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tenebraevesper · 2 months ago

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Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 84: The Chao Garden

''I'll go to bed, when I want to sleep. I'll wake up during the day. I'll play, when I want to play. I'll eat, when I want to eat. I'll smile, when I'm happy. I'll let myself cry, when I'm sad. Today I'm doing my best again for the sake of tomorrow's me. I work hard, so that tomorrow I won't have to strain myself so much.''

– Ashita no Watashi ni Sachi Are (May the Future Me Be Happy) by I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time

xXxXxXx

Amy sighed, feeling concerned for both Surge and Kit. She hadn't seen the two since yesterday, after Surge calmed somewhat down and Kit telling them that he would take care of her. She hoped that they would be fine. She then focused on the ongoing conversation.

Team Neos had gathered at the Taylor Workshop, discussing the adventures within the Cyberspace Fields, including Knuckles going to Angel Island, Tails and Warren suddenly finding themselves at Mystic Ruins, Amy, Minami, Silver and Makoto's adventure at Eggperial City and Touka and Eclipse somehow ending up in Crisis City. Minami had just finished telling everyone what happened at Eggperial City, with the collective reaction to Starline's death being ''Good riddance''.

''What had this Starline person done to be so hated?'' Eclipse asked Amy, being out of loop in regards to past events.

''A lot, including being the reason why Perfect Chaos was unleashed upon Neos City and causing suffering to Surge and Kit,'' Amy explained. Eclipse nodded, having already been told by Touka about Perfect Chaos and Surge and Kit and being determined to memorize the name of every enemy and ally Team Neos had for his own sake. Eclipse then observed Amy for a moment, noting to himself how she was a kind, considerate and trustworthy person. While he didn't care about the first two traits, he figured that Amy was someone he could talk to about anything without worrying about being judged.

''I have a question about something,'' Eclipse started, only to be met with a curious smile, which encouraged him to continue. ''Is there any meaning to someone eating another person's face?''

''Eh, what?'' Amy was baffled by Eclipse's question, but then forced a smile, wondering if she misunderstood something. ''Could you explain to me where you saw that?''

''I saw my brother doing it with the blue hedgehog.'' Eclipse pointed at Sonic. ''They had their mouths all over each other's faces and they seemed to be enjoying it. I thought at first that Shadow had finally given into his instincts as Black Arms and consuming the flesh of his ally, but I may be wrong.''

Amy blinked, processing Eclipse's words for a moment, only to realize what he meant. ''Oh, you mean they were kissing. Yeah, it is actually a sign of affection between two people who really like each other and- wait, Shadow and Sonic were kissing?!''

Eclipse jumped when Amy suddenly shouted, giving her a nervous look as he wondered whether he said something wrong. He also didn't like the fact that everyone's attention has turned towards them. He was ready to defend himself, but that didn't seem to be necessary, because Amy walked straight to Sonic and Shadow with an accusatory look.

''Be honest you two – are you dating?'' Amy dropped the bombshell, startling the two hedgehogs. Sonic blinked, giving her a confused look.

''Uh, yeah? We are. Why are you asking?''

This confession caused an avalanche of surprised shouts and stunned looks from everyone, save for Lucas, Touka and Eclipse, the latter still having no clue what was going on. However, Amy quickly took over.

''Since when?''

''A day after that bodyswap fiasco, I believe. We figured out that we liked each other, so we gave this dating thing a go. So far, we have no regrets,'' Sonic said, with Shadow nodding in agreement. Neither of them could say that they had an experience with dating, having gotten used to being together. Amy just gave them a baffled look.

''And you couldn't bother telling us about it?'' she asked, raising an eyebrow, with Sonic suddenly realizing why she was upset.

''I guess I kinda forgot,'' Sonic admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

''It is none of your business,'' Shadow responded in a sharp tone, glaring at Amy. He couldn't give a damn about what people thought about his relationship with Sonic, including his friends. Why was she even prying into their private life? As far as he was concerned, this was something between him and Sonic.

Amy just shook her head in disbelief, then turned to Lucas and Touka. ''Did you two know about this?''

''Who do you think actually helped them get together without causing some kind of disaster because of a misunderstanding?'' Touka countered. Sonic and Shadow shifted anxiously, recalling how that reveal went. Frankly, neither of them wanted to get reminded of that.

