Rated: Fiction K+ (Kid+) (PG) - English - Romance/Adventure - Sonic & Amy

Chapter One – In the Jungle You Must Wait

Station Square – 1969

Within Station Square Junior High School sat a young twelve year old boy by the name of Sonic the Hedgehog. He was a cobalt hedgehog with emerald green eyes wearing a plaid collared blue and white button up shirt and brown denim pants with matching brown shoes. He was sitting idly at his desk staring out the window absentmindedly when a small nudge brought him back to the world around him. Looking to his right he saw his best friend Amy Rose staring at him with slight concern.

"Sonic Hedgehog..." A soft but stern voice said grabbing his attention. Sonic looked away from Amy and to the front of the room to see his teacher Mrs. Vanilla staring at him with a hint of annoyance. "Huh?" He said his mind clearly elsewhere. "The answer to question number thirty five please...if you don't mind..." Some kids in the class began to snicker as she spoke. "Oh." He said plainly as he put on his thick black reading glasses and looked back down at his math book.

35.) (5x^3 + 50x^2 – 7x + 7) + (-x^3 + x^2 – 6x – 6)

Sonic frowned as he stared at the math question blankly. He began to feel flustered as his teacher and classmates' eyes were all on him and staring at him intently. He pulled at his shirt collar slightly as the room suddenly began to feel a lot warmer. "Well...?" Mrs. Vanilla asked, pressing him for an answer. She had become impatient with this particular student. "U-uh..." Sonic stuttered as he tried to guess a random answer. "-6x^3 + 36x^2 – 9?" He asked, already knowing full well his answer was completely wrong.

Mrs. Vanilla sighed in disappointment while shaking her head. "No Sonic...that's incorrect." More snickers could be heard in the back of the room from some of the other students. Sonic frowned wishing class would just hurry up and be over already. "This is why you need to pay more attention." She stated firmly. Mrs. Vanilla looked over towards the pink hedgehog who sat beside him. "Mrs. Rose...perhaps you can provide us with the correct answer."

Amy gave a quick nervous glance over in Sonic's direction before looking back up at the teacher. "O-Oh…Um..." She hesitated. She didn't want to embarrass Sonic any further or be put on the spot. "4x^3 + 51x^2 – 13x + 1?" She asked. The female rabbit smiled broadly and shook her head in agreement. "Yes! That's correct Mrs. Rose...good job!" Amy looked down at her desk with a small smile and a slight blush on her cheeks. Sonic smiled as he watched her.

Amy Rose was a light pink hedgehog with jade green eyes whose quills curled softly around her face. She often wore a headband in her hair to hold back her quills with a simple dress, skirt or blouse. Today it was a light blue headband with a cherry red blouse with floral designs and a matching light blue skirt with brown dress shoes. "She's so beautiful..." He found himself thinking as he admired her. She noticed him staring and looked up at him but he quickly looked away and looked back down at his uninteresting math book. She smiled to herself as she watched him. "He's so shy..." She thought to herself.

Sonic and Amy had been close friends since they were young children. They often played at each other's houses and her parents were friends of his family's. As they grew he found himself feeling much stronger feelings towards her than mere friendship. He never dared the thought of telling her that though. Besides, he knew she only cared deeply for him as a friend and nothing more. He sighed softly as he began looking out the window yet again. He wasn't a bad student by any means. If anything, he always excelled in school and always gained good grades. Lately he just felt as though something was missing in his life. He wanted to be a completely different person than who he currently was. Living the life of someone with such a high status had a major setback. He was often bullied and ridiculed by the local boys in town. Everyone treated him differently because of who he was...Because of who his father was.

His ancestors in the early 1700's established this very town. There were statues and buildings made in his family's name after his relatives all over. His father owned a large shoe factory in the center of town known as Spagonia Shoes. The shoes were of the finest leather and were one of the main companies that made the town what it was as well as what gave the town its wealth, popularity, and history. His family was the wealthiest in town and it was always planned that Sonic would follow in his father's footsteps just as his father had followed his before him. Sonic had no interest in following his father's footsteps though. He just wanted to be free and live his life the way he wanted to. A lot of times he felt trapped. He could never convey how he truly felt to his father. They didn't exactly have the closest relationship.

