"The Sonic Test"
Written by SpiderDom321
Chapter 3
~Tails' Workshop – Mystic Ruins – Night
After waiting for Tails, Storm, and Omochao to set up the next round – all three teams came from backstage and waved to a cheering crowd surrounding them. They saw the host and his assistants standing in the middle of the workshop, where a giant TV screen displayed the words "Round 2" in golden text. There were no podiums this time, so the three teams stood beside one another and waited for the match to begin.
Omochao simmered the audience down by waving his hands and nodded to Tails, who smiled and spoke to his contestants.
"Welcome everyone to round two! Much like the first round, you'll be answering trivia questions about Sonic. However, rounds two and three will be different. Instead of going one at a time, you'll all be guessing the answers first. In other words, a question will pop up, and your team will have to shout out the answer first. Whoever gets the most correct wins the round."
Team Fighters shared a glance and fist-bumped.
Team Rose smiled and held hands.
Team Babylon folded their arms and smirked.
"This should be easy," Jet said, cracking his fingers. "If I'm the fastest on an Extreme Gear, then I'm the fastest anywhere."
"Cute of you to think you still know everything about Sonic," Amy retorted.
"I beat you in the first round, didn't I?" the bird chuckled, hearing the pink hedgehog chuckle.
"Ignore him, Amy," Blaze said, patting her friend's shoulder. "The game's still young, so we may have a chance to win."
She took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. "You're right, Blaze. Let's show them who's boss."
"I still think this was a dumb idea," Silver rolled his eyes. "But at least I'm having some fun."
"We'll be having more fun once we mob the floor with everyone," Knuckles cracked his namesakes. "I don't even care about that trophy."
"More prizes for us then," Wave said.
"Before we get started, allow me to share the next two rounds' categories," Tails continued as he signaled Storm to load the titles up on the screen. The first title appeared, and Tails read it aloud, "Round two will be… Alternate Forms."
Storm tapped a button, and a second title shined brightly, "And our final round will be… Favorite Places."
As the crowd roared with excitement, the three teams shot each other smirks and glares, feeling determined to win.
"Before we get into the second round," Tails resumed. "I want to explain a few things. I'll be showing pictures of Sonic's alternate forms on screen. However, here's the challenge… they won't be colored."
The three fighters raised their eyebrows.
"They'll be silhouettes," the host pointed upward. "Your job is to guess the alternate form based on the picture you'll see. Whoever guesses it first gets the point. The team that gets the most correct wins the round. Are you guys ready?"
"Yeah!" everyone including the audience shouted.
Tails was startled by how loud the response was. "I was talking to the contestants, but it's nice to know everyone else is excited too. That said, let's begin!"
The round began when the TV flashed white and showed a black picture of Sonic on screen. As explained, there was no color. Sonic was in a pose where both fists were clenched, and one knee was bent. His quills pointed upward, and his body leaned back, making it look like he was in a flight pose. All three teams squinted their eyes and analyzed the picture, trying to guess what it was based on limited details. Team Rose shared a couple of guesses amongst themselves, as Team Babylon scratched their heads. Silver and Knuckles tilted their heads left and right before they suddenly gasped.
They shouted, "Super Sonic!"
"That is correct!" Tails exclaimed. "Team Fighters gets the point!"
A silhouette revealed its true self – a picture of Super Sonic flying around.
Team Rose facepalmed along with their Babylonian opponents.
"Nice work, Team Fighters," Tails said. "Let's move on!"
Another picture had loaded on the screen. This time, Sonic looked very different. His hands and biceps were more muscular than usual, and his quills were longer. Sharp claws were on the tip of his fingers, matching the spikes that were on his shoes. The picture had him in a dynamic pose; he was screaming into the air.
"I know this one!" Knuckles said. "That's-"
"The Werehog!" Amy intervened.
"Dang it!"
"Werehog is correct!" Tails exclaimed.
The full picture appeared, showing a horrifying image of Sonic howling.
"Interesting," Wave stroked her chin. "How did that happen?"
"Who cares!?" Jet snarled. "We're losing!"
"Two more to go!" Tails said. "Let's keep it going!"
The third picture appeared and this time, the three teams felt confused. It was a picture of Sonic with slightly longer quills and open hands. Much like the first picture, he was in a flying pose. What threw the teams off was the inclusion of black, fiery details. They were on Sonic's shoulders, wrists, and feet.
All three teams pondered what this could be.
"What on Mobius is this one?" Jet asked.
"Shouldn't you know?" Wave inquired. "You're the one who claims to know everything about Sonic."
"Who's side are you on all of a sudden?" he barked back. "Shut up and help me guess what this is!"
