Chapter Text
All was silent. The bustle of the city was miles from earshot. No birds dared to fly overhead or make even a peep. The ruins of Emeraldville were never lively, but now that there was nothing but pebbles and dust left, it made the sight all the more depressing. Especially now that there wasn’t a monument to the rebirth of society connected directly to it.
The great mountain that once housed Restoration HQ. Home to thousands who were down on their luck, hundreds of small businesses doing their part, and the hub where millions relied on their services to keep their communities thriving. All reduced to a flat, unrecognizable pile of rubble.
Everyone had gone. It was a miracle there were no casualties, but that only meant there was truly nothing to come back for. The Restoration was dead and buried.
Which made it the perfect spot where no one would find her.
Tikal sat against one of the only remnants of a wall still standing. Her legs curled into her chest, and her head was buried deep in her knees. The sniffles rising from her throat were the only sounds to cry above the howls of wind coursing through the holes in the stone. Even so, she tried to stay as quiet as possible. Better to let her tears stream out at a slower pace if it meant no one could find her.
Her breath hitched when she heard footsteps crackling against the gravel behind her. She pressed her back against the wall, and covered her mouth. The footsteps continued to trot closer to her, but seemed to wander to and fro. It only served to worsen the dread rising within Tikal.
Unfortunately, she was paying so much attention to the footsteps that she didn’t notice the wall she was pressed against beginning to tilt. Once she did notice, it was too late. She scrambled to try and keep it upright, but it only pulled her down with it. It came crashing down and spit up dust everywhere.
Tikal held her breath, both in shock and as a last ditch effort to keep herself hidden. Sadly, her brain couldn’t communicate properly with her legs, so she remained still over the remnants of the wall as the dust cleared.
She dared not look up for a second, but when she did her eyes immediately landed on Trip, standing a few feet away in full body armor and gawking at her. The pair remained in an uneasy standoff for a long white afterwards. Tikal’s mind simultaneously racing, and not moving at all.
“Tikal?” Trip questioned, “What are you doing here?”
Tikal wanted to run. Run as fast as she could until she’d never be seen again. But her legs still weren’t receiving any discernible signals from her head. Even if they did, there was no chance she could get proper traction in this rubble. Not with her slippers against Trip’s steel-toed, or rather gold-toed boots.
“I…I-I…I…” Tikal strained, barely stopping herself from crying.
Trip frowned in concern. She started trudging through the stones towards her.
“If you’re here to salvage anything like me, I-I don’t think you’ll find what you’re looking for,” the lizard scanned the area, “I can’t even find a chunk of Starainium in this mess.”
“*Hic*…hhhh *sniff*…*hic*”
Trip whipped her head back towards Tikal. The poor echidna, still on her knees, couldn’t hold it back anymore and had started crying. Trip watched little droplets careen off her face and explode on the dusty, cracked stone below.
“W-Woah, woah!” Trip stumbled and nearly fell over, “H-Hey, hey, w-what’s wrong?”
Tikal turned away as Trip got closer. Though, with half of her body refusing to operate, she didn’t manage to turn far.
“P-P-Please…” she whimpered, “I-I-I don’t…I’m…J-Just go away…”
Trip was stunned.
“W…What? W-Why?”
“J-J-Just- *hic*…p…p-please, don- *hic* don’t c-come any closer. *hic* I-I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. *hic*”
Trip’s heart sank. She slowly knelt in front of Tikal. Tikal tensed up, but when Trip remained still and silent she slowly turned to face her again. The sight of her flushed face and tear filled eyes nearly made Trip burst out crying herself.
“Um…W-What are you sorry for?”
“Everything!” Tikal shrieked.
She slapped her hands over her mouth. Trip leaned away in shock, but quickly returned to her original position once Tikal started crying again.
“*hic* *sniffle* Th- hhhh…Thi- This is a-all my f-f-fault…”
“…You mean…about the Restoration?”
“About everything…I’m so, so sorry for wh-what I…I did to her-”
Tikal began to weep loudly. She clutched her arms and lurched forwards with each heave of tears.
Some tears of her own began to prick out from Trip’s eyes. With a wobbly sniffle, she let some streak down her cheeks, before swiping them away.
“…Tikal…That wasn’t your…Y-You couldn’t have done…I d-don’t blame you for-”
“P-P-Please…just…d-d-don’t hate me…” Tikal whined.
