Temple of the Master Emerald
(Ayla's POV)
*Sonic & I both held our breaths as we slide down a waterslide. Then we landed on a hard rock floor*
Sonic: Argh . . . My pelvis.
Ayla: My back . . .
*Then we looked up & saw a giant labyrinth in front of us*
Sonic: Okay, secret temple, let's see what you've got. *I hopped on to his back & he got in a running position* *he started running through the maze, avoiding all the traps. going over & ducking up. we also got burnt a few times, but we pulled through* Ah. Piece of cake.
*I looked to the left*
Ayla: Sonic, look out!
*He looked where I was looking, jumped, & ran the other way when he saw a wall of spikes heading towards us. We dodged more traps until we fell through the floor & landed in a pile of broken rocks in front of Knuckles & Robotnik*
Sonic:*cough* Nailed it.
Ayla:*cough* Well . . . *cough* Any crash you can walk away from.
*Suddenly, a spiked-ball landed behind us*
Dr. Robotnik: These guys are always trying to spoil a bad thing!
*We stood up*
Sonic: Ah, you guys are here, too? Took the long way, huh?
Knuckles: Is everything a joke to you? Why must you constantly interfere with my destiny?
Ayla: Because our destiny is to protect our friends and family from creeps like you two.
Dr. Robotnik: I think I just threw up in my mouth.
Sonic: And if you want that Emerald, *we both got ready to fight* you're gonna have to go, through, us.
*He zoomed up the stairs to get to the Master Emerald. Just then, I saw Knuckles using his strength to turn his body into a projectile. I watched as the two of them battle*
Dr. Robotnik: The Echidna's taking no prisoners today! Sonic has heart, but will he lose the quill to live?
*Sonic & Knuckles hit each other & went flying*
Sonic: I don't want to fight you, but you're not giving me, much, choice!
*He zoomed towards Knuckles, who hit him with a punch & sent him flying into a waterfall*
Ayla: Sonic!
*I ran to help him out of the water*
Knuckles: Too easy. Let's do this.
*He started to go up the stairs. Just then, Sonic came zooming out of the water in spin dash form & went through the part of the stairs Knuckles was standing on. Then he went up to the ceiling & hit him multiple times, creating giant hole in the stairs*
Ayla: Sonic, stop! You're gonna seriously hurt him!
*He soon stopped. But Knuckles came crashing out of the stairs & tried to hit my brother with a flurry of punches, but Sonic dodged all of them*
Knuckles: Why. Don't. You. Stand still. And die. With honor!
Sonic: Let me think about it. Okay, I thought about it and, I, pass!
*Eventually, Knuckles landed another punch, sending my brother flying back a bit*
Ayla: Sonic!
*I ran up to him. Just then, I saw Knuckles standing over us, holding a giant rock*
Knuckles: Say goodbye, hedgehog.
*I quickly stood up & got in front of my brother with my arms spread wide*
Ayla: Knuckles, stop!
Knuckles: Out of my way, young apprentice!
Ayla: No! Listen to me! You can't trust Robotnik! He only cares about himself! He's just using you to get what he wants. In the end he's just going to back-stab you.
Knuckles: And why should I believe a word you say?
Ayla: Because my brother and I know what's it's like to lose everything in a single instant. There was a time when we felt what you do now. But all this pointless destruction isn't going to bring your family back. So, please. You have to trust me.
*Just then, Sonic & I saw Robotnik getting close to the Master Emerald*
Sonic: Knuckles, stop! Robotnik's stealing the Emerald!
Knuckles: What kind of fool do you take me for?
Ayla: He's not kidding! Look behind you!
*Knuckles turned around & saw Robotnik getting too close to the Master Emerald*
Dr. Robotnik: Mine.
Knuckles: Wait! That wasn't the deal!
*He dropped the rock*
Dr. Robotnik: You poor, naïve creature. It's not your fault. A more advanced intellect would have seen this move coming a mile away. Or 1.6 kilometers
Knuckles: But I trusted you! You were my friend!
