Journey With No End: What I'd Be Without You

by Archon Of Athenai

War changes people, especially children thrust into it, leaving a mark on them that never can be washed away. Miles Prower was one such child, fighting his whole life, and a child born into and raised amid war soon ceases to be one. Now, he faces the serious challenge of reconciling his own deep beliefs with lessons from his loved ones and figuring out who he truly is (On Hiatus)

21. The Last Song

AN: Alright, let's start off with the positive stuff:

Thanks to wingwolffly, WhosAnonymous, and evilbeing for your reviews. It's absolutely fantastic to hear that the fight scenes aren't a slog to read, that was probably the single biggest fear I had while writing last chapter, as it was during the airship battle, so to hear otherwise, well it makes my day.

I'm also glad that people do recognise the inherent differences and disagreements that would arise between the FF's and the MLA, with Miles caught right in the middle of it. However, one would think that thanks to more moderate people, like Edouard and Sonic would prevent everyone from losing their heads. There's of course the issue of that 3rd family, but Miles is pretty good at keeping secrets.

Now, onto less cheery stuff. First things first:

It was only a matter of time before I made a big mistake I suppose, just can't believe it took me this long to realise it. So, I got Amy's age wrong; back in chapter 8 she says she's 17 when in fact she would be 16 based on the timeline, so yea; I've fixed the dialogue in that chapter a few days ago and from here on out work with the knowledge that she is 16. On a side note, this mistake has inspired me to make a list of major characters, their birthyear, and their age at the start of the story; so far I've got 35 names and the fact that I'm probably missing some that I should have and am also going to be adding to that list is not lost on me.

Second:

The rest of the "day" was planned to be one big chapter, then I lost track and right now I'm hovering around 40k words total and I haven't even reached the end of two major character groups, so yea. While I don't have an issue reading an insanely long chapter, I have no idea how others feel and I'd rather play it safe, last thing I want is to turn you guys off with some horrific wall of text. So, I'm splitting this chapter, 22k now, the rest whenever I get it done, hopefully soon. Work schedule, real life shit, etcetera.

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

---

"Alright, I think now is late enough that us going for a drink won't be too irresponsible."

Hershey smiles at those words as the two walk side by side, safe from the rain under the cover of the umbrella.

"Don't worry Songoose, I'm always good to be designated driver."

Mina laughs at the offer.

"Yea, I bet you're the responsible one of the pair, aren't you?"

"Well, I thi-, I-, I don't know."

"You okay?"

She gives a nonchalant nod, not skipping a beat.

"Yea, I'm good."

Despite the unwavering commitment to the lie, Mina is unconvinced by it.

"What is it?"

The cat, admitting she's been sussed, goes to sit on the sidewalk and the mongoose joins her.

"Just-, just a lot on my mind is all."

"It's about Geoff, isn't it?"

She nods. It's only partially a lie.

Which means it's also partially true

"Wanna talk about it?"

She doesn't look at her.

"There's not much I could tell you..."

Mina leans over and wraps an arm around the cat.

"Maybe it'd be enough."

Hershey turns to face her and gives a weak smile.

"Yea, maybe it would."

"C'mon Kit Kat, spill the beans."

"Have you ever felt like something was wrong but you couldn't figure out what it was?"

No answer comes forth, leaving Hershey to continue.

"He was going to say something, but he didn't. I've been running it in my head over and over and over. I feel like I'm going crazy thinking about all the possibilities."

Not just for us, but for this city too, and the Baronies, and for a million other things probably

"I want to say I understand how you feel, but to be honest, I don't, not fully anyways. I know what it's like to work with who you love, but in my case we're almost always together and neither of us is doing anything really dangerous. But I do know what it's like to worry about what you don't know; all I can say is: do you trust him?"

Hershey closes her eyes as the sound of rain falling on the ground permeates the air in comforting ambience.

"Yes. Yes, I do."

"Then everything else is irrelevant. Don't think about the outcomes, don't think about what you may have done wrong or what he may have done wrong or what you'll do once it comes out. You can't do anything to improve the situation; all you can do is just find the strength to keep yourself going till you can change things."

She opens her eyes and looks at Mina.

"Yea, you're right. Why kill myself over the stuff I can't control? Gotta stay focused on the here and now."

Mina gives a little shake that seems to ruffle the melancholy right off the cat.

"That's the spirit, Kit Kat!"

Hershey giggles.

"You know, this is all been pretty fun, more than I expected."

Mina moves her arm from Hershey's neck and under her arm.

"Let's head over to the saloon."

Hershey gives a small nod and the two get up, walking once more.

"Where is it anyways?"

"Oh, it's real far down in the city. You could probably throw a rock from it all the way into the Underland Slums; might hit an Overlander, too."

Hershey summons all her strength to not jump in excitement.

Perfect!

"Hope the 'special something' is worth it."

"Oh it will, don't worry. But the best part, really, is how lax everyone is down there; not the slums, of course. No one really cares that I'm famous, they just treat me like someone else. I think a lot of them don't even recognise me. It's nice to not get swarmed by paparazzi and fans like back in Acorn."

"Instead, you'll get mobbed by muggers and thugs."

"Oh, don't be so cynical!"

---

The two Robians traverse through the streets of the capital. They pass by an apartment building.

"Can't believe that we would use to scout from this building."

Bernadette nods and looks over to what is now an electronics store.

"Remember when we hid from a tank in there?"

"If I recall correctly, you jumped in and I had to ask what were you doing."

Bernadette gives a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Don't whine, you were okay."

"I think I'll be the judge of that."

"Oh, remember the time we shot at some squad's radio?"

"Man, they were pissed!"

Prerecorded laughter sounds out from them, drawing eyes as they continue to remember the past. They notice people staring at them, but also them shivering due to a cold chill that has come by rather quickly.

"Well, that's one thing that's not so bad about this."

He nods at her words and smiles at her optimism as she knocks on her chest.

"Always know how to make the best out of a bad situation, don't you?"

"Well, let's just say we've both had enough of those that it's probably by rote."

"You can say that again."

The reason why they're really here is at the forefront of their minds.

"Can't believe there's something serious enough for him to call us back in."

"Well, you know him, I doubt he'd pull something like this without reason."

"That's my point, it's got me worried about what it is. I don't know why but I feel like it isn't Jul-, Robotnik."

"Yea, that'd probably make headlines."

"So, what is it?"

"Too many options for me to give you an honest answer, Hon."

"Seems all this hardware only does so much, huh?"

"Yea, but that's kinda nice."

"Still just people, faults, flaws, and all."

---

"How long is this gonna take?"

The technician looks up from the arm and to the rabbit.

"Some time. That EMP wasn't some jury-rigged stuff, it was military-grade hardware."

He groans and rubs his forehead with his right hand as the technician grabs his left arm and drags it a bit closer to him over the table.

"How bad is thuh damage?"

"It ranges. Thuh wiring's completely fried as is thuh neural integration network. On thuh other hand, thuh hydraulics and pneumatics are pretty much intact. Thuh physical casing is a mixed bag, she got some good hits on ya."

The technician drags the light down to get a better angle into the mechanism.

"Well, 'count yer blessings', Ah guess."

Matilda enters the room.

"Uncle Baron, I hath good news."

He turns to face her.

"Spill the beans, Matty."

"The President hast sent notice to us; the Federation agrees to our trade offer."

The rabbit smiles.

"Guess today wasn't a total wash."

---

The red vulpine observes as the medics tend to her various wounds as pale, white light emanates from the ceiling.

"You have certainly got spirit, Your Royal Highness."

She flinches at their touching but keeps her calm while seated on the bench.

"Thanks. I'm just glad no one had to die."

There is an air of silence as a medic opens Sally's mouth to make sure none of her teeth are broken. Grey thinks over the events and, when the medic is finished with the dental check, he speaks.

"Why did you spare him?"

"What, you don't approve?"

"I'm not saying that, nor am I saying I do; I'm just curious, that's all."

"I didn't have to kill him."

"Is that it?"

She raises a brow at this.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I heard, and later read, what had occurred during the Battle Bird attack. Many aviators had stories to tell of you and Miss Rose, they all surprised me. Not your fighting spirit, or your heroism, or your defiance of authority..."

"Four thousand people, yourself included, are alive because of that."

"That is true. But hindsight is always twenty-twenty, isn't it?"

She can't help but think about how the Freedom Fighters drifted apart.

It all seems so obvious now, but back then, I didn't even see it

"But anyways, what surprised me was the fact that you had taken life. I know how you and your comrades seem to generally adhere to your simple rule regarding killing; Don't. I assumed you must've simple shifted on this stance since the last major fight against Robotnik, which is now some time ago; I thought perhaps, as you grew up, you decided to take a more efficient stance on the matter. So, to see you show mercy now, when no one, not even the spared, was expecting or requesting it, well I just wasn't expecting that, that's all."

They begin bandaging her chest and arms while also examining her shattered right hand.

"I've never changed, I'm who I always was, who I always am, who I'll always be. I've grown but only into my own person. I won't discount the option but I'm not some bloodthirsty monster; I'll kill but only if it's necessary. I fight for life and for those I love. He may not be my family, he may not even be a good person, but he's family of my family and I won't ever hurt my family like that, not unless it's absolutely necessary."

He smiles at her.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

She gives a chuckle but quickly stops due to pain.

"At least we'll be in the capital tonight."

Grey makes a face and Sally frowns in response.

"Why not?"

"They may not have fired many shots at us, but they did do some damage."

"That much?"

"Normally, it wouldn't have been an issue for the duration of the flight to the capital, but since we didn't finish the repairs it is. Like I said back then, the guns seemed to possess considerable firepower and I was correct; Robotnik surely must've sprung for them. We'll have to land in Furville to make the repairs. We'll be there in a few hours."

"Great, more delays."

"Just emergency ones, we should only be occupied for day, I'm certain."

"Well, if it keeps us from falling out of the sky."

"And speaking of such things, you need not worry about the Sentinel. I've forwarded them the details along with the advice to avoid where we just passed. Their detour will take them over the Caribbouan but they'll veer back on course and return over land right at the Caraïbous Estuary."

She nods but, before she can thank him for making sure others don't have to face what they just did, a simple fact finally resurfaces in her mind.

"Oh man..."

"What is it?"

"Captain, I know I've been asking a lot from you lately, but I need one more thing."

He nods.

"Of course, Your Royal Highness. What is it?"

"Can you prevent the news of this whole, thing, from spreading beyond the Enduring?"

"You want me to not report this?"

"Yes."

"Your Royal Highness, an attack by a foreign, rogue state with arms supplied by Ro-"

"Please. I'll be sure to have my dad and the Royal Army to be on alert for him and Robotnik, but I-, I don't want to force his hand."

She looks down to her broken hand and chuckles.

Definitely felt good to disable it though

Her stupid pun somewhat alleviates the pain; somewhat being the operative word.

"Whatever do you mean, ma'am?"

"I-, he didn't have to accept the duel, he didn't have to actually fight me, he didn't have to drop his weapon, and he didn't have to let us go, but he did."

"I sincerely hope you're not going to tell me that 'there's still good in him'; with all due respect, Your Royal Highness."

"If this news breaks out, he has no path left to him other than to continue."

"And you think, if he has options, he'll choose another one?"

She looks away.

"I don't know, but I want to see."

"I cannot promise anything in regards to this,"

He pauses, for it's a perfectly valid way to end the sentence.

You red fool...

However, it's not going to be.

"But I will see what I can do."

She returns her gaze back to him.

"Since no one died and you did put yourself on the line for everyone, it may be possible."

"Thank you, Captain."

---

The fox sits with the hedgehog, his head wavering.

"Childe, art thee alright?"

His focus returns to the moment and he gives a yawn.

"Yeaaaaa, I'm good."

"Didst thee catch any winks last night?"

"Nope. Stayed up working on something."

He thinks about how Edouard has the folder, how he'll give it to Noël.

Thank you, because I know I won't be able to

"Tired?"

He shakes his head and fiddles with the gold buttons on his uniform

"Nah, not really. Just bored, I guess. Will you tell me what Edouard was talking about?"

"Nay. I bethink making it a secret f'r thee shall make it all the bett'r."

"Hmm..."

"W'rry not, thee shall seeth soon."

---

"Sir Charles, the SSU containing the neural card data has been properly checked; it is safe to sift through."

"Good, begin doing so while I work on linking it to the CPU. Let's see if we can't get something from it."

"Already found something worth inspecting."

"My, my, aren't you a quick one?"

She chuckles.

"To be honest, I've forgotten how exciting this work is! It feels good to do what I was originally made for; makes me feel so useful."

Charles places a hand on the lynx's shoulder.

"Don't-, you shouldn't think like that. Whatever you were made for, you've grown beyond that. You don't have to be 'useful', you have to be happy."

Nicole smiles at the gesture.

"Oh, don't worry Sir Charles, I know that. I just really enjoy this, like you do. It's challenging but also rewarding. That's all."

Charles backs off and nods.

"Alright, that's good to hear. Now, what is it that you've found?"

Nicole displays the text onto a computer.

"Seems like for the past few years he's been rapidly deteriorating in influence and power."

"Well yes, obviously. He's been ejected from Mercia, Downunda, and all of Acorn east of the Mobissippi."

"True, but that's more of a slow decline, this is different; less falling down stairs and more off a cliff. The cataclysmic crash seems to have begun when Dimitri successfully managed to nullify, and remove, the explosives within their cybernetics that could be remotely triggered by Eggman. He then sent the information to the Grandmasters of every chapter and encouraged them see to it, all in secret; some unspecified amount of time later, he contacted Eggman and stated the termination of their partnership and broadcasted it to the entire Eggman Empire."

