⸺𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.❞

You sighed for the millionth time, pressing your lips into a thin line, you slowly opened your eyes, glancing at the chameleon sitting next to you.

You open your mouth to say something, you quickly shake your head dismissing it.

You close your eyes again, you shift a little in your crossed legs position.

You glance at him opening your mouth but shut yourself with a puff of air once again.

You close your eyes, trying to relax in your position.

"Hey, Es, I can't seem to do this 'meditation' thing you said, let's do something else." And there it goes slipping from your mouth, you eagerly look at him, tired of sitting and doing nothing.

He exhales deeply, his soft voice mentioned towards you, he still keeps his position still, "Of course you can't do it. Your mind is always working, never ever stopping to even let you do something proper. Like a flowing river, it always goes never stop. I wonder if you get this from spending too much time with Tails..." He mutters out, not asking, he already knows the answer.

You frowned.

He opens his honey-colored eyes, looking at you, "Your mind is like this water my friend, when it is agitated it becomes difficult to see, but if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear." He throws a pebble at the still lake, creating waves, "If you want to do something, you need to stop, clear your mind and only focus on the silent."

"Yeahhh and why are you talking like a fortune cookie?" You muttered leaning on your palm.

He stares at you unamused. "Y/n, you are not listening."

"No, I am. You are reminding me of cookies we should get some back in the way--"

He grunts, "That's not what I'm- Look. Hearing me won't gonna do anything for you. It goes in one ear and out the other. You need to listen." He pokes your nose, smiling.

You two stare into each other's eyes. He smiles warmly at you.

You perked up, smirking, "Is it true that a chameleon's tongue is really long-" He pushed your face.

He was still working, non stop. He needs to find Sonic. And he needs to find him quick. He know he is still alive, he feels it. Even though it just a feeling, it is something to hold on.

Sonic needs help. His help. It's been a week, he already finished the plane and connected the shard into it. He figured out the shattered space the other day but had to go back to his workspace to add a few needed things to his plane, perfecting it a little bit more day by day.

But he no longer can stay here any longer, or someone could figure out his hideout.

He sighed and cleaned his hands with already dirty cloth from his previous works.

He put the cloth on the table, his eyes traveled up to the soundly asleep human, seated laying face down on his table.

He knits his eyebrows. He tried to get lost in his work like he did the previous days, ignoring the human's existence. But something always had him to face her. Something deep inside him always bothers him all the time, disturbing, annoying. Leaving him frustrated. Of course he knew what it was. She was an uninvited guest in his work space.

But no matter how hard he thought about how he hated her to be here... he didn't dislike the company excessively. He... was glad she was there. The silence can be... uncomfortable sometimes.

He figured he hated being... alone... Everytime he excludes her, he finds the human outside of his workplace sitting in a nook. When he asked what she was doing. She only tells him she didn't want to disturb his work.

He finds it very amusing at first but then it starts to bother him. He needs to admit her actions changed a lot since Sonic's disappearance, he couldn't recognize her anymore. The human he knew was gone. He felt annoyed at how... numb her movements became.

He finds himself becoming a little worried because of this. Did the shard do something to her? Is she going to... die?

The human couldn't do anything without his words of affirmations. It wasn't even a full week before he finished the plane almost all his thoughts became about her. Haunting him. He hated this.

What bothered him still was he couldn't figure out how her gloves worked. Maybe if he try one more time he might-

He can't be doubtful, he needs to be sure of himself! He is Nine!! The one figured out multiverses and won against The Chaos Council!

A mere human can't make him doubt himself...

He approaches the human again.

His metal tails reaching out towards her gloves, hovering just inches above, hesitating.

"What would I give a password to if I had a friend? No... a human friend..." He muttered. The word friend felt so weird coming out from his mouth. But felt warm and... No.

Don't... just Think!

