As my first attempt at fanfiction, I'm going to need a LOT of help from my reviewers. (If I get any) This is the first chapter of The Path of Rose, Amy's storyline during the game "Sonic next gen."
I love Amy Rose. She is my all-time favorite character from Sonic, so I wanted to bring her to the spotlight. Obviously, some points in the story are going to be AU. For example, Amy may join Silver or some of the other characters during their quests. If there is anything I am missing or if there are any unintentional plot holes, please tell me. For example, I've only played two Sonic games, so I don't know much of Amy's history. I've had to go to the Sonic wiki and study her page. I may have discontinuities during my first run through. Don't forget to review and tell me these things. I also tend to explain things as if I'm telling the story to someone who has never played Sonic.
Some of you out there don't like to review. I understand that. But to a new author, going on the story traffic page and seeing that 70 people have read but not reviewed, that is very depressing. At least leave a short review saying whether it's good, bad, or needs work. And one more thing. If I get a single flame from a person screaming about bestiality, not only will I completely go insane, I will rant and rave about the immaturity of the reviewer and laugh at it publicly. You have been warned. It is a race, gosh darn it! Anyway, now to the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic series, nor the character Amy. (Although I'd like to…)
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The plains of Soleanna. It was considered to be one of the most beautiful and serene locations in the surrounding countryside. The skies were continuously blue, with clouds scattered randomly across the cerulean sky. Rain came once a week, nourishing the endless grass and providing the animals that lived there with water. There was also an urban legend saying that the rains that fell on that area contained a rare mineral, which was the cause for the vibrant green color that only this grass possessed.
It was simply because of this natural beauty that Amy Rose chose this area to be the site of her temporary home. Her friends Big the Cat and Cream the Rabbit had left her, claiming that they had important errands to attend to. Three weeks after their departure, Amy moved out of her home, intending to purchase a house in Soleanna, the City of the Water. She had heard about this city's majesty all through her life, and had always intended on visiting there. However, Amy had always put it off, choosing instead to spend time with her friends or chasing after Sonic the Hedgehog, her true love.
Amy had her chance when her friends left. In no hurry, she set off for Soleanna. She made good time, crossing marshes and deserts in a phenomenal time, rivaling the speed of her love, Sonic, who was the fastest creature in the world. However, when she reached the plains, she made herself stop.
Amy was awestruck at the beauty of the region. Therefore, she simply had to stop there for a few weeks. Amy built a small, primitive hut on a flat area of the plains with a nice view of the surrounding hills. She loved the site and constantly spent time lying down on the soft grass, staring up at the sapphire sky.
It was during one such time, when she was cloudgazing, that she was thrown into a series of events far beyond anything she ever could have imagined.
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Amy sighed, content. These were truly wonderful times, where one could walk outside freely and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. She was lying on a hill, staring up at the skies.
Amy told herself once again that she needed to continue on to Soleanna, but once again, she told herself that she could afford to spend another week or so here in this beautiful region. A voice in the back of her mind told her that she was never going to leave this place if she continued to think this way, but she ignored it, focusing instead on the skies. She was so intent on the sky that she never noticed the figure approaching her until he was right next to her.
"Hello, traveler," the young man called amicably, startling Amy somewhat. She rose to her feet, brushing a stray blade of grass from her spikes. She smiled brightly, showing off her pure white, well kept teeth.
"Oh! I love meeting new people! Isn't this a wonderful place to meet?" Amy responded enthusiastically. The young man chuckled at her manner. By looking at him, Amy decided that he was in his early twenties. He had short, untidy blonde hair and radiant green eyes. Just like herself, Amy noticed with pride. He was dressed in standard travel clothes, and there was a hiking stick in his hand.
"You got it. I love traversing the plains. My name is Frederick," he replied, proffering his hand.
"I'm Amy Rose!" Amy told him, shaking his hand.
"We don't see much of your race around here. What brings you all the way to the plains, Amy?" Frederick asked, trying to start a conversation. Amy noticed this and took the bait gladly.
"I'm heading to Soleanna!" she answered, jumping up and down in glee. Frederick smiled at her antics.
"Are you going to see the Festival of the Sun?" he inquired. Amy looked confused. She had never heard of this festival. Maybe it was worth checking it out.
"Not initially, no. What is it?" Amy queried, her cute face lit up in anticipation. Frederick looked surprised.
"You don't know? It's a ceremony where the city honors the god Solaris, and then there are many festivities, games, and food. Everyone from all over the land is coming to see it!" he informed her. Everyone, Amy thought. Maybe Sonic will be there!
"Are people of my race going to be there?" Amy pressed, determined to know as much as she could of this event.
"It's quite likely," Frederick responded. In that instant, Amy decided. She was going to attend the Festival of the Sun.
"Okay! I'm going then! Do you want to come along?" Amy offered, relishing the chance to get to know Frederick.
"Sure. We're both going the same way," Frederick answered, shrugging. He hefted his staff and prepared to set off again. Unfortunately for him, Amy was faster. She grabbed him by the hand and started to run in the general direction of Soleanna. Frederick was caught off guard and fought to keep his balance.
