Mobius, a world of heroes and struggles. The world of the Blue Flash and his scores of friends. But not all stories are born purely of war and struggle. Many of the world's greatest stories were forged during peace and many of the greatest struggles were between friends and family. This is their chronicles of those stories. A time of peace and prosperity. A time of clashes and reverence. Book One: A Mobian Rhapsody; Part Four: As the night turned from young to old, the cool ocean breeze blew in from the south. Its lazy call beckoning the town to sleep, this was the hour Max most liked to use to surf. No people in his way, only the stars lighting his way. A dream in its own right. Having the power of electricity running through his very blood, he didn't get cold very easily. So unlike some, Max could stay out in the cold water much longer and later. As he rode each wave, his thoughts drifted from place to place as if carried too by the waves. He thought of his chores he still had to do before bed. He thought about what his tasks might be tomorrow, outside of his usual routines. But most of all, he thought about Kyle and what his coming has brought in only four days. Two days had passed since that night Kyle and Star shared their tears. Since then, Kyle had come to Max to tell him of the situation. Kyle had also told his master that he intended to stay. As such, Mimi took residence in Nivra as well. The two now lived toward the edge of town in conjoining one room houses. Star also had a noticeable change to her. She was more peaceful, more confidant even. To Max, it had seemed that she had finally found the piece of mind that she had longed for. Max could tell that she no longer had feelings for Kyle, and he was confidant that she never would. But the fact that the two were still friends sat well with the silver hedgehog. Lastly, the wolf named Criss had since moved on. Max never heard a thing from him, but apparently he had confronted Mimi before setting back to his own trail. Max had a feeling, however, that he would return one day. Criss' destiny, whether he knew it or not, was entwined with Kyle's. Max rode his last wave of the night and came to a halt not far from shore. Looking on toward his home, he noticed Kyle standing by his door. Max had once dreaded the sight of the purple hedgehog, but ever since Kyle confronted Star it was almost as if Kyle had opened his heart. This made him easier to talk to as well as giving Max reason to believe that there was hope after all for the poor fool who he had once thought a hopeless cause. "What are you doing up so late, Kyle?" Max said as he approached Kyle from the ocean. Kyle just lifted the brim of his hat and looked at Max. "Honestly, I couldn't tell you. I just haven't been tired lately," Kyle said with a shrug, leaning against the wall of Max's house. Max placed his surfboard with his others on the custom rack he had made for them and starting drying himself with his beach towel. "So what do you need? The only time I get an intentional visit from you is when you need something," Max said, drying out his quills. Kyle just peered out toward the sea longingly. "I just...I guess I needed someone to talk to. So I figured since everyone in this town uses you for that anyway..." Kyle trailed off. Max just chuckled a little and led his purple furred friend into his home. "Finally coming to me for wisdom, huh old friend?" Max stated with a grin. Kyle snorted in rebuttal and took a seat on Max's front room couch. "So what's on your mind?" "In all honesty...the first day I got here. That night was somewhat eventful. I saved a blue cat from a trio of worthless bears," Kyle said with a grin of excitement. "It was a good warm up. The feeling I got was a wonderful release. I couldn't believe the opportunity I was presented to test out my skill. Shame the chumps couldn't fight to save their lives." "The Bear Brothers. They always give Ratchet a hard time. The eldest has a crush on her but he's too dense to understand that Ratchet doesn't know when to control her flirty nature," Max said, pouring himself a glass of fruit juice. He poured another and walked over to Kyle and handed it to him. "So I still don't get why you're here. You could have talked about that kind 'a thing to Mimi or something." "No...she wouldn't understand. Master Mimi still has a hard time understanding why I fight. Let alone my taste in women," Kyle sighed, taking a sip of the drink all too late to realize what he had said. "So you got a woman on your mind then, eh?" Max smiled devilishly. "No, no...it's not like that. I just..." "Heh, alright. Well I can't help you if you can't tell me the truth," Max said, sitting down and leaning back in his chair. Kyle sighed and sat his glass down on the table in front of him. "Her