Don't Take Wooden Nickels

10-18: Thanks for the Memories Bundle

Warnings: None

Notes: VERY IMPORTANT STUFF About time I update this story, ne?

At the beginning of the year, I approached my best friend, Yami-sama42, with the idea that we write a 20th anniversary fanfic for Sonic. This was before Generations was released or even hinted at, so we came up with what we – at the time – thought was a genius plot. It had tons of allusions to obscure parts of the Sonic fandom, and was just an all around nostalgic blast. However, the story never got off the ground, and we just (today actually) declared that it was officially dead. There is no way (see: no desire to) that either of us could continue it without it getting in the way of either of our own projects or things we're planning together (like for instance, the Sonic Generations adaptation we're planning out right now). So, now that it is dead, I can release some of the material from it in good conscience.

The things included in this post (besides being written completely by me) are a part of what we labeled 'memories' for lack of a better term. Basically, the story is one long race to get the Emeralds. Eggman tells Sonic that he has one month to prepare for the final battle between them. Both sides (Sonic's and Eggman's) amass their armies in this time period (with Sonic having all of his friends and Eggman with the Kukku Battle Army, Metal Sonic, and his battalion of robots) and search for the Chaos Emeralds. The 'memories' section comes into play when Eggman temporarily captures Sonic in an attempt to slow down his race for the Emeralds and puts him into a machine that makes him relive his memories (hence the nostalgia blast). Tails, Mighty, and Ray eventually get him out, but that's not covered in this bundle of drabbles here. A few of these may be familiar, as I have tacked them onto other things as bonus scenes.

Most of these are supposed to be vague and slightly confusing. All of them except for one are told from 20 year old Sonic's point of view, and he's kinda a passenger in his younger self's head (if that makes sense). He doesn't really have any dialogue, but he does think a few things. The first one is a bit different though, because it was supposed to come later in the story, toward the end before Tails frees him from the machine, so it's actually told from the younger-Sonic's POV.

Now that the long explanation is out of the way, enjoy the drabbles. I hope they're not too confusing. (I tried to put them in chronological order.)

10: Green Hill Zone (Sonic 1)

Olgilvie Maurice Hedgehog rolled over uneasily in his bed before burying his head under his pillow, muffled cursing resounding through the whole room. His head was spinning and there was a thick pressure pressing against his skull amongst the pounding of his heart as it pumped quickly.

Eventually, he rolled out of his small bed, landing on the wood floor with a hallow thud. The young hedgehog twisted his back, popping the joints with sharp cracks before settling back onto the bed and slipping high tech sneakers over his socks. There were no laces or any type of fastenings on the shoes, but they hugged his feet tightly, while the red color shone brightly, showing how well taken care of they were.

With a sigh, Olgilvie trudged his way to the small mirror propped against the wall. He quietly gazed at his expression drearily before dragging a small hand through short, dull quills.

…So young…

The hedgehog jumped before twisting around, a threat on his lips. But, his dark eyes beheld no intruder and he shook his head. "Hearing things." His voice died out in the horrible acoustics of the room and he shook himself roughly before stooping down and grabbing at a small niche in the floorboards. A trapdoor just large enough for him to fit through popped open and a rope ladder unfurled, falling until it was hanging about a foot from the ground. Olgilvie scratched his ear once before backing his way out of the trapdoor and taking a few tentative steps down.

Robotnik's coming.

The same voice from before sounded again and the young one jumped, losing his grip for a few seconds and sliding down a couple rungs. He gulped, eyes wide, as he looked around and underneath him.

"Very funny guys!" He ignored the way his voice shook. "C'mon! Cut it out!"

Only silence met his ears and he shook his head once more before continuing his descent.

When the voice came again, he was ready. Instinctually, his hands curled tightly around the rope while his feet slid sideways to hold him on the ladder.

Don't go through the center of town.

Olgilvie shook his head, gulping uneasily as he analyzed the voice. Deep, yet still young like that of one just out of teenagerdom. It didn't seem to occupy any space like a regular voice but yet pounded in his ears. And, it had an echo laced through it.

Now, he was officially freaked out. There was a voice. It echoed. And, he was likely the only person that could hear it.

Thirty seconds later, Olgilvie screamed his way into the dwelling of his best friend. He passed by the woman of the house in a flash of blue and was up the stairs milliseconds later.

"G'morning Olgilvie!" The female armadillo called after him before shaking her head and turning back to the stove.

In the bedroom of her only son, the blue hedgehog was shaking a small form awake. "Mighty! Might! Wake up! I think I'm going insane!"

