Twisted Tales of Mobius 2

(Cubed Cinder; idea by Sonicrailin)

It was the end of another long day of searching for chaos emeralds, and Cream was ready to sleep for the night and be prepared for tomorrow's hunt. Cream's mother, Vanilla, was there to tuck both her daughter and her pet chao, Cheese, into the bed.
"So, Mom, have you thought of tonight's bedtime story?" Cream asked.
"I knew you'd be asking that, my dear. Actually, I was kinda hoping you'd have some ideas for me." Vanilla said.
"Really? So I can tell you something and then you'll make a bedtime story out of it?" Cream said.
"Sure. Just tell me what it's about and who is in it." Vanilla said with a smile.
"Oh... I got it! There's this one story you once told me about a character named Tom Thumb." Cream said.
"Yes. He was very small, but had a gigantic heart. And it touched almost everyone that was around him." Vanilla said.
"Yeah... you should tell me that story. Only have Chris as Tom Thumb!" Cream shouted.
"Chris? Can I ask why you thought of him?" Vanilla said.
"Well, I kinda think he would be cute if he were so tiny. We could call him Chris Thumbdike!" Cream said, with herself and Cheese laughing at their own joke. Vanilla had to let out a laugh herself.
"Oh, Cream. you have a vivid imagination. I'm so proud of you." Vanilla said.
"Thanks, Mom. So can you tell me the story of Chris Thumbdike?" Cream said.
"Okay, I'll do my best. It all started a long time ago when the child known as Chris Thumbdike was about to be born..." Vanilla said.

Story #1
Chris Thumbdike

Lindsey and Nelson Thorndike were just living their normal, peaceful lives up until last night. Before going to bed, Lindsey made a most unusual request to her husband.
"Nelson, I wish to have a child." Lindsey said. Nelson's eyes widened. He didn't exactly expect to hear such words coming from the woman he had been married to for so long.
"Huh? You mean now? At our ripe old age?" Nelson said.
"Yes. I must admit I have been dreaming of the day when we have a baby for so long. I think now is a great time while we are still young." Lindsey said.
"Well, if that's what you really want. You're the one that has to make that wish." Nelson said as he tucked himself into bed.
"Yes, of course." Lindsey said. Before jumping into bed with her husband, she walked up to an open window and looked up at the glittering stars of the night.
"Oh heavenly stars, I beg of you. Please give us a child, even as small as one inch tall, and I promise you our lives will be complete..." Lindsey said, staring at the stars for just a little while longer to make sure her wish was truly heard. Finally she joined her husband in bed and the two fell asleep. Of course, little did she realize that she would have to live with those last few words.
The next morning, Lindsey was the first to wake up, and when she did... she spotted what appeared to be a leafy cocoon sitting on her desk. She took the cocoon in both her hands, and a few seconds later, it looked to actually be splitting open like an egg. When the cocoon was completely open, inside it was a one-inch-tall baby boy that we would know as Chris Thorndike, sleeping to his heart's content. With the tiny Chris in her right hand, Lindsey tapped Nelson on the shoulder with her left hand to wake him up.
"Nelson, look at him, isn't he just the cutest thing?" Lindsey said.
"Oh yes. Yes, I have to agree." Nelson said.
"We should name him Chris. Chris Thorndike..." Lindsey said. Chris then slowly wakes up to get his first look at his parents.

About a decade passes, and Chris would grow up to be a fine young boy. But there was one problem. Sure he aged like any man would in this day and age, but growing up? That was something that never happened. Chris was still at the one-inch-tall height he was born at. Life certainly proved to be challenging for Chris as he always had to get help with some of his much larger chores. At least he was able to still be friends with some normal-sized people, such as Francine and Helen. Other people just poked fun at him with his height, most of which going as far as calling him Chris Thumbdike.
Chris ignored much of these jokes and simply took them to heart, knowing that his small size was what made him unique in the village he and his family lived in. Still, not a day passed when he would always wonder why he was stuck at such a small size, and for that matter... what his true purpose in life was if he was going to be stuck at this height.

Chris could not comtemplate any longer as he approached the front door of his home. He rang on the special miniature doorbell that his uncle Chuck had designed many years ago to help Lindsey realize when her son had returned home. Lindsey opened up the door and looked down to see Chris standing right up at her feet.
"Welcome home, son!" Lindsey said.
"Thanks, Mom, although you've said that like a thousand times since I was born." Chris said. Lindsey had to let out a laugh as she gently picked up Chris and carried him into her bedroom. She then placed him on a nearby table.
"So how was your day?" Lindsey asked.
"Well, the usual. You know... sweeping the steps, delivering the food, talking with Francine or Helen. It's nothing new." Chris said.
"Oh, that's good. I'm sure you're glad to be back home, however." Lindsey said.
"Yeah... listen, Mom. Can I talk to you about something?" Chris said.
"Yes, of course." Lindsey said.
"First off, no matter what happens after I say this, I still love you and thank you for everything you and Dad have done for me. But I think it's time for me to move on. I've been stuck here in this village for far too long." Chris said. Lindsey kept silent for a few seconds. This was something she didn't expect to hear so soon.
"Chris... I... Are you sure about this? I mean, the world can be a dangerous place out there." Lindsey said.
"I know, but I'm ready for it. I've been preparing myself for this day for the past 12 years of my life." Chris said. Lindsey then let out a smile.
"Okay. Yes. I should've anticipated this day would come sooner than later. Although you have not physically grown up the way most other people do, you have the spirit of a mighty titan." Lindsey said. Chris smiled, happy that his mother understood perfectly what he wanted to do.

