Nope, still not feeling any better.
If anything, I got worse.
Did I ever mention in here that there are essential OCs?
Well, ya'll certainly know now.
Also there's a lot of lore-dumping this and (specifically) next chapter.
Sorry not sorry, but still figured I'd warn ya'll.
Enjoy
(Fun fact, I set up this intro a week ago and lemme tell ya'll.
It got even worse.
Like a lot worse.
If I don't update on St. Patrick's Day, I've had a meltdown/breakdown and probably won't update until mid April.
I'm hoping this won't happen, but at this rate it very well might.)
Blearily blinking awake, Eddy was initially confused at where and when he was.
Was he on a bus or something?
Where were they going again?
Why…
"Gotcha, you little bastard!"
And he barely held back a hiss, grabbing Double D's hand and Ed's sleeve.
He felt sick.
They got an easy out, a free reason for the council to freak out, and even a world that'll probably hide them for years if they wanted…
But it almost got them killed or… or worse.
Not to mention they're stuck here until they know they won't be almost…
Eddy shuddered, feeling his friends shift at the sudden movement.
He'd heard once or twice about… people like those guys.
Stupid stories from… from his bro and dad about before they moved to Peach Creek.
People who… who take other people and… and just…
Like they aren't…
"[WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, SHITHEAD!]"
Eddy glanced up at the half-yell, hearing the bus beep at something.
His friends blearily blinked awake, Ed letting out a yawn that stunk.
Eddy had to release his friends to cover his nose, sending Ed a glare.
While they're here, Ed's gonna have a good long meeting with a toothbrush.
Double D recoiled from the smell, blinking rapidly to try and wake himself up.
"Where we going, guys?" Ed asked, scratching underneath his armpit as he yawned again.
"Ed, your breath reeks." Eddy grumbled, making the tall boy blink.
He glanced around, before yawning again.
"Eddy? Why are we on a bus?" He asked Eddy, who let out a weak huff.
Double D's eyes then widened, and he let out a horrified sound.
He whipped his hands over his mouth, starting to shake again.
Eddy had winced at the sound, before forcing an eye roll as he moved his attention to Double D.
"Sockhead, hey." Eddy huffed, making Double D whip his head over, "It'll be fine. We're gonna be fine, we'll head home eventually, and I mean… I'm alive, aren't I?"
That was clearly the wrong thing to say, the hatted boy now hyperventilating in a desperate attempt to calm himself.
"Crud! Double D, come on- Sockhead-" Eddy tried to say, before yelling out, "SNAP OUT OF IT, SOCKHEAD!"
"Huh?" Double D whipped his head up, Ed's eyes going wide as the boy fully woke up.
Marylin jolted awake, staring at her son in mild shock.
"Fuck, you're loud!" Alex huffed from the front, before calling, "We're almost to apartments!"
"Th-Thank you!" Marylin called, before sending her son a slight glare, "Eddy! Don't be so loud!"
Eddy threw his hands into the air in utter frustration, "Well, excuse me for trying to stop Sockhead from freaking out! Sheesh!"
"Well, I'm sorry for having a breakdown over how stressful the past few hours have been!" Double D snapped in return, stopping as the bus driver loudly snorted.
"It's been longer! Four or five maybe!" Alex told, making Double D and Marylin blink.
"Four or five hours?!" Eddy exclaimed, making Alex scoff.
"Yeah, had to go long way! Usually two or three, but had some stops on the longer-[MOTHERFUCKER!]" Alex suddenly cut himself off, slamming a hand on the horn as the bus abruptly swerved, "[STAY IN YOUR LANE, JACKASS! HITTING A BUS IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE!]"
Eddy yelped as he was almost thrown out of his seat, barely stopped by Ed reaching out an arm.
Double D and Marylin weren't as lucky.
The hatted teen ended up hitting his head on the window, while Marylin just barely caught herself before she fell out of her seat.
"Sorry! Had to swerve!" Alex winced at the yelp, "Everyone okay?"
