A/N: I remember when I first came up with this story shortly after a session of overthinking. It was over Sonic's philosophy of "if you have time to worry, just run," because as much as I love him, something about that bugged me. If you push your worries behind and run away, then you're just avoiding them. I felt like this was very... unhealthy. Then at another point, I started thinking about how Sonic seems to lack depth. He's a very positive character, all the negative traits seem to be passed on to other characters like Knuckles and Shadow. Not only that, but his background is entirely unknown (at least, in the game universe). Sonic is more mysterious to me than Shadow, and that's his thing! These thoughts eventually led to this story (Them being in school and hybrids was just stuff I did to make them easier to identify with aaaaand maybe a bit for aesthetic).
I have this curse where I can't enjoy anything anymore without over-analyzing the plot and characters.
Chapter 6: Endless Possibility
Sonic awoke the next morning feeling groggy with his hand brushing through his disheveled hair. He couldn't tell if he was fully conscious or not, but damn, was he sick. He could feel a strong headache coming on.
"T-Tails?" He asked meekly. "Do you know if we have anything for headaches?" He waited for a response before freezing as he realized something. Tails' warmth was nowhere felt, nor was there a dip in the mattress beside him...and why was the mattress full-size, not a twin?
"Holy Chaos!" Sonic exclaimed as he quickly sat up with a struggle; he was both tangled in the sheets and his headache was getting worse by the second. He was also feeling very nauseated.
That's when he noticed he was pant-less.
His eyes widened in horror and confusion. He had no memory of anything that happened. Just the bar with Scourge, but...Scourge wasn't there?
Did he...did they? Sonic remembered that his briefs were still on, so he figured he hadn't gone all the way. However, he did notice the many hickeys that covered his skin. That green asshole was gonna pay.
He froze as he heard a chuckle. He slowly looked up and there was Shadow, concealing an amused smirk. When did Shadow get there? What the hell happened? Sonic gaped at him, his mind running wild while his body was frozen in shock.
"You're very amusing." Shadow commented.
"H-Have you been watching me sleep?" Sonic squeaked. "You're such a-a creep!" Sonic threw a pillow at the other Mobian, but missed. Damn, the alcohol messed up his aim.
"Is that what you say to someone who helped you?" Shadow narrowed his brows.
"Listen, pal." Sonic hissed. "I feel like shit right now, so I'd appreciate it if you told me why I have all these hickeys on me and what the hell happened last night."
"Your drink was spiked."
"That would explain a lot."
"Scourge took advantage of you." Sonic hummed in response as he thought about how he was going to kick the other's ass. "I came in, knocked him out, and brought you here."
"That's it?" He raised an unsure brow.
"You were crying, but you had no clue why." Shadow continued before noticing the blue-haired Mobian stiffen.
"I was crying?" Sonic asked cautiously.
"Yes. You asked me to hold your hand."
Sonic groaned as he buried himself in the blankets like a giant cocoon. "Ugh, how stupid can I be! I'm really sorry if I bothered you last night. I obviously wasn't in my right state of mind."
Shadow frowned at Sonic. "You haven't any idea on what could've triggered that?"
Sonic shook his head. No, not really. Nothing came up. He blushed. "N-no, but did you?"
The darker Mobian raised a brow. "Did I what?"
"Hold my hand." He answered while flustered.
Shadow scowled. "No," he huffed while looking away.
"Oh," Sonic would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly disappointed, but whatever. "Do you have any medicine for headaches?" The other shook his head. "Well, then...would you mind if I stayed until I felt better? I don't want my family to see me like this..."
Shadow let out a heavy sigh. "Very well."
oOo
Sonic arrived home a few hours later, though the walk there wasn't long at all. Shadow lived one dorm over. Who knew? He still had a slight headache though, but thankfully it was in the process of disappearing. He was also dressed and had just taken a shower, but was extremely embarrassed as his collar hickeys were very noticeable. He'd have to ask Knuckles if he could borrow his zip-up vest; at least it would conceal them better than the one he currently wore.
His knocked on the door and was thankfully greeted by his older brother.
