Maya blinked slowly as she processed Knuckles's request. Was he being serious? She didn't see Knuckles with anyone when they met, but he could've met up with someone as he was riding the wagon. Maya thought certainly a boy like Knuckles would not be single. He was quite handsome. She looked down into Knuckles's blushing face (after all, she was nearly five feet tall) and noticed he was beginning to regret asking her to ride the gandolas with him. His face was squinching, mouth baring his teeth a bit, and his blush was fading away. Maya was supposed to go with him because of the challenge Versha made against her, but she didn't want to go against Knuckles's will. However, he seemed to be a nice guy; he wasn't trying to get her number or anything, and she was being asked to go on a gandola ride as a performer.
I guess it couldn't hurt to ride with him... Maya thought. The fireworks will be starting soon, too. I'd like to see them by the creek.
Maya smiled at the echidna then said softly, "Your queen is honored, sire. As part of the king's gift, I would love to accompany your grace to the gandolas."
Knuckles stopped growling and looked into Maya's velvet purple eyes. She approved of someone like him! He shied away from Maya's smile then turned to her in a solemn mood. He said, "Okay, but I have another request. Could you stop using formalities, please? My name is Knuckles. No 'sire' or 'your grace' required. Just Knuckles. Second, I don't want any tricks coming from you like last time."
"Tricks?" Maya questioned, ears spanning outward, tilting her head.
She's too cute when she - NO! Knuckles thought, growing angry.
"Don't be cute when I'm trying to make a point!" Knuckles argued, clenching his fists. He sighed then continued, "You tricked me after you gave me the rose. You made it seem like you were going to kiss me, and then you stopped and floated away."
"That's silly!" Maya said, smiling adorably. "Kangaroo mice can't fly."
Knuckles felt he could scream. Kangaroo mice may not fly, but they certainly are naive, especially this Maya. Cute as she is, she apparently doesn't realize how much of an impact her beauty can hold. Knuckles settled down with a frustrated sigh; he didn't want to blow his date off so quickly. Wait a minute, when was Maya his date? Knuckles growled viciously as he slipped into other thoughts again. He said, "Dammit, this is serious!"
"If you want a kiss, all you had to do was ask," Maya replied, giggling. "That was just a part of my act, Knuckles. But, because this is where I work, I will have to ask for two coins."
"Two...coins?" Knuckles questioned, raising a brow.
"Well, a kiss at the kissing booth will cost you two coins," Maya said, as if stating the obvious. "Now, if you want to be the kisser instead of paying for a kiss, it will cost you five coins. The kissing booth is by the ferris wheel. I'll take you there to see if it's vacant. A lot of circus goers like the booth."
Knuckles wasn't expecting there to be a kissing booth at the circus, but it was a first time for everything apparently. He turned to the rollercoaster and saw Sonic and Amy dismounting. Amy was as happy as a junebug while Sonic was secretly heaving out his last eaten chilli dog. Tails and Cream tried to support Cream's mother after she eased her way off shakily, but it was obvious that she was through with joy rides. Shadow was sitting on a neighborly bench, waiting for Ravaaga and Maya to join him. Knuckles felt he earned more than a dumb flower from Maya, so he decided to go for the booth. Sonic wasn't giving into Amy's fantasies that easily, and Shadow seemed to be after Maya for a date for real. Knuckles wasn't about to give in to depressing over Julie-Su when there was a beautiful performer around him. Plus, Knuckles wanted everyone's expectations of him to change when it came to dating. Sure, he's a bit avoidable; sure, he can be somewhat of a loner, but that didn't mean he didn't know about dating. He decided to hang with Shadow and his performer pals. Knuckles walked up to Shadow, folded his arms, and then smirked.
"Need an extra man?" the red echidna questioned, confidently. He was going with Shadow whether he liked it or not. "Sonic's too busy to compete, and you seem to like my kind of games."
Shadow smirked, eyes showing a competitive glint, and said, "Just you?"
"Group's too full to add one more?" Knuckles questioned, smirk widening.
"Nah, I can squeeze one more in," Shadow answered, turning to Ravaaga.
The little girl received two balloon animals and was ready to proceed to the twirling ladybug ride. Maya was asked to take a picture with some people, so she stepped away for a moment. Ravaaga stomped her feet, questioning the lack of picture-taking for her. The group ran back to take some pictures of Ravaaga the Rabbit. Knuckles and Shadow waited for the girls to finish posing with the people. Maya and Ravaaga returned to the boys and noticed they gave them odd looks.
