Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic and characters, put the poems are mine.
Stupid Cupid
Amy was falling behind, the sand in her shoes dragging her to a gradual stop like concrete manacles. The sun had been pounding down mercilessly the entire day, and now, with the wind no longer rushing past, her shoulders issued a searing protest to the brain. She winced, feeling her skin tighten as the burn spread.
On the horizon, the blue blur she had been chasing faded away into the shimmering heat blown in from the sea. She heaved a deep sigh, losing hope for the umpteenth time that day. With the adrenalin releasing its grip of her senses, her entire body decided that this would be a good time for all those repressed notions; hunger, thirst, exhaustion, desperation, to jump out from behind the couch and shout "SURPRISE!"
Amy didn't even notice falling, couldn't remember whether the sand had burned the palms of her hands or not. She just knew that she was feeling small and alone and miserable. Again. To her the setting sun on the rolling waves and the almost golden beach were nothing; everything was grey anyway.
She didn't get up. Couldn't find the will. She just sat on the slowly cooling sand, her shadow stretching further and further behind her, her aching shoulders trembling as the pain of abandonment tricked out of her, drop by drop.
- Amy? Are you alright?
She had been so engulfed in her private sorrow, she hadn't heard the tiny grains of sand shift as he approached. Something about the air, a slight change perhaps, told her that he was standing right behind her.
Suddenly her eyes felt very sore, "Probably from crying," she thought, rubbing them frantically. Strange, that; her entire body seemed, for just an instant, to itch unbearably, as though covered by tiny, war-waging ants. Blood rushed in her ears, her tongue stuck in her throat, and a slight tremor ran through her, like a chill, but warm.
"What on earth is happening? Am I coming down with a flu?" Amy thought, wrinkling her brow. A flu was not good news. A flu would force her to stay in bed, keeping her from chasing… chasing… chasing who, anyway?
She tried to concentrate. Surely she had had a reason for going to the beach? … She was going to meet someone? … Yes, that was it! A special someone. Someone she loved…
She turned around, searching for an answer.
Hr eyes came to a rest on the person behind her. He was saying something, looking directly at her, care, pity and anger etched into his features. Standing there, haloed by the very last sunshine, he resembled, to her, a demi-god, a Hercules, perfect in every aspect. She couldn't hear what he was saying, though; fireworks were exploding in the back of her head.
She was so stunned by this vision, like a devout nun before the altar, she didn't move a single muscle, not even when he was through talking and leaned down towards her, one hand stretched forth to help her get up. She just sat there, looking at him, eyes wide, while the last firecrackers echoed through her brain.
He smiled a quiet little smile which made her wonder what his lips must taste like, grapped her by the hand and pulled her to her feet.
- I said: would you like an ice-cream?
Would she like an ice-cream! Why not dinner? A night out? A date? A night? A day? Many nights and days? A lifetime? Eternity?
She blinked, painfully aware of having spent an entire day running around in the sun; "I must look awful," she thought, a slight blush crawling over her cheeks. She blinked some more (it seemed to be the only action her body could figure out at the moment), trying to will her tongue into action, while very carefully not thinking about tongues at all. Of course she failed…
- Uh-huh…
… was all she managed to push across her lips (Mmmm… lips…). It sounded so stupid she wanted to kick herself. There she was, on the perfect beach, bathed in the perfect sunset, and with the perfect guy. And what does she say? "Uh-huh," no doubt while looking exactly like a goldfish that has just fallen out of the tank. Why did she have to screw up now of all times!
He didn't seem to mind, didn't even seem to notice, actually; he just made his way down the beach, dragging her along. Most girls probably would have been offended at being treated like a rucksack, but Amy wasn't – she loved his strength and how it seemed to radiate from his every movement. He would protect her, keep her safe, never let her come to any harm.
She smiled to herself, the cool evening air soothing after the oven of day. She was complete. As stars began to blink into being on the velvety-black night-sky, the hedgehog and the echidna strolled towards the neon-lights of the city, hand in hand.
Tails was working feverishly, his hand flying across the key-board. Night was drawing on, and he was having trouble focusing. He would have to get some sleep soon, or he would be too weak to run, and then it would all have been in vain. It would be the end of him.
That voice… It would haunt him forever.
He shuddered, stifling a huge yawn. Drowsily, he pressed one final key; that should do it. Safety. As his chin dropped slowly onto his chest and his heavy eyelids closed under the pressure of sleep deprivation, the last thing he saw was the small, green dot on the computer screen, indicating his pursuer. It was moving fast. Very fast.
