Author's Note: So the other day was the 30th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog. I did not know that until just earlier, so I decided to make this chapter a late dedication. Happy late 30th birthday, Sonic.

The song featured here is a parody of "Once Upon a December" from Anastasia.

Any and all comments are welcome.

Sonic, Kipo, and Mandu walked through the streets as they left the campus they were in. Sonic lead them into the forest where Sonic kept an eye out. Kipo was starting to get confused.

"Um, Sonic, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Looking for someone who has a better idea of this city than I do." Sonic said.

"Didn't you tell me you've been on your own going around town for a year?" Kipo asked.

"Yeah, but I've never really stayed at one place for too long." Sonic admitted. "Every time I believed that some bad mutes were hunting me, I skedaddled before I could get a good lay of the land. But the person I'm looking for has been on her own longer than I have and she knows Las Vistas like the back of her hand. Of course, the problem is trying to convince her to help us, or me specifically."

"Why? Aren't you friends?"

"I never really said tha… AAAAHHH!"

Sonic was interrupted by a rope that tightened around his ankle and lifted him upside down in the air. Kipo gasped and went to save him, but something jumped in front of her. It turned out to be a little girl with dark skin, black hair, and a blue, wolfskin pelt worn like a cloak. She had a metal staff with a red scorpion tail at the end. She pointed it right at Sonic groaning in disgust.

"Ugh. It's you again."

"Good to see you too, wolf girl." Sonic greeted.

"Another human?" Kipo asked.

"Right. Kid, this is Kipo and her pet, Mandu." Sonic introduced. "Kipo, this is a girl who's name she refuses to tell anyone."

"What do you want, mute?" the wolf girl asked. "I told you what'd happen if you ran into my hunting grounds again."

"Take it easy." Sonic said. "We just want help."

"You want me to help a mute?"

"Not me. I'm talking about Kipo. Look, you don't like mutes, so I know you'll keep this to yourself. You see… Kipo here is from a burrow."

"Really?" asked the wolf girl turning her attention at Kipo.

"Yeah. Sonic said. "Kipo was separated from her burrow after a mega-mute attack and she's trying to get home. You know Las Vistas better than I do, so I thought you would have an idea."

"And why would I want to help?"

"Come on. I know you're not a fan of mutes, but you could at least help out a fellow human. She might accidently step into death ivy and it would be on you for not lending a hand."

The wolf girl darted her eyes at Kipo before sighing. "Fine. I'll help, and then, I'm gone."

"Fair enough." Sonic said. He spun himself into a wheel and cut himself free.

"Wow. That's a cool trick." Kipo said impressed.

"Focus." Ordered the wolf girl. "Now, anything you can tell me about your burrow?"

Kipo thought for a moment. "Well, we do have a hydraulic power system… which may not be helpful in this case. Wait. That's it! The clover!"

"The what now?" Sonic asked.

Kipo bent to the ground and drew a four leaf clover into the dirt with her finger. She then made an X through its leaves. "This clover. My dad told me we lived underneath a big clover. I've never seen it myself, but it's the symbol of my burrow."

"I think I know what that is." The wolf girl said. "It's getting late. We'll set up camp and make sure of it in the morning. Just keep that mute away from me." She went to set up a camp at the nearest store.

"Wow. What did you that made Wolf so mad?" Kipo asked.

"Nothing." Sonic answered. "She just hates mutes. And she's not my biggest fan either just because I can easily burst out of her traps and… Wait, did you just call her Wolf?"

"Yeah. I've kinda been calling her that in my head, so I'll call her that now." Kipo said. "Hey, maybe when the stars are out, I can show you Aires."

"Who's Aries?" Sonic asked.

"It's a constellation of a ram." Kipo explained. "It's also my birth sign."

Sonic chuckled. "You are one crazy human, Kipo."

The next day, Wolf took the others across the forest. Once they were at the edge of town, they stopped at the front of a very tall mansion.

"What's this place?" Kipo asked.

"This is the home of mute aristocrat named Lady Windermere." Wolf explained. "Her top floor balcony has a telescope that allows her to view all of Las Vistas. That's where we may find your burrow."

