chaossensitive

[chaossensitive]

OOC: I'm going to put the boys here on a hiatus and turn off Anonymous for the foreseeable future.

I can only take so many asks, one of people wondering when I am ever going to reply, and two, of all the people who seem to take issue with the fact that I'm not willing to ship them with other versions of the other.

I know I have been struggling with my mental health to get myself to write again, but seeing messages like that and not just one or two a day is wearing down on me and making it so I really don't even want to look at tumblr some days.

So until things can be civil. Consider Aether and Phanes on hiatus until further notice.

[chaossensitive]

“It’s not dangerous…”

“But it is stupid.” Phanes spoke up when Aether attempted to argue his point. They could get home and while he’d have to deal with pain that came after, it wasn’t a big deal. At least, not to the hero. He knew Phanes always hated it, but honestly it wasn’t just a part of his life now. One he was coming to understand wasn’t going away anytime soon.

So as the pair argued over their sleeping arrangements, the hero slipped his hand into his companions and cleared his throat to get their attention. “The couch’ll be fine for us.”

Any protest that might have been on the striped hedgehog’s tongue was swallowed. It wasn’t like they wouldn’t end up sharing the couch at some point during the night anyway. More and more recently, Phanes had come to enjoy the feeling of his arms around Aether at night. And he had to only assume the feeling was mutual with how often the hedgehog came to spend time on the Ark with him.

“If ya give me a day to recover, it won’t be as bad for Phanes to Chaos Control us home.” Emerald locked with Ruby. “You know it’s true. We’ll spend the night and then leave once we’re both a bit more awake, okay? It’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Sonic…” A breath was taken, leaning into the tan fingers touching his cheek. Of course Aether would use this tactic with him to win an argument. Phanes’ finger covered his companions before he nodded. “Fine, but you’re staying on the Ark an extra day after so I can monitor your energy levels…”

“Deal.”

So there may or may not be a journal. Confusing but things were never simple with adventures like these. Knuckles was definitely going to try to see if Rouge could find out anything. He knew she would be able to dig up information like that, and she would do it to help Shadow. No matter how she acted, Knuckles knew she cared about the hedgehog.

"That sounds dangerous and stupid." Shadow remarked.

"I'm going to agree with him this time." Knuckles knew his friend was being rude, but he didn't disagree. He felt what it was like when the two first got here and it wasn't pleasant. Even if they knew how to keep care of it, he didn't like the idea of any Sonic having to deal with that sort of thing. "You two can stay here until we figure something else out."

"Here?" Shadow's nose wrinkled again. "We only have the couch and bed-"

"They can take the couch then."

That wasn't the answer Shadow wanted. "I take the couch."

"And now it's for them. You can sleep outside if you're going to be a pain about all of this." Knuckles was up on his feet. "If not, we can just share a bed."

"Share a- Are you serious?" The thought of that was making him all flustered. "Also there's two of them! They can't just share a couch!"

[chaossensitive]

Hearing about the old injury didn’t help to ease all of the hero’s worry but he was willing to drop it for the time being. If Bless said he was good, Aether would believe him. If it turned out he needed help. It wasn’t that hard to get the werehog to a place where he could be looked at. They weren’t that far out in the woods. Just far enough that the tussle didn’t grab the attention of anyone nearby.

It was early enough in the evening that most places were still open.

“Chilidogs around here…. Hmmmm.” A hand went to his chin after he finished putting his gloves back on.

One tap, then a second before he snapped his fingers. “Yup! I know the perfect spot and it’s only a few miles.”

At hedgehog speed. It would have been a few seconds, but werehog was likely going to take a bit longer. Just meant they could keep talking as they went. Aether took to hopping from foot to foot with a smile.

“When you’re ready.”

He accepted the offered hand without a second thought, one of his own coming up.

"I'm fine- Egghead's hit me way worse." Really, he would've preferred to leave it at that- but,...it didn't take more than a few seconds for Aether to realize something was, in fact, amiss. "No, I don't need a hospital- that injury was actually way worse when I first got it."

