Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 1: Here We Are Now

LOS ANGELES, 1997

“If anything, I know those two still owe me a song.”

-Sally Acorn, 1996

Certainly, at first, she’s astounded at the very sight of him. It is not an everyday occurrence that the man who used to mean so much to her, who brought her into his orbit, who threw her through the wringer and set her free from it in the same breath, is standing on her doorstep.

“Tell your dad to reach out to Amy Rose.”

“And you tell Amy Rose that she better answer.”

That’s all well and good, she thinks, but surely, she didn’t think he’d actually do it … right?

Part of her now regrets saying yes to the documentary – if only she could see that it would lead to a future quite like this.

And yet here he is, despite her mind’s schism – right here, at her doorstep.

Two. Fucking. Decades.

She managed to keep close enough with everyone else in The Seven, but this?

This was an apocalyptic event if she ever thought of one.

He asked how he looked, she said he looked like shit.

And he smiled. Good God, he sure smiled.

It wasn’t her first heartbreak, no, but it was surely her worst.

And she hadn’t ever said goodbye to him, but it would’ve hurt the most.

 She isn’t sure how to quench the war between her mind and her mouth, the war between her lips and her rationality. It’s a Cold War if she ever knew it. A lot had happened since that fateful October night in ’78. A decade swam by with multitudes of changes. She wasn’t certain if she would ever be ready to face him down again, and she had even skipped out on Blaze and Silver’s wedding. She wasn’t ready for the show trial – this was no Iran Contra, this was no Watergate – this was if the Soviets decided to stop fucking around and smash the red button and doom everyone here to a fiery inferno and a lifetime of hellish, poisonous winter.

“How do I look, Amy Rose?”

“Like shit, Sonic the Hedgehog.”

Those were the first words they spoke to each other at the doorstep. That felt like the nuclear bomb was making impact and incinerating everything in the path of its shockwave.

Or maybe it was completely fine. Maybe. It still wasn’t any easier to stop herself from smiling. 17 years ago, this man would cause her stomach to flip, her mind to implode, and her legs to wiggle out from under her. Now? It just causes her dread.

But she could handle dread – she had to be able to handle something.

Because right now, she was all out of options.

“I have knocked on the right door, yeah?” Sonic whispers, grinning, which only penetrates Amy’s guard even more.

“Huh?”

“Well, the Amy Rose I knew would not hesitate to let me know exactly how she feels about whatever might be going on in that very moment. Especially when she probably shouldn’t.”

Got her good, she thinks.

“I’m – I’m definitely surprised to see you.”

“That’s certainly one way to put it,” Sonic replies.

Amy sighs, finally allowing the smile to fall for a moment, looking back over her shoulder into an empty foyer, a spiraling staircase catching her eyes for a moment, as if she’s surprised her own house has a spiraling staircase.

“Do you – do you wanna come in?” Amy asks in a hushed whisper.

Sonic looks behind his own shoulder, biting his lip, before turning back to her.

“Well, I came all this way.”

Amy moves, pushing the door open with her back, her long, light-pink dress dragging behind her, allowing her former bandmate, and the former fire of her loins, into her home. She watches him take in the vast ceilings, the spiraling staircase, and the flowers that adorn every inch of the house.

“It’s good to see you, Amy,” Sonic says, shoving his hands in his pockets. The distance between them feels like an ocean’s length, neither certainly comfortable enough just yet to take a hammer to the walls they have kept up between one another. Amy couldn’t escape her own mind – those walls are just going to have to stay, she thought. At this point, she’s basically begging to be put out of her own misery, for any sign of mercy to sweep her away.

“I was gonna call, but…” Sonic says, rejecting to finish his own sentence. Whatever sentence he tries to muster gets lodged in his throat.

He stares at her intensely, probably more intensely than he should, but how couldn’t he? The woman who so passionately and destructively changed the very foundation of his world all those years ago, at the height of his planet – who then vanished from his life for two decades – is right there.

He sees things differently with her here – he’s not sure he recognizes the perfume. He doesn’t ever recall her wearing a shade of lipstick like that before. He wonders if her eyes were always that green. Her hair is much less shaggy and wild than it once was, now straighter, pinker, and perhaps even longer than it was then?

He doesn’t know, but he also knows it doesn’t matter. This is now. Here he is, now. The fucking irony of it all. The song he hated all those years ago is now the only song that runs around the tempest that is his brain.

He recalls how he used to think pink was such a dumb color – so girly, so feminine, and he was a man, after all. About how he hated his own green eyes, wishing he could’ve gotten the amber eyes like his brother, and how he didn’t believe in God until he met Amy Rose.

All those things seemed to change once he met Amy Rose.

And yet here he is, standing in the entryway of her powerful home, and opts not to move since, well, she isn’t moving herself. He knows if he asked to come in he should probably move, but she’s not, and it is her house so, her rules, right?

That’s what he tells himself, at least.

“I’ve been waiting,” Amy finally speaks, “for a call.”

“Right.”

“I was specifically instructed to wait for a call.”

“You were,” Sonic laughs.

“And furthermore, I was given very potent instructions to answer that call should it arrive.”

“I know,” Sonic adds, “I think I just needed some…”

“Time?”

Sonic sighs, yet the smile remains as ever strong and bright.

“Time, yeah.”

 They say nothing. It hangs between them. A silence so deafening that quickly, Sonic can’t really take it anymore.

“You have a lovely house.”

Amy tilts her head, squinting at the hedgehog.

“Well, how could you possibly know that, considering we haven’t even left the entryway?”

He smiles.

There it is. That’s the Amy Rose he remembers.

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“I meant it, you know.”

Amy turns around, the pair finally making it to her grand Mediterranean style kitchen, her desire to revolt against the prevailing interior decorating of the ‘90s taking full hold of her.

Always one to revolt, she was.

“What I said earlier, I mean,” Sonic continues, which only makes his heart crack just a bit further. He’s not sure he understands what this is.

The drive to her house was agonizing enough – finding himself replaying the few years they spent in each other’s orbit in his head, wondering if it ended for a reason, and if opening that up was really the wise thing to do.

Amy marvels at just how … different he seems. He’s much less brash, abrasive, and hot-headed. He seems calmer, more zen – the word Amy finds is maturity.

Surely, she reached a certain maturity too, no?

He had stayed fiercely loyal to Sally, and to his daughter, in those twenty years that passed. He had not strayed from his life, his air, and his water, once in those years. He made up for lost time, he paid his dues back, and he rebuilt what he once wrecked.

What he and her had both wrecked a bit, he thinks. Inevitably, he decided to act on Sally’s wish.

Even if it didn’t lead to what he believed Sally was clearly implying, this couldn’t hurt, right?

Or could it?

Is this gonna hurt? – Amy thinks. Is this gonna hurt like it did? Is she being cold? - she thinks.

Why is she … so cold? - he thinks. He knew they probably had changed. It had been twenty years anyways. He wasn’t sure if it would be a reunion like the movies – where the stars in their eyes light up again like they did those years ago. He wasn’t sure if it would just be a meeting at a coffee shop, had he called.

But what he did not expect was for it to be so … unfeeling.

Whatever was happening here hurt. Now, he stands in the kitchen, wondering if he’s ready to regret coming here in the first place. Sure, twenty years, but sometimes you can pick up where you left off, right? In this instance, he felt miles and miles apart – and he didn’t love it.

Should he have just stuck to the call?

Funny, he did not expect this many questions to swarm his head. He did expect, at least somewhat, for his mind to rewind every mistake he ever made on the sight of her, but he did not expect it to slam him quite this hard.

“It really is good to see you, Amy.”

Does he expect her to say it back? He knows she may have been expecting this, but that doesn’t mean she wants this.

At the slightest indication that she doesn’t want it, he’s out the door. He keeps his peripheral locked on it in that very case.

“It’s good to see you too, Sonic,” she finally replies, willing her voice to be just a louder than it desires to be. “But I’m…”

Here it comes.

Why does she feel this desperate need to get rid of him? Has she not come to her own terms with how it all went down? She’s had a great career and life since then – surely, she still can’t be wishing him away this intensely, right?

In his mind, he’s almost wishing Sonia just hadn’t shown him the message in the first place.

“I’m gonna … have to cut this very short.”

“Right, right,” Sonic replies. There it is. What he knew was coming and now his foot was already inching towards the door whence he came. Uncertainty is one thing, but rejection is an entire other war to fight. Not that he needed her to reject some sort of romantic proposal – but the rejection of even seeing him again, that’s what struck the match the hottest.

“What was I thinkin’ showing up here, right?” Sonic says with a guilty laugh, “I mean – look at this place. You’ve built an amazing life for yourself, by yourself – and I mean, you deserve it. You do. It’s just been too many years, right? You don’t need it all being – well, drudged up again. Especially after all the healing and rebuilding we’ve had to do, I – I’m sure this just puts a nail to all of that…”

He's rambling. He remembers the smile. She seemed happy to see him, but Sonic learned the hard lesson long ago: nothing can always be exactly what it seems. Perhaps it was a shock reaction? Now that he’s standing inside her house all this time later, he supposes the shock is wearing off, and now she’s seeing the sky clear as day now.

“No!” Amy gasps, shaking her head forcefully. “It’s – it’s not that. Not at all. I – “

Amy stops, placing her bare hands against the cold countertop of the island. She sighs, biting her lip, her top teeth now stained red just on the edge.

“I was on my way out to – to pick up my daughter,” Amy finished, sighing. “And then you walked in, and I got surprised, and then you came inside my house and this whole time I’m supposed to be picking up my daughter…”

Now she’s rambling. It’s like she said to Sonia in the interview process – the very sight of him could reduce her to a pathetic little worm.

Apparently, and not-so-fucking-shockingly, it was still true.

For him, too.

“Please don’t tell me you forgot about picking her up,” Sonic laughs, rubbing an awkward hand through the back of his hair.

“I did not!” Amy replies, yet the shame runs to her face. Truth be told, she did, and she didn’t. She was getting ready to leave, and then suddenly, a ghost showed up on her doorstep and threw her for a full loop! Can anyone really blame her?

She knows she has to leave, but she can’t quite allow herself to do it. If she sends him off now, will he come back? Will this just be one giant “whoops”?

“I got caught off guard, so maybe it slipped my mind for a second, but can you blame me? It’s not every day a ghost shows up on my doorstep!”

“You’re late, aren’t you?” Sonic asks with a smarmy smirk, showing Amy that no matter how much he might have returned, that fiery banter was still well alive within him, and by extension, probably her as well.

“Well, excuse me if I needed a moment to gather my thoughts!”

“So, you weren’t already late when I showed up?”

“That’s – not relevant…”

“Uh-huh,” Sonic replied with a small chuckle.

“I will have you know I am always on time now,” Amy shot back, and Sonic put his hands up.

“Go get your daughter, Ames.”

Ames. For fucks sake, she thinks. The way it just rolls off his tongue is like smashing a plate over her head from behind. It comes out of nowhere and hits her like a semitruck, but clearly for Sonic, it’s like he never stopped calling her Ames in his head.

She swears she sees his eyes widen ever-so-slightly for a moment – clearly, it must be shocking him somewhat also.

Sonic took the initiative to the door, allowing Amy to grab her keys and follow, before Sonic turns.

“Will I get a chance to do this the right way sometime?”

“Like…”

“I don’t know – burgers and fries like old times?”

Her mind immediately goes back to the first time they went out of the studio, to a burger joint, trying to figure out how to get their minds to link together to write something – anything.

“How about I call?” Amy asked, earning a pursed lip from Sonic.

She’s not a lost soul wandering anymore. She has more at stake now. She has a daughter, a career, a life – something that is hers.

Those words Sally Acorn once said to her in a ballroom – needing something that was hers. Those words continued to linger with Amy years after.

She was quick to grab a lingering notepad and a pen, tearing a paper out and handing it to him. “Write your number down, and I will call.”

“Will you?” He asks, as he writes his number down, leaving it on the side table by the front door.

“You don’t trust me?”

Sonic pauses, smirking, the tug of his lip inching at the corner of his muzzle. “I do.”

“Then I will call.”

“And I will wait for that call.”

So be it, Amy thinks.

May not have been Sally’s entire command for the pair, but it’s the way it’s going to be.

This time, it might just be different.

Who the hell really knows, huh?

“Bye, Amy.”

“Bye, Sonic.”

He walks out, she closes the door, puts her back against it, and lets out a breath that she had been holding for twenty years.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 2: Cat’s In The Cradle

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“You’re late, Mommy.”

Those three words smash Amy’s heart to bits and pieces. She opts to let those pieces lie across the playroom floor – she deserves it, she thinks.

“I know, little Dove, and I’m so, so sorry. Something came up, and Mommy-“

Amy is stopped when Selene, a small, four-year-old violet hedgehog holds up a paper, scribbled in crayon and colored pencil.

“For you,” she says, her tiny hands clutching the edges of the paper ever so gently, with Amy carefully taking it from her, letting her green eyes wander across it.

It’s Selene, it’s Amy, it’s the Sun in the sky, with dancing pink and purple flowers, and small, tiny clouds over them.

It’s perfect – it’s everything she hoped for all those years ago, staring at her in the form of colored pencil markings.

“It’s so beautiful, ‘Lene! I love it! You are such an amazing little artist! Thank you, baby. I really love it – we’ll hang it on the fridge right when we get home, okay?”

Selene nods, and takes her mother’s hand, hoisting her small pink backpack over her shoulders. She turns around, giving her teacher a wave.

“Goodbye, Miss Brown!”

“Goodbye, Selene! I’ll see you tomorrow bright and early!”

Amy wipes her brow as she leads her daughter down the colorful hallway, sighing with yet another slew of apologies.

“I’m real sorry I was late, Little Dove. Mommy got caught up in something. I won’t be late again, I promise, okay?”

“Okay,” Selene replies in the gentlest voice imaginable.

Amy is eager to switch the topic. “How was school today?”

“Okay.”

“Just okay?! Nothing interesting or fun happened? Did you learn anything?”

“Not much.”

Amy opens the door, her hand tight, yet light, on her daughter’s. “But you had music and art class today! You love those days!”

“I guess.”

Amy stopped, looking down at her daughter with a downcast face. She sighed, getting down on her knees, her big green eyes looking right into Selene’s cyan orbs. Selene looked down at her mom, letting her brush some straying quills from her face.

“Mommy’s really sorry about today, Selene. I hate seeing you so sad, Dove. Mommy got caught in something and – and I know you’re sad that I was late. I really am so sorry, love. It’s not fair to you, and I’ll do better darling, okay?”

“Did you lose the keys again?” It stings that her daughter can see right through her at the ripe age of four.

“I might have … but now that I have them, we can go for ice cream, right?”

“Can we just go home?” Selene whispers, crushing Amy’s heart.

“What? Why? What about the big chocolate sundae we always share? It’s your favorite part of Thursday night!”

“Don’t really want it anymore,” she replies in a small voice.

It hurts how honest she is, though she loves that about her daughter. Her fearlessness in the face of her oh-so-powerful feelings. She might be adopted, but she knew she had to get something from her anyways.

“Is there any other way I can make it up to you? I can get you your own chocolate sundae, or I could even give you two sundae’s, yeah? Does that sound yummy, little Dove?”

Selene thinks hard for a moment, before shaking her head.

“Then is there something else I can do, babydoll?” Amy whispers, the guilt practically eating her alive like a ravenous cannibal.

She thinks hard for a minute.

“I wanna go to Twinkle Park.”

“You wanna go to Twinkle Park?”

Selene nods. Amy snickers.

“What are we gonna do at Twinkle Park on a Thursday night, Miss Rose? You know all the rides close.”

“They have ice cream.”

Amy tilts her head with a smirk. “Ahhh … so you do want ice cream. It just can’t be from our normal spot, huh?”

Selene shakes her head, biting across the edge of her thumb. “Yes.”

“Is that really what you wanna do, ‘Leenie? I know Mommy was late and you have every right to be super sad with me, but I would love it if you could just forgive me this one little time.”

“I forgive you, Mommy,” Selene replies in the sweetest voice. That warms Amy’s heart and puts it all back together.

“Thank you, baby.” Amy says, planting a kiss on her forehead, letting Selene finally wrap her arms around her mom’s neck in a hug, which Amy so enthusiastically returns.

There it is. The reason for it all.

When she buckles Selene in her seatbelt, she sighs, holding the keys in her hand that she supposedly forgot, putting the keys in the ignition, kicking the SUV on. Everything that happened has happened, but this is the reminder that what matters right now, is this.

What matters is Selene – she was the prize for years of war. The payment that she bled and suffered for all those years before her.

So, when she puts the car in reverse, she does what every mother would do: She drives to fucking Twinkle Park.

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“Do you think you would feel differently if he called instead of just showing up on your door?”

Tangle’s voice buzzes through the phone, from all the way in sprawling Westopolis. Her daughter, now fast asleep after a ravishing and exhausting night of antics and ice cream around Twinkle Park, is off dreaming off unicorns and clouds, while Amy is in the hotel bathroom, on the phone with her best friend and Disco pioneer, reliving nightmares upon nightmares.

“I don’t know, Tang,” Amy sighs, sitting on the sink counter in nothing but a robe and some underwear, with the phone tucked gently against her ear. She wonders if a phone call would have been more awkward, if it would be even half as tormenting as what occurred earlier today. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling right now, in all honesty.”

“I think you know more than you’re admittin’ to me, Amy.”

Tangle, even from across the country, can read her like a book.

“I-“

“Or are you gonna tell me that you haven’t been waiting for this since Sonia showed you the message from Sal?”

“I don’t-“

“Cause if you do, I’m gonna reach through this phone and smack you.”

Amy chortles, against her better judgment, before sighing back into her miserable state. “I have. I’m not gonna lie to you, Tangle, I have. I just don’t think I ever thought it would happen.”

“Why not?”

Because so much happened. So much had burst into flames. She told him to go onstage in front of hundreds and thousands of people, letting her soul explode, letting that be the last time she ever saw his face. She had grown content with that, so much so she figured he had done the same.

“I thought … I don’t know what I thought.”

“But you had been thinking about it – so at least we’ve decided that. Are you scared?”

“Scared?” Amy asks, her grip absentmindedly tightening on the telephone cord. “Of what?”

She knows what, of course. She was always fearless in saying whatever she wanted – a loose cannon, she figured. But when it came to Sonic – when it came to everything that happened twenty years ago, it was like someone suddenly stitched her mouth shut. Like she was a scarecrow. Utterly inanimate and unable to exist with what she knew to be true.

“Of Sonic?!” Amy lets her voice change, “I’m not scared of him!”

“Then why’d you run, Ames? Why’d you run off on it the second it was starin’ you in the face?”

“I didn’t run! I was late for picking up Selene! It’s not my fault he decides to show up at the most inconvenient times. Some things never fucking change, do they?”

“So … you aren’t in a hotel by Twinkle Park, an hour away from your house right now?”

“What does that have to do with anything? I’m at a hotel for Selene – not because of Sonic of all people!”

“When are you gonna start doing what you wanna do instead of what your daughter wants from you?”

“Wh – what’s that supposed to mean?” Amy replies, tensing up at the accusation. It’s a low blow, sure, and a very true one. It strikes a fire in Amy, perhaps getting her just a little bit angry so she can resist the feeling of being called out.

“Amy, girl! You’re so scared of being like your mother that you put Selene on this pedestal – so that you can be to her what you never got at her age. And that’s admirable, it is, but putting her on a pedestal in lieu of what you want isn’t magically becoming a better mother. Your parents were too concerned about themselves and whatever they wanted, but you don’t need to not care at all about you want to avoid hurting your daughter! It only makes you more resentful when your kid grows up and you look back and go ‘Well, shit, now what? I spent all those years doing everything for her I forgot about what I wanted!’ A child is a reason to live – not a reason to stop living. You’ll only be more depressed.”

“I’m not depressed,” Amy replied curtly.

“Why did you drive all the way to Twinkle Park?”

“Because Selene wanted it,” Amy said quietly, “And because I owed it to her for being late.”

“You could have done that any other day, Ames. Your daughter loves you, and she’s going too, even if she’s upset with you today. You acted on impulse, and you can say it’s all for Selene, but I know a part of you is scared of seeing Sonic the fucking Hedgehog after all these years, and that is enough for you to run.”

“So, what, I did this out of selfishness?”

“No, but I don’t know what you wanted out of a phone call with me when you could have just called him and put an end to this agony! Amy, I love you, and you and I both know you are often your own worst enemy. I don’t know if you’re confused or not, but I do know you’re scared about what him being in your life again would mean.”

And she folds.

“How can I not be scared, Tangle?” Amy breaks, “After everything? After how it all went down? After chasing a man to love me the way I loved him, knowing deep down it wasn’t going to pan out the way I wanted, knowing I was being selfish because he had a family at home, knowing all those things! After ending up hurt in ways that took so long to heal – if they even are healed at all!”

“Amy, darling – neither of you are the same person now. You said it yourself when you called me. The good thing about such a long period of time gone by is that you both have had years to grow, to mature, to heal, to get yourselves in order. And y’all did! You’re sober, you’re both in better places – even if it isn’t something like you wanted back then, who’s really to say you guys even just being friends would be such a disaster?”

“Because what if it does pan out to what I wanted it to be back then?”

“Would that be a bad thing either?”

“I – I don’t know…I spent so long dealing with the fallout. You know how hard it was. How painful it was. How much I wanted another bump of coke, or another drop of liquor – how much I would’ve loved to have it all again, and how agonizing, yet freeing, it was to say no. I drowned myself in all of it just out of hope that it would stop me from thinking about what it would be like to just have him. It was horrible.”

“And yet, you’re the first to say he’s also the one who showed you the way out of that life.”

“True…” Amy muttered.

“Time heals – I always said it to you. And it’s now been twenty years.”

“Maybe he wants to just … talk…” Amy replied, her grip loosening on the telephone cord. “Or maybe he’s just … doing what his wife wanted him to do, some dying wish thing, I – I don’t fucking know. I had to be the one to put those years behind me, I had to grow, and I had to heal. Why does he get the right to just walk back in my life after all of that? Of course it terrifies me. I don’t want all that work to be for nothing.”

“Amy, it might have been left in pieces in Central City, but you’re the one who glued those pieces back together. He left you like that, sure, but you fixed that. You did. And yeah, it was painful, but you did it. You’ve already beaten the insurmountable odds; nothing should scare you anymore! You did the hard part! You’re in the good part now girl, so allow yourself to live!”

“Mommy?”

She’s seconds away from answering when her half-asleep daughter pokes her head in the door, rubbing her eyes, as Amy whips her head to the bathroom door.

It’s the sight of her daughter that makes Tangle’s words hit home. This is the good part. She already made it through the hard part – and this, like she said to herself, was the reward of all of that.

Even if she felt like the pain of the past could make her slip and fall – she wouldn’t. She knew now she wouldn’t – not when this little girl was in her orbit.

“Hi, little Dove.”

“What are you doing in here?” Selene asks with a frown, letting her mother bend to her level and caress her back.

“I was just talking to Auntie Tangle. What are you doing up, baby?”

“I woke up and you were gone, and then I heard you in here…”

“Amy, go be with your daughter, honey.” Tangle’s voice buzzes over the line. “You and I can discuss all this later.”

“I know,” Amy replies, planting a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. “I miss you, Tangle.”

“I miss you too, Amy. I’ll be in LA next week!”

“Can’t wait,” Amy says with a beaming grin. “You’re staying at my place, right?”

“Duh! Why get a hotel when I can stay with my best friend and my amazing and wonderful niece?!”

She can’t wait to give her longtime friend the biggest hug on the planet.

“I don’t wanna sleep without you,” Selene whispers, and Amy’s heart cracks again, wrapping her daughter into a one-armed hug.

“You won’t, baby,” Amy says with a kiss to her head. “I gotta run, Tangle. I love you.”

She knows her daughter hates being without her. She supposes Selene got that from her, as well. The insomnia. The feeling of loneliness. That’s one thing she prayed wouldn’t pass to her child either.

“Go, I love you too Amy. I’ll talk to you soon.”

When Amy led her back to the bed, she kept her hand tight in hers. “I’m all yours now, Little Dovie. Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Selene said, letting her mother help her into the bed, scooching over so Amy could join her. She immediately curled up by her mom’s side, who held her close, gently petting her hair.

“Why were you talking to Auntie Tangle in the bathroom, Mommy?”

“Oh, I didn’t wanna wake you up, baby.”

“Can I ask you something?” Selene piques in a gentle voice.

“Anything you want, baby.”

“Why were you late today?”

Amy is stunned for just a moment, before regaining whatever composure she had left. “I told you, honey, I lost my keys again.”

“The real reason,” Selene whispers, seeing right through her.

“Why are you asking me now, baby? It’s past midnight – we gotta be sleeping.”

“I’m curious, Mommy.”

Amy sighed, her nose resting against her daughter’s forehead. “Well, I was looking for the keys, and then someone showed up at the door, and I got sidetracked.”

“Who?” Selene asks out of pure curiosity.

“Just – an old friend of Mommy’s,” Amy whispers back, the words feeling like thorns coming up through her throat.

“Mmm,” Selene mumbles, opening her eyes to mirror her mother’s gaze. “Who was the old friend?”

“Why you wanna know so badly, Little Dove?”

“Well, they made you forget to pick me up at school.”

Amy scoffs slightly, though it’s more guilt than anything. “I didn’t forget you, love – it just made me late, that’s all.”

Amy can run circles around this all she wants – but she knows her daughter. She’ll keep asking until she gets the answer she desires.

“But … if it’s important to you …”

“It is!” Selene whispers with dramatic effect, as if this information was of life or death.

“It was … Sonic the Hedgehog. The guy Mommy used to sing with all those years ago,” Amy whispers pained, weirdly comforting, as if a weight is gone from her shoulders.

“The man from Selene?” she asks, repeating her own namesake with a small gasp. She never met him, obviously, but she knew him. She knew him from the cover, and the pictures her mom would show her – the ones of him staring her in the eyes so intensely and passionately it felt like they were the only ones who existed in the entire world. “The one who’s looking at you on the cover?”

“Yes, baby,” Amy replies, “That’s the one.”

To Selene, he was the man looking at her on the cover. To Amy, he was a lost soul. A fragment of the past she tried so desperately to cling onto. A piece at the end of all time. The one who willed her back to life, and the one she tried to love but couldn’t ever see it through.

“He seems nice.”

“He does?”

“Yeah,” Selene whispers, a small yawn escaping her lips. “Why did he come to our house?”

“Well,” Amy said, taking a deep breath and letting it go. “I don’t know. I was running late to get a certain somebody that we didn’t really get to talk for very long. We also haven’t seen each other in a very long time, so it was a little awkward for Mommy.”

“What do you think he wanted?”

“I don’t know, Little Dove.”

“Maybe he wants to be friends again,” Selene replies, with another small yawn.

“You – you think so?”

“Maybe…” Selene trails off, giving into a bigger yawn this time, rubbing her eyes with the rim of her pajama sleeve. “But I dunno … I’m only four, after all.”

Amy snickers, kissing her forehead. She sat there, watching Selene drift off to sleep, yet Amy wasn’t quite ready to join her in dreamland just yet.

Maybe he wants to be my friend again. Maybe he wants a shot at what he could never have. Maybe he just wants to talk. To see what happened in the years the passed them by. Selene couldn’t possibly know everything – and kids never see the bad in people, right? That’s what makes mothers like Amy so viciously defensive – because the bad things in people don’t rear their gnashing teeth to the eyes of a child, right?

No, the kids see light, and they see hope. They don’t see obstacles, and they don’t reminisce on the broken remnants of things that once were. They don’t see roadblocks, the same way they refuse to see shadows, or think they can make friends with the monsters in their closets or under their beds.

If a four-year-old could think all of that, why couldn’t Amy do the same?

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 3: (Nice Dream)

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“So, it was bad?”

Elsewhere, while Amy is talking to Tangle, Sonic is on the phone past midnight for the same reason.

Whatever invisible tether continues to keep its hold on Sonic and Amy is still there, they two just didn’t quite seem to know it yet.

What he didn’t know either – was the answer to Silver’s question.

Was it bad?

In truth, Sonic couldn’t rationalize whether it was good or bad – he was the one who was always in control. He was the one always making the decisions – it was where he thrived. He thought he was helpless in Amy’s presence, but he could manage to pull himself out of whatever rut would form in their wake.

Now, however, with nothing standing in his way, he suddenly finds himself unable to move.

“I don’t know what it was, honestly,” Sonic answered his brother, leaning his head against the couch in the silent, empty living room. “I mean, it was awkward, and then it was quiet, and then she had to go pick up her daughter.”

“So, you were in her house for, what – a total of-“

“Six minutes?” Sonic chuckled, rubbing his sleep depraved eyes, “Yeah, no time at all.”

“Well, what are you supposed to do now?”

“I gave her my number. Now I wait and see if she calls.”

“Do you think she will?”

That question lingered in Sonic’s ear for a moment, before it tore its way to his brain. Amy was anything but unafraid to confront anything and everything, if it meant something to her.

It had been two decades though – what if that changed?

She may not need him in her life anymore, and that would be okay with him, he made his peace with that anyway.

What would hurt is if she didn’t want him in her life anymore.

And in all honesty, would he blame her for that? Her eyes showed him every single moment from the two decades prior, and it was as if just by looking at her – it all came back to him very real, and very raw.

If that was how it was for him, who’s to say it wasn’t the same for her?

“I mean – maybe? She asked for my number, after all…”

“Hm…”

“What?”

“Nothing, I just – I don’t really know what I would do in this situation.”

“I mean … what was it like when you and Blaze fell in love again?”

There was a long pause.

“Weird – like this. But … I guess you had a lot more to lose by falling in love with Amy.”

“So did she.”

“It was awkward on the first meeting, but then things slowly started to click back into place. It was strange. I guess it was just meant to go that way.”

“What if it’s not meant to go that way this time?”

“Well … I mean – would you want that? Or…”

“Or?”

“Like – would you want ‘that’, or would you just want to be friends again? I mean, I guess Blaze and I restarted by being friends again first, but then … well, you know what.”

Sonic does know what, and that idea scares him shitless. It’s not the thought of falling in love with Amy Rose all over again that scares him – he had his share of fear from that all those years ago. It ended how it should have, but perhaps ending in a ball of flame that consumed everyone around them wasn’t how he pictured it all going down.

It’s the terror of wondering what will happen this time around – sure, it’s been years and multiple aspects of them have changed – from their attitudes, their appearance, the fragrances they wear, the structure of their families. It was all different now – but so what if it is?

He never stopped watching her in the years they didn’t speak – he secretly listened to every album she made, watched every performance of hers on television, from Grammy performances to Saturday Night Lives, all the way to MTV. The world had changed much, and she changed with it.

In a way, he felt like he was always connected to her. He wasn’t ever sure if it was the same connection they had then, and he wasn’t sure if it would ever go back to that, or if it even should go back to that.

Perhaps, this time wouldn’t be what he thinks it is, and it would be better. Easier. Perhaps, this time would just remind them why they hadn’t spoken for twenty years, Sally Acorn or not. Perhaps it wouldn’t end in a blast of inferno, but maybe he still wouldn’t be her water, like Sally was for him.

Maybe that’s still okay, too.

“I honestly have no idea what I want.”

“I mean – did you go because Sally wanted you too?

“Well – that was definitely part of it. But …”

“But?”

Sonic takes a deep breath, tying the telephone cord around his wrist.

“Part of me also just wanted to see what her life was like now. Without me in it.”

“And how is it?”

Sonic pauses again.

“Better.”

“Well – maybe that’s your answer?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, Sonic – you’re my brother, and Amy is my friend, and I love you both very much for totally different reasons, but ... maybe if her life is better now – do you think you should even find your way back in? I mean, sure, Sally wanted you to meet her again, but I also feel like you put Sally on this pedestal-“

“And that’s a bad thing? She was the love of my life, for Christ’s sake!”

“I know, that’s not – that’s not what I meant. What I mean is that you think Sally knew best – when she was simply trying her best to push through the shit just like we all were. Maybe, in theory, in her mind, it would pan out better this time, but … who’s to say that’s still right for either of you? Things happen for a reason, right? That all had to happen for a reason, didn’t it? Maybe it ended because it should have, and maybe it’s supposed to stay that way.”

Sonic was certainly at a loss for words, despite how much it made sense coming out of Silver’s mouth. He knew he was right, sure, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of watching the message Sally left for him and Amy.

She wouldn’t have said that for nothing, right? She had to have known, deep down, that it would be the right call for them to make.

Or maybe Silver is clearly right, and she was just trying to think of the best way to make him happy.

And Amy, by extension.

But who’s to say this is the right way for them to be happy?

Amy already is happy, and Sonic is still reeling from the last few years. Would he just drag her back to the abyss with him?

Does he even deserve to be in her orbit again?

He didn’t think so, no matter how much he had changed, the shit is still raw, and it still stings. The wounds might be stitched, but that doesn’t mean they’re closed either.

“I don’t know,” Sonic replied, “It just … there had to be a reason Sally said it, right?”

“Yeah – but whatever her reason might have been doesn’t make it Gospel, unfortunately. She wanted you to be happy – we all want you to be happy. But I don’t think Amy is automatically synonymous with ‘Happy Sonic’. What if that’s not what you really need? What about Amy’s happiness?”

“Her happiness is here,” Sonic replied in a pained whisper, “Her daughter, the life she’s made for herself.”

“Then maybe that’s hers, and you’ll have to keep searching for yours.”

“Maybe … I guess I should just – wait for her to call, yeah?”

“I guess so. I mean, regardless, I hope it’s a good thing. You’ve all put the pieces back together, so you did the hard part already.”

“Right…” Sonic said, taking a deep breath.

“It’ll be alright.”

Sonic rubbed his eyes, tilting his head back on the couch and letting out a sigh.

“And besides, Blaze and I will be in town in the next couple days to visit.”

“How is Sunset City treating you both anyways?”

“Still good, still hot. Two hours from LA is still too far I think though.”

Sonic laughs, shaking his head with a sigh. “Yeah, I miss having you guys around.”

“Well, we thought it smart to let you have some time to yourself with Sonia.”

“I definitely needed it, but now …”

“Now you’re too scared about the future and you need us more than ever?”

Sonic listened to Silver’s snicker on the other side of the phone, chuckling himself.

“You have no idea.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It takes Amy nearly an entire week to grab the notebook paper with Sonic’s number scribbled across it, and no longer could she keep running away from it like it wasn’t happening.

Whether Amy liked it or not, it was certainly happening.

She’s in control now, after a few years of whirling around under Sonic’s control, trying desperately to compete with him, and for him, now she’s holding the whip end. He’s letting her call this time.

Perhaps he’s not that kind of guy anymore?

As fun as the Twinkle Park weekend with Selene was, now she’s fast asleep for the night, dreaming about whatever it is she dreams about when it’s just her that exists in whatever fantasy world her mind cooks up for the night.

Amy wishes she could exist in that world too. What she wouldn’t give to exist in every aspect of Selene

The reality, now, is that she can’t avoid this. Tangle, as always, was completely right and Amy had put this off for far too long. What would they even talk about? What is there to say?

Would he even pick up the phone?

If this was all some cosmic fluke, and nothing more is going to happen, she hopelessly prays for whatever God may or may not be up there to tell her that, so her mind can stop running, and she can get back to focusing on what matters.

Her daughter and her livelihood.

Music – she never worked a day in her life because she loved what she did, including all the meetings, and label interventions, and talk show spots, and television performances, and sold-out arena concerts – but now, music was about giving Selene the best possible future she could.

It was the ‘90s now – things were different than they were in 1975. Music was no longer an escape, it was now building a bridge into the future for Selene, where she could stand and let her daughter eventually pass her by, into whatever future awaited.

She can’t expect life to just suddenly decide to be normal now – it never decided to do that in the first place, so why would it now?

It’s nearly ten when she has the phone in her hand, sitting on the red sofa, contemplating punching the blue hedgehog’s number into her dial. It takes her nearly five minutes to realize she really had no excuse to get herself out of this one.

She has to call. There’s no escaping it.

Her fingers tremble with every button she presses, her mouth getting colder. Eventually, she hears the ringing start, and puts the phone to her ear. Her heart gives one more slam in her chest with every ring. She has no idea what she’s going to say, which makes her more dreadful, considering she always had something to say about something.

And her heart sinks when she hears it.

“You’ve reached Sonic the Hedgehog. Please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as I can.”

“Fuck,” Amy spits through gritted teeth.

She’s left so pitifully quiet at the sound of his voice buzzing through the phone. Of course he didn’t pick up – that shouldn’t surprise her. Was it truly a cosmic fluke? Or was Amy thinking too far into it and of course he didn’t answer because it was ten ‘o’ clock, and he was definitely not awake right now?

She groans in frustration, thudding her head down onto the couch, her bare paws dangling over the back of the sofa, and how shameful this was, she thought. Why was she so pitifully anguished by the fact that he simply did not answer?

Regardless of how childish she was being, she didn’t think he had any right to make her feel like this. No right at all. Especially considering how he left it all those years ago.

Any average person would just go “Well, I’ll try them again tomorrow,” but not her. Her mind ran through every reason he might not pick up the phone. Maybe he’s asleep, but no, because that’s too easy of an out for him. Maybe he’s not home, or maybe he’s busy, or maybe he just doesn’t want to speak to her. Maybe it’s because the second she saw him, she made him feel like she wanted to rush him right out the door as soon as he stepped in, and so why would he want to speak to her if it didn’t really seem like she wanted to speak to him?

Or maybe because Sonic really hasn’t changed, and these cosmic games are still being played against her heart.

She wishes she had her hands on any sort of sedative right now, because she knows there’s no “drifting off” for her, especially not now. Unfortunately, her insomnia can’t just overthink itself to sleep – it just goes, and goes, and only lets up when it decides it wants to.

What she wouldn’t give for a bump right now.

But no, drugs aren’t an option, and they wouldn’t be an option.

She could always learn to control her anxiety, but no - because like she said, Sonic reduces her to a pathetic little worm.

She managed fine without him for two fucking decades, so why the fuck does this suddenly matter so much to her?

She hates the power her own mind has over. She hates anyone having power over her.

Which is why it clicks in her head and shoots her up from the couch with a puff from her nostrils.

“Fuck this,” she spits through a frustrated sigh, placing the phone back on the table and shuffling up from the couch. She drags her bare feet across the floor, her robe billowing behind her, watching as the telephone is casted into the shadow of the night where it belongs.

The only light is the moon through the window, and she stops to crack open the door of her daughter’s bedroom, watching her chest rise and fall through the night. Her purple quills are curled and sprawled across the pillows, and Amy can’t help but smile.

A cosmic force had to put The Seven in her life for her to know she deserved the shot at what she always wanted. It put Sonic the Hedgehog in her life for that reason. That much, she’d always admit – but nothing, and no one, compared to Selene.

That was the deepest truth.

Nothing is wrong in Selene’s room, of course – it just has mountains and mountains of teddy bears. But often, Amy feels the carnal need to investigate her room at her sleeping daughter anyways, just to know she’s still there, she’s still at peace, and selfishly, just to know the universe wasn’t playing a trick on her, and she really did have her.

Selene recomposed Amy’s strength, which was floundering away from the latest calamity that was calling Sonic at ten ‘o clock at night. If she had Selene, nothing else mattered.

Something her own mother never seemed to grasp.

When things get hard, Selene is her rock. Even Sonic the Hedgehog said he had believed in God because he had met her, and Amy, while that certainly warmed something in her, could never really agree with him.

But looking at Selene – she believes in God more than ever now.

She let the love of her life walk away, taking every bit of her soul with her. As the years passed, she missed even more loves, with each heartbreak getting worse and worse every day, to the point where she thought: the only way I could possibly keep surviving this is with some cigarettes to destroy my lungs, and some liquor to destroy my brain.

But it all changed when Selene came into her life, and suddenly, no matter how many times she thinks ‘it would be easier if I had some drugs’, she knows she doesn’t need it, because she’s already addicted to the feeling of having Selene in her world, and being able to say that she’s her daughter.

“Sleep well, baby.”

When Amy returns to the kitchen, pouring herself a mug of that famous Soleanna tea she loves oh so much (mental note to thank Vector for the late birthday gift, he never seems to forget), she prays that when the first drop of the tea hits her tongue, it’ll calm her.

But then the phone shrieks through the night.

“Fuck!” She screams, dropping the mug and letting it smash across the floor, her hand flying to her mouth, and her heart pummeling itself into her chest.

“Shit,” She mutters, looking at the shrapnel laid across the floor, catching her breath before her mind comes back to Earth, and she realizes the phone is ringing.

There’s only one fucking person that would be calling her at this hour.

Opting to leave the shards across the floor, she sidesteps them carefully, storming to the phone, before holding her hand right over it.

She doesn’t pick it up immediately, but she knows she can’t let it ring.

Her entire body is shaking, it’s trembling, and it’s cold.

Before it lets out its last ring, she answers.

“Hello?” She croaks.

“Amy?” Sonic’s voice responds, sounding tired. Her name from his mouth still feels like a song, and she can’t help but grin a little. “You called?”

“I…” Amy starts, frozen and speechless. “I did.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“You…you still there?”

Amy’s sitting on the sofa now, biting her nails viciously like a starving dog, looking around at the quiet, comforting darkness within her home.

“I’m still here,” She reassures him, or reassures herself – whichever is applicable and it’s probably both.

It’s as soft as ever, just the sound of his breathing on the other end.

“How are you?” He asks, and Amy doesn’t quite know what the honest answer to that question would be. Sonic has to force his tongue back – he can’t say every single thing he feels just yet. It would be selfish, and like Silver said: what if her happiness doesn’t have space for you in it?

If this is some second chance, he needs to start it lightly. As if they’re meeting for the first time.

“I’m good, you?” Amy responds with a certain hesitance, because clearly, she didn’t plan very far ahead.

What are you supposed to say to someone you haven’t seen for two decades?

“Good,” He replies, half honest. Truthfully, he’s fine, but he’s better now that she’s on the other end – even if he can’t say that, even if he can’t admit it out loud.

“I’m sorry I called you this late,” Amy replies, to which she hears Sonic’s breath for a second, and she quickens her own breath to catch up to his.

“Don’t worry about it, I was –“ Sonic starts before he stops for a second, and Amy swears she hears a small yawn. It makes him nervous that he’s actually having a conversation with her.

“I was out when you called. When I got back, I saw a missed call, and when I saw it was your ID, I figured I should call you back.”

He’s not sure if this is a test and if he’s passing or not, but he also knows it’s a second chance to have someone like this in his life, so what sense is there in complicating it? Especially when it’s already complicated enough.

Her silence scares him. If he’s here digging up old wounds, undoing all the healing both have done in their own worlds for all these years, is it selfish that he even knows she’s on the other side of the line right now? Sure, it was all Sally’s idea – but Silver wasn’t wrong either. If he’s the one dragging them down a memory lane that is both wounding and bloody, then he might as well hang up now.

She was doing just fine – if she corroborates, that’s one thing, but if this is a drop in the sea that creates a tsunami for her now, then that’s his cue to forget this ever happened.

“I’m sorry, Sonic, I – I didn’t mean to bother you,” Amy replies, and it’s so pitiful and ridiculous when those words leave her mouth. What does it matter if he’s being bothered, after everything that happened? After the way Amy was left in Central City? He has some nerve coming back into her life anyways, Sally or no.

But, she also knows it’s all so irrational. She just can’t help her mind from wondering if it was just some big mistake, and the incomparable Sally Acorn may have just been wrong about something.

“Amy,” Sonic says, and he can’t really tell what’s going through her head, or what’s happening with her on the other side of the line. He hears how nervous he is, because he is too. Their voices both tremble, their breaths both shake.

There’s more at stake, now. He assumes if they’re both so nervous, they both must care about getting whatever this awkward, hellish situation is right.

“You’re not being a bother. I was just out running.”

“You run at night now?” She knew he used to run at night, when he would vanish from his bus on the Selene Tour, and seemingly no one knew where he was, but they all knew he wasn’t off scoring either.

She also knew he ran in the morning. Maybe things change, and maybe they stay the same.

“Only when I’m anxious, honestly,” Sonic replies, and he’s hoping it’s a confession that will stop her from blaming herself for calling him so late. He was already up, it’s not her fault. Despite how he might have been back then, he had to promise himself he wouldn’t be like that anymore, and he had to choose every day to keep that promise.

He doesn’t know what this is, but after so much time, what he does know is that whatever it is should be based on honesty and trust. That was the one thing they seldom had even as friends and partners back in the ‘70s. He’s done enough therapy to know that now, especially with how many lies he’s told, and how many things he’s omitted from the people he cares about throughout his life.

Now, a life where Amy Rose is just a heart-killing memory, is no longer an option. Now that he’s speaking to her right here, and right now.

Lying was in his blood. In his nature. He just can’t manage to lie to her anymore, or anyone.

“Maybe you just need some sleep,” Amy replies.

“Well, easier said than done, you know?”

“Oh, I do know.”

She knows what it’s like at need chasing sleep, yet demons and monsters prowling everywhere around every corner of her cobweb-infested brain drag her by her ankles away from the warm embrace of REM.

She wishes she was ordinary enough that no matter the torture of the world, she could still fall into sleep, into the arms of Morpheus. She has no idea why sleep is now the biggest war in her life, considering she defeated addiction and eventually told love to all but shove it, since a new meaning was coming into her life.

Selene.

“So,” Sonic starts, opting to keep things light like he promised, “How have you been?”

Amy chuckles, “You already asked me that at the start of this conversation.”

“Weeeell…” Sonic starts, mentally kicking himself, too nervous to pick up on her teasing, and way too unfamiliar with whatever this is. “I was asking how you were … in the present … but now I’m asking how you’ve been in … all these years, because … well, you know – twenty years is a long fucking time.”

“Too fucking long,” Amy responds with a laugh. Come to think of it, it’s nearly half her time on Earth. “I know what you meant when you asked, Sonic, I was just messing you know. No need to get so literal on me.”

She smirks and rolls her eyes just so slightly.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me.”

“Don’t try and guess what I’m doing.”

“I’m not,” Sonic replied, his voice finally losing its nerve just a bit and catching up to the smarm of Amy’s wit, “I know for a fact you rolled your eyes. Are you gonna admit it or not?”

“Not my fault you got literal.”

“You still haven’t told me, by the way. How you’ve been doing, since the last time I saw you … onstage.”

Sonic nearly hurls at the last sentence, praying he could have stopped himself before he said it, but it’s been said. No going back now, no matter how badly Sonic wants to go back and just unsay what he said, undo what he did, and do everything all the way from the start, just for a chance of a different outcome.

“I’ve been good, I guess,” Amy says, and it’s true and it’s not. Her life is good, she’s happy, she’s been seeing a psychiatrist, and so many fucking things that barely anyone knows and that he doesn’t even know the half of, and there’s no way she can just admit it all out loud to him in this very moment.

“My career is going well,” Amy says, opting to swerve past the shadows along the side of the road and drive the conversation to the thing she and him shared so closely, the thing they built together, but inevitably had to split it and half and take it to the opposite corners of the world. “But, it definitely took me some time to do it … on my own.”

What she means is: it took me time to write words without you writing them too. It took time for me to decide on a random metaphor without talking about it with you first. To get used to going on stage with you in case I cracked, and I needed you to back me up. To get used to going on stage without you at all.

It’s all on the tip of her tongue, but she swallows it back down, because she’s not ready to be there yet, if this even goes further than she thinks it is right now.

“But, when it took off, I knew how rewarding it could be to do it on your own. How … accomplishing it feels. It doesn’t have all the band problems … which is ‘cause you’re on your own. It’s good, and it’s sad. Like everything is.”

Sonic smiles. He remembers being somewhat jealous of her throughout the ‘80s, hoping he could have had a semblance of the success the other guys in the band, especially Amy, had.

He chose his family, and no matter how jealous he may have been, he never stopped being proud of her, and happy for her.

“It might be, but I think you’re doing amazing on your own, Amy.”

She smiles because she knows regardless of how low his voice is, he means it.

And he remembers playing her albums when Sally and Sonia were asleep, thinking about every note, every melody, every word, every tempo change, and every single part orchestrated so carefully by Amy, it felt like she was standing in the room with him.

And he couldn’t help but wonder what the songs may have sounded like if she wasn’t doing it all on her own, but if she was doing it with him, like she used to.

“I’m happy you went back to music after everything. The world needs your voice, and it needs your songs.”

“Have you?” Amy asks, biting her lip. She doesn’t know what the answer’s going to be, nor does she know what she wants it to be. “Listened to my songs?”

Honestly, she thinks he hasn’t, which would only irritate her – how can he say the world deserves it and he hasn’t even heard it?

“You know I have, Amy,” He admits, actually sending a quick wave of shock through her veins.

He admits it because he’s not ashamed of the truth. He fucking loves the songs. He would scream them to the hills if he could – but with everything, and how her ghost hung around his family’s house like a plague, it was his own secret. A world he could retreat into when Sally and Sonia had gone off to sleep. A desire to live in the past, just one last time, or maybe he just really did love the songs – he doesn’t know what it is. Maybe he’s jealous that his voice, and his words, couldn’t be soaring with hers on those songs, but that’s the path of an addiction, isn’t it? The thing you can’t have, but the power it has over you is sometimes just too great to let go.

“I don’t know that you have, Sonic,” Amy shoots back, because she doesn’t know, does she? She believes him halfheartedly – she wants to believe him fully but how can she really give herself into that so … blindly? The danger in that … is too palpable. The stakes are higher now than to just blindly trust what he says.

“I do have all of your albums, Amy. At least, I think I have all of them, I – I haven’t been listening to much music these days.”

“Why’s that?”

“Just … well, I’m sure you could probably put two and two together. I do know I have that limited Deluxe edition of Vagabond that only a couple hundred thousand people have. That one’s a treasure of mine.”

Vagabond, she thinks. The first album she wrote out of rehab, just so happens to be his favorite. Just so happens it’s the one deluxe edition that he has, with a few extra tracks and some live recordings. It opened with It’ll Always Be You, the song she had played for him in the hotel lobby all those years ago, the song he swore had him written all into it, like he was the skeleton for Amy’s words to form muscle and flesh around it.

He remembers how he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Well, that doesn’t mean you listened to the songs. Just means you made me richer,” Amy quips, her desire to deflect the creeping shame was now palpable. She doesn’t know if he should be allowed to tell her all of this after twenty years of silence, and she’s not sure she deserves to hear it and believe it.

In Sonic’s mind, he can simply recall hunching over a desk with his headphones plugged into the record player connected to the stereo, losing himself in the words when he probably should have been in bed where he belonged. He thanks every fiber of his body that he didn’t say that out loud, either.

And Amy wants it to be true, but she just can’t help but struggle to believe anything he’s saying, no matter how honest it sounds.

As much as Sonic loves the signature melancholia of Selene, he just can’t help but love all of Vagabond, and how the music and words so vividly tell the tale of falling apart, not knowing how you’re going to rebuild yourself, and not knowing where you’re going now that you’re gone. Somewhere she felt safe and needed. No matter how much his heart ached for her, he just couldn’t help but listen.

It was the final four songs that did it for him, and he would cry every moment he listened to them, regardless of how many times he had heard those songs. He can vividly remember listening to them in the first time during a thunderstorm, and how when those songs echoed around his head about coming to terms with what happened, knowing you deserve a second chance, and knowing you can have it when its right within your reach, the thunderstorm stopped.

If only he knew how to so vividly tell that tale himself without doubting every step he would take.

“I’ve listened to them all, Amy. More times than I even know. You’re an incredible artist, Amy. I knew you had it in you to get where you are now. I guess – I guess I can tell because I had the same problem, but you needed help. We both needed help. And you buckled down, you found that you could do it, and you did it. Life’s not always fair, right? You did it all on your own, so you did the hard part. Now, we just … hope it keeps getting better, right?”

“How do you know it gets better?” Amy asks, and a single tear falls down her face.

She can remember the first time she cried over Sonic, during the recording to “Better to Miss”, and the time she found Sonic and Sally in a heated conversation in the hotel hallway, and when she told him to “Go”, on stage, watching him leave, knowing to set herself on the better path she still had to say goodbye to something that she wanted to hold onto for as long as she could, as desperately as she could. How much she wanted to just lock herself in a room, in the cold, and just not feel what she felt, if she could help it.

“What did you say in the documentary? Your music, your sobriety, your daughter?”

Her body locks up when he repeats her words from the documentary, the words she spoke in front of a camera for the entire world to hear.

“You said that was all because you left that night, right?

“Right …”

“Then how can you doubt it gets better? When you have everything you dreamed of?”

It’s not everything I dreamed of, she thinks. “I don’t … doubt it. It –“

She sighs, it’s forlorn and it’s full of dread.

“It’s getting late, Sonic. And I – I have a really long day tomorrow, so I – I should probably…”

As good as it might feel, talking through the past is no walk in the fucking park, especially for someone like her, and she is sure somewhere Sonic feels the exact same way. Saying it for Sonia’s documentary is one thing – saying it to him is something else completely.

There’s a lot she didn’t share. She’s not guilty about that, per se, but she is shameful that there’s so much he doesn’t know, and so much she wants to tell him, but she just can’t bring herself to form the words.

So ironic, when Sonic was the one man she had the easiest time knowing exactly what to say with.

It all just makes her realize she has to get off the phone before the knot in her gut squeezes her to death.

“Okay,” Sonic whispers, “Is it okay if I call you again?”

He facepalms slightly, embarrassed and hopelessly awkward.

“Yes, it’s okay…” Amy murmurs, sighing. “Goodnight, Sonic.”

“Goodnight, Amy.”

When the phone disconnects, she tosses it to the side, letting the tension in her body release. Her hands fly straight to her eyes, her palms sweaty and her hair a jungle. Her elbows push down on her knees, and the entire conversation runs around her head in a manic loop.

She doesn’t know why, but all she wants to do is cry when the silence finally takes over.

So, with no strength to move, she curls up on the couch, she cries, and it drifts her to sleep.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 4: Daughter

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When Amy walks towards the exit of the psychiatric clinic, her head is on fucking fire.

She finally spilled to her therapist, a purple-haired hyena woman, about finally speaking to Sonic again.

She called Amy out and maybe not feeling so shocked, but perhaps feeling like it took her back to the seventies, back to when things were good.

But, perhaps, also back to when things were very, very bad.

She told Amy those two things can both be true, but no Amy is not going crazy, and now she wasn’t really all that shocked, but what she was – was incredibly distrusting of all of it.

They both understood Sonic didn’t reach out when Sally was alive was for obvious reasons, and that Sonic and Sonia certainly went through a very dark time when Sally did leave this world, but that Sonic had never completely let go of Amy – he just held onto the parts of her that he was allowed too.

Even if it was his own secret, in his own room, away from the rest of the world. Amy admitted to her therapist all she really wanted was honesty.

Honesty as to why he was back in her orbit at all.

And Amy also came to understand that loving him was worse than losing him – after all, he was never hers to lose.

And maybe, just maybe, Amy realized today that she really did believe in a second chance after all.

Well, she did get one with Selene, of course.

She used to hate therapy. The idea of talking about her past at all was like pulling teeth. She hated the feeling of being so exposed for someone to analyze every detail, and for it to expose her even more, to the point she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into a hole, knowing she couldn’t in the end.

Doing it alone was already unpleasant, doing it with someone to pick apart felt like being in the trenches of war.

During the months she spent in rehab, it was hard enough. She’d go from shivering panics to intense withdrawals that reduced her to mud, she would shut down at the mere thought of opening up to anyone. The withdrawal crisis was massively destructive on her body, yet simultaneously incredibly freeing. A new lease on life, she supposed. The desire for a bump of cocaine, a drop of liquor, anything – it was all still there, rearing its head and gnashing its teeth like a ravenous demon.

Although she feels she doesn’t’ have all the answers to every question, she feels now that can be okay with it. She walked into the clinic full of anxiety, and is walking out calmed, yet still certainly left in the darkness of her own brain. Now, at least, she can be okay with that.

For now.

She knows she’s the only one who can really write her own story. She wasn’t the muse. She was the somebody – and all these years later, that’s still true. No matter what feelings she has about the conversation the night prior, and just how terrified and forlorn it left her, she at least knows she’s holding the pen to her own story.

Not Sonic. Not her mother. Not anyone but her.

It’s times like these she wishes Espio would wake from his coma. He’d been under for two years now. She hopes every day that Tikal calls her and screams in her ear: he’s awake! Get your ass to the hospital now!

When she reaches her car after dashing through the rain, sitting with a thud and a huff, watching the raindrops collect on her windshield, she runs a quick hand through her hair, shaking away everything she spilled for the last hour – the only goal in her mind now was getting her daughter from dance class.

It takes her about a half an hour to get there, trudging through the rain and dodging the incessant and often suffocating Central LA traffic, and her windshield wipers are working overtime in the downpour.

She’s already drenched, and usually that would not do for her, but on this day? She couldn’t care less.

She really did feel good today. A lot better after her session, regardless of how much she throws fits and groans about going and opening up. Blegh, she thinks, but she knows it’s helping. She just won’t say it out loud.

She’s not sure how she’s going to handle Sonic being in her life again, but for the first time since the day he showed up on her doorstep, the idea isn’t haunting her.

For now, she’s focused on rushing through the rain into those doors and picking up her daughter. She’s focused on wrapping her in a big hug, with a kiss to the forehead, and telling her all the fun things she’s got planned for them tonight back home.

What she doesn’t expect to find inside, however, is her daughter on the bench outside the studio, all alone.

“Fuck,” It’s the first thing Amy hisses from her lips, seeing Selene’s hands gripping the edge of the bench in her bright pink tutu. Her heart breaks seeing her gaze on the floor.

She rushes over, watching Selene fighting the hiccups as she cries. Amy wishes, just this once, she was crying about her being late, but she knows that’s not the reason. She knows the reason she’s crying, and it fills her with rage.

It shatters the heart she just spent the session fixing.

“Please no,” Amy whispers, rushing over to her daughter, attempting to contain her boiling rage, and the desire to smash the door to the studio down and tear everything in there to shreds.

She falls to her knees, wrapping Selene into a hug, with the little girl’s eyes widening upon seeing her, before the tears took over once again.

“I’m here,” she soothes and assures her, holding her close to her chest. “Mommy’s here, Mommy’s right here little Dove, it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay, baby.”

The hug gets tighter with every word she says, and she’ll repeat it until she’s blue in the face, and until Selene’s sobbing can cease, and until the air stops choking in her lungs.

“Miss Rose,” The teacher says curtly, causing Amy’s head to raise. Then, the fury unleashes like a brutish dragon.

“Care to explain?” Amy spits, clinging to her daughter, the fury in her eyes slicing claws into the teachers.

“I attempted to get Selene to come back to class, and she refused.”

“So, you, what – you leave her all alone out here? Crying hysterically? Are you fucking serious?”

“Language,” The teacher reminds, “Miss Rose, there are eleven other children in the class. I cannot stop class for just one student.”

“You sure as hell can when one of your students is bullying the other one!” Amy roars, holding the hiccupping and sobbing child in her arms.

“I’ve spoken to Lucille and sent her to the corner to think about her behavior. I am waiting for her father to arrive so we can discuss her behavior. You are more than welcome to stay if you wish to discuss it.”

“Oh, you mean the guy who harassed me at the recital? Saying no kid deserves to grow up without a father, while also implying he used to look at tabloids of me when he was alone in his room?!” Amy feels the urge to hurl, grumbling as she speaks. “This isn’t the first time Lucille has spoken about Selene, and I’m sure neither you or her scumbag father have done shit about it! I don’t care what this kid thinks about herself, or what her parents fill in her head – there’s no excuse, and everyone just lets it happen!”

“Miss Rose…”

Amy scoffs. “Don’t – don’t even. I could give less of a fuck about what you’re going to say, because you all have let this shit go on far enough. You shut your mouth and listen to me.”

The teacher holds her head high, but Amy’s chin is higher.

“I gave your studio a chance. She made some friends, she always had fun, always looked forward to class, and then all of the sudden I don’t give her nasty ass dad the time of day, and now his kid pushes mine around?! And you all do nothing about it. You got ten kids in there – and Selene is no less of a person than any of them! It doesn’t matter if she has differences! They make her unique, and they make her special, and you should feel damn lucky to have her as one of your students, because she’s kind, gentle, smart, and determined to succeed, and yet – you just let this shit happen. So, tell her dad whatever the fuck you want because my daughter’s not stepping foot in this building again.”

“Miss Rose –“

“One more thing,” Amy spits, holding Selene in her arms as she buries her face into her shoulder, turning to step towards the door. “Don’t expect a check this week, because this studio has caused my daughter and family enough.”

She somehow remembers to grab the umbrella when she storms outside. She wouldn’t have even cared if she got caught and tormented by the storm, she’s so angry at everything right now that nothing even matters anymore. Not when Selene is reduced to this. Instead of putting her in her normal spot, she opens the back door, climbs inside, and sets her down.

She lets Selene lie curled in her lap and rubs her back with shushes and kisses to her head while she allows Selene to cry. With more hiccups, more sobs, more chokes of air, she lets Selene put it all out there for her.

Eventually she’s able to lift her head, and when Selene’s eyes meet hers, and the hurt that’s in her chest is more freeing than ever. She can tell Selene was ready to leave, and now that she can, maybe she can look forward. Her head feels heavy, but not heavy enough that she can’t meet her mother’s eyes.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Amy asked, petting the back of her head calmly, leaving kisses around her ears. “I know she said stuff about your eyes, but your eyes are one of the things I love most about you, you know that, right?”

“But … you have to love me, Mommy.”

“No, I don’t have to love you, baby,” Amy starts, her own eyes welling up. “I love you because I love you. I loved you the second I saw you, and when you opened your eyes, I loved you even more. I don’t want you to think that I have to love you, ‘Leenie. Love isn’t something you force, baby. Love is natural. Love comes from inside you, right here.”

Amy points right at Selene’s heart, enticing a tiny giggle from her. Amy’s mom was her mom, and she didn’t love Amy. She didn’t say it out loud, because that’s not what matters anymore. What matters is how Amy loves Selene.

“You’re my everything, Little Dove. Everything I do is for you, because I love you so much. You’re Mommy’s entire world. I don’t wanna hear you say that again baby, okay?”

“Okay,” Selene says, “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

“I’m gonna find you a different studio where you can be the best ballerina in the entire world. A studio where you can have your mystical little eyes and learn how to be the best dancer in the world, okay baby?”

She plants more kisses on her forehead, giving Selene a small smile.

“You know, Mommy has to make a quick stop to the Studio. Do you wanna come with me? You have got some Auntie’s and Uncle’s there that would love to see you. Does that sound fun?”

“Yeah,” Selene says with a quick sniffle, hugging Amy’s side. Amy wraps her arms around her, leaving pepper trails of kisses across her hair again.

“Then after that we can get some food. What sounds good to you, my dear?”

“Italian…”

“Italian, huh?”

“And donuts! Ooh – If I eat everything on my plate, can I get donuts?”

“Donuts, huh? Well, if you keep your promise, then of course we can.”

She wraps Selene into another tight hug, kissing her ear. In this moment, the world stops, and it’s just them. No Sonic, no shitty ballet studio, no past, no trauma – just them.

“Anything for you, Selene. Anything at all.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When Amy opens the door to the studio, taking a look around the mixing board, her heart warms, and Selene immediately runs inside.

“Tails! Cosmo!”

Cosmo whips her head around, a big gasp sounding from her lips, with her arms outstretched!

“Seleeeeene! Look who’s here!”

“Selenie!” Tails exclaims.

Selene jumps into Cosmo’s arms, the Seedrian giving her a tight hug, letting her perch on her lap, her pink tutu flowing down the sides.

Amy is elated at the sight of this, harkening back to the seventies, and resolving to let those memories fade.

This is now.

“Well, don’t you look super cute!” Cosmo cried with a grin. “Did you have dance today?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Did you have fuuuun?” Cosmo trailed.

Selene shakes her head, earning downtrodden glances from the pair.

“No?” Tails butted in, “Why not?”

Amy sat with a thud, throwing her head back with her hands in her hand and rubbing the stress from her eyes. Her head was still pounding like a clock from earlier, and she hadn’t yet decompressed from what went down earlier.

“I took her out of the studio. She’s done there.”

“How come?” Tails asked.

“This kid hasn’t been nice to her ever since I had a little run-in with her dad. Kept making fun of her eyes, making fun of her not looking like all the other little girls – I don’t know. I went inside, found her crying, let the teacher have it, and that’s that. She’s not going back.”

“Well, Amy Rose strikes again,” Tails smirks. “Good on you, that studio doesn’t know what it lost.”

“Awh, I’m sorry you had a bad time at dance today, honey bunches!” Cosmo said, rubbing Selene’s head.

“Tell you what, Selene, you’re the best ballerina in the world, so never let anyone tell you any different, okay?” Tails said, rubbing her head too.

“I’m the best ballerina in the world.”

Tails snorted, turning his swivel chair to face Amy. “She sounds like someone I know.”

Amy snorted. “Aaaanyways, how are the songs coming? And where’s Mr. Brooding?”

“To your left, Rose.”

Amy turned, and there he stood in the doorway, with a cup of coffee in his hand, and a cigarette positioned between his fingers.

Shadow the Hedgehog, former guitarist to legendary rock band The Seven, now legendary music producer for the stars.

Amy stands up with a smirk and a roll of her eyes, opening her arms and giving Shadow a hug, who gave Amy a quick squeeze to her back. Amy snorted, wiggling Shadow back and forth.

“I was wondering where you went! Selene misses her cousins, by the way.”

“Hey, talk to Maria, she’s the playdate director. That’s above my paygrade.”

“Sure, whatever you say, pal.”

“Anyways, couldn’t help but notice you were asking about songs,” Shadow said, before leaning down and giving Selene a quick squeeze.

“Uncle Shadow!”

“Niece-y Leenie!” Shadow said in a mock-deep voice, giving her a scruff on the head, before taking a seat between Tails and Cosmo. Amy crossed her leg, taking out her notebook and reviewing written lyrics.

Suddenly, while reviewing the words she had written, none of them seemed to connect with her now. After everything that had happened this week – digging up old wounds, shoveling out the past from the grave and dropping it on the table in front of her. Now, suddenly, singing about now didn’t seem so…right.

“I was asking about songs, but now I don’t know if they’re …”

“They’re what?” Shadow said, cocking his eyebrow.

“If they’re good enough.”

“What?” Cosmo said, bouncing Selene on her leg while she played with a small doll. “They sound great! The recordings are on point.”

“It’s not the sound, it’s…”

“The words?” Shadow asked.

“Yeah,” Amy hesitated, “The words.”

“I mean – it’s what you wanted to write about. What’s going on? Did something change?” Shadow asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Er – yeah … quite a bit has changed, actually.”

Tails raised an eyebrow. “Like…”

Amy knew she was gonna have to throw it up eventually. No one, as far as she knew, from the old days knew what happened in the last week.

“Like Sonic the Hedgehog showing up on my doorstep.”

There was a collective gasp, with Shadow’s eyes peeling to the back of his head. Tails’ mouth dropped open, and Cosmo’s hand flying up to her mouth.

“Uh, Selene … do you wanna … play with the piano in the booth?” Cosmo asked.

“Ooh! Yes, yes, yes!” Selene exclaimed, hopping off Cosmo’s lap and rushed towards the door. Pushing it open with every ounce of toddler strength she could muster, she rushed towards the piano, hopping on the bench and beginning to ram on the keys.

“Sounding great, Selene!” Tails said, before turning around to face the shock-stricken Amy.

Shadow wheeled his chair closer to her, the shock never leaving his face. “So, wait – b – back it up. Sonic … showed up on your doorstep. Your doorstep.”

“My doorstep.”

“W – why?” Cosmo asked, her eyebrow raised.

“Oh, if only I fuckin’ knew!” Amy shouted, holding her head in her hands. “I mean … I wasn’t … shocked by it, so my therapist and I discovered today.”

“Why weren’t you shocked?” Tails asked.

“I mean I was – and I wasn’t. What I mean is that I … sort of knew he was gonna come eventually.”

“And how did you know that?” Shadow asked.

“Sally sort of … left a message for him before …”

The mention of her name cast a dark shadow over the room, everyone fidgeting uncomfortably. The sadness of Sally’s premature exit from the world left them all rattled. No one still could quite wrap their minds around it.

“What did it say?”

“It was during Sonia’s interviews,” Amy sighed, “She told Sonic that … he should call me. And that when he did, I better answer.”

“And did he?” Shadow asked, “Call, I mean?”

“Nope – showed up unannounced. We talked awkwardly for five minutes before I had to run out and pick up the Little Dove from school. He made me late, the fucker.”

“Has anything happened since then?” Cosmo asked.

“Well, eventually I called him, and he spoke for a little. It was …”

“Awful?” Shadow asked.

Amy snorted. “You don’t even know.”

“I mean … I was there,” Shadow replied.

“We all were…” Tails trailed off, before Amy sighed.