"Sounds great." Kipo said approaching the front door. "If this Lady Windermere can help us, that's perfect."

Kipo was about to knock, but Wolf hooked her sharp end of her scorpion tail around the back of her collar and pull her back.

"What are you doing? You can't just knock the door of a high-class mute!" Wolf protested. "She'll catch you and sell you to Scarlemagne."

"Yeesh." Sonic said. "Probably not a good idea then."

"Why?" Kipo asked. "Who's Scarlemagne?"

"Scarlemagne is the mute who stands over all mutes in the city." Sonic explained. "He basically rules this whole town with an iron fist. And from what I hear, he hates humans. If he gets you and you lead him to a burrow full of humans, who knows what he'll do?"

"Not to mention, he's put a bounty on the hedgehog too." Wolf added.

"What? Why?" Kipo asked.

"I don't know. I've never met the guy." Sonic answered. "All I know is that he's had his goons after me for about a year. I have to keep running around town because he has eyes and ears everywhere."

"Especially in the upper class." Wolf said. "They help fund Scarlemagne's reign in return for power and stature. So no, we're definitely not asking a mute aristocrat to help us find a burrow."

"Got it." Kipo said. "So how do we get up there?"

"It's not that hard for me to carry you up there." Sonic said. "With my speed, I can scale up there easily."

"You can do that for Kipo and the pig." Wolf said. "I'm climbing up my way." She thrusted her staff to impale into the wall. She used it as leverage to get herself up to an upper window. She stood on the still and threw her staff up again.

While Wolf climbed, Sonic shrugged at Kipo and Mandu before grabbing onto them. Quick as a flash, Sonic ran up the side of the wall and stopped right as he was at the top balcony. Wolf managed to get there just a few seconds after.

"I win." Sonic gloated.

"I wasn't racing." Wolf growled.

"Well, now that we're here…" Kipo said.

Wolf went on to looking through the telescope scanning around the city. While she did that, Kipo and Sonic looked into the room behind them. It was a beautiful, red room with a musical theme. It even had a piano at the end of it.

"Found it." Wolf said. She stepped away from the telescope for Kipo.

Kipo looked into the telescope and saw what Wolf was looking at. On the other side of a ruined pile of skyscrapers, there was a highway collection of roads that are shaped just like what Kipo drew the other night, a clover.

"That's it!" Kipo cheered. "That's where my burrow is!"

"Looks like half a day's walk from here." Wolf said. "Although, we'll have to get through Skyscraper Ridge."

"No problemo." Sonic said. "I'm sure we can…" He stopped when he heard the door open.

"Hide, now!" Wolf called out. She dragged Kipo away from the window view on one side while Sonic hid on the other with Mandu.

As soon as the door finished opening, a girl's voice was heard. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

When no one answered, the girl stepped into the room revealing herself. It was a hedgehog with purple clothes and pink fur. Around her neck, she had on a necklace with a medallion shaped like a keyboard.

Sonic and Kipo both widened their eyes seeing her. Sonic turned to his friend and whispered. "Kipo, is that…"

"I don't believe it." Kipo whispered.

"Be quiet." Wolf whispered aggressively. Thankfully, the hedgehog girl didn't notice them.

The hedgehog girl looked around the room before holding up her medallion. It flashed pink brightening up the room. Kipo, Sonic, and Mandu were astonished while Wolf was confused with surprise. When the light dimmed, the hedgehog girl had on a handheld keyboard which she began playing softly. She sang along with the music.

Pink hedgehog:

Happiness. Family

Faces more familiar than they seem

Is it some memory

Or an extraordinary dream

Something's calling. I can feel

Though it's not, it just seems so real

A song is sung, first that I've heard

Yet I know every woooooord

Something's calling. I can feel

Though it's not, it just seems so real

A song is sung, first that I've heard

Yet I know every woooooord

JUST ONE STEP, OUT THE DOOR

FEELING THE WARMTH OF THE SUN'S BEAM

IN MY HEART, I KNOW IT'S MORE

Than some kind of unrealistic sceeeeeene

Is it some memoryyyyyyyy

Or an extraordinaryyyyy dreeeeeeeaaaaaaaam

Captivated by the song, Kipo instinctively walked out. Wolf tried to stop her, but she was too late to stop the purple girl from clapping. The hedgehog girl gasped seeing her at the balcony.

