Title: Stallion of Bullets.

Fandom: Sonic The Hedgehog

Author: icechipsx

Summary: Love is something that stays upon hardships - if possible, I assume. But something I learnt in the army was to be alert, and this guy blew my barriers.

Personal Quote: Enjoy this rushed story. That's it.

Pairing: Sonamy.

Theme/Topic: Army, weapons, love, pride, progressive change in attitude.

Anthem(s): Listen to a moving song.

Warnings: Completely AU. OC Characters. Wars. Divergent series reference, you may notice that the whole thing looks quite alike.

Analysis of the Title: Stallion means studhorse, which is a strong horse, and I always though that horses are beautiful and strong as Amy is. Bullets makes reference to the wars and battles.

Genre:Angst and Roamance, K or K+.

So, this is it.

Walls were trembling, and the ground was falling down. All I knew, this was hell. Even though the foreign army was weak, attacking a high school was something easy, and bullets were flying through the thin walls. Gathering my back pack, I ran through the corridors of the second floor, and I saw that the stairs to escape were breaking down. It was useless to run, this looked like the Holocaust.

Seeing an array of light, my legs started moving and a window was wide open. Looking out, the cops and ambulances carried dead people, while shooters struggled to stop the Foreigners. My instincts told me to jump, but my intelligence screamed to find a viable scape. Looking back, the walls were already destroyed, the ground was collapsed and I could hear the Foreigners getting in the building.

So, instead of staying stoic, I took steps back and jumped before a foreign shooter got me. The seconds of gravity were none, and I landed just on a matress ready for the ocassion. Cops got me up, as my face was tickling with signs of enthusiasm and shock. I was asked many questions, but I answered none.

Seeing a few students I got well with, I saw them talking to an army general. Feeling my natural curiosity creeping up my soul, I get near and listen to them.

"Foreigners are getting nearer and nearer," explained he, "and almost all of you can get protection, only if you all join the army."

The group of people started to talk in loud voice, but I got even nearer and asked him a question, "Isn't that dangerous for the population?"

The big man sighed, "It is, but most of our trops have been murdered. We need young voluntaries for the army. By the way, you would be useful as a cooking assistant."

Surprised with his machist commentary, I frowned my eye brows, hissing, "I'd rather to be murdered than serving a group of machist soldiers."

"You have a nerve, girl." chuckled the man, caressing his chin and checking me out, "But you have a good body. You could try the soldier charge... but it is very hard."

I shook my head in disbelief, not understanding why that guy didn't believe in women's capacities, "Do you think I care? We have those Foreigners in our heels!"

"You do this for peace or action?"

"Little from both..."

It had started a year ago.

The head of state was a corrupt bastard, and part of the country and from the outside countries went against the government with violence. All of us had, indeed.

But there was a huge raw between two men. Both of them wanted the government. But one wanted a dictadure, and the other one was a democratic lover. By the time they finished the argument, there were two halves of the population that were in favour towards each way of government.

The democratic ones were the Eliths.

The violents were the Foreigners.

And I was a soldier of the Eliths.

The army was a circular island, a huge one. It had a two-kilometer diameter, surrounded with foreigner islands, which were always in constant conflict with us. There was a constant security radar, and there were fifty guards taking care of that. There were twenty houses, five soldiers each. There were six houses of different specialties: The Marksmanships house, the Fighter house, the Shooting Lane, the Gymnastics one, and a Simulation Room. Each building was white, a little bit old and worn out.

Being honest, the island was like a campus in the university. It was all freedom, and you could go wherever you wanted whenever you wanted, it was up to you. But they were just testing rules: your training for future battles was in your hands, and you would organize yourself as you wanted.

The thing I didn't like that much was the rooming process. I deserved four roommates for a house, and they all were males. They all were friends between each other: Tails, the Scientist; Silver, a Scientist too; Knuckles, the Fist Knocker; and Sonic, which was a mystery. They told me he was quite silent and mysterious, but open if you got to know him.

I got on well with them. I was a little bit tomboyish, so they felt quite sure around me and I liked that. Tails and Silver were the clever ones, leaving Sonic and Knuckles as fighters that followed Tails and Silver's orders, since they usually did the tracking process. I had to decide which branch I belonged to, and I foresaw it wouldn't be easy.

I spent the first two weeks with the Scientists. It caught their leads well at first, and I was a good one to strategy. It was passionate, always leading the soldiers' movements and that things. But the job got tedious eventually, and those issues became complex.