''Yeah, that makes sense. I guess at least I avoided the pain of playing matchmaker between you two,'' Amy muttered in a deadpan tone, much to the ire of the two hedgehogs, even if they knew that was the truth.

''I still can't believe that you two got together and no one noticed,'' Tails remarked. Sonic just smiled.

''Well, what can I say… We were just trying things out,'' he responded, shrugging. Amy put her hands on her hips.

''At least I can say that I knew that something was going on between you two,'' she said.

''And yet, you never brought it up,'' Shadow said in a snarky tone, causing Amy to roll her eyes.

''Honestly, I can see how you two would get together,'' Lily said. ''You have a lot in common and I guess the whole rivalry angle provides an additional thrill to your dynamic.'' She then glanced at Knuckles, muttering, ''If only someone else realized the same.''

Knuckles, who heard this loud and clear, turned his head away in embarrassment as he recalled his last encounter with Rouge. He hadn't told Lily anything about it and he didn't really plan on doing it, at least until he figured out what to do with Rouge.

''I still have no clue what's going on,'' Eclipse muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. Frankly, he was more disappointed that Shadow's Black Arms side didn't awaken and he didn't turn on his allies. Touka was about to respond and explain the situation to him when Lucas suddenly got a call on his AR Visor.

''Huh, it's from Cream,'' he said, stunned to see the caller ID, and answered it. As expected, Cream and Cheese showed up on the holographic screen.

''Hello, Mr. Lucas! Hello everyone!'' Cream greeted them politely.

''Hi, Cream! What's up?'' Lucas asked, only for Cream's cheerful expression turn worried.

''I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something, but I'm calling because a Cyberspace Field showed up near my home and I don't know what to do with it,'' Cream explained. ''You have told me to inform you in case that happens and that you'd take care of it.''

''Right, don't worry, we'll be there soon,'' Lucas assured her. Cream's face immediately lit up.

''Thank you so much! I'll be waiting for you there. Bye!''

''Cha-Chao!''

''Bye Cream, bye Cheese!'' Lucas then turned to the rest of Team Neos. ''Well, you heard it. Cream and Cheese need our help with a Cyberspace Field.''

''I wonder what it's going to be this time,'' Makoto said in a somewhat deadpan tone, not really looking forward to dealing with this. Even though he knew that Team Neos all agreed that they would be the ones handling the Cyberspace Fields, it wasn't less exhausting or dangerous.

''Well, there is only one way to find out,'' Silver, who missed Makoto's thinly veiled sarcasm entirely, replied in a chipper tone.

xXx

As expected, Cream and Cheese were waiting for them at the Cyberspace Field, immediately running up to them.

''We made sure not to touch it, nor did we let anyone else close to it,'' Cream said, with Cheese nodding along.

''Great job, you two!'' Lucas praised them, with Cream and Cheese giving him a proud look. They joined the rest of the team as they surrounded the Cyberspace Field. Tails was already holding up the Miles Electric, trying to get a read on it and failing.

''Still nothing,'' he said, feeling disappointed by the lack of data.

''Well, from what we've seen so far, these things tend to open up randomly and pull whoever is the closest inside. All we have to do is to wait, buddy,'' Sonic said.

''Except patience isn't your greatest strength,'' Knuckles commented.

''Oh, please, I can be patient when I want to,'' Sonic said in an exasperated tone, sensing a challenge.

Unfortunately for Knuckles, it seemed that the Cyberspace Field was favouring Sonic today, because it suddenly started to glow.

''Aw, com'n! At least you could've waited until the Hedgehog started begging you to open up because of sheer boredom!'' Knuckles grumbled, throwing his hands up as the group suddenly got enveloped in a red light.

xXx

''I guess this proves that I can be patient,'' Sonic told Knuckles in a teasing tone while sporting a playful grin. The echidna warrior only scoffed in response. They then joined the rest of the group, having found themselves inside a cave, with Lucas leading them.

''Okay everyone, be careful. We don't know what we'll encounter, so we should make finding a Goal Ring our priority,'' Lucas said.

''Got it!''

''Sure!''

''We know that!''

Fortunately, everyone, save for Cream and Cheese, was already familiar enough with Cyberspace Fields to know what to do in this situation. However, no one expected to find what they found.

''No way!'' Lily's jaw dropped as she muttered what was on everyone's mind.

Because what they saw was something of an oasis with various fruit trees surrounding it, as well as a waterfall cascading down a rocky surface into several pools of water. But it wasn't the oasis that caught them off guard.

