CHAPTER THREE– THINGS CHANGE

"Hurry!!!" Ani screamed, who was ahead of the group as she ran through the jungle.

Though in a split second, Ani had passed by a blinding flash of light, and the moment she turned around, she witnessed all the others running right into two figures. Brick and Striker had run into Jill, while Jack and Milo crashed into Shadow. "Oh my god!!!" Ani exclaimed, as she jumped onto Jill as well. "You're alright!!! Thank god!"

"Help…" uttered Jill. "I'm being…crushed."

"Whoops! Sorry!" Brick said, getting up quickly and pulling Ani and Striker off of her.

"Jill! And Uncle Shadow!" Jack exclaimed happily. "You're alright! And you guys don't have a cold, or anything!"

"Hm." Shadow scoffed, as he got Jack and Milo off him, before brushing dust off his arms. "You know what you have to do, Jill." he said curtly, before turning from the group, walking away. "See you later."

"...what's wrong with Uncle Shadow?" Jack hummed, when Shadow was out of ear's reach.

Jill watched as Shadow left, with a serious look on her face. Once he left, she turned to the others. "Guys," she said. "We can't go back to the Clubhouse."

"What?" Striker said. "Why?"

"I'll tell you later," she said. "But right now, we need to go see the Professor really quick, and then we need to board the train. Hopefully, we can get the Professor to come with us."

"Well, let's not wait around!" Jack said, as he pointed towards the Professor's house. "If this is something very serious, then we can't waste time!"

"Right!" all the other children agreed, as they headed off right back in the direction they had been running from. Jill remained behind the entire group as they ran, watching behind them to see if Metal Sonic ever came up behind them.

Brick watched her as he ran, in disbelief at her sudden change of behavior. He never saw Jill so…solemn. Recalling what the Professor had said earlier, he wondered just what had happened in her past, and why she might've kept it a secret from them.

They were lucky enough to reach that mine cart safely, so far with no sight of Metal Sonic. The kids all climbed in the cart immediately, and just as Ani got it going, Jill hopped in at the last minute. "Go as fast as you can Ani!" she said.

"Okay!" she replied, much to Milo's disdain.

Not long at all did they reach the other side, and they headed up the stairs as fast as possible. The storm was still going, so all of them were soaked heavily by now as they reached Tails' house.

Of course, they went ahead and opened the door this time without even knocking, allowing everyone in before Brick closed the door.

When Tails saw the kids enter, a wave of relief flushed over him. "Oh, you're all safe... thank goodness..."

"Professor, there's no time! It's really serious, so we got to get to the train!" Jack exclaimed, before he suddenly calmed himself. "...why was it serious again?"

Jill turned around, looking at each of the kids before she looked the Professor straight in the eye. "We need to leave," she said. "And we have to take you with us. It's not safe anymore Professor. Metal Sonic will be looking for us."

The entire room was shocked.

"Did you just say that Metal Sonic's looking for us?!?!" screamed Milo as he bit his nails.

Jill nodded, while peering down at the ground shamefully. "Shadow encountered him in the temple, and he would've been in trouble if I hadn't helped Professor."

"Hrm... I should have expected that..." Tails muttered, as he held his arms behind his back. "He did threaten my life earlier today..."

"Wait, why would he do that?" Jack asked in disbelief. "I mean, you're the nicest guy I know, along with Uncle Shadow, Brick, Striker, Purpy and Milo! Jill and Ani don't really count, 'cuz they aren't guys, but they're nice, too."

"Never mind that, Jack." Tails said, as he placed a hand on the lion's shoulder, before looking at Jill. "And Shadow? Where is he now?"

"He left with the Chaos Emerald in his possession," Jill said. "He somehow used it to freeze Metal in time, but I don't know how long it'll last. It managed to give the two of us time to escape from the temple."

"I see..." Tails mused, before he pointed at Brick and Ani. "If he used Chaos Control, then we can expect at least ten minutes before Metal breaks loose. In that time, I need you two to help me take along a few things before we can leave." he said, just before he began taking some blueprints, and placing them as quickly as he could in a bag.

"That still doesn't leave us with much," Jill remarked. "It took us about two minutes to get away."

"All the more reason to hurry up," Brick said. "Just tell us whatever you need Professor."