"Wonderful! Let's go, Freddy!" Amy squealed girlishly.
"H-hey! Wait a second! Freddy?!" Frederick cried incredulously.
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Poor Frederick never got any time to rest until the gate of Soleanna was in sight. Amy had kept him running for the rest of that day, night, and into noon of the next day, until his legs felt like they were on fire.
"Y…you…HOW DO YOU RUN SO FAST!?" Frederick practically screamed as Amy let go of his hand. He collapsed to the ground, panting hard. Amy however, was giggling fit to burst upon seeing Frederick's face.
"You look so funny, Freddy!" she laughed, pointing at him. His already red face turned an even darker shade.
"I told you not to call me Freddy…" Frederick muttered, but he smiled despite himself. Remembering his purpose, he looked at Soleanna's gate. He was, as always, taken aback by the majesty of Soleanna's main gate.
The gate was set in an exquisite arch made of hard granite and covered with a coat of shining white marble. The gate itself was made of a greenish gray stone covered with intricate designs that seemed to change whenever you looked at it. However, its majesty was held in its crest. A large, precious emerald was embedded in the center of the door. Engraved upon it was the crest of Solaris, the Soleanna Eagle.
"Oh! How beautiful!" Amy cooed, referring to the emerald. "I want to touch it!"
Frederick laughed as she ran up to the door and began to jump frantically at it, too stubborn to realize that she was way too short. The two soldiers guarding the gate stared in disbelief for a second, and then broke out into grins at the odd spectacle. They caught sight of Frederick and walked towards him.
"Do you know her, sir?" one of them asked in between laughs.
"Yeah. She's my friend," Frederick answered, staring.
"Friend? She's crazy!" said the other. Frederick shook his head, a smile creeping across his face.
"No. She's Amy," he said, and then he ran forward to Amy. She was still in the same position as she was when she first saw the emerald.
"It seems to be just a little bit higher than I can reach," Amy muttered. She was about to jump again when she was swept up from behind.
"Hey what?!" she exclaimed. Frederick lifted the small, pink hedgehog above his head and placed her on his shoulders.
"Do you want to touch that gem? Reach for it!" He shouted.
The two soldiers looked at each other, then at the scene before them. A grown man was carrying a pink hedgehog above his head. Both were laughing and giggling as the pink one reached for the gem.
"Those two have problems," said one of the soldiers.
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Frederick and Amy, upon entering the city, sought to kill time until the evening, when the Festival of the Sun would commence. This was in about three hours. Therefore, the two decided to spend some time at one of Soleanna's local restaurants. They bought some drinks and began a conversation.
"So, where did you come from, Freddy?" Amy asked, curious about her new friend's background.
"I came all the way from Wave Ocean, where I live," Frederick replied, taking a sip of his drink.
"Wave Ocean…" Amy mused. "What's that like?" Frederick's eyes grew dreamy as he remembered the land of his birth.
"It was a land of immense beauty, with the sun always shining down upon the soft sands, making them shine like gold. I would always sit down by the shore and watch the tide roll in and out, dipping my feet in the sapphire waves," Frederick related. Amy's eyes grew wide as she listened.
"That sounds nice. I want to see it now!" She exclaimed. Frederick smiled at her.
"I'll take you someday," he told her. Amy squealed in delight as she heard this.
"But why did you leave if it was so nice? Was it for the festival?" Amy inquired. Frederick nodded.
"That was part of it. The other part was when the mechs began to show up," he began.
"Mechs?! What did they look like?" Amy interrupted. Then she quailed as Frederick stared. "Sorry, go on."
"Anyway, mechs began to gather in the region. They all looked the same, and they bristled with heavy weaponry. When an airship showed up, that was when I decided to hightail it out of there," he finished.
"Airship…mechs…That sounds a lot like Eggman's work!" Amy exclaimed. Frederick gave her a blank look. "Eggman is an evil scientist who likes to use mechs to carry out his plans!"
"Well, even if this Eggman was behind it, it matters not. I'm here, and ready to celebrate!" Frederick said dismissively.
The two finished their drinks, paid for them, and left the restaurant. All around them they could see workers finishing up the preparations for the festival. Shopping booths and concession stands were set up and ready for customers, and rows of firework launchers lined the edges of the water. The crowd was already assembling, although there was an hour and a half left until it began.
"Let's join the crowd!" Amy told him, and then grabbed his hand, pulling him into the crowd.
"I hate crowds!" Frederick lamented pathetically. This was going to be a long night.
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Fireworks exploded above the head of the crowd, showering them with sparks of blue and green, to their great delight. Frederick and Amy were at the very front of the crowd, thanks to Frederick's urging. He couldn't stand crowds, so he forced his way to the front.
The fireworks inspired peace in the hearts of all as the light reflected off the rippling water. A mighty ship, rowed by many volunteers, cut its way through the water like a knife. The crowd followed it along the sides of the water, the cheers and sounds of merrymaking heard even from outside the city. A girl, about 17 years old by her looks, stood on the helm, smiling and waving to the crowd. She was dressed in a long, white dress with red stripes crisscrossing on her chest. Her hair was short and red, not even reaching her shoulders. Amy saw this girl and gasped.
