SAF:...SO Um...Hiya...

Sonic: Where have you been? We've been on this same cliffhanger for what a year now?

SAF: Sorry...it's just... my mom saw how good I was writing these stories and was having me work on another book i'll publish in real life-

Silver: So we're not real?

SAF:...U...I-I never said-

Shadow: Leave her be. She's back and she'll hopefully stay that way...? * glares at her*

SAF: *sweatdropps* Y-Yeah...I'll try...

Sonic: You'll WHAT?

SAF: I WILL, I WILL!

Silver: Geez...This is why SAF DOESN"T OWN US! WE BELONG TO SEGA! I mean.. if she did own us... we'd probably stop existing right now...

Shadow: Time travel joke?

SAF: Really?

Sonic: Yeah.. that wasn't funny Silv.

SAF: yea...When it comes to Silver's Humor... It's no use.

*Everyone glares annoyed*

SAF: OK, ok! That was too much when I first come back, huh?

Sonic: Yep.

Shadow: Well let's get this over with..

SAF: Oh Yeah! I forgot to say.. but the plot is about to get very weird from here!

Silver & Sonic: Weird?

SAF: *giggles* You'll see...

Sonic: Well... Here goes nothing... Story Start!


...

How was he supposed to know that something like that would happen?

...

Sonic placed a hand over his mouth as to quiet his breathing which, at the moment, was trying it's hardest to give away their location. The blur gave a cautious peek from up under the demolished and flipped vehicle he and the other were currently hiding in. Shadow had his arms crossed, not wanting to speak for the movement, not knowing what to say. The glance outside didn't last long as the blur quickly recovered his hiding spot as the sound of the "zombies" were apparent to be closer to their new "hideout".

"We'll have to meet up with the fox and the others…" the ebony hedgehog stated as he shifted his position slightly, growing uncomfortable with the cramp space. Sonic gave the other a weary glance before peeking one more. The night sky illuminated all of the deteriorated city, leaving no area of peace and tranquility to the outside world- which already had a creepy feeling to it-, but from up under the destroyed car, that feeling only seemed to heighten. "Shads….you think he...?" The hedgehog asked nervously looking back at his counterpart as if the other had all the answers.

Shadow stared at the hero before letting loose a quiet but heavy sigh. He couldn't exactly speak for the condition the chameleon could be in. He didn't want to know that badly. Before he could offer words, the sound of mechanical clanking reached the hedgehog's ears. Both 'hogs glanced at the outside world for a second."We need to move." The striped hedgehog said as the other nodded his head and began to carefully crawl out from the car. While Shadow as repeating the process, the blur began to look around in order to make sure nothing came up and surprised them. He would've originally been fine with the robots but… These weren't ordinary machines…

These were people.

He didn't completely know how he could take on a horde of robots that he couldn't destroy…. That would be equivalent to him...to him.. No sooner had Shadow managed to rise to his full height did the sound of the horde seem to increase exponentially. Sonic snapped back into reality as he realized they were, and had already been, surrounded… How come he didn't notice?

"Duck!"

At those words, the hero's body acted on it's own and he quickly squatted down just as a massive robot lunged at him. Slightly shocked, the hero had to quickly fend off the series of punches and grabs aimed after him. He took a risky glance at Shadow- noticing the other to be fairing well in his little session of battles- and received a hard blow to the stomach.

The hero didn't react well, he toppled over amongst himself as to try to alleviate the pain but to no avail. The horde kept attacking. The blur, after taking a second to overcome his pain, quickly stood on his feet and got back on the defense, making sure not to get distracted and not completely throw his punches. The sound of more robotic bodies approaching was growing increasingly harder to ignore.

Shadow gave a glance over to his counterpart, slightly surprised that he wasn't fairing well against the robotic beings. Then again… they could have possibly witnessed the chameleon's...The ebony hedgehog ducked and kicked the front row of robotic beings down by aiming at their sound of the mechanical beings approaching was ever present while he fought the horde already upon him. Realizing that continuing with the ways things were would prove detrimental, Shadow aimed one last kick and one more punch at the mass around him before rushing, and breaking through, to the other.

