#'while sonic is willing to do anything to save the world shadow is willing to do anything and everything for the sake of his goals'

[shadowiie]

Sonic is aro confirmed

[tornado1992]

Sonic is acting strange.

From the moment he entered the cave at the top of the mountain and going on even after Shadow finished the battle, he was more energetic, talking faster than usual, to his friends’s eyes happier than they had ever seen him before. But deep inside his mind and heart, he felt more melancholic than anything.

Rouge said something about to going visit Shadow, wherever he’d gone, though it’s not probable that Shadow would gift her a powerful gem of inter dimensional proportions, it’s still a possibility. He finds himself comfortable with the idea of either of them guarding it, after all, Shadow would never let it bring chaos to their lives again, and now he knows Rouge it’s a better leader than he could ever be, they both would make the right call.

Sparring with Knuckles was as much of a way to get the stress out of his system as it is a reminder that the guardian isn’t a glory driven danger prone sailor, nor a extremely paranoid jungle survivor, and definitely not a soldier willing to hit an 8 year old if it means saving the world, no, he’s just Knucks. Ready to put him back in his tracks every time he goes off, same old Knucklehead.

Asking Amy to help him bake a cake to celebrate their victory on the mountain took her by surprise, not expecting Sonic to have the consideration or patience to think about and prepare that kind of gift just so their friends would enjoy it together. But what really shook her to the core was how many times he thanked her through the making, in his mind just one of those “thank you” was for the cake, the rest of them were for everything else.

Tails knows Sonic is acting strange.

it wasn’t just the sudden consideration on his words and actions, but also the eagerness to just spend time with them, an insane amount of time in which he paid attention to everyone and everything, he looked to the sea as if it was more of a new racetrack than an obstacle to his speed, he turned his sight to the sky as if he’d forgotten it was blue, and gazed to the palm trees as if he’d never seen one before. But most of it all, between his friends and the rest of the world, Sonic was looking at him.

It wasn’t the normal look he’d give him everyday, being the only one Sonic hadn’t been alone with since the mountain battle was weird enough, they would usually race and joke together after every battle, but not this time; Sonic was actively keeping him at arms length while never getting his eyes off of him, It didn’t matter who was Sonic talking to or what was he doing, if Tails was around, he was looking at him.

Every time he was smiling he would look back to see if he was smiling too, when one of his friends tried to approach him Sonic would instantly get in their way without any more reason than to talk to them, if there was a sudden movement or loud noise Sonic would turn to him as if to expect him to be gone, the calmness in his body being noticeable every time he found him.

It felt wrong, it felt distant, it felt as if he was a problem. He hasn’t felt like this in years.

Hours and hours later when their friends finally got too tired of watching Sonic’s odd behavior they all went their own way for the night, with Rouge just disappearing in the dark, Knuckles claiming he had places to be, and Amy saying the day had drained her and she needed sleep, Sonic and Tails were finally alone.

The walk to Tails’ lab was quick, but quiet. The silence prevailed all the way before they entered the house and closed the door, then it wasn’t quiet anymore.

With the way Sonic practically launched himself over Tails knocking the air out of him as he hugged the kit tightly, both falling to the floor as Sonic held him against his chest with one hand while the other one placed itself securing the fox’s head just below Sonic’s chin. Tails was quiet, way too shocked with the sudden affection after a whole day of being so close while feeling so far away. But Sonic’s sobs and whimpers weren’t quiet at all.

They were loud and broken, not forming any comprehensible words as hiccups broke in every time it seemed like he was actually trying to say something, as if he held back from crying for hours, It felt guilty, sorrowful, and desperate.

Tails found himself breaking his silence and asking repeatedly “what’s wrong?!” as he reciprocated the hug just for Sonic to tighten his arms around him, breaking into fully crying this time, with a sea of tears falling from the speedster’s eyes to the genius’ head, not letting him go even for a second, not loosening his grip after what felt like hours of holding his little brother, who held him back just as tightly.

Even if the tears stopped, their embrace didn’t, with the morning warmth closer than midnight’s coldness the blue hedgehog found himself surrounding the sleepy fox as he fought sleep’s calling to stay with his big brother.

“I love you” was muttered to the boy’s ears as he was claimed by the land of dreams, in which he could fly all day with the shining star he called his brother.

Tails wasn’t sure if that whisper was part of his dream. Sonic knew it wasn’t

[son1c]

i'm thinking so deeply about my sonic prime au... of course, sonic and the boscage crew succeed at their little game of hacky sack. sonic catches the shard right as he grabs hold of shadow's hand and they both get zapped out of there. the prism shard falls to the forest floor and the megaflora is FURIOUS at they lost their precious "gift"... their rapacious roar follows him out into the void, but it's already over. they can't reach him or shadow anymore. as the two of them pass through the gate to no place, sonic curls around shadow (who hasn't moved or said a word) while their momentum sends them into a free fall.

in an awesome moment of coincidence, there just so happens to be a small wooden skiff floating empty in the vast sea below them. sonic manages to point himself and shadow toward it, and they're able to get on board (though sonic basically had to drag shadow's limp body over the side). the boat is in pretty rough shape, with seaweed growing over the bow and a strong sense that no one has used it in many years. but it still floats, and that's better than treading water, so sonic is grateful.

sonic hasn't let go of shadow. they're both sitting in the boat, but shadow has this dead-eyed stare to him that freaks sonic the fuck out. he saved him, right? they're in a totally different world now, so the plants can't get to him anymore... right? well, yeah. that much is true. but after spending weeks under their green thumb, shadow's not unchanged.

behind that blank stare, shadow is waiting for the plants to tell him what to do. but it's so deafeningly quiet that it unnerves him. it wakes him up. slowly, he comes to his senses. and that's when he asks sonic if he's free and those sketches i made take place. after being forced to work and move and fight nonstop for those weeks by the plants, shadow is exhausted. he's finally free... and that means he can finally rest.

and sonic could wake him up. he could be like, well, i'm happy you're back, but we gotta save the universe NOW... but he's already fucked up once by ignoring his friends. he already destroyed the universe once by being hasty. so, he doesn't do that. and he lets shadow sleep as the little boat rocks softly on the waves...

i think shadow wakes up first. and for a minute, he's back to that almost catatonic state like, he's suffering from Plant Withdrawal(TM) or something. but then the disgust settles in and he snaps out of it again. finally, he remembers where he is and who he's with and he's able to take in, for the first time, just how BEAT UP sonic is. because it was no east task fighting through a whole jungle of killer plants just to save him. and ofc sonic wouldn't show it... he's tough... but shadow can see with his eyes that he's injured.

so he uses his chaos powers to help sonic heal. and when sonic wakes up he feels really good, and can see the last of the glow fading from shadow as his powers recede. and he understands without words that that was his "thank you."

but yeah, i wanted them to be alone for this so they could have a cinematic moment where the sunrise is coming over the vast sea, and they have a little handshake of understanding, and sonic grins his wide determined grin and things finally look like they're gonna start getting Better. like maybe they Can do this. now that they're working together. now that shadow understands that sonic truly regrets his mistake and is willing to do ANYTHING in order to fix it... which sonic proved by nearly destroying himself to save shadow. yk? i just think it really works.

[boomstyle]

Dexter the Hedgehog

Name: Dexter the Hedgehog Species: Hedgehog Age: 11

Appearance: Dexter has silver fur with teal eyes. He has a grey streak on the edge of his top quills and the top of his head. He has two small quills with rounded edges that curve upward, as well as three larger spines on the back of his head. He wears a short blue asymmetrical cape adorned with large red jewel brooches, and the cape is lined with a lighter blue color. His royal blue leather shoes are decorated with Chinese embroidery of clouds and decorative lines, with a red jewel pendant in the middle.

Personality: Dexter is intelligent, determined, and strong-willed. He is a natural leader and strives to uphold his moral values and principles. Dexter is organized, methodical, and a perfectionist, always striving for excellence in everything he does. He is a caring individual, willing to sacrifice his own needs for the greater good of the Sonic multiverse. However, Dexter can be secretive and manipulative, willing to do morally questionable things to achieve his goals. He has a tendency to be stubborn and can clash with others who have a more impulsive and reckless nature, such as Sonic. He is also very vindictive and resentful so he would do anything to give justice to those who hurt him.

Background: Dexter hails from the Ruthen dimension, which fell under the tyranny of Ruthen Eggman. He witnessed the deaths of several rebellions and fought against the oppressive rule. Dexter's grandmother, Mei Hua, revealed the existence of the Lost Scroll, holding the secret of the Supreme Crystal, motivating Dexter to leave his dimension and search for it to save the multiverse.

Purpose: Dexter's main purpose is to save the Sonic multiverse and maintain its balance. He seeks the Lost Crystal of Power to prevent its misuse and protect the realms from destruction. Dexter is driven by a sense of justice and a desire to liberate oppressed dimensions from the clutches of tyrants.

Combat Ability: Dexter possesses supernatural speed, strength, durability, agility, and reflexes inherited from his grandfather, Boom Shadow. His force field manipulation grants him defensive capabilities, and he excels in hand-to-hand combat. However, he struggles with using weapons and lacks proficiency in that area.

Non-combatant Ability: Dexter is a skilled planner and strategist, adept at analyzing situations and formulating effective strategies. He is also a fast learner and possesses knowledge in various languages, including Chinese, English, Russian, Serbian, French, and Italian. Dexter is also capable of cooking and cleaning, honed during his nomadic lifestyle.

Hobbies: Dexter enjoys reading and writing, appreciating the power of knowledge and the written word. He finds solace and relaxation in delving into books and expanding his understanding of the world.

Relationships: Dexter has a strong bond with Aeron, appreciating his calm and intelligent nature. Sonic, while sometimes clashing due to their different personalities, shares a common goal and forms a powerful partnership with Dexter. Dexter's relationships with others, such as Mei Hua and the rebellion members, contribute to his journey and provide him with valuable support and guidance. However, Sonic in his dimension while not exactly Scourge pretty much treated him as a threat because as grandson of Boom Shadow, he rival Sonic. In the end, Dexter gained the support of Ruthen team sonic to kicked Ruthen Sonic out.

Overall, Dexter is a determined and resourceful hedgehog on a mission to save the Sonic multiverse. While he possesses incredible abilities, he also faces personal challenges and flaws that shape his character and relationships.

[welcome-to-green-hills]

Hello Mystery? :3 ...Want another scenario? Been thinking this one over yesterday, featuring...our favourite pink, hammer-wielding, adorable Hedgehog :3 Hope you like it!

"Are you sure you'd like to do this?"

Amy asked curiously, sitting in front of Maddie's vanity mirror in the bedroom. It was just the two ladies today. Tom was with the others in the garden - they could hear Sonic and Knuckles arguing over a point in the game, and Tails offering to come up with a way of telling who won (While hearing Rouge teasing them and you could hear Shadow shaking his head in disapproval from upstairs).

"Of course I'd love to do this. We all deserve to have some time to look refreshed." Maddie responded, laughing a little, as she started to brush through Amy's quills.

"My quills may be sharp."

"Oh, don't worry. I've had more than enough practice with Sonic's quills and Knuckles' dreads. I think I'm immune to...quill pricking now."

Amy couldn't help but giggle. She was nervous, but deep down, she'd been looking forward to spending some one-on-one time with Maddie.

She remembered when she first saw Maddie. This confident woman, no, mother, who would do anything for her boys - even if her boys came from another world. They clearly were a family of love...not genetics. No matter what that lousy G.U.N. kept trying to pester.

And during this last endeavour, Tom and Maddie joined in with a lot more action than they'd probably thought of...but they would gladly do it all over again for their family.

Amy remembered Maddie with a little bag, full of small, but powerful gadgets of all sorts - clearly the smarts of Tails' genius!

Amy giggled a bit, "You were cool out there."

Maddie looked curiously, brushing Amy's quills gently, "Hm?

"You had a bag full of Tails' weapons over your shoulder. You were awesome!"

"Oh! Hehe, that was all Tails' idea. He learned of how I ended up using his little gadgets before, when I had to save my boys from G.U.N. in Hawaii. He was stunned to learn how I used them. So...he got me a little backpack, and made a bunch of them for me to use - only when necessary of course."

"Wow! Really?"

"Yep. It's fun too. I both get to be a part of the action...and fulfill my childhood dream of being some super cool spy action hero with a bag of wacky but powerful gadgets."

Amy could only giggle. Maddie wasn't wrong. She was clearly an idol to admire.

"And you clearly know how to stand against a big villain too. You were amazing with that hammer of yours. Even Knuckles tried using it...failing miserably."

Amy blushed shyly, "I-I-I don't think I was that good...I just d-did what I have to."

Maddie looked at Amy and smiled warmly, "Your heart is full of love for those around you. You didn't know my boys for even a day, and you were more than willing to go on the front line with them."

Amy nodded a little...

Indeed, Amy joined the battle without knowing the Wachowski family for even a day, but so quickly...she bonded with the Wachowski boys almost immediately. Sonic was amazed with her defiance (And the fact that she was a hedgehog too), Tails was more intrigued with Amy's weapon of choice, and Knuckles admired Amy's odd strength - seriously, she's so far the only person to give him a handshake without breaking her hand.