Her wailing had calmed back down to a light sniffling. Trip’s frown worsened, but she said nothing. The pair remained silent for another moment. Then, Trip lunged forwards, and hugged Tikal tightly.
“I don’t hate you.”
Tikal nearly started weeping again, but held it in as she accepted the sungazer’s hug. They remained in their embrace for a little while longer before Trip pulled away, and helped Tikal to her feet.
“Come on,” she said, “Let’s go.”
“G-Go? *sniff* Go wh-where?”
“I…I don’t think it matters. Just, not here. Being here is depressing…If Amy taught me one thing, it’s that crying all by yourself, in a place like this, doesn’t do you any favors.”
Tikal stared in amazement. Trip smiled, slightly meekly, and gently pulled her along. Tikal still wasn’t sure how to respond, only following along due to her mind being blank. Yet, despite her scared confusion, the tight grip Trip held around her hand made her feel a tiny bit better. So, she allowed herself to be whisked away from the ruins.
**********
Eerie silence had also nested itself within the walls of a quaint pink house sitting out in the countryside. The only noise to enter the ears of the inhabitants quietly laying on the couch was the tick of a clock on the wall. A clock of a Ricky, whose eyes and tail moved back and forth with each tick. It was Amy’s favorite, so neither Surge nor Blaze dared take it down.
The tenrec lay on top of her purple princess, her eyes and cheeks red and soaked from long gone tears, and her hair untied and draped over them both. She clung to Blaze, not wanting to let her go in case she disappeared. While Surge held her head against her chest, Blaze pressed her muzzle into Surge’s head. She rubbed circles into the back of her head while clinging just as hard with her other hand. Normally, having one of her partners laying on her would have her purring like crazy. She couldn’t muster the sensation, but was thankfully still a naturally warm cuddle buddy.
Surge didn’t have much to look at other than the crick of Blaze’s neck. Still, her eyes wandered away from her partner and over to the table sitting next to the couch. Atop it, a makeshift picture frame sat. It was in the shape of a heart, made up of many small pieces of red and brown metal.
The photo inside was of her, Blaze, and their girlfriends. The bright, beaming, gleeful face of her once beautiful Amy Rose stood out in the middle of them all. Surge’s lips quavered. She forced herself to look away and bury herself deeper into Blaze’s neck. Blaze noticed Surge starting to shiver, her ear flicking upon hearing a set of soft hiccups rise from her throat.
“I-I-It’s…n-n-n-not…fuc- *hic* fucking fair…”
“No…No it isn’t,” Blaze squeezed her tighter.
“Why her…? Why- *hic* Why d-did it have t-t-to be her?”
“I don’t know…But asking yourself that question will just-”
“I don’t care!!” Surge wailed, pushing herself up and glaring right into Blaze’s eyes, “I’ll ask whatever goddamn questions I want because it’s all bullshit!!”
Blaze was frozen in surprise, but Surge’s furious face swiftly devolved with more tears and snot trailing down her face.
“She was the b-best thing that ever ha-happened to me…Sh-Sh-She w-w-was the f-first p-person who tr-treated me like a p-person, and-and not a problem o-or a t-t-tool…And now she’s gone…And it isn’t…fucking fair, Blaze…”
Blaze stared sadly at her lover’s face. Surge fully broke down, sobbing over Blaze, tears exploding on the cat’s cheeks, and her arms barely holding herself up. Blaze shifted her weight under her, and pushed both herself and Surge upright. She held her shoulders until Surge’s eyes opened again. Blaze gave her a gentle look, and let Surge cry for a little longer.
“I know, Surge. I-I loved her too. She was my entire world, once I realized my feelings for her…” Blaze had to pace herself so she didn’t start crying too, “I-I’d have put her continued well being over my kingdom if I could…But I can’t…And she w-wouldn’t want me to…”
Blaze moved her hands up to Surge’s cheeks. She rubbed her thumbs over her soaked face.
“Amy may be gone…but the impact she left will never leave us…and do you know why?”
Surge sniffled, “…B-Because we’re still living in her house?”
“No. Because we still have each other…I may have loved Amy more than anything, but I love you just as much. You, and Trip, and Honey all mean just as much to me as Amy did. And I know the same is true for you.”
Surge’s shaking lessened. She wiped the mucus from her face, and looked down.
