Disclaimer:
All Sonic characters belong to their respective owners.
Oh, and Rikku belongs to RikkuMcClowFox on Fanfiction. (Or Slashin' Azriel Hacke on FictionPress.)
Skye belongs to Buriezu za Vampire.
Star(light) belongs to Starlightlovesya123.
Now that all that's done with, on with the show!
Conflict
"…Nodoka, get up. It's ten in the morning…"
"But SSSAAAMMM…"
"I made breakfast." The regimental hedgehog quickly rose from Sam's bed, and went out of the room, unaware of the surprise awaiting her…
Sam was waiting, sitting down on a chair, and in front of him, a table filled with a practical breakfast buffet. Pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs, french toast and most likely any other breakfast item that you can think up of within a middle class or higher budget was on that table. "Right when I say I made breakfast. C'mon." She nodded, and grabbed a plate, knife and fork from the kitchen, sitting down at the table.
"Thanks for whipping up breakfast. Last night was kinda tiring and all, so I guess I kinda overslept…" Nodoka smiled, Sam nodding.
"It's fine. I don't blame you, either…it was tiring. But we get to relax now…Sorry I made you instruct the girls." Sam apologized, Nodoka chuckling.
"It's fine. I couldn't let you handle all the work by yourself, now could I?" Sam smiled, and the duo continued eating, finishing thirty minutes later.
"…Thanks again." Nodoka said, Sam pecking her in response.
"It's no problem." Nodoka proceeded to take the dishes to the kitchen sink and wash them, but Sam simply shook his head, moving her away from the sink. "'Ey. Don't do the dishes: I'll be more than happy to do them myself." Sam said, Nodoka shaking her head.
"But I'm the one who just sat around and ate while you made everything. It doesn't seem just." Nodoka argued, Sam shaking his head.
"It's perfectly fine."
"Not for me, it isn't." The duo looked at each other, wanting one another to just relax, while they took care of the work.
"…Look, I'm fine with washing the dishes."
"But after you made the meal and I just ate, it isn't right!"
"It doesn't have to be. Besides, I want ya to be happy."
"Likewise." A moment of silence was brought upon them, their gaze still on each other, Sam sighed, thinking of an obvious solution.
"…Let's just do them together then."
"Fine." Another moment of silence was brought upon them, and after a couple of seconds after doing the dishes, they just began to laugh.
"How stupid do I feel…Why didn't I say it earlier?" Nodoka blurted, Sam sighing as his laughter died down, he began to wash the dishes. "Hey!" She too started on the dishes, Sam accidently splashing water on her dress, the regimental hedgehog giggled, splashing some on his face, the end result being that both of them were pretty wet (Not in that way, ya pervs…), and laughing.
Sam began to mercilessly tickle Nodoka, the regimental hedgehog laughing larder than she was before, she could hardly breathe. "Ahahaha! S-Sam! Stop it! It tickles!"
"That's the point!" Sam smiled, laughing as well, and before long, the duo was on the floor, Sam on top on Nodoka (NOT LIKE THAT) as the duo greedily gasped for oxygen.
"Heheh." Sam pecked Nodoka, the regimental hedgehog blushing as Sam got up, the ebony hedgehog helping her up as well.
They saw the sink practically flooding, the water still on, Sam quickly turned it off, looking at the state it was in. The duo the proceeded to laugh (AGAIN), and they quickly lifted the bottom plate after doing so, letting the water go down the drain. "…Alright, let's get to work." Sam said, Nodoka nodding as they began to wash the dishes…
Cosmos looked around the park she was in, sighing in disappointment. "…Huh. I could've sworn that he told me that this was where to meet…" A hand suddenly grabbed Cosmos' shoulders, a voice chuckling behind her. "…Good to see you again…" Cosmos turned around, the aqua blue cat holding a bouquet of Scarlet Pimpernels. "Xanaru." The cat smiled as he embraced her, the smallest of blushes appearing on her face as she received the bouquet.
