I believe it's around that time for an update! Here ya go. Fasten your seatbelts!
"Good luck on your trip, you two! Please be careful...Oh! And sometimes it gets cold, so make sure you bring a sweater or a warm scarf!"
Tails chuckled. "Will do! Thanks, Cream. We'll be back in no time!"
"Ya ready?" Sonic hopped in his usual seat, fastening his brown scarf around his neck.
"Where did ya get that, Sonic?" Tails asked.
"Amy," Sonic said simply with a shrug. The two youngsters started grinning and he hastily added, "She got it for me when she took Tikal shopping! Don't get it twisted!"
"Wait!" The three turned around as a pink figure came running towards them.
"Uh? Amy!" And she's wearing that outfit again.
"You didn't think you were going without me, were you, Sonikku?" Amy stealthily hopped up, landing just behind him on the Tornado.
"Heh...uhh maybe you should take my seat?" Sonic gave her a push so he could stand in a perch on the back. Both he and Tails knew that they couldn't convince Amy otherwise; she was coming.
Cream's concern was now heightened since her best friend, her sister, was going too. But then again, she should have more faith, right? They've been on these kind of missions before, and Sonic and Tails were able to protect Amy.
"Ready?" Tails asked, pulling his flying goggles over his face.
"Yep!" said Amy.
"Here we go!" Sonic exclaimed.
Cream backed away, waving goodbye as they took off to the skies.
:~:
Sonic always loved tagging along with Tails when they flew the Tornado. They practically grew up with that plane. He loved the feeling of the wind blowing through his quills from a higher altitude, the fantastic view when there were the perfect amount of clouds; white, puffy, like cotton candy. Once he tried to sit on a cloud by jumping on it when he was close enough, but of course that didn't exactly end well.
He noticed that Amy was looking too, leaning up as far as she could while sitting so she could take in all the natural beauty. Her emerald eyes were bright with elation, and a sudden breeze danced through her quills just as the sun peeked out from the clouds.
He really hoped she didn't catch him staring.
"It's such an amazing view." Amy sighed blissfully, resting her cheek against her palm. "Isn't it?"
"Yeah. It is," said Sonic. But his eyes weren't on their surroundings anymore.
Now feeling his eyes on her, Amy slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. So she wasn't imagining things!-He was staring right at her. The happy smile on her face slacked to a more subtle, bashful one instead as she gazed back at him. She could feel her heart fluttering around in her chest, wondering who dared to break their trance first.
It was Tails.
"Uh...guys?"
The tone in his voice had both hedgehogs jump, both from surprise because he's been quiet for so long and suspicion about what their friend just found. As pink as her fur, Amy turned her back to Sonic reluctantly; she was upset at Tails for ruining the moment, but the feeling won't last, she was sure.
"What's up, buddy?" Sonic covered his disappointment a lot better than Amy had, straightening slightly from his crouch. The faintest of blushes stained his muzzle, and he coughed awkwardly, rubbing his nose with the side of his index finger.
"Remember that fortress we saw the other day?"
"Yeah, why?"
Tails pointed ahead. "Found it."
The clouds cleared, and there it was: the Egg Carrier. It was just as big and intimidating as it was the last time, but now that they were closer they could see newer, advanced technology. Almost scarier.
Amy gasped, and her hand fell on something softer than what she thought would be the side of the plane.
Sonic looked down at his hand, now covered with her smaller, slender one. It was purely an accident, he knew, but he had to do a double take, staring from the back of her head, to their hands repeatedly.
Amy was afraid to look.
"That's it?" she heard him snort, but felt his fingers lift up and lace through hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Piece of cake!"
"Leeet's get through the plan before ya start dashing, Sonic," Tails reminded him with a chuckle.
"Hey, that's what I do best. Now let's get 'em!"
His hand left hers, much to her disappointment, but did she really expect for him to kick butt and hold her hand at the same time?
Although that would be cute-the two of us, fighting side by side! And holding hands!
Amy giggled at the thought.
"Alright, Sonic! When I get close enough, you jump!" Tails gestured around with one hand as he yelled over the engine. "Amy and I will disable the cannons that come your way!" ("Meaning you do all the shooting while I just sit here again.") "When we get to the heart, that's when you come back!"
"Gotcha!" Sonic gave Tails a thumbs up. He tapped a grumpy looking Amy on the shoulder, flashing her a dashing grin when she turned around, and she started giggling. His own smile widened and he winked at her. He knew her well enough to know that she hated being left behind, and he took her words into consideration.
"I'm not the same girl that I was back then. If you're going, then I'm going too."
