely…"

"It was probably before that Great Clock thing that cut off one timeline from Little Planet, too," Ben noted.

"...Why do you suggest that?" Mai asked.

"That purple thing?" Ben showed his Omnitrix and cycled through his aliens before coming upon the image of a tiny creature resembling the purple one in the murals, "I got this…" he then changed it to show a Lombax, "...at the same time I scanned Ratchet when we were in a pause in time. I think Clank was where I got this one."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded before switching back to the tiny creature and gently pressed down.

The girls covered their eyes for the green light's momentary burst. Uncovering them, what stood before them now was a pure white Clank with green and black detailing. The optics were a bright green while the Omnitrix symbol laid on his chest.

"As you can see, I selected that alien and was careful in pushing it down so as to not trigger a mistransformation," Ben's new alien informed, "Most likely, the alien itself needs this to survive much like Ghostfreak with its protective outer skin and NRG's suit."

"Huh...most likely," Makoto figured.

"Let's keep going," Mai suggested.

"Excellent idea, Mai," Ben's new alien agreed before tapping his emblem and turned back into Ben, "Okay, let's…" a beep went off from his Omnitrix, "Yeah, Manic?"

=Yo, dude. How's it going?= Manic informed.

=Great. We're still searching around down here. Have you been seeing any murals?= Ben asked.

"Yeah. Been pretty interesting. Seems the Prof was involved with building these temples," Manic noted, looking through his Binocucom.

=That's what we're thinking= Ben noted =We also think that whatever invaded here and caused the flood was that Master Unit thing=

"Wait, what?" Ragna blinked before taking the Binocucum, "Explain. Now."

=Well...we're not entirely sure…= Ben noted =We're guessing it based off what the Rabbit and Professor Paradox said about how the Time Stones prevent its powers from working. So we're guessing it attacked here because this was likely where they were originally housed=

"...Bullshit."

=Huh?=

"There's no way it's the Master Unit because it never leaves the Boundary….EVER."

=Really?= Ben pondered.

"I'm serious. In order for it to even appear, it would require a massive Cauldron, and over thousands...no...Over half a planet's worth of souls."

=Really? Yikes…=

"Hey, Ragna, this Boundary place...it's in the timestream, right?" Manic asked.

"It connects ALL dimensions if I understood what Master and the Rabbit told me," Ragna replied.

"So what if it came out here when Little Planet was in the timestream? From what I can tell, this place doesn't have a Cauldron like on the ARK so the only way it could get on here without it might be in something it could connect with," Manic guessed, "Either that or it made a smaller copy of itself to grab the gems."

"..."

"Am I on the money or close?"

"...Maybe…" Ragna muttered, 'If that's true...the damn Rabbit should've brought it up!'

"Oh! Minna, we found an Obelisk!"

"Already?" Ragna raised a brow, "That was fast…" he brought up the Binocucom again, "Yo Ben, we found a Obelisk already."

=Nice. We're going to keep looking down here, so good luck= Ben noted.

"Got it," Ragna replied as he handed the Binocucom back to Manic while they entered a large open area of the temple with a large metal construct made of pipes behind an Obelisk with a green half-orb on the top.

"Okay...so who's gonna approach it this time?" Manic asked.

"Well...we know that the ring's needed," Sonic noted, "Haseo, is it okay if I take it there this time?"

"...H..hai…" Haseo nodded, carefully taking the ring off his wrist as he handed it to Sonic, "B-be careful."

"No problem. And if something goes wrong, I'll be back over here in less than two seconds," Sonic assured before walking over to the Obelisk and tapped the ring against it, "...Huh. Nothing's happe…"

At that, the ring and Obelisk lit up.

Little Planet appeared above the Lake of Trinity in a ripple-like manner. Five figures stood upon the shore of the lake, two on four legs and two on two legs. In Palmtree Panic, the hedgehog-like figure was tending to the flowers before the five figures were before it, one even crushing a flower beneath its foot.

"A̢͝z̧͞u̢͘͜ŕ̷̕ ̶̛͘͜z̸̵͝u͏̸̛͡ŕ̸́͜ȩ̴̡A̷̛z̸̀ ͠͏̴̨z͜҉̸̧ú̶͘͝r͝͏̢̕͘e҉̕͡G̨̛͜r̡̛͠͏i͏͡ ̛́̕͠͡ǫ̶i̴̴̧͟r̶̷̕͝e̴̶ ҉҉z̧u̴͠r͜҉͞ ̴̀G̛͞r̡̛͞͏í̧̨m̶̶̷̷͠o͡͞ì̵r̛͞҉̧͢e̛͏A͏́z̷̸̛͝u͡͞r̸̡̨͞e̷̛͜͜͜…"

"Goddammit, Jin…! Go a little easier on me next time…" Ragna grumbled, wiping some ice off his jacket's sleeves.

"F͢͜i͘͡ń͜͠ ͘͟͠,̸̷̴͟͝ ̴̢͡͝I̵͠҉ ̷̵͘͟g̵̶̡̛̀e͏̴̡t͏̶̡̛͝ ͘͏ć͞l̸̴̢̨͠ó̷͢ ͢͠͝c̷̷͜ǫ͞͝͝ń̡͡ ̸Á̵̡̨͢z̸̷͘ừ̵r̀͘͢͝e̡̢͟͞ ̕͜҉G̴̛̛͢r̡͏͏͢i̸͢͠͞͞m̴҉̸̕ ̕͘͞͡ý̢҉̧o̶҉̶̀͝u͡͝͡ ̡̢̢̛͝a̶͝͡n̷͡d͢ ̨̢͟͡ś̵̨͟o͠͏͠ų̵̶͢l̀͡'̶͝s̵̨̧͏̶ ͏͘r̨ ̷̧̨̀̀b͢i̧̨͡͠r͏͘͏t̸̸̨͝h̸̴̨̀.̕͝.̶̨́̕.̨̀̕!̕̕"

Ragna looked to the side to see a pile of black sludge. It moved and shifted before rising up, exposing a white mask with three holes for eyes and a mouth.

"What the hell are you?"

"G͘͝-̶̡̀̕G͢͏̶̷̡-҉G̶̶͟͏̵-̕͜G̷̡̡͝͞-͘͢͜͡G͏̶-̕͝͝͠G̸҉̧́-̸̷̀̕͟B̧̧Ŗ̢͜͝Ŕ̨̨͢-̸͘R̸̶̷͟͡R̵͘-̨͢R͏R̵̶͘͘-̀͝҉̢̀È͠G̸͜͡͝-̷͜͏̕E͟͝͞͏Ǵ̶͞͝-̡͞E̵̵͟͜͠G҉-̵̡́͢E̵̸͢͟G̀͘.̵̵͞," the black sludge moved towards Ragna, who jumped back and put a hand on his sheathed blade.

"Hey…! Don't come near me!" Ragna snapped as he slashed at the sludge.

"À̸̡̀͡ą̷̡̛͢ģ̷h͘̕a̢̢͝h̸̵̨̀̕a͞҉͟a̷̧̛!" it cried out as it moved back just a little, "Ą͘z̸̛̕͟u̶̕ ̸͟͡͞A͠҉͜͝z̡̕u̷̵͡ŕ͠ ̴̢͟ź̷̡u̷͜͢͞r̴̛̀ȩ̶̛̕͞A͢͠z̡͝ų̷̛́r̷̷̨̀e̕ ̶̢z̸̢̢͝ú̕ŕ҉͞e̴̢̕͞͡.͏.̵̢̛͟͝.̴͞ ̴̵w̛͟͞͞o͟͝ǹ̢͘͟ ̀͜ļ̢͜é̵̛͝ ͟g̢͜͠o̧̨͠͡.̢́̀͢.͏͘͏.̴̢̧̀͠ ̀͜͠͏F̵̕͞į͢͡n̷͘a̷͏͜ ̷̵̧͞c̷̵̷̢̨a̛͟͠p̵͜͡t̛͠u͟͏r̴̢é̴͘͢͡d̶̡̀͝ ̶̵͘͝,͏̨̀͠ ̀͝Ą̶́z͘ų́͘͜͡ŕ̡͟͢ ̵̧͠.҉̧͜.̛́.̧́͟" it began to move eratically, "G͜͏̡͟u̕͏҉̶̷h͢͜e̸̷̛͜҉é̢̀͢e҉̶e̴̶͢͠e҉̨̡͢e̴̷̡̢ȩ̛é̴̷̡͟e̴͟͠͏ę͘͜͟e̴̛͠҉ę̴́͟͞e̵̷͜e̡é͝ȩ̵̕̕e̸̡̛e̵̢͜͞͠e̢!̷͘͡"

"What the - OK, seriously…? Could you...go away…?"

The half orb cracked open, releasing a plume of green smoke. It spiraled around the pipe-made construct before crashing into the Obelisk. Sonic backed away to the others before the noses of the Mobians started to become filled with the scent of blood and decay. The smoke dissipated, revealing nothing where the obelisk had been. Slowly, black sludge started leaking from the openings of the pipes before gushing out of them. They gathered together and bubbled up into what could be considered a hunched figure. The 'face' of the form bubbled as a white mask surfaced.

