"And that is how dreams can aid in the healing process, allowing us to process past trauma in order to continue on with our waking lives," Ariem said, turning to her class in the lecture hall. Half of them were asleep. Ariem took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "With all that being said, a dream within a dream… can't hurt, I suppose." A crack appeared on the window that had been repaired after Shadow broke the last one. Ariem groaned through her teeth. Sonic's eyes were locked onto the window.
"Mr. Sonic? Is something the matter?" Cream asked, skipping over to Sonic and putting her hands behind her back. Sonic glared at Ariem.
"Did you see Shadow, too?" Sonic whispered.
"Shadow? Yeah, I can tell whenever someone enters or exits the Reverie," Cream said, closing her eyes. "I don't know how Shadow woke up, not many people can escape the Nightmare Maze." Cream smiled. "Maybe it's because he's so strong!"
"How did you figure all that out? And… did you just say the 'Nightmare Maze'??" Sonic asked. Ariem side-eyed Sonic. Cream appeared nervous.
"I'll tell you after class," Cream whispered, before skipping away. As her shoes clapped against the wooden floor, Sonic felt a sense of drowsiness.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Before he even opened his eyes, Sonic was already at his front door. There was a loud bell, which was weird, because his doorbell was broken. As he opened the door, he was burnt to ashes with the power of the sun. He covered his face from the harsh morning light.
"Yeah? Who's there?" Sonic asked, peeping through his fingers as his eyes landed on a nervous-looking sheep girl with a large bell around her neck. "Who are you?" Sonic recognized her, he just wasn't sure how. He ran his fingers through his quills, looked through every dream and waking moment alike. Her bell rang again. Sonic's eyes opened wide. "The chili dog truck lady?"
"Yes! That's right! I'm Lanolin. I saw you wandering around on the beach before all the commotion with Infinite," the sheep said. "I thought I saw you finish him off, but I couldn't tell, because… there were two of you?"
"You mean Shadow?" Sonic asked, scratching the back of his head with sweat rolling down his brow. "Yeah, he helped out. I'd call it about 50/50. Without him, I'd be stuck in one big illusion." Lanolin began whimpering. "Uhm… you good?" Lanolin dropped to her knees.
"Sonic the Hedgehog, I never want to feel so scared again! When Infinite attacked so close to my truck, I thought the war was just going to resume! My town was destroyed back then, but your friends beat the Eggman Empire. They won with your memory deeply etched into their Cores!" Lanolin cried. "Even the Chaotix were normal people just like me, but you seem to inspire everyone you meet… please teach me your ways! I want to be strong like you!" Lanolin put her hands above her head, groveling at Sonic's filthy welcome mat. Sonic frowned.
"Alright, alright. Anyone who can make a good chili dog is already a pal in my book." Sonic smirked. Lanolin's bell rang over and over. "First things first, on your feet. Can't keep up with your head on the ground, right?" Lanolin resumed her whimpering, trying to do a push-up. "Hwuh? Your bell is THAT heavy?!" Sonic tried pulling her up.
Sonic and Lanolin walked down Radiant Avenue at a snail's pace. "This girl is so… slow." Sonic whispered into his Tails Electric, his hand covering the space between his lips and the screen as he looked back on Lanolin stumbling about.
"Be a little patient with her, blue. It's not every day someone just decides to better themselves. This could be a good opportunity to get back into the swing of things," Rouge laughed, perched sideways on a mysterious elevated pole in Club Rouge with her phone between her wings. "You didn't become a hero by ignoring people in need."
"A hero?" Sonic asked, blushing, dragging Lanolin across the street before their time to cross was up. "Me?"
"If you want someone to butter you up, talk to Amy," Rouge giggled. Sonic swiftly ended the call.
"Alright, here's my training spot of choice," Sonic snickered, as he and Lanolin arrived at Holy Summit. Lanolin took in her surroundings. "You've got Loop-de-loops, Springs, Ziplines, pretty much everything." Lanolin gulped.
