Chao Garden
Note: I would like to thank Brian4life for giving me the ideas for this chapter.
(Ayla's POV)
It turned out Tails regroup location was a restaurant call "Chao Garden". It was decorated with light fixtures shaped like Chao heads hanging from the ceiling, while egg-shaped lights are affixed to walls. The restaurant's tables had bases designed after Chao Eggs, with purple, flowerlike surfaces with a round light in the center. Parts of the walls & floor are decorated with a brown checkerboard design, which reminded me of our old world. There was also a stage for live shows & Chao Mascots wandering around. There was even one in the kitchen. A waitress, holding a camera, & three Chao Mascots came up to our table*
Waitress: はい、チーズ. (Say cheese.)
She took our picture. Tails & I posed while Sonic & Knuckles looked confused*
Knuckles: Ahh! It's ambush! You'll never take us alive, foul beats!
Tails: Calm down, Knuckles. This is Chao Garden. One of the top ten must see spots in all of Tokyo. It's the perfect place for us to blend in.
Ayla: Guess I check anime cafe off my tourist list.
Two little girls came up to Tails*
Little Girl: Are you Detective Pikachu?
Sonic: Yes, he is.
That made Knuckles laugh & pound the table*
Knuckles: He does look like a Pokemon. *Tails & I looked at him, unamused* Pika-Pika! Ha! *I kicked him under the table for that* OW!
I turned to the girls*
Ayla: Please ignore my brother. My friend here isn't Detective Pikachu, but I'd be happy to hang out with you.
The two girls smiled & I got up to take some selfies with them. Just then, I heard Sonic say a name I didn't want to hear*
Sonic*off-screen* Commander Walters.
As soon as I heard that name. I turned back to our table, to find him approaching. I turned back to the girls*
Ayla: Could you girls excuse me for a minute. My "Grandpa" just arrived.
Little Girl: Okay. *she waved at the Commander* Konnichiwa, ojiisan.
The Commander smiled & waved at the girls as I sat back down, glaring at him*
Commander Walters: Sonic. Ayla. Thank God you're all okay. I'm sure you have questions.
Sonic: Just a big ticked off red and black one. Who was that guy?
Commander Walters: Shadow's story began a lot like yours, Sonic and Ayla. But while you two found family and friends on this planet, Shadow found only pain and loss. It begins over 50 years ago with a meteor crash in a quiet corner of Oklahoma. The meteorite contained a Lifeform. The Ultimate Lifeform. Shadow's power, his chaos energy, went far beyond any living creature. The scientists who discovered him believed this could usher in a new in a new era for humanity. But Shadow's power proved too dangerous. A terrible accident destroyed the lab, taking human lives with it. The project leader was blamed for the incident and imprisoned. With the program cancelled, Shadow was a lose end no one knew what to do with. Too dangerous to be walking free. Too valuable to destroy. So, I placed him into stasis. Indefinitely.
The more I listened to his story, the more I felt my blood boil*
Sonic: Okay, wait a second. If Shadow's been on ice for 50 years, someone had to help him escape.
Commander Walters: True. But there's only a few people in the world who even know about Shadow's existence.
Ayla: So that was it? *they all turned to me* You just locked him away and left him to sleep forever? You didn't even try to help him! You could have helped him find a place in this world for him to belong! But no, you were too afraid to even try! You. You and all of G.U.N.! You're nothing but a bunch of backstabbing cowards!
The other customers & staff turned to our table*
Sonic: Ayla, calm down. You're making a scene.
Ayla: I don't care! *I turned back to the Commander* We're you going to the same thing to us when you captured us during Rachel's wedding!? *he didn't answer me* I thought so. So why should we help you clean up your mess?
I took a few deep breaths, glad to get all that off my chest*
Commander Walters: Ayla, listen. I don't blame you for not trusting me. I haven't done anything to gain your trust. But please believe me when I tell you this -
Suddenly, the lights turned off. Everyone paused. Then the lights turned back on & three Chao Mascots appeared on the stage, dancing to the Japanese version of Want You Back by the Jackson 5*
Tails: A live show!? Yeah!