The rest of the month was all fights and training. It felt like a movie, but I soon found out that it was harder that I mainly thought. Knuckles helped me a lot, talking to me about, well, everything.

"You know, you might feel strange here." said he one day, while we walked to the Shooting Lane, "But it's normal."

I sighed, "By the way... every time I want to talk to Sonic, he avoids me. Is that normal?"

Laughing like a maniac and scratching his head, Knuckles answered, "He is a little bit silent, but he is observing you. Don't worry, you'll get along just fine."

Nodding, he continued, "By the way, have you heard the news about the Cobalts?"

"Euh, is that a rock music group or something?" I asked, feeling like a noobie.

He laughed even harder, "It's a soldier divide. It's how we call those ones in here which have a determined tattoo in the back of their wrist. They often get chased"

"They make it to get persecuted?" I asked, "Isn't it a little bit masochist?"

"Amy, the tattoo isn't made voluntary, of course." explained he, "There is a special gas made of cobaltic concentration which goes around the air some days. All those ones with a higher concentration of thyroxin tend to attract the gas, and the wrist skin absorbs it, forming a blue tattoo." Knuckles stopped, and crossed his arms, "It is a circumference with a David star inside, all of it blue. Those who have it tend to be more energetic, which leads to a very good diversification and perfectionism with all that involves weapons and battles, fighting and shooting. So, to avoid problems with the generals, the actual government decided to execute all those ones."

"That's very unfair." I stated, dryness creeping my throat, "And what problems can happen with the Cobalts?"

"They are the best to everything." answered Knuckles, "It's to avoid problems with the troops and any kind of violence. Hyperthyroidics are too energetic, and they have to get sleep, and they must waste all the energy. Some of them get violent, and there have been assassins that kill their own mates."

"Are any of you a Cobalt?" I implied.

Knuckles laughed again, "No. Scientists can't be, and Sonic and I aren't too active."

I sighed, "So, should I trust everybody?"

"You should look the professionals' wrists first. The newer ones as you can't receive high doses of cobaltic gas." we arrived to the Shooting Lane, "Don't trust anybody."

"So, what's your schedule for today?" I asked, forgetting momentarily about the topic.

"Well, I was planning on a Shooting-Simulation-Marksmanships. You?"

I looked up, as if I was looking for an idea, "Well, I think it could be good to be by you my first days."

"Good choice." said he, opening the door to the building, "It's always good to have company."

Closing the door, I rose an eyebrow, "Uh... there isn't much people here, how come?"

Seeing the room empty too, he sighed, "It would surprise you the number of deaths in battles with the Foreigners."

"Laziness?"

"Not really..." muttered he, "The Eliths are fighters, stronger. But Foreigners are the most intelligent ones, and they have a minor quantity of soldiers." Knuckles sighed, "We are losing people little by little."

"I see." getting near a shelf full of weapons and gear in general.

"Choose one." said the redhead, as I looked at him, "You are free to choose."

"Uh..." I gathered a silver weapon, and taunted it in my hands, "What about this one?"

"Do you even know it's name?"

"Desert Eagle." I stated.

"Right. I think it may be too powerful for you." opined he, with rolled eyes.

I rolled mine, spinning the gun with my index finger, "It can't be that bad."

Standing in front of the wooden barrier and a few meters away from the objective, Knuckles rose his eyebrows, "Well, wow."

Looking up and losing focus, I asked, "What is it?"

"I have never seen a new Elith adopt the correct posture for a precision shot."

"Huh?" flexing my body straight, I giggled nervously, "I guess it's the noobies' luck."

Focusing again, I closed an eye, trying to put the eye of the gun straight towards the objective. I hissed silently, and, pushing the trigger, a bullet was fired.

Still holding my breath, I let it escape as Knuckles held my paper, shot, "Straight in the centre. Well, you are surprising me."

Scratching my head, I sweat dropped, ''I guess I have good aim, huh?''

He thought for a pair of seconds, and after dismissing the issue, he went for his own weapon. I looked to a side, deep in thought and fearing the worst.

Could I be a Cobalt?

The Simulation sessions were the best. God, really, the best!

It was a concrete huge building, with a high roof. There were fifty couches, each one with simulation gear and simulation glasses. The couches were very comfortable, and I asked Knuckles why there were couches and not chairs. This was his answer:

''Just for the shock after. You know, some people get pretty enthusiastic about the thing and they can't handle sitting in a hard surface. It's quite intense.''

