Hey, all! The trilogy I had planned didn't pan out like I wanted, so this is just a two part fic. Here's part 2!

Enjoy!

In which he finds peace

Tom's alarm went off way too early in the hedgehog's opinion. He could have slept for another century if he had the opportunity. He thought Maddie agreed with him when she took her pillow and slammed it into her husband's head.

But then Sonic was roaring with laughter when Tom expressed his indignation by taking his pillow and whipping it at his wife.

"No fair! Leave mom alone!" Sonic yelled as he grabbed his own pillow.

"She hit me first!"

Maddie tried to glare menacingly but her wide grin prevented it. "You deserved it!"

It was an all out war that only lasted a minute or two. Soon they were all breathless with laughter and shaking their heads.

"I'm the only adult in this house," Sonic muttered under a pillow. He wasn't quite sure how it got there, but he didn't bother removing it.

Tom threw himself against the bed. "Then we're all doomed."

The vet laughed loudly as she climbed out of bed. "I'll get breakfast ready. C'mon, you two. Adventure awaits."

The knots in Sonic's stomach began to tighten, and the smile fell from his face. Maddie skipped out of the room, and the hedgehog wrapped his arms around himself.

The Sheriff's brow furrowed, and he set a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "Sonic?"

"I'm okay," he said softly. "Just... anxious, I guess."

Tom nodded, swinging his legs over the bedside. He reached out his hand and assisted Sonic's dramatic leap from the bed. "Let's get some breakfast first, okay? One thing at a time."

The boy nodded and took a deep breath, suddenly regaining his usual hyperness. "Race you downstairs!"

"Careful!"

He was already downstairs by the time Tom finished the single word. The Sheriff shook his head as he jogged down the stairs. Knuckles was already in the kitchen when he got there, trying and failing to hold a spoon in his gloved hand.

"I'm looking forward to having my other gloves. These are good for battle, not eating with small silverware," he informed them as another spoonful of cereal fell back into the bowl.

Sonic jumped up onto the other barstool at the kitchen island. "Why don't you just slurp it?"

One of his eyebrows rose in confusion. "I had assumed that was improper amongst humans. Disrespectful."

"Generally, it is," Maddie said, throwing an amused glare at the hedgehog. "But here at home, whatever works." She switched her attention to her husband. "Babe, can you wake Tails up? Sonic, honey, what would you like for breakfast?"

"On it."

Sonic watched him climb the stairs, a soft smile on his face. "Potatoes and eggs?" he suggested. "I can help!"

She cuffed his ear playfully as she walked past him. They chatted amongst themselves as Sonic carefully cut the potatoes he was given. A moment later, Tom and Tails joined them.

"G'morning," Tails said sleepily. "What time is it?"

The Sheriff checked his phone. "About 7am."

The fox groaned.

"Agreed," Sonic said.

Tom poured himself a cup of coffee, adding a generous amount of cream. "What would you like to eat, Tails?"

"Whatever you're making smells amazing," he commented.

"Good choice, buddy!" Sonic clapped him on the back. "Breakfast of champions."

"Only because you are not allowed cereal," Knuckles argued. "That is the true breakfast of champions. So convenient."

The hedgehog rolled his eyes dramatically. There were very few things he wasn't allowed, but even he agreed upon the restrictions. It had taken hours for his heart to stop beating out of his chest and for his skin to stop crawling after having hot coffee for the first time.

Sonic jumped down from the stool as Maddie finished cooking and grabbed the hot sauce from the fridge. Tom, Sonic, and Tails set the dining room table, and Knuckles, very carefully, moved his refilled bowl from the kitchen island to the dining room to join them.

"Okay, boys," Maddie said. "What're your plans? Knux, I know you want to go to your village, and Tails to yours. Was there anywhere else?"

Both boys shook their heads after a moment of thought.

"Okay, so Sonic, Tom, and I were talking about going to Sonic's old home," she said. "I'm not sure where his home was in relation to your villages?"

"I'm from Angel Island," Sonic stated with no emotion.

Tails' baby blue eyes grew wide. "Really? So cool! I'm from the mainland just east of there."

"I am also from Angel Island," the red warrior said.

"Okay," Maddie said. "Well, why don't we meet back here once everyone's done?"

"We'll grill out and have a ton of chili dogs and grapes," Tom added. He was keenly aware of the 'what if's' of their little adventure, and he wanted to at least give Sonic something to look forward to.

Sonic's face spread into a wide grin. "Promise?"

The Sheriff reached over and ruffled the fur between his ears, a soft smile on his face. "Promise."

An hour later, the group of five found themselves in the backyard, ready to go. Tails had grabbed his backpack from upstairs, and he distributed rings amongst them.

