Chapter 3 – Old Lives

Bunnie awoke with a gentle moan and yawn as a beam of sunlight broke through a slit in the curtains and ran across her face. She curled up slightly and then stretched as she opened her eyes, only to close them again because of the sun. After a moment she opened them again and rolled onto her side and glanced around the room she was in. She knew where she was of course, it was the spare room in Sabrina's house. The walls were a light peach colour and polished floorboards ran under foot covered in large rugs. Other than the bed, a small cupboard and a few pictures on the wall the room was pretty barren of furniture but then the room itself wasn't that large.

Bunnie rolled onto her back again and looked up at the ceiling, the previous playing on her mind as she lay there. After the dance had completed everyone had settled down for the feast and Bunnie had found herself at the centre of the conversation. She had found herself telling everyone about her adventure so far but had managed to skate around the reason for it. For one she still didn't feel like talking about it but secondly she hadn't wanted to dampen the atmosphere with the sad tale. At first Bunnie had been a bit tentative and shy but had soon found herself laughing and singing along with everyone else. She had to admit that the small towns friendliness was making her feel very content and peaceful.

The evening had continued long into the early hours of the morning before people had begun leaving. Bunnie had retired when Sabrina had taken Josh back to her house to put the young cat to bed but even so it had been at least two in the morning when this happened. Glancing over at a small clock on the cabinet beside her Bunnie saw that it was now approaching eleven in the morning and gave another yawn. Slowly she pushed herself up and sat for a moment to let herself wake up fully before slipping into a fresh set of clothes and heading downstairs. Sabrina must have heard her moving around upstairs as the echidna was standing at the foot of the stairs with a cup of coffee.

"Sleep well?" she asked offering the cup to Bunnie.

"Very well yes, thank you." replied Bunnie as she took the cup and cradled it for a moment before taking a sip.

"That's good, Josh is still asleep so could you be as quiet as you can until he wakes up?"

"No problem, I'm probably just going to sit down and relax for a while anyway. After last night I need some quiet time."

"I take it you enjoyed yourself then? You looked too tired last night to start asking question."

"Yes it was amazing, I've not had that much fun in quite some time."

Bunnie gave a small happy sigh before taking another sip of her coffee.

"Well that's good." replied Sabrina taking a few step down the corridor, "I have a few things to take care of so just make yourself at home and relax if you like."

Bunnie gave a small nod and headed into the lounge where she promptly collapsed into a chair and continued drinking her coffee. Soon after she made her way to the kitchen and set about getting herself some breakfast before returning to the living room. The morning was now nearly over and the sun was rising high into the sky as noon approached and yet the streets outside were deadly quiet. That is deadly quiet apart from the blue form of M crossing the road and heading towards the house. Bunnie watched the fox through the lounge window as he approached, the fox now wearing his usual red bandanna attire. There was a brief pause as M left Bunnie's view and then a knock on the door and a creek as the door opened.

"Yo Sabrina!" cried M's voice a moment later, "Sabrina you here?"

Bunnie cringed at the yell, not because of its volume but because of another fact she knew.

"Thank you very much for waking Josh you ball of blue fluff!" scream Sabrina down the stairs, "I hope you have life insurance because you're going to need it!"

Bunnie let out a quiet chuckle and looked towards the lounge door as M walked through with a cringe on his face. He slowly turned and closed the door behind him before heading over to a chair and sitting down near Bunnie. There was a moment of silence before Bunnie spoke.

"Oops?" she enquired.

"Major oops!" replied M still cringing, "Me and my big mouth."

"Oh it can't be that bad."

"Bunnie there are several things you should never do in Harmony. The first is never get Sabrina angry at you, she holds grudges."

"Uh huh…" nodded Bunnie finishing her breakfast, "So what did you want to talk to Sabrina about?"

"Oh that, even after a celebration like last night there are still things that need doing round here. The most important of them is scout duty, with all the trouble that's been going on over the last few years we like to keep an eye on our surroundings in case anything comes our way." replied M waving his hand to the side.

"Makes sense, we have the same thing where I'm from. What's the problem?"

"We work in week shifts, different pairs from around the village working together to keep watch. This week is Tifa and myself but I couldn't bring myself to wake her this morning, she looked to cute."

"Awwwww that's sweet sugar." chuckled Bunnie.

"Eh heh, yeah." blushed M rubbing the back of his head, "So basically I came to ask Sabrina if she knew anyone who might want to take her place today. Hey! You feel like it?"

"Who me?"

"Yeah, it'll give us a chance to get to know each other better too. You can never really talk to someone in a crowd."

"Well I guess I could, although I don't know anything about this scout duty."

"Ah no worries, you'll pick it up easily enough. Is that a yes then?"

"Ok, sure."

"Great!"

M flashed Bunnie a large smile and stood up, making his way over to the door.

"Well come on then." he said looking back.

"What? Now?" replied Bunnie.

"Yeah now, I'm already late as it is. Gotta get myself kited out first too."

"Oh, well ok then."

Bunnie gave her eyes a small rub and quickly got up, following the blue fox as he walked quickly from the room and headed outside. Bunnie took a moment to look around the streets as she left the house, there wasn't a soul moving as far as her eyes could see. Bunnie looked back at M to find he was already crossing the street and making his way into the town. Bunnie quickly closed the front door and followed after him, slipping a little on a fresh layer of snow that had fallen during the night.