“Y…Yeah…B-B-But…I didn’t…I thought we’d all b-be t-together…forever…I-I didn’t w-w-want to lose her…I want her to be with us…”
Surge leaned back into Blaze and hugged her. Blaze hugged her back, once again ensuring she was a warm and comfortable shoulder to lean on.
“I know…me…me too…But it will get easier with time…”
“I-I don’t w-w-want it too…” Surge whined.
“She will never leave us…” Blaze pulled away to give Surge a kiss, “And neither will the rest of us. We will all still be here for you, Surge. Just as you will be here for us.”
Surge couldn’t meet Blaze’s eyes for more than a second or two. She tried, but her tears kept getting in the way. Eventually, she nodded solemnly, but turned and shuffled off the couch.
“I’m gettin’ more ice cream…You want some?”
Blaze shook her head, “No. I’m afraid any more would make me sick.”
“Yeah, well…*sniff* I can’t feel any worse than I do now.”
Blaze watched Surge slowly trudge towards the kitchen, and went straight for the freezer. As she dug out a half empty tub of strawberry ice cream, Blaze heard footsteps approaching the front door. She turned, and, after a moment, Honey broadly opened the door and stepped inside. The fashionista only wore her sports bra and sweatpants, sweat and dust coating her entire body. Honey panted, closing the door behind her, then looked tiredly at Blaze.
“Did the run help?” she asked.
“Not really…” Honey shook her head, “Neither did…huff…breaking open rocks or…hoof…kicking down trees…I guess it was…good to get my anger out, but…y’know…”
Blaze nodded, as she did know. Honey looked down at her sweaty, chalky hands.
“Imma hit the shower. I’m sure I reek.”
“You do, I can smell it from here!” Surge called, mouth full of ice cream.
Honey chuckled lightly. She walked through the living room and down the hall. She glanced into Kit and Marine’s room as she passed. It was empty, and quiet. The kids were out with Chaos, both curious about the water god, and to help him search for anything of note where…she sank.
She entered the sadly silent, wide bedroom at the end of the house. She faced the door to the bathroom, ready to strip and bask in some hot water, when she heard a ding from several phones in the room. Honey had kept hers with her, and felt it rumble in her pants. She looked over to the nearby nightstand, and saw both Blaze and Surge’s phones light up.
Curious, she dug into her pocket, and fished out her own. It was a text from Trip in their group chat.
“Gonna be home a bit late today. Found Tikal at RHQ ruins and she’s pretty upset. Gonna be with her for a bit. See you girls soon! *heart* ”
Honey smiled warmly. She set her phone down on the bathroom counter and pulled down her dirty pants.
“Gotta love how Amy’s big heart rubbed off on Trip…We’ll always have a piece of her with us through that silly lizard.”
**********
Trip’s first instinct was to take Tikal to Central City, nearby. But, she knew that the loud, bustling concrete jungle would have made her feel overwhelmed, let alone Tikal. What they both needed was some peace and quiet, as well as some better scenery than rubble.
So, she led them to the forest nearby, and they started walking. While Trip happily took in the fresh air and wonderful sights, Tikal found herself having a less joyous experience. On any other day, it would have been because she was so giddy to be in the presence of a legendary sungazer lizard. She thought back to her first day meeting Trip, and her completely fangirling over the last of the Chaos Emerald wielding people.
Instead, walking alongside Trip today was agonizing. Tikal couldn’t help but feel intrusive on this walk that Trip had insisted she come on. Sweat trickled down her brow, glistening under the sunlight brighter than her tiara. She had a thousand things she wanted to say, but her throat felt dry and taught. Like she was being choked. With no way to let her thoughts out, they festered in her mind, and her fear worsened.
Trip hadn’t noticed any of this. Her eyes were still all over the forest around her. It wasn’t as pretty as Angel Island, but it was nice, and Trip was glad to share it. Tikal’s presence alone was enough to calm her nerves, and make her feel just a little bit better.
Then, all at once, Trip’s heart sank. She stopped in her tracks, and Tikal froze up beside her, anxiously. Tikal stared at her, but after a moment followed her eyes and looked into the clearing beside them. It wasn’t a natural clearing. The trees were all crushed and tilted over. Tikal frowned in tandem with Trip.
“…There’s apparently…a-a lot of…‘footprints’ like this coming from the west…” Trip stammered.
