amy6.html

Amy had forgotten just how pretty the Mystic Ruins were. The sea on one side, the beach and jungle on the other. As the train came to a halt and the doors slide opened, Amy got her first breath she had had in a long time of fresh air. The smell of old wood that made up the exit platform, the sweet sent of sea and surf, the aroma of green jungle plants of every sort came rushing though Amy's nose. Amy felt all her stress melt away at the tranquil setting.
After leaving the train station and doubling back under the huge arched brick bridge that connected the rock tunnel with the station they were climbing up the steps of a large hill within shouting distance of both the sea and the station.
The hill's top had two levels. One of which Amy knew to be artificial. The lower one which was used as a landing strip for air craft of average size still showed the battle scars of Sonic and Tails fight with Eggman's Egg Hornet weapon.
The second one was an air strip with palm trees lining the side (Amy didn't know if they were real or not). The girl had only heard what Sonic had said about the long strip of dirt transforming into an air strip. She had to ask Tails to do it once while she was there. On the end furriest from the water was Tails' work shop. A small cabin built on top of a hanger with a hydro-powered generator connected to the side.
Amy realized something.
"Tails? Do you have any food? I haven't eaten since yesterday morning."
Tails looked at her surprised. Then wondered at his own surprise. He had seen her pantry.
"Sure I have some pepperoni pizza left in my fridge." Amy looked a little strange.
"Uh . . . do you have any viggie pizza?"
"Viggie?! Why would . . . oh yea I forgot Hedgehogs are herbivores." His main reason for forgetting was that Sonic was an exception to that rule and before Amy, the blue blur had been Tails' only info on the hedgehog species. Tails was omnivorous only because he had grown up with Sonic and had picked up his habits.
After finding some fruit for Amy and heating the pizza for himself, lunch went by quickly. Both kept to the topics of the weather and of the Mystic Ruins becoming a protected zone for wild life.
After eating Amy asked where the Tornado III was. She was surprised when Tails took her to the hanger and found it empty. Tails didn't react, he only went to a corner of the metal hanger and opened up a trap door with bars leading down. Following Tails down, Amy heard the hum of machinery.
"You built this all yourself?"
"No. They actually built the water works here. It takes water in from the sea, desalinizes it and pumps it out to the surrounding areas."
"Desal-what?"
"It means they take the salt out of it."
"Oh."
"I just used my income as a discount programmer and mechanic to buy the space near the edge of the cliff they don't use anymore."
After navigating the maze of pipe with great ease Tails lead Amy to the second hanger underneath the rock cliffs over looking the sea. Amy couldn't see it because the doors were closed. But the main door, (painted with Tails' trade mark of two tails) was hidden from view by a natural water fall.
Amy took one look at the Tornado III and said.
"Looks pretty much like the first two." She said disappointed.
Tails smiled at her. "Just you wait and see."
Tails hopped into the cock pit turning on the planing power systems. He checked off the systems one by one.
"Tornado, transform!" He laughed. Amy waited to see it turn into an x-wing fighter like Sonic had told her about during that catch up at the Chao Races. Instead to her shock and total amazement it re-configured before her eyes into a walker.
"Say hello to the Cyclone I." Tails said happily from the cock pit. "And that's just form one, check this out!" Amy had to hold into something as the walker before her changed shape yet again, this time into a racer. "Wish I had this thing during Sonic R." Tails commented. "Wannna see the x-wing mode?"
Amy could only nod.
The racer once again transformed, now into the x-wing type fighter that Tails had used in his second assault on the Egg Carrier. Tails then shifted the machine back into it's default bi-plane mode. Amy touched the machine to make sure it was real.
"Tails . . . that's totally incredible! How did you fit so many in this one thing?!"
"Trade secret."
Amy went on.
"Wow! I just can't believe it! This machine rocks! You've been working on it this whole time since Sonic Adventure? Tails I never imagined you could make something like this. . . . Tails . . . You, are a pro!"
After waiting so long for any kind of praise for all his hard work Tails said the first thing that came to mind.
"Thanks." He jumped out of the biplane. Silence again. "It's so weird. I've been waiting so long for someone to say something like that. To say that I had done something good. To say that I have real skill. For someone to care about what I've done." He realized what he had just said. 'for someone to care. . . .'

"Thank you." She said her voice cracking.
"For what?"
"For caring . . . It's . . . nice to know someone cares."

"Amy, I . . ."
They looked into each others eyes, slowly their faces moved towards each other. Time slowed. Tails could hear his own heart beat pound in his ears. Amy couldn't breath. They inched closer and closer together. They slowed. They stop. The world was fading back into view. Their lips were centimeters apart.

[i] "Why do you always take chances Sonic?"
" I live the moment. Because they'll never come again." [/i]

The pair grabbed onto each other's shoulders and locked lips. Both hedgehog and fox were on fire. Time lost it's meaning and both stop only to breath. Maybe, the silence was alright, maybe. Maybe they didn't need words to communicate. Maybe actions spoke louder than words. Maybe . . . they just needed each other to get though this.

At the end of each day, or whenever you are away. There are all these things I want to say.
But wherever you go, you'll always know, I got so much more to show.
It was such a surprise when I looked into your eyes. It's only then I realized.
Your the one for me. No one else I wanna see. No place I would rather be.

All I need is you. (for always and forever)
All you need is me. (remember when I say . . . .)
All we need is love. (for us to be together.)
Cause your my number one.


Flames, comments, reactions, suggestions, and the occasional constructive criticism all welcome.
For those of you who don't know, 'never second chance' was a line from Sonic CD.