AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow! Did you think I was gone? I'm not. I hope you enjoy this story!

— — — — —

Sonic woke up and looked at the clock. "7:00," said the clock. Sonic closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

—

Somewhere between sleep and wake, Sonic fidgeted restlessly, tangled in his blankets.

I wonder what the boys are up to. Tails, Knuckle, Espio… even Shadow. I miss those guys. After high school, the gang went their separate ways. Tails, still smart as ever, moved to Hyderabad to work on technologies and develop a cure for metastatic testicular exacancer, or ball disease, as Sonic once knew it. He wanted to stop the disease before it could come back in the distant future, and he figured curing would stop it. Sonic and Tails stayed in touch, but Sonic could sense Tails's distance. Tails had used his bulging intelligence to invent Skype 2, so they were able to project holograms of each other into each other's homes like they were really there, but Tails always seemed so stressed. He had bags under his eyes and stubbles on his chin. He smiled, but the smile always faded too fast. Sonic could tell there were more important things to Tails now than spending time with Sonic. Sonic thought that was bullshit, but he accepted it, because it was for a good cause.

Knuckles, who was now six years old, was living with his son and brother, Knuckles Jr., and his mother, Rouge, who was also the mother of Knuckles Jr by way of Knuckles. After graduating High School with the aidance of his friends, Knuckles moved away and attended college at the age of 2. Separated from his friends, he was unable to keep up with the work on account of he was a toddler, and the Dean of All Students sent him back to be re-enrolled in preschool, which for Knuckles felt like landing on the chute right near the end of Chutes and Ladders that takes you all the god damn way back to the beginning. So Knuckles was now in First Grade. Rouge and Knuckles Jr had moved out to the college to live with Knuckles because they figured he would not be able to find his way home by himself because he was only two years old.

Espio played truant from his one-time sexual relationship with Rouge and moved into an apartment with Silver, with whom he was now in a fulfilling and succulent gay relationship. Espio, ever the chameleon, has been making a living managing his tartrazine-sensitive food blog, which he created after discovering his debilitating allergy while eating a marzipan facsimile of Cream's head at her belated quinceañera, from which he was saved by Silver, who used his psychokinetic powers to remove the offending bolus from Espio's swollen esophagus. Silver then did the CPR kiss on Espio, which instantly gave Espio a turgid erection and made him realize that he was attracted to Silver.

Shadow… just kind of disappeared. After the high school graduation process, Sonic saw Shadow get into his car. Shadow looked back at him, closed the curtain, and drove off. That was the last time Sonic ever saw Shadow. Sonic looked at Shadow's number in his phone sometimes and wondered about what he could be up to. Sometimes he listened to police blotters sometimes in hopes he would hear something about a black hedgehog shooting someone, but he never did.

Sonic, blinking himself fully awake, rolled over and looked at the picture in the little pink frame on his bedside table. Amy…

It had been a month since Amy passed. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy… damn you. The bed was too big now; it no longer smelled of her feminine musk. It didn't feel like home to Sonic anymore.

And it still replayed in his head all the time, in flashes and echoes.

… Doctor, please! There has to be something you can do! …

… No, she'd never give up. I can't give up on her! …

… I can't! No, I won't do it! And I won't let you either! …

It tortured him. He didn't want to remember Amy like that. He wanted to remember the woman he loved.

"Good morning, sir," said a robotic voice from the doorway. That voice belonged to Omochao. "Your mail is here." Omochao flew over to the bed and dropped a stack of letters onto Sonic's long, taut body.

"Thanks Omie, at least I've still got you," said Sonic to Omochao, rubbing his eyes.

"Actually, about that. I'm quitting," said Omochao in an emotionless voice.

"What? What do you mean?" said Sonic, asking. But it was too late. Sonic already heard the door close. Because Omochao left and now he didn't have a butler.

"Fuck," said Sonic. "Now I really am all alone." Sonic pushed the stack of mail off his body and rolled out of bed. White socks, red shoes, white gloves. Sonic sat on his bed and pulled on the same outfit he did every other day. He glanced over at the long walk-in closet, where Amy's clothes still hung. I miss her. He looked at her earrings. I miss her smile. He looked at her slack red dresses. I miss the feeling of her body. He looked at her shoes. God, do I miss the soaring arches of her feet. He felt a small surge of invigoration and walked over to her shoes. He caressed the soft suede interior and then took a hopeful huff. They hardly smell like her anymore… It's not fair. I'm not ready yet.

—

Sonic stared at the floor for seventy minutes.

—

Sonic finished up his breakfast. Omochao had left him a courtesy meal before bouncing from the joint, but it was just a bowl of cereal. It had already gone soggy by the time Sonic found it, but he ate it since it was in front of him. Sonic found himself confused, not knowing what to do with the empty bowl. What did Omie do with the bowls? Shit. Sonic had never taken care of himself. Sonic's mom, Amy, Omochao… there was always someone else supporting him while he took the starring role, but now, on his own, he felt lost.

Guess I can just buy a new one. Bowl in hand, Sonic went outside and to the curb. He saw his neighbor, Tracer, grabbing the morning paper.

"Oy, Sonic the 'edge'og! Top o' the mornin' to ya, laddie!" barked Tracer in her cheery British voice. Sonic didn't hate Tracer, no. She was nice, she was pretty, she represented Lesbians, but… she was fast. And he couldn't help but feel… she was everything Sonic was.