"Are those spikes?" Lanolin whimpered. She took a step back, right into a Dash Panel. She was sent rolling into the obstacle course, and smacked into a rock. Sonic ran over to the dazed sheep.
"Yeesh, you alright?" Sonic asked, helping her up.
"Yes, I was just… caught off-guard is all," Lanolin grunted, picking a pebble off the surface of her skin. "Let's go again."
"Are you sure? There's easier courses than this one," Sonic mumbled.
"I'm sure… I can do this!" Lanolin exclaimed, staring at the signpost at the peak of the mountain. Sonic watched as she stomped off towards the obstacle course again. THWACK! THWOK! SLAM! Sonic winced as Lanolin ate dirt.
"What is the meaning of this?" Shadow asked, skating beside Sonic. The two stood idly, watching with crossed arms. "Is this some kind of… horrific execution method?"
"It was supposed to be an obstacle course," Sonic sighed. "She's a new recruit. Didn't GUN have you do one of these when you applied?"
"I didn't require such a regimen. They had sufficient data of my abilities on the field by the time I decided to join," Shadow said. "And, y'know, Rouge had some kind things to say about me."
"Ahh, yeah. Rouge. She DOES know how to bring someone around," Sonic grinned with his arms behind his head. Shadow raised an eyebrow. Sonic lowered his hands, huddling his arms around himself once more. The Rings Lanolin had picked up flew everywhere in a chiming cacophony. "I've been meaning to ask, why did you join GUN? After everything they did?" Shadow clutched the Nightmare Medallion from the night before in his hand. "... Y'know, to you?" Shadow's glare softened.
"I've only been told stories of the original Shadow's life and experiences with GUN. During the war, GUN made efforts to mediate other warring militaries whenever they could. I guess that's where I was needed the most… With Rouge and Omega," Shadow replied. "I draw a fine line in the sand between who I am and what I was meant to be from the start. As long as GUN does the same, I believe my goals align with theirs." Shadow suddenly side-eyed Sonic. "Why is your face doing that?"
"Doing what?" Sonic muttered, watching with steely focus as Lanolin blundered about.
"You're mimicking me," Shadow grumbled.
"Am not," Sonic said. Shadow teleported in front of Sonic and placed a hand on the blue hedgehog's angry, scrunched forehead. Sonic's breath got caught in his throat. He really did have the same grim look on his face you'd typically only see on Shadow's. Sonic took a deep breath, and let his arms fall to his side. He wiggled his fingers one by one.
"S-S-Sonic…" Lanolin grunted, wobbling towards the two hedgehogs and collapsing at Shadow's feet. "Did I do good?" Shadow rolled his eyes.
"You completely and utterly failed," Shadow groaned. Lanolin stumbled to her feet. She glared at Shadow with wool over her eyes.
"Well, well. If it isn't the Ultimate Lifeform," Lanolin puffed, moving the wool on her forehead aside. "Last I checked, you were blown to bits on live TV after a single shot from some low-down bounty hunter." Shadow growled. Lanolin pulled on his chest fur and glared at him. "I'll have you know I'm training under Sonic, who beats you five times outta ten. When I get strong enough, I'll make up for that last half."
"You'll be lucky if you live to see tomorrow, if you're looking to him for guidance," Shadow scoffed, turning away. "I don't have time for this." Shadow skated downhill, kicking dirt in Lanolin's face.
"Don't let him get to you, that's how he is with everyone," Sonic chuckled. Lanolin's eyes were locked onto Shadow as he disappeared into the city.
…
"Does this count as… training?" Lanolin asked, casting her line. Sonic reclined with a dead dandelion in his hand. "The legends didn't paint you as someone who had the patience for something like fishing. I want to see some action." Sonic blew the dandelion seeds into the open plains.
