The Blue Comet

These Memories Don't Quite Fit

Sonic POV

I woke up in darkness, or rather I became conscious but hadn't opened my eyes. Do I even dare? What image would await me from the gruesome ones already past and still floating in my mind? These memories, of a hollow hall, felt so awkward, like trying to fit in someone else's shoes. The echoing sounds of running foot steps bouncing off the walls felt so far away even though I was right there. It was as if time itself was frozen, even the air stung my throat with ice. The hazy ghost of a figure grasping onto me, my stomach sank seeing the small figure turn to say goodbye in its last breath. It was my fault, blood on my hands and suddenly I was in darkness. Why can't I grasp it even as hard as I wanted to, like a box full of pizza but it being someone else's?

"Sonic." My name came through the dark and somehow I found the strength to open my eyes. "You're back with us! How are ya, my boy? Hehe, did you get your memory back?" The president stood beside me leaning in closely but everything still sounded so distant. Where am I, and when?

"You still look a little confused. Let's start out with something easy. What is your name?" He asked watching me through his shades.

"Sonic the Hedgehog.," I answered, it felt solid with a sense of pride, yet it made me cringe how could I be proud letting something so horrible happen?

"Very good, and what do you remember?"

"I... I don't know..." I shook my head quickly.

"You don't know!? Whatever do you mean!?"

"No I-I just can't believe it! I don't want to accept that, that was the answer I was looking for!" The tears brimmed to my eyes, what I just saw becoming more of a reality to me, there was nothing I could do to go back and fix it, no way I could make things better. "I-I'm a horrible person!!" I broke down crying holding my face in my hands, and yet all of it feels like it was just a story. Something to bring emotion as the characters played their part, but as for having it be real didn't feel quite right. Or it could have been I just wasn't ready to accept defeat like that.

"Oh, Sonic! My dear, sweet little speedy friend," The president chuckled putting his arm around me, "Don't say such awful things! You're an alright kind of guy! And you know, to be blamed for such an accident for all these years seems much too harsh! You can still be a hero, one of the good guys just like you were back then!"

"Y-You think s-so? I can't show my face around after what happened.."

"Of course I do! Nonsense! I have the perfect job to help you out, regain the public's affections!"

"No! I don't want any public attention!" I cried hopping out from my seat, "I don't want, ANYTHING! I wanna be left alone!" Suddenly the walls felt like they were closing in on me and it was hard to breath. I darted out through the tunneling halls, and the echoing foot steps became an instant flashback, a replay of that whispered memory sending chills spirling up my spine and raised my quills on end. Like the cold grip of a walking corpse inches behind me. My sight became blurred and the faint calls of my name being screamed kept me running in the only direction that felt true to me... forward without ever looking back.

Fatigue finally caught up with me miles away from... where ever I had been. The calling of my name silenced and it was only the static of the wind in my ears, the thud of my shoes on the grass and finally, my breath struggling to keep pace with my speed and I had to slow down. Gasping deep breaths I stretched my arms behind my head feeling the tears leave rivers down my muzzle as my eyes caught sight of the blue open sky above me. Running had felt so soothing, even if I tried, the only thing I was allowed to concentrate one was catching my breath. I could keep running, forever. But there isn't enough land on this planet to cover the running distance of 'forever' milage. Those memories were frightful and something the president had said gave me a little red flag of warning. I might not have known my memories, but I do know what the true meaning of being a hero is to me... and I would never do anything for the fame of public eyes. If it happens to bring a little media attention and some fame, who could complain it's simply a bonus, your good deeds paid forward when it becomes only for the glory that's when you've lost hero credibility. If I believe being selfless was a trait of heroism then letting someone go to save myself is now harder to accept than ever. Where would I go now...? Everyone will be after me, they just want to use me, even the president, at least he wasn't lying about that. The only comfort I felt was when I had held the two chaos emeralds I switch-- stole from the museum. They were warm and familiar, if I could get my hands on just one more maybe I could find the truth.

---

Tails held the pictures passing them out hesitantly. For years they were all he had of his big brother, it was hard to let them go. Finally he handed out the last one, everyone had at some point had a photo opt with the blue hedgehog, because that's what cool friends do! Tails handed the last photo to Shadow that looked at it and instantly smiled. His back was turned to the camera looking disgusted over his shoulder at Sonic posing for the picture being taken with a trade mark smile and his thumb up in some kind of gratification he was able to catch him in the same camera frame as him.

"Do you remember..." Tails started as he watched Shadow looking over the picture, "the day of taking that picture?"

"Yeah." Shadow nodded ripping his eyes away from it wishing life could be resumed from that captured moment in time, "I was uh um... a real stick in the mud back then." He rubbed his head thinking of how much his perspective on life had changed,

"What?" Tails laughed, "Dude you were such an asshole back then!"

"Hey! We have ladies present. Besides, I think 'asshole' is a bit harsh, a jerk at the very most." he shrugged playfully patting the kid fox's back as they began to go their separate ways in teams.

"You really think this is going to work?" Tails asked looking down at his own picture. There had been many to choose from, of events and funny faces they had done together, but he chose the very first picture he'd received of them being together, as brothers. It was old and the photo paper aged yellow in it's time and the camera quality had been grainy yet the memory it captured was crystal clear to him. "Attacking him with pictures of us together...?"

"We aren't 'attacking' him." Shadow snickered, "You'll be surprised, just pictures can go a long way for someone that has trouble remembering. It hits really close to home..." Shadow assured him remembering the picture he kept of Maria and the Professor. "Besides we're going to keep calm about it, talk it out instead of jumping into action. Think you can handle that kid?"

"Yeah." Tails answered nodding as he continued to walk, "My chaos emerald tracker is online now." He reached up for the two-way radio, "Everyone at your positions, stand by and update if you get any activity."

---

Sonic ran along a stretch of land, for now, the whereabouts of the other chaos emeralds unknown. He figured he should worry about it later, in the meantime to keep his mind clear he would run. Looking aside at the ocean's very distant skyline he saw an island floating above the rolling waters. It was a jungly looking chunk of land, small for an island yet large for a flying type of craft. It must be magic, and it must be nice and far away from anyone wanting to bother anyone who lived there.

"Some day, I'll go there." He said to himself as he was able to smile and set his eyes back in front of him running past leaving the island's silhouette in the distance. As for a plan on how to get there, well he'd come up with it later, no need to rush plans for the future, you can only plan to run ten miles, but the path might always end in water. It was good to keep an open mind to be flexible and change like the very direction of the wind. He felt free, and accepting that the direction he ran would lead him closer to comfort than standing still and moving only when someone thought it'd be 'publicly acceptable'. What a crazy thing to have to live by! Suddenly something reached out to him, more like a feeling that told him to turn right and head for higher ground. And so he did, moving with the grace of the breeze and feeling the air beneath his shoes like he was flying as he bounced up a rocky cliff side and to another rolling grassy field. He was closer, he had to be, as long as he kept moving.