"It just started hurting after I got sent to the ground." He chuckled good-naturedly, resisting the urge to try to scratch the scar. "Sorry- I didn't want to cut the fight short." Bless offered an apologetic grin full of fangs. Honestly, he didn't like the limitation, regardless. But nothing could be done, save living with it. "I've considered getting some sort of brace so that quill sags less- but the damage itself is permanent."

There was no point worrying over something he was stuck with.

"Besides, I'm sure Nodesy would rip me a new one if I got injured from a light-hearted spar." How to ease the situation... "Any chance you know of a good place for chilidogs, that's not too far for a werehog? Either that, or I can use my portal gun." He could also go for a drink- but he'd worry about that when the last of the dancing black spots in his vision cleared up. And when the sparks of pain settled.

[chaossensitive]

Out of the two, Phanes had been the one to see the way both hedgehogs moved towards one another. Nothing was said about it, just filed away in his mind as one more difference between worlds. At least now they knew of two different alternates of one another who had chosen their path differently.

Clawed fingers continued to comb the hero’s quills while listening to their options.

“Luckily, Tails seems to have finished the machine but the issues have been calibrating it.” The trouble with their transporter was that it needed to hone in on a Chaos Signature and not always could it find the correct hedgehog.

“That works…” The idea of the Warp Ring was fine by the speedster. His voice was low but not enough that he couldn’t be heard and carefully he attempted to push himself up into a sitting position.

“Stubborn…” Despite the frown on Phanes’ face. Always pushing himself more than he should… For appearances. He helped his companion to sit straight, well mostly.

Aether still rested his head on the other’s shoulder but at least now he felt like he was part of the conversation. “Just give me… a bit… I’ll be good t’ go.”

the best thing they could take away at the moment was that the other speedster was okay. or, at the very least, alive. 'okay' might have been pushing it a little bit but the two were safe there and that's what mattered. though sonic and amy were both a little taken aback watching the scene unfold before them.

yeah, totally weird.

it took them both a moment to recompose themselves, though not without the two of them stepping a little closer to one another. it could have been a reassurance of sorts, or maybe nothing at all. regardless they had other things to worry about, and hearing about their tails and his transporter made them both snicker.

"that tracks. guess tails is a genius no matter what zone you're in. ours has one too...er, sort of. he's still working on a few functions." amy tapped her chin for a moment. "you could use that, but we can't promise it'll work the first time..."

❝ it usually does, ❞ sonic corrected, waving a hand. ❝ main problem is that tails always thinks it needs this tune up and that light strip so he's always working on it, which doesn't guarantee it's in one piece when we actually need it. ❞

which was ironic, really, but it wasn't the only way the hedgehog thought they could help. a glance at one another was enough to let them both know they were thinking the same thing. they didn't want the other speedster to suffer if they didn't need to. there was no telling what another expose might lead to.

"the other option is we could use our warp ring. that just means we'd have to wait around an hour before we could come back home, but if it helps you two get back it's worth it."

[chaossensitive]

That was all the pair could ask for. That if the family ever needed a favor they would need only ask from the couple and they would happily offer assistance in any way. The werehog’s tail wagged before he shifted focus to the options. Sweet Gaia was there a lot that could go into such a device.

Emerald eyes met with crimson in silent conversation.

“I think being able to do coordinates would be helpful. In case we want to visit some of the people we’ve met in passing.” Aether looked to Phanes for the subtle nod. “Everything else just seems a bit flashy… if ya ask me.”

While the hero still occasionally liked to show off, it was different when it was an item they carried on them. There was a reason both hedgehogs had rather mundane cell phones.

The only thing he even jokingly considered flashy could be Phanes’ fake chaos emerald, but that was a different story.

“Thank you again, Kintobor, and Arrow.” The striped hedgehog gave a nod to each in turn before he looked to Lyra with a smirk. “Now since your father and grandfather aren’t willing to take a favor. Why don’t we offer to you. What can Aether and I do for you as thanks for them helping us?”