"That's not his regular form, is it?" Silver whispered to Knuckles, who shook his head.
"No. Regular Sonic doesn't control fire."
"He didn't get this power in your dimension, did he?" Amy asked.
"No, he didn't," Blaze scratched her head. "He told me about a time he controlled fire, but the details illude me at the moment."
"Fire Sonic!" Jet shouted, but Omochao made the wrong buzzer sound.
"Sorry, Jet. That's incorrect," Tails replied.
"Burning Sonic!" Silver added.
"That's Blaze's Super Form, you idiot," Knuckles groaned.
"That's incorrect too," Tails said.
"The name doesn't have anything to do with fire," Blaze stroked her chin. "He said it was purple… and he had golden rings. He used this form to save a genie from an evil warlord."
"Purple Sonic! Ring Sonic! Violet Gold Sonic!" Jet screamed over and over.
"None of those are correct, Jet," Tails shook his head.
"Evil Sonic?" Knuckles said.
"Nope,"
"Dark Sonic!" Silver guessed.
"Close, but that's incorrect."
"Dark…" Blaze whispered to herself as she snapped her fingers and widened her eyes. "Darkspine Sonic!"
"That is correct!" Tails cheered proudly.
An image of Darkspine Sonic – a form he took up when he defeated the evil Erazor Djinn – appeared on the screen. He was purple and white with golden rings around his wrists and ankles. Surrounding him were waves of fire. The audience cheered and clapped for Team Rose as Amy hugged Blaze and laughed with joy. Team Babylon kicked themselves as Knuckles and Silver shook their heads, feeling embarrassed they didn't get that right.
"Team Fighters and Team Rose, you guys are tied," Tails said. "If one of you gets this question right, the game is yours. Storm, load up the final image!"
The last picture appeared on screen and showed Sonic – once again – in a mid-flight pose. This time, nothing was too different; his quills were the same length and so were his shoes. However, the team noticed some interesting features; a long cape flowed over his shoulder, and in his hand was a long-bladed sword.
"Excalibur Sonic!" Team Fighters shouted.
"Unbelievable!" Tails gasped with amusement. "Excalibur is correct!"
The golden armored hedgehog appeared on the screen.
Team Babylon grunted in frustration as Amy widened her eyes with shock. She recalled the time Sonic told her he traveled into medieval times to stop an evil knight followed by a ruthless sorceress. At that time, they were about to head out on a date. At first, she thought it was a lame excuse for him to ditch her, but after maturing over time, she realized that was true. She had the guess right there, but was surprised – and annoyed – that Knuckles and Silver stole it from her. She turned to them and shrugged.
"How did you guess that!?"
"Because I know Sonic," Knuckles smirked as he folded his arms. "Plus, he told me the story behind it. It was the same day you accused him of ditching you guys' date. Therefore, you decided to beat him up."
"How was I supposed to know he was telling the truth at the time?" Amy blushed with embarrassment. Blaze comforted her by patting her shoulders.
"Well done, Team Fighters!" Tails congratulated. "Round two is yours!"
Knuckles and Silver shared several high-fives and fist-bumps as the audience went crazy over their win.
"Team Babylon and Team Fighters are tied," Tails continued. "Let's move on to the last round and see who the winner is."
"We gotta step up our game, Wave," Jet said to her. "Last round was embarrassing."
"Agreed," she nodded. "But we still have the advantage. Sure, we're tied with those other losers, but if we win this, the game's ours. Now come on, let's dig deep and win this!"
"If there's one thing The Babylon Rogues don't do, it's lose. Time to leave them in the dust."
Jet and Wave shook hands and prepared for the next match.
"Dang it!" Amy slapped a fist against her hand. "We're losing badly. We gotta pull it together for this one, Blaze. Losing to Knuckles would be bad, but losing to The Babylon Rogues is a different story. The category is Favorite Places. Sonic's told me a lot about places he's traveled to; he's always out exploring the world. I have no doubt we can ace this round."
"Yeah… about that," Blaze replied nervously.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just…" she folded her arms and took a deep breath. "Look, I'm not having a bad time or anything, but I think this contest between you and Knuckles has gotten out of control."
"Out of control would be if Eggman showed up with a Badnik Horde," Amy retorted kindly. "I'm doing this because he's the one that started the argument."
"That's because I was mad Sonic lured that giant robot to my island!" Knuckles replied, overhearing the conversation. "You're the one that challenged me to this game show. I don't care about the trophy; I just want to prove you wrong!"
"You'll be eating your words once Blaze and I are done with you!"
"Likewise! Silver and I already won this round. Let's see how you do in the next one!"
"Heh, they fight like children," Wave commented. "If that keeps up, we'll win no problem."
