This is just a little one-shot taking place in the Heroes of Mobius universe. Me and my friend TCH2 have written this story together so be sure to give both of us credit and not just me. Enjoy. ^^
(This takes place BEFORE Sonic and Sally's wedding in the Heroes of Mobius Epilogue!)
It had been a day since Sonic the Hedgehog, the Hero of Mobius, had proposed to his girlfriend Sally Acorn. It had also been a day since Enerjak's reign of terror had been brought to a spectacular and decidedly epic end by the hedgehog himself. Sonic still remembered very well the fight that determined the fate of Mobius. The mad scientist Dr. Finitevus had used 109 Chaos Emeralds to reincarnate himself as Enerjak, the Demi-God who's Chaos power was enough to end the world. He had come dangerously close. But Sonic and his friends had managed to de-contaminate the emeralds of their dark powers so that they had positive Chaos Energy in order to use them against Finitevus. Sonic had become Hyper-Sonic, a sensational super form that he was hoping to use again. Never in his life had he felt so incredible. Hyper-Sonic had pretty much been the most epic Sonic had felt in his life.
The hedgehog would look back fondly on his fight with Enerjak and how he had killed him and saved Mobius. But he looked back more fondly on the late afternoon that would go down in history as the most memorable afternoon of his life. Silver the Hedgehog and his girlfriend Blaze the Cat, Mobians from the future, had returned to a happy, intact future that was no longer in a state of decay. They had been dying to find out what had caused the end of the world and thanks to them, the Royal Fighters had successfully put a stop to Enerjak's plans. Now Mobius was living to see a day that shouldn't have come. The supersonic hero had never felt so happy to wake up to a new day. It was like seeing something that should never have been seen and Sonic couldn't be happier to think that Mobius would live on for many years to come. Silver and Blaze's fixed future was proof of that.
It was a bright sunny day in the city of New Mobotropolis. A day Sonic very much enjoyed. And he had the perfect way to spend it.
"Can't get enough of that sunshine." Sonic said contently, smiling at the plain blue sky up above, "And I'm glad that it's sunny too. Just perfect for that "Friend's Day Out" I planned to have with Tails during that whole Dark Armada nightmare. I hope Tails isn't too busy."
Sonic had planned the day out with Tails because, during their fight with the Dark Armada, Tails had been captured by the evil Finitevus and roboticized because he had needed Tails to help him create Synthetic Chaos Energy. It was a formula required to make the 100 extra Emeralds he had needed to become Enerjak. During the experience, poor Tails, as Finitevus's roboticized slave Mecha Tails, had been forced to help Finitevus to almost end the world, fight his friends, insult them and, worst of all, kill Nurse Mariah and hurt his girlfriend Cosmo the Seedrian while she'd been a prisoner of the Dark Armada. The most sickening part of all was that he remembered all of it! And he was only ten years old! No child should ever have been subjected to such a traumatizing experience. Tails had been left emotionally scarred by the whole experience and Sonic wanted nothing more than to make his little brother happy again and help him overcome his trauma.
"I promise you, Tails, that I'll do anything to help you overcome this experience," Sonic said to himself. "You deserve it."
The hedgehog eyed his best friend's house and he eagerly ran over to it. With his super speed, he was there in the blink of an eye and knocking on the front door before a second had passed. The door opened and Sonic's smiled increased as he saw the innocent, child-like face of Miles "Tails" Prower standing before him. Tails may look young and innocent, being a ten year old fox kit and all, but the child was wise beyond his years. He even had a look in his eyes that made him look a little older than his body did. His eyes made him look like he had seen too much at his age. Sonic saw it instantly but kept up his cheery personality. Tails smiled at the sight of his big brother figure. Next to his girlfriend Cosmo the Seedrian, Sonic was the one person in the world he was happy to see whenever a new day began. As far as the cub was concerned, he'd be happy to see Sonic on even his darkest days.
"Hi Sonic!" Tails piped cheerfully.
"Yo Tails, how's it going little bud?" the hedgehog replied.
"I've not been awake that long, I slept in quite a bit." said Tails, stretching a little as he spoke, "I've been up for forty minutes at most. How are you doing?"
"I just had my usual morning jog and grabbed some breakfast before deciding to come over and meet you." explained Sonic, "It's quite a nice day today so I thought we could make the most of it together. Me and you, best friends forever, playing together in the warm sunshine and having a good time. You up for that?"
"Of course, Sonic," Tails said. "Nothing would make me happier; except perhaps, having Cosmo here..."
"Maybe so," Sonic said, "but I'll be sure to make this day one of the best you've ever had, Tails."
Tails smiled at his big brother. "That sounds wonderful, Sonic."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, bro!"
"Okay." Tails got ready to fly, but Sonic stopped him.
"Nah-uh; you get to ride on my shoulders, Tails."
"Really?" Tails said, excited.
"Really, really." Sonic lifted Tails bodily from the ground and placed him on his shoulders. Despite being ten, Tails still fit on Sonic's shoulders and he was strong enough to carry him. "Hold tight." And with that, Sonic took off, Tails laughing at the thrill of being carried on the shoulders of such a fast moving Mobian.
Meanwhile, Queen Sally Acorn, ruler of new Mobotropolis and future wife of Sonic, was also enjoying the day. She intended to spend it with Cosmo the Seedrian, because she deserved a wonderful day too.