I got a hard grip on the arms of the couch as Knuckles put on the glasses. I felt dizzy first, but the vision got clearer gradually and all I could see was a window. A plane window.

It was an attacking plane. It had a curvy window, and, looking down, there were two pairs of buttons and a wheel to turn. The first pair of buttons read 'start' and 'fire'. The other pair said 'stop' and 'throw'. I didn't get which was the difference between 'fire' and 'throw'. Were they going to throw somebody?

''The flight can get pretty intense sometimes.'' said a voice. Looking to my right, Knuckles was inside another plane, ''Take care.''

''How the heck can I hear you?''

''I told you: this was intense, but not realistic.'' explained he, ''Let's start this.''

Suddenly, Knuckles' motor growled, and his plane shot up faster than light, disappearing from my sight. Moving my hands and shaking my fingers, I taunted the red button of 'start' with clear evidence of fear.

''Let's get it started...'' I muttered, fear rushing my voice. In an attempt of bravery, I got grip on the wheel, and pushed the red button.

The sky passed through my window in a flash. I was suddenly in the sky, my stomach growling with fear and still jumping with adrenaline. Standing still for a second as I drove, I smiled, ''BOOYA!''

''Amazing, wasn't it?'' spoke a voice from the communicator.

Recognizing it, I grinned, ''Tails! What are you doing here, mate?''

''I work here, Amy.'' explained Tails.

''WE WORK HERE.'' yelled Silver's voice. I listened to it, and knew that Tails and Silver were working not so near from each other.

''Anyway, this is amazing!'' I told them, ''But, what do I have to do?''

''Drive, and when you want to go out from the simulation, scratch your eyes.''

''Such an easy way to get out...'' I muttered, closing the conversation.

I flew up, and the view was amazing. I couldn't see the place where I had taken off from, but the sunset was a pleasing thing. I didn't know how I was doing this, but my senses were driving me.

''Amy! You have a troop of digital Foreigners behind!''

Shaking my head in confusion, I yelled, ''What?''

''The Foreigners have sent us a virus, that generates Foreigners in the simulation!''

''Quick question, what happens if I die here?''

''You'll knock yourself into a coma state.''

I growled, ''Such a pleasant news.''

Turning my direction to my back and casually avoiding a pair of missiles, I quickly recognized two pairs of white planes coming after me. Pushing the shooting button, a digital screen was held up in front of my eyes, and each time the screen hit a plane, it beeped. So, doing professional moves that I didn't even have knowledge of, I focused in a pair of planes, and when the screen beeped, two red missiles hit both planes, both getting destroyed into pixels. I quickly passed through the smoke of pixels, and the remaining planes were still after me. With a hiss, I turned again, and did the same thing as before, making the enemy go to smoke.

''Go to smoke.'' I said as I shot the missiles.

Turning back again, I saw Knuckles' plane, and I saw through his window how he made me an 'ok' gesture.

''Good job, Amy. You have talent with aeronautic strategy!''

I sighed, quickly changing my direction, ''It looks like.''

It was all stress after that. After getting out from the simulation, I realized something: the better I was to everything, the bigger probability I had to be a Cobalt. So, making a sad movement, I got out from the Simulation room without Knuckles, who was fully enjoying himself at the simulation.

I was walking back towards the house, when a sudden shape surprised me. I saw a mess of spikes going straight towards the Fighter House. I didn't know how many hedgehogs were in here, so I assumed that it was Sonic. Wanting to know him so bad, I followed him to the house, and when he got in, I did the same just as silent.

It had always looked like a huge garage for me. There were lots of boxing sacks and a ring in the bottom of the place. I had lost Sonic from my sight, so I decided to change my schedule. I hadn't thought about going into Fighting, but I had no option than to enjoy myself as long as I can as I make practice.

Approaching a boxing sack, I slapped it twice and chuckled, ''Hard. Exactly what I want.''

I had lost the track of time when I reached the one hundred-seventy punches, and I didn't see Sonic standing near me, observing me fighting. So, silent as a feather, he stopped my moves and looked at me.

'You are a good fighter, but you shouldn't use all your being in a fight.'' spoke Sonic calmly, ''You must do it wisely.''

Thinking for a second, I started over again. The result was better this time, even though I was more tired and my legs hurt like hell. Feeling confident enough and seeing him still there, I built up the courage to ask him:

''Why are you so silent?''

