FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"You coulda told her BEFORE she bit our heads off?!" shouted Scratch.

"Yeah," whimpered Grounder, "she bit me all over!"

"My apologies," replied Dronin, "I was in surgery having my legs fixed."

"Whut happen to 'em?!"

"One of the rhinos charged me, broke them almost fully."

"Eeeesh!" The moletank cringed with drill arms to his face. "Dat musta hurt, I heard things cost an arm an' a leg but charge ya TWO legs?"

"Who are these guys anyway?!" interrupted the rooster swishing his wing out to swat the air. "We already had enough trouble dealin' with the last two!"

"That is why they are here," said the mantis spreading his arm towards the three raptors behind him. "They are searching for their family who got separated during an attack."

The two robots looked past the praying mantisbot at Moonclaw, Eggfang and Barkclaw looking around nervously at the clunking machinery. The smell of industrial force was excruciating to their nostrils, along with the grinding gnash of gears creaking against each other as the chickenbot crossed his arms defiantly.

"Well maybe they oughta tell their family to BUTT OUT of our house cuz you know whut they did?! They trashed four of us, threw Mecky into the rollercoaster an' destroyed one of our oil thingies!"

"I wuz REALLY lookin' forward to that sweet Mobius tea," the drilltank whined deflating as his red bowtie flopped like a wilting flower.

"You've any idea how long it takes to GET that much oil, from the trees?!"

"Thirty-six days," stated Dronin, "I understand damage has been costly, but reparations shall be made."

"Uh, YEAH thanks to us!" shouted the rooster swinging a thumb to his chest. "We got all the supplies down here in the first place, we sign off on all of 'em, we're runnin' this place when we're not hoofin' it around West Side Island!"

"I write the stocks!"

Grounder pulled out something from a chest compartment below his bowtie, showing a checklist that just had STOCKS written in excessively crazy "handwriting".

"Nobody writes 'em better than me!"

"Yeaaaah you got that right," said Scratch rolling his eyes. "So what's the deal with them other dinos, how come yer with them?!"

"They were being chased by an unknown enemy," explained Dronin, "I met them in the Mushroom Hill Zone and so took it upon myself to guide them."

"Uhhhh kay, wh-why?!"

"Because they were lost and I want to see their family reunited. That, and the sooner they are together again, the sooner they can leave our home."

"Yanno it's bad enough we got freakin' TELEPORTED to sum other place without some crazy dinos on our asses!"

"Yeah, cah-RAZY!" moaned Grounder. "They didn't even leave us a number to call 'em back, I had a good mind to complain!"

"To WHO?!" squawked Scratch. "They weren't salespeople!"

"Not with that attitude they weren't, they just lost a customer!"

"You weren't even a customer to start with boltbrain!"

"What did they tell you?" asked Eggfang from behind the mantis.

_ "They said your sisters attacked their friends and destroyed where they keep their water." _

"What?! That...that does not sound like them."

"Does it?" added Moonclaw. "They seem rather eager to attack anything."

"No, THAT sounds like them...but not destroying where the stonebeasts' water is, they are not clever enough to do that."

_ "Allow me." _ Dronin made a whistling sound to catch the robots' attention in their brief bickering to cease. "Did the two dinosaurs look strange to you?"

"Whaddaya mean, we never seen 'em before!" said Scratch throwing wings up in disbelief.

"Did they have anything about them that was odd, like something that did not fit or looked even more out of place?"

"They had funny hats!" added the moletank. "I thoughts they were tryin' to sell us somethin' cuz they had hats on."

"What did these hats look like?"

"Uhhh, sorta...kinda, round-y an' hard-y an' like, they had these weird thingies in front o' their eyes."

"I see." The mantis turned towards the raptors and relayed their sightings to them. _ "The stonebeasts said that your sisters were wearing something on their heads." _

"What?" asked Barkclaw. "Why would they wear something on their heads?"

_ "I do not know, were they wearing anything?" _

"No, only the shiny stones they found that my brother tied to them."

_ "Stones?" _ The mantis turned back to the bird and moletank. "Did you see any gems or jewels on these two attackers?"

"Nope!"

"Nope!" said both shrugging drills and wings.

"I see."

"So what are you guys gonna do?" asked the rooster.

"We are going to find them and take them back to their home."

"GOOD, cuz they caused us a lotta trouble an' we don't wan' anymore o' that!"

"We got plenny trouble here!" chirped Grounder helpfully. "Gettin' our oil, drinkin' our oil, telling mean big hedgehogs to go away-"

"Hedgehog?" asked Dronin. "Is he...here on this island?"

"Yeah, he got BIG, an' he got these real creepy red eyes on 'im, I saw 'im once! I told 'im to go away an' he just LOOKED at me."

"Yeah," added Scratch, "I heard sumthin' like that too WAIT WAIT!"

He tapped the right side of his head which revealed he had a circular headset wired into his eardrum, which in turn poked out a small antenna.

"HEY, Mecky, you got a minute?! ......remember that blue blur ya saw the other day, when was that?! ......huh?! ...well I don' know, I wasn't there what do I look like a freakin' magician?! ...I BOUGHT THIS SUIT, IT'S NOT MY FAULT THE PANTS DON'T FIT ME YOU JACKASS, NOW GET BACK TO YER POST, OR I'LL HAVE YOU DEMOTED TO BEIN' A COCONUT SHYER, SHYBOY, WH-WHATEVER, NUTBOY, THAT'S WHAT YER GONNA BE, NUTBOY!"

"Are they insane?" murmured Eggfang to her comrades.

"I am not sure," said Moonclaw, "they fought well if not being rather clumsy for stonebeasts."

"The stoneflyer annoys me," said Barkclaw, "can we go now?"

"Yes, Stonevoice we should go, did they tell us anything?"

_ "Your sisters lost their stones,"_ replied the mantis curtly, _"it seems we are on the right trail." _

"But it is night," added Barkclaw smacking his lips with tired eyes, "can we sleep first?"