Marylin let out a sigh of relief as she settled back into her seat, glancing over at the boys.
Double D was rubbing his head, while Eddy and Ed were staring out the window in mild awe.
Something outside had clearly caught their interest.
"We're alright! Eddward just hit his head on the window!" Marylin called back, "H-How close are we to this apartment?"
"Just gotta get off the freeway and we're there!"
Marylin nodded to herself, pulling her focus to her little notebook…
Which was now missing, great.
She glanced around the floor of the bus to see if she could find it, thankfully seeing it wedged within reach.
She brushed it off, before looking over her checklist again.
If they were to be trapped here for the foreseeable future, she needed to make sure they were financially stable, comfortable, and happy.
It'll take some time and effort, but maybe they can carve out a little piece of heaven in this odd world.
That, or those traffickers will be caught within the week.
There never seems to be a gray area with them…
The bus bumped slightly as it got off the freeway, and they could hear the grin on Alex's face as he told them, "Welcome to Station Square, outversers!"
"Station Square?" Double D hummed, glancing out the window…
And gasping.
"Wh- Th-That's a lot of- H-H-How are there so many-!?" He stammered, making Alex laugh.
"Stars?" He finished, before laughing again, "Eldritch's tech doesn't mess up the sky!"
Marylin's eyes widened, preparing to glance out the window herself-
"We're here!" Alex told, turning the bus into a parking lot, "I gotta drop off the bus, but we're only a few blocks off from Eru!"
Marylin gasped, glancing over to the three teens, "Oh! Boys, let's get going!"
Double D snapped out of the awe first, nudging his friends to move.
Eddy blinked back, before shoving Ed out of his seat.
"Eddy! Be nicer to Ed!" Marylin scolded, making Eddy huff.
"He wasn't gonna move otherwise, mom." Eddy excused, seeing Ed sit up with a confused look, "Come on, monobrow!"
Ed quickly got to his feet, grabbing his friends and rushing off the bus.
Eddy and Double D yelled protests as Ed ran, the bus driver barely getting out of the way of the human bus.
"Are they always like that?" He asked Marylin as she passed, getting only a sheepish smile and a nod, "Good. They'll fit in. Eldritch's crazy too."
Marylin hummed, raising a brow at the man, "You mentioned that before. Something called an 'Eldritch'. What… exactly is Eldritch? Isn't this world called 'Mobius'?"
"Yep." Alex snorted, taking a backpack from a shelf above the driver's seat and stepping off the bus, "Eldritch is the timeline, Mobius is the world."
"Eldritch is the-" Marylin repeated, looking slightly stunned for a moment before following after Alex, "Wait! Wait, Alex! What does that mean!?"
"…So we have no idea why they were here?" Amy asked Rouge, who ultimately shrugged, "Seriously?"
The two were standing in the hall before the throne room, waiting for Thaeif, Sonic, and Sally to finish with the Cobalts.
And they were bored as all hell.
"All I know is that the beetle was chasing some important 'catch'." Rouge told, tapping her fingers on her side, "So… how are you and Sal doing? Have you heard anything from Shadow?"
Amy perked up at the mention of her partners, letting out a quiet squeak of excitement, "Shads got the Winter Festival off!"
"What!? Seriously?!" Rouge gasped, a grin spreading on her face, "We haven't had Shadow for the Winter Festival since you three got married!"
"I know, right?! And Cream will be so excited to see her second-favorite cousin!" Amy squealed at the idea, the implications of her comment making Rouge raise a brow.
"And… who exactly is the first, Ames?" Rouge asked, a dangerous edge to her tone that Amy ignored.
She put on a smug grin, gesturing to herself.
"It's-"
"Bunnie, because they're technically distant cousins anyway. Stop fucking arguing about this, please."
Amy and Rouge turned to Sonic and Sally, who both sent the two a glare.
The pink hedgehog and bat nervously laughed, before Amy greeted her wife with a peck.