Some time later, Chris is sitting in what appears to be an ordinary rice bowl, just the right size for Chris to set sail in. Much of the townsfolk had gathered to say their goodbyes to the little young man, particularly Helen. Francine, holding onto the bowl, hovered it in front of Helen's face as Chris was getting his final look at the wheelchair-bound young girl.
"I really wish you could stay, Chris. I could really feel some kind of connection going between us." Helen said.
"I know, but I feel this is what I have to do. I have to go out there and find my destiny." Chris said.
"Yes, I understand perfectly. Just promise me you will take care of yourself." Helen said. She then puckered her lips together and gave Chris her last 'big kiss.' Chris once again was smothered in lipstick.
"With a kiss like that, I most definitely will." Chris said. He then looked to see Lindsey approaching him, holding what appeared to be two sticks in her hand. Chris got a better look at the sticks and could see one of them with a very sharp point at one end. Lindsey held them low enough for tiny Chris to take the objects into his hands.
"Here, Chris. You'll need these. You can use one of our chopsticks to help you through Raid River. And in case you ever feel threatened, this needle shall protect you." Lindsey said. Chris held onto the needle like a long sword before dropping it in his boat alongside the chopstick.
"Where's Dad?" Chris asked.
"He couldn't make it. Busy as he always his. He did send his best wishes, though." Lindsey said.
"Okay then." Chris said. He and Lindsey stared at each other for a few more seconds. Finally, Lindsey took the boat from Francine's hands and hugged it against her chest. And as small as both Chris and the boat were, that was a huge hug! The boat was almost filled from top to bottom with one of Lindsey's breasts, pinning Chris underneath. But then the hugging stopped and Chris was able to breathe again.
"I will miss you, my son. I hope you will return to us someday." Lindsey said.
"Of course I will, Mom. I'll be back, someday." Chris said. At last, Lindsey placed the boat into the water and Chris began to paddle away using the chopstick. He waved one last time at everyone in the village before he was too far away from them, with nothing but the wide open forest to look at along Raid River.

Chris's journey was pretty uneventful over the next half-hour or so. He had done nothing but paddle his way down the steady-flowing river, while at the same time he admired the sights and sounds of the forest. Of course, little did he realize just how much of a turn his journey was about to take.
The water started to pick up steam, flowing a lot faster than normal, so Chris didn't have to paddle anymore just to keep the boat going. But soon the boat was going a little too fast, even for him.
"Whoa! The water's flowing too fast! What do I do!?" Chris shouted. Soon, the condition of the river worsened to that of near raging status, and Chris held on for dear life onto the boat, keeping his hands on both the chopstick and the needle sword as well, although he would make sure to scoop out any water that got in his boat.
After a wild ride that lasted near a minute, the waters calmed down again and the boat was sailing smoothly once more. Chris looked around and could see the calm waters around him. He took a deep breath thinking that all his troubles had passed.
"Whew... that was too close." Chris said. But then... something hit his boat.

Something huge. It was causing his boat to sink. Chris quickly grabbed his needle sword and grabbed the huge thing, shaped like a hook from the best he could see.

Over in the grass next to the river, Tails and Dulcy Dragon were sitting by the riverside fishing away. Neither had been successful in catching a bite, however.
"(sigh) I guess the fish aren't biting today." Tails said.
"You don't think it's because I tried to use my little ol' tail for bait, do you?" Dulcy asked.
"I doubt it, Dulcy." Tails said. He then looked over to one of the buckets and noticed it was empty.
"Hey, wait a second... Dulcy, did you eat the bait again!?" Tails said. Dulcy at first didn't say anything but did look very nervous staring at Tails.
"I couldn't help it, Tails! Frozen flakes are so much tastier in the warm weather!" Dulcy said.
"Come on, Dulcy. Do I have to tell King Acorn and his daughter, Princess Sally Acorn, that you've been goofing off again with the fish bait?" Tails said. He began to reel back his line while talking with Dulcy.
"You could, but Sally will probably come to my rescue again, like she always does." Dulcy said.
"So true. She is one of the kindest princesses known in Knothole. I guess we can forget about it." Tails said. He then looked at the end of his line... only to see a needle pointed right at his nose!
"What the...!" Tails shouted. He looked to see the needle and what it was being held by. The one-inch-tall Chris. He was dangling the sword as best as he could with one hand while hanging onto the hook at the end of the line with the other.

"Stay back, monster! I know how to use this thing!" Chris shouted.
"Um... Dulcy, you might want to look at this." Tails said. Dulcy leaned her head in to check on the tiny Chris. As big as Dulcy was, Chris almost had to feel intimidated, but he held his ground. Not that he had much choice, anyway.
"Whoa! It looks like a tiny little boy is hanging off your hook! Can we eat him?" Dulcy asked.
"Are you kidding? Humans wouldn't taste as good as fish. We need to tell the king about this." Tails said.
"Yeah, you're right. He is kinda cute, after all." Dulcy said.
"Um... listen, I'm not going to hurt you, little one. But can we take you with us back to Knothole Village?" Tails said.
"Knothole? Is that where that strong current took me?" Chris said.
"I guess so. Here, you'll be safe with me." Tails said. He held out his hand and allowed Chris to fall onto it. He still kept a firm grip on his sword, however.
"Y'know, you can put that sword away anytime you want." Tails said.
"I wish I could, but I'm literally carrying it with my own two hands." Chris said.
"Good for you. I wish I could fly properly with my own two wings!" Dulcy said, trying to start up a conversation

Much later, the two were back in Knothole Village. Chris, still standing tall in one of Tails' hands, noted how every living thing seemed to be a creature, compared to the world of humans he grew up around.
"Aren't there any humans around here?" Chris asked.
"Nope. It's just us creatures. We live under the leadership of King Acorn and Princess Sally." Tails said.
"I see. Is this Princess Sally nice?" Chris asked.
"Honey, she brings sunshine to everyone she touches. In your case, I think she would have a huge amount of sunshine." Dulcy said. Tails then entered the larger hut located in the center of the village. Dulcy tried to follow, but she ended up banging her head against the top of the doorway, bending it somewhat.
"Ouch! I'm telling you, King, you need to find a way to lower this doorway for my pretty head!" Dulcy shouted. She could hear the friendly laughter of King Maximillian Acorn as she finally ducked her head and entered to join Tails.
"Oh, Dulcy. I actually think it's quite entertaining for you to do what you have done. It beats having to hire a court jester, after all!" King Acorn said.
"So, did you guys manage to catch some fish?" Sally asked.
"Well... no, not really. But we did find something else. Look." Tails said as he kneeled down before the two rulers and placed one of his hands on the floor, allowing the one-inch-tall Chris Thorndike to safely step off. King Acorn leaned in to get a closer look at the boy. Sally, on the other hand, went one step further. She got up from her throne and approached the tiny Chris. He was overcome with her beauty, starting from her blue boots and working his vision upwards.
"I say, not just a human, but a very tiny human! How dare you bring a human into this mess?" King Acorn said, sounding not too happy.
"Daddy! Look at him... he's so small. How can he possibly hurt us?" Sally said.
"Although he's not afraid to wave that sword around. It came dangerously close to my nose!" Tails said.
"I knew we should've eaten him!" Dulcy said.
"Come on, Dad. The war has been over for generations. Surely your hatred for humans isn't ongoing for all eternity." Sally said.
"Okay, my daughter. If you believe the boy is not a threat, then I believe you." King Acorn said. Chris then decided to bow before the giantess standing before him.
"I hope you two don't mind that we found this instead of the fish." Tails said.
"No, it's perfectly fine, Tails. I encourage you and Dulcy to try again. Meanwhile, I wish to take this young boy into my hands for a little while." Sally said.
"Are you sure about that? Knothole may not be the best place for someone as small as him, you know." King Acorn said.
"Relax, Dad. He'll be fine with me as my protector. I think I will take my walk with him." Sally said.
"Alright then, but be very careful with the Wolfpack! They are still our bitter enemies after the last battle we had with them!" King Acorn said.
"I will, Daddy." Sally said as she, Tails, and Dulcy all left the hut. Tails and Dulcy walked back to where the river was while Sally was walking for the forest.

