Chapter 24: Alternating Currents
"This way, Sonic!"
"Do I haaaave to?"
"Of course! I can't think of anything more romantic than going shopping for bathing suits!"
Sonic groaned as he stared at the half-eaten chili dog on his plate at the food court of the Station Square mall. He was joined by Tails, Cream, Cheese, Bokkun, Helen, and Chuck, all enjoying an assortment of food from the various mall vendors. The only one who wasn't eating was Amy; she finished her salad swiftly and was now pulling on Sonic's arm, the blue hedgehog all but ignoring his girlfriend as he debated whether his upset stomach could handle the rest of his lunch.
"C'mon, Sonic, why are you being like this?" Amy released her grip from Sonic's arm and placed her hands on her hips. Sonic didn't reply, still staring at his chili dog, for once unable to finish a plate of his favorite food.
"You may be excited for the cruise," Tails replied, balancing a French fry between his fingers like a cigarette, "but you forget who you're dealing with here." The orange kitsune took a bite before washing it down with a long sip of his long-overdue Shamrock Shake.
"It's a little water," Amy huffed. "He doesn't need to go swimming."
"Have you considered Sonic's feelings, Miss Amy?" Cream asked before taking a bite of a Chicken McNugget.
"You too?" Amy gasped. "Is everyone against me now?" The pink hedgehog flung her arms up in the air.
"No, it's not like that at all," Cream replied. "If there's anything I've learned from spending time with Bokkun, it's learning to be accommodating. Not everyone is comfortable in all situations. Right, Bokky?"
"Mmmhmmm," Bokkun replied as he munched on a slice of apple pie.
"Bokky is shy around strangers, so I introduce him to others." Cream patted the messenger robot's leg, earning a smile from him as he continued chewing his latest bite.
"I just don't understand why he chose a cruise, of all things, as his apology for the way the government treated us." Sonic complained as he pushed his plate forward. "Does anyone want the rest of my dog? Just thinking 'bout the ocean is making me sick."
"Clearly the President didn't do his research," Chuck noted through a bite of orange chicken. "But hey, if there's one thing to be thankful for, it's that the trip will be all-expense paid, and it'll only be us."
"Mom and Dad too!" Helen noted before taking a sip of her boba tea. "The government checks finally reached my parents, and they made it clear to their bosses this would be a trip they wouldn't miss under any circumstances."1
"Back in my day," Chuck interjected as he sipped his Sierra Mist, "a small family could have one wage earner and still afford to go on vacations. Now my son and daughter-in-law work around the clock just to put food on the table. This country has really gone down the toilet."
"I'd hate to rain on the parade," Sonic interjected as he folded his arms, "but maybe I should stay home? Y'all are lookin' forward to this trip, and I'd hate to be a party pooper."
"Oh no you don't!" Amy pulled the blue hedgehog from his chair. Sonic face planted on the sticky surface of the mall floor and was immediately pulled back up by his girlfriend. "You're gonna help me pick out a swimsuit, and we're going to go on a nice, long, romantic cruise, and you're gonna like it."
Sonic spun around, restrained by the might of Amy's passion. "Tails, a lil' help here?"
"How about this." The orange kitsune took one final sip of his shake before pulling himself from his chair and approaching the two hedgehogs. "Sonic, why don't you go on the cruise?"
"Whaaa?" Sonic tilted his head in confusion, and Amy stopped trying to pull him away. "I thought you were my friend!"
"Let me finish," Tails replied, sticking his palms out. "What I'm trying to say is that maybe this trip will finally help you conquer your fear of water."
"What do you mean?" Sonic notched his head even more.
"The best way to conquer fear," Tails raised a finger to the air, "is to confront it head on!" He slammed one fist against the open palm of his other hand. "The cruise ship's so big that you won't need to constantly be looking at the ocean. There are many amenities inside as well as a few pools to help you learn how to swim in a safe environment."
"You call the middle of the ocean a safe environment?" Sonic used air quotes for extra emphasis.
"Think of it like this," Tails grabbed Sonic's half-eaten chili dog and took a bite. "You know how most of Eggman's schemes have been on land or aboard an airship, right?"
"Yeah, and?" Sonic folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.
"Well, there haven't really been many plots at sea. Sure, you have Eggman's Oil Ocean base, but there were more than enough oil rigs to keep solid footing."
"It's been years, and I still can't get the smell of oil out of my nose." Sonic plugged one nostril and sniffed heavily through the other.
"And then there's Aquatic Ruins, but the structures were intact just enough to ensure safe travels most of the time."