"Where'd you go?" The echidna asked.
"Around." Sonic answered before lowering his tone to a whisper. "Can I borrow that vest of yours?" He asked, noticing that the red hybrid was wearing only his wife-beater.
"What for?" Knuckles asked before he noticed the red spots on Sonic's collar. "Oh."
Knuckles quickly led Sonic to the bedroom and handed him his vest. Sonic removed his and put on the red one.
"How long do you need it for?" Knuckles asked with a frown. "I'll need it back before tomorrow."
"Until they go away. I'll look online or something for any quick remedies." Sonic winked at Knuckles. "Besides, that tattoo of yours is showing!"
Knuckles rubbed his chest subconsciously, the white crescent had been there for as long as he could remember. "You're going to tell me what happened later." He warned the other as he followed the blue teen back into the living room. "We'd be having a serious conversation now if the kids weren't still here."
"I know, I know." Sonic waved his hand in dismissal as he went over to the couch and plopped himself on it. "Just...give me a break. I've had a really rough night from what I've been told."
Knuckles sat next to the other and let out a huff. "Teenage life, huh?"
"Right? Tell me about it...So, how was Rouge?"
"We actually had some fun. I was concerned about where you went and Rouge helped me look for a bit. We got eventually got distracted at the arcade. I let her win a few rounds against me."
"Of course! You 'let her win'." Knuckles glared at Sonic. "I didn't see her on my way home."
"We didn't stay too long after. She said she had work in the morning."
The bedroom door opened and Sonic turned his head to look at the newcomer. Tails was wiping his eyes as he gently shut the bedroom door behind him. He went to the kitchen and opened the cupboards, grabbed a glass, then filled it with tap water. He walked over to the couch and squeezed himself between his older brothers and took a few gulps. He had black circles under his eyes and he appeared half-awake. Sonic briefly wondered if the kid was even conscious.
"Hey, sleepyhead." Sonic greeted after observing the young fox-hybrid. Tails responded by resting his head on Sonic's shoulder with a large yawn.
"I don't understand..." Knuckles began with furrowed brows. "He always used to be second one up, but lately he's been looking pretty exhausted."
"Homework, lots of homework." Tails muttered, too quickly for Sonic's liking.
The blue Mobian made an unsure smile, thankful that Tails was positioned in a way he couldn't see his expression and that his eyes were drooping from lack of rest. "I'm sure all you need to do is adjust. Once you do, you'll be fine."
About a half an hour later, everyone was awake and ready to leave the dorm. The family had begun to walk towards the cafeteria to catch a quick lunch before starting the day. Tails had been staring at Sonic with a deadpan expression ever since he fully woke up.
"What's wrong?" Sonic asked with worry. Nothing would hurt him more than learning that his younger brother was upset with him.
"Where were you last night? Why are you wearing Knuckles' vest?"
Sonic paused. "I got wrapped up in some issues."
"Like what? You can tell me..." Tails said with a frown.
"Adult, you-don't-wanna-know issues." Sonic noticed Tails' frown deepen. "Stuff with cooties. Gross, right?"
Tails stuck out his tongue and scrunched his face. "Blech! Nevermind!"
Sonic chuckled. "I've been infected. The vest prevents it from spreading on me. Don't worry, though. It's not contagious."
The blond smiled. "Even if it were contagious, I'd stay by your side."
"Awww," Sonic ruffled the younger's head. "Aren't you a little sweetheart? But if it were contagious, I'd be in a bubble for your sake."
Tails let out a hearty laugh and then held Sonic's hand, lightly swinging it. "I'm so excited!"
"Oh? Why so?" Sonic asked with amusement. He knew Tails wanted to talk with him; who was he to deny the enthusiastic boy? Especially with his recent change in mood...he'd been very distant, quiet, and tired lately. He was concerned for the younger's wellbeing.
"I'm almost done with my project! I'm sure the recipient will love it!"
Sonic's mouth widened with realization. Oh. "Wait, you mean that science project you're doing with Rotor? Isn't that due next week or something? And don't you mean Eggma-er, yeah, Eggman will love it?" Sonic scratched his cheek. "Recipient? Strange word for a crazy teacher. Very secretive."
