Cerise petals of still-blooming peach trees danced upon the light breeze, a mystical touch to the scenery of the meadow. The grass seemed to change hues as the golden sun's rays gently brushed against the blades, the late morning light painting the entire meadow in a beautiful palette of colors an artist could never hope to capture. Even a photographer could not completely capture the enchanting feel of the glade. It was impossible, especially if they were trying to seize the emotion that seemed to envelop the haven.
A young, rose pink hedgehog stood shyly in front of a mirror, fiddling with her hair for the umpteenth time. Beside her stood a small, cream-colored rabbit with a sunny yellow dress, obviously somewhat frustrated. "It looks fine, Amy!" she insisted. Again, she watched the hedgehog realign the yellow lily on her ivory headband, which beautifully matched her simple wedding gown. A long, golden silk ribbon was tied around her waist, trailing like rays of sunlight against the snow white dress.
"I know, I'm just nervous," she murmured, finally lowering her hand from her hairpiece. "I don't know if I'm ready."
"You've been telling me you're ready for the past eight years!" cried Cream, spreading her arms. "How can you not be ready?!"
Amy laughed, hugging the fourteen-year-old close. "I know. I guess I never really thought it would happen, even though I dreamed about it."
"Well, it's happening. Cream, we'll need you both in about fifteen minutes." The deep voice came from none other than Knuckles, who was uncomfortably, and pretty unwillingly, dressed in a tuxedo. It was pretty obvious he was not happy with the outfit, as he was constantly tugging at the collar and sleeves. Amy smiled at Cream's smirk.
"We'll be ready," she assured him. He nodded, then left in silence. Amy gazed at the mirror again, resisting the urge to once again mess with the lily. The day was finally here: the one she had dreamed of for years and years, the one that took up entire pages in her diary. It had come about so slowly. He had been so reluctant, always worried about her safety, he had refused to even date her at all. Finally, she gave up on him. That was when he finally gave in. He began to accept her, and so the courtship began.
Their time had been spent with each other ever since, and when they were alone together one summer evening, he had asked her the question she had dreamed of him asking ever since she was twelve. And she had said yes. So here she was, standing quietly in the foyer of the wedding house, preparing for her dream. She was sure her beloved was already awaiting her arrival. She sighed and looked away, wishing desperately that her father was alive to give her away, but he wasn't, and she couldn't do anything about that. Luckily enough, Knuckles had agreed to do so. She would have asked Tails, but his age made her decide against it.
"Amy? We need to go now," murmured Cream, fiddling with the dress to ensure it was in perfect condition. She also handed her a bouquet of golden lilies. With a deep breath and an optimistic wink from Cream, the cerise hedgehog began her walk out of the foyer.
When she reached the door, Knuckles winked and held out his arm. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly.
"As ready as I'm going to be." Arm in arm, the two walked down the path that led to the center of the garden with Cream close behind. The white chairs and small, wooden arch where the wedding was to be held seemed like miles away, yet it came faster than she had ever expected. She paused before the curve in the walkway, where she would pass the brick partition of the walled-in garden, and reveal herself to all her friends. There would be no backing out: this was it. Knuckles glanced at her, and she nodded assuredly. She was ready. She hoped.
***
Sonic's only concern for the moment was his next breath. He knew if he didn't focus one hundred percent on it, he would forget, and blacking out was something he hoped to avoid today. He tried his best to mask the worry that constantly tried to reveal itself through his bright, emerald eyes. Occasionally, he would make eye contact with Tails, who would smile encouragingly. It was one of the few things that kept him going.
You could say he had been worried ever since he laid eyes on Amy. When he saw her, he knew she was in love with him, and that was pretty normal. He couldn't go anywhere without someone staring at him with glazed, twitterpated eyes. Yet she was different, almost stalker like, and he swore he would avoid her. Fate decided differently, and before he knew it, she was constantly by his side as he fought for the freedom of Mobius. Stuck as her partner, all he wanted was to avoid falling for her, even though she fought for it with every breath she took.