And Maddie would never forget the end of their last battle...

When everyone thought Sonic and Shadow were gone...

Only to suddenly appear before them! It was so dramatic...but Tails and Knuckles tackled Sonic in a hug, clinging to him desperately to make sure he was really there! Amy watched happily, with tears in her eyes...

Only to hear them call her name...and open their arms...

And Amy joined their huddle!

Tom and Maddie were both struggling to hold back their happy tears...and allowed all their new companions, Amy, the infamous thief Rouge, and even the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow, to join their home.

And very quickly, Tom and Maddie started seeing Amy as a daughter. Amy would always join the boys with their sporting days and usual antics - she and Sonic have earned themselves the nickname 'Disaster Twins' for a reason, you know.

"I...guess I didn't want anything to happen to them...or you."

"And that is okay. You followed your heart, which is what we always encourage. It may scare us...and age us a couple of years, but you kids always try to do the right thing. Out of love."

Amy took in Maddie's words...and smiled softly. There was some feelings in her heart she'd not felt in a very long time.

"Aaaaand...there!"

Amy looked up in the mirror, to see how Maddie styled her quills. Her mouth hung open in awe, admiring the pretty Hedgehog in the mirror - was that really her?

"I think my quill-styles are getting better." Maddie winked, putting a hand on Amy's shoulder, "What do you think?"

Amy could only smile...and tear up a bit.

"T-Thank you...Mom!"

❤️🤩❤️DISASTER TWINS!!!!!!!!!❤️🤩❤️

[steadfastspeed]

bored at work and thinking about my off and on replay of sonic adventure 2, so here have sonic's thoughts on g.u.n.

short version? he really does not like them.

long version? he really does not like them, to the point where he's actually kind of unnerved by them. i mean, it goes without saying that sonic is not a huge fan of militaries in general, but g.u.n. takes it to another level. they rapidly approach eggman levels of dislike on sonic's part, to the point where i think he actually prefers eggman- at least foiling world domination plots is fun.

like... not only did they scapegoat sonic for the chaos emerald theft to cover up shadow's existence ( that's the interpretation i'm going with, anyways ) but they showed zero concern for civilian safety while chasing him down. i mean, sonic can accidentally crash into cars in city escape, sure, but i imagine you can complete the intro section without bumping into one if you're good enough. i am not, lmao.

the g.u.n. truck? there is no way cars weren't flying everywhere. there's no way people were not hurt or killed in that chase! and if the truck was anything like the generations version of it, they came at him with buzzsaws! even if the generations version is simply sonic misremembering the truck as worse than it was, what does it say about what he lived through that moment? considering it took that much to corner and shuttle him off to prison island to begin with, what the hell did they do to arrest him the first time?

then there's the raid on the ark. sonic was disturbed when he heard gerald's final message the first time, but he was able to put it aside fairly easily in order to save the day. in shadow's game, the disturbance comes back in full force when he learns just how old maria was when she was killed; sees that message for shadow from the robotnik family. they killed a child. they didn't just subdue her or give her the option to stand aside, they straight up opened fire on a kid. and he learns this after spending the whole game begrudgingly working alongside them to stave off the black arms. ( and he refuses to spend more time around them than he has to in the first place. he only shows up to back up diablon because he knows he's really the only one capable of going toe to toe with shadow. )

it can be surmised, therefore, that should he ever learn about shadow working for them ( not that that's canon anymore, if i'm remembering correctly, but like- if any shadows out there kept that ) it kind of makes sonic bristle in that protective way. he's not about to tell shadow what to do, of course; if shadow's willing to give g.u.n. a chance, there is nothing sonic can say or do about it no matter how much he dislikes it. it's shadow's life and after all he's been through, he deserves to do whatever the hell he wants within reason. but... he, well, not quite worries, yet it's in the corner of his mind anyways. he considers shadow a friend, and should he find out about any mistreatment of his friend, he absolutely will go to bat for him. this does extend to rouge and maybe omega as well, but like... ( gestures at shadow's everything. )

as a result, sonic tends to visit the united federation way less than other nations on his travels. which is a shame, because he really does love station square and wants to see how it looks rebuilt!

[glapplebloom]

And how a Hedgehog showed me this episode in a different light…

I’m going to do something different with this episode. First, click here to see the original review as well as how it fits in GLAB Canon. While I do believe it is understandable, a lot of people probably still disliked the Yaks until Yona came to the picture. But I want to argue for them and it’s thanks to IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog #56. While the situations are obviously different, I think there is a similar mindset when it comes to these two.

For those who haven’t read it, Surge the Tenrec for the Dragon Ball Android Treatment: kidnapped to become a killing machine. Unlike 17 and 18, Surge suffers because even with the Doctor’s death she still sees visions of him tormenting her. Sonic tries to convince her that she can be good but there’s a problem: she was made to live under his shadow. His continued existence means she’s always going to be the creature made to replace him. And like Metal Sonic, it’s not going away anytime soon.

Luckily for Sonic, Surge is defeated. But before anyone can do anything with her, her partner Kitsune saves her. And he tells them something that really makes me see this episode in a new light: “You don't need me or Surge. You want us. All that matters is what we can do. How you can change us. So you can prove that your way is right.” And as much as Pinkie did wanted to help and how stubborn Prince Rutherford is, you see that happening as soon as Pinkie told them about needing help.

Applejack: Hey! I'll bring apples. This season's batch are extra juicy.

Rarity: And I shall provide the yaks with Equestria's finest textiles. They'll be silky and warm with hints of gold to complement their horns—

Already, it’s them pushing their ideologies to the Yaks. This is probably why the Yaks don’t ask for help: their help may not be the help that they’re looking for. Sure, new supplies and food would be helpful but the fact that it’s THEIR food and supplies is like their subtle way of saying they’re better than you.

You sadly see it sometimes in the real world. Company build something for the school? Expect product placements there. Oh, a country is helping a side against a way. Would benefit them. Oh, someone is trying to end a stereotype online. Shame that the people in question actually like the guy and the only reason behind this action is to be smug about it. The worst to expect from those who want to help is them using their helping for their own gain.

And this is why Prince Rutherford appreciated Pinkie’s help at the end. He knew he needed help but was too proud to admit it. Pinkie knew he needed help and also his pride. The fact Pinkie Pie helped without asking as well as helping restore what was lost and not just replace it showed that Pinkie Pie’s intentions to help was pure. She didn’t want to be smug about it or show her way would be better, she legit wanted to help even if she were to not even get the credit for it.

For some people, asking for help could be the hardest thing. It could be their fear of being seen as weak. It could be fear that whoever is helping has other intentions. But even if the person refuses to ask, they'll be willing to take it if offered to them. Or some random act of kindness happens to drop by their lap with nobody there to take credit for it. And the best way to prove your dedication to help is to not really advertise you’re helping. Nobody may know you’re doing it, but you’ll know.

[dovahkiin796]

Shadow makes a return in The Chao Race arc. But for whatever reason he’s standing in the middle of the street, and he has this weird line to say. Like, does he mean it’s typical he’s bumping into Amy and Rouge again so soon? Also, why was he standing in the middle of the road? Yes, you can say he was crossing it, but the panel above shows him standing in place as if he was waiting for them to show up.

Shadow tries to leave them by hilariously climbing over the guard rail. What are you doing Shadow? Jump over it my dude. They want Shadow to help them fix Omega since he’s Shadow’s friend and valuable member of Team Da... oh who am I kidding? This is IDW Shadow and mandated by Sega Team Dark doesn’t exist and Rouge and Omega aren’t his friends.

Yeah, this is the arc where Shadow begins to rub people the wrong way even more. The fact he has no interest in helping a fellow team member he himself ripped apart as a Zombot. Yes, Shadow wasn’t himself but still.

Here we see Shadow thinking to himself about how he sees no sign of Dr. Eggman’s work in the area. And I’m here thinking to myself “No shit Shadow, Eggman is never subtle at what he does. The man loves to make a show out of almost everything.”

Also, where did he hear the rumor of a bot trader somewhere in the park? Clutch for the most part seemed isolated to this area of the world, and he seems to pick who he wants to trade with. So, it’s not like everyone can get an audience with the man to spread the word that quickly.

But what’s this? Shadow showing the emotion of concern? Surely this can’t be Shadow being three dimensional as a character. Not in the world of IDW he can’t be.

Skipped the chase scene. But Shadow gets his ass handed to him by Starline. Shadow, for some reason is too shocked to use his air shoes or Chaos Control to stop his fall. Like come on, Shadow would not let himself fall from such a high place and not do anything to save himself. 

Now here is when Shadow really starts to show his inner Vegeta. Having a huge but fragile ego. Shadow is really going to kill the guy for simply beating him a fight that only lasted maybe at least ten to fifteen seconds. I don’t hate Shadow will kill a man. He’s the most likely character to cross the line if it’s for a practical reason only. I just don’t like it here.

Shadow makes it into Clutch’s room and sees all the Egg-tech WE don’t see in the panel he’s in on the top of the page. Though I don’t get why Shadow thinks someone who has access to Eggman’s robots means they’re in cahoots with him. Does Shadow not know the concept of a Black Market? Dr. Eggman makes it clear he doesn’t like to share his tech with anyone. He’ll lend some robots to whomever is in a temporary alliance with him as long as they complete the job and don’t make off with his stuff. Dr. Eggman will definitely not let someone make a quick buck off of his inventions.

Shadow sees a mysterious cage with a tarp over it and goes to check it out. When seeing what’s underneath it he’s visibly angry and calls Clutch scum. I know I joked about Shadow showing concern earlier, but I’m glad he is capable of expressing the emotion and can direct his anger at people who deserve it.

Clutch gets Shadow’s boot to his face. The hedgehog feels good about himself right now, I’m sure.

Shadow showing more Vegeta-like quirks with that last line of his. Though it is cool he did it for the Chao. 

Calm down shippers!

You’re one to talk Shadow. You let yourself fall into the frozen lake when you had two ways to prevent that from happening. Both hedgehogs chase after the coaster with Shadow not caring for Sonic’s very existence.

Yep. Shadow is willing to let people die because his ego got hurt. What a lovable character. Thank God Maria is dead, so she doesn’t have to watch her best friend be an asshole. (Yeah, I went there. Because this is stupid.) 

Shadow completely ignores Tails cry for help and proceeds to kill the mistake of nature that is the platypus. All the while Shadow is vomiting up some edgy dialogue.

Starline is able to get away much to Shadow’s anger as now he can’t ever get that rematch. As this is the last time the two ever have a face-to-face confrontation and... holy shit Shadow and Starline meet for the first time in this arc alone. Shadow only heard Starline’s name during the Metal Virus arc, he never knew what he looked like till now.

Rouge stops Shadow from chasing after Starline because of the serious matter of the lodge about to be buried under tons of snow. But Shadow has the most childish response ever. God dammit.

Rouge is able to convince Shadow to help and we see him catch up to Sonic. They tear down some trees so they could be used as barricades to in hopes to stop the rushing snow. It doesn’t work.

Skipping to the very end. Sonic is thanking Shadow for his help despite the plan not working. Shadow says not to overthink on it while giving the Shadow Chao an apple. I’ll admit that’s sweet of him.

Also. Bye Shadow! This is the last time we see him in over a year by the way and counting the 17 issues since then.

[rubywolf0201]

I wonder what do people come to smoke a shitty conclusion that Amy is some psycho bitch that is willing to destroy the world if it meant that she can have Sonic forever when…

- In SA2, she pleaded with Shadow to spare Earth because while she acknowledged that people have flaws, they are all trying their best to live a happy life. And it’s only Amy that can pull off the speech because she understands the people as she used to be one of them prior to becoming a heroine in her own rights.

- In 06, when Amy said that she trusts Sonic over the world, this line means that she affirms her loyalty to Sonic, that one hedgehog who always save the day and she knows that he would never do anything to harm the world.

- In no contnuity, did she EVER screw an entire population of people (regardless of flanderizations) just to be with Sonic.

Im only scratching the surface here…

But really why do people even think of such things about Amy?

[lightdash]

I really like that take on Sonics morality and it is a great counterpart to shadow. At least the way I see/write, him not saying this is canon. But going off what you said, in contrast to Sonic, Shadow is the punisher. He will pass judgement on people and will make people pay for the things they do. That’s just my hot take but I do like your take on Sonic. (Also hi sorry I’m too shy to say this off anon owo;)

OH yeah, there’s something I hadn’t thought of when writing that post! Fun concept… adds an extra layer of juxtaposition to the dynamic they already have as characters.

I like the idea that Shadow is much more willing to pass judgement on an individual and see it through — whereas Sonic, while not opposed to stopping something (or someone) so unequivocally bad, will try and save it as a last resort.

While they both value life in equivalent ways, by sharing a want to protect the planet and the people who live there, it manifests quite differently between them. Shadow’s definitely harbors a sense of duty… he’s moved on from his past and knows that no one can tell him what or who to be anymore — but his moral compass is tied so closely with Maria’s wish, and possibly his relation to G.U.N, depending on how you portray his character.

That on top of the fact that he’s witnessed (and lived) so many horrible things, it’s easy to see why he’d be much more proactive in these types of situations, with Mr. Tinker being a pretty good example of that.