"So that explains what you said Knuckles told you."

She nods.

"The Dark Legion is confirmed to not be an active threat."

"One less of those is certainly worth celebrating."

"Now, a little closer to home, the Baron was the first to follow suit."

"Good to know we don't have Julian's empire on our border anymore. More good news for Mrs. D'Coolette, as well."

Nicole thinks about that.

Her serotonin levels were rather high that day

She continues on. She'll ask about it after this is done.

"After that, Regina Ferrum and the Iron Dominion quickly did the same, Razorklaw jumped ship next, with the Battle Bird Armada being the last major link in the chain to break off. Akhlut and the Tundra chapter never explicitly left but they stopped reporting in around the same time while Drago was apprehended by Lupe and imprisoned by us."

"So, how far does his influence actually extend now?"

"Well, hard to tell, but from what I'm reading it seems like not much further than the West Coast. From threatening all of Mobius to hiding in a Northamer. I'd make a joke about cycles, but it'd probably be redundant."

Charles smirks at her pun and leans forward, examining the text. The gesture is pointless, he could magnify his vision, but maintaining these organic routines and habits, illogical and unnecessary as they may be now, is something he is committed to.

"I presume this is why he's been keeping a low profile, to avoid revealing how far he's fallen; a paper tiger does best when merely a shadow."

Nicole nods.

"But he hasn't been idle. There are references to dozens of projects and three major operations in here; though due to the fact this is simply a neural card, there is nothing more than the names of the operations, and the projects are unlisted."

"At least it's something."

He reads the operations.

"Operation: Brumal, Operation: Crystal, Operation: Regal. It seems he's learned to be more cryptic when naming them. Unfortunate."

"Nevertheless, I think we can safely ascertain the meaning of Regal and Crystal."

He nods.

"Indeed, the Battle Bird attack makes 'Regal' quite clear, and the second one appears to mean he's got something in mind for a Chaos Emerald, or Emeralds if we're really unlucky; that of course begs the question."

"Is the plan to get them or use them?"

He looks to the CPU.

"Hopefully we can get some answers from there."

Nicole's silence draws his attention and he turns to her; she is simply looking at her hands, smiling.

I'm glad he let you get it back

That's when it hits him.

"Oh my!"

His outburst snaps Nicole out of her introspection.

"What's wrong?"

Charles stands up.

"I completely forgot about this week's Privy Council meeting. Keep up the good work, Nicole."

Before she can thank him for such words, he runs off.

---

"Blake."

"Yes, Mister Charlemagne?"

"Please, just Charlemagne is fine."

"Alright then, Charlemagne. What is it?"

"I'm going to give a speech in the Underland tonight. Could you tell the others?"

"Sure thing. How many of the staff are going with you?"

"Only those who wish to come."

"Well, I'll be sure to be there; pretty sure the rest of the Overlanders will want to come along, too."

"That's good to hear. Be sure to make clear that everyone is welcome and will be under my personal protection."

"The Mobies, too?"

"Especially the Mobians. If we want this city to see us differently, we'll need to act it."

"Alright, sir."

"Like I said, just Charlemagne is fine."

Blake nods.

"Sorry 'bout that."

Charlemagne gives a strong smile and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't sweat it. It's a big change since last I was around, just like a lotta things."

Blake nods again.

"You know, if you're headin' down there, me and the guys could show you around a bit."

"The guys and I."

"What?"

"The guys and I. You wouldn't say 'me could show you around'."

"Oh, sorry about that."

"It's alright, son, just make sure not to do it again. Like I said, we've got to set a good image and an even better example in order to win the dignity and respect we deserve."

"Yea, of course."

"And I'll take you up on that offer. A soon-to-be mayor should know the ins and outs of his city."

"That's the spirit! I'll tell the others."

The aide heads off, leaving him alone. He looks at a recent poll done and can only smile.

"Not the favorite to win, yet, but I've got a fighting chance; more than I expected. Soon, we'll see who wins."

He sets down the paper and picks up a binder and begins running through the various pages.

"So many plans, so many ideas, yet only one question. How much time?"

He looks over a map of the Federation, eyes drifting to Spagonia.

"My in. Need to get into their good graces if I want to do anything beyond this continent. And speaking of that..."

He turns the pages to a more detailed map of just Soumerca, his eyes shifting to the Mystic Ruins.

"First order of business will be working on clearing that up."

---

"Thank you both for arriving on such short notice."

The pair nod as they sit down.

"Of course. We know you wouldn't call unless it was serious."

"I wish it wasn't so. Now, there's much to cover, so let's not waste any time. The fact of the matter is that the Southern Baronies are, if we do nothing, on a course for, at a minimum, a wave of massive civil unrest within the decade, with the most generous projections."

Bernadette gives a worried expression.

"If that's the minimum, what's the maximum?"

Harvey exhales through his nose, which is more than enough for the two. Jules leans forward and places a hand on the desk.

"It's alright, you don't have to say it."

The owl nods graciously.

"Thank you. I suppose it's a childish notion, that not uttering the words somehow makes the situation any less real, yet it seems to make me feel so."

The Robians smile.

"Trust me, we understand. So, what do you want us to do?"

"Rotor is working on a device, a full-spectrum imaging array. It'll penetrate through walls and allow us to see what's going on, at least in a limited capacity."

"How will you prevent it from-"

"I can't. People uninvolved with this matter will have their privacy invaded."

There is a short but tense silence following Harvey's answer.

"The best I can do is make its range short so as to reduce how many innocents get swept up in the imaging, but that in turn requires a specific insertion point. I need it to be done without being noticed. You are both proficient, but more importantly, you're trustworthy, reliable; I know you can get it done, that you will get it done."

"How have things gotten so bad?"

"It's more than I could ever do justice, but I can tell you what I know. Obviously, we should start at the beginning."

---

"Your Majesty?"

The words snap him out of some train of thought. He's not sure which one it was, but he's certain it wasn't pleasant.

It never is

He looks up to face the cat.

"Yes, Minister Evans?"

She gives a nervous smile.

"I uh, I said that the proposed vertical transcontinental railway from the Northern Lakes to Alexandrana is facing some stiff opposition in Furville as well as the usual troublemakers further east."

He buries his face into his hand as he sighs.

"What could the Ratlantla noble assembly possibly take issue with?"

"The same thing they always say: 'a startling lack of communication with proper channels'."

His claws scrape across his forehead as the hand he is burying his face in balls into a fist and his face rests on his knuckles now.

"Aren't they being communicated with at this time?"

"Yes, but they feel that we're rather far in the planning stage."

"This is nonsense! Why are they gettin' so damn uppity?"

"Sometimes I wish we could march a division right up ta their city hall, if only ta see tha' look on Jedediah's face as he blows a gasket!"

"Minister! You cannot truly mean that? Surely such a thing would only validate the suspicions and concerns of the agitators?"

Maximilian's eyes remain shut as his face remains on his knuckles.

Why? Why is it never good enough?

He emits a silent sigh as all the ministers continue talking, arguing, debating, their voices slowly drowning out.

Why am I never good enough?

He thinks about his father.

You would've known what to do. I'm sorry I let it all go to ruin, but I promise I can make it right. Maybe not me, maybe not in my lifetime, but I know she can see to it, so I can make her as strong as she can be

"-And Ah wouldn't bother tryin' ta placate them, Yer Majesty."

Maximilian raises his face from his fist to face the bat. Even though he has no idea where the conversation has drifted to, he understands the underlying message of the bat's words.

"I feel as I am of the same mind."

The bat nods with vigour.

"This railway is way too important ta let some rabble-rousers kill it cause they wanna stir thuh pot. Thuh workers and materials required fer construction alone will be a boon; that's not even mentioning thuh boost ta business, trade, and travel once thuh thing is up and runnin'. Besides, it'll be damn important."

A rabbit shakes his head at the bat's seeming repetition.

"Ov course it's important, ya jus' bloody told us why; tha' economic activity it will bring wi-"

"That is not what he was referring to."

The entire Privy Council now turns to face Maximilian.

"I beg yer pardon, Yer Ma'esty?"

He looks down.

"It will be important because the Marshlands are likely the only region within the entirety of the Baronies that we can count on. A railway ensuring clear and uncut communication between Oak Acorn and Alexandrana will be key to cutting any rebellion's access to the Mobissipi which, along with a blockade along their coast, will be vital in smothering the damned thing in its crib."

The bat smiles as he turns to face the other ministers.

"Seems like even when he's bored out of his mind, His Majesty is thuh only one payin' attention."

He returns his eyes to Maximilian.

"No offense, Yer Majesty."

Maximilian raises a hand.

"None taken, Minister Guidry. My apologies for being somewhat absentminded; I've-, I've a lot on my mind as of late."

They all nod.

"Of course, we understand fully. The news of the attack on the Princess made us all quite deathly afraid."

I wish it was just that news...

He wonders where that boy, their boy, is in the world.

Everywhere and nowhere

That reminds him of someone else he knows. Another fox named Prower as well.

I hope you're like your uncle, but I won't wait to see that, I must act preemptively. All my failures come because I reacted, rather than acted

"Glad ta see she's made it through just fine. Of course, after all she's done and been through, what else should we have expected?"

His thoughts are interrupted but he smiles at the fact that the entire council, the entire country, much of the world, even one of his old enemies, are happy that she's alright.

You may hate this burden, but you'd shoulder it better than anyone I know

"Yes, My little-, er, my daughter, is indeed a most valiant fighter and leader. I dare to say she could probably make the most ardent Secessionist gladly cry 'Long live the Queen'."

The entire Privy Council chuckles at the joke.

"That'll be thuh day!"

---

"Do you wish for some more tea, mister?"

Elias, whose head crowned with a pink tiara far too small for it, smiles and nods.

"Why of course, my lady!"

He extends his arm out, hand holding the cup, as she giggles and pours for him.

"Thank you, Lady Alexis."

"Why of cou-"

"Sweetie, your friend is here!"

"Alexis?"

"Cream?"

The squirrel girl jumps out of her seat and begins sprinting over to the voice.

"Cream!"

The rabbit and squirrel hug.

"I can't believe you're here!"

The taller, maternal, rabbit follows behind.

"Of course she is; it's been some time since the last visit and she's terribly missed you so!"

Alexis smiles at her.

"Miss Rabbit, thank you for bringing Cream here!"

"Oh, Alexis, you know you can just call me Vanilla. After all, we're family, aren't we?"

She turns to face Elias as he nods.

"That's right; been through the bad times and now enjoying the good."

"Hey Lexi."

Alexis turns back to face Cream.

"Y-"

Before she can answer, the rabbit slaps a hand on her shoulder.

"Tag, you're it!"

The rabbit runs off, leaving the squirrel to chase after her.

Elias smiles.

"Real balls of energy, those two."

Vanilla nods but soon ceases as she finally notices the tiara.

"Elias, is that a-"

He cuts Vanilla off.

"Of course, She asked me to, and who am I to say no to my little girl?"

He smirks as Megan shakes her head.

"Keep pretending like you don't enjoy it, we see right through you."

"Well, you said it Honey, not me."

Vanilla grabs the tiara off his head.

"You two go enjoy yourselves, I can watch those two."

"Thanks. It'll be nice to have some us-time. We'll be busy tomorrow, as always, so best to do something now."

---

The hedgehog enters the room.

"Hey handsome."

He nods at her greeting. She knows he did something out there, but she won't ask. And he knows that she knows, and that she won't.

Thank you, for that

"Gotta say, streets feel real empty. I actually had to look around me to find people passing by, it's weird."

"Lotta people are heading to the concert. Birch sells."

"I suppose that makes sense."

He lays on the bed and grabs his book.

"Actually, I was hoping we could go to it."

He puts down the book as swiftly as he picked it up.

"I know you don't really like music like that bu-"

"That sounds great."

"What?"

"Let's go."

"Just like that?"

He nods.

"Why not? Sounds like something fun, for you anyways. Besides, you deserve it."

"Oh, and why's that?"

Because you're my friend

"Well, you did find the Emerald."

Rouge sucks teeth and shakes her head.

"Don't you just love to play hard to get?"

"If you're good at something, why stop?"

She shakes her head and jumps off her bed.

"C'mon, we better get moving."

"I hope you have tickets."

"As a matter of fact, I do."

She pulls out three.

"What's with the extra?"

"Hope is taggin' along. It was her idea."

"You didn't get one for Omega?"

"You can't be serious?"

He chuckles.

"No, of course not."

"Good, suggesting that a robot should be invited to a con-"

"After all, he'd probably hate it, and you shouldn't pressure people, especially your friends, into doing stuff they don't like."

A deadpan expression hangs across her face.

"You are ridiculous."

"Ridiculously swell? Yea."

"You sound like an old man trying to be hip."

"Trying? I think I'm rather successful."

Rouge heads for the door and opens it.

"C'mon, handsome."

---

"Insert your arms."

The lynx turns to look at the guards. On his face is a look that makes evident the depth of his disdain for them all. He does as ordered and places his arms inside the circles; a locking sound is heard as they are fixed in place.

"Now discharge."

He smirks.

"Don't try anything funny, ya Yurashian freak."

"Oh, of course. After all, I wouldn't want to give any of you a shock!"

He jolts to the left and slams his shoulder into the guard while electricity flows out from him.

"GAGDZDGDHASD!"

It surges into the guard and sends him flying back several feet. Smoke rises from the body.

"Hahah- AGHHHHHH!"

The lynx's laughter is cut short by the hissing sound of a red-hot, metallic baton striking right into his trapezius. The glowing weapon sears his flesh at mere contact.

"You stupid motherfucker!"

He falls to one knee, his hands still locked in the machine. The guard pulls off the baton, a small clump of fur and flesh ripping of the lynx's skin and remaining on the glowing red weapon.