As Sally was walking deep into the forest, she would keep on glancing down at the tiny Chris every chance she had.
"I humbly thank you for your hospitality, Princess Acorn." Chris said as he did his best to keep his balance in Sally's slightly furry hands.
"Please. Just call me Sally, that's what all my friends call me. And who are you?" Sally said.
"My name is Chris Thumbdike. I mean... wait!" Chris said, quickly realizing that he stumbled on his last name thinking back to his days of being picked on by the bigger kids. He was eager to correct himself, but suddenly he began to feel the positive impact of a last name like Thumbdike. Perhaps it would hint to Princess Sally that he comes from a long line of tiny people? He felt very much inclined to find out.
"Yes, it is Thumbdike." Chris said.
"I see. Is everyone in your family this small?" Sally said. Again, Chris felt compelled to make up a story in the hopes of satisfying the princess, but he just couldn't lie about this one.
"Not really. My mother was so desperate for a child that she wished for one even at one inch tall. And... well, she got her wish." Chris said.
"I see. It must've been hard living life to be that small and never grow up in height." Sally said.
"Yeah, well... I was able to adjust. And I had wonderful friends and a caring mother who always helped me." Chris said. Sally just smiled and lightly tapped him on the head with one of her fingers.
"That's good. I believe that's what makes you special." Sally said.

Sally kept on walking through the forest, with Chris in hand, until finally they ran into some trouble in the form of Lupe, the leader of the Wolfpack. She was as tough as they came in the forest.
"Well, well. The princess is all by her lonesome again. You know you should listen more to your daddy every now and then." Lupe said with a sinister smirk on her face.
"I can take care of myself, unlike you." Sally said.
"Hah! I'll make you wish you hadn't said that!" Lupe said as she began to approach Sally, who was slowly backing away in fear. Chris, however, stayed strong as he picked up his needle sword and held it out towards Lupe.
"Stay back, you! I will not let you harm her!" Chris shouted. Lupe looked down at Sally's hand and got her first glimpse at the tiny Chris. Lupe just laughed out loud.
"Look at the shrimp! Look at the shrimp!" Lupe said. She quickly snatched Chris from Sally's hands. It was so quick a grab that Chris ended up dropping his needle sword down to the grass.
"No! Stop!" Sally shouted. Lupe simply dangled Chris right in front of her eyes.
"Oh, I think not, princess. I think it's time your little friend learned some manners." Lupe said. Then, Lupe opened her mouth wide open and dropped Chris inside, swallowing him!
"Chris... no!!!" Sally shouted.
"Hahaha! Say goodbye to another of your friends, princess. As long as the Wolfpack exists, we will be making lives miserable." Lupe said.

Meanwhile, inside Lupe's mouth, Chris struggled to keep his balance on the tongue covered in saliva, not to mention the whole mouth dripping with saliva as well. It seemed this was the end for Chris, until he remembered one very important thing.
"Wait a minute... my backup sword!" Chris shouted. He reached in his pocket and found another needle sword. This one was much, much shorter than the one he always carried with him. It was almost knife-sized in fact. But this one was sure to suit him well. He had to act quickly... there's no telling when Lupe would kick her head back and force him into her stomach. So he held the needle up in the air and then striked it down right on her tongue! He picked it up and stabbed it once more.

Outside, Lupe was feeling the pain of her tongue being stabbed at.
"Ouch!!! Hey... stop it, you little squirt! OW!!!" Lupe shouted. Anytime she tried to attack the tiny Chris, he would just fight back with the tongue stabbing. Finally, Lupe spit Chris out with a flourish. He landed safely next to Sally's feet. Lupe stuck her tongue out and tried to smooth out the pain with her hands
"Ugh... you'll regret this, princess! I'll get you next time... and that puny little boy too!" Lupe said before she turned around and ran away. Little did she realize that one of her most precious items, the Magic Mallet, had fallen from her belt. First things first though. Sally kneeled down (with her knee just inches away from Chris) to check on her little friend.
"Chris! Are you okay?" Sally said.
"Yeah... a little trip inside someone's mouth never hurt anyone, right?" Chris said, trying to lighten up the atmosphere with a good attitude. Sally, though, would have none of it.
"I guess, but still... you must be careful when dealing with Lupe. She is a dangerous adversary." Sally said.
"Yeah, I will. Hey, what's that thing over there?" Chris said, pointing at the Magic Mallet. Sally looked at it and just gasped.
"I don't believe it! It's the Magic Mallet!" Sally said. She stood back up to her full height and walked over to the mallet, picking it up immediately afterwards.
"The Magic Mallet?" Chris asked.
"Yes. This was one of Lupe's most powerful items. It grants wishes to anyone that uses it." Sally said.
"That sounds great! But what do you think we could do with it?" Chris asked. Sally did her best to think of ways she could use the mallet. Finally, she looked right down at Chris and smiled.
"We're going to fix a little problem with you." Sally said. She walked right up to Chris and gently tapped him with the mallet.

Shortly thereafter, Chris began to grow in size. He grew until he matched Sally exactly in height.
"Whoa! I'm... I'm finally normal size!" Chris said.
"Yes you are. You deserve it for your act of bravery in standing up against Lupe. Knothole Village could use someone like you. At a normal height especially." Sally said.
"Gee... thank you, Princess Sally. Even though I was kinda getting used to looking at you." Chris said.
"You're welcome. Now what do you say we get back to the village. I'll make sure my father welcomes you with open arms." Sally said.
"Sure, but how do we get back? We're kinda deep in the forest and we didn't leave a trail." Chris said. Sally then smiled.
"I think we can arrange that." Sally said. Just then... she totally surprised Chris by conking herself on the head with the mallet. That's when she grew. Sally got bigger and bigger until she was a true giantess, with the trees no bigger than the blades of grass had been at her normal height. She lowered her right hand (with the oversized mallet still in her left hand so she could use it to return to normal) and allowed Chris to climb onboard.
"You did say you were kinda used to looking up to me." Sally said with a smile.
"Well... I didn't mean it profoundly, of course!" Chris shouted, trying not to raise any sort of ire inside Sally.
"You deserve it. At least until we get back." Sally said. Chris nodded in agreement.

