Clove scowled as he walked down the hallways of the Egg Bosses' current base, making her way towards the exit so that she could reach her fellow sub-boss.

"I can't believe this. I can't believe this is actually happening."

She had wanted to leave with Cassia right after Metal Sonic's outburst… no, it was more like a psychotic episode than anything. Heck, she even tried to pull her younger sister away while that creepy AI thing, Phage, was going on about the old world.

Old world. It was almost scary how she was just thinking about something like that as if it were normal.

Her younger sister had told her about it, since they both knew that Cassia couldn't keep a secret from Clove on her life. Apparently, another member of the Egg Bosses named Mordred Hood had infiltrated a city composed of survivors from what the younger pronghorn described as a 'real actual comic book reboot'. The leaders of this city, New Mobotropolis, were planning on returning the world back to the old one at the expense of all those that lived currently.

"Debooting. That's how Cassia described it." The elder pronghorn winced at that. "She even felt proud about coming up with that term."

She could tell that for Cassia it was simple. She lived on this world and so did Clove, as well as Egg Bosses and Eggman. These people in New Mobotropolis were trying to wipe them out. So they were obliged to stop them and also get a nice little accomplishment under their belt before they introduced themselves to the doctor, offering all the spoils from the raid as a little gift.

For Clove, it was a bit more complicated. It was difficult enough just wrapping her head around the fact that there even was a comic book-style reboot of their very reality. At first she had written it off as Thunderbolt and the others going completely off the deep end and trying to subtly nudge her sister into leaving.

But no, the younger pronghorn would not budge on the matter. And Clove could not keep pushing the matter unless she wanted Thunderbolt to get suspicious.

"If it wasn't for those damn implants in her…!"

The very same implants that allowed Cassia to live outside of the hospital bed.

I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE ANYMORE, CLOVE. I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THIS BODY ANYMORE. IT HURTS, CLOVE. I HATE IT HERE. I WANT TO BE FREE. PLEASE LET ME DO THIS. PLEASE.

The elder pronghorn winced at the memory and shook her head, her hand on the door of the exit.

"And now… I can't even deny this insanity."

Metal Sonic had no reason to lie when it corroborated Hood's story, and even added some details that the other Egg Boss left out. Like how it was because of Eggman that the universe rebooted in the first place.

Any rational person would have ended their allegiance with Eggman right then and there.

But no, instead Thunderbolt raged about how the people of New Mobotropolis thought they could do what was only Eggman's right. With even Stone praising the mad doctor's genius for accomplishing the feat!

It had taken Clove all her willpower not to just grab her sister and begin running away from these psychopaths.

But no. She wouldn't get far.

Not with Metal Sonic watching her.

She could tell that… that thing was watching her. It wasn't just paranoia. She could tell it was getting some sort of kick from her discomfort and fear!

And that violent outburst just proved it.

"Metal Sonic is insane… and they're practically following its lead on this!" Clove closed her eyes and then pushed the door. "Cassia too…!"

It especially hurt knowing that her little sister was actually in on this. Heck, she even seemed to be trying to cheer Metal Sonic up by suggesting he'd lead the charge!

"What happened to her? Was it all because of that stuff she listened to online or…?"

Clove did not know. And a part of her was scared to know.

The elder pronghorn ignored the chilly air as she walked through the grounds, the light of camp fires and the moonlight illuminating her path. Some of Axel's guys and the Battle Kukkus were still up, keeping watch or talking to one another. Some of them even saluted her when she passed them by.

A few Noise Tanks were up, huddled on tables underneath a tent typing away on their computers.

"Probably keeping up Cassia's pro-Eggman accounts or ordering more cybernetic parts…"

Clove tried her best to ignore them. Especially when two of them looked up and just stared at her with those eerie green neon goggles of theirs. She knew they were recording her, and she hated it. They were creeps, and it frustrated her that they were technically 'her' men because they had been recruited by Cassia who saw them as kindred spirits.

Eventually, she reached the edge of the camp grounds where she saw a lone figure sitting with his back against a large rock. His large black and red sword resting on the ground to his left, just within arm's reach.

"Cortez."

The badger glanced at her and sighed, "Yeah, what is it? Did your owners tell you to give me a lecture or something?"

The elder pronghorn glared at him for that. "No, but I wish you'd stop antagonizing them. You just make things more difficult for me and Cassia."

Cortez snorted at that. "You're the one who beat me, not them. I'm working for you, but that doesn't mean I have to kiss the ground those freaks walk on."

"I'm not expecting you to. I just want you to try and make the fact you hate their guts a little less apparent for my sake."

He glared at her. "The fact you even care what those weaklings think ticks me off. You act like a weakling to them when we both know you aren't."

Clove's hands clenched into fists. Dealing with Cortez was never easy. He had a fairly simple, and brutal, view of the world.

The strong got what they wanted while the weak got everything they deserved.

The badger didn't care about how many people suffered from the jobs he took, as he was the one with the strength and power while they were either beaten by him or too cowardly to do anything about it.

It was why he clashed with Eggman so much, and why he lost his old job working for the human. He refused to just be subservient to the doctor's orders or doing anything he didn't want to do.

Stone was the one who suggested recruiting him. Thunderbolt refused, but Stone pointed out they needed the muscle and a veteran fighter to help train their men. So Cassia and Clove had gone out to find and recruit him after he performed a job defending some rich guy's mansion from a couple of Super Badniks. But…

"As if I'm going to work with a bunch of Eggman fanboys."

"Hey! We aren't fanboys!"

"That's all you are. Instead of doing this for yourselves you're just doing it so that bastardo can praise you. Forget that."

"Why you…!"

"Cortez, we did some research before we came here. We know that after the war you haven't been getting as many jobs as you used to. Not many people are willing to hire former collaborators of Eggman. You can't afford not to be hired by us."

"…You're starting to tick me off, you know that? Fine, chica. How about a little wager? If you can beat me, you can have my sword or my butt. Whichever. But if I beat you, you all leave me the hell alone."

"Dream on, jerk! You're not even Sis' type!"

"Fine. If I beat you, then you'll do whatever I say?"

"Yeah."

"Then prepare yourself."

Cortez fought with ferocity and strength, but while there was some discipline in his movements there was no style. He was just swinging his sword around and launching dark energy beams from it.

She, however, was graceful and kept her cool. Dodging and even parrying some of his blows.

The fight only lasted for a few seconds.

"Yield, and I won't dislocate your arm."

"S-Screw yo-!"

*CRACK*

And that was how Cortez ended up as Cassia's second Sub-Boss… and technically Clove's subordinate.

"…There is more to life than strength, Cortez." Clove glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "And because of that, there is more for one to lose."

The badger snorted and looked up at the moon. "Only if you're stupid enough to let those things control you."

The pronghorn ground her teeth and then took in a deep breath before letting it out. She didn't have time for this. "Cassia wants you to accompany some Noise Tanks with setting up routers across some towns in the Mirage Desert Zone. We need those up for our operation to go smoothly. You just need to keep an eye on them and help them out if any of the authorities get involved."

Cortez's mouth twisted in distaste at the first sentence but then it turned into a grin when he heard the third one.

"Finally, some action. Was starting to get bored."

With a nod, Clove turned on her heel and began to walk away.

"Your sister is strong enough to take her own path in life and be happy." The badger said behind her, causing the pronghorn to pause. "When are you going to be strong enough to take what you want?"

Clove looked over her shoulder and glared at Cortez, but said nothing and instead continued to walk away.

"So…" Bunnie stood behind Twan with her arms crossed and a smug grin on her face. "…ah believe the agreement was that ah needed someone to vouch for me before ah can get my drink."

The look on the bears' faces was priceless. Eyes wide and mouths hanging open from shock. They probably thought she had given up or something, went sulking off rather than try to push the matter any further.

Well, if she were a quitter she would still be stuck in that damn commune.

Sure, the wheelchair bound coyote wasn't the badnik princess, but he seemed pretty darn sure he could get them a drink

"S-Sir!" The bear guard on the right saluted, an action that was quickly copied by his counterpart. "We didn't expect to see you so…"

"At ease." Twan raised his right hand and shook his head. "Please, let us pass. I shall take ze full responsibility for zis."

Bunnie frowned slightly at that. What were they expecting her to do? Go in and make off with all their supplies.

"I mean, sure, Fang probably would've made off with whatever looked expensive… and the pies if they had any."

"O-Of course." The bear guard to the left motioned them inside. "Just please make sure you keep track of what you take."

"Zank you." The coyote looked up and smirked at her. "Shall we?"

"We shall, Sugah-Twan!" The rabbit began to push the coyote through the door, but as she passed the bear guards she made sure to stick her tongue out at both.

Childish? Sure. But hey, why not? They brought it on themselves for all the trouble they gave her just a bit ago.

When they passed through the door Bunnie took stock of the room.

Water was contained in several sealed jugs lined against the wall, marked by letters which the Hooligan quickly deduced were meant to represent days in the week.

Foodstuff was packed on metal wire shelves in little boxes, some looking more bare than others. The box labeled 'meat' was only a quarter full of canned pork while the one labeled 'vegetables' was now completely bare. The only things that looked plentiful were rice and ramen, which filled several boxes labeled with the stuff on a couple of racks.

"How have y'all not starved to death?" She asked incredulously, looking at Twan so she wouldn't stare at the dwindling supplies.

The coyote merely sighed. "We try to make do with as little as possible. Zat is all we can do."