M led Bunnie along the street and then took a left heading down a road towards the river. Bunnie hadn't been to this part of the town but it looked very much like the rest of it. Low houses, flower baskets and elegant lamp posts were just as common here as where she had been staying. Presently M stopped and headed into a garden, giving a glance over his shoulder as he did to make sure Bunnie was still with him.

"Be quiet when you come in, Tifa is still asleep." he said as he approached the front door.

"Is this your house?" asked Bunnie.

"Yeah." responded the fox pushing the door open and walking in.

Bunnie waited for a moment and then followed on after him, entering the front porch of the house. Upon entering Bunnie noticed an odd thing, one side of the porch was spotlessly clean with lines of coats and shoes arranged neatly on racks, the other side was a complete mess, the coats and shoes arranged in an undignified pile in one corner. Bunnie rose an eyebrow but said nothing as she continued on into the house. The construction was similar to Sabrina's house but smaller and with different décor. Various pictures lined the hallway she stood in, all of them being either painted landscapes or old photos, and a rather worn carpet ran down the middle of the wooden floor. Bunnie couldn't see any form of lighting but a number of candlesticks lined the walls on both sides of the hall although none of them were lit at the time.

Bunnie continued on into the house passing through an open door and walking into a kitchen. The walls were all wood panelling with a stone tiled floor and a small window overlooking the back garden, which at the moment was covered in a thick layer of snow. Below the window was a large pot sink beside which sat a pile of recently washed crockery and the remains of a rushed breakfast. Cupboards lined most of the other walls apart from one, which housed a large stone in front of which stood a familiar black fox.

"Well this is a surprise, sleep well Bunnie?" chimed Tifa as the rabbit came into view.

Bunnie gave a small startled jump and looked towards the fox, placing a hand on her breast as she did and giving a sharp breathe.

"Oh my, Tifa you startled me." she replied exhaling slowly.

"Sorry, I didn't know what else to do, you seemed to be in a world of your own."

"I was…was ah, admiring your décor." replied Bunnie with a slight blush as she gave another look around the room, "Have you seen M?"

"That fuzzball? Yeah he rushed through here a moment ago, can't you tell?"

Tifa waved her hand over towards the far back corner of the room where the door was swinging open. A little snow had blown in over the doorstep and Bunnie could see the start of some tracks that led out into the garden. Bunnie blushed again.

"Guess I didn't notice, what's he doing out there?"

"Getting ready for patrol, wait what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for M."

"Waiting for M." replied Tifa slowly.

"Yeah, he came round to ask if I'd take your place on patrol. He said you were sleeping…"

Bunnie gave Tifa an irritated look and then glanced at the door causing Tifa to laugh slightly.

"Well I was but when M gets up he's not particularly quiet, especially when he's in a rush." she replied adjusting the glasses on her nose.

"Ah hah." replied Bunnie rolling her eyes, "Well I guess it'll give me a chance to see the surroundings."

"That's true, sorry."

"Oh no problem I guess, least I can do after last night."

"Good time then?"

"Oh yes most definitely, I'll have to tell you about it."

"Maybe later tonight…"

Just then the sounds of feet in snow started to become audible and M quickly raced through the open kitchen door, grabbing Bunnie's hand and pulling her with him as he raced out of the other door.

"Come on Bunnie, no time to loose. Hi Tifa." was all he said.

Bunnie could do nothing but follow him at a sprint as the fleeting fox dragged her along. Tifa merely blinked slowly and shook her head slightly, M hadn't even registered that she was awake.

"Bye M." she said with a smirk.

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"So M, what exactly are we looking for?" asked Bunnie leaning back against a tree.

"Anything unusual or odd." replied M as he continued to adjust a small knob on the side of his gun.

"Uh huh."

Bunnie leaned backward and stretched slightly, leaning heavily against the tree behind her as she did. The pair currently sat on a small raised section of land that was covered in a low brush. A fresh layer of snow covered the ground and vegetation around them and the air was so crisp each breath caused a cloud of vapour to rise into the air. Bunnie slowly looked out over the surrounding area, which was as equally covered in snow as the hillock. To the south lay a great open field bordered by a few scruffy leafless hedges, the undisturbed snow looking more like a mirror than frozen water. Harmony lay back towards the east and a few whiffs of smoke could be seen rising above a hill the village sat behind. The north housed a winding road that snaked it way round a frozen lake and then off towards the west and east.

Bunnie gave the scene another look and then looked over at MTP. The blue fox was still fiddling with his weapon as he sat cross-legged on the ground. He seemed not to mind the fact that he was sitting in snow or that a slightly chilly breeze was now blowing across the hill. As Bunnie watched him the fox nearly dismantled his weapon and then proceeded to slot it back together with such care you would have thought the gun to be made of glass.

"Where did you get that thing anyway?" asked Bunnie curiously, "I've not seen anything like it before."

M looked up slowly and gave a small smile as he let his gun sink to his lap.

"Oh, from a friend." he replied with a sigh and a smile as he clipped the strap back onto his weapon and slung it over his shoulder.

