"Captian They're regrouping." An armored soldier shouted at Tails

"Reinforce the barricade and distribute the remaining ammunition. This may be our last hope gents." Tails ordered.

Mechanical marching could be heard through the door that they were defending. There were only a hand full of them left.

"Positions Men." Tails commanded. "Boyd, Tell us when."

The one soldier with a corner shot used it to look over the barricade. "Hold on… Hold on…"

The mechanical marching got louder and louder. "Hold on…"

"Any day now Boyd!" the solider to Tails left shouted.

"NOW!" Boyd shouted.

All five of them raised to a kneel and opened fire.

Tails fired the first shots and unloaded his blaster… Right into Cosmo.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO..." Tails shouted as she fell backwards gracefully in slow motion.

"COSMOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Tails shouted as he woke up. Tears covering his face.

It was another nightmare. They were always the same, yet never the same.

Tails sat up, and put his head in his hands. Every night, he thought to himself, why does this keep happening every night? Can't I save her, or just not MURDER her once? Is that too much to ask?

"IS IT?!" he shouted aloud.

He sat for a minute, then checked his clock.

The time read 7:30. A bit too early, but he didn't want to go back to sleep. So, he got up and shambled into the kitchen.

The morning light shone brightly through the windows. He didn't feel particularly hungry at that hour, but felt it was the right thing to make breakfast.

So, he put the kettle on, and poured himself a bowl of Hunny-Os.

As he poured the milk over the cereal, he caught a glimpse of what looked like Knuckles and Chris carrying a gigantic crate towards the Ancient Ruins.

He wondered for a second then remembered Oh the Master Emerald pieces. The pieces from when the…

He slammed the half empty gallon of milk on the counter and utterly lost it again. Just then the kettle went off.

He looked up, and realized what happened. Twice already, he thought to himself.

He got a mug out of the cupboard, placed a bag of green tea in it, poured the boiling water over it, and took his breakfast over to the couch.

He picked up a small remote, turned on the TV, selected COMP as input and opened his Email.

He pressed the microphone button on the remote and said "Recent Emails."

Instantly, all emails for that day appeared on the screen. He read through them as he ate his Hunny-Os and Tea.

There was one from work letting him know that he was officially on sabbatical, a few from partnered companies and colleges, some advertisements (all moved to spam), and one from email address teddyrobot that read say goodbye while you can. Any other time tails would have made a comedic quip about it to himself, but today he just moved it to spam without even really reading it.

He then closed the Email application and tried to decide what to do, but the memories and regrets flooded back in so all he did was just lie down on the couch and watch the smart TV go to screensaver.

Why does the Universe hate me? He though as the screen saver then randomly showed a bunch of images of flowers and buds in various stages of blooming. He viscously turned around on the couch and faced the back.

After a bit his thoughts began to stew again, the random though patterns eventually settled on the time that he and Cosmo were trapped underground in the semi-abandoned Metarex base.

They had just discovered the chamber filled with artificial emeralds.

Tails noticed something in the corner. "What's that?" he said aloud.

"What's What?" replied Cosmo.

"That thing, over there." Tails said as he approached it. Cosmo stayed behind.

As he approached, he realized that it was just an energy conduit junction.

"It's just a conduit junction, nothing to worry about Cosmo."

No reply

"Cosmo?" he said again turning around.

The sight that greeted him was Shadow cornering her against one of the emerald growth chambers about to unleash a Chaos Spear at her.

"TRATOR!" he shouted.

Tails knew what to do, he had seen this movie.

He began to turn around to grab the energy conduit, but he felt like he was moving in molasses.

Far later than he should have grabbed it, he pulled the conduit out, sparks flying from the end, and began to turn around when a bright flash illuminated the cavern.

He knew what had happened. He was too late.

He woke with a start. Sat up and looked around. What's even the point? He thought to himself lying back on his back.

Lying down, he looked to his right and noticed that his tea had gone cold, and his cereal was still barely touched. He didn't feel hungry anymore.

I've got to do something he thought.

