15 Years Later Chapter 2: Double Weddings
Prologue: Double Proposal
The entire R.F.S. had gotten Sonic and Sally's cryptic message. Every single team that operated under the R.F.S. had heard the terrible news that had been discovered just a week ago. That wasn't a single member of the R.F.S. that hadn't been warned about the rise of S.T.I.N.G. since the message had been given out by Nicole.
Fifteen years had passed since the birth of Princess Zoe "Zoom" the Hedgehog and those fifteen years had been peaceful, as were the two years that had been lived and enjoyed since the fall of Enerjak back in 2143. Three long years of fighting the infamous Dr. Eggman and one year spent fighting The Dark Armada had been rewarded with over a decade of peace for Mobius. But sadly, the peace was not to last. A group of Eggman-worshipers known as S.T.I.N.G. had risen in Eggman's stead and had made its first sinister move. The group consisted of Scorn the Robian Scorpion, Fang the Rattlesnake, Swoop the Bald Eagle, Razoul the Lion and Breakdown the Barracuda and they all believed Eggman's motives to be the thing that Mobius needed and didn't see why Sonic and friends rebelled against him back then. They even saw Sonic and friends as the REAL dictators and wanted Sonic dead. They had come close, so very close, but Sonic had survived though not without losing Castle Acorn in a fire and having to rescue his kidnapped daughter, who had secretly been bugged with a tiny machine that would come into play later down the line. As of now, Sonic and his family were spending time in Soleanna to wind down from the current events. Of course, the R.F.S. had been informed of that too in case any of them wondered about the Royal Family.
Miles "Tails" Prower had been the first to hear about it and had even been there to wave goodbye as the Royal Family left to their home in Soleanna. He was one of the few Royal Fighters who still lived in New Mobotropolis. His girlfriend Cosmo the Seedrian and Team Chaotix were among the ones still living in New Mobotropolis alongside Sonic and Sally too. The rest had moved out to live their own lives, including Tails's beloved sister Sora Prower. She had moved to live in a house in Chun-Nan with her boyfriend Ruben the Water Panther. The siblings remained in contact with each other and never missed a day to have a chat with each other. Of course, Sora and Ruben hadn't been thrilled to hear about how bad things had gone since S.T.I.N.G.'s first attack and the destruction of Castle Acorn. They had promised to keep a look out for anybody who might be a S.T.I.N.G. member and to make sure the sinister organization didn't get the drop on the R.F.S. again.
Tails had changed over the years gone by. At the age of 25, he was no longer the cute little boy genius he had once been. He was now an adult, no longer a fox cub, and it showed with his appearance. His shoulders and chest were much broader then before. Not quite muscular but clearly showing he was not a little boy anymore. His whiskers were longer and he had a "mullet" growing from the back of his head. He had a pair of hi-tech goggles perched above his eyes.
His attire had changed too, another sign of his growing up. He wore a black belt with a silver buckle around his waist and two metal bands around his upper arms. He also wore red and silver arm and leg gauntlets that contained a bunch of hidden gadgets that he himself had built. They were something he had made purely to test his capabilities as a tech-wiz and inventor. He never thought there'd be a day he'd actually need to use them in battle but given S.T.I.N.G.'s first move, he knew that he would get to see just how potent his new gadgets were.
Tails had not had an easy childhood. Ending up in the midst of a war between a mad scientist who wanted to conquer the world and a group of resistance fighters, one had to sacrifice childhood for the greater good. While he had been of great help against Dr. Eggman over the years and had a brotherly bond with Sonic the Hedgehog, he had lost his parents and been a victim of bullying because of his trademark twin-tails. Over the months and years he had been on the R.F.S., he had seen things that no child his age should ever have seen from people being killed in front of his eyes to an apocalyptic alternate universe he had ended up on during the legendary multi-verse crisis in which he'd even seen his own counterpart die a rather grisly death. He had even been at the centre of a scheme that had been hi-jacked by Metal Sonic and saw the world remade in his image. He'd watched Cosmo die in that alternate reality and had to live with the fact he was the ONLY one who ever remembered that.
But by far the most traumatizing incident in his life had occurred during the Dark Armada War in 2143. He had been kidnapped and roboticized by Dr. Finitevus. Forced to serve him loyally as the cold-hearted and ruthless Mecha Tails, he had fought against his friends, helped Dr. Finitevus to create the Synthetic Chaos Formula that led to him becoming Enerjak and most sickeningly of all...an actual murder on his hands. Tails still cringed even to this day when he thought about the terrible time he'd gutted Mariah the Medicine Cat like a fish and put an end to her renowned career as a nurse who created miraculous cures for the world.