The squirrel, who was dressed in her casual wear as she didn't feel like dressing up like a proper queen, was walking out of Castle Acorn and heading over towards Tails's house. She knew Cosmo would be there, she always was. It was possible for a boy and a girl to live in a house together despite not being married. At the most, Tails and Cosmo would be considered partners in a relationship living together. The idea seemed strangely cute to Sally. She even wondered if Tails and Cosmo would be living in their house as husband and wife in the future. The sudden thought made Sally glance down at her hand. She had a beautiful diamond ring on the index finger of her left hand. The queen smiled as she glanced at it. She could still hardly believe that just yesterday, the man of her dreams had proposed to her. It had felt like a dream when Sonic had popped the question but Sally knew that it was the wonderful truth.
"I can't wait till our wedding day..." the squirrel mused to herself, "Sonic will be the perfect husband, even if he is a little impetuous and reckless at times."
She turned her attention away from her wedding ring and back to the house she was heading towards. As she approached the house, a thought crept into her head.
"I wonder how badly the events of this month have effected poor Cosmo..." she murmured worriedly to herself, "Being used as a spy against us and then being beaten up by a roboticized Tails. I hope the poor dear isn't broken beyond repair...even if Tails is back in her arms."
On the same day that Finitevus had kidnapped and roboticized Tails, he had also blackmailed Cosmo into serving as a spy for him, threatening to have Mecha Tails blow himself up if she refused or told anyone. Because of this, the Dark Armada had known every move the Royal Fighters had made, which had resulted in the death of some of their friends. The Royal Fighters had eventually figured they had a spy but who it was, they didn't know for sure. Geoffrey St John had made accusations and Cosmo had been one of them, but it seemed so unlikely for such an innocent looking girl, especially since she was in love with Tails. However, when they had tried attacking the Armada's ship, the Nefarious, it turned out Cosmo was the spy. Fortunately for the Royal Fighters, this event had helped turn their luck around with the help of Blizzard the Ice Witch and they'd started back on a winning streak; unfortunately, Cosmo had ended up a prisoner and had been tormented by Mecha Tails simply for catharsis on Finitevus' part when he was upset. No one - repeat, no one - deserved that; least of all, Cosmo.
Sally went up to the door and knocked. A moment later, Cosmo answered. Sally immediately took notice of the girl's sweet, angelic face and bright blue eyes. The young plant-like alien didn't iappear/i to be heavily traumatized or in a state of Post Traumatic Stress. She seemed like her usual self, sweet and pleasant with a cutesy smile on her face. Sally felt better seeing Cosmo looking so happy. Maybe she had gotten over the events of the Dark Armada after all.
"Why good morning your majesty." said Cosmo, curtseying politely to the queen that stood before her.
"Please, you can just call me Sally you know Cosmo." said Sally modestly.
"But it's politer to refer to you by your title Sally." said Cosmo.
"Well you can just call me by my name Cosmo. I'm allowing that for all Royal Fighters." the queen said softly, "So, how are you this morning sweetheart?"
Cosmo looked a little adamant to answer Sally's a question. A slight sadness seemed to creep over her as if she didn't have good news.
"I'm fine although last night I didn't have a very particularly nice dream." she murmured.
"Oh no..." said Sally, her face falling, "What was it about?"
"It was pretty much a reminder on what I had done as Finitevus's spy..." mumbled Cosmo glumly, "Only in the dream, you all ended up hating me even though I had no choice and there was a very horrible moment where Sonic came to my cell door, intending to rescue me...but he beat me up and left me for dead instead. The dream ended with him laughing wickedly at me as he slammed the door shut and said 'You deserve to die here you little traitor!' It was horrible...just horrible!"
Sally gasped in horror. So Cosmo was still traumatized by it all! At once, she moved forward and pulled Cosmo into a tight hug.
"Oh, my dear little Cosmo, it's alright," she whispered, stroking the Seedrian's back. "It was just a nightmare; it wasn't real. You know we love you and that we understand why you did what you did."
"I know, Sally," Cosmo said, resting her head in Sally's chest, "But it was just so horrible."
"I know it was...if I had been in your shoes Cosmo, I would have possibly broken in half and never recovered." the queen said gently, "But anyway, Sonic and I had decided to give you and Tails the kind of day you need in order to recover from the horrible events of this month. Sonic is having a day with Tails and I'm going to have a day with you to make you feel all better Cosmo. I've got a good place in mind for us to eat when lunch time arrives and given how lovely it is today, I thought we'd go to the Great Forest and swim in the Lake of Rings. After all, you LOVE water." she finished, winking at the plant-like child.
Cosmo seemed to forget about her nightmare for she was suddenly smiling like an excited child who's having the best Christmas ever.
"That sounds like fun!" she squealed excitedly, "Thank you so much Sally!"
"No problem." Sally sadly casually, "After all, you've been through a lot Cosmo. You need this kind of day. That...and I still very much appreciate you saving my life two years ago."
The Seedrian nodded. Marik the Martian had come to Mobius on the same day she had. He had tried to kill Sally so he could take over the throne of Castle Acorn. Cosmo had saved Sally's life by distracting Marik and getting him to chase after her. Sally was eternally grateful to the leaf-haired girl for being so valorous.