_ "I will find us a place to rest safe." _ He turned one last time towards the rooster who cleared his call and stood stiffly like a bouncer. "We must be going, thank you for your words and my friend here apologises for attacking you."

"Ehhh we shot her first," said Scratch looking tired with slumped shoulders, "what you guys gonna do?"

"We are spending the night here, it is much too dangerous to travel in the dark."

"It's CREEPY!" mewled Grounder. "Y-y-you might meet thuh roboclown!"

"Those don't even exist!" cried the bird. "I told you not to watch it!"

"You watched it!"

"I'm more brave than you is why, you get freaked out everytime we ride the rollercoaster!"

"I have a sensitive battery!"

"No you don't it's the same one as mine, remember those weird stones that FG gave us?!"

"...wait, THAT'S whut it is?!" said the moletank with some odd relief. "PHEW, I thought it was a lump!"

"YOU'RE a lump!" shouted Scratch slapping his friend. "That's literally what yer shaped like!"

As the two argued to themselves the raptors turned and walked out of the factory with Dronin leading them to a safe house in the carnival. Whilst most of the residences for robots were tight and contained like tubes and boxes, there were some larger unused spaces for the more claustrophobic inhabitants. A boxy room with blankets on the floor managed by a roly-poly robot, shaped like a ladybird with one wheel underneath who greeted them with teeny waving arm.

"OH, hellooooo mister Dronin how are you?!"

"I am fine thank you," replied the mantis, "are you well Motoma?"

"Hhhhmmmm just fine and dandy thank you! And who are your friends?"

"They are newcomers to the island searching for lost family. May we rest here for the night?"

"Oho why certainly, any friend of Dronin is a friend of mine please come in come in!"

The raptors were rather nervous being inside a building, muttering anxious breaths as the four were led over to a free set of blankets.

"Why do you live in shining caves?" asked Barkclaw.

_ "If we sleep outside,"_ explained Dronin, _"our stone flesh can easily rot when exposed to the water and wind." _

"Really? Why?"

_ "It is difficult to explain, but that is the life of a stonebeast." _

"How surprising," replied Moonclaw, "a beast made of stone becomes weak to softest breaths of the land."

_ "It is not a swift weakness, but one that worsens slowly." _

"Ahhh I see."

"Heeeere you are," said the rollerbug, "I'm sorry we don't have any food for organics but you're welcome to sleep until morning."

"That is fine thank you," said Dronin patting the short ladybug, "you have always been helpful to me."

"Th-th-tha...thank you Drony."

With eyes sparkling as best a robot's could, he silently squee'd with tiny metal arms clasped to his face, before turning round and rolling back towards his station. The praying mantis bowed his hat-covered head and curled up against the wall whilst the raptors settled onto the soft blankets.

"This feels odd," murmured Eggfang.

"It feels nice," sighed Barkclaw. "I like this.place."

"What? But it smells awful and it sounds like a horde of flyers screeching!"

"I like it here."

"...nnnngh, you really are Oddclaw's brother."

The sister turned herself over and went to sleep, keeping her nostrils open for any suspicious scents whilst Moonclaw curled up beside them. Dronin powered off with a gentle whirr turning rigid like a statue as the carnival sounds began to dissipate. The other half of their family was far to the wilderness beyond the ruins on the mountaintops.

"This shotgun is strange," muttered Oddclaw sitting at the fire.

"How so?" replied Knuckles brewing his pot above it.

"I remember it hitting me, but I am not bleeding or broken."

"That's cuz it's a laser weapon." The guardian sipped the brimming pot's contents before dashing a few herbs into it. "It's not meant for hurting living creatures, that sorta thing was made to hunt robots, I think Nack musta brought those with him since, well, robots are the only real danger on this island now apart from me."

The raptor looked up from polishing the new gun he cradled in his lap. Smooth steel rectangular body that was slightly longer than his sawn-off was as he turned it over in his claws.

"...row-bots?"

"Yeah you know metal things, like those badniks we fought down in the hydrocity."

"Ahhhhh I see...so this, lay-zer cannot kill non-robots?"

"I dunno about it NOT killing, but it won't blow your head off if that's what you're asking."

"Really? How can it do that?"

"I dunno, one of the badniks over at the carnival place will know about it more. Food's ready."

Pulling up his spoon to pour stew into a bowl which he placed in front of Oddie, the echidna did the same for himself as he sat beside the raptor. Sitting in an old ruined house with the remnants of a fire pit now reborn from the ashes, the night shimmered above their heads from the half-sunken roof which formed a crumbling slope against the wall. The sounds of Barren chewing noisily on a raw chunk of meat could be heard slightly beyond the fire's crackling glow as she ripped into the warm flesh, which made Knuckles raise his brow amidst the hooting of owls and chirrup of crickets.

"Your uh, mother's a full tribal huh?"

"Yes," replied Oddclaw slurping at his stew, "all of my family are."

"But you aren't, you got uh...more...modern sensibilities."

"The humen taught me that, when I first met them."

"Huh? Humans?" The guardian took a full swig of his bowl cleanly. "Wow, not seen any of those in years, they live back at your home?"

"Yes, well...no, they live far away from me at their own home, but we are on the same island."

"Ahhhh I see."

"This food is very good," said Oddie smiling as he raised his bowl, "you are a great cook!"

"Haha thanks," replied Knuckles rubbing his dreads, "took me a while to learn on my own, but once you start bein' out on the road wandering all over this island you kinda have to."

"I can cook too, I make mince and chocolate."

"Wha-seriously?! You know how to make chocolate?"

"I can make some for you when we find my family. My friends the humen have the things for it, you can come and meet them!"

"That sounds good! Been ages since I had any good chocolate."

The red echidna licked his lips with a sudden craving before he finished up the rest of his stew. The two had seconds soon after as they talked into the night, with Barren snoozing off after a nice full belly of food and the heat radiating at a comfortable distance from her body.

"Yanno I never even saw your island," said Knuckles, "was too busy chasin' after Nack, that musta been a shock for you to see it just come outta the sky."

"It was," said Oddclaw scratching his cheek, "you are not the first to come to our world, but we never had an island come here."