"Ah know, but still…"

"It is difficile, I will not lie." The wheelchair-bound coyote pointed ahead. To the rabbit's relief, it was a fairly large refrigerator that was humming with power. "Ze Secret Freedom Fighters bring what supplies zey can, but it is not enough to feed all ze men, women, and children we have here. Sometimes ze sacrifices must be made…"

"Eat little today so you can eat some more tomorrow." Bunnie's eyes drooped down. "Yeah, ah know that strategy."

Sometimes she had to resort to splitting her meal so that she could have both dinner and lunch the next day. It was a handy way to save money and stretch her finances a bit, but it left her sometimes feeling hungry for the rest of the night. It wasn't like her meals were big to begin with, so stretching them out just made it worse.

"And the only reason I did that was so I could pay off that damn chinchilla's debt.." Bunnie shook her head and pointed at the more plentiful supplies. "And ah guess y'all had to go on the ramen 'n rice diet sometimes, right?"

Twan shuddered as they reached the refrigerator. "Zat ramen… it is a culinary catastrophe! So salty…"

"Ah heard the fresh stuff tastes better." Bunnie stopped pushing the wheelchair and walked over to the refrigerator. "Now…" She reached out with her right hand and gripped the handle. "Lets have some of the good stuff!"

She opened it and frowned at what she saw inside.

It was eggs, mostly. Lots and lots of eggs…

Rows and rows of eggs, cartons stacked on top of cartons…

"How many eggs do y'all eat?!"

"It is an important food!" Twan groaned and said, "Look at ze door, Bunnie! Ze door!"

The Hooligan turned her head and saw it.

Five glass bottles with a simple label on their surface.

Chaos Cider.

"Jackpot!" The rabbit grinned as she took one of the bottles and shut the door. Turning around, she looked at the coyote and said, "Well, gotta say, Sugah-Twan! You're actually a man of your word!"

Bunnie's good mood was dampened slightly when she noticed the slight twitch on the man's face. It was small enough that most people wouldn't notice, but she wasn't most people. Her life experiences made her be on the lookout for any tells that would indicate the person in front of her was about to swindle her or worse.

But the look in the coyote's eyes wasn't one of greed and it wasn't leering. It was more like… pain?

"Was it the man of his word thing?"

That wouldn't make much sense, unless he actually swindled someone before…

"Better be safe than sorry."

With a swift motion, the Hooligan used her mechanical left hand to open the bottle's cap and watched the suds rise when exposed to the 'fresh' air. "Tell ya what, why don't you have the first sip?" She handed the bottle to Twan, who looked at her with surprise. "You brought me this far. Consider this mah repayment."

She knew Sonic and his friends would call her out for not trusting people right off the bat, but that was only because they never lived the life she had. They never had to wonder if their new partners were going to try and screw them over for a bigger cut. And even if they got betrayed, they could afford to pick themselves up and keep going like nothing happened.

To them, it was just a minor annoyance.

To people like Bunnie? It could mean losing everything.

Twan's cheeks flushed. "M-Madame, I could not!"

Bunnie's eyes narrowed. So there was something in the…

"It would be improper for us to share zis bottle by ze mouth! Especially with us not well acquainted!" Twan looked around frantically. "Why don't we find ze glasses an'…!"

"Wait…" The rabbit's eyebrow raised. "He's serious?"

This wasn't the panic of some creep whose plan fell through.

No, he was legitimately looking for glasses out of sheer embarrassment.

He was worried about sharing a freakin' indirect kiss?

The Hooligan couldn't help it.

She burst out laughing.

Twan paused his frantic searching to look at her with red cheeks as she guffawed. "W-What is so…?"

"Ah gotta say, being treated all romantic like is a change of pace!" She wiped away a tear before kneeling down and looking at the bottle. "But there's somethin' you gotta learn about modern gals like me, Sugah-Twan." She glanced at the bottle before looking at Twan. "While that kinda stuff is sweet as mah aunt's pie…" Slowly, she took a sip out of the bottle and allowed the liquid bubbly gold to flow into her mouth and down her throat. After a few seconds she brought down the bottle and winked at the coyote before handing him a bottle. "…we like it when a guy is willin' to be a bit more forward."

She expected Twan to turn into a spluttering red mess. Most guys and girls would at something like that little display.

But no.

Instead, a small sad smile was on Twan's face as he studied her. It was almost… melancholic in a way.

"Just who are you, Twan?"

"I see." Twan grabbed the bottle. "Zen I shall take your advice… so long as you stay here…" He slowly brought it to his lips and knocked back his head, taking several swift gulps before his eyes widened and he began to cough. She reached for him, only for the man to hold up his hand to stop her. Slowly, the coughing subsided and he handed her the bottle before he finished. "…A-And grace me with your story!"

Bunnie couldn't help it.

She grinned at the coyote and took the cider.

"Well, strange fella or not… ah gotta say ah'm starting to like you, Sugah-Twan!"

"Sorry about this, Mrs. Whisper." Jeremiah said as he held the door open for her. "But it is getting late and I need to clean up before I hit the hay."

"It's fine." Whisper moved past him with her Wisps following behind her. "Sorry for staying behind."

It was honestly kind of embarrassing for the wolf. She had straight-up lost track of time while reading through the history of the world that had came before. There were some lingering memories of her saying goodnight to Rosie who had taken the kids away to wherever it is they slept, and humming when Mina told her she was going to see how Sally and the others were doing, but that was it.

"Don't be! Honestly, it's great to know you were interested in the history of our world." The dog waved his hand, as if shooing her apology away. "It actually reminds me a lot of the time Amy and Tails had a hunger for knowledge."

Whisper frowned as she heard the names. "Amy and Tails being interested in history… It doesn't really sound right."

Sure, Tails was a kid genius and Amy apparently was into the occult, but she couldn't really picture either being very interested in any history.

Maybe it was just another difference between the Amy and Tails she knew… and their Mobius selves.

"They even called the library cool…" Jeremiah smiled wistfully. "Then again, they were kids who probably never even saw a place like that thanks to Robotnik." He looked back at the books and let out a sigh. "Sometimes… It feels like people go on and on about how important preserving our history is, about how important books are, and yet they never bother to show an interest in it. Like it's just something nice to have, but not really important." His eyelids drooped down, matching his ears. "Maybe that's what makes it easier to burn them."

The wolf winced slightly at that. While she would expect any librarian to be depressed over the loss of that many books, it was likely a hundred times worse for Jeremiah since his grandfather had helped to write most of them.

Jeremiah's grandfather was another thing to wrap her head around. How could he exist on Earth and yet also exist on Mobius? They even looked the same! The only real difference was that the one on Earth was a comic artist that still didn't get much mainstream recognition while the one on Mobius was a respected historian and storyteller.

"Maybe it's just a cosmic coincidence."

No, that wasn't important right now. Even if Tangle would freak out the moment the mercenary told the lemur.

"It is important. Books and history are important. The lessons and words in them are powerful." Whisper looked at Jeremiah and said, "Otherwise, people like Naugus wouldn't try to destroy them."

The dog blinked before he smiled. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly." He nodded and said, "Goodnight, Mrs. Whisper."

"Goodnight."

With that, Jeremiah closed the door and Whisper began walking down the hallway.

The mercenary turned to Cyan and whispered, "Find out where Tangle and the others are."

The Wisp saluted at her before he as well as the rest of the team flew off in different directions.

As she walked the wolf thought back on all she learned.

The history of Mobius was… unsettling.

From her research, it had once been Earth. But there were key differences. One was that Islanders… Mobians… apparently did not exist in any way, shape, or form. It had only just been populated by humans and animals, nothing else.

"The Islands never existed. They were never found by the Conquistadors and other wannabe conquerors, who fled after being pushed back but took some Islanders with them to the continents like in our history…" It was like reading some sort of alternate history tale. The kind that Tangle's father apparently tried to get the lemur interested in during her childhood before he figured out she only really liked comics. "What if islanders never existed on Earth… something like that."

Then, a race known as the Xorda found the planet who sent an emissary to the planet. An emissary that was captured and dissected, thus prompting the aliens bombarded the planet with Gene Bombs. It was a day even the Mobians had kept chronicled in their history books. A 'Day of Fury', a legend that they only recently found out was fact.

Whisper shivered at the idea. She could practically see the destruction and death. It was just horrible to think about. What had those humans and animals thought when the bombs were being dropped? Did any of them understand? "It's like the worst case scenario of the Black Arms invasion."

She remembered that day. She had been so scared when one of the Black Warriors had burst into her apartment, a mindless thing that only saw her as a sack of meat to kill…

She had jumped out of her window with it following close behind her. It was only a miracle that she spotted the Ring Shot next to the body of another Black Warrior one of the police had managed to take down lying on the street. She ran for it, knowing that the alien was right behind her. Feeling the heat of the blasts that just missed her, burning some of her fur, and hearing her blood flow in her ears. She picked up the device, turned, and fired it right into the monster's face.

It was the first time Whisper had picked up a firearm.

The wolf hissed and shook her head. Now was not the time to be trapped in her memories.

The Day of Fury would have killed all life on Earth save for some hidden human cities… had it not been for an unforeseen consequence.

Namely, the Gene Bombs created a primordial soup that birthed life while also, apparently speedrunning evolution.

Mobosaurians soon were born, only to be wiped out by the Coming of the Chaos Emeralds. After that, the Mobians were born and began to reclaim the planet alongside the four-fingered Overlanders who were similar to humans save for having four fingers.

Whisper frowned as she rubbed her chin. "The book made special mention of the echidnas being the most advanced. But that can't be right. Evolution does not work that way."