"Huh? Wait, wha-Oh! Y-yeah! Eggma-Robotnik." Tails quickly covered himself.
Sonic smirked. "I'm not sure if you're trying to impress that Egghead or whatever like an overachiever or something, but whatever floats your boat, I guess."
Amy entered the pair's convo from Sonic's other side. "I kind of want to meet this 'Eggman.' He sounds like a grouchy grandpa! Plus, I want to know if he really looks like an egg."
"He does." Knuckles said with Cream and Cheese on his shoulders. He made a circular motion with his arms. "And really tall too. More than the average huma-Overlander."
Cosmo rushed to Tails's other side. "He sounds rather intimidating. Overlanders are tall enough as it is."
"Eh, I guess it's because Mobians are usually short. I haven't really seen many tall Mobians except for that crocodile in my history and algebra class."
"You mean Vector?" Knuckles asked. "Yeah, he's really tall."
"Yeah, I used to think Knuckles was as tall as Mobians got." Tails added. "Then I saw that Vector guy? Wow. Sonic you're really short compared to them. No offence."
"Tails, how am I not supposed to be offended by that?" Sonic pouted. "I'm part hedgehog, of course I'm going to be short!"
"Don't feel sad, Sonic! You're very tall for a hedgehog! I've seen pictures of them in my coloring book; they're so cute!" Cream encouraged innocently.
Sonic attempted to suppress a giggle that was bubbling in his throat, but failed. "Thanks, Cream! I sorta wish I was like a wolf or something though. Then I'd actually be a werewolf!"
"Well, technically you're a werehog." Tails shrugged. "'Were' means man, and you're a hedgehog. It fits."
"I like the way it sounds." Amy smiled. "It goes together really nicely; werehog."
"So wait," Cosmo paused and the whole gang looked at her. She pointed to herself. "Does that make me a wereplant? That's dumb."
Everybody laughed, including Cosmo. Sure, the Seedrian had her awkward and distant moments from the family, but they all still loved her deeply. Despite being the most recent addition, she was one of them. It took time to adjust to their dysfunctional family, especially with the tragedy she had gone through...
Sonic shook the horrid memory from his head. Seeing Cosmo so hurt and traumatized...he wanted her to forever know that they would always be there to take care of her, and that he would always protect her.
oOo
The arrived at the cafeteria shortly after and ate with Silver and Blaze. The ivory-hybrid watched Sonic with a worried glance.
"Yo, Silver, what's up?" The blue Mobian asked.
"Where'd you go last ni-" Sonic had repeatedly moved his hand in a slicing motion by his neck, motioning for the other to not speak. The conversation immediately ended and Silver decided he would learn by other means. First, though, he needed to practice his ESP.
"Hey, Sonic! Knuckles!" The family all turned their heads towards the unfamiliar voice. Their eyes met a large crocodile-hybrid with two companions beside him.
"Hey, Cream!" The bee-hybrid cheerfully greeted the young girl.
"Hi, Charmy! How are you?" She responded sweetly, resulting in the bee to blush.
"I'm r-really goo-"
"Hey, guys?" Vector interrupted the young boy. "It's alright if we join your table right? You have a lot of room." He sat himself down without waiting for a reply. His purple-haired companion let out an exasperated sigh as he hesitantly joined them at the table. It was no use scolding the other for his rude actions.
"I see we have Vector and Charmy." Sonic noted with a smile. "And who are you?"
"My name is Espio, Espio the Chameleon. Who are you?"
Sonic stuck his thumb into his chest proudly. "I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!"
Charmy had squeezed his way between Amy and Cream so that he could be close to the adorable girl. He liked her; she was pretty, nice and was the only kid in class who actually played with him.
Knuckles huffed. "I bet by the end of this year, this table will be full..." He muttered lowly.
"Not going against that!" Sonic laughed and Tails covered his mouth to suppress his giggles.
Amy frowned as she took a bite of her pizza before looking at Silver and instantly smiling again. "Silver! You and I should hang out sometime. Just us two! We could talk about so many things!"
