Grip in the Dark Storm

Sonic sped across the ground at high speeds, pushing his body towards its limits. He skidded to a halt suddenly, wincing. "Owww…" his legs ached, they were soft and out of shape. Sonic shook his head and started running again, despite the pain. It'll pass, he thought. And it did.

Soon, he felt himself going faster than the wind. He liked that, and dusked farther down to pick up even more speed. He was racing the sunbeams across the ground, determined to win even though it was a war one could never win. He'd have to be going faster than light, and he couldn't do that.

Ah. Now that his body was fighting with the fresh breeze and not the humid, stuffy air of an enclosed house, he was healed. The crunching of leaves beneath his feet, heard only after the sound caught up with him, surprised him and he skidded to a halt, slipped as if on ice, and ended up covered in wet, sticky black mud.

A rainforest. Sonic swore beautifully and stood, letting the pouring rain wash his blue fur off. As this action was being performed, a sneaky visitor slithered up behind the hedgehog, its forked tongue tasting him to see if he was any good to eat. Sonic felt the ticklish licking and turned, only to find himself face-to-face with a massive python, about three times as long as he was tall. Sonic bared his teeth and snarled, in case it was one of his kind.

But, the python paid no attention and stared right back, its eyes hypnotic. Sonic was entranced for a moment, but quickly shook his head of it. The bronze coils were wrapped around his body, preventing escape, and closing in on him, squeezing tighter and tighter around his ribcage. Sonic gasped for breath and struggled to no avail. He was out of breath and weary and the snake was close to killing him. What to do? Sonic knew.

A quick spinball would at the least wound the snake, if not kill it. Sonic was no merciless killer, and wanted very much to avoid this option. "There's…no other way…" He breathed, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes, getting as close to his chest as possible…and then he was rapidly spinning. The action was destructive and dizzying. The blue hedgehog hit a rather tough old tree and uncurled, tugging some quills from the trunk in haste, just in case the python was still wanting him for dinner.

Well, the python wouldn't be wanting anything for dinner, it seemed. The great snake, or rather what was left of it, lay in a tattered and bloody heap. Undigested bits of animal leaked from the stomach cavity and Sonic's own stomach heaved at the revolting smell of snake blood. But this same organ grumbled, too. The more cobalt looked the heap of python over, the more appealing it became.

Sonic licked his lips, his ears tensing and his fingers clenching as if about to bear claws. He was a snake eater by birth, as all hedgies are, and the dead python looked strangely appealing, raw and obliterated as it was. Sonic knelt beside the dead creature, sniffing and poking at it irresolutely to test if it was really dead. When the creature made no movement without his command, Sonic picked up a large chunk of meat and took a big bite.

The skin was like that of a peach, only slimy instead of fuzzy and a whole lot tougher. It was hard to swallow and Sonic disliked the bitter taste. The meat oozed out of the chunk and sonic cocked his head at this. It looked a lot like bloody chicken meat. "Hmmm," he mused thoughtfully. "Wonder if it tastes like chicken?"

Cobalt sniffed the meat and decided to answer his own question. Predatory teeth sunk deep into the delectable raw meat as Sonic tore some off the bone, leaving only marrow upon it. The snake eater chewed and swallowed. "Mmmm!" It wasn't quite chicken, and it tasted more like steak, only much wetter and sweeter. "Pink meat," Sonic mused. "My favorite."

In a matter of seconds, the great snake which had tried to devour him, was safely inside the would-be prey, giving him strength and lulling him to dreamland. The green-eyed hedgie rubbed one eye with the back of his hand and yawned, scratching his belly lazily. Huffing, he settled down under a massive tree and awaited the wind's calling.

~ST~ST~ST~

The storm had died down, at least for the moment, and Tails was staring dreamily out the window, tracing lines made by the raindrops on the pane carelessly. Quite unexpectedly, there came a knock at the door.

Tails picked his head up from watching a raindrop race, in which he was cheering for the larger raindrop on the left, and his baby blue eyes fled to the door. "That can't be Sonic," Tails reasoned. "Because he would just enter, and besides, he shouldn't be back yet! That was hardly twenty minutes!"