"G͜͏̡͟u̕͏҉̶̷h͢͜e̸̷̛͜҉é̢̀͢e҉̶e̴̶͢͠e҉̨̡͢e̴̷̡̢ȩ̛é̴̷̡͟e̴͟͠͏ę͘͜͟e̴̛͠҉ę̴́͟͞e̵̷͜e̡é͝ȩ̵̕̕e̸̡̛e̵̢͜͞͠e̢!̷͘͡" the sludge creature cackled, "A̢͝z̧͞u̢͘͜ŕ̷̕ ̶̛͘͜z̸̵͝u͏̸̛͡ŕ̸́͜ȩ̴̡A̷̛z̸̀ ͠͏̴̨z͜҉̸̧ú̶͘͝r͝͏̢̕͘e҉̕͡G̨̛͜r̡̛͠͏i͏͡ ̛́̕͠͡ǫ̶i̴̴̧͟r̶̷̕͝e̴̶ ҉҉z̧u̴͠r͜҉͞ ̴̀G̛͞r̡̛͞͏í̧̨m̶̶̷̷͠o͡͞ì̵r̛͞҉̧͢e̛͏A͏́z̷̸̛͝u͡͞r̸̡̨͞e̷̛͜͜͜!"

"Aw great...This damn thing again…" Ragna grit his teeth.

"Wh-What is that?!" Tsubaki gulped.

"Some slime bug thing called Arakune."

"...I..I'm sorry...BUG th-" Sonia began before the slime creature screeched out, its body sending out a hoard of demonic bug-like creatures, "?!"

"Ą͟Z̵͜͡U҉̷̡́͝R̡̛̕҉̕È̷́͜!̸" Arakune screeched as it lunged directly at Ragna before a large rotten yellow clawed arm made of bones emerged from its body, intent on impaling Ragna.

"Damn it!" Ragna growled, bringing his sword up to block the claw.

Another one grew out of its body for an overhead stab when Sonic's shoe rammed into its mask, sending it away from Ragna as he landed beside Ragna while Roll came over, cutting down some of the bugs-like creatures. Arakune screeched as it backhanded the pipe structure, breaking it apart and causing a ring of it to land around them before a barrier appeared, cutting the three off from the others.

"So...any advice?" Sonic asked as he moved back next to Ragna.

"Yea...don't let it grab you, otherwise it'll eat you."

"H-matte, nani? Eat?!" Roll gawked, her ears and tail sticking up in shock.

"Why do you think it smells like death?" Ragna frowned, "Doesn't help the only food it's been eating when it can is…"

"...Is what?"

"...Kaka clan members..." Ragna answered before growling a bit, "It seems to go after the kittens the most when he sneaks into the village because th-"

"IT EATS KITTENS?!" Roll exclaimed.

"Wait...it eats people like Nunkaka?!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Yes, yes!"

"..." Sonic had his sword out with an angered expression, "Okay, that thing's going down."

"Hai," Roll scowled as Yacker growled.

"Good...glad we're on the same page here…" Ragna stated, gripping his sword as Arakune released more demonic bugs.

"Let's go bug exterminating…." Sonic growled.

"BURST!"

"Hai," Roll agreed, his bustersword engulfed in flames.

"Hell's Fang!" Ragna roared as he charged forward.

Arakune cackled as it shifted to the side, avoiding the punch, before forming a bone limb once more to block Sonic and Roll's swords.

"Go flying, Muky!" Sonic shouted as he and Roll kicked Arakune in the face, sending him flying back, "...Ew. Got all over my shoe…"

Roll aimed her bustersword at the creature and released a fireball from it. Arakune twisted its form before a drill made of the bones erupted and dispersed the attack.

"F̶͏͏͟Ą̡͜͠F̨̡̕͠͝Ą́́̕͝D̴͢f̡̕͟͝a̴͞f̷̢̀…̸.̵͜f̨̛̀ ̷̡I̵҉͠n̡̛͢v͡҉̶̕͠e̢͡r̨͏̛́̕s̡̕͟e̴̢͝͠!̢̛́̕͡"

"What did it s..." Sonic began before an emblem appeared behind Arakune, the slime transforming into a large spider-like form before aiming its 'thorax' at them, which opened up as purple fog seeped out.

"...Move!" Ragna shouted

"Wh-" Roll began as Ragna grabbed her and Sonic and moved out of the way as Arakune fired a massive venom purple beam from its 'thorax.'

"Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed.

Arakune cackled as it changed back into its base form, its body contorting before it vanished from view.

"It can camo?!" Sonic exclaimed, "Ah great...It's fighting those dang chameleons all over again."

"What?" Ragna raised a brow.

"Training exercise," Sonic replied as Roll curled her nose a little.

"I can't smell it," Roll admitted, "Its scent is all over."

"Again; what do you expect? He smells of death and rotting corpses," Ragna argued, "Doesn't help he hides out in a freakin' sewer."

"Ew…"

"Look out!" Sonic tackled Roll just before Arakune appeared, cackling while having its bone 'drill' out as it landed where they had been, tearing into the ground, "Phew...Good thing I saw a ripple above ya."

"Just be careful. Both it and its ine-" Ragna began before barely jumping out of the way of Arakune's bite, the slime having taken the form of a shark before it began to swim after him, its arms rapidly going into the floor, "A little help would be nice!"

Roll sent another fireball at Arakune. The flaming sphere hit the creature and it began to screech while spasming wildly. Sonic swung his sword as he raced by, splitting it in half only for the bottom half to reach up and grab its upper half to reform while smothering out the flames as it hopped into the air.

"F̶̸̡̛͜ ̡̡̢o҉̷̨͢͢f̴́͘ ̸͘G҉̛̛…̀͟" Arakune gasped out as a portal of sludge formed underneath the group, unleashing a hoard of demonic bees and wasp.

Roll wung her blade and incinerated some of them yet the abundance of them overwhelmed the flames.

"Damn it…" Ragna growled as he slashed a few of the wasp and bees, "There's too many!"

"...Why is there a red smoke ring around us?" Sonic asked, quickly noticing a red smoke ring around him, Ragna, and Roll.

"...He cursed us."

"Curse? H-"

"F͟͞͠ ͜͞È̸͘q̨̕ùà̷̵͢l̡̀̀̕͡ś̷̡͟…̢͏"Arakune's voice rasped out, the slime now taking the form of a demonic moth with his mask at the end of the thorax.

"Great...now wh-" Sonic began before something blurred past him, leaving a cut on his cheek, "?!"

"What wa…?!" Roll began before the blur shot past her, leaving a tear in her shirt as a bit of blood was spilt, "?!"

"Ugh...damn bug!" Ragna snapped as he quickly brought his sword up, blocking a strike from what looked like a large demonic centipede with one eye and small wings, its mandibles trying to bite at him.

"What the hell?!" Sonic's eyes widened.

"Wh...what is that?!" Roll exclaimed.

"What do you think?! It's another of Arakune's damn bugs!" Ragna snapped as he tried pushing the demonic bug back, "Only when you're cursed, they become bigger and nastier!"

"A҉́͢͝±͏͡b̴̕̕͡!" Arakune cackled as it reshaped itself into a flower shape with each of its 'petals' sporting a mask and a large mouth in the middle.

"Don't let what it releases hit you!" Ragna shouted as Roll and Sonic sliced off the bug's head.

"What?" Sonic asked before Arakune released a gas cloud from its mouth that started to come right at them as if it were alive, "?!"

"Damn it!" Ragna snapped, grabbing a demonic beetle that tried to bite his head off before throwing it into the gas cloud, the insect screeching out as it began melting, "That's why!"

"...Hoo boy," Sonic whispered with wide eyes, 'Just hope Ben and the others didn't encounter something as nasty with their obelisk.'

"Any sign of the Obelisk yet?" Makoto asked.

"Not yet," Ben replied, a waterproof flashlight in hand.

"Nothing on my end," Mai added.

"N...none for me," Noel added.

"Ahh...hmm..when we find it, who do you think we're gonna go against?"

"Hmm?" the three looked at Makoto.

"It seems whenever we find an obelisk, it goes in a pattern."

"A...pattern?"

"Yeah. Ben's world first, then ours, and then Sonic's."

"That's...kinda true, actually," Ben noted, "Our first time, it was Tetrax, a friend I met when I was 10. And since we know that the second one we activate will always be another timeline, the second was an alternate timeline for you girls. And then our first Obelisk in that casino place was possibly someone we'll encounter in the future on Mobius…"

"Which means if we find the Obelisk first, we're going to be dealing with someone we've met in the past or will meet in the future," Mai noted, "And if not? Then we'll be facing someone from an alternate timeline crossing with Mobius."

"...Most likely," Ben nodded a bit, "Just in case, we better prepare for whoever we encounter."

"Right. So...anyone meet anyone dangerous or could be dangerous?" Makoto asked.

'...Mei Fang Lapis Lazuli…' Mai thought.

'...Vilgax,' Ben thought.

Noel shuddered, "I...I have heard rumors of a slime monster in the sewers back home…"

"Not rumors," Makoto replied, "I saw video files of the thing once..."

"...It...it's real…?" Noel squeaked.

"Yep. And, well, you don't want to know what it was doing in one of the video files," Makoto shuddered.

"...Eep."

"Noel fainted again," Mai deadpanned as she grabbed the fainted blonde.

"...What was in the video?" Ben asked.

"It...it was eating a Kaka kitten."

"?!" Ben's eyes widened.

"...What?: Mai whispered with wide eyes.

"Yeah...I...ugh...gonna be sick…!" Makoto gagged, "L...let's surface please!"

"Agreed…" Mai whispered.

Ben nodded as the group made their way to the surface. The four emerged into an air-filled chamber with an large cluster of crystals on the ceiling, illuminating the large tree in the center of it amidst a field of flowers and bushes.

"...Wow…" Mai awed as the group swam their way to the shore.

"Yeah…" Makoto added as they climbed onto the shore.

"I guess this crystal acts like the one in Ryugou," Ben noted as he looked up at the cluster above them.

"Most likely," Makoto nodded as she looked around, "Surprised they stood intact this long."

