This is an experimental constrained writing piece. This is a reinterpretation of the issue #45 of the IDW Sonic comics. Every spoken word in this fanfic is the exact same as from issue #45, and every scene and facial expression is the same (that's the "gimmick"), but it's kind of a reinterpretation of that issue. Check it out or read it alongside this and let me know how I did.

Tangle was ecstatic to finally just be out somewhere again, "CAMPING! Braving the wilderness with nothing but our wits and guts. This is gonna be awesome!"

She leaned back down in her seat, planning what all she wanted to do, "Should I have brought a knife? I should have brought a knife."

Tangle got lost in her thoughts, Whisper would have a knife.

Amy replied to Tangle, snapping her out of her thoughts, "It's more of a nature hikes and marshmallow roasts sort of camping trip, Tangle."

"I know," but she made sure to emphasize, "But it's still an adventure!"

Jewel could tell those words were directed at her.

Tangle whispered under her breath, looking out at the horizon, "Out seeing the world..."

Her thoughts turned to Whisper again. Not so long ago she was at Restoration HQ, and she could meet her everyday. But, it wasn't even that long and she already had to leave again. All Tangle could think about was seeing her silhouetted against the sunrise. And even though she took this trip with Jewel, she was still living with Jewel, she was still thinking about Whisper. She didn't want it to start another argument with Jewel, especially with everyone else here, and-

"Tangle?"

"Hmm?"

"You got quiet all of a sudden."

Tangle's expression changed from a sad, forlorn one to one with the slightest twinge of guilt, "Sorry, I just zoned out. Thinking about Restoration stuff," a white lie.

Jewel looked down with a twinge of guilt, she knew the meaning of those words, "I know the feeling."

She started thinking about how much she had been working recently. Even when she promised Tangle that she would spend more time with her, even then it was Tangle who had to practically drag her out the door. How much had she been dragging Tangle down just for herself? She realized how much she neglected her.

They were both drowned in their own thoughts for sometime until Jewel noticed that Amy's car had finally slowed down, "It looks awfully busy."

Amy replied nervously, "That's just proof that it's an A+ campground!"

Jewel appreciated the gesture, but was beginning to have second thoughts.

Before she realized it, Tangle found herself putting together a bunch of tent poles. She was also having second thoughts that this trip would do any good. What she really wanted was to just ask Jewel outright if she thought things were going to work out with the two of them, if-

Meanwhile, Jewel was looking at Tail's tent instructions sheet, "Half of this is geometry equations...who WROTE this?"

Tangle sighed, giving a thousand yard stare as she found herself thinking about Whisper for the umpteenth time instead of Jewel right beside her.

"Try threading that pole in-"

Tangle snapped back to reality, instinctively swinging around the pole, "Wuzzat?"

"OOF!"

Jewel found herself reeling at the hit to the gut.

After getting back up, they started again, but each step of the way, Tangle would have a thousand yard stare, or Jewel would be trying to do something else, and Tangle would end up getting caught under the tent canvas.

But even when they finished, Tangle was looking off into the distance. Jewel had an idea of what it was about. The symptom was a long running neglect, overwork, and stifling Tangle's talents. But that wasn't the entire story. Since Tangle came back from fighting Mimic, Jewel had an idea of...who...it was about, too. She was retreading old ground. They already had that fight not too long ago.

Jewel decided to put her mind to something else, as Jewel saw that Amy was starting a fire already, and found a pronged branch: she knew that Tangle would probably want to cram as many marshmallows as she could on her stick. However, when she gave it to her, she didn't seem to notice the intent, and even as she cooked five marshmallows at once (as Jewel predicted), she seemed out of it still.

Eventually (finally) they were able to sit down together. Jewel found herself staring at the fire, and Tangle, off into space again, trying to find the words for things she dreaded to say, and also not even knowing that she wanted to say them.

As Jewel stared at the fire, she found she was staring at Tangle's stick, "Tangle? The fire, it's-"

Tangle snapped back to reality, for probably the umpteenth time today, "Whuh-OH!"

Jewel hunched over in worry. Back at their hometown, whenever she came back, Tangle just couldn't shut up about the most mundane topics. Even if they were dumb, at least she'd talk to Jewel about it. Of course she would. Jewel had been there with her her entire life.

As Tangle tried to blow out the fire, Jewel prompted, "Are you feeling alright? You've been distracted all day."

"I can handle it, Jewel! I've just got some stuff to think about"

The extent to which Jewel had been neglecting their relationship was really hitting her, pulling her along to Restoration HQ and sticking her on inventory duty that she hated just as an excuse to be somewhat close, "I didn't mean to-"

Amy picked up the atmosphere, "ALL RIGHT! what do you say we get this night started?"

Belle asked, "Umm...how?"

Amy produced a deck of cards from hammerspace, "With these!"

Tangle exclaimed as her eyes lit up for the first time this night, "Whoa!"

Jewel raised an eyebrow, "Are those fortune cards?"

"Yep! And I'm an expert practitioner, if I do say so myself. These cards led me to someone very important to me!"

