{"sf1_id":709387,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Sonic The Hedgehog: The Series - Part 8 FINAL","author":"diosoth","words":27055,"posted_at":"2014-05-25T17:45:00.000Z","tags":["Bat","Cunnilingus","Death","Drama","F/F","Hedgehog","Human","M/F","Romance","Sex","Sonic The Hedgehog","Violence (Not In Yiff)","War","Yiff"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/709387-sonic-the-hedgehog-the-series-part-8-final","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/709387","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=709387\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"Twenty seven years have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe couple kissed in the dark, saliva dripping to the bed, soft moans  \nfrom their lips. The sun had yet to shine, early morning lovers awakened  \nby a desire to become intimate. Rouge had him pinned down, lying on  \ntop, breathing through her nose with her tongue in his mouth. She could  \nfeel Tom gripping her ass, only wishing she were a bit taller so that  \nhe could make love to her like this.  \n  \nRolling over, the bat flipped on the lamp. \"I can't take it anymore,\"  \nshe said, lying on her back.   \n  \nTom, eager to please, placed his face near her crotch. \"Nice and  \nwet. I think I'll taste.\" Gently licking her slit, he sucked in  \nher wetness. Exposing his wife's clitoris, Tom began to lick on it.  \n  \n\"Oh! Oh, wow...\" she moaned.  \n  \n\"I like your clit. So sensitive... so big... like a marble!\"  \n  \n\"It's not as big as a marble!\" she shouted.  \n  \nHe said, \"don't get so uptight. You have a big clit... I'm surprised  \nyou don't cum when you wear tight clothes...\" Licking it gently,  \nhe allowed his tongue to flick it around. \"If it were any bigger  \nyou could jerk it off...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Now you're just being weird,\" she muttered. \"But if you say so...  \nif it's that big, then suck me off!\"  \n  \nHe was feeling playful. Lips around her bead, he sucked on it,  \ntongue working heavily. Rouge almost screamed, but she could take it.  \nShe could feel the skin of her vagina being pulled around, clit sucked  \nhard, taste buds grazing it without remorse. Most women would find  \nthis to intense, but Rouge loved it, feeling his spit soak her bump.  \nIt was little effort to make Rouge climax, her cries of pleasure  \nloud. \"Watch it,\" Thomas scolded, \"don't want to wake the whole house!\"  \n  \nFluffing the pillows, she invited her lover to sit against the wall.  \nEasing down on him, Rouge loved the way it felt, sliding inside of her.  \nWithout a chance to speak, they locked lips, the lamp turned off.   \n  \nThis would take some time.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe twins peeked over the couch. They were curious. June held her child  \ntight, the infant sleeping, finally. Tiff was beside her, head resting  \nagainst June's shoulder.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Cute baby,\" Violette said.  \n  \n\"Little baby,\" Rose agreed. She asked, \"where's the daddy?\"  \n  \n\"Uh...\" June didn't know what to say. \"I'll tell you when you're older,  \nokay? Please, let her get some rest.\"  \n  \nThe twins were content with the answer, running off to play. Tiff asked,  \n\"you thought of a name yet?\"  \n  \n\"I like Tina,\" she answered.  \n  \n\"That's good.\"  \n  \n\"Good?\" Tiff liked the name.  \n  \nJune thought it was a bit plain. \"Well... this IS what she'll be called  \nfor life. How about... Tania. Almost the same but a bit more unique.\"  \n  \n\"Tania... I like it.\"  \n  \n\"I do, too,\" Rouge muttered, passing by. \"It's about time you two   \nnamed her.\"  \n  \n\"Sis likes the name. So...\" June looked down at her child. \"Tania.\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nClub Rouge was in the middle of a slow afternoon. Central City was   \nholding a festival, no doubt drawing away a fair amount of business.  \nRouge was a bit bored. All business papers checked out and for some  \nodd reason, she wasn't feeling adventurous. Though they had likely  \ndone all the dirty stuff their systems could take earlier that  \nmorning.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She did have one concern, however. Cytheria, the echidna in charge of  \nsecurity, had failed to show up. This wasn't too unusual, though, as  \nit had become rather typical of her since she began to date Shadow. In a  \nway, Rouge was pleased that her old friend had finally found some   \ndegree of happiness, but it had also come at the expense of her  \nbusiness running as it should.  \n  \nIt was actually a surprise to see her walk through the front doors,  \nthough the girl was still in her leather biker gear. Spotting Rouge,  \nshe walked forward and handed over a piece of paper. \"I quit,\" she  \nsaid, turning away. Rouge didn't have time to say anything as Cytheria  \nwalked off.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRouge sat with Tom in the casino restaurant. As he tried to take a bite  \nof his burger, a voice interrupted them. They turned to see Karen with  \nanother echidna. \"Karen,\" Rouge greeted. \"Knuckles isn't with you?\"  \n  \n\"Nah, he had stuff to do, but this is important... Rouge, this is  \nCindia. She's Cytheria's mother.\"  \n  \n\"She quit earlier,\" Tom said. \"Just walked in and handed over a note.  \nDidn't even give my wife a change to talk her out of it. But she'd  \nbeen a pretty lousy worker...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I was hoping to find her here. She's been ignoring me since she left  \nthe island. Or, rather, we made her leave.\" Cindia was nervous, shaking  \nnoticeably.  \n  \nRouge asked, \"made her leave? Your own daughter?\"  \n  \n\"It's her father,\" Cindia explained. \"Or... Shadow. The one she's  \nbeen seeing. Is it true he's of the Black Arms lineage?\"  \n  \nRouge and Tom looked at each other. \"Strange question...\" he muttered  \nout.  \n  \n\"He is,\" the bat answered. \"Why?\"  \n  \n\"Cytheria is... when the Black Arms invaded, they took me. They did  \nsome experiment on me and-\"  \n  \n\"Oh my...\" Rouge couldn't believe it. \"They impregnated you? That's  \nawful...\"  \n  \nCindia sighed. \"I tried to make the best of it, but as she got older,  \nshe became unreasonable, distant... stopped living well with others.  \nWe made her leave the island.\"  \n  \n\"That explains why she likes to start fist fights so much...\" Rouge  \nwas rather shocked by this. \"And you're worried about her being with   \nShadow?\" Cytheria nodded. \"Shadow is... listen, I'll talk with him.  \nYou think they know? That Shadow might know what she is?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Possibly,\" Karen said. \"We think Cytheria figured it out.\"  \n  \n\"I'm worried what their children might be like.\" Cindia began crying.  \n\"I just want my little girl back...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nShadow heard the knocking. Cracking the door, he was surprised by his  \nvisitors. \"Rouge!\"  \n  \n\"Shadow... I called GUN to find out where you live, and they told me  \nyou resigned last week!\" The bat was furious. She entered, refusing to  \nwait for an invitation. \"It's fine that you've got a love life now,  \nbut throwing THAT away?\"  \n  \nShe heard the fizz and pop. Cytheria sat on the couch, beer can in  \nhand. \"Oh. My old employer. Listen, if you want me back, it ain't  \nhappening.\"  \n  \nRouge said, \"your mother visited me today.\"  \n  \n\"She told you, then?\" The echidna didn't even turn away from the   \ntelevision.  \n  \n\"Shadow? Do you know?\"  \n  \nHe replied, \"how could I not know? I suspected it when I met her. She  \nhas the red markings like I do.\"  \n  \nBarely visible amongst her orange fur, red stripes running down her  \nspines and arms. \"Your mother is worried,\" Rouge said. \"You shunned   \nher.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Big deal,\" Cytheria responded. \"She's mortal. Be dead eventually.   \nNo point getting attached to beings like that.\"  \n  \n\"Really?\" Tom muttered. \"Black Arms might live a long time, but I  \nremember that war. They were hardly immortal.\"  \n  \n\"I can see why you like fist fights so much,\" Rouge noted. \"Probably  \ndon't take much injury. Pity you couldn't stay and work for me...  \nhowever, if you'd come back, I'll triple your pay.\"  \n  \n\"TRIPLE?\" The echidna's attention was held tight. \"Well... I didn't quit  \nbecause the job was boring. Certainly enough rowdy losers to bust  \nheads with. But...\" She looked towards Shadow. \"Should we tell them?\"  \n  \n\"Go ahead,\" he agreed.  \n  \nCytheria jumped from the couch, grabbing a folder and handing it to Tom.  \n\"It's all in there.\"  \n  \nOpening to look, he freaked out. \"WHOA!\"   \n  \nRouge watched it drop to the floor, pictures spilling out. Stopping  \nto collect them, she saw what Tom had viewed. \"It certainly IS all in  \nhere...\"  \n  \nCytheria laughed. \"Like?\"  \n  \n\"Um...\" Rouge didn't know what to say. \"Not that I'm into THIS, but...\"  \n  \nShe explained, \"and that's just the softcore stuff. Me an' Shadow  \nwanna do a home porn site. Lots of money in that...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Good lord,\" Tom commented, rather shy about peeking. \"Huh... well,  \nthat's.... you're flexible, I'll give you that.\"  \n  \nRouge chuckled. \"I'd pop my hip out of socket if I tried to spread  \nthat far...\"  \n  \n\"I take it your husband isn't into looking at porn, is he?\" Cytheria  \ntossed her empty can aside.  \n  \nHe responded, \"well, does seem a bit pointless...\"  \n  \nShadow didn't flinch. \"I quit GUN because they don't need a scandal  \nof one of their agents doing something like this.\"  \n  \n\"Our problem is,\" Cytheria said, \"this takes money to start. Hosting  \nfees, good cameras, digital storage... I'll take up your offer. We  \nneed the cash. Shadow's income is cut off and he can only sell so much  \nblood.\"  \n  \n\"Fair enough...\" Rouge paused. \"BUT... you have to go talk to your  \nmother. She's scared.\"  \n  \n\"'Bout what?\" she asked.   \n  \n\"She's afraid of you two having children. No one knows what two  \npeople with Black Arms DNA will... it's hard to say what your kid  \nwould be like.\"  \n  \nThe echidna replied, \"I'm sterile. Seems the genes didn't mix good.   \nAh well.\"  \n  \n\"I'm sorry to hear that,\" Rouge offered.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Don't be,\" she replied. \"Okay, you win... I'll call mom. Fucking   \nisland though, don't ask me to get along with them. They let that  \nstupid outsider in but kicked me out!\"  \n  \n\"Maybe if you showed them you aren't dangerous,\" Rouge suggested.  \n  \nShe replied, \"but I am... anyway, listen, there is one thing you  \nmight be able to help with, since we all knew about it...\"  \n  \n\"What's that?\" Rouge asked.   \n  \n\"Doing porn online, we want a nice variety. But I can't squirt. Trust  \nme, Shadow tries...\"  \n  \n\"Why not just tell them everything we do?\" he scolded.  \n  \nShe waved him off. \"We're gonna be screwing on the internet. Better  \nget used to people knowing about it!\"  \n  \nRouge considered it. \"I'll think about it... get back to you later.  \nI'll expect you back at work tomorrow. ON TIME! No more showing up  \nlate.\"  \n  \n\"I'll be there,\" she said. Shoving the folder into Tom's hand, she  \nadded, \"take them.\"  \n  \nTom was stunned. \"I really-\"  \n  \n\"Don't be a prude,\" Rouge said. \"He'll be happy to have them.\"  \n  \n\"Okay... you got any of Shadow you can give her, then?\" he asked,  \nfeeling vengeful.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Ehr, that's okay...\" Rouge gave her husband a mean look.  \n  \n\"You sure?\" Cytheria looked around. \"I think I have some boner pics  \nof him if you-\"  \n  \n\"NOT INTERESTED!\" Rouge shouted.  \n  \n\"Now who's being a prude?\" Tom said.   \n  \nRouge replied, \"it's not about how a dick looks. It's how it works.\"  \n  \n\"I got'cha,\" Cytheria said. \"Still pissed he didn't hook up with you?\"  \n  \nShadow cupped a hand over her mouth. \"That's not important anymore!\"  \n  \nShe pulled his hand free. \"Well, guess she is getting old. Not that  \nshe suffers for it...\" Cytheria made a mental picture. \"Bet your tits  \nain't aged a day...\"  \n  \nRouge smiled. \"I am rather proud of them.\"  \n  \n\"So am I,\" Tom added.  \n  \n\"Don't tell Sonic or the others about this,\" Shadow requested.   \n  \n\"Don't worry,\" Rouge replied, \"I wouldn't do that... better to let them  \nfind out when it's too late.\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTeal held the child gently. \"Tania... glad you two finally named her.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah. Well, naming a kid's a big deal, so...\" June said. The child   \nbegan crying. Teal handed her over. \"Hungry again... feeding time.\"  \nJune looked at Slate. \"Don't you have some cooking to go do?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Right...\" The echidna ran off, Teal following close behind. June pulled  \nher shirt down, allowing her infant to breast feed. They heard the front  \ndoor open. \"Sis is home,\" June muttered.  \n  \nTiff commented, \"The twins should be... right on time!\" They watched  \nthe two kids fly across the house, greeting their parents. Rose  \nsaw the folder. \"What's that?\"  \n  \n\"Nothing you need to worry about,\" Rouge said. \"Now go get ready for  \ndinner!\"  \n  \n\"Okay, mommy,\" Violette said, the two girls running off.  \n  \nStepping into the living room, they greeted June and Tiff. June turned  \naway. \"Can't get two minutes without someone watching....\"  \n  \n\"Like it's the worst I've seen today,\" Thomas commented. \"You know  \nwhat... here.\" He sat the folder on the couch. \"You two might like  \nthese more than I will.\"  \n  \nRouge smiled at them. \"Enjoy... we're going to change for dinner.\"  \n  \nTiff picked the folder up as they left. \"Uh....\"  \n  \nPeering over, June saw several pictures of a female echidna, naked,  \nin various poses. \"DAMN! She's, uh....\"  \n  \nTiff felt cheap, even looking at them. \"Where's the garbage can....\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Stop whining,\" June scolded. \"Just 'cause we're married doesn't  \nmean we can't look at porn. Maybe we'll look at them later, okay?\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTwenty seven years, one month have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe shed at the edge of the property was secluded, barely used   \nanymore. A perfect spot for lovers to sneak off to, should they  \nwant to be loud. The walls echoed with Teal's screams, the bat girl  \nbent over a sturdy table as Slate held tight to her hips, thrusting  \nmadly. The couple was loud, wild, far from the house and far from  \nanyone who could hear them. Her fingernails left scratches in the wood,  \nTeal gritting her teeth. \"Wait,\" she ordered. Rolling onto her back,  \nthe bat invited the echidna to resume.   \n  \nSitting upright, Teal's pussy hungrily sucked Slate's cock inside  \nher, nipples sensitive as he grabbed onto her breasts, practically  \nusing them for handles. He cried out, \"can't do this any more!\"  \n  \n\"Good boy!\" she shouted out, screaming from climax. Slate ejaculated,  \nsome of which spilled out between thrusts. The echidna boy gradually  \nslowed down, panting like mad. The sensation in her vagina slowly  \nvanishing, Teal rolled her shirt down. \"Gotta pull out now!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Oh, right,\" he said, withdrawing. Jumping to the floor, Teal bent down,  \ngrabbing her pants and pulling them up. \"Be a few minutes,\" he   \ncommented.  \n  \n\"Right... gotta wait for that to peek back inside...\" Teal was  \nalways excited to see this, how his genitals only poked out when  \nhe was aroused. \"Although...\" Teal had a wicked idea. Dropping to  \nher knees, she took his dick, still slightly stiff, and put it in her  \nmouth. It was still wet from sperm and pussy juices, a taste she liked.  \n  \nIt was no effort to get Slate in the mood, her mouth bobbing up and  \ndown, tongue licking the slit. Teal was deep-throating her lover,  \nfeeling the end of his penis poke the back of her throat and tongue.  \n\"WHOA! Too much! Okay...\" Slate reeled. \"Teal! Get ready!\" It was  \nfair warning. He threw his head back, cumming hard, jizz filling  \nTeal's mouth. Playfully, she enjoyed the taste, finally swallowing.  \n  \nStanding up, she kissed him on the cheek. He seemed to be mildly  \ndisgusted. \"Oh, don't be a baby about it!\" she scolded, pulling  \nhim down to the table. \"We gotta wait for your cock to go back in.  \nCome on, hold me...\" Slate wrapped his arms around his wife, her   \nhead nuzzled against his chest.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Teal's eyes popped open, looking down. \"Time to get back to the   \nhouse...\" she commented, springing upright and pulling Slate to his   \nfeet. Running to the shed door, she pushed it open, ears picking up   \nthe noise nearby. Turning, she saw the shape moving in the corner.  \nCurious, teal investigated, finding a small bat. Not a bat of her  \nkind, but one of the small airborne bats that usually lived in   \ncaves or barns.  \n  \nIt was injured.  \n  \nScooping it up, she ran for the house. Her feet weren't fast enough.  \nTeal, panicking, took flight, tearing through the air as fats as her  \nwings could work. Slate ran after her, his cries inaudible. Teal  \nwas too far away. Throwing the back door open, she ran in. \"MOM!\"  \n  \n\"Teal?\" Rouge was busy with the twins. Violette and Rose looked at the  \nobject their sister carried.   \n  \n\"MOM! This bat's hurt!\"  \n  \n\"Okay... let me see!\" Rouge made her way to the table, brushing aside  \na pile of doll clothes as Teal rested the animal on the surface.  \n\"Oh... broken wing... that's no good.\" She leaned in closer and   \nsaid, \"broken pretty bad... she won't fly again. But we can at least  \ntake care of her.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Slate ran in, wondering what was going on. \"Slate,\" Rouge ordered,   \n\"we have a small aquarium in the storage room. Go get it! Now!\"  \nHe didn't argue, merely running to gather what his mother-in-law  \nhad asked for. \"Your father went to the store and June's busy with  \nTania... Violette!\"  \n  \nThe twins peeked up. \"Yes, mommy?\" the girl asked.   \n  \n\"Go get some jars. You and your sister go outside and collect  \nsmall bugs. We need them!\"  \n  \n\"What for?\" Rose asked.  \n  \nRouge explained, \"this little bat eats insects. She'll be hungry...  \nTeal. Get me towels and a cardboard box.\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe twins looked at the creature, huddled, in pain. \"What is that?\"  \nRose asked.  \n  \nViolette said, \"it's a bat, stupid!\"  \n  \n\"That's not a bat, dummy!\" Rose said, \"we're bats!\"  \n  \n\"That little animal is a bat,\" Rouge corrected, \"but not like you or   \nme. Did you get the insects?\" The twins held up the jar, filled with   \ngrasshoppers and other bugs. Lifting the aquarium lid, Rouge dumped   \nthe bugs in. \"Hopefully, she'll be able to eat now...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She felt sorry for the animal. Its wing was broken and even if it  \nhealed, it may ever fly again. Rouge could see the fractures, two  \nbreaks causing an unnatural bend. The bat would keep its wing close  \nto its body, the bone may heal, but it would be uneven. Rouge only  \nwished she knew how this had happened.  \n  \nTom peeked in. \"I don't think this is going to work well. A cardboard  \nbox isn't a bat's home...\"  \n  \n\"I'll fix something more suitable later. This one will be here  \nfor a while...\" She sighed, feeling defeated. \"No vet can operate  \non bats. They just aren't pets. The zoo said the bones are just too   \nfragile to operate on. All we can do is wait and let nature work...\"  \n  \nTom said, \"I would think the basics amongst bats would be worth  \nsomething.\"  \n  \n\"No...\" Rouge pulled away from the tank. \"We may be of the same genus,  \nbut I'm a different species than these little bats.\"  \n  \n\"I have always wondered how you have arms.\" Tom felt it worth wondering.  \n\"Wings in your back rather than... well, where are we going to keep it?\"  \n  \n\"'Her', Tom. Not 'it',\" she corrected. \"Teal wants to keep this poor  \nthing in her room and take care of it.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"We have a place ready,\" Teal said, poking her head into the room.  \n  \n\"So,\" Tom asked, \"where'd you find... her?\"  \n  \nTeal seemed to be turning red. \"Uh... out in the shed. Why?\"  \n  \n\"The shed...\" He asked, \"you two make a mess out there?\"  \n  \nShe was stunned. \"Dad... why would you think we were-\"  \n  \n\"Oh, please,\" he mouthed, \"sneaking off to the shed. That's amateur.\"  \n  \nRouge smiled. \"Your father and I like the open field.\"  \n  \nTheir daughter didn't want to know. \"Right... before I was born...\"  \n  \n\"More like last time we were the only ones here...\" Tom replied. Rouge  \nlaughed.  \n  \n\"Uh... I'll go put the aquarium in my room now!\" Lifting it, Teal  \ncarried the enclosure down the hallway.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nSlate watched the small bat climb into the cardboard box, no doubt  \nuncomfortable with the lights of the mansion. Picking up a small  \ndark sheet, Teal covered the aquarium. \"Think she'll be okay?\"  \n  \nHe replied, \"hard to tell. We will have to keep watching and see  \nwhat happens.\"  \n  \nThe knock at the door was swift. Teal turned the knob to find Tiff  \nstanding at her door. \"Can I see it?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Not now,\" Teal answered, \"the bat just went into the box and I covered  \nit. I don't think it likes all the light.