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Disclaimer: …………………..[sarcasm] Sonic, SHADOW, Dr. Eggman, and all other animals and humans belong to ME!!! MUA HAHAHAAHAAAAAA!!![/sarcasm] Seriously. I own NO characters in this chappy. That's right. Melody ain't here. Wanna know why? Read the A/N to find out. Or, just go back and read the summary again. Whatever floats your boat.
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Reviewer's Replies: Thanks Mystica, for the compliment and the review. Yes, I agree, G.U.N. sux.
FINALLY someone actually helps me with my setting dilemma. I've been politely asking everyone I know for a few months now, and no one bothered to help me. Thank-you Ryuko, for giving me some ideas for this fic. Greatly appreciated!!! Oh, and I guess I should also thank you for introducing me to BBMak. They have just one the honour of becoming my favourite band. sighs such beautiful lyrics…
Yeah. I have a VERY sneaky suspicion that there's a load of people who are reading and not reviewing. To all you people, YOU ARE MEAN! Even constructive criticism is accepted! So send me a review! You won't be disappointed!
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Author's Note: I know, I know. I haven't reposted this chapter yet. But with dance recitals, coming up, as well as many school projects and vocal AND school exams, things have been a little hectic. I'm thankful for this 4-day weekend I have now. This gives me a chance to get caught up in this.
Ok, story business. This is just to let you in on something that maybe you didn't notice. Well, I went on for 6 whole chapters without mentioning Sonic and his friends!!! Is that even humanly possible? Well, apparently so!! This is to make up for what should have written at the beginning of the story. This chapter starts off right after Shadow and Sonic save the world, and eventually comes to the point so it's happening while Shadow is at Melody's cabin, and not when they set off on their journey. Just so that you don't get confused J
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Sonic boarded the ARK after he and Shadow had saved the falling space colony and the planet Earth from sheer destruction. Surprisingly, he was not as happy as he thought he would have been. The automatic door slid open, and beyond it, Sonic could see his friends; Tails the two tailed fox with a knack for machines, Amy the pink hedgehog madly in love with him, Knuckles the red echidna with an attitude, one of his new friends the sexy top spy Rouge the Bat, and of course, Dr. Ivo Robitnick. Better known as Eggman.
"Where is Shadow?" Rouge asked.
Sonic merely bent his head down and shook it sideways. He walked up to Rouge and gave her the only thing that he could find after Shadow fell, one of his golden bracelets. Everyone talked to each other for a bit (you know, what happens during the credits after you beat the "Last" story of SA2: B) and left the room. They then realised a problem: how were they going to get back to the planet Earth? The warpy-thingy that was used by Rouge, Shadow, and Eggman was destroyed when the ARK was crashing to their home planet. After many suggestions, they all decided that they would take space capsules, similar to the one that Sonic was supposed to explode in. They decided to go down in different groups: Sonic, Tails and Amy were in one pod, (because she knew where Sonic's secret stash of chilidog money was and threatened that she would use it for a new Picco Picco hammer as soon as they got home if she didn't travel with Sonic on the way) Knuckles and Rouge in another (because everyone knows that they're gonna make out sooner or later) and Dr. Eggman in another all by himself (self explanatory, I think. No? Well, isn't his abnormally large body a good reason? He almost couldn't fit in the darn thing!!!).
On the way back to Earth Sonic stared out the window, trying to give himself false hope that he would see Shadow falling in space. He just couldn't believe that Shadow was gone. It was especially hard on Sonic because Shadow was the only one that he ever considered his equal.
"What's the matter Sonic?" Amy asked.
"You said exact same thing half an hour ago" Sonic snapped back at her. "And with the exact same tone of voice too".
"Come on Sonic, out with it!" Tails said. "What's up? You haven't been the same ole Sonic since you saved everyone."
"It's nothing Tails" Sonic lied. He considered telling him, but not with Amy sitting a couple of inches across from him. "I was just thinking about something."
"Wow Sonic, that's the most logical thing you've ever said as far as I can remember," the two tailed fox joked.
"Hey, cut it out Tails!'
"IMPOOOOSTERRRRRR!!!!!" Amy yelled as loud as she possibly could.
"What's that for Amy?" Tails asked.
"Sonic would never say anything like that! That's not really Sonic! IMPOSTER!!!!" Amy reached behind her back and took out her Picco Picco hammer.
