The Elsie Chronicles (Chapter 1: A New Beginning)

Act 6: How NOT to Kidnap a Gem-Girl

[✧] Celeste was not about to let Eggman's plan succeed. 'A bald redhead trying to kidnap my friend? Not on my watch!' She thought. As she plotted her intervention, she knew she needed to wait for the perfect moment. This time, she had a Plan A and a Plan B ready in case things didn't go as expected. She was determined to stop Eggman's scheme and was willing to do whatever it took, even if it meant possessing some machinery or even taking out an entire electric power grid.

[3 hours later...]

[✧] Elsie stood alone in Mobius City Park, seeking a moment of clarity when the emerald at her neck suddenly began to emit a mesmerizing cyan glow. Questions raced through her mind. Did she possess similar energies, and was the emerald trying to communicate something important to her? Perplexed by the surreal sight, she couldn't help but wonder, 'Why is the emerald glowing? What message is it trying to convey?' Before she knew it, the radiant cyan emerald had woven a luminous trail that beckoned her to follow. What awaited her at the end of this mysterious path? Intrigued, Elsie ventured forth, allowing the glowing emerald to guide her to the enigmatic Hidden Palace. But why was it leading her there of all places?

[✧] As she ventured deeper into the Hidden Palace, she stumbled upon a captivating mural (as seen above) that seemed to hold a mysterious message. "What could this mural be trying to tell me?" She pondered, scrutinizing the intricate details. Despite spending a good half hour analyzing the artwork, the message remained elusive. Finally, she hazarded a guess, "Perhaps it's foreshadowing a dramatic face-off between a mustachioed man and a hedgehog. But I hope I'm not tempting fate with that guess!" She chuckled nervously.

[✧] As she made her way toward the source of the familiar voice, Elsie felt a thrill of surprise as a familiar voice echoed, "We've been expecting you, Eglantine..." The words echoed in her ears, sending a rush of anticipation through her. Quietly, she murmured, "What in the..?" A brilliant green light bathed the Master Emerald as Elsie reached out to touch it, instantly sensing its unique energy coursing through her. "You've been... expecting me?" She asked, her confusion evident. The Emerald replied, "Yes. We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival since Day 1."

[Meanwhile, in Eggman's Fortress...]

[✧] Eggman paced back and forth, racking his brain for a way to outsmart Blitz and Sonic and finally capture Elsie. He was determined to concoct a foolproof plan that even the most dimwitted minion could execute. With the help of his robotic henchmen, he tested out several strategies that he had in mind. After numerous unsurprisingly failed attempts, he began to resort to documenting his thoughts in recording. Here's a glimpse into Eggman's scheming mind in written expression:

(Recording Start)

[✧] "Hmm... How am I going to get that gem girl? Especially without that hybrid or that pesky hedgehog interfering with my plans? I successfully kidnapped Amy in the past, but how do I pull it off again with Elsie? I obviously can't trick her; she's too smart for that. I could send Scratch and Grounder to capture her--no... they're too dumb. Anywho, I need to learn more about her, one way or another. I could do it myself, yes, but I don't have much time for such things. What to do, what to do..."

[✧] "Oh, I got it! I could order Metal Sonic to capture her since one of my plans was for him to try to interact with one of the chaos emeralds; it seems he understood the assignment. Still, I must wait and see what she likes and hates before executing the plan. Once that is done, the plan is executed and Elsie is mine! Hohohoho!! It's genius; brilliant, almost. Perhaps that can work! Beware, gem-girl, for I shall whisk you away like a dragon kidnapping a princess, but with my machines instead of a dragon, to conduct some research on you..."

(Recording End)

[✧] Having finally unburdened himself, he knew he had to conceal the recording, hoping it would remain undiscovered. Little did he realize that others would eventually stumble upon it. Mecha Sonic MK II understood this, but kept it to himself, aware that one of Elsie's friends or siblings would likely find the recording first. The question lingered: who would uncover the recording and alert the others? Who would be the hero to prevent her from being abducted? Only time holds the answer.

[Meanwhile, back in the Hidden Palace...]

[✧] Elsie was utterly astonished to discover that she possessed energies that rivaled the power of the Chaos Emeralds, but hers were seven times stronger than she had ever fathomed. "So... You're telling me that I had energies similar to the Chaos Emeralds all this time? That might explain a few things..." Elsie sighed, gazing at her hands. "Indeed, my dear. Your energies are unlike any other; they are even more extraordinary than anyone could have imagined. You are far from ordinary, that's for certain," The voice responded, emanating empathy toward her.

[✧] Elsie's mind was spinning with confusion when another voice interrupted her thoughts. It was Sonic. She was surprised to see him there. "Oh, Sonic! I wasn't expecting to see you here," She exclaimed. Sonic greeted her with a wave and a cheerful, "Heya, Ell!" Intrigued, Elsie asked him why he was there, and Sonic had an exciting proposal. "I thought you might be bored, so I wanted to invite you on a pirate-themed adventure with me and my friends to shake things up!" This intrigued her, so she began to ponder for a bit.

[✧] "Sure, why not?" Elsie said playfully. "I've always wanted to be a mermaid or a siren." Sonic was thrilled. "Sweet! I'll see you in Green Hills!" With that, he zipped off to Green Hill Zone, leaving Elsie lost in her thoughts. 'A pirate theme? It takes me back to my 5th-grade class. It might be fun to relive those memories at some point, won't it?' She considered, but her energy levels required rejuvenation so now she had to make a choice; join the adventure now or tomorrow?

[✧] Ultimately, she made the difficult decision to pen a letter to Sonic, expressing her lack of energy for today and her intention to join the adventure tomorrow. Hoping he would understand, she knew she needed to conserve her energy for the adventure. Once back at her apartment, she decided to unwind by soaking in a hot tub with cucumber slices on her eyes for a full hour; she even made sure to set a timer in case she forgot. Little did she know, Eggman was quietly biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move.