"…I don't understand." Saffron shook her head while looking at the beetle on the screen. "That… that can't be possible."
This couldn't be their Zone. Everything was completely different, and the only logical explanation was that this was another Zone. One with a completely different history.
That was logical.
That made sense.
What the beetle was saying was… it was just impossible!
"Is it, though? Is it really?"
"Reboot?" Vector scratched his cheek. "You mean like they do with the movies? Take an old movie and just do it all modern or whatever?"
Espio shook his head. "I don't think that analogy applies here."
"No, no I get it!" Charmy shouted from behind her. "It's like in superhero comics! Whenever there's a big comic event, some cosmic mumbo-jumbo happens and everything starts at the beginning! Superheroes have different origins, sometimes characters stop showing up, and everyone gets a redesign!"
Jewel hesitated for a second before nodding. "That's certainly close to how Sally described it."
Big event… wasn't that how someone would describe any big scheme Eggman tried to pull off?
"But…" The female bee noticed her right hand was shaking and put her left over it. She needed to stay calm. Try to inject some rationality into this! "…But how?! From how you describe it, our histories are completely different! You just said that Eggman never controlled the world for more than six months! Robotnik and Eggman…"
"Why are you talking about them like they're different people?" Vector asked, but she shook her head. It wasn't important!
"...They controlled Mobius for years! And you just said that this world was never called Mobius, which means the Day of Fury never happened here!"
The day when the humans of old, in their arrogance and cruelty, captured and dissected a member of the Xorda race. That one event resulted in the aliens bombing the planet with their technology, hoping it would cleanse the planet of life only for it to result on the various Mobian races.
The jeweled beetle flinched and looked down. "F-From how Sally described it, Eggman teamed up with another human scientist from another dimension named Albert Wily. Apparently, that man was just as brilliant and crazy as Eggman. Together they took the Chaos Emeralds and created a supercharged version of something called the Genesis Wave, which completely rewrote space and time."
The Genesis Wave… she remembered the report the Kingdom of Acorn sent the Chaotix. About how Eggman used it to take away half of Mobius' immunity to robotization before Sally herself was roboticized!
"Then… then that wave must have rewritten the past so that half of Mobius was never immune! And if it can rewrite the past, and if it got supercharged by the Chaos Emeralds…"
She felt sick.
"Holy…" Even Vector was in complete disbelief. "The Doc's done crazy stuff before with time, but… but we always stopped him! Sonic always stopped him! You sayin' he actually pulled something like the whole Time Eater fiasco off?!"
"But… but then why are we here?!" Saffron screamed, holding her head in her hands. "We should be in a world completely controlled by Eggman! Why isn't he…?!"
"Sonic." Espio breathed out. "Sonic stopped him… right?"
"Yes. As far as we can tell." Jewel didn't look all that relieved conveying the news. It was as if she was still grappling with the information herself. "The current world is the result of him stopping Eggman, likely doing something to ensure that he never gained control of the planet. But… But something must have happened."
Yeah… something happened.
Something like how she, Julie-Su, the echidnas, the Freedom Fighters, and who knew what else straight-up didn't exist!
"And… and the Egg Grapes didn't exist. And Charmy never… never…"
"Wait, then does that mean the Charmy that Saffron knew… was me? " Charmy asked incredulously. "I used to be a big kid in the previous world?"
She couldn't stop it.
Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she stared at the screen.
"I'm sorry…" The director of the Restoration muttered. "I didn't know how else to break the news to you. There just isn't any way to…"
"No…" Saffron croaked out. "No, it's… it's…" She looked down and the corner of her mouth twitched. "I… I'm actually relieved."
"Wait, what?!" Vector cried out. "How can you be…?!"
She sniffled. "Because… because Charmy doesn't have to suffer anymore."
Everyone went silent at that.
"…What?" Charmy's voice was small and quiet. She didn't want to look at him. "What do you mean? Did… did something happen to me?"
Saffron put her hands to her face and sobbed.
What could she tell him?
What could she tell this little boy that wasn't her fiancé… and yet was?
How could she tell him that in her world, her brave and kind Charmy had his mind irreversibly damaged by horrible chemicals and foul science?
That he used to be a sixteen year old with the mental capacities of a literal child?!
Should she tell him about those nights she stayed up, wondering if her Charmy would've even wanted to remain like that?!
"At… at least now he's actually a child… one that never… never…!"
"Knuckles and Sonic were trying to save us."
Saffron lifted her head and looked at Julie-Su. She hasn't moved an inch since Jewel began.
She was sitting and looking at the computer screen, her right eye wide and staring at the beetle.
"They were fighting giant monsters. We saw them in Cyber Space." Julie-Su stated in a voice completely devoid of emotion. "After Sonic killed the second one, we found the way back to Mobius. They were looking for us. They were trying to help us get home."
Jewel bit her lip. "I… I don't know what Sonic and Knuckles are doing. We haven't been able to contact either of them, Tails, or Amy for a few days now. But… I don't think they were looking for you. They wouldn't have known you existed."
The pink echidna continued to stare at the screen, completely silent
"You're lying." The echidna muttered. "This is a trick. They wouldn't have left us. Knuckles loves me. Knuckles loves his mom and brother. He loves his people. Sonic is our friend. Amy is my student. They wouldn't have forgotten about us. You're lying."
The depressed haze lifted in the bee's mind and she stared at her friend. A horrible, unnerving feeling wormed its way into her mind. "Julie…?"
This wasn't right.
The way Julie-Su looked right now… it didn't look like anything Saffron had seen before.
Sometimes Julie-Su was troubled, sometimes she was in emotional anguish, but she'd always stand back up and move forward.
The way she looked now… it was like those moments recently where she'd get a glazed look in her eye while seeing a scene in her head. Only now it was worse.
Much, much worse.
As the echidna continued to mutter her mantra Charmy asked, "Guys…?"
"This is a lie. It has to be a lie. There's no way this can be true. Knuckles and Sonic were looking for us…" Julie-Su's pupil was shaking. "You're lying. Why are you lying? Who are you working for?"
"I-I…" Jewel seemed completely unsure about how to respond to the echidna's reaction. "Ma'am, I think…"
"H-Hey…" Vector slowly approached the ex-Dark Legionnaire. "Look, I know this is pretty heavy bu-."
When Vector put his hand on Julie-Su's shoulder, the echidna's head snapped to him and she reached down to her thigh. Just as quickly, Espio was behind her and took her blaster before she could grab it. Spinning around, Julie-Su threw a punch with her left fist only for it to completely miss.
