Both past and present could coexist in harmony in Durmak, a small town located near the heart of Shamar. Youth and elderly treaded the same paths to reach establishments from two different time periods – a century-old bar that still displayed some of its menus in modern Babylonian script and a recently built nightclub that shone its lights into the heaven until the nights of festivities came to an end. Both were different in style and aesthetic, but similar in the fact that they were both forms of entertainment that had evolved along with its patrons – and then ceased changing due to a refusal to break old habits.

If that was really a bad thing, no one was able to tell for sure. Change is inevitable – and sometimes much needed – but so is melancholy. Whether it was from an old timer that returned to their home only to find all their favorite hangout spots gone, or a child who wonders what sort of history unfolded from the pile of rubble left behind by an ancient household that collapsed because of its own age. Buildings can be repaired and replaced, and memories can be registered and cherished, but the feeling of being able to be there when something is at its peak can't ever be replicated.

Time eventually came for everyone and everything, it's just how things go. The inner workings of the universe are mysterious, yet predictable enough to leave some on their toes at all time. One couldn't help but wonder if their legacy would be the next to fall into oblivion. What would be left of their home by the time their successors came into the world? Would they make the same mistakes? Enjoy the same past times? Will you even still be there to experience life with them?

It is just impossible to tell. Everything always moves so fast and there is barely any time to reflect on the decisions that shaped the present the way it was – and would continue to shape the future. Those who stop to look at the sands of time get lost and eventually sink in it. Like the ever-shifting dunes, no two events progressed the exact same way even if raised from the same building blocks. And eventually, a strong enough force would come and sweep them clean. One grain at a time, one memory at a time.

"Stop the fucking car Wave, I have to do my makeup!"

But some things never change. For better or for worse.

"I offered to help you with it and you said you could do it on our way there!" Wave let out a groan of frustration. She was definitely not in her element. She hadn't been inside an actual car in forever, much less driven one. They were noisy, hard to maneuver and extremely pollutant – the complete opposite of the vehicles she worked with every day.

"You always end up stabbing me in the eye with the eyeliner!" Jet was trying and failing to apply makeup on himself by glancing at his reflection every time they drove near a street lamp. Of course Jet, in all of his wisdom, would procrastinate on getting ready until the very last minute when it became an inconvenience to those around him. Some things never change.

"No, you're the one who thinks I'm doing it wrong then moves and gets stabbed in the eye!" Wave took a sharp turn, causing Jet to almost slam his face against the window. He put his makeup away after that and finally put on his seatbelt. "Just do it in the parking lot. You know these things never have a proper schedule."

The number of people on the streets around them dwindled as they steered away towards the edge of town. Small houses and a handful of apartments replaced the bars and clubs, most with light pouring out of their windows. Those also lessened in number until the road laid bare ahead of them. After a couple minutes of driving with nothing in sight except trees, sand and the occasional wild animal or two, they could finally spot their destination in the distance.

The Hanging Gardens were a multipurpose building that was frequently used to host large events and gatherings. It rested atop a not-so-impressive cliff and featured large areas of greenery and natural beauty completely suspended in the air due to some pretty clever architecture. The festivities happened on the first floor, the second was filled with suites and other accommodations for those who needed a break or preferred a quieter time.

Both Jet and Wave knew the layout of the place with the back of their hands, as they had been there many times in the past. It was the go-to place whenever one of their families was to host a ceremony, no matter the magnitude. Storm's family was friends with the owner, so that meant they didn't need to pay the full hosting fee as long as nothing got damaged and they helped clean afterwards.

The parking lot was already filled to the brim as expected. There was one single free spot – the one that had been reserved for them. Jet wondered if Sonic and Rouge were already among the sea of cars or if they were trying to find some other place to park. Wave could see the worry on his face through the driving mirror and told him not to worry about it. It didn't work, but it was a nice gesture at least.

"Turn on the driving lamp and get out of the way." Jet whined, grabbing his things and moving to the driver's seat as soon as they stopped. He'd use the driving mirror to help him put the finishing touches on his makeup.

Looking good! Now they'd just have to wait for their partners.

