★★The picture above is not mine, belongs to SirinaTheHedgehog from DeviantArt★★
I apologize about the wait. I'm trying to improve the length of chapters so hope y'all enjoy
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Sonic's POV
I yawn as I look at Tails writing down notes.
"I don't think it's healthy for either of us to be up this early," I said as I slumped down in my chair, trying to get comfortable with Tail's mind-reading device on my head.
Tails just looked at me with a 'really' face. "Sonic, it's only 8:30 am, and we went to bed at 10 last night. That's a full 10 hours of sleep. You're fine."
"But Tails, I need 12 hours of sleep to function normally." I lay my head on my arms on the table in front of me to further prove my point.
Tails just shook his head. "Sometimes I don't know what I should do with you."
"Oh come on, I'm not that bad." I sat straight up to look at him directly.
Tails just raised his miles electric and waved it in the air. "My device says otherwise."
"I think your device is broken, because I never lie." I rested my right hand on my heart dramatically.
Tails just started laughing with tears in his eyes as he looked between me and his handheld. "Hahaha! Sonic, you're still wearing the mind-reading helmet, and it says you just lied."
I gently take the helmet off and set it on the table. Chaos knows if I break this Tails would kill me.
"Well hey, at least we know it works," I said with a smile as I looked at the helmet on the table, and then back at Tails.
Once his laughter died down, a thoughtful expression came across his face.
"Okay, buddy. What's up?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing. I just noticed something wrong with the helmet. I just need to do a few tweaks with it."
"Tails," I said in warning. "What's wrong? You have been spacing out a lot today and the day just started."
His twin tails lay flat against the workshop floor as they curled at his feet and Tails wrapped his arms around himself.
"I just have a feeling something bad is going to happen."
I just looked at Tails with confusion.
"Tails, nothing bad is goi-"
"BUT how do you know that? How do you know that Eggman wouldn't do anything horrible like what happened 3 years ago."
Oh, Tails. I walked over to him and hugged him. "Today is that day, isn't it," I said gently. I completely forgot that was today.
Tails hugged me back and with a sad sigh, "Yeah."
We just stood there hugging each other for a while until I pulled away, but I stayed within arm's reach and put my hands on his shoulder. I looked Tails in the eyes, but he looked away. "Tails, can you please look at me."
I heard a small sniffle before Tails whipped his eyes with his arm, "Yeah." and he soon looked at me.
"I don't know why I'm getting so emotional, I know you can defend yourself, and it happened a long time ago."
I just smiled gently at him.
"Tails that's normal, okay? It was a pretty traumatic time for a lot of people, even me." I told him. Just bringing it up, I can remember all the psychological torture and guilt I had to deal with for 6 months up in space, but I just shook it off. This isn't about me, this is about my brother.
"Really! But when we rescued you from the Death Egg, you seemed normal."
"Well yeah. I couldn't let those bad guys win and let down my family, so listen closely, okay," he nodded his head. "I will say this as much as I need to. Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I'm not going to be captured or be killed, not again."
"But you can't guarantee that."
"I know. That's why if and I mean a big IF, if it happens again, I want you to stay strong and bring me home, okay? Can you do that for me?"
He looked worried for a moment. Did I go too far? I did, didn't I? I'm glad I'm not wearing that helmet thing. But while I was having an internal panic attack, Tails soon smiled with bravery and strength in his eyes.
"Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. But let's not have a repeat of last time." he joked lightly.
I smiled and walked back to my seat." Haha, please like that would happen again. We kicked that psycho jackal's butt, and I would do it again. Plus, even if he came back, he would be powerless without the Phantom Ruby, which is gone." I replied as I leaned back in my chair, resting my feet on the table.
"Sonic, put your feet down, you could fall," he said as he went to go tinker with the mind-reading device. We should give it a name.
[Like seriously, any suggestions]
"Please, I'm not going to fall."
"BOOM"
"waaah! Ooof."
"Told you so!"
I land on my back while still in the chair, though its legs are snapped in half.
I heard a disappointed sigh from Tails and something about just buying it and a broken door.
"Uhh, why is Sonic on the floor? Never mind, I have something important."
"Aww, don't you care about me," I said dramatically as I immediately stood up.
"Shut up Sonic. I don't want to deal with your childish antics right now."
