#like yeah she helped them escape as a robian but like i said. she had no way of knowing she'd be able to do that

[thecoolertails]

it sucks that lupe just let herself get roboticized

[sonicrevival]

Reunions: Chapter 4 of 4: Answers

Alright, time for the final part of Arc 2.

Read on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18573268/chapters/44028463

Sonic: Revival- Reunions

Chapter 4 of 4: Answers “Answers would be good, Geoff…” Sonic nodded for a moment. He took a step forward, but stumbled, pitching into Nicole and Emerl’s arms as his legs gave out. “On second thoughts… I think most of us are gonna need a rest before we do anything else…” “You should probably get that hand looked at as well,” Nicole added. “It doesn’t look healthy.” “You… have a very good point there…” *** With Emerl taking care of getting the rest of their teammates home, Nicole took on the task of escorting Geoffrey to the hospital, along with a pair of guards. Regardless of circumstance, the skunk had still killed the ruling monarch, and injury or no injury, going two for two on treason wasn’t something that tended to be taken lightly. He would almost certainly be under heavy guard for a long while after this. However, as she watched the skunk disappear into a solitary ward, a nurse approached her. The older-looking giraffe had been shadowing the group since they entered, and Nicole turned to face him with a quizzical look. “Can I help you?” She asked. It sounded more defensive than she intended, if the nurse’s slight recoil was anything to go by, and she cursed inwardly. Naugus had managed to put her on edge around regular civilians, and she inwardly thanked every god she could think of that someone had put him down for good, even if it was his own lackey. “Sorry Ma’am, it’s just that we saw the battle in the plaza, and realised that one of your team would probably be coming here, so I waited. It’s about your friend, Antoine.” *** “Welcome home, Sally,” Bernadette hugged the squirrel gently, Jules laying a hand on her shoulder. With the exact situation regarding who was the monarch in flux, Sally had decided to spend the night with Sonic and his family. “Thank you, Mrs. Hedgehog. It’s good to be back,” She smiled warmly. “Now, Sally, if you’re going to insist that we use your name, you can at least do the same for us,”  Bernadette gave her a wry grin, which she returned. “Very well, Bernadette,” She nodded. “Uncle Chuck said he’ll be home late. Apparently having a fight to the death with the head of state right outside the Council Chambers creates a lot of paperwork. Especially when the king loses,” Sonic shrugged, leaning against the door. “He said that if we haven’t eaten by the time he gets back, he’ll cover that. Says Sal and I have gone too long without his cooking.” “Well, he’s not wrong,” Jules nodded. “That’s what I said,” Sonic grinned. *** Tails, Rotor, and Emerl stood outside the Prower residence, having paused to bid farewell to the fox. “When we’ve got all of today’s events sorted out with the council tomorrow, we should probably all head over to the lab and take a look at you, Emerl,” Tails suggested. “Hey, at least buy me dinner first!” She flicked one of her optics off, imitating a wink as he let out an exasperated groan. “Not like that…” He sighed. “I mean, seeing exactly what it is you can do. Power-copying is fairly obvious, but I want to know your limitations.” “That’s fair,” She nodded, folding her arms slightly. “We should also probably look into the whole “Chaos Emerald” situation,” Rotor added. “Counting the synthetic, you’ve got three of them in there, and, well, they’re not exactly stable when they’re brought together outside of a complete set. That’s a lot of power, and we should probably be sure you can contain it. I don’t want you to feel like we’re not trusting you-” “Nah, it’s cool. I don’t know a whole lot about them, save for them giving me a power boost and showing me what I think might be old memories. Last thing I want is to overdo it and cause problems by absorbing more of them,” She replied. “So I’d be glad to help you with that.” “Good to hear,” Tails smiled. “Anyway, I should probably go. I need to tell Dad that Mom’s gonna be home late.” “You also need to recover from the whole fight thing as well,” She added. “That goes for both of us,” Rotor sighed, rubbing his forehead. “That pain spell was nasty.” “Yeah. You’re lucky you didn’t have to deal with that, Emerl.” “I know, right?” She nodded. “Anyway, catch you later, Tails.” “Yeah, same to you.” “See you tomorrow.” *** “You know, you don’t have to do this, Ames,” Bunnie sighed as she let the pink hedgehog into her and Antoine’s house. “Maybe, but I want to,” She replied, glancing around the dusty hallway. “You’ve not been here since Antoine went into the hospital, coming back was always going to be difficult, especially alone. That’s why I’m here.” Bunnie smiled, and