Sonic had been able to handle himself well, after he realized there was a way for him he could hit the robots without injuring or destroying them. The blur was, nonetheless, taken by surprise when the older 'hog rushed by, grabbed his arm, and took off, adding some distance between them and the oncoming horde.

No sooner were they about a mile away from the robot's did Shadow release his hold on the other-who finally understood what he was doing- and come to a stop. The two were in a more run down part of the city that was littered with pieces of metal, flipped cars, and other demolished things which only added to the eerie feeling when coupled with the dark, barely lit, sky above."Well," Sonic began, kicking aside a piece of destroyed metal and looking back to the section of the town they were at momentarily. "That's one way to get rid of them. Nice think-" "We don't have time for side talk. That horde should be coming for us soon. We need to find the location that the fox and the others have gone to." Shadow cut in, causing the slight smirk that was forming on the other's face to melt away.

Sonic had known that but… so much had happened... and changed... and...How was he gonna explain what happened to his brother? "Is there any location," Shadow continued. " that you and him would meet up at usually?" The ebony hedgehog questioned further. Our speedster could think of few places he and Tails would meet up at…. Mainly because the kit would always manage to find him…. Not the other way around. After a moment of silence, Sonic thought of a place.

"How about the mystic ruins? They might've went there." He offered. Shadow gave him a nod in agreement. With a destination in sight, the two 'hogs shot off towards the area. The ruined looking piece of metal, which had been kicked earlier, suddenly had a bright glow about it before it melted and formed a metallic liquid.

The light continued to glow before the liquid metal transformed once more to it's original form. The metallic fingers flexed themselves as the form of the robot was set into place. " It seems to me that it is time to…"care for"...my charge…. System engine's activate." The robot said before flying after the two hedgehog's..


WITH THE OTHERS…

"Knuckles!" Amy and Cream said in unison causing the echidna to shrug and keep trudging onward. "All I'm saying is that I think he went over the top. It's Sonic we're talking about-" "Shut it Knuckles." Tails said, but the echidna persisted. "When has he ever purposely refused to help us?" " I SAID SHUT IT!" The fox shouted, turning back to the echidna and halting all progress forward.

All of the other's quieted themselves-even their breathing- in response to his words

"Tails…" Cream whispered a little shocked at the tone of the other. Amy looked at the rabbit before her gaze returned back to the fox. They...did make a good point. " Tails…..you were a little too harsh on hi-" "HARSH?" The kit spat back sounding as if the word made no sense to him.

"Amy have you seen the world we're living in?" The pinkette watched him catiously. " Do you remember the actions Eggman took to get things the way they are now? " He asked causing the trio to look away slightly- reliving past memories. "It's way past harsh," Tails continued. "and what I did to Sonic-To my brother- wasn't anything outside of introducing him to the world we live in."

"But...it's been 20 years since they disappeared…" Cream added. "Don't you think that we could've... helped them gradually get used... to this world?" she asked using the gentlest voice she had to offer. Tails sighed before facing away from the animals and peeking out of their hideout. Cream still managed to persuade and cool his temper. That was one trait about the rabbit that had never changed. "...I get it…" Tails said heavily. ".. Sonic's still a kid.." He said, knowing that the time travel concept wasn't to strange; considering the case for the ebony hedgehog who had accompanied his brother.

"I'll be sure to make it up to him later." The genius said facing the trio once more. No one seemed to be angry over the moment, which made apologizing a lot easier. The kit opened his mouth-

"I..'m...so-sorry…"

Tails quickly spun around in enough time to catch the falling chameleon. Espio looked bruised and battered and there were even some areas on the other that Tails could only identify as scarred tissue… "What happened?" He asked eye's wide in shock. Not only was he shocked, but he was , like the others also, wondering…

Why weren't there two hedgehogs with him…?


