Tangle pov:
As I get back to Restoration HQ, I look around at the entrance. They've increased the number of guards outside the entrance to help prevent future attacks. It weirdly reminds me of Papers, Please, though I never finished that game. Maybe I should... Oh well. I head inside the building and look for Jewel. I eventually find her in the control room, along with Spark. I walk to them, to see that Amy's desk is cleaner than it's been since I got here.
"Hey guys!" They both turn to me, and Jewel smiles. "Hey Tangle, how was the mission?" I sit next to the desk. "It went fine, we captured Mimic, they're just waiting to transfer him to an actual prison." "Good! Did the experience make you feel any better?" I sigh and sit back. "A bit I guess, I still feel horrible, but I'm glad he won't be able to hurt anyone else. He'll probably drive himself crazy in prison." I laugh a bit at my own comment.
"Well, maybe you should get away for a while. You should take a day or two off." I shake my head. "No, I can't do that, they need me here, and besides, I can't just leave." She smirks a bit. "Tangle, I'm now the president of the Restoration, you can leave whenever you want." "That's a bit unfair, don't you think?" She sighs quietly. "Even in the face of Y/N dying you only think of others, I think that's your greatest weakness." I look at her with a mildly annoyed expression. "I'm not wrong." "Tangle, you've just went through an extremely traumatic experience, I'm sure that no one will care."
I let out an annoyed breath. "Fine. But I'm coming back and doing the rest of my time, all right?" She smiles. "Alright, it's not like I can stop you." I smile back. "Not on your life!" We both giggle for a bit. Jewel looks at me, curious. "So, where you gonna go?" I think for a minute, then get an idea.
"You know where I haven't been in a long time? Emerald Coast!"
Jewel stifles a laugh. "Yea, last time I went was with you and your family when I was... darn... 13 I think?" I nod my head. "Yea that was my last time too, I wonder if it's changed any..." I stand up and hug Jewel. "Thank you... all jokes aside, I think I really do need a break..." She hugs back. "I know, go and enjoy yourself!" I nod and wave, then head to my room to grab some clothes and a swimsuit, then make my way to the beach. It's a bit longer of a walk than I'm used to, but it won't kill me to make up for all those days I spent in bed moping around.
When I get there, there's quite a few people around. I head to the bathrooms to change, then come back out. I find a spot with less people, and lay my towel on the ground. I lay on it and start sunbathing. The sun feels really good on my skin, and I feel myself finally starting to relax. I breath out and get comfortable. I lay there for hours. Eventually I get up and open my eyes, I see the sun is about to start setting. I think of what to do next.
As I'm thinking I hear a voice call out to me. "Hey Tangle!" I turn to the sound of the voice, and see Amy Rose waving to me. I wave back and walk to her. "I didn't expect to see you here!" She says as I approach. I smile and stop in front of her. "Yea, Jewel told me to take the rest of the day off." "Oh, that's nice!" She looks around a bit. "Would've expected to see Y/N here with you." My heart skips a beat as she says that. "O-Oh umm... Y/N... he's dead... during one of out missions... bombs went off... vault, and..."
I trail off as I try to explain. Her eyes widen and she hugs me. "I'm so sorry!" I smile a bit. "It's ok... it's been a few days, I've mostly gotten over the grief..." She smiles, and we hang out fir a bit together. Eventually I take a picture of the skyline as the sun sets, and I post it on my Instagram, thinking it looked pretty cool. As me and Amy hang out, we go to a straw hut bar, like one of the ones you would see on a teen romance movie. We get drinks and continue talking.
Eventually the liquor takes its toll, and I tell her I will be right back, and excuse myself to the bathroom. Once I do my business and come back out, I look around a bit. Leaning on a lamppost I see a familiar face. One I didn't count on seeing ever again.
"Y/N..?"
I look at him for a while, and sure enough, it's Y/N. But... how? I never saw his body... but how could he have survived that..? Without so much as a scratch! I look down as I think, then look back to where he was, and see that he's gone. I head to the lamppost and look around, but I can't find anything that suggests he was here. No footprints, no torn fabric on the brambles nearby, nothing! How did he... am I hallucinating..? I have to be, there's no way he would just show up and dissappear without at least a word or two...
Maybe a few more drinks will help to calm my nerves...