I don't own anything Sonic the Hedgehog.
This is dedicated to Samantha27, who has waited for this for far too long. Hope you love it darling!
A sweet sigh escaped her lips, her fingers tapping lightly on the cherry wood table. Her emerald orbs gazed at the clock hanging on the wall, her heart fluttering in her chest in hope that at least some time had passed. To her disappointment, she realized it had only been a minute since she had last looked. It felt like the longest minute of her life. The seconds ticked away endlessly, matching the rhythm of her tapping. Where were they? Where was he?
"Ooohhh!" she huffed, ceasing the tapping to fold her arms across her chest. "That Sonic thinks he can be late whenever he wants too just because he knows I'll forgive him! I swear, for being the fastest thing alive, he sure can be damn slow!"
It was times like this Amy had wished she had never met the blue blur. He frustrated her to no end! Still, she felt her eyes graze the clock ever so slightly. She bit her lip and began to wonder why she got her hopes up in the first place. When it came to hanging out, Sonic was either always late or forgot to show up altogether. Of course, when it came to saving someone or the day…he always seemed to be there on time.
"I guess I can't blame him," she mused to herself lightly, finger now tracing along the grooves on the table. "After all, showing up in the nick of time is how I met him!" A smile tugged at her lips as she thought about the memory. Following the reading in her tarot cards, she had ventured to Never Lake to see Little Planet.
And that's where she saw him.
Well, it was more like she saw the blue blur of him running around. She remembered gasping out loud. She had never seen anyone, or anything for that matter, run that fast! He had stopped short near the lake, staring up at the planet connected by a chain of some sort. He seemed deep in thought, nose crinkled, eyes looking determined. His fur was a bright blue which contrasted against his red sneakers. He rubbed his black nose with a gloved finger. Finally, he seemed to notice her staring and glanced over with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen; green like hers, but lighter, like the color of the grass sparkling with morning dew.
She had forgotten how to breathe in that moment. Was it possible to find your true love at eight years old? It was like all of the stories she had heard, where when you see that person you just know that's the person you're supposed to be with for the rest of your life. Her heart was hammering so hard in her chest she thought it was going to explode. The rosy hedgehog felt so lightheaded and that she had to remind herself to take in a breath so she wouldn't pass out. She was so intrigued by him that she failed to realize he was saying anything until suddenly that gloved hand of his was waving in front of her eyes.
The rosette blinked and then smiled at him. He let out a small chuckle, held out his hand in front of her and winked, "I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. What's your name?"
"A-Amy, Amy Rose," she had sputtered out, smoothing down her green skirt with her hands self-consciously. OHMYGOSHSONICTHEHEDGEHOG! Never in her wildest dreams would she ever imagine that Sonic the Hedgehog would be talking to her, little Amy Rose. "What are you doing here?"
This seemed to amuse him for he let out a low chuckle, eyes twinkling. "Explorin' of course!" he winked at her again, a gesture that made her legs turn to jelly. "I came here to see Little Planet…but it looks like old Egghead is up to his old tricks again!" He paused for a moment before extending a hand. "Wanna come check it out with me?"
She just stared at him in disbelief. "I'll slow you down!" she stated bluntly, still in shock that him out of all people would want her to tag along with him. "And I don't really know how to fight."
This had made him laugh again. "You won't need to fight because I'll protect ya!"
"Okay," she smiled warmly at him, giggling.
"Come on," he grinned, green eyes twinkling with mischief, "I'll race ya!" He took off, and she chased after him, laughing. Shortly after, Metal Sonic had kidnapped her, and sure enough, Sonic kept to his promise and had protected her.
"Ohhhh," Amy crooned, hands on her cheeks smiling, "Just thinking about that memory makes me blush!" Suddenly, she was interrupted by a knocking noise. Her ear twitched at the noise, eyes snapping to the door. Her heart hammered in her chest like a thousand jackhammers; he's here! She jumped up and raced to the door, her speed giving Sonic a run for his money. She flung open the door and pounced on the poor fox standing there before she realized that he was neither blue nor a hedgehog.
