After going through a series of re-plotting, rewriting, rereading, retyping, reviewing, and refinishing along with school, work, homework, AND trying to get piece n' quiet at home…I finally managed to finish chapter 9.
Also, SEGA owns all of the Sonic characters, including the stages and scenes used from "Sonic Adventure" and "Sonic & Knuckles" (just in case I didn't mentioned that earlier)
Without further ado, let us proceed to chapter 9.
Chapter 9
It is 4:54am on Angel Island. Amy, who is dressed and ready for her training session, headed out to the altar where she was told to meet Knuckles there by 5am. When she arrived at the altar, Knuckles was already there warming up, stretching out, and shadow boxing before training.
Amy, for some odd reason, couldn't help but noticed how well the muscles on his arms and chest flexed as the crimson guardian continued to practice his jabs and punches.
WAIT, hold on, NO! I shouldn't be thinking about him like that; I have a boyfriend for Christ's sake…at least I used to, thanks to that royal slut…besides, me and Knuckles have been best friends since we were kids; there's no possible way we'd see each other as more than friends… (…And yet, he's starting to look really good to you right now…)
"Hey, enjoying the view?"
Amy's thoughts were interrupted by the echidna's voice as he walked down the steps of the emerald shrine towards Amy.
"Oh, I was just…thinking about…random stuff, heh-heh" Amy stuttered.
Knuckles raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh…right…before we get started, let's go over some ground rules. Rule #1: As your trainer, I expect nothing less than 100% effort from you. That means when I tell you to do something, you do it no questions asked. Rule # 2: Practice makes perfect. I understand that nobody gets things right the first time which is why I want you to practice every day before or after training because you…WILL… be tested.
"So when will I have my test?" Amy asked only to have the echidna laugh at her response.
"That is for me to know and for you to find out, which brings me to my next rule; always expect the unexpected. Any enemies we face in the future can plan a surprise attack for us at any time, even while you're asleep"
"And that's why you sleep with one eye open, right?" Amy said.
"Exactly" Knuckles replied as he turned to face the Master Emerald. "As Guardian, It is my duty to protect the Emerald at all times, that's why I trained myself to sleep with one eye open in case someone tries to steel it during nightfall"
The echidna turned to face the female hedgehog before continuing. "Finally, the last rule of this island: NEVER…ever…judge a book by its cover! Are you familiar with the words 'What you see is what you get'?"
"Yeah…" Amy nodded.
"Well you can just throw that belief out the window right now because that's not always the case during a battle. Do you remember Fiona Fox?"
Amy scoffed upon hearing that name. "How can I not? That bitch had everyone fooled when we found out that she works with Scourge…she even broke Tails' heart and nearly destroyed his long-time friendship with…Sonic"
Upon mentioning his name, Amy even remembers the one time when she caught Sonic in the park with Fiona. She would've beaten the daylights out of that vixen if Sonic hadn't restrained her.
"That's right" Knuckles replied. "So you see…sometimes people you meet…or even known for a while may not always be who they say they are or how the put themselves out there" Knuckles then noticed the forlorn look on Amy who was probably thinking about a certain blue hedgehog and what had happened between them. "I don't think there's any need to go further on this subject seeing as how you and I both understood what I'm talking about. Do you have any questions before we get started?" Amy shook her head no. "Alright, then let's begin our training"
O-O-O-O-O
From 5:10am to 7am, Knuckles had Amy do some basic warm ups such as 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and other boot-camp exercises. Afterwards they both ran 15 laps around the entire Island with Knuckles being the faster of the two, of course.
"Let's go, Rosy; you're going to have to be a lot faster than that!" Knuckles called over to Amy who was tagging behind.
"I'm trying, Knuckles…just trying to keep up with you!"
"Well stop trying to run and run, already! You're faster than this" As Knuckles sprinted off, Amy who puffed her cheeks in frustration, speed off after him.
Around 8am, they took a break for breakfast followed by a 60 minute meditation to ease the body, mind and spirit. At 9am, Knuckles and Amy ventured to Mushroom Hill where Amy was to begin her basic training.
When they arrived, Amy was shocked of how humongous the mushrooms were as well as the vegetation there. Knuckles had told her stories of his first encounter with Sonic, Tails, Dr. Eggman, and even Metal Sonic…and his adventures started out right here in these hills.
"Well, here we are, Mushroom Hill. Ah…sure brings back memories, don't it?" Knuckles said as he took a deep breath and exhaling its essence. "Did I ever tell u about my first adventures here in these very hills?"