He raised a brow. "Oh? Like what?"
"You know!" Amy said with a wink while sneakily pointing at Sonic. Silver felt blood rush to his face at an alarming rate. Chaos, sure he was tan, but if it showed and Sonic saw...it would be so embarrassing!
Sonic looked at the two curiously and noticed Amy pointing at him. "Amy! You're not coming up with another of your love conquest schemes again are you?" He scolded.
"No!" Amy said defensively. "Of course not!"
Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Listen, Amy Rose. Silver is on my side. He isn't going to help you set up a trap to marry me. End of story."
Amy rolled her eyes, but figured it would be a good cover. "Alright, no marriage this time."
The blue Mobian hesitantly nodded and began conversing with Blaze about idle things like the nearby shopping district. Amy looked at Silver and playfully shook her head. Sure, she adored and loved Sonic, but she knew it would never happen. But setting up Sonic with someone and getting credit? She was a sucker for cheesy romance.
"A music store? Sweet!" Sonic exclaimed. "If I could get a keyboard and laptop, I could start making my music!"
"You make music?" Blaze asked, intrigued.
"Haha, yeah. I like to sing, play guitar and turntables. My favorite part is actually making the music. Like, sometimes I'll randomly come up with this theme when I'm exploring or running. I'd like to make them real though so everybody can enjoy them. We need more new music and entertainment in this generation."
"I agree. We can only keep reusing the same things from the 21st century for so long..."
"Sonic sings really beautifully; you should hear him sometime!" Silver told Blaze before he could think. He became flustered and both Sonic and Blaze stared at him in surprise.
Sonic smiled sweetly. "Aw, you mean that?" He wrapped an arm around Silver's shoulder. "But next time, I'd appreciate it if you'd use a more manly word. Try 'awesome.' I'll still take your compliment though."
Blaze's eyes widened in realization. Oh. A small, knowing smirk graced her lips. It seemed like Silver had a crush on their new friend. She wondered if he realized it himself...he could be incredibly oblivious when it came to many things, romance included.
"I'm so excited for the field trip!" Tails exclaimed from his conversation with Cosmo.
Sonic had overheard the exclamation and turned towards his younger brother. "Right? I'm so siked! We leave Friday the 27th right?" The blond nodded enthusiastically. "That's 12 more days, not counting today!"
"You guys are going too?" Vector asked. "So are we!"
"I hear that many trips happen at this school." Amy announced, gaining the interest of everyone. "I looked it up online during a free period. This school provides many trips during the school year. Some trips are nearby, like Mystic Ruins and Station Square. However, other trips go around the world to places like Soleanna, Spagonia, Chun-nan, Adabat, Apotos...really any major cultural place."
"It would be cool if we could go to them all." Knuckles commented.
"It depends on whether or not one of us have a class that's providing the trip. Trips take a maximum of 100 students, and the kids in the class and their close peers get first dibs. We're lucky you and Sonic have that one history teacher."
"It'd be nice to travel for fun." Cosmo let out a dreamy sigh. "I can't wait to see the sights there."
Espio crossed his arms. "I heard rumors that there is a Chao Garden located there, as well as in Station Square."
"Really!" Cream squeaked. "Amy, we should look for the Chao Garden!" She exclaimed whilst kicking her legs.
"Of course, Cream! That sounds really fun. We'll look at the sights for a bit and keep an eye open for chao." Amy looked at Blaze and Silver. "Feel free to join us if you want!"
"Sure, but won't it be a bit crowded with all of us there." Blaze asked.
Sonic scratched his head. "Nah. Knuckles, Tails and I will be exploring the ruins. Maybe we'll get some cool action by stepping on a long-forgotten booby trap!"
"Wait," Silver paused. "Don't you all stay together?"
"Don't bother asking the Chaotix to join you! We'll be looking for the chao by ourselves!" Vector interrupted.