"Oh…" Noel moaned as she started waking up, "Wh...what happened…?" Mai let her down onto her feet to let her look, "O-Oh~! Beautiful…!"

"Yeah...think maybe the obelisk is in here somewhere?" Mai asked as she looked.

"...Maybe," Ben replied, "Let's get to looking."

"Think the others have found theirs yet?" Mai asked.

"Maybe. Here's hoping it's someone from our academy years," Makoto shrugged.

"Ugh! This guy's getting on my nerves!" Sonic growled, cutting through another bug.

"I don't know if I can stand this stench much longer!" Roll shouted, holding her nose as she sliced another bug in two.

"We need an opening for a big strike," Ragna scowled, clutching his side where Arakune had managed to stab him in with his bone claws.

Yacker separated from Roll's katana, "%#^*$&^%)215htn…"

"Yacker-chan's getting tired," Roll noted.

"...Uh...guys? It froze," Sonic noted.

"Eh?" Ragna and Roll blinked as they looked at Arakune, who seemed to be frozen in place with its mask focused on Yacker.

"W̵̸̕͜h͏̀ ̵̀p̨͏҉̛ò̸͜͞͡w͠e̡͘͝ ̶͘ ̵̶̧i͞͝a̸͘͟ ͡͡i̶͠n̷̶͡͝g̸̡͟ ̴͞r͢͝҉̀͢o̕͞ ̢́͟t́͘͠҉h҉̢̕a̛͘͟͝t̷͞͡ ̨͟͜t̶̸͝h̛ ̶̧̨̢͞?̸͜͠" Arakune spoke, its mask rotating into a tilt, "I҉̸͘͢͠ţ̸̛͟҉ ͘͝l͜͝͝ś̶͠ ̧́i̸̷k̢̡͜͟ ҉҉̡҉A҉҉z̷̵̀u̢̕͜͡ ̵̕,̷͠ ̢͠҉̶́b͜͜͏ų̶̡͜t̛͞ ̶̧́͟͝f̸͏e̶̴̡҉ ̛͢s҉̸̧́ ̨m͞ ́͜ŕ̵́͟͝ ̵̧́͢ṕ̴̛̀o̡͘͢t̵̛͡͏én̷̡̢̢͞t̷̵̀.̶̛͠.̴̢́̕͠.̴̴̕͞" it began to cackle, "C͟͡Ò̵̕͢͠N̴̛͢͜S̷̴̕҉Ư̴̴̧͠M̷̨É̕҉̸͞!̶̷̀͢͞ ̡͘͝C̛̕͡O̷̴N͘S̨̧̀͜U̡͜M̀͝͏͞Ę͢͢͢!̶͟͟͠ ̡̕͏̧Ç̶̛̛͝O̵̸͠N̡̕͜͠S̶̡͘U̴̷̸͟͜M҉͘҉̛E̵̛͟!͏̴̡̕"

"You...don't think it's sensing Yacker's weird energy, do you?" Sonic asked as Arakune surged at Yacker, transforming into a large shark-like shape with several rows of its bones sharpened into spikes acting as teeth, "Whoa! It does!"

Roll grabbed Yacker before rolling out of the way. She ran away from Arakune to the other side of the barrier, barely avoiding the tail made from one of its bone claws that tried to grab at her.

" !#! #! #!" Yacker freaked, seeing the massive' shark charging at him and Roll as the Hedgefox ran.

"I'm moving, I'm moving!" Roll replied, becoming a blur as she ended up running up the barrier and causing Arakune to crash into it.

"Ah great...The damn thing's after Yacker now," Ragna grumbled.

"Well that's just great...now what?" Sonic muttered.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking…" Ragna frowned, "Ugh...Feels like there's a void in my head right now…"

Yacker whimpered as he tried to get closer into Roll's chest. The thing was after him now! He didn't understand why the others weren't understanding Arakune, but he could and it wanted to eat him! He wasn't sure what Azure was, but it wanted to eat him because of his life force!

"Daijobu, Yacker-chan! He won't get you," Roll tried to comfort as she skidded to a halt on the other side of the barrier as Arakune recovered on the opposite side.

Arakune looked around before spotting the Hedgefox. Its body shifted around before a long 'tail' made of the bones emerged. It grabbed the back of Arakune's 'head' and pulled back before letting go, sending out a demonic bug at Roll. The hedgefox swung her katana, cleaving it in two, giving Arakune a distraction to vanish from sight once more.

"Ugh...If only I can pull off one of those Exceed Accel things Mai and the redhead pulled off," Ragna growled to himself as he and Sonic looked around for Arakune.

"Roll, stay close to us," Sonic advised, "We know he's now after Yacker."

"I know he is!" Roll complained before yelping, "G-gomen...I...I didn't mean to yell…"

"You're worried for Yacker. It's okay," Sonic assured, "I'd probably be the same if that thing was going for Manic or Sonia."

Roll nodded before yelping, barely jumping away as Arakune tried biting her from below, taking the form of a rafflesia flower. Yacker gave a frightened cry as she moved back from the sludge-like creature. It produced a pair of bone claws and used them to grab Ragna and Sonic's blades in mid-swing before throwing the two at the walls of the barrier.

"Sonikku! Ragna-san!" Roll gasped.

"Damn bastard…!" Ragna growled out as he got up and tried punching Arakune, only for the slime to curve out of the way as it moved away towards Roll and Yacker, "Damn it!"

"Don't touch them! Sonic Wind!" Sonic called, clutching his Medallion as he swung an arm, releasing a wave of blue energy-made winds at Arakune.

"?̕͜͡!͏̵́͞" the winds hit Arakune, causing the cuts formed to start bubbling and hiss, "Ģ̀͡-̸̢͘͞͞G̕͜͢͏Y̛͡͝Ą́A͏͏͘Á̢͘À̷̢̕A̸͜͠A̷̴̧A̵̕A̶҉̸̧͟Á̧͢͠A͏̢͝A̡̡̕͢A̷͡͝Ą̕͡À͡A̧Ą̴A̴̡̨͘͟R̶̷͡͞Ŕ̛̀R̀R͏̨̨͞Ŕ͏R͢͞͏Ŕ̀̕͡R҉̡R̸̸̢̡̀G̕͘͡H͢҉!̶̶̡-̴͝!͟͟-͏͢҉!̴̴̕͞" it collapsed into a puddle of wildly flailing slime, "W̸̨͠H͝A̸̧̨͞҉T̸̸͜ ̡͘I̧S̶̨ ͠҉T̵̨̕͢͞H̡͜I҉͠͠S̕͜͞҉?̧̧̛͝!͏̧́̕͞ ̢̧͝҉I͞T̵̀͏ ̨͜͡͡I̸҉S̢͜ ̵̶̷͠͞P͘͞͠A͘͜͡I̸̡͘͝Ņ̸͘!̷̡̛͢?̵̧͠ ̸̸͡Ģ̛́͏͡Y̵̡̧͡À̧͡A̛͜͜͡҉A̧̕A̶̕҉̴ŖG͘҉̨̛͞H̛!̢́̕͜͞-҉̛͘͡!̧̕͡͡-̕͡҉̧!̛͠"

"That...That hurt it?" Roll gasped.

"That worked?" Sonic blinked.

'Chaos Energy hurts it?' Ragna pondered, "Sonic, keep doing that! Roll, get over here with Yacker already!"

"Got it! Sonic Wind!"

Arakune managed to dodge the attack and tried going after Roll once more only to be forced back by another Sonic Wind. Roll sped over and behind Sonic and Ragna just as Sonic threw another Sonic Wind.

"Thank you…" Roll whispered.

"Don't thank us just yet…" Sonic said as Arakune shot back up.

"Ǵ̴̴͡e҉̸h҉̶i̸̵̢͘͢h̴̨͞į͜h͏̶̕i͟͝h̀͠h̛͜i̧͠.̧̡͡.̴̵́͢.̀̕g̴̨͢͟è̷̡̧h̴̡̕̕͠íh͢͝i͜͡h̸͜͠͏i̧̧̨̧͞h͏́̕i̵̧͟h̶̵̕̕i͘҉̨͢͢.҉̧̨.̴̡͜͟.̵͢͠G̴͟Ę̛̛͘͠Ḩ̵͘҉I̴̛H̸I͟͜͠H̷̷̵͜͠I̢̛͏҉Ḩ͟I̢͞҉́H̴̷̢̕Į̵̢͜͜H̡I̶̵~̶!̸̡̛̀͜" Arakune cackled while wailing about madly before releasing a gas that washed over the trio.

"Ugh…" Ragna grunted as they started glowing, "We're cursed again."

"No sweat. We dodge the bugs until it fades," Sonic grinned before seeing the demonic spider-like emblem appearing behind Arakune, "Or not…"

"C҉ŕ̕̕͢͞ì͠m҉̴s҉̧o͏̸͜n̵͏̶̷͡ ̴̢̧̛D͏è͜͢͡p̧̕ţ́̕͠h̷̵̨͢s̷͜͠!̸̸̧̕" Arakune roared.

Its body twitched and spasmed before it bulged out like a balloon. Four bone mandibles grew out beneath its mask as four red/pink eyes emerged from above the mask in a 'V' formation. Eight large brown spider legs ending in white bone spikes emerged from it as a brown behind of a spider emerged beneath. A large pair of decaying yellow bone-made horns grew out of the sides of the 'head' of the 'spider.'

"Oh kami above…" Roll paled.

"Oh sweet chaos…" Sonic whispered.

"Ah fuck…"

Arakune roared as it swung a leg at them. The three jumped to the sides, barely avoiding the spike that shattered the ground where it struck.

