Author's Note: The song featured here is Part of the Problem from Sonic Underground. I was originally going to make a song parody for this chapter, but I couldn't make it work, so I settled for this song which sends a similar message.

In order to keep from losing her cool while climbing, Kipo quizzed herself on the tree she was scaling with the axe. It annoyed the hedgehog triplets on the way up, but they endured it until they made it to the canopy.

"So this is the top of the canopy." Manic said gazing around at the leafy area around them. It was thick enough for them all to stand in.

"Whoa!" Sonia gasped as she was face to face with something. She and the others stared at the back of a gigantic butterfly with majestic, purple wings fluttering gracefully.

"That's not Yumyan, is it?" Sonic asked.

"I seriously doubt it." Sonia said.

"So where is he?" Kipo asked.

"YUMYAN OWNS YOU ALL!"

A very large figure pounced from behind the four and almost at the giant butterfly which flew away at the last moment. He stood back up revealing his gigantic size, gray fur, blue plaid shirt, and purple eyes that gazed angrily at the kids.

"Yumyan Hammerpaw, I presume?" Manic asked nervously.

"Do you four know how long I've been chasing that rotten insect? THREE DAYS!" Yumyan complained. "Oh, but to him, it's all just a dance. He flutters around saying 'Look at me, I'm so pretty'. Eventually, he has to tire out." The butterfly landed and he crouched down slowly creeping toward it. "Any moment now… YUMYAN OWNS YOU ALL!" He leaped again, but the butterfly flew off again.

"What's that you keep saying?" Kipo asked. "'Yumyan owns you all'?"

"It's a new battle cry I'm testing out to strike fear in the hearts of mine enemies, of which there are many. They will cower when they hear it."

"Depends on who hears it, if you ask me." Sonic said.

"Speaking of enemies," Kipo said, "Out there somewhere is the Mega Mute who stole your tree. I think it may also have my father. That's why we're here, to get you back down to your village, so we can all find them together."

"I don't work with humans or some weird gopher kids."

"Gopher?" Sonic asked. "Hey, we're hedgehogs!"

"Hedgehogs?" Yumyan asked. "You're the ones that Scarelmagne's after?"

"Right." Sonia asked. "Do you even know why he's after us?"

"He never said." Yumyan said. "He just went to every mute who's listen and go 'If you find these hedgehogs and their mother, bring them to me'. A big nutjob if you ask me. But that's not what's important right now. I must have that bug."

"Why?" Kipo asked. "Why do you want that butterfly so badly?"

"He lived on the Scratching Tree. The tree's spirit lives in him now. I hear it speaking to me. I named him Charles. What's that, Charles? You want me to get you? You want me to get you? I'm gonna get you!"

"Uh…" Sonia exclaimed nervously to her brothers and friend, "Is it just me or has this guy been going overboard on the catnip?" She twirled her finger around the side of her head.

"Maybe I could try and get that butterfly?" Kipo asked. "I'm good with bugs. I got Pierre on his leash earlier."

"You put a leash on Pierre?" Yumyan asked skeptically.

"It's true." Sonic said. "Every Timbercat tried to keep that big bug down, but it kept jumping around the forest. All Kipo did was feed it syrup and leash it."

"Hmm. That's quite resourceful… for a human." Yumyan said. "Fine. Give it a go."

Kipo walked forward and sat down just across from the butterfly. Everyone watched as she exchanged a smile with it while extending her hand. After a graceful moment, everyone gasped as the butterfly flew over to her and landed on her head.

"See? It just takes a gentle touch, that's all." Kipo said.

"Told you she was good." Sonic said.

"YUMYAN OWNS YOU ALL!" The Timbercat leader pounced, but the butterfly was gone again. "The tree spirit got away! CHARLES!"

"Dude, get a grip!" Manic yelled out.

"Manic's right!" Sonia also yelled. "We're not the only ones who need your help! Every Timbercat down there keeps tripping over each other! Your village is falling apart! They need you to come back!"

"I know what it's like to lose someone important. I just lost my dad." Kipo said. "Believe me, it's not a good feeling."

"But I can't leave!" Yumyan said. "I lost our tree! The great Axe Lords of yore spent years scratching it and sculpting it, getting it just right! And Charles has its spirit!"

"Dude, you're investing in a giant butterfly thinking catching it will solve all your problems!" Sonic argued. "At this point, it sounds more like an excuse than a good reason!"

Yumyan growled, but then frowned in defeat. "You're right. The truth is… I ran. I ran away from the tree thief in fear."

"So that's why you're stuck." Sonia said. "And everyone just assumed you were trying to fight the Mega Mute."

"What really happened?" Sonic asked.

"I was having my evening scratch." Yumyan said. "The next thing, I'm looking up at the biggest monster I've ever seen. Six arms, eyes red as a logger's flannel. So I ran up this tree."

