Song: Weeping Willows - Lovers Never Say Goodbye
"Please wait a while before you say what's on your mind..."
They had fought once again.
Hard words had been thrown in both directions across the battlefield that is their love for eachother.
And even if their battles may die out it's never truly ceasefire.
A waiting game to see who will fire next and who will take a bullet to the heart - fall down and not quite recover.
Until the white flag had been waved and one of them would ask for forgivness.
But forgiving is not forgetting and there are only so many bullet holes a heart can take -
before being forced to surrender.
"Is it asking for too much to stop the time?"
A year and a half they had been trying to make this work and of course sometimes it had been easier and they felt that no one could tear them apart - surely nothing could either.
And relationships were supposed to be like that, right?
One day not being able to take your eyes off eachother and the next you'd gladly see the back of the other.
Then you make up and make out - simple as that.
This time however they knew - knew that maybe the end of the rope was coming.
Although neither of them wanted for the life of them admit it.
"Don't' forget that we can touch the stars."
Sonic was standing at the age of eighteen and on the brink of becoming a young man who surely had matured a great deal but at the heart still kept the beat of a boy. He stood taller and leaner but with muscular features playing on his body. His lips still held that famous smile but it also could no longer disguise what his eyes had witnessed - the cruelity and harshness he'd seen while fighting in the name of justice and freedom. Some things can't be unseen.
Amy had only a couple of months ago reached the age of fithteen and was in the middle of raging hormones and emotions to embarassing body changes. She was still rather petite and could if she stood on her toes just about reach the bottom of Sonic's muzzle were luckily she could place her sweet kisses. Sonic had to bend down or place her on his shoes if one of those kisses would ever reach his lips though.
She was still a rose waiting to bloosom and innocence still lived in her heart.
They had taken it slow in their relationship with the first couple of months strictly - by Sonic's accord - kept to dinner dates and going to the theaters. Nothing mushy or over the top just the two of them spending time together and trying out the concept of calling eachother boyfriend and girlfriend - for real this time.
At the beginning Sonic had been feeling extremly awkward and blushed furiously each time they were recongized out in public while also having at that point a less gnawing fear of any wrong doers including Eggman taking advantage of the situation.
Amy on the other hand had constantly been floating on cloud nine and giggled like crazy each time Sonic even remotely did something gentlemanly towards her - like holding hands or opening doors for her.
She had gotten what she always wanted and not even one single moment did she doubt that she'd also gotten what she needed.
The threat of Eggman's kidnappings had still been present but it was nothing that faced a girl in love, besides - Sonic would always be there to rescue her, right?
"Don't say you've lost the love inside your heart."
In time they both started to change and their relationship developed into a more serious one regarding both their love but also the problems neither of them were mature enough to handle at times - so they ended up mindlessly shouting at each other instead.
She would usually be the one to end up crying.
He would be the one to try to comfort but to no avail.
He'd walk out the door and she'd beg him to stay.
The guilt would eat away at his heart and the sadness tear hers to shreds.
A week later they'd be in eachothers embrace, pushing replay on it all and love like no others could.
Amy's attatchment to him only grew stronger, needing to hear his loving words more often and his arms to make her feel safe. Without him she stumbled in darkness - vunerable and scared.
Scared... She was much more scared these days - that her happiness would be taken away and that Sonic one day would walk out the door and never come back.
She was also frightened by the thought of Sonic meeting another. A prettier girl. A more mature and experienced girl.
The three years that were them apart sometimes made themselves known - at least in Amy's all more uncertain mind.
They had experienced passionate moments but never been close to make love.
Despite Sonic telling her that things like that could good enough wait and that he wasn't even sure if he was ready for that sort of... activity.
She believed him of course. Sonic was no lust hungry animal quite the opposite, he was rather shy and tender in intimate situations. And other women? Sure, a lot of young women would sometimes sway their hips or bat their eyes at him when they were out in public but he only had eyes for her - he'd even tighten his grip on her small hand on those occasions and pull her closer to him.