"Likewise. It's been a while…I've missed you, y'know?" Xanaru rubbed her ear, Cosmos blushing as she couldn't help but let the smallest of purrs escape her throat.
"…Xanaru…I wanted to ask…are you still with those-"
"Nah. I quit yesterday, after one last assassination." Xanaru said, Cosmos smiling.
"…I was afraid…afraid that you still needed to kill people…I don't want that to happen anymore…" Cosmos said, rest her head on Xanaru's chest.
"…Cosmos…" Xanaru wiped away the few tears trickling down her face, and looked at her in the eyes. "…I didn't want to say it before…I didn't want to hurt you in all of this…but…" He pecked her on the cheek while rubbing her ear, Cosmos blushing madly.
"…I like you. A lot, really…so…I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me, now that I'm not a mercenary anymore." Xanaru smiled, Cosmos' mind frantically rushing all over.
"…Oh…my…" Was all Cosmos managed to think, as she blurted out a "Yes!", Xanaru smiling.
"…Thanks. I'll pick you up around eight, alright?" Xanaru said, about to walk away, but Cosmos embracing him, he blushed.
"Whoever said that we had to split now? C'mon…" Cosmos smiled as he pecked her on the forehead, chuckling afterward.
"I suppose you're right." She blushed, and with that, the duo walked along the park.
Thirty minutes after they finished washing the dishes, Sam walked into his father's café: Twilit Road. Nodoka was clinging onto Sam's arm as he entered, and Sam's father smirked as the duo entered. "…Well, I'm surprised to see you here, son." Sam's ear twitched, Nodoka still clinging onto his arm as Sam's father approached.
"We wanted to drop by for a visit." The ebony hedgehog couldn't help but smile when Nodoka rested her head against his shoulder, his father merely raising an eyebrow.
"And who would this be? You finally got a girlfriend?" Sam merely blushed at the statement, his father taking his silence and actions as a 'Yes'. "Well it's about time…" Nodoka blushed as well, snuggling onto Sam's arm. "What's her name?"
"Nodoka. Nodoka Misaki." Sam said, smiling when she embraced him.
"Ah. Pretty name, she's got." Nodoka blushed once more as he said that, Sam whispering "It'll be fine, Nodoka…" into her ear, she stopped clinging onto Sam, and looked at his father.
"Alright…what did you two come for? I know you just don't want to say 'Hi' and leave." Sam's father asked, Nodoka looking at Sam.
"Alright, you caught me. We have three televisions total…do you mind if we borrow one for a school club?" Sam's father merely sighed, and nodded. "Thanks. I'll be sure to bring it home after the year's ended." He began to walk out of the store, and Nodoka following, she swiveled around.
"…Um…" She curtseyed, and continued. "It was nice to meet you." Sam's father smiled, and nodded as she walked out the door.
"Oh, boy…this is gonna be a good relationship."
"So, how's life been treating you the time you've been gone? Any better?" Xanaru sighed, and looked up at the sky.
"I've been doing well. The others are doing great, but sadly…well…yeah, Lagxirus and I broke up before I left…it's saddening, really." Xanaru began to radiate an aura of depression, Cosmos embracing him in an attempt to cheer him up.
"I'm sorry to hear that…however…I'm still here, aren't I? There's always the future…look to it." Cosmos smiled, Xanaru blushing.
"I…I guess. But she…well…" He sighed, and continued. "I really was dedicated to her, y'know. And just because of one little decision…" Cosmos began to cling onto Xanaru's neck, pecking his cheek slowly and getting off.
Xanaru blushed, and he hesitantly embraced her. A couple of tears came out of his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. "I'm sorry…your peck…it reminds me of her…" He turned away, Cosmos grabbing onto his shoulder.
"It's fine. I'll take it slow…or at least, try to." He chuckled, and nodded.