"What's up, guys?" Ravaaga asked.
"It's a guy thing," Shadow answered, standing to his feet. "So, got any other thrill rides like this one?"
"What was this game anyway?" Knuckles asked.
"Plasma Plunge," Ravaaga replied. "You have to use the fans to avoid the plasma balls. Get hit, you elevate higher. The objective is to reach the goal below with the fastest time. You win candy bars!"
"Sounds interesting," Knuckles said. "What's the next game?"
"Oh!" Maya gasped, realizing something. "Omochao said he and Motekaber had a new game. Ne, Omochao?" The flying supervisor hovered towards the blue kangamouse. "What's the new game you said you created for us? The one you wanted me and Versha to test out?"
"Ah!" Omochao exclaimed. "Would Maya like to try the new game for Omochao?"
"Yeah, it'd be cool!" Maya said, smiling warmly. "I think you did a great job creating it."
"Omochao is happy!" the little flyer declared, floating on cloud nine.
"I swear it's because she's cute," Shadow remarked, watching Omochao descend harshly to the ground.
Motekaber picked little Omochao up into his arms and led the group to the game grounds. Omochao recovered from his plummet to the ground and returned to fluttering about. He prepared special shoes for the girls, but he noticed the boys had better grip on their shoes than the ones he was planning to give them. They probably wouldn't need his shoes. Knuckles watched Omochao place an interesting pair of metal-heeled booties on Maya's feet. Her fur was very shiny. Suddenly, he thought about something quizically sensitive.
"Wait a minute, are you going to do this in a dress?" Knuckles asked.
"Maya has done Omochao's games in dresses plenty of times," the little flyer said.
"Oh great, he's a pervert too," Shadow inserted, making Omochao hit the ground again.
"If red king wishes to protect queen, Maya can take off robe," Motekaber the taller, walking supervisor said. "Red king must feel odd to have blue queen in such daring game with long skirt."
"Couldn't hang long, could you, old man?" Shadow remarked, closing one eye in a smug grin. "What a dull guy."
"Who are you callin' dull, disco boy?" Knuckles argued, yelling in Shadow's ear.
"You're too chicken to go with the flow," Shadow added, shrugging the echidna off. "Your little blue queen'll be fine. She's wearing her leotard under that robe."
"And how would you know that, ya peeping Tom?" Knuckles argued.
Shadow pointed to Maya and watched as she removed her robe. She was wearing her white leotard with a pair of denim shorts. Knuckles was silenced. After a few more arguments ensued between Knuckles and Shadow, Omochao and Motekaber led the group to a shipwrecked area. Four pirate cannons were aligned behind a white line. A cyclinder-shaped stone pillar was on the side of the blue-painted cannon. Knuckles noticed that they were in front of the creek, and a small island was in the middle of it. The gandolas might not be too far away.
"Fantasizing already, old man?" Shadow whispered, walking passed Knuckles to stand by the blue cannon. "Your queen's in the green cannon. You got the red one, right?"
"Huh?" Knuckles questioned, noticing Maya taking a few steps back.
He didn't hear Omochao's instructions or the game rules! Shadow noticed the look on Knuckles's face and wanted to laugh. He explained the rules in brief terms for Knuckles out of pity instead.
Sonic, Tails, and Amy said their farewell to Cream, Cheese, and Cream's mother after more rides and games. It was getting late. Tails led the couple around the carnival park to search for Knuckles, but he found someone else he really wasn't planning on seeing: Wave the Swallow. She was in a white sundress and wedge sandals. She was throwing baseballs through small targets on a yellow net. When she was finished, she received a stuffed scarlet macaw toy from a tall eagle supervisor. He complimented her after giving her the plush toy and made her blush. Tails was surprised that someone like Wave would even go for a plush toy. Wave turned to walk to an arcade shooting game when she noticed Tails and his friends walking towards her. She smirked and continued going to her destination, not bothering to say hello. Tails found it suspicious and turned to the hedgehog couple.
"Hey, Sonic, I gotta go to the restroom for a minute," Tails said, smiling at Sonic. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? Keep looking for Knuckles while I'm gone."