WITH THE HEDGEHOGS….

"I'm completely positive that they're not here." Shadow said as he released a slight sigh of aggravation while adjusting his crossed arms. They had already arrived at the Mystic Ruins and, regardless of how certain his blue counterpart was, the pieces of rubbish they were standing by- and partially searching through- didn't seem to hold any signs of life… aside from the natural plant life there…

"Wow… Never thought that you could be positive of anything…" came the fake astonished reply. Shadow rolled his eyes as he continued to look around the area for any sign of the robotic "zombies". There was a sound of some slight shuffling. "Ya know," Sonic began as he slowly removed himself from up under an oddly shaped-and randomly placed- piece of a roof that was surprisingly still intact.

"This search could go by a lot faster if you'd actually help look-" "I am looking." The ebony 'hog felt the annoyed glare aimed at him. "You know what I mean." The blur said before casting a cautious glance around himself. He'd been getting a strange feeling ever since they arrived at the ruins…

"Is there any other place that they may have headed off to?" Shadow inquired as he walked over to where his counterpart was. Sonic faced the other before he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. " uh..hehe..." He chuckled lightly, giving Shadow his answer, to which the ebony hedgehog released a deep and annoyed sigh to. "Aren't you two supposed to be close?" the older 'hog said to no one in particular, looking back to the surrounding the area. Sadly, the only other one amongst him took the blow. The blur's mouth twitched itself into an uneasy smirk. "W...we are close..."

The addressed hedgehog faced the hero, noticing that the blur was facing away from him now. He struck a nerve. Shadow stared a moment longer at the other before walking past the same roof Sonic had came out of and proceeding to the other end of the space they were in. Shadow decided to lean up against a tree. He didn't know what to say to the other. The best thing to do- he thought- was to give the cyan hedgehog some silence. maybe that would help him When cold metal wrapped itself around his mouth, the hedgehog quickly understood that no truer words in his lifetime had been made…(1)

Sonic was still facing away from the ebony hedgehog and was currently trying to rid the immense guilt that was hanging over his head like a thunder cloud, awaiting the chance to strike him down. He and Tails.. They were still close...even though they had been gone for...for...20 years….That didn't change too much right? The blur kicked a small pebble before deciding that if moped on this much longer, he'd become like another emo character that he knew. The whole incident with Tails would be fixed. Nodding as a sign of confirmation to himself, Sonic began to look around once more.

"Now that I think about it...we might've meet up at a couple of other places before. Wanna head out now?" Sonic asked disappointed that the piece of rubbish he had moved didn't have any secret trap door or other around it. Even though he didn't get a reply or sarcastic remark, the blur didn't think something was up. "So now you're not gonna talk?" He asked as he saw a shadow loom over his on the right. So now the moon wanted to finally graced the world with it's presence. " I didn't want to frighten you."

Something's wrong…

Not taking another second, Sonic instantly jumped away from the robot. S.E didn't even look the same as he did when he had been casing them. The robot seemed to have a more sleeker, shinier appeal to it. Instead of the regular Metal Sonic color, he was a white robot with orange lines running spasmodically throughout his frame. The eyes of the robot still looked digital and, only for a moment, S.E seemed upset. The hero instantly recalled all of the things S.E had done to him back his own timeline 20 years ago… This couldn't be the same robot.

"Regardless of my intentions, it seems as if i have…" S.E said, analyzing the hedgehog's eyes that were busy staring at him-looking very surprise. Seemingly to have overcame his shock, Sonic spoke. "What did you do to-?" "However let me give you the proper greeting." S.E said before he disappeared….no…

He teleported.

Before he knew it, Sonic felt the familiar chaos emerald energy quickly slowing him down. The same instant he felt it was the same one that it vanished as S.E stood in front of his wide green irises. Something's wrong...The upgraded robot had its arms open- as if to catch him. The blur had only taken in a sharp breath before S.E had Sonic in his grasp. The blur managed to remove himself from the- was that a 'hug'?- with a careful punch that had sent S.E crashing into the roof like structure.

