Disagree

The hedgehog and the princess's various targets, about 50 of them, were scattered throughout the mine, surrounding the main basin. Moving at breakneck speed, Sonic and Sally were able to take out half of them at the bottom of the mine. While Sonic just ran, Sally used her swords to chop them to pieces, causing the area around them to collapse as they fled without a scratch.

"Okay, let's stop for now!" ordered the squirrel.

"Aw, I was just getting warmed up."

"Don't get too excited or Amy will turn us both into mush."

The hedgehog skidded to a halt a few meters from the next target, where he left Sally on the ground while she checked the status of the cave on her phone.

"I admit I now understand why Amy likes it so much when you carry her. It's so much fun!"

"The fastest living thing in the world and the best means of transportation after the train. It's just that my achievements are piling up like Jenga pieces, what can I say?

"«The best»? Without food or movies?

"I speak from experience when I say that trying to watch an entire movie and eat popcorn in less than a minute brings... mixed results."

"(Mixed, not even bad. Anyway...) I'm getting a little signal here, I'm going to send the evacuation message to team Freedom so they have time to retreat, and then we'll continue with the demolition."

"Perfect. And then we'll go get Nic and Ames, right?"

"No need. I gave Nicole and Amy strict orders to withdraw immediately as soon as they finish their objective."

Sonic was thoughtful for a moment. Something didn't add up.

"Are you sure they'll be okay?"

"If they follow the plan to the letter, yes. Okay, I've sent the message. Let's keep breaking stuff."

Sally lunged at the nearby target to be destroyed, and the ceiling of the place began to collapse. Sonic quickly picked up the princess and ran as the debris fell behind them.

In just a couple of minutes, they had destroyed almost all of the targets, leaving the last one located in the central area that served as the entrance to the mine. It was the largest and most complicated to destroy, as it encompassed the entire support system that held the elevator in place. With the cave collapsing beneath their feet, Sally and Sonic had to be both quick and precise. The princess told the hedgehog to charge as much speed as he could while she summoned a full mask made of light, whose visor had a telescopic sight with which she located and marked the points where she had to attack in order to plan the most optimal route. This time, Sally climbed onto the hedgehog's back and charged her swords to their maximum power, making them even more incandescent and smoky.

Sonic shot off so quickly that the only thing visible of him and Sally was a blue blur impossible to follow with the eye. One by one, the fasteners turned to dust, as if the wind were pulverizing them, and the elevator fell apart, leaving a large opening through which Sonic and Sally could escape to the surface.

"Perfect! mission accomplished! We must meet up with the others at the agreed point..."

"We still haven't heard anything from Ames and Nicole," interrupted the hedgehog.

"They should already be out of the complex according to the plan."

"How can you be so sure that the plan is going as you expect?

"Because I know...!" The ground began to shake. "We have to get out of here immediately!"

"I'm going to take a quick look around, wait here a second."

"What?! No...!" But the hedgehog had already disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

Under Sally's feet, she could hear the roar of rocks colliding and metal deforming and breaking. Alarms began to sound as the tremor intensified. From the hole left by the elevator, the earth collapsed as if it were being swallowed up. Sally ran as far away from the void as she could until she had no choice but to use her swords to climb the walls. She looked everywhere, but there was no one beside her. She began to feel her throat close up and found it difficult to breathe due to panic.

A gust of wind approached, traveling along the walls. When it passed close to Sally, she could see that it was Sonic coming to rescue her, although she was far from grateful.

"There was no one anywhere, they really left just like you said," the hedgehog smiled awkwardly, embarrassed.

"Of course they did! It was part of the plan! Now the earth is going to swallow us because you didn't want to follow the damn plan!"

"Relax, Sal. We'll get out of this in a flash."

"You better! Because if I die because of you...!"

