The twins giggled as they sat on top of the sled, in a form of 'time-out' for trying to leave without them.
Eddy and Double D constantly glanced back at them, a bit worried the twins might try and run off again.
Reggie let out a gasp, pointing towards the top of the slope, "There's the top!"
"Finally." Eddy groaned, "This stupid hill is a lot higher than I thought."
"M-My estimate is around 20 hundred feet, o-or approximately 600 meters." Double D told, making Eddy roll his eyes.
"Don't make me try and do math, Sockhead."
Ed, on the other hand, starting rushing towards the top of the hill.
"Ed!" "Ed, please! Wait for us!"
Eddy and Double D stumbled through the snow as they tried to catch back up.
The twins hopped off the top of the sled, taking out their own from their hammerspaces.
Ed was still, staring out into the horizon behind the peak.
"Don't go anywhere until we're ready, alright?" Double D told the two boys, who moaned in disappointment.
"Ed! What the heck are you…" Eddy started to scold, before catching sight of what Ed was staring at.
Double D blinked at his friends, before glancing out and-
"Oh." He quietly gasped.
Beyond the Snowy Ruins peak was some hills going back down, alongside an old rope fence towards the bottom.
People all the way towards the bottom were running around, throwing snowballs at each other and building snowmen without the fear of being hit by anyone going down the slopes.
There were a few smaller slopes, which were clearly being used for the younger visitors to go down until they were ready for the larger ones.
Laughter was audible, even from such a long distance.
A little rabbit girl threw a snowball at her fox friend, the force knocking him to the ground.
The two laughed, before he shot after her with a larger snowball.
It almost reminded them of their snowball fights back at home…
They could also see the lightly-covered forests beyond the rope, most of the snow being caught in the tops of the still somewhat leafed trees.
There was whisps of smoke, likely from campfires not too far off, alongside a large city even farther off.
More ruins were scattered across the wide view, many of them also covered in a layer of snow.
The sky was half-clear, white-gray clouds only occasionally littering the skies.
The sun was beaming down from between the clouds, as if to greet them.
It was…
"Peach Creek Slopes ain't got nothing on this." Eddy breathed, his friends dumbly nodding beside him.
"Hey! Come on!" Sebastion tugged on Eddy's hand, "We wanna sled!"
Eddy blinked down at the little impala, he and his brother looking annoyed at the Eds.
And then snorted, ruffling the kid's head and turning to his friends.
"Come on, boys! We got a hill to sled down!" He called, making his friends blink back to attention.
The twins cheered, while Double D chuckled to himself.
Ed placed their sled onto the ground, situating it next to the twins' and grinning.
Double D rummaged around in his hammerspace for a moment, before taking out two bright yellow slap bracelets.
He handed them a bracelet each, gesturing for them to put it on.
"That way we won't lose you boys again." Double D told the two, who stared at the bracelets curiously.
"…What? Ain't ya ever see a slap bracelet before?" Eddy asked the two boys, taking Sebby's arm and slapping the bracelet into place.
Sebby quietly gasped, staring at the bracelet on his wrist.
Reggie slapped his own onto his wrist, before letting out a laugh, "That's so cool!"
"Yeah!" Sebby laughed too, "You slap 'em on your arm!"
"Wrist." Double D corrected, but Eddy only snorted.
"Whoa…" Ed mumbles, seeing how far up they were.
Far…
Oh, that's really high-!
"Eddy! I don't wanna go down the hill anymore!" Ed exclaimed, covering his eyes with his hands.
Eddy rolled his eyes, while Double D shook his head.
"Ed, you do this every time we go sledding." Double D sighed, gently removing his friend's hands, "It's alright. We're going to sled down the hill, and it will be so much fun, you won't even remember you were scared!"
"You promise, Double D?"
"…Okay, now I'm starting to get impatient!" Eddy groaned, making sure he has a foot on the ground as he hopped onto the sled, "Make a move on, slowpokes!"
"Sorry, Eddy!"
"Be patient, Eddy!"
His friends quickly moved onto the sled, forcing Eddy forward as they shuffled onto the sled.
The twins shimmied forward, clearly excited to head down the hill.
"Alright, we'll go down on three!" Double D told, holding up his hand and counting down, "One, two-"
"Go!" The twins cheered as they started down, making Double D jolt.