"This happened before?"

"Yes. The humen have a gate which they are trying to open so they can go back home, but it's bringing others here. I am surprised the humen have not come to see."

"Well if they're as nice as you say they are I'd appreciate the help. But for now we gotta find your sisters and those two remaining emeralds."

"Thank you Knuckles," the raptor grinned beaming his sharp teeth, "I am glad we are now friends."

"Well it's nice to have someone help now and again," replied the guardian leaning back to smile back at him. "So, once it's morning we head down to the lava reef and hopefully find your sisters."

"What if we find Nack's boss?"

"Then we beat the snot outta him. I dunno who it is but he won't be leaving this island anytime soon until I catch up with him."

"You will punish him?" asked Oddclaw setting aside his bowl.

"Definitely," said Knuckles stifling a yawn, "just beat him up, take back my emeralds and then boot him out."

"Right into the sea?"

"He got here somehow, he can get back the same way...I just hope the way they came didn't go after my island got teleported."

"You do not seem fry-tenned about being in another world."

"Nah, I've had it happen before. Trust me."

The guardian gave a small grin and raised his bowl in a toast before sipping down the last of his warm stew as the raptor finished up his, before he curled up next to his mother with Knuckles keeping close to the fire on steady watch. The morning would soon come as both saurians woke up with a stretching grunt, the smell of burning embers thick amidst the sound of birds chirping from above. Perched on the wall was a small blue finch of some sort joined by its mate, a rosy pink female that nuzzled and nipped at him playfully.

"Where is the guardian?" asked Barren.

"Hmmm?" Oddclaw looked towards the fire to find a note pinned to the pot. "He left a message. He is scouting the land first, he will be back soon."

"I see."

Barren decided this was a good time to empty her bowels by walking over to a corner and sighing to herself. The absence of trees as instinctive to her kind as places to mark and defecate forced her to use the wall of the ancient ruin. In a devious way she imagined it as her statement to the legacy of the warmbloods, her graffiti of sorts. Once she was done she kicked the dirt behind her to cover some of her mark, and went back to her son who sat fiddling with his new gun.

"Do you have to take that thing with you?" she asked.

"It will help us fight the stonebeasts," he replied.

"I know, but I do not like you using fire."

"I do not like fire either, but with this strength I can face any enemy and survive."

"You have your eyes, you have your hearing, you have your snout and you have a mind."

"But I do not have strength, not alone. The beasts I have fought when helping the hairless cannot be killed by my senses alone."

"But you can still fight without using THAT!"

"Mother." The son turned his head towards her with an irritable sigh. "You told me that I was my father's son, now what would father do against a greatbeast?"

"He...he would-nnnnnhhhhh-"

"When you were pregnant, and the tribe were escaping that humen cave cycles ago, you told me he wielded the hairless' fire and killed that greatbeast with it alongside Eyeclaw, did you not?"

"Yes...I did."

"Then is it not right that my strength be the same as my father's with this fire?"

"I...I just-I..." She bowed her head in muttering frustration. "I know and you are right in what you speak...but, I am afraid."

"Afraid?"

"That if you become...if you......that you will leave me."

"What?"

The mother walked forwards looming over him, her voice somewhat weak and her posture timid..

"When Oddscar used that fire, and spoke the hairless tongue, he left me. I just...I have always loved you m-more than any of my children-"

"Mother n-no, that is not true-"

"It is true! It HURTS me to say it, but it is true, because you were the one who inherited your father's body! Your joy, your tears, your scent is all the same as his more than any of your siblings! I cannot go through that again...you were so weak, s-so gentle...I watched you cry and struggle to eat with such small teeth, I fed you meat but you could not even bite it, you could not even EAT because of how weak you were and I was FRIGHTENED of losing you!"

"M-mother, please..." Oddclaw put his gun to the side and placed his hands upon her cheeks. "Do not...do not speak like that, you love all of us."

"I do...but...I thought you would die." She pushed her snout into his hands to breathe hotly across his fingers. "I...was so afraid that you had been born too weak to live, and I did EVERYTHING to keep you alive with Eggfang and Fishclaw raising your siblings. I chewed up your food and fed you from my tongue, I carried you on my back when you could not even walk and I was s-so, afraid that you would never speak that the first time I heard your dear voice call me 'mother' I wept throughout the whole day. ...I know you are not weak anymore, but I cannot stop seeing you as my frail hatchling. The way you showed your teeth, the way you...h-held my snout with your little odd claws just like this...wh-when I fed you you would h-hold me just like this."

The gentle coos she made as she nuzzled his fingers made him well up in tears before he pulled her in for a warm hug. His hands slipped across her pebbled skin reaching for the large neck as they crossed their cheeks against each other, their soft tearful breaths would come shivering from their throats.

"I will never leave this family," said Oddie with closed eyes. "I do not want to. I have nowhere else to be."

"You...really?"

"I do not want to be part of the humen, nor do I want to leave this world. I love my family. I love you...I love my brothers and my older sister."

"What about Sand and Leaf?" she asked pulling her head back.

"Wellllll I could do without them," he said with eyes rolling.

"Wha-y-y-you, ODDCLAW!"

"Hhhhahahaha I am just teasing you mother of course I would miss them."

"Gh-ohhhhh youuuuuhhhhmhmhmhmha, ohohohhh dear I am sorry about cooing over you."

"It is fine." He licked across her snout as she chirred happily. "I know you are afraid because you want me to be safe, but I will be. I will use the fire, but I will use it to protect our family and our home, where I will stay with forever."

"Is that a promise?" she asked pressing her nostrils against his in a nuzzling kiss.

"Yes...because I promised Barkclaw and you know that I never break a promise to him."

"Of course...hmmmmm you know, you two always stayed together for as long as I can remember."

"We understand each other," he said shrugging, "I do not remember how but...I think he was fascinated with me...or maybe he wanted to keep me safe. I remember him always looking out for me."

"A scout all his life," the mother replied chuckling, "and now you keep him safe."

"I try to."