Surely she had nothing to worry about but the mind sometimes play tricks on us.
"If you leave I don't know what I'll do
Please let me change your mind."
Doubt also clouded Sonic's mind more recently -not regarding his feeling towards Amy but his ability to be there for her and protect her from the world and all it's dangers. He knew in his heart that he'd rather die before letting anything or anyone ever harm her but how do you protect the one you love if you're the one causing her pain?
His duty to the world and all it's people still was a big part of his everyday life and freedom still called out to his heart in the passing by winds - howling for him to run and become one with it.
But it was no longer his own heart he carried inside his chest.
It was hers.
And that told him that all he could ever possibly need was already right in front of him.
But what he wanted was not only her. The boy's childish dreams of grand adventures and thrilling kicks still lingered in his mind and kept him from fully commiting to a girl who's highest dream was to wear a golden ring on her finger in a not so distant future.
The thought of the future scared him to his wits end and what scared him even more was how Amy fit in to all of it. Would he be able to live up to her expectations and provide all the love and care that she was deservant of?
And when the time was right - summon enough courage and be the man that got down on one knee and promise that from that day forward nothing else mattered except her happiness?
He knew Amy respected his need of momentarily freedom and had patience with his sometimes reckless behavior but he could also feel her grip slightly tighten for each embrace when they reunited. She would wait for him even if it took forever, right?
Surely he had nothing to worry about but sometimes forever turns out to be too long.
"If you leave I won't get over you
Lovers never say goodbye."
Now their fight had driven Amy to lock herself inside the upstairs bathroom of her house - she sat sunken down with her back against the door and her knees pulled tight to her chest.
Tears rolled down her cheeks while she desperatley tried to shut out Sonic's pleas for her.
He was on the other side with his palms and forehead pressed against the door - trying to figure out a way to make her listen.
"Amy..." he said softly "Please, open up."
"No..." she sniffled.
"Amy Rose, don't make me break down this door."
Sonic instantly regretted having threatened her like that and his ears folded flat against his head when he heard her continued muffled sobs.
"I- ..." he sighed "I'm sorry. I just hate hearing you cry, you know that, Ames."
And he really did. Sonic had always disliked seeing people cry especially his friends - especially her, It was like someone was repeatedly stabbing him in the heart with him being absolute powerless to stop it.
Amy's tiny and cracked voice could just about be heard.
"Yes, I know..."
Silence settled and Sonic leaned his back against the bathroom door and sunk down into a sitting position much like Amy but he let his legs stretch out infront of him.
His emerald green eyes was filled with sorrow and dejection - this was a battle he couldn't win - he wasen't even sure if this was a battle he wanted to be victorious in.
A break up is never a one way street after all.
But this was no longer a question of what either of them wanted but a question of what they needed - what had to be done. With no regard for the feelings that played into it.
"W-Why?" Amy's voice tore through the atmosphere like a knife cutting through his soul and straight to his core.
"It's just gotten too bad."
"You are what you do, not what you say you'll do
Please don't shut the door between me and you."
"I love you!" she cried with so much sorrow and heartbreak that he swore he could feel actual pain in his heart.
"I love you too. That's the problem."
"Love is not a problem, Sonic - It's the most wonderful thing a person will ever be lucky enough to have."
"Then why does it hurt this much?"
Amy could think of no answer to that question.
Thoughts of all the hours spent at Miss Vanillas house crying about Sonic suddenly swallowed her conscious.
Puffed red eyes. Tears dripping down in hot mugs of tea. Shoulders being unable to stop shaking. A comforting hand squeezing hers. A couple of small arms hugging her around the waist. Oh, why couldn't she stop shaking...
