CHAPTER ELEVEN

Do-do-da-do-do-do, do-do-da-do…do-do-da-do-do-do, do-do-da-doooo…

Slowly but surely the sun peeked its way up from the horizon, and light began to shine higher and higher, towards a certain sleeping individual…actually several…

Bean the Dynamite, stretched out on top of the covers of his bed, his bandana fluffing up and down as he let out a long deep "phoooooo" and blew it up every time he breathed out.

Bark the Polar Bear was without any clothing at all as he lay on his big waterbed, his nose whistling as he kicked his leg slightly.

Mighty the Armadillo had fallen asleep on the couch, and was snoozing in front of a TV he had yet to turn off, not bothered by the fact that "Afro Ho's" had long since stopped playing.

Ray the Flying Squirrel was curled up in a little ball of sorts, his tail curling out and in, out and in…

Nack the Weasel was stretched out, limbs going in different directions as he snored.

And their boss was lying under his own bed covers, having tucked himself in, both hands resting near his head as one lay upon the other and his feet were slightly lifted up. He was lying on his side, nose whistling slightly.

And then it happened. The light peeked out and landed upon each of their faces.

Bean blinked his eyes open and the bandana fell down across his beak. "It's his birthday!" He quacked.

Bark sat up immediately, arms waving back and forth. "Is his birthday!" He shouted.

Mighty's form shot up and he clicked the TV off. "WOAH, it's his birthday!"

Ray shot out of bed. "It's his BIRTHDAY!" He realized out loud. "Oh goody-goody-gumdrops!"

Nack's eyes went wide. "Is…is it his birthday?"

And then their boss woke up, blinking a few times before he finally beamed and jumped out of bed, facing the day buck naked.

"IT'S MY BIRTHDAAAAAY!" He proclaimed happily, spreading his arms. "Zip-a-dee-do-dah!"

"Oh boy, it's his birthday." Nack said to himself, getting out of bed.

Meanwhile, the kid quickly ran to his clothes bureau and got dressed within a few minutes. Leaving his room, he approached Nack who was at the breakfast table. "Good morning, Nack! What do you want for breakfast? I was thinking of going out to Dunkin' Donuts and bringing back a muffin or two!"

"You know, a corn muffin and some black coffee would be good right about now." Nack admitted. "Could you remember that too?"

"Corn muffin and a black coffee, right. What size?"

"Large. It helps me through the day."

"Okay, suit yourself. Personally it smells waaaay too bad for me. I'm going to get Munchkins too, what kind do you like?"

"Chocolate!" Nack answered immediately.

"Awesomeness!" The kid said, walking out of the condo. "I'm walkin' on sunshine! Woaah-ohhh!"

Nack grinned.

I actually don't mind that goofy kid. He's just so darn jolly and nice!

The kid walked down the sidewalk, finishing up the song. "And tryin' to feel GOOD! All right now! And-oh! Hiya, Big!"

Big the Cat, along with his pal Froggy, was at Dunkin Donuts, of all places. He was chowing down on a box of Munchkins. Froggy was sitting on top of Big's head, and the cat was feeding him Munchkins by flicking them up, causing the frog to snap out his tongue and slurp them up. It was really quite a neat little sight. When Big saw the kid approach, he smiled.

"Heya Mister Nick! Howya doin'?"

"Great, Big! It's my birthday today! Did you get the invitations I chaos-controlled out?"

"Oh yeah! I'll do everythin' I can ta make it!" He said.

The kid beamed and walked inside Dunkin Donuts. Big watched him order and smiled up at Froggy.

"Mr. Nick's such a nice guy!" He said.

And he's one o' the few people that don't treat me like a total idiot…

A few minutes after Nick left, he was headed straight back to he condo when he accidentally bumped into a familiar face. Actually three. And one other face that he recognized.

"What…the…hey?"

Metal Sonic, Metal Knuckles, Tails Doll and Eggman were all picking up trash along the sidewalk, dressed in orange prison uniforms. Metal Sonic saw him and an unmistakable growl arose. Eggman "harrumphed".

"They installed shock devices in us. Don't ask how."

"I won't, because I don't want the mental image." The kid stated. "So this is part of your "rehabilitation", I take it?"

"…yes…" Eggman groaned.

Then Nick noticed Tails Doll. "How come he's not in pieces?"

Eggman sighed. "I installed him with a self-repair technology chip, and it's easy enough for a doll to stitch itself back together, especially with nanites…"

"Nan-oh, right, super-tiny machines." The kid realized. "Are you aware of how creepy Tails Doll is?"