“I know, it’s just – I mean, why did he come back, right? Like … is it because Sally wanted him too, like – like some dying wish? I just want to know why he even came. I just want some fucking honesty.”

“Honesty from Sonic?” Shadow hissed, “Good luck, babe.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Look – he … that’s the fucking thing. Everything from his mouth seems … so honest. Like he – like he knows exactly what his truth is and he’s not afraid to say it to me … but – we’re both clearly still holding back.”

“Holding back what?” Cosmo asked.

“Holding back what we really want to say.”

It’s a dilemma certainly written in the stars, Amy thinks to herself. She sees her life in the window, playing around on the piano without a care in the world. How a kid could be at her lowest an hour ago, and now living in a daydream, shocked her to her core. She didn’t understand how a kid could go from the lowest to the highest in no time, like the problems of her world could just be merely whizzed away like that.

How desperate Amy was to just … be a kid just like that.

“I mean … do you think it would be a good idea?” Tails asked.

“What – having him in my life again?”

“Having him in your life again, yeah,” Tails repeated.

Amy shuffles, her eyes fixed on the floor. Her hands are folded in her lap, picking incessantly at the rim of her nails, her feet tapping in a rhythm that had no beat and no sense to it. The answer was somewhere in the dark, but she couldn’t find it. No matter how much she swiped in the air – it wasn’t there.

Or, it was, and she just had to look harder.

“I mean … I believe in second chances now. I mean – mines in the booth right in front of us. But …”

“A second chance at what?” Shadow said, slightly unamused, “Love?”

“No,” Amy said hurriedly, though the uncertainty was at the tail of her hasty response. “As friends … maybe.”

“And what if it does turn into what it was again?” Shadow asked.

“I mean … I don’t really know. Like – what right does he have to come in right when everything is finally starting to fall into place for me? But … is there room in this new life for me for a friendship with him?”

“Maybe,” Cosmo said with a reassuring smile. “Maybe, yeah. That’s up to you, though. I’ve spoken to Sonic recently, and, he is a lot … different now. Maybe it wouldn’t be a disaster like it was then?”

“Maybe not,” Shadow replied, “But you have to protect yourself. There’s a lot at stake with your life now. Back then, we could all float around in the fire and self-destruct if we wanted to, and well, it was no big deal, then. But, now we’re older, and we have families, and we can’t afford to go back,” Shadow finished, with a quick huff.

Amy didn’t reply. There was truth in Shadow’s words. There was truth in Tails and Cosmo’s words. There was truth in her therapist’s words.

That’s when it clicked with Amy: there is no obvious answer to this situation. There are just choices to make. They might be right, they might be wrong, they might be somewhere in between in some weird, gray limbo.

“There just has to be something. Some reason as to why he decides to show up now.”

“Is that why you’re doubting your songs now?” Cosmo asked.

“It must be …” Amy muttered, “Suddenly, he’s in my orbit again, and now I can’t find my words anymore.”

“They’ll come,” Shadow said with a curt nod. “They always do.”

“Like they used to?”

“Exactly like they used to,” Tails finished, smiling softly at the pink hedgehog. Amy sighed, shrugging.

“I just can’t let it be like old times,” Amy stated.

She took a long look around the room, meeting each of their eyes individually. It was silent for a moment, hanging in the air like a blanket.

Then, Cosmo spoke.

“Then refuse to let it be like old times. You bring him into your world, and you only move forward. You don’t look back. Not even once.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It was nearly eight when they finished building a pillow fort in the living room. With their stomachs full of pasta, they’re laying in the pillow fort, cuddling together, listening to the rain patter against the windows.

“Can I?” Selene asks, the pink box in her hand underneath the castle of pillows.

“Yes, baby,” Amy smiles, watching Selene reach inside, grabbing a chocolate donut and biting into it, the chocolate frosting painting her cheeks along her mouth.

“Mmmm,” Selene mumbles, letting the sugar slam her stomach and brain like a freight train, immediately laying into the pillows and letting the sugar wash over her like a tsunami.

“I love you so much, Little Dove,” Amy whispers, petting her hair absentmindedly.

“I love you too Mommy,” Selene says with a smile, munching on yet another donut.

“Slow down, baby. Don’t make yourself sick.”

“I’ll be slow, Mommy,” Selene said with a giggle, rolling around the pillows and blankets with her mother.

“And I love every part of you, by the way,” Amy said. “I love your eyes, your hair, your little nose, your fur color, your little hands and your little feet. Every part of you is perfect, angel and I love all of you, no matter what they are.”

“But I hate my hair,” Selene says, pulling at the strands and ends of her hair. She blurts it out so suddenly that Amy’s eyes widen in shock. She wasn’t expecting anything like that to come out of her mouth. “I hate that it’s purple and I wanna dye it!”

Amy could tell the pain she cried away was still there, even if just a little.

“Can I ask why? Considering earlier today you were telling me how much you loved your purple fur.”

“Well, I think it’s ugly now!” Selene yells, banging her fists against the floor, with a fire in her voice. “It’s the ugliest hair ever!”

“Do not raise your voice at me,” Amy says firmly, setting the tone. At first, she was serious out of worry. She can spoil her daughter rotten, but she also needs to know right from wrong. “I understand you’re upset, and that you’re hurt, but you don’t talk to me like that. We don’t talk to each other like that, okay?”

“I’m sorry…” Selene apologizes in a low voice.

“Why don’t you like your hair, Selene?” she asks, watching Selene biting into a strawberry frosted donut with white sprinkles. She eats one too, bringing her onto her daughter’s level. “You’ve never said anything about disliking your hair before – and four-year-olds don’t just want to box dye their hair out of nowhere, you know?”

She can’t even fathom where the fuck she got that idea from anyways. Amy’s never had box dye anywhere in the house.

“Lucille said pink mommy’s have kids with pink hair,” Selene whispered. She holds her breath for a moment, playing with the donut in her hand. “And that I’m a freak with a pretty pink Mommy and I have purple hair and weird eyes.”

Amy doesn’t realize she dropped her donut on the floor. She let her daughter’s voice echo around the room, mixing in with the low-hum from whatever drivel was on the television just outside the pillow fort. At first, she can’t fathom how a five-year-old could say something so needlessly cruel to another kid, and where a kid like that could even learn that from.

Her insides burn when she thinks of that girl, and they catch on fire when she remembers when her mother made her feel like that.

Do you ever shut up?

No one wants to hear your voice.

Her own mother had said that to her when all she was doing was listening to a record in her bedroom, just being a kid. Her own mother had the gall to say that to her, so unfortunately, people being cruel didn’t surprise Amy too much. Some words just burn, then stain, forever.

No matter how much you heal.

“Look at me, baby,” Amy whispers. “Did she say anything else?”

“No, that’s all.”

Amy takes a deep breath. Okay, Mommy, you can do this. Tell her what you wish your mother had told you when you were her age. She has to reassure herself to remember she can do this.

“You’re so many things you don’t even know yet.”

That’s what Sally Acorn said to her back in Knothole.

She didn’t know it then, and she has to remind herself now.

Amy knew not talking about it wasn’t the solution.

It had happened twice before. The first time her eyes were made fun of, she was sad on the ride home, and dropped it once she walked inside. The second time, she never wanted to step foot in there again, no matter how many times Amy told her she was beautiful and special, regardless of what anyone said.

Then they start talking about her fur, her body, her face, her mother. Where does she even start? What does she say to quench the sadness in her? She feels totally and unequivocally lost here.

“Firstly, Selene, you are not a freak,” Amy said, drying the tears that were peppered on Selene’s cheeks. “You’re beautiful on the outside, and you’re beautiful on the inside too. You’re kind, you’re sweet, you’re funny, you’re gentle and you’re so many great things you don’t even know yet, Dove. Having purple fur doesn’t make you any less my daughter, and it does not make you any less special. In fact, it makes you even more special. Your differences make you you. They make you the special, wonderful, beautiful girl that you are.”

“It hurt, Mommy…”

“I know it did, baby. That’s why I want you to understand that your differences make you special and unique, and they aren’t something to hate. They’re something about you to love.”

Then, the phone starts ringing.

“But I don’t like being different … you’re not gonna answer the phone?”

“No,” Amy shook her head, “This is more important than whoever is on the phone.”

“It’s annoying…”

“You wanna know why I love your hair so much, Selene? Why I love that it’s not like mine?”

Selene shrugs, looking deep into Amy’s eyes.

“Because I had pink hair like my mother, and I grew up with everyone telling me how beautiful I was, and how much I looked like her – and it never made me feel better. I never liked looking like her. Because she didn’t care about me,” Amy whispered, pain lacing her words, “I don’t know if I should tell you this, but … I never really felt like I had a mom.”

“Why not?”

She lets out a breath as the phone ringing ceases.

“Well … I was always alone and living in my own little world. I would wake up from nightmares all scared and … no one was there to comfort me back to sleep. I couldn’t go to my parent’s room because they didn’t ever let me in, and it felt like … they never really wanted me around anyways. Like I embarrassed them somehow.”

She hoped the little girl could picture what that might be like, and how lucky she could be that she never had to endure that. She wanted her to know that she, unlike her mother, would never abandon her, would never make her feel alone, and would never not love her, no matter what.

“I mean – they would forget to pick me up from school all the time. Like they forgot I even existed. Anytime they had anyone over, they told me to stay in my room because I would embarrass them.”

“That’s not what a mommy does!” Selene says with a certain fire, entering an adorable protection-mode, willing to fight anyone no matter her size. “Was she an evil stepmother like in Cinderella?”

“You know, that might have been better than what it really was, but no … she wasn’t. She was a normal lady like me. She just didn’t want to be a mom, that’s all.”

She didn’t know how to refer to her. Was she dead? Was she alive? She didn’t know, and finally, she didn’t really care to know.

“Mom?” Selene asks, snapping Amy out of a daze when she hears the phone start to ring once again.

“Oh, fuck’s sake!”

“Language, Miss Rose!”

“Hey, that’s my line, kid.”

“You’re the one who said the ‘F’ word,” Selene shrugged matter-of-factly, watching Amy holding the phone as she picked up.

“And we don’t say the F word, right Little Dove?”

“Right!”

Amy snickered, before she stopped when Sonic’s voice cracks through the line.

“Did you curse in front of your kid, Amy?”

The realization she picked up the phone without even noticing, sending chills across her body, rubbing her head as the pain grew across her temples.

“Sonic?”

“I mean, I don’t think you mean me when you say Little Dove, that kinda leaves your daughter as the only option.”

“Right,” Amy murmurs, “That’s … only reserved for her.”

“How are you? Is everything okay?”

“Uh, Sonic, this – “ Amy stutters, sighing with a certain frustration, “This really isn’t the best time.” She tries to sound as polite as possible. “I got a lot going on right now, and I – I can’t really do the talking right now.”

“I’m sorry, I – I didn’t mean too – “

“No, it – it’s okay, I just –“ Amy feels Selene tighten her arms around her torso, Amy reaching a hand down and scratching behind her ears. “I just can’t talk tonight.”

“That’s okay, Amy. I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s – it’s fine. You didn’t know. Not your fault.”

He had built up as much courage as he could to dial her number. Shame it happened at the worst time, apparently.

“Give me a call when you can?”

“Sure,” Amy said, sighing. If only she knew why he was calling. If only she knew why he decided to come back into her life at all.

“Have a good night, Sonic.”

She puts the phone down as soon as she can. She tries desperately not to be rude, but in the desire to not prolong the call any longer than she needed to, she threw it back down where it belonged, fixing her vision back onto the world that mattered most.

“Was that your old friend?” Selene asked with a small, curious whisper.

“Look, Leenie,” Amy said, bending down to her level, hoping to deflect back to the conversation that truly mattered. “Being different is not something we should be embarrassed of. Being different is something we should celebrate – it’s something that makes us who we are, that makes us unique and special, and makes us have our own strengths that only we can have. I love that your hair is different than mine. I love that my daughter catches the eyes of people just because she’s special, not because she’s just like me.”

“I wish I was just like you, just not like your mommy … she sounds mean.”

“We’re a family, you and I, Little Dove,” Amy said with a soft kiss to her cheek, “It might be just us, it might be small, but what matters most is that we love each other. What matters is that God put you and I in our lives together. He knew we needed each other, and he knew how much we were gonna love each other, and I do. I love you so much, Little Dove, you mean the entire universe to me. You mean every star, every cloud, every planet to me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy, baby.”

“I love you too Mommy … I wish my eyes were green like yours.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want my eyes to be two colors.”

“But that’s what you makes you special,” Amy says, “God made you just like that because he knew that you would be special in your own way, and it would be mystical and make everyone fall in love with those eyes, just like I did.”

“I don’t like being special. It’s weird. It’s not normal.”

“Well, they’re very normal to me,” Amy replies, “And I think it’s pretty cool that you got two colors, when most people only get one.”

“I don’t feel special,” Selene grunts.

“And you won’t unless you stop believing what those mean girls who are jealous of how pretty your eyes tell you, and you start believing me – who loves every part of you for the exact way that you are. Trust me baby, everything I’m telling you is true, and everything I do is to make you happy, okay baby?”

“Okay, I trust you Mommy…” Selene said with a smile, wrapping her arms around her mother. Amy squeezed her, planting kisses on every inch of her fur.

“Good. You wanna finish the movie?”

“I wanna sleep down here in the fort!”

“You wanna sleep down here? In the pillow fort?”

“Uh-huh!”

“I told you we’re sleeping here tonight, but you’re still brushing those teeth, especially after all that sugar you ate.”

“Boooooo…”

“Boo all you want, but you’ll be thanking me when you still have all your teeth.”

“Fine,” Selene gives in, before tilting her head. “Are you gonna call your old friend back?”

“I will later,” Amy said with a sigh, “But not now, you’re all that matters to me right now. You’re all that matters to me always.”

“Can we watch another movie then?”

“Of course, baby,” Amy said, wrapping Selene in her arms and lying against the pillow. She held her daughter as close as she could, making sure she never, ever let her go.

“Anything you want.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 5: Don’t Look Back In Anger

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2:33 AM.

That’s what the clock flashes to her when she stands up from the pillow fort in the living room, rubbing her eyes and punching herself mentally.

Selene has been asleep for five hours, keeping her promise of sleeping downstairs, and yet Amy hasn’t even managed to get twenty minutes of uninterrupted sleep. She swears soon, very fucking soon, she might just go totally insane if she doesn’t get even a second of sleep.

She drags her slippers to the kitchen, her eyes locking on a fruit basket atop the granite counter. She pops a grape in her mouth, not because she’s hungry, but because she’s so fucking bored that she’d literally do just about anything to keep her mind off the sweet dream of sleeping.

She could head back to the studio she built into the mansion, pluck out some melodies on the piano, sit on the floor with a guitar and a notepad and see if anything was working in her mind for the album. Shadow, Tails, and Cosmo had started mixing what they had done so far. Knuckles was out of town, so there were no new drum tracks coming in at any point, and Amy was helpless to think of anything to say.

A problem she seldom ever fucking had before these last two weeks.

But she couldn’t lock herself in her dungeon when she promised her little girl she’d be right there when the sun came up. She opts instead to plop down on the stool, staring at the counter in a deep absence of thought, popping grapes into her mouth like she was back on taking pills again.

Her eyes wander to a pencil and a notepad – an incessant list of things, things that just made her tired head spin more. A number for a label executive with another boring clause in her latest contract. Half-baked song ideas that weren’t important enough to make it to her real notebook.

And a telephone on the wall.

She know’s it’s a fucking long shot, but you miss all the shots you don’t take, she thinks. She would be lying if she said she didn’t feel lonely right now – in this big, silent, dark house in the middle of the night. If her dreams were keeping her no company, then who would? And of course, he probably wouldn’t answer anyways, which just makes her anxiety worse, and the already brewing self-pity get hotter and hotter.

Before her brain can even tell her not to, though – she’s already pressing the buttons on the phone.

She’s grasping at straws at this point – every single conversation she’s had about Sonic just plays on a damn loop in her head. There’s really no escaping it, at this point. Yet, how pathetic that she can’t sleep – so she runs to one of the things that certainly has not been helping her insomnia whatsoever.

At one point in time, he was the only one that could really see her. No one else, especially no Ray’s or Ken fucking Khan’s – it was always him that saw every part of her.

Hey, he said the same damn thing about her at one point, too.

The waiting is quite evil, she thinks. How the ringing is too damn loud in the silent house. As the echoes of the tones bounce across the high ceilings, reminding her once again, in a brutal and extremely cruel fashion – that despite the sleeping little girl in the other room, she really is alone.

At any second, she thinks, it’ll go to voicemail. She’ll release the breath she’s been holding for the last twenty seconds, she’ll curse under her breath, blame it all on him or her anxiety – or fucking blame it on both – and she’ll wallow in her own self-pity and apathy once again. What else would she do in a bout of insomnia like this one?

She’s terrified. She’s ready to give in. She’s ready to say fuck it and try to grasp onto sleep again.

And then the ringing stops.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” It’s the only word Amy can think of saying.

“Amy?”

She can’t deny the way he says her name brings her some sort of peace, even if it isn’t quite enough yet to calm the anxiety.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Did I wake you?”

Sonic listens to Amy’s voice, allowing it to wash over him like a wave.

“No,” Sonic replies, and he wonders why it took him so long to answer when he was awake anyways.

Amy wonders this too, yet she doesn’t ask, not that she thinks she has any right.

“Are you okay?” he asks, gently.

“Would I be calling you near three in the morning if I was?”

It’s a little brazen, and it’s no surprise, but it sounds even just a tiny bit rude.

And that grinds Sonic’s gears. He could totally be fucking asleep right now, not dealing with this.

Such a shame his insomnia intertwines with hers.

“So, what – you call me at 2:30 just to fucking snap on me? Why?”

“No, I – “ Amy stops, clearly feeling her sassiness not falling on the right audience tonight. “This was a bad idea, I shouldn’t have called.”

“What do you need, Amy?”

He doesn’t mean to sound so … what’s the word, blunt? He can’t find the word, and he can’t really find any excuse to spit it like that – but he does. Matching her energy, he thinks? Or maybe his guard is up so high that he can’t fathom that she really didn’t mean to step on his toes.

“You asked me to call when I could. So…I did.”

“I did,” Sonic starts, “But, if you chose now to call there’s clearly more to it.”

When the quick tension soothes and that fire that’s still alive from all those years ago douses itself, he opts to be softer, not stay harsh.

He could have just not picked up, especially at this time of night, but he still did anyways. So, why should he complain? He made the bed – and now he lies in it.

“What’s keeping you up tonight?” Sonic asks, curiously.

“What makes you think something is keeping me up?”

He doesn’t know her anymore, he thinks. It’s been twenty years – how could he possibly know what keeps her up at night now?

He knew then, but now, he’s out of answers. Out of any rational answers anyways.

“You just told me you weren’t okay, Amy. And you didn’t sound okay earlier – so I can only assume whatever it was is why you can’t sleep right now.”

“I don’t – I don’t wanna talk about it,” Amy says, knowing Sonic couldn’t quite relate to the difficulties of motherhood, even if he was a father himself. He’s been nothing but a memory for two decades – not the guy she bothers with in the middle of the night about a song.

“Then why did you call?”

“I guess I just wanted someone to talk to. Why are you awake right now?”

Sonic bites his tongue hard.

“Some nights are harder than others.”

He confesses it as easily as he can – the house without Sally Acorn is empty. It’s not totally joyless, no, but it’s not the same. The sun takes on a gray shade when it basks in the room. It doesn’t brighten the walls. The lights are rarely on inside. It’s not joyless, but there’s not much light either.

Sally took all the light with her when she left.

“And … what do you do on those nights?”

Amy asks, but she’s not sure she really wants to know the answer. Does he feel like drinking? Does he think about ransacking the house empty? Does he feel like giving up? Does he go on runs, or does he contemplate what his life would be like if he decided not to give up?

“You’re deflecting, Amy.”

“Maybe,” She replies, “But, you’re not doing better yourself,” she finishes, picking up grapes and tossing them in her mouth, settling into some calming rhythm.

“What do you want me to say?”

“Do you listen to my albums on those nights?” It’s an extremely selfish question to ask, and she knows it, but what could she possibly fucking say?

He knew he admitted to a lot last night, but he knew not to cross any lines. He never told her how many records he had to replace when he would fall asleep listening to her voice in his headphones. He never told her how he memorized every word to the first half of Vagabond, as well as the first half to Snow Queen. Her lyrics became his drug – no cocaine, no alcohol, no weed – her words from her voice. Deep down, he wishes he could tell her these things, all the things she made him feel without even knowing her anymore – and without her even knowing it.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Sometimes.”

“Are you lying?” Amy asks, twirling the cord around her fingers.

“Why would I lie?”

“Well, it’s how you are,” Amy says, much less gently than she should have, “You lie so that you can stay protected. You might have been honest with me near the end there, but you never truly let the truth show, did you?”

“What exactly am I protecting myself from?”

“Why did you come back, Sonic?”

The question is blurted out without her even thinking. Curse her tired brain all she wants, there’s no going back on it now. It’s out there, she asked it, he heard it, and now … the dreaded realization they’re going to talk about it hits her – and oh, how she so wanted to know the answer but really wished she hadn’t asked. Not now.

“You can’t say it, can you?”

“I don’t know what to say, Amy,” Sonic continues, “I’ve made too many mistakes in this life, and answering that question now would just be another fucking mistake. There’s a lot I wanna tell you, and I’m sure there’s shit you wanna tell me – but not right now. I – I could have called you that day, yeah, I could’ve. And I do know you deserve to know why I came to your door, and I should figure it all out myself. But – I can’t just answer that over the phone. It’s not fair to me.”

“And what about what’s fair to me, Sonic? Huh? Did you ever think about what’s fair to me?”

Tears prick the corners of her eyes, but she sucks them back down. She’s not about to cry over Sonic the fucking Hedgehog at three in the morning. He doesn’t get to make her do that.

“Do you really think that I’ve just been able to go on with my life as if you didn’t show up on my doorstep, like a fucking ghost from the past, and that it just wouldn’t affect me? Or are you still just too fucking selfish to care about how it affects me, and only worry about how it might affect you? It’s my life you turned upside down, Sonic.”

She gets off the stool, holding the phone against her ear with a shaking head, clutching onto it desperately. She begins to pace around the kitchen, trying her best to keep the tears at bay, but feeling the resolve weaken.

“You don’t get to do this anymore, Sonic. I was fine without you,” she continues, with a hand tangled in her hair, pacing around the dark kitchen.

“I worked really hard-“ she can’t finish when a sob escapes her lungs, taking the phone from her mouth and covering it with her free hand, letting her body wrack one sob before she forces herself to gain her composure. She lets a few tears stream.

“To get over you, and to get over everything when you left. So don’t talk to me like we aren’t two complete strangers when we haven’t seen each other in twenty fucking years, and there is a lot at stake for me with this!”

“I – I’m not trying to hurt you, Amy. I know I hurt you. Plenty of times – more times than I ever wanted too. And I’m sorry for getting in touch with you – I didn’t want to turn your world upside down. I just thought that … with everything, we deserve to talk about this … face-to-face. That’s all I meant. I don’t want to be that guy that I was back then. I tried so hard to get out of that guy’s skin – to be better.”

Then prove it, she thinks.

“All I’m asking is for one answer, Sonic,” she seethes, “Why can’t you just say it?”

If Sonic could, he’d drive to her house right now to tell her. But he can’t. He’s not in that mindset. He knows it’s not appropriate. He’s already doing enough damage just by speaking to her.

It’s not his intention, but could he be so naïve to think it wouldn’t happen anyways?

“Why is it so hard for you to believe me?”

“It’s not hard, Sonic. If you really wanna know,” Amy says, as she pulls an old bottle of Bacardi Rum from the pantry, setting it down with a soft thud, and beginning to pour it in the glass.

She has no intention of drinking it. It’s a coping mechanism. It’s one of the many she must remind herself where she is, and whose shoes she’s in now.

“It’s easy to believe everything you say when lying is something that just comes easy to you.”

“Amy-“

“Which is why I won’t let this go on unless you’re honest with me,” she starts, pouring the drink into the cup. She stares at the amber liquid, watching it metastasize in the glass, swirling it around, letting her eyes follow the liquid in its swirl.

“Unless you tell me why the hell you’re here.”

She wishes she could taste how it burns her throat, but she won’t. She listens to the sound of his heavy breathing on the other line. She raises the glass, takes one last look at the amber liquid, and dumps it out in the sink.

“If I could tell you in person right now, I would.”

“Actions speak louder.”

“You know that’s not appropriate, so don’t say things you don’t actually mean.”

“When has that ever stopped you?” Amy wonders, twirling the phone cord around her fingers. She still stares at the empty shot glass, contemplating something she can’t have.

A feeling all too familiar.

“And besides, I’ve meant every word I said tonight. Every single one. Don’t fucking put it on me.”

“Then how about this. If I see you tomorrow, could I tell you? Like I said, I – I’m not trying to hurt you, Amy. I just need a chance to prove that I’m – that I’m trying. A chance to prove I’m not trying to hurt you, that I – that I want to give this the respect and caution it deserves. I know I didn’t give it to you before, but I’m surrendering right here, right now. How does lunch sound?”

“I’m busy tomorrow,” Amy replies hastily, sucking in through her bottom teeth. “I’ll be at the studio all day. I need to finish this one song, and Shadow’s been giving me a hard time about it.”

“Shadow?”

“Yeah – my producer. What – you didn’t check the liner notes on all those albums of mine you supposedly have?”

“I did, I just – blast from the past, I guess. That’s all.”

“Yeah, once upon a time we were all in a band together. How about that?”

“Yeah – sure feels like a lifetime ago.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean – maybe it’s good it feels like that. You wanna prove that you’re not trying to upend my life? We don’t have to dwell on the past, but you can’t act like a stranger, Sonic. I deserve better.”

“You do. I’m sorry.”

There’s silence for a moment, Amy staring at the shot glass before she inevitably shoves it away.

“So … no to lunch?”

Amy sucks her lip, thinking about just how fucking hellishly busy and long her day is going to be tomorrow.

And yet, she knows actions speak louder than words.

“Well – if you can manage to find me tomorrow, maybe we can talk, hm? I’ll leave it up to you, now.”

With that, Amy hangs up. It’s abrupt, yes, but she let Sonic be in control too many fucking times to let him have it once again.

She deserves that, and she deserves more.

She gave him a shot, and she gave him a chance – she’s putting him in the position to do it if he really means it. Could it backfire? Fuck yeah, and it probably would, or at least that’s what Amy’s anxiety is screaming at her.

If he interprets her words correctly, it’ll tell him everything he needs to know on how to move forward. She knows she’s being cold, and she knows she’s probably not being nice – but at the end of the day, it’s what he chooses to do to prove it.

If there’s something to prove, she thinks, he’ll do it. And if not, Amy can close the book, and focus on what matters, and get her world turned back right side up.

Don’t look back in anger, and Amy promises herself that she’ll try not to.

But she sure as hell will not stop looking forward either.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 6: Lightning Crashes

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Fuck!”

Amy groans loudly into the microphone, throwing her headphones off with such a force it crashes into the stack of papers with lyrics sitting on the stool beside her. She runs her hands through her hair, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips with a sigh.

It’s not supposed to be good, she thinks, it’s supposed to be spectacular. A song like this requires more than what she’s giving.

“This isn’t working, guys!”

The microphone buzzed into her headphones once she placed them back on her head. “It sounded good, Amy!” Shadow said, his sunglasses pushed up his forehead. “It was better than the last two takes.”

She’s been trying to record the vocals for Little Dove for hours now – and each time she finds something new to be unsatisfied with. No matter how big of an issue, or how small, she’ll find something to observe, process, and lash out against as if it’s the worst thing in the world.

“Well, it wasn’t good either, Shadow.” Even when it’s just a song with piano and guitar, no matter how many times she tries, she just can’t get it right. Not that it’s bad, but it’s not right. What matters about this song is so much more than her just sounding good.

Every word about her little girl, she tries her best, and it always comes up short to her in her mind.

She thinks that after everything that happened, from finding her crying her eyes out, to having her most heartfelt conversation they’ve ever had together, and now she hates every note out of her mouth. Why? No fucking clue.

Shadow comes into the booth, shooting a glance to Tails and Cosmo, fiddling with levels. “Amy – it was the best one so far. Look, we can go again if you want, but I don’t know how much more you can do with it. It sounds great – it’s all there. But if you still think it’s not right – we can go again.”

He takes a long drag of his cigarette, and he knows better than to push her. He wonders what changed so drastically, especially considering how extraordinary the album sounds so far – but then, of course, it hits him slowly.

Her daughter’s rough day at dance, Sonic showing up at her doorstep after two decades.

Yeah, that’s probably a recipe for some self fucking doubt, he thinks.

But, even still, he’s confident in her – he just needs to get her to be confident just the same.

“I don’t want to,” Amy sighs, rubbing her eyes manically. She can’t force herself to sing lyrics about the girl she loves most in the entire universe, when it’s supposed to come so easy to her, when it’s just not clicking with her.

So, she walks past him, and out the booth door.

“Amy, where are you going?”

“I need a break!”

Shadow, Cosmo, and Tails make no move to stop her, watching her open the door and hurry down the hallway, her hair frenzied down her back. Shadow shrugs at the couple.

“Well – you wanna hear the final mix for Dancing On A Cloud?” Tails asks with a scratch to his chin.

Shadow shrugged, putting the cigarette out on his sleeve.

“Well, we sure don’t have anything better to do.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

The first thing she notices when stepping out of the booth is the clock – it’s way too close to four o’ clock for her liking. At this point, she should be rushing out to pick up her daughter, and she also hates that she can’t be at the airport to pick up her friend who she hasn’t seen in months.

It’s not any normal day, and yet she can’t help but feel eviscerated inside.

“Did I get any messages?” She asks the receptionist on her way out.

“Tangle called an hour ago to let you know she landed safely. She said she’s taking a cab to get Selene right from school.”

“How long ago did she call?”

“Maybe an hour ago?”

“Okay,” Amy whispers, thankful that a fairy godmother is here to pick up the pieces for her when she just isn’t able to right now.

She knows, yet again, she’s the one to blame for running late, but her head is so scattered she can’t possibly come down to Earth right now. She knew this was going to happen, so she had to ask Tangle to keep Selene occupied while she powered through the storm ahead. Judging by the bags under her eyes and the lack of sleep, she’s not sure how she’s going to survive singing a song that she shouldn’t have a fucking problem singing in the first place, until it’s perfect.

“Anything else?” she asks, without thinking – knowing that she wonders if he called.

“No, nothing else.”

“If they ask, I’m outside.”

When she pushes the door open into the Sound Kingdom parking lot, she sighs with her eyes gliding up to the overcast clouds hanging above her exhausted gaze.

Singing just isn’t coming naturally to her today, which is a big fucking problem, considering she is a famous singer after all.

She’s still determined but trying to record the most important song on the album – of her career – perfectly, still may be a mountain too tall for her to climb right now. Perhaps her brain is flooding with unsolicited thoughts of the man on her doorstep, or maybe she can’t help but wonder if she said the right things to Selene the night before.

She remembers the way Shadow took a drag from his cigarette. She told herself she doesn’t need those anymore, and usually she doesn’t – the problem is when she really feels like she does need it.

Anything for some simulation, whether it’s the nicotine rushing to her brain, or the liquor dulling out the voices in the back of her head, and yet it still reminds her of everything she lost to get rid of those things. It hadn’t fully clicked until one day someone said she just can’t have them anymore.

She needs a break, she needs to not think about the perfect song for just ten minutes, before she can will herself back into that booth to tear her soul out in gruesome pain for another string of endless hours.

So, she slips into her convertible for some peace and quiet.

She closes her eyes and lets the breeze flutter over her skin. The top is down on the convertible, the leather feels like the warmest hug, and the silence, for once, feels like the perfect tone.

The silence helps – she has to figure out the right way to sing the most important words she’s ever put to paper. She just can’t help but wait to share the songs with Selene anyways – and if that’s the goal, then there’s some motivation, she thinks.

Listening to music became her utmost favorite activity with her daughter. The way Selene’s eyes lit up at every song she ever played. Watching Selene look through each and every one of her vinyl’s and burned CD’s with a sparkle in her eye. When her daughter caught such a strong bout of curiosity at the sight of her collection, she knew the day had arrived when she could finally share her passion with the love of her life.

For an hour, they can just forget the world exists, and let the songs wash over them. They can dance through the living room in the glow of the fireplace – it’s such a tender moment with mother and daughter that it reminds her why she does what she does, and why she defeated what she defeated those years ago. It reminds her how she wished her mother had done just an ounce of that with her, but that thought quickly dies at the idea of doing it with her favorite human in the world.

Yet again, Amy is reminded that Selene really is all that truly matters in her world.

When she lets the joy of memory flow through her, she smiles, relaxing back into the seat, not letting her eyes open – because if they do, the memory might just leave her. She wishes to live in it right here, and right now, if she can. Selene was the light in the darkest times, and Amy thinks that’s enough to get back on the microphone and find the perfect way to sing the most important words of her life.

“Amy?”

The suddenness makes her jump, her eyes snapping open. Her first thought is to curse at the way the memory zips away, until her brain recollects quickly – she knows that voice.

“Sonic?”

What the fuck is he doing here? How long has he been standing there?

“I was starting to think you fell asleep,” he laughs, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine,” Amy says, her hands gliding across the bottom of the steering wheel, a sigh escaping her lungs. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I know you said you were gonna be busy, but I was wondering if we could talk? Even if it’s just for a moment.”

“Well, that depends. You got an answer for my question from last night?”

Sonic smirks, “Actually, I do. I think.”

“You think?”

“I got the answer that came to me – maybe it’s not everything, and, well – I’m trying to navigate this too. But … I think I have an answer, yeah. Is there somewhere we can go?”

“Shadow will kill me if I leave.”

“Shadow’s in there?”

“You wanna say hi? How long’s it been since you’ve spoken to him?”

For a moment, Sonic recalls being inside that very building with Amy and Shadow, hammering out the songs for Selene, navigating whatever fires were lit in their path. He thinks it’s too soon, even if it’s been years and years. He isn’t sure he can confront that.

“Ah … since around when … Sally …”

“Right,” Amy whispered, her eyes downcasting. “I’m sure he’d be happy to see you.”

“’Dunno about that.”

“Why? You guys didn’t … hate each other.”

“No,” Sonic shrugged, “Never hate. Liked? I don’t know. It was never easy with him and I.”

“Tails and Cosmo are in there too.”

“Now, those are some people I’d probably have no issue seeing. Tails and I talked not too long ago.”

“It’ll be somewhat like old times,” Amy mutters, and the thought of that creeps up her spine like an army of spiders.

“Right … which is why I’m gonna ask again if I can’t borrow you for coffee or something? What are you doing out here anyway? Aren’t you cold?”

“I needed a break,” Amy shrugs, not wanting him to know how much she’s been struggling to record. “And why are you still standing there?”

Amy’s eyes gesture to the empty passenger seat.

“Jump in and we can talk.”

“Wouldn’t you rather go somewhere warmer?” Sonic asks with a shrug, his arms leaning against the windshield.

“It’s not even that cold. Stop wasting time – get your ass in here and talk before someone comes out here and drags me inside.”

Sonic sighs, rounding the front of the car to the passenger seat, opening the door with a click, and a huff from his nose.

“I won’t take up too much of your time.”

Sonic still resists getting in, earning a furrow in her brow from Amy.

“Sonic? Are you gonna … enter, or … what?”

“Sorry,” It’s been ten full seconds before he answers. “I was … nevermind.”

“How long has it been since you’ve been here?” Amy asks, watching Sonic thud into the seat, fixing his legs into something even slightly comfortable – to distract how painfully uncomfortable this really was.

“Twenty years…”

“Oh,” Amy says sadly, turning away from him to focus on the wheel in front of her. What’s crazy is how different their lives are since the band fell apart, but what’s crazier is how much he distanced himself from the life he always wanted, that he hasn’t set foot near this building since it all came down. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Amy,” Sonic says with a shuffle. Sure, he sort of, definitely, wishes they were anywhere else right now. If this is what she’s giving him, he’ll take it – but there’s an aura around this building. It’s suffocating, it’s foreboding, and it’s too damn familiar for him to bear. But – he turns to her anyways – two pairs of emerald eyes locking. “Can I ask you something first?”

“Sure,” Amy mumbles in response.

“When Sonia gave you the message … how did you feel?” He asks, uncertainty lacing his voice. “Did you actually … want me to reach out to you? To call?”

“I did,” Amy nods, “I was surprised. Especially when it was your daughter showing me, and especially when it was Sally saying it. I don’t know, I guess I felt … hopeful?” She shrugs, turning away from him.

“It surprised me when Sonia asked if I would do it again, because I deflected. I said that I wouldn’t know how her mother would have felt about that, just so that I didn’t have to possibly answer a question like that,” she continues, before turning to face his piercing stare. “I guess I can put it this way. I understand why it went down the way it went down that night in Central City – but … it doesn’t mean I don’t fucking hate the way it ended. The way the band ended. I mean – you all were … my life. I thought you were my family. I had left families before, but that one? That one I – I just couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it, and yet – I had too. In a way, I made that choice for myself, but in another way – that choice was made for me, too.”

She sighs, before crossing her arms over her chest. Defensive, she thinks – but she needs to be protected somehow – when she’s never felt so exposed before.

“I hate that it ended with you falling back on the bottle, on the drugs – and I hate that for a minute I could have gone back there with you. I hate that I had to choose to be the strong one for both of us, when it was always you keeping it strong for us. But what I hate most of all? I hate most of all that I didn’t even get to say goodbye to you. You left, I stayed on that stage, and I was pretty sure that I was never, ever going to see you again – and I hate that feeling.”

“I still have nightmares about that night,” Sonic replies, staring down at his hands clasped so tightly in his lap. “I guess I made my peace with it at some point, but I really never forgave myself for how it went down that night. Which … is one of the reasons I’m here, I think.”

“Forgive yourself for what?” Amy asks, and she’s not entirely sure she’s really prepared for the answer. Forgiveness requires something done wrong, and a lot of wrong things were done. She just doesn’t know if she can handle being the mistake in this situation.

“Forgive myself for … walking away, I guess.”

“You left to fight for your marriage, Sonic. You left to fight for the one thing that would’ve helped you survive. We both said it ourselves – you needed her. We would have blown our world to pieces. People would consider that honorable, you know?

Sonic laughs slightly, yet it comes out as more of a scoff than anything. “I think honorable would have been saying how I really felt about everything. I put up so many walls, not even just with you – but with everyone.”

There are a few words he so desperately wants to say, but he just can’t do it – which kills him, because he knows that she deserves to hear them.

“I walked because it was the right thing, sure – and yeah, it was the right thing. For me. For everyone. I did it because, yeah, I did love her. I always did. She always … she was always my truth. But… I still failed to notice what was right in front of me.”

“You still would have walked, Sonic.”

“But, if I could do it again, I wouldn’t have walked without saying how I really felt.”

“We both know you wouldn’t say anything,” Amy says with a small roll of her eyes “And even if you did, it wouldn’t have changed anything. Sally meant more – you said it yourself. You would always choose her, and I had to make peace with that myself. That night, looking into your eyes, singing … in front of all those people. Yeah, I wanted it – badly. And yeah, I also knew I didn’t stand a fucking chance. But you also terrified me. Watching you slip back, when you were the one thing – the one fucking thing tethering me to this possibility of survival – I knew that even if I didn’t stand a chance against Sally, I also didn’t stand a chance with myself. We would have crashed. I couldn’t have that.”

“Amy…”

“Why did you reach out Sonic?” Amy asks, confronting him head-on. “Really?”

“I missed having you in my life,” Sonic answers, almost immediately. It escapes his lips faster than he can stop it; the air escapes his lungs faster than he can hold it. “I did have an amazing marriage, and I did get my shit together, and I did win my love back … but that doesn’t mean I didn’t think about you. You can think whatever you want about that – your last impression of me was a giant dick, and it’s probably still your impression of me, and can I really blame you?”

He sighs again, and he lets the air go freely this time.

“But, I’m still just a person. So – yeah, I thought sometimes about what would have been if I had acted differently. If I acted against what was right for me then. I often thought about how life was treating you. I tried to hide those thoughts as best I could. As if it was a secret I had to keep.”

“What did she think about all that?”

“You know, she didn’t bring it up too often. I think it was just hard to go back. It was the same way how I never brought up Nicole – the woman she had fallen in love with. It just … never came up. I think it couldn’t. I think we reminded ourselves time and time again that we chose to have our life – the one we worked so hard building. We had to remind ourselves it was the right choice. Marriage is … choosing to love that person every day, and it has to be an easy choice. And … yeah, it was an easy choice – but you can’t help but wonder if it was always the right choice, right? I think it was the right choice, but that doesn’t stop us from wondering. We did have a great life, a great marriage, and a love that was true, and real, and definitely … powerful. But … watching that tape? Watching her tell me to call you? When her and I never said anything like that about you or Nicole?”

“Did it bring something … back to you?” Amy asks, biting the edge of her nail.

“I was happy with her. I was truly, unequivocally, and emphatically in love with her always. But … sometimes I wondered what my happiness would be like if it was different. If I had made a different choice, even if it was the wrong one for me at the time. It always felt like something was missing … but I had to make damn sure to myself that it didn’t matter then if something was missing. What mattered then was … what wasn’t missing.”

“And … what changed?”

Amy knows damn well, but she cannot help but ask.

“We gave each other twenty incredible years,” he shrugs, tears pricking the edge of his eyes. He holds his hands tighter. The grief that comes back in waves, and waves, and waves. “Even if it wasn’t the way we envisioned our marriage going. We fell in love, moved across the country on a pipe dream and a small savings, and that was the story written for us,” he explains, the grief still utterly potent. “If that’s the time we got, there’s nothing I can do but cherish the time we had. And I did mean what I said. I would trade all the success for one more moment with her.  But … what changed … was that I had given up my dream to be the best husband, and the best father, I could possibly be, because that is what mattered. But, when the time came, and we realize nothing could change the way this story was supposed to end … she repaid me by giving me a second chance. I gave her one too, when we had Nicole visit. I gave her one last second chance, and I suppose … she repaid me by doing the same for me.”

“And … what second chance is that?” Amy asks, and she can tell he’s struggling by the way he keeps shifting in the seat. If he wants her to be a part of this second chance, she thinks, he’s going to have to prove that he can fit into the new world she created for herself, and that it wouldn’t light a fire to it.

“I want you in my life, Amy,” Sonic says, his tone is firm and for the first time, she really feels like he means every word.

“I know it’s been so fucking long, and everything is different, and you’ve worked so hard building this life for yourself. I reached out because I wanted to be part of your life again. It can just be where we are friends who talk when we can, see each other every three months because life just gets in the way. Distant, even. But … in our orbit, again.”

“Sonic … we were never really just … friends,” Amy says matter-of-factly, still finding his words hard to believe, despite knowing how much he means it. “We were a lot of things, sure … but we were never just friends.”

And it’s the hard, cold, and bitter truth he has to swallow. Sonic knows she has every right to believe that. They went from two frontmen with egos as hard as stone and as big as mountains, to partners who hated each other, who didn’t hate each other, who pretended to hate each other, to two halves of the same soul so madly in love – though they could never say it, even if nothing mattered in the world when it was just the two of them in the same room, He’s aware there’s probably no chance for them to just be friends. But he’s willing to do that if that means being in her orbit again.

“Do you think that’s something we could be?”

“I don’t know,” Amy replies.

“I mean … a lot has changed with us. What if it’s something that we can do, and it’s okay?”

“I think we both know that might not be possible.”

“Well … where does that leave us?”

Amy shrugs. “Where do you want it to leave us?”

If he’s bold enough to reach out to her after this much fucking time, he should be bold enough to tell her what he really wants. If it’s anything like the seventies, he knows what he wants, even if subconsciously – but he just won’t say it.

“I told you what you wanted to know,” he answers. “I think it leaves us right where it should leave us. I’ll let you get back to work now.”

Amy barely has time to form a coherent response, watching him open the door with his hands in his pockets, walking around the front of the convertible. Amy’s certainly stunned, with her mouth dry and her eyes wide. The ball’s now in her court – and it’s here she realizes this is just one giant game of fucking tennis, isn’t it?

If she really wants to deal with it, she will. If she knows what she wants, she’ll go.

He answered her question, and that’s what she wanted from him. Now, he puts the ball back to her hands.

“Sonic?” She calls out without thinking, watching him turn to face her.

When their eyes lock, lightning crashes in her mind.

“Don’t you fucking disappear again,” she says firmly, her eyes skeptic but her words as honest they’ve ever been.

“All you have to do is tell me to stay,” he answers, putting enough distance between them as he can. “If you want me to leave, then you tell me to go, and I will.”

Amy catches her breath – and the Earth stands still.

Right here, right now – nothing moves. The world is on their shoulders.  

“But if you tell me to stay – then I will.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 7: Half A World Away

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“When was the last time your mom made pancakes?”

Tangle asks the little girl standing next to her in the Mediterranean style kitchen, awaiting the arrival of Amy Rose at any moment. Whisper is on the other side of Selene, washing dishes and letting Auntie Tangle work her magic.

“No clue,” she shrugs, “Mommy’s not really a good cook.”

“Then it’s a good thing your Auntie’s are here, right?” Whisper smirks, giving a small hip bump to Selene, only garnering a giggle from the small hedgehog.

“Yes! I love when you come to LA.”

“Aw – well, we love being here too, ‘Leenie,” Tangle says with a warm grin, her purple eyes softening at the young girl.

The baby fever was kicking in strong for the two of them. They’d always have idle chats about starting a family – but it was still 1997, and is the world truly prepared for a family with two mothers? Would it ever be? Tangle and Whisper had no answer to that question – but when has something like that ever stopped them?

Not after the crisis in the ‘70s – when Tangle cut her first record contract in favor of living like she wanted to with Whisper. Of course, Espio comes along and works his magic – he helps them be comfortable with who they are in the limelight – the ever-so suffocating and blinding limelight. To them, being in the camera eye, holding hands and locking arms – every time they stepped out on the streets, they took a deep breath, and prayed that the eye of the camera would comfort them, not chastise.

After all, the counterculture from the ‘60s was still alive – and it meant peace for all, including two women who loved each other, right?

Does that apply now, in 1997?

“Do you think you can fill this cup up without making a mess?” Whisper asks, and Selene claps her hands excitedly.

“Ooh – I can try!”

Tangle smiles, shooting a quick wink to Whisper on the other side of the kid, before grabbing the cup and sliding it across the counter. She bends down slightly, getting to Selene’s level as much as she can, eyeing up the lid. “You take the flour, and you fill it all the way to the top – like sand at the beach. Got it?”

“Like this?” Selene asks, her grubby fingers pouring the flour in like quicksand.

“Just like that, ‘Leen! You’re a natural!”

Whisper directs Selene with the other ingredients, teaching her to pour two spoons of sugar, not one – much to her confusion at first – but two. Tangle opts to watch how Whisper interacts with her, and her heart and stomach flutter at the sight of it.

“You’re doin’ great, Leenie!” Tangle cried, and Selene giggled. “I am?”

“You are,” she replied, opting to help her with the next spoonful of sugar. “Your mom told me you weren’t having such a great time this week. She said a girl was making fun of your eyes?”

“Yeah, I was sad,” she murmurs, “She called me a freak and made me cry.”

Tangle’s heart shatters when Selene looks at the kitchen floor, and she bends down again.

“How you feeling now? I bet your mom helped you feel a lot better, huh?”

“She did!” Selene exclaimed, her head whipping up from her feet, “She took me to my favorite restaurant, and then to the studio to see Cosmo and Shadow and Tails … and then we got donuts, and built a fort, and watched movies! Then she made my tears go away and told me my eyes were very beautiful! My hair too!”

“She’s right, you know?” Tangle says, her heart breaking as she knows what it’s like to be made to feel like some sort of boogeyman because she didn’t conform to someone’s standards of normal. “You have very, very beautiful eyes. They’re mesmerizing!”

“Mesmuh … huh?”

“It means something that catches everyone’s attention, because it’s pure magic,” Whisper interjects with a wink.

“Oh … so, what do we do next?”

Tangle smiled, “Well, we separate the ingredients, and we pour the wet ones into the bowl of dry ones. Then we stir it, so it turns into batter. But we gotta be careful – don’t wanna mess up the nice floors, huh?”

“Okay … I’m starving!” Selene says, dramatically rubbing her stomach.

“Me too,” Whisper said with a smirk, “We gotta let the batter rest first, then we’ll be eating before you know it.”

“And while it settles, this girl’s gonna get a cup of coffee,” Tangle said.

“Me too!” Selene exclaimed, to which Tangle lovingly wagged her finger.

“Uh-uh-uh, you’re not tricking me into giving you caffeine, Miss Rose. You managed to score a cup when you and your mom came to visit us in Westopolis, but I’m not falling for your puppy dog eyes this time.”

“Well, well, well – what’s happening here?” Amy’s voice echoed around the kitchen, causing the trio to whip their heads around. Tangle immediately beamed, and Whisper couldn’t help but chuckle under her breath.

“Mommy!”

“Morning, Little Dove,” Amy said, bending down to her knees and planting a kiss on Selene’s forehead, rubbing her hair. “What’cha making?”

“We’re making pancakes!”

Amy snickered towards Tangle, pouring three cups of coffee. “Only you could make this kitchen actually be put to use.” Amy turns to Selene, bending down and fixing her pajamas. “Selene, don’t forget to wash that hair of yours, and don’t forget to finish packing, because I’m dropping you off at Uncle Shadow’s at six, and you’re gonna have that big slumber party we’ve been talking about.”

“Why do I have to stay home, Mom?” Selene says, with a grumble of frustration, “I wanna go to Aunt Tangle and Whisper’s show too!”

“It’s a nightclub, Selene. Only adults are allowed there. Everyone’s smoking and drinking those nasty adult drinks, you know? It’s no place for kids.”

Tangle and Whisper were on a small tour – a year ago, they had just done a wide arena tour, selling out 20,000 seaters, for her new album. Now, Tangle was doing a string of intimate nightclub shows as a twentieth anniversary record for her first album she released back in ’77. She had told Amy she wanted to do a tour by bringing it back to where it all started in honor of her 20 year anniversary – burning down nightclubs and rolling right around in the pit of sweaty, dance-sick people - instead of singing up to the rafters.

And, of course, Amy was gonna have her ass in a seat and enjoy every fucking second of it.

Selene, however, would not.

“Well, you don’t drink the adult drinks either,” Selene counters. She doesn’t know much, if really anything, about her mom’s past addictions, but what she does observe is how Amy never has a glass of liquor when she’s around adults doing the same. She observes how it doesn’t bother Amy – but just that she never partakes in that aspect of the night. “And you don’t smoke, either!”

Amy, Tangle, and Whisper must hold in their laughter, marveling at just how strongly Selene was inheriting her mother’s fierceness, her stubbornness, and her sassy attitude.

“You can go to one of those places when you’re twenty-one, ‘Lene. Until then, you’ll be going to the slumber party.”

“But-“

“This is not up for discussion, Selene,” Amy says, her tone firm and her mouth drawn in a thin line, “I know you might be turning five very soon, but you’re still too young to be in a place like that. Whether it’s your Auntie’s show or not – you’re not old enough.”

“It’s not fair,” Selene grumbles, crossing her arms and pouting.

Tangle snickers, Whisper snorts, and Amy must try and hold it together to parent her child.

“Did you tell your Auntie’s what you’re wearing for Halloween?”

“It hasn’t come up, no,” Tangle said with a grin, “Y’all going trick-or-treating this year?”

“Of course, we are!” Selene said, throwing her arms up in a V. She’s completely clueless about how her mom feels about Halloween – it only ever reminds her how much she wanted to go trick-or-treating, and how her parents firmly forbid it.

“Mom is dressing like a witch like she always does, but I’m gonna be an astronaut rockstar!”

“An astronaut rockstar?” Tangle asks with a wide smile, “Don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those before!”

“Well, I’m gonna be an astronaut when I grow up,” Selene said with a shrug, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. “And I love to be a rockstar like Mommy, but she said there aren’t any concerts in space, so I’m gonna be the first rockstar astronaut!”

“Just go with it,” Amy whispers slyly in her friend’s cheek. She knows Tangle purposefully left her coffee at the other end of the kitchen island. Whisper knows too, and she takes over, walking Selene back through the pancake process, while Tangle follows Amy to grab her coffee – grabbing her arm and tilting her head.

“So, did you invite him to the show?” Tangle asks with a whisper, her purple eyes scanning Amy’s green ones.

“I haven’t talked to him since he showed up at the studio two days ago,” Amy sighed, “And we three stayed up ‘til two-in-the-morning talking about it, so you know I didn’t invite him. I mean, besides … there isn’t anything going on between us.”

“Did I say there was?” Tangle counters, a smirk pulling at the edge of her lip.

“What makes you think I’d even consider inviting him, then?” Amy asks, her hand finding its way to her hip. She doesn’t know why she’s so adamant on her inviting fucking Sonic to the show, when he’s nothing more than basically a stranger to all of them. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Tangle steals a quick look behind her, with Whisper directing Selene into putting chocolate chips into her pancakes.

“What makes no sense, Amy,” Tangle says with a furrowed brow, “Is you hiding away when the possibility of something good is in front of you. But we will talk about it later.”

“No, we won’t,” Amy says with a huff, “We already talked about it, and nothing has changed since that talk last night.”

Amy’s eyes drift to the scene behind her, watching Whisper round the counter to grab a wisk, while Selene’s little arms reach for a gallon of milk. She’s standing on the edge of the chair, and Amy’s gut sends out a warning alarm: disaster imminent.

“Selene, no!”

It’s no use, at that point, when the chair starts to tumble back, and the little girl with it. Amy’s not sure how she manages to get across the kitchen so fast, perhaps it’s her instincts kicking into full overdrive, sending her feet gliding across the tile like a water slide. Her arm manages to hook around the four-year-olds body as the chair tumbles backwards, catching her and throwing her into her grasp.

She knew the instincts were real when she first saw her. It was the need to protect that child on a rainy day, whenever sadness invaded her heart, and whenever the clouds got too dark for her to see. Yet, what clicked with her then too, was just how those instincts were certainly not inherited from her mother.

Her mother, who never really seemed to care enough to give the same warmth to her on a rainy day. But she swears her life just flashed before her eyes when that kid went tumbling back, as if it wasn’t just gonna be a little accident – as if she was about to lose that kid forever.

She knew she wouldn’t – it was just a little fall – but something stabbed Amy’s gut the minute she laid eyes on the scene before her. It sent her into overdrive, something she so seldom experienced unless the possibility of Selene being hurt at all reared its head. Amy stands completely still, holding her daughter in her arms tight. Her eyes are closed, her legs are shaking, her breath trembles. She doesn’t even notice Whisper rushing to grab the chair, and Tangle grabbing a cloth to clean the milk spilled on Selene, and the floor.

The mere panic was still there, and she tried to calm herself with the feeling of her daughter’s arms wrapped around hers. Clinging to her mom, needing her warmth and her comfort right now, because as much as Amy had panic racing through her skeleton, she knew her daughter was scared too.

She tries to rush away the memories of her haunted childhood – she was clumsy too. Too clumsy. So much so that her mom opted to let her crash into whatever calamity might rear itself in her way – not to teach her a lesson, but just because she didn’t mind enough to comfort her daughter in her most frightening moments. She had to patch her own knees, dust the dirt from her skirt herself, while her mother barked in the background to watch where she was going – never wanting to check if her daughter was actually hurt at all.

“Are you two okay?” Tangle asks with a similar panic, squeezing Amy’s shoulder. She hands the cloth to Whisper.

“We’re okay. You can leave it, Whisp, I – I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m sorry, Mommy,” Selene whispers into the crook of Amy’s neck.

“Baby, it’s okay. It’s okay, Little Dove. You’re okay.”

“My shirt is wet…” Selene mumbles, looking down at the black stain enveloping her shirt.

“I know, it’s okay. You’re all good, baby.”

“Mommy?”

“Yes?”

“Can I change?”

“Of course, you can.”

“Then … can you put me down?”

Amy didn’t realize that her daughter had already moved on from the calamity, while Amy was still in panic mode. She snapped her eyes open, looking at her daughter with a sigh.

“Yes, baby – I’m sorry.”

Amy bends down, setting her daughter on the floor, making sure to do it gently so that her daughter’s skeleton doesn’t collapse the moment she hits the floor.

“Go change, and I’ll clean up the mess while Auntie’s finish the pancakes.”

When the little one rushes out of the kitchen, Amy lets out a trembling sigh. Tangle squeezes her shoulder, tilting her head to inspect her friend.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Amy nods, her breath starting to take its normal pace, “She just … scared the hell out of me.”

“I know,” Tangle nods, rubbing Amy’s arm in a soothing motion, “But nothing happened … and it looks like Selene has already forgotten all about it.”

“Just don’t wanna hear her trip up the stairs. My panic Mommy mode can only take so much right now.”

“Well, if that’s the case, is there something else you wanna talk about? So we can get you out of ‘panic Mommy mode’?”

Amy wilts her eyes open with a eyebrow raise, knowing where Tangle was going with it.

“No.”

“Why not, Amy?”

“Because I don’t want to,” Amy replies, bending down with the towel and beginning to dry the milk from the floor.

“Then don’t – just grab the phone and give Sonic a call.”

“And why would I do that?” Amy sighs, turning to Tangle with a twitching eye.

That’s when Whisper speaks up. “For your happiness, Amy. You deserve that.”

“I am happy.”

“But … could you be happier?” Whisper responds gently.

“Did you guys switch to his team or something? What – I mean, what is this?” Amy asks, starting to heat up the chocolate chips they left on the stove.

“Amy, come on,” Tangle started, “You know Whisper, and especially I, have been on your side the entire time. Through everything. I remember every moment in the seventies, when you were miserable at your lowest with him, and when you were miserable when it wasn’t low with him. However, I think I’ve told you many times this week that, with how much things have changed, it’s okay to give a second chance a shot. Even if it ain’t for love or nothing, even if just friends. You don’t know what it is until you do it.”

“I just don’t know if I’m…” Amy trails off, her eyes on the counter. “If I’m ready for that.”

“For what?” Whisper asks.

“For … whatever that is with him.”

“Amy, don’t say you’re not ready – you’ve been waiting for this ever since you got that message. You wanted it to happen, even if you refused to admit it out loud. Besides, it’s not a bad thing to have a friend, so why hide?”

“I …” Amy trails off, rubbing her face with her hands. At this point, Tangle gets a look from Whisper. It’s a loving look that says “maybe you should ease up. She’s obviously having a hard time here.”

And Tangle knows Whisper, as per usual, is completely right.

“Look, you don’t have to invite him to the show if you don’t want to. But … don’t push him away, girl. I know you got hurt. I also know that he got hurt too, no matter how much he didn’t wanna admit that. You both came out of it scathed – and you’re scared of what him coming back around means.”

Tangle approaches her, helping Amy flip the pancakes and giving her a gentle smile.

“So, if you need time, take time. But … don’t throw away some new happiness either.”

And Amy bites her lip, because she knows as much as she wants to revolt?

The fucking incomparable Tangle the Disco Legend is right on the fucking money.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It’s sunny in the part of LA where Sonic is sitting in his back yard around the pool. He watches Sonia in the water, carrying around her youngest cousin, while the two older ones are play fighting.

It gets a little rough, and Sonic snickers at them. It’s only until the cutting voice of the purple cat to his side stops the bullshit.

“Cut it out, you two! One of you is gonna end up crying and hurt, and it’ll be fun for none of us!”

Blaze is lounging in the chair under the umbrella, hoisted atop the table where the three adults sit, sharing some sodas and tortilla chips, while soft rock plays on the outside stereo system. The kids grumble a bit at their mother’s discipline, yet like a dime, they settle down.

Sonic fiddles with his thumbs, looking to his left at Silver, who’s clearly in his own universe.

“We used to be just like them when we were their age.”

Silver lifts his sunglasses, snickering under his breath. “Worse, probably. I think we owe Mom reparations for how many fights she had to break up when we were kids.”

Sonic sighs with a small laugh, and he’s happy. Really happy. While Amy has two guests in her own home, so does Sonic. His brother, his sister-in-law – and two former bandmates who never left him dry when he needed to dry out.

He’s happy they’re here – it’s the first time the house feels like it has any light in it at all. He lets the warmth bask over him, because for even just a moment, it feels like all is okay in his world. There aren’t any waves of grief, and there isn’t any thought about Amy at this minute – though he knows both of those things will come when he least expects it. For a moment, however, he’s almost okay with that.

“If I was the mother to Sonic and Silver the Hedgehog, I’d probably kill myself. I mean that with love, though,” Blaze said, her sunglasses framing her face.

“Hey, I get it,” Sonic said, “We were the most annoying toddlers. We became cool teenagers though.”

“Who’s we?” Silver asked, “You might have gotten cool, I was the one cooped up in my room.”

“Until I got you out of it.”

Silver puts his hands up, conceding. “At any rate, Blaze and I are in a world of trouble with those two. The little one is great – no crying, no fussing, no whining – just smiles and curiosity. The older ones never let the peace stay for too long.”

Silver pauses, shuffling. “But, then again, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Sonic pats his brother on the back. “I’m happy for you. Both of you. Seriously.”

Blaze smiled, leaning her head back and winking at Silver. “Hey, it’s quite something when everything falls into place. What do they call it?”

“Maturity…” Silver mumbles, a knowing inside joke about just how immature Silver could be, and how impossible it was for Blaze to stoop down there.

Sonic laughs, and Blaze nods. “Yes … that’s right. Speaking of falling into place though,” Blaze continues, taking her sunglasses off, “Amy Rose.”

Sonic sighs, shuffling in his seat. He drums absentmindedly on his legs. He knew it was coming. He should’ve prepared himself for when it did.

He should’ve done a lot of things, he thinks.

“Amy Rose,” Sonic responds.

“What’s going on there?” Blaze asks.

“What do you think is going on?”

Blaze shrugs. “Don’t know. That’s kind of why I asked.”

Sonic concedes. “I’ve spoken to her twice on the phone, once in person, and the first time in person which lasted all about six minutes.”

“And?” Blaze continues.

“And nothing,” Sonic shrugs, “We’ve had good conversations, but it still feels like … pulling teeth.”

“What do you mean?” Silver asks.

Sonic thinks back to the conversation they had outside of Sound Kingdom. He thinks about how he opened himself up so raw and exposed for her, and how she did the same. It wasn’t pulling teeth in the sense they couldn’t speak, but that every word quite literally felt like someone was pulling his teeth out one by one. Holding his tongue on things he wanted to say – but couldn’t because while he knew she deserved to hear it, he wasn’t sure what they meant yet. He doesn’t want to say something if he doesn’t know what it means – because he wants to be honest with her. As much as he humanly can be. Because she at least deserves that from him.

“It’s just … hard to open up to someone you haven’t seen in such a long time. It’s strange … Amy and I knew what we felt about each other then, but we could never really admit it to each other. Either I would shoot it down, or Amy would pick a fight about something else – but we always admitted it to ourselves, when we were alone in our thoughts.”

“It was hard to watch, honestly,” Blaze said, her brain rushing back to the seventies in a speeding car, “Not in any embarrassing way, but because I watched you two beat the hell out of yourselves – all for it to end in a ball of fire anyway.”

“For all of us,” Sonic finishes. “I told her I still have nightmares about Central City.”

“You do?” Silver asked. Sonic nods, though he does so hesitantly.

“I had to make peace with how it panned out. I knew I was saying goodbye to a lot of things. The band, the life I wanted – and Amy. I mean, hell, I can’t even fathom stepping back into that city.”

“Sometimes I can’t either,” Blaze replied, earning a turn of the head from the brothers. Blaze sighs.

“Just,” Blaze starts, “I was so certain about my decision. I thought, well, Silver didn’t really understand me, and maybe he was bitter about how it went down – I knew what he wanted, I knew what I wanted, and so I … had to tell him what he needed to hear. Obviously, things change … I grew up, I matured, I took a hard look at my life and still just felt like something was missing.”

Blaze finally turns to Sonic, locking his gaze dead on.

“Did you feel like that?”

Sonic shuffles uncomfortably. “I did.”

“Do you think Amy was the thing that was missing?”

Sonic stares at her for a moment, biting his teeth. He did feel it, yes, but he still wasn’t sure if Amy was the missing thing. He knew he missed her, but what good would he have done for her?

“I knew that I missed her. I missed all of it, I did. I think what was missing was … something I had just made up in my own mind. Because I loved Sally, and I would always choose her, and the life we had together was more than enough. But I think I wondered what my life would’ve looked like if I had done different things. Or, if I had actually said what I really felt out loud.”

“So, the thing that was missing was agency, huh?” Silver asked.

Sonic raised an eyebrow, and Silver knew he wasn’t quite following.

“Like – you were missing your voice. You watched Amy live the life you wanted; you saw all of us moving forward – you needed your voice. You committed yourself to straightening up, to bettering yourself for your family, I mean – you did the right thing. But … you still lost parts of your voice in the process. Whether your literal voice, like, recording music – or just … the ability to say how you really felt.”

“And…Amy can bring that back,” Blaze finished.

“How so?” Sonic asked.

Blaze shifted in her seat. “Amy was always – ah, what did you say in the documentary – you guys were two halves of the same. You ran to your safety, that was Sally. But the other half is Amy, right? Without her, your voice starts to not be the same, and then eventually it’s not there anymore. Things change, and many times they are supposed to, and they need to, but it doesn’t mean it gets any easier when you think something about yourself is missing.”

“So many things are just different now,” Sonic replied, “And they had to be, but now Sally gave me a second chance. I remember calling Nicole, telling her to come, and I just – I wanted to see her eyes light up one more time before it was all over. And it did – so she repaid me from Heaven here, I guess. She knows that no matter how happy I was with her, a part of my soul was gone, and I – I still had to say goodbye to it. And I think she … knew that was hard for me to do. I gave up a lot.”

The three fall into a small silence. They focus on the playing kids, the way Sonia takes such good care of her cousin, the only girl in Silver and Blaze’s pack of hellions. Then, Silver breaks the silence.

“Now you get to choose if you want this second chance to be different.”

“How do I even make that choice?”

Silver shrugs and looks at Blaze. “You wanna take this one?”

Blaze smirks, and gestures to herself. “I had to do the same. I had to think about wanting this second chance to be different than the first. I had to tell myself the thing that was missing in my life was something I told myself I could never, ever possibly want, was the thing I needed. It took a lot of … courage to make that decision, and a lot of difficult conversations with myself. The thing I realized is that when you’re supposed to have something, it’ll come to you on its own, and somewhere deep down you’ll know it’s right. Even if you resist it a little at first.”

“How do I know if this is the right thing to do?” Sonic asked.

“Like Blaze said – you’ll know. I wish there was a better answer, but man … I think that’s just the truth of the situation. I think you’ll know when it’s right. How does it feel when you talk to Amy again?”

Sonic smiles. “It … feels good. It’s torturous a lot of the time, and sometimes it feels like nothing has changed – which is scary, because I don’t want – I don’t want the past to come back and bite me. And especially not her. I want things to feel like they’ve changed, and they do – but … it’s natural for there to be a little fear there, right? I mean, I tried so hard to not be that guy anymore – to actually better myself. I don’t want to impede the life Amy built for herself, but I also don’t want it to make me worse again. Is that selfish?”

Blaze shook her head. “It’s human. You’re wanting to look out for her, yes, but also yourself. There are things Amy probably deserves out of you if you were to try being friends again, but – “

“That’s the thing,” Sonic laughs, “Amy said we were never really friends. She – she said we were a lot of things, but friends … wasn’t one of those things.”

Silver shrugs with a grin, “She’s not terribly wrong there.”

“But … couldn’t we be that now?” Sonic asked.

“What do you want it to be?” Blaze said, tilting her head.

“You know … I have no fucking idea.”

Blaze snickered and shook her head. Silver pats his back.

“Then maybe that’s a good starting point. You don’t put expectations on it, and you let it just happen naturally. If it isn’t working, and something feels wrong – you’ll know. You’ll know that your voice … is somewhere else. You know, just because Sally told you to reach out, it – it doesn’t mean it will automatically be the right thing for you. She wants you, and everyone, to be happy.”

Blaze sniffles, wiping a forming tear. “She always wanted that for everyone,” Blaze sucks down the coming grief, letting it pool back to her head. She doesn’t wish to dwell on this here – this conversation is already tough as it is.

“And,” Silver finished, “Sometimes the best stuff comes out of not knowing. You force it, and it might stall out. I think if this is your real second chance … you want to make sure you’re protecting yourself, and protecting her, by being honest but also by being cautious. I think just let it flow.”

Sonic was about to answer, before the sound of a ringing phone piqued his ear inside. He turned, scowling.

“You get it,” Blaze said, “We can finish talking when you come back.”