On the other end, we can say without a doubt that Sonic tries to see the good in everyone; just because he knows when to fight (dire situations, such as the world hanging in the balance…), doesn’t mean he’s lost that desire for everyone to have a chance to be different. I think this conviction is what led him to give Eggman another chance as Mr. Tinker — not anything to do with approaching it with forgiveness, or even nativity, but seeing even the slight possibility of a different outcome by him displaying his ‘true colors’.

So I definitely see him and Shadow having conflicting thoughts and ways of handling these things, despite the fact that they always have the potential to be similar (on either end), due to them usually sharing an end goal.

            ( also hi, no need to be shy! i appreciate the ask, this was fun to talk about! )

[gritsandbrits]

Chris Thorndyke: A Misunderstood Underdog pt 1 of 2

The Sonic franchise has no shortage of cool characters. But there is one who most people might not of heard of. His name is Chris Thorndyke and I'm her to defend his character from almost twenty years of slander! There are so many reasons to like Chris but I'll focus on some since the list would've been VERY long!

See, a lot of people only focus on the surface to not realize how relatable his character is. Despite being rich he's very down to earth, always willing to lend a hand or two to save his friend. I say friend because while he has many acquaintances, Sonic is the only person that truly understands him.

While Chris lacks powers and abilities, he is pretty stacked and the one responsible for funding the team's missions. His parents work long tiring hours as a CEO & actress respectively, yet somehow still has the time to be with him. By the time the show begins he's very lonely and sad because lately their workload prevented them from spending time with him.

So, with the help of his butler Tanaka, maid Ella, super smart scientist grandfather Chuck, and his friends from school, Chris tries to cope with his boring life. But all that changes when a certain blue hedgehog falls into his life...

Now I heard people say that Chris was being ableist to Helen in her introductory episode, but those people are SJWs who cannot fathom the idea that sometimes, disabilities needs to be pointed out to keep that person safe from harm. Chris pointing out Helen's disabilities was his way of protecting her from danger. She can't take care of herself, but his busy schedule leaves him with no free time to hang out with her. So he enlists his cool friend to help her!

Chris is clever, such as the time he defeated on of his friends during a fighting tournament by using his emotions to cause the other boy to let his guard down. He cleverly asked his mother to stay home to take care of him. He even called out his father one time, screaming thay he hated him for being a heartless greedy fool obsessed with toys over his own son! He has a lot more courage than what fans give him credit for. Too bad Cream couldn't see it.

One of the most defining moments of Chris's arc has to be the Shadow Saga! The boy literally took a rowboat to the dreaded GUN prison island! He bravely defied Tails's request to stay out, because Chris has the power to free Sonic and didn't want Tails to have all the fun. In the jungle he encountering Shadoe Chris tries to stop hom only to be teleported to the Ark. It's here one of his most iconic moments occurs.

Chris tries to restrain the violent Shadow, getting up every time as the angry black hedgehog attacks him. He refuses to be down for the count, so in a last ditch effort he started pleading for Shadow to spare Earth. Fervently reminding the Ultimate Lifeform to remember Maria's true wish. Amy tries to say something but is held back by Tanaka, as he realizes that his master is the only one that can save Shadow!

Chris did a way better job than Amy because if she did it, she would've come across as a hypocrite. Why would anyone want her to appeal to Shadow's better side when she herself has harassed Sonic and bullied her friends? Besides she has a hammer. Chris does not. He has to contribute to the action not by physical force but by using inner strength! Sure he gets his butt whooped by the same guy who allowed Amy and Rouge to touch him without any reaction (reinforcing my beliefs that they are Mary Sues) but it managed to break Robotnik's spell over him. While some may disagree, because in the original scene Amy redeemed Shadow as a nod to her storyline in Adventure, keeping her part in the anime would do very little to redeem her as a character. She was and always will be an obsessive stalker, the very thing Chris haters accuse him of.

In the last two episodes of S2, it's revealed that the two worlds are threatening to collide into each other resulting in a time freeze. The only way to solve this is by Sonic and friends going home. The news horrifies Chris because that would mean no more time with his boyfriend! Chris passionately argues against this, pointing out that the scientist's data was wrong because he's the grandson of a scientist and knows that kond op stuff better. Realising that everyone are in fact lying to him, Chris runs away to Eggman for help. He begs the villain to help but Eggman rudely tells him to leave, but not before insulting Chris for no reason! What a bully picking on a child like that! With nobody to trust Chris decided one desperate action...

At the portal, Chris and his friends and family have said their final goodbyes. He accepted that his beautiful blue lover will have to go. But what about their time together? Did that not mean anything to anyone? All the other children gets to have whay they want but he can't? After everything he's been through?

And so, to save the life of his only real friend, Chris pushed the button and closed to portal. He didn't care if it shocked his loved ones and the entire populations of two planets - at long last Sonic was saved!

This scene is said to be the reason why people hate Chris but come on he only pressed the button because he wanted to save Sonic! He was trying to save him from all those horrible liars that try to keep them apart! Besides he's a lonely preteen so you can't fault him for feeling that way. To further prove his love, Chris drags Sonic away to safety, running deep into the comfort of the woods. His ruthless parents send ou the military to kill their own child. In spite of the danger, all Chris wanted was to make sure Sonic was safe.

It wasn't until a heart to heart that Sonic is able to convince him to let him go. He even acknowledges Chris's bravery by addressing how he saved him from drowning; such an act inspired Sonic to do the same for Amy!

Chris Thorndyke really is misunderstood! So many people are so hyped up at calling him a Gary Stu or a spotlight-stealer when he is nothing of the sort. It's like they didn't even watch the anime! But I have, and I will be watching it again to fall in love with his character just as I did so many years ago!

If you something negative to say about him you will be immediately blocked! No exceptions! 😤

Anyways stick around for part 2 as I go further in depth with this amazing character!

[loudlypanickinginvenezolano]

Life is a Big, Bad, joke; 1s Chapter, Edited.

I am happy about how this turned out! 

His mind went through a powerful halt, forceful enough that his eyes hurt again, and he was sure there may be some mid-lasting damage to his thinking. Or maybe his eyes hurt for the abrupt way they almost popped out of his head thanks to the surprise, that was another theory of his…

Whatever it be, the sight before him didn’t change, not even after waiting for a while, and slivers of hope dissipated slowly the darkness he felt prior as, as time passed, he became more and more convinced that, indeed, this was reality, and his friend was really sitting in there!

Or, more exactly, he pushed it all down with all of his might, not willing to let the other know of his inner turmoil just yet.

“Shadow?!” So, he did scream in that part, so he didn’t think twice about the other´s wince. Sonic, admittedly, was too preoccupied with being mad at himself not noticing Shadow before, at SHADOW himself for not saying something before, and, well, happy, as he may now have a chance at getting out of there more quickly and easier than before.

It totally didn’t have something to do with seeing Shadow at all. It wasn’t like his stomach got all giddy with emotions every time the hedgehog and he crossed ways.

Anything but that.

“Mh…Yes?” Came the wary response, which, was admittedly unusual coming from the dark hedgehog. Shadow was looking at him rather strangely, as well, as if he were searching for something on Sonic`s face, but also holding what…looked like a juice box maybe? As if it was a shield, a worried frown marring his face and eyes darting to the door every so before coming back to him.  

Sonic wasn’t sure about what was that about, and he really was trying to ignore the bad feeling growing in his stomach sooooo… he could be forgiven if he didn’t stop to question it too much, right? He really wasn’t sure if he even could afford to do it.

He was trying not to have a mental breakdown, after all.  

“Yes-a nothing, man! You need to get me outta here!” Sonic rattled his wrists in an impulse, grimacing at the loud clanking sound it made. It echoed dauntingly in the big space, bouncing from wall to wall, which almost made Sonic grumble.

Yes, yes, big, bad and scary place, we got it.

Shadow also grimaced, and recoiled even, though he almost seemed in pain, the strange expression making Sonic stop dead on his tracks.

You see, maybe they weren’t the closest to each other, and there were still a lot of walls and facets that Sonic still needed to pass through and see; He was sure of something, though, and he hadn’t needed to befriend the other hedgehog to realize it, so clear as pure water of a lake, if could very well be as clear as the petroleum: Shadow didn’t like doing pained faces, may it be pride or actual fear, he just didn’t. He avoided it, at all costs. He would growl, hiss, stare at you dead in the eye and pick up as many fights as he needed, but he wouldn’t let you see him hurt in any way. Shaking fists, broken bones, bloodied noses, tears and gashes, you name them; Shadow would hide them all, or ignore them so well you would find yourself tricked, and ignoring them too.

To see it so clearly on his face…Uhm. All of Sonic alarms were suddenly ringing.  

Didn’t the ambience feel a bit strange?

“…Why?” The ebony mumbled at the end, almost uncomfortable, and Sonic tried hard, he really did, to not let his smile falter.

“Why, you ask.” He breathed slowly, feeling how his insides froze entirely, reaching up to his throat and hurting with his breath intake, spreading to his every limb until they felt even numbest than before, feeling how his chest seemed tighter, his hands even more unsteady, and how his stomach became a rock. This…wasn’t happening. It really, really wasn’t. How could it be true, for real!? This wasn’t okay, not at all. Just…What?! “Why…Why wouldn’t you? We need to get out of here, Shadow. Don’t you--know?”

Ah, it really did.

He searched for it, unheedful of how his voice seemed to falter, to die mid-word, as if his strength was really leaving him. Sonic searched. For his face, for his true, and he knew mostly were to find it. Even the ebony had some tells.

But… There was some curiosity in Shadows eyes, curiosity. Since when is Shadow openly curious about something?

There was also confusion in the set of his brow, and what he was sure was mistrust. He was used to seeing it there, all right, it was almost by default in Shadow´s face, it never left, but never… never in this-this quantity.

Not directed at him anymore.

There was no recognition.

It hurt more than what he expected.

Maybe because he never expected this to really happen?

Sonic kept smiling, though, he kept waiting, hoping for a brighter outcome.

That is what he did, right? What Sonic the Hedgehog™ was supposed to do…

But it didn’t came, and as time kept going Sonic found himself staring straight at the bitter truth. At the one he had tried hard to ignore, he had tried hard to make himself believe would never come ever again.

“You don’t… You don’t remember me, do you?”

<<You forgot about me again, didn’t ya?>>

Shadow demeanor changed entirely, so fast it could have been funny.

Sonic felt like doing anything, but laughing.

The ebony sat straighter, ears perked and eyes as wide as a little scared deer. Could it be that he had really been frightened? Sonic could see him, feel him almost, the anguish that surged as his mind overworked itself, running wildly in search of the right answer to give.  

It pained Sonic. A real lot, to be honest, and suddenly, he didn’t feel like hearing Shadow response.

He felt like he already had it, maybe since long ago.

He still needed to hear the ebony confirm it though. He just needed to be sure.

Shadow was left gaping, stiffened to his soul (Did he had a soul?) under that fella scorching gaze, trying to say something, anything that came to him, trying to deny it, that small fucking detail, that damned weakness that left him so clearly disadvantaged in front of others but…but he couldn’t, not when it was the truth and not when it was so obvious and not when he was in this fucking state.

Shadow couldn’t deny it, even when he wished the situation wasn’t like this, even when it caused some… something to this other guy, going by his sorrowful expression.

It was the reality now.

Nothing he could do to change it, right? No matter how bad you asked for it, life would never be fair.

But

Why did it ache, then?

Ruby eyes snapped back to his juice box, and Sonic found his blood running cold, real cold on his veins. His heart was beating so fast he could hear it, a loud ringing sound that almost drowned everything else. It was like every single thing was getting worse by the moment with such a speed, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering, Was this one of his nightmares?

Would he be able to wake up and find Tails bossing around in the house, maybe trying another disaster-recipe in the kitchen as Cream laughed in delight at the scene? Would he be able to go running around the city, and find Shadow discretely eating a small-sized ice cream under a tree?

Could he?

Don’t take him wrong, even in this kind of situation, they were going to remount! No doubt about it! It just…it just sucked a lot right now, maybe to an extreme beyond words as they could not describe it, or maybe it was him who couldn’t find them…

Thanks to a lucky flash, he suddenly wished fervently to wake up soon.

“What… who did that to you?”

His mind reminded him that they were losing precious time. They really needed to get out of here and go stop Eggman and go search for Tails and go save the world again. They didn’t have time to do this, this whole awkward dance and this whole useless wishing and thinking.

The stunned words still left his mouth.

Shadow hands shot to his head by reflex, trying to feel the injuries there or maybe hide them, he wasn’t sure, but the memory of being told not to touch them stroke him like a thunder, making him stop in the last moment, hands hovering awkwardly over his injuries as his eyes quietly looked around, wondering if there were cameras watching him. Them. Whatever.

They hurt, a lot, there was no way to beat around the bush and downplay the agony he felt at first, and that to some extend he still feels, but they had stopped bleeding mere moments ago, so he didn’t wanted to mess it up and cause a major disgrace. It wasn’t like he didn’t knew what bleeding was, or how to accordingly deal with it, so his worries were forcefully ignored unnecessary, actually, non-existent.