"Julie!" Saffron screamed, launching herself at her friend before tackling her to the ground. "Calm down! Please!"
This couldn't be happening.
"THIS IS A LIE!" The echidna screamed. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! WHY ARE YOU HELPING THEM?!"
This was some sort of waking nightmare.
"What's happening?!" A part of the bee's mind cried out as she tried to restrain her struggling friend. "Julie, what's happened to you?!"
"Get Gemerl!" Espio shouted at Charmy, who was frozen in place. "Now!"
"No, please don't!" Saffron shouted back. "I can calm her down! I can…!"
Something hard enough to rattle Saffron's teeth hit her on the cheek.
The female bee flew back and landed on the crocodile leader of the Chaotix's chest. He caught Saffron, taking a few steps back to make sure the landing wasn't too hard.
"What? What happened?" Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. "Who hit me? Who…?"
Saffron's vision doubled for a second before it refocused.
Julie-Su had her right arm raised, her hand clenched into a fist in mid-punch. She was staring at Saffron with her right eye wide and horrified.
"She…?"
The bee raised her hand and felt the sting on her left cheek where the pink echidna struck her.
Saffron couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it… but she couldn't deny reality.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The back door opened and Vanilla cried out, "What on earth is…?!"
Julie-Su got up and ran past the members of the Chaotix. The chameleon reached out to grab her, only to miss the back of her shirt by a few inches.
"Julie, please!" Saffron cried, reaching out towards the echidna's back. "Please, don't…!"
But it was too late.
The pink echidna flung the door open and just continued to run. Past the front yard, past the Land Breaker, and past their line of sight.
And with each step she took, Saffron's heart broke a little bit more.
"Lets go, Legionnaire! Are you planning on letting the enemy catch you just because you want to take a break?! One-two! One-two! Pick up the pace!"
Julie-Su's head throbbed as the screams of her commander echoed in her head.
Her boots slammed against the road with each step she took, her arms swinging as she breathed through clenched teeth. Her heart was pounding as she looked at the road ahead.
She didn't know where it led.
She didn't particularly care.
"You're slowing down, you pathetic excuse for an echidna! Pick up the pace or else I'll give you some extra motivation!"
The orders were driving her forward. They always did. They were simple, because back then she didn't need to think that much. She could just follow orders and serve the Dark Legion, because that was all that mattered. It was her entire life. Nothing else mattered besides serving as a Legionnaire.
"Ma'am?!" She heard a voice cry out to her side, but it was muffled as if her ears were stuffed with cotton. Blood was rushing through them as the voice continued. "Ma'am are you alright?!"
Julie-Su ignored it. She didn't need help. She didn't deserve it.
"I hit Saffron."
Tears were flowing from the echidna's right eye as she continued to run. She hissed through her teeth, fighting back the urge to sob. She couldn't do it. If she started she would never stop and they would find her.
"I hit Saffron. I hit her. I hit her and I promised to keep her safe! I promised to keep them all safe! I promised that I would… would…!"
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt something hit her on the side. It wasn't hard, but it did throw the pink echidna off her balance and cause her to tumble onto the ground. She hissed as the asphalt scraped against her leg and reached for her left hand's glove while scanning to find the enemy she hadn't noticed.
Instead, she saw it was just a ball that was rolling back to the sidewalk while a dog mobian ran towards her.
"Hey, lady! Sorry! I didn't mean to…" The young boy paused when he got a good look at her. "…Uh, are you okay?"
"I… I…" She couldn't answer. For one second she saw the kid and the next he was replaced by the hulking form of her commander, sneering at her from above.
"Get up, Su! Get up you little worm! If you don't I'll give you something to cry about! You think the enemy's going to be swayed by your tears?!"
"S-Stay back!" She screamed while scrambling to her feet, shaking her head while closing her right eye. "S-Stay away from me!"
Julie-Su didn't wait for a reply. She instead ran to the left and past another house. The owners cried out in confusion and anger as she crossed through their lawn and leapt over the fence. A quick scan with her artificial eye told her what patches of land were bone dry and she stepped in those. She needed to make sure she didn't leave any tracks for the enemy to find.
A part of her mind sneered. "Enemies… yeah, they're only enemies because I hit Saffron. Because I'm a coward who can't face reality!"
No, no the Chaotix were enemies because they were brainwashed! Brainwashed into thinking that they didn't know her, that the whole story of the universe being rebooted or whatever was true! They wanted to make her believe it! Believe it was all true! Believe this lie that… that…
"Julie, are you even listening to yourself?!" Saffron's voice reverberated in her mind, the female bee who had been alongside her throughout their entire exile who believed in her only to be rewarded with a punch. "Why would they lie?!"
"I don't know…" Julie-Su choked out as she ran through the forest. "I don't know!"
And that was the thing.
She couldn't find any reason why that beetle would lie about the situation.
If this was Eggman's doing, he would've made that obvious rather than playing mind games on her and Saffron. The same went for the Dark Brotherhood. They would've simply struck Angel island and that gizoid would've attacked them on the spot. None of the enemies she faced alongside Knuckles and Sonic would've gone through all this effort just to torture her.
"What about Saffron? What about the torture she's feeling right now because you hit her, you selfish little witch?!"
Julie-Su bit her lip as she leapt over a fallen tree.
"She just learned that she'll never see Charmy again! Not HER Charmy at least! And the messed up part is that she's actually relieved! She needed me then more than ever and I just… just…!"
She just didn't want to believe it.
Knuckles… Sonic… her friends. All of them had to have been trying to find them. That's what had always kept her going ever since they were exiled. Even if they couldn't find their way home, Knuckles and Sonic wouldn't rest until they found them.
She just needed to stay strong for her people and Saffron's sake. She needed to be a hero like her lover and her friend. She needed to just bear with the crap that Lien-Da put her through for just a bit longer…
"You won't get away with this!" An Amy wearing an outfit similar to Eggman's screamed at her, glaring defiantly up at the pink echidna despite the edge of her chainsaw near her throat. "The doctor will find you and make you pay for…!"
"Why are you doing this?!" A version of Tails wearing a deerskin jacket clutched his broken arm, the city that they had called London burning around him while zeppelins tried to rain down artillery upon the Legion invading the city. "We didn't do anything to you!"
"Fiona, run!" A Sonic with a tuft of quills covering his right eye and wearing a plaid sweater cried out, pushing the female fox to the side while Lien-Da screamed in her ear to fire. She remembered the numbness inside her as she took aim for the hedgehog's chest "These guys aren't with the Chaotix, but they mean business! Get to Bean and…!"