Wave was wearing a simple bronze-colored dress and a pair of boots – as heels really weren't her thing no matter how fancy the occasion was. It was strange to see her without her usual bandana and goggles combo, although the absence of the latter was made up for by yellow-tinted reading glasses. Her purse was big enough to carry a regular-sized wrench, and Jet was pretty sure there was one in there somewhere.

It wasn't a super formal event, so Jet could get away with wearing his dark green tuxedo with golden accents and matching suit pants instead of a black outfit. He skipped the bow tie (he thought they looked stupid) and was instead wearing one of Wave's borrowed orb necklaces around his neck. He had an unremarkable white shirt underneath as well as brown dress shoes. He gave into Wave's requests for him to not bring his fans so all that he was carrying with him were his keys and phone.

Jet stepped out of the car and Wave quickly locked it before he could consider going in again. He leaned against it and stared at his phone. They had gotten there a couple minutes earlier than expected, and knowing Sonic he'd probably make his grand arrival at the very last second, so there was quite a bit of time to kill.

"Jet, calm down."

The hawk hadn't realized he was tapping his foot against the ground at mach speed while emitting a high-pitched growl. That always happened when he was stressed.

"I'm calm! I'm completely calm." He exclaimed before closed his beak.

Wave rolled her eyes and glanced at her phone as well. She was trying not to step on his boundaries too much, but that was pretty much impossible with him agitated like that. "I'm going to regret asking, but you did finish your best man speech, right?"

That only made his foot tap faster. "I can come up with something on the spot. Not like it's hard."

"You're a child, you know that? Just hope that you don't upset Storm or his wife. It's their special day after all, I would be pretty pissed if the guy I especially picked for the occasion was an incompetent little brat."

Jet didn't reply to that. Wave looked at him with a bit of concern on her face. Jet kept his gaze away from her. Knowing Wave, she was already halfway through reading him like a book.

"…This is about your father, isn't it?"

"So what if it is, Wave?" Jet was now staring at her. "So what if it is?"

Wave's expression softened. "Look, just… we're all here for you, alright? If you think he's coming for you then walk into the crowd, he can't say or do anything to you when there's other people around."

"I know that. I'm not a baby anymore."

"I'm not calling you a baby, I'm just reminding you that this doesn't have to be an awful time. Don't let that asshole keep ruining your life like this!"

"I'M TRYING WAVE!" He took a deep breath, breaking eye contact. "…I'm trying, Wave. I thought I'd never have to see him again after Sonic blocked his number on my phone. I was feeling great! But then I started thinking, what if he shows up at my apartment? What if I find him somewhere on the street? Of course I won't, he never leaves this dump of a town… but what if?"

Jet sighed, slumping against the side of the car. "I thought I got over it, I really did. Hell, I didn't even realize I was going to have to see him again when you messaged me about the wedding! It just… dawned on me some time later and there I go back to square zero. Can you believe it? Can you believe that you can get so far then have everything ruined by something stupid like this?"

Wave couldn't find the right words to reply to him. Instead, she simply opened her arms as an invitation for a hug. Jet hesitated for a moment before giving in, wrapping her arms around her and closing his eyes. That always helped him calm down. He had to hold back his tears this time though, he couldn't let Sonic see him like that.

Speaking of Sonic! They started hearing a strange noise sometime after they had broken the hug, but they saw no vehicles coming through the entrance gates. Instead, they found themselves looking up towards a G.U.N. helicopter that almost blended in with the night sky. They didn't have to worry too much about the implications of it being there as Rouge soon jumped out with Sonic riding on her back. They were able to glide safely to the ground near the birds while the helicopter went away.

Rouge was dazzling as always. A high cut sparkling purple dress and some heels were all she needed to steal glances away from everyone she walked past. But Jet's eyes were focused on the hedgehog that accompanied her. He wore a fairly standard dark blue tuxedo and black dress shoes, but something about seeing Sonic in such an elaborate outfit was making him go crazy. Though instead of a shirt underneath, he was wearing a light blue t-shirt with a big ring printed on the chest area. Oh, and he also had a little pin of himself wagging his finger on his suit. Of course.