\"  \n  \n\"Aww... I'll look in later. Poor little thing...\" Disappointed, Tiff  \nwalked off.  \n  \nTeal took her husband's hand. \"Um... Slate? About kids...\"  \n  \nHe looked her in the eyes. \"You're not giving up, are you?\"  \n  \n\"No, but-\" She paused. \"You know it might not be possible between us...  \nI want to try, but... in case we can't, would you oppose adoption?\"  \n  \n\"I don't know,\" he answered. \"I haven't thought of it. There is   \nartificial-\"  \n  \n\"We don't now if we're even genetically compatible,\" she said. \"I hope  \nwe are, but... just give it some thought, okay? For now, I want to  \ntake care of this little bat I found. Might give us some early training  \nfor being parents.\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTwenty seven years, two months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Come in!\"  \n  \nRouge turned the knob, stepping into the apartment. Cytheria was  \nplanted on the couch, wearing little more than her bra and panties.  \n\"Thanks for getting dressed up for company!\" she commented.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"What?\" The echidna girl shrugged. \"Shadow doesn't have to wear pants.\"  \n  \n\"Right...\" Rouge opened her purse. \"I discussed it with Tom. He said  \nhis father would spin in his grave if he helped fund a porn site.\"  \n  \nCytheria sipped her beer. \"So no cash?\"  \n  \nShe pulled a check out. \"Actually, Tom doesn't care what his father  \nwould have wanted...\"  \n  \n\"Oh wow!\" Cytheria commented. \"Five thousand... Shadow went out to get  \na new hard drive and such... that's costing us a lot.\"  \n  \n\"When's the site open?\" Rouge asked.  \n  \n\"Next week. Just gotta get the server open and the payment processing  \nready. You... given any thought to being part of it?\"  \n  \n\"I'll pass,\" she said. \"As fun as it might be, I don't think Tom will  \ngo for being video taped and put online.\"  \n  \nCytheria tossed the can away. \"You even ask him?\"  \n  \n\"I-\" Rouge paused. \"I didn't... okay, maybe I'll run it by him, but...\"  \n  \n\"You don't want to. That it?\"  \n  \nShe nodded. \"I'm getting too old. Today's my forty-fifth birthday.   \nTom's getting the party ready. You can come if you want.\"  \n  \n\"I'll see if I can drag Shadow out of the house. Okay, no deal on  \nbeing on the site. But...\" She gave Rouge a look. \"If you and your  \nhusband ever want a private three-way, let me know.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Rouge looked away. \"Sorry, but I'm not really interested in Shadow  \nanymore and I don't think Tom would-\"  \n  \n\"Not Shadow... I meant with me.\" The echidna smiled. \"Come on, you  \ncan't say you haven't thought about being with another woman!\"  \n  \n\"I- um...\" She was trapped. \"Maybe... briefly... wait, why are you  \nso interested?\"  \n  \n\"DUH!\" Cytheria explained, \"I'm doing girl-on-girl for the site.  \nShadow films it while we get it on. Sometimes, he joins in. And he  \ntold me about time time he fucked your mom. He said if you want to  \nnail me for payback, he's cool with it.\"  \n  \nRouge was intrigued. \"That does sound tempting... I'll keep it in mind.  \nWho knows, maybe I'll feel a bit more adventurous someday. I would  \nlike to bring new ideas into my love life while I still can. But  \nnot right now. Listen, I'm going to leave. The party's at the casino.  \nLook at it this way. Free food.\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe party was alive. Club Rouge was closed down for the private birthday   \nparty, as it was every year. June sat off with her child, away from  \nthe noise, but everyone else was enjoying themselves. The twins sorted   \nthrough a stack of unwrapped gift paper, tying the bows neatly into  \npretty strings.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Cytheria approached, in the nicest clothing she owned, which was her  \nwork uniform. \"Here. Shadow got this for you.\"  \n  \n\"Oh?\" Curiously, Rouge undid the paper. Inside was an old artifact,  \nlined with jewels. \"It's... very nice. Something he found in old ruins,  \nI'm guessing... not likely to find THIS in a store. Where is he?\"  \n  \n\"We had stuff to get done,\" she said, though Rouge knew she meant that  \nShadow didn't feel like showing up.  \n  \n\"I see.\" Rouge said, \"tell him I love it.\"  \n  \nThe kitchen door kicked open, held by two employees, allowing Teal to  \npush out the cart. The cake was large, multiple layers, enough for  \neveryone to have a piece. Candles burned, inviting Rouge to blow them  \nout. Forty-five candles. \"Little much, don't you think?\"  \n  \n\"I would think a tough woman like you can handle it, mom!\" Teal  \nsaid jokingly. The crowd cheered as Rouge blew the candles out, one by   \none, and began to cut the cake. \"Ooh, strawberry cake!\" Teal took over,  \ncutting slices to pass onto plates for everyone in attendance.  \n  \n\"Damn, this is good cake!\" Knuckles commented, shoving it into his  \nmouth.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"It had better be,\" Slate remarked, \"it was made with fruit we grow.\"  \n  \nRouge found Tails, sitting with his lab assistant. \"I see you found a  \nguest to bring along...\"  \n  \n\"Rouge, you know Sarah,\" he replied.  \n  \n\"I do... so, wedding bells anytime soon?\"  \n  \nTails became fidgety. \"HUH?\"  \n  \n\"Oh, come on,\" she blurted out, \"you two aren't professional.\"  \n  \n\"She knows,\" Sarah said. \"We've been dating for two years. Officially.\"  \nThe blonde, human woman adjusted her glasses.   \n  \n\"I don't want to keep it secret,\" Miles explained, \"but the scientific  \ncommunity doesn't look too well on humans dating non-humans. I don't  \nwant her career ruined.\" He took a drink of fruit punch. \"... or mine.\"  \n  \n\"I see... well, you two have fun.\" She left them alone, joining  \nher husband.  \n  \n\"Happy birthday,\" he greeted.  \n  \nShe nuzzled against him. \"It is...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe treadmills ran at medium, the two jogging steadily, sweat dripping  \noff their bodies. \"I think I'm starting to feel my age,\" Thomas  \nremarked.  \n  \n\"Funny, I'm not,\" Rouge responded, increasing the speed.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;He said, \"don't push yourself. You don't need to keep up with   \nteenagers.\"  \n  \n\"Screw that,\" she shouted. \"I'll stop when I'm dead.\"  \n  \nFinishing their exercise, the two headed for their room. The twins  \nwere asleep, Teal and Slate out for the night, and June and Tiff were  \nbusy with their child. No one to concern themselves with or bother  \nthem.  \n  \nThey lay on the bed, cooling down. Sweat messed up the sheets. Rolling  \nover, Tom's nose began to sniff, digging deep into her fur along  \nher neck. \"What are you doing?\" she asked.  \n  \n\"I don't know... I don't smell anything, but-\"  \n  \n\"I must be putting out pheromones,\" the bat commented. Her human husband  \nwas keen to them, having become adjusted to her scent over the   \ndecades. She felt his bare chest. \"Want to work out some more? Our own  \nspecial exercise routine?\"  \n  \n\"You lead,\" he said.   \n  \nTaking his hand, she slid it up into her sports bra. \"Play with my   \nnipple.\" He began to pinch it slowly. \"Wait...\"  \n  \n\"What?\" He stopped.  \n  \n\"Tom, I-\" Rouge's eyes closed. \"You know I have a sexual nature that  \ncauses me to be curious.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;He said, \"big deal.\"  \n  \n\"Well,\" she continued, \"I was just wondering... how far would you  \nsupport me if I got some new ideas? I mean-\" Rouge considered telling   \nhim about Cytheria's offer, but she let it go.  \n  \nHe asked, \"you were thinking about doing something for Shadow's porn  \nsite, right?\"  \n  \n\"Maybe. I don't want to be filmed and put online, but I have been  \ncurious about someone watching.\"  \n  \nTom said, \"let me guess... you went to give them the check this morning,  \nand...\"  \n  \n\"Cytheria made an offer. She knows about Shadow and my mother. Shadow's  \nidea, but he wouldn't be there. I guess he thinks that allowing us  \nto have sex with his girlfriend makes up for what he did. Not that  \nit would, but...\"  \n  \n\"I gotcha.\" Hugging her close, Tom remarked, \"listen, we've been   \ntogether a long time. We're aging. We'll soon be too old for this.   \nIt's okay to be thinking these things.\"  \n  \n\"Thanks.\" Rouge pulled her bra off. \"I think, though... I'll have to   \nturn her offer down. There's being experimental, and then there's  \na time when it's no one's god damn business but our own.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I'm proud of you.\" Kissing her, he added, \"if you ever do decide to  \ndo something new, I'll want to be there, so long as it's not something  \ntoo out there. But don't think you have to do something if you don't  \nwant to.\"  \n  \nShe grabbed his pants, edging them down. \"Sounds good. Right now...  \nI want to watch your eyes roll back into your head. I want your  \ncock to explode inside of me. I want you to squeeze my tits!\" Pushing  \na finger down into Tom's foreskin, she fondled him, his sensitive  \ndick stiffening quickly. Dropping her pants, she mounted her  \nlover, dick sliding inside with her legs wrapped around, the couple  \nsitting upright on the edge of the bed. Sweat mixed, their bodies  \nslippery.   \n  \nThrusting upward gently, he enjoyed the warmth. \"If it matters, this  \nfeels as good as it did when you were eighteen...\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTwenty seven years, four months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRouge rolled over in bed, smiling. Her husband was asleep, barely  \ncovered by the blankets. Gently lifting them off, she exposed his naked  \nbody. Muscular and aging well, Rouge still liked how Tom looked.   \nGently touching him, her hands moved downward, fingers eagerly groping  \nhis penis. It was soft, which she planned to rectify, careful not to  \nwake him up just yet. Peeling back the foreskin, Rouge gently licked  \nthe tip. It felt good on her tongue, gliding over the round end and  \nunder the bottom bumps.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Tom stirred in sleep, but didn't wake up. His cock was already getting   \nhard, going from a sponge to a metal rod in her hand. Rouge hated the  \ntaste of sperm, but it was a special occasion. Closing her lips down,  \nshe let the saliva collect in her mouth, tongue dancing as she  \nslowly stroked her love's shaft. Her free hand reached out, a finger  \ngently tickling the hairs of Tom's scrotum. She had to be careful,  \nelse he might awaken before she was done.  \n  \nTom moaned gently, still asleep but calling out her name. Flicking  \nthe opening with her tongue, her hands worked faster. His groans  \nwere a sign. Mouth letting go in time, Rouge watched semen pump out,  \nglob after glob covering her hand. Thomas screamed out, springing  \nupright from bed. \"Happy birthday,\" she greeted, smiling up at him.  \n  \n\"Oh... day's already off to a good start,\" he commented, panting from  \nthe orgasm which woke him.  \n  \nRouge relaxed her grip. \"Be right back...\" Making her way to the   \nbathroom, the bat left her husband to rest while she rinsed her mouth  \nout. Walking back to bed, her thong panties dropped to the floor,  \nleaving her body exposed. \"You want me on top?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"No,\" he said. \"I'm hungry.\"  \n  \n\"Hungry? But I- oh... right.\" Taking his meaning to heart, Rouge   \nclimbed into bed.   \n  \n\"Sit on my face,\" he ordered. Rouge straddled his mouth. \"Damn, you're  \nwet.\"  \n  \n\"I just blew you, Tom. My pussy needs some attention.\"  \n  \nHe asked, \"up for some squirting?\"  \n  \n\"Always,\" Rouge responded, grinning as his tongue began to work her  \nvagina up and down.  \n  \n\"Good.\" He sucked on it hard, pulling on the skin, teasing his wife's  \nclit. \"I want you to soak me down.\"  \n  \nRouge played with her nipples. \"Okay... it's your birthday. Whatever  \nyou want. I let Teal and June know not to bug us for a while and the  \ntwins were up all night working on your gift. They're still asleep.  \nWe have lots of time.\" Lifting her leg, she rolled back. \"I need to  \nlay down for this,\" she explained, wings braced around a pillow.  \n  \nPlanting his face in her crotch, Tom began to lick, fingers poking  \ninside. He began to kiss, tongue directly on her clitoris for  \nmaximum stimulation. Fingers curled and twirled inside her, the g-spot  \nprobed furiously. Rouge licked her lips, fondling her breasts as  \nshe screamed out. Tom knew how to get his wife off. Well over two   \ndecades of marriage hadn't been wasted in the bedroom.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Pressing down on her mound, he pushed on the sweet spot. She was ready,  \nmoaning and screaming far too loud. Springing up on his knees,  \nTom caught the full blast of ejaculation, her spray squirting his  \nchest and stomach, coating his dick with the final drops. \"Oh, yes!\"  \nhe remarked. \"That's sexy!\"  \n  \n\"Glad you like it,\" the bat said, gasping for breath. \"But you're  \nnot soaked! Get down here and eat me! Eat me harder!\"  \n  \nWiping a hand over his chest, Tom smeared her juices on her tits.  \nFace firm in her pussy once more, he didn't need to bother with  \nthe basics. She was already horny and just needed to be touched the  \nright way. He also knew a quick way to get her off. Fingers inside,  \nhand pushing down on her mound, he kissed, letting out an \"I love you\"  \neach time his mouth pulled free.   \n  \nRouge couldn't stand it anymore. The touching, the kissing, hearing him  \nsay it, she couldn't last. Letting go, she came on his face,  \nhair drenched as it splashed onto his back. Her eyes rolled back  \ninto her head, grin on her face. It was all she remembered.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Wake up!\"  \n  \nShe heard the voice. Tom was sitting beside her. \"Huh? Don't tell me  \nThat was all a dream!\"  \n  \n\"I don't know, what do you mean?\" he asked. His hair was still damp.  \n\"You passed out.\"  \n  \n\"Wow... never thought I'd cum so hard to do that! How long was I  \nout?\"  \n  \nHe said, \"about two minutes. Here.\" Handing her a glass of water, she  \ndrank. \"You okay?\"  \n  \n\"Just fine,\" she commented. Her breathing was normal. Pussy was still  \ntingling, but she had expected that. \"Now, then... your turn!\"  \nGripping his dick tight, she stroked on it to get it completely  \nhard. \"Lay back, birthday boy!\" Lying flat, Tom allowed her to mount  \nhim. Her feet were flat on the bed. She wasn't on her knees as she  \nusually was. \"Grab my ankles!\"  \n  \nGripping them tight, Tom balanced her as she bounced up and down.   \nStretching an arm back to balance herself, Rouge Adriani worked him  \nhard, like a professional. \"Tom? When you kept telling me you love  \nme...\"  \n  \n\"I meant it,\" he said, hips wiggling under her.  \n  \n\"I know! It got me off so fast...\" She did the same, screaming out  \na constant stream of \"I love you\" between moans, body grinding  \neven harder now.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Tom was close, he could feel it. \"I love you, too!\" he shouted, his  \nway of telling her. She could feel him, sperm flowing inside of her,  \npussy contracting from orgasm as she squirted again, spraying Tom's  \nstomach. \"DAMN! I thought you'd be out of juice by now!\"  \n  \nSlowing her pace, she smiled. \"You like it!\" He toes were curled,  \nblankets pinched between them.  \n  \n\"We need to get cleaned up. YOU need to drink some water! But can you  \nstay there for another five minutes?\" he begged. \"Your cunt feels  \nnice...\"  \n  \n\"Just sit up and kiss me!\"  \n  \nForcing his body upright, Tom kissed the love of his life. She could  \ntaste herself on his lips, tongues twisting together as they made out  \npassionately.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe family was gathered in the living room. Gifts were piled up, Tom's  \ntime to open each one. \"Okay, from June and Tiff...\" He undid the  \npaper. \"A... DVD set. 'Steam City Detectives'.\"  \n  \n\"It's the complete series. One of those old shows from before I was  \nborn,\" June explained.   \n  \n\"Thanks. I like it,\" he said. Leaning in to his wife, he whispered,  \n\"I've never heard of the show...\" Picking up the thin package,  \nhe opened the gift from the twins. It was a framed crayon drawing  \nof the family. \"Wow. You spent all night on this, didn't you?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"We did,\" Violette said.   \n  \n\"You like it?\" Rose asked.  \n  \n\"I do. And I'll put this in our bedroom with the family pictures,  \nokay?\"  \n  \nThe twins cheered. Tom unwrapped Teal's gift. \"A new camera.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah, it's a LOT better than the old one you have.\"  \n  \n\"It should be, for what it cost,\" Slate remarked.  \n  \nRouge held out her gift. \"One more...\"  \n  \nHe unwrapped it. \"A...\"  \n  \n\"Lift the lid,\" she said.  \n  \nHe did. The box played music. Tom recognized it as the song that was  \nplayed at their wedding, long ago. \"It's very nice. He picked up the  \nDVD set. \"Okay, why not watch this together...\" He checked the  \ncontent rating. \"Or, rather... Violette and Rose can go play. The  \nrest of us can watch this together.\" He held Rouge tight, whispering  \ninto her ear, \"we'll celebrate some more later.  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTwenty seven years, six months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe mansion was empty. Rouge was planted on the couch, Tom stretched  \nout beside her. \"Quiet...\" he noted. Everyone else had gone to the  \namusement park, leaving them some time alone.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"It is now...\" Rouge commented, jumping him. \"Let's change that!\"  \nKisses began slowly, intensifying until their lips were sealed tight,  \ntongues grazing each other with fury. She pulled free, spit flying.  \nTom's mouth was covered in lipstick. \"This way...\"  \n  \nLeading him to their bedroom, Rouge kicked her shoes off, shirt flying  \nto the floor as her bra snapped open. Tom responded by dropping his  \npants first, letting his wife stare at his cock while he removed his   \nshirt.  \n  \nShoving him to the bed, Rouge pulled the drawer of the nightstand open.  \n\"Here... I want to try this.\"  \n  \n\"What is it?\" he asked, looking at the small bottle.  \n  \n\"Teal's been using it. It enhances a woman's sensitivity...\"  \n  \nHe saw the receipt in the drawer. \"It'd better for how much it cost   \nfor that little bottle...\"  \n  \nShe flipped the cap open, letting several small droplets hit her vagina.  \nSlowly rubbing it in, Rouge could feel it working. \"OOH! Tingles  \nreal nice...\" Mounting Tom, she grabbed his dick, easing gently down  \nonto him. \"AH! Feels like a vibrator pressed against my clit!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Letting the sensation take over, the bat started rocking back and forth,  \nleaning in gently to make out with her husband. Tom forced a hand in  \nbetween them, pinching her nipple gently as his other hand gripped  \nher ass tight.  \n  \nGasping through the kiss, Rouge couldn't help herself. Her cunt spasmed  \nfrom orgasm, lungs forcing out air as she screamed. \"Hey, I'm barely  \nstarted! What gives?\" Tom asked. He winced, her muscle contractions  \nlatching on tight.  \n  \n\"I'm REALLY horny for some reason...\" she explained.  \n  \n\"Well... enjoy,\" he said, pulling her closer.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nHow many orgasms? Rouge had lost track. She was almost relieved when  \nTom finally came, semen squirting into her sensitive pussy as  \nshe bounced up and down, forcing every last drop out of him that  \nshe could.  \n  \nCooling down, the couple was finally finished. Kissing her lover,  \nRouge said, \"that was worth the price...\"  \n  \n\"I need some water,\" he said. \"Race you to the kitchen!\"  \n  \nRouge tried to leap from the bed, but she was held down. \"Uh...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Tom was confused. He tried to lift her off. \"Crap! I think we're stuck  \ntogether!\"  \n  \n\"How can we be- can you pull out?\" She tried to rise off him, but  \nfailed.   \n  \nHis attempts all failed as well. \"You're clamped down too tight! I can't  \nget my dick out!\"  \n  \n\"Okay...\" Rouge was stunned. She had no idea what to do. \"No big  \ndeal. We wait for you to get soft so you can pull out.\"  \n  \nHe commented, \"that might be a problem...\"  \n  \n\"Why?\"  \n  \n\"You feel too good. I'm still hard...\"  \n  \nShe sighed. \"Okay... we might have to wait a while. My pussy should  \ncool down eventually...\"  \n  \nHe asked, \"any idea how long?\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThey had waited half an hour. \"We really should call for help,\" Tom  \nsuggested.   \n  \n\"I'm not having a bunch of paramedics see us like this!\" Rouge shouted.  \n\"I'm still swollen and you can't even pull out when you soften up!\"  \n  \n\"Maybe if we- no...\" he mouthed. \"Being pinned together like this  \nis gonna make it hard to do anything. Everyone else will be gone for  \na few more hours, too. Not that I want them to see this, either.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Rouge wiggled over, grabbing the phone. \"I know one person I can  \ncall... but they're going to see us like this...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nCytheria found the front door key where they said it would be. Entering  \nthe mansion, he found the bedroom door, as she'd been told. Slinging  \nthe store bag over her wrist, she cracked the door open. \"You weren't  \nkidding...\" Tom sighed. \"Shy?\" she asked. \"Don't be...