threw her arms around her, squeezing slightly. “Yer a good friend, y’know that?” “Bunnie, you’ve been supporting us ever since I joined the fight, and from what the others say, before that too. Supporting you when you need it is the least I can do,” Amy returned the hug. “Thanks.” As they stood there, Nicole flickered into the hallway, smiling broadly. “Bunnie, I have news!” She beamed, as they looked up at her. “Antoine’s showing signs of waking up. His brain activity has been on a steady increase over the last few days, and he should be coming out of the coma within a day or two.” Immediately, Bunnie pulled Nicole into the hug. *** The following morning brought a buzz of activity to the Council Building. The Freedom Fighters, along with Harvey’s secret team, and the new arrival of Emerl, all clustered inside the main chamber, with Geoffrey there, one arm bandaged, both cuffed behind his back. “It would appear that we’ve been kept in the dark here… You’ve clearly all been very busy lately,” Rosemary frowned. “I believe an explanation is in order.” “Where should we start?” Sally asked, standing amongst her team. Dylan opened his mouth to answer, but Isabella spoke up first. “Well, I think the first thing we should say is ‘Welcome home’ to all of you. Before we get into the heavy part, it’s a relief to see you all alive and well,” She said. “Thank you, Isabella,” Sally smiled. “But let’s get down to the reason we’re all here.” “Let’s start with the, uh, regicide?” Hamlin shrugged. “I was no supporter of Naugus, but Mister St. John murdering him raises some complications.” “I wouldn’t call it regicide,” Sally shook her head. “Nicole explained to me what happened with Naugus’ accession, and that was probably the least legitimate coronation in the entirety of history. The crown is important, yes, but the physical object is ultimately just a fancy hat. Removing it from one man’s head and putting it on another does not a new king make, regardless of the size of a cheering crowd.” “We’re here to represent the will of the peop-” “Yes. The will of the people. And that extends to all of Acorn, not just one city, and should be conveyed through due process, not a screaming mob.” Her eyes narrowed. “Additionally, given that Naugus was an escaped convict, responsible for not only multiple counts of attempted murder and trying to ignite a civil war between Mobians and Robians, but instigating the Great War, then I can only ask what in the name of Chaos were you thinking?!” The various members of the Council, with the exception of Isabella, were starting to look awkwardly at each other. “Given that this system was formed in response to my father’s own mistakes, which included trusting Naugus…, I can only refer to this as a resounding failure,” Sally almost growled. Sonic placed a hand on her shoulder, and she visibly relaxed. She took a deep breath, and sighed. “Given the circumstances… I believe we should disregard Naugus’ reign as legitimate.” The Council talked among each other for a moment, quietly, visibly cowed by the Princess’ anger, until they nodded slowly. “Motion carried.” “Thank you. Geoffrey is many things, but ‘kingslayer’ is not one of them,” Sally nodded. “Princess, you have my sincere thanks for-” The skunk spoke up, but stopped when she turned to face him. “Don’t mistake this for fondness, Geoffrey,” She snapped. “Naugus’ reign being illegitimate puts you in a poor position as his kingmaker, especially considering that his previous pardon of your betrayal has now been rendered null and void. I recognise that you’ve suffered more than many during this whole debacle, but that doesn’t excuse your actions.” “Of course…” He slumped back into his seat, Sally turning back toward the Council. “So, what’s next?” “I would like to ask about this… “Secret Freedom Fighter” team that appeared to guard us yesterday,” Penelope spoke up. “Where did they come from?” “The Secret Freedom Fighters were a creation of myself and King Elias,” Harvey spoke up. “They were formed as an underground resistance to Naugus’ rule. Understandably, the fewer people that knew about their existence, the better. They were successful in preventing him from gaining the ability to brainwash all of you in order to attain absolute power.” “I see… well, thank you for your service…” Dylan mumbled, not the only member of the Council  looking unwell at the thought. “And King Elias? Where is he?” Isabella asked. “He was injured during our last mission, broke his leg, and is currently recovering in our hideout,” Silver replied. “We asked if he wanted to be here for this, and he and Sally seemed to agree that him returning before the dust settled on Naugus’ death would complicate things,” Harvey added. “Very well…” “What of Naugus’ other dealings?” Hamlin prompted,  glancing at Geoffrey. We’re now aware of his ill-fated attempts to gain control of our minds, but what else was he up to, why was he hiding in Commander St. John’s body?” “Allow me to provide that information, as someone who witnessed it all first-hand,” The skunk replied, rising in his seat a little. “Get comfy, this might take a while.” “We’re all ears, Geoff,” Sonic shrugged. “Very well… my… former master’s power grab began the night of Mina Mongoose’s previous concert. We were present on a nearby rooftop, and when Miss Mongoose performed her rather on-the-nose song about Nicole-” “Something that she did apologise for, by the way,” Nicole cut in.  