"Which friend? Was he a scientist or something?"

"No, he was an inventor."

"Oh, ok."

M looked up slowly and caught a glimpse of Bunnie's still curious face, he gave a short laugh and patted the snow covered ground next to him.

"Come on, sit down and I'll tell you about it." he said with a chuckle.

Bunnie gave a look at the ground and wrinkled her nose slightly before kneeling down next to the fox. M smiled slightly as Bunnie swept an area clear of snow before she finally sat down.

"Don't like the snow eh?" he asked.

"It's not that, I just hate getting damp." replied Bunnie hugging her knees up to her chest.

"Oh believe me you get used to it after three years here."

"Mmm huh, I'll believe that when I see it."

After that Bunnie fell quiet and just looked at the blue fox. A light breeze blew past, making the trailing end of his red headband flutter slightly like a long streaming banner. Finally he turned his head and looked at Bunnie.

"Well if I'm going to tell you about this I might as well start from the beginning and tell you the whole story. If I don't you'll just end up asking questions." he said flatly as he adjusted his fluttering headband.

Bunnie just nodded silently, almost feeling like she was a small child waiting for a bed time story.

"Well I guess you could say it all started before I was born but that line is so over used." smiled M scratching his chin, "Let's just say it all started at the orphanage."

"You were an orphan?" asked Bunnie stupidly before covering her mouth and blushing.

"Yes I was an orphan Bunnie but not one of those ones you hear so much about, the ones that get picked on. No I was one of the normal kids who basically just hung around until someone decided to adopt us. Problem was, no-one seemed to want to adopt me."

"That's sad, do you know why?" asked Bunnie.

"Not a clue, I didn't mind though. I never knew my real parents and by the time I reached fourteen I was quite used to the place. It was then that my world got turned upside down, can you guess why?"

M looked at Bunnie, who was obviously counting years in her head, and waited. Finally Bunnie stopped dead and looked at the fox.

"That would have been 3250! The year Robotnik returned!" she said quickly.

M just gave a small nod and looked away.

"He must have been storing up quite a bit because he even reached our own town. We didn't get hit right away but news of Mobotropolis reached us very soon after that all hell broke loose. People were told not to panic but they did and they managed to forget about myself and everyone else at the orphanage at the same time. By the time they remembered us it was too late."

"What happened?"

"The orphanage was hit with a missile."

Bunnie's hands were on her mouth in a split second and her fur turning a slightly lighter colour added to her shocked look.

"Did everyone make it out?" she asked quickly.

"I have no idea to this day." replied M shaking his head, "One moment I was watching the attack going on outside and then…then there was this terrific bang and I woke up on a pile of rugs. Turns out one of the townsfolk had rescued me, an eagle called Jason Fharland."

"Was he the guy who gave you that?" enquired Bunnie pointing at M's rifle.

"Yeah." nodded M, "He often dropped by the orphanage asking if anyone would like to help him in his workshop and I had volunteered a few times. I got the full story from him when I had woken up enough, turned out Robotnik had just steam rolled us. A huge bulk of his forces had appeared out of nowhere, smashed and captured everything in sight and then moved on to the next area. Jason said I was lucky to be buried under a pile of rubble or they would have captured me too."

M stopped and looked up at the sky, his gaze fixed on the shifting patterns of the clouds above.

"Jason took me back to his lab after he rescued me, the place was built partially into a small cliff so it hadn't suffered that much damage. We were able to hide there pretty well for the most part, if there was anything good about Robotnik's tactic's it would be that he thought we were all dealt with and never really checked back.

"We spent a good two years hidden there during which time I found out quite a few things about myself and about Jason. For one he had thought about adopting me a number of times but didn't know if he was really capable, he didn't have much of a choice after the attack. It was during this time that Jason made and gave me this rifle."

M stopped to give the weapon a few gentle pats and then gripped the handle, bringing the sight up to his eye and aiming into the distance. He scanned the horizon with it and then lowered the gun, returning it to his lap again.

"I'll carry this thing for as long as I live as a thanks for what Jason did for me."

"What do you mean?" asked Bunnie curiously.

"Heh!" grunted M before sighing, "It all happened just after I met Tifa. Jason had gone out to collect some food and I was left at the lab to keep an eye on things. There hadn't been any activity from Robotnik in a few days but that was kind of normal for where we were. I was just looking out of the window, watching some birds outside I think, when I heard a scream and the sound of jet engines. I didn't have to wait long before I found out what it was that had screamed, it was Tifa. She was being chased by a number of Robotnik's security bots and I knew I had to do something. I took aim at one of the robots and fired, reducing it to a smoking wreck in a split second. I only managed to get a flanking shot off at the other robot before it got away but that wasn't on my mind then.

"I promptly rushed from the lab and found Tifa, shivering and afraid, curled up in a ball near the robot I'd destroyed. I was only sixteen at the time but I knew that she needed some help. I got her inside and sat her in front of a fire, giving her a little of the food we had at the time. It was then that I realised how pretty she was and made a note that she was about my age, one year older in fact.