"Fashionably late, as all guests should be." Rouge struck a pose, then started chuckling as she shifted to a more casual stance. "Sorry babe, I forgot I hadn't sorted out the paperwork from last time I took the helicopter without asking. You two are looking fancy if I do say so."

"You know these aren't really my thing. I just got an old dress from my mom and ditched the heels. You look much better in those than I do." Wave shrugged.

"Still looking pretty good!" Sonic performed a little polite bow. "Can't say I've ever worn one of these before, that's for sure. I didn't even have a proper shirt! I'm sure nobody's gonna mind though, right Jet?"

…

Wave gently smacked him on the back of the head. "Jet, say something. You're almost drooling."

That snapped him out of his trance. There he went, looking stupid in front of Sonic yet again. Like that was a rare occurrence by now.

"You're wearing your own merch. To a formal wedding." Jet rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. "I don't think I even need to comment on that."

Sonic frowned, before a metaphorical light bulb lit over his head. He pulled out his pin and put it on Jet's suit instead. The hawk looked annoyed but didn't retaliate against it in any way, so he took the opportunity snatched and wear Jet's necklace in return.

"There you go! Now it doesn't look so weird." Sonic grinned.

Jet was glad he couldn't see that his face was pretty much on fire under his feathers. "Now they're gonna think I'm dating you or something like that."

Sonic replied with only a hum. One that made Jet more flustered than anything Sonic could ever have expressed with words.

Both Jet and Wave took out their gifts for Storm from the car and soon the four of them were heading towards the building. Wave and Rouge held hands as soon as they started walking. Sonic offered his hand to Jet as a joke and was pleasantly surprised when he actually took it. Though it was instantly released the moment they stepped into view of the people inside.

They had outdone themselves with the decoration this time. Despite having been there many times in the past, the place was almost unrecognizable at a fist glance to Jet and Wave. Bright and colorful tapestries adorned walls and pillars, leading into one another by strings of flowers. Hundreds of mobians sat down on large rectangular tables, each with a plate full of snacks and drinks of their choice. The dance floor and the stage on which the actual ceremony would happen were ready to go whenever the time came. The DJ played a mixture of traditional and contemporary music, although it was barely audible under everyone's voices.

Most of the people present were birds, and it was possible to discern which family group they belonged to by the color of their feathers. Sonic noted there wasn't a lot of green in the crowd, but Jet didn't think much of it when he brought it up to him.

"They're there, trust me. There's almost as many of us as people from Wave's family," He explained, "they're just scattered around instead of grouping up. Want to avoid a certain someone."

Sounded about right, if Sonic had the right bastard in mind.

The group made a beeline for the presents area first. Boxes upon boxes were nearly stacked in a room of their own, with one of Storm's relatives serving as a bodyguard. Jet knew the guy, he wasn't much of a fighter – but his sheer size as an above average height mobian albatross was enough to deter anyone coming his way with malicious intentions. They were soon given a clear and deposited their gifts: a rice cooker and an electric mixer. Sonic and Rouge didn't bring anything, but that wasn't a big deal.

Next was meeting the lucky couple of the night. Despite his massive stature, none of them could see Storm amidst the crowd. His and his wife's table was up front near the stage, so their best bet was waiting around that area until they returned.

They might as well go ahead and greet some of the hundreds of people present – they didn't want to come off as impolite! The pairs split off after walking by a table with the oldest birds Sonic had ever seen. Wave and Rouge headed towards the mass of purple feathers and condescending smiles to the right, while Jet and Sonic started scavenging for the green individuals among the rainbow of acquaintances.

No dad in sight.

Sonic quickly found himself becoming the star of whatever conversation Jet introduced him into. At every table they went there was at least one person who knew who he was, and all of them had a positive image of him. Some knew about his feats of good against the wicked Doctor Eggman. Others had been informed that he helped the Rogues uncover the secrets behind Babylon Garden. A few of them asked how Jet found himself such a handsome and polite boyfriend, which made him slowly get more and more flustered as they hopped from table to table.

"Can we go eat now? I want to eat now." Jet whined. He reached out and gave Sonic's hand a gentle squeeze, but the hedgehog shook his head.