He knew deep down that it was too late, but he denied it. He fought it, he ran, he avoided her whenever he could. It was when she finally gave up on him that he realized how terrified he was of losing her; how much she really meant to him. Now here he was. If someone had told him this was his fate eight years ago, he would have broken down in hysterical laughter.
The music that started made him jump slightly, but he didn't focus on it. He focused on the gorgeous young hedgehog that stood a few yards away from him, her dress blowing in the wind and the peach petals brushing against the white cloth and golden silk. Lost in the beauty of those two aquamarine eyes, all the focus he had placed on breathing flew out the window. It was Tails' urgent "cough" that reminded him he should probably inhale.
The diminutive audience rose at the appearance of the bride, but it went unnoticed by Sonic. The time between his first glimpse of Amy and when she was by his side was excruciatingly long. She paused at the first row of chairs, where Knuckles smiled and released her, standing quietly as he watched her glide up the single step to where her destined husband stood. He grinned, winked at Sonic, then took his seat. Cream fiddled a little more with her dress, then took the bouquet.
The azure hedgehog was completely lost in his bride's beauty, but still managed to listen to the preacher. Their hands were clasped together tightly, and Sonic could've sworn hers were trembling with excitement… or maybe it was his. They repeated what they were told for the ring ceremony. Cream and Tails both handed their respective rings to the hedgehogs, and the exchange of the simple gold bands was made. They never broke eye contact, and they were silent again until asked the vital question, to which both answered without hesitation: "I do."
They were pronounced husband and wife, then, the words both had been longing for finally rang in their ears. "You may now kiss the bride."
Both closed their eyes as their fluid motion made the decision final, showing the world what they felt for each other and not caring what anyone thought. The kiss was more passionate than anything they had shared beforehand, and neither wanted it to end, reveling in the warmth of the other's embrace and afire heart. They both knew they were loved, and in the heat of the moment, that fact was all that existed.
They finally released each other, the applause and cheers from their small group of standing auditors inspiring them, even though they barely heard them. They began their walk back down the aisle, Amy barely keeping from skipping and singing. Sonic felt similarly, except for the singing part. They were both grinning ear-to-ear, elated and thrilled as they prepared to spend forever together.
***
The reception was held outside, and by this time it was nearly dark. The chairs, tables, and drinks were under a large white canopy, while the food was inside an old house, which had been transformed into a wedding hall. There were patios both in front and behind the canopy. The front patio was where the band was playing, and also where most of the dancing took place. A few shier dancers chose to use the back patio, in order to avoid utter humiliation. The cake was cut and the food was eaten, and the spirit from earlier remained throughout.
After the stars pierced the velvet sky, it was time for the lone dance between Sonic and Amy. The song was one Sonic had played on a summer evening many years ago, and it had held a special place in their hearts ever since. Amy looked as if she was going to cry, she was so intensely happy. The two whirled around the brick patio gracefully, captivating their audience. They had eyes for nothing but each other as they allowed the music to overtake them. They flowed with it and melded themselves with the quiet tune. The only light was from the full moon and stars, and a few lanterns on the back patio. The breeze picked up again and blew petals around them in a mystical fashion, confirming the magic of the moment.
The song ended, and everyone who had seen it was touched. The dancing continued until late at night, and then everyone began to head home. Besides Sonic and Amy, only Tails remained. The kitsune approached the newlyweds, smiling brightly. "Sorry I didn't get to speak to you earlier. You were pretty popular."
Sonic grinned. "Yeah, I noticed."
"Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you. Where are you going after this?"
"We don't have a set destination. We're traveling for the entire week, stopping where it suits us," replied Amy.
"Ah. Well, do you two need anything else?"
"I think we're good, Tails, Thanks," assured Sonic.
"Alright. See you in a week!" Tails left the two, and they were finally alone. With a content sigh, they began to head home, together, for the very first time.
Finally posted it! This was written for the 100 Theme Challenge, and I finally got around to editing and revising the thing. Everything was based off of different weddings I've been to. If you find anything out-of-place with wedding ceremonies you've seen, tell me, please. I'm worried I might have gotten a few things wrong. =\ In case you were curious, here are the ages:
Sonic: 23
Amy: 20
Knuckles: 24
Cream: 14
Tails: 16
~Wolf~
