Later, the two had headed out to Rosechu's house. Well, it didn't really BELONG to Rosechu, but rather to some girl named Kel whom Rosechu...Well, Surge couldn't make out the EXACT nature of their relationship, but the pet bowls on the ground had her quite concerned.

"Wow! I REALLY look super tough and punky in this outfit!" Rosechu said, as she tried out a combination of a black crop top, dark grey short skirt, and black leather boots with spiked bracelets. "But...I don't know. I like having some pink in there."

"Eh, I'm sure we can work that in." Surge replied. As much as she hated to admit it, she was having fun right now, hanging out with Rosechu like this. It was kind of nice being able to step away from the life of Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman for a while.

"But it can't last, can it?"

Surge whipped around at the voice, looking for where it had come from. "Surge? What's wrong?" Rosechu asked, concerned.

"Try as you might, you can't escape what you were made for!" The ghostly voice of Starline continued, his mocking laughter echoing through Surge's mind. "No...No...Please...Just leave me alone!" Surge cried out, trying to plug her ears with her fingers, but that only seemed to make the laughter even louder. "You're MINE, Surge! Always have been, and always will be!"

"No...NO!" Surge said as tears began welling into her eyes. The laughter of Starline only increased, not letting up...Until finally being quelled by two arms wrapping around Surge's torso in a warm embrace. "It's okay, Surge, there's nobody here but you and me." Rosechu whispered, tenderly. Overwhelmed with emotion, Surge allowed herself to melt into Rosechu's embrace, to be vulnerable, if only for a moment. The two spent minutes just sitting on the floor, not saying a word as Rosechu comforted Surge, let the tenrec truly unbottle her emotions for once.

Finally, Surge looked up at the pink hedgehog, and let herself smile for what felt like the first time. "Rosey..." She said, her voice barely above a whisper, ragged from her emotional outburst. The tenrec had never felt true love before. Not in the manipulative words of Dr. Starline, nor in the dogmatic, artificial admirations of Kit. Not even in the hollow pleas of that blue hedgehog. But here, in this moment, she felt true, honest love.

And for once, she felt it in return towards someone else.

The tenrec closed her eyes, before tenderly bringing her muzzle closer to Rosechu's. Closer...Closer...

And then the door burst open

"Hiya, Rosey! Who's your new friend?"

Surge turned to face the new figure in the room, shocked out of her euphoric state by the familiar voice.

It was him.

Sure, his ears and tail were longer, he had brown stripes on his sides, and red cheek pouches on his muzzle, but it was unmistakably Sonic the Hedgehog. Starline had informed herself and Kit of Sonic occasionally taking on a yellow form, so this must've been a result of that.

"Hey, Sweet Bolt!" Rosechu said as she got up and approached the yellow hedgehog, her words about the new outfits Surge had been helping her with became muffled as Surge looked on in shock. The body language said it all, as she wrapped her arms around him with a gentle familiarity, as he returned her embrace with a smile.

The laughter began to rise out of the background again, echoing in her ears.

"No escape."

Surge rose to her feet, electricity beginning to arc and build across her body.

"No escape!"

Rosechu and the yellow Sonic took notice of Surge's angered state, and looked puzzled. Rosechu clearly asked her something, but the tenrec couldn't hear it.

"NO ESCAPE!"

Enraged, Surge unleashed her full power, and lunged at the yellow Sonic, hurtling the two of them through a wall, and out into the forest.