Sonic shrugged, hopping up from his chair and pushing the back door open. Funnily, the light seemed to leave the moment he walks inside.

Too many memories. Too much grief still lingers, he thinks.

He shuffles to the landline, picking it up with a small grunt.

“Hello?”

“Sonic?”

“Amy?”

“Hi,”

There’s silence for a moment, and Sonic isn’t sure how to proceed.

Just let it flow, he thinks.

“How are you?”

“I’m okay,” Amy replies, “Did I get you at a bad time?”

“No, just … spending some time with family, but they’re occupied. What’s up with you?”

“Ah … Tangle and Whisper are in town.”

Sonic’s eyes widen, remembering Tangle’s appearance at their final concert, moments before the ship came hurtling towards the iceberg. He wonders why she might be calling when her best friend is here.

“Really? That’s great – are you having a good time with them?”

“Well, duh – it’s Tangle. I’d be a real stick in the shit if I wasn’t.”

Sonic chuckles, leaning against the armrest of the couch, tangling the cord around his wrist. He bites his lip; his legs feel like jelly.

“It’s actually kind of … why I was calling.”

“Oh?” Sonic asks, confusion plunging his brain.

“See Tangle’s on tour. She’s doing like an intimate tour for the twentieth anniversary of her first record. She’s playing small nightclubs since … you know – that’s where it all started for her. Her, and Whisper DJing for her – like it was then.”

“I definitely remember that well,” Sonic says with a smile, “That’s great. I always knew she’d stick around in the scene. She’s a powerhouse.”

Silence for a moment, and an uncomfortable clearing of the throat from Amy.

“Right, well … she’s doing a show tonight, and I had kind of told her we reconnected, and she suggested that I … maybe ask if you wanted to come to the show tonight? It’s at 7:30. Club Stardust. Down on Belmont?”

Sonic is stunned for a moment. “I know the one, yeah. I mean – are – are you sure you’d want me to be there?”

“Would I be calling you if I didn’t?”

“I mean, you said it was Tangle’s idea.”

He hears her scoff on the other end – he immediately wonders if that was really the right move.

“Look, if you don’t want to go, you can just say that, you know?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well, it kind of sounds like it. You don’t have to lie, even though we both know you do it very naturally.”

Sonic scoffs. Great, down this path yet again – it seems that at every moment Sonic has something within his reach, it comes tumbling down. It doesn’t matter how much Sonic means every word from his lips, especially considering how hard it is for him to get those words out. He doesn’t know fully why Amy fights him so much, except that he knows completely but opts to try and ignore the obvious.

Truth is, he absolutely wants to go. He hasn’t really been out since Sally’s passing. He’s been cooped up, trying his best, trying to make sure Sonia is doing as okay as she possibly can. That life is foreign to him now – he replaced it in favor of his family. The thing that really mattered at the end of the day. But here he is, being given a shot and choosing to be careful about his aim. Now, of course, that both complicates things, but it’s also the right course of action, so why the hell is this throwing him for such a loop?

“Amy, I – I just don’t want to impede on something that – you know, Tangle’s your best friend, and I don’t wanna come if you really just … aren’t ready for me to be around that yet.”

“Is it me not being ready, or you? I mean – when’s the last time you went to like … a club?”

“Not since Sally. We would go out to small bars here and there, but … nothing really … you know. When I said goodbye to that life, I really did say goodbye. I chose to exile myself from that world. I guess … maybe part of me is nervous about it, but … I would really love to see you, and to see Tangle. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t something you were doing even though you really didn’t want to do it.”

“So, is that a yes?”

“You just gonna ignore the last thing I said?”

“No, no – I’m not ignoring it. Like I said previously, if I didn’t want you there – I would not be calling. I already fought it enough in my head – and me calling you and inviting you won. Trust me – I thought long and hard about it. This is my decision. I would like you to come, if you would like to be there.”

Sonic caught his breath, biting his lip. He tapped his foot.

“So … yes, or no?”

Sonic squinted, looking at the clock. It was four ‘o’ clock now, and he pursed his lips, tapping his foot with a certain rush of nerves.

Then, the smile that he tried to fight won.

“Is it okay if I bring some friends?”

Silence, for a moment. “Depends. Do I know these friends?”

Sonic takes a knowing look outside, and he chuckles.

“I think you might. See you at 7:30.”

And with that, he hangs up.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When Sonic returns, he closes the door, and takes his seat. Sonia’s out of the pool now, sitting on a chair with her youngest cousin in her lap, watching the two older boys chowing down on some popsicles.

“All good?” Silver asked, to which Sonic shrugged.

“Yeah – just got invited somewhere.”

“When?” Blaze asked.

“Tonight.”

Silver’s eyes widened, a small grin on his face. “To what? And from who?”

Sonic ignored Silver’s prying, leaning his head over. “Sonia, honey. You think you wouldn’t mind babysitting these three tonight?”

Sonia stood up, the tall chipmunk a spitting image of her mother. “Of course, I’d love to – but their parents are here. If you guys need me too, I absolutely can!”

“I know. I’d like to take their parents out tonight. Thank you for being up for it, honey.”

Blaze shuffled in her seat, taking her sunglasses off. “Sonic – who invited you out?”

Sonic leaned back, crossing his arms with a smirk. He laughed for a second, shaking his head as the sun found its way to his eyes.

What in the fucking hell of a world is his life right now?

He looks up to the sky, he tells Sally he loves her, and he thanks her.

Then, he looks at Silver and Blaze.

“Are you guys up for seeing an old friend tonight?”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 8: Unfinished Sympathy

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Sonic, Silver, and Blaze had gotten quite masterful at dodging the paparazzi. Sonic’s relative absence from the public eye helped his profile shrink, but Silver and Blaze were still a hot grab for the camera eye, and that alone was enough for Sonic to call the club ahead of time, requesting an entrance to the back of the club, away from the flashing cameras.

Blaze was never comfortable with fame – she quite often found it parasitic, invasive, and damaging to any security she had built within herself. Even if she could mature and find her footing in the route she wanted, nothing truly ever changed, especially being a woman – did it?

And Silver had gotten better at understanding that this was the way his wife viewed the world of fame with its relationship to women – that her own womanhood was constantly under surveillance and attack from around every corner, and Silver could not help her escape that. But what he did realize is that he could help her out in the confines of their room, offering her a rub on the back, a dinner unasked for, a drive out by the beach to clear her mind – he could help by being around, but he knew he couldn’t get rid of the world around her. That was something she’d have to revolt against whenever she felt the desire to lash out at the world of pitting women in the industry against one another.

As long as he was in that world, offering such a rub on the back, then all would be okay at the end of the rope. Blaze hoped, desperately, the way the world treated women would change one day. She finds that women find their place easier, and yet they still are dragged down by a man, or the man. She would continue to raise her voice until things really started to change.

When the back door to the club opened, and the shouting paparazzi had made it barely in time before they started shouting their names – the door closed. Sonic held his head low, not only did he really not need to be put back in the public eye, but especially not at the place where Amy Rose was at.

What had Sonic’s career been like after the demise of The Seven? Well, he had done a lot of things. He continued writing songs for people, following in the footsteps of Espio in a way, crafting the image of many stars after him, yet he never performed again. Why? He never quite has the answer to such a question. He watches his bandmates take the stage again in different fashions, yet he can’t quite ever manage to step foot near a stage of any kind. He was still an immensely successful songwriter, but his own voice on his own stage was nowhere to be found.

And he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to find it just yet. If ever.

There was more at stake now, he thought.

When they walk into the club, the lights are low yet it’s colorful across the floor. The stage is set, currently occupied by someone DJing a set before Tangle was due. In a way, it was like stepping back in time, seeing the bodies congregating together like a tight packed can of sardines, bouncing and swaying with the trip-hop sound booming through the speakers. Above him were balconies, reserved for just the many stars that would frequent this club.

Sonic was unaware if any other stars were there – he was focused on just one.

He marveled at the sound; just how peculiar it was how much music changes in the span of twenty years. They were calling this music trip hop – downtempo, utilizing samples from across the stratosphere of songs, fusing hip hop with psychedelic, atmospheric electronic soundscapes – with tiny influences of jazz, dub, soul, R&B – he heard it had come from the UK – Bristol to be exact. Silver had told him they were using a bit of the sound for his newest record with Blaze, which they were taking a break from writing.

Even with its downtempo, it still had a groove – it was a good warmup, he supposed, since any minute now Tangle would be bringing down the house.

And it was fucking packed – and Sonic had to keep his breath from going erratic.

“Sonic – why’d you bring us here?!” Silver exclaimed over the sound, being escorted up to a balcony by some guards – keeping anyone who might recognize them back.

“I told you – we’re gonna see an old friend!”

They had made it up the stairs, and Sonic leaned into the bodyguard’s ear, pointing at the table his eyes found first.

Sitting there, a pink hedgehog, leaning over the railing with big sunglasses on, a red fur coat pulled across her tightly, big boots tapping against the floor. People sure as hell recognized her – but she was quite good at putting up a front of ‘Don’t come near me right now.’

However, anyone on this balcony was up there for a reason – they weren’t fans, they were in the industry in some way themselves – they wouldn’t be incredibly shocked to see one of the most famous singers in the world up there, even if they were fangirling ever so slightly at the sight of her.

“Right,” Blaze added, “But who?”

“Who do you think?” Sonic asked, with a wink.

Blaze studied him incredulously, until her memory of the prior conversation hit her. Then her eyes widened.

When Sonic tilted his head, and Blaze saw the pink hedgehog, a gasp left her mouth, and she took off towards her.

Amy tapped her fingers absentmindedly against the railing, a cup of iced tea at her side, and a nose pulling up at the smell of cigarettes and pot swirling around her like a storm cloud. She sighed, watching the moving bodies on the floor, watching the drinks get poured down quicker, and the groups of skinny guys and girls coming out of corners, with little traces of white on their shirts.

She honestly wasn’t afraid of seeing Sonic, or whatever friends he was bringing – what she was afraid of was being around this. This stuff that was taken away from her, and she let it go voluntarily, but still had one fist wrapped around it, pulling it back like two kids fighting over a toy. Saying goodbye to Sonic was hard, sometimes she felt like saying goodbye to her vices was harder.

Though, any time she sees drugs in her view, she thinks about Selene. She thinks about staying strong, so her little girl grows up happy, so she grows up unaffected by this life. So that she can be there for her, the way her mother was never there for her.

Despite that, though – this shit still hurts.

Until two hands found their way to her shoulders. She tensed at first, wondering how it might just be. It didn’t take long for her to figure it out.

Sonic – right.

Who else?

So, she turned around preparing herself for a moment to see Sonic – yet she couldn’t quite recognize who it was at first.

She took off her glasses, preparing for the blue fur to encapsulate her world, so imagine her surprise when it was a purple cat.

Her mouth dropped.

“Are you Amy Rose?” Blaze asked with a shit-eating smirk.

Amy jumped from her chair with a squeal, throwing Blaze into a hug, the pair giggling away like two schoolgirls. Amy couldn’t help but scream in delight, practically squeezing the air from Blaze’s lungs.

Last time she saw Blaze? She can’t even remember. It had been here and there since the band broke up, and she regretted not staying more in touch. Their lives took two different directions – she understood how hard it could be to keep up.

However, now that she was standing here, she was not going to think about that. She was going to enjoy being in the arms of one of her oldest, and dearest, friends.

“Blaze! What the – what the fuck!? I cannot – I can not believe you’re here, I – what are you doing here?!”

Blaze pulled back, her black jacket pulled tight across her frame, turning her head to the siblings behind her.

Amy’s eyes met Sonic’s, then met Silver’s – and now she understands why he was being so fucking coy on the phone.

“So, these are the friends you were talking about?!”

Sonic shrugged with a grin, still keeping his head down. Amy could tell by his body language – being there wasn’t even in arms reach of his comfort zone. Anytime someone walked behind him, he tensed, kept his head lower, pulled his arms tighter to his side.

“Wait, you didn’t know we were coming?” Silver asked with a wink.

“No, I didn’t!” Amy exclaimed, throwing her arms around Silver, who returned the hug with a squeeze of his own.

“How are you?” Amy asked, “I’m sorry I haven’t been calling you to work on any more of my records, but I know you’ve been so busy.”

Silver laughed, “It’s no issue at all – I have been busy, after all. Don’t worry, I’m still listening.”

“How are you guys?! How are the kids?!”

“They’re great,” Blaze said with a laugh, the pair inspecting each other after so many years. “Sonia’s watching them tonight – Sonic just couldn’t help but make this entire thing a giant fucking mystery.”

Sonic smiled, “Hey, I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

For a minute, Amy could certainly swear she felt her heart warm up at the sentiment. Not only did Sonic want to be in her life, but it also felt like Sonic wanted to be in everyone’s lives again. It felt like maybe he was searching for a fragment of his past that was good, and he wanted that to be a part of his happiness.

And hers.

And that was too much thought for Amy to bear.

“Well, thank you … as much as I wanna chat with you boys, I think I need to catch up with this girl. It’s been way too long!”

Amy immediately pulled Blaze off, to which the cat turned around, gesturing to the table she was sitting at. “Grab a chair – we’ll be back!”

And Sonic and Silver shared a beaming smile, watching the two girls’ storm away.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Amy and Blaze found a small round booth in the corner of the balconies, keeping themselves in their own little world.

“How is your kid?” Blaze asked.

“She’s … everything, Blaze. I mean, she – she is literally the reason I wake up every day. I do everything just so she smiles. She’s my whole fucking world. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

Blaze’s gaze softened, “I knew you had it in you.”

“And I knew you had it in you,” Amy said with a grin, “What changed for you?”

Blaze shrugged, shaking her head. “I felt like something was missing. I really don’t know how to explain it – I never thought I would ever want a family. I never really figured it was in the cards for me, and I was okay with that. I let Silver go because we – didn’t want the same thing. And then, turns out, I was in my big house, all alone, and it was the worst feeling in the world. I guess it’s called growing up.”

“And so, you reconnected with Silver?”

Blaze nodded, “I did.” She smiles, brushing her hair from her eye. “I mean – we started out as just friends. We would talk on the phone a few times a week, go out to dinner sometimes, talk about making music together maybe. We’d talk about the past, as hard as it was. At first, it didn’t look like anything lovey-dovey was going to come out of it. Until…”

“Until?”

“Until it just … came back. Really don’t know how to explain it. It just happened – there was no controlling it. Once it fell back into place, well – I don’t really think anything could’ve stopped it.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Amy said, “I’m sorry I didn’t go to the wedding.”

Blaze waved her off, shaking her head. “Don’t be. I totally get it. It felt like too much for me anyway. I wanted to elope. Silver wanted something with his family present. So, we had a small wedding with our family. Very, very tiny. Out of the eye of the camera.”

“Why’d you invite me? I’m not family.”

Blaze tilted her head with an eyebrow raised, “Amy – you were always family.”

Amy sighed, small tears pricking the edge of her eye. “I just – you really couldn’t tell what it was?”

Blaze raised an eyebrow, “You know, forgive me, but I think you might be asking me that because of that hedgehog over there.”

Their eyes wandered across the hall up on the balcony to where Sonic and Silver were sitting.

“I just do not know what the fuck to do.”

Blaze smiled, “Were you surprised when he showed up?”

“Oh yeah,” Amy sighed, “Very. But, also not, because I knew whatever was gonna happen with us was coming. Didn’t know when, and I didn’t know how, but I knew it was coming. I just don’t think I adequately prepared myself for it.”

“Yeah, well – that makes two of us,” Blaze said with a smile, “Truth is, I don’t know that there’s much preparing yourself for it. You can trick yourself into believing you are prepared for it, and then it happens, and you find out that you just were not as ready as you thought.”

“I don’t even know if I’m ready at all,” Amy said, “I don’t know what to expect, and yeah, I’m scared.”

“Hard not to be – I was scared too. I was scared forever, and then one day I woke up, and it just … wasn’t all that scary anymore. I think you have to take life as it comes. It’s not going to play by your rules, and it’s not going to conform to what you view as right, and at some point, you have to surrender a little.”

“How do you do that?”

Blaze sighs, and shrugging. “You just let the wave hit you, man. What do you want out of whatever this is with him?”

Amy held her head, giving it a small rub. “I really don’t know. I like the idea of him being in my life, in whatever fashion, but I’ve worked so hard to build my life, and – and I don’t want this bringing up any wounds that I worked so hard to close. I just have too much to lose now.”

“You do,” Blaze said, “But you’ve changed, and so has he, clearly. I know it can be hard for him to be honest, but he’s trying. He’s trying to … do it in the way he thinks is protecting everyone. You, especially. Maybe taking it in the natural flow is the right thing to do?”

“Maybe …” Amy trailed off, “Selene keeps asking about my ‘old friend that came to our house’. She called him the ‘guy from Selene who was looking at me.’ It – it just reminded me of what I’ve built in spite of everything. That he can show up on my doorstep, sure, but inside that house is a little girl and my world. And I just need … more if I’m gonna let him into that so easily.”

“More like…?”

“I need more transparency. He told me why he came, and he also told me that he’d leave if I wanted him too. I-“

“Do you want him to leave?”

“No,” Amy said quickly, with much power in her voice, “No, I want him to stay if he really thinks he can make this second go-around better. In whatever fashion it comes in. I just don’t want to get burned.”

“You won’t,” Blaze said, “He’s had a hard few years. I think he’s finally ready to pursue the things that will make him happy again. Sally told him when he’s ready – find your happiness. They had an amazing life together, and I think he’s ready to bring some light back in. Look, I can’t say if you’ll get hurt or not, but what I can say is that the place he’s in now is not even close to the place he was in a few years ago, and especially not the place he was in – in the fucking seventies. I think you both have to try really hard to be real with each other if you want it to be okay, and you have to just let it flow. There is a lot more to lose now, but don’t be too afraid to be happy too, Amy. He’s trying to find his, and you might have yours now – but that doesn’t mean you still can’t find new ways to enjoy life. Your world is big enough for him. It’s big enough for more good things.”

Amy nodded along at Blaze’s explanation. It did make sense, and it did scare her all the same. She has never really been able to just ‘let the wave hit her.’ She always had to fight for what she wanted in the face of seemingly impossible odds. Right here, and right now, these odds do seem impossible.

Frightening, yet hopeful. That seems to have been the central theme for Amy’s life up until now.

Blaze lit a cigarette, eyeing Amy. “You don’t smoke anymore, right?”

Amy shook her head. “Not since ’85. That’s when I burned my last.”

“Well, I’m not keen on making ’97 be your last, so,” Blaze said, blowing her first cloud behind her, “You know, I’ve listened to every single album you’ve ever made.”

Amy snickered, “Yeah, well – I’ve done the same for you.”

“What’chu think?”

“Every single one is incredible, Blaze. Your turn.”

Blaze chuckled, “Amy, you always knew I thought you were the shit. I thought that even more with each record you’d release.”

“Well, your husband played on a couple of ‘em.”

“I do know that. That was much before we started speaking again. You know … do you ever think about … doing it?”

Amy knew exactly what it was – and truthfully, she thought about it frequently – but it was always overshadowed with what she was doing now. And for now, that was always enough.

“I used to not know – I think I used to tell myself there was no way in hell I’d ever go back to that. But that was also while I was still fucking reeling from everything – and now that my life is … what I always hoped it would be – now I don’t think it would be so bad.”

Blaze shrugged, “Yeah, I – I really don’t disagree there. I always wonder what it would even be like. I mean – I think it’s crazy that people still listen to us. I mean, we had two records. That was it.”

“I mean, I lose count on how many times I hear certain songs from Selene out and about. I remember going on a date in ’87, just to some sports bar in Malibu, and there was this band playing. Good set – and they played a lot of hits from the ‘80s, then near the end of their set they start going further back in time. Before I knew it, they whip out ‘Guilt Over Me’, and everyone in that bar knew every single fucking word.”

Blaze laughs, and Amy rolls her eyes with a smile. “I mean, when they first started playing it, I wanted to die. It just brought everything back, and my date thought it was the coolest thing in the world that he was on a date with me, and they were playing one of our songs. But, as the song went on, and watching everyone just get so into it there, just – really fucking loving that song so much to the point where they knew every single word. It – it made me happy, honestly.”

“I get asked about it all the time,” Blaze shrugs, “I never know what to say.”

“What is there to say anyways?” Amy asks, her eyes falling.

“Well, what I usually say … is that The Seven, for just a few years, were the best fucking band on the planet.”

“That’s a good answer. Do you still think it’s true?”

Blaze pauses for a moment, her eyebrows raising. “I do, and then I wonder … if things were to change right here, right now – if they changed today – and we put our instruments back on and got together – would we start being the best fucking band in the world again?”

Amy shrugs, with a sly grin. “I think we would.”

Blaze and Amy stared at each other for a while, before the two burst into laughter. Blaze fell into Amy’s grasp, the hedgehog squeezing the cat like she was afraid if she let go, Blaze would disappear from her for another decade. She was so happy to be speaking to her right now, and for the first time – thinking about The Seven didn’t make blood rush up her spine. It made her beam with joy.

Then the lights dimmed a little, and Amy watched Whisper walk onto stage – and the place went fucking wild.

Blaze turned around, her eyes wide with excitement. “Alright, bitch – show’s starting!”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When Amy and Blaze rejoined the Hedgehog brothers, they were standing, leaning over the ceiling as they watched Whisper take the microphone from the DJ booth, her headphones dangling around her neck.

“How are my beautiful brotha’s and sistaaaas doin’ tonight?!”

The place went alive with roars, both electric and magnificent in sound – like an army ready to run into battle – a disco-dripping, haze-filled, dance battle.

Sonic turned to Amy with a grin, shaking his head. “I cannot fucking believe you got me to come to this.”

Amy bit her lip, leaning into his ear. “Doesn’t it make you feel alive, Sonic?”

Sonic tilted his head, leaning into her ear, the cheers nearly drowning every noise around them out. “Reminds me of twenty years ago.”

“The good parts, or the bad?” Amy asks.

Sonic leans back in. “The best parts.”

Their eyes don’t break for a minute, clearly starting to get lost in whatever was being telepathically communicated to their souls. They did not know what those words were, and damn if they could not say them out loud – but for a moment, Amy can picture a world with Sonic that never breaks.

“Tonight, we got a magnificahhh show for you beautiful people tonight. Twenty years ago, a goddess stepped to a microphone, and changed the mothafuckin’ game forever. Y’all ever heard of this pretty little sound called Disco?”

The place went alive in roars again, vibrating beneath the foursome’s feet. Blaze leaned into Amy.

“It’s like no time has passed at all.”

Amy smirked, “And I kinda fucking love that.”

Clearly – they were alive tonight.

“Well – what you are about to see is a time capsule. We ‘bout to take y’all back to Nine-Teen-Seven-Tee-Seven. Are y’all mothafucka’s ready to burn this club down?!”

Suddenly, Amy cupped her mouth, letting out a banshee cheer. Blaze joined her, wrapping her arms around Amy’s back, with Amy’s head leaning into Blaze’s shoulder. Silver smiled at the pair, and Sonic felt his heart warm to boiling points.

Clearly, even though so much time had passed with Amy and Blaze, no time had really passed at all.

“Then, put ‘yo hands togetha’, for the magical, the mystical, the powerful – the Lady Tangle!”

Amy went alive with roars, watching Tangle step onto stage as Whisper began to play their first song. Tangle looked like she had stepped right out of the ‘70s – fuck man, this really was a twentieth anniversary show, she wore colorful sequins, her hair was poofed up, her earrings were big, her pants were flared.

Tangle grabbed the microphone, being joined on stage by a small group of dancers. A disco ball descended from the ceiling, illuminating the crowd in fractured lights. The crowd below danced like maniacs, and Amy and Blaze couldn’t help but groove side-to-side. Silver was enthralled by the scene, and Sonic nodded his head to the music, yet couldn’t quite contain the smile on his face.

Then, Tangle opened her mouth, and her pipes boomed.

“You know that I’ve been outta love before,

Just to feel my body achin’,

Yeah, it hurts me babe, it really hurts me babe,

How can I have a day without a night?

Let’cha be the book I open,

And now I got’ta take my heart!”

Amy knew this one – “My Little Sympathy” – back from her debut record. Amy always loved this one – it seemed Tangle knew exactly how to talk about a love she couldn’t have. Any song about that would hit Amy right in the gut.

“Gotta soul, but got no mind,

Gotta body, but got no heart,

I need every single part,

He-e-ey! He-e-ey! He-e-ey-aye!”

Amy turned to Sonic, watching him lost in the spectacle before him. He turned to meet her gaze, bending down into her ear.

“She sounds incredible.”

“Right? Takes me back. I always loved this song in particular.”

“How come?”

“It just … spoke to me. I mean, everything she wrote spoke to me, but there was always somethin’ about this one.”

“I wish I got more into disco when it was really happenin’ back then.”

“We were pretty lost in our own worlds.”

“We had fun, right? But … I wonder if we all could have had more fun?”

“Maybe if we had more time?”

Sonic paused after Amy said that, frowning slightly. His ear twitched, Tangle’s high note taking the club down, soaring across the crowd like a missile.

“You don’t think we’re too old for this?”

Amy shook her head, “I’m never too old for anything. You callin’ me old?”

Sonic snickered, “You’re just about my age. If you’re old, so am I.”

Amy shook her head, “No, with this happening? With Tangle singing these songs? I feel like I’m twenty again. So, I’m gonna enjoy it.”

“I’m really happy you invited me tonight, Amy.”

It catches her off guard for a moment. She is only slightly taken aback, inspecting the crevices of face. We are older, she thinks, but we are still the same.

Time has been good to us all, she thinks.

“I’m happy you came. I’m happy you brought Silver and Blaze. This takes me back to a time when things were good.”

“Come to think of it,” Sonic said, “We really might have had more good times than bad.”

“Just wasn’t enough to save it.”

Sonic shrugged, “Who says we still can’t save it?”

Amy turned to Blaze, her arm locked in Amy’s and bouncing on the balls of her feet to the music. She watched Tangle let out the final high note of the song, with the cat letting out a holler of joy.

She turns back to Sonic, tilting her head. “Save what?”

Sonic shrugs again, “I don’t know. I guess I don’t know too much right now. But … what I do know is that I like this. Whatever this is.”

“I like this too.”

“I guess we better enjoy this, and make sure it never stops, then,” Sonic says, and in a strange moment of zero thought, he grabs her hand.

Amy’s eyes shoot down to his hand in her hers and feels him give it a squeeze. It sends a lightning shock up through her arm, and she swears she can feel her fur stand up all over her body. She thinks for a minute that maybe she’s just touch starved, but then she thinks that maybe, just maybe, the mere touch from Sonic is enough to send currents of lightning across her body.

He lets ago, placing his hand back on the railing, and Amy stares at her hand. It shakes and jitters a little, her mind still attempting to register what just occurred between them.

She can’t quite tell, but does she know if she liked it?

She can’t quite tell that either.

And as much as it frightens her, it also excites her.

But that excitement scares her all the same.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

The four are led backstage, Amy with her sunglasses on and her red fur coat bundled around her body. She’s arm-in-arm with Blaze, and Sonic and Silver trail behind.

“Did you have a fuckin’ killer time or what?!” Silver said, currently riding the post-concert high.

“It was … definitely … fun,” Sonic said with a smirk. Silver calmed down slightly, giving him a furrowed brow.

“Just fun?”

“No, it – it was awesome, it just … it’s weird being at a place like this again. After so long. Going backstage, and …”

“I get it,” Silver cuts off with a gentle smile, “Does it make you think about…”

“About back then?” Sonic replies quickly, “Yeah, it does.”

“Does it scare you?”

Sonic pauses for a while, looking at his shoes as they march forward behind the two girls. Sonic smiles, scoffs a small laugh.

“No. It doesn’t.”

Silver nods, giving his brother a pat on the back. “Fuck yeah, dude. Fuck yeah.”

When the door to the dressing room opens, Amy darts in, her arms outstretched and wraps Tangle in her arms. The two spin around, sharing such delightful laughter it literally brightens the world with the sound of their giggles alone.

“Tangle! Oh my fucking God – you were amazing! Agh, I felt like I was back in fucking time! That was the greatest show I’ve ever seen you do – I’m not even fucking kidding!”

“It was so much fun!” Tangle cried, “And you look killer in that coat, girl.”

Then Tangle turned, and her eyes widened. “Holy shit!”

Blaze waved with a grin, and Tangle wrapped her into a hug. “Blaze and Silver?! The Dreamcatchers in the flesh?! At my show!”

“We couldn’t resist the invitation when Sonic told us!” Silver said cheerfully, hugging Tangle as she too gave Silver a squeeze.

When he said Sonic’s name, however, she pulled away, her purple eyes falling on Sonic. He hung back a little, his hands shoved in his pockets. He pulled a hand out with a wave, offering a weak smile.

For Tangle, it too looked like she was looking at a ghost. She hadn’t seen him for twenty years either, and seeing him standing in front of her certainly felt like the Earth had shifted beneath her feet. She couldn’t quite tell what to make of it.

“Well, well, well – if my eyes do not deceive me!”

Tangle walked forward, throwing Sonic into a hug which he returned. “It’s great to see you, Tangle. You were unbelievable.”

“And you’re still a killer on the discs, Whisper,” Blaze said with a quick hip bump. Whisper chuckled, “Hey baby, I knew if anyone would get it, it would be you, Blaze.”

“How’ve you all been?” Tangle asked, looking at Sonic. “Especially you.”

Sonic shrugged, “You know, I’ve been … better.”

Tangle rubbed his arm, giving him a sad smile. “I’m glad to hear that, Sonic. I know it’s been a rough go – I’m happy Amy got you out the house to come have some fun.”

“Yeah,” Sonic replied, “Felt like I was back in time. And … for the first time, that’s not fucking scaring me, for some reason!”

“Well, good!” Tangle said, “’Cause what do we always say, Whisp!?”

Whisper took a swig from her champagne, wiping her mouth. “If you afraid of the past, how the hell can you be ready for the future?!”

“Damn, right!” Silver said, “Pour me a glass?”

Whisper poured glasses for Silver, Blaze, and Tangle, before offering Amy and Sonic glasses of water.

“Water for you fuckers,” Whisper spat with a grin, and Sonic and Amy graciously took them.

They stood in a circle, their glasses in hand, and Tangle put her glass in the air.

“Tonight, we toast to the past. We toast to the good times, and hell if we don’t toast to the bad ones too,” Tangle started, her last line earning a laugh from the group.

“Because the past can be a beautiful, beautiful thing. The future ahead of all of us is so bright, and we are remembering the good times, and we’re enjoying the good times. And – we’re remembering the bad times, because without them, we wouldn’t be as strong as we are now. But now, we know what makes us happy, and we know what we need to feel alive – and we’re gonna take it. Here’s to that!”

“Here, here!”

Sonic and Amy couldn’t help but look at one another as they sipped from their glasses of water.

To the past, to whatever is happening now, and to the future, whatever might be happening then.

It’s terrifying, and yet it’s hopeful. They know – they just know – Tangle is talking to them when she makes that toast. And they know she’s right, and while they know that doesn’t make it any less horrifying, they also know that it makes them wonder if there really is room in their worlds for each other.

And they know now, right here, that there is.

The question is, what does that room look like? Does it really matter?

Is the important thing in their lives to make each other better this time?

Amy and Sonic share a smile, and they think after all this time, that might actually be possible now.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Oh, I can’t wait to hug my baby,” Amy mutters, rubbing her eyes outside of the club. Blaze and Tangle have their arms locked with hers. Blaze laughs.

“Me too, girl. Me too. I might just be gettin’ too old for this shit!”

“That’s why I don’t have kids – cause I still got clubs to turn it up in,” Tangle chuckled.

When Tangle joins Whisper, waiting for their car, Blaze turns to Amy. She holds Amy’s hands, giving her a warm smile.

“I’m gonna have Sonic give me your number when we get back, and I’m gonna call you, okay? No more being strangers. That shit’s over.”

“Were we every really strangers, or just … really, really fucking distant friends?” Amy asks with a giggle.

“Well, I don’t want really, really distant friends either – so I’m gonna call you, and you’re gonna pick up, okay?”

Amy nods, “You got it, sister. You got it.”

Amy hugs Blaze, and has a hard time letting go. Silver rushes to the side, opening his arms. “Let me in! Let me in!”

Amy giggles, opening to let Silver join their hug. Amy feels warm, her heart is skipping around her chest – her world really is big enough.

Sonic watches, and Tangle comes up beside him. “So, you gonna let yourself be that happy too, sir?”

Sonic laughs, “I’m trying.”

“Don’t stop trying. You both have a big enough world for each other. For this. Don’t either of you let it get thrown away, you got it?”

Sonic nodded, looking at Tangle. “Thank you for caring about her.”

Tangle smiled, “And thank you for caring about her. Thanks for being careful about this. You got a second shot at somethin’ here, and I don’t know what it is, but what I do know? You really, probably, definitely don’t wanna fuck it up.”

“I don’t.”

“Then don’t. Give yourself a chance at happiness too, Sonic.”

“I will. Thank you, Tangle. It really was great seeing you.”

Tangle gave Sonic a tight hug, patting him on the back. “Oh, you’re a good man, Sonic the Hedgehog. I hope you know that.”

Sonic nods into the embrace, sighing. It’s something he rarely ever gets told, and it’s something he always wonders – is he a good man? Is he good to the people he loves? Is he good to his family? He wonders if he was back then, and he’s sure he knows the answer – he’s just not sure he likes the answer.

What he does think is that – right in this moment – he sure has the potential to be. He thinks he has been, and he thinks he still has some room to grow – he believes he can grow into it still.

He can’t take his foot off the gas.

When he watches Tangle hugging Silver and Blaze, watches Amy with Silver and Blaze, eventually she turns around, sauntering up to him.

“I’m happy you came,” Amy whispers.

“I am too,” Sonic replies, “It was really thoughtful of you and Tangle to invite me. Thank you.”

“Well, thank you for coming. And thanks for having a good time, I know that’s very hard of you to do.”

Sonic chuckles at the dig, rolling his eyes. “You always know just what to say.”

“Yeah, well, you make it pretty easy to get at you.”

Sonic shrugs, “What can I say – I like stepping out of my comfort zone. I haven’t done it in a long time.”

“I’m happy I can do that for you.”

“Well, you’ve always been able to.”

Amy smiles, turning over her shoulder. She bites her lip, turning back to Sonic.

“So,” Sonic starts, “Can I call you?”

Amy crosses her arms, pursing her lips and taking a look at the car that had arrived for her, Whisper, and Tangle. She shrugs, before her eyes slide back to him, and dares to put the ball in her court by her own volition.

“How about I call you this time?”

“Putting the ball back in your court?” Sonic asks with a smirk.

“Maybe,” Amy says, “I think it’s my turn to hold the whip.”

Sonic laughs, holding his hands up. “Okay, okay. Then … I’ll wait for you to call.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Sonic turns to the car that arrived for him, giving Amy a wave. It’s awkward and stunted still – but … it is more freeing.

Things are starting, slowly, to fall into place for him.

“Goodnight, Amy.”

“Goodnight, Sonic.”

Amy feels the moon on her skin, and she loves it.

She never wants it to stop.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 9: Don’t Speak

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It takes Amy an entire week to give Sonic a call. Seven days of nothing but overthinking, waiting for some unseen force to make the choice for her. Eventually, she realized the choice was hers alone, and no one was going to come make that choice for her.

For almost two decades, she lived with the notion that Central City would be the last she ever saw of him. How could she possibly live with that idea – this man who she shared each inch of her soul with, who ignited her life in a way no other person had ever done – would be in her life for a few years, and then out of it forever with no trace.

Yet, as impossible to live with as it sounded, she had to. She always wondered if she would ever run into him somewhere as random as a grocery store, or a music festival of sorts, somewhere where they could go for the passion they shared.

It took her visiting Espio in the hospital room at totally different times than Sonic did to rationalize that it just may not have been meant to be. Without a sign of him at all, she had to come to terms that it just may be for the best they don’t see each other again.

 If that God she often wonders about is up there, quite literally keeping them miles and times apart, then it really is just the way it is meant to be – it had to have been the right thing for both of them – for everyone involved.

Until one day, his daughter calls her with the prospect of a documentary, and suddenly she feels something changing in the wind.

Now, she sits on the edge of the bed, legs trembling and the phone cord tied around her wrists. She curses each and every time the phone rings. It’s only half past nine, and she can’t fathom that he’d be asleep yet – but perhaps not everyone works on an insomnia clock like she does.

Still, she knows he’s never been much of a sleeper.

Yet, when the ringing stops, and there’s no answer, she has to force herself to sleep.

She endures this torture for seven days, and there’s really no rhyme or reason to it. Amy herself isn’t even certain why she lets herself endure this for more than one day. She has no idea why she allows Sonic to have this hold over her.

All she needed to do was gather her thoughts from everything that was said at the studio. Maybe she was too naïve to believe he would give her time, but maybe she was also too selfish to think that she could call and expect an answer. After twenty years, that shit really just doesn’t work that way, and Amy knows that – so why does it have such a power over her?

She simply chooses to believe that he wasn’t home on the Saturday that she called, and for that night, that’s a good enough reason for her.

But, the week that follows, she insists on calling him every day, because after having such an exemplary night at the Stardust Club, she’s finally going to choose not to let this second chance at something, friendship or no, go out the window. Every day, she picks up the phone, knowing she should probably stop, and every day there is nothing but a dial tone and then a voicemail. Yet, she still does it again, and again, and again.

On Sunday, she calls him after dinner. She doesn’t really know if that’s appropriate. And there’s no answer, so it probably isn’t.

On Monday, she calls after putting Selene to bed. Still nothing.

On Tuesday, she stocks her kitchen with whatever she was missing, finishes running her errands, spends time with her daughter and actually forgets to call. So, at ten ‘o’ clock she calls, knowing it’s probably not too late for two people with insomnia. Despite this thought, she still gets nothing.

On Wednesday, she switches it up and calls him after lunch, before her therapy appointment. Nothing.

On Thursday, she’s so fed up with it, that she considers almost not even doing it. She has their Thursday night ice cream date with Selene, and when she gets home, she finds herself subconsciously going for the phone. When she comes to her senses, she actually hangs up before the voicemail starts.

By Friday, she’s lost all hope, and is wondering what the hell she could have possibly done to warrant this? Perhaps this really just isn’t right for her, and it’s not for the best. She just wants an answer as to what she could have done, especially considering their great night at the club. So, she calls looking for that answer, yet it doesn’t come.

On Saturday, one week later, she’s ready to just end it with one final call, until the ringing does stop.

Except, however, it’s not his voice that picks up.

“Hello?” She hears, and of all the things she expected, a woman answering the phone was not one of them. “Hello? Anyone there?”

“Uhm – h – hello,” Amy croaks out, and she’s quite thunderstruck. She’s almost frozen, her eyes wide with panic. What the hell did she just get herself into, exactly? She wonders why a woman would be answering his phone – and she knows his daughter’s voice quite well – and this is not it.

She knows it’s the right number, as she had been dialing it so meticulously for seven days straight now. So, it’s not possible that she called the wrong number – there’s just no way in hell. She may not have been expecting much considering the radio silence, but a woman’s voice was furthest from what she was expecting. It made her feel anxious – and she couldn’t really reason as to why.

Knowing it was not the wrong number, she still used the line anyway.

“Who is this?” The woman mutters, and Amy shrivels up inside herself.

“I’m sorry,” Amy starts, running for the escape pod, “I must have dialed the wrong number.”

“Oh, who were you looking for?”

“Sonic – Sonic the Hedgehog,” she finds herself answering, mentally slapping the shit out of herself at such a pathetic turn of events. She’s hoping the woman will tell her it’s the wrong number, but she’s certain she won’t, and the dread starts to runneth over her cup.

“Oh! You don’t have the wrong number!” the woman exclaims, and Amy is quite stunned at the excitement in her voice. Yet, Amy knows it’s her anxiety making it worse. “Give me a second, I’ll go get him!”

“Fuck me … what did I do?” Amy groans to herself, rubbing a trembling hand over her face.

“Hello?”

“Sonic,” Amy answers without thinking.

“Amy?”

“Amy? As in – as in Amy Rose?!” The mysterious voice starts in the background, “You’re saying I was just talking to Amy Rose?!”

“Sonic, this is – definitely a bad time,” she starts, playing with a strand of long pink hair, but not doing it gently in any way. It’s looking bad here – a Saturday night, a woman answering the phone – Amy does not need to be interrupting whatever this is. It’s not good for him, and definitely not good for Amy. “I’m sorry to have interrupted y-“

“Amy, no – it’s not a bad time at all!” Sonic interjected quickly, “We were just grabbing bags from the car and the phone rang.”

“Who’s we?” Amy says strongly, “Sonic, who was I just talking to?”

“Do you think I could talk to her again?” She hears faintly in the background.

She hears Sonic laugh. “Maybe later, Li.”

Li? Who the fuck is Li? Is he seeing someone? Did they go out of town for a week? The week she had just spent calling him? If Amy was looking at herself outside of her body right now, she would be grimacing at just how pathetic this entire situation was. It made her want to hurl.

Unfortunately, him seeing a woman doesn’t really surprise her at all. Some things never do change, huh?

“Sonic?” She clears her throat, and in twenty years of absence, she will be demanding some honesty.

“I’m sorry,” Sonic said with a small chuckle, “I think you may have broke one of your biggest fans. I’m sure she’ll calm down in a second.”

“It – it’s really okay, Sonic,” Amy responds, not even wanting to imagine the scene on the other end of the phone. “It’s fine, I’ll go so you guys can get back to your night, okay?” she finished, contradicting her actual wishes. Having spent so much time trying to get in touch with him, and for it to pan out like this, is really just quite too embarrassing for her to handle right now.

“What?” Sonic asks, louder than he intended, “Wait, Amy, don’t – don’t hang up just yet.”

“You’re busy, Sonic,” Amy says matter-of-factly, and she really doesn’t care much to speak right now after everything. Right now, she’s certainly regretting the entire conversation at Sound Kingdom, and maybe it was good of her to give some benefit of the doubt, but now – she just doesn’t want to be on the phone. “I don’t want to take too much of your time with just a random phone call, so it’s okay. I’ll let you get back to your company, okay?”

“What company?” He questions, staring at the ceiling in confusion. He can’t fathom what exactly Amy is getting at, and then he sees Sonia speaking with Li Moon, and he can’t help but gawk at how fucking clueless he is. “Oh! Li Moon?”

“Yeah, whoever,” Amy mutters with a shrug.

“I don’t exactly think I’m Li Moon’s type.”

“What?” Amy asks, caught off guard, and while she was ready to end this nightmare of a call, now she’s intrigued.

“I just – don’t think I’m the reason she’s here. She’s Sonia’s girlfriend.”

“Oh,” Amy says with a soft realization. She’s a girlfriend, just not his girlfriend

“What?” he asks with a chuckle, “Did you think I was seeing someone?” It’s amazing and incredibly fucking annoying how well he can read her. She tried so hard not to let on that she was certainly thinking he was seeing someone – yet, he saw right through her. Like he always did.

“Well, I don’t know – it’s a Saturday night – you could be having fun with someone.”

“So could you,” he counters, “And yet you’re on the phone at home. So, what’s up with you? Why aren’t you out hitting the clubs and singing rock ‘n’ roll?”

“I’m afraid that ship sailed long ago, right around the time your ship sailed with it. Plus, I sing rock ‘n’ roll to 20,000 people on big tours – so, kind of an upgrade.” She said with a shitty grin.

“Ah, right – how stupid of me to forget.”

“Quite stupid, yes. Still, the life of staying out until the sun rises in the morning is long behind me.”

“Well, I’ll have you know I just got back from a weeklong trip to the desert with Sonia and her wonderful girlfriend. Last thing I want after that is a wild Saturday night.”

Ah, so that’s why he didn’t answer. Amy’s not even a little upset anymore – she’s actually quite … warmed.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, Sonic.”

“Yeah … Sonia’s been,” he pauses, “Struggling.”

“Is everything okay?” Amy asks, and she hadn’t seen her since the documentary time when they met for lunch and the girl gave her an advanced copy of the documentary.

“Not really … so Li Moon thought it would be a good idea to get her out of town for a bit. Silver and Blaze had come down with the kids to kind of … help cheer her up, and then we went on our own little trip. Just to kind of get her in a better headspace,” he doesn’t share too many details, and not that Amy requires any.

It’s bigger than whatever is happening with him and her.

People cope with grief in whatever way they do, but no one will understand Sonia’s pain like Sonic will.

“At first it was just gonna be the two of them, but I think Li Moon might know Sonia better than even I do, so she invited me to go with them. It was booked at first, but with the way things had been going, Li Moon thought it might be a good idea to have me around for it. And … that’s the story of how I ended up at a resort in the middle of the week. Cool story?”

Amy chuckled, “Great story. Tip top. Five stars.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

Sonic’s careful in his details, but Amy can connect the dots. She relived the harrowing tales all the way to Central City, then Sonia stopped coming around suddenly. Then she heard. And Amy was miserable for a while there.

She never quite let on how Sally’s passing impacted her, but it rocked her world. For days, she replayed that conversation in the hotel ballroom every single day. She was certainly a mess, and she so badly wanted to reach out to Sonic to just say how sorry she was, and how much she loved Sally. Yet, she had no way too. She could only hope in the cosmic realm above them, that he could feel her sharing in his pain.

And Sonia was gone for a few months, before coming back around to revive the project and finish it up. She had spent so much time working on it, Amy only figured it was right for her to finish what she started.

She knows Sally would have wanted her too.

“I’m – I’m sorry, Sonic,” Amy mutters, her heart clenching at every word. She knows it’s been about a year since Sally’s passing – and she knows no matter how much time passes; it’ll ever be easier. “I can imagine it’s pretty hard for you. But … I know how strong you are for her. That’s the kind of dad you are.”

“Yeah, well … I think she might be the stronger one.”

“How come?”

“Can we – can we talk about something else?” Sonic requests, his voice breaking. Amy can hear the tears starting to form.

Her heart breaks for him – despite everything, she does not want to hear him in so much pain. He’s been through so much, she thinks, and if she can be a distraction for him right now – she will be.

“Of course,” Amy responds quickly. “What do you wanna talk about?”

“Anything you want,” Sonic murmurs, clearing his throat to push the tears away. “How’ve you been? I know it’s been a second since we talked.”

“I’ve been good,” Amy says with a pause, and she wants to ask how he’s been – but judging by the recent events in his life, she can gather the answer. He already wanted to move on from that topic of conversation, so no way would Amy drag him back into it. “I’ve been working a lot, honestly.”

“Anything you can share with an old friend without the label getting mad at you?” Sonic asks, his voice tender. She wants to close her eyes; he sounds so smooth right now.

“Old friend?” Amy says with a laugh, shaking her head. Out of all the labels he could have given himself.

“Well, what would you want me to call you?”

“I dunno – former bandmate, maybe?”

It’s funny, because all those years ago, she would have had an entire encyclopedia of names to call him.

Asshole.

Shithead.

Dumb fuck.

Egotistical ass.

And while they were true, it would be certainly vindictive of her not to focus on the good things. Because while he had those bad traits, he also had such great ones.

He was caring deep down.

He saw her like no one else had.

He was a missing piece of her soul.

And he, at one point, was the love of her life.

Two decades ago, he was all sorts of things. Definitely some bad things, and certainly some good things. It’s what made him him. She knew they were twin flames of some sort, that there was some invisible string on the pair of them. They had to find a place they belonged.

He had a family.

He was a husband, and he was a father.

Yet, she still wanted him in every way. He really was the right person at the wrong time, she thought.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night. But is there…?”

“Is there what?”

“Anything you can share?”

“Oh,” Amy sighs, “Not much, to be honest. We finished recording the record last week, so Tails and Cosmo and their team are mixing and engineering all of it, and I’m starting rehearsals for the tour.”

“Any chance I can score some tickets to some shows on this tour of yours?”

“Well, if you can time travel,” she jokes, and it’s quite sassy, as well as quite dramatic. “They sold out as fast as they went on sale.”

“What a shame,” he whispers.

“Such a shame.”

“Ah, listen, Amy…” Sonic says, and as much as he wants to keep talking, he sees Sonia and Li Moon putting their jackets on, and he knows it’s time to hang it up.

“You don’t have to come with us, Dad,” Amy recognizes Sonia. Her heart flutters. Man, Sonic and Sally really raised such a great kid. “We’ll get you something.”

“No, but I want to,” Sonic says shortly, “Unless it’s a date?”

“It’s not a date, Dad, but … you know …”

“What?”

“It’s Amy, dad,” Sonia whispers in a low voice, yet Amy is still able to hear every word from her lips. Amy, at this point, thinks she should be the one to hang it up – because as much as she does like talking, she doesn’t want to be the reason they don’t spend time together. Whatsoever.

“She’ll understand, Sonia. Give me a few?”

“Take all the time you need. We’ll be in the car.”

“You don’t have to explain, Sonic,” Amy says, sensing their conversation ending. “I caught you at a bad time.”

“I’m really sorry,” Sonic apologizes. He feels bad for leaving, but he wouldn’t hesitate to put Sonia over any other woman in the world. And he can sense that Amy would refuse to let him put his daughter over anyone else. Amy knows Sonia will always be the most important woman in his life. That’s how it should be. “They’re driving back to Station Square tomorrow, and-“

“Sonic, dude,” Amy says with a laugh, “Like I said, you don’t have to explain anything to me. If you want to call me later tonight, you can, but right now you go be with your daughter.”

“You’re sure?”

“Sonic, your daughter is the most important woman in your life, right?”

“Without a question.”

“Then, yes. I am very sure.”

“Can I ask you something before I go?”

“Sure,” Amy shrugs.

“Can we grab some lunch tomorrow?” He wonders out loud. He’s half certain she’ll agree, and half certain she won’t. His track record hasn’t been the most consistent here since he showed up on her doorstep. He definitely could call later, but he’d rather just finish this conversation in person. Over some burgers and fries, like old times.

And Amy thinks about the perfect Sunday house day she has planned for her and Selene, culminating with a trip down to the pier. Perhaps even a picnic in the park. And Amy knows, like Sonic, she wouldn’t choose her daughter over anyone else.

So, tomorrow won’t work.

“I can do Monday?” Amy asked, hoping that would be good enough for him.

“Monday sounds great,” Sonic said with a grin, “Meet you at Sound Kingdom?”

“Or … you call me tomorrow, and we can discuss the details then. Sound good?”

There’s a pause, and Amy’s heart stops for a moment.

Then, she can almost practically hear the smile in his voice.

“Sounds perfect.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 10: Semi-Charmed Life

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Ready to order?”

The young twenty-something waitress is not too surprised to see the incredibly famous Amy Rose here – she had always tried to serve her, but was either constantly beaten too it by another server, in the kitchen when she sat down, or taking someone else’s order when she walked in.

This time she succeeded – and not only was she serving Amy Rose, but she was also serving her former bandmate Sonic the Hedgehog.

Which, while she had practiced being cool, this duo was enough to catch her quite off guard.

“What’s good here?” Sonic asks, his eyes locked on the big menu.

“Depends,” Amy answers, “What are you in the mood for?”

Truth is, he doesn’t know. Because while he has spent quite a bit of time scanning this menu, that does not mean he registered a single word of it.

“You still ordering two of everything?” Sonic asks with a snicker.

“I’m – “ Amy is so caught off guard by his joke, and her mind puzzles at how he even remembers that small detail about her from all those years ago. Sure, she rationalizes that – well – it has been twenty years, and he doesn’t know if her tastes have changed – the same way she doesn’t know if his had changed.

It’s enough for him to remember and tease about – and so Amy does what she hasn’t done in decades.

“I’ll have two Santa Fe Burgers, and two sides of fries,” Amy says, giving Sonic a shit-eating grin.

“I see,” he murmurs. He knows nearly exactly what he’s doing – the thing he used to do to spite her, that she never gave into because she’s Amy Rose and she never falls into anyone’s pitfalls. He’s not sure if he would call whatever this is flirting, because as fun as that would be – the part that tells him they’re better off this way wins over him.

Then he throws her a roguish wink. “I’ll have the same.”

When she takes their orders, gives her thanks and be-right-backs, Amy rolls her eyes with a small smile.

“Can you even handle that much food?”

“I’m surprised you can.”

“I mean – wasn’t exactly planning on ordering it,” Amy responds, “But because you had brought it up …”

“Ah, so my fault we ordered more than we can eat,” Sonic said with a playful tone.

“Who said I couldn’t eat it all?”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Hey, I think you challenged yourself,” Amy smirked, “They do make great burgers though.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.”

As much as the bantering is fun – there’s still no semblance of idea in Amy’s head on what any of this means. So, she opts to switch the topic for a way out.

“How was your weekend?”

“It was alright,” Sonic said slightly somberly, “The girls left this morning, so I took some time to do some stuff around the house.”

In Sonic’s truth, having an empty house was not nearly as dreadful when he still had his wife right there by his side. Strong, alive, and able to help him cope with their daughter going to another city for school. However, now that he continues to contemplate on everything he lost, he often wakes up alone in his house – he sees how lonesome it’s all really become, and his heart breaks a bit more and more when he realizes he’s alone in a house that holds twenty years of memories.

“It’s been four months since Sonia moved away and I still find it weird having the whole place to myself.”

“Station Square, right?”

“Yeah,” he nods, “She actually moved out to the Bay Area around ’93. I was both proud and miserable at the same time, if that makes sense.”

“It does.”

“At first it was weird. You know, I – I knew I wasn’t around much when we were working on Selene, and definitely not when we went on tour. Then I spent all this time on therapy to try and rectify all the mess I brought us into. When I finally came home, I knew it was good, and I knew I had to be there. I knew I needed to stay there. So, for years it’s just the three of us, and then she leaves – even if it wasn’t that far away, it still felt like something was missing.”

“I guess that’s how parents feel when their kids go to college,” Amy said, sighing. “I mean, I know I’m like fifteen years away from that moment, but it still scares me every time I think about not having Selene around the house.”

“It gets easier over time,” Sonic said, his eyes wandering to the cup. His hands find their way around it, and they tense slightly. “But, when Sally got sick-“

“Sonic,” Amy cut, her words a mere whisper.

“No, it’s okay,” Sonic whispers, and Amy does not know if she should object – at her core, she just worries.

“Why don’t we talk about something else?” Amy thinks of their conversation the other night, and how eager he was to change the topic.

“No, I want to tell you,” Sonic says, his eyes meeting hers, and she can immediately see he is more than certain about continuing this topic of conversation. As hard as it is to talk about her illness, and her passing, he has to let Amy know that with whatever this is – he is able to open up to her. “If you’re okay with that?”

“As long as you’re okay with it…”

“I am,” Sonic replies, with a nod. “When Sally got sick,” as much as it pains him all over again to say it once more, he does, because he must. “Sonia would come back every weekend, holiday, whatever break she could find in her schedule, just to be back there with us. Then, of course, things started deteriorating way faster and she was able to transfer schools for a little bit – just so she could be as close as humanly possible.”

“So, you got to have her back in the house?”

“Yeah, and thank God – because I don’t even know how the hell I would’ve survived that without her in the house. She had already started dating Li Moon by the time she came back to LA, and still managed to have a great long-distance relationship with her.”

His eyes gloss over a little, until the food arrives right in front of them.

Their eyes widen at the amount of food, before the waitress asks if they’d like anything else. Sonic requests a little more water, and he receives it, before the waitress is on her way again.

“Well, that’s beautiful, Sonic.”

“It definitely says a lot about her. A lot of the time, seeing her grown up, I always wondered how someone so fucked up could raise such a great person.”

“You might have your issues, Sonic,” Amy started gently, “But I don’t doubt you’re a great dad. Sonia would mention things about you here and there in the interviews … so don’t sell yourself short.”

“I guess I’m trying to say that I was kind of envious,” he continues, “Like, I kept thinking about how if I was in her shoes – juggling a relationship and a sick mother – I probably would have just blown everything up. Like – how they were able to endure the distance, and the grief, and the hard conversations, just because they loved each other that much.”

“Well, I don’t think whatever God is up there gives us stuff we can’t handle. No one should ever have to go through what she did, especially at fucking twenty years old. I’m certain Sally is looking out for her everywhere, no matter what.” Amy replied, taking an uncomfortable sip from her water.

“She’s … really strong,” Sonic finishes.

“She is.”

“Which is why I encouraged her to go back to Station Square. It was hard for her to do it at first, but she did, and I think it was the best decision.”

“Had she ever really considered wanting to stay in LA?” Amy asks.

“I don’t really know if she ever considered staying for good or not. Sally was always the one she talked to about stuff like that, and stuff with her relationship. It took her a minute to open up about that to me – I guess just dad stuff.”

“I mean, it all sounds very normal.”

“She extended her time here after graduation to keep working on the documentary with all of us lunatics,” Sonic chuckled, “Once it was done – now I knew I couldn’t just keep her around because she was my rock. She had to be in Station Square where she belonged, so I told her to go and be with Li.”

“That’s … very sweet of you,” Amy whispers with a smile. “I know it definitely wasn’t easy.”

And Amy has to admit to herself that him opening himself up like this was not something he ever thought he would do. After knowing him as someone who put up such strong, impenetrable, intense walls – seeing him break them down was something that certainly was shocking. However, it was certainly not unwanted.

“No, not at all,” Sonic laughs, taking a bite from his burger, “But I’ve done things I regret many of times, and if I could go back and undo a lot of shit I would. I just didn’t want Sonia to grow up and have those same regrets. So, I gave her the push she needed to go follow her dreams as I knew she needed to do. Having her gone so she could do that – it was a sacrifice I was definitely willing to make.”

“Well, you don’t regret that, do you?” Amy asked, taking a bite from her own burger.

“Not in the slightest,” Sonic replied, “I used to think the family being together was everything we would ever need, then one day…” He stops himself for a moment, not feeling the need to let Amy know what day it was – the funeral of all days. “I realized Sonia was all I really had left, but she was so much more than just her dad. And Li helped her overcome that stuff. When the documentary excitement wore off, and the pain came speeding back – I think it just became too much for her to handle. She just shut off. It was … one of the worst things to see happen in my entire life.”

“That’s why she wanted to stay with you,” Amy concluded, Sonic’s eyes meeting hers. “It doesn’t matter about her twenty-year old dreams sometimes … sometimes, a girl just wants to be with her dad. Maybe that’s exactly what she needed at the time. Until she was able to get back on her feet.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right…”

“And I don’t know how comfortable you are talking about this, so feel free to stop me at anytime,” Amy said – she is for a moment alarmed at how mature they are. After so many years, she kept tricking herself into thinking that him showing up on her doorstep meant they would revert back. And while that could still happen – she sees in his emerald eyes that these are not the same eyes she knew back then. “People go through grief differently, and the stages aren’t ever the same, but I think knowing you have someone in your corner sharing in it with you helps.”

“Are you speaking from experience?”

“Maybe…”

“I guess I’ll be the one to bite the bullet – have you visited him recently?” Sonic asked, and Amy’s heart cracks.

Espio. It had now been a few years since he went under – and each passing day the realization that he was probably not going to wake up settled further and further into her soul, and it crushed her every single time she thought about it. When he went under, she wanted so desperately to call Sonic and say how sorry she was, and to be able to share in his pain – knowing that any consolation from him would’ve fixed some cracks in her spirit.

“It’s been a month for me. You?”

Sonic shrugged, “About … two. It’s been a weird time. There was a point in time I used to go … kind of constantly. Eventually Tikal had to sit me down and tell me how unhealthy it was that I kept coming, and that I needed to start living again – especially considering … Sally, and all of that. She knew there was just way too much darkness around me. She was looking out for me.”

“Right,” Amy sighed, “Tikal kind of said the same thing to me. It was not long after I had Selene, and she was concerned. She knew I had to focus on her … she kind of told me the same thing. About living.”

“Well,” Sonic sighed, “All I know is that if he was awake, he’d be eating one of these heart killers. This burger is damn good.”

Amy registered Sonic’s desire to change the topic – this lunch had gotten sad fast – and as much as it was nice for them to open up, Amy got the message. She was feeling the same thing.

“Right,” Amy mumbled with a laugh, her eyes landing on the side of Sonic’s lip. She thinks it’s somewhat adorable how clueless he is, and how much he is savoring this burger – though she’d not ever say it out loud. “You have some-“

“Oh, damn,” Sonic laughs, noticing Amy’s eyes on his muzzle.

“I’m just glad I’m not the only one making a mess today. I have a four-year-old who often makes me feel very embarrassed about how fucking clumsy I am.”

“Right,” Sonic laughs, “I sure remember that.”

“Remember, huh?” Amy asks, “Well, speaking of the past, there’s something I wanted to ask you but kept fucking forgetting.”

“Oh?” Sonic asked, his brow furrowed, “What might that be?”

“Does Sonia know when the documentary is coming out?”

Sonic sighed, pursing his lips. “Well … actually, from what I have heard … there’s been quite a bit of chatting with MGM to produce it. Full throttle – air on television, sell in stores – they actually want to do a huge thing out of it.”

“Wow, damn,” Amy said, surprised, “And when you say huge thing…?”

Sonic took a deep breath, “Such as full press with the band.”

“As in…”

“As in The Seven. All of us.”

“And you didn’t think to inform me of this development?”

“Well, forgive me Amy, but with all this me coming back into your life business, my mind has been quite a bit occupied with finding out how you’ve been in the last two decades that I haven’t spoken to you.”

“Touche,” Amy replies, “I mean – is that something you would want to do? I mean – we can say no, right?”

“Why? Would you want to say no?”

“I mean … I don’t know. When is this supposed to be happening?”

“Well, Amy, from what Sonia has told me – we’re gonna have people reaching out to all of us in the next month or two. And with a release date.”

“So, you don’t know when the release date is?”

“Not for certain,” Sonic replied, “But late next month is what they’re looking at. It’s starting to pick up quick. You ready?”

Amy took a deep breath. Ready for what? She thinks. She had already spent a few months reliving every painstaking and heart crushing detail of the past, and now she’ll have to go on talk shows, magazine interviews – and relive it again? Plus, now with the recent development of Sonic being in her life again – that fear of the past is already heightened into a certain prominence in her brain.

Suddenly, it started to feel like a bit too much too fast.

“I guess I have to be.” Amy said, giving Sonic a pointed look.

“What’s that look for?”

“Why’d you leave it behind?” Amy asked, picking her fries. Ever since he showed up on her doorstep, she’d been wondering about it. “The rockstar life,” She continues, remembering the swagger, the sex-appeal, the denim-on-demin. Now, he was cleaner, he was polished, he had certainly calmed down. It was like staring at a completely different man.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, your hair is a lot less messy now,” Amy points out.

“So is yours.”

“Not today,” Amy says, glancing down at the frenzying ends of her long, flowing pink quills.

“When I knocked on your door it was.”

“I’ve been wearing it like that recently,” Amy replied, and she had committed to changing how she wore her hair, after knowing how it looked in ’77 when they had last seen each other.

“Your hair was really wavy in the interviews. What happened to the waves, Rose?” Sonic asks, and Amy is particularly amused at how much attention he had seemingly been paying to her hair on the screen.

However, she knew she was going to get onto his level when she said this next thing.

“Well, what happened to your beard?”

“Ah, so this is what we’re doing now?” Sonic said with a smirk.

“Hey man – you brought it up.”

“Nah … you asked about my look first.”

“And you didn’t answer me.”

“Well,” Sonic starts, “Maybe I needed a change.”

“Maybe I did too.”

“And speaking of changes,” Sonic responds, “Having a daughter is a big change. I hear you got a four-year-old?”

Amy smirks, “I do.”

“Why don’t you tell me about her?”

So, she does.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It had been five days since her lunch with Sonic, and the lunch had not left her mind at all. Even when she thinks she’s escaping the thought of that day with him, it comes back in waves, and while she was not sure what to expect – she had only figured something about it would’ve hurt her. But it didn’t. And it wasn’t.

Instead, it was just infuriating that she was thinking about it at all.

And for a Saturday night at one of her best friend’s backyards, she’s a lot quieter than she usually is. This is the kind of thing they do once a month, or whenever their busy schedules permit. He commonly would throw dinner parties within their neighborhood, and whoever else he could think to invite along.

One could say she may not be having any fun, but in reality, she’s just … thinking. Lost in her own trenches of thought she never seems to be able to crawl out of these days. She’s aware she’s keeping way too much distance from everyone else here, but she just can’t help it. She watches Selene playing with one of the kids from around his neighborhood, and her heart warms to the friends in her life – and the friends Selene can make just the same.

It still isn’t enough to get her to stop thinking.

Instead of enjoying the high of a great dinner, she’s opting to stand by her lonesome and be a mess. She draws as little attention as possible, blending in with her surroundings and pretending to keep herself occupied however she can. She sips an iced tea and does whatever she can to stop being so goddamn pensive.

And whether she wants to admit it or not, when she watches Knuckles pick up Selene from across the lawn and spin her around, seeing how good he is with her, it only drives her train of thought further.

It’s inevitable how she thinks about those years past, and how even though she’s understanding whatever her and Sonic are now – the past still scares her. She’s spent quite a long time building this happy life for herself, but it would be naïve to believe she couldn’t be happier. She always feels like she could be happier, but is already happy with this life that it’s easier to just ignore that feeling and focus on the good she’s built now.

Though, can she really give a piece of her world to a person who so much changed it and shattered it in the same breath?

“Hey there, rockstar,” Knuckles says, approaching her lonesome – the man behind the backyard dinner celebration. He has a cigarette in one hand, and a beer in the other. She doesn’t feel the temptation, even if it’s there ever so slightly.

“How’s it going, drinkie? Pacing yourself, yes?”

Amy can remember vividly the wonderfully disastrous drinking habits of the drummer of The Seven.

“One-to-two beers a week, and that’s it,” Knuckles says with a laugh, “Long gone are the days of blowing up my life with a drink.”

“Eh, well – sometimes I wish I could just set limits for myself.”

Knuckles shook his head, “But – it’s better for you this way, right?”

“Right.”

Knuckles takes a drink, standing to her side and looking at his backyard, seeing the kids of the neighborhood running around with Selene, the other friends of his lavish street sitting around the fire.

“How’s the supermodel girlfriend?” Amy asks, her eyes pointing towards Shade the Echidna, sitting and speaking with another friend of theirs. One of the most famous models walking the runway in the world right now – and she opts to hang around Knuckles of all people.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Knuckles says with an eyeroll, “We’re still just hanging out.”

“That’s not what the tabloids say.”

“Well, Amy,” Knuckles pointed his eyes at her, “I think you know better than anyone that tabloids don’t always tell the truth. Remember those fun little magazines you used to buy twenty years ago?”

“Uh-huh…” Amy trails off, the mention of the magazines whipping her mind right back to him. Just when she thought she could be distracted from it with banter through Knuckles.

He notices. “Everything okay, Amy?”

He can see right through her. Like Tangle – Knuckles has become family. Ever since they reconnected after her stint in rehab, and they started grabbing bites here and there, their old friendship turned into an even stronger life-long bond.

“Yeah,” Amy muttered, her arms crossed over her chest, staring at the stars.

“Then why are you standing over here?” Knuckles asked, pointing his cigarette towards the group across the grass, “Instead of spending time with us?”

“It’s nothing,” Amy musters, “Just tired tonight, that’s all.”

“Lie all you want,” he says firmly, “But when you were quiet during dinner, and quiet during dessert – it was obvious to me something was up.”

“Thanks for checking up on me,” Amy responds, “I think I just need to be alone tonight. I don’t know.”

“And why do you need to be alone?”

“Have you talked to Sonic recently?”

“Oh man,” Knuckles says with a small laugh, “Is this what this is about?”

“Answer the question, Knuckles.”

“I-“ Knuckles pauses. “No, I don’t think I have,” he shakes his head, taking a small sip from his beer. Pacing himself. “I played some drums for that new group he was managing a couple months ago, but that was it. Why?” He frowns, before his breath picks up. “Oh, man,” he sighs, “Amy, what did you do?”

“Nothing,” Amy says firmly, “But he … he reached out.”

“Reached out how?” He responds, certainly intrigued by this development.

“Well, he showed up on my doorstep like … a month ago, maybe?” Amy responds. It’s a dull answer, but she hadn’t exactly mentioned this to anyone but Tangle and Whisper. Blaze and Silver, by proxy, discovered it through him, and she hadn’t had much desire to take this news anywhere else. Perhaps it’s just too overwhelming.

“A fucking month ago?” Knuckles eyes widen. “And it never occurred to you that you should maybe share that?”

“It never came up,” Amy shrugged, “What do you want me to say here?” her eyes roll, and she disconnects her gaze from his, immediately feeling the desire to crawl inside herself.

“Just tell me what happened,” Knuckles says gently, “I mean, shit, what have you been doing these past fucking weeks?”

“Nothing!” Amy repeats, fully aware of the choices she had made then, “Nothing has happened, Knuckles.”

“Like, twenty years ago kind of nothing?”