"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!"

The guard slams the baton right into the lynx's lumbar region, demolishing any semblance of form he had maintained after the first strike.

"AGHHH!"

Within seconds, almost a dozen Mobians, all with a variety of weapons, swarm the lynx, now feebly leaning over. The only thing keeping him from being lain about the floor are his hands, still locked in the machine, which he hangs from.

"Seems like ya still need some teachin!"

They barrage him: strikes, clubs, jabs, kicks, and yells, all imbued with anger, assail him.

"Nothing to say now, huh wise guy?"

He slowly fades away from the current situation and into where he wants to be.

Anywhere else

The world and people around him are a mute and blurry haze. The only sound he can hear is the beating of his heart and the only real connection he maintains to reality is the occasional wake-up call of pain that reminds him of an awful fact.

Still here

After what seems like an eternity, though in reality just over two minutes, the crowd backs off from him at the behest of the first one to strike him. He sees their mouths move but he can't hear anything. Through the pain, he forces a smile.

Sure gave you all a show

The guards move and he sees the one he shocked lying on the ground, still as a rock, as two other guards kneel beside him. One of the guards looks up to the rest and gives a shake of his head as he makes a swift swiping motion with his hand just under his chin. It's happened again.

Number six

The rest of the guards grow even angrier, shouting and ranting, both to each other and at him. His mouth hangs open and he still hears nothing other than his beating heart. It reminds him of a fact that he's grateful for.

Still alive

Four guards pick up the deceased one and carry him off, the rest that remain put distance between him and themselves. If he had the strength to grit his teeth, he'd be doing so.

Here it comes

A few seconds pass as the guard holding the hose steadies his aim. Once he is ready, a torrent of scalding water unleashes forth.

"Ooogh!"

The sound that comes from him is not an active cry but rather a mechanical motion; the force of the water hitting his diaphragm forces it to expel all the air out of his lungs. At once, he is dragged back into full awareness of the world around him.

"-ms like ol' Lighty-Lights doesn't like when we rain on his electro-exhibition!"

The guards laugh, though not at the joke. The lynx can hardly think as he gasps for air as a torrent of boiling water continues to wash over him, but his hatred gives him the strength to formulate just one.

Laugh it up, one day you'll be nothing but ashes

---

"You're voting against reclamation efforts for the Overland again?"

The bear nods.

"We're just getting back on our feet and I won't put that at risk by pouring resources into your vanity project."

"It's not a vanity project! There are valuable resources and space not bein-"

"Hello everyone."

At the digital voice, the Privy Council and Maximilian turn to face the Robian.

"Ah, Sir Charles. So good you could finally make it."

Charles rubs the back of his head at Maximilian's words.

"My apologies for that; important work regarding defence captured my attention for longer than I expected."

Maximilian simply smiles and gestures for him to sit down.

"Perhaps you can help settle this issue?"

Charles nods and takes a seat to Maximilian's right.

"Well, I cannot give my approval for reclamation efforts. Yes, there are valuable resources and space, but the region is heavily polluted and irradiated, littered with the remnants of cities, factories, nuclear reactors, oil refineries, coal plants, and many other industrial detritus, all abandoned for over fifteen years. But that's not the real nail in its coffin. No, the fact is that there's plenty of land waiting to be developed that isn't quite so harsh: the Northern Lakes of course could always use expansion and I know we've been floating the idea of organised and meaningful westward settlement, beyond the Mobissippi, for a very long time now; I think I recall the first suggestion almost thirty years ago,"

It feels like a hundred

"And today we're just as close to seeing to its implementation as we were back then. If expansion is an option on the table, we should go west before we go north."

Maximilian nods.

"Thank you for your perspective. I think I am inclined to agree."

The two of them share a smile.

Thank you, for standing by me when so many others didn't

For some reason, he cannot help but think about the Zone of Silence.

And what's more terrible than being alone in the world?

---

The white fur of his hand obscures his vision as he rubs his forehead due to a pounding headache.

"Hey çocuk, you ready to go? I hope the waves and vibrations didn't rattle your mushy brain too much."

He turns his head to see the source of the voice; terror, surprise, and anger engulf him at the sight of the echidna, the same one from the beach.

ERUDISSARY!

He jolts up and goes to channel energy but a surge of electricity floods throughout his entire body. The pain of his headache disappears and is replaced by full-body agony.

"AHHHGHGHH!"

He falls face forward onto the floor as light prerecorded laughter sounds above and around him.

"C'mon çocuk, do you think we're so blöd that we didn't make sure you couldn't try anything?"

The electricity ceases surging but its remnants ebb throughout his body and he can do no more than endure its existence.

"Now, for your own sake, we all ask that you don't try anything like that again. We don't want to hurt you."

He slowly pushes himself up and looks around him. He isn't on the beach or in the sky. He is outside some facility, it is still raining, and it is night.

Over a dozen Erudisarries, probably hundreds of Soulless as well; maybe thousands

He begins to swing his arm to hit one of them but all of a sudden his hands slam together, joined at the wrists. He stares at his white hands bound together at the wrist, so tight and forceful is the link that he feels both his radii bones ache from slamming into each other. The pain persists as they are forced to continue digging into one another.

"Huh?!"

Another Erudissary, another echidna, shakes her head in amusement at his vain efforts.

"Çocuk, please stop."

He stares at the cuffs, seeming to bind his hands together through electromagnetic force. He tries to pull them apart.

"C'mon!"

The futility of his efforts is soon undeniable and he ceases. He stares at the ground and sits back down where he was sleeping; one thought is on his mind.

"How come I'm not dead?"

"What the Hölle kind of question is that?"

He turns to face a human Erduissary.

"What?"

"We've been trying to capture you, not kill you."

They all nod, confusing him immensely.

"I don't understand..."

The echidna, the one who saved him, nods.

"Of course you don't; that's what we're here to do, help you understand."

Those words, despite their inviting content and comforting delivery, send fear throughout his whole body.

"Erudissaries, you're up."

He looks up and sees a Robian, obviously not one of them due to many lacking details, most distinct being the absence of a Bork welded into his skull, waving for the group to move along.

"Make sure that Selvaggio can't do anything. I don't need to see myself added to the list of this maniaque's victimes."

The Erudissaries nod.

"Don't worry, the Weißwind won't be doing anything."

"The who?"

The Robian, an ibex, shakes his head.

"God, you Selvaggi sure are stupido, aren't ya?"

One of the Erudissaries, a raven if he had to guess, steps forward.

"Hey man, entspannen. The Vahşi is just a çocuk."

"Whatever, just get on the shuttle and head up to Empyreal Sentinel. The Großvezir will want to see this one as soon as possibile."

The Erudissaries nod and two pick him up as they start for the shuttle. He begins to fight back but before he can make any meaningful movements he feels the surge of electricity coursing through his body again.

"AHHHGHGHH!"

He convulses and spasms while in the grip of the Erudissaries, who step into the shuttle behind their fellows.

"Çocuk, for the love of all that's holy, please stop."

The electricity stops surging and they lower him onto a seat as they also go to sit down.

Didn't see anyone move, which means it's wireless,

Even these brief thoughts are a struggle to form through the remnants of the pain.

Which means they just have to think to trigger it...

He pants from the pain and takes stock of his surroundings.

Same number of Erudissaries, but now some of those birds from the beach too...

He feels the vibration of the engines and looks through the window, seeing the shuttle taking off from the ground.

"Where we going?"

"Like he said down on the base, Empyreal Sentinel, though you probably know it by 'Space Colony ARK; The Administration's been trying to get people to switch towards the new name for, what, over thirty years now?"

A snake Erudissary emits a prerecorded laugh.

"They can keep trying, I'm not calling the ARK anything else till the day I get a heartbeat."

He hears a guitar begin playing.

---

Now Playing: "Major Rob"
(Based On "Space Oddity")

---

"What are you goin-"

A bear Erudissary emits a harsh screeching noise, slightly hurting his ears.

"Quiet, this one's my favourite."

Ground Control to Major Rob,
Ground Control to Major Rob,
Recharge your energy cells and fiddle with the thingamabob.
Ground Control to Major Rob, (Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,)
Commencing countdown, a routine job. (Five, four, three,)
Check ignition and may The Gift's love be with you! (Two, one, liftoff...)

Disgust fills him, including his face, at the music.

"Every time you play your stupid songs, it just makes me want to scrap you all even more."

The entire shuttle laughs at his words.

"You're still blind, still sleeping, but don't worry; in time you'll wake up, open your eyes, and see the truth."

Those words, with their vague and metaphorical nature, make him uneasy and he can do nothing more than fold his arms.

"Kolay gelsin, sıhhatler olsun, ve çok yaşa."

While those words, their meaning completely unknown to him, fill him with dread.

This is Ground Control to Major Rob!
You're in for many an accolade
And the people want to know whose hertz you bear!
Now it's time to leave the capsule, look down on anywhere!
"This is Major Rob to Ground Control,
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way,
And the stars look very different today!
For here
Am I living with an immortal lifespan,
Far above our world!
Planet Mobius is blue
And there's nothing we can't do!"

The atmosphere has descended into a calm and most of the Erudissaries simply sway their heads back and forth to the beat.

This is my chance!

He quickly grabs and throws an Erudissary across the shuttle, denting the wall where he lands.

"Damn Soulless!"

But before he can even get up, another one is quickly on him; an echidna, but not the one who saved him. The Erudissary socks him right in the face with enough force to knock a tooth out of his mouth.

"Ooh!"

The fist continues through the motion past his face, colliding with the hull and denting it.

"Damn, you're a tough one, aren't you?!"

While he is still dazed, the Erudissary quickly shoves him back down, pinning his arms down with one hand and his body with the other with incredible strength. His arm and chest strain under the pressure as the metal behind him slightly dents around his form. The electricity surges again.

"AHHHGHGHH! OKAY! OKAY!"

The Erudissary, along with the electricity, relents and things de-escalate.

"You're lucky we're going easy on you."

Smoke is rising from his own fur as he regains his composure.

"That's what..., what you Soulless consider 'g-goin' easy'?"

The Erudissary doesn't justify his question with an answer, leaving him to rub his mouth, but when he looks at his hand, no white fur can be seen; instead, a horrific, mangled, scarred, and crushed hand covered completely in red makes itself apparent. The sight, despite its obvious startling nature, garners no notice from either him or anyone else.

"That's one way to lose a baby tooth!"

The thought is his own but the voice isn't. It is a woman's, and it is robotic. Still, it garners no reaction and seems to have gone completely unnoticed.

"Is that what you Vahşileri call us?"

Another Erudissary places a hand over their chest and he nods in response.

"Yea. You're Soulless."

"Ah, so you guys just hate all Robians?"

He nods.

"Yea, all of you. All Soulless."

He points to the avians Robians.

"You guys too, even though I've never seen one of you before."

Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles,
There's so much more left to go, still,
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go!
Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows!
"Ground Control to Major Rob,
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong!
Can you hear me, Major Rob?
Can you hear me, Major Rob?
Can you hear me, Major Rob?
Can you-" Here am I living with an immortal lifespan,
Far beyond our Moon!
Planet Mobius is blue
And there's nothing we can't do!"

The echidna from the beach leans over to him.

"You haven't seen one because they're new; and besides, they aren't Robians, or 'Soulless', as you'd put it."

His confusion is clear.

"They're metal just like you."

"Yes, but they aren't Robians, they're robots; they weren't born, they were simply made."

The echidna turns to face them.

"No offense, just trying to explain the difference to him."

The avians give no recognition.

"Alright, be weird like that..."

The hedgehog softly blows air out his nostrils.

"You're all just machines to me."

The echidna turns back to face him.

"That's rude."

"But it's true."

"I don't think so."

"How can you think anything? You've got code and programs you've got to follow. You've got no spark, no life, no soul. You're as much a person as a gun is."

The echidna says nothing in response and a calm air dominates the shuttle as the song plays out its outro. The music transitions from soothing drum beats and guitar strums into disorientating electronic pitches and other assorted sounds. The metal walls of the shuttle appear to be turning into liquid.

Uhhhhh...

He is saved from onset of nausea and a severe headache to accompany it thanks to a transition from the song to a piano playing.

---

Now Playing: "Life Among The Stars"
(Inspired By "Life On Mars")

---

Be grateful for that much

As he sits in silence, he looks down and shuts his eyes as he begins to come to a grim understanding.

I'm not getting out of here...

It's a frightening and eerie affair,
The girl can't deny that she feels scared;
But she says "I have to know!"
And M,.O.M has told her "It's okay to go."

He feels an existential fear in him as he says the one thing on his mind.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

A feline Erudissary makes what he thinks is an angry noise.

"I wish. But Eros wanted you alive; no exceptions or excuses. So did the Admin, too. If you keel, it's our audio processors that get chewed out to the Oort cloud."

And though her friend is nowhere to be seen,
She walks through the past, those sunken dreams;
She's determined to see it through
And she looks at all those schemes and regimes.

"Can't believe we aren't allowed to put this damn Vahşi down; damn thing is more trouble than he's worth."

The echidna, the one who saved him, speaks up at her words.

"Orders are orders. Besides, he's in our custody and isn't going anywhere. Killing him wouldn't be just."

While some of them nod, another Erudissary, a lynx, makes clear her displeasure.

"Was it 'just' for this Vahşi to kill everyone he's killed? Over a hundred and six thousand dead, because of him."

But that life is a saddening bore
And she thinks "Surely there's something more?!"
She could spit in the eyes of fools,
Who would ask her to return to...

"If we kill him, all we show to the Vahşileri is that we're stronger than them; a pointless message. We already know that; they already know that."