"Wait! I didn't say three yet-!"
"Go Ed!"
"Liftoff!
Eddy removed his foot from the snow, Ed pushing at the snow to get them moving.
"Not good, not good, not good-!" Double D hissed, putting two hands on his hat to make sure he didn't lose it.
And to make sure no excessive air got into his hat.
The last thing they needed was for them to go airborn…
Eddy let out a cheer, Ed groaning as he half-covered his eyes.
The twins laughed and cheered as they went down the hill, moving their sleds and bumping into each other as they went.
They began to really speed up, Eddy's cheers growing louder by the minute.
Slowly, Ed started to laugh and cheer too.
Double D released his hat, letting out a yelp as they went over a bump.
The three boys laughed as they hit the ground, all of them enjoying the ride now.
They didn't notice Sam and Katie jump out of their path, barely avoiding being hit by the three outversers.
Sebby let out a 'Whoa!' as he went over a larger hill, getting a bit of air before hitting the ground again.
Reggie laughed at his brother, swerving his sled to try and find a hill to go over too.
"Hey! Boys!" A familiar voice called, Monica landing onto the slopes beside the Eds.
She was decked out in her skiing gear, but it was still obvious that she was winking at the three boys.
"You three enjoying yourselves?" Monica called, adjusting her skis to make sure she didn't trip or fall.
Ed let out a cheer, Double D and Eddy letting out a laugh.
Monica laughed too, "Guess so! Just wanted to check in real quick! Have fun!"
She then moved over to a hill, jumping off and sending off a blast of magic to send her back on her course.
She flipped and turned as she flew, and they could almost hear some sound effects as she did her tricks!
Well… they'd be able to hear it if they weren't sledding!
The Eds went over another bump again, but this time didn't make the landing.
The sled tilted as it hit the ground, sending the three boys flying.
Ed landed flat on his back, Double D landing on top of him.
Eddy, on the other hand, flew for a moment before landing face-first into the snow.
"Sebby!" Reggie called, seeing the Eds' wipeout.
The twins tried to slide to a stop, but ended up tipping over themselves.
They tumbled for a moment, before both twins slid on the snowy ground, their sleds landing right beside them.
For a moment, the Eds and the twins were still and silent.
And then Ed jolted up with a giant smile, pouring snow out of his pockets.
Double D was thrown into the snow, letting out a startled laugh.
"That was fun! Let's do that again!" Ed told his friends, who let out laughs of agreement.
Double D helped Eddy off the ground, the short teen spitting out snow as he stood.
Eddy picked up the purple hat from the ground, placing it back onto his head.
Reggie and Sebby giggled as they removed their faces from the snow, ready to go another round down the slopes.
"I wanna go down Reggie's slope again! I wanna go down Reggie's slope again!" Sebby exclaimed, making his brother laugh.
"Hey Ed, mind cutting us back to the top?" Eddy called to Ed, who nodded happily.
"To the top we go!" Ed cheered, grabbing the metal sled and his friends.
Sebby and Reggie both grabbed Double D and Eddy's hands, watching as Ed pulled at the sky.
Ed grunted, before pulling the scene as if it was paper.
The twins gasped, realizing they were on top of the slope again!
"Nice work, Ed!" Double D praised his friend, "That was remarkably quick too!"
"We're getting better at cutting scenes!" Eddy grinned, before taking their sled and moving it onto the ground.
Ed blushed slightly at the praise, before shoving Eddy to the side and sitting in the front.
"Ed, you can't just sit in the front!" Double D started, Eddy trying to shove him to the back.
"But I wanna get thrown like Eddy did!" Ed protested, making his friends groan with unmovable smiles.
Sebby and Reggie giggled to each other, setting up their sleds for the next trip down.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
The Eds chatted and laughed as they walked down the hill, dragging two sleepy impalas on the sled as they went.
They had slightly melted snow on their heads and coats, their clothes ruffled from the constant wipeouts.
"…I really thought Double D was about to throw up!" Eddy cackled, making Double D roll his eyes in good nature.
"Oh? Like you weren't?" Double D taunted, poking at Eddy's shoulder, "I saw that look on your face before we ran into that bump! Your face was greener than mine!"
"It was so funny!" Ed agreed with a laugh, making his friends share a grin.
"Every time we went airborne, you started screaming, Ed!" Eddy laughed.