He closed his eyes, "It needs to be simple but hard to figure out. It's a one word. Something they both share in common. That, something no one can figure out because only the two of them share about but this can also be predictable. But there are so many alternatives, unless you get to know one of them you can't figure it out. What do I share in common with her?" He paused, opening his eyes, "Nothing... Because I'm not him... and she is not herself anymore..."

"It can be everything... or nothing at all."

"A word has a deep meaning for both of them..."

He glanced at her sleeping form, "If I can't figure it out... then it isn't about him or both of them... it's... about her... a meaning deeply reflecting her..."

It can't be...

"A meaning... that reminds him of her... Life... she was... full of life... I never thought someone could be this lively and colorful at the same time. I-"

What best represents life?

He lit up, "Phoenix! The phoenix is a real-life representation for life. No reaction. Figures... Phoenix is the first thing someone can think of when said life. At least for me..."

He listed, "Nature... Palm trees, flowers... lotus... Nelumbo nucifera... still no reaction..." What else??

He tapped his head, "Dharmachakra, symbolizes the repetitive circle of birth and rebirth. Still no reaction..."

He counts, remanding to himself, "Tree of life... Candle... Mirror... No, it symbolizes complex truths... Storks..? It's a symbol of new life, birth and creation because of the old saying that storks bring babies to new parents... What else is there..?" He sighed, tapping his chin. Come on brain work! Frustrated, he rubbed his face.

"There is one more thing from many ancient Egyptian tombs. The key of life. What was its name?"

He leaned back on his metal tails holding him in the air, exhaling trying to relax himself.

"The ankh..." he murmured hopelessly.

His ears twitched with a metallic click sound.

𝑭𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑯𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲

In Green Hills, Amy guides Sonic, who had his eyes covered, towards his friends that are waiting for them.

"Can I open my eyes now?" he asked eagerly.

"No, Sonic, not yet." Amy rolled her eyes, giggling.

"Amy, you better not be tricking me into the water again." He gurmbled jokingly.

"No trick, Sonic. Trust me. You're gonna love it... Okay, open them!"

He blink his eyes open quickly taking notice of his friends standing infront of him, Knuckles, Y/n, Tails, Big, and Froggy sitting or facing him next to the palm tree with a picnic blanket beside them.

"Ta-da!" They all shouted for him.

Sonic was confused and in disbelief.

"You got me... the Palm Tree? So it is a trick."

"No, Sonic, it's not a trick."

"But I already have a palm tree. That one. And that one. And those over there." he gestured to all the palm trees around them.

"The gift isn't just the tree. It's all the memories we've made around that tree."

"Like that time when you bet me I couldn't fly up to the top by the time you ran home and back. You still owe me, by the way." Tails said, flying up to the tree before chuckling.

Knuckles bumps the tree with his boxing gloves, causing the coconut to fall as he catches it, "And the time we worked together to make Amy that coconut cream pie."

Rouge flies up next to the tree, "Or when I saw you buy a coconut cream pie and tell Amy you made it."

She flies down and snatches the coconut from Knuckles. Amy immediately turns and glares at Sonic, who chuckles nervously.

"Or that time I laughed so hard, chili shot out my nose." Big said before laughing. "I still can't smell." Froggy croaks in agreement.

You sighed in nostalgia, "Fun times... I still remember the time you face planted on this palm tree and a few coconuts fall on your head. Me and Tails couldn't stop laughing." Tails landed beside you snickering.

"Yeah, really good times. Right, Sonic?" Amy said, placing a hand on the tree.

"Come on, guys, don't you think you're all being a little too... I don't know..."

Sonic lies down on the picnic blanket, "...sentimental?"

"Look, I get it. Tree. Friendship. Memories." He counted.

He glances over to see Big holding a handful of chili dogs and sits up. "Chili dogs!"

He goes over and starts chomping and slurping on the chili dogs. Amy frowns, watching him in disbelief, "I guess you don't get it, do you, Sonic?"

