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ukulele-mixtape · 4 months ago

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Maple Scraps: The Siren's Call Chapter uhh i don't remember actually omg

context: the obligatory beach episode. the gang go to the beach and tune (oc) gets knocked upside her head w a volleyball.

oh yeah and some more exposition or something idk i wanted to write a beach episode in April whatever

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

“Right over there should be fine, Tune.”

Tune nodded, setting down wooden storage containers full of equipment atop the mountain stack of other large boxes of supplies. Amy was right behind her, setting down the last few boxes of the medical supplies next to Tune’s, wiping her sweaty forehead and resting her body against the stack.

A whole month. It’d been a whole month since Tune had arrived. She was very short of the rings she’d need to get a train to New Mobotropolis from Emeraldville. No amount of busking out in the open could help her plight, especially not in this economy and especially because her choice of music didn’t really vibe well with the people of Emeraldville, or its surrounding cities. She had understood that the grungy rock music she was accustomed to playing wasn’t vibing well with the general public, mainly due to its…not so favorable about life attitude surrounding her lyrics.

To top it all off, she refused to ever entertain the idea of asking for funds from anyone, given how expensive the ticket was and especially because she didn’t want anything being tracked back to her on the day she left. What if I just went to another city? Tune would ponder. The closest I’d get is Station Square again, and from there it’d be Westopolis, and that’s an even more expensive drive, plus there’s like a million watch dogs from GUN. She considered actually taking the plunge to make enough money to book it out of the country, but remembered she didn’t have a passport, and it would cost a good sum just to get one. She wondered how she survived this long without any semblance of proper identification.

Tune was getting increasingly antsy. The voices she’d stolen swarmed around her vocal chords madly, like if they were begging to be released. And soon enough, as the weeks went by, she was seeing more and more wanted posters of her likeness, or what anyone was able to garner from the little they’d remember of her performances, littered across each wall of any town she’d occasionally get the chance to visit. They were all the same level of vague:

WANTED: VOICE STEALER CODENAME: THE SIREN PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES UNIDENTIFIED MEDIUM RANGED VOCAL REGISTER USUALLY INVOLVED IN PERFORMANCES IN UNDERGROUND VENUES AUTHORITIES WARN TO PROTECT ANY AND ALL CAMERAS OR ELECTRONICS IN VICINITY ANY INFORMATION REGARDING APPEARANCE OR WHEREABOUTS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY.

She didn’t know whether or not to be thankful that the police barely had anything on her, but Tune was still put off nonetheless, especially by her uncannily spot on nickname “The Siren”. She’d heard about folklore describing sirens, mythical creatures who lived in rocky islands and lured sailors to their deaths with their enchanting voices. And while she wasn’t outwardly killing anyone, she had no reason to, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she portrayed that title almost too well, and it ached in her heart immensely. She may not have been mythical, but she was a monster nonetheless. A thief to the freedoms of people she had no claim over.

Tune contemplated time and time again whether or not the whole ordeal was even worth it. That maybe, just maybe, she could spend the rest of her life here at the Restoration. The stability was keeping her sane, her mind and power in check. Alto’s frequency had completely escaped her, and hadn’t arisen for the whole time since she took Sonic’s voice. She was a bit more happier as days went on. She was eating more at Silver’s request (who soon got everyone else on board to ensure it), she was working harder for a cause that she couldn’t really understand, but kept her busy. It was all she needed for now. Just something quiet to keep her steady. But she knew deep down this was hollow. She couldn’t stay much longer, but couldn’t find a sustainable way to leave without drawing suspicion.

And it didn’t help that, unbeknownst to her, Tune was getting quite attached to her newfound companions.

“Thanks for the help,” Amy sighed. “I know I must have caught you at a bad time. The supply depot just needed an extra pair of hands because someone called in sick for the day.”

“Nah, I’m not doing much these days.” Tune replied flatly, following suit and sliding her body down the neatly stacked wooden piles with a big stretch of her arms. “Besides, gotta make myself useful somehow. Put me to work whenever.”

Amy gave a slightly strained hum, quiet enough for Tune to not bat an eye at it, as she shuffled towards the raccoon girl’s side and tilted her head, allowing her quills to fall and hang off her face.

“We’ve been over this, Tune. This is a–” she began.

“Volunteer effort, I know.” Tune groaned out, her arm resting on her knee and hand going for a casual grab at her cheek. She didn’t look at Amy, only choosing to look forward as she watched the people around her, scattered across, still continuing their business checking off tasks with their clipboards and riding forklifts and pushing hand trucks. “You don’t have to keep reminding me. I’m doing the job y’all want me to do willingly, isn’t that good?”

Amy pouted her lips, placing the tips of her fingers on the surface of the stacks of boxes behind her. “But do you even want this?”

“Doesn’t matter what I want right now.” Tune said matter-of-factly. “What matters is that I can help so I can repay my debts I've already taken on.”

“I thought we told you we aren’t asking for anything.” Amy let out another sigh. “If you don’t want to help, it’s fine.”

“Rosy–” Amy shook her head in defiance, walking right up to Tune, taking her clawed hands and pulling her up to force her to stand. Tune stumbled a bit, but managed to find her footing.

“Tune, it’s not about just working all day, everyday.” Amy softly lectured. “We want you to do this because we want you to want it. It should make you feel fulfilled, like if you’re accomplishing something good.”

Amy’s brow creased. “If this makes you satisfied, if it makes you happy, we’re glad to have you here.” She pleaded. “But, if you’re not happy, if there’s something wrong...”