Sonic spoke up. "Yo, Tails!"
"Sonic, it's time to jump!"
Shooting Amy an apologetic glance, Next time, I promise, he moved quickly, hopping onto the left wing of the Tornado. He felt her eyes on him, a confident smirk returning to his face, but he forced himself not to look at her.
He felt the familiar rush of adrenaline pulse through his veins, the wonderful feeling he always got before dashing into action, and for a moment he forgot about Amy; pushing her to the back of his mind and putting his enemy first - Eggman. His ankles tensed, hands out and fingers split apart as he leaned back, ready to spring.
And then he was gone at the speed of sound, leaving a blue streak in his wake.
Without Sonic, Amy felt just a little emptier, but she squared her shoulders and told herself to deal. She was a heroine, not just a fangirl or a damsel in distress! Tails' plan was originally for him and Sonic, and them alone, and she wasn't gonna whine because she didn't get what she wanted. Tails was also her friend, a very smart one at that, and she'll do whatever she could to help him.
Even if that meant that she still. Couldn't. Do. A. Thing.
Amy sighed. This was gonna suck. Big time.
:~:
"Do you think they're gonna be okay?" Cream asked, nervously playing with a strand of orange hair.
"You have nothing to worry about," Knuckles reassured. "Sonic and Tails have this all under control and...stuff."
"What about Amy?"
"Eh," Knuckles grunted, nonchalant.
"You're not worried about her?"
"I'm not worried about any of 'em."
"Not even a little?"
Knuckles groaned. Why did I have to be the one babysitting? he mentally asked the ceiling. Cream was still waiting for an answer so he sighed, "C'mon," and guided her over to the couch to sit. The young rabbit followed suit and sat, hands wringing over and over in her lap as the echidna sat next to her.
"Look," Knuckles really wasn't good at these things, "You're like my little sister, you know that?" Cream's ears perked up in delight when he said that, and he started grinning as he continued, "So I'm gonna pull your hair and steal your favorite doll and taunt and tease you." She giggled at that, urging him to continue, "But I'm also gonna protect you and tell you that everything is gonna be okay when I know it is. Got it?"
"Mhm!" Cream smiled.
"Good girl. Tell anyone I said that, and you can say goodbye to your little Chao friend."
Cream gasped in fear, clamping her hands over her mouth. "No!"
Knuckles chuckled darkly.
"Knuckles!" Cream whined. He was openly laughing at her now. "That's not funny!"
:~:
"I'm so sorry, Blaze! Please forgive me!"
Blaze's eyes stayed on the ceiling as Silver continued to glomp her, practically squeezing her to death; his eyes were shut tight, his cheek flush against her chest. Yeah. Kinda awkward.
"I'm a jerk! I am the worst friend in the history of friends and I hate it when we don't talk at all because it kills me and you're my best friend and I love you and I'll bake you cookies!"
Her cheeks grew hot at that last part.
"Silver-"
"I'll do anything! And I mean anything! If it means you talking to me again, I'll even jump off a building!-Well, I'll probably catch myself but still-"
"Silver-"
"I-I mean, uh...-okay, forget the building, but I will do anything! I'll...I'll...I'll be your personal maid for two weeks! I'll treat you like the princess you are! I'll-!"
"SILVER."
His eyes began to water, pulling back to look at her. "You talked to me!"
"I did." Blaze smiled at him in amusement once she could breathe.
"I can't believe it! You talked to me!" Silver went for another hug, and she was able to return it this time, their arms wrapping around each other's torso.
"So you love me, huh?" she teased.
She didn't see him blush. "Well you are my best friend. I kinda have to."
Blaze slapped his arm and pulled away to look at him. "Okay, I accept your extremely sweet, but cheesy, apology. You don't have to be my personal maid...but you can cook me dinner every day for the rest of the week!"
"Deal!" An exuberant Silver grabbed her face and pulled her forward, planting a big kiss on her cheek, which she couldn't help but laugh and blush a little at; his show of affection was something she'll probably never get used to.
She didn't mind. At all.
:~:
"Um." There were arms around him. He's not used to being touched, let alone hugged. He wasn't a hugger. He didn't touch people.
"I saw the footage. You were in one of Eggman's old bases and a bomb went off. You're getting a hug," Sally said firmly, closing her eyes.
"You obviously must not know what I do for a living." He wasn't hugging her back, but he wasn't exactly in a rush to push her away either. "If you really get worked up this every time we go on a mission, you might as well wait for Faker to get back."
"You're not him."
Shadow's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Huh. That was a surprise. "What makes him different from me?"
