The bass dropped and so did I. Well, almost. Vibrations rippling through the underpass had the place quaking with such thunder (thanks to DJ Silver and Tails), I was bound to grope another girl's breast entirely on accident in a desperate attempt to stable myself if I didn't get away from the hyped, pushing crowd in these massive heels.
I should've known better than to wear these!
Successfully escaping the maze of anthros after non stop shoving and squeezing, I rejoined Cream and Blaze perched atop the relatively clear stair path that lead down to the jumping mass below.
"I'm surprised you're not down there dancing!" I shout to Cream, joining her by her side. Blaze flanked her left, speedily tapping away on her phone while oftenly glancing up to eyeball Silver in admiration.
"Oh trust me, I'm gonna be down there real soon and I doubt you'll be able to find me again!," she chuckled, "But I just wanted a clear view of our little duo's performance before actually getting down to their beats- they're so effing good! I'm so proud of them!" Cream's face glistened with a compound of sweat and pride as she squealed into her tightly fisted hands, bouncing up and down on her feet, the elation in her petite body anxious to burst forth and actually rejoice openly. I giggled at her conduct.
From our standpoint, the layout of the Underground Turnout was at its finest, everything in clear view and I realized it was the perfect opportunity to snap a picture of the sight. I pulled out my faithful six year old polaroid and snapped a quick shot. Knuckles and Rouge could be seen right below front stage, basically in their natural state of being, leaders of the party animals. Their mouths formed 'O's of hooting and hollering as they hopped up and down to the cadence of the song, untamed in their rampant partying. As always. And spanning out all around them far and wide was everyone else, dancing and jumping in unison with movements replicating theirs.
I spotted Zeal after a good minute of searching, off in the corner of the stage onlooking Tails and Silver from the side, nodding his noggin to the beat, foot tapping and fingers shoved into his pockets.
Typical. Always gotta stay cool, I grin.
I pull out my phone to text him to come join Cream, Blaze and I on the stairway but am stopped as Blaze daintily grips my arm, grabbing my attention.
"What's up?" I ask, smiling and putting away the phone.
"Will you come with me?"
She gazes unto me apprehensively, her features tense by the smallest fraction. I would have been fooled if it wasn't for the fact I've known her practically my whole life. My matriarchal instincts kick in and I focus solely on her now.
"Come with you? Where to Blaze?" I lightly touch the hand that softly gripped my arm.
"Um…," She side glanced quickly at the exit, biting in her lips before admitting, "To meet someone and guide them down."
"Meet who? Is Shadow here?"
She chuckles timidly.
"Uh.. no… Sonic."
My heart skirts a rapid beat at the disclosure, brows narrowing together disquietly.
"U-uh.. Really, Blaze? You… Want me to go with you..?" I ask for confirmation in her decision to choose me to accompany her.
"Yes."
She looks over to Cream and back to me with a sympathetic shrug. I glance over to Cream as well and understood immediately why she asked me, technically her only option left. Cream was too caught up in her lover's performance and to pull her away would be as sinful as pulling away an aggressive soccer mom from her kid's last game of the season they were leading. And the other two were too far away to even question or pull out of their party-zombie trance.
I let out a faint sigh that was hopefully overlooked by my observant, lilac counterpart.
No choice.
"... Okay."
"Thank you! It's gonna be fine, I'm sure he'll be glad to see you!" She comforts speedily as she entwined our fingers together and lead us out the exit, away from the chaos. "Cream, we'll be right back!" She throws over her shoulder. Cream looks back puzzled, mouthing 'what?' then shaking her head in a manner of "whatever" before casually going back to drooling over Tails.
"Is that who you were texting?" I questioned, my words resounding all through the sudden quiet of the void sub burrows we shifted into as we strolled hand in hand.
"Yeah. He's completely lost on how to get down here." She rolled her eyes, grinning.
I chuckle, imagining him turning around in circles with a lost expression, trying to figure out where the entryway was. He was probably standing right on top of it without a clue.
We climb up the hatchway and were greeted at the top by a crew worker stationed there for assistance of any sort.
"May I help you?" He inquired politely.
"No, thank you, we're just gonna be right back with another friend who needs help getting down here." Blaze informed.
"Alrighty then. I'll be here if you guys ever require any guidance or help."
"Thanks!"
We continue our hike back out towards the outside world and fall into step again in the actual subway system.
"So uh, when was the last time you saw him?" I start up conversation. There was still a good trek ahead.
"About a month ago I think. He stopped by with Sally for a small visit since before that it had been quite a while since we had met. They've both been pretty busy."
"Ah, okay. … Have they tied the knot yet?"
"Sonic and Sally? Haha, no Ames. I would've told you right away if I got even a hint of news like that." She laughed.
I chuckled as well, shaking my head. Of course I would've found out shortly.
"So what have they been busy in?"
"Well Sonic works with Sally and her dad in local politics but he's majorly the Director of National Intelligence. Can you believe that? Who would've ever thought that Sonic, the goofiest and laidback of all would end up in such an important position like that. It still makes me laugh in disbelief. But it's very impressive. And he enjoys it too."
"What the hell, are you serious?! And no one bothered telling me!"
Blaze chuckled, shrugging, "You're quite the fickle person when it comes to him Amy. We thought it best to speak of him as least as possible to you."
I grumbled. "Fickle, shmickle, that's some pretty big news." Blaze's snickering continued at my pouting. It shortly died down and I decided to finally ask a question I wanted to discover the answer to myself, but it was better to be prepared.
