I had to make small edits and changes for this one. I wrote the first one out without any plan to continue on, but eventually I found interest in revisiting it. But I ended up altering the rules with each little piece I made, so I when compiling them together, I had to make some changes. They're small, but you can notice them if you look hard enough between these and the ones on Spacebattles.
Contemplations With A Reflection
In this set of connected omakes, the memories that comes from Nicole's PDA actually DO overwrite the memories of the IDW characters. While Sally has avoided forcing memories unto others, it has caused quite the moral conundrum. However, an accident occurs that forcibly gives Sonic his memories from the old universe. Thanks to being connected to the Chaos force, he is able to resist his mind from being wiped. But his old memories are stuck inhabiting his mind, and arguing with him all the while.
Because of this, Tails and Nicole worked together to begin isolating the memories and finding a way for them to exist without wiping one's memories or the other. Tails creates a machine that not only holds them, but can transfer the memories of the rebooted individuals into the machine and switch them with the old. To do so, Tails outfitted the invention with a way to connect one person's mindscape with those of the memories- without the fear of overwriting. This allows the alternates to talk with one another, to decide between themselves who they feel should inhabit a physical body. The decision does not come unless the two versions agree. All the while, Tails tries to search for a way to not only create bodies for those left in the machine, but to also extract the old memories within Sonic.
Different Shades of Blue
"Why are you rejecting me?" The reflection asked him. He clenched at the sink. "You have your memories back. You don't have to-"
"No. I have your memories. By complete accident. A completely different life, from a completely different hedgehog."
"How can you say that?! It was your life as much as mine! More than that! You had parents! You had lifelong friends! You had a girl like no other! A girl who's going to suffer until we get her flesh and blood back!"
"You say that as if I'm not going to help her regardless."
"You don't give me a lot of confidence concerning your priorities."
"I never turn down someone in need. You're taking up space in my head, you better damn well know that."
"Exactly! I just don't get why you're making such a big deal about this! We're the same person, with the same body and same personality."
"We are not the same person. I was born on South Island. I was raised by Longclaw the Owl. I stopped Eggman from taking over the world. I live as free as the wind-"
"You're not going to lose any of that."
"I'll lose what it means to me. Letting you in means you dominate, possibly even overwrite my mind- my experiences, my connections… my entire being. Sure, you'll remember the stuff from my life. But it won't matter to you. It'll mean nothing."
His reflection sighed. "And Knuckles? Was he so wrong for accepting the memories and trading places with his counterpart?"
"It was his choice. Just as it was Amy's choice to wish to keep her body. And how it's Tails' choice to be undecided. And my choice to reject you. It was our decision, our freedom. Was that wrong of us?"
"I…" The apparition paused, his face scrunching up. "Maybe." Sonic scowled at the mirror. "Didn't you see the look on Julie-Su's face when Knuckles remembered her? The joy in his mother and brother's eyes? Did you see the devastation in Rob's when Amy turned down the other Amy's request? Or the anxiety in the Prowers while they wait for him to choose? Your parents are a few rooms down, crying their eyes out about their lost son. Each and every one of us have people waiting for us to come back to them. Can we really just leave them adrift like that?"
"Can we ask our friends to give up their minds to a life they never knew? To lose all they know in this lifetime?" Sonic rebuked. "If you really were anything like me, you'd maybe respect lives you want us to give up."
His other self sighed. "We don't even know if Tails can get me out of your head. You heard what he said. There's a high chance one of us will be wiped trying to get our minds apart."
"I trust Tails. If he can get the memories out of that PDA, he can split us up."
A knock was heard at the bathroom door. "Sonic? You okay in there? We really need to do more tests, to see the extent of the memory surge." Tails' voice sounded out.
"I'll be out soon, Tails." He replied. He turned to the mirror. His reflection glared at him.
"This conversation's not over."
It was for now, though. As he walked away from the mirror, he simply thought to memories too important to forget.
