EPILOGUE – THE LEARNING
Sometimes Sonic wondered if the world really did listen to their whims. It was a clear, sunny midday in the clearing in Knothole, after all the previous weeks of atrocious weather. The remaining Freedom Fighters had assembled in the clearing with him, to pay their respects to their fallen comrades and loved ones, and for an announcement on their future as a society.
He could hear birds chirping, and silently thanked them for gracing them all with their presence. He was surprised to even hear them at all, after all that had happened. Knothole was still in ruins, but over the past month the Freedom Fighters had gradually restored it to an at least inhabitable state.
On a podium in front of the crowd, he was watching and half-listening to Antone addressing the crowd with an introductory speech. He looked down at his sneakers and chuckled quietly; they couldn't have picked anyone worse to be MC for something like this.
"...and today, is the day that we ack...ackner... acknowledge? Yes, acknowledge, our continued existence after all zese... sorry, these years of hardship. We may mourn for our lost loved ones, but moreover, we celebrate the beginning of a new age, one of peace and tranquility everlasting! Today is the day that we may relinquish our titles as Freedom Fighters, for freedom is the very thing we have now won back!"
Antoine smiled, looking over the crowd as they erupted into applause.
He waited for a moment until the fanfare died down, and finished off, "And now, it is time to make another announcement; we have carefully discussed among ourselves whom should be the one to lead us in this new age, after the passing of our beloved Princess Sally. Each of us standing here today is a hero in his or her own right... but if there is one that has the respect of each and every one of us... even mine..." Antoine laughed, "...if there is one that is truly the icon that represents us all, it is... Sonic tze Hedgehog."
Sonic's eyebrows raised, and he watched every head in the crowd around turn to look at him with warm smiles.
"Sonic..." Antoine called out from his podium. "Will you be our new king?"
The hedgehog couldn't help but laugh, and it only took him a second to decide. Slowly, casually, he made his way through the crowd to stand beside Antoine on the podium. "Nah. Sorry."
"Eh... ce?" Antoine responded, his eyes widening. "Why not?"
"Well..." Sonic said, looking out to the crowd. "I'm really flattered, everyone, I really am. But I'm no king. I'm used to 'Hero' being my job description, and if I can, I'd like to stick to it."
"Very well..." the coyote said back, a little flustered. "As you wish. But, then, do you have anyone in mind that you would elect to rule?"
Sonic pondered to himself for a moment, paying no heed to those around him. "Yeah..." he finally said. "I do. I want Nicole to be our leader."
The crowd began murmuring amongst themselves.
"But Nicole's a computer!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"Android," someone else corrected.
"No, she's more than that." Sonic addressed them. "I've known Nicole since the coup. She's got the brain of a computer, but she's got more than that. I dunno how those eggheads did it, but she's got spunk. She's a character too. She's my friend." He bowed his head. "Nicole, you better get up here."
Nicole shuffled through the murmuring crowd and finally joined Sonic and Antoine on the podium.
"So..." Sonic grinned at her, "Whaddaya say?"
If an android ever could blush, Nicole found herself blushing. "I would be honoured."
The crowd once again erupted into a cheer.
"Praise to our new queen!" someone shouted.
"Praise to Nicole, Queen of Mobius!" someone else cheered, and the rest followed them.
"Great!" Antoine finally said, with some degree of relief. "So, Nicole, is there anything else you would like to say?"
"Not me, personally." Nicole said. "But there is a certain log entry from a certain princess recorded in case a day like this came to pass, that I would like to relate to you all."
--
Later that night, Sonic sat by the power ring pool, watching the moon perched in the sky, nestled among the stars that surrounded it. The words that Nicole had told them all that day, words that Sally had recorded, played themselves over and over in his head:
"I don't know. Sometimes it feels like this war will never end. Even if it does, by some miracle, there's a different kind of war going on. It goes on in all of us. The struggle to just live against the day.
"And that's a kind of war that doesn't end. Not until we're gone. But that's something that I like the idea of. If there's anything that this war has taught me, it's that there's always hope. To just appreciate what we have, and treasure it like it deserves. To all my friends that have helped me and looked to me, I love you all. You may look to me as a hero, but you are all my heroes, too.
"I suppose, there's one worthy of special mention, too... if you never hear this directly from my lips, Sonic, you should know that I love you. And no matter where I am, I always will, and I'll always be there with you, wherever you are. Don't you dare give up, Sonic, don't any of you dare. You're all far to great and precious to do that.
"Go to your loved ones. And love them like it's your last day to live. And remember that there's always hope. That's what I've learned. Never give up hope.
"Sally."
Sonic looked up to the stars, and remembered all those he'd seen smiling back at him earlier during the day. Bunnie, Rotor, Tails and Marr wrapped up in each others' arms and looking at him. Knuckles standing up the back of the crowd next to Lupe, the smile on his face ever so slight but undoubtedly genuine.
Remembered how later that day, Christof had shown up from Mobius North to discuss their future in relation to the soon-to-be reformed Mobotropolis. They'd arrived at an agreement easily; to unite under the one banner, and for all records of conflict on both sides to be destroyed. The slate was swept clean, once and for good.
He remembered too, all the times even he'd nearly given up, when it seemed like everything had fallen to pieces and there'd be no way he or anyone else would recover. But they did. And it wasn't by some miracle or divine intervention. They'd done it themselves. They were free. Because that was what they wanted.
"Sal, if you're listening..." Sonic spoke to the wind, to the trees, to the grass beneath his feet. "I suppose this is goodbye, for now. I'm gonna move on like all the others, and I'm gonna look forward to all the new things I'll do with what you gave me. And I'll make you proud, Sal."
Sonic got up, and started to walk home. "Just like you always have for me."