"I don't need a whole lot..." Tails replied, as he kept on taking blueprints and placing them in bags. "I'll need my tools, some gadgets, blueprints, and..." He trailed off, when he stopped by a drawer, which had several frames with photos of many different characters lying on it, a much younger Tails being one of those on the photos. "...these."

All the kids couldn't help but look at those, but they only had a quick glance before Ani used her telekinesis to take them, and a bunch of other things that he named and put them into the bag. Brick left the room into other places in order to gather whatever gadgets he felt that Tails might need. Some of the other kids even helped to speed up the process.

Eventually, they had gotten just about everything Tails needed, and it was time to leave. "Tell me, children; have you ever ridden the train?" Tails asked them, as he and the kids were ready to leave the workshop.

"I have," said Ani, raising her hand. "I did a lot of traveling before I met you guys, so yeah."

"And you know I have Professor," added Brick. It was likely, since he had sometimes been sent on some errands by Tails which required a train ride or two.

Jill opened the door and stepped out of the workshop first, to check and see if the coast was clear. Thankfully, nobody was outside, neither friend nor foe. "We should hurry; he might show up any minute, now." Tails said, as he began moving out of the house.

Everyone nodded, and then they moved out carefully. Luckily, the storm was beginning to die down so there was no more lightning, and the rain was a little easier this time. The group marched down the stairs one by one and they ran across the field following the Professor. They reached a flight of stairs that led up to a wooden platform, with a sign hanging over it that said "Mystic Ruins Train Station."

"I'm going to miss the Clubhouse," Milo said, as they walked up the stairs to the station.

"Yeah... it's gonna take a while before we can go back there, right?" Jack asked, as he gave out a sigh.

"It depends on when Shadow can defeat Metal... but don't worry; we'll likely get a chance to return." Tails mused, as they eventually got to the top of the stairs, reaching the train platform, where a train awaited them.

And as the doors opened, the kids proceeded to gather inside and find their seats. The last that hesitated were Jill and Tails, as she turned to him. "Professor," she said. "You might've been able to assume this, but...my power returned."

"I had a feeling that it was the case..." Tails sighed, before placing a hand on Jill's shoulder. "We can talk about this later. For now, let's get to Station Square ; it'll be safer there."

"Yeah," Jill replied with a nod, as she and Tails embarked the train. Shortly after they found their seats near the others, the train closed its doors and started off. It was quiet on the train, as they seemed to the only ones in the car.

At last, Jill looked up at all of them. "I think I owe you guys an explanation," she said.

Jack blinked, as he looked at Jill. "Explanation? You mean about the shiny bow, and everything?"

"Jack, I think it would be better if we all allowed Jill to say what she has to say." Tails said, before he looked at Jill. "Go on."

"Well, I've been hiding things from you six," Jill said. "Kind of like how the Professor and Shadow had hidden things from us. You all have your own stories how you got here; you four; Jack, Milo, Buddy and Striker, you guys came from different areas of the Nameless Zone but you somehow appeared here."

"That's right," Striker said. "And we all are trying to figure out a way to get us back home."

"Right," Then Jill turned to Brick. "Brick, you came from your parent's farm to set out and make something of yourself."

"Yeah," Brick replied. "I figured it'd be the best if I stuck with you guys."

"And Ani," Jill said, looking at the husky. "You've had an unusual past. Your dispute with Zeta and his forces were tough at such a young age."

"Yeah," Ani said, scratching her head uneasily. She could recall that 7-foot giant of a menace, and how she still had issues with the fact that she was tricked into helping him do all that bad stuff.

"Well, I've been through a lot myself," Jill said.

"What kind of things have you been through?" Jack asked, as he tilted his head. "Bad things?"

"In a way, they were bad things," Jill said. "A long time ago, I lived in a place that was far away from the world; a little village in a forest mountain summit that no one had ever heard of. It wasn't all that bad, it was nice and quiet, and peaceful. But one day, all my troubles started."

"A suspicious character appeared in our village, and everyone was growing afraid of him. Before I knew it, he had kidnapped, taken lives, and he even lit my village on fire. I tried to stop him, but I was so powerless against him. Those that were still alive, they turned their back on me. It was my job to protect them and keep the village safe, but they blamed me for all that happened, and they...banished me from the village."

"Who did this?!" asked Milo , trembling.