Two minutes later they would hear Knuckles returning by the trudge of his boots heading up the hill beneath them.

"The road's clear," he said, "we got a straight shot into the reef and I'm sure there aren't any badniks down there either."

"Good," said Oddclaw, "shall we go?"

"Sure but uh firstly."

The guardian brought out a makeshift holster fashioned from old strips of cloth and vines, taking Oddclaw's new weapon and sliding it in.

"Helps ya keep your hands free for the road up ahead."

"Oh, thank you Knuckles! That is kind of you."

After strapping the holster to himself they travelled through the deep valley of the marble gardens before reaching a yawning cavern's mouth formed by the sunken slope of the uneven lands. The smell of sulphur breathed from within like the gasp of a devil's throat causing both raptors to recoil with sneering shudder at a horrid familiar scent.

"A-aaagh, the Firesea?!" muttered Barren.

"You know the Firesea?" asked Oddclaw.

"I remember it with my family...the stench was...vile, and the fire was never-ending."

"It is a frightening place yes."

"You have seen it too?"

"When travelling home with Moonclaw, yes, we ventured near."

"You two alright?" asked Knuckles.

"Yes," replied Odd, "we are just...it is not a scent we like."

"Heheh yeah, smells like rotting eggs don't it?"

"I...I-i-does it?"

"What you never smelled a rotting egg? You're reptiles aren't you?"

"Yes, but..." The raptor tried to turn his head in remembering anything like such. "When an egg has...died, we eat it."

"Oh...well that's uh......uhhh yeah that's, anyway let's just go in alright?"

"Right."

Moving past the awkward moment they journeyed into the depths of the island where the heat started thickening. Below the joyous blue sky and rich canvassed hills of broken houses there lied a monstrous breath, of a deep dragon's bellow fuming through the rich calciferous tunnels as rocks glowed with heat. The smell of sulfurous wraiths steaming through the ground was sickening, almost burning their nostrils as they ventured further downwards. The ground was smooth almost slippery with a black shale coating that Oddclaw found strangely familiar.

The air became heavy the deeper they went, the fumes clouding over their heads as they felt their bodies turn slightly sluggish. The sweltering heat rejuvenated the two reptiles, but the guardian was starting to sweat thickly from his dreads and his black suit began to itch with the prickling fire that simmered throughout the room. Finally they reached the reef after a slow tedious descent.

"Oh...ohhh no."

Barren's sharp whisper echoed her son's thoughts as they stared upon the whole of the lava reef. Oddclaw had forgotten what the word "lava" meant and bit his lip with nervous fright at the swelling churning rivers of raw insidious magma, dotted with huge rocks in the stream as well as passages all interconnecting back and forth like a giant ant hill.

"Are you...sure this is the fastest way?" asked Odd pensively.

"Sure is," said Knuckles cracking his fingers, "hope you guys know how to hop across lava."

"Can we get around this?"

"Oh yeah, there are passageways round it, just watch your step and follow me."

Leading the mother and son towards branching path, they walked around the first molten flume to a natural staircase, lined with geothermal pipes and old steam valves carved from exceptional metals. Not even the chunky igneous rocks could protect them from the heat which even to the raptors started to become increasingly uncomfortable.

Twisting corridors of darkness barely illuminated by the smoulder underneath, the crimson shadows crackling on the walls behind them gave an aura of eerieness to the depths. With guardian out in front keeping a wary eye for any loose footing or cracks in the stone they went over a land bridge that had been carved to help those traverse through the flowing magma at a safe distance. For the most part the journey went along smoothly, navigating over another wide stream of roasting heat that bubbled and spewed ever constant beneath their feet. As they passed the second floe they did not notice the cruel gleaming red eyes from the dark watching them.

"How you guys holding up?" asked the native.

"We are fine thank you," said Oddie, "it is very hot...but we will make it."

"I knew you'd be alright, guys like you can handle heat better than someone like me."

"Guys like me?"

"Yeah yanno, reptiles...got that whole heat thing."

"I do not un-derstand."

"Never mind point is I knew you two could handle this an-"

KHRRRRRRMMM

"W-WOAH WOAH JEEZ!"

An explosion tore through the cavernous system with deafening rumble, the trembling fury causing them to lose their footing as they staggered against the walls terrifying all three of them.

"WH-WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

"WH-WHAT IS THAT ROARING?!"

"Ohhhh shii-take mushrooms."

Knuckles knew what that sound was as he turned slowly towards upstream. A great swelling of burning red and thickening amber currents began to bear down on them with the strength of a tsunami, turning their eyes into small dots of fear before Knuckles grabbed their necks.

"THIS WAY, COME ON LET'S GO!"

"W-WAIT, KNUCKLES NO!"

"AAAAAAAGH THE FIRE IS COMING!"

There was no time to think as the echidna pulled them towards a rocky outcrop of the shoreline before slamming his fist deep into the heated stone causing it to crack and split off from the rest of the cavern's floor.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" shrieked Oddclaw.

"I'M MAKING A RAFT," shouted Knuckles, "NOW HOLD ON!"

"A-A-A-AAAA WHAT?!"

"A BOAT, JUST TRUST ME!"

The waves of lava jolted in the deep river with undulating bursts causing the makeshift raft to suddenly launch itself downstream. Barren clutched desperately onto her son in shrieking fright as Oddclaw held on fiercely back, the guardian out in front grabbing a thin stalagmite that he snapped from its base. The growling earth was ever constant behind them as magma loomed with threatening force eager to devour them, the twisting tumultuous tide sending other rocks down towards them almost like projectiles. Knuckles readily bashed them away with his stony oar struggling to keep them afloat, the river churning and turning away down inside the deepest pits of the island.

"WH-WHERE ARE WE GOING?!" cried the raptor.

"ANYWHERE BUT HERE!" said the echidna.

"I DO NOT WANT TO BE HERE!"

"NEITHER DO I!"

"LOOK OUT!"

Barren's shriek had them turn their heads to the front where the path split in two, a giant column looming before them as their rocky boat hit straight on towards it. Their raft came apart down the middle as Barren and Oddclaw went hurtling towards the right whilst Knuckles was pulled down to the left.

