Major thanks to: ShadowsAngel1, The High School Hero, Stormyx, Chaotic hedgehog, MindlessGurl2000, Dr. Rockit, Steve993, Kirbymon11, DidntMakeDeletingAccountsEasy, Yasmine155, MidnightRose29, Fables-and-FairyTale, RealDove-Staar, TheMidnightShadow, Mobius Freak, usawriter36, Eli Swafford, bearvalley3365, Unknow and Destructorbolt! Thank you so much for reading, everyone!

ShadowsAngel1 - Thank you very much!

The High School Hero - Hahaha, Knuckles has got some 'tude! xD Haha, thank you so much! Oh, awesome! It's so cool, right?!

Stormyx - Thank youuuuu! I'm glad I kept you on your toes with Jet's appearance, haha!

Chaotic hedgehog - Aw, that's so nice, thank you! Bahaha, that's so true! Storm probably made the wise decision there! X'D Aw, thank you very much! Ey, hello fellow Brit!

MindlessGurl2000 - N'aw, thank you! That so sweet!

Dr. Rockit - That is so freakin' awesome to hear, thank you ever so much! Hmmm... well, the mean girl isn't always so far away... ;D

Steve993 - Thank you so much! I have big plans for this story and the character interactions, so I hope they live up to the expectation, haha!

Kirbymon11 - Thank you very much! I'm so flattered that you're enjoying this, despite not really liking high school stories! Thank you!

DidntMakeDeletingAccountsEasy - THANK YOU! :D Haha, oh gosh, no, no appearance from the Tails Doll in this story, though that is a good origins story! ;3 I'm really excited about the potential of the Babylon Rogues and don't worry, the mobian mean girl will mess things up enough for everyone! ;D

Yasmine155 - Thank youuuuuuu!

MidnightRose29 - Awh, that's so sweet, thank you. More will come, don't worry!

Fables-and-FairyTale - Oooooh, an interesting theory! Thank you!

RealDove-Staar - Hahahaaha xD

TheMidnightShadow - Oh gosh, Shadow is me too X'D

Mobius Freak - That's the power of teamwork! xD Aw, thank you very much! Ah, yes, Wave's introduction should be an interesting one!

usawriter36 - Thank you so much!

Eli Swafford - THANK YOU! :D It is called that, or the UK! Britain is pretty cool, I'd definitely recommend it!

bearvalley3365 - Loooool xD

Unknow - Aw, thank you!

Destructorbolt - Thank you ever so much for your support and I'm so glad that you're enjoying these edits! The gang do know about Shadow's speed in this, yes, but he doesn't focus on it quite as much as Sonic. And no, he doesn't have the Chaos Emeralds anymore, as I edited that out in MMG :D

Chapter 3: The Plot Thickens

(Amy)

I smiled when Sonic leapt into the seat next to me. He let out a soft chuckle and winked at me. Sitting on my left, Blaze gave a quick suggestive nudge, whilst Silver gave her a kiss on her left cheek. Knuckles slouched next to Silver, with Rouge on his other side, and Shadow flanking her. In front of us sat Tails, then Cream and then Cosmo. The seedrian seemed a tad disappointed by the seating arrangements, though Cream seemed extremely happy with it, subtly glancing at Tails on occasion, to my curiosity.

Sonic glanced at me and gave me a coy smile, distracting me and making me laugh. Over the last couple of years, he'd gotten a little bit taller, a bit more muscular, and his quills had grown in length. I leant into his shoulder, marvelling at how our heights were just right for each other.

However, my thoughts were broken by a high-pitched giggle from Cream. I looked over and noticed how she was laughing at something Tails had just said. The twin-tailed fox was nervously blushing, but he was also amused by the conversation. Cosmo was trying and failing to pretend she wasn't looking, as she huddled into herself. Cream was completely unaware of her, solely focusing on Tails. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was flirting with him.

She couldn't be, could she?

No, Cream knew how Cosmo felt about Tails. She wouldn't. But you can't help who you fall for.

"You good, Ames?" Sonic muttered, as the room quietened and the university's chancellor stepped forward on the stage. I gave him a reassuring smile and he settled back into his chair to listen.

As we paid attention to the motivational talk about our time in higher education, I absentmindedly directed my attention to Cream. I couldn't get the thought out of my mind. What if she did have a crush on Tails?

Calm down, Amy, I thought to myself. It's not like Cream has asked Tails out, or told you that she likes him. Maybe you've got it wrong.

But I couldn't help but wonder what the consequences would be, if I hadn't got it wrong.

Suddenly, everyone started to get up and file out of the hall. Our friends congregated on the edge of the room, waiting for us to all join, and Sonic gently nudged me when I didn't make a move.

"Amy? You coming?" He asked.

"Oh! Yes! Sorry!" I shook myself out of my thoughts, getting up and following him.

Sonic smiled, "No worries. Out of curiosity, what're you thinking about?"

