The Cremation of a Girl's Perfect Future
Author's Notes: Hello everyone! So this one is for all the Amy fans out there, you know! This is also another super-cool interlude from the story project I should be working on: Deprivation! Yay to that, no?
...no? Oh well. New version up now, modified for all you grammar lovers who cringe at spelling and format mistakes! I know I'M one of them!
And do y'all want a second chapter? Not likely, but hey, you never know! Enjoy for now and SO read and review!
Disclaimer: You KNOW I don't own any of the Sonic characters!
The word "engaged" stuck to her mind like gum to a sneaker. It was illustrated everywhere; in newspapers, in magazine articles. It was seen in every smile that passed the streets. "Have you heard?"; "have you heard?"
She had heard.
Her sugar-coated life had just gone bitter and when she saw their picture; his grin; her smile; her stomach churned; her teeth gritted, her face turned green. That witch; that horrible, ugly witch! She snatched him from her! She had been scheming in the beginning! She had to have been! She disrupted the forces of true love; she, the deceiver; she, the princess; she, her former friend!
Alright, so maybe she never was a 'friend' in her book, more or less "friendly competition". Oh no, not friendly, grim, UGLY, grotesque! With those auburn bangs that flopped in her face like the two opposite poles of a magnet sticking; that overused and over-exhausted ponytail hanging behind with that perfect flip. Her charismatic speeches on politics and hope; pssh, yeah, as if ANYONE ever believed her. Her risqué vest; that blue thing that covered nothing on her! Even a blind man cover see those developed 'beauties' that reeked her chest. Those large, ample, all-too-noticeable things…demure HER derriere!
Just who was that Princess Sally? Just who was she to steal Sonic the Hedgehog, the love of her, Amy Rose's life? Just who was she to disrupt true love? Just who was she anyway? She was horrible; she was an ailment; she was a disease! Nasty; revealing, gross, social faux-pas galore!
Why people flocked to her; why HE flocked to her was beyond HER! She was pretty. She was gorgeous. She was SO teen! She wasn't a twelve year old, and sure, though she couldn't compete with Miss. No-Garments, she could certainly hold up on her own! How many date requests was it this week? Five! Yeah, it had to be! So the guys ran before she asked; so they made excuses before she could finish a fragment of her flirting! She had SO gotten better!
Why Sonic flat-out refused her was beyond her; that stupid hybrid-mutant probably had him in a trance with ultimatums. Could Sally exile him if he didn't marry her? C'mon, that had to be the only reasonable excuse! Sonic loved her! Sonic had to love her, Amy Rose! Her tarot cards said so; MOBIAN TEEN'S KNOW-YOUR-LOVE QUIZ SAID SO! Sally was just playing with the forces—that snooty, no good, bitc-
"Sally!" And in the flesh there she was. It had been a typical day for Amy Rose; crying secession, gossiping at work, shopping after…and who was that princess to come and ruin it? Her friend Cream completely sympathize with her sorrow; HERS, not Sally's; that was. The only sorrow that indecent little royal-slut-bag had was not finding a vest short enough to expose her predominate chest.
There was no way that Amy Rose, the striving fourteen year old (by physical terms), was going to let this moment pass. Watching the princess tapping her blue boot by the bus stop, looking through some papers, the pink hedgehog was half tempted to whirl from behind with her hammer and knock her out right then.
Unfortunately, however, she had left the oversized mallet at her apartment (stupid work policy!). Instead, she found new means: emotion.
"HOW COULD YOU! YOU STOLE HIM FROM ME! YOU ROTTEN BRAT! YOU KNEW HE AND I WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TOGETHER BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP YOU! YEAH YOU, SALLY ATROCIOIUS-ACORN!"
"Excuse me?" Somehow through the chain of insults, the princess remained unmoved. "I take it you've heard…" Shutting her own eyes, she fiddled with the sapphire gem on her left finger. Amy growled, eyeing the exquisite detail; sapphire with diamonds surrounding it…so perfect, so flawless, so Sonic…so-
"IT'S IN EVERY MAGAZINE IN THE CITY! IN EVERY NEWSPAPER! EVERYONE'S HEARD! AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
"Calm down, Amy!"
"Calm down? CALM DOWN? That's MY RING ON YOUR FINGER! YOU STOLE MY HUSBAND!"
"He was never yours, Amy…" Her voice was calm, serene…years of war and debate had got her that; debate undoubtedly to convince Sonic to marry a witch like her.
