Back to Chapter 48

Two weeks had passed. Porker and the Kintobor Computer had run test after test on the Chaos Emeralds, attempting to learn whatever they could gleam about the mysterious gems. Porker had been able to build a rudimentary radar to locate them in the first place with the information already in the Kintobor Computer’s databanks, but his extensive testing taught them all new and incredible things about chaos energy.

But one fateful day, Porker made an oversight.

It was early evening. Johnny had been assisting Porker in the lab and Sonic had popped by for a visit, hoping to see if Porker had learned anything useful about the Chaos Emeralds, particularly if the information might lead them to the missing grey emerald. As they lay on a workbench, the six emeralds were glowing- brighter than usual, with their aura illuminating the dim lab’s artificial glow. Sonic stood at the bench, inches from of the emeralds, a concerned look on his face, with Johnny and Porker a little behind him.

“When did this start, Porker?” Sonic asked, concerned.

Porker pulled over a screen which held data on the incredible gemstones, “The emeralds started giving off radiation about half an hour ago. The level’s been rising ever since!”

But the levels could only rise so far.

In the tiniest fraction of a second, the Chaos Emeralds gave off a FRSSSSHHH! sort of noise and disappeared in what might best be described as a burst of energy. Green bubbles of chaos energy exploded out of the gems and Sonic failed to get his hand up in time, temporarily being blinded by the brightness of the flash. Sonic let out an involuntary yelp of surprise as he winced.

Porker squinted through the light, “The emeralds… the vanished!”

The glow faded to nothing and the artificial light of the lab lit the room as normal.

Porker shot a worried look at Johnny, “He took the full blast…”

Johnny stepped forward cautiously, “Sonic? Are you okay, Sonic?”

Sonic rubbed his eyes, “What do you mean ‘Am I okay?’”

Sonic turned to face his friends, his fur a bright yellow, his irises now the center of a pair of swirling red spirals, “Don’t I look okay?!”

In an instant, Sonic was overwhelmed. Porker and Johnny backed off as a powerful aura surrounded his body.

Sonic let out a guttural roar, “RAAAAAAAGHHHH! GOTTAGETOUTTATHISPLACE!”

With a manic grin on his face, Sonic launched himself up through the roof of the underground laboratory, exploding out into the Green Hill Zone and soaring into the sky and over the horizon at speeds even he could previously only dream of.

Porker and Johnny could do nothing but stand in the wreckage. Porker was practically in shock at what he’d just witnessed.

Johnny was flabbergasted, “What happened?! Did the emeralds do… that to him?!”

Johnny was right, of course. Though a layperson like the young Lightfoot had no way of knowing it at the time, the Chaos Emeralds were not meant to be kept together except in very particular circumstances. The chaos energy radiated by the emeralds had changed Sonic for the first time, but not the last…

Into Super Sonic.

Chapter 50 coming soon