"Sure did...I believe it was also the day you first fell for Egghead's tr-"
"DON'T…remind me" Knuckles narrowed his eyes towards the rose hedgehog who was laughing at the fact that the echidna had been gullible in the past. "ANYWAY…this is where you'll begin your basic training. We'll be testing your speed, agility, and endurance. First, we'll start here, then we'll work our way to the forest pass the mushrooms, up the trees, down the vines, and to the other side of the hill"
"Sounds simple enough" Amy said as she stretches out across the grass.
"Don't get cocky!" Knuckles scolded. "I'm only going to run this course with you one time so you'll get use to your surroundings. After that, I'll be racing against you to see how well your abilities are…within the time limit, of course. Any questions…?"
"No…"
"Then let's go" Knuckles then dashed to one of the mushroom and bounced up towards the cliff and swung across the vine with Amy following suite. Then they ran a series of loop-de-loops and hoped from on tree to another as well as floating and swinging platforms.
"So how do you like this course so far?"
"Better than sitting in the side lines, that's for sure!" Amy smiled as she and Knuckles bounced on one of the springs hidden within the forest.
"Well it's about to get even better; come on" Knuckles then made a dash downhill to the spinning rope and flew up to the top cliff. Amy was tailing right behind him as they both made it pass the checkpoint.
During the middle of the trial run, Amy was starting to fall behind a little as she almost lost her footing on some of the ledges, got caught on the spring vines twice, and got stuck between the 2 springs in the pit. Also, there were some traps in the forest that Knuckles discreetly laid out to make it more challenging for the female hedgehog. Amy did her best to avoid all those traps in the forest… but barely.
At the end of the trial, Amy collapses on the grass outside the forest catching her breath along with Knuckles sitting down beside her.
"I got to handed to you, Amy; I'm really impressed with how well you kept up with me back there"
"Ugh, tell me about it! It's a miracle I even lasted THIS long!"
The echidna chuckled at the rose hedgehog's statement. "Better get used to it, Rosy, because this is going to be part of your training from now on…and there's plenty more where that came from, too"
After catching a 5 min breather, Knuckles stands up from his spot and offers Amy a hand.
"Come on; it almost noon and I'm starving. What do you say we head back to the house and have lunch?"
"Sounds good; I'm hungry" As the echidna took Amy's hand and helping her up, he and the rose hedgehog headed back to the house for lunch followed by a 2hr break.
O-O-O-O-O
Meanwhile, back in Station Square, It is late-afternoon as Sonic the Hedgehog is enjoying his quality time with his "other" girlfriend, Princess Sally Acorn, at a local café downtown. Sonic is wearing dark blue jeans, a lime-green unbuttoned shirt with a white wife beater underneath, his trade-mark sneakers, silver chain around his neck, and emerald-green shades. Sally is wearing a baby-blue tube top blouse that shows off her pierced bellybutton, a white micro-mini skirt with a turquoise beaded belt, baby-blue wedge heeled sandals with ankle laces, silver bracelets, and silvery blue shades.
"Did I ever tell you how sexy you look in baby blue?" The speed demon smirked as he took Sally's hand and kissed it earning giggles from the ground squirrel.
"Oh, Sonic, stop…I bet you say that to all the girls"
"Not all of them…just you" Sonic replied as he gently rub her hands with his thumb before kissing it again. "Of course…you look even sexier without your clothes on"
"SONIC!" The knothole princess playfully punches Sonic on the arm. "Keep it down; people can hear us!"
"So…? That didn't stop us from having our "afternoon delight" in the Chao Garden the other day"
"Yeah, speaking of 'us'…"Sally took her hand away from Sonic's and crossed her arms. "Have you spoken to 'Pinky' yet?"
"You mean Amy?"
"No; a stick of cotton candy, Sonic!"
Slightly taken back by the squirrel's sarcasm, Sonic simply sighed before continuing.
"I did manage to call Amy a couple nights ago when we got back from the Chao Garden"
"…And…?"
"She didn't answer her phone…well, more like she refuses to answer her phone, so I left her a message. But by the time I got to the part where I'd tell we had to break up, the answering machine somehow got cut off"
"But you couldn't got to her place and break up with her in person?"
"I did, Sal! Yesterday…but she wasn't home nor did she leave a note saying when she'll be back. I even asked her neighbors at her apartment building and even THEY don't know where she is" Sonic leans back, rubbing his temples. "I pray to god she's not kidnapped again because I don't know how much more I can take of this "damsel in distress" thing again"
"Well, you still got her cellphone number, right? Can't you call her up now and tell her?"
