Mufasa smiles and they leave the tent. Sabor attacks, but is sent scurrying back into the jungle. They enter the Hippos' Lagoon and find more Dalmatian puppies. They find some climbable ivy and take it into a higher area of the trees. Rainbow finds Minuette and Lemon Hearts among the trees, numerous vines hanging around them. Minuette looks sternly at Sonic, Tails and Knuckles as Rainbow pleads her case to them in Mangani.

Rainbow Dash: Minuette, please listen to me. I know the nesting ground is secret, but I trust them. You see, I want to help them because...because... well, they need us.

Her blue eyes show deep concern for the strangers. Lemon Hearts looks over to Minuette, who continues to glower. Knuckles leans over to Sonic and Tails.

Knuckles: Uh... Did you get that?

Tails: No.

Rainbow Dash: Minuette.

Minuette turns her head silently towards the treetops, sensing something. She starts to leave.

Rainbow Dash (defeated): Minuette...

Lemon Hearts looks back at Rainbow sadly and follows Minuette. Rainbow hangs her head.

Knuckles (thinking): She seemed sorta distracted by something.

Tails (thinking): Was she looking toward the tree house?

Inside the tree house, the young alicorn is playing with a globe. Mufasa's rifle glints in the sunlight as the unknowing alicorn continues playing. Tails runs to the tree house and screams just as Mufasa fires. His aim off, the bullet narrowly misses Blossom, who runs away behind Minuette. Sonic enters with Knuckles and Rainbow Dash.

Tails: What's the big idea?

Rainbow Dash: Wait, Minuette. Please!

Minuette walks away, scowling. Blossom follows him as Tails glares at Mufasa. Rainbow turns toward Mufasa, frowning.

Mufasa (miming nervously): You don't understand. I was only trying to... Ah. A snake slithered by, you see. I saved that poor pony's life.

Rainbow lowers his head. The group returns to the tent and tells Silver everything.

Silver (angrily): How could you do such a thing!

Mufasa: Now, Mr Hedgehog, as I told you, I was not aiming at the pony.

Silver (angrily): You are not to go near the creatures again!

Mufasa: All because of one mishap? Come, now...

Everyone glares at him and he drops his smirk. He laughs nervously and backs out of the tent. Turning away to leave, he grins cruelly. As he exits the tent, he takes out his rifle.

Mufasa: What am I doing with these imbeciles?

He stares out into the jungle.

Mufasa: Blasted creatures! I'll hunt down every last one of them! I'll track them down somehow.

He takes out a pipe from his back pocket.

Mufasa: I'll stake my life on it.

He hears a rustling from the jungle and stops before the pipe reaches his mouth. He puts it away and listens for the source of the noise. He aims his rifle into the jungle as the noise gets closer, and the shot rings out loud and clear. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Rainbow Dash run outside and see a pony surrounded by monkey-like creatures.

Sonic: Heartless!

They notice Sonic and attack the group as the pony hides. They defeat the Heartless and the pony thanks them with a gummi block. Sonic speaks to Silver.

Silver: Don't mind Mr. Mufasa. He's not a bad person—just a bit impetuous.

They search around the jungle, protecting the rest of the creatures from

the Heartless. They return to the tent.

Silver: I do hope Mr. Mufasa is safe...

They exit the tent and hear a gunshot from the direction of the Bamboo Thicket. They run into the thicket and find Mufasa's pipe on the mound in the center. A shadow leaps over them and Sabor lands, roaring at them, teeth bared. It claws the air towards Sonic, but Tails sends a Fire spell at it. Sonic strikes it with the Keyblade and it jumps into the tall stalks of bamboo. They wait for it to emerge, Rainbow listening keenly. It leaps out and Rainbow assaults it with her spear, spinning it wildly. Knuckles tackles it with his shield and it tries to bite him. They continue attacking it until it slows down, its vision going blurry. Sabor looks up to the sun, falling unconscious, and collapses to the ground, losing a fang in the process. Meanwhile, Blossom runs through the campsite past numerous Heartless and into the tent, frightening Silver and knocking himto the ground. Silver looks to see that the pony is alright before someone enters the tent. Silver looks up, terrified, and holds Blossom tightly. Sonic and company return to camp to find the tent empty.

Sonic: Hey, where's Silver?

Knuckles: What's wrong, Rainbow?

Rainbow Dash: Something coming. Silver, danger. Silver near... Near tree house.

Tails: Sounds like trouble. Let's go.

They race to an area in the tree tops loaded with plant life. Silver and Blossom are imprisoned in a web of vines.

Silver: Rainbow!

A large black fruit is attached to the tree trunk in the middle of the area. They take out both the Heartless and the suspicious fruit, releasing Silver and Blossom from their cage. Light flows into the canopy as they talk to Silver.

Silver: Mufasa came to the tent, and... That's the last thing I remember.

Sonic (surprised): Mufasa?

Rainbow Dash: Ponies trapped. Blossom ran.

Silver: We must help the ponies!

