Sonic X: Season 3: Shuffle Edition
Bonus Game #2
"Oh, Sonic! I'm so glad that you're safe and sound! I thought that you would've gotten sucked up into that black hole just a few moments ago! I'm so happy that you're alright!" Amy exclaimed brightly with a cheerful smile and with closed eyes as she hugged Sonic tightly while feeling him trying to pull her off.
"A-Amy...I may be glad to be alive as well...but...I do want to live thank you very much..." Sonic muttered calmly yet awkwardly in annoyance with a grimace and with closed eyes as he felt Amy hugging him tightly around his waist while struggling to pull her off from himself. Sonic, Amy, Chris, Cream, Cosmo, and Tails were still on the main deck. It had been five minutes after they had escaped from the black hole, and already, Amy is willing to be affectionate towards Sonic much to the poor hedgehog's dismay.
"You know, Sonic, usually in situations like these, people would be ecstatic to hug their loved ones again. Not pull them away as if they're roaches or something like that," Chris teased calmly with a coy smile and with a lowered eyebrow as he rested his head onto his right hand and watched Sonic getting hugged by Amy on his left.
"Chris! You're. Not. Helping!" Sonic exclaimed back in annoyance through gritted teeth and with furrowed eyebrows as he looked behind himself and glared hard at Chris.
Chris casually shrugged to this as he replied calmly yet teasingly with a smug smile and with half-lidded eyes, "I'm just saying as it is, Sonic. You are being a little ungrateful for not accepting Amy's unconditional affection like this. It's not something that a lover would do".
"Chris! Stop saying things like that! Otherwise, Amy will-Gaaack!" Sonic exclaimed back in annoyance with a deeper grimace and with a vein bulging in his head as he kept glaring at Chris before choking a bit when he felt Amy's arms wrapped strongly around his neck. He immediately looked back at Amy and stared at her with wide eyes and with his tongue sticking out as he was still being choked by her.
"Chris is right, Sonic! Stop being such a baby and let me give you all the affection that you deserve! We almost died together, you know!" Amy exclaimed brightly in agreement with a cheerful smile and with closed eyes as she nuzzled her left cheek against Sonic's right cheek while tightly hugging his neck.
And I'm dying right now...Sonic brooded calmly yet sardonically in annoyance with wide eyes and with his tongue out as he kept choking while struggling to get out of Amy's death hug.
"Trouble...breathing..." Sonic muttered hoarsely with a grimace and with closed eyelid as he struggled to keep his balance since he was standing on one leg after Amy pulled him down and tightly hugged his neck.
"Tails...You told me that hugs usually make people feel better about themselves...Not...make them feel worse..." Cosmo commented calmly with a sheepish frown and with upward eyebrows while having clasped hands as she watched Sonic getting hugged to death by Amy before looking at Tails at her right. Tails stood in between Cream and Cosmo after getting off from his seat. Cream was just staring at Sonic and Amy while holding Cheese in her arms.
Tails replied calmly with a sheepish smile and with a shrug after moving his head towards Cosmo, "Yeah, I had said that, but...sometimes hugs could do more harm than good...Like the kind of hug that Amy is giving Sonic right now...".
"I see...He really must not be feeling 'super' right about now..." Cosmo replied calmly in understanding in sympathy with a little frown and with a nod while having a fist close to her chest as she stared at Tails before looking at Sonic again.
"You can say that again...Like the Chaos Emeralds themselves, hugs could also be used for destruction and give someone negative energy...Such as death hugs for example..." Tails replied calmly with a sheepish smile and with a nod while looking back at Sonic and Amy as he explained some more.
"Oh my...Amy is much crueler than I thought..." Cosmo commented calmly yet quietly with a worried frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Sonic in sympathy.
"Want to try saying that to her face?" Tails asked calmly yet coyly with a smug smile and with half-lidded eyes as he glanced teasingly at Cosmo.
"Oh, goodness! No!" Cosmo exclaimed softly in alarm with wide eyes while covering her mouth with both hands as she looked back at Tails.
"Yeah, I expected as much..." Tails replied calmly in amusement with a smug smile and with a shrug as he stared back at Cosmo.
"Hmm..." Cream mused quietly with a little frown as she stared at Sonic and Amy. She can see Sonic desperately trying to escape from Amy's death hug but failing to do so. She frowned even deeper in sadness as she sighed a little while brooding calmly. Miss Amy is lucky. She's old enough to the point that she could love and possibly date someone close to her age like Mr. Sonic for example. But as for me...I can't do that. Sigh. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but...I hate my age.
She soon heard the deck doors opening from her right and saw Knuckles walking in while having a calm look on his face. He then stood beside Cream after seeing Sonic getting hugged to death by Amy.
"Yeah, that looks about right," Knuckles commented calmly yet nonchalantly with a solemn frown and with lowered eyelids as he stared at Sonic and Amy.
"Oh, look! Knuckles is back!" Amy exclaimed cheerfully with a bright grin as she finally released Sonic from her death hug and looked at Knuckles while clasping her hands together.
"...! (Pant pant pant pant pant)" Sonic gasped loudly before panting a lot as he finally regained some breath while he held his throat and while he held onto his right leg. Knuckles...You're a lifesaver...Sonic thought calmly in relief while panting a lot as he bent a bit forward.
"Now that you're here..." Amy added calmly with a sweet smile before she quickly took out her hammer and glared at Sonic while continuing irritably, "...it's time give Sonic his just desserts! You had this one coming for a long time, Sonic, and now, you're finally going to get it!".
