Sonic and the characters are rightly owned by the property of SEGA. And the cover image is from the Archie Comics.

Now, this isn't necessarily the first story I ever written and published to FanFiction. But I consider it the first seeing how the last time I published was 5 years ago from my previous account.

This story was inspired from a story called 'Scratching The Box' by Themaxx.

And before you begin, I would like to mention that this story is related to Sonic the Hedgehog Archie Comics and is based on the events after Super Genesis Wave. For those who don't read the comics I'll try my best to explain this throughout the story so it wouldn't get so confusing.

There are also very few references related to an anime series 'Sonic X'. Although I don't necessarily want to spoil anything as of yet. I gathered that Sonic X is not canon with Archie Comics but it's my story, so… :P

With that said, thank you for taking your time to read this and I hope you enjoy. My first (ish) story, so try to go a little easy on me.


An anonymous figure was seen levitating through the darkness of what could only be described as an abyss. Within closer parameters seemed to reveal silhouettes of a male. His body lifeless and limp, there was no means of showing such life as the empty void carried him.

Within closer view it was clearly noted that he was unconscious - his eyes were shut tight; chest moving at a steady paste – revealing his still living life form.

But the most notably defying features was his quills that seemed to take a form of spikes; curving and pointing downwards, he wore large white gloves for each hand and carried what seemed like illumines red shoes with a white strap containing a golden buckle on the side.

It was stated, that such appearance within Mobius could be easily identified as a hedgehog species, however this was not your typical ordinary hedgehog…

As if so sudden - he revealed a spark of life - his nimble fingers begun twitching as his mind struggled to send neurological signals all over his body. And if not a minute too soon, he's eyes begun to slowly reveal themselves under his eyelids, revealing his brilliant emerald eyes that tends to show off his hyperactive personality. However, this were different. His eyes seemed to reveal confusion with a mix of shock

"W-what…?" Was the first word escaping his lips as he tried to hold on to reality, if this was even it.

He begun to motion his hands, feeling his limbs moving through the air, which finally hit the blue hedgehog's senses that he was floating in what seemed like nothingness.

His eyebrows furrowed in frustration, seemingly at loss on what was happening; more importantly he wanted to hit gravity – being as he was helplessly trying to control himself through the air.

As if his wish was answered, he touched the darkened floor, surprising the blue hedgehog but nevertheless embraced it as he crouched towards the floor before standing up right.

"Okay, what's going on?" He asked to no one in particular, his tone showing a tint of intensity as he looked at his surrounding, only to see pitch black – as if his eyes were still under his eyelids."

"" He couldn't tell what, but he felt a presence of another being, feeling a strong weary intent from behind. The blue figure spun around only to be met with pair of eyes just inches from his. With reflex the hedgehog jumped back, surprised from the sudden encounter from the proof of his widened eyes and rapid breathing. He was able to identify the figure as a dark-looking hedgehog. It wore gloves as well as the trademark sneakers like his own. His darkened quills were bent upwards however, which spoiled his resemblance with Sonic's own features. But there was one detail that caught the blue hedgehog's attention the most…

…The figure was missing pupils.

It startled the hedgehog, but he quickly shook it off as he took an offensive stance, cautiously glaring at it. He felt its negative energy flowing out from its body, a dark sinister aura enveloping the black hedgehog which suddenly latched itself on to the other hedgehog. He was unable to contradict what was happening as he felt himself growing weaker by the second. He was unable to freely control his legs as they gave off, hitting to his knees – where the darkness had further consumed his lower half.

The black figure took a step forwards, his darkly grim aura growing more imminent with each gap it covered; suffocating the blue hedgehog as he struggled to breath. He suddenly couldn't recover in time as he felt something grab his neck; his body rose from the floor and into the air, grasping the hand that took hold of him as he struggled to free himself from the black hedgehog's grasp, but to no avail.

Suffer through our disparity… The blue Mobian heard it talk, through his half closed eyelids he witnessed its mouth had remained closed – almost non-existent. That was the least of the blue hedgehog's concern.

His vision was fading away – feeling his pipes being crushed as it was squeezed through an iron grip. Soon, he was unable to feel his pain surging through his body as his mind finally gave up on him, consuming further into the abyss as his arms fell lifelessly onto his sides. He felt… Nothing.


"Sonic...?" A faint voice was heard throughout the bunker room. Nicole watched dreadfully as his friend was heavily sweating under the covers and stirring violently in his slumber. The holo-lynx frowned – ever since she materialized into the room, she had witnessed Sonic's abnormal condition in his sleep.

it was true that Nicole used to do some minor research about sleeping whenever time she may had – being a curious A.I she was. It explained to her that dreams and nightmares could reflect upon the being depending on their desires or fears; and is usually gone unnoticed in reality as there is no solid evidence to know when a person is dreaming.

But Nicole felt this was different. As she him stir violently in his sleep, his eyes squeezed shut and the increase in respiratory was noted.

She was about to reach out to him but quickly retracted when his eyelids shot open, finally hitting reality. She noticed his blood shot eyes, his body motion seem to be shaky as he attempted to snap out of his trance. Nicole stood their quietly, wanting to give him some time to acknowledge his surrounds before she spoke.

As Sonic caught his baring, he realized he wasn't alone in the room. He swiftly glanced to his right, seeing Nicole with a worriedly drawn expression as she was hunched over, holding her knees for balance; getting a good look at him.

"Oh… What's up, Nicole?" Sonic attempted with his trademark grin, but Nicole was unfazed by it as she still kept her worried face on. "Are you okay, Sonic?" She asked, her tone calm and sincere.

Sonic responded by switching his attention towards the ceiling, the adrenaline finally noticeable for the hedgehog as he felt his heart beat pumping. "Yeah, don't sweat it. Just a wacky dream…" He spoke, half-truth. Not wanting Nicole to worry about him.

But Nicole's frown only deepened, she walked closer to his bed before sitting on the side, her hands clasped together and resting on her lap. She looked down at her paws, her eyelids halfway closed as she spoke calmly. "Forgive me for intruding – as I was told to come get you. But your mind doesn't seem to be mentally stable while you were sleeping. This is something I'm concerned about." She informed the hedgehog, her look was plain, but her eyes revealed a small hint of worry.

The hedgehog placed his arms over his head as he looked at her. In somewhat way, Sonic knew that this was unlikely anything he had ever experienced before - constantly having the same dream that only gets worse throughout his days. But why was it happening? Who was that mysterious black hedgehog? It couldn't have been Shadow as he didn't remember that he would wear identical shoes and gloves.