He feels tears rising in his shut eyes. He thinks of what he thought back when he was younger, back when he still had his parents.

"Together, we can beat anything! Even the whole world!"

Aviators fighting in the airship hall!
Oh man, look at those Savages go!
It's the freakiest show!

How stupid I was to think that...

Take a look at the lunatic
Beating up a random guy!
Oh man, wonder if they'll ever know,
Their life's nothing more than a funny show?!
Is there life among the stars?!

Is that how you see me? Can't you see how this is all wrong?

"What we need to do is show them that we're better than them. If we can convince the Rabiat Weißwind to convert, we can convince any Vahşi."

He isn't sure what those weird words mean.

"Wind" sounds normal, I guess...

"After all, there's no better way to destroy the enemies of our family then to make them one of us; make them family."

He wants to yell at them that this isn't a family, but he is lacking the strength, the spirit to do so. His whole world collapsed and sent him freefalling three years ago, it seems that the time to hit the ground is finally here.

I don't know what this is. I'm not sure if I know what anything is anymore...

Our world, forged from many a tortured brow,
As one, all swore a most solemn vow.
Now, with many trials past, all have proclaimed,
That a utopia we have surely attained.

Instead of anger, he feels a deep, genuine, and absolute confusion rise in him at that word; he has never heard it before.

"Is this world, your world, 'a utopia'?"

Echidna turns back to face him, leans over, and smiles.

"Yes, yes it is."

"I hate utopia..."

The echidna says nothing but his face, through all the metal, makes clear his concern.

See the Savages in their dwindling hordes,
Clad in foolish armour and living like frauds.
Feel the joy, that all of us surrounds,
To one another, we emit such lovely sounds.

These words, the utter dismissal of him and those like him, "Savages", as a dwindling mass, a fact which he cannot deny seems to be true,

I haven't seen another person in months, haven't seen a group of a hundred in over a year, and they're gone

Also does not instill anger despite the fact that they are actually intended to be derogatory, nor does it make him sad or scared or confused; they instead make him feel something far worse than any other emotion.

Hopeless

And the past is a saddening bore,
'Cause she knows that, today, there's so much more!
"Surely, it's time we put it all behind?",
As fools ask you to return to...

"Put it all behind"; could I do that?

Aviators fighting in the airship hall!
Oh man, look at those Savages go!
It's the freakiest show!
Take a look at the lunatic
Beating up a random guy!
Oh man, wonder if they'll ever know,
Their life's nothing more than a funny show?!
Is there life among the stars?!

He thinks back to Lynxington, how this world laughs at him, at all Savages, at his misery, at their misery, at his isolation, at their isolation, at their failure, at his failure.

This fight, to us, it's everything; but to you all, it's just a joke, nothing else...

He begins to sob into the red-stained fur and mangled form of his hands but quickly stops as he feels a cold, metallic sensation on his back. He shoots straight up and turns to face the echidna, the one who saved him.

"Don't touch me!"

The Erudissary raises his hands defensively but maintains a smile.

"Entspannen, çocuk. I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?"

Despite being the one with no power, he is the one acting aggressively, eyeing the Erudissary with a look so fierce that if they could kill they'd surely be doing so; meanwhile, the echidna Erudissary, who holds all power and authority, is polite and calm, respecting his request to not touch him.

"I understand, that all this is a lot to take in. The realisation that your whole life, your whole Welt, is a lie and it's all shattering at once isn't an easy experience. It wasn't two centuries ago, we had to fight Savaş Bitirmek İçin Savaş for a reason after all, and it isn't now, especially since you're so young."

"How would you know what 'young' is? You don't have kids, you can't."

The Erudissary nods.

"While it's true, none of us can have children, we still know what they are. Besides, we see children, from adolescents your age, and a little older, that A.U.N.T.I.E. teaches, all the way down to babies, fetuses, and embryos in the cloning facilities run by M., O. M. tha-"

"Stop! Don't call it that! Whatever AI you have running that isn't a mom! Not a real one!"

The echidna says nothing and simply gives him space. He turns to look out the window and notices the starry skyline and the blue haze of Mobius below as the subtle sound of drums being playing over the shuttle's PA.

---

Now Playing: "Star In The Shade"
(Based On "Fly Me To The Moon")

---

I never got to say goodbye to you, at least I did to dad...

Fly me to the moon!
Let us play among the stars!
Let us see what day is like
On the Space Colony ARK!
In other words, hold my hand!
In other words, my angel, hug me!

He looks to the echidna with an annoyed expression.

"Who makes all these freaking songs?"

The echidna's expression makes apparent his eagerness to answer the question.

"Like everything of our world, it all originates from Hediye."

"Hediye?"

"Oh, sorry. Forgot, you can't understand anything of that sort; Babel transducers are a blessing. Anyways, 'Hediye' means 'The Gift'."

Fill my hertz with song
And let me sing forever more!
You are all I long for,
All I worship and adore!
In other words, please pull through!
In other words, I love you!

He rolls his eyes at the pun but forges on with the questions.

"The Gift made all these songs?"

"'Created', is the word I'd use."

The Gift, a person! And they're still around, making music!

He smiles at this supposed revelation.

"So you know who they are?"

The echidna emits a prerecorded laugh as does the rest of the shuttle.

"Hediye isn't a person, or a thing, It's something so much more than that. So yes, I do know Hediye, The Gift, Le Cadeau, Das Geschenk, La Rinascita, El Amanecer, Dirilme, Otets Pered Ottsami, I Ekleipsi Tis Mitéras, Siadat Alrimal, Jīnsè Jūnzhŭ, and the many other names It is known by, as all people of the world know It. It is inside all of us, we merely need to look inside. It's inside you too, waiting to be discovered. You simply need to look in. That's why we call It that after all; It was given to everyone to enjoy."

He shakes his head at the echidna's philosophical, and frankly quite unhelpful, answer.

Fill my hertz with song!
Let me sing forever more!
You are all I long for,
All I worship and adore!
In other words, please pull through!
In other words! in other words!
I love
You!

All of you are wrong

He thinks to the second song.

"Surely, it's time we put it all behind?"

He then thinks to a song his mother would sing him at night; specifically a single line from it. Her voice sounds out, not in his mind, but in the very air of the shuttle.

"We are not your kind of people!"

And from the words, from her voice, he feels something deep rise up in his very soul.

I won't give up! Ever!

He channels his energy, spreads his arms out, breaking the electromagnetic cuffs in the process, and lets out a brief blast that knocks over and severely damages several Erudissaries, shaking the whole shuttle. He feels electricity surging through his body but he manages to fight through it, thanks in no small part due to his energy being successfully channeled. He smiles wildly at this triumph.

"Nice try!"

Teeth begin falling out of his mouth at a slow but steady pace.

Now just need to-

His train of thought derails and crashes when the avians begin emitting sounds that make him feel like he did at the beach.

---

Now Playing: "Brave New World"
(Björk Song)
(Inspired By "New World")

---

"Oogh!"

No more missiles, a perfect design,
A visionary's answers, divine,
Life shares a silvery shine...

"AHHHHH!"

He grips his head as the music, lyrics, and vibrations permeate his very being. The walls and floor of the shuttle begin waving and flowing like ripples in the ocean.

Ooooh, a perfect design,
Ooooh, answers divine,
Ooooh...

"Stop!"

He begins panting and gasping, he feels liquid in his lungs and coughs up red into his crushed and mangled hands.

If living is dreaming,
We're all free from death!
In wonder, we wonder
What happens next?
A new world, a new day to see!

He bends over and hurls liquid, now clear, watery bile, onto the floor and begins crying due to the pain; red seeps from his eyes as do tears.

See!

Memories of the past come flooding in and his crying and seeping escalates in volume, literally flowing forth like a faucet even though his eyes are shut, at the hallucinations he is seeing.

"PLEASE STOP!"

See!

He opens his eyes and, through the clear and the red, he sees the floor and walls of the shuttle flow like liquid as they morph into her grey form. Once she is made, she asks one thing.

"Why, Honey?"

"HE TOLD ME TO!"

The echidna Erudissary stands up, severe damage apparent on him as well as several of his comrades. Various fluids leak from several spots on his limbs as well as some from his head but instead of standard hydraulic ones they are all blood, covering him in red.

Our world is just and fair,
All the way in heaven, we declare,
Sunlight beholds, there is no despair...

"PLEASE!"

The echidna Erudissary looks to the singing avians.

"Melodies, cease playing! He's neutralised! Can't you see that?!"

Ooooh, just and fair,
Ooooh, in heaven, we declare,
Ooooh...

"AGGHGHHGG!"

The avians all shake their heads in unison and one turns to face him. It speaks while still singing.

"Cannot do that. Target is a Ηπειρωτικός-level threat. We cannot cease until he is completely incapacitated. This is the task we were made for and this is the protocol for this scenario."

"Forget the damn protocol! He's just a çocuk!"

It shakes its head and its feminine voice speaks once more.

"Incorrect, he is not 'just' a child; he is an Eta-grade hazard, continental, and he just tried to kill all of us."

"I can-can't, brea-breathe, please..."

The majority of the Erudissaries nod at the avian's words as more and more teeth fall out of his mouth.

"Dytnv'e fsksr a pfsnt; Eta ks atry lne trae sdjuw Pi, uwd fnsytng ofs terr iveg daole Upsilon dade."

"Tre iutymd levepal wq ps lfe udach; I isy fjsl dfm."

The gibberish spews forth from the mouth of all the Erudissaries and Melodies with ease yet when the music returns it is still perfectly coherent.

If living is dreaming,
We're all free from death!
In wonder, we wonder
What happens next?
A new world, a new day to see!

"AGHGGGHHHHGGGGHG!"

He feels his last reservoir of endurance dry up at the force of the music.

See!

He collapses to the metal ground like a limp corpse, emitting a loud thud in the process. However, right after, he begins sinking into the ground which now resembles a mercury pool rather than a solid floor.

See!

He begins convulsing, but it is different from when the Erudissaries shocked him earlier; they aren't simple muscle spasms.

To see!

His eyes are blinking rapidly, his body is contorting into unnatural positions, and saliva and blood is flowing and foaming from his clenched jaw, all as he sinks into the silver sea.

See!

His vision blurs and he can only make out vague figures gesturing at each other; there is no sound he can hear, let alone understand, other than the music.

Please, let me die...

He sees three figures quickly rush to his side but the singing and music continues as the liquid metal pools over his eyes.

See!

His consciousness ebbs away from him and he can only barely make out one of them, a black figure, sitting beside, and looking down at, him.

"Why, hijo?"

The music still blares and the drums are still beating, pounding his skull, as he continues convulsing. He can barely think and his whole word is getting darker and darker as the ocean of metal overtakes him, filling his lungs and soul; but he manages to answer the question with words, despite the fact his jaw is clamped tight, with the last bit of his strength.

"You told me to..."

The drums cease playing and the music descends into a calmer pace. At this, all tension, and energy, he possesses quickly evaporates, leaving him limp; suddenly, he is not on the shuttle, but in an open field, a dark sky above, and rain falling down on him.

No

He feels bones break.

I can't do it

He feels warm liquid pooling all over his back on the ground.

Not again

Then voices, from seven years ago, come to life once more as the wind is knocked out of him.

"Gory! Gory! What a helluva a way to try!"

Gasping, he can scarcely hear multiple sickening, wet noises, and sickening, crunchy cracks coming from his own body; but he hears them.

"Gory! Gory! What a helluva a way to try!"

In front of him kneels a new figure, a metallic, female echidna with a wild smile all over her steel visage.

Please...

He feels the sharp and cold pain of metal striking his face, repeatedly, but not rhythmically, without mercy, but with restraint, without care, but with control.

"Gory! Gory! What a helluva a way to try!"

The fierce flurry continues without rest and he can do nothing but endure it.

"He ain't gonna fight"

She prepares to strike his face one last time, and her mouth begins to move.

"No moreeeeeeee!"

---

His eyes open.

"Ahhh!"

His terrified scream sounds out as he grasps his head, covering his eyes in a flinching position as his upper and lower teeth grate and grind against each other. He is hyperventilating.

"No, please..."

Somehow, Amy is not woken up, though she grumbles a bit and turns to her side. Her voice snaps him back to reality and he slowly uncovers his eyes to see the world, his jaw slowly losing all tension as his breathing slows.

Not there. Here. I'm with her, not her. I'm Safe

He wipes his mouth and his eyes with his hands, heaving a sigh of relief when no saliva or blood appears on either of his gloves.

Just a dream...

He sits up and turns to face Amy as he rubs his teeth to make sure he still has them.

Not real, not right now

He rubs his head and limbs to reassure himself that nothing is broken.

Nothing at all: my bones are mended, my teeth are there, my muscles are healed, and my mind is-

His train of thought regarding his mental state does not continue; he won't let it.

Don't answer that, cause either you'll be wrong, or worse

He stands himself up and walks over into the forest.

You'll be right

Once he's far enough from her, he comes to a tree; laying his head on the bark of the great oak tree, he closes his eyes and sighs.

"Why is this happening? And why do they feel so real now?"

He thinks about where his dream ended; the night is as vivid to him in memory now as it was to experience back then. He wants to feel rage, to feel angry, to feel his blood boiling, but instead all he can feel is a freezing chill up his spine and his hands shaking.

I was nothing, swatted aside

The feeling of impotence runs to his very heart; he feels no fury, only fear, even though it is years past. The one thing he remembers most of all flashes before him like it did in the dream; her smile.

I didn't know they could smile like that; I didn't even know we could smile like that...

Her face, seared into his mind long ago, finally does what nothing so far can do. He thinks to one of his greatest regrets.

