Shortly after they had left the backstage, Sonic and his friends found a perfect spot in front of the stage. They were surrounded by other excited fans, but nobody was more excited to see Star's performance than Sonic was.
"I wonder what songs Ms. Star is gonna sing." Cream wondered excitedly.
"Yeah, and how many." Tails added.
"I just can't wait to hear her sing in general." Sonic smiled. "She has the most beautiful voice, and she definitely knows how to write music. She wrote a song just for me on our 16th birthday. She truly is incredible."
"I just still can't believe how much you two look alike." Knuckles shook his head. "You weren't kidding when you said you were twins. It's like she's a genderbent copy of you. Down to the last detail."
"Minus the peach fur in the ears and the blue arms." Chris mentioned.
"Heh, yeah we kinda got that a lot when we were kids." Sonic chuckled sheepishly. "We're almost too identical. She even has the same speed as me, although I'm slightly faster."
"That's when you were kids." Tails smirked. "You'll have to race again to see if you're still the Fastest Thing Alive."
"... You know… that's not a bad idea. It'd be a great way for us to bond again after being apart for so long."
Suddenly at that moment, the curtains on the stage lifted up and Star walked out onto the platform, her headphones over her ears now with a microphone attached to them. The crowd cheered at her appearance, bringing a smile to her face.
"Thank you everybody for coming out tonight!" She called out, her voice booming from the speakers, almost drowned out by a second cheer. "Yeah! Alright! Settle down now. Settle down. Now tonight is a very special night, for 2 reasons. One, I've been working on a new song for awhile now, and you lovely people of New York will have the lucky honor of hearing it for the first time tonight before it's even released!"
The crowd cheered again in excitement and Sonic chuckled. "Oh yeah that's right. She told me over the phone that she was working on a new song."
"Ooh, I wonder what it is." Amy bounced excitedly.
Star giggled and called for silence again. "Alright, alright. I can tell you're all excited." She continued. "But that's not the only reason why tonight is special. You see, about four years ago I left my family to become the hedgehog that I am today. That sadly meant I also had to leave behind someone I dearly love. Well, he's in the audience right now as we speak, waiting to see what all of his support has done for me. Please give a warm welcome to my younger twin brother, Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"You're only older by 15 minutes!" Sonic yelled playfully, earning a bunch of cheers and laughter at his response. "Knock 'em dead, sis! I can't wait to hear what you've come up with after all these years!"
"Thanks, bro." Star giggled, turning back to the crowd. "Well now, anyway how about we get started with what you all came to see tonight?!" More applause exploded into the air as the crowd started getting riled up again, knowing that the show was finally about to start. "My first song is the new song I've been working on. Please enjoy Battlefield."
As the lights dimmed down on the stage a new kind of uproar began in the crowd. Everybody waited with baited breath as the music began to play. Star waited a few seconds for the beat to pick up before she started to sing.
"Don't try to explain your mind, I know what's happening here." That first line caused the crowd to clap and cheer again, excitement running through like a virus. Star smiled and continued. "One minute, it's love and suddenly it's like a battlefield. One word turns into a war. Why is it the smallest things that tear us down? My world's nothing when you're gone. I'm out here without a shield. Can't go back now. Both hands tied behind my back for nothing. Nothing. Oh no. These times when we climb so fast to fall again. Why we gotta fall for it now?!"
As she said that last line the lights suddenly shined bright again as the beat started picking up, causing the crowd to cheer again. Sonic was amazed by the performance, rendered speechless as he watched his long lost twin on stage. "I never meant to start a war! You know I never wanna hurt you! Don't even know what we're fighting for! Why does love always feel like a battlefield?! A battlefield! A battlefield! Why does love always feel like a battlefield?! A battlefield! A battlefield! Why does love always feel like?"
As Star sang her song, Sonic listened closely to the lyrics. Remembering the lyrics he heard on the radio the day before, he frowned and crossed his arms. "Her compulsive dating really has inspired her career."
"What was that, Sonic?" Amy asked, still dancing to the music.
The male shook his head. "Nothing, it's just… If this is her newest song then it means she was dating recently, and it didn't turn out well."
"Well maybe, but that doesn't mean all her songs are like that."
"... Maybe." Sonic sighed as he continued to listen as the tempo of the music slowed down and Star sang softly again.
"Can't swallow our pride, neither of us wanna raise that flag. Mmm. If we can't surrender then we both gonna lose what we have, oh no. Both hands tied behind my back for nothing. Nothing. Oh no. These times when we climb so fast to fall again. I don't wanna fall for it now! I never meant to start a war! You know I never wanna hurt you! Don't even know what we're fighting for! Why does love always feel like a battlefield?! A battlefield! A battlefield! Why does love always feel like a battlefield?! A battlefield! A battlefield! Guess you better go and get your armor! Get your armor! Get your armor! I guess you better go and get your armor! Get your armor! Get your armor! I guess you better go and get your."