"...All in favor for never dealing with bugs for a long while after we defeat this guy?" Sonic asked with wide eyes.

"Aye."

"Aye!"

"Oi! What about Uncle Ferrel?!" Manic barked on the other side of the barrier.

"Not counting him! He's family!" Sonic replied before dodging another attempt to impale him by Arakune, "This thing on the other hand…!" he clutched his Medallion, "Sonic Wi…" he swung his hand and only a few wisps came out, "...Hoo boy…I'm think I'm running outta juice…" this was proven via Arakune slammed the back of one of its legs into Sonic, sending him crashing into a wall, "Guh!"

"Sonikku!" Roll gasped as Arakune moved towards Sonic.

"Oi! Get the hell away from him!" Ragna roared, "Hell's Fa…" Arakune turned its new head at Ragna and released a spray of black gunk, slamming him into the ground, "Argh!" he tried to get up only for the gunk to stick to him, "Ugh! I'm...stuck…!"

"Oh no.." Roll whispered as Arakune turned towards her, making her tense up.

Yacker began to hyperventilate in her arms. It couldn't be stopped. It just took down two of them in almost an instant in this new form! They were going to die… He whimpered while holding the sides of his head, shivering at that point in his hyperventilation. Everything was collapsing in life...It...it was getting harder to breathe in this miasma...it felt like everything was blowing up around him like one, massive…

"B̶͞͡O̧̧҉M̴̧B̴̸́͟.̢͡͞.̵̨́͜.̵̢͝" Yacker intoned, his eye turning black in coloration.

Arakune raised a leg to impale Roll and Yacker before Yacker began to glow with a black aura. He shot out of Roll's hands and struck the raised limb, creating a small explosion that made Arakune move back in pain. Yacker twitched madly and seemingly like he was about to explode as his body began to change. His body turned pitch black and rounded out into a sphere shape with three tentacles below it. Two round bulges swelled out on the sides of its head as his eye closed...and a solid red mouth opened in its place. Giving an explosive roar, Yacker slammed into Roll's chest, phasing into her body.

"Guh!" Roll grunted out as she stumbled back.

The area Yacker entered her body glowed before a black powder erupted from it. Her legs were coated first in the powder before it exploded off, revealing bits of a pitch black armor with a glowing red pair of stockings underneath. The powder copied itself around her waist and hips, exploding off to reveal a jacket-like knee-length back skirt and pitch black armor resembling a bikini bottom. Her arms all the way up pat the shoulders followed next, revealing glowing red fingerless gloves reaching up into barrel-shaped shoulder-guards while more armor went down over her gloves and covered her fingers in black metal claws. Her tail was engulfed before the powder went off, revealing it to be covered in black spheres ending with a scorpion's stinger. The powder went off on her torso, revealing just an armored sports bra shaped like a pair of scorpion claws. Finally, the powder engulfed her head, exploding to reveal a pitch black helmet resembling a scorpion's head with amethyst gems acted as the 'eyes' of the scorpion.

"Another one of those armored forms…" Manic gasped.

"Oh...Don't let this one be a berserker, too…" Sonia whispered.

"ẃ̡́ ̛͜͜t̛́͘͘ ҉̸r̡̧͢͡ ̴͡͠͏ờų̛҉́͝.̶̸̕͢.̴̨͘.҉̡̛͢" Arakune looked down at Roll.

Roll's tail flicked Roll's katana into her hand. Black powder engulfed it before exploding off, revealing a long chain with one side ending in a large metal version of Yacker's new look upside down with the tentacles melded together into a curved blade at the top. The other ended with what appeared to be a stereotypical bomb made of the black metal, the fuse being the chain. She began to spin around the bomb-shaped end before throwing it out and wrapped around one of Arakune's back legs. Arakune looked down at it before Roll pulled. Arakune gave out a startled cry as its chained leg was suddenly pulled right to Roll, flipping him over. The thorax of Arakune twitched before releasing a swarm of bugs at Roll.

Roll flicked her wrist and the chain unbound from Arakune's leg and returned to her. She swung the bladed end of her weapon and it released a wave of the powder, washing over the bugs. Just as they came upon her, she stabbed the ground with her tail's stinger, making a spark.

*BOOM! BOOM! KRA-BOOOOOM!*

"Whoa!" Manic jumped back from the barrier as it actually bulged out from the explosions.

"That powder...could it be some form of gunpowder?" Tsubaki pondered with wide eyes as the smoke faded, revealing a dome of chains and a scorched Arakune.

The dome of chains twitched before spiraling around, revealing Roll, Sonic, and Ragna protected within as the chains changed back into Roll's weapon.

"...Woah…"

"Haseo, any idea what that weapon of hers is?" Sonia asked.

"I...I d-" Haseo began before his eyes flashed, "It seems to be a form of Kusarigama that allows her to create more chains that could bind, and most likely, like the powder, explode. The blade alone looks like it can cause an explosion just from contact with the wielder's target."

"And from what we saw just now...it could release that powder when she swipes at a distance while her new stinger from that armor lets her set it off like flint and steel," Tsubaki noted.

"Most likely," Haseo figured before blinking, his eyes back to normal as Manic and Sonia gawked at him, "...wh-what?"

"I keep forgetting you come from a family that has the leader's children learn numerous weapons," Sonia admitted as Arakune got up with a roar.

It attempted to stab at Roll, only for her to swing her chain weapon's blade end at the raised limb. The blade dug into it before it went off with a large explosion, incinerating the entire area around limb where the explosion hit and forced the giant spider backed away. Her emblem appeared briefly before the mouth of her helmet snapped open, unleashing a massive amount of the explosive powder. She spun the bomb end of her chain above her and the powder coalesced into a large bomb twice the size of Arakune right around the bomb end of her chain. Grasping the chain with both hands, she spun around like a top, dragging the massive bomb with her. She stopped after a moment, sending the bomb right at Arakune. It let out a scream as it began to move before the bomb opened up into a massive scorpion with the chain as its tail. It grabbed Arakune before erupting into a massive explosion. The others ducked as the explosion's shockwave shattered the barrier and filled the area with smoke. After several moments, the smoke finally settled, revealing Roll had collapsed onto her side, her clothes once more in tatters, with a normal form Yacker twitched on the ground near her, his 'face' pressing against the ground. Before them was a pile of rubble that had been the Obelisk.

"...Wow…" Manic blinked slowly, "That was...explosive."

*WHAP*

"Gah!"

"Sorry. Reflex," Tsubaki apologized as Sonic ran over to Roll.

"Ah man...Not again…" Sonic whispered as he gently picked her up, being careful to try to keep her modest in her tattered clothing as he dd, "Yo Ragna, ya see any Time Stones, or see what might be holding one?"

"Looking…" Ragna muttered, grabbing his sword as he looked around, "That damn creature better not have grabbed it already if there was one…"

"...Yo, Bro, don't you remember? Each time it showed up…"

"It was at the second Obelisk...ugh…" Sonic groaned.

"Yo, Ben! Ya find any Obelisks? We sure did and it was a real blowout who we had to fight!" Manic called on the Binocucom.

=We found it. It looks like an orange trapezoid this time= Ben noted =We're in a sealed chamber underwater right now=

"Right. We'll send Sonia to ya with the Ring since I'm kinda sure Haseo won't wanna be away from his sister right now."

=...Manic, what happened?=

"Well...Roll used another armor and, like always with the first use, knocked her out."

=...it didn't make her berserk did it?=

"No. Just...uh...mute."

=Just mute?=

"And a scorpion...that explodes."

=...I'll take your word for it=

It was the sound of a splash that earned the attention of the three girls and one Ben Tennyson. They turned to see Sonia pulling herself out of the water, wearing a black and magenta diving suit, the Ring on her wrist.

"How's Roll doing?" Makoto asked.

"She's going to be out for the rest of the day," Sonia replied, "Our best guess is that she won't be awake until tomorrow."

"Ahh...right then," Makoto nodded before looking at the Obelisk before them, "Alright...let's get to work."

"So what did you guys fight?" Mai asked.

"A slime monster Ragna called 'Arakune,'" Sonia replied, giving a shudder, "It was just...ugh…I am going to be taking a long hot bath when we get back after seeing Ragna, Sonic, and Roll deal with that...thing..."

"...Wait...they actually fought that thing?!" Makoto gawked.

"Yes…"

"...I am so glad Noel wasn't there…"

"H-Hai…" Noel agreed, shivering at the thought of fighting it.

"So this is the Obelisk?" Sonia asked as she approached where it rested beneath the large tree, "It's...kinda nice."

"Kinda is…" Makoto nodded, "Shame it's gonna be destroyed during the battle."

"True," Sonia sighed.

"We took pictures," Noel assured.

Sonia nodded as she removed the Ring from her wrist. She pressed it against the Obelisk and the two items began to shine. None noticed a pair of eye peeking out of the water as the light grew bright enough to temporarily blind them all.

A blue tail covered in blue scales slammed into the hedgehog-like figure, sending it crashing through a tree. The red scarf fell to the ground before one of the figures stepped on it with a white and black sneaker. A large blue and red T-Rex-like creature wearing a red collar with spikes on it shapeshifted into a small blue dog/lizard hybrid form as it stood beside one of the figures. The last of them worked on a box-like item before it produced a massive chain that shot out and dug into one of the rocks around the lake before it dug into the ground. The hedgehog-like figure reached out towards the chain before the sneaker-wearing figure stepped on its head.

"Something up, Ammy?" Sonic asked, noticing a pure white female wolf in a white and red kimono giving a glare at a shapely woman in dark-blue robes with a bit of her black hair covering one of her eyes.