"A-AAAAH, KNUCKLES!"

"JUST HANG ON!" said the guardian. "THE PATHS REJOIN AT THE BOTTOM I'LL SEE YOU THERE!"

Down the narrow passage the raptors went through a red magma ride of terrifying speed as the river picked up its pace. Some of the lava's tidal wave had dissipated in splitting up at the gap, but in tighter quarters it was now bottlenecked towards a ruthless slalom, the rushing bellow of crimson rage came harrowing down on them like a wretched horde of harpies.

"WHAT DO WE DO?!" screamed Barren.

"JUST HOLD ON!" insisted Odd. "THE RIVER WILL END AND WE CAN FIND OUR ESCAPE!"

"WHAT IF THERE IS NO EXIT!"

"THE WARMBLOOD SAID THERE WAS NOW JUST STAY CLOSE!"

The roaring demented surge of scorching scarlet death came faster behind them, rolling a torpid spew of thick heated rocks that went scattering across the thinning walls into crumbling chunks. They came threateningly close to upsetting their vessel as both raptors dug their claws into their stone-clad boat which rocked back and forth. The flow of lava bubbled up beneath their feet as their stone platform started to tilt and rise at an angle, almost skating across the walls as mother and son raked deeper their claws into stone dirt.

Tension rose along with the sweltering temperature before the twisting tunnel finally opened up back into a large lake. The raptors panicked from the threat of splashing magma as they gazed upon the wide-open underground room, littered with natural columns like the entrance hall to a palace. The sea of flames was ruthless, but the magma had subsided behind them after it ran out of steam.

"HEY!" They heard a voice shouting from their left as Knuckles waved to them. "YOU MADE IT!"

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" cried Oddclaw.

"YEAH, BUT WE HAVE TO GET OFF THESE SOON, THERE'S A LAVAFALL AHEAD!"

"WHAT?!"

They heard it approaching. A sudden drop into the abyss up ahead where the magma would fall downwards with the constant echo of deep sub-primal snarls from the earth itself. But there was no shore for them to jump to, the walls entirely cloistered by stalactites and stalagmites.

"OKAY!" cried the guardian. "WHEN I TELL YOU TO JUMP, JUMP OVER THIS WAY!"

"W-WHAT!?" shouted Odd.

"DO YOU TRUST ME?!"

"...I...I HAVE TO!"

"ALRIGHT, READY?!"

"YES!" The raptor turned to his mother. "MOTHER WE HAVE TO JUMP!"

"WHAT?!" she cried.

"TRUST ME, JUMP WHEN I TELL YOU TO!"

"I...A-ALRIGHT!"

The end of the lava reef threatened them with the end to their lives as they waited for the signal. The abyss came closer, hounding them with spittles of red burning jaws over the edge that singed and scarred across smooth igneous walls until there was an opening to their left.

"NOW, JUMP, HERE!"

"MOTHER NOW!"

Leaping almost all at once the three travellers dove into an alcove nestled between the sculpted bars of stalagmites and stalactites within the cave passage, a shaft of light guiding them as they started falling down a slope with skidding panic. Far from the burning fury of calderous torrents, they tumbled down into another chamber that seemed strangely devoid of anything, a beige convex roof and uncharacteristic rocks. But beyond their reach was a passage towards a blue crystalline chasm, shining pure and radiant like a world of diamonds.

"Hoo," sighed the guardian dusting his hat, "that's the worst of that over."

"How did you know when to jump?" asked the raptor.

"You think I'd be living on this island for years and not know every part of it by now?"

"Well...no."

"Well, I do."

"Are you alright?" asked Barren to her son.

"Yes, are you alright too?"

"I am...hohhh...th-that was...frightening but also quite exciting!"

"Well I am glad you are enjoying it too."

"Hmhmhahaha!"

"So," Knuckles pointed out the crystal-covered exit, "that's where the Flying Battery is and whoever this guy that hired Nack will be."

"What do we do with him?" said Oddclaw walking forwards.

"Beat him out of my home, that's what."

"Is that so?"

A voice robotic came shimmering through the air as the three turned around fast with claws, fists and gun ready to strike.

"WHO'S THERE?!" shouted Odd.

"The one you seek...the employer of that pathetic thief."

"Oh, great," added Knuckles as he went to boxing stance, "that saves me the hassle walkin' all the way down to the battery so I can whup ya."

"Indeed. Your island's defences forced me to resort to ignoble means, but...at least now I can take back what I originally sought."

"TH-THERE, THAT STONEBEAST!"

Barren barked towards the roof of the chamber where something hovered. A dark blue creature with steel grey chin and spindly fingers, yellow-plated chest and thick clunky red shoes to make it almost resemble some form of metallic skeleton. Knuckles gasped slightly as he squinted his eyes up towards the cyborg.

"...S-...Soni-no......Metal Sonic? Why are YOU here?!"

"That is not your concern, echidna."

"It damn well is, this is MY island you're stealing from!"

"Your people do not claim ownership of those emeralds. Did you forget your role as guardian, that is to not own but protect them?"

"I know what I am! And I know what YOU are!"

"No. You do not know yet what I shall become."

"Did you attack my sisters?!" shouted Oddclaw. "Who are you?!"

"Who I am is not important. As for your sisters...they were very generous in offering me their two shining stones."

From a compartment inside his body, the metal beast revealed the pink and silver jewels glistening in the deep subterranean light, much to Oddclaw's distress.

"Tha...th-those are...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM?!"

"They are unharmed...I convinced them of a better option in serving my plans rather than on a foolish venture."

"IF YOU HURT MY SISTERS I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Not before I do," snarled the echidna, "you have two options here metalhead, either give back those emeralds to me and leave this island...or I beat you so far into the earth they'll be excavating you as a fossil in another million years."

"Interesting," replied Metal Sonic pocketing his ill-gotten goods. "But I offer a third option. I destroy you, take those emeralds from you, and engage my new plan unabated."

"Not gonna happen."

