True Love's Kiss
Summary: A chance meeting in the woods leads to something a bit more. OC/OC, Sonic/Sally, Antoine/Bunnie
Author's Note: The cat and hedgehog in this story are loosely based off of me and my boyfriend. Names have been changed in this story to protect identities of those involved.
Chapter 1 – The Meeting
Heart pounding. Hair whipping into her face. Feet softly pounding against the ground. She was on the move. She didn't quite know what it was she was running from; only that something had tried to grab her. Something metallic. And that was never a good sign in this place.
She ran to a nearby tree, knowing she wouldn't be able to run much longer. She leapt onto the trunk, digging her claws into the bark and quickly scaling it, scrambling from branch to branch until the branches grew too thin to support even her slender weight. She sat there, breathing heavily for a minute, before holding her breath and silently willing her heart to slow down as the SWATbot ran by under the tree. It stopped and looked around for her. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and offered a silent prayer, hoping that, when she reopened her eyes, the robot would be gone. However, her pleas were in vain. When she reopened her eyes, to her horror, it was staring straight at her.
"HALT, CITIZEN. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST," it intoned in a harsh, metallic voice. She screamed in fear, although she knew it would do no good. She was in a forest far from the one where her home of Knothole was located. She simply sat, frozen in fear, waiting for what now seemed inevitable. But at the last second, she heard a laser gun fire from somewhere to her right. The bright green energy bolt streaked through the air, hitting the SWATbot flush in its chest, frying its circuits and sending it flying into a tree, where it exploded.
She was shocked. She hadn't expected to be saved, but it seemed her prayers had been heard. Her bright green eyes darted around, searching for her savior. When she finally spotted him, her heart skipped a few beats.
A young male hedgehog stepped out from behind a nearby tree. He had red fur, brown eyes, and a tan muzzle. Brown gloves adorned his capable-looking hands, and he wore black slacks, black and white tennis shoes, and an orange t-shirt. She thought he was very handsome, and when she realized he was looking for the source of the scream, a blush surfaced through the white fur on her cheeks.
She leapt from the tree and landed lightly on the ground near the base of the tree. He noticed this movement and turned to spot her, his breath catching in his throat as he did. She was a teenaged cat with tan fur, except for the white fur around her mouth and on the tip of her long, slender tail. She had shoulder-length brown hair held back from her face by a wide red headband, and wore dark red, fingerless gloves, a short red dress that reached to mid-thigh, a pair of blue jeans, and red sandals. He thought he had never seen a more beautiful creature in his life.
He stepped closer to her to check her for injuries. "Are you all right?" he asked in a gentle voice that sent shivers up her spine. "What is your name?"
"I'm… I'm fine," she replied in a soft, shy voice. "My name is Jessica. What's yours?"
"Chris," the hedgehog responded simply. "Where are you from, and what are you doing out here? I don't recognize you."
"I… I live in Knothole. I was out looking for supplies when that SWATbot saw me. I ran as far as I could, but…" Jessica sighed, her voice trailing off.
"I see. Then you know Sonic Hedgehog?" Chris inquired.
"Yes, that's right," she replied. "Where are you from?"
"I lead a small band of animals here that escaped Robotnik's reign of terror, same as your friends from Knothole. We are doing everything we can to remove that… that tyrant from the throne and restore it to its rightful owner, Princess Sally." He smiled at her. "Do you need help to get back to Knothole?" he asked gently.
"I… I'm afraid so," she admitted. "I don't know this section of forest. I'd be lost trying to get home from here."
"I can take you there," he offered. "I've been to Knothole once or twice in the past. I can at least take you to where you know where you are."
"That would be nice," she whispered shyly. "I mean, if you don't mind, of course."
"I don't mind at all. Come on, let's go," he instructed, beginning to walk off into the underbrush.
"How old are you?" Jessica asked timidly, following him.
"I'm 17. I will be 18 in December," Chris replied.