"Amaterasu?" the woman blinked before noticing her pull out a glaive, "?! Wh..what are you doing?"

"Oi! Down, Ammy! Down!" a small green dot snapped, jumping up and down repeatedly on the wolf's shoulder.

"...Could it be? Are you in the grip of the evil curse as well?" the woman gasped.

"...Psst. What curse is she talking about?" Sonic whispered to his sword as the woman began to chant something.

"I believe it's what Lady Amaterasu senses…" the sword, surprisingly, replied.

"...So you noticed it too…" the wolf whispered.

"Eh?"

"That demonic aura...it's faint, but it's permeating off her…" Amaterasu frowned, seeing a faint dark aura surrounding the woman before she charged.

"Wait, Ammy!"

Just as Amaterasu got close, the woman opened her eye, revealing it to be a menacing crimson.

"What the…?!" the dot exclaimed as Amaterasu shot back, glaring at the woman, "What's up with those freaky eyes of yours, babe?! You're freaking me out!"

"...Hmmm mm mm...heh heh heh...well…" the woman began as an evil smirk grew on her face, "Carrying on with this charade any longer would spoil the fun…Amaterasu...you and your companion are cunning beasts you are..."

"...Wait a minute…." Sonic whispered in realization, "That incident with the ghost ship…" a frown grew on his face a bit as he unsheathed his sword, "You lured us out there as bait for the Water Dragon, didn't you, Rao? ...If that's even is your real name."

The scene soon shifted to Amaterasu holding up a pure white brush, dotting the air before her. After several more 'dots' were made, she lowered the brush. In the clear night sky above, red stars shined in the formation of a nine-tailed fox.

"...Be ready, Sonic…" Amaterasu advised as she stood ready, "She's coming."

Sonic wasted no time in realizing who the female wolf was talking about. The hedgehog has already unsheathed his sword as they looked up, seeing a large shadowed figure in place of the constellation. The area rippled as the stars transformed into an off-white and bloodshot red nine-tailed fox, the area becoming a vast expansion of white clouds amongst mountain tops.

"Ho ho ho ho ho...So, Amaterasu and Sonic…" the nine tailed fox began with a taunting laugh, "You have crept into MY castle like the sneaky rats you are, have you?"

"What can we say? You got terrible security," Sonic quipped, 'Except for Tobi...man that dude could race…'

"By the order of Yami, ruler of the Land of Darkness, I...Ninetails, have been made ruler of Ryoshima Coast," Ninetails stated as she looked down at them, "You needn't have come all this way just for me to kill you. I would've found you and done just the same...just like I did to Queen Himiko!"

"That was the last innocent life you've taken," Sonic scowled.

"Indeed, foul demon," Sonic's sword agreed.

"And I don't remember ever giving you my OK to rule Ryoshima Coast!" the green dot added, "Also...what is a Yami and this Land of Darkness you're spewing!?"

"Yami is the absolute ruler of all evil beings. He is the ultimate symbol of darkness, and he is nothing like this false gods of your fairytales!" Ninetails explained.

"False gods? The only false god here is you!" Sonic's sword declared, "Taking the form of someone who devotes their life to the gods, and acting as if you are one…"

"There will be a special place in hell for you once we're done with you…" Amaterasu added.

"Yeah! We're gonna expose you for what you really are, ya fox faced wench!" the green dot added.

"Compared to the Gods I've fought? Heh. This'll be too easy," Sonic smirked, assuming a fighting stance.

"Ho ho ho ho ho! We shall see, oh 'goddess' and 'king of kings'..." Ninetails sneered before roaring, "Prepare to face the wrath of my terrible power, a power beyond your so called gods!"

The gem glowed brightly on the stone before it cracked open, revealing an orange smoke. The smoke spiraled around the tree before slamming into the Obelisk, engulfing it in smoke. Sonia and Ben were knocked back by a black and red barrier forming around the tree, cutting Makoto, Noel, and Mai off from them.

"Should've seen this coming," Makoto whispered as the girls pulled out their weapons, "Okay...so what do we got this time?"

A faint purple mist seeped into the area, the figure of a shapely woman seen within. The mist then cleared when the figure swiped their arms, revealing it to be a female humanoid fox-like creature in what seemed to be purple priestess robes with a fox mask over her face. A piece of her robes was moved, exposing a generous amount of cleavage from a rather impressive bust.

"Now…" the woman began before flicking her wrist, causing a large, jade and tainted gold, 9-pronged sword to appear in her hand, "Kneel before your true god, mortals~"

"Yeesh...She sounds high and mighty…" Makoto deadpanned.

The woman smirked a bit as she did a hand sign, causing five swords to appear above her before they shot towards the girls. The trio jumped out of the way and Noel summoned Bolverk and quickly began to shoot at the woman, only for her to smirk as she disappeared fo sight.

"Eh? Wh-"

"Noel, look out!" Mai shouted.

"Eh?" Noel blinked before Makoto pulled her out of the way as the woman came crashing down, her sword pointing down as it slammed into the ground, "?!"

The woman's fox ears twitched a bit before pulling out her sword. She proceeded with contorting her body as she blocked Mai's thrown spear, maneuvering a bit before she sent it right back at the bluette.

"Ah!" Mai yelped as she barely dodged her spear, said weapon crashing into the ground, "This woman's good…"

"Of course I am, ningen…" the woman answered with a small grin as she summoned more swords, "You're all nothing to a god."

"Yeesh. This lady likes to hear herself chatter," Makoto muttered.

The woman just grinned as she moved her arm forward, sending out her swords at the girls. Noel brought her guns together and they quickly combined into a machine gun.

"Fenrir!" Noel called as she opened fired at the swords, knocking them away and ending up stabbing all over the area.

"Comet Cannon: Break Shot!" Makoto called, summoning her energy sphere before punching it at the woman, only for her to slice it in half with her sword.

"Come now? Is that the best you can do?" she taunted before pain exploded on her shoulder.

"Nope. We're just getting started!" Mai grinned as her spear ripped out of the woman's shoulder and back to her hand.

"Gah...you...you…" the woman growled before wisp of flames began to appear around her, "You filthy ningen…!"

"Oh that can't be good…" Makoto whispered before the wisp charged at the girls, changing into feral demonic looking foxes, "And that looks worse!"

"Okay...Now I'm wishing Sonic were here or Roll was here and awake," Sonia frowned.

"Why?"

"Who better to ask about multi-tailed foxes than two who know a few of them better than anyone else in our group?" Sonia replied.

"...Fair enough."

"Ahh!" Makoto yelped when one of the foxes tried biting her tail, "Hey! Watch the tail, buddy!"

"Grr~!"

"...I mean 'ma'am'...wait. Why am I correcting myself for a d-!?" Makoto began before a fireball from one of the foxes hit her.

"Makoto!" Noel gasped as she fired her guns, only...nothing came out, "N...nani?"

"Wh-" Mai began before her spear was almost dragged out of her hand, the bluette quickly noticing energy seeping out of it as it went into a few of the foxes mouths, "...They're draining our weapons energy!"

"And they go to me…" the woman grinned, her wound disappearing as she stood up, "And it's so...intoxicating...so...wait...wh...what's happening…?" she began to whispered, her body beginning to convulse as a faded image of a massive demonic nine tailed fox appeared above her, groaning in pain in the same manner, "What...is this…?! My body…"

"What the hell?" Makoto raised a brow, 'Wait a second...if she's taking out energies…' she looked over at Noel, 'Her guns must be channeling that energy Soundwave found she was producing and it's toxic to her!'

"A...ahh….AHH~!" the woman screamed as she exploded in a mix of dark azure, crimson red, and black light, the shockwave rattling the barrier as it cracked a bit.

"Oh that's not good…" Ben noted.

"What do you mean?"

"Experience," Ben replied, "When something like that kind of scream happens...things go from bad to worse for those against the screamer."

The smoke began to slowly clear out as the woman's visage began to appear. Only...she was far different from before. She seemed more like a Beastkin in appearance, but there was a faint crimson and black aura surrounding her, a hint of azure seen within as her nine off yellow-white tails swayed behind her, the tips almost a bit like ink brushes. Her mask was gone, exposing a humanoid face with pitch black eyes with crimson slits within that seemed to be glowing with power. Her robes were gone, replaced with a tainted red bodysuit with pitch black pieces of armor over that. Cracks decorated the armor, pulsating with a faint azure energy.

In her hand was her nine-branched sword, only it had more of a fox-like appearance with nine different kanjis under each of the points. The woman said nothing as she looked at herself, her eyes looking in a mix of curiosity...and almost excitement.

'Or it could trigger a transformation that is probably gonna be worse for us…' Makoto thought with a gulp.

"...Soka….so that's what it is…" the woman whispered, a small faint grin growing on her lips, "I had heard tales of an island where time means nothing, but….hehehhehhehehh...to think something like THIS would happen~"

"...That can't be good…" Sonia whispered as the woman looked over at her.

"...You...you remind me of that blue mortal rat that called himself a 'king'..." the woman whispered, "...An alternate timeline perhaps...or perhaps I was summoned...but…" she turned towards Noel, "That energy that came from her...it did something to me...something...interesting~~"

"...Wh...what do you mean?"

"I should be dead and within the Sanzu River, and yet…" the woman began as she looked at herself once more, "I feel...alive once more...but...as something better...something that combined my true body with the one of that priestess I killed~"

'Yep. Definitely worse for us,' Makoto sweated a bit, "Noel...what did you do?"

"I-I don't know!" Noel squeaked.

"Hmm...question is...who can I refer myself as…?" the woman pondered, "I cannot call myself Rao...nor call myself Ninetails since this is a new life…"

"I got one. How about 'gone'!?" Makoto quickly shouted as she punched an energy sphere at the woman, only for one of her tails to smack it away easily, "?!"

