Chapter Text
Blue was silent the entire car ride, staring mindlessly at the quill he hadn't let go of since last night. Sonic sat beside him on the right, while Knuckles sat on his left. Tails sat on Knuckles' lap, while Tom and Maddie were in the front. In front of them, Carl's truck led the way.
Blue had immediately recognized the quill, thankfully, because Tails wouldn't have been able to scan it without his Miles Electric. (He still mourned the loss of the device. Tom had encouraged him to build a new, updated one.)
Originally, the hedgehog had wanted to bolt right then and there, but Maddie had stopped him: It was late, he wouldn’t be able to see anyway, and the kids needed sleep. School had been called off, again (they should really stop doing that but it was for a good reason!) So they promised to go as soon as possible (after breakfast)
From the bags under his eyes, Sonic could tell his counterpart hadn't slept at all. He didn't blame him.
How did his friend get here?
Why is she here?
Does that mean the others are here as well?
Who's protecting Mobius if they're here?!
Blue held onto the quill tighter.
"You said her name was Amy, right?" Tom asked, looking into the mirror to see if Blue changed at all. He just numbly nodded.
"Amy Rose."
"I hope she's alright…" Maddie muttered worriedly, looking outside as more and more trees started to appear in the landscape. "I don't want to scare you, honey, but there are hunters in this area…" she had found that out the hard way when both Knuckles and Tails had gotten shot by tranquilizers there. Knuckles had just gotten ill, as the medicine didn't work on his echidna DNA, but Tails hadn't woken up for hours, ending up ill afterward. (Hey. The guns were made specifically for foxes…)
"Some hunters can't take Amy down." Blue huffed, looking offended before he smiled a dreamy smile. "She's too stubborn for that…"
"..." Tails waved a hand in front of Blue's face. He didn't even blink, apparently stuck in his daydream.
"...Reminds of someone, doesn't it, Tom?"
"We don't talk about that." Tom didn't meet her gaze, while Maddie chuckled. She stopped when she felt the car slowing down.
Carl had stopped.
Once the car was parked at the side of the road did everyone get out, Knuckles not letting go of the fox so he could keep his tail supported- or at least, that's what he told everyone.
He wasn't letting those hunters near his baby brother again…
"I found 'em here." Carl pointed at the road, making Tom wince.
"And you crashed the car?"
"Yup. There." Tom followed his gaze.
The car had, apparently, left a dent in a tree.
"...How is your car still working?"
"No one can get rid of my girl Cherry." Carl proudly patted the roof of his car, which had been repaired the previous morning. Blue walked to the spot Carl had pointed, just staring, before looking at the forest.
"She probably thought your car was one of Eggman's bots…" he thought out loud, ears going down. "She wouldn't run from it unless she was hurt…" a worried expression decorated his features. Tom was quick to pat his head.
"We'll find her, kid." He told him, sighing. "Let's split up?"
"I'm taking Tails and Knuckles." Maddie already decided, taking her oldest son's hand. Tom shrugged.
"Sonic?"
"Donut Lord and Blue Justice are back again!" Sonic zipped up his shoulder at once. Tom chuckled. Carl was reaching out for Blue, who just looked away.
"I work alone."
"Not on earth, kid." The man shrugged. "Unfamiliar plants and whatnot."
"But I always-"
"Whether you like it or not, you're a kid here." Carl took his hand. Blue looked shocked. His grip on the quill tightened.
"Can't we just at least call for her, Tom?" Sonic grumbled, not liking the slow pace they were at right now.
"No, Sonic, we can not," Tom answered for the hundred time, tired of the same question every ten seconds.
"But dad!"
"We are not taking the chance of scaring her off!" Tom whispered, keeping in mind how Blue explained she might be… skittish. So they kept quiet.
The duo continued walking in silence, until Tom heard it: the rustling of leaves. He stopped.
Sonic groaned loudly, sending his father a look. "Can we go even slower?!"
Tom covered his mouth, earning a muffled protest from his son. "Mmmff!!! Mfff!!" He said unhappily.
Tom shushed him, sinking down to his knees and slowly inching forward, pulling Sonic with him.
They continued at this slow pace… before Tom heard talking.
"Are you sure you've lost them? Because you said that yesterday too and I am not taking any chances again!"
A female voice.
Sonic had taken the hint, now dead silent… and the duo pulled away some bushes.
Between the trees, in the clearing…
Stood a pink, humanoid hedgehog, the size of a child, wearing a red dress, red headband, red shoes, and white gloves with golden rings. Her back was turned to the duo, so they couldn't see her face. But what they saw was enough.
