In the mostly empty detention center, the only active cell was at the end of the hall. In that cell was Y/n lying on his bed, that is if you could call it a bed. It was basically just a slab of metal hanging off the wall with a pillow and a blanket, and it was terribly uncomfortable. It was difficult for Y/n to sleep since all he could really do was sleep before his trial with the Acorn Council.
Bouncing a ball made of Chaos Energy around his cell, Y/n awaited for his trial.
Meanwhile...
Elsewhere, Sally is seen walking as she helps carry a crate of food for a family in New Mobotropolis. She soon sets it down and wipes some sweat off of her forehead before sighing.
"Thanks again, Princess," a Mobian-Dog tells her. "Really appreciate this."
"It's no problem whatsoever," Sally states. "Have a good day now."
"You, too!" the dog says as he waves Sally goodbye.
She waves goodbye as well as she walks away. Then she turns around and lets out a breath. After Y/n's fight with Nazo, a lot of the city and its people were shaken. They still needed help, and Sally was glad to give it.
And that same battle brought her mind back over to Y/n and what she said to him. She hated herself for that, but what's done is done. She can't take it back now and whenever the two of them are together, things become awkward. They didn't talk to each other, and it was weird just to be around each other.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid...!" Sally told herself as she smacked her forehead. "Why did I have to say that? It was the perfect moment to confess! 'Motivational tactic'? What was I thinking?"
Sally cringed at her words and decision. She was an idiot to say that to Y/n, and now she may be never able to make things right. He was having his trial later today, and it depended on what the Council saw fit that she may see Y/n again or not.
Sally sighs again and rubs her temples.
"It's fine. Everything's fine," Sally tells herself. "Y/n will be pardoned and everything will be able to go back to normal."
At least she hoped everything would go back to normal...
Timeskip...
A blue blur is seen going all around a white room as it destroyed holographic enemies. Every enemy shatters into light before they vanish and the blur goes to wreck even more before the blur unfolds itself from its spiked ball to reveal that it was Sonic.
"Come on! This can't be the highest difficulty!" he says with a smirk and Spin Attacks another enemy. "Please! The little Badniks give me more trouble!"
Sonic bounces around his holographic enemies like a pinball and takes the rest of them out almost instantly. He slides across the ground before standing up and dusting off his hands with a smirk.
"Damn, I'm good," he boasts with pride.
The holograms all disappear and Nicole materializes in front of Sonic.
"Hello, Sonic."
"WYAAAAH!" Sonic jumps from fright. "You gotta stop doing that, Nicole!"
"Apologies, Sonic," the AI apologizes sheepishly. "Ahem. Uh, Y/n's trial will be starting soon. Can you fetch him?"
"Right," Sonic says with a thumbs up. "Sure thing."
"Thanks, Sonic."
Nicole disappears and Sonic dashes away with spectacular speed. Not long after does he arrive at the detention center and skids to a stop in front of Y/n's cell. He looks inside to see that he was asleep with his jacket by his side.
"Sorry about this pal," Sonic says before taking in a deep breath. "WAKE UP!"
Y/n jolts awake and falls off his cell bed. He drops to the floor with a loud thud and a groan. He then pushes himself up and turns to glare at Sonic who was smirking and chuckling.
"Ow," the human grumbles.
"'Sup, Sleeping Beauty?" Sonic greets his friend. "Time to get up. I'm taking you to your trial."
"Oh. Right," Y/n says and sighs. "Let's go, then."
Sonic nods and the cell barrier drops to let Y/n walk through. However, metal flies off of the wall and wraps around the human's wrists, morphing into handcuffs and Y/n gains an unamused look.
"Seriously?
"Sorry," Nicole's voice apologizes from the walls. "It's just mandatory for... criminals and prisoners. Sorry, again."
Y/n sighs but nods.
"It's fine. It's fine," the human says. "Let's just get this over with."
"Let's go!" Sonic says, feigning his usual excitement and optimism as he turns and walks away.
Y/n follows him as they walk out and leave the detention center. As the two of them walk through New Mobotropolis, Y/n tried to ignore all of the stares and looks the people gave him. Some looked at him with sympathy while children waved at him with smiles, not understanding what was truly going on. The others looked at him with glares and sour looks, wanting him to leave them alone forever.
Y/n sighs as Sonic glances back at him and his smile drops. He holds sympathy for his friend and wishes him luck on his trial.