"He's not that-"

Tails Doll looked over at them, tilting it's head slightly. Then it spoke in that echoey, childish voice. "Death from above! DEATH…from aboooove!"

"Your witness." The kid told Eggman.

"Okay, I admit it, he scares me." Eggman mumbled. "I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I made him…I should have just built a Mecha Tails, but noooo, I had to be creative/cheap and go for a gigantic doll with a hover gem…"

"You just need to re-remember what Tails Doll is."

"…a doll?"

"Yeah, it's just a big puppet, really."

"So?" Eggman asked.

The kid looked around and then grinned. He approached an alley. He stood by it, then jabbed his thumb into it, then his eyebrows went up and down as he looked right at Tails Doll.

"Mahna-mahna."

"Doo-doo-da-doo-doo!" The alley somehow sang back.

"Mahna-mahna."

"Doo-doo-da-doo!"

"Mahna-mahna."

"Doo-doo-da-doo-doo, da-doo-doo, da-doo-doo, da-doo-doo-da-da-doo-doo-doo-da-doo!"

Eggman rubbed his head. "Uh…oh wait, I get it! Mahna-mahna!"

"Doo-doo-da-doo-doo!"

"Mahna-mahna!"

The Tails Doll suddenly realized how they were all making fun of him. He "harrumphed" and went back to picking up a coke can, only to drop it due to his lack of, well, fingers. He began jumping up and down, complaining noisily.

Eggman laughed over and over. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, oh it feels good to laugh like this!..."

"Great, now get back to work." A man in army garb told him, walking by.

Eggman grumbled. "They could have at least let me go get some breakfast…"

The kid looked down at the munchkins he'd gotten along with the muffins and the coffee. Then he gave the munchkins to Eggman. "Hey, here." He said. "It's my birthday, so I'm really in a good mood." And with that, he walked off.

Eggman looked inside the box.

"Chocolate? I LOVE chocolate!"

Metal Sonic blinked it's red eyes slowly as it watched the boy walk down the sidewalk, belting out "Rock and Roll Girl" as he did so.

I just don't understand that human…but then again, maybe I shouldn't try anyhow…

The kid returned to the condo with the muffins and the coffee, and began pouring himself some juice from the fridge. "This is the good stuff, Apple/Berry/Grape mix!" He said to Nack. "Want some?"

"Well, alright. Maybe just a small glass." Nack said.

Breakfast went well, since the two of them chowed down on their food quickly.

"You really…heh-heh…WOLFED your food down!" The kid wisecracked.

"Ha-ha. Never heard that one before." Nack groaned.

"Sorry, sorry." The kid apologized. "Ooh! I almost forgot, I have to go to Angel Island and see Knuckles and the Chaotix!"

"The Chaotix are on Angel Island?" Nack asked.

"Well, their old HQ kinda got invaded by mice and cockroaches while they were kidnapped, so while the exterminators are taking care of that little problem, Team Chaotix is staying at Angel Island with Knuckles."

The kid held up the Golden Emerald. "So I'll see you later at the party! I have a lot of people to remind to come! Ja ne!" With that, he vanished in the twinkle of an eye.

Nack was about to put his dishes away when he noticed that there was a letter addressed for him on the desk. He picked it up and looked through it.

"Dear Nack." He said, reading it out loud. "It's me, your ol' buddy, Cole. We know you're working at Rhythmic Passage, and we know the place is loaded. Well, the gang and I think it's about time we all got back to working together. So here's the deal, we're bringing all the needed equipment to fleece the joint, and you just gotta get us inside. Easy enough, right? Write back as soon as you get this.

Reply back…

Cole.".

Oh, f—k it!" Nack groaned. "Stupid, stupid! Fine you joik, I'll wri-"

Then he looked at the remnants of the corn muffin on his plate.

"…tomorroah." He mumbled. "I'll do it tomorroah."

ON ANGEL ISLAND…

"Oh, he's a lumberjack and he's okay, he sleeps all night and he works all day!"

"I cut down trees, I wear high heels, suspenders and a braaa! I wish I'd been a girly, just like my dear, pa-pa!"

"He cuts down trees, he wears high heels, suspen..ders…and a…bra?!"

"I wish I'd been a girly, just like my dear pa-paaaaaa!"