She fanned them in front of her face in a pose akin to a professional, "Through these cards,"

Jewel stifled a sigh, trying to keep it internal.

"I can uncover the secrets of your destiny!"

Tangle looked over naively while eating some of her burnt marshmallows, "You can really predict the future?"

Jewel rolled her eyes, unable to contain herself, "It's more about suggestion: present someone with an open-ended 'prediction,' and they'll associate it with their own life experiences."

Amy kicked up, "Ah! You doubt my power?"

She closed her eyes with a smug grin as she shuffled her deck, "Maybe a demonstration will change your mind!"

Her smug grin turned into a coy one as she looked at the card she picked out, "Ta-da! The master: this card signifies strength and leadership-a unifier of chaos."

She passed the card over to Jewel, "Quite fitting, wouldn't you agree, Ms. Director?"

Jewel caught her breath, I'm no "Master."

She lied, "I suppose..."

My only relationship is falling apart.

"OK, who wants to go next!"

Work seems to control me, rather than the other way around.

Belle rose a finger, "Uh-"

I can tell she doesn't even like me anymore.

For once during the trip, Tangle noticed Jewel and her slightly depressed, furtive glare as she stared at her card, and tried to give Amy a hint, "What if it turns out to be a future we maybe don't like?"

We're past the break-up point for us, and I'm the "Master"?! I can't get anything right!

"You won't know until you try"

That's for sure.

"That's part of the fun of it!"

What am I doing.

There was a slight pause, "Huh! Now that's interesting!"

I know she doesn't even like me anymore.

Tangle leaned forward, "What's it say?"

I know she likes-

"This card is the Chao's fruit. This one's all about the balance of opposing sides, so it can mean many things! A showdown, a moral dilemma, maybe a partnership..."

Jewel hung her head at that word 'partnership,' having trouble holding on to her card at this point, as she forced herself to finish the thought she had been in denial about for a while now, I know she likes Whisper now-not me.

Amy continued talking with Tangle, "Does any of that sound familiar to you?"

Tangle scratched her head, "Hmm...I don't think so."

Jewel gave a curt, sharp glare away from Tangle, Even if you pretend you don't, Tangle, I do. That's Whisper! Not me!

"Other than the odd Zeti attack, we don't get a whole lot of excitement around Restoration HQ."

The word 'excitement' rang in Jewel's head, I get it, Tangle. Fine, you want to bring up how constricted I've made things again, I get it.

"Do you...do you think the cards work on robots?"

Jewel nervously shifted her gaze towards Belle, trying to keep in mind that she was in a social situation at the moment.

Amy piped up, "Of course!"

She closed her eyes as she shuffled again, "As long as you're open, the cards won't steer you-"

She paused in a sudden fright as she looked at the card she picked, holding it up and back away from Belle, "What? Is there something about my dad?"

"Ah, ha ha! It's fine, I-"

Belle tripped, and in the clumsy mess, her card flew into the fire, burning away. They watched as it slowly burned, but Jewel could see what it was, as when it fell into the fire it pointed itself directly at her, like it was meant for her alone to see: Death.

Belle attempted to clean up as Amy attempted to salvage the situation, but Jewel could feel her stomach churn.

She couldn't take any more of it, "It's late. I'm going to turn in."

Tangle, oblivious, replied, "It's not THAT late! C'mon. Stay up a bit longer!"

Unconsciously, the Master card dropped from Jewel's hand as she walked away with a drooping head, "You know I'm not a night owl, Tangle."

I wonder if that last card might as well have meant bed death, too.

EPILOGUE: Issue #47

Tangle grabbed Jewel's hand, "Jewel, there's something I gotta do too.."

Jewel swung her head over to Tangle.

"I'm quitting the Restoration!"

Her face turned to one of shock.

Really, Tangle?! You're going to do this right now, after all that, and in front of everyone?

It looked like Tangle recognized her spur-of-the-moment mistake, "Uh..."

Tangle backed off, realizing that she might as well have told Jewel that she wanted to break up right then and there, "That's not what I mean! Well it is, but not like how it-"

Tangle wasn't even sure of where things were between her and Jewel the whole trip, let alone make complete sense of her own thoughts, she was struggling to not completely out the situation, and Jewel likewise tried to think of a way to say this that wouldn't completely out them, if it wasn't obvious already, "Tangle, it's okay."

Instinctively, she grabbed Tangle's hand, "I"

I guess it's time

"I know. The Restoration has been stifling you. But you stayed for me. And I let you do it. Because I wasn't brave enough to go it alone..."

A stifled, confused mixed look of horror and relief beset itself on Tangle's face, "I..."

Jewel continued, her voice breaking slightly, "What the Restoration's doing," Jewel was having a tough time not choking up here, gripping Tangle's hand a bit tighter, "It's not for everyone. The world needs people like you too, Tangle. So even if you go your own way. It's okay. I'll be okay."

Jewel could feel her eyes watering up, "No matter what. I'm so, so proud of you," but she knew what she really wanted to tell her was a little stronger than the word 'proud,' if only there wasn't other people around.

Tangle embraced her, "Thanks Jewel."