He, Sonic, & Knuckles seemed interested, while Commander Walters looked annoyed. I was too angry to even watch. I turned towards the window, hoping the beautiful city lights would take my mind off all this. Just then, I saw an army of Egg Drone outside the window, getting ready to fire missiles*
Ayla: GET DOWN!
The guys turned & we all jumped as the Drones fired their missiles. They hit our table, sending Walters flying while he was still in his chair. Customers & Mascots were running away. The four of us all got up, a little dizzy. Soon, we were surrounded by the Drones, them pointing lasers at us*
Sonic: Egg Drones?
Tails: But Robotnik is supposed to be dead!
I turned & saw all the kids panicking. I brought out my wristwatch*
Ayla: Synergy, create a bunch of Chao holograms!
Synergy: Yes, Ayla!
A bunch of holograms of Chao, ones the size of teddy bears, appeared all around the room*
Kid #1: It's the Chao!
Kid #2: They're real!
Ayla: Kids! *they all turned to me* Follow the Chao! They'll lead you to safety!
The holographic Chao started to lead the kids out of the building. They all followed, some reaching up to try & catch them. Once all the kids were out, a person on a black motorcycle & wearing a black helmet came crashing through the window. He turned to us & easily dodged a missile. It was exploded behind him, like a scene out of an action movie*
Sonic Konnichi-what?
The guy on the motorcycle activated his gauntlets, which glowed blue. Then he did a wheelie on his bike & spun around, firing disks at all the drones. Then he pressed a button on his gauntlets & all the drones electrically shut down*
Ayla: Whoa.
Sonic: I'm sorry. We already had our big motorcycle chase for the evening.
Guy on the motorcycle didn't say anything as he drove back out the window. Then we saw the Commander on the floor, under the upsidedown table*
Ayla: Commander Walters! *I ran up to him. Knuckles moved the table. he was hurt really bad* Are you okay!?
Commander Walters: Sonic . . . Ayla . . . Take this.
He handed us a small key card. Sonic took it*
Sonic: What is it?
Commander Walters: A key . . . To the most powerful weapon G.U.N. has ever built. You're the only ones I trust to keep it safe. *he slowly turned to me* And Ayla . . . I believe . . . You're the only one . . . Who can help Shadow . . .
He closed his eyes & went still. I felt my eyes fill with tears. I may not have trusted him, but not even he deserved this. Just then, we heard soldiers coming & quickly left*
We escaped from the restaurant wearing Chao Mascot heads. The guys all bumped into each other when Sonic stopped*
Tails: Why are we running from G.U.N.? Aren't we on the same team?
We all took off our heads*
Sonic: Until we have more information, we're not trusting anyone. Follow me.
Ayla: Besides, they're probably getting the wrong idea right now and thinking we had something to do with the Commander getting hurt.
We all sped after the guy on the motorcycle & caught up with him at the docks*
Sonic: Hold it right there, Tokyo-Drift! Who are you?
He took off his helmet, revealing Agent Stone*
Knuckles: It's the goat milker!
Agent Stone: "It's the goat milker!" Relax, I'm not here to fight.
Ayla: Then why are you here?
Tails: And why did you free Shadow?
Agent Stone: Are you kidding? The last thing we want is more super-powered hedgehog running around. The doctor had nothing to do with it. I can prove it. *he pressed a button & we all backed away as a giant robot crab came out of the water* Please. Join me in the crab.
All three of us looked at each other, skeptically. But we shrugged & followed Stone inside*
Note: I wish I could skip this part, because it really grosses me out.
*We went inside the crab to find a very messy room. Garbage & half-eaten food was scattered everywhere. A single chair was in the middle of the room in front of a giant screen where a soap opera was playing*
Announcer: And now back to La Ultima Passion.