“There’s nothing wrong, Rosy. I promise I’m fine. Believe it or not I’m happy to be here, honest.” Tune would steal a hand away to place it atop Amy’s shoulder in an attempt at reassurance, squeezing it a bit, a small smile straining on her face that anyone could tell didn’t match her eyes. Amy still looked unconvinced, her pout still lingering, her eyes still scanning everything Tune had to offer.

“Then, if there’s nothing wrong, I want you to do something for me.” Amy said, holding on to Tune’s hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, Jewel Bug’s office needs re-organizing, I know.” Tune said openly.

Amy shook her head, a little giggle escaping her lips at Tune’s nickname for Jewel. “No, none of that today, silly. In fact, it’s actually about that thing I’ve been mentioning.”

Tune frowned, turning her head away to not catch Amy’s overwhelming gaze.

“You mean about the beach?” She muttered out, her bushy tail wrapping around her waist. Amy nodded, her tail wagging in response.

“Yeah!” she giddily exclaimed, her grip on Tune’s hand tightening ever so slightly. “I think it’d be a nice way for us to get some air and spend time with each other. Y’know, to get away from the stuffiness that can sometimes creep up from HQ.”

…It did sound quite enticing. She’d never admit it, but Tune was quite homesick. Having sand between her toes and the smell of seawater flooding her nose again as she gazed upon a vast ocean of beauty sounded wonderful after who knows how long she’d been away. But even still, Tune shook her head.

“...Pass.” she said instinctively.

“Whaaat?” Another pout from Amy, a whine sounding off from her mouth. “Oh come on, Tune. The beaches around here are absolutely beautiful. The one near Green Hill especially this time of year.”

“I just don’t think I’m ready for the whole ‘family gathering’ thing right now.” Tune shifted her weight on one leg, kicking the other behind her.

“We’re not inviting the whole Restoration here, sweetheart.” Amy joked playfully. “Just a little get together with some friends, maybe a nice barbecue. You get in the water, maybe build a sandcastle or even just chill out by the coast.”

“Rosy��” Tune whined.

“And,” Amy’s voice turned mischievous. “You can watch Sonic, Silver, Tangle and Whisper absolutely obliterate each other in volleyball.”

“Those two against Tangle and Whisper? I feel like their marriage would end on the spot with how competitive they are.”

“Hey, if any of them were married I’d be the first to know, for your information.”

Without realizing it, Tune snorted, a thin sheepish smile spreading across her face, only serving to encourage Amy, the pink hedgehog shaking her hips in anticipation. Before the girls could get another word out, suddenly, something from above fell down and landed just next to them. Red and white sneakers, a blue exterior and piercing green irises attached to a very, very cocky aura was all that was needed to announce the surprise guest on scene.

“Oh, Sonic!” Amy released her grip on Tune to clasp her hands together, warm energy radiating from her face. “We were just talking about you, if you’d believe.”

Sonic scratched under his nose confidently with a hand on his hips, his foot tapping away at nothing. His mouth opened as he quickly signed off on something with enthusiasm, but realized what he was doing and rolled his eyes, ready to pull out his phone.

“She wants to have a barbecue.” Tune didn’t realize what she had done before Sonic’s eyes widened in shock. Still unsure, she spoke. “...What?”

“Hey, you never told us you knew sign language, Tune.” Amy chirped in.

Tune’s entire body went beet red, her tail clenching and prickling up from the embarrassment. “I-I don’t!! I just…I-I picked up on a few things, that’s all!”

“He rarely ever signs at us, though?” Amy pressed on, despite the raccoon girl's protest. “Did you…look into this recently or something?”

“Amy, are we doing this beach thing or not?!” Sonic snickered mutedly, rewarding himself with a glare in his direction by his victim. “C-cut it out! I didn’t learn for your sake, you jerk. I’ve been known. You ain’t special.”

Sonic crossed his arms and leaned in a bit while nodding her head in false agreement, mouthing a teasing “Oh I’m sure.”

“Sorry, I don’t speak ‘shithead’.” Tune retorted unamused, causing Sonic to blow a raspberry in her direction.

“Alright you two, that’s enough.” Amy called out, her hands raised at the both of them. “Sonic, are you interested?” The speedster nodded, kicking off and wrapping an arm around Tune’s neck casually, Tune jolting at his touch trying to get him off by flicking his face, Sonic’s face contorting into what ended up being a silent sneeze. Amy rolled her eyes.

“Then, it’s settled!” she cheered, clapping her hands together. “Let’s go to the beach!”

–

“I look to a starry sky, Knowing on the Other Side of Night The coming light is beaming bright as never before.”

Of course this would be Tangle’s choice in the playlist. The car ride over to the beach was quite energetic. It wasn’t a long drive by any means, about fifteen minutes at most. But in that time, jams would be blasted through the speakers of Amy’s sports car unapologetically loud, Tangle and Amy snapping their fingers and pumping their fists in the air to the beat of the mood thumping rhythm, Whisper politely tapping her palms against her knees, quietly humming along. Tune sat in the front passenger seat gazing out the window, unable to control the way her foot lightly tapped to the infectious energy pouring through, her head bopping rhythmically.

“Every fear I had has gone away, Promises of joy are here to stay,” Tangle belted out with her whole chest from her side of the rear seat next to Whisper. “Another day when we can do this over again, All over again!”

She gave an energetic fist pump in the air, cheering a loud “Wooh!” to the skies above and anyone else lucky enough to witness. Amy giggled as she drove off, turning the wheel slightly as the road curved, revealing more and more of the ocean beyond.

“This is so exciting!” Amy exclaimed. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to this area with you guys. We really need to do this more often.”

“Sure thing, Ames!” said Tangle gleefully. “We don’t get a lot of time together outside fighting off Eggman’s goons, it’s good that we’re hanging out again. Helps that we’ve got a new musically inclined member to the group this time around.” With that, Tangle used her tail to stretch out towards Tune’s head, ruffling her hair playfully. Tune made a surprised, sharp noise from her mouth, like she was coughing up something, her hands instinctively going to swipe away at Tangle’s wagging tail.

