Chapter Two: Bittersweet Homecoming

The first snowfall of the season had finally arrived. The low, thick clouds hovered over the small community below with a blanket of snow, lightly falling and drifting as the flakes made their way to the tops of houses, cars and the leaves of trees. The moon tried its hardest to shine through the storm but only served to illuminate the clouds as they completely covered the night sky. The air blew very lightly but still managed to cause chills to the various animals and people who were wandering around outside.

Even with the rumors and news that had reached the ears of the community almost every day for the past few months, life in Emerald Town still remained very peaceful. The citizens walked along the streets without fear or uncertainty, confident that no such harm would ever befall the town. A few could be seen going for pleasant night walks, children were having snowball fights, couples were enjoying their time together, and people were happy. However, since the snow storm arrived rather unexpectedly, not everyone was fully enjoying themselves.

A short, grumpy man was shoveling snow at the front of his home, grunting and groaning with every scoop he added to the increasing piles he had formed beside the driveway. It was easy to see that he didn't like winter and all things associated with the season, but he still accepted it and waited for possible sunshine the next day. He had nearly cleared his driveway and the sidewalk in front of him of several inches worth of snow. He dreaded the thought of having to return tomorrow to shovel more, but he was still happy that he managed to achieve tonight's goal. With one last scoop thrown onto his biggest pile, he stuck his shovel in it and blew out a visible satisfied sigh. He adjusted his cap and coat, brushing off the flakes on his shoulders and pants. He then looked over his work, annoyed that already a layer had accumulated on the driveway.

Something then caught the man's ears to his right and down the street. He could hear a strong wind in the distance, but it was unlike the wind that blew around him and somehow sounded…unnatural. He stared down the street, his eyes narrowing and trying to find the source of the wind. He then saw it; a huge swirling cloud rushing toward him…and fast. His eyes widened, and they hardly had time to notice that there was something in the center of the whirlwind as it blasted past him and down the street, blowing the piles of snow all over the man and his property. The whirlwind vanished quickly, leaving behind a dusty trail and the snow covered man startled and baffled as to what had just happened. He brushed the snow off of his face and stared after the whirlwind curiously. But that curiosity quickly turned to rage as he gazed around and saw the snow he worked so hard to shovel was now all over the place. His eye twitched, he bit his lip, his fists trembled, and he bared his teeth.

"DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!" He shouted, jumping up and down and throwing his fists to his sides like a spoiled child.

The whirlwind soared down the street, zipping by surprised pedestrians and dodging the few vehicles that were out and about. Snow blew several feet into the air on both sides of it like waves in the ocean. The whirlwind then took to the air as it flew to a tall leafless tree, catching a branch and spinning around it a few times before flying through the air again and onto the roof of a nearby house. The whirlwind then became a blur as it bounced upon rows of houses, knocking snow onto the ground and awakening those within from their slumbers. When it ran out of houses it descended to the ground and sped off, blasting past and between street signs and swinging on light posts before it sailed down the road that led into the neighboring district.

The blur entered the much livelier Central City, quickly adjusting to the increase in traffic and pedestrians. It flew through small crowds of people, frightening them and accidentally knocking down a few. The blur then leapt onto a nearby crane and up its metallic arm toward the wall of a skyscraper. Without losing momentum the blur flew up the side of the building, leaving the people below staring up in awe and wonder. It flew higher and higher over lighted windows as it defied gravity until it reached the top. It then soared into the cold night air and the blur slowed down as gravity finally got the upper hold. The blur formed a figure as it spun and flipped in the air before landing cleanly onto the roof with a soft thud, kicking the dusty snow back into the air.

The figure stood up slowly and raised its head, revealing a blue-toned hedgehog with bright green eyes and an even brighter smile. He looked up toward the dark gray sky and blew out a puff of air, watching the snow drift to the ground. He dusted the snow off of himself and shook the snow off of the open red sleeveless jacket he wore, taking care to get the stray flakes that had wondered into the white furry collar of his jacket as well. He flicked his jacket and stretched it forward, making sure that the spines on his back were entirely through the makeshift slits in the back. He then crouched down and stretched his legs and arms before adjusting his white gloves and the glowing crystal ring on his right wrist. After his body was nice and loosened up he approached the edge of the roof and stared down at the city below.

