It was another day of fun on the beach, and Penny and the others were building sandcastles. Amy was the judge. Penny grinned as she placed the finishing touches on her little castle, decorating it with seashells and other items she found on the beach.
Amy began her judging. "Traditional, Penny." She said with a smile. She headed over to Sonic's, which was a castle. "Nice, Sonic!"
Tails' looked so similar to Sonic's, only smaller. "Very derivative, Tails."
Amy turned to Sticks, who was painted in green and in her own little sand fort. "Sticks, yours just screams fun!"
"Aaaand Knuckles..." She turned to Knuckles and frowned. Knuckles was leaning over a lump of sand with a twig in it. Amy sighed. "It's so hard to choose a winner."
"It probably doesn't matter, Amy," Sonic said.
"Because the beach is the hourglass of nature, and time will wipe clean what we and our hubris have built as everlasting?" Amy asked.
"No; because of the ginormous storm that's about to hit." Sonic frowned, pointing up at the clouds. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, and Penny and Tails both shrieked, jumping on Sonic. Sonic was thankfully strong enough to hold onto the both of them.
"Quick; let's get to my shack!" Sonic said.
"I don't think so," Amy said.
"It's safer in the storm," Sticks added.
"Is that place up to code?" Knuckles asked.
"Then it's agreed; we'll go to Amy's."
"That could be fun, I guess. It can be a slumber party! And we'll stay up late, and-"
However, when she stopped talking, she noticed that Sonic and the others were gone.
"Hey, wait for me!"
...
At Amy's...
Penny sat as close as she could to Sonic, hugging his arm and her whole frame shuddering due to her fear of storms and lightning. She listened as Amy talked about the plans for the slumber party.
"So, it'll be a slumber party. And we'll stay up late, watch movies, eat snacks, play Truth or Dare-"
"Truth!" Sonic snickered. "Where are the snacks?"
"I dare you to get them for us!" Knuckles grinned.
"Not sure you guys understand Truth or Dare. But I'd be happy to whip up some hors d'oeuvres." Amy smiled.
"Hors d'oeuvres? I wanted snacks! I hate this game." Knuckles grumbled.
"Here you go!" Amy smiled, walking up with a plate of snacks. "Quiche lorraine, vegetarian spring rolls, and a delicate assortment of baked Camembert and Brie cheeses on rosemary focaccia toast!"
"Yeah!" Everyone cheered and gobbled up the snacks.
"Not bad!" Knuckles grinned. "Could use some ketchup, though."
Another loud clap of thunder was heard, and Tails and Penny shrieked, clinging to Sonic. Knuckles grinned at the sight. "Ooh! Lightning phobia pile!"
The red echidna took a leap towards the trio, bouncing off the couch and falling behind it. A second later, something crashed. Knuckles stood up, smiling sheepishly. In his hand was a glass horse. He picked up the other part... a horn. Turned out it was a glassed unicorn.
Amy sighed in annoyance. "It's okay. A glass horse is just as good as a glass unicorn, right?"
"It's comin' down pretty hard out there. It can't get any worse." Sticks said with a smile.
"It's time for arts and crafts!" Amy grinned.
"I spoke too soon." Sticks grumbled.
Soon, Penny followed Amy's instructions on making a centerpiece. Amy grinned as she finished her centerpiece. "Using a sprig of holly and just a few everyday household items, that you have to special order from a craft catalog, you too can create a lovely rustic wicker centerpiece. How're everyone else's centerpieces coming along?"
She looked up and frowned. The rest of the gang were decorating Knuckles, a paper rainbow chain around his neck, holly on his head, and strapping yellow streamers on him and sparkles and glitter. Sonic smirked as he placed a rose in Knuckles' mouth. "And now for the pièce de résistance..."
Knuckles let out a sneeze, shooting the decorations everywhere. Amy stood up angrily. "Look at this mess you made!"
"Uh, don't you mean, "look at this art we made?" Knuckles snickered, showing himself off.
"Okay. This is okay. It's time for one of my favorite party activities... clean-up time!"
"Come on, Amy," Sonic said, looking crazed with boredom. "We want to do something fun, like pole-vaulting over the couch or shot-putting Tails across your living room..."