Cosmos' eyes caught a glimpse of Nodoka and Sam, walking together slowly across the sidewalk. "Oh! Xanaru, c'mere for a bit." Xanaru nodded as he began to follow Cosmos to the hedgehog couple.
"Hey, Nodoka!" Her emerald eyes darted to Cosmos, who ran up to her from the side.
"Cosmos. Good to see you here." Nodoka greeted, Sam calming waving.
"Xanaru! Over here!" Sam's ears perked as he heard footsteps from behind him, and apparently, a gun pointed to his head.
"The girl comes with me, and no one gets-" The red dragon behind Sam stopped, Sam turning around, he found the gun to be frozen, as well as the dragon's legs.
"Hurt? No, no…a very odd proposition. I'll make you a bet here. You leave after I unfreeze your legs, or I continue to freeze you entirely." Xanaru appeared, Nodoka gasping.
"Still the one for peace, Xanaru? Jeez…when are you going to learn that the only way to live is-"
"To kill? No. I got a job, mercenary aside." The dragon growled, and sighed.
"Fine. But we'll be targeting him…we got a client." The dragon pointed to Sam, who widened his eyes: mercenaries trying to kill him, and a random cat saving him. This was weird. Very weird.
Xanaru crossed out some words he wrote, and the dragon's legs were freed from their icy imprisonment. "Keep on your guard, kid. Today on out, your life is in danger with every step you take…" The dragon proceeded to fly away, Xanaru's book and quill pen disappearing in a flash of light.
"This is Xanaru. Nodoka, you know him." Nodoka shivered, and nodded.
"Yeah. I was his former target until he realized he was mistaken for someone else…scary…traumatizing…" She shivered once more, and Cosmos sweat dropped.
"I already said I was sorry…" Xanaru said, Nodoka backing away from Xanaru.
"Doesn't change the fact you gagged me, placed me on a table, and slowly froze me until I spat out ball you gagged me with and told you what I did." Nodoka argued, Xanaru nodding.
"Sorry…again. Who's this guy?" Xanaru asked, referring to Sam.
"He's Sam, Nodoka's boyfriend." Sam merely nodded, Xanaru sticking out a hand.
"Pleased to meet you." Xanaru said, Sam taking the hand.
"Likewise." They shook, and proceeded to walk down the sidewalk, nearing a park.
A rather uncomfortable moment of silence was upon them as they walked, Nodoka breaking it. "…Sam…aren't you worried?"
"Hm?"
"I mean…mercenaries are trying to kill you…and I know what that's like…I mean…really…aren't you fazed by any of this?" The ebony hedgehog shrugged, and smiled at her.
"Nope. Besides, I can take'em on, no sweat…and I've got some good reasons and motivation to live." Cosmos raised an eyebrow, and giggled.
"Oh? And what are those reasons?" Sam merely scoffed, and pecked Nodoka.
"One is fairly obvious." The regimental hedgehog blushed, and she pecked him in return.
Snow began to fall, Sam smirking. "Sam…don't…" Sam suddenly picked Nodoka up, and dashed off.
"H-Hey! Wait up!" Cosmos and Xanaru began to dash after Sam, Xanaru catching up to him rather easily.
"Jeez, where you head-IIINNNGGG!" He suddenly tripped on some ice on the ground, causing him to rocket forward.
He then proceeded to accidently run and jump on a fallen tree, causing him to keep his momentum in the air. For the moment he felt safe, he sighed…before looking down, and seeing a frozen lake beneath him, he merely braced himself for impact…He ended up crashing through the frigid surface, and going into the icy water. "Xanaru! Are you okay?!" Sam rushed forward, rushing through the 'Do Not Enter' signs, only to slip on the ice himself.
Nodoka, considering Sam was holding her bridal-style, merely slid to the hole Xanaru crashed through without harm. "Xanaru? Can you hear me?!" Some air bubbles came to the surface, a figure slowly making its way upward…
The body of Xanaru rose to the surface, Cosmos and Sam walking to Nodoka, Cosmos gasped before she picked him up. "We need to do mouth to mouth…Cosmos, he's yours. You're a doctor!" She nodded as she did so, and after doing so, she checked his pulse.