"WAIT! WHAT?!" Sonic shouted in surprise and in confusion with an alarmed look on his face as he straightened up in fear.
"Oh, this is going to be good," Knuckles commented calmly in amusement with a smug smile and with half-lidded eyes as he placed his left hand on his hip. Cream, Tails, and Cosmo stared at Sonic and Amy in alarm while having surprised looks on their faces.
Ooooh...Just what did Sonic do this time? Cream, Tails, and Cosmo thought simultaneously in concern as they stared at Sonic with sympathetic looks on their faces.
Chris simply shook his head as he pondered calmly with a sympathetic smile on his face. Yeah, I'm not so surprised to hear Amy say that. I don't know what Sonic did this time, but it certainly seems bad enough if it got Amy to be mad with him. Poor Sonic can't catch a break.
"Just take it like a man, Sonic, and it'll be all over before you know it!" Amy exclaimed back in irritation with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows while holding her hammer up as she prepared to swing it down onto Sonic.
"Woah, woah, woah! Hold it, Amy! Just what did I do?!" Sonic yelled back in alarm with a surprised yet worried look on his face as he stared back at Amy while having his hands up in mock surrender.
"For taking a risk on that board game, of course!" Amy answered promptly in frustration with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she glared hard at Sonic.
"Wait! Huh?! What do you mean by that?!" Sonic yelled back in shock and in confusion as he looked baffled.
"You had made your move on that board game while we were in the middle of our race with Dr. Eggman, hadn't you?!" Amy yelled back in frustration with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she pointed accusingly at Sonic.
"Uhh...Maybe?" Sonic muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows as he shrugged a bit while having a sweat drop on his head.
"You most certainly did! And Knuckles could attest to that!" Amy exclaimed back in irritation with a grimace and with a vein bulging in her head as she pointed at Sonic before at Knuckles.
"She's right, Sonic. You had certainly made things worse for us in the long run," Knuckles added calmly in agreement with a smug smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Sonic and Amy.
"Ah! ...Wait! That's what this is all about?! You're mad at me for just playing the board game?! Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing in the first place?!" Sonic exclaimed back in shock and in slight annoyance with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he quickly looked at Knuckles in surprise before looking back at Amy while having his hands up in mock surrender again.
"Yes, Sonic! That is what we're supposed to be doing! BUT! There is a time and a place for that, and one of them IS NOT in the middle of an important mission! Are you even insane?! Why in the world would you take the risk of losing your life while in the middle of an already risky situation?! Playing that board game is hazardous to our health, and we want to take the least number of risks as possible! Do you understand, Sonic?! Not everyone is willing to go on risky adventures like this one! Do I even need to remind you about what happened five minutes ago?! All of us nearly died back there!" Amy yelled back in frustration with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she lowered her hammer down and placed her hands onto her hips while glaring hard at Sonic.
"...!" Sonic gasped again in surprise after hearing that and looked shocked as he jerked back a bit. He can see that Amy is legitimately mad at him, and for once, he agrees with her. He hadn't even considered his friends' feelings on the count of him playing the board game. He understood his friends' reasonings for taking their time when taking their turns, but with him, he likes to take his turns unexpectedly because...well...he likes the thrill of a surprising event happening thanks to his roll. But now that he looks back on it, he can see that the timing of his rolls was very terrible considering the situations that they were in at those times, and the dire situation that they were in prior is a testament to that.
Maybe none of those dire situations wouldn't have happened if I hadn't played the game at that time. Dark Oak and his army wouldn't have shown up if I hadn't taken my turn, and Knuckles wouldn't have gotten that horrible, black hole card if I hadn't rolled at all. I guess...what Amy is saying is right...I am being insane here...I should apologize to her...and possibly to everyone...Sonic brooded calmly with a guilty look on his face as he stared at Amy.
"Amy...I'm sorry. You're right. I wasn't thinking straight back then. I hadn't considered your feelings, Knuckles' feelings...or any of you guys' feelings when I had taken my turn back then. I was just thinking about getting some good luck for a change and maybe turning the odds into our favor for once. I wouldn't have ever guessed that we would've gotten ourselves involved into that mess that we were in before. I'm...I'm sorry that I had put you in so much stress because of my roll...and I'm sorry that I had gotten you guys in so much trouble thanks to what I had done. Please...Please forgive me..." Sonic apologized calmly yet humbly with a sad frown and with downcast eyes as he gently grabbed Amy's shoulders and stared at her while looking at his friends a few times.
Amy then frowned sadly at this as she saw how genuinely remorseful Sonic is being with his apology. She looked at the others and saw that they all had sad looks too. Even Knuckles looked sad even though he wanted to see Sonic get punished for his rashness. It seems that even he understood where Sonic was coming from when he made his apology.
When he puts it like that, I can't blame him for doing what he did despite my protests. I did the same thing too when I had made my roll. I wanted some good luck too. I wanted to get out of that fortress as soon as possible, but what I got instead was...something unbelievably awful that I'm relieved that I had avoided the responsibility of my acquaintances' deaths...Still though, that doesn't make me feel any better about myself...I really...really feel like it was all my fault...and it was only through a miracle that we had managed to survive that...Knuckles brooded calmly with a sad look on his face as he still felt guilty.
"I...I...I forgive you, Sonic..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet sadly in understanding with a guilty look on his face as he looked down to the floor and closed his eyes while tightly clenching his fists.
"...!" Everyone gasped in surprise after hearing Knuckles say that.
Sonic was the most shocked of all since he hadn't expected his old rival to be the first one to forgive him. The others soon looked rather sympathetic as they stared at Knuckles for a bit before looking back at Sonic and forgiving him one by one.