Isabella smiled knowingly, and the rest of the time sighed with relief, while Emerl’s tense form relaxed. “Yes, well. As I was saying, when the song was performed, Naugus used his magic to amplify the feelings of the crowd, and it seems his level of control over the citizens of the city seemed to increase until he was outright dominating the crowd outside the Council Building during yesterday’s battle.” “So, the general populace aren’t afraid of Nicole?” Sally asked. “I didn’t say that. Naugus’ magic amplified fear that was already there, it didn’t create anything new.” “Why would anyone be afraid of Nicole?” Emerl asked, voice raising. Nicole put her hand on her shoulder, smiling sadly. “It’s alright. When I made this city, I thought only of the good I could do with my power. I knew that very little was capable of breaking into my processor, due to the way my code is written. I didn’t expect magic to be my weakness, and in that respect, I was overconfident. While Sally has protected me against future invasions of that sort, I do think that some level of limitation does need to put on my control over Mobotropolis,” She said. “We’ll discuss that soon, as we continue to deal with the fallout.” Charles nodded. “As you were. St. John.” “Thank you,” Geoffrey nodded. “In any case, while Naugus was able to gain control of the city that way, his health began to deteriorate. Whatever that white energy wave that came from the Death Egg was, it destabilised him.” “Destabilised?” Penelope asked. “He wasn’t one person, he was three previous wizards fused into a single being. It seems that their minds were reawakened, and they started trying to separate themselves. This resulted in his mutations, his magic becoming more chaotic, and his sanity slipping,” The skunk continued. “He had sanity?” Sonic smirked. “Well, relatively speaking,” He sighed. “Regardless, he was never sure how he reverted Mrs. D'coolette to normal, but he wanted to recreate it so that he could use Princess Sally’s condition to maintain his security. Unfortunately, with his condition deteriorating, he began to try and find a body to hijack. He visited the former king, and Jules Hedgehog, but both of them refused his offer of healing, and he ultimately settled for me.” Sonic and Sally both narrowed their eyes, hands clenching, but Geoffrey continued all the same. “Ultimately, he was driven out by your ploy with the Sword of Light, and for that I thank you, in spite of the damage to my hand,” He finished. “I see… Well, this information will be useful.” “And the robot?” Rosemary asked, glancing at Emerl, who looked up as the room’s attention focused on her. “Tails, is it one of yours?” “Not exactly. Emerl here was something of a group project for the Brain Trust when that was a thing. We discontinued the project when Fiona warned us that a single robot like her once wiped out the empire of their creator, and while we tried to ensure that she’d be safe to activate, we couldn’t guarantee it, so we didn’t wake her up,” Tails explained. “Sally and Nicole had the activation codes hidden away, to be used in a situation where the worst-case scenario of bringing her online couldn’t make things a whole lot worse.” “I took a risk, but it was a calculated one,” Nicole spoke up. “If Emerl hadn’t been stable, I could’ve deactivated her. Fortunately, she was stable, and I can’t say I have any regrets about the decision I took. Without her, we might not be standing here right now.” “Yeah, she pulled us out of the fire when Eggman pulled a fast one on us,” Sonic shrugged. “She and Nicole saved my life,” Sally added. “Emerl brought Nicole to Holoska, and while Nicole shut down the self-destruct bomb and released my mind from Eggman’s command, Emerl quite literally saved my heart. Eggman took out more core and used it to power one of his mechs, and he tried to destroy that too. Emerl extracted it and removed the EMP generator that it was wired to…” Those who hadn’t been present when Sally’s modifications were discovered turned pale, the room’s temperature dropping. “W-well, I can certainly promise that, in light of these revelations, we will be reviewing our approach to the war with Eggman, perhaps working toward a more… active route,” Rosemary muttered. “But, while your defences of your new comrade are touching, they are appeals to emotion, not fact.” Emerl sighed, and stepped away from