As the tempo of the music slowed down again, Star looked into the crowd, reaching her hand out as if she was reaching for someone. "We could pretend that we are friends tonight. Oh. And in the morning we wake up, and we'd be alright. 'Cause baby, we don't have to fight. And I don't want this love to feel like a battlefield. A battlefield. A battlefield. Why does love always feel like a battlefield? A battlefield. A battlefield. Guess you better go and get your armor. I never meant to start a war! You know I never wanna hurt you! Don't even know what we're fighting for! Why does love always feel like a battlefield?! A battlefield! A battlefield! Why does love always feel like a battlefield?! A battlefield! A battlefield! Guess you better go and get your armor! Get your armor! Get your armor! I guess you better go and get your armor! Get your armor! Get your armor! I guess you better go and get your armor! Oh, oh. Why does love always feel like? Oh, oh. Why does love always feel like a battlefield? A battlefield. Oh, oh. I never meant to start a war. Don't even know what we're fighting for. I never meant to start a war. Don't even know what we're fighting for. Oh, ooh."
As the music slowed to a stop the crowd cheered loudly in excitement. Star smiled at the approval of her fans, and she beamed in delight when she caught Sonic and his friends cheering along with the audience. She felt her heart warm up. She was making her brother proud and in turn, that made her proud of herself.
"Thank you all so much!" She called out, the crowd quieting down before she continued. "Now this next song I wrote a while back when I was in a relationship with a guy who… well was basically a big kid."
"Of course she did." Sonic smirked, shaking his head as an applause rose.
"Right? Right?! I'm sure some of you have had a relationship like that! You know, always on the move. Choosing their lifestyle over you. Never wanting to grow up? Well then you're going to enjoy this one. Everyone, Peter Pan."
Again, new music started up. Star put her head down, closing her eyes before beginning to sing.
"The smile, the charm, the words, the spark. Everything, you had it. I guess I had a naive heart. 'Cause boy I let you have it. You said I was your only. I never thought you'd leave me lonely. You're just a lost boy, with your head up in the clouds. You're just a lost boy, never keep your feet on the ground."
Star suddenly opened her eyes and stomped her foot on the stage as the beat suddenly dropped, causing her fans to scream in excitement. "Always gonna fly away, just because you know you can! You're never gonna learn there's no such place as a Neverland! You don't understand. You'll never grow up. You're never gonna be a man. Peter Pan."
Just then, the music started to slow and the hedgehog sang softly again. "Deep down, I knew that you were too good to be true. But every piece and part of me wanted to believe in you. But now it's happily ever never. I guess now I know better. You're just a lost boy, with your head up in the clouds. You're just a lost boy, never keep your feet on the ground." Once again, the beat dropped, causing Star to stomp her foot again. "Always gonna fly away, just because you know you can! You're never gonna learn there's no such place as a Neverland! You don't understand. You'll never grow up. You're never gonna be a man. Peter Pan. Oh-oh-oh-oh, mmh."
As the song slowed to an almost full stop, Star reached her hand out to the sky, just like how she had done in her last song. "You're just a lost boy, yeah, I know who you are. And you don't know what you lost, boy. Too busy chasing stars." And once again, the beat picked up again and Star stomped on the stage in beat, grinning as she sang into her microphone, holding her hands over her heart. "And you're always gonna fly away, just because you know you can! You're never gonna learn there's no such place as a Neverland! You don't understand. You'll never grow up. You're never gonna be a man. You'll never grow up. Yeah, you're never gonna be a man. Peter Pan. Never gonna be a man."
At the end of the song, the crowd cheered once more. As the applause rose into the air, Sonic looked around, beaming with pride. He was so proud of his big sister and of how much she has been able to achieve. It really did seem that being trapped on Earth was a blessing for her, and the show was only just beginning. As he looked back up the stage, Sonic's ear bent down a bit like a questioning dog as he saw Star grabbing a guitar from Drake before walking back to the center of the stage.
What was she doing with that? As far as he knew, she only knew how to play the piano. She's never played guitar before… has she?
"Thank you all for enjoying that one." Star called to her audience, earning another round of claps. She nodded and waited for them to settle down. "This next song I wrote my own music to, played by the guitar, so please enjoy I'm With You."
Sonic's eyes widened as Star started to play the guitar, never missing a single beat as if she had been playing the instrument professionally for years.
"I'm standing on a bridge. I'm waitin' in the dark. I thought that you'd be here by now. There's nothing but the rain. No footsteps on the ground. I'm listening but there's no sound. Isn't anyone tryin' to find me? Won't somebody come take me home? It's a damn cold night! Trying to figure out this life! Won't you take me by the hand? Take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are. But I, I'm with you. I'm with you."
