Boredom: The Sequel! :: Ch.4; The Renaissance Fair (part 2 of 2)

"GGAAAHHHHHH! LET GO OF MEEEE!"

"Stop struggling, your majesty! You must save your energy for the great battle at hand!"

Sonic grabbed one of Gawain's red dreadlocks, lifting it up to screech into his ear. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, KNUCKLES?! ARE YOU CRAZY!? PUT ME THE (BEEP) DOWN YOU FLIPPIN' (BEEP) JEEZ YOU'RE SUCH A (BEEPBEEPBEEEEP!)"

"THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT, WATCH YOUR TONGUE!" Shadow smacked the blue hedgehog.

"Oww!"

And so Gawain continued through the crowd with the (temporarily) quiet hedgehog over his shoulder and Shadow, Blaze and Tails in tow.

"By the way, so where are we going?" Tails asked after a while.

"The stables, dear blacksmith, to prepare our steeds and suit up!" Gawain gasped as he saw a barn a few yards away. "There it is! WE MUST MAKE HASTE!" He broke into a run.

Shadow, Blaze and Tails exchanged 'wtf' looks before following.

- x -

Upon entering the barn Sonic, Shadow and Blaze were surrounded by more people dressed in Renaissance-wear, shoved into even more armor, thrown onto some horses and then brought out to a large arena. Tails though wasn't in any armor—actually he was given a first aid box and then told to stand on the sidelines. A huge crowd filled the bleachers surrounding them, chatting and waiting in excitement!

Blaze eyed the horse reins in her left hand and the rapier in her right. She looked at Shadow helplessly. "What's going on?"

"H-Huh?!"

The cat eyed him as he fidgeted above his horse. "Uh… are you okay?"

"What?! I'm fine! What makes you think I'm not fine—" Then Shadow screeched as his horse sneezed, clutching to it like his life depended on it. "OHGODI'MGOINGTODIE!"

Blaze stared.

Shadow eyed her. "I, I mean...!" He smacked his horse. "STOP THAT!"

Then in response to his smack, his steed burst off galloping.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sonic cackled beside them. "Shad's scared of horses."

"Wow, I couldn't tell."

"Guess they didn't have horses up in space!"

Blaze paused. "Space? What does space have to do with anything—"

"AAAHHH SOMEONE GET ME OFF THIS THIINNNGGG!" Shadow screeched as he sped past them.

"Welcome, welcome one and all!" came the announcer's voice from the speakers as he walked to the middle of the arena. He reached over just as Shadow sped by again, catching the horse's reins and helping him stop. The hedgehog breathed out a sigh of relief. "Welcome to the Grand Arena, where today's epic battle is just around the corner!"

"WOOHOO ALL RIIIIIIGHT! GO GUYS GOOOOO!"

Tails turned around at the familiar voice, seeing the white bat sitting in the bleachers. "Wha-Rouge!?"

She flashed a peace sign. "Wazzaaaap! I didn't know you guys were in this show!"

"Yeah, me either..."

Blaze gasped as she suddenly realized what was happening. She turned to the two hedgehogs. "You guys! Why are we in a show?!"

Shadow looked around, disoriented. "What show?"

Sonic looked down at his armor and the horse he was sitting on. "... Well, that explains a lot." He turned to the echidna. "Knuckles, what the hell are you doing putting us in a show?!"

Gawain sitting atop his own horse just raised an eyebrow at him. "I apologize your majesty, but I know not why you insist on using the names of the joints of the fingers and toes to speak to me."

The hedgehog gave him a huge 'wtf' look. He opened his mouth to retort but the announcer interrupted him. "Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce our brave combatants of the evening— foremost, the beloved Knights of the Round Table! First up is the tough, the proud, Sir Gawain!"

The crowd cheered. "YAAAAY WOO ASKJDLKFNLVJLDSHFJLHF!"

Gawain led his horse to the front of the corral, waving grandly to the audience. "Oh ho ho! You are all too kind! Please! My goodness, me!"