“No,” she groans, “As in nothing happened.”

“Then what’s the matter with you?” Knuckles asked, “Because you really haven’t been yourself ever since you came tonight, and I didn’t wanna say anything in front of everyone else, which is why I came over here – and so now that I’m here – you can tell me everything.”

“Look, nothing is happening, honestly,” Amy responds with a small sigh, “He showed up on my doorstep, and since then we’ve just been talking…”

“Talking?”

“Yes. Talking.”

“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Knuckles says, with a mischievous wiggle of the eyebrows.

“Fuck you!” She spits, smacking him upside the head.

“Ouch!” Knuckles seethes, rubbing the back of his head. “Is that what you’ve been doing this past month?”

He’s playing with fire, and he knows he’s provoking whatever storm is going on in there. Twenty years later, Rouge’s words ring in his head: it’s always jokes with him.

“Oh, yeah, Knuckles!” Amy says, with a grin and sarcasm lacing her voice in a venomous cadence, “We’ve been fucking for four weeks, which is why I’m spending my Saturday night miserable and alone in your fucking backyard.”

“Sounds like some trouble in paradise,” Knuckles smirks yet again.

“There’s no paradise. Whether you believe me or not, nothing is going on between the two of us.”

“I mean look – we weren’t sure what the fuck to make of you two back then,” he starts, “I mean, sometimes we would think you guys just hated each other, and then other times we’d wonder if you guys really were doing something when we weren’t around. I guess … I guess like – would it be much different if you were doing something now?”

“I’m not that person anymore.”

“I never said you were,” Knuckles said, turning around to put his cigarette out on the ashtray on the table behind him. “I just don’t know why you’re acting like it would be a bad thing. It seemed kind of inevitable then … so isn’t it just inevitable now?”

“Because it ends like it did then and I’m a disaster.”

“He’s a grown ass motherfucker now too, you know,” Knuckles reminds her, “I mean – how much have you guys interacted over the last few weeks?”

“We’ve talked on the phone a few times, and then had lunch earlier this week. It was nice. I had a good time, and he did too, so there’s that.”

“What kind of lunch was it?”

“Not a date, if that’s what you’re getting at,” Amy rolled her eyes, “It was whatever kind of lunch you have with two people who haven’t seen each other in two fucking decades. He said he wants me to be a part of his life again, and that he doesn’t wanna go another twenty years without talking to me and wishes we could be friends again. I had to remind him that, whatever the hell we were, it wasn’t just friends.”

“Well, what are you so bitter about?”

“I’m not bitter,” Amy spits, “I just don’t know what to think. He’s been nothing but nice. I just can’t figure out what his intentions are. I don’t want to be some void he’s filling now that … you know.”

“Right,” Knuckles pauses, gulping at the mention of her, “I mean – have you asked him about it?”

“Yeah,” she nods, “That’s when he said he wants me in his life.”

“You think you’re like … a rebound?” Knuckles asks, with an eyebrow raised. “I mean – he was kind of obsessed with you back then. You guys were obsessed with each other in whatever strange and special way it was.”

“How can you even know? You were pretty distracted with Rouge.”

Knuckles eyes avert to the ground, kicking his shoes around. Amy swallows, turning away.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean too-“

Knuckles waves her off, shaking his head. “Jesus, bro – it’s fine! It’s all good. I just mean that – you guys were a mess, and you were a mess, and he still was all worshipping you and shit.”

“He could have chosen me that night,” Amy said, “He didn’t. He went back to his safe place, and I let him because I knew that she was always the one for him, and I knew that she was the thing that kept him alive. She was the thing that made him want to be better.”

“I mean,” Knuckles replied, “That’s true, but in my opinion, I just think you’re scared of him.”

“I am not scared of him,” Amy groans.

“You seem like you’re afraid he’ll hurt you again. You seem like you’re afraid it’ll be like Central City all over again, and you’ll feel like you were on that stage again, and you’re afraid that if Sally was still with us, he wouldn’t choose you.”

“Well, if Sally was still here, he wouldn’t choose me,” Amy replied, “We both know that.”

“Okay, yes – so he wouldn’t,” Knuckles responded, “And if he reached out to make the choice he couldn’t make then?”

“What if it’s too late for that?”

“We both know it’s not.”

“And why do we know that?”

“Because if it was too late, you wouldn’t be this miserable just thinking about it,” Knuckles replied, “You would be living your life just like you’ve always been, and not letting him affect you this much.”

“So, what if I’m worried? I don’t wanna end up hurt.”

“When have you ever let your fears win?”

“I’m not letting them win,” Amy said, “I’m protecting myself.”

“So, you think he’s after something romantic?”

“Why else would he be back?” Amy asked.

“I mean – what if he does just want to be friends? What if, maybe, he thinks that something like that is possible after all these years, and with how much you both have changed and grown up?”

“And if he wants the other thing?”

“I mean – it seems like you kind of know what he wants.”

“No, I don’t. I don’t know what he wants – that’s why I’m so out of sorts. One day, I think, yeah – he wants to be friends. And other days, I think – why else would he come back if it wasn’t to have another chance with me? But … then – I don’t know, do you think it would be a terrible idea? I mean, I have this life I’ve built now, and I have a daughter who will always be my top priority, no matter what.”

“Dude, taking a second chance doesn’t mean giving up on those things,” Knuckles said softly, “And if it did mean that, he just wouldn’t be the right person for you – and that’s okay, too. Look, I know your last relationship was shit, so if you have a second chance … why not just say fuck it and take it?”

“I just – “

“Amy, for fucks sake, what do you want to do?” Knuckles says, cutting Amy off with wide eyes. Enough to startle Amy ever so slightly. “I mean – if you know what it is you want – why not just go for that? You can still be happy with a friend, you know?!”

“I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have told you anything,” Amy said with a heavy sigh.

“Why? Because you know I’m right?” Knuckles said with a grin.

“I miss ‘70s Knuckles when he was just keeping shit light for everyone.”

“Well,” Knuckles shrugs, “I had my own shit going on.”

“Oh yeah,” Amy smirked, “I’m well aware.”

“Look,” Knuckles said, eager to change the topic back to her, “Just don’t forget to thank me when you’re no longer miserable on a Saturday night and you’re all tangled up in something good.”

Knuckles sends her a smile, and then pulls her thin frame into an unexpected hug – one which Amy returns happily, despite how much she wants to whack him upside the head right now.

“You spent twenty years apart, Amy – and now you think you want another minute? You deserve some happiness Amy – just let it in.”

For the first time that night, she’s starting to feel at some peace. Maybe it was talking it out that helped, or maybe Knuckles really did just tell her what she needed to hear but was too afraid to say it to herself – but she really has wasted too much time waiting for things to just happen on their own. She knows better now that’s not how shit works – if she wants something to shake up, she has to do it. It won’t wait for an invitation.

Whatever happens will happen, but if he wants to stay around this time, she’s giving him a reason too.

“Thanks Knuckles,” Amy says into the hug, “For some reason, I actually appreciate this.”

Knuckles laughs into her ear, giving her a gentle pat on the back.

“Anytime, Rose. Anytime.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 11: All The Small Things

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When the knock made its way to Amy’s door, her ear’s twitched, sauntering through the kitchen into the grand hallway, plodding along towards the large, mahogany doors.

Amy’s head was a tad on fire today – she had not heard from Sonic in a few days, which one half of her mind was saying that was completely fine, and the other half was wondering how dare he not call?

Of course – she could call. But … nah …

In truth, she had done her part – she called him first the last time, and then she called to make lunch plans. As he drove her back to Sound Kingdom, she said it was now his turn to call.

This game of phone tag seemed like a smart idea to her at first, but anytime she’s the one out of control, her head starts to spin out. For years, she had to struggle for her own semblance of control over her life – always losing out to Sonic, or the drugs, or the yearning. Those were the things that took Amy’s hand in their own and dragged her along.

 In a twisted turn of fate, Amy putting the ball in Sonic’s court in this extraneous game of phone tag was her being in control of the situation, yet in that same breath she surrenders her control by letting him be the one to make the next move, per se.

So, even when Amy was in control, she functionally was not. Such is another exhausting, aggravating theme of life for Amy Rose. She worked for her own life in the last twenty years, had her daughter, her own string of personal successes, and yes, some failures, but they were all hers. They were her successes, her failures, and her life. There was no need for room to share any of that shit with anyone, she did it all on her own. Who would dare think they could have a piece of that pie?

There had not been a phone call to her from him for almost a week now. She contemplated throwing in the towel and calling, but she cannot surrender. Maybe he was busy? Maybe he was having a bad week?

Wouldn’t a bad week make him want to confide in someone like her? Did he prefer to be alone? She knew Sonia had gone back to Station Square, so if he was alone, why couldn’t he speak to her?

There really just was no sense in contemplating any of it – it is what it is, at the end of the day. If she wants a second shot, though, shouldn’t she be listening to what Knuckles told her, and take it?

Her own mind beating the hell out of itself continues to hold the victory position – no matter how many times she talks about it, it never seems to let her off the hook. She can register the very valid truth in everyone’s words, and never actually let it win over the pits of her own brain.

The knocking sounds again, and Amy realizes how much she’s slowed down her pace towards the door.

“Mommy!” Selene calls from the living room, “The door!”

“I know, honey!”

“Who is it?”

“It’s an old friend of Mommy’s.”

“Ooh! The guy from Selene?”

“Not that guy, but …”

Before Amy could answer her daughter, she opened the door, her eyes beaming with a wide smile at the lilac cat standing on her doorstep.

Leaning against the doorframe, sunglasses sitting on her head, a black turtleneck and black mom-jeans with Doc Marten boots – Blaze returned the grin tenfold.

“Are you Amy Rose?”

That joke again.

Amy throws her arms around Blaze, who squeezes back tight, with Amy rocking her back and forth. Her heart was set alight.

“I’m so happy you’re here!” Amy squealed into her ear, “Ugh – I could not wait for you to come.”

“I know,” Blaze smirked, “I’m just glad I got to make time to come by while I was in town.”

Blaze was in town to do a guest feature on a massive star’s album, providing keys and vocals as a billed feature. For up-and-coming popstar Mina Mongoose, that was a big, big deal.

And Mina had always been a massive fan of The Seven, so Amy had heard. Amy’s life had been too hectic to respond to her team asking to meet with her about a potential collaboration with the up-and-coming pop star – but she got to Blaze, so that was something.

“Your house is beautiful,” Blaze commented, “Way different than Silver and I’s.”

Amy had let Blaze in, her dress dragging behind her. “Oh yeah? How so?”

Blaze whistled lowly, “Our house is all whites, greys, blacks – but this is all Mediterranean – so many pinks, and browns, and beiges – sometimes I wonder if Silver and I went too bland.”

“Sometimes I wonder if this is too bland,” Amy sighed.

“Hell no,” Blaze shook her head, “This is gorgeous. It suits you.”

Amy threw her arm around Blaze’s shoulder, leading her out of the foyer and into the grand living room. “Well – good thing my interior designer knew what the fuck she was doing.”

“Who did yours?” Blaze asked.

“Lumina Flowlight,” Amy snickered.

Blaze giggled, “See – if I had thought to give her a call, I –“

Blaze stopped when entering the living room, seeing the tiny multicolored eyes peeking over the couch. The little girl’s small fingers were laced and gripping the edge of the headrest on the sofa, her eyes scanning the cat up and down.

“Selene, come say hello to our guest!” Amy smiled, giving Blaze a nudge.

Selene’s eyes darted to her fingers, tapping on the couch.

Amy was puzzled – Selene was always an abnormally curious child. She would commonly listen in on every conversation happening around her, was way too comfortable talking to strangers for Amy’s liking, wanted to explore every crevice of every park they went too, and read and listened to whatever her tiny mind could comprehend.

Seeing her nervous ­­– this was not normal.

“Selene, honey – what is it? Come say hello, please.”

“Hi …” Selene croaked, and Blaze frowned with a giggle.

“Hey, sweetie – I’m Blaze. Your mommy and I go way back.”

“I’ve never seen her so nervous,” Amy whispered, taking Blaze’s hand towards the couch, causing Selene to cower ever so slightly. “Selene – what’s wrong? You’re never this quiet when you meet one of Mommy’s friends.”

“Yeah, what gives, kid?” Blaze said with a smile, sitting on the arm rest with her arms crossed, “I don’t bite.”

“You don’t?”

“Of course not. Well – I don’t bite cute kids like you,” Blaze snickered.

“You’re … so cool …” Selene whispered, her eyes finally widening and getting a good look at Blaze. She scooted across the couch, her eyes landing on Blaze’s Doc Marten boots, marveling at the sight of them. “What kind of shoes are those?”

Blaze’s eyes scanned down to her shoes, “These are my Docs. Your momma doesn’t have any lying around, does she?”

“Uh-uh,” Selene shook her head, “I want a pair just like that.”

Amy smiled, taking a seat on the couch, allowing Blaze to plop down in the middle. “Well, honey – you do got a birthday coming up. Do they make Docs for kids?” Amy asked with a whisper to Blaze.

“Oh, yeah,” Blaze said with a grin, “Already bought some baby boots for the little one. She’s gonna rock just like me, and not at all like her boring old Daddy.”

“So,” Selene interrupted, scooting closer to Blaze, “You are Mommy’s old friend?”

“Uh-huh,” Blaze said with a wink, “One of the many.”

“Were you from Selene?” She asked, looking between her mother and the strange, yet so cool cat that was giving Selene the jitters.

Truthfully, Selene was enamored with Blaze. The swagger, the darkness, the elegance. It was all so much for Selene’s brain that it sent the kid into overdrive.

How can she be more like Blaze?

“I was,” Blaze nodded, “Your Mommy and I played in a band together with five other people.”

“Like the guy from Selene?” Selene asked.

Blaze turned to Amy. “She mean Sonic?”

Amy sighed, “Yup. Yes, sweetie – like the guy from Selene. As well as your Uncle Shadow and Uncle Knuckles.”

“You know Uncle Shadow and Uncle Knuckles?” Selene asked.

“I do – it’s been a long time since I’ve seen ‘em, though.”

“How long has it been since you’ve seen Mommy?”

Blaze crossed her arms, giving Amy a squinted look. Amy bit her lip.

Before their reunion at Stardust, it had easily been about five years since she had seen Blaze. They never thought to trade numbers – sometimes they’d see each other at celebrity events like award shows and fashion galas, and pictures of them speaking would make national headlines as The Seven reunion rumors would consistently pop out anytime any of them were seen interacting.

The same had happened with Amy and Rouge when they spoke at the ’92 Grammy’s, and considering Shadow and Silver were there also, it was enough to spark a full-on tabloid hysteria about the band reforming. It had just been assumed by the public that once the band fell apart, they fell apart. Meaning that no one spoke to each other, their relationships were irreparably tainted, and each member of The Seven’s only knowledge of each other was restricted to past photos and paparazzi grabs.

Those rumors weren’t exactly true – they had identified that “some members stayed in touch”, and others “hadn’t.” It was all tabloid mumbo-jumbo – and the actual, non-sensational truth lie somewhere in the middle.

Time, distance, reliving the past – those were all factors that kept the band members at arms lengths instead of actively participating in each other’s worlds.

However, now that Sonic was back in Amy’s life, it seemed like everyone was strangely working themselves back into Amy’s orbit. It terrified her. It excited her. It left her irrevocably clueless.

“You know, it’s been a while,” Blaze said, “But we saw each other at your Auntie Tangle’s show, and we caught up. I’m in town for work, and she said I should stop by. She also told me she had a pretty cool kid that I just had to meet.”

“That’s me!”

Blaze ruffled her head with a snicker, “That is you!”

“Your friend is cool, Mommy.”

Amy giggled, her arm dangling over the back of the couch, with Blaze leaning back into it. It felt bittersweet to be this close to Blaze, after everything they had done for one another in the past, after how much time had gone by where fond memories were the most she had of Blaze, despite seeing her every so often. Too much had changed, yet with her and Blaze, things truly stayed the same.

Despite the time. Despite the difference. Even so, it seemed to Amy that things had grown with time, even if things stayed the same.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, Amy thought.

“She is,” Amy winked, “She was the coolest one in the entire band.”

“Even cooler than you?” Selene gasped, her eyes wide.

“Way cooler than me,” Amy winked.

“Well,” Blaze put her hand up, “I don’t know if I’d go that far – your Mommy was everyone’s favorite. People listened to us just to hear her sing. I hope you know that your Mommy is one powerful lady.”

“I know,” Selene whispered, “When she tells me to brush my teeth, I gotta. She’s super duper powerful.”

Blaze snorted, “Well, happy to hear you listen. My boys always pout when I tell them to brush their teeth.”

“Don’t be fooled,” Amy whispered, “She only listens when I bribe her with a treat before she does it.”

Blaze smirked, “I expect nothing less from the daughter of Amy Rose.”

“Ooh! Mommy!” Selene cried, hopping off the couch, “Can I get Blaze’s autograph?!”

Amy and Blaze looked at one another, the cat raising her eyebrows. “She’s had me, Uncle Shadow and Uncle Knuckles sign her copy of Selene – she’s always wanted to get autographs from everyone in the band.”

“Well,” Blaze clicked her teeth, “I’d be honored, if you can provide the pen.”

“Yes!” Selene said, hopping up from the couch, “I gotta look for it! Don’t move – I’ll be right back!”

“I’m not goin’ anywhe-“

Blaze was cut off by the quick pattering of the socked paws hitting the tile, darting from the living room towards the staircase, Blaze’s eyes wide and following the kid. She and Amy snickered, the cat throwing her head back.

“Man – it really is like speaking to a tiny Amy Rose.”

“That a good or bad thing?”

“That’s the best thing. I love it when your kids take stuff after you. It always throws you for a loop at first, and then you see how they take bits from you and put it into their own personality. It’s like watching them become a person. A little spore growing into a fully-fledged character.”

“Yeah,” Amy agreed, “Who knew?”

“We didn’t for a while there,” Blaze commented, “Or, at least, we didn’t think we’d be able too.”

“Well – here we are now.”

“Here we are – hey – look at you referencing our biggest hit and Sonic’s least favorite song.”

Amy chuckled at the memory – yeah, how he had hated what she had done to his song. So much so that anytime she wanted to prod at his ego, take a shot to his soul, turn his gut over in his body – all she had to do was so much as bring up the song, and he’d be rendered a floundering, furious mess.

Still, it was also the song that set him free in the end – the song that broke the chain on both of their ankles.

Nowadays, that song holds a very mixed feeling in Amy’s soul. It’s still damn good – but the memories are often too much to bear, every time she hears the cymbal roll and the light plucking of Shadow’s guitar into her ears – it’s like a sledgehammer is taken to her knees and her heart, and she can’t move. She can’t speak. She just lets it take a hit on her soul, before she can will herself to move on with it.

“The song that started it all,” Amy sighed.

“And ended it all,” Blaze shook her head. “Still the best fucking song of that year, though.”

“Everyone knew it except for him,” Amy chortled.

“And speaking of him,” Blaze slid through her lips, “How’s that going?”

Amy shrugged, a sigh escaping her teeth. “Well – we had lunch on Monday, and it … was really good. He had a good time, I had a good time, there really are no complaints. He opened up about a lot of stuff with Sonia and how the last few years have been for him, and I got to tell him about Selene, and really go in-depth on what my life has been like. It felt like the first time we actually got to catch up.”

“Sonic opening up, huh?” Blaze whistled, “Guess anything is possible.”

“Right,” Amy nodded, “And that’s the thing too – it seems like every time we do talk it gets … more comfortable. It starts to feel less like walking on glass and more like … walking through mud. It’s slow and it can be draining – but it’s easier. A lot less painful, even if some of the things we talk about are … hard.”

“He’s had a hard few years,” Blaze says, turning remorseful, “It was bad there for a minute. Silver and I had to deal with our own grief about everything that was happening, but with how worried Silver was about him and Sonia? I mean – he would barely sleep. Suddenly, we’d go from visiting the Los Angeles area once or twice a month, to every single week. We even contemplated renting out another house down there just to be around them.”

Amy nodded as she spoke, trying to rationalize just what those years were like. In short, she couldn’t, as she was so far away from that situation that she could only grieve the loss of Sally Acorn alone. She could talk to Knuckles and Shadow about it, share memories with Tails and Cosmo, speak with Tangle who really didn’t know her all that well but served as an almost listening device for Amy to talk through her own process of grief.

It was sobering to remember Sally Acorn, and not have to think about all the trials and tribulations that had caught her and Sally in the same storm, but think about the time she got her into the band, all the times that she was kind to her, and especially the time she saved her fucking life.

She quite simply didn’t really speak to Sally after that, but she always treasured that Sally Acorn, even from a distance, made sure Amy Rose was taken care of. That she was happy, and that she was healthy.

There really was nothing more to say about Sally Alicia Acorn – she was the rock they all built their house on.

“Right,” Amy finally replied, “Just … being able to let him talk through his feelings about Sonia leaving, how hard that was on him to do it but how necessary it was … It made me realize that I don’t really know him anymore. I mean – I can not fathom him ever being so painfully raw and real with anyone – it really made it feel like we were strangers now … but I think I realized that might be a good thing.”

“It is,” Blaze replied with a nod, “Look, I think if you guys can learn from the past and try to treat each other like you’ve never met … not seeing someone for twenty years and then suddenly meeting them again – it’s almost like meeting for the first time. You don’t even rationalize how much shit changes in twenty years – hell, shit can change drastically in five years. You learn from the past, and you move like you don’t know each other … suddenly the past seems less like a cancer, and more like a lesson.”

Amy nodded at Blaze’s explanation. These were not things she hadn’t told herself, and yet she still can’t escape the past. It still feels like a wound, and not a scar. If she can just close that damn wound, let it scab then scar, maybe she can actually treat him like someone she just met walking down the damn street one day.

“It’s just hard,” Amy grimaced, “To forget.”

“No one’s saying you have to forget,” Blaze tilted her head, “But you can’t always remember it, either. You sit around and you think about every single interaction you had with him – it starts to feel like a blister. It hinders whatever growth can come out of what you and Sonic can be now. Look – as your friend, as his friend, as someone who misses playing in a band with you both all the time – I’d love for you both to be in each other’s lives again. No one is saying it has to be anything more than friends – but reconnecting with someone so important, even if it was complicated, after so many years is a good thing.”

Amy leaned back, rubbing a free hand over her face. “Now I’m just waiting on him to call.”

“He hasn’t called you since your lunch?”

“Nope,” Amy sighed, “Not sure why. I’ve been … trying not to think about it, honestly.”

“I wouldn’t be too worried,” Blaze commented, “He mentioned to Silver he might be taking a drive down to Station Square to see Sonia. Guess he already started to miss her around the house.”

“That makes me feel better, but … I also get it. Just from what he was saying – how hard it was for him to be away from her.”

“Yeah,” Blaze nodded, “I don’t know if he went or not, but if he hasn’t called – he might just be spending time with her. Remember, when it’s silent, you focus on your life right now – he’ll be back around when he can be. He’s a different man now. He’s not going to string you into something, disappear, then reappear just to throw you for a loop. He’s still getting out of his funk, if you will.”

Amy nodded, “I know. I guess I just have to remind myself of that.”

“Keep at it,” Blaze winked, “Everything will be fine in the end, and if it’s not fine, then it’s not the end.”

Before Amy could respond, the pattering of paws rushed back into the room, the little girl out of breath – or acting like she was hyperventilating – always one for drama, she was.

In her hands, her vinyl of Selene, and a blue marker in her hand.

“I couldn’t find it – but then I found it!” Selene said, hoisting the record towards Blaze, who took it with careful hands.

“Wow – nice find, kid. This is a pristine copy!”

“Are you the girl who sings on A Hope Like You?”

“I sang that song with your momma, yeah. Just me, her, my piano, and some guitar.”

Amy can remember that song well – an entire torch song about losing a child she hadn’t even had, because she never thought she could have one. It seemed even striking the circumstances, having Blaze sing that song with her, someone who also never saw a family in her future – and now, well … here they are.

They were so many things they didn’t even know yet.

“Wow …”

“Pass me that marker so I can give you your autograph, honey.”

Selene handed her the marker, her eyes of wide amazement never leaving Blaze’s face. Blaze popped the cap off the marker, looping her signature right above Amy’s head on the cover of the album, making it out to “My Love, The Moonlight on My Arms,” – taken directly from the title track Selene.

“Here you go, honey! Make sure you sell that in twenty years – me and your Mommy’s John Hancocks will be worth thousands.”

Selene nodded hurriedly. “You got it, ma’am! I’m gonna put it somewhere it can never get hurt!”

Selene rushed out of the room again, with Amy shaking her head. “She loves that record. She’s not gonna stop until she gets everyone’s names on it. Lucky kid.”

“Very lucky,” Blaze smirked, “You know, I don’t know if you heard – but the documentary…”

“Yeah, Sonic told me all about it.”

“What do you think?”

Amy paused, picking at the edge of her thumb. Tapping her foot against the crimson carpet. “You know … I asked Sonic if we could say no to all the hoopla, and he had asked if I would want to say no. I don’t even know why I asked – it was just instinct, I think.”

“So, your instinct says to say … no?”

“I don’t know,” Amy sighed, “I don’t want to say no, but … am I ready for all of that? Knuckles and I get on great, and Shadow and I have been working together for years now – everything seems so fine, and when we had to pop open the past it was just us with Sonia, one at a time, without even needing to know what everyone else was saying. But … doing it again, in a room with everyone? Doesn’t that … freak you out?”

“Oh, for sure,” Blaze laughed, earning a laugh of relief from Amy that she wasn’t alone in feeling this way, “Oh yeah – look, I would certainly hate to drudge shit up. I mean, I’ll be honest – when Silver and I spoke about what we said in our own interviews … we got into it a little bit.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Blaze admitted, her strength evident in her gaze, “You know, we – we both felt very deeply about everything that happened, that for a minute we forgot we were together now, and we were finally good, and it felt like we moved backwards twenty years. We clearly still had some differing perspectives on everything that went down, and how it went down. We had to have it out. Eventually, we had to remember that we were good now in spite of the past, not because of it. We had to refuse to let it win over us.”

“Was it hard?”

“It was,” Blaze admitted, “But it was also relieving that we could still feel so strongly about everything. That regardless of that, we loved each other now, and the way we loved each other now was lightyears away from how we loved each other then. He didn’t understand me then, and I was unwilling to compromise on what I thought I wanted. Fate’s a funny thing – I don’t think I believe in it, and I don’t think I believe in soulmates – I think I believe in growth, and change, and time. How all of those things change you for the better, usually. It’s like I said – I had to let the past be exactly that. The past. The present, and our future now, is all that matters in the end. If we came to understand that, we could talk and argue about the past all we want, but it wouldn’t change how good we are now. I think it could do that for each and every one of us.”

Amy nodded at her explanation. It made sense. She knew it was only her anxiety and internal paranoia telling her it would be a mistake to do that.

“I think …” Amy started, “I think I would want to do it. I would just want to be able to celebrate the music we made together. And yeah, I’m sure we’d talk about the bad stuff … but why does the bad stuff always have to be the ‘thing’. We made an incredible fucking record. That’s what always meant the most to me. It was like all of our souls put onto tape.”

“Exactly,” Blaze nodded, “The bad stuff always gets the eyes. But … if the music sucked? We wouldn’t be here today. The music is what always mattered the most. I think all seven of us would agree on that.”

“I think so too,” Amy nodded, “I guess we’ll just have to see what happens, huh?”

“I guess so,” Blaze said, before her eyebrows wiggled, “Imagine they have us do a fucking reunion show.”

Amy took a deep breath, “Playing together again … what in the hell would that be like? I mean … would people care?”

Blaze nodded, “How many times do you interact with a fan, and they ask you about The Seven?”

“Like … nine times out of ten.”

“Exactly,” Blaze shrugged, “They might become fans of us from somewhere else – but The Seven was the band. They will never stop being interested in it. I think if we did a show, it would just have to be … fucking perfect.”

“Do you think it would be?” Amy asked.

“I do,” Blaze nodded, before turning to Amy, “Question is, would you want to do it again? I know I had asked you at the club, and you said you didn’t know. Do you still not know?”

Amy paused. She bit on her bottom lip.

“I think … I think I would, honestly. Would you?”

Then Blaze paused, yet the grin that slid onto her face said everything.

“In a goddamn heartbeat, Amy Rose. In a goddamn heartbeat.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

After Blaze had gone off for the night, and Amy had put the rowdy Selene to bed, who was still talking her ear off about how cool her friend was, and how in awe she was of the cat, Amy finally thudded onto the couch, enjoying the silence for once in a blue moon.

Usually, the silence was no kind of comforting – it always seemed to suffocate her, and push everything around her into some narrow tunnel, where she couldn’t seem to move, she couldn’t stop thinking, and she couldn’t even dare breath wrong or else something would crawl out of her brain and ravage her right there.

Tonight, however, the thoughts didn’t come. Truthfully, she had such a great night with Blaze, and such a great time talking that it calmed her. It fortified her mind against those dark creatures that could crawl out from the tile and pull her down to whatever hellish abyss they cometh from. The three of them had a great dinner, talked about music and life, and created some new inside jokes that would surely never get old.

Now, however, she was alone – and for the first time in a while, she did not mind it one bit.

She could get used to feeling like this, she thought.

She didn’t rationalize just how quiet it was until the phone rang, sending a pang of panic through her chest, jumping with a “Fuck!” her hand flying to her chest, feeling the quick, racing breaths course up from her lungs to her shoulders.

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. Why the fuck did that phone have to be so damn loud?

She cursed at the shock, until her mind asked: “Well, who else would be calling this late?”

The answer was obvious, so she spent no time going towards the kitchen, taking the phone from it’s holster in the kitchen.

She had gotten a lot better at actually choosing to answer, she thought. A far cry from the mental battles she would have about calling him when he first came back into her life.

“Hello?” She asked.

“Hey.”

It was him, alright.

“H – hey. How are you?”

“I’m good. You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m – I’m okay. Do I not sound okay?”

“No, you just – sound out of breath.”

Amy laughed, leaning against the kitchen island. “Honestly, the phone scared me. It was just so quiet in here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean too-“

“No! No, Jesus, Sonic, it – it’s not your fault. The phone’s just damn loud.”

She heard him chuckle, and his voice sounded tired. Amy’s heart fluttered for a moment at the sound of his gruff laugh.

She marveled for a minute at how different his voice sounded these days. She isn’t sure why she didn’t notice it before – it was deeper, it was gruffer, it was more mature.

She never thought about whether she liked it or not – truth is, she really didn’t have too. The way it felt silky and smooth across her fur answered that for her.

“Yeah, it is. How are you, though?”

“I’m good, today was – today was good. Blaze came by.”

“That’s right, I forgot she was in town for that collaboration with Mina for her new record. What happened, by the way? Mina couldn’t land you?”

Amy rolled her eyes. “I just … haven’t been good at keeping up with that as of recently. My team told me about it, said I’d get back to them, and promptly didn’t.”

“Sounds like the Amy Rose I knew.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well – you were always scattered. I liked that about you. You made it easier for me to get scattered too – to stop being so damn …”

“Stubborn?”

Sonic chuckled. “Sure, stubborn. Rigid. Whatever the word is, I think you get it.”

“Trust me, I do,” Amy nodded, “You know that was never my thing.”

“I do. I think I needed that. I’m happy Blaze came by. I’m really happy you guys are back in touch and speaking regularly. That was the whole reason I brought her, anyways – I remembered how close you guys were back then. It felt wrong that you two didn’t speak as much anymore.”

Amy’s heart warmed at the sentiment. Even despite the confusing thing going on here, between them – the fact Sonic thought to do that … it spoke so much without saying anything.

“It was … really thoughtful of you.” Amy smiled, before opting to change the topic. “How are you, though?”

“I’m good. Tired. I just got back from Station Square. I left Tuesday night. I was only gonna stay for a couple days, but then Sonia had planned all this stuff in the new district they finished building down there. She wanted me to see it and do all this stuff with her and Li, so I stayed longer.”

So, he did drive to Sonia. That eased Amy’s anxiety about his late contact some more.

“Did you have a good time? I know it was hard for you when she went back.”

“I did,” he started, “I did, it was – it was really fun. It honestly felt like one of the first times we were just happy. Nothing bad, just … all good times. It felt good to feel like that with her again. After everything.”

“I’m sure,” Amy said, “That’s amazing. I’m really happy for you. I’m happy you got to have a time with her like that.”

“Yeah, now I just have to get over missing her.”

“Well,” Amy started, “I think you know that’s not gonna happen.”

Sonic chuckled gruffly, “You’re right. Wishful thinking.”

“It’s good to miss her, though,” Amy said, sitting on the barstool, her chin in her fists with the phone resting on her shoulder, “I feel like it reminds you that after everything, you’re alive, you’re good, and you can still feel.”

“Right,” Sonic said, “Truth is, I sometimes I forget that I can feel. But … it’s been better recently. It feels like I’m actually reconnecting with myself again.”

“Yeah?” Amy asked, biting her lip. She knew where she was going with this, and her mind couldn’t stop her. “What made you start feeling better?”

“A lot of things …. You’re part of that, honestly.”

There it was.

“How so?” She asked.

There was a pause for a minute. “I’ve just … really enjoyed getting to know you again. It reminded me that twenty years really is a long fucking time. It just … feels good to know that I can call you.”

Amy smiled, “Honestly, I feel the same way.”

“I’m glad you do – it would be real embarrassing if I was the only one that thought that.”

“Oh, really?” Amy smirked, “I’d hate to make you feel embarrassed.”

“You used to do it back then. Especially with-“

“With Here We Are Now?”

Sonic sighed with a laugh, “Bingo.”

“You know, Blaze and I were talking about that today. That song. You still hate it?”

“You want me to be honest?”

“I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t want you to be honest.”

Sonic paused. “I … don’t hate it, no. I still don’t love it, just because I … I felt like my version really … represented everything I was going through at the time. Obviously, your version is better. You made it better, you did. I just still feel so … strongly about that first version. Is it selfish?”

“No,” Amy sighed, “I guess I was so caught up in hurting you, and us hurting each other, that it just became a game with me. I guess I never thought about how it made you feel. I’m – sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Sonic answered quickly, “Back then, it was about the song. Your version was better. I didn’t wanna admit it at first, but it was clearly obvious that your song was the better version. I like it more now that … that part of my life is over, but … I guess I still have a hard time loving it because it just … brings back so much.”

“I feel like it’s hard to listen to any of the songs, sometimes,” Amy started, “It can be hard to revisit all that shit. It was only when I had Selene that I could listen to it with her and just … think about the good things.”

“Yeah,” Sonic said, “That’s what I tried to do too. I guess time heals, right? That’s what they always say, at least.”

“Yeah, Selene just made it easier. Seeing her eyes light up when she was listening – seeing how she reacted to all the pieces of every song. It really helped me realize that despite everything … we really did make something amazing.”

“Right,” Sonic replied, “It was the same for Sonia. As she got older and listened to it with growing ears and a growing taste in music … seeing how she loved it just … you’re right. It made it all feel so much better. It let me focus on just how great we were. I didn’t even think to ponder on all the bad shit.”

“You know,” Amy started, “Blaze and I also talked about the documentary. You know what you said, about producing it. Press, and all of that.”

“Yeah? Would you want to do it?”

“I would,” Amy said firmly, “I would. I was scared at first thinking about it. I was scared about drudging through the past with everyone – but … Blaze made me realize that we’re good now in spite of the past, not because of it. It helped us be who we are today, and I think now that I realize that … it wouldn’t be so bad to reminisce with everyone, with different perspectives.”

“I agree,” Sonic replied, “It won’t be easy, but it can be a good thing, right? We just have to make it good, I think.”

Amy nodded, with the cord wrapped around her wrist. “It’ll still be fucking weird though.”

He laughed. “Oh, no doubt. But, hey, we can talk about that over dinner.”

Amy stopped, her eyebrow raised. She tilted her head, biting her lip.

“Dinner? What do you mean?”

“Ah, shit,” Sonic laughed, “That was the entire reason I had called.”

“What was?”

There was a pause, with Sonic taking a deep breath, audible enough that Amy could hear it, with her breath subconsciously matching his own, putting them in sync.

“I was calling because I wanted to ask you out to dinner.”

“Like a…?”

“Just – just dinner. You know we – we had a great time at lunch, or at least I had a great time.”

“No, I – I did too.”

“And, you know, I thought that we probably still had more to talk about. I don’t know I – I thought it would be nice.”

Amy stopped, her feet tapping in a frantic rhythm. She calmed her beating heart and took a deep breath.

“Dinner, huh?”

“Dinner.”

“Okay, where at?”

“Why don’t you let me decide that?”

“Seems you’re taking a lot of initiative with this.”

“Well, I am the one asking you, after all.”

“Well, then … by all means.”

“Can you do tomorrow night?”

“I …”

Amy looked around. There was really no excuse she could make to get out of it. It was a Saturday tomorrow, and Melody, Tails’ niece, would be able to babysit tomorrow since she had said her weekend was open.

There was no escaping it, and it wasn’t like she even wanted to escape it.

So, she said yes.

“Yes, I can do tomorrow night.”

“I’ll pick you up at 7:30. Sound like a plan, Amy Rose?”

Amy stopped, with her fists tight on the countertop. With one last sigh, and a smile she couldn’t help, she nodded.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 12: Glycerine

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Wow…”

Selene manages to mutter out, looking at her mother standing in the full-length mirror in her bedroom, the child hanging by the door. Amy’s face is bare without makeup, and her feet are not housed in any shoes – this is a clear indication that, as per usual, she will probably be late.

Still – Selene thinks she looks as beautiful as ever.

“Hey, little Dove,” Amy turns with the kindest grin, surprised at how Selene is already dressed in her favorite purple pajamas, adorned with clouds and stars. It usually takes Amy forever to get her into them – yet with the arrival of their babysitter, Melody Prower, the niece of the great Miles “Tails” Prower and Cosmo – Selene is ready for her nighttime antics.

“Has Melody arrived yet?” Amy asks, and Selene rushes to the bed, jumping on the edge with her feet kicking and dangling.

“Yeah, but she went outside to talk to her boyfriend,” Selene starts with a groan, “I think she misses him,” she drops into a conspiratorial whisper.

“You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on people’s conversations, Selene,” Amy says calmly, yet firmly, “You know that isn’t polite.”

“I wasn’t eesopping, Mommy,” Selene mutters, and Amy smirks at the mispronunciation, “She said it on the phone, and I was playing on the couch.”

“Sure, buddy,” Amy smirks.

“I promise!”

“I believe you, Dove,” Amy turns calmly, before pulling out a few necklaces. She holds them in front of Selene. “Which one?”

“That one!” Selene shouts, pointing at a long, multi-chained silver, diamond encrusted necklace. “Where are you going?”

“Out to dinner,” Amy responds, clipping the necklace around her neck.

“Why?”

“Because Sonic invited me.”

“Why?”

“Well, because we haven’t seen each other in a long time.”

“Why?”

“Did something break in there, ‘Lene?” Amy says with a laugh and a ruffle to her hair, “You’re starting to sound like a parrot.”

“Are you going on a date?” Selene asks in a curious whisper, and Amy is both puzzled on where Selene would have learned that word, and how she is unsure of just what to say to answer that question.

Which, of course, is because she doesn’t actually know the answer. She had almost asked him if it was one, and his response was to hastily fumble around his words – so, no one said that word. They had met up for lunch, and it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, and would dinner be any different than that? Does it need to be?

“Do you even know what a date is?” Amy asked.

“No,” Selene shakes her head.

“Then why are you asking if I’m going on a date?” Amy gave a puzzled look.

“That’s what you told Aunt Tangle,” Selene said, “On the phone … you said it wasn’t a date but used that funny voice.”

“What did I tell you about eavesdropping on people’s conversations, Selene?” Amy takes a more firm tone, crossing her arms over her chest – lamenting that the more time she spends racking her brain with the questions Selene was asking, she was only becoming more and more late. “Especially when they’re on the phone … and it’s way past your bedtime, that is.”

“But you’re not people,” Selene grins, “You’re Mommy.”

“Touche,” Amy rolls her eyes with a smirk.

“Can I have more apple juice?” She changes the subject.

Amy giggles, “Of course, ‘Lene. Just go ask Melody if you can have some.”

“Okay!” Selene exclaims, hopping off the bed and running from the master bedroom. “Bye bye!”

As Selene descended the stairs as quickly as she could, three knocks sounded on the door. Selene stopped, her hands out and her multicolored eyes sliding towards the mahogany door. Coming to a halt, she twiddles her thumbs, walking slowly and cautiously to the door.

She opens the door before the individual can start another round of knocks, his green eyes meeting, unexpectedly, multicolored eyes from a much tinier person than he was expecting.

“Oh,” Sonic says with a small gasp, his fist hovering where the door was a moment ago, putting it down slowly. “Well … hello, there,” he says awkwardly. He had not prepared himself for this outcome.

“Hi,” Selene answers shortly, her eyebrows furrowed and her hand scratching her head. She knows she is strictly forbidden from opening the door to strangers, her mother has made that abundantly clear. She attempts to find a way to do this quickly so as to not be caught, but she just can’t help her curiosity. “Can I help you?”

“I’m – “ he begins, suddenly forgetting what to say because he just can’t help but stare at the little girl standing in front of him. It’s the sight that sparks a different kind of light – one that you don’t want to stay away from, as it warms your heart. “I’m looking for-“

“Oh my gosh!” Selene exclaims, her hands flying to her mouth, and the breath escaping her lungs because she knows he’s not a stranger. She knows exactly who he is. “You’re the guy from Selene!”

“I – “

“The one staring at Mommy on the cover!”

“I – I am, yes,” Sonic says with an uncomfortable chuckle, paying close attention now to her eyes, seeing the mixing of colors – yet he is certainly able to find the sparks of emerald-green – the same shade her mother has. “You must be Selene.”

He would be lying if he said he didn’t picture her differently in his head. For someone who is the daughter of one of the most famous singers and stars on the planet, she’s been kept out of the limelight – the camera eye of the paparazzi, plunged into total privacy away from the tabloid mania. It’s quite an achievement of Amy’s to keep her far, far away from it, and Sonic can’t help but wonder if she’s a spitting image of her father.

Because as much as he can see Amy in her eyes, in her ears, and the way her hair shags, he can’t quite find anything else.

He’s far from the kind of guy to keep up in the tabloids, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t still look for things Amy Rose related – another secret he forced himself to keep, another thing he kept sewed shut in his throat. Even if it was the news of an album he could not bring himself to listen to outside of the comfort of the garage, or of a tour he would not ever be able to see. It was hard for him to not flip through a magazine in the store that had the pink diva on the cover.

It didn’t feel right to look through anything on her life that was printed in front of him, especially with how it ended, and especially with how he couldn’t actually know from her own words how she was. He kept his distance, whether to give her the privacy she deserved, or to quell his own unnecessary pleading for a crumb of information. It changed when he was on his morning run, seeing a magazine in a convenience store about how Amy Rose had welcomed a baby girl, when there was no information about any sort of relationship to anyone’s knowledge, including his.

“Selene Rose!” She exclaims, holding her hand out for a shake. “Nice to meet you!”

“Likewise,” Sonic says with a smile, shaking her hand that was practically swallowed in his hand.

“No flowers?”

“What do you mean?” Sonic frowns.

“My uncle says you should bring flowers when you go out to eat with a girl.”

Uncle? What uncle? Sonic was woefully unaware of any brother in Amy’s family – as far as she had always told him, it was just her and her parents, or – just her, and her parents existed around her.

A brother figure, then?

“So … where are the flowers?”

“I – “ Sonic stutters, “I guess I didn’t bring any.”

“I see…” Selene crosses her arms, tapping her foot with a pursed lip.

“Can I still take your mom out to dinner?” Sonic asks, putting on the sweetest possible voice he could, remembering when Sonia was as small as she was. Selene had certainly inherited the fierceness of her mother. She was making him nervous just like her mom did. “Even though I forgot the flowers?”

“Only if you buy her two desserts.”

“Why two?”

“So that she can bring one for me, duh!”

“Wouldn’t you be asleep?”

“I can have dessert for breakfast!”

“Hm … I think you got a deal. Should we shake on it?”

“Sure,” Selene says, putting her hand back in his with a flimsy shake.

“Now that that’s settled – do you know where your mom is?” Sonic asks, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Yes,” Selene says sweetly, “But she’s not ready yet,” she finishes, dropping into a whisper.

Sonic shrugs and whispers back, “I wouldn’t expect it any other way. It wouldn’t be Amy Rose if she was on time.”

“Are you married?” Selene blurts out, and it catches Sonic so off guard his mouth drops, and his eyes peel right back across his head. The more she stares, the more nervous he gets.

“I-“ Sonic begins, “It’s complicated.”

“Aren’t all marriages?” Selene shrugs.

Sonic gasps slightly, completely caught off track. “It’s … more complicated than that.”

“How?”

“You might be too young to understand…”

“Maybe,” Selene crosses her arms, “But you can’t date Mommy if you’re married. That’s not right.”

What has Amy been telling this kid? He thinks. This one definitely gives her mother a run for her money. Did she tell her where she was going? With who?

“You’re right, Selene. But … her and I aren’t together anymore.”

“Why are you wearing your ring then?” Selene’s eyes fall to the wedding band.

“It’s complicated.”

“Why is your life so complicated?”

Sonic chuckles, “That’s being an adult, I guess.”

“So I’ve been told,” Selene rolls her eyes with a huff, not having the fact that he has still provided no real answer as to why he was still wearing the ring. “But, guy from Selene – you didn’t bring flowers, and you’re still wearing the ring … so what do you want with Mommy?”

“Well,” Sonic started, swallowing and shoving his hands deeper into his pockets, “I want to take your mother out to dinner, if that’s okay.”

“Wait here,” Selene demands.

“Out here?” Sonic asks, feeling the cold night air dancing across his skin like knives.

“Yes.”

“Can’t come inside?”

“I can’t invite strangers in.”

“Am I really a stranger when I’ve known your mom for all these years?”

“You’re a stranger to me.”

“Are you always like this?”

“Like what?”

Like your mother, Sonic thinks to himself with a grin.

“Wait here, okay?” She asks, turning to make her way towards the grand stairs.

“I won’t move an inch.”

Before Selene can make her way to the stairs, however, they both freeze at the sound from the top of the stairs, and he sees her.

“Selene Rose!” Amy shouts, “What is the main rule of this house, young lady?”

Selene is currently frozen at the base of the stairs. “Don’t open the door for strangers.” She murmurs, unable to meet her mother’s gaze.

“And what did you do?” She replies, her hand on her hip, waiting for her daughter’s response.

“Well … he – he’s not a stranger since he’s looking at you on the album…” Selene mutters, knowing it’s not the time to use her sass.

“Come up,” Amy demands, “Now, Selene.”

“I’m sorry,” Selene mutters, following Amy up the stairs, avoiding her mother’s piercing gaze at all costs.

“Hi, Sonic,” Amy sighs, looking down at the hedgehog who had anxiously taken an inch of a step into the house. “Can you give me a minute so I can have a chat with this one?”

“Yes, of course,” Sonic said hurriedly, feeling uncomfortable, feeling that this was the opposite of the right move.

“I’ll be down in a second.”

“Take all the time you need.”

“I’m really sorry, Mommy,” the sad girl mutters as she follows Amy to the bedroom, with the pink hedgehog bending down to her level.

“How many times do I have tell you not to answer the door, Selene?”

“I won’t do it again, Mommy,” Selene whispers, “I’m sorry, Mommy. Please don’t be mad.” she mutters, on the verge of tears.

Amy sighs, feeling her heart crack at the kid’s hung head. “I’m not mad, Selene. I’m disappointed, sure, but I’m not mad at you. There are reasons we have rules in this house, and it’s to keep you safe, dear. You know you’re not supposed to answer the door for your safety – you should have come and gotten either me or Melody.”

“I’m sorry, Mommy.”

“Why do we not open the front door, Selene?”

Selene sighs. “Because … it could be a stranger who wants to hurt one of us.”

“Exactly,” Amy nodded, fixing the hairs falling in Selene’s face, “So, do you understand why? Do you know not to open the front door?”

“Yes … am I grounded, Mommy?”

“No, you’re not grounded,” Amy huffs, “But you will be if you break another rule, okay? Am I clear?”

“Yes, Mommy,” Selene responds, before determination crosses her eyes, “Can I go back downstairs?”

“For?”

“I need to ask the guy from Selene a question.”

Amy grins, shaking her head. “You’re not going anywhere being this secretive with me. Why don’t you tell me what the question is, and I’ll decide if you can go downstairs.”

“I need to ask him for his autograph.”

“And what do you need his autograph for?”

She watches Selene run to the corner and grab her vinyl copy of Selene, the prized possession that she holds so gently, deathly terrified of breaking it.

“So I can get another autograph on my record!”

I will let you have the record, Little Dove, on the condition that you don’t break it, you don’t scratch it, and you don’t let anything happen to it.

“Alright then,” Amy stands up, “You can ask him for his autograph, then you’re gonna find Melody and get ready for bed, got it?”

“Yes, Mommy!” Selene exclaims, leading her mother from the door. Descending the stairs, her eyes meet Sonic’s who was looking at a few straying framed photos across the walls.

“Hi, I’m so sorry to keep you waiting – this one can be a handful,” Amy says with a nervous laugh, immediately inspecting his outfit.

Nice jeans, a navy button down, polished sneakers. She thought it went well with her mom jeans, boots, and red blouse – nice, but casual.

“It’s all good, don’t worry,” Sonic grins, before being incredibly taken aback when his eyes fall on the object in Selene’s hands. “Oh, what do we have here?”

“It’s my copy of Selene that I was named after,” she says with a smile, “Would you sign it?”

Her voice is as sweet as can be, and Sonic feels his heart melt inside his chest, feeling like it could pool out of his skin and flay out on the floor.

“Of course I would,” he replies, gently allowing Selene to hand him the copy, where his eyes go to inspect it.

For a moment – he’s completely silent as he lets his eyes stare into his own. Into Amy’s, He sees Knuckles’ signature on the top left, covering the S in the title. He sees Shadow’s in the bottom left, right under Sonic’s arm sleeve. His eyes move to see Tails and Cosmo’s signatures right above Amy’s ear and sees Blaze’s right in the middle. Of course, though, his eyes are drawn to Amy’s name, right under her chin, with a heart right after the swipe of the cursive y. The more he stares at these names, the more he stares at Any’s, the more the memories come back to him – strengthening its grip on his mind.

“Here!” She exclaims, handing him a black marker.

“Why, thank you,” Sonic laughs, popping off the cap and looking for somewhere to mark his name. He signs his name right under The Seven, and gently gives it back. “Here you go.”

“What do we say?” Amy asks, giving Selene a nudge.

“Thank you so much!”

“You’re very welcome,” Sonic smiles, sharing a gentle look with Amy.

“Where are you going?” Selene asks, before Amy can make her way to Sonic’s side.

“To a restaurant,” Sonic replies.

“What time will Mommy be back?”

“I’m not too sure,” he murmurs, wondering if Amy could save him as he was, again, being interrogated by a four-year-old. “Eleven?”

“I’m supposed to be asleep by nine,” Selene says in a dramatic whisper, “How will I know she comes back?”

“Hm,” Sonic mumbles, “You have my word?”

Selene taps her chin, searching if that answer is good enough for her. “Hm … okay!”

“We should get going,” Amy sighs, “Selene, you be good and behave for Melody, okay?”

“I always behave!”

“No, not always,” Amy giggles, “It’s a school night and I don’t wanna hear that you didn’t listen to what Melody said, okay?”

“I’ll be good – promise!”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Amy says, bending down to press a kiss to Selene’s forehead. “I love you, Little Dove.”

“I love you too, Mommy.”

“Shall we?” Amy returns to Sonic, before Selene throws her hands up.

“Wait! Mommy doesn’t drink those gross adult drinks, okay?”

“Don’t worry,” Sonic winks, “I don’t either.”

“Good!” Selene exclaims, “Have fun at dinner!”

Finishing their goodbyes, with the shut of the front door, Sonic turns to Amy with a grin. “She’s – “

“Definitely something?” Amy asks with a smirk.

“Something like that, yeah. She seems like a great kid.”

“She is, she’s just a lot sometimes.”

“Well,” Sonic replies, opening the passenger door for her, “Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Amy laughs.

“That Selene is a sweet kid but has a lot more Amy Rose in her bloodstream than one might think.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Well,” Sonic starts, leaning an arm over the door, “Do you remember when I said you make everything better?”

Amy shrugs, “You know … I think I remember something like that.”

“I mean – for someone who didn’t want kids, you’re doing a pretty good job.”

“So … it is a good thing, hm?”

“Like I said,” Sonic replied, walking back from the door. “You make everything better.”

He gave her a nod, twirling the keys around his index finger, sauntering towards his door. “Now – shall we?”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Amy wasn’t really sure what to expect when she agreed to dinner, when she stepped in his car and let him drive her to a restaurant. But it certainly wasn’t this.

When agreeing to go out with him tonight, she kept whatever expectations she possibly had at bay. It’s not that she needs or wants anything out of whatever this is, but she can’t pretend those feelings start rearing their head ever-so-slightly whenever he’s in arm’s length. The twenty-year gap made her think all was well and she had moved on – and for all intents and purposes, she had. Still, she knows it would be easier to believe that there wasn’t a tiny part of her that still wanted something.

She’s done a good job ignoring parts of her past, whether for the better of all, or for the better of herself – but she knew she didn’t hold many regrets about that time of her life, and she also knew that the majority of her mind didn’t harbor much resentment either.

She was in love with him for years, and she remembers it all very well. From the utmost happiness they gave each other, to the worst pain they could inflict on each other, she felt every minute she was caught in the never-ending spiral, pondering on whether any of it was worth it. She remembers telling Tangle in that hotel ballroom that she wasn’t sure if she could do it with him anymore – and she meant all of it.

Now, however, she finds herself in a place she never expected to be, especially with him. It’s scary, and it is thrilling all in the same breath.

In a dim-lit restaurant, with sounds of piano gently echoing in the air, the view of Emerald Coast Beach right through the window.

It’s been so long since she had done anything even somewhat similar to this, and she couldn’t contain the gasp when she saw the surroundings that she had been brought too.

Is this really a date? She wonders. Neither used the word, neither were sure if they should or if they even could. Once he pulled up a chair for her, it was just all that fucking obvious to her that it really just might be.

She can pretend there’s nothing special about this dinner – that there is no ulterior motive – and despite how fucking nice this place is, she knows that there really may be no ulterior motive. With one more look around the place, she’s not so sure her mind is being entirely realistic with herself.

Who the hell brings a friend here? Especially a friend in which the complex, torched past of a love affair still hung in the balance over them?

The dynamic, the vibe – it’s weird. Not bad, not at all, but very weird.

When she looks left, at the beautiful view of Emerald Coast, and sees the sun hanging low – right in the perfect middle between dusk and day – the equinox of the two hemispheres of the sky – she manages to turn her gaze back to the man in front of her.

Her glass is empty, so she can’t use that to change her focus. She stares because that’s all she can do. She can just stare at him. Unsure if she even wants to, but there’s no choice. There’s nothing to distract her, nothing to stop her from forming all the conjectures she can.

There’s a lot she wants to tell him, and a lot she wants to hear. There are so many stories over the last twenty years – so much history she’d love to just spill out of her mouth to him. She is certain he has the same.

But she can’t bring herself to do it. Even when it’s just her and his dark green orbs, and even though there’s millions of things she wants to say out loud, she just can’t bring the words to form.

“What?” Amy lets out a nervous chuckle.

“You’re staring.”

“I’m – “

“It’s okay,” Sonic shrugs, “I really don’t mind.”

“I’m sorry,” She stutters, looking down at her folded hands.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Amy nods, and it’s not like her to be this quiet.

“This is too much, right?” Sonic nods, his mouth dry. “I – “ he pauses, now feeling like the whole world was staring at him, chastising him for his inability to read a room. “I probably shouldn’t have-“

“No,” she blurts, cutting him off. It’s only when she turns back to him that she finds her hand over his on the table. She’s not sure how it got there. One second ago it was folded in her other hand, comfortably in her lap. She pulls it away very slowly, not too appear to surprised. “I just – haven’t done this in a while.”

“Done what? Dinner at a restaurant?”

“Sonic – is this a date?” She gets right to the point, because truthfully, she can’t take her mind running on autopilot anymore, and opts to cut the bullshit and just ask. Because probably the answer isn’t all that bad, or because she just needs to be able to shut all those formulated conjectures of what it could be.

“Well … is that what you think it should be?” Sonic asks.

“I want to know what you think it is,” Amy responds shortly, “So don’t try and find a way out of this question.”

“Honestly? I don’t know,” Sonic laughs nervously, “I don’t really know much of anything these days. I want to say yes – maybe it’s a date – maybe I want to see if this is something you and I would be able to do. But part of me also wonders if it’s way too early to do something like this with you, after everything, after I’ve only been back in your life for, like, a month or so. Then, part of me also wonders if this is something we should do at all, and wonders if that would even be something you want. But we don’t have to do this,” He gestures at the ambience around them, “We can leave and pretend this didn’t happen, and go somewhere else if that’s what you would rather do.”

“You’d be okay leaving?” Amy asked.

“If that’s what you want.”

“I want to start doing what you want, Sonic – not what everyone else expects you to do.”

“Jesus,” Sonic sighs, shaking his head. “I can never win with you, can I? I gave you my honest answer, about what I felt like I wanted but what my reservations were – I don’t really know what else you want me to say. Is it so wrong of me to make sure your feelings are considered here?”

“I want you to stop being so scared to just tell me what you want, Sonic,” Amy retorts, “You say you might want it to be a date, then come up with reasons why it might not be, but still bring me to an absurdly nice restaurant, and then seconds later say we can pretend it never happened and go somewhere else. All that deference, because you can’t just be true about what you want – so what the fuck do you want, Sonic?”

“I just don’t want to drag you to something you aren’t up for.”

“I’m an adult, Sonic. You didn’t make me do anything,” Amy responds, “But I cannot lie and say that when you asked me to dinner, I had pictured you bringing me somewhere with a band playing – a concert of something for old times’ sake - instead of a nice candlelit dinner at a beachfront restaurant. So, yes, I do think I should ask what the fuck this is, Sonic.”

“I want to see if a date is something you and I could possibly do.”

“Was that so fucking hard, man?” Amy shrugs.

“I still don’t know what you want,” Sonic continues.

“I want you to mean what you say when you say this stuff.”

“I do mean it.”

“I know you do. Now I do at least.”

“Well, now it’s you who won’t say what you want tonight to be,” Sonic retorts, and Amy cannot possibly point out any logical flaws in that statement – because he is certainly correct.

“I – “

“Is it because you’re scared of this?”

“What?” She gasps.

“You’re scared of this being a date, right?”

“I’m not scared of this being a date,” She’s quick to retort, but the slight break in her voice and the fall of her resolve breaks any façade she could put on about how she’s feeling about this in this exact moment.

“Look – I’m not going to hurt you, Amy,” Sonic responds much more gently this time, and she can’t seem to keep any eye contact with him. “I know how much you hurt back then, Amy. How much I hurt you. I don’t think I can ever forget your face on that stage that night. I’m fucking surprised at how vivid it still is in my memory all these years later.” It’s painfully brutal and honest, and his own resolve can feel itself start to shake. “I don’t want to repeat that.”

“How can you be sure it wouldn’t be a repeat of that?”

“I wouldn’t have knocked on your door if I wasn’t sure,” Sonic replies, pausing for a brief second. “I wouldn’t have reached out to you if I really thought that I was still capable of hurting you like I had done back then. I was an idiot, and I – I had hurt everyone I cared about because I could never seem to get my shit together. But I did. I got my shit together. That guy … is a stranger to me now.”

“I want to believe that Sonic, I do,” Amy sighs, “I’ve changed a lot in twenty years – and ‘I want you to have changed too.”

“I have,” Sonic replies with a firm nod, and Amy can tell he means every word. “I can prove that to you, if you let me. After everything … look – I want us to be friends, and I want to see if there’s more there, I do. I just want you in my life Amy – to show you that I’ve changed. I tried hard not to feel how I felt about you but I – I just couldn’t. I couldn’t trick myself out of doing that – it just wasn’t possible. Not with you. It’s … it’s hard for me to be raw and real about everything I want because … well I guess I’m scared too. I’m scared that I can still feel how I felt about you, I’m scared that despite changing I could still fuck something like this up. But it’s not fair to anyone for me to not be honest, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tell me what you want, either. This isn’t twenty years ago anymore – we have to be able to be open about what we both want.”

“And …you want – what?” Amy asked with hesitance.

“To go after something that I think could be good.”

There’s silence for a moment, and it’s tense. Sonic’s stomach is in knots, because not only is he wondering if he may have fucked this all up again, and neither of them are choosing to share a single word now.

She asked him to be honest, and he was, and she’s not so sure what to do with that.

There are unknowns dancing on the horizon – the documentary had still yet to be released, Amy and Sonic are honest with each other, no one knows what to do with that, and she’s left with a spinning head and a clenched stomach.

They’re quiet and avoiding each other’s gaze when their waiter returns to refill their waters. He knows who she is, and anyone who knows Amy Rose knows who Sonic is – as even with twenty years of zero contact, with a band broken into shambles, that invisible string still keeps them tied – at least in the public consciousness. The server still knows not to speculate on the private lives of his customers, despite how fun it often is, and especially with how interesting it is considering just how famous his regular is.

“Ready to order?”

“I- “ Sonic hadn’t even looked at the menu, his stomach still in knots and his mind still clenching itself. He wonders if she really does want to leave, and he wonders how he would feel if she did.

“I’ll have my usual, Todd,” Amy replies.

And his head explodes, because she knows his name not because of his nametag, but because she does, and he knows her usual order – which means she not only has been here before but comes often enough to have a usual order. He picked where they would eat, and now it makes sense why she might have been so surprised when they walked inside.

Because she comes here often, and he can’t tell if it was a complete accident that he managed to take her to one of her favorite places.

Perhaps, maybe, even after twenty years – he still knows her so very well.

“Excuse me,” Amy states, folding the napkin on the table, “I need to run to the ladies room.”

She’s thankful when the restroom is empty, leaning over the sink and taking a series of deep breaths, her fingers tapping frantically on the sides of the sink. It all feels like too much – feels too real. They were honest – they got it out of their system, and instead of quelling all her fears – it just added more. Pity, she thinks, how her mind so often stabs itself in the gut.

She steps out eventually, returning to her table, watching from afar how he continues to fiddle with the golden wedding band on his finger. She sighs, placing her hand on his shoulder when she returns, taking her seat and watching his eyes follow her.

“You okay?” He asks softly.

“I’m fine,” Amy nods, reaching into her purse, “I have something for you.”

Sliding the white envelope across the table, she grazes his hand for a moment. “Here you go.”

He opens the envelope, his eyes widening and his heart skipping a beat when he pulls out two ticket stubs.

“I thought they were sold out.”

“They are.”

“Why two?”

Amy smiles, “I can’t give away just one ticket, Sonic. You can bring someone.”

“What if the one I want to take is busy this night?”

“Well,” Amy sighs, “There’s always the Westopolis show after this one.”

“She’s busy that night too.”

“That’s pretty unfortunate,” Amy smirks, knowing what he was doing and opting to play along to see what happens, “Considering those are VIP, special tickets with backstage access and everything.”

“Yeah – very unfortunate.”

“I still hope you go.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” He says, throwing a wink.

“You think she would join you for the after party?” Amy asks with a grin.

“Hm … after parties aren’t really my thing anymore.”

“Were they ever?”

“Fair point,” Sonic shrugs.

“Well, they’re late and get a little wild sometimes,” Amy grins, “But who knows? She might go if you ask nicely.”

Sonic smirks, “Yeah? Well … maybe I will.”

When the waiter comes back with their main courses, he allows himself to breathe a little easier for the first time that night. “Maybe I will…” he repeats in the lowest of whispers, and he wonders if they maybe needed a bump to push them in the right direction.

He receives that bump when his leg accidentally brushes hers, and they share an awkward smile.

He’s sure it was no accident – he’s sure their legs were right where they were supposed to be.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It was nearly midnight when they got back, almost 50 minutes after the time Sonic had promised Selene she would be back by.

He’ll have to make that broken promise up, he thinks.

Sonic walks Amy to the door, with Amy telling him about the setlist of the shows she was playing, and if someone had asked him what songs she had been talking about, he wouldn’t be able too, because he was just too fucking entranced by the conversation to truly listen to what she was saying.

Then, he speaks.

“You don’t do after parties anymore.”

Amy stops turning the key in the lock of the large mahogany doors, turning to him with a bit of a shocked expression. Twenty years later and he can still see right through her, which both terrified and exhilarated her.

“I-“ she starts.

“The show’s two weeks away too, so I would really like to do this again before you leave.”

“I can’t … next week, it – “ Amy blurts out, backing away from the closing distance between the two of them. “It’s Thanksgiving.”

“I’m sorry,” Sonic manages to get out, so lost in the moment he hadn’t even remembered the events to come next week. “I should probably go.”

Soon, he will spend the first Thanksgiving with his daughter where it’s just the two of them.

A few days after that, he will go to the cemetery with his daughter to lay flowers on her mother’s grave on the first anniversary of her death.

“Sonic…”

“I’ll call you, okay?” Sonic glances back on the way to his car, and she watches him leave. She stands on the porch until his headlights disappear, until it’s darkness.

She waits for two weeks for him to call.

He never does.

And she must go on stage to perform for thousands and thousands and thousands of people.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 13: High and Dry

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When will I see you again?

It comes apart the way it did then

No final kiss to wash our sins

No way to go back to what it was then

Amy sings, and the 22,000 people in the crowd are speechless. This is a song she rarely ever sings live. She’s spoken about it in interviews here and there – but still no one really knows why she doesn’t touch it.

I’ve got a heavy head, a misty eye

A burning heart and a memory

And if the conversation winds away

Just remember me this way

This song won a fucking Grammy the year it came out – it was one of her most acclaimed songs, and one of the first songs she had written upon her exit from rehab. It’s why it’s too hard for her to include it in the setlist. She just never can bring herself to utter the words.

Will you remember me this way?

Please remember me this way

You reached for my fickle hand

Resigned yourself to the plan

To burn down your world

Tonight, however, she sings it for a reason. She has a purpose with it.

Would you hang on tight?

In a flash of light

In the sea at night

Where you left my side

She knew he was there. She noticed him backstage through the first two songs of her show tonight. She was prancing around, her hair wild, her stage presence commanding, and just like twenty years ago – the sight of him knocks the wind out of her and her balance flails around.

He vanishes for two weeks, and he bothers to show up? How fucking dare he, she thinks. Now she gets to sing the song she wrote for him out of rehab, in front of twenty-thousand people, when her world was falling apart, and her soul was smashed to bits.

Will you remember me this way?

Please remember me this way

You reached for my fickle hand

Resigned yourself to the plan

To burn down your world

It hurts, she thinks. It hurts so horribly, but she knows that no matter how bad the pain is, nothing makes her feel more powerful than this.

Do you still love me the way you did?

I know I do

Would you still hold me if you had the chance?

I know I would

Just remember me this way

The way you loved me before

She’s smack in the center of the stage, letting the piano and guitar wash over her. She’s under the spotlight, gripping so desperately to the microphone as if she might just lose it completely. Every emotion she has ever had in that heart comes out in her voice.

She manages to turn, and stares fiercely at Sonic.

Gave you back to your world

At the cost of mine

I kept my distance so your heart could heal

With the price of mine

And still, I want that missing piece

For you to bring it back to me

And I stare into the mirror tonight

I wonder if loving you was right

Hopefully one day this song won’t hurt her this bad. Hopefully this song wouldn't break her heart into pieces like it did. Not tonight, however. Tonight, it’s brutal, and she is surprised that she can even survive singing these words.

Will you remember me this way?

Please remember me this way

Remember the way you loved me then

Still love me the way you did

When will I see you again?

Amy is out of breath when she finishes the song, and her ears are drowning out the sound of twenty thousand people roaring for her in delight. The fans, hearing this rare song, can only gather what she wrote it about – but even still, that doesn’t make it hurt any less, does it?

By the look on his face, she knew she managed to make her message heard.

In the few minutes that follow, she exclaims her thank you’s and her goodbyes to the loving crowd, she praises the band once more, and takes her bows with them.

And when she leaves the stage, Sonic has the gall to try and speak to her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call-“

“Not now, Sonic,” Amy spats, not giving him the satisfaction of meeting his eyes, opting to storm past him.

And of course, being the stubborn dick that he is, he fucking follows.

She waited for him to call. She waited and waited. He said he would, and he never did. All this time she gave him the benefit of the doubt, listened to what everyone was telling her and yet he still fucking lets her down like she always knew he would.

How could she be so dumb to let him try and weasel his way back into her world – the world she spent so many broken sweats and pooling blood to build?

“Amy, please,” he whispers, attempting to keep up with her.