"Okay," Sonic replied to Vector before focusing on Silver. "We'll stick with the girls for a little bit and help them find the Chao Garden, but once that's done and we know they're safe we'll go our separate ways for a bit. That's usually how it ends up happening."
oOo
Sunday ended up being a short day. The entire group including the 'Chaotix' (as Vector had called them) joined up to go to the training arena again to make use of their time by leveling up their skills. Sonic had run on a treadmill at its highest speed without dropping a sweat while Tails worked again on his flying skills, finding the simulator to be really enjoyable and practical. Maybe he'd be a pilot one day. Amy, Cream and Cosmo sat and talked most of the time, but occasionally the pink-haired Mobian would summon her hammer and use it to beat up a dummy, showing off to the girls. When Sonic got bored of the stupid treadmill, he joined the girls and they all ended up watching Silver and Blaze practice their powers. The ivory Mobian couldn't explain the feeling in his chest whenever Sonic cheered him on. He liked impressing the other.
Knuckles hung around the Chaotix; he spoke to Espio while the chameleon practiced throwing shuriken at a target. Sonic walked over to them before noticing a strange machine nearby. The design of a gold ring adorned the top, occasionally attracting other Mobians as it currently attracted him.
On the machine was an attached piece of paper and a lever.
USE WITH CAUTION!
When practicing with rings, remember the following:
1. Gold rings are used to gain a burst of energy when needed. The more collected, the longer the energy lasts.
2. Available to all Ranks, however, only Rank As and Bs will be able to feel the full power of a ring.
3. Gaining a ring while in a dangerous situation can lessen the damage impacted, however the ring may be lost afterwards and be unable to protect from another blow.
4. If able to collect 100 rings, they may grant the ability to save you once from death. However, any damage done can take away rings.
5. Rings are valuable and used for currency. They are found all around Mobius, but are mostly attracted to Rank As and Bs. Do not steal from machine, these are especially made to last a limited amount of time.
Sonic looked at the lever and pursed his lips. He didn't know rings could be used for more than just money. Should he try them? These rings sounded very cool, but a sudden burst of energy wouldn't be good for his shoes.
"I wouldn't pull that lever if I were you." Silver warned. Damn! Why couldn't he be allowed to reach his potential! Sonic exhaled a deep breath while uttering a few minor curses.
"It's not fair." He whined as he leaned against the machine. "I can't try to improve my speed because my stupid shoes can never take it!"
Silver sucked in a breath, unsure of what to say. "Well, maybe sometime soon somebody will make durable shoes for you?" He attempted to soothe the other by being optimistic.
"...Maybe..." Sonic repeated softly, though his eyes expressed disbelief and annoyance. He wasn't important enough to have shoes made especially for him. His gaze drifted behind Silver in time to see Shadow and Rouge entering the building. Wait a second...the day he had run fast...he was racing Shadow.
How was Shadow able to run so fast without also burning his shoes?
Sonic immediately ran towards the darker hedgehog without thought, earning a few curious stares from both strangers and friends alike. Shadow watched as Sonic quickly screeched to a halt right before him, his eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Blue hedgehog." Shadow greeted.
"Hey! You were racing me that day."
"So I was..." Shadow agreed, unsure of where this was leading. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to find Rouge winking at him while nodding towards Sonic before turning to walk towards the echidna. Great.
"Soooo," Sonic drawled with a smile. "Your shoes! How were they able to stay on?"
Shadow rolled his eyes. "You only just thought about that? Well, either way, I can't respond. These shoes were built especially for me by my creator. I have little knowledge of their durability."
Sonic frowned, but found it a little odd Shadow called his parent a 'creator.' Whatever. Either way, the conversation had left him feeling more dejected than before. "And...there's no possible way they can tell me?"
"He's dead." Shadow replied expressionlessly.
Sonic let out a frustrated groan before finding something else to do.
oOo
The next morning moved swiftly. During science, the moment Sonic saw the green asshole arrive to class, he punched him in the jaw so hard that he flew across the room. His classmates were amazed, and respect was earned by his fellow peers. The blue Mobian wanted to revel in his pride, but grew instantly annoyed when Eggman announced 'detention.'
