Chapter 22
When the two hedgehogs get to the town ruins, it doesn't take long for Amily to meet them. She approaches with a smile, her arms holding up her swollen belly, looking ready to pop.
"How was Tel' Adre?" She asks.
"Not bad." Shadow smirked. "Sonic here managed to get laid twice, with CONSENT."
"Shadow!" Sonic gasped, covering his blushing face in embarrassment.
Amily laughed. "Oh come now, Sonic. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Be happy that you found someone to give your love to."
"I don't love either one of them. I barely know them!"
"Them?"
"He met a fox herm named Urta, and a rabbit herm named Loppe." Shadow explained. "He tried both of them out, but he said he's gonna stick with Urta."
"Stick with Urta, huh." The mouse girl smirked.
"Don't even." Sonic frowned, still blushing. "She's a sweet girl and all, but I don't even know her. I want to get to know her before we do anything else. I only had sex with her because she was having trouble calming down and it was making her upset. I didn't like seeing her cry because she was ashamed of herself."
Amily nodded. "I understand that, but what about Loppe?"
Sonic blushed. "She was… she was nice and all. Kinda forced herself on me, but at the same time, I gave consent. Her libido is just… too much. I can't believe I'm saying this but, I don't think I'd ever be able to keep up."
"But enough about Tel' Adre." Shadow smiles warmly, kissing Amily's cheek and gently rubbing her stomach. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling fine. It ain't time for these puppies to come just yet."
"But soon though, right?"
She laughs. "Yes, darling. Soon."
Sonic smirked. "Wow, Shads. Never thought I'd see the day you were so eager to be a dad."
"Honestly, me either."
Amily chuckled, then sighed. "I suppose you'll be taking your leave now to continue your quest."
Sonic and Shadow looked at each other, sharing a slight knowing smile.
"Actually," Shadow started, gently guiding her to sit down on a bench. "I think we should take a break today. Why don't we stay with you and get to know each other a little better?"
"Oh NOW you want to get to know me." The mouse girl chuckled. "Very well then. What do you want to know?"
The boys rack their brains for a few moments, then ask her to tell them what life was like in her village, before everything.
"Well, what was life like in your village, huh?" she responds immediately. "If I gotta share something private like that, then the least you can do is reciprocate."
Her tone is light and playful, she was teasing, but the hedgehogs decide that it is fair. And so they start to talk, telling her about their village; they describe the people, their friends, the places they liked to go. She sits and stares at them, clearly not expecting them to share that kind of information, but she looks quite appreciative, and she listens intently. Finally, when they finish, she gives a soft, sad smile, shakes her head, and then starts to speak.
"Life in the village, huh? It was so many years ago... and yet, I can remember it almost like it was yesterday. The demons had already been around for a few years by the time I remember - I think I was born maybe shortly after they first appeared, I haven't celebrated my Day of First Breath in so long I don't really know how old I am. We had walls to protect the village, and guards, but we never really believed that we would ever have to fight. We were a peaceful, quiet little village; we had nothing of real monetary worth, we thought we would be safe, that the demons would just ignore us. We fished in the lake, went swimming and sailed boats to amuse ourselves, we gathered fruits and nuts and berries and mushrooms from the forest, we hunted birds and small game for meat."
Sonic and Shadow listen intently, both managing to imagine the life Amily once had before. It hurt their hearts to imagine something so beautiful to be swept away by cruelty.
She sighs softly. "We were fools... but we were so happy, can we be blamed for being fools? Life wasn't perfect, the hunters often had to hunt imps, but they never invaded our streets, and so we thought we were safe. We quarreled and made up, we laughed and loved and lived... It was such a wonderful time."
Shadow sees a small tear form in her eye and trickle down her cheek. Quickly, he reached out and gently wiped it away with his thumb, caressing her face lovingly. She looks at him, startled by the affection. The golden hedgehog warmly smiles and kisses her, she kisses back. He pulls away and nuzzles her.
"Please, do not cry, my dear." He pleaded her softly. "I promise, by the end of our quest, your beautiful village will be restored. I will stop at nothing to be sure of it."
Amily smiled and nuzzled back. "Thank you, Shadow."
"Shadow," Sonic regretfully interrupted. "It's getting dark out."
Shadow looked up to indeed see the sky darken as a starless night fell. The blood-red moon slowly rises up over the horizon. He looked back down at the one carrying his pups.
"I will be back in the morning." Shadow promised. "I will come see you every day until these pups are born, and still even afterwards. I will not be a deadbeat father."
"Thank you, Shadow." Amily nodded with a smile, her eyes full of love. "You are a wonderful lover."
Shadow nodded and kissed her forehead. With a heavy heart, he stood up and followed Sonic out of the ruins, going back to their camp for a good night's sleep.
...
The next morning, the two hedgehogs wake up with a yawn and a stretch. It feels just like any other day, though a bit warmer. Quite a bit warmer in fact. It feels like winter's grasp on Mareth has slipped, and it's entering Spring. Curiously, they glance over towards the snow which had been recently deposited in their camp, and note it's melting away before their eyes.
"The seasons don't last very long in this world, do they?" Sonic said to Shadow.
"Oh well, not a huge loss." Shadow shrugged. "It was fun while it lasted."
"Yeah."
"Come on."
Already knowing where they're going, the two head out to the ruins again, eating a breakfast granola bar on the way.
It takes several minutes before Amily appears. She seems to be moving slower. She looks exhausted, causing Shadow to immediately run up to her and hold her up, helping her sit down on the bench. "Amily, dear. Are you alright?"
She groans softly. "This isn't an easy task, you know. But I still want to thank you. Maybe, when these ones are born, you'll be willing to help me make some more?" She asks, her tail gently waving behind her.
Shadow laughed. "One thing at a time, my sweet."
Amily laughed as well, laying her head against his shoulder. "What should we talk about this fine morning?"
"Did we ever tell you how Shadow and I met?" Sonic smirked.
"Sonic, please, let's not talk about that." Shadow blushed. "I don't wanna give her the wrong impression."
"Ooh, now I'm curious." Amily smirked. "You most definitely have to tell me now."
Shadow sighed, but told the story without restraint.
The three of them swap tales about their respective adventures, and from there the topic drifts to the various potions and elixirs discovered in this world.
"You know... I don't have the equipment needed to practice alchemy, but I do know a few things about it." Amily says. "If you can bring me a potion or a reagent, I may be able to remember some of the things my father taught me."
"That may come in handy." Sonic said, looking at Shadow. "There are a lot of potions in this world that we have no idea does. Remember that bottle of Equinum you found? We have no idea what it does."
"I remember." Shadow nodded. "We left it behind because of that fact, and we didn't have the room for it."
"And I did tell you what the Succubi's Delight does." Amily nodded.
"That's true as well." Shadow nodded. "Sonic's right. Your knowledge may come in handy. There's a chance we'll come across a potion that can actually help us."
"Sounds reasonable to me." Amily nodded, lifting her head up from his shoulder. "You two should get going. You still have a lot to do and little time to finish your quest."
With that in mind, Shadow and Amily shared another kiss before the two hedgehogs left on their quest once more.