It took some convincing for the boys, some more than others, but they all agreed to partake in the city's Olympic Games. Tails sent away a message that night to inform the mayor they'd be happy to be there, and looked forward to seeing her and the city's people. While the kitsune was in the garage, sending the message, and everyone else had gone home, Sonic was outside lounging on a tree branch.
He had been trying to drift off to sleep ever since the gang left, but tonight he was finding it impossible. He was happy to enter the racing events, especially if it meant challenging Shadow and Silver along with other citizens, despite the fact he knew they didn't stand a chance, but it was the figure skating duet he was hesitant about. He figured everyone would blow it out of proportion, including Amy, at least that's what he thought the reason for him being so uneasy was…
'You can't stay up there forever and resent the Mayor's request, you know.' Tails voiced sounded from below the cobalt bundle.
'I'm not resenting it. I'm just, questioning it.' Sonic shrugged after sharing a glance with his brotherly figure.
'I really think you're thinking too much into it.'
'Maybe, but you know as well as I do Amy is going to take it too seriously. One thing will lead to another and then it'll all hit the fan.' Sonic sighed, exasperated.
'Is that really the only reason you don't want to do it?' Tails cocked a brow, causing Sonic to look at him before jumping off the branch to meet him.
'What are you saying?'
'I'm saying, you just don't want to admit you might actually enjoy a little one on one with Amy.' Tails smiled cheekily.
'T-That's ridiculous, Tails.' Sonic stammered, the night sky hiding his blushing muzzle.
'Suit yourself.' Tails shrugged before turning on his heel and headed back to the house. 'Night, pal.'
'Night.' Sonic replied as he watched the two-tailed fox disappear into the garage.
He couldn't deny, to himself at least, that Tails had got him thinking. Maybe he was right? Was that the real reason he was so hesitant to compete in the duet with Amy? He supposed it didn't really matter now, he'd already been talked into accepting, and now he's expected to be there. He got to thinking about how Amy felt about the situation, although he figured he already knew. Not that she really said anything about it today? He guessed he'd find out tomorrow…
.
'So, where should we start?' Sonia asked before taking a seat on the soft grass.
'Well, we should get all the field events underway first, including the flight and ability battles, and then the racers can do their own thing.' Knuckles suggested.
'Sounds great.' Cream beamed.
'What are Sonic and Amy going to use to practice their event?' Manic asked, Sonic sensing his cheeky smile.
'I've got that covered.' Tails smiled as he gestured behind him.
Everybody looked over his shoulder, including the hedgehog duo, to see what he clearly intended to use to create an ice rink right there in their front yard. He had masses and masses of water, accompanied with enough dry ice to hold the rink together for the next week. The green hedgehog was about to ask where it all came from, but considering it all came from the 'science geek', he figured he wouldn't ask.
'Alright, let's get started.' Rouge smirked.
Everyone spread out into their own arenas, getting comfortable and preparing themselves for training. Sonic, Silver and Shadow disappeared within their first steps as they sped off around Mobius, testing their skills against one another in preparation. Cosmo and Tikal stood face to face a fair distance away from one another, ready to take each other on using their abilities.
Amy, Knuckles and Manic got to stretching before pulling out their instruments, playfully taunting one another to see who wold be able to throw their javelin or discus the furthest, being careful not to take out Rouge, Tails or Cream who were ready to duke it out above them. Sonia and Blaze were prepping themselves before they got to finding music and creating routines to perform in their designated events.
'Keep up, boys!' Shadow snickered.
'I could tell you the same thing!' Silver taunted as he sped ahead of the other two, blasting past the rest of the gang before disappearing yet again.
'Ready, Cosmo?' Tikal cocked a brow.
'Bring it on.' Cosmo winked.
The two girls slowly closed their eyes as they prepared themselves to make a move. Cosmo snapped her eyes open first as she raised her right hand to sprout a thick vine covered in flowers before she made it fly towards Tikal. The peach echidna snapped her eyes open and threw her hands forward in defence, staring at Cosmo and hacking into her mind, causing the vine to begin flailing about harshly.
'Alright, let's see if I've still got it.' Blaze giggled to herself causing Sonia to smile.
The lavender feline set her props – two palm sized balls – alight and threw them into the air as Sonia hit play on the music and Blaze began a routine. She propelled herself onto the designated stage in a pencil turn, gracefully landing before presenting a grand arabesque to catch the two flaming balls. She closed her eyes as she let out a breath through a proud smile, causing Sonia to shake her head through a chuckle. She performed all kinds of tricks and turns, never dropping her props once before the music ended and she exited the stage.
'Not too shabby, Blaze.' Sonia applauded slowly.
'Show us what you got then, Hedgehog?' Blaze snickered before blowing out her fiery props.
The magenta hedgehog shrugged before hitting play on her own music and picking up her prop, a long, large, ivory ribbon. She had always had the grace and elegance of the most elite ballerina since she could walk, so she glided through the stage and along with the music with ease. She laced the ribbon through the air and around her as she leaped through the air in a grande jete before flipping into an aerial and exiting the stage as her music ended.
'I still got it.' Sonia shrugged proudly, causing Blaze to laugh.