Tails let out a small chuckle as Amy soon realized her mistake. She immediately let go of the startled yet amused fox, seeming embarrassed as a warm blush covered her muzzle. Her embarrassment soon turned to anger, though, as she huffed, crossing her arms. Her lips formed into a small pout, for he was not who she was expecting. "It's nice to see you too, Amy," he teased as he reached out and gave her a warm hug. "Long time no see!"
"Oh, Tails, it's so great to see you too." Amy's pout quickly turned back into a smile as she pulled back from the embrace. Tails noticed her peaking over his shoulder ever so slightly as if to check to make sure that Sonic was not hiding behind him. "Sonic's not with you, huh?"
Tails frowned slightly as his rosy friend sighed inwardly. "Afraid not. It seems like he's lost track of time….again. Sure is funny how he can be so fast yet so-"
"Late, I know," she finished in a small mutter, her tone of voice indicating that she didn't find it to be the least bit funny at all. She flicked a piece of her hair behind her shoulder. "I was just thinking about that. He only seems to be someplace on time when it comes to saving someone…. But what do we need him for, anyway!" she gave a tiny laugh, gesturing to the inside of her little house. "Come on in! We can sit, talk, and eat while we wait for the slowpoke to come." She bounced into the kitchen, her mood seeming to be temporarily elated.
The fox closed the cherry door gently behind him and followed her inside. Her house smelt like freshly baked muffins in the morning with a sweet dash of cinnamon on the side. He breathed in deeply, welcoming the scent, and walked into the tiny kitchen where he was greeted by the new aroma of Amy's home cooked meals. He sat down at the wooden table, and watched as she danced across the room, preparing some plates and dishing out some of the sweet treats.
"Do you remember how we met?" Tails questioned suddenly as he stared at the plate in front of him, surprising Amy.
The rosette glanced back at him for a moment, jade eyes wide with thought. "Yes. Yes I do. It was right after the first time I had met Sonic. After he had saved me from Metal Sonic, he brought me back to your workshop. I had nowhere else to go because I was an orphan. I dreaded going back to the orphanage…it never did feel like home." Tails nodded understandingly as she walked over and sat down next to him, setting down two cold glasses of lemonade. He thanked her quietly before she continued, "Besides, I didn't want to part from Sonic! Even though it was very scary, it was also exhilarating! And fun!"
Tails' head bobbed at this in agreement. Sonic's adventures were always wild, scary, thrilling, and each was the new best day of his life. Tails didn't think that one could put words to describe how it felt to be running next to Sonic, dodging bullets and bad guys, and almost dying just to save the day. He knew right after his first adventure that once you had been on one of them with him you could never go back to your old life. It was like drugs; once you got a taste you kept coming back for more. Addicted and you were never quite the same as before…but in a good way instead of bad.
"Anyway, I wanted to stay close by and find a small house to live in. Until then, though, he said he had a place I could stay in the meantime. You were so kind to me. You gave me the grand tour of your place and let me stay as long as I needed."
"Your favorite room was the kitchen," Tails mused in remembrance. "Within the first five minutes you were baking already. You said that cooking was your favorite, and it was the least you could do for letting you stay with me. It's one of my favorite's memories of us. Sonic and I were flabbergasted because neither of us can cook anything. You made his favorite; chili dogs."
"You know what's funny?" her head cocked to the side slightly and she went on before he had a chance to respond, "I was just thinking about the first time I met Sonic." Tails let out a sudden laugh and she scowled at him. "What's so funny about that?" she demanded, arms crossing over her chest. He could distinctly pick out the quick tapping of her foot on the linoleum floor.
"Nothing, nothing," he assured, the last laugh escaping his lips as he put up two hands in defeat. "It's just…well…don't you always think about that?"
