Epilogue; Phantom Giver

"Hey, Sonic. We're all gathered at Professor Pickle's lab in Ccino. Looks like Ata and the professor already found the next World Instrument! We all missed you a ton. With the Phantom Thief locked up, maybe it's time to come home and rest up a while before our next adventure. Together this time."

"Signed… Tails."

It was just like Tails to sign his texts. Sonic supposed it was appropriate this time, however. He had been gone longer than he expected. He stared out from the volleyball bleachers at the Emerald Coast beach under the sunset, holding the Tails Electric. He needed Penumbra to call him when he realized Cherry dropped it in Robotropolis. Cherry…

Sonic frowned a little, looking down at the Tails Electric. He pulled up the picture of him and the others taken that morning. He scrolled through pictures of all the places he had been to in the empire. Sitting atop the Red Gate Bridge. Practicing with 4D at their base behind the sports store before hitting the road. He then reached the pictures of him and Cherry in Metropolis. He smiled a little, when he realized how much she had smiled that day. He didn't think much of it at the time, but in his memories, he remembered her smiling even when he didn't tell her to for the picture.

Sonic stood up, and stretched. "Alright. Time to head home." He sighed, as if it was no big deal. He activated the InterNav. He traveled back into the Internet Plane, and as soon as his foot touched the highway in Data Mine Zone, he blasted forward, greatly looking forward to finally seeing the others again.

…

Sonic arrived in Ccino. It was raining, the sky was full of clouds. He reached Spagonia University, and knocked on the door. He heard furious yet faint knocking back from the other professors upstairs. He walked in. Whereas before he felt like an intruder roaming these halls, he now felt a cozy sense of belonging here. He opened the door to Professor Pickle's Lab. Tails, Amy, Professor Pickle, and Ata were all there. "Guys!" Sonic exclaimed, walking in.

"SONIC!" Tails, Amy and Ata exclaimed happily. Amy of course adding a "ku" sound at the end

"You all okay?" Sonic asked, looking at Amy especially. Amy and Tails nodded.

"I'm okay! It was a little scary when my heart was stolen, though," Amy mumbled.

"Floating without a body in a red limbo… I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks," Tails followed up.

"Sometimes not having eyes has its perks," Ata said. "This is one of those times."

"How about you, Sonic, my boy?" Professor Pickle exclaimed. "Tails and Amy told me all about your travel to the Robotnik Empire. We're all so glad you've made it back safe and sound." Professor Pickle waited in silence, although Sonic didn't say anything because it looked like the professor was thinking of a sentence. "Did you bring back any souveniers?" The professor asked as soon as he felt it was appropriate for him to do so.

"Souveniers? Sorry, I didn't think to get any," Sonic replied, smirking sheepishly. "I mean, I got this…" Sonic held up the Heartless Harmonica. Professor Pickle gasped.

"Sonic, where'd you find that?" Ata asked.

"The Phantom Thief gave it to me. It's… important to her, so I guess I just feel like I have to keep it safe," Sonic answered. "Why?"

"It's another one of the seven World Instruments! And the one we just located, too. What luck!" Professor Pickle exclaimed. "You sure have a knack for finding these, don't you?" Sonic turned the harmonica around in his gloved hands.

"I wonder why the Robotnik Empire had this AND a Cacophonic Conch," Sonic stated, thanking Cherry emphatically in his mind. He had no idea why. It wasn't like she could read his thoughts anymore, right? He held the Heartless Harmonica out and dropped it into Professor Pickle's hand. He trusted the professor would take good care of it.

"Hate to say it… but maybe Robotnik is collecting them," Tails answered. Sonic looked to him, stared closely at his face as Tails looked to Professor Pickle. Sonic only then realized how pale and ill his best friend now looked. "What if he's keeping them as a failsafe if he can't find a way to harness Dark Gaia's power?" Tails looked to the floor. "What if… we have to go back to his country again to make sure he doesn't abuse their magic somehow?"