"All right, teams!" Tails called everyone back. "Allow me to explain the final round's rules. As I mentioned before, the category is Sonic's Favorite Places. Sonic's traveled all over the world. He's visited new locations, discovered civilizations, met people both friendly and non-friendly, and studied their cultures. I will be reading descriptions of some of these places, and your job will be to guess what their names are. Whoever gets the most correct wins the game. Are you all ready?"
"You know it!" Knuckles clapped his fists together.
"Let's do it to it!" Amy declared.
"I ain't losing this one!" Jet smirked.
"Then let the battle begin!" Tails shouted.
With the flick of a switch, Storm loaded the first description and Tails read it to the players. "The place where Sonic first encountered the sinister Dr. Eggman. A giant field blessed with greenery and crystal-clear lakes. Whether it's running through the loop-de-loops or speeding across the checkboard dirt, this place will always have a soft spot in Sonic's heart. What place am I referring to?"
"Green Hill!" everyone shouted.
"You all get a point!"
The audience cheered and clapped as the teams prepared for the next question.
"Next up!" Tails yelled. "An ancient, aerial temple that doubles as a sacred territory. Sonic's not allowed this place very much; however, he occasionally sneaks around just to take in the sights. It's located high above the clouds and is part of a floating paradise."
"Sky Sanctuary!" Knuckles called out.
"Correct!"
Team Fighters celebrated their point.
"Wait, did you just say he sneaks up there from time to time?" the echidna asked. "I'm gonna kill him."
Tails ignored Knuckles' comment and read the next description. "Sonic visited this place many years ago when Dr. Eggman attempted to steal valuable gemstones from it. With geography similar to our planet, this place is a small astronomical body that only shows up once a month every year."
"Little Planet!" Amy and Blaze shouted.
"Correct!"
"Dang it!" Jet snarled. "Almost had that one!"
"We'll get the next one, Jet," Wave reassured him. "We're not done yet!"
"A planet located in the outer reaches of space, it's home to several creatures that granted Sonic various abilities such as Laser, Drill, and Rocket. Sonic visited this planet when it was taken hostage by Dr. Eggman, who was using the creatures' energy to fuel his Mind Control Ray. While Sonic doesn't go to this place due to it being far away, he's stopped by every now and then to check on the inhabitants."
"Wisp Planet!" Jet called out.
Tails raised an eyebrow and scratched his head. "Um…"
He turned to Omochao and Storm. The latter smirked and nodded whereas the former just shrugged.
"I guess we'll let you have that one," Tails replied. "That's correct."
"Yes!" Jet exclaimed as he high-fived his partner.
"Come on, he didn't even get the name right!" Amy grunted.
"In his defense, he was close," Blaze said.
Tails cleared his throat and read the next location aloud, "Moving on. This location is set within an urban city setting. Sonic's admired it for its futuristic nature and it's where he practices his Extreme Gear tricks. It's located above an ordinary city where the streets are made of light gray metal and glass. Cars have been known to drive recklessly, which forces Sonic to be careful when he's racing on his Gear."
Jet had a cocky grin as he and Wave said, "Metal City!"
"Metal City!" Team Fighters and Team Rose called out.
"Sorry, guys," Tails shook his head. "Team Babylon said it first. They get the point."
"Let's go, Team Babylon!" Storm cheered.
"What did I tell you about doing that!?" the host asked annoyingly. He rolled his eyes and kept reading. "Next location – The highest-rated entertainment center found within Station Square, it's a place where Sonic and made and lost money playing with the slot machines. There's a golden statue of him in the middle of the hall surrounded by bright spotlights. When he's not testing his luck with the machines, he's usually perfecting his pinball skills where he gets the honor of being the ball."
"Casino Park!" Wave called out.
"No!" Jet gasped.
"You're on the right track, but that's not it," Tails said.
"Casinopolis!" Team Rose answered in unison.
"Correct! Another point for Team Rose!"
Amy and Blaze shared a fist bump.
"I've always told Sonic he had a gambling problem," Silver sighed.
"Last location," Tails announced proudly. "Considered to be the art capital of Mobius, this nation-state is known for its rich cultural heritage and heavenly cuisine. Sonic and his old friend Chip aka Light Gaia have made frequent visits here during the Shattered World Crisis, where they worked to find the Gaia Temple and dine on the delicious foods. Sonic comes here to try the noodles, but also seek out Don Faccio and his iconic dish: The Brainiac Dog… don't ask me why it's called that."
"Apotos!" Silver said.
"No, that's incorrect."
"Empire City!" Jet smirked.
"Nope."
"Spagonia!" Blaze answered.
"That's correct! Team Rose wins the round!"
Once again, dozens of fans in the crowd cheered, barked, and applauded the winning team.