It had taken many years of spending time with his friends and even some sessions of therapy to help Tails get over this terrible ordeal. But it had worked. While he still thought back to that time on occasion, it never reduced him to a cowering, emotional wreck when it happened. That was the past, he didn't have to worry about Finitevus or Mecha Tails anymore. There were still times he visited Mariah's grave and paid his respects to her, feeling he owed her that much for killing her back then.
Right now, he was chatting to Sonic the Hedgehog on one of the computers in Royal HQ. Sonic himself was using Nicole's handheld form to establish visual contact while Tails was using a webcam to show himself to Sonic. The twin-tailed fox could clearly see that Sonic and Sally were in their Soleanna home, resting in the bedroom for the night. Zoe was there too.
"…so while Castle Acorn is definitely beyond salvaging at this point, I can definitely confirm that the debris has been cleared away safely Sonic." he reported, "We're still keeping the site fenced off though, best to keep the populace away from the charred remains of the castle."
Tails's voice had deepened with age too. While he still sounded youthful, he had lost the childlike charm his voice had once had.
"That's great buddy." Sonic responded, "Any news about S.T.I.N.G.?"
"Not a thing." Tails said grimly, "We've had a whole week of nothing. I haven't lowered security or anything though. I'm not losing my guard just because those creeps aren't doing anything."
"That's a great idea." Sally said approvingly, "We've made that mistake many times before, letting our guard down and giving our enemies the chance to get the drop on us. We won't let it happen this time."
"You and me both Sally." Tails nodded, "Eggman's bad enough but Eggman cultists are even worse! But enough about me, what about you guys?" he asked curiously.
"Things have been very peaceful here too." Sonic replied, "Soleanna's been very quiet, not so much as a breath about S.T.I.N.G. around here. The Duke and Duchess have been very hospitable and welcoming and the princess has been making friends with Zoe."
"Elise is a great friend!" Zoe cut in, "She's been teaching me some of her judo skills so I can be a better fighter. I can't wait to kick S.T.I.N.G.'s asses next time we see them!"
"Ha, ha, ha! I look forward to it too Zoe." Tails chuckled. He admired Zoe's enthusiasm and attitude for it reminded him fondly of his relationship with Sonic. He had admired those traits about his best friend growing up.
"We all look forward to it." Sonic added, "Me especially! It feels like Scorn and his cronies are undermining our hard work ya know?"
"Too right there." the twin-tailed gadgeteer sighed, "We didn't spend three years fighting Eggman and one year fighting Finitevus just to be back at square one. That's the sad truth about life. There's always going to be evil as well as good in the world."
"Yeah. But we've proven Finitevus wrong in our cause being "forlorn"!" the king added excitedly, "We had over 17 years of peace and I spent fifteen of them raising Zoe. That's definitely something!"
Tails smiled, nodding in agreement. Any amount of peace, whether it be one year or two years or even a million years was to be considered an achievement of some kind and he definitely still felt proud that he had helped to bring seventeen years of peace to Mobius. Zoe then came closer to the camera. She looked like she had something on her mind.
"Say Uncle Tails, forgive me for asking but…how's things with you and Cosmo?" the princess suddenly asked.
The gadget master paused for a moment, surprised at the question. He supposed he should've expected a question about he and his girlfriend's relationship. Childhood sweethearts since the day they'd met, Tails and Cosmo had grown ever closer as time went by. So close that…
"Funny you should ask Zoe." Tails said, rubbing the back of his head, "I was actually planning something big between us. You see, we've had a dark shadow fall over us earlier this week. So…to give us something pleasant to think about and to shine some light on Mobius again…I was considering proposing to her."
The Acorn Family all let out a chorus of surprised gasps. But their surprise quickly turned into delight as they took this in. If they hadn't been convinced that Tails was all grown up then they were certainly convinced now. The fox just smiled bashfully in return.
"Ohmigosh, that's awesome!" Zoe squealed, "You're going to ask Cosmo to marry you!"
"I'm surprised it took this long honestly." Sonic snickered, "You've been making goo-goo eyes at each other since, how old, eight? And NOW is the time you're gonna propose to her?"
"Well sorry I'm not as fast as you are Sonic." Tails retorted, smiling at the cheeky remark.
"Nevertheless, we're very happy to hear that you're going to do such a thing Tails." Sally said sweetly, "A wedding between you two would be just the thing to take people's minds off of the horrors that have recently occurred."