"You BRAINWASHED HIM!" Another outrageous exclamation. Some passer-bys eyed the two of them; a child giggled. Amy only growled once more, her arms crossed perfectly across her chest. She was a picture of anger, in that red hot fabric…
And the irony, across her being a girl in blue. Of course, only an idiot like Sally would notice THAT detail! Only a brain like her would notice THAT color symbolism!
"Brainwashed him? Amy, honestly…I did nothing to him."
"Yes you did! You convinced him I wasn't his true love!"
"Amy-"
"You made him believe that YOU were ME! You RUINED HIM. You took him away from the stuff he loved! You made him learn your stupid politics; he made him be your stupid consort! You took his freedom away and you know it! YOU'RE AS BAD AS ROBOTNIK, YOU TYRANT! GO BURN. JUMP OFF A CLIFF! There'll be no tears at your funeral!"
Oh, Amy was satisfied. That was a true, third-degree burn. She compared the girl to Robotnik, a tyrant, told her to die…oh yes. Five-star quality. That had to budge that princess's seemingly perfect compose.
"First of all, I never made him do anything. Sonic and I have known each other since we were children, Amy. We went through a war together. We've always been best friends. He's a free-spirit. It's impossible to tame someone like him. Every thing that has happened in the last couple years have been his choice. It was voluntary. I taught him the basics of politics because he asked. He offered to be my consort, and I accepted. T-the truth is, Amy, Sonic and I have more or less always been 'dating'. To say I took his freedom away though-I'd never do that to anyone! Amy, I know what it's like to be oppressed. I've lived it in that castle. He's my own freedom-"
Quite bored with her monologue, Amy stepped fiercely on Sally's boot. Covering a rather tender area with her amount of power (it should be noted that just a few days earlier, on a secret 'scouting' mission with her 'nephew' Tails for chaos emeralds, she had mildly injured that area along with her ankle. The areas were simply sensitive, bruised to the extent that pain on contact was immediate, but not to the extent that bandages and rest were required), the princess' blues eyes had widened in pain. "Oh MY-FINE, AMY! You know, you're acting ridiculous! It's over, Amy. It's over! The race is over! It isn't a competition anymore between us and it never should've been in the first place! We all loved Sonic. We ALL did! We all deserved him equally. You, me, Mina…his fan club, all of Mobius for that matter! We all had equal qualifications. We all had different perks and he responded-we responded! Some people chose to move on! Some people found new love! Some people put the idea of love away altogether. I know I did at one point. The fact is, as I said before, you can't tame him. You can't tame Sonic or his heart for that matter! We were running for no reason and it was stupid! It was pathetic! We were horrible to each other for a while—if not physically, mentally. And for everything I ever did to you; for every bad thing I ever thought, I openly apology right now. I always respected you as a Freedom Fighter, Amy, and a person. I understand how you feel right now (the 'ow' in this word was stretched longer from Amy's observations. The pain of her high heel through her boot to her sensitive foot had had a mini repercussion)! You also, however, need to take my feelings into perspective. I'm not boasting, Amy. I'm not going to say I won because I didn't. Sonic isn't a prize or property, he's a man, Amy."
"Tsk, more than YOU'LL ever be!" Her come-back shot through Sally's ear, causing the princess's face to redden slightly beneath her fur. Agitation erupted and the pink hedgehog grinned. Finally! So she wasn't perfect!
"Argh-WOULD YOU LISTEN TO ME? SONIC WAS NEVER A PRIZE TO WIN. HE NEVER WAS AND NEVER WILL BE! WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER WHO HE'D CHOOSE. I didn't BRAINWASH HIM or FORCE HIM INTO AN ENGAGEMENT. He CHOSE IT. I love him, Amy, just as much as you did. I have no malicious intent with him and I have enough of a heart to realize that YOU and everyone else will be sore for a while. I also realize that YOU aren't going to LISTEN to a word I say unless I SAY what you want to hear! It was a GOOD run from ALL OF US, Amy. We were all fair completers for Sonic's heart…love, whatever you'd like to call it! The fact is, it was never OUR CHOICE in the first place. NEVER, AMY. I like to believe love is a mutual relation, not a dictatorship. Sonic-Sonic loves you too, Amy. He's told me he loves you."
"THEN WHY IS HE WITH YOU?" Her suspicions affirmed, the pink hedgehog raised an eyebrow.