the wall she was leaning on, folding her arms. “Can I say something for myself?” She asked, striding to the front of the party. “Go ahead.” “Look, I understand why you don’t trust me. You’ve had some bad experiences with purpose-built bots. You’ve been fighting a guy who makes bots that look a lot like me since some of you were children, and others among you were forced to be his slaves. And the two groups aren’t mutually exclusive,” Emerl slumped slightly. “I want you to understand that I’m here to help. Your protectors are my friends. They can say all they like about me saving them, but I’m just following in their footsteps. I won some fights because I don’t get tired and I don’t feel as much pain. That’s all. But y’know what? I’m good at that. And I like doing it. And I like them. So I’m going to keep doing it. And frankly, you can’t stop me.” Emerl straightened, folding her arms as she took a few more steps forward. “I don’t need your approval to be their friend. I don’t need your approval to be their ally. Heck, I don’t even need to live here, I’m a robot, and I have three chunks Beryl fused with near-limitless power fuelling me, I can go anywhere I like and just swing by when I’m needed. But it would be much easier for all of us if I didn’t have to do that.” “Well… You’re certainly… passionate in your approach,” Isabella blinked, looking down at her. “Yes, perhaps if you want to convince us, you should show the appropriate respect-” Hamlin began, stopping short as Emerl appeared in front of him, hovering to meet the height of his chair as she stared down at him. “I’ll give you respect when you earn it,” She replied, before flashing back to ground level. “If anything, I’m being too respectful. So far, all I know about you is that you put Naugus in charge and exiled Nicole without actual justification. I’m not exactly familiar with your laws, but I’m going to hazard a guess that justice isn’t a popularity contest.” “Emerl…” Nicole ventured. “As forceful as Emerl is being… I can’t disagree with her,” Sally shrugged. “Regardless of her origin, Nicole is a person, and you have a duty of care to all of your citizens, not just those of flesh and blood.” “We’ll, uh… strive to improve that in future…” Rosemary slouched into her seat, as Sally offered a dry smile, and Emerl folded her arms. “Make sure that you do,” The princess replied. “Despite the outrage on her part, I can speak for Emerl’s integrity,” Charles said. “We would like to have your capabilities on record, though.” “Well, I can do… basically anything that I observe and understand,” Emerl tapped the closed optic in her forehead. “I can scan the abilities of others, and then adapt them for my own use. I have currently gained powers from Nicole, Sonic, Tails, Bunnie, and Mecha Sonic. I have additionally acquired weapons from Bunnie, Amy, Rotor, Mecha Sally, Mecha Sonic, and the former Eggman-goons we fought at the oil foundry, along with standard combat training from all parties. I’m always willing to add more powers, too.” “And the Chaos Emeralds? Reportedly you absorbed the one that Naugus held.” “Yeah, it seems to happen automatically when I touch them. When I do, I get flashes. I think they’re memories. Then the Emerald gets absorbed into me, and I get stronger. That’s all I know. Tails and Rotor are going to run some tests, and once that’s done, I’ll have more of an answer for you,” Emerl replied. “Can you… uh… spit them out?” Penelope asked. “Not that I know of,” Emerl shrugged. “Sorry.” “While they may be safer in your possession… we did want to use an Emerald to try and heal King Maximilian,” Dylan frowned. “Well, I can still do that. I used the one from the Death Egg to help fix Mecha Sally, and I’m sure I can learn a Chaos Heal from someone else so I can patch up organics too,” She responded. “Well… alright then,” Rosemary sighed. “Miles, can you get these tests done, and make a report. Then we’ll make a decision on where we stand with your new friend.” “Sure, we’ll get right on that,” Tails nodded. *** The meeting didn’t last long after that. Geoffrey was escorted back to the hospital, remaining under guard. Sally remained with the Council to discuss the situation she had engineered in the desert, and most of the others went their separate ways. Tails, Rotor, and Emerl all went to the lab, where they began setting up the equipment for the Gizoid’s tests. “What is this, a lab or a gym?” Emerl asked, optics flickering over the various machines. “It’s both,” Tails replied, looking a little proud. “I wanted to create a facility here that we could use to determine how strong, tough, fast, etcetera, we all are, as well as tracking improvement. We’re going to test your speed, strength, and your inbuilt weapons. We’ll also hook you up to the computer and see if we can run a scan on your programming.” “Sounds good me, except that last part. I dunno why, but I feel like that’s a bad