''Chao!'' Minami exclaimed. ''We're at a Chao Garden!''

Indeed, there were a bunch of Chao living in this Chao Garden, some of which have already noticed the newcomers, even flying up to Cream and Cheese to greet their fellow Chao friend.

''Look at that, Cheese! Now you get to play with many new friends!'' Cream said joyfully. Cheese chirped in response, joining their fellow Chao who welcomed them happily.

As for Team Neos, they too got surrounded by curious Chao who had taken an interest in them. They all had various reactions to the Chao, ranging from surprise to being completely captivated by the Chao and their innocence and cuteness.

''We can stay here for a while, right? Right?'' Minami asked Lucas, already itching to pet and play with the Chao.

''Well, I guess it wouldn't be a bad thing to stay here for a while. Not to mention, I don't see a Goal Ring anywhere…'' Lucas trailed off, being completely ignored by everyone the moment they heard they would stay in the Chao Garden. He sighed, watching them as they scattered all across the Chao Garden. He then smiled softly as a curious Chao approached him. ''I guess that no one can resist the cutness of a Chao.''

''Cha-Chao!'' the Chao responded in agreement, having taken an interest in Lucas and landing on his shoulder, deciding to stay with him.

Similarly to Lucas, every member of Team Neos found themselves interacting with a Chao, save for Eclipse, who appeared not to understand what all of this excitement was about.

''What is so great about Chao?'' he asked, furrowing a brow, his arms folded across his chest and his tail flicking. He didn't notice a Chao standing behind him, trying to play with Eclipse's tail.

''Well, Chao are really cute and it is fun to take care of them,'' Touka said.

''They can also adopt traits of those who take care of them,'' Cream, who joined them, explained. ''That's why Cheese is always so polite. He learned that from me.''

''Does that mean that a Chao would be able to adopt Black Arms traits?'' Eclipse asked curiously.

''Well, I guess that would be possible,'' Cream said, a little unsure about her answer.

Eclipse just grinned mischievously. ''That's all I need to know.''

He then blinked when he felt something pull his tail, turning around and noticing the Chao, who just wanted to play. Smirking, he picked the Chao up and walked away, with Cream giving Touka a look of concern. ''I hope he won't bother the Chao too much.''

''I'll keep an eye on Eclipse, so you don't have to worry,'' Touka assured her. Cream nodded, only for the two to see a Chao landing on Touka's head, taking a liking to her and deciding to accompany her.

Cream then left, wanting to make sure that everyone was treating the Chao well. She had spotted Shadow walking away from everyone, with another Chao following him.

Figuring that he didn't need her help, she instead walked over to Knuckles and Lily, who were dealing with Chao who were intrigued by Knuckles' strength. The echidna warrior destroyed a rock with his fist, impressing the Chao.

''If you want to be able to crush rocks like I do, you will have to train with us,'' Knuckles said, with the Chao cheering.

''Don't tell me that you want to turn the Chao into fellow Guardians,'' Lily stated, with Knuckles giving her a determined look.

''Why not? If they want to train, I will happily train them so they can protect their friends,'' he said.

''Maybe the Chao will be able to adapt your power,'' Cream, who approached them, suggested.

''That would make things much easier,'' Knuckles told her with a smile.

''Then, I wish you guys good luck,'' Cream told them, walking away. She then spotted Amy and Minami a bit further away, playing with their respective Chao.

''They're so cute!'' Minami exclaimed, being completely enamoured by the little critters. She poked their cheek and stomach, with the Chao laughing as Minami's actions tickled them. Meanwhile, Amy was petting the Chao who was sitting in her lap.

''I see that you're having fun,'' Cream commented.

''Yeah, we do!'' Minami said. ''Although, I wish we had some toys for the Chao to play with.''

Cream hummed in thought, only to suggest, ''Maybe we could find or even make a toy for the Chao.''

Amy and Minami exchanged glances, both smiling.

''Why not? We could try,'' Amy said.

''And I already have an idea what we could make,'' Minami added, lifting a vine that was lying under the palm tree they were at.

Cream left them to their work, turning towards Silver and Makoto, with the two helping their Chao in gathering fruit by using Silver's psychokinesis to levitate it down. The Chao were amazed by Silver's powers, happily reaching for the fruit and eating it. Meanwhile, Makoto piled up the remaining fruit for the other Chao to eat.