"I'll go first!," Tails suggested.

When the others, he pulled his arm back and threw the golden circlet. Very suddenly, it widened and glowed, giving off a majestic aura of power. Within the ring, there was a clearing cut into a thick forest. Shafts of light cut through the thick canopy above. Dark huts were scattered around the clearing, and smoke climbed high from chimney's of several of them.

"That's my village!" Tails ran through the portal. He turned back momentarily to yell "I'll see you all soon!" The portal closed behind him, disappearing in a golden snap.

"I'll go," Knuckles said. "I must admit, I am excited to see my home."

He closed his eyes and tossed his ring. It opened quickly to a bright clearing. Similar huts were scattered around, though these were made of brick. Maddie saw dots of red (more Echidna's maybe) in the distance.

"I will see you at the fox's village."

Knuckles stepped through the ring, and it closed quickly behind him.

A whole minute passed. The wind whistled through the trees.

Tom set his hand on the hedgehog's head. "You ready, bud?"

Sonic took a deep breath, feeling his chest loosen just a touch at Tom's clear support.. "Yeah."

He closed his eyes, recalling the beautiful island he grew up on: the dirt path that led up to the two huts in the mountains, the gazebo between his and Longclaw's home, the wide open air… He threw his circlet and watched with bated breath as it widened.

There it was.

The smell of the salty ocean drifted towards them on the breeze. The dirt path in front of them had grass and various wildflowers growing in it. Warm air bathed them as they stepped through. Rich sunlight caressed Maddie's cocoa face, and she squinted in the light. She kept close to the hedgehog just in case he needed her, but at that moment, he seemed to forget they were there at all.

Sonic paused, staring up at the two wooden huts that stood bravely on rock pillars. The closest one was yellow, and the shingles from the roof came all the way down to the circular windows on the sides of the house. The farthest one, connected only by wooden bridges, was made of brown wood, but with a similar roof.

Both homes were overgrown with ivy plants that sprouted strange colored flowers. Mushrooms grew out of the wooden platforms and rich green tree branches almost completely obscured the nearest building.

"Oh my god," Sonic muttered under his breath.

A pang of worry stabbed Tom's heart, and he glanced at his wife. Was this it? Would they turn back? Should they just go home and care for their boy?

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod," Sonic laughed. He took a leap forward and curled into a ball, rolling across the first wooden bridge and ramming into the closed door of the first hut. It swung open, squealing in protest of its treatment.

"Sonic, wait!" Tom shouted. He raced after the hedgehog, who was now out of sight, and more than carefully crossed the wooden bridge. It was in no way made for humans, but it held their weight regardless. Small blessings.

Maddie could hear Sonic talking to himself within the room, and once they both arrived at the door frame, they saw the blue blur whipping from one side of the room to the other, touching everything and getting giddy over every sight. It was a small space, but Maddie was able to enter the room fairly easily. Tom, with his wide shoulders, had to enter the door frame sideways and crouched. Inside, the roof domed out so he could stand. Everything was covered in a good layer of dust.

There was a small wooden bed that Sonic repeatedly went over to. It would be too small for him now, but perfect for a child. A bookshelf filled with encyclopedias and dark books in many different languages. Maps were pinned up on the walls. And, to their delight, colorful children's drawings. There was the island, the hut, a yellow flower, and...

"That's Longclaw," Sonic said, his voice thick. He came and stood next to them, holding a small stuffed animal in his hands and close to his chest. The hedgehog looked at the picture with something like reverence in his eyes. And love. He gave a small laugh and rubbed his nose. "Here—this'll blow your minds."

In one of his hands, there was a tiny silver disk. It fit easily in the palm of his hand, and in the middle, there was a small jewel. Sonic pressed the emerald down with his thumb and tossed the now glowing disk towards the ground.

Tom gasped as different shades of blues coalesced into the form of a very large owl. Not as tall as the Sheriff himself, but perhaps around five feet. Even as a hologram, her armor flashed impressively. Longclaw shook her head, ruffling her feathers slightly, and opened her large eyes. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, on something perhaps on the other side of the room.

"Sonic," she said, narrowing her eyes. Her voice, though, was filled with affection. "I hear you over there."

A small laugh suddenly resounded through the room, and a hologram of a tiny blue fur ball came rolling into view. The sphere left the ground momentarily to collide with the owl's impressive plumage before uncurling on the ground, clutching his stomach.

"Sonic," Maddie gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.

"I know," the hedgehog responded with a sly grin. "I'm adorable, aren't I?"

The bravado didn't mask the look of longing in his eyes, but Tom let him have his moment. The hedgehog knelt down and pressed the emerald again, and the particles forming the hologram dissipated and flowed back into the silver disk.