"Next up, the charming and pure, Sir Percival!"

Blaze paused for a moment, then sighed. Oh well—she was in this thing, she might as well go along with it. Somehow the cat led her horse to the front of the corral and she waved a little, smiling shyly.

"AAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" a group of excited fangirls shrieked, all trying to clamber over the corral. Some security people came by and tackled them down. Blaze sweatdropped and backed away.

"And then there's Lancelot," the announcer finished quick.

Somehow Shadow moved his horse to the front too. He paused for a moment before raising his hand in greeting. "Er. Hi."

The audience was silent. A baby threw up.

Rouge and Tails began cracking up. Shadow's eye twitched.

"And last but not least, the noble and brave, King Arthuuuuuur!"

"LIKE, YAAAAAAAAY!" the audience screamed.

Sonic's horse went up to the audience and bowed. Sonic sweatdropped and just waved.

"Now that our protagonists have been introduced, it's time for... the Black Knight! Show yourself!"

Everyone looked to the side of the coral. Slowly the curtains slid open and a large man wearing dark gold armor outlined in red, a magenta cape and holding a gigantic sword came out atop a dark horse. The audience started 'boo'-ing upon seeing him. He gave them the finger.

"Wait a sec, the Black Knight? But he's not black," Blaze pointed at the armor.

"Maybe he's black... under," Shadow muttered.

"His horse is black?" Sonic tried.

The announcer shoved his way between them. "Well! Let's not stall any longer—let the battle begiiiiiin!"

Immediately Gawain charged forward, swinging his blades in the air. "You fiend! TAKE THIIIIIIS!"

All at once he swung at the Black Knight. But his swing was easily deflected and the Black Knight elbowed his side, making the echidna fall off his horse. Then Gawain just rolled away and lied there, unconscious.

Shadow, Sonic and Blaze gaped.

The Black Knight pointed his sword at them and smirked.

The three exchanged nervous looks. "... Uh..."

The knight charged at them. "HAAAAHHH!"

Sonic threw his hands up. "RUN AWAAAAAY!"

Blaze and Shadow screamed, doing so. The audience cheered.

- x -

Meanwhile at the archery range (still)...

"Erm, Silver? I think that's enough..."

"NO! LET ME TRY ONE MORE TIME!"

"NO REALLY, IT'S ENOUGH!" Tikal finally stepped in and grabbed the hedgehog, dragging him and his sweaty self away from the range.

Amy waved at the lady working there. "Thanks!"

"Teehee, oh nooo, thank you!" she cackled as she counted her money. She must have made hundreds thanks to that crazy dude!

"Look Silver," the orange echidna started as she let go of him. She 'ugh'-ed at how some of his sweat got on her. "Yuck..."

Silver sweatdropped, taking off his helmet for some air. "Er... sorry?"

"It's okay. But yeah, I understand wanting to win, but when you see you're running out of money in your wallet I think that's a sign that you should quit!"

"I know, I know... sorry again Tikal."

"Repeat after me. I will control my urges."

"I will control my urges."

"I will not keep chasing after the impossible."

"I will not keep chasing after the impossible."

"I am a loser."

"I am a los—hey!"

"AHAHHHAA! LOSEERR MWAAHAHAHAH!" Amy cracked up like an idiot while pointing at Silver. The hedgehog covered his head.

And the three continued on through the fair.

- x -

Meanwhile, at the epic battle...

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sonic screamed as he just kept leading his horse around the perimeter of the arena.

The Black Knight was right on his heels, waving his sword threateningly. "YOU CANNOT RUN FOREVER, KING ARTHUR!"

"JUST WATCH ME!" Sonic's eye twitched. He looked at Shadow and Blaze who were parked in the middle of the stage not doing anything. "HEY YOU TWO! AREN'T YOU LIKE MY KNIGHTS OR WHATEVER!? DO SOMETHING!"