The hedgehog redoubled his efforts to get to the exit as fast as he could, while the ground disappeared beneath his feet as he advanced. In the distance, he could see the main gate closing. He increased his speed, but it was useless. The gate closed and collapsed in on itself, making it impossible to open. Behind him, the ground was swallowed up by the earth, the alarms stopped ringing due to the collapse of the ceiling, and the lights went out, leaving Sally and Sonic in darkness. A horrible feeling of déjà vu ran down the Princess's spine. She was breathing heavily and felt her throat closing up again...

"Okay, this might have gotten a little bit more complicated—"

"Stop joking around and help me!" the princess snapped at Sonic as she thrust her swords into a tiny space in the gate. She increased the power of her swords until they became incandescent and began to melt the metal. Sally was sweating and breathing heavily. "Use your Spin Dash on the count of three... Three!"

Sally stepped aside and let the hedgehog hit the weakened spot. The Spin Dash cut through the metal like a drill, spitting metal and sparks everywhere. Sally could feel the ground collapsing beneath her feet. Sonic was able to break through the gate completely, but behind him was Sally, who began to fall into the void. However, a blue gust came from the opening in the gate and jumping between the falling debris, he was able to catch the princess and carry her outside.

The ground continued to crumble behind them as they fled as fast as they could until the collapse finally stopped at one point. But Sonic didn't stop running until he tripped and fall for a group of bushes. The hedgehog and the squirrel collapsed on the ground. Sweaty, breathless, but alive.

Sally stared at the sky without blinking as she stroked the ground as if to make sure it was firm, then ran her hands over her face, feeling the sweat on her forehead and tears in her eyes. Sonic, for his part, began to laugh as he got up.

"Phew, that was close! Wasn't it, Sal?" The hedgehog was as excited as if he hadn't been on the verge of death just seconds ago.

Sally didn't respond; she was struggling to catch her breath. She put her hand on her chest as if trying to stop her heart. Sonic slowly began to worry.

"Everything okay, Sal?"

"I... I was supposed to take a break to avoid stupid things like this..."

"Hey, I'm really sorry, OK? I just wanted to make sure everyone was really gone. Maybe I took a little too long," the hedgehog got up and approached Sally. "But come on, this kind of thing is par for the course when you go on adventures, right? You and I know better than anyone, this should be nothing for someone as strong and capable as you," he said, then held out his hand with a smile.

For some reason, the hedgehog's words of encouragement only irritated Sally even more. And strangely, focusing on that anger helped calm her panic a little.

"The plane... the Badniks, and now this..." Sally pushed Sonic's hand away and sat down with her back to him. "Why couldn't you stick to the plan?"

"Sally, you know I'm not much of a planner. I prefer to follow my instincts."

"Oh, so your instincts are what led you to almost kill Amy seven months ago?" The princess fixed her icy blue gaze on the hedgehog. "Or to drag her into a suicidal fall today? Or to almost get us swallowed up by the earth?"

"Hey, Sally..."

"No, shut up and listen!" Sally suddenly stood up, overcome with anger. "You know I'm telling the truth! Your impatience and your 'instinct' didn't let you think that maybe, just maybe, directly attacking a large, possibly radioactive generator wasn't the best idea at that moment; or that jumping out of a damn plane at an altitude of a thousand feets wasn't something a sensible person would do; or that following the plan was the best way to avoid being crushed to death by debris!"

"Oh, come on! You talk as if I were a novice at this. I'm Sonic The Hedgehog, I do this kind of things every day, without following any plan, and here I am."

"But we're not all you! Neither I, nor Amy, nor anyone else is Sonic the Hedgehog! Only you! You can't expect everyone to keep up with you or do or endure the same things you do! We escaped this one by pure luck! And it was also luck that the Freedom Fighters were there seven months ago and that I was able to rescue Amy! What would have happened if that hadn't been the case?"

Suddenly Sonic tensed up, looking away and swallowing hard. Something had disturbed him...

"But it didn't happen... No... It didn't happen..." muttered the hedgehog as he shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts.

