Family comforts


Coming round from being knocked out is never a pleasant experience; it was almost as bad as when I'd collapsed the night I first met Sonic. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad this time, for which I was grateful.

"Sorry about knocking y'all out, Tommy," Bunnie said, as I woke up aboard the Enchanter Kings' craft, which was being piloted by Rotor, "but you were getting carried away with those two guns in your hands."

"Why did you stop me?" I hissed, massaging my head and glaring at the cyborg rabbit. "I could've finished those three evil-doers for good!"

"We Freedom Fighters don't kill!" Bunnie said firmly. "At least, not when we can avoid it."

"Oui," Antoine agreed.

"But surely, it does better justice to put enemies down for good!" the alligator argued.

"Indeed!" I said, glad for support, even if it was from a relative stranger.

But the she-wolf shook her head. "No está bien," she said in what I now know is Latina. "Just because they're evil doesn't mean it is right for you to strike them down, especially in such anger, gatito joven."

I frowned. In my heart, I knew the she-wolf and Bunnie were right. My anger was starting to abate now that the fighting was over; I was starting to feel bad for my outburst. How could I have let myself get so carried away, especially after all the training I'd undergone to calm my mind? It felt as if my stomach had turned to stone.

"I'm sorry," I said, removing my helmet and running a hand through my hair.

"It's alright, Sugah-Cat," Bunnie said gently. "From what I've seen, that Noir person is the kind who makes you see more red than on a hot day without sunscreen."

"Like you wouldn't believe," I said darkly.

"And who were those three robots holding the Sugah-Hogs?" Bunnie asked, likely wanting to lead the subject away from anything that upset me, given what she knew of my past and condition.

I shrugged. "No idea. Didn't give too much notice, to be honest. Ask Sonic, Manic and Sonia when we get back to Knothole."

"And who are these two that you and Sugah-Twan rescued?" Bunnie went on, looking at the alligator and she-wolf.

The alligator, who had icy blue eyes, mottled brown scales, and wore red and black armour, spoke up. "Ah'm Jeremy Lannigan," he said; he had a Southern accent identical to Bunnie's. "But y'all can call me Jerry."

"And I'm Katja Sashami-Farsuno, conejita," the she-wolf said. In addition to her Latinan accent and snow-white fur, she had pitch black hair and facial markings, sparkling emerald eyes and wore white and blue armour. "Gracias for saving us," she added to me and Antoine with a small bow.

"No problem," I said.

"Notre plaisir," Antoine acknowledged.


The rest of the journey passed in relative silence. Soon, Rotor looked over his shoulder to say, "We're coming into Knothole now. Hold on."

A moment later, we felt a soft bump, meaning we'd touched down in Knothole. The side door opened, and we disembarked to see Sonic and the others climbing down from the Tornado.

"Hey, guys," I said, approaching Sonic, Manic and Sonia. "Wh… why are you all looking so dismal?"

Sonic, Manic and Sonia all looked upset; Sonia looked on the verge of tears.

"They just had to leave their parents and uncle behind," Sally said sympathetically, a hand on Sonia's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" I said. Then, I suddenly remembered. "Wait, you mean those three robots holding you three were…"

"Yes," Sonic said heavily. Sonia burst into tears.

"Why is it we can't do anything to help them?!" she wailed. "What kind of sick joke is all this?!"

"Believe me, sis," Sonic sighed, "I've been asking myself that question for nearly 10 years."

"I… I'm very sorry," I said, rather awkwardly. I didn't know what else to say.

"You still did very well," Sally said encouragingly. "Thanks to you, our mission was a success."

The others made noises of agreement.

"We saved hundreds today!"

"C'est magnifique!"

Y'all should be proud!"

"We know, we know," Sonic said, distractedly. "Look, we appreciate your efforts to cheer us up, but… I think we need some time to ourselves, okay?"

The three of them began to walk away. I made to follow, but Sally held me back.

"Let them go, Tommy," she said. "They need a little alone time, like you sometimes do."

I couldn't argue with that; I often needed alone time when I felt down. Still, my heart ached for the three Hedgehogs.

"Is there anything we can do for them?" I asked desperately. "To help them feel better?"

"Well," Sally said, a small smile appearing on her face, "there is tomorrow."

"Why, what's tomorrow?"

Sally told me. I grinned. "That would be great!" I said.


