EPISODE 29 "Amy is Imprisoned" The Episode starts off with a fast recap of last episodes conclusion. Amy and her Birdie are grabbed by E-100: ZERO. Before Sonic can come to the rescue, Zero takes to the skies, leaving Sonic standing helpless. Meanwhile, Knuckles is searching the area near the Mystic Ruins. After finding a second Master Emerald shard, he receives another vision of the past... Knuckles is again standing at the Master Emerald Altar, witnessing it's gutting by fire. Tikal stands in shock at the destruction... Snapping awake, he realizes that something big is at work here. He needs to restore the Master Emerald. He starts scaling the cliff near a waterfall, hurrying to the next piece. At the Thorndyke's, Tails and Chuck have finished repairing the X Tornado. Lowering the driveway palmtrees, Sonic and Tails are off again. Chuck and Tanaka worry about the two, but Cream is more worried about Amy, who is sure to be in trouble. Ella comforts her young charge. Above, Sonic asks if Tails is all right, as he is still wearing his bandages from yesterdays crash. Tails says they have to find the Egg Carrier and save Amy. Sonic steps out of the cockpit, riding the wings while Tails accelerates the aircraft. At Emerald Coast, Big is fishing. Chris wonders why the cat is fishing when he really should be trying to locate his friend, Froggy. Chris sighs in frustration as the X Tornado passes overhead. Just off the coastline, the Egg Carrier lies submerged. Amy has been yelling for help, but she finally gives it up as a lost cause. She daydreams with Birdie, thinking of cooking Sonic a big meal, with him thanking her greatly. She sighs as she thinks of meeting Sonic in Station Square, with him chasing after her for a change. But, she knows that's not the way of things. Usually she is chasing him, with Sonic saving her from E-12's or whatever other robot Eggman decides to send. Staying strong, she cuddles Birdie close. In the Egg Carrier's Control Room, Decoe and Bocoe are having a spat over who will present the microphone to Dr. Eggman. Eggman quickly loses patience, yelling them both off the platform. Eggman then begins his mission description to the assembled E-100's. A tailed-frog is loaded on to the computer screen. The Doc tells the robots to track down and bring him this special frog. With a salute, the E-100's march off. In the jungle, Knuckles has discovered the Mystic Ruins Temple. Running inside, he finds a large Emerald shard on a raised dais. Leaping high, he takes the floating emerald from the pedestal... In the past, Knuckles is again standing before the Master Emerald Altar. On the stair ahead of him, Tikal is talking to the guardian of the Chao. The guardian turns out to be Chaos, pacified and docile. He bubbles and trickles quietly at Tikal. The Chao start to sing, taking the hands of the girl and leading her to the highest level of the Altar. At the top, she sees a large gem shining brightly. She speaks quietly, remembering her grandmother's saying: "Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart. The servers are the seven chaos." She realizes that this gem is the MASTER Emerald, the one that can unify the powers of the Seven Chaos Emeralds. Behind her, Knuckles disappears in a flash of white... With a start, Knuckles realizes he is back on Angel Island, before the age-ruined Altar of the Master Emerald. Running to the top, he takes out the recovered shards of the Master Emerald. Throwing them in the air, the pieces start to coalesce together, reforming the Master Emerald. Or not, as a chunk is still missing from the jewel. However, Knuckles spots an image inside the facets. Dr. Eggman's Egg Carrier! He realizes that Eggman must have some shards on his vessel. At Emerald Coast, the E-100's are searching the tall grass for any sign of the tailed frog their master desires. Gamma, not having any luck finding an amphibian, scans the area, spotting a boy and a very big cat fishing. Epsilon manages to locate a frog, as does Delta, and finally Beta. Worried, Gamma searches harder. Nearby, Big yells happily, he has found his pollywog pal! Reeling him in, Chris congratulates his fine fishing prowess. Then Gamma swipes Froggy from the lure. E-102 takes off down the beach. Aboard the Egg Carrier, Decoe and Bocoe alert Eggman that every robot has completed it's objective. As the E-100's hurry down the coastline, Chris and Big pursue them closely. Just then, the Egg Carrier surfaces from the depths. Lowering a gangplank, the E-100's waltz inside. Big and Chris barely make it inside the ship before the ramp retracts. In the Control Room, the E-100's squabble about who has the real frog for their master. Decoe and Bocoe scold the droids, telling them that Dr. Eggman is one who will decide who has the right one. Eggman walks