"So get your swimming costume Cosmo." Sally said in a tone of voice that sounded almost motherly, "The Lake of Rings is waiting for us."
With another squeal of delight, Cosmo hurried back inside to get her things. Sally smiled to herself. Just then, a blue blur raced by; Sonic, no doubt. But Sally thought she heard cries of delight as Sonic raced by; that had to be Tails. The queen smiled, delighted to think that Sonic, her soon-to-be-husband, was giving his little brother figure a good ride...
Meanwhile, Sonic and Tails had circled the city once and were now racing through the countryside, Tails still on Sonic's shoulders.
"This is so awesome!" Tails squealed, trying to make himself heard over the wind that battered his face as Sonic ran, "You're the best ride ever Sonic!"
"Thanks!" Sonic shouted to his best friend.
Being able to run at supersonic speeds, Sonic imagined that he could give more thrill rides than even the fastest of hover cars on the planet. He could almost imagine how overjoyed Tails was, sitting on his shoulders and enjoying the fast-moving ride that he was being taken on. It must feel amazing to the cheerful, upbeat fox kit. Not so much for Sonic since he was used to moving so fast and had been doing so since childhood. He still thanked his father for giving his mother the power ring that had saved her life before he was born. Without it, he never would have become Sonic the Hedgehog. He also imagined that all of the heroic deeds he'd done would never have succeeded without him. It was scary to think that if he had never been given super speed, Mobius would likely be destroyed already. This was why Sonic was always so thankful that he had been blessed with such a power.
Sonic zoomed through the meadow surrounding New Mobotropolis until he reached Green Hill Zone. He skidded to a halt and allowed Tails to leap off of his shoulders. Tails hadn't been around Green Hill Zone much but he knew why Sonic had brought him here. It was his favourite place in all of Mobius to go for a run. Sonic never got tired of the loop-de-loop mountains and challenging terrain that Green Hill Zone provided. They always give him a thrill run and always provided much practice for his skills in manoeuvring whilst running at high speeds.
"Green Hill Zone, never get tired of running through it." Sonic said more to himself than to Tails.
"It looks like a fun place to run around." Tails said approvingly, gazing at the scenery around him, "Maybe I could run around here for a bit of fun."
"That's why people come here." said Sonic casually, "To have a good run. Though few are fast enough to whizz around the loop-de-loop mountains. It's no challenge for me of course." he added smugly.
"Course not." chuckled Tails, "The fastest thing alive, that's you, can easily run through that. You have the speed and momentum needed to defy gravity in such a run. It must be so awesome getting to run up a rock in a loop-de-loop shape." he added, eyeing one of the aforementioned rocks eagerly as if wanting to have a go himself.
Sonic noticed this look. "Hey, Tails, why stand there? Go on and give it a try! Use your tails and spin them very fast pointing behind you; that should work."
"Okay," Tails said and pointing his tails directly behind him, he began to spin them at high speed. He started to run towards the nearest loop-de-loop, getting faster and faster as he went until he began to climb the loop. Running up to it now, the fox began to feel nervous. Could he run fast enough to make it around? He supposed it wouldn't matter too much if he suddenly fell. His tails could save him easily.
"Don't slow down!" Sonic called to him. "Keep going!"
Tails did so. He could make it! He was going to make it! He pressed on, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead as he went upside down and then ran down the loop and reached the bottom.
"Wow! That was AMAZING!" he said gleefully.
Sonic could only laugh joyfully at his best friend's delight as he zipped through the loop to join Tails on the other side. He was glad to have taken Tails to this place. Seeing him enjoying himself made him feel like the happiest hedgehog in the world.
"So glad you enjoyed that buddy." said Sonic brightly, "I knew you could make that loop."
"It was so much fun!" Tails exclaimed, "The most thrilling part was being upside down as I ascended up the loop! I've gotta do that again!"
"Why not?" chuckled Sonic, "And I'll do it too. Maybe we can see who can run through the loop mountain the quickest."
"Aw no Sonic, you'll win easily! It won't be fair!" Tails chuckled, poking Sonic in the ribs playfully.
The hedgehog snickered back and ruffled Tails's fur on his head in retaliation. The fox didn't seem to mind, giggling childishly as if Sonic was tickling him. The Hero of Mobius briefly wondered if he was ticklish on his head.
"Maybe I'll give you a ten second headstart, see if you can beat me then." he suggested, "You might beat me, who knows?"
"Very well, challenge accepted Sonic!" said Tails, fist-bumping his best friend as they prepared to begin the race.
"Okay, then; on your marks, get set, GO!" Sonic said. Tails was away at once like an orange blur. Sonic waited, counting slowly under his breath.
"...8...9...10, ready or not, here I come," he said and shot off after him.
Meanwhile, Sally and Cosmo were down by the Lake of Rings. Sally had set up a couple of deck chairs for them both before she and Cosmo entered the water for a splash.
Sally was dressed in a bright blue bikini and swimming trunks while Cosmo wore a green leotard. Both girls marvelled at the calm, peaceful, cool lake that they had thrown themselves into. It was very refreshing for them to be in the lovely cool water after the heat of the sun had begun to beat down on them.