"I just hope Cosmo will say yes…" Tails murmured nervously, "I know we love each other but…you know, does she love me enough to want to be my wife? I mean she is a Seedrian and not a Mobian so she might be weirded out by the thought of marrying me."
"Nonsense! She'll be thrilled to be your wife!" Sonic insisted, "Doesn't matter that she's not Mobian. If a hedgehog can marry a chipmunk then a fox can marry an alien plant. Nothing wrong with that." he added, winking.
The fox smiled thoughtfully. He supposed his best friend had a point. Why would Cosmo find the idea of marrying him weird?
"Be sure to tell us what Aunt Cosmo says when you ask her!" Zoe piped eagerly.
"Will do kiddo." Tails promised, "I'm gonna go ask her right now. See ya around guys and stay safe."
"You too buddy. Good luck." Sonic said with a wave.
"Bye Uncle Tails!" Zoe replied, waving with him.
"See you later dear." Sally added.
The conversation was now over. Tails switched off the webcam, leaving the Acorn family to have some peace for the night. Now was the perfect time to pop the question, the biggest question he was likely every going to ask. He could feel his heart kicking his ribcage furiously as if it was a prisoner trying to break out. Would Cosmo say yes? He hoped she would. Tails wanted to spend the rest of his life with his beautiful girlfriend and maybe start a family of his own. That gave him something to consider. What would fox/Seedrian babies turn out like? He half-smiled at the thought as he got up out of his seat and left the lab.
Stored in his tails was a box containing the engagement ring that Tails had bought himself for the inevitable proposal. He took the box out and opened it up, revealing a gold flower-shaped ring with a beautiful sapphire jewel in the centre. He had chosen it specifically because it fit his girlfriend's plant-like appearance. Breathing in slowly to ease his nerves, Tails exited Royal HQ and headed off for home. He still lived in the house that he chosen to live in himself when New Mobotropolis had opened. He could easily have chosen a bigger place to live in, especially now he had the money for it. But to him, this small little house was home and had been for many years. He was attached to it and was all too happy that he'd be proposing to Cosmo in it.
Tails entered his house and called out merrily for her. He assumed she was still here but always liked to make double sure anyway.
"Hey Cosmo, are you home?"
"I'm right upstairs dear." a feminine voice replied back.
Pleased to hear she was home, Tails climbed up the stairs and walked over to Cosmo's bedroom door. He assumed by "I'm right upstairs dear" that this was the room she was in. He rapped on it.
"Come in sweetie." Cosmo replied.
He had guessed correctly. Breathing in and out slowly, Tails let himself in. This was it, the big moment he'd been waiting for. He was going to propose to his beloved and be prepared for the answer. His nerves tingled but he fought to keep himself under control. What kind of husband-to-be shivers like a nervous wreck in front of his girlfriend? He would never live with the embarrassment.
As he walked into the room, he noticed that Cosmo was lying on her bed and reading through a book on Mobian Botany. Being as how the planet was her home now, she had dedicated herself to learning everything about plant-life on Mobius.
Like Tails, Cosmo had grown up over the years. She was no longer the sweet little plant girl she once was, she was now a strikingly beautiful woman, aged 25 like Tails, with very long leafy hair and the rosebuds now blossoming into wonderfully scented flowers on each side of her head. She had grown taller and had a slender figure that had formed with her age. She still had the gem on her chest and it seemed to glow whenever Cosmo was happy or excited. Despite looking older, her attire was no different. She still wore the same flowery skirt, white leggings and green slippers she wore in her youth. They had just been accommodated to fit her new height.
Cosmo, like Tails, had pretty much grown up with no real childhood. Evacuated from her home planet Greengate as a child, she had crash landed on Mobius after being pursued by a maniacal creature named Marik the Martian. The Seedrians had been at war with the Martians and the war had ended with Greengate being destroyed. Cosmo was now the last surviving Seedrian in the universe, a terrible tragedy to befall such a young child. But thanks to her friends on Mobius, she had grown to embrace her life on Mobius and was grateful to have the wonderful friends she now had. Finitevus had caused more traumas for her by forcing her to be a spy for the Dark Armada, making her betray her friends for her boyfriend's sake. And when her usefulness had come to an end, Finitevus merely locked her in a cell and left her to be used for stress relief. Mecha Tails had even been the one doing the beating some of the time. It had taken Cosmo a long time to get over what had happened in the Dark Armada war and although the events still haunted her, she never let it get in the way of her current life.
Tails had been the kindest to her of all the Mobians she had met, the fox making her feel very welcome and at home when she'd crash-landed on Mobius all those years ago. He'd always been there to lift her up when she was down, listen to her when she needed to talk to somebody and even provided her with a shoulder to cry on when she was down. Tails's kindness had won Cosmo over and she couldn't see herself with anybody else.