"I would…but I can't. Ever since that night when she caught us together in my room…Amy blocked out my number from her cell"
Sally was silent for a moment before sipping her organic tea. "Sonic…it's been a year now…"
"I know, I know, it's just…" Sonic paused for a moment while running his hands through his quills. "I care I lot about you, Sal…and I missed you dearly ever since I left knothole to protect this city, along with my team…and when I'm with you…well, I haven't felt this excited since they've added cheese to chilly dogs…but I also care about Amy, Sally…I care about her and her well-being"
"But you can't have us both, Sonic, you know that" Sally replied. "You have to choose between me and that pink brat"
"Hey, I chose you, didn't I? You know you're always going to be my number 1 gal"
Sally scoffs at this when Sonic scooted his seat closer to the squirrel princess, turned her chin facing him, and kissed softly on her lips before continuing. "And you're always going to be my first, remember that"
"Oh I know that, and pretty soon…"Sally leans over to kiss Sonic sensually on the lips. "I… WILL… be you first and ONLY. Do I make myself clear, Blue Wonder?"
"Yes ma'am!" Sonic replied as he and Sally kissed with passion. "Come on, Sal, let's get out of here. Hey, waiter! Can I get that check, please?"
After leaving the café, Sonic and Sally took a nice stroll across the bridge of Emerald coast talking about random stuff…and naughty things…
"So Sonic, what do you want to do next?"
"I don't know…what have you got in mind?"
"Well, I was thinking we can go shopping, or maybe to the movies…or…" Sally stops and brings her arms around the hedgehog smiling seductively. "We can go back to my place and…make our own movie"
Sonic smirked as he snaked his arms around the squirrel. "I got a better idea. How about we head down to Emerald Coast for a swim?"
"Right now…?"
"Sure, why not?"
"I thought you don't know how to swim?"
"Who says we have to swim?"
"But I don't have my bathing suit on me"
Sonic gave the princess a sexy grin "Neither do I"
"Ah, somebody's feeling a little naughty today!" Sally smiled as she and Sonic made out for a few seconds before Sally's cellphone started ringing. Reluctantly, Sally pulled away from the speed demon before taking out her cell phone to check her text messages. The princess' eyes widen with excitement as she immediately recognize the unknown number displayed on the screen.
"Something wrong, Sal?" Sonic asked.
"Uh, i-it's nothing…nothing important" Sally replied as she quickly shut the phone and threw it back into her purse hoping Sonic wouldn't see her text message. "My brother, Elias called. Daddy's having a family get-together tonight at the Acorn Palace. So, we'll have to rain-check on the 'nude-beach' adventure for another time"
"Aw, do we have to?" the hedgehog pouted.
"Sonic, as much as I love you, family always comes first, you know that"
"Yeah I know…So, how 'bout tomorrow night then?"
"Tomorrow night's perfect"
"Cool! Come on; I'll take you home" Sonic then picked up Sally bridal style and sped off to her deluxe apartment complex.
When they arrived to the building, Sonic set Sally down in front of the entrance door.
"I had a wonderful time today, babe. Call me tomorrow?"
"You bet!" Sonic kisses Sally goodbye before speeding off leaving her at the apartment entrance. Sally, on the other hand, seemed quite relived that the blue blur left early. After greeting the doorman, Sally quickly walked inside the building and took the elevator to her penthouse suite.
When she got there, Sally took her sandals off, left them by the entrance door, ran to her sofa in the living room, and dialed the unknown number. The phone rang for 10 seconds before finally a voice answered on the other line.
"Hello…?"
"Hey, you…long time, no see" Sally smiled as she leaned her head on the arm of the sofa.
"Hey, Sally-baby, what's up? I tried calling you earlier, but you didn't pick up you're phone"
"Sorry, babe…I, uh…had my hands full"
"Yeah, I'll bet. Still hanging around that blue hedgehog?"
Sally pouted over the phone. "Well, what was I supposed to do? You were gone the whole year"
"Well, tell you what, I just got back into town today. So, how about a date tonight; just you and me? Afterwards, we can swing by your place so we can…pick up where we left off"
Sally was giggling on the other line. "Of course, silly… you know I always got time for you…"
TO BE CONTINUED…
I was actually going to add one more scene to this chapter but I thought it be best that I'd stop here for now.
Well folks, I wonder who is this mystery man Sally is seeing behind Sonic's back? Will Sonic find out and get a taste of his own medicine for how he treated Amy?
Also, Knuckles is clearly in love with Amy, but knows that Amy still have feelings for the blue hedgehog. However, he doesn't realize that there's a small chance that Amy may start to see him in a whole new light.
How will this all play out? Stay tune next time for chapter 10!