Pre-Story A/N: Guess this is what happens when you become obsessed with Friends lol. In other words, this was inspired by the Friends episode "The One with the Embryos" as well as the Friends Game Show that came out last month called "Fast Friends." Chandler and Joey competing against Monica and Rachel in the trivia test is one of my favorite moments from Friends, and it inspired me to make this story.
With that said, I hope you all enjoy. Please be nice in the reviews as I do not tolerate flames. I'm always looking to improve my writing, so any constructive criticism is helpful.
"The Sonic Test"
Written by SpiderDom321
Chapter 1
Disclaimer – The following story is made for fun and not for profit. Sonic the Hedgehog and all other related properties are owned by SEGA.
~Central District – Station Square – Afternoon
When Blaze took a whiff of fresh air, she felt like she was on top of the world. As Guardian of the Sol Emeralds, it was rare for her to take a vacation. But after some convincing from Marine and Gardon, she finally decided to break away from her royal duties for a while. Not too long ago, she arrived in the Prime Zone and met with Amy Rose, who was ecstatic to hear she was coming. After meeting up at her house, Amy decided to take Blaze shopping through Station Square.
The two stepped along the sidewalk as they watched a bustling city go about its day. People walked around shopping at the stores, enjoying the restaurants, and attending one of the best theme parks around: Twinkle Park. Both Mobians had just finished visiting three clothing stores and were walking around with two bags around each shoulder. Amy couldn't help but wear some new clothes she bought, a beige summer hat with a blue flower on top, and a pair of dark blue sunglasses. Blaze kept all her dresses in a bag, but she couldn't wait to try them on when she got home.
She looked up at the sun and smiled brightly, feeling relieved to be away from home. While she took her job as a princess very seriously, it felt nice to take a mental break and recharge. Plus, it was a nice way to see her friends again.
"Thanks for taking me shopping, Amy," she said kindly. "Although, don't you think we bought too much?"
"Nope!" Amy replied cheerfully. "I think we bought just enough."
"Are you sure?" Blaze chuckled. "You bought the same flower dress in two different colors."
"I couldn't decide which one looked nicer, so I said – when in doubt, take both!" Amy giggled as she pulled down her sunglasses.
"I don't think that's how the saying goes," the cat chuckled again.
Both of them shared a laugh as they walked past a group of people waiting in line at the burger joint.
"I'm glad you came here, Blaze," Amy smiled. "It's nice to see you again."
"Likewise, Amy," Blaze nodded. "Part of me is worried about my home, but I trust Marine and The Coconut Crew will take care of everything. Before I left, I was told The Jeweled Scepter has triple the guard. That puts my mind at ease, but still. I can't help but worry a little."
"I understand," Amy replied as she used her dress to clean her glasses. "But I think everything will be okay. Plus, if something does happen, you can always count on me for help."
"Appreciated, Amy," the lavender princess said. "I'll take you up on that. Normally, I'd be stressed out about my home, but shopping at those stores put my mind at ease… even if I felt we bought too much."
The pink hedgehog giggled again as she adjusted her hat and kept walking down the street. The two of them turned around a corner and made their way towards the entrance to Emerald Coast. From where they stood, they could see people relaxing in lounge chairs as kids of different ages played by the pool. Beyond that, they could see a shining glistening beach with gorgeous palm trees and a crystal-clear ocean.
"So, what are we doing now?" Blaze asked.
"We're going to chill out at Emerald Coast for a while," Amy replied. "Cream and Vanilla are going to be joining us in a few minutes. They're excited to see you again."
"As am I," Blaze nodded. "The last time I saw Cream was… was… hmm…"
Stopping, Blaze stroked her chin and tried to remember the last time she saw Cream and her family. All she could picture was her and Sonic fighting Dr. Eggman and his Badnik Horde while the young rabbit cheered from above. Wiping her forehead, Blaze let out a soft chuckle.