Sonic the Hedgehog watched the small specks below move slowly in and out of the stores and down the sidewalks, enjoying the night as much as he was. Even though it had been quite a while since he had last visited this city, he could still remember its sights and sounds clearly and was pleased that it hadn't changed in the slightest. Old memories of a particular robot began to flood his mind and the adventures with him still brought a smile to his face, despite how that adventure ended. Though he wanted to take off running again, a part of him wanted to walk along the streets where all the people were. He moved over to the side on the left away from the streets and stood on the very edge. He slowly leaned forward with his arms spread out and then fell down the side of the skyscraper.

He kicked his feet forward and whirled them in the air as they connected to the wall. He let gravity do most of the work and let his feet move more like natural wheels as he fell. The skyscraper wasn't as tall as he thought and the ground was quickly approaching. Without skipping a beat Sonic kicked the wall and flipped toward the opposite building, landing on its wall before jumping back to the skyscraper. He did this repeatedly between the two buildings until he reached the ground and landed smoothly. He stood up and walked casually to the active street nearby.

He wasn't surprised by the stares he received as he strolled down the street and took in the sights. A few stopped and whispered among themselves, pointing at the hedgehog. He caught a few amazed gasps and words such as, "Is that who I think it is?" and "Whoa, he's really here!" and "We're saved!" He smirked at them and couldn't help but quicken his pace to more of a jog, his smile widening as he gained more and more people's attention. He rounded a corner and down the street, eventually stopping as a large building to his left caught his eye. He stared in awe at the amount of neon lights that littered the entire plaza. By the looks of it, it was a popular club as there were crowds of people entering the glass front doors and he could hear pulsing music all the way from where he was. It reminded him very much of Rouge the Bat's old club and wonder if it was the same place.

Sonic took a step to continue down the street, but as he did so something cold and hard hit him in the back of the head. Startled, he reached a hand back and pulled out a hand full of snow from his spines. He quickly turned around, searching for the culprit who was just asking for a heated snowball fight. It didn't take him long to spot someone hiding behind a nearby car and frowned as he caught a glimpse of something pink…

Sonic leaned forward and stared at the car, hoping that he wasn't looking at who he thought he was. After waiting nearly a minute the figure finally emerged from behind the car, revealing a girl and confirming his suspicions.

"Amy…?" He said haphazardly.

A bright smile stretched across the girl's face. It really was none other than Amy Rose.

"SONIC!" She squealed and dashed at Sonic faster than he had ever seen her move, nearly tackling him and squeezed him tightly. "It's you! It's really, really, really you!"

"Ack! Amy…" Sonic gasped.

"I've missed you sooooooooooooo much!"

"Amy…"

"I never thought I'd see you again, but now you're here!"

"Amy…ugh…"

"Oh, it's really you this time, Sonic!"

"AMY!" Sonic choked. "Can't breathe…"

The girl released him reluctantly but continued to stare at the hedgehog with sparkling green eyes. Sonic massaged his neck and shoulders and took deep breaths, trying to recover from her bone crushing hug.

"Oof…nice to see you too…" Sonic muttered. "I think I would have preferred a simple 'hi' though…"

Amy giggled. "A simple 'hi' is never good enough for you!"

"No kidding…"

Amy began to look Sonic up and down admiringly, the smile never leaving her face.

"Wow, look at you! You've grown a bit; all tall, strong and even more handsome now!"

Sonic took a few steps back, hoping that Amy wasn't about to pounce on him again. After putting enough distance between him and her in case he needed to dash off again, he was able to finally get a good look at his old friend. By all outward appearances she seemed to have matured quite a bit since the last time he saw her. Instead of the usual red dress she now wore a light blue overcoat with white furry cuffs and collar and white pants, though she still wore her heeled red boots, gold bracelets and red head band. But more than anything, she had grown physically; her hair was longer though still relatively short, she was a bit taller and her body made her look a bit older. But as the cramp in his neck told him she hadn't abandoned her old ways.