But the pupils haunted his memory as he tried to revert from thinking too much about it - only wanting to forget all this bizarre nonsense. But he couldn't help but have an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach as if he encountered this… thing before. But somehow not as another individual...

Nicole watched him sternly as Sonic seemed to zone out from his thoughts like he tends to do. She realized that the times she spent with his presence he would tend to forget his surroundings and stare out into space. She somewhat found it humorous at times; not even if the world around them collapsed would he have time to notice.

Sonic was then out of his deep thoughts - interrupted from a certain Lynx in the room who attempted to suppress her laughter. The tension of the atmosphere seemed to die down as Sonic was distracted from his thoughts.

"What's so funny?" The blue hedgehog curiously frowned, but quickly formed into a smirk when she turned her head away from him shyly. He sometimes wondered how Nicole adapted to express emotions over these past few years. Since she is an intellectual machine.

But then again, she was no ordinary computer…

Maybe the event of Super Genesis Wave caused to readjust her software.

It was defiantly noticeable that she had been acting more organic-like. Almost as if she's starting to understand the basics of real emotions.

However, she can occasionally be out of place with herself time to time; reverting to a more logical thought - processing as a machine - rather than Mobian. But that's probably just a side effect of being an A.I.

"You still there?" Nicole saw Sonic zoning out again as she watched with amusement. It was ironic to say that she had to be patient around Sonic's odd behavior. But she doesn't mind his company, it was sort of a breath of fresh air being away from her duties and being in someone's presence that's always laid back.

Sonic finally got himself to sit up, shaking away his thought to the back of his mind as he wondered why he was woken up. "So I'm guessing you didn't just come here to be my personal wake-up call." He joked with his usual smirk.

Nicole didn't mention his change of topic, figuring that he wanted to skip her question so she wouldn't have to worry about what he was dreaming; nevertheless, she continued on with the duties at hand – thinking they had spent majority amount of time as it is. "The Sky Patrol will be arriving to its destination soon. Rotor wanted you to be prepared for departure." Nicole replied in her usual plain tone as she averted to a neutral expression.

Sonic yawned, taking the blanket off him as he sat on the bed; stretching out he arms to hear a faint click of his limbs before standing up and doing the same with his legs. "About time, I've been waiting for some outdoor refreshments." Sonic grunted, feeling his body tremble for not being able to run for the last few hours.

Nicole only nodded, forming a small smirk as she got up from the bed her ears folded backwards as she placed her hands behind her back. "I will see you in the flight deck, Sonic." The holo-lynx replied.

"Catch you later, Nicole." Sonic said as he walked away, giving her a thumbs up before she de-materialized from the room.

It's been a few years since the event of Super Genesis Wave caused a catastrophe to their world, Thanks to Dr. Eggman and his technology of monstrosity, he was able to take advantage of the seven Chaos Emeralds to bend the fabric of space and time, which caused their planet to split into a separate timeline, causing the memories of everyone to become erased and adjust to their newer timeline.

Fortunately, it was not all doom and gloom; the new timeline took massive effects such as Knothole never laying in waste from obliteration, though the Freedom Fighters HQ primarily sits within Mobotropolis as its one of their main bases of operations - aside from Sky Patrol.

Although, the Freedom Fighters did still have to deal with their main arch nemesis – Dr. Eggman. But Sonic didn't seem to mind so much - even considering Eggman's butt whopping as his regular hobby.

Though, Sonic's smirk turned into a frown as a thought hit him – since they were in new timeline, Nicole never begun the reconstruction of New Mobotropolis which was what caused it to become Nanite City. If they were to encounter assault within the city, they wouldn't be able to rely on nanites to repair Mobotropolis. On the other hand, the city wasn't as fragile as it used to be since Tails and Rotor dedicated their time to amend their defense systems.

Speaking of the holo-lynx, it was thanks to Nicole that everyone was able to regain their old memories, which is the reason the Freedom Fighters were fully aware about their old timeline they used to live through before Super Genesis occurred.

By the touch of Nicole's portable handheld device, she had managed to give off a sparkling touch and transfer all her saved data logs to anyone in flesh; sometimes having to be overwhelming as memories are flooded simultaneously into their minds. He remembered How Rotor, Antoine as well as Sally having to suffer the most through their experience. Though, it has been years since they lived their lives in there adjusted timeline, and everything seemed to be going their way.

Sonic realized he wasn't moving, being dazed in his own thoughts. He decided to shove them aside; focusing at the current situation at hand as we walked through the hallway to get to the flight deck.


Meanwhile Rotor was looking up on the status of the Sky Patrol; double checking the propulsion thrusters and engines to prevent any hiccups during their flight - it is up to him as captain to keep everything in an organizing fashion.

The Sky Patrol has originally been created to prove a point to Eggman's Death Egg and other of his hostile air vessels that was capable to handle anything the antagonist could throw them. And the outcome of it surprisingly showed good results as the last time Eggman caused an airship battle, the Sky Patrol managed to shred through Eggman's defenses with a breeze.

Although it did suffer major exterior damage which took some time to repair. But thanks to Nicole, she was able to upgrade some major flaws simply by connecting herself to the ship, rewriting and registering her programs, additionally installing her own superior version of an energy force field through the mixes of her energy manipulation, and the shield generator that was stolen from Eggman's Death Egg thanks to Sonic and Bunnie.

It was a beneficial result for Nicole as she able to use the ship's power to materialize and walk around anywhere on the vessel without having to worry about the distant limitations between herself and her handheld. In addition, she didn't even need to worry about the consumption of her power usage for her physical form.

Rotor finished doing the check-up, a satisfied smile forming upon his mouth that they were good until landing; even if there were some minor issues with the ship, the benefits still outweigh the costs.

He wasn't necessarily alone to do regular maintenance of the ship as he had Nicole with him for support, he did wish his co-creator - Tails – was be able to come along and help out with assistance; they did design the ship together, after all.

But duty calls back at Mobotropolis; and Tails had to stay behind to work on the City's shield power grid with a help of few of their trusty engineers.

With their current situation, the trio were on their way to Isolated Islands to meet up a Mobian called Dr. Ellidy. From what the holo-lynx had told him he was Nicole's creator.

Rotor faintly remembered Sally, Nicole, Tails and even Big were on a mission to aid the professor due to his distress signal that happened no longer than four years ago. The walrus never had the opportunity to greet him previously as he was looking after his ship that day.