You crash a coconut opening its inside, sliding next to the pink hedgehog, "If he doesn't want to see, he can't see, you have to let him see for himself to understand."

Tails walks next to you getting the other half of the coconut while Amy thinks about your words.

"And why are you talking like a fortune cookie?"

You shrugged, "Espio always leaves an impression on me."

Tails frowned at that, "huh..."

𝑭𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑯𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲 𝑬𝑵𝑫𝑺

In the Boscage Maze, Sonic falls back on the grass. You land beside him as you frown at Thorn as she comes charging at us with her hammer attached to the green crystal.

She misses us when we dodge it. A tree shoots up where the hammer struck. Thorn looks up at it with a grin.

"Yes! The power to regenerate the jungle in a single strike. Hi-yahh!"

Thorn strikes again as more trees shoot up. Sonic jumps back along with you.

"Oh! I could get used to this!" She smirked, liking her new power, twirling her hammer in delight.

Thorn looks up to one side and hammers the ground. A tree shoots up and fills the hole of the canopy as the jungle gets darker. She grins at the accomplishment she made.

"Finally, I can shut them out. All of them... They'll never harm the jungle again."

"Uh, what was that now?" Sonic asked.

She sprint forward, "Let's see what this hammer can do! Yahh!"

Thorn hammers the ground as another tree fills another hole and she creates more trees. She hammers again where you and Sonic are as we dodge. Another tree blocks a hole. The ring on Sonic's shoes and gloves glow in the darkness along with the shard.

"Not good." Sonic whispered on the ground.

Lit by the green crystal, Thorn turns to you and Sonic. She stalks toward us and the giant pink birdie follows. Thorn swings a hammer, creating more trees as Sonic jumps to a tree avoiding them.

"Thorn, wait! How many times do I have to tell you? We're not your enemy!"

Sonic jumps down.

"Come on, Thorn, you gotta trust us! Hand over the pretty crystal thingy. Please?"

"If she doesn't want to see, she can't see, you have to let her see for herself to understand." You murmured.

Thorn laughs and hops onto the giant birdie.

"You're a fool if you think I'd give you the heart of the jungle when I'm so close."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! So close to what? Where are you going?" Sonic asked.

"To do what I must to protect the Green forever."

Thorn and the birdie runs off.

" 'Protect the Green'?"

You and Sonic gasps in realization.

"The Scavengers!"

You and Sonic sprint as we run ahead of Thorn and stop in front of them.

"Sorry, Thorny, I don't want to hurt you, but I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"They may be scavengers but that doesn't mean they intentionally hurt the jungle."

"Ha! Then you two don't have a choice."

You and Sonic dodges the bird's attack as Thorn leaps at us.

"Hi-yahh!"

Thin trees shoot up to make a cage around you and Sonic, separating us from each other.

"Get in my way again, and I won't be so forgiving."

Sonic pulls onto the trees to try and get out while you sigh and sit down. Thorn quickly rides away.

"Thorn! Wait!"

Sonic's head pops through the gap.

"Thorn!!!"

He then sighs in defeat, "Okay. Maybe it's not so bad. The Scavengers have dealt with her before. They'll be fine!" He tried to be positive.

You stare at him, "Unfortunately I don't have any energy to defend your poor attempt to cheer yourself."

He chuckled nervously, "Oh, come on. It's not like they're just sitting around eating bark."

You stare at him, he stares back sweating.

"I don't know... it seems like an usual routine for them by now..."

"...We gotta get outta here." He huffed out.

He looked up by hearing Flickies chirping.

"There's no roof! Of course!"

He scowled at himself, "Wow, I really should have thought of that sooner."

He activates the spikes on his gloves and shoes, slowly but surely climbing the trees.

You watch him strain and grunt for a while until he makes it up to the top and jumps out. You had to rot the trees to walk to freedom. You didn't want to take their vita but you didn't have any choice.

"I'm free! Gotta go fast!" He sprint forwards.