idea,” She replied. “But if you want to try it, sure.” “Alright then. We’ll start with strength…” The strength test didn’t last long. Emerl’s first punch tore the bag from its mounting, hurling it into the far wall, sand spilling out. Speed tests were similarly short-lived, and her chainblades were carving through everything short of the few scraps of armour they had left from the wreckage of the first Egg Beater. “She’s off the charts…” Tails sighed, watching as the Gizoid ambled out of the test chamber, heading up to join them. “I… it must be the Emeralds.” “The Emeralds? That’s your field of expertise, not mine.” Rotor frowned. “Normally we only use them when we have all seven, because they can be unstable without a control, but I’ve managed to determine that when he’s Super, Sonic receives a power multiplier of 700%,” The fox began. “One-hundred for every Emerald, in other words.” “So it could be that, with two Emeralds, Emerl is experiencing a boost of 200%?” “Precisely,” He nodded. “We’ll have to get this place set up for a Super-level subject…” Emerl walked into the room, stretching herself out, despite the lack of muscles to keep limber. It just felt right to her. “So, uh, did you get anything out of that? Because I feel like that didn’t go as planned,” She asked. “No, but we’re going to reset everything and get it set up for a higher level of combatant. We think the Emeralds are what’s pushing you over the current limits,” Tails replied. “Still, the fact that you’re stronger than we can measure is, in its own way, a measurement.” “I suppose,” She shrugged. “How long will it take to set up for a second attempt?” “Not sure. We’ve only measured aura before when it comes to Super modes. Getting something that can actually take a hit… Well, we'll work it out later. We can do the scan now, if you like?” “Sure, why not?” Emerl shrugged. “I already destroyed some of your equipment, what’s a computer on top of that?” “Oh, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like you’re going to melt it, right?” Rotor asked. “Well, okay then… Wait, I think Nicole’s coming, hang on,” She held up her hand, and sure enough, Nicole appeared in their midst, grinning ear-to-ear. “How did you know?” Rotor asked, raising an eyebrow at the Gizoid. “We’ve shared a head, I can kinda feel it,” She shrugged. “What’s up, Nicole?” “Sorry if I’m interrupting, but Antoine’s awake!” She beamed. Emerl didn’t know much about the coyote, other than what she had been told or was able to pick up from the conversations she’d been privy to, but the matching smiles on all three of her friends’ faces were all she needed to see. An impulse of thought, faster than any verbal conversation, invited the lynx into her head, and she gripped the two scientists’ shoulders, warping all four of them away. Nicole guided her to the correct room, and she landed outside it, releasing her friends. Tails pushed the door open, and they all stepped in together. Bunnie and Amy sat to one side of the bed, the former clutching Antoine’s hand tightly as she hugged him as carefully as she could manage. Sonic and Sally were at the other, Sally gently holding the coyote’s other hand. They looked up as the newcomers arrived, and clustered together around the bed. Finally, they were reunited. *** A world away from the turmoil of Mobius, cold blue eyes snapped open, a spark of purple rippling through them. A change in the air, a familiar aura, a presence he had hoped lost, but deep down, he always knew would return. Miles Prower rose to his feet, running a hand through his black hair. He stood at the centre of a peculiar pattern, three runes arranged in a triangle, connected and contained within concentric circles, more runes filling the space between them. The eldritch sigil had been seared into a ledge of rock, jutting from the side of a black mountain that rose from a frenzied ocean, grey waves slamming against the stone, and Miles had been sitting at its centre for the past three and a half days. He looked down at his hands, and found the same sigil now branded into the backs of them. Clenching his fist for a moment, violet light ignited within the the fine lines of the markings, both those in his skin, and in the stone at his feet. He grinned, and turned away from the precipice, picking up his coat from the rock where he had hung it half a week prior, wrapping it around his shoulders. Descending the rough-hewn steps into the bowels of the mountain once more, he called out to his sole companion. “Myrddin, where are you?” It was less a question than a demand, and his brow furrowed at the lack of response. The old wizard was becoming increasingly difficult to rely on lately, Miles had noticed. Still, he’d got what he needed from him, so that wasn’t really an issue any longer. If anything, it was most fortuitous that his journey had reached its end just as his perennial adversary returned from his exile.