*A lady in a red dress appeared on the screen*
Gabriella: I have fallen in love with another.
*A guy with long black hair & wearing a white shirt stood up*
Juan: But who, Gabriella? Tell me! Who? *a guy in a black suit & holding a rose in his mouth came out a closet in a dramatic pose* My twin brother Pablo!?
*Pablo removed his fake mustache & Gabriella ran to him*
Gabriella: Pablo!
*Pablo wrapped his arms around her & handed her the rose*
Juan: Bastardo!
Pablo: Buenos dias, elmundo.
Juan: No!
*A familiar voice chuckled mischievously as the show was paused*
Dr. Robotnik: Let that be a lesson to you, Juan. *an Egg Drone rose up next to him. he pressed a button & it's side opened to reveal a filthy microwave. he took out the burrito that was inside* Family is a feeling of emotional clamors that leave you abandoned. *the Drone squirted out sauce arranged in the colors of the Mexican flag* Betrayed. And weeping while you eat cake. Which creates copious amounts of adipose tissue and individuals tried you as . . . Man-boobs.
*He pressed a button on his gloves & they started playing Spanish music. Then he started slapping his fat belly while dancing in his chair. Then the chair started to slowly turned towards us. The guys all looked disgusted by this. Luckily, I had covered my eyes before I could see anything. He screamed & covered his belly with his shirt when he saw us*
Agent Stone: Doctor. We have visitors.
Ayla: Please tell me he's covered now.
Sonic: He's covered.
*I opened my eyes, but I was still disgusted by the mess*
Dr. Robotnik: Really? I thought I was having an anthropomorphic nightmare. Where the only person I can trust in the world showed up with all my worst enemies while I was in my bathrobe, playing conga on my big fat belly!
Agent Stone: Sorry, sir.
Sonic: I can't believe Eggman's alive.
Tails: And he's never looked . . . Worse.
Ayla: And this is him at his lowest point.
Dr. Robotnik: Well, maybe . . . This is what "me not giving a damn what you think I look like" looks like.
Agent Stone: Sir, right now, we have an ever bigger problem.
Dr. Robotnik: Oh, come on.
*Stone plugged a flashdrive into the computer*
Agent Stone: There's an imposter out there, who's using your technology.
Dr. Robotnik: Imposter? That's impossa - what!? *the screen showed when the Egg Drones pointed lasers at us* No. My sweet, mechanized spawn. Whoever this party-pooping posse is looking for has stolen my persona and the precious babies from my egg-sack. Well, I'll soon eggs-act my revenge. *he turned to Agent Stone* See what I did? It's time for the dramatic soap opera twist where Pablo reveals his wand. *he got up to his computer & started typing* I cross-referenced the precise coordinates of each Drone's energy spike. I can track my babies to the imposter's base of operations.
*He pointed to a red dot that appeared on a map*
Tails: Sonic, Ayla, I hate to say this, but I think we're all after the same person.
Sonic: Hold on, hold on. You're not suggesting we team up with Dr. Robuttstank, are you?
Knuckles: Perhaps the fox is right. It could be our only chance to find this mysterious, more impressive hedgehog.
Ayla: Sonic, I don't like it either. But this might be our only option. Eggman knows more about his own technology then all of us combined. Heck, even I can't make heads for tails of it half the time. If we want to find Shadow, we have to swallow our pride.
*Sonic groaned & turned to Eggman*
Sonic: Alright, Egghead, I hate to say it, but it looks like we're partners.
Dr. Robotnik: Oh one condition . . .
*He held out his hand*
Sonic: Dude, you have serious issues. *he plucked out a quill* Ow!
*Eggman took the quill & out it in his mouth, zapping himself.
Dr. Robotnik: Let's . . . Do this!
*He had Stone make us leave while he got an extreme makeover*
Note: I'm hoping Commander Walters isn't actually dead. For all we know, he just could have been knocked unconscious. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.