He had gotten worse, also, so there was no real reason to make a fuss about this small matter.

This was okay.

This, really was okay.

Right?

#No, it’s not. Please be kind to, and take care of, yourself. If you don’t feel fine, it is valid to take your time or ask for help. #  

Shadow sighed when the other urged him, calling his name in a strange, demanding way. Even if he didn’t wanted to, he guessed that this mister did deserve an explanation, however chopped was the information Shadow could provide. Wasn’t part of his duty answering what he could?

No, really, was it? It was, right?

<<??>>

What was he supposed to do now?

His being stung for a command.  

“I-I don’t know, sir.” He shook his head slowly, letting his hands fall back to his lap and crossing his heels. He desperately kept his gaze glued to the floor, unable to stand and watch this hedgehog face as he reported. “I don’t know what happened, nor do I know who, uh, who are you, nor where we are, if that is something you wonder. When I woke up I wasn’t gave more instructions besides than to hand over the invention and wait here for the others. No information was shared. I…I don’t have any answers you may need.”

<<I am sorry, fella, I can’t help you at all. >>

It shattered Sonic´s hopes. Maybe not all, but quite the bit definitely.  

“It…it’s no biggie. It really isn’t, just´s a-a setback, we will find a way, alright? We have been through worse! It’s just… We still need to get out of here, Shadow, to get going. Quick. ”

<<I need to get both of us outta this shithole, yesterday. >>

He couldn’t let the other hedgehog in G.U.N.´s hands when his memory was in such a sorry state. Like this, wasn’t he even more malleable, and even more easy to manipulate, than the first time they met?

The list of ´what if´s´ kept growing with more disgusting scenarios each time.

The things they could do with Shadow, the things they could do to Shadow… There was no telling if his state and those ugly looking injuries weren’t a G.U.N. experiments product, and he knew by a good informant that these where awful and really invading, enough to render the brooding-looking hedgehog stomach sick in bed, or anxious for days to come.

Sonic didn’t knew wherever it was how sickening his ideas were, or because there was an actual possibility of them becoming true, but his whole being shuddered, feeling cold and nauseated.

No. He couldn’t keep thinking about it.

The image of a bloodied and unresponsive Shadow still lingered behind his eyelids, no unlike many dawns in which he found himself waking up without breath and tangled up in his sheets, shivering and soaked in sweat like a leaf during a storm.

AO3: 6 chapters, still without editing. 

[tornado1992]

Sonic has always loved the golden color, that specific yellow was such a beautiful, lively color.

Red is his obvious answer to the “what is your favorite color?” question, but if they told him that he had to choose only one color he could see for the rest of his life, he knows golden yellow and baby blue would be the ones fighting for the throne.

How could they not? Those were his little bro’s colors.

Every time he looked at Tails it was like the sun had embraced the sky into a tiny fluffy ball, making both of them brighter and brighter, shining against each other, the softest shade of sky blue being evolved into a heart warming sun.

Tails was the infinite answer to the happiness question. His unstoppable potential to achieve anything he wanted, the endless possibilities of a wide happy future for him, the one who always accompanied him in his worldwide runs, just like the sky.

His brother was a soft light that warmed his heart everyday, a bright path to follow when he fell to deep in the dark, a reason to keep fighting for.

Yeah, Tails felt like the sky. But he was Sonic’s sun. And if he had to fight all his life to make sure that those bright baby blue eyes keep shining and that golden yellow fur keeps glowing, then he’ll fight till the world itself ended.

His world was ending. Slowly.

It was so sudden, so uncanny, and so, so unfair. They were happy, they were running together, they were laughing and racing each other until Tails abruptly fell from the sky, Sonic almost too late to catch him. “Just a headache” he said while being cradled in Sonic’s arms. Headaches were not supposed to make you faint, but Tails was fine, so it had to be okay.

It stated slowly. Tails kept fainting for some time, they worried, they went to the hospital and all the doctors said it was nothing. He started to vomit every time he ate, they returned to the doctors and the same answer was given.

He couldn’t sleep, they no longer believed the doctors.

His tails went limp, he couldn’t fly anymore, and his bright yellow fur was fading its color, he took matters into his own hands and after lots of analysis and test they got an answer for his predicament.

Tails was sick.

His fur was no longer shining, his eyes were no longer sparkling. Bright golden being rebalanced by an ashy sad yellow, and baby blue being covered by an infinite gray shadow.

Leaving a dark cloudy sky with a sun no longer shining.

His body was getting thinner by the day, Sonic could always carry Tails easily, he was a big brother, it came in the job’s description, so if he had to help Tails stand and walk for some time it didn’t matter, he’ll be by his side until he recovered. Until he no longer had to apologize for not finishing Amy’s cooking, until they’d stop bringing him to Angel Island trying to get the Master Emerald to heal him.

It didn’t matter how long would it take, he’ll be with him until he shines brighter than the sun once again.

Why

That was his only question

Why him? Why did it have to be him? Why wasn’t there any existing cure yet? Why didn’t even Tails had an answer? Why couldn’t Sonic do anything about it?

Tails was eight years old, eight, he hadn’t reached double digits yet, his birthday still too many months away. It could’ve been anyone, anyone but him. He had so much yet to live, and he told Sonic he knew he was dying.

A non believer would pray to a god to save their child. A believer would fight their god to save their child.

Sonic has already killed so many gods, and he’s already prayed to the ones that were left. So why wasn’t his sun shining again?

What deity did he annoy this time? What could’ve offend the universe so much that it has to take it on his baby brother? Why couldn’t it just burn the whole world down? Why couldn’t every enemy he’s ever faced come back and fight him? Why couldn’t reality just rip both his legs out instead? Why did it have to be Tails?

Sonic was willing to fight, bleed and die for that kit, so why couldn’t they just taken Sonic instead?

When his fur no longer showed any yellow brightnes and started getting covered by his own blood anytime he tried to speak they knew it was too late. When not even an over analysis on Shadows blood gave any hint of a cure, when not even Eggman’s biology knowledge and failed antidotes could even slow it down.

Not any deity, not the Master Emerald, not Sonic. No one could save him.

There was no solution. This was a threat he couldn’t outrun with Tails in his arms. An unforgiving curse slowly taking away his pride and joy to never give it back. A mocking laughing unknown force killing the only thing he would chose over anything else, his sun and sky, his kid.

Amy showered his forehead with kisses every time she came over, reading him bedtime stories to try and help him sleep, spoon feeding him his favorite ice cream when he was too weak to do it himself and too embarrassed to ask his brother. Knuckles stayed near their home, ready to assist in case there was an emergency, always bringing handmade wood toys so the kit could still play with something even if his arms were weak enough not to hold a small wrench, it wasn’t tinkering, but it made him a little bit happier.

They both told Tails how much they loved him every single time they were with him.

And Sonic couldn’t.

He hadn’t tell him that he loved him, not enough times before all this, never enough.

He couldn’t tell him he loved him now, not with words. He couldn’t voice that well known fact. Because his little bro already knew. Because it was something that was supposed to be shown with actions, not words. Because it went unsaid.

Because telling him he loves him now would mean accepting he’ll be gone. Accepting he lost, accepting he will lose him.

Sonic refused to lose him.

He needed to run, he needed to go away, because if he stayed, he didn’t think he’ll be strong enough not to crumble if they take his light away, when they take his light away.

He didn’t run, because that’s his brother, because even if his own heart is threatening to stop every time he looks at the cub’s small trembling frame, his heart wasn’t the one stoping in real time. So he stayed.

He stayed when Vanilla came over to check on Tails, to gift him a knitted beanie and matching gloves so he wouldn’t be cold in his own bed, the bed he hadn’t left in weeks. He stayed when he couldn’t properly take a bath by himself, helping him cleaning and brushing his fur while memories of baby fox fangs and campfires invaded his mind. He stayed when Tails couldn’t do anything but cry at the aching in his bones, and Sonic couldn’t do anything but hold him close.

His heartbeat was slower than usual, and that was already too slow.

And he was so, so cold. He wasn’t supposed to be cold, no, his golden fluffy fur was supposed to keep him warm.

The memory of his little squeaky voice was still engraved in Sonic’s mind, even if it had been months without properly hearing, and yet…

“I’m sorry”

“What’s that buddy?”

“I’m sorry, for making you wait for me to go”

No.

Why was his eight year old brother apologizing? Why did his kid feel the need to apologize for not dying? No. He knew exactly way, the reason were his feet’s constant tapping on the ground whenever he had a medic visit. The reason was how his own smile fell whenever the kid wasn’t looking at him. The reason… was because the kid just wanted to go, and Sonic wouldn’t let him. Sonic wanted him to get better, Sonic wanted him to stay with him. Not to let him go.

How could he? When he hasn’t had him for enough time? When he still had so much to live? When he still needed to apologize for not giving him the life he deserved? When he still needed to tell him that he loved him without feeling he’ll lose him forever?

Ten seconds of silence. Two voices in unison. The same feeling behind them, different words.

“Forgive me”

“I love you”

[laineybug04]

A Helping Hand

Amy has a hard time being taken seriously after Chaos destroyed Station Square. So when she has a vision of a boy stuck in a capsule who may be the key to Eggman's next big scheme, no one is willing to listen or help her. Determined to help save the day this time, Amy strikes out on her own to save the mysterious black hedgehog from her dreams 

Chapter 1- Next Chapter

I saw this concept while browsing tumblr. Special thanks to mewmewhakusho and another-sonic-blog for letting me play around with this idea. I've been a Shad/Amy shipper for YEARS and I've never seen this idea play out before. Here's my take.

Extra special thanks to Nothin' Fancy for beta reading for me once again!

Visions of Grandeur

A delicate white-gloved hand hovered over a deck of cards spread in an arc on a table covered in red lace. The cards were shiny and looked almost brand new. Amy knew better- they were a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years. If her mother was to be believed, they were almost as old as the chaos emeralds! The candle sat to the right of the cards- its flickering light dancing against the shadows, causing the patterns on the cards to sway with them.

A young pink hedgehog stared with green eyes bright from excitement, and glowed in contrast to the dark, ominous mist which surrounded her. The mist was thick with sinister whispers, yet the girl hardly heard or cared to listen. Her anticipation at what was in store trumped any caution she may have had.

She greedily took three cards from the deck and laid them hastily but neatly in front of her. One straight horizontal line that would reveal her destiny. Her hands gently laid them perfectly straight, over the first to the left that represented the past that she needed to know. She continued over the present that the unknown past had affected. Finally she caressed the final one on the right- the future! She twirled in place, her joy was just too much! Sure the last one tended to be fuzzy, but she could usually guess based on the first two, so it was mostly just to complete the rule of three.

Amy Rose was no stranger to tarot readings, in fact she had even used them to find out how to be with her hero, Sonic! They'd shown her Little Planet, where Sonic had bravely saved her life. They'd shown her future- a life of adventure, thrill, new friends and becoming a hero alongside her Sonic in their fight against the old, and nasty, Dr. Eggman.

A gleeful smile took over as she imagined what the cards would show her now! Their first date? Kiss? Wedding day? THEIR CHILDREN? She giggled in sheer delight at the prospects of her happy future. But even as her heart pounded, demanding she quickly reveal her fate, she took a shaky breath to calm her nerves. She wanted to retain some adult-like dignity- this was her future after all! Amy steadied her hand, and flipped over the first card on the left.

The shadowy mist that surrounded her table converged on her and turned to an unforgiving steel color. Her smile faded and her happiness ebbed away- the past was almost never this cryptic. Not unless something horrible had happened. She searched through the fog but only found a large window with thick glass and a foggy reflection. Immediately her heart began to thump painfully, and so quickly, she felt it could give Sonic a run for his money. She pressed her hand to the cold glass and listened to the horrors going on behind her. She heard screaming, gun-shots, and shouted orders over stomping boots. When she inhaled, her nose was assaulted with an unfamiliar scent, it was a sharp coppery smell, with a dark, burnt undertone to it. Her whole body hummed with fear and hopelessness, a heavy weight of despair pressed down on her from all sides.

Amy tried to breathe, and her throat seized, so desperate to help, but with no way to know what was wrong, she floundered. Even in a lucid dream, it was so hard to make out the view behind the glass. It was blurred at first, but as she strained her eyes, she started to make out small white dots within a deep velvety black. The sounds behind her muted slightly as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. And then she realized, she was staring out into the void of space. She looked down, and to her despair, she saw her beautiful home planet of Mobius being drenched in blood that was flowing from the window.

She stared on in horror- she had no way to fix this. Worse still, she hadn't seen Sonic, or really anyone who could help her. She turned back into the fog, trying to see something, anything that the fog could show her how to stop the blood. She searched but still saw nothing and only heard the same conniving whispers under the sounds of the invaders. She growled in frustration and just jumped into the fog. She cried out, "Where are you!? Please, I can-"

She heard a gunshot, one that was louder than the rest, almost as though it was by her head. That wasn't what stopped her in her tracks. No- it was a scream that was so broken and filled with such heartbreak that she'd never heard in her life. The voice was young, maybe only a few years older than her, and it was deep and gravely with fear. Tears burst from her eyes as her heart broke from the anguish in his scream.