I never got to kill you

He tilts his head back and slams it into the tree, shaking the trunk and slightly unrooting it.

I never even faced you again

He raises his head from the trees, eyes still shut.

Instead, I killed them, I killed her; the only world I broke down was my own

At this, at what he's done, at his failures, and, most of all, at himself, he finally feels what he couldn't muster before. Rage. Quiet, cold, silent rage.

"I..."

He doesn't even know what he is going to say.

"I'm..."

He struggles to think of something. He can't.

You deserved something, yet I couldn't give you anything; I don't think I can give anyone anything

He gives up in his doomed endeavor, takes a deep breath, and then his right fist slams into the tree, the great oak wavering at the force. He pounds his left fist into the trunk, then his right, then his left, again, again and again and again.

I hate your world

He isn't thinking; his fists move with a will, and anger, of their own. The tree slowly unroots from the ground.

I hate that you were all happy

His eyes are still shut and he imagines that he is pounding her metal face into scrap.

That you will all be happy, unless I stop it

He can't seem reach the feeling, the it.

I hate utopia

He reaches a boiling point as the pale imitation of what he truly wants continues to suffocate him.

I hate you all

His fist collides with the tree with such force as to completely unroot the tree, split it in half, and send both halves flying several feet back. He slowly inhales and exhales as disappointment fills him.

Nothing like the real thing

Failing to reach catharsis, he sighs

I hope this doesn't keep happening...

He decides that something productive must be done to offset this. He pulls out the communicator and can't hold back a scoff.

"Pretty basic. You'd think a guy as smart as him would have something more complex; not even an molecular analyzer."

He shakes his head and calls him. Once the pinging begins, he brings a hand to his forehead.

"At this time? No way he'll b-"

"Hello, Silver."

He quickly lowers his hand and looks at the screen.

"Professor, sorry to disturb you."

Pickle shakes his head.

"I was already up."

"Real night owl, huh?"

"Indeed. What is it you wished to speak about?"

Pickle looks down at what Silver safely infers is a book.

"Well, I wanted to talk about some of the potential suspects you mentioned. I've got some time to kill."

Pickle doesn't divert his attention from the pages.

"Very well. Which one do you wish to start with?"

Battle Birds could be related to the Melodies, the Federation could explain what happened to Westopolis, the Dominion could explain the total acceptance human and Mobian Soulless have to one another, the Legion could explain the fact everyone's robotic to begin with, and Mercia, well, something in my gut feels it's right

"The Dominion."

---

Miles follows the hedgehog, unsure as to why he's leading him here. At the sight of the jackal, the reason becomes apparent.

"Edouard, there you are."

The jackal turns around to face the boy, in his hands is a carrier with a golden cover.

"Ah, vous came juste in temps."

"What is that?"

"It's something spécial. Now c'mon vous two, le reste are waiting for us."

"Waiting? For what?"

The two smile at him.

"Thee shalt see."

They begin walking, with Edouard holding the carrier.

"Thomas, vous have a lighter, right?"

"Aye, that I do Eddy."

"Good."

As they walk, thoughts about what this could possibly be fill through his mind. He thinks about the one thing that would terrify him the most.

A birthday celebration for me?

He hopes with all his heart as he looks up to the sky.

Please, anything but that...

As they walk, they run into Montcalm.

"Took vous long enough. I'm not sure how much longer Jules and Stéphanie can keep lui distraits."

Distracted?

Before Miles can ask, they come to a small table.

"Right here will do."

Edouard turns to Miles.

"Come, we have to cacher."

"Hide? From what?"

"Juste do it."

He relents and the jackal and fox head behind a tent, hard to see from the central perspective. He feels a soft wave of fatigue wash over him.

Why? I've barely been up two days; I've gone way longer without rest while actively exerting myself...

Beric and Montcalm give a look to each other, take a deep breath, and begin arguing out of nowhere.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Relaxer, it's juste an acte, I think..."

"Edouard..."

"Juste kidding!"

Beric shoves Montcalm.

"Thee arrogant bastard! Wherefore thee not square me instead of throwing insults 'round?!"

"Vous are a petit homme, I might snap vous in demi!"

"I wouldst expecte not! I has't brawl'd with many a Mobian that wouldst putte thee to shame!"

"Bayoneting surrendering soldats n'est pas what I'd call a 'une bagarre'.

Miles frowns at Montcalm's words.

"You sure it's pretend? They seem pretty serious."

"Of course, your barbarie may juste be an acte to éviter suspicion!"

The jackal nods as the two continue arguing.

"Of course; well, mostly anyways."

"Edouard!"

"I'm sérieux. A bit of their réel anger is what's nécessaireto sell le deception."

Soon, three other figures step into view and a deep voice carves through the noise, silencing the bear and hedgehog.

"Général de corps d'armée Montcalm! Général de brigade Beric! Argumentant in public?!"

The bear and hedgehog quickly to face the grey fox, beside him are a hare and an otter. Beric responds.

"Marshal, this is a special occurrence; certes thee can und'rstand such a thing?"

Edouard whispers to Miles.

"C'est our signal!"

He quickly steps up, leaving the boy to process everything going on. His tiredness flies away as fast as he can with his tails.

"What?"

"Maréchal!"

At the jackal's voice, the renard turns to look at him. In that moment, both foxes come to the same understanding of the situation as a multiple generals, officers, and soldiers come out from various tents to gather. Miles can't hold back a smile as he realises what is happening. He walks up to Edouard and joins the rest of them in saying those special three words.

"Bon anniversaire, Maréchal!"

Wishes don't come true, but sometimes you get lucky

Noël, surprised by all this, looks at Miles, a smile on both their faces.

Mon garçon, vous came

No words come despite how much there is to say. Jules and Stéphanie gesture to the table.

"Go, sit."

Edouard nods in conjunction with their words and Noël does as they ask. The various officers gather opposite of the marshal, with Miles going to the left side, with Beric. The jackal remains beside the renard, placing the carrier onto the table in front of him and taking the golden cover off, revealing a chocolate cake. Beric goes to light the three candles on it, a 5, a 0, and an e, in that order. Edouard leans over the marshal's shoulder and whispers into his ear.

"Bon anniversaire, Noël."

The renard looks all across the crowd.

How lucky am I to savoir all of vous?

The sight of the marshal smiling sends joy rushing through the boy's heart.

I'm glad I got to know you, even if only for a little bit, before the end; it's more than I could've hoped for

They both think about how soon the end of this war is.

There's so much left to do, for all of us, after this; I espoir I can see to it all

The two foxes then look at each other in sync, brown and blue meeting.

Thank vous, for being here

Thank you, for being you

But before anything can be said, the whole crowd, save for the two foxes, begins singing.

---

Now Playing: "Notre Noël [Our Christmas] "
(Andy Williams Version)
(Inspired By "The First Noël")

---

Noël, Noël! Noël, Noël!
Born was a Mobian so noble!

The fox feels something special in him as he sees the jackal and the renard look at one another as the crowd silences, leaving Edouard to sing alone.

You deserve a day like this

Le renard Noël, les légendes say,
Came from humble silversmiths, their garçon's fourrure so gray;
Since that Lune long ago, grew le garçon enneigé, so mystique,
Now he's with us on this winter night that is so deep...

The jackal looks to the fox and gives him a nod that lets him know what's about to happen. Despite the fox not wanting to do what he's about to do, he does it anyways.

This will only make it hurt all the more,

Noël, Noël! Noël, Noël!
Born was a Mobian, tyrannie he will dispel...

But I can't do anything else, because I'm selfish

Edouard looks up to the sky as the renard shuts his eyes in gratitude at the sound of the fox's voice.

Thank vous for singing

Now we look up and see many a star,
And on them we wish that le renard only ever says "Au Revoir",
And for us, he persiste in this génial fight
And so he'll continuez, both day and night...

Edouard brings his eyes back to the renard while the fox shuts his eyes in gratitude.

I've lived a helluva life, haven't I? Help save the world multiple times, met incredible people, did amazing things; can't even count my blessings, there's too many

He is still smiling; he is now singing.

Noël, Noël! Noël, Noël!
Born was a Mobian, nôtre génial citadelle...

The boy begins to slowly break off from the crowd. Normally, he would be immediately noticed, but his uniform, one that the majority of people, himself included, aren't used to seeing him with, in addition to the white snow all over him, makes him not as distinct as he'd normally be. He is still singing; he is still smiling.

You, and this world, deserve anything I could ever give you and it, and more

Le stars fly high and we are so blessed,
To have one so génial standing with us, abreast,
And against all difficultés and tyrannie array,
He guides us en avant on the right and juste way...

As he separates from the crowd, Beric grabs him. He shakes the hedgehog's hand off and raises his own in response as he turns to face him. He opens his eyes, he is still smiling.

But most of all, right now, you deserve this song

The hedgehog silently accepts the gesture and lets him walk away.

Noël, Noël! Noël, Noël!
Born was a Mobian so noble!

I wish I could've known you all a bit longer, but at least I knew any of you at all, and that I got to do this for you

As the singing comes to an end, the marshal opens his eyes and looks for the boy; he is nowhere to be seen.

"Mon ga-"

His words come to a halt as Edouard places his hands on his shoulders and leans over to whisper in his ear.

"Faire un vœu, Noël."

He shuts his eyes and thinks about what he wants, because he knows that, sometimes, wishes can come true.

A good vie, for vous

The smiling ochre fox comes to thoughts and he smiles as he blows. The crowd begins clapping and he opens his eyes. The boy isn't singing; the boy isn't smiling. The boy isn't here. The marshal remains grateful despite this.

Thank vous for being here, if only for a short temps

---

Emery enters into the room, his king is writing in his journal.

"Ah, thou art backe. How goeth the war?"

The charcoal hedgehog sits beside the teal one who is chuckling at his own rhetorical question; Emery answers it anyways.

"Not much to rep'rt, apart from some skirmishes and raids."

Robert ceases writing and sets the journal aside.

"So, wherefore art thee h're?"

"Can a loyal s'rvant not spende time with his sov'reign? Unless thee bethink me not loyal?"

"O', I bethink thou art loyal, loyal to a fault, and naïveté to matche it."

Emery shakes his head.

"I expecte an apology in full once we deliv'r vict'ry to thee on a silv'r platt'r; in private of course."

"I must saye, I do hope I can see the look on thy face at which hour thee realise how thee has't been had."

"Thy Majesty-"

"But of course, I am far more eag'r to see the look on St. John's face at which hour he realises he's madeth a foole of an entire kingdom; aft'r all, 'tis double pleasure to deceive the deceiv'r."

"Thee art simply letting thy ang'r get in the way of the facts."

"P'rhaps that fox wouldst beest bett'r f'r the realm..."

"What? How couldst thee saye that? Aft'r ev'rything that's been suff'red and sacrificed?"

"What for? A shadow tyranny, lead by a puppet parad'd 'round on strings by a spy?"

Emery breathes through his nose as he grabs a wine glass and pours himself a drink.

"Fearmong'ring, Thy Majesty. Besides, having him h're ensures we has't a directe line to the Acorns; we shall neede their help to rebuild in the aft'rmath of this war."

"I must admite, I tire of repeating this to thee, but 'tis of vital imp'rtance; the future of a free Mercia depends on it, so I shall p'rsist despite the weariness it endues me: thee can't, and mustn't, truste him."

"He hast had mine own backe on many an occasion."

Robert stands up and walks over to a nightstand with a photo frame on it. Two red echidnae are smiling it it.

"O', of course; plenty of people shall has't thy backe in life; the secret is figuring out the ones who art doing so in ord'r to stab it."

Emery swallows a mouthful and shakes his head.

"If it be true that he very much wast just aiming f'r that, then explain the fact that he reject'd mine own proposal to use his grenadi'rs to st'rm the palace?"

Robert quickly places the frame back on the nightstand and turns to face Emery, his face wide with disbelief.

"Thou invited him to marche on the capital, and the royal palace, with f'reign soldi'rs?! Art thee mad?!"

Emery gives a stern look in response.

"These art desp'rate times and something most imp'rtant is on the line; 'tis only natural I wouldst look to desp'rate measures."

"Th're is desp'rate and then th're is self-destructive!"

"I hath said that he reject'd the idea out of hande! Thee clearly aren't paying attention to anything!"

Emery sets down his glass with such anger that he spills nearly half of its content out onto the table.

"Thee nev'r doth in regards to this w'rk! 'Tis the only reasone Noël did manage to even starte this damn thing!"

Robert has no response and the two are forced to fully process what Emery has said.

"Is that so?"

Emery straightens out his uniform and breathes in.

"Thy majesty, I didn't mean that; things art just-"

He sighs and Robert gives him a look he can't fully pin down; it holds signs of hurt, understanding, and even agreement.

"Why art thee so loyal? Why not ov'rthrow me? I'm clearly not popular with half the land. Why not taketh things ov'r?"

Emery gives a stern face, making clear his disdain for the idea.

"Thee combated f'r Mercia, against Robotnik, against Lord Hood. Thee saved my home, defended us, gave us the chance to live happy and safe lives. If it weren't for Noël and his band, we'd be enjoying a wonderful winter season free from any danger. I think that heroism, that sacrifice, that valour, should be rewarded, not punished.

"Thee combat'd f'r Mercia, 'gainst Robotnik, 'gainst Lord Hood, 'gainst the High Sheriff."

Robert looks away, He isn't proud defeating that last one.

I'm s'rry thee nev'r did get to beest with thy son again, that thee died as a slave, and that I wast the one end'd thee

"Thee did save mine own home, defend'd us, gave us the chance to live joyous and safe lives. If it weren't f'r Noël and his band, we'd beest enjoying a wond'rful wint'r season, free from any dang'r. I bethink that h'roism, that sacrifice, that valour, shouldst be rewarded with loyalty, not punish'd with deception and self-gain."