"Yeah, except when we fell into the water. If you weren't there to pull me out, I would've drowned!"
"The point is," Tails burped, earning an immediate high five from his big brother, before tossing the chili dog tin foil wrapping on the table, "it's only a matter of time until Eggman thinks to develop a base of operations in the middle of the ocean. Sure, his dilapidated headquarters here on Earth was on a small island before we blew it up, but we should be prepared for anything! Plus," the young fox whispered in Sonic's ear, "It's one less thing for Amy to nag at you about."
"I heard that!" Amy withdrew her Piko Piko Hammer from her hammerspace, causing Tails to step back, laughing nervously as he ran a hand behind his head.
"Ya know…" Sonic raised a hand to his chin in thought. "I think Tails has a point."
Amy raised her hammer once more, a flaming aura glowing around her. "You mind repeating that?"
"Not about the nagging," Sonic replied. "About learning to swim. Tails is spot on." The blue hedgehog gave his little brother a pat on the head. "Water is my greatest weakness, one that Eggman could easily try using against me. Maybe this cruise will help me overcome this fear."
"That's the spirit, Sonic!" Tails cheered.
"Way to go!" Helen exclaimed.
"We're proud of you!" Cream said.
"Chao, chao!" Cheese added, holding a half-eaten McNugget between their stubby hands.
"And this is why I love you so much, Sonic!" Amy declared as she grabbed Sonic's arm, nearly dragging him off his feet once more. "You're always striving to do better, be better." The pink hedgehog pointed in the opposite direction, her other hand still firmly clasping onto her boyfriend's arm. "To J.C. Penny we go!"
"I'll come too!" Cream said, slipping off the food court chair and running to catch up to Amy.
"Chao, Chao!" Cheese added, flying close behind.
After making their way through half the mall, the group of Amy, Sonic, Cream, and Cheese made it to the clothing store.
"C'mon, guys," Amy declared after walking into the store, "all the bikinis are on sale!" Sonic groaned as he was led to the woman's swimwear department.
The pink hedgehog wasted no time; finding a step stool, she climbed up and started exploring the various swimming outfits. Sonic, meanwhile, paced around in circles, waiting for Amy to make a selection.
"What do you think about this one, Sonic?" Holding it out for the blue hedgehog to see, it was a red, two-piece swimsuit with yellow hearts.
"It's great!" Sonic replied enthusiastically, giving Amy a thumbs up. "We gonna buy it now? This place is startin' to make me all claustrophobic." The blue hedgehog peered around, the walls feeling as if they were closing in on him.
"Why don't you take a few laps around the mall while I help Cream pick something out?" Amy suggested. "We'll also need time to try these on."
"Will do!" Sonic waved his hand as he spun his body around. "See ya!" Within seconds, the blue hedgehog was gone, multiple clothing racks toppled over and customers peering around in confusion at the disturbance.
"Ohhhh, that Sonic!" Amy grumbled. "Why is he always so impatient?!" Shaking herself out of her brief funk, she peered down at Cream. "Let's go pick something out for you too!"
"Yay!" Cream replied. "I had my eyes on this one over here." Grabbing the step stool, the young bunny climbed up and picked out a one-piece yellow bathing suit with a frilly pink skirt and flowers adorning the straps. "What do you think, Ms. Amy?"
"I think it'll suit you well!" Amy replied. "Let's try these on before Sonic gets back. Knowing him, he'll stop for another chili dog or two, so we should have time."
"Okay!" Cream replied as the two headed to separate changing rooms. Cheese, meanwhile, sat on a chair across from the changing room doors.
"Hey ma! It's a toy!"
"Chao?" Cheese peered up to find a young girl with a ponytail and braces peering at them. Her mother was several feet away comparing two different pairs of jeans.
"That's nice, dear." The mother placed one pair back on the rack and returned to her daughter. "My, that toy looks very realistic!"
"C-chao?" Cheese tilted their head in confusion.
"Oooh, it must be battery powered." The woman plucked Cheese from the chair, lifting them up to inspect their entire body. "I don't see a battery slot, though…nor a tag. I'll have to ask Customer Service how much this thing is wor—" She froze as Cheese flew away from the woman's grasp and spun around the two.
"Chao, chao!" Cheese cheered happily; the chao was confused at first, but they came to the conclusion that these humans were now, in fact, two new friends.
"Ahhhhh!" The mother flung her purse away in fright, grabbed her daughter, and ran off.