"Well, I remember being part of Sonic's adventure at that time. Hopefully, Dr. Eggman doesn't get any ideas."
"Nah, we'll be fine," Amy replied with a dismissive wave. "We haven't seen him in a long time. Even if we do, Sonic can always take care of it. We'll tag along if he needs help. For now, let's just focus on a battle-free day at the beach."
The two girls were about to walk towards the pool area when all of a sudden…
KRAKOOM!
A loud explosion came from behind them. A pile of debris landed beside them as they quickly looked over their shoulders. Alerted by the sound, people near the pool immediately jumped up and ran indoors. The people roaming around outside did the same thing.
Amy and Blaze gasped at the source of the explosion; a giant chrome monster that looked like someone they knew. A spikey being the size of a tall building with sharp claws, large shoes, and eyes as red as a tomato.
It was one of the doctor's deadliest creations: Silver Sonic. It darted its eyes around searching for its target. It watched as the people below fled like rats from a sinking ship. They all dashed towards the nearest buildings and locked the doors tight. Amy and Blaze put their shopping bags down as the former ripped off her hat and sunglasses. Storing them away, she joined her friend in helping a family of five enter a restaurant. They helped seal the door as they watched Silver Sonic crush a bunch of cars with its massive feet.
"What was that you said about a battle-free day?" Blaze asked worryingly.
Amy whipped out her Piko-Piko Hammer and held it tightly. "Perhaps I spoke too soon. It's just Silver Sonic though. We can get this done in no ti-"
"SONIC, YOU IDIOT! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
The girls widened their eyes at the sudden shout as they exchanged a curious glance. They recognized the voice as Knuckles, and they wondered where he could be. Soon, they looked behind Silver Sonic's legs and saw three streaks of light rushing towards them. They were blue, red, and cyan. They leaped into the air and homed in on Silver Sonic, striking him in the face.
Amy and Blaze watched as the three streaks landed on the ground, revealing themselves as…
Sonic the Hedgehog.
Knuckles the Echidna.
And Silver the Hedgehog.
Just before they could group with them, they heard a sinister laugh come from above.
"HOOO! HO-HO-HO-HOOOOO!"
With an annoyed sigh, Amy darted her eyes upwards and saw Dr. Eggman, Orbot, and Cubot. All three of them were sitting in the Egg Mobile cheering for the metallic beast.
"What do you think of my new creation, Sonic!?" the mad doctor grinned. "He's been modified with your biodata, making him more unstoppable than before!"
"That's what you said last time, Doc," the Blue Blur replied. "And then I trashed it."
"You won't be doing that this time!" Dr. Eggman snarled. "Silver Sonic, destroy them all!"
Sonic smirked before he rolled into a ball and dashed into Silver Sonic's kneecap, causing it to fall to the right.
Silver used his Psychokinesis to pick up three cars and launch them at his enemy, making him collapse. Landing on its back, the robot doppelganger quickly got up and watched as Sonic ran towards its face. Smacking the hedgehog to the side, it saw him crash into a lone taxi parked near the sidewalk. The windows broke as Sonic crashed against the door. He fell on his hands and knees, hearing Knuckles grunt loudly.
As he and Silver fought back against the beast, Amy and Blaze rushed over to help Sonic on his feet.
"Sonic!" the former shouted. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, hey," the hedgehog coughed. "I'm all right, Amy. He caught me off guard, that's all."
Dusting off his body, Sonic quickly stretched his arms and legs. "Nice to see you here, Blaze. What's new? How's Marine?"
"I'm on a temporary vacation and she's fine," Blaze replied. "What's going on here?"
"I'll tell you!" Knuckles huffed as he punched Silver Sonic across the face. He landed in front of the girls and proceeded to shout in the hedgehog's face. "Sonic thought it would be funny to lead Silver Sonic and Eggman to the Master Emerald!"
"I didn't lead them there!" Sonic retorted. "Silver and I wanted to visit you, and they just happened to be right behind us!"