"How's it going? You and mom get anything from Suse?" Rouge questioned, which made Sally chuckle evilly, "Oh, you did! Spill it! What was the beetle chasing!?"
"Susanna was… kind enough to explain that she and her team got a message from a man in one of the outverse worlds." Sally told, her smile falling into something a bit more serious, "They were apparently being paid almost 5 thousand in their local currency to take an irritation of his and do 'whatever they wanted' with her. Apparently, the poor woman had three teenaged boys with her, and that an… ahem, 'overlander pain-in-the-ass' had managed to shoot the beetle with a No-Zone stun gun."
"Alex." Rouge sighed, making Sonic snort, "Why am I not surprised? Mom heard that Arai was giving him one of her old guns for the Winter Festival this year."
"So, Alex Satami has the victims then? Likely going through all the steps for protecting runaways?" Sally sighed in relief, "Good. We should keep them here until after New Years, to make sure Susanna's… rivals don't try and pick up where her team left off."
"Good call, Sal. Anyone call Eggy?" Sonic asked his cousins, who shook their heads or sighed, "Yep, shoulda seen that coming. I'll call him-"
"Don't bother, Thaeif was already one step ahead of you."
Eggman stepped into the hall before the royal chamber of Acorn, sending Sally a respectful nod that was returned with a raised brow.
The egg-shaped Overlander looked a bit tired, his red jacket half-hazardly thrown on.
It was clear he had been either overworking himself again, or sleeping before Thaeif had called.
"Why do we need Eggman?" She asked Rouge and Sonic, who chuckled ominously, "Guys, I'm serious. Auntie won't tell me your plan."
"It's simple, your highness." Eggman smirked, the smirk sending uncomfortable chills down the mobian's spine, "I'll be taking your… visitors once Thaeif is finished, and utilizing them for my new project."
"New project-!?" Sally started to protest, Amy sending the man a sharp glare as she summoned her hammer-
"Sal, Ames, it's mom's old project." Rouge cut in, making the two stop in their tracks.
"The one Auntie tried to have us help?" 'Sonic' gestured to himself, his eyes practically invisible from how white they'd become, "The one that ended up with Dusk… you know, like that?"
"Be nice, Dark. Auntie's project wasn't the only reason Dusk changed." Sally scolded, before smiling at the dark-quilled Sonic, "It's good to see you though. It's been quite a while since we last spoke."
*That's because you keep getting into fights with the xenophobic pig.*
*Dark, you could have just ASKED to front…*
*Jackass.*
"I've been a little busy making sure Fleet and Sonic don't try and drag Dusk back home." Dark sighed, ignoring his other parts and crossing his arms, "Super's been having premonition issues too. There's this phrase that keeps rolling through our head, and he keeps freaking out over it."
"Phrase?" Sally nervously gulped, noticing Eggman stiffen in the corner of her eye, "How so?"
Dark took a breath, the edges of his dark quills shimmering like the night sky as he spoke with an odd echo, "From day to night… and dusk to dawn. Hopeful stars, and runaway pawns."
Rouge blinked twice at the words, before scoffing, "That's it?"
"His premonitions are usually longer than that." Sally mumbled, making Dark sigh again as he nodded his head.
"Super's worried he isn't getting all of it. Fleetway gets twitchy whenever it pops up too. Says that it just feels incomplete." Dark told, slowly shaking his head, "Personally, I don't even think it's ours. Super has gotten prophecies and premonitions that had nothing to do with us before."
*Move, asshole-*
Sonic grunted, shaking his head a bit rougher as one of his eyes turned green, "I-I mean, you remember that one from last year. The one that was talking about the ID Zone and Hero?"
He then huffed, closing his eyes as he spoke again, "Hard not to, considering Sally nearly had a heart attack over it."
"Doesn't dual-fronting give you a headache?" Rouge snorted, making Sonic and Dark scoff.
Sonic suddenly gagged, his quills turning back to their original color.
