Throughout the next week or so, the Sonics covered all 11 universes. After that, all the Sonics traveled together, visiting the friends of whoever's universe they were in.
Underground Sonic even got in on it, leaving the resistance to find and rescue the Tails, as he considered it more important. He seemed to know who Tails was, but said it was only because he'd known someone similar.
So that was how, on an early fall day, the Sonics found themselves in Modern's universe, at the Moderns' village.
At least what was left of it.
Every house had been burned down. Multiple were smoldering. Not far away, at the edge of the clearing, Tornados 1, 2 and 3 had crashed and were burning.
Numb from the terrifying possibly, the Sonics silently split, searching the wreckage for any remains, any clues to what had happened.
When the array gathered at the ruined village square, they nervously asked the others what they'd found. To their relief, what they'd feared hadn't been found. But all of them had found robot parts, and splintered stone.
How the robots got there was easy: a battle. How the stone got there was harder. Was someone practicing sculpting or something?
While the others talked about where the Tails might be (or argued about whether or not this was the actual Modern Village), Boom looked to the sky. The sun was rising.
A strange peace washed over Boom. He closed his eyes, content.
You haven't given up on me, he marvelled, I push you away, but you're still working with me; comforting me.
The wind blew softly, and in it Boom heard a voice:
Always.
When the others (consisting of the Moderns and X's) heard, they were shocked.
"Everything is burned?" Modern Cream asked.
All the Sonics nodded.
"Everything is burnt to stubble. None of the Tails were caught in it though," AoStH said.
There was a collective sigh of relief. Everyone broke off into smaller groups, talking things over.
Taking this to his advantage, AoStH snuck off, unnoticed.
At the Village AoStH found Boom Sonic had snuck off too. He was sitting with his back to the crashed Tornado 1 and ruined village. He was watching the sky; the sun hadn't yet set.
As AoStH walked up to him, Boom muttered to himself,
"I know what Tails was talking about now- I see all of us, alone, lonely."
"Huh?" AoStH asked, and Boom jumped.
"Oh, sorry," he said, turning to AoStH, "my Tails can tell you stories from the colors of the sky at sunrise or sunset. I can identify people in the colors, but have never been able to tell what they were doing."
He turned back to the sky.
"But now I can see clearly. See the blue sky all alone even as the other colors start to come up?" Boom pointed.
AoStH nodded.
"So?" he asked.
"So the blue is us, the Sonics..." Boom pointed it out, "and it's showing us lonely and alone without our Tails."
"At least you have the others," AoStH grumbled.
"The only one I really spend one on one time with is Tails," Boom explained.
AoStH, now sitting next to Boom, cast him a sideways glance. He felt a sudden kinship with Boom, one he didn't feel with the other Sonics. Here was a Sonic that felt the loneliness he felt. Now that he thought about it, all of the Sonics probably felt that way.
AoStH suddenly felt awful for assuming that because the other Sonics had more friends than just Tails, they would miss Tails less, be hurt less by his absence. He now saw that was not true.
AoStH looked at the sky. The colors of the sunset swirled around each other, but the blue stuck to itself.
AoStH Universe
AoStH Robotnik was thrilled with this turn of events. Sonic was off with the other Sonics and not here.
"Now is the perfect time to take over," he said to Coconuts, as Scratch and Grounder had been destroyed in the latest assault on the Moderns' village.
"Yeah, yeah, we can take over without that hedgehog messing it up," Coconuts agreed excitedly, "oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!"
"Exactly," Robotnik smiled, "now go and do all the horrible things you want! Mobius is mine!"
However, four small pairs of eyes had been watching, and called in backup.
When both Robotnik and Coconuts went to claim the planet, they were met by two pink hammer-welding hedgehogs and one angry red echidna.
The fight didn't last long. With no idea how to fight these new enemies, Robotnik and Coconuts were beaten and sent home quickly.
This left Robotnik to research the other universes' heros, and plan his next move.
X Universe
X Amy suggested it was time for X Knuckles to know of his Modern counterpart. She took Modern Knuckles and Amy in the Tornado to Angel Island.
X Knuckles was sitting in front of the Master Emerald, and looked up at the Tornado.
"I just realized- I'm not sure Knuckles even knows that Tails is missing," X Amy realized.
"It's been a month and a half! How do you just not mention it?" Modern Amy asked, exasperated.
"Because he's the Guardian, and no one has come up to tell him yet," Modern Knuckles explained, "we should hang low while X Amy tells Knuckles about Tails."
"Maybe we should leave," Modern Amy suggested a little nervously.
"No," X Amy said, "you're a big part of the story of what happened to Tails. He'll explode, but best to get it done and over with."
X Amy landed the Tornado and hopped out of it.
"Tails let you borrow the Tornado?" X Knuckles asked.
"Actually, Tails has been missing for a month and a half," X Amy said.
"AND I WASN'T TOLD?!" X Knuckles exploded, leaping to his feet.
"Hey, Sonic didn't tell us for almost 2 weeks, then immediately afterwards, well..." X Amy turned to the Tornado, "your cue."
The two Moderns hopped out.
"WHAT!?" X Knuckles turned to his Amy, "Explain, now."
"I will," Modern Knuckles said.
He walked up to his X counterpart, hand outstretched to shake.
"I'm Modern Knuckles. I am you from a different universe. This is Modern Amy, same deal. Our Eggman was killed in the foiling of his most recent plan, but he had a revenge plan left for someone in case that happened. So now, whoever is in charge kidnapped all the Tails from the different universes..."
He went on to explain the plan, AND what was to happen.
X Knuckles took a few seconds to absorb what Modern had said. They could tell it had sunk in when his face reddened with anger.
"Darn it, Egghead!" He yelled, "what'd Tails do to you to make you want to kill him?!"
"Be Sonic's best friend and be the best way to hurt him," Modern Amy answered softly.
X Knuckles glared at Modern Amy, albeit seeing her point. Then he closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"You will pay, Eggman," X Knuckles muttered like a prayer, "you will pay."