The sense of relief that always followed the sight of the blue blur’s timely appearances would be cut short. His words brought Sally to an abrupt pause; the gears in her head that had been turning now with the idea of a game plan moving forward to a halt.
Having known Sonic all her life, the chipmunk was practically conditioned to react to a quip or jest with lighting-fast reflexes. But the look on his face, and the casual response that followed it, were enough to derail her train of thought completely off. It threw her off so much that she almost didn’t quite process the actual words to what he was saying. She’d heard them, and knew what he said, but… just what was he saying?
And the way he looked and spoke to her— sure there was kindness there, but they and his gaze carried not a shred of familiarity towards her. It was so obvious it hurt.
Sally bristles slightly, the rationality she’d been clutching giving way to emotion.
“I’m sorry… what?” Her expression would contort— confusion eradicating the smile Sally carried just moments ago as a more hurt look settled in it’s place.
“What’s the matter with you? Of course I mean Tails and Amy— and… Knuckles. But specifically I meant the other Freedom Fighters. And who’s Whisper…?” Something about a rookie, too…? Cream? No, if that’s who he meant he’d have called her by name. And what was that mention of a resistance? Sure that’s what the Freedom Fighters were, but…
“You’re not making sense. Seriously, this style of humor isn’t you, Sonic. I mean, it’s like you really… don’t…” She’s staring now, intently. “… Don’t you recognize me?”
Ah, he made her angry. Somehow, there’s something almost nostalgic about it. Maybe because it reminds him of the rare times Amy got made at him ( though, they were less rare now as the years went by - she was growing out of her more obsessive crush for him after all! ). Maybe it’s something else.
His ear twitched at the sound of her anger, a frown on his face. He almost wants to flinch at the hurt look she has on her face, the way her voice seems to go a little faster as she tries to figure out why Sonic can’t seem to remember her. Of course he can’t help but feel a little guilty, even if it’s not his fault as to why he can’t remember her.
“You don’t know Whisper? And Freedom Fighters? Other
Freedom Fighters? I mean, that’s what some of the resistance
members call themselves, but I...”
“I don’t recognize you at all.”
His voice trails off, a quiet whisper as he declares what she probably doesn’t want to hear, as he tries to figure out what’s going on as well. His mind racks through some possibilities at light speed, or rather... he thinks of what Tails might come to the conclusion to. Sonic is often a calm brawn in their duo, but if there was anyone who could easily come to a conclusion about any weird ‘hey, i actually know you but you don’t know me’ nonsense, it’d be his little brother.
... Actually, what ends up happening is his past self flashes through his mind. Quiet, short and round, but it’s not the person who really crosses his mind. No, instead it’s the circumstances that brought the little guy and his equally littlest brother to Sonic and Tails’ own timeline.
More multiverse theory stuff? Was it possible that this girl knew a version of Sonic? Was from the future like Silver? Or maybe when the timeline split when his past self arrived during Eggman’s takeover... He grunts and grips his head from how hard he was thinking. Great, what a mess.