eyes, Max," Kyle stated. Max smiled and leaned forward again, looking at Kyle evenly. "What about them?" "They...called to me. I've seen that look before. Just...not on that face. The face that once held those eyes no longer has those feelings," Kyle said. Max just chuckled. "Cryptic but I think I understand. You saw a bit of Star in Ratchet, didn't you?" Max smirked smugly. Kyle just sighed. "I suppose you can say that. At the time I just wrote it off as nothing. I had other things on my mind. But ever since I made peace with Star...with my past...I can't stop thinking about it. It keeps me up at night," Kyle said in deep thought. He picked his glass back up and sipped from it evenly. "So that's why you're up so late. Well, this one is easy. You have to go talk to Ratchet," Max said, finishing the last bit of his juice. Kyle just shook his glass around to stir it gently and stared into it in thought. "Yeah...I was afraid you'd say that," Kyle said in a hush tone. Max just raised an eyebrow. "Is that a hint of worry in your voice, Kyle? And here I thought you were confidant enough to stand up to anyone or anything," Max almost chuckled. Kyle just sneered slightly and looked down. "Fighting is different. I can beat anyone or anything in a fight. It's what I know. I can face it with confidence and a sure fist knowing that I will come out victorious. Talking to Ratchet...that's different. I tried the other day when I saw her at the market. But I couldn't even manage a simple 'hello'," Kyle explained. "You couldn't possibly understand that." Max leaned back in his seat. Sighing deeply, he only thought to himself how wrong Kyle was. "I can't help you, Kyle," Max stated flatly. "I can't help you because I have the same problem. Anything I say to you about that subject would be hollow words falling on def ears." Kyle sighed as he heard this. "Still haven't told her, huh?" Kyle asked with a slight smirk. "How many years have you had a crush on her, again? You had it when I was still here, so that's at least ten," Kyle stated, thinking to himself. Max and Kyle sat in silence for another ten minutes before Kyle finally grunted to himself. He stood abruptly and stepped through the open door of Max's home, smiling to himself the whole way. Max, curious to the sudden action, followed the purple hedgehog out. Kyle stepped over to a huge bolder nearly eight times larger then him. He held out his fist and clenched it tightly, spinning the brim of his hat around to the back of his head. "What are you up to, lug-head?" Max asked, crossing his arms. Kyle smirked devilishly. "I'll make you a deal. If I can break this bolder with one punch then we both have to talk to the girls we're secretly in love with," Kyle said confidently. "And if you break your hand?" Max said smugly. "Then fate isn't on our side, is it?" Kyle said. Not wasting a moment, Kyle turned and pulled his arm back. He swung his balled fist toward the bolder, letting out a loud grunt as he did so. His fist slammed against the bolder with a dull thud, the surface cracking with the sharp sting of the impact. The force of the blow was enough to startle Max and as he looked on in awe, the bolder broke into rocks and shards, each no larger then his own fist. Kyle smiled devilishly, his hand still where the rock's face once was. "I guess we got a lot to think about tonight." --- The clanking of metal on metal could be heard from the garage on the borders of town. Enough to be heard well enough away, but not enough to disturb the now sleeping Nivra. Toiling away on her latest creation, Ratchet was covered in grease and oil, dirt and grim. She had the satisfied look of a long day's job complete on her face as she stepped back to admire her work. It was a new land rover. Something she had built for her best little partner, Miles "Tails" Prower as a birthday gift. As she looked at it with satisfaction, knowing in her heart that Tails would appreciate its beauty as she did, she felt a sudden sink in her gut. This feeling had plagued her for a few days now. As she thought about it, the feeling actually started the day after she met the purple hedgehog that had saved her life. She had tried to thank him many times but each time Kyle had either avoided her or the words of Max had rung clear in her ears. "Is this what Kitty calls 'love'?" the girl thought. Though Ratchet was a flirt by nature, she never felt love for something organic. Not that kind of love, anyway. Sure, she loved Tails as a little brother and viewed Kathryn in much the same way. But romance had never bitten her. Cupid's arrow had not yet graced her flesh. "Maybe I should ask her about it tomorrow when I go into to town," she thought out loud. "Hey Mecha, get in here and help me clean up, would yah? I feel like getting to sleep before