Review Responses:
To Void Reader: Actually, Mina Mongoose existed. Existed; past tense. Her father made an appearance chapters prior. Remember, Sally was not the best field leader at the beginning of the rebellion. Mina happens to be another mistake that the princess has never mentioned in the story. And no, the ending of this story will not mimic 06. Like I previously mentioned, this is a loose adaptation. I will NOT follow events exactly like the games. I have a plan for how things end.
To AnT: Breezie, Zooey, and Honey are all flesh and blood. They are not a cyborg, nor is Breezie in cahoots with Dr. Robotnik. But that is an interesting take on those characters. In my opinion, Breezie is not completely heartless, she's just detached from moral obligations in favor for her survival.
Mobian Music Festival, Furville, Acornia
"YOU USED TO WHAAAAT!?" A shrill ear-piercing shriek bellowed.
The large flock of Flickies fled the scene as Sonic the Hedgehog and Breezie the Hedgehog stood in front of an fuming Amy Rose, who had spawned her Piko Piko Hammer, ready to smash both of them into the ground.
Sonic's fear kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, not daring to make any sudden movement that could result in a painful encounter with the pink hedgehog's Piko Piko Hammer.
Breezie, in contrast, kept her cool. All too well, the former singer knew about the younger hedgehog's fiery temper. Yet, it didn't phase her in the slightest. If anything, she found Amy's anger to be fine entertainment.
Surrounding the three Mobian hedgehogs were Sally Acorn, Cream the Rabbit with her pet Chao, Cheese, and Sonar the Fennec.
Sonar made sure to take seven steps away from the steaming Amy, saying, "Uh oh..."
Tails cringed at the situation, "This is not going to end well,"
"Here we go again…" Sally groaned, facepalming at the current issue. "As if this predicament weren't complicated enough."
"P-Princess Sally? I-I'm scared." Cream whispered, hugging the chipmunk's leg. "I-I can't stop her when she's like this."
Furrowing her eyebrows, Sally said one word.
"NICOLE,"
Suddenly, the holo lynx materialized once more and formed a spherical barrier construct made out of hard light, silencing Amy's screeching for a moment.
Amy snapped out of her enraged state, obviously protesting against her imprisonment.
While the force field kept her voice from escaping, she clearly mouthing "LET ME OUT OF HERE! LET ME OUT, NOW!"
NICOLE shook her head slowly, prompting the leader of Team Rose to slam her hammer against the force field. As a result, the girl was knocked on her tail.
Breezie turned to Sonic and jokingly teased, "You know, Maury? I think Rosey has a crush on you."
In a deadpan tone, Sonic tiredly said, "...Ya don't say? What makes you say that?"
"Call it a woman's intuition." Breezie winked, causing Sonic to groan in annoyance.
"This just ain't my day…" The blue hero said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Sally looked over to the imprisoned Amy and firmly stated, "There are other ways of retrieving information, but your method is not helping. You'll be released once you've simmered down. And we will be discussing your conduct once we're done here."
Amy and Sally glared at each other, but the pink hedgehog ultimately gave in to the princess' authority. Not that she liked it one bit. Amy had to settle for glaring daggers at Breezie and Sonic. Especially Sonic.
Sally then faced Sonic, who he knew had next to no tolerance for protest of any kind.
"Now," Sally said, clearing her throat. "Maurice, would you save us the headache and explain…this?"
"Guess I have no choice…" Sonic muttered. "I'm not getting into a lot of details 'cause it's nobody's business, but Beanna and I met around the time I first came to Station Square. Her group hadn't gone global at the time yet. We were only friends back then. We eventually hooked up a few months before the Space Colony incident, broke it off on mutual terms right before Metal kicked Eggman to the curb that one time."
"We had fun while it lasted," Breezie casually added, with her smirk never wavering.
"You know, that does explain why you were so adamant to have me take you to Station Square on the Tornado around that time period," Tails said, looking back in his memories.
Amy, who had been released from NICOLE's barrier upon returning to her right mind, was about to interrogate Sonic about this secret relationship.
Sonic, seeing this from a mile away, said, "Okay, time out! I'm sure that a lot of ya'll are thrilled about my newly discovered (former) love life. And I'll probably answer a few questions based on how I'm feelin' by the end of this. But right now, we've got other importants things to worry about."
Sonic looked over to his ex-girlfriend to have a conversation with her.
Breezie placed her hands on her hips, visibly impressed with the boy for some reason.
"Look at you, taking charge~!" Breezie coyly said. "That's quite a change, not that I'm complaining."
"Breezie, you're necklace. Could you tell me Where you got it?" Sonic questioned.
Grabbing a hold of the necklace with the dark blue Chaos Emerald, Breezie flaunted the chained relic, saying, "Ah, so you did notice. Doesn't it look gorgeous? I first laid eyes on it in a showcase I was invited to last month in Spagonia. The moment I saw it on display, I knew I just had to nab it. So, I bought it off the private collector and had a custom necklace made for it. It was worth every bill. What of it?"
"Listen, Breeze. That's no ordinary gemstone that you got danglin' around your neck. Didn't anybody tell you about Chaos Emeralds? Ya know, the Gems of Miracles, the stones that have the power to command the planet?"
The older hedgehog cocked an eyebrow, looking at the hero of Mobius as if he was joking.
"Well, duh. I wouldn't have bought it if I hadn't recognized the relic. Doesn't mean that I buy all that ancient mystical nonsense." Breezie waved off.
Amy heard Breezie's dismissal and shouted at her out of anger.
"Why you ungrateful little–The Chaos Emeralds are mystical! You wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for their power, you know!" Amy heatedly debated.
