Forget Me Knot

Where are you?

He'd told himself that this went further than just his ego. If there was someone nearly as fast as him in this world, he had to know. Shadow was nearly as fast as him (heck, just as fast), and that guy was a loose cannon, caught on the knife edge between "the world sucks, and I hate it" and "the world sucks, and I'm going to burn it." If Shadow ever turned as dark as his fur, then things could get very complicated, very fast. So this yellow blur that had been reported in Wood Zone….he had to know. Because if there was a speedster this close to Knothole Village, then better he know now rather than later.

And of course, he had to make sure that he was the fastest thing alive. For security reasons. Yeah. That'd do.

Now where are you? Sonic knelt down at the forest floor. Footprints, only visible because it had been raining, and even then, they weren't that far deep into the mud. Running as fast as he did, his feet barely touched the ground, and it was clear that this speedster was little different.

What are you even running from anyway? Badniks? He got to his feet, his eyes lingering on the trail of footprints. Or are you just running cause you can?

A smirk came to his lips. He could sympathize with that at least. Course, he had to find this speedster first and-

Holy-

The wind whispered, and a yellow blur filled the tree line nearby.

…shite.

He shouldn't swear. There were some things Freedom Fighters didn't do, and that was swear. Because Sally said so or something. Still, there was no rule saying that he couldn't operate out here in the Wood Zone by himself, and there was no rule that a blue blur couldn't follow a yellow blur. And as such, that was exactly what happened.

The Wood Zone had plenty of room to run around, and as dense as the canopy was, its actual surface was fairly smooth, and bereft of much debris bar the odd badnik that still lay hear rusting away. He could see the yellow blur up ahead – one with purple hair flying in the wind. Had he seen him? Maybe. Were they still running? Yes. Was Sonic catching up to them? Absolutely. Because even this early in the race (if that was what it was), he could tell that he was the faster. Even if the yellow blur wasn't at full speed, he could see that they were making some effort. He, however? He wasn't even breaking a sweat.

Have I done this before?

He was getting a serious case of déjà vu. Someone yellow, along with him and Tails. Running.

Snap out of it Sonic.

The yellow one hadn't been doing so well. And he hadn't been that encouraging either. So…

"Hey, hang on!" he yelled.

So maybe he could be slightly less aggrandizing now.

"I only want to-"

He didn't get to finish that sentence, because in the space of less than a second, the yellow creature dashed diagonally to the right, while Sonic kept going. What happened next was that he must have tripped something, because next thing he knew, he'd been scooped up in a net and was dangling above the forest floor.

"Oh come on," Sonic exclaimed. "Seriously?!"

The yellow blur stopped being a blur as it screeched to a halt. It became a blur again for a moment as it ran up to him at the base of the net. This close to the creature, Sonic could see that it was a mongoose. Likely a female one at that.

"Didn't expect that, did you?"

Yep, definitely a female, going by the voice.

"Been trying to find me for days," the mongoose continued. "Didn't you get the hint I didn't want to be found?"

Sonic shrugged as best he could in the net. "See you built a trap for that eventuality."

"Yep."

The mongoose was so pleased with herself, Sonic almost hated to end her fun. "Kid, do you know who I am?"

"Course I do," she said. "You're Sonic."

"Exactly."

"Which is why I don't want the trouble. Wherever you go, badniks follow."

"Um, yeah. But the point of that question was that I can do this."

"Huh? What do you-"

Sonic smirked and revved into a spin, cutting through the vines and bark, and landing on the forest floor with grace.

"Oh," whispered the mongoose.

"Yeah, oh," Sonic said. "I mean, you've got more restraint than Eggman when plans go south, but-"

The mongoose sped off, and a moment later, so did Sonic.

"Hey, come on!" he yelled. "I just want to talk!"

"Go away!"

"Seriously kid, this will a lot easier if we-"

When it happened, it happened quickly.

He caught up with her. He grabbed her arm. And then, he-

Combots/

Not only Combots, invisible Combots Perfect. Not only had Robotnik 2.0 replaced SWATbots with Shadowbots, he'd brought back the original Robotnik's designs. Just as Sonic had no problem stating that SWATbots were useless (which they were), he could admit that your average Combot could provide a challenge. Well, admit it to himself at least. Looking at the figures de-cloak, he spared a glance at the cowering girl beside him.

