On Time by Metro Boomin.
~~~

Sticks the Badger had been gracious enough to guide them past the towering forestry and tropical, singing animals- parting branches with her spear. She stepped out onto almost sparkling sand with a murmur and waved to the paradise beyond. The warmest beaches contrasted the sharp, magnificent mountains across the back of the island. Bygone had always been rumoured to be incredibly remote and isolated, but never so...flourishing.

Sticks explained there were two districts of the island, connected by a bridge the group soon found themselves crossing. Torches lit the sides and rope reached overhead, stretching and joining to make grande triangles. The district they left behind was more natural and rural, only occupying few huts but mostly dedicated to exploration. The one they were coming up to was stuffed in the centre of the cluster of mountains. A tremendous valley of homes protruding from rocky sides and brought together with wooden bridges.

Below, a fountain that marked the village's entrance first greeted them. Masked mobians with spears alike Sticks' eyed them, but gave no word when they treaded beneath the village's enormous wall. Cream in colour, it was undeniably a remarkable structure- holding little holes for mobians to peak through.

"Here we are. Bygone Village." The badger spoke, hand waving to the cluster of buildings ahead.

Huts, tropical in style, winded around pebbled paths- separated by bendy, aged palm trees. Vines clung to the greenery and the edges of the buildings' wood were darkened and rotted. Still, it was a magnificent, warm place. Although cars and phones and other present day technology wasn't in sight, the village seemed to make up for it in other shortcuts. Massive wheels turned water, and candles, torches and fires were a great source of lighting. A peaceful eating area stationed over to their left, simply equipped with a bar towards the back of the space and tables and chairs beyond.

Sonic couldn't help but find familiarity with this place. It reminded him of Knothole.

"It seems...quiet here, right?" Tails asked.

Sticks hummed. "Word spreads quickly, 'specially when Mobius' greatest heroes are involved." She discreetly pointed to a spying poodle, with large round glasses, peak from behind their open window.

"Bit paranoid if you ask me."

"They're paranoid?" Shadow grunted.

"My suspicions are reasonable." The badger shoved her finger against his chest. "You're from Outer Space, yeah?"

"Technically-."

"Workin' for the government?"

"The military-." Shadow shook his head. "I don't even work for-."

"And these two ain't from around here. Like at all." Sticks gestured to Blaze and Silver, where the latter awkwardly smiled.

"We don't-."

The badger glanced at her shadow before whispering, chuckling and giving the group a smile. "If Cliff hadn't sent ya, this would've turned out real differently."

"How'd you know Silver and Blaze aren't...locals?" Amy, massaging her head, wondered.

"Their get up's a pretty big sign."

"Fair." Silver coughed.

"Let's hurry. We don't wanna bump in with the Mayor."

"Why?" Knuckles inquired.

Sticks smiled. "He's a bit aloof. Plus, he's a politician." She wagged a finger. "Don't you know they're all secretly lizards praying on us and ready to pounce when vulnerable?"

Shadow pinched his nose. "Chaos."

"Seems they've already gotten to you!"

"I-?"

"Why don't we keep moving, in that case?" Amy reasoned, while Sonic's lips were already twitching but, noting where that would go, Tails waved off a bit wearily.

———

Sticks had guided them to the other side of the village, on the outskirts, where her burrow nestled against the side of a mound (Sonic almost believed the world was playing a cruel trick- constantly making new locations relate to past ones in some regard). Bamboo protruded from the upper ground to carry tremendous leaves and moss, casting the circular door beneath in shade. A great plank utterly covered in tools, materials and scrap resided beside the entrance and baskets of nuts on the other.

"It's in there, isn't it?" Shadow rather breathlessly questioned.

Sticks tapped the end of her spear against the purple Chaos Emerald, where it glowed. "Reckon that's a good sign."

"A good-? But you live-?" When Sonic rested a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head, Tails took a deep sigh.

"So, you guys are collecting 'em before Eggman can?" The badger opened her door, stepping to the side.

