This wasn't really intended to be a chapter story... Whoops.
Yes I realize this story isn't in perfect, but it's like that for a reason. It's narrated from either Shadow or Amy's point of view most of the time, and it's set in the Wild West, where perfect English didn't really exist. It's just for effect.
Sonic the Hedgehog © Sega
I had been raised in the west all my life. My parents had died when I was real young, so I had raised myself, and come to be known as famous person in the small town. Most guys had their eyes on me, I'm not gonna lie, especially that Sheriff. I had no intentions of getting myself hitched, at least not now. I slowly stepped into the sunlight that hit the porch. People cheered and came pouring out of the saloon and other buildings of the one street, one horse town. Sonic slowly approached me.
"Good day, Miss Rose." I nodded a hello.
"Goody day, Sheriff." Sonic looked down, a slight blush on his cheeks.
"I was a wondering, Miss Rose, if you'd like to take a walk with me for a lil while? Perhaps get to know each other better?" I sighed.
"Sheriff, I ain't courting nobody," I told him. He sighed in return.
"Miss Rose, with all due respect, you're 23 years old now. Ain't it about high time you settled down and got yourself hitched?" I raised an eyebrow in reply.
"Sheriff, when I do get hitched, if I ever, I will marry for love. I ain't gonna be rushed into it by nobody, including you," I said. Sonic frowned.
"Well then Miss Rose, good day."
"Good day, Mister Sheriff," I replied without looking at him. He walked away toward the saloon.
I watched the people celebrate the sheriff's work for a while until I decided to ride my horse. I didn't care if proper young ladies didn't ride no horses, I was different.
I went home and switched out my heels for a pair of boots and changed into leather white gloves instead of silk. I turned to set my parasol down on the table. When I turned back, I gasped suddenly, pressing myself against the table. He had hands leaning on the table on both sides of me, and he was inches from my face. His red bandana hung around his neck, and he offered me a toothy grin.
"Miss Rose, it's a pleasure." I didn't respond. Only stared into those red eyes.
"Shadow." He chuckled lowly.
"I'm glad you put your boots on. It'll be a rough ride." Before I could question his statement, he clasped a hand over my mouth and quickly yanked another red bandana from his pocket. He gagged me with it and threw me over his shoulder. I screamed, but it did nothing. He carried me out my back door and sat me sidesaddle on his horse. Shadow got on the horse behind me, settling me into his lap. Keeping one arm around my waist, his other gloved hand settled onto the reins of his dark horse. With one swift kick to the horse, we were off and out of the town. I looked back to see Sheriff Sonic standing in town, half surprised and half angered. Shadow chuckled at my behavior. I refused to look at him and instead looked out into the sunset. We rode for what felt like hours, and I began to get sleepy at some point...
Shadow's P.O.V.
I continued to ride out to my camp with Rose. She had fallen asleep not long ago, and her head was against my chest. I kept an arm around her waist to keep her from falling off the horse. Not much longer and we would reach my small camp. I liked keeping it small; I preferred to be a 'lone ranger'. My horse, Nightmare, stopped and reared suddenly. It was then that I realized we had made it. I put Rose in my lap and, carrying her bridle style, came down off of Nightmare. I tied her reins to a small wooden post and made sure she had enough food and drink. I set Rose down and made sure her head was on top of one of the logs that surrounded the fire ring. I then walked back over to the fire ring and started a fire for dinner. By this point, the sun was starting to go down, and I was hoping that one of my traps at least caught something to eat. I took one last look at Rose. Figuring she wasn't going no where, I got on Nightmare and rode off with a rifle to find dinner.
Sonic's P.O.V.
"Is it true sheriff? Tell me it ain't!" Rouge, the head saloon gal, yelled at me. I shook my head and sighed.
"Unfortunately Rouge, it is. It happened before I could even try n' stop it," I continued to lie. Knuckles the bartender came over to my table.
"Sheriff, what's the rumor? I ain't been able to get no information outta anybody," he said to me. I took a deep breath.
"Miss Rose gone and turned her back on all of us. I watched her get onto that black horse with Shadow, and together they rode off. I don't expect them back anytime soon. Chances are they're going to get hitched now," I finished with a frown. Deep down I was smiling though.
"You're lying Sheriff! She wouldn't never do such a thing! Not with that double crossing Shadow!" Rouge yelled again. Rouge was best friends with Amy.
"I can't lie bout what I've seen, ma'am. I'm sorry. I know we all upset, but we can move past it. I just know that we gonna have to disown Miss Rose now." The saloon gasped.
"Disown Miss Rose?! Sheriff, have you gone mad?!" Knuckles yelled. I sighed and nodded, slowly standing from the table. I grabbed my hat and began to leave.
"Times have changed Knuckles. Times have changed," I said as I walked out of the saloon, wearing nothing but a smirk.