Sitting three seats behind Amy was a male green hedgehog with ice blue eyes. He was wearing a blue denim jacket, red t-shirt, blue denim jeans and black tennis shoes. His name was Scourge and he was one of Sonic's biggest bullies. He would always pick on him or beat him up but the worst of it was the fact that he was also Amy Rose's boyfriend. Of course, she wasn't aware of most of the cruel things he did to Sonic outside of her vision but she did know there was a tension between the two of them and that Scourge would often tease Sonic. Scourge didn't like Sonic and Amy's friendship and went out of his way to try and find ways to terminate it completely. He wanted to keep Sonic as far away from his rose as possible. Scourge narrowed his eyes and glared dangerously at Sonic after having seen him and Amy staring at one another. He clenched his fists tightly and growled lowly. "Looks like I need to teach that hedgehog another lesson."

Students began to fill the hallways as the bell rang loudly. Sonic was in the midst of tossing his various books into his locker happy to finally be done for the day. Amy exited the classroom and spotted Sonic down the hall. A smile instantly spread across her face and she quickly ran up to his locker and joined him."You need to pay more attention in class!" She teased as he looked over at her."I can't help it if class gets boring..." He said half-jokingly with a crooked smile. She merely smiled back and shook her head slowly in disagreement. "Oh...what am I going to do with you?" She asked him playfully.

Sonic just smiled and shrugged as he shut his locker and the two began to walk slowly down the hallway together. Sonic looked at the books Amy was clutching close to her chest and held out his hands. "Want me to carry your books for you?" He asked, feeling butterflies starting to flutter within his stomach. Amy smiled sheepishly and nodded. With a smile and a feeling of slight relief Sonic carefully picked up the books from her arms. As their hands brushed one another's briefly during the exchange he felt his cheeks beginning to heat up. The two walked in silence for a few moments and Sonic used this as an opportunity to try and get himself composed. "She's my best friend...I need to keep it together..." He told himself. Amy looked up at him and smiled. "So...what are you going to do after-"

"Hey Amy...I didn't see you after class...I was waiting for you." Scourge interrupted as he walked up to the hedgehog pair with his usual swagger. Sonic immediately began to feel uncomfortable and started to slowly back up. Scourge noticed this and smirked as he glared at Sonic for a quick moment. "Oh...I'm sorry! I completely forgot!" Amy exclaimed shyly feeling a little embarrassed. "It's alright babe." Scourge said as he gave her a small peck on the cheek. Sonic averted his gaze from Amy and tried to focus on anything but the couple in front of him. It pained him to see the two of them together but there was nothing he could do about it. "Oh...Uh...Ames...I'm sorry...I completely forgot...I have to go do an errand for my mom." He lied, handing her books back to her. Amy looked up at him in disappointment and slight perplexity. "O-Okay..." She said in a low, soft voice.

Without another word, the cobalt hedgehog quickly ran out of sight. Amy merely stared down the hallway where Sonic had disappeared to. Scourge wordlessly took her books for her with one hand and wrapped his arm around her waist with the other. Amy was taken out of her daze and she looked up at Scourge and smiled. Sonic stood around a corner watching their retreating forms with a frown etched across his face. Sighing deeply, he walked out of the school and headed for the bike rack where his blue bicycle waited. After unlocking his bike and kicking the kick stand up he hopped on and began to steadily pedal himself away.

The town of Station Square was full of life. Citizens walked the busy sidewalks, traffic moved swiftly to and from their destinations, and people were engaged in conversation or were just shopping throughout all the small stores. The skies were sunny and clear and the air was cool and inviting. Sonic was already beginning to forget his troubles as he enjoyed the cool breeze that blew through his quills. He found himself smiling and enjoying his bike ride while momentarily forgetting about Scourge and Amy. Sonic had been riding his bike all around town for a while before deciding he should start heading home. He made some turns through some smaller sub streets before making his way down one of the main streets which were usually the busiest around this time of day. Traffic moved smoothly as a local traffic cop conducted and dictated where and when the vehicles should go. People crossed the cross walk when it was safe to do so. A lot of people were out and about since school had just gotten out. Sonic rode close to the sidewalk which was filled with people shopping and conversing with one another.

Sonic rode past a fellow townswoman who was engaged in conversation with a fellow shop keeper. She stopped and turned for a moment as she watched him pass her by. "Hi Sonic." She greeted with a smile before turning her attention back to the man in front of her. "Hi Mrs. Magruder." Sonic said with a small smile as he passed her by. "Good afternoon Sonic." An elderly man said as he continued to sweep the sidewalk outside of his local barber shop. "Hey Frank." Sonic greeted light heartedly as he pedaled a little harder to increase his speed. He sped down the rest of the street until making a small turn and riding through a cross walk. A group of kids in baseball uniforms ran past him heading in the opposite direction. He turned reaching another cross section and prepared to ride on the next crosswalk. The local traffic cop turned and took notice of him and he began to blow on his whistle while holding his hands in front of him to gesture for the oncoming vehicles to stop.