Honestly it sounded like a weirdly speciest excerpt in a mostly dry historical text. And stuff like that popped up from time to time whenever the echidnas were mentioned! Special mention was made of their wisdom, intelligence, and superiority. It was… unlike Kirby.

"Maybe it was edited in. Or an echidna paid for it and forced that stuff into the book."

Because, how? How could the echidnas be more advanced than literally every other species?

In fact a lot of the history she read seemed to focus on the echidnas. As if the writers of history were more interested in what that one particular race did than the rest of the world.

A troubling thought passed through the mercenary's mind. "What if the echidnas made sure that only their history would really be remembered? To weave propaganda into the other races by making them actually believe in the echidna's supposed superiority?"

Thankfully it wasn't all about the echidnas. There was stuff about how the Kingdom of Acorn was founded by Alexander who had decided to unite the races and create the first multicultural city, Mobotropolis.

Though she really doubted that the Overlanders were 'too violent in nature' and the echidnas were just too fearful of their knowledge doing more harm than good to join

But what really disturbed Whisper was the Great War.

A war between Overlanders and Mobians that was the culmination of longstanding animosity between the two species, starting with the accidental murder of Alexander's son at the hands of the Overlander named Paladin. Before, there had been short wars and tension. But thanks to the treachery of the Warlord Kodos Lion, the Great War had started. Mobians and Overlanders fighting, throwing man and women into a meat grinder due to neither believing they could exist while the other species still lived.

It was like one of the Great Wars of the continents on Earth, but those occurred in the distant past from Whisper's perspective. They were events in a history book. Anything over twenty or thirty years ago might as well be ancient history to most of the population on Earth, even if the scars still remain in the older generation.

"From everyone on Mobius' perspectives, the Great War might as well have happened yesterday"

And the war lasted for five years. How many of the adults in this city were veterans? How many of their friends and loved ones died during the war?

Whisper's mind flashed to Jules and Bernadette. She remembered how they carried themselves and how they talked to her specifically. The air of almost tired respect with a twinge of pity.

"They recognized me as another soldier…"

She didn't know how to feel about that. Especially since her war only lasted for six months.

"Then Eggma… no… Robotnik came."

Finding out that Eggman and Robotnik on Mobius were two separate individuals and yet the same was a surprise. But not nearly as surprising as the fact Sally's father had actually taken in Robotnik and made him his Warlord in place of Kodos. From the way the historical texts described him, Robotnik was always a shady character. Respectful when he needed to be, but only when he needed to be.

Honestly, she would have expected King Maximillian Acorn to be at least somewhat suspicious of a man that seemed all too willing to betray his entire species.

So it didn't really shock her when she found how Robotnik betrayed King Maximillian, stole a device known as the Roboticizer, and began subjugating the Mobians.

But it did make a chill run down her spine. Hearing the accounts of robotization, how mobians were unwillingly transformed into unthinking and cold machines that served Robotnik even if they were ordered to attack their loved ones… It brought back memories of the Metal Virus.

"And Sally had to grow up in that… She had to lead Sonic and the others back when they were even younger than the Sonic I know was when he began to take on Eggman…" Whisper's hands clenched into fists. "No wonder Sally broke down when she learned about the Super Genesis Wave. One tragedy on top of the other. She never had a normal childhood. She never…"

"WHISPER!"

Whisper blinked as she turned to Cyan, who was speeding towards her with the others in tow. He stopped in front of her and waved his arms frantically.

"We found Tangle! And… and I think she's having a bad dream or…!"

The wolf didn't need to hear the rest. She just began running to where Cyan had come from.

"Show me where she is."

Ruminating over an alternate past could wait.

The present was more important to Whisper.

And especially when, presently, Tangle needed her help.

Tangle was… running.

Running where? And on what?

The floor was constantly shifting. From dirt and grass to sand and stone. Her foot landed on asphalt one second before it became a cobblestone road the next.

She didn't recognize this place.

Trees, far bigger and older than any she recognized, surrounded her and lined the strange constantly shifting road. Their leaves were s green as emeralds while the branches swayed in nonexistent wind.

The sky.

It hurts to look at the sky.

It was black and white and flickering like the static of a dead channel.

Tearing her eyes away, the lemur began screaming for the one person who gave her comfort. "Whisper!!" She looked around wildly and saw only trees and huts. But the huts themselves looked wrong. Wood huts twisting into metal structured halfway through before turning into rusting ruins at the ends. "Whisper, p-please! Where are you?!"

But there was no one.

No one besides those… those things.

Black humanoid shapes that looked as if they had been cut out of reality. Snipped away because they no longer belonged. Moving about doing things normal people would. Some were hanging laundry on wires while others sat inside their alien houses, eating with other weird figures or reading a book.

They shouldn't exist.

Not anymore.

But whenever she looked at them, they stared back with eyes of pure gold.

So accusing.

So hungry.

You did this.

"N-no! No I didn't!" She screamed at the voice coming from everywhere and nowhere.

Don't try to deny it.

You know it's true.

Tangle's eyes widened when she spotted a familiar lavender-quilled hedgehog with a tuft of yellow head fur in front of a small house, carrying a small bag filled with food as she walked to the door

"Bernadette!" She ran towards the woman and put her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Bernadette, we have to leave! It isn't safe here!"

"What are you talking about?" The hedgehog asked. "I'm safe. I have to be."

"No!" She was screaming, fear was clawing at her heart. A pungent odor hit her nostrils and she grimaced while pulling on the woman's shoulder. "You don't understand! It's coming! I-I can feel it! And I can at least save you before…!"

"Oh don't be silly, Tangle. I won't be in any danger. Not really." Bernadette turned around and Tangle took a step back as she saw the woman's tear-stained face. "I'm Sonic's mother, after all. And my baby will come to save me if I'm in any real danger."

"Bernadette, I…"

"After he's done with you and the rest of his new toys, he'll come back. He has to." A broken laugh came from the hedgehog woman's lips. "We mean so much to him, after all. We created so many memories after all that heartbreak, so it'd be cruel of him not to."

"N-New toys?"

What was she talking about?

What do you think she's talking about?

"Now run along and play with someone else, Tangle." Bernadette reached for the door and opened it, the horrible stench now hitting the lemur like a blow as she covered her nose. "We're just going to wait for Sonic to come back home. We even made his favorite!"

Tangle looked over the woman's shoulder and saw them.

Sitting around the table was Jules, Antoine, Mina, Nicole, Bunnie, and Sally. All of them were smiling as they stared down at the food on the table. A stack of chili dogs that had obviously gone bad. Flies were swarming over the now green meat as moss formed over the buns.

Sally was still in her robian form, but rust was now forming over the once smooth metal. The robian turned and cocked her head. "Why don't you go and save someone else, Tangle?" The princess asked in a distorted and old voice. "We have a lot of catching up to do, and the last thing we need is you here."

You don't belong here.

You never belonged here.

"Sally, I can't!" Tangle yelled frantically as she pointed to the right, where one of the things was staring at her. "They can't be saved!"

"Oh! That's right!" Nicole giggled while covering her mouth. "They had to fuel the machine. Silly me."

"The machine?"

Antoine chortled while lifting a dust-covered glass whose contents had long since evaporated. "Ze machine zat gave you life, you silly little girl!"

Mina nodded. "Every machine needs fuel."

"An' it does wonders!" Bunnie motioned to herself. "Ah mean, look at me! All shiny an' new!"

Tangle shook her head, trying hard not to vomit. "I-I don't…"

"Sorry, Tangle." Jules waved her away. "We'll just have to play with you some other time. This party is for Sonic's real friends and family."

And with that, Bernadette slammed the door in front of Tangle's face.

The lemur looked at her hands, which were now shaking. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as something wet and hot rolled down her cheeks.

Oh, what are you crying about?

You had it all. A fast track to becoming Sonic's friend and a hero, friends who loved you, and a world that didn't completely suck.

Everything handed to you on a silver platter.

You won the cosmic lottery.

"I never asked for…"

"Hey! Tangle!"

Tangle turned around to look at Sonic grinning at her, waving while standing next to a human in weird blue armor and what looked like a cannon for an arm.

"S-Sonic?"

"The one and only!" Sonic pointed to the human. "This here's Mega Man! Y'know, the dude who helped me to save reality and all that jazz?"

"Hello!" Mega Man shouted, waving and winking at her.

"Sonic, everything's screwed up!" Tangle burst out, running towards him and putting her hands on his shoulders. "These people… Eggman broke everything! Everything's all messed up and screwed up and so many people are dead, Sonic! They're dead or trapped in this place and nobody can get out!!"

"Don't worry, Tangle!" Slowly, Sonic took her hands off of him and stepped back. "I know what's going on. Eggman messed up, but me and Mega Man are now here to fix everything!" They then began to march off to the right, but there was nothing there. Nothing but a white voice that consumed all color, eating away at matter as if it were a hungry beast with many mouths. "Just gotta team up with Ryu and Billy Hatcher to fight in the Super Secret Crisis War and everything will be alright!"

"No, Sonic! Don't!" Tangle leapt at them, intent on tackling the hedgehog to the ground. "We can't let it happen again! We just got started! We can't…!"

But rather than tackling a body, Tangle just hit white sand.

Pure white grains of nothingness.

"This can't be real." Tangle whispered to herself, her lip quivering. "This has to be a dream. It's got to be a dream. This can't be happening. Why did this happen?" More tears began to fall. "Why… why can't they be here too? Why am I here and they aren't?"

Finally asking the right questions.

"It's quite simple, girl."