Tom quickly grabbed his phone to send his wife and Carl a text… but Sonic couldn't help but stare.
"No, no- please, just return already?" She turned around, allowing Sonic to see her face.
"I know you want to look more, but I'm worried. This place is like nothing I've ever seen!"
She had the greenest eyes he had ever seen. They were just as green as the chaos emerald. But he noticed other stuff…
One of her socks was missing, her quills were unkept, and she had multiple cuts and bruises all over her body. She held her hand to her mouth, talking into… a watch. The same watch Blue had had. Suddenly, the girl went silent. Before… spindashing away.
Oh no.
"Tom!" He said as silently as he could, panicked. Tom nodded, about to go after her- when a huge shadow crept over him.
"NYAAAAAAAAA!!!"
"WOAH!"
Something jumped on top of Tom, making them both fall into the bushes and roll into the clearing. Tom ended up on his back, the pink hedgehog on top of him. He looked right into her eyes… they looked wild.
"Who are you?" She growled, eyes suddenly going wide with anger as she grabbed- a hammer? Where did she get a hammer from?! It was HUGE! And raised said hammer above her head, ready to strike. "And how did you find me?!"
Tom froze on the spot, very well aware she could strike if she wanted to. He breathed deeply. "My name is Tom Wachowski." He told her, not daring to look away. "And I believe I have someone you're looking for… Amy Rose?"
Amy froze too, eyes going wide with shock before she held her hammer further. "How did you-?!"
"Don't hurt him!"
She froze even further. Slowly, she turned her head.
Sonic looked panicked, hands up for the universal sign of peace. "Please. Don't hurt him."
"...Sonic?" She asked in disbelief, lowering her weapon to just stare. No... it couldn't...
She saw his arms. And paled.
Before she growled, and with a war cry, was jumping on him in an instant. Sonic was quick to dash away. "Woah!"
"You." The girl said threateningly, quills covering her eyes- which held hellfire behind them. "You dare to give false hope that my Sonic has returned, you STUPID TOASTER?!"
She swung at Sonic again, and the hedgehog quickly ran away once more. His eyes were wide. What was she talking about?
"Miss A-Amy, hold up!!"
"JUST SHUT IT, METAL!" The girl swang at him again, this time hitting the ground- causing the ground to shake, creating a dent in the earth from where her hammer had hit. Sonic paled.
"I'm done with Eggman's BULLSHIT!" She continued, swinging her hammer with fury at him again. "Wasn't one enough?! Do you have to mock Sonic too?!?!"
This time, Sonic tripped. The girl was above him in an instant, prepared to strike-
"AMY!"
"..."
"..."
For a few, fearful seconds, Sonic didn't dare open his eyes. But once nothing happened, he finally looked up.
Amy's eyes were wide, tears dotting them, and not looking at anything, her arms trembling dangerously. Blue, Carl, Maddie Knuckles, and Tails stood behind them, Blue in front of all of them, looking concerned.
"..."
"...Stop. Please..." Amy looked down, her quills casting a shadow over her eyes as she dropped her hammer in defeat. A loud THUMP was heard, the hammer heavy enough to make Sonic's body jump up a bit. He was frozen.
"You... you've made your point, Eggman." She slid to her knees. "I know he's... and you... you got what you wanted. My Sonic is gone. I know. You don't have to rub it in. So just... leave me alone. Please."
"..." Blue silently walked over to her until he sat between the two hedgehogs, and kneeled, taking one of Amy's hands... and placing it on his chest.
Immediately, the hedgehog regonized the fast heartbeat.
Her head snapped up at once, and they locked eyes.
Before their watches beeped. Looking down, a third light lit up on Amy's watch, a second on Blue's.
Blue Thunder: Connected!
Red Rose: Connected!
"..."
Her eyes filled with tears as she flung herself into his arms, starting to cry. "It's you! It's really you! Oh, Sonic!"
Blue hugged her back just as fiercely, chuckling softly. "Hey, hey- Ames, you know that big old egghead can't take me down- you know me!"
For a second, she was crying, hugging him as tightly as she dared.
Before her relief turned into anger.
"You Idiot!"
"Ow!" Blue's quills were pulled and Amy pushed him off, starting to hit him blindly. Her angry expression was back, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I told you to be careful! Tails told you to be careful! Even Knuckles told you to be careful! But did you listen?! NO! Of course, you didn't! Because you're freaking Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"I've fought Eggman a million times! I know what I'm doing!"
"Do you?!" She hysterically asked, wishing she had her hammer. "Do you know how worried we were?! Tails started crying while flying the Tornado! Knuckles froze on the spot and wouldn't move! Eggman kept talking about how he finally killed you!"