"No…I believe he's alive…c'mon…" She kept performing mouth to mouth, and checked for his pulse.
"…That's enough!" He softened his tone, and looked at the duo. "He shall be missed…" Cosmos picked him up, and forlornly began to walk out of the frozen lake.
Cosmos and Nodoka (Especially Cosmos) shed tears of sorrow, while Sam embraced Nodoka in comfort. "…No…he can't be…he isn't dead…I truly felt feelings for him, and he's dead! No…he can't be dead! I…" She buried her head on his cold chest, tears trickling down her face as she did so…
Suddenly, some coughs were heard coming from Xanaru, who apparently was alive. "C'mon…live…for me…for us…" She let go of Xanaru, allowing him to stand: had she kept holding him, he might've choked on the water he could've spat out.
Sam suddenly punched the cat on the back (Rather hard at that), and he started to spew out water for a second or so. He started to cough, Sam punching him in the back once more, he spewed more water, until another few seconds or so, where he was coughing up water. Cosmos looked at him in worry, and after a couple of minutes, he stopped. "…You're alive!" Cosmos embraced him tightly, Xanaru chuckling.
"Yeah…I'm alive." Xanaru smiled, and the group began to walk…
"…Mornin'…" Sonic yawned as he entered the kitchen, Blaze tapping her foot.
"Mornin' my foot! Look at the time!" Blaze pointed to a nearby clock, Sonic looking at it, it was half past noon.
"Jeez…so I couldn't fall asleep and overslept…besides, it doesn't matter. No school, remember?" Blaze sighed and nodded.
"I guess…Sairai, Denkō." Sonic started to play with a bit of wind, forming compressed balls of wind in his hand and moving them around.
Blaze looked at him, intrigued. "How'd you learn how to do that?" The cerulean hedgehog merely chuckled, and twitched his finger to Blaze, a compressed ball of wind flying toward her.
The ball struck Blaze on the shoulder causing her to fly backward, nearly sending her out the window. Her body thankfully collided onto the wall next to the window, causing the lights to flicker only for a second. "…I couldn't fall asleep, so I decided to play around a bit. Guess I overdid it?" Sonic chuckled nervously, as Blaze had just snapped her finger.
Before Sonic could move, Blaze grabbed him by the shoulder, and set fire to his tail, holding onto it. "OW! I'm sorry!" She put out the fire, and Sonic let a sigh of relief. "Jeez…you've gotta learn to control your-"
"Temper, I know…you realize I wasn't that mad, y'know? It was just payback for trying to sneak into the bathroom WHILE I WAS SHOWERING." Blaze slapped Sonic, who stumbled backward in pain, bumping into Tails, who was calling Rikku…
And sadly for Sonic, the cerulean hedgehog accidently hung up Tails' cell phone. And by 'hung up', I mean to say he landed on the cell phone with his spikes sharpened, thereby breaking it. "…Oh, crud…Tails, I'm-" The vulpine merely stood up, and picked up the remnants of the broken phone, looking at it in despair. "…Tails?"
"…You owe me a new cell phone." The vulpine walked away, Sonic looking at Tails as he went to the bedroom.
"Hi!" Rikku walked cheerfully into the house, and looking at Sonic and Blaze, she raised an eyebrow. "What'd I miss?"
Sam, Nodoka, Cosmos and Xanaru were currently inside Nodoka's house. Xanaru was resting near the fireplace, a blanket nearly covering him (save his head) due to the incident. Cosmos was watching him, and occasionally giving him a peck or two as they talked, as he felt most of his energy drained during the incident. "…Xanaru…"
"Hmm?" His icy blue eyes trailed to Cosmos, her golden irises not once away from Xanaru's sight.