Cream went to her best friend's side and held the pink hedgehog's hand, whispering, "Amy, please!"
Sally approached Breezie, surprising her by taking out her light blue Chaos Emerald.
This caused both gemstones to react by emitting a bright light that glowed brighter the closer either gemstone got to one another.
After thirty seconds, both Chaos Emeralds stabilized after harmonizing with each other's presence.
"W-What in the world!?" Breezie stuttered, briefly losing her suave and charismatic nature.
Satisfied with the bewildered expression that Breezie had, Sally cheekily asked, "...Pardon me, now what was that about the Gems of Miracle being ancient mystical nonsense?"
Putting a hand on the business woman's left shoulder, Sonic continued speaking with her.
"Look, Breanna. I wouldn't be asking you for anything if it wasn't important. We're all collecting the Chaos Emeralds in order to stop Eggman and this creepy sorcerer from using them to conquer the world. And you having one makes you a target. Could you please hand me the Chaos Emerald?"
"No,"
Everybody's eyes widened at the celebrity's quick response.
"What? No!?" Sonic, Sally, and Tails exclaimed at the same time.
"What do you mean, no!?" Amy growled.
"It's what it sounds like, Rosey. My answer is no." Breezie shrugged. "Clearly something you fail to recognize the meaning of."
"That's not fair!" Cream shouted, not taking kindly to the uncaring side of Breezie.
"The fate of the world rests on–" Sonar tried to explain, only for the main singer of the Songbirds to cut her off.
"–Pause. Question. Why should that matter to me when you're asking me to hand over property that I legally claimed ownership over through a contract-bound transaction? Especially something that is priceless? On what grounds do any of you have the right to try and confiscate it from me? Your justification is weightless in the court of law." Breezie challenged, entering the mindset of an adult businesswoman.
She then turned to Sally and said, "And don't think that I have not recognized the princess of the monarchy here. While I appreciate the free services that your father and the crown provided, you are under no jurisdiction to challenge my ownership of any of my belongings since I am a visitor."
Sally's confidence in handling the situation had plummeted.
'Darn! She's got me there. None of us are within the right to have her relinquish the Emerald. This just became more complicated.'
"Breeze, come on! Have a heart!" Sonic countered, frowning at her callous behavior. "We're talkin' a global crisis here! Lives are at stake! Can't ya do me this one favor?"
Breezie shook her head, saying, "Always playing the boy scout… You haven't changed a bit. Maury, you already know how I operate. I am under no obligation to help anybody. What makes you think that I'd waste any resources participating in a war that has nothing to do with me? Good? Evil? None of that applies to me. I just put musical artists on the map. In a cut throat world like this, I do have to in order to make it."
"Breanna…" Sonic muttered as his ears drooped down, saddened at her declaration.
Breezie paused for a moment as she gazed at Sonic's forlorn expression. A twitch of guilt tugged on the heart strings of the older hedgehog.
'...Gaia, damn it! I hate it when he makes that face. I can't let him see that, though. The gem has got to be one of the most precious items I've ever owned, but I know Maurice needs my help. Maybe I should just g–' Breezie thought before shaking her head. 'No. Mystical or not, this is a priceless relic. If I'm going to give this up, I'm going to benefit from this somehow.'
While her back faced Sonic, Breezie hid a sly smirk while placing an index finger on her cheek, saying "...I suppose I can make an exception."
Breezie's words caught the attention of everybody
"For real?" Sonic asked hopefully before pumping his right fist in the air. "Aw yeah! Thanks, Breeze! I–"
"–Hold on. This isn't a giveaway. This is a transaction." Breezie said while wagging her right index finger, causing the hedgehog to stop the celebration. "In exchange for this Chaos Emerald, I am going to need something that is of equal value."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Amy complained.
"But the Chaos Emerald is priceless. There isn't a whole lot of materials or relics on Mobius that could match it in rarity." Tails added, worried about the situation.
"It is doubtful that his majesty would allow the treasury to be utilized for such a thing." NICOLE analyzed.
"Yes. And even if he did, I don't think that would cover the Emerald's cost." Sally added in frustration.
"Oh, I think you've misunderstood me. This is a transaction, yes. I am not in need of any of your assets, as I'm far wealthy as is. No…" Breezie shook her head.
"W-What? If it's not money that you're after, then how can we possibly pay for the Chaos Emerald?" Sonar inquired.
Breezie told the others, "Well, I could use a little company since I am supposedly susceptible to an attack. Tell you what, you lot can watch my back as I'm enjoying my stay here…"
Suddenly, Sonic's found his arm wrapped by the left arm of an overly perky Breezie.
"...Meanwhile, Maury and I have a lot to catch up on. So, I'll be borrowing him for a few hours. I'm sure it's no trouble." Breezie chirped happily before turning to Sonic. "...Right~?"
Sonic's eyes dilated in realization.
Breezie had set him and everybody else up, and they were played into her hands. After all, Sally and none of the new Freedom Fighters were in any position to make demands.
And to make matters worse, she figured out who he was, now bring his personal life into the mix. Given that there were obvious lingering feelings between the two of them, the adventurer knew that the former music artist wouldn't pass out the chance to take advantage of the situation.
And if Breezie wanted something, she got it by any means.
Turning to his teammates, Sonic gazed at the reserved expression of Sally, Cream (with Cheese), Tails, and Sonar's uncertainty, and the incredibly livid attitude of Amy.
"U-Uh, hold on. Let me talk it over with the others, alright?" Sonic said when turning back to Breezie's face.
"Oh, sure. For you, I can wait." Breezie teased with a wink as she let go of his arm.
Nodding Sonic and scurrying to the others.