"I'm so sorry, my sweet child." The face of an older female hedgehog spoke to him. Two other babes rested in her arms. He felt feathers along his back. "It breaks my heart to leave you… I know we will find each other again… someday."
"Feel the wind through your quills, Sonic…" Longclaw said as she spread her wings out atop the cliff. "Flow with the breeze… it will take you where you are needed… and to what you need." And that day, the wind chose to take him an island in the South… overrun by mechanical abominations.
He clasped her hand in his. Rested his forehead on hers. Eventually, they pulled each other into a hug. He'd been starved for touch for so long- a walking plague. He had to watch as she lost good people under her command, unable to comfort her. And he had come closer than ever to losing everything, his world, his people, his friends… and her. Something stirred in him as they stood there. Feelings he was unfamiliar with brewed inside him… though they left off on that embrace, Sonic continued to dwell on those feelings. He hoped he might sort through them soon… for her sake.
It was his life… and he wasn't done with it yet.
A Rose By Any Other Face
Amy held herself in place as Amy bounced up and down, yanking her arms. Conversing with her other self had started this way the first time, too. Her excitement was... palpable, to say nothing else.
"Oh my gosh, I saw everything! You and Sonic are so close! You've gotta tell me your secrets!"
"Now, now, let's, uh... calm down." A set of chairs with a tiny table in between appeared, responding to her thoughts. They came with a little tea set. "Is your favorite still that Apple Cinnamon blend?"
"Of course." Something clicked in her mind. "Wait... will this really do anything for us? Aren't we in like, a mental zone or something?"
"Tails can explain it better than I can, but it has something to do with how the Memory Bank accesses our brains. 'Pulling memories of our other five senses', or something along those lines. Now, what do you wanna know?"
"What was it like? Was it as dreamy as you imagined? Fighting alongside him... secret missions... and that Riverside Romp was the most romantic thing I've ever seen! We must be closer to catching Sonic's heart than ever!"
"Well, the Riverside Romp was a good time. And there is something exhilarating about fighting and adventuring with him. But I wouldn't say I was out to get him at this point. I'm just letting things grow naturally." She chuckled a little. "It's a little funny. Taking things slow for Sonic."
"How can you say that?" 'Rose' balked. "I can see the love in his eyes! Romance is ready to bloom! You've got your chance! Because... well, I don't really have one, to be honest."
Amy put down her cup, a little concerned. "Now hang on, where's that talk coming from?"
"Come on... as much as I put forward my 'go-gettem' attitude, Sonic- my Sonic- just... doesn't have eyes for me. He and Sally, they have something special. And I know he'll be there for her when he gets the chance."
"Rose, there's more to us than just loving Sonic. Just look at what I've done." She changed the scenery around them, reflecting memories fro m her own past. "Protecting Gamma and their family, talking Shadow down, saving Froggy and Chocola, leading both the Resistance and Restoration… I've done a lot since I set off with that Tarot Card reading. And there's still so much I can do! Lately, I've had this dream of opening my own little diner…"
"Yeah, but… I've never really done anything that great…"
"Nonsense. You've proven that you're not only a freedom fighter, but that you can run with the best." The surroundings changed to Rose's memories. "You stood by Blaze and convinced Shadow to do the right thing, you walloped that jerk Iron King, and you were ready to rise to the call of Team Fighters- whether it was saving Sally or stopping Eggman or that Thrash fellow… you're a true hero." Rose blushed at the flattery. "I think you're just scared because you're not sure who you are beyond Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. I had to wrestle with that, too. But while it was forced unto me, I think you can take a little more time to reflect on that. You might figure out things about yourself you never realized were there. Hobbies, interests… perhaps even who you're attracted to."
"Heh heh, yeah, I- huh?" She did a double take, giving Amy a bewildered look.
"Sonic would still be my first choice, but… Blaze definitely isn't just hot in a literal sense." She gave a coy look as she sipped her tea.
"Wh-Wha?!" Rose's face suddenly went very red.
"Huh. Guess I did get that from you."
"Now, hang on! You- I mean, I- We- You're just flustering me!"