\" The echidna  \neyed them both. \"When I asked to be invited to bed with you two, this  \nisn't what I had in mind...\"  \n  \n\"Can you help us?\" Rouge asked.   \n  \n\"Yeah.\" She opened the bag. \"This happened to me once before. I found  \nout about this stuff.\" The small jar was uncapped as she slipped a  \nrubber glove on. \"Topical muscle relaxant. Made for just this type of  \nemergency... now, you'll both be numb for a few hours.\"  \n  \n\"ANYTHING to get us unstuck!\" Tom shouted.  \n  \nCytheria spotted the bottle. \"No wonder,\" she exclaimed. \"How much did  \nyou use?\"  \n  \nRouge said, \"a few drops.\"  \n  \n\"You're supposed to use ONE drop of this! Not half the bottle! Okay...  \nlean back...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;The couple pulled back, allowing her to spread the cream. Rather   \nquickly, they could feel their genitals numbing up. Rouge's vaginal  \nwalls finally shrank back, Tom pulling free. Lying flat, Rouge relaxed   \nher knees, bent for far too long. Thomas stretched out, free of the  \nwall. \"Thanks, Cy,\" Rouge said.   \n  \n\"No problem. You probably didn't need some asshole who'd tell everyone  \nabout this. Listen, I...\" She paused.   \n  \n\"What is it?\" Rouge asked.   \n  \nCytheria stared at them. \"Shadow's been filming stuff for the site  \nwhile I was at work. Three other girls... you mind if I hang around?\"  \n  \n\"Don't you have to get back to work?\" Tom asked.  \n  \nShe answered, \"no. When I told them you had called me, they let me stay  \npunched in, and they don't know WHY you asked me here...\"  \n  \nRouge looked at Tom. \"Well, she's already seen us naked...\"  \n  \n\"I don't mind,\" Rouge said. \"Actually... this might be interesting.\"  \n  \n\"Doubt either of you are getting off for a while with that cream  \nnumbing you up,\" she pointed out. \"Actually, you'd better wash it off.\"  \n  \nSpring from the bed, Rouge grabbed her lover's hand. \"Come on... bath  \ntime!\" He hesitated, lying on his stomach. \"Come on, Tom, she's  \nalready seen it...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Unzipping her leather jacket, Cytheria said, \"it's probably not fair  \nI'm staring at you two like this. So...\"  \n  \nRouge smiled. \"This might be fun... Tom?\"  \n  \n\"Oh, what the hell,\" he answered. \"We HAVE seen naked pictures of her.  \nBut we're not going to get it on!\"  \n  \n\"Didn't ask to,\" Cy muttered. \"You two are a couple of good-looking  \npeople for your age. Nice tits, nice ass....\" Her shirt fell open,  \nbreasts falling free. They were almost big enough to rival Rouge's  \nown. She watched Thomas rise from the bed. \"Nice dick, too. Never  \ngot a real good look at a human's before.\"  \n  \nShe followed them into the bathroom. \"Wow! Very nice!\" Rouge turned on  \nthe faucets, squirting the soaps and bath oils into the water. Jumping  \nonto the counter, Cy lay on her side as they stepped in the tub. It  \nwas large enough for both of them, but not three people.  \n  \n\"Now... Tom?\" Rouge eyed him closely. \"You're not uncomfortable with   \nthis, are you?\"  \n  \n\"Huh... actually....\"  \n  \n\"I think he likes it,\" the echidna girl commented.   \n  \nHe said, \"this isn't as bad as I thought it'd be.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Not everything has to be about sex,\" Rouge mused. \"Just because we're  \nall naked... however, maybe she'd like to hear some dirty secrets.   \nSince she does let her sexuality out to everyone...\"  \n  \n\"Mmmm, stories.\" Cytheria closed her eyes, relishing in the thought.  \n  \n\"Normally, I'd refuse, but she did help us out. Okay, but nothing  \nTOO secretive,\" Tom agreed.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nCytheria unclipped her motorcycle helmet, slipping it on as the rest  \nof he family returned home. The twins were carrying balloons and  \nstuffed toys, June cradling her child.  \n  \n\"Have fun?\" Rouge asked.   \n  \n\"Mommy! Look what we won!\" Violette shouted, spilling her pile of  \nprizes on the floor.   \n  \n\"Oh, wow... Teal?\"  \n  \n\"Next time, mom, you two have to come with us!\" she said, helping  \nSlate haul a large stuffed bear to their room.   \n  \nJune commented, \"a little loud for Tania, but it was a good day.\"  \n  \n\"And how was your day?\" Tiff asked.  \n  \nRouge grinned. \"It was good. Had some private time, got to socialize  \nwith an employee...\"  \n  \n\"I saw her outside,\" June remarked.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Yeah, we had a small thing to deal with and got ahold of her.\"  \n  \n\"Nothing important,\" Tom stated, \"but we didn't want to drag you  \nhome for it.\"  \n  \nHeading for their bedroom, Rouge closed the door. \"How's it going  \ndown there?\"  \n  \nHe answered, \"still just a bit numb. Not as bad as it was.\"  \n  \n\"Same here.\" Sitting on the edge of the bed, Rouge sighed. \"I thought  \nyou'd go weird about all that...\"  \n  \n\"We didn't do anything, just sat in the same room, naked, with her and  \ntalked.\"  \n  \n\"About all the dirty sex we've had since we met,\" Rouge pointed out.  \n  \nHe said, \"big deal. We let stuff like that slip into those old  \nromance novels we wrote.\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTwenty eight years, eight months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"I'm getting too old for this...\" Tom said, rubbing his knee. The knee  \nbrace was possibly too tight.   \n  \nShadow walked beside him. \"How'd you hurt yourself?\"  \n  \nHe said, \"running. I fell... I'm getting too old to exercise every  \nday.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Not something I'll ever worry about...\" Shadow stopped in front of the   \njewelry store. \"Here.\"  \n  \n\"Finally going to ask her to marry you?\" Tom was impressed.   \n  \nShadow looked at the ring display. \"If she will...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRouge placed the board against the wall. \"It hasn't been used in a long   \ntime... I don't even know if it still works.\"  \n  \n\"Extreme Gear boards are made to last.\" Cytheria opened the maintenance  \npanel. \"The wiring's a bit old and the circuitry outdated, but a few  \nnew parts and it should run fine. So, why me?\"  \n  \nRouge explained, \"Teal's got her first kid on the way now. She'll never  \nbe interested in those races. My little girls... I couldn't play  \nfavorites and give it to only one of them. And I-\" She closed her eyes.  \n\"I've thought about entering a race, but... if I were to be hurt...  \nI couldn't do that to my family.\"  \n  \n\"I'll take good care of it. What happened that that little car that   \nlooked like you?\"  \n  \n\"That thing?\" Rouge laughed. \"I donated it to the carnival to be turned   \ninto a bumper car. Ah, my younger days... I had such a big ego back   \nthen.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Shadow's probably going out to buy an engagement ring,\" the echidna  \ncommented, tweaking around with the Temptation's circuitry.  \n  \n\"So THAT'S why he wanted Tom to meet him... wait, how'd you know?\" Rouge  \nasked.  \n  \nShe said, \"he's not the king of subtlety...\"  \n  \n\"You don't seem too bothered by it,\" Rouge blurted out.  \n  \n\"Yeah, well, what am I gonna say? Might as well get married. You know  \nhow Shadow's mind works. It'd probably undo years of social development  \nto turn him down. Not like there aren't married couples who do porn   \ntogether...\"  \n  \n\"Still going to keep that up?\" Rouge commented.  \n  \nCy remarked, \"you haven't seen our videos, I take it... when he takes   \nthose rings off and cuts loose... most women probably wouldn't  \nsurvive!\"  \n  \n\"Good for you...\" Rouge trailed off. \"I need to get creative... the   \ntwins want to go as fairies for Halloween and I don't know where I'm  \ngoing to get wing covers.\"  \n  \n\"Fairies?\" Cytheria asked.  \n  \n\"Yes, fairies... Teal had to be an angel at their age, they want to be  \nfairies...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \nTeal emptied the container of insects into the tank, her pet bat  \nhobbling around to feed. The animal's wing had mended long ago, but  \nwas so badly broken that it couldn't really fly. It relied on Teal  \nto take care of it. It had been good practice for the child inside of  \nher right now.  \n  \nSlate peeked into the room. \"We have to go.\"  \n  \n\"Right... I'm ready.\" Her doctor's appointment was waiting. In the  \nliving room, the twins sat and watched television. Nearby, June and  \nTiff were helping their daughter learn to read. Teal left the mansion,  \npassing her mother. \"Mom. We'll be back in about two hours.\"  \n  \n\"Enjoy being poked and prodded, Teal. Diner will be waiting for you  \nwhen you get home.\" June sighed. Leaving her child with Tiff, she   \nentered the kitchen. Rouge saw her concern and followed. \"June?\"  \n  \n\"Sis... Tania's asking about her father again. I don't know what to  \ntell her. She has two mothers. It's not normal...\"  \n  \n\"It's what you wanted,\" Rouge reminded. \"She's not old enough to  \nunderstand yet. Just give her time, okay?\"  \n  \n\"Time... at least she isn't convinced anymore that Slate is her dad.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Rouge put a hand on her sister's shoulder. \"Go back in there and help  \nher learn. I'll start dinner.\"  \n  \nJune was surprised. \"YOU? Cooking?\"  \n  \n\"Hey, I have a grandchild on the way. Grandmothers are supposed to  \nbake cookies. May as well get used to being in here more often...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nNight had fallen quietly. Tom slipped on his sweat pants, one leg   \ncut off to allow for the knee brace. \"I can't wait to ditch this  \nthing...\"  \n  \n\"Me, too,\" the bat commented, sitting on the bed. \"I'm afraid to get  \nrough with you right now. It'll heal soon, though and I'll have   \nsomething special planned. But...\" She tugged on the waist band.  \n\"...we could take it slow.\"  \n  \n\"When has it ever been slow and gentle between us? We start that  \nway, but it always gets rough and intense.\"  \n  \n\"Good point,\" Rouge agreed. \"Oh, well...\"  \n  \nTom said, \"lay back.\"  \n  \n\"Huh?\"  \n  \n\"Lay back... there are other things we can do.\"  \n  \nShe slid her skirt off. \"No... I'll lay on my side.\" Holding one leg  \nup, Rouge gave him a full view. Lying down, face to meet her pussy,  \nTom began to slowly kiss. Rouge slid her foot into his pants, gently  \nfondling him. Toes slowly wiggled. She could feel him getting hard,  \nprecum sticking to her soles.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Her cunt buzzed, Tom's tongue working up and down gently. Fingers   \nran through his hair to encourage him. Tom slid a finger inside her,  \nRouge groaning louder now as his tongue flicked faster.  \n  \nShe could feel the mess, sperm splashing over her foot. Tom had cum  \nin his pants, her toes sticky. In seconds, she hit climax, screaming  \nhis name loud. Her thigh dripped with liquid, leaking from her box,  \nsoaking the sheets. Pulling her foot free, she wiped it on the  \nblankets.  \n  \nTom climbed up the bed, both their heads resting on the pillows. She  \nasked, \"feel good?\"  \n  \nEmbracing her tight, Tom kissed her.  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThirty two years, five months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThomas Adriani wiped his daughter's forehead, faint streaks of blood  \nsmeared on the napkin. \"This is going to burn...\" Violette winced as  \nalcohol cleaned the wound. Rose held her twin sister's hand to comfort   \nher. \"Why were you flying so close to the ground?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I didn't know, daddy! I just wasn't looking...\" she defended.   \n  \n\"Seriously, smacking into the old shed like that...\" Tom sighed. \"I   \nthink I need to get your mother to teach you two how to fly around  \nsafely! It's a miracle you didn't end up with a broken jaw!\"  \n  \nA little bat with black streaks in her fur entered the kitchen, looking  \nup at Violette. \"What happened?\" she asked. \"Did someone hit you?\"  \n  \n\"NO! I hit my head!\"  \n  \n\"Hold still,\" Tom said, shaving her patch of fur to apply bandages,   \ngentle with the buzz pen to avoid bothering the wound. \"It's not  \nthat bad, just don't touch it. I'll change these bandages tomorrow.\"  \nViolette's forehead was covered. The tape was close to her eye and it  \nbugged her.  \n  \nJune stepped into the kitchen and spotted the scene. Tania looked up  \nat her mother and asked, \"am I old enough to fly yet?\"  \n  \n\"Not yet,\" she answered. \"I think those two might still need lessons,  \nactually...\"  \n  \nViolette took offense. \"That's mean!\"  \n  \n\"Yeah!\" Rose shouted.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRouge peeked into Teal's room. \"Grandma!\" was the shout from the little  \nboy, jumping from his chair and running to give her a hug.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Red! Where'd your mother?\"  \n  \n\"She's in the bathroom,\" the boy answered. The child was mostly bat,  \nalbeit with red spikes hanging down in the back.  \n  \nThe door opened. \"Mom. Slate will be home soon, and we're all going  \nout tonight.\"  \n  \nThe boy said, \"mommy and daddy are taking me to see Choo-Choo The  \nMagic Train!\"  \n  \n\"Choo....?\" Rouge had a puzzled look on her face.  \n  \n\"Kid's movie,\" Teal explained.  \n  \n\"Oh. Well, have fun. Guess you'll be eating out then?\"  \n  \nShe responded, \"yeah. You got any plans tonight?\"  \n  \n\"Just stay here,\" Rouge explained, \"June and Tiff want to go out, so  \nwe're going to watch Tania. Speaking of which...\" She checked the clock.  \n\"I would have thought Tiff to be home by now...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe GUN command center was lively. From their seats, the Commander   \nhimself watched his Agents at work through helmet cameras. Tiff  \ngrabbed the microphone. \"Warrant is official! GO! NOW!\"  \n  \nIt was a surprise hit. Their targets had no warning, no time to react,  \nno time to fire a shot as GUN swarmed them. An illegal weapons ring  \nthat specialized in stolen technology. Miles Prower's own research  \nhad been stolen months ago, which attracted GUN's attention.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Tiff was proud. No longer tied to the records department, she was  \nhelping with the real stuff now. June had quit GUN long ago to stay  \nat home and be a mother to their little girl, but Tiff was bound to  \nGUN. It wasn't even about her one-time worship of Rouge as a personal  \nhero, it was about keeping the world safe.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe moon was full, a sight Rouge liked. Romantic and peaceful. She   \nhated this. Menopause. Her sex drive was bottomed out. Pulling her  \nclose, Tom sat on the bed. \"I think you need to see a doctor about  \nthis.\"  \n  \n\"I'm fine, Tom. It's natural for bats to get like this as we get older.\"  \n  \n\"And look what it's doing to you!\" he shouted. \"You're depressed at   \nnight! We try to make love, but you can't get into it no matter how  \nhard you try to force yourself! I think you're doing it to try and make   \nme happy. You want to make me happy, go see a doctor.\"  \n  \n\"Okay...\" She relented. \"I'll call in the morning. I know there are  \nmedications for this, but it just feels like...\" Rouge trailed off.  \n\"Feels like I'm giving up. Cheating, just to feel young again.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;He sighed. \"Don't say that. You don't want to spend the rest of your  \nlife like this. Not like we have forever.\"  \n  \n\"Don't say THAT,\" she scolded. \"I want our lives to feel like forever.\"  \nHugging her husband tight, she asked, \"want me to give you a handjob?\"  \n  \n\"That's okay,\" he responded. \"We're both tired.\" Slinking back onto bed  \nwith him, Rouge closed her eyes.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Mom and dad should be home from the doctor soon,\" Teal said,  \nchecking the time. \"I'll get dinner started.\"  \n  \n\"Wonder why your mother had to go?\" Slate asked.  \n  \nShe replied, \"no idea. No one told me, just to keep an eye on the  \ntwins while-\"  \n  \nThe front door kicked open, Rouge pulling on Tom's arm, practically  \ndrooling as she led him into their bedroom. Teal just looked on in  \nawe. \"Did I just see that?\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRouge groaned, fingers gripping her lover's hair tight as he licked,  \nher pussy and thighs soaked. \"You haven't been this wet in a long  \ntime...\"  \n  \n\"I think they need to cut down on the dosage for these pills... fuck me,  \nI'm horny!\" She enjoyed this, cunt burning with passion as Tom licked  \nand sucked.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"You taste REAL good today, too!\" he commented, slurping on her clit  \nlike he was so used to.  \n  \nShe screamed out, \"get ready!\", giving him only seconds to prepare  \nbefore she squirted, a full blast of her sex juices spraying all over  \nhim, soaking his shirt and hair. Grinding her teeth together, Rouge  \nwas smiling, gasping for air. \"OOH! I haven't cum like THAT in a   \nwhile! Sit on the edge! Do it!\"  \n  \nResting on the edge of the bed, Tom hoisted up as his wife yanked  \nhis pants down. Eagerly, Rouge played with his dick, stroking on the  \nforeskin. \"This is one thing I hope never stops working...\" Clenching  \nher breasts around his shaft, the bat began to bounce her tits up and  \ndown. Tom groaned, his sticky fluids coating her mounds as she worked  \nhim, slowly, picking up the pace.  \n  \n\"Oh, yeah... my tits are still good, not even a wrinkle on them!\" she  \ncommented, looking down to watch the head of his penis vanish in between  \neach time she lifted up, poking back out as they slammed down.  \n  \n\"They're about to have something on them, babe! That's it, I'm gonna...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Sperm shot up, wad after wad spewing forth and splattering her tits,  \nslowly rolling down to her nipples. Slowing her pace, she enjoyed  \nthe feeling of his wet load all over her chest. \"Now this is how it   \nshould be in the bedroom...\"  \n  \nHe smiled down at her. \"I wanna eat you again.\"  \n  \nJumping onto the mattress, her legs parted. \"Good, because I'm horny  \nagain!\"  \n  \n\"You still want to cut the dosage of those meds?\" he asked.  \n  \nShe laughed out loud. \"Hardly! I'm having the time of my life!\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nForty two years have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe horrible noise, the awful, grating noise of power tools. It was   \nenough to make her want to scream. It was an annoyance that had filled  \nthe small house all afternoon and now, right now, Cytheria was beyond the  \nbreaking point. Tossing the scissors at the wall, their fine pointed edge  \nsticking like a dart, she ran into the living room, screaming out, \"what  \nthe HELL is the problem?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Waving the instruction sheet around like a madman, Shadow'd had his fill of  \nthis chore. \"These instructions aren't in English! And I don't think they're  \neven the right ones!\" The chilling sound of the hedgehog's teeth grinding   \ntogether was audible from a distance, though the echidna wasn't in the mood.  \n  \n  \n\"Fine...\" Snatching the paper away, \"build the bookshelf LATER! Right now  \nI have a gift to finish wrapping. You do, too!\"  \n  \n\"Gift?\" he asked, eyebrow raised.   \n  \nCytheria couldn't believe this. \"You... you forgot?\" Slapping him upside the  \nface, seething anger welling up, she screamed out, \"Rouge's birthday is  \nTOMORROW! Don't tell me you didn't buy her a gift!\"  \n  \nFrowning as always, the black headgehog simply grunted in rage. \"Fine,  \nI'll go buy her something! This book case can build itself!\" Storming   \nthrough the front door, Shadow left the house and his wife behind.   \n  \nShaking her head in defeat, wadding the instructions with a quick toss,  \nshe kicked over the pile of wood shelves and stepped foot back into the  \nkitchen. \"He's like a child...\" Folding decorative paper into neat creases,  \ntaping down corners, Cytheria finished her task, grabbing a beer from the  \nfridge. Impatiently, the girl bit into the can, sharp teeth puncturing the  \naluminum cylinder, allowing gravity to do the work.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nQuietly, the knob turned, the door pushing open as a shopping bag was  \nsat down gently on the small table by the couch. Finding his wife absent,  \nShadow, still feeling moody, chose to ignore the day's prior task and  \nwalk up the stairs to the bedroom. At least he might be able to get some  \nsleep.  \n  \n\"'Bout time,\" Cy greeted, her body stretched out on the bed, blanket  \ncovering her.   \n  \n\"I got something. Happy now?\"  \n  \nShrugging, the echidna mumbled out, \"at least you tried... come here.\"  \n  \n\"I'm sorry I-\"  \n  \n\"No, no, no...\" Throwing aside the sheets to reveal her naked body, light  \norange fur shining in the lamp's light, Cy explained, \"you wanna apologize,  \nyou lick my cunt out.\" This was a typical game of hers, offering forgiveness  \nin exchange for sexual favors, a game that Shadow was accustomed to by now.  \nIt was a perfect exchange between them. Shadow wasn't a skilled expert at  \nexpressing such feelings in words and the echidna girl never seemed to get  \nenough action, seeking out that extra bit in between her standard duties  \nand other assorted chores.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Crawling onto the sheets, the hedgehog was unprepared for the force pushing  \non his head, face mashed down into her muff, grunting with a muffled  \nyell as his partner smiled with devilish glee. Pulling back from the tight  \ngrasp on his skull, he screamed out, \"I can't breathe! Are you mad?