Blaze's horse paced to and fro. "Uh, uh, uh…!" She looked around herself, shuffling in the saddling bag and oh-ing as she found a ninja star. … She paused. "Isn't this prop from the wrong era? From the wrong country, even—"

"JUST THROW IT HURRYYYY!" Sonic yelled. He squeaked as the Black Knight got too close and swung, almost cutting his head off. "EEP! LAWD ALMIGHTY, THAT'S A REAL SWORD!"

The purple cat nodded, throwing the ninja star. It just bounced off the knight's armor.

She twitched and turned to the announcer. "WHY GIVE ME SOMETHING THAT'S UTTERLY USELESS!?"

"It's called strategy! FIGURE IT OUT!" The announcer turned to the crowd. "Well, well! It seems the Knights of the Round Table are in quite the pinch. Will they ever figure out a strategy? How will they defeat the Black Knight? Who will come out on top?! Find out…"

The blue hedgehog gasped. "Wait! Are you wrapping up the show?!"

"… IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES!"

"…" Sonic yanked his helmet off and just threw it at the announcer's head.

"OWCH!" The announcer fell over, unconscious. The crowd cheered. Shadow eyed the crowd, disturbed.

- x -

On the sidelines...

"So am I responsible for the announcer too, orrr…" Tails had a hand on his chin, pondering if he should go out there and retrieve the announcer while everyone chased each other and the horses just jumped over him. "Hmmmmm… nah, he's fine!"

"TAILS!"

The fox turned around at his name, grinning at seeing a familiar red echidna run up. "Yo, 'sup Knuckles!"

Knuckles bent over to catch his breath, placing one hand on his knee while his other arm clutched a bucket the size of his massive head filled with giant turkey legs. "I-I heard Rouge was watching the show! Where is she?!"

"Oh, in the bleachers."

"Great thanks!" Knuckles ran off.

"Third row!" Tails yelled after him, then turned around again.

His eyes automatically went to an unconscious, armored echidna lying face down in the middle of the corral.

A pause.

Tails turned around again. "WAIT A SEC—?!"

- x -

"Rouge! Rouge, I'm so sorry!" Knuckles babbled as he made his way through a row of people. "Excuse me, excuse me, coming through, make way please… UGH, EW!" He twitched as the baby from earlier threw up again, this time directly on him. He held up his bucket protectively, sighed in relief when it wasn't affected, used the mom's jacket to wipe it off ("HEY!"), and continued down the row until he saw Rouge who was screaming and shaking her fist at the stage.

"Gahh, he's just lying there! Why isn't anyone helping him?!" Rouge coughed, glancing at a certain fox. "AHEM, anyone, aka TAILS!"

"WHOOPS!" Tails forgot about his confusion and ducked between everyone to drag Gawain out of the corral.

The bat put a hand to her forehead. "Jeez…!"

"Rougeee!" Knuckles finally reached the bat, making room for himself beside her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry for ditching you the whole day. It was a long wait but it was worth it, I mean look at all these turkey legs! I even got the biggest size they had! So I should be good 'til the end of the day." He thought about it. "… Hehe, or at least 'til the end of the show—"

"KNUCKLES WOULD YOU SHUT UP, I'M BUSY WATCHING KNUCKLES GET HIS ASS KICKED!" Rouge twitched.

… Then she did a double take.

The same red fur... definitely those violet eyes… that white crescent-shaped patch of fur on his chest. Her gaze moved to the turkey leg bucket.

Her eye twitched. No doubt.

Knuckles felt the gaze, looking over at the bat between mouthfuls.

He held a turkey leg out, albeit a bit hesitantly. "Erm. Do you want one?"

Rouge stared. "If you're Knuckles…" she looked out at the corral. The echidna followed her gaze curiously. "Then, who's…?"

- x -

"Jeez, where did everyone go? No one's answering their phones," Tikal sighed as she looked down at all the calls she made.

"Maybe they went home," Silver muttered.

Amy gasped. "That'd be mean! I mean, everyone's pretty mean, but not THAT mean!"