The Hedgehog Triplets had retreated to Sonic's hut. Sonic was pacing back and forth at high speed, his eyes downcast; Manic twirled one of his drumsticks without paying any real attention to doing so, his right foot twitching; and Sonia was brushing her hair a bit harder than was necessary, wincing as the brush pulled on the hair roots, but feeling too miserable to care.

Sonic kept replaying the situation back in Westopolis, feeling sure that he could have saved his parents and uncle if he'd been able to think of a way to do it. He couldn't believe he had been unable to save them, just as he'd been unable to save Cat, or Rosie, or… his thoughts couldn't go there; his stomach clenched painfully every time he thought about that.

Manic felt as a great treat had been denied so contemptuously; he'd found his birth parents, and yet, they still felt so far away. He felt numb with shock and a little dizzy. This left Manic's reflexes impaired; this meant the drumstick was twisted out of his hand and bounced off Sonia's quill, clattering to the floor. Sonia barely noticed, however.

The pink-eggplant hedgehog was still crying, almost absent-mindedly, as she brushed her hair. The shock of actually seeing her parents' fate was so horrific, that she could barely think about it. Right now, her mind was more preoccupied by the visions Noir had forced her to witness; dirt, muck and insects, which she hated. But this also meant her feel guilty; did that mean she didn't care about her birth parents? Her brothers felt this surge of guilt, and Sonic misinterpreted it.

"It's not your fault we left Mom and Dad behind-" he began.

"I KNOW THAT!" Sonia exploded, so abruptly that both Sonic and Manic jumped. "I know; that's obvious!"

"Whoa, e-easy there, s-sis," Sonic stammered, unnerved by Sonia's bloodshot eyes and bared teeth. Sonia glared at her brothers for a few moments; then, like me, her anger abated and she collapsed onto the sofa, sobbing uncontrollably. Sonic and Manic sat down on either side and hugged her tightly, Manic shedding tears of his own, and Sonic trying not to.

"Wasn't there anything you could have done, Sonic?" Sonia sniffed. "Surely, you could've grabbed them and brought them with us?"

It was Sonic's turn to snap.

"You think I haven't thought of that myself! You're not the only one who's upset about leaving them behind, ya know, sis?!"

"Well, maybe the fastest thing alive isn't as reliable as we thought!" Sonia retorted, her anger rising again.

"Or maybe his sister needs to learn more tact!"

"Guys!" Manic intervened. "Please don't argue! It's bad enough that we had to leave them, but do we have to fall apart over it? Our parents wouldn't want us arguing now, would they?"

Sonic and Sonia felt ashamed.

"You're right," Sonia blubbered, rubbing her cheek. "I'm sorry, Sonic."

"So am I," Sonic apologised. "To be honest, you're right; I should've done something to save them; but I let them down, like I did Cat and… and Rosie…" His voice tailed away. Though Manic and Sonia would later wonder if he were going to say more, at that moment, they just wanted to comfort him.

How long the three of them sat there, none of them really knew; even Sonic, who was usually aware of the passage of time, was too lost in his siblings' sorrow to tell how much time had passed, before there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Sonic called.

Hurit poked her head in, looking apprehensive. "Is… is this a bad time?"

"Kind of, yes," Sonia sniffed, looking up.

"Well…" Hurit opened the door further, to reveal her Master, Errol Blackthorn. At this, all three Hedgehogs felt their stomach lurch horribly.

"Hedgehogs," Errol said, trying to sound firm, though an awkward undertone was apparent "I'm… sorry to butt in at this hard time… but the Enchanter Kings want to see you. And… I suggest you come quickly; they can't keep the portal they produced open for much longer."


In the Nameless Zone, the Hedgehogs, Hurit and I stood before the Enchanter Kings, dreading what they might say or do to us. Chartreus looked angry; Socrates torn between disappointment and concern.

"What were you thinking?!" Chartreus demanded. "Going off without consulting us or bringing Master Errol! With your training incomplete, you could've been hurt, killed or captured!"

"I've done missions long before this!" Sonic protested.

"Yes, but your gifts are not toys!" Chartreus snapped. "If not properly mastered, you could've made things worse in Westopolis!"

"But we didn't-!"

"That doesn't mean you should rely on luck, and-!"

"That's enough, Chartreus!" Socrates intervened. "You've said what you mean to say. Please be considerate; the Hedgehogs have just had to leave their birth parents behind. Don't forget; you were the one who gave them the news, originally. And now, they've actually seen them. Or does that not matter to you right now?"