"All yours Sonic." The brown bear said to him kindly as he began to cross.

"Thanks Bill." Sonic said in appreciation as he sped on by.

Sonic rode through a local park passing a large statue of a hedgehog on a horse by the name of Angus. The hedgehog was an ancestor of his. As Sonic passed on by, Scourge slowly moved himself up on his bike while glaring at the hedgehog from behind the unsuspecting statue. Without further hesitation, Scourge pedaled himself after the cobalt hedgehog with a large group of his friends following close behind. "Get him!" Scourge ordered as they began to pedal faster hot on his trail. "Prepare to die hedgehog!" Scourge shouted from behind. Sonic turned around to see Scourge right behind him and his eyes widened in fear. He turned around and quickly started to pedal faster trying to desperately get away from him.

"Hey Sonic! What's the rush?" Scourge shouted mockingly with a devilish smirk on his face. He truly enjoyed bullying Sonic and making his life miserable. It was almost like a game to him. Scourge and his friends continued chasing after Sonic as he tried to futilely lose them. Sonic made a quick turn through a neighbor's yard and followed a small dirt path through a park. Up ahead of him was a four story red brick building and a construction site right in front of it. "He's going to his dad's factory!" Scourge stated to his friends as they trailed closely behind the cobalt hedgehog. "Sonic wants his daddy now!" One of the boys sung teasingly.

Sonic pedaled as if his very life depended on it. As he reached the factory building he quickly put on the brakes and hopped off his bike and ran to the factory door. Scourge quickly turned his bike sideways to stop himself almost instantly and glared at Sonic's retreating figure. "Go ahead Sonic. Run to daddy! We'll be waiting." He said with a dark scowl on his face. After hearing Scourge's last statement, Sonic quickly shut the factory door and leaned against it. He sighed in relief feeling safe for the time being. He pushed himself off the door and began to walk up the stairs leisurely. As he reached the top he looked around at all the busy workers and walked down the assembly line. He quickly turned and glanced up at his father's office window which was an additional story above him. When he couldn't see his father anywhere in sight he pressed onward further into the factory.

Various people were pushing carts filled with new shoes of many kinds while others walked around carrying boxes and some were stationed at the conveyor belts. Sonic saw one of the factory workers who he had a good friendship with and walked up to him casually. The worker was a black hedgehog with amber colored eyes and red stripes on the top of his quills. His quills curled upwards and he had white chest fur which was protruding out of his blue denim shirt jacket. Like the other employee's, he was also wearing a brown apron which covered the majority of his body. A small rectangular pocket was in the center of the apron to place some tools if needed.

"Hi Shadow." Sonic said as he walked next to the ebony hedgehog. "Hey Sonic, my man!" Shadow said excitedly as he gave Sonic a high five. "I gotta show you something! Come here!" He said as he jogged over to a small wooden box sitting on a cluttered desk. Sonic looked at him in confusion. "Now, I've been working on this for almost a year." Shadow continued with a smile as he unwrapped his project from within the box. Sonic walked up beside him and looked down at the box curiously. "And I got an appointment this afternoon with your father to show him this..." Shadow said proudly as he pulled out a black and white sneaker. Sonic stared at the odd looking shoe with curiosity for a moment.

"Go ahead! Take it!" Shadow exclaimed eagerly while holding the shoe up to Sonic. Sonic took the shoe gingerly and examined it for a moment. "So what do ya think? Ya think he'll like it?" Shadow pressed, eager for the young boy's opinion. Sonic looked back down at the shoe and stared at it feeling baffled. "…What is it?" He asked, feeling a little unsure. It was the strangest looking shoe he had ever seen. Shadow looked at the boy in shock and slight disbelief. "What is it? Man, this is the future!" He exclaimed as he tried to explain to the young cobalt hedgehog his vision. Sonic looked back down at the shoe and rotated it around in his hands so he can get a gander at the shoe in all angles. "If I can get Jet the Hawk to wear em...I predict there'll be a pair of those in every closet in Mobius." Shadow proclaimed proudly, feeling completely sure of himself and his dream shoe.

"That's gonna be the height of fashion." Shadow said as his gaze went back to the shoe in Sonic's hands. Sonic merely rolled his eyes but smiled at his friend. He walked up to the window beside them and stood on a box to look out below him. His smile quickly faded and was replaced with a frown as he watched Scourge and his group of friends circling around on their bikes looking up at the window. Sonic felt his stomach churn in unease and his hands becoming clammy. Shadow watched Sonic and noticed his sudden change in demeanor. "What's wrong?" He asked in slight concern. "N-nothing..." Sonic stammered in a low voice, still looking out the window. "Sonic!" A familiar voice called. Sonic turned around to see his father Jules walking up to him quickly. He hopped off the box and walked up to his father while placing the shoe he was shown on an inactive conveyor belt.