With that, Tails left to follow Wave. He noticed she stopped in front of a red and white striped tent with statues on either side of the waiting line's rails. The fuschia swallow waited impatiently for the shooting game's supervisor to come back to the door's entrance. There weren't many people aching to play this game, but Wave felt inwardly proud at not having to wait in a long line like she did for the rollercoaster. Suddenly, Tarmikos the Penguin came from behind a curtain and gave Wave a surprised look. Even he was impressed that one person wanted to play the arcade shooting game! She smiled and wanted to laugh, but it was about to be game time. She may have needed the extra concentration to understand the game's rules.
"Well, well," Tarmikos said, smiling happily. "I've never seen a woman interested in my game before other than my performers. So what can I do for you?"
"I'm here to play, silly," Wave said with a small giggle. "What are the rules?"
"Now that's a spunk I don't see often," Tarmikos said, making Wave more proud of herself. "The rules are pretty simple. I'll give you a pack with three guns: each holds 100 bullets. Fire at the attacking robots and earn points. When the round is over, you get a reward of your choosing. You can equip your pack with other items before the round starts."
"That's it? Really?" Wave asked.
"Oh! Have lots of fun," Tarmikos said, winking.
"Can I join then?" Tails quirked.
Wave turned to the fox and gradually smirked. She said, "Well, if it isn't the furball. Didn't think you'd be a stalker." Tails didn't respond to her insult, which surprised Wave, but he seemed interested in the shooting game. Wave softened her competitive smirk into a warm smile, making Tails blush a bit, then said, "It could be fun playing with someone else, right?"
"Wha - ?" Tails began to question. She was actually inviting him to play! "Y-yeah, of course!"
Knuckles stomped before the group and smirked. He was confident he won the pirate cannon game easy. Maya and Ravaaga still had the excitement and adrenaline in them as they giggled about how fast the cannon blasted them. Shadow was actually impressed by the game. It was fun! Sonic and Amy walked up to the group and noticed everyone either smiling or ghosting a smile.
"Hey, what's with the pudding faces?" Sonic questioned, earning a nod from Amy. "You look like you just found out the coolest secret to the meaning of life or something."
"Nah, we just got off this awesome ride," Shadow said. "We're waiting on the results for who won."
"We have them," Omochao announced. "Shadow has an astounding 15 points! Ravaage came in second with ten points, Knuckles is third with eight points, and poor Maya-chan only had six points. But, no one collected as many rings as Maya, and the rings give you extra points. For every seven rings, you earn two points. Shadow collected three rings, Ravaaga got four, Knuckles got none, and Maya collected eight. With the bonus points added to the score, Shadow has 15, Ravaaga has 10, and Knuckles and Maya-chan tie in with 8 points. So, Shadow-chan is the winner!"
"Ha!" Shadow barked, posing victoriously.
"So where's Tails?" Knuckles asked, trying to sound unmoved by his loss at the game.
"Said he had to go potty," Sonic answered, stretching his arms. "We were lookin' for you, knucklehead. We thought you'd be nearby, but you wandered off and didn't say where. Didn't think you'd be around that guy?"
"Sonic," Amy called, pushing Sonic. "He has a name, ya know."
"Maya the Kangamouse!" a female voice called in a Latina accent.
The group turned their heads to see a flashy scarlet macaw flipping her curly red hair and pointing directly at the blue kangaroo mouse. The macaw didn't wear gloves either; her hands were perfectly manicured. She wore yellow and green open-toe wedge heels with interlacing straps and a halter top of the same fashion and color. Her arm warmers were frilled yellow, green, and black skirt above her wrists where two purple bracelets were resting. Her feathered body was a soft, bright red. Her eyes contradicted her flashy coloring, though: They were a soft hazel color. Maya furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head as an answer. What did Versha want now? The macaw smirked then leapt into the air to fly closer to Maya. She landed quite elegantly in her yellow wedge heels and stood akimbo in front of the taller animal before her.
She said, "I went over to the gandolas for the first time all night to service a fan, and I have not heard any reports on you riding one with that red fellow over there. Stalling was not a part of the deal."
"I wasn't stalling," Maya said, uncharacteristically dark. "Red dude's name is Knuckles. First of all, I didn't see Knuckles when we came out, and we just met each other a few minutes ago. I don't go stalking customers for more attention, Versha."