"Hey, you'd be surprised, Rose. You never know who's out there, waiting for you."
"It's good you wanted to help. We lost a lot of members after the Zombot Crisis ended, and we're still not up to our old numbers." Lanolin told the person following her, as she gave her the tour of the facility. "What urged you to join the Restoration?"
"Oh, I saw Amy Rose putting the call out on TV. I've always wanted to help people, and well… if I get to meet Miss Rose, that be nice too. She's so cool, and pretty…" She panicked a little when Lanolin glanced at her, her feathers turning a darker shade of green. "P-P-Pretty cool, I mean."
"Whoa, hey! No need for that. The Restoration is a judgement-free zone. It's just- you're not the only one. Plenty of people around here aren't just drawn to her as a leader."
She sighed in relief. "Thank you. Still, I hear she's got her eyes on Sonic the hedgehog. If only, if only, right?"
"Hey, you never know. Maybe Miss Rose is off-limits, but you might find the love of your life here, regardless, uh… Shoot. I'm sorry. I know Miss Jewel told me your name, but I've been so frantic lately-"
"Hey, I know the feeling." She gave out her hand to Lanolin to shake. "It's Tekno. Tekno the Canary."
What Are All The World's Gems Worth?
The two women stepped inside. Julie-Su watched Rouge closely as they approached the machine. "Make it quick. And don't try anything funny."
"Honestly, darling, what exactly am I going to attempt? Steal everyone's memories and sell them on the black market?" Julie-Su glared at her. "Thick-headed, humorless and prone to anger, just like him. How can I compete?" Rouge said sarcastically. She stepped forward to Tails' invention.
In the wake of finding so many people from "The Genesis Dimension" as he had classified it, Tails had worked with Nicole to find a more... delicate way of making the choice between giving up memories or accepting them. Especially after the accident with Sonic. It had taken a few sleepless nights (and a Chaos Emerald stolen with her help), but eventually, they isolate the energies within Nicole, and separated them. They became like nebulous entities, thoughts with no bodies to call home. To keep them from having memories overwritten, Tails designed the construct Rouge was accessing- designated the "Memory Bank" (everyone groaned at the name).
While they were still having trouble separating Sonic's old universe memories, they had successfully downloaded all others into the machine. With it, the individuals from this universe that were changed could converse with their previous lives. She knew that Knuckles, Tails and Amy had already used the machines, coming to their own conclusions. Amy had decided she wished to keep her life, though evidently, the "two" of them refused to leave her previous self locked away, or deleted. She asked Tails if there ways to give her a new body so she could continue life here. Which spurred the fox to work on his next project.
Speaking of, Tails was still undecided. It seems there were equally high and low events in his memories that made it difficult to choose. Even the prospect of having parents wasn't a deal maker, as there were things they did that he wasn't so keen on. Not to mention he didn't simply wish to forget his parents.
"It made Nicole and I wonder if we could... make it less "all or nothing"." He had told her in conversation. "Especially with Sonic's memories splitting his brain. Maybe there's a way we can compromise? Unfortunately, that one resulted in dead ends. Trying to make a person's brain contain two sets of memories is... dangerous. And even if we found a way to just take pieces from one or the other, how would we determine what should be kept and what should be discarded? It's unlikely it would make anything cohesive... and it could just as well drive a person insane. Never mind the moral quandaries. We decided to simply focus on a way to give them new bodies. The other me even agreed to that. I still haven't decided, but I know either way, other me will be fine."
Knuckles hadn't been so patient. He'd conversed with his other self, and came out as his other self. Truth be told, there... wasn't much of a difference. Apparently, they also hadn't seen much difference between the two of themselves either. But Julie-Su, his mother and brother... they needed their family. And while Tails hadn't found a way to compromise the memories, he did find a way for one to view the other's memories like a book. Other Knuckles saw the way this world worked, the memories his counterpart went through, and he gained an understanding of his own responsibilities. Thus, in went in their Knuckles, and out came the new... er, old Knuckles. He embraced Julie-Su, and treated Sally, Nicole and anyone else from the other timeline as family. It would take him time to get used to new status quos, but he was confident he would endure.