"I don't know who you are…" A version of Knuckles approached her slowly as she held her blaster, the firearm shaking in her hands as he drew closer. She remembered crying as he spoke. "…but you're an echidna. Please, just… just tell me why you're doing this. We don't have to fight…"
Julie-Su felt something catch onto her left foot and cried out as she fell face-first onto the ground.
She didn't move.
What was even the point?
It wasn't like she had a home to return to.
The pink echidna rolled to her back and looked up at the sky. It was a clear day without a cloud in the sky. A perfect day.
Perfect for everyone in this world but her, Saffron, and her people.
"All the fighting… just for this…" She muttered while staring to the heavens. "Why?"
She didn't get an answer.
"I promised I would get them home. That I would keep them safe. I fought and bled and did all those horrible things just so that Saffron and the others could be safe… So they could get home and we could all be together again…"
The ex-Dark Legionnaire couldn't lie to herself anymore.
What the beetle told her about the Genesis Wave… it made sense. Far more sense than those excuses she came up with on her journey here.
Maybe Knuckles and the others had gone looking for them before that wave thing hit.
And that just made it worse.
Her last conversation with Sonic was just her yelling at him. She hadn't had a heart to heart talk with Amy for what seemed like months before Thrash threw her into the desert. She never talked with Sally for anything besides the latest mission before she got roboticized. She only got to say a half-hearted goodbye to the Chaotix before they left.
The last thing she told Knuckles was that she loved him.
Julie-Su let out a sob while closing her right eye.
Everything was supposed to change for the better when they got home.
Instead, all she did was take them from one nightmare and into another.
After what seemed like an eternity, the pink echidna got onto her feet and trudged along without a destination in mind.
The least she could do was remove one more monster from Saffron's life.
"Oh my!" Mother cried out, her hand covering her mouth as she took in the scene. "What happened?"
Cream hugged Cheese as leaned to the left to peek past her mother. The kitchen, which had been nice and clean when they left it, was now a mess again. Two chairs were knocked over.
Sure, it wasn't that bad but it was still a small mess that needed to be cleaned up!
"No! No, that isn't important!"
What was important was the state her friends and their new guests seemed to be in.
She, along with Mother as well as the Chao and Ms. Sticks, had been staying in the garden while Gemerl plucked some of the weeds. To have some fun, they listened to Ms. Sticks as she talked about the strange adventures she had been on.
It sounded rather exciting, with the Froglodytes attempting another invasion of the surface world which the badger had stopped with only her trusty boomerang, but she also knew that Ms. Sticks was rather odd. Perhaps it was the reason why Mother questioned how Ms. Sticks could beat four hundred of the strange underground creatures by herself. But before her friend could explain herself, they heard the commotion and rushed to see what was happening.
Mr. Espio was standing to the side, one hand holding Ms. Julie-Su's firearm while the other one was still outstretched to the door. Charmy was still flying, but his face showed that the youngest member of the Chaotix was scared and confused. It reminded her a lot about how other kids her age looked during the Metal Virus when they were on the Restoration's transport ship. Meanwhile, Mr. Vector was holding onto Ms. Saffron who had a…
"Oh dear!" Cream shouted as she rushed past mother. "Ms. Saffron, are you alright?!"
The bee was cupping her red cheek, which was now red and looked as if it were swelling a bit. Her eyes were watery, as if she had been crying only a bit ago.
The young rabbit hated seeing people cry. But she also knew that it was okay to cry, especially if someone was feeling sad.
"Chao-Chao!" Cheese cried out as they flew out from Cream's arms and went up to the bee, who shook her head.
"I'm fine. It's just a bruise." She leapt out of Mr. Vector's arms and flew in place. "I've been through worse."
"Ya sure?" The crocodile asked, wincing slightly as Ms. Saffron glanced at him. "Looks pretty bad."
"I have a first aid kit in the bathroom." Mother knew what to do, like always. She wasn't questioning anyone and simply saw what needed to be done to fix things. "I can put on a cold pack and a bandage to bring down the swelling. Chocola?"
"Chao!" The brown Chao flew over to the refrigerator.
"I'm sorry." The girl looked over to the computer and blinked when she saw Ms. Jewel on the screen. She had her eyes closed and had her hand over her helmet, her face twisted in anguish. "I should've found some other way to…"
"It's not your fault." Mr. Espio assured the beetle as he walked over to the table and set down the firearm carefully. "As you stated before, there was no way you could break the news gently."
"Yeah…" The male bee muttered, and was glancing nervously at Ms. Saffron who wasn't meeting his gaze. "Dunno how else you can tell someone their home got rebooted."
"What da heck happen?!" Sticks shouted while barging in from the door with Gemerl in tow. Chocola was flying back while holding the ice pack just as Mother brought the first aid kit from the bathroom. "Where's the cyborg?"
"Observation: The echidna has fled the area." Gemerl's head turned and looked around, as if he were studying everything. "She reacted negatively to the news that Jewel the Beetle told her and Saffron Bee. The echidna reacted violently and struck Saffron before running out the front door."
Cream gasped and covered her mouth. She couldn't believe it. Ms. Julie-Su hit Ms. Saffron? She didn't know the two for long, and they were certainly rude when they attacked Gemerl, but once things had calmed down she knew the two were nice! They were just hurting a lot inside! They were good friends from how Ms. Saffron told it, and the pink echidna wasn't the type of person who would hit a friend!
"Unless she was hurt and scared enough to do it…"
"That's more or less what happened, yeah." Mr. Vector sighed as Mother began swabbing at Ms. Saffron's cheek while the female bee hovered in place, not meeting her eyes. "What a mess…"
"You poor thing…" Her mother muttered as she put the cold pack on the female bee's cheek and placed a bandage over it. "…do you want to talk about it?"
"No." Ms. Saffron shook her head while putting her hand on the bandage. She closed her eyes and it broke the young girl's heart seeing the bee hold back tears. "No. Because I know Julie didn't mean to do it. She didn't know what she was doing, not really. And now… Now she's out there all alone and…" The female bee looked at the door and said, "…I have to go find her."
"After she punched ya?" Ms. Sticks asked incredulously. "No offense, but if she's gonna do that you shouldn't go out there to find her alone!"