Soon, the two arrive at Acorn Castle and make it to where the Council would hold the trial. Before Y/n was the gathering of the council with Sally's brother and Tails' mom among them.
"Let's get this over with..." He says as he stops in front of the Council.
"See ya around, man," Sonic pats Y/n's shoulder. "Good luck. I'll be over there."
Sonic points to the side and walks off. Y/n turns back to the Council as Elias begins to speak.
"Y/n, you have been brought here today to determine your future in this kingdom," the chipmunk says. "With accusations of treason and terrorism for attacking our people and releasing one of our greatest enemies, how do you plea?"
"... if you're saying that I did what I did just because I wanted to do it, then I plea innocent," Y/n states. "But for doing what I know was wrong to do something right? Giving Mogul the Chaos Emerald so he would release Mina, Tails, and Mighty? Then yes, I'm guilty."
"So you're willing to be thrown in prison or banished?" a councilmember asks.
"I attacked people and defied what everyone else told me to do, and I sided with the enemy. But I only did it to save lives," Y/n states. "I already know the public opinion of me is split up and teetering back and forth, but that doesn't matter. Throw me in prison or banish me for all I care. I'll be just fine knowing that what I did was right."
Sonic watched from the side and bit his thumb from nervousness. He had no idea what was going to happen, and it was hard to tell what everyone was thinking. He just hoped for the best.
"Alright," Elias says. "Let the trial for Y/n L/n of New Mobotropolis begin!"
Timeskip...
As Y/n's trial commences, Nicole materializes herself in the lab. She leans forward on a workshop table and sighs. She then holds her head in her hands with clenched eyes.
"What is going on with me?" the AI asks herself. "Why are these malfunctions happening?"
"Hey! Anybody in there?!" the voice of a girl calls out.
"Ah'm 'ere fo' mah checkup!" a familiar country accent calls out.
Nicole stands straight up as two people walk inside. One was Amy in her usual pinkish-red dress.
The other was Bunnie with her cowgirl outfit and usual smile.
"Oh! 'Noon, Nicole!" Bunnie greets the AI. "Are ya the only one 'ere?"
"U-uh, yeah. Just me," the holo-lynx replies. "Why is Miss Rose here?"
"'Cause I wanted to hang out with Bunnie," Amy stated with a shoulder shrug.
"R-right. Let me get everything set up and I'll start the routine checkup on your cybernetics," Nicole told Bunnie before her form glitches. "... right after I run another diagnostics check on my systems. Again."
"Ye're malfunctionin', surgah?" Bunnie asks the AI. "What's wrong?"
"... I have no idea."
"But... how are you malfunctioning?" Amy asks. "I didn't think you could."
"I don't know! My systems keep overheating for no reason, but nothing is wrong! My entire body glitches and I can't process things anymore!" Nicole exclaims. "I lose my train of thought! Sometimes I can barely hold my form, and most of the glitches are compressed to my left chest area! I don't know what's going on at all!"
Both Bunnie and Amy looked at the AI in surprise. They never expected her to freak like how she just did, and she was even pulling at her hair in distress.
"Maybe you should calm down, Nicole," Amy told the AI. "Like, sit down maybe? Or something...?"
"No, no, I'm fine," Nicole said and composed herself. "Let's do that checkup."
"Oh, no, surgah. Ye're not gettin' away that easily," Bunnie says with a smirk. "Ah know exactly what's goin' on with ya."
"Y-you do?" Nicole asks in hope.
"Yup! Ah may not be no genius like Tails an' them, but Ah know what's goin' on," the country belle states. "You have a crush!"
"... a crush?" the holo-lynx questions with a head tilt.
Amy gasps in shock as she finally realizes what Bunnie was saying.
"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!" Amy shouted as she bounced up and down. "Nicole, you have a crush!"
"I-I don't understand..."
"Let me put this in a much simplah term, sweetie," Bunnie says and points at Nicole. "Ye're in love."
"Love...?" Nicole repeats in shock. "I-I know I can recreate organic emotions like happiness and anger, but love? H-how can I...?"
"Think about it! Your overheating is you blushing, your glitching is basically what we do when we see our crush since its hard to think," Amy says as she counts her fingers. "Your chest glitches is also your way of your heart racing a million miles an hour! I should know, it happens all the time to me!"
"Amy-girl, no offense, but what ya have is a school crush on Sonic," Bunnie tells Amy.
"Do not!" The pink hedgehog retorts. "It's true love!"