"But it could have happened. You can't live thinking that what you do only affects you and no one else. Your actions also affect the people around you, the people you love. If you continue to act so irresponsibly—"

"Enough," Sonic's voice was calm, he hadn't even raised his voice, but it was laden with something that made it sound threatening and ominous, which made Sally tense up.

A long silence fell between them as the icy twilight wind crackled the branches of the trees.

"You have no idea... how much I appreciate you being there to save Amy seven months ago, I really do," the hedgehog's voice was calm and soft, his face affable. "She... means a lot to me. It's not the first time I haven't been quick enough to save her in time. That's basically how we met... But in the end, I was able to save her that time on Little Planet. And even if you hadn't been there, I would have saved her seven months ago, no matter what it took, because that's what I do." The hedgehog's emerald gaze was piercing, almost painful. Sally took a step back. "I don't need a plan that limits me or rules that hold me back. I act and do what I think is right. I'm not interested in thinking about things that didn't happen. I live in the here and now." It was the first time Sally had heard Sonic raise his voice like that, echoing through the surrounding trees, almost making them shake. "And of course I make mistakes! Of course I do! But I am the one who fixes them. I don't let anyone, ANYONE, fix them for me or tell me how to live MY life... and that includes you, Acorn."

That last word came out of the hedgehog's mouth with a repulsive feeling that turned Sally's stomach. It was as if he was no longer talking to a person, but to an object. Sally clenched her fists, trying to contain her anger.

"So... you're going to keep relying on your luck for the rest of your life?"

"My ability, my friends, and yes, my luck. Why not? It's never let me down."

"The day it does..." The image of Bunnie under the rubble begging for help flashed through Sally's mind. Terror. "...It will hurt, and it will hurt a lot."

"Is that a threat?"

"A warning."

The sound of bushes being moved caught both their attention. As Sally prepared to go on guard, Sonic put his arm around her and feigned a big smile. The heads of Nicole, Tails, and the rest peeked out from among the vegetation.

"Sonic, Sally, you're okay!" Tails celebrated as he lunged at the hedgehog.

"Of course, lil' bro! And without a single scratch! which is quite something," said Sonic, hugging the fox back, talking and behaving as if nothing had happened.

"Sally!" Nicole hugged the princess. "By Gaia, I'm so glad you're... Are you okay...?" The lynx had noticed how tense Sally was.

Sally didn't know exactly how to react. The hedgehog's sudden change in attitude disturbed her. She looked at him as if he were a strange, alien being.

Suddenly, Sally felt herself being pulled by the arm. It was Amy, who took her close to where Sonic was, whom she also took by the arm by surprise and then hugged them both at the same time.

"Another plan that works out perfectly thanks to my two favorite people in the world!" said the pink hedgehog with a big smile.

"What can I say? Sally, the genius strategist, and I are a formidable duo..." Sonic conceded.

For Sally, seeing the hedgehog's smiling face was unsettling, as it felt "genuine." His tone of voice, his body language, everything screamed joy and carefreeness. For a second, she wondered if she had hallucinated the earlier argument.

"... Right, Acorn?" the hedgehog concluded, fixing his cold gaze on Sally. That horrible feeling again.

Sally remained silent, feigned the best smile she could, and went along with it. Everyone was happy, the mission had been a success, nothing to worry about, luckily...

Now...

Calm descended on the dining room when most of the teens had finished dinner. Only a handful of them were still sitting at the tables at the back, talking about their things in whispers and giggles so as not to attract attention. Jet and Wave had already left, while Storm remained in the kitchen washing the dishes. Amy had offered to help, but Storm insisted on doing it alone and that she finish her dinner. In reality, Amy just wanted to spend some time occupying her mind with something else, but sitting alone with her half-eaten plate, she had no choice but to reflect.

On the table was the Lacrima, the Indigo Orchid, free from its protective bubble, shining under the sober fluorescent light. Amy, resting her head on one arm and looking bored, played with it using her fork, moving its petals and leaves, tilting the pot slightly. She almost stuck the utensil into the soil, but stopped herself before doing so and continued eating.