"Hold on Amy, it's me! Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic tried to explain while dodging the many swings that Amy gave with the Picco-Picco hammer in the crowded space pod. "Whoa, watch where you swing that thing!"
After Sonic and co. had landed near Area 99, everyone working in that base came out to congratulate them. In five minutes, the press had also come, and that put a lot of pressure on Sonic and his friends.
"Sonic, how did you survive in space?"
"What was that hideous creature that appeared on the edge of the ARK?"
"I understand that that gold light was you in your super form. Is that correct?"
"What was that silver light?"
"No questions for our friends, please. I think that they've been through enough already." Chuck Thorndyke said it. He pushed his way through the crowd and greeted his tired looking old friends. "Long time no see Sonic!"
"Hey there Chuck."
"Ready to head back home?" he asked. "Knuckles, you and your friend are welcome to join us."
Although he would've normally turned down the offer, Knuckles thought it best not to argue with the old man. Sonic probably would've persuaded him to come eventually anyway. "Thanks for the offer," he said.
Chuck led the crew through the crowd. After much pushing and shoving, they finally got to the car. Mr. Tanaka, Ella, Cream, Cheese and Chris were waiting in the car for them. On the way home, everyone talked for what seemed to be like a joyous eternity. Turns out everyone back at home was watching on T.V. and they cheered everyone on all the way. When they got home, Ella had surprised them with a victory feast. Chris' parents, Uncle Sam and Stuart came over to enjoy the party. Everyone had a great time. Everyone that is, except Sonic.
The blue hedgehog went out and sat on the edge of the adult pool. He looked across and remembered when Chris saved him that fateful night. He wondered if the same thing would happen to Shadow. He hoped that the same thing would happen to Shadow.
Amid the laughing of a joke that Chuck had told, Chris noticed that Sonic wasn't there. Quietly, he snuck out to look for the blue hedgehog. When he found him, he called out "Hey Sonic!"
He didn't reply.
"Sonic? What's up?"
"It's nothing, Chris."
"Well if it's nothing, then you'd be enjoying the party, wouldn't you?"
Sonic stood up. "Your right." They headed back to the mansion to enjoy the rest of the party.
Over the next two weeks, things levelled out. Knuckles went back to Angel Island with the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald, while Rouge went back to work with G.U.N. and re-unite with General Topaz. The media gradually disappeared also, which meant that everyone could get back to living their normal lives again.
On a typical Saturday morning, Tails went to make some adjustments to the X- Tornado with Chuck. Ella decided to take Amy shopping. Ella had noticed that Amy had not been her usual cheery self lately, so she thought that shopping might put Amy's mind at rest a little bit. Amy was of course thrilled with the idea. They couldn't get anything major though, just a little something. After doing a lot of window-shopping, Amy found the perfect thing. Resting on the neck of a manikin was a choker made of red and white beads in the shape of cute little flowers. It matched her dress perfectly, and she had Ella buy it immediately.
When they got home, Amy noticed that Cream and Cheese were playing a game of hide and seek. Amy looked all over the mansion for Sonic, but he could not be found. Out of the corner of her eye, Amy spotted Mr. Tanaka practicing the martial arts. She decided to ask him if he knew where Sonic was.
"I know that Mr. Sonic went out for his usual morning run earlier today. Perhaps he is still out."
Amy sulked.
"He has been out for quite some time now. He should be back shortly."
"Thanks Mr. Tanaka." Amy went to the kitchen and volunteered to help Ella make lunch. Ella noticed that Amy seemed perplexed. Amy explained that she wanted to show Sonic her new choker, but he was out running. It seemed that he had been running a lot lately. He just wasn't the same old Sonic after the ARK incident. Ella had grown quite concerned about Amy, as she wasn't herself either. She seemed tense all the time. Ella made a suggestion that she thought would help.
"Why don't you go take a bath to relax? I'm sure by the time you are finished Sonic will be back. It will give you a chance to relax as well."
Amy liked the idea. "Thanks Ella, I will!" She put her new choker on her nightstand for safekeeping before heading to the bathroom.
A few minutes later Cheese came into the room. He was looking for the perfect hiding spot when something caught his eye. Curious, he flew to the top of the nightstand. Just as he held up the choker, Cream came in the room.
"I found you Cheese!" She noticed the choker and took it from Cheese. She was dazzled by the pattern of it. "It's beautiful!" Cream had no idea that the choker had belonged to Amy. As she stared at it, Cream got an idea. "I can trace this and make a decoration for Ella's room!"
