THE SEVEN

Act II: THE FALL

Track 12: Home Sweet Home

︎S: Can you talk about what happened before you went to Knothole?

SILVER: [He sighs, looking off at the distance of the room]. Did Blaze…did she tell you? I don't know if it's…my place to say anything. I don't think I should be the one to explain her…

S: She told me.

SILVER: [He smiles for a second, yet the shock is evident. His eyes are filled with hurt and regret, and he swallows]. I, uh – I need some water.

The two walked on the beach at night, letting the ocean breeze waft and dance around them. Blaze had her arms crossed over her coat, breathing a sigh as she watched her breath fold in front of her mouth.

Silver looked nervous, with his head reeling from the recent nights. It had been…distant with the two of them, and he could equate it to the night at the ceremony.

The distance started there, at least.

"It's…beautiful out tonight, huh?" Silver asked, attempting to break the silence. Blaze nodded, a ghost of a smile forming on her face.

"It sure is."

Silver smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Blaze, did I do something wrong?"

She turned to him, cocking an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, did I? It just – it seems like we've got some distance here, and I felt like things were really, really solid with us. Now, I don't know, I'm just confused."

Blaze sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You didn't do anything. I'm sorry, I've just been out of whack. I think things are solid – I'm just in my head."

"About what?"

"Nothing with you, really," Blaze said, "Just doubt and insecurity. It's what it always is. I get like this sometimes and I just have to push through it."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

There it was again.

Blaze always found herself slightly frustrated by Silver's insistence on helping. She didn't think she needed his help, but more importantly, she didn't think he understood her struggles.

BLAZE: Being a woman in a male-controlled industry made you have to work harder to be good, work harder to be pretty, and work harder for validation. I was too talented to be bending my knee to them. I just didn't think Silver understood that. It – it wasn't his fault. I mean, he's a man. It's not – he wouldn't get it. I guess I was frustrated when he thought he could help me by just being there. It was bigger than him. It was bigger than us.

"Silver, look – there isn't anything you can do, alright? It's just the way it is."

"But I do love you and I want to be there."

"I know you do," she replied, "You just can't be there for this one. Not in a way that would magically make it all better, at least."

Suddenly, Silver grabbed her hands, giving them a light squeeze. Their golden eyes crashed into each other, like two exploding stars in a black night sky.

He smiled that same damn warm smile that melted Blaze's heart all those years ago.

"Look, Blaze – I've never felt this way about anyone. Sure, I don't understand everything that faces you. I know that I'll never completely get it. I just want you to feel like you can let me in, even if it's only a little bit. I don't want you to have to face it alone. I love you, Blaze. I see us in twenty years in a big house, with kids running around, and living a lovely life together."

"Silver, that's-"

"It's what I see for us. It's what I want for us."

And Blaze felt her heart crumble when he got down on one knee.

"Silver, what are you doing?"

Her voice came out shaken, her eyes watching in terror as he fished around his jacket pocket, pulling out a small box. She shook her head, and Silver's grip on her hand suddenly felt just a bit icier than usual.

"Blaze, I want a life with you. I want a family with you. I want it all. I'm ready to give it all up for this. You're the light of my life, the stars in my sky, the moon and the sun and the universe to me. I can't picture a future where you're not there. You are everything to me. So, Blaze the Cat, will you marry me?"

She felt every inch of her breaking.

His smile, his eyes, the fur on his muzzle, the way his white quills faded into soft silvers, and the way his winter heart could still warm her inside and out.

God, she couldn't say no. He was perfect for her. He was everything she would ever want.

He was the light of her life the way she was the light of his.

"Silver…"

Silver tilted his head, giving his hand another squeeze. Blaze let out a shaking sigh, closing her eyes tight.

"I can't. I can't marry you."

Silver felt his heart plummet through his chest, all the way down to his gut. His smile fell, and suddenly his golden eyes became darker and duller – giving way to a frown that smashed Blaze's soul to pieces.