"Aaah, this is really nice." said Sally, flipping her soaking wet hair aside and out of her eyes.
"The water's perfect." said Cosmo delightedly, allowing herself to submerge until the water reached her chin, "I could swim in here all day, it's so lovely."
"Well we haven't got anything important to do today so we can swim for as long as we like." Sally said brightly, "How's about a few laps around the lake?"
"That'll be great." said Cosmo sweetly, "I'll time myself, see how many laps I can do in ten minutes."
"You swim, I'll time. And then we can swap and see how many laps I can do in ten minutes." suggested Sally.
Cosmo nodded agreeably. It sounded like a very nice idea. Cosmo immediately began swimming ahead, using her arms and legs in perfect rhythm as she pushed herself through the water. Sally could tell that Cosmo was very good at swimming, rather unlike her fiancé who seemed to have difficulty paddling even in the shallow end. She watched as Cosmo headed to the first bend of the lake, counting under her breath the seconds that ticked by.
"One...two...three..." Sally counted.
By about ten seconds, Cosmo had reached the first bend and was swimming gracefully towards the next one. Sally had a feeling that the Seedrian might get a few laps done by the time ten minutes was over.
After ten minutes, Sally said "Stop! Time's up!"
Cosmo climbed out of the water, slightly tired but happy. "That was about 21 laps I did, Sally."
"21? I'm impressed," Sally said.
"Thank you," Cosmo said sweetly. "Okay, Sally, it's your turn."
"Right." Sally entered the water and began to swim in a graceful breaststroke, while Cosmo counted.
Sally had taken off pretty quickly. The Seedrian was impressed. It seemed Sally was good at swimming too. Part of that was because Castle Acorn had an indoor pool which Sally had used regularly as a child. Even now she was an adult, she still used it. Sally had years of practice under her belt. Cosmo counted the seconds that turned into minutes as Sally began cruising gracefully through the water with little effort. Her arms and legs moved in perfect rhythm with each other, pushing the queen's body through the water very quickly. It took Sally less then thirty seconds to do one lap. Cosmo was speechless as she counted to thirty and watched Sally make it back around the final bend and swim off to do another lap. The queen was going to beat her score easily.
After ten minutes, the bikini-clad squirrel finished her final lap and Cosmo called for her to stop.
"Time's up Sally." said Cosmo.
The queen flipped her hair aside and swam up to shore to catch her breath.
"Phew...that was 35 laps." Sally puffed.
"You were amazing in that lake Sally." said Cosmo with an amazed smile on her face, "You're a natural swimmer it seems."
"Well I did play in the castle pool a lot as a kid so that kinda helps." said Sally casually, "Swimming's one of my natural talents. When me and Sonic get married, I hope to teach him successfully how to swim. It could save his life one day."
"Ah yes; it's interesting that the Hero of Mobius, who has defeated so many enemies, including Demi-gods, can't do the simple act of swimming," Cosmo said.
"Well, no one's good at everything, Cosmo," Sally said, "even the best of people will be bad at something, even if it looks incredibly simple to others."
"I suppose so," Cosmo said, as she and Sally sat down in the deck chairs to relax in the sunlight. "Speaking of Sonic, I wonder how he and Tails are doing..."
"Oh knowing my fiance, he's giving Tails the time of his life no doubt." Sally chuckled.
Sally couldn't have been more correct in her guess. As time ticked by, Sonic and Tails raced each other through loop mountains all throughout Green Hill Zone. Despite being relatively new to Green Hill Zone, the fox seemed to be performing rather well. He had quickly gotten used to the unique terrain of Green Hill Zone and was cruising through the zone as if he owned the place. Sonic could hardly keep the smile off his face as he ran through Green Hill Zone with Tails just metres behind him.
"You've caught on really well big guy!" Sonic called over to Tails, "You're keeping up with me real good!"
"Thanks Sonic!" Tails called back to his big brother figure, "This place is really fun to play around in!"
"Understatement of the universe!" the hedgehog laughed back at his kid sidekick.
As far as Sonic was concerned, Green Hill Zone was the most fun place on Mobius to play around in. The hedgehog zoomed towards another loop mountain, running straight upwards and circling around until he reached the bottom of the loop. Tails followed him, whooping with joy as he whizzed through the loop. It was like being on a roller-coaster at a theme park, only much more fun because he was doing it on foot instead.
"YAHOOOOO!" Tails squealed with joy.
Sonic looked ahead and saw they were nearing the endpoint and thought quickly; while Tails was by no means far behind, he was still losing. He was just wondering whether he should deliberately show down to let Tails win, when he suddenly noticed that Tails had just passed him and before Sonic could catch up, he had reached the endpoint. He stopped and danced around, shrieking with joy.
"YES!" he yelled. "I WON! I WON!"
"Whoa Tails, how the heck did you do that?!" Sonic gasped, screeching to a halt.
"I...I dunno." Tails said, looking as bewildered as his best friend did, "I guess I'm just getting faster the more I train."
"Either way, that was way past cool." the hedgehog said proudly, giving Tails a thumbs up, "You've mastered the terrain and beat me fair and square. Well done buddy."
Tails's response was to hug his best friend gratefully.
"Thank you Sonic." said Tails, nuzzling into Sonic's chest, "You know how to make your friends happy, you know that?"
