Chapter 7

Feelings

"Maria! Why are you doing this?" Marco asked.

Maria's eyes were red. She looked possessed. She looked saddened.

"Help…me," Maria said.

Maria kicked Marco in the stomach and she left hooked Shadow, then she punched Tails.

"…Shadow, Tails, I want you to stop those swatbots," Marco said.

"You sure?" Shadow asked.

"I got Maria back before, I'll do it again."

Shadow nodded and he and Tails attacked the swatbots. The town was in flames and smoke. The color of red was all on the road.

"Maria, please come back, you have to fight whatever is controlling you," Marco said.

Maria rammed Marco and he flew onto the ground. Marco got back up again. Maria did a series of punches and kicks. Marco dodged every one of them. Maria's eyes were still red, but she looked sad.

"Help…me," Maria said again.

Shadow and Tails was doing a good job on trying to save lives. Tails had his swords out and was slashing swatbots open while Shadow was jumping up and doing a spin dash. Shadow kept yelling out "Get outta here!" to the people and they did as they were told.

Tails connected his swords, "Mega Rage of Fire!"

The attack destroyed a whole section of swatbots.

"Nice move," Shadow said.

"Thanks," Tails said.

More swatbots came and these were the newer models. Tails slashed even harder at the swatbots and Shadow did a spin dash on the ground. The swatbots were only mildly damaged.

"This is going to be hard," Tails said.

On the battle with Maria and Marco, Marco hasn't thrown a punch yet. Though, Maria has thrown punches and kicks at Marco and none of them landed on him.

"Snap out of it, Maria!" Marco shouted.

"Kill…kill…kill," Maria said.

"Maria…"

Maria was able to land a punch on Marco's chin. Maria's eyes were pouring out tears.

"Help me, Marco," she said.

Marco held on to Maria as tight as he could, disabling Maria's arms for the moment.

"Maria…I love you," he said.

"What did he just said?" Tails asked before he got punched by a swatbot.

Tails and Shadow was having a hard time with the swatbots. They were surrounded and weren't having much luck destroying them. Maria's eyes were started to change back to purple, but it just kept turning back red. Maria was able to snap out of it for the moment and threw a really huge beam at Shadow and Tails.

"Whoa!" Tails shouted as he and Shadow jumped out of the way.

The beam destroyed all the swatbots. Soon, Maria's eyes changed to purple and she was fully under control again. Maria kissed Marco for the words he said. Marco was surprised, but he gave in the kiss.

"Thanks," Maria said.

"Are you fully back?" Marco asked.

"Yeah."

"We better get back," said Shadow.

Marco released Maria from his grasp, satisfied with the conclusion.

"Shadow…" Tails said.

"I know, I know," Shadow said.

Tails, Marco and Maria held onto Shadow.

"I can only teleport halfway to Castle Acorn since my power is depleted."

"So the closest we can get to is the Mystic Caves," Tails said.

They teleported to the Mystic Caves. When they got there, they saw the jeep that Sonic and Rotor left.

"What is that doing here?" Tails asked.

"Who cares, we can use it," Marco said.

Shadow got in the driver's seat, Tails got in passenger, and Maria and Marco got in the back seats. Shadow turned on the ignition and drove off in a steady pace.

"So they got Maria back?" Sonic asked in the radar room.

"Yeah," Sally said, "and I've been able to contact Bunnie and Antoine too."

"That's great, so where were they?" Sonic asked.

"It seems they got engaged and Antoine is taking care of the house they're in."

"…That's weird, Bunnie and Antoine, weird couple."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"Maybe we should…"

"Yes?"

"Never mind, dumb idea."

Sally frowned.

"You have to admit, with all the things that are going around, it wouldn't be right if we got…you know."

"…You're right."

Sonic walked out of the door and went to his bedroom.

He looked out the window, "I really love Sally, but with all the weird things going on, it just wouldn't be right."