{➹} – FOR LYRA IT was the most natural thing, and Arrow couldn't say he wasn't thankful for that. He wasn't daft, however, and imagined that her relationship with the would-be human would be problematic in the future. A bridge they would cross when they came to it, but for now the hero was happy that Kintobor had fallen into the role.

And, in a way, it was perfect given how the older hedgehog's family was all adoptive. A little cooky, very unique. He wouldn't change it for anything.

Plus there was no doubt Arrow had taken on some of the man's mannerisms not just when he had been younger, but over the years. The accent was just one of them. Dismissing favors? Another.

"We'll keep it in mind," he would give the pair that much, and a quirky smile to go along with it. One that may have been telling but he said nothing else, looking to Kintobor at the lingering question. Even Lyra tilted her head, though she had very little idea what the adults were talking about.

The hologram was clearly doing a few mental calculations. "I can't imagine more than a week or two, depending on how thorough you want us to be. As in, how many features you want in it. All can get you from one place to another, ideally, but others have beacons and the ability to put in coordinates. Some even light up."

Arrow snorted at that one.

[chaossensitive]

While the reaction was far more hidden on the striped hedgehog’s features, Aether knew that the young hedgehog’s mannerisms hit hard. When she ducked behind his leg, the hero watched his companion stop moving. Crimson eyes followed the hoglet for a bit before taking one of the plates from the table while Aether took the other.

“Come on kiddo. Shads and I know the perfect spot to eat this snack.” One finger was offered to Jazz as the three made their way out of the kitchen. With Phanes leading the way, it was a slow walk so that their guest could get a view from the windows lining the hallway. The beautiful planet below them outlined by so many stars.

The view was even better from the observation deck. A line of pillows and blankets sat against the far window, and had a full view of the planet. Twinkling lights from the far off cities. Quite the sight to enjoy a snack from as Phanes took a seat and gestured to the largest pillow. “Make yourself at home.”

Aether took the seat next to Phanes and offered the plate he’d been carrying. Legs crossed under him as he took the other plate and took a bite. “Whatcha think Jazz? Is it a good snacking spot or what?”

Jazz's nose scrunched up at Aether's words, and she was about to protest until a different familiar face showed up. She didn't stare long at Shadow, quickly taking the blue hedgehog's hand so she could get off the counter and quickly move to hide slightly behind his legs.

It looked a lot like her dad. Enough that she wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to act. It wasn't that her dad had been awful to her, he just... never seemed interested in what she was doing. It made it really hard for her to know how to interact with him.

Which unfortunately was transferring over to Phanes. She had no clue how to interact with any Shadow. She was much more comfortable with who she was still choosing to believe was her Uncle Sonic than him. "...okay..."

[chaossensitive]

Seeing her excitement at the mention of being in space, Aether could help but chuckle. He set the dirty knife in the sink to be cleaned later and had been just about to come over and help Jazz off the counter when she paused. Both hands came to rest on either side of the counter as the hero crouched down so that she could look into his eyes.

“Not exactly kiddo.” Now it was the hedgehog’s turn to pause. How was he going to explain this to the little one without freaking her out. “I want ya to take a good look at me, okay. I’m a different Sonic from the one ya know and the Shadow here is different from your dad.”

“You don’t have to worry though.” Emerald eyes turned to the doorway, where Phanes stood. They shared a moment when their eyes met. A silent conversation that ended with the striped hedgehog nodding. “Sonic and I will make sure you get home safely.”

He made his way closer to the pair as Aether stood and offered the young hoglet a hand, his features soft with just a hint of a smile. “Until then, you can enjoy your snack out on the observation deck.”

She soon turned her attention away from her surroundings, catching his wink enough to give a smile back at him. The girl seemed to lean in as he prepared their snack, watching carefully as if to memorize how he was doing it. Not that anyone would let her have a knife like that anytime soon at her age.

