'What's he doing here?' Knuckles spat at the female echidna before Tails pulled him back.
'Nice to see you too, Knuckles.' Eggman smirked.
'He came to me yesterday with his form of the antidote for me to examine.' Tikal said back, glaring at her male twin.
'And?' Tails asked curiously.
'It would work, if it was strong enough.'
'Strong enough?' Amy's voice shook.
'I have tested it, but I need to mix it with my own antidote.' Tikal said as she brought a jar filled with green fluid in it.
Tikal took the vile from Eggman's hands and poured it in with her own. Nothing special happened, until she tipped the mixture into another bowl and began grinding up a root plant into the fowl smelling mixture. Everyone covered their muzzles and grimaced at the stench. They suddenly stopped when a dark green/blue cloud of smoke began to glow above the bowl.
'What the hell?' Rouge stammered.
'What's it doing?' Cosmo asked.
'Settling, she'll be able to take it in a few minutes.' Tikal said as she threw the remains of the root away.
'Take it?' Sonic chirped up.
'Yes, she needs to drink it.'
'Well, how else did you expect her to have it?' Eggman asked.
'You aren't really going to make her drink that concoction?!'
'Do you want to wake her up or not?'
'Of course I do, but-'
'I told you that this was a one-time thing, pest! I made the antidote, I came here to help, take it or leave it!' Eggman spat, leaving everyone stunned.
Sonic bowed his head before looking over to Knuckles, Tails and Shadow. They gave him a reassuring nod, to let him know they were no his side, no matter his decision. Sonic then looked over to Amy, Cosmo and Rouge who had their eyes glued on him. Amy gave him a hint of a smile before turning back to Cream and continued to fight back the tears. Sonic then turned back to his arch enemy and nodded.
'Alright, now any questions?' Tikal asked.
'Why was it necessary to make to antidotes? What made neither one strong enough alone?' Tails asked.
'Well, technically they both would have worked but she wouldn't have woken up straight away.' Tikal answered.
'What's wrong with that?'
'Odds are she wouldn't have woken up for at least a few months, maybe even years. There was no guarantee she would have woken up even in this century. Plus, because she is only sleeping, she would have continued to age. Her life would have just… passed her by.' Tikal shrugged sadly.
'So combining the two means she'll come back now, right?' Amy piped up.
'Uh, more than likely.' Tikal said with brutal honesty.
'Look on the bright side, if you guys got here a day later then this would have all been pointless.' Eggman said, trying to lighten the mood.
'What?' Knuckles questioned.
'You didn't tell them, Sonic?' Eggman turned to the blue hedgehog with an evil smile.
'Tell us what?!' Amy spat.
'It wasn't my intentions, but this is killing little Cream her. Deteriorating her body by the second. I contacted Sonic last night, I thought he would have told you all.'
Amy turned around to face her hero who was bowing his head in shame. She walked up to him cautiously before staring at him for long enough to burn a hole into his forehead, finally making him make eye contact with her angry face. The others watch on with sad and concerned expressions, waiting for the next move.
'How could you not tell me? Not tell us?' Amy asked silently.
'I didn't want you to worry. I was confident this would be over before you ever had to find out.' Sonic replied.
'My sister is on her death bed and you didn't feel the need to tell us?'
'Well, when you put it like that-'
'I hate you.' Amy cut him off.
Everyone gasped as the vicious words escaped the pink hedgehog's mouth, hitting Sonic like poison. Sonic looked into her watery, hateful eyes, regretting his actions. Including not kissing her last night. Amy turned around and walked over to Cream's side before holding her hand and looking up to Tikal and Eggman, with the most serious expression she had ever conjured.
'Do it, now.' Amy said bluntly.
Tikal and Eggman exchanged looks before Tikal brought over the bowl of brew to revive Cream. Amy used every fibre of her being to pray that this would work. Cream couldn't leave them, it was Cream? Vanilla would lose her mind, literally. Cream is her entire world. Tikal asked the pink hedgehog to tip Creams head up so she could pour the elixir down her throat. Seconds later, it was all over.
They waited… and waited… and waited… Amy and Cosmo sat by the little rabbit's side and held her hands. The boys paced and sat around while Rouge and Tikal walked Eggman too his hovercraft. He said he had done his part and he really had tried. Everyone agreed and bid him goodbye, Rouge even thanked him in her own way before he left. When she and Tikal came back in, Shadow was leaning against the wall next to where Tails was sitting and covering his face. Sonic was pacing, eyes glued to Amy who was finally allowing the tears roll down her cheeks, as was Cosmo. Knuckles walked up to the ivory bat and gave her a lop-sided smile as he stood next to her.
'Maybe you should take her home, her mother-'
'No. She will wake up any second now.' Amy cut Tikal off.
'Yes, we must wait. She'll be up and making flower crowns once again in the next five minutes.' Cosmo smiled at the thought.