"Wow, Sonic," Amy gasped. "Your sister is so talented. A singer, a songwriter, AND she can write music and play the guitar?!"
"I gotta admit, Ames, even I'm shocked with the guitar." Sonic chuckled nervously. "I guess I never realized how much she's been practicing for her career."
"She's a jack of all trades in the music industry." Tails agreed.
"I'm looking for a place. I'm searching for a face. Is anybody here I know? 'Cause nothing's going right. And everything's a mess. And no one likes to be alone. Isn't anyone tryin' to find me? Won't somebody come take me home? It's a damn cold night! Trying to figure out this life! Won't you take me by the hand? Take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are. But I, I'm with you. I'm with you. Yeah, yeah. Oh! Why is everything so confusing?! Maybe I'm just out of my mind! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Yeah, yeah! Yeah, yeah! Yeah, yeah! YEAH! OH!"
Star suddenly slowed down the beat of her playing as she sang very softly, almost as if she was trying to avoid her voice cracking. "It's a damn cold night. Trying to figure out this life. Won't you take me by the hand? Take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are. But I, I'm with you! I'm with you! Take me by the hand. Take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are. But I, I'm with you! I'm with you! Take me by the hand. Take me somewhere new. I don't know who you are. But I, I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you."
As the crowd cheered once more, Star took a bow and quickly gave her guitar back to Drake before returning back to the center of the stage. "Alright! I'm so glad you all enjoyed that! That was the first time I played an instrument other than the piano during a performance, so the feedback is really appreciated and, given by your reactions, I'm sure you're gonna want me to do it again, don't ya?!" She laughed as the crowd cheered again. "Alright, alright! Well, stay tuned and you just might get lucky. Anyway, how about we get to the next song? Right." She nodded at the approval of her fans. "Alright. So here's a question for you all. How many of you have a friend or have had a friend who wanted to be something more, but no matter what you did they just couldn't seem to get the hint that you don't?"
"Heh, I know that feeling all too well." Sonic chuckled under his breath, glancing over at the pink hedgehog beside him.
"What was that, Sonic?" Said hedgehog asked him suspiciously.
"Nothing." Sonic quickly said, not wanting to accidentally cause a scene with Amy's hammer coming out and only continued to listen to his sister.
"Well then, this next song goes out to you and those friends!" She cheered before starting her next song very strongly. "Ooh ooh, ooh ooh. Ooh ooh, ooh ooh. You say you love me, I say you crazy. We're nothing more than friends. You're not my lover, more like a brother. I've known you since we were like ten. Yeah, don't mess it up, talking like this. Only gonna push me away, that's it. When you said you love me, that made me crazy. Here we go again. Don't go look at me with that look in your eye. You really ain't going away without a fight. You can't be reasoned with, I'm done being polite. I've told you one, two, three, four, five, six thousand times. Haven't I made it obvious? Haven't I made it clear? Want me to spell it out for ya? F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Haven't I made it obvious? Haven't I made it clear? Want me to spell it out for you? F-R-I-E-N-D-S. F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Have you got no shame? You looking insane. Turning up at my door. It's two in the morning, the rain is pouring. Haven't we been here before? Don't mess it up, talking like this.
Only gonna push me away, that's it. Have you got no shame? You looking insane. Here we go again. So don't go look at me with that look in your eye. You really ain't going away without a fight. You can't be reasoned with, I'm done being polite. I've told you one, two, three, four, five, six thousand times. Haven't I made it obvious? Haven't I made it clear? Want me to spell it out for you? F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Haven't I made it obvious? Haven't I made it clear? Want me to spell it out for you? F-R-I-E-N-D-S. F-R-I-E-N-D-S. F-R-I-E-N-D-S. That's how you - spell 'friends'."
Sonic's eyes widened once again in shock, but this time it was over the beep in the song. "Whoa! Ok. That's different." He shook his head. "Star has never cursed before. She's never had the need to."
"Well maybe this is her only song that'll include that." Knuckles tried to assure him. "After all, this song is supposed to be full of frustration. And people normally cuss when they're frustrated."
"I guess so." Sonic shrugged. "It just… shocked me, is all… She's grown… a lot."
"F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Get that shit inside your head. No, no. Yeah, uh, ah. F-R-I-E-N-D-S." Star laughed before suddenly giving a deadpan stare. "We're just friends. So don't go look at me with that look in your eye. You really ain't going away without a fight. You can't be reasoned with, I'm done being polite. I've told you one, two, three, four, five, six thousand times. Haven't I made it obvious? Haven't I made it clear? Want me to spell it out for you? F-R-I-EN-D-S. Haven't I made it obvious? Haven't I made it clear? Want me to spell it out for you? F-R-I-E-N-D-S. F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Mmm, ooh ooh, ooh ooh. Ah, ah-oh, ah."
