Passion of the Red Poppy

Main Characters (By order of appearance):

Amy Rose: Protagonist

Cream the Rabbit

Sonic the Hedgehog: Second Protagonist

Miles "Tails" Prower

Knuckles the Echidna

Cosmo Prower

Marine the Raccoon

Quick A/N: This is my first real heavy romance and I will be illustrating that particular genre more than any other. I may raise the rating. Story updated bi-weekly

Chapter 1: The Lone Flora

"When its crimson head emerges, it receives unjust scorn, yet beneath lays the juice of hope, taken in by those in morn."

Anonymous

There was no gardener quite like Amy Rose's friend, Cream the rabbit. Everyday she could be seen tending to her garden, everyday when Amy walked in to knock on her door, she smelled the scents of each individual one's fragrances. She smelled the dandelions, daises, hellebores, thornapples, violets, roses, and snapdragons, strong and heavily sweet. Each of these flowers lied in numerous amounts all over the garden, assorted in lively colors, oddly beautiful as the wind blew on them, chilling them as their presence gave her solace.

It was not necessary to think to know exactly why Cream's garden was so praised by the community. The garden was carefully and perfectly made in beautiful symmetrical geometrically rows, full of circles and squares, and fuller of tranquility and beautiful serenity.

But a deathly shadow seemed to loom over it. In the middle of the garden were two sturdy maple trees, and a lone poppy loomed under them. Amy knew that the poppy had been there for years, ever since Cream had lost her beloved, having him torn from her by the sea…

At the time of his death, the entire gang was sailing. Sonic was there, Amy remembered happily, the confident, blue hedgehog. Then there was Tails, the pilot of the quick ship, and genius fox though he did not invent it himself, and Knuckles, hothead red echidna. It was a happy trip, Amy remembered.

No, it was the happiest trip of her life, if but only for a moment. The pink hedgehog sighed, glancing as the sun strived to shine its rays below, but white puffy clouds shielded the earth from its penetrating warm rays. Yet shadows did fall from the rosy white cottage of Cream's surrounded and caressed by flora.

Amy knocked on Cream's white door with her gloved hand, pushing her pink hair back as she waited for an answer. Her other hand straightened her pink skirt, heels clicking against the rough, concrete pavement. "I'm over here, Amy." A voice called out to her. Amy turned around, to see Cream watering her daffodils. The process would take her at least an hour. Amy did not know how Cream could have such patience for such watering of a massive garden. There were far too many flowers craving water. Cosmo had taught her so much… they had been great friends.

No, the best of friends. Yet it lasted one moment too little.

"It's nice to see you Cream." Amy said to her happily. Cream acknowledged it with a twitch of her ear, one of her chocolate brown eyes giving her a quick side glance, but most of her attention was concentrated on the flowers, giving them tender care in her orange dress. It was the same focused attention and love she gave to him once…

"I was wondering if you would like to go watch our final rehearsal." Amy asked her. Amy saw her flash a smile as she began to water the thornapples. Amy no

"And what is the name of the ballet you are performing in?"

"Of Blessed Heart," Amy informed her. Yes, Amy loved ballet. Her previous exercise habits had helped her immensely to get in shape. Though, at the time, they were mostly to please Sonic, her one true, elusive love. Unfortunately…

"Sonic!" The pink hedgehog shouted, tears pouring out of her eyes as her life raft sailed out of sight. She coddled the sobbing rabbit beside her, as the ship was hit by yet another mighty wave, crushing the structure into the mighty water…

Amy's mind spun back to reality, her eyes back to watching Cream again. Her hands moved around the garden, pulling out a few weeds here and there, and then pouring water here and there. "What is it about?" Cream asked her.

"Well, it's about two lovers, who…" Cream shook her head, as Amy trailed off, knowing it was foolish to ever ask to attend her ballet, which was so often about lovers. Cream moved around the garden as she did, tipping the pail to soak more of her plants with needed water. Amy really did love Cream's garden. But she hated her melancholy attitude! It was so difficult for her to get an ounce of happiness to reach her heart, even more difficult for her to maintain it inside her.

Cream at last turned to her, with her typical neutral look. "I would rather not, Amy." She continued moving around her garden. Then she turned to the flower lying under the maple tree all by its lonesome. Her eyes lingered on the flower, and she slowly and carefully approached it, dragging the pail with her. Amy followed quietly, holding her response in her tongue.

"I understand." Amy sighed softly.

She couldn't tell if Cream heard her, the rabbit gazing at the poppy for a long moment, placing her pail on the ground. Her hands traced over it for a moment, with a care that was different from the other flowers, a touch that was gentler, but somehow distant, loving, but fragile.

Cream then picked up the pail and watered the plant, slowly and tenderly. She removed every weed surrounding it, and Amy silently helped her. Only when the place was deemed perfect to Cream did she finally get up and walk away from the flower.

"Cream… have you thought of, you know… falling in love again?"

Cream turned on her, and for a moment Amy thought she would yell at her, her face turning to an angry red, then lightening up, her muscles loosening to her old gloomy look. "The thought has not even grazed my heart." Cream replied quietly.

"Well, there are a lot of cute, nice guys out there." Amy boldly continued.

"There is not a single one that could care for me as he did."

"If you only gave dating another chance…"

"My soul is one with his, if his is gone, so is mine." Cream replied defiantly, and this time she was a bit angry. "Dating again may be easier for you, but you might want to realize that none of your boyfriends last longer than a month."

"That's not true!" Amy replied furiously. "I'm just trying to find someone just like So—"

"You don't get it, do you?" Cream interrupted her, her gaze fiercely directing her rage at Amy. "There is no one JUST like Sonic. There is no one just like Tails, or Knuckles, or like…" she stopped speaking abruptly. She then seemed to have lost all of her anger, and her sadness returned. Amy saw that her own worries were not as heavy as Cream's.

"You need not be afraid to say his name." Amy comforted her.

"If I do, I will fall into grief again. I will impossibly hope that he is still alive like a fool, somewhere, searching for me, that he somehow survived the wreck, as well as the others."

Amy's mind began to trail. "They said they never found the ship." Amy pointed out. "You never know, maybe some of them managed to survive."

"My soul mate fell off the ship and drowned in the sea." Cream bluntly reminded her. Amy recalled the moment with a sharp pang of sadness. Yes, he had fallen into the sea, being hard hit by waves that rivaled the power of a mini-tsunami. "I saw it myself, I saw him…" The rabbit's voice quivered and she was silent, as she looked away. Amy noticed a speck of liquid crash into the soil, being sucked into by the plants.

After a moment, Cream looked at Amy with resignation. "Amy, we just have to accept that none of them made it."

"And you just have to accept that your soul mate can't love you if he's dead." Amy responded, but instantly regretted.

"His love for me is eternal." Cream replied testily. She sighed. "Amy… I can't fall in love again. I know I sound like a quitter, but my heart is truly and only his. I shall honor that and not give it to anyone else."

Cream gave her a hug. "Look, I'll go to your performance later today, okay?

She then went into her house. Amy heard the door closed quietly, as she muttered angrily at herself. She was going only to please her, but Amy knew she hated being reminded of that incident. Her eyes began to gaze at the lonely red poppy on its own. Its petals were closed, though every other flower's petals were open.

It was almost as if it was trying to conceal something…

A/N: How was the first chapter? Please review! And who exactly was Cream's past love? Kudos to the one who can guess!