Tangle looked up and watched as Eggman began tinkering away at a small podium that had a bright red button on it.

"They aren't here… because you needed to exist." The mad doctor chuckled. "If they existed, you wouldn't. Simple facts. Simple enough that even an idiot like you could understand."

The lemur's blood ran cold.

There we go. We finally got to the heart of the matter.

No… no, that can't be true.

But it is. You knew it was the moment you looked at that mural.

No! She was just sad about all the lives the Super Genesis Wave wiped out or messed up! She never…!

When you heard those people shout at you in the city, it made you think didn't it? When looked at all those faces at the mural, you asked yourself one simple little question:

"How many of those people got wiped out just so I could live?"

And you already knew the answer.

ALL OF THEM.

"Shut up!" Tangle screamed while running at Eggman, her hands clenched into fists and her vision practically red. "ShutupshutupSHUTUP!!"

"I'll tell you what." The mad scientist got up and stretched his back with an audible crack. "If your so keen on being a hero, I'll let you do the honorable thing…"

He pressed the button on the podium.

"…And die so that they can live… for all the good it will do."

They burst from the ground.

Hundreds of black hands grabbed at her, and she could feel them tear her being apart. Tangle was made of paper, and each piece of her was like a scrap being torn away from the book.

And she could hear them.

The screams of trillions of the lost. Of the erased.

And her lack of existence would never be able to bring down the volume.

Whisper could hear Tangle before she even reached the door.

"No… no…"

Quiet moans that reached the wolf's sensitive ears… moans full of such fear and despair.

"Nonono….!"

What started as a brisk walk turned into a run as the wolf dashed down the hallway. Blue had flown ahead and was pointing to a door on the left frantically with his tentacles. Gritting her teeth, the mercenary skidded to a stop in front of the door before flinging it open.

Whisper's eyes widened at what she saw.

The lemur was sprawled on one of the hospital beds, her blanket flung to the side but still clutched in her right hand, her tail twitching and sweeping against the floor as if it were feebly trying to swat away at something. Tangle's body was drenched in sweat, and her chest was rising and falling rapidly. Her eyes, normally open and bright with wonder, were shut tight and twisted in pain while her head turned from side to side.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…!"

"Tangle!" The wolf ran to her friend's bedside and put her hand on the lemur's shoulder. "Tangle, it's me! Please, wake up!"

It was… scary, seeing Tangle have a nightmare. She never even thought that Tangle could get nightmares. After all, she always seemed so cheerful. So full of life and positivity…

The lemur's eyes snapped open and they were so wide… so frightened. Like she didn't know where she was for a second. Then, those pupils looked at Whisper. The wolf could see her own worried face and the floating forms of the concerned wisps reflected off of them as Tangle muttered, "W-Whisper…?"

"Yes." Whisper took her hand off of Tangle's shoulder and lightly gripped the lemur's left hand with her own. "Yes, Tangle. I'm here."

Tangle just stared at her for a second and to the wolf's shock those once joy-filled eyes turned watery. The lemur closed them as tears rolled down her cheeks, panting rapidly as her body shook.

"That nightmare…" Whatever had happened in her friend's head had brought about something that utterly frightened her. It shook her to the core and now Tangle was still panicking, even with the full knowledge that it was just a dream. "…it's just like the ones I used to have."

Those nights after the deaths of the Diamond Cutters… after Mimic's betrayal. She sometimes had nightmares of them coming back, of laying blame for their deaths at her feet. They said things like how she should have died with them or how she failed in avenging their deaths by hiding in the tree like a coward when Mimic came looking for her. Sometimes Shadow Androids would come for her and reach out with their cold unfeeling hands to finish the job.

Whisper would often awaken in a cold sweat, panting and crying with only the wisps to comfort her.

They happened less now, but they were still fresh in her mind.

And that was why she gripped Tangle's hand tighter than before, to remind the lemur that she was there. That she was back in reality with Whisper and everything was alright.

And after a few seconds, Tangle opened her eyes to look at Whisper again only to begin sobbing.

"Tangle, what's wrong?" Whisper asked while giving the lemur's hand a reassuring squeeze. "What happened?"

Her friend sniffled before opening her eyes. "Everything… everything's so screwed up, Whisper." The eyes were now red and swimming as she continued, "It's all a mess and everything's too big… so many people are just gone while Sally, Nicole, Mina, and the others don't have a home and I don't know what to do…!" She hiccuped and closed her eyes. "They're gone and… and what if they're right? What if I'm only alive because of all that was lost…? I don't… I don't…!"

Shock washed over Whisper like a wave.

"She… she is blaming herself for being alive at the expense of all those who were erased?!"

She knew that the events of the past few hours had affected her friend, but she never knew it was this serious.

"What if these thoughts were always with her, in the back of her mind?"

No, no that was silly. If those thoughts were in her mind then Tangle would've…

"I… I guess I also thought it was just something I had to deal with on my own. I didn't want to worry anybody."

"Oh, Tangle…"

She needed to say something. She needed to snap her friend out of these dark thoughts, before the lemur spiraled into a pitch-black place she might never emerge from.

"But what can I say? What can I possibly say, when even I haven't healed completely from what Mimic did?"

Whisper looked at Tangle, so frightened and small, and her heart broke as she watched the lemur continue to cry.

She couldn't stand seeing her like this.

"I need to tell her the truth."

So, taking a deep breath, Whisper pushed the thoughts that screamed at her to not say anything that would humiliate herself and said the truth.

"Tangle… you are a beautiful miracle, not a mistake."

Tangle's eyes partly opened to stare at Whisper, confusion filling them instead of self-pity and fear.

"This was a mistake. I should just shut up and tell her I didn't mean it like that. I should…!"

The wolf shut out those thoughts and gave the lemur's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"So many things could have happened… so many factors that could have prevented it… and on Mobius they did." Whisper licked her lips and continued, "But here? Here, events led to your parents meeting, falling in love, and creating you. The odds of that happening are near impossible, and yet here you are."

In any other situation, the mercenary would be blushing up a storm. She wouldn't even be saying this much. It just wasn't her style.

But she needed to speak from the heart. And her heart was telling her to say these things.

"You, who became Jewel's friend. Who became the protector and hero of Spiral Hill Village. Who joined Sonic the Hedgehog and saved so many lives…"

"But…" Tangle hiccuped. "But all those people…!"

Whisper shook her head. "…Yes, those people are lost. There is no changing that. But it's a miracle that so many new lives were born to begin with. And thanks to you? So many more people will live. It's thanks to you that so many people were able to stay uninflected and reach the rescue shuttle during the Metal Virus… and because of that, we were able to keep going long enough to save you and everyone."

The wolf had cried when Tangle was freed from the Metal Virus. She never thought that she would see her friend again when she got infected, and yet Sonic and Silver were able to create a miracle. They were able to save the world in the nick of time.

Able to save Whisper's world.

Tears were even forming in Whisper's eyes as she said, "I… I hate what happened to Mobius. It's a tragedy that can never be fixed. But…" She sniffled and put her other hand over Tangle's. "…But we're alive. The fact we're all alive is a miracle. So many miracles were born that we sometimes can't recognize them for what they are. You made miracles too. Miracles through your heroism and miracles the people you saved will make. I'm… I'm happy to be alive, in spite of everything bad that happened back then and in my life, because…"

This was it.

She needed to say it now, or else all of this would have been pointless.

"…because I was able to meet you."

It wasn't 'I love you', but it didn't need to be said.

It was in the air, hidden underneath the words.

Tangle's eyes were wide as she stared at Whisper, and the wolf's heart beat heavily in her chest.

For seconds that seemed like an eternity, nothing was said between the two.

Then, a small smile formed on Tangle's face as she squeezed Whisper's hand back.

"Do… Do you mean that?"

Joy exploded in the wolf's brain and heart like fireworks, and she answered the question with the obvious answer.

"Yes."

"…Okay." Tangle closed her eyes and she put her free right hand over Whisper's. "Do… Do you mind if you sleep with me, Whisper? I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Of course."

Whisper had been dreaming of this day for so long. Of finally confessing what was in her heart to her friend and… and her friend actually accepting them.

"Not like this, though…"

But dreams and reality were two entirely different things.

And, in the end, did it really matter?

The wolf took off her boots and climbed into the bed with the lemur. Getting in close, she rested her head next to Tangle's and Whisper stared into the lemur's purple eyes.

And in those eyes wasn't fear or sadness.

Instead there was relief… and warmth unlike anything Tangle had displayed before.

The lemur's tail lifted up and curled around them like a blanket, and the wisps rested on top of it with happy coos.

"…Thank you, Whisper." Tangle muttered before closing her eyes. "Thank you…"

And with that, Whisper closed her own…

…and drifted to sleep with the girl she loved.

"…An' that's how ah met Fang." Bunnie took another swig of the bottle. "We actually managed to score a mighty fine haul, an' we realized we work well together. So we teamed up for more jobs before meetin' Bean an' Bark on one. That's how the Hooligans were formed here."

She glanced at Twan, who was staring at her with a troubled frown on his face.

"Zat is… certainly a turn." He mumbled while rubbing his chin. "I cannot say I approve of the amis you keep, Bunnie."

To that she could only shrug. Not like she hadn't heard anyone talk bad about Fang and the gang before. "When you're in mah position, Sugah-Twan, you take what company you can get." She handed the bottle to the coyote. "Besides, those three have been good to me. We've been together through thick and' thin, an' ah think that's gotta count for somethin'."