*Shit- OW! Super!*
*Dark, we need to have a TALK about manners…*
"Yep." Sonic grunted, trying not to puke as he shook his head, "But Dark doesn't keep track of Super's premonitions like we do. Besides, I think he just wanted to mention the premonition to you guys before I 'try and ignore it again'."
"To be fair, you do that a lot." Sally snorted, making Sonic yelp in protest and Rouge roar in laughter.
Eggman, on the other hand, rolled his eyes as he started towards the throne room.
He knocked on the door, hearing a 'I'm just about done, Ivo!' from behind it.
Of course she knew it was him.
He really hated that bat sometimes.
Thaeif opened the door, sending him a grin and pulling him in without a word.
"So, I think I've gotten everything from them!" Thaeif told, gesturing to the terrified traffickers in the corner of the room, "They're pretty scared of me now, but I just call that-"
"Karma, I know. Thaeif, what do you really want?" Eggman cut the bat off, making her stop in her tracks, "I know better than to believe that you're just giving me subjects for 'my' project."
Eggman could feel the temperature in the room drop, and he let out a sigh.
He could see his breath.
Not good.
"Thaeif. What do you want?" He repeated, the bat having not responded, "Because if it's related to the project-"
"Ivo, do…" The older bat started, glancing back at him with a worried look, "D-Do you really think this is a good idea? Starting up my old project? Starting up that old project?"
Eggman raised a brow at the odd question, before rolling his eyes.
"I don't see any reason not to, and with my magic and Eldritch's knowledge of the void-"
"The last time I touched this project, that… that bastard tried to take Knuckles and Sonic away from me." Thaeif scowled, lost in the horrible memories of the echidna, "He tried to use my project to give himself true immortality. To take the entire universe and bend it to his will. To-"
"You say this like I wasn't here." Eggman cut the bat off, sending her a glare, "I remember that damn fight, Thaeif. I remember how ugly the aftermath was. I'm not going to let something like that happen again."
Thaeif was silent for a moment, before reaching out her hand.
Eggman stepped back, holding up his own and scowling, "No. No, I'm absolutely not-"
Thaeif was firm, keeping her hand out and locking eyes with the overlander, "Promise me, or I won't give you the traffickers and have Susanna executed for her crimes instead."
Eggman half-growled, pointing a finger in Thaeif's face, "You're bluffing and you-"
"HAVE SUSANNA WHAT!?" One of the lionesses exclaimed, making the owl groan.
"WHY DO YOU THINK I NEVER WENT ANYWHERE NEAR ELDRITCH, POPPY!?" Susanna snapped back, sending the tied-up beetle a sharp glare, "IF REGGIE HADN'T BEEN SO STUPID-"
"I GET IT, I FUCKED UP! CAN WE JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!?"
Thaeif sent the traffickers a sharp glare and a gesture that she was still watching them, immediately shutting them up.
"…What exactly am I promising you?"
Thaeif heard the sigh, glancing back to Eggman with a hum.
The man had his arms crossed, refusing to meet her gaze.
"That if someone or something tries to use it for genuine evil, and you can't fight them off, the project will burn until there's nothing left. Not even a backup." Thaeif told, feeling magic spiral around her very words, "And that… you'll tell me if something goes wrong. Rather you accept it or not, you're part of my family-"
"You 'adopted' me as family without my consent." Eggman grumbled, but was ultimately ignored.
"-And I will protect you as such." Thaeif finished, letting out a chuckle, "Hell, if you were a decade younger, you'd be under the Child jurisdiction, as opposed to the Sibling one."
"I thank Chaos every day that I'm not under the Child jurisdiction." Eggman grumbled, before sighing, "Fine. But I have a 'promise' that I want to put into place."
"Name it."
Eggman took a breath, eyes twitching to the door to the hall, "I want a part in investigating the outer universe, and a promise that you won't interfere if I or the others find something."