"Jason was rather surprised when he returned later that evening. I explained what had happened but before he could say anything about it the entire lab lit up in a fireball. I later found out that the robot I had damaged had been able to make its way back to one of Robotnik's bases and a small force had been sent to destroy us. The first blast brought most of the roof down on our head and the next few brought the rest down. When the dust settled I found out that I was still alive and so was Tifa but…Jason wasn't in such good shape. Both his legs were smashed and one of his wings had been burnt badly, not to mention the pile of debris that sat on top of him.

"I couldn't believe it, Jason had been the closest thing to a father that I'd ever known and yet here he was about to die and there was nothing I could do about it. As a parting gift he gave me Sarah here."

M lifted his right arm, putting the small computer in plain view for Bunnie to see.

"He had been making it for himself but we both knew he wouldn't need it were he was going. After the task force had left. Tifa and myself crawled out of the rubble and I swore never to let myself rest as long as there were people out there who'd cause pain. Tifa decided to stay with me in light of recent events. I didn't really think she'd be of much use until I found out about her boomerang, you should get her to show you that you know, mighty impressive weapon it is."

Bunnie just gave a small nod and continued to watch M, waiting for him to go on.

"Well that's basically it really, Tifa and I stuck together, our relationship growing all the time, until we found Harmony about six months later. Since then we have stayed here and saw through the last part of Robotnik's reign protecting the village from attacks. We thought we'd be able to relax when word reached us of Robotnik's defeat but then the Alliance showed up and started causing trouble."

"They've been causing trouble all over the place." agreed Bunnie with a nod, "I know all about that."

M just looked away at the frozen landscape and gripped the handle of his gun tightly.

"I…I'm sorry about Jason." said Bunnie slowly, her ears drooping slightly.

"It ok." replied M before falling silent.

The rest of the watch was spent in complete silence, each of the pair lost in their own thoughts.

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When Bunnie and M got back to Harmony later that evening Tifa was waiting in the hallway. She seemed to be in a very cheerful mood for reasons she didn't explain but the look slipped away as she saw the solemn faces on Bunnie and MTP. The pair filed past her, M only just acknowledging her presence although Bunnie stopped.

"Hey Tifa." she said slowly, a distant tone in her voice.

"What is up with you two?!" exclaimed Tifa cheerfully, "You look like you've just lost a hundred Mobians betting on the Grav Races!"

M just gave a grunt and continued on down the corridor.

"I'm going out again, I still have evening watch to take care of." he said in a voice even more distant than Bunnies.

"Want me to come with…" started Tifa.

"No!" barked M looking over his shoulder, "I'd rather be alone for a while."

Tifa jerked her head back, surprised at M's tone, and then watched as, without a word, the fox left the corridor and headed outside into the back garden. Slowly the ivory black fox turned to the brown rabbit stood beside her.

"What,"stressed Tifa, "is all that about?! And why do you both look so down?"

"I'm not down, just thinking." replied Bunnie looking up at Tifa.

"About?"

"The past."

Tifa's eyes suddenly gave a glimmer and her expression fell to a small smile.

"You asked him about his rifle didn't you?" she said plainly.

"How…?"

"Did I know? M doesn't talk about his past that much at all and only a few people, including myself, know about it. I've noticed that he tend to explain it though if you ask about his rifle, even so you should count yourself lucky he told you, most of the time he just barks at people when they ask."

Bunnie just gave a small nod and looked away. Just then she felt a light poke on her shoulder caused by Tifa's hand prodding her.

"You know, too much thinking is bad for you. What say you join me for a cup of hot chocolate seems as though M wants to be by himself. I haven't had anyone to talk to all day apart for five minutes when Josh came round this afternoon."

"Well…" replied Bunnie slowly.

"Good! You go sit down in there and I'll get some drinks."

Tifa gave a broad smile and quickly turned tail, heading for the kitchen. As she moved her tail rose up and formed into a point, gesturing towards the living room. Bunnie couldn't help but give a small laugh, she sometimes had wished for a long tail to do stuff like that with. She gave a slow nod and walked into the living room, finding a large chair by the fire and sitting down. The fire was roaring in the harth, spilling a flickering light around the small room to accompany the dim light from several petroleum lamps. The tan rabbit gave a long look out of the window to see that the evening was already turning into night and the sun was setting behind the horizon.

Bunnie's thoughts were then interrupted by a gentle sound flowing in from the kitchen. The sounds were tuneful notes produced by Tifa as she sung quietly to herself. Bunnie perked both of her ears, attempting to make out the words the fox was singing but found that she couldn't. She promptly drooped her ears again and raised a hand to scratch her right ear hole.

"Bah! My ears are getting more and more useless the older I get." complained the rabbit in an easily audible voice.

"Bad ears?" asked a voice.

Bunnie turned sharply to see Tifa heading into the room carrying two large mugs. The fox handed one to Bunnie and then sat down opposite her in another chair.

"Well eh, sorta." replied Bunnie a little sheepish.

"In this cold environment your ears can become a little sensitive, if you like I can arrange to have Sabrina take a look at them for you."

"No no, that's alright, I'm ok."

"You sure?"

"Yes, thank you though."

"Not at all."

Tifa promptly placed her drink down on the harth and leaned back in her chair, almost melting into the padded cushions. Bunnie looked at her for a moment and then caught sight of Tifa's own ears, now being pushed over her shoulders as she lay back into the chair.