"C-chao?" Cheese was now even more confused, flying in place as they observed the humans leaving the store. Finally, with a shrug of their shoulders, the chao returned to their chair, bopping their head to the pop music playing over the speakers, waiting for their master to return.
Amy was the first to emerge from her dressing room. Peering around, she approached Cheese and knelt, getting on eye level with the chao. "Cheese, did you hear a woman scream just now?"
"Chao, chao!" Cheese replied happily.
"Huh…" Amy peered around once more before looking back at the chao. "I was probably just hearing things!" As the pink hedgehog reached this conclusion, Cream stepped out of her changing room as well.
"My, that bathing suit does suit you nicely!" Amy complimented.
"Thanks! Yours too, Ms. Amy! Right, Cheese?"
"Chao, chao!" Cheese replied with a big smile.
"Now we just gotta find So—" Amy was interrupted by the unmistakable whoosh of the blue hedgehog's return. "Hey girls, miss me? Y'all try the clothes on ye—" Sonic stopped, studying Amy in her new attire. "Lookin' good, Ames!" Sonic gave her girlfriend a thumbs up, a slight blush appearing across his muzzle.
"You really mean that?" Amy asked, clasping her hands together.
"Sure do!" Sonic replied, running a hand through his quills. "Now we ready to go or what? I think I explored every inch of this place a dozen times already!"
"Yeah, yeah," Amy said. "Just let us get back into our clothes and we can check out."
"Sounds good." Sonic sat in the chair opposite of Cheese.
"How's the best chao on Earth doin'?" The blue hedgehog lifted one leg over the other.
"Chao, chao!" Cheese flew up and crawled on top of Sonic's head, their stubby arms resting between his ears. The chao started sniffing vigorously.
"Oh, you smell that?" Sonic pulled a small bag from his quills. "I got ya a lil' snack." He opened the bag to reveal individually wrapped, cup-shaped candies. "They're called Reese's. I hear they're good!" The blue hedgehog unwrapped one of the candies and gave it to the chao, who balanced it between their stubby hands, studying the morsel intently before plopping the entire piece in their mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, and pausing a few moments to reflect on the pairing between the chocolate and peanut butter flavors, Cheese ultimately flew up in the air, a wide grin across their face.
"Chao, chao!" Cheese approved.
"Hey, I bet you can't catch this." Unwrapping another Reese's, Sonic tossed one piece high up the air. As if acting on instinct, Cheese opened their mouth wide, the candy landing perfectly on their tongue.
"Perfect score!" Sonic cheered, pumping his fists up in the air as Cheese celebrated in their own way: flying around the blue hedgehog's head.
"Time for me to try one of these bad boys." Throwing another one up in the air, he caught the Reese's in his mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, he was overcome with joy. "Move over chili dogs: I think I may've just found a new favorite food!"
"Blasphemous!"
Peering over at the voice, Sonic found Tails sipping on another dessert treat.
"You got another Shamrock Shake?"
"Nope!" He displayed the cup more prominently. "This is an Andes Mint Shake from Arby's. Totally different!"
"Ah, if you say so, lil' guy." Sonic proceeded to toss another Reese's into the air, but instead of landing in his mouth, it was caught by the tip of the orange kitsune's namesake. The blue hedgehog's eyes were closed, and his mouth was open for several seconds before he determined the candy missed its mark. Finally, opening his eyes, he peered over at the young fox, who had already devoured the chocolate.
"If you're gonna steal my treat," Sonic said as he yanked the shake from Tails' gloved hands, "at least lemme have a sip of yours!"
"Fair enough," Tails replied with a giggle. He stopped, though, when he found that Sonic sipped up nearly a third of his beverage. "Okay, that's about enough." The kitsune grabbed the drink with his namesake, returning it to his hand.
"I'll say, that was pretty good!" Sonic wiped the whipped cream from his lips, using his other hand to give Tails a thumbs up.
Amy and Cream emerged once more from their changing rooms.
"Find anything you like, girls?" Tails asked.
"Yep!" Amy replied, showing the young fox the neatly folded attire in her hands.
"Neat!" Tails peered over at his big brother. "Speaking of shopping, I realized back at the food court that we don't have any swim trunks."
"Wait…why do we need swim trunks?" Sonic asked, putting his hands on his hips. "We don't wear clothes normally, so why do we need to dress up to go in the water?"
"Well, you see," Tails closed his eyes as he raised a single finger to the air, "a swimming outfit can help improve the efficiency of one's velocity in the water, not to mention provide zipped pockets for any valuables you don't want to lose, and finally, to reduce the amount of fric—"
"We can wear matching outfits!" Amy interrupted. Yanking the blue hedgehog by the arm once more, she pulled him to the other side of the store, where she would spend the next twenty minutes finding the right pair of matching trunks for her boyfriend.