Silver landed right beside the group, but used his powers to jump back up. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to Sonic and added, "Weren't they chasing us beforehand? We went to Angel Island to ask Knuckles for help. When he accepted, that's when Eggman attacked. When Knuckles agreed to help, you said, and I quote – Good! Because Eggman's right behind us."
Everyone glared at Sonic, who simply shrugged.
"Like I said!" Dr. Eggman shouted. "Silver Sonic's been modified to match your speed! I've gathered data from your fights with Metal Sonic to make him stronger! Observe!"
Everyone looked up and saw a black shadow loom over them; Silver Sonic was about to step on them. Gasping, everyone moved out of the way as the robot slammed into the ground. A shockwave sprouted and caused the five fighters to fly backward. Silver and Blaze saved themselves using their powers, Knuckles used his namesakes to skid across the road, and Sonic caught Amy in his arms. She briefly blushed after that.
Blaze clenched her fists and spawned two fireballs. Without hesitation, she launched them at Silver Sonic, blocking his vision. Silver clapped his hands together, leaped into the air, and pressed his palm against the ground. He sent a psychic wave at Silver Sonic's feet. When it hit, the robot stumbled back but caught itself.
"You've fought Silver Sonic plenty of times, right?" Amy said to her cobalt hero. "How do we stop him?"
"He's fast, but he's also top-heavy," Sonic replied. "It's like they say – the bigger they are, the harder they-"
"Don't finish that sentence," Silver huffed with annoyance. "You repeat the same joke every time we fight a big robot."
"He's right, you do," Knuckles nodded in agreement.
"It's thought, isn't it?" Sonic rolled his eyes. "Never mind."
Blaze and Silver dodged three of the robot's sharp claws before regrouping with their friends.
"Any plan on how to stop this thing?" Blaze inquired.
"Yeah!" Sonic smiled as he struck a battle pose. "Knuckles, Amy! You guys tie up his legs! Blaze, Silver! You two knock him down! I'll finish him off!"
With that, the team dispersed.
As Sonic, Blaze, and Silver ran around the robot in an attempt to distract it – Knuckles rushed over to a telephone pole and ripped it out of the ground. Gripping it firmly, he rushed towards Silver Sonic's legs and leaped forward. Upon landing on the robot's right foot, Knuckles wrapped the metal pole around the legs and jumped out of the way. Silver Sonic was about to take another step before it almost tripped forward. Looking down, it noticed the obstacle around its legs. Just as it was about to rip it off, Amy rushed from behind and slammed her hammer against its legs. Silver Sonic widened his eyes with shock as he came crashing down.
Before it hit the ground, Silver and Blaze – who were covered in cyan and orange auras – flew downward and fired a tag-team uppercut; they hit the robot's chin at the same time and sent it flying backward. Silver Sonic crashed onto the road, landing on his back.
"Silver, give me a boost, will ya!?" Sonic shouted as he ran towards his friend.
The white hedgehog nodded as he used his powers to trap Sonic in a light-blue bubble. He shot him into the air and released him above the Super Badnik. Sonic glared down and smirked, giving the robot a small wave. With that, he rolled into a ball and shot down like a missile.
Dr. Eggman, Orbot, and Cubot watched from above. The yellow robot gave his spherical friend twenty Mobiums as their boss prayed for his creation to get back up.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
An explosion occurred after Sonic crashed into his enemy which blew him to smithereens. The head of Silver Sonic almost crashed into the Egg Mobile had Orbot not moved the joystick right. Dr. Eggman screamed with agony as he watched his creation turn to dust. White fog blanketed the area where Sonic and his friends stood, but he could hear Amy cheering.
When the smoke cleared, the blue hedgehog was wrapped in his friend's arms as he high-fived Blaze and Silver. Knuckles simply stood there with his arms folded. Unlike everyone else, he wasn't smiling. He was still mad the robot was on Angel Island in the first place. Speaking of which, the robot's creator was being stared at, so he clenched his fists and slammed his control console.