"Uh Tifa, can I ask you something?" queried Bunnie hesitantly.

"Hmm? Oh of course, what's on your mind?" replied Tifa lifting her head slightly.

"Your ears aren't normal for a vulpine are they?"

Tifa gave another smile and sat up, picking up her drink and giving her head a shake.

"No they're not." she replied before taking a sip of her drink.

"Can I ask how you got them?"

"Not a problem. You see my family is a mix species marriage. My mother was a vixen like me but my father was a canine, a spaniel to be exact. My mother said that she just couldn't resist his eyes and I have to admit his gaze did tend to make you feel very special."

Tifa ran her hands over her shoulder and flicked her ears over her shoulders giving Bunnie a clear view of them under her crimson hair.

"And that's where they come from, spaniel ears."

"Hehe! I wouldn't have imagined something like that happening. It's a little strange to get a mix like that. Most mixed marriages come out with one species or the other."

Bunnie's thoughts drifted back to Never Lake where Sonic, Sally and everyone else were. Now that she found herself thinking about her home she started to feel slightly home sick but she was pulled out of her thoughts quickly by Tifa's reply.

"Yes that's what happens most times but I guess my family felt like being the exception to the rules."

"Where are your parents now?" asked Bunnie taking a sip of her own drink.

Tifa raised her head to the ceiling and gave a small sigh.

"I can tell you where my mother is but I'm not sure about my father." she replied.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"My mother is dead." replied Tifa looking back at Bunnie.

Bunnie quickly felt a wave of guilt rush over her and she looked down slightly.

"Oh! I'm sorry Tifa, I didn't know."

"It's alright Bunnie. I carry her with me." said Tifa lightly patting the gold amulet around her neck, "She gave this to me a long time ago and I cherish it for her."

"You're an amazing person Tifa." said Bunnie looking up with a small smile.

"Thank you." replied Tifa, a hint of sadness in her voice, "It's hard sometimes but I know she'd want me to keep going. At any rate, that's my mother, my father I don't know, I lost contact with him years ago when Robotnik took over again."

Bunnie let out a sharp sigh, "That man destroyed so much."

Tifa just replied with a nod and a small pause and for a moment neither of them spoke. Finally Bunnie looked towards the crackling fire and gave a sigh.

"M told me about how you first met each other." she said.

"He did huh? I was a mess back then." replied Tifa looking at the fire herself.

"What happened? M said you were being chased by one of Robotnik's security patrols."

"Yeah I was, I was a loose cannon so to speak."

"Huh?"

"Before Robotnik came back I lived with my father in Mobotropolis….I see you've heard of it."

Tifa stopped to look at Bunnie's expression, which was quite evidently shock. Bunnie promptly closed her mouth, which was hanging open slightly, and composed herself.

"I…er…used to live there myself." she replied.

"Aaaah." nodded Tifa, "Then you know how beautiful a place it was before Robotnik returned. I lived there with my father, my mother had passed away a few years before. We were a fairly wealthy family but not overly so, you could say we were upper middle class. When Robotnik took over my father stayed behind in Mobotropolis to fight. I was only fifteen at the time and my father wouldn't allow me to stay with him to help. At first I felt like, like he was abandoning me, like he was sending me away. I told him I wasn't useless, they knew my skills…my powers."

"Powers? What do you mean?"

"Guess you wouldn't know would you, here."

Tifa leant back and dipped her hand into a large pouch pocket on the belt that was slung around her waist. She slowly drew out two small six-inch long cylindrical tubes that looked a little like the grips on a sword. Tifa held them for a moment and then handed them over to Bunnie. The rabbit was a little confused as she turned the items over in her hand, trying to figure out exactly what they were, and then handed them back still looking confused. Tifa took the handles from Bunnie and turned them over in her hands herself for a moment before the obvious question raised its head.

"What are those?" asked Bunnie raising a hand to scratch the side of her head.

"A gift from my mother, handed down on her side of the family for generations. It's strange but it's always the female who are sensitive to it, maybe it needs a feminine touch?"

Tifa promptly threw one of the handles into the air a few feet and held out the other in her hand vertically. As Bunnie watched an odd shimmer ran through the air between Tifa's hand and the airborne handle. The shimmer quickly passed and, starting from Tifa's hand, a bright yellow colour shot into the air. The colour flashed between both handles, the one in the air stopping suddenly and aligning with the other, as the colour began to take on a physical form. It only took a few seconds for this to happen and when it was finished Tifa held a large yellow coloured boomerang in her hand. It was easily four foot long, if not slightly more and the curve between the two handles was delicate and fairly shallow in angle. At each end of the boomerang was a small flick of colour that appeared to be some sort of stabilising fin.

"Well? What do you think Bunnie?" asked Tifa cocking her head slightly.

"That…..wha…..that's amazing!" Bunnie finally managed to stammer.

Tifa appeared pleased at the reaction and giggled slightly before holding out the boomerang to Bunnie.

"Go on take a closer look if you like, it won't vanish again until I make it."

Bunnie slowly reached out and took hold of the giant sized wing but made sure to grasp the handles first. It took her a moment but she finally reached out and touched the main part of the boomerang, lightly pressing her fingers against it and gasping.