And so the giant Sally, with Chris in hand, plowed right through the forest and made it back to Knothole Village in very little time. Everyone of course was scared stiff to see Sally so gigantic, but their fears were relieved when Sally used the mallet to shrink herself back to her normal height. Everyone welcomed back both normal-sized Sally and Chris, including King Acorn, and the two lived happily ever after.

End of Story #1

"The end." Vanilla said to Cream after telling her that story.
"Wow... that was a great story! I'm glad Chris got along well with this Princess Sally." Cream said.
"Yep, the two decided to stay friends since a marriage couldn't really work between the two. But Chris swore to protect Sally until the day he moved on." Vanilla said with a smile.
"Yeah, just like Chris here! He's pretty brave too. Maybe I should tell him about this story of yours!" Cream said.
"Maybe you should!" Vanilla said as she kissed Cream on the head.
"Mommy, you promise to read me another story tomorrow?" Cream said.
"Oh of course, Cream. I'll have a good one for you then!" Vanilla said. She started to walk out of Cream's room.
"Good night, Mommy!" Cream said as she held onto her chao companion, Cheese, and tucked herself in some more.
"Good night, Cream." Vanilla said as she finally flipped the light switch and Cream's room went dark, allowing her to fall asleep for the night.

Story #2
Return of Cosmo's Travels

From inside her pod-shaped spaceship, Cosmo smiled as she looked down over The Village of the planet Lilliput, the home of Princess Elise and her many friends. Cosmo felt flattered to be called back to the very planet she was chased out of last time she was here, and that's when she wondered what they could possibly want. As her ship was set for an automatic landing sequence, Cosmo activated one of the microphones to create an entry for her onboard diary by holding down the button marked A and then pressing a Start button.
"Cosmo Log, passcode 19921124. Begin entry. On a day where my people have significantly reduced the fighting force of the Metarex, I receive a distress call on the planet Lilliput. Not just anywhere on Lilliput, however. The call came from none other than Princess Elise from The Village, the name of the place where she and her people live in peace. I honestly had a mixed batch of feelings. On one hand, I felt nervous going back to a place that was very hostile to me, which is understandable because I'm practically a goddess to their eyes. But on the other hand, perhaps with Elise's help they are willing to reconcile their differences with me and welcome me back. Though the call clearly was a distress signal, so I can only wonder what it is they are being bothered by. I will update tomorrow with my morning entry. End Cosmo Log entry." Cosmo said.
Finally, Cosmo's ship landed safely well outside of the village, no doubt to keep them safe. Cosmo then came out of her ship, nearly stepping on trees that were the size of blades of grass. She then looked out towards the bright lights that illuminated the village under the night sky. Cosmo took a deep breath.
"Well, here goes nothing." Cosmo said as she began her walk for the village. As she approached the village, she was fully expecting to be pelted with pebbles or other projectiles from those who still felt she was a threat to their lives.

But nothing like that happened. She was instead greeted with a cool applause from everyone, including Princess Elise as she stood on the balcony of her castle. Cosmo very gently stepped her way across the village, making sure she didn't crush any of the animals or buildings that stood between her and the castle. Cosmo, after standing right in front of the castle and bowing before the princess, sat down on the ground so that Elise wouldn't have to look at high up into the sky.
"Welcome back, Cosmo. I am so happy that you agreed to return." Elise said.
"Well, me too, I guess. But wasn't it you that sent the distress signal?" Cosmo said.
"Yes it was. My people and I agreed that we need your help for this most unfortunate situation." Elise said.
"She's right, sugah. I hope you'll forgive our little ol' rash behavior last time we met." Bunnie said, standing right next to Elise along with Rotor and Antoine. Antoine, however, decided to make his apology a bit more meaningful. He ran up to Cosmo's huge feet and started kissing each one.
"Oh sacré bleu, my dearest! It is a supreme honor to meet you once more!" Antoine said.
"Hey Antoine, how come you never did that to the princess?" Rotor said. Everyone couldn't help but laugh a bit over that, including Cosmo. But finally she took on a serious face once more.
"So... you said you needed my help." Cosmo said.
"Yes. Our people have been battling the Mad Hogs tribe for many months now. They just keep on harassing us with their battalion of sea and air-based attack machines."
"Oh dear... you mean a war is breaking out?" Cosmo asked.
"I'm afraid so. We're hoping you can be the one to help stop it." Elise said.
"Well, I suppose I can try." Cosmo said.
"Good girl, I knew we could depend on you! You think maybe you can teach some of us some battle strategies?" Rotor said.
"Well, I don't know. My war with the Metarex is kinda different from the one I'm sure you are facing." Cosmo said.
"Please, Cosmo. Many of my people have trusted their lives in you." Elise said. Hearing that felt very flattering to Cosmo. Instead of wanting her out of town, now it seemed the people didn't know what to do without her. The princess must really have talked some sense into her people for this remarkable change to happen, Cosmo thought.
"Okay. I'll do it." Cosmo said.

Meanwhile, on a small island not far from The Village, various old-school fighter planes (all designed like the famous Tornado series) and submarines were parked along the beach. Many different animals were either climbing into these vehicles or giving them some last-minute polish. At the very front of the arsenal were three different-colored hedgehogs and a fatso named Dr. Eggman.
"C-C-C-Commander Shadow, our troops are five minutes away from being ready!" Eggman said.
"Well, tell them to be ready in two minutes! Tonight we make mincemeat out of those goofy peace-loving Village people!" Shadow, the black hedgehog, shouted.
"Y-y-y-y-yes sir! Right away, sir!" Eggman said, constantly tripping himself into the sand as he scurried away. The blue hedgehog, Sonic, watched as Eggman stumbled his way out into the distance.
"Um... listen, Shadow, but do you think you should've done that? I mean..." Sonic said, but the white-colored hedgehog, Silver, interjected before Sonic could finish.
"Can it, you little weasel! And toughen up while you're at it! We're at war, and any sign of weakness effects all of us!" Silver said.
"Yes, of course. I'm sorry." Sonic said.
"Alright. We've got our battle plan out. Let's carry it into motion! Let the Mad Hogs roll!" Shadow said.
"Shadow, you know if this attack fails..." Silver said.
"Yes, Silver... I know what is at stake. I shall carry on for the sake of... of..." Shadow said.
"Of who, Shadow?" Sonic asked.
"Dang! I keep forgetting that girl's name. You know... blonde hair, long blue dress..." Shadow said. The other two hedgehogs simply carried on with preparing their fleet.