"Why? I thought-"

"Silver, you know that was never what I wanted. I never wanted a family. I've never wanted a happy domestic life with happy children and happy friends and – and all of that! I told you all those years ago that I wanted this life. I have this life with you."

He stood up, sighing with a smile.

"We can make it work, okay? I know we can."

Blaze rubbed her eyes, pulling her hand away gently. "Silver, it's not – we both want a different life. You want family. You want kids. You want to live comfortably and peacefully with a big happy life, and a nice happy wife. I want this! I want to travel the world, play music with the people I love, and create until I can't create anymore. How are we supposed to make a marriage work with that?"

Silver sighed, shaking his head with a smile that could shatter Blaze to bits. "I don't know, but we figure it out, right? We can – we can still have a family and do this, right?"

"I'm not quitting the band to raise a child. Are you?"

Silver's smile fell, biting his lip and shaking his head. "No, I – I guess not."

"Silver, I never wanted that life. You knew that."

Silver smiled, gesturing to himself. "You didn't want this either. We're happy, right? I thought we were happy?"

"We are. I am happy – but we have different goals."

Silver sighed, taking the cat's hand in his once again. He gave it a gentle squeeze, giving her a radiant grin. "Can we at least take some time? Can we at least think about all of it?"

Blaze gave him a longing look, biting down on her lip. She didn't need to think about it. She knew what she wanted, and no matter how amazing Silver was, how happy he made her, how much she loved him – there was no one she'd give up this life for.

This life she fought tooth and nail for.

She couldn't. She owed that to herself – just as much as Silver owed it to himself to have the life he wanted.

SILVER: The next day we went home.

BLAZE: [She stares at the floor, shaking her head]. Fucking Knothole.

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎KNOTHOLE, 1978

The band's families and loved ones from home all stood out on the runway, cheering loudly for the band as their private plane had parked. The stairs opened, starting with Shadow as he walked arm-in-arm with Maria, his movie star girlfriend that no one could believe he was dating.

KNUCKLES: It's still fucking crazy.

Knuckles walked with Rouge, the bat squeezing his hand as he took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto his parents.

"You okay?"

"I'm okay. I can do this," Knuckles replied.

"You can do this, Knuckles."

Sonic and Amy were last out, with the pink hedgehog immediately watching Sonic run towards his mother, throwing his arms around her as she laughed and cried.

"Oh, my baby!"

"Hey!" Sonic exclaimed, rocking his mom back and forth. Sally stood with Sonia, holding her hand as she held on tightly to her stuffed animal.

Silver came next, holding his arms out in glee. "Don't forget me, ma!"

"How could I forget you!?" Bernadette exclaimed, opening her other arm, and wrapping Silver tightly inside.

Blaze took Amy's side, squeezing her arm as the pink hedgehog grinned. "Same boat, Amy."

Amy smiled, "Fucking Knothole, huh?"

Rouge sighed, slithering up to the other side of the hedgehog. "Fucking Knothole."

"This is Blaze!" Silver exclaimed, watching as Bernadette gave the cat a massive hug.

"Blaze! What a pleasure! Gosh, you're beautiful!"

Blaze snickered, "You're too kind, ma'am. Your son is incredible."

Silver tensed, yet the compliment made him smile brightly. Sure, the night prior was rough – but that still felt amazing to hear.

Sonic picked up Sonia, bouncing her with a kiss to her head. "My baby!"

Sally snickered, walking up in her cyan dress, and pulling Sonic into a kiss. Amy crossed her arms over her chest, smiling softly as she watched the family interact.

She may have loved Sonic so much, but seeing how safe and grounded Sally made him?

How could she ever try and get between that?

She smiled at the people cheering her name, nodding, and waving. She was deathly uncomfortable, and someone took notice of that.

"Amy Rose!" Bernadette said, holding her hands out with the warmest smile Amy might have ever seen.