"Same here!" Jessica exclaimed in amazement. She couldn't believe how easy it seemed to be to talk to him. "I'll be 18 on December 6," she added.
"December 30 for me," her escort countered quietly. "We're actually not that far from Knothole. I know a few shortcuts that can get us there much faster." He led her to a tree and he tapped lightly, three times, on the bark, after which the tree tipped backwards a bit, revealing an underground tunnel. He took her hand and led her carefully into the dark tunnel. "This tunnel comes out very near Knothole," he added, and then was silent. As he spoke, the tree tilted back, leaving the tunnel very dark, but only for a moment. Then Jessica noticed that there was some kind of phosphorescent fungus or lichen growing inside the tunnel, for there was a soft glow coming from the walls.
They walked in silence for a time, leaving any conversation behind. The silence wasn't uncomfortable at all, instead rather welcome. A few minutes later, she saw that the tunnel ended a little ahead of them. When they reached the end, Chris stood to his full height and knocked on the ceiling, three times, just as he had before. Light began to spill into the tunnel as the tree above them tilted backward, revealing a dirt staircase that led up and out of the tunnel. Chris helped Jessica out of the tunnel, and, much to her delight, she realized now knew where she was. Chris seemed to have no intentions of letting her continue on her own, instead taking his place beside her after ensuring that the tree had returned to its normal position. He followed her to the hollow, curving trunk with a wooden cover that they both knew led to Knothole. He opened the cover for her and waited until she jumped in before following her down. They both landed in a pile of hay at the bottom of the trunk. Chris helped her out and they both brushed themselves off before Sonic and Sally came walking over.
"Hey, Chris!" Sonic exclaimed. "Good to see you, buddy!" Chris grinned and bumped fists with Sonic in the Freedom Fighters' secret handshake. "What brings you here?"
"I found this little creature being chased by a SWATbot over near Nervania. She said she was one of yours. I couldn't let her go by herself after that, and besides, I wanted to see you guys again," Chris explained.
Sally walked over to Jessica and hugged her. "We were worried when you didn't come back with us from the raid," she whispered as Jessica returned the hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Yeah, me too… if not for Chris, I'd have been a goner for sure," she admitted. Sally looked at Chris gratefully.
"Christopher, please allow me to thank you for rescuing Jessie. She's a good friend to us and she is an expert at coming up with ways of keeping the morale up. It would be much harder to keep everyone optimistic without her around," she thanked him.
"You're welcome," Chris grumbled, "but you know I hate it when people call me that."
Jessica's face took on a surprised look as she turned to look at Chris. "Really? I've always liked that name," she murmured, blushing again. Chris looked surprised, but then he blushed as well.
"I guess I'd better be going now," Chris said, swallowing hard. "Could you contact the Freedom Fighters in Nervania for me?"
"Of course," Sally agreed, pulling Nicole off her boot and opening her up as she walked off. "Nicole, begin transmission to Nervanian Freedom Fighters…"
"It was good to see you again, Chris, my man," Sonic said, shaking Chris's hand. "See ya around!" He revved up his legs and went to join Sally, leaving Chris and Jessica alone.
"Th- thanks again… for saving me, I mean," Jessica murmured shyly, the blush resurfacing on her cheeks.
"It was nothing," Chris replied, reaching up and placing his hand on the back of his head, his elbow pointed in the air and his eyes gazing at the ground nervously. He turned back to the chute as if to leave Knothole, but hesitated before he did. 'Should I do it or not?' he thought, unsure. Before he could change his mind, he turned back, grabbed Jessica, and pulled her to him, placing a brief, gentle kiss on her lips. "Goodbye," he whispered before turning and running up the chute, leaving a stunned Jessica behind. It took her a few minutes to recover from the surprise, but soon a soft smile and a longing look appeared on her face. She turned and headed back to her hut to rest, thinking gentle thoughts of the hedgehog that had saved her life.
Author's Note: Okay, a bit cheesy, but it's not near done yet; this is still the first chapter! If you're interested, please read and review!