Everything Sonic was.

She was nice… and fast. She was beautiful… and fast. She was a gay icon… and fast. And oodles more successful than Sonic these days.

"Morning, Tracy," said Sonic. "Pretty wild party last night, huh?" Her house had been booming late into the night while Sonic tossed in turned and his bed.

"Blimey, it was, it was! Just 'ad a couple o' the girlies ovah furra fun noight in! Whoo, Oy'm still knackered!" Tracer dropped a plump bag in the garbage can at her curb.

"Ah, well… glad you gals had fun," said Sonic. "Hey, uh, tell your friend I said… '예쁘기만 하고 매력은 없는.'" Sonic mustered up a little wink, and then realized he was still holding the empty bowl. He dropped it in the trash can.

"Throwin' away a whole bowl, are ya, Sonic? 'opped off the trolley, did ya?" Tracer looked at him with confusion for a long moment. "Oy, oy'm just takin' the piss. Oy'll let 'er know. Catch ya latah!" Tracer put the lid back on the garbage can and recalled into her manison.

Sonic's face was red with embarrassment. He couldn't get back into his house fast enough.

Sonic returned to the pile of mail, now on the kitchen counter. "Fanmail… fanmail… fanmail… credit card offer… mo-what? Movie deal?" said Sonic, balinking at the shining golden envelope. He tore the letter open.

Dear Sonic the Hedgehog, we are delighted to inform you that we are beginning production of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie… Sonic read the rest of the letter that said when and where to be at and how much money he was going to get.

"I'm… I'm going to be a movie star!" said Sonic, throwing his hands and the letter in the air. "Wait until Amy hears! …Oh, right…" said Sonic, already putting a damper in his pampers. Still, it was something to do.

—

Sonic stepped out of his Sonic Uber and into the movie studio. "I'm here!" said Sonic, taking off his sunglasses and smiling at the big-titted sexy goddess receptionist seated at the reception desk.

"Hello, sir," said the receptionist at the reception desk. "Last name?"

"Sonic the Hedgehog!" said Sonic, winking. "The one and only!"

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Sonic the Hedgehog. Please take a seat." Sonic laughed and turned around to see the boring ass waiting room he was in. There were lots of plain looking chairs and a little table with some magazines with celebrities on them. Just then, the door by the receptionist at the reception desk opened.

A man in a white suit with slick back hair walked in. "Sonic, my man!" said the man, opening his hands up, like for a hug, then actually went in for a rowdy handshake with Sonic. "Such a big fan! Such a big fan. What an honor. Incredible." The man let go of Sonic's hand and looked him up and down, smiling while chewing gum. He clapped Sonic on the shoulder. "Clit Simpson. Executive director of Sonic the Hedgehog. So glad you could make it." He was still smiling really big, and staring at Sonic with very open eyes.

Sonic laughed nervously, surprised by Clit's forwardness. "Thanks!"

Clit slapped Sonic's back. "Come with me. We're all ready for you on set." Sonic snuck in one more wink at the receptionist at the reception desk as he was ushed out of the waiting room by Clit. They walked down the halls of the studio, and Clit kept talking. "Man, my kids have been houndin' me all week, 'When are you gonna see Sonic?' 'When is Sonic coming?' It's cute. Cute kids. Get their looks from their old man. Didn't tell 'em you were comin' today. You'll have to sign something for 'em. You don't charge, do ya? Ha-ha, I'm pullin' your leg. Those are some good-lookin' legs, too. You been workin' out? It shows. Wish I had time for the gym." Sonic could hardly get a word in edgewise.

They arrived at the movie set, and Clit cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Ladies and germs, the man himself is here! Sonic the Hedgehog!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Sonic. Sonic felt awkward, but he could feel their admiration. It had been a while since Sonic felt this kind of appreciation. He smiled shyly as they approached him. Clit rushed Sonic down a line of crew members who were eager to shake his hand. Clit kept talking the whole time. "Sonic the Hedgehog! Guy's famous! Played all his games. Got a high school named after him. Love this guy."

After shaking everyone's hand, Sonic took a moment to stop and look at his surroundings. Here he was in a real life movie set! There were all kinds of lights and cameras and action going on about around in here. There was even a green screen! It looked like they were filming a scene in a hospital today. There was a hospital bed and all sorts of medical things around the bed. Sonic shivered. Bad memories.

"Take a seat, take a seat!" said Clit, approaching Sonic on the set. Sonic turned around and saw Clit patting one of those foldy Hollywood chairs. The back of the chair said "SONIC THE HEDGEHOG" in big letters on it.

Sonic's eyes lit up. "Gee! A chair! For me!" Sonic hurried over and plopped ass into the seat. He felt like a real movie star now.

"We're about to start filming. Take a copy," said Clit, handing Sonic a thick packet of papers. "Act 3, Scene 1."

Sonic flipped through the pages of the script until he found the right one. Scene 1… In a hospital. Sonic is panicked and desperate as Amy clings on to life. Sonic froze. "A… Amy?" he said out loud, almost without even realizing it. He looked up at Clit. "How… what? I-is she here?"

"Uh, not yet, bud, should be out here any second." Clit glanced back at the door. "But look who is here! The talent has arrived!"

Sonic turned his head, too. That's when he saw it.

It walked towards him.

Sonic heard Clit start talking, but he felt paralyzed, staring at the figure approaching him. "Sonic, meet the star of the movie. He plays you."