He got up, and took his unfinished breakfast back to the kitchen. The cereal he poured down the drain, the Tea he heated up in the microwave.

He then took his now hot tea and went into his office, and booted up the Kerbal Space Program. (I know, shameless plug.)

He started playing with no particular goals in mind.

He did a little of this, a little of that, and before he knew it, it was noon.

Noticing that his tea had run dry, he got up to take the cup to the sink.

As he put the empty mug in the sink and filled it with water, he noticed a silver glint rise above the trees and begin an unmistakable gravity turn. A rather sharp one at that.

That's not out of Lindberg? What's happening? He thought to himself.

The silver streak was now accelerating due southwest, horizontal to the ground.

As it got slightly closer, Tails noticed that it was a roughly spherical craft with a small engine module on the back and some unknown conic device on the front.

It sped past the closest point, and then raised to a slight climb and then a silver flash… and it was gone.

Weird, Tails thought to himself, Bet the UFO conspiracy theorists will have a field day.

He went back to his desk, trying not to get on a train of thought that would conclude with Cosmo.

Later, as he was perusing one of his favorite tech forums, the phone rang.

Tails ran out to the kitchen and picked it up. "Hello, Tails speaking."

"Tails" Said Cream's voice over the land line, "Did you hear?"

"Hear what, I've been inside all day?" he said.

"Chris is gone!" She said, Tails could tell that she was either crying or about to cry.

"Hang on now, what do you mean gone?" Tails asked.

"Sonic just told me that Eggman launched him in a ship that took off and disappeared."

Tails just then realized that the craft that he saw earlier was Chris heading home.

"That explains it." Tails said, more to himself.

"Explains what." Said Cream.

"Why Eggman was basically buried in the Study all the way back home." He said. "He was trying to figure out a way to send Chris home, and it appears that he succeeded."

"But why?" Cream said, back on the verge of tears. "Chris didn't even say goodbye?"

"Now Cream, I'm sure he wanted to say goodbye, but maybe he didn't have enough time."

"What on earth do you mean by that Miles!?" Cream said loudly into the phone.

"I don't quite know, it most likely has to do with wibbly wobbly timey whimey things." He said.

"Wibbly wobbly… What!?" She said.

"Remember how he said that he lost about six years when he came via the Master Emerald?" Tails asked.

"Yes?" Cream replied.

"Obviously, something neither of us quite understood happened in transit, and thus something neither of us quite understand must happen during the transit back." He said knowledgably.

"Yes, but why did he have to go now?" Cream cried.

"I don't quite know, you would have to ask Dr. Eggman." He said.

"IF THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY, THEN GOODBYE MILES PROWER." Cream screamed and hung up the phone quite violently.

Tails heard dial tone, then hung up the phone. "Sheesh." He said, "At least he's still alive."

As soon as he said this, he suddenly became depressed again.

I can't keep going on like this he thought to himself blinking back tears. I've got to do something.

And with that he marched back to his office, Sat down, and began to vigorously research cloning techniques.

Sonic stood on a ridge overlooking the ocean. It was midafternoon and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He had just gotten back from telling everyone that Chris had gone home. Well everyone except Tails who wouldn't answer the door.

He stood on the ridge glancing at his wrist watch. He usually never wore a wrist watch, but today he made an exception. Eggman's 'Head Start' would be over in just a few minutes, and Sonic didn't want to waste a second.

17:55…56…57…58…59…18:00 Sonic raced towards where Chris' ship launched, ran past the now empty spot and headed up the road towards the forest. He followed the path towards Eggman's old secret laboratory near the Mystic Ruins.

Sonic found the secret entrance on the far side of the ziggurat, and pried it open. As he did so lights all down the corridor light up in sequence. No Security? That's not like you Eggman? Sonic though as he raced down the long corridor into the secret lab.