However, unbeknownst to most, there was another who had used the machine, Shadow had secretly met with Tails, wanting to make the decision for himself. Ever the spy, she'd found out from a little birdie... or a little Kintobor, rather. But she never would've suspected if she didn't notice Shadow's behavior. He'd been giving her a bit of a wider berth as of late. Not too big... but noticeable enough. She knew it had something to do with what he saw.
Searching for his files scrounged up nothing. She couldn't confirm if he'd used the machine or not. Seems he asked Tails to keep his choice... private. But that wasn't why she was here. No... she was here for her own memories.
She took the helmet Tails had designed, sitting back into the (rather comfy) chair meant to relax the user, to help them reach into their subconscious. It wasn't long before she drifted off.
She found herself standing in a field. A field that... didn't quite stretch so far. "Well, well. I know we're the epitome of "fashionably late", but you sure took your time getting here." Rouge turned, finding... what else? Herself.
"A girl's got to look her best before having an existential conversation with her other."
"Fair enough." She noticed her counterpart didn't keep her eyes half lidded as often as she did. Poor choice... a good poker face was the key to any heist. "So?"
"So what, darling?"
"Come on, now. Let's not act like this is a tough choice. You and I are virtually the same."
"Now, now, don't act so eager. I'm all for a little flirting, but that doesn't mean I'm easy." She gave a sly smile. "And honey, I just don't find good money in giving up who I am."
Other Rouge sighed. "I suppose I can respect that. I'm just tired of being stuck in here. I suppose I'll have to wait until the Little Genius creates bodies for us."
"I didn't say that was really an option either." This response startled her doppelganger.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, I know when someone's stacking the deck, darling. There's little tells. Someone always slips up eventually." Several visions of the copy's past appeared in front of both of them. "I went down memory lane before I entered the machine. And I must say... I know I can be quite the bad girl, but you are something else."
"Am I now?"
"Indeed." Images of Julie-Su appeared. "I figured grumpy was just upset with me for flirting with her boy toy. But my, my, could you take it a step beyond."
"Really? Me being a mean girl constitutes being scolded by you?"
"Oh, we're just getting started, hun." A vision of Cream and Amy being fired upon by Omega showed up next. "This little stunt was a spectacle. Tell me, how sure were you that poor little Creamy and Amy would be okay? If Blaze hadn't been there…"
"It was only meant as a warning shot."
Rouge nearly scowled, but kept her composure. "So many excuses. Then tell me, honey, what's your excuse for messing with my boys?" Memories of her interactions with Knuckles and Shadow laid out before her. "You didn't seem to have Shadow's back during the Sol Emerald incident. And what was that about Knuckles and "wrapping him around your finger"? After such a traumatizing event, you were going to manipulate his emotions…"
"Oh, please. You're after the Emerald too."
"It's a game we play, darling. Echidnas and robbers. It's quite fun when he tries to catch me… and if I get to spend some time with that marvelous gem, well… it's a win-win. But secretly, even I've long since admitted that the Master Emerald is off limits." She snapped her fingers. Visions of Blaze came forward. "But an island falling out of the sky's got nothing on this. Dear Blaze told you her world would be destroyed if she didn't return her Emeralds. But you were so very insistent."
"The mission called for-"
"We're not lapdogs for G.U.N., honey. You and I both know that. You wanted the gem for yourself. But even stolen jewels can come at a cost. And the lives of an entire Zone aren't worth even the greatest of hauls."
"Hmph. So what, then? Am I just to wait here forever, stuck in the void?"
"Oh no, darling. That would leave you as a wild card. The possibility of you roaming around, making all the little games I play so much less fun. I have something else in mind."
"Wha… what do you mean?" She only grew more worried when Rouge gave her a sly smile. "H-H-Hold on, you can't! What would all you little friends think?!"
"I never said I was a saint, darling, and they know that. In fact, I suppose we are like each other in one way… we never look back."