Tikal exchanged a look with Rouge and Knuckles before shaking it off. Silence fell back over the room as they waited for Cream to wake up. Half an hour later, everyone was resting on the ground except Sonic who was leaning against the wall. Even Amy and Cosmo had their heads resting on Cream's chest where she lay. They were beginning to give up hope too, but they weren't ready to admit it yet. Amy closed her eyes, only seconds before she felt her head begin to rise and fall… rise and fall… rise and fall…
Amy's eyes shot open before she looked up at Cosmo who must have felt it too. They stared at each other before looking down at Cream, whose fur was now the vibrant colour it had been before. Cosmo shook her head a few times to make sure she was seeing things clearly, Amy rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
'Oh my, God.' Amy whispered.
'Cream?' Cosmo whispered, causing everyone to turn and look at them.
The rabbit's eyes began to twitch a little, causing the two girl's above her hearts to stop beating. They both called out her name again in sync before after a few seconds she sleepily opened her eyes and let out a huge yawn, stretching her arms. Everyone stood up and looked over in shock and suspense, were they seeing things too?
'Good morning, Amy. Morning, Cosmo.' Cream said with a sleepy smile.
'CREAM!' The two exclaimed before tackling her in a hug.
The small rabbit smiled lazily as she tried to hug them back, noticing the tears on their faces. She looked around to find everyone else standing around, who of course, she would bid good morning just as politely as always.
'Why are you crying?' She asked.
'We're so happy to see you!' Amy cried.
'It feels like we haven't seen you in so long!' Cosmo added.
'Well, I saw you yesterday and the day before that?' Cream said with a goofy smile.
Everyone looked at each other, more confused than ever, before looking at Tikal for an answer. She stepped away from Cream before explaining the likeliness of the incident leaving her memory was higher than probable. She suggested for them to just let her believe what she wanted, and maybe when she was older, fill her in.
Cream was introduced to Tikal and shown the tomb, being told they were just taking a short trip to visit an old friend of Sonic and Knuckles'. Cream tried to sit up but complained of pain radiated everywhere and sickness in her tummy. Another thing Tikal said was normal. Everyone said their goodbyes and thank yous to Tikal before making their way back to the Tornado, finally.
Knuckles carried Cream, who dozed off in his arms, freaking everyone out. She woke up again when they made it back to the Tornado when Tails told her they had a surprise for her, something they knew she would definitely want to see. So, once everyone climbed aboard, and Cream lay down in her seat, Tails lift the ship into the skies and over the rainforest's canopy.
'Oh my, gosh! Look at that tree!' Cream exclaimed as she pointed to the gold chaos tree.
'Look at that, it's so beautiful!' She would exclaim again when they came past the next tree.
She continued to shout with glee, causing everyone to smile and laugh with her at the beauty of the flowers on the tree. Sonic asked her through the Tornado's communicator if she wanted him to pick her some, but she declined. She said they were too beautiful to pull from the tree, and that they needed to stay there.
'So, pal, how do you suggest getting back home quickly?' Sonic piped up.
'Now that Cream is awake, you're all going to have to cram inside so I can engage a new feature.' Tails said, rubbing his hands together.
'What feature?' Knuckles said nervously.
'Just squish in!' Tails exclaimed happily as he opened the top of the ship.
Everyone squished in, shoulder to shoulder, sitting on each other's laps before Tails closed the top again. He smirked as he tried to hide his excitement, making the rest of the gang grow more and more curious about what this new feature of his was.
'X-Tornado Warp Drive! GO!' Tails exclaimed.
'WHAT?!'
It didn't take long before Tails had gotten the Tornado and the entire gang back safely to the front of Sonic and his humble abode. He landed the plane and allowed everyone to get out before he put it away and allowed his precious baby to rest. Everyone except him and Sonic were a little shaken up.
'A little warning wouldn't have gone astray, Tails?!' Knuckles exclaimed.
'Next time we have to do that, more seats are going in.' Rouge said as she crack her back and flexed her wings.
'There better not be a next time.' Shadow huffed.
'I'm hungry. How about I make some chilli dogs for us all?' Cream smiled casually, this statement making Sonic's ears prick up.
'I've missed you, Cream!' Sonic exclaimed as he lift her up bridal style and hugged her.
'I've missed you too, Sonic! I don't know where either of us went, though?' Cream smiled before Sonic carried her inside.
Everyone followed behind through the garage, looking forward to Cream's chilli dogs. Usually Sonic was the only one to eat those god awful things, but when Cream made them, it was like God had crafted them with his own hands.
'You coming, kiddo?' Rouge asked as she noticed Amy still standing outside.
'Yeah, I'll catch up.' She replied bluntly.
'You'll have to face him eventually.' Rouge said after walking up to Amy, realizing what was wrong.
'I know, and I've made things even worse now than what they were.'
'Did you mean it?'
'What? No! I could never hate him! I was scared and sad and… I just want to fix it.' Amy stammered.
'Then come inside, help Cream make a meal and talk to him.'
Amy nodded before turning on her heel to follow the ivory bat through the garage, up the stairs and into the house. She was right, all she could do was talk it out. She had messed up the original awkward screw-up, it was up to her to do something. The real question was, how?