"What?!" Chartreus spluttered. "How dare you suggest that?!"

"I'm not saying that rushing off without consulting us was inherently wise, but constantly berating them right now is only rubbing salt into deep wounds. As Jedi, it behoves us to be compassionate, as well as firm."

Chartreus scowled for a few moments; then, his face relaxed, and he backed off.

"Hedgehogs," Socrates said, turning to the triplets, "first of all, I am very sorry for what you went through back there in Westopolis. You shouldn't have had to go through that."

"Master Socrates, we're really sorry we didn't consult you," Sonia said, "but we felt that if we waited, more people might have died."

"And you were right," Socrates said. "More people might have died had you waited. And I must say; despite rushing off, I personally am very pleased with how many lives you managed to save. You should be proud of that, at least. I know your parents would be proud of your accomplishments too."

"They told me to run," Sonic said. "I heard faint voices coming from them, telling me to run. Why did I listen to them? I could've saved them, like Sonia said."

"They wanted you to spare you their fate," Socrates said gently. "It is a parent's nature, after all. With no way of undoing their condition at the moment, it would've been too risky to bring them back to Knothole. I think even your parents would agree on that."

This only made Sonic feel worse. Socrates noted this, for he added, "I trust that you and your friends will find a solution, though. You always do. But remember what I taught you; would your parents want you to be all miserable and down?"

This question made all three Hedgehogs look at each other for a few moments. Sonic and Sonia remembered what Socrates had taught them about their past mistakes; Manic knew what Socrates meant as well, having been told by his siblings.

"No," Sonic said. "They'd want us to continue fighting. And that's what we'll do. Are you guys with me?"

"Of course," Manic said.

Sonia thought for a few moments, before wiping her face dry. "I'm with you too."

"You know, looking back, you guys did really well out there," Sonic said. "Not bad for your first proper Freedom Fighter mission; especially you, Sonia!"

Sonia blushed. "Thanks."

Manic simply shrugged. "When you live underground like I have for 14 years, facing danger like that is almost second nature."

"But we didn't go so well against Noir," Sonia noted. "We should probably be more prepared to deal with her, especially those visions she made us see."

"Naturally," Chartreus affirmed grimly. "You're lucky she didn't shatter your minds. Hopefully, next time, you'll all keep cooler heads." He then looked at me. "Especially you, Thomas. That outburst you had at Noir; that was positively alarming."

I bowed my head in shame. "I'm sorry, Masters. I… I just got so angry at what she was doing; especially at the fact that she wanted me as her apprentice! Me, a Sith Apprentice! That's unthinkable!"

"Too right!" Sonic said.

"But I thought I'd overcome that problem," I continued.

"Mental scars and disorders aren't easily ironed out," Socrates said. "True change takes time, effort and patience. In the meantime, I suggest you try to be aware of when you get angry."

"Yes, Master," I said, bowing.

"It was during an angry outburst that you escaped from Robuttnik, wasn't it?" Sonic said, suddenly.

I stared at him. "What makes you say that?"

"You have no proper recollection of how you escaped; and we heard reports that there was significant damage to Robuttnik's prisons shortly before I found you. That's actually what I was investigating that night"

I thought back to how I'd felt in Robotnik's prisons. I'd felt so helpless; so sad; so angry; and the guards had been taunting me. I'd wanted to explode. After all, my memory was a blank. I shuddered. It looked like I had exploded, quite literally.

"Oh boy," I said.

"It's okay, Tom," Sonic said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We'll look out for you, I promise."

"Cause that's what friends do," Manic added. Then, he remembered something he wanted to ask. "Masters, I could sense aftershocks and was able to stop them; is that the power you mentioned earlier, Master Socrates?"

Socrates nodded. Sonic, Sonia and even I looked at Manic with pride.

"Manic, the Earth-Shaker," Sonic said. "I like it."

"The power of the earth itself is a great gift," Socrates agreed, "and rather like your brother with his speed, you seem to have a natural grasp of connecting with it. That trick where you three used it to undo some of the damage done to Westopolis; that was something even we didn't foresee."

Manic grinned, positively swelling with pride.

"But you must be careful," Chartreus said. "The seismic activity of Mobius can have a mind of its own; you must constantly be aware of its movements, young Manic. If you are not careful, you could lose control, and cause terrible destruction. Don't let your success today get the better of you."