Although today they weren't just coming over for Nicole's reunion. They were losing their fuel consumption of power rings to keep the Sky Patrol up and running; so Nicole had suggested for them to meet up with the professor as he happened to own his very own Ring of Lakes. She had already written down the coordinates of the island nearby, so Rotor had no objections to go visit.

Just the thought of meeting the person who was behind Nicole's artificial intelligence and life form intrigued the walrus. He always had wondered what kind of technology the professor was able to manifest with the potential of Power Rings.

Just then, Nicole transferred herself into the computer monitor within the flight deck room, causing a flicker within the largest screen as her face popped up, almost startling Rotor in the process.

"Sonic will be joining us shortly, Rotor." Nicole replied through the speakers.

"Thanks, Nicole" Rotor breathed out as he attempted to relax the tension in muscles. "I think I'd prefer you walking from the door entrance, next time." Rotor sat firmly in his seat with Nicole looking at him sheepishly through the monitor, causing him to chuckle.

"Hey, peeps!" Sonic set foot onto the deck, waving a hand to Rotor and Nicole to which she swiftly responded with a beaming smile and Rotor spinning around his seat as he greeted Sonic.

"Oh, hey Sonic. So you finally got your beauty rest?" He teased.

Sonic only huffed at his snarky comment. "Yeah, I guess. Though a morning jog wouldn't hurt right about now." He answered, walking up to Rotor who shook his head from his friend's lack of patience.

His lie didn't go unnoticed with Nicole. She understood that Sonic didn't want to tell Rotor the truth about his dilemma he had in the bunker room, but she still couldn't help to falter her smile. What chances would he tell it to any of his friends if he didn't want to share it with the holo-lynx in the first place?

Rotor again spoke in a rather calm, but cheerful tone. "Well, you don't have to wait any longer, we'll be arriving at Isolated Islands soon."

The blue blur's face changed to give Rotor a puzzled look. "I thought we were heading to Mobotropolis?"

The walrus hunched over in his seat, placing his arms over the dashboard. "Well, that was the original idea, but we had to change course of action. Nicole, what's the number on our fuel ring consumption?" He looked over at the computer screen.

"Fuel is at 4%, Rotor. We should be fully functioning for the next 8 hours."

Sonic's expression only deepened as he turned to Rotor with his arms crossed. "So that's not enough to get us back to Mobotrpolis?"

Rotor only shook his head from the question. He stared at the monitor as Nicole transitioned the screen to show off a diagram of the Sky Patrol with the fuel gauge on the side critically flashing red in warning.

"Not unless you're willing to wing it" Rotor sarcastically spoke, but he sighed disapprovingly when he noticed his broadly smile. "That's still a no, Sonic." He could hear the hedgehog groan behind his chair but Rotor merely ignored him - he was unwilling to take any chances of losing his precious vessel.

Sonic sighed as he leaned on Rotor's chair with his arm and crossed his legs. "whatever, as long as I get to run, I won't have a problem" He pouted.

Rotor responded with a light-heart chuckle at the comment before turning his attention to Nicole. "How much time have we got left until we dock, Nicole?"

"Estimation suggests we will make contact within 7 minutes." The holo-lynx informed.

Rotor nodded in acknowledgment. "Thanks." He then turned to Sonic whose mood seemed to take a turn as he sighed in relief - glad he didn't have to wait much longer than he anticipated.

Rotor studied his expressed look. "You ready to depart, then? I mean, we can always just stay inside and have a reasonable conversation." He joked, though he kept his face looking neutral to fool the blue hedgehog.

"Shut up, Rotor." Sonic rolled his eyes as he playfully pushed Rotor with his chair; the walrus couldn't help but laugh from the hedgehog's reaction. Nicole who was witnessing the whole scene couldn't help but smile at the two friends.


7 Minutes later…

The sun glistened throughout the morning sky of Mobious, shooting off its's rays of sunlight to reveal the colorfully bright terrain of mountains, exposing itself within the island; as if to present it with an optimist welcome for the trio. The Sky Patrol landed safely onto the ground, submerging the aircraft into the green sea of trees; making it a well thought out location to remain undetected.

Sonic was the first one out of the ship, stopping just outside of the aircraft's entrance as he took in his surroundings. He shut his eyes; inhaling a deep breath to take in the refreshing taste of air before exhaling; opening his vision to look around. The scenery was a nice refreshment from spending all day with technology.

He couldn't tease himself any longer as he took a step forward before dashing off into the hills without thought – He figured he could start his daily run first and catch up with his friends later

Rotor retrieved his backpack and momentarily left the ship with Nicole in her handheld form. "Alright, so Nicole has calculated the only sour-" He stopped in his track after he realize the hedgehog was nowhere to be found. Staring out into the distance - speechless - he spoke to the portable device in his grip. "Well… Looks like it's gonna be just the two of us two, Nicole."

The holo-lynx gave him an assuring smile. "I'm certain Sonic will be back when he's ready" Rotor only grunted in response, busy fiddling the panel on the side of the entrance of the ship.

'INITIATING LOCK-DOWN MODE' Rotor read, the words displaying on the panel as the door suddenly shut itself with security intact.

Not having to worry about intruders anymore, Rotor than walked away from the aircraft, as he set foot into the tropical jungle. "So how much further do we need to go to get to Ellidy's residents, Nicole?"

"Estimated travel suggest it will take approximately 23 minutes due North-West from your position." Nicole replied with a stern tone.

Rotor nodded as he held a worried thought. "I just hope Sonic will be able to find us in time."

Nicole's monitor flickered as she spoke "I think you worry yourself a bit too much, Rotor."

He sighed, Nicole proving her point that he was paranoid. "Yeah, I shouldn't have any doubts. This is Sonic we're talking about, after all." He dismissed his thoughts, as they proceeded down the jungle. Nicole didn't reply to Rotor, as she was looking through her files within the digital realm.

She was looking through the contents of her memories - Nicole couldn't help but think about what had happened over the years since their timeline rewrote, she had been pondering her thoughts more often than she admitted; and couldn't shake the feeling off of how she was activated in the first place, her memories seemed to conflict with her old ones. She knew Dr. Ellidy was her creator, however she could sense something stored deep in her hard drive that there were some things she couldn't fairly find out. Digging her files seemed to be worthless, as it didn't seem to appear in her memory bank.

She did manage to figure out that the events of the Super Genesis Wave drastically rewrote her; she was able to live with enhanced emotions, almost equivalent to how a usual Mobian could feel and think.