"It's solid!" she said to herself, forgetting that Tifa was still there.

"Yes it is, it's a strange thing and I've not figured out all its secrets yet. My mother gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday, the start of my teenage years. I didn't know what it was back then, it just looked a pair of handles to me. I gave one of those 'oh thank you so much, it's just what I've always wanted' acts but I know now my mother must have seen right through it. It wasn't long after that that she passed away, she never did get to tell me what it was."

There was a momentary pause in the conversation which Tifa spent thinking back on her past and Bunnie examining the weapon in her hands. Finally Tifa spoke again.

"Well I get off track, I was telling you about my home. Like I said my father stayed behind to help fight and I wanted to help too. My father finally agreed but I didn't last long. The sight of those cruisers heading towards the city was bad enough but the gas they were spewing was even worst. I stood and watched as every living plant died and turned to ash, I watched as our homes were turned into metal blocks and worst of all I…"

Tifa trailed off and shed a single tear, which she quickly wiped away, before looking at the fire.

"I watched that mist robotisise everyone in its path. The first defence line fell first, turning into metal statues in a split second. People I knew, people I didn't know, it didn't matter to that mist. Young, old, male, female…they all became Robotnik's servants and there was nothing anyone one of us could do."

It was at this point that Tifa found herself unable to hold out. Tears began to roll down her face as she stared at the flicking fire in front of her.

"I turned and ran, I left everyone and everything I knew and joined the crowds of people fleeing the city. I could hear my father shouting to me as I ran but I couldn't bring myself to turn round. I…I was terrified."

Tifa gulped back a choke and shut her eyes, her thoughts flowing back to meet the memories of her parents that she had lost. It was only a moment later that her eyes shot open in shock as something touched her hand. The something was Bunnie's hand, the older rabbit having got up, crossed over to her and placed it there. Bunnie took hold of Tifa's hand lightly and pulled her to her feet before taking her into a light embrace. Tifa didn't have the want or need to break it and wrapped her arms round Bunnie as she sunk her head into her shoulder and started to sob.

"I miss them Bunnie! I miss them so much it hurts!" she wailed loudly into Bunnie's shoulder.

Bunnie just replied by patting the back of Tifa's head with one of her hands and making a quiet hissing shush sound.

"Hush dear, it's alright. I'm sorry that I asked you about this, I didn't know you were so sensitive about it." replied Bunnie.

Bunnie felt Tifa shake her head against her shoulder and emit a few gasping sobs. The fox slowly released her grip on Bunnie and pulled back, resting her hands on Bunnie's shoulders. Tifa's lower face was stained with tears that still streamed from her watery eyes. She sniffed one, blinking hard as she did to force the tears from her eyes.

"No, thank you Bunnie. Every time I talk about it, it gets a little easier to do so. A little of the pain drifts away and I feel less guilty for running away." she said slowly.

Bunnie just gave a small smile and placed her own hands on Tifa's shoulders, after which the pair stood looking at each other in silence for a few minutes. Finally Tifa looked away and let her hands drop from Bunnie's shoulders as she sat down again. Bunnie followed suit, sitting down opposite the fox once more.

"After I ran I didn't know what to do." said Tifa looking at the ceiling, "There was no-one I knew outside the city and so I just wandered aimlessly for a few days. I didn't know where I was going or what kind of world I was in back then, I had to a degree been slightly sheltered by my parents. The problem was that Robotnik knew what kind of world he was in too much. I don't know how he found out about me, maybe he was just chasing the various groups fleeing the city, but whatever the reason I found myself the subject of a fox hunt. I managed to avoid them for a while but finally they caught up and found me, it was then that I ran into M, who managed to save me but at a cost that I'm sure he's already told you about."

Bunnie just gave a nod to show that she did indeed know what Tifa was meaning and then sat back in her chair. Neither spoke for a moment, the full extent of Bunnie's original question answered in full, but Bunnie herself now had another question to ask.

"Tifa, do you mind if I ask something else?" she said slowly.

"No, go ahead." replied Tifa rubbing the corner of her eye.

"Do you think your father is still alive?"

Bunnie was unsure what reaction the question would receive. She just hoped it wasn't too much for Tifa to handle. Tifa shut her eyes and shook her head slowly.

"I haven't seen him since the day I fled Mobotropolis. I've wanted to go out looking for him but I have no idea where to start. This world is too big to just go looking without a lead and with all the trouble recently it would be very dangerous."

"Yes, I see your point Tifa."

"But I'm not giving up, my father is not dead until I see him so. I'll find him one day and then we'll be a family again!" said Tifa clasping the locket around her neck, "Mother, father and me! A family once again….forever!"

Tifa choked back another sob violently and nearly burst into tears once more. She looked over at Bunnie, who looked about ready to get up and comfort her again, and spoke.

"Bunnie, do you think you would be able to spend the night at Sabrina's house tonight."

Bunnie looked a little shocked and her ears drooped in front of her face.

"I hope I haven't said anything bad." she said quickly, an edge of nervousness tinting her voice.

"No, nothing bad, I just need a little to myself, alone."

Bunnie's shocked expression slowly faded from her face and she gave a light sigh, her ears returning to their earlier position.

