It's All So Incredibly Loud by Glass Animals.
~~~

'You're a fool.'

Now that, he could agree on. For so long he'd had, at least as close to, peace. Tranquility. Quiet.

"How." He practically demanded, blurry view tracing over his tense hands gripping his sink.

'I never left.'

He stumbled back, hand holding his head as he begun to pace. The lights were out. He whispered. They whispered.

He couldn't wake Tails.

"Just needed the push again, huh?"

'More or less. It's harder to accompany you when you keep running. But with the Doctor's return, well, he was just the medicine I needed.'

Even though the bathroom was dark, it still felt like he was blinded and sent spinning. Everything swirled. It felt heavy and the air was thick and warm.

Something in his mind felt wrong, like something had snapped and maybe something had awoken and he was too slow to save his-

His sight blurred over the wobbling cup in his hands, she felt oh so very far and he felt oh so very cold.
She lies.

Be quiet. Don't tell them.

"Stop." He tried, gripping the sides of his head and pulling at shockingly loose quills.

No adventure's too fun if it's too easy, right?
Let's do it to it.

With a hiss he slammed his hands against the sink once more, "Stop!"

Now this, was new. Only once had...whatever this was managed to twist his mind in such a way before- even rendering his legs useless.

He lost all energy in his legs, bringing him to the ground with tremendous force and a scrape on his chin. At a gasp, he reached for his lower limbs.

And now, they felt dangerously wobbly once more. Instinctively, he leaned against the sink.

He should've taken the nightmares and shadows as a sign. Chaos, the conversations he used to have and the loss over his own body should've been enough.

'But those Badnik sightings weren't enough either, were they?'

Yours are the same.

His eyes burned.

You're in danger.

Yeah. Maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss that warning. His muzzle yellowed as a gross twist stirred in his stomach.

You've reached your limit.

"Enough!"

With a fist in the air, he froze upon laying dangerously faded green eyes on the mirror. Somehow, it was cracked. Did he...?

There was an unknown, alien black mist swirling behind him- creeping up the walls. Even darker spires reached for the ceiling but his mind was too foggy and his heart was too loud and his lungs couldn't-

In a blink his green eyes were gone.

But perhaps, eventually, I can drive you to be just as insane as I am.

Fur almost as dark as Shadow's. Eyes close to glowing. Teeth akin to a beast.

He pulled on his bottom lip, hand trembling like never before, and revealed staggered, triangular teeth. Peach fuzz oh so pale, black lines shot off white eyes- like what was there before was leaking. Claws stretched unnaturally so, as hazardous as knives.

He looked like a monster.

'What was it the old man said? 'Hide it but sooner or later, they'll see what you really are eventually'.'

What terrified Sonic The Hedgehog most was the fact he'd seen that...thing, black quills and glowing eyes and all, in his nightmares before.

He'd seen it in the shadows.
In the corner of his eye.
Between the trees.

He'd gag but something kept him frozen on the mirror.

There was a knock at the door.

Sweet Gaia.

"Sonic...?"

'Hopefully this reminder keeps you in check.'

"You okay? Shadow and Rouge are gonna be here soon."

What?

"Sonic, hey, I-I'm gonna come in okay?"

He choked out a gasp, roughly shoved the tap on and splashed water over his already drenched face. When he looked back up, he was blue, with the normal set of fangs and emerald green eyes. He whirled around when the door slowly crept open, showing a worried looking golden-orange fox.

"You look like you didn't sleep at all last night, Sonic."

How long had he been up for?

He stretched out a smile and rubbed the underside of his nose. "Just excited for what's coming, that's all."

Sky blue eyes almost became piercing as they searched obviously panicked green.

"C'mon, Tails, you know me."

"And you remember it's just for observation, right?"

Sonic lightly waved his hand, resting his other on his little brothers shoulder. "Yeah yeah. Why don't we head down ready, 'kay?"

"You sure you're okay?"

He looked into the dark bathroom where there were no cracked mirrors, black mist or steep spires. Perhaps longer than he should've for Tails was already waiting at the stairs.

With a rather cartoonish jump, he hopped to the fox's side- plastering on a fantastic grin.

"You know me! Even Eggman coming back couldn't bring me down for long."

Right. He was Sonic The Hedgehog after all.

Besides, aren't you supposed to burn if you're a star?

—————

The Chaotix had offered to take her most of the way, only separating when their paths differed. She happily agreed, deciding she'd walked plenty for a while, and joyously wished them well before they ventured off. Her smile faltered, echoes of Vanilla and Cream spiralling through her panicked mind.

She shook her head and took a calming breath, worrying unnecessarily wouldn't help anyone. She needed to be calm. Strong. Like her. Besides, Sonic and Tails would know what to do!

On the outskirts of Green Hills (she smiled at the thoughts of a blue hedgehog zooming around the loops) she brought a hand over her eyes to look at a distant bridge. A simple red metal structure connecting the wide river separating the left side of Northamer to Eurish.

She wasn't sure how much time had exactly passed, but it was enough for the sun to begin it's setting cycle. Still, passed the bridge and Windmill Village, she traversed through forestry to eventually come out onto a glorious meadow. Flowers bloomed, Flickies danced above and the water glistened under the fantastically golden orb in the sky.

But what Amy Rose's dark green eyes fell upon was the light brown bricked workshop settled beside one of the ponds. A large wooden watermill leisurely whirred within it, stuck against the twin-tailed fox's home. With a red roof and triangular windows, almost like ears, the Tornado's resting place leaned against it's right side. With an overhang above the garage door, a small observatory stuck out over the ruby roof.

Tails The Fox had another workshop too, stationed in Station Square much more obviously resembling the buildings' owner (the young inventor had protested against the idea, but his brother always proved to be more stubborn).