He froze. "...That thing's purpose was not to send me away...?"
"No!" She groaned, clearly frustrated. "You're a self-sacrificial moron, we get it! But guess what?! As much as you are an idiot, we need you! How do you plan on playing hero if you're not alive?! Tails needed his big brother, Knuckles needed his friend! All those people need you! I need you!!!"
"..."
She flew over to him at once, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed a fierce kiss against his lips. Blue was stiff, before he closed his eyes, melting against her and wrapping his arms around her waist. After a couple of seconds, she pulled away to look at him sternly. His own eyes were soft.
"Just because I missed you doesn't mean I'm not mad at you."
"Missed you too, Ames."
"You're lucky I love you."
"Hm..."
She huffed, before pressing their mouths together again. He just closed his eyes.
"...Ahem." they both jumped, quickly turning around to look at Sonic- who looked horrified at his counterpart and his "friend"
"Gross!" He cried out, gagging. Tom walked over, patting his head.
"Nice to see that your counterpart is good with the ladies-"
"Stooooop!!"
"...That's... not Metal...?" She sounded confused. Blue finally pulled away, stepping aside to offer Amy a full view of his counterpart. She finally realized. "...Metal... can't talk..."
"Amy, this is other-me. Remember Tails' multiverse theory?"
Her eyes widened. "...The one with the alternate versions of us?"
Blue nodded. Slowly, Amy turned around. She took one look at the rest of the family she had missed.
"This is a world where I left Mobius when I was young," Blue explained. "Faught Eggman twice- has the Master Emerald in a freezer."
"...And Knuckles lets him touch it?"
"I even have parents."
"Woah..." she looked amazed, before frowning. "Wait, where is me?"
Blue winced. "You don't exist, apparently-...Wait, how did you-?!"
"Amy?" came a voice from her watch, making the blue hedgehog freeze. "You've been silent for ages! Are those goons back?!"
"...Is that...?"
Amy nodded, smiling tearfully, before holding out her watch to his mouth. Blue lit up, pulled Amy close with one arm, and tipped his head down.
"Kinda late, Knux! The goons got on their spaceship and flew away!"
"Oh, good, I thou- SONIC?!"
Blue burst out laughing, Amy chuckling weakly with him. "Nice to hear ya, Knucklehead!"
"You- but how did you-?! Stay there, I'm coming over!"
The watch closed. Blue wiped at his eyes, pretending he wasn't crying.
Knuckles' counterpart was here?
The echidna slowly walked over, still holding onto the fox, whose entire face was sparkling at the thought of meeting his other brother's counterpart. "This... alternate version of me also got transported to our earth?"
Amy jumped out of her skin, clutching her chest as she looked at the warrior with wide eyes. "C-chaos! You're... different!"
"That seems good."
Amy chuckled nervously, before her eyes fell on Tails- and stiffened. The fox smiled brightly at her.
"Hi! I'm Tails! But you probably knew that!"
"..." she just blinked. Blue's face brightened up.
"Is Tails here too?!"
"... U-Uhm." She sighed shakily, suddenly having a heartbroken expression as she looked at her boyfriend. "I... I... No, Sonic. He's not. He was... still in the plane when I and Knuckles got hit."
"...Oh." His entire mood sank. Tom patted his head. Amy was about to ask who he was when a screech was heard, someone fell from behind, and jumped in front of them.
*THUMP!*
They quickly turned to meet...
...Woah.
The echidna had landed with head down, feet on the ground, and one hand raised in the air before he slowly looked up.
Purple eyes met green.
This echidna was a lighter shade of red than this world's Knuckles, and smaller. And even though he was covered in scrapes and bruises, just like Amy...
His right arm was wrapped with Amy's missing sock and a stick to act as a splint. He stood straight, slowly making his way to his hedgehog.
"...Sonic."
The hedgehog smiled- before Knuckles hit him on the head, making him drop to the ground. He rubbed his head painfully.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"For scaring the crap out of Tails."
They talked... differently. The rest stared.
"...Language," Blue grumbled, got up, and popped his back. Before Other Knuckles grinned and held out his good hand. Blue took the hint and bumped their fists.
As they did, the third light on both Blue's and Knuckles' watch lit up.
Blue Thunder: Connected!
Knux: Connected!
"Nice to see ya again, Knucklehead. You just can't help but follow me, hm?"
"It appears I have no choice. You're like a magnet for trouble..."
"It's what I do!"
Knuckles snorted and shook his head... before his eyes fell on their counterparts.