"Not always!" her voice was no longer coursed with anger, but was low as if she were letting him in on a secret. "I don't always think about when I met him…but I suppose I do think about him a lot. That's what happens when you're in love though!" she let out a small giggle at this and Tails had to resist rolling his eyes. "Why were you thinking about how we first met, anyhow?"
The golden kitsune shrugged, leaning back in the chair. "I suppose your baking just kinda brought back the memory. I was just thinking about how much we've both changed since then."
"We've all changed," she agreed quietly and then paused, "But…I think for the better. We've all gotten older and matured."
He gave a small nod and then grinned. "Except on one part." Amy cocked an eyebrow at that. "When I first met you, you were quiet and shy and in love with Sonic the Hedgehog. Now, you're bubbly, outgoing, and talk a lot, but you mostly talk about your love for Sonic. Kinda makes me wish you were still quiet and shy."
She smacked him playfully and scowled as his laugh filled the air. "Tails! I don't talk about him that much!"
"I'm sorry, but I had too." His laughter died down slowly. "You were so little though. Remember the outfit you wore? And the way you wore your hair to mimic Sonic's?"
Amy's jade orbs widened in horror. "Oh gosh, please don't mention that horrid thing! I looked awful! And so not cute!"
"Nah, you were a kid. It wasn't too awful…you still looked cute."
That last comment made Amy beam. "Awe, thanks Tails! You were pretty cute yourself. I remember I thought you were a nerd…and you still are a nerd," she teased lightly.
"I take no offense," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "I am proud of it!"
The conversation quieted a little as he tasted some of the food she cooked for Sonic and him, quietly mentioning how great something was every once in a while.
"Hey, Tails?"
Blue orbs glanced up to meet her green ones. "Yeah?"
"How did you meet Sonic?" Amy asked tentatively. In all the years that she had known the famous duo, neither had really mentioned how they had met each other.
Tails smiled at the memory. He had been an orphan; his parents died when he was young. He didn't quite remember them, and when he did, it was all really blurry. He had stayed at the orphanage for some time, up until he had met Sonic. He got made fun of a lot and the people in charge even seemed to stay away from him. After all, who wanted to be friends with someone with an abnormality like his own? He didn't really mind though; he had his inventions!
The only thing he did mind was the bullying. It wasn't too bad at first. They used to just make fun of him, but soon it became worse. They used to shove him to the ground, punch him, and beat him until he was black, blue, and could hardly stand. He remembered the sting of the cuts on his body, the aching of his muscles under the bruises as he tore his body off of the ground.
The fox pointed to a scar behind his ear. "This is one of the scars I have from the bullies."
A small gasp escaped Amy's lips, her hands coming up to her mouth, tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, Tails, you told us that was from an airplane crash when you were first learning how to fly…"
Tails shrugged slightly, trying not to meet her gaze. "I didn't want you guys to have pity on me. Doesn't matter how I got it, 'cause it's in the past, right?" Amy gave a small nod, still seeming worried for her friend.
One day, Tails had seen the bullies coming. They had swarmed all around him, punching one fist into the other hand in a threatening manner, grinning sadistically.
"No, please!" the small fox had begged desperately. He was still healing from the last time he had come face to face with them. As they advanced, an idea came to his mind. I hope this works…, he thought to himself as he grimaced. He began to spin his tails together rapidly and felt his feet lifting off the ground. He watched himself get farther up and farther away from the bullies. Although the muscles in his tails ached, he laughed, propelling his body forward. The wind stung his eyes and he couldn't tell if he was leaking out tears because of the wind or because he was happy and free. Soon, his tails were getting tired, and before he knew it, he felt himself falling towards the ground. He tried to keep himself elevated for a while longer, but his tails gave into fatigue.
He let out a shout as the twigs nipped at his face and arms and he soon collided with the ground with a thud! He groaned as his body throbbed in pain. His arm muscles ached as he forced himself up. He rubbed his aching head, getting a look at his surroundings.
"Well, at least I'm away from those stupid bullies…," he mumbled quietly to himself while his sigh took off into the wind. "If only I knew where I was now…." The fox slowly made his way through the bushes, pushing a small branch out of the way. A gentle breeze caressed his cheeks as he took in a deep breath tasting salt on the tip of his tongue. The ocean!