"It's alright, Sonic. We forgive you," Chris muttered calmly with a sympathetic smile as he leant on the left armchair of his seat.
"It's true, Mr. Sonic. We do forgive you. We know that you didn't mean any harm," Cream muttered calmly with a little smile and with clasped hands after letting go of Cheese. Cheese nodded in agreement with Cream as he simply chirped, "Chao!".
"It's okay, buddy. I forgive you. I know how difficult it is for you to resist the temptation of an exciting adventure. It's not easy, but I do know that you could do it for our sakes," Tails muttered calmly in understanding with a sympathetic smile and with a nod as he stared at Sonic.
"I forgive you too, Sonic. I know that you were trying to finish the game for your friends. You were doing what you thought was right. There's no harm in that," Cosmo muttered calmly yet gently with a little smile and with half-lidded eyes as she held her chest with her right hand.
"...Guys..." Sonic muttered calmly yet quietly with a sheepish smile and with downcast eyes as he stared at his friends before looking back at Amy. He can see her smiling fondly at him as she prepared to forgive him. However, he was then surprised when he saw her leaning in and gently...hugging him this time.
"Sonic...I'll always forgive you. You could make the stupidest mistakes imaginable, and I'll still forgive you. I know that you always have our best interests in mind whenever you make your rolls. You want all of us to have good luck when playing the game. Even during competitive games, you want us all to play well and do our best to win...and that's..." Amy muttered calmly yet gently with a fond smile and with closed eyes as she gently held Sonic's waist while leaning her head on his left shoulder before she lifted it up and stared directly at Sonic as she finished with, "...that's one of the many things that I like about you, Sonic. You always want everyone to have a good time together no matter the situation, and I think that...I can easily forgive someone who cares about my happiness as much as everyone else".
Sonic's eyes widened in surprise after hearing Amy say that. He slightly blushed in response of Amy forgiving him through that line of reasoning. He smiled a little at her as he held her arms while replying calmly yet quietly, "Aww...Amy...Thank you...Thank you for forgiving me...I'm glad that you and the others are willing to forgive me even though I do put you guys through a lot of dangerous situations...I'm happy that you're still willing to stick with me to the very end".
"Awww! Why of course, Sonic! I'll be happy to stick with you to the very end! I care about you so much!" Amy exclaimed happily with a sweet smile and with closed eyes as she gently hugged Sonic again. This time, Sonic hugged Amy back just as gently while smiling warmly at her.
"I know, Amy. I know..." Sonic replied calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with a slow nod as he stared at Amy while hugging her back. The others stared at Sonic and Amy with calm, happy looks on their faces as they felt glad that the two were feeling happy together.
"Mmm...Well...Now that we got that out of the way..." Amy muttered calmly with a sweet smile as she released Sonic from her gentle hug before she wrapped her arm around his neck again while holding her hammer out as she continued with a devious smile on her face, "...it's punishment time! Time for your two bonks on the head!".
"Wait! What?!" Sonic exclaimed in shock and in confusion with a flabbergasted look on his face as he stared at Amy in fear while holding onto her arm.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha! I should've known! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Of course, you're not getting off completely scott free! Heheheheheheheheh! You gotta learn your lesson somehow, Sonic! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Knuckles exclaimed in amusement with a huge smile on his devious face while laughing a lot as he kept his right hand on his hip. Cream covered her mouth with her right hand as she muffled her giggles. Even though she knows that what Amy is doing is mean, she can't help but giggle at it after hearing Knuckles' uproarious laughter. Chris, Tails, and Cosmo can't help but smile a lot too in amusement of this.
"Relax, Sonic. It'll be over in like two seconds," Amy calmly reassured with a mischievous smile and with half-lidded eyes as she held her hammer up and was ready to bop Sonic on the head.
"Hang on a minute here! Why are you giving me two bonks on the head?! I thought that you had forgiven me!" Sonic exclaimed back in surprise and in confusion with a nervous look on his face as he stared at Amy with wide eyes.
"Oh, I did forgive you! This is me being merciful to you!" Amy exclaimed back cheerfully with a sweet smile as she stared back at Sonic.
"How is ANY of this merciful?!" Sonic yelled back in annoyance with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows as he stared back at Amy while having a vein bulging in his head.
"It's merciful because I'm giving you two bonks on the head! Not twenty!" Amy exclaimed back cheerfully with a sweet smile and with a head tilt while winking coyly at Sonic.
"'Twenty'?!" Sonic repeated in surprise and in exasperation with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he sweated a lot.
"Yep! That apology of yours had really lessened the punishment down for quite a lot! So, you should be happy that you got a lighter sentence through that apology!" Amy exclaimed back cheerfully with a bright smile and with a nod as she still held onto Sonic's neck.
"Couldn't I just NOT get punished at all?! I'd very much rather stay physically healthy than suffer a concussion through your hammer swings!" Sonic exclaimed back in annoyance with a deep grimace and with lowered eyelids as he sweated a lot while slightly glaring at Amy.
"Oh, please...I'm not going to hit you THAT hard..." Amy replied calmly yet coyly with a devious smile and with half-lidded eyes as she stared down at Sonic.
"Ugggh..." Sonic groaned in annoyance with a deep grimace and with lowered eyelids while having a sweat drop on his head as he stared back at Amy.
THIS is why I'm scared of you. You can be all sweet and affectionate one moment until BAM! You're devious and hurtful the next! Geez...No wonder why you're named Amy Rose because your thorns REALLY DO hurt me a lot...Sonic pondered in annoyance with a deep grimace and with lowered eyelids as he stared at Amy.