She still had few minor scenarios where she would revert to processing her thoughts through computer logic without a subconscious thought, but she still couldn't help but enjoy of what she always envied. It is probably the reason her bonding with the Freedom Fighters significantly increased - according to her charts.

It's only been a few years since the Super Genesis Wave occurred, Nicole roughly estimating to be four years since then.

She then encountered her pictures folder, opening it up; containing several JPEG files that she taken over the years to relieve her moments of what she treasured dearly.

As she scrolled through she encountered a picture of the Freedom Fighters, she tapped it as the picture went to full screen mode. Nicole's eyes lingered on each Mobian. It was a group photo that celebrated the victory of sealing Dark Gaia, foiling Eggman's plan to rule over Mobius. They were all huddled up together within the control room of Sky Patrol; revealing their joyful smiles, smirks and grins.

Antoine was on the left hand corner who stood boastfully besides Bunnie Rabbot. Their hands intertwined, evidencing of their relationship. They were still happily married to this day; which Nicole was grateful for them. The only times they don't see each other was when they were carrying out their duties at Castle Acorn, and at some occasion Sky Portal.

She then looked over at picture of Tails, who was side by side with Sonic; and Rotor being just behind the fox as he was half-distractedly eating a cake; luckily had managed to get a glance at the camera before taking a shot.

Tails and Rotor still held their duties within the heart of Mobotropolis after all these years - making sure everything was still maintained thoroughly to do whatever they can to keep the citizens safe. Their choice of similar career role had kept their friendship intact throughout the workplace.

Nicole then noticed Amy who had an appropriately timed jump. Being simultaneous of when the photo had been taken. She was in mid-air; just popping out behind Sonic with her hands over her head as she gestured a cheer.

In the present, the pink hedgehog had grown to a maturely young lady; still strong willed as she ever was, although her strong intentions for chasing Sonic around had died down over the years. In some occasions, she would attempt to grab Sonic's attention whenever possible. And from what Nicole had gathered with Sonic's attitude, he doesn't seem to mind her interactions anymore.

She then saw a familiar Echidna at the far right, he held a smug look and his arms crossed just besides Rotor.

With his current location he still remains with his duties as a guardian. His primarily objective to protect his home - Angel Island and keep the Master Emerald safe from harm.

She then couldn't help but see Big the Cat in the background, overwhelming the other Freedom Fighters with his large build. He looked clueless like always, holding up his fishing rod over his shoulder with Froggy sitting on his head, though there wasn't much Nicole knew about Big, she knows that he would still remain within Mystic Ruins, spending time with his usual hobby; fishing along with his smaller companion.

Then her attention rose over to the rabbit who seemed to hide behind Rotor with her Chao – Cheese – by her feet. Cream's innocent look holding her features, but somewhat looked worried as she peeked behind from behind Rotor's legs. Possibly weary of being blinded by the flash from the camera when the shot was taken.

Cream also joined the Freedom Fighters; a recruit still in training. She had grown with more understanding of responsibility over the years, but still has much to learn about what it takes to be a Freedom Fighter. Sally still wanted her behind the lines of battle, concerning for her safety as she would enlist Cream to carry out a few minor tasks with her line of work that didn't involve her being in danger.

That's when Nicole analysed the photo and found herself with Princess Sally. They were at the very front of the picture with their arms entangled as they both beamed a smile at the camera.

They had stayed close friends over the years, still remembering the time where Nicole first introduced herself as a lynx. She still had the memory played back of the time when Nicole requested the princess to watch the stars with her for the very first time, that's when she felt a spark in their friendship.

Then her minded wondered towards blue hedgehog who was the center of the photo…

He was right by Sally's side, they haven't held hands, or shown any physical interaction. Sonic only expressed his genuine grin as he ruffled Tail's hair while raising a thumbs up. Nicole analysed him closely.

Sonic and the Princess used to share a special bond together back in their previous timeline, even to go as far as to one day to have marriage involved. But nothing good can last forever - everything ended with suspense. Eggman turned Sally into a robot and the Freedom Fighters never seen her the same again. With no former leadership, everything went South for the Freedom Fighters. It really shattered Sonic's well-being, but he still held a strong heart, continuously fought for what he thinks is right, protecting his friends – even if he had to go against his loved ones.

As Nicole stared at the blue hedgehog – her eyes shimmered, the Holo-Lynx couldn't help but feel admired by Sonic's selfless and righteousness acts. He really was the hero of Mobius.

Although Sally was never roboticized in their new timeline, Sonic's heart still remained hollow.

Nicole could see in Sonic's body language that he still couldn't fully confront to Sally. His passed life must have left a scar to his mental state.

They did not feel the same love as they used to and only remained as good friends. With small occasions they would exchange their affection whenever present, but the outcome was no more than that.

Nicole looked between the two, before glancing at herself in the photo, then back at Sonic.

Between the lynx and the hedgehog, their friendship seemed to scale further. He randomly sparked an interest of Nicole's artificial intelligence; asking her all kinds of questions that relate to what she is, it was ironic to say the least as Sonic is usually known to have an attitude towards technology, but to Nicole it was different…

…She oddly felt flattered; not really expecting to get that sort of attention from anyone.

An unknowingly bright smile formed on her lips as it processed her thoughts.

Nicole felt her handheld device causing a slight static; feeling an overwhelming sense of emotion; a feeling that she wasn't really familiar with.

But it didn't go unnoticed within the real world. Rotor's attention was grabbed by the static from Nicole's handheld and he couldn't help but glance down to see Nicole through the screen. "Erm… is there something wrong, Nicole?" He asked with a bemused tone.

"I… Nothing, Rotor. There must have been a minor glitch that was interfering with my software. But everything seems to be normal now." The holo-lynx falsely claimed, hoping Rotor would think none of it.

It seemed to work to Nicole's advantage as the walrus decided to concern this matter some other time; he averted his eyes to the building that peeked through the surroundings of the jungle. He could faintly make out the solar panels installed on the roof. Assuming this was their destination, Rotor continued following along the path to take a closer inspection.


A blue flash crossed its way through the tropics of the jungle, Sonic held his determined smirk; feeling the breeze brushing alongside his fur as he effortlessly spun, somersaulted, and dodged every obstacle he came across. He never wanted to stop doing what he does best, his reality gone with mere seconds; his surroundings fading into a blur at his velocity.