"Oh," I looked over at Cream, who was chatting with Blaze and Silver about something, which caused the girls to giggle and Silver to start getting riled up. Maybe I was making something out of nothing, "It's nothing. Just me being paranoid."

"Okay. Well, if you need me..." Sonic jerked his thumb in his chest, grinning, "Just call my name!"

Fondly, I beamed at him, "I will, Sonic."

As I headed over to the gang, behind him, I suddenly made contact with someone's arm. I gasped, a little winded, and turned to face the person, who was anxiously saying, "Oh crap, I'm really sorry!"

"It's no problem! It was totally—!" I faced the person, "... My fault."

I was looking at Sally Acorn.

Sally Acorn was standing in front of me. The girl from high school who had made our life hellish. She'd done everything possible to separate Sonic and I. After a few months of Sonic and I getting together, she'd left Mobius High without a trace. No news, no message, nothing. No one knew where she'd gone. She'd just disappeared. Until now.

"Hello, Amy," Sally smiled, seemingly genuine, "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I... u-uh... S-Sally?" My thoughts were blank. Relief washed over me when I felt Sonic's hand link with mine.

"Sally. Don't start anything," His tone was entirely blank, as he pulled me towards the others. But Sally grabbed my free hand before I could leave.

"Amy. I'm really sorry," She managed to get her words out before Sonic led me away. I couldn't help but wonder what that was all about. She seemed different.

"Ames, we gotta stay away from her," Sonic looked worried. I'd never seen him so jittery before, though I couldn't blame him. I felt shaken, too.

"But we don't know what happened after she left school. She might have changed."

Sonic frowned, "Are you kidding? You're ready to trust her? Amy, she tried to tear us apart. You don't change from that."

I squeezed his hand, "I know. I just got the impression that she was different."

"I don't know. You could be right," Sonic sighed, conflicted, "You're better at reading people than I am."

"We know she's here, now. We'll have to see if she's changed, as we get used to this place. But, for now, I think you're right about staying away from her."

Sonic nodded, "Let's forget about her, for now. And let's not tell the others, maybe. I don't want to worry them for no reason. Now, come on. We've got optional modules to pick!"

I laughed, "Oh joys."

"I have absolutely no idea what to choose," Blaze moaned, rolling onto her tummy on the carpet. I was scanning through the list of modules on my university account, underneath the Art degree section, on my laptop. The rest of the gang were scattered in the girls' kitchen, either using their phones, computers or self-created tablets, in Tails' case, to scroll through the endless choices of course options.

Sonic had his tongue stuck out, sitting at the table next to Knuckles and Tails. He'd applied and chosen to do Sport Science, unsurprisingly. Of course he'd chosen something involving speed and running — it was his first love.

Interestingly, Shadow had also opted for Sports Science. The two of them were surprisingly positive about sharing lectures and seminars.

Silver had gone for a Drama degree, whilst Blaze went after her passion for English Literature. The two of them were excited for how much their degrees would cross over.

Knuckles, oddly, had chosen History. It was his best subject at school — he was very good at it — but he'd often moaned that it had boring elements. I hoped that he'd get to choose time periods that he was interested in.

Meanwhile, Rouge had followed the path of Fashion, and Cream was passionately chasing Food Science. We were counting on her to make sure that the rest of us had stuff to eat while at university. The thought of Silver and flammable objects was scary, to say the least.

Cosmo, with her natural love for singing, had chosen to do Music. I didn't envy the hours she would have to spend scouring music sheets.

Tails had been fast-tracked to an Advanced Engineering course, with a mixture of Mechanics. He'd been getting seriously excited about the prospect of learning even more about electronics and mechanisms, which wasn't much, considering how much he already knew. Sonic was grinning at him, ruffling the fur on the top of his head, as Tails burbled about the potential of the Electrical Simulation and Control module.

"I guess it's Renaissance literature for me," Blaze finally decided, submitting her choice on the internet on her phone.

I chewed my lip and glanced at my own modules. It was a tough choice between History of Art and Attribution and Connnoisseurship, but my heart was pulling towards History of Art. I always had an appreciation for history, and I thought that it was important to learn from the past. Confident in my choice, I pressed select and sent my choice off.

After we'd all declared that we'd made our decisions, Cosmo asked, "Should we go down and have a look at the Freshers' fair? We could have a look at the different societies."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Sonic got to his feet and clenched his right fist, "Let's go show these people what we're made of, team!"

There was a resounding chorus of agreement, as the gang strode out of the flat. However, Shadow seemed reluctant to make a move.

I told Blaze to head on without us and I promised that I'd lock up behind us. She nodded and followed after the others, encouraging them to head on out. When we were alone, I wandered over to Shadow and sat down on the floor, next ton him.

"Shadow? Are you okay?" I'd learnt that the only ways to get Shadow to talk was to wait for him to instigate a conversation — which happened once in a blue moon — or to smoothly lay on questions.

"I'm fine," He deflected.

I wasn't letting him get away with it that easily, "No, you're not. You might as well tell me. I'm not giving up."

