Ice Cream Break

It was a warm, breezy, partly-clouded day. Like your typical day in Mobius.

They sat at the table under the blue umbrella outside of the ice cream shop; a place next to Wave Ocean.

A certain boy couldn't seem to sit still- even while eating ice cream.

"See! I told you this was a good idea!" that certain boy exclaimed.

"And nobody really disagreed with ya," Vector returned.

"Yes they did! Espio was all like, 'That's unneeded'."

"It might be unneeded, but it's not…" Espio took a lick of his mint ice cream. "…undeserved."

Vector nodded, but found it hard to eat anything when Charmy was spinning around in front of him.

"For pete's sake, sit down, Charmy."

Charmy stuck his blue-stained tongue out at him. "Why can't I spiiiinnnn and eat ice cream?"

"Because you'll lose it all."

Charmy instantly sat down on the table. "Okie dokie."

Espio looked into the atmosphere for a minute. "You know, I think I've been here before."

"You came and got ice cream without us? How could you?!" Charmy complained.

"No, it was on a business run. I didn't stop for ice cream."

"Gee, you're crazy! Not stopping for any? That's as crazy as…as Crazy Vanilla!"

Vector looked up angrily for a split-second until he realized he was referring to the flavor.

Espio muttered something about how the bee's reasoning didn't make sense.

Charmy didn't pay attention. "Speakings of which…why is it called Crazy Vanilla? It's just different-colored vanilla. I was expecting a surprise!"

"Take whatcha get and don't throw a fit," Vector said.

"I'm not throwing a fit! I'm making a smart statement to tell the…world!"

Vector and Espio decided to ignore this comment.

"What were you doing on a 'business run' anyway, Espio?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Was I there? Because now that I think about it…"

Charmy, evidently bored of their conversations, took a bite out of the bottom of the cone.

Well, it got their attention.

"Charmy!"

"Why the heck would you do that?!"

Espio ran inside to get napkins.

The kid just laughed between mouthfuls. "Sorrryy!"

Espio came back and dumped the napkins by Charmy's side. "Quickly, or you really won't have any."

And so the bee cleaned most of the mess as fast as possible.

Vector and Espio exchanged glances, and then resumed the previous conversation.

"Yeah, I think I've been here too. Was it with you?" Vector asked.

Espio shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's strange…I hardly remember the mission itself, or who I was with."

"You remember how long ago?"

"I…I'm not sure. It has to have been at least a year."

"Hmm, yeah. Strange."

Charmy, who had now finished his ice cream, spun circles around them. "Maybe that's cuz you've got amnezia."

"It's amnesia," Espio corrected.

"Yeah, that stuff. I heard Shadow once had it- he could only remember-"

"We know Charmy, we were kinda a part of that," Vector finished. "and it can't be amnesia. We remember, like, everythin' else."

No one spoke.

"It's strange because I can't remember anything right before I left…"

"Yeah. I don't remember that either, or the mission. But I remember coming home that night." Vector contemplated this and took another bite of the waffle cone.

"I remember every time you left me at home while you were both gone!" Charmy chimed in.

"Why?" Espio asked.

"Because it was so fun but then so boring! You said you were going to some place near Wave Ocean wayyy long time ago. You took so long that I fell asleep on the couch while playing Xbox."

Vector looked at him suddenly. "Way long time ago? How long?"

"I dunno," Charmy said, finally done and spinning again. "2006 or something."

Espio was about to question why they hadn't aged much, when Vector interrupted with a loud," Oh, I get it!"

"What?" Charmy asked, buzzing around him.

"You were playing that game on Xbox. In 2006. And we were at Wave Ocean at the time. That's all the clues I need."

Espio realized what he meant. "Oh. A time-space relation? We were part of the affected area at the time."

"Right. Makes sense. Things did seem chaotic, from what I can remember."

"Okay," Charmy landed on the table. "Stop talking science."

Vector glanced his way, nonchalantly. "We don't remember because we weren't ever really here. You remember because you weren't in the same area."

"Uhh…okaaay."

Espio finished his ice cream and licked his lips. "Gee. We're getting good at this. Solving mysteries even on breaks. My work has had some influence on you."

"Ey, don't get too smart-alecky about it now," Vector remarked. He stood up from the table and it was a given that meant they were leaving.

Espio and Charmy followed as he left.

"So, if you were never here, how would you remember it?" Charmy asked.

"That's why we only vaguely remember it," Espio stated.

"Then shouldn't you not be able to remember it at all?"

"Some things are hard even for me to understand," Espio muttered.

Charmy immediately knew that meant stop. He hushed and gave full attention to the ocean nearby.

"You know, that ocean should be our next break…"

Forgive me, I wrote this so long ago.