"Stand back Mina," he said. He brandished the Sword of Acorns at the approaching automatons. "This could get ugly."

He leapt forward, using the sword to tear through steel and circuit. It wasn't his usual method of combat (he was fine leaving swordplay to Antoine), but he had to admit that the sword wasn't doing too bad. But he had to wonder why these Combots had decloaked, and-

"Activating cloaking device."

He yelled as the blow hit him from the back of the head. He fell to the ground, that same head pounding and spinning.

"Deactivating cloaking device," came a voice.

He could see the girl yelling something. He could see Combots appearing in the cold night eye, like ghosts out of a bad dream. He could see them advance on him, laser guns at the ready. He could see them, ready to take the sword and end his life…

He could feel himself be carried away at super-mobian speed…

And then he saw nothing, and-

"Gah!"

The entanglement sent Sonic crashing against one of the Wood Zone trees. He hit his head with a thud, but he barely felt it. Because his mind was racing, as past and present came colliding. As memories from his past life came bubbling up to the surface.

Not again. Not now!

He groaned as he bent over, cradling his forehead. It was like ants, as it had been every time the old memories came to the surface like this. For a moment, he was no longer in the Wood Zone, but in the Great Forest. For a moment, he wasn't worried about badniks, but Combots. For a moment, it was not Eggman he fought, but Robotnik. Moments in time, stretching out to eternity, before at last, the pain ended.

"Never do that again," he whispered to the universe. "Please."

He stumbled forward, wondering what had set it off. He looked around, wondering where the mongoose had got to. Grabbing her arm had set off the memories, and no doubt she was a mile away from him by now. Sighing, he reflected that maybe it didn't matter. He was faster than her, so whatever she was doing in the Wood Zone, it didn't matter in the long run and-

"Help me…"

The heck?!

She hadn't run anywhere. She was only five metres away from him. Knelt down on the ground, cradling her head.

Happened to you too, Sonic thought. He watched as the mongoose looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"Help me," she whispered.

Sonic zoomed over and knelt down, putting an arm around her. "Easy kid, happens to the best of us."

She didn't say anything. She just crouched there, whispering things. Places, people, Sonic couldn't be sure. Even now, his memories of the old world weren't complete, and he doubted they ever would be. So, doing something he didn't normally do, he took his time. Waited for the moment to pass. Waited for the mongoose to finally regain her bearings and look up at him. Her eyes less wide, her voice less strained.

"Sonic?" she whispered.

"Yeah, that's me," he said. "Sonic the Hedgehog, fastest thing alive, all round cool guy and-"

She grabbed his hands. "You saw it," she whispered. "The Great Forest. You…me…we were…"

Great Forest? The name was familiar. And…

You were there, Sonic reflected.

"We were…I…I think I…"

You saved me.

"First met in Mobotropolis and…"

"Mina?" Sonic whispered.

He didn't know where the name came from. But seeing the look in the girl's eyes, he could tell that it was this mongoose's name.

"I knew you," Sonic murmured. "Once, before everything happened, and-"

The girl let out a sob and threw her arms around him.

Um, okay, this is awkward.

His first instinct was to push her off. He didn't do touchy feely stuff. His second instinct however, was to let her have her moment. To be there for someone who needed it.

In the end, the second instinct won out.

"So that's what happened," Sonic said, as they sat by the campfire. "Super Genesis Wave happens, and…" He gestured around to the Wood Zone. "Well, you can see for yourself. Everything's similar, but nothing's the same."

"You're the same," Mina whispered.

"Yeah, well, guess I got lucky."

She didn't say anything. She just sat there, looking at the crackling fire Sonic had helped make, its embers dancing in her eyes.

"This was the Great Forest once," Mina whispered. "Now…" She rubbed her eyes. "It's like there's me, and then there's another me, and I can remember the old me, but I'm not her, but I am, and…" She stopped rubbing her eyes and looked at Sonic. "You know what I mean?"

He nodded.

"And the others? The Freedom Fighters?"

