We've come so far. :D


-Chapter 28: Homebound-


The docked ferry swayed lightly on the waves. Folks showed up with their boarding pass and Sonic punched their tickets, checked them off and sent them on deck. Each time someone laid foot on the gangplank, he witnessed the pronounced bob of the boat.

Amy signed for a package of children's toys and allowed them to board. She noticed Sonic as they passed by him. She approached her partner. "How are you holding up?"

He shook his head slowly. "Did you know you can get seasick before you get on a boat?" he asked. He gave her the list of passengers.

She took the clipboard from him, "I don't think so. That might be nerves talking-oh good, only ten passengers left-you're not feeling well?" She handed it back to him.

"I was sick a couple times already. But I didn't eat anything, so I'm fine. I can starve and dry-heave all night until we're home," he said with a defeated tone and rested his head on Amy's shoulder.

She sighed and gave him a snuggling hug, "If this all goes over well, we can actually start offering flights back and forth. But until then, we're sea-bound."

"I know," he was about to be kissed but turned his head and shielded his mouth, "Uh, cheek for now."

Amy gave him a peck, "Try to relax a bit. Do you want someone else to take over the list so you can lay in the grass?"

He shook his head, "I'll feel like crap either way...because..." he said and hesitated.

"What else is going on?" She could tell 'someone' had been on his mind for a while now.

"It's...Eggman."

Amy assured him, "I talked to the city counsel already; he's been good the whole time we've been gone."

"What if that's a lie? What if it's all fabricated and we're walking into a trap? Home could be a smoking hole in the ground right now; we'd be endangering all these people for no reason. What if he IS funding this southern war and this is all going back in his pocket and directly to them? Is there even a point for us to go back? Do we really want our kids growing up on an island that's funding terrorism? I can't seem to...get..." he paused, unable to finish his thought, and turned around to lean over the railing.

"Sticks," she spoke loudly and took the clipboard from Sonic. "Can you help with this?"

"Sure thing," She came over. "What happened to your aura?" Sticks asked. "I suppose they don't last too long. Shame." She was handed a clipboard and pen.

"I think it's more than 'water demons' this time," Amy said.

"I see. It could be anything from: Sunset goblins, sand sharks, seashell specters or the dreaded 'seafoam banshee'. I found one of those last night and made a charm if you think it'll help." She held up a string necklace of volcanic rocks.

"Does it work?" Amy asked skeptically.

"I haven't seen any more banshee's since, so yeah, I say it's working fine."

Sonic spat at the water and croaked out, "I'm manage without, thanks."

She put the jewelry on, "Suit yourself," she said and went off to help the last of the passengers board.

Amy asked a few moments later. "You alright?"

"...I think so."

"Let's go sit in the grass until it's time to leave."

"Okay," Sonic hobbled, exhausted, to the shady grass and crumpled to the ground to lay flat on his back. He saw Re'kar had pulled up to the port with Julie-Su and helped her get a couple bags out of the back. Knuckles scooped the bags and brought them on the boat. "Hey, Jules decided to come after all," Sonic said and pointed.

Amy looked over to where Sonic was referring. "Yep; and that sure doesn't look like an overnight bag," she and Sonic smiled at one another. "If you didn't get on the boat when you did, none of this would be happening. We wouldn't have met Jami and the others. We probably wouldn't have met Re'kar or Jules. We wouldn't be keeping the island financially afloat. We wouldn't have found out potential information about Eggman funding war overseas. All this happened because you faced your fear and got on a boat to help a friend."

Sonic covered his face with his hands, "No pressure though, right?"

She laughed a little and pat his knee, "It's a little pressure. The good kind of pressure that helps push you forward to do your best."

"How's it going?" Re'kar asked as he came up to and knelt down next to the expecting couple. "Shouldn't this be the other way around?" He saw Amy was comforting Sonic.

"Sonic needed a little encouragement to get on the boat," she said.

He nodded, "Knuckles told me you were seasick. I find that odd since you haven't been on a boat in months."

"The thought of the boat is enough to inspire queasiness," he said and rubbed his temples.

"Understandable. I stopped by to drop off Jules and see you off. Hopefully it's a 'see you later' and not a flat 'goodbye'."

Amy stood up and nodded. "Of course. I want to come back next year around this time. I want to see the leaves change and the snow to fall." They exchanged contact information for the island in case either of them needed to reach the other for emergency purposes; it was also the only way they'd be able to hear from their friends from the south. "Thanks again for all your hospitality these last few months," she said and gave him a hug.

"Anytime. Give us a call when you're in town next." He leaned down and knocked gently on Amy's budding belly, "Hey, both of you, listen to your mum."

"Hey," Sonic sat up and pointed at him, "No tainting the youth."

"No promises," Re'kar laughed. He held direct eye contact with Amy and showed her what he had discretely palmed. "Mind if I have a minute to talk to Sonic before you guys go?"

Amy gave a knowing nod, "Oooh, I get it. Let's see if you can coax away the water demons," she giggled and turned to leave. "I think there's only a couple passengers left. Don't take too long." Amy waved and disappeared onto the boat.

Re'kar looked at Sonic and nodded his head upward. "Let's move behind the brush, away from sight of the kids." He and Sonic sat out of sight of the others. He lit up and blew smoke over their heads, "Knucks also told me how you chilled out last time," he said and handed the spliff to the shaky hedgehog.

"It did help." Sonic took the joint in hand. "It is only one more night," he said and joined Re'kar for a farewell joint. After their session he stood up with the help of his large, tan coloured companion.

"Can you manage?"

"Yeah. If I think about it differently, it's not so bad." Sonic's eyes were very pink and relaxed looking. "When I think of this continent as a large boat floating on the water, and my island as another boat floating on water, I start to think there's no difference between the boat and the island. As in, they're both floating on the water. It makes me feel like I shouldn't see them as different at all. I'm just going to be on something different, to float around the world on...oh wow...that is some really good herb," he said and rubbed his eyes.

"I can tell!" Re'kar laughed. "Knuckles gave me a description of the flavour of what you had in that hookah on the way here; it was a mix of many different herbs, not just cannabis. This," he held up the remaining roach, "Was pure and uncut. It's probably hitting you pretty hard," he nodded deeply, "You'll sleep tonight for sure."

"I bet." Sonic bent at the knees and bobbed his who body up and down, "It feels like I'm on the water already."

"Sounds like you're ready to go."

He hugged his friend, "Thanks man; you're a mental lifesaver," he let go, "I never noticed till now, but you got a lot of tattoos."

Re'kar rotated his arm to show a blank space on the side and back of his right limb. "I'm getting one more that'll take up the whole triceps area." He took a paper out of his pocket. "I started drawing it the night we busted you out of camp." The drawing was an extremely complicated maze with thick black lines, thin vines travelled all throughout; the vines were done in green but an arrow showed the colour was to be white when finished. "It's a solvable maze too. I showed it to D and he told me to go fuck myself, but then he gave me a date to get this started; a very mixed message. Anyway, it should be done by the time I see you all next."

"Cool. Thanks again. Later," he said and sauntered onto the boat as if he'd done it a million times before. "Knucks! They got pirate hats and swords on the boat! Come on! We're pirates now!"

"Really?! Awesome!" Knuckles joined with no protest. The kids on board were more than happy to contribute to the hijinks as well. Sonic convinced Tails to become captain just so they could have a mutiny and tied him to a pretend mast. Swashbuckling and speaking with well pronounced 'R's' lasted until the lights were out.


Wank. XD