"Can't I just talk you out of this?" Sonic asked calmly yet weakly with a sheepish frown and with lowered eyelids as he sweated a lot while staring at Amy.
"Nope!" Amy answered immediately yet brightly with a huge grin and with closed eyes as she held her head up.
"Ooooh...Chris? Can't you talk her out of this?" Sonic asked calmly yet weakly with a sheepish frown and with lowered eyelids as he looked back at Chris while still sweating.
"Nope. Sorry, Sonic. Even I know that I can't change her mind," Chris answered calmly with a little smile and with a headshake as he stared at Sonic.
"Ugggggh...I know...That's why I asked..." Sonic muttered calmly yet sheepishly in annoyance with a groan and with a grimace as he closed his eyes and shook his head a little in disappointment.
"Heheheh...This is soooo good..." Knuckles commented calmly in amusement with a snicker and with a devious grin as he stared at Sonic and Amy. Cream was just staring at Knuckles in amusement with a little smile on her face and not staring at Sonic and Amy at all. Tails and Cosmo were staring at Sonic and Amy in amusement too.
Boy, they really do act like a married couple sometimes...Hmmmm..."Married"...Cosmo thought calmly in amusement with a little smile before frowning a bit in sadness as she looked downwards.
"I feel bad for you, buddy. I really do..." Tails commented calmly in amusement with a little smile and with a headshake as he stared sympathetically at Sonic. He was then surprised when he saw Cosmo walking past him and heading towards the main deck's entrance.
"Huh? Hey, Cosmo? Where are you going?" Tails asked calmly in confusion and in concern with a little frown and with wide eyes as he stared at Cosmo. Cream and Knuckles also watched Cosmo walking past them while wearing surprised yet concerned looks on their faces. Cosmo stopped a few feet beside Knuckles' right and looked at Tails.
"I'm going to make myself some tea. Just...enjoy yourselves without me. Thank you," Cosmo answered calmly yet politely with a little frown and with a nod as she stared at Tails before looking downwards again. Tails kept staring at Cosmo as he watched her leave while having a stunned expression on his face.
What's gotten into Cosmo lately? Hmmm...Wait...Oh...That's right...Tails thought calmly yet curiously in confusion with a stunned look on his face before it turned sad as he realized what the problem was.
"Hey, guys?" Tails muttered calmly to Cream and Knuckles as he looked at them.
"Huh? Yes, Tails?" Cream and Knuckles asked calmly in unison with curious looks on their faces as they stared at Tails.
"I'm going to join Cosmo for some tea. She could use some company," Tails replied calmly with a little frown and with concerned eyes as he stared at Cream and Knuckles. Cream and Knuckles stared at Tails with stunned looks on their faces before looking at each other and frowning a little in sadness and in understanding.
"It's okay, Tails. We understand," Cream replied calmly in understanding with a little, sad frown and with a nod as she looked back at Tails.
"Yeah...We get it, Tails. You go and talk to Cosmo. I'm sure that she needs someone to cheer her up," Knuckles added calmly in understanding with a little, sad frown and with lowered eyelids as he looked back at Tails. Tails smiled a bit sadly as he saw that his friends understood his reasons for leaving.
He nodded a little to the two of them as he replied calmly, "Thanks, guys. I'm glad that you two understand. Anyways, I'm off. I'll see you two later".
"Right. Later," Knuckles replied calmly with a little smile and with a nod as he waved Tails "goodbye" while watching him leave.
"Bye, Tails," Cream replied calmly with a little smile as she waved "goodbye" too with Knuckles while she also watched Tails leave.
"Bye, you two," Tails replied calmly with a little smile and with a nod as he briefly looked back at Cream and Knuckles before finally exiting the main deck. As he left, he could hear Sonic and Amy yelling some more.
"Come on, Amy! Just give it a rest already!" Sonic yelled distantly in desperation.
"I told you, Sonic! It'll be over before you know it!" Amy yelled back distantly in slight frustration.
"Noooooo!" Sonic yelled distantly in despair as he awaited the painful bonks on his head.
However, before Tails could hear Amy's hammer smashing Sonic's head, the doors behind him had closed, and he couldn't hear Sonic and Amy's yelling anymore. He shook his head in amusement before he saw Cosmo walking alone in the distance.
"Hey, Cosmo! Wait up!" Tails exclaimed brightly with a little smile on his hopeful face as he ran to catch up to Cosmo.
"Huh?! Tails?!" Cosmo exclaimed in surprise as she looked behind herself while having a shocked look on her face. She saw Tails running to her and stopping right beside her right side.
"Do you think that you could spare another cup of tea?" Tails asked calmly with a little smile as he stood right beside Cosmo and stared at her.
"O-Oh...Uhhh...Hmmm...I...I guess I could..." Cosmo muttered calmly yet quietly with a little frown and with a little blush as she glanced down to the floor.
"Aww, thanks, Cosmo. That's very considerate of you to do," Tails replied calmly yet gently with a bright smile as he grabbed Cosmo's hand and held it while staring at her.
Cosmo looked back up at Tails while blushing a little in embarrassment after feeling him grab her hand. Her eyes twinkled a bit when she saw him smiling warmly at her. She soon smiled warmly too as she felt comforted by Tails' presence.
"You're...You're welcome, Tails. I'm glad to be of service," Cosmo replied calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with a little blush as she stared at Tails.
"...Me too, Cosmo. Me too..." Tails replied calmly yet fondly with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared back at Cosmo. He and Cosmo stared at each other for a little bit longer until they walked to the kitchen together while holding hands.