Double D's hand hovered over his face as he chuckled, "Not to mention after we landed, he would go right back to laughing!"
"Aw, you guys know I'm scared of heights." Ed huffed, crossing his arms and looking away, making his friends share a laugh.
"Sounds like you guys had fun." Sam snorted, making the three boys pause with a confused sound each.
Sam approached the three, having both black lipstick and a slap mark on his cheek.
"…What happened to you?" Eddy questioned, his curiosity overpowering his annoyance with the deer.
Sam groaned, rolling his eyes as he rubbed his red cheek, "Girls are crazy, man."
"Tell me about it!" Eddy agreed, making Sam raise a brow at him.
There was a small smile on his face though, widening as he saw his brothers half-asleep on the sled.
"What do you know about girls? Aren't you like 12 or something?" He asked, making Eddy groan.
"Hey! I'm almost 15! That's probably older than you!" Eddy protested, his friends chuckling as he grumbled, "Why does everyone keep thinking I'm a kid?!"
Sam rolled his eyes, glad that the three had worn his brothers out.
Thank chaos he didn't have to deal with the twins being crazy on the way home-
Wait, did Eddy just say he's almost 15?!
"Hey!" Monica's voice rang out, rushing over to the group and grinning.
She had been joined by Ji at some point, the both of them wearing ski gear and…
"Ms. Monica, what happened to you?!" Double D exclaimed, seeing the tissue shoved up Monica's nose, and the small pieces of dried blood and scratches all over her face.
Monica opened her mouth to explain, before Ji's snort interrupted her.
Ji let out a loud cackle, throwing an arm over her wife with a grin.
"I decided to surprise Moni on the slopes, but this idiot ran herself into a tree the moment she saw me!" Ji cackled, before moving over to ruffle Sam's head, "Hey there, Sam-man! Long time no see, huh?"
Sam let out a startled sound, pushing his aunt's hand off with a grin, "It's only been two weeks, Aunt Ji!"
Monica crossed her arms, letting out mumbles at her wife's explanation, before shaking her head.
She turned her attention to the boys, an oddly maternal look in her eyes as she smiled at them.
"Did you boys have fun today?" She asked, "I hope Sebby and Reggie didn't drive you too crazy."
"Sebastion and Reginold behaved just fine, actually!" Double D told, shocking the three mobians around them, "They wandered off a few times-"
"Par for the course with those little buggers." Ji snorted again.
"-But it didn't take long for us to find them!" Double D finished, unfazed by Ji's statement.
"Yeah, the little weirdos were pretty tame." Eddy shrugged, making Sam snort.
"I'm glad to hear that!" Monica grinned, "Maybe I should ask Morris about you boys babysitting them some time?"
"NO!" Eddy and Double D exclaimed instantly, their voices echoing slightly along the ruins.
Monica and Ji exchanged looks, before laughing.
Sam snorted again, before catching sight of his dad.
They were still a ways off from the parking lot, but Sam knows his dad when he sees him.
"Dad's by the car already." Sam told, glancing at his aunts, "You planning on taking the Eds back to the apartments?"
"Jun'll hang me if I leave without telling him." Ji shrugged, making Sam cackle.
"Yeah, that sounds like Uncle Jun. Probably-my-future-aunt Koan here too?" Sam asked his aunts, both of them shaking their heads, "Damn, I wanted some advice on good spray-paint brands from the Art Zone."
"A present for your girlfriend, I assume?" Ji chuckled, before gesturing for the boy to lean forward, "So, lemme tell you what I know about Art's paint brands …"
As Ji whispered the secrets of the Art Zone's brands, Monica started back down the hill again.
The Eds followed after her, pulling the sled along with them.
Sebby and Reggie were completely asleep now, the two peacefully snoozing away even as the sled occasionally went over slight bumps.
"I'm glad you boys had fun." Monica told, her voice taking a softer and slightly reluctant tone, "I… I know things have been pretty messed-up recently, but-"
"What the heck is a trauma-bond?"
"Shit."
Monica whipped her hands over her mouth, letting out a groan.
Double D and Ed were staring at Eddy with confused looks, the teen looking firm as he waited for the answer.
He clearly wasn't going to back down.
Not easily at least.
"Of course that's what broke the ice between you and Sam." She sighed, before glancing back to make sure the twins were asleep.