“Hey, knock it off!” Tune whined irritably, the girls giggling in response.

“Say, I have an idea: why don’t you pick out the next track, Tune?” Tangle suggested, pulling out her phone and using her tail once more to plop it safely onto her lap.

“That’s a great idea, Tangle!” said Amy. “Anything you want, let’s hear what you’ve got.”

“I’m cool with anything really, why don’t you do it, Top Gun?” Tune bashfully muttered, already hating the attention, turning her head and trying to hand the phone to the lone wolf quietly sitting in the back. Whisper shook her head and held up her hand in denial, beckoning her to continue.

“Come on, what’s the musical genius’ favorite jam?” Tangle excitedly bounced in place, poking at the edges of Tune’s seat.

“I’m just a hobbyist, not some prodigy. And I like everything I can listen to, even the crappy stuff.” Tune corrected nonchalantly. She could see Tangle’s exceedingly disappointed face through the rear-view mirror, an over exaggerated cartoon-like glisten in her eyes. Tune sighed in defeat, tapping away at the phone presented to her. “But I mean, I guess I can go by the vibe today. Let’s see here…”

Tune scrolled until she found the song she was looking for, a high energy, funky, feel good anthem, presented with a picture of a model spaceship with a strikingly plain orange background. She tapped the play button, and the music began in earnest.

“You say that bolder doesn't always mean better But sometimes you gotta think outside of the box You limit every little step that you're taking And always take a second glance at the clock”

The three smiled excitedly, the road trip getting just a bit more energetic. Amy was careful to eye the road, but given no other people trying to tail behind or around her, she gave into the groove a bit more than she would normally, rocking her shoulders to the beat and absolutely beaming, her foot going a bit stronger on the gas. Tangle rose her arms out with reckless abandon, yelping out quick cheers into the wind. Whisper rocked her head back and forth, reaching her hand out to tap it against the outer part of the car door lightly.

“Don't you wanna look a little bit further, To see what's there for you to find? There is more for you than what's on your mind!”

A woosh from the distance caught everybody by surprise, Sonic and Silver greeting the four from right next to each other, Silver flying with a large backpack strapped to his back, giving an excited wave of his hand, and Sonic giving a playful wink and a flick of his two fingers in salute as he ran across the road on…foot?!

“Dude, did you run all the way here?!” Tune exclaimed wide eyed, peeling off her sunglasses in a frenzy. Surely, he couldn’t be this fast. There was no way.

“This is pretty on brand of him, actually.” Amy said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Tune whipped her head back towards her, and then back at the hedgehog duo beside them.

“That can’t be normal…I mean, I knew he was fast but still.”

“Well, how else is he gonna get a race in?” Tangle challenged, eyeing Sonic directly mischievously, her hands gripping the window sheild’s base. “He knows Amy would wipe the floor with him if he was driving his silly little patty wagon, so he needs a handicap.”

“Tangle, don’t encourage him. I’m driving on a public road with a speed limit attached.” Amy warned.

“I don’t see anybody nearby, do you?” Tangle shrugged playfully.

Sonic’s competitive spirit kicked into overdrive, signaling a countdown towards Amy. He held up his hand, fingers counting down from five, Silver giving the audible cue.

“Sonic, no!” Amy scolded, though Tune could see the way her foot tapped on that gas pedal, her knee pumping up and down and both hands going for the steering wheel, gripping tight. Oh no…

“You maybe wanna not do this today, Needlemouse?” Tune’s voice cracked, eliciting a giggle from Whisper.

“Four, three,” Silver counted as Sonic’s fingers lowered.

“Y’all better quit it right now!” Tune was getting desperate, already tightening her seatbelt to the furthest it could go, hands gripping to her seat like her life depended on it.

“Two, one…”

“Step on it, Amy!” Tangle screamed out with a pointed finger forward.

“GO!”

If the competition was to find out who could release the most blood curdling scream, Tune would win by a landslide, her voice comically echoing into the atmosphere. The adrenaline rush was nerve wracking as it was intoxicating, watching as Amy pressed hard on the gas and the girl's body keeling backwards from the sudden momentum. Sonic took off in a flash, Silver following right behind him, his legs barely visible from the overwhelming pace he was setting. Everyone could see the ocean just beyond the horizon, getting closer and closer with each passing second.

“Amy, I swear to every deity in the sky if you don’t win this…!” Tune blurted out, hearing Tangle whooping from the back of her seat. “Seriously, what the hell is the end goal here?!”

Amy could only laugh with the confidence of a madwoman, allowing her car to skid across the road once they reached another curve. She would just barely graze past Sonic’s form, Silver slowing down a bit to take in as a makeshift referee.

“First one to the beach’s parking lot wins, and I'll be watching!” Silver called out, causing Sonic to up the ante and move his legs so quick Tune could see them spiraling into what looked to be an infinity symbol from Amy’s side mirror.

He took off quickly, the gust of wind so massive Amy’s sunhat almost went with it, Whisper just barely catching it from behind her seat, keeping it to herself as the car sped off right behind him. Eventually, the gang reached a small hill on the road, but as much as Tune was silently begging her not to with a pleading eye and a pathetic whimper, Amy took one look at Sonic, who turned his head to face Amy and pulled his lower eyelid down, tongue sticking out teasingly, and it was game over from there on.

Amy hit the pedal even harder, the speed limit of the universe seemingly having been breached, the speedometer encased in the glass panel on the driver’s seat going so far down there was a chance it’d break off its hinges. The car reached the hill and reached into the air, everyone on board screaming joyfully, Tune for dear life. All the while, the music Tune had been instructed to play just moments earlier was still blasting from Amy’s speakers, the chorus conveniently kicking in.