So Cream went to her work area and traced the choker numerous amounts of times with crayons, paints and markers. By the time she had finished her decorations, the choker was no longer red and white, but it was now various arrays of browns.
"Cream, sweetie!" cried Ella from the kitchen. "Would you be a dear and help me in the kitchen?"
"Of course Ella!" As she ran off, the choker fell off of the table and started to roll along the floor, leaving a trail of brown paint. It rolled and rolled down the stairs to the lab where Tails and Chuck were working on the X-Tornado. Tails fell to an irritated slump on the floor.
"It's no use! No matter what we do, it won't stay in place!"
"Who knew installing an air-conditioner would be so hard."
Tails somehow got his second wind. He stood up. "Come on Chuck, we can't give up! What would Sonic say if he were here?"
"He would say putting holes in the plane would be a reasonable air-conditioner!"
At that moment, the choker rolled and bumped against Tails' foot. The picked it up. "What's this?" As he stared at it, he got an idea. "That's it!"
"What's what Tails?"
"We could use this to hold the AC in place while we weld the other sides to the plane!"
"Hmm. That just might work!"
So they put the plan to action. It took a while, but they eventually installed the AC into the plane. Just as Tails yelled "We did it!" Sonic ran into the room. "Sonic!" Tails cheered. "You're-"
"Bored!" Sonic exclaimed. "I need something to do!"
"You could get something to eat," suggested Tails.
"Not hungry."
"Why not go take a nap on the roof? You're usually doing that when you have nothing else to do."
"Not tired."
They all pondered over the dilemma.
"I know!" Tails yelled. He fired up his two tails and flew to the top of the X-Tornado. He grabbed the choker, now covered with a coat of grease, and came back down. "Use this as a sling shooter! Fire some stones from it and see if you can catch 'em!"
"Not a bad idea Tails!"
So Sonic took the choker and went outside. By this time, Amy had finished her bath.
"Are you feeling better, Amy?"
"Yeah, thanks Ella. Did Sonic come back yet?"
"As a matter of fact, he did! I heard him come in about 5 minutes ago!"
"Really?!" Amy was thrilled. "Where is he now?"
"I think he went outside. He's shooting stones with elastic of some-" Amy had already left.
She got outside just as Sonic was about to fire another stone. "Hey Sonic!"
Sonic turned around, releasing the tension of the choker. "Hmm? Oh. Hi Amy."
"What'ya doing?"
"Shooting stones. And catching 'em."
"Can I watch?"
"Sure, I guess. But you have to keep quite."
Amy was quiet as a mouse. She admired him fondly as he got ready to fire another stone. He looks so cute with that elastic stretched out like that she thought. Then Amy noticed something. That elastic looks kind of familiar. "Um, Sonic?"
The blue hedgehog focused on keeping the choker taunt when he answered. "What is it Amy?"
"That elastic," she said, still puzzled.
"What about it?"
"It looks just like… MY CHOKER!!!"
Sonic was just about to ask Amy what on earth she was talking about when she ripped the choker in question out of his hands and shoved him to the ground. Amy looked around and noticed the pool. She ran over and dumped the choker into it, scrubbing off the layers of grease and paint, taking it out the second she saw the original red colour. "It is my choker!"
Sonic got to his feet and way Amy kneeling beside the pool with her back turned to him. He was furious at her. "What's going on, Amy!"
She turned around with fire burning in her eyes. "You know exactly what's going on!"
Before he knew it, Sonic was on the ground again. This time, with the choker around his throat.
Chris had been working on his homework when he heard Amy yell. He went down to see what all the commotion was about and saw Amy torture Sonic. After 5 minutes of struggling to get Amy under control, both hedgehogs were panting heavily; Sonic to try to regain air, and Amy to catch her breath. Chris asked Amy why she was in an outrage.
"He was using my choker as a slingshot!"
"But I didn't know-"
"Yeah, 'cause it was covered in junk!"
They took it inside and explained everything to Mr. Tanaka, Ella and Chuck.
"Puts a new meaning on the term "choker", doesn't it?"
Everyone explained their side of the story as to what happened and calmed down. After much apologizing and eventually begging by Sonic, Amy forgave and apologized to him. Everything was honkey-dory after that for the rest of the day, and they lived happily ever after.
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Author's note: Yeah, I know. The ending's a bit sappy. But what did you expect? I don't think it's all that bad of a chapter to put Sonic and his friends in, but maybe you thought otherwise…
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