Thaeif jolted, before mumbling as she re-reraised her hand, "Well, if it wasn't you, it was going to be Rouge or Sonic…"
Eggman took Thaeif's hand and magic began to spark around them.
The banners on the wall were blown about, the hair or fur on the traffickers moving with the magic wind.
A circle of magic formed on the ground around them, before slowly fading away.
The mobian and overlander released their hands, feeling the sparks as they began to fade.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Eggman told, beginning over to the traffickers…
And pausing.
"Ah, and Knuckles should be back on the 22nd or 23rd." He told, throwing Thaeif an envelope, "Be sure to give that to Shadow. He'll enjoy it."
The envelope fluttered in the air, before landing in Thaeif's hand.
Thaeif blinked twice, not entirely processing what Eggman had just said.
"Wh- Wait, I- I- How-!?" Thaeif finally stammered, staring at the envelope with wide eyes, "Ivo, how!?"
Eggman smirked, taking out a flat disk and throwing it after pressing a small button on the top.
It opened up like a spider, throwing the traffickers into a small, mobile prison and locking up tight.
"Don't forget, Thaeif. My mother was the empress of my zone." Eggman reminded, hopping on top of the spider-like machine and chuckling, "You learn quite a few things, being an empress' puppet."
He stomped a foot on a odd circular pattern on top of the robot, making it glow.
The spider then vanished from sight, leaving Thaeif alone in the throne room.
"…Hey mom? You done yet?" Rouge knocked on the door, making Thaeif hum.
"Dear, I think Knuckles might be home for the Winter Festival after all!" She called, staring at the envelope, "And… tell Sally that I need to give something to Shadow!"
The door suddenly burst open, a chorus of cheers ringing in her ears as Sally rushed over to her.
"Wh-What did Eggman do?!" Sally exclaimed, seeing the envelope in her aunt's hands, "H-How is- D-Did he deal with the rest of Mazuri or something?!"
"…All he said was that Knuckles should be home around the 22nd." Thaeif blinked, handing over the envelope, "And that Shadow will be… amused by whatever's in the envelope."
"WE GOT KNUCKLES FOR THE WINTER FEAST! WE GOT KNUCKLES FOR THE WINTER FEAST!" Sonic and Rouge sang together, Rouge twirling herself and Sonic in the air as they cheered.
Amy laughed, seeing the two celebrating above.
Sally's face twisted, gesturing for Amy before opening the envelope.
"Is… Is something wrong, darling?" Amy questioned, seeing her wife staring at the letter inside.
And then she snorted, breaking out into loud laughs as she shoved the paper into her wife's chest and ran over to where her cousins were still singing.
Amy squinted as she read over the letter…
Letting out a cough as she started laughing too, holding it out for Thaeif to take.
Thaeif reluctantly took the letter, looking it over.
Hey Shads, been a hot second.
Thanks for using the favor Umbra owed you to help me in Mazuri.
Seriously, you got no idea how long I woulda been stuck here otherwise.
Next time, mind calling me in advance about it?
I dunno if this was a Winter Feast present and that's why you didn't call, but I almost blew up Eggman's ship on sight!
Seriously! If your counterpart hadn't been there, I would've thrown a tree through the stupid thing!
I don't know why Eggman owed Umbra a favor, but he said apparently it had something to do with his counterpart nearly blowing Umbra's arm off?
I'd love to know what the hell's the deal with that.
It was pretty funny though, seeing that Federation commander nearly have a stroke over seeing Umbra with Eggman.
Side note, if you hear or see a Commander Guim with a broken arm, it wasn't me.
So I guess I'll be at Thaeif's for the Winter Festival if you can get away for a few hours.
You still owe me an arm wrestling match you know.
And start writing me back again, asshole.
I know where you're stationed now.
-Knux
PS: Why does Umbra know so much about Red's crush and why haven't you two told Thaeif? She's going to kill you if you don't tell her! Don't forget about what happened with-
Oh, for fuck's-
"DIDN'T I TELL YOU ALL TO DROP THAT ALREADY!?" Thaeif yelled to her children, who were all now cackling.