“Everything you wish for is just another dream away, So just pluck up the courage! Can't you feel your heart it is beating underneath your skin, For you to begin?”

The car bounced back onto the ground hard, the girl’s bodies following the rhythm of its flow, Amy not letting up in the slightest, just barely managing to snake by Sonic and find herself not too far from the parking lot. She hit the breaks quickly and swerved, the car making a screeching noise as it skidded against the pavement. Sonic was right on top, skidding his shoes down the floor, sparks and gravel harshly breaking from the force. Tangle was cheering uncontrollably, Amy gasping for air with a sweaty brow, Whisper’s tail wagging with vigor…and Tune melting into putty in her seat.

“That was awesome!! Let’s do it again!” Tangle gestured to Silver wildly, ripping off her seatbelt and basically springing out from the car, Whisper choosing to take the normal way out and open the door. Amy followed suit, grabbing her hat back from Whisper’s careful hands when she and her met, and Tune just kind of stood in place in her seat with the belt still attached to her body, her eyes still trying to adjust to her new environment.

“Who won, who won?” Sonic signed off energetically at Silver, causing his partner to laugh heartily.

“I dunno, it came preeetty close, darling.” Silver teased, adjusting his bag and floating downward, his feet lightly tapping against the pavement.

“Oh, it was obviously Amy.” Tangle refuted with a tail wrapping around Amy and pulling her forward, causing Amy to giggle. “She wiped the floor with you in that powerhouse!”

“Girl, it better have been Rosy.” Tune exasperatedly called out, finally managing to exit her seat and wobbling to the group. “I almost lost my life today.”

Sonic signed off yet again, slower so Tune could read properly.

“We can always go again to make absolutely sure.” He teased with a wink in her direction.

“Yeah, y’all do that while I go and do the thing we actually came here for.” Tune clapped back, fixing up her frizzy hair. Everyone around her had a hearty group laugh, a small smile gracing Tune’s features as she hummed softly.

“Hey, yeah, there we go,” Silver beamed. “That’s the look we wanna see!”

A blush settled in, Tune adjusting her glasses with the tips of her two fingers, wrapping her tail around her waist.

“Yeah, well don’t get used to it, Floats.” she passively said, but her tone didn’t quite match the smile growing further, not bothering to give him the satisfaction of her getting to see his pleased expression.

“Don’t tempt us, we might just have to try harder to keep it there.” Sonic signed off to her with another wink.

She huffed out a breath through her nose, gesturing with her head to Amy to open the trunk of her car. The group took a few items each from the trunk they had accumulated for the trip: a few beach chairs, umbrellas, some towels, a small backpack that Tune had snagged at a thrift shop with a portable speaker built inside (which itself contained some essentials like sunscreen, portable batteries and first aid equipment), a basket owned by Amy containing a carefully curated selection of snacks and other goodies for them to eat, a cooler filled with ice and beverages, another one for the barbecue ingredients, and of course, volleyball and sand castle equipment.

Tune took her backpack out, wrapping the bands around her shoulders before trying to go for a chair and one of the coolers, but Silver’s aura snaked its way to carefully take the cooler away from her hands. When she looked at him in confusion, he simply uttered “I’ll be taking that.” with a warm smile, before heading off to meet the others who were already making their way towards the sandy beach, the cooler floating close behind.

Tune watched as they walked as a group, staying just a bit further away, enamored by the community just beyond her. Tangle had her tail laced around Whisper’s shoulder, Amy giddily talking to Sonic as he and Silver held each other’s hands. All the while smiles were on each and every one of their faces, like if they were all just a big happy family. Another genuine smile, albeit unsure, formed across Tune’s face, this time a bit wider as she saw Sonic turn his head around, scooping up air in a gesture for her to hurry up.

This is okay. For now, I can try to enjoy this.

Tune kicked off phantom dirt from her sneakers, and trotted off to meet the rest of the gang, the familiar scent of seawater gracing her nostrils.

–

As Amy had promised, the beach right beside Green Hill was beautiful, almost wistfully so. It stretched a good long way, was surprisingly not crowded and most importantly, it was quiet. The water was a clear blue, reflecting the completely cloudless sky, and the sand while burning hot was still cleaned and free of any man made debris. A few beach chairs and umbrellas surrounded the area, while some people had blankets on the ground already soaking in the summer sun. The wind blew lightly against the group's skins, the salty water perfectly settling in on the comfortably warm atmosphere.

The gang each took a respective task once they found a comfortable space to lay their things. Towels were placed on the warm sand, beach chairs were unpacked and unfolded and umbrellas were neatly perched atop the chairs. The cooler was opened revealing an assortment of sodas, juices and water bottles for them to enjoy, courtesy of Amy and Whisper. Amy had set aside her basket full of snacks and sandwiches to enjoy, as well as things to cook for the barbecue they had sat around to use. Tangle and Sonic wasted no time searching for the nearest spot to set up a volleyball game, while Whisper and Silver finished gathering up the paper plates Amy kept in her basket. Tune set her bag down, fiddling with the speakers and grabbing at her phone kept snug in one of the side pockets.

“Y’all got any requests?” she’d ask the group setting up beside her, watching from a distance as Tangle and Sonic ran around the open sand setting up their makeshift court.

“You’re the musician here, surely you should have some sort of playlist for an occasion like this.” teased Silver, adding the final adjustments to one of the last beach umbrellas. Tune boredly stuck her tongue out in a playful response, pulling up a premade playlist titled “SUMMER VIBEZ” from a list of already crafted tracklists she’d made in her spare time.

