Hello Readers!
I hope you all are doing well :) Sorry for the delay with this, I recently started going to college again, and I have had less time to work on this. However, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! (PS check my BIO for updates and fun facts).
Thank you to BitterKiss and Laineybug04 for sticking with me and helping me refine this chapter to perfection. I learn so much from the both of you!
Special thanks to my wonderful readers who take a moment of their busy lives to leave me a little note. I seriously enjoy every single one, and here you are: shad-amy01, Abril378, Heartless demon wolf, Amefloza13, MistyVoid48, Shooting Star Dragon 3000, TheMonfernoClan, CherryTheRose, Angel-kohai, ROCKCHIC179, Pirilaxa, and SonamyKitty. You guys are amazing and inspirational to me.
Guest review responses:
Guest: I am so glad that you like Omega and Amy's budding friendship! I'm having a lot of fun with it! As for Cream and Amy, I appreciate that you can relate to Cream and Amy. Friendships sometimes turn bitter, I've had a couple of things like this happen to myself as well. I look forward to hearing from you again, especially when we get to the long awaited Sonic scene ;)
ROCKCHIC179: Thank you for the review! And I am glad you are still enjoying my story! I'll need to check to see if yours has updated ;) I'm also glad you are enjoying the dynamics so far, I think there is a lot of fun in the future with this story. Thanks again and I really look forward to seeing what you think of this chapter as well!
Parks: Thanks for taking the time to share with me! I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying the story thus far! I am totally on the same page as you on the personalities, and agree that if the characters in this story were the same ages and at the same place in their lives as the games that the way I am portraying them is a little shocking. The good news is that all will be revealed! I will show why the characters are in the spot they are, it's kinda like I dropped you readers in the middle of the story and am slowly revealing all the bits and pieces :)
***IMPORTANT***
Okay, so here is my two cents on some common suggestions I have been getting for this story. I'm hearing a lot of 'This character is out of character' or 'this person wouldn't say that,' I am not offended nor mad, in fact what I am, is, like 'oh shit... I haven't properly explained what my goal is with this story.'
So here it is: Some of my old readers know that I truly do my best to stay as close as possible to the original characters. LGH is a pretty good example of this, and my 1,000 years piece is probably the best example. In TDR I'm trying out a different form of writing. There was a lot of unseen/unknown time that has passed for these characters and a lot of things happened in this time that molded them into what they are now. They still have their main character personalities and traits, but with some added (what I like to call) 'spice.'
This 'spice' will be revealed to you slowly but surely, so please bare with me, and I hope none of my readers were turned off by the characters thus far... And as always, for those of you who have taken the time to read this THANK YOU! And I would love to hear your thoughts.
******FUN WORLD FACT******
Shadow's motorcycle is modeled after the Arch KRGT-1 (2018/19 model) bike. It was an upgrade given to him by G.U.N. when he joined. Never fear though, he still has his Harley, it's just his personal ride that he likes to work on, on his free time. He doesn't take it on potentially dangerous missions because (and you would never hear him say this, but it's the truth) because it's his 'baby' XD
As always, kudos to those who read this massive note (my apologies for the length) and please enjoy this chapter!
Happy Reading,
Nothing Fancy
EPISODE 5: Ghosts of Knothole Past – Part 2
Eggman's Knothole Base – East Knothole Forest
~September 11, 08:03~
Amy grumbled as she continued to pull twigs and leafs from her fur and quills. She was particularly concerned with a spot just on the nape of her neck, where she was pretty sure a good deal of tree sap had spilled and tangled within her pink fur. She glanced up at the ebony male, who was making his silent and deliberate way through underbrush and a maze of trees. She huffed sharply, and turned her attention back to her messy quills.
"You could've driven more carefully, you know!" she accused as she pulled out a particularly prickly twig from her quills.
Shadow heard the noise behind him and rolled his eyes. He didn't care if his irritation with her seemed misplaced or like he was overreacting. Besides, he could barely explain it himself. If he was being honest, he couldn't help but feel as though she was deliberately trying to throw him off his game. No matter what she did, it rubbed him the wrong way.
The girl was obnoxious to him. She'd invaded their group, and thrown a wedge into the smooth and comfortable routines they'd developed over the years. She'd been late to the meeting, she complained and griped, and she jumped between emotions like a yo-yo. One minute she looked absolutely fine, and the next minute she was screaming her head off with tears in her eyes. It was too much to handle.
Not to mention the odd sparks of unknown and troublesome feelings that tried to take hold in his heart from her simple actions and words. Some of them were similar to anger - which he could easily recognize and control - but often he felt new needling, and prickly emotions that made his self control weaker. Emotions he had yet to give a name...
Earlier, having been left alone at the cafe with no other means of transportation, the two hedgehogs had been forced to share the motorcycle. Shadow had thrown her a visorless helmet, his eyes hateful as he mounted his bike, and revved it while silently waiting for her to sit behind him.