\"  \n  \n\"Can't breathe?\" The complaint forced heavy laughter from her lungs. \"You  \nbreathe in space! Get down there and clean me good!\"  \n  \nHis desire for revenge calling out, Shadow peeled both gloves off, keeping  \nthe yellow rings in place, and forced two fingers deep within, causing her  \nto scream. \"What's wrong? Too rough?\"  \n  \n\"You wish,\" Cy taunted, head tilted back, orange spines dangling free as  \nher eyes closed, relishing in the sensation of Shadow's tongue gliding along  \nher wet, aching slit. It was obvious she'd been busy, no doubt fondling and  \nfingering in the minutes before he's returned home, perhaps even having a few  \norgasms prior if the damp stains were a sign.  \n  \nPinching both nipples and twisting firmly, her breasts heaving with each  \nbreath, grunts became louder as her lover kissed and prodded, tongue and  \nlips enjoying her juices flowing. Perhaps too far along from the solo play,  \nshe could feel herself nearing climax and had no problem showing it, groans  \nand moans louder with each breath. \"Don't fuckin' stop bad boy!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Thighs clamping onto his head, ears closed, Shadow found himself pinned down  \nas his wife hit orgasm, crying out loud as her vaginal walls contracted,  \nasshole clenching, the hedgehog unable to free himself. His tongue had been  \ncaught inside and the pressure was incredible. Feeling Cytheria's legs  \nrelaxing, rising for air, Shadow could feel the tip of his penis throbbing,  \nthe hardened rod sticking out, ready for action.  \n  \n\"Dirty boy... what the hell, I'm always up for more!\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRolling over, hands through his black fur, Cy smiled. \"You're upset...\"  \n  \n\"About what?\"  \n  \n\"Please,\" she scolded, \"your friends are old. They GOT old years ago. Now  \nthe bat's turning sixty. Your old crush is an old woman!\"  \n  \nAnnoyed, he shouted out, \"she wasn't my old crush!\"  \n  \n\"Bullshit,\" the echidna responded. \"You were just too chicken to take her  \nup, and THIS is why. Can't say I blame you. Watching everyone get old  \nand die isn't easy! Doesn't mean you can just avoid them...\"  \n  \n\"I'm NOT avoiding them.\" Rolling his eyes, Shadow knew it was a lie.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Calling him out, she asked, \"when was the last time you talked to Sonic?  \nKnuckles? Ignoring it won't make the problem go away...\"  \n  \nClinching his eyelids, the hedgehog whispered, \"I know...\"  \n  \n\"So, what'd you get her?\"  \n  \n\"A set of expensive glasses,\" he replied. \"I guess they're for champagne  \nbut they don't drink that.\"  \n  \nSmiling, Cy complimented, \"not bad. I'll wrap them later. I know you can't  \nhandle wrapping paper worth a damn.\" Stretching her limbs out, the  \nechidna slapped Shadow's rear. \"Come on, dinner.\"  \n  \n\"I have that shelf to finish, too!\"  \n  \n\"Nah, I got it done.\"  \n  \nStaring her down, the ultimate life form begged, \"how?\"  \n  \n\"I hired one of the neighbors to mess with it. Hey, beats listening to you  \nscream at it all night!\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nForty four years, five months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nDown the sights of a gun, that's where her gaze was pointed, aiming at a   \nsmall, helpless target some distance away, unaware of the power in the  \nwoman's hands. Power to destroy, power to kill. Power over whatever the  \nweapon may be pointed at.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Unleashing this power was simple. Squeeze the trigger. Such power, such  \nsimplicity in its use.   \n  \nFinger slowly contracting, the open air split by gunfire, hot steel flew,  \npunching through its destination. Lifting the sights again, spying on the  \ndamage, Cytheria smiled. A perfect head shot.   \n  \nIt was one paper target that she'd hang on the wall. The sniper rifle was  \na tool for distance killing. Three hundred feet was no impressive distance,  \ncertainly not, when trained snipers recorded confirmed kills from a mile   \naway, the legendary snipers going even further. Three hundred feet was  \nhardly impressive.  \n  \n\"There you are,\" she mumbled, reloading the weapon carefully as her husband  \napproached from the south. \"You need to work on your accuracy or they won't  \nauthorize you to use a sniper rifle.\" The harsh facts of being a government  \nagent meant that everything had to be regulated. Training, behavior, all of  \nit to ensure success.  \n  \nLying prone, Shadow rested the weapon, taking aim, firing. Looking down  \nher scope, the echidna frowned. \"Off center at two hundred feet. Keep at  \nit.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I thought we'd have the day off,\" the black hedgehog grunted in anger,  \n\"married couples are supposed to have time off!\"  \n  \nRolling her eyes, Cytheria shouted, \"right, like you really had a romantic  \nday planned.\"  \n  \n\"It's Valentine's Day, that's irrelevant!\"  \n  \n\"We don't have the day off,\" she explained, \"because I put in for time in.\"  \n  \n\"WHAT?\" Tossing the gun aside, furious, he demanded, \"why didn't you  \nask me first?\"  \n  \nPlacing the gun down to keep her cool, Cy responded calmly, \"maybe if you'd  \nsaid something, I wouldn't have made the request. It's just another day to   \nyou anyway!\"  \n  \n\"But I-\" Hesitation held Shadow's words back. \"But I- .... I love you.\"  \n  \nStunned. That was the only feeling Cytheria felt. \"Shadow? We've been   \ntogether over ten years. Do you know how many times you've actually said   \nthat?\" Shaking his head, the hedgehog couldn't recall. \"That's the third   \ntime...\" Sitting down in the dirt, she said, \"most people say it all the  \ntime. But most people won't live forever. Doing the little things isn't  \nsomething you worry about rushing when you know a thousand years'll go by.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Popping the small clip out of the rifle, she asked, \"so... what DID you have  \nplanned?\"  \n  \n\"I- huh...\" Sitting beside his wife, he replied, \"nothing, I guess.\"  \n  \n\"Typical... most people'll be out for romantic stuff, giving cards and  \ncandy and all that fun shit. Before the run off and fuck like rabbits...\"  \nPlayfully, her hand reached out, down Shadow's stomach, through the black  \nfur.   \n  \n\"What?\"  \n  \n\"Might as well fuck, not like we're gonna do all that other shit!\" Unzipping  \nthe dark gray G.U.N. jacket, exposing both breasts, nipples hardened from the  \ncold air, fingers gently played around with her lover's balls, gliding up  \nas Shadow's penis stiffened out, stroking along the shaft.   \n  \n\"We're on government property!\" he shouted out. \"What if someone sees us?\"  \n  \n\"Right, that'll happen!\" Pulling her jacket off, resting it on the grass,  \n\"no one's out here, the only dude near is the guard at the weapons building  \nand he's too busy doing crossword puzzles. And we used to do internet porn,   \nyou don't care if someone watches!\"  \n  \nLifting her ass up, pants unzipped, Cytheria slid them off, kicking them  \ndown over her boots. \"They ain't fuck-me boots but you'll have to fuck me  \nwhile I wear them! Get to it, stud!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Tossing her to the ground, Shadow pinned his lover down, cock sliding over  \npussy lips, her juices seeping out. The soft skin felt good on his dick,  \nthe gentle feel of pussy lips poking out from orange fur. Cy's moans and  \nwicked smile forced the ultimate life form to thrust inside, her cries  \nonly serving as encouragement. \"Good boy! Pound my pussy like you're tryin'  \nto push me into the ground!\"  \n  \nForeplay and slow love making were perfect for any other couple. Shadow  \nonly felt feral instinct, his hips working hard, pinching Cy's tits, the  \nechidna yanking off his gloves so he could feel them better. Gripping  \nhis butt, giving a firm squeeze, drool spilled from her mouth with each  \ngrunt. It was almost enough to drown out the wet, sticky sounds between them,  \npussy juices and semen mixing together and spilling out onto their thighs  \nand the girl's jacket.   \n  \nEyelids clenching tight, quills a mess, Cytheria's head turned to the side,  \nscreaming out, \"I'm close! Come on, finish me off!\"  \n  \nBreathing harder, a wild animal let loose, Shadow could feel himself  \ncreaming, hard enough to gush out from his wife's cunt, his body pressed  \ndown tight as her legs wrapped around, squeezing him in as she came, the  \nforce of her vaginal muscles clamping down forcing the hedgehog to scream   \nout as the last drops pumped from his nuts.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Grinning like an idiot, Cy complimented, \"that's how to celebrate this  \nholiday! No stupid cards, no crappy candy. Fuck like you mean it!\"  \n  \nPulling free, standing up and brushing the dirt off his legs, Shadow  \nhelped his lover up, grabbing her pants. Picking up her jacket, shaking off  \nthe gooey mess, she remarked, \"okay, so I didn't consider THAT... fuck's  \nsake you cum a lot. Anyway...\" Collecting their weapons, \"we'll check these  \nback in and out in for a day off. Go home, get drunk and nail each other  \nto the walls!\" Peering down, his flaccid penis still sticking out, she  \nadded, \"when your little guy goes back in. Or do you wanna check that  \nin as a weapon, too?\"  \n  \nGrabbing hold of her quills, the black hedgehog pulled Cytheria close,  \ntongue down her throat in a move that caused both riles to drop to the  \ndirt. Barely able to breathe, caught by surprise, she was finally released  \nwhen Shadow felt satisfied. \"Holy shit! Now THAT is a kiss!\"  \n  \nSmiling, he remarked, \"I try...\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \nForty five years, seven months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRouge's fingers hurt. Typing away at the keypad, the joints of her fingers  \nfelt worn. Old age hadn't been kind to her, that was certain, and not  \neven the arthritis pills offered full relief. But she had letters to write  \nand memories to put to paper, pain or not.  \n  \n\"Mom?\"   \n  \nLooking up to see Teal in the doorway, the old bat asked, \"yes, dear?\"  \n  \n\"Karen's here.\"  \n  \nClosing the laptop, pulling to her feet, Rouge walked towards the living   \nroom where the echidna waited. \"Karen. On time.\"  \n  \n\"Age isn't slowing us down,\" she replied.  \n  \n\"Not yet, though it's trying.\" Resting gently in her chair, Rouge  \nasked, \"how's Knuckles?\"  \n  \n\"He's been good. Bit slow but he's good. Your husband?\"  \n  \nLeaning back, \"not bad. His back's a bit messed up but otherwise...\"  \n  \nChuckling, Karen's mind let the thoughts roll. \"You two aren't...\"  \n  \n\"Oh, no. We'd probably hurt ourselves.\" The bat was beyond her days as  \na wild animal in bed. They all were. Though she had her doubts about Amy,  \nif any one of them was still trying to play dirty, it was probably Amy.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I'd guess Red's out working? Always is, you know?\"  \n  \n\"He is. Good kid, too. You'll wait here until he gets home?\" Rouge   \ninquired.  \n  \nShe nodded. \"Rouge... I've got a small confession. I-\" She paused, shame  \nfilling her. \"After your mother died and you did all that, well... I hated  \nyou some. I was talking about you and all that. I'm sorry.\"  \n  \n\"Eh. I messed up. It's not a big deal anymore,\" Rouge replied, writing off  \nthe confession as nothing.   \n  \n\"I- Rouge, I don't know how much longer I have left.\"  \n  \nPursing her lips in mild agitation, all Rouge could say back was, \"none  \nof us do. We got old.\"  \n  \nClosing her eyes tight, the orange echidna explained, \"I mean... my  \nboxing career. Getting punched in the head and such all those years.  \nThe doctors said it might catch up to me soon.\"  \n  \n\"Oh.\" It made sense, of course, though the news was still a bit of  \na blow. \"You didn't tell him, did you?\"  \n  \nKaren responded promptly, \"his mind isn't what it used to be. I'm afraid  \nit might really mess him up.\" Her concern was her family. \"I don't even  \nknow if I can tell my own kids...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"You want me to tell them?\"  \n  \n\"If you feel like it. I just- I can't bring myself to do it, you know?\"  \n  \n------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Dad, for the tenth time, the Master Emerald is STILL where it should be!\"  \nSharon was at her wits end. Knuckles, for all he'd done in his life,  \nwas degenerating, asking the same questions constantly. \"It's still in the  \nmetal box on Angel Island, like it has been since you moved off there!\"  \n  \n\"That's good,\" he said, \"I'd hate to think something happened to it   \nbecause I wasn't there doing my job!\"  \n  \nRolling her eyes, the echidna mumbled something under her breath.  \n  \n\"Dad giving you a hard time?\" Striker knew the old man could be a hassle.  \n  \n\"My kids are less hassle. At least when mom gets home she can do this.\"  \n  \n\"Hey, cheer up,\" Striker grunted, \"he raised all of us as kids, we kinda  \nowe him.\"  \n  \nGiving in, all she could do was continue with the task. 'Wonder if any of  \nus were this much hassle?'  \n  \n------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Looking good, kid!\"  \n  \n\"Grandma!\" Running to give her a hug, the echidna-bat took care not  \nto squeeze too hard.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She asked, \"fun day at work?\"  \n  \n\"Not really but it's a job. How's grandpa?\"  \n  \n\"The same...\" Karen responded with a tone of despair.  \n  \nRed knew that wasn't particularly good. \"I should go see him this weekend.  \nI know he hates flying.\"  \n  \n\"Last time we tried, he screamed about heights.\" Shaking her head in  \ndisappointment, \"he used to live on a floating island. Now he can't  \nclimb the hills without throwing a tantrum, you know?\"  \n  \nLetting go, he asked, \"you gotta go back, don't you?\"  \n  \n\"I'd stay, but you know how Knuckles is...\"  \n  \n\"Got to go home and take care of him. I know.\"  \n  \n\"Listen,\" she replied, \"you be good. I'll talk with your father a bit then  \nhead out. I want you to do good at your job, okay?\" Not for me or anyone   \nelse, but for you.\"  \n  \n------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Dinner time, Knuckle-head!\" Rolling back the foil, Karen was, at the  \nvery least, thankful that her husband still had all of his teeth. \"Roast  \nbeef with gravy!\"  \n  \n\"Smells good!\" Grabbing his utensils, the old echidna began to eat,  \ncarefully cutting and chewing. \"How's Red?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"He's doing good. Said he might come visit you this weekend.\"  \n  \n\"I'd like to see him. And Rouge?\"  \n  \nShe answered, \"same as always.\"  \n  \n\"Slate?\"  \n  \n\"Good. He might come this weekend, too.\"  \n  \nKaren knew she was the key. She was the one who kept him stable. He was  \nclear and his thoughts organized when she was there. \"Honey, I-\"  \n  \n\"Yeah?\"  \n  \nShe choked it back. \"I have a letter to write. Why don't you go watch  \ntelevision, and I'll come sit with you when I'm done, okay?\"  \n  \nCollecting his tray, Knuckles agreed. \"Don't take too long.\"  \n  \n------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Karen?\" Wandering into the bedroom, Knuckles wondered why his wife  \nhadn't come out yet. \"Can't take this long to write a letter, can it?\"  \n  \nShe was at the desk, leaning over. \"Karen?\" Confused at the lack of  \nresponse, Knuckles tried to shake his wife. \"Didn't fall asleep, did   \nyou? Come on, TV's on!\"  \n  \nShe didn't say a word.  \n  \n------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe week was a disaster. Karen's burial was quiet and peaceful, a small  \nceremony, but Knuckles had suffered. What was left of his soul was  \nshattered, disorganized, leaving a broken man.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Dad's okay,\" Sharon grumbled. \"Or as okay as he can be. He's barely  \naware of what's going on but at least he recognizes people.\"  \n  \n\"Let me try.\" Sonic only hoped his old friend might still have some idea  \nof what was going on.   \n  \n\"SONIC!\" he shouted. \"How are ya?\"  \n  \nThe hedgehog answered, \"good. I'm good. Amy's good, too.\"  \n  \n\"That's nice. So, what's Eggman up to? We gonna stop him?\"  \n  \nHe was let down. Sonic had no idea what to say. \"I took care of him.  \nWhy don't we play checkers, okay?\"  \n  \n\"I can't, I promised Karen we'd watch TV.\"  \n  \nStriker sighed. \"Doc's say he might be like this for the rest of his  \nlife.\"  \n  \nIt felt unfair. \"He doesn't deserve this...\" Sonic felt as if the  \nuniverse was being cruel for no reason. \"Call me if he gets worse. Only  \nthing we can do now is just let him be.\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nForty seven years, three months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTiff Nightwing stood proud. Her time had come. Commander of the Guardian Unit   \nof Nations. Her career had come far from her start in the records  \ndepartment, and now it was hers to run, her world to keep safe.  \n\"... most importantly, I have to thank the one who inspired me to  \njoin with GUN in my youth.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;The crowd turned, a spotlight hitting the table. The old bat waved,  \nsmiling. \"Rouge Adriani was my idol as a young girl and she helped me  \nfind my way as a young woman. It's because of her, her family, and their  \nsupport that I am here, today, the woman I am now. Actually, they all  \ndeserve to be named. Thomas Adriani...\"  \n  \nHe waved a hand in the air. \"... the man who helped save my father's  \nlife by spending what needed to be spent, and gave my father fifteen  \nmore years to enjoy life. My wife, June...\"  \n  \nJune smiled. \"... the one who allowed me to accept who I am. Our  \ndaughter, Tania...\" Tania stood, waving. \"... the one who bears both  \nof us in her. I thank all of you. And I hope that I will fulfill my   \nduties with the honor of my predecessors. Thank you!\"  \n  \nThe crowd cheered as Tiff stepped down from the podium. She joined her  \nfamily. \"Too much at the end?\"  \n  \n\"Not at all,\" Rouge said. \"I enjoyed being the center of attention  \nagain.\"  \n  \nThomas sighed. \"Not me. I'm old and gray, I'm hardly anything to look  \nat.\"  \n  \nRouge scolded, \"says you!\"  \n  \n\"I'm proud of you, mom!\" Tania cheered. \"Mother?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Couldn't be happier,\" June complimented.   \n  \nThe twins walked towards the table, carrying their glasses of punch.  \n\"Great speech,\" Violette greeted.   \n  \n\"Proud of you, Tiff,\" Rose said.  \n  \nRouge turned. \"I see he made it...\"  \n  \nShadow walked forth, Cytheria keeping pace behind. \"Shadow and   \nCytheria,\" Tiff said, \"I'm glad you two decided to join with GUN. Your  \nhelp will be appreciated, especially in my first few months.\"  \n  \n\"Don't mention it,\" Cy responded. \"We needed a change of pace. Can't  \nwork casino security forever, and I'm sure the new owners will keep   \nthings in line.\"  \n  \nViolette smiled. \"Damn right we will!\"  \n  \n\"Mom wouldn't have signed the place over to us if she didn't think we  \ncould handle it,\" Rose added.  \n  \n\"Hey, where are Teal and Slate?\" Tiff asked, looking around.  \n  \n\"Mom and dad ran off to look for grampa,\" Red explained. \"He wandered  \noff to the buffet table and didn't come back!\"  \n  \nThe three walked up to the table. \"We found him,\" Slate said. Knuckles  \nheld his plate, the graying echidna smiling. \"I didn't get lost!  \nI was just being picky, that's all! I heard the speech!\" Knuckles  \nhad been like this since Karen passed away a year ago, his wife gone,  \nhis mind occasionally wandering off and causing him to get lost.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Well...\" Tiff looked at them, one by one. \"Speech is done. Go on,   \nmingle, have fun! This is my commencement as GUN's new Commander,   \neveryone go and have fun!\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nOutside, Shadow stood by himself, breathing in the night air. The  \nparty inside was for everyone else, but he wasn't interested in such  \nthings.  \n  \nThe door creaked open as the figure joined him. \"You could at least  \npretend to be social,\" Rouge muttered. \"So... how's Sonic's condition?\"  \n  \n\"He's going to have his kidney transplant next week,\" the black  \nhedgehog responded.  \n  \n\"Good...\" Rouge looked out into the night. \"That was then... Shadow?\"  \nHe looked at her. \"Make me a promise?\"  \n  \n\"Very well,\" he responded.  \n  \n\"If we meet again in a thousand years, promise you'll remember who I   \nam.\"  \n  \nHe was stunned by her request. An impossible situation. \"But you won't  \nbe-\"  \n  \n\"Just promise an old woman, will you?\"  \n  \nShadow closed his eyes. \"I promise.\"  \n  \nWithout a word, Rouge went back inside to join her family.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n\"Mom didn't even come... wow, that woman...\"  \n  \nTiff was visibly angry. Even now, her own mother still refused to  \nbe a part of her life.  \n  \nRouge saw it in her eyes. \"Don't be sad, dear. If she wants to be  \nthat way, let her. No reason for her to show up and ruin it for  \neveryone else...\" Smirking, she added, \"and if she did, I could still  \ntake her down!\"  \n  \n\"No argument there,\" Tom agreed. \"But you'd probably break a hip doing  \nit.\"  \n  \n\"I never said I wouldn't get hurt...\"  \n  \n\"Speaking of hurt,\" Teal said, \"dad? How's your head?\"  \n  \n\"Oh, that... just fine, now.\"  \n  \nSlate asked, \"did you hurt yourself?