"So…" Sonic awkwardly drew out as he laughed nervously with a grin. "What's the plan, guys?"
"Plan? Forget the plan! What happened to mushy stuff not being your thing, hm!?" Amy demanded.
"Ames, don't do this right now." Sonic implored in an even tone. "Now's not the time."
"Don't you Ames me! I can't believe you've been keeping this from me! I mean, what did you even see in that bro–"
"AMY. SHUT. UP." Sonic spat in an unusually low and harsh manner, causing her (and the others Freedom Fighters) to flinch and step back.
Amy's ferocity switched into an expression of confusion, awe, and fear.
Sonic stepped closer to Amy's face so she could read his lips very carefully. And she could tell, he was not happy with her at all.
"You better listen and listen real good, 'cause I'm not repeatin' myself. Now, I've already told you and everybody else here that I'd explain myself whenever I felt like it. So all this hissin' and moanin' ain't gonna do you any favors with me. My business is my own, I don't really owe you any explanation. Take it as is, I could care less if you're mad about it. But don't get up in MY face, runnin' your jaw about a girl that I was involved with like you know somethin' about what we had! You don't know or understand jack!" Sonic spoke in a low, yet heated manner. "Unless you have anythin' nice or helpful to say, then SHUT UP."
The tongue lashing left Amy speechless and stunned, as she had experienced a side of her hero that she'd never thought existed. Sonic had never spoken to her like that.
Right now, at this moment, Sonic the Hedgehog was unrecognizable to Amy Rose. Staring directly into the hardened eyes of the Blue Blur, her perception of the boy of her dreams had shattered.
While leaving the silent younger hedgehog to a comforting Cream and Sonar, Sonic turned to Tails and Sally with a weary smile.
"Sorry you had to see that." Sonic weakly apologized.
"That was kind of harsh, don't you think?" Tails asked.
"I'll admit that Amy had her unsavory moments today, but that was a bit much." Sally agreed.
"Hey, the girl had it comin'." Sonic explained defensively. "I gave her a fair warning and she didn't wanna listen. She should have never crossed that line with me by dissin' Breezie near me. Besides, this ain't about Amy."
Tails and Sally nodded while Sonar joined back to the group huddle.
"I-Is everything okay now, Sonic?" The teal Mobian fennec questioned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just lost my patience. Not that I had much to begin with," Sonic said in a slight joking manner to light up the mood. "So, what should the next move be?"
"We need that Emerald. It's bad enough that Eggman took the last one we found." Tails stressed.
"I agree. If Dr. Robotnik gains another Chaos Emerald, then Mast–, I mean, Naugus will also have more power to add to his own." Sonar said, quickly correcting herself when she addressed the Ixis Warlock.
"They're right, Sonic. We cannot afford to pass this chance up. The ball is in our court." Sally said, adding her two cents. "None of us are able to sway Breezie, and given your prior…history with her, you're our best bet to get on her good side and make sure that she keeps to her end of the deal."
Sonic's face fell as his posture deflated.
"...I guess I have to take one for the team, do I?"
Sally gave Sonic a sympathetic smile while patting his back, understanding his discomfort in the situation.
"I'm afraid so, Ollie."
Sonic dropped his head for a moment, mentally screaming at the hell he was about to endure.
'I'm gonna regret this later.'
Soon enough, the Azurite took a deep breath to prepare himself for the few hours.
"This blows big time," Sonic groaned before walking over to his former girlfriend.
Approaching Breezie, Sonic wearily said, "Alright, then. We'll do things your way. And I'm guessin' that you're not givin' us nothin' until you're headin' outta here, right?"
Breezie winked at him, saying, "Got it in one, slugger. You know the drill, catch!"
The young lady then proceeded to dump all of her bags to the arms of the grumpy hedgehog before wrapping her arms around one of Sonic's.
"Aw, don't be like that~. Where's that sense of adventure? Trust me, Maurice, we're gonna have a good time together today. It'll be just like old times~."
Sonic's face paled, dreading what else awaited for him as the group followed Breezie dragging out reluctant hero towards their next destination in the festival.
Intensive Care Unit, GUN HQ
Days had passed since the Ultimate Lifeform had been admitted to the ICU. At the time he was first rushed inside by Rouge and Omega, Topaz contacted the Commander of GUN regarding the failure of Shadow's assignment and the state of ruin that Westopolis was in. When questioning Team Dark about the person responsible for the destruction, Omega and Rouge pointed to the longtime enemy of the United Federation's military and a major blight of GUN's history.
Dr. J. Ivo Robotnik.
The GUN Commander had decided to bar Team Dark from taking any missions until Shadow fully recovered while he briefed the president about the mission.
One day, Shadow found himself groggily waking up from a slumber that felt like another fifty years. Of course, he knew that he wasn't frozen in stasis while trapped in some capsule or pod like the first two times.
This time, he was laying in a medical bed, with his head, chest, and limbs all wrapped in bandages. There was a numbness all throughout his body. He could still feel the sensation of every blow dealt by the self proclaimed Weapon of Ixis.
Over on one side, there was an IV machine that was hooked up to him and the wall. On the other side, there was a small table that had a couple of neatly folded towels on it.
Standing over him was a female human nurse, taking notes on her clipboard.
"U-Ugh…"
The taller redhead nurse quickly looked away from her clipboard to see that Shadow was more or less awake.
"Ah! You're awake!" The brunette nurse exclaimed in bewilderment.
"Damn… my head. H-How long have I been unconscious?" Shadow asked groggily.
"U-Uh," Nurse stuttered until she pulled herself together. "T-Two days. It's only been two days."
Shadow sighed relief, thinking, 'It's better than being dead. Or in one of the doctor's hidden bases.'