…
An alarm went off, bellowing down the corridors, echoing in the control-room and waking up Tails before being abruptly cut off, giving off the tiny pained sound normally recognized as a machine's final breath… The kitsune rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and checked the computer. He sat nonplussed for a moment, and then checked again, slightly more desperate. The green dot had vanished!
- But… but that can only mean-
A monstrous sound from the other end of the room interrupted him. The steel-plated, armoured, impenetrable door of the control-room was screaming in pain, writhing in its frame like a living dead in a coffin. Tails forgot everything about computers and intelligence, diving under the desk for cover.
A few seconds later he had to clasp his hands desperately hard over his ears to prevent his brain from disintegrating under the sheer power of the shockwave from the explosion which finally tore the door out of its frame and slammed it onto the floor, ending its misery. The screen of the computer broke, showering the floor with splintered glass. The lamps swung and swayed under the ceiling. Under the desk, Tails held his breath, knowing full well that his only chances lay in remaining undetected.
As the dust settled, a slim figure walked stealthily over the debris, footfall almost silent, and a voice, the voice, the voice which made his blood run cold, that honey-sweet voice which seemed to trickle down the walls in thick, suffocating drops, called out:
- Tails? Tails? Where are you, you delicious little hunk of a fox? Come to Rouge…
Trying hard not to whimper, Tails ground his teeth and closed his eyes tight. This was wrong. Terribly wrong!
Sonic hated waiting. No, really; more than cold feet in bed. More, even, than Eggman's ridiculous, never-ending scheming. Sonic hated waiting because waiting meant sitting still. And nothing nagged the guy who loved running more than not running.
Right now, though, there was no alternative – if he didn't wait, he wouldn't get the soda he had ordered, and if he didn't get the soda, the girl in front of him might not ever get to the point. So far, all she had been doing was blinking and rubbing her eyes, as though something was stuck in them…
He cupped his chin in his hand and tapped his fingers on the table. Escaping Amy to be caught by Cream. Why didn't he know any normal girls? This was going to be a long day…
On the other side of the round, white table, Cream was fidgeting nervously. She seemed to be suffering from short-term memory loss; she was pretty sure she had asked Sonic to meet her here, pretty sure she had something important to say to him. It had been something about a friend… right? Amy? No! Couldn't be! There was absolutely no connection between the two hedgehogs, her brain assured her.
She dangled her legs from the too high chair and wished she hadn't. It was something children did, and for some reason it was vitally important that Sonic did not see her as a child. But then what? She didn't know how to be anything else…
She searched her mind, trying to cope with unknown, unnamed and unwanted emotions. She was confused. She wanted both to run away and lean closer. Ws this what Amy called love? No! Couldn't be! Love was supposed to be something nice, like cake, candy and sunshine… Not at all like this, this nausea, nervousness and headache.
Cream moaned with pain under her breath, clutching her head in her hands. Why did it have to be so… difficult!
- Hey, are you OK?
His hand was on her shoulder, almost scalding to the touch. She looked up at him, wide-eyed with confusion. Panic seized her. She threw herself off the chair, tumbling unto the pavement, arms and legs flailing to get up and get away. But he was at her side in seconds, trying to help her get up, gently lifting her, touching her. Her brain short-circuited.
- Cream, what-
- Let go of me! Leave me alone!
She ran before she realized even moving, acting on impulses her young body could not yet comprehend.
Blinded by tears ("why am I crying") she tore through the streets, not knowing, not caring where she was going. Her breath stuck in her throat as she cried over and over again until the words lost every last shred of meaning and yelling became enough in itself:
- Leave me alone! Leave me alone!
Back at the café, Sonic watched Cream disappear in the crowd, his head spinning in wonderment. Why did all the girls around him have to be so weird; if they weren't busy running after him, they were running away!
What was the world coming to?
Someone poked him politely on the shoulder;
- Sir, your soda…
- Now don't say that was not the height of fun!
The end, admittedly, a bit too sad,
But this I'll change during the morrow's run…
Right now, the maiden, lover knight and cad
should have one night of rest from my charades
one peaceful sleep to settle in their parts.
While I play hide and seek between the shades
Let sweet oblivion soothe the poor hearts.
The disapproving frown wipe off your brow
and wait till you see what I'm doing now…
Cream had finally managed to doze off, her pillow wet with tears. Teddy bears littered the floor, casualties of her own, personal war. Most of them were still in one piece… Her breath rattled through her throat, still raw from screaming. It felt like she had lived the last twenty-four hours on maximum volume… Most of the confusion had evaporated by now. Sadly, the headache remained…
But that was a small price to pay for the privilege of not having Sonic zoom through her every single thought – Damn, there he was again!
