Sonic: Roses and Acorns

by Masterob

Taking place in the Hero Academia: Enter the Spider storyline is the origin of Sonic the Hedgehog in this continuity. Sonic and his family reminisce about the past, and all of the heroic hedgehog's greatest adventures alongside his friends Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Sally. Features references to other franchises, especially within Sega.

15. Old Regrets

While still in the room together, a nervous Sonic was barely able to speak to his wife. Amy was understandably displeased with certain choice words from her husband, especially regarding his ex-wife, Sally Acorn.

"So, Sonic..." Amy began. "Care to explain some of the things you said about Sally?"

"What's there to explain?" Sonic asked.

"It feels like since coming here, you've been completely on edge," Amy said. "I know this castle wasn't the best home for you, but could it really have been that bad to the point you seem so visibly bothered?"

"You see how everyone is, Amy," Sonic said. "The moment we walked in, we got sass from Fiona. Pretty sure Lanolin hates us just because she thinks Sally does. Then Nicole gives me grief about what happened."

"I admit, Fiona can be very rude, and Lanolin can be a pain herself," Amy said. "I can't comment on Nicole but I will take your word that she confronted you. I don't know too many who love Sally more than Nicole does."

"It's just awkward with her, she's basically my former sister-in-law," Sonic said. "How do you convince your ex-wife's sister how to not hate you?"

"I can't really comment," Amy said. "I know it's hard though, but none of this is really Sally's fault."

"It kind of is," Sonic said. "One of the reasons everyone seems so bothered by me is because of things she's probably said. Nicole told me all about how she's either the focus of sympathy because of our divorce, or a fool for letting me go."

"But is that really her fault?" Amy asked. "I think you need to redirect your frustrations. But honestly, why are you even bothered in the first place? You're not one to let what others say get to you."

"It's kind of hard when I have to be back here," Sonic said. "I just never feel like myself, and I hate it. These castle walls feel so restrictive, it just reminds me of some of the worst years of my life."

"Sonic, you can't mean that," Amy said. "You can't mean to tell me that being married to Sally was that bad. It's not like she didn't love you, I could tell she was happy to have you around. That's why she's so sad now, she misses you, and I don't blame her. If I were Sally, I'd be sad if I lost you."

"Well you don't have to worry about that, because I never want to leave your side," Sonic said, taking his wife by her hand.

This got a bit of a blush out of her, the girl barely able to process the situation. "I am very grateful of that, Sonic. I don't want to leave your side either, I want to be with you forever."

"See, when it's just us, it's better," Sonic said. "All I need are you and Sonia."

"What about Manik though?" Amy asked, getting a worried reaction from Sonic. "You spoke this whole time about Sally, but what about Manik? He's your son after all."

"...He's Sally's son, I don't think he wants anything to do with me," Sonic said.

"Sonic, that is a terrible excuse!" Amy scolded. "Regardless of how he acts, he's still your son! Don't you love your son?"

"I do, but, if my presence is upsetting him, then I'm better off just not being here, aren't I?" Sonic asked.

"Sonic, Manik is upset because you and Sally split up," Amy said. "Then you just left, and you barely come by to see him. He's not mad because you're gone, he's mad because he thinks you don't care. You never worked things out with him."

"I don't know how," Sonic said.

"You have to figure it out, or ask for help!" Amy scolded. "You know Manik means the world to Sonia too! She loves him! And she should because that is her big brother! Regardless of how he acts, she keeps him close and never lets him push her away."

"Ames..." Sonic said.

"Don't 'Ames' me," Amy scolded. "Now, I know we agreed to wait a bit but you're still working things out with Sally! I'm tired of seeing you two so awkward around each other. You really did have something special with her."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Sonic asked. "You should be happy that I left Sally."

"Sonic, I don't regret marrying you, but I will never be happy for Sally's heartbreak," Amy said. "Just because you two are divorced doesn't mean you should cut her off. Keep in mind that Sally means a lot to me and to Sonia."

"That's the other issue, you heard what Sonia said before about being a Freedom Fighter?" Sonic asked. "Sally was even considering it!"

"I will admit, that is concerning, and we will have a talk with Sonia about that," Amy said. "Hopefully by the time she's an adult, the Freedom Fighters won't even be necessary."

"Still, it's almost like Sally just wants to take Sonia," Sonic said. "Not to mention, the longer Sonia's here, the more likely she'll hear certain talk."

"Sonic, have faith in Sonia, she loves you after all," Amy said. "But...I need to know this. You already told me that you love your son, and I do believe you."

"Is there more?" Sonic asked.

"...Do you hate Sally?" Amy asked.

Sonic's eyes widened in disbelief, "Me? Hate Sally?"

"Do you?" Amy asked.

Sonic wasn't sure how to answer this, he barely even considered the idea, "I...don't like how she acts but I can't say that I hate her. I just don't feel much for her."

"So, you're indifferent?" Amy asked.

"Is that a bad thing?" Sonic asked back.

Amy sighed in concern, "I honestly don't know."

"...Geez, what did I get myself wrapped into?" Sonic wondered. "The sooner we find Eggman...actually, I'm going to do a quick run around in the forest."

"Alright, if you want to. But maybe we should-" Sonic immediately sped off, much to Amy's annoyance. "Let Sally know." The girl sighed in frustration. "Normally I like when he does that, and I probably would do the same but, I think we need to show Sally's rules a bit more respect. She does a lot for us after all, and I don't mind being a Freedom Fighter for her if she needs one. Right now, I think she needs more than that, though."

A few minutes after hearing Sally talking to her son, Fiona and Tangle were both sneaking back to the throne room, hoping no one noticed their absence.

"Think anyone noticed we were gone?" Tangle asked.

"We were only gone for a few minutes, plus Lanolin loves the sound of her own voice, she won't notice-" As soon as Fiona stepped into the room, she caught sight of Lanolin's glare.

"Where have you been, Fiona?" Lanolin asked.

"Who, me?" Fiona asked. "I...went to the bathroom?"

"How nice," Lanolin said, then karate chopped Fiona's head.

"Hey!" Fiona shouted, rubbing her head. "You really gotta stop doing that!"

"You know not to leave during official Freedom Fighter business!" Lanolin scolded.

"I know how Freedom Fighter business works, I've done it longer than you have," Fiona said.

"Then I expect better from you," Lanolin said, then glared at Tangle. "As for you."

"I swear I went to get Fiona, just to keep her from breaking the rules," Tangle said.

"That's bullshit!" Fiona shouted.

"Enough!" Lanolin scolded. "Fiona, you have a mission to get ready for."

"Mission?" Fiona asked. "What mission?"

"If you were here, you'd know," Lanolin said. "I need you and Whisper to do a little recon."

"Me and Whisper!?" Fiona glanced at the Wolf, who seemed to be glaring right at her. "Why us!? Send Tangle with Whisper! They can treat it like one of their dates."

"Whisper and I aren't dating! We're just friends!" Tangle shouted. "Ugh, why does everyone think we're dating!?"

"Because you two spend all of your free time with each other," Fiona said.

"So? That doesn't mean we're dating!" Tangle said. "That's like saying that Sonic and Tails date because they spend time with each other."

"Can you not put that image in my head?" Tails asked.

"Or Sally and Nicole!" Tangle said.

"That's my sister!" Nicole shouted.

"Can we not get into this?" Lanolin said, the sheep rubbing her eyes in frustration. "Fiona, I need you and Whisper to go because this is a stealth mission, something you're both suited for. Tangle isn't exactly good when it comes to stealth."

"Hey! I can be totally stealthy!" Tangle shouted.

"...Of course you can," Lanolin said, then turned back to Fiona. "Seriously, you blend into environments very well and Whisper is just, really quiet. Hence her name."

"I see what you're going for but I'm really not used to stealth missions," Fiona said.

"I know you're good at stealth though, you were a thief once, weren't you?" Lanolin asked.

"Gee, way to casually bring that up," Fiona said. "But I see your point. One other problem though, and it's kind of a big one."

"What is it?" Lanolin asked.

"I don't think Whisper exactly, trusts me," Fiona said.

"Pfft, of course she does, you're both Freedom Fighters," Lanolin turned to the wolf. "You trust Fiona, don't you?"

"Not particularly," Whisper admitted, much to Lanolin's annoyance.

"See? We can't pull this off," Fiona said. "She doesn't trust me and I don't particularly like her."

"Come on Whisper, why don't you trust Fiona?" Lanolin asked.

"You know why," Whisper said.

"Is this because she betrayed us once?" Lanolin asked. "I have to admit, it's a bit petty that not only you but a good chunk of our teammates still doesn't trust Fiona after all she's done to make things right."

"Do you trust her?" Tangle asked.

"Of course, Queen Sally trusts Fiona, so there's no reason I shouldn't," Lanolin said.

"So, you only trust her because Sally does," Tangle pointed out. "If Sally didn't trust Fiona, would you still trust her?"

"Don't turn this on me, this is about Whisper not being a team player," Lanolin said.

"Quite honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Lanolin trusted Fiona regardless of what Queen Sally says," Whisper pointed out. "She was quick to trust Duo after all."

"Oh don't start with me on that!" Lanolin scolded. "Given your past trauma I thought you were going insane or something! I was trying to protect you both!"

Whisper's eyes widened in surprise, before furrowing into anger, "What was that!?"

"You looked ready to start a fight for no reason," Lanolin said. "I had to do something."

"Is that why you assaulted her then?" Tangle bitterly asked. Lanolin looked furious, Fiona awaited what would happen, Bunnie was ready to step in and Nicole contemplating looking for Sally.

Before things could really get bad, Tails was quick to step in, "Mind if I say something?"

"What is it?" Lanolin asked.

"First, I do think it's a great idea to do a little recon, and you picked some good choices," Tails said. "But, teamwork is essential, and if Fiona and Whisper don't trust each other, it could jeopardize the mission. I suggest finding a third person whom they both trust to be a mediator. There should be plenty available, a lot of The Freedom Fighters are great at stealth. Like Antoine or Bunnie."