The two of them were still inside of the store room, but now with their backs against a free space by the wall. Bunnie was sitting next to Twan, who insisted on getting out of his wheelchair to join her. Apparently he wanted to be on 'her' level and said it was unbecoming of him as a man to be sitting on a chair while she sat in the dirt.

It was… sweet, even if it was kind of stupid.

They had spent who knew how long just sitting side by side while Bunnie recounted her past, or at least as much as she was willing to tell. She did just meet Twan after all, and while he was a lot sweeter than most folks she met there was no way she was going to pour out her heart and soul to someone she knew in the last couple of hours.

Unlike the Bunnie of Mobius, she wasn't one of Sonic's friends. She wasn't going to instantly trust anyone.

"Last time I did that, I ended up with a bomb in me."

"None of 'em are perfect… Fang's a bit of a coward and a cheat, Bean's nuts, an' Bark… well, he insists on stickin' around Bean so that the woodpecker doesn't do anythin' too nuts." She smiled slightly as Antoine took his own sip of the bottle. "But ah liked their company, an' they liked mine. So we're a crew to this day."

The coyote brought down the bottle and while his face still wore the troubled frown he reluctantly nodded. "Oui, I can see zat. I suppose I can't judge too harshly…" He closed his eyes. "Especially with how Nack appears to not be as much of a scoundrel as he was on Mobius."

The Hooligan raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh really? What'd he do there?"

"Many things, but ze one I most take issue with was when he tried to kill Mina."

Bunnie's eyes widened. "That lil' thing? What'd she do to tick Fang off?!"

Fang wasn't exactly the shining figure of chivalry, and his treatment of Trips all those years ago was a testament to that, but he did have a code. He didn't go out on jobs with the intention of killing anyone. And when he did try to go for the kill it was usually because he finally lost his patience with Sonic and his friends.

She asked Fang about it once and his reply was a testament to the hunter's character.

"If I actually started killing people, it'd bring all kinds of heat down on me. My jobs would be limited. Plus, Fleet-Feet would probably stop treating me with kids gloves. No thanks. I'll take being a treasure hunter that occasionally does some bounty hunting over being only a bounty hunter with a target on my head any day of the week. "

Twan rolled his eyes. "Rien. Apparently it was just a job to him. Ze Eggman hated her music, so he hired Nack to assassinate her."

"Apparently?"

"I was…" He winced a bit. "…away, at ze time. I didn't see it for myself."

Bunnie stuck out her tongue. "That Fang sounds like he was a real tool."

Well, at least that version of the jerboa was gone now. The one that existed now, who was a member of her crew, was someone who wouldn't go and assassinate some random mongoose because Eggman told him to do it. Fang, for as much of a scoundrel as he was, had at least some standards. Heck, he even agreed when she along with Bean and Bark but their foots down on never working for Eggman again after what he pulled in Station Square with that water monster.

"I suppose he would have been… how do you say… ze biggest tool in ze tool shed." Twan's face grew darker. "Next to ze Eggman, Scourge, and my double…"

The rabbit frowned at the mention of a double. What did he mean by that?

Twan sighed and shook his head. "But zat is in ze past." He looked at Bunnie and asked, "Did you never visit your uncle and aunt since zat day?"

"Nah." Bunnie lifted her arm and grasped at air, and thankfully the coyote got the hint and gave her the bottle. "Mah uncle… he only got into that mess because he was tryin' to help me, an' I was the one who insisted on getting the chinchilla's operation. Ah couldn't stay there and become a burden…"

What hurt the most was that now it didn't even matter. Thanks to that hybrid freak and his followers, Uncle Beauregard was replaced by an impostor from Mobius and Aunt Lulumae was Gaia knew where.

"Probably wondering what happened to Uncle Beauregard…" Her ears drooped. "Gaia… will I have to find her and tell her?"

What could she possibly say to the woman who cared for her after she left the commune? Who she ran away from before the older rabbit got sick of her?

Would Aunt Lulumae blame her for what happened?

"And your parents? Did you…?"

Bunnie clicked her tongue. "No. As far as ah'm concerned, mah folks can rot for all ah care." She took a swig of the apple cider before wiping her mouth with the back of her glove. "Probably wishin' for Gaia to forgive 'em for creatin' a heathen."

She didn't give Twan any specifics on what went down. Just that she came from a commune that disapproved of technology, and getting her new limbs made her folks disown her.

He didn't need to know about how they treated her. About how Mommy called her a burden and dear ol' Daddy struck her. She didn't tell the coyote about how her father said he wished Gaia had just taken her rather than crippling her with the disease that could have been cured if those two just took her to a doctor…!

Twan shook his head. "Forgive me for asking. It was… insensitive."

Bunnie looked at the bottle and frowned when she saw it was now empty. "Nah, don't be. Ain't your fault that mah folks were pieces of filth." She got up and walked to the fridge. "Ah'm gonna get another bottle."

"It's just zat… well…" The coyote hesitated when she opened the fridge and took out the last bottle of cider, which she opened with her mechanical thumb. "Mon Papa… I did not know him for long zanks to circumstances beyond either of our control. And before I knew it, I had to be by ze bedside when he… passed."

The Hooligan froze and looked at Antoine, who was now staring sadly at the ground.

"He… he had to watch his dad… go?"

"So hearing of your parents and how zey… well…" He shook his head helplessly. "It boggles ze mind. I only thought zat my Papa was ashamed of me for being ze prideful coward of ze Freedom Fighters. But in ze end it turned out he was proud of me. But you… to think zat your Mama and Papa would treat you so shamefully… it is hard to come to grips with."

The rabbit knew she probably shouldn't ask. It wasn't any of her business. But… "How long ago did he…?"

"Little over a year ago." Twan sighed. "I still miss him."

Bunnie knew her whole situation wasn't normal. Especially with all the media she consumed and all the people watching she did. Mothers and fathers were meant to love their children, to guide them and help them through the tough times so they could grow and become their own people. The way True Folk raised their kids and how humans raised their kids wasn't any different, despite what the commune had drilled into her brain saying otherwise.

And most importantly, in most normal places Gaia didn't take priority over the safety and happiness of the kids.

"Now it's mah turn to be sorry." Bunnie shut the refrigerator and sat next to Twan again, handing him the bottle. "Your daddy sounds like he was a fine man."

"Indeed, he was." The coyote sipped at the bottle. "Zank you for ze new bottle, madame."

"It ain't a big thing."

A part of her wanted to keep talking. To keep telling Twan things so that he could tell her more in turn. It felt like… well… she didn't know what it felt like. She never spent enough time with someone that wasn't Fang, Bark, or Bean to know what it was like to open up this way.

"I just want to hear more about him. About what he was like back in the day. About what happened with that Metal Sonic that blew up and caused those scars. I want to hear more…"

She'd never really been with men or women who interested her like this. Usually, she was just focused on her next job or trying to decompress from the stress of losing even more treasure to Rouge. Yet here she was, opening up to some coyote she just met in a crazy city that treated her like some sort of mistake while he was opening up to her.

"Is this, like, a first date? Or one of them conversations that leads to a date?

Well, Twan was pretty handsome in spite of all the scars and treated her like a respectable lady… she could do a lot worse.

If that was the case, maybe it would be better to lighten the mood?

"So, do you have these kinds of conversations with all the ladies that catch your fancy?" Bunnie asked with a grin. "Just bring 'em down to sweep 'em off their feet by makin' them talk about their life stories?"

Twan chuckled, but it was a humorless one. "No, no ladies. Zer… Zer was only ze one."

"One?" Bunnie frowned and looked at the coyote. "What, yer girlfriend?"

She really hoped that wasn't the case. She was a scoundrel but no way would she ever be a homewrecker.

Twan's shoulders slumped as he gripped the bottle with his left hand. "Non. Not my girlfriend…"

That's when the rabbit noticed it.

The golden ring around the coyote's left ring finger that shone in what little light was in the storeroom.

"Oh mah stars…!" Embarrassment and mortification washed over Bunnie like a wave. "Yer married?!"

"Dear Gaia, that's even worse!!"

"…" Antoine looked down, and his eyes became half lidded. "Not… anymore."

The Hooligan blinked in confusion before realization settled on her. "Oh."

She was talking to a widower.

"Ah'm sorry." Bunnie's ears drooped as if to mirror her apologetic tone. "Ah didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Twan didn't even look at her as he said, "Don't be. I… have come to ze terms with it, in my own way."

Now she just felt awkward and the world's biggest fool. Here she was, acting like some sort of ditz while the coyote that brought her for drinks was reminded about how his wife was now gone!

"Great job, Bunnie. At this rate, you're sure to snag yourself a boyfriend in no time."

However, she noticed the pained look on Twan's face. One that seemed to suggest he was wrestling with something internally.

Was he thinking this was a mistake?

That he'd somehow disrespected his wife's memory by doing this?

Instead, the coyote hesitantly said, "Bunnie… I have not been truthful to you/"

Confusion settled on her instead. She couldn't help but ask, "You're tellin' me this now?"

"It is not about wanting to hear your story. I did want to hear everything about it." Twan sighed. "I… had to set ze mood."

"Why? Set the mood? What are you…?"

Suddenly, something clicked in Bunnie's head.

The way Twan looked at her when she ran into him coming out of that room. …

That realization mixed with pain before it quickly vanished….

The glances he made at her when she though he wasn't looking…

The way he talked about his wife…

A wife that supposedly died…

"Who… who are you?" She asked, in spite of already knowing the answer.

The coyote took a deep breath and then responded.

"Antoine D'Coolette, ze husband of Bunnie D'Coolette of Mobius."