Amy had held the thick plastic helmet in her hands for a bit, looking over what in her mind was a death trap. There was no protection for the riders, and her limbs would be exposed to the elements. She'd admit, the thing was brutally beautiful, black paint and sleek red streaks accenting the curves of it's frame. It sported a grey G.U.N. logo on the hump of metal which shielded some of the engine. Most of the engine was exposed, revealing a twisting masterpiece of matted steel pipes, and gears. The beast hummed merrily as it waited for her.
It was obviously built to accommodate only a single rider, and although Shadow was forcing himself to sit up on the hump in front of the leather seat, she could tell it would be tight squeeze. She gulped, contemplating whether to just ask him for the coordinates to meet him there or not.
However, she was painfully aware that she'd already wasted too much time and energy this morning. She knew it would be more efficient, if she swallowed her fears of motorcycle accidents and images of peeled flesh exposing cracked skulls, and just got on the damn thing.
Shadow had been tapping his foot irately as he waited for the girl to sit behind him. He was seriously cursing the bat in his mind - going through several ideas of payback torture - when he felt hesitant and shaky hands touch his shoulders as the young Agent lowered herself onto the seat behind him. He could tell she was trying to touch him as little as possible and that she was very uncomfortable with the situation.
A smirk played on his lips as he thought of a easy way to give the hedgehog a 'good' first ride. Once he felt her ass hit the leather behind him, he revved the engine and went speeding from the parking space like a bullet. Amy's hands gripped into the muscles on his shoulders like a wrench, and he heard a muffled scream emit from her. When they reached the highway that would take them smoothly and safely throughout Knothole Forest, he, of course, chose to go off the beaten path.
He didn't worry about the dents and scrapes the frame of his bike was getting, as this just gave him things to work on once the mission was over. He simply enjoyed the screams of terror and the bouncing through overgrowth and the crazy maneuvers he had to do to get through the terrain. Going this route was completely unnecessary, but completely satisfying. That is until he felt hands vacate his shoulders to slide down his sides, and arms wrap around his torso underneath his leather jacket. Her hands gripped him desperately, and were a little too low for his comfort, but that wasn't what was setting his nerves on edge.
No, it was the feel of her slim body pressing against his back. Her head was at the base of his neck, and her chest was squished up on his mid back, comfortably fitting between his shoulder spines, as though it was created to fit there. With one particularly large bump, he felt her slide down the seat, until her groin was sitting on the small of his back, and his tail was stuck underneath her…
At that point he had braked abruptly, almost causing the both of them to go flying from momentum. Amy once again screamed, and the arms only proved to tighten around him forcing a gruff sound to exit his muzzle. He turned off his bike, and shoved the keys in his pocket while he attempted to stand, but her grip didn't lessen. He glanced back at her and growled,
"Get off."
Amy had visibly flinched violently and quickly jumped off the machine to back several feet away from it, her jade eyes wide in terror. She looked a mess, with forest debris in her fur and exposed quills, but it wasn't enough to squash the prickly feeling in Shadow's stomach that had started the second her arms wrapped around him. That was why he absolutely could not stand her, this emotion that made his stomach boil and made him want to tear her head off. But he'd swallowed the reaction the best he could and ignored the incessant tingling. He'd jerked his head, and pointed with his thumb behind him.
"We're almost there, and a motorcycle isn't the quietest. We'll walk the rest of the way."
The morning ride wasn't only on Shadow's mind. Amy once again glared at the hedgehog in front of her, drawn from her own musings. After scaring her to death, and taking her on a ride from hell, he was being rude and hadn't even waited for her to catch her breath before he'd turned and stalked into the trees.
Now they were walking in complete silence, and she felt her ears twitching with the need to hear a voice. She wouldn't say she liked the male anymore then he seemed to enjoy her company, but they were teammates now. If they couldn't be friends, they could at least be civil to each other… she hoped.
She gulped and steeled herself for the surely stupid thing she was about to do, but if she didn't at least try to make an effort, then she would get nowhere. She picked up her pace, until she was practically jogging next to him as he took long deliberate strides.
"So… you like riding motorcycles?" Her voice was tentative, and she gave him a warm smile, hoping to melt the layer of ice around him.
"We don't have to talk." He grunted, his ruby eyes fixed on a place in front of them. Amy's smile quickly morphed into a grimace, and she rolled her eyes, her mouth opening and closing in a mocking manner to mimic what he'd said.
She saw his blood red iris shift to the corner of his eye to give her a side look. His eye lids lowered, and his lip peeled back to reveal his long and sharp fangs. Amy immediately stopped, and slowed once more to allow him to lead the way. What the hell crawled up his ass and died? I have never met someone more full of anger then this male who calls himself the Ultimate Lifeform, she scoffed outwardly, and smirked as she saw his long pointed ear twitch in her direction. More like Ultimate Stick Up The Ass. The thought bringing a smile to her face and a small giggle from her throat.
"If you're done making fun of me, we've arrived."
Amy's giggling stopped abruptly, and she narrowed her eyes, a paranoid thought that maybe he could read minds filtered through her consciousness, despite the fact that she'd giggled aloud. However she shoved that down into the 'crazy' box, and hurried to join him behind the bush he was currently crouched behind. She felt him stiffen beside her from her presence, but she ignored his reaction, and instead flattened her ears to her head as she slowly lifted her head over the top of the bush.