"Ok Tifa, I'll go." she said getting up slowly, "It'll all be ok Tifa, you'll see."

"I hope so Bunnie, I hope so." replied the fox looking down and closing her eyes.

Bunnie didn't say anything more and slowly headed towards the door. As her hand touched the door handle, a faint voice caught her ear.

"Bunnie?"

Bunnie looked over her shoulder to find Tifa looking at her once more.

"Thank you." said the fox with a small smile.

Bunnie returned Tifa's smile and bowed her head slightly.

"Good night Tifa, pleasant dreams." replied the rabbit before slipping silently from the room.

-----------------------------------------

Bunnie crossed the lamp lit streets of Harmony at a slow pace. The clouds currently shielded the moon from sight and the slight glare of the street lamps blotted out the stars, above her was a void of blackness.

Bunnie began to think about what M and Tifa had told her as she let her feet guide her through the town. It seemed that it wasn't just her own life that was filled with loss and sadness, both M and Tifa had suffered as well. M had lost his childhood friend and Tifa her parents, and yet they had kept going, weighed down by the sadness but never stopped. Bunnie found herself comparing what she was doing to what Tifa had done earlier in her life. She had run away from her father because she couldn't handle her emotions and Bunnie now realised that she was doing exactly the same thing. She had left everyone on Little Planet when they needed her most to try and find a way to ease her pain. She began to wonder if there really was anything that could soothe her pain except maybe time.

As she though about her pain, the loss of her love, she felt tears welling up in her own eyes and a lump forming in her throat. Unlike Tifa, she had no hope, Knuckles was not coming back this time and there was nothing she could do about it. This realisation struck her like a runaway freight train and she couldn't contain herself any longer. She finally burst into tears and began to sob quietly as she continued to walk.

Presently she found herself walking up the path to Sabrina's house. There was a faint light on in the living room window but otherwise the house was dark and silent. Bunnie stopped in front of the front door and simply looked at it, as of right now she couldn't bring herself to knock on it. Instead she turned her back to the door and fell back against the wall next to it, bringing a hand up to cover her face.

She stayed like this for a moment, sobbing quietly to herself, before the door gave a small click. Bunnie had little time to react as the door opened and Sabrina poked her head out and looked round. The echidna caught sight of Bunnie almost immediately and turned towards her, her face full of concern.

"Bunnie dear what's wrong, why are you standing there?" she asked quickly.

Bunnie didn't respond, instead she just kept crying not caring that Sabrina was there. The echidna took a step towards Bunnie and slowly pulled her away from the wall, slipping an arm round her back as she did, and started to guide her inside. Bunnie didn't resist at all, she just let her feet do what they wanted as Sabrina ushered her inside and into the living room. She sat Bunnie down in a chair and left the room quickly, returning a moment later with a cup of tea and kneeling down next to Bunnie.

"Here drink this." said Sabrina taking hold of one Bunnie's hands and pushing the cup into it.

Bunnie didn't make any further move at all, she just looked down at the cup, a tear from her eye falling from her face and landing with a splash in the cup. Sabrina gave a sigh and placed both of her hands around Bunnie's hand and the cup.

"Please dear, what's wrong?" she asked again, "It's not normal for a person to be standing outside in the cold crying."

Slowly Bunnie raised her head to meet Sabrina's gaze but quickly dropped it back down again. She gave a sniff as she stared down at the cup in her hand.

"Nothing." she replied quietly.

Sabrina wasn't being fooled at all but for the sake of argument decided not to challenge Bunnie's words. She let go of Bunnie's hand and stood up, crossing over to another chair in the room and bending over. Bunnie slowly turned her head to watch Sabrina, noticing that she was picking something up. The something turned out to be the curled up sleeping form of Josh. The cat was tucked up into a tight ball, both of his hands wrapped firmly around his tail, and was purring gently to himself. Sabrina only just managed to pick up the cat and then left the room, cradling Josh in her arms.

Bunnie was left on her own for a short while with only the sound of the fire next to her to break the stillness. She slowly raised the cup to her mouth and took a small sip, the warm liquid making little improvement on her mood. A few moments later Sabrina appeared once again and sat down opposite Bunnie, picking up a book from a small table next to her.

"Let me read you a little story." she said, taking no notice of Bunnie's reaction to the prepossession, "Once upon a time there was a small child who lived a life of misery. Everyone he knew bullied him and even his own parents didn't like him that much. His life was a complete mess and he was often found crying in secluded corners where he thought no one could find him. Every time he was asked what was wrong and every time he replied by saying nothing was wrong. Finally one day he ran away from everything he knew into the wilderness in an attempt to get away from it all. He was found by a gentle hearted woman as she was out taking a walk and she took him into her home.

"She could tell he had been crying and asked what was wrong, why he had been out in the middle of nowhere. He didn't reply and instead, curled up in a corner of her house and started crying. It took many weeks of asking and kindness before the child finally told her what was wrong. When he did he felt a giant weight lift from his shoulders and his mood brightened. He was no longer held back by the past and could move on and enjoy his life to the fullest without fear or worry knowing that he was surrounded by friends."

"That's just a story." said Bunnie as Sabrina finished.

"You think so?" asked Sabrina putting the book down, "What would you say if I said the boy was a small snow leopard and woman was a pink coloured echidna?"

