Tails gets into his running position with twin tails flicking to the side and his blue eyes narrow with determination. Knuckles digs his two spiked gloves into the ground, getting into the position as well as his purple eyes glares with determination. Gwen cracks her fingers and gets into the running position as well, her blue eyes narrowed. Sonic's pink flippers comes into view along with the duck tube as he appears in the middle wearing a sunglasses and eating a chili-dog. He stops and notices the position they're in.

"Wait a second. I thought we're going tubing." Sonic said with his mouthful of chili-dog, moving his sunglasses down. "Hold on, hold on. Is this a race?"

"It sure is!" Gwen smiled with excitement. "But I'm gonna win!"

"You're going down!" Tails gloated with determination.

"It is my destiny to claim the throne of family champion, hedgehog." Knuckles said to Sonic.

"Haha! Cute!" Sonic laughed mockingly. "Are you sure you want to challenge the fastest creature in the universe? I mean, that's kinda my whole brand."

He spins himself into a blue tornado with speed, changing back to his original form with his red shoes before joining the three and getting into the running position as well.

"Okay, Tom and Maddie! Count us down!" Sonic announced.

"Alright!" Tom said, rubbing his hands before clapping them. "Don't worry. Little sibling rivalry is healthy. My brothers used to do this kind of thing all the time."

"Tom, your brothers are lunatics, and neither of them are born with a power to trigger global cataclysmic event. So..." Maddie reminded him.

"It's a fair point." Tom nodded before facing back to his children. "Did you hear that, guys? No cataclysmic events, okay? Let's keep this cataclysmic less."

"Head start!" Sonic reminded, wanting to get the race started.

"Aye aye, sir!" Gwen nodded.

"Got it!" Tails said.

"Understood, Lord of the Donuts." Knuckles said.

"Then on your marks..." Maddie started, holding up the green flag.

The four tighten up their running stance, ready to move.

"Get set..."

Though Gwen smirked mischievously as she slightly moved her body forward. Just as Maddie was about to move the flag to get started on the race...

"Go!" Gwen finished for her before speeding up with her rocket roller skates, getting a headstart before the boys.

"Hey!!" Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles whined in unison.

"That's cold!!" Tom chuckled.

Maddie quickly moved the flag.

"Go!!"

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles then speed off to catch up to Gwen, going past Tom and Maddie, who flinch in surprise at their boost of speed and watch them go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the forest, Gwen giggles to see the boys catching up to her already from behind as Sonic runs besides her.

"That's cheating!! You know that!" he whined.

"Can't blame me for being competitive! Catch ya later, boys!" she winked before speeding up ahead.

"Oh no, you don't!"

Sonic boosts up and runs ahead of his sister.

"And the way out in front to the surprise of absolutely no one, it's the Blue Blur! The red shoot rocket! The one, the only..."

"Come on, Sonic!"

He looks up to see Tails flying above him with a competitive smile.

"Catch up!! Yeah!" Tails said before speeding off.

"When in the what now?!" Sonic exclaimed in surprise, looking upside down before turning around to get back to running.

"I am also defeating you, hedgehog!" Knuckles bloated, running ahead.

"Bye bye!!" Gwen playfully waved at her brother, skating besides Knuckles before speeding off to go ahead of her boyfriend while playfully pushing his shoulder.

"Seriously?! Alright, you know what? Time to light the after burners."

Sonic then boost up his speed again to catch up to them. Gwen notice that and quickly skate up to the fallen tree with Sonic following behind as he slide up after her and the two shoot up to the sky above the greenery, spinning around in a star pose while holding up a peace sign.

"It's a bird! It's a plane! It's air hedgehogs!" Sonic said, doing a basketball dunk in the air before spin dashing down to the ground with Gwen doing the same.

The two spin through the tree branch figure of a basketball hoop before bouncing off towards the edge of the cliff, speeding down. The two sped around the mountains while bouncing onto each other to try and get them to slow each other down. As soon as they landed on the ground through the forest, Sonic and Gwen get out of their spin dash and continue running and roller skating as they go within the walls of a giant fallen hollow tree trunk. The two kept speeding up as fast as they can as they reached the wooden sign "GOAL" and knocked the sign as it spins. The two skid to a stop.

"Yes! I did it!!" Sonic and Gwen cheered in unison before glaring at each other. "No, I did it!! Nuh-uh!! Jinx! Double jinx!!"

"Infinity jinx!" Gwen smirked.

This made Sonic groan in defeat.

"Okay! You win, I guess!"

"Ha! That's right! I..."