"Wow! Besides the cursing, that song was brilliant!" Tails praised before looking at Sonic with excitement. "You think the guy she was talking about was listening?"
"Unlikely." Sonic shook his head. "I'm sure the guy she's talking about is still on Mobias. There's no way she would try to date more than one human… right?"
"Can't say for sure." Knuckles shrugged. "We don't know your sister that much. We literally just met her a few minutes ago."
"I know, I know." Sonic sighed with frustration. "It's just… I mean, I know she falls in love with every guy she sees but… a human? Really? I mean, maybe one or two, but definitely not more than that."
"I mean, it's not like you really have any control over who she falls in love with." Chris shrugged.
"I know… I just worry sometimes."
"And it's ok to worry." Amy assured, laying a hand on his shoulder. "She's your sister. You're allowed to worry."
Sonic smiled at her, holding her hand a bit as it rested on his shoulder. "Thanks, Ames." His ear twitched and he looked back up to the stage, grinning widely. "Oh! She's pulling out a piano!"
True to his word, Star and Drake were both rolling a piano onto the center of the stage. Drake then brought out a stool and set it down by the keys, prompting Star to sit which she quickly did so. She then looked to her curious audience and sighed.
"Alright people. I'm gonna sing one more song, and then we're gonna take a fifteen minute intermission. This next song is an old one I wrote a long time ago. I wrote it for someone very special to me who you all know, he's in the audience tonight. Sonic, I hope you recognize this one. Or you might not, who knows? Afterall, we were just toddlers the last time I sang this to you."
Sonic blushed as the crowd cooed in adoration. He knew exactly which song she was talking about, and she only confirmed it the moment her delicate fingers started playing the keys on the piano. Memories of their toddlerhood came back to him. Those nights of bad thunderstorms and nightmares, being comforted away by the soft voice of his twin. He closed his eyes and swayed softly to the music, a small grin forming on his face, trying not to fall asleep as she sang the familiar lullaby.
"I'm only one call away. I'll be there to save the day. Superman ain't got nothing on me. I'm only one call away. Call me, baby, if you need a friend. I just wanna give you love. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. Reaching out to you, so take a chance. No matter where you go, you know you're not alone. I'm only one call away. I'll be there to save the day. Superman ain't got nothing on me. I'm only one call away. Come along with me and don't be scared. I just wanna set you free. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. You and me can make it anywhere. For now, we can stay here for a while. Cause you know, I just wanna see you smile. Oh. No matter where you go, you know you're not alone. I'm only one call away. I'll be there to save the day. Superman ain't got nothing on me. I'm only one call away. And when you're weak I'll be strong. I'm gonna keep holding on. Now don't you worry, it won't be long. Darling. And when you feel like hope is gone. Just run into my arms. I'm only one call away. I'll be there to save the day. Superman ain't got nothing on me. I'm only one. I'm only ooooone call away. I'll be there to save the day. Superman ain't got nothing on me. I'm only one call away. I'm only one call away."
As the song ended, Sonic sighed with a peaceful content. It's been so long since he last heard that lullaby, and yet he realized that no matter how old he gets, that song will always put him in a relaxed state of mind. There was just something about the melody that made him feel safe and loved.
"I take it that's a lullaby she used to sing you to sleep with when you were kids?" Tails chuckled at his slightly sleepy friend.
"Yeah, all the time whenever it was storming or I had nightmares." Sonic nodded with a slight yawn. "Gosh, I've missed her lullabies."
"Aww. That's so cute." Amy cooed.
Sonic yawned again and shook his head, trying to wake himself back up. "Dang it. I've forgotten how powerful her voice can be."
Chris chuckled and handed him a soda pop. "Here, drink this. It should wake you back up."
"Thanks, Chris." The hedgehog took the drink and quickly chugged it down, the sugar and caffeine immediately going straight to his head before he released a loud burp.
"Sonic!" Mrs. Thorndyke scolded.
Sonic chuckled lightly in embarrassment. "Heh, excuse me. Sorry."
"Thank you all for listening!" Star called out, gaining everybody's attention again. "We're gonna take a short fifteen minute break now, and when we get back I'll sing you guys five more songs and end this concert with a bang! See you all after intermission!"
With Drake's help, Star rolled the piano back to its original position before heading backstage for her break. Other people in the audience were taking advantage of the intermission to get more snacks and drinks and to use the restroom before the next half of the show. Sonic turned to his friends, bouncing on his heels excitedly.
"Come on, guys! Maybe we can talk to her again before intermission is over!"
"Well then we better be quick." Mrs. Thorndyke suggested. "Let's go."
With that, everybody once more raced backstage to talk with the other blue hedgehog, unaware that they were being followed by two others.