“Guess I’m doing everythin’ here, huh?” She rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky I just so happen to do this for fun, but I don’t guarantee you’d like any of the stuff I listen to.”

“So as long as we can have fun, that’s all that really matters.” Amy brightly said.

Tune reciprocated the look the pink hedgehog gave in kind, pressing play on her screen and allowing the music to float into the air.

“The game has begun, gals and pals!” Tangle called out with a wave of her hand, using her tail to spring up into the air to gain more attention from her friends. Amy giggled watching as Whisper and Silver ran up to meet the others, Whisper’s tail wagging as she greeted Tangle with a hug and Sonic and Silver giving each other the most boyish of high fives Tune had ever seen, it was almost like they weren’t dating with how goofily friendly they’d behave in comparison to the girls. Amy followed suit, glancing up at Tune who had situated herself atop a beach chair underneath an umbrella.

“You’re not tagging along?” Amy asked. Tune shook her head.

“Naw, I’ll probably just watch from here.” She said, waving her hand up and down. “It’s comfy. Got a nice view. Besides, I get tired easily. Those guys look like they’d go on forever if you let ‘em.”

Amy hummed, smiling once more at the racoon girl with a nod. “Well, if you ever wanna get in on this, you let us know.”

“Bet.”

Tune watched as Amy walked away to meet with her friends, her preppy sundress bouncing against her figure as she did, holding onto her sunhat and sandals clapping against her feet with each step. She saw as Amy stood in the middle, holding up her hands and shouted some things Tune couldn’t quite make out, as the game began and Tangle gave the first serve of the day. It was mesmerizing watching them play, Tangle and Whisper working together in complete sync as they tackled the ball.

Even with Sonic’s inability to speak, Silver and him still were managing just fine, at some point Silver would hoist Sonic’s whole body up with his interlaced hands, allowing him to catch and spike the ball to the other side with a kick of his foot, Tangle easily thwacking it back with a swipe of her tail. Silver would catch it, bouncing it back to Whisper’s side, a bit too far for her, forcing her to have to body the floor to pass it to Tangle, who managed to get a good spike before Sonic was able to properly react and grab the point.

They went on like that for a good while, and Tune made a note that the way these people played felt as if they were training in the octagon for some big tournament, Amy enthusiastically reffing the whole way through. Tune grimaced, thanking her lucky stars that she made the right call to not be involved. She helped herself to a water in the nearby cooler, choosing the cheaper option from the selection and setting down a few rings in its place from her bag as payment.

Tune sipped quietly as she just took in the vibes of her playlist, sitting a bit further into the beach chair. She’d eye back and forth between the ocean before her and the basket full of food Amy had left behind, deciding it’d be best for her to eat now before Silver got mad. She sifted through the basket for a bit before taking out what looked to be a strawberry cream filled cornet from a fancy bakery, placing a few more rings in its place and unwrapping it with care. She closed her eyes and with a small “Thanks for the food”, she went to take a bite…

And that’s when something hard landed square at her, smashing the cornet right into her face.

“Sonic!” Amy groaned out, rushing towards the raccoon who was still trying to find out why the world was spinning, the cream of her pastry plastered all over her face, bits of the breading already leaking into her chest fur. “This is why I always say don’t kick-spike!”

Sonic’s face was wide eyed, sheepishly scratching at the back of his neck as he followed the others alongside Amy.

“Gwuh…?” Tune’s dizzy voice rang out, watching as at least eight repeats of the same Rosy she knew grabbed napkins to wipe the cream off, spouting something she couldn’t quite comprehend. “Run that by me again, Rosy?”

“I asked if you were okay,” Amy worriedly said, glaring at Sonic with a thin lipped pout, who’d reached into the cooler in search of a bottle of water for Amy to use to clean Tune up a bit more. “These guys can be so reckless sometimes, I swear.”

“Sonic…?” Tune questioned, still not quite coherent. He came by to her side swiftly, inaudibly mouthed off something to Amy before she backed off and allowed Sonic to take the reins, carefully swiping off any of the pastry left on Tune’s lap, eyeing her face in concern.

“Wow Sonic, are you trying to give her a concussion or something?” Tangle called out teasingly.

“Yeah because it’s totally not like you didn’t use your tail a majority of that match.” Silver interjected.

“I’m not the one who spiked the ball at the new girl’s face, though.” Tangle clapped back with a giggle.

“It was a bit reckless on all our parts.” Whisper muttered out.

Tune, finally able to process the scene unfurling, gazed back at him, eyes traveling to the group worriedly staring down at her, and then back to her body still covered with crumbs and cream sticking to her swim top and a bit of her jean shorts.

“Sorry about that, you good?” he mouthed to Tune, clearly embarrassed. It was a refreshing look in comparison to his usual shiteating demeanor, a face that she was completely unfamiliar with. Sonic was waiting with baited breath, like if he was expecting an angry, mouthful of a reaction. But what he got instead, what everyone witnessed alongside him, was something much more unexpected.

She snorted, her face contorted, her teeth were bared and then…

She laughed.

She blurted out uncontrollably, hugging her stomach. She laughed hard for the first time in years, for the first time in front of anyone in so long. It was genuine, it was unfiltered. She had an ugly, goofy cackling laugh, tears were forming in her eyes from the pressure. She could barely keep herself together, having to hold on to Sonic’s shoulder unknowingly to keep steady, unable to stop herself from making a scene. She was so loud even the neighboring beach-goers around the group could hear. All the same, it was cathartic, it was exactly what the group had been working towards this whole time.

“I completely ate dirt, oh my gosh!” Tune was turning red, crumbs still falling on her face. She looked crazy, trying to wipe them off but falling into another laughing fit once they’d unceremoniously be scattered onto Sonic’s nearby shoes. She fell to her side on the chair as she cried out, “I guess this is payback for last time, ain’t it Needlemouse–pfft–hahaha!”