-Later At The Kitchen-
"Here you go, Tails. Some freshly brewed herbal tea," Cosmo muttered calmly with a little smile as she poured some tea into Tails' cup before pouring some into hers.
"Thank you, Cosmo. I really appreciate it," Tails replied calmly in consideration with a bright smile and with a nod as he stared at Cosmo while lifting his cup to her for a toast. Tails was sitting at the little table while Cosmo was standing next to it. Cosmo smiled gently at Tails after seeing him lifting his teacup for a toast and had lifted her teacup as well to return the toast.
Clink!
"It's no problem, Tails. I'm sure that you'd love some chocolate chip cookies to go along with your tea, right?" Cosmo replied calmly with a gentle smile as she clinked Tails' teacup with her own before putting it back down to her own spot on the table.
"Oh, yes, please! I'd love to have some chocolate chip cookies with my tea! I bet that you would love them too as a snack!" Tails exclaimed brightly with a huge grin and with amused eyes as he stared at Cosmo while putting his cup down.
"Teehee! Indeed, I will. I guess I'll get some for the both of us," Cosmo replied calmly in amusement with a giggle and with a sweet smile as she had her hands behind her back. She then turned around and fetched the chocolate chip cookies from the counter. Tails sipped a bit of his tea while watching Cosmo putting the cookies down to their plates. He can't help but lick his lips together in anticipation of eating those cookies.
Ahh...Next to mint cookies, chocolate chip cookies are my favorite type of cookie. I wonder if it's Cosmo's favorite type of cookie too? Tails pondered calmly in amusement with a huge smile and with twinkling eyes as he stared at Cosmo while sipping more of his tea.
"Alright. I got our cookies together. I sure hope that this will be enough," Cosmo muttered calmly with a little smile as she brought two plates of cookies towards the table.
"Oh, don't worry, Cosmo. I'm sure that it'll be enough. Although...I am a bit tempted to say that it's never enough due to how delicious they are," Tails replied calmly with a bright smile before it turned sheepish halfway through as he watched Cosmo walk back to the table.
"Hehehehe! I figured as much. That's why I had given you more cookies than me," Cosmo replied calmly in amusement with a giggle and with a gentle smile as she placed Tails' plate before him before placing hers on her side of the table.
"Aww, Cosmo, you shouldn't have," Tails replied calmly yet gently in fondness with a sheepish smile and with a little blush as he rubbed the back of his head while staring shyly at Cosmo.
"Oh, but I insist. I believe that the captain deserves the best service around due how much hard work he puts into leading us," Cosmo replied calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with closed eyes as she dipped her head down to show Tails respect.
"...Awwwww...Cosmo...Stop...You're making me blush..." Tails muttered calmly yet sheepishly in protest with a shy smile and with closed eyes as he blushed some more in embarrassment. Cosmo giggled a little in amusement after seeing Tails' embarrassed face.
Hehehehehe! I guess it's not every day that he's gets respected like this. That's rather cute. Cosmo thought calmly in amusement with a little smile as she giggled a bit while covering her mouth a little.
"Hehehehe! Alright, alright, let's just eat together instead. I am feeling a little famished myself after the whole mission that we had together," Cosmo replied calmly yet gently with another giggle and with a little smile as she sat down on her seat.
"Heheheh...Yeah, I know. Talk about a crazy day. I feel exhausted just thinking about it," Tails replied calmly in amusement with a chuckle and with a bright smile as he grabbed a cookie while staring at Cosmo.
"(Sigh)...Yeah...Me too..." Cosmo muttered calmly yet tiredly in agreement with a sigh and with a little frown as she looked down at her plate. Tails frowned a little too after seeing Cosmo being a bit sad. He awkwardly looked away from her and started eating his cookie.
"Mmm...Say...Uhh...Umm...Let's...Let's just eat...Okay?" Tails muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish frown and with downcast eyes as he quietly munched on his cookie.
"Hmmm...Alright..." Cosmo muttered calmly yet quietly with a little frown and with a nod as she grabbed a cookie and started eating it. They both quietly ate their cookies and drank their tea in awkward silence. As much as they do enjoy their snacks, they can't find the satisfaction in eating them due to how concerned/sad they were.
…
"...Umm...Cosmo? ...Is there...Ummm...Is there something that you want to get off your chest?" Tails asked calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish frown and with upward eyebrows as he shyly glanced at Cosmo after the brief silence.
"...! Wh-What? Why would you ask that?" Cosmo asked calmly yet softly with a gasp and with a gaped mouth as she stared back up at Tails with wide eyes.
"Well..." Tails muttered calmly with a little frown as he put another cookie down and briefly sipped his tea before continuing quietly in concern, "...It's just that I've noticed that something is bothering you lately. I've always seen you looking so down and quiet most of the time whenever something is troubling you, and I think that it's for the best if you tell me what it is right now".
"Ah! …Uhhh...Do...Do I have to?" Cosmo exclaimed in surprise before she muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish frown and with a little blush as she felt a bit embarrassed that Tails noticed that little detail about herself.
"You don't have to, but it is good if you tell me though. I'll always lend an ear to you whenever you feel down or upset. Just trust me, Cosmo. You can confide in me. I'll listen to anything that you have to say. Okay?" Tails replied calmly with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as he stared at Cosmo in concern.
"..." Cosmo was speechless after hearing Tails say that. Her mouth was agape, and her eyes were twinkling as she felt touched that Tails cares for her and is willing to listen to her talk about her feelings. He's...He's just too kind...Cosmo thought calmly in sadness with a little frown and with downcast eyes as she stared back at Tails.