A tall tower was nestled into the cliff side, it's shiny metal frame reflecting the morning sun like lasers. The metal was painted in varying shades of yellow, red, black and white. Mid–way up the side of the thing, the Doctor couldn't help but plaster his grinning logo in black as large as possible... as though the mustached domed top wasn't enough to alert any trespassers that this was one of Eggman's bases.
Amy felt movement beside her, and she saw that Shadow was fiddling with his ear. He had a focused look on his face as he adjusted his earpiece for comfort, and his nose was scrunched, a little pink tip of tongue poking between his black skinned lips. Amy blinked, and an odd feeling entered her, one that squealed within her that he looked kinda... cute. She shook her head, another image of his enraged face – if he noticed her staring at him – defeated that bizarre feeling, and she brought her backpack in front of her, carefully unzipping it.
She had several gadgets stuffed within its confines, having been unsure what was needed, she'd played it safe. She had the hand–held hard drive on the top for easy access, a G.U.N. designed rope that was thin and durable, almost undetectable in dimmed light. Several small weapons gadgets that could fit easily into the tiny pack, and then there was the item she was intending to use towards the bottom of the bag. A small pill shaped container, that served as a case and charger for her earpieces. She popped it open and fitted one into her right ear, before adjusting the frequency and channel, using an app on her watch.
"Why the hell did you bring all that?"
She jumped slightly, totally not expecting the hedgehog to speak with her for the rest of the mission let alone be the one to initiate a conversation. She looked over at him to see that he was staring at her backpack with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. She stayed quiet for a moment, wondering whether or not this was a trap, but with a shrug she held it open and angled in his direction for easier view.
"Well, I didn't get any instructions on what to bring," she explained kindly, "So I just brought a basic mission kit. I have some weapons, tech, rope with grappling hook..."
She trailed off as Shadow stared at her with an unreadable expression. She felt cold sweat begin to form in her armpits and it tickled the base of her neck as she tried hard to keep her face in a normal mask, while her muscles screamed to twitch in nervousness. They stared at each other in silence for a few more minutes, before Shadow finally blinked and huffed.
"Although I'm usually against the idea of carrying such items around unless required, I actually have an idea after looking at your… kit." The word was drawn out, and his tone was a reluctant acceptance that she'd done something mildly useful.
Amy tried to control a smile of validation that wanted to burst to life on her face - knowing that the male would find it obnoxious - but it curled in the corners of her mouth anyway. Shadow narrowed his eyes, but ignored her expression and instead jerked his head towards the direction of the tower.
"When Rouge gives the signal, we'll make our way along the cliff side to the east side of the tower," His tone was less aggressive now as he got into the details of the mission, and Amy tried to contain the feeling of joy that spread through her as Shadow included her in on his planning.
"Do you see that vent about 25 feet up the tower?" He continued, his finger pointing, and his gaze shifting to look at her expectantly. Amy scooted closer to him, her black tennis shoes inching her towards him.
Shadow watched as she got close enough that her thigh brushed slightly against his arm, and her face screwed up as she tried to follow his finger to the indiscript vent. He studied the bright jade eyes that contracted and dilated their pupils as she attempted to see what he was referring to. Irritation at her inability to quickly confirm his observation started to fill him, but then a small voice in his head said, calm down. She's a regular Mobian and probably can't see that far.
He gritted his teeth, feeling odd that he'd just stopped himself from getting annoyed with the girl. It was unnatural for him to give other's any more consideration then was absolutely necessary. So why would he possibly care about her? She was a thorn in his side, and he wanted to give her as much discomfort as she gave him. But something had gotten stuck… something was stopping him.
Maybe it was the smile that had formed on her face when he'd admitted her usefulness. That awkward blush that'd formed beneath peach fur on her muzzle, softening her expression. He'd unwittingly been be drawn in, to feel a sense of… calm. Remarkably, it seemed to cause the usual anti–social Mobian to second guess how he responded to her, not desiring her smile to falter.
How... disgusting.
"Hmm, I can see what you're talking about. Are you thinking about using the grappling hook to reach it?"
Her voice pulled him from the conflicting emotions in his gut, and he saw that she had a device gripped in her hand and aimed at the tower. It was a small screen with a long handle and he could see the image of the tower's side blown up on the screen with sharp clarity. Shadow blinked as Amy nodded her head and her fingers flew across the small screen as she moved the image from the vent to other areas on the tower.
"What is that?" He asked, his voice quiet with curiosity. Amy's head slowly tore it's gaze from the device, and turned towards him. Amy tilted her head, and looked at him quizzically.
"Um, it's a G.U.N. camera, used for surveillance. It has a high def camera on the back of it, and allows you to see things up to 200 yards, it also has movement and heat detectors. They trained us in the Cadet Program on all devices that G.U.N. produces, so I thought it might be useful for survelliance…"
She paused as she realized the look on his face wasn't clearing into understanding or recognition, and he still had a slightly baffled look on his face. She blinked rapidly as she came to the conclusion that he had never seen the equipment before. At the risk of pissing him off, she tilted her head and asked,
"I found it in your armory… do you guys not use equipment?"