Sonic blinked, realizing that he had been staring just as she had. "Huh…you've grown a little yourself…" He sighed. "But you're still the same Amy I remember…"

Amy huffed. "You say that like it's a bad thing." She closed the distance between the two, making Sonic wish he had ran off already. "Hmm, I really like your jacket! Where'd you get it?"

Sonic was certain she would have said the same thing about anything he wore, but decided to answer nonetheless.

"A tailor made it for me in Spagonia. Man, what a place! I could run through that city for days before I get bored. Can't remember why he made for me though, and I usually don't like wearing clothes, but…it's kinda grown on me!"

"And the bracelet?"

"What, this?" Sonic raised his right hand, the soft glow from the ring lighting up his hand. "Oh, I've had this thing forever. I got it in Station Square, remember? It came in a lot more useful than I thought it would. Storing energy is a lot faster with this!"

"Station Square…I remember…" Amy said softly as if she were slowly falling in a dream. "That's when I finally found you after you rescued me…" She sighed while eying Sonic lovingly. "Good times…"

"Right…good times…" Sonic muttered nervously.

Amy's smile then slowly faded and the look in her eyes became full of worry. Sonic stared, curious of this sudden change of emotion in her.

"What?"

Amy looked off to the side as if something were bothering her.

"Well…things could be better these days…"

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked, starting to feel nervous at these words he never would have expected to hear from Amy.

"Haven't you heard about all the terrible things that have been happening?"

"What things?"

Amy began walking down the busy street and Sonic followed her. She took a breath and told him about what had happened since he left one year and twenty-three days ago (unsurprisingly she had been keeping track). She told him about the Black Arms that had reappeared across the world, the recent attacks on the towns and cities, G.U.N.'s mission out in the desert, and the anxiety and fear the people now felt, hoping for a hero to sort everything out. Sonic listened intently and silently, taking in everything as she spoke. When she finished she stopped and turned to Sonic.

"Everyone's starting to get worried, Sonic. Some have been wondering when you would come back while others have been losing hope. What are you going to do?"

Sonic gazed around at the buildings surrounding them, looking at how the people appeared to be happy and enjoying themselves, and yet there was an air of uncertainty about them all. If the people were truly afraid as Amy said, they were doing a good job at hiding it.

"Figures…" He muttered.

Amy stared at him. "Huh?"

Sonic smiled. "It's always when I leave that all the exciting stuff happens! To think that I've been missing out on all this action in the last year! How crazy!" Sonic's smile then faded and he glared at Amy. "Though I find it funny how you asked if I was going to do something about it. You make it sound like it's all my responsibility…"

Amy's eyes widened as if she couldn't believe what she just heard.

"I know I've saved and helped people in the past, but that doesn't mean I'm the one who has to take care of everything." Sonic continued, his tone growing stern. "There's police everywhere and G.U.N. soldiers out and about, why can't they take care of it? It's their problems, not mine. They should take care of them, not me! Besides, I've gotten tired of helping people who don't help me. I'd rather not bother with something unless I get something back. So if don't mind, I think I'll sit this one out, thanks."

Sonic folded his arms and stared at Amy with narrowed eyes, waiting for her reply. She stared back flabbergasted with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. She muttered a few inaudible words and made a few other strange sounds. She stood still and strangely quiet for several long minutes and Sonic continued to wait for her to speak, though his foot had now begun tapping impatiently. She eventually decided to break her silence.