He entered the lab, and looked around. It was strange, all the lights were on, but none of the technical equipment was left. He ran upstairs to find the glass cylinders containing Silver Sonic, Mecha Sonic, and Metal Sonic still there untouched and unmoved. He walked past them remembering how he had to fight each one off in turn, and then all at once. And how Metal Sonic once kidnapped Amy and held her for hostage. As Sonic approached Metal Sonic's cylinder, He punched the glass so hard that it shattered, but didn't break.

He eventually made it to the door into the inner workshop. Beside the door, there was a panel with six buttons arranged in a V pattern and no numbers on the button. Ok, what was it Tails told me Sonic thought to himself Oh, yeah: Punch in the initial light pattern completely ignoring all lights till complete, then punch in the next sequence following the same procedure till all lights are on. Which Sonic did and the door eventually opened.

As they opened, Sonic saw a large silhouette of what could be described as Teddy-Roosevelt in pajamas.

The Silhouette slowly raised its hands and turned around. "I Surrender Sonic." Said Eggman.

"Well." Said Sonic not expecting it to be this easy, "You are under arrest"

"Ohhh, I surrender Sonic," Said Eggman cutting off Sonic, "But you have to catch me first. Mua ha ha AHHH HA HA HA."

"Ok, but where are you Eggman?" Sonic asked.

"I think you have more to worry about than that." Said Eggman, then the image flickered and faded.

A hologram?! Sonic thought.

Just then he heard the whir of a turbine behind him and felt odd, as though he was standing right behind himself.

"We meet again." Said a cold, deep, metallic voice behind him.

Sonic turned around. "Metal!"

"Nothing personal this time, you just have to die." Metal Sonic said matter of fact-ly, and zoomed straight towards Sonic.

Sonic dodged, but just barely. Metal turned around and just in time to see Sonic dash back into the main laboratory.

Metal zoomed into the main lab. "I know where you are, My sensors can detect everything in here." Said metal as he zoomed into the main lab, and looked around.

Momentarily he sensed something right before he suddenly all orientation was lost.

"Unfortunately for you, you're too slow!" said Sonic standing victorious over a knocked out Metal Sonic.

Metal Sonic regained his bearings, and tripped Sonic.

Sonic fell, and Metal was upon him. Without a word, he threw a punch right at Sonic's Face.

Sonic dodged, and then kicked Metal Off him and into the opposite wall.

Metal Crashed, then jetted forward to strike again.

Sonic deflected, and Counterpunched only to have Metal dodge back.

As they dueled hand to hand, Metal said "I know everything you're going to do." As he threw a punch…

Which Sonic caught.

"But It's not going to help you, because I KNOW EVERYTHING YOU'RE GOING TO DO!" Sonics said as he combination punched and kicked Metal so hard that he flew up and back smashing into Silver Sonic's tube destroying it.

Sonic jumped up to face the cyborg now covered in shattered glass and stasis fluid. "Strange, Isn't it." He Said.

At this moment, Silver Sonic, who was slumped over Metal Sonic, activated and all he saw was something blue in the vague shape of Sonic lying in front of him.

Silver Sonic said something in machine language, and then began to mercilessly wail on Metal Sonic.

"Oh my!" Said Sonic at the sight, and then he got out of there before Silver Sonic quite finished.

Sonic, looking back at the long tunnel entrance to the lab, found himself oddly disturbed at the sight of a silver effigy of himself disemboweling another effigy of himself.

Now, I've seen everything. Sonic thought to himself before running back to the Green Hills.

Returning home, he walked in and thought to himself I need a drink.

He walked over to his fridge, and pulled out a Power-Aid, flipped it to his other hand, and proceeded over to the counter.

As he did so, he noticed a new voicemail, which he decided to listen to.

A computer voice chimed in "You have … One… New message: … New Message *beep* Hi Sonic, It's Amy. I was just calling you to tell you that I just got a lot of time off work."

Sonic, about to open the power-aid suddenly decided I'm going to need something stronger.

And so, he returned to the fridge intending to get a can of root beer.

The Message continued "Isn't this great, we can spend more time together!"

Much stronger, Sonic thought to himself as he opened the fridge again, put the power-aid back and began to reach for a bottle of Ginger beer. (ginger-ale but sharper.)