Cream wanted to protest, but she couldn't really find a way to argue against what the badger was saying. While she wanted to believe Ms. Julie-Su wouldn't attack Ms. Saffron again… she couldn't completely believe that would be the case.
Sometimes people didn't act like they should when they were scared.
She saw that during the Metal Virus with that poor man who didn't want to be alone as he got infected. He was scared and just wanted to be around other people, even though he knew he would put everyone else's lives in danger.
She was frustrated by what had happened, like how many people were frustrated with how Mr. Vector and Mr. Espio brought the infected Charmy onboard, but she couldn't hate them for it. Not really.
They were just scared and confused.
Just like how Ms. Julie-Su is right now.
"I can look to see if there are any available Restoration members in your area." Ms. Jewel was typing something on her computer. "They can look for her and…"
"Nah, don't bother." Charmy spoke up, making everyone turn to face him. He was smirking while looking at Mr. Vector. "Because we're gonna look for her, right?"
The crocodile didn't hesitate. "That's right! Don't worry about a thing, Jewel. We'll handle it from here!"
Ms. Saffron blinked at him incredulously. "You… you will? But I already said that I would go do it! There's no need to…!"
Mr. Vector held up a hand to stop her. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before letting out a sigh. Slowly, he opened them and they were those of a determined leader.
"Look, all the stuff that's happening to you guys is weird and confusing…" He reached out and placed his hand on Saffron's shoulder. "…but you're still members of the Chaotix Detective Agency."
The female bee seemed taken aback by this. "B-But we're not…!"
"It doesn't matter if you're from an alternate universe or some pre-reboot universe or whatever." He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "The Chaotix don't leave one of their own behind. And whether she likes it or not, Julie-Su's a member of our crew."
Cream's heart soared at that. She knew that Mr. Vector had a big heart, so it wasn't surprising for him to want to help the pink echidna. But seeing and hearing it… it reminded her why she was good friends with them.
"Let's go, boys!" Mr. Vector pointed to the door and walked towards it. "She couldn't have gotten far!"
"She will still be armed." Mr. Espio reminded the crocodile. "She has that chainsaw arm."
"Aw, quit your worryin' Espio!" The crocodile grinned. "We've faced worse!"
"Yeah!" As soon as the three were out the door Charmy screamed out, "Let's go, Team Chaotix!"
The three detectives ran out, and the young rabbit girl looked over to Ms. Saffron who was crying. She was wiping the tears from her eyes but was smiling weakly. "They… they really aren't that different from them…"
"What does that mean?"
"You don't have to go if you don't want to." Vanilla assured the bee. "I can make us some tea while the men go and look for your friend."
"No, no I'm fine." The female bee wiped away the last of her tears. "I'm going to go and find her. I… I wasn't there when Julie-Su needed me before we came here. She needs me now, and I'm not going to sit by and let her suffer anymore!"
"I'll come too!" The words were out of Cream's mouth before her brain could catch up. She blushed when she saw everyone was looking at her and added, "I… I may not have know Ms. Julie-Su for long, but Mr. Sonic and Ms. Rose wouldn't let someone go if they were sad! They will help any way they can!"
It was why she admired her friends so much. Even if she didn't go on adventures with them that often, she knew what being a good person was like through them and Mother. They did whatever they could to help people like her and to stop bullies like Eggman.
And, when it was needed, reach out a helping hand and offer a hug.
"I-If that's alright, Mother." She added while looking down. Cheese was by her side and nodded at her mother, who smiled.
"…If that's what you want, dear." She looked at Gemerl. "Please watch over her, but keep a distance."
"Statement: I advise against this." The robot didn't move an inch. "The echidna's actions are unpredictable and her emotional state is in flux. Allowing Cream to go out could put her life in…"
The young girl looked up at the new member of her family and pleaded, "Gemerl… please. Ms. Julie-Su isn't dangerous. She's just scared and hurt. She needs people who can help…" She looked down and added, "…just like how I needed help."
From Gemerl and Ms. Rose during the Metal Virus, from her friends and the Chao once everyone was cured, and from her doctor in the weeks that followed.
She needed help and when she needed it, the others were there.
"I also want to help someone…"
Gemerl was silent for a second and he thought about this before nodding his head. "Acknowledged. Mission parameters have been accepted."
Cream smiled up at the robot and patted his hand as thanks.
"I wanna help too!" Ms. Sticks screamed while standing beside Cream. "No way I'm gonna sit back and let things end like this! Way too depressin', and besides…" She gave a side-eye to Gemerl. "Someone's gotta watch your back just in case you decide da uprising's gonna start early."
"Statement: If such a thing were to occur, I would pick a better time."
Despite the situation, Cream couldn't help but giggle with Cheese.
"…Thank you." Ms. Saffron smiled at them and tapped her antennae. The tip split and a small satellite popped out. The female bee's eyes glazed over for a second before they widened. "I have her location! Please, follow me!"
Cream followed the bee with Cheese, Gemerl, and Ms. Sticks following behind her. When they were out the door, Ms. Saffron flew up into the air while Cream used her ears to fly off after her. Cheese was just behind her while she heard Ms. Sticks squeak in protest as Gemerl picked her up and activated her thrusters.
While they flew into the air, a single thought crossed the young girl's mind.
"Please hold on, Ms. Julie-Su. We'll be there soon."
Julie-Su sat at the riverbed and stared at the flowing water, hugging her knees to her chest.
She didn't know what to do.
She didn't know where to go.
"I'm not supposed to exist."
Her real family wasn't her family anymore. They didn't know who she was, other than some echidna who went psycho on them. They'd never accept her, even if she tried to start her relationship with the Chaotix from scratch.
She hugged herself even tighter while staring at her reflection, one eye with a deep violent pupil while the other was dull gray with a red LED light.
"Nothing can fix this."
The pink echidna had imagined a scenario playing out in her head hundreds of times since she had gotten the eye. She'd be back home, where Knuckles would pull her into a hug and both of them would cry in relief to see one another again. He'd brush aside her hair and see her eye, but rather than being taken aback by its appearance he'd smile and say that no matter what she was still beautiful to him. They'd kiss and sink to the ground, embracing each other and never letting go.
It was a nice dream.
"But now it's just a dream."
Knuckles wouldn't recognize her. She'd just be another echidna to him, nothing more.
He might not even understand the concept of the Soultouch… if he even still had it.
"Meanwhile I never lost it."
The Soultouch… an almost spiritual phenomenon that let echidnas know they found their mate for life. People called it just another name for love at first sight, but it went deeper than that. It was as if two pieces within a pair of echidnas were finally slotted into place. They were two souls bound as one, a whole soul sharing two bodies.