"W-Well...If you say so...(Sigh)...Alright...I'll tell you what's on my mind lately..." Cosmo replied calmly yet quietly with a little frown and with a sigh as she closed her eyes. Tails nodded in understanding and placed his teacup down before he crossed his arms onto the table and stared more intently at Cosmo with a solemn look on his face.
After being silent for a moment, Cosmo confessed calmly with a sad look on her face as she opened her eyes halfway, "...You see, Tails...I can't help but think about my parents sometimes and how their relationship turned...sour...before I was born...".
"...! ...Oh..." Tails muttered calmly yet softly with a gasp and with a sad frown as he looked sympathetic already.
"...I've always thought that because of my existence into the universe...I've made my parents so unhappy with each other...They had fought each other for many years until my mom's eventual death..." Cosmo continued calmly yet sadly with a deep frown and with downcast eyes as she kept staring at her plate of cookies.
"..." Tails was speechless as he kept listening to Cosmo's sad account.
"...My older sister, Galaxina, was always tell me that I wasn't the reason for my parents' unhappiness. She would say that the problem was much, much deeper than that...Of course...I believe my sister...She would never tell me any lies...However...I can't help but think that I had made the situation worse because I was born to begin with...I feel like...it was because of me that my parents...split apart..." Cosmo continued calmly yet sadly with a grimace and with downcast eyes while closing her eyes and shaking her head a little as she held her hands together on her lap.
"Cosmo...Don't say that...That...That can't be true..." Tails muttered calmly yet softly with a sad frown and with upward eyebrows as he reached for Cosmo's right shoulder and held it.
"I know. I know. It's not. But...that's just how I feel, Tails. I feel like I cause disaster towards any relationships around me...I destroy harmonious relationships whether they be romantic or platonic thanks to my existence, and I fear that...I'll destroy the strong friendships that you have with your friends," Cosmo replied calmly yet sadly with a deep frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared back at Tails with twinkling eyes.
"What?! Cosmo! That will never happen! My friends and I will never split apart! We've always had a strongly knit bond together, and even when we fight each other, we still end up staying together in the end! No matter what difficult problem arises, we'll always have each other's backs and never betray each other! Never!" Tails exclaimed back in shock and in concern with a surprised yet sympathetic look on his face as he stared solemnly at Cosmo.
"...! T-Tails...I..." Cosmo muttered calmly yet softly with a gasp and with a gaped mouth as she looked shocked.
"Cosmo, you're not going to destroy any of my friends' relationships. Including mine. You hadn't destroyed any relationships. In fact...you can't say that you destroyed your relationship with your sister, can you?" Tails replied calmly yet solemnly with a determined frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he stared at Cosmo.
"Ah! …...I...I...I guess I can't..." Cosmo exclaimed in surprise before she muttered calmly yet slowly with a little frown and with downcast eyes as she stared at Tails for a bit in shock before looking downwards in sadness.
"See, Cosmo? Your existence doesn't destroy the relationships of others. Honestly, if you ask me, I think that because of your existence you caused my friends to become closer to each other," Tails replied calmly yet gently with a little smile on his sympathetic face as he stared at Cosmo.
"Wh-What?! How...How could you say that?! I mean! You guys still fight each other every now and then! How could you say that you all had gotten closer because of me?!" Cosmo exclaimed in shock and in confusion with a surprised look on her face as she quickly looked back up at Tails.
"Simple..." Tails muttered calmly with a little smile on his fond face as he stared warmly at Cosmo while continuing gently, "...It's because we can all see how determined we are into finishing the board game together. We know that we don't want to lose each other, so, we fight harder together as a team not only to survive but to protect each other. We see each other as a family unit even though all of us aren't related each other. Because of those familial ties, we're willing to put our lives on the line for those we care about. It doesn't matter how much we bicker and argue with each other because we'll all stick together in the end. That's why I know that we'll never split apart especially now with this crazy adventure that we're in together whether we like it or not. We'll always stay together not only as a team but as a family".
"..." Cosmo was speechless after hearing that surprisingly wise answer. She honestly had never even considered Sonic and his friends as a family unit. She just thought that they were all separate from each other who were simply brought together by force through a cursed board game. She had no idea that they were all long-time friends.
...I...I practically lost most of my family ever since my mother's spaceship was destroyed...I was basically the last of my kind...I would have never thought that...I would find a group of friends who see themselves as a family of some kind...Hmmm...Maybe I should...I should...properly join...Cosmo brooded calmly with a stunned look on her face before she grimaced and looked downwards again as she kept brooding some more.
...No...Forget about it, Cosmo. They would never accept me as a part of their family. Since I'm simply a 'guide' to the players, I can't really get attached to them or try to belong with them. Besides...I don't really belong anywhere anyway...So...what's the point?
"Cosmo..." Tails muttered calmly yet gently in sympathy with a sad smile as if he had read her thoughts. He lifted Cosmo's chin up to make her look at him again. Cosmo looked both surprised and flustered when she saw Tails' warm, sympathetic expression on his face as he stared back at her.
With twinkling eyes and with a gaped mouth, Cosmo muttered calmly yet softly, "Tails...".
"...It's going to be alright...None of my friends and I will separate because of you...and we'll...never break apart from you either, Cosmo. You're a part of us now," Tails continued calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Cosmo.
"...! I...am?" Cosmo muttered calmly yet softly in confusion with a gasp and with a gaped mouth as she stared back at Tails with wide eyes.