Bunnie just looked up, a small look of disbelief on her face.

"You…?" she murmured quietly.

Sabrina gave a nod, "Yes that is the story of how Josh came to meet me. He was such a state when I found him and would hardly let me be in the same room as him for a while. Once he told me about his past though our friendship strengthened beyond anything either of us could imagine. If it possible he is even closer to me than my own child might have been."

Sabrina gave a small sigh and smiled slightly, picking up her own cup of tea from the table next to her and taking a small sip.

"That said he still has a small hold on his past that affects his actions. Have you ever wondered why he never lets go of his tail?"

Bunnie couldn't help but nod slightly causing Sabrina to chuckle slightly.

"The other children in his old neighbourhood thought it was a fun idea to pull and step on it whenever they could. You do that to any part of your body for a length of time and it's sure to bruise, Josh's tail is rather sensitive to anything touching it so he keeps a firm grip on it to make sure no one step on it again. Now! As for you, I know that something is troubling you…and it is a deep trouble. You've neglected to tell anyone about how you came to our village or where you're really from. You have shied away from any such question but I know who you are my dear."

Bunnie looked up at Sabrina once again and gave a small questioning look through her tears.

"I couldn't be sure at first but I've been doing some digging today and I know for certain now. There was once a small group of Freedom Fighters that fought for the future of all Mobius and still do. They operated out of a place known only as Knothole, a place that will forever have a meaning in our planet's history. The group was led by a pair of figures who will be forever remembered when they pass away, a pair that until recently ruled this world with a caring hand that makes even my kindness look terrible in comparison.

"Yes I know who you are my dear. You are the carer of that group, the motherly figure with a heart of gold and a will of steel. The one who returned to Mobotropolis to run a quiet little restaurant and has now found her way to our quiet little town. A close friend of that earlier pair, Sonic and Sally, Bunnie….Rabbot."

Bunnie just stared at Sabrina with a look of disbelief on her face. How did she know? Sabrina caught the look on Bunnie's face and smiled slightly.

"It wasn't hard to tell when I worked a few things out. I've known all about Knothole for some time, the legend of that place is present even in these barren northern plains. I even visited the place after Robotnik was first defeated, I had hoped to meet one of you but luck was not on my side at the time. Your accent also made me wonder if you could be her, I don't know of many other rabbits with a southern accent.

"Then the other day Tifa told me you used to run a restaurant a few years ago and finally the fact of how helpful and caring you've been to everyone since you got here. I have to admit I wasn't entirely sure but it seems I was right in my thinking yes."

"I…I didn't think anyone would recognise me." murmured Bunnie, her tears stopping for now.

"Well at first I didn't but it didn't take long to work out who you were once the clues started coming in."

Sabrina leaned forwards again and put her hands round the Bunnie's hand that was still holding the cup. She blinked once slowly and then looked into her eyes forcing Bunnie to look away slightly.

"I heard that you filled in for Tifa on patrol today and I would be willing to bet you ended up talking about something sensitive with M, and I take it you just came from Tifa's house."

Bunnie gave a nod.

"I thought so, you've been talking too much and talk can bring up so many memories that we sometimes can't handle them. It's all right to feel as you are, it's natural and everyone feels that way at some point, but you always feel better after you tell someone else about it. Come on now, I know who you are but I do not know why you are here, tell me what is troubling you and why you're out travelling all alone? Even the comforters need comforting sometimes."

Bunnie waited for a moment, still trying to meet Sabrina's gaze, and then looked towards her. As soon as her eyes met with Sabrina's Bunnie's mouth opened and didn't shut for at least an hour. She talked about Knothole and Knotlake, about her time in Mobotropolis, about the lives she had seen destroyed and about the pain everyone had been through. All the way through Sabrina just sat and listened, not speaking at all the whole time Bunnie was talking. Finally Bunnie got to the part about loosing Knuckles, to which Sabrina's expression turned to one of sadness. It was also at this point that Sabrina spoke for the first time.

"So that explains the way you reacted to me when we first met. You thought Knuckles was the last of his kind alive." she said.

"Yes, I was amazed to see you...there are more echidna's in this world that we didn't know about. Knuckles would have been so happy to hear that, to know he wasn't the last of his kind…"

Bunnie once again broke into tears and fell sideways into the arm of the chair. Sabrina leaned over to put an arm round her shoulder.

"Bunnie, there's nothing I can say that will make his passing easier. He died defending you and the others he cared about, there is no greater deed in this world. He is a hero and you must remember him as such, a hero who loved you like you loved him. Don't cry for him Bunnie, use your grief to forge a path through your pain and fight for the world you believe in. That is what he did Bunnie."

Bunnie just replied by giving a small nod as she started to sob once again. Sabrina decided to say no more and stayed where she was with her arm around Bunnie's shoulder. Slowly Bunnie's sobs began to get quieter and eventually stopped. Sabrina removed her arm to find out that the rabbit had cried herself to sleep. The echidna gave a small nod and gently laid the tips of her fingers against Bunnie's shoulder.

"Yes Bunnie, you have a good rest, it'll do you good." she spoke quietly before removing her hand, "Please try to understand Bunnie, please."