31 Days of Sonic Prompt 16: Photo.
A Life I Once Knew
Dusk was breaking. The violet hues of the evening sky smeared over the soft pinks and oranges. As the sun dipped behind the desert horizon, Bunnie remained in her private hut. She was a unique case, a Legionnaire who worked directly under the boss. Through blatant nepotism, Bunnie received perks the other Legionnaires lacked, such as a room for herself. It earned some disdainful muttering from her new associates, but Bunnie didn't care. So long as she defeated the Sand Blast Freedom Fighters whenever they tried storming the refinery, they kept their mouths shut around her.
She turned in her bed, the mattress creaking underneath her. The comforter was wool, reminding her of the one she clung to during her early days as a Freedom Fighter. It itched her skin, but she didn't mind. She had endured far worse than a bothersome blanket.
Communal dinner was almost over. Bunnie hadn't attended and finished the meal in the silence of her bedroom. The hustle and bustle of Legionnaires outside hardly caught her attention, even if she spotted a few glancing in her window. Most darted away when she met their gaze, but one girl, a small armadillo, lingered.
Bunnie sat up and offered a smile. She gestured with her metal arm for the girl to enter. Green eyes widened as if surprised, but Matilda quickly entered with a quiet greeting and shut the door behind her.
"Hey, sugah," Bunnie said, shifting the blanket off her. "What can I do for ya?"
"I'm sorry for interrupting your rest," Matilda replied, and Bunnie shook her head.
"Now, don't you worry none. I always have time for you, Tilly." Bunnie only trusted two people in the entire force. Mighty's sister and her uncle were her sole allies. Anyone else agitated her nerves. "So, what brings ya here?"
Matilda glanced at the room, which Bunnie knew was bare. Her uncle wanted to furnish it better, but Bunnie declined. A simple wooden table, a rolling chair, bedding, and a dresser were what she needed to survive in the Great Desert Dark Egg Legion.
She reached into her pocket and approached Bunnie. Holding out what seemed to be a slip of paper, she said, "The Baron realized you dropped this in his office after the daily meeting."
Bunnie pinched the flimsy corner, noting it was bigger than it appeared. It fit perfectly in her palm with a surprisingly smooth backing. But when she turned it over, her eyes bulged in her skull, and her breath caught in her throat.
She had been careless, painfully careless. She had only brought a few reminders of home, many of which were stored in the locked dresser. But the photograph of her wedding day was her most important belonging, the happiest day of her life when she became Mrs. D'Coolette. Antoine held her waist while she cupped his cheeks, kissing for the first time as husband and wife, surrounded by the revelry of their friends.
Sonic was standing by Antoine. And across from him was Bunnie's dearest friend, lost to the Eggman Empire through her sacrifice to save everyone. She thought they would have gotten married soon after them, but those times were long gone. Their bond was snapped in two, with Sally's brilliance working for Eggman as a destructive, mechanical force while Sonic dashed across the globe to save her.
She spotted other friends in the crowd. Amy was crying, and Tails was flying high in the air. Elias, the true king, presided over the happy couple. Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix joined in the applause while the royal guard saluted with their swords. Remembering the scent of roses wafting around her, it was the happiest day of Bunnie's life.
But it was the glint of her new arm that destroyed her fantasy. Eggman's emblem was emblazoned on the top of her hand. It was not the one that had been with her since her half-roboticization. Instead, it matched her new set of legs infused with artillery.
If she hadn't lost her original roboticized limbs, Bunnie could've avoided the tragedy. Antoine wouldn't have been trapped in his hospital bed wrapped in bandages with his heartbeat fluttering in his chest. She could have used her laser or boosted in time to destroy Metal Sonic before he attacked Elias and his family. Antoine wouldn't have needed to sacrifice his body just as Sally had done.
"Bunnie?"
Matilda's voice struck through her. It had the pitch of a frightened child.
"You're crying," she said as if she had seen a ghost.
Bunnie didn't know when her lukewarm tears dripped down her cheeks. Her eyes stung, and her cheeks burned. The hole in her heart expanded and deepened, threatening to suck the rest in like a black hole.
"I'll - I'll get the Baron," Matilda offered, and without another word, she raced off to find him.
Bunnie moaned when the door slammed shut. She curled in on herself, cradling the photograph to her chest. The warmth of Antoine's lips on hers was nothing more than a fleeting memory from a time long gone. She didn't know if she'd ever reclaim that blissful period, no longer surrounded by love or friends as she worked for the man who ruined and created her.
She wanted Antoine. She wanted to hear his voice and laugh. Her wedding ring pinched her finger, and she brought it to her lips, her tears bouncing off the symbol of their love.
The door flung open. Beauregard rushed in, breathless, with Matilda in tow. His gaze fell on Bunnie, and his shoulders slumped. He was as heartbroken as her.
"Tilly, please make sure no one bothers us," he gently ordered, patting her head.
Matilda spared Bunnie a sorrowful glance as she nodded. She hurried outside and shut the door behind her. She blocked the window with her shell, preventing other curious Legionnaires from witnessing Bunnie's despair.
Beauregard dropped to his knees. He gathered his niece in his arms, rubbing soothing circles on her shaking back. "There, there, my dear. Let it out. Oh, my sweet Bunnie, you let it out," he murmured, and she clung to her uncle's cloak, a wail escaping the back of her throat.
Bunnie couldn't turn back time. She couldn't prevent the moment when Naugus cured her, nor could she pull Sally out in time before her roboticization. And she longed for the peaceful days, of young love and eternal promises, with Antoine's hand in hers.
Non, non, mon amour, I am here. I always will be.
Bunnie gasped. She lifted her head so fast that her vision swirled, her tears obscuring everything. And at that moment, she saw Antoine smiling down at her and offering his hand. He titled his head, his boyish grin just charming as when they first met.
But when she blinked, her fantasy ended. Antoine was hundreds of miles away in a hospital bed. She only saw her dresser and outstretched hand, her wedding ring damp.
And with her suffering renewed, Bunnie buried her face against her uncle's chest and wept for the first time since her legionization.