Once it seemed like it was all set, she carefully grabbed a slice and gladly ate it as her question was answered. "In space?" There was a look of awe on her face. "Can I see?" It wasn't that Jazz didn't believe him - she knew he wouldn't lie about something like this - but she wanted to see for herself that they were in space.

Although in her attempt to almost wiggle off of the counter, she paused at a different thought. "....Shads...?" Oh. That made her wiggle back onto the counter. She had heard that nickname before. "...Daddy's here...?"

[chaossensitive]

The inside of the kitchen looked to be more like one would see in the back of a restaurant or school. Industrial steel for most of the prep tables and appliances. Clearly meant for feeding more than just a hungry hedgehog and his little tag along, yet Aether moved as if he had the whole things memorized. From where the apples were stored in the fridge, to the knife he’d need to cut them and spread the peanut butter on.

“Skin it is.” He grinned and offered a wink while getting to work at cutting up the apples into slices perfect for the girl’s little fingers. “I like the skin on too.”

Both apples were cut and the middle removed with the seeds. A liberal amount of peanut butter was applied to each piece and set on a plate within reach. All while the hedgehog took in the last question with a soft hum.

“Well, kiddo, it’s just me and Shads here. Everyone else is at home.” He paused. “Remember where I said ya were? The Ark’s all the way in space, and everyone else is down on the planet.”

Out of everything, he was hoping that information wasn’t about to freak her out.

Jazz could recall what a chili dog was. She remembered Sonic eating it plenty of times before, and had tried it herself once. It was definitely way to messy for someone her age though, recalling how her mother scolded Sonic for the mess that had been made. At least Sonic had been willing to take responsibility and clean it all up easily.

The young hedgehog seemed to be taking in her surroundings as they made their way to their destination, comfortably sitting on the counter as if she did it plenty of times before. Her eyes yet again wandering, and wondering if her mom ever tried to cook in this kitchen. It looked so similar and different to the one she knew at home.

"Um..." She turned back towards Aether, a thoughtful look on her face. "Mommy says skin is good for you." And she believed her mom a lot. "And its sometimes yummy. 'Specially with peanut butter." She was fine with the skin. "Where is everybody?"

[chaossensitive]

“Nice t’ meet ya Spidey.” More than used to meeting strange individuals in his life, a masked hero wasn’t going to set off any alarm bells. Not that he was really all that worried that the other could do anything to him. He could move at the speed of sound, not much could keep up there.

Which was why he was completely relaxed there on the roof and let out a genuine laugh at the comment of his name. One finger was raised and waggled, going right along with his grin. “Gotta have parents to get a name, but I got it from the locals in the village I grew up near. Since I could always go at these supersonic speeds, it only seemed fitting. Don’tcha think?”

Not exactly an answer to being a hero, but a bit more into the hedgehog’s past. He shook his head at the last question.

“I ain’t the invading type. That’s more Eggman’s schtick. I prefer just seeing the world and what it has to offer, ya know?” While he spoke, one had reached into his quills to pull out a cell phone. The screen lit up when he held it, showing a picture of a planet from space. “I’ll probably have to call Tails or Shadow to see if either of them can get me home. And if that doesn’t work. I might have to call someone else. No big deal.”

The phone was tucked back beneath blue quills, as if it had never been there. Who knew what else the hero stashed in there, it wasn’t like anyone would reach in to look. But emerald eyes shifted from the skyline to the white parts of the other’s mask with a smirk. “Why? Ya wanna get rid of me already, Spidey? Don’t tell me I’m cramping your style.”

It was subtle, but a brow raised under that mask and the whites of it seemed to follow. Not a stranger to crazy organizations? That was interesting, but at the same time the other seemed pretty relaxed about being in a new world (and a total alien among humans) and clearly had powers of their own. He hadn't seen anyone as fast as the blue thing. No one.

Nonetheless the hand was taken, carefully but firmly. Miles didn't need to crush the poor thing just because he got overly excited. "Nah, you can call me Spider-Man. Everyone around here knows me. Some love me, some think I'm just a punk, but eh, what can you do? I'm just trying to do right by me and my family."