Something's wrong..."Old habits die hard, huh? 'Cuz you're still as creepy as ever." The hero said playfully, trying- and failing- to hide his freaked out feelings… That was some upgrade the robot had. "The same could be said for you." S.E retorted back confidentially removing himself from the dent in the wall. This time, he walked closer to the hero. Something's wrong...

"You're still the rambunctious little hedgehog. Removed your clothes again, I see. " Sonic had a small embarrassed blush on his face before he quickly shook away the memories with the robot those days ago. The blur got into his fighting stance. Whenever he "disobeyed" he'd get a taste of the T.S.S as a form of 'punishment'...

" Enough of the past," the hero said nonchalantly, excited that he'd be able to fight on equal terms again. " I owe you a lot of payback." The blur was getting ready to take a step forward before he finally acknowledged all of the red lights going off in his mind….

...

Shadow was still missing.

S.E never told me what happened to him...

His punch had made the robot dent the rubbish..

That punch wasn't too strong...

S.E had teleported…

Why didn't he evade the punch?

S.E was walking towards him….

Why didn't he just teleport again?

Whenever he had disobeyed…

…he's been...

...

Eyes wide with a sudden realization, the blur was shocked. "You tricked m-" Sonic was sent rocketing towards the ground as the punch to his back truly showed the immense difference the robot had in terms of fighting. The hero was sent tumbling for a while before he crashed into more rubbish. He laid there for a second feeling a tingling sensation shoot throughout his body. He felt like he was partially on fire as he tried to will his body to listen to him. The hero slowly- and unsteadily- removed himself from the piles of scrap, ignoring the pain he was feeling just from rising to his knees.

His head throbbed, his vision was going blurry randomly, and he could hear his heartbeat pumping throughout his ears. The hero chuckled at himself. All of this from just one punch? "So i see you got an upgrade…" Sonic said as he carefully stood back up.

The hero was surprised that he had managed to rise even though he was feeling as if his legs would give out with all the wobbling they were doing. "I've been modified slightly. I didn't expect that my punch alone would hurt the baby…" S.E approached the hero once again.

"With your memory, you're the real baby around here." Sonic retorted as the robot offered no response. "I'm not going back, there's nothing you can do about that." The hedgehog said confidentially. " Words of a child." S.E replied as he teleported and stood 3 feet in front of Sonic. The hero looked surprised- partially because he wasn't expecting the robot to pull the move now.. the blur glared. "Tell me this, Sonic," The robot began as one of its hands transformed into its liquid form and morphed. S.E resumed his gradual walk. The addressed hedgehog's eyes were focused on that changing hand, a slight anxious feeling gradually washing over him.

"Remember what happens when you miss behave?"

Eyes wide shock, breath stopped with fear and ignoring the strain he felt his muscle in, Sonic ran.


SAF: (1) I made a joke see! Shadow didn't know what to say? when the metal claws went over his mouth he couldn't speak!

* Sonic charges her*

SAF: * Pushing away an angry Sonic*

Sonic: WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!

Shadow * watching interestedly* What? The things that happened to you?

SAF: I THOUGHT IT'D BE COOL!

Sonic: COOL?! I ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS AS IT IS! I DIDN'T NEED YOU MAKING MORE!-

Silver: Literally-

Sonic: SHUT-UP!

SAF: Look, Everything will work out ok!

*Sonic gradually calms down and backs off*

Sonic: Really?-

*SAF giggles*

SAF: ...Maybe...

*Sonic grows angry again*

Sonic: SAF!

SAF: OK! Enough of that for now! I need to finish up the next chapter!

Silver: Remember to read and review!

SAF: yeah! see you all soon! oh and.. sorry for the wait...* winks* bye!

Sonic: SAF!