Amy and Blaze clapped, held hands, and shared a tight hug. Everyone except Silver groaned in annoyance. Tails and Omochao joined the audience in clapping until they signaled everyone to settle down. Silver was about to comfort Knuckles and tell him their loss shouldn't matter; however, he couldn't help but notice something. Team Babylon won the first round, he and Knuckles won the last one, and Team Rose had just scored a point. Using mental math, Silver raised an eyebrow and held his hand up high.
"Yes, Silver? You have a question?"
"Yeah, Tails. I just noticed… if you go back and check the scores, you'll notice we all won a round each."
"Hate to say it, but he's right," Wave added. "This means we're all tied."
"You've got to be kidding me," Jet scoffed. "Who wins the game then?"
"Good thinking, you two," Tails nodded. "But not to worry, I noticed this too. I had a feeling this was going to happen, which is why I planned a special final round."
He reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out a deck of white cards with a golden outline. "And that is… The Lightning Round!"
As the audience roared with excitement, Storm flicked a lever on the console and showed a graphic of Sonic running so fast, that blue lightning was shooting off of his body. All three teams shared determined glances with one another, ready to show the competition who's boss.
Tails got off of his podium and approached the groups, announcing the rules of the finale. "I've prepared a series of flashcards with several questions about Sonic. Each team will have thirty seconds to answer as many questions as possible. As I've mentioned numerous times, whoever answers the most correctly wins the game."
"We're not gonna draw straws to see who goes first again, are we?" Knuckles asked.
"Why? Did you want to make another potato?" Jet cackled.
"Shut up!"
"No, Knuckles," Tails responded. "You don't have to draw straws again. Unless you guys want-"
"NO!" the teams shouted.
"Okay… say it, don't spray it," the host whimpered slightly. "Anyways, since Team Rose won the last round. They'll go first. Amy, Blaze, please step forward."
The audience clapped as both of them walked towards Tails.
Tails shuffled through the cards and asked both ladies, "Okay, Team Rose. Are you ready for this?"
"We were born ready!" Amy replied.
"Let's do this," Blaze added.
"Then the clock starts in three… two…" Tails motioned to Storm and pointed. "ONE!"
Storm slammed a red button and the countdown began.
Tails quickly read the first question, "What was Sonic's nickname when he was younger?"
"Mister Needlemouse!" Amy shouted.
"Correct! What does Sonic claim to be his favorite movie?"
"Chao In Space!" Blaze said.
"Correct! His actual favorite movie is..."
"Chao In Space 2!" Amy nodded.
"Correct!" Tails huffed, catching his breath. "For a while, Sonic referred to Eggman by this insult. Baldy Mc…"
"Nose hair!" they shouted together.
"Correct! How does Sonic cook bacon?"
"In the pan!" Amy guessed.
"I'm sorry, he cooks it in the oven."
"Which is the correct way to do it," Jet said as he glared at his friend. "Frying it in the pan gets grease everywhere."
"That was one time!" Wave retorted.
"It's also why we don't allow you in the kitchen," Storm added.
"Oh, shut up! You're the one wearing a dress!"
Tails pulled his attention back to Team Rose and kept reading, "Sonic has a distant cousin who he doesn't see a lot, but he comes over on occasion. That's cousin's name is…"
"Irish the Hedgehog!" they said together.
"Correct!"
Just before Tails was about to read the next question, the clock made a loud noise and the spotlights above flashed red.
"Time's up! Team Rose, well done! Team Babylon, you guys are next."
"Yeah, let's go-"
"SHUT UP, STORM!"
Jet and Wave approached the frustrated host as he composed himself and shuffled through more cards. "Are you two ready?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Jet grinned.
"Then let's begin in three… two… ONE!"
Storm reactivated the countdown clock, rooting for his team in silence.
"How does Sonic like his marshmallows?"
"Disgusting; he likes them burnt," Jet cringed.
"Correct! Sonic once had a crush on a girl when he was younger-"
Amy heard that and facepalmed. "Are you freakin' kidding me?"
"-but he didn't go through with it because she was a human, and he was a hedgehog. What was that woman's name?"
Jet and Wave scratched their heads.
"She's not a princess, is she?" the latter asked.
"No, he doesn't deal with those," her leader replied. He stroked his chin before he guessed. "Madonna!"
"Correct!" Tails nodded.
The Babylon Rogues high-fived each other.
"What's Sonic's favorite band?"
"The Forget Me Knots!" Wave yelled.
"That's correct! Who was his favorite member!"
"Max the Monkey!" Jet guessed.
"No, I'm sorry. It's Sharps the Chicken. Sonic's always liked people who play guitar."