"Really? From what Queen Sally says, those two got caught a lot," Lanolin said.

"Uh, hardly," Bunnie said. "We snuck around just fine during the Resistance Days, even when Dulcy was with us."

"You could have been better," Lanolin said.

"Well if you are so great, zen why don't you join Fiona and Whisper on zis mission of stealth?" Antoine asked.

"Queen Sally needs me here to help her with her duties, plus we need muscle here just in case Robotnik sneaks up on us," Lanolin said.

"But isn't that why you wanted Sonic?" Tails asked. "If Robotnik shows up, Sonic can handle it. I think you can afford to send at least one more person."

"Alright, since you're so smart, then you join on the stealth mission," Lanolin said.

"Me?" Tails asked.

"Tails would be perfect actually," Nicole said. "He has traveled the world and knows a lot of places."

"He's a quick thinker too," Bunnie said.

"He's also got cute eyes..." Mina quickly corrected herself, not without a curious glare from Melody. "I mean...keen eyes."

Tangle herself raised her eyebrow at Mina, but focused back on the task at hand, "Tails can definitely pull it off."

"Hope you're as talented as you claim to be," Lanolin said.

Tails scratched his head in wonder, "I never once claimed to be talented. I just suggested an idea to ensure your plan worked out."

"Seriously, lay off him a bit Lanny," Fiona said. "I do like the idea though, Tails would make for good company on this mission."

"I concur, I trust Tails," Whisper said.

"Then it's settled, Fiona, Whisper and Tails will do recon," Lanolin said.

"Alright, guess I'm going too," Tails said. "Should I invite Cream too? She can pull off stealth if she needs to."

"No way, last time I sent her on a mission with you, the two of you decided to start making out," Lanolin said, this reminder bothering Mina.

"All I did was share a kiss with my wife," Tails said.

"She's a cute girl too, can't blame him," Fiona said.

"Nothing wrong with a little romance, and Tails does seem like a really romantic guy," Melody said. "I'm just waiting for the day a boy gives me that same type of love."

"It'll happen, just be the girl for him that Cream is for me," Tails said, glaring at Lanolin. "A girl who would be good for this plan of yours as well!"

"Look, point is that I'm not sending Cream out there, she's hardly even a soldier," Lanolin said.

"Cream has fought Eggman's robots before, she even helped us fight Metal Sonic once," Tails reminded.

"Cream also fought a robot that once took down Sonic along with some heroes on Earth," Bunnie said. "That girl is more capable than yer giving her credit for."

"Regardless, three is enough," Lanolin said. "It's not a good idea to send too many out there at once."

"You could have just said that without disrespecting my wife," Tails pointed out. "I'd sooner trust Cream to handle a mission than you."

"Burn," Fiona said.

"Oh shut up, Fi," Lanolin said. "Tails, this is a big deal, you better be able to prove yourself to your Queen."

"I'm not doing this to prove myself to Royalty," Tails said. "I'm doing this because I love Sally and because I want to make sure my friends and family are safe, including the ones in this castle."

"Fine, whatever..." Lanolin dismissed.

Melody huffed in annoyance, the girl still bored out of her mind when she noticed something to perk her up. "Queen Sally is back with Manik!"

Indeed Sally was making her way into the throne room, Manik right beside the woman, and both looking a little disheartened.

"Queen!" Lanolin was quick to get her attention. "I trust you finished what you were doing?"

"Uh, yeah, Manik just had some questions for me, nothing to be concerned with," Sally said. Even her tone was sad, something Tails, Nicole and Bunnie picked up on really quicky. Fiona and Tangle knew what was wrong, and even Whisper sensed that Sally was less than herself.

"Well you will be happy to know that I came up with a brilliant plan," Lanolin said. "Fiona and Whisper are going on a recon mission, and Tails agreed to lead them."

"Wait, I never said anything about being a leader," Tails said.

"But it's not a bad idea," Fiona said. "I trust you as leader."

"As do I," Whisper said.

"So yeah, like I said, Tails is leading them," Lanolin said. "I marked some places for them to check, including Seaside Hill, the old Chemical Plant and Bridge Island."

"Are you making this up as you go? You never even ran this by us," Tails said.

"Well I'm running it by you now," Lanolin said, then focused back on Sally. "With any luck, they should find out more information about Robotnik's plans."

"That's actually a good idea," Sally said. "Don't limit it to just one team though, send out more if you can."

"Of course," Lanolin said. "The more out there, the better, right?"

"But you said..." Tails quickly gave up. "Oh forget it."

"I really appreciate you for this Lanolin," Sally said, taking the sheep girl's hand in her own. "Thank you for your help."

Lanolin started blushing, the praise from the Queen she admired getting to her head as she bashfully rubbed her head. "It's nothing really, just doing what you expect out of me."

"I am concerned about something, however," Sally admitted, releasing Lanolin's hand and facing the others. "Fiona? Whisper? I know you're both well aware of the involvement of both Scourge and Surge."

"Yeah, we are," Fiona said.

"What is the concern?" Whisper asked.

"Fiona, I know your time with Scourge was less than pleasant," Sally said.

"Well, it seemed pleasant at the time," Fiona admitted, the girl then shuddering a bit. "Aside from my interactions with Alicia."

Sally felt partially guilty since that was another version of her, but maintained her focus, "And Whisper, I know you and Surge have had unpleasant run ins, including what she did to the Wispons of your old allies."

"I have not forgotten..." Whisper said, despair in the wolf's voice.

"Are you both going to be alright with this?" Sally asked. "If you run into them, can I be sure you won't get reckless and try to attack?"

"That's a good point," Tails said.

"Oui, something Lanolin should have thought of," Antoine said, earning the girl's irritation.

"Hey you didn't say anything either, and right after how confident you sounded earlier today," Lanolin scolded.

"It's fine, Lanolin was doing her best," Sally said. "She still came up with a good idea. Even if it had a flaw, that's why we're a team. To help each other, not berate."

"Wisely spoken, Queen Sally," Lanolin said.

"Is this what Sonia or Johnny would call a simp? Even I didn't get like this with Sally, and she's one of my heroes," Tails thought to himself. "I can recon alone if Fiona and Whisper don't feel up to it."

"I'm not letting you go out there by yourself," Fiona said. "I'll be fine, I'm not worried about running into Scourge."

"Nor I about Surge," Whisper said. "I can contain my emotions."

"Alright, that's settled, on to more," Lanolin said. "If we need more recon, Queen Sally, might I suggest Espio and Julie-Su as a team as well? They can survey places like Emerald Hill and Casino Park."

"I don't know about the latter, I doubt any of Robotnik's forces would be in such a crowded place," Sally said. "But then again, sometimes it is smart to hide in plain sight."

"Little something I learned from our old encounter with Mimic," Lanolin said.

"Do not even be trying to spin zat in your favor," Antoine said. "You are lucky to not having been kicked out of ze Freedom Fighters for being such a fuel at ze time!"

"The biggest surprise is the fact that she held Silver back fer so long, he looked ready to take Lanolin down with Mimic," Bunnie said.

"Hey, look, I made a mistake, big deal!" Lanolin said. "Queen Sally forgave me, didn't you my Queen?"

"Of course, that's in the past now," Sally said. "Besides, we don't have to worry about Mimic, not any longer at least."

"Thanks to you and that laser blade of yours," Fiona said.

"...I remember," Sally said, checking her wrists, a twinge of regret on her face. Whisper too felt regret, not for Mimic, but for what Sally had to do. "Look, let's talk more about this tomorrow. I need some sleep and I think everyone here can use a bit of rest after today."

"It has been a long day," Fiona said. "I guess some sleep will do."

"Yes, good call Queen Sally," Lanolin said. "Tomorrow at the crack of dawn, I will send everyone on their recon mission."

"Excuse me!?" Fiona asked.

"Lanolin, it doesn't have to be that early," Sally said.

"They can handle it," Lanolin said.

"We still need to plan some things out, I don't want to risk sending Tails, Fiona and Whisper somewhere underprepared," Sally said.

"Hm, good point," Lanolin said.

"Hey if we go, can we get Casino Park instead of Espio and Julie-Su?" Fiona asked. "Those two would stick out like sore thumbs in a place like that."

"Hey!" Julie-Su protested.

"You're not exactly a hip lady," Fiona said. "Recon in a place like that means blending in somehow. I can help Whisper and Tails do such a thing."

"I don't know if I can even go to Casino Park, last time I went there, I got caught cheating in poker," Tails said, earning some confused reactions.

"Wait, you cheated?" Sally asked. "Were you gambling? Why? Is it money problems? Do you need financial assistance? I can cover all your debt."

"Easy Sally, it's nothing like that," Tails said.

"Still, cheating in poker?" Fiona asked, the girl smirking at him. "Turning into a bad boy there, Tails?"

"To be fair, I didn't know the exact rules, so if anything they overreacted," Tails said. "It just felt like Breezie was out to get me."

"Sounds like her," Mina lamented.

"Look, just let me handle things, Tails," Fiona said. "I'll keep an eye out for you."

"Alright, so that's two teams," Sally said. "Lanolin, maybe you can lead a team of your choosing. Your keen eye would really come in handy."

"I'd be honored to," Lanolin said, looking among the group. "Still, who to bring?"

"She should go with Bunnie and Antoine," Tails suggested, earning a glare from Lanolin.

"Excuse me?" The sheep asked. "I don't think-"

"Actually that's a wonderful idea," Sally said, much to Lanolin's worry. "Antoine, Bunnie, I know you and Lanolin don't always get along, but it would mean a lot if you can work together. Your skills would be amazing."

"Why ah would love to take the little sheep girl on a mission with us," Bunnie said, the rabbit girl grinning in sinister satisfaction.

"Oui, it would be most entertaining," A mischievous Antoine deduced.

"Great, but um, Lanolin, you're alright with that, aren't you?" Sally asked.

Lanolin wished she could say 'no', but didn't have the heart to let Sally down. "I would be...absolutely thrilled to work with Antoine and Bunnie."