\"  \n  \n\"No, nothing like that,\" Tom answered, \"I woke up with an awful headache  \nthis morning, that's all... at my age, one has lots of things wrong with   \nthem. No big deal.\"  \n  \n\"Tell me about it...\" They all turned to see an old man in glasses  \ntraveling in a wheelchair.   \n  \nRouge greeted, \"Commander.\"  \n  \n\"Not anymore,\" he commented. \"That's Tiff's title now... I don't know   \nabout you, but I'm going to enjoy my retirement.\"  \n  \nThe twins jugged their parents. \"We have to go, mom,\" Violette said.  \n\"Remember?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I know, dear, the casino... you two have fun.\"  \n  \n\"We will. Maybe we'll get lucky and actually meet some decent guys for   \na change!\" Rose commented.  \n  \n\"Dad?\" Slate caught his father's attention. \"Dad? You ready to go?\"  \n  \n\"Huh? Oh... your sister was going to be here to pick me up. She might  \nbe here now... we should go check,\" Knuckles answered.  \n  \nSlate led him off. \"Poor guy,\" Teal remarked.  \n  \nTom noted, \"he's been like that since Karen died. Sometimes I wonder  \nif he's even aware of his surroundings.\"  \n  \n\"Can you really blame him?\" Rouge closed her eyes, thought she didn't  \nwant to think of rolling in her head. \"I'm glad we still have each  \nother.\"  \n  \nTiff felt the despair. \"Uh... so, anyway... Tania's going to be starting  \nin the records department tomorrow. June's going to be in charge.\"  \n  \n\"Me? In charge? I thought-\"  \n  \n\"Yes, you,\" Tiff said, \"I need someone I know has the training to do  \na good job. I want everything in order down there and I don't think  \nthe people down there now have what it takes. And as for other  \npolicies... I remember all the crap that went on when I worked there.  \nI'm making weapons training mandatory for all essential base staff.  \nThat means you, June.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She looked around. The gathering was already clearing out. \"It's late.  \nWe should go, get some sleep. I have a very busy day tomorrow.\"  \n  \n\"Yes, you do,\" Rouge said. \"We don't need to keep you. Tom?\"  \n  \nHe took her hand. \"Teal, we're going home.\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nBed time. The old bat eased under the covers, Tom flicking off the  \nlamp. \"I'm proud of Tiff,\" Rouge commented.  \n  \n\"Still... you wish that was Teal taking that job, I bet,\" Tom responded,  \nknowing his wife.  \n  \nShe said, \"maybe, in a way... but Teal made her choices. Anyway...  \nTiff might need my help. I can still advise her.\"  \n  \n\"If there's one thing that still works, it's your mind,\" he remarked,  \nplacing an arm around her. The two fell into a silent sleep...  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nMorning's sunlight cut through the curtains and into Tom's eyes. He  \nstirred awake, mind activating the morning routine. He was old, and it  \nwas the same each morning. Get out of bed, go into the bathroom, and  \nhope.  \n  \nIt came as a great shock to him when it came out quick, flowing  \nstrong. Going to the bathroom hadn't been this easy for him in years.  \nIn fact, he felt great. His joints moved freely and his vision seemed  \nimproved. Breathing was more natural. Moving to the sink to wash his  \nhands, Thomas Adriani paused, face frozen, eyes fixed to the mirror.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Rouge took a deep breath, waking from sleep. Stretching out, she jumped  \nout of bed. An odd thing to do, actually. It was odd, she felt rather  \nenergetic. \"Tom?\" No answer. \"Tom...\" The bathroom light was on and  \nthe door open. \"Oh, no, you didn't fall down in there, did you?\"  \n  \nRunning, she froze in the doorway, the sight of her husband almost  \nscaring her. \"Who are you?\" she asked. \"Tom?\"  \n  \nHis face turned. \"It's me... I think. Whoa! Look at YOU!\"   \n  \nRouge caught her image in the mirror. She was young and beautiful.  \n\"Oh, wow... I wonder what did THIS?\" she mused, admiring her youthful  \nbody.  \n  \nTom said, \"I don't know.. something to do with the Chaos Emeralds?\"  \n  \n\"I'd doubt-\" She thought. \"Then again... looks like we lost about forty  \nyears overnight! we should check on everyone else!\"  \n  \n\"Crap! The twins might not even exist if it did this much reverse  \naging!\" Tom began to panic, rushing into the hall and calling out names.  \nDoors swung open. No one else was in the house. He muttered, \"this  \ndoesn't make any sense! There's always someone home this early!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Running to the other end of the house, they checked the living room,  \nreception hall and the kitchen. No one. No sign any of the rooms had  \neven been used that morning. It was then that Rouge saw. Out the  \nwindow, she saw. \"Tom... look...\"  \n  \nThe massive fruit fields were gone. In their place stood hills and   \nforests. She stepped outside. The swimming pool was there but the  \nproperty had been replaced. \"Tom...\"  \n  \n\"This isn't right,\" he said, twirling around to look everywhere. \"Aged  \nbackwards a few decades and the house moved... WHY? Why would someone  \ndo that?\"  \n  \n\"Don't you get it?\" She shouted, \"no one did this! Tom... I don't  \nwant to think about it... but...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTiff straightened her uniform. \"Looks good,\" June complimented. \"Stop  \ntugging on that collar! You'll stretch it out!\"  \n  \nTeal sipped her coffee. \"I'd have thought mom would be up by now. Your  \nfirst big day in charge and all...\"  \n  \n\"Probably didn't set their alarm,\" Rose remarked, laughing. \"Old   \npeople...\"  \n  \nViolette offered, \"I'll go get them. They can't sleep all day!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;The twins ran to their parents' room. Rose knocked, shouting out,  \n\"mom! Dad! Tiff's gotta go to work! Get out here!\"  \n  \n\"Think maybe they tried to do it and got hurt last night?\" Violette  \njoked.   \n  \nRose shuddered. \"Eww! Old people sex! That's SICK!\" Turning the knob,  \nshe entered. Her parents were still in bed. \"MOM? Hey, mom... mom?  \nDad? MOM? DAD?\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRouge huddled on the floor, arms clenched around her knees. She was  \nrocking. \"We died... we died... that's the only thing that could have  \nhappened.\"  \n  \n\"Maybe not,\" Tom responded. \"Could be a dream.\"  \n  \n\"A dream... a bad one. Maybe I'll wake up and... or you'll wake up.  \nWhich one of us is having this dream?\" She clenched her eyelids shut.  \n\"It's not a dream...\"  \n  \nLifting his wife off the floor, Tom rested on the couch with her.   \n\"Both of us? How'd we both die together? I don't think we ate anything  \nlast night that could have been deadly. If we did, seems like the  \nothers would be here. We all at the same food.\"  \n  \n\"Maybe it works slower on healthier people...\" Rouge muttered, her mind  \nstill reeling. \"It's just not fair...\" Grabbing a vase from the end  \ntable, Rouge tossed it into the floor. \"IT'S NOT FAIR, TOM! Five more  \nyears... five more years... to watch my two girls get married and  \nstart families! That's all I wanted! Why can't I have that? WHY? Is this  \npunishment for being greedy as a teenager? For being selfish? I changed!  \nI changed when we met! I've been a good person! Who would punish me?\"  \nShe was weeping heavily. \"WHO?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Pulling her tight, Rouge's sobs were muffled in his shirt. \"No one's  \npunishing you. We were old. That's all...\" Holding her hand, Tom pressed  \nhis wedding ring against hers. \"We still have these.\"  \n  \nRouge began to quiet. \"I have you... I can handle this... but my babies.  \nMy daughters. My family...\"  \n  \nThe doorbell chime sounded, her ears perking up. Tom said, \"strange...  \nwe're dead. Who would be visiting us?\"  \n  \n\"I have wondered why the mansion's here, actually,\" Rouge added,   \nfollowing him to the front door. He opened it to reveal a female  \nbat.   \n  \n\"Hi,\" she greeted. The visitor looked a little like Rouge, though her  \nfeatures were slightly thinner and her fur poked out in various spots,  \nears a bit pointier. \"Um, I said 'hi'.\"  \n  \nRouge looked at the stranger. \"Mother?\"  \n  \nShe responded, \"uh huh. Probably didn't recognize your mother so young  \nand beautiful... or sober.\" Marron held up a bottle. \"Sweetened  \niced tea. I thought you might need some company and I bet you have  \na lot of questions...\"  \n  \nRouge turned away. \"Mother... I-\"  \n  \n\"I know,\" she said. \"I screwed up your childhood and your sister's   \nchildhood because I was a lousy mother. But I'm here now.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Rouge,\" Tom spoke, \"please... right now, we need her help. And you  \nneed to deal with this.\"  \n  \nFacing her mother, Rouge led her inside. \"Now then,\" she began, \"you  \ntwo are probably wondering why you're here.\"  \n  \nTom responded, \"it had crossed my mind, yes.\"  \n  \nMarron explained, \"Thomas, you had a congenital birth defect in one  \nof the blood vessels in your brain. Kind of like a weak spot in a  \npipe. It's a miracle you lived as long as you did!\"  \n  \n\"You mean...\" Rouge stuttered. \"Tom could have died at any moment?\"  \n  \n\"Yes.\" The bat rolled her eyes. \"Especially considering all the heavy  \nsex you two liked so much. As for you...\" Marron sighed. \"My little  \ngirl... I guess you two were soul mates and you couldn't go on without  \nhim. And Tom is probably wondering why his house is here.\"  \n  \n\"Thought had occurred to me,\" he responded. \"Not to mention running  \nwater.\"  \n  \nShe elaborated, \"your mansion is still on Earth. This is just a  \nreplica. The house and every physical object in it at the time of your  \ndeath.\" Picking up a vase, she held it up. \"Including things you might  \nhave smashed in anger?\" Rouge blushed, head turning away.   \n\"Theoretically, there's infinite space in the afterlife. This is just  \none small corner. I live in a nice city not far from here. Your father  \nlives there, too.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"My father?\"   \n  \n\"Yes.\" Marron sighed. \"We don't live together. He may have had two  \nchildren with me, but he loved another woman most of his life. He  \nonly came back to me when she died.\"  \n  \nRouge closed her eyes. \"Do I have any brothers or sisters?\"  \n  \n\"No,\" Marron replied, \"seems the love of his life couldn't have kids.  \nYou'll probably want to meet him, at least...\"  \n  \n\"Yes.\" Rouge tugged at her night gown. \"Guess we don't need these old  \npeople clothes anymore. Tom?\"  \n  \n\"Right. Good idea.\"  \n  \nResting in the plush chair, Marron leaned back. \"I'll wait here. Go  \nchange into something more your age.\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe family sat in the living room. Somber. Quiet. The medical  \nexaminer had done his work. Rouge and Tom were carried off. \"They won't  \nknow why until the autopsy,\" Teal muttered.   \n  \n\"What's that gonna do anyway?\" Rose shouted. \"Cutting them open isn't  \ngonna bring them back! Just leave them alone!\"  \n  \n\"SIS!\" Violette wasn't going to tolerate her twin sister's behavior.  \n\"we were at that GUN reception last night. What if they were poisoned?  \nWhat if TIFF got poisoned, too?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Rose huffed. \"Speaking of Tiff, where the hell is she? She needs to be  \nHERE, not at work!\"  \n  \nSlate said, \"the world isn't going to stop for this. They can't shut  \ndown because of two people dying of old age.\"  \n  \n\"Says you, ant eater!\" Rose screamed, feeling confrontational.  \n  \n\"ENOUGH!\" Teal had strained her throat yelling at them. \"I'll get   \nstarted on the funeral arrangements this afternoon. We need to think  \nof something to tell the media. You know they're gonna go nuts when   \nthey find out.\"  \n  \nThe doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. Slate slapped his palm to  \nhis forehead. \"Dad's here...\" Running to the front of the mansion,  \nSlate opened the door. \"DAD! You only need to ring the doorbell one  \ntime!\"  \n  \n\"I did ring it one time!\" Knuckles shouted.   \n  \nSharon led him inside. \"You know how he is. I don't think he remembers  \npressing the buzzer...\"  \n  \nSaddened, Knuckles looked around. \"Karen's gone. Now Rouge is gone.  \nI never got to tell her. Never got to tell her I was sorry for how mean  \nI was to her so long ago! Now I can't!\"  \n  \n\"DAD! You told her that years ago!\" Slate knew that his father's mind   \nwas slipping and that such an argument was pointless.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I don't remember that...\"  \n  \nSlate sighed. \"No... you probably don't remember that...\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Took you two long enough!\" Marron commented. \"Can't blame you...\"  \n  \n\"It's been a while since we looked like this...\" Rouge's eyes kept  \nlooking Tom's rear end over. \"Hard not to touch!\"  \n  \n\"So...\" Tom asked, \"what's the deal? No clouds for floors, no  \nbig gates or angels to greet us?\"  \n  \nLaughing, Marron said, \"that's not how it really works. Up here, you're  \nyoung again and in perfect physical health. You won't need to eat but  \nyou can. There's unlimited food and resources for everyone. Oh,  \nusual day and night, you can be injured but you'll heal very fast.  \nReincarnation IS possible but it's usually something that lonely  \npeople do when they get bored up here.\" She looked her daughter in the  \neyes. \"And yes, you can have sex up here. It IS one of the more basic  \npleasures... but keep in mind, there are some rules. If it's totally  \nimmoral on Earth, don't do it here. That means no outward violence,  \nrape, things like that.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She thought of more to tell them. \"Most people here are young adults,  \nexcept for children. Anyone who died as a kid stays that way. Except  \nfor babies. The basic rule is that unless someone lived ten years, they  \nget reincarnated instantly. Oh, and as for events on Earth...\"  \n  \nGrabbing the remote, she turned on the television. The view was of the  \nmansion living room, Rouge's family gathered together. \"It lets us  \npeek in to see how loved ones are doing. Sometimes we can also go and  \nobserve in person, but we're limited to an hour and no one can see or   \nhear us.\"  \n  \n\"Wow...\" Rouge watched. Knuckles stumbled around, possibly crying.  \n\"They all look so...\"  \n  \n\"Miserable,\" Tom finished. Marron turned off the television. \"Guess they  \nneed time. I just wish we could let them know we're okay.\"  \n  \n\"Can't do that,\" Marron blurted out. \"It's one of those rules. We  \ncan't directly interact with the living.\"  \n  \nRouge became suspicious. \"Mother? How did you know about our intense  \nsex life, anyway?\"  \n  \nShe became defensive. \"Well... you are my daughter and...\" Finally   \ngiving up, she said, \"okay. You two led a pretty random life. I  \nkinda... caught you when trying to check in. A few times. It was by  \naccident! Kinda hard not to peek in when you two decide to get it on  \nin the afternoon... or the morning...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Grinning, Rouge said, \"oh well.\"  \n  \n\"Wait... you saw my...\" Thomas frowned, seemingly embarrassed.  \n  \nLeaning towards her daughter, Marron asked, \"is he always so prudish  \nabout sex?\"  \n  \n\"Mostly.\"  \n  \nThey heard the doorbell. \"Oh, that must be a friend of yours.\" Rising  \nfrom her seat, the bat went to let their guest in.  \n  \n\"Wonder who that could be?\" Rouge asked.  \n  \nEntering the living room was a familiar echidna. \"ROUGE! Here! Try   \nthis!\" Karen tossed her a wrapped object. Rouge undid the paper,   \nrevealing a cheeseburger. \"That's real me, too! Not that crappy soy  \nmeat you used to eat, you know!\"  \n  \n\"Uh...\" Rouge inspected the burger.  \n  \n\"It's safe,\" Marron assured. \"We can eat meat and protein up here.\"  \n  \nKaren tossed tone to Tom and handed one to Marron. \"Poor Knuckles...  \nI've seen him. His mind really that bad?\"  \n  \n\"Probably worse,\" Tom replied, biting into his sandwich. \"Wow, this is  \nthe good stuff. Not that garbage used by fast food.\"  \n  \n\"So...\" Rouge asked, \"how did you die. No one ever told us... just said  \nit was natural causes.\"  \n  \n\"Too many blows to the head over the years. I got a blood clot in my   \nbrain. But hey, I chose to be a boxer. I knew the risks... just wish now  \nmy family didn't have to be without me.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nShadow entered the empty store room. Cytheria was close behind. Waiting  \nfor them was the Commander herself, accompanied by three elite troops.  \n\"Shadow... I have to make an official announcement to everyone in fifteen  \nminuted, but I wanted to tell you in person.\"  \n  \nHe could see that it wasn't good news. \"Go on.\"  \n  \nTiff explained to him, \"Rouge is dead. So is Tom. they died in their  \nsleep last night. Peacefully, from old age.\"  \n  \nShock turned to anger. Screaming, he pounded his fists into the walls,  \nleaving dents. His rage was limitless, but Tiff kept her troops back.  \n\"THAT'S ENOUGH! Shadow, you knew this would happen one day. I believe  \nthis is why you ignored her interest in you. You lost a friend, but  \nI lost family. Now, you will resume your duties. You will attend her  \nfuneral. If this is going to be a problem, I will deal with it if you  \ncross the line.\"  \n  \nHe sighed. \"Yes, Commander.\"  \n  \n\"Thanks for letting us know,\" Cytheria said. \"Come on, Shadow, we have  \nto report to the firing range.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"How was I supposed to know he was your friend?\" Marron recalled   \nShadow's visit. \"I'd seen him following me around before, I thought  \nhe was just trying to lay me or something so I finally just asked him.\"  \n  \n\"It was probably my fault,\" Tom mused, \"I got him to keep tabs on you.  \nBut only because Rouge wouldn't just talk to you.\"  \n  \nRouge seemed offended. \"Hey! I- I had my reasons...\"  \n  \n\"If it matters,\" she said, \"he was kind of lousy... no experience,  \nno technique.\"  \n  \nTom was curious. \"My parents around?\"  \n  \n\"I've met them,\" Marron responded, \"both of them are real jerks.\"  \n  \n\"Fine by me. I don't have anything to say to them.\"  \n  \nTOM!\" Rouge was stunned. \"I'm patching things up with my mother, at   \nleast you could try the same!\"  \n  \n\"You don't understand,\" Marron scolded, \"his parents are REAL dicks!  \nSnobs who complain about everything! They're never happy and no one  \nhere gets along with them... except maybe their snob friends.\"  \n  \nGrumbling, Tom thought out loud, \"they'll probably come here trying to  \nmake claim on this house. Bet the rest of my old family will...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Marron smiled. \"Let them. My advice, if they try it, just ignore them.  \nIf they get too violent and angry, well... they'll be dealt with. See,  \nbreaking the rules pretty bad around here has consequences. Anyway...  \nI'll leave you two alone so you can get settled in. Tell you what,  \nwhy don't we meet out in the field in about two hours and have a nice  \npicnic?\"  \n  \n\"Hmm...\" Rouge replied, \"sounds fun.\"  \n  \n\"Good. There's a big tree, and I mean BIG tree about half a mile south  \nof here. You can't miss it. I'll bring the food, okay? See you then,  \ndaughter!\"  \n  \nLeft alone, the two smiled. \"This isn't so bad,\" Thomas commented,   \npulling his wife close.   \n  \n\"Maybe not... still just wish we could all be together. But I guess  \nthey'll show up here eventually. I just hope they enjoy life while  \nthey have it.\"  \n  \nLooking her in the eyes, Tom leaned in to kiss her gently. Rouge  \nreciprocated, arms wrapped tight around her love. \"It's been a long time  \nsince we did this.\"  \n  \n\"Too long,\" he said, sliding a hand down into her pants.  \n  \n\"You're not going to do any foreplay? Naughty boy...\" Slipping off  \nher shirt, she said, \"but I'm game!\" Unhooking the bra, she felt her  \nbreasts fall free, once again firm and soft. Tom suckled on her  \nnipples, forcing her to groan in pleasure. She responded by jumping  \nto the floor and yanking his pants off. \"Yes... oh, wow, actually   \ngetting hard!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Been a while since I got to do that, too!\" he joked, giving it a few  \nplayful stores for her.  \n  \nShe said, \"don't finish without me!\" Dropping her clothes to the floor,  \nshe climbed on top. \"Wait....\" Feeling down, the bat eased a finger  \ninside. \"Good. No hymen. I'd hate to have to go through THAT again...\"  \nGently pushing down onto him, she winced as it slipped inside.  \n  \n\"YES! I forgot how good this feels,\" Tom remarked, gripping her  \nass. Wasting no time, Rouge leaned in, lips pressed together, Tom  \nthrusting in his seat. Her body shivering, Rouge bounced up and down,  \nboth of them mumbling words between the kiss that neither could  \nunderstand, the lovers breathing heavily through their noses. Tom  \ncould feel the heat on his face, grazing his cheek.  \n  \nPulling back, Rouge screamed out in bliss, muscles tense throughout  \nher body, wings stretched out, climaxing. Tom's head tossed back,  \nfeeling each wad pumping out, bits squirting out of her pussy and  \ndripping onto the cushions.  \n  \n\"Oh....\" She gasped for breath. \"Wow, that was.... damn, I think you  \nfilled me up with that one!\" Grinning from ear to ear, she licked her   \nlips.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I have to admit,\" Tom managed between breaths, \"you were getting a bit   \nslow. I think when you hit about fifty!