"I don't know, I wouldn't rule it out," Tikal pondered.

"NO! They have to be around here somewhere! My dear Sonikku would never leave me behind…"

"What about that time in San Francisco?"

"Er, that was just ONE time!"

"How about at Green Hill?"

"Uhh that one was my bad!"

"Then, at ARK? Oh, plus that time at the buffet—OH and at the cruise ship, hahaha! Remember that one, and also at the beach—"

Silver scratched his head as he watched the pink hedgehog tackle the other girl, the two wrestling on the ground.

"Hey! It's the Lady of the Lake!"

Amy squeaked when a couple of squire-like guys came by and picked her up from the fight cloud. "What the—HEY! HANDS OFF, THAT PART'S RESERVED FOR SONIKKU!"

"What're you doing here, m'lady? You're needed at the epic battle!"

She looked up from fidgeting. "What battle?"

But they didn't reply, just heaving her above their heads and marching off. Tikal and Silver scrambled up, following in confusion.

- x -

"AAAAAHHHHH—this is getting real old you know," Sonic sighed as his horse kept running around with no direction.

But getting tired of him the Black Knight turned his horse, eyeing Shadow and Blaze still standing around doing jack sh!t. He whipped a dagger out of his pocket, hacking it at them.

Blaze happened to look that direction, gasping as she saw. "AHH WATCH OUT!"

Shadow twitched as he leaned back, the knife barely missing the front of his face. But a teeny drop of blood formed at the tip of his nose.

The audience gasped. And then they cheered wildly.

The Black Knight also grinned, raising his fist. "The first point is mine!"

Meanwhile Blaze's horse was backing up, the cat herself looking uneasy as a rather dark aura grew around the black and red hedgehog. "Uh… ummm… Shadow…?"

Shadow didn't reply, just reaching into his pocket and slowly withdrawing a large jewel.

Sonic gasped at that, covering his head. Blaze saw him and panicked for a moment before just following suit.

Then Shadow held up the jewel. "Chaos CONTROL!"

- x -

"Wellpz, that was a quick ending," Sonic just grinned as he watched Tails drag off an unconscious, bruised, and severely dented Black Knight out of the arena. He gave a thumbs up at Shadow who just hmph-ed and crossed his arms, which really was all he could do since he was still atop his horse and therefore helpless to do much else.

Though in the bleachers Knuckles had to tilt his head. "Wait a sec if Shadow Chaos Controlled to beat up the Black Knight why did he get back on his horse when time went back to normal I mean he could've just le—" Knuckles gagged as Rouge elbowed him in the stomach.

Meanwhile the audience was cheering wildly, throwing flowers on Blaze (who was still sitting atop her own horse the most confused she's ever been since this story started). The squire guys from earlier ran in heaving Amy above their heads, gasping at the scene. "We're just in time!"

Amy looked around. "What's this?" She saw Sonic and gasped. "SONIC YOU LOOK SO HANDSOME!"

"Thanks."

"Brave Sir Percival! The Lady of the Lake wishes to impart a few words to her champion," the announcer gained consciousness and ran to the corral, gesturing at the guys. The guys went over and dropped Amy in front of Blaze's horse.

Amy blinked up at the armored cat, squinting. "… Wait. Blaze?"

"Hah, yeah," Blaze laughed sheepishly.

"You're Percival? Why are you in the show? You're the champion?!"

"Er, not sure how to answer all of that…"

Meanwhile the announcer shoved a microphone in Amy's hands. The hedgehog fiddled with it. "What do I do with this?!"

"IMPART A FEW WORDS TO YOUR CHAMPION!" The announcer excitedly repeated. The audience leaned forward in anticipation.

Amy looked around uneasily, but cleared her throat. "Um… great job! You were really good. Probably."

The audience stared.

"Uh… um… verily, it is so! (?)"

"Aye!" Tails tried helping from the sidelines.

"AYEEE!" The audience applauded back, erupting into cheers and throwing more flowers on Blaze.