Shadow blinked, his curiosity consumed by hot embarrassment as he guessed from her tone and question that this was something that was common knowledge for other Agents. He scoffed and snapped at her, anger a easier mistress to deal with,
"I don't need to use such things. I'm the Ultimate Lifeform, I can see, hear, and fight without relying on some handicap to get through a simple task."
Amy stared at him, she didn't know whether to get ticked off by his attitude, or to laugh at his self assurance. She chose neither option. If she had to be the mature one and take the high road so that they could get through this mission without hiccups, then so be it.
"Alright then. You know, I think it's pretty cool that you can do all of that on your own. It's kinda a hassle to carry this stuff around." She kept her tone light, and sincere, leaving no opportunity for him to respond negatively.
"In fact, I gotta admit, I'm a little jealous. It's actually really amazing all the things you can do, all I've got is my hammer." She added, a sparkle in her eye.
Shadow, who'd been tensing up in preparation of an argument, felt his body deflate rapidly. She was looking at him with true admiration, and he found that the little sparks of anger that he was cultivating meticulously were having a hard time forming into actual rage. He'd never had someone tell him that they were jealous of him before… let alone think he was amazing.
Usually people would roll their eyes and dismiss his declarations of superiority, giving him the excuse he needed to beat their asses and prove his prowess. Or even worse, they would stare at him with hate and revulsion. Their eyes filled with fear, the kind that wasn't just because of his skill, but because he was simply different from them. He wondered if she was teasing him. However, studying her her jade eyes intensely, all he could see was the brightness of honesty... and something inside him thawed slightly in those warm green pools.
"There's nothing to be jealous of." He mumbled his gaze flickering to the dirt beneath him, unaware that he had actually responded to her until it was too late. Shit, that sounded pathetic… he looked back at her and was already regretting saying anything as her face took on a morbidly curious expression. Thankfully he hadn't been completely abandoned by Chaos, as a screechy voice pierced through their earpieces into their soft brains, causing both hedgehogs to flinch.
"Team Fabulous in position. Status report on Team Crazy Hedgies?"
Shadow visibly gagged, and a growl emitted from his throat as his finger dove aggressively onto his watch, holding the 'talk' button.
"Rouge, I swear to Chaos if you don't drop that act I will personally make it my goal to –"
"Copy that, in position, Agent Rouge. Over!" Amy interrupted, her cheery voice overpowering Shadow's low growl. Shadow shot her a glare, and his mouth closed into a growl. Amy rolled her eyes and lifted her finger from her watch.
"Don't give me that look. You two have argued enough for one day! Can't we just get through this mission without any more interruptions?"
Shadow frowned at her, "Do you really think it is appropriate to speak to me in that manner? Since you are so 'by the book' you do realize I am a superior rank to you."
Amy narrowed her eyes, and without breaking contact with his red glare, she pressed her finger to the watch and tilted her head as she spoke,
"Agent Rose to Special Agent in Charge Rouge."
There was a small chuckle in their ears and then a, "Agent Rouge is a go. Over."
"Agent Rose requesting that Team Hedgie demolish ranks for the duration of this mission. Due to nature of cooperation needed to complete tasks. Over."
Shadow's leer deepened, and he looked ready to rip her head off. He could imagine the bat rolling on the floor in laughter at the opportunity to enact any form of authority over him. The pink hedgehog next to him was making it impossible for him to semi–tolerate any portion of this situation. Her straight forward and rigid approach to everything was irritating and – unfortunately for him – almost impossible to refute. As he expected, when they heard the transmission begin once more, there was a ghost of laughter in the bat's voice.
"Affirmative. Cooperate with each other as equals, and only report to me. Over."
Shadow growled. There was no mistaking the pleasure the bat was getting from this turn of events, and he felt heat building in his chest. Fucking G.U.N. and their damn 'procedures.' And fuck Amy Rose to hell.
Amy smiled with a 'told ya so' look on her face, and she smugly replied, "Thank you Agent Rouge. Over and Out."
Shadow huffed, and turned to survey the tower. He had lost interest in her little game. He chose to leave it alone, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of his frustration. If she wanted to go crying to Rouge, and have the bat fight her battles, then what did he care? The sooner they got this mission over with, the better. Now he had something to entertain him – fixing the blemishes in his bike – and he would do anything to get to back to his garage.
"So… what was your plan? I'd like to be on the same page."
Her voice tore through his bike maintenance daydreaming like a rusty nail in flesh. His head jerked slowly in her direction, and he saw that she was waiting expectantly, her pointed ears angled towards him. He shut his eyes and held them closed for a moment, attempting to reign in his irritation.
"It should be obvious, we use the grappling hook to enter the building through the vent. That way we avoid the main entrance and it's security. Stop bothering me with meaningless chatter."
His teeth were gritting as he said it, and his tone was closer to a growl. Amy flinched, and he saw her pupils contract. There was a glint in them that caused his heart to squeeze slightly with guilt at his tone, but then suddenly a brilliant smile absorbed the pain glimmering in her jade pools. He blinked in shock as she shrugged her shoulders and turned to the tower once more with the camera in hand.