"Just think of all the things we could do together."

Muuuuch stronger, Sonic thought to himself, and ended up grabbing a bottle of Cider.

At this point he didn't really hear any more of Amy's message, just something about dates and things happening that he generally didn't have any interest in.

As he was drinking the cider, Amy was suddenly cut off "Message Box Full." Said the computer voice.

"Why am I not surprised." Sonic said to himself as he deleted the message.

He finished the bottle, and it just dawned on him. We've been through hell and back together, we've been stuck on a ship together for months, why am I still trying to avoid her, and why can't I say Yes to her? He thought to himself.

His thoughts began to stir to the point that everything in front of him began to go into soft focus, though that may have just been the cider.

He was so wrapped up in a myriad of thoughts that he jumped at a knock at the door.

Please don't be Amy. Snap out of it: This is not you. He thought to himself as he approached the door.

He opened the door.

"Hey… Sonic?" said Knuckles as Sonic opened the door more gingerly than usual.

"Oh, Hi Knuckles." Said Sonic.

Knuckles paused for a second, assessed the situation, and then said "Ok Sonic, what's going on?"

"You'd better come in." Said Sonic opening the door wider.

As Knuckles entered, Sonic walked over to the window near his couch and opened it.

"What's that for?" Asked Knuckles.

"Fresh air," Said Sonic "Wanna power-aid?"

"Sure." Said Knuckles.

Sonic walked over to the fridge, and tossed Knuckles a power aid.

"I prefer red." Said Knuckles looking at the blue power aid that Sonic tossed him.

"I'm out of red." Said sonic returning to the counter with a power aid of his own.

"So, What's new with you?" Sonic asked.

"Well, just got the Master Emerald back together after three hours of chanting." Knuckles said "Turns out it really doesn't like being drained like that. Also, Rouge has been snooping around there, but has disappeared every time I think I get close. And I heard some weird sounds coming from the ruins. Was that you?"

"Yep, it was." Sonic said casually.

"Who were you fighting, Eggman." Knuckles asked

"Don't be silly, it wasn't Eggman it was Metal Sonic." Sonic said casually

Knuckles just about spat out his drink. "I though you already defeated him, nearly died doing so!" Knuckles said.

"Well, Eggman has always been into recycling, Though I got lucky this time." Sonic Said. "I kicked him into Silver Sonic's tube, which activated Silver Sonic, and… Well let's just say that we won't have to worry about Metal Sonic anymore."

"So, did the two robots fight?" Asked Knuckles.

"More like Silver Sonic decided to make chili out of Metal Sonic."

Knuckles gave a shudder. "Uugh, that bad. Was that why you were acting weird when you answered the door?"

"No." Said Sonic looking out each window in turn. "I was acting weird because of a voice mail from Amy."

"Really, Can I hear it?" Asked Knuckles.

"I already deleted it, it took up the entire message box and I'm worried that she tried to call other times and I'm missing something." Sonic said.

"Well it's Amy so you never know." Said knuckles.

"And the worst of it is, I have absolutely no idea what to do about it." Sonic said.

"Have you talked to Tails yet?" asked Knuckles.

"He's not talking to me, apparently." Said Sonic.

"Sounds like you just need to clear your mind, take a load off, and stop focusing on impossible tasks and things that can never be understood." Said Knuckles.

"That's …" Sonic said "An excellent idea Knuckles." Sonic said.

"Just ease off and calm down." Knuckles said. Just then the doorbell rang.

"I got it." Said Knuckles.

Knuckles got up to answer the door, and Sonic got up to get his MP3 player.

Knuckle looked though the peep hole. "It's Amy!" he said quietly.

CRAP! Sonic thought to himself as he froze right behind Knuckles.

Knuckles opened the door partially.

"Hi Amy." He said cheerfully as he opened the door.

"Hi Knuckles, is Sonic home?" Amy asked.