Amy took a step forward, ear twitching at familiar whirs and bangs of tools, and felt an odd twinge of anxiety stir within. Tails' home acted as a welcoming place to them all, when needing a common place throughout their adventures, yet somehow she felt anything but warm. It had been a while since she'd visited the brothers. In fact, her last trip consisted of beating up Badniks with Sonic- Chaos. Would Sonic be weirded out upon seeing her? They were busy and with Eggman back-

"Enough, Amy." She grumbled, pulling cartoonishly down on her eyelids.

Vanilla and Cream needed her. It didn't matter if a few months to ten years had passed, Sonic and Tails would be happy to see her all the same. She jumped at a soft nudge against her cheek and glanced at her shoulder to see Cheese. The little friend had wanted to accompany her, but had taken to napping for the majority of her journey.

With a blink she found herself knocking on Tails' door. Would it be considered Sonic's as well? The blue speedster technically didn't have his own place ("I much prefer the trees!" Or "The world's my home, Ames."), but he'd often reside with his brother anyway.

She could hear shuffling footsteps within and worry melted into excitement. She bit her bottom lip and gave a little side step, hands clenching before the red door swung open. The speed in which it did told her who answered even before she met mesmerising emerald green eyes.

Many wouldn't notice, but even he had once (offhandedly) mentioned she had a knack for picking up on what was going through his head. So she observed light bags under his eyes before practically being swept up by them widening and him cracking a wonderful grin.

"Ames! Man am I happy to see you!"

He was-?

Instinct took over and she crashed into the now stumbling hedgehog, giving one of her famed squeezes. With laughter bouncing around the homes living room, she allowed him to separate by shifting her under her arms.

"Sonic! You look well!"

Well?!

"Gosh, not well, exactly- not that you appear ill! You look just how I thought you would, not that you're the same or that I think about you lots but-!"

A soft chuckle reverberated through her ears and she stopped her silly ramblings to see Sonic wag a finger.

"You look good too, Ames."

Did she hit her head on the way here?

He was walking away before she could even squeak, slipping his hands through his quills. "Tails is cleanin' up the Tornado, but he'll be out soon."

Quickly following, she noted a brown backpack (with yellow interior) surrounded by scattered items. For instance, a camera and bandages and the Miles Electric (albeit a smaller version).

"Are you going somewhere?"

Rather lazily Sonic fell against the sofa, reminding Amy how he carried himself in a more tired way compared to his usual form.

"Soon. Rouge'n Shadow are on their way here- apparently." He patted an empty spot beside himself.

Biting her lip as she obliged, Amy fiddled with the hem of her dress. "Why?"

"Oh!" He sprung upright. "We're headin' out to check what Towers thinks is Eggman's base."

"What Towers thinks?"

"Said it's at Christmas Island, but I mean...that place is pretty much completely sunken. I find it hard to believe it's really there."

"I doubt Towers would send you guys without good reason."

Sonic groaned, shoving the supplies into the backpack. "True. I just...I mean we'll see, ya know?"

Amy eyed him for a moment perhaps too long, for it even caught the distracted mind of the Blue Blur and he turned to her. She seemed practically exhausted. Heavy bags and the beginnings of red lines across her sclera. Only then did he notice Cheese (why was he here?) settling on her lap. Her quills were slightly frizzled and he mindlessly reached to smooth them in place. Tucking some at the top behind her ear, he gently pushed some back into their larger five. He would've continued (it was weirdly addicting) but he found her startled face and sharp shoulders.

With a crooked, rather shy smile he nervously returned his attention back to Cheese. His ear flickered at her small squeak, but he stayed silent to save her from further sinking into herself in embarrassment.

"As much as it's nice to see ya again, why the surprise visit? And how come Cheese is here?"

Amy's form sunk and she gently stroked the blue Chao with her thumb. "I-I know you're busy, but this is important."

She met questioning light green eyes (were they lighter than usual?). "It's bad, Sonic. I'm sure you've heard of those Mobian missing cases, right?"

"Yeah?"

"W-well when I went to visit Vanilla and Cream...they were gone. Their door was broken and their curtains had these unnatural claw marks tearing through. I-I...I just missed them. Vanilla's tea was warm. Cheese was still there. I w-went to The Chaotix immediately, and they're checking it out now but...Chaos. They- They've been kidnapped and the guys think it's related to their other cases." Her head dropped to her hands and she gave a pathetic whimper.

She prided herself on being optimistic and uplifting for others, but a force stronger than herself always persevered and somehow, Sonic was always the one to catch her. Sometimes she used to even let herself be caught. When his hand went to her back and tried to soothe her with rubs, she allowed herself to once more.

"Hey, it's good you came to us, Ames. You know we'll help ya, yeah? The Chaotix too. Especially when our friends need us. Cream and Vanilla can hold their own 'till we find 'em, I'm sure of it. I-it's alright." Sonic moved his hand to lift her head by her chin, spotting darker streaks of drying tears.

"We've got each others backs. Don't you forget it."

Thickly swallowing her embarrassment of crying the first time she saw her cr- saw Sonic after months, Amy flinched when the workshop door creaked open. A two tailed fox, dotted in oil, pulled off his goggles and shoved them into the pocket on his apron, freezing when he saw his brother had upset company.

He sighed. "Sonic, what did you say to her this time?"

"What?!"

The blue speedster observed his brother sit on the coffee table, patting Amy's arm for comfort prior to sulking back- pouting with crossed arms. Amy, however, giggled and rubbed under her eyes- shaking her head.

"I'm just being silly. Sonic made me feel better."

"I don't think you crying is silly. What caused it?" The young inventor asked.

"It's about Vanilla and Cream."