Note: Cover Art Credit to Y2Khaos, Child designs for Tangle and Jewel were made by PocketScribbs. Further thanks to Toothy for the beta read, and Conga for the title name idea.

A duo of 3rd grade girls were attending another day of school. One was Tangle, a Lemur with an unusually stretchy tail and a knack for trouble. The other was Jewel, her beetle friend who tries her best to keep her out of any. As they took their seats, Tangle was expecting to be bored out of her mind, while Jewel was ready to learn. Both sat in the back.

The teacher of the class, a kind lady named Isabelle, got their attention. "Good morning class, we have a new student who will be joining us today. He's an orphan who should be here any minute now…"

Tangle was intrigued. She was always eager to see new faces. She tapped on Jewel's back with her tail, "Who do you think he is?"

Jewel tilted her head, "How am I supposed to know? He just moved here."

Right at that moment, a blue streak entered the classroom with enough speed to blow some papers off the teacher's desk. After stopping, there stood a blue hedgehog. This got starry eyes from Tangle, but the rest of the class had expressions varying from concern, horror, or amusement. The teacher was a bit annoyed, "That…certainly was a dramatic entrance. Care to introduce yourself?"

Sonic took a look at the class, and declared, "I'm Sonic The Hedgehog, the fastest thing alive!"

The teacher would sigh and then smile, "You have quite the ego, don't you? But…" The teacher then realized what seat was open and was filled with concern, "...Please take your seat in the back next to Tangle."

Sonic looked annoyed, "Do I have to, school is so boring…"

The teacher thought, This kid is going to be trouble isn't he…, she then insisted, "Yes Sonic, your speed may be impressive, but you need to learn like everybody else."

Sonic then reluctantly took a seat as requested. It was clear that Tangle was giddy at getting to have this cool new kid sitting next to her, which concerned Jewel. Tangle was about to ask Sonic a question, but Jewel put a hand on her friend's shoulder, shaking her head in order to encourage her to focus on the lesson. While waiting for class to end, Sonic tapped his foot impatiently but cautiously to not make too much noise, Tangle tried to focus while her tail gave away her struggle, Jewel was attentive to the lesson, and the rest of the class did their own stuff. Jewel was a bit concerned, Tangle's already impressed by him, isn't she?

Little did Jewel realize how much of an understatement that was…

(Many years later, on South Island)

It was another day in the lives of Sonic, Tangle, and Jewel. They arrived in a zone full of Green plants, water falls, totem poles, grand arches, and hills that were in fact the most common color of which plants have in the wild. As they arrived, Sonic asked, "We're in Green Hill, right?"

Tangle smirked, "No doubt about it!"

Jewel, the third wheel of this trio, didn't disagree, "Sure. So…How about we take it carefully through-"

Sonic and Tangle responded in kind, "As if!" And so they were off, Sonic speeding through, Tangle swinging around, and Jewel flying desperately to keep up. As they traversed the zone, Sonic found a Motobug. He stopped, suggesting, "Hey Tangle and Jewel, check this robot out!"

His friends quickly stopped to meet him where he stopped, Tangle giving shiny eyes to it, "Awwwww…That's the most adorable robot I've ever seen!"

Jewel, however, did not agree, "Why…"

Sonic patted his beetle friend on the back, "Lighten up, it's not like this thing could do us any har-" Sonic reacted to the sudden shock of being cut by one of the bug's incisors, "YEEOW…"

Tangle raised an eyebrow, "Sonic, I told you, you're not a cat."

Jewel sighed in frustration, "Tangle, that thing attacked him." Sonic was trying hard not to cry from the pain as Jewel pulled out her first aid kit and sighed, "You two are lucky I prepare for these things."

Tangle then grabbed the robot with the tail from behind, bringing it to her face, "You know, that wasn't very nice!" The robot gave an expression like it was sticking its tongue at her…but it lacked the tongue. Tangle grinned, "Okay, suit yourself." As she smashed the robot into the ground, breaking it to pieces and revealing something disturbing: A flicky had been housed inside the robot.

The three friends were in shock, Sonic suddenly being back on his feet. Jewel fortunately had just finished applying a band-aid on Sonic, but was frustrated how eager he and Tangle always were to get back to adventuring after any injury. Sonic asked, "Where did that come from?"

Tangle replied, "I don't know."

Jewel flew over to the flicky and kindly asked, "What happened to you? Why were you in that robot?"

The flicky chirped, Jewel listening intently. She was dumbfounded and horrified by what it said. After it finished, Sonic asked Jewel, "What did the flicky say?"

Jewel had a look of dread on her face, "It said a crazed doctor stuffed it in there"

Both of her friends' jaws dropped at the revelation, Sonic asking, "You have to be kidding."

Tangle agreed, "Why?! Who would want that?!"
Jewel glared in determination to defend such work, "No scientific committee I know of. Whoever did that is acting alone."

Sonic and Tangle suddenly had an expression of angry determination, Tangle responding while her tail tensed up and she prepared to threaten with a fist, "Whoever it was, we will make him pay!"