She smiled, approaching in her long, denim dress and grabbing Bernadette's hands. "It's such a pleasure, ma'am."

Bernadette wasted no time wrapping Amy into a hug, whose brief look of surprise faded into one more blissful. She chuckled, and yet, Bernadette never let go.

Amy felt the hug last forever, smiling as she rested her head against the purple hedgehog's, smiling softly.

She never had a connection with her own mother, and yet Bernadette made her feel like she was one of her own.

That changed something in her. It possibly broke something too.

︎The welcome home party at Bernadette's was in full effect, with old friends, family, children, and other loved ones running around and enjoying the nice, summer Knothole sun. Silver walked onto the deck with Blaze on his arm, smiling.

"We never used to come to this neighborhood when I was a kid!"

Blaze smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "And now you've bought your mom a house here."

Shadow remembers greeting Bernadette with a hug, squeezing her tight. "Bernie, it's wonderful to see you."

"Oh, Shadow! I've missed you!"

"This is Maria."

Bernadette shook the stars from her eyes. "Obviously, wow, hi!"

Maria smiled, squeezing her hand. "It's a pleasure, ma'am!"

"Wow, I just – I loved you in that movie with Rob'o the Hedge! You were amazing!"

"You're too sweet. Thank you so much," Maria beamed.

"And you're with…Shadow?"

Shadow wheezed in laughter, causing a snicker from Maria.

Sally turned from her old friend, seeing Sonia sitting in Amy's lap on a blanket under an umbrella. She was kicking her feet in giggles as Amy played with her hair, braiding flowers into it.

The sight made Sally's heart leap with joy, watching Amy and Sonia sit together, and Sally couldn't help but join in.

"Hi, Sonia! Is Amy doing your hair?!"

Sonia nodded cheerfully, causing Amy to giggle. She scooted slightly, allowing Sally to sit down next to her. Sonia got up, darting off to Sonic as Amy smiled, giving her a wave.

"She's a beautiful kid," Amy said, sighing.

"Oh, she is…obsessed with you!"

"Really?"

"Every day it's 'I want to look like Amy Rose, I want my hair to look like Amy Rose, I want to sing like Amy Rose!'."

Amy smiled, popping a grape in her mouth as she watched Sonic hoist her into the air, bouncing her in his arms and whispering playful affirmations to her.

Sally shot a look at the ground, a knowing glance landing on Amy as she watched.

"Do you ever…think about it?"

Amy turned to her, a small plaster of surprise on her face. "Think about having kids?"

"Yeah, having kids!"

"Oh, goodness no."

"No?!"

"Yeah, nope!"

Sally chuckled, shaking her head with a smile. "Why?"

Amy sighed, crossing her arms over her lap. "My parents didn't want kids. My mother especially. So, I went from being an accident, to an inconvenience, to an afterthought, and then to what I think is the worst thing of all…"

"Which is what?"

Amy smiled, shrugging. "Competition."

Sally's face fell slightly, scanning Amy's face as a realization began to dawn.

Amy Rose never had an example of love, no. Her example of love was a fight. It was fire, and only fire.

Amy noticed her face falling, popping a grape into her mouth, and looking back at Sonic with Sonia. "But all parents fuck their kids up, so…"

Sally chuckled, "That's true."

"I just don't wanna be responsible for doing that to somebody else."

"Oh, I get it," Sally replied, leaning back on her hands. "That's why you won't. Don't count yourself out so early, Amy. You are all kinds of things you don't even know yet."

Amy sighed, allowing Sally to squeeze her hand. Amy frowned, moving her eyes up to the chipmunk. "Why are you so nice to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just – I feel like you shouldn't be. I feel like, you know, me and Sonic are close, we're always partners on stuff – I feel like you shouldn't be nice to me. I don't know, maybe it's just my mind having doubts and all, but – I don't know. God, I sound stupid – nevermind."