The figure under the covers twisted around, giving the intruder a sharp glare. "What's new, Sonic?"

Olgilvie slumped backward on the bed, crossing his arms and humphing a tad. When the other didn't move, he easily shot out a foot and the sleepy figure went sprawling off the bed with a loud thud and a very rude curse.

The hedgehog couldn't help but chuckle at his friends unfortunate battle with gravity, but his mirth was cut off as a red, black, and gold form came barreling at him.

Mighty Armadillo was not a morning person.

The two boys battled for a few minutes, each receiving misplaced elbows and misguided punches for their troubles. Neither could truly see what exactly it was they were hitting, but they both got a sick satisfaction when they heard small pained grunts from the other. The fight ended just as quickly as it started however and both young males were left panting and swearing the other's name and lineage.

"Ya'know, Mighty," the blue one began, rubbing a tender spot on his shoulder, "you'd be in pieces right now if I hadn't let my quills dull."

The armadillo looked up sharply, his face turned to the side to hide a long scratch Olgilvie's "blunt" quills had left on his face. "If you hadn't pushed me off the bed, this never would've happened!"

The hedgehog placed a gloved hand over his heart. "I'm hurt. I thought you knew me better than that. It was a kick, not a shove."

Mighty rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He pushed himself off the bed and crossed to his closet before pulling out a pair of shoes.

Olgilvie stood before stretching. "Ya'know, in the future, when I'm rich and famous, and you're a master detective, we're gonna look back on these times and laugh."

Not far off.

"If you say so, Sonic." The blue hedgehog barely heard his friend through the fog of voice-denial.

"Mighty-" He began, but was interrupted.

"Shower's that way, down the stairs," the armadillo pointed, "as I'm sure you were gonna ask." He stooped down and grabbed a towel before tossing it at his friend's head. "You really need to stop sleeping in that tree house. You smell rank."

Refusing a bath was a losing battle in the Armadillo household because all three residents were complete neat freaks. So, it was with great ire that Olgilvie (Sonic to his friends) trudged his way into the bathroom. After removing his shoes, socks, and gloves, he easily stepped under the hot spray and felt the day's grime flow away.

Olgilvie and water had a love-hate relationship, i.e. he loved it if it came out of a faucet or in a glass and hated it in every other form. He enjoyed showers most of the time, but today seemed to be an exception. His whole body was tense and his mind seemed to be thinking as fast as he could run.

He quickly soaped himself up and watched the white bubbles swirl their way down the drain. His dark eyes went unfocused and he zoned out long enough for the water to turn cold.

Move back now!

It only took the hedgehog half a second to respond, not even realizing that it was his mysterious voice talking to him. Moments after his quills had touched the marble of the wall behind him, something metallic crashed through the wall. It looked suspiciously like a claw, but there was something sinister about the way it was formed. Flashing lights covered its surface and it seemed to have a life of its own as it moved about the room, hissing and moaning like a piece of machinery. Thick steam spurted out of every joint, making it almost impossible to see. It was connected to something by a thick cable incased in metal, and it snapped it's three pincers three or four times, as if grasping for something that wasn't there.

Olgilvie's heart was beating loudly in his ears and his stomach had dropped to his feet. He had no idea what this thing was, but it made his belly into a pit of dread.

The claw twisted around, as if looking for someone and he closed his eyes and held his breath in an attempt to camouflage himself. Unfortunately, blue hedgehog against white wall isn't exactly something nature intended in way of survival adaptations, and the machine took notice of him almost immediately, seeming to snap in happiness before lunging forward. It only grasped plaster though, because Olgilvie was already across the room, shoes in hand, and out the door.

He dashed across the house faster than one might think possible and his eyes widened when he arrived in the large living area. One of the walls was knocked out and another was splintered dangerously. Mrs. Armadillo was nowhere to be found in the open kitchen and he paused only long enough to shove his socks and shoes on his feet. A flash of blue sped its way up the stairs towards Mighty's room, where he hoped he would find his friend.

His hopes were brought to fruition when he slammed open the door and found his buddy and his mother huddling together beside the bed, Mighty with his body covering that of his parent. She was whimpering slightly, but still trying to push her way out of his embrace when she saw Olgilvie.

"You both okay?" The first thing out of his mouth was a question, and both mother and son nodded. The speedster heaved a sigh of relief and finally pulled his gloves on over his dry hands. His quills were dripping water but he didn't seem to care.

Suddenly, the whole house shook as something crashed into the lower level and Olgilvie dashed over to the pair.

Get to ground level. The house is going to fall in minutes.