Scourge avoided Sonic for the rest of the day, and the blue hybrid had a feeling that the other backed down. Maybe he was just planning on revenge? Either way, he knew that the green hedgehog wouldn't be a problem for a while.
After school, Sonic spent a good portion of time in Eggman's classroom. The teacher had completely given up on his student getting his name correct, so he simply accepted the alternate name. However, Sonic was an exception. Anybody else instantly got written up.
The blue Mobian went through Eggman's notebook to see the newer designs. He passed a Cubot and Orbot, Decoe and Bocoe, and several large robots that all began with Egg. Seemed like Eggman had not only accepted his new name, but embraced it; he snorted at the thought.
"Eggman!" Sonic said while he sat on top of his teacher's desk with legs criss-crossed.
"What is it? It's bad enough I'm letting you take a short break!"
He smirked. "Sketch one that looks like me!" He said as he handed the notebook back to his teacher.
Eggman huffed, but grabbed a pencil and began drawing circles and lines on the paper while occasionally glancing at Sonic briefly. Sonic posed on Eggman's desk, even though he knew full well that the other wasn't paying him any attention.
The teacher handed his student back the notebook grumpily. "Now please! I'm in the middle of something important. Ten more minutes then your break is up!"
Sonic chuckled to himself before getting a good look at the sketch. It was a robotic version of him labeled 'Metal Sonic.' So cool! "Thanks, Eggy!"
Eggman humphed in response before turning to his computer. Sonic picked up Gerald's journal and placed the notebook in its place. He flipped through the pages, until something caught his eye. A small water creature with large green eyes and a visible brain. Beside it was many small doodles of many forms of the creature, one looked like a frog-scorpion thing while another was more shark-like. He flipped through the pages to find the mural Eggman had showed him the other week; the mural that always seemed to put him at edge. It really did look familiar, but he just couldn't remember.
The door opened and both Eggman and Sonic looked up. None other than Shadow stood in the doorway. He gave Sonic a brief glare before looking at the doctor. "I'll come back later."
The door closed and the Mobian looked at Eggman with confusion. "Is he a student of yours?"
"No," Eggman responded. "We're related."
Sonic felt his draw drop. "W-what! You two?"
His teacher nodded. "Yes, but we don't really care for each other. You could say we have … a family business that needs addressing."
"Oh, ok." Sonic frowned before skipping through a few pages filled with nothing but words. He noticed another mural, but this one was different. A person that looked like Eggman holding a green gem was versus some blue thing surrounded by a golden aura. Weird.
However, Sonic couldn't stop amusing himself with the idea that the figure could be him.
oOo
Before the family knew it, it was the weekend. Saturday seemed like a normal, lazy day where everyone put aside work and instead enjoyed themselves. Sonic planned on going to the Lounge during the day with Tails to visit the arcade later, since it was apparently open to all ages then. Speaking of Tails, the boy seemed overly excited for something...he figured it was the upcoming trip that was only less than a week away.
"Sonic, I have a surprise for you!" The blond exclaimed as he entered the living room with a large, colorful box in hand. He pushed it into his older brother's hand, smiling when Sonic sent him a shocked look. He couldn't remember the last time he got such a colorful present, if he ever did get one...with red wrapping paper and white bow!
The rest of the family entered the living room after overhearing Tails, curious to know what the young fox had gotten the blue teen. They all watched as Sonic's gloved fingers lightly caressed the satin ribbon.
"Well, open it!" Knuckles encouraged the blue Mobian.
"Yeah, we all want to see what it is!" Amy cheered.
After seeing his families eager faces, he removed the bow and opened the box only to feel his mouth drop when he saw its contents. He had to get a grip on himself because he could feel his eyes start to sting.
"What is it?" Everybody had said at once while Tails beamed at Sonic's expression.
Sonic pulled out the first of the pair; a red shoe with a white strap, adorned with a golden buckle. He held it in his hands carefully, as if he were worried they would fall apart if he treated them any other way. The family all expressed their opinion on the shoes, commenting that they looked nice and that he should try them on. Knuckles and Tails were the only ones who understood that this was the first time Sonic had ever gotten such a thoughtful present.