Sally smiled, shaking her head. She grabbed Amy's hand, giving it another squeeze.

"I brought you into this, remember?"

Amy sighed, nodding.

"I've always been your biggest fan, Amy. How could I not be?"

Rouge watched Knuckles approaching her, having just had a conversation with his family. She met his parents, and while they were lovely to her, she could tell the conversation they just had wasn't exactly fun.

He trudged through the backyard, angrily picking at the threads on his waistcoat. She stopped him, rubbing his arm.

"That bad?"

Knuckles grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Knuckles, you can't possibly be making that much. Knuckles, you don't have financial security. Knuckles, you should've been a doctor. Knuckles, you're not good enough. Knuckles, this life of glamor is only going to last so long. Knuckles, you're a fucking fail-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Rouge stopped him, squeezing his arm. "You're not a failure, okay? You're the best damn drummer of all. You're an incredible musician. You aren't what he says."

"I don't know, maybe they're right. I mean, that's what I always heard anyways. It's whatever, I don't even give a shit anymore."

"Knuckles, come on-"

He sighed, rubbing his head as he began to walk off. Rouge tilted her head, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Knux, where are you going?"

"To get a drink."

"You don't need to drink, alright? Just come back."

"It's just one drink."

Rouge sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Just one drink.

Sally was walking up the stairs, smiling and waving at guests. She saw Blaze exiting the house, her smile warming up immediately…until she saw Blaze rubbing tears and her cheeks red and puffy.

"Blaze? What's wrong?"

Blaze wiped a tear, sighing. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Sally shook her head, refusing to take that for an answer. Blaze sighed, her resolve crumbling.

"Silver proposed."

Sally gasped quietly, grabbing Blaze's arms gently as she began to stroke them.

"And…"

"I said no."

"Oh, Blaze," Sally muttered, wrapping her into a hug. She pressed a kiss to the cat's cheek, rubbing her back absentmindedly.

"I just – I love him, but I can't. I don't want – I want this life. Not that life."

"I know."

"I'm so…" Blaze started, sniffling loudly as another sob began to rise, "I'm just so fucking broken about it, Sally."

Sally had never heard Blaze's resolve shatter so fast, her sobs wracking into Sally's dress. She sighed, pressing her nose into Blaze's neck as she let the cat sob, soothing her with whispers of love and the gentlest of touches she could provide.

The best that she could.

︎Sonic and Sally were in bed, looking through the pictures she had taken of Scourge and the Rogues on the beach. Sally leaned her head on his shoulder, the pair pointing out their favorites.

Sonic's smile grew when he came across a picture of Sonia, chasing after birds on the sand.

"Hey, what's this?!"

Sally snickered, "She was chasing flickies on the beach! She just thought it was the funniest thing she'd seen in her entire life."

"Oh gosh, she looks so happy."

"Yeah…she's growing up, huh?"

"Yeah. Too fast."

Sally chuckled, rubbing his head. "I'm so happy with the life we've made, Sonic. I know we weren't ready but…god, I don't regret a second."

Sonic smiled, planting a kiss on her lips. "You know what I don't regret?"

"Hm?"

"Using that corny ass line on you in the laundromat all those years ago."

Sally chuckled, rolling her eyes. "I regret that you used it."

"Hey, now!"

Sally laughed, climbing on his lap as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "But it lead me here, and I'm happy."

"How happy?" He asked with a smirk, his eyes moving down to her lips.

"Sonic," Sally said in disbelief, "Not in your mother's house!"

"I don't care," Sonic whispered into her ear, eliciting laughter from the chipmunk as he landed on top of her.

Amy could hear the pair laughing through the walls, staring at the ceiling in her bed as the moonlight poured through the window. She sighed, rubbing her eyes and attempting to let her mind drift off.

AMY: I remember that night. It was the first night I felt like I didn't want to take anything. I didn't want alcohol. I didn't want drugs. [She pauses, looking down at her feet]. I knew exactly what I wanted. I just knew it was the one thing I couldn't have.