"They have scattered memories of their old lives," Sonic said. "Same with me. It's like…I remember things, but they're like a dream, and…" He shrugged. "No use crying over spilt milk. I'd take a changed universe over no universe at all."

Mina said nothing. She just sat there, staring at the fire. "How much do you remember?" she whispered.

"Well, I-"

"Of me."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Of you?"

"You're in my head," she whispered. "And, there's another guy, Ash, but…" She rubbed her eyes again. "Like, I was a Freedom Fighter, or a singer, or, I dunno, both, and…"

Sonic shrugged. "Bits and pieces. Like, I think that's correct, maybe…like, you were with the Forget Me Knots."

"The what?!"

"Forget Me Knots. That was your band. Or I think it was your band." He rubbed his own forehead. "Listen kid, this is hard for me too alright?"

"I'm not a kid," Mina whispered. She met Sonic's eyes. "I've been on my own as long as I can remember. So I don't need you calling me kid."

"Listen kid, I-"

"Don't call me that!"

Seeing the hurt and rage in her eyes, the tenor in her voice, Sonic conceded the point. "Sure," he murmured. "Mina."

"Mina." She smiled. "Been awhile since I heard anyone call me by that."

"But it's your name."

"Do you refer to yourself in the third person?" she asked.

Sonic shrugged. "Sometimes. When you're the fastest thing alive, it kind of comes with the territory."

She smirked. "Always knew you had an ego."

"How?" Sonic whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"How did you know," he whispered, "if we've only just met?"

Mina opened her mouth, but no words came out. She just slumped back against her tree, looking at the fire, her eyes evading contact with those of the hedgehog opposite her.

This is wrong, Sonic thought. This is really, really wrong.

He didn't know how long they sat there. Minutes, hours, days…probably not that long, but because of the surge in his memories, time didn't feel as present as it usually did. But looking at the mongoose opposite him, trying to sort out the images from each other…he knew this was wrong. Mina had been a Freedom Fighter for a bit, but then she'd become a singer. Then he'd got tossed to the other side of the bloody universe, come back home, and among other things, found her in a relationship with Ash. He was pretty sure it had meant nothing, but looking back, trying to make sense of it…

"Dwant," Sonic murmured.

Mina looked up. "Excuse me?"

"It's nothing," he said.

"Dwant isn't a word."

"See? Nothing." He closed his eyes and leant back against his tree trunk – apparently Mina didn't know that "dwant" was shorthand for "don't want you, but don't want others to have you." It was a feeling that he sometimes felt when he saw Sally interacting with any member of the opposite sex.

"Sonic?" Mina asked.

Sally. That had been one of the hardest things to process. Right now, it wasn't helped by recalling that in another life, in another universe, he'd been in the position of "dwanting" Mina Mongoose as well.

"Sonic?" she asked.

He grunted.

"How are the others?"

"The Freedom Fighters? Oh, okay I guess. I mean, Tails is-"

"Sally," Mina interrupted. "How's Sally?"

Sally, he reflected. How did she know about Sally? Did she…He rubbed his head again, more memories, more ghosts, pouring in. Him, Mina, and Sally. At some point, that had been an issue. Maybe. Possibly.

"Sonic?"

"Sally's fine," Sonic said. He looked at Mina, giving her a funny look. "Why?"

She shrugged, averting his gaze and rubbing her hands together. "She's the princess. I mean, even out here, far from Knothole, I've heard about her."

You're a poor liar, Sonic reflected. Still, he didn't push it. Because thinking about Sally, talking about Sally, doing it with someone who might have possibly meant as much to him as Sally had before the Genesis Wave…it…

"Are you and Sally…" Mina looked at Sonic and put her hands together. "Are you…y'know…"

"Together?" Sonic grunted.

"I mean, I don't mean to pry, but-"

"No."

Mina blinked. "No?"

"No," Sonic said. This time, he averted her gaze. "Sally and I are, well, it's complicated."

"How?"

"How?" Sonic asked. He leant forward, a scowl on his face. "You want to know how?"

Sonic could tell that Mina knew she's struck a nerve. "It's okay. You don't need to tell me."