"Please, stay put. I have to inform the doctor that you're awake. I'll be right back." The nurse gently promised before speed walked out of the room.
A few minutes later, a pale skinned with black doctor came in to check up on Shadow's health.
"Good afternoon, Agent Black Wind. How are you feeling currently?"
"...My head hurts l-like hell..." Shadow grunted. "...And my w-whole body is numb…Why does my left eyelid an ear feel sore?"
"You've been dealt an extensive amount of damage when you were brought here by Agent Facet and E-123. You have several cracked ribs and abrasions across your body, you've suffered a concussion, the tip of your left ear on the same side has a minor split, and scarring on the left eyelid. If it weren't for your accelerated healing, your condition would have been far more disastrous." The doctor explained.
Shadow grumbled, "...At least I still have my eye andeae."
The doctor softly scolded, "You're worried about that? You're lucky to have got away with your life, Agent Black Wind. If it wasn't for your comrades, you would have definitely lost your life."
Shadow averted his eyes to the covers that he laid under.
That's when a voice echoed throughout his mind.
Promise me that you'll cherish the people important to you in your life, and that you'll never forget them as your friends.
'...That dream. I do not remember the bulk of it, but I do remember seeing you there in the garden. I saw your face, you were happy. And after a long time, so was I too. I recall the new promise I've made to you. I'm going to fufill that promise, Maria.' Shadow mentally bowed.
"Anywho, I'd advise that you don't make any drastic movements. Your body is recovering from overexertion and the extensive battle damage. Regardless of your inherent gifts, you can still bleed, wound, and die." The medical expert instructed bluntly.
Shadow nodded in acceptance, softly saying, "...As you wish, Doctor."
"Good," The doctor said as he made his way towards the door. "I will be talking with a few of my colleagues while I'm away. You have two visitors waiting for you outside. The nurse will be returning here with them to watch them speak with you for five minutes. I'll be right back."
Shadow agreed to this as he watched the young doctor leave. A few seconds late, Lt. Commander Topaz and Rouge the Bat under the watchful eyes of the nurse entered the hospital room.
"Hey there, tough guy. Gotten any beauty sleep?" Rouge asked, lightly teasing the black hedgehog.
"Rouge, good to see you…" Shadow grinned before groaning while holding his forehead with one of his exposed pawed hands. "...And n-not enough, apparently."
"Agent Black Wind," Topaz greeted her subordinate professionally while her undertone was softer.
Shadow nodded in respect, saying "Lieutenant Commander,"
"In all seriousness, how are you holding up?" The female soldier questioned.
Shadow grunted in pain from the throbbing sensations that coursed through his body. Not to mention, the lingering traumatic experience from facing Metallix had crept up from the darker corners in his mind.
"Still processing everything," Shadow admitted in a low, almost dead manner. "But I-I'll live. Where's Omega?"
"Over in the armory. The mechanics and roboticists are fixing him up and restocking his ammunition." Rouge answered as she sat next to him.
"...Right." Shadow said before turning to the Lieutenant Commander as he painfully sat up.
"Hey! Don't overdo it! You just woke up, you know." The white bat nagged, not dissimilar to a housewife or a worried mother.
"I-I'm perfectly fine, thank you." Shadow assured as he focused on the standing soldier. "Lieutenant Commander, I have a request to ask of you and Rouge."
The two women gazed into each other's eyes curiously before bringing their attention back to the half-Mobian half-Black Arms hedgehog.
"Okay, then. Care to elaborate on this request, Agent Black Wind?" Topaz inquired.
"Yes," Shadow nodded, closing his eyes. "When I was sent out, facing the waves of robots that Dr. Robotnik deployed, I ran into two in particular that had the uncanny ability to utilize a strange power. A power which rendered mine ineffective and eventually overwhelmed me."
Topaz and Rouge frowned when they heard this, recalling different aspects of the same situation. While Topaz saw the carnage that occurred in Westopolis by watching on cameras, Rouge came to the ruined city at the climax of the battle where Shadow nearly met his end.
"Well, what kind of power are we talking about here? What makes it special enough to bypass Chaos Energy?" Topaz questioned further.
"This energy is mystical by nature. A dark magic with an aura similar to those crystallized creatures that's been attacking all over Overlander territory. It was also similar to the dragon that I faced in that mansion where I got the journal from."
Topaz then loudly questioned, "Are you saying that this magic is somehow connected to everything we've been searching for?"
Shadow nodded slowly, stating, "I have a feeling that it does. The presence that it has is very distinguished."
"What is this mystical energy supposed to be, Shadow?" Asked Rouge.
Shadow replied, "I do not have a definitive answer, but I heard a term that was used by the blue hedgehog's mechanical double. Ixis."
"Ixis?" Rogue echoed before turning to her and Shadow's superior. "Have you heard of that term before?"
"Yes," Topaz said with her eyes narrowed. "From the monster allegedly responsible for hundreds of thousands of lives lost and civilizations ending in ruin. The Ixis Warlock."
"That's right!" Rouge gasped. "And if Eggman's robots possess this power, then there is a good chance that the doctor is in league with this warlock. That could only mean trouble."
"Listen, I need the two of you to find out anything you can regarding Ixis or anything related to it. Hopefully, that could lead us to finding a way to counteract it. Can I count on the two of you?" Shadow asked.
Topaz and Rouge nodded, the human said, "We'll see what we can do. I may not have the background about anything supernatural, but perhaps Dr. Thorndyke can point us in the right direction."
"Good thinking," Shadow said.
"Excuse me," The nurse said, walking over to the other two ladies. "You have two minutes left."
The bat and human nodded, acknowledging the five-minute-rule.