"T-Tails, I-I can't even-" Sonic stuttered, not really able to process words.
"No problem!" Tails knew Sonic enough to know that he was thankful. Extremely thankful. "But if you think that they just look nice, then you should really try them out."
Sonic bit his lip with an excited smile. He was so happy he got such awesome shoes! He slipped them on, even happier that they were the perfect size for his feet. The best part was, they looked fantastic on him!
"Sonic," Tails said in a tone that immediately caught Sonic's attention. "Don't be afraid to get dirty with those shoes. They are very special."
"But wouldn't that make it any more reason to-"
"Special, meaning, these aren't your normal, everyday shoes. I made them practically indestructible. They can endure a speed much faster than light as well as extremely cold, hot and wet climates. These shoes enable you to explore anywhere at the speed you're capable of."
Sonic and the entire family gawked at the eight-year-old. "W-wait," The blue-hybrid said after he recovered from his surprise. "Is this why you've been so tired lately? You've been working on these shoes?"
Tails nodded. "I wanted you to reach your potential, so I spent my time working on these shoes like you spend all your time taking care of us. Think of it as a way I finally repaid you for always being there for me."
Sonic smiled while hugging his brother. "Tails, you never have to repay your family. I watch you guys because I love you, not because I feel entitled to."
"Well, I made these shoes because I love you and want you to know I appreciate how much you do for us, not because I feel entitled to."
Sonic chuckled. "Touche."
"So," Knuckles began. "Are you gonna try them or not?"
"Sure!" Sonic beamed. "Do I just go outside and run there or?"
"How about we get a ride somewhere?" Tails suggested.
"Where to?" Cosmo asked.
Amy frowned. "And...a ride from who?"
oOo
Sonic had no idea how it happened, but...they were travelling.
...On a 'borrowed' helicopter with Silver, Blaze, and the Chaotix with Tails as the pilot.
He only remembered walking outside with his family with their upstairs neighbors joining them on their walk. They explained that they wanted to test Sonic's new shoes, which both had complimented, and asked them to join. Eventually, they had met up with the Chaotix, which was when Vector had informed them that the storage area currently had a helicopter in need of quick fix. Tails had used his mechanical skills to repair the helicopter and that was how they were currently flying to West Side Island.
"Guys, if we get into some serious trouble for this..." Espio scowled at Vector.
"Relax! They wouldn't have left a broken plane there if it was important!"
"It's fine!" Sonic said from his spot between Silver and Knuckles. The gang was packed tightly together; Cream and Cheese were currently on Sonic's lap and Cosmo on Knuckles'. Amy was seated next to Espio, who had Vector on his other side. She had offered to let Charmy sit on her lap and Blaze was seated in the co-pilot seat in the front.
Eventually they flew over a familiar spot; a large chemical plant with pink water. Sonic instantly remembered the place. "Dang, Tails. It's been ages since we've been here!" He said as he thought back to the time shortly after he took in the fox-hybrid.
"Sonic, you can jump out of the helicopter! I forgot to mention that your shoes can also take long falls! Just don't forget to shut the door behind you! We'll be watching from above!" Tails yelled towards the back of the helicopter, since the propellers made it hard to hear.
The blue hedgehog-hybrid noticed all the worried glances sent his way, but dismissed them. He opened the door and quickly went on the other side with a strong grip on the handle, using his body weight to close it, though Knuckles had helped him shut it from the other side. He saw everyone staring at him with anxious looks, and he responded with a reassuring smile. He looked down and saw the helicopter descend closely to a narrow platform. He dropped himself onto the landing skids, with his hands wrapped around the cold metal while the wind blew his hair in every direction. He waited for Tails to get close enough to the platform before letting go and free falling.
A/N: CHEMICAL PLANT IS MY ZONE, YO. Love the music. Hate the blue-liquid thing that pops out. But, hey! Sonic got his shoes! Now the adventure can start. The Sonic Adventure…
Get it? Hehehe, oh god I'm so lame. Don't look at me. I'm so awkward.
Happy New Year, guys. That's coming up soon. Please review and look for errors and such!