"No. Not yet."

The robot slammed down hard into the solid floor with a crunching force, a beastly power that sent cracks sharply resonating across the chamber in testament to his power. The raptors staggered slightly but stood firm in defiance as Knuckles braced his fists.

"This stonebeast wants to fight?" asked Barren with snarl increasing.

"He attacked Sand and Leaf," replied Odd coldly. "He says they are not harmed, but he will die here for threatening us."

"Agreed...those who harm my family shall SUFFER!"

Charging forth the mother lunged her jaws at the metallic beast's head who dodged and backflipped both his feet straight into her jaw, sending her upwards and off her feet as her son rushed in. He pulled his shotgun free and fired with surprising quickness that Metal Sonic barely dodged with one blazing shot shattering across his arm and sending him tumbling out the air. Knuckles followed up with a leaping strike to cave the fiend's face in but the robot boosted himself back up with a burst of exhaust from its back, slamming its head into the guardian's snout to shove him back.

Barren came from the side in a jumping strike, kickthrusting both her feet into Metal Sonic's head to send it down hard with a thunk before she tore at his smooth skull with her teeth. She struggled to get a grip but her claws raked and lashed at his polished sheen with metallic shavings coming off like strips of cold blue skin. The stonebeast slammed his elbow into Barren's teeth with such force that her jaw vibrated with dull piercing sting that made her cry in shock, stunning her long enough to receive a twin punch to the head and forcing her off.

The cold intruder skidded across the floor with dust brimming underneath his back, venting jets powered by a spinning turbine in his chest that glowed like an ominous dark heart. Racing to the back of the room he braced for a devastating charge as Oddclaw stood boldly in line to fire, only to find the gun beeped with exasperation at him.

"Wh-what?! Why is it not firing!?!"

"It has to recharge!" warned Knuckles.

"What?!"

"It reloads itself, it'll tell you when, let me handle this!"

The guardian stepped forth with goading knuckles towards Metal Sonic, who took the challenge and rushed forth with a monstrous shriek of speed almost in the blink of an eye. The island native timed himself with calm breath, deep exhale and whammed a violent uppercut hard into Metal Sonic's chin, sending him up into the ceiling where he buried himself halfway within the misfired supersonic charge. Thin silver feet stuck out of the roof before cracks started to appear, the robot punching his way through the bedrock with ultra-pneumatic strength and slamming his feet back down to the floor in a crushing shockwave that sent all three of his opponents flying.

The ground broke uneven, crumbling apart as they fell into a lower cavern with much darker hue on its walls than above. In their briefly dazed moment of weakness, Metal Sonic filtered a red light from its crimson heartless gaze over them, scanning for something. His target blinked within Knuckles' bag, but the data he relayed back also contained something else as he landed and beckoned them to fight with taunting fingers. Oddclaw charged with shotgun ready to fire, whirring a strange beep of excitement in his rush to point and shoot. The robot ducked beneath the spreading fire before rearing back his fist, which suddenly became enlarged with thick jagged knuckles that crunched into the raptor's head as he went flying to hit the wall.

"ODDCLAW!" shrieked Barren. _"YOU COWARD, I WILL KILL YOU!" _

Claws scraping against the hard stone floor signalled her frenzy, her tongue lashing out in primal scream as Metal Sonic turned and aimed his clenched hand towards her. Fingers began to lengthen into the disturbing shape of a gun's barrel as his arm straightened out with vibrating trembling power. Barren recognised the shape as she suddenly strafed between three burning laser shots which arced across the room heading in her direction. Searing fizzing scars of burning light slipped past her cheek and singed her tail before she leapt high and came down hard with her full weight to crush the steel fiend.

Giving him no time to react she grabbed Metal Sonic's head with her teeth and swung him with feral strength into the wall, cracking the back of his armoured torso against the warm cragged stone until he kicked himself against the wall and headbutted her fiercely. Knuckles jumped back into the fray after making sure Oddclaw was alright in sitting him up against the wall, racing with fists out behind him as he came whirling like a cyclone, spinning on the toe of his boot to whallop Metal Sonic thrice. The metallic monster recoiled back from the blows with a swinging kick, a brutal slash of something absurdly sharp cutting across his face to scar across his forehead and cut one of his dreads clean off.

"A-AAARGH! Wha...ohhh you are such a cheat."

The robot said nothing floating slightly in front of him, his wicked silver feet now transformed into two sickle-bladed claws on each leg that mimicked Barren's own. The stonebeast landed only to leap-strike with a sudden flurry of kicking slicing motions that Knuckles swerved and dodged with frenzied punches, blocking each and every kick that came his way as best he could. Fists and feet became a blur between them of white and silver slivers, the rapid-firing space of dull thuds against calloused gloves before the guardian slammed hard into the turbine-whirring chest. Metal Sonic wheezed with a sputter of exhaust against the wall before he decided:

"ENOUGH. I have what I need and you bore me."

"Huh?!" Knuckles took a moment to catch his breath before noticing his bag was oddly light. "What the-y-you-DID YOU JUST-"

"Yes." The robot revealed two emeralds newly obtained in his clutches. "I no longer have to waste time on you."

"YOU, D-DAMN THIEF!"

The guardian rushed with fury in his eyes as Metal Sonic sweeped his leg to knock Knuckles down, before using his own strength against him by an enlarged knuckle-plated fist to pummel his chest with one vicious hammerstrike. The wheezing echidna choked on his own breath before stumbling himself back up with a heaving wind.

"N-nn-GUH! Hhhhhyouuu...give it...BACK!"

Trying once more to swing at him, he was countered hard by an elbow in his stomach as the cold steel thief grabbed his arm and threw him against the wall to leave him crumpled.

"If you want to fight so badly, I have arranged for you a new playmate to busy yourselves with whilst I complete my duties. Enjoy the family reunion."

Clicking his fingers, the intruder floated off towards the crystal-studded door above them as they gathered themselves. Oddclaw clutched his chest feeling a dull pain transcend throughout his back with a wince causing Barren to look over him.

"Are you alright son?"