She felt someone approach and take a seat to her left. She glanced over. It was Sonic. She looked away. She looked at him again and looked away over again. She began to stir the food on her plate while breathing to calm herself; she was nervous. When she looked back at the hedgehog, she noticed that he was also uncomfortable, playing with an empty can of Chaos-cola in his hands. Then she noticed him looking at the flower.

"You're a good caretaker. I don't think I've ever seen a flower last so long without wilting," the hedgehog finally said.

"It's actually a pretty resilient flower. I don't have to do much, just keep an eye on it."

"You told me it was a gift from her, right? From Ac..." Sonic paused for a moment, seeming to be debating something. "...from Sally."

Amy nodded.

"I wish I could have been the one to give you such a beautiful flower."

"And I wish you'd given me more flowers in general," Amy replied sarcastically.

"Hey, I tried, but the poor things can't stand going to Match 1."

"Of course not! flowers aren't like you."

"They're not, are they? But this little one does look a bit like you."

"I actually think she looks more like Sal."

"Really...?" Sonic remained silent for a moment, then reached out to gently touch the flower petals. "I'm really sorry for what I said..."

It took Amy a few seconds to understand what he was talking about, or who he was talking to.

"No, no! I apologize! You and Knux are right, I'm being very naive..."

"Nah, you're just being yourself. Always so optimistic and compassionate."

"But no amount of optimism takes away from the fact that the Freedom Fighters want our heads. Even if we got there empty-handed and waving a white flag... I doubt they'd invite us in for tea."

"We won't know until we try. Maybe if we put on our best puppy dog eyes and say 'pretty please,' we'll have a chance. With how adorable you are and my natural charm, I don't see why it wouldn't work."

Amy burst out laughing.

"I'm sure just your emerald gaze alone is enough to melt their hearts," Amy leaned toward the hedgehog, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "At least that's what happened to me."

Sonic also leaned toward Amy.

"And with your smile, you're sure to capture their souls, just like you did with me... Hey, where's your headband?" he was pointing to Amy's head.

The girl felt her head and, sure enough, her red headband was gone.

"Oh my gosh! My hair is going to be a mess if I don't find it! Maybe I dropped it while I was cooking. I'll be right back!" Amy got up and ran toward the kitchen, but halfway there she stopped and ran back to the table, created a bubble around the Lacrima before picking it up, kissed Sonic on the cheek, and then left again.

The hedgehog stood for a moment looking at the place where Amy had been, and something caught his attention. He crouched under the table and managed to reach something: Amy's red headband. At first he was amused by the discovery, but then a disturbing feeling of déjà vu ran down his spine. He felt the headband as if trying to make sure it was real. He looked around him; everything was in order. He pinched his cheek; he was awake.

"Are you sure?" the voice of "it" said in his head. "What if, instead of waking up that time, you just entered another nightmare?" "It" laughed maliciously.

"Then you lied to me," Sonic replied mentally.

Feist never lies, you impertinent hedgehog. Nightmares are not exclusive to the world of dreams. You could be living a nightmare in the flesh right now.

Sonic looked down at the half-empty tray Amy had left behind. It was polished and clear enough to reflect his face, and there he could see the dark circles under his eyes and the exhaustion on his face.

First time we've ever agreed on something, thought the hedgehog before turning his gaze outside the dining room.

The night was clear and cloudless. The moon shone in the sky, pristine and complete, as it was before it was destroyed by the Eclipse Cannon. It had returned to that state after The Union, one of the very few good things that came out of the event, and one of the signs of its magnitude and what it truly meant. The nomads called it "Luna Nova" and every night when the moon was full, they would gaze at it in awe. Sonic couldn't deny its beauty, but he was uncomfortable looking at it because it constantly reminded him that the world he knew seven years ago no longer existed.