"MARIA!"

Amy could feel herself being pulled back out of the dream but she fought it, bringing herself back to the table and looking at the face of the card. She rolled her eyes, she should have known- Eggman's emblem was plastered over the dark background of space- it's eyes bleeding down to the earth below.

"The Death Egg," she decided, shaking her head, "Like that's a big surprise."

Still, her whole body shook. She knew the terrors Eggman had brought onto the world- the Great War between mobians and humans had been unkind to both sides. Eggman, specifically, had chosen himself over either side. It was only recently that Princess Sally and King Nigel had reached out and cultivated a more friendly relationship with them. But the history between the two people was still painful. Even with Eggman as a common enemy...

"I wonder if the United Federation will be involved," she murmured cryptically.

She glared skeptically at the second card, her excitement from earlier had been murdered and thrown out into a ditch. Now she was hesitant to see what else these cards had in store for her. Her frown deepened and she squared her shoulders- she knew how her tarot worked. It would not show her the past unless it was going to have a huge impact on the unseen present.

Amy flipped the card.

This time the mist retreated entirely and she found herself deep in the heart of a jungle. Lush greenery surrounded her, and the warm, tropical wind rushed around her, making the leaves rustle in a soothing lullaby. Her head bent backwards and she saw small twinkles of the afternoon sky between the gaps in the thick canopy above. Her eyes closed for a moment, as she felt peace enter her troubled heart and chase away the horror from the previous vision. She took a deep breath, allowing the damp, warm air to embrace her. She felt light, joyful, and her feet started to move in rhythm with her happiness. As she twirled, her eyes caught the glimmer of gun-metal that froze her heart.

She fell before she could get a better look at it.

A gasp ripped out of her throat as she fell into darkness, but then there was a glow of harsh chalk on a concrete background, 'Was that red chalk?'.

Her fall slowed to a stop before she hit the ground and the writing on the wall was gone. Before her was what looked like some medical, mechanical monstrosity. She looked around to try and get a grip on where she was, but found only more rusted metal, abused cables, and neglected machinery around her. She looked up and saw the ceiling so far ahead, she wondered if she wouldn't die from the fall, normally. The walls were an uninteresting metal grey, and Amy decided to move her attention back to the console in the middle of the room.

As she got closer, she found the thing was so old and covered with dust, she couldn't quite see into the capsule. But she could see the outline of someone inside. She rubbed at the glass desperately, calling out to them. She let out a frustrated huff when she couldn't get them to respond. Instead she made her way to the console attached to it. She ran her hands over the dusty console and saw four buttons specifically that glowed through the dust on them.

"A... R...I...M..." Amy read out loud, "Arim?"

The scream from earlier ripped into the forefront of her mind and she realized the 'A' key had been pressed twice. She looked on in the capsule in sadness, "Are you Maria?"

The capsule pulsed, not in assent, but in Anger. Red mist seeped from the cracks in the capsule and the walls echoed a scream that was much older than the one she'd heard before. This was the roar of an older man- not a child like before. But before she found herself back in the room with the red table, she felt the room ring with a terrible, evil laugh- very much like the one she'd heard come out of Eggman before.

When she was back in the red room, she looked down at the card. It showed multiple strings of chains, some an old, but strong metal and others almost see-through. They were wrapped around a black arm that clung to them so tightly they practically bit into the skin. Over all of the chains was stamped what she recognized as Eggman's insignia. She scoffed in annoyance and confusion, "What the heck is Eggman up to this time?"

A small, scared part of her wondered if it would be worse than what had happened with Chaos and Station Square. Using a literal god of destruction hadn't been enough to take Sonic down. What else was that crazy old doctor willing to do in order to win against the Hero of Mobius?

Her jaw set as she looked at the final card on the table. She knew she wasn't going to get too many answers from it- the future was never truly set in stone after all. This time the main character of the cards was not Sonic or her, but Eggman. She was worried about what the future may hold, but she shook her head. Amy still had no idea what Eggman was up to and she knew she couldn't leave here without at least a tiny clue about what he was up to.

She flipped the card.

Now she was in a new, dark room. The walls were scrawled with the same crazed red chalk she'd seen earlier that seemed to pulsate with malicious intent. In the center of the room sat a lone black hedgehog, curled into a ball with his hands over his ears.

"Hey!" she called out as she ran to his side, "Are you okay?"

The ball unfurled and was on its feet so quickly Amy gasped in surprise. The hedgehog twisted around to face her and Amy was struck by what she saw.

There were dark red streaks in his fur that matched the writing on the wall and his wide eyes. A snarl twitched on his lips as his white gloved fists clenched at his sides, ready for a fight. The white puff over his heart heaved with his labored breathing. To anyone else, this creature would be terrifying. Who on earth had naturally red eyes that seemed to permanently glare into your soul? However, Amy's heart broke for him- the hedgehog was barely out of boyhood, almost Sonic's age, chained to the floor of the room by his wrists and ankles.

"Here," she reached out gently, "Let me help you."

The hedgehog's eyes widened in surprise and he seemed to lean forward for a brief moment. But the next second his sneer deepened and he swung his arms out, "Don't touch me. This is where I belong!"

Amy looked around incredulously before shooting him her own shocked look, "You... don't look happy being here."

"Tch," he scoffed as he folded his arms, "It's not about happiness. It's about what they deserve. What I deserve."

Now the walls seeped with a red mist that the boy was starting to choke on and walls rumbled ominously. Still she stared on at the shadowed hedgehog in front of her and all she could think about was how to get them out of there. She reached into her pockets and was amazed and elated to feel her fingers brush against the cold, metal shape of a key. Amy smiled- she knew this was the key to the hedgehog's chains.

"Nobody belongs in a place like this," she called out in spite of the poison surrounding them, "Come on! Just give me your hand and we can get out of here."

The boy growled and lashed out with the chains, "I said NO!"

Amy dodged the chains and now she was angry, "Stop being silly! This place is going to kill you!"

"You're too weak to stop it!" he growled out, his sneer turning into a soft but cruel smile, "You're pathetic!"

Now Amy's cheeks puffed out in rage. She clenched the key in her hands and she lunged for the hedgehog, "I'LL SHOW YOU WEAK!"

She was pinned to the ground before she'd reached him. As the hedgehog stood over her, holding her down by her throat and his other arm pressing down on her chest, the room began to collapse around them. The mist surrounded them and was only pierced by the glow of seven bright lights that circled around them ominously. The boy's red markings faded into a shadowy mist and his whole body blurred into a vague black monster that held her down and kept her from breathing. As the world faded around her, Amy saw the final card float in front of her- the earth and moon shattered against the backdrop of space.

She heard a sad sigh reverberate in her mind...

Amy found herself on her back, in her bed, with the shadow creature still trying to choke her.

She groaned lowly in frustration. This creature was not the same boy she was trying to save in her vision but some vague dark monster that would try to "choke" her while she woke from her lucid dreams.

"Ugh," she thought as she began to hold her breath, "Sleep paralysis. My favorite."

Amy held her breath for what felt like forever- even as her body shook with desperation and fear of the monster in front of her, she knew there was only one way to escape the beast. She waited as her body slowly woke from the hell, first with tingling sensations in her toes. It was not a pleasant feeling, it felt like tiny, heated needles poking into the pores of her skin. It slowly gravitated up her legs and when she attempted to move her feet to quicken the process, she found she couldn't move them.

Maybe twenty seconds later she finally felt herself wake up and she shot up from her bed with a gasp. After several harrowing seconds of catching her breath she searched the room for the shadow demon from earlier. Only when she found no signs of it did she rest her head in her hands with a groan. Normally she loved being able to consult her tarot cards, even if it always ended in her being caught in sleep paralysis. They tended to show her premonitions of hope, happiness and adventure!

Tonight though...

Amy shook her head, she knew she wouldn't get another wink of sleep tonight. She turned to the window and saw the soft light of the night just before dawn. Amy heaved a large yawn and got up anyway. She dressed in her signature red dress in the dark of her small windowed tent, bemoaning the loss of her apartment six months earlier. As she picked up a bucket from the corner of her room she dreamed about the running water she used to enjoy. She walked out into the pre-dawn landscape, swinging her bucket despite her conflicted mind and got ready for the day.

She walked out into the cleared ruins of the outskirts of Station Square. As desolate as the area was, she couldn't help but give a small smile. The tents each represented at least one person from Knothole Village who chose to help in rebuilding Station Square. At a glance, Amy counted well over three dozen tents- almost a third of the population of Knothole. Amy scanned the horizon- the work on the city was slow going but it was coming along. The water had been completely drained since about a month after the god, Chaos, had wreaked havoc to the city and the buildings were now mostly safely demolished. Despite the devastation, the Mobians were determined to help rebuild what the human's had lost to be better and stronger than before.

"Not to mention learning more about human building techniques," Amy thought with an eye roll. She'd overheard Sally bring that up at the beginning of the rebuilding project. She couldn't argue with how smart it was, and it had gotten so many more volunteers out. Amy couldn't help but feel a bit leery at the phrasing, however, "It's like people can't just help because they can."

Speaking of helping, as Amy filled her bucket from the well- a mechanical marvel very unlike the traditional wells they'd had to use in the past- she couldn't help but think back to the poor boy she'd tried to save in her dream.

"I wonder what Eggman wants with him," she murmured under her breath, "And why he's okay with it...

"If he was okay with it," she corrected herself, a sad weight clutching her heart, "What was that writing on the wall, anyway. Part of the curse...?"

"Hun?"

"I wonder if those lights were the chaos emeralds," she continued to mutter under breath with a shrug, "Wouldn't surprise me if they were involved, somehow."

"Rosie!"

"There's always got to be some sort of magic when it comes to Eggman," she sighed as she stretched her neck mindlessly, "For a mechanical genius, he sure relies on the supernatural a LOT."

"Amy!"

Amy was pulled out of her reverie and shrieked when she saw her bucket was overflowing and she was wasting so much water. She scrambled to shut the water off and turned apologetically towards the person behind her.

Bunnie Rabbot looked on at Amy with a concerned raised brow over sharp green eyes, one mechanical hand resting on her hip and the other holding her bucket. One mechanical foot tapped methodically against the silence before she pointed to Amy with her good arm. But before she could say anything, Amy gave a little chuckle,

"Hey... Bunnie!" Amy smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I got a bit distracted."

"Y'all right, there Rosie Cheeks? It's awful early in the morning for you to be up. You sleep alright?"

Amy stood aside to let Bunnie get her water before shaking her hand in a 'so-so' motion, "Could have been better. I... I drew my cards today"

Again, Bunnie raised her brow, "Drew your cards? That a Station Square sayin'?"

Amy shot her a deadpan look, "My tarot cards? The ones I used to find Sonic? The ones that told me to move to Station Square?"

"Right, right. Sorry Rosie-Cheeks, I forgot," Bunnie shut off the water and gave her own sheepish look, "My stahs, I've been runnin' mahself ragged out here. 'Tween helping Sugah 'Twan with the soup kitchen and the main construction site I've been getting pulled in all sorts a ways..."

She giggled but then blanched at her joke, "Don't read too far into that, I shouldn'ta said that..."

Amy rolled her eyes- at twelve years old, she was way too used to hearing the older crowd telling her what she should or shouldn't hear, "Sure... anyway... have you heard anything about where Sonic is? I need to talk to him about what I saw."

Bunnie winced with a small sympathetic hiss, "Ah'm sorry, hun, but Sugah Hog left to go chase a rumor about Doctor Eggman. He left a while ago for Oil Ocean Zone just a few minutes ago..."

Amy's cheeks puffed out and her hands found her hips, "UGH, SERIOUSLY!? He didn't even say goodbye?!"

Bunnie sighed, "Ah'm sure if you called him he'd answer. Or you could talk to Sally..."

Amy's arms crossed and she scoffed, "Please, he never answers his calls. And Sally's been too busy rubbing elbows with the President. Rotor and NICOLE don't believe in my 'mumbo jumbo' and Tails has been loosing it over his stupid project..."

"Now, Amy," Bunnie chided while picking up her bucket and pointing at Amy in a scolding manner, "He helped save the city from Doctor Eggman, too, you know. He deserves a rest..."

"He isn't resting though!" Amy cried, "And I helped save the city too!"

"Of course you did, Rosie-Cheeks. Takin' down that Zero fella really took a lot outta you... but, we're all doing our part," Bunnie chided dismissively, "Look... I get that you had a bad dream..."

"Vision."

"Yea... that," Bunnie took a deep breath, "If it's that important to you I can listen for a bit. I don't need to check into the kitchens for a while..."

Amy stared her down in frustration before she sighed, "Yea... okay... So you know how Tarot readings usually include a past, present, and future card?"

"Can't say I do, but I believe you!"

"Okay... Anyway, the past card had me in space and... I think it was another Death Egg."

Bunnie gasped, "You don't say..."

Amy nodded, "So at first I thought Eggman was hiding in space, but that's in the past. So the present one had me in a jungle and I dropped into a cave with really creepy red writing on the walls and I thought maybe that's where Eggman is hiding."

"Right, okay..."