The Chaotix and Knuckles all burst out laughing, and Tikal had to steady herself on one of the columns of the Master Emerald shrine to keep from falling over. Chaos was chuckling madly, hand raised to where his mouth ought to have been as Knuckles walked over to the Chaotix and smiled after they'd finished laughing.

"Nice one, guys. I forgot how good it feels to just let laughter out once in a while."

"No kidding! I'm a huuuuuge Monty Python fan!" A familiar voice stated.

Knuckles instinctively whipped his head around, saying "Don't touch the Master Emer-oh…it's you!"

It was the kid indeed. Putting the golden chaos emerald away in his pocket, he hopped down the steps in a big jump and spread his arms. "Howdy do, everybody! That was quite a nice little end to "The Lumberjack Song". I just came up to remind you all that it's my birthday today, so be sure to come down to Rhythmic Passage!"

"At 5:30 to 6:00, right? That's when you want us showing up?" Knuckles asked.

"Correcatmundo! Oh geez, I'm startin' to sound like Sonic! That's scary."

"Two Sonic the Hedgehogs…my worst nightmare…" Knuckles groaned. "You're making my head sore, kid…"

"Sorry." The kid apologized.

He turned his head and noticed Chaos and Tikal approaching him. "Hey you two, I got something for you both…Tikal, I heard you like milk chocolate, so…"

The kid reached into one of his pockets and pulled out two chocolate bars. "It's a Ghiradelli." He stated. "One for both of you."

Tikal took the bar in her hands and began nibbling on it politely. Chaos held the bar in his clawed hands and then something odd happened. A large "hole" of sorts opened up on the lower region of his face, and the water spread back, creating a mouth. He promptly tossed the bar inside, and then the watery mouth clamped shut, and the chocolate bar swished around in Chaos's mouth before he swallowed and it began to be digested before the kid's eyes.

"Hmm. So that's how you eat-heyyyy…" He noticed something…there was a large hole some distance away. He walked over to it and peered down. "Woah, this thing has a GREAT draft stemming from it!" He shouted. "Even though it's all ocean on the way down!"

"Kid, what exactly do you think you're doing?" Knuckles asked.

He's gonna get himself killed if he doesn't-what the?

"Wahoooo!" The kid said, stretching himself out in front of the hole. He was being held up by the huge amount of wind that was rushing up through the hole, as if a gigantic fan was blowing him back. "This is awesome! Come try it!"

The Chaotix immediately ran over. Charmy kept blowing around, so Vector had to hold one hand out so the bee could cling to it.

Tikal was the next to try it, walking over and spreading her arms carefully. She let out a "wooo" as her clothes rippled around her. Naturally Vector tried not to think naughty thoughts. Chaos also walked over, stretching out his arms as well. He looked very pleased as little droplets of water went flying off of him like a sprinkler as the wind pushed him up.

Knuckles finally walked over, sighing. "Alright, I'll give it a try." He said, leaning forward towards the hole. He found himself being pushed and held up, despite leaning towards the hole and the ocean below. "Hey…this is pretty good!" He said out loud. "I think-WAAAA!"

He fell into the hole. They gasped…

But then he shot back up, bobbing in the air. "Woaaaaaahhhh!" He shouted, before falling back down through the hole. Then he shot back up again, going "Wa-wooaaah-hoooohhhh!" Then he went down and up and down and up…

Finally he was grabbed by the kid and put back on solid ground. He rubbed his head, mumbling.

"Sorry about that, Knuckles…" The kid said. "I shouldn't have been fooling around."

"No, you shouldn't have." He said harshly. "Luckily the draft is strong, otherwise I'd be in big trouble."

The kid looked hurt as he held the golden chaos emerald in his hands and left the island. The others looked at Knuckles and their eyes said "Geez, did you have to be so harsh" as they walked away.

Inwardly, Knuckles smiled.

Still…that was actually kinda…kinda fun…I don't think I hate that kid…

The kid, meanwhile, had arrived at Amy's apartment. He knocked on the front door. Who should answer but Gamma.

"Hey Gamma, how's it going?"

"…I'm fine, I suppose." Gamma stated. "May I ask to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit-oh wait…" Gamma blinked a few times. "Searching memory banks…file located. It is your birthday, is it not?"

"Absolutely." The kid told Gamma.

"Is HE at the door?" Amy called out. "Hold on, hold on!"

Amy bolted past Gamma and shook the kid's hand eagerly. "I just HAVE to thank you for setting me up with Sonic! You're so awesome!"

