Chapter 6: Flashback pt. 1
(Station Square; 1 year, 3 months, and 6 days ago)
Note: This means that it is 15 years after the battle with Eggman and Sonic's 'death.' So everyone is way older!
Rogue, a seven year old blue bat, glared through his binoculars at the rising sun on the watchtower. A few birds were flocking east. "That's odd," he squeaked out loud with his nasally little voice. "They are coming from the pyramid base." He snatched the radio at his side and adjusted the frequency. "Roxie, do you read? Over." A silence ensued until a girl, no older than six, answered.
"Yeah bro? What is it?" The broadcast began to crackle, making the conversation difficult. "We aren't supposed to use this line, unless it's an emergency."
"Well, I saw some weird behavior, coming from your direction. Is everything alright?"
"I," she began but paused to see if anyone was nearby, "Noticed it too, but I can't go around making predictions sending everyone into a panic. I think...the warrior is coming. My heart is telling me that the chaos blade is near and danger will follow. Eggman must know that we are the weakest base. Could you tell Knuckles? I tried to explain my feelings to Lt. Manic, but he said not to worry."
"Knuckles isn't listening to anyone either. I am not sure why, but don't worry sis, I won't let anything happen. Maybe I can get some help over there." The radio crackled with no response. "...Sis?"
"Sorry, Cream just passed by. It is getting crowded over here. Roxie, signing off." Rogue clicked the microphone back on the radio and sat down, propped up against the wall. He looked up, seeing Shadow across from him, leaning over the rail. Rogue's huge eyes shook in surprise.
"Shadow? Did you hear all of that?" Shadow glanced over his shoulder and smiled.
"Don't worry kid, I agree with you. We need to make a move soon," Shadow gazed down at the city, deep in thought, "Before the chaos blade shows up." Rogue grinned and walked next to him, but was shorter than the railing, and thus could not see over it.
"Then..." the bat twiddled his fingers nervously, "You wouldn't mind running over to the pyramid base would you?" Shadow shrugged without answering. "Is that a yes, or a no?"
"I have nothing better to do. Knuckles is acting like an idiot. He is just moping around not making any decisions, just like everyone else. However, a leader should remain detached. Listen kid, I'll go check up on that sector if you do what I ask." Rogue smiled with his mouth open, not knowing what to say, and then vigorously nodded his head. "You need to speak to Knuckles...and your mom. Rouge has not been acting like herself. Also, you need to get Tails and Amy out of their slumps. I ain't asking you to pull off any miracles, but the least you can do is talk some sense to that echidna. You got me?" Rogue nodded. "Good. I'll contact you through the radio, later." With that, the hedgehog leaped over the rail, falling hundreds of feet, and sped towards the pyramids on the horizon. Meanwhile, Rogue joyfully ran down the stairs, heading into the underground base.
The walls were brightly lit and the hall was teeming with people. The little bat dodged the fast moving feet, and headed for Amy's room. It was closest. The room was covered from wall to wall with pictures and newspaper articles concerning Sonic. Amy was curled up on her bed crying. "Amy?" He asked, peering into the unlit room. Rogue felt awkward. The pink hedgehog never left her mattress, and Tails was the only one who ever visited her. Rogue had never talked to her before, let alone seen her. Amy grudgingly sat up and after seeing the child, tried to wipe off her tears.
"Yes?" Rogue jumped onto her tall mattress and sat beside her. He noticed that she was clutching a blue pillow.
"...err... Shadow was worried about you, and uh, thought you could use some cheering up." Amy smiled at the boy, a little touched. Rogue innocently smiled back at her, not knowing how to comfort her. "What's wrong?" Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I, uh...well," Amy began, "This hedgehog I once knew, meant a lot too me." She grabbed a photo album from underneath the musty sheets and untied a string holding the tattered book together. "You never knew him, but," She flipped several pages until uncovering a photograph. "That is him, the blue one. Over there are Tails, Knuckles, and oh, that's me." She sniffed a little, revealing a warm smile. "I miss him." Rogue blinked at the blue hedgehog, and took the picture in his hands.
"Is that Sonic, the one who mom always talks about?" The mention of his name made Amy wail uncontrollably. She clutched the blue pillow and sighed into it. Rogue guessed that it was. "Um, I am sorry I mentioned it. I better get going now." Amy glanced up.
"No, I'm sorry. He never liked me, but I loved him. I guess ...I am just having troubles getting over his death. He... meant so much too me. Even his name fills me with utter sorrow." Amy could tell that Rogue did not want to listen to any of this conversation. "Why don't you hang with Cheddar and Cheese?"
