A Special Place

This is a SallyxSonic fanfic, in an alternate universe of what if Sally had been the rebel, and Sonic, the prince. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the game, characters, etc.

"Heya, Big Boy," Sonic heard a familiar, female voice call out to him flirtatiously. Turning, he saw Sally Acorn sauntering towards him, her hips swaying in time with her silky brown hair that was bouncing against her shoulders. Her light, sapphire blue eyes were sparkling with amusement, and a sultry smile was on her face.

"Hey, Sally," he greeted with a grin, as he gave her a small kiss on the lips, relishing the softness of them.

"Been waiting for me long?" she asked coyly.

"Not really," he answered, "but then again, why ask? You know you're always the one who's late."

"Is this really a place to be late to?" she chuckled as she gestured to where they were - in the middle of a forest by a clear, shining lake, moonlight reflected on its clear surface.

"I guess not," Sonic shrugged, "but I rather not wait here so long for you, Sally."

"Aww, you're so sweet aren't you?" she remarked half-jokingly, receiving a dry, withering look from the hedgehog. "But...I have to admit...you do act as sweet as when we first met."

"Well, so do you," Sonic said, relaxing.

"Ah, do I?" she said, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Mmm…remind me of what happened on the day we met, again."

"Again?" Sonic sighed, wearily.

"I never get tired of hearing you tell me," she said, with a playful tone of voice, as she sat on the log next to him. "So come on, tell me again," she urged, as she tenderly began to stroke his arm with her slim fingers.

"Well…alright…" Sonic relented, unable to resist her almost-childish charm. "It was a spring evening…"

"Wow…this place is beautiful," Sonic remarked admiringly, staring at the beauty of the lake, in midst of the forest.

"You think so too?" he heard a soft voice say behind him. Spinning around, he was startled to find a girl standing there.

"Hey, I'm Sally," she greeted, extending her hand to him, smiling reassuringly at him.

"I'm Sonic," he said, shaking her hand, "Prince Sonic."

"Nice to meet you, Prince," she winked, giving a small giggle. "So what's someone of royalty doing out here in the forest?"

"I'm just… looking for a place to relax…" he answered. "A place where I can just…think."

"Ah, well, you've come to the right place," Sally said, a grin coming to her lips. "The forest is a quiet place where you'll only find noisy animals and one talkative Freedom Fighter."

"Freedom Fighter?" Sonic repeated, puzzled on the meaning of it.

"Me," she said, gesturing slightly to herslf. "I'm one of the Freedom Fighters for the Knothole Kingdom, whose group's goal is to protect the villages from harm."

"I see," Sonic nodded. "That's very…generous of you."

"You don't have to be so formal with me, Sonic," she said, playfully punching his arm. "Just be yourself. That's another reason why you're here in the forest, isn't it? To be away from your princely duties?"

Sonic smiled. "Well…I've never thought of my duties as ever being a burden or anything…but to tell you the truth…I suppose it is nice and soothing to just relax out here."

"Then take a load off and settle down here," Sally said, waving her right nonchalantly. "You don't have anywhere to be. If you do, just pretend you don't."

Sonic chuckled as he sat on a nearby log. "Well, I guess I will then…"

"We talked for so long that by the time I got back to the palace, everyone was worried about me," Sonic said, almost incredulous as he recalled that memory. "I can't believe you kept me there so long!"

"Well, at least you were enjoying yourself," Sally said, complacently, as she wrapped her arms around him affectionately. "Besides, that's the reason you come here every night, don't you?"

Chuckling he shrugged once more, before giving her another small kiss. For a moment, a comfortable sort of silence passed between them, but then he frowned, sighing. "Sally…we really shouldn't be doing this…"

"Aww, why not?" Sally asked, teasingly. "Because I'm a commoner and you're a prince?"

"No," Sonic said, gravely, as he shook his head. "It's just that…you know I'm engaged…to someone else...a princess…already."