"Welp, that went well," Orbot said sarcastically.
"Really? I'd say it went terribly," Cubot replied, scratching his head.
"Shut up, you two!" their boss barked. He turned his attention to Sonic and yelled loudly. "This isn't over, Sonic! I'll be back and when I do, I'll-"
"-be the one to destroy you and rule the world!" the hedgehog said as he imitated the doctor's voice. "I've heard it all before, Eggman, and it'll always end the same way. With me running free and you sitting at home crying. I can't take any more of his whining. Silver, can you give me another boost?"
On cue, the psychokinetic lifted Sonic into the air and shot him toward the Egg Mobile.
Dr. Eggman gasped and turned the craft around; however, just before he could hit the boost button…
WHACK!
…Sonic kicked the vehicle from behind.
With a trail of steam being left behind, Dr. Eggman and his cohorts flew to the horizon uncontrollably.
"I HATE THAT HEDGEHOOOOOOOOOOOOOG!"
A twinkle in the sky indicated that the villains disappeared, and the heroes had won yet again.
Sonic landed on the ground as Amy and Station Square's inhabitants clapped and cheered. They all came out of the buildings and continued their day. The speedy hero smiled and waved, returning to his friends in the blink of an eye.
"Nice job, guys," he said. "I could've done it myself, but it was nice to have some help."
"Exactly what I was thinking," the echidna mumbled under his breath.
Sonic heard a bit of that and asked, "Anything you want to share with the class, Knucklehead?"
"Of all the inconsiderate things you've done, I can't believe you led Eggman and that thing to Angel Island! What if they were planning to steal The Master Emerald?"
"I didn't think Silver Sonic would have followed us up there. I assumed outrunning him would do the trick," Sonic retorted. "Besides, if he was planning to steal that giant rock, then we just prevented him from doing so. When we fought him on the island, I told Silver we should take the fight elsewhere. Your home is fine, dude. Let it go."
"Let it go!?" Knuckles snarled as he clenched his fists. "I-"
"I'd love to stay and chat with you, Knuckles. But I promised Honey I'd do something for her later," Sonic replied. "Sorry for disturbing your home, Knuckles. I'll make it up to you another time. Blaze, it was nice to see you. I'll catch you all later!"
With that, Sonic took off at the speed of light – leaving a dust cloud shaped like him behind.
Knuckles coughed and wiped it away, mumbling to himself. "I can't stand him sometimes! He knows how important my home is to me, yet he allowed Eggman to follow him there! It makes no sense!"
"Sonic's known to be pretty reckless," Silver nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry Dr. Eggman made it to Angel Island, Knuckles."
"Eh, I'm not mad at you, Silver. You're right. I know Sonic and he is reckless. Which allows him to make dumb decisions."
"Now, hold on," Amy intervened. "Sonic's not always like that. He knows how valuable Angel Island and The Master Emerald are to you; he just wanted to ask you for help. Like he said, he didn't think Eggman would follow him. Besides, he came up with a plan and saved the day. Is he reckless sometimes? Yes. But I know he would never intentionally bring danger to your home."
"This isn't the first time he's done so. There have been several times where he brought trouble to my island."
"When?"
"Well, there was a time he and Tails were flying Metal Sonic in the Tornado. They crashed in Mushroom Hill Zone, so I had to smash Metal Sonic with a giant boulder."
"That sounds like it was an accident."
"Oh, yeah? What about another time when I had to leave my post because he was fighting a Badnik Horde in Lava Mountain?"
"I was there too. Dr. Eggman sent a fleet over to your island, so we came to help stop it."
"All right, I'll admit I misjudged that one. But what about the time he pretended to steal the Master Emerald, so I had to rush back to Angel Island while I was in Central City shopping!?"
"I'll admit, that was mean. But he did that so we could get you back home for your surprise party."
Knuckles folded his arms and sighed annoyingly.
"I've known Sonic for a long time," Amy replied. "He has his flaws, but he's a sweet guy."