''Do you need any help?'' Cream asked them.

''No, thanks,'' Silver replied, only for his Chao to run up to him and reach out, waving their arms. Silver gave them a confused look. ''What's wrong?''

''I think the Chao wants you to lift them up,'' Cream said.

''Oh, you mean like this?'' Silver used his psychokinesis on the Chao, who cheered in joy as they pointed upwards. Silver nodded. ''You want me to lift you high enough so you can help with the fruit gathering? Sure!''

The Chao chirped back in agreement, glad that Silver understood them and got to work by plucking fruit for their friends, while the Chao accompaning Makoto was helping piling the fruit up.

Cream was happy to see that all of the Chao would have a nice lunch and was about to move on to the next pair, only to see Eclipse pass by, carrying a Chao in his arms and being followed by two more. Cream wondered what he was up to, but she figured that Eclipse wouldn't try to harm the Chao, and walked away in the opposite direction.

She found Tails and Warren at one of the small pools of water beneath the waterfall, with Warren giving instructions to his Chao.

''Okay, so you have to hold your head up like this and move your arms like this,'' Warren said, moving his arms in a swimming motion. The Chao nodded, carefully observing his actions. ''I will be right next to you in case you get scared and start to sink.''

The Chao nodded, but they still looked a little nervous when they glanced at the water.

''Are you teaching the Chao how to swim?'' Cream asked Warren.

''Correct. It seems that the Chao just recently hatched, so they have trouble swimming,'' Warren replied.

Cream then turned to Tails, who was dealing with a Chao who was anxious about flying. They flapped their wings, getting about a centimeter or two off the ground, only to fall back. Tails hummed in thought, scratching his head.

''That should've actually worked,'' he muttered.

''Maybe the Chao is just afraid of heights?'' Cream suggested.

''Do you really think that might be the case?'' Tails asked, turning back to the Chao, who sighed in defeat. ''But, you are a natural-born flier. Certainly more natural than I am.''

''Chao?'' The Chao gave Tails a confused look. Tails then gave them a thumbs up, accompanied by a confident look. He then started twirling his twin-tails, flying up. The Chao's jaw dropped as they stared at Tails in awe, who was hovering above them. They got encouraged to try again, albeit with their eyes closed in order to not look down. They managed to slowly get up to Tails' height, who then grabbed their hands to steady them.

''You can open your eyes now, I got you,'' Tails said, with the Chao opening one eye tentatively, then the other one. Fortunately, instead of feeling fear, the Chao was happy to have overcome their fear.

''You did great!'' Cream cheered for them, then moved on to the next duo – Sonic and his Chao, who were practicing their racing skills.

''Once we're done here, you will be the fastest Chao in the Chao Garden,'' Sonic said. The Chao gave him a determined look, then turned towards the path they were using as a racing track.

''I see that you're busy training,'' Cream said. ''May I watch?''

''Sure thing, Cream! You are about to witness awesomeness!'' Sonic said. ''Maybe we could even have a Chao Race competition with the others?''

''That would be fun!'' Cream replied with delight. Even the Chao agreed with Sonic's idea.

Sonic and Cream then observed the Chao sprint to the goal and back, only for their attention to turn towards Eclipse as he walked past them. He was now accompanied by five Chao, not counting the one holding onto his head, who had now taken a red and grey coloration.

''Um, Mr. Eclipse?'' Cream turned to the little alien. ''Could you tell me what you are doing?''

''I'm gathering an army,'' Eclipse replied, confusing Cream.

''What?'' She tilted her head quizzically. Even Sonic was caught off guard by this response.

''What do you plan on doing with an army of Chao?'' he asked.

''You'll see. But if you must know, I'm planning on getting my revenge on Shadow,'' Eclipse said, leaving them even more confused. They were then joined by Touka and Lucas, who overheard the whole conversation, while Eclipse left. Cream turned to Touka.

''Uh, should we be worried?'' she asked. Touka rose an eyebrow, thinking about it for a moment, only to shake her head.

''No, I don't think there's anything to worry about. Besides, Shadow can handle Eclipse,'' she said, glancing towards Shadow. He was at another fruit tree, tossing an apple to the Chao who had been following him. Despite having distanced himself from everyone, he was clearly busy taking care of his Chao, who was slowly turning darker in colour.

xXx

''Where is he?'' Cubot asked, looking behind a machine.