"But the last card, the future card, didn't have anything to do with Eggman at all!" Amy ranted, "It was a black hedgehog... I think Eggman's going to use him for something really bad..."

"Oh, really? Who was the hedgehog?"

Amy shrugged, "I don't know. I've never seen a hedgehog with red tiger stripes in their quills like that, and the way his quills bent is like I've never seen before... and his eyes... he looked so angry and sad..."

Now Bunnie gave a knowing smile, "Well I'll be, I never thought it'd happen!"

Amy shot her a confused look, "What?"

"I didn't think you'd get over Sonic so quickly, Rosie-Cheeks!"

Amy's eyes widened, "Weren't you listening? This isn't about him!"

Bunnie rolled her eyes, "Sure it isn't. Look, hun, I don't think it's about Eggman. AH think, yer getting a lil crush on someone else and you're feel'n guilty 'bout leaving Sonic behind..."

"But I'm not..."

"And y'all shouldn't!" Bunnie put her bucket down and grabbed Amy by the shoulders gently, "Yer growing up now and that comes with a lot-ah complicated feelings. It's okay ta look a lil closer and see what happens! Don't ya feel bad about chasin' yer happiness Rosie-Cheeks! Yer still so young. Don' be afraid ta go chat up your lil friend when you see him 'round the camp again. I'm sure he'd really like a nice chat with a cute lil lady such as yerself!"

"But I haven't even... I don't have any..." Amy, enraged, stumbled over her words, "You're not even listening to me!"

"Aw, Ah'm sorry I couldn't help you more sweetheart," Bunnie said glumly before gasping, "Oh, I gotta go! Sugah 'Twan's waitin' on me and I still haven't gotten myself presentable yet!"

Amy huffed and sputtered as Bunnie waved goodbye and called out, "Go talk to Sally-girl if you need more help! She'll help y'all with your new boyfriend!."

Amy shook with frustration and her cheeks burned red-hot. She gave a growling shriek and kicked her bucket of water over. Too late, she realized she would have to wait in a now much longer line for water to brush her teeth and wash her hands. As she grumbled under her breath over not being taken seriously, again, she resigned herself to a long drive to Central City and a meeting with one Princess Sally Acorn.

White House-Central City, United Federation

10:16

Amy's mood had not gotten any better after her journey to Central City. Not that she was surprised, she'd had to walk the entire way to the other city because the buses to the other cities wouldn't let her on without permission from her mommy.

Amy growled in her seat in the waiting room of the White House, practically grinding her teeth down to the root. While she'd only been there a grand total of ten minutes, each moment seemed to tick by at a snail's pace and she was left consumed in such an angry aura that no one wanted to be anywhere near her.

"I swear, if Sally keeps me waiting just one second more, this whole house is going to be nothing but rubble when I'm done with it!"

"Miss?"

Amy's eyes shot the older human man, who dared to interrupt her incensed thoughts, with such a withering look she made the rest of his group flinch in fear. She was both angered and relieved to see the older gentleman was entirely unphased by this and even seemed mildly amused by her pouting.

Amy took a deep breath to reign in her temper, but her voice still came out curtly, "Yea, what do you want?"

The man raised one brow and replied, "I was hoping to ask you the same question. Are you lost?"

Amy's pout deepened but rather than give into her rising rage, she smoothed out her dress and held her nose up at him with an air of importance, "I'm waiting to see Princess Sally Acorn. I have important information about Dr. Eggman's whereabouts that I need to share with her."

Amy raised her eyes smugly to him, only to see that man's eyes widen only ever so slightly. She was even more infuriated when he folded his hands behind his back and leveled her with a condescending look, "Oh? That's odd. We've just gotten very reliable intel on his location. I imagine you've done your own well-founded research to come to your conclusions?"

Amy's cheeks puffed out. To be honest, she didn't have a reliable source and all she really had to go on was a jungle...

But her heart never steered her wrong- she knew she had to talk to Sally as soon as she could, "Call it a woman's intuition. I need to talk to her. Tell her it's Amy Rose."

His brows crinkled slightly and Amy was struck by the man's eyes. She'd never seen eyes that were different colors- one green, one brown. Something stirred in her heart and told her to be kinder to him. She took in his clothes- a deep green, almost black military jacket with matching slacks and the shiniest black shoes Amy had ever seen. Two stripes over his left breast pocket and the numerous medals put him high in the chain of command, although Amy had no clue where exactly. He was conspicuously missing a name tag on his uniform- a bit annoying but then she could always ask.

Finally the man offered a kind smile, "I recognize you now- you were with the princess upon her arrival a few months ago. I'm on my way to a meeting with her and the President. I'm sure we can spare a few moments for you two to... have a little chat before our meeting..."

If looks could kill, the old man would have keeled over from the terrifying glare she shot his way. He had turned and began to walk away by the time she took a few deep breaths and began to follow him. Slowly but surely, she soothed her irritation as they briskly strolled through the winding corridors of the mansion. Through it all, a persistent feeling thumped in her chest- a sort of deja vu that refused to let her go. Finally she turned to the old man, "I'm... sorry, I never got your name."

"Lieutenant Commander Towers," The man said with a restrained smile, "I'm with the G.U.N."

"...The...?"

"The Guardian Unit of Nations," he answered, "We oversee the defense of the United Federation against her enemies."

Amy frowned in confusion- the feeling of deja vu was just getting stronger, "...Did you... fight in the Great War at all? I feel like I know you from somewhere..."

The man stopped in his tracks and eyed her with concern, "Did you?"

Amy shook her head, "I was only three when Eggman took over. My parents did. Sorry, I thought I'd maybe seen you or your name in one of the old history books. It's starting to bug me, actually."

The man sized her up and Amy couldn't help but straighten her back and face him head on. For all that he'd made a poor impression, Amy still wanted to measure up. Finally, he offered a sad smile and a nod, "We're almost there, right this way."

He moved, and Amy was immediately gripped by tunnel vision. Her eyes honed in on a map of what she presumed to be the entirety of the United Federation from the Western shores of Soleanna to the Eastern most tip of Chun-An up to Holoska and down all the way to the most Southern edge of Mazuri. Amy scrambled to get a closer look at the map and zone in immediately on a tiny spot of an island almost 100 miles off the coast of the Mystic Ruins. Amy was just taking in the latitude and longitude of the island when the man came up ever so silently behind her, "Ms. Rose? Something the matter?"

Amy pointed to the island immediately, "Does this island have a jungle on it?"

The man frowned in confusion before deciding to humor her. His face quickly hardened then smoothed over when he had a moment to realize what island she was talking about. Despite his brief unrest, his voice was smooth and seemingly unconcerned, "I couldn't say- I've never been."

Amy huffed then gave a small determined grin, "It's off the coast of the Mystic Ruins... it has to."

The man shrugged, "I believe you. Now, if you'll follow me, I believe you have important information to share?"

Amy pouted and folded her arms over her chest, "Yea, yea, I'm coming, Abe..."

Now the man froze completely and halted Amy with a look that was both highly suspicious and entirely ill at ease, "What did you just call me?"

Before Amy could answer, someone called from around the corner, "Lieutenant Commander! There you are!"

They both turned to see a broad, stout man with an impressive beard in a similar military outfit to Towers. He clapped the tall, lanky Towers on the back and started to guide him away, "Abraham, you won't believe the progress the young princess has made in her little country, and so close to enemy lines! My dear, Knothole village has been in very impressive hands!"

"Thank you, Commander Thunderstrike," Amy heard the smooth, but very tired tones of Sally's voice and her heart lifted in relief, "That is very high praise coming from..."

She turned the corner and her eyes widened in surprise, "Amy! What are you doing here?"

If Amy had been the type to look before she leapt, she would have seen Sally was in no position to entertain any surprises. The princess looked tired, her hair, while not technically out of place, was drooping. It was clear to almost everyone that Sally had been in the middle of meetings with barely a chance to change clothes before the next stage of plans. All for the sake of having a mutually beneficial relationship with the humans that the mobians hadn't seen in literal centuries. It was clear that such lofty goals bore a heavy price. As determined as Princess Sally was, she was at the edge of her good graces.

It was a shame Amy caught none of this. She pointed immediately to the map, "I know where Eggman's hiding!"

Sally frowned in confusion while Amy lunged towards her and grabbed Sally's hand. The Commander and Towers looked on as Amy dragged Sally to the map.

"Oh? Do you, young lady?" Now the Commander turned his amused gaze to Sally, "Another savant in your entourage? Wonders never cease with you young critters, isn't that right Towers?"

Towers only gave an uneasy nod as Amy pointed to the island she'd been so fixated on moments before.

"There! Right there! He's on that island!"

There was a pause just before Sally gently massaged her temples and the Commander began to roar with laughter, "Oh, there's a good one. Trust me, my dear, no one is on that island."

"I know Eggman is!" Amy retorted, "Or at the very least he plans on being there soon!"

Towers' frowned down his nose at her, "And your sources?"

"None," Sally groaned, "Amy, please. We don't have time for this. We're in the middle of planning something. Go back to Station Square. We have everything under control here."

"Sally, please, you have to believe me! Something is going on on that island and we have to send Sonic there to check it out!"

"No, we don't," Sally countered, "We know where Eggman is and he's not on some desert island-"

"Jungle island."

"-WHATEVER island in the middle of nowhere!"

"Then let me go and check it out!" Amy begged, "Please, I know I can handle it, and I can at least see what's going on!"

"Absolutely not!" The Commander thundered, "Your Highness, I can allow some modicum of freedom within the country but..."

The Commander began to stumble over his words as he realized he couldn't very well explain how he knew Eggman wasn't there in the first place. In answer to his prayers, Towers took a step forward and offered, "This is within our sphere of influence and if Ms. Rose's information is even remotely legitimate, it's worth at least a cursory investigation. Allow us to look into this on our own while we work together on our separate venture to bring Dr. Eggman to justice."

Sally sighed, "Thank you, Lieutenant Commander. I appreciate your diligence and kindness in this matter. I suggest we consider this settled."

She shot Amy a look that made the pink hedgehog's blood run hot with embarrassment, "You don't believe me, do you?"

Now Sally's eyes flashed with anger and she grabbed Amy's arm roughly in turn.

"Excuse us for a moment gentleman, I'll return for the second meeting shortly," the princess said hurriedly as she dragged Amy around the corner into a room.

The room was filled with a series of maps and blueprints on it. The room had only two others in it, another tall man that Amy recognized as the President of the United Federation, and a white bat, with bright teal eyes that looked on in the barest hint of interest. Sally let go of Amy just long enough to grab a small pile of papers and slam them in front of her. Amy looked down, her heart frozen in shock as Sally revealed the pictures of a clearly reactivated Eggman base in the middle of Oil Ocean zone near Shamar. As Amy's hands gently hovered over the pictures, at one point even hovering over one of Eggman himself, Sally spoke to her in low but harsh tones.

"I understand that you want to be a Freedom Fighter. I admit we've given Tails a lot more leniency and responsibility that we've given you. And I promise once this is over we will be taking your training much more seriously than we have in the past-"

"I don't need training, I need you to listen to me!" Amy growled, "There's a boy who needs our help! A black hedgehog with red eyes!"

Sally continued unimpeded, "You're being incredibly childish and nearsighted if you really think you're the only one doing anything about all of this."

"Eggman has to be tricking you! Just let me go with them to the island and I can..."

Sally's fist clenched and she barely stopped herself from slamming it on the table. She took several deep breaths behind clasped hands before she tried again, "I believe you have visions. I believe you have insight into things that we don't. But this is hard evidence that anyone can see while yours are just vague apparitions that we can't analyze the way we can with these. There are only so many resources we can spare and frankly- I can't focus on some unknown black hedgehog, and Eggman, and rebuilding at the same time. So please… just..."

Now Sally drew close and her voice was now a harsh whisper, "Go back to Station Square. Stop throwing a tantrum and help where you're needed."

Amy stared into the cold, hard blue eyes of the princess, and she felt tears begin to burn at the corners of her eyes as she realized that once again Sally insisted on treating her like a small child. Sally put her hand on Amy's back and opened the door to the room, and with a gentle push, ushered the young girl from the room. Mortified, she saw the commanders had been right behind them, faces pale but unmoving. Amy only started down the hall when the door was closed softly behind her and she was left alone and with a pounding sense of anger and determination.

Back inside the room, Sally took several more deep breaths before she addressed the President directly, "Forgive me, sir. That was one of our trainees. She's... very excited to officially join our ranks."

As the President waved off her apologies, Sally failed to notice the stoic, almost fearful silence between the two commanders of the G.U.N and the bright, interested look of the President's mobian guest.

Mystic Ruins-Tails' workshop

15:22

Tails was in the middle of the most peaceful sleep of his life. For days before this, he'd stayed up late into the wee hours of the night- tinkering with the chaos emerald he'd been awarded for his part in saving Station Square. It was all worth it. If everything went as planned, the days of Eggman getting the jump on them or someone using the chaos emeralds for their own nefarious purposes would be a thing for the history books. He dreamed of being awarded the World Genius prize, the parades in his honor, and best of all- the thumbs up and hair ruffles he'd get from Sonic. He could practically hear the magic words come out of his mouth, "I'm proud of you, buddy!"