Dr. Robotnik:*laugh* I'm sorry. That just hit me funny. Let this be my final lesson to you, you dim-witted celestial skin tag! Friends are open, honest and vulnerable with each other. Which means x squared times the hypotenuse of y squared, divided by the absolute value of friendship, equals dookie!
*He went back to the Master Emerald*
Sonic: Oh, no.
Ayla: No, don't!
*But it was too late. He grabbed the Master Emerald & was surrounded by a pillar of green light*
Dr. Robotnik: Chaos! Is! Powerrrrr!
*Suddenly, he disappeared & the temple started to crumble. Water started coming in from the ceiling, fast*
Sonic: Let's get out of here!
Ayla: Don't need to tell me twice!
*We managed to get to high ground. Suddenly, a pillar fell on top of Knuckles. The water was rising fast & he was trapped*
Sonic & Ayla: Knuckles!
*He didn't answer*
Sonic: Water? Again? Come on!
Ayla: Sonic, we have get him!
Sonic: But -
Ayla: Sonic! We don't have time for a debate!
*I took two gadgets (look up "Rebreathers" on "Spy Kids Wiki") out of my pocket, put one over my mouth & gave the other one to Sonic. These are Rebreathers that I had invented for just such an emergency. Then I dove into the water head first, with my brother hanging on to me this time, & swam towards Knuckles, who was unconscious. We tried to push the pillar off, but it was too heavy. Just then, Knuckles woke up & started pushing on the pillar. I stopped him & counted down for us to push together. On three, we both pushed the pillar up & we all swam towards the surface, me helping my brother*
*We all made it to the beach. Sonic & I took off the Rebreathers*
Sonic:*cough* Cool gadgets, sis.
Ayla:*cough* No big. *then I turned to Knuckles, who sat down next to us* Thanks for your help.
Knuckles: Don't talk to me. I'm not in the mood. *suddenly, Sonic threw a ball of sand at him* How dare you attack me in my hour of sorrow!
*Sonic threw another sand ball*
Sonic: Why did you help us?
*He was about to throw another one, but got hit with an even bigger sand ball, burying him under a pile of sand, courtesy of Knuckles. I let out a giggle at that*
Knuckles: Because you two were trying to help me. *Sonic dug out of the pile & sat down next to it* Which clearly gave you a tactical advantage I do not understand.
*He got ready to throw another ball*
Ayla: It wasn't a "tactical advantage." We couldn't just let you drown.
Knuckles: Why? I've been trying to destroy you and your brother since the moment we met.
Ayla: Because being a hero isn't about taking care of yourself.
Sonic: Yeah. It's about taking responsibility for other people.
*I sat down next to Sonic on one side & Knuckles sat on the other*
Knuckles: Wise words. An ancient earth proverb?
Sonic: No, sir, that's a Wachowski family special.
Ayla: We got it from a guy in a rowboat. Someone who means a lot to us.
Sonic: Yeah . . . *just then, we heard a sound like an engine*
*Sonic & I looked up & saw a red biplane coming towards us*
(Third-Person POV)
Tails: Only Sonic and Ayla the Hedgehogs need rescuing this much.
(Ayla's POV)
Sonic: That sly little fox!
*We both turned to Knuckles*
Ayla: Come on, knuckle-head. We're not defeated yet.
Knuckles: On the mountain, you told me you'd lost everything. The way I did. But you seem so hopeful and free. How did you move forward despite failing again? And again. And again. And again. And again -
Sonic: Okay, we didn't fail that much. But we didn't do this all alone.
Ayla: That's right. We had each other and all of the family and friends we've had on this planet so far. And I have a feeling we're gonna make a whole lot more.
Sonic: And you can to. *he offered his hand to Knuckles* You don't have to be alone anymore. *Knuckles took his hand & practically crushed it* OW! OW! OW! OW! Are you kidding me with that handshake!?
*I couldn't stop laughing as I saw Tails coming in for a landing*