"Whatcha got there, Tails?"
Sonic worked his way around the perimeter of the pit, pushing piles of loose dirt down over the bodies.
"I'm trying to wire this radio so that it can reach Sally," Tails said. "Maybe the survivors can stay at the Underground until they can find somewhere else to go."
"Already taken care of. Amy can take them to East Mobia, and that leaves us to take care of Robotnik," Sonic said.
Tails shrugged one shoulder. "It still might be good to hear if she has any other ideas—"
"I don't wanna call Sally, Tails," Sonic glanced over his shoulder. "She's too busy moping around to do anything to stop all this."
Tails sighed. He leaned over the radio and flicked on a switch. At first, static crackled over the speaker, but then the muted strains of music began to break through. It was an orchestral rendition of What a Wonderful World. The new one by Mantovani. Grampa Chuck had loved it when he first heard it.
Sonic huffed.
"I'm gonna get some more water, Sonic," Tails said, standing up. He set the radio on the edge of one of the wagons, then turned to leave.
"Sure," Sonic said.
He inwardly hissed. Being by himself while burying a bunch of bodies was not his thing.
Sonic pushed over another pile of dirt. He paused, glancing down at the still face of a female Mobian cat. She was white, all her Mobium gone.
He sighed. And began to talk to her. "Wonder if you used to be green. Like that little Arlyn kid…"
Grampa Chuck had always helped anyone.
He tried to work faster. "You know…you and your friends who made it back there…you kind of remind me of those people back home, in the old neighborhood." The people Gramps looked out for every day. The people that he'd started looking out for too. He'd loved those guys. "…I wonder if most of them need someone to bury them too…"
The song on the radio murmured throughout the clearing. Even though it was instrumental, the words sounded in Sonic's mind.
…I see trees of green, red roses too…
…I see them bloom, for me and you…
…And I think to myself…
…What a wonderful world…
"Hey, it's not like I don't want to help your town," Sonic said. "I mean, what those robots are doing is wrong. If I'd heard about this a week ago, I'd be down there now." He shoved his fist against the dirt as he worked. "I'd go in there and bust that Ignitium pump to kingdom come." He frowned. "But like the guy said. That wouldn't do any good." His gaze darkened. "Not until Robotnik is dead. Until then, nothing is going to do any good…"
…I see skies of blue, and clouds of white…
…The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night…
…And I think to myself…
…What a wonderful world…
Sonic made his way to the other side of the pit.
"You don't think I can win, huh?"
Tails voice echoed back. "I think…not winning is a way out…Sometimes I think it's scarier to keep living than to die."
"Who knows, I might win," Sonic said to the bodies in the pit. "It's not like I'm giving up and jumping off a cliff or something. There's still a chance I might win…"
…The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky…
…Are also on the faces, of people going by…
…I see friends shaking hands, saying 'how do you do…?'
…They're really saying, 'I love you'…
Uncle Spark's face flashed through his mind. "You abandoned your post," he said. "I can't trust someone who just gives up."
"I don't give up on stuff."
Sonic tried to work faster. He hated it when his mind got going when he was alone like this.
'I suppose then, I have stopped believing.
'I only hope that you never do the same.
'I am sorry.
'Never stop fighting, Sonic.
Sonic's brow narrowed.
"How'm I supposed to keep a promise to a quitter, huh?" Sonic's voice was low. This time he spoke to himself. "How'm I supposed to believe in a Code that he gave up on?" He eyes hardened, he dug faster as his voice began to break. "Why—why do I—" He wiped at his face with a hiss. "Why do I have to go out there an' fight again—" He kicked the dirt loose with his foot. "And again—and again—"
And live?
Why couldn't he just go out there and fight and die?
…I hear babies cry, I'll watch them grow…
…They'll know much more, then I'll ever know…
He stopped, grinding his fists against the dirt.
…And I'll think to myself…
…What a wonderful world…
Sonic crouched there, half curled up and listening to the ending chords of the music fade. He hissed through his gritted teeth, closing his eyes hard.