He then jumped out of the deep jungle, making contact with a grassy field, he was clear from any trees in the way; deciding to take this opportunity close his eyes and relax as he allowed his feet to guide him.

The moment his eyes opened, he caught a glimpse of a black dot, seemingly standing out from his view. He attempted to zoom passed it but was met with a strange unwelcoming intent as he got closer. As he got a better view, his eyes grew wide in terror as he found himself locking his eyes to the black hedgehog that he could only register from his dreams. The world around him suddenly turned to a different direction; time slowed down as they exchanged glances. The lifeless form of his shell staring right back at the blue hedgehog. Twisting its neck as Sonic passed by.

With a blink of his eyes the black hedgehog vanished from sight. Sonic looked over his shoulder as there was no evidence it was there. Time returned back to its original speed but the hedgehog was too much in thought to even process it as he tripped over a root, he's body flung airborne before tumbling down a hill, landing face first as he skidded under the dirt before rolling to a stop.

He groaned as he laid on his side, trying to take a moment to recover from his fall before turning over to his back. He felt his whole body ache from the impact. But his mind wondered back at the dark life form from moments ago.

"Well, l-looks like something's defiantly not right… As if I had any doubts before." Sonic choked. He managed to sit up, wincing from the pain that surged through his body from every motion he made.

What just happened? Was that his mind playing tricks on him? His mind growing frustrated as he was unable to get answers. He sighed, as he looked back at where he landed, seeing the large skid mark he just happened to make on the ground.

That's when noticed it was visibly hard to see. Looking up at the sky, he realized that the sun was about to go under the horizon.

"Guess it's time for a trip back home, shouldn't keep Nicole and Rotor waiting." He told himself, getting the motives to finally get up as he placed his arms behind his back and stretched, before warming up his hands and legs, but not after getting another wince from the pain of doing exercises.

As he started to run back the opposite direction, he couldn't help but think about what would he do if his hallucination starts to get out of hand…


Rotor managed to find a pathway leading straight to Dr. Ellidy's residents. But what he encountered surprised the walrus. He witnessed Badniks patrolling just outside the front yard of the house. Mentally cursing himself, he jumped behind a tree, cautiously peeking behind it.

"What on Mobius is Eggman's Badniks doing here?" He questioned himself. Worried about Dr. Ellidy's safety as they seem to roam around his house.

"It's fine, Rotor." Nicole was monitoring the scenario before them. She materialized beside Rotor, walking out of cover as she gestured for Rotor to do the same. "Dr. Ellidy managed to reprogram the remaining robots into his assistance, they are nothing more than just house sitters." She said reassuringly, walking up to one of the robots and evidently showed him that they were not hostile as the machines continued to proceed with their choirs; taking no mind of Nicole's presence.

It was enough to convince Rotor as he emerges from the tree, but not without some hesitance before catching up with the holo-lynx. He still couldn't help but watch cautiously at the Badniks around them. "I still don't like this…"

The holo-lynx attempted to further convince Rotor. "Eggman visited this Island some time ago for his own research. There was a loophole in his plans, so he essentially left; leaving his machines behind. But Dr. Ellidy made a few configurations, so they are essentially harmless." She finished as Rotor thoroughly listened.

They walked up onto the step entrance before knocking at the door and waited patiently until they heard faint footsteps coming from the other side. A short moment later the door slowly opened, revealing an elderly looking lynx with a purple lab coat and fancy googles resting over his head. He narrowed his eyes until his eyes caught attention of Nicole; his expression quickly softened, but held surprised from the sudden encounter of his own designed daughter.

"Nicole!" The lynx replied, his frown turning into a grateful smile. "It's such a pleasure seeing you again."

Nicole crossed her arms as she smiled warmly. "It's been a while, Doctor. May we come in?"

"We?" The doctor arched an eyebrow. That's when he noticed Rotor from behind her, his eyes showed a hint of bewilderment, thinking how on Mobius he couldn't notice him earlier due to his large build. But he simply shook his thoughts away as he chuckled. "Of course, please come in, I assume it's only you two that came to visit?"

Nicole shook his head "We are still waiting on Sonic, but he will be here soon." Nicole told the Doctor, Rotor couldn't help but stare as he was feeling fascinated to see Nicole's creator in the flesh.

Nicole's father arched an eyebrow. "The Sonic the Hedgehog? That sounds like you have great business being here." He replied with an intrigued tone. "I'll leave the door open in preparation for his arrival."

Rotor decided to an opportunity to introduce himself, walking up to the professor. "It's a pleasure making your acquaintance, Dr. Ellidy. The name's Rotor - one of Freedom Fighter's most reliable technician and inventor, as well as a good friend with Nicole." He held up a flipper, before making contact with the Doctor's paw as they shook arms.

The doctor smirked under his mustache-like fur. "It's good to see one of Nicole's friends in person. Please, make yourself at home, we can discuss about your visit within the living room."

Rotor nodded; walking into the living room and finding the closest sofa to slouch on. He sighed in relief coming in contact with the furniture - his legs finally taking some break after walking for so long.

Moments later, they were all within the living room - aside from Sonic - who was still doing his evening jogging. Rotor and the doctor sat on their own separate sofa while Nicole sat by the extended couch on the other side of the coffee table.

The doctor spoke up first, taking a sip from his coffee that he made for Rotor and himself; it was unnecessary for Nicole, as being an A.I had its perks. "I'm surprised you haven't called to tell me you were coming for a visit. Must be something urgent." He looked at them both, clasping his cup with both hands.

Nicole was the first to speak while Rotor was drinking his beverage. "You could say that. We were coming back from Westside Islands for a mission requested by Princess Sally. But heading back to Mobotropolis proved to be inconvenient as we were running out fueling material for the Sky Patrol."

Dr. Ellidy stopped sipping his tea, glancing at Nicole with a questioning look. "Sky Patrol?"

Rotor then decided to join in the conversation, grabbing both the lynx's attention "Another of the Freedom Fighters base of operations aircraft, invented by yours truly – It runs with power rings." He spoke with a proud tone. Gesturing a flipper at himself.

The doctor glanced at Rotor, rubbing his chin thoroughly. "That sounds impressive, Rotor. sounds like a good example to prove any threat of your arsenal." He finished the last scraps of his coffee before placing it on the table. "Aside from that note, I will be delighted to give you two access to my Ring of Lakes, the island has been mostly peaceful for the couple of years now, so you shouldn't have a problem getting there." The elderly lynx agreed.