Gwen and Sonic turned to see Knuckles and Tails already here before them as they tapped their shoe together with their fists on their hips.

"Lost?!!" Gwen exclaimed in shock.

"How is that possible?! I... I mean, my sis did not lose!" Sonic exclaimed.

"I am also defeating you, hedgehog!" Knuckles repeated.

This made Gwen raise her eyebrow at those words, remembering he said that earlier but not repeatedly. Sonic, though he didn't catch on.

"Okay, okay, I get it, man. Don't need to rub it in." Sonic said in defeat.

"Come on, Sonic! Catch up! Yeah!!" Tails cheered with a jump, holding up his fist.

"Uh, Sonic? I don't think that's our Knuckles and Tails." Gwen said.

"Wait! You're right! What's going on?" Sonic questioned, poking fake Tails' face, only for it to create ripples.

He pulled away with a yelp.

"Ahh! Why are you guys acting like...?"

Gwen waved fake Knuckles' face and moves it around until noticing a red bright light on his face. The two looked up to see two floating orbs with yellow and red light below, pointing straight down.

"Holograms!"

"Which means... I remain the undefeated speed champion of all time!! Yeah!!" Gwen cheered, jumping up and down in victory.

"And the crowd goes wild!" Sonic cheered along before getting serious. "But also what's going on?"

Gwen nodded in agreement before the two sped off back to the camp where they were earlier. When they made it back, they never expect a sudden surprise waiting for them.

"SURPRISE!!" Knuckles, Tom, Maddie, and Tails shouted in unison with a big banner "HAPPY BEARTHDAY!" behind them above their heads, Ozzie lying on the ground, and wrapped presents in the middle.

"Whoa!" Gwen exclaimed in shock.

"Wait a sec! You guys, what is all this?" Sonic questioned before reading the banner. "Happy... Be Arther Day?"

Tom and Maddie looked back at the banner and quickly corrected him.

"Oh! It's "Happy BEarthday"." Maddie said.

"Today is the anniversary the day you two came to Earth, buds, it's your Earth Day birthday." Tom added, reminded the day they first came to Earth.

"So the race was just a distraction which I totally didn't fall for it by the way. Good try though." Sonic said, making Gwen roll her eyes.

"Yeah, right..."

"So you could throw a party for us?" Sonic finished, ignoring his sister's words.

Knuckles walks up to them.

"Today, we honor you, hedgehogs." he said, staring lovingly at Gwen while feeling happy that he met her.

Tails walks up to them after, feeling just as happy as Knuckles for meeting Sonic and Gwen as well as everyone else.

"If it wasn't for you two, none of us would be here right now."

"The boys are right, buds." Tom agreed, kneeling down to their level and placing his hands on his knees. "You know, the day you two came to this planet is the day all of our lives changed forever."

"And we became a family." Maddie added.

"You two stole my hoomans." Ozzy barked.

"Aww, you guys! That's really... thoughtful of you! It means a lot to us." Gwen smiled, feeling touched.

"I don't... I don't know what to say, except..."

Sonic brought up his fists and jumped.

"Let's party!!!"

"Yeah!!" Gwen jumped up before being caught by Knuckles.

The two give each other a loving glance before giving each other a kiss on the lips.

"Alright!" Tom smiled.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Maddie agreed.

"Yeah!!" Sonic cheered.

"It's now on! Til the break of dawn!" Knuckles happily announced, making Gwen giggle.

The Wachowski family birthday party is now officially on as they begin to have fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gwen brought out her guitar to play a song to her brother and her family. She called out to her family to get attention.

"All right, fam, here's a song about us being a team and forming a family to defend our home on Earth and protect it no matter what!" Gwen said as she began to play her guitar and started singing.

https://youtu.be/4g03b4U_aPk

Wait till you're announced
We've not yet lost all our graces
The hounds will stay in chains
Look upon Your Greatness and she'll
Send the call out, send the call out
Send the call out, send the call out
Send the call out, send the call out
Send the call out, send the call out
Send the call out, send the call out
Send the call out, send the call out
Send the call out, send the call out
Send the call out, send the call out

As Gwen sings, Sonic is proud of his sister as he smiles while he remembers the moments they spent time together while they were hiding before.

Call all the ladies out
They're in their finery
A hundred jewels on throats
A hundred jewels between teeth
Now bring my boys in
Their skin in craters like the moon
The moon we love like a brother
While he glows through the room

Dancin' around the lies we tell
Dancin' around big eyes, as well
Even the comatose
They don't dance and tell

Knuckles and Tails are looking at her in love while glaring at each other for winning Gwen's heart.

