Back to Chapter 30

“I… I couldn’t… I didn’t…”

Back outside the Scrap Brain Zone, Sonic, head bowed, tried to get the words out to explain his unsuccessful attempt to rescue Jules.

“Oh, Sonic,” Bernadette rushed towards the young hedgehog and hugged him tight. Sonic was initially taken aback. Bernadette had just seen her husband turned into a mechanical nightmare before he’d walked into an enormous explosion. She had no way of knowing if he was alive or dead or if he even had any kind of semblance of conscious thought beyond a computerised brain. Yet her first thought was to comfort Sonic. Sonic recognised the enormous strength of character Bernadette evidently had and returned the hug.

“We need to keep moving,” Chuck said, somewhat quietly, “There’s no telling what secondary defences Robotnik may have in place here”

“It’s a long walk back to the Green Hill Zone,” Ben replied.

“Maybe… maybe not, “Sonic suddenly had a bright idea, “Everyone, follow me, I’ve got an idea…”

Ben, Chuck and Bernadette chased after Sonic as he headed towards the border of the Star Light Zone.

“I know I saw one around here somewhere…” Sonic muttered.

“Saw what?” Ben asked.

“A… aha!” Sonic led the group over to a bus stop. Next to it, almost minding its own business, was a Star Post.

“I’ve seen these before,” Bernadette said, looking at the Star Post.

“They’re all over South Island. All over Mobius, most likely,” Sonic answered, “They’re a sort of teleport. They just need the right kind of energy to be activated”

“What kind of energy are we talking about?” Ben asked.

“Watch and learn, kiddo,” Sonic grinned.

Sonic ran at the Star Post, circling around it at tremendous speed. He seemed to take off at one point as he wrapped around the Star Post in a whirlwind. Sonic leapt at the Star Post and its head swung around and changed colour, just as the one back in the Green Hill Zone had. A swirl of stars span in a ring above the Star Post.

“All aboard. Everyone through the stars, if you please,” Sonic smiled.

Sonic helped give Bernadette a lift through the star portal, then gave Ben a leg-up too. Sonic was about to aid Chuck before he noticed the look on his face.

“Uncle Chuck…”

Chuck looked miserable.

“It wasn’t your fault, you know. You couldn’t have known Robotnik had modified the Roboticizer”

“I should have suspected, Sonic. I’ve been such a fool”

“You did what you did because you thought you were helping your family. That’s all you’ve done since I met you- help people. And you never ask for anything in return. Let me help you, Uncle Chuck. I’ll find Jules and I’ll save him. But right now I need to get you home”

Chuck paused. He gave Sonic a nod and allowed him to lift him through the star portal.

Seeing the portal shrinking, Sonic took a leap through it then fell to the ground in the Green Hill Zone- through the Star Post near Kintobor’s lab.

“We’re home…” Bernadette said, taking in what had just happened.

“That’s amazing!” Ben bounced in excitement.

“You guys notice anything strange?” Sonic asked.

Ben looked at the surroundings, “Like what?”

“It’s quiet,” Chuck noted.

“When I left, this Zone was under Badnik attack,” Sonic said, “Now… nothing”

“Sonic!” a familiar voice called out.

Sonic turned to see the owner of the voice heading towards him, “Sally! How did you get back here?”

“We had a little help. Dulcy gave some of us a lift. The rest of us… well, someone else was kind enough to return us home after we entertained them for a bit. We found these big rings, you see…”

“Entertained?” Sonic raised an eyebrow, “You don’t mean Feist?”

“Ah, you’ve met him”

Behind Sally, Sonic’s other friends arrived- Dulcy, Porker, Chirps, Johnny, Antoine, Rotor, Joe, Tux, Flicky- even Tufftee. All except for Bunnie.

“Flicky- Bunnie, is she--?” Sonic asked.

“She’s at the hospital,” Flicky calmed Sonic, “She’s hurt but she’s stable”

Chuck began walking off. Sonic turned to him, “Where are you going, Uncle Chuck?”

“I’m going to go and make things right”

Sonic turned back to his friends, “So… if some of you guys entertained Feist- and I dread to think how he managed to get some of you to do that—”

“I will never speak of it,” Antoine held his head low.

“—then you must have been rewarded… with…”

Sally smiled gently, “Of course”

As if from nowhere, the remaining five Chaos Emeralds blinked into the same space of reality as everyone. Sally, Rotor, Antoine, Johnny and Dulcy had each managed to collect one of the brightly-hued gems.

“I guess that just leaves me,” Sonic noted. In a blink, the green Chaos Emerald appeared.

“Feist told us the Emeralds have tremendous power,” Johnny said.

“It defies all scientific explanation,” Rotor continued, “but he said that when enough of them are gathered together, they have the power to create wondrous things”

“We don’t have all of them,” Sonic noted, “but I wonder… if we wish really hard… maybe…”

The Emeralds began moved closer to one another, as if drawn together. They spiralled together in the air, faster and faster, blurring together until- a white flash lit up the world. Everyone covered their eyes. When they moved their hands, the light- and the Emeralds- had gone. But the Green Hill Zone was resplendent in beauty, even more so than before. Enormous flowers bloomed out of nowhere, beautiful palm trees stretched out as far as the eye could see- and the grass seemed greener and the water more clear and idyllic.

“Sacre couer!” Antoine noted.

“The power of the Emeralds must have done this,” Porker surmised, “There’s no other explanation”

“Incredible,” Sonic smiled, “Something so small and yet so powerful. Who’d have thought it?”

Bernadette wrapped her arms around Sonic in a proud hug, “I think you do small and powerful better”

“Sonic!” Kintobor’s voice piped up from the watch, “You won’t believe this- but my sensors are reporting a complete and total halt in Badnik activity across South Island!”

“You mean…”

“I’ll need to confirm it, but it seems as though every Badnik on the island just… disappeared! I’m getting early reports on the information relay that those who were unfortunate enough to be captured inside Badniks are now free!”

“What a day!” Dulcy cheered, “Although I could do without a repeat any time soon!”

“Where do you suppose the Emeralds went?” Sally asked.

“If I were a betting hedgehog,” Sonic answered, “I’d say they probably returned to the Special Zone. Feist’s probably cooking up something fun for his next visitors”

“If I might make a suggestion,” N.I.C.O.L.E. spoke up, “I’d like to interface with the Kintobor Computer and ensure South Island is safe. I’ll pass on any relevant information to King Acorn, Sally”

“Very well, N.I.C.O.L.E.” Sally replied, “Anything that protects Mobius from a threat like Robotnik”

“So- what next?” Chirps asked, “Anyone else hungry?”

“With due respect,” Tux interjected, “might I say we’ve all had enough adventure for one day. Perhaps a return home may be in order”

“I reckon you’re right,” Joe nodded.

“Yeah…” Sonic smiled, “Home sounds pretty good right about now”

Chapter 32 coming soon