After a moment, she sighed.
"This isn't just an 'us' thing, before you start thinking it is." Monica started, "It's a natural reaction for… pretty much anyone who goes through a traumatic event with someone else. They grow closer to that person, more connected due to the shared trauma."
"Oh, I've heard about that before." Double D realized, tapping a hand to his chin, "But we don't call it 'trauma-bond', we-"
"Well, that's because there's a line." Monica interrupted, "Mobians in our universe… human, overlander, and mobian-mobian alike, they all have a different type of 'Trauma-bond'… depending on if they have magic or not."
"Magic?" Ed asked, his attention clearly caught now.
"Trauma-bonds are… different when you throw magic into the mix." Monica explained, gesturing a thumb to Ji, "Ji and Jun have powerful fire magic alone, but together?"
Monica let out a quiet laugh, an odd glint in her eye as she stated, "They're unstoppable."
Eddy and Double D exchanged looks, while Ed grinned.
"Like the bonds between the furry aliens and the frogs from 'Attack of the 50-Foot Anteater'!?" He exclaimed, making his friends snort.
"God, that movie was so awful." Eddy mumbled, which only emphasized Monica's confusion.
"…However you want to compare it." She shrugged, before continuing, "Those with powerful magics who are trauma-bonded to another have heightened abilities. Especially if the other, or others, are just as powerful."
Monica's face fell, and she slowed slightly.
"There's… a rumor floating around that… that I've been hearing about since before Robotnik was taken down." Monica mumbled, barely loud enough for the three boys to hear, "That… that the Chosen aren't just multi-generational, lost kingdoms' royalty, part-aliens, former guardians…"
Eddy worded 'aliens?!' to Double D and Ed, the latter looking now very interested in what Monica was saying.
"…But that they're trauma-bonded too." Monica breathed, "At least three of them are. And… and those three are always stated to be-"
"Rouge and her cousins." Eddy finished with wide eyes, making Monica sigh in confirmation.
"I… Okay, so I didn't live in Knothole village during the war." Monica told, "My brother hid us away in Station Square all those years ago, after our parents and step-mom got caught during the siege of Mobotropolis. I… I heard a lot of rumors and stories though."
"…Stories?" Double D questioned, making Monica sigh.
She glanced up into the sky, the clouds almost entirely covering the sky now.
"So, to start, the last of the last set of Chosen were the leaders of Knothole Village." Monica told, closing her eyes, "Most of the other adults were robotized, dead, or… well, the only other known death was a Marie D'Coolette. Died from some unlabeled sickness not too long after the siege."
The Eds were silent, listening carefully to Monica's lecture.
Double D had opened up a new page in his notebook, writing down everything he heard.
"Thaeif, one of said Chosen, she was… well… she was technically the queen at the time. Yes, the role could have been placed onto Sally's shoulders, but there's was some sort of clause in the old laws." Monica hummed, "Probably made by the queen, may her and Lara-Le souls rest wherever it may lie."
"Huh?" Double D blinked at the odd statement, making Monica sigh again.
"So… that's another really depressing story." She explained, glancing away with a sad look, "One that my dad knew pretty well. He and mom lost a friend in the accident too. The Kingdom and Echidnan Tribes' relationship was irreparably damaged too. And to make things worse, some psycho attacked the echidnas after that. Scattered them across the world. The Kingdom lost their closest ally in the matter of two-weeks, all because the king never liked the former-former Master Emerald's guardian and thought the jerk killed Queen Alicia and others while trying to get rid of his own wife. Which in itself is illegal, trying to kill a Chosen-"
"Former-former?" Eddy deadpanned, making Monica snort.
"So Locke was one of our present Chosen's dads, though, the kid gave up his position when he moved to Knothole. The former-former guardian had only been seen… what? Twice since his wife died before he kicked it himself?" Monica scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Rumored to be once after Robotnik's defeat, demanding that his son returned back to his post or something like that, and-"
"During the Enerjak Incident." Ji cut in, startling everyone.
She and Sam were looking somber, Monica now looking frustrated to no end.
"That stupid monster…" She grumbled, making Ji sigh.
Sam huffed, before looking to the Eds, "Nobody knows what really happened during the Enerjak Incident. Not unless you're one of the Chosen. All we know is that almost 200 people died, almost a thousand were injured, and we lost my mom's side of the family."