"I liked the song." Kipo said. "Sorry to startle you. Are you Lady Windermere?"

The pink hedgehog hesitated to answer for a moment, but she eventually answered. "N-No. I'm Sonia, her ward. Who are you? Have I seen you before?"

Before Kipo could answer, Wolf jumped and landed between her and Sonia. She pointed her staff at Sonia startling her.

"Back off!" Wolf commanded.

"Uh… Is that a Deathstalker tail?" Sonia asked.

Suddenly, Sonic dashed into the room and swiped the staff out of Wolf's hands. "Quit being so paranoid!"

"Give… Stalky… back." Wolf threatened.

"You named it Stalky?" Sonic asked. "Sometimes, I forget you're a kid."

"Do I know you?" Sonia asked looking at Sonic. "You seem familiar."

"Maybe this can jog your memory?" Sonic said sticking out his guitar medallion. The look of it made Sonia gasp.

"It's you." She said before turning to Kipo. "And you too. But… I thought it was just a dream."

"So did we." Kipo said. "Crazy, right?"

"What are you all talking about?" Wolf asked taking her Deathstalker tail back.

But before anyone would answer, the door opened. An adult canine mute in fancy clothes walked in surprised to see Sonia with a bunch of strangers.

"Sonia, what is this?" she asked.

"Lady Windermere, I can explain!" Sonia gasped.

"Oh. So you're Lady Windermere." Kipo chuckled.

"Who are these?" Windermere asked.

"Lady Windermere, I know them… I think." Sonia said. "I've had a crazy dream and that purple girl and blue hedgehog were both there."

"Sonia, you're not making any sense." Lady Windermere said.

Wolf leaned in to Kipo. "We need to now."

"No." Kipo said. "Not until we get some answers. Sonic, try bringing up your guitar."

"His what?" Wolf asked.

"No problem." Sonic replied. He held up his medallion and it flashed back into a full guitar which surprised everyone who hasn't seen it before.

"You can do that too?" Sonia asked.

"Too?" Lady Windermere asked. "Sonia, what's happening?"

Sonia sighed turning to her guardian. "The truth is… Well, the other night, I had this strange dream that I was in a band. That human girl and blue hedgehog were both there and so was a green hedgehog on drums. The next day, I noticed that my medallion I grew up with could suddenly become an actual keyboard instrument."

Lady Windermere widened her eyes before taking a seat in a chair behind her. She looked like she was haunted without an ounce of breath. Sonia walked up to her.

"Oh. I see." Lady Windermere said. "I'm sorry, Sonia. I didn't think it would happen this soon."

"What would?" Sonia asked.

Lady Windermere went silent for a moment before answering. "You know I adopted you. But that's not the whole story. It was late one night and somebody knocked at my door. When I answered, there was nobody there. And resting at my porch was a basket with a baby hedgehog wrapped in a blanket. Inside, there was a note. It didn't say who gave you up or why, but they did tell me that I needed to protect you, not to show you to anyone untrustworthy, not even Scarlemagne. Also, one day, you will have to leave… in search of your two brothers."

Sonia shot herself straight up before turning to Sonic, who shared her shock.

"Brothers?" Sonia asked. "So I'm…"

"My sister?" Sonic asked.

"Wow! Mind blown! Pew!" Kipo exclaimed. "What are the odds?"

"But… who's my other brother?" Sonia asked.

"I don't know." Lady Windermere said. "But I've done everything I could to raise you and protect you as if you were my own daughter."

"So that's why you rarely let me outside." Sonia said. "But if this is happening right now…"

Lady Windermere nodded. "It means you have to go."

"But… I can't just leave." Sonia said. "Where would I look? And what about Bartleby?"