The knock came again, more feverish this time. "Coming!" The golden fox called, hopping off the creaky old stool, only to have it get tangled in one of his tails and upsetting it in the process. Tails huffed, but decided the door was a much more urgent manner, and hurried to get it, smoothing where his fur was ruffled from his playful morning.

His fingers closed around the circular doorknob as he flicked his wrist and pulled, admitting a pink raincoat and matching hat. Amy Rose shook herself upon the rubber mat placed there by Tails earlier and removed her hat and coat, handing them to Tails. "What a storm!" She exclaimed. "It's got everyone up in knots!"

"Sonic isn't here, Amy," Tails' feet pressed against each other, his chin pressed against his chest and his tails brushing his feet. "He left about twenty minutes ago."

"Yes, I know." Amy answered, seeming pissed. As if there was another reason she'd come to the secluded house in the forest! Wait…was there? Tails decided to proceed with caution.

"Okay…" He dragged the last syllable about three spaces before dropping it. "So…why did you come here, then?"

Amy looked around once more, probably to make sure "her" Sonic wasn't around, then her sea green eyes found Tails. "What happened last fall…" She began. "Well, you know…"

Tails did know, and he'd been trying to forget it. Sonic had supposedly died, but in fact had only been mortally wounded and returned to Tails in the spring. The little fox hated to think of that time because it made him fear to be alone. And, that was probably the reason for Sonic's recent suffering. All his fault. The fox blushed, tears hot on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, it's a touchy subject." Amy pushed past it quickly, walking in to sit on the couch. "Tails, on that day, I thought I heard Sonic shout "my love", and you were the only one near him."

The fox sat on the floor, his tails curled around him, waiting anxiously for the question he knew would come.

"Did he mean you?"

"Yes." Tails answered shakily, closing his eyes and waiting for a rebuke.

None came. Tails waited before opening his eyes, meeting those of the pink hedgie. "I'm not mad at all," soothed Amy. "I just needed to know."

"But…why aren't you mad?" Tails quizzed in wonder.

Amy sighed, transferring to the floor and sitting back on her heels. "I fell in love with Sonic the first time I saw him. At first, I was selfish. I wanted him to love only me. But, the rejections were constant, and the relationship was only in my imagination. When it appeared that Sonic died, I, like you, went into a deep depression. But during that depression, I realized that I loved Sonic enough to let him go. I want Sonic to be happy, and whoever puts a smile on his face, be it boy or girl, me or you, they also put a smile on my face. Do you understand?" A warm, feminine hand rested on his shoulder.

Tails nodded steadily. "I…I think so."

Amy grinned. "Good. Well," she stood, stretching. "I guess I'd better be off."

"What?" Tails stood, following after her in surprise.

"Yeah, that storm will surely start up again soon, and I don't want Sonic to see me here, so I'd better…" But, her wrist was imprisoned within Tails' childish, wanting grasp.

"Amy," Tails' beautiful eyes were pleading. "Please stay."

The pink hedgie turned her nose towards the door, irresolute. Then, her tongue crossed her lips and she turned back towards him. "All right." She said. "I'll stay."

Tails skipped into the kitchen happily and began to boil a pot of tea. "I'm so glad you approve of us! I think I really am best for Sonic, you know."

"Whoa, back it up." Amy's voice was harsh as she sat down at the table. "I never said I wanted "what's best" for Sonic. I don't think you're best for Sonic. Sonic needs a woman, in my opinion. I never said I wanted what's best for blue, only what makes him happy. Otherwise, I wouldn't approve of you two at all." The ending was a hiss of anger and lust. Amy still wanted Sonic, and she was having trouble accepting the truth.

All was quiet as Tails prepared the biscuits and tea and Amy sulked. Then…

"I'm sorry." Both of the animals blurted out the same sentence at the exact same time. The two locked gazes, and laughed like the old friends they were. Tails started talking about his plans to improve the Tornado and Amy started chatting uselessly. All in all, it was a well-spent afternoon in both of their opinions.

Sonic would find his boyfriend in considerably high spirits when he returned.