a/n: It's another one. Story's not quite over, but you'll know when. Enjoy, and thanks for the support.

"Yare, yare…"

Sonic yawned, picking leaves out of his jumpsuit as he sat on a stone pillar, recently fallen. He had a combination of irritation and boredom in his green eyes as he looked at the man standing a few yards from him, Colonel Dao of the People's Liberation Army.

He choked a few sneers at the thought that he was being hunted down like a common criminal once again. If Amy found out, she would go off like a rocket…

"You seem bored, Mister Hedgehog."

"Where's Kiriko?" he asked, ignoring the previous statement.

"She should be fine."

"For your sake, I hope you keep your word, Colonel."

The conversation ended there for the moment, as Dao watched the large crowd gather near the blockade his soldiers had put up. He suspected the young girl that stared intently at the hedgehog had something to do with this incident, but he had no proof. He'd just have to leave that alone for the time being.

"…"

"You do know that we'll have to report this to the proper authorities…"

"Go ahead and do what you want. Are you holding me on charges, or not?"

"What is that girl's relation to you?"

"I am his loyal servant," a new voice answered. Kiriko appeared behind the colonel, dressed in a hooded sweater with a knee-length skirt. She sat herself down beside Sonic, casually crossing one leg over the other. "Is there a problem with that, Colonel?"

"I don't think anything of that nature would be legal."

"You're implying a sexual relationship," she said bluntly. "It's not like that, since my master already has a mistress. But you knew that already."

"How old are you, Miss…"

"Kiriko." She looked over at Sonic for a moment, giving him a smile. "Kiriko Hoshikira."

"Well, Miss Hoshikira…we'll have some more questions for you and your 'master'. Again, how old are you?"

"My true age wouldn't be something that you could comprehend," she stated haughtily, "but let's say eighteen for the time being."

The silver haired officer took a drag from his pipe. He knew that he wasn't getting anywhere like this. With all of the smoke, dust, and debris, he had no concrete proof that the blue hedgehog was behind the shrine's destruction…and even though he suspected it, how could he make an entire shrine disappear into nothingness like that?

What could have possibly occurred inside, had he been in there, was a matter of legend and speculation. The girl he was with wasn't kidnapped, nor held against his will – he had entered the village with her about a day or two ago, not nearly enough time to completely brainwash someone.

Dao looked at the blue hedgehog as he stared downwards, seemingly in mediation. There wasn't the usual smug look from years before…he was cold, refined to a point.

"Where did you get the sword?"

His head rose. "Something I found on my travels."

"Dangerous?"

"Very much so. Though a paperclip is dangerous enough in my hands, Colonel."

"Noted," he said with a sigh. Thick white smoke again wafted from his pipe.

"I really hope that we don't have to sit here screwing around for much longer," Sonic said icily. "I've got things to do."

"Master…perhaps they could answer a question or two for us?"

He thought about it for a moment before nodding in response. "I get what you're saying. Ask away, then…"

"I only have one question, Colonel."

"What would that be?"

"Was there anyone in proximity to the shrine within the last month or so?"

The colonel blinked. "Interesting question…I guess the higher-ups would know something like that. I don't have that information handy."

"So…there might have been someone else in the area long before us."

"It's possible."

"Thank you. May we leave, now?"

He grunted before signalling his subordinates, allowing the two hedgehogs to leave for the edge of the blockade.

"It was nice talking with you, Colonel," Kiriko said with a smile.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Hoshikira."

Sonic only gave him a nod before following his charge.

A half-hour later, Sonic and Kiriko were enjoying some meat buns back at the shop. He relaxed for the most part, while she marvelled at wonderful her food tasted.

"Master, you're not hungry?"

He quickly snatched a bun from her hand, causing her to frown as he gulped it down.

"Not really."

"Hmph." She took another bun and munched on it while she read, a small book spread out in front of her on the table.

"Find anything?"

She shook her head. "No…"

"Then we just follow the wind as it goes. Nothing too difficult. I think we'll be alright as long as we do that."

"I suppose," she said while running a hand through her quills. Somehow, they had become a bit looser and formed into jagged patterns sporadically at the back of her head. The ones that rested over her left eye had a bit more curl to them, something she didn't mind, though they had a 'wet' look to them. Probably a sign of her water nature coming back into power.

Some of those strange changes from the transformation stuck around, including certain…upgrades, as a delicate way of mentioning them.

She was taken out of her thoughts as their human acquaintances arrived.