Sonic remembered the first time when he and Sally met. Sonic infiltrated one of the enemy bases and he saved her from being robotisized. Sally hid her feelings from Sonic back then, afraid of the outcome if Sonic loved her back. Now Sonic is doing the same thing. He imagined if Sonic and Sally were married and had kids and had a very happy life in Mobius. But, then he imagined if terror struck, flames was everywhere, blood lying every place he walked, and then Sonic saw his dead wife.

He erased that imagination out of his mind, "That will never happen, over my dead body."

Sonic lied down on his bed, still thinking about the love he and Sally have. Then he thought of Tails when he was younger. He idled Sonic back then, always following him and always angry when he didn't go on missions that Sonic went on.

Sonic chuckled, "Those were the days."

Now Sonic thought of the Tails today, ever since Tails met the "other chosen" he hasn't idled Sonic that much anymore. Sonic hated it alittle, though he knew it would end someday, he just wasn't ready for it. Tails grown alittle taller, has a better mind, and is more stronger than before. Sonic still worried about Tails, and Tails hated that.

Sonic thought of the words Tails said, "Sonic, I'm not a kid anymore, I need to fight on my own sometimes, I need more independence, but I can't with you treating me like a kid," He thought of those words, of what seems what came out of anger and envy. Sonic knew that he has to loosen up on Tails, but he's like a little brother to him, and he can't. Sonic wants Tails to fully idol him again, so he can be like his sidekick over again.

Sonic, then thought of Knuckles, the hard fierce but friendly rival of his. Knuckles was always ticked off when Sonic could transform and do things that Knuckles could only dream of. They always seem to, as friends, fight each other for some stupid reason, like a joke Sonic makes up.

"Knuckles sure doesn't have a sense of humor."

Sonic thought of Amy, the girl who used to chase him around and always get in the way, and always has to save her when she is in some sort of trouble.

"I have to save her more than Sally."

Thankfully, Amy became more independent and started doing her own things. Sonic sort of missed those days with Amy, he had something to do back then. Now Amy looks cuter, sort of smarter, and more of a woman, thankfully she became more mature and stop trying to get things that she couldn't get, like Sonic.

"Thank God for that."

Sonic now thought of Shadow, the hedgehog that is equal to his abilities. Sonic thought of Shadow as his counterpart, his mean counterpart. Sonic remembered the first time they fought. Punches and spin dashes flying everywhere. They couldn't finish the fight back then, but they finished it during the race to the central control room at space colony ARK. Shadow ended up winning and Sonic couldn't believe it, he actually thought that Mobius was doomed, but the cannon didn't fire and Sonic and Shadow ended up fighting the Ultimate Life-form and stop Space Colony ARK on making a collision course to Mobius.

"At least Shadow is on the good side now."

Sonic now thought of Marco Thompson, the kitsune he only saw two days ago. He read a report on him on the "good old" internet. Marco was only six when his parents died, then he lived on the streets, fending for himself and stealing things for survival. When Marco turned eight, he went out on an adventure just to get out of his city. He winded up finding a town and he settled there for a week and the town was destroyed with all of Marco's friends. A year later, Marco ended finding Dr. Eggman and joining him in his cause to fight evil. Marco was tricked, more easily than Knuckles. Marco found Maria and they became great friends, maybe lovers. Marco switched sides with Eggman, once finding out he's been tricked. He and Maria, fought Eggman and he escaped, leaving his destroyed base. Marco has a habit for trouble finding him and being the only survivor and Marco hated that, he wanted to join his fallen friends.

"Well, that's all I know about him."

Sonic fell asleep for a good three hours and woke up. He stood up from his bed looked out the window and saw two lights getting closer. Sonic shielded his eyes as the two lights got closer and soon found out it was Tails and the others.

"Hey Sonic!" Tails shouted.

"Tails!" Sonic shouted.

Sonic jumped from the window and landed near the jeep. Tails and the others jumped out.

"Boy, I'm glad you guys are here," Sonic said.

"So are we," a voice said.

Sonic and the others looked where the voice was coming from and saw Bunnie.