For once, he was perfectly still.
He shoved his hand up to push back the tears that burned in his eyes. He had already done his crying.
"Stupid music," Sonic murmured.
Maybe it was good Tails wasn't there.
"I'm gonna have to go back and help them, aren't I?" He sighed.
"That's all for today, folks!" The radio broadcaster's voice crackled over the speaker, "before we tune out, please stand with me as we salute our flag…."
Sonic's ears pricked up.
He turned and stared at the radio, the oft-said phrase reverberating in his mind.
The timing was impeccable. He almost laughed aloud.
The broadcaster continued. One little voice, listened to by thousands of little people in a dimension Sonic had never even seen before. People who were going to take the next few minutes to stand and pledge to something bigger than them.
Something bigger than them.
He cracked an exhausted grin, the tears still glistening in his eyes. He'd always liked the pledge.
"Why not?" He murmured, staggering to his feet. "I mean, after all, if you've lost your country in one world, might as well get a new country in another one, right?" He wandered over to the radio resting on the wagon.
"I pledge allegiance—" the broadcaster began.
Sonic stared, narrowing his eyes.
"—To the flag of the United States of America—" the human said.
Sonic slammed his fisted hand over his heart.
"And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible…" the broadcaster continued—
"With liberty," Sonic mouthed, "and justice for all."
He smiled a little. A prick of light beginning to shine in his eyes again. "Liberty and justice. Two of the best words of all time."
It Carries Burdens. It Believes on. It Hopes on. It Endures on. It will Never Fail. This has been etched and engraved into the framework and structure of every universe, galaxy and soul in existence.
The anthem began to play.
Sonic stood still. He lifted his head and took a deep breath. His wiry shoulders heaved.
It will Never Fail.
…And for the first time, since that awful day in Aero, the light in Sonic's eyes began to burn into something brighter than the light of his own Mobium energy. Something brighter than the light of his own soul and being. Something brighter than his own resolve and grit.
A light separate from him, bigger than him—
A Light that would outlive him. Because these words he was listening to—they were truth. And no matter what Robotnik or any other catastrophe brought on his world, the Truth was going to win. It always did.
It was just easy to forget that sometimes. It was easy to forget when all you saw was the darkness taking over everything you cared about.
But even that didn't change the Truth. And that made him want to run. Not from things, but to things. Not from life, but to life.
And fight—whether he won or not—
But he—he wanted to win—he wanted to try to win.
He was still tired. He was still afraid of being captured and tortured and of watching things get worse and of losing the people around him. But how he felt wasn't going to change the Truth. The Truth was big enough to push him through the roaring pain in his soul, to protect Tails, to go to that village, to keep looking for his Gramps and Bunnie and Rotor and every Mobian that might still be alive—
To go back to Sal.
"Hey, you little humans down there," Sonic said to that radio. "I bet only half of you just know what you pledged to. I bet if the time came, some of you would quit."
The anthem ended. With a flick of his hand, Sonic turned off radio. He smiled and his eyes still burned, tear streaks running down his cheeks.
"But you know, that doesn't mean what it was you promised about isn't true. Your flag is still gonna be there whether you ditch it or not, and it'll still be worth fighting for."
Along with everything it stood for and every eternal Truth it was built on.
Sonic stepped back. He wagged his finger at the radio as it was having trouble understanding him. "You know, that's what's going to save this planet, right? And until then, little old me is still here. My game is still on. So I've gotta fight this—Again—" The light in his eyes flickered. "And I'm gonna have to fight to live. I'm gonna fight to live until—well—"
A wry grin pulled at his mouth.
Well. Until he died.
Sonic spun on his heel and he ran. A sonic boom cracked in his wake.
You know.
At the end of it all.
When all was said and done.
It really still was a wonderful world.
Gotta make this quick, but I hope all is wonderful in your worlds. 3 God bless you all and thank you, readers!
~April/Connie