"Alright then. I'll just stay silent."
As he watched her focus on analyzing the tower and the occasional badnik that entered or exited, Shadow couldn't help but despise her even more. He'd gotten what he wanted, and yet why was he having this sickening feeling in his stomach? One he only ever seemed to have on the rare occasions that he screwed up on a mission or in a battle... guilt. She was nothing. In fact less then nothing to him. Just two days ago, she hadn't even crossed his mind, and now here he was, his thoughts thrown into turmoil by simple things - pointless things like 'feelings.' I want her gone.
A buzzing noise interrupted his thoughts, and his left ear twitched and angled backwards as he attempted to pick up the sound. He could tell it was far off from it's volume and the fact that Amy didn't seem to notice it's approach. He tried to figure out what it could be… beebots? No. It was a deeper buzz then the shrill sound the insect bots made. The sound was getting steadily closer, and he realized that whatever it was, it was in the sky. In fact, it sounded kinda like –
Suddenly Amy sprung up, her jade eyes wide, and her face taking on an expression one would make when seeing a ghost. Shadow forgot the sound, more perplexed by the sudden change in her demeanor.
"I–I… I know that sound." She whispered, her body tensing like she was about to be attacked. She seemed frozen in place, her torso stiff and lifted, the camera still aimed at the compound. Shadow resisted the urge to wave his hand in front of her face, but then suddenly she was stuffing things into her pack and throwing it over her shoulder.
"Dammit… why now? Why this base… I know for a fact that Eggman has multiple bases…"
Her mumblings and her crazed eyes caused the male hedgehog to feel a bit of anxiety.
"What the hell are you mumbling about?!" He hissed, his hand clamping onto to her shoulder to stop her frantic fiddling. Her green eyes snapped up and looked at him like she hadn't realized he was there.
"What's going on?"
Amy gulped, dread and unwanted anticipation flooding her senses, and caused a ringing to enter her mind. She moved her mouth around in a manner that looked like she was chewing gum. Her body trembling against her best efforts. Dammit.
"It's –" She started but was interrupted by Rouge.
"Get ready, Team Crazy Hedgies! Our distraction has just arrived!" The cheery voice of the bat and the look of dread in the young hedgehog's eyes – plus the rumble in the air as a yellow plane streaked overhead – finally all came together for one horrible conclusion.
Her voice came forth in the breath of a whisper, birthing a name that brought forth memories of years ago, memories of a love sick girl and her hero. But stronger then the feelings of love, was an overwhelming panic… of guilt.
"Sonic."
Station Square
~ 1 year ago–ish ~
Amy played with the soda in front of her, trying to distract her nerves with the bubbling amber colored world that came to life as she moved her straw through the liquid. She focused on the fizzing as bubbles disturbed from their resting spot filtered upwards to burst when reaching the surface. There were a few lucky ones that got caught beneath an ice cube barrier, but a quick flick of her wrist pushed the frozen water from their path.
He's late.
She wasn't surprised by this fact, it was a common fault of his to wait until the last possible min – no second – to do anything. However, the situation did not help the ball of anxiety that was rolling around in her stomach. She glanced up to look around the street for any glimpse of blue. She was sitting outside a small Furasan* Cafe, and the sun was shining brightly overhead.
She flipped her watch open, abandoning the soda, and glanced at the messages displayed for about the hundredth time.
Sonic: 08:03pm – Hey Ames!
You: 08:05pm – HI!
[She had rewritten this reply about 20 times before settling on something simple]
Sonic: 08:10pm – Yeah… Listen I haven't heard from you in a while. How is everything?
[She'd nearly had a heart attack when she's read this line, and her fingers had blurred on the screen]
You: 08:10pm – I'm doing great! Sorry I haven't been in touch lately, I've been busy
[That was the understatement of the year]
Sonic: 08:11pm – Busy? With what? Picking flowers or shopping? :P
[Amy had rolled her eyes, wiped sweat from her brow, and gotten off the elliptical she'd been using as part of her nightly workout]
You: 08:12pm – Hey! I have a life you know ;) Want to meet up tomorrow and catch up?
[She stared nervously at the watch, until she heard a ding and practically screamed in joy at his response]
Sonic: 08:20pm – Sure
She smiled to herself as she read it once more before shutting the watch face and kicking her feet merrily as she sipped her cream soda. She didn't have as many cute outfits as she used to in the past, having donated all her previous wardrobe and opting for more athletic wear to fit her current life style. As a result, she'd left her dorm early that morning to run to a clothing store. That was one great perk to living in the city, there was always something open to shop at.
After spending several hours going up and down the racks, she'd finally settled on a v–cut light green dress, which sported a short skirt and low back. It was a garment that complimented not only her pink fur, but also drew the color from her eyes. She'd then purchased some cute beige wedges and got the painstaking process of having her quills curled into flowing waves, which she tied up into a ponytail with a matching colored bow.
She couldn't help feeling butterflies in her stomach as she thought about Sonic's reaction. She had chosen something that complimented her newly grown maturity and confidence and her goal was to make his jaw drop.
"A–Amy?"