The kid rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh…Sonic told me what you said to him…and what he said to you…"

Amy blinked a few times.

"That, uh…that takes a lot of courage. For…for both of you." The kid said. "Anyhow, my party's starting around 5:30, I hope to see you all there."

He walked down the steps, humming to himself. Amy smiled and put her hands on her hips.

He's right…it DID take a lot of courage for Sonic to say what he said. And I never would have heard it if it wasn't for you…that was really sweet of you…

The next stop on the kid's list was Cream's house, easy enough to reach by chaos control. Tapping on the door, he was soon rewarded with Vanilla answering the door.

"Are Cream and Emerl here?" He asked.

"Yes! Cream! Your human friend is here!" Vanilla called out.

Who should come running by Emerl and Cream. Emerl was looking quite handsome for a robot. His armor shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Cream, with Cheese on top of her head, smiled. "Hey there, Nick! How's it going?"

"I'm just dandy!" He said. "It's my birthday today, so-"

"Oh right, we'll be there, sir! Count on it!"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck, turning red in the cheeks. "Awwww, you don't hafta call me sir?" He said nervously.

The kid left Cream's house, raising the emerald and disappearing into the blue. Cream smiled as she and Emerl went back inside, going to wrap their present.

He's so nice and cute when he blushes. He may be weird, but it's nice the way he's able to bring people together.

The kid's next stop was none other than Club Rouge. He tapped on the front door and Rouge answered the door.

"Hey kid, come on in!" She said. She…uh…wasn't wearing any top. The kid bit his lip and looked away. "Um, er, I don't think I-"

"Really, it's alright." She said. "I'm just about to put something on. Shadow's in the main lounge, come on, you wanna speak with him too, don'tcha?"

The kid shrugged and said "well, yeaaaah."

Rouge let the kid into the club's main hall while she headed for her private room. "I'll be right back out. Shadow is on the couch."

When Nick walked over to the main lounge, he saw Shadow sitting on the big, green couch, far away from the bar with the large TV, far away from the pool table, far away from the arcade games. He was sitting there, looking at a photo album.

"What's that?" The kid asked.

Shadow turned around and blinked. "Oh, you." He said. "It's a photo album of Gerald's." He said as the kid walked over to look at it. "I thought it had been burnt along with Gerald's lab, but it was actually buried in a secret compartment. I don't know who hid it, but I'm going to be grateful forever, these…these are some good pictures…"

The kid looked down and saw Maria hugging onto her grandfather and beaming into the camera. Another one was showing Gerald twitching his huge mustache, making it bound up and down in a funny fashion, which he seemed to get a kick out of. Another photo showed Gerald from his earlier days…he looked very much like Dr. Eggman, only with a larger smile and hair that was curly at the top instead of spiky. He was holding up a huge, round machine that had a banner which said "Number One" on it…apparently from a science fair. He was surrounded by his family, who seemed proud.

"Gerald always was a smart person." He said.

"I thought you wanted to put the past behind you?" The kid asked.

"I thought so too. But in order for me to do that, I have to confront everything in it before I can move on…and now that I think about it, I…I didn't know the doctor as well as I wanted to, or…or even Maria. But these photos enable me to look back into the past they had and I learn a little more each day. I'm halfway through it, I've been doing one page per day and everything." Shadow told him.

He closed the book. "I know it's your birthday today. I'll be at the party, I haven't really gotten anything else to do and Rouge loves the chance to be able to just have a good time. Also, I like going to things with her, she's a kindred spirit of sorts."

The kid rubbed the back of his neck, smiling. "You like her, don't you?" He asked.

Shadow tossed him a glare. The kid looked down at the ground. "Or, you don't…have to tell me…" He said. "Anyhow, uh…thanks for saying you'll come. It means a lot, Shadow." He said.

"I'm definitely gonna be there, sugar." Rouge said, coming back out from her room, dressed in her usual attire. "Say, you won't have coconut cake, will you? I don't like coconut cake."

"No, but we will have chocolate covered strawberries and-"

"Oh, chocolate and fruit! My two favorite foods!" Rouge stated, grinning. "So big boy, did you think up that treat for little ol' me?"

"Well, I uh…I knew you were a fruit bat, and I know that a lot of women like chocolate, so I guessed you might like it…" He admitted sheepishly, cheeks turning red. "Uh, I'd…better be going…"

He left the club, waving goodbye. Rouge smiled.