"No! You guys have made a big enough mess already. Don't touch anything, don't do anything, just sit there quietly until the storm passes!" She grinned. "Now who's ready for potholders?"
Penny sat down next to Sonic and the others as they groaned.
Later...
"Hey, you doing okay?" Sonic asked Penny. "You're being awfully quiet here."
"Just scared of the storm," Penny muttered, clinging to him.
Sonic nodded. A second later, Sonic groaned. "There's got to be something to do around here..." He leaned over Penny and opened one of Amy's drawers and pulled out a script book written for a play. Penny looked curiously at it. "What's that, Sonic?"
"Well well well. 'A Rose Without Thorns: a play in three acts,'" Sonic answered. "And guess who wrote it..."
"ME?!" Knuckles asked enthusiastically.
"No, not you, Amy." Sonic snickered. Sonic opened the book and began reading. "An empty stool sits under a spotlight as the lovely, charismatic and super popular Annie Rose appears from the curtain and pours herself a glass of lemonade."
Sticks took the book next. "''Twas years since I first met the mysterious stranger, the one with the fur, the color of the ocean.' Sticks looked up from the book and glanced around the room. "Who do we know with ocean-colored fur?"
"Me?" Knuckles grinned.
"No, Knuckles," Penny said. "Sonic."
"Well, it can't be me. While I am mysterious, I'm more of a royal blue." Sonic told her, taking the script from Sticks. "'Sonar enters, pitter-pattering across the stage in his scarlet loafers. Sonar:'" Sonic cleared his throat. "'Hey Annie! I'm gonna play volleyball. I only play against myself because nobody else can keep up.'" Sonic looked from the script. "See? That doesn't sound anything like me! He's an egomaniac, but without the incredible awesomeness to back it up."
Sticks took the book. "'Thump, thump, thump. A knock at the door like the sound of someone big and strong, but unable to figure out a simple doorknob. Annie Rose sashays to the door and answers, revealing Shoulders, the hulking dullard of a farmhand.'"
"Me?" Knuckles said, less enthusiastic than earlier.
"'Shoulders strides towards Annie but is distracted by a shiny object.'" Sticks read.
"It doesn't say that!" Knuckles snapped. "Gimme!" He took the script from Sticks and gasped at the shiny buttons on the book. He frowned. "Wait. What was I about to do again?"
Penny took the book. "'The new girl known as Peggy, dressed in a maid outfit, walked up to Annie. "Miss Annie, I've prepared your things for your voyage! Don't worry, I'll keep things under control while you're gone." Penny frowned. "Realy?! Peggy?! I hate that name! And why am I the maid while everyone has fun?"
Tails took the script book. "'But before Annie can reply, a naïve young fox named Taylor enters, cowering beneath the legs of Sonar." Hey, I don't cower!" Tails snapped, and a clap of thunder boomed outside, and Tails and Penny shrieked. Tails hurried under Sonic's legs while Penny nearly jumped in Sonic's arms. Tails growled. "Curse you, irony!"
Sticks took the book. "'" Just when all hope is lost, enter Twigs, the crazy-eyed feral badger. 'Miss Annie, the robot apocalypse is nigh! I intercepted a transmission from my toaster!'"
She frowned, putting the book down. "This is just ridiculous! Everyone knows when the robo-apocalypse arrives, it's the can openers that would transmit signals! Toaster!"
Hearing something clatter, Penny and the others turned to see a furious Annie-er-I mean Amy Rose glaring at them. "WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING?!" She screamed, and Penny flinched, hiding behind Sonic a little as Amy marched up to him, "You're reading my play?! That's an invasion of my privacy!"
"We have the right to read it, Amy," Sonic growled at her. "Since we happen to be all the characters!"
"It's not based on you guys!"
"Oh, no?" Sticks snickered. She pulled out a spoon and held it in front of Knuckles, whose eyes widened. "Oh! Gimme gimme gimme!" He cried, chasing after Sticks. When he grabbed his reward, he glared at Sticks. "Oh, and like Twigs isn't exactly like you!"
"She'd be wiped out by the Robo-apocalypse in two seconds, taking advice from toasters! " She hissed, turning to Amy's secateurs. "Can you believe these people?"
"Guys, stop fighting!" Tails said. "Right, Sonic?"