"His name was...Deity," Jill replied. "He was a bat; a vampire bat. I don't know where he came from, but for some reason, he was so bent on making me miserable. Maybe that's why he kept me alive when he burned down my village...but the point aside, because I had no home now, I started traveling around. Everywhere I went; he followed me and hunted me down. Every zone I trailed across, he would be there, and another thing; He was a master of secrecy, working in ways so that no one else but me knew of him. Not even GUN knew him..."

"Scary," remarked Striker with wide eyes.

"But the more I traveled, and the more I fought him, something strange happened to me," Jill continued. "I started gaining abilities I never had before. Powers I never imagined began to come to me, and soon, I was able to fight back Deity without getting hurt so much. Of course, I also worked in secret, because I forbid myself to allow anyone else to find out all the horrible things that vampire did. I don't know how long it's been since that last climatic battle I had with him."

"Climatic battle?" Brick asked.

"Yes. My powers soon started to increase drastically over a short period of time; so much that I was given the ability to transform into a being that allowed all that power to let itself out so that it wouldn't be bottled up inside and explode; kind of like how Shadow wears those golden rings to keep his own power from going out of control."

"It was a storming night like this one, and I confronted Deity. I turned into that form that allowed my power to pour out and I let it all out on him, hoping that this time, I could stop him for good and that I can rid him of my nightmares once and for all. It was a long, and hard battle, but I finally stood over his weak body, and I made the last strike. I don't remember what became of him; in fact, that entire battle was a really vague blur to me now that I think about it, especially right after I made that last blow," and even the mention of it caused Jill to rub her brow. "Whatever became of him, I never found out. The last I remembered was that I woke up in the middle of nowhere, in a large field. I immediately discovered that my powers were completely gone. I was devastated that my powers were gone, and I knew I could never go back to my village ever because I was banished. All I had from my home at all, was my very bow." She took it off her shoulders and looked at it, allowing everyone else to look at it.

"So...what then?" Ani asked.

"I continued to wander," Jill said. "I wandered, and wandered, and I wore myself out so much until I finally collapsed in a certain jungle; Mystic Ruins." Then, Jill looked at Tails and Brick with a smile. "The Professor and Brick found me and nursed me back to health, and around that time, that's when we met the rest of you guys."

"Wow..." Jack said, as he looked at the ceiling. "...that Deity sounded like a really nasty fellow. Good thing you beat him up, Jill!"

Tails didn't say anything, as he waited to see if Jill would continue with the fact that her powers had returned; while he had mentioned it to the kids, it would likely be better if Jill herself elaborated.

"Yeah," Jill replied, looking depressed. "Those dark times...it didn't do a lot to me physically, but any veteran of war would know what it would be like. It was so emotionally conflicting for me; every night, I woke up from nightmares and I didn't have anyone to turn to when I needed a friend. I had to fight all kinds of battles alone; I had to fight just to keep from going insane. What happened to my village haunted me, the fact that I couldn't do anything to stop him and that they blamed me for all that happened. Since then, I had made a solid oath; that I pledged loyalty to those who needed my help, and that I would never, EVER leave anyone behind."

"But I'm so sorry," Jill sighed. "I left you guys behind not too long ago...I got careless, and you guys would've gotten hurt, or worse."

"You warned us, so we're okay!" Striker said, hoping it would cheer her up. "And you helped Shadow too!"

"So Brownie," Brick started. "If you're powers are coming back now...what does that mean?"

Jill looked at Brick for a minute, before answering. "I'm not sure myself. I've started having weird dreams two days ago; all of them were different. I told the Professor about them. One of the dreams I told him was that I walked into a church, and I met Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Really?!" Milo inquired.

"Chao?!" even Buddy was surprised.

"Yeah. But there was one thing I forgot to explain to the Professor. There was a mural of some weird angel in a stained glass window above the entire church. What I didn't mention was that this angel being...it was my other form from long, long ago that I once was able to transform into."

"Whaaa?" Jack uttered, as he looked at Jill with wide eyes. "You dreamed of a mural with an angel that is actually you? But what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure, and I suppose that Jill isn't, either..." Tails sighed, as he closed his eyes. "...but I can only guess that if her powers are coming back, there is something afoot. Something grand; possibly even bigger than Metal Sonic's return."