Olgilvie didn't question the voice or its origins anymore. It had saved his life in the bathroom, and now wasn't the time to be zoning out anyway. He carefully clapped a hand on Mighty's shoulder, forcing the armadillo to look at him. "We need to move!" He urged over the creaking of the house as something slammed into the supports again. "The house is coming down!"

The red shelled mammal looked toward his mother before helping her to her feet and urging her to follow Olgilvie towards the door. She complied easily enough, her motherly instincts raging with her full force as her eleven year old son tried to protect her. They made their way down the hall and to the staircase before they hit a snag: a lack of steps. It wasn't that far of a jump for Olgilvie or Mighty but Mrs. Armadillo was another matter. She glanced at the gaping hole where her staircase used to be with trepidation, as if offended that it would fail them in their time of need.

Mighty sighed before gesturing with a gloved fist. "Go and make sure it's safe for her down there. I'll be right after you."

Olgilvie nodded, launching himself in a smooth arch off the crumbling second floor. He easily curled into a ball, turning his gravitational movement into rotational so that he could land safely. When his feet hit the ground, his mind was already processing the extent of disaster the house was in. There were only a few walls left and all the windows were small sparkles on the floor. Somewhere in the distance he could hear screaming and alarms, so he knew this wasn't an isolated incidence in the Armadillo house.

Jump!

The hedgehog didn't waste time doing so just as another claw whizzed through where he had just been standing and lodged itself in the opposite wall.

Thank you, voice. He breathed in his head. He wasn't expecting a reply and was slightly shocked when it sounded again.

Of course, Sonic.

He landed smoothly on top of the cable, his feet spread-eagle to keep him balanced. The metal monstrosity jiggled slightly as it felt his presence and tried to kick him off, but it was unsuccessful as he just dropped flat on his belly and wrapped both arms and legs around it. Somehow, his hold managed to loosen slightly and he found himself hanging upside from the thick wire as the thing tried to dislodge itself from the wall. His brain clicked through his options and he grinned evilly as he unwound his feet and kicked them back and forth to get momentum. His arms screamed at him because they were the pivot point of his swing, but he ignored them, counting in his head so he could keep a rhythm. Once he had enough power, he let go at just the right moment and curled into a ball so his quills were sticking straight out. His trajectory and built up speed made his spin quick and his aim true and he slammed back first into the thick metal. His dull quills lodged into the material and dug through. He could feel the jagged edges of the blunted spikes on his back snag on technology as he worked through, but inertia pushed him all the way to the other side. The cable dropped to the ground with a sharp clang and twitched as electric sparks wracked its now still form.

"Score one Sonic, zip technology."

"That was amazing and all, Sonic," Mighty called from above, "but I'd appreciate it if you'd move."

"Oh," Olgilvie mumbled, skittering slightly to the side so Mighty could jump off the second floor. The armadillo gathered his mother into his arms and easily leapt off the crumbling ledge, landing just as easily as Olgilvie. Mighty then let his parent out of his arms and she turned to them both. Her face held an expression of pure shock and amazement, as if she had never seemed to comprehend what either of the boys could do.

"Boys…" She began, but was cut off as another arm shot through the room and latched itself around her midsection. She screamed as she was pulled backwards, and Sonic felt a shout of his own rip out of his throat, mingling with one of Mighty's tone and timbre. Mrs. Armadillo was the closest thing the young hedgehog had to a mother. She had practically raised him from toddlerdom, and she was the only one that insisted on calling him by his real name. Without her, Olgilvie wouldn't exist. Only Sonic would.

Sonic turned toward his friend, his mind already spinning with ideas, the yells of Mighty's mother still echoing around his head. "Throw me."

"What?"

"Might!" Sonic grabbed his friend's shoulders and shook him roughly. "You're the strongest person I know; maybe even the strongest person on Mobius! You can lift trees and cars like they're playthings, for Chaos' sake! Pretend I'm a basketball. Throw me!"

Suddenly, Mighty seemed to get the idea and his eyes lighted with understanding. He quickly grabbed both of the hedgehog's hands in his own before swinging Sonic around like a rag doll. Sonic cringed as his arm sockets screamed at him, but he didn't make a sound as Mighty brought him around so he was parallel with the ground. With a heave, Mighty swung his arm forward and Sonic was careful to straighten his body out into an arrow shape for maximum velocity. He slammed through the air, crashing through the sound barrier just as he was speeding through the hole in the wall left by the claw. He could see Mighty's mother ahead of him and he curled into a ball quickly, feeling the air closing around his form once more.