"WAIT!" But she could say no more, as her counterpart exited the machine. Walking up to the console, she swiftly made her choice.
ROUGE MEMORIES- DELETED
Julie-Su stared on in shock. "I… I thought for sure…"
"Hun, you've got a lot to learn about me." She sauntered over to the exit. "Thanks for the free tour. And hun… about Red…" Julie-Su raised an eyebrow at her. "May the best girl win." She winked and left, hearing the girl curse her out as she flew off.
Things were quiet as she made it back to base. Not many were up and about. But Rouge had a feeling Shadow would be there, waiting for her at the entrance. And her hunch proved correct. "Oh my. How did you catch wind of my little errand? …Hope?"
"Hope."
"Ah, that girl. Really need to teach her to keep a better poker face." She glanced at the hedgehog. "I take it you're not ready to tell whether you took the memories or not?"
"Not yet."
"That's fair. Don't worry, though. I'll coax it out of you." She gave him a coy smile. He rolled his eyes… but had a grin on his face, nonetheless. "I can see what made you so distant. That girl had issues."
"So, you…?"
"There are things in this world just as valuable as gems, darling. If she can't see that, well… I'm not really for someone who has no eye for the finer things." She walked towards the base, but stopped right next to him. "Shadow… if the world were to turn against you… I'd have your back. You know that, right?"
He nodded, smiling at her. "I'm sure of it, now."
She smiled back. "Now, where's Omega? You won't believe what I found in his previous memories involving a certain fiery cat…" Shadow shook his head as she giggled and walked off.
Perhaps he should've been there as supervision…
Funnies- Love, Diesel and Robots
"Is he in there?" Shadow asked Hope as he walked up to the mess hall.
"Y-Yeah." She nodded sheepishly.
He looked inside. "What exactly caused this?"
"You remember how Rouge found that 'funny' thing about Omega?"
"Oh boy…" He sighed. "Hang on, I'll get him out of there."
He walked in, approaching the table that Omega was leaned over. Two poor G.U.N. Soldiers were stuck across from him, nervous about setting him off. Shadow wasn't sure where the tiny hat came from. "Omega? You… okay?"
"GONE!" He suddenly bolted up. "IT'S ALL GONE. ALL OF IT'S GONE! BYE-BYE! WHOO-HOO! SEE YA!"
Shadow, though a little offput, continued. "What, uh… what happened?"
Omega still seemed to be having his own comversation. "ONE MINUTE YOU'RE DESTROYING WORTHLESS CONSUMER MODELS… THEN SUDDENLY YOU FIND YOURSELF SUCKING DOWN DIESEL WITH-" He gestured to the two soldiers. "MARIE ANTOINETTE, AND HER LITTLE SISTER."
Shadow looked at the two, knowing now was perhaps the best time to save them. He walked over and gently took the cup from Omega, before guiding him off the chair. "I… think you've had enough Diesel for today. Let's get you out of here, Omega-"
"DON'T YOU GET IT?!" The robot smacked his hand before pointing to his hat. "YOU SEE THE HAT?! I AM MISSES, NESBITT! HAHAHAHA-"
"Snap out of it, Omega!" Shadow yelled, done with being gentle. He gave a swift, but firm kick to the robot's face, making him nearly tilt over. He stood there for a moment.
"I-I-I'M SORRY, I… YOU'RE RIGHT, I AM JUST A LITTLE DEPRESSED, THAT'S ALL." He walked towards the door. "I CAN GET THROUGH THIS." He almost made it before- "OH I'M A SHAM!" He fell to his knees. Shadow facepalmed. "LOOK AT ME, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MEATBAG FIRE CAT!"
Shadow sensed something, and looked up to the rafters. Rouge was there, enjoying some popcorn. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Melodrama like this? How can I not?"
"DOES THE HAT LOOK GOOD? TELL ME THE HAT LOOKS GOOD…"
"Come on, Omega." Shadow said, pulling him along.
"YEARS OF PROGRAMMED TRAINING, WASTED!"