Cosmo looked up from her book and smiled at the sight of her boyfriend. She could be in the most morbid situation one could think of and just seeing Tails would be enough to brighten her day. She sat up as Tails approached her.
"Why hello Tails." she said politely.
"Hi Cosmo." the twin-tailed fox waved back, "You reading something interesting?"
"Oh yes. I've been studying Mobian Botany for a while and this book is very informative." the Seedrian said enthusiastically, "I'm learning so much about plant-life on Mobius!"
"Yeah, our world is full of interesting plant-life." Tails nodded, "Though not as interesting as Mobian life right?" he added, grinning impishly.
"Oh you, you know that you're the most interesting thing in my life handsome." Cosmo purred humourously.
The two laughed for a moment as Tails sat down on the bed with Cosmo and pulled her closer to him. He could smell the wonderful aroma emitting from the roses on her head and the scent made him want to just lie down and relax beside her. If there was one thing that could make his day, it was the smell of Cosmo's roses.
"Gosh you smell lovely..." he said out loud, though he hadn't meant to.
"Aww, thank you." Cosmo giggled, flattered by her boyfriend's words.
Tails flinched upon realizing that he had just said those words out loud and blushed scarlet. God, he was 25 years old now and still blushing in the presence of his lover! He must look like an idiot at this point! But Cosmo didn't seem to mind. Then again, Cosmo had always found Tails's shyness rather cute.
"Heh, was that out loud...?" he stammered, rubbing the back of his head nervously, "Ahem...sorry eh...say Cosmo, I was just chatting to the Acorn Family a moment ago." he quickly said, changing the subject.
"What about dear?" the Seedrian asked curiously.
"Mostly how they're getting on and how we're keeping an eye out for S.T.I.N.G. agents." the fox replied, "It's kinda scary ya know how Sonic told us that Scorn told him that S.T.I.N.G. has eyes and ears everywhere...I like to think that Scorn told him that just to spread paranoia through us but given what happened a week ago, I doubt he was bluffing."
"And that's the scary part...anybody we know could be working for S.T.I.N.G." Cosmo nodded, a twinge of worry in her voice, "I hope nobody accuses me of working for them given...my part in the Dark Armada's attempts to destroy the world 17 years ago." her face fell upon saying those words. It was very likely that people would get that idea about her given what she did for the Dark Armada all those years years may have passed, but that didn't mean the memories of that time were gone.
"If anybody even THINKS about accusing you Cosmo, they're gonna regret it!" Tails declared, putting an arm around her, "I know for a fact that you're not working for those guys. Given the trauma you've been put through at the Dark Armada's hands, why would you EVER want to work for another group of villains again?"
"That is precisely what I think." Cosmo agreed, placing a hand on the fox's well-toned chest and fingering at the fur, "All working for the Dark Armada did was make things worse for myself and everybody else. The same thing would happen if I was working for S.T.I.N.G. too..."
"Ditto." Tails murmured, "Still, given there's a creep named Ramirez who can disguise himself with a holographic disguise emitter, we can't be too careful on who we trust or talk to. In fact, Sonic's told us all to check anybody who's wearing a watch to make sure that it is actually a watch and not a disguise emitter. Of course, me and you are above suspicion since we never wear watches."
"So in that sense, if you see me and I'm wearing a watch, even though I never wear one, chances are it's not me." Cosmo said, smiling briefly.
"And we'll have caught ourselves a S.T.I.N.G. agent." Tails said, smirking.
He could already imagine how mad S.T.I.N.G. would be when they found out that they'd captured their chameleon man, who was quite literally a chameleon man. What a blow to their operations Ramirez's capture would be if he was caught! But Tails decided not to press on about S.T.I.N.G. anymore. This wasn't what he was here for! Shaking his head, he allowed his hand to slip between his tails again. Now was the time, don't waste it! Propose to her and do it now! Cosmo noticed this with an inquisitive look on her face.
"Do excuse me Tails but what are you doing?" she asked, "Is there something you're hiding in your tails?"
"Yeah, sorta." Tails said sheepishly, taking his hand away. Cosmo was quick to notice that his hand was closed in a fist, meaning he had something in it now. What could it be?
"Cosmo, I didn't come here just to talk about S.T.I.N.G. and ask about how you're doing." the twin-tailed fox admitted, "I came here for something else entirely. I just allowed myself to be distracted for some reason..."
"Oh. Then what is it you're here for?" the alien plant girl questioned.