Close your eyes, the voice said to him, and welcome to the war, Sonic the Hedgehog.

o0o

11: SegaSonic (SegaSonic the Hedgehog (Arcade Game))

(This one starts in with the POV from twenty-year-old Sonic's.)

When Sonic eventually came to, he didn't need to open his eyes to know he was in a different place. He could feel it in his bones and deep in his heart, as if he was developing a sixth sense.

Dark eyes opened to naggingly familiar surroundings – dark metal walls and steel bars. He stood easily, the bump on his head seemingly nonexistent, but something still felt off. His eyes flicked back and forth uneasily while his ears twitched at every miniscule sound. He could feel fear that he hadn't felt in years sitting heavily in his round belly.

Wait a second…

Round belly?

He tried to make his head snap down so he could get a better view of his changed physique, but his neck wouldn't obey, as if being controlled by some demented puppet master. Suddenly, he was moving forward without his say so, his sneakers making tiny taping noises as he moved. Across the room, there was a small sink with a mirror suspended above it and his legs made a bee-line for it on their own accord.

Sonic's eyes widened as he caught sight of his face. He was a mess! His face was more red than tan and blue and his left arm was hanging at an unnatural angle. But, his injuries weren't what shocked him most; it was his looks.

Dark eyes, round stomach, shorter stature, and no doubt shoes without buckles if he could coax his head to look down. He had a sinking feeling in his gut as his brain pieced together the puzzle. He was in a body familiar yet foreign to him: his ten year old skin.

Sonic could feel his mind spinning as it tried to wrap itself around the alien concept. The nerve impulses rebelled, telling him that he had left this form behind almost ten years ago and there was no possible way his 19 year old mind could be inhabiting it. Yet, here he was, still staring at the dark eyed figure in the mirror.

His head started to throb as he fought with himself over the impossible and he felt the urge to clap his hands over his ears in pain, but they wouldn't move from where they were gripping the sink.

Robotnik did this… The thought floated through his head, not coming from him, the mental voice seemingly younger than his own and Sonic would've jumped if his body had been listening. He captured me and threw me in here.

Suddenly, the body was moving again. The left heel hit the ground and the body pivoted with a grace a ballerina would be jealous of, before the right foot connected with the ground fluidly. The opposite foot followed easily before the process started again, the arms moving back and forth for balance smoothly.

Sonic couldn't help but marvel at how swiftly his body could move, as if seeing it for the first time. He was always in control, always thinking about something and letting his body run on autopilot. But, now that he wasn't in command, it came to the forefront.

Now, his old skin had reached the bars blocking his exit. The gloved hands reached up and grasped the metal, tugging slightly.

"Too sturdy." His voice was high pitched, still young, and his mind started to spin again.

He remembered this now. Robotnik had captured him a few months after his romp through South Island… Him and two others.

"Mighty! Ray!" Sonic's mouth opened again and his voice called out of its own accord once more.

That's right. Might and Ray, his best friends of old. He hadn't seen either of them in years. He would have to look them up if he ever got out of this mess.

"Sonic!"A deeper voice than his own called back and his heart picked up in his chest. His eyes focused out through the bars and widened to the size of dinner places. He was in the middle of Robotnik's giant prison compound, where the megalomaniac held all the Mobians he captured before he shoved them into machines.

Now the memories came flooding back even faster. Robotnik hadn't wasted any time capturing him and his two friends after recuperating from his stinging defeat in South Island. Now, Mighty and Ray and Sonic himself were all locked up here.

His brain quickly ran through what happened next in his memories. He would spindash his way out of the cell – having barely learned to do the maneuver only days before – alerting the nearest SWATbot of his escape. His brain would be spinning from the force required to break through the solid titanium and the 'bot would quickly give chase. Another spindash would free Mighty, but Ray was unreachable, stored on another level. Both he and Mighty would split up, Mighty would find Ray, retrieve Sonic, and then they would break out of there, releasing fellow Mobians as they went.

He remembered this vaguely, the multiple thrashings to his head making it almost impossible for him to remember much past his thirteenth birthday besides the trauma inducing incidents – such as his first adventure against Robotnik – or the glory radiating ones – like his meeting Tails. Still, he knew that he was in for a load of pain when his less-physics-inspired mind attacked those thick bars.

Seconds after he thought that, he could feel his body curling in on itself, getting ready for a spindash to cut through solid metal. The spin was awkward since the young mind had only practiced it once on an unassuming tree in Green Hill Zone, and Sonic knew it was less than streamlined, but it would do. The small body revved easily before he shot forward, screaming about how stupid he was when he was young in his head the whole way.