Jules was a cerulean hedgehog with hazel brown eyes. He had long bangs that curved down above his forehead. He was wearing a sky blue dress shirt with a light brown vest and pants with a maroon tie that had light brown patterns on it. If one was to look at Sonic then at Jules they would be able to clearly see Sonic was truly his father's son. "Thanks Bob." Jules said in distraction as he walked over to his son. "What are you doing here? I've told you before, this factory isn't a playground. It's dangerous." Jules scolded gently but sternly. Sonic looked down to the floor for a moment before looking back up into his father's hazel eyes. "Dad, can I have a ride home?" He asked, hoping his father would give in and say yes. The inactive conveyor belt turned on and the shoe Shadow had been working on was slowly moving down the belt without Sonic or Shadow's knowledge. Shadow was trying hard not to eavesdrop and continued working but constantly glanced up at the two conversing hedgehogs.

"Sonic...Is Scourge Hedgehog picking on you again?" Jules asked as if he already knew his answer. Sonic's eyes grew wide and he looked around nervously before looking down to the floor. Shadow couldn't help his curiosity and walked over to the window and peered down to see Scourge and his four friends kicking Sonic's bike around as if it were a flimsy toy. "Son, you're gonna have to face him sooner or later." Sonic's father said trying to encourage his son. "Look, if you're afraid of something, you've got to stand up and face it..." Sonic looked down dismally, trying hard to hide his emotions. In all honesty he was terrified of Scourge. "Now run on son." Jules dismissed as he put a hand on Sonic's shoulder and patted it twice. Sonic slowly began walking away feeling as if his stomach were in knots. Jules sighed and looked over at the ebony hedgehog beside him. "Shadow, you should know better than to let the boy play in here." He said with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Sorry sir." Shadow said apologetically as he looked down, continuing his work. Jules started to slowly walk away until he was reminded of his appointment with Shadow. "Oh, uh...What was it you wanted to show me?" He asked as he placed his black pipe in his mouth. "Just a minute sir." Shadow said excitedly as he held up his finger. He began to look around for his shoe and his excitement quickly turned to bafflement as he couldn't find it anywhere. Jules watched him curiously as he smoked on his pipe wondering what was taking so long. Suddenly, the sound of something being shredded and caught in the conveyor belt caught the cerulean hedgehog's attention. He rushed over to it to see what was wrong as smoke began to emit from the machine. People stopped what they were doing and watched the scene in confusion. "What the Chaos..." Jules yelled in exasperation and confusion. Sonic had been at the top of the stairs preparing to descend when he watched the scene unfold. Workers began to head over towards Jules forgetting about their current duties.

"Get an extinguisher." One of the workers said. Shadow rushed through the crowd to see what was going on. Jules had opened up the bottom component to the machine and as the smoke began to fade bent down to pick up a shredded white and black sneaker. Jules looked at the destroyed shoe in confusion and irritation. Shadow looked around the room feeling at fault. He looked down at the floor in unease trying to think of what to do. Sonic watched silently from afar feeling guilty. He didn't have the courage and bravery to confront his father and admit it was his fault. "I'm sorry Shadow..." He thought to himself sadly. "Who did this?" Jules asked in exasperation while taking his pipe out of his mouth. "Well?" He asked again as his eyebrows arched, his anger beginning to build. Shadow swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at Jules with his crimson eyes. "I did sir." He said in a low voice with a deep frown. Jules looked at him incredulously as his pipe sat in his mouth and the shoe in his hand. Sonic looked down despondently and slowly made his way down the stairs.

Sonic came out of the factory and looked around nervously. He saw no sign of Scourge and his friends and saw his bike laying abandoned on the ground. He sighed in relief and quickly went over to it and picked it up. As he was about to walk away with his bike he looked up to see Scourge and his friends coming out of hiding. They had been hiding behind trees and bushes along the property. Scourge walked up to Sonic slowly with a smirk on his face with his four friends following close behind. Sonic bit his lower lip and looked at Scourge and then at his friends. He was afraid and wanted to run away but thought about what his father had said. His father was right. Scourge will constantly bully him until he finally stands up to him. "Just because your family founded this town and are filthy rich doesn't mean you can hang around my girlfriend." Scourge said as he narrowed his eyes. "We're just friends..." Sonic said in a low, shaky voice. Scourge just shook his head slowly in disagreement and chuckled darkly. "Not anymore."