Back in The Village, Cosmo was overseeing the training of many of the different types of fighters the place had to offer. She was quite familiar with the archers, the torchers, the cannonballers, and the wooden battleships. She was teaching them different battle strategies that she didn't feel were very helpful even to her... yet the creatures who received this advice were thanking the giant Cosmo to the bitter end.
"Listen, I really hope all this advice has been helpful." Cosmo said.
"I dare say it has been, sugah!" Bunnie said.
"Yeah, this time my ships will really nail those submarines thanks to mighty Pengo!" Pengo said. Elise smiled seeing her people so full of happiness.
"Oh Cosmo, I cannot thank you enough for helping my people prepare for this battle. I would be honored if you could stay and watch as this battle plays out."
"Thank you, princess. But actually, I was hoping I could be a part of the fight as well."
"What do you mean?" Elise said.
"Well, I doubt these Mad Hogs you speak of have something as big as me in their group. Your odds would significantly fall in your favor if I were to assist you." Cosmo said.
"No... Cosmo, I couldn't! I... I don't want to see you hurt again." Elise said.
"Princess, it's fine. I promise you I will be careful. If I can handle an intergalactic group of robotic terrorists like the Metarex, I can certainly handle a feeble group of meanies like the Mad Hogs." Cosmo said with a smile. Elise quickly realized there was no way she could argue with that kind of confidence.
"You are right. Perhaps I am showing a bit too much caution and I am underestimating the deep amount of power you must have being at that size." Elise said. Just then, Antoine came running up to Elise's side.
"My queen! Ze Mad Hogs are coming! Ze Mad Hogs are coming!" Antoine shouted.
"Alright, everyone! To the beach! We must engage the enemies before they reach our beautiful village!" Elise said.

Indeed, once everyone was at the beach (with the ships already setting sail under Pengo's orders), they all could see the ships and fighter planes coming right for them. Cosmo especially could see the whole fleet as big as she was on Lilliput.
"That's a big squadron." Cosmo said.
"Yes, but you know what they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Rotor said. Bunnie got her hookshots ready.
"Time to lock and load, ya'll." Bunnie said. Indeed, the battle was on.
Those who manned the cannonballs fired away, knocking most of the planes out of the air. Those that did manage to cross the border and fly over The Village were either hooked down by Bunnie, causing the planes to crash into the sea, or they were swatted away by Cosmo. Cosmo even crushed a couple of planes completely by clapping her hands together. Able to destroy these combat machines with a mere swipe of the hand or clapping of the hands together was almost putting Cosmo on a power trip, but she kept her emotions in check, focusing on the task at hand.
"Like swatting flies out of the sky." She said out loud. Elise couldn't help but smile upon seeing the giantess in action.

Out at sea, Pengo was commanding all his ships to shoot at the enemy ships.
"All units, fire at will!" Pengo shouted. He then looked back at his squadron of Flickies.
"Flickies, take on the captains of those ships!" Pengo shouted. Indeed, a different Flicky flew to each one of the ships, distracting the captain long enough for the ship to be shot down. There were two ships trying to sneak up on Pengo's ship, but Cosmo managed to intervene by dunking a whole lot of water on top of the ships, much like she did last time.
"Whew... nice save. Thank you, Mrs. Cosmo!" Pengo shouted.
"Well, I did learn it from you." Cosmo said, thinking back to how she stopped his ships during her last trip. So basically... to make a long story short (hey, this is only a mini-story), the Mad Hogs arsenal was getting shot down, slapped, and beaten in every way. Cosmo looked out in the distance and could see the island where Shadow, Silver, and Sonic were hiding. She was focused on the fortress that was sitting near the middle of that small island, smaller than even the one where The Village resided.
"Hmmm... just like with the Metarex, you gotta hit them at the source." Cosmo said. That's when she started walking further out into sea. She was fortunate that the ocean level wasn't getting any lower.
"Cosmo, wait! Where are you going!?" Elise said, but she was too far out for Cosmo to hear.

Inside the island fortress, Shadow and Silver were none too pleased to see their battalion being defeated so quickly. Sonic was just standing in a corner, secretly happy that this evil plan was falling to pieces.
"Oh for the love of ARK! Can't those idiots do anything right!? Where is Eggman's ship?" Shadow said.
"I don't see it on the viewscreen. It must've sunken into the sea, along with Eggman himself." Silver said.
"Great... what else could go wrong!?" Shadow said. Right when he said that, the whole fortress began to shake violently. Silver crawled over to the window to see what was happening.
"Um, Shadow... you need to come look at this!" Silver said. The two evil hedgehogs looked out the window together, and Shadow soon stated the obvious.
"We're actually floating into the sky." Shadow said. And then... that's when the entire roof of the fortress came flying off. All three hedgehogs were looking right at the stone cold stare from the giant Cosmo, who held onto the entire fortress with her two hands. Not since the heated battles with the Metarex has Cosmo look this determined.
"Your reign of terror ends here, Mad Hogs." Cosmo said.
"Um... I think I hear that dream girl of mine calling. I'll be right back!" Shadow said as he ran for the front door.
"Hey, wait you fool! There's nothing but..." Silver started to say, but indeed, Shadow opened the front door anyway and did nothing but begin to fall straight for the ground.
"Air." Silver said. He then decided to jump out with him, feeling it'd be better to get a free sky diving lesson rather than be at the mercy of a giantess like Cosmo. Sonic didn't move an inch. He was too captivated by Cosmo's intense beauty, but he had to hold on tight as Cosmo quickly lowered the fortress back to its foundation. She then snatched Shadow and Silver in mid-air, holding the two in the palm of her hand.
"You will leave my friends in The Village alone. Understood!?" Cosmo said. That very quickly got Shadow and Silver nodding their heads.
"Good. You can go now." Cosmo said as she smiled now at the two evil hedgehogs. But instead of letting them back down on the ground, she instead set her arm back and then launched the two out into the distance. Cosmo could hear the two screaming like crazy as they flew out of sight, eventually landing in the ocean far from the two islands.