He sighed, glaring at the carpet, "I'm feeling nostalgic for the old days. Things seemed a lot simpler, then. It feels like a lot is changing, even in our group. Silver and Blaze are growing more serious. Knuckles and Rouge are not far from dating. Cosmo, Tails and Cream are getting wrapped up in a love triangle."

I swallowed, "You've noticed it too?"

"Yes. It wasn't hard to see. I'm certain Cosmo has noticed it too," Shadow closed his eyes, "Starting a new stage of life while seeing you and Sonic together has also proved difficult."

I felt a sharp pang in my chest, "Shadow, I'm sorry."

He raised his hand in silence, "I'm not looking for any apology or sympathy. I'm not saying this to influence you. I just wanted you to know that I'm always by your side. If Sonic hurts you in any way, he will have me to answer to."

I smiled, "I really appreciate that. You're a really good friend to me, Shadow. Though, after all this time, hasn't Sonic proved himself to you, now?"

"He is... making progress."

"Good. And I'm really glad that you two are getting the chance to build your friendship, now you're doing the same degree," I patted his hand and got to my feet, gesturing for him to do the same, "Now, come on! We should catch up with the others."

Shadow nodded and followed suit, "As you wish."

"This is so painful."

I turned my head to Cosmo, who was resolutely staring at Cream, as we waited at the entrance of the Freshers' Fair, having seen the whole of the tent. Shadow had been right — we weren't the only ones to notice Cream's affection towards Tails. The seedrian was in torment.

"What should I do, Amy?" She asked, suddenly morosely grave.

I froze, "Well. I'm not the expert on this. But I'd say you should ask Tails out. You need to hear how he feels about you."

Cosmo furiously blushed, "I could never do that!"

"Cosmo, we all know you like him. And it's obvious that he likes you too."

Her eyes started to shine wet, "Even if I could, I couldn't do that to Cream. She obviously has feelings for him."

I felt really sorry for her. And for Cream. And for Tails, "We don't know that."

"It seems very true," Cosmo clasped her hands in front of her body and nodded her head towards an ebony figure, "Shadow has noticed. He keeps watching them."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Perhaps I should attempt to move on from him."

I grabbed her arm, "Cosmo, you haven't been turned down. You don't need to move on. Fight for him. You need to talk it out."

She sighed, not entirely convinced. I felt powerless and lacking. I didn't know how I could help her with this. But, at the same time, if I did anything to help, would I be betraying Cream? It wasn't her fault that she had a crush on Cosmo. The situation was delicate, because they all had such good hearts and didn't want to hurt one another.

"What should I say to him?" Cosmo asked, breaking through my thoughts. I sighed, helpless.

"I think you've got three choices. You could flirt, or just act as if he's nothing more than a friend, or you can talk to him."

She weighed the options up, "I don't know. None of them feel right. I wish I could be you, Amy. Sonic really loves you. He's made it clear from the moment he met you."

"So has Tails! Why do you think everyone teases you two? It's because we know that you like each other. You've got to make a move and show him what he's missing!"

"You mean, make him jealous? Be with someone else?" She reflected.

I frowned, "What? No, not exactly, I didn't mean—"

"Hey."

I turned my head, as the voice was close behind me. I was faced with a green hawk, with a rather self-assured smirk on his face. Something about him ruffled me the wrong way.

"Hello?" I echoed.

"You're dating the blue dude, right?" The hawk snorted, "Shame. 'Cause he's gonna get crushed by yours truly."

I clenched my fists, "Okay, I have no idea who you are or what your problem is, but back off from Sonic. He hasn't done anything to you."

"Nah, true. But he's making a bold claim that he's the fastest thing alive. I'm here to challenge him on that."

"Sonic is the fastest thing alive."

"We'll see about that," The hawk laughed, as he began to walk away.

"Wait!" I yelled, utterly confused, "Who even are you?!"

"Jet the Hawk. Remember it, Pinkie. 'Cause your Sonic is gonna remember it for a long time."

"I wonder what that was about..." Cosmo muttered.

I shrugged, "Me too. But Sonic will come out on top. I've got no worries about that. Jet had better watch out."

"You have so much faith in him. And he has just as much faith in you. This is why I turned to you about Tails. You have so much experience with this, compared to me," Cosmo's voice wobbled, as she buried her head in her hands.

"Hey," I pulled her into a hug, soothingly, "We'll think of something. I promise."

"Thanks, Amy," She whispered, "You're the best."

I didn't feel like it.

(? ? ?)

"Alright. I see him," I muttered, keeping my voice low. I wasn't going to draw attention to myself this early in the game. I'd kick myself if it all went wrong now, when it hadn't even started. I'd searched for this opportunity for so long, and it had finally come to me.

"You were right," My companion whispered, "We can make our moves now."

"That's the spirit. Do ya'll think we can persuade Pinkie of our false intentions?" The other one asked.

I smirked, "Of course. We'll have to see if Sally decides to come around to our way of thinking. But, for now, we wait."