Cream sat up with a jolt, wailing aloud, banging her clenched fists against her forehead. This was terrible! Love? Ha! Try obsession! How on earth did Amy survive something like this?
She folded her arms over her chest, putting on what her mother had named "the stubborn face." If this was love, well, then she hated love! And from now on, she was just going to sit here until it went away. "Well, heart, let's see who breaks first," she though grimly, preparing for battle.
A small, soft and slightly off-key tune found its way to her ears;
- and I-y-I will always-
… and earned her radio a one-way ticket to the wall and the Eden of all things mechanical. She settled back into anger. The tune continued. She eyed the scattered remains of her ex-radio doubtfully… nah – impossible! She listened carefully. The sound was coming from outside the window. From out there, where the last strands of night were making way for the pallid hues of dawn.
- … love youuuuuuhu-I will always…
Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the person on the twilight lawn.
- No… no…
Knuckles had tried his best with the guitar at home, but had settled for a vocal version. With… mixed success… But so long as he felt it, really felt it, so would she.
He sucked in breath, ready for the encore. He was unfamiliar with stuff like this, but felt there ought to be one. Or two. Or three. His eyes gleamed. Or four thousand! In fact, he decided, he should spend the rest of his life praising her in song, to make up for his having lived so long without loving her.
It had hit him this morning, like a revelation. He had been having an early breakfast. Amy had been there, for some or other reason, mumbling incomprehensibly, when suddenly, it struck him like a thunderbolt: Cream! Wonderful, sweet, angelic Cream! Like a mouthful of sunshine, an ocean of sweet perfume, a world made up of dreams and dew. Cream, queen of his life!
He hadn't wasted a moment.
And now he was to be rewarded, he thought, a wide smile spreading across his face as the lights were turned on behind the panes he had been watching. The window was opened. The frail figure of his dreams appeared in sharp, dark outline against the bright room behind her.
Thunder struck Knuckles. On the head. It was the second time that day…
When he regained consciousness the grey pre-dawn hovered quiet and peaceful all around him once more. No sound was to be heard, not even the rattling of an early breeze through dark leaves. He was lying on a lawn, hr lawn, the lawn, his fur cold and heavy with dew, his head throbbing with pain. He sat up. Various parts of his body objected. In the dim light he could only just make out the broken pieces of what had once been a pink "Feel-happy"-clock, looking very desolate on the cool grass in front of him.
He pressed a hand against the fresh bump on his forehead – who would have thought such a little girl could throw so hard?
- Ow… love hurts…
The wind rushed past, shredded by his quills. He lived for this. The speed that sent his adrenaline pumping so loud it was a wonder how he could hear anything else. The thrill of watching the ground fly by underneath him so fast, one small mistake, even the tiniest trip, was all that lay between him and the definitive end of all motion. The feeling in his gut that this was what he was meant to do, that, for him, the only meaning was speed, simple, raw, untamed.
Yet, until this morning, something had always been missing; he had had a very clear idea that he wanted to run, but had not known why or to where.
This morning, just as the clock struck seven, it had suddenly dawned upon him that "to where" was not as important as "to whom." Having come this far, "why" was obvious. As usual, Sonic didn't ask questions. This was how things were going to be, now he just had to find a way of coping with them…
Not a guy who believed in wasting time, he set off immediately, not even bothering to lock the door. He had no idea where to look, no idea whatsoever, but the planet was only so big, after all, and for someone as fast as him, it would only be a matter of time…
The wind rushed past, chopped into neat slices by the plane's propellers. Cold sweat drenched his forehead, his heart was beating so loud it felt like it would be only a matter of mere seconds before his ears exploded. The ground far underneath him sped by in an unrecognizable blur. The plane shook under the pressure as he forced it to rip even faster through the atmosphere.
He had to get away, far away, now!
The wind pounded at his face, making him blink his eyes feverishly – this was no time for glaucopis! Now when one tiny mistake would send him tumbling towards the hard, distant ground, the burning remains of the plane falling around him. "Would I even feel any pain, hitting the earth so fast?" he wondered, but jumped off that train of thought almost immediately; he knew where it was going, and he'd rather not visit Hurl Point…
If only he hadn't had to leave in such a hurry, he would have had time for the basics… like goggles, a parachute… fuel…
The tank was almost empty, the steady hum of the engine dropping every now and again to a harking, metallic cough, tearing at his worn nerves like a blunted saw through dry wood. He would have to land soon… Soon or not at all…
For a short, insane second he imagined the possibilities of ending all this in a huge blaze and a tall, dark column of fat smoke…
His eyes hurt worse than ever, the plane plunging dangerously downwards as he rubbed them with the back of his hand. Must have been because of the pressure of speed or maybe the thin atmosphere up here…
Up here… way up… in heaven…
Something about a girl…
No; a woman…
No; a lady!