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Bunnie just stared at him with eyes wide and filled with shock.

Then, that shock and disbelief turned into a scowl full of fury.

"You have ten seconds to explain before ah put mah metal fist through yer face." The rabbit hissed out. "An' that's me bein' generous."

Antoine knew he would get a bad reaction from the rabbit when he revealed this, but still… seeing the face of his wife look at him with such contempt was heartbreaking.

"I had wanted to know you." The coyote said truthfully. "If I had revealed my true name to you, zen you would not have been willing to talk to me."

"Damn straight!" Bunnie shouted, getting up and turning to face him. Her hands were clenched into fists while she glared down at him. "You bring me down here to drink, an'… an' pretend to be someone else just so ah can give ya the time of day! You had me spill mah guts out to you an' for what?! So you can… what… pretend ah'm your wife?! What the heck is wrong with you?!"

"NON!" Antoine shouted back, returning Bunnie's glare with his own. "I would never disrespect m'amour like that!"

Anger bubbled in his own heart. Anger and regret. How could she think he was so… so vile. To use her as a prop for the woman he loved!

"Then what is this?!" Bunnie barked out a laugh, one tinged with both the anger and even a tiny bit of hurt. "Yer the one who invited me down here! You!" She jabbed her left index finger at him. "Ah was goin' to be on mah way and gettin' the robo-princess to help me get a drink! You could have said nothin' and that would have been the end of it! Instead you make me believe… make me believe you were actually…!!" Her teeth ground together, and to Antoine's surprise tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. "This is sick! All of y'all are sick!!"

The anger in Antoine's heart was now completely filled with a deep sorrow. "She feels betrayed… betrayed by me…"

From her perspective, she had been invited to a drink by someone who seemed legitimately interested in her. Who wanted to know her rather than the Bunnie of Mobius, only for that man to turn out to be the old Bunnie's wife. What other conclusion could she reach other than he wanted to see his wife through her?

"I messed up."

There was no other way to describe it. The entire situation was falling apart and that was because it was built on a lie.

The rabbit turned around and began to storm away. "If ah ever see you again, you'll need more than a wheelchair to move arou-!"

"You are not my wife."

His heart broke just saying those words.

That single sentence caused Bunnie to stop. When she didn't say anything or move towards the door, the coyote continued.

"You look like her, in certain ways." Antoine muttered sadly. "You have her eyes, green and sparking as ze emeralds. You have her mechanical limbs forced upon you by a madman. You even have her devotion to her friends. But…" He shook his head. "Zer are differences. Your hair is one difference. M'amour would never have done such a thing. Ze long hair zat smelled of summer sunflowers even in ze midst of a war zone… it was her pride and joy."

He could even smell it now, from those moments he held her close and when they shared a bed…

"Ze cynicism you have… it is so unlike her. A deep distrust in others that she never would have. She had so much love and yet… you guard your heart. And why not? You have experienced so much heartbreak and ze betrayal of your own blood…" He sighed. "Ze cynicism and ze gluttony with ze drink…"

"Don't judge me." The rabbit growled. "Ah had to grow up in a commune where actually enjoyin' the food you eat was a sin. Gluttony an' excess was a product of Dark Gaia and the humans after all. Ah didn't even get to taste sugar until ah was out of that place an' with mah uncle an' aunt. So yeah! Now that ah'm free ah'm gonna enjoy myself on all the things ah couldn't have!"

"I am not judging you." How could he, after hearing how she was forced into a debt for the simple wish of wanting to walk and use her arm again? "I am simply pointing out ze differences, madame. Ze differences zat make it so I cannot see you as my wife."

A part of him wanted to. By the Source, it cried out for the Bunnie in front of him.

And yet… the rest of him knew that it would be wrong.

For him to latch onto the rabbit as if she were just his wife reborn.

Bunnie was silent for a second before she turned around to face him. Her mask of rage had softened slightly. Now her hands were on her hips and she asked, "Is that the truth?"

"Indeed." Antoine didn't want to say this out loud. He didn't even admit it to Rotor. "M'amour… she is…" He hated how his eyes were now stinging. He hated how he was crying, even after he felt he had long since shed all the tears he could. "…gone."

And it hurt all the worse, because the person born from the very thing that took his wife away from him was standing in front of him.

Many probably would have given into despair, if they were in position.

But no. He could not.

It would be disrespectful to her memory.

Bunnie didn't say anything for another few seconds, instead watching him as he wiped away his own tears.

Then, she sat down in front of him and steepled her fingers together.

"…You shouldn't have lied." Bunnie muttered, an edge of accusation still in her tone. "Ah wouldn't have blown my top as much."

"I-I can see zat now."

"…"

Another few seconds of silence passed between them.

"…Did you at least get to say goodbye?" The Hooligan asked hesitantly. "Before she…?"

"I was in a coma zanks to ze Metal Sonic. She… left a note." Antoine reached into his coat's pocket and took out a folded slip of paper. One that had been stained by tears and crumpled by his own hands as he read it. "It was to all of us."

On the surface of the folded paper was a simple message.

To my friends - From Bunnie

Slowly he opened it and cleared his throat.

Hi guys,

If you're reading this, it means I'm gone. Don't bother trying to find me. I'm traveling by foot and I ditched anything that has a signal, so Nicole cannot track me. And Sugar-Hog, you may be fast but I've lived on my own in the wilderness as long as you have. I know how to hide when I don't want to be found.

For years, I got used to the fact that I'd never get back by arm and legs. It was just the hand that I was dealt, and the fact that all of you and Sugar-Twan loved me anyways meant the world to me. It meant that I was loved and accepted. I was a part of a family, one that I thought I never could have after I lost my folks and ran away from my aunt and uncle.

But a part of me always wished I could get them back. That I could become like all of you. That I could be… normal.

I know you guys didn't care about me being 'normal' or not, but I did. I wanted to feel the grass underneath my feet. To touch the face of the man I loved with my left hand again. To not be constantly reminded that I only avoided becoming a robian thanks to Robotnik's Bot-On-The-Spot by the skin of my teeth.

And when Naugus actually managed to do it, to give back what I thought I could never have again… I was so happy. Almost as happy as the day I married 'Twan.

But then… then I realized how weak I was.

I had guts, that's for sure. But I had nothing to back it up. I was just another Mobian who was hanging around you. I lost all the bite I had to my bark. Before I could sink a battleship by flying through it, but now all I would do was maybe set up a bomb to damage it.

I was fragile. I was weak. I was a burden.

Sugar-Twan told me it didn't matter. That I was strong with or without my cybernetics, and I knew he believed it. And you know what? I believed him.

Then came that day.

The day where my husband nearly died.

I was nothing. I was less than nothing. The thing that took Sally's body said I wasn't a threat.

If I had my old limbs, I could have fought her. I could have fought Metal Sonic! The reason why Antoine is in this coma is because of me!!

So… I made my decision.

I'm going to get back what I lost, one way or another.

Don't blame yourselves. It's not your fault.

I'll come back so that we can free Sally from what that monster did to her, but it might take a bit.

And… Sugar-Twan… if you wake up by the time I'm gone and read this…

I'm sorry.

You were wrong about me.

I love you, and I know you love me but…

I just don't want to be a burden anymore.

- Bunnie D'Coolette

When he finished, Antoine had to choke back a sob.

It had hurt when he first read it. To hear how the woman he loved had returned to those dark thoughts she had the night she regained her limbs but with a vengeance.

If he had been awake at that time, he could have comforted her. He could have told her that none of this was her fault. He could have talked her out of this thing she would come to regret later. He could have reminded her of her own strength and his love for her…!

"But no. It is too late for that." With shaking hands, Antoine folded up the letter once more and placed it back in his pocket. "Far too late."

And in his own way, he had done the same thing.

Ruining his body so that he could save his friends and kingdom.

The only things he had left in his life.

"What would she have said to me, if she had been here?"

The coyote looked at the Bunnie in front of him, and saw that tears had formed in the corners of her own eyes.

A humorless chuckle escaped from the rabbit's lips. "Guess we're more alike than ah thought…"

"Perhaps." He agreed. "Zere are many similarities I have noticed from our time talking…"

The Hooligan stared at her mechanic left arm for a second, her mouth becoming a thin line as she seemed to ponder over something.

Then, she hesitantly asked, " Ah know it's late but…do you mind if you tell me about her? About what that other Bunnie was like?"

For a second, he was stunned.

Then, a small smile bloomed on Antoine's face.

"It would be my pleasure."

SYSTEM STARTUP: POWER RING ENERGY TRANSFER SUCCESSFUL

BIOS: ALL INTERNAL CHECKS PASSED

LOADING OS SYSTEM: FREEDOM 24

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION: DRIVERS SUCCESSFULLY LOADED

LOADING SYSTEM UTILITIES…

HOST PERSONALITY AUTHENTIFICATION: SALLY ALICIA ACORN

BRAINWAVE DATA SUCCESSFULLY AUTHENTIFICATED

ROBIAN UNIT (MECHA SALLY) IS NOW ONLINE

It was with that wall of text that Sally opened her eyes and looked at the light of the nearly blinding overhead lamp.

"How long was I out…?"

ROTOR! The princess heard the voice of the holo-lynx speak from speakers to her left. SALLY'S UP.

"As up as I can be." The robian agreed while sitting up and looking down at her body. She wasn't wearing her shirt or sweatshirt, and she couldn't help but frown at the sight. Sure, she wasn't embarrassed by the lack of clothes or anything but she had been getting used to them. "How was the operation?"

