B.C.E.

In a few minutes the crow was safely tied up and kicked down on the ground.

"Nothing personal, you understand," Kale said. "We just need a little more time."

Tikal stepped back timidly.

"Im Tikal. I protect the master emerald."

"Aren't you a little young?" Echo asked. Tikal huffed.

"Aren't you?"

^

The bird flailed futtily against its bonds.

"Stop struggling! We're not gonna hurt you. We'll feed you and such. But we just can't let you get back to the King."

The bird stopped for a moment.

"He expects me back soon. I hope you can get your prize before he gets suspicious."

"...Can you come up with an excuse? If you decide not to help us..." He cracked his knuckles. "Well, I might just have to take my previous statement back."

Star smiled. "Hi, Tikal. Are you all alone?"

The bird gulped.

"You're Trojans and you kidnapped me."

^

"No. I have my family. But they're all to busy to see the beauty of this place." She turned and pointed to the chao and the Master Emerald.

"Beauty?" Shadow asked.

"Not to us." Echo stuck his tounge out. Tikal huffed.

"They told me about you two. I'm sorry for what happened but you can't blame the Master Emerald."

"If it weren't for the Master emerald..." Echo started.

"-we'd be in paradise!" Shadow finished angrily.

Star's ears twitched. "But... it's so pretty..."

Sunny scoffed. "Nu-uh. It's just a rock."

"As I said, it's nothing personal. If our wives weren't involved, we'd let you go. But... Just- Just stay here. Please." He'd given up trying to scare the crow. "We'll be right back." He ran away with Anton, leaving the crow behind.
"So where do we-" His eyes widened. "Whoa, Anton! I feel some sort of HUGE energy source! That... It's not what we felt before. We should go investigate." They started off for the shrine.
[Better protect your precious Shiny Green Rocks, fellas!]

[When the Chaos emeralds were discovered no one knew what to do with them so they put them with the master emerald. Really.....one could just walk up there and take one. XD]


Shadow looked at the Chaos emeralds.

"Those little master emerlds......do they grow into bigger ones?"

"No." Tikal said. "They are just made in the image of the master emerald."

^

A chao danced up to sunny and hugged her leg.

"You know a lot about them," Star murmured.

The dog looked down at the odd creature. "Um... What are you?"

Kale stepped near the clearing and stopped. "Wait! Look, Anton, it's them!" he hissed. "Okay, so here's the plan this time..." He was careful to whisper quietly so no one would hear him.

"Chao chao!" It replied to Sunny. Several more chaos near by began to cling to her.

$

"It speaks to me." Tikal told Star.

"Um... HEY! Get these things offa me!" Sunny called.

Star glanced over, giggling. "You look so silly, Sunny."

Echo walked over and pulled a few off. Their balls became hearts and they danced around the two in a circle.

Tikal laughed.

"They decided they like you."

"Why...?"

"The chaos know." Tikal put a finger to her nose and walked away coyly. Echo blushed ever so lightly as the chao continued their dance.

"Any moment now..." Kale mumbled, now having crept to the other side of the clearing.

A chao bumped into Kale and began crying.

Sunny managed to hold back the blush. "Yeah, whatever."

Kale jumped. "What the he-" He picked up the chao and began petting it, somehow sensing that it was just a child. "Shh... Do-Don't cry..!" he whispered.

[On an unrelated note, how do you guys pronounce chao? I know it's supposed to be pronounced 'chow,' but I've always said 'KAY-oh.' It just... I dunno, it sounds cooler and more grammatically correct to me.]

The chaos flew off. Echo took a step back from Sunny.

%

Tikal heard the chao crying.

"Hey! Who goes there?"

[it's chow, lol]

Star got to her feet and immediately began backing up. "How do we get out of here?" she whispered.

Kale froze, and didn't move a muscle.

[no its chao.]

Shadow got up and looked at star.

"What's wrong?"

Tikal ran to the chao and screamed once she saw Kale.