When his back smashed into the bars, he could feel the breath go out of his young form, and he attempted to command himself to take in more air. Of course, his nineteen-almost-twenty persona was only here for the ride, and his lungs didn't listen. It only took a few seconds for him to start seeing black spots in the middle of the swirling world, and he cursed himself violently for ever being so stupid.

(He conveniently forgot that he had done something similar to this only days before, except, instead of bars, it was solid, titanium doors.)

Suddenly, the young voice whispered through his mind again, as if riled up by his sailor-like vocabulary. Gotta get through; Have'ta get out!

Sonic felt himself become briefly stunned, as if the determination in his younger self had never really stuck him until now. He had been brave when he was younger, he knew, but he'd never realized he'd been that resolute, as if everything he did went into his escape in this one moment.

Suddenly, the bars gave way under the sharp quills and the young hedgehog rolled uncontrollably across the corridor, nothing holding back his built up momentum. Sonic felt his own mind start to whirl, as if he could actually feel the motion sickness his juvenile body was experiencing. The world swirled in a blend of color, and Sonic could feel himself slipping away, like the splashes of tone were making him lose his grip on this time and reality.

The last thing he heard before he was sucked back into the black void was a SWATbot calling out an alarm and Mighty's voice urging him to get up and run.

o0o

12: Friendship (Sonic 2)

Sonic slammed into the next memory with about as much grace as a dancing Knuckles after a particularly thick drinking binge. His nonessential mind spun as his consciousness tried to get a grip and some traction on the brain he currently inhabited. It took him a few seconds to neatly tuck himself into the folds of his younger self, already completely over the fact that he was reliving his memories. He was finally able to get a look through his old yet somehow new eyes and they would have widened if he had actual control over them. Green palms and thick grass surrounded him on all sides, the sea between here and the distant island glittering happily. Small Mobians splashed in the water and Sonic could feel his younger self's apprehension at the sight. A rough twitch shuddered up his backbone and his quills flared out instinctively, as if trying to fend off an attack. He was walking quickly down the boardwalk lining the beach, trying to keep his mind off the close proximity of the water.

Suddenly, some kids ran across his vision before cutting across the boardwalk feet in front of him, dripping water the whole time. Sonic could feel his eyes twitching as some of the droplets splashed onto him and he had to bite his lip to keep himself from verbally attacking his peers.

Instead, he watched as they dashed towards what looked like a small pile of sand. They converged on the mound, yelling loudly all of the sudden. The noise overpowered the beach, making almost everyone turn in that direction.

Who knew little kids could be so loud?

But, over all the clamor, a small voice called in a high pitched tone. Sonic couldn't hear what it was saying but he could tell from the tone that it was a call for help – a call he couldn't ignore.

It took him all of two seconds to scream across the beach and push himself into the crowd of young boys. He was careful as he shoved past them, making sure they didn't nick themselves on his sharp quills but still rough enough so they got the message to move. Most caught his drift when they turned to see who had grabbed their shoulder; eyes wide, they sputtered at him before he stepped past. Others thought large of themselves and attempted to obstruct him. These he sent sprawling into the sand, hiding his mirth as they stared at him dumbly.

As he worked his way towards the middle, the number of those trying to cease his movement increased and outnumbered those smart enough to move out of his way. In a few moments time, he had over half of the large group nursing sore tails and the rest ogling at him, stuck in the disbelief that a living legend had just touched them. He shook his head at the younger males, trying to think of a time when he acted that way. Of course, his mind was biased and couldn't pull up a single incidence, but he was sure that if he questioned one of his friends, there would surely be many. However, he pushed these thoughts away as he finally came upon the middle of the group.

What he saw there both infuriated him and disappointed him, if such a combination of emotions was possible.

Oh… His older thoughts rumbled through his head, unheard by the one in control. This moment… I remember this…

Three figures wrestled in the sand, two clearly overpowering the third. In fact, it wasn't so much wrestling as beating up. The third person was younger, if the voice being yelled above the cries of the other two boys was any indication, and he was firmly pressed into the ground by the other two. One of the older boys – some kind of cat species by the looks of it – was pounding roughly on the smaller's chest and face, smiling almost gleefully as his victim cried out with each hit. The other – a coyote – was pinning his arms down so he couldn't move to fight back. Sonic couldn't tell what species the one receiving the beating was, because he was so obscured by the others.

It made him sick.

He saw red. His dark eyes narrowed dangerously and his fists clenched, a pure rage coursing through his veins. A rage he hadn't felt since Robotnik attacked his village and ended his life as he knew it. His feet planted in the sand, gathering traction on the loose substance and he was about to pounce on the older boys to give them a taste of their own medicine when one of them spoke.