"Ewww, Cream's six month twins? No thanks, I ain't no babysitter." Amy giggled. "Do you mind, if I keep this picture of Sonic?" Hesitantly, she nodded her head, as more tears came from the mentioning of Sonic's name. Rogue smiled and walked out the door with the photograph in his pocket. "Well, that was a failure. Hmm, Tails is next." He trotted across the hall to Tails' quarters. The room was bare, with Tails no where to be found. Rogue crawled on the fox's mattress to see a hunk of metal on it. The stainless steel, painted in blue, had an insignia of two tails on it. Underneath the metal was a portrait of a blue plane with Tails as a child in the cockpit and Sonic leaning up against it, with a thumbs up. "I never knew Tails could fly a plane," Rogue thought.
An echidna passed by the doorway with a moldy, yellowed piece of paper. "Tikal!" Rogue yelled and chased after her. The woman turned around and smiled when she recognized the bat's charming face.
"Oh hey! How are you doing?" She hastily rolled up the document and kneeled down, eye-level to Rogue. The echidna wore overalls and a green shirt. An ancient necklace dangled over them. Then she inquired, "What are you doing in Tails' room? He doesn't like anyone in there. Of course, he's never there either."
"I am fine. I was looking for Tails; do you know where he is? Also, what is in your hand?" He asked pointing at the manuscript.
"Oh this old thing? It has ancient text on it about the chaos emeralds. We need to know exactly what we are up against. However, I haven't found anything of value yet." She closed her eyes and forced a fake a smile. "You want to know where Tails is... either lifting weights or at the gun course. He trains there obsessively." Rogue could perceive her false cheer and saw through the counterfeit smile. However, Shadow did not mention Tikal, and thus Rogue did not have to cheer her up; only Tails, Knuckles, and his mom were left.
"Thanks a bunch, Teek!" He called out as he ran towards the gun course. Tikal frowned at the nickname and continued walking. His eagerness reminded her of Sonic.
Shots could be heard as they echoed down the hallway. Rogue ran up to a glass door. Tails retracted his guns and walked up to it, as the bat banged on the door endlessly. The moment the door swung open, Rogue ran into the white room with hundreds of targets, all of which were shot. "What do you want?" The bat smiled earnestly and snatched a paint gun.
"Is this how you hold one?" Tails sighed at the remark and walked towards the boy.
"I don't have time for this, Rogue. Why don't you hang out with Espio's or Vector's kids?" A look of disgust glazed over the bat's face.
"But they are babies! Besides, I wanna hang out with you!" Tails raised an eyebrow and massaged his forehead. Rogue figured that it would be best not to mention Shadow. Tails loathed everyone.
The fox said with a deep voice, "You are too young." Rogue grimaced at the word and stared at Tails defiantly. "Listen. When I was a little older than you, I used to fight by a hedgehog's side. However, you see..." Tails felt his eye patch with his bandaged paw. "During this one battle I was hurt really badly. One of my tails was amputated." He winced at the thought. "Then, when I opened my eyes in the hospital, the hedgehog was gone," He clenched his fist, "Forever." Surprised, Rogue took Amy's photograph out of his pocket, and gazed at the joyful companions.
"Here is a picture of Sonic if you want to keep--" Tails punched hard into the wall in frustration to silence Rogue.
"Don't ever, ever say that traitor's name!" He growled, scaring the poor bat. "He was supposed to be my friend, my brother. If he was, then why did he let this happen to me!?" The fox turned away and tears seeped out of his eyes. There was some silence until Tails added, "You know, the pain of my wounds never goes away; it just aches and aches." Obviously, Rogue could not cheer Tails up either. He dropped the paint gun and sneaked out the door. The infuriated fox ignored the bat's visit entirely and continued his training.
"That didn't go so well," Rogue sniffed, still shaken from Tails' version of Sonic. He looked at the photo as he walked to the briefing room. Amy and Tails had genuine smiles on their faces. He quickly shoved it back into his pocket when voices could be heard from inside of the room. Rogue placed his ear against the rusty door.
"They are not ready!"
"But we won't have any time left if we sit around doing nothing! Amy is depressed, Tails has become a war machine, Tikal blindly researches meaningless dribble, Shadow constantly disappears and reappears unexpectedly, and you can't act like the leader you are supposed to be! Pull yourself together!"
"What do you expect me to do? No one except Tails understands the full extent of how to use a gun. Everyone else is just sitting on their asses moping!"
"Like what you are doing now!" The screams grew louder as Rogue listened intently.
"I can't order everyone to blindly charge a warrior with a power that we don't fully understand! They will all die!"
"We are dying day by day, not doing anything while our home is getting annihilated!"