"I just know you'll do well, I can always count on the three of you," Sally said.

"Why must she be so adorably kind? Oh Sally, I would do anything to make you happy Sally, but even I don't know how I could handle this," Lanolin mentally lamented the situation. "I'm going on a mission with a pair that suck at stealth. At least Tangle's not coming too."

"Can I go with Lanolin?" Tangle asked, Lanolin mentally screaming.

"I appreciate the initiative, but I'd feel better if you were here at the castle, I still need some muscle," Sally said.

"Makes sense to me," Tangle said.

Lanolin sighed in relief, "That was close."

"Hey, can I join in on a mission?" Mina asked.

"No way, you're too much of a liability," Lanolin said.

Mina furrowed her brow at the sheep, "How's about letting Sally answer? You were only in charge until she got back, and guess what? She's back."

"Lanolin, is there a reason you think Mina is a liability?" Sally asked.

"She's too well known, she'll draw a lot of attention," Lanolin said.

"Hey, I'm very good at blending in when I need to," Mina said. "Plus, I have super speed, I can easily get out of sight at a moment's notice."

"It's still too risky," Lanolin said. "All someone needs to do is recognize you and word gets around. Any one of Robotnik's forces could find out about you, and then they'd be on the lookout for any of the Freedom Fighters."

"To be fair, any of us is recognizable," Tails said. "Bunnie is a local hero, Antoine is a high-profile guard, and not to brag, but I've gotten my fair share of attention over the years."

"He might have a point, Lanny," Fiona said. "If Mina wants to go, then let her."

"She's not good at stealth though," Lanolin said.

"How would you even know?" Mina asked.

"When's the last time you went on a stealth mission?" Lanolin asked.

"I've had a few, I can be sneaky," Mina said.

Lanolin turned her attention to Sally, "It's your call, my Queen."

Sally glanced at Mina, then at Lanolin, the girl trying to figure out the best course of action. "Well...I suppose...Given the situation, I do want things to go smoothly so..."

"You know what, I'll save you a decision Sally," Mina said, turning around and making her exit. "Keep things as is if you really want to. Let's go Melody."

"Uh, okay..." Melody said, glancing back at Manik before following her mom.

"Mina, wait," Sally pleaded.

"How dare you turn your back on Queen Sally when she's making a decision!" Lanolin shouted. "And you call yourself a Freedom Fighter!? Well to that-"

"Lanolin!" Sally shouted, startling the girl. "That's enough."

"Sorry Queen Sally," Lanolin said, the girl awkwardly looking away.

"Just dial it back, please," Sally said. "We have our teams, now let's just call it a day already. I need some sleep."

"Of course," Lanolin said.

"Anyone who wants to stay at the castle for the night is free to do so, if you need assistance finding a room, talk to Nicole," Sally said.

"I have already organized potential rooms and settlements for everyone," Nicole said, generating a list.

"Where should I sleep?" Tails asked.

"I'll take you and Cream to your room," Sally said. "Actually, let's find Sonic, Amy, Knuckles and Rouge, I'll help them get settled in for the night as well."

"Seems like a lot of work," Fiona said. "I can handle that for you if you want."

"I'll be fine," Sally said.

"Well at least let me help Tails and Cream get settled in," Fiona said.

"I'll help with Knuckles and Rouge," Bunnie said.

"Why don't you help with Sonic instead Bunnie?" Fiona asked. "Sally can handle Knuckles and Rouge."

"No, I'll personally attend to Sonic and Amy," Sally said. "I'll be fine, plus I do want to personally makes sure they're comfortable. Sonia too."

Fiona didn't seem too sure about this, she knows that this is a lot harder on Sally than she's letting on, but she was not in the mood to argue with Sally about this. "It's your call."

"While you're out there, would you mind looking for Mina?" Sally asked. "I don't want to risk her being mad."

"Sounds good to me," Bunnie said, heading out.

"Let's go Tails," Fiona said, leading the fox away.

"Right behind you, Fiona," Tails said, following the girl.

Taking a breath, Sally turned her attention to her protégé. "Lanolin..."

"Yes, Queen Sally?" Lanolin nervously asked.

Sally gestured to Manik, "Can I trust you to help my son get ready for bed?"

Lanolin eagerly nodded, "Of course! I'd be more than happy to help the Crown Prince!"

"I know you will," Sally walked over to Manik, getting her son's attention. "Manik honey? I gotta go help Sonia get settled in. I'll come tuck you in myself later, for now, be good for Lanolin."

"Yes mother," Manik said.

Sally placed a kiss on his head before making her leave, with Manik slowly approaching Lanolin.

"Alright My Prince, is there anything you need before retreating to your room?" Lanolin asked.

"If it's not too much trouble, may we stop by the cafeteria? I want to grab some dinner," Manik said.

"Oh right, everyone will want something to eat," Lanolin said, turning to the Holo-Lynx. "Nicole, any chance you can make sure everyone has dinner?"

"It's part of their room sorting," Nicole said.

"Smart move," Lanolin said, turning to everyone. "Alright, check in with Nicole to make sure you're all staying in the right location."

"Can I get a room with a pool?" Marine asked.

"You get what you're given," Lanolin said, then turned to Manik. "Let's go My Prince."

"Yes ma'am," Manik said, following Lanolin while everyone checked in with Nicole.

Elsewhere, Fiona was leading Tails and Cream to their room, the red fox keeping an eye out to make sure they didn't pass it. Meanwhile Tails had something on his mind, and needed Fiona's input.

"Hey, Fiona, is it me or did Sally look a bit sad back there?" Tails asked.

"Noticed it, did you?" Fiona replied.

"So it wasn't just my imagination?" Tails responded.

"I can assure you it wasn't," Fiona said. "Sally has not been in the best mood as of late."

"I can't blame her, especially with Doctor Eggman causing trouble, along with that mean wizard," Cream said.

"It's not Eggman," Fiona said. "Well, it's partially Eggman, but it's something else as well."

"Let me guess, does it have to do with Sonic?" Tails asked.

Fiona chuckled to herself, "Always the clever one, Tails. You pick things up fast. Easy to see why you're one of the smart ones."

"That's just because I build planes and stuff," Tails said. "I'm not good at understanding others."

"I can't say I fully agree with that," Fiona said. "You believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself, because you knew I had potential to be good again after all."

"That was luck, I just really didn't want you to leave us," Tails said. "Maybe you forgot, but I did have a crush on you."

"Careful, you don't wanna make your cute and adorable wife, jealous," Fiona teased while glancing at Cream.

"I have nothing to be jealous about, I know Miles liked other girls," Cream said. "I'm just fortunate he chose to be with me."

"You should be, you got a great guy, I bet he understands your emotional needs," Fiona said.

"He does actually, he always finds a way to make me smile, even when we have our disagreements," Cream said.

"You two disagree?" Fiona asked.

"Every couple has conflicts," Tails said. "Love is about overcoming those conflicts through patience and understanding."

"Something you excel at," Fiona said. "Tails, you're a really nice guy, and something about you just reaches us in many ways. Everyone has nothing but nice things to say about you and for good reason. You're very friendly, and you have that emotional awareness that people need. Like I said, you understand others. Especially those you care about, like Sally."

"Of course, I love her, she's been like a mother to me," Tails said. "But, it sounds like Sonic being around is causing her a lot of stress."

"Got that right," Fiona said. "You have no idea how much Sally needed to swallow her pride to let Sonic assist with this mission of hers. If it were up to her, he wouldn't have even come."

"That would explain why she called me specifically," Tails said.

"Like we said before, you have a lot of Sonic's attributes," Fiona said. "You're also a genius, can Sonic operate the fancy machines you do?"

"Well Sonic can fly the tornado," Tails pointed out. "Also he's smart enough to hack into places if he needs to. He understands machine parts really well. Sonic's a lot smarter than a lot of people give him credit for."

"I know you have to point out his attributes since you're friends, but honestly, I feel like it's just hurting you," Fiona said. "You're very talented, try to believe in yourself more."

"I do Believe in Myself," Tails said. "But I also believe in Sonic, and he really does believe in me. He does worry about me but he worries about everyone that he cares about."

"Doesn't seem like it half the time, he's too...aloof," Fiona said.

"He's just not good with emotions," Tails said.

"Yeah that's obvious, considering he broke Sally's heart," Fiona said. "And the hearts of other girls who may have had a crush on him."

"Fiona, we've talked about this," Cream said. "Sonic doesn't do things to hurt others."

"Well Cream, it didn't stop him from doing so," Fiona said. "Not once have I seen him even show remorse. At least when Tails messes up, he will admit to it. You're lucky you married a man like him."

"I appreciate your compliments, Fiona," Tails said. "But please dial it back when talking about Sonic. Like it or not, he's one of my best friends, and I hate hearing people talk badly about him."

"Funny, Sally tells me something similar," Fiona said. "Any time I try to tell her about Sonic, she gets mad because I believe that she's still in love with him. She just won't let those feelings go."

"So you trash talk Sonic to get Sally to get over him?" Tails asked.

"In a way, if she considers him a loser, she will be happy they split up," Fiona said.

Tails furrowed his brow at the fox girl, "Fiona, that's very cruel of you to say. You're not really helping Sally, you're just enabling her negative emotions. She won't heal if you keep that up."

"He's right Fiona, Sally needs to come to her own closure," Cream said.

"What you're doing is keeping the wound open, and that's not fair to Sally or Sonic," Tails said. "Sorry to say, but you need to change how you do things."

"I can't promise anything," Fiona said. "But, I will lighten up on Sonic, for your sake."

Tails shrugged it off, "It's a start, but honestly, we need to fix things, and soon. I'm done with this discourse. We should all be friends after all."

"I like your optimism, Tails, but that's never going to happen," Fiona said, finally reaching her stop. "Here's the room you and Cream will be staying at."

Fiona opened the door, showing off a generously sized room with big curtains, several sofas, and a large bed.

"Wow, so pretty," Cream said.

"Sally went through a lot of trouble for me," Tails said.

"Why so surprised? She loves you after all," Fiona said. "You've stayed at the castle a few times before too, so you should be used to this."