Shadow turned to Topaz and the nurse, asking them, "Could you give us the last two minutes to ourselves? I'd like to talk to my teammate alone."
The nurse and Topaz looked at each other, then gave each other a sly smile. The two women agreed and closed the door behind them as they left Shadow and Rouge alone.
Rouge crossed her arms sassily, asking, "What has gotten into you?"
Shadow merely said while still in pain, "...I-It's..like I said. I wanted to talk to you, that's all."
Rouge tilted her head before asking in seriousness, "...Shadow the Hedgehog, are you confessing to me?"
Shadow's eyes widened as he blushed for a split second.
This embarrassment led him to growl at the teasing white bat, saying, "W-What!? Hell no!"
The girl's face fell as the eighteen-year-old bat mocked a pout while crossing her arms.
"You didn't have to react that negatively. I'll have you know that I'm quite the steal!" Rouge huffed. "It's not hard to see if you pay closer attention!"
Suddenly, one of Rouge's gloved hands waa covered by one of the naked pawed hands of Shadow the Hedgehog, causing the bat to pause for a second as she stared into the softened and thoughtful expression of her fellow agent.
"S-Shadow?" The girl stuttered. "W-What are you–"
"I owe you an apology," Shadow said in a gentle and tender manner. "Both you and Omega."
"What? Shadow, what are you apologizing for?" Rouge inquired out of confusion. "Doing your job?"
Shadow shook his head, saying, "N-No. I've been distancing myself from others lately. That includes the two of you. The blue hedgehog and his allies don't have to be associates of mine, but you and Omega are my teammates, my closest confidants. And I have been pushing myself away from the two of you, on and off missions. Neither of you deserve that."
The ears of the white bat dropped as she realized what he was referring to.
"Why have you been doing that, Shadow? We're a part of the same team, are we not?" Rouge asked solemnly.
"Because I am immortal and ageless," Shadow explained. "You, Omega, the blue hedgehog and his friends, the doctor, and everybody that I've met in this time period will eventually age and wither away. In the end, I'll be left alone. All that I'll have remaining of you will be memories. It'll be like Maria all over again."
"Oh Shadow," Rouge said, pitying her older friend. "I had no clue that you felt that way. Why didn't you tell us about how you feel before?"
Shadow turned his head away out of shame.
"...I didn't want to burden you with my ordeals. Nor was I-I ready to face that reality at the time." The black hedgehog admitted as he laid back down on his bed, suddenly feeling the heaviness of exhaustion washing over hin. "I've c-come to terms with my ageless existence, but knowing that your time with me is short is a bitter pill to swallow..."
Shadow closed his eyes as he tried to concentrate on his breathing while the Ultimate Lifeform's body was recovering.
It was here where the former thief could see that Shadow was drifting off into unconsciousness.
She sighed at him while shaking her head, saying, "... Selfless jerk. You shouldn't carrying that load on your own."
Rouge let the hedgehog's hand go, then walked to her teammate and planted a kiss on his forehead.
Before leaving the room, the blue eyed Mobian said, "Even if our together time in life is short, I'll always remain by your side. Never forget that, Shadow."
And with that, Rouge walks out of Shadows room, passing by a smiling Topaz Tower.
'Well, what do you know? Rouge has a heart after all.'
Mobian Music Festival, Furville, Acornia
Amy Rose was not having a good day today. In fact, she was having a dreadfully miserable day.
The pink hedgehog had a perfect plan; invite Sonar (and everybody else) out to the Music Festival, get Sonic to take her around the park, share a romantic moment, then bam!
Sonic would finally reciprocate her feelings and her hero would finally be her's for everybody to see.
But no!
Instead, the fourteen-year-old's life got turned upside down.
Not only did Sonic apparently have an entire relationship behind her back! With Breezie! Her favorite music artist, of all people!
After all this time of constantly rejecting her confessions and pleading platonic whenever the pink hedgehog further questioned him numerous times, Sonic had kept this hidden secret from her, completely disregarding her feelings in the process.
And to top it all off, Sonic had the audacity to get up to her face and scold her for what seems to be a farce of a relationship.
Now, the leader of Team Rose had to watch from the sidelines as her hero had to play along and charm his supposed ex-girlfriend into giving him the Chaos Emerald she possessed.
Needless to say, the blue hedgehog has left her fuming.
Throughout the day, the Freedom Fighters were following a couple of feet away from the former hedgehog couple, essentially doubling as Breezie's line of defense and a third wheel as a collective.
Meanwhile, Sonic kept his nervous tic of a weary smile while inwardly groaning at the various activities he had participated in with Breezie.
At first, the Empire native girl went on a shopping spree all over the area, leaving Sonic to carry all of her bags.
There was an attraction that involved them sitting in a wooden log as they rode on top of the water. This led to Sonic and Breezie going down a waterfall, much to the terror of the blue hedgehog. While Breezie exited the ride, positively amused, Sonic left grumpy and wet.
Breezie then dragged him to go go-kart racing with her. And coincidentally, the theme of the race was couples-oriented. Of course, the businesswoman had Sonic be the driver because he was the guy in the situation. He obliged anyway, for he was a gentleman. None of the other competitors stood a chance, for whether Sonic's using his legs, or behind the wheel, Sonic's dominating the race, period. Breezie and Sonic took first place, much to the former music artist's delight.
Moving on, Breezie gushed over a large Light Chao plushie that a game booth had. This game, in particular, happened to involve shooting basketballs and scoring a specific amount of points with limited and rarer items like the large Light Chao being the prize. Sonic had two minutes to make as many shots through the basket. Due to his speed, the vendor stopped Sonic out of astonishment and fear from how fast he grabbed and shot the small basketballs, which he made with ease. Fastest Thing Alive walked away with Breezie cuddling the Light Chao plush in less than forty five seconds.