The sound of her subject of obsession caused her to almost choke on the fizzy drink in her muzzle. She cleared her throat and turned, giving a stunned hedgehog a brilliant smile that could blind the sun.
"Sonic!" She exclaimed, jumping from her seat, and crushing the hero in an embrace. She felt his ribs crunch beneath her toned biceps and he grunted.
"Yup… definitely Ames." He gasped, and his hands came up between them to gently push her off him. His head tilted and his gorgeous emerald eyes looked her up and down. She blushed a little with embarrassment – and pride – when his gaze seemed to linger on her chest area.
"Wow… you look… wow."
Amy giggled, and pulled his chair out before sitting on her own.
"Thanks! I thought I was due for a makeover!"
Sonic couldn't tear his eyes from her, as he made his way to his chair and sat down, his face was exactly everything she had hoped and dreamed for. Score one for Amy Rose!
"So," She started as a waiter came over and filled a glass of ice water for the newly arrived hedgehog, "How have you been?"
Sonic jerked, his eyes blinking as he realized she was speaking to him. He quickly ordered a lemon & lime soda, before turning his attention back to her, his eyes trying to remain on hers, but they flicked downwards now and again as he spoke.
"Uhh, well you know... the usual. Eggman, and such," He replied with a wave of his hand.
"But I'm more curious about you. I haven't seen you or Cream for… well since that night you stopped by unexpectedly…" His voice trailed off and a slightly guilty expression took hold on his face, as he brought up the time he'd last blown her off.
"I've been keeping myself busy…" She replied, deliberately keeping her answer vague. Sonic was not a fan of G.U.N. and she wanted to feel him out a bit before dropping that bomb on him.
Sonic's gaze narrowed however, and the previous glow of curiosity left his emerald eyes to be replaced by suspicion. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. He was wearing only a denim jacket that sported colorful patches like chilli–dogs, stars and his very own logo, as well as his classic red shoes, the gold buckle gleaming in the sunlight.
"Yeah… you said that last night… what exactly have you been so busy with?"
Amy chuckled nervously and took a long sip of her drink to delay her response. She could already tell by his narrowed eyes, and slight frown that he was not going to take a half hearted answer. Sonic had always been someone she had a hard time lying to. He was her hero, her crush, and most importantly, her oldest friend. She didn't want to mess this up, as she was running low on friends lately, and she didn't want to lose the few she still had.
"Training. Cream…" She felt a lump form in her throat when she said that name, but she tried her best to swallow it, "When Cream decided to focus on school, I wanted to improve myself, so that I could be of use… hopefully to you…"
She mumbled the last part, her body heated, and her hands trembling in her lap out of view. Sonic stared at her for a long moment, and then he smiled.
"That's great! You look like you've been working out!" He blurted, and then a light blush formed underneath the fur on his muzzle as he realized what he'd said. Amy felt her own cheeks begin to burn.
"Thanks…"
The two hedgehog sat grinning stupidly at each other, and Amy felt happier then she had for almost two years, that was until she felt a smack on the back of her head.
Sonic's face morphed from embarrassment, to shock, to curious anger. Amy's head snapped around, ready to tear the asshole that had bumped her a new one, when she saw who it was.
Pandora the Jackal stood behind her with an evil grin, her arm threaded through her boyfriends arm. Zero the Jackal's face was the opposite of his girlfriend's, his mismatched eyes staring with cold calculation and disgust at Amy. The pink female immediately froze, her face taking on a panicked look. This was not good… she thought for sure she had picked a place far enough away to avoid bumping into anyone from the cadet program. Let alone the two people's whose mission it was in life to make her miserable.
"My, my, what do we have here, babe?" Pandora asked in a sing song voice, as she guided Zero with her to the table to stand next to them. She was wearing a body fitting romper that allowed a significant amount of cleavage to hang between the two hedgehogs, and she leaned on the table looking back and forth between them.
"Looks like Cadet Pinky here has got herself a boy toy." Zero droned from beside her, his muzzle twisted in a sneer.
"Hah!" Pandora scoffed, her eyes rolling to look the azure male who was staring at them with a confused but deadly glare, "Like pinky could land a guy like this… wait."
The jackal leaned in, her yellow eyes narrowing as she looked at him, "I know you… you're –"
"Sonic the Hedgehog." He stated firmly, rising from his seat, causing the female to take a step back to avoid a head bump. Sonic's emerald eyes gleamed bright with a dangerous glint as he gazed judgmentally upon them,
"Hero of Mobius." He added and thrust his hand forward. The jackal couple flinched slightly as though expecting him to hit them. He smirked at their reactions and held his hand steady as he waited.
"And who are you?" He asked with a sharpness to his voice.
Amy was watching the scene with wide terrified eyes. There were several factors working against her at the moment, and she didn't know what was worse. Was it the fact that Sonic was dangerously close to discovering her secret? Or was it the fact that her tormentors from the Cadet Program had seemed to materialize from the depths of hell just to screw up her day? It was a horrible clashing of her two worlds, and she felt her stomach tightening, and her breath catching in her throat.