"I wanted to know…Why did you quit being a mercenary?" Xanaru yawned, and pecked her.
"…I did it for you. If we were to ever be together…then I don't think you'd like me as I was a year ago. That…and I've got a great chance…a great chance for a new life. How could I not pass?" Xanaru rose and embraced her, Cosmos rubbing his back.
"…I…Thank you…" She kissed him, and tightened the embrace.
"The pleasure's mine…" They then proceeded to make-out, Cosmos merely covering them both with the blanket Xanaru once was covered by (Save his head)…
Meanwhile, Sam and Nodoka were on the balcony, Nodoka leaning on Sam's shoulder. The snow had stopped midway to Nodoka's house, and thankfully, the sun was shining down upon the duo, Nodoka now in a white sundress with frills at the hem, paired with white heels, it gave Sam the impression she was an angel sent from above… "…You look beautiful." Sam blurted out, Nodoka blushing at the statement.
"…Thanks…Sam?"
"Hmm?"
"…No matter what happens…I want you to know…I…" A gunshot was heard, and a bullet flew toward Sam, visibly stopping in front of him, and then creating a small explosion.
It took a moment for Nodoka to realize what had happened, and after a minute, she rushed to his aid. "Sam! Sam, get up! Please…" There were burns on his chest, and some metallic fragments apparently pierced his skin: presumably the bullet fragments.
"Cos-…No. I'll operate on you…" She placed on medical equipment, and administered anesthetics. "…I will save you, Sam…I swear it." She took out a coolant for the burns, in case they became more severe, along with a scalpel, forceps, and liquid used for skin grafting. She quickly treated the regular burns by using skin grafts, and placing four pieces of skin on and around the burn, affixing the graft with antibiotic gel. She then used the coolant on the severe burns, excising the dead tissue with the forceps.
Pools of blood were starting to form, but she quickly used the drain to get rid of them, and continued with the procedure. All the burns were treated within 20 minutes, and she sighed as she took out some of the bullet fragments, and used antibiotic gel to heal the small wounds left. "Now…just to open him up." She used antibiotic gel on his chest, and quickly made an incision there.
There was massive hemorrhaging in the heart, more specifically the epicardium. Nodoka quickly sutured the wounds, and drained the pools of blood. "…Now…the bullet fragments." She excised some of the epicardium, and took out the fragments with the scalpel. She used antibiotic gel on the injuries, and sighed. "…It's over. It's finally over." Nodoka closed him up with sutures and used antibiotic gel over the sutures, finally bandaging over the sutures. "…That dragon from before…" Nodoka's eyes narrowed, and she summoned Juuchi.
"…I'm sorry, Sam…but what he's done…"
"I just can't live with it. Am I right?" Nodoka's eyes darted for a quick second to find the red dragon, wielding his dual pistols.
"…" Nodoka merely kept looking at Sam, and pointed Juuchi at the dragon.
"What's wrong? Are you actually trying to challenge me? Heh…then what'cha gonna do, girlie?" The dragon smirked as Nodoka rose, pointing Juuchi at him.
After a moment, Nodoka revealed her eyes to him, and to his shock, they were partially black, as though black flames were trying to engulf her irises. Her fur color was turning darker, as well a dark aura surrounding her. "…It isn't 'girlie'." Nodoka snapped, the dragon merely scoffing.
"Hey, hey…my name's Xelo. Try to get it memorized." Xelo backed away nervously: He felt her power raise a considerable amount, and her anger practically was forcing him backward as well.
"My name is Nodoka Misaki. You tried to kill my boyfriend..." She rushed up to Xelo, her hate unconcealed when she said the following words:
"Prepare for death!"
Cosmos and Xanaru broke their make-out session, and looked each other in the eyes… Cosmos placed a hand on Xanaru's cheat, and snuggled against his shoulder. "…Xanaru…please, just don't-" Cosmos was cut off by a loud explosion coming from upstairs, both her ears and Xanaru's ears perking upward.