"What I fear..." Jill said with great hesitation, "...is that he might be returning..."

Needless to say, the entire room was silent.

"I couldn't tell you guys this, because it was so hard to think about it," she said, as they could notice tears welling up in her eyes. "The only reason I could tell you now is probably because I have the strength to be able to tell it; and even then..." She buried her face in her hands and unexpectedly burst into tears, sobbing.

Brick felt so sorry for her. He set a hand on her and rubbed her back comfortingly. "All this time," he said. "...no wonder you worried a lot. I never realized..."

"...don't be sad, Jill!" Jack suddenly said, as he got up from his seat, looking at Jill. "I know that the vampire might be scary, and it's tough for you to think of him... but you're not alone! You've got Uncle Shadow, the Professor, me, Ani, Striker, Milo , Purpy and Brick! We're not gonna let some mean vampire make you feel sad!"

Jill was able to finish crying, and as she wiped away her eyes, she smiled up at Jack. "I know," she said. "And for that...I'm more thankful than you can imagine."

"Does Shadow know about your story?" Ani asked.

"No, he didn't know anything," Jill replied. "I requested that the Professor kept things just between me and him, until I decided to tell you guys everything. Right now, Shadow's more concerned about Metal Sonic, and I didn't want to tell Shadow anything that would just put more of a burden on him."

Milo looked out the window uneasily, to see if he saw Metal out there. Jill's mention of him reminded that they were on the run from that machine. However, Milo didn't see anything to his relief, that is, when he looked out the window. Unknown to those on the train, on the roof, something was sitting, though it wasn't visible to the naked eye. ... wait for the right moment... and then I'll strike.

"In any case..." Tails said, as he looked at the kids. "...you've been through quite a lot. Maybe you should rest until we get to Station Square ."

"Yeah," yawned Striker. "I'm starting to get a little tired..."

"You guys go ahead and get some sleep," Brick said. "Some of us will keep watch."

"Alright..." Jack yawned, as he actually lied down on the floor, stretching out, before lying his head on his folded arms, using them as a cushion. "Good night..."

Tails smiled, as he closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall. In fact, nearly everyone else fell asleep, except Brick and Jill. She couldn't sleep, because now she felt a nagging disturbance; why this was it was unknown, but she knew that she couldn't sleep.

And Brick watched her as she surveyed out the window. Ever since he first met her, he always thought that she was just a girl who was gentle, timid, and shy, and so he was fond of her. Now, it was apparent that she was actually very strong-willed, and in a way, completely opposite of what he thought of her as. He was really surprised, especially since he started to feel something he never felt before while looking at her. "Brownie," he said.

"Hm?" Jill turned her attention to Brick.

"You're okay now...right?" he asked. "I mean, have you had any of those nightmares lately and didn't tell us about them?"

Jill shook her head. "No, the nightmares stopped ever since I lost my powers. So far, I didn't start having them again, so I don't think I should be worried about it."

Atop the train, the invisible being looked down at the roof, somehow seeing through it, along with Brick and Jill interacting, whilst the others slept. ...just a single motion... he thought, as he clenched his hand. ...when they least suspect it.

"Do...you expect that you might have them again?" Brick asked with some concern.

"Honestly, I don't know," Jill said. "Whether I do or don't might tell me if Deity really is coming back, since it's just way too soon to tell if he is. For now, it'll leave me to focus on other things, like Metal Sonic."

Brick started wondering, "What was it like facing him for the first time?"

"Well, at first when I thought I didn't have my powers, I was a little afraid of him," Jill said. "It would've been hard having something happen that I couldn't stop. Now that I had my powers...well, I suppose I was a little confident then. Compared to what I dealt with, he wasn't even all that bad; at least he wasn't humor-challenged."

The invisible being blinked when he heard that. ...interesting. he thought, before he folded his arms. Hmph... maybe I'll wait until they arrive at their destination.

Brick stared at her in slight disbelief, as well as amazement.

"What?" Jill asked, meaning the look that he was giving her.

"That just sounded weird is all," He said. "Humor-challenged?"

"I know, it's not like me to joke," Jill said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, not about fighting," Brick said. "I mean, you usually take it seriously; especially after that story you told us, I'd expect that you'd turn into some intently-focused warrior when your powers start returning."