That was the gist of it but he didn't want to give too much away. Until he knew more about the hedgehog it was best to be a little cautious. They seemed nice but even the teen knew that looks could be deceiving. He had seen it too many times in his short time as a hero. Speaking of...

"But Sonic, huh? That sounds pretty hero-ish too. Or that your parents really liked science to some degree. Either is pretty cool, actually," he said after a moment of thought, cupping his jaw. "But you mentioned crossing dimensions...how did you do that without meaning too? Do you have a way back? Are more of you going to come invade us?"

[chaossensitive]

Aether wasn’t about to bear all of his weight on his alternate. Especially not after the yell that the match was officially over. The moment Bless called out his surrender, the hero shifted himself back to his hedgehog form and moved to get out of the way.

Even with trying to mask it was a light hearted laugh, he could tell something was up.

“Ya alright, though? I didn’t smack ya too hard into the ground, did I?” They had been going all out, but as far as he knew, neither of them had any intention of causing actual harm to the other. The hero’s ears flicked back as he helped the other to his feet.

It was only after he circled the other that he noticed the way Bless’ quills laid. “Oh geez! I didn’t do that, did I? Shit… Did ya need me to call somebody?”

He'd laughed. Bless would no doubt need to call it quits, soon. His body was starting to protest, his scar burning. He dodged that incoming hand- only to realize it was aiming up.

And his alternate was incoming. Bless tried to dodge, unable to fully escape. An outstretched arm clocked him clear across the face- and he went tumbling down. Stars burst to life, pain flaring as Bless hit the ground. All the same, he tried to let out a good-natured laugh.

"I surrender!" As much as he'd rather keep fighting- there came a time when one needed to give up. Only when he was freed did he sit up with a muffled groan- but no less of a grin on his features.

"Sorry, but I gotta tap out." He laughed. "You pack a real punch, Aether!"

[chaossensitive]

“From what we’ve learned in some of our accidental travels, is that not everything is the same.” As much as Aether had wanted to be able to give them hope of finding something for the younger hedgehog to help with his memories, they had to be realists. “There might not be a journal in this dimension depending on how you grew up.”

Emerald eyes watched Shadow carefully as he looked at the old photo. It wasn’t one that the hero saw often as Phanes kept it tucked in his quills all the time unless he was sleeping or showering. To see such a bright smile on his companions’ face, even if he was just a young hoglet in it…

It made his chest feel light.

Both hedgehogs listened and watched the interaction between the pair. A familiar look if there was one and Aether glanced to Phanes. Ruby hues meeting emerald and a shrug was given with one striped arm. The multiverse was full of different individuals.

While it seemed so strange to the two of them that they would have ended up with someone so different from one another, they were happy where they were. At least in terms of their bond. The location they were currently in was still an issue.

“We… do have a way to get home…”

“But it involves me using Chaos Control and that will trigger another episode for Aether when we get home…”

"Everything...?" Knuckles was baffled by the idea. He didn't remember much about Gerald but he understood who the man was. The basics at least. A journal that detailed everything though.... and sounded like in GUN's possession? He was going to have to bring this up with Rouge.

Shadow's eyes couldn't leave the picture once Phanes had shared it. It felt as if somewhere at the edges of his mind he could feel the familiarity. The memories that were buried were trying to pull forward. But they couldn't come. Something blocked their way and it gave him a headache.

He brought a hand up to press against his head as the photo disappeared from view. "I've seen her before..."

The hedgehog almost jumped at a sudden hand against his arm. His nose wrinkled in confusion as he stared at his companion. "He's right." Knuckles said. "If there's one thing Sonic and Tails have taught me, is that I don't have to be alone." There was a small smile on the echidna's face. "And I believe someone once told me I didn't have to guard this island alone either."

Shadow had come to live on this island. It was home to him as much as it was to it's native guardian. A gentle squeeze of the arm was given. "Neither of us have to be alone anymore."

The hedgehog couldn't help but stare at that hand before quickly turning his head away. Only a small grunt of acknowledgement.