“I think she actually might have a concussion…” Whisper uttered for Tangle’s ears only, Tangle nodding in agreement nervously as Tune’s laughter became too much, eliciting giggles and chuckles from the rest of the gang. Tune’s cackling died out slowly, small giggles still bubbling from her in bursts, finally able to retain her composure. She caught Sonic’s now slightly flushed expression, patting his head in assurance, finally smiling toothily at him for the first time since they’d met, warm and inviting.

“Don’t worry, now we’re even.” She jested. “But you do owe me some food.”

Sonic’s composure relaxed with her words, nodding excitedly before getting up and snagging Amy’s basket, fiddling through it until he managed to find another one of the cornets. It wasn't strawberry, just a basic chocolate, but Tune took it nonetheless. She grabbed at her bag and pulled out her ring purse, grabbing a few more and placing it into the basket. Sonic stood there confused, Silver quick to call her out.

“Hey, Tune, are you trying to pay for it?” Silver groaned out, walking to the basket, Tune trying to quickly put the ring purse away knowing what was coming. Unfortunately for her, she was head to head with a man with psychic abilities and a speedster faster than sound, Silver going after her ring purse and Sonic grabbing the rings from the basket, plus the extra she left for the other cornet, giving them to Silver to put back in the purse despite the musicians’ protests.

“Oh please, it was just for this one cornet, it’s fine.” Tune refuted, her voice once again cracking, trying to reach for her purse.

“We did bring these for all of us to share, you know.” Amy scolded. “It’s not something we’re expecting you to pay for.”

“Guys? There’s some more in the drink cooler.” Tangle called out, reaching for a soda and pulling out the extra rings Tune had left.

“Tune!” Amy whined out with puffed out cheeks. Silver snagged the other rings with his power unamused, placing them gently into the purse before reaching for Tune’s bag and securing the purse inside.

“None of that today.” he simply stated, smiling. “Remember, you’re here to have fun!”

“But Floats–” Tune tried for it once more.

“Nope, today’s a day for you to be unapologetically selfish.”

“But I can’t just–” Before she could finish, Sonic was the first to act, stealing her cornet from her hands and taking a bite from the pointed tip, Tune’s eyes going wide, completely dumbfounded when he handed it back to her. He signed to her with a shrug, his shit eating grin back.

“Today’s a day for us to be selfish, so you snooze, you lose!”

“Don’t make me change my mind about that ‘getting even’ thing, blue.” Tune rolled her eyes and pulled apart the area where Sonic bit, handing over to him and reluctantly took a bite of the other side, talking with her mouth full as she watched as Sonic snickered mutedly. “Don’t you have a volleyball game to lose?”

“Eh, we could all use a break. Call it a draw for now.” Tangle’s voice rang, lifting the cooler with the barbecue ingredients inside. “Besides, I think it’s high time we got grilling right?”

–

After feasting off piles of snacks, barbecue chili dogs and tasty grilled veggie skewers, the match would continue, with Sonic and Silver just barely managing to scrape by with a two point lead at the very end. The rest of the day was spent building sandcastles and playing in the water after such a long, strenuous game. Tune sat by the coast, watching as Tangle, Whisper and Amy would splash salt water at each other, their giggles creating an intoxicatingly happy atmosphere.

Tune didn’t participate much and she made the deliberate choice to stay a bit farther away from the group, but she was outside, she was taking in the air. For her, for now, it was enough. Tune felt the water drift along her now bare feet, choosing to leave her sneakers by their spot on the beach. She was far enough that it wouldn’t soak her shorts, but close enough that she could feel the soothing, familiar way the waves would push and pull against the current. If she squinted hard enough, she could probably see her homeland from the horizon line, just out of reach.

She watched as Amy would get her face dunked into the water by Tangle, Whisper in response pulling lightly at her tail and causing Tangle to dramatically (and purposefully) fall, the three giggling the whole time. Like they had no cares in the world. Tune felt herself being swept away in the moment, content, being fully immersed for the first time in a while. She’d be used to the feeling when it came to producing or engaging in music, but it always came at the expense of her associating it with her mission. Something that, despite the circumstances that lead her here, despite associating with one of her victims, she hadn’t really paid any mind to for a while, regardless of some hiccups here and there. But here with the Restoration, with them? It felt natural, real. It felt like she could really see herself staying with these people for a while.

And even despite their insistence that today could be a day where she could be a bit more selfish, Tune couldn’t help but feel the shame of her happiness, knowing her people wouldn’t be able to bask in that same feeling with her.

“I can’t keep doing this…” she thought, hugging her knees as she continued to gaze out. “I told myself from the start I’d break every part of myself and everyone around me to free them. If I truly am the only one that made it out, all I’m doing is abandoning what I set out here to do by choosing to stay. Alto is getting stronger by the day, and I’m wasting time partying and helping these..strangers. I’m the only one who can protect these people from falling victim to Alto’s hold, but it’s like I’m giving up on saving them by wasting my time here…” Her clawed hands gripped at her knees tighter, the sand turning to wet mud and the water losing its purity in her eyes. It was no longer the breathtaking scenery from just moments prior, it was morphed into just their most basic components: a vast ocean of water, and the decomposed rocks that formed the sandy shores they stood on.

“...I’m failing them.” she unconsciously uttered, so low no one could possibly hear.

“Failing who?”

Tune’s eyes widened as she sharply rose and jerked her head to the side, Sonic and Silver hand in hand above her. They sat down on opposite sides of Tune, Sonic taking her left and Silver her right. She adjusted her glasses once more, trying to conceal her flushed cheeks as they inched closer to get themselves comfy. From the distance, she could see the girls who were once in the water going far beyond her peripheral vision, Tangle’s voice echoing something about an “ice cream stand near the boardwalk”.