\"  \n  \nShe ran her fingers through her husband's hair, wiping sweat from his  \nface. \"Strong words from a man who hasn't been able to get it up in  \nsix years!\"  \n  \n\"Like it took YOU that long to cum,\" Tom shot back.  \n  \nTwirling a finger through a lock of his hair, she simply smiled. \"Shut  \nup and hold me.\"  \n  \nLeaning back, he pulled her close. \"Love you.\" It sent a wave of warmth  \nthrough her body to hear it.  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTiff read the autopsy report. No traces of poison. Thomas Adriani had  \ndied from an exploded blood vessel in his brain, possibly due to a  \nweakness developed during birth. \"According to this, Tom was probably  \nlucky he lived as long as he did. He had a time bomb in his head...\"  \n  \n\"And Rouge?\" Cytheria asked. Shadow was still at the firing range,  \nletting off his anger.  \n  \n\"Natural causes,\" Tiff read from the report. \"Just natural causes.  \nFunny they'd both die like that, one from an existing condition and  \nthe other not...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Cy suggested, \"maybe Rouge woke up and saw him dead. The stress killed  \nher.\"  \n  \n\"Doubtful,\" she responded. \"No elevated adrenaline levels or any other  \nevidence she woke up. It really doesn't matter... sad, though. She's  \nthe reason I'm here, in this chair. She supported me. If it wasn't for  \nher... wasn't for both of them, I'd still be in records, probably  \nwith that pink streak dyed into my fur, stuck there forever.\"  \n  \n\"You mean where your own wife is right now?\" the echidna chided.  \n  \nTiff defended, \"June wasn't into this. She was content to look up  \nto her sister, to stay at home and raise our daughter. GUN wasn't  \nher life like it was for me. But I know I can trust her and Tania to  \ndo a good job down there and to keep things in order.\"  \n  \nShe read the other reports. \"Illegal digging in the Green Hill Zone...  \ntroops dispatched. Pirates attacked the carnival in Soleanna,   \ntroops dispatched to deal with that. A piece of space debris impacted  \nthe Space Colony ARK, hull breach. No one works there, it's not a  \npriority to repair.\"  \n  \n\"Slow day,\" Cytheria commented.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThey sat against the big tree. The meadow felt good, a nice, cool   \nbreeze and the sun bright but not blinding. Rouge brushed her feet   \nthrough the grass. \"We're early...\"  \n  \n\"Or we got the wrong spot,\" Tom noted.  \n  \n\"No, this is the big tree due south,\" Rouge said, sure of herself.  \n  \nTom muttered, \"are we sure of which way south even is here?\"  \n  \nShe wasn't so sure now. \"Well... no, I'm certain this is it.\" Rolling   \nover, Rouge playfully tugged at Tom's shirt. \"We have some time to  \nkill...\"  \n  \n\"You sure you wanna use that word here?\"  \n  \n\"You big baby! Come on...\" Sliding her hand down the front of his  \npants, she playfully fondled her husband. \"Please?\"  \n  \n\"Okay,\" he relented, \"just a quick handjob.\"  \n  \nTugging his dick free, Rouge smiled, nuzzling him as her hand fondled  \nthe soft lump, gently stiffening from the touches. \"I don't get to  \nwatch you cream much,\" she said, \"it's usually in me or on my boobs,  \nI don't get to just watch it shoot out.\" Satisfied that he was hard  \nenough, Rouge spit into her hand, gripping him hard but gentle,  \nworking long, slow strokes down the shaft with the same rhythm she  \nwould use during intercourse.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Controlling how tight she gripped, the bat seemed to simulate her own   \nvaginal muscles by relaxing and squeezing with random intervals. The  \nspit was gone but his liquids leaked out, coating her hand and offering  \nenough lubrication. Stroking harder, her fingers pumped furiously,  \neyes wide, waiting to watch her lover ejaculate. Running a finger   \nthrough her fur, Tom moaned. \"Keep watching!\"  \n  \nShe enjoyed the sight, the first glob shooting out by more than a foot,  \nsplashing in the grass. Hand stroking down hard, more pumped forth,  \nhitting the grass and finally soaking her fingers.  \n  \n\"Oh... my...\"  \n  \nThe two looked up. Marron was standing nearby, blushing. \"I think I   \ncame at a bad time...\"  \n  \n\"I think we both came at a bad time,\" Tom joked.   \n  \nRouge was amused, bursting into laughter. \"Well... my husband has a  \nsense of humor about sex, after all!\"  \n  \n\"Little too late to do anything else,\" Thomas elaborated. \"And going  \nby her expression, I think she's rather pleased.\"  \n  \n\"Well, you do have a- that is... Rouge, dear, there's a stream not  \nfar from here. Go wash off and we'll get this set up.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Hmm... okay. Think I can trust you to keep your hands off him?\" Rouge  \nasked.   \n  \n\"Of course! That is, unless you two want to have a threesome or   \nsomething...\" Marron smirked. \"Just a joke.\"  \n  \nWith a sigh, Rouge rose from the ground. \"If anyone else had busted us,  \nTom would be freaking out and I might actually be more than  \nembarrassed! But my mother was a total-\" She stopped dead.  \n  \n\"A total whore, you mean?\" She unrolled the blanket. \"Yes, yes, I  \nknow...\"  \n  \nRouge defended, \"I didn't mean that.\"  \n  \n\"It's okay,\" she responded, \"I'm probably expected to be a slut.\"  \n  \n\"MOTHER! Please...\"  \n  \n\"Don't argue,\" Tom said, \"please. You two need to get along.\"  \n  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe sun was nice, the breeze was nice. The three were lying in the  \ngrass. \"Every day I've been here, I've been so sorry for how lousy  \na parent I was...\" Marron's eyes closed, wincing at the thought of her   \nlife. \"I let the booze take hold. I let it ruin my looks and my  \npersonality.\"  \n  \n\"You ever drink while you were pregnant?\" Tom asked.  \n  \n\"Absolutely not! Even I knew better than to do that, boy!\" Folding  \nher arms behind her head, she went on, \"but I never found love.  \nYour father... he didn't even know you were his until he died and  \ncame here... he knew about June. He didn't come back for me, he came  \nback to raise his daughter. he was only interested in me because I  \nspread my legs for much any guy who asked...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Rouge took a deep breath. \"Maybe it's not worth meeting him...\"  \n  \n\"It's up to you... I can't make you see him.\"  \n  \n\"He'd be a complete stranger,\" Rouge said.  \n  \nTom was bored. \"We have eternity. What exactly do we do with that much  \ntime?\"  \n  \n\"There's plenty to do here,\" Marron said, \"things here keep up with  \ntechnology on Earth, there are lots of people in the cities... and  \nit's not very hard to travel anywhere. OH! I almost forgot...\" Digging  \nthrough the basket, she pulled two glowing crystals from a wrapped  \ncloth. \"You'll need these.\"  \n  \n\"Oh... pretty,\" Rouge commented.  \n  \n\"What are they?\" Tom asked.  \n  \nShe explained, \"knowledge crystals. If you want to find someone or  \nsomething here, or find out why a family member or friend died, just  \nhold the crystal and think about what you need to know. But it is  \nlimited... you can't use it to spy on people or anything like that.   \nDon't worry about losing them, you can get another if you need to.\"  \n  \n\"I'd have expected some sort of PDA or something,\" Tom remarked.  \n  \nMarron grinned. \"Sometimes, the older methods work best.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Mother?\" Rouge rolled onto her side. \"Nothing...\"  \n  \n\"What is it?\"  \n  \nRolling over onto her back, Rouge looked into the clouds. \"It's...  \nwell, I'm not sure you're the one to talk to about it.\"  \n  \nTom said, \"she should be. Go on... you two need to get along.\"  \n  \n\"Okay... but it involves you, Tom. You sure?\"  \n  \nHe seemed afraid. \"Ehr... might as well. I know it's going to be  \nintimate, but what the hell...\"  \n  \nSitting upright, Rouge said, \"mother... I've always wanted someone  \nI could talk to about... sex. Not just with Tom. But someone else  \nwe could share in on our dirty sex life.\"  \n  \n\"I... see...\" Marron laughed gently. \"Never found anyone before?\"  \n  \nRouge continued, \"no. No one I felt Tom could relate to. Closest I ever  \nfound was Cytheria but it didn't seem to be the best.\"  \n  \n\"The one echidna in the biker outfit?\" Marron knew her from brief   \nglances towards Earth. \"Not one I would have picked, myself.\"  \n  \n\"We got in a situation once,\" Tom spoke.   \n  \nRouge remembered. \"It was about... twenty years ago? Yeah... seems my  \nvaginal muscles got swollen and we got stuck together. I had to call  \nsomeone to help us who would actually keep it secret.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Good lord,\" Marron shouted. \"How in the hell did that happen?\"  \n  \nTom said, \"someone didn't read the instructions on a bottle of female  \nsex stimulant and used way too much!\"  \n  \n\"I see...\" Marron enjoyed the story. \"So... you had to call her and  \nget her to help.\"  \n  \n\"Nothing happened, though,\" Rouge went on, \"she had to use a muscle  \nrelaxer cream on us to get the swelling down. We were both too numb  \nto do anything. Still...\"  \n  \n\"She saw us both naked.\" Tom recalled. \"And she stripped down thinking  \nit'd be fair. We got in the bath tub to wash off and she sat on the  \ncounter. No clothes on.\"  \n  \n\"And you couldn't get it up because you were numb from what she used  \non you. Wow... what a wasted chance,\" Marron thought out loud. \"And  \nyou didn't invite her back later?\"  \n  \nRouge smirked. \"She was already dating Shadow. Not that we couldn't  \nhave, he did offer to let us three way with her because he got it  \non with you, but...\"  \n  \n\"He... offered that? Actually offered that?\" Marron was surprised.  \n\"Shadow doesn't sound like the smartest person around.\"  \n  \nTom added, \"the two were also doing a porn website at the time. With  \nother people. Usually women they hired.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"And you wanted to be his girlfriend?\" Marron shook her head. \"That guy  \nsounds pathetic. I'd be surprised if he even knows what intimacy is!\"  \n  \n\"Leave him alone!\" Rouge wasn't interested in attacks on an old friend.  \n\"He has... problems... just leave it at that!\"  \n  \n\"Okay, you win... so... you want someone else to play with. Someone  \nsexually free and open, but also someone you can trust.\"  \n  \n\"Basically...\" Rouge looked into the sky. \"But I really don't know of  \nanyone who would... except... no... or maybe... I need someone that  \nTom would be open with, too. He's always been a bit repressed about  \ndiscussing sex with anyone that isn't me!\"  \n  \n\"I'm not going to screw some total stranger,\" Tom defended, \"and it's  \nnot like bringing a third person into the bedroom is just something  \nyou do without thought.\"  \n  \n\"So...\" Rouged looked at her mother. \"Maybe?\"  \n  \n\"You want me to be the one?\"   \n  \n\"Well... no. You're my mother! But...\"  \n  \nMarron took her daughter's hand. \"I know. It'd be borderline incest.   \nNot if we aren't screwing each other. Anyway...\" She looked at Tom and  \ncontinued, \"a mother and daughter tag-teaming the same guy is quite  \nthe porn fantasy!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Yes, a porn fantasy,\" Tom said, \"but not real life.\"  \n  \n\"Oh? And where do you think those porn writers get their ideas?   \nAnyway... I recall looking in on my granddaughters about a month  \nago...\"  \n  \n\"The twins?\" Rouge asked.  \n  \n\"Yes, them... they were discussing the idea of doubling up on one guy  \nif they couldn't find separate boyfriends!\"  \n  \n\"My little girls...\" Rouge didn't know what to say. \"On one hand,  \nthey're sisters. On the other...\" She smirked with a wicked look in  \nher eyes. \"... that's a real nasty idea! One I'd have even thought  \nof if I had a sister my age... and into men...\"  \n  \nShe added, \"and the rumor is that Queen Elise of Soleanna... well,  \nword is her parents were related before marriage.\"  \n  \n\"You can't be serious,\" Tom shouted out.  \n  \n\"I am serious,\" Marron responded. \"They won't outright deny it when  \nanyone brings it up...\"  \n  \n\"Soleanna... funny, I know I've never been there, but I can swear  \nI remember that place like I was there when I was young...\" The  \nkingdom seemed to be in her mind, images of a personal visit that she  \nwas certain never occurred.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Anyway... when you think about it, bats are probably an incestuous  \nrace. Fathers who don't stay around, little family structure... probably  \nlots of blood related couples that have kids and don't even know it.\"  \nGrimacing, Marron muttered out, \"your father might even have a kid or  \ntwo by other women. Not that he'd have told me. I'm rather happy for  \nyou. Both of you. Breaking the curse of bats and actually staying  \ntogether.\"  \n  \n\"She saved my life that night,\" Tom said.   \n  \n\"So... you felt you owed her?\"  \n  \n\"What? No...\"  \n  \nRouge asked, \"Tom? If my saving you wasn't the big thing that got us  \ntogether... then what was it?\"  \n  \nHe started to stutter. \"I- uh... you were a nice person.\"  \n  \n\"Is that all?\" Rouge begged.   \n  \n\"Hmm... okay, you flashing that cleavage around didn't hurt.\"  \n  \nRouge seemed both pleased and hurt. \"Funny, it never worked on any other  \nguy I met. Anyway, back on topic... think you can handle two of us?\"  \n  \n\"I hope so,\" Marron said, \"I haven't been touched by a man since I got  \nhere.\"  \n  \n\"Really?\" Rouge was a bit surprised. \"I'd have thought you'd be quite  \npopular.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Not when I'm sober. Even with my looks back...\"  \n  \nTom rolled his eyes. \"You two have no shame about this, do you?\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nSonic was old. His side hurt from the bad kidney. And worst of all, the  \nroom felt sad. Tails stood beside him. Knuckles sat still, everyone  \nwondering if he was even aware of what was going on anymore.  \n  \n\"The funeral will be in two days. They need time to prepare the  \nfuneral hall and the procession plans.\" Teal was possibly hurt the  \nworst.  \n  \n\"What about the burial plots?\" Tails asked.  \n  \nTeal explained, \"mom and dad got those years ago. They were ready for  \nthis.\"  \n  \n\"Good for them...\" Rose slumped in her seat. \"I thought they'd be around  \nfor our wedding, someday...\"  \n  \nwithout a word, Violette ran off to her room. Sonic let out a sigh, both  \nfrom the news and from his aching body. \"Amy's hurt. Bad. She doesn't  \nknow what to think. But we're all getting old.\"  \n  \nTails blurted out, \"except Shadow.\"  \n  \n\"For someone who acts like he has no emotions, he seems to be taking   \nthis hard,\" Sonic pointed out.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"You like reading?\" Herbert Westwood asked. \"I do... got a lot of time  \nto read now. I get to read all the books I never got around to.\"  \n  \n\"You ever read the books we wrote?\" Rouge asked.  \n  \n\"You wrote books? When?\"  \n  \nRouge answered, \"before you died. But...\"  \n  \n\"We published under a fake name,\" Thomas finished.  \n  \n\"Really... and... what were these book about?\"  \n  \nSmiling, Rouge said, \"romance novels.\"  \n  \n\"Huh....\" Herbert turned away. \"Maybe not a subject I usually read   \nabout. Clara?\"  \n  \n\"Might be more my speed,\" the female cat said. \"Wait... the 'Thief of   \nthe Heart' series?\"  \n  \n\"You've read them,\" Rouge responded.  \n  \nClara pushed on her face, pushing at glasses she no longer needed,   \na habit she had yet to break. \"It's given me... ideas. Right, Herb?\"  \n  \nThe investigator tried his best to look away. \"Right... um... anyway,  \nthree kids?\"  \n  \nRouge felt special, making a man blush without even trying. \"Twins   \naren't a fun birthing experience. But I'm proud of my little girls...\"  \n  \n\"Any plans to go to your funeral?\" Herb asked. \"I went to mine...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"No,\" Tom said, brushing it off. \"Too weird.\"  \n  \n\"No argument there,\" Herb responded.  \n  \nRouge didn't wish to think about that. \"At the very least, we left them  \nwell off. No debts, lots of money, ownership of the businesses...  \n  \n\"Besides,\" Thomas added, \"the current Commander of GUN lives there.  \nNo one's going to touch it. Who'd be dumb enough?\"  \n  \nHerbert replied, \"debt collectors are certainly dumb enough... but they  \nwouldn't like the outcome.\"  \n  \n---------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe mansion was quiet. It reminded Tom of the early days, before he  \nhad a family filling the place. It was a creepy kind of quiet. Sitting  \non the couch, Tom flipped through the channels. \"Great... a thousand  \nchannels, a thousand shows from all of history. How do you find   \nanything?\"  \n  \n\"Just think about what you want to watch. That's all,\" Marron said.  \n  \nTaking the remote, Rouge spoke, \"let me try!\" She brought up her   \nfavorite movie.   \n  \n\"This again...\" Marron remembered the film. \"You watched this as a   \nchild.\"  \n  \n\"And I'm watching it again,\" she taunted, cuddling up with Tom.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I'll leave you two alone, then. I'll be in the city if you need me.\"  \nStepping away, Marron heard her daughter call to her. \"Yes\"  \n  \n\"Mother... what do you have to go back for? An empty apartment?  \nStay here...\"  \n  \n\"But... this is your home, not mine.\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nForty seven years, five months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nHistory had been stripped away. Furniture, jewels, it had all been moved  \nout. Bare wood stared up from beneath where carpet once rested.   \nIn a way, Violette hated to do that to her mother's old apartment but  \nthere was no point in leaving the second floor of Club Rouge sitting   \nabandoned. Her parents hadn't even been up the stairs in ten years,   \nnor would Rouge approve of such a waste.  \n  \nTechnically, they could have ignored such a wish but the young bat felt   \nan odd feeling that somehow, someway, her mother might find a way to yell   \nat them from beyond the grave.  \n  \nGrabbing a roll of plastic, she kicked it, unrolling along the floor  \nin a neat layer to keep paint off the wood. Taping down the edges,  \nthe bat was interrupted as her twin sister slid open the back wall,  \ncarrying paint cans with a small ladder looped over one arm.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"You couldn't bring those up the stairs?\"  \n  \n\"This was faster,\" Rose complained, folding out the ladder. \"I'll paint  \nthe ceiling.\"  \n  \n\"Right, and I'll-\" Pausing to process the sight, she asked, \"Rose...  \nwhat ARE you wearing?\"  \n  \nGiving her twin an odd look, she mumbled, \"what? They're delivering the  \nnew carpet today.\"  \n  \n\"Uh huh...\" Her sister was wearing a pair of overalls with nothing on   \nunderneath. \"Enjoy getting paint down your pants.\"  \n  \nUnwavered, Rose defended her choice of clothing by stating, \"it never hurts   \nto show off a bit. Anyway, mom would probably approve.\"  \n  \n\"I don't doubt that...\" Violette knew quite well how Rouge Adriani once   \ndressed, before she was married. \"Well, this place isn't gonna paint   \nitself...\" Sliding on a pair of cotton gloves, she pried the lid open  \nand picked up a brush. \"OH!\" Pulling the small artist's hat from the  \nback pocket, she placed it on her head.  \n  \n\"What the hell is THAT?\" Rose begged, trying not to laugh.  \n  \nBiting her lip, she kept her mouth shut. It wasn't worth the explanation.  \nStooping down near the wall, letting her artistic side out, the bat girl  \nslowly painted along the wall a nice shade of purple.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Sliding the paint roller in the pan, Rose picked a bright pink for the  \nceiling. Climbing up, the roller glided along, smearing it's contents  \nout. Reaching out, the bat found that her wings could keep her steady even  \nwhile off-balance.   \n  \nUnfortunately, Rose was doing little to pay attention to what was   \nunderneath. Dripping down, large globs of pink paint fell to her twin's  \nhair, spattering in her eyes and clothes.  \n  \n\"ROSE!\" she screamed out, standing upright like lightning and spinning  \nlike a top.  \n  \n\"Oops...\"  \n  \n\"You were too busy thinking about flirting with the delivery men,  \nweren't you?\"  \n  \nGrinning, she responded, \"well... yeah.\"  \n  \nTempted to grab the can of paint and throw it, Violette calmed herself.  \n'No... that's not how I do things,' she thought to herself, 'besides,  \nit'll waste paint and she won't learn anyway...' \"I'm going to go wash   \nmy fur out... just keep painting.\"  \n  \nShrugging, Rose dipped her roller in the pan once more. However,  \nViolette felt a sudden nasty urge and flicked her brush, sending small  \nbits of paint flying and hitting her twin on the shoulders.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"HEY! Sis...\" Wiping herself off, she commented, \"I deserved that...\"  \n  \n\"You did.\"  \n  \n\"But my overalls...\" Unhooking one of the straps, folding down the corner  \nof the overalls, the bat girl returned to her painting.  \n  \nStunned, she mouthed, \"oh, no...\"  \n  \n\"Yes. Mine was an accident. Yours wasn't.\" Grinning, Rose felt a sudden  \nrush of confidence. \"So I'll show off a bit more when those guys get here.\"  \n  \n\"Don't show off to much or you might get more than you wanted.\"  \n  \nAn evil grin crossed Rose's mouth. \"Don't worry, I don't give out free  \npeeks. Just tease them, that's all...