"Um, you know what," Knuckles said while Sonic took a running start and dove out the window he opened earlier (on the way grabbing his MP3 player), "He just left." Knuckles finished.

"Bull crap, let me in" said Amy as she marched in pushing Knuckles aside.

She tore through Sonic's house looking for him and didn't find a trace.

"WHERE IS HE!" She Shouted at Knuckles.

"I already told you, He Just Left." Knuckles said.

"Really," Amy said getting an evil smile on her face.

She pulled out her hammer.

"Where do you keep that thing?" Asked Knuckles in a worried tone.

"If he 'just left' as you say, when did he leave and where did he leave from? Because I sure didn't see him leave the house." She said pointing her hammer at Knuckles.

Knuckles in a worried fit said "45 Seconds ago, out that window." He pointed to the open window.

She looked at the window, then back at Knuckles, put away her hammer, said "Thanks" and dove out the window after Sonic.

Sonic paused on a ridge, and looked back to see a pink dot heading towards him. Here we go again, he thought to himself and continued on.

The next few days passed with little incident. Sonic searched for Eggman daily, Knuckles returned to guard the Master Emerald, and Tails continued his research until he came to an impasse in his research.

It was nearly three in the morning, Tails had just read the hundredth article about the nature of cloning and how the cloned individual is still re-stating that the clone of the subject is still a distinct individual different from the cloned subject.

Tails just then put his head down on his computer desk and promptly fell asleep.

He found himself back in his dorm at the University of Lafayette, trying to get math homework done. But every time he looked at the equations, the numbers seemed to change and he could barely get anything done.

He decided to get up and walk around, maybe a fresh start will help.

He walked to the door, opened it, and found himself on a double decker commuter car, the two stair cases lay before him, one up and one down.

Tails headed up because he like the upper deck better.

The upper deck was empty, so he sat somewhere near the middle next to the window, facing forwards of course.

Looking out the window, he noticed that the passing towns bore a striking resemblance to the North East. He then concluded that he must be on a Mass-Link commuter train.

Presently they approached a station, and Tails saw Cosmo on the platform. He hoped that this was her train.

She then boarded the train onto Tails' car with a small cue of other passengers.

It seemed about half came up to the top level, including Cosmo. Tails hoped that she would sit near him, but unfortunately, she sat near the front of the coach facing rear.

A couple in their early 20s came up next, along with a small motley mix of other passengers, and sat in the row behind Tails.

Tails found himself a little nervous to walk go and sit next to Cosmo. He tried to psyche himself up to go and talk to her as he overheard the girl who sat behind him say something about her seven deadly ex-s.

Presently, Cosmo got up and walked down the stairs towards the front of the carriage.

Tails got up and followed her quickly.

He descended the stairs just in time to see her go through the door to the next coach.

Tails rushed through the door and was suddenly on the runway of the Blue Typhoon with Sonic and Shadow fighting something that looked reminiscent of the Bio-Lizard at the end of the runway.

Cosmo then turned to Tails, handed him a heavy hand blaster, and said "You know what to do."

"Wait!" said Tails as Cosmo began to walk rather quickly towards the bio-esque lizard.

Cosmo was eventually next to the lizard, which suddenly froze, and Tails heard Cosmo's voice mystically amplified. "Now Tails, you don't have much time."

Tails looked at the blaster, he knew what he had to do, but he felt that he couldn't.

He momentarily placed the blasted to the side of his head, tried to pull the finger but found he couldn't.

Sonic then ran up and said "Tails now!"

Tails the forced the gun from his head and pointed it towards the Lizard and Cosmo.

"Tails, Do it!" Shadow said.

Tails then fired the powerful blaster and said "I Love You!"

Tails then woke up and saw that his computer had shut itself off over night.

He also heard his alarm going off in the other room.

Tails knocked his head against the computer desk and said "AGAIN, WHY BLOODY AGAIN!"

The alarm continued to go off, and as it did his frustration and anger grew.

He then got up, marched into his room, and threw the alarm clock against the wall and shouted,

"SHUT UP!"

The small clock broke as it hit the wall.