“I’m sure…” Tikal nodded sadly, “It’ll take a long time for her impact to…”
She was going to say ‘erode,’ but thought it would be smarter not to. Trip understood regardless, and slowly tilted her head down.
“…D…Do you…” she turned back to Tikal, “Do you think nature w-will ever…h-heal…from this?”
Tikal felt the pain in Trip’s voice stab through her own heart. She hid it as best as she could, and gulped.
“Inevitably…Nature can regrow itself from any wounds inflicted upon it. No matter how disheartening or destructive it may have been.”
Trip nodded. She glanced back towards the mark left by the incredibly destructive Crystal Castle.
“…If we still had the…Ch-Chaos Emeralds, we could heal it much faster though, right?”
“We could…” Tikal said simply, not wanting to say any more.
“You’re connected to their energy, right? Do you know where they…went?”
Tikal’s eyes widened in fright. She looked everywhere but at Trip’s face, clasping her hands together and twiddling her thumbs.
“U-U-Uhh…I-If I were to be i-in the vicinity of one, y-yes, I could find it. B-But I don’t know where they are a-at all times.”
“Oh. Okay. That makes sense…”
After taking another moment to stare at the sect of smothered nature, Trip continued down the path. Tikal scrambled back to her side, and stiffly walked in tandem. Awkward silence surrounded the two, until Trip chuckled quietly.
“Y’remember how we first got all the Chaos Emeralds together?” she asked, “When we first came back from Blaze’s world, and I had my ankle in a cast, and you told my girlfriends about their healing powers?”
Tikal’s anxiety spiked once again.
“Y-Y-Yes…”
“That sure was a roller coaster of a day, huh?” Trip sighed fondly, “I went from relieved that I wasn’t really rejected by the Sol Emeralds, to scared about showing my girlfriends my dragon form in seconds. Only for them to love it.”
Tikal gulped, “Y-Yes…I-I remember that day well…I-I’m still so sorry I made you uncomfortable like that!”
Trip was surprised by her sudden apology.
“I-It’s fine, Tikal, really,” she giggled, putting her hands up, “That was months ago. It all worked out in the end. I-I was just getting worked up over nothing, as per usual.”
“D-Don’t say that! I should have considered your feelings…I was so…caught up in myself that I…I-I…”
Tikal yelped, feeling something grasp her arm. She looked over and saw Trip smiling sweetly at her.
“Tikal. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. You were just trying to help, a-and you did! So don’t beat yourself up over doing a good thing,” Trip backed off with a wink, “Plus, don’t act like you weren’t excited to see a sungazer dragon for the first time.”
Tikal’s jaw hung open in awe for a moment. She eventually smiled, and blew a waft of air from her nose.
“You’re right…I can’t pretend like that wasn’t one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in my life.”
Trip giggled with a slight blush on her face. Tikal blushed too, turning away to hide it. They continued through the forest for a while, both now marveling at the scenery surrounding them. Tikal only looked towards Trip again when she heard a soft growl come from her body. The lizard looked down and pat the armor concealing her big stomach.
“Hoo…All this walking sure builds up an appetite. You wanna go get some food together?”
Tikal grew nervous again. She sheepishly looked away, pressing her fingers together.
“O-O-Oh, n-no, I-I-I- I mean, I’d- It would be n-n-nice, b-b-but…I-I d-don’t want to int-trude any further! P-P-Plus, I-I don’t r-really need to eat l-like the rest of you-”
A deafening grumble silenced Tikal’s plea, and made the world around her stop. Her face turned redder than ever, and she slowly locked eyes with Trip.
“Heh. Sounds like something begs to differ. Come on, Floral Forest Village is close by! There’s a great little café there I’d like to show you!”
Tikal stopped in her tracks, watching Trip sprint ahead. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and hurried after her. The forest soon gave way for a set of more natural clearings, which were filled with flowers, pavement, and houses. Tikal had never visited before, but found the area quite quaint.
She followed Trip through the open streets of the loosely laid out town. The tubby lizard weaved between the folks walking about. Tikal made sure to keep her distance from the villagers. No one seemed to recognize her, which relieved her. Though, she grew a little nervous as she and Trip passed Gemerl, walking by with several bags of groceries in his arms. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice her.
“Here we are!”
