Bound by Music

Visions and Night Terrors

To all of my beloved readers, I am so sorry it took me this long to update!! My hat is off to you for hanging in there so long!! #loveyall

Once the group was finally able to have a decent meal, they decided to call it an early night. Everyone had their own place to stay since so many freedom fighters left Knothole, which presented its own struggle for Tails. He had grown so used to staying in the same house with his adopted brother that the emptiness of his old hut felt overwhelming. And a glance at the hut next to him told him that Sonic wasn't inside, but that was to be expected. The blue blur had opted to discreetly take a night watch in case Eggman sent anymore bots after them.

"Always the hero," the kit sighed and opened the door. It was a childish request, he knew, but it had been over three years since the last time he did this. He took a tentative step out and crept over to the hut across from him. It took all of his nerve just to knock. Seconds later, the door opened, and baby blue eyes met sapphire.

"Is everything okay, Tails?"

"Er, yeah, yeah everything's fine, Aunt Sally," he stuttered, namesakes swishing anxiously, "I, uh, just wanted to ask if you could...if you could..."

The chipmunk smirked knowingly with a surprising amount of softness, "You want me to read to you?"

"Well, it's just, you always have the best voices, and Sonic is out on a run, and—"

Sally held up a hand to interrupt him, "Say no more. You go ahead and pick out the story; I'll be there in five minutes."

Tails glomped her in a tight hug, "Thanks, Aunt Sally," he whispered before scampering off to his hut. The chipmunk smiled gently, realizing just how much she had missed the kit.

...

Meanwhile, Sonic zipped noiselessly around the borders of Knothole, emerald eyes peeled for any signs of trouble. He slowed to a trot as he neared Tails' hut, the warm glow emanating from within signaling that his little bro was still awake. A soft smile graced his features as he peered inside to find Sally sitting at the foot of his bed, reading a story in the funniest voices she could muster. It almost as if he had never left. The feeling of homesickness and longing hit the azure hedgehog like a semi truck, and he was surprised by the sheer amount of force behind it, forcing him to turn away from the endearing scene. With a heavy sigh, his pine green eyes steeled, and he took off to patrol Knothole once again.

I'm sorry, Sal. I promise I'll make things right between us. Somehow...

...

The plains surrounding Robotropolis were littered with the remains of machines and war shrapnel but also the still forms of freedom fighters who fought to their last breath to save their land from tyranny.

    Sonia stumbled to maneuver herself around the battlefield. The air was ominously silent, as if waiting with baited breath for something terrible to happen. Her suit was bloodied and torn, but she felt no pain. In fact, she didn't feel anything.

    Brown eyes widened and a soundless scream escaped her lips as she looked up to find Manic suspended in midair with a badnik's claw tightening around his throat. But it was the machine itself that caused pure fear to strike her heart, for it bore the same semblance as the eldest triplet. His sinewed body was replaced by forged steel and gears painted blue and silver, his emerald eyes nothing but large red scanners. A laser began to build in his chest as he prepared to deal the final blow.

   "NO!" Sonia shrieked, but it fell on deaf ears. She watched helplessly as Manic fell, revealing yet another horrific sight she wasn't prepared for.

    A few feet away, Shadow lay completely still, crimson eyes dull and half-lidded. But the worst part was the sword embedded in his chest....

     Sonia shot up with a gasp, her fuchsia fur matted with cold sweat. Her breath came out in ragged breathes as she tried to calm herself, running a shaky hand through her pink hair. She was unaware that she was crying until she felt the hot tears slide off her chin and onto the blankets. The distressed hedgehog hugged herself, her shoulders wracking uncontrollably.

    "Not again," she whispered hoarsely, "Please, not another one."

    Her mind unwillingly ventured to the last time she had a dream as terrifying and vivid as this one. The last time she'd felt like this was when she saw Sonic caught up in a fiery blast. A few days after, her dream came true, and Sonic vanished for the next six years. But this time, the scene was far too obvious. It wouldn't be a "chaos control," as her triplet brother had called it, that would separate them this time. No, this time it would be death.

    Sonia didn't even bother trying to go back to sleep, even though her clock displayed that it was one o'clock in the morning. If it was what she thought it was, the same dream would plague her for the next week or so, and she couldn't deal with that kind of stress at the moment. So instead, she decided to get a nice hot shower to wash away the raw emotion pounding in her heart and skull. 

   After spending at least an hour letting the scalding water purge her body from both sleep and stress, she changed into her normal outfit and slipped her medallion on. Just feeling the familiar weight of the crystal brought an immediate sense of comfort to her.

    "I'm not letting this one happen," she said to herself, coffee brown eyes hardening, "not this time."

....

    Sonic struggled to stifle a yawn as he circled the residential cabins for the umpteenth time that night. It had been a while since the last time he had to ever take watch to ensure his friends and family's safety, and he could arguably go for a chili dog and a nap. Or some action at least, he thought begrudgingly.

   A snap of a twig caused his ears to twitch, and he cautiously turned to face the sound. He scanned the darkness for any sign of movement. His fantasies of it being another swarm of robots attacking were unfortunately not going to happen as a small nonmobian rabbit hopped out of a nearby bush.

   "Aw man, just a bunny," Sonic sighed, his tight shoulders slumping in a disappointment. He turned back around....coming nose to nose with a pair of burning crimson eyes.

    "GAH!!" Sonic jumped, his heart rate literally going a mile a minute, "GEEZ! Shadow! Don't do that!"

    He was more than a little surprised when that elicited a chuckle from the dark hedgehog, "And here I thought you were always alert, faker," he smirked, arms casually folded over his chest.

   Once his blue counterpart calmed down, Sonic asked, "What are you doing out here anyway?"

    He shrugged nonchalantly, "Figured I'd give you a break. We have a long day ahead, and I don't need half as much sleep as you do."

    Normally, the azure speed demon would argue that he was fine on his own, but his retort was intercepted by a large yawn.

    "Fine, just let me know if you come across anything," he replied and dashed off to his cabin to catch some z's.

    Shadow nodded and picked up where his little brother left off, making carefully circles around Knothole for any sign that the doctor would try another attack. However, the rest of the night remained uneventful, much to his relief, and it gave him the perfect opportunity to watch the dawn. And fight the overwhelming sense of fear and dread that had been plaguing his mind all night.

Once again, sorry for the super late update. Thank you so much for reading! I know this was kinda darker than the rest of the story has been so far, but it felt kinda necessary at the same time, if you know what I mean.

Thanks again and don't forget to review!!!