Story Tale

Chapter 3

"What now?" Silver asked to no one in particular. Everybody had been thinking this, and nobody had an answer. The telekinetic idly thumbed through the pages of a gardening book and leaned back in his seat in the living room where most of the group had settled in. Though the action mainly had been more for the physical need to stay in touch with reality and not let his mind wander about the different possibilities that can result from today.

Sonic is back. Their friend is back, albeit unconscious and no telling what his missing three years have to bring. Silver is ecstatic to have his friend home. All this time he's been optimistic about his returned - though even the ivory hedgehog had his limits. Before this, the group of Mobians were rather close to admitting that what they feared most had been true after all, until Tails frantically invented his multi-dimension portal and begged everybody not to give up.

To think that they were hardly a hair away from doing just that, to leaving Sonic somewhere trapped because they thought he couldn't be found...

Silver would have kept that train of thought going if it wasn't for Blaze walking in from the kitchen with a tray full of bowls filled with a hearty vegetable soup made by Amy, "At this point, all we can do is wait and plan ahead." Blaze told him, she walked around the living room and passed out dishes and spoons to each Mobian while receiving nods or quiet words of 'thanks'. She paused in front of Silver, "Besides, Rouge and Shadow said they'll come back if anything's changed."

Silver sat up, shutting the book in the same motion, and grabbed a bowl from Blaze with a half smile. "I suppose patience is a virtue?"

"It is, though you were never the most patient person growing up, now were you." She teased affectionately, though the lightness in her words had been replaced with the heaviness of worry. A frown replaced his smile and he bit down on his tongue to keep from asking more questions. (I know Silver could have caught Sonic, but come one guys let's be honest it's more gay and angsty if it was Shadow.)

"Speaking of Shadow and Rouge, since they've got watching over Sonic covered, d'ya think Espio and I could check out the sword outside?" Espio, the chameleon in question merely looked back at the two Mobians in curiosity and Silver shrugged in response."He's good with weapons, plus, what else can we do but wait?"

Blaze tilted her head, her fluffy tail moving idly left and right slowly in thought, "I suppose," She pursed her lips and stared down at Silver with her hands on her hips, "Only after you eat."

"Okay mom."

. . .

While everybody else had been occupied downstairs in the living room and kitchen, so had Shadow, Rouge, and Knuckles. "His room is up here," Knuckles said while he led Rouge and Shadow upstairs and down the only hallway with two rooms on the left and the right side. In Shadow's arms being carried is Sonic, who laid almost lifeless in the ebony hedgehog's arms and the sight makes Shadow frown. Back then when they were teenagers, Shadow knew he would have teased Sonic about this 'weakness' and 'vulnerability' that Sonic would fire back witty retorts all in goodnature, as he was always good at making jokes and never failed to keep the atmosphere lighthearted.

As they walked, they're shoes clicking and tapping against the floor ruined the near silence of the hallway. No words were spoken or exchanged at this point. One would have thought this be a funeral march with how uncharacteristically solemn each person is. Before, the dynamics and atmosphere would be an entirely different feeling - however what was in the past will stay in the past.

Most of the time.

Knuckles stopped at the right bedroom door, not looking back at Shadow or Rouge as he opened it and disappeared inside with the two following behind. At first, the room had been pure darkness. After a minute of cursing and fumbling for the light switch on Knuckles' end, Rouge let out a sigh and flicked on the light herself with a bemused look.