“I said not now,” Amy is firm, and she’s cold – cutthroat.

“I owe you an apology,” he says, taking her by the wrist and spinning her around to face him. She can tell he looks frantic, and forlorn – and she doesn’t give a damn. "I'm sorry, Amy."

“Are you?” Amy spits, her voice breaking slightly. She wishes he hadn’t come at all. “Are you really, Sonic?” She doesn’t want an answer she thinks. Despite how it would be nice to know why he effectively turned back into a ghost after all the professions of “wanting to be back in her life”.

Maybe she’s being immature, she thinks, but she also knows that Sonic is no ordinary long-lost friend – she knows that Sonic and her story is one that is full of fire, and it is heartbreak. It is pain. He can’t just leave her high and dry anymore – she won’t have it. If he wants to be in her life again despite all of the horrible shit – he has to try.

And this is not him trying.

“Look, I – I left town a couple days after our dinner, and I had just gotten back a few days ago.”

“Oh, so – what? No phones where you went? What, did you time travel back to the fucking Stone Age?” Amy spits, with a piercing gaze.

He could have called her if he really wanted too. But he didn’t. He made her feel happy that he was back in her life, and he ripped it away as fast as he could.

He had not changed at all.

“Amy,” he mutters, and it sounds like a plea. Amy already had more than enough – she hadn’t even wanted to speak to him in the first place. He made his point. He made his bed, and she was fully intending on making him lie in it.

“Let go of me,” Amy requests as politely as she can. His hand does weaken it’s grip on her wrist, but of course, he still holds on.

“I just want to talk.”

“And I just want to go home,” Amy spits back.

“Look, five minutes. Ten minutes – that’s all I’m asking of you, Amy.”

“Sonic, you can’t possibly tell me you fucking changed and then fucking ignore me for two weeks!” Amy drops her voice into a slight whisper, attempting to keep their conversation away from anyone who could eavesdrop. “You don’t get to come back in my life and play with my head again. You already did that shit. I’m not letting you do it again.”

“Amy, please,” he begs, “I can explain. I promise.”

“See,” Amy smirks with a shitty gaze, shaking her head. “That’s the fucking thing about you, Sonic. You think explaining everything will just magically make it better. And, who knows, maybe you have a great explanation, but you know what? I know you’re used to everyone just rolling over and forgiving you for your fuck ups, but I’m not going to do that. It might help you feel better – but it won’t help me. It won’t undo all the fucking confusion, and anger, and desperation – why the fuck should I feel any of that for you after everything? You walked away, and fucking left, right when things were starting to kind of fall in place for us. I wanted to give you a chance for something – and here I am. You fucked it all up. New record time, buddy. I’d much rather go home to my daughter than listen to whatever bullshit you come up with.”

She’s furious with him, but in more realistic terms, she’s simply frustrated and she’s upset. She’s frustrated at this cat-and-mouse game. She’s frustrated at how easy he can just drop whatever this is like it means nothing to him. She’s the one who got her world turned upside down when he came back. She was doing fine without him. Even if she wished all the fucking time, she could speak to him again, she was managing perfectly fine not speaking to him.

And now, he comes back, and of course – it’s all fucked. She really should have fucking known.

“I’m not going to suck it up and pretend it didn’t happen. I’m not. You don’t get to make me feel like this anymore. I lived without you fine, and I can keep doing so.”

“Amy,” Sonic finally speaks, “I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m just … asking you to listen.”

“Why?” Amy asks, ignoring her voice breaking.

“Because,” Sonic starts, “You deserve to know why I didn’t call.”

Amy sighs and shakes her head.

Fucking. Typical.

“Well, it’s awfully nice of you to decide to care about me, but you don’t deserve shit from me, Sonic.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It was the day of her next show, playing up in Station Square. The conversation she had with Sonic left her reeling, and she wondered if she had been too harsh.

Then she realized it was totally fucking moronic of her to think she was being too harsh after he was the one to fuck it up.

She couldn’t give him a pass, hell no. Everyone was so used to giving him a pass, trying to help him get better, to help him stop making mistakes. It was only Amy and fucking Sally Acorn, God rest her soul, that ever seemed to actually hold him accountable for his various fuckups.

He was a good man – she knew that. She knew deep down that he really had changed. But what she also knew? He clearly hadn’t changed completely. Clearly – he was still a stubborn, brash, and clueless idiot who cared little about how his actions affected others.

It was her that was left in shambles for two weeks – not him.

So how could she possibly even think about letting him off the hook that easily.

Today she was sitting in one of the studios in Station Square, listening back to a few songs with Shadow. She had a show later today, but the label was getting on her ass about a Deluxe Edition of her new record. They had a bunch of songs they left on the cutting room floor, and were trying to pick songs to finish up, polish, and release on a Deluxe Edition.

Deluxe Editions weren’t extremely common in the ‘90s yet, but with the rise of CDs, her label thought Amy could be one of the stars to usher in the new era easily.

The problem was that she was horribly unfocused today, and Shadow knew it.

He stopped the song, leaned back in his chair, and turned to face her slightly.

“So – what’s up with you?”

Amy was leaning on the console, grumbling. “Nothing.”

“Strange how you think you can pull a lie over me so easily. You’ve said virtually nothing about the last three demos, and I’m just expected to think you’re not obscenely unfocused on this?”

“Who died and made you a fucking mind-reader?”

Shadow shrugged, lighting his cigarette, “I did.”

Amy grumbled again. “Just – shit with –“

“If you say Sonic I’m going to throw this chair.”

Amy shot him a punishing look, watching Shadow’s joking gaze turn more firm, more serious, and more stoic.

“Well, sorry to break the bad news – but yes – shit with Sonic.”

“What did Boy Wonder do now?”

Amy sighed, leaning back and throwing her face in her hand. “He’s taken me out to lunch and it was great, we’ve had great conversations on the phone – then he takes me to dinner, only not any average dinner – but a dinner at this obscenely fancy beachfront restaurant that I happen to love – which he did not know – and then after opening up and basically saying he thought it could maybe sort of be a date – and then he leaves and doesn’t fucking call me for two weeks after he said he would.”

Shadow sighed, taking a drag from his cigarette. He lets a ring of smoke float through the air.

“Rough. Anyways, the demos.”

Amy turned to him, her emerald eyes on fire. “Really? That’s all you have to fucking say?”

Shadow leans forward. “Look – what do you want me to say? I told you to be careful. I told you to watch out because you have your shit together and the mere presence of Sonic the Hedgehog could pose an issue to that. You went ahead anyways, and now you’re a mess.”

“I’m not a mess,” Amy grumbled, staring at the mixing console.

“Sure, maybe you aren’t a mess – but you are distracted. You have let him back in and let him turn your world upside down.”

“I shouldn’t even be talking to you of all people about this,” Amy shook her head, “You’re biased. You don’t even like him. You can’t possibly be impartial, nor understand my feelings on this.”

“I never said I didn’t like him, and you know that,” Shadow retorted, “Him and I have our issues, and our relationship is rough around the edges, and yes, we rarely speak these days. However – what I also know about him is that he tends to, whether he means it or not, light shit on fire because he doesn’t think his shit through. I did not want you to be caught up in that again, after how hard you have worked.”

Amy groaned again. “He tried to explain to me why he didn’t call – and I didn’t let him.”

“So, he tried to get you to forgive him?”

“Actually,” Amy sighed, “No. He just wanted me to listen.”

“And … did you? Listen?”

“I – I didn’t exactly give him a chance to explain.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t think he deserved a chance to explain,” Amy spat, “And besides – why are you blaming me for this? You think I asked to have my world thrown out of whack?”

Shadow sighed, “I’m sorry, I am not trying to blame you. I just – I just get concerned. Seeing this life that you’ve worked so hard for. I don’t want you to risk it. I know Sonic stirs up … a lot for you. All those times stir up a lot.”

Amy sighed, losing her edge and gaining a gentler gaze. “I know what you mean and thank you for your concern. I appreciate it. I know – what you’ve said is right. I do. I just … I guess I got carried away.”

“Or maybe you liked having him back in your world, hm?”

“Yeah, I did,” Amy sighed, “But that’s probably over. I’m not letting him fuck around with my head anymore.”

“Good,” Shadow nodded firmly, “But … who knows, right? Maybe Tails and Cosmo were right – maybe he has changed, and this is a big misunderstanding.”

“You switching to his team?”

Shadow sighed, putting his hands up. “I’m just saying – I can only really judge the Sonic I knew twenty years ago. In the rare instances we do talk, it’s possible that the twenty-years-ago Sonic isn’t all there anymore. I guess aspects of people don’t ever change – and he might always be a dumbass here and there – but who knows … maybe there’s more to the story of why he didn’t call. If I judged you based on twenty years ago, I would think you’re always teetering on the edge of no return. But you aren’t. You’ve changed too. So … I’m sure it’s more than possible he’s changed as well.”

“I think he has … but even if he has, I still refuse to let him fuck around with my head.”

“And I think that’s wise,” Shadow sighed, “But, you know, maybe – if you do see him again? Just … give him five minutes to explain. Maybe it really isn’t what you’re thinking.”

Amy sighed, crossing her arms. That’s when a knock was placed on the studio door.

Amy turned around, furrowing her brow. “You expecting someone?”

Shadow shrugged, getting out of his seat. “Actually – yes. I called in a favor because it seemed like we weren’t quite getting anywhere with these demos.”

“And this favor…?”

Before Shadow could open the door, he turned around.

“Well, you thought about a string section for Tell Me You’re Real, and who better to talk to about that than a famous songwriter, singer, and string expert?”

Amy furrowed her brow again, her mind puzzled, racking around in her head as to why he was being so fucking cryptic, and who could possibly be on the other side of that door.

Famous songwriter? Famous singer? String expert?

Songwriter. String expert.

String expert.

Amy’s mouth dropped.

“You did not.”

Shadow opted not to respond, just smiling as he opened the door.

And in walked in a white bat, with a large leopard-skin fur coat, sleek, black leather pants, two red velvet heels, and a white blouse. Two large sunglasses sat over her eyes, and an impeccably manicured hand took them off.

Amy wasted no time hopping off her chair, rushing over to the visitor.

“Rouge?!”

“Surprise,” Rouge winked, and with a laugh, allowed Amy to throw herself into the bat’s arms, the pair squeezing each other tight as could be, sucking the breath out of both women.

“It’s really you – Jesus fuck, girl – look at you! You look unreal.”

“I could say the same for you.”

When Amy let go, Rouge gave Shadow a hug – one which he returned happily.

“Thanks for thinking of me, Mr. Brooding. Happy I can provide some expertise.”

“Well,” Shadow started, “Who better to take a listen at some shit that might need some strings than you.”

In the years following the demise of The Seven, Rouge had gone on to do quite a lot. She shifted her focus to poppy rock music, unlocking a hidden talent – a damn powerful voice. She kept her hands on the violin however, and had gone on to score many movies musicals, television programs, and win an Oscar, a Tony, her own slew of Grammy’s, and even an Emmy. She had become an EGOT – the only member of The Seven to achieve that feat.

A popstar, a composer, a fashion icon – Rouge had only blossomed since The Seven ended in a ball of flames.

And Amy was proud every day, even if it was once in a blue moon they would speak or see each other.

“You said they were demos, though?” Rouge furrowed her brow, “I know your album came out. Are these some leftovers?”

“Label wants a Deluxe Edition,” Amy sighed, “Said it was all about the new era and CDs will trump all. It all sounds pretty fucking dumb to me.”

“Dumb as it may sound,” Shadow groaned, “It’s the future – and you want to capitalize on it so that you don’t lag behind. It’s not the ‘80s anymore.”

Rouge sighed, rubbing Amy’s back. “He’s right. I had to do the same exact shit. So, I suppose you can trust me when it comes to this stuff. I’m now a seasoned veteran of building a Deluxe Edition.”

“Well – then I need your fucking help now more than ever,” Amy sighed, feeling Rouge gripping the sides of her arms.

The bat pulled her into a hug.

“Trust me, babe – I gotchu.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

After they had finished their sessions, making great progress on building some demos, Amy and Rouge retired to a quiet coffee shop, far away from the public in the back where no one would bother them. The pair kept their sunglasses on, shielding away any public eyes – though they were certain someone in there probably recognized them both, and opted to just let them be.

A currency rarely cashed in.

Amy’s focus had returned upon the reunion with her long-time friend and former band mate, taking her mind off Sonic, and back onto what really mattered – her music.

However, now that they were alone and catching up – it seemed that thinking of Sonic was inevitable.

“When’s your next project coming out?” Amy asked, taking a sip from her latte.

Rouge finished a sip of hers, wiping her mouth gracefully with a handkerchief. “Well, I just finished scoring the new Blue Blur movie – that superhero movie everyone’s talking about. Now that that is out of the way, I’m supposed to go into the studio to record an album. That fucking movie took everything out of me. I was supposed to do a vocal and violin feature on Mina Mongoose’s new record, and I couldn’t because of that shit.”

“Blaze ended up doing it, I believe,” Amy nodded.

“She had told me,” Rouge smiled, “And she told me you guys got together recently. How was that? How long had it been since you’ve seen her?”

Amy sighed, “Honestly? More than five years, for sure. It just … didn’t feel like any time had passed.”

Rouge nodded, “I know it. Truthfully, I’ve been pretty shit at keeping up with everyone from those days. I think part of me just wanted to … let the past be the past. It seemed better that way.”

“Well,” Amy smiled, “We all have our ways of moving on.”

“Right, and that was my way. Still doesn’t mean I don’t keep tabs on you all. I like to know what all of you are doing.”

“I’ve kept tabs on you too, babe,” Amy winked, “You might have had the biggest career out of all of us.”

“What – bigger than yours? Please.”

Amy snorted, “Well – maybe no need to compete.”

“Exactly right,” Rouge said, before her brow furrowed, “Though, Blaze also told me the reason you guys reconnected was because you had invited Sonic out to a club. So … when did that happen?”

Amy’s stomach did a somersault – she knew it was coming, and no, she had not prepared her mind to talk about it.

“Almost two months ago now,” Amy sighed, “He just … showed up on my doorstep.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Amy nodded, “Sally had left him, and I guess left me, a message telling Sonic to reach out to me, and telling me that I better answer him when he does.”

“But … he showed up on your doorstep?” Rouge asked, choosing to ignore the pang in her heart on the mention of Sally’s name.

“That he did,” Amy groaned.

“You don’t seem so happy about that.”

“Well,” Amy shrugged, “I was. For the first months, I was.”

“And now you aren’t?”

“At first, we called here and there and had … pretty good conversations. Then he asked me out to lunch, and it was … good. I could tell he had changed a lot. He was so … open with me about his struggles in the previous years, how hard it was on him and Sonia, and he … was honest, to an extent, about what he wanted with me.”

“To an extent?” Rouge asked, sipping from her coffee.

“He was honest, but he just – I don’t think he fully knew what he wanted even then. What he told me was that he wanted me in his life, in whatever form that came. He wanted to show me how much he had grown and changed in the twenty years since I had spoken to him, and for a while there he was.”

“And then … he wasn’t?”

Amy sighed, “So, he asks me out to dinner. Now, I’m assuming it’ll be something like old times sake – a place with a band, a concert or something. Something fun and casual that we had both shared all those years ago. Instead – he takes me to this fancy, beachfront restaurant – one which I happen to love –“

“So, like, a date?”

“I asked if it was, and he … said yes, and no. He said he wanted to see if that was something we could do. I just wanted him to not be afraid to tell me what he wants – to tell me how he feels. And then, right when I think we’re really, really getting somewhere – he tells me he’d call, and for two weeks I wait, and wait, and wait for that call – and it never fucking comes. Even when I called him because I couldn’t handle the waiting anymore – I’d get nothing. Just a fucking voicemail box.”

“Jesus,” Rouge sighed, “For two weeks, after a nice fancy ass dinner, he goes radio silent?”

“Yep. Of course, nothing changes.”

Rouge tilts her head, and inspects Amy’s eyes, watching them dart down to her cup of coffee. Rouge purses her lips.

“Baby – I don’t think that means he hasn’t changed.”

“Hm?”

Rouge shifts in her seat, “You know – I don’t know if you or I really understand just what he went through. I mean, for better or for worse, Sally Acorn was … his entire world. He gave up his dream for her – and he, well, he gave up the possibility of you for her. Now, obviously, that wouldn’t make you feel any better about what happened, but … I wonder if there’s a reason beyond just … being scared of whatever you guys are.”

“He told me he had left town and just gotten back. But, what? No phones where he went? Seems like a lousy fucking excuse.”

“It totally is,” Rouge nodded, “But … we don’t know why he left town. I mean … this is the first holiday without her. Maybe he just … needed space?”

“If he does, why can’t he just tell me that? I mean – that’s my entire issue. I have no problem, and totally understand if he needs time – but it’s the radio silence I can’t fucking take. I just want him to be open with me like he had been. I want him to not be afraid to tell me how feels – to tell me what’s happening in his life. But, instead, he runs away like he always does.”

Rouge shakes her head, “Look, girl, you and I both know damn well what it’s like when someone just – runs away from their issues or drowns it out in something that ain’t good for them. I think you’re completely right to feel this way, but … I’d be dumb if I told you not to give him just a quick chance to explain himself. If it’s a shitty excuse and you’re not satisfied, you can drop him and get back to what you were doing. If it’s not … then maybe there’s still some room to move for you two.”

Amy sighs, “Everyone always tells me the right thing to do – but my mind just … won’t quit.”

“That’s how it is,” Rouge nods empathetically, “It’s easy for us onlookers to tell you what to do. We only watched your death spiral with him – we didn’t truly live it. I mean – we also had our own shit going on. It’s easy for us to say shit – but to do it? That takes more guts. None of us can ever blame you for being worried. For being scared. And – for being pissed when he fucks up because after all those years of fucking around and fucking up – now is definitely not the time for him to be acting like a jackass.”

“Right…”

“Which is why I think there might be more to it,” Rouge sighs, “Because I’d like to put my faith in him and think that after all those years – he has changed a lot. There’s no world where any of us are the exact same people we were twenty years ago. I refuse to believe that.”

“So … I should let him explain?”

“I don’t think you should or shouldn’t do anything,” Rouge shrugged, “You should do what’s right for you. For your feelings, for your life. Just because Sally leaves a message, and he comes back – you still don’t owe him anything. You owe yourself whatever you think would make you happy. That’s what matters.”

“I mean … you’re right. We have all changed since then.”

“Yeah,” Rouge starts, before her eyes fall, “Even Knuckles has changed. I have no doubt that he is a much more … stable man than he used to be.”

“He has,” Amy nods, taking her hand, “You’d be proud of the man he’s become. You did that for him, you know? You held his head up to the mirror and made him look long and hard at himself.”

“Didn’t make it any easier.”

“It never would.”

“How is he?” Rouge asked, her fingers tapping on the table, “I know you guys are still close.”

Amy shifts, “He’s … very good. He’s got a great house, he takes care of himself, he still works hard. He only has like … one or two beers on weekends. He set limits for himself, he set boundaries for himself, and he grew. He did what you always thought he was gonna do. He fucking flourished – after everything.”

“He was … a wreck in Central City. Obviously, we all were – but … I’ll never forget it. How he looked at me. How … destroyed he was. I mean – I was too. I was right there with him. I just had to make the choice that I thought was the right choice in that moment.”

“Do you still think it was? The right choice?”

Rouge shifts in her seat again, feeling heavy pressure on her skin. “I do, but I also wonder if I should have done more. I mean, I think that and then I’m like ‘I already did so fucking much for him, why should I even wonder about that?’ But – I also wonder if me leaving would have made him fall harder. It probably did for a little bit. But then I see how he picked himself up, how he got healthier, how he got his head on straight – and then I know it was still the right call.”

“He did,” Amy nodded, “I mean – he got sober. We reconnected because of rehab, you know? We both went around the same time. Losing you made him realize how much he had fucked himself over. I think you set him free so he could get on the right path.”

“I just,” Rouge sighed, “I rationalize it like – there’s only so much you can do. You can try to help them as much as you can, but then … it starts to take a toll on you, and you have to ask yourself – is this killing me? Is him killing himself killing me? If I walked away right here, right now – would it make him realize he needs help? It just … it still killed me.”

Amy shifted in her own seat. “I mean … would you be opposed to … speaking to him again?”

Rouge sighed, “I don’t know. It’s like I said – I let the past be the past. I try not to open that box of wounds. I did it enough for the documentary. I can’t even fathom doing it more – especially to his face.”

“I mean,” Amy started, “Obviously, right now, I’m leading by shit example. Because even though Sonic and I were doing great, now we are once again – a mess. But … it’s like you also said – you think Sonic had to have changed, and I’m telling you Knuckles has – so … I guess, what could it hurt, right?”

Amy can’t fathom how she’s able to say this to Rouge, considering just how fucked her mind was by Sonic right now – she had heard everyone say these exact words to her, and it was never able to fully click.

“It might not hurt – but would it be … right? We’ve obviously built a life for ourselves and – we’re happy. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize any of that for either of us.”

“Do you still …”

“Of course,” Rouge shrugged, “It’s like I said in the documentary – he’s the first man I ever loved. He is still that. I will always love him. That’s that shit you can’t really help. But … just because I will always love him, doesn’t mean I actively should. Things work out the way they’re supposed to sometimes … I think you and Sonic are being given some divine second chance. I love that – I just don’t think that’s for Knuckles and I, and I’ve become more than fine with that.”

“Even if it hurts?”

“Especially if it hurts.”

“Still…” Amy trailed off, “I think it could be a good thing. Even if it’s just acquaintances, friends who talk every three months or whenever their schedules permit – that could be a good thing, right?”

Rouge paused, staring at her hands wrapped around her coffee mug. She sighed, nodding.

“Yeah – it probably could.”

“Then … I guess who knows?”

Rouge snickered, shaking her head and offering her mug to Amy for a toast. “Who the fuck knows?”

Amy and Rouge clinked their mugs together, laughing with a sip. It felt so damn good to be reunited with Rouge.

To be able to talk to her like this again.

For a moment, no Sonic entered her mind – shit just felt good, and Amy needed as much of that as she could get.

“Enough about the sad shit, though,” Rouge smiled, “I know you have quite the daughter.”

Amy’s eyes filled with love. “I do.”

“Tell me about her.”

So she does.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 14: Scar Tissue

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It’s around four in the afternoon when he pulls into her driveway, replaying the events of the last time he saw Amy in his head like a bad movie. Problem was it felt way too real to be a shitty movie – and he knew he was to blame for that. Despite what he believed – what he knew – to be a worthy reason, there was still so much he was running away from.

He failed to get a speck of sleep last night, and he knew she would be returning home from her show in Station Square the night before – so he told himself he would drive his sorry ass to her house or die trying. It wasn’t just thinking about how badly he fucked that conversation up that kept him awake, it was the fatigue of trying to figure out how he could clean up the mess he made.

He’s very aware of the risk at his feet by even daring to walk towards that front door. He knows the possibility of her slamming the door in his face is there, and he doesn’t dare discard it. He doesn’t hope for the best outcome. He knows if the worst comes, and she rebukes him – he’ll deserve it.

And sometimes second chances aren’t all they’re laid out to be.

When he does knock on the door, he remembers the first time he drove to her house, when she opened the door, and a single smile reminded him of the past – but the best parts of it. She still was the person he couldn’t leave behind in his new journey, no matter how hard he tried.

“Oh – h – hi,” Sonic sputters when a maid of sorts opens the door. She seems to be an older, somewhat plump rabbit, somewhere in her mid-fifties. He can’t place who she is – though despite it being a Sunday, he assumes she’s some kind of employee for Amy.

“Good afternoon,” she replies, glancing at the bouquet of flowers in his hand, “What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for Amy. Amy Rose?” Sonic replies.

“Is she expecting you?” Sonic can tell she’s far from pleased to be speaking to him right now, and despite how polite she is, it sends shivers through his veins.

“Um, no – but-“

“You know how many crazy fans have tried this trick, dear? If she’s not expecting you, what makes you think I’ll let you in?”

Sonic thinks that this is karma paying him his dues.

“I’m not a crazy fan, I – “ Sonic tries to reassure her, but his tongue gets stuck. “Look, my name is Sonic, and we – “ what are they, anyways? He could say they’re longtime friends back in their lives, but he’s not sure how she would describe him. "Amy and I used to play in a band together in the ‘70s. She isn’t expecting me, no, but – if you could let her know I came by, that would be appreciated, ma’am-“

“I know who you are, sir,” the woman interrupts with a pointed grin. “I was a fan of your band back then. I watched you play on television and everything. I also happen to know you’re the reason she’s not the bright and cheery person I know her to be.”

“Which is why I need to talk to her,” Sonic sighed, “to try and fix this mess I made. Is there any chance I can speak to her?”

“She’s in the back,” the lady says, “You can come through the living room.”

“This way?” Sonic asks, gesturing to the right hallway from the entrance, which he had not gone down since the day he showed up on her doorstep, and the day he took her out to dinner – never daring to leave this entryway, but seeing the kitchen only briefly.

“Yes,” she nods, before raising an eyebrow, “You’ve never been this way, have you? You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today, or I would have sent you back on your way.”

“I – I know, thank you so much, ma’am.”

“Yeah, well, don’t give me that smile,” she rolls her eyes, “It’s not going to help you out. She’s in the back, through that glass door.”

The entire house that he has not seen is a far cry from the woman he once knew. Sure, he could have expected her house to be like her buses or hotel rooms – pills scattered, vials of coke, empty bottles of Jack, torn up newspaper clutter, packs of cigarettes, toppled furniture – but he also knows that Amy herself is a far cry from the woman she once was.

She had made a new life for herself. One that was happy, healthy, bountiful and plenty.

“Just tell her Ella let you in,” the woman says, gesturing for the glass door.

Ella. He thinks to himself with a nod, before stopping briefly at pictures on the wall.

Amy is in one, an ethereal image in white, with a tiny Selene in her grip, standing on the water’s edge of a beach, the sun hanging low behind them. They’re in a contagious laughter, one that was certainly not planned by whomever was taking this picture of them. Her hair is curled at the ends, flowing down past her breasts down to her stomach – not frizzy and wild, but curled in beautifully firm spirals.

His eyes wander to some other pictures laid by them – one of her, Knuckles, and Shadow at Sound Kingdom, one of her, Tangle and Selene in Times Square, Westopolis. His eyes wander to a black-and-white image of Amy at a grand piano, cradling her baby girl in one arm, while the other hand is dancing across the keys.

Then, his eyes find an image of The Seven – one of the shots from Isa Starline for the Selene photoshoot in the canyons. It’s one that didn’t go on any promotional material – Blaze is perched in the middle of the iron-gated bench, with Shadow and Silver at her sides. Sonic is leaning against the left of the bench, with Rouge standing behind them, her arms draping around Sonic’s shoulder with one hand placed on Shadow’s shoulder. Knuckles is next to her, pointing two drumsticks into the sky.

Amy is sat elegantly on the throne – a royal picture in white.

Sonic sighs, shaking his head. He feels now that he has no mouth but seeing the past so full of display in Amy’s house, makes him desire to scream. Even without speaking to her for years - Amy had him on her walls.

She had them all on her walls.

He takes pride in the fact that she can still have a shrine to the past, but surrounding it is the undeniable feat she performed of building this life for herself. It’s almost as if she hangs the past on her wall to remind her where she came from, and how she got here. Sonic feels that he has a lot to still learn from something like that.

Making as little noise as possible, he steps onto the back porch, his eyes landing on the figures of two women, and his heart flutters. Amy is sitting on a blue sheet, oblivious to his presence. It’s that way until her daughter catches sight of him from rolling around in the lawn.

“Mommy, look!” Selene shouts, pointing a chubby finger towards the door. “It’s the guy from Selene!”

“What?” Amy asks, turning around and her green eyes meet his. The man who drives her mad in all sorts of ways – and not all great. She’s half surprised, and half irritated that he’s here.

“And he brought flowers this time!”

Sonic begins making his way to them, Selene blowing his cover enough that he has no choice but to suck it up and start walking towards them.

“What are you doing here?” Amy asks, choosing to stay seated.

“I, uh – Ella .. let me in,” Sonic replies, noticing a large treehouse, and an open notebook on Amy’s thigh of what he can only assume are scattered song lyrics.

“Hi, guy from Selene!” He glances down and grins at the little girl, her hair braided and parted from the middle, with cheery eyes and outstretched arms.

“Hello, Selene,” Sonic smiles, “How are you?”

“Good,” Selene replies, “You brought her flowers this time.”

“I did,” he nods, “And I brought you these … if it’s okay with your mom, of course,” handing her a small box.

“Can I, Mommy? Can I?” Selene asks, and Amy sees they are a tiny box of what she assumes are assorted chocolates.

“As long as there aren’t any peanuts?” Amy asks.

“They’re milk chocolate. I figured it was the safest bet.”

“This one is not picky at all with her chocolate,” Amy laughs, shaking her head, “But she is very allergic to peanuts. It’s good, Little Dove. You can take it. What do you say?”

“Yes! Thanks guy from Selene!”

“You’re very welcome, and you can call me Sonic.”

“Your name is Sonic?”

Sonic nods, and Selene shrugs. “Well … okay, Sonic!”

“What are you doing here?” Amy asks, watching Selene with one eye opening the box of chocolates, clearly preoccupied with it.

“I wanted to talk,” Sonic said firmly.

“And if I don’t want to talk?”

“I’m sorry, Amy. I’m sorry I didn’t call, and I’m sorry I disappeared,” he knows it’s not close to what she deserves to hear, but he starts with small steps, “I just … please listen to what I have to say, okay? I can – I can explain. It’s not going to excuse what I did – but you deserve to know.”

“Selene, sweetheart?” Amy calls out to her daughter, “Why don’t you go play in your treehouse or inside for a little bit?”

“Can I take my chocolate with me?”

Amy snickers, “Yes, you can take your chocolate with you. Just call down to us if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay!” Selene replies, before darting towards the treehouse.

“That’s a pretty sick treehouse,” Sonic comments.

“Yeah – Knuckles built it for her over the summer. He had too much free time on his hands, no gigs or anything, so he wanted a project to keep him occupied. I was against it at first – very against it – but Selene loved it, and Shadow’s kids loved it. So – it’s a win win I guess.”

“Sounds fun.”

“Yeah…” Amy mutters.

“You can – you have every right to throw these at me, but … these are for you,” Sonic sighs, handing her a bouquet of white lilies.

“Thank you, Sonic. They’re very pretty,” she replies, taking the flowers from him and holding the stems firmly. “I’m not going to throw them at you, but if you came to talk, talk.”

“I know nothing I say will change the fact that I fucked up here.”

“Correct.”

“But you deserve to know why I acted that way.”

How considerate – she thinks. Considerate enough to act on what he thought she deserved. Truthfully, she wishes he hadn’t come this unexpected – how he could just play with her feelings like she was nothing. Just some toy for him to be occupied with while he heals.

“I’m listening.”

“That night,” Sonic’s voice is low, and he sits on the grass, not daring to share the space with Amy on the blanket – opting to keep his distance. He watches how firmly and tight she grips the lilies, with Amy wishing they were roses for once so she could prick her fingers numb. “I shouldn’t have left like I did. But … when you mentioned Thanksgiving, I – I sort of … panicked.”

“Sort of?” Amy grumbles, crossing her arms. Clearly, he’s still too self-centered like he was twenty years ago – she’s only giving him the benefit of the doubt for her own peace at this point. “I thought we were both having a good time that night. Don’t tell me you sort of panicked. You left without much of a goodbye, and then I got nothing from you. So, don’t give me some bullshit speech, because if that’s what you’re here for, you can just see yourself out.”

“Amy, I – “ Sonic sighs, his eyes downcast and falling to the grass. “This was … this was the first Thanksgiving without her.”

Amy sighs, and she should wonder how she didn’t anticipate that being the reason. Yes, it makes perfect sense – but it does not make it okay to do what he did. That’s how she has to rationalize it at this point.

“And I – I panicked when thinking about everything that happened, and everything Sonia and I were about to endure in the coming week,” Sonic sighs again, “It wouldn’t be fair to you to try and … keep working on whatever this is when my thoughts were somewhere else entirely.”

“But it was fair to not call for two weeks? To disappear?”

She wants to be rational about this – but when it comes to Sonic, she has succumbed to the fact that rationality was never in the question. It wasn’t in the question when she fell in love with a married man years ago, and it wasn’t in the question when the rollercoaster ride of them just being in the same room began.

There’s a suffocating tightness in her chest, an excruciating torture in her brain she knows all too well at this point.

“No, it wasn’t fair,” Sonic replies, watching Amy run an agitated hand through her hair, trying to break the silence.

She can feel the tears in her eyes, and she hates that she can be so fucking vulnerable when she should just throw him out of her goddamn house.

“You can’t just come to me when things are good, and then run away when they get hard, Sonic,” Amy spat, and she hates that she can reminisce on how good he made her feel, and how he chose to walk away. She could tell him how much she loved him anyday, and he would simply never choose her.

And she understood it – she understood that without Sally, he was nothing. She understood this – but it never made it stop hurting.

And now, this? This isn’t just hurt – this is fucking torture.

“I’m not just coming to you when things-“

“Stop!” Amy exclaims, before watching her volume and looking at the treehouse, hoping Selene didn’t just hear her outburst. Every breath is now a struggle, and her blood runs hot. “Are you ever going to stop fucking lying? Or believing the lies you tell me?”

“I’m not lying to you, Amy!” Sonic raises his voice now, biting his lip.

“How am I supposed to possibly fucking know that, Sonic?” Amy growled. “Ever since I met you – you never told the truth. Especially when the truth makes you look bad, or you’re just too scared to be fucking real. I am so sorry Sally is gone, Sonic. I wanted so desperately to just share your pain with you, because I loved her too. But I can’t just be – you can’t just come to me now that she’s gone and run away when you remember that she’s gone, Sonic. Friends don’t do that to friends.”

“I’m sorry, I – I didn’t mean to make you feel that way,” Sonic sighs, his tongue lodged between his teeth.

He, and she, both know that he wouldn’t have reached out while she was still alive. He also knows it was Sally’s explicit word that even made them be in the same room again after all those years possible again.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I understand why you feel that way,” Sonic looks at her now. “I do, but – but just … let me show you.”

She sees how his hands start to shake slightly, how there is a raw vulnerability in his eyes that she can never quite remember seeing in him before today. How his plead has both the sincerity and urgency of someone who thinks if he doesn’t get to show her, he’ll lose his grip on their lifeboat. “I can prove it to you that – that you are not someone who’s just there to make me feel better, or – or fill some void. I can prove it to you that I want to be in your life because I want too – if you would let me prove it to you, I can.”

“I’m not – “ Amy sighs, shaking her head, “I’m not sure I can do that, Sonic.” She’s guarding herself, the wounds still hot and fresh despite all the work she’s tried to do to close them. She tears herself between wanting to believe him and remembering every single fucking thing that happened in the past. “I lost too much that night, Sonic. I’m not – I can’t risk that again. It’s hard to trust after that.”

“I lost a lot too that night, remember?” Sonic counters, his eyes searing with pain, “I lost the band, yeah, but I lost you. In doing what was right for me, I had to say goodbye to you, and especially say goodbye to the possibility of you. Even when I was running to what was right for me, I still lost – and that shit still tears me up inside. I understand if this is too much for you, Amy, but if – if you want to let me prove it to you – history is not going to repeat itself.”

There’s silence now, so much echoing around whatever chamber they had just built between themselves. It’s this poignant absence of any sound that cuts the deepest, that strikes the hottest. This blow of such a loud silence, she thinks, is almost merciful to how much power he still holds over her in her mind. However, looking at him, she can see that he really is powerless – powerless to everything he’s feeling, thinking, and grieving. What she can tell is that for as much power as he has over her, she holds the same in his head. There’s no balance here – there’s too much fear, too much regret, and way too much pain.

“Mommy!” Selene’s voice snaps them from their daze, “Is dinner ready?”

“I’m not sure, honey,” Amy calls to Selene at the treehouse, “You can head inside and check with Ella.”

“Can you?”

“I’m in the middle of a conversation, Selene,” Amy says firmly. “She’s making that pasta you like, so you can go see if it’s ready, okay?”

“Okay,” Selene nods, climbing down from her treehouse and onto the soft, green grass. “Are you gonna have dinner with us?”

She throws the question at Sonic, who tenses for a moment with a hung jaw.

“I don’t think so, Selene,” he tries to sound as gentle as possible, not to disappoint her.

“Why not?” And of course, with one question, she breaks his heart. The power the Rose name has over him, he thinks.

“I have some places I have to be,” Sonic smiles gently, hoping she can’t see through the lie.

“Oh,” Selene mutters with a shrug, “Maybe next time, then.”

“I guess I should probably go, hm?” Sonic asks, getting ready to stand up from the grass.

“What if you didn’t?” Amy says, regretting the words immediately but resigning herself to them.

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that I’m giving you this chance to explain everything to me, Sonic,” Amy says firmly, thinking that this is before she decides if she’s shutting her heart off from him forever or not.

“Do you want to go inside?” Sonic asks, concerned.

“I’m fine out here.”

“You’re shivering, Amy.”

“So?”

“Then just – let me give you my jacket.”

“I don’t need your jacket.”

“Amy,” Sonic says firmly, his gaze serious.

“I told you I am fine.”

“Then let’s go inside then,” Sonic spits back, “Either you put it on, or we go inside. You can pick, but I’m not letting you freeze out here – so stop being so damn stubborn.”

“Fine,” Amy sighs, and a smile crawls on Sonic’s lips when she rolls her eyes, standing up.

“Oh, so you are going inside?” Sonic cocks his head.

“Well, I can’t have you freezing either, now can I?”

Sonic follows Amy inside the house, the distant voices of Selene and Ella from the dining room muffled behind the walls. Amy leads him towards the couch, and Sonic looks around as if he is an animal resigning itself to its new home in a zoo.

“Are you sure you want me to stay? You have dinner with Selene – I can absolutely go if you want me too.”

“No,” Amy says firmly, sitting on the couch and gesturing for him to do the same, which he does. “You came here to explain what happened, and I’d like you to. So … talk.”

“Okay,” Sonic sighs, sitting on the complete opposite end of the couch, his fists curled in his lap. “I’m not sure … how much you know, but – Sally passed away a few days after Thanksgiving. She could barely get out of bed, and she didn’t want anyone to see her like that. So, it was just the three of us, just – sharing memories, and laughs, just … spending as much time together as we could. But then … a week later … “

Sonic stops, swallowing. Amy knows what lies at the end of that sentence.

“Sonic, why didn’t you just tell me?” Amy sighs, her eyes welling with tears listening to the horrific tale. She wouldn’t have judged him. Not even a little.

“I don’t know,” Sonic admits completely powerlessly, his hands clutched tight against his lap.

“When did it happen? I know when I was told, but … when did it actually … happen?”

“The twenty-eighth,” Sonic replies in a whisper, his voice breaking. “It fell not long after Thanksgiving this year, so I drove up to Station Square for a few days to be with Sonia. Then, we drove back here, and her and I went to the cemetery together…”

“On the anniversary,” Amy concluded, rubbing her eyes. “Why couldn’t you tell me this? You think I wouldn’t understand if you needed time? That I wouldn’t give you all the space you needed?” Amy feels the tears stinging again, and she bats them away.

“I don’t know.”

“Did you just not trust me?”

“I do trust you, Amy.”

“But not enough to tell me how you were feeling?”

“I’m telling you now. I trust you.”

“What if it’s too late for you to tell me now?”

“Is it?” Sonic asks, shrugging. “I mean – is it too late?”

She hears his voice tremble, and she can assume he hears her own voice trembling as she spoke too.

First, there was so much power over both of them, and now there isn’t any.

“I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this earlier,” Sonic admitted, “I was … afraid. Being open about this … it’s not – it’s not something I’m used to. I trust you with what’s going on in my life … inside my head … but it’s hard. It’s hard to talk about this. And I don’t – I don’t wanna hurt you by talking about it.”

“Hurt me, then.”

“What?”

“Sonic – I wished you had told me what happened that night. Because, yeah – I felt neglected. Like I didn’t matter.”

“I know I – I hate that I made you feel that way,” he replies, his voice laced with regret, “I’m here because I want to make things right. Because I trust you, and because I care about whatever this is.”

“Sonic, me knowing twenty years ago how to see through you… we shared a lot of burns, we shared our deepest shit with each other, and put it all into those songs. But … that’s twenty years ago, Sonic. We’re both different people. We can’t make these mistakes now. We can not be afraid to be open with each other now. So … hurt me. Tell me what you’re feeling. If you want to talk about it, I want to hear about it.”

Sonic sighs. “I just – it’s hard to talk about, yeah, and I’m sure it’s hard for you to hear.”

“Sonic,” Amy says firmly again, “That doesn’t matter. If you want to be part of my life now, you can’t be afraid of speaking how you feel. I’m telling you I want to hear it, if you want to talk about it.”

Sonic sighed again. “She was … the love of my life, she was. I was honest – I would give it all up for one more second with her – I would. Losing her was … it felt like the night I walked away. That loss … it was the second time I felt a loss that powerful. It just … wrecked me. I don’t know. I hate saying that to you because, even though I felt that way about her … it doesn’t mean I didn’t feel that way about you. I don’t know how to explain it …”

“You loved us differently, but it’s still…”

“The loves of my life, yeah. Both of you were that for … completely different reasons, but it was still … true,” Sonic shook his head, “I know it makes zero fucking sense, but you want my truth, and well – that’s my truth.”

“Well, that’s a start. Wasn’t so hard, was it?” Amy says with a smile.

“I guess not,” Sonic says with a dry laugh, “But I want you to know that I’m here because I want to be. I want to be in your life. That’s the truth.”

Amy nods, and she stares at the grandfather clock perched on the wall. She watches the minute hand tick away, and she can already feel time slowing down.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?”

“I would love to.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Ella? Have room for one more?”

“Guy from Selene!” Selene shouts at the dinner table, her arms outstretched.

“Hey,” Sonic says with a smile.

“Did you change your mind about dinner?”

Your mom did, he thinks.

“Yeah, I was able to get out of my plans. I thought it would be more fun to hang out with you and your mom.”

“Well, I am very fun,” Selene says, taking his hand in hers. “Follow me!”

“Are you saying I’m not fun?” Amy asks with a raised eyebrow, and she can’t help but feel happy watching Selene guide Sonic to the chair right by her.

“You can sit right here,” Selene says, crawling into her own seat.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat with us, Ella?” Amy asks the maid.

“I’m sure, Amy,” Ella nods, “My grandson is here and planning on taking me out for pizza, per his request.”

“How is he enjoying the West Coast?”

“He’s loving it,” Ella smiles, “He may never move back, but if he’s happy, so am I. I put the pasta back in the oven, and it’ll be a few minutes before it’s ready, okay Mama?”

“You got it,” Amy winks, “I can’t cook but I think I can take pasta out of the oven.”

“She really can’t cook,” Selene shrugs.

“I heard that!” Amy rolls her eyes.

“If he’s your friend then he already knows you can’t cook,” Selene replies.

Sonic smirks, remembering when Sonia was that age, and how much he would love to go back to that.

“Sonic, what’s your favorite color?” Selene asks, and Sonic widens his eyes.

“Hmm … green.”

“What kind of green? Dark green? Light green? Lime? Green like the grass?”

“Kind of like your mom’s eyes,” and the words come out before he can even think about it. It’s an innocent slip up, certainly. He thinks how her eyes used to captivate him – there was something about her shade of green that could put him in a trance whenever he thought his guard was up. It would come crashing into him like a wave.

He could never deny that the mere sight of her could enchant him – the pink of her fur, the green on her eyes, her wild, long wavy quills, the way her arms moved, the way she stood.

It didn’t really matter what she did – it would have him by the neck.

Sonic looks over at Amy, raising an eyebrow. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Amy snaps out of watching them, “Just hungry.”

Truthfully, Amy was just … truly watching them. She can’t really explain it, and it’s not that she can’t find the words, but she doesn’t know if there really are any words for it at all. It distracted her enough from when Ella took the pasta out of the oven, and she was still too distracted to hear the comment about her eyes from Sonic.

“You don’t look okay, Mommy,” Selene says.

“I’m fine, Dove,” Amy says firmly, “Can you pass me your plate?”

Amy puts a serving on her plate, and Selene purses her lips. “Why so small?”

“Because you’ve already eaten today, baby, and I know you think you’re hungrier than you are. Start with that, and if you want more, I’ll give you more, okay?”

“Okay,” Selene shrugs, picking up her fork and getting ready to tear into it, taking a sip from her orange juice. “Sonic, will you come to my birthday party?”

Sonic’s eyes widen, and he looks at Amy, hoping Selene had run this invitation by her before asking him. He can tell by Amy’s face that she did not, but he can also tell by Amy’s face that he should just go with it. “Don’t tell me I missed your birthday!”

“You didn’t!” Selene shook her head, holding up a three with her fingers, “It’s only three days before Christmas! But … I understand if you have other plans,” she mutters, her eyes falling back to her plate.

“It’s just a small gathering – nothing too big. But it would be nice if you could come.”

“You can bring Sonia too,” Selene adds.

“Well, I’ll have to ask her, since she lives in Station Square.”

“Is that the place with the big casinos?”

“It is,” Sonic laughs, “How do you know what a casino is?”

“I don’t!” Selene exclaims with a smile, “But Mommy had a show there once, and she showed me it and we took pictures outside! She said it was a casino, but I don’t know what the heck that means!”

“Well, next time I call her, I’ll ask her.”

“Yay! Thanks, Sonic!” Selene exclaims, throwing her arms around Sonic, giving him her tightest of hugs. Sonic, surprised, returns it with a laugh, and Amy shoots a wink at him.

Dinner goes surprisingly well, given the afternoon’s earlier issue. It was especially nice for a four-year-old as a buffer, asking them both as many questions as humanly possible. As naturally curious as children are, Selene was always one of those kids that couldn’t resist asking about anything and everything that helped but cross her mind.

Selene is clearly over the moon that they had a guest for dinner – it’s always just the two of them, and at times joined by Ella, and it was all very new and strange for them, especially on a Sunday night. Amy can’t tell if it’s the happiness in her daughter’s eyes that gives her heart a jump, or the fact that she and Sonic can now do something like this, and it feels right.

For so long, Amy had been hung up on them doing stuff like old times, that she failed to realize that with twenty years passed by, it was certainly more than possible for them to do something like this.

The other thing in her mind? Fear. Fear of bringing a child around something that could so easily end in a catastrophic event. She had been more than fucking careful of bringing her kid around anything like this. She had no desire to allow her child to be roped into something so volatile, but … like she said in the documentary – with Sonic it was different.

That is still true, she thinks.

“Mommy, I’m full…”

“It’s okay, Selene,” Amy smiles, looking at the girl’s half eaten bowl of ice cream, “You don’t have to eat it all. Amy stands up from her chair, taking the bowl. “Why don’t you say goodbye to Sonic, and I’ll get you ready for bed.”

“But I don’t wanna sleep,” Selene mumbles, “Sonic and I are talking!”

“And some other time you guys can continue your conversation,” she replies, “But you need sleep, Little Dove. We both know how cranky you get on school mornings if you didn’t go to bed early enough.”

“When will you be back?” Selene asks.

“Well, there was this birthday party I was invited too…”

“But that’s in two weeks!” Selene cries, “Will you be back before then?”

“I’ll try my best, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispers, letting Amy scoop her up from the chair, resting her head on Amy’s shoulder. She gives Sonic a wave. “Goodnight, Sonic.”

“Night night, Selene,” Sonic waves back with a grin.

“I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Take your time. I’ll be right here.”

He watches them depart, and he sits at the table, looking at the ceiling.

Then, he sees a notepad on the counter. Sauntering over to it, he sighs, grabbing a pen, and tearing out a page for himself.

He writes.

Dear Sally,

I’m not sure what you’re going to take of this little note. I know I’ve been writing to you for the past year now, whenever I can. Sonia and I went to your grave the other day, and we laid flowers on your grave. It’s been one year since you left us. Not a day goes by where I don’t miss you, where I don’t wish you could come back and spend just one more minute with us. With Sonia.

Tonight, I’m writing this from the kitchen of Amy Rose. I listened to what you said. I listened to what you wanted from me, and from her. I showed up at her door, and we’ve been speaking for some months now.

I’ve messed up with her a few times already – I know – I can see the surprise on your face. So shocking, right? Well, she’s everything you knew she would be. She has a wonderful life, a wonderful home … and a wonderful daughter, whom I just ate dinner with. She’s so different now. Way different than the woman you and I remember. I don’t know … but I must thank you.

Not only for being the greatest wife, and the greatest woman, but the greatest friend. I also must thank you for this … second chance of sorts. I’m not sure what you wanted out of this reunion, but what I can tell you is that I’m happy she’s back in my life. I’m happy to see how well she’s doing, and how it seems that everyone is finally doing well for themselves, after everything we all went through. After everything you and I went through.

I know you would be so proud of Amy. I know you would be so happy for her. I am too. Thank you for giving me the push I needed – thank you for reuniting us. Whatever happens from here, know that I still love you like I always did. Know that everything I do, and everything that Sonia does, is all for you.

We miss you so much. We love you so much.

Like everything I write to you, the truth still stands – I can’t wait to see you again.

Love,

Sonic

He tucks the note in his pocket, puts his hands on the countertop, and he smiles.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It takes Amy nearly an hour to get back, and she inevitably wonders if Sonic is still there like he said it would be. He’s disappeared two times now, and the darkest part of her mind fully expects him to make a break for it – for the third time.

However, all she had to do was step back into the kitchen, and those worries went away. When she crosses into the kitchen, and she sees Sonic with a dishcloth over his shoulder, she smiles. She watches him wash the dishes for a moment, not yet choosing to approach him.

She’s not sure if she could get used to this or not – but she knows that she certainly likes the look of it.

It’s certainly domestic, she thinks. Maybe too domestic. She can’t believe he’s the reason behind why the countertop shines, why the sink is empty of dishes, why the tablecloth is completely swept clean of any debris.

“Oh, hey,” Sonic replies, turning from the sink. “Thought I should wash the last few dishes.”

Amy nods, and Sonic leans against the sink. “Everything okay with Selene?”

Amy sighs and walks towards him. Before Sonic could register anything, Amy throws her arms around him, and hugs him tight.

Sonic’s arms lag for a moment, feeling Amy squeezing her grip tight around his shoulders. Sonic returns the hug when he feels his arms and brain catch up to each other. It’s a heartfelt act of hope, and it’s intense. They can both feel that much. After the painful conversation earlier today, it’s impulsive and passionate, but importantly it feels right.

He has to grapple with the rush of sensations, and the way her arms feel around his neck. It’s the first time anything like this had happened since he showed up at her door. He can remember when they first hugged in the studio after recording their first full song as The Seven, and how he could feel both passion and immense danger in that embrace.

Here, now – he feels no danger. Only passion. He could get used to that.

He feels paralyzed, sure, but he feels warm. He feels like all the fibers in his body have been set ablaze. It’s been a long time since he felt like this.

She feels it too.

“Thank you,” Amy whispers.

“For – for what?” Sonic asks.

“All of today.”

“Oh,” Sonic replies, watching Amy pull back, through her arms lag to his shoulder blades. “You’re welcome.”

“I – “ Amy sighed, “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. But … I know I’m not scared.”

“I’m not either,” Sonic sighs, his arms lagging on her back, “But I know we … have some work to do, right?”

Amy nods, “If whatever this is supposed to work, we just … have to keep talking. Please – don’t ever be too afraid to tell me what you’re feeling.”

“I won’t – as long as you do the same.”

“Sonic,” Amy rolls her eyes with a grin, “When have I ever been too afraid to speak my mind?”

Sonic rolls his own eyes with a smile, “Never. Still – even though it’s been twenty years … it feels like it’s too delicate now to fuck up. I don’t have any plans to fuck this up.”

“I don’t either,” Amy nods.

“Okay,” Sonic nods, “Then … let’s not fuck it up.”

Amy smiles, and she goes back in for another hug. Sonic allows his arms to relax around her, and Amy squeezes.

“Let’s not fuck it up.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 15: Enjoy The Silence

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Sonia was coming down today.

Sonic told her a million times, he thought, that she shouldn’t. It was hard enough for him to have to keep letting her go, and her coming back, and back, and back, kept Sonic in that same vicious cycle of getting her back, just in time to let her go.

Of course, this was a selfish thought, and Sonic knew that. It was as selfish as always wanting her around him, knowing that it was better for her to be on her own, handling things in whatever way she deemed necessary.

To be around Li Moon, who clearly helped Sonia more than he could – it wasn’t his fault. They simply shared the same grief. There’s only so much ping-ponging they can do before it gets overwhelming. What more could he possibly do for her?

Sonic was on the phone with Tails, who he hadn’t spoken too in what seemed like a minute, though with the recent developments in his already confusing and complicated life, Sonic figured he owed the fox a phone call – someone who was still close with him and Amy Rose. Someone who never played into the fierce drama that pervaded each and every member of The Seven, someone who prioritized work and keeping the peace in any way he possibly could.

Tails treated his job like he had something to lose, which in all reality, he didn’t. Not in the same way the band members did.

Sonic’s career had all but become something to hide behind the curtains. He hadn’t performed since the fateful Central City show and had stuck to managing and creating bands from the ground up, using his tricks and skills as a successful songwriter, a profound protégé to Espio the Chameleon. This is what, he figured, the dream was that he moved across the country for – maybe it doesn’t take shape the way he thinks it does, or maybe it blooms into exactly what it was meant to be, but he can’t take these things for granted because this life has gone exactly the way it should have, right?

Grief is a room to step into, for a moment, it’s just a silhouette of his wife who fades in the serene daylight of an open window. A place where that love can lie for a little – perhaps she’s just frozen in time, and perhaps that’s what she chooses to do.

It’s what Sonic must choose to allow. He can walk out that door, Sonia can follow, and nothing else will.

If this the altar, or the temple, that God chose to build for Sonic, who is he not to honor that? He will love his life like any creature loves a God for no other reason other than it is simply what is.

Whatever trajectory this wicked life took the people in the orbit of the disastrous Seven is what trajectory must be honored. He finally realized that, yes, Sally obviously did not tell him to see Amy for no reason. It is just one more cog in the machine that has been spinning for him, no matter how much sand was getting grounded in the gears.

So, yet again, who is he to reject the path his dream takes? The dream he let live and let die. It got him to this moment, right here, on the couch in a dim-lit living room, on the phone with an old friend, and a pink hedgehog back into his hurricane yet again.

Floating like balloons in a hurricane, or whatever it was. That fucking line he balked at all those years ago when he read it in Amy’s book, that fucking line he thought was pointlessly poetic, because why say something like that when you can just say what you mean, pops back into his head and twenty years later it makes a suffocating amount of sense.

That goddamn tortured and brilliant Amy Rose. She played right up to his own tortured brilliance, though he only had a fraction of that compared to her.

He wonders if he’s finally at the place where he can admit to her face that the line was actually pretty good.

Probably. Or maybe not. Or maybe he has no idea.

And maybe that’s fine, for once.

“I mean, have you been enjoying the quiet?”

“I’m not sure,” Sonic responds to Tails, “I’ve gotten used to it now. Is that sad?”

“A little.”

Sonic and Tails laugh at the jab.

“Okay, it’s sad, but it’s nice. I’m not sure why Sonia keeps subjecting herself to it, choosing to come visit. Amy said sometimes all a girl needs is to be with her dad. But she always seems so much … better when she’s in Station Square, with Li Moon – not worrying about how I’m doing, or even how she’s doing.”

“Distractions are only good for so long, I suppose. I think Amy’s right – she might just want to see you. Maybe she’s having a harder time this week and being around you will help.”

“I just don’t think I can help her with it anymore. It’s hard when you’re grieving the same thing.”

“Right, but – I think just being around you helps. I don’t think there’s anything else you guys can say to each other that you haven’t already said. You guys being in each other’s presence says the unsaid.”

“You were always so wise, Tails.”

“Well, someone had to be, or else none of those records would have ever made it to tape.”

Sonic laughed. “Right. Not with all the fighting between Amy and I.”

“And everyone! I mean – you remember how many fights Rouge and Knuckles had? Every single party.”

“No … I guess I don’t.”

It strikes him there how in his own fucked up, kerosene-lit world he was stuck in during those times. How separate he had been from the lives of all six other band members – stuck in whatever whirlwind he had conjured up between him, Amy Rose, and Sally Acorn.

How much he had assumedly missed out on. It first struck him when Sonia would share a few stories she had heard during her interviews, and how she would tell the story as if Sonic knew exactly what tale she was telling.

He could never fully admit that he would have no idea what she was talking about. Partly because the awkward silence that would ensue would just remind them that talking about the band was just distracting them from the ghost in the room, and partly because he didn’t want to believe that being so caught up in his own shitstorm caused him to, probably, miss out on a lot of moments that would have made those times twenty years ago a lot more bearable to think about.

He was the leader of the band, and yet he was so far removed from its inner workings he might as well have been just a spectator. A passer-by, or even worse, a poltergeist.

Hardly a spectator, considering all he seemed to be worried about was staying clean.

This is a good excuse, he thinks. He never got involved in the party shenanigans on the Selene Tour because he was trying so desperately to hold onto a lifeboat – sobriety, in whatever form it took. Choosing to go on runs, or chase a sleeping Sally Acorn through payphones, or even just wandering the cities at night with a hood up and a cigarette between his fingers. Anything to distract him from the devil through the other door – the stench of liquor and the aura of cocaine that was calling his name.

With how loud those voices were, it is no wonder he chose to enjoy the silence.

It’s a good enough excuse to explain why he missed the rambunctious parties on the buses, but not enough to excuse that he barely knew what was happening with the other members of the band, until it was too late, and the group exploded, and he no longer really knew them at all.

“Well, a lot of them were pretty bad. It’s safe to say it wasn’t only you and Amy fighting. Speaking of Amy, how is everything going with that?”

“Well, we had a small hiccup – which was completely on me. It seems like things are okay. I had dinner with her and Selene, which was … very nice.”

“Hiccup?”

“I … had brought her out to dinner, and she had mentioned Thanksgiving at the end of the night. I kind of shut down before leaving, and didn’t reach out to her for like … two weeks. After telling her how much I wanted to be in her life again.”

“Yikes,” Tails replied sympathetically, “I understand though. That was … the anniversary, right?”

“Right. It’s why I shut down. I guess I hadn’t really fully confronted it until she said something. I just … owe her more than that. I should have told her.”

“It’s true, but – maybe Amy isn’t being super rational here, either. I think it might hurt her feelings to assume you don’t trust her, which, obviously you do. Just … communication skills, it seems. It’s something to work on. It’s nothing to implode over. You guys have been at worse terms before.”

“I was never the greatest communicator.”

“Maybe not in conversation, no. But in song? You both knew how to say the unsaid.”

“Right. That’s a skill I would like to have transferred over to my everyday being.”

“Easier said than done. There’s a reason a lot of artists become artists. They can’t communicate their feelings by just talking – they have to make something to feel it. Amy was that way, and you were too. We probably all were.”

“Was and were, huh? You think that’s changed?”

“Well, I know it has for Amy. Why can’t it have changed for you?”

“Guess I never really thought about it before.”

“Looks like that’s something to think about. I should ask – when the hell is this documentary coming out?”

Sonic sighed. “Well, Sonia’s in talks with MGM to produce. They want it out next month – late next month. We’re gonna have to gear up for press. They’re going to want a full reunion for it.”

“Is that something we could do? I mean, I know Cosmo and I would be down, but I’m just speaking for us.”

“Amy seems … fine with it. Probably nervous but – generally up for it. Silver and Blaze are too. I’m not sure about anyone else.”

“And what about you?”

What about him? Sonic had done all the confronting of the past he could seemingly take. Speaking about it to Sonia, his daughter of all people, was like coughing up thorns. It was a grueling, unforgiving process, though forgiveness came in the eyes of his daughter. Her mother’s eyes.

An ethereal forgiveness, perhaps? For each and every one of his many, many transgressions?

He wasn’t even sure if Amy had forgiven him for the shit he had done, or if he forgave her for the shit she had done. He wasn’t sure if they were ready for that conversation, yet what happens when a fucking journalist of all people tries to confront that question? Was he prepared for that?

He had, subconsciously or not, hoped for the past to die and stay dead. Then he comes back into Amy’s life, and the past slowly creeps up on him. He chooses how to react to that – whether to lash out and hide or embrace it with equal shame and equal acceptance.

And then what happens? The reunion and documentary are so successful and covered that the people want the band to reunite and play? Is he ready for that?

That, he thought, was strangely what he feared most.

What an interesting turn of events – fearing what he once loved most. What he bled for most.

“I’m not sure. On the one hand, it terrifies me, and on the other hand, I feel like facing the past and embracing it for what it is … is probably the right move to … move on from it.”

“That’s how I feel. It’s not an easy thing to revisit. Especially for someone like you, or someone like Amy. But I guess … I guess the longer you run from it, the more it rears its head anyways.”

“Which is why I think it’s probably something we have to do.”

“Well, maybe we can all practice at Selene’s birthday party on Saturday.”

Shit. That’s right.

“You’ll be there?”

“Yeah – wh – you will too?”

“Yeah … you sound surprised.”

“I mean, I’m not, it’s just – you know like – all of the band will be there, right?”

“All of them?”

“I mean, I’m not sure about Rouge but – Knuckles, Shadow, Blaze, Silver, Cosmo and I. Shit, I think Vector and Mighty might even be coming. It’s … going to be something.”

“I didn’t know. I knew about Blaze and Silver, but – “

“All of them. It’ll be an actual reunion. Off the record.”

Sonic felt some dread, then some excitement, then some more dread.

“You ready for that?

Sonic took a deep, labored breath.

“I suppose I’ll have to be.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When Sonia arrived with Li Moon, Sonic had dinner made for them – knowing the long drive had certainly made them hungry. He had stayed up kicking it with them until Li Moon went to bed, leaving Sonic and Sonia to lounge in the living room, a quaint fire going.

“Sonia, you know you don’t have to visit so much, right?”

Sonia is bundled up in the armchair, a blanket wrapped around her frame, her long auburn hair cascading down her shoulders. Sonic chokes up – she really, truly looks just like Sally Acorn. Every time he sees her, without failure, he thinks it’s her for a minute, that Sally’s untimely passing was nothing more than a horrid dream – a nightmare wrapped in blood and flesh.

Yet he knows it’s real – and while that doesn’t make it less of a nightmare – and it at least grounds him back onto the Earth, even if he feels it move beneath his feet every time he sees her.

“I know I don’t, Dad,” Sonia nods, “I do it because I want to. You know that, right?”

“I just – I don’t want you to keep coming back here if it … if it’s too painful.”

“Funnily,” Sonia shrugs, “It’s the least painful place to come. Because, well, you’re here.”

Sonic’s heart is warmed, though he’s not entirely convinced. How could this place be of more of a comfort, with walls adorned with images of her mother, where the ghastly voices of old, forgotten conversations suspend in the empty air around them? Where heirlooms sit in dusty drawers, or wooden tables? Where the stairs where Sally’s feet used to march are now collecting memories? Where the chair she once always sat after a long day now sits unused? Where every crevice of the home is one more guttural, vicious reminder that Sally Acorn is frozen in time, sitting by a window with the daylight breezing in, and refuses to leave to rejoin them in the world of living?

But there it is – because he is here. Even if Sally Acorn is gone, it does not mean they still aren’t who they are. They are still Father and Daughter. They are the imprint – the legacy - that Sally Acorn leaves in her wake. They are what keeps her lifeforce alive, even if her body, her voice, and her mind is no longer with them anymore.

“I just – don’t want you to worry about me.”

“I’m always going to worry about you, Dad. But that’s not why I visit.”

“Why do you visit, then?”

Sonia shifts in her seat. “I just – need to be home, sometimes. It helps. I promise.”

Sonic sighs, “I believe you, I do.”

“It doesn’t sound like you believe me.”

“Sonia, I do – now I promise you. I just … don’t want it to … make things hurt more than they probably already do.”

Sonia sighs, with a shrug. “I mean, yeah, Station Square and Li Moon has been amazing, but … it’s not home, is it?”

“It could be?” Sonic looked at her deeply, “Would that be something you want?”

Sonia is silent for a moment, shifting her dark green eyes, Sonic’s eyes, to the fire. He watches the embers dance in her irises. “Maybe?”

“You know, even if that’s your home, I’ll still be here, right? You don’t have to stay here if it’s not where … your heart leads.”

“How do I know where my heart leads?”

Sonic sighed, tapping his foot against the red carpet. Then he turned to face her, not too intensely, but strong enough to ensure her that what he was about to say – that he knew what he was talking about.

“Remember during the interviews? How Mom and I had both told you about what the move out here from Knothole was like? About how it was … sort of a flash-in-the-pan moment – how it seemed so out of the blue but seemed so right?”

Sonia nodded.

“It wasn’t. It – we really did have … a lot of conversations about it. Time was ticking, and I mean, I guess in my mind I had already set my sights on Los Angeles, whether your Mother was coming or not – even if that was painful, and it was. But … just because you leave something doesn’t mean it’s not … there. Distance is … distance. It’s just – I mean what is it really? It – it’s just space. You will know you are home when it feels … like it felt for your Mom to jump in that van with us on a whim and set out across the country to this place – to our home.”

Sonia nodded. “How do I know when it’s home?”

Sonic smiled, “You’ll just know. It sounds ridiculous, but you will. When your Mother and I bought that first house, after we put out Hemlock? It just … it was exactly what it was. It was home. It was where we raised you. It was where we built our family. It – it was where we almost lost it, and … it was where we saved it. It was where we built our life, and our family – where we built this life. That’s how we knew it was home. We knew it was home because it was ours. So, whether that means that this is home for you, or Station Square, or somewhere else – you won’t know until you feel it. I wish it was easier to tell, but … it’s truly something you feel in your gut.”

Sonia sighed, picking at her nail. “It’s hard to be away from here.”

“But … does it feel like home? Does it feel like the place where you want your life to begin? Sonia, I know … a lot has happened to you, to us, in the last year, but your life – it hasn’t even started yet. It’s just beginning.”

“And if I don’t know what the hell I’m doing with it so far?”

Sonic shrugged, “Do you think your Mom and I knew what we were doing?”

Sonia shook her head.

Sonic smiled, “It’s because we didn’t. We were reckless, we were starry-eyed, our heads were in the clouds, and yeah – it got ugly, and we came crashing back to Earth but … I wouldn’t trade those darker years for anything. It’s what made us strong, and – it’s what taught us what was important.”

Sonic feels himself finally, maybe, sort of, possibly, embracing the past. As frightening as it is to storm headfirst into the dark of the past, it is necessary. Teaching his daughter what to expect out of the whirlwind is his job as her Father – and it’s more important than any of his thoughts about what might happen, or what might be drudged from the deep, if he were to explore the past.

“Li Moon and I, we – we love Station Square. But we love Seaside City, and Westopolis, and Sunset City … we love all these places, and they all make us feel something. I just … don’t know if it’s where I should be.”

Sonic shrugged, “Well, the great thing about being a person is that you will change your mind on where to live all the time, and it’ll never be wrong. It’s always what feels right to you.”

“I guess I’ll just have to see. I’m enjoying it right now, and I’m enjoying school – I guess it’s one step at a time, right?”

Sonic shrugs, “Yeah, a lot of times it is just one step at a time. Just make sure you plant your feet in solid ground. You’ll slip and fall but – what’s important is that you…”

Sonic pauses.

“Is that you get back up.”

Sonic thinks about the bottle, and he thinks about the coke, and he thinks about the cigarettes. He thinks about the first tour, about how he missed the birth of the woman sitting right in front of him, about how he had to dry out twice to save his fracturing family, his fracturing life, and how many times he had to get back up.

It’s one of those things you just never understand, and yet it’s something that is together with the most beautiful parts of life – that you can fail over, and over, and over again and still always give yourself a chance to pick yourself back up, even if no one else gives you one.

As long as you’re living and breathing and standing – you can give yourself a million chances, fail at each and every one of them, and still get up and take another stab at it.

If Sonic had given in on that fateful night – to all the things that temped him? He wouldn’t have had this. He wouldn’t be sitting here right now, with the most important woman in his life. If he had just resigned, thrown his hands up to God and went “Well, that’s how it is on your bitch of an Earth!”, he would be sitting somewhere in a ditch, writhing in his own self-imposed agony, in his own drug-induced stupor of pity, or worse, he might be dead – in the grave where Sally Acorn rests instead.

He wouldn’t have the chance to know this woman in front of him, because he would never get too.

That’s what failure teaches someone like Sonic – that to achieve what is right, you must fall, and you must do it over, and over again until your legs lock and you can’t fall again.

And you must not be ashamed, because people will still love you despite your failures, and despite your imperfections.

The ones who choose to love you – that’s who you try for.

For them, and for yourself.