"Yes...a-agh, that beast was strong."

"Not strong enough to kill us, the coward fled!"

"You doing alright?" Knuckles asked also.

"I am fine," replied Odd to him, "just...s-sore."

"Lemme check you over."

He placed his hands on Oddclaw's chest asking him to breathe in and out, checking for any unsightly noises that would indicate something wrong.

"You're fine, nothing broken."

"Good. We must chase after hi-...someone is here."

"I know, he said he left us a friend."

The trio turned towards the darkness of a branching tunnel where something lurked, a familiar scent that caught Oddclaw's attention as well as Barren who started to tense her teeth.

"Is...w-w-wait, it smells like-"

"But, it......Sand? Leaf?"

Two eyes of pure red glinted from beyond the dark with piercing stillness. Slowly the eyes walked forwards, bobbing with its head as a sinister cold wind blew through the underchamber. Then, the eyes came apart too wide for any creature's head to be as they stepped into the light revealing two familiar female raptors. But something was wrong in their scent, as well as a strange crowning helmet of dull steel that fully covered their eyes and cheeks exposing the snout. Barren became nervous by their appearance as she tried to step forwards.

"S-s-sand? Leaf, is that-a-are you alrigh-"

"Stay back." Knuckles put his arm out in front of her. "This is not good."

"Wh-what has happened?" asked Odd fearfully. "Wh-why are they-what, s-something is wrong."

"That thing on their heads is something bad, I've seen it before. They're not in control, they won't recognise you."

"Wh-why!?"

"It brainwashes them, makes them fight without knowing why but we have to get 'em off before it's too late."

"Before what is too late?!"

"Before they try an' kill you!"

"WHAT!?"

"HERE THEY COME!"

Without warning the two sisters attacked with a disturbing robotic gait. Rigid like marionettes they came for their brother and mother with vicious reaching bites at their throats, leaping strikes that planted against the ground with perfect posture and throughout it all they never shrieked, never spoke. Not even a whimper when Oddclaw was forced to punch Sand off of him in her constant lunge at his snout. Leaf leapt onto Barren who ducked out of the way, trying to bite the back of her daughter's neck in a dominant stance to try and force her down.

"Wh-what is WRONG WITH YOU?! LEAFRUNNER SAY SOMETHING!"

"Something happened!" cried Odd. "They are not, th-they do not know what they are doing!"

"Really?! NOW they do not, you have told me that many times before and I never believed you!"

"WELL BELIEVE ME NOW I SWEAR I DO NOT KNOW, LOOK OUT!"

Sandrunner went for Barren, biting at her tail to pull her hard off her twin as both of them launched up and knocked her down with teeth baring and ready to crush her throat. Oddclaw swung out his shotgun in front of them like a bat, cracking one of them across the face whilst the other chomped on his weapon with snarling drool as Barren stumbled out from underneath. Knuckles came up behind Leaf currently biting on the gun barrel as he tried to grab at the helmet.

"CUMMERE!"

The beast resisted his grip, one hand round the throat and the other forcefully trying to cram his thick fingers underneath the steel helm with no success. The raptor growled a subdermal sound as she tried to shake him off, twitching her head back and forth against his mightiest effort.

"I C-CAN'T GET IT OFF!"

"LEAF!" screeched Oddie. "LEAFRUNNER STOP, HE IS MY FRIEND PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!"

The guardian however was soon forced off his quarry by Sandrunner kicking from the side, a flying strike that slammed into his head and knocked him to the dirt before he found himself on the receiving end on a pair of sickled claws raking at his face. Grabbing the feet he threw her away, but in her stumbled fall she swung out her jaws at his arm and raked her fangs across his skin to sharply tear at his fur. Clutching the gash below his shoulder with a stinging gasp he stood up ready to fight again whilst Leaf turned upon her family. The raptors stood waiting as Oddclaw flexed his fingers around the gun which made Barren cry out.

"NO, n-n-no Oddclaw please, they are your sisters you cannot use fire on them!"

"I know," said her son carefully, "I am not going to."

"You...y-you promise?"

"I promise. I promised you before with Sunscreech that I would not kill any of our family, ever."

Bracing himself he gripped the barrel of his shotgun to wield it upside down with handle facing out like a club.

"Sister, please...do not make me fight you. I know you can hear me...we are safe, there is no need, now please...calm yoursel-A-AAAAGH!"

She could not listen, her senses blinded by the skull of steel with her single red eye as Leaf jumped with slashing kicks upon her brother's head. He dodged right and swung his gun up against her waist with a cracking thud to knock her down, trying to get on top of her and furiously pull the helmet off. But her strength was furious in bursting free of his grasp and rolling him off her back before biting down on his neck, blocked by his weapon once again to push her hoarse breathing snout away from his face.

Barren slammed into her side to knock her down before locking her jaws round Leafrunner's throat, a firm non-lethal bite that pricked the skin with a chokehold as she tightened carefully. The daughter kicked and struggled with frenzy growing, snarling and panting with strange noises and half-muted growls in losing consciousness, slowly being suffocated.

"S-stop, STOP IT, Leaf please listen you must stop fighting us! LISTEN TO MEEE!"

Hoping his mother could break through this silent madness, Oddclaw pushed himself back up to keep watch on Sandrunner trying to intervene, his other sister now fighting Knuckles with brazen snaps of her jaws at his face. He kept his distance, bobbing and weaving like a boxer whilst trying to wear her down with heavy jabs and light swings across the snout, hoping to dislodge or damage the helm without injuring her underneath.

But one punch she anticipated as she swerved her head and crunched down on his arm viciously, pulling him hard forwards to fall on the ground before he rolled back up and sprang towards her in a reversing dive with fists out flying. Slamming both of his burly gloved hands into her chest, Knuckles bowled her over and tried once again to wrench the mindcontrolling cap from her skull despite her gnashing jaws getting in the way. Both sisters kicked and flailed violently on the ground stirring up dust all around them, Barren struggling to suppress a sneeze as their tails slapped harder against the dry parched earth. Her moment of weakness was her undoing as she sneered with powerful resistance against her snorting, before letting go of Leafrunner's throat with a gasping heave.