"I am, a little," Tails said, stepping inside. "But wow though, it almost feels like Sally upgrades this castle every time I come to stay here."

"I can see why you would think so," Fiona said, pulling out a radio and handing it to Tails. "Here, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me. I will be here in an instant."

"Thanks, but I think I'll be fine, I wouldn't want to trouble you," Tails said.

"Just take it," Fiona said, placing the radio in his hand. "Maybe you won't need it, but at least have the option."

"Uh, alright," Tails said, glancing at the radio. "If it'll make you happy."

"I'll catch up with you in the morning," Fiona said. "Hopefully not at the crack of dawn like Lanny's been trying to do."

"I'll be ready regardless," Tails said.

"Have a good night, Fiona," Cream said.

"You too, Cream," Fiona said. "And if you two really want a good night, this room is perfect when it comes to privacy. Sound doesn't travel as much."

"Huh? What does that mean?" Tails asked.

"You're a smart boy, you'll figure it out," Fiona teased, then made her exit. "Sweet dreams."

"Uh...alright?" Tails said, still confused by Fiona's wording. "That was unusual."

Cream giggled a bit, understanding Fiona's wording, "She's nice. At least when she's not saying mean things about Sonic."

"It kind of has me worried that she holds such negative feelings," Tails said. "I hoped she could have been able to move on from all that. I feel like something's still hurting her."

"She had a rough upbringing, and it usually involved Sonic," Cream said.

"Fiona is weird when it comes to Sonic," Tails said. "First she was mad because he seemingly abandoned her once, then years later, she develops a strange attraction to him, then she falls for his anti."

"And Scourge wasn't exactly good to Fiona, was he?" Cream asked.

"No, he was a jerk, and the sad thing is that Fiona put up with it for some reason, it took a lot to get her to even consider coming back to The Freedom Fighters," Tails said.

"I think she's still harboring a lot of negative feelings," Cream said. "She spends so much time working with Sally and, well...'helping' her with her struggles, that she's been neglecting her own."

"Good point, we might need to make sure Fiona's wounds are healed so she in turn can help us heal Sally's wounds properly," Tails said.

"There's so much disarray in this castle," Cream said. "It's a shame too. Sally is a wonderful lady, but she and her friends need to take better care of themselves if they're going to watch over a Kingdom."

"Sally's always been this way. Bunnie is thankfully the most clear headed of everyone, but unfortunately that's not enough," Tails said. "The only other person who can get through to her and help her emotionally is Amy."

"That is true, Amy is great when it comes to reading Sally's emotions," Cream agreed. "But, we both know one other person who can do just as good of a job."

"Who? Rouge?" Tails asked.

"I'm talking about you, dear" Cream said, gently stroking Tails's face. "We all know that Sally loves you dearly, she's been dotting over you since you were eight years old. She's always happy when she sees you, and if anyone can help with Sally's troubles, it's you."

"I wouldn't know what to do, I'm not good when it comes to others on an emotional level," Tails said. "Even I have had a lot of issues, I can't help Sally."

"I think you're more capable than you're giving yourself credit for, Miles," Cream said, wrapping her arms around Tails, gently gazing at her husband. "You would do a great job reaching out to Sally."

"Well...alright. If you think so," Tails said.

"I know so," Cream said, offering a loving kiss to Tails, one the fox greatly appreciated. After a few seconds, Cream broke away, maintaining her eye contact. "I know you'll figure something out. Right now, let's get to bed."

"Seems too early to sleep," Tails said.

"I never said anything about sleeping," Cream said, a mischievous smile flashing on her face as she glanced half-lidded at Tails.

The boy's face turned red, and it was now he understood what Fiona was getting at. "Looks like I'm going to be busy for a while."

Meanwhile Sally was escorting Sonic, Amy and Sonia to their room, the Queen stopping before a large and fancy-looking door. "This is it." She opened the door to reveal a grand-looking room. "This is where you'll be sleeping."

"Oh sweet!" Sonia rushed inside, glancing at the furniture. "Neat couch!" She sped again, "Big mirror!" She sped again, "And a balcony!"

"Sonia honey, please settle down," Amy said.

"Sorry mom," Sonia said, rushing back to her mother's side. "Still, this room is Way Past Cool!"

"Seems kind of big though, Sally," Sonic said, immediately worrying his ex-wife.

"Maybe a little," Amy said, taking in the room. "Almost the size of our living room."

"I just want you and Sonic to be comfortable here, so I gave you one of our best guest rooms," Sally said. "I usually would have a place like this reserved for a visiting royal guest, but you and Sonic deserve the best as well. Sonia too."

"Can't argue that," Sonia bragged.

"Sonia..." Amy scolded, then focused on Sally. "We do appreciate what you're doing for us, we're just not used to this. Maybe Sonia since she's stayed here a few times, though it sounds like this is her first time in a room like this."

"I usually just bunk with Manik," Sonia said. "His room's pretty big too though."

"Sonic and I hardly stay here, so I guess it's a bit more unusual," Amy said. "We've spent a lot of time living either at home or camping outdoors. Even when we come to Mobotropolis, we usually get a hotel."

"You're free to go to a hotel if you want, I won't make you stay," Sally said. "I just wanted to keep you close, just to ease my worries."

"And close we shall be," Sonia said. "Besides, mom and dad have lived here before, it's no big deal."

"Sonia...!" Amy again scolded.

"What? It's true! Back when daddy used to be married to Aunt Sally...ooooooh, yeah..." Sonia awkwardly rubbed her head. "I spoke too much, didn't I?"

"Kind of did," Amy said, patting her daughter's head. "But I suppose you get that from me."

"So...this is all your fault?" Sonia asked, shrinking at her mother's glare.

"Don't push your luck," Amy warned.

Sonic grumbled in annoyance, which immediately caused worry for Sally as the Queen began to have second thoughts.

"I'm sorry, this is causing you stress, isn't it?" Sally asked. "I'll arrange a hotel for you instead. It's not far and-"

"It's fine," Amy insisted. "I didn't mean to brush off your hospitality, I am happy that you wanted to do something extravagant for me and Sonic. Plus, like my chatterbox daughter said, Sonic and I used to live here at points."

"Yes, you did," Sally recalled, the girl feeling sad.

Amy could tell Sally had a lot on her mind, and she needed to set things right. "Uh, Sonic, Sonia, why don't you see if there's something to eat before bedtime?"

"Oh yes, go talk to Nicole," Sally said, before thinking those words over. "Uh, on second thought, talk to...um..."

"It's fine, I can ask Nicole," Sonic said. "I know I'll probably regret it but can't be any worse than ninety-percent of Sally's friends."

"Let's go daddy, I want a chili dog!" Sonia said.

"Sonia, you need to eat more than chili dogs," Amy said.

"But the ones here are amazing! They have that New York style!" Sonia said.

"Mind your parents Sonia, and make sure you have variety in what you eat," Sally said. "Keep vegetables in mind, you can have some that were fresh picked from my garden. Oh, and try some wheat. I also have some pasta and some Asian Rice, and-"

"I'll figure it out, Sally," Sonic said, turning to his daughter. "Let's go kiddo."

"Race ya!" Sonia sped away.

Despite his worries, Sonic couldn't help but smile at his daughter's excitable nature. Without a word, he sped after her, leaving the two girls behind, Amy holding onto Sally to make sure she didn't fall over.

"Not much has changed, Sonic is as happy as ever being Sonia's father," Sally noted.

"Our daughter never fails to bring a smile to our face," Amy said, then turned her attention to Sally. "As for you..."

"Me?" Sally asked. "What about me?"

"It's been a while since we really talked Sally," Amy said. "How have you been feeling these last few months?"

"Oh you know, busy," Sally said. "Queen stuff, Freedom Fighter business, being a mom. Not much has changed."

"How have things been with Manik?" Amy asked.

"Alright, nothing major..." Sally said, the girl looking away from Amy.

Amy could tell Sally was hiding something, not just from her tone or her body language either. Something inside of her just felt like things were off with her friend.

"Sally, remember, if something's bothering you, then you can tell me," Amy said. "And honestly, I know there's something bothering you. I am going to find out eventually, so if I were you, I'd save the both of us a lot of time."

Sally sighed in frustration, knowing that she could never keep anything from Amy. "You never miss a beat."

"That's kind of my specialty," Amy said. "Is there something I should know about?"

"Well, you don't need me to tell you about the lack of harmony in the castle," Sally said. "Everyone's mad that Sonic's here."

"I can tell, Sonic does not have a lot of fans," Amy said.

"It's so embarrassing, everyone feels like they have to be mad for me just because Sonic and I split up," Sally said. "I appreciate that they're considering my feelings, but it's a choice that I made. Honestly, there may not have been much of a choice, I'd have to be really selfish to force Sonic to live here where he's not happy. Regardless, I can't stand the pettiness I see from my team, it's getting out of hand."

"Well Fiona certainly isn't shy about her emotions, and given how much Lanolin kisses up to you, she's probably had her own opinions," Amy said. "And I heard that something went down with Nicole."

"Considering she's family to me, and she hates seeing me unhappy, things went pretty badly with Nicole when it came to Sonic," Sally said. "Then of course, there's Manik."

"Yeah...Manik," Amy awkwardly said. "He hasn't been happy himself, has he?"

"I don't know what to do with him regarding his father, I want him to respect Sonic but he just can't let go of his hurt. He really feels like Sonic abandoned him, and that Sonic doesn't care," Sally glanced at her friend with a hopeful look in his eyes. "But that's not true, is it?"

"Of course it's not, Sonic worries about Manik," Amy said. "He just doesn't know how to handle the situation. Sonic's never been good when it comes to awkward moments."

"Manik certainly hasn't been helping either, that boy's too entitled. Sometimes I wish I could just send him to live with you, Sonic and Sonia. Teach him some humility," Sally shook her head. "But, if I did, I'd just miss him. I don't think I could handle living away from my son."

