You know how I said most of the remaining chapters would be on the shorter side? This chapter is why I said "most" and not "all."

I'm pretty sure this is the longest single post I've ever made. But if you've made it THIS far into the story ... first of all, thank you so much. Secondly, I'm willing to bet this wouldn't be that intimidating for you.

Here's the thing about Sonic '06. Without giving away its ending, let's just say it was supposed to be a fresh start for everyone's favorite blue, fast hedgehog and his friends. I've been putting a bit of a spin on that by having this version act as a finale of sorts for these characters. As such, it felt right to give them each a moment of either introspection or coming full circle, to make the fic feel like the culmination of a journey that's lasted for multiple games. Trying to do that, while having the story still progress, while trying to have some fun with the time-bending realm we're in ... yeah, this was a hard one. The longest it's taken me to write a chapter from start to finish in a while. I also wanted to get it all done in one supersized chapter because of how little there is in both plot progression and bondage. This one's mostly about character work and/or action, with the final seeds being set for the finale.

But I promise, I've worked it out in my head that there are definitely, without a doubt, four chapters left. And I've dedicated myself to finishing them all by the official start of summer. Yes, like Avatar Aang before me, my duties need to be fulfilled by the summer solstice. Unless some freak event happens in my life, I should be able to do it.