"Hate to break it to you, but fishing is where I got my start," Sonic said. "Before that, I was just like you on that obstacle course." Lanolin puffed up her cheeks. "Getting myself hurt." Lanolin sharply exhaled over the course of a few seconds. "I didn't know what I was doing, all I had was the speed to get me out of sticky situations. Fishing with Big while I was stranded… it taught me endurance, technique, and eventually how to stand on my own." Sonic stared into the vast distance.
"Big?" Lanolin asked. "Is that the name of your master?" Sonic smiled, and jumped to his feet. Lanolin felt the ground shake, almost making her drop her fishing pole into the water. Sonic didn't seem to notice as the shaking continued.
"The scar-faced feline… the one land animal capable of striking fear into the deepest of sea creatures…!" Sonic exclaimed, punching the air in front of him. He spun around, and his fist landed on somebody's belly. "Big the Cat?!"
"Hey, Sonic," Big said, stepping back. "Sorry, was I in your way?" Sonic began to sweat, and slowly pulled his arm back. Lanolin gulped, eyeing Big intensely.
"No, no, not at all. I'm sorry, it won't happen again!" Sonic bowed repeatedly. Big sat by the pond and cast his line. Sonic took a second to think, before kneeling down to an intimidated Lanolin. "Listen, I have a call to make. Stay with Big for a while, he'll teach you EVERYTHING you need to know about fishing. There's no better teacher in the world, got it?"
"Uhh…" Lanolin stared into Big's eyes. It was as if the lights were on, but the homeowner had gone fishin'. She took a deep breath. "Okay. I trust your judgment, Sonic."
Sonic sped to the end of the obstacle course in less than an instant. Sitting down by the goal post, he opened his Tails Electric and checked his messages. "Huh, more than usual," Sonic mumbled with a slight smile. An invitation to Tails and Ata's spelunking adventure, Rouge asking for cash, Amy just saying hi. Sonic stared at the screen. "The gang's back together, so why does it all feel… empty?"
A moment passed. Sonic gave Knuckles a call.
"Hello? Is this thing on?" Knuckles eventually asked. "Sonic! What's up?"
"Hey, Knux. Rouge said something that's been bugging me," Sonic said, averting his eyes and holding the tablet over his head.
"Tell me about it." Knuckles checked the Master Emerald behind him. "Every word out of that girl's lips drives me batty!"
"Not like that, dude. Listen, do you remember when we were just starting out?" Sonic remembered Mushroom Valley Zone, all the way back on Angel Island.
"Ahh, good times. I always hated that funky little costume you wore. Tails could be so snotty back then, too!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Amy was as kind as ever, though."
Knuckles' words from back then repeated in Sonic's mind. "You're a good person, Amy. Thank you."
"Anyways, Rouge called me a hero today. Right before that, this lady named Lanolin showed up at my door asking me to help her become a better person." Sonic curled into his knees. "I didn't know people saw me as someone worth following." Knuckles raised an eyebrow.
"You've saved us all so many times. If it wasn't for you, Calamity Chaos would've destroyed everything. The ARK would have wiped out life on Erius. Dark Gaia would've won. Are your feats of power not something to take pride in?" Knuckles asked.
"I'm the only one with that power. I just did what anyone would've done with it." Sonic clutched his chest. "I'm no hero." Knuckles suddenly seemed angry.
"Why are you calling me about this?" Knuckles asked. Sonic opened his mouth to argue. "It's a waste of your time to even think about it. You just want a reason to be all sentimental, and it's getting you down." Sonic tightened his grip on the tablet. "You've always been a hero, because you help others and you do what's right. Now don't make me sick of hearing your voice before we even go on our trip." Knuckles ended the call. Sonic looked up at the sky, and smiled a little bit. He thought about his new life in Emerald Town, the daily bustle which was exciting yet harmless. Maybe things weren't so terrible, after all.
…
"I can't believe that asshole," Lanolin growled, laying in the grass as she waited for a tug on her fishing rod. "If it weren't for Shadow insulting Sonic, I think I'd be making a lot more progress. I think he got discouraged."
