Chapter 22

Home Sweet Hedgehog

Sonic jumped out of the warp ring and looked at his surroundings. He was standing in the middle of a street in New Mobotropolis. He felt a breeze rush through his quills and sniffed the air. It felt great to be back home. To be back where he belonged, yet where he could endanger everyone else.

Sally smiled at Sonic as he did this.

"It's great to be home, isn't it?" Sally asked Sonic.

Sonic looked at Sally and smiled.

"Yeah," Sonic said.

"SONIC!" Sonic heard a scream and turned his attention to it.

Amy Rose jumped onto Sonic and squeezed him almost to death.

"Sonic, where have you been? The Freedom Fighters have been worrying about you! Your parents have been worrying about you! I've been worrying about you!" Amy exclaimed.

"A … Amy. P … Please, lemme go," Sonic cried out. "I can't … breeze."

Amy let go of Sonic and smiled nervously at him.

"He, he, sorry," she said.

Sonic caught his breath and looked at Amy.

"It's okay," Sonic said. "I guess. But I really wish she would just give it up. It's getting real annoying."

Sonic growled the last part but he hadn't meant to say it. Sonic covered his mouth with his hands. He realized what he had said. Sonic looked at his hands and saw that there was still no gloves on his hands.

"What did you say, Sonic?" Amy asked, tears dwelling on the edge of her eyes.

Apparently Amy heard what Sonic had said and was about to cry. Sonic saw the look on her face and became worried.

"Err … Amy, I … err … didn't mean what I just said," Sonic said, trying to comfort her.

Amy sniffed and a tear ran down her cheek.

"Oh, really then," Amy said with an attitude.

"Amy, I really didn't. I just … had a bad night and I'm not in the right mood, okay," Sonic told her.

"F … Fine," Amy said as she walked away, still having tears running down her cheeks.

Sally, Tails and Monkey Khan stared at Sonic in shock.

"I really didn't mean what said, guys," Sonic told them.

"I believe you, Sonic," Sally said. "Why else would have run away."

Sonic laughed nervously.

"Y … Yeah. Why else would I?" Sonic repeated, nervously.

Tails and Sally walked away toward Castle Acorn, to inform Mr. and Mrs. Hedgehog that their son is back. They had stayed with the King and Queen while their son had run off so abruptly. Sonic turned to Monkey Khan as if he knew that Khan wanted to say something to him.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Khan?" Sonic asked, annoyed.

Monkey Khan was staring at Sonic with a raised eyebrow.

"What really happened on Angel Island last night?" Khan asked.

"I don't remember," Sonic answered.

Monkey Khan looked at Sonic as if saying; I don't believe you.

"Fine! I remember! But only the part where … I killed lots of echidnas," Sonic whispered the last part of the sentence to Monkey Khan because he didn't want anyone else hearing him.

"You Did What?" Khan shouted.

"Khan, it wasn't my doing. I wasn't under my own free will. The … thing inside me did it. Not me," Sonic explained.

"So … everything on Angel Island; the dead echidnas … the destroyed houses, that was all you?" Khan asked.

Sonic nodded his head in shame.

"And a feeling of guilt is definitely in my stomach," Sonic said.

"Don't worry, Sonic. I'm sure we can find a cure … soon," Khan said.

"A Cure!" Sonic exclaimed. "How Can There Be A Cure For … This!" Sonic gestured to himself and Khan sighed.

"I'm sure we'll find something out," Khan said.

Sonic's ears lowered and he pouted.

"I sure hope so. I can't take another … full moon of this," Sonic exclaimed, but at the same time trying to quiet down.

"Maybe someone may know something about your problem. Like; Zonic or The Babylon Rogues or The King," Khan explained to Sonic.

Sonic chuckled at Monkey Khan's explanation.

"I'm not going to the No Zone! No way am I going there through one of those stupid portals! And I'm definitely not going to see the Babylon Rogues about this! And I doubt they would know anything about it too! And King Max … I don't think I can handle the King knowing and then maybe telling the entire kingdom that their HERO has become a monster!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Sonic, I'm sure there is a solution. There always is," Khan said.

"Yeah, for things that isn't THIS!" Sonic exclaimed.

Sonic pointed at himself once more.

"Sonic, I'm sure we can … fix it," Khan said.

Sonic scoffed and folded his arms.

"Yeah, right," Sonic scoffed.

Sally came running back over to Sonic from Castle Acorn and hugged him.

"Your parents know you're back," Sally told him.

"Th … They do?" Sonic asked.

"They do now," Sally said.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked.

"See for yourself," Sally said.

Sally stepped aside and gave Sonic full view of who was running over to them. Sonic's eyes widened in fear. He gulped when he saw who was running towards him.

"Sonic!" two hedgehogs came running over to Sonic.

A roboticized one and a normal flesh and blood hedgehog.

"Mum … Dad," Sonic cried.

"Sonic, you're okay," Mrs. Hedgehog exclaimed.

Sonic was surprised when his Mum hugged him, but then hugged back.

"Of course, I'm okay. I just felt sick that's all," Sonic told her.

"Are you sure, son?" Mr. Hedgehog asked Sonic.

"I'm sure, but I'm fine now," Sonic said.

Mrs. Hedgehog smiled and let go of her son. Sonic watched his parents walk back their house and turned to Sally.

"So, what do we do now?" Sonic asked her.

"My father wants to speak to you. And only you, Sonic. He doesn't want any of us to hang around and hear your discussion. He wants to speak to you, alone," Sally explained to him.

Sonic's eyes widened when he heard this. The King wanted to speak to him, alone. Without any company. Which meant only one thing; he knew.

Oooo! Cliffhanger! Once more! Why do I like keeping you guys in suspence for so dang long? Anyways this may sound rushed and maybe it is but I was working on it through watching Percy Jackson and the Lightning Theif. Anyways its a pretty decent cliffhanger, don't cha think? R&R

VFMH OUT!