"It was…" Rotor paused and let out a yawn. "…A long one. No offense, but the fact you've been carrying in you a rapidly degrading Power Ring for so long did some damage I had to fix."

Sally turned her head to see Rotor sitting down in front of a keyboard and monitor, leaning against them while looking at her. To her shock and horror, he seemed to be on the verge of passing out. His eyes were half-lidded and it looked like he was struggling to keep them up!

"Rotor?" She asked while sitting up. "How long were you working on me?"

Rotor blinked before looking at the monitor. "What time is it, Nicole?"

SEVEN-THIRTY IN THE MORNING. Came Nicole's prompt response, and the holo-lynx's face appeared on the monitor displaying the face of an electronic clock. For her part, the artificial intelligence looked just as concerned as Sally herself felt. YOU WERE WORKING FOR TEN HOURS STRAIGHT.

"Ten hours?!" Sally was on her feet and rushing towards the walrus. "Rotor, you shouldn't have…!"

Her friend held up his hand. "Sally, I told you last night. I had to do it. If it didn't, Hamlin and the others might have stopped me." He grinned weakly at her. "You can chew me out after you help free New Mobotropolis, okay?"

The princess still didn't know how to feel about Rotor's pure faith in her. Even with Nicole's words last night, it felt… uncomfortable.

"…Alright." Sally pointed at her chest. "So this thing won't cause any problems anymore?"

IT CONTAINS MORE POWER THAN THE POWER RING YOU WERE PREVIOUSLY RUNNING ON AND WILL NOT DRAIN AS MUCH. Answered Nicole, her digital face frowning at her. BUT I STILL WOULD NOT RECOMMEND PERFORMING ACTIONS THAT WILL USE UP A LOT OF POWER. YOU SHOULD STILL RATION IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN REPLACEMENT POWER RINGS WILL BE IN SHORT SUPPLY.

The princess winced at that. She would be lying if she didn't think about just spamming her laser and capture shields on Naugus and the other Grandmasters. She would be a huge liar if the thought of trapping Snively in a capture shield then punting him out of the city hadn't become very attractive in the split second before Nicole's declaration.

"Then I guess one of our first targets would be recapturing the Lake of Rings from Naugus' people…" The princess mused before looking around. "Where's my clothes?"

Rotor pointed to the chair by the door, which had her shirt and sweatshirt neatly folded on top of the seat. "Right over there."

"Thanks." Sally walked over to the white shirt and unfolded it. "Do you mind…?"

ALLOW ME, SALLY. The robian turned her head and watched as, from the ground, Nicole began to form in the same semi-solid body she saw before Rotor began his work on her body. The holo-lynx smiled as she reached for the shirt… and actually grabbed it. "Rotor gave me access to the nanites the Mobotropolis Freedom Fighters still have control over."

"That's great!" Sally smiled at her friend. "You can touch things again, Nicole!"

The holo-lynx giggled. "It will be especially useful in helping you get these clothes on. Now hold still…"

After a few seconds of fumbling and only two curses uttered, Sally had her white shirt back on and was putting her right arm through the sweater's sleeve. However, a frown now settled on her face. While she was happy for her friend, the memories of how she acted back in the virtual Knothole came to her. "Nicole, about before…"

A small sigh escaped from the artificial intelligence's lips. "We will talk about it later, Sally. For now…"

It was then that the door swung open and Sally laid eyes on a pig she had not been relishing in seeing again.

"Rotor!" Hamlin shouted, utter fury in his eyes and voice as he pointed at the walrus. "What have you done?!"

Rotor, for his part, crossed his arms and said, "Good morning to you too, Hamlin."

"Councilman Hamlin, calm down." Behind him, the familiar form of Amadeus Prower appeared. Rather than looking at Rotor, he was staring at Sally with his singular eye narrowed. "This is not the way to handle insubordination in our…"

"Did you think you could act against my direct orders and I would not find out about it?!" Hamlin stomped towards the mechanic, completely ignoring Sally and Nicole. "We have security cameras set up everywhere! When the person on watch duty told me what you were doing, I couldn't believe it! I couldn't believe you were doing something so stupid!"

A flash of anger went through Sally and she shouted, "Hamlin, that's enough!"

The pig turned his body and seemed to notice her for the first time. For a brief second there was fear, but then it was replaced by a smoldering contempt that she usually saw whenever she entered the Council's chambers. "Princess Sally…"

Sally crossed her arms and saw that Nicole herself was glaring at Hamlin. "It's good to see you." She lied before turning her head and nodding at Amadeus. "General Prower. Glad to see you're here too."

"And we're glad you're here, even in your current state." The older fox admitted with a nod. "The last thing we wanted was for you to be captured by St. John's people."

"Speak for yourself." The pig growled. "That rescue operation cost us too many of our men!"

Now the father of her adopted 'nephew' turned his gaze to Hamlin and glared at him. "And I told you, Princess Sally was too important to let St. John have! Our people still wanted her to come home, to be with them again! If she were taken in by those traitors, then it would have been a huge morale blow!"

Well, that was certainly a surprise.

When she met Amadeus Prower she quickly figured out he was a fairly smart and strongly convicted man. But as his actions during the near-coup he started showed, Tails' father was also someone who allowed his convictions to guide his actions. Those convictions included the desire to instill democracy in the kingdom… and a firm belief that the Acorn family had done nothing but harm the kingdom in the long run.

Sally had no problems with the system of democracy. As far as she was concerned, the common people should have a say in the government that was supposed to protect them.

But while she agreed with Amadeus on that front, she disliked how he was willing to start a coup when he believed things were moving too slowly. People would have gotten hurt, especially with her father breathing down Elias' neck over the entire matter! Who knew what could have happened if Nicole hadn't told her about Amadeus' escape and how he was fighting her brother over this?

Sally never expected Amadeus to care enough to fight Hamlin over a rescue operation for her.

Hamlin was gritting his teeth in anger. "And it could have risked our entire cause!" He pointed at Sally. "She is a robian! A prime target for Snively Robotnik to take control of… or even worse, the Eggman of this world! She…!"

"You really need to stop talking like I'm not here, Councilman." The robian said in an icy tone. "If you want to say something, say it to my face."

It was really unlike her to say something like this.

"But you know what? Screw it. We don't have time for this."

If the pig could light fires with his glare, then she'd be surrounded by an inferno. "You don't…!"

"This isn't one of your flunkies or just some footsoldier, Hamlin." Rotor butted in, moving towards Sally and putting his hand on her shoulder. "Sally has every right to ask questions, especially since she's with us again."

"Fine." Hamlin spat out before turning to Sally. "If you must know, I was against the operation that brought you here. Specifically, the New Mobotropolis Freedom Fighters' involvement in it." He crossed his arms. "Sir Charles could have his badnik rescue you and keep you deactivated until he found a way to purge you of Eggman's code."

"You were planning on keeping Sally in… in storage?!" Nicole asked incredulously. "But that is…!"

"We couldn't afford to risk Snively or Eggman hacking into her and using her against us." The councilman shot back. "At least under Sir Charles' care, she would be secure and away from many potential victims…"

The princess couldn't disagree with the logic of that statement. As Snively's stunt in the throne room showed, she had been vulnerable. She could have been brought under his control if Nicole hadn't been there.

"I disagreed." Amadeus stepped in. "Even if the Secret Freedom Fighters were already planning an operation, the risk was too high that St. John would successfully capture Princess Sally and her escorts. We couldn't risk it. However…" Now, he glared at Rotor. "…I didn't agree to having our only available Power Ring to be used like this!"

"And not only that, but you gave her…" Hamlin now jabbed his finger at Nicole. "…access to all of our available nanites! Did you forget about the Iron Dominion, Rotor?!"

Nicole winced at that, a look of pain and sorrow flashing across her face. Rotor's glare grew deeper and his hands clenched into fists. He looked like he was ready to punch Hamlin.

And honestly? She probably would have joined him.

"He was thinking about how we can win this war, Hamlin!" Sally got between them and crossed her arms. Hamlin flinched at how close she was, but she really didn't care. "Eggman weaponized this body to match Sonic. He stuffed it to the gills with weapons and specs so that Mecha Sally could hurt him… could hurt my kingdom and my friends! And because I'm free, I can now use all that to free our home!"

Amadeus frowned at her. "But the weapon that Rotor was…"

"I will be your weapon." The robian retorted. "I have to be. You can't afford not to use me."

And it was the simple pragmatic truth. Eggman weaponized her to be an anti-Sonic weapon. And that made her the closest thing to Sonic on the battlefield now that Blaze was captured.

Heck, she was probably better than whatever Rotor had been drawing up before she arrived!

The older fox frowned, but he seemed to be thinking what she said over. However, the pig merely scoffed and moved closer. "You say that, but we know what this is really about, Princess Sally!" He got into her face, practically nose to nose with her. "He just wanted you back in charge."

"Hamlin, that's enough!" Amadeus moved towards them, but the councilman raised his hand as if he were swatting a fly.

Hamlin didn't break his gaze from her's. "I know Rotor doesn't like me. I know that many of my men don't like me. But you know what? That's fine. They at least understood and respected all my efforts at keeping them safe and the fight against that tyrant going. They acknowledged my skills… my dedication… unlike you." He jabbed his finger into her chest. "You… who kept me on the sidelines! Who kept me from fighting for my kingdom, because you couldn't stand the idea of someone who wasn't you or your friends leading the charge!"