''I observe people to know them.'' explained he, ''I am not mute, I am calm and that's it.''

I frowned, ''I tried to talk to you several times and you dodged me.''

''I have heard you are doing great.'' said Sonic, somehow worried.

''What about?''

''Everything in general.'' said Sonic with a smile, ''Generals are pretty surprised with your development in Simulation, Marksmanships and Fighting...''

''I've been training.'' I stated.

''You did very well in all of those since you got here.''

Knowing where this conversation was going to and appreciating the nearing position, I put up the back of my wrist and showed it to him, ''I'm not a Cobalt, Sonic.''

''I know...'' muttered he, ''But you must be careful. If you go on doing as well as now, the government will go after you.''

''I don't understand why you all hate the Cobalts.'' I said, not understanding it yet even though Knuckles had already explained it to me.

Sonic sighed, ''They are perfectionists, always getting the highest marks and making it look like a superhero's doing. But, you know what? That's not true.''

''Sonic, I don't think all of them are as you say.'' I told him.

''But most of them kill the ones that are worse than them. The can kill the whole army if they want to, Amy, they have the capacities and support for it.'' explained the blue one, ''They are feared.''

''Are you scared?'' I asked. I don't know why, but the question sounded deeper than I intended.

''You wouldn't understand it, you are young on this.'' stated he, dryly.

After that conversation, the attacks from the Foreigners had grew more intense, and more people that were caught off-guard had been murdered and tortured. I had been in the army for a pair of years right then and I honestly didn't understand anything, and no one was giving me any answer yet, so I decided to search it by myself, going to ask the direct boss of the Army. It was something ridiculous how it took me two years to solve my doubts.

''What's going on with this?'' I demanded.

''Calm down, Rose.'' hushed he, ''I don't understand this either. Many people have been telling me that you have many doubts... But any of us know the answer. You ask too many this.''

''No, I don't.'' I said, ''It's illogical for you to be the head of this mess if you don't understand any of the consequences or causes of this war. And I must not be the only one who thinks like this.''

''Many people think otherwise, girl.'' said he, ''But I can make a deal with you.''

Nodding like a child, I sighed, giving in to his trick, ''Well, one of our councilors of the army council has fallen yesterday in one of the Foreigners' attacks.'' spoke he, sad, ''And we were wondering if you could substitute him.''

Convinced by his words, I asked, ''What will I have to do?''

''Sit down and listen. You only fill in space.'' said the general.

Offended by him, I nodded, accepting the job like a slave.

When I was walking home, I was surprised when Sonic pushed me to wall and shushed me instantly when I were about to demand about his behavior, ''Come with me!''

I followed him to the Gymnastics House, which was empty, and he sat down in a yoga rug. Not even letting me ask, he spoke first, ''Amy, this is all a trap!''

''What?''

''The Cobalts thing, they don't give a damn about our security when it comes to them!'' I got surprised, but before I could express my shock, I let him explain, ''They think about this like a competition: which team gets lower deaths! And, knowing that Foreigners will kidnap all those Cobalts, they kill them first so they don't get shamed!''

''What the-?''

''I know, it's a crazy thing, but true!'' exclaimed he, ''I heard your conversation with the general. You must be careful from now on! You will represent us.''

Could it all get more complicated?

It could.

I got up one day under sunlight rays, with a headache and some dizziness. Feeling how my nerves didn't wake up, I decided to wake them up myself with a morning stroll around my room.

Suddenly seeing my reflect in the body-length mirror, I realized that I was much skinnier than before. It wasn't scared, in fact I looked better. So, I put my arms behind my head, in a relaxing position.

And that's when I saw it.

The David star and the circumference.

All in blue. On my wrist.

No.

No.

No.

No!

Putting my hands on my mouth, I reflected the disgusting mark of power in my imagination. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't! I wasn't a Cobalt, I couldn't be! I was going to be persecuted and killed, if not kidnapped first by those Foreigners.

Even worse yet, I was going to be feared.

A mark of power that knew my destiny, and I was scared to the heel. I dig in the floor, sitting in a W position, and shed a few tears that I never wanted to shed. Gathering bravery like a bipolar teenager, I realized I needed to hide my mark. Seeing a pair of fingerless gloves by the mirror, I quickly put them on.

Looking at the clock and still feeling numb, I saw that the meeting at the council would start within fifteen minutes. Just the time I needed to get dressed and to pick up my fear.