"And you can't go back down because you're afraid of looking your Timbercats in the eyes again." Manic said. "Dude, that's understandable."

"Any sane person, mute or human, would have done the same thing." Kipo said.

"Not a leader of Timbercats."

"Hey, we all have something to be scared of." Sonic said. "Me, personally, I hate the water. It's okay to be scared, but it's even better to face it. And you have a reason to."

"All those Timbercats down there," Kipo said, "They need you a lot more than their tree."

"They're right. They need you, man." Everyone was both shocked and confused with the words that came out of the butterfly's mouth.

Yumyan sighed. "I don't know."

The four kids looked at each other and nodded. Right after that, they summoned their instruments and began playing their music with Sonia at the lead.

Sonia:

When there's trouble you don't wanna face

You disappear without a trace

You run and hide your head in the sand

But if you want to be a winner someday

Gotta learn to chase the beast away

Gonna have to get involved. Don't you understand

You're part of the problem

If you're not helpin' solve them

Stand up and show 'em what you've got

Be part of a solution

No reason for losin'

Just be sure you're not part of the problem

Part of the problem

YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM

IF YOU'RE NOT HELPING SOLVE THEM

STAND UP AND SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU'VE GOT

BE PART OF A SOLUTION

NO REASON FOR LOSIN'

JUST BE SURE YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM

PART OF THE PROBLEM

BE SURE YOU'RE NOT…

PART OF THE PROBLEM

Yumyan gave a soft smiled before standing at the edge of the canopy. "Maybe you're right. Just… give me a minute."

"KIPO OWNS YOU ALL!" Kipo yelled out as she tackled Yumyan off the tree tops. She and he both fell down the tree.

"She's not like other girls." Sonia said.

"No, she is not." Manic said.

"Hang on, sibs." Sonic said before running down the tree with his brother and sister hanging on.

"Do you have any… fours?" Ruffles asked Tails. They were both holding a hand of cards along with Benson, Dave, and Shoelace.

"You do realize this is poker, right?" Tails asked.

"Dogs play poker!" Shoelace protested. "Real cats go fish all the way!"

"I don't think we're seeing eye to eye on how card games work." Benson said.

Suddenly, Sonic, Sonia, and Manic appeared scaling down from the tree's side. Everyone was surprised to see them.

"You're back?" Molly asked. "Where's Yumyan?"

"Where's Kipo?" Wolf asked.

"They're… on their way." Sonic said looking upwards.

"YUMYAN OWNS YOU ALL!" Yumyan cried out as he plummeted through the tree branches. As soon as he landed on ground level, he planted all four of his feet into the dirt. Kipo gasped as she jumped out of his fur.

All the Timbercats surrounded Yumyan cheering at his grand return. Molly and Ruffles returned his guitar to him.

"I almost forgot what it was like to hold this." Yumyan said before raising it high into the air. All the other Timbercats raised their axes as well.

"I can't believe you guys pulled it off!" Dave said.

"I can." Tails said.

After a few minutes, Yumyan approached the kids. "So I just got done talking to Molly Yarnchopper. She said you wish to know our secret, why we don't plan on turning you in to Scarlemagne."

"That's right." Kipo said.

"You also told me you wish to help us get our Scratching Tree back." Yumyan said.

"That's also right." Sonic said.

"In that case, I have a proposition." Yumyan said. "You help us hunt down that tree thief, and not only will you have the chance to find your people, but once we are done, I will tell you everything I can about our secret."

"Deal!" Kipo agreed.

"All right, everyone!" Sonic shouted. "Let's get started! After that, everyone cheered as they began their march down the Mega Mute's trail.

Back where the Timbercats first met Kipo, Sonic, and the others, the Hooligans parked their motorbikes at the center of the crater. Fang sniffed around examining the rubble which was once Kipo's home.

"Watchu up to, Fang?" Bean asked.

"I'm trying to track the human and hedgehogs." The sniper replied. "The Mod Frogs last sighted them in Skyscraper Ridge, so this is the only place they'd go. This must have been a burrow. It seems the human wanted to go home."

"So what did this?" Bean asked.

"I don't know, but it was definitely something big."

"So… can we blow it up?" Bean asked holding up a bomb.

"No!" Fang yelled out. "We don't want to lose any evidence of where they are! Keep it…" He felt a tap on his shoulder that came from his silent polar bear comrade. "Yeah, what'd you find, Bark?"

Bark held up to things in his gloves. In one hand was a clump of fur. The other held onto an axe. Fang examined them both and smiled.

"Timbercats. We have a lead, boys." He pulled out his sniper rifle and cocked it. "Let's go get our prizes."

Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter seemed short compared to the others. I couldn't help it. But hey, at least we got the Timbercats. Next chapter, we're going to be in a bit of a slithery situation if you know what I mean. Any and all comments are welcome.