[thetravelersjournal]

Gear Foxx- Chapter 10

One Year On The Web!

Hope Kintobor chatted cheerfully with Mina, not noticing the venomous glares I was sending her way. She had been one of the Overlander refugees to take residence in Robotropolis before they were freed by Nate and the others, but had stayed behind in Knothole while the rest of them moved on to Station Square. Despite being Dr. Robotnik’s niece, everyone was treating Hope like she had always belonged here. But I only got a sense of unease every time I saw her walking around.

The fact that she and Mina were talking right in front of me made me a little more than anxious. Because Hope was an orphan and too young to support herself, she fell under the care of Rosie, and with Mina coming and going to help take care of the younger kids, it seemed that the two of them had become fast friends. I sat and half-listened to the two of them in silence, readying myself for any hostile movement.

“Gear?”

I turned to Mina, who had directed her attention toward me. “Yeah?” I grunted.

“I asked if you wanted to get some ice cream?” Mina said, raising her eyebrows.

Ice cream was the last thing I wanted. But I didn’t like the idea of Mina being alone with Hope, even if she had been before. I shifted my gaze onto Hope, who cowered back a little under my glare.

“Yeah, sure. My treat,” I sighed, standing up from the log I was sitting on.

“Really? You’re the best, Gear!” Mina cried, already grabbing Hope’s arm and rushing across town. I coughed a little from the cloud of dirt before teleporting outside Uncle Chuck’s Diner. I waited a few moments until Mina caught up, still dragging Hope behind her.

“What took you so long?” I asked, looking down at the non-existent watch on my wrist while opening the door for them.

“Hey, no fair! What’s the point of super speed if you always get here before I do?” Mina pouted.

“T-Too fast…” Hope gasped, clutching her head with her right hand and her stomach with her left.

After me, Mina, and Hope finally got our ice cream (Strawberry Sorbet, Neapolitan, and Butter Pecan, respectively), we walked around the edge of town. We ate our frozen treats in silence for a while, causing my mind to start wandering.

Even with everything that’s happened, I was finally starting to get used to living in Knothole. I still felt out of place in all of this, but the feeling was slowly dissipating as I got more accustomed to the village’s friendliness. Still, I was unsure of my direction from here on. I sensed something missing from how I should be doing things, but I couldn’t begin to think of what.

“Perhaps it has something to do with my lingering memories… memories that get fuzzier and fuzzier by the day. Maybe I should record some of them or something,” I thought.

Still absorbed in my thoughts, I didn’t notice Mina tripping on an exposed root. My arm, however, flew into action before I realized what happened, catching her before she fell.

“Uh… you okay?” I asked, surprised by my own reflexes.

“Yeah, I’m fine. But I dropped my ice cream…,” Mina sighed, looking at the splattered mess on the ground. She turned away for a moment, but her face lit up instantly, and she started walking towards the forest.

“I’ll just get some more! Don’t wait up!” she said.

“Hey, wait, that’s not the way to Chuck’s Din-,” I tried declaring, but she was already gone. If I wasn’t mistaken, I could have sworn I saw a flash of blue streak by in the direction Mina was heading.

I sighed in annoyance, “There she goes.” I looked at Hope for a moment, before redirecting my gaze back to where I had last seen Mina. I calmly continued eating my frozen dessert, wondering if I really should wait for Mina or not. She was probably too preoccupied with trying to catch Sonic’s attention, knowing her...

“So… how long have you and Mina been friends?” Hope asked quietly after a few minutes of silence passed.

I refused to answer her question, and decided that I wasn’t going to wait for Mina after all. I started walking in the direction of my house.

“I- I saw you in Robotropolis once. When Sonic and Sally were freeing all the Robians…” Hope said, unfortunately still following me. I continued ignoring her, and walked a little faster, throwing away the cup that had contained my Sorbet and the remainder of Mina’s cone that I had picked up into a nearby trash can.

Hope tried once more, asking, “Why are you ignoring me?” At this point, I just decided it would be a good idea to directly teleport back to my house.

“I’m sure that she can walk out of the Great Forest by herself,” I thought, preparing myself to leave.

“I just want to be friends…”

In one swift motion, I pushed Hope to the ground, tore off a rather sharp stick from a nearby tree, and aimed it at her throat.

“Let’s get something straight,” I growled, finally losing my cool, “Mina is a good friend of mine- you are not. And if you do anything to hurt her, don’t think for a second that there is anywhere on this planet you could run where you could escape me.”

“W-what? I wouldn’t do anything like that! I’m not like my uncle!” Hope cried, backing away from my makeshift weapon.

A part of me could tell she wasn’t lying, but I refused to drop my guard around her. “Yeah, right,” I said, throwing away the stick, “All you Kintobors are the same, I’m not falling for your tricks. Don’t bother me again unless you really want me pissed.”

I turned and teleported to my bedroom, leaving Hope to her lonesome. I sat down on my bed and tried calming down. There was no way I could trust her, whether she was telling the truth or not. I have to be careful around her, for both my and other people’s safety.

I continued on this train of thought as I slid into a troubled sleep.

I watched the calm waves slowly splash against the bottom of my boat. The ocean reflected the quiet twilight sky, making it hard to see if anything was in it. A small breeze swirled through my whiskers before continuing out towards the horizon.