The little fox picked up the pace, a small tree branch catching his arm. He ignored the pain and the blood slowly trickling down his arm, breaking free of the brush. He was greeted by golden sand that burned beneath his toes and a great rolling sea that matched the color of his eyes. A small laugh bubbled out of his mouth. It took him a moment to realize it was because he was happy for the first time in years.
He took off towards the water, tails propelling him faster until he hit something that he had failed to see in his happy delirium. "UMF!" the fox groaned as he was thrown backwards, falling towards the sand below him until a gloved hand caught him, much to his surprise. At first he had thought the bullies had caught up to him, which made his heart jump up into his throat, but was soon greeted by a voice he had not heard before.
"Hey! Sorry about that. I wasn't expecting a little turbo boost from ya!" The creature in front of him let out a laugh, letting go of his hand once he was stable. Tails rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving him.
"You're blue!" the golden fox exclaimed in shock before he realized that was probably not the best thing to say.
"And you have two tails," the blue hedgehog countered as he gave him a sort of bemused look, rubbing a white gloved hand under his black nose. The hedgehog scrutinized him closely, watching as Tails looked away and mumbled something under his breath in a shy manner. "What?"
"A…Are you going to beat me up?" the fox repeated timidly, already preparing to defend himself.
"Are you joking?" the strange hedgehog looked as if he were trying to decide whether to laugh or not.
"No…"
The guy's emerald eyes gave him a once over. Tails decided that his eyes reminded him of the grassy fields where he and his parents used to live, which was oddly comforting. Maybe this was a sign that he was finally going to be taken away from this dreaded place! "Where do you live?"
Tails heart plummeted as soon as he heard that question. So much for new beginnings, he thought bitterly. With his head down, he murmured, "The orphanage."
"I see," the stranger gave a slight pause before surprising the fox with a question he least expected, "What's your name?"
"Miles Prower…but everyone calls me Tails."
"It fits," the hedgehog gave a short laugh, eyes twinkling with that of a faint smile. "I'm Sonic. Sonic the hedgehog. You know why they call me that?"
"Why?" Tails asked curiously, lifting his head up, intrigued.
"'Cause I'm the fastest thing alive!" Sonic boasted, jamming a thumb at his chest. Tails couldn't help but feel this guy was a bit narcissistic…but he felt safe around him. Tails somehow knew that he could trust this guy. After all...he hadn't beaten him up yet, had he? "Come on, I'll take you home."
"Do you have to? I don't want to go back there…," he begged, digging his foot into the sand self-consciously.
"Well," Sonic thought for a bit, "You have any talents, kid?"
"I…I can fly with my tails," the fox's eyes brightened immediately, "and I'm really smart! I can tinker on things and make them ten times better than they were!"
Sonic seemed to consider this for a moment before he grinned at him. "Tell you what, Tails, if you can fix up my plane—"
"Oh wow! You have a real plane?"
"Then I'll take you with me on some of my adventures," the azure hedgehog finished with a wink. "I could always use a right hand man when battling the evils of the world…or even some bullies who think they're all that."
"It's a deal!" Tails held out a hand and Sonic gratefully shook it, grinning once more at Tails reaction.
"I came to find out later that Sonic wasn't going to let me go back to that place if I had any special talents or not. He said he had took one look over me and knew that I needed out. But that's just who Sonic is, right? Even if we hadn't become best friends, I would have always been grateful to him."
"Oh, Tails," Amy murmured quietly, tears brimming her jade eyes. "I had no idea that it had been that hard for you. Thank goodness you had run into Sonic!"
"Well, you were an orphan too, right?" he cocked his head to the side, a little curious now. "Didn't you ever get bullied?"
Amy was quiet for a minute, lips pursed out in thought. "I think…," she began carefully, "that every kid gets bullied at some point in his or her life, for one reason or another. I think in your case, they were scared because you were different. I was bullied too…because I was shy, pink, and well…me."