"It's who I am bud, Hero of Mobius one moment, best friend the other." said Sonic, hugging Tails back, "And after what Finitevus did to you, I really want to make you the happiest kid on Mobius. It's the most you deserve after what hell you've been through buddy."
At this, Tails began to cry again. He felt overwhelmed by it all.
"Tails, why are you sad?" Sonic asked, bewildered at his brother's tears.
"I'm not sad," Tails sniffed. "Well, maybe a little, because I still feel haunted by it all, but I'm also happy; happy that I have you as my brother and that you're doing this for me! I just feel so happy and so sad at the same time!"
Sonic began to cry too. "So do I, Tails! Oh, I missed you so very much! I'm so happy to have you here again!"
The two brothers stayed there, hugging each other and crying softly, determined not to let go, feeling the trauma of being torn apart so heartlessly and yet the happiness being together now.
"I love you, Tails," Sonic whispered into his little brother's ear.
"I love you too, Sonic," Tails replied, "You're like the brother I never had."
"I feel just the same about you." said Sonic kindly, "Scourge may have been my brother...but to me, YOU are my true brother."
"Aww Sonic...thank you." said Tails, touched by his big brother figure's kind words, "That's the nicest thing you've ever said about me."
"You deserve it buddy. You deserve it..." the hedgehog responded softly, smiling widely as he and Tails continued hugging each other, showing just how much they were the best of friends.
Meanwhile, Cosmo and Sally was relaxing in the sunshine; or rather, Sally was relaxing, while Cosmo, now that her delight had subsided and she's calmed down, felt a little upset again.
"You alright, Cosmo?" Sally asked. "You want to go in the water again?"
"Sally, can I ask you something?" Cosmo asked.
"Sure." Sally was sure it concerned Cosmo's trauma, but she was patient; after all, mental scars did take a while to fully heal.
"My father once said to me that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," Cosmo said. "He said a famous character quoted it in a movie and he agreed all the way. So does that mean I acted selfishly when I submitted to Finitevus, because I clearly chose the needs of the few."
"Of course not," Sally said. "You acted out of love, Cosmo; you acted on your emotions, and to emotionally-driven people, like you, the needs of the few might seem bigger than they really are. A rationally-minded person, like the character who quoted that line, probably would have figured out that Finitevus would never keep his word, but you were young and inexperienced and he knew it."
Cosmo nodded, understanding the young woman's words.
"So Finitevus took advantage of my young age pretty much..." she muttered, "In a way, doesn't that make him kind of pathetic? He needed to blackmail an innocent kid to do his dirty work for him."
"Maybe it could be seen as pathetic." Sally agreed, "But on the other hand, we would never suspect a kid to be spying on us...so at the same time, Finitevus showed just how smart he was. He picked the last person we ever would have expected."
"And that's how he was such a potent threat for us." Cosmo murmured, "Finitevus sure was smart. And because of how smart he was, he used me and Tails in the worst ways possible."
"Hence why me and Sonic are intending to help mend the wounds he's inflicted on you and Tails." Sally said with a warm smile, "And believe me Cosmo, we really care about you and Tails so much. That's why we're both giving you two a nice day."
"I know, and I very much appreciate it." said Cosmo sweetly, "Thank you so much Sally. And I'll thank Sonic when he and Tails come back."
"My pleasure," Sally said, hugging Cosmo again. She then glanced at her watch. "It's nearly lunch time. What do you say we go and have lunch?"
"I am getting hungry." Cosmo said as she heard and felt her stomach growling, "Let's go eat. Got any good suggestions?"
"When me and Sonic had our first date last year, we ate at Chez Antoine's." replied Sally, "The food there is LEGENDARY. You'll love it."
"Sounds nice. Let's eat there." said Cosmo eagerly.
Sally beamed and then took Cosmo by the hand to walk back to New Mobotropolis so they could change out of their swimming costumes and get ready to go to Chez Antoine's. Both girls could already imagine what nice food they would be eating at that restaurant when they arrived...
Meanwhile, back on Green Hill Zone, Sonic and Tails had finally stopped crying and let go of each other.
"Say, Tails, what do you say we return to New Mobotropolis and go to Chez Antoine for lunch?" Sonic suggested. "Sally and Cosmo will be there; it'll be the four of us together on this wonderful day."
"Sounds like fun." said Tails brightly, "Me, you, Cosmo and Sally all together for a nice meal. And just when I though you couldn't make this day any better."
"I AM the guy who took down Enerjak and saved all of Mobius Tails." boasted Sonic, "There's no limit to what I can do."
The fox just smiled cheekily at his best friend. There was something about he hedgehog's ego that was strangely appealing. Maybe it was the fact that Sonic could be so big hearted and yet have such a high opinion of himself at the same time. And that was somewhat cool in his eyes though Tails was perfectly happy not having an ego himself.
"I suppose not." the fox chuckled, "Oh and by the way Sonic..."
"Yes?" the hedgehog asked, worried that Tails was suddenly going to fall into a sullen mood.
"I know I said this a million times yesterday, but congratulations on your engagement to Miss Sally." Tails said cheerfully, "I hope you two have a VERY happy life together when your wedding comes."
"I hope so too, little buddy," Sonic said, his eyes misting over a little. "I love her so much and I want us to be together forever. And I wish the same for you and Cosmo as well."