the sun comes up this time!" she called out her robotic Chao assistant. As the two cleaned up, Ratchet found herself daydreaming. Thinking back to the feeling of the gentle touch of Kyle's hand touching hers. Hugging her favorite wrench with images of that purple hedgehog in her mind, she sighed deeply and set the wrench back into its holster on her tool belt. "Is something bothering you, Ratchet?" Mecha asked, hovering delicately over her shoulder. "Oh no, its nothing. You wouldn't understand any more then I do, Mecha. After all, I'm the one that built you," Ratchet chuckled to herself. The robotic Chao just cocked its head slightly and hovered back over to finish up the work he was assigned. After finishing up the cleaning, Ratchet turned Mecha off for the night and shut down the garage thoroughly. Stepping into her room, she removed her greasy clothes and tossed them into an automatic sorter and washer. After showering, she tossed on her night gown and slipped into bed gently, thoughts of Kyle once more dancing through her mind. Maybe, the girl thought as she drifted to sleep, Maybe I am in love. --- Waking up ready for the day, Kathryn the Cat rose from bed with a great big stretch. Wagging her tail eagerly, she remembered that today was her day off from work. Normally that would mean having nothing to do for the better part of the day, but today she had plans to hang out with Ratchet. Smiling to herself, she rose from bed and removed her night gown to take a shower. Coming down stairs after grooming up nicely and putting on her Sunday's best, Katt skipped her way across her home and poured herself some whole milk into a tall glass. Taking a big swig, she was delighted to hear the doorbell ring. She ran over and flung the door open, expecting to see her good friend Ratchet. Who she saw surprised her a little. "Hi there Miss Kitty," Mimi smiled at Katt with a devilish smirk. He arms crossed, she leaned against the door frame. Katt just looked at Mimi with confusion. "Well are you going to invite me in?" "Oh, I'm sorry, Mimi! Come on in," Katt smiled and stepped aside to let her new friend into her home. This was only the second time that Mimi had been in Katt's house but the two were forming a rather fond relationship. "So what brings you to my neck of the woods this early, Ms. Mimi?" "Oh, just passing by. Thought I'd say hi," Mimi said, flopping down on Katt's white couch that was placed in front of a fireplace. "Why do I doubt that?" Katt said, taking a gulp of her milk and sitting in her favorite chair, which was more like a love seat. "Because you know by now that all my actions have meaning to them. You're not a dumb girl," Mimi said smugly. Katt just smiled delightfully and wagged her tail, putting her feet up on the seat next to her. "You're right with that one, girly. Now, what REALLY brings you?" Katt inquired. "Actually, I understand that your best friend is a young blue cat by the name of Ratchet," Mimi stated. Katt just cocked her head curiously and nodded. "Yeah, me and Ratchet have been friend's since we were kittens," the pink cat said, sipping at her milk. "Good, then that makes things a little easier. You see, Kyle has a rather strong crush on her. Being the man he is, he hasn't told anyone but me and Maxy boy," Mimi said, looking at Katt with a devilish smirk. Katt just looked on, waiting for more. "And I want you to play matchmaker. Max, from what I understand, refuses to help Kyle in that department. Not sure why, but Kyle said it was for a very reasonable reason. So that just leaves you." "You want me to hook Kyle up with Ratchet? You DO know about Ratchet, don't you?" Katt said, a hint of worry in her voice. Mimi just looked on, expecting to hear the explanation. "She's a terrible flirt. What's worse is that half the time she doesn't even KNOW she's flirting." "Well, from what I understand, Kyle knows this. I'm also pretty sure that she didn't flirt with him. Why am I sure? Well...Kyle doesn't fall for flirting. Trust me on that one," Mimi said, smiling from ear to ear. Katt just looked a little shocked and got up to put her empty glass away. "Well just so you know, Ratchet might not go for it. She doesn't seem like the kind 'a girl that wants a long term relationship with only one guy. And not to be a downer, but Kyle and her are like oil and water," Katt said, rinsing out the glass. "Well you and Max don't have much in common and you two make a great couple," Mimi said, smiling to herself as she brushed a lose hair from her eyes. Katt just blushed and looked down. "Me and Maxy aren't dating, Mimi. We're just friends," Katt stated. "Oh? Could have fooled me. You cling to him like white on rice," Mimi chuckled. Katt blushed more, the redness now visible through the fur on her cheeks. "I...um...well...we're