"Because-it-it's a different type of love, Amy. Whoever made you restrain your definition of love to…intimate relations is…is at fault. I uhh…" Finally, the charismatic demeanor of Sally was broken. Hesitation; pure hesitation. "He loves you, Amy, like a sister. He loves you like a surrogate family or a group of friends. I should know. I love you too like that. Amy, throughout the war, whether you'd like to believe it or not, you were a friend to me and I could go to you. I have extreme respect for you and your character. You've done some remarkable things in the past. You've done some…uhh…dumb things, to be modest, but Amy, in retrospect, you're an amazing kid-no, girl. You're an amazing, growing girl and someday you're going to do something that'll…that'll stupefy everyone. You have the potential. And someday…you-you'll find that 'true love' too. Maybe it'll be Sonic. More likely, it won't. The fact is, it's someday. You can't force love, Amy. You of all romantics should know that."
"…"
"…and by the way you acted; by the way you're acting to me…YOU'RE the dictator. You want Sonic out of selfish content. You want Sonic because a pack of cards told you. Cards, Amy; pieces of paper! You're-you're worth more than they are. Who are you to let them control your life?"
"…but-"
"But nothing! I understand what those cards are-home heirlooms, more or less, but there comes a time when you need to set the line and oblige to it. Now is one of them. It's time to move on, Amy. I know it'll be hard and I'd be happy to help you or have Sonic help you get through it. I know we may be the last people you want to see, but I'm more than willing. You're a friend, Amy and I'd do anything for one. This war was…outrageous. This war for Sonic was immature, whatever you'd like to call it and I'm sorry I ever put you in the position that you needed to force your aggression in it. I'd like to call a truce now. We can celebrate the victory of the end and call the entire concept a stalemate. I…" Staring down the street, Sally stopped. "I've rambled."
Silence. The pink hedgehog starred down at her heels; the heels she wore to mock height and age. Staring up, she nodded. "It's okay. Uhh…you're not…atrocious, Sally. You're forgiven, I guess. I mean, it's Sonic's fault he chose you over me, not yours!"
With a small frown, the princess extended a paw. Well, at least she had made some progress. At least Amy wasn't thrusting insults at her at the speed it takes Sonic to consume a chili dog. "Friends?"
"Yeah, friends, I guess…" The pink hedgehog shook Sally's paw. Another silence…
"If it makes you feel any better, Sonic and I weren't intending to get married for another year or so…"
"I guess it makes me feel better…" A simple shrug.
"I'd love for you to be one of my bride-maids…that is, if you're feeling up to it then…"
"Maybe…"
An awkward conversation. Sally's eyes stared down at her boots. Amy bit her lip.
"Sonic would uhh…appreciate it too. He does care. H-he just hasn't found uhh…the right way to show it."
"I know. Like a sister, right?" Slight disgust.
"Yes, like a sister." An affirmative nod. Running a paw through her bangs, she raised her gaze up to notice Amy's wandering glance.
"Uhh…maybe I could help you shop for dresses and everything! I've got a blackbelt in shopping!"
"That'd be nice. My fashion's a little…lacking. I was thinking I'd go with blue and white for the wedding colors. Then again, it's so far off, I don't know if it's even worth planning at this point."
"Blue and white's real cute together. I got a blue dress the other day that looks just gorgeous with pearls…"
"Pearls…hmm…" Silence once again. "My bus should be getting here soon."
"Oh, mine too! I'm going shopping today."
"I have a political meeting and then I'm supposedly meeting Sonic for dinner-with Tails, of course."
"How's Tails anyway?"
"He's good. He never stops talking about the Freedom Fighters. We-we've had an interesting recruit lately. A black hedgehog that was 'dead' in the records…"
"You mean Shadow! I thought he HATED you guys!"
"Apparently Sonic convinced him otherwise."
"You know, Shadow looks a lot like SONIC, doesn't he?"
"I don't see the resemblance, but if I have any clue what you're aiming at, sure. You know, uhh…I think it may be nice to have a veteran explain things to him. You know, maybe over dinner…casual, of course but-"
"You mean me and him? Please…I'll have to check my tarot cards first!"
The two shared a giggle as a bus pulled up in front of them. The princess stepped on, leaving Amy behind. She waved and shared her good-byes and the pink hedgehog returned them with a small smile. Watching the bus leave, Amy waved back; a bit late, but nevertheless, she waved back. Sally Acorn…Princess Sally Acorn, the Sonic stealer…
…maybe she could grow to like her.