Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ On the Road Together ❯ Balloon Loons ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter 18: Balloon Loons

 

On mountains and dry ground, the sun began to shine its victory over the clouds. Somewhere in a desert place in New Mexico, the dust was disturbed when wheels came rolling down the hill. When the dust cleared, the RV came into sight. It was coated with sand and after stopping. Sonic used the windshield wipers to have a better look outside. It was silent with mountains and sand.

“Where in the world have you taken us this time, Sonic?” Knuckles asked.

“I'm thinking…I'm thinking!” he said, staring outside into what seemed like nothing.

Amy looked outside from a window. “Wow,” she exclaimed. “It looks like Mars!”

Tails jumped awake from a dream, still holding his laptop. “Mars?!” he panicked. “Sonic, you didn't have to follow my directions so carefully. I admit; I do have maps of Mars!”

Everyone except Sonic and Shadow stared at him. After a moment of silence, they grinned.

“Cool,” Metal-2 said. “I'm going out first.”

“Wait a minute!” Sonic stopped them from getting too excited. “We're not on Mars.”

“How can you be so sure?” Shadow asked while tapping his fingers on the dashboard.

“Because I didn't follow Tails' map closely,” he replied.

“That explains why we're in this mess,” said Rouge. “We're in the middle of nowhere.”

Cream blinked and pulled back a window curtain to look. “I see a sign up ahead.”

“So do I,” Tikal said without looking. “It says, Dead End. Right?”

“I can't read it from here,” said Amy. “It's too far away.”

“Allow me.” Metal-2 looked ahead and he read the sign. “Welcome to Las Cruces.”

“Hurray, we're still on Earth!” Knuckles cheered. “So…umm…what now?”

“That's a start,” said Shadow. “New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment.”

“Well, with all this sand, it needs some enhancement.” Tikal giggled.

“Hey, isn't White Sands nearby?” Cream asked with Cheese looking outside a window.

“It sure is,” Tails answered as he looked for information.

“I guess that's our next stop,” Sonic said, shrugging. “I'm outnumbered.”

“Hmm…I just hope trouble isn't behind us,” Rouge said quietly, wondering.

The RV began to travel into the desert, leaving a cloud of dust behind. They were on their way to White Sands, hopefully to see something new and unexpected and yet, not troublesome.

= = = = =

 

Meanwhile…

Following their trail, Metal Sonic flew with great speed over the sand. Soon he came to a road that had two ways, left and right. Unsure which way the RV took, he stopped for a moment to think. Behind him, Chaos arrived on a camel. He was wearing a white hat to keep cool.

“Hey, Metal, did you find any trouble?” he asked, sliding down to the ground on his feet.

“I found you, didn't I?” The robot glared at him face to face.

“You did?” Chaos asked, falling down face first when Metal stepped back.

Before Metal could do something dreadful, his cell phone suddenly rang, which sounded like explosions. He answered it to hear Dr. Eggman's voice. The scientist was not very happy.

“Did you find the RV?” he asked. “You'll end up as scrap metal if they get away!”

Then Metal gave the phone to Chaos. “Here, ding dong, it's for you.”

Chaos blinked and took the phone. “Chao--I mean, who's this quacking?”

“Chaos! What are you doing with Metal's cell phone?” Eggman asked.

“I'm talking into it, Doc. It works great, even better than my watery talkie!”

“Put Metal back on now,” Eggman demanded. “I asked him a question.”

“Okay.” Chaos offered the phone back, but Metal was gone. “Uh…” Chaos talked into the phone again. “Hold on a minute.” Then as fast as he could, he jumped onto the camel to find the robot.

= = = = =

 

Later…

Our traveling RV crew drove passed what they thought were some kind of buildings, but it was only a mirage. Confused, they kept going, and then they thought for sure they saw a parade, but that was also a mirage. Sonic saw a lake ahead of them, but it vanished when he came close.

“Is anything real here?!” asked the blue hedgehog, driving.

“Affirmative,” Metal-2 answered. “There is certain realism in this very area.”

Sonic wanted to know. “What, then?” he asked.

The android hedgehog held up their delicious lunch. “Bagels!”

“Yummy!” The girls surrounded Metal-2 and took a bagel from his basket.

“Got any jelly?” Tails asked hungrily, holding a fresh bagel.

“Grape, of course,” Knuckles said, passing a jar to him.

“This is so good. Thank you,” Cream said, sharing her bagel with Cheese.

“Hey…where's the cream cheese for this?” Rouge asked.

Tikal blushed. “I used the rest of it yesterday for frosting.”

Then the bat blinked. “Oh, I remember now. Those cupcakes were good.”

“Oh, what's the use?” Sonic stopped the RV on the side of the road to join them.

Shadow ate a sandwich to be different from them. “Bagels are pathetic.”