"Th–they're… just some people I–I know." Amy uttered, cursing the stutter in her voice. She could feel her palms sweating and she felt freshly healed wounds in unnoticeable places itch. Sonic glanced at her with a concerned look, that quickly melded into understanding. He could see the fear on her face, clear as day.
The jackals seemed to gain their footing once more and Pandora sneered once again smacking the side of Amy's head.
"That's not how you address a higher seniority –"
Before anyone could see what happened, there was a gust of air, and the sound of choking, as Pandora was suddenly grabbed by the neck and pushed up against the side of the cafe. Zero and Amy both blinked dumbly as their brains caught up with the series of events.
"I don't give two flying fucks who you are," Sonic growled, his forearm pressing into the neck of female jackal. His usually calm and serene emerald eyes, were bright like a poison apple, and his quills were bristled like a pin cushion. Pandora's eyes were opened wide with fear, and her yellow irises had pinpointed pupils. Her long, fluffy tail swung side to side as she struggled against his grip.
"No one has the right to touch or treat my friends that way."
Zero had regained some of his composure, and he growled, making his way around the table to help his girlfriend, but he wasn't fast enough. Quicker than lighting, Sonic spin dashed into the male Mobian, sending him flying, before he sped back and smashed into Pandora once more.
"Go back to whatever hell hole you crawled out of, I don't ever want to see your ugly mugs around Amy ever again."
His arm pressed into her throat one more time for good measure, and then he released her to collapse onto the ground. The female jackal coughed, and stood with trembling legs. She started to walk over to her mate, but then stopped to shoot Amy a glare.
"You better believe you'll have hell to pay for back at the dorm. Enjoy your 'date' while you can."
Sonic jerked in her direction, and she jumped quickly out of the way before running down the street with Zero following suit.
Amy sat paralyzed in her seat. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and her throat was closed up in fear. She'd seen that murderous glint in Pandora's eyes it was one she recognized, and she knew that once she returned to G.U.N.'s cadet dormitories, she was going to be skinned alive. She shuddered, and started to frantically rub a new, poorly healed scar on the back of her hand beneath her glove.
"Ames…"
She could already see those piss colored eyes gleaming with excitement as the female jackal cornered her, 'time to play our favorite little game… ring around the rosy.'
"Amy!"
Her vision cleared, and she realized that she'd been crying. Shaking herself vigorously she brought up her arms to rub her face, hands smashing into someone else's. Blinking through salt water, she saw denim arms, and white gloves holding onto her shoulders. She looked up, and was met with concerned emerald eyes.
"S–sonic," She blubbered, and continued to wipe her eyes, furious that she was acting like this in front of him.
"I–I –"
"Who were they?" His voice was calm, but she could see the urge to run after those assholes trembling in his quills.
"No–no one."
"Stop lying." His voice was still calm, but now it held firmness within it, and he brought his face closer to hers so that there was no escape.
"Tell me what's going on right now. Are you in some sort of trouble? Are you in danger?"
Amy looked at him and his worry stricken face, and she felt an impossible reaction boiling to the surface. She wanted to laugh. The situation was laughable. Her sitting in a blubbering pile of goo was unbearable. She was acting weak. She was showing her flaws to another, and she had long ago learned to not reveal the chinks in her armor. But there was something about Sonic that drew this ugly side of her out. She didn't know if it was because of the love she had for him, or if it was simply because he was so… good, that anything she attempted to hide was immediately drawn out and exposed. This just would not do.
Almost like it had never happened, Amy's face quickly shifted from distressed, to stoney neutral. She finished drying the now plugged tears, and stood quickly, as Sonic's arms left her to hang uselessly at his sides.
"I'm fine, really. I can take care of myself. I–I have to go. It was great to catch up with you, we should –"
"Stop."
The harshness in his voice froze her once more, and she dared to look at him again. He stood before her with a mix of emotions twisting his face. He looked frustrated, worried, and unbelievably stubborn. She tried to swallow, but found her mouth to be dry, so instead she chose to clench her jaw.
"Ames, please, tell me what's going on."
There it was again. That shallow concern he always threw her way. He always did this, acting concerned and affectionate in her time of need, but when she tried to grow something more, he would always find some excuse to leave. Never knowing that when he did that, it hurt her more than what anything or anyone in this world could do to her. She focused on this thought, allowing it to churn anger inside her. Anger was better than pain. Better than fear.
"You made everything worse." She growled, her head snapping up, and her jade eyes glowing with her cultivated anger.
"Do you have any idea what you have done? Any idea of who they are?"
Sonic took a step back, his face stunned at her sudden attack with words. He scowled at her, but his voice still came out calm and as sweet as possible.
"No I don't. That's why you need to explain it to me. Seriously Ames, what has you so wound up?"
Amy glared at him, her blood pressure rising and a small voice within her screaming to stop. Screaming for her to get a grip and let go of her anger. But she was scared of the vulnerability that doing such a thing would cause. She could not break down in front of someone who on every occasion did his best to avoid her.
"They're my senior Cadets. They're graduating this year, and if they report me to our superior officer then I could have a blemish on my file!"
She was yelling now, and Sonic was standing before her with an almost comical look of shock and confusion. She knew she was being unfair to him, he didn't know what she was doing or what she went through each day. But she found she could not stop.