We live in cities you'll never see on-screen
Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things
Livin' in ruins of a palace within my dreams
And you know, we're on each other's team

I'm kind of over gettin' told to throw my hands up in the air
So there

So all the cups got broke
Shards beneath our feet
But it wasn't my fault
And everyone's competing
For a love they won't receive
'Cause what this palace wants is release

We live in cities you'll never see on-screen
Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things
Livin' in ruins of a palace within my dreams
And you know, we're on each other's team

Tom and Maddie are cuddling each other for being so proud of their children and begin a family together.

I'm kind of over gettin' told to throw my hands up in the air
So there
I'm kind of older than I was when I reveled without a care
So there

We live in cities you'll never see on-screen
Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things
Livin' in ruins of a palace within my dreams
And you know, we're on each other's team

We're on each other's team
And you know, we're on each other's team
We're on each other's team
And you know, and you know, and you know

After her song ended, her family clapped their hands and cheered to admire her song as Gwen took a bow to loving it, then she walked to her family to give a great big hug.

"Sis, that was amazing!" Sonic said proudly.

"Thanks bro. Oh, and I have something for you." Gwen said thankfully.

She takes out a small box for her brother and Sonic opens it to reveal a brother and sister matching bracelet that has their color just for both of them.

(A/N: Art not mine. Drawn and owned by https://aztruyen.top/tac-gia/ClariceLimon)

"Whoa, sis, a matching bracelet?" Sonic asked, surprised.

"Yep, I made them myself." Gwen nodded.

"Thanks, sis, but there's two of them, why two?"

"Because one for you and one for me to be matched and it has a puzzle piece to put together, so that we will never be apart no matter how far we are."

Gwen put on one around her wrist while Sonic did the same and showed two pieces together as two become one for a heart. With a smile, the two hedgehog siblings hug it out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sonic, Gwen, and Tom are now walking out of the party together as Tom tossed the football to the side and caught it.

"Thanks for the surprise party." Sonic said.

"Yeah. It really means a lot to the both of us." Gwen said.

"Yeah. You deserve it, pals." Tom said.

Sonic and Gwen looked ahead and gasped.

"No way! Is that...?"

The two zoomed off, leaving Tom in the dust.

"What?..." he sighed in frustration. "Dudes. Could you just for once walk at my speed?"

He eventually caught up to them and jumped into the hole of the ground Sonic and Gwen went through and landed to see Sonic and Gwen's old cave when they first entered Earth.

"Whoa!" Tom gasped in awe. "Sonic, Gwen, is this your...?"

"Yep!" Sonic answered with a smile, feeling nostalgic. "Our old cave."

"I can't believe this is where you live all these years." Tom said.

Sonic looked down to see his old nunchucks and picked them up.

"He-Hey! My state-of-the-art security system!"

"And I remember, you were bad at swinging them." Gwen said with a knowing smile, picking up her old sketchbook to take a look.

"Not true! Watch!"

Sonic waves the nunchucks around until he hits himself, sending him to the floor. He quickly gets up.

"It still works!"

Tom noticed something behind the long overgrown moss and approached it.

"Hey, buds. What's this?"

He moved the moss to the side to unveil a mural of the two hedgehogs, Sonic, Gwen, and the big owl, Longclaw sitting together on top of a Loop-De-Loop on their old island home. Sonic and Gwen softened and approached it.

"Wow." Sonic said, remembering that mural.

"We drew that on our first night on Earth. We wanted to remember where we came from." Gwen explained, touching her ruby necklace.

"We still miss her." Sonic said, looking down sadly.

Tom noticed their sad expressions and became concerned. The two hedgehog siblings then looked up to him.

"You think Longclaw would be proud of us?" Sonic and Gwen asked in unison.

Tom gives them a knowing smile.

"I know she would, pals. Even though you lost her at such a young age, you didn't let your pain change who you are. In here." he advised them, pointing at the center of Sonic's chest.

Sonic looked down as Gwen looked down hers, then looked back up at Tom with a sincere smile.

"Yeah. In my lungs." Sonic said.

This caused Tom and Gwen to chuckle.

"No, silly!" Gwen said.

"Or your heart." Tom corrected him.

"Heart. Right. Yeah, makes more sense. Not lungs, heart." Sonic said, realizing his mistake.

"That's the thing about life, Sonic and Gwen. It's all about the choices we make." Tom continued his advice. "You're gonna make some good ones and..." he paused for a bit, looking at Sonic knowingly, which made the blue hedgehog roll his eyes. "Knowing you, you're gonna make some bad ones."