"She used to read me bedtime stories about far off places. She taught me about the stars, Mobius, and what plants had medicinal properties. She was nocturnal, like the owls on Earth," he continued. He stared resolutely at the metal disk in his hand. "Sometimes she would let me stay up late... And we'd go flying."

Maddie knelt down in front of the hedgehog, bringing her hand up to cup the side of his face. "She sounds wonderful."

The water in his eyes refused to fall. "She was." He wiped at his eyes, taking a deep breath. He walked over to the bed and carefully sat the disk and the stuffed animal on the bed. Tom took note that it was a small blue hedgehog, just like him. "Longclaw thought I might get lonely without any other hedgehogs around, so she went to one of the villages on the mainland one night and got me this. To remind me that I'm not alone."

"Never," the Sheriff said heavily.

Sonic's eyes softened as they met his. "I have no idea what happened to my real parents. I don't remember them at all. I just remember Longclaw."

One of the hedgehog's ears flipped sideways, and before they could ask what he'd heard, he was racing out of the hut. He wound his way up the wooden bridge, through the gazebo, and up to Longclaw's home. The door was cracked open, and Sonic spread his fingers on the gnarled wood before flinging it open.

A few mice scattered around the floor as the door hit one of the bookshelves. Dust flew up from the floorboards, and sunlight bathed Longclaw's perch. A wicker basket sat beside it. Stairs led up to more bookshelves and cabinets. The room was mostly unchanged.

Except for the broken window they'd flown out of. The arrow lodged into the floorboard. The shattered glass scattered along the dark wood.

"Sonic?"

Tom and Maddie entered carefully behind him. The arrows were the first thing they noticed, specifically the ones lodged deeply in the door. They knew what had happened, but seeing the aftermath first hand...

"Those damn echidnas," Sonic spat. His large hand wrapped around the arrow in the floorboard and ripped it out, using both hands to break it in half. Guilt coursed through him, feeling like one of Knuckles' punches, because the echidna was on their side.

Their side.

His side.

But it didn't change the fact that—

"They killed her! They ruined everything!"

Maddie rushed forward, wrapping the hedgehog in a mighty hug before the sparks could start flying. She pulled him close against her chest, and he balled her loose shirt in his fists as the tears finally came.

"S'not fair," he moaned.

Tom crouched beside them, resting his head against Sonic's. "I know, buddy. I know. I'm so sorry."

The young hedgehog sobbed, pressing against Maddie. The Sheriff wondered if he could even breath, but his sharp, hitching breaths proved he could. After only a minute, his breathing evened out a little, tears coming more slowly.

"Baby?" Maddie loosened her tight hold. "Do you wanna go home?"

Sonic pulled back and scrubbed at his large eyes. He took a few deep belly breaths like she had shown him before looking at the people he loved more than anything. "I'm okay. I just need a few minutes."

The Sheriff opened his arms wide, and the hedgehog lept into them, no longer crying, just reveling in the comfort offered to him. Maddie stroked his quills, humming quietly. Sonic's heart ached. It hurt, it stung, it felt like it'd been stepped on as he relived that terrible, awful day: Longclaw grabbing him with her powerful wings, wrapping her own body around his and slamming the door shut to protect him from the deadly arrows, crashing through the glass window, plummeting to the hard ground...

But...

As he stood there, being held in the arms of Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady, a sudden, unexpected peace washed over him. Tom's hair smelled like bonfire smoke and mountain air and the hair gel they shared. His strong arms made him feel safe, cared for, and his deep, steadying voice was like a brook in a deep forest. A saving grace. Pretzel Lady's hands were soft against his face, kind. Lavender and vanilla lotion. Her smile could make topple kingdoms. Her laugh could shatter the stars.

He'd loved them even before he knew them.

Now they were his.

And they loved him.

They said it all the time, and they proved it with their actions. Even their stupid rules. He wasn't allowed cereal in the morning because he'd had an anxiety attack too many times later in the morning. Now he only had savory foods for breakfast. He couldn't have coffee or any energy drinks (ever) because Maddie had started crying, genuinely worried his heart might stop after he'd tried Tom's coffee one morning. They preferred he told them if he was going to be running at night, just so they didn't worry. And "please take your phone with you in case there's an emergency."

It was everything to him.

Yes, Longclaw was gone. But he wasn't alone. His parents would ensure he was never alone.

"Love you, dad. Love you, Mom," he said as he pulled back.

Maddie smiled warmly and booped his nose. "I love you too, blue."

"Same goes for me, bud." Tom looked around the dirtied room, thinking back to the drawings tacked to the hedgehog's wall in the other hut. "So, is there anything in particular you want to bring back?"