Good enough. Knuckles couldn't help an amused grin. "Alright, well since you two have decided to help him out a bit, I guess we owe ya a favor."

"I'm sure they would appreciate a way home."

"And how do you imagine we do that without getting close to the Master Emerald, smart stuff?"

[chaossensitive]

“Kinda comes with the territory of being a hero.” That much the speedster could say without hesitation. When one spent oh so many years fighting an egotistical megalomaniac with an obsession with robots and turning living things into them. Odd weaponry just became a day to day thing.

Really, the hero was starting to wonder if he should be worried when people didn’t greet him with a weapon.

“Glad to hear we don’t have to throw down. We haven’t had lunch yet and I really didn’t want to take out the hangry on ya.” Despite the roll of Shadow’s eyes, Sonic just smiled and gestured around them while spinning in a small circle. “Nice t’ meet ya Ekko and none taken. Long as ya don’t call me a rodent, we’ll get along fine.”

“You’re on Mobius. Another planet, if not another dimension.” Shadow picked up where Sonic had left off, watching as the hero soon came to rest near him as he always did. “I’m not sure how you arrived, so I’m also not sure how you’re going to get home.”

Might as well get the bad news out of the way as quickly as possible.

"You get a lot of people pointing things at you?" It was hard to tell if he meant it as a joke or honest question, but a brow quirked oh-so-slightly as he looked at the blue one. Part of him already thought he knew the answer. The only types of people he knew of who were so calm when something like that was directed at them were either the ones who were used to it, or didn't fear it.

He couldn't tell which one it was this time around, but he was feeling a little like it was a bit of both. One for the blue one, and the other scenario for the black one whose gaze he was well aware of. The faint twitch of his lips said that he hadn't missed the joke, even saw some truth in it, before he sighed.

In one swift motion, the 'sword' was twirled once before being sheathed along his back, joining the odd canister back there. The weight of either didn't seem to bother him in the least as he folded his arms, giving a shrug.

"Fine, fine. I'm not really looking for a fight anyway. You get sick of them after a while." No more explanation there as he looked between the two. One name seemed fitting, the other? Not so much. But who was he to judge? "Ekko. And I guess the first question is where am I? We have some unique characters where I'm from, but nothing like you two. Uh, no offense."

[chaossensitive]

OOC: Why is my brain such sludge lately? I am having a hell of a time getting it to do anything beyond mindlessly doom scroll.

Doesn't help that things just feel off. Be patient with me, folks. I'm struggling.

[chaossensitive]

"Technically, we're not actual brothers, but I raised him from a kit, so he's my brother." That would always be how Aether looked at it. He even grinned when the portal opened, and he could see the fox in question waiting for them.

Even though it clearly was the middle of the night where he was, Tails raised a hand in greeting to the young hedgehog following the hero.

"Not exactly who I was expecting when you said we." Blue eyes shifted from Aether to the boy. "Nice to meet you, Andie."

"Mind if we stick around for a bit? Least til morning."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sure..." Tails let out another yawn. "Just keep the volume down on the tv, okay? I have a presentation tomorrow in Professor Pickle's class that I can't miss."

And with that, the portal to the preteen's world was closed. Tails returned up the stairs to his bedroom while Aether led the way into the living room. A comfortable couch and coffee table beside an unlit fireplace. The television on the far wall was off, even as the hero grabbed the remote.

"If ya wanna nap, feel free, or we can watch some movies until Tails gets up. I'd make us something t' eat, but I'm not the best coo,k and I'm banned from using anything but the microwave."

Andie couldn't help the giggle at Aether's silliness. It helped the preteen relax even more from the tense moment they had, even though it was definitely at the back of his mind. At least the other seemed to be doing better too.

The golden hedgehog watched the other as he brought out his phone, curiosity painting his features. "You have a brother...?" Somehow it seemed odd to him. Not that it was weird, but he never really considered the fact Sonic the hedgehog had a brother of all things.