"Was that you talking, "Taylor"?" Knuckles sneered. "I couldn't see you in Sonic's shadow!"
Sonic laughed. "Good one, Knux."
"At least I'm not an egomaniac, "Sonar"!" Tails snapped at Sonic.
"That character wasn't like me at all! He was nearly as awesome as I am!" Sonic said.
Penny glared at Amy. "And making me a maid that you get to boss around all the time?! What's wrong with you, ANNIE?!" She hissed at the pink hedgehog, who glared back.
"It actually suits your character well, PEGGY!" Amy hissed back.
"Okay, guys! Break it up!" Sonic hissed, getting in between Penny and Amy.
Fed up, Amy glared at the group. "You know what's not awesome? Rummaging through my drawers and reading my personal manuscript!"
"When this storm blows over maybe we should all go our separate ways!" Knuckles grumbled at the group.
"Why wait? I'm going to the kitchen, where I will make and consume all the dainty hors d'oeuvres I want. Without ketchup!" Amy snarled. She snatched the book away from Sonic and walked off.
"FINE!" Everyone else yelled.
Penny grumbled as she sat on Amy's couch, turning her back away from everyone else. She'd never been this mad at her friends before. They fought over their characters in Amy's script that they weren't supposed to look at in the first place...she wondered if anyone would ever make up after this.
She could hear Tails and Sonic chatting.
"What business brings you all the way from Workbenchia to the Kingdom of Television?" Sonic grumbled.
"The new Wolf Sidekick special is about to come on." The fox explained, holding a necklace. "I come bearing this necklace made of the finest paperclips. I offer it in exchange for some screen time."
"Your paperclip necklace pleases me. I grant you... two minutes!"
Penny sighed, shaking her head. She turned her head over to Knuckles, who held a blanket over to Amy's fort. "Lady Rose of House Kitchen, in exchange for safe passage to your refrigerator, I offer you these blankets, that you may be warm."
"Knuckles, don't let the fact that I built my own fort fool you into thinking I'm playing this ridiculous game," Amy grumbled at him.
"Oh come on... I'm so hungry! I'll even eat those horse doctors you force-fed us earlier." Knuckles said pleadingly.
"I don't need blankets. It's not even that cold. Go away!"
Knuckles flipped the blanket over his shoulder, grumbling as he walked off.
Penny shook her head. This wasn't going to end... The human girl began shivering. Why was it getting so cold all of the sudden?
"You cold?"
Penny looked up to see Sonic glancing at her. She nodded, getting up from the couch and running over to Sonic for warmth, and he welcomed her, much to her relief.
"We're going to Workbenchia so I could come up with some heating device." Tails told her.
"Let's." Penny shuddered in Sonic's hold.
They made it to Tails' fort, and they were stopped by a voice. "Halt! Who goes there?!"
"Sticks, get out of my fort!" Tails yelped.
"Not yours anymore. I took it in a daring raid. Actually, no one was defending it. But still, Workbenchia is mine. Now go!" She yelled from inside the fort. She then shuddered. "But before you do, where's the heat in this joint?"
"The heat!" Tails said, raising a finger. "Of course! Worry not friends, I know where to go."
The group turned to a corner where Knuckles' blanket fort was built. Tails glanced at them. "It'll be a long, perilous journey, so we must make haste."
They took two steps forward and stopped at Knuckles' tent. Sonic glanced at it. "Knuckles, we need blankets. In exchange, I'll let you watch TV."
Knuckles glanced at him through the blanket entrance and glared at him. "Television! Who needs it?"
"Don't. Ever. Say. That. Again." Sonic growled.
"Knuckles!" Penny whined, glancing at the tent. "It's cold! You have all the blankets! Why not spare one?"
Knuckles walked out, wearing one of the blankets. He glared at them. "Fools! Your offerings mean nothing to me! The thermostat is under my control, and only munchies will end this winter. Heh. Who's the dullard now?" He asked with closed eyes. He turned to the group. "No, seriously. I'd like to know."
"If you think I'm getting into your little ploy for food you're wrong!" She snapped angrily. "Now turn off the air-conditioning!" Amy yelled at him.
"NEVER!"
"For too long we've allowed Knuckles to control that thermostat with an iron fist! We must topple our oppressor from his cushiony perch. Join with me! And you'll never want for comfy blankets again!" Sonic hollered.