"Had enough yet, Miles?" The cat-like one yelled into the face of the one digging deeper and deeper into the sand. "Where're your precious bombs now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" A broken sob emerged from the sands, and Sonic felt his heart jerk unexpectantly. "What bombs?" The voice was harsh with disbelief as if he couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"You know exactly what bombs I'm talking about, you freak!" The cat was screeching now, shaking the life out of the other. "The bombs you almost blew up the whole Zone with!"

There came no reply, and the cat looked towards the coyote, nodding his head roughly. The dog smiled smoothly before scooping down and pulling the sobbing child to his feet. Sonic's eyes were immediately drawn to the blood spattered boy, categorizing injuries and wounds. The child was a fox – he could see that now – and his face was almost disfigured. His nose was obviously broken and his teeth looked like they had seen better days. Luckily however, he looked young enough for them to only be baby teeth, so he would be receiving his older pair to replace them soon enough. He was hunched over, hand pressed to his chest, an obvious sign of a broken rib, and his eyes were closed as he awaited whatever punishment his tormentors were going to inflict while he was standing.

He couldn't have been older than four or five.

The cat took over sentry duty by the kit's only free arm and the coyote paced in front before stopping and glaring towards his victim. "Well, Miles," he mumbled, grinning maliciously, "you gonna tell us where you hid those bombs?"

It stuck Sonic as weird that neither of the boys seemed to notice that their cheering squad had been silenced minutes before. They seemed so far into their own gruesome world that they didn't comprehend anything about the outside world.

Well, he thought, finally breaking through the spell the confrontation had put him in, it's time to make them realize.

He attacked quickly, slamming into the coyote like a semi-truck, throwing him to the ground. He landed very similarly to a forgotten rag-doll but rolled over moaning, showing a sign of life. The cat was down seconds later, standing about as much chance against Sonic as his buddy.

The hedgehog wasted no time speeding to the fox's side. The little one didn't seem to comprehend that the danger to him was gone, because he didn't open his eyes. He stood shaking, hands wrapped around his torso and tails between his legs.

Wait… Tails…?

It seemed impossible, but this kit possessed two of the appendages instead of one. Sonic lost himself for a few seconds as he stared at the double twitching masses, but shook his head when he realized what he was doing. Carefully, he forced the cub to move his head towards him, murmuring easily to him. "It's okay, kiddo. They're not gonna hurt you anymore."

The young one seemed to sense the kindness in his words and his ears pricked. Slowly, dark eyes opened and stared at Sonic with pure terror. However, the hedgehog's easy smile seemed to settle the child some, and his expression softened.

The hedgehog smiled kindly at the young one, patting his head simply, and giving him a thumbs up. "You're with me now, kid. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

No truer words have been spoken… Sonic mumbled to himself as he watched his younger self confront the bullies, wishing for the first time that he knew how he was visiting his memories. This was one that he wanted to experience again. I'll watch over you Tails, even if you don't want me to sometimes.

o0o

13: Warping (Sonic CD)

Spinning.

He was spinning.

The world was spinning.

A cornucopia of colors swirled around his eyes, making his mind bend and his senses scramble.

Stretching.

His quills were stretching, growing longer with pains that were excruciating and intoxicating all at once, as if he were seeing himself as he would in the future; a sneak peak of what was to come.

Lengthening.

His legs pulled out away from him on their own, gaining extra length while his arms and fingers elongated to compensate for the shifted lower body.

Extending.

Time extended in front of him as well as behind him, as if he were in a small bubble of frozen era.

Suspended.

Animation stopped. Time ceased. He moved. Oscillating through time, he soared through millenniums, not daring to look back or forward, but to live in the moment, no matter how fleeting that may be. His nose was constantly ages older than the tips of his toes and his mind had hundreds of years on his heart, yet his soul felt the same.

Speed.

His alacrity held no consequence. He could have been at a standstill and it would still feel like he was moving at the speed of light.

Exhilaration.

o0o

14: Forgotten (Sonic the Hedgehog 2006)

Suddenly, dark. Vague memories slammed into him, lingering only long enough for him to barely grasp. Life lost meaning; the memories gained importance – something he had lost and would never gain again.

A flash of Silver.

A dash of blue.

Something rectangular flying at his head.

A thick heat.

A sharp pain.

Something pressing against his lips.

A feeling of grievance.

The whimpering of a Brother.

The concern of a Guardian.

The impassiveness of a Shadow.

Multi-hued light.

Warmth.

Understanding.

Life.

Danger.

Danger.

DANGER.

DANGER.

Pain.