At once, both hedgehogs were pulled behind him, fist raised and pointing at Sonic. "METAL!-"
"Wait- No no no no not Metal, not Metal!" Blue cried out, quickly standing between them. Sonic huffed.
"Who is this Metal you keep talking about?!"
"Oh, honey..." Maddie hissed once she was presented with Other Knuckles' arm- who had been lovingly called Red in an instant by Tom. The echidna had looked offended at first, but once he met his counterpart, understood.
...Well, after Knuckles had offered to let him be called Red instead. The newcomer had taken the name in an instant. He seemed less patient than Knuckles...
Back home, after introductions, the first thing she had done was have Red sit on the couch with her first-aid kit, now trying to peel off the attempt at the splint. "How did you even manage to do this?"
"A robot was about to fall on Amy!" Red huffed, holding out his good arm. "I can handle the weight! She can't!"
"Of all the times he could have broken his arm, he chose now..." the girl groaned, sitting on the ground, waiting for her turn. Carl had left for his home, seeing his job was done, while Tom was cooking in the kitchen, guessing the newest two must be hungry. That left Maddie alone with the kids.
"That is... infected." Maddie finally managed to first pull the sock away, then the stick, and winced: The wound was big, an angry red and throbbing, extremely hot once she touched it. Inflamed. Definitely infected. But Red didn't even flinch when she put an alcohol wipe on the wound. "But it was a great improvise. Who wrapped it?"
"I did," Amy answered, sending Red a look. "The moron had wanted to just leave it open!"
"That is not a wise decision, other me." Knuckles said. "That could have ended up worse than it already is. You are lucky the hedgehog was there to help."
"No need for the reminder!" Red spat back, making Knuckles flinch. His counterpart was... something.
"...Is he always like this?" Sonic asked softly. Amy nodded.
"...Why does your Knuckles talk so weird?"
"I'll get into the backstories later."
"But tell me now!" Tails burst out of nowhere, making Amy flinch. His smile was wider than it had ever been, eyes sparkling. "Please tell me about your world- and spare no details! Is Blue as awesome as he is in those reports?! Or is it even better?! And I read that Red and Blue used to be enemies- is that true?! Because ours were as well-"
"Breathe, bud." Sonic put a hand on Tails' head, effectively shutting him up. Knuckles was behind him, experimentally swinging Amy's hammer around.
"Fox. Would this be a gadget you would be interested in?"
His tails started wagging, and Tails ran over.
"I'm back!" Tom walked back inside with a platter of all different kinds of sandwiches and placed them on the table. "Didn't know what you liked so I made a bunch of everything."
"Thank you for your kindness, sir." Amy smiled politely, grabbing a random sandwich.
"Can I hold it!?" Tails asked with starry eyes, making Knuckles chuckle, and hold out the hammer.
"Thank you- OOF!"
*Crash*
All heads quickly turned in their direction. Knuckles looked shocked, staring down at the little fox- who had immediately fallen the moment the hammer was handed to him, creating a dent in the floor. Amy winced.
"My hammer is heavier than it looks..."
"...I can see that!" Tails pulled his arms from under it. "Ow... or rather, feel that..."
"Almost done, hun."
"Don't call me that," Red grumbled, making Maddie nod.
"Right. No nicknames. Got it."
"I know your counterpart is softer than you are but I don't remember you being that mad, Knucky-"
"I have a reason to!" He exploded, pulling his arm. Maddie held onto him tighter.
"Don't move, I need to finish wrapping it!"
"That Egghead is on Mobius and no one is there to stop him!" Red cried out, grumbling when Maddie grabbed his arm again.
"Rouge is still there, Knuckles." Amy tried, holding out a sandwich with only greens to the echidna. "I'm sure she must have gotten hold of Silver and Shadow by now, maybe Blaze?"
"You saw the state his lair was in! We barely managed to escape- and even though we messed up, we got hit just like the moron!"
"Hey!" Blue looked offended. Red huffed.
"And that was with not even all the emeralds! How am I supposed to do my job if I can't even get them?! We just need to pray Robotnik didn't find-" he stopped. His anger died down, panting heavily from his outburst.
He sent one look at Tails, before he looked away sorrowfully. Amy pushed the sandwich into his hand again. This time, he grabbed it but didn't take a bite.
"...Hey." Sonic nudged Amy's arm. "Are those other people strong?"
"The strongest! Though not as much as me." Blue said with pride, puffing out his chest. "I bet Silver and Faker have long arrived and are knocking that egghead down a notch! Besides, they have Tails!"
Amy flinched, grabbing the ends of her dress tightly. Knuckles looked away.
"...Yeah," she said with a low voice, looking down. "They... they have Tails."