I'll do it just once. "No hey or how are ya?"
"Grrr! What did I just say? Sonic, if you don't shut up, I'll make sure you can never talk again."
Woah, what got him on edge? He usually doesn't put in a threat this quick.
"Alright. So what brought you here? It's a long flight here."
"And why didn't you call on your watch? My little buddy asked, walking closer to Knucks.
I could have sworn I saw Steam come out of Knuckles's head.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you! I received a vision from Master Emerald!"
Me and Tails both winced, covering our ears from the yell of the century. Once we were able to recover what he said, finally settled in.
"Knuckles, what did you see?" Tails asked as he guided Knuckles into the house and the living room.
I went to follow them, but before I did, I put the door back in place. For the most part. I enter the small living room to see Knuckles pacing in front of the TV while Tails sits on the couch. Worry covered his face as he saw his friend's distraught expression.
"Knuckles, don't you want something to eat or drink?" Tails asked.
He went to stand up, but Knuckles just waved him off.
"No, I'm fine. I- I just need to gather my thoughts."
I sat next to Tails. "Yeesh he looks terrible," I whispered to Tails.
I heard Tails sigh again for the fourth time today. "I know, but he won't stop moving to eat, drink, or even sleep."
"Hmm, what if I-"
"No Sonic."
"But I didn't even finish my sentence."
"I know what you are going to say. You are not hitting him."
I slide down the couch disappointed. "Fine."
After a few minutes, I looked back at Tails. "Are you sure I can't hit him? Not even a little bit?"
"Sonic, we can't hit him."
Finally, Knuckles stopped pacing and looked straight at us. "There's no good way to say this." he sighed, but he soon continued. Me and Tails sat up to pay attention to him.
"In my vision, I first saw someone fighting Shadow move for move, but then it changed to me seeing a wolf on fire, and after that, I saw a human female looking at her surroundings."
I looked at him confused. "Is that it? Because that doesn't sound bad. Sure, someone fighting Shadow move for move would be a challenge, but we fought worse. And that wolf on fire could just be a vivid painting or something. Finally, the human could be friendly."
Tails, on the other hand, looked like he was thinking but then looked up at Knuckles. "There's more, isn't there," he said.
Knuckles shifted uncomfortably and he looked away from tails. "You're right. It just- I thought it would be over."
I perked up after hearing Knuckles talk again. "What would be over?"
"The war." he gravely said.
"But it is."
"It won't be if we don't stop Infinite."
"Infinite!" me and Tails yelled.
"You're joking? Pulling my leg. Please tell me, you're joking." I said.
I soon started laughing, scaring the other two in the room.
"Haha, what's that jackal going to do, fight us? Haha! Please, he won't be able to beat me. I defeated him before when he had the Phantom Ruby. He won't have the ruby this time." I laughed as I fell off the couch.
"That's pure gold. Good one Knucks." I soon looked at Knuckles, his face still serious with a hint of agitation.
My smile soon faded. "You're not joking."
"I'm not."
I looked down then backed up. Knuckles was about to say something else. I held up my hand.
"Don't tell me."
Knuckles just closed his mouth and looked at me.
"He had the Phantom Ruby in his hand in your vision?" I asked, hoping that I was wrong and that the vision he received was just a false alarm.
I know I say and act like I'm not afraid of that jackal but. But he knows just how to make you fear him, I just got over that fear. That doesn't mean he doesn't haunt my nightmares.
I looked over to Tails. He looks like he has seen a ghost. Tails soon got up. "I'm going to the kitchen to make lunch. Knuckles, you should go take a shower, then get some rest."
Knuckles looked down and away from us. "I'm truly sorry." he said as he walked upstairs to the bathroom.
"I should call everyone else."
"No don't!" Tails yelled from the kitchen.
I walked into the kitchen to see Tails making breakfast.
"Why not?"
"I want Knuckles to get some sleep. He looks terrible, he must have glided and ran for the entire night, and don't forget he probably started not long after the battle with Eggman."
"Oh." I looked down, but then looked back at Tails. "Do you want help?"
Tails stopped slicing the sausage. "No, I got it."
"Are you alright?"
"To be honest, no. Today is just a bad day."
I sighed I totally get Tails. It was already the 3rd year anniversary of when the world went to chaos and now it could come again."When should we tell the rest of our friends?"