Sonic nodded with folded arms, "You got that right!"
Jewel agreed, "Neither of you think it could be a she."

The duo blushed in embarrassment, Tangle apologizing, "Sorry."

Sonic smiled and winked as he pointed a finger, "Cut us some slack, time to put our hands together!" Sonic put forth a hand to his friends.

Tangle cheerily joined in, "Oh, I love doing our cheer!"

Jewel grimaced, "Do we have to?"
Sonic and Tangle groaned, "Come on Jewel, please?"

Jewel sighed and smiled, "Okay…" And put her hand in with theirs.

Tangle then spoke, "And a one, and a two, and a one two three…"

They then lifted their arms out of the circle as they shouted, "TEAM SPIRAL!"

They sped through the zone quickly. Sonic would at one point shoot up way high from the S, causing Jewel to catch him in the air, "Sonic, you know landings from those heights could hurt you, right?"

Sonic rolled his eyes, "Geez, such a spoilsport Jewel."
Tangle giggled as she swung close behind, "Yeah Jewel. We can take care of ourselves!"

Jewel gave a counter-declaration, "Sure…I swear, if you two were cats, you would have blown through all 9 lives by now…" She finally dropped Sonic back to the ground, "Sheesh, you really could ease off on the Chili dogs."
Tangle looked at Jewel sternly, "Jewel, what did we say about that?"
Sonic got between his two friends, "It's fine Tangle. You know we can't help ourselves." He gave a chuckle. As they ran further, that's when they found a mysterious scientist. He had black pants, a red shirt, and a yellow bandana. He was flying in some kind of sphere shaped ride.

Jewel grimaced in anger, "He must be the culprit."

He heard a noise and looked in their direction, "Oh…Hey there critters…Lovely day, isn't it?"

Sonic was tapping his foot while Tangle and Jewel prepared to fight, "Sure. You wouldn't know anything about putting animals in robots…would you?"

Dr. Ivo Robotnik gave the most obvious 'I'm a liar' fake grin in response, "No…Of course not. What kind of mad, insane, world-conquering genius would ever do such a thing?! Certainly not Dr. Ivo Robotnik! No, absolutely not!"

Tangle punched his machine, "Very funny."
Sonic smirked, "I almost respect your shamelessness. Now…" He then took a stance, "How about we take you down, Eggman!"
Jewel folded her arms, "Like you're one to talk!"
Sonic smirked, "RUDE!" He next attacked the machine.

Eggman was sent reeling, "OOOF…That's it you pests!" He revealed a wrecking ball out of his machine, "You're going to pay for that!"

Each of them dodged out of the way of its path with ease, Tangle yawning, "And here I thought you'd be a challenge…" She delivered a rapidfire punch combo to his machine as Sonic and Jewel attacked it directly with their spines and shell respectively, decimating the wreck-ball off it in less than 5 seconds.

Eggman was horrified, Maybe I should have come better prepared… He frustratedly bellowed as he started flying away, "Dag nabbit! I'll have my revenge in the next zone! Sayonara, Suck-" Only to find he had been grabbed by the lemur's tail, dragged back to them.

Tangle spoke, "Where do you think you're going!"
He was panicking as he showed obvious desperation, "I was just going to de-commission my robot factories!"
Jewel glared in obvious disbelief, "You can't seriously think we'll-"
Tangle agreed, "Fine, but don't expect mercy if we catch you doing anything else!"

Eggman smirked, "You got it!" So he flew off. Once he was comfortable out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief, I am so lucky that lemur and hedgehog are so dimwitted. I'll get my revenge in the next zone!

After he left, Jewel chewed out Tangle, "Tangle, what were you thinking!"
Sonic, however, came to his friend's defense, "It's fine Jewel. If he tries this stunt again, we'll make sure his dumb flightcraft doesn't fly again!"

Jewel put some fingers to her forehead to sigh in frustration, "Fine. But that better be a promise!"
Meanwhile, Tangle had ventured off the cliff, using her tail as a repel to search for anything, seeing something shiny right on a tree. It was a blue gem with a an octagonal shape. She shouted in joy, "Hey guys, I found something!"
Jewel and Sonic ran over, looking where she was. Jewel flew down to where her friend was, looking at what her friend pointed to. She grabbed it, and her eyes immediately glowed, "Well done Tangle! That's a huge find!"
Sonic was looking down impatiently, "What did you gals find?"

Tangle shot back up the cliff as Jewel flew with the gem in tow. Jewel explained, "A Chaos Emerald! I always thought these things were a myth, and yet here we are."
Tangle smiled, "Oh! Aren't they really powerful!"

Sonic looked at it and touched it, "I can feel the power emanating from this thing!"

Jewel teased, "You might want to make sure it's not the Placebo effect."

Tangle, however, smirked as she suggested, "Let's look for more, just in case!"

Sonic winked, "Sounds like a plan! Race you to the next zone!" Sonic then sped off.

Tangle began chasing after, "No fair! You know you're faster than us!"

Jewel frowned, These two push my limits in more ways than one.