"I don't believe that's the case," Professor Pickle replied. "The Heartless Harmonica was shown off as a museum exhibit. If Robotnik knew of its true purpose, I'm sure not even he would present it as a mere spectacle to attract tourism. Besides, the next instrument, the Mutual Mandolin, is a one-of-a-kind kept in the United Federation. If Robotnik tries to steal it for himself, President Krez would not take too kindly to it, I'll tell you that much."

"So we need to go there next," Amy stated. "I'm sure they won't mind us borrowing the Mutual Mandolin if it means fixing the world."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Ata replied. "After all, this operation of ours is hardly official. If we let word slip about the instruments, or the fact we're looking for them, this could get real dangerous real quick. You just know other people want these instruments too."

"Let's not worry about that too much," Professor Pickle stated. "As long as we keep this relatively under-wraps, we shouldn't get any unwanted guests knocking at our door. Now then… who's up for a movie? I think we deserve a break after all the commotion lately. We can begin to plan our retrieval of the Mutual Mandolin tomorrow, since we already know its approximate location in Central City."

"Yeah!" Everyone else exclaimed.

Hours into the admittedly campy action movie playing on the professor's old TV, Sonic felt his eyes naturally drift over to Amy. He forced his eyes to roll back around to the explosions and gratuitous violence on the screen, but he just couldn't look away from her. Amy was experiencing the same thing. Eventually, their eyes met by pure chance. Their mouths opened slightly, and they instantly curled up at the same time. Not into complete ball forms, they just turned from each other and put their heads against their knees in defense from the embarrassment. They weren't even watching the movie anymore.

"Amy?" Sonic whispered, looking at her again. "Let's… go outside for a second." Amy stared back curiously, and then nodded.

The two walked outside of the building. Then the campus. Sonic looked nervous, repeatedly opening his mouth to speak before shutting it tight. "So… what was it like?" Amy asked. Sonic looked like he was snapped out of deep thought. "The empire, I mean. You grew up there, so was it different when you went back?"

Sonic sighed. "It wasn't very different. But it feels like I never left," Sonic replied, walking along the midnight streets. "I did leave, though. That place may not have changed that much, but... everything else is changing, Amy. Tails is dying, the world is breaking…" Sonic stopped, and only then realized their walk had brought them all the way up to a large temple far above the rooftops. They could see all the way to Cherry Chalkwalk Zone. He swiftly turned to Amy, and held her hands in his. She stared into his eyes in wonder. "I think even we're changing."

"Sonikku… Don't say that" Amy whimpered. "We're not becoming that different. I don't want to lose you, too. I love you!" Amy pulled him in closer. "Every day with you feels important. Even if we're just running through the park back in Dockopolis. Or playing your video games. I don't want that to go away."

"I know, Amy. Every day we were together was fun for me too," Sonic chuckled. "I never want this to end. These past few days, while I was away from you… they put a lot of things into perspective for me. I now know that you're important to me! I need you in my life. I've always known that, but I never thought I was able to put in the work to make sure you'd be by my side forever. I was scared that I wouldn't be good enough for you." Amy's eyes lit up. "But I'm not scared anymore! You helped me change into a better person, Amy. And now… I can finally say…"

"... I love you…"

Amy instantly pulled Sonic all the way into a hug. "Sonikuu!!! I love you too!" She cried. "I will love you forever and ever. I've been waiting to hear you say that for years." Tears streamed down her smiling face. "This is the happiest day of my life!" Sonic smiled too.

"I'll always love you too, Amy," Sonic whispered. He and Amy shared a kiss as the clouds cleared out of the sky.

Cherry, inside her jail cell, felt a sting in her heart. She gasped, her eyes widening. They flashed green and blue for a second. She had seen it all. She had felt it all through her link with Sonic. "Nikki?" Cherry mumbled, looking out the window at the full moon. She sighed, before turning back around on her mattress. She smiled through her tears as she drifted off to sleep.

END OF ARC 5, "STOLEN". ARC 6, "MANIPULATED", IS COMING SOON.