''Keep trying to find him. We don't want him to annoy the Boss,'' Orbot said. The two assistant robots were busy trying to find the tiny creature that somehow got inside the Egg Base, worried that Dr. Eggman would find this creature first. They thought about asking Metal Sonic and Ferra for help, but then figured that it would be better if they tried this on their own.

''We have turned this whole place upside down, but we still can't find them,'' Cubot said, looking at Orbot for help. The red orb robot was quiet for a moment, unsure about their next move, only to see something move in the shadows, flying past them. ''There!''

They quickly followed the creature, trying to catch it, but it was much faster than they had anticipated. Orbot realized that they would have to re-think their tactics.

''I go this way, you go this way,'' he told Cubot, pointing at the opposite side of the room. Cubot followed his suggestion, with the two surrounding the creature floating in the middle of the room. The two assistant robots sneaked up on it, leaping at the creature, only to slam into each other and falling down with a clunk.

''Oh, that looks like it hurt!''

Before Orbot and Cubot could even respond, they suddenly heard footsteps. Eggman walked into the room, looking irritated.

''What is going on here?'' he grumbled, observing the situation before him. He then rose an eyebrow in surprise. ''What is Omochao doing here?''

He stared at a small robot modeled after a Neutral Chao. He had a round waterdrop-shaped head with large orange and yellow ripple-like eyes but no nose and a round torso smaller than his head. Both his head and torso were light blue with a stripe of darker blue running down the middle. He also had small rivet studs around his framework, gray cable-like arms with round yellow balls at the end for hands, and smooth yellow feet with orange soles and tips but no legs. Neither his arms or feet had digits and had a yellow smiling mouth. Lastly, he had a small orange two-bladed propeller on the top of his head and a windup key on his back, giving him the appearance of a windup toy.

''I came here through a Cyberspace Field. Don't mind my presence, I won't be staying here for long,'' Omochao said in a loud, announcer-like voice. ''Although, your robots probably need more training if they want to capture a Chao.''

Orbot and Cubot gave Eggman a sheepish look, who just facepalmed in exasperation, dragging his hand slowly across his face. He wasn't in the mood to deal with any of this, walking away. Orbot and Cubot glanced at each other, then back at Omochao.

''You should better start working on your coordination,'' Omochao told the two in a chipper tone.

xXx

Back at the Chao Garden, Knuckles was proud of his Chao, which had developed into a Knuckles Chao, having gained considerable confidence in their abilities. The Chao gave Knuckles a determined look, throwing a punch. They were still a Chao, though, meaning their strength was nothing in comparison to their caretaker, but that didn't matter. They were still happy with the results of their training.

Further away from them, the Amy Chao was helping another Chao swing on the swingset Amy and Minami built out of vines and wood they had found lying around. The new attraction had attracted the attention of other Chao, who wanted to take turns on the swing. Rest assured, the two caretakers were happy that their efforts had paid off.

Meanwhile with Warren, his Chao was swimming happily in the shallow pool, joined by Lily's Chao. As for Tails, his Chao had turned into a Tails Chao, improving their flying skills, much to their and Tails' joy. Both had fun zooming around the Chao Garden, flying past Makoto and his Chao, who were distributing the fruit to the Chao that got hungry.

As for Silver, his Chao had turned into a Silver Chao, narrowing their eyes as they stared at the fruit before them. They then held out their tiny paws, mimicking Silver and attempting to lift the fruit with psychokinesis, but it was obvious that they didn't adapt Silver's power, only his appearance. They sighed, looking sad about it, only to be lifted by Silver who gave them an encouraging smile.

''Don't worry. What matters is that you're doing your best to help your friends. After all, you helped us to gather fruit for your friends to eat,'' Silver assured them, with the Silver Chao chirping in joy.

The Sonic Chao suddenly ran up to them, grabbing a spare fruit and ran back to Sonic. While not having supersonic speed, they were a bit faster than your typical Chao, thanks to Sonic's training and offered their caretaker the fruit. Sonic smiled, petting his Chao and then returning the fruit to them.

''You should eat it. You deserve it for the effort you put into your racing skills,'' he said. The Sonic Chao cheered, happily eating the fruit.