"Sure thang, darlin'," the rabbit cowgirl tells a fuming Amy and turns back to Nicole. "So you undahstand what Ah'm sayin', Nicole? You are in love."
"I'm in love..." Nicole repeats as she has her systems run searches on 'love'.
"Have any idea on who it is?" Amy asks the AI.
"Wh-what?"
"Who's the lucky guy? Or... girl?" Amy asks.
"Who's the one who's makin' ya feel this way, surgah?" Bunnie asks the holo-lynx.
"Who... causes it?" Nicole repeats again.
She's still having trouble comprehending what's she's being told. A computer AI like her having feelings for someone? How could she have feelings like that? And who were they directed to.
Y/n suddenly came to her mind and she glitched once again.
"You glitched!" Amy pointed out. "You must've thought of them! Who are they?"
"Settle down, Amy," Bunnie tells the hammer crazy girl. "Let her figure it out."
Nicole suddenly begins to fully realize what she was being told. She was in love with someone and whenever she asked herself "Who?", her systems brought up Y/n. She's been acting odd around him since his big fight with Nazo and her systems malfunctioned around him. It could be because his powers are messing with her, but if it's love...
Nicole was in love with Y/n! How was she so blind? She's seen it so many times with so many other people, yet she couldn't pin it down until now? What an advanced AI she was!
Wait, but Y/n was being held on trial today! She needed to save him!
"Uh, Nicole? You still with us?"
Nicole doesn't answer Amy as she suddenly disappeared from sight, leaving the hedgehog and rabbit alone.
"Well..." Bunnie says. "Looks like Ah ain't gettin' my checkup right now."
Meanwhile...
Y/n's trial has been going on for an hour now. So far, it has been undecided on what his future will be. But Y/n just wanted this to end, and it soon would be.
"Y/n."
Said human looked up at Elias who wore a solemn look.
"Upon discussion, the Council has come to agreement," the king states. "Y/n L/n, I am sorry to say that you are hereby sentenced to imprisonme--"
"Wait! Hold everything!"
Everyone turns to the room's entrance to see the doors being shoved open. The one who suddenly crashed the trail was none other than Sally herself.
"Sally...?" Y/n questions as the chipmunk runs up beside him.
"You can't punish Y/n for doing something right!" The princess declares. "That's just wrong!"
"Sister, please--" Elias gets cutoff.
"Princess, we would suggest you leave this room," a councilmember tells Sally. "Our decision has been made and you cannot change it."
"You're just afraid that Y/n will go crazy, aren't you?!" Sally asks. "Well he won't because he's better than that! You all know this!"
"He's attacked us and willingly freed Mammoth Mogul from his cell!" another declares. "What's to say that he won't go berserk again? Or ally himself with the enemy?!"
"Y/n is a hero, and all of you know that! He's saved and protected us time and time again, and you think he's our enemy?" Sally goes off. "When Y/n attacked us, he wasn't even himself. Nazo was taking control of him! And Y/n saw that there was no other way to save our friends from Mogul killing them, so he decided to give up the Chaos Emerald! Yes, it was wrong and there may have been an alternative route, but Y/n acted since there wasn't any time to discuss things. Mina, Tails, and Mighty could've died without him!"
"So you're saying we should pardon him?" Rosemary Prower asks.
"Not entirely, but you shouldn't imprison or banish him," the princess tells the Acorn Council. "All of his good and heroic deeds should outweigh his two bad ones. Especially if he was left with no other choice!"
Y/n looked over at the princess in shock, as does Sonic. The human couldn't believe that she was sticking up for him.
"You wouldn't do this if it was Sonic or anyone else who did it! And don't even try to deny it, because you have!" Sally continues. "If you imprison Y/n for things out of his control, you'll be getting rid of our strongest defender. You might as well be handing us over to our enemies!"
The councilmembers all look at each other as they contemplate what the princess said. Rosemary leans forward.
"And what do you suggest we do?" the fox asks.
"Keep an eye on him. Monitor him at all times if you need to and make sure he doesn't do anything that could get us in trouble," Sally offers. "But please... don't lock him away or banish him. He's my friend."
The councilmembers all look at each other before they all begin whispering with each other. Sally sighs as she realizes she may have just saved Y/n, and she turns to her friend with a smile. However, Y/n only looks at her as if he was confused, eyeing her as if trying to figure her out. Then he lets out a breath and turns away to face the floor, making Sally's heart sink. He didn't even talk to her.
