Tales from the Phantom volume II

A Gaia's Realization

"He's so cold, so still, with no heartbeat," Vanilla said again, not taking her eyes of the blue. And despite the Möbian having an out-of-body experience, she'd layered blankets over him as well as surrounding him with pillows.
"Hey, Miss Rabbit Ma'am, why do you like Sonic so much? I know he's super cool and strong everyone who's ever meet him likes him, well almost anyways, you seem to have a special connection, what is it?" Chip questioned, Vanilla smiling.

"That's because he's my son,"
"Sonic has a mother now? That's amazing! I'm so happy for you all," Chip gleamed, and the two looked across at the blue sleeping in the mirror, before Chip looked back at the one on the floor.

"Where did he get that scar?" Chip asked, referring to the one on his leg, "he didn't have that the last time we met, or that one, or even that one for that matter. What happened to him?"

"Oh that? It was originally from the six month war," Vanilla informed.
"A war? When? For six months? That's terrible! And Sonic got hurt? Who did it, I'll punch them!" Chip asked boxing the air, Vanilla looking down.

"I guess you wouldn't know,"
"Know what?"
"Chip," she looked into his eyes, "he wasn't just hurt... he was taken by Eggman's forces and tortured by them for half a year. We all thought he was dead, and everyone just lost hope. Eggman had won."

Chip's eyes shrank down to tiny dots in shock.

***

"Don't you think we should get the G.U.N. involved?" Amy called after Tails.
"No." Tails simply answered with, "Now, if I was an evil spirit that had stolen someone's soul, where would I go?" He questioned.

A sudden noise from down in an alleyway followed by screaming was clue, and the two rushed down to find the rouge spirit and Metal Sonic fighting it out, a family watching from the sidelines.
"Oh no, this is bad," Tails realized, "Amy, forget about the Spirit, get Metal. If he tells Eggman about Sonic, there's no telling what would happen!" Tails' hands quickly flew to his mouth, realising what he had just said to the Robot.

Hearing the two, Metal turned around and blasted of into the sky, with no change of the two catching up, the Spirit rushing off as well.
"Later!"

"That's bad, right?" Amy asked, Tails nodding gravely.
"Yep,"

***

"Just call me Vanilla dear," Vanilla explained to Chip.
She'd just had to calm the very guilty Gaia down after he'd found out about what had happened during those six months, and the two were currently drinking some tea.
"I promised him I'd be there if he ever needed me," Chip told before hearing the front door open, the Gaia getting ready to fight.
"No, it's fine, that's just my other kids,"

"Others? You have more?" Chip questioned.
"Yeah, Cream, and Charmy. And my husband to be, Vector,"
"Sonic's so lucky to have a family like you guys," Chip told her, and she seemed to question it.
"You think?"

"Mother!" Cream rushed up the stairs, "Vector told us about Sonic," she looked in the mirror, "Oh Sonic! This is terrible!"

"It's ok. We're going to get him back, I promise." She looked at the mirror and nodded, just as Vector and Vector came up.
The bee laughed when he saw Sonic trapped inside the mirror, the croc shaking his head
"Oh man!" He saw Sonic's unamused face in the mirror, "How'd you manage that one kid?"

The blue just shrugged.

***

"We've got to stop him!" Tails shouted after Amy.

"Tails, for the last time, we can't catch up with Metal Sonic. Now, I'm going to tell the G.U.N. and they can help us!" She informed, the fox panicking.

"No! You can't do that!" He rushed to Amy's side, "Listen, there's something... off about them. They keep on giving Sonic funny looks and on New Year's Eve I swear Topaz was in on something!"

But the hedgehog just shook her head, "That's just silly Tails! Why would the G.U.N. try to hurt Sonic? You're just being paranoid little kid,"

"Kid," Tails repeated, "KID! I'm NINE Amy! I'm only four years behind you!"

But the pink one had already disappeared into the building, "Wait, no!"

***

"Hey Rouge," Amy greeted the bat, "I'm here to make a report."

"Oh yeah? What about sugarplum?" She gave a sassy look, "Sonic lost his mind again?" She gave a little laugh, Tails glaring at her.

"He's dead," the cub simply said.

The bat looked shocked as the two told the story, before turning to a speaker, "Yeah, can I have some help down here? This one's a strange case,"

A few minutes later, and a few officers being led by Topaz appeared, a few skeptical about the far-fetched story.

"I don't know about this one ma'am," one of the officers whispered, Rouge's sensitive ears hearing it.
"Hey," she scolded, "I know these guys. They would never lie. Now let's go track this... uh...ghost down and stop whatever Eggman's gong to do."

Abraham, the head of the G.U.N. came over and whispered something to Topaz, who then turned to Rouge.
"Actually.. we've got.. something else for you. Can you stay here to send any possible backup? I know it sounds stupid, but we might need it" More like it's a good reason to get her out of the way before we practically murder the poor kid.

"Oh, well, ok then..." Rouge sounded a little disappointed.
"Thanks Rouge, I owe you one," Abraham then brought Topaz into a separate room.

"Topaz," he sternly turned to her, "You know what to do this time? No holding back, ok?"
The officer sighed, "Yes sir."

"It just does seem right," she whispered.
"I know," The general tried to sound sympathetic, "But it's too much. He could destroy us all if left be," he then said in a serious tone, "Don't fail this time. Understanding?"

Topaz nodded, "Understood"