Tails went a little red. "I love Cosmo but marriage isn't something I usually think about her."
"And you don't have to right now," Sonic said, comfortingly. "You have plenty of time to prepare for it. But for now, how would you like to be my best man?"
Tails looked delighted. "Oh, I'd love to, Sonic! You just don't know when to stop being kind, do you?"
"I guess not," Sonic said, with a shrug. "Now, let's go have lunch."
"Yes," Tails said, "let's."
And the two brothers started heading back to New Mobotropolis.
Later, the four Mobians had arrived at Chez Antoine's. Upon arriving at the restaurant, Sonic and Sally's first reaction had been to throw their arms around each other and then kiss each other for a full minute. Being fiancé and fiancée respectively, Tails and Cosmo could hardly blame the two for immediately kissing and hugging each other. Soon they would be husband and wife and they would be able to show how much they love each other every day of their lives. The hedgehog and squirrel's lips separated but their eyes remained gazing at each other.
"And how's my beautiful fiancée doing?" Sonic purred seductively.
"She is doing very well thank you my fiancé." Sally purred back, equally as seductively, "Me and Cosmo have been swimming in the Lake of Rings together. We had a great time."
"That's great to hear." the hedgehog replied, "Me and Tails went for a run around Green Hill Zone."
"I managed to whizz through a loop mountain! It was so awesome!" Tails exclaimed excitedly.
"You sound like you had a lot of fun my sweet Tails." said Cosmo sweetly, hugging her Mobian boyfriend lovingly, "Me and Sally had a lot of fun too. We both managed to swim a lot of lengths in under ten minutes. Sally won but we both swam a lot of lengths."
"That's great to hear Cosmo." the fox said delightedly, "And now you and Sally are joining me and Sonic for a nice dinner at the best restaurant in the city. The soon-to-be-wed couple sure knew how to give us a good time today didn't they?"
After Sonic released Sally, Cosmo threw her arms around him, which surprised him somewhat.
"Thank you for all this, Sonic," Cosmo whispered, nuzzling Sonic's chest. "You and Sally have gone out of your way to give us this special day, to help us feel better. You really are the greatest hero on Mobius."
"Why, it's my pleasure, Cosmo," Sonic said, returning the hug and stroking Cosmo's hair comfortingly. "You're such a sweet little girl who deserves so much right now. Say, I've just told Tails he can be my best man; how would you like to be Sally's maid of honour?"
Cosmo stared at Sonic as if he'd just told her she'd won the lottery.
"You're asking if I'd like to be Sally's maid of honour?" the Seedrian gasped.
"You did save her from Marik a couple of years back." Sonic noted, winking at the plant-like girl, "I think she'd be thrilled to have you as a maid of honour."
"I would indeed." Sally replied, smiling sweetly, "So little Cosmo, do you accept our offer?"
"Yes! I do!" the Seedrian squealed excitedly, "It'd give me great pleasure to be your maid of honour Sally! Oh Sonic, thanks so much for the offer!"
"Don't mention it Cosmo. It's the most you deserve." the hedgehog said kindly.
This drew a collective 'aww' from the other people in the restaurant as the couples sat down together at a table, Cosmo still all of a dither about being the maid of honour to Queen Sally herself. The waiter came up.
"Your Highness," he said, bowing to Sally.
"No, no, it's fine, William," Sally said, waving a hand. "Just Sally will be fine."
"Very well," the waiter said, as he handed out menus. "What shall I get you?"
"We'll have some drinks first and then we'll call you when we want to order." Sally said, "I'll have some orange Fanta please."
"I'll have some chilled Cocoa Cola." Sonic added.
"And me and Cosmo will just have lemonade." Tails said with a mere glance at the menu.
"I shall get the drinks immediately." William said. He spoke in a voice that seemed too polite to be possible yet there was no evidence that his politeness was just an act. It was as if he was naturally polite and probably had been all his life.
As the waiter left to get the drinks, the Mobians glanced at their menus, appreciating the fancy font that the text had been written in. It seemed to add to the rather opulent appearance and atmosphere of Chez Antoine's.
"Mmm, I like the sound of that Steak Pie." Tails said hungrily as his eyes swept over the main meals section of the menu, "And chips will be the perfect side order."
"I quite fancy that tuna and cheese salad." Cosmo said, eyeing the item gleefully on the menu, "It sounds very nice."
"But Cosmo, are you sure you're OK with eating a plant?" asked Tails worriedly.
"If Mobians can eat meat then I don't see why Seedrians can't eat plants." said Cosmo with a cheeky smile on her face, "Besides, we had to eat SOMETHING on Greengate, even if we were plant-like..."
That had been a big mistake. The Seedrian was suddenly plagued by the horrible memories of the Martian war that had seen her catapulted off of the planet for her own safety, never to see her friends and family again for the Martians had later destroyed her own planet. Unbeknownst to her, the twin planet of Bluegate was still alive and housing the evacuated children of Greengate peacefully. But Cosmo would never find out. Nor would the children of Greengate ever find out she was here. Cosmo lay down the menu and looked sullen. She hated bringing up Greengate. So much as thinking of her planet's name catapulted her back into one of the most horrible moments of her life.