Why she said that with that voice, no one knew.
Knuckles and Sonic sent each other a look. That... that couldn't be good.
Tom coughed. Blue didn't seem to notice the awkward silence, happily talking about his brother.
"You know what?! I bet my little buddy already took the emeralds back with help from the others and is already figuring out a way back home!"
"..." Red took a bite out of his sandwich.
"Aaaand... done." Maddie hummed, admiring her work. Red's entire arm was wrapped up with bandages and a splint tightly attached. The echidna moved his arm, before sighing.
"Thank you, Maddie."
Maddie hummed, patting the spot next to her. "Amy, dear? I want to check you over."
The pink hedgehog did as she was asked, taking her sandwich with her and sitting beside her friend, inspecting his arm. Red just sighed in response.
They knew something.
"Hey!" Tails came running back inside, holding an armful of mint candy, walking happily towards their guests. "Whenever I'm down, I feel candy makes me happy..."
"..." Red chuckled while Amy gushed, cooing at the little fox- pulling away from Maddie to pull the fox into her arms at once. Tails yelped.
"I forgot how adorable you used to be!" She gushed, holding him just a bit too tight. The cub frowned.
"Is other me different?"
"Don't even get me started!" The hedgehog whined, sending an accusing look at her boyfriend. "Someone corrupted him."
"Not my fault I'm awesome."
Red didn't look impressed. Amy let go, being handed a candy by the fox, who also gave one to Red, and quickly made his way to Blue.
"Want one?"
"Is that even a question?" The hedgehog laughed, grabbing one. That made Amy look up in confusion.
"...Since when do you like mints, Sonic?"
Blue froze. The rest looked up at the girl in shock.
"...He doesn't like mints?" Tom blinked. Amy shook her head.
"He used to say they remind him too much of toothpaste."
All eyes turned to Blue at once, who swallowed.
"...ahem." he coughed, face turning red. "I.. ahem... I... I noticed Tails liked... having things in common..." he mumbled the last part.
"...You only ate mints to make me happy?" Tails looked shocked, quickly looking between the two speedsters.
Now that made Red burst out laughing.
"You've been stuffing yourself with mints to make Tails happy?" He chuckled. "Don't be going soft on me, Blue Blunder."
"At least I eat stuff other than grapes, Knucklehead."
"Are you fighting already?" Amy whined, holding her arm out to the human again. "Chaos... those two are hopeless." Maddie chuckled, gently bending the smaller arm.
"..." Sonic looked down when he felt two, fluffy arms wrap around him. Looking down, Tails was looking at him with so much love.
"You're the best, big brother."
"..." Sonic chuckled, wrapping his arms around the fox cub in return.
"No, not yet..." he mumbled, watching Blue and Red starting their argument.
"But I will be."
Knuckles the Echidna (2) has joined the party!
Amy Rose has joined the party!
"AMY!" the echidna had to hold back the pink hedgehog, who was screaming and crying her heart out, even now still trying to strike the doctor who had taken the love of her life away.
"HE KILLED HIM, KNUCKLES!!!" She screamed, trying to fight against the impressive hold of the other, but not being strong enough to do so. "HE KILLED HIM! HE KILLED SONIC!! LET ME AT HIM!!!"
"..." The echidna couldn't say anything to comfort her, instead holding as tightly as he could, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.
The doctor, for some reason, still hadn't left, instead just... floating there.
In confusion, the echidna started looking around. The doctor's bots... they... they were just... frozen?
No, some were frozen. Some were making all different kinds of movements. As if having a seizure.
Before he saw the problem. He froze.
The robot's machine. The ball of white light. It hadn't faded away.
It hadn't faded away.
Eyes wide, the echidna looked up-
"AMY!!" The girl yelped when the echidna suddenly jumped away, just in time to save them both from being crushed. They looked up with wide eyes.
A piece of metal had fallen, one of the doctor's fly-bots having crashed into it- causing it to fall.
"W-whats happening?" The hedgehog seemed to have gained her sense of self back, sitting up to look at the scene. Only now did she hear the screaming of alarms, the loud noise from the doctors... whatever it was.
The doctor was yelling too. What he was yelling, they couldn't understand. But he sounded distressed.
"Knuckles?" She asked, suddenly worried. She yelped when another fly-bot fell, right beside her. Looking at its screen, she saw the multiple error messages on its razor.
Not knowing what to do, the echidna looked at his watch. Surely, the fox would have updated them if something was wro- ah. His watch had turned off.
Looking at his friend, he saw she had the same problem- and turned on his watch again. "Tails, what is the-"
"THE PLANE IS GOING DOOOWN!!!"