"What about your children, Rouge?! Do you want them to run to their deaths? We are not ready! This evil will kill everything in its path. We cannot ignorantly think that rash acts will save the day anymore." There was an extended silence. Rogue pushed his ear closer into the door.
"I understand. I am sorry for my insubordination, commander," Rouge snickered. Footsteps led to the door. Rogue ducked behind a wooden pillar. His mom briskly walked away, not noticing her son's presence. The boy ran into the room, seeing Knuckles slouched over on a table.
"Um, hey Knux." Rogue whispered. Knuckles smiled at the bat, guessing that he was listening to the earlier conversation.
"Why are you not at your post? Is something wrong?"
"I ...um, think the warrior is going to attack the pyramid base." Knuckles jumped off the table, waiting for Rogue's explanation. "My sister and I both saw weird activity. All the animals are leaving the desert. I know that the warrior is going to attack the base soon. Shadow went there to help Roxie ...in case." Instead of lecturing Rogue like he had to the bat's mother, Knuckles sighed. The boy's ears flopped down, preparing to hear a scolding.
"I am glad you took matters into your own hands," Knuckles replied after some thought. "At least someone around here has their act together." The echidna had his back up against a wall and then slid down to the floor. Rogue sat next to him.
"Well, I never knew Sonic," Rogue thoughtfully replied.
"What?"
"Well before Shadow left, he asked me to talk some sense to you guys. However, I was unable to cheer anyone up. They all miss Sonic too much. Everyone is just... mourning differently." The echidna gaped at the insightful and truthful remark.
"And I am guessing Shadow wanted you to talk to me as well." Knuckles replied. Rogue innocently nodded. "I am just...I can't seem to fill Sonic's shoes. You know, it was my fault."
"Oh everyone thinks that!" Rogue laughed
"No, you don't understand. Sonic pushed me out of the way. I should be dead instead of him. Eggman intended to shoot me, not Sonic. It is in fact my fault." Rogue nudged closer to Knuckles, who was fighting back tears. "What's worse is that afterwards, I retreated with Tails. I... I left the chaos blade, the four chaos emeralds, and the child on the table. I must have been too distraught and forgot. I then lost the master emerald to Eggman. He tricked Shadow into stealing the emerald from me as a means to pay back Eggman for returning Shadow to this world. Then, Eggman made his wish. The reason why this warrior has destroyed so many worlds is my fault. I let Sonic die. I let Eggman get the tools he needed. I accidentally created a monster that will annihilate us all." Rogue said nothing and snuggled next to Knuckles arm, but the echidna did not smile.
"You!" came a voice from behind the doors. Tails and Amy, infuriated, sprinted in. The fox pinned Knuckles to the wall. "You never told me this!"
"You are too filled with hatred," Knuckles choked out. Rogue gasped and hid behind Amy.
"Well have a taste of some!" Tails punched Knuckles to the ground, and pulled out his gun. "You have no right to live!" Amy bit her lip and began to cry.
"Stop this!" She screamed so loud that it echoed down the hall. Tikal, Rouge, Espio, Sonia, and Sally ran into the room to see what the commotion was about.
"Damn you Knuckles! Damn you to hell!" Tails cried out.
A/N: Thank you all for reading chapter 6! Now, I am just going to "quickly" explain why I decided to change the personalities like I did. That way, I won't get flamed. Oh, I loathe flames with a passion. Shadow: I tried to match his to the version in Sonic Adventure 2. Since he has eternal youth and I am pretty sure he is immortal, I figured that 15 years wouldn't change much. Amy: To be honest, I hate Amy. She has a one-track mind and is constantly happy. I hate those type of people. I mean, once the one thing that keeps her going (Sonic, duh) is gone, she is just a hollow empty shell. Naturally, she would become depressed. Knuckles: I love Knuckles; he is my favorite character. Now the thing about Knux, is that he has a severe inferiority complex with Sonic. I mean think about it. Poor Knuckles is stuck on Angel Island forever (basically), while Sonic has all the fun and is credited for being the hero. If Knux thought that he was responsible for Sonic's death, then he would obviously have a crippling guilt. Cream and Tikal I will explain later when you see some action unfold. I don't really know Sonia's, Manic's, and Sally's original personalities so I just kind of used them as extras. Lastly, we have Tails. Just like Amy, I don't like Tails. He is an insult to foxes. I mean he has that nasally little voice and urrg, I just don't like kids. Anyway, if Tails is hurt badly at that young of an age, I think he would naturally collect some serious hatred. Stripped of flight, he would probably go nuts and try to impress dead Sonic (hence working out). However, his anger would consume him and Tails would use his dead friend as a scapegoat, even though on the inside he is just a child crying for help.