"Pretty much. Cliff seemed worried." Amy replied.

Knuckles fixed his hat as he crouched and stepped through. "The Chaos Emeralds are incredibly powerful- more than anyone knows. They're just as dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Besides, we might have bigger trouble coming soon. They could help us when the time comes." Silver added, narrowly avoiding a bump against balanced baskets and boxes.

"Bigger trouble?" Sticks closed the door.

Her home was...fitting. Chaotic and cluttered, she had large stones for chairs and a wide, flat side of a log for her kitchen island. Trees unable to grow any further acted as pillars and held a hammock between. Lanterns and candles lit the space, but really the badger mostly had strange, miscellaneous items stacked in big enough spaces.

"Long story." Silver sighed.

"Well, it'll be here somewhere!" And she began climbing atop her staggered piles, tossing things for the albino hedgehog to try and catch.

"You know, when Cliff told me he was going away for a bit- I knew he was worried 'bout something. Mumbling 'bout how he needed to stop it before it was too late. Never seen him like that before."

"He didn't mention a...a portal, did he?" Tails wrung his hands.

"No. He was vague on his life before Bygone."

Sonic's shoulders raised. "He wasn't the only one."

"Huh?"

"'Worked with my uncle for a while. But they got in a disagreement, couldn't move passed it and they separated."

"Oh yeah. He mentioned somethin' about that."

"Really?"

"Don't sound so excited. He seemed broken up about something. Like he wanted to go about it differently. I'd wager this is that."

"Ah. Well-."

"Ha! Here it is!"

Sticks' overall colour scheme were browns and greens and oranges, but when she pulled out a yellow Chaos Emerald- that was all Sonic could see. Purple bled into the corners of his eyes and Shadow faded from view, only the emerald he held staying in focus. Everything else swirled and melted and washed away like rain, leaving the whispers and screams and demands and claws.

They laughed and begged and held.

They had never felt so real. Like he could actually reach out and touch them. Touch him. He stood over him all the same, glowing white eyes burning into the back of his head.

"Sonic!"

What?

And he stumbled, blinking out of what he could only describe as a trance (it felt more like a drowning nightmare). Amy held his arm and only when she gasped did Sonic shake himself back into focus.

"Chaos, you're bleeding."

"Wha-?"

Thanking Sticks for some tissue, forest green eyes swam with worry whilst Amy dabbed at the Blue Blur's nose. It ran her own blood cold at how his appeared almost black.

"What happened there?" Shadow asked, yet his usual cold tone was lacking.

"I don't...." And Sonic's throat constricted. All he could do to ease their nerves was smile.

"You okay?" Tails squeezed his hand.

Silver's eyes poured with suspicion. Blaze bore into him and Knuckles followed suit. Amy still fretted over him and Shadow pried further, but the words themselves fell on deaf ears. Tails tried easing him, he believed, and Sticks watched in a way that looked almost like...understanding?

He could feel the sweat coating his forehead and his thundering heart. They wouldn't stop asking and he wouldn't stop whispering. Protect them, he said. Keep them safe, he said. The ones he failed cried and circled and pointed and Sonic found himself almost stumbling for the door.

He needed to breathe.

A mouse met him on the other side. Tightly gripping his blazer, he adorned an almost comical top hat and grin. Sonic couldn't even catch an inhale before the mouse swiped his hand, giving an excitable shake.

"My oh my, the rumours are true after all. Sonic the Hedgehog has come to visit Bygone!"

"Where did you-? Oh." And Sticks was at his side. "Guess you've met the Mayor."

"Don't sound so down about it, I don't bite!"

"Hello!" Amy chirped, making the Blue Blur jump.

Chaos, he seriously needed to get his act together. He was better than this.

"Why're you here, Fink?" Sticks asked.

"To give Mobius' heroes a warm welcome, of course!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Why else?"

The badger rolled her eyes and pointed over the rather ridiculously tall hat. "That ring any bells?"

No matter what state Sonic was in, if there was ever something that would ground him- it would be an Eggman base.