"Amy?" Sally said, promptly, knowing all too well who it was. "Well, it's not like you love her or anything. That's just what your parents want."

"And you know that my parents will keep pushing for it," he said, as he gently took her hand, caressing it softly. "No matter what I say…they won't allow me to marry anyone else besides someone of royalty. I love you so much, Sally, but I…I just can't. I can't be with you. They would never allow it."

"Maybe…maybe you could just ask Amy to leave you alone," she said, trying to sound cheerful as if she was still jesting. "Or you could just marry me despite what your parents say."

"Sally, you know I can't do that," Sonic said, jadedly, as he shook his head. "As a prince, I have responsibilities, and I have to follow certain protocols. I can't just throw it away or ignore it."

"Then what do you want, Sonic?" Sally asked exasperatedly, all attempt at light humor, vanished. "If you go along with these 'protocols', then you'll lose me. Is that what you want?"

"No, of course not," Sonic said, quickly, widening his eyes at her proposal. "But I…I don't know what else to do…but carry out my duties."

Sally drew back from Sonic, staring directly into his emerald green eyes. With her right hand, she held the right side of his face, lifting it up towards her. "Sonic…do you truly wish to spend the rest of your life with that princess...Amy?" she asked, in a sort of tone that was imperative and at the same time cajoling, a dark, solemn look on her face.

Staring into the girl's irresistible gleaming blue orbs, he bit his lower lip, feeling a sort of urgency weighing deep in his chest. "No…" he said, slowly, as if contemplating his words before speaking. "...But I have to marry her…there isn't anything else I can do. Besides…she isn't that bad of a person. She's nice, kind, gentle, polite, and…and compassionate." He could feel Sally's heart through the skin of her smooth palm, and each time he felt it beat, his words felt harder and harder to speak.

"She might be the makings of a perfect wife," she remarked, almost disgustedly as she released her tender grip on his face. "But tell me…would you love her the same way you love me? And would she love you the same way I love you?"

Sonic felt the answer at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't say it – he just couldn't answer, no matter how much he desired it so.

Moving away from him, she took a step forward. "Sonic…tomorrow morning…come here," she said, purposefully. "And we'll run away…together." She glanced over her shoulder at Sonic. "And this time...I'm not joking." Turning her head away, she gazed blankly ahead. "So…if you're not here tomorrow, I'll know what you decide to do…and what your answer truly is…" She began to walk away. "I'll see you around, Big Boy."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sonic!"

Sonic turned and saw Amy, rushing over to him, her pink hair flying out after her, her hands clutched around the skirts of her rosy, red ballroom-like dress.

"Hey," Sonic greeted, dully, barely glancing at her.

"You like coming here a lot, don't you?" she remarked, looking around.

"This forest…is a special place for me…that's all," Sonic said, gazing solemenly at the lake, the sun reflected on its surface.

"Oh…well, you better get home soon," she said, matter-of-factly, "or else the kids will start worrying."

"Sure," Sonic mumbled, as Amy began to walk away.

"She might be the makings of a perfect wife…but tell me…would you love her the same way you love me? And would she love you the same way I love you?"

"No…" Sonic murmured to himself, sadness tinging his voice. "No…that was my answer five years ago, and it still is…as simple as it may be, I could never bring myself to tell you…but 'no'…was my answer."

Sonic slowly stood, heaving a deep sigh.

Amy might be a princess… Sonic thought, closing his eyes as he felt the sting of tears. But you were always the princess to me…

As he began to walk away, he thought he could hear a familiar voice in the wind, filling his heart with a sense of happiness.

"Heya, Big Boy…"

Well, that's the end of this one-shot. If anyone really enjoyed it, I might write a bonus story as a sort of spin-off from it, whether to show what Sally had been doing, what had happened in the years that flew by, or the Sonic's kids...but I highly doubt anyone will really truly like this...but anyway, RnR is appreciated, although not necessary - the fact that you've read my story makes me happy already. :)