Tikal pulled her gaze away from the battle bot, and walked up behind Trip. The lizard presented her a café squeezed between another store and a set of trees. The sign hanging above the gateway into the open seating area read “Lovare Cule Café” with the ‘u’ replaced by a coffee cup, and the ‘v’ with a heart.
“Oh…This is a cute place…” Tikal marveled as they walked under the sign, “May I ask why you chose this place?”
“Because it was close. And it has some really great pastries and tea! Almost as yummy as the place in Spiral Hill…”
Trip sat down at a nearby table. Tikal sat across from her, and watched her intently. Trip shuffled in her seat, and looked around the seating area fondly.
“Plus…i-it’s familiar…Comfortable…I-I could use as much comfort food as I can get right now, y’know?”
The knot in Tikal’s stomach tightened. She nodded, understandingly. Just then, a waitress walked over to their table and asked for their order. Trip listed off an entire tray’s worth of pastries she wanted, while Tikal only asked for some tea and a cinnamon bun. As the waitress walked away, Trip looked down at her hands folded on the table.
“…A-And…th-this…this café is special to me…Th-This is where Blaze brought me and Surge after we left our confessions to Amy at her house…This place is basically where our polycule started…”
Tikal’s jaw dropped. Her eyes nearly popped out. It was like her body wanted to puke on an empty stomach. Her fingers curled up, tugging on the cloth draped over the table. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she lurched forwards as they rained down and soaked the tablecloth.
Trip had been too enamored with the café to notice up until now. She gasped, watching Tikal cover her eyes and weep. Trip reached out to comfort her, but Tikal flinched away.
“I-I-I…I’m s-s-s-sorry…” she sniffled, “I-I’m s-sorry, I’m sorry, I’m s-sorry…”
“Tikal, calm down! I know you’re sorry, and it’s okay.”
“I-It’s not…H-H-How c-can you even s-s-say that?! H-How c-can you p-possibly n-not hate me f-for what I did?!”
Trip shakily held her hand back. She gave Tikal another moment to cry.
“Sh-Sh-She’s gone…Sh-She’s g-gone, a-and it’s m-m-my fault…” Tikal whimpered, “Sh-She m-m-meant so, s-so much t-to everyone…T-To you…A-And I t-t-took her away…I-I’m sorry…”
Tikal knocked her fist against the table, using her other hand to press against her head and hold it up. Then, she felt something tightly grasp her fist, and squeeze it gently. She opened her eyes, and looked across to Trip through watery eyes.
“…Tikal. I don’t hate you,” she affirmed, “A-And that’s because I know you aren’t the one who killed Amy.”
Tikal looked at her strangely. Trip continued to squeeze her fist, despite looking away from Tikal’s face.
“I-I-I can’t possibly blame you for anything that happened to Amy…N-Not when…she was the one responsible for all of this…That rotten, evil, maniac who tricked Amy and used her for her own gain. The Crystal Beauty took Amy away from us, not you…”
“B-B-B-But, I-I destroyed her…Th-The Cr-Crystal B-Beauty, a-and…*hic* I-I l-lost our only ch-chance to s-save Amy…I failed her, I-I failed you…I failed everyone…”
“You didn’t. Because you saved our lives. Y-You stopped the Crystal Beauty the only way you could. The only way anyone could! We tried everything, but the Master Emerald was the only thing that worked.”
Tikal continued to shudder and sniffle. Trip stared into her watery eyes. She soon looked down at the table, and took a deep breath.
“…I-I don’t think…there was anything else we could…do, anyway…”
“Huh?” Tikal whispered.
Tears of her own started to poke at the corners of Trip’s eyes as she spoke.
“I-I…I-I don’t th-think you could have s-saved Amy, no matter how m-much we wanted to…When my girlfriends a-and I went to fight her for the f-first time, she separated us, a-a-and confronted me specifically…A-A-A-And…”
Trip stammered, and paused to rub the tears from her eyes. Tikal’s own stopped streaming, as she was too engrossed in what Trip was about to say.
“A-A-And the th-things she s-s-said to me…about m-my entire species, h-how she was g-glad they all died a-and I was the last one left. She said…s-so, so many awful things…Things tha-that Amy would have never let c-come out if she could help it.”
Trip squeezed the echidna’s hand tighter.
“A-And Amy’s st-strong…You know she’s strong, y-you know how tough she is…A-A-And if sh-she c-could, you know she would have resisted that bitch as hard as she could. She’d never had let her hurt us, or say any of the terrible things she did.”