"H-h-HHAAAH-AAAACHHHH, N-NO!"

Leaf took her chance, slamming her head into Barren's neck and knocking her down before readying her chance to leap with a crushing stomp. The mother puffed her nostrils free and opened her eyes in time to see the attack, thrusting both her feet out hard to rake across her daughter's chest in a slamming doublekick that pushed Leafrunner past her head like an acrobat. Flipping into a full frontal roll, the brainwashed sister turned and skidded with claws screeching into the rocky floor as her helmet started to glow a fearsome electric blue.

Before anyone knew what would happen Leafrunner charged across the room with a supersonic speed, tearing towards Knuckles and crushing her whole body against him like a shooting star, hurling him to the wall as both the brainwashed twins stood up, glowing with hyperkinetic energy.

"Wh-what, what are they doing?!" cried Barren. "Why are they, th-this scent is-"

"GET BACK!"

Both mother and son dodged separately from the dual-strike attack of Sand and Leaf, their singular eyes blazing crimson with a streaking fade of light behind them. Shrieking across the volcanic antechamber like banshees of the mountain, their bodies became incensed by an automatic control from their helms as they started navigating around the room, circling sharks with the scent of blood in their nostrils. Oddclaw readied his gun to swing whilst Barren chased over towards Knuckles to check on him.

"Are you alright warmblood?"

"Nnnngh...oh it's you."

"Get up, my daughters will not spare you!"

"Wh-what's happening now-JEEEZ!"

Sandrunner slammed into the wall between them with a vicious headbutt, her steel helm crushing the brittling rock which crumbled before them as she spun round in a hard tailwhip to slap both of them across the head. Knuckles turned dizzy for a moment, but not enough that he couldn't protect himself from a biting chomp when he swerved and hit her deep with a raw haymaker to the jaw. Leaf went after her brother once again as he cracked his gun handle against her face, her body pummelling full force into his own as they both fell together with backs skidding on the floor.

The sister recovered much faster than expected, hopping off of him before leaping onto a wall and striking down with immense height onto Oddclaw, who dodged rolling to the side just before she landed with a rock-splitting crack. In that moment however, something grabbed Leafrunner from behind and threw her by the tail with judo strength, upending her onto the floor before she was piled on.

_ "HOLD HER DOWN!" _

"Q-QUICK, BREAK IT OFF!"

Oddclaw could barely see what was happening, two large scaly forms trapping his sister underneath as some green steel beast kneeled beside her to crack open a delicate miniscule panel of the helmet. Something fizzed with sputtering sparks as the red eye Leafrunner had now began to fade.

_ "There, now the other-" _

"LOOK OUT!"

The other twin came charging with such force that the three bodies on top of Leaf were slammed across the floor like a scattering confetti. The jade stonebeast was in front of her scraping his silver feet in a shrieking skating motion until he stopped, his single arm low between his legs as his insectoid head stared down towards Sandrunner.

The brainwashed raptor ran across the room, feet blurring with light until she snapped her jaws upon a steel blade, locked between her teeth as the new fighter called towards Oddclaw.

_ "HURRY!" _

"Wh-what?!"

_ "OPEN, THE STONE IN THE BACK OF HER HEAD!" _

"Who are you?!"

_ "A FRIEND, NOW SAVE YOUR SISTER!" _

The trembling robotic voice barked him to move his feet and head up behind Sandrunner as his dexterous claws tried to open the back of the helmet. Eventually he found some purchase and flicked open a tiny panel with several coloured wires.

"Wh-what do I do?!"

_ "THE BLOOD...VINE, BREAK IT APART!" _

He hooked the red wire and snipped it with his claw as fizzing sparks burst across his snout with a sting. Sandrunner stopped fighting, her drooling teeth losing their grip as her scarlet eye dimmed before she dropped down to the floor. Taking a moment to witness the scene, the brother of the deactivated twins looked upon the praying mantisbot and turned back towards the other raptors. One brown, one grey and one red-backed.

"B-brother, Eggfang, Moonclaw!"

Without letting them speak he ran over to hug Barkclaw happily, nuzzling the mottled raptor who chirred nervously before gently untensing his muscles and licking him back.

"Hello Oddclaw."

"Are you, are you alright?! Are you hurt?!"

"No, I am fine. Eggfang and Moonclaw found me."

"Ohhh I am thankful...I was so afraid I thought...thank you."

He said his gratitude towards the two females who were looking over Leafrunner. Moonclaw however gave a smirk of confidence and walked up to him with a fiendish lick across his face.

"You thought we could not keep up with your brother?"

"No I...I was just afraid he would get hurt."

"If anything WE got more hurt than him, your brother can fight well!"

"Like sunwings and deathcrawlers," said Barkclaw with the faintest grin.

"What happened to them?" asked Eggfang sniffing over Leaf's unconscious face.

"There was a stonebeast here,"_replied Barren, _"he attacked us, and your sisters then attacked us because of those things on their heads!"

_ "I can remove them for you,"_ said Dronin sheathing his sword, _"it will not take long." _

"Who are you?!"

"A friend of your son, Barkclaw, I am Stonevoice."

"Oh...spare me, first my son makes friends with warmbloods now my OTHER son makes friends with stonebeasts?!" The mother slumped over in disbelief as she whimpered with alacrity. "Why are all the males in this family so...odd?"

"Fishclaw is not odd," said the odd anthro.

"Hmm you are right, must be your father's fault then."

"Sooo uh," the guardian started putting his back to the wall, "these uh, these...other ones are your friends too Odd?"

"Yes," he replied, "they are my family. Well, except Moonclaw and um, that one I do not know him."

"I come from the carnival zone," said Dronin politely, "why not let us explain after some rest, before we head on and catch that fiend that we are chasing after?"

"Alright, sure." Knuckles stepped off from the wall and stretched his arms with a gasp of fatigue. "Hnnnnaaah, I'm gettin' old, just don't take too long talkin' or I might start fallin' asleep."