This made Gwen snicker quietly, which earn a small hit to the arm by her brother.

"But... remember to listen to your heart, and you're gonna make the right choice that matters most."

"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without ya." Sonic said.

"Same." Gwen agreed.

"I'd probably be a total different hedgehog."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Tokyo City, Shadow walked across the street walk all soaked in the cold night rain as the people walked past him, not acknowledging his presence. He kept walking with a firm glare full of loss, pain, and anger as the water drops from his face. He heard a car roar and turned to see a taxi as it makes a turn, splashing water from the street towards Shadow. Shadow quickly cover his face with his arm as the taxi drive away. He then looked up at his surroundings that are filled with TV billboard commercials and signs. He saw a new commercial on the billboard where it showed the year "2024" with a cute chibi character behind it.

"2024?" Shadow questioned in shock after reading it. "I've been trapped for 50 years?"

Suddenly, he heard the people screaming and turned to the side to see the GUN vehicles approaching him with armed soldiers.

"Move! Move!" one of the soldiers ordered them.

They all surrounded him with their laser guns aimed at him while holding a shield, completely blocking his way out.

"We got you surrounded!" the head GUN soldier gave him a fair warning.

This angered Shadow.

"Why won't you leave me alone?!"

Instead of answering him, they all get ready to fire.

"Take him down!"

Shadow's eyes sparked with cold rage as they glow electric orange, starting up his power as he gets ready to fight them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the now night camp, Knuckles' marshmallow is all burned and on fire as he looked at his snack on a stick in dismay.

"I have dishonored my marshmallow."

"It's really just a question of temperature distance." Tails pointed out, using a flares to roast the marshmallow.

"It's not a competition." Maddie reminded them.

"No worries, Knux. Let me show you how it's done." Gwen said, taking out a new marshmallow on a new stick and handing it to him.

Knuckles takes it with an appreciative smile as Gwen taught him how to roast the marshmallow properly without burning it. Everyone are having a quiet campfire time while roasting their marshmallows. Tom smiled at the scenery they're having.

"This is so nice."

"Peace?" Maddie guessed.

"Quiet?" Tom added.

"Finally." Maddie said with a knowing smile.

"Finally." Tom repeated with a whisper, making her giggle.

Ozzy, who was just lying down peacefully, suddenly shot up and barked as he heard something ahead. Everyone looked up to see a spotlight shining down on them with the harsh wind blowing at them and the trees everywhere. They then heard a sound of a helicopter and realized it was the GUN helicopter as the spotlight kept pointing down at them, blinding them.

"Hey! We're trying to have a family moment down here!" Sonic scolded.

"Yeah! It's rude!!" Gwen added with a glare, already disliking the GUN since she heard what they did to Sonic and Tails back in Hawaii.

The Wachowski family begrudgingly approached them to see what's going on as the GUN helicopter landed in front of them. The sliding door opened as the armed GUN soldiers came out with their laser guns.

"What did we do?" Maddie questioned cautiously.

"Well, what did they do?" Tom accused, pointing at their adoptive children.

"What did you do?" Tails questioned Sonic.

"I don't know. I do a lot of stuff." Sonic said.

"Of course, you did..." Gwen sighed in annoyance.

A pair of combat boots marched down from the helicopter as they approached them to reveal a woman named Director Rockwell.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wachowski." she greeted them before removing her sunglasses to face Sonic and others with a look of disdain. "Aliens." she called them.

This made Gwen immediately dislike her already based on her attitude and her mistrust towards her and her family.

"Aliens?! Excuse me?!" Sonic exclaimed in disbelief as Knuckles, Gwen, and Tails glare at them. "It's not like we're from different planet— Oh, yeah, we are. I guess we are aliens. Please continue."

"I'm Director Rockwell." she introduced herself. "There is a very dangerous situation unfolding right now in Tokyo."

This caused Sonic and others to get concerned.

"Commander Walters is requesting Team Sonic's... immediate assistance." Rockell continued.

"Team Sonic??" Gwen and Knuckles questioned in unison. "Who picked that name?"

"Love it!" Sonic grinned, liking the team name. "Ten out of ten! No notes!" he said before looking back at Tom and Maddie. "Tom and Maddie? Put the s'mores on ice because Team Sonic is off to save the day!"

"Alright! Let's do it!" Gwen nodded, feeling excited for a battle.

The helicopter then started taking off as they fly up to the air with Tom and Maddie waving at them from below.

"Remember! Make! Good! Choices!!" Maddie shouted to them.

Ozzy brought up his paw to wave them good luck on their mission as the GUN helicopter leave Green Hills.