He just gets so cute when he's flustered by me. He's probably rich, too…but that can't be why that girl goes out with him…it's definitely that sweet charm of his.

She turned to look at Shadow. "Well, what kind of lipstick should I wear?" She held up six different shades of purple in one hand and six different shades of pink in the other. Shadow groaned.

Why do I always have to be stuck making this sort of decision? I'll bet that boy doesn't have to do this for that girl he's always around with. I pity him, he's too kind-hearted, when he falls, it's going to be big and loud and he might never get back up…

The kid was back at his condo, looking at his checklist that he'd put on his cell phone. "Let's see…who's le-oh! Sonic and Tails!"

He left the condo, walking quickly down the sidewalk. He knew the exercise would do him good. And besides, Sonic's house was close by, and Tails's lab/house was also nearby as well. Approaching Tails's workshop, he knocked on the door and was answered by the two-tailed fox himself, who happily let him in.

"Come on, I want to show you my new-oh wait, I can't! Top-secret. Sorry. But anyhow, yes, I am DEFINITELY not gonna miss your birthday party." The fox said.

The kid beamed. "Thanks, Tails…hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What?"

"Uh…what were your parents like?"

"…I don't remember." Tails admitted sadly.

The kid blinked. "Oh…I'm sorry." He said quietly. "No other family?"

Tails walked outside and shut the door behind him to sit on the curb with the kid. "No…but Sonic's the closest I have to a brother. He's somebody I look up to, he's brave and supportive of me, and he makes me work harder to better myself. And Amy's really sweet and nice, she's kind of like a sister to me." He admitted to the human kid.

The kid smiled. "I guess you have a pretty big ohana too." He said to Tails.

"Ohana? Oh, that…that's Hawaiian, right?" Tails asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." The kid told Tails. "I have a big one myself." He smiled.

Tails sighed suddenly. "But I get worried sometimes that Sonic's ego is going to get the better of him. He tries and keeps me out of danger too often recently, he always seems to afraid to let me do the more dangerous things like taking on Eggman's machines."

The kid rubbed his knee a few times, thinking. Then he spoke.

"You know, Tails…I think he's afraid."

"WHAT?! Sonic would NEVER be af-" Tails began.

"No, no, afraid for you." He explained. "He doesn't wanna see you get hurt, because I'm sure deep down he thinks of you as like a little brother. I have my own little brother, and…and I don't know…" His voice became quieter and quieter. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him, I just…I love him so much, even if he doesn't look up to me the way you do to Sonic."

Tails blinked a few times, taking this in.

"I'll…I'll ee you at the party, Tails, I gotta go find Sonic, his house isn't-"

"He's at Emerald Beach." Tails said. "I passed him by while I was doing some errands to get supplies for my last-minute changes to my invention. He's probably still there."

"Well then, I'll get there in beyond Super Sonic speed!" The kid said, smiling a little, raising his golden chaos emerald and blinking out. Tails face slowly broke out into a smile.

Beyond Super Sonic speed, heh. So…ohana, huh? That's a beautiful word. And maybe he's right about Sonic…I should ask him. Even if he won't tell me, I'll still know.

The kid blinked as he took in Emerald Beach. The sandy white beaches stretched on farther and farther into the horizon, and the wind lapped at the ocean waves as if somebody was picking up the Earth and shaking it gently back and forth the way a mother rocks her child in her arms. The clear blue sky passed over the ocean, and occasionally a dolphin far off in the distance would jump up and send water splashing through the air.

"It's so serene and gentle out here." He thought out loud. He looked to his left and saw Sonic was sitting underneath a palm tree, breathing in deeply through his nose.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" He asked. "I just love to run up and down this beach and see what new thing is gonna pass by." He stood up and brushed himself off.

"I heard it was your birthday today." He said. "I'll be there, definitely…but I'd like to ask ya a favor."

The kid grinned. "Sure, anything!"

"I wanna spar with you, right here, right now! Just a little friendly match, that's all." Sonic asked.

The kid rubbed the back of his head. "Well…gee…okay, I guess! I've been meaning to try out my new style I've adapted to…"

He moved his watch in front of him in the same motion that he'd used before in Genocide City. He pressed a couple of buttons, then got into a fighting position.

"Let's rock a hula!" He shouted.

BGM: Emerald Beach, by Sonic Team

Boss Battle: Sonic the Hedgehog: (Nick)

Here's how this goes down: it's a simple match, it doesn't matter if you win or lose, but try to win, okay? Show Sonic your stuff! You may not be as fast as Sonic, and your strength has been sacrificed somewhat to improve your reflexes and ability to dance around your foes, but if you just use your brains, you can challenge Sonic and win!