Neither she or Knuckles had understood it, but when it was finally explained to them it just made a lot of sense. They felt something when they first met, some strange connection between them, and all the stuff that followed was just strengthening what was already there. It was… easy. As if it had been pre-ordained in the best way possible.
Only now did she realize just how cruel it was.
"I never felt him leave. It… it just kept going and convincing me that Knuckles was still out there. Still looking for me…" Julie-Su's hands clenched into fists. "If I never had it… I would've seen reality sooner. If I never had it I would've been able to move forward! I… I could just move on!"
If she never had it, she might've never have fallen in love with Knuckles.
She wouldn't have to feel this way, feel as if her entire soul had been ripped out while a small sinister piece still said her Knuckles was still out there!
"But he's not. This is a different Knuckles. He can't be like mine. He can't… he can't…"
"…What am I going to do…?" She whispered to no one. "What do I…?"
"Julie?"
She heard two sets of feet land behind her and her body stiffened. She recognized Saffron's voice instantly.
"Stay back." The pink echidna warned. "Don't go near me."
"Ms. Julie-Su?" Cream's innocent voice just drove the knife deeper into the echidna's heart. "We just want to help you."
A bitter laugh escaped the ex-Dark Legionnaire's throat. "Don't. You can't help me. Look at Saffron to see how I repay people that try to help me."
"But, Julie…" She heard the bee step closer. "…the news was a shock to me too. I know that you weren't…"
"What? In my right mind?" Julie-Su's voice cracked as she turned around, tears were welling up in her eye as she stared at the young rabbit girl, Chao, and the bee who had a bandage over the cheek she struck. "You got that right. I completely lost it and I hurt you! I tried to shoot Vector! I tried to hurt Espio! I… I hit you, Saffron!"
The blond bee flinched before sucking in a breath through her nose before letting it out through her mouth. "Yes. Yes you did."
Well, at least she wasn't denying reality. Not like her.
"So don't you see?" Julie-Su closed her eye and began to cry. "I can't be around you… I can't be around anyone!"
"That's not true!" Cream protested, stomping her foot to the ground. "You made a mistake, but you didn't mean to do it! You're a nice person, Ms. Julie-Su!"
"No I'm not!" She shouted back, making the rabbit girl flinch. "You don't know what you're talking about! You don't know me! You don't know what I did! You don't…"
What was she doing?
She was yelling at a little girl, the same little girl that she promised nothing bad would happen while she was around!
And that just made her feel worse.
"You see?" She got up and began walking away. "I'm not… I'm no good! I can't be relied on! I'm dangerous! I don't belong here! Thrash should've just… just…!"
The ex-Dark Legionnaire heard a buzzing sound and felt two arms wrap around her waist.
"Let go of me, Saffron." Julie-Su's hands clenched into fists. "Let me go…"
"No." The former fiancé of Prince Charmy Bee whispered. "Not this time."
A deep rage and sadness erupted in the echidna's chest. Didn't the bee get it?
"Why?!" The pink echidna tried to shake the bee's body off, but she wouldn't budge. "Why won't you just leave me alone?! I failed you! I promised to keep you safe and I hurt you!"
"That wasn't a promise you had to make!" Saffron screamed out, and that made Julie-Su freeze. Did the bee just say what she thought she said? "Julie… You didn't have to do it all on your own!"
"What are you talking about?" The echidna whispered. "I… I had to. What Lien-Da was doing… someone had to be strong. Someone had to take it…"
Someone had to be the hero. To be the person who gave hope in a hopeless situation. To grin and go up against impossible odds and win while not allowing for the horrible situation to get to them.
To be like Knuckles. To be like Sonic.
"That doesn't mean it had to be you!" The bee cried onto Julie-Su's back. "We were all struggling! All of us were hurting! We could've helped each other to stay strong! If you just told us… if we just helped…!"
"You didn't need to help!" She shot back while clenching her hands into fists. "I promised to get us through everything! I promised all of you that I would keep you safe!"
"But who was keeping you safe?!"
Saffron's question bounced around in Julie-Su's head. What was that supposed to mean?
She felt the bee release her hug and turned around. The pink echidna turned around and saw that Saffron had tears in her eyes as she looked right into Julie-Su's eyes.
"I… I just let you do everything." The bee sniffled before continuing. "I just let you take every mission… just let you make every hard choice… and I knew you weren't alright! I knew that you were hurting and… and just keeping it all bottled in… but I didn't do anything! I'm your friend and I wasn't there for you! I didn't push when you weren't saying anything!" She put her hands over her face and sobbed. "So please… please stop thinking you failed, Julie! Please…!"
"But… But I did…"
Was this really what Saffron thought?
That she was the one who failed her, because she didn't suffer as much as her?
That she was to blame for Julie-Su hitting her?!
"I… I didn't want to make my problems your problems." Julie-Su's voice cracked as she got on her knees to stare at her friend on even ground. "Saffron… you were going through so much already. You and the others. I didn't want to…"
"But… that's not right, Ms. Julie-Su." Cream walked over and held her Chao in her arms, her eyes downcast and sad. "My doctor said that if you just keep it all inside, it just gets uglier and uglier. Even if you don't think people notice, the people you love do notice and it just makes them feel worse."
Was that true?
"Did they… did they know?"
She looked in Saffron's eyes and saw the bee girl nod her head.
"Please." Saffron muttered as she put her hands on the echidna's shoulders. "Please just… just let it out. Please just talk to me, Julie…"
Julie-Su wanted to push Saffron away. To say that there wasn't anything wrong and just run away. To take herself out of the equation from Saffron and the others' lives forever.
She only needed to rely on herself. She didn't need to rely on others to get through the tough times.
And yet…
Julie-Su let out a sob and said, "I… I don't know what to do, Saffron! I-I fought for so long and… and… I can't even be with them anymore! Knuckles, Sonic, Amy, the Chaotix… they're all here but they're not and… and…!"
Saffron pulled her into a hug, and without a second thought Cream and Cheese also hugged her.
The pink echidna wept into the bee's shoulder. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…!"
"I know." Saffron whispered into Julie-Su's ear. "I forgive you, Julie."
"I-I didn't want to do it… I didn't want to do any of it…!"
"None of us did." The female bee assured her. "You weren't alone. You were never alone. We were always there… and we'll always be here."