"And he can make portals?" Andie asked. Not that portals were surprising, but each one seemed so different. Even this one did as Aether gave gave the kid a nudge, resulting in a small smile before his eyes widened. That must be Tails.

With that, Andie got onto his feet, making sure to help Aether up to his feet after the whole ordeal before making his way to the portal. "You're Tails!" An obvious statement, but more of his way of confirming the information. "I'm Andie!"

[chaossensitive]

Nothing was spoken of the other's silent conversation. Mainly because Phanes' attention was entirely on the hero as he lay on the couch. No matter how often he saw it, the striped hedgehog hated seeing Aether in so much pain, agony, and after-effects that left him struggling once he came to.

Gentle hands rubbed the speedster's back when he came to. He was also thankful that nothing had come up, as it was one less thing to clean up.

"Lay still. Let your body recover." He spoke softly into a folded blue ear. A single twitch to show he'd been heard, but that didn't mean the hero was willing to let go just yet. "Sonic... There are othe-..."

"don't care... come'ere..." Muffled, slurred, and desperate. The hazy emerald eyes pleaded until Phanes let out a sigh and got up from where he was crouched. With a little bit of careful maneuvering, the hero's head rested in his lap as he looked back to Aether's alternate.

They needed to talk about things one day, but today wouldn't be it.

"I'll likely have to call Tails and see if he's managed to get his teleporter working." While speaking, one hand moved to begin combing the blue quills as the hero closed his eyes again. Not sleeping but resting as he'd been asked. His large ears flicked and shifted to show he was paying attention, somewhat, to the conversation between them.

"If that doesn't work. I have enough energy from our arrival that I can Chaos Control us back... But..." He paused as Aether gave a shiver against his legs. "as you can see. That's not ideal."

things were so random at the moment amy probably wouldn't have cared about her couch, she was more worried about the other hedgehog and so was her partner, though he was hiding it better. with a nod she turned towards the kitchen to make the tea, though not without a look to sonic that was both confused and actually bewildered.

in response the speedster gave a sort of half nod and half shrug. he didn't want to assume anything, but the way the other two, shadow mainly, acted towards the other...

they could talk about that later. and how weird it was.

❝ huh, so he can't handle being around it and transported here. pretty ironic if you ask me, ❞ he mused, looking at his alternate with contemplation. this might have been the first time he had met a version of himself that wasn't buddy-buddy with the energy in question.

"we don't have chaos energy here," amy would explain, knowing there would be questions since her teammate hadn't elaborated. she didn't know what her sonic had seen at the volcano but she never stopped preparing the other's tea as she watched the other blue hedgehog shift. though she knew it had to be something with the way her partner stiffened just a little.

and again, she was thankful the other didn't actually lose their lunch on her couch. not that it would have been the first mess the poor furniture had seen but it was one less thing to worry about.

but leave it to her partner to focus on the present. ❝ so...what now? i mean, obviously he needs to rest, but how are you two going to get back? ❞

[chaossensitive]

They would cross that bridge when it came to it. Aether wasn't going to force the hero or his family to take anything they had to offer, but he did want to at least pay them back somehow for all the help they had given them.

Even if it was something as simple as letting the couple have a romantic dinner in the observation deck of the Ark, as the hedgehogs themselves enjoyed doing on occasion.

Still, the werehog watched the interaction between toddler and hologram. Never before would he have ever thought that someone who looked like a skinny version of the evil mastermind would be called a grandpa in such an excited tone. It helped him to relax further as attention returned to him.

"With everything you both have done for us. We at least owe ya a favor or two." He'd even take just being asked to watch Lyra for them again or maybe rope Tails into letting Kintobor look at some of his more recent inventions that the pair had been using to get around.

"They do say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Phanes added with a small amount of amusement in his voice. "But our offers remain. If you need something from us, we're happy to help."

"So... How long will it take for one of those Ring things to be made anyway?"