They run to the cliff area, where the creatures have been rounded up by Mufasa and the Heartless. Mufasa loads and cocks his rifle, aiming it at Lemon Hearts. Minuette roars as Heartless pounce in her direction. Mufasa puts his paw on the trigger as Sonic runs in.

Sonic: No!

Mufasa looks over to Sonic and Lemon Hearts and Minuette walk away.

Sonic: Mufasa?

Rainbow Dash: No Mufasa!

She says something in Mangani again.

Rainbow Dash: Not Mufasa!

Mufasa gives out a yell and the fight begins. Tails, Knuckles, and Rainbow Dash go after the Heartless, while Sonic takes on Mufasa. The hunter fights back, aiming his rifle at them before the cliff behind them explodes. Rainbow rushes forward, but is knocked back by an invisible creature. It calls out and Mufasa mounts it, reloading his rifle and aiming it at them again. Sonic attacks the creature, causing it to shed its invisibility. The great green chameleon stares at them through wild spinning eyes. It sends out beams of energy before jumping up to a high ledge, and Tails calls down a Thunder spell, while Rainbow climbs the vines along the wall towards it. She stabs it with her spear and it reels

backward, knocking Mufasa from its back.

Mufasa: Lazy beast!

The Stealth Sneak Heartless fell to the ground as Mufasa picks himself up. He aims at Sonic, but is tackled by Knuckles's shield. Sonic strikes the Heartless with a flurry of attacks while Tails casts magic spells. Rainbow Dashfaces Mufasa and forces him towards the waterfall. The Heartless rises up behind him slowly, sparks crackling around it, cause Mufasa to turn around. It begins to fall on him and he screams. A glowing heart bursts from its chest and floats into the air as Mufasa and the Heartless

disappear. Lemon Hearts and the other ponies gather nearby as Minuette walks up to Sonic. She grabs him by neck and tosses him into the air. Sonic lands with a thud on the top of the cliff. Tails and Knuckles follow suit while Rainbow climbs to meet them. They look down towards the ponies, who leave. Rainbow crawls over to the lake, where the waterfall roars.

Rainbow Dash: Rainbow, home.

They enter the deepest parts of the Waterfall Cavern and find a glowing nest of butterflies in the trunk of an ancient tree. Silver and Blossom join them and Rainbow repeats the Mangani word.

Sonic: This is your home? But that means...

Rainbow stops him and places a hoof to her ear.

Knuckles: Huh?

They hear the roaring sound of water.

Silver: The waterfalls... They're echoing all the way here.

Rainbow repeats the word.

Rainbow Dash: Friends there. See friends.

Silver: Oh, now I've got it. (recites Mangani word) means heart. Friends in our hearts...

Rainbow Dash: Heart...

Sonic (disappointed): Oh, so that's what it meant.

Rainbow Dash: Friends, same heart. Mufasa, lose heart. No heart, no see friends. No heart, no friends.

Sonic (to Tails): Sorry about what I said.

Tails: I'm sorry too.

Knuckles: Yeah. All for one, huh?

He gathers them into a group hug, smiling. Sonic walks up to the butterfly nest and they scatter around the cavern, revealing a Keyhole. Sonic aims his Keyblade and seals the Keyhole. It glows with a bright light and a locking sound before a green gummi block falls to the ground, shining.

Tails: A gummi!

Knuckles: But it's sure not thing king's.

Blossom nuzzles against Tails, who looks surprised.

Silver: I think someone has a new admirer.

Tails starts waving his arms frantically.

Tails: No, no, no, no! Twilight would kill me!

Sonic and Knuckles laugh. Meanwhile, the horned witch stands in a dark chapel with three other villains.

?????: What drew the Heartless to that world?

??????????: The hunter lured them there. It was his lust for power that was the bait. But it seems the bait was too tasty for his own good.

A ghostly figure laughs.

?????: Yeah, he got chomped instead!

A dragon robes walks out of the shadows.

?????: A weak-hearted fool like him stood no chance against the Heartless. But the boy is a problem. He found one of the Keyholes.

??????????: Fear not. It will take him ages to find the rest.

An image of Sonic, Tails and Knuckles appears on the table before them.

??????????: Besides, he remains blissfully unaware of our other plan.

??????: Yes, the princesses...

??????????: They are falling into our hands, one by one. Speaking of

which...

Out of the shadows steps a frightened Sweetie Belle. Back in Deep Jungle, everyone has returned to the tent.

Sonic: Well, guess we'd better get going.

Silver: Where is your ship, anyway?

Tails: Well, uh... Not too far.

Rainbow Dash: Sonic, Rainbow, friends

He hands him a keychain and they return to the gummi ship.

Sonic: The gummi block that came out of that glowing hole... It's not like the others. Wonder what it's used for.

Tails: I dunno.

Knuckles: Maybe Espio'll know.

Tails: Hmm... He might. Back to Traverse Town, then?

Sonic: I wanna be pilot!

Tails: Hey, stop it!

Sonic: Oh, come on! I'm the Keyblade master.

Tails: I don't care who you are! No!

Knuckles: Here we go again...