"The next stop is: Station Square, Central Station."
Ruby eyes slowly opened at the sound of the train's smooth, automated message.
Shadow could dimly hear passengers conversing around him. He glanced outside his window and noticed numerous tall buildings and stores whizzing by as the city came closer into view.
He drowsily lifted his head from where it'd been resting on his duffel bag - currently sandwiched between himself and the window - and grimaced as he sat up and yawned. Every inch of him felt stiff.
Not surprising, considering how exhausted he was.
After five years serving under G.U.N in the recent war, he was returning home to start college. It had been nonstop movement for him since being discharged.
After completing all his affairs, Shadow had taken a bus from their headquarters in Chun-Nan to the main city, another bus to the airport and a straight eighteen-hour flight to Metropolis. Then he'd gotten on the first available train headed to Station Square.
With classes starting in just a few weeks, he needed time to get settled. Rouge, being the good friend she was, had been gracious enough to offer him her couch until he had a place. But given that it was the middle of the semester when he'd started looking, it had been especially hard. Everything, even the grad school dorms' temporary sleep rooms, was mostly full.
Fortunately, he'd managed to find a house slightly off campus Three people, and as of recently, four lived there now. All he needed to do was meet with them and sign the lease.
As someone who preferred keeping to himself, Shadow was not exactly thrilled about this.
But he didn't have much of a choice. What little money he had was only enough for living expenses while financial aid did the rest. Most decent apartments in the city were near impossible to afford on his own and he was sure he wanted nothing to do with freshman dorms.
But this house's rent was affordable, and the location was good; better to go with what he was getting. The guy he'd talked with had also sworn up and down that they were not a fraternity, which was promising.
As long as they were an overall decent crowd, hopefully he would manage for now. He'd been in worse company before, anyway.
"This is: Station Square, Central Station. Please exit carefully."
Shadow was pulled out of his thoughts as the familiar sight of the train station came into view.
He stood up and slung the duffel bag over his shoulder, quickly giving his seat a once over. After he was sure he hadn't forgotten anything, he made his way out and stepped onto the platform.
Shadow took in the bustling station. The excited chatter around him, the smooth tone of the PA stating when the next train was leaving, noisy rush hour traffic from outside and the various billboards advertising the city attractions - it was like he'd never left.
Well, I've done it. I've come home.
Tails was dragging his feet as he headed into the kitchen. There was a dull ache in his head and his eyes struggled to stay open as he went straight for the coffee machine. Spending late nights on assignments and passion projects was nothing new to him and he normally didn't mind.
Key word: passion. As in doing things he actually enjoyed.
So long as he had adequate sleep, Tails was a natural early riser. But last night he hadn't gotten much, thanks to a ridiculous paper he'd had to complete for his English class.
The fox let out an irritated sigh at the thought. He was always academically strong, his biggest strengths being Math, Physics and Chemistry. It was what had earned him the gifted program in high school and then an early admission to college. But English? That was an entirely different matter.
His assignment was based on a scene in a fictional novel where a woman, while leaving her husband, had her apron get caught in the bushes and so she took it off and left it there. And Tails had been expected to write a five-page essay explaining why that was important.
The entire thing had exhausted him so much he'd actually slept in today. Kicking back on the couch and catching up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D would've been the perfect way to unwind from all that.
That is if it wasn't already occupied by Amy, who was rewatching Flames of Desire. Again.
"Come back! To me . . . to us!"
Tails groaned inwardly at the cheesy dialogue as he anticipated the scene that would follow. With his eidetic memory and the fact that Amy had watched this movie at least eight times in the past few days, it was only inevitable that he'd start memorizing the dialogue. He could handle it once. Maybe twice. But this? This was too much.
"Rough night?" Silver came to stand next to him, sipping at a mug of green tea.
"Something like that. I freaking hate English. And soap operas."
Silver hummed in agreement. "Which one is she on now?"
"The one with the fire princess and the time traveling hedgehogs."
"Ooh that one." Silver cringed. "The plot was decent enough, but I could've done without the Snow White kiss." He turned to find Tails giving him a strange look and shrugged. "What? It's been played enough times, I know what happens."
"Please don't remind me. Writing that stupid essay all night was all the exposure to symbolism I'd rather have." Tails griped. "I don't get it! I aced my AP classes in high school! Why do I have to do this again?! It's a waste of my mental resources!"
"Yay for general ed requirements." Silver said. "At least it's a free GPA boost?"
"We'll see if you still think so after writing a five page essay about a freaking apron-!"
"Mornin' fellas!" Sonic's cheery voice came from behind them.
"Hey, Sonic." Silver wondered if he should point out that it was actually past noon, but decided against it.
"Speak for yourself," Tails grumbled, still not sure what annoyed him the most - the movie or the essay. But the cause of one of them was right in front of him now.
Sonic raised a brow. "Uhh . . . what, now?"
Suddenly, Tails rounded on him, his bright blue eyes narrowed at the confused hedgehog. "This is your fault, Sonic," he hissed as he pointed in the direction of the couch.
"Huh? What are you- oh." he glanced at where Tails was pointing.
"It has been three straight days of this stupid movie and I'm going crazy!"
"Okay," Sonic let out a long sigh, now understanding the reason for his brother's uncharacteristic outburst. "Look, trust me little bro. I get it." He'd be lying if he wasn't feeling the same himself. After all, he never thought he'd have to wear noise-cancelling earpods because of Amy of all people. They were meant as insurance against 'nighttime guests', not to block out a terrible chick flick. "But you know her. She's always had this weird process she does when she's upset. But once it's over, she'll come around soon enough!"
Their attention briefly shifted to the living room where the movie was at the final scene.
"Our encounter . . . you and I will never meet. It will never have happened."
"I wish Scourge and I never happened." Amy sniffled and reached for another tissue as she snuggled further into her fleece blankets. Several opened chocolate wrappers littered the coffee table as did tissue boxes. "But do I get to blow out a candle that can erase him from existence? Noooo . . ." She drawled.
Sonic turned to find Tails gaping at him. "See?" he attempted lamely. "She's off the ice cream and onto chocolates now. That's . . . progress . . ." Suddenly, an uncertain look crossed his face and he glanced at Silver. "Wait that's progress, right?"
Seeing his unease, Silver just sighed and put his mug down. "I think what Sonic means is that she's going through a lot and by giving her the space to let her feelings out, we're also giving her the support she needs."
"Dude, I wanna help Amy, too. But if I have to hear 'Just smile!' one more time I swear to Chaos-!" Tails' voice was rising with every word and Sonic's eyes widened.
"Whoa, easy!" He jumped back, hands raised in alarm. "Relax! I'll talk to her, okay?"
"Fine." Tails took a deep, calming breath. Then he downed the rest of his coffee and served himself some eggs and bacon, as he tried to shift his focus to planning for the rest of his day. With just a few weeks of summer left, it was time he started creating study guides so he could prepare for finals. Perhaps an afternoon in the Engineering college's library would alleviate his sour mood. "You go talk to her. I'm gonna be at the library for most of the day."
"Yeah, yeah. Sure thing!"
"I just hope things get squared out before Shadow gets here."
Sonic was halfway out the door, when Tails' last words actually clicked and he suddenly froze in place. Then he whipped his head around, bewildered. "Wait, who?!"
Oof, poor Amy. Although it seems the sooner she gets it together, the better. Looks like more than one hedgehog is in for a bit of a surprise! Do they have a history? Find out more in the coming chapters!