"I totally get that, and honestly, I don't think it would help," Amy said. "If you sent Manik to live with us, he'd miss you just as much as you'd miss him."

"I'll need to try something to help him with his issues," Sally said.

"Well, it starts with you," Amy said. "Both of you need to work through your emotions, and to do so with Sonic. Since the divorce, you two barely talk to each other, and it's starting to eat at both of you because you have some things you haven't reached full closure on."

"It's not easy, how do I apologize to him for being such a bad wife?" Sally asked.

"You can start by not calling yourself a bad wife," Amy said.

"Amy, he was miserable with me," Sally reminded. "He hated this castle, he hated being King, honestly I started to think he hated me."

"Sally, that's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" Amy said. "Stuff like this is why you need to work through your issues, it's not good for you to feel this way and it's not good for Manik to see something like this happening. He can probably tell just how miserable you are too, which is adding to why he dislikes Sonic. He sees you're hurt, and it hurts him because you're his mother."

Feeling a sense of despair, Sally sighed in her own disappointment, "And once again, I'm screwing up. Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a wife or a mother."

An annoyed Amy furrowed her eyebrow as she got in Sally's face, "Will you cut that out!"

"Eek!" Sally shouted, taking a step back.

"Sally, you're way too hard on yourself! Bad wife? Bad mother? You're a great person Sally, and you did the best you could!" Amy said. "You loved Sonic, you followed your heart, and you did your best. Things didn't work out but you still tried and that should matter. You also love your son, and he loves you. How could you be a bad mother for that? Stop letting mistakes get to you, everyone makes mistakes. I've made plenty in life, but I keep moving forward, you need to do the same. I don't want you self-destructing like this!"

"Amy, I..." Sally wasn't sure what to say.

Amy took Sally by her hand, looking her friend in the eye, "You mean the world to me Sally. I am forever grateful that you gave me a chance to be with Sonic, and I'll admit, it was bittersweet because I really hated seeing you two split up. But, I know you love Sonic, and the fact that you trusted me to be a good wife to him means a lot. Do you remember what you told me that day?"

"Yes...I asked you to take good care of Sonic," Sally said, placing her free hand on Amy's. "You have done a wonderful job. I can see just how happy he is with you, and I will do what I can to make sure you two stay happy. I want to make sure your daughter is happy too."

"We're very happy Sally, and you played a big part in that," Amy said.

"Amy, all I did was get in your way," Sally said.

"All you did, Sally, was follow your heart," Amy clarified. "Do not ever be ashamed for being in love. I may have always loved Sonic, but if I had to lose him to someone, I'd rather it be a girl who loves him as much as you do. I don't think you were a terrible wife. If you were, you would not have cared enough to let Sonic go free. But you will never not have him in your life, because I'm not letting that happen."

"I don't want to be a bother to you. So please don't inconvenience yourself with-" Amy began to pinch Sally's cheeks, causing pain for the Queen. "Ow! Amy! That hurts!"

"Sally, I appreciate that you feel like you're doing us a favor, and you're just saying this out of genuine concern for us..." Amy said in a tranquil fury as an angry vein throbbed in her head. "But I would, REALLY, appreciate if you stop acting the way you are, it's getting on my nerves a bit."

"Okay! I'll stop! Now please let go!" Sally pleaded through the pain. Amy released the hold as Sally rubbed her now aching cheeks. "Geez you're scary when you're mad."

"Sorry I had to do that, but I was getting so fed up with your pessimism," Amy said. "I know you feel like you and Manik lost Sonic, but that couldn't be further from the truth. You two are still part of our family. Sonic should have his son, and his son should have his mother. I am never, ever, going to give you up."

"Amy, I really do appreciate that, but-" Sally flinched when she saw Amy's glare.

"No 'buts' Sally, I'm not arguing this," Amy said. "You and Manik are family, and I will never see you as anything but that."

"...I..." Sally wasn't sure how to respond.

"You are my best friend, Sally Acorn," Amy said, gently rubbing the Queen's face. "You mean a lot to me, and I would do anything to make sure a smile graces that beautiful face of yours."

Sally began to sniffle a bit as she turned her face away, "Th-thank you Amy."

"Hey, don't you deny me that pretty smile," Amy teased, gently turning Sally's face to her. "Bless me with your beauty."

Though difficult, Sally mustered a smile on her face, not without a few tears, but they were tears of joy, mixed with a little regret.

"There's that pretty smile, please keep it on that beautiful face of yours as much as possible," Amy said, then kissed Sally on the cheek. "I love you."

A large red blush took over Sally's face, the girl grateful for her friend's affection, "I love you too, Amy."

Without another word, Sally pulled Amy into a hug. The hedgehog was momentarily surprised, but also very grateful as she eagerly returned the hug.

After a few seconds, Amy pulled away, and wiped some tears from Sally's eyes, "Is there anything else you want to talk to me about? I'm all ears."

Sally's expression began to somber, "I'm worried about Manik...earlier, he got mad when he found out about the Seashell Bracelet that you gave Sonic."

"Any reason?" Amy asked.

"I'm not sure, but maybe it's because Sonic always had it on, even when I was married to him," Sally said. "I remember how much he tended and cared for it. It was precious to me that he cared so much about something you made for him. I don't know what Manik could have seen so bad about it."

"I might have a few guesses, but that's something you need to ask Manik about," Amy said. "Did you ask him?"

"No...I actually came close to losing my temper and..." Sally cringed at her actions earlier. Even if she didn't strike her son, the fact that she came close bothered her. "I guess I really am bad at communication."

"That's why I'm here, to help you," Amy said, gesturing Sally into the room. "Sonic and Sonia may not be back for a while. Let's catch up."

"I'd like that," Sally said as she went into the room with Amy.

In the cafeteria, Lanolin had just served Manik his food, "Some spaghetti and meatballs, Italian Recipe. I hear it's very popular with plumbers."

"Thank you, Lady Lanolin," Manik said, taking his food.

"Keep it formal my Prince," Lanolin said. "You're the Royalty here after all."

"Uh, alright then," Manik said, solemnly twisting the spaghetti with his fork, much to Lanolin's concern.

"Is it not cooked to your liking? I can always get you a better dish," Lanolin said.

"No, it's fine..." Manik said, still looking depressed.

"Is something else bothering you?" Lanolin asked.

"...You know my mother pretty well, don't you?" Manik asked.

"I hope I do; I have worked with her for quite a long time," Lanolin said.

"Why does she love my father?" Manik asked. "What's so special about him?"

"Well...Sonic is a hero, and naturally that type of personality is attractive to your mother," Lanolin said.

"But did he even love her?" Manik asked.

"Honestly, I can't answer that," Lanolin said. "Queen Sally tells me a lot of things, but she never likes talking about Sonic. I don't blame her."

"Were you ever friends with my father?" Manik asked.

"I did work with him, but I was never really that close, we kept it all business," Lanolin said. "The only times I needed to interact with him were either when I was helping him and the Queen, or when he had to team with The Diamond Cutters. Even those times I barely talked to him. If Queen Sally wasn't doing the talking, then Tangle was."

"Tangle seems to admire my father," Manik said.

"Well Sonic is the reason she wanted to be a hero," Lanolin said. "Me personally, my motivation came from Queen Sally. Ever since she saved my life."

"My mother saved your life?" Manik asked. "You never told me that."

"Weird, I could have sworn I did, I tell a lot of people," Lanolin said. "But anyway, it was many years ago. Actually, I was close to your age."

Eighteen Years in the past, Snivley Robotnik was leading an army of SWAT-Bots toward Knothole Village, where several Mobians were hiding due to a threat posed by the sinister leader.

"Do not let anyone escape, capture everyone you see, and have that individual transported for roboticization!"

A young Lanolin was seen trying to flee a group of SWAT-Bots, but it wasn't long before she found herself surrounded.

"Must capture, under order of Snively the Great," a SWAT-Bot said, picking Lanolin up.

"NO! Let me go!" Lanolin cried in fear. "I don't wanna be a robot!"

"Returning to base," the SWAT-Bot said as he and his allies began to march.

"Someone! Anyone! Help!" A tearful Lanolin pleaded. "It's over! I'm going to be a robot forever! Why is this happening to me!?"

Suddenly a SWAT-Bot got knocked over with a strong kick. The others turned to see Sally Acorn landing nearby. "Put her down!"

"Priority One, capture Princess Sally!" The SWAT-Bots released Lanolin as they tried to go for Sally. The chipmunk was quick to slide past the robots and picked up a laser rifle and blasted each robot.

Quickly, Sally turned her attention to Lanolin, "Can you run?"

"Uh...yes," Lanolin said.

"Good, now get moving, hurry!" Sally said, blasting more SWAT-Bots.

"But what about you?" Lanolin asked.

"I'll be fine, just run!" Sally ordered.

"Y-yes ma'am," Lanolin said, making a run for it. She briefly looked back, worried as more robots began to come.

Sally was close to being overwhelmed, but fortunately for her, she had backup. Antoine, Bunnie and Rotor showed up seconds later, each of them taking down a SWAT-Bot, preparing to fight the others.

"Sorry we're late, Sally girl, these things were everywhere," Bunnie said.

"It is too much! My arm, it is getting tired of swinging my sword," Antoine lamented. "I do not know how much longer I can go my Princess."

"I know it's hard Antoine, but it's our job to protect the citizens of this world," Sally said. "It's up to us to Fight for Freedom."

"If we don't protect Mobius, who would?" Rotor asked.

"How I wish I knew," Antoine said as more SWAT-Bots started coming. "Here zey come!"

"And their leader," Bunnie said, gesturing to Snivley.

"Princess Sally, I see you've brought your friends," Snivley said. "Good, I can capture you all in one fell swoop. SWAT-Bots! I want those Freedom Fighters stopped. Take any measure you must."

"Yes sir!" The SWAT-Bots said, each of them preparing for battle.

"Looks like we're in for a fight," Rotor said.

"No time to waste, let's do it to it!" Sally said, readying her rifle.