"…Seems like your friends are in danger…" They stopped making out, and they released the embrace.
"Let's go." The duo rushed upstairs and found Nodoka hacking away at Xelo's chest. "Nodoka, stop!" Xanaru called out, Nodoka looking back, her fur and eyes still black.
"You can't stop me…he hurt him, and he must pay the price!" Nodoka pointed Juuchi to Xelo, who was shivering in fear…
Sam suddenly awoke, rather out of it, he slowly looked at Nodoka, and walked up to her. "Hey…Nodoka?" Her black aura suddenly disappeared, and her fur and eyes reverted to their original colors.
She tightly embraced him, and pecked him. "…You're fine…aren't you?" Xelo took the chance to escape by seemingly bursting into flame, but in actuality, he somehow had teleported a far distance…
"…Yeah. I thought that I was going to…y'know, for a moment…Had a dream…where you where just fading slowly away…I'm glad it isn't reality." He pecked her, and smiled. "C'mon. We've got some shopping to do." And with that, the duo walked out.
"…Glad everyone's safe." Xanaru said, pecking Cosmos.
"Yeah…but I heard an explosion…" Cosmos sighed, and thought for a second. "…Did she…" She smiled, and pecked Xanaru, who blushed.
"…Alright…let's go. I'm sure Nodoka's mother wouldn't want us in here, with all the chaos going on…" Cosmos nodded, and they walked out of the room…
"…Now…all we need is to grab the things at my house, and take it to the school. However…with all the snow and ice, I think we can save it for another day, right?" Nodoka nodded, her mind filled with a sole thought that she couldn't get out of her head: "…What did he want to say to me before the bullet came?" Nodoka was thinking about it, and when they got to Sam's house, she finally asked.
"Sam…what did you want to say before? Y'know…before you got hurt." The ebony hedgehog smiled, and kissed her passionately.
"…I love you." She blushed madly, and the duo walked into Sam's house, not another word exchanged between the duo as Sam closed and locked the door, and lowering all the shades all the way in the first floor.
He then went to his room, Nodoka closely following, and Sam closed and locked the door…
"And I've just finished explaining what happened." Sonic said, Rikku nodding.
"…Yeah…Tailsy, you can enter the room now." Rikku said, the vulpine entering the kitchen. "…My cell p-"
"It's fine. I'll get you a new one later. In fact…" Sonic tossed him his phone, the vulpine enlightened, he browed through the cobalt hedgehog's contacts. "…I'll lend you my phone for the meantime." Tails merely nodded, and walked away to the bedroom. "...You're welcome." Sonic got up and pecked Blaze, who blushed.
"If he wants to talk to you that badly, why don't you just stay here?" Blaze asked, Rikku thinking for a second (Literally).
"Can I?!"
"Sure! Just bring your stuff!" Tails said, Rikku quickly embracing the vulpine before she dashed out the door.
"...Tai-"
"You broke his phone, Sonic. Least he won't be on it all day, and besides: don't you have to pay the bill?" The cobalt hedgehog froze, and sighed in defeat...
A black rat wearing gloves and sneakers, along with Xelo were in a room, the dragon slowly going to his bed. "My, my...Xelo. Beaten by a teenage girl...how pitiful." The rat grinned while his friend growled at him.
"Shut up Atruxst!" The dragon laid down on his bed, his wounds clotting due to a clotting cream placing on the wounds...
"You seem rather-"
"Shut up! Like you haven't been beaten by-" The rat's grin faded quickly, and he exited the room, the door closing...
...And the plot thickens! With Sam targeted, and Xanaru on their side...drama, action, and maybe even romance shall occur! Stay tuned to find out...Enjoyed typing this chapter (Even though progress was INCREDIBLY slow), and the romance was spot on, even in some situations. Hope you enjoyed, R&R, I'll see ya next!
~ADarknessInHeaven
aka: Sam