Absolute Chaotix, Part Twelve
The Gang's ALL Here!
By Mello Bumblebee
"So, how do we get to the Palace the fastest?" asked Sharon, who was getting concerned about the little chameleon.
Mighty, who had been living on the Island longer than Charmy, considered a moment. "Well, the FASTEST way is the way the hedgehog and fox went, if they can find it without Knuckles finding them first--there's an underground shortcut from the Lava Reef--but I can think of a much more pleasant way to get there. A bit slower, but much less dangerous. Come on."
They hiked through the forest, which eventually became a thick jungle, then an open, tropical-beach like area. They were a little closer to the edge of the Island than Sharon would have normally preferred but at the moment she didn't mind, as this place was so BEAUTIFUL. Then they came up to the edge of a huge, deep, sparkling sapphire lake.
"Follow me," said Mighty, and he dived in.
"Oh, my wings are going to get waterlogged!" complained Charmy, but he dove in anyway, and Sharon followed him. Espio was so deeply unconscious that his breathing was very very slow; he had probably LESS chance of drowning than the others at this point.
They swam underwater for a bit, and just as they were starting to get out of breath, they surfaced in a huge air-filled cavern. Sharon gasped as she looked around.
This place had, again, some rather cool music playing--jazzy and funky-sounding, this time. All around them the water was being held back somehow as if by an invisible glass wall, yet Sharon could still stick her hand in it and have it come out wet. Well, wettER. In the distance from the chamber they were in could be seen things like rotating stone pillars, just floating in the water with no support, or strange machinery, gears and such, grinding away. All around them were beautiful old ruined marble columns and mosaic blue tiles on the walls. It was such a strange place, but lovely and somehow very sad.
Sharon and Charmy both shook themselves off in an attempt to dry their wings but knew it was futile; they'd have to walk for a while now.
"So, where IS he already?" wondered Mighty, drumming his fingers on one of the tiled walls. "He should be here by now!"
"He who?" asked Sharon, confused.
Charmy shook his head and gave a wry half-smile. "Probably trying to get a signal to come in on his "tunes", you know how HE is."
"HE WHO?!!" yelled Sharon, who was getting quite tired of being ignored.
"YO, Vector's the name, music's the game! Who's da chick in the bee costume, Charm?" came a loud voice behind her.
Sharon turned around to see a large green-and-yellow crocodile walk through the strange water-wall to stand in front of them. He was wearing nothing but white gloves, yellow ankle-socks, and blue running shoes, and also had a blue-and-yellow headset over his...erm...ear-holes. It was going FULL-BLAST--rap or hip-hop music of some kind--but he seemed to be able to understand everything they were saying perfectly.
"This is Sharon, a lost and confused traveller," Charmy introduced her. "She has amnesia and doesn't remember how she got to the Island. But she has helped us greatly and so we feel she has earned our trust." He then turned to Sharon and gestured at the crocodile. "This is Vector, the last member of the Chaotix. Now we're all together again."
"We need to take the underwater shortcut to the Hidden Palace and FAST, Vec," continued Mighty. "And you're the only one who can get us through safely. So let's go already, huh?"
"Not so fast, dude," Vector was stroking his chin thoughtfully, his long, sharp teeth hanging just slightly out of his mouth as he did so. "The main way has been blocked off by that sea-quake that happened last week. We'll have to try an alternate route."
"Like what?" asked Charmy, concerned.
"Well," said Vector, we could..."
CHOICES:
1. get some Water Shields from the secret storage locker and just swim there the entire way.--OPEN.
2. use this magical fishtail to turn us into fish temporarily.--OPEN.
3. step into the dimensional portal and teleport there directly.
4. Or, of course, we could always do somethin' else.--OPEN.
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