A part of Sally's heart sank at that accusation. She knew how betrayed and hurt Hamlin felt over being a Substitute Freedom Fighter back when he explained why he pushed for her to be punished for the unsanctioned counter-invasion of Moebius.

Was this really how he felt?

Then, that sadness turned to a smoldering anger.

"How dare he?"

How dare he think she treated their war against tyranny like some sort of vanity project?!

"And now that you're back… Rotor just wants to put you back in charge, as if I was just warming your seat for you!" Hamlin was now practically screaming at her. "Well, that's not going to happen! I am the leader of the New Mobotropolis Freedom Fighters, princess! I am the one who will free this city! And as far as I'm concerned, you're just a potential problem that we can do withou-!"

"Hamlin…" Sally spoke, cutting the pig's tirade off. "…when did this war stop being about them and start being about you?"

Hamlin's rage-filled eyes then blinked and turned into ones filled with confusion. Then, realization and disbelief spread across his face. He took a step back as if he had been struck and said in a shaky voice, "You… how dare… I never…!!"

The princess didn't say anything. She didn't need to. That one sentence summed up everything she could say to the man she trained and thought was her friend.

"General." Nicole spoke up. "If it means anything, I can assure you that Snively will be unable to gain control of Sally from now on."

"How can you be so sure?" Amadeus asked, but he wasn't being snappish about it. It was a legitimate question. "The last time we suspected the robians were freed, Robotnik regained control of them. We didn't think you could be hacked until the Iron Queen did it."

Sally turned to Nicole, who was meeting the man's gaze and not breaking it. "Because Earth's advancements in virus and anti-virus software are more advanced than what was available on Mobius. While I was out there, I learned everything I could. It's because of that I was able to wrestle control away from Snively when he attempted to hack into Sally." She put her left hand on her chest. "As for the Eggman of this world… he has never encountered someone like me before."

"And she believes every word." A smile spread across Sally's face. She felt… proud. There wasn't any fear or doubt in Nicole. The inner worry of what had happened thanks to the Iron Queen repeating wasn't there in her friend's eyes or body language. "Good job, Nicole."

"Well, that's something we can appreciate about this world, I guess."

That new voice caused Sally to freeze.

Amadeus blinked and moved to the side, revealing a squirrel…

…no, not just any squirrel.

Her brother.

The black and red uniform was new, and both his hair and fur were a mess, but it was him.

It was Elias!

Elias smiled, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he spread his arms. "Sal-!"

Sally rushed to him then, wrapping his arms around him and pulling her brother into a hug.

The brother she hadn't known existed until she was a teenager was here.

The brother who supported her, who saw her for who she was even when their own father refused to.

The brother who encouraged her relationship with Sonic, and who willingly gave up his quiet life with his wife and child to save her from the duties of the throne.

The brother who she thought she lost forever was now in her arms…!

"Elias…" She muttered, her face in his chest as she held onto him tightly. "…Oh, by the Source… I can't believe you're actually here…!"

"Yeah." She couldn't feel it, but she saw in the corners of her eyes as he returned her hug. "I'm here, Sally. I thought… I thought my sister was lost forever. But when Hershey told me about you I…!"

The name caused the joy that Sally felt in the reunion.

"Hershey…"

Right. Elias was a part of the Secret Freedom Fighters.

The same Secret Freedom Fighters that tried to kill Mina…!

"And… that's not all." Sally released the hug to look at Elias' smiling face as he said, "Mother and Father… they're here too. And they cannot wait to see you again!"

"M-Mom and…?"

She knew she should be happy. And a part of her was.

But…

"Why? Why do I feel… afraid?"

The look on her brother's face turned into an expression of puzzlement. "Sally? Is something up?"

Shoot, she needed to respond. "That's…"

"Oh hey! There you guys are!"

Elias turned and there, in the hallway, was Tangle and Whisper. The lemur's left hand was holding the wolf's right as they looked into Rotor's workshop.

"Wow, are you having a party here or…?" The lemur blinked when she noticed Elias, and a smile formed on her face. "Oh, 'Sup! My name's Tangle! Tangle the Lemur! And this is Whisper!" She inclined her head at the wolf, who had her mask on as she observed all of them. Then, the Restoration member reached out with her right hand at Elias, ready to shake. "Nice to meet you!"

But rather than shake it, Elias frowned and glared at Tangle.

And the feeling of fear grew even more inside Sally.

She shouldn't be here.

Even if Sir Charles' device should shield her from any surveillance equipment that was set up around the lab, it was still a risk to come down here. A Swat-Bot could bump into her by accident, detecting her and then alerting the entire lab, the Grandmasters, and the so-called king of her presence.

But she needed to see this.

She needed to know what exactly those monsters were doing with that poor Blaze girl.

"Confound it…" Snively muttered as he put a welding torch to a metallic tube. "That imbecile thinks it's just so easy to just make this machine work with the power of the Sol Emeralds! I told him that it would require some adjustments to account for the different energy source that could take time and yet he expects me to just fix it with a snap of my fingers!" The diminutive Overlander wiped the sweat off of his brow. "I ought to remind him who needs whom here!"

In front of him, floating in a glass tube filled with a strange green liquid and wearing a mask over her face, was Blaze the Cat.

Syringes and tubes stuck out of her as she floated inside, her eyes shut thanks to the various drugs that were being pumped into her. Snively and the so-called king both knew that if she were to regain consciousness she would destroy everything in a sea of fire.

And honestly? They deserved it.

They deserved to burn for what they are doing and have done.

"Maybe I do too."

The spy took out her camera and discreetly began to take pictures of Snively and the device. Of Blaze floating in her tube, of the wires that snaked from the tube into a tower that was just behind it. Seven small glass domes were attached to its base, as if they were waiting for something to be contained within them. On each side of Blaze's tube and attached via wires was a small podium, which was covered by a glass dome but had a satin red pillow contained inside. Then, standing next to the podiums were glass tubes like Blaze's own but were empty.

She didn't know who they were for.

The So-Called King would never reveal such a thing to her.

He enjoyed having her close as a sort of trophy, something to have pride in and laugh at whenever he felt like it. He thought he had broken her, and that was why she was able to sneak off and gather information like this. But a part of him still did not trust her fully. So he kept things hidden, forcing those like Sir Charles to try and connect what pieces of information she could gleam.

Satisfied with her haul, the spy crouched down and moved silently to the open grate and crawled inside. Carefully, she pulled the grate behind her and closed it once more.

Thank the Source that Snively made these things bigger than necessary.

Crawling and going through her mental map, she eventually spotted the small hole she had dug by the remains of the royal garden and hid behind the husk of a dead acorn tree. Quickly, she changed out of the dirty rags she once wore and changed back into her robes. She then dropped the clothes into the hole she crawled out of and covered it with the false grass.

"Lucky. You are lucky you haven't been found out yet. Lucky that the Raiju ninja have been ordered not to stalk the castle grounds because the 'king' is vain enough to believe he does not need them to guard. Lucky that the Bride of the Conquering Storm does not do it anyways."

She nodded her head at acolytes she passed by, keeping her pace steady and calm. She needed to get to a safe location so that she could transfer the photos to…

"…And that is why I'm trusting you with this task."

The spy heard the muffled conversation, heard the sound of the king, and stopped. Slowly and nonchalantly, she moved closer to the door and listened.

"I understand…" Came the voice of the young cat girl, Ebony. "I never expected them to be so close…"

"It's because they foolishly believed that they could lie in wait before the Shade of their precious son came here." She could practically see the sneer on the so-called king's face. "All because they wish to spit on my former master's sacrifice!"

"Bernadette… Jules…!"

"And the Sheriff? Why isn't he…?"

"Beauregard Rabbot and Mordred Hood have already failed me." The king scoffed. "And as punishment they are helping to clean up the mess those traitors left. I am giving you this task because you are one of my most gifted acolytes." His voice then became softer, more insidious, as he said, "And once you bring them to me, I shall ensure that you are reunited with the ones you love even before the Promised Day."

For a second, there was silence.

Then…

"…Of course, my master."

"Good, Ebony. Very good…"

The spy took a step back and avoided being smacked by the doors that opened, from which a hooded Ebony emerged. The young woman's expression was one of determination as she went down the halls, pointing at some other acolytes before having them follow her.

She bit her lip. She needed to go, now. She needed to warn the Freedom Fighters and her husband before…!

"Ah, Acolyte Prower."

Rosemary Prower's blood ran cold as she heard his voice, and turned her head to the left to see the so-called king grinning at her.

The way his eyes sized her made her skin crawl.

"What a coincidence!" He laughed. "You are just the person I need."

"H-How can I help you, your majesty?" She asked with a bow, cursing at her own slowness.

"Come with me." He motioned her to follow as he used his own cane to slowly limp down the hallway. I need an extra set of hands for a long-range portal spell. One that will bring us the items needed for the Promised Day."

"Items?" She asked while following. "What items, your majesty?"

Somehow, that toothy rotten grin grew even wider.

"Oh, we're just borrowing two books…"

And for reasons she could not explain yet, Rosemary Prower's blood turned to ice.

To Be Continued…

Notes: Whelp, I promised myself I would pump out this chapter before I had to dedicate myself to real life stuff for a bit but I did it! Here it is for all of you to see!

Lots to unpack here. Heartbreaking conversations and long-awaited confrontations. One good thing out of all of this was that Whisper finally confessed her feelings… and Tangle accepted them!

Yeah, that's right. Only took an existential crisis but Tangle and Whisper are a couple!

What will come out of this? Well that's for all of you to see!

Be sure to leave a review and add to the TV Tropes Page!

Until next time…