"FREEDOM!" Tails and Sticks cried, raising their fists. They grabbed pillows and knocked down Knuckles' tent. Knuckles glared at them. "So, it's war you want, eh?"
"Wait, guys!..." Penny yelped, but it was way too late to stop them now. The human girl now found herself in the middle of a pillow fight battle. Sonic smashed a pillow at her, and she shot him a smirk. "Oh, now you'll get it!" She grabbed a pillow of her own and ran after him, the two laughing.
"Eat feathers, numbskull!" Tails yelled.
"If I can eat feathers, who needs the refrigerator?!" Knuckles responded.
After a few moments of chasing each other with pillows and accidentally knocking down Amy's furniture, the storm was soon gone, and Penny smiled in relief. No more thunder, for now.
Sonic grinned at the sun. "Hey, the storm's over. Yo, Amy. Let's head back to the beach!"
Amy walked up to join them but frowned at the messy house. "I can't believe you guys. You criticize my snacks but eat them anyway, make a mockery of arts and crafts time, and make fun of my play. And now, you're gonna leave without cleaning up?!"
She walked up to the door, jiggling its nob. When it wouldn't open, Amy pulled out her hammer and knocked it down. Penny winced. She'd never seen Amy that angry.
"I think we owe someone an apology," Sonic said, turning to the rest of the team.
"Me?" Knuckles asked.
"Amy's right. We took things too far." Tails said.
"Agreed." Penny hummed.
"You know, Amy's play wasn't all that bad. Actually, I kind of liked Twigs!" Sticks grinned, turning to Amy's secateurs. "And we can overlook the toaster thing as a youthful indiscretion." She added, patting the tool tenderly.
"I would guess Peggy wasn't a bad character," Penny said with a sigh. "She is thankfully the sweet maid, like Cinderella."
Sonic nodded in agreement.
"Shoulders wasn't so bad either." Knuckles said. "I mean, he's no "me". Neither am I." Knuckles hummed, looking up thoughtfully. "Or is it?"
"I know how we can make it up with Amy!" Sonic grinned.
...
Sonic walked a blindfolded Amy to a bench, and he smiled at her. "Come on, Ames. You're gonna love it."
"Unless it's a clean house with an unbroken unicorn, I'm not interested," Amy grumbled. However, as soon as Sonic took the blindfold off, Amy gasped at the theater stage in front of her eyes. She looked around and saw Bygone's citizens grinning at her, some waving.
Amy's shocked eyes trailed to Sonic, who began the play's introduction. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for coming to the premiere performance of "A Rose Without Thorns". Written by our very own, very talented, Amy Rose!"
Amy still looked shocked as the audience clapped.
The curtain opened, and Dave, dressed up as Amy, accompanied by Penny in a maid outfit. Penny set down the lemonade in front of Dave. "Here, miss Annie," Penny said. "Your lemonade."
Dave nodded. "Thanks, Peggy." He poured himself a glass of lemonade and recited the lines. "It was years since I first met that mysterious stranger with fur the color of the ocean."
Sonic popped up, giving the actor of Annie a flirty look. "Hey, Annie. I'm gonna go play volleyball. I can only play against myself because nobody else can keep up, but you can watch it if you like. What am I saying? Of course, you'd like to. And maybe Peggy can join in on the fun."
In the next scene, Penny handed Dave her luggage and waved goodbye, and the scene changed to a storm, and Dave drove the ship. Sonic put a hand on Dave's shoulder. "Annie, let me take the wheel. You'll never make it through the storm!"
"A woman could do anything a man can do."
And finally, Penny had a broad smile on her face when the play was officially over. Dave said the last lines. "And I will sing it from the mountaintops if I have to! This rose has no thorns!"
The audience cheered, and Penny and the others waved Amy to the stage. Amy grinned at the audience. "What an amazing reception. I'd like to thank..."
A loud thunderclap interrupts them, and Penny shrieked, jumping in Sonic's arms. Tails yelped as well and jumped in Knuckle's arms.
Sonic glanced over Penny at the others. "Who wants to go to Amy's House to ride out the storm?"
"Me?" Knuckles grinned.
Amy let out a sigh as everyone rushed off.
Next Chapter: Battle of the Boy Bands