"Come on, we only have like five tables to go before we reach the buffet!" Sonic grinned, shaking the hand of a small albatross child.

"Easy for you to say, everyone loves you no matter where you go."

"Awww, don't be jealous Flicky. Everyone here seems happy to see you too!"

Everyone except one. Wherever he was.

"Look, if you can make it to the last table without running away I'm going to personally feed you some of those stuffed peppers. How does that sound?" Sonic had a smirk on his face. He knew he was making an offer he couldn't refuse.

That didn't mean Jet was going to admit he wanted it, of course. "I'm only accepting this because I'm not a loser."

Those felt like the five longest greetings Jet ever had in his whole life. In the end they had managed to make it to the buffet unscathed – but were yanked away by Rouge materializing out of nowhere. She didn't care much for Jet's whining and led them to the stage where Wave, Storm and his to-be wife were chatting.

"Aren't the groom and bride like, not supposed to see each other until after the main ceremony?" Sonic whispered towards Jet.

"Nah, we don't really do that here." He replied.

Cloud was a mobian condor that stood a couple inches taller than Storm – which was pretty impressive! Her plumage was mostly black and fluffy, with white accents around her neck, arms and what little they could see of her legs under the puffy white wedding dress. Despite having the same amount of (if not more) muscle mass than her future husband, her features were delicate and she stood beside him with grace. Storm himself was wearing a tuxedo that looked like it was a couple sizes too small for him. The sleeves were ripped off, and when questioned about it he'd answer with "people keep asking me to compare biceps with Cloud for pictures so I just took them off".

"Jet!" Storm yelled loud enough to alert the whole venue. He wrapped his arms around the hawk and squeezed tight. "You're here! I'm so glad you could come."

"Wouldn't… miss it for anything…bud…" Jet wheezed, finding it hard to breathe. "Brought…Sonic…"

That (thankfully) made the albatross release Jet from his gasp. Sonic, seeing the fate that awaited him, offered a polite handshake instead. It was ignored and Storm instead grabbed him and lifted him high into the air.

"Long time no see! Wave told me you've been hanging out with Jet lately, huh? Anyone that makes Jet happy is more than welcome here!"

Sonic could breathe, but he didn't know if his ribs would come out intact from the embrace. "Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying your special day, big guy. How's it been for you? We have a bit of catching up to do, huh? O-on the ground, preferably…"

Meanwhile, Wave ceased her conversation with Cloud so Jet could introduce himself. That was his first time seeing her, she looked… well, perfect for Storm! And for once he wasn't thinking that as a mean joke or anything of the sorts, they just looked like they fit well together.

"I've heard so much about you, Jet. Storm is always talking about how you three went on amazing adventures together and how awesome you are." She offered him a small smile.

Jet's ego was in an all-time high after that. "Heh, what can I say? The tales are all true, and I'm even more amazing in real life. Storm helped too of course, he's the best partner I could have ever asked for."

Wave looked a tiny bit offended by that.

"And now he's… well, the best partner you could have ever asked for. But like, in a romantic way. You know what I mean."

Cloud chuckled at that. After a couple more moments of idle chatting, Storm pulled him aside and towards the buffet. Jet thought he'd finally get the chance to dig in but Storm blocked the way by leaning his back against it. Jet let out an annoyed grunt and looked up at the albatross, only to be met with an expression full of… worry?

"What's up, big guy? Something on your mind?" Jet crossed his arms over his chest.

"I dunno, Jet. This is all so… fancy, you know? Me and Cloud wanted to do something simple for our wedding, but our families wanted something big and shiny and… I don't know about this." Storm let out a big sigh.

"I mean, are you having fun?"

"Well, yeah, but… I don't know if she is."

Jet glanced back at Cloud and the others. Her and the rest of the girls were laughing at Sonic doing silly poses while telling a story. That managed to put a smile on his face – or as much of one as he could manage with a beak.

"I'm sure she's having the time of her life right now, Storm." Jet gently pat his forearm. "Besides, it's not like this is super official. Technically you already got married back when you signed the papers, this is just for fun. If you don't like how this party turns out then you can just throw another one – on your own terms."