"You're just upset because you're losing the bet," Versha said, arching her eyebrows shrewdly. "I told Tarmikos you were too reserved for the job, but you wouldn't admit it. Here you are now, playing games like a paying customer to get away from the challenge. You'll be out of a job soon if you don't prove me wrong, Maya. I'll be happy to take your ribbon dancing act. You've been getting more and more nervous since your fall that cancelled our show in the Spring. A confident, sensual woman with style is more preferred than a shallow little girl. You'll lose popularity and credibility for your acts if you don't step up."
The macaw chuckled then left. Maya watched Versha leave her and gritted her teeth. She was right: Maya was too reserved and quiet to gain more customers. She could escort people to rides and join them as much as she wanted, but none of that meant the night would be memorable for them. Yes, her acts were considered amazing, but what good were they if only a few people get to see them? Maya took a deep breath and smiled remorsefully. Her pretty ears drooping in sadness. Wouldn't it be better for Versha to have two acts? She was the most beautiful of the performers and the most popular. It isn't fair for Versha to only have one while Maya had three. Why not let Versha take her ribbon dancing act? Maya was about to retrieve her robe from a saddened Omochao, but Amy took Maya's hand and held it gently.
"Miss Maya!" Amy called.
"Eh?" the blue mouse questioned, making a strange face.
"I like that you don't go following your customers or fans around for more publicity, Miss Maya," Amy said supportively. "You work really hard to be as perfect as you can be, and I think you're wonderful in all of your performances. Any circus or stage show who gets rid of you because you're tired after giving your best every opening night isn't worth working for. I don't want a performer to come for me to get better sales. I want a performer to have some fun with me because that's what I'll remember most. Knuckles and Shadow both like you because you don't mind having a little fun first, and you know more about the carnival park's hidden game spots. I didn't know there was a pirate section here, but you led them straight to it. The only reason that girl wants your act is because you make the show cool. I saw something natural and graceful in you."
"You even got dark and flea-bitten to do disco just for a chance to hang out with you," Sonic remarked, making Shadow growl at him. "I didn't hear anyone mention that noisy macaw."
"Jet did," Knuckles mumbled. "All he wanted to see was Versha's bit, but you kissed him in your flex master act. I didn't see Versha go so far as to service him like that when he danced with her."
"And Omochao likes when Maya-chan helps him make up new games," the little flyer said.
"That's 'cause you get to see her in a dress all the time," Shadow remarked, watching Omochao hit the ground again. It never gets old! "I like this guy."
Maya showed a genuine smile to the group and said very quietly, "Thank you - all of you. This really shouldn't have transpired in public so indiscreetly. Employment and its conditions are to be kept under wraps, but Versha has always been a rather exploititive character."
"And it's unprofessional! Maybe Versha's losing her own job and just threatening to get rid of yours first," Amy suggested, still holding Maya's hand.
"All this talk of business is ruining your trip," Maya said, looking at Ravaaga. "We should be escorting you to your next game, Shadow."
"Why don't you and that old man go on that gandola ride?" Shadow suggested, smirking. "I'll play the next game with these guys. Take it easy on pepper skin, though. He's shy around girls."
Maya smiled gently then took Knuckles's paw into her hands. Knuckles was beginning to feel very uneasy. He didn't want Maya to be sad over Versha's comments, but he also didn't want to give in to another woman because of peer pressure. He blushed once he looked into Maya's eyes. She was beautiful, and she was more fun to hang around in the carnival park. That Versha had some nerve trying to take her ribbon dancing act!
She's a better queen than Versha'll ever be! Knuckles thought, punching his palm. Wait a minute... why am I reacting to any of this?
"Ah, the royalty of the ancient oasis," a voice said.
Knuckles looked up and saw a tall, brown dove with red eyes kissing the back of Maya's hand as she curtsied. He was a gandola driver. He wore a striped shirt and solid black pants, and he was oddly muscular. His voice was gentle yet deep. There were women standing in line trying to ride with the dove, but he escorted Maya onto the gandola and beckoned for Knuckles to join her. Knuckles boarded the gandola as it rocked in the calm water and heard purring nearby. If anything, he was sure Blaze the periwinkle puss wasn't here.
"Always purring when water is near, eh, Maya?" the dove teased, touching Maya's pink nose.