Looking down at his closed fist, Tails swallowed a lump in his throat. There was no going back now. Smiling queasily, he held up his hands and showed Cosmo what he had. It was a small box, presumably one that held a ring of some kind. Cosmo's eyes widened in excitement. Was this what she thought it was? She stared intently at the box as Tails opened it up.
"To ask for your hand in marriage my love." Tails answered, showing the engagement ring to her, "I just thought that now would be the perfect time given we've had a bad time lately. We could do with something pleasant to take our minds off of S.T.I.N.G. for a while. Cosmo, will you marry me?" he asked, his heart pounding so fast he no longer registered the individual beats.
The Seedrian could only stare as if hypnotized by the glorious ring in the box. Shaped like a flower and with a sapphire jewel in the centre, it was the perfect ring for her! She took the box from Tails, still staring at the ring and turning the question over and over in her head. Tails had finally done it, he'd asked her to marry him! She'd been waiting for years to hear Tails ask those five words to her and now the question had finally been asked. With tears in her eyes, Cosmo threw her arms around the fox's shoulders and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss that seemed to answer his question for her. Tails embraced her back, knowing that the answer was yes without needing to hear the word himself.
"Tails, I thought you'd never ask!" Cosmo cried gleefully, "Yes, I will marry you! I couldn't think of anybody in the world I'd rather be married to!"
"Heh, thank you sweetie..." Tails replied bashfully, running a hand through his soon-to-be-wife's leafy hair, "I was hoping you'd say yes. I love you so much that it was just meant to be really, that I was eventually going to propose to you."
"We should tell our friends about the happy news!" Cosmo piped eagerly, "Your sister in particular will go crazy with joy when she hears we're getting married!"
"So will Ruben." Tails agreed, "Speaking of him and Sora, I wouldn't be too surprised if those two are gonna get hitched at some point!"
That set himself and Cosmo off. They both feel down onto the bed laughing like little children over the little joke. The funny thing was...
...rather coincidentally, Ruben the Water Panther was planning on proposing to Sora Prower at this very moment!
While it was night over in New Mobotropolis, it was dawning over in Chun-Nan. There was a big time difference between the two zones. It was often said that you could be sleeping in New Mobotropolis while Chun-Nan remained awake and vice versa.
Being born in Chun-Nan, Ruben had no trouble getting used to being back in his home country. He had moved back into the place when he had turned 16 and was now living in his very own pagoda which contained all the luxuries one could possibly want or need in such a country. Even to this day, Ruben still couldn't quite believe he was actually living in his own home. He was 27 years old now and he had changed quite considerably over the years that had passed by.
Ruben was taller and broader than he once was. Like Tails, he wasn't quite muscular but he clearly looked like he had grown much from the 17 years that had passed since the fall of Enerjak. Ruben had a new hairstyle, which looked more ruffled then before and he wore a green and red robe that signified his status as a Chun-Nan resident. He no longer wore gloves. He wasn't sure why he had made that choice to no longer wear them, he just decided not to now. Aside from that, he still looked very much like the boy he had once been with his kind and honourable personality, his blur fur and purple markings and his trademark aqua-collar that he still wore around his neck.
Ruben had grown up loved and neutered by a clan known as the Hǎilàng clan. The name meant "Ocean Wave" in Chun-Nan's native language. His mother had been the leader of the clan, known as the Bride of the Gentle Waves. To Ruben, she had only been known as "mother". The Hǎilàng clan had been heartlessly and ruthlessly slaughtered by a power-hungry kung-fu mistress known as Zira the Ruthless. Ruben was the only survivor of the clan and had run away from Chun-Nan to escape the terror and despair he had been left with. All that had resulted in was him being captured by a pair of slave drivers known as Marcus and Celia Punch. He had been tortured, whipped and humiliated by them but he had escaped. This had then led to him meeting Tails and Cosmo, two people he would later know as his friends among the rest of the New Mobotropolis Royal Fighters. He had enjoyed his life with the team, feeling very welcome among them and like they were a new clan to him. He had loved all the friends he made during his time as a Royal Fighter. But there was one whom he loved as more than just a friend. And that person was Sora Prower.
Ruben was right now visiting one of his closest friends. Said friend was the former Princess of Chun-Nan. She had recently took up the mantle of Empress with her husband Bladefeather the Falcon ruling alongside her as Emperor. The previous Emperor, Dalon Tai, had recently died of natural causes with his daughter and her husband as the only heirs to the throne. His daughter was named Dalon Matilda.