“How…how dare you say THAT?” Metal-2 asked, trembling. “Not the bagels!”

“Calm down, Metal,” Amy said. “I think we could all use a break now.”

“Well, we're really close to White Sands now,” Sonic told them. “If we're lucky, we'll see some balloons.” He finished his bagel with grape jelly.

“Will there be clowns, too?” Cream asked.

“No, I don't think so,” Shadow replied. “I'm surrounded with enough of them already.”

Rouge took a drink of water from a cup, looking toward a window. Knuckles was sitting with his back to the window when Rouge saw something outside in the sky. The water shook inside the glass she held when her hand trembled a little with her eyes widening. Knuckles noticed.

“What is it, Rouge?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

After swallowing, Rouge pointed at the window. “Balloon!”

The red echidna growled. “You calling me a balloon head?! You loon!”

“Hush, children,” Metal-2 said. “Look, it's only a balloon.”

“It's full of hot air!” Tails stood up to see it better. “Look at it go!”

“You were right, Mr. Sonic,” said Cream. “We're lucky today!”

Sonic grinned. “Hey, I'm always right. Come on, let's go see `em!”

Excited, they all stepped outside, leaving the RV parked. They gathered around and watched the sky as more balloons appeared in the sky, various colors and designs, carrying people for a ride.

“That rhymed!” Chaos said, making his way to White Sands. He was following Metal Sonic's signal to locate him. “Aren't cell phones great?”

Back to the RV crew, their eyes gazed up at the colorful show of balloons.

“That looks fun,” said Cream and Cheese nodded with a smile.

“Yeah…I wish we could ride one,” Tikal said.

Amy nodded and added quietly, “Me, too.”

Rouge shrugged her shoulders. “But how? We don't have one to use.”

“Hey…” Knuckles thought of something. “Let's fill Metal with air!”

Not amused, Metal-2 gave him a slap on the head.

“That won't work,” said Tails. “Maybe one is available for tourist, though.”

Sonic snapped his fingers. “I bet you're right, Tails.”

Standing away from the crew, Shadow was reading a sign that was posted on a fence. Freeway could not read, but she pretended. Shadow scratched his chin, thinking.

“What did you find, Shadow?” Sonic asked, stopping beside the black hedgehog.

“Nothing special,” he answered. “Just a tourist trap.”

“A trap?!” Sonic gasped, surprised.

“It's not like that, you goof,” Shadow said to him. “Look, they're offering balloon rides for tourists. That explains this crowd at White Sands today. Can you believe it? Ha!”

“I not only believe it, but we're also going!” Sonic chuckled and raced through the gate.

“We?” Shadow crossed his arms. He watched the others run after Sonic. “Whatever.”

= = = = =

 

Meanwhile…

Metal Sonic landed on the sand, crushing a small tumbleweed under his feet. “Perfect,” he said, clenching his fist after he read the sign about the balloon rides. He saw the RV nearby, so they had to be in the area. “They are here. Yes, I can almost feel it in my feet!”

“You have feet?” a voice asked behind the robot.

Caught off guard, Metal quickly turned around. “Chaos Zero, how did you find me?!”

“Your cell phone and a little bit of luck didn't hurt.”

Metal glared at the phone. “That little traitor…”

“Oh, that reminds me! The Doc is--”

“He ordered me to get those tourists, and that's just what I'm going to do!” Metal then dashed away, leaving Chaos covered with sand, still holding the cell phone.

Chaos shook himself free and clean from the sand. “Metal, wait up!” He chased after him.

In the sky, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow were in one balloon while the girls and Metal-2 took another. They stayed in each other's sight, enjoying the ride over the desert. They lifted off the ground, floating up into the clear blue sky. The view was lovely and breathtaking.

“Sonic, something took my breath,” Knuckles said, clenching the basket that held them.

Sonic chuckled. “You must be trilled!”

“This reminds me of the Tornado.” Tails sighed, looking down at the beautiful land.

Shadow rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “I don't know about you guys, but this basket reminds me of those silly bagels.” The others laugh out loud.

In the other balloon, Metal-2 and the girls were also enjoying the balloon ride.

“We're flying so high,” Amy said happily. “And look how small the RV is from up here!”

Cream was amazed at the sight. “Do you see it, Mr. Metal? Look down there.”

Metal-2 nodded. “I see it. Be careful, though.” He held Cream so she would not fall.

Tikal sighed, blinking at the lovely sky. “It feels like a dream.”

“From up here, maybe I'll spot some secret treasure.” Rouge smiled.

“You mean, real secret treasure? But wouldn't it be buried?” Cream asked curiously.

“No, but you will!” said a voice.

“What? Who said that?” asked Metal-2.

“Behind you, tourists!” And it was Metal Sonic, armed and dangerous.