"T-The whole family?!" Double D hissed, Eddy looking slightly pale.
Sam nodded, eyes twitching to his aunts before he huffed.
"Yep. See, mom was adopted by a family of echidnas after Mobotropolis got taken over." Sam explained, "But that Enerjak asshole… he had some kind of grudge against mom's family. Or... with her family's ancestors or some shit like that? We don't really know. All we know is that the kinda-queen at the time sent mom and dad a message saying that mom's family home had been attacked and caved in during the fight. My Uncle Ethrin and Aunt Hali-La survived for… what? Two weeks?"
"Two weeks, three days, and seven hours after that damn call." Moncia grumbled, sounding angrier than the Eds had heard her, "Ethrin and Hali-La died within two fucking minutes of each other-"
"Twins are as twins are, Moni." Ji quietly sighed, patting her wife's back.
Eddy was silent, taking in the information.
Enerjak, huh?
His eyes twitched to Double D, who was writing in his notebook so fast his pencil might catch on fire.
Ed had a weird look on his face too.
Eddy clenched his hands, then unclenched them.
His hands felt oddly…
Warm.
As if he had fire in his hands.
Why was this bothering him so much?
He never gets this bothered by history!
What's making him so angry-?!
"…sympathetic connection?"
Eddy jolted, having heard… something.
Wait, where did that voice coming from-?
"Hey guys!" Ed called, pointing at something colorful in the snow, "I found a rock!"
Double D and Eddy both raised a brow at Ed's exclamation, moving to see what their friend was talking about-
But was stopped by a rabbit and a fox rushing over.
Wait, didn't they see those two earlier?
The two-tailed fox grinned sheepishly, laughing as he picked up the diamond-shaped rock.
"Well, I guess that's what I get for taking the emerald with me…" He told the rabbit, who only giggled at him.
"I won't tell our cousins if you won't!" She chirped, a little teardrop-like creature letting out a similar chirp.
The fox sighed in relief, "Thanks, Cream."
"O-Oh, crap-!" Monica gasped, making the two turn to her, "Uh… G-Good afternoon!"
The two glanced at each other, before giggling.
"It's okay, miss Deer-Mouse! Mama and Auntie aren't here!" Cream the Rabbit told, "It's just me, Tails, and Uncle Chuck!"
Cream put an odd emphasis on her uncle's name, which seemed to unnerve the two older Mobians.
"Oh god, let's go." Ji hissed, having gone both pale and beet red, "Before 'Sir Charles' sees Jun."
"Is he still after your brother, Ji!?" Monica hissed back, making Ji groan as she grabbed Monica's hand.
She started dragging Monica towards the parking lot, while the Eds and Sam blinked.
"Uh… Can one of you tell me why my aunts are afraid of Sir Charles?" Sam raised a brow at the two, who snickered.
"As far as we can tell…" Cream started, winking one eye.
Tails winked the other, an odd black discharge leaking from it, "Your Uncle Jun and him got into a fight."
Sam was silent for a moment, before leaning back slightly.
His ears were pinned to his head, watching the discharge slowly drip down.
It melted the snow as it hit the ground.
Sam turned on his heel, grabbing Eddy and Double D's wrists, and started dragging them away.
"How are two little kids like that creepy?" Eddy raised a brow at Sam, who groaned to himself as they walked, "They seem pretty normal to me."
"Normal is a very opinionated statement here." Double D reminded his friend, who rolled his eyes.
"Eddy, dude, don't ask." Sam sighed, pulling a hand over his face, "You'll learn about them sooner or later. Just know that fox boy is apparently the closest we got to a god that isn't some kind of psychotic fake."
The Eds blinked at the statement, which made Sam groan again.
"Ugh, never mind…"
Double D took off the black gloves, nudging Eddy for the trapper hat.
"I don't believe we thanked you properly for letting us borrow these." Double D held out the winterwear to Sam, who let out a confused 'huh?'.
Sam shook his head with a snort, shoving them back, "Keep 'em. I never wear that hat, and I get new gloves every year from my Gran."
Double D let out a hum, before Eddy snatched the hat back.
"You're a pretty cool guy, Sam." Eddy told, leaning an arm over the deer-impala with a smirk.
Sam returned the smirk, shoving Eddy's arm off him with a laugh, "You three are pretty dorky, but in a good way."
