Disappointment is disappointing; if that three word summery doesn't describe what we had to go through to get the Cyan Time Stone, then let me just do as much detail as I can think of: When we followed the trail of the time stone Expert had us chase, we discovered that it had been picked up by a Thunder Roc monster. Most likely it had traveled from one of the monster video game worlds. But Rob kept insisting that what master video game it came from was not as important as getting the time stone itself. I would've begged to differ, but there was little time before Rob starting firing away at the Thunder Roc. With his powers and my speed punches, it really didn't take much if anything to ground that thing. It was promptly captured by the UNA while we grabbed the Cyan Time Stone. Like I said: Disappointment is disappointing.

"Now that six of the seven time stones have been collected, I can use my computer to pinpoint the exact location of the seventh one." Expert said.

"How can you be so sure on that?" Aaron asked.

"Because, with six time stones in one place, my computer will be able to use their combined energy signature to find the last one with pin-point accuracy." Expert said. "And I'm done." He said.

"That was fast." Aaron said. "Wait a second..." He did a double take.

"...General Hightop, where did you last say those UNA spies tracked that Nidoking to again?" Expert asked.

"Dear god...that Nidoking has the last time stone!" General Hightop said. "Try not to kill that thing if you can, the UNA is going to want some words with it. But if it comes between Scootaloo's life and capturing that thing, prioritize the filly." He ordered.

"Hopefully, it doesn't have to come to any of that." Scootaloo said.

Oh how naive that was for me to say just then.

It didn't take long for Rob and Scootaloo to find the lair of the Nidoking.

"Hmph. Didn't I see you at that place I demolished?" The Nidoking asked.

"There were people inside that place you demolished." Rob told the Nidoking.

"Oh go cry me a river." Nidoking said.

"Excuse me?" Scootlaoo was not happy to hear that.

"Those people should've never been in a place scheduled to be demolished." Nidoking said.

"No it wasn't. It was still being used." Rob said.

"Doesn't matter in the end does it? Those people are dead because they couldn't get out in time." Nidoking said.

"Just who are you?" Scootaloo asked.

"Call me Tank." The Nidoking said.

"Well then Tank, looks like we're going to rumble. Because you have something I want, and I have the feeling you ain't about to just hand over that gemstone you have." Rob said.

"You would guess correctly." Tank said.

Defensive Master
Tank the Nidoking

However, it seems that Tank's name was very much warrented: Rob and Scootaloo did their best to damage him, but not even Rob's most powerful non-lethal attacks did next to nothing.

"There's no denying this: Tank is a tank." Rob said.

Scootaloo remembered something Cole said: About how even the strongest tanks will fall when you find that glaring weakness. And that gave Scootaloo an idea to try and use Tank's defenses against him. Unfortunatly, she was captured before she could even try.

"Such a puny little one. How easy it would be to squeeze you into a pile of goo." Tank said.

Something strange seemed to happen just then. One moment, Scootaloo was sure she was then squeezed to death by Tank in the most literal way possible, but then the next moment, suddenly Tank was shot by a powerful blast coming from all seven time stones at once without her dying in the process.

"What the...what just happened?!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"Whoa...when did the seventh time stone suddenly join with the others?" General Hightop said over the radio.

"It must have sensed the other six nearby and joined up. But according to my readouts here, it seems something was just altered to the point where it no longer happened." Expert said.

These things can change the course of history?! Scootaloo thought to herself. Now she really knew these shouldn't ever be used by villains.

"But what could have just been altered, and will we ever know?" General Hightop asked.

Don't plan on telling you that I was killed by this Nidoking. Scootaloo thought to herself.

"This guy cares nothing for the value of life. Even if I have all seven time stones, it's clear that he kills just for the fun of it." Rob said.

"Tch. Not sure how you got that time stone away from me. But my boss is gonna be peeved." Tank said. "I'm outta here." He said.

"Your not going to get away that easy." Rob said before he suddenly used Hyper Beam to cause a lot of damage in a quick succession. While Tank was very much still alive, he was very bruised.

"Ouch...that actually hurt." Tank said.

"This is going to hurt more." Scootaloo said before picking up Tank by his tail, spinning him around, before throwing him at a wall.

"OW! Now that's REALLY smarts..." Tank said.

"...I think he's safe to bring in now." General Hightop said.

Suddenly a strange black portal opened up and swallowed up Tank. "What was that?!" Rob exclaimed.

"No idea." Scootaloo said.

I won't forget that Tank said he was working for someone. And that was someone we'd encounter soon enough...

Author's Note

In the original script, Zapper is the one that joins Rob for the fight against Tank. As such, he is the one that gets saved by the Time Stones rewriting history so his death never really happens. Even if Scootaloo is being substituted here, the same principle applies as to why this chapter does not have a death warning: While there are mentions of death, because said death is essentially rewritten to never happen, no one really dies as a result. However, a major change her is that while Scootaloo is aware that history just got rewritten as is Rob (even if he hides it yet hints at it), Zapper would not be aware that history got rewritten. However the rest of the cast still doesn't know that history got rewritten outside of Expert who says "something got rewritten" without specifing what. Not even his machines can tell him that someone's death was rewritten.

And before anyone calls this being a deux ex machina moment and calls the Time Stones too OP; it is said in Sonic CD that they can control the very fabric of time itself so...