Sonic took up his own fighting position, bouncing back and forth on his heels. "Let's see what you can do!" He said, jumping at the kid, who jumped to the side, then jumped back at Sonic, aiming his foot at him. Sonic simply bounced up in midair, then came down on the kid, foot first. "Ha-HA!"

"Ha-HA yourself!" The kid shouted, grabbing his leg and leaping into the air, slamming Sonic into the ground before he jumped back. Sonic stood up and dusted himself up. "Nice counter, but check THIS! Sonic Shockwave!" He shouted, curling up into a ball and sending a rippling blue/white energy wave that rushed through the sand, sending it flying everywhere.

The kid ran to the side, but Sonic kept firing Sonic Shockwaves over and over. One finally connected, sending the kid to the ground, tumbling around. He stood up, spitting out sand. "I have sand in places that don't normally allow sand in…" He mumbled.

"Ha-ha! Come on, kid! You gotta go faster if you wanna keep up!" Sonic shouted, curling up again…

But this time the kid was ready. He slammed his fist into the ground. "ICICLE UPPERCUT!" He shouted, and his fist glowed bright blue. Icicles suddenly shot up, rising to higher and higher heights as they zoomed towards the Sonic Shockwave. The two attacks collided, and Sonic blinked as sand was sent flying everywhere. He couldn't see-

BA-BAAAAM! He was punched clear through the air, and he hit a nearby palm tree, with coconuts coming down and bonking him on the head. He groaned for a few moments and stood up as the kid grinned and calmly sat down on the beach, or rather, "squatted". "Come on, Sonic! You're gonna have to be smarter if you wanna keep up!" He said to Sonic. "But you should be careful when just trying to come right at me!" He said, patting the ground before him.

Sonic finally opened his eyes and blinked, then smirked. "Oh, really? Try THIS!" He exclaimed, rushing forward…

"Gotcha." The kid said, stepping back.

A HUGE tornado erupted just as Sonic was within five feet of the kid, and Sonic was lifted clear up into the air, spiraling around and around, going "waa-wooaaah-oooohhhhh" before he sailed clear through the air like a beautiful, giant, quilly bird. He hit the sand headfirst, and his head was buried underneath. He waved his arms, letting out muffled noises as the kid approached him and knelt down, putting a hand up to his ear to listen more closely AND to rub it in Sonic's face.

"Lemme guess, that means "lemme out, lemme out", right? Okay, I'll let you out, if you concede I beat you. If you can hear me and agree, make a thumbs up."

Sonic grumbled, but his air was running out, so he made a thumbs up. The kid immediately yanked Sonic out and stood him on the beach. Then he saluted with middle and pointer finger.

"I had a wild time! Thanks!"

(End battle and music.)

Sonic smirked at the kid. "Nice moves." He said. "I'm glad you don't work for Eggman!"

"Hey…Sonic, if Tails were hurt…"

Sonic's face blanched. "Wh-what? Tails isn't hurt, is he?"

"No, no!" The kid said, waving his hands around. "Not at all! But if he got hurt, then would you blame yourself?"

"Of course I would, I mean, I gotta protect him! I gotta protect everyone! I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, I'm a hero, I have to look out for them!"

The kid shrugged. "I used to think that yeah, being a hero meant always standing up for everyone. But you know…the nice thing about having friends is that…" He beamed broadly. "It means you don't gotta do things alone. Be it watching a movie, going to eat lunch in the cafeteria, or saving the world."

Sonic scratched his head slightly with one hand.

"Well, I gotta head back to the store. See ya at the party, Sonic!" The kid told Sonic, walking off and tossing the golden chaos emerald up and down in his hands, whistling "Game of Love".

Sonic rubbed the area under his nose with one finger. "Heh."

Yeah, he's alright…and maybe he's right about friends. I should go see Tails and apologize for being so overprotective. I mean, I can't keep him from getting hurt ALL the time, and he's a big kid now…

5:55, AT Rhythmic Passage…

At the Rhythmic Passage superstore, balloons of a million different colors with streamers to matched were placed all around. There was a ball pit where Tails and Cream were playing in, a long and huge table that was topped with chocolate-covered fruits that were arraigned in a big fountain-style, large bowls of punch and kegs of different drinks, plates of different kinds of foods from hot dogs and hamburgers to Bark's special fish recipe, Bean's firecracker soup, Mighty's fried chicken and Ray's home-made chocolate chip cookies.