Sonic then came speeding out of the fortress, standing next to Cosmo's huge feet and looking up at the giantess.
"Wow... that was way past cool! You're very big and strong... it kinda reminded me of my old days before I joined up with those nasty hedgehogs!" Sonic said.
"Thank you. You don't seem so bad." Cosmo said.
"Well, yeah... they said if I joined up with them, I could have lots of friends. Boy, was I totally wrong. I never made a single friend with them. I was just forced to do their bidding until they succeeded in their mission." Sonic said.
"Well, it's over now. You're free to live life the way you want to." Cosmo said.
"Thanks... but that doesn't mean I have any friends. I guess I'm back to being a lonely hedgehog." Sonic said. Cosmo then smiled down at the blue hedgehog. She kneeled down and held out a hand for him to climb on.
"I'll take you to a place you can call home." Cosmo said. The last thing Cosmo did before leaving the island was crush the fortress flat with a few good stomps. This should convince everyone, including Princess Elise, that The Village would be at peace once more.

Back at the beach of the home island, practically everyone now was outside cheering loudly for the giant Cosmo as she made her return. After brushing most of the water off her outfit, she gently placed Sonic down on the sands of the beach. Princess Elise was the first to congratulate Cosmo.
"Thank you, Cosmo. We owe you a debt that we may never be able to repay." Elise said.
"You are most welcome. Really, you don't have to do anything. Helping a wonderful bunch of little people like you is rewarding enough for me." Cosmo said.
"Well, at least stick around for the big primetime feast we have planned!" Rotor said.
"Oh yeah, sugar! You'll probably devour the whole table in a matter of little ol' seconds!" Bunnie shouted.
"And I say we have plentys of water for you, my dearest!" Antoine said, kissing Cosmo's feet once more. Elise then noticed Sonic slowly walking up to her.
"Oh, and who is this?" Elise said.
"This is Sonic the Hedgehog. He's got a good heart... I can feel it in my bones. I think he deserves to have a home on this island." Cosmo said.
"Hmmm... yes, I can feel it too. You are welcome to stay with us if you wish, Sonic." Elise said as she kneeled down and gave the hedgehog a kiss on the cheek.
"Wow... uh, thank you. I guess we're going to get along just fine!" Sonic said, giving a thumbs up to the princess.

Just then, the red jewel encrusted on Cosmo's chest area started to glow brightly. Cosmo noticed this and then touched the jewel to turn off the blinking.
"Everyone, I wish I could stay, but I'm afraid I must be going. My people need me for our ongoing battle with the Metarex across the vastness of space." Cosmo said.
"I understand, Cosmo. Please stop by again whenever you can. You will always be welcome in our village." Elise said.
"Thank you, Princess Elise. Goodbye everyone!" Cosmo said, bowing before the princess one last time and watching everyone wave her goodbye before she finally walked in the other direction, away from the village and back for her ship. Cosmo continued to wave everyone in the village goodbye as she took off for space, leaving behind a much better legacy for the folks of Lilliput to remember this time.

End of Story #2

"The end." Vanilla said to Cream after telling her that story.
"Gee, that was really interesting. Why would Sonic be with Shadow to begin with?" Cream said.
"Well, let's just say Sonic was left with no choice at the time, but when he saw how big and brave and strong the giant Cosmo was, that's when he stood up for what was right." Vanilla said with a smile.
"Oh, that's wonderful. Cosmo was indeed very brave. She saved us all with her sacrifice." Cream said.
"Yes, Cream. I know. I'm sure she would be proud." Vanilla said as she kissed Cream on the head.
"Mommy, you promise to read me another story tomorrow?" Cream said.
"Oh of course, Cream. I'll have a good one for you then!" Vanilla said. She started to walk out of Cream's room.
"Good night, Mommy!" Cream said as she held onto her chao companion, Cheese, and tucked herself in some more.
"Good night, Cream." Vanilla said as she finally flipped the light switch and Cream's room went dark, allowing her to fall asleep for the night.

As Cream was tucked into bed once more for this week, she looked up at her mother, Vanilla, anxious to hear what kind of story she had for tonight.
"So, Mommy, what's my bedtime story for tonight?" Cream asked.
"Well, my dear Cream, could you first tell me who you want to see in the story?" Vanilla asked.
"Oh, I know! I thought it was funny how you made Knuckles into a dragon slayer." Cream said.
"Yes. That was completely unlike him, wasn't it?" Vanilla said.
"Yeah. How about doing something like that again? He could be that brave little tailor from that one story you told me!" Cream said.
"Oh? You mean the one that slew the giant and won the heart of the princess?" Vanilla said.
"Yay! Make it good, Mommy!" Cream said.
"Okay, I'll do my best. Once upon a time, in this small town, there was all sorts of panic among the townsfolk from rumors that this really huge giant was coming their way. Everyone was gathering to speak with King Eggman...
"Wait... King Eggman?" Cream asked.
"Well, yes. But this Eggman is kinder and gentler. He's actually quite caring to all the people!" Vanilla said.
"Wow... like that would ever happen!" Cream said, prompting a laugh from both of the bunnies.
"Anyway, all was quiet for this brash, young tailor who stayed out of the hustle and bustle until..." Vanilla said.

Story #3
Knuckles the Brave Little Tailor

The town was quite restless. The many people and animals were walking around murmuring about the ongoing rumors that a giant was coming. Not just any giant, too. There was talk that this giant was the biggest giant one would ever lay eyes on. This giant could supposedly crush entire villages with one stomp. Of course, some found that hard to believe since nobody has ever seen this giant before. Still though, nobody could rest easy with those kinds of rumors flying around. Everyone had gathered outside of Egg Castle to discuss the matter with the royal family.
Well, all except one. Inside the Tailor shop was the one creature who decided to stay out of the whole mess, trying to keep his business alive. Knuckles was whistling the day away, working on one of his spare gloves. At least he was trying to. The seven little flies that were buzzing around his head were distracting him greatly. He would occasionally take a swipe at the flies, only for them to fly out of his reach.
"Dang flies!" Knuckles shouted. He continued with his sewing work, but finally when one of the flies nearly poked him in the eye, he started punching wildly around the room. Then he thought he had to get sneaky in order to catch these flies. So he put his gloved hands behind his back and sat innocently like he wasn't doing anything. When the flies flew right in front of him again...

WHAM!!!