"But Ames, pink suits you! And I don't think any of us would want you any other way."
Amy let out a squeal of surprise which was then followed by a squeal of excitement. "Sonic!" she jumped up from her chair so fast that she knocked it over and jumped on him, giving him one of her famous bone crushing hugs. The hedgehog let out a laugh, wrapping his arms around her to return the embrace. Amy finally let go, looking up at him with a warm smile on her face before she slapped his arm. "Idiot! You're late!"
"I know, I know," he apologized with a warm smile, putting up two hands in defense, "I lost track of time…honest!" Amy rolled her eyes at this. She picked the chair back up and sat down, muttering something about how he could get his own food, but seeming extremely happy that he was here now.
Sonic sat down next to Tails, sending a grin his way before ruffling his head in affection. "Hey little buddy! How have you been? I hope Amy hasn't been torturing you too much…"
"Sonic the Hedgehog! I don't torture anyone!"
"Oh Sonic, the things she made me do, you can hardly imagine."
"I bet she wanted to paint you blue," Sonic snickered receiving a glare from the pink hedgehog sitting across from him.
"See if I invite you over again," she huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Although she would seem mad to anyone else, both males knew she was amused and merely playing along.
"Amy, I highly doubt you'd never invite me over again." Amy flushed and looked away. Everyone knew it was true. "Anyway," Sonic continued, scratching his ear, "what were you guys talking about anyway that had to do with bullying and Amy being pink?"
"I was just…talking about how we first met," Tails said, rubbing the back of his head, seeming to be embarrassed.
"Ah, yes," the male hedgehog smiled in remembrance, "I remember that. You fixed up my plane quite nicely! I was really impressed."
Tails blue orbs shinned with the praise. "It was nothing," he said modestly, cheeks painted a small pink.
"We've had quite the adventures, huh, bud?" the azure hedgehog asked, clapping a hand on the kitsune's shoulder. "It seems we always seem to make friends on those adventures too...remember meeting knucklehead?" he let out a chuckle at this. "I thought he was gullible then!"
"Sonic," Amy scolded, trying to keep a smile off of her face unsuccessfully. "How'd you meet him?"
"Egghead convinced him that we were after his precious master emerald, you know, same 'ol, same 'ol. Somehow, we haven't gotten rid of home yet." The two other Mobians laughed at this.
"He did that when Chaos broke the master emerald too, right?" Amy asked. "Fall into Eggman's trap, I mean."
"Oh yeah. He thought that we were after the fragments of the master emerald too, because he saw us with a green chaos emerald," Tails answered with a small nod, "but of course quickly realized that Eggman had tricked him…again."
"You think he'd learn by now," muttered Sonic under his breath with a small grin. "But he is a knucklehead after all!"
"Don't pick on him too much," the rosette scolded, "After all, Knuckles has helped us a lot! He even helped me train so I'd be better with fighting Eggman with you guys."
Sonic nearly spat out the drink he was having when she said that, causing Amy to smile slightly. "What?" he asked incredulously. "Knucklehead actually helped you? And you asked him for help? Why didn't you just ask me, Ames?"
"I did," she glared at him curtly, "and you ignored me. And knuckles is actually very nice, even though he does have a bit of a temper—"
"So do you, I have some lumps to prove it," the blue hedgehog muttered under his breath.
"—and he's very lonely being on that island all day!" Amy finished trying her best to ignore the hedgehog's comment.
"Come on guys, let's not fight, we're here to have fun while we're all together," Tails reasoned, glancing at both of the hedgehogs. "We haven't all been here together in…what…a year?"
Tails last statement made a frown tug at Amy's lips. "Well, it's hard to get together, isn't it? Eggman doesn't really attack anymore. Sonic's always off exploring and helping people around the world and you're working on new inventions, traveling with him sometimes to get some more experience and see what other countries have in the technology department."