Tails started placing the sausage patties into a pan. "When Knuckles is ready, so probably around 11-12, giving Knuckles close to uhh-what's the time Sonic?"
I looked around the kitchen for a clock until my eyes landed on the wall opposite Tails "It's 10."
After only a few seconds, it set in. "It's only 10 a clock! I thought it would be 11 by now."
Tails just shook his head as he flipped over some of the sausage patties. "So yeah, let's give Knuckles an hour or two before we call anyone. Well actually we need to call Amy in a hour so she can get here by 12."
"Alright, that sounds good to me. I'll make sure to call her, you worry about Knuckles. Make sure he takes care of himself, but don't forget about yourself." I look away from Tails but I look back to see his expression. "I-I know it has been a rough morning."
Tails just sighs again but then suddenly laughs, now it's my turn to look at him confused. He soon noticed and calmed down enough to tell me. "I sighed so much today that I think I broke the world's record." he smiled at me.
"Psst, please, Shadow got that record under lock and key."
We both cracked up laughing. "Go Sonic or else you're going to break more stuff in my workshop from you being stir-crazy. I promise to take care of myself and Knuckles while you're gone."
I mock salute to my little buddy, "Alright, I'm going for my run now, be back in a bit."
I soon zoomed out of Tails's workshop, going through the forest.
"WOO-HOO!! This is what I needed!"
(Meanwhile with Tails)
He just went upstairs to see that Knuckles did indeed take a shower and is currently sleeping. He lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank Chaos, he went to sleep. I thought I might have to fight him to make him sleep." He soon shivered. "That won't have gone well."
Tails head back downstairs to the broken door. "Alright time to fix you while I wait for Sonic to come back, then he can call Amy, and wake up Knuckles, we all eat Breakfast and finally call Rouge and Shadow. Today is going to suck."
Soon an hour flies by and Sonic returns from his run and calls Amy... or at least tried to. She was in a meeting, so someone else had to tell her she was needed here.
Tails wake up the ticking time bomb for breakfast. Finally, around 12, Knuckles calls Rouge that she needs to go to Tails's workshop because Infinite returned.
Though that wasn't the best thing to say over the phone, it sure got her attention, or that's what they thought as she didn't speak for a while, so she has to be here any second now.
The Sonic Team is currently waiting for the two Hedgehogs and bat to arrive in the living room. Sonic lays casually on the couch.
"How much longer? I'm bored."
"Sonic, not much longer. They're probably going to arrive any second now. So I suggest, if you don't want to fall, that you sit properly on the couch."
"Please, like I can fall off a couch."
"You did earlier."
"Shut up Knucklehead. Besides, that was a chair."
Quite, snickers fill the room as Knuckles tries to hold back his laughing. Suddenly, a door slams open, and a bright light appears.
"SHINING"
"Knuckie what's going on?!"
"BOOM!"
"TAILS!"
"Noo! Not the door again!"
"Waaah! Oof."
"HAHAHA! IT DID HAPPEN AGAIN! HAHA!"
The only sounds that filled Tails's workshop and living room were the echoing laughter of Knuckles and the groans of Sonic, who had fallen off the couch. Tails slid off the couch to his knees as he looked at the door that was torn off its hinges with sorrow. Everyone else was looking either panicked or annoyed, in Shadow's case.
"Why is Faker on the floor?"
▷▷Shadow's POV◁◁
As soon as I complete Chaos control, Rouge starts yelling straight into my ear, whether but accident or not. I couldn't tell at the moment. I walked away from Rouge and towards the wall in hopes of easing my sensitive ears.
Furthermore, I see Rose speed walking into the living room straight to Tails, who looks like he just witnessed someone break his invention in front of him. I turned my head to look towards the red echidna that started all this nonsense, whose laughter finally died down. I would be laughing or at least making fun of Faker too if it wasn't for the fact that blasted hothead nearly gave Rouge a heart attack.
You don't just do that and get to walk away Scott-free. But for now, I need to figure out what in Chaos' name is going on.
"Why is Faker on the floor?" I crossed my arms over my chest and started tapping my index finger on my bicep.
No one said anything, besides Rose trying and failing to get Tails's attention away from... A door? Why a no, you know what, I don't care.
"Well?"