"Dang it!"
"How does Sonic stay breathe underwater?"
"He sucks up air bubbles!" Jet and Wave said together.
"Correct! What Badnik does Sonic hate with a burning passion?"
"It's the mantis one, right?" Wave asked.
"Yes! A Slicer!" Jet beamed from ear to ear.
"Correct! What shoes did Sonic use to wear to grind on rails?"
"Soap Shoes!"
"Nice work, Wave."
The clock reached zero and the same sound rang again.
"Well done, Team Babylon," Tails clapped along with the audience. Both Rogues dapped their hands together, sharing proud smirks. "Team Fighters, you guys are last. Come on up!"
"Let's make this count," Knuckles nodded.
"Right," Silver nodded.
Team Fighters approached the host, who just finished scrolling through different cards. "All right, Team Fighters. This is your last chance to get back on top. Are you-"
"We're ready!" Knuckles interrupted. "Let's do this."
"Rude of you to cut me off, but I won't complain much. Your clock begins in three… two… ONE!"
Storm slammed the clock once more, which accidentally made a crack. Omochao glared at him, to which he smiled and shrugged.
"When did Sonic turn Super for the first time?"
"When he destroyed the Death Egg!" Knuckles replied.
"Correct! Sonic goes on an annual camping trip every year, who does he take with him?"
"You, Amy, Honey, Mighty, and Ray!" Silver said.
"Correct! Where does he go?"
"Sylvania Castle Zone!" Knuckles said.
"Correct!" Tails nodded, moving to the next card. "In what part of his body did Sonic get a pimple when he was younger?"
"Oh!" Knuckles clapped his hands together with widened eyes. He approached Tails and whispered the answer into his ear.
Upon hearing it, the fox cringed with disgust. "EWW, NO!"
Team Rose and Team Babylon mirrored the host's expression, having an idea of what Knuckles' answer was. The fox himself gagged and wiped his eyes, trying to steer clear of a gross mental image. Silver simply shook his head and gently facepalmed.
"It was on his shoulder," he corrected, which made Knuckles shrug; he didn't care if he got the question wrong as he figured it was worth a shot. "Moving on… when Sonic challenges Shadow to a race, where do they usually go?"
"Across Westside Island and back," Silver answered.
"That's correct," Tails nodded, shifting to another card. "How many gold rings does Sonic collect?"
"Nine-hundred and ninety-nine," the duo said in sync.
"Correct!"
"Oh, boy," Amy gulped under her breath. "I hope they get another question wrong."
"Besides Extreme Gear racing, what's Sonic's favorite sport?"
Stumped, Knuckles and Silver widened their eyes and huddled together. They took turns guessing the answer.
"Basketball?" the latter asked.
"No, that's Shadow's favorite," the former shook his head. He stroked his chin and replied, "I think it's golf."
"No, he finds that too boring."
"Ten seconds on the clock!" Tails called out.
Knuckles and Silver gasped and exchanged more answers in secret, listing several different sports they could think of. It wasn't football and it definitely wasn't tennis. Grunting, Knuckles tapped his head as Silver dug deep into his thoughts, thinking which sport could be the correct one.
The clock reached down to three seconds.
Just before it ran out of time, Knuckles and Silver quickly exchanged a glance before shouting, "Baseball!"
The clock's alarm wailed as Tails looked at the worried duo. Standing still for a few seconds, he smiled and nodded. "Unbelievable…"
Team Rose and Team Fighters stood in anticipation, wondering what the end result was.
Knuckles and Silver stared at the host until they heard, "Baseball is correct!"
With that, the audience cheered and roared as the two warriors shared their enthusiasm. They slapped their hands together and struck a dynamic pose; Knuckles clenched his fists and swung them around as Silver levitated off the ground, flying around his partner. With one last high-five, they returned to their station as the other teams silently prayed for their victory.
Omochao calmed the audience down once more as Tails prepared his announcement. "Well done, teams. It's clear you all know Sonic well. Storm's been tracking your scores, and we'll display them shortly. Whoever wins this round not only gets the trophy, but wins the game… oh, and bragging rights. Can't forget about those, ha-ha. Let's see those final scores, shall we? But first… Omochao, would you mind?"
Omochao – who had a drum around its neck – twirled two wooden sticks and played a classic drum roll.
All three teams knew they did well; however, there could only be one winner and each of them knew it was going to be them. Amy and Knuckles shared a smirk as Blaze and Silver waited patiently. Wave crossed her fingers together while Jet folded his arms. Storm, adjusting his dress, prayed for his team to take home the gold. Tails stood there was the first score popped up on the TV. A green text reading "Team Babylon" appeared and showcased their score.
5 points.