"What about you?" Tails asked somewhat shyly, feeling a bit guilty that it had been so long since he had stopped to see the pink hedgehog. After all, even though Sonic and he sometimes complained about Amy, she was their best friend and admired comrade.
"Me?" Amy asked, somewhat surprised at the question. "Well…I try to lead a normal life, I suppose."
"But isn't that boring?" Sonic spluttered out, leaning back in his chair a bit. "I couldn't do normal. I'd go insane!"
"Exactly," Amy crossed her arms, "I've been bored, yes, but what do you expect, Sonic? I'm not fast enough to run with you, and I'm not smart enough to help out Tails. Meaning, I can't exactly be of much help, now can I?"
"Awe, Ames, don't say that, you've been a lot of help in the past."
"In the past are the key words, Sonic," she sighed a little, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "It's not so boring I suppose…I do get to see Cream and Knuckles on a regular basis. Knuckles doesn't exactly seem keen on me being there all the time, but I think he secretly enjoys the company. I do think he wishes I was Rouge though…"
"We'll try to come visit you more often, Amy," Tails told her gently, offering a small smile. To his surprise, though, she merely frowned.
"You both always promise that, and yet it's been a year since I've seen you both in the same room. Don't you guys…miss the old days? The good old days where we used to always go on adventures together with the rest of the gang? I mean I know Egghead hasn't exactly been active lately…which is a good thing, but I sometimes feel selfish for wishing he would attack that way I'd get to see you both again and…I just don't want to lose all of that. I don't want to lose you both," she confessed the last part quietly, a small tear escaping her eye.
The two boys sat there in silence for a moment before Sonic broke it. "Ames," he began slowly, quietly, "I don't want you to ever feel like you're losing us. Yes, it's true, things have changed but our friendship will never change. You remember how we first met?" She gave a small nod at this. "Do you know how many other people could have been there at that exact moment? But it was you. Same with Tails. Same with Knucklehead and Cream and everyone else! It's fate. Destiny. Whatever you call it. We met for a reason, ya know?"
Amy seemed to consider this for a moment. She suddenly felt very foolish for thinking that just because they were apart that her friendship with her friends would ever change. "We've been through too much to ever not be friends," she murmured to herself quietly, wiping away the tear that had fallen down her cheek. She smiled up at her two best friends.
"Exactly," Sonic nodded with a grin. "So stop worrying so much! We have so many more memories to make. And we both promise to visit more often. And if you're a good girl, maybe you can come on some more adventures with me."
Amy rolled her eyes in response to his wink. "And what entails to being a 'good girl'?"
At this, he grinned. "By making me some more chili dogs! I'm starving!" Tails laughed at this and Amy couldn't help but smile.
"For you, Sonic, anything."
Amy bounced over to the refrigerator, humming happily to herself. She was about to pull out some ingredients when a sudden crash outside caught her attention. She whipped her head towards the window and noticed Sonic and Tails had quickly stood up from their seats, seeming intrigued by the noise as well. "What the h…." She was cut off by a cackle and had to resist the groan that threatened to escape. "Egghead, of course! He has to ruin everything!"
She glanced back at her two friends. Tails was already rushing outside of her house while Sonic paused to look back at her. "Ya got your wish, Ames!" he smiled at her and gave her his classic thumbs up. "Ready to go on another adventure?"
"I'll slow you down," she smiled, repeating the words she had spoken to him when they had first met so many years ago, "I don't really know how to fight."
Sonic let out a laugh at this and winked at her, just like he had done when he had first met her. "You won't have to fight, cause I'll protect ya!"
The rosette grinned at him and raced out of the house after her hero. Perhaps Eggman hadn't really ruined her one afternoon with her two best friends. After all, it was another adventure and another opportunity to make memories to reminiscence on in the future.
This is FINALLY doneeeee! I've been working on this oneshot for TWO YEARS. Samantha27, I am so sorry this took so long to make. I hope you love it, and I hope everyone else loves it too. Please review and tell me what you think; it's very helpful! Thanks for reading everyone!