Trip paused. Tikal thought it was for a response, and nodded ever so slightly. Trip sniffled, and shook her head.
“But she didn’t…she c-c-couldn’t…N-No matter how hard any of us t-tried to help, she never broke through that-that awful woman’s hold on her…A-And I don’t think she would have let her out i-if we found a safe way to s-s-save her…”
Trip momentarily broke down, sobbing against the tablecloth. Tikal’s own tears streamed out worse as she did, heartbroken to see the lizard crying. But she held herself firm until the sungazer let her emotions out.
“Hhhhh…*sniff*…S-S-So…that’s why…” Trip dried her face with a napkin, “That’s why I-I can’t blame you for what happened to Amy. And I don’t hate you for what you did. I blame that evil monster who took her, and abused her kind soul for nothing but destruction. I hate that woman, and everything about her…but I don’t hate you. If Amy was still in there…you put her out of her misery…”
Tikal gawked in amazement. Trip smiled kindly at her, and that smile did not falter for several minutes. The tears stopped gushing from her eyes, but they had still soaked the echidna’s cheeks. Trip offered her the same napkin she’d used to dab her own eyes. Tikal smiled weakly in return, and accepted the rag.
Tikal had just dried her face when the waitress returned with their food. Trip thanked her sweetly, while Tikal could only muster a whisper of appreciation. Trip immediately scarfed down an entire croissant, before addressing Tikal again.
“I know you feel guilty about it all, but I don’t think you need to beat yourself up over it so much. It may not have been the ideal outcome, but it was the best we could do. A-And you shouldn’t think about the life you think you took away. You should think about all the ones you saved. Ours on Angel Island, and all those millions of people in Central City! I think the good you did outweighs any bad you think you’ve done.”
“Heh…” Tikal sipped her tea, “You sure are Knuckles’ understudy, aren’t you? You sound just like him after that monster destroyed Restoration HQ.”
“Well, Knuckles is a very smart guy! And he’s right. If you only focus on the bad, then you’ll forget what a good person you are.”
Tikal was taken by surprise by that comment, nearly choking on her tea. As she swallowed the drink, Trip held out another croissant to her. Tikal looked at it, then up Trip’s arm and to her head.
“I don’t want you to forget that. Forget who you are. The nice, caring, and sweet girl who was so excited to meet me all that time ago. A-And I don’t want you to forget that we’re friends. Because I still like you.”
Tikal’s gaze widened. After a few seconds of pure shock, she grinned, more tears threatening to streak down her face. She took the croissant, and took a bite out of it. It was delicious, and warmed her aching mouth.
“Th-Thank you, Trip. I really don’t deserve a friend like you.”
“That’s not true either,” Trip smiled broadly.
Tikal giggled, and kept eating her pastry. She savored every bite, being sure to appreciate Trip’s gift. Though, when she looked across the table, it was clear Trip didn’t eat with the same care she did. The sungazer’s appetite was a well known phenomenon, but to see it in action was something else.
Trip horffed down bread after bread, spilling crumbs and cream filling all over her armor. After gobbling entire biscuits whole, she’d rub her fingers over her chest plate and lick her glove. Despite being slightly horrified and concerned she could choke, Tikal found the act rather endearing. Trip was unabashedly being herself, and indulging to her heart’s content.
Tikal only realized she’d been staring and finished her croissant when she nearly bit her finger. She eyed her hand, then moved it down to brush the crumbs off her dress, just in case Trip noticed. She took another swig of her tea, then looked down at the cinnamon bun she ordered. She gingerly picked it up, and took a bite.
It wasn’t as tasty as Trip’s gift pastry. The cinnamon tasted bitter in her mouth. The breading wasn’t as flavorful either, feeling thick and chewy. Tikal stared sadly at the bun, then set it back down on her plate.
Trip soon finished her sizable order, topping it off with a burp. She covered her mouth in embarrassment, while Tikal failed to hide a giggle. The lizard tipped the waitress generously, and thanked her as she and Tikal walked out of the café.
“Hoof…That was a good meal, but I’m stuffed,” Trip sighed, “Did you have fun, Tikal?”
“I did. Thank you Trip, so very much…I really needed this.”
“Anytime!” Trip beamed.
She continued smiling gleefully. Tikal reciprocated the grin. The joyous expression bounced between their faces until Trip looked up, and over the trees. The sky was starting to turn orange in the distance.