"And we'll be here, too." Cream said with tears in her eyes. "Whenever you're feeling bad, just come back here! I'll do whatever I can to help you, Ms. Julie-Su! I know what it's like to be hurt and scared and… and we'll get through it together, okay?"
The little girl's assurances just made the echidna weep even harder.
Was this what it was like to let it out?
To finally just let others in? To just release all the bottled up sadness and grief?
"I didn't… I didn't have to be alone…"
"I miss him." Julie-Su wept. "I miss him so much…"
The bee nodded. "I know you do."
Just like how she missed her Charmy. More than anyone else, Saffron would know what Julie-Su was going through. She knew what it was like to have the man she loved nearby but not really there.
And that, for some odd reason, gave the ex-Dark Legionnaire a sense of relief.
"Thank you." She whispered to Saffron. "Thank you for being my friend."
Saffron didn't say anything. She didn't need to.
They just stayed there in that warm embrace by the river.
Julie-Su closed her eye while her left shut down. Exhaustion and fatigue were settling in on her like weights.
"Sorry, Saffron. I just need five minutes…"
But even as her mind began to drift into unconsciousness with the distant sound of Saffron, Cream, and Cheese's cries of worry, she smiled.
For the first time in a while, Julie-Su slept the sleep of the just.
"Is she going to be okay?"
Saffron looked at the young girl who shifted nervously as the bee set Julie-Su gently against the tree with Sticks helping. Gemerl was standing beside her while Cheese was flying over head, observing them all with his unchanging eyes.
"She'll be fine." The female bee smiled at Cheese while shifting the echidna's hair so it wouldn't tickle her nose. "Julie's just tired is all."
"I'll say." The badger scratched her head. "She's out like a light! I mean, I'm all for sleepin' out in the woods but I at least wait until I find a nice pile of leaves!"
Well, at least that somewhat explained the smell.
"Statement: It's likely a result of mental as well as physical exhaustion." Gemerl nodded over to Julie-Su. "Did she not sleep the full recommended seven to eight hours?"
"Usually she only sleeps six. That was the standard for members of the Dark Legion… or at least that's what she told me." Saffron flew over to Cream and the gizoid. "She's had to sleep less during our trip through Cyber Space. We always had to move and Lien-Da always wanted us to go into a new Zone."
"Observation: This Lien-Da's strategy would make her forces less efficient. They would have little time to recover and would become fatigued without proper rest."
"Tell me about it…" She muttered and while it was a horrible thought, she was glad that Julie-Su's half sister wasn't in the picture anymore.
Sticks and Gemerl had kept their word of staying out of sight during her meeting with Julie-Su. Not too far away so they could intervene if things became… physical again, but far enough that Julie-Su wouldn't see them.
"And at least they kept quiet…"
"That's why Mother gives me a proper bedtime!" Cream declared, putting her hands on her hips and nodding. "That way I have a good night's rest and am ready for what tomorrow brings!"
"Chao-Chao!" The Chao declared, pumping its tiny fist into the air.
Saffron smiled at them. "That girl is something else…"
She had such a big heart, helping Julie-Su and seeming to not care about the danger she might be putting herself in. All Cream cared about was the echidna, who she saw as someone in need and wanted to do everything in her power to help.
"No wonder Amy and Sonic are her friends."
"I refuse to allow my bedtime to be decided for me!" Sticks declared, crossing her arms and holding up her chin. "A truly free person determines when they go to sleep and when they wake up! Don't need some doctor tellin' me what to do!"
"Observation: Yet you follow Vanilla's directives to the letter when you visit for a sleepover."
The badger blushed and looked down. "W-Well, that's because Vanilla's scary when you don't do what she says…"
The young rabbit let out a gasp. "Mother isn't scary!"
"That's what you think…"
Saffron couldn't help it. Even if she still felt sad for what had just happened with Julie-Su, she let out a giggle at the girl's antics.
"Woah! You guys already wrapped things up?!"
She looked up and saw Charmy flying over, grinning ear from ear as he took in the six of them.
Saffron looked down and tried not to stare at him directly. Even if he was better than he once was… staring at Charmy still hurt.
"Hey, Vector! Espio!" The male bee turned around and waved at the quickly approaching crocodile and chameleon. "They beat us to it!"
"For real?!" Vector chuckled. "Hey, maybe you do got what it takes to be a detective!"
She shook her head and pointed to her antenna. "No, it's just because of my implants."
"F-For real?!" Sticks then began rummaging through her pouch and produced a folded up piece of tin-foil. Unfolding it, she revealed it to be in the shape of a hat before placing it on her head.
Saffron stared at the badger for a second before slowly stating, "No, I cannot read your mind. I can only track down other people that are legionized."
The badger narrowed her eyes and slowly took off the hat. "Okay… but I'm watchin' you…"
"Don't let her get to you." Espio said with a sigh. "She does that to everyone."
"That's… concerning."
"Alright." Slowly, Vector reached down and picked Julie-Su up. The echidna didn't even seem to notice as the crocodile pointed up the hill. "Let's head back to Ms. Vanilla's place. We can rest up there and wait for Julie-Su to wake up."
Saffron blinked and spluttered, "W-What about your job?"
"It can wait for a night." The crocodile nodded at her. "It wouldn't sit right for me if I didn't make sure you two were alright."
He meant it too.
Just like how he meant it when he said the Chaotix didn't leave one of their own behind.
"Even if… even if he's not the Vector I knew, not really…" A small smile spread across her face. "He's in there, in a way."
Maybe that was the case for all of them.
They weren't exactly the people Saffron and Julie-Su knew… but the essentials of their very being were in there.
She glanced at Charmy, who smiled awkwardly at her before waving and flying ahead.
"…I also hope you're in there too, honey."
She hoped he was happy.
She followed this new version of her old team as they carried her best friend back to a place of warmth and security with Cream, Cheese, Sticks, and Gemerl behind her.
Despite everything… Saffron felt a strange sense of relief.
It was as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.
She just hoped that same weight was being lifted off of Julie-Su's.
Julie-Su's eye fluttered open and she stared at an unfamiliar ceiling.
DARK LEGION LEFT EYE: ACTIVATED
VISUAL FEED: BOOTING…
STABALIZING DEPTH PERCEPTION…
Soon, both of her eyes were open and she sat up, rubbing her head and yawning.
"How long was I out…?" She looked around and saw that she was back in Vanilla's living room. She was laying down on the couch and had a quilted blanket draped over her.
Did they bring her back here?