"You know that's not like me, Brick," Jill said. "Besides, I think it's a little exciting. After hearing the stories the Professor's told us, it's like meeting a celebrity in the flesh; well, in this case, steel."

"A cold-blooded, serial-killing celebrity," Brick muttered in addition.

"Well, what if he was just misunderstood?" Jill asked. "Everyone thought Shadow was bad at first, but he turned out good in the end."

"I think there's quite a difference between Shadow and Metal Sonic, Brownie," Brick said. "Metal Sonic was created by an evil genius programmed and bent on killing."

"I guess I get your point," Jill said, scratching her head nervously.

... The being's eyes narrowed, before they closed fully. ...that is the legacy I'm sitting on; a mass-murdering creation and not a powerful ruler? Tsch... but I suppose that it's true.

"Well, I don't really know," Jill said, as she peered out the window again. "I do know that I'll do everything in my power to stop him if he tries to hurt any of you. After all, the Professor said he was only programmed on killing Sonic the Hedgehog, and now that he's gone, he won't really have to kill anyone without a logical reason. Robots are supposed to be logical, right?"

"…I guess I got your point too," Brick said.

"And now that I interfered, then he has a logical reason to hunt us down," she finished.

The being nodded, though he didn't open his eyes just yet. Talk all you want; it won't change the inevitable. he thought.

Brick didn't exactly like the sound of that. Truth be told, he wasn't the kind of guy to be afraid; in fact, he was the kind to take on a challenge with enthusiasm. But this was biting off more than they could chew, and even he knew that. Still, it didn't change the way he looked at her. He never really felt this way about anyone, and he didn't know what it was, or how to describe it.

But somehow, he felt comforted with her being here, despite the unfortunate situation they were in.

It was silent for the remainder of the train ride, and because the train came to a bit of a bumpy stop, it caused the rest of them to wake up. "We are now entering the Station Square Train Station," stated a voice over the speakers.

"Good, we're here!" Ani said cheerfully.

"Yeah, hopefully Grandma Cream will have room for us to spend the night," Striker said, as he got up and stretched.

And by now, that tingling disturbance Jill had, just became stronger a notch. She gripped her bow firmly, becoming alert.

Yawning, Jack got up from the floor, stretching out. "Man, that was a good nap!" he said, before he looked out to try to get a good view of the town; however, as they were inside the train terminal, that didn't go too well.

"Hrm... it's been a while since I've been to Station Square ." Tails mused, as he rubbed his eyes, before standing up. "We're all ready to go?"

"Yep!" all of them but Brick and Jill cheerfully replied, and they hopped off the train eagerly before anyone could stop them. Jill didn't say anything, but when they did that, she almost wanted to jump as her heart skipped a beat. She was the next to get off the train, rushing to them, "wait a minute guys!"

Letting out a sigh, Tails followed after them at a slower pace, after making sure that he had everything with him. "Come on, Brick; we don't want to fall behind." he said.

Meanwhile, as the kids and Jill ran ahead, whatever had been sitting on the train's roof now moved away from it, keeping itself hidden from sight.

"Hold on guys!" Jill said, which halted the kids.

"What is it Jill?" Striker asked.

"…we have to wait for Brick and the Professor," Jill said. "He's not in the best condition you know, and not only that, but we need to stick closely together and not lose each other."

As the kids looked back to see Brick accompany Tails, Ani let out a chuckle, "Sorry. We forgot." Then she put her hands by her mouth. "C'mon Gramps!" she exclaimed.

That caused Striker to shove her. "Ani, be nice!" he said.

Whatever Jill felt, it was beginning to die down for now, but she was still alert as she waited for Brick and Tails to catch up with them.

As Tails and Brick caught up with the group, Jack couldn't help but scratch the back of his head. "Eh... sorry, Professor. Guess we got too excited." he said, though Tails only chuckled at this.

"Oh, no need to apologize." he said, as he smiled. "If I had been younger, I might have run after you, or ahead of you, just as soon as you kids started." he chuckled.

"Well anyway, Grandma Cream's Chao Care shouldn't be all that far from the station," Brick said, as he went ahead. "Hopefully we can stay there for the night and decide what to do tomorrow."

As the kids went ahead to follow Brick, Jill stayed near the back so she could help Tails if she needed to, but for some reason, she couldn't help but glance back at the train, feeling uneasy again.

