what goes up must come down

[shardmods]

The ring deposits you all safely outside the base and seals up afterwards. Neo Metal Sonic doesn't chase after you, which is something of a mercy.

What's significantly less of a mercy is the sky - it's gone dark and ominously stormy, though the clouds spark not with lightning, but with that same green Chaos Energy you've been facing this entire fight. Worse still, there are now far, far too many robotic planes filling the sky - the Egg Fleet seems to go on endlessly, as far as you can see. Though perhaps it would be more accurate to call it the Neo Metal Sonic Fleet.

Sonic and friends arrive shortly, looking pretty banged up but otherwise still healthy enough to make it here, though they stare up at the sky with obvious concern.

"O...kay, this is definitely not what any of us were expecting."

"We will have to take the fight to them, it seems."

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid... I'm not sure how to pinpoint their leader's exact location to send you all with a ring..."

A jolt of green lightning flashes across the sky and Neo Metal Sonic's voice rings out.

"I expect to see you onboard my fleet in one week's time. That includes you, my loathsome copy."

It seems you don't really have much of a choice. For now, tend to your wounds and try to regroup; you've earned a break after today.

NAVIGATION

Comments

[shardnpcs]

[Sonic just looks confused by that. Whomst the heck. Anyway, your colorful pals are here in case you want to check them over; they're thankfully not too badly injured and were mostly just knocked out. They'll be just fine on their own even without healing, but if you want to chat with them or heal them, you can!]

[beathollow]

( HEY. HI, ALL OF YOU ARE GETTING HUGS, MAFUYU WAS SO WORRIED- )

[shardnpcs]

[Group hug!! Surprisingly, all three are here for group hugs. Hiya, Mafuyu.]

You guys okay? We didn't really have any way of telling from where we were, but you all seem to have made it out...?

[Sonic glances over your group but like. Everyone is probably here. No one died.]

[beathollow]

I- I think so. ... I was so... I'm so glad you're all okay. Go talk to Mr. Wolfwood after this, I mean it.

[shardnpcs]

Of course we will, promise.

[And Wolfwood is healing them anyway, so don't worry!!]

[holeful]

I'm glad to see you guys! I thought you were dead!

[DON'T SAY THAT SO BLITHELY????]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

Shhhh! [ Elbowing him tbh before the fukuda-is-a-murderer fear returns. ]

[holeful]

[I mean how Ashley can maintain that fear with how he acts is crazy, he's so wet dog 90% of the time.]

What? I'm glad they aren't dead!

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[ it's a talent. ]

They're kids, don't just say that!

[shardnpcs]

It would take more than that to kill us.

[Though Knuckles is very obviously Put Off by being knocked out by a bigass robot. Absolutely rude.]

[holeful]

[What a Knuckles thing to say.]

Well, it seems like there is more to it....

[shardnpcs]

[Knuckles glances up at the sky and heaves a sigh.]

Apparently. Were you all successful in retrieving the Master Emerald?

[...he's pretty sure the answer is a big fat "no" given the ships.]

[is2g]

[ redd really writing that the furry children aren't going to get healed after everything that they've been through??? obviously there's more than three, so wolfwood will pick sonic, tails, and knuckles to heal if he's constrained to limits.

there are no words from wolfwood. just making sure that they're no longer injured to start off with. ]

[shardnpcs]

[you're right shadow and infinite are in the void and are not here, so you can safely heal all three!!

And they definitely look pleased with it, Knuckles nodding in appreciation.]

You have our thanks for tending to our wounds.

[is2g]

[ i am good at remembering and keeping track of things. sweats. but either way, wolfwood is glad that they're feeling better. they can all have a single pat on the head as well. ]

No need for the thanks. It's just good that all of ya weren't in worse shape than that; the lot of ya gave everyone a scare.

[ungratefuloz]

[Dorothy is going to go by later--she's getting herself fixed up by Viktor at least this time, but the instant she can go to see Tails...

Well. Dorothy will at least announce her presence first, but...]

Tails, dear? [...] ...I'm so glad you're okay.

[That's about all of the preamble he gets before he's getting pulled into a hug, if he's not uncomfortable. Ignore Dorothy tearing up a bit but...]

Have you had a chance to get healed?

[shardnpcs]

[Thankfully Wolfwood has seen to them, so they're all healed up! Tails is still sitting outside, watching the sky. For once, he's not working on anything, and his worried expression falls away with Dorothy greets him.]

Hi Dorothy— Oh!

[He returns that hug easily, of course.]

Yeah, we're all okay. Wolfwood was kind enough to heal us, so we're good as new!

[ungratefuloz]

[Dorothy does look him over to see how true that is, but...she doesn't doubt anymore. She doesn't doubt the capacity that these humans and other beings have for kindness and for looking out for each other, now.

(Some part of her doesn't even care if Pinne's necklace is safe, though a part of her brain had been concerned; it's swiftly shut out. Tails is real, and here, and alive. That's what matters.)

Dorothy shifts back to hugging him, letting a shuddering sigh of relief out, letting some tears of relief fall as well.]

...I'm so glad, dear. I'm so glad that you're okay. If the world had managed to take you from us, I don't know what I would have done.

[morningstud]

[Lucifer is relieved to see all of them.

Tails especially will be getting attention from him, since it's been a long while since they've spoken.]

I'm grateful you're all still with us.

[It's obvious he was severely injured during the fight, but he's going to act like he wasn't. Pay no mind to the blood.]

[shardnpcs]

[Hiya, Lucifer, oh god why are you so injured.]

Yeah, we are. Sorry to worry you. Um. I know you guys probably had it rough, but are you okay...?

[tails honey no, he got his by four lasers.]

[morningstud]

I've been better.

[He doesn't lie, but that doesn't mean he's not going to try and downplay it.]

Just another look over by a healer [Wolfwood, more than likely] and a shower, and I'll be ready to go. We're going to need all our strength.

[divinevoid]

Hmm...you gave some others quite a bit of a scare.

[ Not them, tho (tsun) ]

[shardnpcs]

...We did?

[They were unconscious........ they don't know.......... Sonic just looks sort of confused.]

We had some struggles, but we managed to get out in one piece in the end.

[divinevoid]

Ah, yes, of course. You know how it is...bonds and all.

[ But...

It does make sense that they wouldn't know. Though... ]

That is the important part. However, if you would like, I believe it's important that you happen to know the details that have transpired as well.

Assuming you are in a state to receive them.

[ They don't look in a fatal state, but they add such a conditional just in case. ]

[hashtagafreakingghost]

[ A little while later, Ashley kind of slides in to talk to Tails. ]

Hey... I'm glad you guys seem okay. Can I... I've got a question, about something that happened while we were fighting...Eggman?

[ should he be mecha eggman or like- ]