Sonic Clash! High School Days

Chapter 18

"Mom, I'm a 30 minute drive away, you really don't need to cry..."

Rose says as she comforts her mother. Today is everybody's first day at the institute, and all the parents come to drop off their children for the last time, and it was all very emotional. "I-I-I know, but it's just that, y-y-you're my babyyyyyyy!" Macey sniffles and wails, making a scene in front of the others. Marina notices, and starts to come over with Markus and the kids, Rex patting his wife on the shoulder to comfort her, and his facial expressions seem to say to Rose: "Sorry Rosie, you know how your mother gets." Rose gives an understanding grin back in his direction, and Rex gently pulls Macey off of their daughter as the Prowers approach. "You can come and see her whenever you like Macey, and I'll keep you up to date with her antics." Markus teases Rose, ruffling her quills and making her laugh. Macey nods in understanding and wipes her tears, Marina placing her arm around her best friends shoulders. "How you feeling kiddo?" Rex asks Tails, and just before he can answer, Midnight interrupts him. "Good! I have excitement!" Midnight exclaims, and all of them giggle together. Tails had gotten used to his sister interrupting him with her broken English, and he didn't really seem to mind, it put a smile on everyone's face. "I'm feeling good Rex, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous." He adds. "Don't worry, you'll fit right in, you're your parents cub alright, a good mix of G.U.N's finest, they couldn't ask for more." Rex compliments his honorary son, and his parents smile at each other, then the kids, Marina looking disheartened as the reality of her kids going away sets in. Like Rose said, it wasn't a long drive, but still, she was so used to having the two around, it'll be strange not having them there anymore...

"Yo guys! You ready to go?!" Sonic demands as he rushes in between the small gathering in the carpark. "Wait a minute Sonic, I wanna say goodbye to my parents first." Tails says, and just when Sonic is about to protest, Amy arrives. "Sooooonnnnniiiiiiccccccc!!!"

"GottagoguysI'llseeyouinthere!"

Sonic spits out his last sentence before racing off, Amy following close behind. "When will that girl learn..?" Macey asks, and they all shrug, only time would tell with Amy, she wasn't very open to listening to other people's opinions when it comes to her and Sonic's relationship. Rose spies Knuckles and Shadow at the gates, and they seem to be talking. This makes her smile, it was good to see the two socially challenged boys get to know each other a little, seeing as they're so similar in attitude. "It's good to see Shadow making some friends huh?" Markus asks her, and she jumps, she hadn't expected to be startled like that. "Yeah it is, same goes for Knuckles really, he never really was very good at socialising, but he seems to get on with Shadow really well, probably because they're both still learning." Rose grins, and the others agree. "Well it'll be really good for Shadow's programming, especially doing that kind of stuff by himself." Markus adds, and Rose grins yet again. "He's doing really well though anyways, I'm actually kind of proud." She says and turns her head to watch the two boys converse again, and they even have a bit of a laugh together, which is astounding in the least, she'd rarely seen him smile let alone laugh. "You should be, you are a big influence on him Rose." Markus answers, and she can't help but feel good inside. "I'm glad I was. I'll send him for a check up with you if he forgets that." Rose jokes, and everyone has a bit of a laugh.

Markus couldn't get his old job of an Astrophysicist at the institute, but because of his qualifications in medicine and prior knowledge of both Dr. Gerald Robotnik's creations, he was offered a job as the general practitioner of G.U.N. He was also offered his own medical practice, which Markus was quite happy to settle for, although the others had been dropping rather cheesy doctors notes and puns since they heard the news. Rex's watch beeps, and he checks it. "Time to get started honey." He says to Rose, and the others leave to go and get their things together, Rose getting her own things out from the car, hauling her big black suitcase on wheels out of the back, and it makes a loud: Clunk! as it hits the concrete. She grabs a handbag and backpack full of stuff also, and she looked as if she is going trekking through the mountains with the amount of things that she carried.

Rose then turns away from the car and looks towards the gleaming gates of the institute, which seems to welcome her with arms wide open, and she smiles. This was her fresh start, the next chapter of her life, where she can learn more about herself, her origins, her creator, and most importantly, her partner Shadow. And what makes it so much better for her was that all of her closest friends are all along for the ride.

"Rose! You coming??"

Amy shouts from up ahead, and she's brought back down to reality, everyone was way ahead, super eager to start their first day of the rest of their lives, although Amy was hanging back a little just for her, so she yells back: "Sure am!" And begins to run off to join them. Rose then stops dead in her tracks as she remembers her parents, and turns back around to face them. She drops her suitcase and all of her other belongings to the ground, and runs back to them, engulfing the two in a massive hug, holding them close as she says to them:

"I know that I'm not biologically yours, but, thanks for making me feel that way, Mom and Dad, I couldn't have asked Gerald to create better parents for me."

She smiles with tears in her eyes as she lets them both go, and she sees that they're close to crying also. "I love you guys." She whispers and then turns to face her future.

"Wait up for me won't you?!"