''Where were you?'' asked the general when I sat down by him at the council session, ''You are late.''

I had been a few times in here, and I was used to this. The council was celebrated twice a month. We were in front of the huge crowd of the army: soldiers, scientists, guards... All of them would listen to us, having a raw or something of that fashion. Well, they would see them arguing, not me, since as the general said, I was there to fill in space. There was the huge symbol of a dove hanging behind us, with the letter of Eliths surrounding the frame of it. Not focusing on that and seeing my mates in the first row of the crowd, the councilors started:

''We should talk first about the use of heavy weapons in the next war, which is approaching us.'' said one of them.

''Not that! They will be after us before we realize it!'' spoke another one.

''Out troops aren't trained enough to confront them yet.'' opined our general, ''I think they must get hardened schedules or forced into each house of development.''

If I talked about me... but I bit my tongue and listened them speak, ''They can't get hardened schedules, general, that would go against our way of being.''

''An army can't have a way of being.'' said our obviously corrupted general, ''They are livid weapons that must give their life to allow the next generation live without worries.''

''Are you denying any kind of humanity in our soldiers, guards and scientists?'' spoke a man, which I found the most brave among them all.

''Exactly.''

I looked at the crowd, disappointed with their behavior. They were being ashamed, put into mud, talked as pathetic, and they didn't say anything? The group of politicians which had nothing to be politicians talked still, as if they didn't care at all about their troops' security and I honestly thought was true. I wasn't putting my word nor my finger on it, but I couldn't take this anymore, and the session had only started some minutes ago. My patience volcano was trembling...

...and my vein of patience finally exploded.

''No! I am sick of this!'' I stood up, banging my hands on the table and throwing a glass of water, letting the liquid flow along the surface and wetting the papers with no useful information on it, ''I am not going to stand you, amount of heartless jerks, talk about us like weapons with no feelings or heart! We fight for our families, and I have the right to have voice on this, not to fill in the gap as our dear general of the army told me the other day! What the heck is this for, huh? We are the Eliths. Eliths? What Eliths? Eliths are the team of peace and democracy!, but what are we demonstrating by shooting the other team as the violents they are supposed to be? We aren't the group of pacifism, we are just as violent as them! What is that about hard weapons, for God's sake? Haven't you been informed about the existence of a Desert Eagle in the Shooting Lane? That is power, and not those nuclear weapons you will someday throw when you get more insane than now, which is hardly difficult by the way!'' I took my breath and encouraged myself to move on as clapping echoed in the room, ''This is just the dictatorship they are fighting for! And you want to harden our schedules? And conserve our principles? Oh, excuse me, what principles? We don't have any principles, you are treating us as if we were in a concentration camp! You don't have not only the right to stand there and watch us fall, but you shouldn't even have a word or a sitting place in here, which is no more than a chatting place were only lies and more lies are told! You are no better than the Foreigners, and they know this! I have been here just about three months or more, and I know this!''

The clapping got more intense, and people were starting to get up to clap higher, ''The Cobalts, you don't care about them, don't you? They are just more powerful, and afraid of getting them kidnapped, you kill them as if they were a virus! If it had concerned you, you would have done something about the cobaltic gas that goes around the island and cuts some life short! You are also afraid about them being better than you, right? And I am sure that even a skilled professional one here is even better than any of you - have you even fought in any wars to win the permission to talk about a war as something to ignore? It isn't, damn it! It is just as important as any other one! This is all pure theatre and drama, but the function isn't ending until you all move your single neuron and start thinking about something to defeat the Foreigners!''

And with that and everybody cheering for my speech, I left the room with my head held up high.

I knew I had won this time.

But, this time.

''You were amazing back there.''

Turning my head and seeing Sonic stand in the doorway, I smiled, ''You're welcome.''

He sat on the divan with me, in the front of my window in my room, ''Everybody sees you as a hero, you know? And I think likewise.''

''It's good to have you all by my side...''

''But you were too brave there. Too much. You could have been murdered! They all went wild after you talked, they didn't know what to do!'' laughed he.

''Sonic?''

''Hm?''

''Are you scared?''

It felt like this was that day, in which we weren't any closer than any other day and we were afraid of the world. But, this time, he didn't hold his thought in any longer, and said:

''I am. I don't want to lose any of you... Especially you.'' I looked at him, surprised and smiling, ''You matter a lot to me.''

''You too. You are... important in my life too.''