"Oh! You're awake!" She looked to her right and saw that Saffron was approaching her with a steaming cup in hand. "Do you want me to make you some tea?"
The echidna looked at the bee's cheek and saw the bandage was now gone, but there was a dark bruise there from where she had hit her friend. Wincing, she looked away from her and muttered, "I'm fine, Saffron. I just…"
No, no she shouldn't keep it to herself. She already apologized back in the forest.
She sighed and said, "I'm sorry…"
"I know." Saffron landed beside the couch and set the tea glass down. "You don't have to apologize again."
"I do. I really…" She closed her eye. "I messed up, Saffron. I just… I just couldn't believe it. I still can't really believe it."
That was an understatement.
She still had a bit of a hard time wrapping her head around the new status quo.
"…Me neither." Saffron muttered. "But… I don't think there's much we can do about it, Julie. Except to try and move forward."
"Yeah…" Julie-Su hugged her knees to her chest. "Have you… contacted the Matriarch?"
"Yes." Saffron's expression turned downcast. "She and the other elders are starting to get the idea that they are in a different Zone."
The pink echidna's heart broke at that. Would they have to go through this all over again, but now with the entirety of her people? She couldn't imagine Lara-Le's reaction. To know that her son was no longer her son, not really. "And….?"
"…I didn't say anything. Not yet. I first called Jewel, who thinks that after your reaction, they need to find some way to help the echidnas realize the truth without just saying it outright. They're already sending therapists to Angel Island with the other members of the Restoration while they figure that out." The female bee sighed. "I wanted to tell her but…"
Right.
This wasn't news they could share over a communication device.
"I asked her about Sally, you know." Saffron added, causing Julie-Su to blink. "Just to see where she was."
"Why? Why would you…?" The pink echidna's eye widened in shock. She remembered something the jeweled beetle had said.
"F-From how Sally described it..."
"She knows!" Julie-Su breathed out. "She knows how the world got rebooted, so that means she remembers!"
Part of her was relieved, knowing that not only was Sally Acorn free from Eggman's control but somehow remembered everything. In spite of this being a rebooted world, Sally probably remembered who she was! Who everyone was!
And if Sally Acorn was here and remembered everything… then it meant other people might be here too!
They weren't the only ones!
She couldn't help but smile as she asked, "Where is she? Did you find out?"
Saffron seemed slightly taken aback by her reaction but nodded. "Y-Yeah, I did. They're on a mission to the Mirage Desert Zone, but she hasn't been able to get in contact with them. Reception is apparently spotty in the area and she was wondering if Vector and the others could go and provide backup while they were trying to find Lupe."
"What? What's wrong with Lupe?"
"Apparently she might've been kidnapped." The bee shook her head. "At least that's how Sticks describes it."
Julie-Su rubbed her chin in thought.
So, the Chaotix were already going to see Sally…
This could be her chance to see someone who actually recognized her.
Who could maybe really explain what had happened.
"But the Matriarch… the others…"
Julie-Su let out a sigh and looked at Saffron, whose lips were set in a thin line.
"What do you want to do?" She asked her friend. "Do you want to go back… or go and find Sally?"
The female bee blinked in surprise. "You're… asking me?"
"Sure." She smiled. "I can't make all the decisions. I did it on the way here and look where that got us."
Honestly, joking about it made her feel a little bit better.
But not by much.
That feeling of guilt and shame still lingered inside of her. It probably wouldn't go away for a while.
Saffron looked up in thought for a moment… and then smiled.
"I want to go and find Sally. And…" She looked down and muttered, "And… maybe get to know them a bit more."
"Right." The pink echidna interlaced her fingers. "The others…."
Vector, Espio, and Charmy.
The members of her family that no longer knew who she was.
Who might as well be strangers wearing familiar faces.
She took in a deep breath before letting out a small, "I'm scared…"
"We don't have to if you don't…"
"No. No, I have to." Julie-Su took off the blanket and got onto her feet, stretching. "I don't want to be scared anymore, Saffron. And if finding Sally is going to get us some answers and make me less scared… then I'll do it."
Even if she had to constantly remind herself that this wasn't the Vector, Espio, and Charmy she grew to love like brothers.
Even if looking at them and hearing them talk would remind her that they were different people.
"…Okay." Saffron smiled as she went towards Julie-Su before hugging her. "…you're not doing this alone, Julie."
She hugged the bee back.
"I know."
They disengaged before walking to the front door. When they opened it, they saw that the rabbit mother and daughter were repairing with the Chao the damage to their yard that the battle from earlier caused. Gemerl, meanwhile, was spreading grass seeds on top of the filled-in holes while the three members of the Chaotix were arguing with Sticks.
"For the last time, Area 2014 isn't a location on the GPS!" Vector shouted at the badger. "It's not a real place!"
"Shows what you know!" Sticks shot back, crossing her arms and huffing. "You're using a mainstream GPS, one controlled by da government! If ya just let me download a real app hosted by those who know da truths of this world…"
"Mainstream this, mainstream that…" Charmy groaned. "You sound like a broken record!"
"Shows what you know! All of you underestimate da extent these secret facilities go to hide their locations! They've got magicians casting reality-warpin' magic to make it look like just another sand dune when really…!"
"Just search for the Mirage Desert Zone." Espio suggested. "We can begin our investigation once we're in the area."
"I know, I know…" Vector groaned while tapping his phone. "Just wish we had a more accurate area to poke around in…"
"Oh! Ms. Julie-Su!" Cream cried out while wiping her gloves on a napkin. "You're awake!"
"Yeah." She smiled at the young girl. "Sorry for falling asleep on you. I needed that."
"With how you were sleeping, I'd imagine so!" Vanilla got up and smiled at her. "Are you feeling better, dear?"
"…" That was certainly a loaded question. Was she? "No, not really."
She doubted that she'd be feeling better for a while.
But…
"I'm better than before." She ignored the gizoid's pointed stare at her before looking at the Chaotix and Sticks. "Sorry about before. I… I didn't mean to…"
"Ah, don't worry about it." Vector waved it off. "You were going through a lot. Besides…" He grinned at her. "Me and the boys could've taken you."
Her eye twitched at that. "Yeah, you and 'the boys'. If it had just been you I would've knocked you on your butt."
The crocodile's eyes widened before they narrowed. "Is that so?! Well, in case you didn't know…"
"Don't let her get to you." Espio cut in before crossing his arms. "So, what is this about? Are you planning on returning to Angel Island?"
Right, right she needed to focus. "…No. Not yet, anyways. You guys are going to be looking for Sally Acorn, right?"