Just as he was about to get the key to the world and a solution to grow four, no, FIVE inches taller- he heard a frantic pounding at the door of his house. He gave a loud shriek as he was pulled from slumber and jumped from his bed. He fell, in a tangle of blankets and tails, to the floor below him. His eyes were so heavy, he could barely keep them open as he wrestled with the fabric prison that kept him from shutting the incessant pounding up. He groaned pitifully as he stumbled his way through his house and towards the door. He opened the door and was immediately blinded by the light of the summer afternoon. Tails adjusted his eyes and found, not Sonic, or a key to the world, or even a tiny emergency. To his dismay, he only found one Amy Rose at his doorstep with a wicked smile on her face and a full backpack behind her.

"Hey, Taaails... whatcha doin'?" She said in a cloying sing-song voice.

Tails glared at her pathetically before rubbing his eyes, "What'dyou wan'?" he whined.

"I need a faaavor~"

"I'm not driving you anywhere and I don't know where Sonic is," Tails quickly ground out while rubbing his poor blood-shot eyes, "Tools are over there, take whatever you want, just let me sleep and don't break anything."

Amy frowned, "You sure? I need to..."

"Please... Amy," he shot her a look that was practically in tears, he was so exhausted, "I... need to sleep. I don't even care if it's the Tornado. Just bring it back when you're done and let me sleep..."

As Tails stumbled into the wall a few times, Amy gently took him by the shoulders and guided him back to his room. Tails whined under his breath but allowed her to tuck him in and tousle his hair gently, "Sleep tight, Tails. And thanks for your help!"

Tails yawned and grumbled something under his breath before snuggling into his pillow with a smile. He was snoring by the time Amy marched back through his kitchen and into the basement area that led to his garage. She turned on the lights and was amazed by the absolute armory this kid had in his hangar. The walls cut deep into the cliff side, using the natural formation of the cliff to provide protection against the elements. Cables and rebar laced the walls from the ceiling all the way down to the water and they were lined with tables laden with gadgets, and experiments. The water, at high tide at that moment, was snaked purposefully around the machines like a moat. When she looked up to the ceiling, she saw the outlines of trapdoors that would open and lead up to the runway just outside his house. She ooh'd and aww'd over the planes for a moment before she stopped and frowned.

"These are great... but I don't know how to fly." She grumbled a little bitterly. She hadn't asked for flight training, but then Tails' hadn't either, if she remembered correctly. The empty promises of the princess, the Freedom Fighters, and even Sonic to teach her the basics mocked her at the edges of her mind.

"Why does Tails get to learn all the cool stuff? He gets to go on missions, be involved in planning… but I'm the one too young for that?" She thought, a little jealousy bubbling to the surface.

Amy shook out those miserable thoughts. Now wasn't the time to wallow in self pity or petty jealousy. She had a mission to complete. Someone had to look out for that haunted boy from her vision, and if everyone refused to help, she'd do it herself.

"Just like Birdy, and his family," she decided with a resigned nod.

She huffed in frustration but eyed the ATVs and the two cars Tails built and her frown deepened, "Those won't work..."

Her eyes feel on a three half-built boards on display over his workstation that sent her foot tapping in frustration, "I could boogie board my way there, I guess, but once I get to the island I'll be too tired to spy on Eggman!"

She pursed her lips and looked around the garage some more before she leaned against one of the cars. To her horror, the car actually started to slide. Before she could stop it, she had fallen over and the car had slipped and crashed into the moat of water around its display. She scrambled to try and get the thing back out of the water. As she pulled it back she realized that rather than sinking, the large car had started to float?

Upon closer inspection, she realized the car had a point in the front with a white bottom and bright golden yellow stripes on its sides. The seats were shaped like regular seats in a car, but the bottoms were now exposed so they could swivel and the floor was replaced with a hard wood deck. The clear black writing on the side declared this vessel to be dubbed, "The ROS Tsunami MKII". There was a lot of room to move about the cabin turned deck and Amy's smile grew brighter. She clapped and squealed with glee as she threw her bag inside and climbed aboard.

"I can't fly. But I can drive!" she crowed, "A boat can't be much different than a car! How bad could it be?"

She looked over the console and studied the buttons before her eyes fell on something that made her gasp, "A chaos emerald?"

And there it was, in all its golden yellow glory, sitting in the center console under a glass display dome that secured it into the boat. She smiled at this, "Great! No need to worry about running out of fuel! Now... where's the... AH HA!"

Amy found the button that displayed the map and fumbled through putting in the coordinates that she remembered from the map. She gave a victorious whoop as the engine roared to life and jerked towards the exit of the workshop. Her whoop turned to shrieks of fear as she barreled headlong towards a wall of rock. Just before she hit the solid wall she lunged towards the bow and summoned her hammer. She swung against the wall with all her might, opening a gaping gash that led out to the ocean. The boat sped out over the waves, leaving Amy to melt in a relieved puddle on the bow. She crawled back gingerly towards the captain's chair and practically slid into it. She wiped her brow and watched the console as it revealed the map to her destination.

"Okay... just a slight bump in the road," she murmured warily, "I can fix that when I get back. Tails never has to know. I can take some pictures, prove that Eggman is on the island, figure out what that capsule thing is and maybe find that boy stuck in the curse room! Easy as pie..."

Little did she know that pie is just... an absolute bitch and a half to make.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale’s Top 10: Favorite Rivals

For this list, I will be picking my favorite Rival Character’s in Media. Video games, anime, manga, comics, etc.

Now the question is, What makes a character a rival?

For this list I will be making clarifications:

1. If one of the goals of one of the characters is to surpass another character, battle multiple times, state that this person is their rival, and/or have the same objective as a character but puts them in conflict.

2. Moral alignment doesn't mean anything. They can be friendly rivals or even hero/villain rivals as long as their main objective is to best their opponent.

3. Bonus points if the rival is equal in strength and find themselves on opposite sides.

4.There are differences between Archenemies and rivals. So likely Super villains, Like The Joker (who do exist to defeat batman, are more like nemesis rather then rivals).

5. One per franchise

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10. Dark Pit/ Pittwo ( Kid Icarus Uprising)

Dark Reflections are often seen as cliché when it comes to rivals, but I have a soft spot for this dark copy.

Dark Pit is a copy made by Pandora to be Pit’s equal and defeat him for the sake of the underworld. But the process of making him resulted in his obedience being... shattered.

Dark pit doesn't side with the underworld or Skyworld. He does his own thing and wants to be his own person. Even achieving unlimited flight for a brief period, making him superior to Pit.

Equal in strength, speed, power, and abilities. Dark pit is a pinnacle of dark copies. But he is even seen being more observant and smarter then Pit. Since he is more self reliant, he is shown to see things more objectively.

His connection to Pit is revealed that if Pit falls, He will fall as well. So it makes for an interesting dynamic that Dark pit wants to prove his superiority yet still bound to Pit. Which leads to an interesting dynamic.

(also if you have not played Kid Icarus Uprising, for the love of Palutena DO IT!)

9. Metal Sonic (Sonic the hedgehog)

Oh I can see the anger from the Shadow Fans. ‘Why did I pick Metal Sonic?’ ‘Why not Shadow?’ ‘Shadow and Sonic have more of a rivalry?’

Here is my response. Metal Sonic is Sonic’s greatest rival and vice versa.

Created by egg man to be Sonic’s equal, to learn and grow with each fight. Metal sonic always pushes Sonic to his limit.

There are even cases where Metal Sonic has Surpassed Sonic going so far as to have sonic need the help of others to best him.

His goal of defeating Sonic goes beyond programing. He will even find a way to break free of Eggman’s control just to achieve his goal of besting sonic.

Whether its the Comics, the games, movies. Metal Sonic is seen as Sonic’s most dangerous rival.

And proof? He is a character in the game Sonic Rivals! So that shows he is a rival of sonic.

Not to insult shadow, but the OG shadow wasn't focused on fighting sonic, he had his own goals and sonic just happened to be involved. While later renditions have him more of a vegeta knock off to sonic. I find these interpretations lame.

I also considered Scourge, but that would give acknowledgement to ken Penders and honestly I aint gonna do that.

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8. Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto/Naruto Shippuden)

Yes, cue the cliche gasps. Despite how obvious he was that he is on the list, it makes sense why he is here. His and Naruto’s dynamic is iconic. Best friends, rivals, enemies, brothers in arms.

The two went down two different paths, striving to surpass the other to achieve their dreams.

The main reason I put him on here is simple.

I could write several essays about why Sasuke is on this list, but that would be boring. You all know why he is here.

He is an iconic rival and that is a fact

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7. Kim Ban Phuong (Sun-Ken Rock)

Now I know what you are thinking. Who the f*** is this guy? Time for gale’s obscure pick.

And that is understandable, since this is a manga that wasn't made into an anime (despite DESERVING TO BE ONE) (though to be fair, it is MEGA DARK, a lot of messed up themes in this. Really nails how corrupt people can be)

A man that became a monster for the sake of surpassing Kitano Ken (the main character of the manga)

A man that was one of the only two people to have ever beaten the main character in a fight (and the only one to do so when the main character was trying to be a boss)

Formed an assassin guild to destroy Ken’s gang. 

The tragic backstory of this character is enough to give the reader the understanding on how he is Ken’s shadow. Why he is fighting against Ken so hard. All the way to the tragic end he faced. Something which I dare not spoil here.

The fight between him and Ken is nothing short of breath taking and this is written by the guy that did the Dr.Stone Manga.

Seriously, while the fan service can be grotesque at times, the plot of the story about Korean gangs, race relations and asian history are something to behold. The fact that its so underrated is a travesty. (but skip the idol arc, it does capture how messed up the entertainment industry can be.)

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6. Ryoga hibiki

The undisputed king of getting lost. The man of many misfortunes. The half piglet half man. Ryoga.

For those who have seen Ranma 1/2, What you see here is top tier best boy in the series.

If you go strictly by the anime, you would believe that he is a better match for akane (or Ranma depending on what side of the fandom you are on)

Ryoga puts Ranma as the focus of all the misfortune he has faced, he is mostly self taught and is acknowledged by Ranma as his only true rival.

When it comes down to it they are constantly on a seesaw on who is stronger. Despite all of the hardships, Ryoga does see Ranma in a friendlier light as the series goes on, even considering him a friend. They actually have helped each other on occasions, The manga showing times where Ranma tried to help Ryoga with his date with another girl. Or Ryoga putting his feelings for Akane aside to stop Brainwashed Ranma from marrying shampoo.

The back and forth between the two and the unspoken connection of having a jusenkyo curse has really made the two have a strong bond.

Ryoga deserves a spot on this list because of his strong character.

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5. Henry Cooldown (No more Heroes)

For those of you unfamiliar with the series of No More Heroes, Henry is the Scottish Half-brother of the main protagonist. Cool, confident, a kick ass accent, and a masterclass assassin. He is the final boss of the first No More Heroes.

The rivalry between the two really takes head when the main character, Travis, finds out that this cool customer that stole his kill and saved his life was his half brother and wants to settle it in a duel to the death. Henry was a rival that was always one step ahead of Travis. Travis wants to bang Silvia, (the woman that set up the assassin ranking system) She was Henry’s Ex-wife. Travis wanted to be the number one assassin, Henry was the original number one. Travis has a beam Katana, Henry has one that looks even cooler.

In terms of the cool rival/ brother rival archetype, Henry Cooldown is the best fit, and he even helps travis out again in the sequel.

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4. Paul (Pokemon Diamond and Pearl)

For those of you that have seen the anime, You understand EXACTLY why Paul is on this list.

In Ash’s journey through Sinnoh, there was a Pokemon trainer that always seemed to one up Ash, no it wasn't Gary Oak, it was Paul.

But what made Paul so different? Why not pick Gary?

Paul was Ash’s antithesis.

Ash loved his Pokemon and battled with instinct and trust.

Paul evaluated his pokemon’s potential, he released any that failed to meet his standards. He was focused on attaining power and would use any means necessary to attain it.

He saw how his older brother failed, and refused to give up like his brother did. Paul wanted to prove himself better.

Ash saw Paul as a strong trainer but HATED the way he treated his own Pokemon. Ash even ended up asking Paul’s Chimchar to join his team after Paul abandoned it, which allows for a more dynamic clash in their beliefs.

Battle after battle, Paul kept proving better then ash, until the Sinnoh League tournament. Where they faced off in the quarter finals.

(Which is personally my favorite anime Pokemon battle of all time)

Ash gets to show Paul the importance of Loving and respecting one’s Pokemon. And that is pretty beautiful.

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3.Shego

Shall we talk about my favorite character in Kim possible? About time we had a lovely Lady rival on here.

Yes, we shall.

The former Super powered Hero turned Villain, the Number two of Dr. Drakken.

Shego is a self interested individual that loves to pamper herself and to do bad.

Whenever she is involved, it is guaranteed that she and Kim are going to be fighting.

The fights are always intense and always show the capabilities of both fighters. In a way Shego is a dark reflection of Kim.

Capable, sassy, fashionable, and a total threat to anyone that gets in her way.