"I want to grab those drawings," Maddie immediately admitted.

A small blush colored Sonic's cheeks. "Yeah, okay. I want to grab some books and maps. More of the disks for sure. Longclaw kept a bunch, from even before she found me." He zoomed up the stairs in his usual fashion, prying open the cupboard. "I'm sure all the tonics are expired now, but the star charts!"

He rushed out of the hut again and down to his own. Tom gave a light laugh and smiled at his wife. Feeling a rush of affection, he pulled her close, still grinning. He placed a small kiss on the top of her head.

"Gross."

Sonic stood in the doorway, an amused and half-hearted sneer on his face. Several large tomes were stacked in his arms, and a large scroll with several pages sat on top, bound by a leather strap. On top of that was the stuffed hedgehog.

"Oh yeah?" Maddie pulled away from him and rushed towards the hedgehog, covering his face and head with tiny kisses.

"Very gross," Sonic protested through his laughter.

The vet retreated after a moment, and Tom picked up the empty backpack he'd brought with him. Sonic carefully placed the books inside and handed the scroll to Maddie.

"The pictures are inside," he explained. He walked towards Longclaw's bookshelf and pulled down a decorative chest by its silver handles. He flipped it open and saw the same silver hologram disks from the ones in his room. "Here they are."

"We can fit that, but I don't think we bought a big enough bag, Sonic," the Sheriff warned. He gently took the chest from Sonic and rearranged the books to fit it. The beloved stuffed animal was placed on top.

Sonic's ears fell forward and the disappointment was clear in his eyes. Duh. Of course not. Why did he think a backpack could fit everything? "Oh, okay."

Maddie placed a hand on his arm. "Baby, we can always come back once we have more rings."

"Wait, really?"

"Of course," Tom placated. "We can come back whenever you want."

The hedgehog rushed at him, throwing his arms around his neck as a massive smile spread on his face. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Tom nearly fell backwards, but he held his son close. "You're welcome, kiddo. How about we go meet the other two, hm?"

"I can't wait to show Tails the star charts!" he rambled as he pulled back. "Owls were known for their maps and star charts, you know. And Longclaw was the best! She was a genius. I'll show you her notes when we get home. I loved learning about everything. Oh, and the herbs and plants! There's this tea she would make from the flowers here and—oh!"

They were at the bottom of the incline, right back where they'd started.

Sonic looked at them with a content smile on his face as he held up his hands. His eyes were warm and soft. "Wait here a second, okay? Two minutes."

They both shrugged their compliance, and he took off. Soft grass tangled in his cerulean pelt as he curled into a ball, moving faster than any animal on either planet. He bounced off the cliff faces, yelping and whooping with joy as he gained air. One time through the loop-de-loop, which was smaller than he remembered, and down to the clearing of Sunflowers. They were much smaller and shorter than the ones on Earth, and Sonic liked them so much better. He gingerly plucked a handful of stems and tucked them into his quills, taking off again.

It was amazing what ten years of change could do. And how little. The air was still the same. The salty ocean with a small tinge of earth on the breeze. The warm sun on his back, tempting him to sleep on the beach.

He ran towards the ramp at an even faster speed, stretching towards the sun before gravity pulled him back down. A quick dash through a roaring waterfall. Another turn through the loop-de-loop (he really should convince Tom to build one at home), and then he stood in front of the people he so willingly called his parents.

Adrenaline pulsed through his veins, and his smile was as wide as the island itself. He didn't get tired very often, and maybe it was the emotional toll from the past few days, but Sonic found himself panting slightly.

Tom was happy to call him out on it. "D'you have fun?"

The hedgehog only laughed more. He stood straight and stuck his hand in his quills, digging out the small bouquet of flowers. Sonic reached his hand towards Maddie.

"I wanted to bring you these," he said. "Mom."

The vet covered her mouth with one hand as she carefully took the sunflowers from his hand. Her eyes sparkled. Quickly, she knelt down and gave him a quick hug, pressing a gentle kiss into his cheek. "Thank you, sweetheart."

Sonic only smiled.

"Ready?" Tom asked. He dug their second ring out of his pocket, and at their small nods, he threw it. It opened to show their backyard.

The cerulean hedgehog hesitated. He could feel his parent's caring eyes on him as he turned back to the two huts on the stacks. A strong breeze ruffled his fur, and he took a deep breath of the fresh air he'd grown up loving. He remembered Longclaw's wise words, her soft downy feathers, the rush of air as she landed in front of him.

Heart overflowing with love for the owl that had sacrificed everything to keep him safe, he smiled. "Goodbye, Longclaw."