Blaze waved back in sheepishness and confusion. The announcer picked up Amy and threw her on Blaze, the hedgehog awkwardly finding herself held bridal style by the purple cat as the audience's cheers grew louder. And after letting everyone bask for a moment in the spotlight, the stage guys finally came back in and led the horses out of the arena and behind the curtain.

"What a show—I'm not quite sure what happened, but what a show! And quite the turnout!" the announcer grinned as he joined everyone backstage. "We'll definitely be getting that raise we requested! OH I'M SO PROUD OF YOU ALL! WONDERFUL JOB, ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!"

The Black Knight in the corner just raised a thumbs up, then his arm fell limp again.

The announcer eyed him. "Though… you could've taken it a bit more easy on Kevin over there, Percival."

Blaze raised her arms. "Wha—I don't even know what happened out there! One second he was chasing Sonic, the other he was on the ground unconscious!"

"Oh, so modest of you Percy! Now if you'd hurry and get off your horse, there's a ton of fans waiting to get autographs and pictures with you out back—"

"WHOAAAAAA HOLD YER HORSES!" Rouge called as she burst through the curtains, Knuckles in tow. "Literally."

Sonic gasped, pointing at Knuckles. "WHAT! How are you there!"

"It's a blessing from the universe," Knuckles explained patiently.

Sonic almost fell off his horse. "NO! I meant how are you standing there... WHEN YOU'RE LYING THERE?!" He pointed beside the Black Knight.

Gawain was still lying face down on the floor, but perked up as he sensed the stares. He lifted his head. "Ungh? What happened...?"

"GAWAIN! Good knight, you did your best out there," the announcer sobbed, going over and taking Gawain's head in his lap and petting his head.

"But, I lost..."

"Percival has claimed victory for us all. The gods are good and proud."

Gawain reached his hand out. "Percival... I thank you!"

Blaze looked lost for the nth time. She looked back and forth. "Who's the real Knuckles, then?!"

"THE ONE HOLDING THE BUCKET OF TURKEY LEGS, OBVIOUSLY!" Rouge twitched.

"Actually it's an empty bucket now, speaking of that Imma get more before they sell out byeeeee!" Knuckles cackled and ran out of the tent.

Rouge stomped up to the announcer, shoving him aside and grabbing Gawain by the collar. Gawain eep-ed as he was yanked up, face-to-face with a rather angry bat. "You... how dare you take me for a fool!"

"M-My beautiful maiden! I did no such thing!"

"YEAH YOU DID, YOU MADE ME THINK YOU WERE KNUCKLES!"

"I MADE YOU THINK NOTHING! I TOLD YOU MY NAME WAS GAWAIN AND THAT I WAS A KNIGHT OF THE ROUND TABLE!" He pointed at everyone else. "As are my companions! I've been with them for years; ask them, ask them!"

Rouge turned to Sonic, Blaze, and Shadow.

Blaze just shook her head. "Nope. I have no idea who that guy is. ... Still."

"Yeah man, you just dragged us away in the middle of lunch to participate in this battle thing," Sonic sighed, scratching at his quills. "Speaking of I never got to finish my chili dog! You owe me ten bucks!"

"You paid ten bucks for a chili dog!?" Shadow asked, almost offended.

"There is no price tag for greatness."

"Oh Sonikku, you're so wise!" Amy sighed dreamily.

Rouge held up a fist. Gawain squeaked, looking to the pink hedgehog. "L-Lady of the Lake! Please, speak on my behalf!"

Amy looked up from snuggling Sonic's arm. "Hm? Naw I dunno either, I was just hauled here by those squire guys." She pointed.

Gawain looked to the squire guys. They shrugged. "Look at them, they look exactly like the King and the Knights! How were we supposed to know!?"

The announcer sat up. "Wait. So then, if everyone but Gawain aren't the actual actors, then who—"

Everyone was interrupted though as a couple people burst through the tent curtains, heaving and ho-ing like they'd just ran a 10-mile race.