Three and a half hours later, we find the rest of the Freedom Fighters sitting at a circular table and a bench that were across from a line that led to a Ferris wheel.
Sally (with NICOLE in her holo lynx form), Sonar, and Tails all sat on the table, guarding all of Breezie's shopping bags and her Light Chao plushie. Meanwhile, Amy and Cream were sitting six feet away from that group with envious eyes fixated at the Ferris wheel.
The pink hedgehog gripped the trim of her pink dress, gritting, "It's not fair!"
"Ms. Amy, please," Cream implored, while holding Cheese close to her. "I know that you're upset but you have to behave yourself. You've been at this all day. It's unhealthy"
"You don't understand, Cream!" Amy shouted, causing the younger Mobian to flinch. "Sonic is my fated one! My twin flame! We were meant to be together!
That should be me in that line next to my Sonic! Not that snooty pompous witch!"
Cream sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. She got up from the bench with her Chao companion and began to walk away from Amy, much to the hedgehog's astonishment.
"W-What!? Hey! Where are you going, Cream?" The older Mobian questioned.
Turning to her friend, the rabbit said, "Ms. Amy, you're my best friend and I'll always be there to support you. But I can't condone the way that you're acting. I know how strongly you feel about Mr. Sonic. But that does not excuse how poorly you've been treating people."
Amy was about to say something, only for Cream to cut her off.
"–Excuse me, but I am not done talking. While Ms. Breezie may seem like a dubious person, she's still very important to Mr. Sonic. And he's right, you were wrong in the way you've spoken about her in front of him. Despite what he said about them, you continue to disrespect his wishes behind his back. Yet, you're framing this whole thing as if Mr. Sonic has done you wrong when it is the other way around."
"I-I…b-but he…" Amy stumbled, still trying to process the way that Cream was speaking to her.
The rabbit tiresomely sighed before saying, "There's nothing else to say. I'm going back to the others. I hope you feel better soon. Please let me know when my friend is back, okay? I'd love to talk to her again."
With that, Cream left Amy by her lonesome.
Back to the table, the two foxes and chipmunk were having their own conversation regarding the matter.
"You know, it was kind of hard to see it at first," Sonar admitted. "But despite this being a m-mission, you can tell me that they were a couple and I'd take you for it."
"You can say that again. Watching him act like… this, it's really strange. For as long as I can remember, Sonic's never took an interest in pursuing romance. It's like I'm seeing a whole new person." Tails said while holding Sonic's guitar that was in its case.
NICOLE chimed in, saying, "That is to be expected. Each individual has different perspectives of themselves, their loved ones, and the people around them. As the initial relationship deepens and progresses into something more, that view shifts depending on the pair in question. Suddenly, you learn more about your partner of interest; having experienced the highest and lowest points about them. There can be a possibility of learning a far more personal detail that could change your entire viewpoint of that individual forever. You know who Oliver is, Miles. However, Breezie seems to know another side of him. A vulnerable side he has not yet shared with anybody else."
"Wow, NICOLE. That was pretty insightful." An astounded Sonar stated.
"...I never thought about it that way," Tails nodded, now staring at Sonic's guitar case.
'...I wish he'd open up more.' The fox boy thought, frowning in a sad manner.
Sally, who remained reserved throughout the situation, glanced towards the line to ride the Ferris wheel, said, "Even so, Sonic is only cooperating in order to secure the Chaos Emerald. Clearly, he would place the need of the planet over his personal issues regarding the situation no matter how unbearable it gets. And judging from the look on his face, he seems to be doing so begrudgingly."
"...W-Well, there is a reason why they're a former c-couple." The fennec stuttered, rubbing her awkwardly whole remembering Sonic's sour mood.
After waiting for another ten minutes, Sonic and Breezie finally entered a cart (much to the relief of Sonic's patience).
The next thing that they knew, the wheel had begun to move, albeit very sluggishly.
Sonic and Breezie on the same side, but the grouchy male hedgehog made sure that he scooted away from the businesswoman to keep his distance. After Sonic did this, he turned to the window and focused on the view and away from his company.
Breezie took notice of this and frowned at these actions.
'...Strange. He's been acting like this all day.' Breezie thought to herself. '... What's gotten into him? It's like he is not happy to be around me.'
Breezie moved closer to Sonic and drew circles on his cheek, asking, "What's wrong, Maury~? Are you still mad about the water ride~? I know how much you hate getting soaked, but come on! You've got to admit that it was exciting~!"
Sonic simply removed her hand from his face, and curtly replied, "...It's Sonic. And you can quit touchin' me, now."
Breezie's cheery attitude vanished as a frown formed on her face.
"Hey, I was just trying to lighten up the mood. It wouldn't kill you to at least act like you're enjoying yourself." The girl sassed.
"..."
Not liking the silent treatment, Breezie heatly expressed, "Okay, I've had it with this atittude. Quit pretending like I'm not here and tell me what the hell is your problem!?"
Sonic slowly turned his head to gaze into the purple-eyed girl as he calmly said, "Why should I stop? You actin' like everything's all hunky dory, pretending like nothing had ever happened between us."
"What are you even talking about?" Breezie questioned. "Are you still upset about our break up? We agreed that it wasn't going to work out–"
"–Breanna." Sonic said in a firm but low tone. "That ain't it, and you know it. We both know what this is about, so drop the act."
"Gaia, you're being insufferable! I'm not a mind reader, Sonic! You'll have to be specific–"
"–Sweet Dreams."