“You and Mom were … my biggest inspirations. You still are. I mean – I try to do everything how you guys would do it. You were the reason I thought I could have the life I wanted.”

Sonic sighs with a smile, swallowing the forming tears. “Well – we did everything for you. You were our inspiration too, you know?”

“I just want everything to be okay.”

Sonic nodded. “I know. They will be. Just keep moving. You’re doing everything exactly right. Your Mom would be … so proud of you, Sonia.”

“And she would have loved Li Moon,” Sonia smiled.

Sonic nodded. “Oh yeah – she would have.”

Sonia paused, biting her lip. “Can I – ask you something kind of awkward?”

Sonic shrugged. “Shoot.”

“What was your reaction like when – when Mom had that thing with Nicole?”

Sonic sighed, leaning back onto the couch. His eyes wandered to the fire.

“I was – I had a lot of thoughts, honestly. Obviously, yes, I was hurt – and obviously I thought I deserved it in some way. I was happy, though, that she had something like that when we were both in such a … stressful situation.”

“Were you surprised it was a woman?”

Sonic nodded. “I was, but I also wasn’t. Your Mom and I were a lot of things, and I’ll be honest, we kept a lot of our feelings wired up from each other, but … when she said she saw all the parts of me I was afraid of showing, I realized I saw the same things in her too. We understood each other – some things didn’t need to be said. We just knew.”

“Is that what you think … love is?”

Sonic pursed his lips. “I think I don’t understand love completely. Nor do I always know what the right thing to do is. I think love is … a lot of things, and none of it is easy. But I’ll ask you this – do you love Li Moon?”

“So much,” Sonia nodded firmly.

“Then,” Sonic shrugged, “What else is there to know?”

Sonia smiled, and Sonic reached over, tapping her knee.

“Your Mom and I were a lot of things, but there was never a moment we couldn’t answer that question. We loved each other. That’s why we stayed. Even if maybe, it wasn’t the right thing to do, or even if maybe she and I both had something out there that was more right – we loved each other. We stayed because our love was that strong. That made it the right thing for us, regardless of anything else.”

Sonia nodded. “I know a lot about you and Mom, and … I know that I had the best example of love growing up. I was shown that it wasn’t always perfect, and a lot of the time it was heavy – I think it just made me more mature.”

“I’d say so,” Sonic smiled, “Love is never easy. But if you know the answer to that question, and you know it’s an easy choice … then you know.”

Sonic and Sonia reached a small silence, before the hedgehog cracked a smile.

“By the way – are you insinuating that your Mom and I were bigger inspirations to you than Amy Rose?”

Sonia rolled her eyes with a laugh. “Okay, maybe different levels, but still.”

Sonic shook his head, before his mind popped alight. Ah, right.

“That actually reminds me … I need to ask you something.”

“Hm?”

“Are you and Li Moon busy on Saturday? Do you have any plans?”

“Not that I know of, why?”

Sonic sighed. “Well, Amy Rose sort of invited me to her daughter’s birthday party. She’s turning five, and her daughter wished to personally ask you if you would come.”

Sonia’s eyes lit up a bit. “Really? Me? Why?”

Sonic shrugged, “I think she wants to meet you. I told her a lot about you.”

Sonia smiles, “Well … if we do have plans, they’re cancelled. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

Sonic nodded with a grin, turning to look at the fire, with the most important woman in his entire world.

“Neither would I.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 16: Bulls on Parade

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“So, you don’t know what you want?”

It’s not that Tangle would disapprove of any of Amy’s choices. Regardless of her own opinion, she wishes happiness for Amy the same way anyone would.

She just worries.

“No,” Amy sighs, leaning over the kitchen island, watching the kids running around the backyard through the window. The birthday setup, with the wonderful hands of Knuckles went surprisingly well – the treehouse was decorated, the tents were constructed and beaming, the bouncy-house was as elegant as Selene had hoped.

It was everything Selene wanted, and really, that was all that mattered.

“I really don’t. I mean – I’m – happy that we’re going to try to just … be. Not force anything, not force us to be who we were and just … try to accept who we are now.”

“Well, do you believe he’s changed?” Tangle asks.

“I do,” Amy sighs, “I know it’s hard for to trust him. Believe me – I know. However, he’s the one who asked for a chance to prove it, so I’m going to give him that chance.”

“Have you seen him since his dinner over here? Or spoken to him?”

Amy nodded, “Just spoke on the phone. He said Sonia was coming in town, so he was gonna spend time with her and her girlfriend.”

“At least he told you this time, huh?”

Amy snorted, “Right. How lucky of me to be in the loop.”

 “And what have you told Selene? I mean this is, what, the first man you’ve actually introduced to your daughter?”

“I haven’t told her anything, but … he’s different, Tangle.”

“Why?” she questions, “Just because there’s history?”

“He just is,” Amy sighed again, “I can’t explain it, and maybe it doesn’t make any sense, but – it’s the truth. He’s always been different than any of the other ones. It just … felt right to introduce them. He’s always been a part of me, and I guess I thought … if he wanted to be a part of my world again – he should know that she is my world.”

“But Selene doesn’t know what you guys are?”

Amy shook her head, “She just thinks he and I are old friends who played in a band together a long time ago, which … is the truth.”

“Is it?”

“Right now, yeah. It is.”

“Do you want it to be something else, though?” Tangle asked.

Amy shrugged, “I really – I don’t know. I’m just … trying to let it be what it is right now and see what happens. I have to be careful – that girl out there is everything to me, and if I even get a whiff that this might affect that – it’s done. It’s over. There’s way more for me to lose now.”

A knock sounds at the door, and Amy turns, her ear twitching.

“Maybe that’s him?”

Amy shrugged, sauntering over to the door, flattening out her pink, floral-adorned sundress. She opens the door, tackled by hugs of three girls, which Amy accepts with delight.

“Well, hey! Thanks for all the lovin’!”

Shadow and Maria step in, the three exchanging hugs.

“Amy – look at this place! You decorated so well! I remember all their first birthday parties,” Maria smiled.

“Had some help from Knucklehead back there.”

“Oh, that asshole’s here?” Shadow sneered, “Maybe I should leave, huh?”

Maria thwacked him on the arm, to which Shadow dramatically rubbed his bicep.

After Maria took the kids to the back to see Selene, Shadow walked with Amy, fiddling with his car keys. “So – is he coming?”

Amy sighs, and she nods, and Shadow sighs right back at her.

“That should be interesting.”

“It’s shaping up that way,” Amy sighed, “Silver and Blaze are coming too.”

“It’s really gonna be a reunion, hm?”

Amy shrugged, “Everyone but Rouge, who said she might be able to drop by, but is horrendously busy today.”

“Does Knucklehead know that?” Shadow asked with a pointed look.

Amy shook her head, “He’s been so occupied with putting the party together that I – haven’t really had the time to tell him.”

“Well, maybe she won’t come, and we’ll get to have one less awkward situation.”

“I’m sure you’d love that,” Amy rolled her eyes, “Look, this is Selene’s birthday party, so please play nice when he gets here, okay?”

Shadow threw his hands up, backing into the kitchen. “Hey, I’m all gravy, baby. I’ll be perfectly fi-“

Shadow was stopped by a rough arm around his shoulder, pulling him into the Echidna’s side with a growl.

“Well, look who decided to show up!” Knuckles bellowed in the hedgehog’s ears, and Shadow patted the Echidna on the shoulder – the most affection anyone besides Maria would dream of getting out of Shadow.

“Yes, here I am. The party has arrived.”

“Why haven’t you and Maria come to our last Saturday dinners? Are you guys too lame for us, now?”

Shadow nodded, “You got it exactly right. We have surpassed the need for your dinner parties.”

“Psh. It’s actually that we have surpassed the need for you guys to be there,” Knuckles shot back with a smirk.

“Right. Of course,” Shadow replied, before being pulled out of his stupor by Tangle, giving the lemur a hug.

“It’s great to see you, Shadow! How long has it been?” Tangle asked with a grin.

“Man – two, three years maybe? You don’t come out to L.A. enough.”

“Well, Whisp and I would have been hung at the neck by Miss Selene if we missed her first big birthday party.”

“Or by me,” Amy rolled her eyes, “You know I couldn’t have this without her aunties here. You’re the only family I got, Tangs.”

It pains Amy quickly – what was once her family, The Seven, now a fractured, dysfunctional memory – even if she keeps in touch with some more than others, watching others fade into a deeper obscurity, with one fading completely until now – whatever was happening now, Amy wasn’t sure she could trust the notion to call it family again.

Family reunions are awkward sometimes, right?

“Well, of course – we wouldn’t miss it for the world babe, you know that.”

“So, did I hear that Silver and Blaze are coming?” Knuckles cocked his head.

“You did,” Amy nodded, “With their kiddos too.”

“Shit, I haven’t seen those guys in forever – and … Sonic too, isn’t he?”

Amy only nodded.

Knuckles took a deep breath, “Well, if you had told me today was going to be an unofficial reunion of The Seven, I would have told you that you sounded like a lunatic. Which, you usually do, honestly…”

Amy cut Knuckles off with a flick to the ear, with the Echidna quickly backing off with a hiss through his teeth.

“If you came here just to be an ass, you can go back to Shade’s house.”

“Shade, huh?” Shadow gave the Echidna a sly grin, “So, the papers are true?”

Knuckles crossed his arms and leaned back on the kitchen island, his face turning sour. “Maybe, maybe not. I’m not gonna give you the satisfaction of an answer.”

“Well, wanna know something, Knuckles? I really don’t care either way.”

“Well … good!”

Amy snickered. It was so preschool – as it often was with the guys in her life. There were times she missed the barely serious bickering of her old friends. Times where she’d walk through the house and recall a meaningless spat between Shadow and Knuckles, or others, that usually ended in a barrel of laughter, or a toast with two bottles of Jack. Things that seemed so recent, and so present, but could not be further away from her in that moment.

Then, a knock came.

“Is that him?” Tangle tilted her head.

Amy took a deep breath. “Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

Trudging through the hallways, giving smiles to passing parents and other friends, Amy beelined to the mahogany double doors, and with careful trepidation and shaking hands, opened it.

No sign of a cobalt blue hedgehog – but of a white one, and a lilac cat, and three utterly adorable kids.

“Ah! Guys!” Amy smiled, pulling the two into a hug.

“Hi!” Silver smiled, “Thanks for having us!”

“The kids have been so excited to get out today,” Blaze snickered in her ear, “They’ve been cooped up in the rental house all day.”

“Well, there’s plenty of shit for them to do here, believe me,” Amy whispered in her ear.

When she backed away, her green eyes landed on the kids. A white cat with purple streaks in his hair, a lilac hedgehog with white streaks in his, and a baby on Blaze’s arm – a little girl, a perfect mix of white and lilac, with big, deep golden eyes. Eyes each kid shared.

“Azule, Ember, Ashe – this is Amy. She’s an old friend of Mommy and Daddy’s,” Silver said.

“Hi, Miss Amy! I like your hair!” Azule spoke up, holding his hand out for a shake.

“Well, hello Azule! I like yours too!” Amy knelt down. Her eyes turned to the other boy. “You must be Ember, huh?”

“Yes ma’am,” The lilac hedgehog said meekly.

“It’s nice to meet you. You look a lot like your Mommy.”

“Were you in that band with my Mommy and Daddy?”

“I was,” Amy smirked, “Your Mom was the coolest one in the band.”

Blaze rolled her eyes with a grin, and then Azule leaned into a whisper.

“And … what about my Daddy?”

Amy gave Silver a shit-eating grin, which he returned with a cheesy grin of his own. Amy leaned into Azule, returning the conspiratorial whisper.

“Your Daddy was the lamest one of them all.”

The two boys burst into laughter, with Amy letting them inside the house. Silver looked at Amy with a cocked eyebrow. “Why you killin’ my street cred, Rose?”

“Maybe ditch the skinny jeans – give your ‘street-cred’ a break.”

Silver rolled his eyes with a smirk, and Blaze followed inside. Silver gazed around the foyer of the house, letting out a whistle at the scale of the Spanish-style mansion.

“Well, Amy – Blaze told me this place was exquisitely decorated. Guess I had to see it to believe it.”

“Call Lumina,” Amy nodded, “She’ll hook you up.”

Amy and Blaze took the kids out back to introduce them to Selene, while Silver sauntered into the kitchen. He heard the bickering voices of Shadow, Knuckles, Tails, Cosmo, and Tangle – which immediately piqued his interest. People he hadn’t seen in a bit, and people who Blaze had no doubt seen in quite a long time.

He leaned his head into the room, giving a quick whistle. “The party’s here!”

“Ay!” Knuckles threw his arms up, a bottle of Coke in his left hand, “Silver’s here!”

Knuckles gave the hedgehog a bear hug, and Shadow gave him a mere pat on the shoulder.

“What’s up Dad Number Two?” Shadow smirked, “What is this – birthday party number two-hundred?”

“Something like that,” Silver smirked, giving Tails and Cosmo both hugs.

“How’ve you been, Silv?” Cosmo asked.

“Oh, you know, just working on some music and family time. Same old stuff.”

“Well, we’re happy you made it,” Tails smirked, “When’s your brother getting here?”

Silver shrugged with a sigh, “Not sure. I know he was running errands with Sonia and Li Moon earlier, so –“

“Who’s Li Moon?” Knuckles asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“That’s Sonia’s girlfriend. Met at college – they’ve been dating for at least half a year now.”

“Damn, Sonia has a girlfriend. That’s a twist,” Shadow shrugged.

Silver had given Tangle a hug when Blaze entered the kitchen, to where Knuckles and Shadow got really excited. Last time they saw Blaze? Well, it could not have been any less than five years ago. Opposing schedules, busy lives, distance and time – the reason can never be readily, easily identified. There was certainly no point in trying to identify it.

“Blaze!” Knuckles cried, giving the cat a bear hug that nearly smushed the feline. Blaze growled into his shoulder, through returned the hug.

“I’m three times smaller than you, oaf!”

“Well – you know he has no respect for personal space,” Shadow rolled his eyes, giving the cat a side-hug. “It’s good to see you, really.”

“You too, brooder. I saw your wife out back. She’s looking great – still not sure how you did it.”

“She told me she liked guitar players in rock bands,” Shadow shrugged.

“Right, and that was twenty years ago, so why is she still with you?”

“Touche,” Shadow grinned, “I must be just that fantastic of a husband.”

“Couldn’t imagine that,” Blaze sneered with a wink, before giving Cosmo a hug, the pair squeezing each other tight.

“Blaze! It’s been too long!”

Blaze did the same for Tails, her heart fluttering in the comfort of her friends. Old friends, that even with distance and time, still felt like nothing had really changed all that much.

It had been so long since she had even seen Knuckles – and that’s the rub. Nothing happened to her and Knuckles’ friendship when the band fell apart – there was no wrong they had committed against each other. Perhaps it was too touchy – the way it ended meant they had to end everything. Even looking into each other’s eyes means you’re living twenty years all over again, and is that really something you’re up for?

“So, what have you been up to? Why do you guys never hang out down here with us?” Knuckles asked. “Its’s been years!”

Blaze shrugged, “I don’t know, man. Life and shit. Raising three kids. Try it and get back to me.”

Knuckles groaned, “Eh – don’t know that I’m built for being a dad.”

“Never say never,” Blaze shrugged, “Amy told me you’re great with Selene.”

“Well, Selene is like my niece – but my own kid? Get outta here.”

“Blaze said the same exact shit, you know?” Silver tilted his head, “Now look at us.”

Tangle shook her head with a grin, “I’ll just say you all are doing very good jobs.”

“Well thank you Tangle,” Shadow nodded, “You meant everyone but Knuckles, right?”

Knuckles rolled his eyes, “Say all the shit you want, but I’m dating a supermodel and making kickass records, so I think I’m living life the way God always intended.”

“Oh, so you are dating Shade?” Shadow took a sip from his drink, giving Knuckles an antagonizing stare.

Knuckles, realizing that he had let it slip, grew red in the face and crossed his arms, sighing. Silver snickered. “Hey man, we’ve all seen the papers.”

“Can’t always trust the papers…” Knuckles muttered.

“Oh, we can’t? Did they get it right just this one time?” Blaze instigated.

“No…” Knuckles grumbled again.

“I don’t know why you’re so afraid of admitting that you’re dating a supermodel,” Tails shrugged, “Do you think we’ll judge you or something?”

“No, but – man, I don’t know! She said we shouldn’t put a label on anything!”

“Label or not, if you’re waking up with her almost every morning, you might not just be fuck-buddies,” Blaze took a sip from her drink.

“Isn’t she like ten years younger than you?” Silver cocked an eyebrow.

“That’s … not relevant,” Knuckles shook his head.

“Dude, you’re old enough to be her dad!” Shadow antagonized, clearly sarcastic but that flew past Knuckles head.

“No, I’m not! Hey, remember when Blaze told us she and Silver were fucking on the bus? Let’s talk about that instead!”

Silver grew meek with an anxious grin, and Blaze threw her arm around Silver’s waist, pulling him close.

“Yeah, and guess what? His dick is still perfect,” Blaze dropped to a whisper, with Shadow, Tails and Knuckles immediately protesting in disgust.

“Ugh! Don’t need to know that!”

“No thank you, Blaze!”

“Ah, God man!”

Blaze snickered, before the footsteps of Amy behind them snapped them out of it.

“Can we maybe not talk about fucking and dicks at my daughter’s birthday party, Knuckles?” Amy sneered with a smirk, and the Echidna immediately put his hands up in surrender.

“My bad,” Knuckles grumbled, “But, for what it’s worth, Blaze started it.”

Blaze scoffed, turning to look at Amy with puppy dog eyes. “Amy don’t listen to the mean red guy. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Amy pulled Blaze into a side-hug, nuzzling into her cheek. “I would never. He’s stupid, huh?”

“I’m standing right here!”

Then, a knock. Three taps on the front door stopped them, each of them turning to look at the front door with a steely amount of attention. It seemed they were all waiting for this, though none of them ever really knew just how to say it. It was the shadow hanging over them this entire time.

What will it be like to see Sonic and Amy in the same room, with all of them, twenty years later? A moment they never conceived would actually happen – and yet, when the inevitable stares them right in the eye, no one dares to move.

“Do you think that’s him?” Tangle asked.

Amy took a deep breath. “No one else is really supposed to be coming, so…”

“Then it’s probably him,” Shadow took a deep breath, “You ready Knuckles? Last I heard, he fucking hates you.”

“That is not true! We talked like – four months ago, or something!”

Silver shook his head, “It’ll be fine. Go let him in Amy, we’ll all just hang here.”

Amy nodded, squeezed Tangle’s hand for comfort, and took off towards the sound of the knocks – the knocks right on her heart.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“You nervous?” Sonia asked, standing at the door with two pink gift bags, hand-in-hand with Li Moon.

Sonic sighed, knowing that would lie behind that door, was a lot of people he hadn’t seen in the same room in twenty years, and he had yet to come to face that predicament until it was too late, and he was staring it right in the fucking face.

If it didn’t scare him enough, throw Amy into the mix, something that is seemingly improving but still so horrendously complicated – he has no real idea how to proceed in his mind, let alone how to use words to move it along.

Yet, he said yes to coming, and now he has to face the music. Question is, how fast can he trick himself into being ready for it?

“How about you, Li?” Sonic asks, changing the subject, “Are you nervous?”

The answer was yes. Li Moon, a giant, massive fan of Amy Rose, now standing on Amy Rose’s doorstep, was extremely fucking nervous the entire way up there. She had barely said a word, not sure if she was going to be able to control just how much of a fangirl over Amy she was for the sake of her girlfriend.

Li Moon only nodded with a gulp, and Sonia chuckled. “Relax, babe. She’s just a normal person like us! She’s super sweet, promise.”

When the door opens, and Sonic meets Amy’s eyes, those worries wash away. She’s a dream in a pink, floral sundress, her exquisite makeup and long, cascading hair framing the world around her into pink clouds and shining stars.

“Hi, Amy!” Sonia chooses to break the ice, with Amy giving the girl a hug.

“Hi, honey,” Amy smiles, squeezing her tight, “Thank you so much for coming. Selene’s gonna be over the moon when she sees you.”

“This is Li Moon, my girlfriend from college,” Sonia smiles, “And a big Amy Rose fan, if you can believe it.”

Amy smiles, offering the red fox a hug, “It’s really nice to meet you, sweetheart!”

Li Moon nervously accepts the hug, attempting to control the giddiness as much as possible. “You too!”

“Thank you guys for coming, seriously – Selene is gonna be so excited to see you!”

She lets the three in, and Sonia heads to give Selene her gift with Li Moon.

“Don’t you dare give her my gift without me, Sonia!” Sonic calls out, to which Sonia throws a thumb up, and Sonic sighs with a smile.

“How was the drive?” Amy asks.

“It’s only twenty minutes. What – not sure what to say?”

Amy shrugs, “Maybe not. Thank you for coming, though. Selene’s gonna be … so thrilled.”

“Of course, Amy. I wouldn’t miss this.”

He falls silent, his green eyes wandering further into the house.

“But…”

“But?” Amy asks.

“What, ah – what exactly is waiting for me in there?”

Amy sighed, “Oh, not much – just six of the seven people in your old band from twenty years ago in the same room.”

Her attempt at sarcasm, paired with a smile, doesn’t go over quite how she expects it too, and Sonic’s lack of emotional change on a face has her back down. Sonic sighs, rubbing his neck.

“Well … that’s fun.”

“Hey, it’ll be fine,” Amy said, “They’re all … looking forward to seeing you. Plus, your nieces and nephews are here, so – that’s nice, right?”

Sonic smiles. “Yeah, it is.”

“See,” Amy returns the smile, “Not so scary now, huh?”

“Well, still a little, but – it’s … it’ll be fine, like you said.”

“You believe that?”

Sonic shrugs, “Got no choice but to believe it.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Amy opts to break Sonic in gently. This is too much for him – she thinks. It might just be too much for me – she thinks right after. It’s all too fucking much and it’s not anything that can be stopped now.

She decides to take him out back to say hello to Selene first. After all, that’s truly why he’s there. Seeing his former bandmates in the same room is not something he ever anticipated happening again, if he was being fully honest with himself.

“Does the alcohol bother you?” Amy asks gently, seeing friends of hers with drinks.

“No,” Sonic shakes his head, “It’s okay.”

She takes him out back, where Selene – with her pigtails and blue dress, is bouncing over to Amy with a Polaroid in hand. “Mommy! Look!”

It was a picture of her and Sonia, faces smushed together, smiles wide. “Oh, Little Dove – I love it!”

“It’s for you!”

“Well, thank you ‘Lene,” Amy says gently, “Are you having fun?”

“Yes!” She throws her arms up, before spotting that makes her eyes light up. “Guy from Selene! You came!”

Sonic lets the little girl crash into his legs, bending down to give her a hug, feeling his knees wobble – fuck, he is nervous. He doesn’t even quite know why.

“Well, I couldn’t miss your party!” Sonic smiled, which only caused Selene to hug him tighter. Sonia walks forward with a bag, handing it off to her father, who then presented it to the hyperactive kid.

“Here, this is for you. Happy birthday, Selene.”

“This is for me?” Selene frowns, confused. “But Sonia already gave me my gift.”

“Well,” Sonic smiles, “That one was from Sonia, and this one was from me.”

“Thanks, Sonic!”

“Ah, so I’m Sonic now?”

“Sometimes,” she shrugs, before gasping sharply when her small hands pull out a brown bear, “I love it!”

“Your Mom told me how much you love stuffed animals.”

“I do!” The five-year-old shouts, running to hug him yet again, and this time she holds on just a bit tighter. “Thank you, Guy from Selene,” she whispers, and Sonic squeezes her tight.

Amy watches from a few steps back, her heart soft, until Tangle approaches.

“So – can you get used to that sight?”

Amy shrugs. “I don’t know.”

“I think you know more than you’re saying.”

Amy sighs. “It’s – just how I’m letting it play out for right now.”

“Okay girl,” Tangle throws away with a sip of her drink, “You do you, boo.”

The tender moment is broken when a red Echidna comes slightly barreling down the stairs from the back door. Sonic turns and sees him, his green eyes locking with his purple ones. It’s suddenly 1978 again and Sonic is convincing Knuckles not to leave the band, not knowing the one who would need to be convinced was himself.

“Sonic! How are ‘ya, man?” Knuckles asks, giving Sonic a quick hug around the shoulder. Sonic returns it, despite tensing for just a moment.

“Hey, Knuckles,” Sonic smiles, “How’ve you been?”

“Oh, you know – just at a five-year-old’s birthday party.”

“So, where you belong?” Amy butted in, hoping to ease the tension. That comment caused Sonic to snicker, to which Knuckles grumbled.

“Oh, right, because I’m totally like a five-year-old.”

“Well…” Sonic trailed off.

“Don’t finish that sentence, Hedgehog.”

Sonic threw his hands up in surrender, but his tension softened at the sight of Tails and Cosmo coming out back, two waters in hand, glasses sitting their framed faces.

“Sonic!” Cosmo shouted, giving the hedgehog a hug, to which Tails joined in right afterwards.

“Good to see you, dude,” Tails said, and Sonic returned that enthusiasm – seeing Knuckles was easier than he expected, after all, it hadn’t been that long since they had last spoken. It was the setting, he thought. It was the fact that he was seeing him in Amy Rose’s backyard, the three of them being in the same space twenty years later, knowing the others were in that house too – that was the rub.

“You too, man,” Sonic nodded, and he felt the utter urge to not say too much. He didn’t mean to make it so … awkward, and luckily Amy was offering lifelines as much as she could. Knuckles picked up on it, and gave it his all with his clownish self, yet still – awkward. It was something seemingly unavoidable, and yet didn’t make the unease go down any easier.

“Looks like your nephews and niece are having fun over there,” Cosmo gestured up into the backyard, with Sonic turning to see them running around, chasing some kids they had merely met ten minutes prior.

“They can have fun wherever they go,” Sonic chuckled, “They’re unhinged.”

“I know you’re not calling my kids unhinged,” A joking, husky voice popped into the conversation, turning heads to see Silver and Blaze approaching the group. Sonic was softened at the sight of people who were family, but seeing them all in the same spot, the same atmosphere, it began to make him spiral.

He held on though. He took one look at Sonia and Li Moon, and another at Amy, and he was anchored back to Earth.

“I am,” Sonic shrugged, “I think they may actually get it from me.”

Blaze gagged, “If my kids take anything from you it better be your talents and nothing more.”

“You love me,” Sonic rolled his eyes.

Blaze groaned, “Fine, maybe, whatever.”

Then, the air seemed to cut in half, when the door opened and Sonic met two crimson red eyes, standing next to a blonde hedgehog with ocean orbs of her own. It had been quite a long fucking time since he had seen Shadow, and if there was ever one relationship that was somewhat contentious, and certainly not resolved within their own issues, it was Sonic and Shadow.

Why? Who knows. Grievances, grudges, opinions on personal conduct – Sonic and Shadow rarely had much in common despite music. If not for a band, there was nothing there, and even with the band – still. Contention.

Maria approaches first, because that’s what you do in a situation where a bomb is armed.

“Sonic, hey! How are you?”

“Hey, Maria,” Sonic said, accepting her hug, “How’ve you been? You look great.”

“Thank you, as do you. We’ve been good. Busy. You keeping okay?”

Sonic shrugged, “Yeah – best I can.”

Then his eyes met Shadow’s – and Sonic can’t quite bring himself to smile … exactly. It’s almost like a half grin, a tick up in the corner of his lip that attempts to defuse some sort of situation that probably isn’t even happening.

“How are you man?” Shadow asks, and he sticks his hand out for a shake.

Neither were the type to hug each other. Even a handshake felt like sacrilege.

“I’m good, man. We’re good,” Sonic responded, putting his hand in Shadow’s and giving it a firm shake.

“Good to hear it,” Shadow responded, and then … silence.

If it was awkward before, now it was simply just painful. The tension was palpable, and it’s only just these people getting in their own ways. There should be no real issue here. They had years of shared history, years of silence and distance, marred by personal tragedies and grievances. And yet, you still can’t shake the past.

Twenty years ago, a band, and twenty years later a cloud of echoes.

“Well,” Amy spoke up, “This is sufficiently awkward and strange but … I’m really happy you all came for Selene’s birthday. It means so much, and – it means a lot to me, so … thank you.”

Blaze rubbed Amy’s arm, “Well, there’s only one of us missing.”

Obviously, the elephant in the room, or not in the room, was that one of The Seven was not present. Funnily, all eyes move to Knuckles, who only sighs. Suddenly, it begins to appear that some walls are starting to come down, and Knuckles thinks about the bat.

“I mean … did you invite her, Amy?” Knuckles asked.

Shit, right. She hadn’t told Knuckles that she did invite her. Partly because she was so busy ensuring that this day was absolutely perfect for Selene and judging by the sight of a filled-up backyard, a bouncy house, snacks and drinks, and decorations – it was. It was everything Selene deserved in a party to celebrate just how damn great of a kid she was.

And partly because how the hell does she tell Knuckles that, especially when they’ve seldom spoken to each other about Rouge since the collapse of their worlds twenty years ago.

“I … mentioned it to her, yeah. She said she might be able to stop by but … she’s busy.”

Knuckles nodded, taking a sip from his drink. “Well, that’s good. I hope she can swing by.”

Knuckles thinks back to his final interviews with Sonia – what it would be like to see her and just … talk. Knuckles is able to say that because in that moment, with a camera in his face and a microphone on his collar, he doesn’t think that would ever come to fruition.

And, like Sonic, Knuckles also seemed to look at tabloids and magazines with Rouge’s face on them a little more intently than he would with others. He would still find himself spending a day with Shade, doing all the wonderful things you do with a new “love”, and still wondering about what was happening in Rouge’s immediate life, despite her plethora of career accomplishments.

He would find himself listening to her albums when the world around him went quiet for the night, and it was just him and a record player. Or when he would hear her top-charting songs on the radio, pull the car into a nearby parking lot, and sit, listen, and let it wash over him. Digging through each song to get even a crumb of any sort of insight on what the world had become for Rouge, and where life had directed her.

What her current struggles were, what her joys were, what she had fallen in love with in the last twenty years since he had seen her.

There was no closure, like Sonic and Amy. It ended without a bang, or an explosion, or a truly real breakoff – just a drunk plea, a refusal, and then … nothing. Just a whimper. Loud enough to get Knuckles to redirect course on his lifestyle, but not loud enough to make Knuckles stop thinking about it.

“It would be good to see her,” Silver nodded, “Shit, I can’t remember the last time I saw her. Probably when Ashe was born, right?”

Blaze nodded, “I think so – at least for you. I know I saw her a few months ago.”

Then they looked at Sonic, who bit his lip.

“I … haven’t talked to her in … years. She came to a viewing when … Sally went, but – that’s it. I haven’t really stayed in touch.”

“Seems to be a theme with all of us, hm?” Shadow took a sip from his drink.

“Well, here we are now, so … now what?” Amy asked.

No one said a word. No one could muster a single word besides silent sips of their drinks, shared looks, and averted gazes at their shoes.

Standing in a circle was Six of The Seven, and unlike twenty years ago, nothing truly kept them tethered anymore.

They all led different lives, different careers – full of different circumstances, different experiences, different accomplishments and different tragedies. One in which the other members were not privy too.

Now what?

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

After cake, and some gift unboxing, Amy allowed Selene and her friends to keep playing the night away, despite the party slightly clearing out.

Sonia had bought a camera for Selene, which Amy at first was shocked by, nearly thinking it was too much – but seeing how much Selene loved it, and how much Sonia loved giving it to her, it soothed her worries.

As long as Selene knew to be supremely fucking careful with it, who was Amy to protest?

Amy had spent the last few minutes speaking with Whisper and Tangle, seeing how the band had gathered in the living room, with Sonic standing off to the side, while Silver, Blaze and Shadow were embroiled in a deeper conversation – and strangely, Knuckles as well looked generally pensive.

“Well … this shit is weird,” Whisper stated.

“Right,” Amy sighed.

“But, good, no?” Tangle asked, “I mean … this is a good thing.”

“You think?” Amy said, leaning her chin on her fists, atop the counter.

“I think it’s whatever you make it,” Whisper shrugged, “If you let it be awkward and tense, then it’s gonna be awkward and tense. But, man, who knows? Maybe this is a chance for all of you to … rebuild some lost bridges.”

“Maybe…” Amy sighed. She set her water down, stretching her neck. “Well, let me see if I can go defuse whatever … this is.”

“Good luck, babe,” Tangle winked, and Amy set out from the kitchen into the family room, taking a seat by Blaze.

Her eyes met Sonic, who was standing slightly off to the side. She tilted her head, patting the empty seat next to her on the couch. Almost like a damn dog, Sonic followed the hand, taking a seat next to Amy on the couch.

Tails and Cosmo had to take off for the night, with some heartfelt goodbyes to all involved, especially the birthday princess. This left the core members – just one missing.

“So, what are we gossiping about?” Amy asked.

“Oh, Shadow was telling us about how he got a call from a journalist about a documentary,” Silver turned.

“Did he now?” Amy raised an eyebrow, looking at Sonic.

Shadow leaned over to meet eyes with Sonic, “What’s your daughter know about that?”

Sonic sighed, “What she knows is that MGM wants a full production.”

“And so, what does this journalist want?” Shadow asked.

“I don’t know,” Sonic shrugged, “He must want comments or something. No one told you?”

Shadow shook his head. “Not until Blaze just now.”

“Does that make anybody … nervous?” Silver sighed.

“I don’t know,” Amy admitted, and Shadow took a drink.

“Not nervous, but confused? Yeah. Very confused,” Shadow leaned back into his seat. He turned to the pensive Knuckles, nudging him. “What do you think?”

Knuckles snapped out of whatever daze he was in, looking around at each member.

“Uhm – I – I don’t know. I mean, I guess if that’s what we have to do for the documentary, then … it’s what we should do, right?”

“But … do we have to do anything?” Shadow asked.

“I think we should,” Blaze leaned back, “We all drudged up our shit, we might as well get some spotlight off it. Plus, Sonia made a kickass documentary – she should be able to revel in that too.”

“True,” Shadow nodded, “She does deserve that.”

“The other question is, are we ready to do that … as a band?” Silver asked.

No one answered.

Then, a knock.

The heads turned to the door, and Amy squinted.

“Who is that?” Sonic whispered, to which Amy stood up with a scowl, furrowing her brow.

“I don’t know … parties good as over.”

Amy sauntered from the family room, taking one winding hallway to the foyer, where another set of knocks were placed on the mahogany doors. Amy pushed down her dress, fixing her hair quickly as she approached the door.

Opening the door slowly, her eyes widened when a white bat stood on the porch, wearing a beautiful coat with a power suit underneath. Rouge took her sunglasses off, her makeup brilliant as always, and her smile as gorgeous as ever.

“Sorry I’m late, babe? Can I still come in and say hi to the birthday girl?”

Amy beamed, throwing Rouge into a hug, the pair sharing a quick laugh. “Of course you can! She’ll be so happy to meet you. You’re the only one she hasn’t met yet.”

Amy had let Rouge into the foyer, the bat looking around the home in marvel. “Well, strange that Sonic has met her before me, but … wow, girl. This home is … so you. I’m so proud I might cry, bitch.”

Amy rolled her eyes, “Don’t cry, your eyeliner is too good.”

“I know!”

The excitement blinded Amy, as she led her through the hallways, that she forgot briefly about what exactly was waiting for Rouge when they walked back into the family room.

The sight of her old friend washed that tension away – so how much can she blame herself?

And of course, that crashes down when Rouge walks in, their eyes widen, and a red Echidna stands up.

Oh.

There you are.

It’s a weird feeling, and no one can place any words. Before anyone can give an enthusiastic greeting, they all stop and watch the way Rouge and Knuckles stare at each other.

So much unsaid in a gaze.

So much fire lost, now seemingly hitting a match, even for just one spark.

“Rouge,” Knuckles says in disbelief, his eyes wide.

Rouge takes a deep breath, looks around the room with a smile, before her eyes return to Knuckles.

“Hey,” Knuckles gasps out.

“Hey,” Rouge replies with one of her own, and for a moment, Amy’s eyes meet Sonic’s.

They say the same thing with their eyes.

From this moment on, this one instant in time – nothing was ever going to be the same again.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 17: The Distance

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It takes Shadow to break the ice, oddly, when Rouge walks in and stops Knuckles’ train of thought.

He stands up and gives the bat a hug, which is highly out of his comfort zone, but knowing what the ghost in this room had walked into – something so hellishly tense that was now just getting worse – it seemed rational for Shadow to be the one to ease things.

“Wow, a hug from Shadow,” Rouge mutters.

“Trust me,” He whispers in her ear, “I’m doing this for you, not for me.”

Blaze is next, and the bat clings to her like life depends on it – recalling the early days of the ‘70s where it really was just those two – before the moving force of The Seven collided with them and changed the trajectory of their lives forever.

Greeting Silver is easy enough too, and then Sonic stands up, and Rouge feels like she sees an apparition.

“Sonic the Hedgehog.”

“Rouge,” Sonic smiles.

“Weird that I’m seeing you in Amy Rose’s house of all places, but – here you are.”

The pair hug, and it’s stunted certainly – never were the closest in the group, but close enough that seeing each other after years and years of nothing could be easy enough. Easier than most, perhaps.

Then it comes to Rouge facing Knuckles, and it’s brutal. It’s not obvious where the brutality of such a sight lies, and there’s far too many ghosts standing idly in their way. No one can speak, let alone breathe – Sonic opts to face the other way and watch Selene running around in the backyard with other kids, while Tangle, Whisper, and other guests watch in earnest.

It was already too much for Sonic, and now it’s even more unrelenting.

Neither Knuckles or Rouge make any sudden movement, just funnily finding themselves breathing in sync. It’s a phenomenon that happens with only one person in your life, and no matter how much the distance stretches you out, you innately know if you were to lock eyes with that person again, things would simply pick up where they left off, even if that place where it left off was tattered, torn, and left in upheaval.

“It’s … good to see you,” Knuckles says, and he’s holding back something with his teeth.

“Yeah,” Rouge sighs, “You look … good.”

“Thanks,” Knuckles trails off, “Uh- you – you do too.”

“Thank you.”

Then Rouge steps forward, and Knuckles almost takes an instinctive step back. He stops himself from moving, and Rouge puts her arms around his shoulders and hugs him. Knuckles isn’t necessarily sure how to react, and he wonders if there’s even a right way to process that Rouge is hugging him, twenty years after he believed he would never see her again and accepting that outcome.

Then, he hugs her back, gives her a small squeeze – yet he looks petrified. Not because he’s afraid of Rouge, but now finally afraid of what them all being in the same room as each other twenty years later means.

She lets go before it can get any more comfortable, and stands off to the side slightly, putting her hands on her hips. She takes a deep breath and addresses the room.

“Well,” Rouge smirks uncomfortably, “This is quite the reunion.”

“Guess we should catch up then,” Shadow sighs, sitting back down on the couch.

But before anyone can speak, the backdoor opens and a small girl with a couple flowers in her grasp runs inside, her mismatched eyes big, her smile wide, her joy radiant.

“Mommy! Look at these flowers we picked out! They grew in the bushes!”

Amy smiles and kneels down, “Wow, how pretty are these. Who helped you pick them out?”

“Sonia did!”

Sonia is following closely by, with Li Moon in lieu, yet before they can add to Selene’s story, their eyes widen, looking around the room and realizing what it was they had just walked into.

“Holy…” Li Moon mutters, and Sonia clutches her hand instinctively.

“Hi everyone,” Sonia manages to smile, and the band returns such a gesture.

“Sonia,” Rouge smiles, “Look at you. God, you really are stunning – nice job, Sonic.”

Sonic shrugs, “Don’t look at me – she’s all Sally.”

“It’s nice to see you, Rouge,” Sonia smiles, giving the bat a hug, and it’s in that hug that Rouge’s eyes land on Selene, who is clinging close to Amy with curiosity.

“Well,” Rouge smirks, “This must be the famous Selene. I’ve heard all about you.”

“Mommy,” Selene whispers, “Who’s that?”

Amy snickers, “Selene, this is Mommy’s friend Rouge.”

“Nice to meet’cha,” Rouge winks, kneeling down to her level.

“You’re so pretty…” Selene trails off.

Rouge waves her hand with a snicker, “Me? Look at you! You’re the prettiest of all.”

“How do you know Mommy?”

Rouge smiles, “Well, your Mommy and I played in a band a long time ago.”

“The same band as Guy from Selene?”

Rouge gives Amy a raised eyebrow, and her emerald eyes flicker over to Sonic. The corner of Rouge’s painted lip tilts upwards, and she returns to Selene.

“Yes ma’am,” Rouge smiles, “Everyone in here played in the band with your Mommy and I. She told me I just had to come to your birthday party.”

“It was so fun!” Selene threw her arms up, before realization dawned in her eyes, “Ooh! Mommy! I need her autograph!”

Rouge met Amy’s eyes, who lowered towards the bat. “She’s had everyone sign her copy of Selene.”

Rouge tilted her head, “Well, if you can provide the marker and the record, I can sure give you my autograph.”

“Don’t move!” Selene cried out, darting from the room towards the stairs, her running steps descending further into the house. Rouge couldn’t help but laugh, rubbing Amy’s arm.

“She’s just like you,” Rouge cackled, “She’s wonderful.”

Amy smiles, “It’s like I said. She’s everything.”

“I’m glad.”

“Is that Rouge?!”

Rouge turns to the door to see Tails and Cosmo walking inside, with the bat immediately opening her arms for the seedrian.

“Coz! It’s been way too long, babe!”

“It’s so good to see you,” Cosmo smiled, “Goodness, you look incredible. Time has been kind to you.”

“Same to you, honey,” Rouge winked, giving Tails a hug. “And you’ve aged well too, Mister.”

Tails smiled, “Everything but my eyes, I suppose.”

“Glasses suit you,” Rouge smiled, before an out-of-breath toddler returned to her side.

“Here!” Selene exclaimed.

“Ah,” Amy warned, “What do we say?”

Selene swallowed real quick, “Sorry – could you please sign my record, Miss Rouge?”

Rouge smiled, accepting the black marker. “I surely could.”

Rouge’s eyes scanned the record – seeing everyone’s names already plastered around the record except for hers and Silver’s was a sight for heartbreak. Seeing Knuckles’ name doesn’t make it easier – remembering the slew of autographs the two would sign together on their nights out, which typically ended in an Echidna who was too intoxicated to function, and a bat that was way too frustrated having to lug him home, knowing a fight was coming and going.

She quickly scribbled her name in eloquent calligraphy, turning to Silver. “You haven’t signed this either, pothead.”

Silver’s eyes widened, as did Selene’s. “You were in the band too?!”

Silver stood up, hurrying to Rouge’s side. “I sure was!”

Rouge tosses Silver the marker, and Selene tilts her head. “What’s your name?”

Silver quickly holds his hand out, and offers a shake. “I’m Silver. I’m Sonic’s brother!”

“You’re Guy from Selene’s brother?”

Sonic is at Silver’s side now. “Can you tell?”

“Uh-uh,” Selene shakes her head, and Sonic snorts.

“It’s because I’m way better looking, right?” Silver whispers.

Selene shrugs, and hands him the record. “Can I get your autograph, please?”

Silver looks at Sonic, who gives him a shitty, knowing look – hearing Selene gloss over Silver’s question as if she answered it without answering it. Nevertheless, Silver took the marker and signed his name.

When Selene looks at the record, seeing everyone’s names signed across her copy – her little hands seem to grip it tighter – as if the importance of such a piece of history was finally dawning on her. Seeing everyone in the same place – she’s far, far too young to grasp the gravity of what was happening here, as well as the fact that it was all happening for her birthday.

A gift she didn’t understand, but possibly the greatest gift one could have.

Selene feels the need to address the room, showing them her record.

“Thank you guys for coming to my party and signing my record!”

“You’re quite welcome, Selene!” Blaze winks, rubbing her head.

“Anything for you, kid!” Knuckles replies.

Shadow nods, “Just don’t break that or your mom will ground your butt.”

And then Selene sees Sonic, who’s leaning against the couch with a soft smile. She walks towards him, and she hugs his leg. Sonic kneels down and hugs her, and she whispers a soft, yet certainly audible “Thank you.”

Rouge turns to Amy, “So…she’s met Sonic?”

Amy nods, “Mhm. A few times now.”

“And…?”

Amy shrugs, “She likes him, he likes her. Everything is happy-go-lucky.”

“And…?”

“And it’s kind of fucking scary?” Amy shrugs.

Rouge tilts her head, “Well, I’m standing in a room with Knuckles right now, so nothing is impossible, right?”

Amy sighs, “I suppose not.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Amy can’t quite take it – she steps out back to watch Selene play as the sun begins to set, and the kids begin to usher out. There are a few kids left, and Selene is certainly winding down – her and the remainder posted up in her eloquently royal treehouse.

Inside, Rouge is chatting with Tangle and Whisper. Shadow is chatting with Silver, Blaze, Tails and Cosmo. Knuckles is pensive, looking at family scrapbooks of Amy and Selene, certainly not within a comfort zone to be socializing.

Amy knows a conversation with all of them is coming. She knows a documentary is coming. She knows national interest will have its billions of eyes on them soon. Right now, she must choose to treasure this moment – a backyard in celebration over Amy’s greatest accomplishment in her years of great accomplishments – her daughter. Her Sun, Moon, and Stars.

Amy thinks that if she were to see a shooting star right now, streaking its burning tail across the pink and orange skies, she’d wish to remember how it feels to be standing here right now.

How it feels to be anything at all – because there is too much uncertainty in the future right now and Amy has never been good at grappling with the unknown that was inevitably coming.

For years, she’d scream down the hall and no one would answer her. It would be up to her to do whatever she wanted to – a rebel without a cause. Even when she would have hundreds, thousands, and millions singing her words along with the sound of her own voice – she was still lonely. That feeling when she was a kid, singing alone in her room without an ear to hear but her own, was inescapable in those days.

That’s the prism of fame, she thinks. Even when everyone seems to care about you, when everyone wishes the best for you and they don’t even actually know you – you start to crave that same kind of acceptance for people that do know you – and when you’re alone you resort to feeling the sensation of millions of strangers giving a shit about you, because at least it helps you feel a little less alone.

You start to realize that that’s even lonelier.

You could carve a part of your soul and give it to any fan on a small plate – they’d eat it like it was a meal on death row. You start to think that if you carved a piece of your soul for someone you wanted to care, they would retch their nose up in disgust and give it back to you.

It’s that loneliness that, for years, was inescapable, until she had Selene.

Then she knew that even if it was just the two of them forever, she would never feel alone.

 The door behind her opens, and she doesn’t turn around.

Sonic stands next to her, leaning over the railing of the large back porch. “How are you?”

Amy sighs. “How are you?”

Sonic shrugs, “Honestly … zen.”

“Zen?” Amy snorts, “I’ve never heard you say some shit like that before.”

Sonic smiles, “Well, can’t say I’ve ever felt it before.”

“Do you like how it feels?”

Sonic sighs, “It’s uncomfortable.”

“Yeah.”

They sit in silence for a minute.

“I don’t really know what’s going to happen,” Sonic breaks the silence, and Amy meets his eyes.

“And?” She asks.

“And I don’t know whether to be afraid or excited – or neither.”

“I know,” Amy nods, “Maybe this was … too much for you.”

Sonic sighs, “I came for you and Selene, you know? I mean – I’d put myself in any uncomfortable situation for that. Just – to see you guys happy. I don’t know. It’s a good sight.”

Amy’s warmed, and she crosses her arms. “I’m really happy you came.”

“I am too,” Sonic nods, “Even with all that happening inside.”

“Are you sure this wasn’t … too much?”

Sonic sighs, “It’s always gonna be too much, but – I don’t know, I feel like I can probably handle that.”

“I mean,” Amy’s eyes move to her shoes, “It doesn’t make you want too … you know…”

“Drink?”

Amy nods.

Sonic shakes his head, “No – I get why’d you ask. Being in a room with everyone again, just – the last time that happened I was such a fucking mess that I thought if I didn’t reach for my lifeline I would’ve drowned. It’s just unsettling to be better and be in the same room with all of them again. Makes you feel like you kind of have to drink or something to make it make sense. It’s like – it’s like I shouldn’t be able to function around all seven of you without a drink in my hand.”

“But we won’t, right?” Amy shrugs, “Because we can’t.”

“And we shouldn’t,” Sonic nods, “I just wish this shit would go away.”

“What do you mean?”

Sonic shuffles, “I mean – even when you beat it, it’s still there. It’s like some terminal illness you can’t get rid of.”

Amy senses the venom in those words – terminal illness holds a double meaning to him, and she wonders how long Sonic has been walking this Earth feeling like patient Zero – like he was a sickness.

“Even when you heal it doesn’t go away,” Amy sighs, “I know what you mean.”

“It’s not fair, right?”

Amy sighs, “What is fair?”

Sonic chuckles dryly, “Not a damn thing.”

“But … one day at a time, right?”

“One day at a time,” Sonic nods.

Amy leans over the railing again, watching the grass billow softly in a breeze that comes through quickly – the air smells like sea salt and lilies, it smells like peace.

“Do you ever feel like we’ve been out of fucking place for so long and maybe now we’re where we are supposed to be?” Amy blurts out, her words tumbling into each other like dominoes.

Sonic’s eyes widen a smidge, yet he registers what she says, and it makes an alarming amount of sense.

“Yeah, and it wears me out.”

Amy chuckles, “I don’t even think I know how it feels to be in the right place.”

“Or how it feels to be any place,” Sonic adds.

Amy knows no one possibly could understand her like Sonic can, because listening to him say what Amy thinks out loud, without her even daring to mutter it – like he’s finishing a sentence he knew she was thinking, but also knew she wouldn’t say herself.

“Being alive is so fucking …”

“Strange?” Sonic says.

“Exhausting, and … also strange. I don’t think I’ll ever know if I’m where I’m supposed to be, but … I think over the last month I realized that this is about as right as it could possibly get. This has been … the most unbelievable month of my life and I feel like it’s just going to get more and more unbelievable.”

“Literally unbelievable,” Sonic nods, “But … I also kind of like being alive. Even when nothing about it has ever gone the way I expected it would. It’s gone in the way it was supposed to and – and I think that’s what’s fucking weird about it. But, that’s also kind of what’s good about it. You can plan, and plan, and plan and it’ll do whatever it’s supposed to – and there’s no plan for that.”

“All I want,” Amy says through gritted teeth, “All I want is to make a world where Selene can be whatever she wants to be. That’s all I want from being alive. I just want her to be happy.”

“Same with Sonia,” Sonic nodded, “I guess the measure of a life is the gifts you give to others, right?”

“That, and … love, I guess,” Amy manages to get out. “I don’t know – could – could this thing inside the house be … a part of that kind of life? One where we actually … fit into the right place together? All of us?”

Sonic shrugs, “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know, but – if we don’t find out … we’ll probably regret it, right?”

“Probably,” Amy nods, “And … I don’t think I could live with myself if I had any more regrets than I already have.”

“Then… I guess we better go inside and see what the hell this is,” Sonic sighs. “It’s also getting late – how long can Selene even play before she tuckers herself out?”

Amy tilts her head, “Sonic, remind yourself who her mother is.”

Sonic snorts, shaking his head with a grin, “Touché, Amy, touché.”

When the sun starts to set, and life starts to feel even more fucking strange, Sonic and Amy – somewhere in the crevices of their minds – are happy they’re feeling that together.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Sonia offers to drive Selene and her cousins back to Silver and Blaze’s rental – with Amy accepting the offer of a slumber party – as much as it was true terror to let her go for a night, she knew she’d be in perfect hands with Silver and Blaze, as well as Sonia and Li Moon.

Amy feels that it’s okay for her to be alone for one night, because when she looks around the living room, seeing the entirety of the fucking Seven sitting around in a circle of couches and armchairs – she realizes that, no matter how painful, she’s not that alone.

Tangle and Whisper had gone out to grab some drinks and snacks, at Amy’s request because she knows she has to confront whatever this is.

“So,” Rouge takes a sip of wine, “When is this documentary coming out?”

Sonic is on the couch, on the right of Amy, while Shadow sits on the left.

“Sonia is finalizing a deal with MGM this week to produce it,” Sonic sighs. “It’s gonna come out second week of January I think – into the new year.”

“And they want us to…do press?” Rouge asks.

“If we’re up for it – yeah,” Sonic sighs. “They’ll want to do a press tour, and …”

“And?” Shadow leans forward. “Sonic, don’t say what I think you’re about to say.”

“They said that they would … be open to talking about … some sort of reunion set.”

“Like…” Silver trailed off, “Us … playing together again.”

Sonic nods wordlessly, and the room falls silent. Knuckles doesn’t look up from his hands, clasped over his knees. Blaze bites at her nail, and Rouge stares at her glass of Chardonnay.

“That…” Shadow trails off, “That’s not going to happen, right?”

“Why not?” Blaze shrugs, “You don’t think we’d be any good?”

Shadow sighs, “Am I the only one who’s still not convinced that being in this room with all of you fucks is actually happening right now? We can barely have a normal conversation – how could we possibly play together?”

“We did it once,” Knuckles finally speaks up, “We’ll be rusty, but so what?”

“Oh?” Rouge cocks her eyebrow, “So…you’d be up for that, Knuckles?”

“I – “ Knuckles stops, “I don’t know. I don’t know if I’d want to do press either.”

“Why not?” Rouge tilts her head, and she’s not satisfied at how fast he switches up when Rouge presses him. She doesn’t need to tolerate him lying when she interrogates him – it’s like nothing at all has changed, and so much has.

“Because it’s…too much.”

“You just said you’d be open to playing again,” Silver retorted.

“Well…maybe Shadow’s right, and it’s too much. Maybe it’s all just too much. I don’t know, man. Why are you all looking at me to be the deciding vote? Maybe I just don’t know what I want.”

“It’s all too much, but the documentary was fine?” Blaze raises an eyebrow. “We all had to talk our shit out.”

“Yeah, but we hadn’t actually talked about it to each other. So, does anyone want to answer the long burning question?” Knuckles shoots back.

Sonic rubs his eyes, “And what question is that?”

“Why the fuck did the band break up?”

Sonic sighs, “Knuckles, you – you were the one who left first. You came into my hotel room and told me you were out. Are you telling me that if Central City wasn’t a disaster, you would’ve stayed?”

“Maybe, but we won’t know because it all came apart anyways, right?” Knuckles sighs.

“Because it was supposed to,” Silver sighed, “Look – are we going to pretend that if we all continued on it wouldn’t have ended exactly how it did? At best, we maybe had the rest of that tour with us, and then after that we were as good as done.”

“Well, someone sounds very sure,” Shadow says, “Jesus, I was the one keeping that shit together.”

“Well,” Knuckles rolls his eyes, “You did a great job at that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Shadow growls, “So, it’s my fault that you were getting drunk all the time and pissing your girlfriend off, that Silver and Blaze, at the time, wanted completely different lives, and that-“

Shadow stops when his eyes meet Amy and Sonic’s. He sighs and leans back.

“Point is – I never wanted the band to break up. It felt like I was the only fucking one who actually wanted to keep it together. But you all were too busy fucking around with each other and – and I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but maybe it’s time we actually said these things to each other instead of talking it out to Sonia and her camera.”

“Amy,” Blaze tilts her head, “You’re being uncharacteristically quiet.”

Amy sighs, and Shadow tilts his own head towards the pink hedgehog. “Is it because you’ve already made up your mind and don’t want to dignify us with an explanation?”

Amy rolls her eyes at Shadow, “Boy, you know me so well.”

“I’d figure I do,” Shadow replies, “I’m the one you’ve actually kept close to over the last twenty years. Same with Knuckles.”

“Maybe I just want to hear what you guys think,” Amy sighs, “It was always Sonic and I speaking for everything, and – maybe I don’t know what I want out of this either.”

“Au contraire,” Shadow replies slyly, “You actually set us free from Blue Blur over there.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Sonic leans forward.

“It means that we just went along with whatever you wanted, and that when Amy came into the picture, we actually all had a say.”

“I wrote the songs – you all agreed to that,” Sonic sighed.

“Do we really want to get into this right now?” Shadow asked the room, “Why everything went to shit?”

“You already so eloquently said it was because we were all fucking around, and you were the noble hero trying to keep everything together. You never opened your mouth either, Shad,” Rouge said, “Why are you acting like what Silver said isn’t true? We had an expiry date – none of us wanted to actually open our eyes and see that.”

“I don’t think we had an expiry date,” Knuckles mumbles, and Rouge turns her gaze to him.

“You don’t?”

“No,” Knuckles sighs, “I just think – I think Shadow’s right. We were all too busy fucking around.”

“Who’s we?” Rouge raises an eyebrow, “I seem to recall that one of us was fucking around and the other was trying to get them to settle down a little.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault, great,” Knuckles mumbles again, more agitated this time.

“It’s not anyone’s fault, but if you would like to be the victim, go ahead,” Rouge sighs.

“You left me,” Knuckles suddenly hisses, and the room falls cold. “You left me at my lowest.”

“Because I had no choice – Knuckles, do you really think we should talk about this here? Is this really the forum to be airing this out?”

“Well, it’s part of why the band broke up. Sure, you made me look inward and whatever the fuck by leaving – thanks for that. But what? You didn’t think it wouldn’t hurt me?”

“I – “ Rouge stops, leaning back, “It hurt me too. Why do you get to be the only person who gets hurt here?”

“I’m not – I’m not saying that…”

“So, what are you saying then?” Rouge asks, with a certain fury in her eyes that was seemingly lost to time until now.

“I’m saying … I’m saying that I fucking hate the way this all ended, and the way you and I ended.”

“Well, that makes two of us,” Rouge spits, and takes a sip of her wine. “But I don’t like how you make it out to be my fault.”

“It’s not…” Knuckles trails off, sighing with a certain hint of agitation that he ends up sitting back instead. He chooses to say nothing, though there is so much more he’d like to say.

“Knuckles, if you’d like to talk about this, we can. But I didn’t drive all this way to fucking fight with you like it’s the ‘70s again.”

“See what I mean?” Shadow starts, “How the hell could we possibly think about playing in a band together again?”

“So, what – we just don’t play?” Amy asks. “We just do press, watch the documentary, go ‘Hey! Really loved reliving my past guys! See you never!’ Is that what we want to do?”

“I don’t like not seeing you all,” Blaze speaks up, “I don’t like that, and I also don’t like this.”

“What do you mean by this?” Rouge asks.

“We can’t even disagree on something civilly,” Blaze sighs, “It really is always gonna be a fight with us, isn’t it?”

“Must be how we’re wired,” Sonic sighs.

“And,” Blaze says firmly, “I don’t like that the band broke up. I wanted us to experiment, to write more songs, to work with more people, to tour more places, win more fucking Grammy’s – and I wanted us to play fucking music, man.”

“And then it ends the same way it did?,” Rouge sighed.

“It doesn’t…have to be a thing,” Silver shrugs, “If we do a set, it could just be a one-time thing, and just … work on … us, I guess.”

“If there is an us,” Knuckles sighs.

“Yet, I also think we’ve all moved on,” Silver shrugs, “Is it even worth opening that door again? We’ve done our healing – I don’t think it would be cowardly to let that be.”

“Sounds like someone’s a little afraid of going back,” Blaze raised an eyebrow.

“No, but” Silver sighed, “I have everything I want in life – what does going back serve me except remembering why everything got fucked up in the first place?”

“I understand, but what is cowardly is refusing to turn around and see how far you’ve walked from where you once stood,” Blaze responds.

“Why do I even need to do that?” Silver shrugs exasperatedly, “I know I’ve healed, I know we are better – it doesn’t serve me anymore. You just want to get the band back together.”

“Oh, what? So, you think it’s easy for me too?” Blaze raised an eyebrow. “You think it’s easy for me to live twenty years in the past right here, and right now? You think it’s all just because I want to get on stage and play with my old band? I’m not that fucking shallow, Silv.”

“I’m not – I’m not saying you are.”

“Then what?”

“I’m just saying maybe we should accept that the past is the past for a reason,” Silver sighed, “Doing some press, doing some – scripted talk show…that’s one thing. That musical language we all had – that’s twenty years collecting dust. I said we had an expiry date and I – I meant that. Opening the lid a little bit is one thing – but taking out the duster? I don’t think any of us are actually ready to do that.”

“I know what I went through,” Blaze nodded sharply, “And I know what I’m ready to do.”

“Well – that’s you, then. That’s not me,” Silver sighs.

“And you two?” Blaze turned to Amy and Sonic, “You guys really don’t have anything to say?”

Amy and Sonic looked at each other, both of their eyes clouded in doubt.

“You were the people we orbited our moons around,” Blaze sighed in defeat, “You both got us here. So, what do you guys want?”

Amy finally sighed, standing up from the couch and pacing around the room. She feels the lid on her lips slip off and clatter onto the tile.

“I – I want a world where my daughter is happy. I want to give my daughter a life where she can do anything she wants – be anything she wants. That’s all I fucking want in this life. I hate the fact that you all can come back into my life and make me think about this shit because honestly? I was actually pretty fucking content.”

“What do you mean you all?” Sonic asked, leaning forward.

“I mean you all, and that includes you. Sonic, you and I – we – we are doing great but … God damnit – if I knew this was what was going to come of this? I would’ve shut the door on you. I love all of you people, but this drives me fucking insane. Obviously, I would love to play with you guys again, and fucking obviously it makes me so happy that you’re all in my house right now – but why the fuck should I do any of that? I have exactly what I want right now! I have my home, my daughter, my life, my career – that’s all I’ve ever wanted, and I have it right now.”

She turns to Sonic.

“And you – you see me like no one else sees me – so I know you’re on the exact same page as me.”

“Sonic?” Rouge turns, “Is that true?”

Sonic sighs, “Yeah … it is. I don’t know if I have the strength to get into this.”

“What does that mean?” Shadow asks.

“It means that in twenty years I got clean, got my family back, got my shit together, lost the love of my life, and didn’t pick up a guitar and write a song once because I realized … I realized that this was the life I wanted, even if I knew it was coming down on top of me – even though it wasn’t going to last – I never wanted to step on stage again. I still don’t. The thought of doing that makes me fucking ill.”

“And you think we’d leave you high and dry up there?” Silver asks.

“It’s – it’s not about that,” Sonic shakes his head, “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Sonic,” Shadow starts, “You were many things, but I don’t think complicated was one of them.”

“Then you don’t know me at all,” Sonic spat. “If I’m being honest, with the state that I’m in with performing, no – I don’t think someone like you, Shadow, would have my back up there.”

“And why is that?”

“Because you didn’t then?” Sonic shrugs, “And you wouldn’t now. Just because I’m a guy who lost his wife doesn’t mean you feel any differently about me.”

“I did have your back – but I also knew you. And I knew that you drove me fucking crazy.”

“I did my best with all of the shit going on in my life to make it work in the best way for everyone involved,” Sonic hissed.

“You were an ass then, you’re probably an ass now, and I understand your life has gone to hell and back more times than a person deserves – but you were not a fucking saint,” Shadow spits.

“Did I fucking say I was a saint?” Sonic growls. “How does this have anything to do with what I just said? Were you just waiting to fucking tear into me?”

“You can’t just prop up all the bad things that happened as a deflection from the question. You can’t just say ‘Well, I don’t really feel like it.’ We’ve all been very fucking honest tonight about how we feel about getting up on stage again. We’ve been extremely sympathetic to everything you and Sonia have gone through in the last year, and we understand this shit is hard. However, you walking up to Amy’s door means you had one eye on bringing the past back, even if it was in a small dose. It means you’re ready for something – so what is it?” Shadow finished.

Sonic swallowed, stealing a look at Amy who was watching the spat with close eyes.

“I’m – I’m ready to maybe try and put a different version of me back into people’s lives and see if that’s actually possible or not. I’m not who I was twenty years ago. I would’ve burnt out if I was. I had no choice but to change, and I had to. For me, and especially for my family. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to put a guitar over my shoulders and go on stage. Why can’t you respect that?”

“Sonic,” Shadow rubs his face, “It’s not about respecting that or not. I do respect that, and I understand completely. What I don’t like is that you continued to skirt the question instead of just being fucking honest about how you felt.”

“And I was honest,” Sonic says firmly.

Shadow puts his hands up with a nod, “You were, and so I concede.”

“I just – “ Sonic starts, sighing, “I just don’t know what you guys want from me. Yeah, I was your fearless leader or whatever twenty years ago – but it’s … different. I can’t fathom being that again. It’s not in my blood anymore. Amy and I have been on the same page for the last five years – what we have now is what matters to us. It’s what’s important to us now. If stepping on stage, even for a few shows, jeopardizes that – I can’t. I can’t do it.”

“In tonight’s biggest turn of events, Sonic and Amy make the most reasonable sense,” Knuckles snickers.

“I’d love nothing more than playing with you all again,” Amy concedes, sitting on the side of the coffee table, “I mean – that feeling? When I remember having to leave you guys, knowing there was no coming back? You can’t scrub something like that off your skin. We were fucking magic. Why wouldn’t I want to go back to that? But … if it’s like this? Fighting, and grudges, and grievances, all that stupid shit – it’s not worth it. Because I have a girl at home that needs me. I have a life that I’ve worked so fucking hard for and I will never forgive myself if I fuck that up in any way. But…it doesn’t change that I’d give anything to be on stage with you guys again, because … we were meant to be on stage together, weren’t we?”

It's silent now, and it’s uncomfortable, but it’s like a cocoon opens on a nearby tree, and a butterfly claws its way out, guts and galore, and soars into the air – not knowing the dangers that lie ahead for it and choosing to rage against the perils of the world and fly, no matter the price it might pay.

“So … I guess we’ll think on it, then?” Rouge asks.

“No,” Knuckles sighs, “I’ve made up my mind.”

All eyes turn to the Echidna.

“If you guys want to get on stage again … I’m there. All this other bullshit … it’ll be what it is. There’s nothing I, or any of us, can do about that. It’s just a part of who we are, and that’s not ever going to change, but … fuck it, man. You were my family. In all honesty, you were my only fucking family. I’d be a fucking idiot if I didn’t take even the smallest shot of feeling like I was with my family again.”

“And if others in the room aren’t ready to feel like that again?” Silver asked.

“Well, I’m sure we’ll all be here waiting for you,” Knuckles nods firmly.

“I think,” Shadow sighs, “I think we’ve all known the answer the entire time we’ve been arguing, and we’ve just been too afraid to say it.”

Sonic sighs, “I need more time.”

Shadow nods, “Okay. I’m sure we can all respect that.”

“We have to,” Amy nods, “Because if we can’t extend that courtesy, we’re really not ready to do this shit.”

“This is…kind of scary,” Rouge sighs, taking a sip from her wine.

Then Sonic leans forward again, and a small hint of that old, steely determination returns from years ago.

“When has that ever stopped us?”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 18: Glory Box

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

CHRISTMAS DAY

Renting a cabin for a White Christmas was always on Amy’s bucket list when she had Selene. Christmas was certainly one of the more difficult holidays – it’s ripe perfect for forcing you to remember what it is that you don’t have.

Yet, when she had Selene, knowing she now had that thing she didn’t before, she vowed to make sure every single Christmas was special for her. Her first Christmas was fine to be in the comfort of her home, yet when she got older, they’d find themselves doing Twinkle Park Christmas, Sunny Beach House Christmas, and even joint holiday celebrations with Shadow and Maria.

Next on her list was a White Christmas, and so Amy rented a cabin in the white winter woods and mountains, just the two of them. For nearly the entire time Selene has been making her terror known on this planet, it was just the two of them. Amy never saw fit to change that – not until now.

And no wrong ideas here – Amy does not, and will not ever, need anyone else. It’s not what she thinks she needs to happen, it’s what deep down she probably wants but cannot allow herself to confront that.

It’s not necessary right now. What’s necessary is crossing off another perfect holiday.

Her mind just can’t help but cut its leash loose – she wonders how difficult these last holidays had been for Sonic and Sonia. She knows the answer and it guts her real good – perhaps hearing her voice would help? But no – why would she be so selfish and arrogant to think that would fix anything?

With some downtime though, she calls. She’s three hours ahead, so she does not expect anything.

Yet, he still answers, strangely how she knew he would.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Ames. Did I wake you?”

“Yes, you may have,” Sonic chuckles – it’s clear he doesn’t mind.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say stuff you don’t mean, Amy,” Sonic replies, “You know you’re three hours ahead of me.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m just … bored.”

“Bored? On Christmas Day? What is this nonsense? Nothing for you under the tree?”

“I’m afraid I got the same present I always want. A wild and wide-eyed five-year-old who’s way too stubborn like her mother. I’m afraid I checked off my gift list with her.” Amy quips.

“Well, you deserve to have some gifts to open too,” Sonic says, his eyes wandering to a couple velvet boxes – some gifts he had bought for the girls a week or two ago, primed to hand out when he sees them next.