Sonic felt his heart hammering in his chest and the palms of his hands becoming clammy. He stood there frozen staring at Scourge unable to move an inch. He was absolutely terrified of the guy and knew what was about to happen. There was no escaping this fate even if he did try to run away. He took in a nervous breath and tried to be brave like his father told him. "Get him!" Scourge yelled as he and his friends ran up to Sonic. Scourge grabbed Sonic by the shirt and punched him square in the mouth. Sonic staggered losing his balance from the force and winced in pain. Scourge grabbed Sonic before he could fall and tossed him on the ground like a rag doll. He and his friends began to kick him in the stomach repeatedly. Sonic grimaced in pain as he clutched his aching stomach. His breaths became much heavier and his attempts to fight back or at least keep them from hitting him were all in vain. "Let's go!" Scourge yelled as the group dispersed and ran back to their bikes. "Okay, I've got his bike!" One of Scourge's friends shouted as they grabbed the cobalt hedgehog's bicycle and rode off with it.

Sonic laid on the grass clutching his sore stomach and tried to push himself up. After a couple of attempts he managed to stand with one hand on his stomach while his other wiped the bit of crimson blood that was dripping down his bottom lip. "Jerks!" He yelled angrily. Tears threatened his emerald green eyes as blood continued to drip down his lower lip. He wiped it away furiously with his sleeve as he took in deep breaths. As he began to walk away slowly, the sound of drums beating steadily filled his ears. He turned around in confusion only to see the large construction site in front of his father's factory. Men were busy carrying large wooden planks and tools as they ascended and descended the board walks and stairs. What they were planning on doing Sonic wasn't quite sure. Bulldozers sped past him and Sonic figured he was just merely hearing things. "It's just the construction workers..." He assured himself as he turned around and began to walk away. The drums began to sound again only this time much louder and faster as if beckoning him. He turned around quickly knowing full well he wasn't just hearing things. It couldn't be the construction workers...could it?

He began walking towards the site in curiosity as he followed the drums steady rhythm. He walked cautiously onto a plank that overlooked the large and deep hole beneath him. He couldn't help but notice that none of the other workers seemed to notice the noise. "Can't they hear it?" He wondered. The drums had become so loud he couldn't fathom how they could not. He walked down the stairs and searched around the bottom of the hole as construction workers continued their work and ignored his presence. He continued walking slowly until he saw a dirt wall where the noise seemed to be the loudest. Feeling as though he's finally found the source of the noise, Sonic walked straight up to the wall where the drums stopped abruptly. Sonic looked up at the wall feeling slightly anxious and confused. He placed his ear against the soft soiled wall in an attempt to hear anything further but it had become quiet.

Curiosity getting the best of him, Sonic began to dig and pull away thick chunks of dirt. As he pulled dirt away wood started to be revealed furthering the cobalt hedgehog's desire to find out just what this was. He started digging feverishly, his gloves getting dirty as clomps of dirt fell to the ground. "It looks like a chest." He thought as more wood revealed itself as well as a brass handle bar. With two hands he started to pull as hard as he could to get the strange chest loose. Sonic groaned in frustration as the wooden box would not budge. He began digging away furiously, the thick scent of the earth filling his nose. Dirt flew up all around him and he had to close his eyes to prevent it from getting in. The wooden chest was now fully visible as it sat surrounded by the earthy soil. With both hands Sonic began tugging the chest as hard as he could. He wiggled it as he pulled trying to make it loose. It began to slide out and Sonic continued pulling until it came crashing to the ground with a thud.

Sonic knelt down and wiped the excess dirt off the top of the chest and turned it around to get a better look. He looked around him anxiously to make sure nobody was looking. He was afraid of getting in trouble. Looking back at the chest Sonic noticed an old lock on it. He grabbed a nearby shovel and jammed it hard into the old lock and shattered it. Dropping the shovel to his feet he knelt down once more and took the lock off quickly before slowly opening the lid. The chest was filled with soft soil indicating it had been underground for a long amount of time. Feeling a hint of excitement, Sonic began moving the soil away until he felt something hard. As he pushed the soil away he kept his grip on the strange object in his hands until he was holding it. Tilting it forward the remaining sand slid off revealing a strange board game. "Jumanji" It said in white bold letters and an arrow shooting across the word.

