But Can You Make the Stars Dance?

"Sonikku?"

The blue hedgehog feigned ignorance. He really didn't feel like waking up just yet. He grunted in protest, and swatted aimlessly in the general direction of the voice.

"Sonic."

"Go away…" Sonic complained, curling up towards the tree trunk, long quills facing the intruder upon his dream-filled afternoon. But, he still felt eyes. His intruder wasn't taking the hint and going away. And, he had been called 'Sonikku', hadn't he? It wasn't often he heard that nickname these days.

Obviously, the offender had to be one of the two women he knew. He heard the sound of someone sitting down in the grass before him and sighed when he felt a feminine hand begin to trace his back quills with a curious and patient air. Okay, so it wasn't Amy. That had to leave…

"Cream?" Sonic wondered sleepily. "Aren't you supposed to be having a tea party, or whatever it is little girls do when they're bored? Hmmm?" He yawned and stretched out, now flat on his back with his elbow over his eyes to block out the mid afternoon sun.

"Maybe…" Cream trailed off teasingly. "You don't rule my life, Sonikku."

"Or do I, is the question." Sonic teased back, smirking.

"Speaking of which…Sonic, what happens when you go Super Sonic?" The little girl began to stroke his sides.

Sonic, secretly ticklish, cringed under her touch to keep from turning this into a tickle fight (which he would surely lose. Mostly because he let her win, but still) and rolled over onto the side she was petting, supporting himself with a single elbow. "Hmmm… That's an interesting question, Cream. Well, let's see," he yawned again, and swiftly had himself in a sitting position, seeing her go to start petting his exposed side. "When I go Super…what happens? Well…I, uh…Hmmm." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, brow low as he thought. "Gee, I really don't know how to explain it!" He chuckled, frustrated.

"That's okay. I've seen enough of it. But, Sonic!" The young rabbit got on all fours, crawling imperiously forward towards him until their noses were almost touching. "What can you do?"

Sonic could smell her sweet baby-like breath. Part of what he liked about her was that she was still so little and innocent. That's why he truly felt terrible seeing her in danger because of her association with him…Eggman really did scare her, even though he was somewhat gentle with her when he did outright kidnap her. He shrugged at her question, searching her soft brown eyes for the purpose to these odd questions. "Anything I want."

"Could you…if you wanted to…" Cream crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms about his neck. Sonic did not refuse her company. "…could you make the stars dance?"

Sonic burst into laughter, and Cream seemed a bit injured that he didn't understand. The little girl leaned against his chest, listening to his laughter and trying her best not to cry. "What?" he asked at long last, gasping and sniffling to control himself after guffawing so hard. "What's that mean, Creamy?"

The little girl sniffled. "I dunno…" And, she wept presently, hiding her face in his fur.

Sonic jumped as she dove into his shoulder, and felt a pang of guilt. Uh oh. He hadn't meant to make her cry! If Amy found out, there'd be one less blue hedgehog populating the planet! Sonic actually gulped loudly out of fear as he rocked Cream in his arms, trying to calm her.

"Shh, it's okay. C'mon, please don't cry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad! It's just…that was rather random, that's all. Don't cry, dear, don't cry." He nuzzled the top of her head and kissed the light rust colored patches on her ears, trying to get her to laugh.

It worked. Cream squealed and pushed him away. "Stop it!" She giggled.

"No! You're very pretty when you laugh!" Sonic told her factually, blowing hard to make her ears leave their resting places on her back. Cream swatted at him, and he dodged her playful fwap.

"You can annoy the very daisies out of me, but you can't make the stars dance?!" Cream shouted, and Sonic held back another fit of laughter.

As she often did, she had once again confused "daylights" with daisies, so her expression was: "scare the daisies out of me". It was painfully adorable.

"I still don't quite follow that."

"Y'know," Cream moved her hands as if she were performing in a ballet. Sonic watched with amusement. "Like this, and then like that! See? And then, put them back? I was just wondering, if you could do that."

Sonic was impressed that her mind had thought of such a feat. And now, he very much wanted to try. But… "Cream, I don't think that's possible."

"Awww, why?" Cream pouted cutely, and Sonic had to bite his lower lip to keep from cooing at her. He definitely was not himself when he was around Cream. Or…was his true self only visible around Cream? Was Sonic the Hedgehog one day destined to be a father?

Sonic laughed. "The stars have their own ways of doing things, Cream. If anyone could control them, why, they'd mess up the sky! And then that wouldn't be good."

"Oh?" Cream grinned, her brown eyes sparkling. Sonic hugged her, holding her close to him.

"Yeah. Then the planets would loose their alignment, and we'd have to go up there and fix it."

Cream giggled at his joke, and then became sad as she remembered her fallen friend. "Sonic?"

"Yeah, Cream?"

"They lie, don't they?"

"Who lies?" Sonic sat up a bit, lifting her up so they could talk face to face. It wasn't accusative, just curious. He even cocked a sideways smile, to show he meant no aggression.

"Amy and everyone says 'Sonic can do anything', but that's a lie!" Cream pointed at him angrily. "You can't make the stars dance!"

Sonic frowned thoughtfully, and placed Cream back in his lap. Cream huffed indignantly and reached in vain for a white daisy about three feet from where she was cradled in Sonic's lap. Sonic, with legs crossed, had his elbows bent and had his chin resting in both hands. There was silence, except for the sounds of Cream's frustration as she tried to get the flower.

Suddenly, Sonic was struck with an idea. He picked the flower for her swiftly and handed it to her, holding it delicately between two fingers. "No, you're right," he admitted, smiling. "I can't do everything, but I can try. Some things just aren't in my power, Cream, and I myself can't explain it. No, I can't make the stars dance. But I can do a lot of other things."

"Like save the world!" Cream grinned, grabbing the flower from him.

"And picking flowers just right," Sonic added, smiling as Cream tucked the flower in a barrette near her ear. "It looks pretty," he told her.

"Thanks!" Cream, now standing away from him, turned to go. "Mother made lunch. D'ya wanna come along?"

Sonic stood, stretched, and held out his hand for her to hold. "Lead the way, mademoiselle."

Cream took his hand and together, the two old friends walked back towards town.

A beautiful end.