“That’s okay. This whole month has been some gift, in some weird, twisted way.”

“Like our reunion blowout at the birthday party?”

Right, Amy thinks.

“That’s definitely some gift. You been thinking about that at all over the last weeks?”

“Yeah, here and there. I’ve managed to keep myself distracted, in all honesty. It’s not real yet so I don’t let my mind wander too much. Probably not the healthiest way to go about it.”

“What? Ignoring it like it didn’t happen?” Amy jokes.

He laughs in response. “Right. Exactly like that.”

“Have you talked to any of them?”

“Uh … Silver and Blaze. Knuckles a little bit. I haven’t spoken to Rouge or Shadow since then. Not really sure what to say. I don’t even know if I have their numbers.”

“You want them? I’ll be glad to pass it along.”

“You know what, for right now I’ll pass,” Sonic chuckles.

“Message received. I mean – seeing everyone was actually … kind of nice, despite everything. Do you agree?”

“Uh … can I be honest?”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to lie.”

There’s a moment of silence.

“I don’t know that I … loved it.”

“Is it too hard to go back?”

“It just seemed so … it seemed like a waste of time hashing it out. I reconciled with my issues during the documentary. Now that I did that … I don’t see a reason to do it again.”

“So, you don’t want to be in their lives, or…?”

“It’s not that, it’s just … if it’s going to be like that, I’ll pass. I have too much going on upstairs anyways. That shit is just … way too much noise.”

“Yeah…” Amy pauses, “But was Shadow right? You coming back, it – it must mean you were ready for something, right…?”

Amy knows what she’s asking. She is confident Sonic knows what she’s asking too. What she’s unsure of is whether he’s going to answer the subtext of that question.

In all honesty, Amy is surprised by her boldness in asking something like that. Maybe it’s the Christmas spirit, she thinks, or maybe she’s been thinking about it so much all alone with her mind she wonders if he has been thinking about it also.

“Maybe. I don’t know. I knew I was ready to … see you again and … maybe see what would happen there. I don’t know. I’m too fucking afraid to actually take giant leaps forward but…”

“Is seeing me again some small leap or something?”

“No, definitely not. But there are clearly other leaps with you and I that … probably require more nuance, right?”

“Right… probably,” Amy concedes.

It’s quiet for a moment, and before Amy can let her anxiety take over the flight deck, Sonic changes the subject.

“But, I must ask – don’t you have a five-year-old hanging from the ceiling or something? How can you possibly be bored? I remember when Sonia was that age – there was never quiet on Christmas.”

Amy accepts this topic and wills her anxiety away. “Well, she’s been outside since first thing this morning.” Amy looks out the window to see Selene in the snow, the sun shining bright over the white wonderland. “There’s wrapping paper all over the floor, and she forgot about every present the minute the sun came up. Not that I’m really complaining, though. I’m happy she likes the snow.”

“So, I take it she’s enjoying her first White Christmas?”

“Oh, time of her life. I can’t count how many times she’s fallen face first into the snow. Tried to build a snowman, too. Turns out we both suck at it.”

“Oh, c’mon. Building a snowman isn’t that hard.”

“You’re only saying that because you grew up doing that shit in Knothole. Unfortunately for me, I grew up in sunny California. Can’t exactly build sandmen or whatever.”

“You should be outside with her, you know. There’s only so many Christmases you get before she gets older.”

“You’re spending it with Sonia.”

“Yeah, but she’s an adult now. It is different. I love that you called, and of course I love talking to you, but don’t give me any of the time you could be spending with her.”

“I know I just … missed your voice.”

Now that, she thinks, is much, much more bold. She almost instinctively covers her mouth the minute it comes out, but cursed damned mind it’s been said. Cursed damned tongue it’s out there and he’s heard it and she heard it and fucking Christ it’s out there.

“I missed it too. But I know I would give anything to back to when Sonia was that age and we were making snow angels, or building snowmen, or whatever. I don’t wanna be the reason you miss out on that with Selene.”

“God, I hate when you’re right. Even though it doesn’t happen often.”

Sonic snorts. “Maybe I’ll get you a Grinch sweater to match your holiday mood.”

“Maybe, but … who knows? Now that you’re in my … life or whatever … we can all do a Christmas together? You know, me and ‘Lene, you and Sonia?”

Bold. Bold. Way too fucking bold? Jesus, what is up with her right now?

“I’d love that. We can do stockings, have a snowman building contest which you will lose by the way, bake cookies, watch dumb Christmas movies…”

When Amy is silent, Sonic picks up that something is off. He isn’t sure where he went wrong, for all he knows is he’s just expanding on her proposition.

“Hey, is something wrong?”

“Nothing,” she responds, but there are certainly tears in her throat, and she wasn’t exactly clever at hiding that. She’s sure he can tell, yet she’s happy to know he can’t hear her heart aching.

“We don’t have to do any of that stuff if that’s not what you enjoy, you know?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just – no one’s every really cared to do any of that with me before.”

 “What about Selene?”

“Selene asks for whatever she’s seen in the movies, and I just give that to her, Sonic,” Amy states, “She gets whatever she wants on Christmas, no questions asked. That’s how I ended up in this cabin in Floral Forest. She wanted a White Christmas this year, so she got it.”

“Well, what about what you want?”

“I want her to have the happiest Christmases. That’s what I want.”

“Well, I think you should have that too.”

“Speaking of Selene, I should probably go check on her…” Amy trails off, biting her lip.

“Amy…”

She doesn’t answer when he calls her name.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Amy says, “But everyone has those traditions.”

“I wasn’t trying to impose any of them on you, Amy,” Sonic bites, and it’s defensive – which he instantly regrets when she bites right back.

“I didn’t say you were!”

“Then what’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing, Sonic. That is just something I promised myself I’d never wish for again.”

“I’m – I’m sorry, Amy. I’m … I’m really sorry.”

Amy can hear the gut-felt honesty in that apology. It’s not even his fault, she thinks – he doesn’t have anything to apologize for. He was harmless in his suggestions – it’s yet again only Amy’s train of thought blocking her tracks of any meaningful progression.

“It’s fine, Sonic.”

“It clearly isn’t.”

“Sonic, I – I promise you, it’s fine. I don’t want to fight with you on Christmas of all days.”

“I don’t either,” Sonic replies, “Can I do something to fix it?”

“Get me that sweater next year.”

“You got it. You can have whatever you want.”

“And if I want a unicorn?”

“You can have that too.”

“You sound very confident that you could get your hands on a unicorn.”

“Well, I know it’s not what you actually want. So, what did little Amelia want for Christmas this year?”

“A magical day.”

“And did you get that?”

“Yeah … yeah, I did.”

“Well, let’s hope you get it too when we all do a little holiday combo.”

“I can’t wait for that.”

“Just promise me one thing.”

“Shoot.”

“Promise me that you’ll hang up the phone right now and go be with your daughter. Go figure out how to build the perfect snowman.”

Amy snorts. “Alright, I’ll bite. Should we chat later tonight?”

“Sounds perfect. Merry Christmas, Amy.”

“Merry Christmas, Sonic.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

The snowman takes a few hours to build, and it’s…mostly perfect.

Three round snowballs, a disheveled, misshapen head. A couple rocks for eyes and a mouth. A twig for a nose that’s all bent and deformed it looks like he could use his nose to pick a lock. Not having a hat nearby, they settled for sticking a leaf on the top of his head.

“So, what do we name him?”

“Hmm,” Selene inspects with a thumb on her chin, “How about…Snowy.”

“Snowy, huh? You sure that’s the right name for him?”

“Well, what do you think Mommy?”

“What about…Louis?”

“Louis?” Selene asks with a gasp.

“What’s wrong with Louis?!”

“It’s not very…Christmas.”

“Well, my apologies, Princess. I think Snowy is a perfect name.”

Before Selene can say anything, she grabs Amy’s gloved hand, leading her through the thick trudge of snow.

“Mommy! Let’s make snow angels!”

“Okay! Okay! Jeez – slow down, baby! You’re gonna fal-“

Splat.

It takes a war of epic proportions to stifle the laughter that threatens to spill out of Amy’s mouth when she sees Selene go face-first into the snow. Amy lets out a snort when Selene lifts her head from the snow, her face covered from eyebrow to mouth. Amy bends down, getting her own knees deep into the snow.

“You alright, baby?!”

“All good!” Selene says with a thumbs up, spitting a few chunks of snow from her mouth. “Get down here with me!”

Selene wraps her small hand around her mom’s wrist, pulling her down to the snow with a yelp from the hedgehog into the snow. She rolls over onto her back with a laugh, and Selene spreads her limbs out.

“Snow angels! Snow angels!”

“Okay! Okay!” Amy laughs.

She watches Selene’s arms and legs spread out, moving up-and-down and leaving a perfectly small, delicate snow angel behind her. Amy copies her movements, and soon they stand up to admire their creation in the snow.

“Look, Mommy! We did it! Best snow angels ever!”

“Look how tiny yours is. Gosh, stop growing up!” Amy says, clutching her daughter and giving her a squeeze, to which Selene protests.

“Ah! You’re so cold!”

“Well, you wanted a White Christmas!”

“And you wanted…a snowball!”

Suddenly, Selene breaks free and grabs some snow, slinging it back and slugging Amy right in the chest. She yelps, watching the snickering, mischievous child darting away as fast as her little legs will allow.

“I’ll get you for that, ‘Lene!”

Cupping some snow in her hands, she pelts it at Selene, who lets out a scream of delight. Suddenly, very, very soon – it’s a snowball war.

Amy loses count at how many snowballs are sent hurtling through the air, and how many slug her in the chest, in the gut, even in the head.

Selene ducks behind trees, behind Snowy, behind their car – Amy wonders how Selene got so masterful at the art of war.

Perhaps it’s in her blood – being her daughter is being privy to the treachery of war, she thinks. It’s something she requires herself as a mother to protect her from – by any means necessary, she thinks.

She pauses on that thought, but yet of course, a snowball slamming into her gut takes her out of it, and she’s quick to retaliate.

For the minutes that go by – all she hears is Selene’s cackling laughter. It’s her only wish in the world that she never has to stop hearing that laugh. That she never stops feeling that she’s done everything in her willpower to give Selene the moments and memories she deserves to have.

A world where she can be anything, do anything – be happy anywhere.

It even warms her blood watching Selene, in her big bulky winter jacket, having the time of her life – knowing she would have given anything to unlock these kinds of core memories as a child.

If Selene can have the childhood Amy never did – she’s content. She needs nothing else.

When the sun begins to set, Amy and Selene find themselves in the living room with hot cocoa, pajamas and a beautiful view of the mountains far in the distance. The Ice Cap Mountains were always some of Amy’s favorites.

Christmas movies play on the television, and having Selene snuggle up to Amy – she would change quite literally nothing.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, honey?”

“What were your Christmases like when you were little?”

Amy took a deep breath, her eyes widening at the question.

“Well… I didn’t really … have any Christmases.”

“You mean … Santa didn’t come to your house?”

“Well, he did … but it wasn’t like this.”

“What was it like, then?”

“Well…it was actually, kinda lonely.”

“Lonely? Why?”

Amy shifts. “I don’t know … Mommy just didn’t really have any family to celebrate with.”

“That’s wrong…”

Amy is warmed at just how mature she is, emotionally, for her age. “You’re right, but that’s why we always do such fun stuff for Christmas. Because you’re my family now, and I want you to have the best holidays, you know?”

“This was the best one yet…”

“You think so?”

“Mhm,” Selene nods, “I love the snow.”

“Me too, honey.”

“Can we have snow for every Christmas?”

“Oh, yeah? You wanna come her every Christmas?”

“Yes!” Selene exclaims, “The snow is my favorite thing in the whole world!”

“The whole world?! You like snow more than me?!”

“You’re different.”

“And why am I different?”

“Because you’re Mommy,” Selene says matter-of-factly.

“Because I’m Mommy, right,” Amy snorts, pressing a kiss to her head, “This has been my favorite Christmas too.”

“Can we take Snowy home with us?” Selene suddenly asks, and Amy sighs.

“I’m sorry honey, but he’ll melt if we take him home. It’s too hot for him in California.”

“Maybe we should live here then!”

Amy snorts, “Maybe, but you know I hate the cold.”

“Well, you better love it, because when I grow up, I’m gonna live here!”

“Oh, yeah? Well, just for you, I’ll suck it up.”

“Good. We can have Christmas here every year!”

Amy smiles, squeezing her daughter tight. Everything is in its right place.

“If that’s what you want baby, that’s what you’ll get.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Selene is in bed, and Amy steps out of Selene’s room just in time for the phone to ring. It startles her at first. She can only assume it’s Sonic, as who else would know the number here?

So, she heads to the couch and sits down, picking up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey – it’s Sonic. Bad time?”

“No, actually – Selene just went to bed.”

“Okay, good, because we have something … kind of serious to talk about.”

Amy’s heart drops for a moment.

“Oh – o – okay? Something … serious? What do you mean?”

“Well, I just got a call, and…”

She can hear him shuffling on the other end, and her heartbeat starts to pick up. She holds the phone closer instinctively, whispering ferociously into it.

“Sonic? Spit it out – what – what’s wrong?”

“Okay, okay, well – the guy from MGM called today. He talked to Sonia and I. A release date for the documentary is finalized. January 25^th. A month from now.”

“Oh…holy shit.”

“Right, but that’s not all. Look, you – he’s probably going to call you, or – or your publicist or whatever in the next few days.”

“About…?”

“About … a press circuit. They have one ready to go.”

“Okay…” Amy trails off, feeling her breath quicken. “And…what does it entail?”

“Talk show with Big. Interviews with big magazines. Photoshoots. Roundtable talks. All that good shit. Once we all sign off on it, it’s good to go, but … we don’t have that long. We all have to make a decision and … well, we need to make one quickly.”

Amy’s pacing now, holding the phone and rubbing an agitated hand through her hair. She had thought, no, prayed this thing would go away. After the blowout at her house, knowing no one was on the same page about anything – the idea of doing anything now just seemed more frightening than it did a mere month ago.

“And what does that … decision mean?”

“Such as if we’re all game to do it or not. They said if one or two people don’t, they’ll still go ahead and do it with the remainder. But three or more say no and – no press.”

“Fuck…” Amy trails off, taking a deep breath. “Okay, so – what are you thinking?”

“I’m … thinking we’re fucked, huh? I mean – I don’t even know what I want to say.”

“What does Sonia think?”

“I mean … the documentary, it – it’s her baby. She would be ecstatic if it led to something like this but … I don’t know – she also understands it’s a … delicate thing.”

“Yeah…so – we need to get everyone together and talk about it, don’t we?”

“Yeah, they – they need a decision by like … next Thursday.”

“Fuck…” Amy trails off.

“You okay?”

Amy sighs. “I … guess so?”

“Okay, because … that’s not all.”

“What?” Amy’s breath catches in her throat, “Sonic, what else? What else do they want?”

“Um…”

Amy listens for something, anything, from him – but she knows. She knows what he’s about to say and it’s petrifying.

“No…seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“A fucking reunion show? They want us to … play together?”

“Yeah. When I said they’d be open to talking about that? Well, that’s how they had made it seem. Turns out, they had figured that this documentary would be so successful and so busy in the news circuit that it would be like … ridiculous for us to not do a show. They always assumed we’d do one. They’ve apparently always wanted us to.”

“Fucking production companies.”

“Right. Fucking production companies.”

“Well, I mean – wh – what do we do? We have to … get everyone together and talk about it, don’t we?”

“Yeah, we do. They said they’ll be calling everyone like…tomorrow. I told them you’re on vacation and won’t be back until Saturday, so they won’t call you yet, but…it’s coming.”

“Fuck,” Amy mutters again, “Well…between you and us…what do you want?”

Sonic is silent for a moment.

“I – I think I can stomach press. A show…”

“You’re not ready to be on stage.”

“Yeah, but … I don’t think I’ll ever be exactly ready to be on stage.”

“Okay, so...what does that mean?”

“Either it means I say no, or it means that … I suck it up because despite me not ever being ready for that it doesn’t mean I can’t, right? Sure, I’m twenty years rusty, but … it doesn’t mean I can’t just say fuck it, right?”

“Okay, but Sonic, you – you can not put yourself in a position where you’re going to crack, you know?”

“I do, but I also know that this shit is never going to go away and if I don’t face the music, it’ll just have power over me, and I’m so sick of shit that’s out of my control having that power over me.”

“You and me both…”

“I mean – you – you have a successful solo career, you’re obviously extremely comfortable being on stage … what do you want?”

Now it’s Amy’s turn to be silent for a moment.

“I meant what I said at my house. We were all meant to be on stage together. I don’t think it was just Espio having a crack-pot idea, I – I think he felt that too. I think it was some sort of divine hand that put us all on our paths together. It’s magic when we’re all on stage together, but … I also know that there’s so much shit and history there that … that sucks shit, honestly. I don’t know – I …”

“Yeah?”

Fuck it.

“I think I’d do it. I don’t know if I can explain it, I – I don’t think I can. But all I know is we were meant to be onstage together. I told you I don’t want to keep living with more fucking regrets, and I – I meant that. I feel like I’d regret it down the road if I said no.”

“I … feel like I would too.”

“So … what, we just … have to talk to everyone?”

“Yeah, I mean … are you sure that you’d want to do it?”

Amy sighs. “No, I’m not sure. Honestly, it felt sick saying what I just said, and now I wish I could take it back, because clearly I don’t actually know what I want … but I do know I’d regret it if I said no.”

“Right, but…maybe we wouldn’t regret it?”

“Maybe not, but I can’t see into the future, and so…right now, yeah, that’s where I’m leaning.”

It’s silent for another moment.

“I guess we … have some shit to think about, and some people to talk too.”

He shuffles.

“Are you ready for that?”

Amy sighs, and plops back down on the couch. She wraps the cord around her wrist, takes a deep breath, and shakes her head.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 19: Rusty Cage

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

It’s obvious to her now, that taking the two weeks to avoid the situation would only come back around and bite her in the ass. She could have hoped and prayed that perhaps an agreement would be a simple task, yet she’s also not quite that naïve.

So, when Sonic calls and tells her she should be expecting a call from a production company and that they’d need an answer by next week, clearly she is praying for something to come and wipe this clean from her view. It’s the last thing she needs.

She hasn’t even fully processed the band’s last discussion. She should’ve expected it might have gotten heated, and she should’ve expected that pushing it back wouldn’t help.

She had discussed it in good detail with her therapist, who so eloquently helped her realize that Shadow was right in saying that she, as well as they, all knew the answer yet were too deathly afraid of saying it. Not only were Amy’s emotional grievances with the way that part of her life concluded coming back, but her therapist helped her understand that their grievances, perhaps different than hers, were resurfacing too.

Pick patience and grace, and don’t bite so quickly. It’s not Amy’s nature, but it could be if she’d stop fighting it.

She waited all day on Sunday for a phone call, and it didn’t come. When she got back on Saturday, she was nearly expecting a voicemail on her answering machine, but nothing. It’s Monday and she just got back from dropping her daughter off at school, and of course that’s when the phone rings, and it’s a number she doesn’t recognize.

She lets it ring for a second, partly because she doesn’t owe anyone her immediate attention, and partly because she’s too fucking scared to speak about doing something that, at first, seemed like a distant-future issue, and now is in fact one that is pressing and requires her immediate attention – something she’s not so sure she’s prepared to give.

So, with a couple smacks to the eyes, she picks it up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Amy Rose? Your publicist Belle put me in touch with you. Hopefully, this is the correct number.”

“This is. Who am I speaking too?”

Amy’ s sitting on the couch in a buttoned up white dress shirt and slacks, her boots sit daintily beside her, and her hair falls in her face from a messy ponytail. The house is quiet except for her heart pounding.

“This is Clutch Opossum, I work in the CEO office of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. How are you doing?”

Amy sighs, “I’m – I’m well, thank you for asking.”

“And congratulations on your new album. My daughter – she’s a big fan of yours.”

“Oh, ah – thank – thank you. That’s very kind.”

“I understand you were just on vacation, so I didn’t want to reach out until you were settled back in. I understand you went up to the Ice Cap?”

It unsettles Amy how casually this guy is speaking to her – she’s not looking for any new friends, any more small talk with powerful people, or any more making herself amenable to people above her, hoping to use her to grind some bucks. They don’t care much about the inner-personal feelings of the band; they just need to bleed some cash and cap some profits – all on their backs.

“I did, yes.”

“Beautiful, right? We have a house up there – my family. It’s such a great vacation spot. It was built on old Native lands, I think – but I’m not too privy to the history of the area. All I know is its great real estate with a great view,” Clutch laughs, and Amy groans.

It’s all too comical that a powerful production companies’ senior leaders would have vacation homes atop lands of the marginalized many – exiled from their homes to pave the way for real estate for the rich and the powerful – and just how willfully ignorant they are about that such fact.

“It certainly was a wonderful view. May I ask, ah – what – what this call is regarding?”

“Right,” Clutch smacks his lips, “As you may already be aware, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer will be producing Sonia’s documentary on The Seven. It will include a full television release, as well as a limited theatrical release in select theaters. We also hoped to do some sort of premiere event for the film – getting the band in one place, red carpets and cameras, to show thousands the documentary live in the theater. It would all be great promotion for you all as artists, and of course, we hope to be able to drum up some renewed interest in The Seven.”

“I see,” Amy swallows, “And … what would you need from us?”

“Well,” Clutch starts, “Certainly, we would want to get all seven of you on board for a press circuit. On Friday, we will be announcing the documentary to the public officially, and then we will begin airing the trailer for the documentary the following Friday during prime television hours, to ensure it reaches a broad audience.”

“A trailer?”

“Yes,” Clutch replies, “We have already touched up the documentary with Sonia and prepared a trailer. Of course, this is delicate history, and because so many of us in the office here were such big fans of the band when we were younger, we wanted to preserve the history in its most honest form. Certainly, we know that none of the band members have gone on the record about what happened, and it’s long been music mystery, and we are thrilled to be able to bring the honest reality of what happened with the band to the public.”

“Right…” Amy trailed off.

It was irking her, surely, how much it felt like he was making a claim on the history of The Seven – how it seemed to her that he felt what was the best way to handle a story that wasn’t even really his to tell.

“You know – it will do wonders for you, Amy, on your own career, and the careers of all seven of you.”

“Well, you do know that Sonic and his family have had a difficult time recently, right?”

Clutch sighs, “Yes, we’re very aware of the horrible circumstances with Sonic and Sonia. Of course, Sonia has given us her complete blessing with her project, and she’s been extremely hands-on in bringing it to a wide audience. In a way, she also wants this to be a way to memorialize her late mother – to establish Sally Acorn’s legacy is very important to her, and to Sonic.”

Amy sighs – and it makes sense. She feels she’s been quite selfish up until now.

“So…this isn’t some expose? You want this to…bring The Seven back to cultural prominence?”

“That’s indeed our desire, yes.”

“Why?”

“Well,” Clutch sighs, “Obviously, all of you have gone onto be very successful, but you were all a very big part of music history. Many rock acts owe much of their success to you all. Do you know how many rock bands have a female singer now? It was a slightly taboo thing then, yet now? You, Amy Rose, and The Seven, made it even more acceptable for a woman to be at the front of a band. You paved the way for many girls, including girls like my daughter, to pursue their dreams. The public, even if they may not admit it, miss that band. They want to see it come back. They want to hear those songs again, and yes – they want to know why it ended.”

“And that’s why you’d want us to do a reunion show?”

Clutch chuckles gruffly, “Well, certainly we would love to see that, as would many other people.”

“Are you sure that would be any good?”

“I think, in any capacity, seeing The Seven again would be an incredible thing – but nothing can quite compete with The Seven taking the stage again after twenty years, right?”

“Who have you talked too?”

“You and Rouge are the last people we need to call. I have a phone call scheduled with her right after this one. I don’t expect any answer today, but by Thursday we need to have a solid plan ready before we announce the documentary Friday. To be transparent with you, this is done so that our shareholders and executives feel comfortable with this project moving forward. Knowing who’s involved, and who isn’t, is important for the sanctity of it.”

“I understand. And the answer would be regarding…?”

“The answer would be regarding a press circuit. Talk shows, roundtables, interviews. As for a reunion show, we can wait on that for a moment. Clearly, if we gauge it correctly and public interest in the documentary goes through the roof, then and only then, will we need to discuss a reunion show. This is, of course, for us to not only maximize on the cultural relevance and media frenzy surrounding the band, but also for you all in terms of your own careers. If the band is against doing a show, then of course, while regrettably, we will not budge on the issue. We understand that is asking much, much more of you all than a documentary – especially considering schedules.”

“And what has everyone else said?”

“Everyone else has said they would need to talk it over with the other band members. Would I be correct to assume that will also be your answer?”

Amy sighs, “It would be. I can’t make this decision on my own, you understand, right?”

“I certainly do,” Clutch responds, “It’s my understanding you all have had some contact in the last month?”

“We have.”

“Then, I suppose it would probably be in everyone’s best interest for you all to meet as soon as possible, so that we are ready to move forward by Friday. The documentary comes out in little under a month from now. If you all agree to the circuit, the band would need to retain their publicists, managers, and whomever is still in charge of The Seven’s brand to begin working closely with a team here at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to begin booking these appearances before the premiere, which at this point would take place on January 21^st, four days before the wide release of the documentary.”

Amy’s head is spinning now, “Okay, I understand. Um – thank you for your time, um – should we have someone contact you when we’ve come to a decision?”

“That would be great, yes,” Clutch responds, “By Thursday, if the answer is yes, then we will meet here at the studios and discuss the circuit, and any other plans and questions. Thank you for your time, Amy Rose.”

“Thank you.”

“Goodbye now.”

Before Amy can say goodbye, the phone disconnects. She slumps back on the couch, holding the pressing migraine in her temples, and closing her eyes tight with a scoff.

She places the phone back and does a few laps pacing around her living room. It’s what she does when she’s not sure where her train of thought is going, and where to stop it.

All she knows is that an uncomfortable conversation is coming.

She fucking hates that.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

She’s not sure if she’s the last one to arrive at Sound Kingdom or not, and when she pulls her convertible into her usual parking spot, she can’t help but sit for a minute and daze out to the hum of the car engine.

It was twenty years ago the last time The Seven was all here, together, at Sound Kingdom. It’s been twenty years since Sonic had even been inside this building, and if Amy wasn’t alone in her fear about stepping inside that door, she’d perhaps be grateful.

The last time they all gathered here was when they finished recording Selene, capped off with Sonic storming out over Guilt Over Me and spilling a bunch of shit on Nack, who was currently writing a Rolling Stone article about them. It was a bittersweet, albeit triumphant way to end the sessions, but Amy should have clearly seen that with that outburst, with that being the way they wrapped up the album – the writing was on the wall.

Perhaps if she’d not been high or drunk all the time, she thinks, she would’ve seen it. Or, perhaps, she wouldn’t have pretended like it wasn’t going to end that way.

A few weeks after that, she runs away to Venice to marry Ken Khan, a marriage that was as dark as the shit she was escaping, perhaps even darker. A marriage that lasted not even an entire year, and one of her many pitiful attempts to claw her way out of the rusty cage that was Sonic and The Seven.

It took Tangle being exceptionally and brutally honest with her about what it was she really wanted, and why the hell she thought escaping from it would change anything.

Then she’s back here at Sound Kingdom rehearsing for the tour – the tour that would take the writing off the wall and put it on a tombstone. She supposes that was actually the last time they were all here together, and she wonders if maybe her mind was just blocking that fact out.

She’s not afraid of this building, she thinks. She’s recorded all her albums here.

She’s afraid of what being in this building with them means.

She’s not sure how long she’s been sitting in the parking lot, letting the breeze relax her bones and the drone of the car engine hug her ears. She’s building up the courage to go inside without saying the words. They’re all waiting for her, but she thinks they’re just going to have to wait a little bit longer.

Amy has taken her time with her wounded hands, she’s let herself heal as much as she could. This does not bode well for that.

“Hey.”

Amy’s eyes snap open at the voice, turning her head to see a blue hedgehog leaning against her car.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Amy says dryly.

“You too,” Sonic smiles, yet it’s restricted, “Why are you still in your car?”

“Just…cooling off,” Amy lies, “Did you just get here?”

Sonic nods and gestures to his car next to hers, “Sure did. I nearly forgot we were doing this today.”

“You forgot? Or you tried to forget?”

Sonic sighs, “Both, maybe. I don’t know. But I also know you aren’t out here just cooling off. So, what gives?”

Amy sighs and pats the passenger seat. Like a dog, Sonic walks around the front of the car and hops in, just like last time they were here.

“So?” Sonic asks.

“I just – I’m not ready to walk in there.”

“Why not? You’ve been here millions of times.”

“Right, about most of those times have not been with our old band inside waiting to speak to me.”

“Well,” Sonic sighs, “It’s the same for me. This is out of my comfort zone too.”

Amy shuffles to face Sonic, “I know. When I got the call yesterday I just about freaked out.”

“Did Clutch call you?”

Amy nods.

“Yeah, he – he means well. But all that corporate movie producer mumbo-jumbo – turns me off.”

“Yeah, doesn’t exactly flame me downstairs either.”

Sonic snorts at Amy’s joke. “Not exactly what I meant, but I see what you’re saying.”

Amy smirks, “He seems like … a fan, I guess? Like he doesn’t just want to make a buck off us.”

“Well, don’t get him mistaken – he definitely wants to make a buck off of us. But you’re right – he is definitely being … as careful as he can be with all of us delicate figures.”

“Speak for yourself, but I think of myself as rather well put together.”

Sonic shakes his head, “True, but then again, you’re too afraid to walk through those doors.”

Amy rolls her eyes, “Yeah, well, so are you – which is why you got in my car.”

“What?” Sonic smirks, “I can’t sit and talk with my old pal Amy Rose?”

“You can talk to me whenever you want, but obviously we have more pressing matters right now than that.”

“Maybe I just wanted to catch up and see how your vacation was. So…?”

Amy smiles, “It was amazing, of course. Selene wants to go there every Christmas now.”

“Awh – so no joint Christmas?” Sonic says with a sad, snarky frown.

Amy rolls her eyes, “I didn’t say that. Just that we all might have to go to a cabin in the Ice Cap.”

Amy flushes for a moment, knowing what she’s insinuating, and resisting that very palpable urge.

“A vacation with Amy and Selene sounds fun,” Sonic smirks.

“Oh yeah? Does it now?”

Sonic shrugs, “It does – sue me.”

“Don’t say that, because I just might.”

“Really? For what?”

“Damages. Emotional.”

Sonic tilts his head, “Ah, well – might deserve that. How do I make it so I don’t get sued?”

“Buy me that sweater for Christmas, duh.”

Sonic snickers, “Ah, right. That actually reminds me…”

Sonic hops out of the car real quick, and Amy watches him lightly jog over to his car, opening the passenger seat and returning with a small blue box.

He looks at Amy with a snarky grin, and he hands her the box.

Amy stares at it for a moment, with a furrowed brow. “What is this?”

“A gift,” Sonic shrugs, “For Christmas.”

Amy is shocked for a moment, eyes dancing between him and the blue box. “But … I didn’t get you anything?”

“I know,” Sonic smiles, “But I saw it in the store, and I thought you’d like it. I have one for Selene too, but – I’ll give it to her next time I see her.”

“Sonic, you really didn’t have too-“

“I know. Are you gonna open it or just sit here staring at me all confused?”

Amy scoffs, yet she can’t help the smile that dances on her lips.

So, she obliges – pulling the top off and unfurling the white wrapping paper. What she pulls out is a beautifully ornate, golden picture frame. When she turns it around, it’s a developed picture that Sonia took of Amy and Selene at her birthday party, Amy kneeling down and hugging her daughter from behind, with flowers in the kid’s two braids. Selene is smiling actually quite normally for once, and Amy looks as happy as can be. At total peace.

“Sonic, this … this is …”

“Do you like it?”

Amy smiles and rubs her finger across the picture. She sucks back any sort of forming tears and reaches across the console and hugs him tight around his shoulders.

Sonic is clearly not expecting this and hugs her back. He keeps his eyes open, and he savors how she feels in his arms.

“Thank you. I love it.”

“You’re welcome,” Sonic whispers back, “Merry late Christmas.”

Amy pulls back and looks at the photo once more. “I’ll have to make it up to you.”

“Well, I know a way.”

“And what’s that way?”

Sonic smiles, “Just … let me or Sonia or whoever take more pictures of you and Selene like that. I love when you guys are happy together.”

Amy sighs yet again, and nods. “Deal.”

When Sonic leans back and his eyes inevitably wander to the door, he runs a hand through his hair. “Well, I don’t think we’re escaping this anymore. Should we…?”

Amy nods and tucks the photo under her seat, rubbing her eyes and fixing her hair in the rearview mirror for a moment.

“Yeah. We should. Lead the way.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When they step inside the studio, they find the band in the same space where they recorded all of Selene.

A circle of high-top chairs arranged in a circle – the same setup where they had their various band meetings about what direction the album should take – and where the many arguments flourished.

It was like stepping back into the past – seeing them in the exact same order as years ago, just now with twenty years of age, healing, and maturity present.

“Welcome,” Silver says jokingly.

“Happy to be here,” Amy sighs, and takes a seat. Sonic grabs the one next to Amy and Shadow.

“So,” Shadow begins, “Obviously, we’re all here because that Clutch guy called us. And, obviously, the last time we talked about this … we got into it. So, clearly, we’re getting a second chance to talk shit out. So…”

Shadow turns around, and he picks up a cowbell off a table inside the studio. He holds the cowbell up, and waves it around.

“I devise that we pass this cowbell around and we all say whatever we have to say, whatever we think about this documentary shit, and finally … try to have a civil discussion about what the fuck to do. Sound good?”

No protests there.

“So, who goes first?” Blaze asks.

“Well, considering you’re right next to me – you.”

Shadow hands Blaze the cowbell, and she takes it. She takes a deep breath and looks around the room.

“Alright, well…” she begins, clearing her throat. “I have always been of the opinion that we should do it. I have always thought we should do the press circuit – the talk shows, the interviews, whatever. I like the idea of a premiere, and yeah – I like the idea of doing a reunion show. Even if it’s just a one-time thing.”

“Okay,” Sonic sighs, “Why do you think that?”

Blaze takes a deep breath, “Because I miss playing with you guys? Look, I understand that the band ended because, well, it kind of needed to – but that doesn’t mean I never missed it. Sure, I got to do what I always wanted which was play music for people around the world, and all of my little dreams came true – but it’s not ever been quite the same as doing it in The Seven. It’s purely selfish, and I understand that you may not all feel that way, but I think we’d be making a mistake if we didn’t try to do it just once. Because, I mean, who knows? Maybe we’ll love it. Or, maybe we’ll hate it and we just don’t do it again, but at least we gave it a shot.”

Blaze shrugged, and looked around the room. “That’s where I’m at.”

The reactions are differing. Sonic nods while looking at the floor, Amy meets eyes with Rouge. Silver and Knuckles are both staring at the carpet.

“So, do I…?”

“You pass it to Rouge,” Shadow nods.

So, she does. Rouge holds the cowbell and looks around the room.

“Alright, well…”

She briefly meets Knuckles’ gaze, before quickly averting her eyes.

“The idea of … doing any of that shit is really terrifying,” Rouge sighs, “I understand where you’re coming from, Blaze, and I honestly, deep down, do agree, but … I don’t even know if I can compute the idea of any of that. I’ve been doing fine with a solo pop career, with scoring and stuff … I moved on from the band as quick as I possibly could, and – maybe that means that I just … forced myself to move on instead of confronting how I really felt about everything that went down.”

Rouge took another deep breath.

“But … I also don’t want to just talk about everything to Sonia and her camera. No matter what, the documentary is coming out, and millions of people are going to have an opinion on what we did, how we acted, who was right, who was wrong, all of that. They’ll make up theories about us, they’ll try and guess if we were lying or not, which – which I’m sure lots of us were probably trying to skirt the truth because it’s too fucking embarrassing to look back on how we actually acted. And … that scares me more – having my agency of my truth, our truth, being created in the hands of the public. I don’t think any of us can tell that story except for us. So … I’d want to actually be able to talk to you all about everything. Cameras or no.”

“And,” Shadow started, “What about…a show?”

Rouge shifted, “I … don’t know. I don’t know about a show. I mean – even just speaking artistically, is that even a risk worth taking? A bunch of, basically forty-year-olds trying to sound like we’re twenty again? Of course, I wonder if we’d be any good, and of course playing in the band again would be … probably incredible, but … I guess I’m wondering if we even need that? Maybe it’s just better to let it be what it was?”

“So, you’re undecided on a show?” Silver asked.

“I guess I’m undecided. But … I think I’m okay to do press. I think it’s the right move. But…”

Rouge then looks right at Knuckles.

“I can’t do it unless you and I speak, Knuckles. What happened at Amy’s house sucked. I’m not up for doing that again.”

Knuckles nodded, yet didn’t say anything. She can tell he understands, and that silently, even if hesitantly, he agrees.

So, Rouge passes the cowbell to Silver, who stares at it for a minute.

“Well, I have to say that … my opinion on it hasn’t really changed since we were in Amy’s living room. I don’t really think I need it. I know I’ve healed since everything and that – and that I’m better, and that you and I, Blaze – are better. I understand your feelings on doing it, and I don’t want to take that away from you.”

Blaze nods, tucking her tongue into her cheek.

“But I can’t lie and say that I feel like we should do press. I don’t think I really need it anymore. I’ve said my piece on everything to Sonia – I never lied once, nor did I ever try to hide how I felt about stuff, except for the occasional deflection, which I’ll admit to that. I just feel like … it’s unnecessary for me.”

“So, you’re out on press?” Shadow asked.

“I …”

He looked at Blaze and bit his lip. “Look – as much as it feels … unnecessary to me, I don’t want to leave Blaze in the dust, nor do I want you guys to get left in the dust. I mean – I know what it looks like to the public if any of us sit it out. I told Blaze I’d be by her side to the very end, so … I’m sticking to that.”

“You’re in, then?” Knuckles asked.

Silver groaned, “Yeah – I guess I’m in. Don’t even ask about a show though … I’m still undecided on that.”

He hands the cowbell to Knuckles, who accepts it. He’s silent for a while, honestly, and everyone respects the space he needs before he can speak.

Then, he does.

“I said that I’m in at Amy’s. It’s still true, I – I am. I’ll be there if you guys are there.”

“That’s it?” Shadow asked.

“Yeah, but … it’s hard to talk about it all. I just have to…get through it in my head before I can do it again on camera. It already took a lot of shit out of me.”

Then, he turns to Rouge.

“And, yeah – you and I … have to talk, also. About all of it.”

Rouge nods, and watches Knuckles pass the cowbell to Amy.

It’s Amy’s turn, and her mouth starts to feel hot and dry. She licks the inside of her cheeks furiously, trying to calm her breath.

She grips the cowbell tight to the point where her knuckles seem white.

She’s had a day to think about – so she better not regret what she’s about to say.

“I’ve had to think about this … a lot. And, with everything that’s happened recently, with you showing up on my doorstep,” she points her eyes to Sonic, “And with all of you coming back into my life, it – it’s a lot to handle at once. This is all just … moving really fucking fast and it’s hard to hang on.”

Amy shifts in her seat.

“Above all things, the most important thing to me is Selene. I don’t want any of this to mess any of that up. I can’t let it start to dictate my life or pull me into old habits – because I have way too much to lose now. I got the life I always wanted, and I don’t want to lose it on something I felt like I had finally, finally moved on from.”

Then, she acknowledges everyone with her eyes.

“Obviously, if we do this, it can’t be like how it used to be. It’s got to operate differently – we have to actually talk about shit with each other, even if it sucks and it’s uncomfortable. So much shit could have been avoided if we didn’t just blow shit up in our faces all the time. I can’t do that again, and – I don’t think any of us can. We just … have a lot of growing and recalibrating to do as bandmates…and as friends.”

She meets Sonic’s eyes again, and he gives her a soft, reassuring smile.

She turns back to face the cowbell, and sighs.

“I’ve run from it for so long and that feels worse than facing it with you all would feel. So, I’m in.”

“What about a show?” Shadow asks.

“I’m in.”

Everyone looks stunned for a moment, and Blaze opens her mouth slightly.

“Really?” The cat asks, “You’re in on a show?”

Amy takes a deep breath, and she nods. “I’m in, yeah. I’d do it. I know we would all do it – and I think we just … have to come to terms with that. Not only is it good for us all as career musicians, but … it could just be good for us, right? If it feels wrong we don’t have to do it again … but – I’d at least regret it down the line if I said no. So, I’m in.”

Before anyone can ask her anything else, she gives the cowbell to Sonic. The air floats out of the room, and everyone hangs on to what is about to happen with Sonic.

He looks around the room, down to the cowbell, and sighs.

“Obviously, my life since being in this room has changed drastically. None of it has been fair. When I finally got better, and changed, and got over everything it all just … kind of fell apart anyways. I don’t really know if I believe in second chances or anything – I don’t know if this is a second chance at something.”

Sonic shifts in his seat.

“Sonia and I told Clutch that, above all things, we want this documentary too…”

“Honor Sally?” Rouge asked.

Sonic nods.

“I think – I think that’s what we all hoped it would do,” Silver added.

“I mean – it’s all been for her, right?” Shadow asked, a pained expression lacing his eyes, “The whole purpose of this documentary – I mean, The Seven is her legacy. She was our anchor.”

“Right, and so I guess the question I ask myself is…” Sonic trails off, “What would Sally want me to do? What would she want us to do?”

The room is silent.

Sonic sighs, “You know, I know what she would tell me,” He laughs dryly, “She would tell me to get my ass on stage, or on camera, and sit next to you all again. She’d tell me to make up with you, Shadow, and she’d tell me to stop isolating in my house, and she’d tell me to stop thinking about playing music again and to just get off my ass and do it. She told me to call Amy, yeah, and I did – but I know what she also wanted was for me to…live the life I wanted to live now that she was going to leave us.”

The room is somewhat misty-eyed now, Blaze is wiping a tear, Rouge looks forlorn, and Silver pats Knuckles leg who is also holding tears back in his eyes.

Amy reaches forward and squeezes Sonic’s wrist. Shadow stares emptily at the carpet.

“And I don’t know if that includes getting on stage. I’ve spent twenty years off stage, and it’s – it’s not in my blood anymore. I had to push that out of my system to be a better person for my family, and to be a better person for myself. I mean – I wouldn’t have survived if I stayed on that stage. But, now I’m better, now I’m different, and … I wonder if being on stage wouldn’t be so bad. But…I also wonder if – since it’s not really in me anymore, is it even worth trying to make it my life again? Am I happy where I’m at? Am I content with this being the way it is now? I’ve done all the work to turn my life around, and I can’t go back again.”

He turns to Amy.

“I can’t let myself go back there.”

Amy nods and gives him a small smile.

“So,” Sonic sighs, “I want to do this … out of honor for Sally. Because I know that she would want me too. Because I know that she would want all of us to be back together somehow again. Even if it was necessary for it to end, and she knew that it was – it doesn’t mean she wanted it to stay that way forever. She knew me better than she knew myself, and … she knew I’d be ready for this.”

He looks up from his hands.

“So, I’m in to … go and talk to the world with you guys. It’s not going to be like it used to be – it’s gonna be different now. I think that’s for the best.”

“And what about a show?” Shadow asked.

Sonic sighed, “That…I might need some time on. Just to – reflect on everything.”

Then, he passes the cowbell back to Shadow.

Shadow holds it, and he bites his tongue.

“Well, I think this has been … good. I suppose it’s my turn to say that … I’m also in. On everything. I think with the way my life has gone – I’d have no problem stepping on stage, and no problem sitting in front of cameras and journalists – just talking about everything. It’s strange that we’re all here together, and that we’ve actually managed to be open about our shit, and it’s … I think it’s proof that we can do it. I think this right here is proof that we’re ready for this.”

Then he puts the cowbell down.

“So,” he asks the group, “I suppose we have our answer for Clutch?”

There’s no response, but there’s an air of acknowledgement and agreement. Finally, there’s a page, and everyone has signed their name on it.

“Let’s just hope we don’t fuck it up,” Amy shrugged.

Sonic shook his head, giving Amy a smile.

“We won’t.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 20: Common People

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

That Thursday was unusually cold – she’s not sure if the chills moving through the air were emblematic of something more unusual bubbling under the surface, but Amy certainly knows that she never quite expected to be here today.

Being led through the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio headquarters by two low-level aides – she is certainly marveling at the film posters lining the walls. It strikes her right here and right now, that with just how many movies these guys have made, how many important pieces of cinema came right out of these walls – it strikes her now how big of a deal this is.

She’s not really sure how to get rid of this pit in her stomach – she knows she’s late and she knows they’ve been waiting for her. She can’t wait to see the look on Sonic and Rouge’s face when they realize that even twenty years later, she still can’t help but be late to everything.

When she sees them at the conference table through the windows, and she’s led inside, immediately a green opossum at the end of the table stands up. He has black scleras, an impeccable million-dollar suit, and a couple gold teeth. He looks more like a mob boss than a film producer, she thinks – but nevertheless, Amy knows there’s not much of a difference.

“Amy Rose,” he starts, “My name is Clutch – we spoke on the phone Monday.”

“Yes,” Amy smiles, shaking his hand, “I’m really sorry I’m late.”

“Not much changin’ there, huh?” Rouge winked, letting Amy bend down to press a quick kiss to the bat’s cheek.

Clutch then gestures to the chicken and the mole that sit by him. “This is Scratch, and this is Grounder, who will be producing the documentary alongside Sonia as well.”

When Amy introduces herself to them, she smiles when she sees Sonia, giving the girl a quick hug.

“How are you, honey?” Amy asks.

“Well,” Sonia takes a deep breath, “I might need someone to pinch me, because I’m not really sure this is happening.”

“Yeah, well,” Amy sighs, “Same here.”

She walks and gives Blaze a quick hug, a squeeze on Knuckles’ shoulder, before she takes an empty seat next to Sonic.

Sonic, with a shit-eating grin, turns slightly and offers her a wink. “Don’t worry, we weren’t gonna get started without you.”

“I promise I’m not usually late anymore.”

“Uh-huh,” Sonic says knowingly.

“So,” Clutch begins, sitting at the end of the table, “Thank you all for being here. I must say, this really is a treat – having you all in the same room. I understand you’ve all spoken with one another about how you would like to proceed through these next weeks?”

Shadow cleared his throat, sitting at the other end of the table, designated as the general group spokesman. “Yes, we’ve come to a few decisions.”

“Excellent,” Clutch nodded, “We’ve been in touch with your publicists and managers, but I must ask – does The Seven currently have a manager?”

The room falls silent, and Silver clears his own throat, “I believe Mighty’s name is still on the papers, right?”

“I doubt any of us bothered to change that,” Shadow shrugged, “As far as I know he got a sizable cut when we remastered Selene. So, I imagine for legal purposes – yes.”

“Right,” Clutch nodded.

“Why do you ask?” Sonic then turned.

The chicken, Scratch, clasped his hands on the table. “Well, for press purposes you all would need a manager on site. Obviously, we assumed it would be easier for you to use one manager instead of your individual ones – someone who is intertwined with each of you.”

“So, we need to call Mighty,” Blaze turned to the group, “Does he even know the documentary is coming out?”

“Couldn’t say,” Sonic shook his head, “Sonia, you didn’t tell him, did you?”

Sonia shook her head, “I haven’t spoken to him or Vector about it.”

“If you all would like,” Clutch started, “You all could have your own managers present – but since this would be an official act for The Seven – I imagine whoever is currently in charge of the LLC would need to be present.”

“Wait,” Amy shook her head, “LLC? Did someone start that?”

Shadow raised his hand, “I did. I filed it a few years after the band broke up in case we wanted to do any remasters, as well as future sales for Selene. Have you not gotten any mail on that? I swear it was all sent to you – you got a paycheck for the remaster, didn’t you?”

“Huh…” Amy trailed off, “I must have…”

“Regardless,” Shadow sighed, “It’s got my name, Mighty’s name, Vector and … Espio’s, but he’s…”.

“Right,” Clutch sighed, “I am aware of Espio’s current condition. For those purposes, then – it would be wise for you all to have Mighty and Vector in the loop for future appearances.”

“I’ll get in touch with him,” Shadow nodded, “It shouldn’t be difficult.”

“Now,” Clutch changed the subject, “As I am aware your engineers – Tails and Cosmo – are in the documentary. On our side of things, we don’t view it as a necessity to include them in any of these promotional interviews, except for the premiere. However, if it is your wish to include them – then we would need to loop both into this process.”

“We haven’t spoken to them about it,” Knuckles said.

“I think they might be up for one or two things,” Shadow said, “But not for everything. I’ll see if they want to do anything, but knowing them, they may just stick with the premiere. They’ve never been ones for the limelight. Behind the scenes are where they’re most comfortable.”

“Understood,” Clutch nodded, leaning back in his seat, “So, you’re all here because, as I understand it, you wish to go through the press circuit?”

“Correct,” Silver spoke up, “We’ve all come to an agreement that we are all available to do the interview circuit. Can we hear what that entails?”

“Absolutely,” Grounder nodded, sorting through papers, “So, for non-starters, we’ll book you all on at least three of the major talk shows. If interest continues to pique, we may get you on all of them if time permits. We also wish to do a roundtable discussion, and an interview on MTV. Those are the most important mediums for press to pick up on the story.”

Then, Grounder looked at Amy and Sonic.

“Now,” Grounder cleared his throat, “There will be interest in you two doing at least one or two interviews just by yourselves, if that is something you two would be interested in doing.”

“Oh,” Amy said, her mouth dries slightly. She turned to Sonic, who swiveled to face her in his chair. They stared at each other for a moment, seemingly communicating telepathically about what they desired to do. It’s a thing they’re able to do, they think, even twenty years later of zero contact and miles of distance, both physically and emotionally, placed between them.

It’s a skill, but perhaps it’s that invisible string she always fucking hears about.

“Well,” Sonic sighed, “What do you think?”

“I think…” Amy trails off, “We … could do that?”

Sonic nods, “You sure?”

No, she thinks.

“Yes,” Amy nods, “Yes – we can do that. Maybe just one?”

“One would be more than fine,” Scratch nods.

“Then, once the press packet is through,” Clutch begins, “We hope to hold the premiere of the documentary on January 21^st, before the January 25^th release date.”

“And we’re talking like – full red carpet and everything?” Knuckles asks.

“Everything,” Grounder nods, “Like a typical film premiere. We hope to be able to hold it at the Orpheum as we think that would be a suitable premiere site.”

“And, once this documentary releases…then what?” Rouge asks.

Clutch leans back in his chair again, “Well, Rouge, then we gauge the public’s reaction. We anticipate a massive media frenzy over this.”

“Seriously?” Blaze asked, “How massive are we speaking?”

“We firmly believe it will be the biggest story in the entertainment news cycle,” Scratch nodded, “Very important and influential ‘70s band that unexpectedly crashed and burned, no one knows why, everyone’s been making their own theories about why or how it ended – now they’re finally getting answers, and seeing the band together for the first time in twenty years? People will be wanting more. Much more.”

“And,” Silver leaned forward, “What does that mean?”

Clutch sighs, “Well, look – I told you all on the phone we did not need to discuss the potential of a reunion show. However, due to the studio’s high interest in this project … I’d be remiss not to ask if that is something you discussed.

Silver sighed. He had been wishing for this to go away and not get brought up – it’s that inescapable thing.

“Well,” Shadow took over, “We have spoken about it in some detail, yet we haven’t made a clear decision. We’re going to need to take more time to reflect on the possibility of that.”

“Understood,” Clutch nodded, “But just know – with the projections we have … it’ll be a question you all receive. So, we will need to prepare an answer for that question with publicists.”

“By projections, what are you saying?” Sonic asked.

Scratch turned to Sonic, “Our current projections are stating that people … people are going to want a reunion set out of this. They won’t be as satisfied with this push in the news cycle if it doesn’t lead to the band playing together again in some shape or form – whether it be something simple like an Unplugged set, or a full-scale reunion concert.”

“And if we say no?” Amy spoke up.

“Then the answer will be no, and you’ll go on your merry ways once the documentary is over – you’ll be back to regularly scheduled business,” Clutch nodded with a grin, “But you must still know that the band will, possibly, receive negative responses from the general public be that the case.”

“Well, we aren’t going to be enslaved to satisfying the public,” Silver said firmly, “Whatever our answer is will be dependent on what we all think about doing one.”

“And we understand that,” Grounder nodded, “We just want to be transparent about what the response to that would be – for your own awareness.”

“We appreciate it,” Shadow nodded, “Let’s see how this circuit goes, and then we can talk about a potential set.”

It was a cleverly succinct way to end the conversation about a concert there – they’re not sure they can handle talking it out to producers, let alone talking it over with one another. They’ve taken a long time to confront the idea of the band being together in front of a camera again – this requires more nuance.

“What we have here is the drafted packet,” Clutch said, nodding as one of the assistants passed a copy of a few papers to each member, “It’s the list of potential dates we’ve already shopped around to interview segments on talk shows, roundtables, MTV, and the like. These people are just waiting for our confirmation to go – once you all leave here today with your blessing, we’ll go ahead and schedule these dates officially. We’ll have a team liaison with each of your own teams, as well as with individuals like Mighty, should he be brought on board. I will say – it would be much easier for us if our team would only need to speak to one person to relay the information to you all. It would save us all much valuable time.”

“So, you’re saying it would be better for us to get Mighty on this?” Sonic asked.

“I am,” Clutch nodded, “The less the better – we’re all busy people, so let’s not complicate things too much.”

Then, Amy shifted forward, “So – if we all sign off on this here, then it’s in motion. There’s no backing out.”

“Once we have your John Hancock’s, no – it’ll be wheels on the ground. We’ll be announcing the documentary tomorrow. Next week, the trailer will premiere during prime-time slots, and the media will begin their frenzy. Then we begin this circuit, leading to the premiere, and the worldwide release. You all must be very sure this works, because if not, we need to work out an alternative plan today,” Clutch stated.

Scratch faced the group, “So, if you all agree to this, let’s get it moving today.”

Each member looked over the dates, and shared similar looks of agreement.

“I’m good with this,” Blaze nodded.

“Yeah, this looks fine,” Silver added.

Then, Knuckles. “Works for me.”

“This works,” Shadow nodded.

“Looks fine,” Rouge adds.

“Yeah, I’ll just – have to figure out stuff with Selene, but – this works,” Amy nods.

“Okay,” Sonic nods, “Let’s sign off on it.”

When they walk out of the meeting, there’s similar feelings of nerve. They’re all standing in the parking lot now, in a circle, some with cigarettes in hand, and some with longing looks in the distance, staring at nothing in particular.

Sonia has to run – she’s running late for a lunch date, and Amy has to leave soon to pick up Selene.

“I’ll tell you what,” Silver sighs, fixing the sunglasses on his face, “When he started talking about a reunion show, I almost vomited on the table.”

“Gross,” Knuckles laughed, “I would’ve loved to have seen that.”

“Ugh,” Rouge rolled her eyes in disgust, “I felt the same way. It’s way less daunting to talk about that with you people then with movie producers who don’t understand why we need more time.”

“They were being pushy,” Sonic agreed, “It’s not entirely their fault. I just … don’t think they understand.”

“And now we have to call Mighty,” Shadow groaned, “Who’s going to be so fucking confused as to why I’m talking to him about The Seven of all things.”

“And Tails and Cosmo, who are definitely going to say no anyways,” Blaze sighed, “Why does this shit have to feel so complicated?”

“Because it kind of is,” Amy rubs her eyes, “But, we made our bed I suppose.”

“So, we lie in it,” Shadow agreed, “It’s not going to be as bad as we think it is. We’re going to be put in a lot of uncomfortable situations, so we just need to use our incredible media training to get around it.”

“Ah, yes,” Sonic chuckles, “Because we’ve been so impeccably media trained.”

“Right,” Shadow smirks, “I can still remember how bad we botched those interviews at the Grammy’s in ’78.”

“Oh, god,” Blaze snorted, “Those questions were fucking gross anyways. I don’t even blame us. I’m still not good at that stuff. The red-carpet premiere has me aching.”

“I say we just let Shadow talk, and we all sit there and smile and nod along,” Knuckles smirked.

“If you make me the only one who talks I’m going to force every question to you for an answer and watch you sweat as you try and figure out what to say,” Shadow rolled his eyes at Knuckles.

“Whatever you say – I’ve gotten good at the journalism thing.”

“I’m so sure,” Silver snickered, “The guy who’s always sucked with words being good at journalism is like a firefighter’s house burning down.”

“I haven’t always sucked with words – I just used, what some would consider, creative alternatives.”

“I don’t know if I’d call it that,” Rouge turned to Knuckles, giving him a knowing eyebrow raise.

“Well, you and I have different opinions,” Knuckles said, immediately shutting down. Rouge bites her lip a little bit, crossing her arms.

“We just have some chatting to do with our publicists,” Blaze sighed, before looking at Sonic. “Do you even have one?”

Sonic shook his head, “No. I’ve never had one.”

“You can use mine,” Amy nodded, “I mean – since we’re gonna be doing an interview just you and I – it might be smart to use mine.”

Sonic nodded, “Probably a smart idea.”

“My publicist is gonna kill me,” Rouge rubbed her eyes, “I mean – The Seven? Being in the pop world is hard enough – now this? Jeeeeesus.”

“Crazy to think about it, huh?” Shadow asked.

“What do you mean?” Silver turned.

“That twenty years ago we were in a band, and we left our mark on the world together.”

The group falls silent, a rather uncomfortable silence, but one of a small bout of pride. That feeling that you did something important, that meant a lot to people, and that you did it together. That you made something impactful together, and that without one of these seven people, it wouldn’t have the same impact.

Even when Selene was remastered, with such a powerful and loud response from the public, who wanted to hear the band they loved once again – who stayed loud about how much they missed this band, and about how much it changed their world. How much it changed how they looked at music, how they listened to it, and how they felt it.

Despite the small tension, and the awkward conversations, and what some might say, a lack of warmth here – suddenly they’re all in tune when they remember just how fucking great they were.

How incredible The Seven was.

Amy has to break this remembrance with a sigh, “Well, I hate to cut this party short, but someone’s waiting for me to go pick them up at school.”

And she might have been late to this, but that’s an easy forgiveness, a non-importance.

That, however? That’s not something Amy can forgive so easily.

But it’s not before the group leaves that Sonic pulls her aside.

“It’s ice cream night for you and Selene, right?”

Amy nods, “It is – how do you remember that?”

“I remember a lot more than you think.”

“Someone’s got a strong noggin.”

“I was just wondering if maybe I could take you and her both out to ice cream. I know a place I used to take Sonia all the time.”

Amy’s stunned for a second.

“My treat,” Sonic nods.

Amy bites her lip but can’t help the smile.

“Well, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to convince Selene to skip out on our usual spot – but I think she’d love that.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Mommy!” Selene exclaims when she sees Amy.

“Hi, Little Dove,” Amy bends down to press a kiss to her head, “You ready to go?”

“Yeah.”

“Zip up,” Amy instructs her daughter, zipping up her jacket, “And here – take these,” she hands her a beanie, scarf, and some gloves.

“I don’t want those.”

“I wasn’t asking, baby.”

“I’m already warm, Mommy! Just the scarf, okay?”

“Well, guess we’re gonna have to go straight home then.”

“No!” Selene protests. “On Thursdays we have ice cream!”

“It’s fifty degrees outside, honey,” Amy sighs, “I’m not gonna have you getting sick with ice cream and how cold it is if you don’t bundle up, okay?”

“Okay,” Selene says, putting the scarf and beanie on, “How do I look?”

“Stubborn,” Amy snickers, “But adorable.”

“Can we go get ice cream now?”

“Yes, babe,” Amy smiles, opening the door for her to hop in. When Amy settles into the drivers seat, kicking on the engine, she begins to back out with a small sigh.

“I’m gonna have a double sundae with extra sprinkles!” Selene babbles, “And extra whipped cream, of course!”

“How are you even gonna eat all that?”

“I can do it,” Selene reassures her.

“You sure?” Amy questions knowingly, “That’s a lot of sugar.”

“Absolutely!”

“Well,” Amy sighs, “We actually aren’t going to Malibu toni-“

“What?!” Selene exclaims, cutting Amy off right in the tail-end of her sentence. Selene immediately regrets this when Amy gives her a surprised look, covering her mouth and dropping her head in shame. “I’m sorry, Mommy…”.

“What’s got you so agitated today, baby?”

“I just miss you…”.

“Well, I’m right here, honey,” Amy smiles, starting their drive.

“So…where are we going?”

“For ice cream, silly,” Amy snickers.

“Where?” She asks curiously.

“Somewhere new,” Amy smiles in the rearview, “Somewhere we’ve never been before.”

“Why can’t we just go to Malibu, Mommy?”

“Because tonight we’re gonna do something new.”

“I like what we usually do,” Selene groans under her breath.

“Well, you’re going to like this just as much,” Amy winks in the rearview.

When Amy pulls up to the side of the road, with a beautiful two-story house on the hill, Selene pouts. “This doesn’t look like an ice cream shop…”.

But when Sonic steps out of the house and begins sauntering towards the car, her pout turns into a bright smile. “Ahh! It’s Guy from Selene!”

“He wanted to get our ice cream tonight,” Amy smiles, turning to look at Selene with a slightly anxious expression, “I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course it is!”

“Good,” Amy murmurs, and she hopes that Sonic will remember all their conversations and that he’ll play by her rules.

Selene doesn’t know what relationships are – in fact, Amy’s sure that Selene has no real concept as to what they even are. No man had ever been brought around her, because they never stayed.

But it was different with Sonic.

Her own words hit her like a brick when he opens the door and hops in.

“Well, hello everyone.”

“Sonic!” Selene exclaims, hugging him from behind the seat, trying desperately to greet both adults, which only gives Amy a snicker.

“Hi, Selene,” Sonic offers a small smile, and turns to Amy with a sharp nod. “What’s up with you?”

“Just spending some time with my daughter, how about you?”

“About to buy some ice cream for you and your daughter.”

“Well, that’s just awfully kind of you.”

“I know, right?” Sonic jokes.

“Can we go eat ice cream, now?” Selene asks, with both adults whipping their heads around to the agitated, yet adorable voice.

“Yes,” Amy snickered, starting the drive once more.

“Finally! I’m starving!”

“Sonic’s taking us to a place where he always takes Sonia.”

“Ooh! Sonia has amazing ice cream taste!”

“How do you even know that?” Sonic laughs, “Because she likes mango and that’s a very questionable flavor.”

“She brought me really tasty candy when she came over to interview Mommy…”

“Well, that was very nice of her.”

“Guess you and Sally raised her well, huh?” Amy said with a smile.

“I’d say so.”

“What’s your favorite flavor, Sonic?” Selene asks with a bounce.

“Vanilla.”

“Vanilla?” Selene asks with a retch.

“Vanilla? Seriously?” Amy turns with her eyebrow raised.

“Who has vanilla as their favorite?” Selene asks, and Amy agrees.

“Hey, I have a simple taste,” Sonic shrugs.

“That’s no taste,” Amy teases.

“It’s so boring!” Selene adds.

“Well, I am feeling very attacked,” Sonic snickered.

“Don’t be such a crybaby,” Amy rolls her eyes, “It doesn’t suit you.”

“As if one Rose wasn’t enough, now there’s two I have to handle,” Sonic laughed, “Turn right here.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean, Sonic,” Amy said, pulling into a parking lot.

“I didn’t,” he shrugs, “I could get used to this, you know?”

“Again, don’t say things you don’t mean,” Amy said, parking the car.

“And again, I didn’t.”

“It’s ice cream time, people!” Selene exclaimed, opening her door and sliding onto the ground carefully, “Let’s go, let’s go!”

When Amy and Sonic step out, watching Selene darting to the door, Sonic drops his voice lower, “I meant that, you know?”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry, though – not something I should have said, huh?”

“No, it’s just – there’s a lot going on in our world right now, and I like hanging out with you, and Selene loves having you around, so…”

“And that’s – that’s what I meant,” Sonic nods hurriedly, “I like spending time with you guys. It’s fun, it gets me out of the house, and, well – we wanted to catch up in each other’s worlds, right? And, well – she’s yours, isn’t she?”

“She’s my everything.”

“Right.”

“She’s – she’s always going to be my priority.”

“And she should be,” Sonic nods, opening the door for them.

When they’re inside, it takes Selene no time to start ferociously scanning the menu, and Sonic and Amy can’t help but smile at the sight of the little girl and her millions of thoughts and feelings about every portion and flavor on the menu.

Sonic bumps his knee with Amy’s and she looks over at him.

Suddenly, when she sees his face, she can only think about Central City for a minute. It’s one of those feelings she hasn’t had in a while, and she’s not sure why it’s coming back.

Let’s be broken.

Those words play in her head for a minute, and so do her own words – her defiance against the idea, the feeling of being broken for even one more day. The desire to swim out of the wreckage and into the light.

But what’s different now is how sincere he sounds. Sure, he may have been sincere then, or it may have been the liquor talking – and she thinks it’s probably a little bit of both – but that feeling, actually quickly goes away.

She reckons it’s fine to be anxious and scared of this, and scared of everything else that’s happening, and she reckons that just because she feels like that, doesn’t mean that where she is right now isn’t where she’s meant to be.

Because she feels that it might be.

It might be just where she needs to be.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When Amy pulls back up to Sonic’s house, they both laugh at the little girl passed out in the backseat.

Tired from school, and enduring a brutal sugar crash, Sonic and Amy sit in the car for a minute, and they let her sleep.

“She’s really napping hard back there,” Sonic looks in the rearview.

“Must be nice to just be able to fall asleep whenever you want,” Amy snickers.

“I miss Sonia being that little.”

“I bet,” Amy says sadly, “She was an adorable little girl.”

“Yeah,” Sonic nods, “You know, sometimes I think about that night … the party at our house when there was a blackout and you heard her crying, and you picked her up and brought her to me…”

“Oh, wow … I forgot about that,” Amy scoffs in small disbelief.

“I remember the first time I told Sonia that story … she was in awe that little baby her got rescued from the darkness by her idol, Amy Rose.”

“I thought I might break her,” Amy nodded, “I mean, back then, the idea of me and a baby … no way.”

“And look at you now,” Sonic nods.

“Yeah, Sally was right,” Amy smiles, turning back to look at Selene, “I was so many things I didn’t even know yet.”

“You’re doing amazing things, Amy,” Sonic smiles, and it’s gentle, “You’re an incredible mother.”

Amy’s lip quivers slightly, but she smiles through it, “You know, Sonic, that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Ah, come on,” Sonic laughs, “That can’t be the nicest thing I’ve said.”

“I don’t know,” Amy says knowingly, “I’m trying real hard to think and … I think that’s it.”

Sonic scoffs with a smirk, “Well, you’re incredible at many things.”

“Thank you,” Amy smiles, “So are you.”

“I don’t know,” Sonic shrugs, looking down at his hands.

“Stop,” Amy says firmly, “This life, this – everything I have, I mean – I might have done it, but … I couldn’t have done it without you, either.”

“Same,” Sonic says, “It’s just crazy to think about how far we’ve come, and … how much has changed for us. For all of us.”

“Right,” Amy sighs, “I mean … I still can’t believe the band is … reuniting for something.”

“Yeah,” Sonic nods, “How are you feeling about today?”

“Good, honestly,” Amy sighs, “I mean – scary, yeah. And very uncomfortable. But overall? Good.”

“Me too,” Sonic agreed, “I never thought this would happen in a million years.”

“Same, but … it feels right.”

“I agree,” Sonic nods firmly.

He shuffles for a minute, looking at his house through the window before turning back to her.

“You know, Ames,” Sonic sighs, “Earlier, I – I meant what I said, but I … I didn’t mean to insinuate that…”

Amy takes a deep breath. Of course, she knew subconsciously, as he did, what he was insinuating. And while she might feel the same way there is no way that wall is ready to be knocked down, right?

She worked so hard building those boundaries to protect herself, and to protect this new life with her daughter that she worked so hard for. She bled for it.

And those are things that can’t be so easily whisked down.

“I know, I know,” Amy nodded, “I – I didn’t mean to seem like I … didn’t agree with you. Or that I didn’t like that you said it. I … could get used to it too, but…”

“It’s complicated, I know,” Sonic smiled reassuringly, “I mean – I would never, ever want to take anything away from you and Selene.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” Amy nodded, “And … I know you understand. I’m not … upset with you or anything.”

“Yeah,” Sonic sighed, “I just – want to be apart of that world … if you’d let me. As friends, or … whatever, you know? I enjoy being around you.”

Amy takes a deep breath, offering the best smile she can.

“I enjoy that too, and – and I would like that, yeah.”

“Okay,” Sonic smiled, “I just like you guys being happy together.”

“I know,” Amy nodded, “And – she’s happy when you’re around … just-“

“Don’t leave, right?”