The small row boat I was lying in stood perfectly still in the water, not bothering to move an inch any one way or another. I shifted my tail a little into a more comfortable position, before noticing movement in the water. Bubbles began to pop on the surface, multiplying continuously until after a few seconds Mina the Mermaid burst out of the sea. She lifted her arms onto the side of the boat, leaning her weight against it.

“Hey Gear. What you up to?” she asked, splashing her tail in the water.

“Nothing much,” I sighed lazily, “Just dreaming.”

“You ready to hang out tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I just hope this dream doesn't turn into a nightmare, like it usually does,” I grimaced.

Mina made a face that was half annoyed, half exhausted. “I just think you worry too much, that’s all,” she said.

I frowned, and looked back up at the sky, “Thanks, subconscious. Any other pearls of wisdom you’d like to give me?”

“You’d better run.”

I swiftly turned my head to see Mina’s eyes melting out of their sockets, prompting me to jump up and yell in panic. I quickly lost my balance on the small dinghy, and I fell backward into the now murky water.

My body was too heavy to swim properly, and I sank like a rock. It was getting harder and harder to hold my breath, and I could feel my lungs angrily beating against my ribcage. I saw the skeleton of Nate Morgan pass me as I sunk lower, floating past me like a jellyfish as my velocity increased.

I finally fell to the bottom, only to discover the ocean opened up to become the ceiling to a large gray room. I hit the floor hard, gasping for breath before observing my surroundings. I had fallen into a library, books covering shelves and littering the floor as far as the eye could see.

“The heck,” I muttered out loud, walking between the shelves. I grabbed a book at random, glancing at the title that read, “Fears”. I snatched another from its resting place, reading the title, “Memories of Day 36”.

“Is this supposed to be a representation of my brain or something?” I asked myself, trying to make my way to what I assumed was the front of the library.

“Wrong way,” I heard a mysterious voice behind me say. The voice was soothing, but at the same time it sent chills down my spine. Before I could turn around, the Fox darted in front of me, glancing at me for a moment before hopping down the aisle. Something about him was off- I couldn’t seem to fully make out his shape- but I ignored it, focusing more on the reason as to why he was here.

I quickly followed him, soon walking into a small resting area that was stacked high with books. The Fox ran to the front counter, where the Human was stacking up books. I stood for a minute, watching his progress, before walking up to them.

“What can I do for you, Gear?” he asked without turning around, “Not often you visit us.”

“No, I’m just having a nightmare,” I said, my eyes scanning the books scattered all around me, before adding, “...I think.”

“Well, at this point, your mind’s so messed up that I don’t think you can dream about the two of us without having a few nightly terrors.”

“Lovely. It was nice to see you too.” I watched as the Human opened a small cabinet I hadn’t noticed before. Blue flames rose from the opening, licking the air. Without hesitation, the Human grabbed a stack of books and tossed them into the furnace. My mind suddenly went blank as I felt something leave it.

“Oh, I don’t think you’ll be seeing much of us,” said the Human, finally turning around, “Your memory isn’t what it once was, was it?” I reeled back upon seeing his face- or rather, the absence of it. Before I could react any further, both the Human and the Fox grabbed me by my arms- the Fox using his tail- and hurled me in the air, straight into the blue flames. I covered my head in anticipation, waiting for the heat to devour me. I instead hit my back against the hard concrete floor, knocking the wind out of me.

I sat up after a few moments, coming face-to-face with Hope. Her eyes were caved in, and her razor sharp smile twisted dangerously up to her ears. She was breathing heavily, with a stench of dead fish rising from her mouth. Her hair was much longer than usual, wrapping around itself on the floor and covering her naked body. After a few awful moments of staring at each other, she started wheezing, slow at first but soon turning into rasping gulps for air.

“Geeeear…? Why don’t you trust meeee, Geeeear?” she gasped, drawing out the sentence with every ‘e’.

“Why should I?” I declared, standing up. Hope continued lying on the floor, lifting her head to stare up at me, tittering.

“I haveeee no reeeeason to lieeee, Geeeear… I’m just a poor orphan with no pareeeents… Wouldn’t you beeee sad if a hapleeeess littleeee girl likeeee meeee dieeeed all aloneeee...?”

Suddenly, her entire body swung into the air as she was lifted by a long rope around her neck, her soft laugh swiftly turning into a cackle. She continued glaring at me, her voice growing louder and louder. My body became cold as the room we were in started to catch fire from the blue blaze.

“Words hurt, Geeeear… How could you say someeeething so vileeee to meeee?” she screamed, rocking back and forth through the air, “I just wanteeeed to beeee frieeeends Geeeear…”

“Shut up! Just leave me alone!” I shouted, backing away from her hanging corpse.