"Oh dear..." she murmured sadly, "I was hoping I'd never bring up Greengate again...now I've spoilt the mood for myself."
Sonic face palmed; he couldn't help it. "Great, and just when things seemed so wonderful between us all."
"I'm sorry, Sonic," Cosmo said. "It's my fault; I shouldn't have brought it up. I need to use the restroom. Excuse me..." She got up and hurried into the restroom.
Tails looked suddenly miserable too. "Will Cosmo ever truly be happy again?"
Sonic and Sally weren't sure what to say. Cosmo had probably been through more trauma in her life than either of them had in their three years war with Eggman and their monthly battle with the Dark Armada. She had lost her planet and her entire species to the Martians and had been used to help contribute to Finitevus's mad scheme. It was quite possible that Cosmo was no longer the innocent girl they had first met two years ago. That Cosmo had died with Greengate after the Martians had destroyed it. In her place, a new Cosmo had grown, this one struggling to remain optimistic and often finding it hard to keep her demons away. It made Tails feel sad to think that such a sweet girl had been so destroyed.
"You know Tails, I doubt Cosmo will EVER get over what's happened to her." said Sally sympathetically, "But at the most, we can just try to make her feel as happy as possible. If she gets solemn at all, we have to be patient with her. She's only ten years old, bless her. She might deal with it better when she gets older. But for now, we have to help her overcome her tragedies as best as we can."
"Yeah, I really want that for her," Tails said. "I want her to be happy; I NEED her to be happy. If she's happy, then I'm happy."
"I know how that feels," Sonic said.
"Perhaps I can take her to see a psychiatrist," Sally said. "Maybe then she'll get the help she so desperately needs."
"Yeah, that'll be good," Tails said.
"For now though, let's just enjoy ourselves as we have been for most of today." said Sonic.
Then suddenly, Cosmo returned from the rest room and sat back down in her seat next to Tails and picked up the menu again. She looked as if she had just been crying. Perhaps that was what she had needed to calm herself down.
"Feel better?" asked Tails hopefully.
"Yes thank you." said Cosmo, "I just allowed myself to cry for a bit and that made me feel better. My late mother always said a good cry can help relieve a lot of stress."
"I agree on that certainly." the fox murmured, nodding his head, "So do you think you're OK to have a nice meal with us?"
"Definitely." said Cosmo with a smile, "I'll still go with the tuna and cheese salad I fancied."
Sonic and Sally smiled at each other. It seemed Cosmo had a way of dealing with stress herself. Maybe she would be able to deal with the tragedies of her life after all. They wondered if life as a Royal Fighter had given her that kind of strength.
"That's great to hear Cosmo." said Sonic brightly, "Glad you feel better."
"Thank you." Cosmo replied quietly, "I would never be able to deal with my inner demons without my wonderful friends by my side though. You're all very supporting and helpful towards me. And for that, I can't thank you enough."
"You're welcome sweetie." said Sally, beaming, "And never ever lose sight of that Cosmo. Whenever you're down, just know that you are NEVER alone. We'll always be there to help you, every step of the way."
"Especially me my flower." said Tails, taking the Seedrian's hand and smiling at her, staring dreamily into her gorgeous blue eyes.
"Oh, come here, you!" Cosmo pulled Tails towards her in a passionate kiss. At that moment, William returned with their drinks and blushed, embarrassed.
"Oh, my apologies," he said. "Erm, perhaps I can come back in a moment when, you know, none of you are occupied...?"
"No, it's fine," Sally said. "Cosmo just needs that right now."
"I suppose she does, from what I've heard," William said, nodding. "Anyway, one Fanta, one Coke and two lemonades, as ordered."
"Thanks very much." said Sonic, "Before you go though, is everybody ready to order?"
"Yes." replied both Tails and Cosmo.
"I am too." said Sally.
"Then let's order meals then." the hedgehog said, "I'd very much like the cheeseburger and fries sir." he said to the patiently waiting waiter.
"I'll have barbecue chicken and salad please." said Sally.
"I'll have the steak pie and chips please." added Tails.
"And I'll have the tuna and cheese salad please." Cosmo finished.
"Very good choices sirs and madames. I'll bring them over once they're ready." William said kindly.
"Take your time," Sally said. "We're in no hurry."
William smiled and went back into the kitchen.
"So, onto more pleasant matters; like, making preparations for our wedding," Sally said. "Cosmo, I'll need to find you a beautiful dress for you to wear as my maid of honour."
"That sounds very nice Sally." said Cosmo happily, "I wore a very nice dress for Wilson and Mandy's wedding so one can only wonder what dress I'll be wearing to yours."
"It'll be a little different for you Cosmo since you're a maid of honour." noted Sonic, "You'll probably be wearing an even more beautiful dress than the one you wore at Wilson and Mandy's wedding. Though we can all agree my fiancée will be wearing the best dress when the big day comes." he added, winking at the queen slyly.
Sally gave him a sly smile back. Being the bride, she would indeed be wearing the best dress at the wedding and she could hardly wait to see what she was going to look like when the time to put it on finally came.
"And Tails, the best man has to dress smartly, so I'll need to find you a new suit," Sonic said.