\"  \n  \nUnwilling to hand over the last word, she jabbed back, \"because that  \nseemed to work so well for mom when she was young.\"  \n  \nStruck hard with the realization, the bat reached back and clasped the  \noveralls back together. \"True... not like it was mom's fault the audience  \nwasn't interested. Like you said, place ain't gonna paint itself,\" she  \ngroaned, climbing the ladder once more to finish her work.  \n  \nIt was going to be a long day. A long day, but perhaps not boring. If  \nanything, the twins had each other to break the silence. Perhaps it was  \nthe way in which they would handle the loss, remain cheerful and keep  \nliving their lives. After all, not that Violette would admit it, but  \nshe felt more than a simple bond to her twin sister.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Rose knew this, of course. It was why she was in this room, painting   \na ceiling rather than out flirting.   \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nForty seven years, six months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nFiddling with the remote in some hope of turning the volume up to an   \nacceptable level, Cytheria waited, eyes dancing between screen and clock,  \nwaiting. Crumbling up the empty can and tossing it in a small pile with the  \nrest, her seventh beer was starting to work.   \n  \nThe knock. Partly inebriated but barely out of control, the echidna darted  \nfor the door. \"Violette, about time!\"  \n  \n\"NOW will you tell me why you needed twenty bottles of grape juice?\" the bat  \nasked with some reservation, finding Cy's request particularly odd. Setting   \ndown the wooden crate, arms strained, she did not appear too pleased.  \n  \n\"It's Shadow...\"  \n  \nViolette remarked, \"I'd guessed...\"  \n  \nPointing to the fridge door, Cytheria displayed the wine bottles kept inside.  \n\"He's been like this since your mom died and Knuckles dropping dead didn't   \nhelp any.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I thought he hated Knuckles?\"  \n  \n\"True,\" Cy responded, \"but whatever... everyone from back then's kicking off.  \nHe's been drinking since. I gotta stop this or he's gonna lose his job. All  \nTiff needs to find out is that he's boozing up all day and he's booted out.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah...\" Biting her lip, the bat girl asked, \"why'd you need ME to bring  \nthe grape juice?\"  \n  \nGathering wine bottles, one by one, she set them out in a row. \"He stole  \nthese I think... they didn't show up on our charges. But if I go out and  \nbuy a shit load of grape juice someone might ask questions. I don't wanna  \nanswer questions.\" Uncapping the first bottle and dumping the fermented  \nliquid down the sink, she dug a funnel from the drawers.   \n  \nGrabbing a bottle herself and following suit, Violette said, \"I'll help...\"  \n  \n\"Don't pour it all out, leave some for the taste. Maybe if he gets suckered  \ninto drinking this he'll sober up.\" Looking cautiously at the hallway,  \n\"he's probably still passed out. How've you been doing with all this?\"  \n  \nDraining the purple juice into the wine bottles, she responded, \"Rose and I  \nmoved into the club, so we haven't been paying much attention to what's  \nbeen going on with the others. I think Teal's gotten better but Slate's  \nbeen pretty depressed since his dad died. I don't know what aunt Tiff's  \ngoing through, she seems to keep it pretty much business.\" Capping the   \nbottle, \"aunt June, that's different... mom was almost a mother to her,  \nI know the stories about the drunk slob grandmother I never met.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Screwing the lid on another bottle, the bat asked, \"what was the deal with  \nyou going to the mansion that one day?\"  \n  \n\"The what? Oh, I remember...\"  \n  \n\"...and? You didn't have sex with my parents, did you?\"  \n  \n\"Little girl... your mother gave you a dirty mind,\" the echidna scolded.  \n\"They got into some trouble after trying something in bed. All they wanted  \nwas a little discretion. Can't call just anyone when you're in a spot like  \nthat.\"  \n  \nViolette merely returned a hard stare. \"But you wanted to.\"  \n  \n\"Eh... your dad wouldn't have done it anyway, he was real shy the second I  \ngot there. Your mother, well, different story.\"  \n  \n\"I'm not going to push it any more, okay?\"  \n  \nCy replied, \"it's not a big deal anyway. Now help me fill the rest of these.\"  \n  \nOpening the cabinet to find the garbage can, Violette found it was already  \nfilled with empty wine bottles. \"Holy hell!\"  \n  \n\"Yeah... it takes us a lot more to get drunk than it does you mortal types.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nStumbling into the kitchen, yanking the refrigerator open and gripping a  \nbottle firm, Shadow twisted off the cap and guzzled down. \"Yeah...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Still fuckin' drunk?\" she begged, knowing damn well he was.   \n  \n\"Eases the pain, that's all... anyone call?\"  \n  \n\"No. Don't worry, you're on leave, if our superiors call I'll make up some  \nBS about you being out.\"  \n  \nWoozy and spinning like a top, Shadow kissed her on the cheek. \"You're  \ntoo good to me...\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe morning sun burnt like fire in Shadow's eyes, screaming within like  \na torment never known. \"AH!\" Rolling out of bed, his head pounding, the  \nultimate life form could barely stand. \"I'm sober...\"  \n  \n\"Yep,\" Cytheria mumbled. \"I replaced your liquor with grape juice.\"  \n  \n\"HUH? WHY?\"  \n  \n\"Look at you, moron!\" Picking up yet another bottle off the nightstand,  \nwaving it at her lover like a newspaper at a troublesome dog, she shouted,  \n\"you've been fucking drinking since that bat died and you didn't even like  \nthat red moron! Quit actin' like a fuckin' BABY and get over it! Or do you  \nwant Commander Tiff to kick you out for being an alky?\"  \n  \n\"I'll do whatever I please!\" he screamed, wincing as the sound of his own   \nvoice tore his eardrums.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She responded in anger, \"you do that. Don't come crying to ME when you end up  \nwithout anything.\"  \n  \nCurling up on the floor into a ball, Shadow began weeping. \"She loved me, she  \ndid once... but I would've made her miserable. I wanted to push her away  \nbut when she married him I felt so empty. I betrayed her. I lied to her  \nand used her mother. Rouge, I'm sorry...\"  \n  \n\"What the HELL?\"  \n  \n\"If I had been with her I'd have made her sad. I would've ignored her and  \nshe'd have been trapped. She trusted me and all I could think about was  \nmyself and Maria.\" Dragging himself back into bed, he continued, \"I pushed  \nher away but when she went away I was angry. I-\"  \n  \n\"You blame yourself,\" she remarked.  \n  \nLooking into his wife's eyes, \"for what I did to her, yes. I hated her for  \nbeing with that man when it was my fault. I tried to punish Rouge for  \nnothing. She sent me to you. She wasn't going to do to me what I did to her.  \nI'm not a good person. I can't even tell her that. I messed up.\"  \n  \n\"Maybe,\" Cy let slip. \"But there's nothing you can do. Beat yourself up  \nif you want just don't ask me to put up with your self pity.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Grabbing the echidna girl tight, Shadow muttered painfully, \"I'm doing it   \nto you... I'm disappointing you like I would have with her.\"  \n  \n\"Eh, sorta,\" was all she said. Without further words, the hedgehog kissed   \nhis wife, lips refusing to let go. Pulling free, she said, \"look, you ain't  \nfucked me in three weeks. Why don't you nail me and let off some steam.  \nBe good for you.\"  \n  \nShaking his head, still buzzing from the hangover, he declined. \"I can barely  \nsee straight. I don't think I'm getting it up yet.\"  \n  \n\"NOW you regret the alcohol. Of course...\"  \n  \nThrusting his hands under her long shirt, \"but I think I can try something.\"  \n  \nFeeling playful, Cy's hands tugged at her collar, ripping her clothing to   \nshreds, revealing bright orange fur and pink nipples. \"Your tongue still  \nable to wiggle?\" Planting his face below, Shadow's lips sucked away at the   \nwet slit of uncovered skin, fingers poking inside. \"Now, doesn't that taste   \nbetter than wine?\"  \n  \nRolling her eyes, Cytheria was pleased to have Shadow back.  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \nFifty years, two months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nAnother day at work. Some people may have considered owning a casino  \nto be a good thing. Her sister certainly did, anyway, but not Violette.  \nIt was ruining her after-hours social life. The idea of going out to  \na club seemed pointless when she worked in a casino. Going out to eat  \nwas pointless thanks to the small restaurant in the back and there were  \nalways crowds.  \n  \n\"Things good?\"  \n  \n\"Typical night,\" Cream answered. \"Nothing unusual, no troublemakers.\"  \n  \n\"Alright, I'm going up to-\" Pausing in the middle of her thoughts as   \nher eyes spotted something, Violette seemed to be dazed. \"Who's that?\"  \n  \nTurning around, Cream saw the light blue hedgehog. \"Oh, that's... what's  \nhis name? Sonic's grandson, I think.\"  \n  \nFeeling confident, the bat glided across the floor to the slot machines.  \n\"Hey there!\"  \n  \nLooking up from the quarter-muncher, the hedgehog asked, \"yeah?\"  \n  \n\"You're Sonic's grandkid, right? My mom was friends with him and your   \ngrandmother.\" Smiling gently, Violette did her best to keep the charm  \nto a minimum. She didn't want to show off just yet.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Yeah. I'm Speedy,\" he responded, seeming oblivious to the bat girl's  \nflirting and tugging the lever once more.  \n  \nSwitching tactics, she asked, \"so, how are they?\"  \n  \n\"They're fine. Grampa's always complaining about his knees but they're   \nokay, I guess.\"  \n  \n\"Good. So... listen, you want to go somewhere quieter and talk? I'd like-\"  \n  \n\"I have to go,\" the hedgehog mumbled, grabbing his earnings and fleeing  \nin a panic.  \n  \nEyes wide, more bewildered than disappointed, all she could say was,   \n\"shit!\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Hey, sis...\" Violette greeted as Rose walked through the door. \"Date go  \nwell?\"  \n  \n\"Uh huh, me and Bryan went to- hey!\" Rose could feel the depression in the  \nair like fog. \"You struck out with a guy!\"  \n  \nGrunting angrily, she hissed, \"I musta got mom's curse with men. Flirt  \nwith them and they run away.\"  \n  \nTossing her purse through the bedroom door, the twin bat was curious.  \n\"So, who was it? Not some stranger in the club?\"  \n  \n\"It was that one grandson of Sonic and Amy. Speedy?\"  \n  \n\"Ah...\" Heading to the kitchen to grab a juice, she said, \"he's got   \nissues.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Twisting her face into a look of blunt horror, Violette was genuinely  \nsurprised. \"Issues?\"  \n  \n\"Yeah. Sonic's kid got some girl pregnant when they were teenagers. He's  \na bit freaked out all the time, seems afraid of women because of it.   \nGuess he didn't want to do the same...\"  \n  \n\"But he's almost our age by now, isn't he?\"  \n  \n\"Guess so,\" Rose muttered, \"but who knows what someone like that goes  \nthrough? Well, I'm off to bed.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nAs expected, Speedy returned the next night, popping change into the  \nslot machines. \"Wonder why he's doing that?\"  \n  \n\"I wouldn't want to guess,\" Cream answered. Questioning a paying customer  \nwas NOT a recommended job trait. \"You're not going to talk to him  \nagain, are you?\"  \n  \n\"My mother didn't get where she did by being a quitter.\"  \n  \nShe wanted to hold it in, but it slipped. \"It didn't help her with  \nKnuckles OR Shadow...\"  \n  \nBiting her lip, Violette simply replied, \"yeah well, dad was probably   \nbetter for her anyway and if she'd given up on him, he'd have died.   \nLiterally. Wish me luck!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Pacing herself, keeping quiet, the bat wandered over, leaning against  \nthe machines. \"Speedy. Nice to see loyal customers always coming back.\"  \n  \n\"Uh... hi.\"  \n  \nA brief pause as she planned the next move. \"Please don't run off this   \ntime. I'm one of the owners.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah, I got that from the name of the place,\" he said, popping more money  \ndown the slot.  \n  \nGripping the hedgehog's arm, she offered, \"look, I know you've got   \nproblems. You can either live with them, spend years in therapy, or talk  \nwith me about them for a half hour. How about it? We'll go to the  \nrestaurant and get something to eat, okay?\"  \n  \nLooking around nervously, Speedy finally answered, \"well... okay.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Huh... sounds like your parents really freaked out and got you  \nscared. I know if I'd gotten pregnant at that age, mom woulda flipped out.  \nHell, if I went out and got pregnant with some stranger now, she'd   \nprobably crawl out of her grave to yell at me. But she wouldn't have  \ngone THAT psycho about it!\"  \n  \n\"I heard your moms one of the reasons I'm here. See, my mom's parents  \nwere going to have dad arrested over it but she got G.U.N. involved.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Wow,\" the bat girl blurted out, \"mom sure knew how to abuse authority,  \ndidn't she?\" Her next move might make or break this, so she went all out.  \n\"Bats seem to have this instinct to mate which is why my mother was  \nthe way she was. But I don't have that instinct. I think it had to do with  \ndad being human so the genes were filtered out or something. So I really  \ncan't say- what I mean is, your parents tried to make you afraid. They  \nmade you afraid you'd get a girl pregnant and now it's made you a walking  \nmess.\"  \n  \n\"I just don't know how to deal with this,\" he shouted. \"I know they were  \nworried about me but COME ON!\"   \n  \nShoving aside the empty plates, she asked, \"there's a pool hall down the   \nstreet. You know how to play?\"  \n  \n\"Not really,\" he replied.  \n  \n\"Me neither. Wanna go learn?\"  \n  \nMumbling, \"but- but-\"  \n  \n\"Don't worry about a girlfriend yet, just try to get a friend. Come on.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nIt was incredibly late when Rose returned home. \"I'm back!\" Kicking  \nher high heels off, she could hear someone talking from the kitchen.  \nTwo voices, definitely. \"Hey!\" Running into the kitchen to find her  \ntwin sister and a light blue hedgehog, she asked, \"up late?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Can't two people talk without being bugged?\" she scolded, glaring  \nat Rose. \"Go away!\"  \n  \n\"Uh huh... well, have fun.\"  \n  \n\"So, uh,\" Speedy grunted out, \"will you be busy tomorrow?\"  \n  \nResponding, \"not really. Running this place is really a formality.\"  \n  \n\"Good, so...\"  \n  \n\"Be here tomorrow afternoon.\"  \n  \nHeading for the door, he smiled. \"I had fun. But what if my parents  \ndon't like this?\"  \n  \n\"You're an adult,\" the bat replied sharply, \"if they whine, tell 'em to  \npound sand and shut up about it.\"  \n  \n\"You know what? I think I will!\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nFifty nine years have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRose wouldn't hear it. The whole incident stank rotten. Tiff's death  \nseemed rather sudden and didn't sit with her. Though maybe the girl was  \nsimply too angry to accept a simple traffic accident. \"Seems awfully  \nconvenient to ME!\"  \n  \n\"As much as I'd like to go kick some country's ass over this, that's  \nall it looks like,\" Cytheria responded. \"At least Tiff had numerous  \ncontingency plans. She knew the risks.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Waving a hand, Rose said, \"tell her.\"  \n  \nBryan remembered the rumors. \"Last month at the big business expo  \nin Westopolis... I heard some guys talking on the hotel restaurant  \nabout some important person who was about to get dealt with. Hey, at the  \ntime I thought it was competition. I make toys, I don't deal with  \ngovernment affairs!\"  \n  \n\"Tania's got two kids.\" Rose was furious. \"I have three, Violette has  \none. Not counting Teal's family. You KNOW there have been attempts  \non Tiff's life before and threats against all of us.\"  \n  \n\"I know,\" Cytheria replied. \"It's why I'm acting Commander right now.  \nIf there IS an active threat, they'll have a lot harder time killing  \nme.\"  \n  \n\"I have to help Violette and Teal with the funeral arrangements.\"  \n  \nCy spoke, \"we can handle-\"  \n  \n\"Our family, our funeral!\" Rose shouted. \"You take care of security.\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nSixty three years, four months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRobot maintenance was not one of Cytheria's tasks and it was certainly  \nnot a task she enjoyed. However, the antiquated design of E-123 Omega  \nwas practically ancient compared to the machines in use now and most  \ntechnicians under G.U.N.'s command had no idea how to repair the  \nold robot.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Where the hell have you been?\" she inquired impatiently as Shadow carried  \nthe box in, resting it beside her feet.  \n  \n\"I had to find three of the pieces you needed. Seems keeping track of  \nsupplies no one ever uses isn't a top priority.\"  \n  \nDigging through, the echidna pulled out a conductor filament. \"Not to   \nmention making sure the parts are still in top shape. It'll have to do...\"  \nShe honestly wondered how much longer Omega would remain in functioning  \ncondition. It seemed wise, to her anyway, to build a new body with modern  \ntechnology and transfer the program. However, the government had far  \nsuperior war machines in service and Omega never developed anything beyond  \neven a simple personality routine. In short, Omega was not alive and was  \nnot worth the money.  \n  \nShe really didn't give a damn, either, but it was the one link to the past  \nthat Shadow still had. \"God dammit! Stupid robot's barely worth fixing!\"  \n  \n\"Don't say that!\" he screamed out. \"He's a-\"  \n  \n\"IT! IT! Omega is a robot without a soul. Never had one, never will!  \nIt's just a machine! Look at you! Over a hundred years old and you STILL  \nmope and pout.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Shadow muttered, \"but I-\"  \n  \n\"Just drop it. You're still pissed over Maria, you're still pissed you  \nfucked up with Rouge. Even if it hadn't been like that, they'd STILL be  \ndead and you'd still be alive right now. Doesn't change any of that!\"  \nRather than wait for an answer, she chose instead to grab his arm. \"Come  \non, I haven't had anything to eat all day.\"  \n  \n\"But-\"  \n  \n\"The tin can will still be there when we get back!\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Are you going to cut this out?\"  \n  \n\"I can't just forget everyone,\" he mumbled, pushing around his food.  \n  \nHer eyes rolled. \"I didn't say you have to. But stop acting like it all  \nhappened yesterday! Look, Shadow, we've been together for awhile but-  \nhey, I can't listen to this all the time. Not now, not a hundred years   \nfrom now.\"  \n  \n\"Are you saying you'll leave me?\" Stunned and partly horrified, he seemed  \nto be trembling.   \n  \n\"I love you, I'd have to just to keep putting up with your quirks but  \nI can't put up with this until the end of time! Plus there's things we  \nneed to worry about NOW, not your old memories.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Interests piqued, the hedgehog asked bluntly, \"now?\"  \n  \n\"I believe that Commander Tiff's death wasn't an accident. I think   \nsomething's about to explode. Big time. I need you clear on this, focused.  \nWe're unkillable and we might need to be on the front lines.\"  \n  \n\"What do we do now?\"  \n  \nAnswering, \"for now, keep sharp. Go on as we always do while I keep poking   \naround. Maybe we'll get lucky and nothing'll happen,\" she collected  \nthe tray. \"I'll go finish up on your robot. Go on home.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThrowing open the front door, weary and hungry, gloves flew to the floor.  \nLocking the pistol in the desk, flopping her body to the couch, Cy  \nwas too worn to even grab the remote. It was the flickering lights,  \nhowever, that seemed out of place. 'The hell...?' she thought, looking  \ninto the dining room.   \n  \nCandles greeted her, the only lights amidst a fine dinner arranged for  \ntwo. 'Oh god no! Please tell me he didn't-'  \n  \n\"I made us dinner,\" Shadow greeted cheerfully, dressed in a fine suit.  \n  \n'No, no, no! This isn't what I wanted him to do!' Trying not to scream  \nor laugh, the echidna kept silent. 'Okay... better go along with this,  \ndon't wanna depress him or nothin' like that...'  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Shadow... what a surprise,\" she finally said.  \n  \nMotioning towards the wrapped box in her chair, he explained, \"for you.\"  \n  \n\"Okay...\" Undoing the ribbon and lifting the lid, inside was a fancy black  \ndress. \"Well... thanks.\" 'Not really me, but oh well,' she kept to   \nherself, a touch bewildered by his sudden change in behavior. This formal,  \nromantic scene wasn't even close to how she liked to live. Beer, steak,  \nrough sex, that was her scene, not this.  \n  \n\"I'll, uh... go put this on.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nCytheria had to admit, the dress did feel nice. Shadow had spent decent   \nmoney on it and the quality was evident. Stepping out, she leaned  \nin the doorway. \"Well?