Tails noticed this, as he eyed Jill curiously. "Is something wrong, Jill?" he asked, though in a way so that the others wouldn't notice.

Jill looked at the train awhile longer, before she looked at Tails. "That was Chaos Control Shadow used on Metal?" she asked.

"I would suppose so." Tails nodded. "Chaos Control allows the user to bend space and time, if enough power is harnessed. However, as I said, being frozen by Chaos Control isn't permanent, which was why we had to move quickly. Why do you ask?"

Jill looked at the train again, and then she looked ahead as she walked out the entrance, holding the door open for Tails. "I would think with Metal's abilities, he would find some way of following us without our knowing," she said. "Maybe I'm just paranoid…"

Tails merely nodded at this. In honesty, not only did he agree with what Jill said, but he fully expected Metal to do something like that. However, he didn't show this, as he walked through the door. "Come on, let's follow the others. I haven't seen Cream in quite some time..."

"Alright," Jill said. "Hey guys! Wait up!"

----------

It wasn't a very big building, and it was squeezed between two corporate giants, but none the less, it was a quaint little house. Striker was the first to knock on the door, and once everyone made it to the doorstep, it opened.

"My, my," said a sweet voice. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Hi Grandma Cream!" Milo said. "It's not too late, is it?"

"My dear, it's never too late for you all to come visit," an elderly rabbit spoke, as she stepped aside and allowed them inside. "Come in. My goodness, you're all soaked. Were you out in the storm?"

"Yeah, we were!" Ani laughed.

"I hope you don't get sick," Cream said, and then, she saw Tails. "It's been quite some time, Tails."

"That it has, Cream." Tails replied, as he gave her a smile. "It's good to see you."

"Hey, Grandma Cream, how are all the light-blue Purpies doing?" Jack asked Cream; he wasn't fully aware of Buddy's race, so he just called all Chao Purpies.

Grandma Cream giggled. "They are all doing just fine Jack," she said. "One of them laid an egg not too long ago, and it hatched just yesterday."

"Really?!" exclaimed Striker excitedly. "Where is it?!"

"Well, its sleeping now dear," Cream said. "All newborns need all the sleep they can get."

"Jack, I think they're called 'Chao,' not 'Purpies,'" Milo whispered to Jack.

"But I shouldn't keep you standing here," Cream said, as she turned to walk down the hall. "You should all make yourselves comfortable. I can make you all hot chocolate if you want."

"Oh boy!" Striker applauded.

"Hot chocolate!" Jack cheered, as he looked down at Milo. "Milo, did you hear? Hot chocolate!"

Tails couldn't help but chuckle at Jack's enthusiasm. "I think we might all need something to warm ourselves with..." he said.

"Nothing sounds better," Brick said with a smile.

------

Once things had finally cooled down, everyone was sitting in the living room with a cup of hot chocolate in their hands. All of the kids finished theirs, of course. Milo had fallen back asleep with his head on Cream's lap, while Ani and Striker were trying NOT to fall asleep on the chair.

Cream had been explained most of what happened, and after everything was said, she had a bit of a grave look on her face. "I knew Metal Sonic returned, seeing as his announcement had gone through the media," Cream said, "but he's chasing you children?"

"I think we might've been lucky enough we got out of Mystic Ruins unscathed," Brick said.

"My goodness," Cream said. "I realize that I was very young when I encountered him, so I don't remember very much of him, but I remember how dangerous he was. What about Shadow?"

"He told us to hide until he dealt with Metal Sonic," Jill replied. "but I think that won't be anytime soon…are you sure about letting us spend a night here?"

"Of course," she said. "You are dear friends of mine, and it is what friends do. However, I must inform you that Charmy might be coming by in the morning."

"Captain Charmy!?" Ani beamed, jumping suddenly enough to startle Striker. Among the little ones, he was dubbed "Captain" and Ani was, by far, the favorite of the bee; obviously, since the two had exchanged prank ideas ever since they were introduced to each other.

"Yes, well, he thought it was a bit dangerous for me to be here all alone in the Chao Care," she said, but by the tone of her voice she wasn't too excited. Cream sighed, "but, I am a bit jumpy around his company, I must admit. He somehow managed to keep all that energy all these years, and he insisted I stay with him and his Detective Agency for safety. He's probably right anyway."