They gasped when a blue hedgehog the spitting image of Sonic raised a hand in apology. "BOSS! SORRY WE'RE LATE!"

"If only ROGER brought his car in last week like he was supposed to, maybe we wouldn't have broke down in the middle of the freeway in rush hour!" Another hedgehog eerily similar to Shadow spat.

The Sonic look-a-like twitched. "Shut up, TED! I'm sorry I wasn't born with supersonic speed so I wouldn't even have to use a car in the first place!"

"Yeah, excuse you for being born!"

"HEY YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

"Guys, guys! Stop!" A purple cat who looked like Blaze got between them.

"Stay out of this, Joseph!"

"Guys, please! We shouldn't fight!" Another pink hedgehog cried.

Seeing her Joseph gasped, clinging onto her arm. "LUCY! WHY WON'T YOU ACCEPT MY LOVE?!"

"HEY, HANDS OFF MY GIRL!" A buff Tails look-a-like shoved him aside.

Gawain though just gasped, scrambling to his feet and running to them. "YOU GUYS! YOU'VE RETURNED—HUGH!" Though he ended up receiving a stray punch to the stomach, falling over.

Buff!Tails gasped, looking down. "Aw crap, sorry Pace! My bad."

Rouge had to scoff. "Wait... Pace? Ugh."

Gawain—okay fine, Pace, just whimpered. "W-what's wrong with 'Pace'...?"

Tails meanwhile was looking at Buff!Tails, head tilted. "Hm, so that's what I'd look like if I worked out, huh... not bad..."

"ANYWAYS, WHATEVER!" Roger shoved Ted away, looking to the announcer. "You can tell these stand-ins to go home! We're here now!"

The announcer shook his head. "Today's show just ended... and that was the last show of the Black Knight season."

Roger gasped. "WHAT!? But the last show always gets the highest pay cut... AND we're two months late with our rent...!"

"Tough cookies!"

"Oh shiz, son! We're getting paid for that?!" Sonic cheered. "Awesooome! Where do we get our moolah?!"

Roger though just turned to him, staring holes into his soul. Ted, Joseph, Lucy, and Buff!Tails did the same.

Sonic blinked, looking. He gulped. "Oh... I mean... sorry?"

Buff!Tails cracked his knuckles.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" Knuckles screamed from a distance—NOT YOU, IDIOT! HIS HAND KNUCKLES! "Oh. Nevermind!"

Blaze covered her head. "Eep, okay! We'll give you your money just please don't hurt us!"

Right at that moment Knuckles came back inside the tent, cradling another gigantic bucket full of turkey legs in his arms. "WOOHOO! Look guys, I got all the turkey legs they had left over—" he gasped when Shadow suddenly snatched the bucket from him. "WHA—!"

"These people need it more than you," Shadow slid the bucket to them with his shoe. "There. We're even."

"YOU THINK A BUCKET OF TURKEY LEGS IS ENOUGH TO PAY FOR OUR RENT?!" Ted exploded.

"No, but you'll need it when you get evicted."

Everyone gasped.

Sonic nudged the dark hedgehog. "SHAD!"

"What? Clearly they lack foresight, why else would they be behind two months rent and with a broken car and wearing those tacky, god-awful clothes—" Shadow dodged a sword thrown at his head.

Joseph, Lucy, Ted and Roger picked up more weapons. Buff!Tails rolled up his sleeves.

And then they charged at the Sonic Crew, screaming like banshees. "UAAAARRGGGGGHHH!"

Shadow, Sonic, Blaze, and Amy squeaked, about-turning and sprinting. Rouge picked up a silently weeping Knuckles and just followed quietly, sighing.

Meanwhile outside the tent, Tikal and Silver were still wandering. Tikal looked up at the tent. "Hey, didn't the guys who kidnapped Amy go towards this thing?"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Sonic yelled as he led everyone else from the tent.