Trained to be a kung-fu mistress since she was a child, Matilda had not had an easy life. Witnessing the death of her mother at a very young age, she had lost all innocence that terrible day and the worse thing was that her mother's death was pretty much her own fault. She had provoked the moles and they had acted, although she hadn't meant to make them mad. After her mother's death, she had been assigned to private martial arts lessons with a very wise and powerful badger named Kai Zen. At first, Matilda had openly refused to undergo the training for she hated violence. But in the end, she knew that in order to protect Chun-Nan, she needed to be able to fight. Plus her mother had wanted this from her so how could she dishonour her memory by refusing to respect her wishes?
Matilda looked older than before but still maintained her natural beauty and grace with her slender figure and raven black hair that was now styled in a long ponytail with two long strands over each side of her head. She wore an elegant purple robe that befitted her new status as Empress of Chun-Nan. The robe had gold trimmings and a green dragon stitched into the fabric. Matilda wore a red sash around her waist and more often then before, carried a red fan with her. She was holding it now as she and Ruben were chatting.
They were sitting in the living room of Matilda's royal home, the Pagoda of Prosperity. For many years it had been home to any emperor and empress that ruled the land. It had once been destroyed by the Region of Rebellious Reptiles but had since been rebuilt and stood as proud as ever. Matilda was alone with Ruben in the living room. Bladefeather was still sleeping, as were her two children. She and Ruben talked in low voices so as not to disturb them.
"...and I must say I'm quite proud of how well my School for Gifted Martial Artists is coming along." Matilda said, "I opened the place up only 15 years ago, a year after Jaycee was born and the same week that Miko was born and I'm just over the moon by how many students have been signing up for a chance to learn kung-fu there."
"I'm very happy to hear that honoured empress." Ruben said graciously, "I still remember standing there watching with Sora beside me when you declared the school open."
Like Tails, Ruben's voice had deepened with age. He sounded more like an adult then Tails did despite there being only two years between them.
"I know, I invited you to come along." Matilda beamed, "Anyway, I've been honoured to be tutoring so many young people who are willing to learn the art of kung-fu just to protect their country from anybody who wishes to do harm. Some students have been rather...troubling I'm afraid though." she sighed, "Some aren't interested in the more important details and just want to learn how to...ahem, "kick butt" as they put it."
It was clear Matilda wasn't fond of using juvenile terms such as that, nor was she keen on the idea that people just wanted to learn kung-fu so they could hurt people.
"That's disgraceful behaviour..." Ruben agreed, "Kung-fu isn't just about being able to kick people's backsides in. It's about protecting your friends, family and the country you love. It's also disciplinary and a great method of exercise. Why can't everybody see that?"
"I wish I knew..." the empress sighed, "Though it's not all bad. I have more good students then bad. Jaycee and Miko are among the good students and they're progressing beautifully. I couldn't be prouder of my little angels right now..." she sighed happily.
The water panther beamed with delight. He had met Matilda's children and had known for a fact they would bring great honour to their country. It appeared he was right.
"But you don't have to keep the pretence up Ruben. I know for a fact you're not here just to see how I am." Matilda said, a kind smile spreading across her face, "I have a feeling there's something else on your mind."
Ruben just smirked.
"You don't miss a trick do ya?" he sneered teasingly.
"Nope. Never. You can't get anything past me these days." Matilda snickered.
The two Mobians laughed before Ruben decided to reveal what his visit was really about.
"Well...I did come here to see about you but yes, it is about something else." he admitted, "You see, I'm sure you heard about this new enemy that's threatening our peace right?"
"Word travels fast around Chun-Nan..." Matilda murmured, "That and the communications towers that daddy allowed Sally to install allowed us to hear King Sonic's cryptic message. It's scandalous to think that there are seriously people who paint Eggman as a hero..." she screwed her face up in disgust.
"Well given how hard Sonic and his family were hit by their first move, I thought about something I could do to...you know, lighten the mood?" the water panther explained.
"That sounds lovely dear. What is it?" Matilda asked.
"Well...I was thinking about proposing to my girl, Sora." Ruben replied, blushing upon admitting this.
Upon hearing the water-powered Mobian's intentions, Matilda's face lit up with so much delight that if it was possible to glow just by smiling, she'd be brighter then the sun itself.
"Oh Ruben, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, "How lovely! You're going to propose to that wonderful Sora woman you've been living with since you moved back here! I couldn't honestly think of anybody more honourable that you could marry."
