Dude, Worlds Are Gonna Collide (A Sonic-TMNT Crossover)

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Casey and April watched in startled awe as a neon green blast erupted from Kay and knocked out everything standing within ten feet of her from all sides. Casey closed the door briefly when the ring neared them and only opened it again after several long seconds of silence.

When Kay fell to the ground in a heap, that was their cue to move.

The couple emerged from the stairwell and back out onto the roof, hurrying to their new friend's side and arriving at the exact same moment that another creature – this one bright grey and larger than the ones before it – leapt through the Portal and landed in front of Kay. In the next instant it whirled around and swept its hands towards the door it had just come through. A steam of turquoise wrapped around the oval, it grew smaller, and finally it vanished entirely, leaving the three humans and alien creature alone on the silent rooftop.

Casey and April stood frozen, staring at the thing that had just entered their world warily. Casey gripped his hockey stick just in case, but the instant their newfound company turned back and saw them, it raised its hands in surrender.

"Whoa, I don't want any trouble," it said quickly, eyes widening.

April laid a hand on Casey's arm – a silent signal to put his weapon away – and spoke to the creature. "Who are you?"

"My name is Silver," it replied in a clearly male voice. "Silver the Hedgehog."

Casey leaned to whisper in his wife's ear. "Character from the Sonic games. You've got to be kidding me."

April shot him a look. "You didn't believe her?"

"Well...I did, but it's different seeing it in person."

She couldn't argue with him. Seeing the confusion on Silver's face, she again spoke to him. "I'm April, and this is my husband, Casey. I suppose you're here for Kay." At last she turned her attention to the girl lying unconscious at their feet. She had momentarily forgotten about her and took this opportunity to kneel by her, checking her pulse.

Silver hesitated. "Uh, actually, I have no idea who she is. I've never met her before."

April shot her gaze back to him. "What?"

The hedgehog shifted guiltily. "I don't know who she is. Sorry."

"How can you not know her?" Casey asked. "She saved your entire planet, didn't she?"

"Casey," April said, "I'm sure there's an explanation. But that can wait. Right now we need to get her inside before anything else decides to attack her."

"She knows my name," Silver said, taking a cautious step forward, eyes leveled on the unconscious girl for the first time. "I don't know her, but she knows me. How is that possible?"

Casey sighed and stepped forward, kneeling beside Kay and sitting her up in preparation to lift her from the roof. "Look, Silver," he grunted, "none of what's happening here makes sense to any of us but Kay. She's the best chance you have of getting your answers. If you want to know what's going on, you might as well follow us inside." That being said, he lifted Kay from the ground bridal style and turned to the stairwell once more. April jogged to get the door for him.

As he sauntered away something fell from Kay's hand, and Silver reacted on instinct to snatch it with his power before it hit the ground. He drew it to him, curious, and felt his heart stop when he realized what it was. "A...Chaos Emerald?" His jaw dropped. "How does she have a Chaos Emerald? Why?"

"Silver," April called to him. "Are you coming or not? Hey, that belongs to Kay."

The grey hedgehog glanced once more at the gem in his hands, oblivious to the crack hiding on the other side, and took a deep breath. He'd seen a lot of crazy things in the past few days as he'd gone around on Portal Patrol, but this was by far the craziest. A human girl on another planet with a Chaos Emerald? And who knew his name?

Silver squared his shoulders and hurried to catch up with the others. No way was he leaving without answers.

~~~

"Peace, Chosen," a calm voice whispered. "You are safe now. Deep breaths. You need to heal."

Kay's eyes fluttered open. She squinted in the brightness that surrounded her, then tried to take it in as her eyes adjusted. Everything was white. All around her there was nothing to see...except for the echidna girl kneeling at her side. Kay gasped and sat up, instantly regretting it when she felt a pounding headache invade her senses.

Quietly, Tikal held one of Kay's hands in hers and held the palm of her other to the human's forehead, muttering something under her breath in a language Kay was pretty sure was native to the ancient Albions. Within moments her headache cleared, and she slouched in relief.

"Tikal," she started, but the echidna held up a hand.

"There is not much time, Chosen, so listen closely. The time for you to rise up and defend Earth is rapidly approaching. You must mend the cracked Chaos Emerald before its power leaks out and destroys everything around it. And from now on you must be careful to use your Energy in moderation. Taking on or releasing too much of it at once can kill even you, Kay, so long as your body is human."

Defend Earth? Mend the Emerald? Kay struggled to concentrate. "How do I fix the Emerald?"

"Take it to the Guardian Knuckles on Angel Island," Tikal replied. "He will know what to do." Just then the white world around them flickered. Kay felt a shudder pass through her. Tikal spoke more urgently as the white began to dim. "Remember, Kay, the Master Emerald will resign its power to you for use in times of battle. It will help you defend your planet. And Kay," she added as she herself began to fade, "the Chaos Force is not to be harnessed for wicked intent. Mind your actions!"

Suddenly the whiteout all seemed to rush towards her at once. Kay felt her eyelids close without permission as she fell back again. For a moment the breath was knocked out of her.

Gasping for air, Kay shot upwards again, blinking rapidly to ward off the black spots in her vision and take in her familiar surroundings.

She was back in the Jones' living room, on the couch nearest the door that led to the shop and basement below. A blanket had been draped over her lower half, and the room was dim save for one lamp. Quickly recalling the events that had led to her blackout, Kay turned to see whether Casey and April had stayed up with her or gone to bed.

She received her answer in the rather unexpected form of a grey hedgehog sitting on an armchair a few paces away. His golden eyes watched her carefully, kind and friendly but also confused. Besides him, she was alone in the room.

"Silver," she breathed. I'm not dreaming. He really is here.

He fidgeted in his seat, clearly unsure whether he should rise or stay put, eventually going with the former. At full height he was only three feet tall. Kay had never noticed how short he was before, but then the last time she'd seen him she was a Mobian as well and therefore had no need to notice such things.

Silver cleared his throat and nodded his head to her, folding his arms behind his back. "Hello." After a pause, he added, "How do you know my name?"

Everything around Kay screeched to a sudden halt at his words, and in that moment all she could think about was the Second Genesis Wave that had sent her away from Mobius all that time ago. She remembered the events following her departure via the comics she'd read – how Sonic and Mega-Man had fought to right the wrongs of their respective evil doctors. When it was all said and done, Kay had remained on Earth and only a select few Mobians remembered the timeline where Dark Enerjak had been defeated by the Emerald's Chosen.

Silver was not one of those few.