He looks to the photo once more.

I wish thee w're both h're

"I und'rstand this isn't easy, Thy Majesty, but right now I just neede thee to truste me. We shall soon ende this war, things can wend backe to n'rmal, and eventually this shall all just beest anoth'r page in a hist'ry booke."

Robert sits down on his bed and looks into the mirror opposite him.

"That laste parte is what t'rrifies me the most."

"What doth thee-"

A knock on the door cuts him off.

"Gen'ral Em'ry, Gen'ral Glædwine wishes to speake with thee."

The charchoal hedgehog stands up, gives his king one last look, uncertain in its nature, and exits the room.

---

The rock shatters when colliding with the bullet.

"Good one, sir."

Geoffrey lowers the rifle.

"I ain't no slouch."

He gives a smirk and hands the rifle back to Hall.

"Alright, let's see if ya can get this one."

Geoffrey picks up a rock smaller than the one he just hit, it is about the size of his palm. He winds his arm up and flings it flying forth into the air and forward.

"Child's play, sir."

The squirrel pulls the trigger and in the same instant the rock cracks into powdery dust; several grenadiers clap.

"Well done, Colonel!"

"Can't wait to see some republican heads pop like that!"

Hall lowers the rifle and says nothing as Geoffrey walks beside him.

"Indeed! Ya know, tha' Royal Army, not ours but tha' Mercian, has got a song."

Hall turns to face him as several grenadiers join as well.

"Oh, do they?"

Geoffrey nods.

"Yup, they do. There's a part ov it that ya can't help but remind me ov."

"And what is that?"

"Yea, don't keep us waiting, sir."

"It goes something like: 'He better be careful, plenty an eager marksman are looking to put a hole in the Marshal's head, indeed that's for sure'."

Several grenadiers laugh.

"Sounds like our kinda song!"

Geoffrey nods while keeping eye contact with Hall.

"Who knows? Maybe after we repel tha' rebels from here, we can take a quick trip ta Marves and ya can be tha' lucky Mobian ta put ol' Général Hiver down."

Hall looks around at all the snow on the ground and in the sky.

"Well, perhaps I might do so, before Mobius freezes over."

Geoffrey lets out a boisterous laugh.

"That's tha' spirit, Colonel! Ov course, ya'd probably enjoy that, ya icy bastard."

Hall smiles.

"Well..."

---

"Alright. What about the Legion?"

"Well, the Dark Legion is an old organization, nearly four centuries."

"You said they're big on technological supremacy?"

Pickle nods, his eyes glued on a new book.

"Yes. Though they've been shifting throughout the years in leadership, methods, and such, the goal has always been the same. Take over Angel Island, and then all the echidnae, and use advanced technology to reassert days of millennia past when they were the preeminent power on Mobius, back when humanity, sans Overlanders, remained hidden."

Echidnae...

He thinks about Erudisarries. While there was plenty of variation among them, all sorts of Mobians and humans, there was a disproportionate number of echidnae, in his experience at least.

I saw only a fraction of them, let alone really observed; maybe a couple thousand, at most

The total number is something he doesn't wish to think about.

Hopefully, I can make it zero

"I see. Well, I think that's good for tonight. If you come across anything definitive, let me know."

"Of course."

The communicator powers off, leaving Silver alone as he begins making the trek back to where Amy is. His thinking about echidnae makes him recall the echidna Erudissary from the dream this night, from the past, from the future, from that night seven years ago and two hundred years later.

Time travel is weird...

He has so many questions.

Why did you save me? Why did you try and convince me? Why did you think I could ever see you as 'family'? As anything other than what you are? A machine, a monster, a Soulless

He casts aside the thoughts.

It doesn't matter, and I don't care

He continues the rest of the walk in silence and absent any meaningful reflection. Eventually, he returns to where Amy is, still sleeping. He kneels down and is about to shake her up but stops. He stares at her sleeping form as the recurring sense of déjà vu strikes him again.

What is it? Where from? Why are you familiar?

He continues to stare at her and an idea comes across his mind.

I wonder what you're dreaming?

He contemplates reading her thoughts.

It's not right...

But he's going to do it anyways.

I don't care

He closes his eyes and begins focusing.

C'mon...

Nothing seems to be happening.

Guess this is a w-

---

He enters into the void.

-ash...

He sees her. Well, see isn't the right word, he can't see anything in the void, there is nothing but, well, nothing. But he knows she's there, and that she's walking to something, he can feel it.

Where are you going?

That's when he realises what it is. A person.

Who is that?

Heat radiates all over him from warm fur as she embraces the other person. He can feel the tips of spines in his hands.

A hedgehog, it seems

And finally, words come.

"Rob! I'm so glad you're okay!"

His face muscles strain outside of his control as 'Rob' smiles. To say this is a surreal experience, seeing something by using every sense save for sight, would be an understatement.

Of an incomparable nature

"Amy, 'tis so valorous to seeth thee too!"

Guess that's her cousin

"So, the war is over and you guys won?"

A soft, and what should be nonexistent, breeze blows on him; Rob is nodding.

"Forsooth. It wast touche and wend f'r a while, but thanks to thy friend, we did manage to pulle through."

His face muscles relax and tense right back to what they were before. Now, Amy is smiling. He can hear the beating of her heart as it quickens.

"Miles is here?!"

The soft breeze blows on him again as a new presence joins into the void.

So, you're the "family member" she's looking for

"That I am!"

The vibrations of their footsteps reverberate through him as they run to each other. The rhythmic beating of her heart and Miles' is intensifies in his own chest. It is an unpleasant feeling.

Two heartbeats in me at once!

"You rascal!"

The force of their embrace as they collide into one another somehow seems to slightly disorientate him.

Eager are we?

Warm fur radiates heat onto him again, this time the warmth is even more intense and not only that, he can feel it all over his back, wrapping around him.

Is that his tail?

Before he can figure out, he feels the grip of gloved hands around his hips as Miles picks Amy up.

"Well, I learned from the best."

Miles spins around several times, holding her up in the air as he does. He smells a subtle, yet unmistakable scent.

Is that him?

Any absences in its content seem to be due to memory fading, but there aren't that many to begin with. His chest is contending with her heart beating even faster and Silver can only think about her addendum after she said she loved this fox.

"Not like that.", huh? Guess I'm not the only person lying to you...

A sense of vertigo undertakes him as he, somehow, feels the ground, despite there being no such thing here, grow further from him. It seems they are floating off the ground, with him still holding her.

What a weird dream...

"Sorry for ghosting on ya. I-"

The indent of a gloved finger pressing into his lip shocks him. It isn't easy to experience the sensory perspectives of three people at once.

A little too touchy-feely for my liking

"Shh, it doesn't matter why. I don't want to know. Family sticks together and never gives up on one another."

Despite the joyous reunion taking place here, he feels a bitterness rise in him.

Why? She's happy; I should be happy for that, right?

"Hey, where's Sonic?"

He feels steadiness as the ground somehow seems to have returned to him. Miles lets her go.

"Oh, don't worry, he'll be here, along with everyone else soon enough."

"What about her?"

He feels the breeze generated of her nodding as a terrible cold feeling overtakes any bitterness that existed.

"Don't worry, she'll be here."

The fox smiles and a cold shiver flashes up his spine. He doesn't know why.

"That's incredible! I can't wait to see her again!"

He feels a name is right at the tip of his tongue.

What's setting it off? Is the key right here? Right in front of me?

He can't shake the feeling off and his ability to focus on things begins falling apart.

"But enough about that, how 'bout you take me for a ride? O'f kgde ri dtu qorh vii shzmb!"

The world is fading as rapidly as his strength did whenever those avians, the Melodies, played their songs.

What? What is it?!

He feels himself in the seat of a something, a vehicle of some sorts if he had to guess. Then, from in front of him, a loud, humming noise sounds out as he feels two warm, furry presences along his chest. Now, he can only "see" Amy.

Why? Why are you familiar?

She is the last thing in the dream he can make out as the million questions swirling throughout his mind shatter the void.

---

He is no longer in it and the light of the Moon shines through his shut eyelids.

Is everything about you just a coincidence, or is it something more?

He opens his eyes and sees her laying on the grass, still sleeping. Despite his earlier affirmation that he doesn't care, a mixture of shame and resolution fill him at what he's just done.

I'm sorry I invaded your privacy like that

He can't let it end there, even though it's a perfectly valid statement. An addendum must be made, for his own sake.

But only if it turns out that you aren't tied to my future in some way...

He shakes her.

"Ames, get up.

Her eyes open and she looks at him; on his face is a look she can't quite pin down.

"You good?"

He nods as she rubs her eyes.

"Yea, just-"

He thinks about his answer.

"A dream."

Mine, and yours

"Was it bad?"

"No,"

Mine was terrible, and I don't know how I feel about yours...

"and don't worry, I didn't blow up anything when I woke; I swear."

He lowers a hand down to her.

"C'mon, let's get going."

She smiles at the gesture and reciprocates, lifting herself up.

---

The fox sits in the canopy of a tree. His mind is, to put it lightly, a mess.

What if the bullet or laser isn't strong enough? What if it hits me somewhere that isn't lethal and just disables me?

He thinks about life without the use of his legs or his arms as one of his tails, its white tip now a sharp point rather than its usual fluffy brush, scrapes against his skull. His thoughts now drift to a more frightening scenario.

What if it disables that ?

He thinks about life as a braindead husk and shivers. His tails coil around the trunk of the tree and slide across it back and forth, sawing through the wood like a bird cutting through the sky, all without a conscious effort on his behalf.

Anything but that

But above all, he thinks about how he can't deny that he's dismayed that he's checking out on it all so early.

So many things I didn't see, so many things I didn't do, so many things I didn't say

Despite all this, he also has happy thoughts in this hazy mindset.

At least I'll be remembered well. Not as who I am, some animalistic monster who enjoys barbarity, but as who I want, wanted, to be, a friendly and kind fighter for good

He thinks about his family as his eyelids hang low.

And you won't know about me, the real me. You won't know all the lies I told you, all the things I kept hidden

He thinks about his brother as he yawns.

You won't have to know that our entire relationship is, and was, soon enough, built on lie. The first words I ever spoke to you were lies, the first conversation we ever had was filled with nothing but lies

He thinks to everything he said to him on that island nine years ago.

A lie, all of it. Every bit of love you gave me, all of it was born from deception

He thinks about what he hasn't told anyone in the world, save for Edouard.

If you knew that back then, if everyone knew that, you would've ran all the way back to Northamer and everyone would've stayed away from me, and you'd all be right

And he thinks about life after this decision, to break a cycle he feels is inevitable, is cemented.

There won't be any way for what's happened to happen again

His mind is awash with sorrow and joy at once. But, unlike normal bittersweet feelings, the two emotions have not come together into a singular being; rather they remain two distinct entities.

I'm sorry that's the last song I sing, and that I have to leave everyone, but at least it was a nice one, it was for someone like him, and I know you'll all be safe

He decides to display what they'd be safe from, to reassure himself for the sake of his own determination to see this through. His tails constrict around the tree and slice right through the trunk, like a swimmer in the water, causing the canopy to fall over onto the top of another tree.

From me

He chuckles as he remembers something back from when he was much younger.

Back when you used to read me stories

He closes his eyes and her auburn hair and blue eyes come to his thoughts.

I was always so upset if I was still awake when you were finished, that you were going to leave. Now? I'm the one leaving you

"Ironic, isn't it?"

He smiles as he remembers what she would say to him.

"Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened!"

Seeing how everything is going, he finds it funny how prophetic those words seem to be.

You're so-,

He struggles to think which praise of hers to sing first as he shakes his head.

Not even sure where to start with that list

He lets out a deep exhale as the last of remnants of his emotions vibrate out of his chest.

Time to go back

He jumps off the branch and lands down on the ground.

Just need to stay committed for one more day

Happiness, not joy, not euphoria, not bliss, but simple happiness, fills him at that thought. Soon, nothing will be difficult.

"It's never grand, is it?"

---

The duo traverse the streets, only having to occasionally move to the side to make space for a passerby.

"Hey Shadow?"

"Yes?"

"I don't mind it, but why did you need me to be there?"

"A lot of reasons, but mainly cause it's hard."

She doesn't say anything, allowing him to decide whether or not he wants to expand on that. He does.

"All the talk in there, it doesn't exactly inspire idealism. Standing idly by as a civil war rages, preparing to side with Albion over Angel Island if it comes to that, influencing the boyars of the Mousecovy Diet, taking deals from those affiliated with the Doctor; it makes it hard to keep my spirits up, to keep doing all this. But at the same time, I need to know this info, and I need to do all this. The world needs to be protected. Having you with me while I listen makes it a little more bearable."

"Well, I'm glad I can help make things easier for you."

As of recent, one question has been on his mind.

"What happened to him?"

She looks him straight in the eyes, a slight smile on her face.

"The same thing that happens to most everyone else. Wasn't anything special or dramatic, he just, I guess wasted away is the best way to describe it."

He looks up to the sky, the ARK is still there.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you got to say goodbye to him."

"That I did. You know the last thing said?"

"I hope something nice, like 'I love you'."

She lets out a brief snicker.

"Oh, he was never one for such plain language; a real dramatist he was; always loved the flare and theatrics. I'm pretty sure his biggest regret was being unable to tell every single person he ever scammed that he did it."

"You certainly are his kid."

She nods and smiles even though he is still staring at the ARK.

"Anyways, the thing said was, 'Don't be afraid to lose someone, it just means you had them'."

"Seems like a wise man."

She chuckles a bit but it quickly fades, confusing him. Before he can ask, she responds.