Three pyramids that looked exactly like the echidna tribes from the Mystic Ruins and a lake showed in the background above the word whereas on the bottom showed a lush, deep jungle. The board also had small images on each corner. On the upper left was a hunter wearing a tan helmet, and the right a brown monkey. The bottom left was a rhino and the bottom right an elephant. The center of the board was also decorated with a red border that went around the detailed picture. The red border made triangle designs which reminded Sonic a lot of Mazuri whereas the small pictures in every corner's frame were encircled in red. "Wow..." Sonic whispered out loud to himself. He looked up and noticed two construction workers watching him as if he were up to no good. Panicking, Sonic quickly grabbed the strange board game and ran up the wooden plank steps and out of the deep hole. Without stopping or looking back he quickly ran back home as fast as he possibly could.

The sun was setting and it was beginning to get dark as Sonic finally made it back home. He unlocked the small Iron Gate that stood in front of his home and pushed it open as he began walking down the red stoned pathway to his front door. His home was a beautiful white Victorian home that stood two stories high with black window shutters and a balcony in the center of the second floor. Two black lamp posts sat on red brick privacy walls on each end of the gate and all along the perimeter of his yard were small hedges that were nicely trimmed. Sonic opened the front door and quietly stepped inside. He held the mysterious board game tightly with one arm as he shut the door and began walking down the main hallway. The first thing Sonic sees as he enters his home is the white spiral staircase and white marble floors. He could hear the grandfather clock chiming in the parlor room and looked around to see if his mother was home yet. Assuming he was alone, Sonic walked into the parlor and sat down on the pink sofa. After he made himself comfortable he looked down at the strange board game that sat on his lap.

Sonic opened the game's compartments slowly as he glanced at every bit of artistic detail the game possessed. The game opened up into two sides and a center. The center had a maze like map of steps leading to a relatively large black gem embedded in the very center of the board. "Neat." Sonic whispered quietly with an excited smile as he examined the game. He opened up a small compartment on the right hand side which held four playable pawns. He took out two and looked at them closely. One was a black elephant while the other was a white monkey.

"Sonic! Are you home?" Sonic's mother called. Startled Sonic dropped the pawns and turned around to look over his shoulder. Without his knowledge the two pieces rolled and set themselves up in their rightful starting places. Sonic quickly shut the game and tucked it underneath the sofa. Getting up he walked over to his mother Bernadette who looked at him with deep concern. She held up his chin and began examining his face and frowned. "Oh Sonic! Not again...Come on..." She said solemnly. As the two left the room the game began to beat its drums softly as if trying to call Sonic back to it.

Sonic sat at the large oak wood dining table and ate his supper alone. He listened as his father continued rehearsing his lines for an award ceremony he and his mother were heading to. He picked at his food slowly with his fork with a blank expression on his face. "Hard work, determination, a cheerful outlook. Attributes that have exemplified the Station Square spirit...since our forefathers first settled this town." Jules walked down the staircase slowly. "Despite the harshness of our native clime and the granite of our soil...we have-" Jules closed his eyes as he tried to remember the next part of his speech. "Prospered." Bernadette finished as she straightened out her blue silk dress and fixed her quills. Jules sighed in frustration. "I knew the damn thing this morning."

"You'll know the darn thing tonight." Bernadette said encouragingly as she straightened his tie. "Alright...Let's go." He said not sounding too convinced. Bernadette stopped him before he could walk ahead of her. "Jules...We have to talk to Sonic." Jules and his wife walked into the dining room and smiled at Sonic affectionately. "Well, we're uh...we're on our way." Jules said as Sonic looked up at him. "Okay." Sonic said nonchalantly as he looked back down at his dinner plate. "I told your father what you told me this afternoon. It wasn't just Scourge Hedgehog." Sonic's mother informed him as he stopped eating and looked at both of his parents uneasily. Jules looked over at his son with a soft expression. "Look...if I'd known that Sonic I wouldn't have-" Sonic cut him off. "It's okay dad..." He said in a low voice. "But I want you to know I am proud of you. I mean, you faced them even though you were outnumbered." Jules said encouragingly. Sonic couldn't help but feel his spirits lift and smile slightly at his father taking pride in him.

"And..." Jules said as Bernadette smiled up at him. He smiled back at her before glancing back to his son. "Since you took it like a man..." Bernadette smiled jubilantly as Jules pulled a pamphlet out from his suit pocket and handed it over to Sonic. "Your mother and I have decided that you're ready to go to the Spagonia School for Boys." Jules smiled at his son fondly while Bernadette was practically jumping up and down in excitement for her son. "There." Jules said proudly. "Congratulations sweetheart." Sonic's mother said happily as she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the head. Sonic held the pamphlet in his hands and looked at it apprehensively. "You don't want me living here anymore?" He asked with uncertainty, a hint of sadness in his tone. "Sonic..." His mother said softly, her smile evaporating from her face. Bernadette and Jules exchanged looks.