"Aww...thanks your majesty." Ruben said bashfully, "I've loved Sora for years and I think now is the time to finally tie the knot. But will she accept it?" he suddenly asked, feeling nervous, "It's true we've been together since I moved into my own pagoda but what if she doesn't wanna marry me? What if I dishonour myself and her just by asking?!" he sighed for a moment and looked down at the floor, "It's why I came empress. I'm real nervous right now and I just wondered what you had to say about this."
The empress nodded, understandingly completely why Ruben was feeling this way. She had been told by Bladefeather that he'd been equally as nervous when proposing to her long ago. She pondered for a moment, thinking of the right words to say. Romance was a complex subject and required a lot of careful thought before giving advice on it. She then came up with her answer.
"Well Ruben, getting engaged is a very big change for the two people involved." Matilda said, "And you need to remember that the worse thing that can happen is your love says no. There's no shame really in your proposal being refused so don't feel too bad if Sora says no. I'm sure she still loves you very much no matter what she says. If she doesn't want to marry you, you can still have a happy life together as a couple. Some couples stay together and never get married and I should know. I've met some of them. So my advice is to pop the question and just be happy no matter what Sora's answer is."
Ruben listened to every word Matilda said intently and thought to himself about the answer. She had good points and he believed what she said. Sora did love him and proposing marriage wouldn't change that. So why worry? He would feel a little down if Sora didn't accept but it didn't mean she was going to stop loving him. Smiling, he got up from his cushion and hugged Matilda graciously.
"Thank you your grace. That was very helpful." he said.
"Anytime Ruben. Do tell how the proposal went will you?" Matilda asked.
"You'll be one of the first to hear about it." Ruben promised, "I'll see you later."
"Goodbye dear." Matilda waved.
Ruben waved back as he turned and left the room. As he exited the Pagoda of Prosperity, he began to think about how he was going to approach Sora and drop the question. Should he jump straight into it or try and naturally let it happen? Whatever happened, he knew he couldn't mess up. He did not want to look like an idiot in front of his girlfriend. Forcing himself to relax, Ruben returned home, which wasn't very far away from the Pagoda of Prosperity, and he let himself in.
There, sitting at a table and surrounded by tools and bits of machinery was Sora Prower herself. The vixen had grown up just as much as her brother had. Now at the age of 28, Sora had a slender figure and a more mature appearance. She also wore more than just her utility belt this time, wearing a black tank top and shorts with knee high boots instead that greatly resembled the shoes she once wore. She still wore her old gloves and had her hair styled differently with two strands draping over the front of her shoulders. She even had green eye shadow on her eyelids. She still wore her trademark utility belt and it had more gadgets than ever.
Sora was Tails's sister, though she'd barely even been in his life due to circumstances beyond her control. Her parents were so financially unstable that they couldn't afford to look after two children. Sora had willingly given herself up since she felt Trails needed a mother's care more than she did. So at the age of 4, with Tails much too young to remember her at the time, she'd been given to an orphanage to which she'd ended up being adopted by a man named Martin Sumdac. He was a spy working for the M.S.I.U. and had spent the many years she'd been living with him training her up to be a spy. Sora had become one of the most efficient agents in the history of the organization at only twelve years old and had proven herself capable in a mission. Martin had tragically been killed by Fang the Sniper though Sora had lived on in his footsteps. Her first mission had been at age eleven and it took her another year before she would ever be reunited with Tails. Upon reuniting, the two siblings had vowed never to lose each other again. And they had kept that vow throughout the whole period of peace the world had been blessed with before S.T.I.N.G.'s first move.
Sora and Ruben had begun their relationship when Sora had joined the R.F.S. At first, she'd given him rather complimentary remarks and had taught him how to climb. In return, Ruben had been kind and supportive to her, especially during that terrible day she was dying from a spell accidentally inflicted on her by Blizzard the Ice Witch. Ruben had even saved her life when Scourge and Fiona had been ordered to kill her by Finitevus. He along with Tails had been the only ones to hear her story about how she became a spy and the water panther and vixen had been very close since.
Upon moving in with Ruben when he'd bought the pagoda they now occupied, Sora had grown to love Chun-Nan's culture and pretty much considered it a second home. Of course, many memories had come back to her, namely the time she'd helped Matilda save the Five Festivals from being ruined by a jealous former emperor, and because of that, she'd been made very welcome in the country. As of now, she was putting the finishing touches on a new orb she was making. She didn't appear to have heard Ruben come in.
"OK, just arrange the circuitry as so and the power input should flow perfectly..." the spy murmured.
"Good morning Sora." Ruben said politely.
Sora looked up and turned around, looking almost surprised to see her boyfriend again. Her face lit up with a smile that really added to her attractive appearance.