Sonic was not liking this.
Not at all.
Peering out the window of a Greyhound Bus, the blue hedgehog sighed as the morning sun warmed his fur but did nothing to warm his spirits. To his side was Amy, who was leaning on his shoulder, her eyes closed as she gently snored against him. Directly behind was Helen, who sat in her wheelchair in the far back section of the bus, Cream and Cheese in her lap like an oversized plushy. To his left, Tails and Chuck were having a conversation, and in front of Sonic, Bokkun sat awkwardly between Doug and Alicia.
"Hey Tails," Sonic called, interrupting the orange kitsune's conversation with the elder scientist. "Remind me again why we're taking the slow route to the ocean?"
"The cruise departs quite a ways south of Station Square," Tails replied. "I'm sure you could make it there in a flash, but where would that leave us? Plus, we have no place to park the Tornado or any other vehicle unless we paid an exorbitant fee to kee—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it…" The blue hedgehog sighed, resting his head back as he tried finding some comfort in the trees surrounding the interstate highway.
"Something wrong, Sonic?" Helen asked from behind.
"Nope! Everything is just peachy!" The blue hedgehog gave the world's least convincing thumbs up, dropping his arm with a flop shortly after.
"Feeling anxious?" Chuck asked.
"Well, I guess you could say that," Sonic replied, running a hand through his quills in embarrassment.
"Hey, it's all right," Tails said. "Everyone has their fears and things they don't like. It's admirable you're willing to confront this head-on."
"You think so?" Sonic asked, a small grin appearing across his muzzle.
"Of course!" Tails gave an infinitely more convincing thumbs up in response. "This is exactly the kind of thing that makes you my role model, Sonic! Seeing you confront your fears makes me feel like I can tackle the world. Whenever I feel down, or question my self-worth, I turn to my big brother as my guiding light."
"Oh wow, I don't think you've spelled it out quite like that before." Sonic blushed through his muzzle as his hand returned to his quills once more.
"Sometimes stating the obvious helps people feel better," Chuck replied. "But also: don't feel too much pressure. Your friends clearly look up to you, but that doesn't mean you need to be perfect either."
"That's right," Cream interjected. "If you're not comfortable swimming at all, you can just relax in the hot tub."
"Chao, chao!" Cheese added.
"I appreciate the support, you guys," Sonic replied with a smile. "But you know what? I think I'm gonna go for it. I'll get on that ship and take as many swimming lessons as I need to learn how to swim!"
"That's the spirit!" Helen said. "I'll be cheering you on!"
"Thank you," Sonic replied before slightly nudging the sleepy hedgehog resting her head on his shoulder. "And you'll be my tutor, right?" The blue hedgehog shifted his attention back to Helen. "What was that term they used in your anime? Senpai, was it?"
"Oh, yep!" Helen replied, pulling from her reservoir of knowledge obtained from her interests in Japanese media. "Amy will be your teacher, the one you go to for guidance. She'll be your senpai for sure!"
"Yeah," Amy replied with a yawn, rubbing her weary eyes with her fists before returning to full strength. "I'll give you as many lessons as you need!"
"The first step," Chuck noted, "will be to board the cruise ship."
"When will that be do you think?" Sonic asked, peering over at the elder human.
"If my calculations are correct," Tails replied, itching the base of his chin in thought, "I'd say we'll be there in exactly…"
The bus came to a stop in a large parking lot near the beach.
"…now."
The party laughed before filing out of the bus. Helen was assisted by the elevator at the entrance, making her departure a breeze.
"We're finally here!" Amy declared, taking a sniff of the air. "Ahhh, you can just smell the scent of the ocean! It feels so refreshing!"
"I'll say," Tails replied before jumping up, activating his rotary namesakes to get a good view of the coastline. "I see the ship! Looks like they're ready to board." The orange kitsune dropped back to the pavement below.
"Then what are we waitin' for?" Sonic asked, leading the pack. "The sooner we get on that ship, the faster we can get this over with." The blue hedgehog gently placed a palm on his belly, not wishing to show his friends his vulnerability once more. He quickly pulled his hand away, however, when Amy snuck up to his side.
"You doing okay, sweetie?" Amy tilted her head in concern
"Oh yeah, doin' jus' fine, Ames!" Sonic chuckled before extending his arm out to the pink hedgehog. "You wanna hold my hand? I hear that type o' thing is romantic."
