Knuckles lay on the ground, groaning. He'd fallen from Angel Island, when the ground shook so hard it shook the island in the sky.
"Knuckles, you okay?" a familiar voice asked.
Knuckles looked up at Sonic, who was crouched, holding out his hand. Knuckles took it and Sonic helped him to his feet.
"What was that?" Knuckles asked, glancing up at Angel Island.
"I was going to ask you the same thing," Sonic said, following Knuckles' trail of vision, "I would've gone to Tails to ask, but..."
Sonic's voice trailed off.
"It's not your fault," Knuckles said in what he hoped was a soft voice.
Sonic looked down. Tails had gone missing a couple of weeks ago, Boom Tails too. Sonic had been frantic, since he'd been in the room with them last. After a couple of days, Sonic had gone back to normal, but Knuckles got the feeling he blamed himself for the fox cubs' disappearance.
"We should go to the Village and make sure everyone's okay," Knuckles suggested, not sure how to deal with this strange new Sonic.
Sonic nodded and smiled, his venerable moment over.
"Okay."
_______________________________________
At the Village, everyone was at least a little shaken (except for Shadow, of course), alright.
"Anyone know what just happened?" Amy asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
"If only Tails was here," Cream said sadly.
She received a mix of looks, from dirty and mad to just plain sad.
Nobody had wanted to mention Tails, but all agreed. If only Tails was here. Where was he?
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BOOM UNIVERSE
Sticks waited 5 minutes to make sure the shaking was done. Once she was sure, she came out of her burrow and went to Meh Burger to meet the others.
When all of them were gathered, Sonic turned to Amy.
"Do you know what happened when the ground shook?"
Amy shook her head.
"No," she said sadly.
"I can tell you what happened," Sticks said.
"Really?" Knuckles asked, trusting.
"Yes," Sticks said, "haven't you heard of the gods?"
Seeing her friends' confusion, she continued, "Hejjihoggu? Kitsune? Ekidona? Kōmori? Ningen? No?"
Sticks was visibly annoyed at her friends' blank expressions.
"Don't any of you have a religion?" she asked, trying to not explode.
"I used to," Sonic said, "but not anymore."
Amy and Knuckles looked at him in surprise.
"You did?" Amy asked.
"When I was 8," Sonic said, "but things happened that convinced me there is no God."
Sonic looked down, and darkly muttered, "Tails dying is more proof."
"ANYWAYS," Sticks continued, "that was Kitsune getting the volcano ready to explode. She must be upset about Tails' death. She cares especially for the descendants of the Fox Survivor, which Tails definitely is because of his second tail. Whenever she gets upset, she shoots fire from the mountains."
The others were silent for a moment, then Amy spoke.
"That's nice and all, but I doubt that's the case," she changed the subject, "anyways, how is the memorial spot coming?"
"Good," Sticks replied, "all we have to do is move the plane into place and it will be done."
"We'll have to dedicate it first," Amy said, "and Sonic will do that."
"Do I have to?" Sonic asked, a strange stretch to his voice.
"Yes," said Amy sternly, but putting her hand on Sonic's shoulder comfortingly, "you were Tails' best friend, and knew him better than all of us put together. Besides, you're the leader, you're bound by duty to do it."
Sonic looked at Sticks and she nodded. Sonic looked at Knuckles.
"I'm not sure what she said, but I agree." Knuckles said.
"Okay," Sonic said, defeated, "I'll do it to honor Tails."
'God, you obviously want me to do this,' he thought in the direction he hoped was heaven, 'Please help me.'
As the crew left Meh Burger, Sonic felt peace. He walked with a smile.