“I better get home soon. I’m sure the girls miss me…It was great hanging out, Tikal.”
“O-Oh! Yes, of course,” Tikal’s smile faltered slightly, “A-And it was. I hope to see you again soon, Trip.”
Trip waved goodbye and stepped around Tikal. She was about to race off when she paused. Tikal tilted her head. Trip looked back to her with a blank expression on her face.
“I-I just realized…Didn’t you live in Restoration HQ?”
Tikal blinked, “Uh…W- Yes, I did.”
Trip frowned, “…Do you…have a place to stay now?”
Tikal frowned too, and shuffled in place. She said nothing, idly turning away from the lizard. Trip grew sadder, and she thought hard of a solution. When one came, she audibly gasped.
“Why don’t you come over and stay with us?” she offered.
Tikal’s shoulders stiffened. She couldn’t believe what she just heard.
“…W-W…Wha…?”
“You can spend the night at our place,” Trip continued, undeterred, “At least until you find a more permanent place to live.”
Tikal gulped, “O-O-Oh, n-no no no! I-I shouldn’t- I mean, th-thank you, Trip. I-I appreciate the offer, b-b-but I-I wouldn’t want to intrude, a-a-and-”
“Don’t be silly. You won’t intrude on anything. You can sleep on our couch. It’s plenty spacious.”
Tikal didn’t know how to react. Part of her wanted to run again, but, yet again, her legs wouldn’t cooperate. She kept staring at the lizard’s bright, cheery face. Full of hope and good will. At last, Tikal let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, and stepped up to her.
“A-Alright…Th-Thank you, a-again.”
“Don’t mention it,” Trip said, “Just follow me. I’ll lead the way.”
With that, Trip peeled out and zipped away and into the forest. Tikal followed after her swiftly, keeping pace easily.
**********
Honey sat in the center of the couch, Blaze and Surge cuddling up against either side of her. While Blaze rested her chin on her shoulder, Surge was borderline laying on Honey’s lap. Surge practically begged for them to watch some of her comfort show with her. Blaze and Honey had no issue watching Thomas, especially when the alternative was a bazillion news stations talking about the huge castle monster that ravaged the island.
“I suffer dreadfully, and no one cares,” Henry whined on the screen.
“Rubbish, Henry!” snorted James, “You don’t work hard enough.”
“Uplifting comment…” Blaze mused.
“James is such a jerk, I love him,” Honey snickered.
Blaze looked across to Surge, “You usually have us watch the more…exciting episodes of this show. I don’t mind the slower pace of these ones, but I expected something…different.”
“I’ve had enough damn excitement recently,” Surge muttered, “Just lemme relax…”
Blaze nodded understandingly. The girls remained huddled together as they watched the episode. Their eyes were diverted away when the front door opened, and a pair of short kids walked inside.
“Hey you two!” Honey called, “Did you have a good time with Chaos?”
“Yeah!” Marine answered, “How come you never told me about a literal bloody god of water, Blaze?!”
“I wasn’t aware of such a being. Not until we both saw him.”
“Did you guys…find anything?” Surge ventured.
“Yeah, but nothing of note,” Kit said, “Just all the stone she was made out of at the bottom of the trench. No sign of the Beautiful Benitoite or…”
Kit didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t need to. The girls knew what he was about to say. Honey held her lovers closer to her, just as Blaze tightened her grip around her and Surge fully rested her head on Honey’s thighs. Marine glanced sadly at Kit.
“Well…uh…I’m starved!” she blurted, “Got anything whipped up for us?”
“No,” Blaze said, “Help yourself to whatever you can find.”
Marine frowned again. She walked over to the kitchen regardless. Kit didn’t follow her. He trudged towards his room, ready to curl up under his pillow fort and sleep the evening away.
He stopped when he heard a pair of skidding feet outside. He turned back at the mouth of the hallway, and stared at the door. Sure enough, it opened once again, and Trip stepped inside.
“Where have you been, lazybones?!” asked Henry from the TV.
“Trip!!” Blaze and Surge beamed, “You’re back!”
“Hi girls!” Trip waved, “Sorry I was out so late. I had to stop for a bite.”
“Of course,” Surge rolled her eyes fondly.
“D’you have fun hanging with Tikal?” Honey asked.