"I'll explain everything to him." Lady Windermere said. "As for where to look, the note said that when the time comes, you should start looking for a man names Lio."

"Wait, what?" Kipo asked. "That's my dad's name! We're on our way to find him right now!"

"Really?" Sonia asked. "Think you can take me along?"

"Hold it!" Wolf protested. "I don't know what kind of mumbo jumbo is going on, but let me make one thing clear! I'm not having another mute join us!"

"But Wolf, Sonic and Sonia are brother and sister and they're looking for their other brother!" Kipo said.

"Not my problem."

"Look, you said Kipo's burrow is only a half day's walk from here." Sonic said. "Taking my speed into account, we'll get there in no time. Just tolerate us for a few hours and you'll never have to see us again."

Wolf shifted her untrusting eyes at everyone. When she was done, she gave a sinister glare at Sonic. "Fine. But remember, if any one of you falls behind, you're left behind."

"Never gonna happen, but okay." Sonic said. "Ready to find your family, Sonia?"

"I've already started." Sonia turned to Lady Windermere and gave her a hug. "Thank you for raising me."

Windermere hugged back. "Be safe, my dear."

Later that night, most of the party was walking just fine, but Sonia was slowly cautious of the mud puddles, stray vines, and basically anything that could get her dirty. She had a backpack she packed before leaving her guardian.

"Uh, Wolf, was it?" Sonia asked. "Do you go through all this dirt and stuff every day?"

"I can't believe this is happening." Wolf muttered. "You do know I'm taking you to a burrow, right? That's basically underneath a mile of dirt."

"So, Kipo," Sonic said, "What's your dad like?"

"Oh, he's only the smartest guy I know." Kipo explained. "He taught me everything I know, even some stuff that should be too advanced for someone my age. He's basically the best dad ever. You and your sis are going to love him."

"Can't wait to meet him." Sonic said. "I think… LOOK OUT!"

Sonic quickly dashed forward pushing everyone away from an elastic tongue that snapped forward. It missed before retracting to the mute frog in a black-tie suit. He was next to a black car/dragonfly with two other frogs.

"Hedgehog." The frog sneered.

"Hey, Jamack." Sonic greeted. "How are things?"

"Pretty good, considering I'm still CROSS WITH YOU FOR HUMILIATING ME!"

"You messed with the Mod Frogs?" Wolf asked Sonic.

"No. Just Jamack. In my defense, he started it. When I grabbed his tongue and tied him up with it, it was in self-defense."

"Yeah," Jamack sneered, "Well, you didn't have to draw a smiley face on my tie afterwards!"

"It was just a bit of fun." Sonic defended.

"Scarlemagne wants you, hedgehog," Jamack said, "And I just heard that the other hedgehog is your sister and the human is from a burrow. Once I turn you all in, I'll be set for life!"

"Good luck catching us first, hoppy!" Sonic dared grabbing onto everyone. Before anyone could react, they were all carried in a flash of blue that sent them all the way into a dormitory building. Once they were inside, Sonic barred the door with a wooden blank through the door handles. "That oughta take care of them."

"Now, what?" Wolf asked. "Thanks to you, we've got the Mod Frogs on our tail!"

"We'll escape them." Sonic said. "I've been running from chumps like them all year."

But before Wolf could argue, a screeching noise was heard. It came from the upstairs rooms.

"Is that a baby?" Sonia asked. "What's a baby doing here?"

"It could be in trouble!" Kipo said running up. Everyone else followed.

Once they were there, Kipo found the infant in a crib picking it up. But when she got a better look at it, she noticed that it was actually a baby mute, a green bug in its larval form.

"A baby bug mute?" Sonia asked. "Now, that's just gross on a million levels."

Suddenly, the front door broke down and the Mod Frogs entered.

"Spread out!" Jamack ordered. "We're not leaving until we get those hedgehogs and that burrow girl!"

"They're here." Sonia whispered just as the baby began to cry more. "What do we do?"

At the moment, none of them had a clue. But an answer was just about to arrive very shortly.