Lanolin was mesmerized by the group's fighting, especially Sally. She was quick, agile and confident, with powerful strikes to boot. Much as she wanted to stick around, she knew that it was too dangerous to do so, and she did not want to upset Sally, so she kept running.

A few hours later, many of the citizens were waiting to see if things turned out well for The Freedom Fighters, including Lanolin. Fortunately Sally and her team had returned. A little bruised, but alive and well.

The citizens were quick to check on the Freedom Fighters, Sally being quick to explain everything.

"Unfortunately, Snivley got away, but we destroyed a large fleet of his SWAT-Bots, so he won't be back for a while," Sally said. "Fortunately our data suggests he's fleeing down south, where Chiefess Lupe and her Wolf Pack will be waiting to ambush him. Our battle is not yet over, but we've taken another step in keeping Mobius free for all of you."

The crowd began to cheer for the heroes, with Lanolin making her way to the front, standing before the Acorn Family's heir. "Princess!"

"Hm?" Sally looked down at Lanolin, the girl with an eager look on her face, "Oh, hello there. I'm glad you're safe."

"You were so amazing, Princess Sally," Lanolin eagerly declared, wonder filling her eyes. "Can I be a Freedom Fighter too?"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," Sally said, kneeling in front of the sheep girl. "But you seem a little young right now. Maybe in a few years though."

"I'll become strong and make you proud, Princess!" Lanolin assured. "You'll see."

"I'm already proud to have a determined citizen like you," Sally said. "What's your name?"

"Lanolin," the girl replied.

"Well Lanolin, I look forward to seeing you grow into a capable woman," Sally said, rubbing the girl's head. "I know you'll do great one day."

Fast-forward to the present, Lanolin had a look of amazement in her eyes as she recalled those words of encouragement from the Princess. "Your mother was such an inspiration to me. After that day, I began training hard, learning as many fighting styles as I could. I got my first big break when Vector hired me for The Chaotix, which is how I not only met his team, but I also met Tangle, Whisper and Jewel."

"That's incredible," Manik said. "I had no idea my mother was that important to you. Sounds like she did a good job of keeping Mobius safe, even without my father."

"Well, I want to say that, but there were dangers even she could barely handle," Lanolin said. "But she always did her best, and that's why I have nothing but respect for her."

"That kind of makes my mother even more impressive," Manik said. "She's not gifted like my father and many of his friends, but she's never let that stop her. She's the type of person I want to be like one day. My mother embodies what it means to be a strong ruler, and if I'm going to be a success in life, I have to emulate her in any way I can."

"It's cute that you admire your mother this much, and I don't blame you," Lanolin said. "Just be sure that you follow your own path. I think that's what she wants for you."

"I just wish she'd let me fight," Manik said. "I'm pretty good with a sword after all."

"Manik, you know how your mother feels about you fighting right now," Lanolin said. "You'll get there one day, for now just obey your mother's wishes. Keep up with your training and soon you'll be ready. I might even teach you how to use Wispons."

"Wispons?" Manik asked. "You mean like what Whisper uses?"

"And me," Lanolin took off her Golden Bell and brought out a magenta colored wisp. "You remember Maggie, don't you?"

"Oh yeah, I've seen this Wisp with you a few times," Manik said, holding his hand out. "Such curious creatures."

"That they are, I even remember our mission to Planet Wisp," Lanolin said. "Sonic, Whisper and Queen Sally led the charge that day, bringing a lot of Freedom Fighters and their allies. Your father's friends started goofing around though. Tails was the only one to make himself useful, he built a device to translate the Wisps, which I admit is impressive. Of course he had Queen Sally supervising him, so that made sense. Myself, Tangle and Whisper did our best to assist Sonic and Queen Sally, of course out of the three of us, Whisper got the most work done. Kind of made me look bad but it she was more familiar with the Wisps so it made sense. She knew how their abilities worked too, which helped out Sonic when he was fighting."

"So after that, they became partners of ours?" Manik asked.

"Yeah, it really came in handy during the Phantom Ruby threat," Lanolin said. "Your mother used a few Wispons, but truth be told, she wasn't too comfortable with the idea. Part of her felt like she was enslaving them."

"Really?" Manik asked.

"She knew we weren't, and the Wisps were genuinely happy to assist, they've even become our friends," Lanolin said, patting Maggie's head. "But, I can understand her concerns. Given what Robotnik did, she didn't want to feel like she was copying him. She doesn't shame me or Whisper for using them, especially not Whisper since she's so close to the ones she uses. They did know her old team after all."

"I've heard about Whisper's Team, it sounds like something unfortunate happened to them," Manik said. "Kind of wish I knew the whole story."

"That you need to talk to Whisper about," Lanolin said. "It's a private story and I can't tell it on her behalf."

"So, I should ask her myself?" Manik asked.

"If you want, but it's a very touchy subject for her," Lanolin said, looking Manik right in the eyes. "I must implore that if she refuses to tell you, do NOT pester her about it. That's the one thing even I will not tolerate from you, young man."

Manik cringed a little, not fond of Lanolin's glare, "Uh, yes ma'am. I won't."

"Good call," Lanolin said, then pat Manik's head. "I know that sounded strict but every time the subject of her team comes up, she acts weird and unpredictable. My job is to look after my teammates, and to protect you."

"I do appreciate all you do for me and my mother," Manik said. "Think you can tell me more about your missions with her?"

"Sure, I suppose...oh boy," Lanolin noticed Sonic coming into the cafeteria, alongside Sonia.

The hedgehog duo sat at a table, Sonia noticing her brother and waving, to which the boy turned away from her.

"Of course he's here..." Manik lamented. "And he brought her."

Sonia ran over to Manik, standing by the boy's side, "Hey big bro! Miss me?"

"I just saw you an hour ago," Manik said.

"Yeah, but that's like forever," Sonia said, then turned to Lanolin. "Oh, you're here too."

"Of course, my job includes watching over your brother," Lanolin said.

"So, you're his babysitter?" Sonia asked.

"She's not my babysitter, she's my mother's retainer," Manik said. "As such, she's also my retainer, hence why she needs to be around and watch over me."

"Sounds like a babysitter to me," Sonia said.

"What do you know!? You're not a Princess!" Manik said.

"I don't need to be a Princess to know what a babysitter is," Sonia said. "Silly Manik."

Manik was about to snap, but composed himself, knowing that if his mother found out about his outburst, she would likely discipline him. "Look, I'm trying to have a conversation with Lanolin regarding my mother's prior missions with her and-"

"Missions? Like what?" Sonia asked. "Does it involve Eggman? Or that Nagus guy? How about some of those Earth Villains? Like Doctor Doom!"

"If you must know, it's about her Wisps," Manik said, gesturing to Maggie.

"Wisps? That's a funny name," Sonia called her father. "Daddy! Do you know about Wisps!?"

"Don't shout kiddo," Sonic said, walking over. "And yeah, I know what Wisps are. I've met a few in my life."

"Like that one?" Sonia asked, gesturing to Maggie.

"Yeah, one of the Magenta Wisps, they provide unique energy for others," Sonic said. "Magenta ones have this strange musical ability."

"Oooh, can I try it?" Sonia asked.

"You don't have a Wispon," Manik said. "So no, you can't."

"I don't think she needs one, I can use the Wisp Powers without a Wispon," Sonic said. "I absorb them into my body and boom. Instant powers."

"...You what?" Manik asked.

"Let me try! Let me try!" Sonia said, trying to hop onto the table and toward Maggie.

"Sonia!" Sonic picked his daughter up. "Ease up Little Speedster. You can try using a Wisp's powers one day, but right now it's not a good idea. Especially not in Sally's castle, you might make a mess."

"Okay fine," Sonia lamented as Sonic placed her down. "Still, I wanna know about Planet Wisp. When did this happen, daddy?"

"A few years after the first time we landed on Earth," Sonic explained. "So a lot further ahead than Space Colony ARK."

"I hear my mother did quite well, even helping Miles Prower build that translator for the Wisps," Manik said.

"Huh? That didn't happen, Tails reprogrammed his Miles Electric device on his own," Sonic said. "Sally was too busy trying to figure out the Wisps, even panicking a bit."

"Excuse me, but that didn't happen," Lanolin said. "Queen Sally was quite composed."

"Compared to you, mainly since you were throwing up a lot," Sonic said, earning Lanolin's wrath.

"I had some slight nausea, that's it!" Lanolin said. "I recomposed myself and assisted you in stopping Robotnik."

"But, you didn't do much," Sonic said.

"Oh what do you know!?" Lanolin shouted. "With an ego like yours, I bet you never notice anyone else's efforts! So don't you talk down to me just because you're the Planet's Top Hero! Unofficially I might add!"

"Geez lady, you need to chill," Sonia said.

"...Great, now your daughter's turning out to be a delinquent, perfect parenting," Lanolin said.

Sonic furrowed his brow at Lanolin, "I would appreciate it if you didn't say stuff like that about my daughter."

"Then keep her under control, this is a castle, not one of your little parties or whatever it is you do in your free time," Lanolin said.

"Wow, you really have no chill," Sonia said. "I think you need a boyfriend or something."

Lanolin's eye twitched as she glared angrily at the young girl. Fortunately before anything happened, Nicole had made her presence.

"What is going on here?" Nicole asked.

"We wanted to ask about Planet Wisp, then some weird stuff happened," Sonia said.

"Planet Wisp? I remember that mission, it was quite exciting," Nicole said.

"Mother did important stuff there, didn't she?" Manik asked.

"Of course, her presence is always important, she helped build an alliance between Mobians and The Wisps," Nicole said.

"So she wasn't useless then?" Manik asked.

"I never called Sally useless, I just said she didn't help make the translator," Sonic said.

"Huh? Of course she did, I assisted in that," Nicole said.

"Tails created the translation on his own, Sally didn't supervise him," Sonic said.

"I seem to recall her being by his side, and even making a version for myself so I could also communicate with the Wisps," Nicole said.

"That I remember, but she messed up and Tails had to fix it," Sonic said.

"Well actually, Sonic, Sally just forgot something and Tails was kind enough to assist," Nicole said with a bit of a sour attitude.