"Yeah! Now the Freedom Fighters are back!" Sonic shouted.

"Ah reckon yawl gonna tell me whats going on here." Bunnie said with her usual country talk, "Yawl call me' 3:00 in the mornin' sayin yawl need my help."

"What did she say?" Marco asked.

"Right, let's go to the briefing room."

When they got there, Sally hugged Bunnie.

"It been a long time, Sally-girl," Bunnie said.

"It seemed forever," Sally said.

Knuckles walked in the briefing room.

"Got over your terrible horror-look yet?" Sonic asked jokingly.

"Shut up," Knuckles said angrily.

"Let's not start." Sally said, breaking up the about-to-be fight.

Marco looked a Bunnie's unusual robotisized left arm and legs.

He whispered to Tails, "What happened to her?"

Tails whispered back, "She was robotisized halfway."

Marco nodded in understanding, "looks nice on her."

"Well, thank ya," Bunnie said to Marco.

Marco jumped, "You heard me?"

"Ah, don't have these long ears just ta' look pretty."

Marco chuckled, "I should've known."

"And who is this nice look'in fella right here?" Bunnie said, pointing at Shadow.

"I'm Shadow," he said.

"Ah just call ya Shirley, cutie pie."

Shadow blushed and everyone laughed.

Rouge walked up to Bunnie, "I'm Rouge the Bat."

"Hey Rougie!"

"Rougie?"

"Put it there, part'na!"

Bunnie pulled out her robotisized hand and Rouge gladly shook it.

"Now let's get down to business," Sonic said.

He started his story and finished in about 30 minutes. Marco and Amy fell asleep halfway, Shadow wasn't listening and Knuckles ended up saying "Cut to the chase already!". Bunnie was astounded for what she heard.

"That Destructo Diamond sounds mighty dangerous," Bunnie said.

"It's Diamond of Destruction," Marco said, waking up.

"That's what aye just said."

"In 'country'."

"Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Uh…no."

Bunnie grinned, "Thought so."

Maria chuckled.

"And who is this young lady?" Bunnie asked.

"My name is Maria, nice to meet you," she replied.

"Ah reckon you're the kitsune's girly-friend right?"

Marco jumped, "Uh…uh…uh…"

Maria hugged Marco tightly, "Yes we are."

"Maria! You're embarrassing me."

"Exactly why I'm doing this."

Amy just woke up when she heard what Maria said and her heart was shattered. She almost cried but she walked out the room before she did.

"What wrong with her?" Bunnie asked.

"I don't know," Sonic replied.

Sally knew, "I'm…going to find out."

Sally walked out the door and saw Amy crying in the middle of the hallway. Sally walked up to her and rubbed her back.

"It's Marco and Maria isn't it?" Sally asked.

Amy nodded, "I should've known, but I was blinded with my feelings."

"Is there anything I can do?" Sally asked.

"……I just want to be alone right now."

Sally nodded, "Take care."

Amy walked up to her bedroom. Sally walked back in the briefing room, "She's just alittle tired and going to get some rest."

"Okay, now with that out of the way, how are we going to find this menace?" Sonic asked.

Right on queue, the palace's alarm sounded.

"Guys!" Rotor shouted, "There's a big energy reading just outside!"

"Let's go!" Sonic shouted.

They all ran out to the entrance, the guards looked scared stiff.

"What's going on?" Sonic asked.

"Hello, Sonic the Hedgehog," said a voice.

"Who is that?" Tails asked.

The voice stepped out the shadows. Sonic, Sally, Tails, Bunnie, and Knuckles was scared stiff and shivering.

"It can't be," Sonic said.

"How could he…" Sally said.

"Is it really?" Tails said.

"How in Mobius?" Bunnie said.

"Could it really be…him?" Knuckles said.

The figure was a rounded guy, having a red cape tied around his neck and a robotisized right arm, he looked very familiar.

"Who is he?" Marco asked nervously, since seeing Sonic scared.

"I'll tell you who am," The figure said, "I am…"