"What's up, guys?" A voice was heard from the entrance of the living room, Dr. Ellidy was almost startled, completely forgetting about leaving his door open, Rotor was also surprised as he was too busy finishing of his coffee. Nicole on the other hand smiled cheerfully, glad to see Sonic. But her smiled took a turn when she noticed something was off with the hedgehog. His appearance looked rough and his quills was covered with dirt, but somehow blended into his fur, probably smudged purposely in an attempt to hide away his condition.

Sonic revealed his grin, waving a hand at the group before pointing with his thumb at the entrance of the house. "I dunno if I'm losing it, but there's a Badnik watering the plants right now."

Dr. Ellidy – who eventually recovered from his shock – realized what he was talking about and gave a small chuckle. "Not to worry, they work for me. And you must be Sonic the Hedgehog."

Sonic nodded, walking into the living room, he held an arm out to properly greet him. "Yep, and you must be… Um…" The hedgehog scratched the tip of his ear; never seeing this Mobian before, but couldn't help but notice the resemblance between him and Nicole.

"My apologies, I should have introduced myself, I'm Dr. Ellidy. Nicole's creator." The male lynx replied, grabbing Sonic's hand and shaking it.

Sonic's eyes went wide; realizing he was finally meeting the professor face to face. "You're the one who designed Nicole?" The elderly lynx nodded, retracting their hands back to their sides.

"It's good to finally meet the guy. I'm not much of a tech expert, but If there was any kind of technology I'd appreciate, it would be Nicole." Sonic replied with a genuine smile. The doctor couldn't help but let out a warm chuckle at Sonic's bold statement.

Nicole couldn't help but hide from Sonic's compliment; lowering her head and looking away as she wrapped her arms around herself – she was speechless that Sonic would think of her like that. But decided not to say anything.

Rotor and the doctor could have sworn they saw Nicole's form stutter - it was too fast to notice however - as they blankly stared in confusion. Sonic was oblivious as he took a spot by Nicole on the extended sofa. The doctor decided to focus at the task at hand, assuming his mind playing tricks on him. He sat back in his arm chair.

"As I was telling your friends here, Sonic." The doctor cleared his throat. "I will gladly help with your issue regarding about your vessel. I only owe Nicole that much after she assisted me from escaping the Digitized World years ago."

Nicole frowned, looking up at her father as she unwrapped herself. "You don't have to owe me anything, Doctor."

"But it's true, you not only saved me, but had saved your Freedom Fighter friends when Phage invaded my computer systems." The doctor tried to retort.

"Still…" Her ears lowered as she looked on the floor. There was a pause of silence within the room, until Sonic took over.

"I'm… Sorry for interrupting, but aren't you guys family? You shouldn't expect anything in return after helping out a family member out."

The elderly lynx couldn't help but think that Sonic's statement was absolutely relevant; causing the professor to bring up a genuine smile. Looking up at Nicole, he saw her do the same.

"I suppose that either way, you're right, Sonic." The doctor replied.

He then remembered something that he wanted to show Nicole. Getting up from his chair, he looked over at the Freedom Fighters. "Before you all leave to grab the rings, there is something I would like to show you all. Although, you may be already familiar with this." He gestured for everyone to follow which they all obliged, getting up and walking to another room of the house.

Sonic whistled while Rotor stared in awe as they were guided to Dr. Ellidy's research laboratory, not expecting this kind of room from a usual house. Nicole remained neutral as she was already aware of the laboratory from her previous visit.

Rotor couldn't help but observe every piece of technology and device as they had their own input slots for Power Rings; it almost stunned Rotor with curiosity - being a full time technician/inventor himself.

"It looks like you've been busy, Doctor." Nicole replied, as she couldn't tell apart from his inventions.

"Did you design all these?" Sonic questioned.

The doctor simply nodded, turning around and witnessing the walrus gawking at his items, giving the professor a light-heart chuckle. "Wait until you see this." The doctor then faced his desk, looking over something laying upon the surface. It was brightly colored red; having a thick outline with a shape of a star in the middle. The old lynx grabbed it before displaying it to the Freedom Fighters. "Nicole, do you remember this?"

Nicole watched in awe, she vaguely remembers the held object. It was a rare occasion they would encounter it again. "That's… A Red Star Ring."

"Precisely" The doctor beamed. "I found this many years ago after you left my home, it was stranded within the deepest part of the lake, luckily I managed to get one of my drones to fetch it for me. I made sure to keep it safe in case you would ever return, Nicole." He replied, he's face stern and un-moving; showing that he was deeply serious about giving one of his most successful research.

Nicole frowned, feeling skeptic as she crossed her arms. "I… I don't know, Doctor. There is just no intention for me to ever need to use it anymore."

Rotor looked thoroughly at the ring, he faintly remembered Nicole using the ring when Phage interfered with Sky Patrol's control systems; but never understood in what way did it affect Nicole other than making her super-powered. But nevertheless, he was still familiar with its content. Sonic however, was dumbstruck, he only seen it connected it to Nicole's handheld device once, but that was pretty much it; needless to say that happened years ago - he interrupted the two lynx's, furrowing his eyebrows in frustration as he was lost through the conversation. "Hey guys, don't leave me hanging; what exactly does the 'Red Star Ring' do?"

The doctor sweated, looking at Sonic sheepishly as he rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Oh that's right. I guess I should start explaining" He cleared his throat before he continued "This Red Star Ring holds the equivalent properties of a regular power ring, however they are powered up by Chaos Emeralds and transform into something like this." He gestured at the Red Star Ring with his hand while holding it tightly in his grip.

Rotor nodded in agreement. "Don't you remember, Sonic? We used to have a spare, but Nicole had to use it as last resort to go against Phage." The walrus looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his arms crossed accusingly.

"Who now?" Sonic looked confused.

"Phage… You know, the virus that managed to hack our systems and took over Sky Patrol?" He reminded him.

"I never heard of him."

"It's a 'her'."

"You get the point." Sonic huffed, crossing his arms.

The walrus sighed. "Don't you ever listen to Sally's briefing?"

"What do you think?" Sonic answered his question by revealing his usual grin while shrugging his shoulders, which only made Rotor face palm from Sonic's lack of attention. Nicole managed to cover her mouth from laughing – It's just Sonic being his usual self.

Dr. Ellidy let out a fake cough, getting everyone's attention once again. "Now, as I was saying, this is capable of boosting devices that are usually powered up with power rings. This also includes Nicole, as she becomes Overclocked. In relation to herself, she is able to act like super anti-virus software as she's capable to eradicate any intruders and upgrade systems to their very limit."