"Well isn't this a surprise?" Sally whirled, yanking her arms back as if they had been burned. Rouge walked up to them with a smug look on her face. "Silver and I were with him too. Don't we get hugs and kisses?"
Sally went to hug her friend, hiding her blushing face in the bat's shoulder. "Shadow made it back first," in which he had, which was a good enough excuse, she thinks, "Anyways-where is Silver?"
"He went to go make up with Blaze," Shadow answered for her.
"Don't you mean make out?" Rouge arched an eyebrow, that smirk widening.
"Is there a difference?" Shadow turned his attention on Sally, catching her eye. "Tails and the Faker are taking off to find the Doctor's Egg Carrier," he explained to her. "They must have found him-"
"Plus he's hard to miss-"
"So that's what caused the base to blow up." Shadow ignored Rouge's side comment. "Now he knows where we are and, knowing him, he's planning to take us all out - before we take him out."
"How do you know that?" Sally wanted to know.
"I..." Shadow chose his words carefully, "worked on the wrong side of the tracks a long time ago."
He turned on his heel and walked away, Sally staring after him with more concern in her blue eyes than she wanted to lead on.
:~:
Sonic laughed, boasting about how easy it was as he zipped and dashed through the robot armies. When Tails was close enough, he'd jump back, only to leap right back from a different angle and began attacking again.
Both Tails and Amy were getting a little worried. All this jumping back and forth wasn't good for him, and their obstacles only got bigger and more dangerous.
"Be careful, Sonic! You're knocking us off course!" Tails warned as Sonic came back for the umpteenth time.
"You worry too much! Have a little faith, will ya?" Sonic grinned before disappearing again.
Amy was on her toes, her teeth giving her bottom lip no mercy as she watched Sonic closely. He seemed like he knew what he was doing, but Tails had a point too. Sonic couldn't be too careless out there.
"Come on, Sonic," Amy whispered. She still had hope. She still cheered him on, even at times like these where he never hears it.
Just as Sonic jumped out of a cavern, smile still on his face, grenades were being launched at him from all angles.
"SONIC, LOOK OUT!" Amy cried desperately.
"Hm?" Sonic turned midair and saw what the hype was about. Lunging forward, he grabbed one and thrust it back at the others in defense.
Piece of ca-
They all went off as soon as they touched, flames licking angrily at the open air and spreading quickly; for a moment, Sonic disappeared.
The smoke cleared, and the blue speedster could be seen pummeling down towards the sea below.
Thinking quickly, a befuddled Sonic turned on his stomach and ignored the sudden knee-buckling pain in his legs and torso, the trickling feeling he felt going down his legs, and saw the Tornado racing toward him.
The last thing he remembered was his own hand, his forefingers seen through the singed cloth that used to be his gloves, stretching as far as he could to reach Amy. Amy. Her glistening eyes widened in fear as she threw her hand out to catch him.
But he missed his footing.
And he slipped right through her fingers.
"NO!"
As if in slow motion, Amy watched as the love of her life fell from her grasp, and the ocean below was ready to swallow him whole. It was like he knew what was coming for him, because the pain was beginning to be too much, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he finally lost consciousness.
"I'm not the same girl that I was back then. If you're going, then I'm going too."
Her grip tightened on the plane, blinking angrily at the tears blurring her vision. Breathing heavy with adrenaline, she began to hoist herself up and over-
"AMY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
-and she jumped.
Tails' cry was silenced by the wind as she fell clumsily. Nothing mattered to her anymore. She had to get to Sonic. She had to...
Her hands, flailing out like her feet were, loosened from their fists. Her arms and legs snapped together, flush against her body, now fully perpendicular to the sea. This caused her to soar faster and faster, and her tears began to flow up and dry as soon as they reach her ears.
Amy tucked her body in, flipping forward, and pushing off from there, straightening her body once again. Her eyes were on Sonic, and Sonic alone, and he was getting closer to her - but also to the water. She gazed intently, determined.
"I'm not the same girl that I was back then."
Fifty feet. Her arms shot forward. She wasn't going to lose him this time.
Twenty. She's almost right there.
Ten. Arms and legs hitch around him, hands hugging his head to a soft surface. Gripping him tight; tenderly.
Five. Her eyes go from him to his worst fear.
Four. Her hand comes up to press at the top of his head.
Three.
Two.
Her eyes shut tight.
One.
Splash.
Special shout out to PoeticLover1996. She helps me plot and we feed off each other's energy. Thanks, girl! You were definitely in mind while I wrote this chapter.
As for the rest of you guys, thank you so much for your continuous support! I'm really proud of this fic, and it's far from done. :]