in, and the E-100's step into formation. Eggman looks at Delta's frog. No tail! Epsilon: Nope. Beta: Zip. Eggman gnashes his teeth, exclaiming "Dummies, Dummies, Dummies!" He reiterates that they must find a frog with Chaos' Tail, a frog that has also swallowed a Chaos Emerald. Then he views Gamma's catch. Bingo! Eggman is quite happy, telling Gamma that he knew there was something special about him. The other E-100's suddenly look worried. Taking Froggy, Eggman tells Decoe and Bocoe to banish the trio off his ship, Gamma alone will serve. With a sorry glance at the hapless robots, Bocoe press a button, transporting them off the Egg Carrier. Eggman then tells Gamma to go to the prison cells and retrieve a bird from a girl. In the jail, Amy is still talking to Birdie, wondering where Sonic is. Up above the world the world so high, Sonic seems to hear Amy calling out for him. Back in the Egg Carrier, Chris and Big wander lost, looking for Froggy and trying to avoid Eggman and his mechanical war toys. They give a yell in surprise as Gamma stomps past them at an intersection, but E-102 doesn't even notice the intruders. Gamma opens a door, thinking it to be the Prison block. There, he witnesses Beta's disassembling and his modifications being added. Gamma seems shocked, but Eggman still has his orders, telling him over the intercom to get the bird. After a saddened glance back at Beta, Gamma hurries off. In the prison cells, E-102 levels his blaster at Amy and orders her to hand over the fowl. Amy quickly refuses. Gamma persists, ordering her to give him the bird. Amy asks why Gamma wants Birdie. Amy's resistance does not compute to the robot. As Amy feels sorry for the bot, Birdie flies out of her hands and chirps at the robot. E-102 stares at the young fowl, it's plea resonating inside his memory banks. Gamma holds his head, his programming at war with itself. Coming to a decision, Gamma tells Amy to step back, then blasts a hole in the bars with his blaster. He tells Amy to get out of the Egg Carrier, it is dangerous for her. Amy tells Gamma that he is different from all of the Doc's other robots, and will be her friend from now on. Taking Birdie, she exits stage left. The Egg Carrier is on the move. Knuckles sees the craft pass over the canyon he is currently in. Behind him, Sonic and Tails hover in the Cyclone-mode of the X Tornado. Sonic asks if he needs a lift. With a grim smile, Knux accepts. Meanwhile, Eggman is having a chuckle fit on the bridge of the Egg Carrier. His laughter dies off when Bocoe announces the X Tornado is trailing them again. Tails is not taking chances this time. He barrels toward the Egg Carrier with the throttles wide open. Eggman activates his flak cannons, the explosions blooming all around the Tornado. Tails buzzes the deck, flak whizzing by Sonic and Knuckles, who cling to the twin tails of the plane. They manage to pass through the storm, leaving the Egg Carrier in their trail. Eggman order's Decoe and Bocoe to activate the hidden laser cannon inside the Egg Carrier's 'head'. As the Tornado swings around, the 'head' opens to reveal the sheer size of the cannon. Tails thinks back to the exchange they had last time with Eggman's flagship, the laser cannons blowing away one of his stabilizing wings. Ready this time, he tells the guys to hang on. The laser cannon charges, Tails activates the new improvements to the Tornado. The cannon fires, and the plane literally leaps above the beam, flying toward the Egg Carrier in a new form. The Tornado's engines have shifted to become workable arms, while a smaller retractable engine on the aft end keeps it flying fast. But Eggman has a few new tricks as well. The Egg Carrier shifts into it's attack mode, the large engines extend to the sides, the maneuvering wings unfold, and the large 'head' lowers like a vulture's neck. The Egg Carrier brings it's arsenal into play, the chain guns rattling and the missiles whistling. Avoiding the first barrage, Tails extends the X Tornado's right arm shield. Holding the shield up to protect his friends, the barrier wards off every hit on the plane. Tails then extends a large thin spike from the left arm, using the blade to slice and dice the rest of the oncoming missiles. Eggman yells at his worried lackeys to engage the next surprise for the interlopers. They hit the wrong button, extending a robotic band and welcoming committee, including fireworks, which gives Tails time to get in close to the deck. Unfortunately, Tails remembers too late that the Tornado has no landing gear while in this new mode. Scrapping the deck, the Tornado crashes into the bulkhead below the bridge... To Be Continued! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This review was written by Eli Sheldon aka 'SHADOWBOT' - used with her general permission.