"...Look, I really don't want to get into that, I just want to feed my daughter," Sonic said.

"Very well, Sally had picked out something special for you two, be grateful for her kindness," Nicole said, making her leave.

"Wow, you break her heart and she still prepares your dinner," Lanolin said. "Queen Sally truly is a class act."

Sonic grumbled in annoyance, "Yeah, she's a class act."

Sonic and Sonia were just served some food, courtesy of Nicole, "Here you are, all the Chili Dogs you can ask for."

"Awesome! You rock Nicole!" Sonia said, immediately chowing down.

"It's my pleasure," Nicole said.

"I appreciate this, but you know we eat more than just Chili Dogs, don't you?" Sonic asked. "Sally even said we had options."

"Gee I'm sorry, is this not good enough for you, Your Majesty?" Nicole sarcastically asked.

"Please do not call me that," Sonic said.

"Oh right, you hated that title so much that you pretty much abandoned my sister and left her raising a child on her own, my mistake," Nicole said, flashing a condescending smile.

Sonic grumbled in annoyance, opting to eat his food and just leave, paying little mind to the girls. What truly bothered him was the glances of disapproval he received from his son. What got him curious was that Manik would constantly look over in his direction, particularly near his wrist.

Sonia also felt a bit uncomfortable, the girl tugging at her father's arm and gesturing away. "Let's go meet up with mom."

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," Sonic said, immediately leaving with his daughter.

Manik furrowed his brow, still irritated by his father as he turned his attention to the AI. "Aunt Nicole, how much do you know about my father's Seashell Bracelet?"

"Seashell Bracelet?" Nicole asked, tapping her chin. "If I recall, it's a lucky charm."

"That I heard about from Mina, and that Amy Rose made it," Manik said. "Did he have it a lot?"

"He may have," Nicole said. "My memory is fuzzy, but I do recall the bracelet. I think he's even told me about it personally. This was back when I was still in a computer. Sonic was always kind of secretive, but I guess since at the time, I was just a machine, he was lenient on how much he kept to himself."

"What has he said?" Manik asked.

"One thing I recall, is that he greatly appreciated Amy for the bracelet," Nicole said. "In fact, it's a lesson he tried using to teach me about emotion, and faith in others."

"...I need more details, and how this connects to my father and Amy Rose," Manik said. "I just can't help but feel like he was never truly faithful to my mother, like if he just couldn't wait to be rid of her."

"Knowing Sonic, I bet that was his game," Lanolin said. "Don't you think so, Nicole?"

"...Even I don't wish to believe that, but if he truly did intend to hurt Sally," Nicole's facial expression began to darken as several lights began to flicker briefly. "I will return that pain a thousand times over."

Sonic walked Sonia back to their room, the older hedgehog still feeling awkward from before. He could feel the pure animosity emanating from those girls.

"Daddy?" Sonia said, getting Sonic's attention. "Why do those girls hate you so much?"

"Because of Sally," Sonic said.

"Because you stopped being married to her right?" Sonia asked. "And because you married mom?"

"Seems like it," Sonic asked.

Sonia began to feel very uncomfortable, "Does that mean, they hate me too?"

Sonic felt pain in his chest, hearing that worry come from his daughter's mouth hurt his soul. "No one could ever hate you, Sonia. Everything that's happening is between me, your mother and Sally. That's all."

"...Aunt Sally doesn't hate me, does she?" Sonia asked.

"Of course not, for all of Sally's faults, she does love you very much," Sonic said. "Seeing you seems to always brighten up her expression. Believe me when I say that Sally loves you, and nothing can be said otherwise."

"Okay..." Sonia said.

"Come on, try to get that out of your head," Sonic said. "I know you have other interesting questions like, any of my other adventures?"

"Well, I am curious as to what happened when you got back to Japan," Sonia said.

"Ooooh, yeah, that actually wasn't pleasant," Sonic said.

Seventeen years prior, a portal was opened leading to the Hazuki house. Sonic along with Tails, Amy, Sally and Rotor were joined by Peter, Johnny, Rainbow Dash, Jacky and Sarah.

"Home, sweet home," Amy commented. "I bet Cream and Ryo have really missed us."

"I hope they weren't too worried about me," Sonic said.

"Of course they were, that's why we went to get you," Sally said. "Of course they would have worried less if-"

"Sally, put a sock in it," Peter said, irritating the Chipmunk.

"I don't appreciate that tone of yours," Sally said.

"Tails! Where you do you want your planes?" Twilight Sparkle called from the portal.

"There's a garage nearby, I'll show you," Tails said, with Twilight teleporting the planes through the portal and carrying them with her magic.

"Dang that girl's strong," Jacky said.

"She's pretty amazing," Amy said.

"Yeah...she is," Peter said, a light blush on his face. It took him a second to realize everyone was looking in his direction, a lot of them grinning. "What?"

"Oh nothing..." Amy teased.

"...Seriously, what's going on?" Peter asked.

"It's nothing bro," Jacky insisted.

"...I swear you all have something...weird going on in your heads, and I want to know what it is!" Peter said.

"Oh, Peter," Twilight said, getting his attention. "I just helped Tails with his planes. I gotta get back to UA, I still have some research to do and I need their library."

"Sure, that's fine," Peter said.

"Remember, you still have that report due on Japanese Culture," Twilight said.

"I'm almost done, I just gotta do the Kansai region," Peter said. "It's basically Japan, but where everyone talks like Applejack. In Japanese of course."

Twilight shrugged it off, "Just be quick, you were late on the last assignment, and the one before, and the one-"

"Okay, I get your point," Peter said.

"I know you're late because, reasons..." Twilight knew but wouldn't risk saying it out loud. "Just try to be on time."

"I will," Peter said.

"I'll make sure he pulls it off," Johnny said.

"Same here," Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight waved at the others, "It's been a pleasure seeing you all again."

"Take care, Twilight," Amy said as the girl teleported away. "What a nice girl."

"Yeah...not bad for Peter's future wife," Johnny said, earning a glare from Peter.

"You piece of garbage..." Peter said.

"Oh come on now Peter, it's cute," Amy said. "I think you and Twilight make for a cute couple."

"Just remember to name your first kid after me," Johnny said.

"Oh screw that, if I have a son, I'm naming him Ben," Peter said.

"Ben? Like your uncle?" Johnny asked. "Oh what, if you have a girl is her name going to be May?"

"Yes, exactly," Peter said.

"Wow, not very creative," Johnny commented.

"Screw you, they're better names than 'Johnathan'," Peter said.

"At least you're not naming them after yourself," Johnny said.

"Wanna get slugged, Matchstick?" Peter warned.

"Dude, don't freaking call me 'Matchstick', I get enough of that from the Ben I know," Johnny said.

Rotor turned his attention to Sonic, "Is this normal?"

"A little, both of them tend to be a bit snappy," Sonic said, as Johnny and Peter looked ready to fight.

"That's enough, both of you," Sally scolded. "We'd like to check in on Ryo without all the drama."

"Come to think of it, I'm surprised he and Cream haven't come outside yet," Tails said, then noticed an oncoming visitor. "Oh, it's Nozomi!"

"Tails?" Nozomi asked, then saw everyone else. "Oh my, you're all back."

"Kon'nichiwa, Nozomi-chan!" Amy greeted while waving.

Johnny turned to Rainbow Dash. "What a weeb."

"She didn't even bow, so she's a terrible weeb," Rainbow Dash said.

Sonic's ear twitched, glaring slightly at the two, but elected not to say anything, not wanting to ruin Amy's mood.

"I'm so happy to see you again," Amy greeted.

"Yes, you too," Nozomi said, the girl looking a bit saddened.

"Is something bothering you?" Tails asked, flying over to her.

"A little, yes," Nozomi said.

"It's not because we broke Sonic out of jail, is it?" Tails asked. "He was innocent, and we can prove it."

"You don't need to, your word is enough," Nozomi said. "It's something else though...come with me."

Nozomi led everyone inside the house, everyone removing their shoes, except for Johnny and Dash, to which Peter noticed and stopped them.

"Guys, shoes, Japanese floors," Peter said.

"Oh alright, fine," an annoyed Johnny said as he and Rainbow Dash removed their shoes.

Inside the house, Ryo was seen praying in front of a picture, with Cream right beside him, doing her own prayer.

He then heard something, and noticed that his friend stopped by. "Oh, Nozomi."

"Hello Ryo, your door was open, I hope you don't mind that I let us in," Nozomi said.

"Of course, you know you're welcome here, but...us?" Ryo asked.

Coming into view were Sonic and company, all of them relieved to see their friend, the feeling very mutual.

"Hi Ryo," Amy greeted.

"You're back," Ryo said. Before he could do anything, Cream flew over to hug Amy.

"You're okay!" Cream hugged tightly, tears coming to her eyes. "I was so worried about you!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Amy said, feeling worried. "What's wrong though? Why are you crying?"

"Were you really that worried?" Tails asked, then found himself in a hug from Cream, a blush appearing on his face. "Uh...wow..."

"Something's wrong..." Sonic said, getting their attention. "What happened?"

"It's...my father," Ryo said, gesturing to a picture of Iwao.

"What about your father?" Sally asked. Upon seeing Ryo's expression turn somber, mixed with Cream's continued crying, Sally began to fear the worse, and she wasn't the only one. "Don't tell me..."

"My father...he's gone," Ryo admitted, the confirmation hitting everyone hard.

"Gone?" Amy asked. "But...he was just here the other day! He was just here! He looked fine! How could he be gone!?"

"...Because, someone killed him," Ryo confirmed, once again taking everyone by surprise.

"Someone...killed your father?" Amy asked.

Ryo nodded his head, "I saw it happen. It was a man wearing green, he came with some men. They wanted something from my father, and when he put up a fight, the man killed him, without remorse."

Peter looked visibly uncomfortable, the boy turning away while everyone else tried to process this.

"Ryo...I'm so sorry," Amy went to hug the boy. "I'm sorry this happened."