"It's always been the plan that you go to Spagonia when you were ready." Jules stated as he walked past his wife and up to his son. Bernadette wore a frown and felt a little uneasy. She could see the unhappiness in her son's eyes. Sonic took out his thick black framed reading glasses and opened up the pamphlet. "I mean, our family has been going to Spagonia ever since the 1700's." Jules stated proudly as Sonic quickly read through the pamphlet. "Even your Uncle Chuck went there." Jules chuckled while Bernadette gave an uneasy and forced laugh. "Look at this." Jules pointed out to a black and white photo. "Spagonia Hall?" Sonic asked unenthusiastically. "It's the main dormitory." His father stated as he pointed to various black and white photos. Sonic sighed in exasperation and quickly removed his reading glasses. "Oh, this is great." Sonic said in frustration. Jules exchanged a look with Bernadette and nodded proving that he had won their son over.

"Kids are on my case here because of what I am. Because of what my family is. Just wait till I'm living in a building built after us." Sonic said bitterly. "It was built after my father." Jules said in irritation, trying to control his temper. Bernadette could do nothing more but look at her husband and son in worry. "Good. Why don't you live in it?" Sonic argued. "I did! I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for my years there." Jules said trying to keep himself composed. Sonic sighed in aggravation. "Maybe I don't wanna be who you are!" He yelled. "Maybe I don't even wanna be part of this family." He said in a low voice while looking up at his father. Jules straightened his suit jacket angrily. Bernadette's eyes grew wide and she held her hand up to try and comfort her husband and also stop him from arguing with their son.

"You won't be. Not till you start acting like you are." Jules said in a dark and bitter tone. Bernadette placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned around and faced her. "Get your coat!" He ordered her in a loud voice. She pulled her hand away as if she touched fire and was taken aback by his outburst at her. She frowned and began heading towards the front door. Jules glared at his son wanting to say more but found no words. He turned and followed after his wife. "I guess I'm not ready for Spagonia then!" Sonic yelled from across the house. Jules ushered his wife out the front door before turning around to face his son from afar. "We're taking you there next Sunday! And I don't wanna hear another word about it!" He shouted as he slammed the front door. "You won't! I'm never talking to you again!" Sonic shouted with tears in his eyes as he ripped the pamphlet in two.

Jules slid into the driver's seat angrily and slammed the door. Bernadette looked up at her husband with a sullen expression. "Jules-"

"Don't!" He cut her off as he looked over at her.

"Jules-" She tried again to console her husband.

He sighed. "What?" Jules asked irritably.

"Nothing...Just..." She trailed off, giving up. Without another word he drove off in a hurry.

With tears threatening Sonic's eyes, he quickly ran up the white spiral staircase to his bedroom. He went through his dresser drawers for his clothes and tossed them hastily onto his bed and pulled out a brown suit case. He folded his clothes neatly and picked up money he had laying on top of his mahogany desk and put it in his pants pocket. He quickly closed his suit case and headed down the stairs heading straight for the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and began raiding it for any food he could fit in his suit case and take along with him. After having grabbed a bag of wonder bread, peanut butter, and jam he rushed towards the living room where he stopped momentarily and stared at the pink sofa remembering the mysterious game which lay beneath it. He headed on over to where the game laid and went to his hands and knees and pulled the game out and quickly tossed it onto the sofa. Opening up his suit case, he gently placed the game inside then closed it. He rushed to his front door and right when he was about to grab the door knob he heard three loud knocks. Sonic froze feeling his heart racing as he contemplated on whether he should open the door or not.

As Sonic opened the front door he came face to face with Amy Rose. "What are you doing here?" He asked irritably. Amy shifted her weight uncomfortably and looked away from him and down at his bicycle beside her. "I brought your bike back." She said in a soft voice. "You didn't have to." Sonic said quickly. "I was going over to Scourge's to get it myself." He said in a low voice. Amy frowned. "I told Scourge to stop picking on you." She said quietly, her expression remorseful. "You shouldn't have wasted your breath." Sonic said in frustration as he bent down and retrieved his suit case. "We'll have to talk about this some other time." He said in a hurry as he walked past her. Amy looked at him and then at the suit case in confusion. When she was about to speak the sound of drums began to beat lightly for a moment. Sonic froze mid stride and listened as Amy's eyes widened in slight alarm.