Unaware to how the three boys flinched at being called 'dorky', Sam shoved his hand into his pockets for his phone.
"Do you guys got a phone yet, or should I just call Aunt Moni to get a hold of you?" Sam asked Eddy, before realizing the older boy's smile was gone, "Hey, what's with that look?"
"Er…" Double D started, faux-coughing into a hand, "W-We… um…"
"Don't call us dorks, or dorky or… or any of that." Eddy frowned, something indecipherable in his voice, "Just… just don't, would ya?"
Sam's expression shifted, eyes twitching around almost guiltily.
"…Trauma thing, or bullying thing?" Sam quietly asked, making Eddy and Double D wince.
Man, these guys are pretty sharp when it comes to stuff like this…
"Kevin called us that a lot." Ed mumbled, ignoring his friends' hissed protests.
"Bullying, got it." Sam nodded, his smile a bit softer as it returned, "I'll make sure the guys know too. The beavers like teasing us."
Eddy let out a confused sound, hands twitching as he gestured, "Wh- That's it? No questioning, no saying that we're being stupid-"
"Please, where do you think you are? The Federation?" Sam scoffed, "The No-Zone? Moebius?"
Sam threw his hands behind his back, rolling his eyes, "We're the last-resort zone. That means you don't fuck with trauma stuff, unless you gotta for therapy. At least that's what Aunt Monica says."
"That's what Monica says?" Double D mumbled, making Sam snort.
"Aunt Moni may be an Engulash Teacher, but she's one hell of a school therapist too. Pretty sure that's why she keeps getting transferred." He told, before his smile faded slightly, "Makes me wonder sometimes. Dad says she wanted to be a therapist when they were younger."
"Changing from psychology to teaching isn't that far-fetched." Double D told, making Sam shake his head.
"That's the problem. Dad and aunt Ji say that she was still on the therapist track for ages, getting like a semester off from graduating, and then…" Sam snapped his fingers, signifying the sudden change, "Aunt Moni changed majors and never looked back. Never told dad and aunt Ji what happened either."
"Now… that is a bit odd." Double D hummed, tapping a hand on his chin.
Eddy looked a bit confused too, raising a brow, "Wasn't there some kinda warning or something?"
"Nope." Sam huffed, crossing his arms, "Like I said, dad and aunt Ji never knew what happened. Aunt Moni wouldn't tell them either. She got weird about it when I asked. Changed the topic on my friends when they tried. It almost like she's hiding something…"
Double D and Eddy exchanged grimaces, Ed's expression slightly scrunched.
Hiding something, huh?
The three boys let out hums.
"The more that seem to change…" Double D mumbled, making Sam blink.
"The more they're exactly the freaking same." Eddy finished, making Sam squint at the two.
They walked in silence for a moment, a somber feeling hanging over the three Eds…
And then Sam let out a huff, feeling a headache rising as he pinched at his temples, "What the fuck are you guys even talking about..."
"Boys!" A voice called to them, Ji waving to them from the parking lot.
The bright blue van was sitting across from a sleek purple car with a blurred pattern on the hood.
Monica and a second mouse leaned on the side of the purple car, serious expressions visible from afar.
Sam sent the Eds a half-suspicious look, eyes twitching between Double D and Eddy, before grabbing his still-sleeping brothers from the sled.
"…Somebody isn't used to keeping secrets." Eddy rolled his eyes at the deer-impala, making Double D sigh.
Ed blinked at Sam's reaction, before picking up their sled and shaking it out.
Finally reaching the parking lot, Ji rolled her eyes with a small laugh.
"Took you three long enough!" She chuckled, crossing her arms with a raised brow, "Have fun talking with Sam?"
"Yeah, he's…" Eddy started, glancing back over at the deer-impala.
Sam was standing just before the van door, clearly waiting for his dad to situate twin #1 before giving him the other.
He tapped his foot impatiently, but his expression was less harsh than it had been this morning.
Eddy couldn't help the smile that spread on his face.
"Yeah, Sam's pretty cool." He told Ji, who grinned.
"Sam, you should say goodbye to the Eds." Morris told his son, taking Sebastion from his arms.
Sam rolled his eyes at his dad's suggestion, before huffing.
"You three are weird." He told the trio, crossing his arms, "Kinda what you'd expect from real outsiders I guess."