"Do you mind, filthy little squirrel? I'm pondering something here…" the woman frowned, not once looking at the trio, "...I got it. Kitsuhime Kyugami~ A fitting name, no~?"

"This is not good," Makoto noted as the three girls regrouped.

"No good at all," Mai agreed as she glanced at Noel, 'Why isn't she changing?'

"Hmm...but what to do now…~?" Kitsuhime pondered as she looked at the obelik over her shoulder, "I was summoned as a guardian, and yet...that energy broke the connection in a sense...perhaps a substitute is in order~?"

"...Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"Noel asked.

"Simple…" Kitsuhime smirked as she pulled out a ofuda before tossing it out, "Kage bushin…" the ofuda exploded, turning into a clone of what she used to look like, "Hope you enjoy this battle…"

"...Why?"

"Because normally.." Kitsuhime began as her clone began to change, the barrier starting to grow out, "This is where I would've turned into my true form thanks to that filthy wolf goddess and that blue mortal rat."

Her copy became engulfed in a dark aura. Her body collapsed to all fours as it became an off-white/yellow fox with nine fox tails lashing about wildly, the tips of them coated in ink.

"...Oh crap…" Makoto whispered with wide eyes, her tail shooting straight up.

"Have fun~" Kitsuhime grinned, one of her tails drawing the kanji for 'portal' in the air before a crimson and black portal appeared behind her.

"Wait!" Makoto shouted before the massive ninetailed fox cut her off, letting Kitsuhime escape into the portal, "...Ok. That's just unfair!"

"Aw great...Where did she go?" Sonia pondered.

"Sonia and I will look out here! Beat that copy, girls!" Ben called.

"Easier said than done!" Mai shouted as the ninetailed fox roared out, the area shaking from the roar alone.

"?! ...Dudes, you heard that right?" Manic asked.

"We FELT that," Sonic replied, "What the heck was it?!"

"Best guess?" Ragna noted, his upper clothes gone to let his bandages be shown, "They got a bad alternate timeline."

"...Just hope whoever's fighting it is doing okay…"

"BAD DAY! BAD DAY! BAD DAY!" Makoto and Mai screamed as they ran from the strikes from the nine-tailed fox's tails.

"Seriously! I call bullshit! Bull! Shit!" Makoto exclaimed, "Who leaves someone with a massive nine-tailed fox demon to fight?!"

"Blame the obelisk for summoning the original!" Mai snapped as she threw her spear at the nine-tailed fox, only for it ot be deflected, "Oh, come on!"

"Noellie, a little help here please!" Makoto shouted.

Noel brought her guns together and they quickly transformed into a rocket launcher with a single rocket on the end. She was about to aim at the fox's face, only for it to look at her as its tail shot at her. Noel yelped as she tripped back, her finger hitting the trigger as the rocket crashed into the tail, causing an explosion as the nine-tailed fox reeled its tail back, trying to fan off the fire on it.

"That ignited faster than normal fur…" Makoto noted, "Wait a second...is...I think she's made of paper!"

"Eh?"

"She may look thought, but…" Makoto began as she cracked her knuckles a bit, "She probably crumbles in terms of defense."

"...oh I get it now," Mai realized.

"Hai...you hit 'em high, I hit 'em low?"

"Hai," Mai nodded before her symbol appears faintly behind her.

"Good," Makoto grinned, her own symbol appeared as she reeled her fist back, the energy gate appearing behind her, "Big Bang…"

"Sylvan…" Mai began as she jumped up high, her feet touching the barrier as she aimed at the nine-tailed fox.

The fox noticed this. It was about to attack before Noel shot another rocket at its tails, causing it to wince as it tried to fan the flames out.

"SMASH/Hurricane Assault!" Makoto and Mai declared, the former punching forward as a massive energy fist shot from the energy gate while the later shot down towards the nine-tailed fox.

The fox cried out in pain as Mai shot through it, the bluenette jumping out of the way before the energy fist slammed into its face, sending it flying back as it crashed into the tree.

"...D...did that do it?" Noel asked before a roar was heard, the dust cloud setting as the fox shot out, only...it was missing all but one of its tails, its fur now a dirtied dark orange, and scars all over its body with one over ones of its eyes.

"...So that's what she looks like under that mask…" Makoto whispered, "She's nothing but an old decrepit fox with a god complex…"

"...I feel as if one of those ningen brought up my age…" Kitsuhime's eye twitched, hiding out in a small area not too far from where the girls were fighting, "...Regardless, once those three are dealt with, I can be free to search this timeline...hopefully there's no sign of that blasted wolf goddess here…"

"I don't know about a wolf goddess…" Kitsuhime's eyes widened before Big Chill emerged from the ground before her, releasing a blast of ice that froze her from the waist down, "...But I can tell the way you spoke gives you nothing but big chills on confronting her."

"...A snow moth yokai?" Kitsuhime whispered before frowning, "No...you smell of ningen…You're that boy that was with that pink mortal rat, aren't you?"

"Maybe I am...maybe I'm not…" Big Chill replied, "All you need to do…" he inhaled before blasting a blast of icy air at her, "...is chill."

Kitsuhime merely frowned before the kanji for 'fire' lit up on her sword, causing it to burst into flames as she swung her arm, dispelling the icy air while freeing herself, "You make jokes...cute."

"What can I say? I like to keep things cool in situations," Big Chill noted as they started to circle one another.

"How were you able to find me?"

"That is something you'll have to see for yourself," Big Chill replied.

She lunged at Big Chill, only for the moth alien to turn intangible. As she went through Big Chill, her eyes widened as she was engulfed in ice.

"For a 'god', you're not that smart...are you?" Big Chill questioned.

"...Did you forget…?" Kitsuhime's voice whispered before the ice shattered off her, "I took the body of a priestess…"

"...Meaning…?"

"Ghost, demon, yokai…" Kitsuhime began as she held out an ofuda, "I can hurt you~"

"Wh-" Big Chill began before he was smacked with the ofuda, "...cute. And wh-" he tensed as he barely avoided a fiery slash from her, the blade barely grazing his cheek as he jumped back, "?! You…"

"Yes...I can hurt you…" Kitsuhime smirked, the kanji for 'poison' glowing in unison with the fire kanji on her sword before the flames changed into a venomous purple.

"Hah!" Makoto shouted as she punched at the old fox, only for it to jump over her as it tried stabbing at Mai and Noel with a rusted version of Kitsuhime's old sword.

"Nice try!" Mai called, blocking the blade with her spear as Noel managed to deliver several hits to the fox's side, knocking it away from them.

"G...grr…" the fox tiredly growled out as it skidded, shaking its head as it glared at the trio.

"Man...for an old fox, she can still move…" Makoto noted, earning an eye twitched from the vixen, "...oop. I think I hit a nerve."

The fox howled as she rose her sword into the air. Lightning crackled from it before it shot out and slammed into Mai and Noel. The two cried out as they were electrocuted and sent back into the barrier.

"?! Mai, Noel!" Makoto gasped before growling at the fox, "You…"

"Grr?" the fox raised a brow as a faint azure aura began to appear on Makoto.

"You just made a big mistake...Exceed Accel!" Makoto declared before she disappeared from sight.

"?!" the fox tensed before it grunted out, Makoto's feet hitting it square in the jaw as it was sent flying into the air, only to shoot back down after Makoto blurred above it and punched it downward. Just as it bounced off the ground, Makoto appeared behind it as shot past it with a passing forward punch, causing it to get airborne once more as she wound her arm up.

"Cygnus…" Makoto began as she punched upward, causing an energy fist to follow suit as it crashed into the fox before Makoto did a haymaker punch the the air, another energy fist appearing as it spun like a drill, crashing into the fox's face, "Combination!"

The sound of bones breaking and paper crinkling was heard as the energy fist dug into the fox's face before it was sent rocketing back, shooting right at the barrier as it crashed hard into it.

"...Seems my clone was defeated…" Kitsuhime noted, dodging an icy blast from Big Chill, "It appears those three girls were stronger than I thought…"

"That's what happens when you underestimate someone," Big Chill noted.

"Hai. However...They won't be getting the prize that easily…" Kitsuhime grinned, "They have to be the ones to beat me...not you."

"I had a feeling that would be the reason…" Big Chill noted, "Fortunately...I can get you back in there."

"Oh? How so?" Kitsuhime smirked.

Big Chill tapped his emblem. In a flash of green light, Big Chill was replaced with a new alien. The alien was as big as Ditto and appeared to be a cross between a turtle and a beetle. He had segmented yellow arms and legs that ended in stumps with blue sleeve-like plating on his shoulders. He had a turtle-like face with sunken green eyes and visible nostrils, and has two beetle-like antennae ending in yellow bulbs. His skin was green, and had a blue, yellow and red circular pattern on his stomach. On his back was a blue, turtle-like shell with a red rim and red rock-like spikes on it. There was a red plate on his forehead, the Omnitrix emblem on it.

"Portaler!" the new alien declared, an Australian accent in his voice.

"...And this helps those girls how exactly?"

"Watch," Portaler smirked before curling up into a ball.

He spun around into a Spin Dash and shot off at her. Before she could move to stab him, only for Portaler to spin around her in a perfect circle. Her eyes widened as a blue ring formed from the circling. The ring slammed into her and she vanished. She yelped as she barely landed on her feet before Makoto, Mai, and Noel as Portaler skidded to a halt beside them.

"Nice, Ben!" Makoto gave a thumbs up, only to yelp as she nearly fell over, "Hoo...still tired after that Exceed Accel...why didn't you tell me it's that draining, Mai!?"