"You're right! You're definitely invited to my next party, Jet. Thanks for giving me a hand." Storm pat his back with almost-lethal force. "Sonic's invited too, of course. Are you two… you know?"

"Don't be stupid!" Jet growled out. He waited until all the eavesdropping relatives turned their attentions away before whispering in Storm's ear, "I wish."

"Don't worry Jet, I'm sure everything's gonna work out between you two." Storm gave him a thumbs up.

"Great! Can we eat now? I wanna eat now."

"Of course, get as much food as your little body can handle! But uh… one more thing?"

"Yes?" Jet was starting to lose his composure.

Storm rubbed the back of his head. "Your dad, um… is he coming?"

Of course. He was almost forgetting that dickhead was supposed to show up and ruin his good time. "I hope not."

"You know you can count on us if he gets too out of hand, right? Just say the word and I'll have him kicked out and thrown off the roof."

Despite how serious Storm sounded, that still managed to get a laugh out of Jet. "Can you imagine? I bet his bones are like, turning to dust at this age. I bet you'd be able to hear him shattering from the top of the roof!"

Storm kept staring at him with concern. Jet dropped his act and let out a sigh.

"I know. I'll tell you if I need help dealing with the old man. But really, don't worry about that. It's your special day, you should be enjoying yourself. You're only gonna have to worry about me when I'm about to give the greatest best man speech you've ever heard."

Storm's face lit up and he just had to give Jet another spine-crushing hug. This one didn't last as long, at least.

"You got it Jet! Now let's go, I have to tell your idea to my wife."

They smiled and walked back onto the stage. Jet went straight to Sonic, who was talking to some toddlers. They both had green feathers but Jet had no idea who they were, if they were even his relatives. One of them was holding a big book that looked almost as heavy as himself.

"Food." Jet grabbed Sonic by the arm and tried to drag him towards the buffet, but he resisted.

"Hey calm down Flicky! I'm a little busy right now, I promised these two I was going to play with them for a bit. Isn't that right?" Sonic freed himself from Jet's grasp and stood beside the two hawks, looking the slightest bit embarrassed.

"You what."

"Yeah! We're playing Arabian Nights and he's gonna be the legendary hedgehog!" One of them chirped excitedly.

Jet raised an eyebrow. "There's no hedgehog in Arabian Nights. I read it."

"Of course there is, stupid! Right at the end!" The other shoved the huge book towards Jet, who forcefully snatched it and opened it on the last page. Sure enough, the legendary hedgehog was there, wielding the power of the secret rings. He was even blue and had his quills styled like Sonic's! The similarities were uncanny, but it matched the style and had some of the same translation errors as the rest of the book, so it was believable. For everyone else, at least.

Sonic had never seen a man more confused than Jet was at that very moment.

"That's not how it goes… That's not how it goes!" Jet threw the book back at its owner, almost crushing the kid. "It's… it's supposed to end with like a warning! It ends with like… and the maleficent Erazor Djinn will erase all the stories from the sands of time, but only we stop sharing them with the future generations. There's no… hedgehog!"

Both kids stuck their tongues out and dragged Sonic off by his arms. All the hedgehog could do was give Jet and apologetic smile before turning away and facing his fate for the next thirty to sixty minutes. Jet simply stared at the spot where they used to be in utter disbelief before some distant relative pulled him aside to tease him about getting nicknamed Flicky by Sonic. Looks like he wasn't going to hear the end of that so soon, great.

By the time their chat was over, Jet had lost contact with all of his friends. Wave and Rouge were nowhere to be seen, while Storm and Cloud were talking to some of the staff about whatever. It had just dawned on him that he was completely alone in the middle of the party, looking as unoccupied and lonely as ever. Jet immediately started heading towards a bathroom or anywhere he could isolate himself without anybody questioning it.

He was closer to the stairs than any of the seven bathrooms in that floor. That was a blessing in disguise though – he could get a room upstairs and message his friends to come escort him back whenever they were free. If someone asked, he could tell them he was going to the roof like he used to as a kid. It was the perfect plan!

It would have been, if a hand didn't reach out and grabbed his shoulder as soon as he set foot on the first step.

"I didn't take you for the type to own Sonic merch, dear."