"Wise words, sure, but he's was a fool at the end of the day for the things we're all fools for; things beyond our reach and out of our control. Humbling and ironic, I think: A con artist who couldn't scam the thing he needed more than anything else in the end. Time."

He can understand what she's really getting at.

"Part of what you're trying to show me?"

She nods.

"Still need some time to figure it all out, but I think I'm getting it."

She smiles.

"Good, cause, unlike you, I haven't got eternity."

---

"How's thuh irrigation trenchin' coming along?"

"Rather well, actually. The last wave of newcomers from Sand Blast City provided an unexpected boost to our labour force. Haven't done full accounting for it but I suspect we're at least ten percent ahead of schedule."

The rabbit nods.

"Good, good. Keep up thuh fine work."

"That we'll do, Baron."

The screen flashes off leaving Beauregard alone. He lets out a sigh and buries his face into the fur of his right hand.

Ah can't believe Ah dropped thuh ball like that...

He runs through the duel once more, thinking about where he went wrong.

Shouldn't have discarded ma sabre

He shakes his head.

No, gotta stick ta ma principles; that was thuh fair thing ta do

He thinks about when he caught her hand.

Shouldn't have gloated like that, should've just ran her through

He shakes his head once again.

No, she deserved ta see her death, ta face it head-on

He thinks about where he truly first messed up.

Ah should'v-

"Uncle Baron, art thou alright?"

Matilda's voice snaps him out of the rerun and back to reality.

"Yeah, Ah'm fine darlin'. Still a little rattled from those socks ta ma head."

"A half-truth."

He looks down and chuckles, smiling wholeheartedly.

"Ya've got me figured out, haven't ya?"

"Why did thee accept her challenge?"

He looks back up at her as she sits down in a chair on the opposite side of the room, his left arm suspended across his chest by a makeshift sling.

"Ah..."

No use hidin' it

"She got thuh bettah of me. She pushed ma buttons, manipulated me into it, despite me knowin' that a duel was a risky, dangerous, and stupid idea. She's a smart one, Ah'll give her that."

Matilda gives a tilt of her head.

"Uncle, don't tell me thee art softening up to an Acorn?"

He shakes his head vigorously.

"Of course not! And when we come ta blows once more in thuh conflict ta come, Ah won't repeat thuh mistakes of today. But there's no shame in admittin' thuh strengths of yer enemies. She ain't some pampered babe; Ah guess Ah should've known considerin' Robotnik and all that, but Ah let ma mental image interfere with reality."

"I see."

They both know what is on their minds.

"Thank ya, fer sticking by ma word. Ah know that couldn't have been easy, but Ah'm real proud ya did it anyways."

"What would I be doing now if she hadn't done as she did?"

He frowns.

"Ah-, Ah don't know."

As simple as that answer is, as honest as it is, it is perhaps the hardest one.

Ah can't believe Ah was about ta leave ya all without a leader, without a plan, without direction, and without guidance

"I see."

"Ah'm sorry Ah let ya all down today. Ya work hard, ya dedicate yer lives ta our work; ya don't deserve a leader who fuc-, er, fumbles up like this."

The Robian gives a smile and emits a prerecorded chuckle.

"Uncle, I am not a little girl anymore. Thee don't need to do that."

"No, a gentleman shouldn't curse, especially in front of a lady. And a gentleman shouldn't abandon his responsibilities either, whether by neglect or carelessness. Ah promise, something like this won't happen again."

"Uncle, don't worry. Everyone makes mistakes, nobody's perfect after all. We trust thee and we art all just happy thee art still with us."

"Yeah. Ah'm gonna hit thuh hay. Ah know it's a bit early, but thuh duel was pretty taxin' and Ah just ain't a spring chicken anymore; just a few years off from fifty."

He looks at nothing in particular.

"Hard ta believe how much has happened in these past twenty years, and how fast they've gone by, too. Seems like thuh whole world's changed."

"The changes aren't over yet, Uncle."

"Right ya are. Night, darlin'."

She nods.

"Goodnight, Uncle Baron. See thee in the morrow."

He nods as she exits his room. Once she is gone, he leans back into his chair and sighs. He thinks about the simple fact that he is still alive.

Why? Why didn't ya do it? No one would've expected ya ta do otherwise

Even accounting for his niece, he isn't sure why she spared him.

I was thuh instigator, and it was yer life or mine

He lowers his face into his palm.

"Ah wish things were simple."

---

"-and as we've seen with Mercia, this will be a severe winter season. We'll need to work overtime to get the harvest in and ensure we've ample food supplies. Plus we'll need to make sure there's sufficient power set aside for heating homes across Oak Acorn and the Northern Lakes."

"While that is true, I'm certain we can handle that. I think we should instead take a moment to address the happenings in Station Square; they are most troubling. Having him back can only mean big problems."

The Privy Council nods.

"Your Majesty, should we release a statement regarding this or remain silent?"

Maximilian slowly turns to face the voice.

"I believe it best we continue our silence, as well as plan in it. I doubt the Federation will take kindly to us openly engaging and interfering in their internal politics as such, not when we don't have enough to base it on. Not at the moment. But that doesn't mean we have to be idle."

They all nod.

"That seems like a fair point Your Maj-"

The rabbit's words are cut of by the sound of a racking cough from Maximilian, who reaches for dark blue handkerchief and brings it to his mouth. For several seconds, they sit in silence as he continues to cough, even as it devolves into hacking. Eventually, he is finished.

"My apologies for that."

He retracts the handkerchief from his mouth and sees droplets that should send worry throughout his whole body; instead, he simply can only think one thing.

More than last time, and it's been some time...

He looks up to the Privy Council.

"I'm sorry, but I must excuse myself. Thank you all for your service and counsel; today was rather productive, I think."

They all give smiles and nods but, despite their best efforts, he can still see the worry and concern in the back of their eyes and the corners of their mouths. He tries to think of a reason, an excuse, to give them for this departure that won't confirm what they're already fearing.

What can I say?

Charles stands up.

"Yes, I must inform His Majesty of the finer details of a breakthrough recently made in the lab; it's related to defence, you see."

The Robian turns to face Maximilian.

"Your Majesty, let's see to it."

Maximilian smiles; he has been saved from having to tell them the truth or, worse, an unconvincing lie.

"Indeed, let's."

The two exit the room as the ministers continue talking. Once they are alone in the halls of the palace, they speak.

"Thank you, Charles."

Charles gives a grim look through the metal.

"You're going to Quentin, aren't you?"

Maximilian nods.

"Can I see the handkerchief?"

Now he gives no response.

"Max..."

"It's nothing, this visit is simply me being proactive, making sure that it's nothing rather than waiting till it's something."

The Robian frowns as Maximilian continues to lie.

"I think it's this early Winter weather. Soon, I'm sure my joints will start aching too."

He forces a chuckle out as they come to a room that diverges to different wings of the palace.

"Thank you, Charles, for coming with me this far."

They both know he isn't referring to this short walk in the palace.

"I'll let you get back to the lab; speaking of that, how is your work regarding,"

He takes a second to breathe.

"The neural card and CPU coming along?"

Maximilian manages to get the words out through a raspy voice and strained breathing.

"I wasn't lying when I said 'breakthrough'. We got lucky with the neural card and we're making inroads on the CPU. Already, there are some leads we're investigating."

Maximilian smiles.

"Good, that is-, that is good to hear."

Then something comes to his attention.

"Charles, I haven't seen your nephew anywhere but he didn't inform that he was going on another scouting mission out west."

Charles nods.

"He went to help mediate echidna disputes, in Albion."

Maximilian raises a brow.

"Did he now?"

"He did."

"Well that is-, that is rather..., rather interesting. I wish him success in that endeavor."

It is now Charles' turn to display some surprise.

"Uh, I uh-, thank you, Max."

Maximilian smiles and nods.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. Keep up the good work. You've never let me down."

That places you among the rarest breed in my life...

He begins walking away to where the medical office is.

Mediating a diplomatic dispute? I wouldn't expect something of that sort from him...

Once he is out of sight of the Robian, he brings his hand up and unclenches the fist he had made to hide it. The blue of his handkerchief is stained with red; his red.

"Hmmmm..."

---

Silver and Amy enter into the hotel room.

"It's a big city, so we've got a lot work ahead of us, even with your friend being so distinct."

She takes off her backpack, flops onto the bed, and grabs a remote.

"True, I guess we can spend a few hours looking tonight; this will probably be the easiest one to search during that we'll get for a while."

Silver raises a brow as she turns on the TV.

"Why's that?"

"The concert tonight has already drawn a lot of people to the city. Then you add the people arriving for the one in a couple days and this massive city gets even more packed."

Silver simply gives a "hmm" as Amy flips through channels while he looks out the window. The city is much different than from what he remembers; from what it will be. The most obvious difference is how much smaller it is.

Central City, Central Hesperia. Inhabitants in the 35th Century: over two hundred and ninety million. And every single one i-

"Hey, what kinda food do you like?"

He turns to face her, on the TV is a G.U.N. soldier engaging in slapstick comedy with his wife.

"Uh, what?"

"Sorry, was I speaking a different language? Do you not have food where you're from?"

He rubs his head and averts his eyes from her.

"Uh, yea, of course I-, we do."

Hard to call what there was a "we"

"It's just, well I've never been asked that before; I just ate whatever there was. When you hunt and forage for your dinner, you don't exactly have the luxury of being picky."

"That's awful!"

He shrugs as the soldier's wife shakes her head.

"Doesn't seem that bad, to be honest; it keeps you in shape and the food is healthy."

"The meats are all gamey and the fruit and veggies raw, though; no variety. Have you ever had a pizza?"

"Are those the triangular things I've seen some people eating?"

"Yes."

"Then no."

"What about a hot dog?"

He shakes his head as another soldier, one with a nicer uniform and more medals, enters into the room.

"Captain Tony! So good to s-see you s-sir!"

"A burger?"

He does so once again as the solider gives a feeble salute to the fuming captain.

"Zuo Zongtang?"

"Don't know what that means, so I'll assume no."

"Feddy Daniel!"

And he nods again as the soldier drops to the floor and begins doing push ups, all while a laugh track plays.

"An Éclair?"

"Frankly, I also don't know what that word means, so no, again."

She brings a hand to her face as a commercial comes on.

"Can't believe you haven't eaten something you didn't find in the wild."

He brings a gloved hand up in protest.

"Now hold on, I don't know about Merica or Acorn, but I'm pretty sure you can't find apple pies just hanging off trees."

She moves her hands to her hips and pouts.

"Not funny."

"I'm serious; I had an apple pie once."

He recalls the experience.

Thanks, Mom

"What you seriously are is lacking in culinary experience, we gotta fix that."

"I'm not really hungry, but if you are just get something quick so we can keep moving."

"No, we're gonna sit down and enjoy something nice to eat."

"That's a waste of tim-"

"Didn't you say you'd work on trying to adjust?"

He groans.

"Fine..."

She smiles.

"Time to expand your palette."

---

The duffle bag falls from the hands of the ox.

"Gah!"

The skunk laughs as he holds up a duffle bag of equal size and equal weight.

"Aha!"

He lowers it down to the ground with grace and ease.

"It seems ya all need ta work on yer core strength."

Hall simply smiles.

"Sir, you seem to forget you are special forces. Perhaps you should account for this fact?"

"Excuses, Colonel."

"I prefer to call them explanations."

"Whatevah ya say. Now, I'm starvin', let's get eatin'."

"Yes, I assume it must be most famishing to show off your physical superiority."

"Watch it, I can turn hangry rather quick."

"Oh, I bet."

---

The neon sign and its words shine a bright light in contrast to the dark environment of the city.

"Welcome to El Stación Salón."

Hershey gives her a look.

"Better have good drink to make me walk this far."

"Oh, quit being a whiner!"

Mina checks her watch.

"Good, we made it in time."

"In time for what?"

"Patience, Kit Kat!"

The mongoose skips forth through the door while Hershey gives one last look around.

Trash on the sidewalks and in the street, cracks in both, a broken street light.

She surveys it all with a look of disgust.

It may not be the Underland, but that's not saying much

She thinks about Charlemagne's words at his last speech and can't deny that she understands why a non-Overlander would vote for him

Definitely not the kind of place Bullyani is proud to broadcast to the rest of the Federation; then again, everywhere has someplace like this

She finally returns her attention to the saloon, entering behind Mina, and the two find a table.

"You weren't kidding when you said scummy."

Mina gives a short giggle and shrugs her shoulders.

"I think it's got a certain, rustic, charm to it."

"Perhaps 'rusty' might be more apt."

"Kit Kat, lay it off with the cynicism, you're gonna make even my mood get dour."

She begins looking around.

"Sorry, didn't mean to come off like that. It's just my sense of humour. I get it from-"

"You've got un minuto to get ready! Go out there, ya damn borracho!"

Her words come to a stop and as she turns to face the direction of the voice; instead of its source, she sees a piano with no one at it.

"Is th-"

"What do you want to drink? I'll get something for both of us."

The interruption catches her off guard but she manages to formulate a response.

"Uh, a vesper."

"A Mobian of fine tastes, huh?"

"'Expanded' is the word I'd use."

Mina smiles and goes to the bar, leaving Hershey alone. She remembers the first time she had the drink.

You asked me to try it, your favourite

She smiles remembering that night.

I hope we can enjoy it together again, soon

---

Now Playing: "Broken Bird"
(Inspired By "Piano Man")

---

Her reminiscing is brought to an end by the sound of piano keys; for a split second she thinks that a certain bear has somehow found his way all the way down here. That thought is quickly extinguished due to the sound of a harmonica joining in as she raises her head to see who it is. She is quite shocked by the source of the masterful playing.