Rotor narrowed his eyes in thought as he understood. "So… In comparison, it's like Sonic gaining the seven Chaos Emeralds to become Super Sonic in the real world. But in Nicole's digitized world, she could gain the powers of the Red Star Ring and turn herself into Overclocked Nicole..."

Nicole processed that theory - in a way it did made some sense. "I guess you could analyse it like that, Rotor."

Sonic whistled, impressed with the holo-lynx. "Whoa, that's actually pretty neat, Nicole." He was completely taken back from how much potential the lynx had.

Nicole turned away, feeling a little shy as she seemed to be on the spot yet again. "It's really nothing to think about."

Again, they realized they were going off topic as they suddenly looked back at Dr. Ellidy, who had to cough yet again to get their attention. "Anyway, Nicole. I'm sure this ring could prove to be useful for the Freedom Fighters, if you ever get into trouble."

She Looked at the doctor, still looking unsure. She was never made to fight. But to be fair, it did prove to be useful when encountering Phage; who's to say that she won't come back to rewrite her system again? Then she glanced over to Sonic, who was still patiently waiting for Nicole's answer. He exchanged a soft look towards her. As if to tell her that he wouldn't mind what she chooses; he would still respect her decision regardless.

"I guess it would be essential to keep one in case of… unusual circumstances…" The holo-lynx made up her mind. She took the red ring out of her father's hands and looked at it thoughtfully, reflecting upon her decision.

Dr. Ellidy beamed at Nicole, his eyes revealing a wide range of hope "Excellent!" He exclaimed. "Now that's settled, I'll let you all be on your way and get the power rings you need for your airship, just follow down the path from the house and keep going forward until you see the lake." He smiled at the trio.

Rotor then spoke up. "You guys go ahead, I'm eager to study more about 's research. If that's alright with you, Doctor." Rotor anxiously spoke, turning his attention to the old lynx. He admired his inventions and was eager to learn more about his teachings.

Dr. Ellidy was surprised by Rotor's request, nevertheless he accepted. "Very well, Rotor. Just try and keep up with my presentation. Though, I'll admit I never did teach before." Nicole's father chuckled as he placed a paw on the walrus' shoulder.

Sonic exchanged an odd look with Nicole before shrugging. Then Rotor walked up to the two, handing him his backpack. "Make sure you take this, there's a capsule inside for storing the power rings; just helps with the heavy lifting, you know?"

Sonic nodded, taking the bag as he wrapped a strap over his shoulder. "Thanks Rotor, guess it's time depart. Nicole, you up for a ride?" He walked up to her. The holo-lynx only nodded eagerly as she made her physical appearance fade into digital particles before transferring herself into her handheld.

"Ready when you are, Sonic." Nicole responded through the speakers. Sonic grabbed onto her portable device then walked to the exit as he glanced over his shoulder; waving his arm at the professor and Rotor.

"See you guys in a bit!" With that said, he dashed from the house and out of the house entrance, his grip tightly securing Nicole's handheld form.

Sonic noticed that it was already late evening as an luminous night sky took place, followed closely by the moon peeking at the horizon.

The blue hedgehog rushed down the walkway before hitting along the path that the professor mentioned. He tightly held Nicole in his grip and carefully ran passed obstacles with ease. His vision was limited as the only source of light was the dazzling glow of the moon.

Nicole took her opportunity to speak with what was bothering her. "There's something strange going on with you, Sonic." She spoke in a calm tone.

"I dunno what you're talking about." Sonic attempted his bluff, focusing his eyes on the narrow pathway.

Nicole frowned, his lie only made it more noticeable that he was hiding something. "You may have fooled Rotor, but I'm a super intellectual life processing unit. My calculations could tell me you're a terrible liar. It's evident in your appearance." The holo-lynx smirked.

Sonic huffed at her, and rolled his eyes in defeat that he was unable to win over someone who's smarter than him. "Alright, you got me. My head has been all over the place lately." As it was a clear road ahead, he glanced down at the monitor revealing Nicole's smiling in triumphant.

Before she was able to question him, they reached their destination. Sonic skidded to a halt as he kicked chunks of sand into the air. He laid his eyes at the scenery, enjoying the view as he walked for a closer look at the lake. Nicole emerged from her device as she appeared back into her lynx appearance. Walking closely to Sonic as they headed to the worn out wooden dock.

"I could defiantly get used to this." Sonic replied cheerfully, placing an arm on his hip as he looked around, eventually spotting a few power rings that submerged from the depths of the lake.

"I would suggest using the bag for assistance." Nicole informed the blue hedgehog, gesturing at Rotor's backpack on Sonic.

The blue blur was reminded about the backpack, he gave Nicole her handheld and took the bag off his shoulders, opening the flap and rummaging through until he felt an object. Grabbing it and taking out revealed a small transparent sphere-like capsule that was no bigger than his palm.

"Would be nice if this came with its own manual - how do you work this thing?" Sonic was baffled, looking at the odd object as he toyed with it, trying to get any sort of reaction.

"If I may…?" Nicole gestured Sonic to lend the device, to which he swiftly obliged – growing frustrated by his failed attempts.

The holo-lynx took the capsule from his grasp; her eyes narrowed as she analysed it in her palm. She than placed it on the floor and waited a few moments, before Sonic could question her methods the capsule 'clicked' and begun to expand until it grew triple its size. Almost being as tall as Nicole.

Sonic stared at it, dumbfounded. "Oh right… I knew that." He sheepishly spoke, rubbing his head awkwardly.

A smile formed on Nicole; she was always amused at Sonic's attempts to work out the simplest devices.

"Maybe in return, you can tell me what's messing with your head." Nicole held her hands behind her back and watched Sonic with a sly look, her ears perked in curiosity.

Sonic grew agitated, unsure how to respond as he looked around to give him something to think about. "I'll give it some thought. Right now, we should start grabbing these." Not giving Nicole a chance to retort, he sped across the water, retrieving the power rings along the way. Nicole stared at him, sighing as he zig-zagged across the lake.

She understood that she was pestering him to open up a little. But she felt it would be wise if he was to let his friends know what was causing him trouble. After she saw how sonic behaved in his sleep and seeing his rough state of condition, she came to a conclusion there was something more going on than she was aware of.