"Wh – you… H – how could you say such a thing! I can't…I can't believe you!"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Amy then spun around and threw her hands in the air and proceeded to shout various things at Sonic. She ranted about how he had changed for the worst, how he is supposed to be a hero and many people looked up to him, how she and their friends always believed in him and various other things as she described her disbelief. Sonic watched silently with lowered eyelids, listening to very little of what she said. He expected her to run out of steam soon, but he had forgotten how persistent she was when it came to demanding answers. He lowered his head and looked at the snow on the ground as she paced back and forth, drawing more and more attention to the two of them. He dug the tip of his red shoe into the snow, seeing how compact it really was. He blinked, and he looked at the flustered Amy, then back at the snow, and then back at Amy again. A mischievous smile then slowly grew across his face as an idea came to mind.

Amy faced away from him and he seized his chance. He crouched down and started scooping up handfuls of snow. He picked up the snow and pressed it into the shape of a ball, sculpting it to an appropriate size to what he was about to do. She continued to face the other way, still shouting, and his smile grew. He took a step back, held up the snowball, took careful aim, and then flung it at the girl.

The snowball exploded on the back of her head and she ceased her ranting immediately. She stumbled forward slightly and reached for the back of her head, slowly turning around to face Sonic. The blue hedgehog burst out laughing, pointing at her and the surprisingly humorous look of anger and shock on her face. He clutched his chest in his laughing fit, failing to notice that Amy's face had turned a furious shade of red. She slowly pulled out her Piko Piko hammer, took a few steps forward and leapt high into the air, swinging the hammer down. Sonic caught his breath just in time to gasp and quickly dodge Amy's heavy blow as her hammer smashed the ground, sending snow flying up in the air and shaking the ground. She let out a war cry as she swung at Sonic again, only to miss by mere inches. Even though she was fast in her own right, she couldn't for the life of her land a blow on the hedgehog as she swung again and again, only to meet nothing but air as he easily dashed out of the way of her strikes. She swung a downward strike at him and Sonic leapt high into the air, flipping backward onto the roof of a nearby car. He stood up with a smile still glued on his face, watching the pink girl huff and puff as she eyed him with pure loathing. Sonic then tucked one leg behind the other, set a hand on his hip and waved a single finger at her.

"You…" Amy growled. "You…you…!"

Sonic stood up straight and chuckled lightly. "Heh heh…You should see the look on your face! Priceless!"

Amy continuously glared at him, making the witnesses around them watch nervously while others fled the area out of fear. Sonic smirked.

"Don't look at me like that! I had to do something to shut you up!"

Amy growled again and raised her hammer like a baseball bat. Sonic raised his hands up.

"Geez, chill out already! You used to never get this angry over something as simple as a snowball. Besides, you hit me first! You had it coming!"

Amy's breathing began to slow down and she lowered her hammer. Her face softened as she continued to stare and the red began to fade away. Sonic grinned in triumph.

"Yeah, that's better!" He hopped off the car and walked over to her, confident that she wasn't going to take another swipe at him. "You do know that I'm just messing with you, right?"

Amy blinked. "You…were?"

Sonic laughed again. "Well, duh! You really thought I was serious? Man, it really has been a while!" Sonic stretched his legs and arms and straightened his jacket. "Of course I'll help out! This is the kind of stuff I live for! Who do you think I am? Knuckles or Shadow? No! You're talking to the blue dude with 'tude! Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Sonic placed his hands on his hips and waited for Amy's reply. She stared back with her mouth half open and remained that way for a while. She then dropped her hammer and threw herself onto Sonic with another tight hug. Sonic sighed and tried to pry her off of him but she wouldn't budge. He glanced around to see people still staring and he felt a bit embarrassed.

"Uh…Amy…you can let me go now."

She released him and looked at him with a smile. Sonic smirked back and started walking down the street with Amy following.

"So, you gonna tell me where those creatures are so I can give them a proper butt whooping?"

Amy nodded. "Well, there have been a lot of reports lately saying that they've been seen in the mountains east of the cities, but they all seem to be gathering out in the desert. At least, that's what's been said."

"Out in the desert, eh? Seems like a strange place for them."

"But that's also where Eggman's old base used to be. You know…the one with that shuttle we used? You don't think he's behind it all, do you?"