just..." Katt stuttered. "You're in love with him, aren't you?" Mimi smiled. Katt nodded sheepishly. "And he doesn't know it, does he?" Katt shook her head. "You poor thing." "Well it's not like it would matter if he did. He's got plenty of girls to choose from in this town. Practically every girl in Nivra is head over heals in love with him," Katt retaliated. Mimi smirked. "Well, he is a very handsome hedgehog. And smart, too. Not to mention talented. The boy has it all," Mimi said, a devil in her eye as she spoke. "So do you blame them?" "Well...no..." Katt rubbed her left shoulder with her right paw and sunk in her shoes. Mimi just chuckled. "Sorry, dear, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm only proving my point. If you want to get the man your heart is after then you should go out and take him from all the other sharks who want him," Mimi said. Katt just blushed more. "Well...I know that. But...I guess...I'm waiting for him to..." She was interrupted by Mimi. "For him to come ask you? Kitty, if the world worked like that then girls like you and me would be left for dry every time. We intimidate the boys because of how strong we are at heart. And in some cases in body," Mimi smiled. "But I'll make you a deal. You hook my Kyle up with your Ratchet and I'll help you take dear old Maxy for yourself. What do you say?" "Yeah...I guess I can do that," Katt sighed. At this point she was just wanting to get off the topic. Thankfully, the conversation was ended when the doorbell rang. This time, it would prove to be who Katt expected. And now, Katt had a long day ahead of her. --- Ratchet sighed. She wasn't sure what was bothering her friend, but for the better part of the morning, the pink cat was almost moping. Which wasn't like her at all. In fact it was rather the opposite. Kathryn almost never moped. Many people in Nivra knew Amy Rose as the "flower of Nivra". If that was true then Katt was Nivra's gem. She brought a good mood wherever she went. But now it was almost as if a rain cloud had formed over her head. "What's on your mind, Kitty?" Ratchet asked finally. Katt looked up at her fellow feline as the two walked down the busy boardwalk. "Oh...its nothing. I guess I just have a lot on my mind lately," the girl responded. She grabbed her tail and started to fiddle with it slightly. This was an obvious sign to anyone that knew her that something was weighing heavily on her mind. "Mine too," Ratchet admitted. She still had Kyle on her mind. The thought of them meeting today by chance sent a slight shiver of excitement down her back. Katt just looked at her friend and coked her head to the side. "What's been on your mind, girly?" Katt asked. Ratchet just blushed. "A boy, actually," she said. Katt smiled to herself. "Me too," Katt admitted. Ratchet giggled. "Max again?" Ratchet was one of three people in town that knew about Katt's long time crush on Max, not counting Mimi. Katt nodded and shrugged. "There's more to it then that, though. Anyway, who's on your mind?" Katt asked, smiling sweetly at her friend. Ratchet blushed again and rubbed the back of her head, turning away slightly. "You...won't like the answer," Ratchet confessed. "It's Kyle, isn't it?" Ratchet nodded sheepishly when Katt asked this. Katt just smiled delightfully and sighed in a great relief. This made things easier on her. Taking Ratchet by the arm and dragging her off, Katt walked with all haste toward Kyle's favorite spot in town. "Come on, girly! We're on a mission!" "But what about our shopping trip?!" Ratchet managed to say. --- Standing on the ledge of the cliff, Kyle looked out toward the ocean. Many things were still crawling around in his head. It was as if termites had taken residence in his brain. The constant twinge he got from thought was only squelched by seeing the ocean from his favorite spot in town. This view, this very place, was his drug. He watched the wind carry a leaf from the tree next to him off the ledge. Hauling it as if to drag a dance partner to the dance floor, the wind and the leaf waltzed in an elegant flowing dance. The wind leading, the leaf bent and coursed as if it was a maiden dressed in a graceful dress, the edges drifting and shaping with each twist and turn. When the dance ended, the leaf fell to the ocean hundreds of feet down. Kyle smiled and sighed. The simple things in life. That is why Kyle traveled. It was all he knew. Even when he finally found a home with Mimi at her monastery, Kyle was still moving around as much as he could. He hated the feeling of chains. The bindings that society often placed on men like him out of necessity. He didn't resent the world for this; he merely fought it by moving and staying secluded. But lately he had the feeling that these chains were always there and that