Double D let out a startled sound, Eddy jolting in alarm.
"Ȿɦ- H-How did-" Eddy gulped, making Sam huff again.
"The censor mostly." He told, shrugging "I dunno what the hell a 'Tunes Rule' is, but I know it isn't part of our universe."
Morris moved out of the van, sending his eldest son a look.
Monica looked uneasy, especially as Jun slowly began to glare at her.
"I'm not gonna tell though." Sam sighed, making his aunts and dad blink at him, "There's no point."
He stepped over to the Eds, holding out a fist.
"People end up here for a reason, even if they got dragged here."
They stared at it for a moment, before Eddy fist-bumped the deer-impala.
Sam's smile returned, letting out a laugh.
"Nobody's gonna question why you're here. At least outside the Federation." Sam winked, making the Eds grin, "Besides, if anyone gives you shit, you got friends who'll protect you. "
"We do?" Ed questioned, making Sam laugh a bit louder this time.
"You got my aunts and their friends," He smirked, before gesturing to himself, "And now you got me and my friends too."
Double D quietly gasped, he and Eddy grinning at each other.
"We have friends, guys!" Ed exclaimed, pulling his friends into a hug.
His friends only slightly protested the hug, Eddy shoving half-heartedly.
…Unaware to how the Mobians' smiles fell.
Sam's smirk wavered, shooting his aunts an almost panicked look.
They both winced, Jun cringing at the implications.
Morris let out a quiet hiss, one that the Eds couldn't hear.
"Oh, that's bad." He mumbled, making Sam's ears fall back.
"I told you." Monica whispered to Morris, seeing her wife nod, "We told you something's wrong."
"Aunt Moni…" Sam mumbled, a frown settling onto his face, "They're not staying, are they?"
"Not unless we do something." Ji told, glancing at Jun, "Think we can get Koa to stay one more day?"
"Eru's one step ahead of us, sis." Jun's face twisted as he whispered, "Turns out Eru's mom wanted to 'see Koan and her family before they left for Art'."
"Uh-oh. Did Arai hear something from that cult?" Monica gulped, making Jun nod.
"The 'Foxes' have been mumbling about traps and 'no escape' for weeks." Jun hissed, "Aunt-almost-in-law says they've been in and out of their clubhouse since… well…"
Jun trailed off, confusing Sam and Morris to no end.
But by how Monica and Ji both gasped, their muzzles turning almost white from horror…
It was clear that something wasn't right.
"We'll talk later." Monica sharply told her brother-in-law, who nodded.
The Eds ceased their cheering, and the mobians plastered their smiles back on their faces.
All except for Sam, who was starting to understand what the Eds were talking about.
"Shall we head home, then?" Double D grinned, he and his friends unaware to the Mobians' whispers.
…But two little figures were aware, Tails' eyes narrowed at nothing as he considered his options.
"Tails?" Cream whispered, a frown settled on the little rabbit's face, "I think they're talking about the cult! If they say we're gonna get stuck, we gotta warn auntie!"
Tails was silent for a moment, before something clicked in his head.
"No." Tails told, sending Cream a grin, "What we gotta do is make sure everyone's ready."
"Ready?" Cream blinked, before gasping, "R-Ready!?"
Cheese let out a squeak of protest, circling Tails with additional cries of confusion.
"Cream, can… can you cover for me?" Tails winced, knowing what he has to do, "I gotta chase Labrat and his friends somewhere safe. Maybe Art? Virtuosity and her friends will hide them, right?"
Cream stammered for a minute, before groaning to herself.
She stomped a foot in the snow, puffing up her cheeks in frustration.
"But if we don't say anything, people are gonna get stuck!" She exclaimed, but Tails only nodded.
"Ah-huh." Tails confirmed, making Cream let out a little 'huh?", "That's the point!"
Cream squinted at her cousin for a moment…
Before gasping again.
She gained a bright grin, Cheese mirroring her expression with an understanding chirp.
Tails grinned at Cream's understanding, the two already beginning to scheme.
"…Explora, I think it's time to go back."
Dora yelped, leaning backwards into the fountain.
Amanda jumped back, the water barely missing their MP3 player.
Emma sighed as she reached into the water to help her friend out.
"It's not even noon, Amanda!" Pablo groaned, "And you already want to go!?"