"Onwards and upwards," Socrates agreed.

"Right," Sonic said.

"But for now," Socrates went on, smiling, "you lot deserve a rest, and some time with your friends."

"You mean we can stay in Knothole again?" Sonic asked, hopefully.

"Of course," Socrates said. "Nothing does better on a troubled mind than time with friends."

"But what about our training?" I asked. "Is it finished?"

"No, no, a Jedi's training never ends," Chartreus said. "Errol and Hurit will be overseeing your training in Knothole for the most part. But we'll always offer our guidance; if there are any problems, don't hesitate to contact us."

"But how do we do that?" Sonic asked.

"Just reach out through the Force," Chartreus said, smiling. "We'll hear you."


The next day dawned bright, with a little wind and a few clouds. In Sonic's bedroom, the blue hedgehog himself was lying in his race car bed as usual, while Manic and Sonia rested in sleeping bags upon the floor. Sonia had just woken up, and for a few moments, she lay, gazing up at the ceiling. She then glanced at her brothers, appreciating their company. Despite some of their frustrating traits - Sonic's impatience and Manic's lack of manners - she couldn't have asked for nicer siblings.

"You monster…why did… I'll cut your throat!"

Sonia started in surprise, when she heard Manic yell out. She looked over and saw Manic's arms thrashing about, though his eyes remained close. He was dreaming, but it was something clearly unpleasant.

Sonia crawled over and stroked her brother's hair. "Shh, it's okay," she whispered. "You're safe, Manic."

Manic's face relaxed. "Ma?" he mumbled. "Is… is that you?"

Sonia hesitated for a moment, and then whispered soothingly, "Yes, son, it's me."

Manic feebly raised his hand, grasping at the air. The sight made Sonia's eyes glass over, but she took it regardless, before pulling her dreaming brother into a warm embrace. She didn't notice that Sonic himself had woken up and was watching affectionately.

As she held Manic, Sonia closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She breathed a few times before turning her attention back to her sleeping sibling. "I'm going to sing you a song, Manic," she said. "It will help you dream." She breathed again, and then she started to sing in a soft, melodic voice.

"In a way, it's all a matter of time
I will not worry for you, you'll be just fine
Take my thoughts with you, and when you look behind
You will surely see a face that you recognize

"You're not alone, I'll wait 'til the end of time
Open your mind, surely it's plain to see
You're not alone, I'll wait 'til the end of time for you
Open your mind, surely there's time to be with me!"

Sonia heard a sniff, and looked up. I was standing in the bedroom doorway, wiping my eyes under my glasses.

"That… that was beautiful," I whispered.

"Too true," Sonic sighed, making Sonia start in surprise. "You're as good as singing as I am at running."

"Thanks, guys," Sonia acknowledged, laying Manic back down. "I've always been quite a musician; Lady Windermere taught me so many songs and tunes. Nothing pleased her more... than hearing my music. She always said she'd never heard finer music." Her own lilac eyes were filling up as well. "I remember her once bragging at a dinner party that I could rival Gazelle someday." A tiny smile formed on her lips as she looked back at Manic. "I'm not entirely sure about that; I only sing to make others happy."

"You've certainly made me happy," I sniffed.

"Me too," Sonic concurred.

At that moment, Manic yawned and woke up.

"Morning, guys," he said. "Man, I just had a wonderful dream where Ma came and sang to me. It was wonderful!"

Sonia smiled at him. "I'm glad you did bro." She then stretched out her arms and pulled both brothers into a tight hug. For a few minutes, they just sat there, embracing each other. After watching some of it, I decided to leave them in peace, and went to get a glass of water, before settling down on the sofa.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Hold on," I called, but Sonic beat me to it. It was Sally, her brown fur and auburn hair rippling in the morning breeze.

"Morning, Sonic," she said. "How're you, Manic and Sonia holding up?"

"Better, thanks, Sal," Sonic said. "You should hear Sonia's singing; it's a real good pick-me-up."

"Well, we have something that will pick you guys up even more," Sally smiled. "Could you get them for me please?"

"No need for that, Sal." Manic and Sonia had just appeared behind their brother.

"In that case…" Next moment, the other Freedom Fighters suddenly appeared behind Sally.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HEDGEHOGS!" we all cheered.

Sonic, Manic and Sonia looked around, surprised.

"What?!" they all said in unison.