"Hey, is that the princess?!" she cried, tugging on Frederick's pant leg.
"Yes, that is Elise, the princess of Soleanna," he answered her, watching the ship. The ship's destination was the Altar of Flame, where every year the princess would go and light the Altar with the flame of Solaris, ensuring them peace and prosperity.
Once the ship reached the Altar, Elise dismounted and walked up the steps to the Altar, where the Bishop and his guards waited. Then, one of the Bishop's guards handed her a torch, whose flame burned a bright white instead of red. To Amy, she seemed to hesitate a moment, her eyes staring into the flame. It wasn't until one of her handmaidens touched her arm lightly that Elise continued. She bowed to the Bishop and then turned to face the Altar.
"We give thanks for the blessed flames. May we always continue to have peace. Sun of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light!" Elise announced. With that, she lowered the torch and lit the bottom of the Altar. The flames ignited quickly and shot up the sides of the Altar until it reached the top of the Altar, where it ignited into a huge, roaring white bonfire.
Amy and Frederick began to cheer, and the rest of the crowd followed suit. The fireworks began anew, their sound carrying for miles. But no one expected what happened next.
To Amy's horror, missiles streaked out of nowhere, impacting with the water, the Altar, and the ground surrounding it. The crowd began to run in all directions, forsaking the Festival in order to run for safety. Many were laid low or killed by the blasts. Luckily for Elise, however, she was unharmed.
With a start, Amy looked up and saw a mighty airship flying overhead. It was one that she knew well. It was the Egg Carrier, Eggman's battleship.
"That's it! That's the airship I saw!" Frederick cried, running for cover beneath a nearby balcony.
A hatch opened in the bottom of the Egg Carrier and mechs came falling from it. In no time, they surrounded Elise from all directions, quashing any hope of escape.
"Come on! We got to help her!" Amy yelled, grabbing Frederick and yanking out from under his cover.
"What can we do against them?!" Frederick shouted, having no choice but to follow. "Hang on, look at that!"
Down from the airship came a small, flying vehicle carrying the man himself: Doctor Eggman.
"A pleasure to meet you at last, Princess of Soleanna! I am Dr. Eggman!" The doctor proclaimed. "I have come here to obtain the secret of the Flames of Disaster from you, and to take the miracle gems that are the key to its secret: the Chaos Emerald!" Amy then saw Elise clutch a small, blue gem to her breast.
"I know what Chaos emeralds are, but what are the Flames of Disaster?" Amy cried as they ran. The crowd continuously got in their way as they scattered, slowing the two down and preventing them from reaching Elise in time.
"Now, Princess, this way please," Dr. Eggman demanded, beckoning to his vehicle. Elise shook her head furiously and began to back away. Annoyed, Dr. Eggman brought his vehicle closer.
Suddenly, a blue, translucent tornado surrounded the platform, preventing Dr. Eggman from approaching any closer. Elise and the mechs surrounding her looked around them, wondering what was causing the phenomenon.
Then, as soon as it had appeared, it dissipated. The source of the tornado was then seen boldly standing on the Altar of Flame.
"My…that's a pretty snazzy performance there!" the blue hedgehog commented. Elise gasped slightly while Eggman growled furiously.
"Sonic!" Amy cried, attempting to speed up. But there was another throng of panicking civilians standing in her way. Frederick had no idea who this Sonic was, but he ran forward all the same.
"You…it can't be!" Elise muttered. Sonic merely grinned. The mechs aimed their machine guns at the hedgehog and opened fire. But their petty bullets were no match for Sonic's speed. He leaped into the air and began to systematically wipe out the mechs, kicking them in the center at the speed of sound. When he reached the last one, he disabled it with a blast of sonic energy. Then he gave it a little tap with his foot, sending it plummeting into the water below. Then he ran up to Elise.
"I'm Sonic! Sonic the hedgehog!" he declared and then picked up Elise, much to her surprise. Dr. Eggman looked furious, and he pounded his fist on the vehicle's dashboard.
"Not that irritating hedgehog again!" he roared. "Attack!"
The many mechs around him targeted Sonic, who had taken off running, and fired missile after missile at him.
"Follow him!" Amy ordered, taking off after Sonic.
"I thought we were going to fight Eggman? Ugh, I don't know any more!" Frederick exclaimed, following Amy.
Sonic was too fast for the missiles. Grinning confidently, he expertly weaved in and out of the missiles, letting them impact harmlessly into the ground nearby. Elise screamed in panic as a missile nearly hit them.
"Split up! I'll follow him by the ground route. You take the high route!" Frederick commanded. Amy nodded and jumped up to a rooftop.
In this way, she jumped across rooftop to rooftop until she could jump no more. Then, she saw him.
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Yes, I left you with a cliffhanger. I got to the whole Silver bit, then I decided that the first chapter was getting kind of long, so I cut it off here. Like I said before, I want every reader to post it a review, no matter what length. I will be somewhat disgruntled if I check the story traffic and found out that even one person read but didn't review. Flames will be laughed at in public. You have been warned.
Ciao,
Kerrigor.