'Alrighty, boys, prepare to get beat by a girl.' Amy smirked as she stepped up to the plate with her signature mallet.
'I'd like to see you try.' Manic mumbled to himself.
'Amy, it may be the hammer throw event, but that doesn't mean you can use your hammer!' Knuckles insisted.
'Says who?!' The fuchsia hedgehog huffed.
'Here, use this.' Manic chuckled as he handed her the proper tool.
'This is far lighter than my mallet?' Amy cocked a brow as she lift it up and down. 'Why are you trying to make it easier for me to beat me?'
'You'll be glad we gave it to you after you realise you can't hurl your mallet across the field, Kiddo.' Knuckles snickered, causing Manic to join him.
'Is that so?' Amy asked dramatically.
She let out a posh 'hmph' before dropping the hammer tool and walking over to pick up her own hammer before taking her mark. Knuckles and Manic shared a glance and shrugged it off, figuring they'd let her learn herself. She picked up her mallet with ease, as usual, before checking her surroundings and then having at it. After spinning three times and releasing, the three watched her mallet fly so far they almost lost sight.
'I think I'll stick to my mallet.' Amy snickered as she shut the two boys gaping mouths.
As the racing hedgehogs sped past the gang again, and Blaze made her way over to Cosmo and Tikal to battle against them as training for her other event, Rouge Tails and Cream were airborne. They tested all their abilities in the air both individually and against one another. Tails had set up a few devices that could keep an object or two in the air for them to dodge along with trees and vines, making the simulation as close to the real thing as possible.
'I have to say Cream, I'm impressed.' Rouge smiled as she spread her wings wider.
'Thank you, Rouge.' Cream blushed as she continued to keep herself in the air.
'In our event we have to be able to not on get through the obstacle course fast and without messing up, but there will be an event where we will have to battle each other until one party falls to the ground.' Tails informed the girls.
'Sounds fun.' The ivory bat rubbed her hands together.
'Sounds intense.' Cream admitted uneasily.
'We'll be fine! Those city slickers have nothing on us! Now let's keep going!' Tails laughed before propelling himself towards more obstacles.
.
The sun would start to go down soon when Tails came down and stopped the speeding hedgehogs in order to have him help them set up the ice rink. Sonic obliged to helping without hesitation, but couldn't deny he was inwardly trying to formulate a plan to get out of it. Every time he considered it, he couldn't help but think back to what Tails said to him the previous night…
You just don't want to admit you might actually enjoy a little one on one with Amy…
He quickly shook these thoughts from his head and helped finish setting up the rink before reluctantly taking off his sneakers and putting on a pair of skates. It had been quite some time since either he or Amy had been on a rink, and they both looked like new born calves as they tried to find their feet on the ice. Everyone else couldn't help but make themselves comfortable as they giggled at the pair.
'Ok, so you have to do a three minute long routine with-'
'THREE MINUTES?!' Sonic and Amy exclaimed in sync, cutting off Sonia.
'That's a really long time to be stumbling around like a teen girl who doesn't know how to walk in the new heels.' Amy winced, causing Rouge to giggle at her analogy.
'That gives us a lot of time for me to drop her to.' Sonic added as he gestured to his bubble gum partner, causing her to look at him nervously.
'You'll both be fine. It's probably going to take a few goes to find your feet but it's just going to take some practice!' Tails insisted with a smile.
'Easy for you to say, Tails.' Silver chuckled.
'Just let them give it a go.' Blaze said, growing impatient.
With that, Tails hit play on the music. The two hedgehogs looked at each other a little nervously before skating – or, stumbling –towards each other before Amy quite literally fell into Sonic's arms. He caught her in time and luckily didn't fall over himself, causing her to look up at him, locking a gaze with his emerald orbs that made her heart melt and her breath hitch. She pulled herself together before taking his hands and pulling the both of them along a little to begin skating.
Neither of them said a word as they moved around the rink, they just kept their eyes completely locked on one another. They didn't even seem to realise that they had gone from stumbling to practically flying within a minute, much less remembering the rest of the gang was still there watching them. Sonic laced his arm around the small of her back like they were waltzing, their eyes still locked, blushes rising on their cheeks.
He spun her around delicately before hoisting her into the air, Dirty Dancing style. Amy let out a shaky breath as she held herself up over him, the cobalt hero still continuing to skate a little nervously below her. The music slowly but surely began to fade out, causing him to lower her down, now bringing their bodies closer before they wrapped their arms around one another. They circled one another, eyes still locked until the music stopped their movement, but unable to severe their gaze.
'Wow.' Tikal gasped.
'Well, then.' Shadow raised a brow.
'That was…' Manic trailed off.
'That was beautiful!' Cream applauded.
'They've got this in the bag.' Knuckles smiled as he got to his feet.
As the rest of the gang got to their feet and continued gushing about the performance, Sonic and Amy were only just unravelling themselves from each other's arms. They still couldn't break their gaze away from one another, until Tails called out to his brotherly figure, causing him to snap back to reality and turn to see the gang headed back to the house. He shared a glance with Amy, giving her a genuine, shy smile before skating off the rink, leaving her to stand alone on her now weak knees.
'Woah…' She whispered as she touched her burning cheeks.