"So do you know if Sal-"
"Shh, wait."
Blaze halted in her steps without warning and jerked me back close to her side, our hands still linked.
"Blaze what…" My words softly died in the darkness we remained amidst. A prickling shudder raced down my spine, prompting the fur on my back to stand as I watched her face, alert and staring intently directly ahead of us on a specific spot invisible to my own average eyes.
I squeezed her hand tightly for some sort of sign, her frozen state putting me on edge. I refused to look into the darkness she keenly watched, keeping my sight fixated on her calculating face. The riskiness of our positions dawned on me, two good-looking girls, alone in the depths of dingy, abandoned tunnels with nothing but flashlights on their phones.
Come to think of it, why weren't there more crew workers stationed throughout the railways? What did she see?
"Talk to me Blaze." I finally whispered.
"I thought I saw something, or one.. move unnaturally up ahead." She finally spoke.
I built up courage to inch my head towards where she concentrated and flashed my own phone light around in search. There was nothing.
"Do you think we should go back and get that dude to accompany us?" I mumbled.
"Um. No. I think we're good, I was probably just seeing things. And anyways, we're almost there, I can see the end of the channel." Her eyes flickered back to usual mobility but remained tentative.
"If you say so. I'm trusting your judgement here missy."
She nodded her head in positive affirmation. Her prowess nature was the fuel of my confidence.
Nodding back at her, we cautiously began walking again, keeping close to one another and eyes peeled for any movement.
"So anyways, what were you saying?" Blaze resumed our chat to bring the sense of ease back into the remaining tramping.
"I was asking-"
"BOO!"
"WHAT THE-!"
"AAAAHHH!"
The second my penetrating screech escaped from my terrorized soul, I found myself reflexively tumbling back away from the registered danger. Frightened and suddenly incapable of functioning, my legs thought it was the best opportunity to alter to what felt like quivering rubber bands and for that powerless moment, I anticipated my imminent blackout once my head would hit the rusted subway track.
The bang never came as a hasty pair of robust arms instantaneously wrapped themselves around my form, cradling my fall.
Without a moment to spare to form any sense of stability, I pushed away from my captor in fear of the unknown and turned to gaze back at them while still staggering.
Right away I could tell from those ever-glowing emeralds it could be no other than him.
"Sonic, you jerk!" Blaze hollered, snagging me from my shaken study.
"HAHAHAHA, YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN THE FEAR IN YOUR DEMEANOR!"
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY! THIS IS NO PLACE TO BE MESSING WITH US!" Blaze's tone rose to a high frequency scolding.
"Oh c'mon Blaze, don't be so mad, nothing was gonna happen to you! You would never allow it! Lighten up!"
"Oh I'll lighten up, Sonic- lighten your ass on fire!"
"Hahahaha! Too good!"
"UGH. Amy, you alright?" She turned to me, flat out dismissing his seemingly endless guffawing.
"Y-yeah Blaze, I'm good, I'm good." I declare, rubbing my neck as a nervous chuckle slips in light of the circumstance.
This fucking 'hog. The mini me inside my head rolls her eyes.
His laughter eventually diminishes to a warm smile which soon altogether fades, only an inkling of harmony left in the subtle hood of his eyes as his attention zeroed in on my newly presence.
It fell mind numbingly silent.
The fingerless gloved hands by his sides balled up into fists, and clenched once before relaxing, remaining clutched. The thumbs that were left outside the curl of his fingers tucked casually into his closed palms and he shifted a step towards me. His brows furrowed in together, a trace of artful smugness slowly creeping its way into nimbly tracing the outlines of his face, and glinting as a flash of mockery across his naturally polished eyes. He stood tall and dignified, teetering on the edge of domineering cockiness.
Visible to the naked eye or not, the slyly crafted haughtiness was entirely designed to unnerve me, and only me.
It was all him, but at the same time, it wasn't him at all.
I kept my clothed arm tucked securely under my breasts that supported the other, naked arm upright- the hand attached to it warily clutching the nape of my torrid neck. My body battled desperately between temperatures of febrile and brumal, the latter in the doom. The chills constituting earlier from remoteness and infernal murk were long gone and overtaken by paramounting beads of sweat and red-hot patches. I cleared my throat that felt as if it were swelling shut tighter and tighter every second that passed from not speaking.
"Hey, Sonic."
I forced myself to look at him head on, chin compelled to rise an inch higher. His neutral yet sharp analytical gaze probed back at me undauntedly.
"Hi, Amy."
His voice several octaves lower from before, husk and confident.
"H-how've ya been?"
"Pretty swell. How 'bout yourself?"
"Great."
"Cool." He nodded his head favorably.
"Cool.." I parroted.
"..."
"..."
"Shall we get going?" Blaze jumped in after several passing beats of silence.
"Yeah! Hell yeah, let's go, I wanna see this place!" He swiftly exclaimed gleefully, switching his reawakened good-nature and buddy-buddy beaming back to Blaze.
There it was. A flick of a switch from Blaze's voice and reminded presence and it was as if Sonic's usual character was instantly tuned back in from the former interruption of temporary disturbances. As if that roguish alter ego that had stared me down had never even surfaced in these fleeting past three minutes.
And at that exact moment I knew it wasn't gonna be… Cool.
Awkward.
R & R? :)
*Overlooked errors will be corrected.
Xx,
Venus