Faker soon stood up from the floor. "Aww, you do ca-"
"SHUT UP SONIC. KNUCKLES! TELL ME YOU'RE LYING!" Rouge yelled, effectively cutting off Faker. Her anger and panic take full control as she jabs her finger into his chest, and her wings flare-up. "Tell me that you are lying and that he's gone."
Knuckles quickly sobers up and looks at Rouge with sorrow, holding her much smaller hand in his. "I'm sorry Rouge but I can't."
Rouge. I never saw her cry, but at this moment, her entire body just seemed to drop like a rock in water as her wails traveled across the small living space. I never felt so uneasy in my entire existence. What did he tell her on the phone? I watched as she fell to her knees as Knuckles cradled her on the floor, trying to comfort her.
Rose went up to touch Rouge after attempting to help Tails but I put my hand on her shoulder. She turned to face me. Her brilliant green eyes are showered with confusion as I go to say something but I only shake my head.
"Let her be. I'm sure she will tell us when she's ready. But at the moment, let us figure out why we are here." I said softly to her as she looked back at Rouge.
"Alright, but let me do something really quick." she walks towards Knuckles and my arm falls to my side. She taps him on the shoulder to get his attention, and he looks at her. She bends down to his level and whispers something in his ear. He looks at her for a moment before he tells Rouge something. Soon both got up and headed upstairs. Rouge crying calms down at each step she takes upstairs, with Knuckles's arm wrapped around her waist.
Silence fills the room.
That was until Tails cleared his throat after gaining his mind back.
"I'm sure you and Amy are probably wondering why you are here."
"Like hell I am! What did that red buffoon tell Rouge?!"
"Hey! You don't get to yell at my brother like that." Faker said, glaring at me as he sat by Tails.
I let out a low growl. "Then why don't you tell me what's going on."
I soon felt a gentle but firm hand on my shoulder. "Shadow calm down. I know you're worried about Rouge but getting mad at Tails and Sonic won't help." Then her grip on my shoulder tightened and in a low whisper said, "They are also my brothers, and you should treat them with respect or else." Then she released my shoulder and went to sit on a chair that was to the left of Tails.
Damm. I forgot how strong she was. I breathe in and then breathe out. I went back to the wall and crossed my arms.
"Tails, you're good now. Shadow should be fine now. Right Shadow?" Rose said to Tails before glaring at me.
A rose is the best way to describe Rose. She's sweet and beautiful, but don't let her fool you, she knows how to defend herself. "Yeah, whatever. So, what's going on?"
Faker looks like he's going to make a sly comment, but Rose shut down that real quick. Tails looked between the three of us before he started speaking.
"Sonic already knows and from what I can tell from... earlier, Rouge knows too," he said, although a bit hesitant at the end.
Tails twiddles with his twin tails before continuing. "Let's start from the beginning."
Tails talks about how his day started, starting with his invention and ending the story off to where we are. That explains why Faker isn't talking as much.
Faker stood up and looked towards Rose. "Ames you alright? Do you need anything?"
Rose just looks down to the floor. "I'm going for a walk." Rose immediately walks to the door to go outside, before disappearing from view.
Sonic holds up his hand in hopes of getting her attention even if her back is to him, "Ames wait!"
Soon Rose appeared again and looked at Tails and the broken door. "Sorry Tails. I'll come back, Sonic. I-I just need to clear my head."
Sonic drops his hand. "O-Okay, stay safe Ames."
"I will." then once again she's gone.
"You're free to do whatever you want, just be here in two hours, so we can plan." Tails said as he went to the garage.
I just nodded my head before I went to go out.
"Hey, Shads, before you leave, can you tell Amy to be here in two hours."
I groan out in annoyance,"Don't call me Shads. Besides, why can't you go and tell her"
Faker just waved his hand to the side. "I want to take a nap and check up on Knuckles and Rouge."
I turn my back to him," Whatever." and I start walking away.
"Plus, I know you like Amy."
I stop in my steps to turn my head to the side to glare at Faker. "I don't like her, you blue rat." I ran out of the workshop but I could still hear Faker yell.
"I'M NOT A RAT!"
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Over 3,000 words and I still wanted to continue. Woo-hoo! Anyways sorry if it's rough. I wanted to get this out to y'all.
Stay tune and stay wild