“N-no one!” she tried to retort. “You don’t think it’s a little rude to eavesdrop on a person like that, Floats?”

Silver wasn’t buying her attempt to change the subject in the slightest, his neutral, unreadable expression being perfectly lit by the daylight, the sun ever so slowly descending down as the late afternoon began. Sonic was the first to initiate, placing a hand on Tune’s shoulder. She didn’t bother looking at any of them, choosing to stay glued to the water.

“You know, this is the second time we’ve caught you brooding like this.” Silver jested passively. “I just wish sometimes you’d tell us what’s on your mind.”

“I’m sorry…” Tune said instinctively. “I must be ruining the vibe right now. I can be better, I just need a minute.”

Sonic shook his head, tapping at her forearm in an attempt to get her to look as he signed for her.

“You’re not ruining anything, we just want to check in. Make sure you’re good.”

“I’m noticing how often y’all feel the need to do that.” She wanted it to be mean, but Tune couldn’t help the huff from her nose from coming out, endearment laced in her tone.

“It’s because we care about you. And we want to help whatever’s going on.” signed Sonic earnestly. “Can’t really do that if we don’t know what the problem is.” His words brought her back to the day she and Sonic met, not that he’d remember. The day he had her pinned down, the day she took his voice away, he’d said something similar. It only served to nag at her psyche ever since.

“But this isn’t fair to you guys. You aren’t some therapists that are getting paid to listen to my problems.” Another hand, Silver’s, was gently placed on to her other shoulder. The waves crashed softly against the current.

“Is it so hard to believe that we’re doing this because we just…want to?” Silver asked. “I really don’t mean any disrespect, but I just wonder why you feel the need to push people away so hard.” He hesitated with his last words, fiddling with his open palm tree shirt. “Do you…not like being here?”

Tune sunk further into herself, her heart aching at Silver’s words. The disappointment radiating from him was unbearable. “Of course not! I…I think the problem is I like it here too much.” She said openly, sighing. “You guys…I really like hanging out with you. But it doesn’t help either of us by getting attached.”

“What do you mean?” she finally gave in and looked at Silver’s pleading gaze. Without having to speak, he was basically begging her to spill anything she had to offer. It tore her from the inside. It ate into her stomach until there was nothing left.

“I just…” Tune hesitated, she felt the way her heart started to pound, trying to contemplate what she would say. What could she say? If she said anything of value, she’d be deemed their enemy on the spot. It made no sense for her to relay anything about herself. It was dumb, it was shallow, pointless, reckless…and yet she continued, as vaguely as she could. “I… have a history of being let down by people in the past. I hurt people, and I get hurt by others. It’s just part of my brand, I guess.”

“Is that what you’re afraid of? Hurting us?” Sonic signed curiously.

“I just don’t want you guys to feel like I’m owed your time, that you need to try and make me feel better or something because of your Hero code or whatever. What happened to me in my past to make me this way shouldn’t concern you.”

“So you’d rather just…stay alone? When you obviously want to be here? What sense do you think that makes?”

“Sense enough that I don’t get hurt. And I don’t hurt you.” She said almost immediately, like she was sure the conversation would die there.

“But you are hurting.” Silver said with a somber confidence. “And it hurts us to know that you’re…not okay right now. When there’s a chance we can help.”

The pit grew once more in Tune’s stomach. “...You shouldn’t want to help me.”

“But we do. And we’re not going to stop caring just because you want us to.” Sonic nimbly signed. A moment passed, Tune soaking in his words.

“Can I share something with you?” Silver titled his head to meet her gaze once more. She nodded wordlessly, prompting him to continue. “The future I come from was always a mess. Everyone was so angry and sad, devoid of any hope. It was hard for me to even get it together half of the time. But once I got here, I started noticing how beautiful the world truly was. And how I wanted nothing more than to protect it.”

“What are you getting at?” Tune pondered curiously.

“I’m saying I have experience with this level of despair.” He continued, his grip on Tune’s shoulder tightening slightly as if to emphasize his point. “I won’t say I know the full extent of what you’re going through, but I do know what damage such a state of mind can land you in. Having people to guide you through it can help, but it’s only if you let yourself be open to the idea.”

“Can you let us in, Tune?” Sonic signed out to her gently with a warm expression. Tune could only look down, unsure of what to say, millions of emotions circling across her features.

Silver got in position to stand up suddenly, lifting his body upwards and then reaching down for Tune’s hand with a soft smile. He wiggled his fingers in anticipation. She stared him down, unsure of what to make of his gesture, lifting her hand slightly, but hesitant to take that next step. Reluctantly, she grazed her fingers against his own, and he excitedly hoisted her up, pulling her in for a hug.

Tune froze against his sudden embrace with a tiny yelp, overloaded with sensation all at once. She wasn’t sure where she should put her hands, her arms glued down below as Silver placed his chin atop her shoulder, his arms lacing against her back. Tune would catch Sonic’s warm glow, using his arms to motion inwardly. Reluctantly, timidly and completely unprepared, Tune shakily wrapped her arms around Silver’s shoulders, her small stature making her look more like a consoled child. Her mind was going a million miles a minute as Silver tightened his grip on her, dragging soothing circles across her upper back.

“How long has it been since you’ve even gotten to do this with someone?” Silver gently asked, not expecting an answer. “The way you talk, the way you act…It’s like you’re depriving yourself of something so inherently common.”

“...It’s been a long time…” Tune could barely get the words out, her body slowly relaxing into his touch. “I don’t have many people in my life to do this with anymore.”