"Of course, you are! I feel like you had gotten rather close to us ever since we had met you back at our home planet! True, you may have been rather shy and usually kept things to yourself, but slowly yet surely, you had opened up to us! We understand you a lot more than we had when we all first met you, and that is a great accomplishment, Cosmo! The more we know about you, the more we grow closer to you and more attached to you! Don't you see, Cosmo?! You hadn't destroyed your relationships with us either! Instead, you had forged them on your own!" Tails exclaimed brightly yet enthusiastically with a cheerful smile and with amused eyes as he stared at Cosmo while holding onto her shoulders.
"Ah! …...I...I..." Cosmo exclaimed in shock before she muttered calmly yet quietly with surprised look on her face while looking downwards as she finished softly, "...I did, didn't I?".
"You sure did, Cosmo, and I honestly couldn't be any prouder of you! You've grown so much over these past few months that we had spent together! I really do think that's amazing! The fact that you had gotten closer to Sonic, Chris, Amy, Cream, Knuckles, and I in those few months is so incredible to me! It just feels so unreal! And I think that's..." Tails exclaimed some more in enthusiasm with a bright smile and with a nod before he looked warm again as he finished calmly yet gently, "...a good thing, Cosmo. I would like it very much if you grow even more closer to me. Surely, you believe that we'll stay strong together, right? We can go through thick and thin together and always stay by each other's side. That's what a real relationship is like, Cosmo. It's not something that you can give up so easily, and I know that we can't give up on each other no matter what happens to us. You believe that, right? You believe that...we can stay together forever...right?".
"...!" Cosmo gasped in surprise again while looking stunned by this. She felt both touched and embarrassed that Tails thinks that their relationship will last forever. In all honesty, she doesn't know what to say to that thoughtful idea.
On one hand, her mind is telling her that it's impossible since there's no telling what they would do to each other in the future to break up with the other. She had heard that something terrible happened in her parents' lives that had forced them to split up. So, she fears that something similar would happen with her and Tails' lives that will force them to separate. Besides, she doesn't want to feel the pain of divorce again. No matter how much she likes Tails, her fear of the future holds her back from furthering her relationship with him. But on the other hand, her heart is telling her to embrace the idea one-hundred percent. She never had a long-term relationship before, and she is curious about how it'll be like to have one with Tails here. Also...she would love it if she had gotten closer to Tails since she does have some feelings for him.
"...I...I...I...I would love it if we could stay together...But...I...I'm not sure...I mean...This is a lot to take in...Umm...I...I do care about you, Tails, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to...to...you know..." Cosmo muttered calmly yet slowly in awkwardness with a little frown and with lowered eyelids as she looked downwards again.
"Hey there, Cosmo. It's okay. I understand. There's no need to rush these things. I'm not asking you to date me or get into a romantic relationship with me. I'm just asking you to stay by my side...period. Romantic or not, I think that our relationship is very special, Cosmo. I couldn't even fathom splitting up from you. I just couldn't. You...You mean everything to me, Cosmo, and I mean that in every sense of the word," Tails replied calmly yet gently in understanding with a fond smile and with half-lidded eyes while shaking his head a bit as he blushed a little in embarrassment. Cosmo blushed a lot after hearing Tails say that, and for the first time during this conversation, she smiled a little even though it's out of embarrassment.
"T-Tails...That's so sweet of you to say...and honestly, I...feel the same way..." Cosmo muttered calmly yet softly in fondness with a little smile and with a pink blush as she stared back at Tails.
Tails smiled even wider in sheepishness as his blush grew a lot after hearing Cosmo say that. He replied calmly yet shyly with a sheepish smile and with a deep blush while rubbing the back of his head, "Awwwww...Cosmo...That's so wonderful to hear...So...Uhhh...Ummm...Like I had said before, let's just take things slow for a while...As much as I would like to date you, Cosmo, I think that it would be wise for the both of us to just stay as friends for a while until we know for certain that we are meant to be together...What do you say? I mean...We could still crush on each other and be...you know...affectionate towards each other...Except that...we'll be doing it as 'best friends'...Know what I mean?".
"Oh...Uhhh...Y-Yeah...I know what you mean...Hehehehe...Although...it'll be pretty embarrassing to do knowing that we might become a couple in the future..." Cosmo replied calmly yet shyly with a sheepish smile and with a nervous giggle as she blushed a lot more while glancing away from Tails.
"Oh, it'll be totally embarrassing! Heheheheheh! ...But...it's not as if it's not desirable though, no?" Tails replied calmly yet brightly in amusement and in fondness with a sheepish grin and with an awkward chuckle before smiling shyly at Cosmo as he gently rubbed her shoulders.
"Oh! Not at all! I...I would love it if we could just be 'friendly' towards each other from here on out...Honestly, taking it slow and steady would be a huge relief to me. That way I won't feel the pressure of a long-term commitment if I just want us to be friends in the end," Cosmo replied calmly yet brightly with a huge smile and with a headshake as she stared fondly at Tails.
"That's the spirit, Cosmo! It's going to be alright in the end if we just be wise about things and take the time to think about it! By doing that, we won't make the same mistakes as your parents!" Tails exclaimed brightly in encouragement with a huge smile and with amused eyes as he stared back at Cosmo while holding onto her shoulders a bit more firmly than before.
"Ah...Hmmm...Yes, you're right, Tails. You are right, and that's...a relief to think about..." Cosmo replied calmly yet slowly in understanding and in fondness with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes before she smiled warmly and nodded a little to Tails while staring gently at him.
"Yeah...See? I told you that things are going to be alright, and it will...Just...trust me, Cosmo. Just trust me," Tails replied calmly yet fondly with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he leant a bit closer to Cosmo while staring gently into her eyes.