Then she giggled. "Vector certainly rubbed off on him."

"Likely for the better." Tails chuckled. "I couldn't imagine Charmy acting more like Espio; not in a million years."

"The more I hear about everyone, the more I want to meet them in person!" Jack said with a squee, as he was sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth. "Wouldn't it be cool if we could do that, somehow? Meet all of Professor's, Grandma's and Captain's friends way back then?"

"Yeah, that would be interesting," Brick said, as he couldn't help but agree with Jack.

Jill said nothing. In a way…she sort of met them, but only through her dreams. She wondered if she would have any more, and what else.

"Think about how awesome it could have been!" Jack said, as he was engrossed in his own little fantasy. "We could have helped Professor build some of his machines, go on missions with Captain, and a whole lot more!"

"It would have been fascinating, if not quite the paradox." Tails mused, as he chuckled to himself.

"Well, you all should go get some rest," Cream said, while looking down at the sleeping Milo. "As I can see, it is awfully late."

"But I'm not tired!" Ani protested. "I can stay up ALL night!"

"I'm sure you could," muttered Brick with a glazed look.

"As I said earlier, we've been through quite a lot this day..." Tails said, as he looked at Ani. "The nap back on the train isn't going to keep you fully rested for the night; besides, isn't a bed more favorable than train seats?"

"Well..." Jack uttered, as he yawned. "I am a bit sleepy..." he said drowsily, as he looked like he was going to just fall asleep right on the spot.

"Yeah, I guess a bed is much better than a train seat," Ani said, and of course, she let out a yawn.

Cream carefully got up without interrupting Milo's slumber, and shortly after, she tucked a pillow underneath the little lion's head and covered him with a blanket. Milo turned over, sleeping more peacefully. "I'll go ahead and show you to some beds," she said, ambling towards upstairs.

Soon enough, Ani and Striker had gone to sleep in their own beds, while the others were just getting ready to sleep themselves.

Jill still peered out the window, wondering if Metal Sonic was lying in wait out there…somewhere.

"Jiiiill..." she'd hear Jack utter drowsily, as he hung his arms over her shoulders from behind. "Professor says that you should get some sleep, and you can't sleep if you're standing up... unless you train really well... but shouldn't you go to bed?"

"I will," Jill assured him. "Just go on ahead to bed, Jack."

"Nope, c'mon Brownie," said Brick, as he took her. "You're going to bed too. You're not staying up while we get sleep; wouldn't be fair."

"Besides, you and Uncle Shadow met that Metal Sonic earlier, and I don't think you slept on the train either!" Jack shot in, as he placed his hands on his hips. "So you really need to sleep, and get some sort of rest!" Usually, Jack didn't try to act as responsible as his age dictated, and for good reason; it just came off as completely adorable, with minimal chance of being taken seriously.

Yes, it was adorable, as Jill couldn't help but smile. "Alright, alright," she admitted, allowing Brick to lead her to a bed. Just as she crawled in, she looked up at him as he sat beside her.

"Now, I'm not leaving until you fall asleep," Brick said. "I don't want you to stay up, and that's that."

"As usual, trying to take care of me," Jill muttered, as she continued to smile. Of course, her eyes grew heavy in drowsiness, but she stubbornly fought it.

"Okay, if you're sleeping, then I should go sleep, too..." Jack uttered, just as he found a different bed, which he quickly buried himself in. "G'night! Don't stay up too late, Brick!" he said, before he closed his eyes, preparing for sleep.

"Night," Brick said to Jack, and then he looked back at Jill.

"I guess I never thanked you," Jill murmured. "That fever I had would've gotten worse and…I probably wouldn't be here."

Brick could recall vividly discovering her in the jungle that day, running a high fever when he had brought her to Tails' workshop on the hill in Mystic Ruins. He was checking on her every minute to make sure that she got better. "No need to thank me," he said. "I was happy to help."

Jill's smile grew, as she closed her eyes, and Brick watched as she fell asleep that instant. That same feeling came over him again; the one he had when he looked at her on the train. He wasn't sure what it was at all, but he pulled himself away to approach his own bed, near the Professor who was still awake.