"Would I?!" A blush appearing across her muzzle, Amy clasped onto Sonic's gloved hand, interlocking her fingers between his. "Why, what a gentleman you've become my darling Sonic! Earth's been good to you!"
"Ohh, young love," Alicia commented from behind, her words directed at her husband. "Remember when we used to be like that, Doug?"
"You mean before life kinda put things into overdrive?" He chuckled as he ran a hand through his short hair. "Well, no time like the present, right?" He extended an arm out to his wife, who couldn't help but gently blush as well before taking his hand, emulating the ritual they witnessed from the hedgehogs moments earlier.
Cream, who was previously holding Cheese like a baby in her arms, placed the chao between her ears before extending her arm out to Bokkun. The messenger robot, blushing as well, nervously accepted the invitation, grabbing her hand and following the troupe to the cruise ship.
Last in the pack were Tails and Helen, the former pushing the latter.
"Love is in the air, am I right?" Helen asked with a chuckle.
"Sure is!" Tails replied, laughing alongside her.
"I can't believe I haven't even asked if you've ever been in a relationship."
"No worries, Helen." Tails shook his head gently. "I've just never really been interested in dating. I've mostly kept myself busy in my workshop or joining Sonic on adventures. This romantic streak with Sonic lately is actually quite recent. Amy used to chase him down all the time, but now that they've been all but forced to live together, I think that brought the two of them closer."
"How romaaantic!" Helen clasped her hands together. "It's like another one of my Japanese anime!"
"I take it you're not referring to Pokémon this time?"
"Nah," Helen replied, "Although I do have a soft spot for PokéShipping."
"What's that?" Tails asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"The Ash and Misty pairing, of course!"
"Oh yeah!" Tails replied. "They're a cute couple. Shipping names are weird, though. Especially the ones that combine people's names."
"I've already come up with one!" Helen raised a finger to the air. "Henceforth, we shall refer to Sonic and Amy as SonAmy."
"Well, that's certainly easier than Sonic and Amy!" Tails replied, earning a giggle from the young girl.
Not paying attention to the path ahead, Tails nearly collided with the metal bars separating the landing from the precipice, a relatively long drop to the ocean waters below.
A large sweat droplet started to appear across Sonic's forehead. He took a gulp.
"I've got this." The blue hedgehog nodded to himself. "Yes, I'll overcome this fear. I won't let my friends down."
As the heroes awaited permission to board the cruise ship, a long, black limo pulled up in the parking lot not too far away.
"Sonic…Tails…I'll make you regret all the times you humiliated me." Pulling himself out of the car, Mr. Christopher Thorndyke nearly rolled, his inflatable life vest puffing out his form. His large goggles and snorkels, which he insisted he wear for the journey to the cruise ship for reasons unknown, didn't help with his hand-eye coordination.
"You think you'll be enjoying a nice little vacation, well…" The young boy laughed maniacally. "Just like how you ruined my fun, I'm going to go ahead and ruin your fun!" As he stepped forward, he slipped on a half-empty can of Mountain Dew, causing him to fall on his back. Trying to pull himself up, he only managed to tilt his body left and right, like a turtle flipped onto its shell.
"Tanaka! I require your assistance!" Tears started forming in the young boy's eyes.
"Coming, Mr. Thorndyke!" The butler jumped out of the car, grabbed him by the life jacket strap, and returned him to his feet. For added measure, he diligently inspected Chris from all sides. Finally, with a handkerchief bearing the fancy Thorndyke "T", the butler wiped the tears and snot accumulating on his face. "Is everything okay now, Mr. Thorndyke?"
"Gah, of course everything is okay, you miserable idiot!" Chris marched forward. "Now grab my luggage before I fire you."
"Right away, sir." Bowing repeatedly, the butler quickly ran to the trunk of the car, pulling out several overstuffed bags. Years of academy training were used to ensure he could transport each piece of luggage without needing to make a second trip.
"Just you wait." Chris chuckled once more. "Because once we're done with this little vacation, you'll wish you would have never met me."
1: This is in reference to the arrangement spearheaded by Tails for any compensation the heroes would receive in exchange for helping the U.S. government fight Dr. Eggman to go to Helen and her family instead.
This chapter took longer to write than I anticipated, but I've been busy! Between work, household projects, drawing, and a recovery from my recent wisdom teeth removal surgery (should've gotten it done when I was younger…), I ended up allotting much less time to writing than I would've preferred. My goal is to get the follow-up chapter posted faster, though!