Cosmo smiled a lot fonder as she leant a bit closer to Tails while replying calmly with half-lidded eyes, "I will, Tails. I will".
"..." Tails was silent as he stared fondly into Cosmo's eyes with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes.
"..." Cosmo was silent as well as she stared fondly into Tails' eyes with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes.
They stared at each other for a bit before they leant in fully and hugged each other. Cosmo was smiling hugely yet warmly as she hugged Tails tightly in relief. Tails was also smiling hugely yet warmly as he hugged Cosmo back just as tightly as her while also feeling relieved that he had cheered her up.
I think that we're going to be just fine...Yep...Just fine...Tails thought calmly yet confidently in fondness with a huge, warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Cosmo.
Growl...
The two suddenly pulled away from each other after hearing Tails' stomach growl a little. Tails blushed a lot in embarrassment of that; Cosmo blushed a little too before smiling a lot in amusement.
"Hehehehehe! Looks like someone is craving some cookies now, wouldn't you say? Hehehehehe!" Cosmo commented calmly yet coyly in amusement with a sweet smile and with gentle eyes as she giggled a little while staring at Tails.
"Uhhhh...Heheheheheh...Y-Yeah...I guess that I'm hungrier than I thought...Heheheheheh..." Tails replied calmly yet awkwardly in embarrassment with a sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows as he chuckled a lot in nervousness while rubbing the back of his head again.
"Hehehehe! Me too, Tails. Say why don't we finish our snacks together? We certainly don't want them to go to waste, do we?" Cosmo replied calmly in amusement with a giggle and with a gentle smile as she stared back at Tails while tilting her head a little.
"Certainly not! Heheheheh!" Tails exclaimed brightly in amusement with a grin and with a chuckle as he released Cosmo and leant back into his seat. Cosmo leant back into her seat too and picked up her tea before sipping it a little.
"Ahh...This tea tastes so nice even after it had cooled down a little..." Cosmo commented calmly with a gentle smile and with closed eyes after sipping her tea a little.
"Yeah..." Tails muttered calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at Cosmo for a while in fondness before picking up his tea and sipping from it as well. After he stopped drinking from it, he gave out another toast to Cosmo as he added calmly yet brightly with a huge smile, "...You know what, Cosmo? Let's savor this toast in honor of our rejuvenated friendship!".
Cosmo smiled warmly at the idea and returned Tails' toast while replying calmly, "Yes...To our rejuvenated friendship...".
Clink!
"Heh...More like Our Friendship 2: The Friendshippening..." Tails calmly joked in amusement with a grin and with playful eyes as he stared at Cosmo after clinking his teacup with hers.
"Hehehehehe! Tails...Hehehehehehe! That's just silly...Hehehehehehe!" Cosmo replied calmly in amusement with a sweet smile while giggling a lot as she kept holding her teacup.
"Hey, I'm not wrong, am I?" Tails replied calmly yet coyly with a playful smile and with amused eyes as he shrugged a little towards Cosmo.
"Hehehehehehe! No, you're not. Hehehehehehehe! But that just makes it funny for me for some reason. Hehehehehehehe!" Cosmo replied calmly in amusement with a sweet smile and with a headshake while giggling some more.
"Well, most of the funniest things in the universe are just simple facts of life. We can't help but laugh at them sometimes," Tails replied calmly in amusement with a gentle smile and with another shrug before he put his teacup down and grabbed a cookie.
As Tails took some bites into his cookie, Cosmo replied calmly yet teasingly with a coy smile and with a giggle, "Like the fact that you adore chocolate chip cookies so much? Hehehehehe!".
"Hey, leave me and my love for chocolate chip cookies out of this! Besides, you love them too, don't you, Cosmo?" Tails replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a huge grin and with playful eyes as he stared back at Cosmo after eating from his cookie a bit.
"Hehehehehe! Yes, I do but not as much as you do, Tails. Hehehehehehe!" Cosmo answered calmly in amusement with a little smile and with her left hand on her left cheek as she giggled some more.
"Heh. Well, prove it to me by eating those delicious cookies right now. I'm telling ya, Cosmo. Once you've finished your plate, you'll be begging for seconds. Trust me. It happens to me all the time," Tails replied calmly yet playfully in a challenging way with teasing grin and with amused eyes as he stared at Cosmo while pointing at her plate for emphasis.
"Hehehehehehe! Okay, I will! Hehehehehehehehe!" Cosmo exclaimed brightly in amusement with a little smile and with a nod as she giggled a lot while picking up a cookie and eating it a bit. She kept giggling a lot while trying her best to eat her cookies.
"Heheheheheh!" Tails chuckled a bit in amusement with a little smile while trying to eat his cookies too since Cosmo's giggles got to him.
With the heaviness of the previous conversation being lifted from their minds, the satisfaction of eating cookies and drinking tea had returned yet again as well as the warmth inside their hearts. This newfound relief and rejuvenation of their friendship had brought the two much closer together as they enjoyed this fun, relaxing snack time together.
And that's it for the second bonus game! I've certainly gotten this chapter out fast! It's not every day that something like this does happen, but then again, these types of chapters are somewhat like one-shots. So, it's easier for me to put these out so quickly. Speaking of which, I might do some one-shots in the next month or two, so, after I upload them, go check them out if you're interested! But anyways, we got three more bonus games to go until we start episode 65 properly! So more fun fluffs ahead! Also, if you like this story and chapter so far, please R&R as always! Thank you so much for your support of this story, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! Time for Bonus Game #3!