"Ames, what are you talking about? Cadets? Graduation?"
Amy chuckled darkly, her fingers digging through the fabric of her glove and into her soft palm. The pain causing her to focus on what she was doing.
"G.U.N. Cadet Program… I enrolled that night, you know the night you blew me off."
Sonic blinked, and concern laced with guilt took over his expression as he stared at her.
"G.U.N.? I don't understand, why are you in their Cadet Program?"
She wanted to ring his neck and shake him and she gave into that feeling. The irrational frustration was better than the girl within her that screamed to run to him… to give up and allow him to fix everything. But she couldn't. She was different now, she wasn't the same weak, obsessive Sonic groupee of the past… right?
She gritted her teeth, his emeralds eyes baring into her and she felt her mouth moving against her will.
"After the dissolving of Team Rose," She started quietly, her head turned away from him, not wishing to see his reaction, "I–I went to visit you."
She felt him stepping closer to her, but she still refused to look up.
"I–I wanted to see if I could join your team. B–But, you didn't seem like you'd be open to that…"
She heard him take a sharp breath, and she knew he was feeling guilty. Whenever she forced him to look at his rejection of her straight in the face, he would always guiltily ask for forgiveness. But that didn't change the fact that he would turn around and do it all over again.
"Ames I'm –"
"Don't say you're sorry!" She screamed, finally turning to look at him, his eyes were wide with shock. He looked like he was staring at a stranger. Her heart broke, she didn't want to hurt him, and yet the words spilled from her mouth like a burst dam.
"You never mean it! You always apologize, but then you just do the same things again! You never stop to listen to me do you?" Her finger pointed towards him accusingly, he seemed to flinch at it's appearance,
"You never give me the time of day, until it's too late! If you had just listened… just taken a moment to look at me that night, then maybe… just maybe... things would be different."
His eyes narrowed, and his arms folded across his chest, "That's not fair Amy. How was I supposed to know? And even if that was the case you never actually asked me! You could've stayed, or asked another time, instead of entering a government system that is more corrupt then Eggman!"
She scoffed loudly at that, her vision turning red at his jabbing, "Oh?! so now your lecturing me on the choice I made to improve myself?! Would you have actually allowed me on your team?!"
She poked the finger into his chest, and her eyes teared up once more. He grabbed her hand and threw it down without releasing her, his iron grip crushing her fingers painfully.
"T–that's beside the point!" He growled, his quills bristling up behind him.
She laughed, her head thrown back and her eyes closed.
"That's exactly the point!" She screamed, trying to rip her hand from his grasp.
Amy wanted to leave. She was saying and doing things she never wanted to, but somehow the anger within her was monstrous. It was something that had been dormant within her for years, slowly building in strength and intensity. She could no longer tell what or who she was so pissed at. She knew it wasn't completely directed at the blue hero, in fact only a small portion of it was, but he was here. And he cared about her, whether he would admit it or not, his actions earlier had proven so. Somehow this made her pour everything out at him. Taking all her rage and hurt out on him. Unfair…? Yes. But she couldn't stop.
"Amy! Look at what that place has turned you into! You're obviously not treated well there, and I can't stand to see you in so much pain!"
She froze. A battle erupted in her heart. She wanted to cry and fall into his warm embrace where she knew she would be safe, but the other part of her felt disgust at what he'd just said. She liked her new strong, powerful self. He knew nothing, and how dare he say she'd changed for the worst. The rational part of her told her he was simply worried for her, and that honestly she was acting insane, but again, she chose rage.
"You don't know anything! You don't know me." She tore her hand from his grip, and looked up at him with burning jade eyes,
"I'm top of my class! Hell I'm even better then those pissy jackals, and they're the best of their class. I've worked my ass off to get where I am, and I'll be damned if I let some useless hero get in my way with his lukewarm pity, and inability to feel anything but shallow interest for others! Never caring beyond your arrogant 'hero duty!'"
Sonic's expression changed rapidly from angry to hurt. His emerald eyes shone with it, and his body seemed to deflate before her. Her own anger suddenly vanished as she realized what she'd just done. She had never seen him like this before, he looked exactly like she felt every time he ran from her. She wanted to apologize, wanted to take it all back, but she knew there was no reset button in real life.
He pulled the sides of his jacket forward, and said nothing as he turned around. He was leaving, and she couldn't blame him this time… no, this time she was the one at fault. So for the first time in her life, she didn't try to stop him.
He turned his head, only one broken emerald eye shone past his beautiful blue quills,
"Do what you want. You're right… I don't even know you anymore."
And then he was gone. Faster than the breath of wind... faster than a beat of a shattered heart. Amy collapsed to the ground, her new dress dipping into the dirt and grime of the street. The bristling of her quills completely ruining her expensive hairdo, and her feet screamed in pain from their heels. She brought her hands to her face, and cried. She didn't care that it was pathetic, she didn't care that she was in public and people watching her.
Why would she? Nothing mattered now that she was truly all alone... and there was no one but herself to blame.
*Furasan: Meaning from the country Furasa, a French-like country on Mobius