It was the bands show in their hometown, for most at least, and it was possibly the most electric they had felt.

Even if problems began to brew, this was the moment they waited for.

The crowd was cheering, and the band stood in a circle backstage, listening with smiles to Sonic's speech.

Amy's grin was bright and beaming. She couldn't take her eyes off of him.

And he looked at her the entire time.

"I can't speak for all of you," Sonic said, listening to the roaring crowd, "But I sure as hell wouldn't trade this for anything. Thank you."

Sonic smiled, taking in all the band members' faces, and registering it deep within his mind. This was a moment he never wanted to forget.

"Alright, who 'we playin' for tonight?" Silver asked.

Sonic smirked, winking. "For family. Knothole on three."

They felt the rush. It had been forever since the Knothole chant.

Amy smiled, shaking her head as Sonic returned the grin tenfold. They beamed at each other, allowing their worlds to fade away for a moment.

They all put their hands in, hearing the crowd begin to roar even louder.

"1..2..3."

"KNOTHOLE!"

It was possibly one of the most alive nights the band had. Amy wore denim shorts with a cloak, letting her boots stand tall past her knees. She hugged the microphone, sending flirtatious glances into the crowd. Sonic never stopped smiling, the blood soaking rush of his hometown show flying through his veins.

"You got guilt over me, I got guilt over you.

I don't care how you feel,

Except I told you that I do."

Shadow and Silver stood by each other, their backs to one another as they shredded in complete harmony. Rouge stole a look at Knuckles, who was playing tightly, sure, yet she could tell he was distracted.

The drinks he had before the show didn't exactly help.

"Like a virus, I'm invadin' your mind,

Ready to strike,"

Sally bounced Sonia in her arms as she stood by Sonic and Silver's mother, watching in total glee at the band onstage.

They were Grammy winners. They were number one charters. They were the biggest rock band in the world, playing in a massive arena in their hometown.

Sonic was right – none of them would have traded this for anything.

"So go ahead, have guilt over me,

But I'll make it harder for you."

Blaze wailed on her keyboards, watching in a soft smile as Shadow and Silver kicked their boots onto the monitors, jamming together at the front of the stage. Amy glided to the front in ethereal motion, singing the chorus right to the crowd.

"You got guilt over me, I got guilt over you!"

Amy sauntered over to Sonic, holding the microphone in her hand. Sonic gave her what was quite possibly the biggest smile she had seen on him.

He was living his best life, and that made her heart fill with joy.

She leaned her head and back on his shoulder and side, holding the microphone to her mouth as she sang along with him. The joy was impenetrable – something they hadn't felt as a band in a while.

When the song ended, the cheer was uproarious. It was the moment that it all clicked for them.

Back where it started as the biggest band in the world.

"Thank you, Knothole!" Sonic yelled into the microphone, earning screams of delight. The band gathered at the front of the stage, locking arms together, and took a bow that shook the stadium to its knees.

When the band made it to the wings, Sonic and Amy watched with a smile as Silver, Shadow, and Knuckles shared a beer, basking in the celebration. He smiled, watching the trio jumping in delight.

Blaze and Rouge couldn't help but share in it.

When Tails approached with Sonic's guitar, he was shocked when the hedgehog roped him into a hug.

"Oh! Hey!" Tails said between hurried breaths, and Sonic snickered.

"Tails, you fucking bastard – you changed our sound forever. I just wanted to thank you."

Tails smiled, letting Sonic ruffle his hairs. "All in a day's work."

Amy stood by the wings, watching as the crowd continued to scream for one more. She sighed yet felt utterly more at peace when Sonic approached her. She turned, tilting her head as he threw the guitar around his frame.

"Ready?"

"To sing with you?"

"To sing with me, duh."

Amy chuckled. "I'm always ready for that."