“Then we’ve got a lot of these to catch you up on.” She closed her eyes with a shuddering breath, pulling Silver in further and hid her face in his fur, like she was holding on for dear life.

“Sure…” was all she could mutter.

When they finally pulled away, there was a physical disappointment Tune felt, and despite the warm air, she felt cold, alone. She timidly peered back at Sonic watching the whole scene take place, his warm, genuine smile bounced off her unsure eyes. Without thinking, without breathing, without any sense at all, she would slowly walk up to Sonic, grasping at his arms a bit too roughly and pulling him in. He was taken a bit aback, but didn’t waste any time, wrapping his arms around Tune’s frame softly.

“I’m really sorry…” she mumbled humbly. “I can’t ever make up for the bad shit I’ve done in the past…but I want to try and be better so I can maybe move forward. I don’t know how to stop hurting. I don’t know how to start to heal. But I want to try.”

Pulling away for a moment to sign to her, Sonic smiled, his hands speaking for him. “You can start small. You can start by letting us in a little more. This is good for now, if that’s all you can muster.”

“And if that’s all I can do for a while?” Tune pleaded, for the first time wishing she could remember what his voice sounded like beyond what it was in her choir.

Sonic’s determined look spelled it all out.“Then that’s all you can do for a while. The hardest part is taking that first step.”

Tune hummed in response, pulling away fully from Sonic. She paused momentarily, then awkwardly extended her hands towards Sonic and Silver. The hedgehogs tenderly placed their hands atop hers, almost as if in vow to each other.

“I can’t promise to spill my secrets right away. Frankly, I’m still of the mindset that y’all would hate me forever once I did. But I want to get better. It’ll be slow, but I’m willing to put in the work.” Tune rattled off, pausing for a moment before continuing, her flushed and pleading gaze extended to both of them. “...Can you guys be patient with me a little longer while I work my way towards that?” She didn’t even have to ask, Sonic and Silver nodded, pulling her in once more briefly.

“Thanks, guys…” Tune quietly uttered.

The waves crashed onwards, Tune could see the beauty in the way they morphed the sand, the slowly lowering sun now against the clear waters, glistening in its splendor. Tangle's voice echoed from behind, and when the trio pulled away, they could see the girls with multiple ice creams wrapped in plastic, Tangle taking it upon herself to be a menace and grabbing as many as her hands and tail could carry. When she inevitably dropped a few, Whisper was there to quickly grab them before they had a chance to reach the floor, Amy stealing a few from Tangle’s grasp exhaustively. Silver laughed at the sight, the girls finally meeting up with the trio and distributing colorful ice creams, multiple at a time.

“So, what’d we miss?” Amy’s knowing expression towards Tune said it all, their absence was planned.

“We could be asking you that same question,” Tune jested. “Flexy, did you buy the cart out of stock or something?”

“That is totally not relevant to anything ever.” Tangle said defensively with a pointed finger. “But enough talking, these things’ll melt if we don’t eat ‘em fast!”

“Oh I should get my ring purse to pay for my share–-” Tune began, ready to walk before abruptly stopping in her tracks. She paused for a moment, catching herself, and then took one of the three popsicles Tangle had given her, unwrapped the one with the goofy sponge character and gumball eyes, and bit down quickly with an audible hum of contentment, to the boy’s visible comfort, but much to the horror of Amy.

“You bite your ice cream?!” she exclaimed.

“Is that not how you’re supposed to do it? Don’t you bite food?” She asked, mouth full. Amy looked completely flabbergasted at Tune’s popsicle, littered with her large sharp teeth marks as the raccoon girl chewed thoroughly.

“Not if it’s ice cold!”

“Well then how do you eat before it melts?” Tune took another bite, completely nonchalant.

“Like a normal person!!” Amy all but screamed.

“Well then ‘normal person’, get cracking because I think I see some drippings on your dress already.”

“What?!” Amy exclaimed, seeing purple stains already littering her dress just as Tune described, her hand full of an already melting popsicle. “Oh, Gaia above, why do I even bother?”

Tune would approach Amy and pat her on the back, watching her frantically try to wipe any stains off to no avail. “Let’s get you some napkins, we can throw that in the wash when we get back home. I for one will get sick if I eat this much ice cream in one sitting, so I’m unfortunately gonna have to throw these in the cooler.” With that, she left Amy to her devices, finishing off her ice cream in just three bites.

The gang once more got in some good chuckles. They walked off, Sonic and Silver taking a good glance and Tune from behind her, grasping at each other's hands unconsciously. They both looked at each other in surprise, warm smiles etched on their faces. Sonic would bump his shoulder against Silver’s, Silver mirroring his actions in kind.

“She’ll be okay.” Silver simply stated.

Sonic nodded in agreement, the ringing in his ear getting just a bit softer.

#maple talking shit #sonic the hedgehog #maple's writing adventures #maple scraps #this is the final chapter i wanna post bc the other ones are pretty MEH and just serve to advance the plot #although in one there is a really funny tails scene that i probably wanna share but that'll probs be a screnshot #bc the rest is kind of bleh #honestly i'm really only posting this one for that race scene bc it was super fun to write #also was this a bad time to mention silver and sonic are in an established relationship in this fic?#uhh whoops well they are yipee i remember thigns real good i'm so good at this #fun fact i wanted tune's dumb nickname for whisper to be hollaback like the gwen stephani song #but i chickened out bc i thought it might have been rude instead of playful #but to this day i can't think of anything better so i settled for top gun bc she's a smart shot with that wispon #she does those little nicknames like how hapi fe3h does it for her friends literally that's how i got the idea i am not original at all LOL #sonic oc #edit: thinking about it now i literally could have just used chatterbox like hapi does #why am i so bad at everything ever

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