"Is there something on your mind, Brick?" Tails inquired, as he noticed Brick being hesitant about leaving Jill's side.

Meanwhile, outside the house, the rain had started to intensify, even though the lightning had long since stopped. Right now, an invisible being stood outside, observing the building. ...this is it.

Brick looked at Tails fairly quickly as his mind went blank that moment. "…I'm not really sure what it is," he said finally. "But ever since she told us her story, I've been getting this weird feeling when I look at her."

Tails raised an eyebrow. "Weird feeling?" he asked; he had a faint feeling on what Brick meant. "How would you describe this feeling, then?"

"It's hard to explain," Brick said, scratching his head. After trying to gather his thoughts, he looked back at the sleeping Jill again. "...somehow, she makes me feel good, just by looking at her. When I learned who she really was, I was sort of impressed by her. The gentle girl I helped turned out to be a strong warrior and..." Brick wouldn't be able to tell that he was beginning to blush a little. "I-I don't know, it's just hard to explain..."

Tails couldn't help but chuckle when he saw that. "I think you'll find out what that is in due time, Brick." he said, before he prepared to go to sleep. "It'll all be clear to you when the time comes, and maybe it'll be clear for her as well..."

Outside, the being finally shed his invisibility, revealing it to be Metal Sonic himself. As the rain fell down around him, and droplets of water bounced off his body, he began cracking his neck. "A few moments, and they'll be goners..."

"You think so?" asked Brick curiously, though he knew that the Professor was tired, so he left it at that as he climbed into his own bed, taking one last look at Jill. What did the Professor mean by that? He wondered in thought. Is it because I might be… he didn't get the chance to finish the thought, because he fell asleep then. He didn't realize how tired he was himself.

Outside, Metal still glared at the house, getting ready to make his move. "Time to end this..."

"I agree, Metal." The new voice surprised the robot, as he looked behind him, only to see Shadow standing there, with his arms folded. "Time to end Eggman's legacy."

Scoffing, Metal turned to face Shadow. "Oh, really? And how do you intend to stop me with..." he began, when he stopped himself; he felt something unnerving. "...you didn't..."

"Oh, but I did." Shadow replied with a grin, as suddenly, a green, a red, a yellow, a blue, a cyan and a purple Chaos Emerald began rotating around him. "You have the last one, Metal."

Growling, Metal clenched his hands into fists. "How did you collect all of them in such a short period of time?!"

"You'd be surprised what wonders both an Emerald and a Chaos Radar can do for me." Shadow replied, before the Emeralds returned to his body. "Now, let's finish this."

"You..." Metal growled, before he suddenly began laughing. "So it comes down to this. The last one standing takes all. Let's begin, then!" Then, he and Shadow rushed at each other, both of them throwing a punch, which resulted in their fists colliding at full force.

Cream was about to enter into her own room, but at that instant, she stopped. She thought she had heard something outside…

Their fists were grinding against each other, with both Metal and Shadow refusing to back down. "...awfully persistent, aren't you?" Metal uttered, before he threw a kick at Shadow, knocking him away from him.

Hissing, Shadow pulled one arm back, as he charged up an attack in his palm. "Chaos..." he began.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Before Shadow could throw it, Metal disappeared, before reappearing right behind Shadow, his left hand changing into a blade. "Die!"

However, before Metal could react, Shadow suddenly twisted his hand so that the palm pointed towards Metal. "...Lance!" Then, a bolt of Chaos Energy shot out of it, striking Metal head-on, sending him hurtling away from the building.

"That sounded like Shadow," Cream murmured, heading down the stairs. "What could possibly be going on out there?"

Picking himself up, Metal looked up to glare at Shadow, only to be surprised to find that the hedgehog was gone. "Tsch... trying to fool me with Chaos Control?"

"Something along those lines." Shadow replied snidely, just as he suddenly reappeared next to Metal, delivering a kick that threw the bot off balance. Then, he disappeared and reappeared right above him, delivering a devastating kick when Metal was down.

However, when that attack was delivered, Metal suddenly vanished, before reappearing a distance away from Shadow. "...just because you have six emeralds..." Metal growled, as his hands fully turned into blades, which he crossed. "...doesn't mean that you will win."

"Hmph..." Shadow scoffed, as he pulled his hands back, Chaos Energy charging up in his hands. "...we'll see."