Tikal and Silver saw them, tensing up. "Why—what's happening?! Why're you guys running!—ACK!"

Sonic just picked them up, continuing to run. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"SHADOW! NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR SOME CHAOS CONTROL!" Tails sobbed.

Shadow sighed, taking out the jewel. Blaze blinked, opening her mouth to ask but was cut off as the hedgehog said his two magical words again...

- x -

"Huh? Where'd they go?" Roger stopped mid-run, looking around. The bastards were right in front of them, but then they somehow magically vanished in thin air!

"Let's split up!" Joseph stepped forward. "Ted go to the food court, Lucy to the shooting range, Roger to the—"

But Joseph was cut off as a band of rabid fangirls jumped up. "PERCIVAAAAAL! GIVE US YOUR AUTOGRAPH! TAKE A PICTURE OF US! BE THE FATHER OF OUR BABIEEEESSSS!"

The rest of the 'knights' watched as Joseph's purple paw disappeared into a pool of limbs. They backed away.

"Hey there's the announcer!" Lucy pointed at the announcer trying to sneak by. He squeaked.

Buff!Tails pointed. "GET 'IM!"

"AAAAHHHHH!"

- x -

The next thing Blaze knew she was seated back in the suburban, Amy was asleep on her shoulder, Rouge texting on her phone on the other side, everyone else was knocked out and out of their costumes (including herself?!), and Knuckles was crying silently in the driver's seat as they were on the freeway en route back to the apartment.

"..." Blaze buried her face in her palms.

"You okay?"

"EEK!" She jumped, turning to see Sonic leaning forward from the seat behind her. She shook her head. "Yeah... I mean, no! I just... how did we get here? What happened to those guys we were running from, a-and where did the armor I was wearing go..."

"Oh yeahhhh~ you can thank Shadow for all that. He used his Chaos Control!"

"Chaos Control?"

"Yep! He uses a Chaos Emerald to alter time and manipulate the basic fabric of reality! I guess you could call it one of his 'powers'. Nifty, ain't it?"

Blaze stared, unable to form a reply.

Sonic just laughed and pat her head. "You'll get used to it."

"We're here," Knuckled sniffed as they turned into the underground parking lot. Everyone stirred at that, shuffling out of the suburban and heading out of the garage.

"Okay everyone, that was fun! See you guys later~" Sonic waved, going ahead out of the garage.

"FAKER! What took you so long?!" they heard Shadow's voice scold outside.

"Blame Knuckles for driving so slow! Besides you shouldn't have forgotten your keys..."

Blaze listened as the two hedgehogs' bickering faded as they went upstairs. Tails waved at everyone too and dragged a pathetic-looking Knuckles back to their own apartment. She carried Amy as Rouge wordlessly led them back to theirs and opened the door.

The cat set Amy in her room before exiting and going to her room, collapsing on the bed.

She closed her eyes. Maybe this was all a dream... though she wasn't able to think much else before Blaze knocked out herself.

Rouge smiled as she watched from the doorway. She went over, tucking the cat in before going to shut the door.

Silence.

"Percival... Percival...!"

"Nnghh..." Blaze scrunched her face, turning over. She opened her eyes.

A fangirl was grinning widely, holding up a pair of handcuffs.

Blaze's eyes widened.

- x -

... Shadow leaned out of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth as he peeked into the kitchen. "By the way, who was that girl on the roof of the suburban?"

Sonic looked up from his midnight chili dog. "What girl?"

"nOOOOOOOOO!"

The two hedgehogs looked up at the distant scream.

"... Nevermind," Shadow quickly dismissed, finishing up. Sonic shrugged and kept stuffing his face.

A/N: Hehehe! Thanks to those who reviewed before and thank you for being patient! I should have more time for stories in the next few months so hoping to update this more frequently moving forward.

And as a reminder yes there is a plot! But I'm open to ideas as to where the Sonic Crew can wreak havoc in the meantime-let me know where you wanna see them next in a review! Thank you for reading :)