Frustration.

Anger.

Fuel to fight.

o0o

15: Legends (Sonic and the Black Knight)

A sharp gust of air. He jumped, avoiding the hit by mere millimetres. A glint of steel. He twisted, maneuvering away seconds later and back the way he came. Double swords swung at him as his opponent attempted to slash him in two. He moved with grace though, his own sword a lethal weapon of alacrity.

The doubles were heavy, made for force and strength and that put his adversary at a disadvantage against his speed. Caliburn sang as it was swept through the air, while its enchanted mouth called out advice and insults at its blue wielder. The red foe constantly had to backtrack, unable to keep up with the speedier one's movements. This gave him an extreme vulnerability that allowed Caliburn to sail through his defenses and slam into his armor. Breath was caught, body hunched instinctively and thus letting the enchanted sword to move forward quickly again, striking with lethal accuracy. Every hit caused his guard to crumble more and more.

Knuckles… He thought to himself as he swung his sword at the armored echidna, smirking when the sound of metal on metal resonated out. His body jumped into the air, curling into a homing attack, sword protruding from his spin and flinging out at unsafe angles. Now that Caliburn accompanied him when he homing attacked into the air, his spins weren't as defined and easy to control as before, so he had to be careful about where he did it. Didn't want to hit any unknowing villagers who didn't have the common sense to go inside when a bunch of purple monsters attacked.

His attack brought him down straight onto the armored head of his opponent with a large clang. The echidna stumbled back, landing roughly on his backside, unable to guard in time. Hedgehog feet pounded on the ground as their owner darted across the clearing, his sword coming up and leveling with the other's chin.

No… He thought to himself, as he felt the adrenaline of the success pouring into his veins. It disgusted him. What am I doing? ! This is Knuckles! Not some knight!

Of course, the one in control couldn't hear him, and he himself knew he was being irrational. Knuckles was up on Angel Island at this very moment, probably living it up by sleeping by day and… sleeping more by night. The echidna in front of him was a knight. He was Gawain.

"Surrender, brave knight," Caliburn called from Sonic's hand, "for you have been beaten."

"No! How can this be? " Was the only response they got, and it was enough for Sonic. He lowered his sword before turning and walking away, allowing the red one behind him to catch his wits. He shoved Caliburn sharp side down into the dirt, so the sword could see what was going on, but also wouldn't be in the way.

A large pound followed the sharp sound of Caliburn digging into the dirt, and the hedgehog spun around. Sonic rolled his eyes mentally. Here comes the theatrics…

"To lose a mere apprentice..." The Knuckles look-a-like moaned to himself in self-pity. Sonic felt the fur on his back bristle at the lowly title, and he gnashed his teeth together roughly. "I have been disgraced!" Sonic could barely hold back the laughter struggling to the surface of his mental throat, and he coughed to himself, not noticing the small jump his younger self made involuntarily, as if he felt the cough himself.

"Only death can remove this stain upon my honor." A rattling sound filled the clearing as Gawain raised one of his swords up to his neck, as if to slash himself. It physically hurt Sonic to stifle the snickers trying to escape from the prison of his esophagus.

"Gimmie a break!" Exasperated, Sonic rolled his eyes and grabbed the sword from the echidna, tempted to reach out and slap him. "What's up with all this drama?"

"Silence! Silence, I say!" Gawain raised his arms into the air, his eyes screwed shut, one knee resting on the ground. "A knight who fails their king is unfit to live!"

Oh, Knuckles… What would the Master Emerald say if it knew you were giving up your life for another? Tsk. Tsk.

"Isn't there more to being a knight than just serving a king?"

This speech is going up there with 'The Super Power of Teamwork' and 'I just need to see you smile!' Note to self: Don't ever go into public speaking…

"Huh?" The knight grunted, just seeming to comprehend his words.

"I'm outta here." Sonic replied, marching away and grabbing Caliburn out of the dirt. "People to save, ya know?" With barely a glance back, he kept going, leaving the clearing behind and striding into the next memory.

o0o

16: Collecting (Sonic the Hedgehog 4)

Colors swirled before his eyes. Blue and greens flashed as he curled and floated around, bouncing off barriers and strange peppermint-looking balls. He fell through rings easily, picking them up and feeling them adding to his energy reserves and keeping him from feeling sick from the continuous spinning. Reds and oranges starbursted behind him in a constant pattern and he couldn't help but feel like his blue fur stuck out sharply against the slowly cycling washed out colors.

At least there's no freakin' fish. He heard his slightly younger self mutter to himself as he slammed roughly into a bumper and shot off at a perpendicular angle. And… Why doesn't it surprise me that those are here? He crashed around a corner, plunging through a group of six rings.