When the duo walked on stage, the crowd roared, chanting Amy and Sonic's names like a prayer. Amy smiled, approaching her microphone and watching as Sonic got prepared on his own.

Sonic gave her a bright smile, beginning to strum lightly to the song. Amy shook her head with a grin, utterly losing herself in the way he looked at her.

There was nothing but joy.

Nothing but love.

Amy sighed, lifting into the microphone to sing, yet never leaving Sonic's eyes.

He never left her's.

"The world blows right open,

At the heart of everything I've lost."

SHADOW: That was usually my song with Ames, but Sonic asked if he could do it with her that night. Honestly, I didn't care. Why would I? The connection between them was something you never see in this world. They were getting along. They were happy around each other. How could I take that from them?

"You know, I think I saw my old algebra teacher!" Silver began, holding on excitedly to Blaze, who only stared at the ground nervously. "He told me I wouldn't amount to shit!"

Blaze nodded, her eyes falling quietly. Silver noticed this, tilting his head.

"Are you okay?"

"I think I'm just tired," Blaze muttered, pausing and listening to Sonic and Amy on stage, "Would you be mad if I stayed at the hotel tonight?"

Silver smiled, shaking his head. "Of course, not. Do you – do you want me to come with you?"

Blaze chuckled, shaking her head, "No – no. You stay with your mom. I just need some rest."

"Yeah, okay! Whatever you need!" Silver said, bending down to press a kiss to Blaze's forehead. She turned to watch him skip away, touching the spot he kissed sadly.

How could she break something so pure like him?

Break someone that loved her so much?

"It wakes up in the morning,

And it blows the night into the void,"

SONIC: There's the right thing to do, and then there's the right thing to do for yourself. The problem is they're typically never the same thing.

"This was never any cause for alarm,

It never had another path but an agonizing death,

But I don't mind,

You made me feel alive in the last night,"

Knuckles slammed down the beer, holding his head in agony. Rouge approached behind him, concern on her features.

"Knuckles, come on," she whispered, "Let's stop, okay? Just – come back. We'll have a good night just us in bed, okay?"

Knuckles sighed, shaking his head. "I – I just need to be alone tonight."

"Knuckles…"

He turned to her, grabbing her hands. "It's fine. I'll be fine. I know you're out there if I need you. I just – I thought I could handle it."

"It's okay, Knuckles," Rouge said, stroking his cheek, "It's going to be okay. You're amazing, alright? You can't always let them break that spirit of yours."

Knuckles sighed, smiling softly. It broke her heart.

"It's been broken for so long, Rouge."

Rouge was about to say something, yet she watched the echidna swipe the bottle and press a kiss to her head, before walking away.

He looked broken.

How hadn't she been able to see it so far?

"You know the days are going away,

You know you're only holdin' on,

To a feeling of serenity from yesterday,"

Espio made a smoothie, putting his head in his hands as Tikal stroked his back.

"You got this, Esp. It's new, but you're always good at new, right?"

He sighed, tying the robe around his frame. "I gotta be. I'm not ready to leave you behind yet."

Tikal smiled, kissing his head as they looked out the large window. "Good. I'm not ready to be in a world without you yet, either."

"It seems you have a choice to make,

It seems the shelf is yours to break,

Either way, it all ends well,

With a promise I know I can't keep,"

Sally was in Blaze's hotel room that night, stroking her back as she laid her lilac head on her shoulder. The tears had been coming all night.

She sighed, rubbing Blaze's head gently as the cat smiled, sniffling away another bout of tears.

"You've got a choice to make, Blaze. I'm gonna be here with you the entire way, alright?"

"How can I hurt him? I can't – I can't bring myself to hurt him."

"He loves you no matter what. You'll do what's right. Your heart has the answer. Just listen to it. It'll never lead you wrong."

"I'm nowhere near you,

You're a planet away,

Feeling our heart's tearing apart,

Gently, destroyin' me."

Tangle packs her last bag, leaning against the doorway of Whisper's apartment with tears streaking her face.