Everyone was talking and chatting with each other, and then they saw Kelsey had entered with her hands behind her back, her black hair flowing. She smiled at her boyfriend who went to hug her. "Oh, I'm so glad you came now!" He said. "Here, come on, get some food and say hi to everyone!"

Kelsey smiled nervously at them, a bit frightened. Her boyfriend took the time to introduce each and every person to her, proud to show Kelsey to them and proud to show them to Kelsey. Once they were finished with those, he turned to her and said "Come on, let's go eat something on the roof."

Kelsey blinked. "Isn't that kinda…weird?"

"Weird nothing, it gives you a BEAUTIFUL view of the city!" He told Kelsey. "Come on!"

After she took some fried chicken and some cookies, they walked upstairs, to the roof's door on the fourth floor. The kid opened it up and led Kelsey out. The two then sat down on the roof, where Kelsey's boyfriend had put a large quilt down. "I got it all set up." He said, pointing at the bricks that were holding it down in case of wind. He sat down and patted the quilt area, beaming up at Kelsey as she sat down next to him. "It's such a beautiful night out! I can't believe I turn 15 today, I can hardly believe it almost." He looked out on the city as the sun began to set. "Born in the perfect year, and it's a perfect night out…you're perfect." He said, turning to Kelsey, who blushed.

The two sat there, with the owner of Kelsey's boyfriend eating a burger while Kelsey finished her fried chicken. The two then took the cookies and split them, eating them together and looking into each other's eyes. The kid soon found he was holding Kelsey's hand and she was holding his. They turned their heads and as the last rays of sunlight hit the sides of the buildings, everything suddenly dazzled all around, sparkling their eyes. Then it went darker bit by bit, and the stars began to pop up one by one in the night sky.

"So, we'd better get downstairs! It's present time." He said.

Sitting in a big, plushy red chair, one by one everyone approached the kid, who looked like…well, a kid on his birthday!

"Here you go, Nick!" Tails said, approaching him with a large box of blue and gold. The kid opened it and gasped. "Oh WOW!" He said, holding the present up. "This looks like one kick-ass pair of gloves, uh, pardon my language."

They were a pair of smooth, silver gloves with green gems embedded on the front. They had no tips, and they felt sleek inside.

"They're designed to help you focus your energy." Tails said. "Ray told me through an email that you needed a better way to channel your energy whenever you're feeling tired, so these will help you pull off those tricks of yours much better by allowing proper focus."

"Speaking of focus…" Shadow and Rouge said, approaching. "This will help your store out a lot…"

Shadow handed him a book. Nick opened it up. "It's a journal?" He asked, seeing it was empty.

"Check the front."

He looked at the front. "Ooh, an inventory book! Smart, smart! I always keep forgetting to check inventory for the store, thanks, guys!"

"My turn next." Knuckles said. "This is from me, Tikal and Chaos." He stated. "In recognition of all you have done for us…"

He bowed to Nick. "I pledge that you are always welcome on Angel Island, and that I am in your debt. This is a matter of honor." He stated. Then he stood up and handed Nick a belt. "Here." He said. It was brown, with many pockets for storing items inside, and it had a large golden clasp in the front. "This will no doubt be quite handy for you. I, uh…I made it myself." He said, his cheeks turning almost as red as he was.

Nick beamed. "Thanks, Knuckles, Tikal, Chaos! This is really nice!"

Tikal and Chaos also bowed. Next up was Amy, Clear and Gamma. Amy beamed. "I KNOW you can't just go around with only that vest, so HERE, this is from all of us!"

She held up a big white jacket and white pants to match. The jacket had black straps instead of a zipper or buttons, and the bottom of the jacket was tipped black as well. It looked quite stylish. "This is gonna make you look so stylish!" She said.

"Aww, gee, Amy! Thanks!" Nick said. "It does look cool!"

Cream, Cheese and Emerl were next up. They held up a shoe box, and Nick opened it to find a beautiful pair of green and silver shoes.

"We hope you like them." Cream said quietly.

"Chao-chao!" Cheese said, rubbing the back of it's little head.

"I love them." Nick said happily. "They go GREAT with this outfit!" He said, raising Amy, Clear and Gamma's gift.