"Good morning Ruben." she replied, "Back from Matilda already?"
"Oh yes, I hadn't planned for a long stay anyway." the water panther replied, "Things are going well it seems, especially with Matilda's school."
"I'm glad to hear." said Sora, "I'm impressed she can run a school for martial artists and run a country at the same time. I doubt I could handle all that responsibility." she added, half-laughing.
"She's lucky to have a devoted husband to act in her absence." Ruben reminded, "Bladefeather is equally in charge as Matilda is ya know."
"Of course." Sora nodded, "Say, I've been working on a new gadget." she added, showing Ruben what she was up to, "It's something that could potentially help us weed out any potential S.T.I.N.G. agents. When it's complete, this orb will scan anybody with an invisible beam and let me know if they're equipped with a holographic disguise emitter or any concealed weapons."
Ruben looked closer at the steel orb, which was half finished with exposed circuitry on the other half. How did the vixen make these things? It was incredible at the sheer potency that these tiny orbs operated on!
"That's impressive!" Ruben gasped.
"I know. Nobody will get the drop on us with this thing." Sora declared, "Anybody working for S.T.I.N.G. can say goodbye to any attempts at fooling us, we're gonna proper flush them out!"
"I bet Tails would be impressed."
"He already invented a gadget of his own that does this stuff."
"Heh, of course he has. What hasn't he invented?"
"Want me to make a list?"
Ruben and Sora both laughed at the joke. As soon as they stopped laughing, Ruben put an arm around Sora, making the vixen feel puzzled.
"Um...why are you doing that?" she asked.
"I'm uh...just happy to be with you right now." the water panther said nervously.
"You're hiding something aren't you?" Sora asked suspiciously, "You seem a little nervous. Is there something wrong?"
Ruben wasn't at all surprised that Sora had worked him out. She IS a spy after all, she was trained to pick up on these things. It was near impossible to hide anything from Sora. Smiling bashfully, Ruben decided it was time to propose. It was the right time for it. Clearing his throat, he began.
"No my love. Far from it." Ruben said, trying not to look nervous, "There's something right actually. You know how we've been together for years and how our relationship has grown..."
"Yes?" Sora asked, curious to see where this was going.
"Well...I...I...uh...I wanna take our relationship to the next step." Ruben stammered.
He reached into his robe pocket and took out something. He presented it to Sora. The vixen gasped, putting her hands to her mouth in surprise. It was a marriage bracelet, a traditional proposal item in Chun-Nan. The bracelet was made of silver and contained two halves that formed together to make a couple kissing each other when it was clipped together and worn. Ruben rolled one of his sleeves up to reveal that he had one himself. The tradition goes that a proposer wears the first bracelet and the second should be given to the woman. Sora had learnt about the bracelet and what it meant and knew what was coming.
"Oh my gosh...Ruben...are...are you...?" she whispered.
"Yes I am." Ruben said, "Sora, will you give me the great honour of becoming my wife?" he asked, pleading that she'd accept.
The stunned vixen stared at the bracelet, unable to speak for a moment. Tears of joy began brimming around the edges of her eyes. Then slowly, he lowered her hands, placed them in Ruben's and took the bracelet from them. Then she clipped it around her own wrist and threw her arms around the aqueous Mobian's shoulders.
"Ruben...this is quite possibly the happiest day of my life next to being reunited with Tails." she whispered, "Yes, yes I will marry you!"
Delighted, Ruben picked her up and twirled her around with delight, earning a giggle of pleasure from his fiancée. He then put her down and the two kissed, happy to be betrothed at last. They didn't let go of each other for a very long time as if worried they would ruin the mood if they broke up.
"I'm so glad you said yes Sora." Ruben said, stroking her hair.
"What reason do I need NOT to say yes?" Sora retorted, running her hands through is hair, "You're loving, honourable, devoted and you saved my life many years back. I'd have to be a complete bitch to turn down a proposal from you!"
"I wouldn't have used language like that but OK." Ruben said uneasily, "Anyway, we've just got to tell Tails and Cosmo about this! They'll be thrilled!"
"I'll say! My brother's often asked if we'll ever get engaged." Sora said excitedly, "He'll be SOOOO happy!"
Unable to contain their excitement, the two rushed out of the pagoda to tell the fox and Seedrian the good news...
Awwwww, how suh-weet! ^^ Tails and Ruben have proposed to their girlfriends and both say yes! Looks like there's going to be a double wedding coming our way. What a way to brighten the mood for Mobius after S.T.I.N.G.'s first attack! :D
Tune in next time as our grooms and brides to be go through their "Wedding Preparations"...