"Yes!" Jet cheered as he fist-bumped Wave. "Beat that, chumps!"
The competition growled in frustration as Team Rose's name displayed itself. With that, came another score.
5 points.
"Yes!" Amy clapped along with the audience. But in the middle of her celebration, she couldn't help but notice something off. Five points? They scored the same as Team Babylon. How could this be? "Wait… what?"
Soon, Team Fighters' score was revealed.
5 points.
"What?" Knuckles inquired, scratching his head.
The audience was about to do their usual thing; however, they paused and read the scores to themselves. Some people gasped whereas others groaned in annoyance. Even Tails and Storm were bamboozled by the results. They glanced at one another before they turned to Omochao, who shrugged its shoulders and tossed the drum aside.
The orang-furred host didn't know what to say.
"I… Um… huh…"
All three teams stared at the screen, feeling a loss for words.
A moratorium occurred within the room, lasting for about fifteen seconds. It was so quiet; a grasshopper's chirp could be heard in the corner.
"Um…" Amy spoke up. "Is there another round by any chance?"
"Yeah," Wave added. "That'll determine the score."
Tails slowly turned towards the three groups. "Yeah, about that… I only planned four rounds."
Amy's face dropped like a rock. "…what?"
"I-I didn't think you guys would get a tie in the lightning round," Tails continued, tugging his red tie. "I didn't plan any more rounds after this…"
Another moment of silence sparked the room.
Tails cleared his throat, getting back into his game-show host persona. "Which means everyone here is a winner!"
Unlike the last few times, only a few members of the audience celebrated the teams as others booed and demanded a recount. Ignoring the naysayers, Tails ran towards the end of his workshop and opened the doors, revealing a starry night sky and a bright white moon.
"Thank you all so much for coming! See you all next time and have a great night!"
Relieved that the game was finally over, Blaze and Silver walked towards each other and talked amongst themselves. Despite being against the idea initially, both of them had a lot of fun. They took turns sharing highlights from the show's events but also expressed concern for their teammates. Speaking of which, Amy and Knuckles had the same expression; shock.
No way that was the end. There's no way Tails – who's considered the smartest in their circle of friends – only planned four rounds of trivia questions. Both of them looked at each other with fire in their eyes. As they walked toward Tails, Storm ripped off his blue dress and threw it in the trash can. Wave couldn't help but chuckle at that as Jet rolled his eyes, folding both arms tight.
Tails waved goodbye to everyone as the last Mobian, who shouted Jet's name at the top of her lungs, walked outside. Closing the doors, Tails took off his tuxedo and stretched his arms. Letting out a loud yawn, he scratched his back and flexed his twin namesakes. Walking towards the group, he looked around at the bleachers and gave them a dismissive wave.
"I'll clean those up in the morning," he said. "I had a lot of fun, guys. Thanks for playing."
"Hold on," Amy halted him. "Are you forgetting something?"
"Am I?" the kitsune rubbed his ears before snapping his fingers. "Oh, yeah. The trophy! Uh… I don't know. Take turns with it or something. Maybe Knuckles has it for one week, then you have it for the other. What you do with it is none of my concern."
"That's not what she meant," Knuckles grunted. "There's no way the game ended in a tie. We demand a recount!"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Silver sighed. "I thought we were done."
"Guess not," Blaze said, copying what he just did. "We better step in before things get out of hand."
"You make it seem like that hasn't happened already."
"Tails, how is it a tie?" Amy asked. "There's no way that's possible. Blaze and I won Round 2 and we got five points on the lightning round."
"Correct, but so did everyone else," Tails retorted. "As I explained in the beginning, a point's rewarded to the team that wins a round. Jet and Wave won the first round, Knuckles and Silver won the second, and you and Blaze won the third. The lightning round was supposed to determine who takes the game, but since you all got the same score, it means you all tied. Therefore – repeating what I said before – everyone's a winner!"
He paused for a moment to yawn. "Now, if you excuse me… I gotta go to bed."
"As do we," Jet said, repeating the same gesture. "This has been a waste of time. Let's go, Rogues."
"What about the trophy, Boss?" Storm asked.
"Meh, it's not even worth stealing," he answered as he pointed to everyone else. "The next time one of you sees that blue rascal, tell him we're settling things on the track."
With that, The Babylon Rogues opened the exit door and left.
"Tails, come on," Amy pleaded. "We gotta do one more round."
"Yeah!" Knuckles nodded.
"Okay, what's the origin of this conflict between you and Knuckles?" Tails asked annoyingly. "When you pitched this to me, you made it seem like it was just for laughs. Now, I'm sensing there's more to it. What's going on?"