"What was that?" She asked feeling a little uneasy. Sonic turned around wide eyed and looked at her for a brief moment. "You heard it too?" He asked, still feeling a little unsure as to what she heard. "Of course I heard it." Amy said quietly, still feeling a little unnerved. "Come on." Sonic said as he turned around and headed back into his house. Amy stared at him feeling slightly confused. "I found this really weird game in the factory." He stated. "A game?" Amy asked perplexed as she followed after him and gently shut the door.

Sonic walked back to the pink sofa and laid his suit case down and opened it. He gently took the game out and placed it on the coffee table and sat on his knees. Amy followed quietly and sat on her knees across from him on the other side of the table. Sonic began opening the game and turned it sideways so it was facing both him and Amy. He noticed two pawns were already set up on the two different starting areas and tried to pull them off. He found it strange when they were stuck firmly in place and looked over at one of the open sides to read what was written in it.

"Jumanji. A game for those who seek to find a way to leave their world behind." Amy picked up the two dice that sat idly on the board and looked up at Sonic as he continued to read. "You roll the dice to move your token. Doubles gets another turn. And the first player to reach the end wins." Sonic looked back up at Amy feeling a little excited. "You wanna play?" He asked as a small smile formed on his face. Amy stared at him for a moment indecisively. "I don't know...I told my mother I would be home soon...I really should be going. I'm sorry." She said apologetically while standing up. She tossed the dice onto the board and turned to head back towards the front door. Sonic's eyes grew wide as he watched Amy's pawn, the white rhino, glide silently across the board.

"Amy." He whispered feeling slightly uneasy. Amy turned around and froze in place as she watched her pawn moving hastily. She slowly walked back over to Sonic and the board game and sat down on her knees again. Sonic looked up at Amy and pointed at the pawns. "It's gotta be magnetized or something." He said as if trying to convince himself. The two continued looking down at the board in confusion and unease. "Sonic look." Amy whispered as they stared at the green gem in the center. Golden letters slowly began to swirl and form sentences. Amy started to read out loud as the letters formed. "At night they fly, you better run...these winged things are not much fun..." The two slowly looked up at one another nervously after she finished reading.

Suddenly, loud noises that sounded like squeals erupted from the fireplace across from them. Amy gasped in fear as the two of them looked over at it. "What was that?" Amy whispered fearfully. Sonic kept his gaze on the fireplace as he tried to comprehend what was happening. He started to quiver noticeably. "I-I don't know." Sonic stuttered nervously as he looked back at Amy. Amy backed away from the game slightly shaking her head. "Put it away Sonic!" She whispered, beginning to feel frightened. Sonic took the dice in his hand. "Okay." He agreed, feeling apprehensive. The tall grandfather clock standing against the wall in the parlor began to chime loudly as its pendulum continued swinging swiftly. The two hedgehogs gasped and looked over at the sudden noise. In Sonic's fright, he dropped the two dice onto the board game and out of his hands.

Sonic watched fearfully as his pawn, the black elephant, began swiftly moving the amount of spaces the dice read. He looked up nervously at Amy who was still looking at the pawn. "Oh no...The game thinks I rolled." He said in unease. Amy stared at him fearfully. "What do you mean the game thinks?" She asked in a whisper. The two stared at each other for a moment before their gaze fell back to the green gem on the board. Golden letters once again swirled around in a mist until they formed sentences. Sonic started to read in a shaky voice. "In the jungle you must wait...until the dice read five or eight..." He slowly looked back up at Amy in confusion and unease. "In the jungle you must wait..." He repeated slowly, trying to make sense of what he just read. "What's that mean?"

Amy's eyes grew wide and she suddenly let out an ear piercing scream. Sonic looked down at his hands to see them beginning to disappear. He started to scream as he felt himself being literally sucked into the game itself. His entire body was beginning to disappear. Amy watched in horror as she saw Sonic being sucked into the board game. She continued to scream helplessly in fear. "Amy! Roll the dice!" Sonic's voice echoed as he was rapidly being sucked into the game. "Amy!" He screamed again as his voice grew fainter until he was completely gone entirely. Amy looked down at the board game in horror but her attention quickly went back to the fireplace as hundreds of bats began flying out and around her.

Bats swarmed and dived down to attack her and tried flying into her quills. Amy continued screaming as she quickly stood up and began running towards the front door. As they bit and pulled at her skirt, she twirled around trying to get them off and fell onto the parlor floor. A bat landed on her shoulder and tried to bite her and she looked over in horror and screamed. She quickly scrambled to her feet once more and opened the front door and ran out of the house. The bats all flew out and followed after her and continued chasing her. Amy's terrified screams continued to echo throughout the now empty house as she ran as quickly as she could down the street.