"That's a lot of thinking. I'm sure Shadow was just a little upset when you bumped into him. Sonic's going to be fine," Big said, reeling something in from the pond. "They're both really complicated guys."
"The world would be a better place if people like Shadow weren't so miserable," Lanolin spat. She pulled on her fishing rod, and a large catfish flew right at her face. The catfish fell into her hands, and she looked down at it with apathy. It was completely tangled up in the line. "What did you catch?" Big's ears went up as he stopped admiring his catch.
"Oh, just this," Big said, holding up a soaked boot with something growing in it. "I wonder what else I could pull up from that pond if I'm good enough to hook something that doesn't want my bait." Lanolin reluctantly laughed through her nose.
"If only there were more people like you," Lanolin sighed tiredly, watching as the sun set over Holy Summit's peak. Suddenly, her bell started to ring on its own. "Hm? That's weird." Lanolin didn't feel any wind. She wasn't moving too much. It was like a spirit was moving her bell side to side. Lanolin kept staring at the peak of the mountain, perplexed.
"Hey, how'd the R&R work out?" Sonic asked, rushing to Lanolin's side and causing her to squeak in surprise. She crossed her wrists in respect.
"Master Sonic! It went okay. Big helped me plenty, and I caught one fish," Lanolin reported. "Although, I think I'm gonna take a break for the evening. I have something I feel like I need to do." Lanolin stared past Sonic at the mountain's peak.
"Oh my god, thank you!" Sonic exclaimed, shaking her hand suddenly. "I was starting to get burned out on teaching you. Truth be told, I'm still learning, myself. Now that you're going on your own adventure, I'm pretty sure your training's already complete." Sonic walked past, and elbowed her on the back gently. "Go on, get outta here. The only thing you ever had to learn was to walk on your own." Lanolin gasped.
"Thank you, Sonic! Now that I'm a hero… can we be friends?" Lanolin asked, giving Sonic puppy-dog eyes. Sonic smiled.
"Sure!"
And just like that, he was off.
…
Lanolin stumbled up Holy Summit, her bell ringing even more with every heavy step. Though the bell felt like a collar tethering her to the stars, she was worried she might tumble all the way down because of its weight. She held the bell tightly to free her from the noise, but then her arm started to move with it. "Can't take it off… If I do, nobody will be able to find me," Lanolin grunted, falling to her knees on the slope. Looking at the top again, she took notice of the shimmering blue and pink pebbles sprinkled on the path ahead. Leading away from the obstacle course Sonic had constructed. "Right. Don't mind the hard part, just get to the finish."
Lanolin didn't stop until she reached the peak, at which point, her bell became very heavy. If it wanted her to go any higher, she'd have been hung by the bell's lace. "D-down? I should go down?!" Lanolin asked, yielding to the weight and falling entirely on her stomach into a glistening puddle. She was dragged along towards a crater at the top of the mountain. "Wait, no!" Lanolin tugged at the lace, tried to get it off of her. Her fingers began to hurt, she started to scream, tossing and turning and looking away from the sheer depth of the crater. As she teetered over the ledge of the seemingly bottomless pit, the lace finally snapped off… and the bell plummeted into the darkness below. A meandering guitar melody rang out from the hole, as Lanolin caught her breath.
Lanolin turned to face the hole, and saw something peculiar. Not too far down was a gigantic web of oddly luminescent blue and pink strings. The bell lace bounced from string to string, producing that soothing unpredictable tune. It was then caught in the middle of the web, and the bell disintegrated as the lace stretched along. It assumed the colors of the other strings and completed a dreamcatcher. Lanolin gasped, clutching her neck.
"No… it's too late," Lanolin whispered, turning to face the beach. Her food truck was but a speck in the distance, barely distinct from the grains of sand around it. "I can't be out here. I need to—" TWANG!
Lanolin's eyes widened as one bellowing note blared out from the crater. Her head suddenly ached. Falling onto her back, the last thing she saw was the Starfall Plus. Before all her senses failed at once.