"Wait, what? You were the one who told me they were draining," Mai noted.

"Say what?" Makoto blinked.

"Girls, can we please focus on the fox lady trying to cark it us?" Portaler asked.

"In a minute. What do you mean, Mai?"

"What do you mean what do I mean? You told me about it after the whole Azrael incident during the battle w-"

"WAIT, WHAT?! AZRAEL?!" Makoto freaked.

"DODGE!" Portaler snapped as he and Noel tackled the two over, barely letting them dodge the blast of flames and lightning sent at the two.

"You know it's incredibly rude to ignore someone in the middle of a fight, especially a god," Kitsuhime frowned in annoyance, "If you're done talking, I'd like to get back to showing you your place."

"...Huh. Funny thing that. I was wanting ta get back to showing you your ass," Makoto quipped.

"Clever…" Kitsuhime frowned as her sword was engulfed in flames, "Just for that, I'll use your tail as a scarf."

"Hey! No one gets to use my tail as a scarf unless I let 'em!" Makoto growled.

"No way we're losing to you!" Mai declared, spinning her spear a little as the girls assumed fighting stances.

"We shall see…" Kitsuhime said as she held her sword up, the kanjis for 'light' and 'darkness' lighting up as her sword was engulfed in a white and black aura, "Twilight Nightmare."

"If she tries to teleport, I'll do my best to keep her in the area," Portaler informed.

"Got it," Mai nodded as Kitsuhim slashed down, releasing a barrage of white and black cutting waves.

Noel formed her machine gun and open fired. The attacks collided with one another, creating a smokescreen from the explosions. Kitsuhime prepared to swing her blade again before jumping to the side to avoid the thrown red spear. It turned in midair and came right at her once more, forcing her to block with her blade. However, it left her back to the smoke and Makoto erupted from it, managing to slam a fist into the kitsune's back, sending her crashing into the ground and making a crater from the impact as the spear returned to Mai.

"Gah...clever...but not good enough…" Kitsuhime whispered before her tails dove into the ground.

"Hoo boy...What's she doing now?" Makoto gulped.

"I…" Noel began before yelping, barely dodging one of the tails as it rose out of the ground, intent on impaling her before shooting back down into the ground.

"That answers your question, Makoto!" Mai yelped as she dodged some of the tails bursting out of the ground.

"Sweet chestnuts!" Makoto yelped as she moved around, dodging the tails that came out to try to stab her, "Wait...If she's like the fox we fought…Noel! Next one that comes out, light it up!"

"H-hai!" Noel nodded, changing her guns into a rocket launcher as she waited for one of the tails to shoot up.

"Don't forget, I'm still here…" Kitsuhime smirked as she raised her sword, the symbol for 'thunder' glowing as it became engulfed in electricity, "Raikiri ki…!"

*BOOM!*

"Gsh! My tail!" Kitsuhime screamed as she recalled her tails back, the electric blast from her sword shooting off as it bounced around the walls, "You filthy ningen...you burned my beautiful tail!"

"Nice one, Noel!" Makoto cheered, seeing one of the tails burning away, "Now she's an Eight-tails!"

"You…!" Kitsuhime began, unaware she still had her sword raised before the electric blast hit it, "Ghggghghghghgghghghghgghghgh~~!~!"

*BZZT! BOOM!*

"Well that was shocking," Portaler noted, seeing Kitsuhime explode into eight wisp of list, four of which floating down to the ground, "?"

The four wisp began to convulse a bit before they each changed into Kitsuhime, only they seemed to have different body types with a kanji on different parts of their body.

"...Well...this is an improvement," one of the Kitsuhime's noted as they looked at each other, "None of us are fat, old, or a child…"

"...Thank lord Yami for that. I couldn't stand…" the four began in unison.

"Comet Cannon: Break shot!"

"?!" the four tensed before scattering, "Filthy ningen rat girl…"

"I'm a squirrel!"

"And last we checked…" the Kitsuhime in blue began as a predatory looked appeared in her eyes.

"Foxes eat squirrels…" the Kitsuhime in green grinned.

"Yeah. Thing about that? Last fox that tried to eat me back home? No more head on its shoulders," Makoto cracked her knuckles.

"Cute. The squirrel thinks she's threatening," the Kitsuhime in purple smirked.

"I beat your fake fox, didn't I?" Makoto countered.

"...We're gonna enjoying killing you," the red Kitsuhime frowned, all four aiming their swords at her.

"Hmm...What to respond to that?" Makoto pondered before adopting a smirk, "Got it." she inhaled deeply, "Ben-kun~!"

"Y-"

"Need Omniketsu!"

"What?! W-h-hey! Careful where you t-woah!"

*FLASH!*

"...What the…?" Mai whispered as she noticed what Makoto was now wearing, "A...are you WEARING Ben, Makoto?!"

"Yep," Makoto replied.

"This...is...humiliating…" Omniketsu deadpanned.

"A sailor uniform?" Kitsuhime asked in unison, amusement in their voices.

"Huh?" Makoto looked down, "Oh. Forgot to do this." she tugged the pin in her lone glove and Omniketsu switched forms, "Ah. There we go."

"What. the. Hell?" Mai gawked.

"You like?"

"...Have you no shame?" Kitsuhime red asked with a frown.

"Eh, depends," Makoto shrugged.

"Yes. But then I unlocked this alien," Omniketsu sighed.

"...Slut."

"Eh?

"That attires benefits you, slut."

"...what?"

"Did we perhaps touch a nerve...or did your whore mother raise you poorly?" Kitsuhime asked with a smug grin.

'Okay...Makoto's blood is boiling hot now…' Omniketsu thought.

'And just like that...They pushed the wrong buttons,' Mai thought with a glare.

"...grr…"

"Oh...wh-"

*SLASH!*

"?!" Kitsuhime purple gasped out as she was sliced down the middle, "...wh-" she couldn't finished as she exploded in a flurry of flower petals.

"?! N...nani?" Kitsuhime blue tensed.

"Alright…" Makoto's voice began, making the three turn to face her, a serious expression on her face as she aimed her scissor-shaped blade at them, "Who's next to die?"

"...You get the feeling that we're missing out on Makoto going all out?"

"Where the hell are you getting that feeling and why?" Ragna raised a brow at Manic.

"Because I feel a massive killing intent coming from somewhere, the kind that feels like the one step-sis gave off when that one robot hurt her little bro during that one mission."

A burst of flames appeared before the group outside the bus and Sonia came out of them, spear in hand.

"Sis?"

"Have you seen a nine-tailed woman?" Sonia asked.

"In Ryugu?" Manic raised a brow.

"No! On Little Planet!"

"..." Tsubaki opened her mouth to ask.

"...The Obelisk produced some sort of demon fox woman, only for something to happen to her as she changed into a nine-tailed fox woman with an even larger god complex. She teleported outside of the barrier set up and now Ben and I are trying to find her," Sonia explained.

"..."

"Yes, it was an alternate timeline to us," Sonia confirmed to Manic, "It was Sonic with a talking version of his sword working with a wolf Mobian named Amaterasu."

"Wait, what?!" Ragna doubletaked at that.

"Don't ask me. I don't make alternate timelines," Sonia huffed as she kept looking around, "Ugh! I swear that I am starting to hate this planet!"

"...You...you and me both…" Ragna groaned.

"Ahh~!" a Kitsuhime in green gasped out as she exploded into pink petals.

"Where is she getting this strength from?" one of the last two gawked.

"You called my mom a whore…"

*STAB!*

"Guh?!" a Kitsuhime in brown gasped out, Makoto's sword sticking out of her chest.

"You shouldn't have done that…"

"I did not know her personally, but from what Makoto has said, I can tell she's as much a saint as my own mother was," Omniketsu noted, his green fabrics glowing brightly, "To insult someone like that is unforgivable."

"Y..you…!"

"You what?" Makoto began before slashing another Kitsuhime down the middle, destroying the last one as the original reappeared, "Bitch? Skank? Slut? Call me anything you want...I'm already winning this fight."

"...oh...oh, how cute…" the original chuckled as her nine tails swayed a bit, "Even with that upgrade..you think you can defeat me?"

"I took your clones down, didn't I?" Makoto countered.

Kitsuhime amused smile turned into an annoyed frown, "...I'm going to drown you. I'm going to drown you like a sack of dumb wolf pups."

"And I am going to slice the fur right off you!" Makoto responded.

"Fine…" Kitsuhime growled as she brought her sword out, "Come at thee, foul halfbreed!"

"...What did you just call me?" Makoto frowned dangerously.

"Uh-oh. You called her a half breed."

"What did you just call me?"

"You should not have done that."

"What did you just call me?"

"Now you're in for it," Omniketsu rolled his eye.

"I…!"

*SLASH!*

"Gah!" Kitsuhime gasped.

"Sp...Spikes?!" Mai exclaimed, seeing all the green lines on Omniketsu and the middle line in Makoto's tail were now littered in spike-like blades while three blade-like claws were coming out of the back of Makoto's hands.

"Seems her anger caused me to alter form," Omniketsu noted.

"Am…!" Makoto continued as she delivered a series of fast slashes on Kitsuhime, "Not!"

"N...nande?!" Kitsuhime gasped out before her blade shattered when she tried to block a slash, "Nani?!"

"A…!"

"Mai! Noel! Now!" Omniketsu shouted.

"R-Right!" the two girls shouted.

"HALFBREED!" Makoto snapped as she did a rising slash on Kitsuhime, sending her airborn.