Next was the Rhythmic Passage crew, Nack included. They all held forth a large box of polka-dotted colors. Nick took the bow off, then opened the present. "Oooooohhhhh!" He stated, raising his present up. "This…this is a computer! My own computer, oh my god! Wow! Thanks, guys!" He said.

"We all pitched in to get it the supplies Ray wanted to build it." Mighty said. "I pimped it out real good."

Big was next. He held something up and Nick examined it. It was a small ring of solid gold that would fit nicely on Nick's pinky.

"This…this is something I fished out from the sea. It's been a big treasure of mine, and I had to fight a shark to get it, but it was worth it. You saved me and Froggy's life and you made me really happy when we sang together and everyone cheered me, so…uh…here…" He put it in Nick's hands.

Nick smiled. "Big…thanks."

Big blushed. "Aw, huh-huh-huh…"

It was Sonic's turn. He approached Nick and held up a small box of blue. Nick opened it up, and gasped.

"Oh wow…" He said, raising it up.

It was a beautiful seashell that twinkled a million colors in the light. Nick gasped. "W-where did you find this?"

"On the beach. It was the most beautiful thing I've seen so far. I knew you'd like it."

The kid beamed. "I…I really like it. Thanks…"

Kelsey was the last one up. She approached Nick, and smiled. "You're 15 now, right? Well…here…"

SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK!

SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK! SMMK!

Kelsey pulled away, beaming broadly. "A kiss for every year." She said shyly.

"Wow…" Her boyfriend said, stunned. He had an expression on his face like somebody had just hit him over the head and in the face at the same time. "Than-thanks, Kelsey…" He finally got out, hugging her. He then turned to everyone else. "This has been a GREAT birthday party, guys!"

"It's not over yet!" Chaos said, stretching his arm towards his target. "You still have to blow out the candles on the birthday cake!"

The kid approached the big, round chocolate-frosted vanilla cake. It had 15 candles on top, and the words "Happy 15th Birthday, Nick" written in white icing on it. He took a deep breath…

PHOOOOO!

Everyone clapped as he blew out his candles and beamed happily as the little smoke wafted up. They slapped him on the back, cheered and whistled as Chaos cut the first piece of Nick's cake and gave it to the giddy birthday boy.

"Thanks!" The kid exclaimed. "Thank you, EVERYONE!" He told them all.

They all smiled back somehow.

Thank you, ya crazy kid. You're something special.

I'm glad you talked with me…and on your special day! That means a lot…

Hope to see you around the island.

You're so sweet! Thanks for helping again with Sonikku!

I…thank you for your help…

I am glad you do not still hate me. Thank you, sir.

I'm proud to call you ally.

I wish you the best of luck in everything.

Thank you, Mr-I mean, thanks, Nick!

Chaos and I are glad you helped us. You have a good heart.

You're a good child…don't ever lose your inner light.

You saved Cream. This is the least I could do to help you.

You're the best boss I've ever had, dude. You a'ight.

You're one dynamite boss! Heh-heh-heh!

Bark is glad to call you boss. And friend.

Thanks for taking a chance on me, sir…

Aww, Nick…

And so Nick began passing out pieces of cake to everyone, beaming as he did so.

It's been a really good day…to think, I finally turned 15…and to think, when I get back home, I get to celebrate all over again! Eh-ha-ha-ha-ha!

David…Mom…Dad…Barbara…Jordan…Kelly…Jessie…hold on. I'll be there.

I know it'll work out.

After all…

I've I wished everyone the happiest of endings.

OMAKE!

"Shadow's in another funk again." Sonic remarked.

Shadow was lazily cutting his wrists with a razor in front of a bathroom mirror. Rouge put her hands on her hips as she stared inside. "Come on, Shadow, you gotta pull yourself outta this!"

Shadow ignored her. Rouge threw up her hands and left the bathroom. "What is it gonna take?!" She asked.

"Go the extra mile." The kid suggested. "I tell stories with the people I meet across the different worlds, I play games, we go out for ice cream, I save their lives even. You need to go the extra mile, and you'll pull him out of his slump."

Rouge blinked, thinking about this. Then she walked inside the bathroom. Shadow glanced up at her through the mirror for a second then went back to cutting.

"Oh sweet priiiince…" She crooned to him.

Shadow suddenly stared up at her, intrigued.

WOOOOOOOP!

BOING!

"YES! YES! YES!" Shadow hollered jumping up and down, the blood splattering all over.

"By golly, it worked." The kid remarked.

"By golly." Sonic agreed.