The tension never left the car, but the air had suddenly turned cold. Breezie froze along with her heart.
He'd finally said it. The young woman always had this suspicion, this nagging feel that Sonic would have learned the truth. The song was a platinum hit. A popular single that took Breezie and her girls to stardom, paving the way to where they each stood socially and financially.
"...Oh," Breezie uttered in a quieter, vulnerable tone. "That."
"Yeah," Sonic reaffirmed. "Whatcha gotta say, hm?"
Breezie bit her lip while having a rare shameful expression on her face. The young woman was not used to being one the receiving end of arguments. Even so, she wasn't going to let herself be easily shaken by Sonic's words. After all, her actions have reasoning behind them.
Letting out a soft sigh, the older female hedgehog lightly spoke, "...Sonic, you knew what my living situation was back then. By the time we were dating, I had a short amount of time to write an original love song that had to be a hit. And you knew how bad I was at songwriting. I just…My options were limited, okay?"
"So that justifies stealing from me?" Sonic accused, clearly angered by her response.
"I did no such thing!" Breezie denied profusely. "You gave me that song, and I merely seized an opportunity."
Sonic's face shifted from bewilderment to a cool anger in a matter of seconds.
"What do ya mean?" The teen shot back before shaking his head in protest. "Nah, nah! You're not finna play that game with me. No. I dedicated that song to you as one means to express how much I loved you. I didn't give you the rights to that song. I never signed ownership of it over to you. Damn, is that all that I was to you? As a means for your career to take off?"
Breezie then fired back at the younger blue hedgehog, saying, "Hold on! I'm going to tell you what you're not going to do. You're not going to completely throw me under the bus like I'm all the way in the wrong. I'm not the only person that needs something to answer for, Maurice–oh, I'm sorry. Sonic the Hedgehog."
Sonic winced, knowing where the argument was leading up to.
"Mhm. That's right. You didn't expect me to figure you out, huh?" Breezie snarked. "I've always thought that name was a fake from how you responded. And come on, anybody could tell the difference between natural colored fur and irises from gray fur dye and brown contact lenses. Oh, and those blue and black sneakers were tacky."
Sonic frowned at her remarks, then tried to explain himself.
"Breeze, I–"
"–In all seriousness, I can't help but feel disappointed. You'd think that after spending so much time together, you'd finally open yourself up and let a girl in." Breezie said in a saddened undertone. "In hindsight, I should have seen it coming. You never told me whether you had friends or family that I could have met, or the kind of places that you supposedly have been to. It was like dating a complete stranger. One who keeps to himself with no matter of supporting himself financially. Oh well, I guess that's my fault for trying so hard."
Breezie's words sent Sonic's mind to a screeching halt. He had never stopped to think that the woman would hold the lack of trivial knowledge against the hero.
He retreated to his mind, skimming over his memories with his former girlfriend until an epiphany came to the royal Azurite. And the more Sonic the truth, his heart sank deeper into sadness.
"...I see," Sonic whispered in melancholy, with his face becoming more reserved. "Those were the real reasons why you wanted to end things off before, right?"
Breezie's face turned deadpan as she turned around and held her arms together.
"...What's the point of being together with a guy who you don't really know or count on to take care of a girl properly?"
Sonic bowed his head with guilt, lowinger his ears in the process.
"...I'm sorry,"
There was a silence between them as their car was starting to descend just as slowly as they ascended. After a minute of silence, the former music artist asked a question without looking at him.
"...Why?" Breezie inquired. "Why did you hide who you are from me after all this time?"
Sonic looked at the back of her head before saying, "...I wanted to see if what we had was real."
Breezie turned around to Sonic with a confused expression.
"What?"
Staring into her eyes, Sonic clarified, "I've always been Sonic. That's who I am. But ever since I've gartered attention, the public's been treatin' me like an icon. Nowadays, everybody wants a piece of me and I can't seem to get a break. It's like people forgot that I'm just a kid from South Island. So, I figured I'd try to be a normal guy for a change. Being myself without being, well, Sonic."
The record company owner's ears, mind, and heart all began to open up to his words in a more intimate manner, feeling her toughed face melt into something more softer.
"I get it. I should have came clean before we even started seein' each other. Can't imagine how you must have felt not including you in my actual life. But I don't just be doin' things without any rhyme or reason. Truth is, I was scared. Scared that you'd only care about Sonic and not the hedgehog. Doesn't help that I don't be talkin' about my emotions. By the time we were in the middle of our relationship, I realized how much I got caught up too deep in the whole Maurice facade." Sonic explained.
Finally, Breezie had a better understanding. She may be still upset at her old flame, but his actions at least made more sense to her.
In response, Breezie nodded thoughtfully.
Sonic stood up and said, "Breanna, I never meant to make you feel like you weren't worth opening up to or trusting you completely. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. And I yeah, I chose to live freely without the need for money or to have a large group to hang with. It's not for everybody. But did you really have to steal from a guy who doesn't have much to his name?"
Guilt had returned into the heart of the businesswoman, causing her to avert herself to the ground.
"What do you expect me to say? I only had one chance to make it big, or go back to the slums. I had the weight of my career and the career of two other people on my back. Then you came along and turned my world upside down…" Breezie tried justifying. "You'll always have a place in my heart, but I wasn't going to jeopardize my future for you. Look, I didn't have a choi–."
Sonic immediately cut the beauty off, delivering a firm but calm rebuttal.
"–You did have a choice then, Breanna. All of us have choices to make in the lives we lead. I know that poverty wasn't a choice for you growin' up, but you sure as hell made a conscious decision on takin' my song. I mean, I could have given it to you if you asked. Or better yet, co-written a song together. But instead, you took the easy way out."