"That's right!" Charmy nodded. "That's one of our jobs, at least!"
"Then do you mind if we tag along?" The members of the Chaotix blinked at her in surprise. "She's a friend of mine. And remember what Jewel said? She learned about everything from Sally."
"Wait, you mean there's more than one of you guys in the world?" Vector shook his head. "This just keeps getting better and better…"
Espio looked at them up and down, as if studying them. He then turned to the crocodile and said, "…Having two extra pairs of eyes and ears could be useful."
"Yeah, I know…"
"Come on, Vector!" Charmy whined while moving close to the leader of the Chaotix. "Please?"
"Hm." Sticks tapped her chin. "On one hand, I get two more girls to be with. On the other hand, I get to really study a pair of cyborgs…" She grinned. "It's a win-win in my book!"
"Alright! Alright!" Vector raised his hands in defeat before nodding at Julie-Su and Saffron. He gave them a thumbs up and said, "Like I told Saffron, you're already a member of the Chaotix in my book! So welcome to the Chaotix Detective Agency!"
Julie-Su blinked in surprise.
To be honest, she had been expecting more resistance. She had tried to shoot Vector not that long ago, after all…
Remembering that brought back those feelings of regret and sadness.
But seeing them just welcome her like it was no big deal… just accepting her without any pushback… it was enough to almost make her cry.
"No. Not right now." Shaking her head, she smiled and said, "Thanks."
"Alright then, boys!" Vector waved at the members of the Chaotix as they approached a… very awful-looking green and yellow car. "Let's get a move on!"
"I'm a girl, remember?!" Sticks cried out while following them.
"I also remember you not being a member of the detective agency!" The crocodile shot back. "You're certainly not on the payroll!"
"I might as well be with how I help you guys!"
"She's got you there, Vector!" Charmy laughed out loud as he flew into his seat.
The crocodile blushed. "Shaddup!" He then waved at Vanilla and shouted, "Have a good day, V-Vanilla!"
The older rabbit giggled and waved back.
"…They are a lot like the ones we knew." Saffron breathed out, and Julie-Su turned to see a smile was on her face.
It looked… so sad.
That same smile spread across Julie-Su's own face. "…Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Ms. Julie-Su?" She looked down and saw that Cream was now in front of her, smiling nervously. "Will you… be coming back?"
"…Yeah." The pink echidna chuckled. "Yeah, I probably will. I owe you a lot, Cream. I owe you big time."
"You don't owe me anything!" The girl shook her head. "It's what friends do!"
"Chao-Chao!" Cheese nodded his head in agreement.
She said that… but Cream probably just didn't realize what she had done for the ex-Dark Legionnaire.
Without her and Saffron… Julie-Su probably would've remained at the edge of a pit she couldn't crawl back from.
Heck, she probably would've just leapt off.
"Yeah." She pulled the girl into a hug. "I guess that's what friends do."
"Echidna."
She looked up and tensed as she watched Gemerl approach them. It reached behind its back, and the echidna tensed ready for a fight…
…Only for the robot to reveal he was holding Julie-Su's blaster in its open palm.
"Observation: You appear to be in a more stable emotional state thanks to Cream and Saffron's efforts." It stated in its usual emotionless tone. "That is good."
She eyed the blaster suspiciously before looking at the robot. "You're just giving this to me?"
"Statement: It is your blaster, and you do not represent a danger to my family." The gizoid moved his hand forward. "So take it."
"…" She didn't trust this thing. In fact, she'd feel a lot better if it was turned to scrap.
But there was the way it kept referring to Cream, Vanilla, and the Chao as its family… how it got angry when she called it just their helper… how it didn't care about how she wanted to turn it to scrap but threatened her if she endangered the rabbits…
…was it just giving her the blaster of its own volition?
"…Thanks." She forced the word out of her mouth and took the blaster. She scrutinized it and nodded in satisfaction. It hadn't been tinkered with in the slightest.
Still, she couldn't help but frown at the blaster.
It wasn't her original one. While she had been watching over the Master Emerald, she got bored and decided to tinker with a spare she had been assembling just in case while using the original as a base. Then Thrash came along and she had the spare in her hands when she aimed it at him…
…which meant that the original had been back at Angel Island.
Was that when Knuckles realized something was wrong? When he found her blaster just lying around without her in sight?
He must have been so worried… even before he found out the truth.
Sighing, she holstered the blaster and walked over to the Land Breaker. "Let's get going, Saffron."
"Right!" Saffron turned around while flying and waved at the rabbit family. "Thank you for everything!"
"Bye!" Cream cried out as the pink echidna and bee hopped onto the bike. "Have fun! And come back to visit anytime!"
Julie-Su smiled as she turned on the ignition.
"Everything's the same, but everything's different."
The bike came to life and rumbled as she began to turn the Land Breaker around, just catching sight of Vector's car zooming down the road with Sticks waving at them.
"I'm still scared. I still don't know what to do. Not really, but…"
She followed after them, keeping the crocodile's eyesore of a vehicle in sight as they began their journey to the highway.
"…I'll keep moving. Because you wouldn't have stopped, Knuckles. So I won't either."
Julie-Su smiled as Saffron wrapped her arms around her waist, holding on tightly as they raced down the street.
She found her mission.
She was going to find Sally Acorn.
"And once we find her… maybe we'll be able to figure something out."
As her hands tightened on the handlebars, Julie-Su knew one thing:
No matter what this strange new world threw at her… nothing was going to stand in her way.
To Be Continued…
Notes: Man, was finally able to finish this!
Writing Julie-Su has been an experience, man. It's not easy writing a character who's just not okay, who's bottled up everything and was just getting worse and worse. Someone who took it upon herself to think she needed to be the reliable one and not show any weakness or vulnerability for the sake of others, only to not realize the others could see what she was doing and have their hearts broken over it. Who think that they're the reason why Julie was getting worse, and it leading to Julie-Su's breakdown.
She's still not okay, not really. That ending should imply as much… but it's a step in the right direction.
I just hope that I was able to convey that correctly.
Anyways, we're finally done with Julie-Su and Saffron's wild ride! Next time we're catching back up with Team Freedom with their guests Blaze, Mina, and Bowie! Hopefully Tangle will finally be able to ride her Extreme Gear.
Two of the alt versions of the Sonic cast are based off of some specific fanfiction… cookie for anyone that figures them out.
Hope you all leave a review and visit the TV Tropes page to add whatever to it!
Until next time!