Author's note: This story has been bouncing around in my head for a while. This can stand on it's own, but I will continue if readers express interest. It could be part of an AU, or follow the plot of Sonic Next-gen.

Two young hedgehogs came across a small strip mall just off the main road.

"Oooh look, Silver!" Amy cooed. "They have a bridal shop!"

Amy grabbed Silver by the hand and dragged him inside. With shining eyes, Amy oohed and aahed at the displays of white roses and wedding cake.

The clerk was charmed by what appeared to be a cute couple. "Aww, how sweet. Are you getting flowers for your girlfriend?"

"H-hey, she's not my girlfriend! She's just a... friend-friend." Silver protested.

"That would be silly. Sonic's my boyfriend!"

Oh no. Amy had that dreamy look in her eyes again.

"You know the famous hero Sonic, right? I follow him everywhere. He and I are going to get married someday! Any day now he'll propose to me and it'll be so romantic. There will be gowns and music and roses and we'll get a house with a white picket fence and lots of babies..." Amy babbled on.

After what seemed like hours, Amy exhausted her interest in the bridal shop and suggested they go eat. At the end of the strip was a modest diner. Seeing as how Silver was from a dystopian future world, Amy had to show him how restaurants worked.

"You just tell the lady what you want, and then you wait for them to bring it to you," Amy explained.

Silver puzzled at the menu. "Any of these things? There's so much stuff to choose from, and I don't what half of these are."

"Hmmm, have you ever had french fries? I think you'll like them," Amy suggested.

Of course he would. You'd have to be crazy to not like french fries! Amy gave the waitress their orders.

Silver gazed out the window that composed the end wall of the building. There was a huge blue sky over a field of tall grass and wildflowers. It all seemed so foreign to him. For most of his life, all Silver had was smog and ruins and demons. If the others back home could see how the world used to be, was supposed to be, maybe they wouldn't be so hopeless. He had to keep trying.

"Hellooo? Silver? Earth to Silver!"

Silver snapped out of his trance. "Huh? W-what?"

"You weren't listening to me! I was telling you a story about Sonic."

"Oh. Sorry. Um... go on."

"So anyway, Sonic rammed into Eggman's robot really fast and it exploded! And then Cream went flying through the air and he caught her just in the nick of time! It was amazing!"

"Sonic sounds very brave." Silver actually couldn't make heads or tails of Amy's story. But she seemed very passionate about it.

"He is! When things get tough, he always comes through for us. And he's very kind too. He's the best. Maybe you can meet him someday."

"I'd like that."

Suddenly, the waitress came over with their food. Silver and Amy split a large plate of french fries. Silver cautiously took one and nibbled on it.

"Do you like it?" Amy asked.

"Yeah."

"Good!" Amy proceed to dump the contents of the ketchup bottle and salt shaker over her portion.

After they were done eating, Silver got up to leave.

"We're still looking for Sonic, right? Let's go."

"Wait! We still have to pay first, dummy."

"Oh."

Amy whipped out a heart-shaped wallet and paid for their meal.

"Okay. Now we can go."

Silver and Amy walked into the sunlight and out towards their next destination.