Blaze and Surge’s faces instantly fell, looking blankly ahead as they processed Honey’s words. Marine peeked her head out from the kitchen curiously. Kit perked up slightly, only to then notice the figure standing behind Trip, on the other side of the door.
“Oh, it was lovely! B-But she’s in need of a little bit of help, so…”
Trip stepped aside, and invited Tikal in. She walked up beside her, and nervously smiled, waving at the others.
“H-Hello all-”
*WUMP*
Before anyone noticed, Kit dove into Tikal and hugged her tightly. He said nothing, just pressing his head against her waist. Tikal was more surprised than anyone, but smiled warmly and pat the little fennec on the head. Trip smiled too, then turned to address her girlfriends.
“She was staying at Restoration HQ before it was destroyed. Now she doesn’t have a place to sleep. Would it be alright if she stayed here for a while?”
“Sure,” Honey said, “I don’t see why-”
“NO!!!” Blaze and Surge stood in unison.
“Absolutely not!” Blaze asserted.
“Hell no!!” Surge blurted, “What the fuck are you even thinking, Trip?!”
Trip’s eyes widened. Tikal leaned away in fright, clutching her chest.
“Woah, woah, woah!!” Honey stepped in front of Blaze and Surge, “What the heck’s gotten into you two?!”
“What’s gotten into us?! What’s gotten into you?!! That fucking Rocky cunt killed Amy!!” Surge snarled, pointing harshly at Tikal, “You seriously expect me to let her sleep in her fucking house after that?! I don’t want her anywhere near us!!”
“B-But…She has nowhere else to sleep!!” Trip rounded Tikal, “She saved our lives! Can’t you give her a little bit of grace for that?”
“We made ourselves very clear,” Blaze said sternly, “She is not welcome here.”
“Holy-…Just, calm down, please!” Honey pleaded, “Let’s talk this out. We don’t have to get so hostile.”
“We have every right to be hostile…” Blaze growled quietly.
“Answer me this honestly, Spikes,” Surge said, “Why do you even want to help this fuckin’ idiot?”
“Because she’s still my friend!” Trip shrieked, “Even if you don’t think she deserves help, I want to get her back on her feet after everything that’s happened.”
Blaze’s scowl softened slightly, though she and Surge continued to glare.
“She’s my friend too.”
Everyone looked down at Kit, still clinging to Tikal’s side.
“I want to help her,” he added firmly.
Blaze and Surge both stopped scowling as hard. They slowly turned their attention to Tikal. The orange echidna girl had tears flowing down her cheeks yet again, and shivered in fear, nearly backing herself into the corner of the room. The cat and tenrec glanced at each other.
“…Fine,” Blaze sighed, “She can stay the night. But I expect her to find another residence by tomorrow. Is that clear?”
Trip, Honey, and Kit eyed the irate pair carefully. Trip glanced back at Tikal, who continued to whimper in the corner.
“Fine. Okay,” Honey said, “We can work with that.”
Blaze harrumphed, and walked away. Marine followed her down the hall as she passed, and they both disappeared into the bedroom.
“Whoosh,” said Thomas to the coaches, “Have you ever seen anything like it?”
Before the narrator could respond, Surge shut off the TV and yanked the VHS out of the player. She stormed off after Blaze, slamming the bedroom door behind her. Honey looked apologetically towards Trip and Tikal, then followed in Surge’s footsteps. Trip turned back to Tikal, once again heartbroken to see her crying.
“I-I’m so, so sorry about that…” she said.
Tikal sniffled, “I-It’s…n-not your fault…Th-That was m-more or less the response I expected from you at first.”
Trip’s frown only worsened.
“…C-Come on, Kit. Let’s get Tikal some pillows and blankets for bed.”
Kit nodded, and followed her into his room. Tikal was left all alone.
**********
She did not sleep well that night. The couch was comfortable, but she did not feel comfortable within her head. She stared at the ceiling, too many thoughts and feelings swirling for her to calm down. Even when she passed out from exhaustion, her mind would not rest easy.
Neither did the minds of the girls a few doors down. Surge kept one eye open, constantly glaring towards the door of their room. Blaze conducted so much heat under their covers, it became rather uncomfortable for her cold blooded partners. While Honey tossed and turned under the suddenly heated blankets, she’d occasionally glance to Trip by her side. The lizard was like a rock, unmoving, and only staring out the window into the field outside.