"We can explain," Silver said. "Earlier today, Sonic and I were ambushed by Dr. Eggman – who brought out a Super Badnik called Silver Sonic. It was too tough for us to take down, so we went over to Angel Island to get Knuckles' help. Unfortunately, the robot followed us there and Knuckles got mad. We took the fight to Station Square-"
"-where Amy and I lent a hand," Blaze followed up. "After the Super Badnik was defeated, Sonic ran off. Knuckles was still upset about the robot being on Angel Island, and he started insulting Sonic. Amy defended him and in the process, Knuckles claimed to know Sonic better than she did."
"How did The Babylon Rogues get involved?" Tails inquired.
"Eavesdropping."
"Ah, that makes sense," he replied, turning to both Amy and Knuckles. "Knuckles, I understand why you're upset. Angel Island's your home and you don't want to see it invaded; however, I don't think Sonic intentionally led Eggman to it. I'm also sure he apologized for it. And Amy, I know how you feel about Sonic, so it makes sense you'd stick up for him. But does it really matter who knows him better? Sonic's our friend, there are things we know and there are things we don't know. Heck, I've known him for a long time, and I bet there are things I don't even know about."
"Obviously, you know he's an idiot," Knuckles snarled.
"No, he's not!" Amy snapped back. "He's a hero!"
"An idiotic hero! Face it, Amy. I know him better than you do! I don't need some dumb game show to tell me that!"
"Then why don't we make our own final round?" Amy growled, clenching her fists. "What's Sonic's favorite color?"
"Red. Who's his best friend?"
"That's a stupid one. Everyone knows it's Tails."
"Guys, come on," Silver groaned. "The game's over. Let it go!"
"Amy…" Blaze said sternly.
"Where did Sonic get locked up in prison?" Knuckles asked.
"Prison Island! What did Sonic get me for my birthday last year?"
"A coconut cream pie. Which I did most of the work, by the way."
Knuckles and Amy started to bicker, shouting different questions and answers like bullets fired from a gun. Silver and Blaze – now getting irritated – approached the combatants and tried to stop them. Tails did the same thing by standing in the middle, but that didn't stop Amy and Knuckles from getting in each other's faces, shouting louder and louder.
Everyone in the workshop argued for a minute or two before they heard a louder noise come from their right.
WHAAAAAAAAAAM!
A tambourine echoed across the workshop, startling everyone. Tails and Blaze held their ears as everyone else cringed and shut their eyes. They all jumped to the right, wondering where the noise came from.
Their answer came in the form of The Blue Blur himself, who leaned against the bleachers with two golden symbols in his hands. A grin painted itself across his face as he handed the instruments back to Omochao.
"Thanks, Omochao," the cobalt hedgehog said. The mini robot took them back and floated away. Sonic cracked his fingers and approached the group, relieved their arguing came to a halt. "You guys must really love me if you're fighting about me. Heck, you all love me so much, that you decided to make an entire game show about me."
"Where did you come from?" Blaze asked. "How long were you here?"
"I was hiding backstage," Sonic replied, stretching his arms. "I would've gone near the bleachers, but I didn't want to hog the spotlight from you guys. That said, it's time I end this once and for all."
He started by walking up to Knuckles, who was less than excited to see him. "Knuckles, I know we talked about this earlier, but I'll admit, it wasn't my best apology. That said, I'm sorry I led Eggman and Silver Sonic to Angel Island. I didn't mean to put your home in danger like that. Going forward, I'll give you a call the next time I need help smashing Badniks."
Hearing that made Knuckles soften up. In other words, he relaxed his shoulders and took a deep breath. "It's… it's okay. I know you'd never intentionally endanger my homeland. I'm… sorry I got mad at you."
"It's cool," Sonic winked. He then approached Amy, wrapping his arm around her. She couldn't help but blush, but she hid it from the others. "Now for you. I appreciate you sticking up for me, Ames. But this whole game show – as fun as it was to watch – was really silly. I have a lot of friends that know about me, but the only person that knows everything… is me. I am who I am, and there's nothing I'd do to change."
Amy smiled upon hearing that and gave him a tight hug. "And that's one of the many reasons I admire you so much."
She let him go and gave someone an overdue apology. "Blaze, I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
"Same here, Silver," Knuckles added.
"I didn't mean to ruin your vacation. I'd love to do something fun tomorrow to make it up to you."
"I'd love that, Amy," Blaze smiled. "And it's okay. This was fun. Tails crafted a really good show."
"Why, thank you," the fox bowed. "About time someone complimented my craftsmanship."
Sonic nudged him and chuckled.
"I forgive you too, Knuckles," Silver said. "It was… fun being your teammate, heh-heh. It was also one of the only times I let myself loose and had some fun. Although, the next time we do this, can we accept a tie and not argue like children?"