"The Council has come to a decision."
Y/n and Sally look back up at Elias. But before the king could speak anymore, Nicole materializes inside the room with a panicked expression.
"Wait! Don't--" Nicole stops when she sees that everyone was looking at her. "I... feel as if I've missed something."
"You have," Sonic told the AI as he walked up to her. "Sal barged in and tried to convince them to give Y/n a lighter punishment."
"Really?" Nicole asks as she turns to Sally.
"Yes, and we've come to a decision," Rosemary states.
Sally gulps as Sonic looks worried while Nicole seems scared, and Y/n is ready for whatever punishment he'll receive.
"Upon further discussion, we have decided to neither imprison or banish Y/n from New Mobotropolis," Elias states. "However, he will be put under house arrest for the indefinite future where he will be properly monitored and will not be able to leave unless accompanied by a designated person."
"We will also be assigning someone to watch him and monitor his actions," a councilmember informs. "That way he will be watched over so he doesn't do anything... brash."
Sonic fists pumps in victory with a big smile. Sally and Nicole sigh in relief as Y/n let out a breath.
"I volunteer to--" Sally was cutoff by her brother.
"I'm sorry, Sally, but we have already assigned Y/n's 'caretaker'," Elias tells his sister. "Nicole, you will keep watch over Y/n. Since you can be almost everywhere at once in New Mobotropolis, you will be the best to monitor him."
"I'll do my best, sir," Nicole said with a bow.
"This meeting is adjourned," Elias says and slams a gavel in front of him.
Y/n smiles in relief and looks down to see his handcuffs go away... only to slink down his body and wrap around his left ankle. It morphs into an ankle bracelet that will monitor his whereabouts, and he turns to Nicole with an anamused look.
"Sorry," Nicole apologizes. "This is how house arrest works, does it not?"
"Of course," Y/n says and moves his arms around in a circular motion. "It's nice to move my arms freely now."
"Shall we go?" Nicole asks.
Y/n nods and follows Nicole off as Sonic bids them goodbye and speeds off. Sally watches her friends walk off before running after them, meeting them in the hallway outside.
"H-hey! Y/n!" she calls to the human. "Wait a second!"
Y/n turns to look at Sally before stopping, making Nicole stop as well.
"What's up?" Y/n asks her.
Sally goes to say what she was going to originally say.
"Would you like to go out with me?"
But she stopped before she could. And instead said...
"I'm glad you're safe."
Y/n looks at the chipmunk princess for a few moments, as if he was expecting her to say something else. However, he smiles a bit and nods.
"Thanks," he says. "I'm... glad your safe, too."
Sally nods in acknowledgment, and Y/n and Nicole turn to walk away. Sally watches them leave before lowering her head and walking the other way.
When Nicole and Y/n left the castle, the AI looked over at her human friend. While he looked relieved and happy, the holo-lynx knew that he was still struggling with everything. She looks down and rubs her hand before looking at Y/n's. And she makes a leap.
She grabs Y/n hand with hers and squeezes it. The human looks at her with a confused look, but his face softens when he sees Nicole's smile.
"I'm right here," she told him.
Y/n smiles at this and, reluctantly, squeezes Nicole's hand back. She feels a small spark shoot between them. A literal spark passes from Y/n's hand and into Nicole's, making her form glitch again.
"You sure you don't want Tails and Rotor to take a look at you?" Y/n asks as he notices the glitch.
"I'm fine," Nicole assures. "I'm fine as long as I'm here... with you."
Y/n takes a moment, but he nods and turns forward again to his house. Nicole smiles as she walks at the same pace as the (H/C) headed Freedom Fighter. She was happy. Not just like she was mimicking a living, human emotion, but a genuine feeling. Genuine... happiness.
Meanwhile, back in Acorn Castle, Sally stood in the same tower she had shown to Y/n a while ago. The same place where they had bonded and shared a happy moment together.
Now she was there to cry and make sure no one saw it. She couldn't believe she's ruined her chances twice to be with Y/n. But she couldn't help but blame herself. It was her fault, after all, and now Y/n wanted nothing to do with her.
Sally sobbed as she did her best to wipe away her tears. She held her face in her hands as a single question echoed in her mind.
What have I done?
_________________________________________
Y/n has been shown mercy thanks to the appearance of Sally, but he still isn't in the clear! What will happen next? Especially when he and Sonic become 'mister popular', but for different reasons and to different people! Find out, next time on Only Human!