Unknown to them, the two, specifically the Sonic Chao, were observed by someone who was hiding behind a tree. That Chao was the Shadow Chao, showing curiosity for the Sonic Chao while sporting a mischievous smile. Shadow observed his Chao, well aware that the latter, unlike his blue counterpart, was up to mischief. In fact, after witnessing Sonic and his Chao training, the Shadow Chao also attempted to prove themselves in strength and speed, its power being comparable to the Sonic Chao, if not even greater.

''So, you want to become The Ultimate Chao?'' Shadow asked in slight amusement, being intrigued by the Chao's determination. The Chao nodded, showing confidence in their skills, with Shadow agreeing to help them grow and develop. Soon, he found himself observing a miniature copy of himself, brooding under the tree, but at the same time also glancing at the other Chao, clearly wanting to join them in their games.

Shadow took note of that, and when the Shadow Chao glanced back at their caretaker, he nodded. ''We should challenge them to a race show how fast you are.''

The Shadow Chao cheered in agreement, flying up to Sonic and the Sonic Chao, both of them being surprised when they were suddenly approached by their respective counterparts. The Shadow Chao started to talk and gesture to the Sonic Chao, who understood that they were getting challenged. Both took their places on the makeshift racing track, shouting in unison as they started their race. Sonic observed the two with a smile, glancing at Shadow as they watched their Chao compete.

''Who would've said that you'd be such a good Chao caretaker,'' he told Shadow in a teasing tone.

''I'm glad that you're acknowledging that I'm better than you at taking care of a Chao,'' Shadow replied in a haughty tone.

''Whaaa- I never said that!'' Sonic responded, acting as if he was offended. He was well aware that Shadow was just teasing him back, evidenced by the smirk on his lips. Sonic then rubbed his nose. ''Besides, I'm sure that we both know who is the best at Chao raising.''

The two then turned their attention to Cream, who was playing with Cheese and the other Chao.

''I agree with you,'' Shadow said, him and Sonic turning back to their Chao as they raced each other, now going back to them. Both winced when the Sonic Chao suddenly tripped, lunging at the Shadow Chao, with both tumbling towards their respective owners, stopping in front of them with no clear winner.

Fortunately, both were fine, with the Sonic Chao even laughing about this whole thing, while the Shadow Chao just huffed. It seemed that the blue Chao saw this whole thing as a game, while the black and red Chao considered it a competition. The Sonic Chao took note of the Shadow Chao's grumpy look, only to tackle the Shadow Chao, hugging them in an attempt to cheer them up.

''Your Chao certainly shares your personality,'' Shadow commented in a deadpan tone, with Sonic snickering.

''I could say the same for your Chao,'' Sonic said, with the Shadow Chao now sitting on the ground, still being hugged by the Sonic Chao, trying to not show how much they appreciate the gesture by acting uninterested while at the same time not pushing the Sonic Chao away.

Unknown to them, Cream took note of their interactions, glad to see that Shadow and the Shadow Chao joined everyone else. Her attention then turned to Eclipse, who was now accompanied by a dozen of Chao, as well as an Eclipse Chao. His Chao Army was now sitting on the grass, listening carefully to his instructions, some having confused expressions, others looking excited. Cream wondered if she should warn Shadow, considering how Eclipse was targeting him specifically, but she then recalled Touka's words of assurance that there was nothing to worry about. She knew that Shadow and Eclipse were siblings and that they had a bit of a sibling rivalry, concluding that maybe Eclipse's plan had something to do with that. She was of the opinion that siblings should get along, but according to Touka, this was the best-case scenario and to just leave the two be. At least they accepted that they would be living together and agreed to keep peace.

Eclipse then rose his hand, his fist clenched, after having given his Chao Army what appeared to be a pep talk, with the Chao Army then marching towards Shadow… or rather, just walking, their steps making a tapping sound. They got close enough, then stopped, with Shadow, Sonic and their respective Chao raising their heads, looking puzzled.

''Now, attack!'' Eclipse suddenly shouted, with the Chao Army, led by the Eclipse Chao, charging straight at the dark hedgehog. Shadow's eyes widened and he didn't even have the time to react when he got knocked over by Eclipse's Chao Army, who kept him pinned down on the ground and were… tickling him? He could feel their little paws all over his body, their laughter echoing in his ears as they engaged in this 'attack', and biting his lip to not laugh as he felt a mix of disbelief and annoyance, but also a sense of amusement due to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

Eclipse approached them, looking quite proud of himself as his tail flicked and waved contently, while Sonic gave him a baffled look. The Sonic Chao and the Shadow Chao, on the other hand, joined the Chao Army, seeing the 'attack' as a game they wanted to participate in.