Amy shuffles, “Right. I can’t – I can’t let her get too close if you…”

“Amy,” Sonic starts, and he’s never looked at her so fiercely before.

“I told you if you told me to leave I would, and if you asked me to stay – I would stay. I meant it. I want to be a part of your world in … in whatever fashion you’ll have me. I don’t want to make your life more complicated … especially because it’s probably about to get a lot more complicated.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Amy snorts, “But – thank you. I want you to be a part of it, too.”

Sonic nods, “Then I will be.”

Amy sighs, and laughs gently. “Welcome aboard then.”

“Thanks for having me.”

They sit in silence for a while, and it’s never quite been so warm here.

“I guess I should – let you get this sleepy girl home.”

“Yeah,” Amy smiles at her sleeping daughter, “Thank you for tonight. I – I really appreciate it, and … we had a great time.”

“Anytime, Ames,” Sonic smiles, before opening the door and stepping out. He turns back before closing the door, offering her a smile. “Hopefully I see you soon?”

“I’ll be waiting for a call.”

“Ah, my turn to call, yeah?”

“Mhm,” Amy winks, “You’re turn, buddy.”

Sonic shrugs, “Guess I better get to it. Goodnight, Ames.”

“Goodnight, Sonic.”

Sonic closes the door and starts walking back to his house. He turns and gives a quick wave, which Amy returns. She watches him walk inside and shut the door behind him, before flopping back and letting out a breath – one she had been holding for a while now. Long enough for her to lose track.

She kicks the car into drive and heads into the sunset, with a smile on her face, and a tear down her cheek.

What a wonderful thing it is to feel at peace for once.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 21: In Bloom

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“Mommy! Mommy, come here!”

Amy could hear the shouting kid from the kitchen, where she was currently scribbling her next few weeks of rigorous press appearances, interviews, talk shows, photoshoots, and meetings – all of which she was simultaneously dreading and blissfully anticipating.

Truth be told, she had finally come to terms with the idea that she would never get adequately prepared for the gauntlet she was soon to run. Part of her also decided that was a good thing.

If anyone can tell her story, it’s her. Not an autobiographer or a talk show host. Her and her alone.

It won’t hurt to have some other people to lean on.

When she walks from the kitchen into the living room, she’s slightly frazzled.

“What is it, honey?”

Selene is sitting crisscrossed on the floor in front of the television. “Look! You’re on TV!”

“Huh?” Amy finds herself saying, before her emerald eyes fixate on the television.

It’s clips from their show in Central City – she wasn’t even aware it was filmed at all, or maybe she had just forgotten. Or maybe she had just blocked it out. Maybe she spent so much time suppressing any burning memories of that night that it no longer took any place in her brain.

Intercut with the footage of their final show are the band members – all speaking quaint “testings”, or “are we ready?’s”.

Then there’s Sonic.

“Ah! Guy from Selene!”

Then there’s Amy again.

“Mommy! It’s you!”

Then she sees it.

“The Seven: The World’s Greatest Band.”

“A Documentary by Sonia Acorn. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.”

It sinks good in her chest right there. She hadn’t heard that the trailer had begun making its rounds on television, and she certainly wasn’t expecting her daughter to see it.

“Mommy, why were you and Guy from Selene on TV?”

Amy sits on the couch now, watching Selene crawl up to sit by her. Her miscolored eyes are full of curiosity, and Amy’s not quite sure how to answer her.

“Well, Little Dove, remember how I told you Sonic and I were in a band?”

“Yeah,” Selene nods, “You all signed my record.”

Amy smirks, “We did. Well, you remember how Sonia came here to do those interviews in Mommy’s home studio?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, she was interviewing me because she’s making a movie about our band, and they’re showing everyone a sneak peek of the movie before it comes out.”

“Woah,” Selene is lost for words, “Mommy, are you famous?”

Amy takes a deep breath, “Well, you know how I always kind of…hide you when we go out?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s because a lot of people are trying to take pictures of us to put in magazines and newspapers, and I don’t want that.”

“Wow…so you are famous,” Selene sighs.

“I guess,” Amy laughs, “All of us in the band are famous.”

“Even Guy from Selene?”

Amy shrugs, “Yeah, even Sonic. But he doesn’t go out as much as Mommy and her other friends in the band do.”

“Why not?”

“Well,” Amy sighed, “He’s had a hard couple of years, so he’s just decided to spend time with Sonia.”

“Why?” Selene asked.

Amy furrows her brow, and she’s not really sure if she can get into this with her daughter. She’s only five, and Amy’s not sure she even knows what death is. Amy’s never had any family members die for Selene to have to rationalize what’s it like for someone to be here one day, and then gone another and never come back.

Amy’s not even sure if her own mother is alive or not, and she doesn’t care to know.

“Um,” Amy takes a deep breath, “Sonic and Sonia are just kind of … by themselves these days, and so they have to take care of each other, like you and I do.”

“Oh,” Selene pouts, “Where’s Sonia’s mommy?”

“Hm?” Amy swears she misheard.

“Well, you’re my Mommy,” Selene says matter-of-factly, “But where’s Sonia’s mommy?”

Okay, Amy thinks, so we’re doing this.

“Uh,” Amy takes a deep breath, and then remembers something, “Do you remember when we had that little bunny that used to come in our backyard?”

“Yeah, and then you said he went away.”

“Well, he did,” Amy nodded, “But do you remember when we put out little flowers for him? Remember how I said that he wasn’t going to be coming back, so we should get to say goodbye to him?”

“Yeah,” Selene nods.

“Well,” Amy cleared her throat, “That happened with Sonia’s mommy. She got really sick for a few years, and then one day, she went away like the rabbit did.”

“She died?”

Amy’s eyes widen. All this time she’s been sugarcoating it – and yet she should know that Selene, and her relentless curiosity, would certainly have figured out what death is.

“Uh – yeah, baby. She died a year ago.”

“Was Sonia sad?”

Amy nodded, “They were really sad. They had a really hard year.”

“Did you help him feel better?”

It shocks Amy like electroshock therapy, and it leaves her reeling despite it being just a millisecond ago that she said it. Amy, for a while, had somewhat blamed herself for not reaching out to him. Of course, she expressed her condolences to Sonia many, many times, and Amy had a good couple cries herself when she found out, but this string she held with him wouldn’t give – she couldn’t bring herself to be there for him.

It was too painful for her to go back, and it would’ve been too much for him if she came around. She knows it was certainly, or at least probably, for the best that she didn’t. But, of course, her daughter sees right through her.

“Well,” Amy sighs, “You remember how I told you that we hadn’t talked for a long time? I wasn’t there with him when she died. We didn’t talk until a couple months ago. But I tried to help Sonia feel better when she’d come over.”

“What was her name?”

Amy smiles, “Her name was Sally.”

“Was she pretty?” Selene asks, curling into her mom’s side.

Amy feels the tears coming now, and she sucks them down to remain strong for her daughter. “She was beautiful. One of the most beautiful women I’ve ever known.”

“Were you and Sonia’s mommy friends?”

Amy purses her lips, “We were family, baby. I didn’t see her for a long time, and I always get sad when I think about that. She helped me so much when I was younger.”

“Was she married to Guy from Selene?”

Amy nods, “Yeah, they were married for a very long time. They loved each other very much, and they had a wonderful daughter, and – and they had a wonderful marriage.”

“That’s nice,” Selene smiles, “I wish I got to meet her.”

Amy feels a tear slip down her cheek now, and she doesn’t brush it away. She just squeezes her daughter tighter.

“Me too,” Amy smiles, “She would’ve loved you.”

“Don’t count yourself out so early, Amy. You are all kinds of things you don’t even know yet.”

And Selene would’ve loved her too, because who didn’t?

Anyone who came into Sally Acorn’s path couldn’t help but fall in love with her.

The phone rings, and Amy jumps for a moment. Seeing the number across the screen, she knows it’s her publicist calling.

“Who’s calling, Mommy?”

Amy smiles, “It’s Perci Bandicoot – Mommy’s publicist.”

“Can I go play with my dolls?”

Amy snickers, “Of course, honey.”

“Thanks Mommy!” Selene exclaims, darting off the couch and into the foyer. Amy listens to Selene’s feet patter up the stairs. She allows herself one more second to think about Sally Acorn before she picks up the phone.

“Hey, Perci.”

“Hey, darling. How are ‘ya?”

Amy sighs, “Good. Just had the wonderful honor of watching the trailer for the documentary on the TV.”

“Right. Strange things happening, hm?”

“Yep,” Amy scoffs, “All coming up roses.”

“Are you ready for the show this weekend?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“I have some talking points I’m going to fax over to you. Just wanted to call to let you know.”

“You’ll be there, right? I’m gonna need to look at you to save myself when Big inevitably tries to trip us up.”

“Oh, it won’t be so bad. You’ve done hundreds of talk show appearances. This won’t be any different.”

“Oh, well – those appearances didn’t have me sitting with my old bandmates.”

“Touche,” Perci laughs, “But regardless, just play it cool, and be yourself. Yourself is why millions of people have fallen in love with you. However, I also know shit about The Seven trips you up sometimes, which is why I’m faxing over some talking points for whatever heavy question he might sling your way.”

“Thank you, Perci. I owe you millions.”

“Well, that’s only slightly more than I already get paid, but I won’t say no.”

“Right,” Amy laughs, “Will the whole team be there, or just you?”

“Well, Staci and I will be in the audience for you to get some eyes, but the rest of the team will be backstage watching.”

“Good,” Amy nods, “I’m gonna need you guys.”

She hears Perci snicker over the phone.

“Oh gosh, Amy,” Perci smirks, “When have you ever needed anyone else?”

Amy smiles, because she knows the answer.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

When Rouge walks into the restaurant, sunglasses covering her eyes, coat swallowing her figure, she takes a deep breath to allow the aroma of the gourmet Italian to wash over her.

When she agreed to go out to dinner with Knuckles to talk – she had one request. Nothing fucking fancy, something like they used to eat back in the day – some three-star Italian with quaint lights and tight booths and tables so they could hide out from the gawking fans who would be wondering why in the world Rouge and Knuckles were getting dinner together.

She points at the table when she sees him, and the hostess allows her to walk past. It’s hidden, tucked in the back – a corner booth away from the hoopla of the dining room. Rouge walks briskly, avoiding any eyes, and takes her sunglasses off only when she sees Knuckles.

Truthfully, it’s weird. She’s been playing it cool as much as she possibly could over the last few instances she had seen him. She’d part been hoping it would just go away, that it was some bizarre nightmare, and she was getting ready to wake up from it – but she also simply should have known better not to be so naïve.

She slides in, and she takes a deep breath. Knuckles is staring at her, and he’s not sure what to say.

So, he just says hi.

“Hey.”

Rouge smiles, though it doesn’t meet her eyes. “Hey.”

“Like the place I picked out?”

“We’ll see if your taste has held up.”

When the server comes by, Rouge orders a water. She’s surprised to see a water at Knuckles’ side.

“Just a water for you?” She asks.

“Surprised?”

“A little.”

“Why?”

“Well,” Rouge sighs, “I mean – I think you know why. Do I have to tell you?”

Knuckles snickers, “Right – last time you saw me I probably had my tenth bottle of beer in my hand.”

“Probably,” Rouge purses her lips.

Now something hangs heavy in the air of silence above them. Rouge looks at her watch – a brisk five-o-clock.

“Thanks for coming,” Knuckles says, “It – means a lot.”

“Well,” Rouge sighs, “I told you I wouldn’t want to do this shit without talking to you first.”

“How’ve you been?” Knuckles asks, “I don’t think I ever really got to ask you that.”

Rouge shifts, “I’ve been – I’ve been fine. I mean, everything has been going well. The career is fine, the money is good, the music is a blessing.”

“Everything you wanted,” Knuckles nods with a smile.

“Yeah,” Rouge says, but she thinks: not everything.

“How’ve you been, though?” Rouge asks.

Knuckles clears his throat, “Ah – good. I’ve been good. Just, you know, playing on records and spending time with the people I care about.”

“So, everything you wanted?”

Not everything¸ he thinks.

“I guess,” Knuckles nodded, “Truth be told, I don’t know if I know what I want still, after all this time, but I like this. I like where I’m at, so – I’m in no rush to figure it out.”

Rouge nods, and she must ask.

“So,” Rouge shifts, “When did you get …”

“Sober?”

Rouge shrugs, “Sure.”

Knuckles shifts in his seat now, “Uh, I checked myself into rehab a few days after Central City. Same one as Amy. We ended up drying out together, honestly.”

“How was it?” Rouge asks, “I – I mean you don’t – we don’t’-“

“It’s okay,” Knuckles nods, giving Rouge reassurance she’s not sure she wants, “It was okay. It turned out to just be … a giant therapy session, at first. I just had to – confront the reasons why I wanted to drink that much, and then … once I was able to get over that, I didn’t really want to drink anymore. So, I stopped. I got out after about a month or so. Amy was in there for another few months.”

“Good,” Rouge smiles, “I’m – I’m really happy to hear that, you – you look great.”

“You too,” Knuckles nods, “Time’s been good to you.”

“And sobriety has been good to you,” Rouge said, and then she starts to laugh.

Knuckles squints, tilting his head, watching Rouge cover her laugh with the back of her glove.

“What’s so funny, violin lady?”

Rouge rolls her eyes with a smile, “Nothing, you just – you’re so different.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know you just … you’re a lot more grown up. Mature, I guess.”

“Twenty years will do that to you.”

Twenty years, she thinks. Sometimes it feels like four days and sometimes it feels like five hundred years, but never twenty. Sometimes it feels like time is not something she has or has any sort of concept of.

They were so childish; it strikes her now. Like roughhousing kids. The fight was the exciting part, because as much as she hated it when she looks back, she realizes she, as he did, as they all did, just loved to scrap. It was the only way she could fathom communicating with him then.

But right now, it feels like she’s a stranger in a strange land – wandering aimlessly, no lighthouse to point her boat. It’s uncharted territory, and this time the waters are easier.

The waiter comes by to take their order, and they’ve both settled on some pasta dishes. It’s easy enough to go down, they’re in no mood to gorge themselves – nothing could possibly fill the pits in their stomachs.

“So,” Knuckles asks, “Can I ask you something?”

“Okay.”

Knuckles takes a sip from his water, and he stares at the table for a minute.

“So…why did you leave?”

“Why did you?” Rouge asks.

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Rouge sighs, “You left the band that morning. I guess, from what Sonic said, you – you actually left the night before.”

Knuckles nods, “Yeah, I just – I think I knew that I – I needed to dry out.”

“What woke you up to that?”

“Might have had something to do with a certain bat lady pulling my head out of my ass, but who knows?”

Rouge shrugs, “I just – I did what I thought was right at the time.”

“Do you still think it was right?”

Rouge squints, “I mean … do you? I – look, all I can really say is that I – I did what I thought would help you. I didn’t think I was the person to – to help you get better. I tried, and I tried, and it just … it didn’t work. I wasn’t the person that could do that for you.”

Knuckles nods, “I’m sorry that I – about what I said at Amy’s. About you leaving me at my lowest.”

“But I did, didn’t I?” Rouge asks quickly, and Knuckles is stunned.

“What?”

“I mean,” Rouge shifts, “It’s … true what you said, isn’t it? I thought I was doing the right thing, but I don’t know … sometimes I felt like ‘Well, maybe I could’ve done more,’ and then part of me was like ‘No, you’ve already done so much,’ and I just – I never really thought that I could fix you, but – but I think trying to fix you was just killing you. So … maybe it was selfish, then. Maybe I was just looking out for myself instead.”

“I don’t – I don’t blame you for that,” Knuckles says firmly, “I mean, we – we had to do what we had to do to survive, right?”

“I guess,” Rouge shrugs, “I just knew … on the path we were on, it would’ve ended a lot worse than it did. I think part of me thought I was saving you from that.”

Knuckles nods, “I get that. Maybe you were being selfish, but it doesn’t mean you made the wrong decision. It killed me at first, for a while, but it helped me understand I needed help.”

“That’s all I wanted to do,” Rouge shrugs, “I just wanted you to…get better. And, you did.”

“I did,” Knuckles smiles, “I’ll still have like one or two drinks on a Saturday or something, but that’s it. I sort of told myself I’d never let it get that bad again, ever, but I also told myself that I’m not a leper or something if I have a beer on a weekend. I just set rules for myself, because now I know what it feels like to be killing yourself and I don’t wanna go back to that.”

“Good,” Rouge nods, “You’ve done a great job, Knuckles. I’m really happy for you.”

“And I’m happy for you,” Knuckles smiles, “I mean, you’re killing it. You’re a fucking EGOT – like what the hell?”

Rouge smiles, “One of the few in the world. What can I say? I’m just that talented.”

“You are,” Knuckles laughs, “Man, you really are.”

“Stop flattering me.”

“I’m just telling the truth.”

It’s silent again, and Rouge decides she wants to ask a question.

“Can I ask something now?”

“Sure.”

“What … happened in rehab that made you put the bottle down? What did you have to confront?”

Knuckles nodded, taking a sip from his water. “You know, it was a lot of things. First, definitely my childhood, and my – my relationship with my parents. You know, I never felt good enough and I guess I started self-medicating with booze and shit. Then, I put all my self-worth into music, and when it started coming undone it made me want to drink more. And then … you, also. I had to confront you leaving, and then I had to really ask myself why you left. I thought I healed, but I guess … seeing you at Amy’s just kind of … took me back there, and that’s why I snapped, I think.”

“I understand why you reacted like that,” Rouge says somberly, “It hurt, but – I understand.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Rouge shook her head, “It’s not your fault. Seeing me after that long … it would’ve been difficult for anyone. It was difficult for me too. I don’t think much can prepare you for it.”

The food arrives, and they start eating, though it’s a slow process – they’re here to talk.

And so far, it’s going a lot better than Rouge anticipated it going. Perhaps he is just more mature, more grown, more self-assured. Or perhaps time just has been good for them.

 Perhaps talking is something they can do, even if scary.

“This is really good marsala,” Knuckles comments.

“Eugh,” Rouge rolls her eyes, “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

“Sorry,” Knuckles laughs and swallows, “I just had to profess my love for this marsala.”

“You really love it that much, huh?”

“Couldn’t help myself.”

Rouge rolls her eyes, “Despite that joke, you’re not as clownish anymore, either.”

Knuckles shrugs, “Oh, don’t be fooled. I still jest – quite a lot. I just thought I should put it on the backburner for tonight.”

“Why?”

“Well,” Knuckles shrugged, “You and I are talking for the first time in years, and I thought I should be … sincere.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to change anything about yourself just to appease little old me.”

Knuckles shakes his head, “I’m not. I just – I guess I’m better at reading the room now.”

“Well, regardless,” Rouge says, “Joke all you want, buddy.”

Knuckles smirks, “I’m glad we’re doing this.”

Rouge takes a bite of her rigatoni, and she smiles. It’s soft, and it’s warm – tingling the edges of her cheeks. It’s a feeling that seldom comes around these days – and it’s odd that it’s happening with him of all people.

She’s not quite sure how to process what’s happening right now – she imagines what it was like when Sonic showed up on Amy’s doorstep. Those feelings both must have been wrangling with, the storms in their respective teacups. It’s slightly haunted, very terrifying, and incredibly healing.

Or, it must be, or it has to be, or it’s conflicting and you’ll never quite understand it but at least you’ll find some peace with it.

She’s finding that peace with everything right now, and she’s welcoming it. If it will make the resulting month of being in the same room together, she’ll take it.

Who knows? Maybe a friendship is possible? Even if distant friends that talk once in a blue moon – maybe anything is possible, she wonders.

“I am too,” Rouge nods, “It’s a lot less scary than I thought it would be.”

“Come on,” Knuckles grins, “I’m not that scary.”

“You’re not, no,” Rouge shrugs, “But confronting twenty years from the past is.”

“True,” Knuckles nods, “But, hey, look at us.”

Rouge snickers, “Look at us.”

It’s weird but it’s nice. It’s odd but it’s comfortable. It’s frightening but it’s peaceful.

He’s capable of every good and bad thing. He can hurt her, or hold her - and she has no choice to love him because she’s seen him do both.

She’s not even sure if they’ve forgiven each other entirely, but the idea that they could helps.

It feels strange, but it helps. It’s hopeful, where things seldom are.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

THE LATE SHOW WITH BIG THE CAT

JANUARY 10^TH, 1997

Amy sits backstage in her own dressing room. She watches her eyes carefully in the mirror, admiring her long, beautiful red dress, her bright makeup, and her wavy quills cascading down her back and shoulders.

She hopes Selene is behaving for Tails and Cosmo, who are no doubt tuning in from her living room.

She hasn’t seen any of the other band members yet, but her stylist – the one and the only, Honey the Cat sent her regards over with the beautiful dress she selected for Amy tonight.

Amy’s personal stylist, Marine, is finishing the final touches on Amy’s eyes, and Amy is delighted at how good she looks – because at least it will distract her from how confused she feels.

“Alright, open wide babe,” Marine says, and Amy obliges.

Amy smiles at the sight, shaking her head, “Well, Marine, you’ve done it again.”

“Oh no,” Marine says, “Have I fucked it up?”

It takes Amy a semi-second to see that she’s joking, because she’s Marine and she’s never fucked up one of Amy’s looks in her life.

“Oh, yeah,” Amy smirks, “You’ve done a number on my face.”

“Well,” Marine winks, “Only the best for you.”

The door to her room opens, and Sonic and Blaze walk inside, and Amy stands up. Blaze lets out a whistle.

“Wooh! Jesus, girl. Always a statement with you.”

Amy hugs the cat, “Well, you and I both know that I can’t help it.”

Blaze is wearing a simple black suit jacket with a white turtleneck and a necklace, with dress slacks and Doc Marten boots.

Amy’s eyes drift over to Sonic, who’s wearing a simple suit jacket with a white shirt, and some nice jeans. It’s basic, which is just his speed.

“How do I look?” Amy asks.

Sonic, just like the Grammy’s all those years ago, just can’t take his eyes off of her.

“Amazing,” Sonic barely manages to get out, “As always.”

Nice save, they both think. Amy knows what she wants him to think, and she knows he thinks it, and yet she wants him to say it deep down but know he shouldn’t. It’s too much of a stuck window to pry open.

“Thank you,” Amy smiles, and she hugs him. He gives her a good squeeze, before her door opens again. Shadow pokes his head in, wearing an all-black suit.

“Ready?” He asks, and Amy takes a deep breath.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Blaze follows Shadow out, but Amy stops Sonic before he can go. He turns around, brow furrowed, and Amy’s breaths are deep.

“Are you nervous?” She asks.

“Well,” Sonic sighs, “I was, then I wasn’t, and then I was again.”

“And how about now?”

“Ready to get it over with.”

Amy smirks, “You … look really nice too, by the way.”

“Oh, yeah?” Sonic smiles, “You like my basic upper-casual?”

“You should probably get a stylist,” Amy smirks, “Since, you know, you’re going to be on TV.”

“Is Marine available?”

“Hell no,” Amy rolls her eyes, “She’s all mine.”

Sonic puts his hands up in surrender, “Alright, I concede. Shall we?”

Amy takes a deep breath, and she nods. “Let’s go.”

When they step outside, they meet the rest of the band, standing with a swarm of PA’s and other crew members, watching Big the Cat approaching in his own black and white suit, a smile on his jolly purple face.

Knuckles is wearing a basic black suit with a white button down, and Silver has a grey suit jacket with a black shirt. Rouge is wearing a brilliant, velvet dress – one that rivals Amy’s own red dress.

They look incredible, no doubt, but do they feel incredible?

Time will tell.

“Well,” Big starts, “I kind of can’t believe I’m seeing all of you in the same place!”

“Us too,” Silver smirks, “How are ‘ya, Big?”

“Well, I’m great now!” Big smiles, “I’ll tell you – the excitement over this is insane! The network is projecting record viewings tonight.”

“Seriously?” Blaze said, “People want to see an old rock band on camera that bad?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Big smiled, before clasping his hands together, “So, listen – we’ll have a clean show. We’ll talk about the band, the music, the documentary – I won’t hit you hard, it’ll be a good, easy interview. Sound good?”

“Sounds good,” Shadow nods, shaking Big’s hand, “We’re all very ready to get into it.”

“Awesome,” Big smiles, and he addresses the band. “We’re gonna make some history tonight!”

Big’s opening monologue into commercial break goes without a hitch, and when Amy is standing with her band behind the curtain, awaiting their walk out onto the stage, she finds herself clasping Rouge’s hand tight.

Rouge looks over at her, offering a gentle smile. “Don’t get nervous, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you nervous and I don’t know how to react to that.”

Amy laughs, “Give my hand a good few squeezes and I’ll be good.”

Rouge obliges, and Amy turns to Sonic, who offers a smile of his own.

“You ready?”

Amy nods, and she believes it. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

[The studio audience is on their feet, cheering as the band plays a jazzed-up intro. Big takes a seat at his desk, tapping his cue cards to the beat when the lights are up, and the cameras are rolling].

BIG: Hey, everybody! Welcome back. We have an incredible show for you tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, here, live, for the first time in twenty years-

[Audience cheers].

BIG: Yes, for the first time in twenty years – they’re here tonight to discuss the release of a documentary surrounding the history of their music career, how it started, how they made those great songs, and yes, how they ended. They’re an indelible and important piece of rock ‘n’ roll history and have inspired leagues of musicians to pick up some instruments, and form bands of their own. Speaking as a big fan, I can’t believe I get to say this – please, welcome to the Late Show, for the first time in twenty years – The Seven!

[The audience is up on their feet, giving a deafening standing ovation. Shadow walks out first, shaking Big’s hand, followed by Sonic and Amy. Sonic shakes Big’s hand, and Amy gives him a quick hug, all exchanging greetings. Rouge and Knuckles come out next, greeting Big, followed by Silver and Blaze.]

[They each take a seat on two couches set up by Big’s desk. Shadow sits closest to him, then Amy, then Sonic, then Rouge. On the other couch, Knuckles sits, with Blaze in the middle, and Silver following suit, sitting to her right.]

[Eventually the band stops playing their rendition of Here We Are Now, and the audience sits down, letting the cheers die out].

BIG: Ah – thank you all for being here. I – I’m just gonna get right into it because – well, I kind of can’t believe this is happening, so…

[The audience laughs, as do the members of The Seven.]

BIG: I – so, when you guys got big, in ’77, I mean – there were so many great records out that year. I remember, the summer that Selene came out, I mean – that was the record. My friends, my coworkers – I mean, there was no other band for any of us. So, I mean, I’m – I’m absolutely levitating talking to you guys right now.

[The studio audience cheers again].

BIG: Okay, I’m done fanboying.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: I want to talk about those formative years. The beginnings of the band all the way back in Knothole. Who formed the band?

SHADOW: Well, a lot of people think it was Sonic, but funnily enough it was Silver. I think he – I’m pretty sure he told Knuckles and I about his idea to start a band while we were running track in P.E.?

[The audience laughs].

SILVER: I had just gotten broken up with or something, and Sonic told me that girls love dudes in bands, so … obviously, like any kid would do, the obvious next step was to start a band.

[The audience laughs].

BIG: So, whoever that girl is that broke up with you – that’s who we have to thank for giving us The Seven?

[The audience laughs and cheers.]

SILVER: Her name was Breezie. No idea where she is now, but if she’s watching, thanks for dumping me.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: So, Silver tells you two about his band, and you guys start jamming? Were you any good then?

KNUCKLES: Oh, God no. [Audience laughs.] We were pretty terrible, but man – I don’t think I had more fun in my entire high school life than when I was jamming in Silver’s garage.

SHADOW: Problem was that none of us could sing if our lives depended on it, so we had to get a singer.

BIG: And that’s where you come in, Sonic?

SONIC: That’s where I come in.

[The audience cheers.]

BIG: So, Silver asks you to join the band, and is your first thought to run the other way?

[The audience laughs.]

SONIC: You know, strangely, I had never given playing music much of a thought. Every guy in our town worked in the factories or joined the military, and neither of that was right for me. I wanted something else, but I was in no rush. So, I did a couple practices with the three guys, and then I joined.

SILVER: Correction, the band became his after three rehearsals.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: And what was that first year like for you four?

SONIC: It was a lot of high school dances and backyard barbecues.

[The audience laughs.]

SHADOW: We rode around in my parents Station Wagon with the fake wood on the side.

[Audience laughs.]

BIG: Very glamorous.

SHADOW: Oh, very. I think Silver had just gotten his driver’s license, so we’d load up our gear – if you could even call it that – and take it to shopping malls and Sweet Sixteens.

KNUCKLES: I think we’d play like – I don’t know – four or five gigs a week? We’d come up with callouses on our hands, and I’d have – what I used to call – stool ass from sitting on the drumkit for too long.

[The audience laughs.]

SILVER: I’m also pretty sure that Station Wagon broke down a few times, and we’d have to keep finding some poor soul with cables to jump us, so that we didn’t show up late to whatever school dance was waiting for us.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: So, humble beginnings, but – from where you were, to where you went – what’s the night it gets real for you guys?

SONIC: Well, we’re playing this birthday party in a gymnasium, and I look out into the crowd, and I see someone that looks … really familiar. Turns out, it’s Silver and I’s dad, who, I mean we – we hadn’t seen him for years. Turns out, with my temper, when I confront him and he basically rebukes us – I just had this feeling that … nothing was going to be the same, because I had something to prove, and – and I was just lucky enough that the other guys felt the same way.

SILVER: Yeah, it was one of those things where you just – you kind of can’t explain it, but we – we were off to the races by that point.

[The audience cheers.]

BIG: Wow. So, it starts with you four, but as we all know three other people join the fray. How does the band that we all know, and love come together?

SHADOW: Blaze was the first addition.

BLAZE: Turns out I can’t say no for shit.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: How do you get involved in this, Blaze?

BLAZE: I was playing with this psychedelic rock outfit; pretty sure we were called The Maracas.

[The audience laughs.]

BLAZE: We were headlining this gig out in Knothole, it was one of our bigger gigs at the time, and opening for us was this band called Spindash. It’s these four dudes, and they kind of blow the roof off the place. They were way better than us, and Vector the Crocodile and Mighty the Armadillo, who was soft managing The Maracas at the time, they put Spindash in touch with me, and so I get a call from a diner payphone.

SONIC: I’m pretty sure your stove caught on fire while we were calling you.

BLAZE: Oh, yeah. The dudes in the band were burning toast. This was a regular occurrence in that house.

[The audience laughs.]

BLAZE: But it was Sonic’s wife, Sally, who actually managed to convince me to join the band, but I told them I’d only join if my friend Rouge could join.

[The audience cheers.]

BIG: And, as we know, they said yes – so they get a two-for-one.

ROUGE: Best deal they ever made.

[The audience laughs and cheers.]

SONIC: After that gig, Vector and Mighty gave us a bunch of advice – write more love songs, get out of Knothole and go to Los Angeles. So, the next day we packed up a van for LA. I nearly broke up with my eventual wife, until she hops in the van with us the next day and joins us across the country.

SHADOW: We rent this crappy little house in LA, I mean – a mess. Blaze and Rouge walk in with us sword fighting with – what was it, toilet paper rolls?

[The audience laughs.]

KNUCKLES: Probably a few branches from outside.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: So, all of you lived in a little house in LA?

BLAZE: Yeah, it was, I think a three or four bedroom, which, back then that house was a lot cheaper than it would be now. Rouge and I shared a room, and Sonic and Sally had theirs. I want to say Shadow, Knuckles, and Silver all crammed into one tiny room – but I can’t remember.

ROUGE: Probably all the weed frying our brain cells.

[The audience laughs.]

BLAZE: Pretty sure it was secondhand from Knuckles’ stash.

SONIC: Do you guys remember how his weed smelled?

[The audience laughs.]

SILVER: Horrible.

BIG: But it did the job, right?

KNUCKLES: Of course it did.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: So, you move to LA, and when do you guys land your first gig?

SHADOW: We show up on Vector’s doorstep and he calls in a favor to get us in The Avenue. We played there a bunch of times, and then we would play other crappy little bars.

BLAZE: We played at some beef sandwich shop – and I’m pretty sure Shadow and I showed up dressed as the waiters.

[The audience laughs.]

SILVER: We kind of stuck with The Avenue – we were looking for a place that we could have to grow as a band, like all the great bands before us. We met our eventual sound tech there, Tails, and I think those were the years we really grew as a band.

BIG: When does it change from there? Because, from talking with Espio, it seemed like he gave you one shot to impress him and knocked his socks off.

SONIC: I found him at a supermarket and nearly left without talking to him.

SHADOW: I remember Silver and I watching Espio walk into the little convenience store and yelling at Sonic to turn around and walk back inside.

SONIC: He gave us one shot. I had to come up with a song that would blow him away, and so we all pile into this studio, I can’t remember what it was, but we had one chance. He got us signed the next evening,

[The audience cheers.]

SILVER: Those shows after that were nuts. I remember there was this one time we were opening for some other blues band, and those kids – they didn’t differentiate any of the music you were playing, they just wanted to be there.

SHADOW: I mean each show was pandemonium. We were all covered in sweat – we used to fling it on Espio after each show.

KNUCKLES: I remember this one show there were like, fourteen-year-old kids doing keg stands in the crowd. It was so wild. They used to fling packs of cigarettes and, I think there was one show they would fling empty pizza boxes – they’d whizz past our head.

[The audience laughs.]

BLAZE: There was one show we played at this de-sanctified church, and the kids were just having so much fun – drinking these, like, popcorn-box sized beer cans, and they were just jumping and jumping – they jumped so hard, that we just see this dimple appear in the middle of the crowd – I mean, those kids were falling through the floor-

[The audience laughs.]

BLAZE: Into the basement, coming back up, and pushing the new kids in.

[The audience laughs.]

[Commercial break.]

BIG: Hello, everybody, welcome back! We’re here with The Seven. So, you make an album with Espio, and you go on tour. I know that tour was a tough one, but when did the band transform past that to something else? You know, you all went through so many transformations in such a small period of time.

ROUGE: Well, that tour with Scourge and the Babylon Rogues was a rough one. When we got off the tour, paid our advance back, we kind of went back to square one. So, Sonic had this song Hemlock, and he played it for Espio, but we were kind of in a shit spot.

SONIC: The label said no to it. They still hadn’t forgiven us for how that tour ended, and so we wanted that song to, hopefully, put us back in their good graces. So, Espio had this hare-brained idea to record the song but as a duet, with a female vocalist. And so, we all show up to Sound Kingdom, and I’m obviously not having it, but then in walks in Amy Rose.

[The audience cheers – it’s the most deafening one yet.]

BIG: So, Amy, it was Espio that got you into the band. How did you meet him?

AMY: Oh boy, it’s my turn to talk now?

[The audience laughs.]

AMY: Well, I met Espio through the Lady Tangle, who-

[The audience cheers.]

AMY: She and Espio were good friends, and I had heard his name around, I mean – he was a big, big producer. I turned him down a couple times, but that man – if he saw something in you, he wouldn’t let it go. So, I let him work with me on some songs – doing this singer-songwriter thing. One night he’s playing Hemlock and I’m kind of … humming along to it … and he pitches this idea of me singing on it. So, I show up the next day, but what Espio fails to tell me is that the male singer hates the idea of doing it as a duet.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: And yet, it was the song that explodes you to the mainstream.

SONIC: And it wasn’t my version of the song that did it. Amy had written some of her own lyrics, which took us off track, but I was convinced to try her version and … yeah, it was far, far superior to mine.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: What was that year like – when Here We Are Now, also called Hemlock, goes to number one on the charts?

SHADOW: It was crazy. It was this thing we were working towards, through all the noise, and it just finally clicked – I just think we were missing Amy Rose.

[The audience cheers.]

BIG: Did you join the band after that?

AMY: Not right away.

BIG: When do you join the band?

AMY: Well, I go to this house party that Sonic and Sally are throwing, and I kind of get an invite, and then the next morning Sally simply tells me that this band is a family, they take care of each other, and that I’d be a fool if I didn’t stick around and give it a shot.

BIG: So, it sounds like all of this is thanks to Sally Acorn?

SILVER: Every single bit of it. I mean – the entire band is thanks to Sally Acorn and Espio the Chameleon.

[The crowd roars in applause.]

BIG: So, obviously, you’re all here, and twenty years prior the band breaks up after you play a show in Central City. Twenty years later, there’s a documentary coming out that goes through your history, filmed by Sonic’s daughter. How does it feel to see those clips of you guys performing all those years ago?

SILVER: I mean, I get to look back at it and my wife’s in there, and gosh, what a babe.

[The audience laughs and cheers.]

ROUGE: I remember feeling super nostalgic, but also just – damn, we were good. I don’t think we realized all the way then how good we were.

[The audience cheers.]

AMY: It’s hard, sometimes, to watch a past version of yourself and think, oh gosh I was an addict, I was a mess, but I was also having the time of my life.

BIG: Now, I’ve had such a strong devotion to this band, and I sincerely don’t want to stir the pot, but I know that much of the theories of their being friction in the band are-

Audience member: Reunite the band!

BIG: That’s my [REDACTED] question!

[The audience laughs and cheers.]

BIG: So, is it water under the bridge? Or is it still an open wound?

SHADOW: You know, bands have twists and turns, and ups and downs, and we’ve all done, or maybe said things, that the others might not have approved of, but I think, despite that, we love each other, and we love each other enough to come here and tell the world we’re not afraid of opening up the past a little.

[The audience cheers.]

BIG: And, obviously, at the heart of the band, there are stories of damaged love affairs, and that complicates anything, let alone it being a band whom are working so closely together. Is that water under the bridge?

[The audience hollers.]

AMY: You know, the last few months have been damn weird, but I think we’ve all just enjoyed being in each other’s lives again, and I think that’s cause for celebration.

[The audience cheers.]

BLAZE: You’ll get the full picture of everything in the documentary, you know, we didn’t wanna give it all away.

[The audience laughs and cheers.]

BIG: Was it hard to open up about those old affairs or damaged relationships?

SONIC: It was. It’s holding a microscope up to … a lot of shameful actions and moments, but … I think talking about it, you know, you kind of remind yourself that you’re human, and you’re susceptible to shortcomings. It was sort of retroactively healing, for me, at least.

ROUGE: It was tough, but it was worth it. We’ve all done a lot of growing, and you know, what rock band from our decade wasn’t a hot mess internally?

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: Yeah, I’m trying to think, and I can’t name any.

[The audience laughs.]

AMY: What’s important now is that we’re here protecting our legacy and protecting the legacy of Sally Acorn and Espio the Chameleon, and whatever else happens with us is whatever else happens. I think we’re all ready to take it how it comes.

BIG: Well, I legally have to ask – is there any possibility of protecting your legacy by getting onstage and playing together again?

[The audience roars.]

BIG: I should mention that there are guitars and drums just on that stage right now!

[The audience roars again. The sound is deafening.]

SHADOW: You know, we honestly haven’t given it much thought. Right now, we’re pretty committed to the documentary and showing the world what we were really all about.

BIG: And so, could there be maybe even a sliver of hope that you might take the stage again?

BLAZE: Maybe, maybe not. I’ll guess we’ll have to see, huh?

[The audience roars.]

BIG: Alright, we accept this answer – for now.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: Before I let you go, I have one more question for each of you. What are you most proud of when it comes to the musical legacy of The Seven, and what are you most excited for the world to see? Silver, I'll start with you.

SILVER: I’m excited for the world to see how we wrote Selene. I’m really, really proud of that record.

BLAZE: I’m the proudest of how we broke gender boundaries. You know, female vocalists in rock bands – they were common, but just – having a band with multiple men and women? In an industry that was dominated by men, I think us breaking that trend is what I’m most proud of.

KNUCKLES: I love how much fun we had. It was a lot of shit times, but it was a lot of good times too, and I hope the world gets to see a lot of that.

ROUGE: I’m proud of how much we experimented, you know, all the different instruments we worked into the mix. I don’t wanna toot our horn, but I feel like we were ahead of our time.

[The audience roars.]

SONIC: I think … I’m honestly looking forward to people seeing who we really were, what we struggled with and went through, it’s an emotional ride, but it’s a necessary one. And I’m proudest of my partnership with Amy, and all the kickass songs we wrote together.

[The audience roars.]

AMY: How nice. You know, I’m definitely proud of all of us as individuals, and the lives we’ve made for ourselves. I’m really looking forward to people seeing how we built our lives and careers, and how even if you’re in the darkest shit, you can still rise up.

[The audience roars.]

SHADOW: I’m just excited for it to be over with.

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: Well, thanks for your honesty, Shadow!

[The audience laughs.]

BIG: The documentary directed by Sonia Acorn, The Seven: The World’s Greatest Band, comes out on January 25^th. Ladies and gentlemen, The Seven! Sonic the Hedgehog, Amy Rose, Silver the Hedgehog, Blaze the Cat, Rouge the Bat, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Knuckles the Echidna! Thank you everybody, and goodnight!

[The audience roars are deafening. The band waves to the crowd, banters with one another, and with Big, as the camera pans out, and the audience roars on their feet.]

When Amy walks through that curtain, and she feels the blood rush back to her body, she can hardly stand.

It not only went better than she thought it would, but it far exceeded her expectations. Any worldly expectations.

For a moment, she can see a version of The Seven that actually works.

She can see a life for it, one that doesn’t end in disaster.

And when she locks eyes with Sonic, walking backstage, she can see a world where nothing ends, and nothing burns.

And she fucking loves it.

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 22: Canned Heat

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

MTV ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

It was Amy alone in a dressing room.

What she was warned about was that the roundtable discussion, broadcast live on the most famous television channel in the country, would be the most brutal and in-depth of the interviews.

Obviously, that could be true, or the one with just her and Sonic could be equally, if not more, brutal than this one.

Or perhaps all of it would be too much to bear, too big of a cross to hold on their backs – the talk show was like holding the past’s hand and skating across pale ice. This one felt like the past grabbing your wrist and pulling you into quicksand.

The whole idea of this made her nauseous. To be perfectly fucking honest, her life, up until this point, had been going pretty damn well. Was she happy? Sure. Could she have been happier? Probably. Would she have traded what she had for what she was now having to endure? Fuck no.

It made zero sense for her, in her mind, to go back down memory lane when all she ever wanted was right there for her grasp. She had been over it, and over it, and over it again with her therapist, talking in circles around the issue leading to nowhere concrete. No epiphany. No explosive realization that would solve whatever this crisis was – if it even was one.

She made up in her mind that she’d have to endure this, and then when the documentary came out, she could finally stop talking about this fucking band and return to what was priority – her daughter, her own career, and her life.

Blaze and Rouge walk inside, and she’s honestly happy it’s not Sonic or any of the guys coming into her room. Amy turns and smiles, and it’s the best smile she can give.

“Oh,” Rouge starts, “You do not look happy.”

Shame, she thinks, that they can see right through her, all these years later.

“Having pre-talk jitters?” Blaze asks, and they sit on one of the couches.

Amy shrugs, swiveling her styling chair to face them, attempting to ignore the pulsing lights dotting around the mirror. They’re too damn bright, she thinks. She wants the world to stop staring at her for a minute – it makes her fucking blood curl.

“More like pre-talk why the fuck am I even here.”

Blaze sighs, “Not having fun with this, huh?”

“Are you?” Amy shrugs.

“Nope,” Rouge shakes her head, “What I wouldn’t give to be doing quite literally anything else right now.”

“I don’t know,” Blaze sighs, “I’m allowing it to flow. I’m just taking it for what it is.”

“This one’s going to dig at us,” Amy sighs. “I know I said I was ready to go back again with you guys and whatever, but – this one’s going to suck.”

“MTV is all sensational,” Rouge rolls her eyes, “And, honestly, I think we’ve all been around the block enough now to know how to dodge that.”

“Not all of us,” Amy shakes her head, “I mean, we three have done plenty of interviews, but – some of those guys? I mean, hell, Sonic hasn’t sat down with a journalist in twenty years, and now he’s sitting down having to drudge this up – I mean we – we’ve come far enough to be done with this, right?”

“Look,” Blaze nodded, “You are Amy Rose. You know better than anyone how to bite back if you need.”

“I know,” Amy rubbed her eyes, “But still I am not ready for this shit.”

“It’ll be okay,” Rouge nodded, “Let’s just – let’s just get it over with. The sooner this is over, the sooner the premiere, the sooner we’re finished. It’s just for the documentary. It’s just for the documentary.”

“God,” Amy shook her head, “If I didn’t love Sonia Acorn as much as I did, I would not be doing all of this.”

A knock sounds at the door, and Shadow pokes his head in. “They’re ready for us. Sonic, Knuckles, and Silver are already over there.”

Amy nods and hops to her feet. She lets her legs wiggle for a moment, and she pulls herself together. This time is different. There’s no bump of cocaine to get her mind racing on track. There’s no pill to pop to focus in. There’s no quick swig of whiskey to ease her body. It’s just her body and her brain, and right now they’re attacking. She instinctively grabs Blaze’s arm and walks out of the room on Blaze’s grip. Rouge follows behind, her hands on Amy’s shoulders, and leads the three out of the room.

Shadow follows behind, keeping his distance as he always does, through the studio hallways. The volume of the voices expecting them grows louder the closer they walk, and in Amy’s mind, she’s walking into a black hole.

She doesn’t know why, all the sudden today she is feeling like this. She was fine with the talk show, it came to her naturally and rolled off her back without combat. She was set. Her mind and body, for once were working together. Today, not so much. They were playing some sick game of seek-and-destroy with one another, all while Amy was just so silently begging and pleading for them to relax, so she could get her shit in order.

They push the door open, and there’s a row of couches, and across from those couches is an interviewer in a chair, with a camera crew set up around them. Amy swears she knows who this journalist is – but last time she did something on MTV, it was a yellow Mongoose, and this person is not that.

Two skunks, one grey and one albino, were seated with some notecards, and they turned around to greet the trio.

“Hello,” The first one stands with a smile, offering his hand for a shake, “My name is Rough, this is Tumble, we’ll be conducting your interview today.”

“Nice to meet you,” Blaze speaks for them.

“You guys can grab a seat wherever,” Tumble smiles, “We’re all mic’d up.”

Amy grabs a seat by Knuckles, with Blaze sitting on the other side of her. Amy looks to the couch, which is positioned in a diagonal next to hers, which has Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. Amy has Knuckles, Blaze, and then Rouge next to her on her couch. The lights were relatively blinding, and Amy had to take a deep breath to take control.

“You good?” Sonic whispers.

Amy turns, and she nods. Sonic doesn’t really believe her, and she can tell he doesn’t.

“You sure?”

Amy shrugs, but she nods.

Sonic nods back, “Just tap me if you need a lifeline.”

Amy snorts, “Same to you.”

Rough and Tumble communicate briefly with the camera crew, before Rough turns to the band.

“Okay,” he starts, “So, we’ll go live in a few moments, but obviously we have some questions and pointers for conversations, but of course, you all can talk as you please – there’s microphones in here that should pick everything up fine – we did a quick sound-test a few minutes ago. So, interject whenever you need. We really want this to flow like a natural conversation about the band.”

“Got it,” Shadow nodded, “Well, I believe we’re ready when you are.”

Tumble nods to the camera operator, who begins to count down.

“Live to MTV, in five… four … three …”

Two.

One.

“This is Rough, and this is Tumble, with MTV – here with The Seven.”

They clear their throats.

Go time.

ROUGH: Thank you all for being here. Twenty years after the band breaks up, we have a documentary coming out that goes through the band’s history. What was it like to go back through your, albeit brief, time in the rock industry?

SHADOW: It was a strange process, generally. All of us have pretty different feelings about the way things went down, and we’ve all had different careers after it ended – I think a lot of us were finally ready to just speak about it. I don’t know that we ever thought it would get to this point.

SILVER: Just kind of reminds you where you were and how far you’ve come.

TUMBLE: Did any of you guys communicate about what you would be saying to Sonia Acorn during the interview process?

[Silence.]

BLAZE: Uh, no – no, I don’t think so. I spoke about it with Silver, but I mean – even we probably said whatever came to our mind in the moment. Trying to remember every detail of what happened two decades earlier isn’t that easy. [Laughs].

AMY: No, I don’t think I talked to anyone about it. I think we all just kept it to ourselves.

ROUGH: Do you think that was beneficial to the interview process?

SHADOW: I would say so. Obviously, we’re not all going to remember every detail. People have to remember that, with it being two decades prior, the truth is probably in the middle of what we’re all saying.

TUMBLE: So, are you saying some people may have been lying?

[Silence].

SONIC: No, not on purpose, at least. Just – misremembering things.

ROUGE: I mean – if you can say you remember how every conversation you had twenty years ago went, you’d probably be lying.

TUMBLE: True. Um – so, you – you have a very special spot in music history, in that people don’t know a lot about why the band actually broke up. Will this documentary answer that question?

KNUCKLES: Yes. It goes into, I think, pretty gruesome detail about that last concert.

ROUGH: And – what was that last concert like?

[Silence. Many look to Shadow].

SHADOW: I mean – it was bad. No reason to sugarcoat. But it’s also a lot more … reasonably real than people probably think it was. I think every band has had a concert like that – I just think some bands were able to get through it, whereas for us, it was a punctuation mark on a sentence that had already been written.

TUMBLE: So, you think the band would’ve broken up regardless?

SHADOW: I think it was the most realistic outcome, yeah.

ROUGH: Blaze, what do you think?

BLAZE: I mean – I don’t know if I necessarily agree. I think – I think we probably could have tried a little harder to make it work, but – I also know that some people were just done, and I think you just … have to respect that decision, even if you don’t think it’s the right one.

TUMBLE: So, you didn’t want the band to break up?

BLAZE: None of us wanted that, but some people … I don’t think they had any other choice.

SONIC: You talking about me?

BLAZE: I would say you’re probably one of them, yes.

TUMBLE: You had no other choice, Sonic?

SONIC: No. I had no other choice. I made the right call.

SHADOW: Right, but … for whom?

SONIC: For my family.

ROUGH: There were family concerns?

SONIC: Yes, which I go into in the documentary with my daughter. Nothing is more important than your family, and I – I think I realized that was the right path for me. Even if it sucked, or … it wasn’t completely what I wanted to do, I had to do the right thing for once.

TUMBLE: So, it seems like we all have different outlooks on how that night ended. Amy, what about you?

AMY: I also had no other choice, but it really sucked.

ROUGH: How so?

AMY: Because, like Blaze said, I didn’t want it to end, but it had too. Or, at least, I had to let it go. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one who had to let it go, so when nearly half your band is having to pack it up, there’s no reason for it to keep going.

TUMBLE: Let’s talk about your album, Selene. It’s left a big impact on music, and many female rockstars owe it to people like you, Amy, as well as Blaze and Rouge. Do you think that album adequately reflects your headspaces at the time, with one another and with music?

BLAZE: My opinions on the music industry haven’t changed, and probably never will. I would say that despite obvious drama, the writing and recording of that record was a lot of fun.

KNUCKLES: We had good times making that record. [Laughs].

AMY: I would say it does. We go into it more in the documentary, but we were all going through confusing times. It reflected well onto the album.

ROUGH: And you wrote the lyrics with Sonic?

AMY: Correct.

ROUGH: Were these songs conversations between the two of you – or just shared sentiments about life, love, and the like?

SONIC: Uh, I don’t know. I can’t really say-

AMY: I would say so, yes.

SHADOW: Really?

AMY: I would. I think Sonic and I were a lot more alike than we were different.

SHADOW: But were those songs by you to him, and vice-versa?

AMY: Are you interviewing me now?

SHADOW: I’m just trying to understand where your heads at.

SONIC: I think – I think she’s trying to say that … we were going through similar things, so … obviously it was – it was bound to happen that we’d write about those things and, sort of, share our feelings.

SILVER: What I think is cool is that – back then, being vulnerable about stuff in rock music wasn’t – it wasn’t that common. It was a lot more about drugs, and partying, and sex – and I think with Amy’s experience and writing style being different from ours, we were able to kind of, marry that sound with more vulnerable, emotional lyrics that were a lot more relatable to the average person listening. I mean, not every person with a record is fancying up to this lifestyle of getting drunk and having sex – partying all the time. Even we didn’t really do that stuff that much.

ROUGH: Would you say that’s part of your legacy?

SILVER: One hundred percent. We could make a really roaring, kickass rock record but have the lyrics be relatable to everybody who’s listening. It used to feel like rock music was kind of where you lived out your wildest fantasies, but – who’s to say you can’t have music like that – that also speaks to what you’re actually experiencing in that moment of your life?

ROUGE: Nice save.

SILVER: [Laughs]. I saw where that conversation was going.

ROUGE: [Laughs]. Clever boy, you are.

TUMBLE: Back to Sonic and Amy’s writing relationship-

ROUGE: Ah, wasn’t a good enough save. [Chuckles].

SILVER: I tried. [Laughs].

TUMBLE: Were any of the songs things you wanted to say to one another?

AMY: Hm – I don’t know – I kind of like Silver’s train of thought more. [Laughs].

SILVER: I’m known for being exceptionally wise.

AMY: You know what – I’ll bite. Probably. Maybe not. I don’t know – it was so long ago, and I haven’t written a song with him in twenty years. I can’t speak to it.

SONIC: Yeah, there was quite a lot going on. It’s all in the documentary. Comes out January 25^th.

KNUCKLES: Oh, for real? Thanks for the reminder!

SONIC: You’re welcome. [Laughs].

ROUGH: And where is your relationship standing now? Obviously, there were a lot of rumors back then.

AMY: We’re all sort of being reacquainted, and Sonic and I are no different than that.

[Sonic looks at Amy and raises an eyebrow].

ROUGH: Sonic?

SONIC: Um … yeah, she’s right about that. It’s a new thing we’re all … trying to get back to where we were before it all kind of went down.

TUMBLE: How is that going?

SHADOW: I don’t know, man – you tell us. How do we seem?

ROUGH: A little tense.

SHADOW: Well, we’ve never been good at interviews.

BLAZE: I particularly have always hated them. [Laughs].

TUMBLE: People have already begun theorizing about where the band stands now on their music. How do you feel when you listen back?

ROUGE: Feels like I’m 20 again.

SHADOW: Yeah, there’s – there’s not too much to say there for me, honestly. We still like it all. It’s obviously personal, and of course you listen and you’re right back in the seventies. So, that’s always a shock to the system, but – speaking to the music for music’s sake … it still holds up.

ROUGH: Amy, what do you think?

AMY: It’s still good. We don’t have any problems with the songs we wrote. They’re apart of our system.

TUMBLE: Still, even all these years later?

SONIC: Still.

TUMBLE: And on the topic of your music, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask about a possible reunion show? All of you being back in the limelight as a cohesive band … it’s obvious people are curious about that.

BLAZE: People are just gonna have to keep being curious.

TUMBLE: Why?

SILVER: Because there are no current plans to reunite the band for a concert.

ROUGH: But, no current plans – so, it’s possible there still could be one?

KNUCKLES: Well, we’re all sitting here in the same room doing an interview of all things twenty years later, so I guess anything’s possible.

SHADOW: [Scoffs]. But we’re not promising shit.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

“So?”

Perci snickers on the other line. “Well, it certainly wasn’t great.”

Amy groaned quietly. “It’s MTV. What do people expect?”

“No, it’s true – they were lowballing you. With all the focus on you and Sonic this, you and Sonic that – I mean, early reads are people liked your attitudes. It seemed like you guys were … being real about how you felt the interview was going.”

“That’s what’s important, right?”

“Yes,” Perci started, “But, you know, the studio is certainly enjoying the headlines you’re all making. The problem now … is all these reunion questions-“

“I know.”

“They’re getting more and more heat, Amy. Have you all … actually talked about that in detail?”

“I mean … we took forever on deciding if we even wanted to do interviews. We just assumed we could cross the ‘reunion concert’ bridge problem when we got to it.”

“Heh, well … I’m afraid you’re at the bridge, girl.”

Amy groaned again. She did great work thus far at pretending like a concert didn’t bother her, but it did. It wasn’t even the idea, the possibility, of playing with them that perturbed her at all.

It was the idea of talking about it that perturbed her.

The Seven were many things, and one thing they were is that they were terrible at having real conversations.

“I just … I think people need to give us time on that.”

“Well, can I put some things into perspective for you? From a business standpoint?”

“Please.”

Perci took a deep breath. “Today is January 15th. The documentary comes out very soon. You have two more interview slots coming up, and one of them is with you and Sonic by yourselves, which of course, you agreed to. You’re going to get asked two more times about a reunion, and safe to say that, from a PR perspective … the non-answers aren’t going to cut it anymore. Of course, people are interested to finally know what really happened … but it’s not going to be enough to stoke the flames. You have to make a decision, as a band, and give a concrete answer. Especially for the studio, because you know that deep down – they want a show. Everyone wants a show.”

“I know they do.”

“So, just … you know that I love you, even though you’re a stubborn ox … but you must have an answer. We can only dodge it for you guys long enough.”

Amy sighed again. She twirled the phone cord through her fingers, hearing Selene call her from the kitchen.

“I gotta go, Perc’ – the princess summons me.”

“Go,” Perci snickered, “Just remember what I’m saying. You’ll get some more talking points faxed to you tomorrow for the next show this weekend. Get ready, honey.”

“I’ll do my best. Bye, love.”

“Bye, darlin’”.

Amy hung up and threw her head back with an exasperated sigh.

God, if you’re up there – do this one solid for me, for this once, she thinks, before she gets up to answer the call of her sun in the other room.

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Amy called Sonic to come over, because she needed to talk to him first before she could even face the rest of the band.

Things with her and Sonic were in the same limbo they always were. Friends, back in each other’s worlds, enjoying each other’s presence, deathly afraid to say or do the wrong thing, and walking on the loudest, most painful broken glass imaginable.

The perfect relationship, Amy thinks – duh!

They spent the night watching Selene put on a one-woman puppet show before her bedtime, where Amy could sneak Sonic out to the backyard to talk about what she really wanted to discuss, in the quiet backyard dawn, under the stars.

But Sonic … he didn’t wanna sit.

So, while Amy waited for him to come out from the “bathroom”, she did not expect him to come out with a blanket.

“What’s that for?”

“For stargazing,” Sonic rolled his eyes, “Duh.”

Duh, she thinks.

So, here they were, laying down on a blanket, worlds apart, breathing in loose synchronicity.

“So,” Sonic broke the ice, “Why’d you want me to come over? You said you had some stuff you wanted to talk about.”

“Oh,” Amy snickered, “Did I?”

Sonic rolled his eyes, “You are impossible.”

Amy shook her head, rubbing her eyes. “Well, I talked to Perci today – my publicist. Kind of … our acting publicist right now. Look, uh – she – she said these reunion questions aren’t going away. They’re making headlines.”

“Yeah,” Sonic sighed, “I saw.”

“She said we must have an answer – an actual answer. She basically said without saying it that Clutch and them at MGM are going to want something from us themselves.”

Sonic nodded, but he didn’t reply. Amy turned finally.

“So, I want to talk to you about it first.”

Sonic nodded, and then he turned. “Can you just – just tell me how you feel about it first? Take everything else out of the equation – the drama, the reunions, the … everything. How do you really feel about getting on stage with the band again?”

Amy nodded, and she turned to the stars. She melted into the grass, and closed her eyes, and for the first time – she actually pictured it.

No bullshit, no faking herself out – she actually imagined it in totality.

In front of the microphone, to her left is Silver on bass. He looks older, but still that same adorable youthfulness he’s always had. He’s still a mighty player on the axe. He still gives her warm grins. He still makes her feel safe.

To her left is Sonic and Shadow. Two sides of the same coin – different, but all the same. Shadow looks noticeably older, but in a gruff, stoic, goth-y uncle way. He’s still exuding cool as a cucumber, radical as always, and still shreds like he always did. He doesn’t really look around too much at the band these days – he’s much more reserved, much more serious now. He’s grown. Every note of the music is his crutch – nothing else.

And Sonic … he’s Sonic. This time, though, there’s no bottle of Jack backstage, or a tin with some cocaine inside. There are no rolling papers, and there are no bottles of quaaludes. There is not a vice in sight. It’s him, his guitar, his denim, and his James Dean grin with his boyish croon. He looks older too – his stubble is more noticeable, the ends of his quills are a darker blue, his muzzle is bushier, more unkept. His eyes are darker than they were. There’s a light gone – Sally took it when she left. A consolation prize for giving so much of her light away for so many years. The light, however, comes from somewhere different now. It’s dancing across his arms. It’s moving through his fingers.

He looks at her.

Oh. There you are.

Behind her is Knuckles, and Blaze, and Rouge, and The Seven is all around her. Those three, her safety net always.

In the wings, it’s Vector and Mighty. They look in admiration. They’re more excited than ever that they’re really seeing it after so long.

Across the audience, there’s Tails and Cosmo in the booth. They sound older, but those levels never change. They still remember the perfect mix for all seven of them. For Amy, twenty years has been left in a torrent. For Tails and Cosmo, no time has passed at all.

Then, there’s an audience of hundreds and thousands of people. They remember every note, every solo, every lick, every beat, every little nuance, and every single word of every single song.

And for them, no time has passed at all.

She looks up, and there’s Sally Acorn. She looks in the wings, and she prays Espio is there. He’s not, his shadow crawls across the walls – he’s still here, somewhere, she thinks.

But not Sally. She’s not sharing this space with Amy. Then, a blinding light behind her. She feels a warm pair of hands around her shoulders. When Amy hangs her head, a hand cups her chin, forces her to lift her gaze back to the crowd in front of her.

“Look.”

Amy turns around, the stage is empty now. The audience is vacant. Behind her on stage is Sally Acorn.

She’s in a long, white dress. Her hair is perfect – an autumn auburn that used to light up the world where she walked. She doesn’t look sick. She looks older, but she’s perfect.

Amy drops her head and cries. She can’t help it. Those hands grab her chin and hold her gaze back up again.

“Look around you.”

Amy shakes her head. “I – I can’t.”

Sally smiles, “The whole world is here for you. This stage is where you belong. This is where you’ve always belonged. You’re meant for this. All of you are meant for this.”

Amy looks around the empty stage, and the empty audience. She hears Sally’s voice echo across the empty stadium. For miles, and miles, and miles – her voice travels.

“It’s been so long. I don’t know how to do this anymore.”

“Do what?” Sally laughs, “Do Amy Rose? This is in your blood, darling. This is what your soul is made of. It’s made of music. If you can do this alone – you can do this with them again.”

“Why would you want that?” Amy sniffles. Sally tightens her grip on Amy’s hands. Amy can feel her. More than she ever did before.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Sally shook her head, “I traveled this world for Sonic, and for Blaze, and Silver, and Knuckles, and you. You changed our lives. You changed so many lives. You took that darkness, turned it into heavenly light, and then you cut a little piece of that and bathed everyone around you in it.”

“How am I supposed to know that I can do it again?” Amy shook her head, “Especially with all of them? Especially with Sonic?”

Sally laughed again and turned Amy to the crowd. “Do you hear it?”

Amy closed her eyes, because she knew Sally wanted her too. Soon, the sound of a roaring audience fades into her ears. It gets louder, and louder, and louder.

“Do you feel that?”

The stomping feet. The vibrations from Shadow’s guitar. The bass from Silver thumping through her arms. Knuckles’ kick drum pummeling her chest.

Sonic’s voice hugging her eardrums.

“What do you think?” She asked.

“It’s …”

“Magical?”

“Yeah,” Amy sighed, and then – it stopped.

Amy opened her eyes and turned around. Sally shook her head with a smirk. “And it’s gone. How do you feel now?”

Amy sighed and shook her head. “Empty.”

“You have your answer, then,” Sally nodded with a smile, taking Amy’s hands again. “You’ve had it all along.”

“I’m so sorry,” Amy shook her head, crying again. “I – I don’t – “

Then, Sally threw Amy into a hug. “My Amy Rose … the story has been yours this whole time – you just didn’t know it.”

Amy buried her face in Sally’s shoulder. Sally rubbed circles around Amy’s tense back, and with the first stroke, Amy crumpled.

“I’ve always been your biggest fan,” Sally whispers.

“I know.”

“You’re going to get on that stage with all of them again. You’re going to play those songs I loved so much – that so many loved so much. You’re going to feel that again. Because … this is what you’re meant to do. All you needed was a little push.”

Amy shook her head, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I – I miss you so much, Sally.”

The chipmunk stroked Amy’s cheek, taking Amy’s tears with them. Her white dress blows softly in a quick breeze that threatens to knock them over. She holds Amy’s face in her soft paws, and she sighs.

“I’m with you always. Even when I was on this Earth, and you were miles away, I was with you always. This will never change. You’ll all see me again one day.”

“I – are you … are you proud of me, Sally? You said I – I was so many things I didn’t know yet and I – I just – “

“Amy,” Sally laughs, “I am … so proud of what you’ve become. I knew you could do it, and here you are. You’re doing it.”

Sally kisses Amy’s temple. “Don’t stop now. You’re on a roll.”

Amy shook her head, “I won’t.”

“Good,” Sally said, “Love this life for me. With every second, you share your light.”

Sally grips her hand’s one more time, and the crowd goes wild.

“Don’t stop now.”

“Amy?”

Amy snaps awake. Her face is wet – she’s been crying. Sonic’s sitting up on his knees, and his eyes are wide with concern. She feels his hand in hers.

“Amy? Are – what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Amy looks at him for a while. She wipes her tears slowly, and her hands fall back to her side – one still interlocked in his.

She nods, and Sonic scoffs in confusion.

“You – you sure?”

She nods again.

“Well, did you … think about it? About how you’d feel about doing it? About doing a concert with the band again?”

Amy nods once more.

“And … what do you think? How would it feel?”

Amy turned to the stars again, and she thinks she sees Sally in the clouds. She’s not sure, but she believes so hard she’s looking down at Amy and Sonic right now, and she feels at peace.

She finally turns to Sonic, and she cracks a teary-eyed smile.

“Magical.”

Chapter Text

THE SEVEN: HERE WE ARE NOW

Act I: REUNION

Track 23: Fell On Black Days

⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎⚡︎

Amy decided to hold the band at her house. After her and Sonic’s conversation, it seemed like a real Come-To-Jesus moment was at hand for all seven of them. They did their soul searching, they asked themselves, and each other, the hard questions – they couldn’t be the only people.

The others couldn’t get let off the hook that easy.

So, of course, here they all sat in her regal living room, all eyes on Amy and Sonic, because they could tell something was up.

“So,” Amy sighed, “Thank you guys for coming on such short notice, I – I know we have another interview coming up tomorrow, but … Perci called and was sharing with me that we … we need to have an answer about these reunion show questions.”

The awkward looks ensued, but Amy remained steadfast.

“So, uhm … Sonic and I spoke last night for … awhile, and we – we had some hard conversations about everything. It wasn’t easy, you know, thinking about it, but … we did.”

She turned to Sonic, who nodded.

It truly felt like the fate of the planet hung in the balance. Navigating this would be their most tall task thus far - but navigate it they must – and they must do it now.

“We’ve both decided that we … want to do it. We want to do the show.”

There were some looks of surprise then, and most directed at Sonic, who hadn’t stepped foot on any stage in twenty long years.

“Both of us,” Sonic confirmed. “Her and I. We both want to do a concert.”

There was silence in the air again. Rouge looked at her hands. Knuckles sighed. Shadow stared at the pair, and Silver and Blaze hung their heads low with one another, in their own telepathic conversation it seemed.

“Look,” Amy started, “Can we just – can we just start with why we want to?”

“Please,” Knuckles nodded.

Amy looked at Sonic, who gave her another reaffirming nod. Seemed to be a theme with them, she thought.

“Okay, well…” Amy started, “Last night, I – I really just … closed my eyes and put myself on stage with all of you. I imagined all seven of us up there, but – but I didn’t imagine us twenty years ago. I imagined each of you with how you are now. What you look like now, how you play now – now, now, now. I didn’t even think about the past, I – I just put all of us, exactly how we are here and now, on that stage together and it was just … magical. I don’t have another word to describe it. It’s like – it’s like I’ve wanted it all along but … wasn’t ever able to admit that to myself. But now? I … I can’t see a world without it.”

She sighed and turned to Sonic. Your turn, pal.

“Well … for me, uh …” Sonic started, “Look, you all know I haven’t gone on stage since the band broke up. I mean for – for twenty years I barely even thought about it. It comprised every single thing about my life I tried so hard to get away from, and I – I did it, and a big part of that success was not getting on stage. Not going on tour, not being in a band, not being away from my family, and … that worked for me. I didn’t miss it anymore. I didn’t miss who I was and – and I didn’t miss the fucking bullshit of touring. I didn’t miss all of the shit that came with it. But here I am now, right? Sally’s gone, and my daughter is at school starting her life, and … I’m here. I put the pieces back together and shit came down. I can’t control that, and I can’t change that, but … I can control what I do with myself now. The thought of going on stage always scared the shit out of me, but … why would it? I have no desires to go back to those behaviors, and I have no desires to do anything that I did then. All that shit is gone, so all that’s left is just … playing some songs with people I love.”