Looking down he thought or imagined or dreamed that he could see her running across the fields. They had to be fields, since she was running across them… and there had to be flowers, beautiful flowers, fragrant flowers… and sweet, little animals, drawn to her kind presence… and music; oh such music. He could almost hear it now… What on earth was he doing up here when she was down there? Pushing savagely at the joy-stick, he forced the plane downwards at breathtaking speed; blow finesse, he had to land this crate now!
Movement flickered on the edge of his vision, but he didn't allow it to throw off his concentration; right now mistake death, and the Valley of the Shadow had suddenly lost all its former charm…
It was probably just a bird or a cloud or something…
He focused hard, reaching that cool, calm place in his head where he could work at a peak of efficiency; almost meditation, almost sacred, utterly still…
Air swirled behind him. This time he was certain: someone moved behind him… He was not alone in the plane!
Steely arms grapped him from behind, forcing his head up, choking him. A low voice whispered in his ear, the warm breath sending a chill down his spine. The plane did a wild loop and went into spin, hurtling towards the ground like a rock.
- I love to watch you work, boy-toy… how about giving me a once-over?
Tails struggled frantically, screaming and tugging at the relentless arms. But Rouge just giggled and held him even tighter; no man had ever been able to resist her this long before… it was quite alluring… and, for some reason, the harder he fought, the more she wanted him.
She kissed him softly behind the ear, feeling him shudder from the touch… how cute! He would, of course, break at some point… She shifted closer to him, pressing her breasts against his back. "Not long now," she hummed to herself…
Tails was wondering what lay on the other side of mind-numbing, searing panic – he didn't know yet, but he had a hunch he was about to find out.
"Where is the hero when you need him!" he thought distractedly to himself, kicking, screaming and scratching to get hold of the joy-stick again. The plane did a few erratic cart-wheels but decided that plain crashing was far more amusing.
The world was spinning, the motor stalled, the wind rushed by. Tails closed his eyes tight. This was it. He was going to die. And what was worst: he would never have a chance to tell her…
Something changed. Gravity pulled at him from a new direction. The plane disappeared from underneath him. The rush of air grew unbearably loud. . The arms around his throat held him closer than ever; no doubt Rouge had finally decided to stop playing around and finish him.
Nothing happened…
He opened one eye just a little bit. Terror seized him immediately, shaking him like a puppet in a dry-cleaner; the plane had gone. In its stead, a tall column of smoke was rising on the horizon. But wasn't he somewhere over there too, smouldering out of existence? He looked up. Rouge was looking very angry, screaming at someone. Her embrace was all that separated him from extremely sudden death.
But who was she screaming at?
Someone had grapped her around the waist, pulling her bodily out of the crashing plane. Someone had saved her life, and his too. Someone was seemingly flying calmly along without a plane. Someone held one arm stretched out before him, super-man –style, a strange glow streaming past his fingers…
When Tails recognized him, he wondered why he hadn't done so earlier. Who else would be able to catch up with a plane? Who else appeared out of nowhere with less than a second's warning? Who else spend his entire time running around saving people?
He himself had asked for this, right?
Sonic.
But something seemed slightly wrong…
First of all, his long-time friend didn't look at him or talk to him, in fact it seemed like he wasn't even aware of his presence… He was looking at Rouge, a strange expression in his face. His eyes were gleaming in a way Tails had never before seen, and he kept grinning so very… stupidly – as though nothing really mattered anymore…Rouge, on the other hand, was screaming, fiercely throwing n avalanche of cuss-words after her rescuer while struggling with all her might to escape his embrace.
Tails accepted as a fact that he was safe and that Sonic was in charge. Anything else, he simply chose to ignore; at the moment, it was just more than he could cope with.
Knuckles felt inspired; right there, in the cool morning air, with the young sun climbing slowly over the horizon, he knew, as by divine mandate, that he had to sing. His voice would praise his true-love's beauty, and struck at the heart by the sincerity of his words, she would finally understand. No – more than understand; she would feel it too… she had to! Faced with a love as pure and true as his, how could she possibly resist?