"Hey, so the legends were true after all," Chun said with amazement. "Whoa. Didn't think you'd be able to pull it off so quickly, too. Must have been epic."

Sonic shrugged. "Might have been. I don't really rate my own performances anymore."

"Are you leaving, Sonic?" Yilin asked.

"Not quite yet. I think we need to figure out what we have to do next before anything else. I want to check a few things…is Hualin around?"

"She went on a walk with Grandfather earlier. But I'm sure they've both noticed what was going on at the shrine."

"Probably."

Jinlin walked in from the kitchen, surprisingly without a cold look for the blue hedgehog as he sat at his table.

"Evening, Miss Jinlin."

"Good evening, Sonic."

He gave her an amused smirk. "Seems that times have changed. I assume that you're not mad at me anymore?"

"On the contrary, I thought that you would be upset with me, with the things that I said…"

He waved it off. "No harm, no foul. As long as you're cool."

"…Thank you. I mean it," she said with sincerity.

"No worries." She smiled at that and went to pick up the empty plates.

"More buns?"

"Sure. Another plate, please."

"Coming right up."

"Didn't think Mom would flip back so easily," Chun commented as she went into the kitchen.

"That's because she's stubborn," Hualin interrupted, mussing up her brother's hair. "She didn't want to believe that such a 'bad guy' would end up being the legend she had followed for so long."

"Followed?" Yilin asked curiously.

"Mom was a huge fan girl, so to speak," Hualin said with a grin. "So she knows pretty much everything about those old legends with the God of Wind that we have around here."

"That's interesting," Yilin said with a nod. "Maybe I can ask her more about this later."

"She probably knows a lot of things…more than she lets on," Hualin replied with subtlety. Sonic nodded in response and rose to leave.

"Tomorrow's a good place to start our investigating. I'm gonna clear my head and get some rest. See you guys later, alright?"

Kiriko rose and touched him on the shoulder. "Is everything alright, Master?"

"Yeah…don't worry about me, Kiriko. I just need time to think."

She closed her eyes and nodded. "I understand, Master. I'll see you in the morning."

"Right…" He started out quietly, taking off in a blue blur as soon as he left the front doors. Kiriko sat back down and bit into another meat bun.

A lot on his mind…might it be about the Mistress? Or something beyond that?

Either way, worrying wasn't going to help anyone.

He will talk to me when he is ready. I have no problems waiting for my master.

"Should be right here," Tails said as he and Amy walked the streets of Spagonia. The Italian city was bustling as usual, people weaving in and out of shops and strolling along the old stone streets. Vendors selling gelato were everywhere you looked, and there was a good restaurant on every corner.

"Boy…this place makes me hungry," the fox grumbled, rubbing his stomach.

"Your fault for not taking a lunch break," the hedgehog chided him. "You said we're close, so tough it out."

"Alright, alright…can we at least…"

"No gelato until after your meal, young man," she said with a finger wag.

"What are you, my mother?"

"Big sister. Close enough."

He relented. "…Point made. Let's keep going."

After a few more minutes, the pair reached their destination, a massive building to the east of Spagonia University. SunDriver Technologies was a massive corporation, built with the sole purpose of bettering the planet through advanced technologies and tools that would conserve, reuse, and harness energy from different sources. The creation of natural resources was also possible with some experimental tech that Tails had helped design in his spare time.

The company's owner, founder, and C.E.O. was known simply as the Boss. He kept his real name secret…for business purposes, of course. An American with big dreams and even bigger ambitions, he was a nice guy all around. Apparently, he wasn't always this way, but something caused him to have a change of heart.

Tails wondered what it could have been, but put the thought behind him for the time being.

"I guess the Boss is waiting for us up there," Amy said.

"Hopefully, he'll have lunch…"

She rolled her eyes. "Quit whining, Tails…let's go."

The fox groaned for a moment before hearing something beep on his wrist. He pressed a button on his cuff, causing a screen to appear in front of him in a wave of light.

"What's happening now…?" Reading the data, he stifled a curse before shutting off the light source, the screen going with it.

"Tails?"

"I'm okay. Just…huuuuuungry," he suddenly moaned in an overdramatic fashion.

"Will you stop…you brought this upon yourself, now deal with it. I'm going forward," she said with a shake of her head.

She strode off, missing the snarl that came from the fox as he bared his teeth. He knew that they were there, watching their every movement. Watching her.

All they needed to do was make a single movement towards her…he would be too happy to make them suffer for it.

I just wish one of you would try to test your luck…

He managed to suppress his rage as he followed the pink hedgehog inside.