"Floral Blizzard Blossom/Zero gun: Fenrir!" Mai and Noel declared, the former shooting forward as she stabbed her spear into Kitsuhime, a flurry of 'petals' shattering upon impact while Noel fired an energy missile at her.

"N...no...not again...not agai-!" Kitsuhime began.

*BOOM!*

Makoto panted lowly as she stood up from her slash. She turned around to face Noel and Mai before smirking while resting her blade on her shoulder. The pile of rubble that had been the Obelisk-turned-Kitsuhime collapsed behind her out of the smoke in the air, the gem shattering upon hitting the ground and letting its colored smoke fly away.

"Well, that was…" Makoto began before the Omnitrix's timer began to go off, "...Mai, I need your clothes!"

"Wait, wh-" Mai began before Makoto tackled her, "Ahh!"

"I need your clothes now!"

"Makoto st-eek!"

A burst of flames erupted before dispersing, revealing Sonia, "Okay, I couldn't find her an…" she noticed the pile of rubble that was the Obelisk, "You beat her?"

"They did," Ben confirmed, his face a bright red while he was missing his jacket.

"We did!" Makoto nodded...wearing just Ben's jacket zipped up barely halfway up due to her breasts and her tail wrapped around her waist.

"...Omniketsu?" Sonia asked with a sigh.

"Why does he even have that form?!" Mai demanded, keeping far away from Makoto with Noel being used as a shield.

"It's more used as a last resort in a way," Makoto explained, "Or when I really wanna go buck wild on my target."

"But why does it look like….like that?!"

"...Mmmm mm," Makoto shrugged.

"That's not an answer!"

"Hey. At least we took her down, right?"

"Yes, but that was even worse than your combat uniform from the NOL!"

"Aw come on. Nothing was as bad as that."

"The skirt doubles as the panties, Makoto!"

'Please stop talking about how I look in Omniketsu's second form…' Ben thought with a heavy blush.

"...ano, c-can we focus on finding the Time Stone?" Noel suggested before shivering, "B...before that giant bug does?"

"Well, we have the ring right here. Just need to find the place to put it," Sonia noted, showing the ring.

"Godo idea. But…" Makoto paused as she looked around at the nearly destroyed area, "...Kinda gonna be hard after that battle. I mean, it's not like it's gonna...be...in...sight..." she blinked when she looked at the large crystal in the room, a circular piece seemingly missing with what looked like the Time Stone inside, "...and it's not like there's gonna be a giant chestnut parfait suddenly appearing!" a few moments passed before she slumped, "Drat."

"Okay, be ready for anything," Ben warned, "Sonia, if you get the stone, get back to the bus ASAP and tell Manic to put it in the bus's lab's safe. It's made to prevent aliens with phasing powers from getting inside of it."

"Understood," Sonia nodded as she carefully approached the crystal.

She placed the ring in the crystal's groove. The crystal began to shine bright before releasing a pulse.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Manic yelped as the ground began to rumble.

"Manic, are you tapping on your drums while thinking of random things again?!" Sonic shouted as he opened the bus's door.

"Not me, Bro!" Manic replied.

"Then what's causing the shaking?!"

"I don't know! Maybe Ben and the girls found a Time Stone!"

"Ah! Th-The city!" Haseo yelped, floating on the Hover Board with Roll, who was lazily leaning against her little brother.

The city was glowing along with the water. The water began rising into the air and moved towards the distance where a broken pile of rubble was. As the water left the city, exposing the damaged remains hidden beneath, the damaged areas quickly reformed into pristine condition as if nothing had ever happened. Once the last drop of water was behind the distant rubble, said rubble reformed into an elegant dam.

"...Wow," Manic slowly blinked.

"I was expecting something convoluted like the deck of cards like last time," Ragna admitted.

The glowing stone shattered, letting the Time Stone be exposed. Sonia caught the Time Stone before a buzzing sound filled the room. Just as the insect-like creature phased through the floor, Sonia teleported in a flash of flames.

"Not again!" Noel yelped.

The insect-like creature gave a hiss as it glared at the remaining group, mainly glaring at Ben before phasing through the ceiling. Ben checked his Omnitrix and frowned, seeing it was still in the red.

"We gotta get back outside," Ben informed.

"Okay, so it looks like a straight path through the place and…" Sonic began before Sonia landed on him, "Gah!"

"Manic!" Sonia shouted, jumping off Sonic and shoving the Time Stone into Manic's hands, "Priority One! Safe immediately!"

"Huh? Why?"

"That bug is back and wants the Time Stone!"

"Got it!" Manic replied, quickly running into the bus.

"And hurry! It might be close…!"

The insect-like creature hissed as it flew past them, heading straight for the bus.

"...Ragna!"

"On it!" Ranga replied, pulling his sword out and jumped at it, coating the blade in his black and red flames, "Darkness Divider!" Ragna swung...and the bug phased through the attack and him, "Gh?!"

"Oh come on!" Sonic complained before rushing in front of the insect, only for it to phase through him and into the bus, "Crud! Manic, it's in the bus!"

Manic entered the lab downstairs and quickly made his way to the safe. Pressing several buttons on the keypad, it opened and Manic barely managed to get the Time Stone inside of it and slammed it shut, auto-locking it, when the insect phased through the ceiling. It charged at the safe, phasing through Manic...before being knocked back while electrocuted upon contact with the safe.

"...I love this lab more and more with each day," Manic chuckled, "Sorry, buggy. Anti-alien proof safe." the bug hissed before flapping its wings quickly, "Heh. That's right. Just..fly...away and…" the bug faded away to reveal a massive pile of treasure where it had been, "Ooh~ So much treasure~"

"Manic?! Manic, you okay in there?!" Sonic's voice shouted.

"Yeah yeah bro..just...so much treasure…"

"Treasure? We don't have treasure."

"Yeah we do…"

"...Ragna? You didn't sneak any treasure from the ruins, did you?"

"Hell no! I...oh son of a…! It's hypnotizing him?!"

"Shoot!" Sonic yelped.

Just as Manic was about to grab the shiny crown on its side before him, it gave way as the bug-like alien shrieked in pain, Sonic on its back with sword stabbing into it.

"You! Are not! Eating my! Brother!" Sonic shouted between stabs until his next stab sent him through a red sludge and tumble out before Manic, "Guh!"

"Dude…" Manic gawked, seeing exoskeleton give way for the red sludge that soon took shape of a king cobra, the bug's collar below the end of its hood that sported white bone-like spikes growing out of the slime.

The sludge snake gurgled out a hiss before quickly escaping through the drain in the bottom of the lab's emergency shower. Outside, the sludge snake emerged from a pipe underneath the bus before changing back into the bug and phased through the ground. Sonic shook off the bits of sludge still on him.

"You okay, Manic?" Sonic asked.

"...anger, embarrassment, depression, cheated… That's how I feel right now, bro," Manic replied as he frowned.

"...Seriously, what IS that thing?!"

"Well, from what I saw? I think it's got an Omnitrix," Manic noted.

"...Come again?"

"Yeah. Only it was red and had 'teeth' on it."

"...Think Ben might know something about it?"

"Dunno. We'll have to ask one he and the others get back."

"So...They were able to obtain one," the figure noted as Soundwave showed a video replaying Sonia's teleporting with the Time Stone in hand, "I am honestly disappointed, Khyber."

"Do not worry. This is but a minor set back."

"True. I did not expect for Ben Tennyson to actually use that Omnitrix for making a plan for aliens that can phase through objects," the figure admitted, "But regardless, it's nothing I cannot counteract...Soundwave, the next Time Stone location?"

Soundwave said nothing as the screen showed an image of a cave filled with multiple gems and diamonds.

"Ahh...the Quartz Quadrant."

"So...Mai, why did you drag us up here the moment we got back to the bus?" Makoto asked while motioning to herself, Tsubaki, Ragna, and Noel as all of them were in Mai and Tsubaki's shared room in the bus.

"I have to be blunt on this: what was the last thing you were doing before ending up on Mobius?" Mai asked.

"Eh?"

"Just...please answer the question. And I know you have amnesia, Tsubaki, but this is important so you need to be here as well."

"R-Right," Tsubaki nodded.

"Well...I got beaten up by Hazama...badly," Makoto explained, "Last thing I remember was being thrown off a building and Noel screaming my name."

"Huh? But...But I never saw you falling off a building!" Noel gawked.

"Huh? But you were with me when I got attacked protecting you from him," Makoto noted.

"No. I...I was underneath the city with Ragna. He was falling into this big cauldron with...with this girl and I grabbed his hand," Noel noted.

"Didn't do much since we both fell into it," Ragna huffed, "Still...at least I didn't go in with the crazy bitch since she and her damn impaling sword fell in after Noel grabbed my arm and stopped me from going in with her."

"...And Tsubaki?" Mai asked, looking over at the redhead.

"N...not much. Just...I remember our days at the academy...and found out from Makoto I...I was ordered to kill Noel and Jin-nii-sama by Hazama."

"What was weird was that her Zero Squadron uniform was all black," Makoto noted.

Mai nodded, "Funny...because I remember we were all helping to prepare to take down the Imperator, Hades Izanami."

"?!" the four looked at her with wide eyes.

GT: And with that, we give you a cliffhanger!

SZ: Eeyup...and what a twist this was! Time displacement perhaps?

GT: You'll have to figure it out as we keep making chapters, readers.

SZ: Mmmhmm, so read and review folks! In the meantime…*goes to play Cross Tag Battle*Also no asking on what Gt has planned for BBTAG. Not sure if it'll be incorporated into this or not.

GT: Probably not. I've got next to zero knowledge on any series outside of BB and RWBY in terms of the games shown in BBTAG, so there's a big chance it will not be in here. So until next chapter, please read and review.