Knuckles slapped his hands together and crushed all seven flies with one distinct clap. All the flies fell down to the wooden floor, one by one. Knuckles smiled over his achievement.
"Cool... seven!" Knuckles said. He felt so darn proud, he just had to get up off his feet and find someone to break the news to. He looked at the closed window shutters and picked up the voices of three individuals standing just outside his shop... they would do nicely.
Outside, the three we know as Team Chaotix (Vector, Charmy, and Espio) were standing just outside the tailor's shop talking about the news of the giant coming.
"Hey, have any of you guys ever killed a giant?" Vector asked. Just then, Knuckles flung open the shutters and shouted out the news.
"I killed seven with one blow!" Knuckles shouted. Of course, he didn't realize that the three were talking about giants rather than how many flies one could swat in one swoop. The three thought Knuckles was listening in on their conversation and was basically shouting he killed seven giants with just one blow.

Seven giants with one blow!?

"SEVEN!?" The three shouted. If this was true, boy was this tailor a powerful character. The three ran around town and spread the word.
"The tailor! He killed seven giants with one blow!" Vector shouted.
"Tailor! Seven! One blow!" Charmy shouted.
"What they said!" Espio said. Very quickly, the whole town was now talking about this event, obviously in disbelief. One of the characters, Julie-Su, was so stunned that she just had to tell everyone, even the castle guards, known as Swatbots.
"The tailor killed seven giants with one blow!" Julie-Su shouted. Three of the other guards of Egg Castle, Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun, picked up the news behind the Swatbots.
"Seven!?" The three shouted. They all quickly ran into the castle, upstairs to head for the throne room. They were all fighting to be the first ones into the throne room.
Inside that throne room, Eggman and Princess Rouge were both sitting with worried faces, wondering how they could prepare their town for the imminent arrival of this unknown giant. Just then, the front door burst open with the three dingalings sliding right up to the few steps that led to the two thrones. Nuts and bolts from Decoe and Bocoe went flying all over the room while Bokkun stood on top of the pile.
"King Eggman! Word around town is this tailor killed seven giants with one blow!" Bokkun shouted.
"Seven!? As in seven chaos emeralds?" Eggman said.
"You bet! Should I take a message to this young giant slayer?" Bokkun asked.
"No, you fool! Bring this tailor here at once!" Eggman said.
"Yes sir! Right away, sir!" Bokkun shouted. He then flew out of the throne room, taking some Swatbots with him.

A few minutes later, the throne room was now almost jam-packed with peasants as they watched the Swatbots lead Knuckles up to the thrones of both Eggman and Princess Rouge. Knuckles, nervous to be standing before such royalty, especially the beautiful figure of Rouge, looked right into Eggman's stone cold stare.
"Did you really kill seven with one blow?" Eggman asked, forgetting to add the word giants to his question.
"Well, um... uh... yes. Yes, your honor. I mean... sir!" Knuckles said. Eggman rubbed his dirty chin feeling intrigued with the supposed power of this tailor.
"So... how did you do it?" Eggman asked. Knuckles quickly remembered the events that took place inside his shop, when he went against the flies.
"I was all alone. I heard them coming. I looked up, and I was surrounded!" Knuckles said.
"Yes?" Eggman said. Knuckles started to get animated with his storytelling as he was pointing in every direction he could think of.
"They were here! There! Everywhere! A whole bunch of them! They came from the right! From the left! Right! Left! Right! Left! Right!!!" Knuckles shouted.
"Yes, yes... go on!" Eggman said, looking stunned and leaning forward to better hear the story.
"They were closing in! The fight was on! I swung forward! And then I swung again! Again! And again! And again!!! They were right on top of me!!!" Knuckles said, falling to the ground.
"And then!?" Eggman said.
"And then... I let them have it!!!" Knuckles shouted, swinging his oversized scissors in a circular motion. The whole room suddenly lit up with cheers as Knuckles bowed in every direction to these people. While Rouge was applauding as well, Eggman got up from his throne and waved his hands in the air, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Brave little tailor... as the king of this town, I hereby appoint you as the royal killer of the giant!" Eggman said.
"Thank you, sir. I would be most honored to slay the..." Knuckles said, but he stopped talking when it suddenly hit him. Did he say giant? As in someone who could make him look like the flea?
"The giant? But, but your majesty, I... I... I..." Knuckles said, stumbling to find the words. Eggman, though, didn't seem to listen.
"And if you are successful, I shall reward you with one million golden rings!" Eggman shouted.
"Well... you see, sir... I couldn't really..." Knuckles said.
"Two million golden rings?" Eggman asked.
"You don't understand... I don't really need..." Knuckles said.
"Three million? Four? Five? Six?" Eggman said. Before he could go any higher, Princess Rouge suddenly leaned in and whispered an idea to the king. Eggman smiled and then nodded. He seemed to like whatever it was she had in mind.
"Plus... the hand of the royal princess, Rouge!" Eggman said.
"The princess!?" Knuckles shouted in shock. And just then... Rouge ran up to Knuckles and gave him multiple kisses on the face! The whole room gasped over what they saw. Knuckles' face was soon covered in lipstick. He was almost dazed to be smothered with that much love... and he hadn't even done any of this giant-slaying business yet.
"Woohoo! I'll cut this giant down to my size!" Knuckles said, showing his scissors once more to the thundering applause of everyone inside the throne room.

Finally, it was time for Knuckles to begin his journey. He was being waved and cheered off by seemingly the entire town as he, armed with just a pair of scissors on a belt, waved back as many people as he could. Once he was outside the castle gates, the doors closed on him. Knuckles then frantically found himself running back for the doors, but the town simply continued to cheer him on. He had a change of heart when he could see Rouge blowing a kiss down at him from atop the castle walls.
"Well... so long. I'll be seeing you... I hope." Knuckles said as he slumped away from the castle.

After a few minutes of walking through the open field, Knuckles was sitting up against a large boulder, looking rather grim.
"Man, who am I kidding... I don't know how to catch a giant." Knuckles said. He kicked a rock that was sitting beside one of his feet, wondering what he could do next. Right when he kicked that rock, trouble soon arrived. The ground began to shake every second or so, with each shake rougher than the last one. He also saw a gigantic shadow block the sunlight not just from him, but also all of a very small village just down the hill. He finally turned around, and there was the giant.

Or rather... the giantess. Tikal. All 500 feet of her.

Knuckles didn't have time to really gaze up at the mega-sized girl. He simply took off running away from the giantess. He felt very lucky that Tikal was on one of her 'slow walks' because he was able to dodge each and every step she made. She crushed trees, bushes, rocks, boulders (like the one he was resting against)... anything that stood in her path. And she didn't seem to notice either. Knuckles made his way to the river and was able to jump into a boat and quickly paddle his way across. The huge waves that Tikal was making from stepping into the river helped Knuckles get away faster.