"Whoa! Wait up!"

Sonic runs down and flips and spins away with you following after him. Ahead, a giant birdie runs over the ground as Thorn rides on top. The bird leaps on logs and roots and jumps down on the grass again and keeps running through the dark jungle. The green crystal glows on her hammer. You and Sonic catch up quickly.

"You guys again." Thorn spoke annoyed.

"Yep, us again."

Sonic dodges a hammer swing.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you! But we're taking that hammer!"

"The only thing you're going to take is a beating!" Thorn glared.

You huffed, getting enough already, this thing has lasted too long.

Thorn hammers the ground and a tree blocks Sonic. He shakes his head from concussion and runs after her again. Sonic hangs onto the hammer trying to take it away again as Thorn notices him.

"Wow, that's some grip you have. Have you -Ahhh!" Was he about to say working out?

Thorn swings him around.

"Sonic!" You called worriedly.

"I could do this all day..!" He shouted dizzily through the swing.

"Hi-yahh!"

Thorn throws him off and he flips around the branch with his glove's claws and jumps back, flying towards the hammer.

Nearly getting it, "Yay-! Oh!"

He misses the hammer as Thorn dodges him and rolls up. He ducks away from the bird's beak and shrieks, swings on the vine up to her and grabs a hold of the hammer. She swings it, wanting him off. But he manages to hold onto it, noticing she growls at this. He quickly swung and jumped on top of it.

"Ha ha!"

Thorn tries to shake him off, but he gets the hang of it and cheers along the way while balancing himself. This made her angrier and she swung the hammer around in a circular motion and hit a tree. A new branch shoots, dragging Sonic with it. You quickly duck the tree continuing on your way of following the pink hedgehog.

"It'll take more than getting a few splinters to stop me."

Sonic spins down and continues his chase again. The bird leaps from branch to branch as he runs under them with you still chasing Thorn behind.

Sonic jumps over a thorny vine and dodges other ones with a few yelp and grunts. The birdie leaps on a couple of more branches and jumps down to the grass. Thorn hammers the ground again as more trees grow.

You and Sonic, run around the trees that shoot up. You were starting to get exhausted from all the running in one day. You didn't observe anything today, except those trees, even their boost of energy didn't help with your exhaustion today. How could it? You only spend your energy on nothing without gaining anything in return. You hate this when this happens. This was another reason why the gloves existed. They were giving you an extra boost when you needed it the most. But now they are not with you for some mysterious reason. And no one seems to notice but you. At least Sonic did notice your clothes completely changed, so that's a point, you guessed...

You panted, "After this... I'll stop working out... for a month. This is... enough exercise... for me."

Above the canopy, Prim and others heard rumbling in the distance.

"Huh?"

Prim sees the pointed tree tops sticking out.

"See? I told you. It's the trees coming to get us!" Gnarly spoke, looking around the trees in alert.

Prim looks at him in disbelief, shaking her head.

Mangey frowns and slides away from his tribe.

Below in the jungle, you are visibly running behind the chase while Sonic jumps off the new trees as he spins to catch up to Thorn.

He jumps off the tree to a vine and swings to a branch. He flips to another and slides on it. He jumps over a branch and spins at Thorn and the bird. Thorn notices him and lowers her hammer and drags the crystal on the ground. Trees pop up faster behind her. Sonic bounces off the new trees, flips and jumps between the branches, and hits his head on one. More trees keep shooting up even with Sonic's attempt to spin dash through a crowded jungle.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!!"

Sonic skips to a stop just inchest at a big tree. Before he could even take a breather under him, another shoots up and throws him through the canopy.

"Whoa!!"

Sonic falls onto the deck. He groans and gasps out from all the chase he had been through.

Spears were rapidly pointed at him.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Prim spoke.

Hangry looked confused and turned to her.

"I did not."

Prim rolls her eyes.

"It's an expression." Sonic pointed out.

The