"No, let's go there," Sonic snapped. "Let's start with how we both have memories of our past lives. And in that past, we…" He took a breath. "We loved each other. Yeah, you heard that right, loved each other. Not something I talk about much, but there's that. And now?" He gestured to the Wood Zone, standing in place of the Great Forest, of a world like the old one, but forever changed. "Now it's different. Like, we're friends, but that's it. I mean, we talk, we laugh, we fight, but, there's no spark. And hey, that would be fine, except we both know we had something more, and we've talked about trying to get that back, only we have no idea how to do so, and there's times it drags me nuts, and…" He leant back against the tree. "That's me and Sally. Forced into the friend zone by the Genesis Wave, because…" He trailed off.

"You're crying," Mina said.

"What?" He brushed something off his fur. "No, I am not. Sonic the Hedgehog doesn't cry."

Mina smiled, her lips wider than they'd been all night. "Wow, you do talk about yourself in the third person." She got to her feet and walked over. Sonic didn't watch her, so it came as a surprise to him when she not only sat down beside him, but did so in a manner that her body was nestled against his.

"What are you doing here?" Sonic murmured.

"It's cold," she said, still showing that she was a terrible liar. "Body heat's a thing."

"No, why are you…" He gestured to the forest. "Here? Like-here here."

"Here here?"

"Forest here. I mean, in the old world, you were a singer. Here, you're like a hermit."

Mina sighed. "Don't know anything else."

"Anyone else?"

"Not anyone, anything." She sighed. "Course I've known people, but hey, parents are dead, Eggman rules the planet, Forest Zone's best place to be."

"But Knothole?"

"Who said that's safe? I mean, in the end, it wasn't in the old world."

Sonic didn't say anything as he closed his eyes. Of all the memories he possessed of his old life, he remembered Knothole the clearest. He could see it burn. He could smell it burn. He remembered moving to New Mobotropolis later thanks to Nicole, but he knew that in the old world, Knothole had had a special place in his heart. It hadn't been his first home, but it had been his home the longest. In some regards, the memory of the old Knothole had more worth to him than living in the current one. Another facet of this planet that fell into the similar but different category.

"You still sing?" Sonic asked, as the fire continued to crackle.

"No," Mina said.

"Come on, you must."

She snorted. "Under what kind of logic?"

"You've still got your speed, right? Figure your singing voice is-"

"I don't sing, okay?" she snapped. She got to her feet, looking down at Sonic with an expression on her face that he couldn't read. He smiled.

"What?"

"Mina, I may talk in the third person, but least I can actually lie."

"I don't sing, okay?!" she snapped.

"Liar."

"I'm not lying!"

"That's another lie."

"You…" She shook a hand, then a finger at him. "I mean, just because you got me into singing in the old world, that doesn't mean-"

"Wait, I did that?" Sonic asked.

Mina stopped short, frowning. "Guess we all get different memories," she said.

He shrugged. "That's the heart of it."

"So you don't remember when I...you…me…" She made one of her hands into a fist, and pushed it into the opposite palm.

"Huh?"

"When we…y'know…"

"When we fought the Combots?"

Mina sighed. "Clueless. Absolutely clueless."

"Keep calling me that Mina, get about five of those a day back at Knothole." He got to his feet. "Speaking of which, we should get going."

Mina blinked. "We?"

"We. As in, you, me…" He made similar motions with his fists…and for some reason, had a strange desire to kiss her when doing that.

"Whoa, hang on," Mina said. "There is no we, here."

"Not now," Sonic murmured. More images filled his head. Him, Tails, Mina…running…

"I've been on my own for over ten years. I can keep at that."

"And how long's that going to last?" Sonic said. He began pacing round, his mind torn between present and past. Of what Mina was doing now, and what she had done in a different life.

"Long enough for Eggman to be defeated," Mina said. "I mean, people say that'll never happen, but…"

"Okay, sure," Sonic said. "But if you, and me…" He made the gesture with his hands again. "You really want to miss out on this?"

"This," Mina snorted. "What's this?"

"I dunno. Why don't you tell me why you kissed me?"

Mina, in a flash, looked less like a mongoose, and more like a monghost.

"That's what you did, isn't it?" Sonic asked. "You, me, Tails, the Freedom Fighter training…then you kissed me, and we ended up in Robotropolis, and one thing led to another, and…" He trailed off.