Maya squeaked then giggled. Her nose was quite sensitive. She said, "Such a terrible habit of mine. The sounds of water always soothes my ears - big as they are."
"Do all kangaroo mice have large ears?" Knuckles asked. "Or purr when water's near?"
"Well," Maya said, watching the dove direct the gandola further into the creek. "Kangaroo mice have different sized ears. Mine are particularly larger than most girls and women. Mice with large ears can hear things at a further distance than most with smaller ears. As for the purring, I'm the only one who does it. We kangaroo mice don't drink water."
"You don't drink water?" Knuckles questioned, surprised.
"In all my seventeen years, I've never drunk water," Maya says. "Do your kind drink water?"
"All animals drink some water," Knuckles responded, not knowing how Maya could survive without water.
"They do?" Maya asked, ears sticking up. "What does water taste like?"
"It, uh, tastes like, uh," Knuckles stuttered, trying to escape Maya's cute face. He shoves his paw into the creek's water and scoops some of it. Forming his paws into cups, he looks at the gandolas rugs and presents Maya some water from his hands. "Here," he says.
Maya looks at the water with a saddened face then smiles. The echidna, though shy as Shadow had said, was very sweet. She takes Knuckles's paws to her lips then drinks the water. Knuckles snaps his head up to look at Maya and watches as she sips from his paws. She really drunk from him! The gandola driver laughed at him then steered the gandola under a bridge.
"The fireworks begin," he said, pointing to the sky.
Maya holds Knuckles paws and looks into the sky to see the fireworks. Knuckles was blushing profusely as both performers' attention was directed to the sky. The scene was too romantic for him! A handsome boat driver, a beautiful girl, the fireworks above the creek, the sentimental moment with water, and his stupid shyness? Knuckles wanted off the boat immediately. He snatched his paws away from Maya's fingers, startling her, and folded his arms as he looked at the fireworks. Maya looked to the creek and saw little fish darting through the waters. She had tasted their water for the first time tonight, and it was thanks to Knuckles. After nearly being blinded by a strong firework, Knuckles turned his attention to Maya and noticed she looked sad again as she looked at the creek. She might have been thinking about Versha again.
"Don't let her bother you," Knuckles said to her. "You upheld your end of the bargain, so it's okay."
"She is right, though," Maya said. "What I do isn't enough. I'll give her my dancing act and just stick with my other two acts. It's only fair. She's very beautiful and more open. She'll be a great dancer. She always was. However, she's not the least of my concerns."
"Then, why are you so sad?" Knuckles asked.
"The water tasted bitter in your hands," Maya answered, looking into Knuckles's eyes. "I'm not making you happy."
"Wha - ?" Knuckles started. Maya's face made him resign and look down to gandola rugs. She was giving up her role as queen of the oasis because of him and his ridiculous shy behavior. He hadn't smiled or showed genuine thrill about anything since they found each other again, but he never thought negatively about Maya. He said, "That isn't fair for other people who want to see you perform, you know. People'll talk about your dancing act and encourage others to want to see you. If they show up and you're not there but someone else, you'll get bad business for sure. I...well, my friends and I will be disappointed if you were to give up after we tried to cheer you up. I'll be very unhappy, too."
"You already are unhappy," Maya said, dismounting from the gandola. The boat had returned to its starting point. She looked to Knuckles then bowed and smiled while saying, "Thank you for the ride, your highness. Your queen was very pleased."
"So, you went on the ride with the red fellow, eh?" a familiar voice asked.
Maya turned to Versha and said, "Yes, it was very nice. The fireworks started while we were out. It was...pretty."
"Sad faces are not at all professional, Maya," Versha said, smirking.
"I know," the blue mouse said quietly. "I'm just sad that this will be my last time being queen."
"What're you talking about?" Versha questioned. "You went on the ride as promised."
"I always looked up to you as a dancer and performer. I can't keep trying to outdo my acts every night flawlessly, and winter will be coming soon. Our performing nights for the fall season will be all over. Once November hits, I'll be out for the winter season. During the fall season, I won't be in the carnival park or on the circus grounds. I'll need someone to replace me soon as possible. I would be honored, Versha, if you could do my ribbon dancing act. Ravaaga agreed to do my pendulum act, and Tarmikos and I will be looking for a replacement in my flex act this coming September. Would you be willing to take on my dancing act, Versha?"