"I can agree with that, but if you've known him for as long as I have, you'd understand why he irritates me easily."
Amy paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Not that it's a competition, but I've known Sonic longer than you."
"Yes, but I know more about him."
"Amy," Blaze said as she stepped between the bickering duo. "This doesn't matter. Let's just go to the beach and-"
"Wait, wait, hold on," Amy interrupted as she gently pushed her aside. She pointed a finger at Knuckles' nose and asked, "Prove it. Where was Sonic born?"
"Christmas Island."
"Why did he leave?"
"To explore the world."
"When Eggman was called Robotnik, what nickname did Sonic give him?"
"Ro-butt-nik," Knuckles grinned. "Now, let's quiz you. What were Sonic's dumb catchphrases when he was younger?"
"Way past cool!"
"And?"
"Gotta juice!"
"What does this achieve?" Silver finally asked.
"That I know Sonic better than she does," Knuckles replied before he turned to Amy. "Heck, Silver knows him better than you do."
"Oh, no. Don't drag me into this."
"Okay, Silver," Amy said. "What's Sonic's favorite food?"
"Chili dogs. But everyone knows that."
"True, but what additional toppings does he put on them?"
"Cheese and bacon bits."
"If he can't find the latter, what does he use as a substitute?"
"What do I look like? His personal chef?"
"Crispy onions," Blaze answered.
"Yes!" Amy guffawed, pointing to her lavender friend. "See? Even Blaze knows him better than you do, Knuckles."
"I don't wish to be a part of this," the cat gulped.
"Then why did you answer?" Knuckles asked.
"Instinct."
Amy made another remark towards Knuckles, but before she could do so, the group heard a snicker from the right.
"Amateurs."
They turned in that direction and saw two Mobian birds – one green and one purple – sitting by a round table with calzones on their plates. Knuckles and Amy glared at the two as Silver and Blaze shared a confused glance.
"Excuse us?" the pink hedgehog asked.
Both birds – grinning heavily – turned to the group. They were Wave the Swallow and Jet the Hawk; two members of The Babylon Rogues.
"I said… amateurs," the latter repeated.
Amy and Knuckles sighed and facepalmed.
"Jet and Wave?" the former groaned. "Now of all times."
"Sonic's already cocky, but this guy?" Knuckles said, pointing to the wind master. "Much worse."
"Who are these two again?" Silver whispered to Blaze.
"No idea."
"What are you guys doing here?" Amy inquired.
"Jet and I were enjoying some lunch when you guys decided to play with Eggman's mechanical toy," Wave answered with a smirk. "We were about to get back to eating, but it's hard to enjoy the sincerity when you guys are flapping your gums about Sonic."
"I'll just make this quick," Jet said. "If there's one person that knows Sonic, it's me."
Amy and Knuckles exchanged a disapproving glance.
"You know Sonic better than us?" the former said with sarcastic disbelief.
"Of course," the green hawk smiled proudly. "Gotta know your opponent if you want to beat them in racing. Don't believe me? Quiz me."
"Okay," Amy nodded with a cocky smirk. "What is Sonic's biggest fear."
"Drowning."
"Wrong!" Amy replied, mocking the sound a game show has when a player gets the question wrong. "It's water."
"Not true. I've seen Sonic run across water at top speed. He doesn't like being underwater because he's a poor swimmer."
"You're lying!"
"He's not lying, Amy," Blaze chimed in with her arms folded. "When Sonic and Tails ventured to my world to stop Captain Whisker, they traversed through the ocean on jet skis. During our adventure, Sonic expressed his hatred for swimming, but he isn't aquaphobic."
Jet had the biggest grin upon hearing that.
Knuckles rolled his eyes and gave a dismissive wave. "Whatever. Doesn't change the fact I know Sonic better."
"Whatever, Mutt," Wave replied with a shrug. "Come on, Jet. We've wasted enough time with these guys. Let's get back to Zeppelin so I can finish those new gear prototypes."