"It's your birthday, guys!" I said. "It's June 23rd today!"

Sonic smacked his own forehead. "I don't believe it! I forgot!"

"Well, to be fair," Manic said, "there's been a lot happening. Trying to remember what date it is would be like trying to remember all the words in a book that you just skimmed through."

"Well, looks like we've finally learned what those words are, bro," Sonic said, amused by his Manic's simile.

Tails came forward, holding a large cake with 15 candles, 5 blue, 5 green, 5 pink, and divided into thirds, one blue with iced sneakers, one green with drumsticks, and one pink with musical notes.

Needless to say, the triplets were impressed.

"Amazing, guys," Manic said. "It is, like, way past cool!"

"Hey!" Sonic said. "That's my line!"

"Well, I beat you to it," Manic smirked.

"The blue part has blackberry jam and blueberry-flavoured icing," Tails said, "the green section is apple and mint, and the pink strawberry and raspberry."

"Well, my salutations to the cooks," Sonic said, smiling.

"We haven't got much regarding presents, I'm afraid," Sally explained to Manic and Sonia. "What we do have are these."

She gestured to a set of drums presented by Rotor and a keyboard by Bunnie.

Manic grinned widely. "Awesome, dudes! That's the coolest set of drums I've ever heard."

Sonia gasped, her eyes watering. "Oh… it's beautiful! Thank you!" She ran over and hugged Bunnie tightly.

"It was no problem, sugah," Bunnie replied.

"Before we dig in, however," Sally said, "Manic, Sonia, it's time for your official induction into the Freedom Fighters."

Manic and Sonia obediently stepped forward and stood before Sally.

"Raise your right hands and repeat after me."

They did so.

"I, Prince Manic and Princess Sonia Hedgehog…"

"I, Prince Manic…"

"…and Princess Sonia Hedgehog…"

"…hereby pledge my allegiance…"

"…hereby pledge my allegiance…"

"…to the Knothole Freedom Fighter cause."

"…to the Knothole Freedom Fighter cause."

"I pledge to use all my abilities…"

"I pledge to use all my abilities…"

"…to help and protect the innocent of Mobius…"

"…to help and protect the innocent of Mobius…"

"…and oppose evil and injustice of any kind, especially that of Robotnik."

"…and oppose evil and injustice of any kind, especially that of Robuttnik."

Sally stepped forward, and placed a medal on each of their chests. "I, Princess Sally Acorn, hereby officially welcome you both to the Knothole Freedom Fighters. May you do us proud!" She gave both siblings a hug, which they returned. "Though, to be fair, you already have."

"Welcome aboard, sibs!" Sonic congratulated, joining in the hug enthusiastically. "Having you guys here is the best birthday present ever!"

"As is being with you!" Manic replied jovially.

The three turned to the cake, took a deep breath and blew out the candles, before saying: "TO A FREE MOBIUS!"

"TO A FREE MOBIUS!" everyone else cheered.


Many, many miles away, in the ruins of an old house, a woman dressed in a light green and lilac cloak sat watching the celebration via a magical window that she had conjured before her. The window was focussing particularly on the three Hedgehogs; the things that mattered to the woman more than anything else…

She stretched out a hand towards the window, as if to touch the three children, but of course, her hand went straight through the window. She withdrew the hand, tears in her eyes, and moved it to the amulet she wore around her neck; a Dark Ring with a twisted symbol inside. She'd had to give up the three children because she'd made the mistake of wearing it so long ago. Now, she wore it to protect others from it, until she could find a way to destroy it.

With a sigh, she wiped away her tears and dissolved the window. She then stood up and proceeded out of the house. She gazed out ahead of her for a few moments, and then, Queen Aleena whispered a soft prayer to the heavens.

"Take care, children."


And this, my dear readers, is where my first story concludes. I must apologise for it taking so long, but considering it's been so long, it's hard to remember all the details correctly, despite my vast research and interviews. Plus, it's just that life makes it impossible to focus on one thing all the time, especially when you have Asperger's, like me. Still, I'm glad to have finally finished it, and I hope you enjoyed it. But if you'll permit me using an old-fashioned phrase: this is just the beginning!

To your freedom and peace

Thomas Holmes II


A/N: The moment where Sonia sings to Manic was based on a scene from the original version of Beginnings, written by Jerry Lannigan when he helped write that chapter. The song is 'You're Not Alone', recently sung by Astrea (beautiful version, BTW)