Amy gasped when she saw the gun. “Look out! He's armed!”

“He won't even have arms when I'm done with him!” Metal-2 said.

“Ha! You fools fell for such a perfect trap. You are going down!” He aimed his weapon at the crew. Metal-2 kept the girls behind him as he prepared to fight back. Metal Sonic fired, but then he was suddenly shaken because a trembling Chaos was holding onto his legs.

“Whoa! Help!” Chaos screamed in fright when Metal Sonic fired.

“GAH!” Surprised, Metal Sonic lost his flight balance, missing the shot for Metal-2 and it fired the balloon instead. It punctured the balloon, leaving the air to escape rapidly.

Cream screamed at the loud noise it made, holding onto Cheese. “Oh no!”

Suddenly, Amy slipped and fell out of the basket that was out of control.

Metal-2 quickly caught Amy before she fell down. “Hold on, everyone!”

“Don't worry, don't panic,” said Tikal calmly. “We should descend nice and slow.”

“Oh? What makes you so sure?” Rouge asked.

Before Tikal could answer, the balloon began to fall faster with the girls screaming inside, holding on tight for dear life. Metal-2 did his best to keep the basket in a safe balance.

“Release me, you water monkey!” Metal Sonic shouted, attempting to shake him off.

“You have a phone call!” Chaos told him. He suddenly dropped the cell phone. “YIKES!” Pulling the robot down with him, they crashed into the balloon, causing it to crash land on the ground.

The girls screamed until they reached land safely, luckily unharmed in the basket.

“So much for a nice, slow landing, Tikal!” Rouge said with the balloon over them.

Tikal shyly chuckled. “Well, at least we're out of that dangerous sky.”

“We're alive, but where are we?” Cream asked shakily.

Metal-2 leaped out of the fallen basket. “Stay back!”

“Metal!” Amy called.

Chaos was underneath the large colorful balloon, which lost all of its air. Again, the cell phone rang. Chaos searched for it, very dizzy after the crash. When he finally picked it up, Metal-2 found him. Being in his dizzy state, Chaos believed Metal-2 was Metal Sonic.

“Here, Metal, it's for you,” he said after handing it to him. Then he passed out.

Metal-2 answered the phone, curious. “Hello?”

It was Eggman. “Metal! That was the longest hold ever. Now, bring me that RV!”

“What? I don't work for you anymore, tubby,” he said, ending the call and left the cell phone on Chaos. “Weird.” Then he saw Sonic and the others landing in their balloon.

Sonic reached the crashed balloon first. “Is everyone all right?” he asked.

“We're okay,” Rouge answered. “But Metal Sonic and Chaos paid us an explosive visit.”

“So I see,” said Knuckles. “We heard the screams, too.”

“Nothing to worry about. They're yesterday's news now,” Metal-2 said.

The blue hedgehog nodded. “Good job, Metal. And you didn't kill anyone.”

Metal-2 gave him a strange stare, not saying a word.

When Tails arrived, he gave some very recent news. “Sonic, this tourist spot is closing.”

“Already?” Cream asked. “It was just getting fun.”

“It must be because of the crash,” Amy guessed, dusting herself off.

“Must they always spoil our fun?” Rouge sighed.

Then Tikal asked, “What should we do?”

“Leave.” Shadow walked off; secretly glad to be on the ground again.

With no signs of Metal Sonic around, Metal-2 followed the crew back. After the RV left dust behind, Chaos woke up with the cell phone on his tummy. He slowly sat up.

“What a strange dream,” Chaos mumbled, rubbing his head. “Metal?” He looked everywhere under the balloon, but found no robot. Then Chaos feared the worst. “Oh no. Maybe he…he…”

Chaos worried Metal Sonic was buried alive, but then the basket started to move. Chaos kicked the basket away, revealing Metal Sonic buried in the sand with only his head sticking out.

This strange discovery made Chaos rejoice. “Oh, Metal, I found buried treasure!”

“When I get out of here, you shall be a buried mummy, you loon!”

“What's a loon?” Chaos asked him.

Metal Sonic growled mechanically, at a loss for words in his frustration.

= = = = =

 

As the sun was setting that day, the crew worked together and washed the dusty RV at a lonely gas station as the radio inside played songs. Unlike other times, Metal-2 was working very slowly. He was thinking about what Sonic said earlier. He did not take it quite as an offence, but it did something to him. No, he did not kill anyone that day and it did not even come to mind until Metal Sonic appeared. That still did not change what he was and what he was made for. He squeezed the watery sponge so tight, letting the soup gently run through his fingers.

“Metal!” Amy called, breaking his thoughts. “Sonic says we're done. Let's go.”

He saw his reflection in the window, crystal clear. He smiled. “I'm coming.”

With the RV clean again, they traveled to where the road would take them next.

= = = = = =