"...Whatever," Breezie muttered, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge her ex-boyfriend's point while standing firm on her convictions.
Sonic took a deep breath to relieve the stress built up in his body.
"...Are you happy with your life, now?" Sonic questioned softly.
"Are you?" Breezie fired back, eager to hear his response.
Surprisingly enough, neither of them could fully give one another a definitive answer. They could only stare back, never breaking eye contact.
The pair's mood had plateaued by the time the Ferris wheel ride was over. The two happend to be the last one's to get off the attraction. Neither of them were angry with each other, but they couldn't find the gall to look into each other's direction.
When Sonic began to walk away from the Ferris wheel attraction, a tingling sensation came over the blue hedgehog's quills.
With his heightened sense of awareness and super speed, Sonic noticed a black missile heading directly towards Breezie.
From there, Sonic wasted no time and acted quickly.
"BREANNA, GET DOWN!" Sonic screamed with urgency as he sprinted towards his former love.
Before she knew it, Sonic pushed the businesswoman down to the ground, causing her to hit the floor and drop her necklace that had the dark blue Chaos Emerald on its chain.
Sonic then sprung up twenty feet in the air and kicked the missile away from the park, landed on the ground safely and retrieved the Chaos Emerald.
The missile was successfully repelled, with its trajectory changing to the source of where it originated. Just when it made impact and detonated on seemingly nothing, a ripple of violet exposed a large rotund outline.
The explosion overhead and the arrival of a small wave of Egg Fighters and Aero-Chaser units prompted the masses to run away with their lives.
Sally, Tails, Cream (and Cheese), Sonar, and Amy, fully alert of the situation around, got up from their seats.
"W-What was that!? W-What's going on!?" Sonar panicked, watching as the robots came flying in, ready to wreak havoc on command.
"Not good! Egg Fighters and Aero-Chasers are swarming the whole area!" Tails stated while looking at his handheld.
"No! We've waited too long. He's already making his move!" Sally gritted before NICOLE materialized her holo lynx form out of her hardware.
Sonic then crouched down to help Breezie get up.
"You okay?" The green-eyed hedgehog asked while grabbing her hand.
"Y-Yeah, I'm alright," Breezie panted while shakily standing up, feeling the rush of adrenaline cause her heart to beat fast. "W-What the hell was that?"
"Hehehehehehe!"
Sonic, Breezie, and the Freedom Fighters paused as a familiar mechanical chuckle rang through their eardrums.
Cream shrunk in fear, causing Amy to stand in front of the younger rabbit.
"Guys? I-I don't like this…" Cream shuddered as the haunting evil laugh continued.
"Yeah, it's given me the creeps." Amy added, summoning her trusty Piko Piko Hammer to her hand.
"You're telling me. Eggman's always been eccentric, but this is kind of overkill," Tails agreed.
"Oh hohohoho!" The voice sinisterly cackled.
Having enough of waiting and the foreboding tactic that he was playing, the annoyed Sonic stepped forward and said, "Knock it off, Eggman! We get it! We know that you're here! Quit messin' around with us and show yourself already!"
In response to Sonic's demand, the invisible force landed on the ground, causing a large impact that shook the floor.
As the figure became visible and flapped its black cloak, it revealed a giant red, gray, and black egg-shaped robot with red eyes and interchangeable arm attachments. It also has missile launchers built into its chest area and expandable wings and a jet-pack on its back.
"Hehehe! Joke all you want, you indigo pest! Low and behold the harbinger of your demise! Bask in the terror and magnificent power of Metal Robotnik!" The doctor grinned maliciously inside the stomach of the mech.
To Be Continued…
Author's Notes: Hey guys, your boy's back with another chapter.
I hope you guys like the character interactions. Honestly, this was one of the hardest chapters to write. Especially when approaching Sonic and Breezie and their conversation.
Speaking of which, my intention for their dialogue was not for the readers to choose who's more in the right. Rather, it was to show them that they're complex three dimensional people who have their own flaws in the demise of their relationship as a couple. They are teenagers and or young adults. Youthful and prone to make lots of selfish decisions and costly mistakes.
Breezie is a morally dubious person who is self-serving and mainly cares about her well-being. She's not completely heartless. While she does feel remorse, her pride gets in the way of apologizing. That will be tested in the next chapter. Her rough upbringing is similar to the backstory that was provided by the Archie Comics.
Sonic (whose personality is largely based on the Game continuity's Japanese interpretation) is an introvert who does not go into detail about himself or his feelings, but rather silently observes his surroundings and the situation at hand before acting. This gave me the idea to explore unique insecurities that I thought were interesting.
This also applies to Amy's character, who will develop and grow overtime.
Bottom line, Sonic's relationship with Breezie is complicated and multi-layered. All of you are entitled to have your own opinions, but neither of them are without fault. The best they can do is learn from their experience.
I may or may not have stated this before, but Sweet Sweet Sweet (Sweet Dreams) is a real song that was performed by a real Japanese band called Dreams Come True. An instrumental of this song played in the final cutscene of Sonic 2. In this continuity, Sonic wrote this as a way to describe his love for Breezie.
As for Shadow, he'll be getting up later on. You'll be seeing more of him and Team Dark next arc. And no, Rouge and Knuckles aren't a thing here. I'm a fan of it, but Rouge and Knuckles' romantic feels have dissolved due to him no longer allowing himself to be goaded by her ways.
Anyways, let me know what you guys think. What went well in this chapter? What needs improvement? Who is your favorite character in this story thus far? What is your favorite moment? Please, leave all comments, questions, and concerns by reviewing the chapter. See you guys later!
-DarkShadowGames451