Sonic flopped onto the sand, crossing his arms to the back of his head while his eyes closed. It had been roughly twenty minutes since he began collecting the power rings and managed to fill up the capsule to the fullest. Right now, he took this opportunity to relax before they would start making their way back to the professor's house. Nicole was calculating how much rings Sonic managed to grab; if it would last long enough for Sky Patrol.

Once she was done, she clicked on the capsule, which responded with another 'click' before returning to its original size, the rings inside shrunk inside the container which surprised the lynx as she was able to hold on to numerous rings with just a palm of her hand – she now understood what Rotor meant in 'easy heavy lifting'.

She then made her way over to Sonic. Placing the capsule in the bag. "Impressive, you managed to collect enough rings to keep the Sky Patrol running for approximately two weeks." Nicole replied, her tone showing a hint of astonishment.

"I never cease to amaze." Sonic replied, a cocky smirk forming on his lips with his eyes still shut.

Nicole only smiled from his laid back attitude. She sat on the sand beside him, placing her handheld onto the sand as she watched the dark blue sky gleaming with stars that invaded its atmosphere.

Just being here in the moment reminded of the time where she first introduced herself to the Princess.

"Sally and I used to star gaze back in Mobotropolis…" Nicole spoke out her thoughts. Getting Sonic's attention as his ear flickered. He continued to listen, his eyes slowly opening as he followed Nicole's gaze towards the sky.

"It was the very first time being outside from my handheld. So she didn't recognize me until I told her I was Nicole." The holo-lynx wrapped her arms around her knees while Sonic had a neutral look. Nicole knew from his silence that he was listening – so she continued.

"I told Sally I wanted to see the stars. To truly feel the experience of being alive. I remember how my hard drive couldn't process the overhaul of emotions I felt that day - it was too overwhelming. But I enjoyed every moment of it… Unfortunately, it wouldn't last long, as the power to project my physical appearance drained me; I was forced to go into my handheld. That was when I didn't have a Power Ring connected to prolong the time for my hologram…" Nicole sighed, forming a frown. "I do wish I could explore more of what it means to be alive. But I'm never given the opportunity to try it out."

Sonic thoroughly focused on her tone, he wondered what had caused Nicole to pour out her feelings to him - it was a rare occasion people would get to witness this side of the lynx. Nevertheless, Sonic understood her issue, since the Freedom Fighters relied her assistance through technology, she rarely had spare time to do what she desired. And it did dawn to Sonic that being carefree as he is, he usually had most free time to do what he pleases.

This gave the hedgehog something to think about as they both sat there silently watching the stars. Nicole's attention picked up again as she witnessed Sonic getting up from his spot.

"Sonic…?" Nicole stared at him in confusion. The blue hedgehog had his arms on his hips as he looked up at the moon.

"You know. If I'm ever feeling down, I always go for a run. Having the wind in my face helps to clear up my head." He then turned his gaze to Nicole, who was still looking at him curiously. "So what do you say?" He cheerfully smiled, extending a hand out to her. Nicole looked at him, her mouth slightly parted from her lips; surprised from the hedgehog's offer. She was hesitant, but her eyes took over as she starred deep into his emerald green eyes – revealing his understanding and compassion.

"Y-yes… I would like that." The lynx responded. She reached Sonic's hand and was pulled up from the floor. Sonic took her handheld and placed in his bag before putting the sack over his shoulders. Without warning, he swept Nicole off her feet causing her to yelp in surprise.

Her eyes widened as she realized that Sonic was holding her in his arms; she couldn't help but feel woozy, having to be in a close proximity with the hedgehog. She had an unfamiliar but exceptionally warm feeling in her chest as she held her arms tightly around his neck.

"You ready?" He formed a smirk, looking down at Nicole who attempted to shyly hide away from his gaze.

"Yes, Sonic." She replied, holding a firm tone as she attempted to act confident.

"Alright, hold on tight." Sonic then begun his walk, which soon turned into a jog before he was ready to sprint; giving some time for Nicole to adjust his speed. He headed deep into the jungle, picking up his paste as he avoided obstacles in his way.

Nicole felt her body grow stiff; squeezing her eyes shut as she her adrenaline skyrocketed. She felt the sudden impact of the breeze blowing through her fur; attempting to soothe her. An unknowing smile widely curved across her lips - this was a whole new level of experience than having Sonic carrying her as a handheld. She was able to feel without limits, her emotions getting the best of her as it overwhelmed her being. She took the opportunity to embrace it; wanting it to last.

She couldn't necessarily comprehend her state of mind other than having positive impact. She dared to take a peak, opening her eyes slowly as she glanced up at the blue hedgehog who was holding her tightly. A fuzzy sensation erupting within her chest as she couldn't look away from his emerald eyes, who was unaware of her gaze as Sonic was too busy focusing on the path ahead.

Nicole thought about why Sonic was willing to share this experience with her. She was aware that within circumstance, the blue blur would be willing to do the same for his friends, specially Sally. But it usually was nothing more than getting somewhere from point A to point B.

This time however, Sonic did this because he wanted to. The hedgehog had offered to show her how it's like to run in his shoes, to share a precious moment of forgetting the worst of your problems from having the welcoming breeze in your face.

She left her thoughts lingering about the situation; slowly feeling some sort of connection towards the blue hedgehog the more she thought about it.

Him carrying her in his arms, safely securing her being. The physical contact between their furs made her Hologram almost stutter. Sharing the personal experience together made her realize that he actually cared about her. All her endearment passion was because of the hedgehog. And that's when it dawned to her…

The holo-lynx felt an emotional attraction towards the blue hedgehog…

And in response to that, she embraced it. Nicole's eyes softened into tenderness, her smile never leaving her lips as she nuzzled against Sonic's chest. Holding him tightly as her eyes slowly closed. Enjoying the transfer of his warmth. This feeling… This is what must be like to have an affection for someone.

Sonic was right; having the wind against your face really does clear your mind. But having to share it with the blue blur, it was replaced with an indescribable feeling.

The hero felt a tug of his neck, glancing down for a brief second he noticed that Nicole was snuggling against his fur, her smile faintly noticeable. He didn't question it however as he only had guessed she was enjoying her moment.

But Sonic was only half aware of it. Not realizing just how their fair share of this moment had made a difference to the lynx.


So… I might of went slightly overboard with the word limit, as I was supposed to stop somewhere roughly at 5,000 words, but ended up being over 10,000. I had too much fun writing this story and wanted it to have an appropriate ending between Sonic and Nicole – so I'll just fit it all in one big chapter.

Thank you so much for reading. ^^ Please review and let me know your thoughts and opinions.