The Speed of Sound

Troubles

        In no time at all, you arrive at Vanilla and Cream's house. You are instantly let inside upon knocking at the door, and you are given the (f/a) blanket. Stretching the fabric out, you find the new stitching barely visible. "Thank you, Vanilla!" you gasp, hugging the blanket tightly.

        "Of course, dear," the rabbit purrs. "Take good care of it. Oh, and please visit again soon! I know Cream would love it if you'd spend the night some time."

        "Yes ma'am!" you exclaim and then race out the door.

        On the way home to the ocean, you manage not to trip over the newly sewn blanket. Your eyes are bright with happiness at the fact that you don't have to throw out Sonic's loving gift. However, you soon become saddened at the sight of the large scratches on the dangling front door of your home. Mouth set in a grim line, you enter the house and scan the area to be sure that nobody else is here. Nothing but the headless, broken down body of Metal Sonic greets you, along with a few signs of destruction that he had caused. 

        Hmm, you wonder, is Shadow still hanging around here? I'm not sure I want to see him again so soon. Looking around again, you then sneak into the bedroom and set the blanket over the empty mattress. Outside the bedroom window, warm rays of sunshine continue to beam down, showing that there is still much time left in the day. I guess it's safe enough to go back to Emerald Town, you decide. Nobody recognized me as a missing person at the spa...maybe everyone forgot about me? Shrugging, you dash out the front door and head for town once again.

        Traveling through the streets, you learn the way around Emerald Town, committing it to memory. At some point you find a children's park and sit on a bench in the shade, away from everyone else. Just enjoying the fresh air, you sit with your eyes half-closed, listening to the younger children play. A litter of mobian kittens is playing in a sandbox, tossing out all the sand. You open your eyes and smirk, remembering how you used to do that when you were younger. 

        From the corner of your eye you spot a few kids leaving a swing set. Glancing around, you make sure that nobody else has spotted the empty swing set, then you make a dash for it. You reach the swings in a flash and plop your rump into the very middle seat. The swing goes high and low as you kick your feet up and bring them down. An image of two older (y/c) (y/a)s pushing a smaller you threatens to break free from your memory, but it is held back.

        A kitten leaves his brothers and sisters in the sandbox to approach you. Slamming your feet down, you are just able to keep yourself from kicking the child as he stands in the way.

        "Hi, Misses (Y/a)!" The little boy doesn't seem to realize that he could have been a flying cat just a moment ago. "Can me and my brudders and sitters bury you in da sandblocks?" he asks in an adorable voice. What! Oh shoot, what do I say? you glance around in a panic. It would be rude to turn down this mispronouncing little boy...but you don't want to be buried in a sandbox! "Pweeezzeee?" the kitten's eyes grow huge.

        "Uh, um, ok," you quietly say.

        A tiny paw latches onto your hand and pulls you away from the swing. Giving it a last glance, you are then greeted by the cheers of the kitten litter. All at once they surround you and you find yourself sitting at the bottom of a pre-dug hole in the middle of the sandbox. So this is what they were doing earlier, you contemplate. The kittens set to work burying you, being joined along the way with more excited children. Sand fills up the hole until it reaches your waist. That is as far as it goes since the hole wasn't too deep to begin with. Unfortunately, dirt is mixed in with the sand. There goes your spa visit.