She groaned, feeling her face burn slightly.
But despite her embarrassment, she couldn't help but smile.
Rouge slowly lowered herself and Sonic back to the ground, the hedgehog now leaning over her shoulder in a way not to obstruct her wings.
Sally and Amy were leaned over each other as they laughed, Sally holding her stomach as she struggled to breathe.
It warmed Thaeif's heart, seeing them so happy.
After so many years of pain, betrayal, heartbreak…
It was so nice, seeing them laugh so freely.
Thaeif sighed, moving to put the letter back in the envelope and seeing a strange addition on the back.
PS 2: Mind asking Sonic or Thaeif about this weird prophecy that Red had a while back? I dunno if Dusk's been able to talk to Sonic lately, but Red said that it was:
'From day to night and dusk to dawn. Hopeful stars, and runaway pawns.'
It sounds kinda incomplete and I was wondering if Super or Tails had the rest of it.
Thaeif's eyes widened, and all of the happiness in her soul died away almost instantly.
She gulped, carefully placing the letter into the envelope and trying to steady her shaking hands.
"It had to be Tails' prophecy, didn't it?" She sighed, starting towards the still-laughing group, "I just hope someone has the end of the warning, otherwise we're in a lot of trouble."
"Hopeful stars, runaway pawns… ugh! Why can't I get it!?"
"Maybe you're trying too hard, Tails!"
Tails resisted the urge to send Cream a glare, knowing the little rabbit was just trying to help.
He closed his eyes again, ignoring the cold liquid running down his cheek.
"From day to night, and dusk to dawn. Hopeful stars, and runaway pawns…" Tails recited, before his face twisted up, "Hopeful stars… and… and runaway-"
"Tails!"
Tails opened his eyes to see Cream reaching towards the tissue box.
He reached a hand to his eyes, his already stained glove coming away almost black.
"Dang it!" He exclaimed, "Why can't I just get the rest of this prophecy already!?"
"Maybe we aren't allowed to have the rest yet?" Cream asked as she held out a tissue, making Tails huff.
"No, that can't-" His eyes then widened, taking the tissue and shoving his face into Cream's, "What did you just say?!"
Cream leaned back slightly, raising a brow, "Maybe we aren't allowed to have the rest yet?"
"That's gotta be it!" Tails gasped, standing with a grin, "I don't have the rest of the prophecy because the first part hasn't come to pass! We're waiting on someone or something!"
"You think so!?" Cream gasped too, looking excited for having helped Tails through the incomplete prophecy.
"Yeah! Cream, you're a genius!" Tails laughed, hugging Cream and twirling her around.
Cream laughed too, hearing a knock on her door.
"Tails? Cream? Thaeif, Rouge, and Sonic are on their way home." Vanilla's monotone voice told, making the two stop twirling and share a grin.
"Mama! I think Tails and I figured out his prophecy!" Cream opened her bedroom door with a bright smile, a heavy contrast to her cursed mother's deadpan.
She tilted her head slightly, a shadow of a smile causing glowing splinters to appear around her eyes, "I'm happy to hear about that, Cream. I'm sure your aunt and cousins will be ecstatic. I suppose I should grab some earplugs before Sonic and Rouge deafen the house."
"They won't be that bad, mama!" Cream grinned, before Tails snorted behind her.
Tails loudly laughed, "I bet they'll be so loud, Rotor will hear them all the way in Iceborough!"
Sonic the Hedgehog belongs to Sega
So...
Vanilla is cursed, if I haven't made that blunt enough already.
Also, the Exes exist and they got alternative names :)
I won't list them explicitly, but ya'll are smart enough to figure out who's who.
Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see ya'll on St. Patrick's Day.
(Like I said, I set this up a week ago.
If I have some kind of psychological break, I'll make a note about the lack of update(s)
I'm so tired, ya'll.
I'm so tired.)