"Sure thing," Knuckles laughed as he pounded Silver's fist.
"Is everyone all good?" Sonic asked. "It's getting sappy with all of the apologies in here."
Everyone chuckled whereas Knuckles rolled his eyes.
"We're good," they said together.
"Good," Sonic winked as he gave a thumbs up. He released a loud yawn and scratched his back quills. "That said, I had a long day and I'm tired. I got into a fight with The Hooligans and raced Shadow across Central City. If he asks, I totally got first place. Mind if I crash here, Tails?"
"Sure thing," Tails replied.
As the best friends walked off to bed, the others headed toward the door. Just as Knuckles got it open, a sudden thought popped into Amy's head. Her green eyes widened and her whole body froze in place. Noticing this, Blaze raised an eyebrow. Just before she could ask what was wrong, a deadly smirk slowly spread across the hedgehog's face. Turning around, she took a few steps forward and watched Sonic leap onto Tails' couch.
"Hey, Sonic."
Resting his head on a pillow, Sonic looked at her with one eye open. "Hmm? What's up, Ames?"
"When were you going to tell me about Tiara Boobowski?"
Hearing that caused Knuckles and Silver to stop in place and share a worried glance.
"Uh, oh…" the former uttered.
Sonic's eyes shot open like a light as he looked at Amy. Even though he'd been watching the show, he forgot Tiara was mentioned in one of Round One's questions. For as long as he can remember, he's always told everyone he doesn't like romance; however, the only people who knew about a relationship were Tails and Knuckles. He told himself that he wouldn't share that information with another soul. Guess he should have known better because now the cat's out of the bag.
"W-who?" he asked, pretending to play dumb.
"Nice try, Sonic," Amy folded her arms. "But I know better."
"For the record… that relationship was years ago, and it wasn't that serious."
"Didn't you offer to make her a necklace made out of the Chaos Emeralds?"
"Knuckles, shut up. You're not helping!"
"It's okay, Sonic," Amy said ominously. She pulled out her Piko-Piko hammer, gently patting it against her left palm. "I just want to know more about her."
Seeing the hammer brought back painful memories for Sonic. He got smacked whenever he'd anger Amy, but that hadn't happened in a long time. He didn't think he'd have to deal with that again. Sweat poured down his face and his eyes darted at the large weapon. With a soft gulp, he smiled nervously and quickly approached an exit door.
"On second thought, Tails… I think I'm gonna bunk with Cream for tonight. I'm sure she won't mind. Have a good night, guys. I'll see you later!"
In the blink of an eye, he dashed out the door – leaving behind a smoke trail shaped exactly like him.
"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! GET BACK HERRRRRRREEEEEE!" the pink hedgehog shouted as she ran after him at full speed.
Tails, Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze walked out the door and watched as Amy chased Sonic into the night. Their cobalt friend screamed his head off as he dodged and leaped over the hammer like his life depended on it. Sonic ducked underneath one swing and somersaulted forward, but Amy slammed her hammer in front of him and growled. Immediately jumping up, Sonic swerved around her and kept running.
Amy chased him down as they ran up a hill and disappeared into the woods.
Even though they couldn't see them, everyone still heard the screams.
"I may not know everything about Sonic," Knuckles spoke. "But I know one thing… he's never survived Amy's wrath."
Sonic called for help as Amy caught up to him, slamming her hammer against her back.
END OF STORY
Post-Story A/N: And with that comes the end of the story.
Originally, the story was supposed to be another chapter longer with one sequence being a montage of rounds. However, I felt it would affect the pacing of the story and ultimately drag it out. So, I just decided to have four rounds. For those who are Friends fans, I'm sure you can point out some references in the lightning round.
Before I send the story off, I figured I'd go over some "behind-the-scenes" trivia.
- Shadow was supposed to take Silver's role in an early draft, but realistically, Shadow wouldn't be interested in being on a game show. So, I thought I'd have Silver instead.
- Jet and Wave weren't supposed to be in the story originally; however, I wanted to include them and Storm for a fun factor. I was going to have Wave steal the trophy at the end when Jet left; however, I decided against it as I figured they wouldn't see much in the trophy - especially if it's shaped like Sonic.
- There was another category related to Sonic's Wisps powers, but that didn't have much to do with Sonic himself, so I scrapped it.
- I would have had Dr. Eggman participate in the game show, but honestly, he would have found some way to rig it and turn it into a death trap.
Thank you all so much for reading this story. Do let me know if you enjoyed it in the comment section below. Don't be afraid to give any constructive feedback, but please be nice as I don't accept flames. Thank you all again, and I'll see you all next time!
~SD321 (SpiderDom321)