Sunlight streaked through the trees, warming the rock outcropping over the two Mobians beneath. Over the morning, the patch of sunlight slowly traveled across the hedgehog's body, finally landing on his face.

Sonic wrinkled his nose. His eyes shot open and he sat up, flailing his arms and legs.

He froze. Sonic glanced about him, and let his shoulders relax. He grinned up at the sun and winced, scratching at the back of his neck.

Some guard he made. In Uncle Spark's militia, guards who slept on duty were shot.

Sonic's stomach growled hard. He clapped a hand to his middle.

Sonic huffed and rolled over to the back of the rock outcropping. Tails still lay sprawled out on the mossy stone. His wound looked clean and less bright now. Puss had broken loose.

Sonic grabbed their backpack canteen. He poured some of it over the puss and began tying moss around it with one of his arm bands.

Tails stirred at Sonic's touch, hissing in pain.

"Shh, it's okay, Tails," Sonic said. "Your arm's getting better. The ring finished?" Sonic asked.

Tails squinted. His eyes flickered into focus and he licked his lips. "Y-yeah…"

"Huh…if it was an ordinary burn and fever, you should be back to normal by now," Sonic observed, rubbing his chin. "Your shoulder was uncovered when we were flying in that chemical fog, right?"

Tails' nodded. "Mmhmm…" His blue eyes shone.

"Bet that was it." Sonic's eyes flashed. "Who knows how much of that poison you've got in your bloodstream. You're gonna need rest and more rings…and we're out of food, so I'm gonna get some. I'll be back real soon, but you just sit tight and keep your blaster close—you've got enough water to last you today."
"Thanks, Sonic," Tails murmured. He stared at Sonic, his eyes saying more than he ever could.

"Aw, be quiet and go back to sleep," Sonic smirked.

Without another word, the hedgehog spun around and darted into the woods.


Sonic ran as hard as he could, making a perimeter around Tails. He rebounded off of the trees, and dove around coiling roots like the old loops he used to play on as a kid back at Level Eight in the tech lab of New Mobius.

Only this time, he kept an eye out for combots.

Running was the only thing distracting himself from the quiet. Usually when he ran he had Tails propelling as hard as he could after him. Or Amy Rose laughing somewhere behind him, her hammer thudding against a tree or log in her way. Bunnie's thick accent would echo in the trees as she would call for them to wait up. Sally would be practicing her martial arts dutifully in a glade somewhere and he'd go find her and ruin her routine and hoist her into his arms and race up a tree somewhere. She would try to punch him, but he'd put on his Speed and duck, and they'd argue and laugh. Then Uncle Sparks would call out or let out a loud electric crack and they would all line up to practice and strategize and study. They would all bow and repeat the Warrior Source Code together, vowing to it, reminding themselves why they were there, and what they were fighting for. Then Uncle Sparks would tell them what was going on. He'd give them missions. One more thing they could blow up, one more prisoner they could smash out of a cage, one more strategy to try appealing to someone—anyone—to help them stand against this human and stop him

Sonic bolted around a rock outcropping, leapt into a spin dash and skidded on his landing. His muscles burned.

He paused as he got back up, scanning the forest for rings. Or robots.

But there was nothing. It was so, so quiet.


It had been several hours. Sonic had not found any more rings or any food beyond mushrooms and some rotten tree nuts. He'd been hungry like this before, but it never got any easier. And he'd left the water with Tails…

When Sonic finally found a rock with an old puddle in it, he nearly stumbled face first into it. He drank, mud and all, wondering if the time had come for him to him to just buckle down and kill a squirrel or rabbit. He was fast enough to catch one without any trouble. He had no idea how to cook it, and he didn't like killing things, but if it was that or survival—

It was then that he heard a sound. The sound of an air cruiser.

Sonic's head shot up.

He blurred across the ground, beneath a root formation, his gaze fixed to the sky.

The cruiser came into sight. New, sleek. More of a transportation cruiser than a killing cruiser. It was flying slower than usual.

Normally, Sonic didn't worry a bit about air cruisers, especially ones without the big guns. But for some reason, this time, his head spikes unsheathed and his skin prickled.

He bowed his forehead against the root, his ears pricking up, waiting, listening. He took a deep breath.

The sound filtered out into the distance.

Sonic lifted his head. He decided to check on Tails.

He so much as stepped out of the root formation when a crawling sensation whipped up and down his back. Sonic froze.

He glanced over his shoulder.

The dark woods greeted him. Nothing there.

Images of the black hedgehog began to roll through his mind. His adrenaline spiked.

Sonic had almost forgotten about the hedgehog after everything that had happened at Aero. But now, it all came back, too real to be coincidence.

He narrowed his eyes.

The trees were thick in the distance, so thick they were almost black. He could be in there somewhere.

"Creep." Sonic hissed to himself. "You're thinking about me aren't you? Trying to find me?" He smirked. "Or maybe you already have…why don't you just take me out instead of skulking around, huh? Now would be a good time. I'm all alone."

And then, as clear as if someone had whispered the words in his ear, a reply echoed through his brain.

Yes. You are all alone.

Sonic's eyes widened. Ice clutched at his chest.

In the emptiness of the forest before him, all by himself, the hauntedness began to creep into his green eyes. His breath quickened and his gaze darted over the trees.

His mother's shredded body hanging from the factory pole. The sucking of the extractor. Tails screaming, robotic eyes, shocks of electric pangs, his uncle's note in his hands, Robotnik's red laser pupils, Sally sobbing over her mother's body—

Sonic ran, nearly choking on his own breath. His throat was tight. He couldn't breathe.

Don't be alone. You'll remember too much if you're alone. The whisper said. Keep running. I'll catch up with you eventually, but I don't mind a good chase.

Sonic skidded to a stop outside the overhang.

Tails was still there, laying with his tails wrapped around him.

Sonic took one glance at his little brother, safe and at peace. His shoulders heaved.

Sonic crawled under the overhang and snatched up Tails, carrying him as if he weighed no less than a sack of potatoes. Tail's head fell forward against Sonic's shoulder.

"Sonic?" Tails murmured. "You okay?"

"Yep, just fine, but we've gotta scram." Sonic said. He kicked over the indent under the overhang, glancing around. "We've got a long way to go." He hefted up the backpack.
"Sure, Sonic," Tails murmured, still only half conscious. "I'm feeling better—I can walk—"

"No, we're gonna run," Sonic said. Fear shone through the light in his eyes. "We're gonna get out of here and we're gonna run as fast as we can."


Thank you so much for the encouragement guys! 3 XD I am so happy you're glad Knuckles is here and you enjoyed some of the last chapters' revelations! Your reviews made my day, as always.

~April/Constance