The record label didn't want any rumors. It was for the best, right?

Still, she can't quite bring herself to look the wolf right in the eye. It breaks her heart every time.

Yet, she grabs her back, smiling softly as she leaves.

Whisper turns to the wall, biting her lip with closed eyes as a tear finally lets itself cascade down her muzzle.

"The heart beats softly, the end comes home,

It's always how it ends for you and I,"

Knuckles sits on the back porch, swigging down yet another drink.

He burps quietly, looking at the moon through hazing eyes.

You're not a success, Knuckles.

You've always been a clown.

A knucklehead.

No matter how much you win, and no matter what you achieve – that's where it is. That's where you'll always be.

When Julie-su approaches with another box of beers, Knuckles sighs, wiping his mouth.

He knows Rouge is out there for him, but does she understand?

This is the only way it ends for him.

"The heart beats it's last so gently,

It's always for love,

Us versus us."

"Here we go, 29 across, Blank and Fro," Amy says, pointing at the crossword.

"To and Fro," Sonic says, scowling.

"Great, you got one, dumbass."

Sonic laughed, watching Amy jot the answer in the blanks. She shakes her head with a chuckle, blinking her eyes as she turns to meet Sonic's gaze.

"What?" Sonic asks with a smirk.

"I just had a vision, like a vision of us 20 years from now."

Sonic crossed his arms, "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Sonic laughed, smiling as he watched Amy jotting words into the puzzle. "How'd I look?"

"Like shit."

Sonic howled in laughter, shaking his head in utter disbelief. "Thank you. Wow."

Amy smirked, keeping her eyes on the puzzle. Sonic looked down at her, cocking an eyebrow with a grin.

"And what were we doing?"

"Just this. Just laughing and being silly."

Sonic snickered, watching as Amy sat up, leaning against the couch in her long, floral kimono. Sonic played with the ends of his tank top, smiling as he began to ponder the feature.

"Well, I think we will be together in twenty years."

Amy smiled, nodding as he immediately began to see her mind processing. Sonic swallowed, stealing a look at the door.

"You know – writing songs and playing stadium shows. Sold-out crowds."

Then Amy's impulse went right into overdrive. "What if we were together in twenty years? Or…now?"

Sonic's face immediately fell, feeling his body tense up. Amy studied him, seeing the hedgehog biting his lip nervously, averting his gaze from hers. She sighed, grabbing the book of puzzles, and closing it, shaking her head.

"I – I shouldn't have said that," Amy started with a smile, beginning to hobble from her seat.

"No, I-"

"No, it's okay, I'm gonna go start packing."

"No, Amy," Sonic said sternly, stopping Amy from her tracks. She scratched her temples nervously, feeling the hot rush of embarrassment creeping in her veins. She turned to Sonic, swallowing as he stood up, the distance between them closing.

He sighed, pursing his lips as he studied her face, seeing her heart breaking in real time. There were tears in her eyes, and though it was no indication she might break down, he could see the pain.

All of it.

"Look, I – I know this is real. You're not crazy. I feel it. But…I'm never gonna leave Sally. I – I can't. I know I'll only wind up dead if I do. She's…the love of my life."

Amy nodded, avoiding her eyes from his. She ignored the tears gathering in her eyes like waves, crashing about the corners of her gaze.

"This-" Sonic started, "This is what we're supposed to be. We play together, we feel whatever we need to feel together. We write! The highs, the lows, we – we write ten more albums, we, I mean, just-"

Sonic stopped, his eyes falling to the ground. Amy's head hung just as low, biting her lip as she listened to Sonic's breathing. For once, she said nothing.

She let him speak.

She let him feel whatever he needed to feel.

"We could – we could do so much with our gifts. Our talents. The two of us, just – just connecting the dots of what destroys us and making art from it. Isn't that enough?"