She looks younger than me!

The orchid starling continues to produce a flow of music as she begins singing.

It's something-o'clock on a rainy day,
Regular crowd shuffles in,
There's an old Mobian sittin' nearby me,
With a face that makes you wonder where he's been.

The avian then swiftly leans into the harmonic holder and blows several times before backing out in one swift motion, all while the piano keys continue to sound.

Like nothing. Don't think I've ever seen anyone this young play this good

He says: "Avian, can you play me a melody?
I'm not really sure how it should go,
But it should be sad and be sweet, cause your voice is such a treat!
Bring me back to when I was a young man, long ago!"

Hershey turns around due to someone bumping her shoulder as the singing goes on; the mongoose hands her the Vesper.

La-la-la de-de da...
La-la de-de da da-da...

"Is this the 'special something'?"

Mina smiles but gives no confirmation as she sits down with her own drink in hand, its container being a copper mug.

"Sing us a song, you're the Broken Bird!
Sing us a song tonight!
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright!"

Hershey looks to what Mina has the playing of the harmonica returns.

"Mousecow Mule?"

"Keeps me cool and it's hard."

They both turn to face the singing pianist who is now looking at a pig bartender.

Now Isaac at the bar is an alright swine,
He gets me my drinks for free,
And he's quick with a joke, even though he's are broke,
But we always smile, saying "You're just like me."

He gives a reserved and somber nod with a matching expression on his face, though it's leaning to the positive side of things, .

He says: "Mel, I can't believe what I'm hearing!"
As a smile find its way onto his snout!
"It's good that I can be here while you're singing!"
He says as he eagerly wheels about!

Man, wonder where she learned to play like that?

Oh, la-la-la de-de da...
La-la de-de da da-da...

The starling shifts her gaze to two human women.

Now Vivian is an Overlander charity artist,
But she can't help but give in to her bias,
So she's talkin' with some cheap whore, about rightin' the Great War;
Isn't revenge such a virulent virus?

The four-fingered one of the duo flips her off as the cat and mongoose sip their drinks; she's rather muscular and well built.

"She's my girlfriend, asshole."

Looks like a soldier; wonder if she fought in it?

Mina leans over to Hershey.

"It took me forever to find this place; needle in a stack of over seventy million needles."

The cat smiles at her.

"Thanks for helping me find it."

And The Square is descending into politics,
As the King of Mercia is gettin' overthrown!
Yes, you're sharing a world that's a living hell,
But that's surely better than livin' alone!

Those words cut a little too deep for her liking.

Seems like I just have shit luck when it comes to songs, don't I?

She takes another swig from her glass.

"Sing us a song, you're the Broken Bird!
Sing us a song tonight!
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright!"

The virtuosity the avian plays with is rather reminiscent of what she experienced at the Garden, but that just makes the distinctions between the avian and the ursine all the more apparent.

Not refined, but natural, inherent, almost instinctive

Despite the energy of the singing, the bar is rather calm and quiet; everyone simply sits and relaxes in silence.

It's a pretty good crowd for a rainy day,
And I can't hold back this stupid smile,
'Cause I know it's always my misery that you're comin' to see,
To forget about your lives for a while.

Hershey frowns because it's true.

What a world, isn't it?

And my playing runs through all of my memories,
But it's only a sliver that my voice lets you hear!
So you stupidly sit in this bar, with all of your mouths ajar,
Saying: "Girl, what are you doin' here?!"

Hershey raises her glass ever so slightly to her.

Oh, la-la-la de-de da...
La-la de-de da da-da...

To those who have to bury it all down

"Sing us a song, you're the Broken Bird!
Sing us a song tonight!
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright!"

One of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. There's only one other I'd rather hear right now

She's finally starting to enjoy herself, thoughts about Geoffrey notwithstanding, but she can't let such a thing occur.

The mission. Anywhere from seventy million to five billion people are at stake if I don't figure this out

She decides to do what she always does and starts fully observing the environment. Turning her head, she sees the bartender rolling over to the stage, a beer in hand, along with various people chatting and others sitting alone. She begins trying to gage what the split is.

Two-fifths Mobian and three-fifths humans, with a third of that being Overlanders

All in all, it's a pretty balanced spread. Her calculations and thinking are brought to a halt as someone bumps into her.

"What the hell man?"

The human shakes his head as he leans on the table. A scowl paints itself across Hershey's face.

"Watch where you're going, you drunk."

If he heard her, he sure isn't showing it. He moves on past her, leaving the saloon.

"Swear to god..."

She returns her gaze back to her own table and notices something beside her vesper that wasn't there before.

What's this say?

She flips it over in a way that can be played off as reaching for the vesper. She holds the vesper while she reads from the side of her eye.

Blond giving speech in the Under tonight

Her eyes widen.

The mission's back on!

She downs the drink causing Mina to turn around, a smile on her face.

"Jeez, Hershey, it ain't going anywhere."

She gets up, scrunching the paper in her palm into a tight ball, as the avian leans back and takes off the harmonica holder.

"Songoose, I gotta run, sorry. I'll catch up with you at the hotel, okay?"

Mina's nods, completely calm.

"See ya around, Kit Kat."

Hershey returns the nod and exits the bar, just catching the beginning of the next song.

Oh, the year was Thirty-Two Thirty-One!
How I wish I was in Babylon now!

---

The fox is sitting, snow falls around and on him, coating his ochre and white fur, as well as his uniform, due to his stillness.

Been a cold couple years

His eyes are shut as he listens to the words of the song.

Alle Guten, alle Bösen [All the Just, all the Evil]
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur! [Follow her trail of roses!]

One person comes to his mind.

You're lovely. I hope you find someone who makes you happy

She thinks about the one he knows she would tell him could do so.

Not him, he's taken. He's Mom's, now and always

He chuckles to himself as the song continues.

Küsse gab sie uns und Reben, [Kisses she gave us and grapevines]
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod; [A friend, proven in death;]

His happiness gives way to a frown.

Bit of a downer lyric...

"Prower, there vous are!"

He opens his eyes and turns to face the jackal.

Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben [Salaciousness was given to the worm]
Und die freudigen stehen vor alle! [And the joyful stand before everyone!]

"I was looking for vous; what happened? Thomas said vous juste left."

"Hey, sorry about that. Couldn't stick around."

Edouard gives him a look.

Küsse gab sie uns und Reben, [Kisses she gave us and grapevines]
Einen Freund, geprüft im T-; [A friend, proven in d-;]

"That's all I'll say."

The jackal simply nods as Miles turns off the song.

"What are vous listening to? Can't comprendre a word of it."

He puts down the device

"Oh, something from Bearthoven."

"Vous can comprendre it?"

He nods.

"Yea, I've got a nack for languages. I speak seven: English and Austral, obviously, Angeli as you see now, Spagonian, Solarian, Soumercan, and Vulgar Soumercan."

"Vulgaire Soumercan?"

"You know, the Cat Country tongue?"

"They are related?"

"Yeah. The true cognates, sentence structuring, so on and so forth, all point to it. I guess some people from Station Square must've ran into the Felidae a long, long time ago. When they cut themselves off, the language evolved into it's own sorta thing. They're actually really similar, still. Mobians just don't really have a knack for making up languages I think."

"How come I've never heard anyone mention this?"

"Well, the Felidae aren't exactly accommodating with outsiders, so most people barely meet them. Period. Even fewer get to hear them talking their native tongue. And of those few, even fewer happen to be as good with languages as I am."

"Intéressant. How did vous learn all the others?"

Edouard goes to sit down on the opposite side of the table.

"English, well you know..."

Edouard nods and Miles quickly moves on.

Don't want think about there, or them, ever again

"Uncle Chuck taught me Spagonian.

"Qui is that?"

"Oh, just a real smart, uh, friend, of mine."

Edouard nods knowingly, understanding the truth.

"Ah, I see."

"Then I picked up Angeli from a friend of mine from the island."

He thinks of that red echidna.

A real hard-head, but you've always got your heart in the right place,

He smiles as he continues.

"Soumercan I did on my own."

"For when vous are in Station Square?".

"While it does,"

Soon it'll be 'did'

"Come real handy for when I'm there, the real drive to master it was that it helps"

Helped

"A lot when I am"

Was

"Trekking through the Mystic Ruins. Locals and such in the surrounding areas. Mainly Lupe and her people."

"Seems I can add 'avide archéologiste' to the list."

Miles smirks.

I hope you write a nice eulogy out of that list

"Learned Solarian while in Soleanna with,"

My brother

"A friend. And as for Austral, that's all thanks to two friends of mine, from Mercia. The first one taught me the basics, the rest, like real, authentic speaking, phrases, complex rules, what really translates and what doesn't, intent, all that, was from another friend of mine; both of them are"

Were

"Real close with me."

I didn't say goodbye to any of you guys

He can now only think of his brother.

I'm sorry I didn't thank you, for everything

"Vous are parlant about D'Coolette and Rose, oui?"

"Yea..."

The jackal tilts his head.

"What's wrong?"

Miles now gives a slightly surprised look.

"Oh, nothing. I just thought, you know? With him and his dad being tight with the Acorns and her being Rob's cousin, all that."

"Prower, I didn't say anything regarding Princesse Acorn, why would I say anything about them?"

"I don't know, I mean you guys are fighting a war to remove those kinda people, I just thought you'd all hate them by default, and be mad at me for being close with them. I mean, I'm pretty sure Beric and lot others would be, so you not being is just, I don't know, unexpected."

The jackal places a hand on his shoulder.

"Prower, I don't savoir Rose, D'Coolette, or the Princesse, but if they make vous heureux, if they are your amis,"

They're more than that

"Then that's good enough for moi. I just want vous to be heureux, and, unlike Thomas or others, I don't care how vous get there. The ALM savoir that your parents were dévoué supporters for monarchisme, we savoir that many of your amis from Northamer are the same, and we savoir that vous have fought for royauté. But that is in le passé."

Miles smiles as he remembers what he overheard the night that he messaged Noël telling him he wished to join.

You were warning him about me, saying I could be dangerous. How right you were. But I'm glad he didn't listen, and I'm glad you're not listening to yourself right now. None of you ever do. At least the number of families that I killed can forever remain at that same number

But even it is still too high.

One

"And right now, vous are fighting for this cause. We hold none of it against vous. D'accord?"

He nods as he thinks about her.

Thank you, for every memory, and for a million things more

"Never would've expected the rusé Berrien to be so relaxed about it all."

"One thing Thomas and I share: we préférer to get venger, not furieux."

Miles thinks about the bloodstain that Beric placed on his chest. He then thinks about that first day of scouting with Edouard, how there was two soldiers.

And you told me to let them pass. I know he wouldn't have...

"Does it bother you?"

"What?"

"About Beric. I mean, you know about him, right?"

Edouard nods as he moves his eyes and lips to the side.

"Oui. I comprendre, and apprécier, le dévouement, but I wish that he would take an intérêt in miséricorde, and I don't mean le arme."

Miles thinks it over and realises he doesn't want to talk about this.

I have no right to judge, and even if I did, I don't want to. I don't want to make you two unhappy, not as I'm about to go

He decides to divert.

"You know, now that I think of it, you could say I speak eight languages, if you include what the Flickies have as a language, though that may be a bit of stretch."

Edouard nods, impressed and apparently distracted.

"So, un expérimenté hunter, un merveilleux chanteur-"

The boy groans.

"Never dropping that, huh?"

Edouard smiles.

"Non, never. As I was saying, un exceptionnel pianiste, un avide archéologiste, and now un maître linguiste. Next thing vous tell me vous can crap gold and make world peace."

"Heh, yea, totally; give me, I don't know, a bajillion years, and I'll get right on it."

As the two chuckle, he notices a small dark brown stain on the jackal's face, different from the rest of his fur.

"Messy eater, huh."

Edouard quickly wipes his face to try and get it off.

"A little more to the left."

With a bit more fiddling, he is successful.

"Merci."

"Don't mention it. You know, seeing that has got me thinking about the cake; would've never guessed chocolate was his favourite flavour."

"While it is, that's not why we use it."

"Then why?"

"Perhaps if vous stuck around, vous would have seen."

The two share a brief laugh. The fact that he got to share one birthday with Noël before the end makes him smile.

What perfect timing, almost like it was meant to be

"Can't believe the final assault is happening right after his birthday. What a coincidence, huh?"

"Oh, it's not a coïncidence. The fact of the matière is that tonight could've been any nuit since it started snowing."

Miles scratches his head at this seeming temporal impossibility.

"Uh, pretty sure that's not how birthdays work. They're supposed to be a day, as in, a single one in the year."

He smirks at the jab at Edouard and shakes his body to get the snow off his fur.

"For most peuple, sûr; but le Maréchal is no ordinaire personne."

"I agree, but what do you mean?"

"Well, to be frank, we don't savoir what day is his date d'anniversaire. Many years ago, I décidé to célébrer it anyways, and since then it's been a tradition we observe every year."

"Wait, that song, it's yours?"

Edouard nods.

"While I'm not a chanteur, unlik-"

The fox raises a finger.

"Don't you dare."

Edouard gives him a look of playfulness.

"Unlike some I savoir, I make exceptions for spécial peuple."

Miles can only think about how Edouard and Beric sang with him that night.

"Thank you, for that night. You guys are awesome."

"Don't mention it."

The boy smiles

"I don't know if I could ever really show how grateful I am for you guys, but I hope I can in this battle."

"Don't inquiéter, victoire will be a grandiose thing for all of us to enjoy together."

Miles nods but he isn't paying attention to Edouard; he can only think about Noël.

Maybe the last song, but only for me. The rest of the world is gonna carry on just fine, and that's just great