Suddenly, the green was replaced with yellow and the pattern of the barriers picked up to seizure-inducing speed. Sonic forced himself to not look at the pretty flashing lights and instead focused on the next group of spinning circlets in front of him. It was tough, as the rings weren't always where he could see them, but he knew that he would have to, if he wanted to get out of here with an Emerald. The rings were the key. They led the way to the gem.

Collecting more gold pieces, he turned himself around, cursing this version of the Special Stage because of the fact that it didn't have the different control spheres like the first version he had experienced. He would've paid all of the Mobiums he had in his light wallet just for one 'down' sphere.

The next few seconds were spent in monotony as he gathered rings and received more bumps and bruises than he cared for. He was doing pretty well, if his sense of direction was anything to go by. He could feel the hairs on his arms rising as they sensed the energy from the Emerald starting to pulse closer and he attempted to speed up his spin.

It worked. Until he collided with a thick barrier that wasn't like the others. A large number 6 was displayed on a small screen next to the barrier, and Sonic was dumbfounded for approximately 1.3 seconds. Then, it clicked in his mind and he turned himself completely around and fell through a few more rings. The number diminished down to 2. Grabbing the needed amount, he watched through spinning eyes as the barrier chimed, flashed, and vanished. He soared through, the feeling of the Emerald getting stronger every second.

o0o

17: Foot-In-The-Mouth (Sonic Colors)

"Wow, sometimes I even impress myself." A thumb was hooked towards a tan chest, a sparking robot head the sole, silent witness.

Oh, Chaos… No. No way. If Sonic had control of his own head, he would've shaken it.

"For a second there I wasn't sure I was going to pull it off." Gloved hands were waved around eagerly, as if speaking to a long lost friend, and not a heap of steel.

Why, Eggman, why? !

"Oh, who am I kidding, we both knew how this would end." His back was arched, one hand on his hip, and one pointing towards the soul-less head.

Nineteen year old Sonic remained silent.

"Uh…"

Sonic jerked onto his toes, his back stiffening, his shoes scraping across the ground, and a startled noise coming out of his throat without his permission.

"Are you talking to the broken robot who can't hear you?" Tails walked up, hand held out in inquisition.

Stupid fox. He knows better than to question me when I'm talking to inanimate objects.

Sonic turned, planting his feet and holding his hands out in helplessness. "Uh, maybe. That's between me and the robot."

Don't think I haven't seen you talking to that screwdriver of yours…

"See, the important thing here is the alien planet is free."

And don't even get me started on the goo-goo eyes you make at the Tornados…

Tails rubbed his forehead with his hands for a few seconds before answering. "Absolutely."

Grumbling sounded from the vindictive hedgehog.

"So, we can just forget about the whole talking to dead robots thing, right?"

I should know better than to ask…

"Nope."

I should know better than to expect Tails to be reasonable…

"I knew you'd say that." He visibly wilted in front of his brother, his arms hanging parallel to his legs.

"Well, come on. I've seen you save the day a lot of times-"

Yes, yes you have.

"-but I've never seen you talk to a pile of metal."

Lies! You saw me talking to the microwave the other day, you fail fox.

"Touché…"

… why do I feel like such a space case…?

o0o

18: Blast-Off

(This one's a bonus; not a memory. I wrote this into the big fight at the end of the story, and I thought it was too brilliant to pass up sharing.)

Tails cringed as the laser pointed as his head started to glow and emit a high pitched noise, his fur starting to crackle at the built up energy. The fox was frozen out of fear, not able to move at all and he was sure that this was his end. Silently, he said goodbye to all his friends, praying that they would win this battle without any more casualties besides his own.

But, just as the prayer started to form on his lips, the laser was cut off, pieces of it raining down around him like drops in a spring shower. He felt his eyes widen behind his goggles and his mouth hit the ground as the blue orbs caught sight of his darker blue savior.

"'Sup, Tails?" Sonic quipped, leaning against Eggman's head, the doctor in shock at the loss of his cannon as well. "What have I told you about dying without my permission?"

"S-Sonic?"

"Sonic!" Robotnik's voice cut through the fox's own disbelief, but in a different kind. "What about Metal Sonic?"

The hedgehog simply rolled his eyes and hooked a thumb over his shoulder "He took a trip. Should be back in about... three... two... one." On the last word, a blue and gray shape careened into the ground about three hundred yards behind the trio, burrowing deeply into the ground and smoldering a bit. "You could say he's six feet under now."

Hope you enjoyed. Review please?