''Eh, Eclipse? What was this attack?'' Sonic asked.

''That was my revenge!'' Eclipse declared, watching as Shadow sat up, giving the latter an annoyed look while still having the Chao cling to him. Sonic snorted, having to admit that this was kinda hilarious.

''What are you talking about?'' Shadow asked, glaring at Eclipse.

''After you have defeated me multiple times, I have been thinking of a way to get revenge on you, brother. Once I learned more about this place and the Chao, I decided to gather my personal Chao Army to defeat you. Admit it, you can't even attack me like this,'' Eclipse replied in a haughty tone, relishing in his victory. Shadow just rolled his eyes, only to sigh.

''Fine, you defeated me. Happy now?'' he asked. Eclipse nodded, arms folded across his chest.

''Very.''

Sonic started laughing, finding this whole exchange funny. Further away from them, Touka and her Chao joined Cream, with Touka giving Cream an amused look.

''I told Shadow can deal with Eclipse's mischief,'' she said confidently.

''It looks to me more like they were playing a game,'' Cream commented, relieved nothing bad had happened.

The group was then approached by Lucas and his Chao, both having somewhat troubled looks on their expressions. ''Hey, guys, we found the Goal Ring! It's back at the cave we came out from.''

''Really? So, does that mean that we'll have to leave now?'' Minami asked, looking quite disappointed. In fact, everyone felt downcast when they realized that they couldn't stay forever inside the Cyberspace Field, especially since they had no idea whether their exit would vanish.

''I know. We've been having so much fun playing with the Chao that we forgot in what kind of environment we are,'' Lucas stated.

''Can't we just bring the Chao along with us?'' Eclipse asked, not wanting to separate with his Chao.

''Unfortunately, we can't. The Chao's home is here in the Chao Garden,'' Cream stated, with Cheese giving her a sad look. ''We could try to find another spot that would work as a Chao Garden at Neos City, but I don't know whether that would be possible.''

''I can't think of any area that has this kind of environment where the Chao would be able to live in peace,'' Tails admitted.

''Starlight Lake could work, but it's too deep for the Chao to swim in and it also is something of a tourist spot,'' Lily mentioned.

''Maybe we could bring them to Eden,'' Makoto suggested.

''We could try, but I don't think that all of these Chao would want to leave their home,'' Silver said, with some of the Chao nodding in agreement. It was obvious that there was no easy solution here. Then, the Knuckles Chao stepped up, gesturing that they would all be fine and that Team Neos didn't have to worry about them. They were joined by the Amy Chao, Tails Chao, Silver Chao, Shadow Chao, Sonic Chao and Eclipse Shadow, all of which assured the group that they could leave, certain that they would see each other again.

Despite their gloomy mood, the group did say their good-byes, going towards the cave and leaving through the Goal Ring. They found themselves next to Cream and Cheese's home, surprising Vanilla and Chocola as they were watering the garden.

''Oh, Cream, Cheese! I was wondering where you two went to,'' Vanilla said as her daughter ran up to her.

''We have found a Chao Garden, but…'' Cream lowered her head, only for her and everyone's attention turn to the Goal Ring, which was starting to glow, only for the red star inside it to vanish, but the portal itself to remain. To everyone's shock, the Chao they seemed to have left behind suddenly emerged from the portal, all of their flying towards their respective caretakers.

''But, how?'' Lucas was stunned when his Chao hugged him tightly. ''I thought the Goal Ring was supposed to close!''

''That's because it has been determined that this Chao Garden will remain open.''

The group turned their attention to the person speaking to them, all of them stunned to see Omochao flying above them.

''Eh, Omochao? What are you talking about?'' Amy asked.

''Does this mean that someone is really behind these Cyberspace Fields?'' Tails asked, furrowing a brow. Omochao just crossed his stubby little arms.

''I'm sorry, but I cannot disclose any further information. Point is, you've been granted access to the Chao Garden anytime you want,'' Omochao replied, then flew away. The group exchanged glances, completely baffled.

''So… now what?'' Touka asked.

''How about a cup of tea and you tell me about what had happened?'' Vanilla suggested, with Chocola cheering at the idea of playing with many more Chao friends.

Team Neos just grinned in agreement, figuring that this was a Cyberspace Field they'd be happy to allow to remain open.

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