"Sure thing," Jet nodded. The two prepared to walk away from a glaring pink hedgehog. In the process, the green hawk commented into his friend's ear. "You know, if this argument was a game show, you and I would win easily."
Amy was about to continue her conflict with Knuckles when both ears processed what she just heard. Pausing for a few seconds, her mind became as still as a stone. She repeated what Jet said in her head a few times before she snapped her fingers and smiled brightly.
"Jet! Wave! Hold on!"
Both Babylon Rogues stopped as Amy approached them with her finger pointed upward.
"That's not a bad idea."
"What?" Blaze inquired.
"We'll have a competition," Amy continued. "Since we're all bent on proving we know Sonic better than the other, we'll settle the score in a friendly competition."
"That sounds like a waste of time," Jet retorted as she continued to walk away. "Come on, Wave."
"Now, hold on," his mechanic smirked. "That sounds like fun."
"Unless there's money involved, we shouldn't participate," he turned to Amy only to ask, "What's the prize, Pinky?"
"First off, don't call me Pinky. Second, the prize can be…" Amy stroked her chin and thought about the award. "I dunno, a gold trophy or something."
"If there's no real reward, then pass," Jet replied coldly.
"Jet, you just said that if we were on a game show, we'd win," Wave said.
"It was just a joke. I didn't mean anything by it. If this was a race with cash, then I'd be all in. But a silly game show? No way."
Wave placed a hand on her leader's shoulder and grinned. "Look, I know it's not much but if we win, it'd be a nice victory for The Babylon Rogues. Besides, the gold trophy would look nice next to the others, right?"
The Legendary Wind Master paused to think about it. For years, The Babylon Rogues have won first place in Extreme Gear competitions and earned multiple awards as a result. There'd be nothing wrong with adding another prize to the collection. Jet nodded as he turned to Wave and grinned at Amy.
"All right, we're in. When does this competition start?"
"Tonight," Amy nodded.
"I'll have to get The Chaotix to watch The Master Emerald then," Knuckles said. "Where are we gonna meet up? How's this going to work?"
"We'll meet at Tails' Workshop. Speaking of which, I have to talk to him about the whole thing. He's known Sonic his entire life, so he can come up with all of the questions."
"I'll admit that," Jet whispered into Wave's ear.
"Yeah, the kid sure is a sucker," Wave chuckled.
"We'll compete in teams of two. Blaze and I will be one team, Knuckles and Silver will be the other, and Jet and Wave will be the last one. Like I said, Tails and I will work out the details, but whoever wins not only gets bragging rights, but they'll also win the prize."
Knuckles patted his namesakes in excitement as Jet and Wave clenched their fists. Silver and Blaze shared a worrisome glance.
"Sounds good to me!" the echidna cheered.
"We're gonna crush all of you," Wave nodded.
"Cool! Be ready by tonight," Amy said as she ran off down the road. "See you all there!"
"Wait!" Blaze shouted as she ran after her with several bags of clothes on her neck and shoulders. "You forgot our new clothes!"
As Jet and Wave walked away from the scene, Knuckles turned to Silver who was less than excited about the whole thing.
"Something wrong, Silver?"
"I don't know about this, Knuckles. I'm sure it's fun, but it's also pointless. Does it matter which one of us knows more about Sonic?"
"Hey, don't be mad at me. Amy's the one who started this whole thing."
"Yeah, but shouldn't you be focused on guarding The Master Emerald?"
"I'm going to do that until tonight. Before I leave, I'll have The Chaotix watch over it. Besides, this would be a great way to follow Tikal's teachings. She knows of my responsibilities, but she encourages me to take breaks and live life now and then. Plus, the games will be over in a breeze. We'll win this one. See you tonight, Silver."
Knuckles leaped into the air and glided away, leaving the white hedgehog all by himself.
He let out a low sigh and asked, "How do I get myself into these things?"
End of Chapter 1