OK, she had resisted this far… but she was young and inexperienced; she just needed time…
Sadly, time was the one thing he didn't have. He was so used to guarding the Master Emerald, to sitting completely still, to waiting, that now every single second seemed precious to him, and every breath he couldn't draw next to her was pain.
He stood up and walked across the lawn to the red-brick house. He looked up towards her window, the window that had remained silent for most of the night. It was quite an old house, the mortar nearly gone in places, the bricks weathered by years of rain and wind… He laid his hands on the cool wall. He could tear through this in an instant, without even breaking into a sweat. Sure, she would probably be angry, but he just had to see her. It was like breathing or living – it was necessary. He felt he had to see her again, now, even if her features were twisted in rage, and he had to hear her voice, even if it was brimming over with anger… In fact, he reflected as he drew back one fist, ready for the punch, he would happily die, if only she asked him to.
A terrible noise tore through the early morning, causing confused twitter from a few drowsy pigeons. For just a moment earth and sky alike seemed to tremble, as the shockwave travelled outwards, like ripples on a lake…
It sounded like an entire demolition team concentrated in one single person. Glass breaking, iron whining, stone splintering, electricity whizzing, could never hope to become more than the pale echo of this cacophony.
Knuckles screamed in frustration as he was knocked off his feet, tackled by Amy.
Tails wailed in terror as he dropped out of Rouge's firm embrace and fell two feet until he landed on the cool, green grass.
Sonic shouted his declaration of love at Rouge, who didn't seem very inclined to listen.
Amy hollered furiously at Knuckles, demanding to know what on earth he was doing at Cream's house.
Rouge ordered Tails to get up, intending to get them out of there, and away from Sonic, as fast s possible.
Cream moaned in downright misery, holding her pillow tightly over her ears, and hiding deep underneath the covers of her bed.
Everybody says "I love you."
Nobody answers
- Ha-ha, oh have I ever laughed this hard!
It's priceless, much better than old Blightey!
I think I'll just…
- Puk! How did this mess start?
I told you not to do this! God almighty!
What shall I do with you, mischievous elf!
- You only told me to leave men alone…
- And women too! And to behave yourself!
- But I am Puk, tis in my very bone…
please, Oberon, twas but meant in fun.
- Fun? Fun! You really harmed everyone!
- Aw, alright, I'm sorry… OK, 'Ron?
- You're hopeless, Puk! Well, I guess
I'd better clean up this unholy mess…
If they remember any little thing
Then I no longer am the Elvin king!
Amy was the first to recover. She wasn't' sure why she was on her friend, Cream's, house, but she did know one thing: Sonic was there. And if he was there that meant she should give chase. Those were the rules.
Some ten feet away the love of her life recognized that special gleam in her eye. Good. This, at least, he knew; this, he understood.
Sonic sped up until he reached that point where he was going just fast enough, but not too fast… For the first time ever, he felt happy to be chased by Amy…
Back on the lawn, Knuckles opened his eyes. Why wasn't he on Angel Island? He stood up. Why wasn't he busy guarding the Master Emerald? He started walking. Why was he limping? He swore he would get to the bottom of this mystery, as he made his mal-tempered way to the nearest bus-stop… Someone would pay…
Shadow ripped through reality, jumping out of thin air. He had already spent far too long time looking for her; the Doctor would not be pleased. And here she was, apparently deep asleep on a lawn somewhere in suburbia… and she was supposed to be a professional… Bah! Oh, well, seemed like he would have to wake her up;
- Rouge! Wake up! We've got work to do!
She opened her eyes with a start, looking about her in disorientation, as though she had no idea how on earth she could have ended up here. Or why her head was resting on Tail's breast…
"Just like them, to throw a party without inviting me," he thought, adding a little more fuel to his permanent depression. He walked over to the groggy bat and seized hold of her wrist. He would be demanding a vacation later today… Rouge mumbled faintly, trying to sit up.
- Save it for someone who cares! CHAOS-CONTROL!
Tails surfaced just in time to see the rip in reality heal itself. So – Shadow had been involved, eh? Probably some fiendish plot from out of the sick mind of the Doctor… something o do with mind-wiping, perhaps?
But right now he had more important things to deal with. It appeared he was in front of Cream's house… perhaps his friend would like an ice-cream…
Cream's deep sleep was dispelled by the familiar sound of the door-bell. As always the first notion to dance through her head on fairy-tip-toes was happiness. Perhaps that was Tails… Perhaps her friend would like an ice-cream…
The world swung back.
Thank God!