“You’d likeeee that, wouldn’t you Geeeear? You’veeee neeveer trusteeeed anyoneeee, haveeee you? ‘Oh, woeeee is meeee, I haveeee no family and-’”

Hope’s face abruptly contorted in anger, and it looked like she was about to shout something else. However, a new voice filled my ears, shaking my brain out of its slumber.

“Gear! Wake up!” Mina shouted, shaking me awake.

“Huugggbbgh?” I cried out, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

I was back in my bed, in my house. Sunlight peeked through my shutters, illuminating the room just enough for me to see Mina.

“Is it really okay for you to be barging into my room?” I asked somewhat rhetorically, still half asleep.

“Only when you’re too busy having nightmares to hang out with me,” Mina sighed, whipping my blanket off of me. I gave a half-hearted yell at the temperature change, before turning over and moaning into my pillow.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“After twelve.”

I groaned once again into the soft fabric. Just as soon as I had gotten used to my nightmares waking me up too early in the morning, they started instead to keep me in bed till after lunch. I had already been late to school three times this week alone.

“You’re still wearing these bandages? When did you hurt yourself that bad?” Mina asked urgently, reaching for the cloth covering my chest.

I quickly latched onto her arm, snarling, “Don’t touch them.”

Mina drew back in surprise, giving me a moment to compose myself. Nightmare Hope’s words echoed once again through my mind.

“Sorry, I’m, uh… ticklish,” I lied, finally getting up.

“Ticklish?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Want to test that?” Mina grinned maliciously, wiggling her fingers.

“No,” I stated, putting on a shirt, “Besides, weren't we hanging out today?”

“Yep! Now come on, we’re wasting daylight!”

Mina’s house was, in the best respects, very ordinary. The small hut sat next to the overall clutter of houses that made up the residential district of Knothole. It occurred to me that Knothole was already much bigger than it was when I had first arrived some three months ago.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if this place gets upgraded from village to city soon,” I thought to myself as we walked in.

“I’m home momma!” Mina happily declared, setting her bag down by the door. I slowly looked around, examining the decor. It already looked as if Mina had been living here for years; tons of pictures of Mina and two older mongooses, whom I could only presume were her parents, lined the walls, taking up most of the available space. Pamphlets for Chuck’s Diner, report cards, and various magnets littered the refrigerator, covering up its white surface. The entirety of the kitchen was clean, however, with a shine that showed it was well cared for. A chrome-plated female Robian suddenly walked in from a side room, cheerfully greeting us.

“Hello sweetie. And you must be Gear, correct?” Mina’s mother asked.

I shook her hand, “Yes ma’am. How did you know who I was though?”

“My daughter talks about you all the time, though I would have never believed she’d be bringing a boyfriend home so soon.”

“Momma!” Mina cried, “Gear isn’t my boyfriend!”

“No, but you do have your sights set on someone, am I right?” I asked, watching Mina’s face turn red.

“Oh, really? Could you tell me who the lucky fellow is then?” Mina’s mother smiled warmly.

“I’ll give you a hint; he’s blue and-” I started, but was cut off as Mina slapped a hand over my mouth.

“Can we please stop talking about this?”

The rest of the day passed uneventfully as me and Mina played video games, talked, and ate. It was soon time for me to return home, however, and I begrudgingly said my goodbyes in order to leave. I was making my way through the door when Mina’s mom held me back.

“Can I talk to you for a moment Gear?” she inquired. I nodded, letting her continue, “I just wanted to thank you for watching out for my daughter. She must have been so lonely when she first came to Knothole, and you were there to support her.”

“It’s fine, really. I needed a friend too. We kinda ended up being there for each other,” I shrugged.

“Still, she needed someone she could trust in when her world was falling apart around her, and I appreciate your kindness.”

The word trust resonated deep within me, and I thought back once more to the dream I had last night. Did I really not trust anyone, even Mina? I got angry earlier when she tried to look at my bandages, but could I really tell her my secret? Perhaps I just needed to be more trusting in general- I was having a hard time not being suspicious of people, possibly due to my past, but could I really let that affect the now?

“Gear? Are you okay?”

I looked up to see Mina’s mother staring at me worriedly. I grinned sheepishly as I started to walk away.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Was just thinking that there was someone I had to apologize to.”

(I might revise this once my editor wakes up.)

EDIT: fixed a few small things. Yay editors!

Read the Beginning!- Prologue

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Gear belongs to me.

Mina, Hope, and others belong to SEGA, Archie(?) or Ken Penders.