Amy's P.O.V.
I slowly awoke on the hard dirt ground. I held my head as it spun around and around. I was exhausted. I looked around. There was a campfire, a few logs here and there, and a handful of tin pots and pans hanging from a wooden railing. I must be at Shadow's camp. I figured running wouldn't get me far, not to mention I'd more than likely get lost and die of starvation. Shadow must've thought the same thing, since I was free to get up and wander the small camp. My stomach growled to remind me I hadn't eaten for a while. I didn't see any food sitting around; I assumed Shadow was out hunting. What did that crazy cowboy want with me anyway? Was it all for revenge on Sonic? Or did he want something else with me? My answers were coming sooner than I thought. That black horse came riding up with a red and black hedgehog on its back. It looked like he had some food with him. The horse revered up and stopped at the camp. Shadow got down and tied up his horse. He carried a rabbit in one hand and a pistol in the other. He turned to me.
"Well well, I didn't think you'd still be here. I was worried you'd done gone and run away," he said to me. I shivered at the sight of the dead rabbit. Poor thing...
Shadow began to prepare dinner. He cut the rabbit skillfully and roasted it over the fire. I turned the other way and looked up to the stars.
"What do you want with me anyway?" I asked, not looking at him.
"Just cause," he replied. I could feel that smirk and his eyes staring at the back of my head.
"While I'm gonna ignore that lie, I'll ask again. What d'you want me for?"
"Ain't you dating that no good Sheriff? Madame, you're a prize to be won here. Incentive. A way of gettin what I like. But I assure you, no harm's gonna come to you, Miss Rose." I nodded and for some reason, I believed him.
"I ain't dating that sheriff Shadow," I said. "I don't care for his way of courting." There was a silence.
"He ain't hurt you, has he?"
"No Shadow, he ain't. He's just a bit too in my space," I said, still not turning to face him. "May I ask you somethin'?"
"I suppose so," he replied.
"What did your granddaddy do that got you outta that town?" I asked, finally turning to face him. He sighed and sat down on a log.
"My granddaddy didn't do nothing wrong. A man robbed a bank in which my granddaddy worked. He was accused of settin up the whole operation. The whole town turned on him. The man who robbed the bank ran off like the coward he was, but my granddaddy hung for it. He hung by Sonic's granddaddy's hand. I remember seeing him die in front of my eyes, and I vowed to stop the man who robbed the bank that day," he said and slowly looked up at me. For once, I had a soft spot for the criminal. I sat down next to him on the log. I entwined our gloved fingers together.
"All this time, I was told you was a villain. But I see now. You ain't the villain here. Sonic is," I said as he looked at me with a look of understanding. "This the truth?"
"I swear on my granddaddy's life, I ain't lied to you. Now I know the man who robbed that bank is long dead, but I know Sonic ain't." I squeezed his hand and leaned my head on his shoulder. He didn't budge, but he didn't shake me off neither. Maybe the criminal in this story wasn't Shadow, but Sonic. Maybe we shouldn't go back. Surely Sonic was looking for me by now. I'd tell him everything when he found me.
"So you've lived your life all alone all these years?" He nodded. "Shadow, I had no idea..."
"Your sympathy is kind, Miss Rose, but it ain't necessary." He stood, making sure not to hurt me, and walked back to the fire to finish off the rabbit.
"I don't wanna go back to that town," I said. He raised an eyebrow at me.
"And why not?"
"Because I know now that nothing but evil runs through that town," I said. He chuckled.
"Miss Rose, I can almost guarantee that Sheriff is a'comin after you," Shadow started, "and when he does, I'll give you back when he lets me back in that town," he finished. I sighed.
"Why would you wanna go back to somewhere that contains so much evil?" I asked.
"I'm not doing it for me or for citizenship of that there town. I'm doing it to clear my granddaddy's name," Shadow said, offering me a bit of rabbit. I slowly accepted only due to the fact I was starving. I tried to eat like a lady, but it sure wasn't going well. Shadow let out a low chuckle. "You're in the presence of a criminal Miss Rose. There's no need to go and be a lady in front of me." I looked up at him and bit my lip for a second. Without a second thought, I dug into the piece of meat. Shadow smirked and looked back to the direction of the town. "I trust you ain't running off anytime soon?"
"We both know I wouldn't make it far," I said.
"I figured so. Wake me if you get cold during the night," he said as he laid down, hanging up his hat and putting his head on a log. "G'night, Miss Rose." I threw the rabbit bone back into the fire. I mimicked Shadow's movements.
"Goodnight Shadow," I relied. Maybe being kidnaped wasn't so bad after all...
I'm really hoping this doesn't do the same thing that The Firework's Apprentice does, and goes from a short chapter story to a mini book. That story just took off...