"Sounds great," Tails said, smiling. "Oh, by the way, Sonic; I've been thinking a little. You know Sally said you didn't need to be king or anything. Well, I understand that, but in all honesty, I think you more than deserve to be king. You are the Hero of Mobius after all. I'm sure you can still be the adventurous thrill-seeker you always are."
The statement seemed to hit Sonic like a fist being thrown into his face. He was quite surprised that Tails had brought that up and now the hedgehog found himself thinking about what life as King of New Mobotropolis would be like.
"Hmm..." the hedgehog murmured, "I can't say ruling a city has always been my kinda thing. But maybe you're right Tails. I could probably be king alongside Queen Sally and still be my adventure loving self. But I just don't feel like I could handle the responsibilities that come with being a king. I mean Sally can tell you straight away that it ain't sunshine and rainbows."
"Huh, and I suppose YOUR role as Hero of Mobius is any less stressful?" Sally scoffed, appearing to be offended by Sonic's statement, "Look what YOU'VE gone through in your life Sonic! You've been through events that would probably psychologically scar somebody of your age for life! And you have the nerve to say that MY job's stressful?"
"There's a difference here Sally. I KNOW how to save the world from evil robots, demonic entities and such! It's been my whole life!" Sonic protested, "But ruling a country and all that jazz, I don't know how to do that kind of stuff and...it's kinda scary to think that I may have to take those kinds of responsibilities and that I...I...just might not be good enough."
His ears drooped down against his head. It seemed the idea of being a ruler didn't really sell well with Sonic and Sally had to admit, he had every right to be nervous about the idea. The fear of the unknown was one of the scariest things anybody could experience and she knew how it felt. The queen shifted closer to the Hero of Mobius.
"I could teach you honey." said Sally softly, putting a hand gently on her soon-to-be-husband's arm, "I could help you learn how to take responsibilities and be a good ruler. Just remember, I've been a royal all my life and yet with inspiration from you, my handsome hero, I managed to become something I wasn't before. I'm a hero AND a queen. You can be the same Sonic. With some help from me, you can be a hero AND a king both together. And I'll be right by your side if you ever need my help."
Sonic looked into Sally's eyes with a grateful smile on his handsome face. No wonder Sally was the perfect woman for him. She knew just exactly how to make him feel better, no matter what his mood was. He couldn't ever imagine life without his beautiful fiancée again, seeing how well she complimented him and balanced him out. She would make a fine wife for him when they eventually got married. Sonic took Sally's hands into his own, still gazing into her beautiful eyes.
"Thank you, Sal," he whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Hey, I love you for who you are," Sally said. "No amount of royal duty need change that; besides, to me, a true leader serves his people, not the other way round and you can be the perfect example. So, what do you say? If you say no, it's fine."
Sonic thought for a few more moments, then smiled and pulled Sally closer.
"I will," he said. "Sally Acorn, you're looking at the future King of New Mobotropolis."
Sally put her hand over her mouth in surprise. She hadn't expected Sonic to suddenly change his mind so quickly. But she was pleased that he had. Her handsome hero was truly growing up.
"Sonic...you've just made me even happier now." Sally purred delightedly.
"As if proposing to you wasn't enough." Sonic chuckled, embracing his fiancée and then kissing her softly but affectionately.
This display of tenderness made Tails and Cosmo go "Aww" in delight. The hero and queen truly looked very cute together, just like how they did themselves.
"Aww, doesn't this just warm your heart Cosmo?" asked Tails.
"Oh yes...very much so." Cosmo agreed, "They're going to have a very happy life together when they get married. Aww..."
"I'm sure they will be," said William, who had just returned from their orders and was smiling warmly at the happy couple. "I must say, it'll be quite the announcement, do you not think?"
Sonic and Sally broke apart gently. "It'll be a surprise, definitely," Sally said, "but they'll be pleased regardless."
"Indeed; anyway, your orders, sirs and madams," William said. "One cheeseburger and chips, one barbecue chicken and salad, one steak pie and chips and one tuna and cheese salad."
"Thanks very much sir." said Sally politely as the waiter lay the dishes out on the table before them.
The delicious smells tickled the diner's nostrils. The food that they had ordered smelt perfect and well done. Chances were the food would taste as good as it smelled. William bowed politely and then left the table, leaving his customers to dine in peace. Before any food was consumed though, Sonic picked up his drink.
"Hey guys, let's have a toast before we dig in." Sonic suggested.
"What are we toasting for?" asked Tails curiously, picking up his glass of lemonade.
"To a few things." the Mobian hedgehog replied brightly, "To a glorious future for Mobius now we've prevented it from ending. To mine and Sally's life as a couple. And to yours and Cosmo's happiness."
"Wow, thanks Sonic." the twin-tailed kit said gratefully.
"Aww, what a lovely idea." said Sally approvingly, "I'll drink to that definitely."
All four diners picked up their glasses and clinked them together softly, toasting to what Sonic had just suggested. This simple gesture seemed to spread happiness all around the table. In that one single moment, all despair, troubles, strife, worries and woe were gone or forgotten. Only happiness, joy and excitement were filling the minds of the three Mobians and one Seedrian holding up their glasses. It was a feeling they'd always remember, and a feeling they'd always want to remember as their lives carried on.
Well that was lovely, wouldn't you agree? ^^
Hope you all enjoy this little one-shot. See you in my next fanfic. :)