Miss Vanilla would listen - just sit and listen, sometimes nod, hum or having to reach the pink girl a tissue. When she was done Vanilla would rise and not utter a word for until she was sure Amy's crying had died down to a quiet whimper - then she'd give her opinion on the matter. The answer sometimes in Amy's favour but not as uncomonly as one might think would she also favour Sonic's perspective.
An encouraging word and a promise that things would work out for the better in time was sent along Amy as she'd leave the Rabbit's house and skipping along to yet again reunite with her prince charming.
Only this time - Amy thought - prince charming wasn't coming to her distress and had instead settled to stay on the other side of the door that seperated them. He'd given up on trying to break through...
Her heart scaredily skipped a beat.
Sonic's ears perked as he heard the lock of the bathroom door click announcing that it was now unlocked and that if he wanted he could just open up and take Amy in his arms as his heart so desperatley wanted...
But he didn't.
"Only fools are sure that they know everything.
Only you and I know where we've been."
"I'm going away for awhile." Sonic said with a heavy sigh "I think It's for the best."
"Wh-what? No..S-Son-nic..please don't... Please don't leave m-me!"
"When I get back we can start anew - I mean you're still my- ...Amy."
He rose from the floor and stepped back - looking at the bathroom door.
"We will always be friends, no matter what."
The door slowly opened and with a heavy heart he witnessed the state of the girl he loved so much that it hurt.
She was trembling from top to bottom, clutching herself in a convulsie way that made him worry she was close to collapsing. Those jade green eyes that he so dearly adored was clouded with tears and full of sorrow. But despite it all she was still, in all her distraught, the most beautiful girl he would ever lay eyes on.
Sonic had to fight every fiber of his being not to throw all his senses out the window and embrace this fragile rose and never let her go. He cursed and damned himself for ever hurting her feelings and thinking he was good enough to be hers.
She deserved so much better... So much more than he could offer.
Before he could stop it she had leaped into his arms and his body betrayed him by instinctively catching her and tenderly hold her as close as he possibly could.
"Oh Sonic!"
"Amy...!"
"M-maybe if we just..." Her voice died down and a blush formed on her muzzle "I-I am willing to give myself to you..."
Sonic froze and instantly let her go - taking a step back. A shocked yet dead serious expression was visible on his face.
"Amy Rose. Don't you for a darn second think this has anything to do about that."
"Then what's it about?! Is there someone else? Someone prettier - more mature woman?!"
"No! How can you even suggest that?!" Sonic's voice was dripping with anger and hurt.
"Then tell me - tell me!"
"Because I can't stand hurting you anymore!"
His last sentence echoed through the house.
It was dead quiet.
"If you leave I don't know what I'll do
Please let me change your mind
If you leave I won't get over you
Lovers never say goodbye."
Outside the night had crept upon them and the stars shone bright in the clear dark sky. The crickets's melancholy song filled the air while dew droplets shimmered on rose petals.
Any other night would two hedgehogs be lying amongst them - occasionaly whispering sweet nothings to eachother. Quiet giggles and tender kisses. Nothing could harm them at those momentes. No harsh words from the past would be recalled and no thoughts of the uncertainty that was their tomorrow lingered.
At those nights it was just them. Nothing else.
This night however the serenity of Amy's garden was disrupted by the front door opening and out came said hedgehogs. One crying the other silent.
Sonic walked towards the white picket fence surrounding the small house. Only at the gate did he stop and turn his head towards her - his face a mask of apathy and detachment of everything around him.
This was what he wanted - what he needed. Right?
In a futile attempt to reach him before it was too late Amy stumbled over her own feet and fell upon the harsh cold ground of reality.
Prince charming wasn't going to catch her anymore.
She didn't even register the pain because no pain the world could measure with the one she felt in her heart at this very moment.
"I love you..." she whispered. A last desperate cry for rescue.
All that answered her was a gust of wind and the sound of a sonic boom in the distance.
And then... there was nothing.
"Darlin' think about the things that we've been through
Please don't say that I am losing you..."