{➹} – ARROW ONLY GAVE his alternate a look, maybe curious but also reaffirming that the pair didn't have to do anything. Whatever happened he would leave that ball in their court, knowing full well that he would have been rather stubborn on the matter himself. Something to consider later as Lyra's cheer brought the hero back to the matter at hand.

"Gran'pa!" Little hands reached for the projection, and she received a cheery smile in turn from the scientist. One only a grandparent could give. Usually Kintobor would have opted for his other form, but with strangers he could never be sure that it would go over well.

Plus he himself felt safer in holoform, but he still addressed Phanes normally. "We should have all we need here but if we find ourselves lacking anything I will be in touch. This is something you want to get right the first time."

He didn't need to elaborate on why and he knew that. Everyone in the room, except maybe one, knew the reason for it, but the man was confident, as was his adopted son. Plus there had yet to be a single thing Arrow had seen Porker or Tekno really fail at tech-wise, so there was nothing to worry about.

As for Aether's offer, Kintobor just shook his head. Something Arrow expected. "But you are correct, I have everything I need. There is no need to waste the effort on me."

Looking at his alternate, the older hero raised a brow. "Where do you think I got it from?"

[chaossensitive]

A bit of rough handling was hardly a concern for the striped hedgehog. He stayed completely still for Knuckles to get his fill before leaning back and letting his alternate get slightly manhandled. Shadow was clearly struggling with his anger, something he had only managed to overcome a few years ago.

They had a long road ahead of them, but Phanes hoped that Shadow had the same support he had back then.

“Gerald kept a journal of everything his research team was developing.” Phanes couldn’t help the pause, debating on just how much information they could supply to this younger version of himself. How much damage could they do if this information changed their timeline. After another moment of debate, he reached into ebony quills and pulled free the last remaining photo he had of what he considered his family, back then.

“We had no blood relation but I considered Maria a sister.” Hesitantly he extended the photo for Shadow to see. “I got to spend six years with her before her death at the hands of GUN. I’ve since had several years to process my grief and anger.”

“Shads… can’t you…?” The question trailed off as ruby eyes shifted to emerald. The hero’s ears folded and he was the first to glance away.

“I’m not causing you anymore pain than you already dealt with.” Turning back to Shadow, Phanes tucked the photo back into his quills. “It wasn’t easy for me to hear so I don’t assume it would be for you. But taking your frustration and anger out on those around won’t help your memories to return. There is nothing wrong with accepting help from others. It doesn’t make you weak.”

There was a moment where Knuckles pulled his hands back before allowing Phanes to guide him. The echidna was obviously try to keep his hands gentle, knowing that he was fairly strong. Sure this was a version of Shadow, and the hedgehog could take a lot of punches from Knuckles, but it wasn't like he wanted to cause any harm. Despite that he was still slightly rough as he painted himself a picture of what this Shadow looked like.

Things there that weren't on his. It caused the guardian to glance Shadow's way as if he was trying to see the hedgehog again. Shadow glanced between the two of them, slightly confused before he felt Knuckles reach up and pull his arm to lead him to the ground. "Watch it." Shadow grumbled as the echidna started to study his head as well.

Shadow couldn't help but be slightly annoyed as his eyes glanced over at the other two hedgehogs. The way they act was so... friendly. Honestly he couldn't imagine him ever having a relationship like that with his own Sonic. Especially considering-

"Huh." Knuckles said as he pulled away.

"What?"

"Don't worry about it." The echidna answered. He was pondering slightly on the new information he learned before he turned his attention back to their guests. "..Wait, he had a what?" Gerald had a journal? That was definitely news to him.

Although now both of them were wearing a frown. Knuckles couldn't help the shake of his head at Aether's question before turning his head back towards Shadow. His companion's frown was now paired with furrowed brows. "I..."

"I asked already." Knuckles interrupted. "He doesn't know anything."

There was a huff from the hedgehog. "He wasn't asking you." Not that Shadow had a better answer. He glanced towards the other two hedgehogs before he looked away. "...She was someone important, wasn't she? I..."

"Don't think too hard." Knuckles said, his voice gentle. "You'll just get frustrated again."