TIME SKIP! This one's pretty significant. Enjoy!
Sonic walked slowly through the large town, his wandering eyes taking in everything with great care. He hadn't been here in many years. The surrounding landscape still looked largely the same, a huge valley surrounded by mountains and hills, but the town itself was new. It used to be just a collection of shabby huts that then became a decent village. That was how it had looked the last time he'd been here. He had aged a little since then, but not much. His gaze was caught by a pair of balloons bouncing merrily down the road as the child who held them walked by. Bright red and yellow snagged his thoughts, threatened to make him think of something, no, someone, he hadn't thought about in a long time, but he stifled the thought under another, less painful one. I'm finally twelve. Sometimes he wished he didn't age so slowly. If he didn't, then he wouldn't have outlived everyone he'd once known. That thought evoked a slew of memories and he permitted them for now. Today was a day of remembrance. Today was the anniversary of their meeting, her marriage.
He remembered quite clearly being woken up in the woods by an unknown man with bright red fur and a brown cowboy hat. He remembered their conversation, how he'd reacted with such an attitude to the man's inquiries. He remembered how the man, whom he later learned was nicknamed Knuckles, had quickly become his friend. He remembered the adventures they'd gone on, sneaking into bases, destroying robots, saving people and animals alike, visiting floating islands in the sky, searching for lost gems of incredible power... He also remembered his friend's death. Though the memory of that day was painful beyond words, he allowed it to remain. He'd come to terms with it a long time ago. It hadn't been easy, but he was grateful that he could think about his friend without being overwhelmed with pain. He hoped Knuckles, or Locke, rather, was still smiling, wherever he had gone after death.
He also remembered a small bunny girl who, much like him, had lost everything. And she'd had so much more to lose... Her friends, her home, her school, her mother... she'd lost it all. And yet, she always met each day with a smile. She never wanted anyone to die or get hurt, but she was always one of the first to put herself on the line for the sake of others. Though not physically strong, she had always been strong in her own way. She had never ceased to brighten his days. She too had been one of his best friends. Then she'd grown up. They never stopped being friends, but their lives drifted apart. And now she was married. He didn't know where she lived now, or if she was still alive. After all, he really had no idea how long bunnies lived. Still, wherever she was, he hoped she was happy.
Looking up at the sky, he indulged in a small smile as the bright afternoon sun warmed his face. He hoped they were both very happy, wherever they were. Because, for the first time in forever, he knew he was.
I don't know how I feel about this chapter. It's nice, but I can't shake the feeling that it could be better. Still, this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoyed. Posted 03-03-15.