Sonic clicked his tongue. "Now there's a name I hadn't heard in forever! I doubt that lame brain would ever side with the Black Arms. Even if he would, there's no way the aliens would work for him. Come to think of it, what's he been up to anyway?"

Amy thought for a moment. "No one really knows. The last time he was in the news he was seen flying toward South Island, shortly after you left. He hasn't been seen since."

"Heh, maybe he had to unscramble some things, or perhaps he finally realized how much he sucks! Good riddance!"

Sonic let out a laugh and Amy joined him. They rounded another corner and headed down a more crowded street with shorter buildings lit up by bright neon lights. The hedgehogs gazed around at the pleasant sights, listening to the hustle and bustle of the people around them. Sonic's mind began to drift back to the name of his old home and the adventures and memories he had of the place. South Island…now there's a land he had not visited in an eternity.

His eyes began to drift upward toward the top of one of the taller shops nearby with strangely few lights on its walls. He ignored Amy as she began talking about each of the places on the street that she liked to go to, but he still smiled all the same. But then he suddenly came to a halt, and the smile vanished from his face instantly. He spotted something atop the shop he was gazing at. He narrowed his eyes at the strange shape, and his vision slowly focused on it. His heart froze and his eyes widened as far as they could go.

Standing on the edge of the dim building stood a dark silhouette of a figure, watching silently and unmoving. It remained there as if waiting for something, but Sonic could feel a pair of eyes looking straight at him. He blinked, and before him stood a mangled wreck of a small plane completely engulfed in flames. At the foot of the fire lay the body of a small two-tailed fox, cold and lifeless despite its proximity to the burning wreck. And standing above it all stood that figure atop a stone pillar, menacing and pleased by the sight. A voice called out to him, but it fell on deaf ears. The flames and the wreckage faded from view and he blinked slowly, but his eyes remained locked onto the silhouette.

"Sonic…?" Said Amy's voice. She stood next him, frowning. "Hey, whatcha lookin' at?"

Sonic didn't answer. He stood still, looking at the shape from the past. For a long time he stared at it, as it seemingly did the same. Suddenly the silhouette moved and vanished from sight, making Sonic's heart leap into his throat. Amy raised a concerned hand to place it on his shoulder, but the hedgehog dashed toward the shop without warning and soared up its wall toward the roof with breakneck speed. He ignored her cries and in a few seconds he reached the top and landed quickly, scanning the area around him. His eyes spotted something hopping from roof to roof to his right a good distance away and Sonic followed suit.

He maneuvered his way toward the silhouette, locking his eyes upon it though it was difficult to see with the night and the snow. He tried to chase it as quickly as he could but still maintained a sense of control so that he wouldn't make a mistake and fall back down. But the dark shape was surprisingly fast, leaping from building to building as gracefully and quickly as he was. But he wasn't about to let it get away, not this time. He curled into a ball in the middle of a jump and with a short burst of energy he jump dashed across the gap, closing the distance slightly. He did this repeatedly for the next few jumps and each time he got closer and closer. His eyes narrowed and his mind raced. He smirked slightly, thinking how futile the figure's efforts were, considering it was fleeing from the fastest thing alive.

However, just as he felt victory flood his body with only a few dozen feet between them, the figure escaped from sight as it leapt toward a roof lower than the building they were on. Sonic zipped to the other side and gazed down at the roof, but the figure had disappeared. Sonic glanced around, straining his ears and trying to detect movement in any direction but he couldn't find the figure. He leapt onto the roof in question to get a better look, quickly searching the outside of all the buildings surrounding him. He growled as second by second passed and he didn't see anything. It was as if the figure itself had vanished into the night and became a mere shadow of the city.

Sonic bared his teeth and crouched down to dash off again, but his ear caught a strange sound to his left, a bit like whistling. And just as he turned his head to investigate, something slammed and exploded on his head. A bright light flashed as Sonic's unconscious body was flung off of the roof from the blast, leaving a trail of smoke as he tumbled down to a quiet street below.