Finally, Knuckles was in the very village that was clearly in danger from the giantess. He quickly jumped out of the boat just as Tikal crushed it and a very small hut flat into pieces. Feeling exhausted from all the running he had been doing, Knuckles finally took shelter inside a wheel barrow full of small pumpkins. He hid within them as he watched the mega giantess coming into the village and chasing out the few people that lived here. He was simply overwhelmed to see the size of Tikal, let alone such a pretty face that has been causing all the rumors in the town.
Tikal then finally stopped walking, instead sitting down on top of a house and flattening it right into the ground. Either she didn't care about that little house or was simply far too big to notice it, but Tikal felt very comfortable as she sat down. She let out a monsterous yawn that could probably be heard from miles away. She then looked down at the pumpkin-filled barrow, right where Knuckles has been hiding.
"Mmmmm... food." Tikal said, letting out a smile with her shiny teeth glittering in the sunlight. The giantess reached down and grabbed every last one of the pumpkins, with a few falling to the ground. Knuckles could feel the air rushing into his body as he was being lifted right into the sky, and probably towards Tikal's mouth if he wasn't careful.

Tikal began to pop pumpkins into her mouth, three at a time. On the third batch, Knuckles was flung from Tikal's hand and right onto her tongue. He looked behind him to see more pumpkins flying by. He did his very best not to get struck by any of these pumpkins, and also he tried to figure out how he was going to get out of this mess. Unfortunately, while jumping to avoid one of the pumpkins, he landed on one of them and found himself rolling backwards towards the pit that would lead to Tikal's stomach. Knuckles made a daring leap of faith and was able to grab onto her uvula. Just as he did that, all the pumpkins were gone, but all he could now was hold on for dear life... at least until she started to hiccup.
The shock from the loud hiccuping noise caused Knuckles to lose his grip and fall back down on the tongue. He held on as Tikal continued to hiccup. The giantess, meanwhile, was searching for something on the ground.
"I better wash all these pumpkins down." Tikal said. Finally, she noticed a well sitting to her left. She ripped it right out of the ground and tilted it back towards her mouth.
Knuckles looked to see Tikal's mouth opening up again, thinking that he was home free. But then the water came pouring in from the well. It was coming in fast and furious. Knuckles had no chance of swimming against this current. He tried, but he was simply swept up by all the water. He finally lost his grip on the tongue and could feel himself falling through the air. It seemed for sure that he was on his way down to her stomach.

Or was he?

Knuckles suddenly felt the pull of gravity just stop. He looked down to see his streak of luck had continued... he was sitting in the bucket that had been tied to a rope inside the well. It was almost nerve-wrecking to look down and see nothing but water and the pumpkins that the giantess had taken into her digestive system. But just then, the bucket suddenly sped back up and finally out of Tikal's mouth as the giantess took it out. The rope with the bucket swung wildly into the air, and that sent Knuckles flying... right onto Tikal's nose.

Tikal moved her eyeballs to where she looked on her nose and could see the tiny Knuckles sitting right there. Knuckles, of course, was getting an eyeful of Tikal's... well, eyes.
"Um... hi! Lovely weather, isn't it?" Knuckles said.
"Stupid bug!" Tikal shouted. She scrunched her face up and down, trying perhaps to shake off the tiny tailor off her face, but she only succeeded in allowing him to climb up her head, but Knuckles ended up slipping on the sweat coming down her forehead and fell down. He would soon be caught in mid-air by the giantess, who quickly closed her hand into a fist to keep him from escaping.
Tikal moved the fist right up to her face and slowly opened up her hand again. Knuckles quickly jumped to his feet, drawing his scissors.
"Don't move! It's time to duel!" Knuckles shouted. He then leaned forward and was just able to poke Tikal in the nose.
"OUCH!!! Why you little..." Tikal shouted. She took her other hand and tried to crush Knuckles with it, but he quickly jumped to his left and grabbed onto Tikal's hair. He quickly climbed it, managing to dodge every attempt by Tikal to grab him, which certainly was no easy task as big as she was. Sometimes he would have to poke one of Tikal's fingers to get them away from his body. Finally, he was able to pull out a small needle with a lot of thread attached to it. He took off the needle and began to twirl the threading like a cowboy's rope. He was able to lasso Tikal's left hand as it landed on her right arm, tying it down and leaving her unable to move either arm.

When Knuckles finally was able to reach the very top of Tikal's head, he was able to lasso Tikal's nose, tugging it back.
"Ow!!! Stop! You're hurting me!" Tikal shouted. Knuckles then tied one end of the thread to some of her hair, and then he jumped right off her head, gliding clockwise around the giantess which was tying her up completely. Knuckles landed on the ground and saw Tikal completely tied up while he still held one end of the thread in his hand.
"See you next fall, pretty lady!" Knuckles said, ignoring the bad pun he obviously made. With a firm strong pull of the thread, Tikal was swept off her feet and she landed right on the ground, knocking her unconscious. Knuckles took a deep breath... he had won the battle. A battle he never expected to win.
"(sigh) I wonder what they're going to do with her." Knuckles said.

A short while later, a carnival would be built in the empty land where the small village had been. Much of the place was powered by... of all things, the mega giantess Tikal. She would sleep all day, blowing with the force of a hurricane at the windmill which would power much of the carnival. As all of the town (including Eggman, Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun) enjoyed themselves, Knuckles and Rouge happily rode on the merry-go-round. The two were together, just as Eggman promised, and the two lived happily ever after.

End of Story #3

"The end." Vanilla said to Cream after telling her that story.
"Wow! That was exciting. Knuckles sure was brave, but you sure they should've done that to that really big version of Tikal?" Cream said.
"Oh, don't worry about her, my dear Cream. When she did finally wake up, she found her new life to be peaceful and she would end up helping much of the town." Vanilla said with a smile.
"Ah, that's good. But Knuckles and Rouge together... that's hard to imagine." Cream said, laughing a bit.
"It is, isn't it? Just like Eggman being a good citizen!" Vanilla said as she kissed Cream on the head.
"Mommy, you promise to read me another story tomorrow?" Cream said.
"Oh of course, Cream. I'll have a good one for you then!" Vanilla said. She started to walk out of Cream's room.
"Good night, Mommy!" Cream said as she held onto her chao companion, Cheese, and tucked herself in some more.
"Good night, Cream." Vanilla said as she finally flipped the light switch and Cream's room went dark, allowing her to fall asleep for the night.

END