Hugging me, he said: are you afraid of what tomorrow has for us?

And I said: No.

That night, I was sleeping peacefully in my bed, until a noise startled me. I always had a light sleep, so I woke up easily. Not seeing anything in my front part, a hand with a handkerchief on it covered my mouth, and, filling my nose with chloroform, I fell asleep again.

I woke up again a few hours later. My feet were tied, my hands were tied, I was tied. I was in a huge storage building in ruins, old and dirty, and Foreigner soldiers were aiming at me with snipers, surrounding me. But what really surprised me was when my general removed my blindfold, which was illogically tied around my mouth.

''You!'' and I saw the Foreigners' leader, ''And you! I don't get it!''

''You are too näive, dear.'' spoke my general, ''I am Shadow Efron, he is Mephiles Feldman. I am the Eliths' leader, he is the Foreigners' leader.''

''I knew you smelled to trouble from head to feet!'' I spat, ''You have been supporting each other all along! What were the wars for? The deaths!''

''It was a kind of insinuation for the governmental security.'' explained Mephiles, somehow kinder than Shadow, ''We had an argument, but it was solver time after that. But our troops didn't know, so we decided to go on with this, and all those which survived would live in peace.''

''That's so unfair that I want to puke in your refreshed, disgusting shoes!'' I yelled, ''You'll get punished sooner than later, you should know that!''

''We have our troops for that!''

''So, when you kidnapped the Cobalts, you-?''

''They got killed too, don't worry about that, Rose.'' spoke Shadow, ''Take her to the cell, we will get her for this.''

''No, no! Mpfh, no!''

I struggled to get free as I was carried to a storage place.

It had been uncountable months after that. When I finally saw the light.

The Foreigners came to my room, and I was in my bones. I was shaking and pale, I didn't remember what an orange tasted like. They gathered me with fair ease, and I was carried outside.

The white building was surrounded with Elith troops. Between them, I saw Sonic and Knuckles, and everybody held disgusting faces when they saw me. I guess I was an horrible sight to see. Mephiles, who had taken me outside, threw me to the ground and, when I fell on my knees, he took out a gun and filled it with bullets, even though he wouldn't miss it... I think. Was he that bad to shooting?

''Get nearer, and I blow her up.'' dared Mephiles, his gun pointing to my arched back. I was heavily breathing, hardly moving, and the sun had hit heavily in my retinas, making it difficult to open my eyes. But I held them closed though, because I was scared of my friends' bravery that risked my life.

''Get any closer, and the Eliths' treasure dies here.'' spoke Mephiles dangerously, ''I swear she will.''

I opened my eyes with my head still down, and saw Sonic. His eyes were on me, looking at me worried. I was ashamed of myself, because I had let myself be thrown to the ground like a rag doll, and I was a Cobalt. I had rhetorically rejected my way of being, and instead of revealing myself with violence and skills, I had surrendered to his trap. I couldn't see my Cobalt mark, which I really thanked to the person who tied me or did something to me.

What if I had been...?

God, no! They are masochists, but not crazy! Looking to the ground and forcing my eyes closed, I put my teeth all together in perfect harmony and pressed them together as tight as I could.

Silence.

Suddenly, a bullet going through the air is heard, and before I can sing hurray, a piercing pain erased my happiness and pierced my chest with a circular hole. The pain branched through my veins, arteries pushed the blood out from my chest and my eyes went wide, as I collapsed on someone's arms and saw pitch black.

I could only hear a mess of voices, but one of them stood out from all of them.

''Amy, no, Amy! Hold on... P-please!''

When I opened my eyes, it felt like I had been reborn. A new life.

I fluttered my eyes open, and the first thing I noticed and noted was that I was in the wrong place. Someone was by me, but when my vision was clearer and each color was stoic, I saw Sonic by me.

Still holding my eyelids half open, I tried to smile as truthfully as I could, ''Hey.''

My voice seemed raspy, rough, worn out and horrible. I heard myself aphonic, but Sonic's look of pure adoration showed me not even the half of worry he had been through the time I had been gone, ''Hey. How are you?''

''You can talk louder,'' I said, with a chuckle and speaking slowly, ''I am half aphonic, not a child.''

''It's just to stay calm, I can't help it though.'' said Sonic, with a low chuckle, ''I have been taking calmatives and anything that makes me be calmer...''

''Were you so hurt?'' I asked.

''I didn't mean it that way.''

''Oh.''