Despite his own grief, Ryo couldn't bear it when he heard Amy crying. No one could. Tails's ears dropped. Sonic turned away as his heart began to ache. Johnny held Rainbow Dash close, the girl for once empathizing with Amy's sadness. Sally herself was on the verge of tears, doing her best to stay strong. Rotor, despite the unfamiliarity, understood how bad the situation was. Peter felt a lot of empathy for Ryo. Nozomi herself wiped her eyes, Cream doing the same.

"Amy, please, that's enough," Ryo said. "I know it's sad, but my father was always a strong man. He would want us to be strong too. Please, don't cry for me. We need to be strong, this is no time for tears."

"No time for tears?" Sonic asked, getting the boy's attention. "Ryo, times like these is why we have tears. Don't tell me you're holding it all in."

Ryo turned away in regret, "I shouldn't be in tears. That's not the man my father raised. He raised me to be strong."

"Holding back your emotions isn't strength, it's going to weaken you," Sonic said. "It's alright to be sad, it's alright to cry. This was your father after all. A strong person should not be afraid to cry, a strong person isn't ashamed of having emotions. I know you're feeling hurt, but it just means you're alive. You should be grateful for that."

"I know, Sonic," Ryo said, wiping his eyes. "I miss my father, but I can't...I mean, it was my fault, I couldn't protect him. I tried fighting the man who attacked him, and I just got hurt! Cream almost got hurt. That makes it so much worse, that someone I care about could have gotten hurt because I couldn't protect someone I loved!"

"Ryo..." Amy gently caressed his face. "What happened wasn't your fault!"

"It was! I should have taken my training seriously!" Ryo lamented. "My father was right, I slacked off too much and now I'm paying the price! He's probably looking down at me, seeing a disgrace."

"NO!" Amy shouted, startling Ryo. "Don't you ever say that! You're not a disgrace!"

"But Amy," Ryo tried to interrupt.

"But nothing, I won't stand for this!" Amy scolded. "Ryo, when we didn't have a home, you were the one who took us in! You made sure we had some place to stay, that we had food to eat, that we could sleep comfortably! You do so much for us, even when you don't have to! So no, you're not a disgrace, you're a wonderful boy and a great human being!"

"Amy..." Ryo hoped to deny it further.

"The only one who's at fault is the terrible person that took your father from you!" Amy angrily clenched her fists. "You and your father treated us like family, as far as I'm concerned, that man took from us too!"

"Do you know who it was?" Tails asked.

"I heard the name 'Lan Di'," Ryo said. "That and his clothes tell me that he's Chinese."

"That's a start at least," Tails said, then turned to the heroes. "Any chance you guys can look into it?"

"We'll do our best," Johnny said. "This might be beyond our experience though."

"Yeah, we're more 'Beat up bad guys' rather than going all 'Batman' on looking for evidence," Rainbow Dash said.

"Come on you two, detective work is part of being a hero," Peter said, then focused on Ryo. "You're not alone here, we'll help you bring this man to justice."

"I appreciate that," Ryo said, the boy still filled with anger. "He will be brought down, even if I have to do it myself."

"And Ryo...I know how you're feeling right now," Peter said, getting everyone's attention. "Growing up, I didn't have parents, they died in a Plane Crash. I was brought up by my aunt and uncle."

"You're an orphan?" Sally asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't feel like one, because I had my aunt and uncle," Peter said. "They were my mother and father. They meant the world to me. At least...until that day."

"Peter, you sure you wanna talk about this?" Johnny asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Peter confirmed. "Years ago, I participated in an underground fighting tournament. I fought some huge Russian Fighter, and beat him to earn some prize money. The tournament runner cheated me out of that money though, coming up with some bullshit loophole. I was so mad, I didn't even care that he got robbed. I just let the burglar get away because at that point, screw the world. People wanna be assholes, they get what's coming to them."

"I never would have expected this from Peter, he's usually so nice, even if he is a bit snappy he's not selfish," Amy noted.

"Because of what I did, my uncle had to deal with that burglar when he tried to steal his car. My uncle fought back, and because of that, the burglar shot him," Peter said. This revelation broke everyone's heart, and brought hindsight together for Sally. "I had to watch my uncle bleed out as a kid, all because I was too angry and selfish to do the right thing."

"Peter..." Sally walked over, taking him by the hand. "I had no idea you went through that. To lose a parent..."

"My father..." Johnny began, getting everyone's attention. "He was a surgeon, best in the world. There wasn't a single life he couldn't save. One day, that lucky streak ended, and it drove my father mad. You know who was the person he couldn't save?"

"It was your mom..." Peter confirmed, getting a nod from Johnny.

"That's right...my mother was the one person my father couldn't save," Johnny said. "I was no older than Cream when it happened too."

"That's such terrible irony," Sally said.

"Sorry for unloading this but, Peter was brave enough to tell his story, so I wanted to as well," Johnny said, then turned to Ryo. "Bro, I am so sorry about what happened to your father. You did not deserve that, no one deserves to lose someone they love."

"Most of us grew up without parents," Tails said. "We're sadly used to it. Honestly, I can't even tell who has it worse. Those who never knew our parents, but wish we did, or those who got to know their parents, but lost them in the end."

"Apples and Oranges, Tails," Sonic said. "That type of pain can't be compared, because they both hurt in their own ways."

"Sonic's right, even though I barely remember my parents, I still miss them," Peter said. "They were my parents after all, I would have loved to know what they were like."

"Same here, I never knew my parents either," Amy said.

"Or me," Tails said.

"I had faint memories of my dad, but that's it," Rotor said.

"My mom died when I was young," Sally said. "I just have my father."

"Me and Sarah, we lost our parents too," Jacky said. "I actually had to step up and look after her."

"I appreciate that too," Sarah said, Jacky bringing her in for a side hug.

"I only ever knew my mom," Cream said.

"Look, point is...we've all felt loss, Ryo, so please don't hesitate to talk to any of us," Sally said. "We want to be there for you."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Ryo said.

"And remember, take time to be sad," Sonic said. "You owe it to yourself."

"...I'll try," Ryo said. "Listen, let's not think about this right now. I'm just happy you're all back. Can I get you anything to eat?"

"Let us handle it," Amy said. "I can cook something for you."

"I can't ask you to do that," Ryo said.

"Hey, you know I love cooking," Amy said. "My dream is to open a bakery one day. I'll call it 'Amy's Kitchen'."

"That's a wonderful dream," Nozomi said.

"Once I get back home, I'll figure out a way to make it happen," Amy said.

"Just promise there will be a branch on Earth, preferably New York City," Peter said.

"I'll do my best," Amy said. "Come on, I'll take requests. I'll even leave out the carrots for you, Ryo. Just this once though."

Ryo chuckled after hearing that, "I won't turn down such a generous offer."

Back in the present, Sonic seemed to wipe a tear from his eye, much to Sonia's concern.

"Are you alright, daddy?" Sonia asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sonic said. "Remembering all that reminds me why I'm so grateful right now."

"How?" Sonia asked.

Sonic playfully noogied his daughter, "That I have a little speedster like you in my life, that's what."

"Hey, that's cheating daddy," Sonia said through her giggles.

"Gonna do something about it, shorty?" Sonic asked.

Sonia glared at her father, "What was that!?"

"Uh...I was never here," Sonic sped away.

"Hey! Get back here!" Sonia chased after her father. "I am SO gonna kick your butt, daddy!"

That night, everyone was fast asleep in their rooms, most of them at peace.

Tails and Cream laid in bed together, both of them feeling the gleam of their passion for each other.

Knuckles was asleep, accidentally hitting Rouge every so often, much to the bat's annoyance, grateful the bed was big enough to scoot away on.

Antoine and Bunnie slept together in harmony, the two grateful to have each other in their lives.

Fiona, Lanolin, The Chaotix, Tangle, Whisper and everyone else slept peacefully in their respective rooms.

Manik could not sleep, the boy was laying awake and being tended to by Nicole, the lynx wanting to look after her nephew.

Sonia slept in her own private bed while Sonic and Amy were also together, though still awake as they laid next to each other.

"So...rough day?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, but it happens," Sonic said. "What's important is not letting it get to you."

"I know this castle doesn't bring back good memories, but it is important that we be here for Sally," Amy said.

"I know, I want to do what I can too," Sonic said.

"After this, we'll take a nice trip to North Star Island, maybe we'll see Trip," Amy said.

"I'd like that," Sonic said, then kissed Amy on the cheek. "Love you Ames."

"I love you too" Amy said, drifting off to sleep with her husband.

Unknown to them, Sally had peeked inside the room, her heart currently breaking at a sight that once again confirms she lost the best thing in her life. Slowly she closed the door, wiping a tear from her eye as she went to her room.

"As long as they're happy, that's all that matters," Sally's tears continued to fall as she desperately wiped them away. "I just want them...to be happy. I love them...I...I love him."

Sally fought to suppress her emotions, knowing that as Queen, she needed to stay focused and keep her Kingdom, her friends, and her son safe.

They weren't the only ones trying to get some sleep. Eggman was currently sleeping in his bed, his robots each having their own bin to sleep in all the while Sage kept watch.

Sleet slept on a hammock while Dingo slept on the ground, the beast sucking his thumb.

Surge slept against a wall with Kit sleeping against her, the Tenrec keeping her arm around him in a protective manner while Scourge slept on the opposite way. Granted he preferred a bed, preferably with Surge next to him for a little fun, but that he could save for later.

Alicia slept in a proper bed, as per her demands while Rosy slept on a sleeping bag on the ground, clutching her hammer like a stuffed animal.

The Deadly Six all slept, scattered around, aside from Zavok who was up late making some plans of his own, ones he would share when he deemed it ready.

Nagus slept on a chair, mumbling in his sleep, mostly about revenge.

Lastly Bean and Bark slept close together on the ground while Fang laid against a wall, looking at a picture, the hunter currently in thought. Hearing Bark snore loudly did startle him enough to put the picture away as he placed his hat down to finally get some sleep.

Heroes and villains had big plans in the morning, it was all a matter of who got the upper hand.