Amy closed her eyes, biting her lip as he talked. What burned between them had rarely burned as bright as it did right then in that back room of his mother's house. It was brutal, it was devastating, and it was beautiful.

The invisible string that tethered them together. Sonic never believed in fate until he met Amy Rose.

She made him believe it was real. It was all real.

Everything they burned together was real.

It's what made it so much harder to close the window on it. Sonic would never leave. He would never be disloyal to Sally again. He made that promise to himself, because without her, he knew he'd burn into nothing.

Amy knew that too, and it never made the destruction of her heart in more pain.

Then the sound of a door closing broke them from their trance. Sonic turned, watching as Sally walked by, giving them a smile and a wave. Sonic sighed, smiling as he followed Sally's trail. Amy rubbed her neck, closing her eyes and letting the sound of the world drift away.

If she tried hard enough, she could ignore the sound of her heart cracking into pieces.

"Wheels up in two minutes!" Vector exclaimed, with him and Mighty descending the stairs of the private jet as security tailed around it. The pair watched the band all saying goodbye to their families, a wave of sadness washing over them all.

Shadow watched from the plane as Maria blew him a kiss goodbye, off to shoot a movie. He smiled, resting his head on the window.

Felt good to have a normal relationship.

Silver looked at Shadow, smiling. "I like her, man. She's cool. She'll make a good addition to this big 'ol family."

"I'm gonna marry that woman," Shadow said, a doping smile on his face.

Blaze sat by Silver, who shot her an anxious look. Blaze turned to him, smiling softly.

"Did you get some good sleep?"

Blaze nodded, laying her body against his. Silver wrapped his arm around hers, letting the warmth of her fur burn into him.

Rouge turned to Knuckles, who stared out of the plane window in deep thought. She sighed, raising an eyebrow.

"How much did you drink last night?"

"I don't know."

"Knuckles," Rouge started, "I need to know that you're going to be okay. This can't keep going on like this."

"It's fine," Knuckles said, "I'll be fine."

It didn't ease Rouge's worries anymore, but the way that Knuckles never met her eyes again, she knew that there may not be a way back for him.

Sonic had Sonia on his lap, the pair playing go-fish with a deck of cards. Sonic joked with his daughter sweetly, whispering jokes into her ear as they played through the deck.

Sally stared out the plane window in deep thought, clenching her jaw tight. She sighed quietly, yet never moved a single muscle. Sonic could sense something radiating off of her energy, and it was something he hadn't quite felt from her before.

It wasn't anger. It wasn't sadness.

It was unease.

"Hey," Sonic started, yet this didn't earn Sally's attention. He bobbed Sonia up and down, tilting his head to try and get a read on her.

"Hey," Sonic said again, earning Sally's gaze. He gave her a soft smile, furrowing his brow.

"Are you okay?"

Sally smiled, nodding. He sighed, nodding right back at his wife.

"I love you."

"I know."

She reached her hand out, allowing Sonic to grab onto hers. They held each other tight, a squeeze and a bond that could not have gone unbroken.

Amy watched in sadness, feeling her heart plummet to her stomach. She pursed her lips, opting to take a long look out of the window.

Sally stood in the doorway of Sonic's mother's house, watching Sonic and Amy talk in the back room. Her mouth was dry, and her eyes were dull, with her brow furrowing in anxious confusion.

They were standing close, and their heads were hung low. Their eyes were closed.

While she could never know what they were talking about, it made her stomach turn in loops. The anxiety gnawed at her mind.

Lowering her head, she closed the door behind her, watching as Sonic's head whipped up to the door.

When Vector and Mighty climbed aboard, followed by Tails and Cosmo, the engines began to whir.

Vector sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Next stop – Westopolis Arena in Central City."

Blaze bit her lip.

Rouge watched Knuckles gaze from the window.

Sally didn't move a muscle.

Sonic turned back to Amy, and she could only give him a ghost of a smile.

Next stop – Westopolis Arena in Central City.

October 10th, 1978.