"No. No, they didn't mean it like that." Kate realized, turning away from her conversation with Niaya, "Amanda, are… are you saying Dora should join that 'Council' again?"
"…Why is it always Puppet?" Amanda mumbled, before nodding, "That's exactly what I'm saying."
"But- But I can't!" Dora sputtered as she shot out of the water, unknowingly splashing Emma, "What about school?"
"Hey, Dora? Mind being a little more careful?" Emma asked her friend, shaking out her jacket.
Dora winced, already reaching for Backpack to get her a towel, "Lo siento, Emma."
"Your old friends balance school, clubs, and council meetings just fine." Amanda pointed out, making Dora sigh.
"Hey, if we open our doors again, does that mean we'll have multi-world football games?" Pablo asked his friends, yelping as the ball nearly hit his head.
Alana cackled at the near-hit, grabbing the ball and grinning, "I mean, I'd love to get some real competition!"
"Hey!"
Naiya and Kate exchanged looks, before Kate looked to Amanda suspiciously.
"Is this because of that feeling you had?" She questioned, making the demon cringe.
Amanda flicked their wrist as they considered their answers, before stopping…
And pocketing their MP3 Player as they snorted, "It's half that, half wanting to spite Mandy."
"Oh yeah! Fuck the bitch!" Pablo laughed, Alana breaking into cackles as Emma yelped.
"¡Lenguaje!" She scolded him, much to the two's amusement, "Just because it's true, doesn't mean you have to say it!"
"But she admits it's true…" Kate whispered to Naiya, who giggled.
"Oh," Dora nervously laughed, eyes twitching over each of her friends, "You uh… you all saw that?"
"Those four morons and Puppet were curious," Amanda gestured to the group, who immediately called out protests at Kate being the only non-moron, "And as much as I spied on your friends, I never actually saw one of those 'Multiverse Council Meetings' before."
Dora blinked at Amanda, before giggling, "Really?"
"I never cared. Watching those moronic leaders argue was more Zalgo's deal." Amanda scoffed, rolling their eyes, "Did you know that Zalgo caused more than half of the Old World's genocides and political riots-slash-coups all so he could watch the aftermath? He could've saved his energy and just watched one of the stupid drama plays or those 'soap operas' one of my victims watched, but no! He had to cause the end of multiple countries and destroy dozens of cultures to get his drama fix!"
Dora heard her friends snicker or laugh at the information, chuckling too for a moment…
Before frowning.
"…Do," Dora started, far quieter than Amanda had heard them in a while, "Do you really think I should rejoin?"
Amanda hummed, not smiling or frowning as they glanced away.
"Personally, I think you should re-form your Hearts." Amanda told, "I have a feeling whoever is harboring Ruby was there during your meeting."
"Wh-What?!" Dora gasped, eyes going wide, "Why didn't- W-Who!?"
"I said I had a feeling, not that I knew!" Amanda half-snapped, shooting the girl a glare.
Dora glanced away, hands clenched together as she watched her friends chat.
"…Do you think Kai-Lan still remembers me?" She asked the demon, a slight croak to her voice, "Franklin, Little Bear, Wubbzy, Oswald- t-the octopus, not Mickey's brother…"
She glanced up at the barely-taller demon, who jolted at the sudden eye-contact.
"Do you think they'll want to come back?" Dora practically whispered.
Amanda's red eyes twitched away from their…
…
"Of course they will." Amanda scoffed, shaking their head, "If they're as 'good' as you and Ruby used to be, they'll say yes without even thinking."
The two were silent for a moment, both watching as Pablo tackled Alana to the ground while Emma and Niaya argued over what could be considered a 'swear'.
Amanda stepped away from Dora, approaching Kate and leaving Dora by herself.
She silently shifted Backpack, before whispering, "I hope so."
...I'm sorry
I tried my best to keep going, but I'm out of updates and inspiration for this story.
I was hoping to continue forward with this story, since I had so many ideas for it, but...
Well, you all can figure what happened by the past chapters.
I can't do this.
I hope everyone enjoyed this story, even with us being this early into it (Yes, this is early)
I might update someday with edits to this story if I get that bored, but don't expect anything major.
Be safe everyone, I hope things get better for all of us someday.
Who knows? Maybe someday I'll be able to come back.
Love to all of you, and thank you.
-Skiethemuse