"And?" Mina asked.

"Sorry," Sonic said. "Memory's a bit hazy after that."

She nodded. "Same here," she whispered.

Sonic went to say something, but he didn't get the chance, as Mina zoomed off into the night.

"Mina!"

It was too late. In daylight, he could have easily caught up to her, but without light, he'd be running blind. Not to mention that she knew the Wood Zone better than he had, if she'd been here for the past decade or so.

"Great," he murmured. "Just great." He slumped back against the tree, sighing. Rubbing his eyes and head as memories continued to trickle in.

I should head back, Sonic thought to himself. I should really head back.

His head bid him leave. His heart was completely silent.

Getting cold out here.

And yet, he lingered by the fire. Watching the embers crackle, drifting off into the night before expiring. Like memories and dreams, fated to be forgotten.

He lingered there until he fell asleep.

"Sonic."

He barely heard the voice. He was thinking about chilli-dogs.

"Sonic."

Proper chilli dogs, not that processed crap one got in the United Federation.

"Sonic!"

And then, all thoughts of chilli dogs evaporated as he let out a yelp and sprung to his feet. His first realization was that it was day. His second realization was that the fire had burnt out. The third was that Mina was standing over him.

"Mina?" he asked, trying to deal with the third realization first.

"Yep. It's me," she said.

Sonic scrambled to his feet, deciding not to tell her that in the cold morning air, that she looked beautiful. Because that wasn't something he did. Call a girl beautiful, and you'd never live it down. Especially since half the women in Knothole wanted him to call them that.

"You okay?" Mina asked. "You were talking in your sleep. Something about chilli dogs."

Sonic groaned. "You heard that did you?"

"Yeah. I mean, those poor dogs. They sounded so cold."

"Um…Mina?"

"Like, were you at the north or south pole?"

"Mina, that's not what a chilli dog is."

"Oh." She bit her lip, her hands behind her back. "Sorry. Thought you were…y'know…"

"Mina, you telling me that you don't know about chilli dogs?"

She shook her head.

"Okay," Sonic said. "You're coming back to Knothole."

"Sonic…"

"No, seriously. I don't care what happens next, but you're going to get at least one chilli dog in your life."

"Sonic…"

"Seriously Mina, you can't stay out here. Like, maybe you don't sing anymore, and I get that, but-"

"Sonic, I'm coming back to Knothole."

He blinked. "You are?"

"Yes. I…" She lowered her gaze, now twisting one leg behind the other. "Last night, with the memories…been thinking a lot, remembering a lot, and…" She looked up at him, smiling. "I know it's not the same. I know I'm not the same, and you're not the same, and that nothing's the same. But maybe it could be, I dunno, samey, if…"

"If?"

"If I tried to make it normal," Mina said. "I mean, you managed."

Sonic gave a small smile. "Yeah. Managed."

That was one word for it, he supposed. But probably the best one.

"Anyway," Sonic said, getting ready to zoom off. "I'm still faster, but I can-"

"Wait," Mina said. She extended a hand. "Is it…can we walk?"

"Walk," said Sonic bluntly.

"Walk," Mina said. "It's been a long time since I've just…walked."

It had been a long time for Sonic as well. He didn't walk. He ran. Why get somewhere slower when you could get there faster?

"Sure," he said. He didn't take her hand, but he began walking. "We can walk."

Not something he usually did. But for the girl walking beside him…he could make an exception.

The two of them kept walking to Knothole. Under the leaves of the Wood Zone, once the Great Forest. Under the same sun, similar, but different to the one that had shone light on both of them. Walking through time, while so much remained cut off to them. Listening to the cheeping of the birds, of the wind in the leaves, and the sound of a nearby river.

Listening to Mina, as she opened her mouth, and at last, began to sing.

A/N

FYI, I stopped reading the Archie comics long before the Super Genesis Wave reboot, so if there's any major discrepencies with how the "two timelines, mixed memories" concept goes (among other things), that's the reason why.

Also, I will admit that yes, Mina does fall into "dwant" territory for me. Like, SonicxSally trumps MinaxSally for me, but who's left for Mina outside Ash (bleh) and Tails (because that became a thing somehow)?