Not to mention, (I TOTALLY WAS CRUSHING ON HER AS A KID)

Shego’s only reason for not being the most evil villain out there is simply because she couldn't care less about actually ruling the world, Not that she wouldn't do it if she had the opportunity (a stitch in time showed she totally would) She is just more relaxed, even willing to help Kim.

There is even an episode where Shego turned good and she and Kim got along legendarily.

When it comes to rivals, Shego’s got sass, class and can whoop ass.

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2. Seto Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Don't act like you don't love this arrogant douche.

Seto Kaiba is one of the most iconic characters in Yu-gi-oh.

This Blue eyes dragon fetishist is the head of his own company and wants to prove that he is the greatest duelest in the world.

His obsession with besting the Pharaoh (Atem / Yami Yugi) is documented and the lengths he is willing to go.

He advanced the technology of the world so far just so he could find the long dead pharaoh who went back to his time/ spirit world and he nearly did it.

He even found a way to counter magic using technology.

Though despite his ego that could rival MOUNTAINS in size, Kaiba does care about his little brother mokuba, willingly sacrificing himself just to protect him. Even willing to put his life on the line to save him.

When it comes to showmanship, Seto Kaiba is number one, and likely the inspiration for EVERY BADASS ANIME OUTFIT TO EXIST

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1. Vegeta (Dragon ball Z and Dragon Ball Super)

When one thinks the word Rival, one man pops into my head. Bar none, the Prince of all Saiyans. Vegeta.

The prince of all Tsundere’s, the walking Napoleon complex. The genocidal warrior to defender of earth and father of two.

Vegeta’s goal was to be Number one, and Kakarot/ Goku is the one that stands in his way.

After Frieza’s defeat, Vegeta’s goal was to surpass Goku, to prove he is number one.

His actions and antics could hardly be considered good, not until the end of the Buu saga would he even be considered a good person.

But the reason why vegeta is number one is because of what happened during Super.

Vegeta has gained a LOT of character development during the sequel series. Especially in the super Manga.

Vegeta shows that he has grown to care about the planet that he has lived on, even feeling guilty of his actions back in the Namek saga, doing his best to make things right.

He still wants to beat Goku, but he has more reasons to fight then simply his pride.

Vegeta is arguably the most developed rival on this list.

There are other iconic rivals that could have hit number one, but Vegeta is the text book definition of Rival.

Thats why the Prince of all Saiyans is finally number one

[crusherthedoctor]

The Lutrudis Hadeer Characterization Masterpost

A while back, I made a big post about the thought process that went into the design for Lutrudis, as well as her name, species, and choice of weapons. In the midst of doing a bunch of other stuff (like the Eggman Sweet or Shite review, which is definitely still coming guys I swear, please don't leave me D':), I recently figured I could do the same for the character's... well, character, and provide some further insight into how her personality was shaped together. Cause why not, right?

Obviously, we won't be covering literally every single personality trait that Trudy has, like her hobbies and whatnot. If we went over all of that, we'd be so far into the future that Tumblr's search system might actually start working again. No, we'll just be keeping it to the central ingredients that make up the overall package.

1. A cool head? In my Sonic OC?

The recurring cast in the Sonic universe is filled with fiery, hot-blooded sorts in one way or another. Sonic might as well be the love child of Mentos and Diet Coke with how full of energy he is, Knuckles and Amy are both prone to letting their temper do the talking, Eggman... is Eggman, and the list goes on. And while there are a number of characters who are more low-key or even outright introverted by comparison, they still tend to exhibit a trait or two that makes them more in-line with the rest of the crowd, be it youthful excitement (Tails, Cream), a fiery temper (Blaze), or the odd bit of cockiness (Shadow).

So what better way to help make Trudy stand out... than by not really having anything like that at all? Contrary to most of the hot-blooded cast, it takes a lot to truly enrage her, and even then, you'll be lucky to get anything past tranquil fury. She's not particularly hammy either - flowery with her language at times, certainly, but not hammy - nor is she a cocky type, even against the weakest or most ridiculous of opponents, and although she does grow as a person over the course of the story she's involved in, all of this remains fairly consistent.

That's not to say that Trudy is not a passionate person. Far from it, in fact. She has a lot of passion. She just shows it in a different way than the average Sonic character.

2. Lutrudis? More like Unsureofdis.

Uncertain characters are also somewhat rare in Sonic's recurring cast (at least in the game universe), and just like with the previous point, even when they're there, they'll usually have something to counter it. Blaze may have been a bit insecure before meeting and befriending Sonic and Co, but as mentioned, she’s got a fierce temper, and even when she started off on her own, she felt that only she could take care of the threat of Eggman and Inferior Eggman Nega. Likewise, while Silver may have doubted himself about Leslie the Crack Dealer’s Iblis Trigger ruse cruise, he still got cocky when he had Sonic on the ropes, and he could be quite full of himself in the Rivals duology as well.

The point being, they still tend to show some semblance of the same “yep, I'm the one for the job, no questions asked” confidence and swagger that nearly everyone else has, no matter the flavor. Trudy, suffice to say, does not have this mentality. Trudy accepting Sonic and Co's help in dealing with sinister affairs in Viridonia without any haughty protest on her part isn't just because she knows they can handle it, or because they're Sonic Heroes and they'll show 'em the real superpower of teamwork... it's also because she's genuinely not sure if she would be able to take care of the matter on her own.

When she saved Cream from the wrath of the Wraith for example, she wasn't thinking “This looks like a job for Miss Hadeer!”

She was thinking “This could very well get me killed, but I have to help the poor bunny somehow...”

In other words, Trudy doesn't consider herself to be some sort of destined protector who has to do this herself. She constantly second guesses herself, and frequently believes her friends are more qualified and competent than she is. Her only reason for doing her best and helping out regardless is simply because she wants to.

3. A light at the end of the tunnel.

For the sake of tact, it's not shoved in your face relentlessly, but reading between the lines, it can be easy to get a sense of melancholy from Trudy. Particularly due to past experiences, she does indeed have an element of depression within her, and this can occasionally show in her body language and facial expressions, even if she's currently feeling positive emotions.

And yet, notice how she continues being a friendly pony. Notice how regardless of her experiences, and her thoughts on said experiences, her actual behaviour is (mostly) free of bitterness or cynicism, and that she doesn't hide the joy that her new friends make her feel. She's not outright ignoring her experiences or pretending they don’t affect her, because they clearly have affected her, and she's never ignored her scars (metaphorically and literally, the latter being a permanent side-effect of her condition), but she knows better than to let it consume her, so she tries her best to look at the bright side of life even during the darkest days.

It's Sonic's opinion that Trudy's inner spirit is a lot stronger than she thinks, with or without his help. Her refusal to give into misery and lash out at the world foreshadows that he's not unjustified in that belief. That, and it ties into the franchise’s usual taste for optimism and idealism against the odds.

4. Hadeer? More like Hadork.

So, everything thus far helps set Trudy up as a mellow, down-to-earth sort of personality. So far, so good. However, it's still the Sonic the Hedgehog universe we're talking about, filled with many colorful characters of all shapes, sizes, and eccentricities. When a franchise has a larger than life cast in a larger than life world, the characters who are meant to be grounded often risk coming off as boring and could end up easily overshadowed, because the creators or writers often neglect to give them any quirks of their own, usually out of fear that it'll disgrace the character's gracefulness. In fact, I personally feel this was a common problem with Sally, in both SatAM and Archie (mostly pre-reboot admittedly).

IMO, these writers are just being plain old silly. Just because a character is quirky doesn't mean they forfeit all their dignity altogether. Like a lot of things in life, you just have to balance it out, and that's what I did (or tried to do...) with the green equine.

So yes, Trudy is elegant, but she's also a really goofy dancer. Yes, she's gentle and motherly, but she also goes back and forth between being a heavy sleeper and being an insomniac. Yes, she serves as a warmhearted auntie figure for Cream (and a big sister figure for Amy), but she also spends a quarter of her time looking like a ninja with the way her bandana covers her face (whether it be due to cold weather, strong scents triggering her sensitive nose, or doing it in the presence of villains as a mildly theatrical way of visually conveying her disdain for them).

And of course, in the right situation, she can be just as much of a dork as the titular blue hedgehog is.

Which leads me to my next point...

5. “You might know everything I'm going to do...”

Trudy was created with the intention of having a character who is actually like Sonic himself in a lot of ways, but it's not apparent initially.

This sort of yin-yang contrasting routine has been done before a few times in the series, with Knuckles, Shadow and Blaze being the most obvious examples. But with them, their similarities are easier to spot from a distance. Knuckles is more earth than wind, but you can tell he's as stubborn as Sonic is. Shadow's methods and outlook differ, but you can tell he's still a mirror of Sonic (cause you know, he looks like him). Blaze is more distant, but you can tell how she can easily be just as worked up and angered as Sonic.

With Trudy however, if you take her at face value, you would think she's the exact opposite of Sonic. She's an introvert, he's an extrovert. She's got a calm temperament, he can get impatient even at the best of times. She's quite fancy, he's more rough and tumble. She takes things slowly, he leaps ahead without a care in the world... You would think that, outside of them both fighting for good, they would have nothing in common, and that their dynamic would be more akin to Sonic's relationship with Sally, which although they were friends, their relationship could often be somewhat rocky due to their differences in... basically every area and opinion imaginable.

But then you get to know Trudy, and the unfolding of the adventure reveals the rest of what she has to offer. The aforementioned soldiering on in spite of any depressed moments is in itself a small hint that Trudy shares Sonic's philosophy of never giving up. She believes that most people are good at their core, and while she won't excuse especially evil people or actions and will punish them appropriately (albeit with regret that it had to come to that), she's willing to give a chance to those who are willing to take it, just like with the Blue Blur. Not only does she NOT find Sonic's jokes and hijinks annoying, she actually has a similar sense of humor herself. And while reasonable people generally tend to loathe injustice and oppression, Trudy shares Sonic's uniquely intense contempt for it, and believes in one's own personal freedom just as much as the hedgehog does, let alone freedom in general.

In short, Trudy is what you get when you take Sonic's deeper qualities and general outlook on life, and apply them to a more introverted and taciturn personality. The exact same beliefs, but from a different perspective, so to speak.

6. A different kind of intelligence.

Tails and Eggman are the resident kings of scientific prowess in Sonic's world, and it goes without saying that I wouldn't want to do them a disservice by having Trudy one-up them in that department. But that doesn't mean your character can’t be talented in other areas, right? Contrary to what all those Mary Sue tests dictate, your character can in fact have a high IQ without intruding on an official character’s territory.

Therefore, Trudy is pretty good at innovation and craftsmanship in her own right, but whereas Tails and Eggman do it through technology, her field of expertise is more to do with arts and crafts, and to a lesser extent geology. For example, both her bow and her whip were crafted by the lady herself, using nothing but her decorative knowledge and flair.

Outside of that, she tends to know a fair bit about a lot of things in the world, largely attributed to her photographic memory, meaning she's bound to have a few answers no matter the subject of discussion. Granted, she's unlikely to be the absolute number one expert on any of those things, but she's at least a useful jack of all trades in that regard.

7. Feeling a little horse.

I very much approve and flat out adore the idea of Sonic characters having characteristics that remind the audience of what species they're supposed to be, so I made sure that Trudy had a wide selection of little mannerisms that would reveal her for the little horsie that she is. These include, but aren't limited to...

- When she’s fascinated or concerned by something, she’ll lean a little forward with her hands close to her chest, which subtly mimics the act of prancing.

- When she wakes up, she briefly stretches her arms and legs (albeit not too recklessly so as to risk straining her sensitive limbs).

- Her tail has a number of quirks. If she's happy, it might slowly swish to and fro. If she's REALLY happy, it might flick...

- And if she doesn't approve of someone or something, it might stiffen and raise a little bit, as if to helpfully inform the bad guys where they can kiss, if ya know what I'm saying.

- When she's being affectionate with her friends, she might give them the ol' nuzzle.

- When she's in a playful mood, there might be a little skip in her walk, the anthro equivalent of trotting.

- When she's annoyed, she might humorously let out a snort that sounds identical to a real life horse snort. And while she certainly doesn't neigh in the traditional sense, when she finds something hilarious or Sonic's making her laugh with his antics, her laughter can't help but take on a neigh-like touch to it. (The latter was actually a headcanon suggested by @darklightheart​, and I immediately agreed with it because it's cute and funny in equal measures.)

Naturally, she gets all shy and embarrassed when the neigh-laugh comes out, thinking it sounds silly. At least Sonic finds it endearing.

Note that I'm well aware that some of this differs from how real life horses react to certain things. (Eg: tail swishing tends to happen when a horse is agitated rather than happy.) But I freely admit that it's more for the sake of giving the character that extra bit of soul than it is for utmost accuracy. That's the way it goes with fiction sometimes. :P

Interestingly, Trudy tends to get Sonic indulging in a funny hedgehog characteristic of his own. That being, he might curl into a ball if Trudy's being particularly... ~complimentary~ towards him.

And there we are! These are the core elements that make up Trudy’s characterization. If you ever wanted a general list of what makes her tick, then hopefully this post will help in scratching that itch. And if it doesn’t, then hopefully it still proves that more thought was put into her than Scourge. :]