he had not stripped them but only grown used to their feeling. Strange, though, that even upon realizing this, Kyle still felt at home here. Upon making peace with Star, the man's heart had seemed to shout to him something. Something that sounded as if his heart was weary of travel. That he needed a home at last. But to Kyle, home was not just where the heart lays. For it to be home, he has to have something more. He was still unsure what that other thing was, but he knew that somehow, he would find it here of all places. As the purple hedgehog stood, staying to himself and losing his senses in thought, Ratchet and Katt walked up quietly behind him. Standing a few hundred feet away, Ratchet shivered to herself almost as if it was cold. The mid-summer's breeze was warm and yet it licked her fur with a cold bite. Katt smiled at her and placed her hand on Ratchet's shoulder. "You only get one shot at true love, girly. Maybe this guy can give you what I always wanted for you," Katt had always been like a sister to the younger Ratchet. Ratchet shivered a little and looked at Kyle standing proudly, his arms crossed and lazy quills blowing in the wind as they hung out from under his cap. "But...what if he doesn't like me?" Ratchet said sheepishly. Katt sighed. She knew where Ratchet was coming from. Mustering as much energy as she could, she tried her hardest to not sound like a hypocrite with her next choice words. "Wouldn't you like to look back upon this day and say you had the guts to talk to the man that lingered in your thoughts rather then live with the regret of it for the rest of your life?" Katt asked. "Don't make the same mistakes I have, girly. Go talk to him. Be the girl I can't be." Ratchet looked at her long time friend and smiled hesitantly. She wanted to comfort Katt, but she knew that now was not the time. She sighed and puffed up her chest as best she could. "Wish me luck," Ratchet sighed. Katt smiled and nodded. She sighed as she watched her best friend walk off toward her destiny. --- "Um, excuse me?" Ratchet squeaked. Kyle turned around slowly, smiling when he saw Ratchet standing there. "Oh...um...hi there. You uh...kind 'a caught me off guard," Kyle said, a little bead of nervous sweat dripping down his face. Ratchet smiled and kicked at the dirt sheepishly. "Well, I just came over cause, well...I guess I wanted to ask you something," Ratchet said. Kyle just looked at her with a slight smirk. "What's that?" "Well...would you like to, um...catch a movie with me some time?" Ratchet said nervously. Kyle just smiled. "Well...I don't see why not," Kyle said hesitantly. As he said this, a feeling came over him. A feeling he had not felt in years. Ten years to be exact. He looked at Ratchet as she smiled back at him delightfully. There in the blue cat's eyes, Kyle saw it. He saw what he was looking for. What his heart called for. "No...that came out wrong." "Oh...um...well, then I guess..." Ratchet trailed off, starting to droop with a case of disappointment. "What I meant to say is that I would love to join you to the movies, Ratchet. And I also want to confess something to you if you would be willing to hear me out," Kyle said. Ratchet looked up, her eyes sparkling in anticipation. "Yes?" "You make me feel...different. Not in a bad way, though. You make me feel good. Just seeing your smile gives me a warmth that I can't explain. All I know is that I'm sad when you walk away because the warmth goes with you. Basically, I guess what I'm trying to say is that...well...I think...I think I'm in love with you, Ratchet," Kyle explained. Ratchet smiled delightfully. A warmth formed in her tummy. The very same feeling she felt late last night. "That's funny, Kyle. Cause that...all of that...it basically explains how I feel about you, too," Ratchet said shyly. Kyle smiled. "Can I show you something?" Kyle asked, smiling as he looked into Ratchet's eyes. "I'd be honored, Kyle," Ratchet replied. Kyle took the blue cat by the hand gently, his touch firm and commanding but gentle and protective. He led her over to the edge of the cliff and let the girl take in the site of the ocean. She gasped at its beauty. "I had no idea that there was a place here with such a beautiful view!" "I know. It was tough to find. It's been my favorite spot in town since I did," Kyle said. "And I'm happy I could share it with you." As the two stood there, Ratchet eventually leaning close to Kyle to embrace him, Katt looked on from a distance. In her mind she envisioned herself and Max in a very similar manor. She sighed out of happiness for her friend and turned around to head home. She had helped more then Ratchet that night. Kyle had finally found happiness. And Katt was a more confidant person. In the morning, Katt would be eager to take on the day.