Chapter 4 – Blast from the Past
Shadow paused the video game with a grunt, turning to watch as Amy walked in. The four males were a little frustrated at the interruption, having reached a peak of tension in a four-way game of Mario Kart. Sonic crossed his arms and began tapping his foot impatiently.
"So, is there a reason you came here?" he questioned her.
She nodded eagerly. "It's Valentine's Day, remember?" she beamed, her eyes shining.
Sonic grimaced. "How could I possibly forget?" he mumbled.
Her smile reduced as she furrowed her brow. "I was hoping you would be my Valentine!" she said.
.
Tails and Knuckles turned to each other and gave a half smile. They knew what was coming. Sonic's expression changed to his trademark grin. "Yeah, right, I'll be your Valentine!" he laughed.
Tails winced as Knuckles whispered, "Bad move."
Anger crept onto Amy's face. They stared as her hammer appeared in her hands, although she tried to stay calm.
"Please, Sonic?" she said, in the nicest tone possible.
He glanced at her hammer cautiously, but refused to change his mind. "Nope!" he smirked.
.
She raised the mallet, fire burning in her eyes. He jumped back. She looked like she was about to explode. While slowly backing away, he turned his head back to send a pleading look at Knuckles, who shook his head, snickering. Tails shrugged and Shadow just faced the other way. Sonic spun back to Amy and gave a devilish smile. "Tell you what, Amy. I'll be your Valentine!"
She put down her hammer in surprise. "Really?" she cried.
He leaned towards her and winked. "Sure...When hell freezes over!" he yelled. "Later, guys!" He was gone before they could even blink.
Amy was speechless with rage.
.
Dessovelle raised her eyebrows at Sonic, who grinned sheepishly. "H-hey cut me some slack! I was only fifteen!"
She returned her gaze to the events inside the house.
.
Tails gave Amy an apologetic smile. Her expression no longer showed anger, but instead her eyes were filled with sadness.
"You could be the fourth player," Tails suggested to her.
She swallowed, attempting to hold back tears. "No thank you, Tails. I-I'd better get back home anyway." She trudged outside, her head bent downwards, in other words: completely miserable.
.
Sonic stared after Amy, speechless. He felt Dessovelle's eyes boring into him, awaiting his reaction. "Maybe I was a bit of a jerk back then," he admitted. She continued to watch him and his ears folded downwards. "Okay, I was a really big jerk. I just – I never knew I made her that upset; I knew she got a little mad, but…" he trailed off, looking towards the fourteen-year-old Amy. Small sobs could be heard as she walked down the path. He felt a wave of guilt, and made his decision. Sonic ran after, calling her name. She didn't seem to hear him, so he raced in front of her, hoping to stop her. She looked straight through him, oblivious to his existence. He tensed himself; if she walked any further she'd bump into him.
.
What happened then made shivers run down his spine. Amy walked right through his body as if it were a hologram. He yelped and examined himself for abnormalities. There appeared to be nothing wrong with him. He whipped round as Dessovelle arrived beside him.
"As long as you're travelling with an immortal, you cannot interact with others," she explained. "Even if you could, it's not recommended. You could interfere with the future of the universe. You don't exist at eighteen in this world."
"So I'm a ghost?"
She nodded. "Effectively, yes."
.
A devious smile played on Sonic's lips as his eyes lit up with an idea. Dessovelle noticed it and instantly knew what he was planning. "But that doesn't mean you can haunt people. I'm the only one who can hear you."
Sonic scowled. Aw man, I could've got Knuckles easily, he thought. "Are we going back to the normal time now?"
She contemplated this. "I don't need to show you the occurrences of last summer do I? I think you have enough guilt for that."
Sonic looked away. That's for sure, he thought.
"Very well," she said. "We shall return. There is something you must see."