A silence was made in the room, and only my breaths were heard. Sonic broke it, ''So... How are you feeling?''

With a smile of knowledge, I knew he was trying to keep calm even though he was freaking out, gesture I appreciated but it wasn't needed, so I said gently, ''You can tell me everything.''

Knowing what I meant, Sonic frowned, ''Why did you hide, Amy?''

No expecting that at all, I half-gasped, even though I sounded like a cat with throat problems, ''Because I was a weirdo in my high school, Sonic. And Cobalt is the equivalent here.''

''You could have told me, Amy. You should have told me.'' said Sonic, demanding answers, ''Why?''

''Honestly?''

''It's all I do expect from you.''

My beating weak heart mimicked a drum as I got nervous. My not feed stomach did flip-flops, and I could tell I was starting to blush bright red. If I told him... what would he say? I was insecure, but I was too tired to think about it.

So, making an effort to stay calm and livid, I said, ''Because I love you. And if I told you, you would get scared of me.''

''Amy, what I-''

''No, let me talk...'' I interrupted him, ''You told me that Cobalts were ultra-energetic monsters, that need to kill people to waste energy to sleep. It sounded crazy and extravagant, but it did make sense once I thought about it.'' I sighed, ''I tried hard to make you change your opinion... But you were stubborn and I guess you will be. I am a Cobalt, and I guess I knew it all along even though I got the tattoo time later. Just as my love for you... it started as curiosity, grew into interest and ended like love.''

Even though he tried to talk, I could easily tell he was speechless, so I went on, ''Sonic, I don't believe in fairy tales, and I know that love won't last forever whether you are with me or not... I am quite realistic if I say myself.''

''That's why you did so good in everything.'' said Sonic, still in shock I didn't comprehend.

''How did you know I was a Cobalt?''

''Firstly, look at your wrists, they are not covered, so it's fairly easy to tell today.'' spoke he with glittering eyes I adored, ''And about that... When you were shot, the new general and I laid you down in the ground, and we checked for vital constants... and discovered the tattoo. Knuckles and Tails agreed on that you were too good to be a regular kind of soldier, so I didn't get too shocked at first, but it's shocking each time I think about it.''

''And what about the war?'' not having thought about the question when I asked, I realized the danger and tried to sit up, but Sonic laid me down once again.

''It's over.'' grinned Sonic, relief rushing through his features, ''Mephiles was shot just before you, and well, Shadow was executed the day after that. Now, we are all Eliths, and we will soon go to Mobius again.''

''I am happy about that.'' I smiled, this time without making not much effort.

Offering his hand, Sonic said, ''So, ready to start again?''

I took it, and I grinned too with a worn-out laugh, ''You bet.''

It only took days for us to move to Mobius again.

Even though it was half-destroyed, the Eliths we all are now got to rebuild it again, and it looks much better now, even more than before.

It turns out that the main reason for the three wars I went through weren't that difficult to resolve, as the son of Shadow and Vector, a man I never heard of, sat down and talked a long time. They both resolved their differences, and with a shake of hands, a democracy started and, since Shadow's son wasn't looked with good eyes, Vector is the head of state now. It's been a long time since then, and it all has gone just fine.

There are no Foreigners, just Eliths.

And, well, Cobalts had been hiding very well. Over twenty Cobalts showed in my house after the day of elections, and they all cheered for me. I didn't feel like a weirdo anymore.

About me, the aftermaths of the war are still in my body, and each time Sonic sees me, he remembers. I do too, each time I see that ugly scar on his arm. I have my ups and downs, but I am doing fine.

Sonic lives with me, and he never forgets to remind me of how much he loves me and always surprised me when I saw him in a photograph from my high school, and he was a grade higher. I never knew! But he did, and he told me that he stalked me and I never noticed. He is a weirdo too, but he usually says the same about me so we are equal... even though we have our contests about the weirdest one. Don't ask, I don't even know where did that come from.

To sum it all up, I took things out from the wars apart from Sonic.

Life is a long path full of stones. People may want to throw you to them, but that's only because they are behind you or they will stop their way just to make you feel worse, which is a waste of time.

Love is something that stays upon hardships - if possible, I assume. But something I learnt in the army was to be alert, and this guy blew my barriers.

And those downs are just voices that difficulties will issue sooner or later, so you just have to look up and think brighter.

Like all those wars we went through in my years at the army and each time I breath, everything has an ending.

And the theatre closed the curtain long time ago.

fin.