\"  \n  \n\"Looks wonderful,\" he responded. \"I was thinking, we'll finish dinner,  \ntake a romantic bath with scented candles and-\" Stopping cold, the  \nblack hedgehog realized this wasn't even remotely right. \"You're not  \nimpressed, are you?\"  \n  \n\"I appreciate the effort, but this isn't you. You're not a sensitive man,  \nyou don't wear expensive suits, you HATE candles and you hate cooking.  \nThis wasn't what I meant. I want you to be yourself. That's all!\" Flashing  \nher ring in the pale light as a reminder, \"we're already married. I  \nthink you forget that sometimes.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Flicking on the light switch, blowing out the candles, Cytheria planted  \nherself at the table. \"Now, we're going to eat, then I'm having dessert.\"  \n  \n\"Dessert? I made-\"  \n  \n\"I mean I'm going to suck you off 'til you scream my fucking NAME, tough  \nguy!\" Waggling a finger, the orange echidna ordered her man to take a   \nseat. \"Then after I'm done guzzling your hot stuff down, we're stripping  \nthese fancy clothes off and banging right on this table until we break it.  \nGot me?\"  \n  \nGrinning like a wild dog, Shadow displayed his anticipation. \"Should I   \nchew or just swallow it whole?\"  \n  \n\"Getting impatient...\" Sticking her tongue put playfully, Cy answered,  \n\"why take our time?\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nSlamming the alarm clock hard, Shadow's hand hurt as the plastic cracked,  \nthe sharp edges pinching him. \"SHIT!\"  \n  \n\"Some ultimate life form, can't even beat up a clock without getting   \nhurt,\" his wife teased. \"'Bout time you got up. Come on, got a surprise  \nfor you.\" Tossing the blankets off his body, Cytheria dragged the  \nhalf-awake hedgehog into the living room. \"Well?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;It took him a moment to examine the photographs, lined up on their shelf  \nand pinned to the wall in nice frames. \"I thought you said you didn't  \nwant me to dwell on the past?\"  \n  \n\"I SAID I don't want you acting like they died yesterday! Got them from  \nG.U.N. records and old news reports. Just printouts. See? Here's one of  \nSonic and Tails when they were still kids.\"  \n  \nHe remarked, \"that was before I was released from my stasis chamber...\"  \nPicking up another, Shadow lamented painfully, \"she liked me and I just  \nignored her. It was my fault. I betrayed her. Maybe it's best I didn't  \nreturn her affections...\"  \n  \n\"Hard to say. Maybe you'd have been good to her, I don't know. You always  \nseem to try your best.\" Placing the picture of the bat on the shelf,  \n\"Rouge was happy anyway. Can't complain about that. Maybe if you'd   \nhooked up, you'd be a mess right now. It hurt bad when she died, probably  \nhurts more to lose someone really close.\"  \n  \nGlancing at the frame containing Maria's face, he responded painfully,  \n\"I know...\"  \n  \n\"Oh yeah, about last night...\" Pointing to the dining area, their table  \nsat in broken fragments of wood. \"We need to go shopping later. And uh,  \nwe'd better not make a habit of that. Tables are kinda expensive. But  \nI still have to finish up your robot friend too.\" Slapping his rear,  \nCy ordered, \"busy day, get your crap together!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nSixty three years, seven months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nThe flames were extinguished as the ambulance left. It was a needless  \nvehicle, merely hauling away what couldn't be saved. The fire was  \ncontained, enough fire extinguishers in the house to control the blaze,  \nbut it was too late. It was over as it began. Teal Adriani was no longer  \nwith them, the scorched kitchen a reminder of the explosion that had   \ntaken her away.  \n  \nIn his son's room, Slate covered his boy, an adult but still devastated.  \nSlate felt helpless, worthless, his wife taken from him in a flash. He   \ncould only sit on his son's bed, shaking, hoping he was having a  \nnightmare.  \n  \nViolette was crying, a lump on the living room sofa. Rose, as she  \nalways was, let he anger flow. \"First my parents, then my aunt, now  \nmy older sister! It gets worse each time! I'll make them pay for taking  \nmy family!\"  \n  \n\"WHO?\" Her husband, Bryan, wasn't one to tolerate her rants. \"Make  \nWHO pay?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"I... I... I don't know...\" Sitting beside her twin sister, holding  \nViolette, Rose said, \"Bryan, go see how the kids are doing...\"  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nOne hundred and thirteen years, one month have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nFlicking the bottle cap neatly into the garbage, the echidna girl flipped   \nthrough channels hoping to find anything that may offer a distraction.  \nThis was a poor time in the world, and most certainly a poor time to be  \nthe Commander of the Guardian Unit Of Nations.  \n  \nHer mansion was barely recognizable as the one-time home of the Adriani   \nfamily. Having grown and moved to a far more luxurious, far larger home now,  \nthis place seemed more suitable for her as it had once been overhauled with  \nall necessary G.U.N. security measures. Updating and enhancing those measures,  \nhowever, had been a chore, as had been replacing much of the older wood  \nconstruction with high quality marble and steel.   \n  \nNot that these really mattered. Security meant nothing to an immortal who  \ndid not have to fear death or injury by any means.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"You're in a good mood, I see,\" Shadow grunted, taking a seat beside his wife.  \n  \nCytheria, guzzling half her beer in one gulp, replied harshly, \"peace talks...\"  \n  \n\"They're not going well, then?\"  \n  \nFinishing her booze and flicking the glass bottle aside, uncapping another,  \nCytheria let out with a groan, \"you know and I know these peace talks  \nare just a formality. Things aren't going to work out. I'm already working  \non battle strategies with the President to try and minimize the damage to  \nthis country. The best we can do.\"  \n  \nHis eyes out the window into the old fruit fields, Shadow noted the progress  \nof construction. \"How much longer until the new command center is ready?\"  \n  \nThe command center. Financial estimates showed that building a new structure  \nwould prove cheaper than overhauling the original. The old Adriani property   \noffered enough open space and it was beside the private home of the Commander.  \n\"Three months, probably.\" Flicking the remote control away in boredom, she  \nscreamed out, \"to hell with this! I'm going out.\"  \n  \n\"And where do you think you're going, exactly?\" the hedgehog begged, knowing  \nshe meant to go out and cause trouble. \"You can't go to bars and start fights!  \nThe last thing we need is a public incident because you got too wild!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Chucking the empty bottle at the wall, glass spraying everywhere, Cytheria  \nclenched a fist. \"I knew it was a bad idea to take this job...\"   \n  \n\"You agreed to it,\" Shadow grumbled, sick of his wife's rambling and whining.  \n\"No one made you.\" It would be his turn to clean up the glass.  \n  \n\"Oh, really... no one else was willing right now TO take it! I got stuck out  \nof guilt! Why the hell else would someone who used to do internet porn get   \npicked for this?\" Her anger flared as the echidna girl considered breaking  \nthe television, merely to rage at the lack of entertainment. \"They suckered  \nan immortal into this job because they were afraid someone else might get   \nshot!\"  \n  \nCytheria had no easy job. The current ruling body of Soleanna was militaristic  \nand pushing for expansion. The downside was that the country had made  \nallies, forming a large enough conglomerate of nations to be a threat to  \nG.U.N. authority. Her job was to run the military in the event of a war,  \nand she expected that war to start shortly. What baseless, useless talks passed  \nfor diplomacy were futile. Cytheria knew that, the President knew that and  \nanyone with a working brain knew that.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;She wished the world hadn't changed, that she still worked at Club Rouge, that  \nthe world was at peace, that people she knew were still alive. Times changed,  \nbringing new chaos to the world.  \n  \nSweeping up the last remains of glass, Shadow mumbled, \"I'll start dinner.\"  \n  \n\"Do we- never mind. Just surprise me.\" At least this would be one surprise  \nshe might actually look forward to. Following Shadow through the greeting hall,  \npast the kitchen and into her office, fingers typed away at the keys as the  \ndaily report forms popped up onto the screen to be filled out.   \n  \nStopping her work briefly, Cytheria took hold of a picture on the desk.   \n\"Rouge...\" She lamented over years past. \"I'm just happy you aren't still  \nalive to be watching the world fall apart like this. But I'm so sorry....  \nI let you down. Your utopia... I can't save it. Wherever you are, I hope you're  \nhappy.\" Placing the picture of her old mentor back, she finished sadly,   \n\"because I'm not.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nAs night crept into the mansion, the couple enjoyed a brief romantic moment.  \nNo security checks, no work, just the two lovers. However, the romance was  \nhaunted, shaken by the pending turmoil. \"We could take extreme measures.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"Right, that's a great idea,\" the echidna woman cried in despair. \"Start  \nthe war early!\"  \n  \nHis devilish mind at play, Shadow said, \"we have all seven Chaos Emeralds...  \nwith them, no one could stop us. It would be too easy.\"  \n  \n\"For us,\" she agreed, \"but it's too much risk. The fallout would go past us  \nand probably set countries on fire. This isn't some old mission against the  \ndoctor or some assignment here, it's BIG. Too big for us to just walk over.\"  \n  \n\"Then what do you suggest we do?\" he begged.  \n  \nEasing back in her chair, Cytheria had a plan. \"We wait. Let them make the  \nfirst move... then we act. If we wait then we look like the honest defenders  \njust protecting our side. We can do whatever we want.\"  \n  \n\"We either act and start a war,\" he groaned, \"or let the war start and then  \nact.\"  \n  \n\"I think it'd cut down on the casualties that way.\"  \n  \nThe history of the world itself would soon be written. Shadow only prayed  \nthat he would be on the winning side to be the one to write that history.  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \nOne hundred and fifteen years, four months have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nCentral City had once been a peaceful haven of business, commerce and was  \nhome to many. Now, the northern sector of the city lie in ruins, bombs having  \ntorn everything apart in their heartless fury of the war machine. Roads  \nwere littered with glass and cracks, a scar upon the world. Broken windows and  \nthe remnants of automobiles were a damaged echo of the past. Soleanna's  \nmonarch had tried to send a message.  \n  \nThey had been heard.  \n  \nLetting go of the fire escape ladder, Cytheria dropped to the streets and   \nslinked back into the dark alleys. There was no danger of enemy troops;   \nno, they remained in their own country. She had to contend with looters,  \nplanted explosives, and far worse to get home.  \n  \nWhat was far worse grabbed her throat, tearing at her sleeves. \"Party time,\"  \nher attacker grunted in slimy joy. She could see his face in the nearby  \nglass, a filthy brown hedgehog with one eye.   \n  \nThe rape gangs, no doubt. They didn't want her money or supplies. If only  \nthey had known to stay far away from this woman. Slipping a sharpened metal  \nspike from her quills, the echidna stabbed it into her assailant's remaining  \neye socket, barely dodging the fresh squirt of blood. \"I'm not in the mood.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Ignoring his violent screams of pain, she ran off. Her home was still some   \ndistance away.  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"We have to end this war and we have to end it now,\" she grunted, annoyed,  \nloading a fresh clip. \"We have no choice but to assassinate the monarch.\"  \n  \n\"I know.\" Shadow stabbed at a picture of the warlord. \"He's passed new laws  \nprohibiting interspecies families in Soleanna.\"  \n  \nGnashing her teeth together, the sound vile to hear, Cytheria said, \"he used  \nher name.\"  \n  \n\"He said that Rouge was a traitor to society... I want to go.\"  \n  \n\"No. Not you!\" Ignoring his low growl, the echidna girl shot back, \"you'd make  \na mess of it, kill him with witnesses. I'm going. I'm better with a sniper   \nrifle.\"  \n  \nShredding the photo into tiny bits, the hedgehog responded, \"very well...  \nare you leaving now?\"  \n  \n\"Not yet,\" she said, sliding a long tube into her quills. \"Rape gangs are in   \nthe northern section. I bumped into one on the way back. I have to go kill  \nthem before they can do anything I don't like.\" Placing another silver tube  \ninto her quills to conceal the device, she ordered her husband, \"stay here  \nand arrange my trip into their country. I'll leave tomorrow.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nTime would hopefully be short. Walking around in scant clothing, acting   \nhelpless, they would come for her. With any luck, the one she'd run into was  \nnow dead and couldn't have told anyone what she looked like. Dead. Her hand  \nhad likely shoved the spike far enough to hit the brain. She hoped so.  \n  \nAs she had expected, three filthy individuals, two dogs and one older human  \nsurrounded her, hooting as their chains swung, knocking her down. This had   \nbarely hurt and under normal circumstances, the three would be dead by now, but  \nCytheria had more important targets. Lying still, she felt them lift her  \nup, carrying the girl off to some hidden spot.  \n  \nIt hadn't been very far, maybe a half mile. It was dark, dirty and full of  \nmen, all drinking while loud metal music blared from a stereo in the corner.  \nOpening her eyes, she could see another girl, human, beaten and tied up to  \na table, but still dressed. Cytheria knew what this meant. These men did not   \nwant one or two women to rape, they wanted many. They would wait until many  \nothers had been abducted and throw a party, likely raping every one of their  \nvictims in an orgy of forced sexual violence.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;This meant that there may be gang members out on the streets but she would  \nhave to enact her plans now before she was bound. Gripping the silver canister,  \nopening the cap, thick green gas leaked out. Startled and angered, none of   \nthese pigs could do anything as they fell, one by one, coughing and tired.   \nHer immunity to this gas would allow her to stay awake. Untying the ropes  \nholding the poor woman hostage, Cy managed to lift her up, down to the  \nfloor. Pulling the second device from her red quills, she placed the bomb in  \nthe center of the room, activating the detonator.  \n  \nDragging her rescued hostage outside, propping the woman behind a solid wall  \nas a shield, the echidna held onto the detonator. She would wait for a moment,  \nthe effects of the gas holding out hopefully long enough to see if anyone   \nesle returned.  \n  \nTen long, agonizing minutes passed. She had no more time to stall, the gang  \nwithin would awaken shortly. Thumb over the switch, smiling with a vicious  \nkiller's smile, the sight halted the explosion. Two men carrying yet another  \ncaptive. Placing the tiny button down, extracting two spikes from her   \nspiky quills, she threw them both with expert skill. Tearing into the  \nnecks of the two men, death likely instant, their captured prey tore free,  \ndarting away.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;\"STOP!\"  \n  \nThe woman did so. Perhaps it had been the call of a female voice but the woman  \nstopped. \"Her. Get her out of here!\"  \n  \nWithout a word, too scared to speak, the frightened human woman complied,   \nlifting the unconscious body and fleeing without pause, hoping to return to the  \nsafer sector of Central City.  \n  \nCollecting the detonator, walking away with pride, she hit the switch. The  \nsound of the building behind, crumbling brick and flying dust, it was almost  \nmusical to her. Everyone inside, every rapist, every criminal scum who would   \nuse another for personal pleasure without consent, every one of them had been  \nburned in the explosive fire. The chemical explosive was the true cause of the  \nflames, but they only represented Cytheria's anger, a burning fire that had  \nbeen released by the world's crumbling state.  \n  \nIt was a pity. Before this war, such men may have been good people. Good,   \nhonest, considerate. However, the echidna hybrid could not mourn them, could  \nnot even care that she had murdered every last one in anger. Justice was  \ndone in the harshest manner. before this war, even she had some compassion.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;How things had changed.  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nOne hundred and sixteen years have passed  \n  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nSlamming her fist in anger, cracking the plastic console, Cytheria ignored  \nthe broken glass underneath, tiny fragments embedded into her skin and fur.  \n\"Fifty thousand! That piece of filth killed fifty thousand people!\" Glaring  \nat her higher-ranking officers, the echidna girl demanded, \"show me the  \nspecs again for that bomb...\"  \n  \n\"Yes, sir!\" Bringing up the needed file, the device was small but powerful.  \n  \n\"Barely the size of a soup can...\" she mused, still angered. \"I guess now we  \nknow the thing's real and ready but we don't have a clue how many they have.  \nThat's on top of their plans to hijack the ARK and power the cannon with an  \nalternate power source.\" Opening a communications line, she shouted, \"Shadow!\"  \n  \n\"We're here...\" the monotone hedgehog reported in.   \n  \n\"Set the auto pilot mechanism and get out of there. They'll use the eclipse  \ncannon when hell freezes solid! And Shadow... I know the memories. They'll   \nsurvive without that thing in the sky. Get to it!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Turning towards the map, several blocks of Station Square lay in ruins. Many  \nhad died in the blast and Cytheria, as hard as it was to admit such fact,  \nknew that many more would die.  \n  \n\"I'm not holding back anymore. Soleanna... we're going in hard. They'll   \nsurrender or we'll level their country into a parking lot.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"I don't know what to do...\"   \n  \nJittery and unstable, Sonic The Hedgehog paced around nervously. \"I can't   \nsave them. I can't do anything from here! I'm supposed to be the hero!\"  \n  \n\"Calm down!\" Knuckles shouted, unwilling to watch his old friend act in this  \nmanner. \"What are you gonna do, huh? Reincarnate? Great idea!\"  \n  \nThe hedgehog shouted, \"maybe I should! At least then I'll be down there and  \nable to do something!\"  \n  \nMiles Prower rolled his eyes. \"Uh huh... in ten or so years when you get old  \nenough, that's IF you have any abilities. Oh, and you won't remember who you  \nwere or your past life.  \n  \nWatching from a distance, Rouge commented, \"he's taking it as well as I thought  \nhe would. Not very well.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;Amy, disturbed to see her lover in such pain, only said, \"I wish he could be  \ndown there, maybe things wouldn't be so bad.\"  \n  \n\"I have to go,\" the bat mumbled. \"My mother probably knows about this by now  \nand I think Tom's feeling a bit down. Can't say I'm happy about this, either.\"  \n  \n-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \nRipping the docking clamps free, the ship flew away as the Space Colony ARK  \nbegan to drift, pushed through space by orbital thrusters. The gigantic  \nresearch facility would soon break orbit and float off. The third planet from  \nthe sun, a world burning with war, was below. From the observation hatch,  \nShadow couldn't see the chaos below. Only briefly did things look okay.  \n  \n\"How long will it be for the ARK to reach the sun?\"  \n  \n\"Once orbit breaks,\" the pilot answered back, \"the main impulse thrusters kick  \nin. It might be decades, maybe centuries. I'm not sure how far away the sun   \nis. Either way it'll be too far from Earth for anyone to use it.\"  \n  \nIt was a weapon too powerful to use. Cytheria knew this and it's why she  \nsent Shadow to handle matters. It would have been trivial to use the cannon  \nthemselves but any victory in which most of the planet was destroyed would  \nbe no victory. Even at partial power the gun was too dangerous and could  \nleave a section of the planet ruined.   \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;-------------------------------------------------------  \n  \n  \n\"Okay... this war has officially become serious. I don't expect to end this  \novernight and I expect the casualties to be high,\" the orange echidna shouted,  \n\"but I intend to win this. I'm not going to allow these people to win. Don't  \nforget that Soleanna is a military nation with allies. Some of the former   \nmembers of G.U.N. are on their side now. We aren't worldwide like it used to  \nbe.\"  \n  \nStaring out into the crowd of troops, she finally said with a mixture of  \nanger and fear, \"today... we fight. We're going in to win this and I expect  \nevery last one of you to fight until the end! If we lose this, they'll win it   \nthe hard way, I'll see to that!\"  \n  \nEarth was about to change forever.  \n  \n\n","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/709385-sonic-the-hedgehog-the-series-part-7.json"}