Sleepless In Spagonia
Part 3
Day
No Need For Cheese!
Authors note: Just a bit of an attempt at a humorous chapter filler before the main action!
Sonic and Amy
Cream and Vanilla's Stall
As Sonic and Amy wandered throughout the stalls, Sonic was beginning to have a bad feeling, the sky was growing darker and something else was niggling at the back of his mind, something he couldn't work out.
"Oh Sonic look at those jewels!" cried Amy
"Meh I've seen bigger, come to think of it I've seen 7 big..." Sonic trailed off, realising he was beginning to get on Amy's nerves and that she was looking at him with a face full of thunder.
"Sonic, your indifference is annoying me, why can't you just enjoy the day?" she fumed
Sonic now with an easy smile on his lips turned and shrugged.
"Wandering around stalls lost its charm around the fifthtieth stall we looked at. I wouldn't mind seeing this attraction Knuckle-head has drummed up, might be fun, don't you think"
Amy, now placated, took Sonics' arm in her own and scanned the crowd for any sign of the Echidna.
"Mr Sonic, over here Mr Sonic!"Cried a small yet cute voice. Sonic, turning to see his caller and caught site of the small form of Cream the rabbit, jumping as high as she could to catch his attention
Sonic, nudging Amy gently, wandered over to Cream. Once they had reached her, the two hedgehogs were surprised to find there stall empty.
"Hiya Cream." Said Amy. "Aren't you and Vanilla selling anything today?"
Vanilla, Cream's mother, stood up from her seated position behind her daughter and replied in a soft voice similar to Cream's.
"We sold everything that we've made today; it's been a wonderful day."
Looking around, Sonic realised there was one missing from their party.
"Where's Cheese, Cream?" asked Sonic.
Cream's expression changed to one of sadness as she hugged Vanilla. It was Vanilla who replied to Sonics' question.
"He went missing not long after we set up the stall yesterday, we haven't seen him since. We paid those nice Detectives the money we earned to find him."
Both Sonic and Amy were aghast at hearing this, causing Amy to nearly fall over with the surprise.
"What!?" cried Amy. " You paid the animals kingdoms version of the Marx Brothers all the money you earned to find Cheese, that incredible bunch couldn't pour water out of a boot with the instructions on the heel!"
"There not that bad, they get the job done...eventually." added Sonic
"They could stick a shotgun up my nose, pull the trigger and still miss!" cried Amy. "You should have just come and found us Cream, we could find Cheese for you for free, and a lot quicker than the Chaotix Crew could."
Cream, taking her head from her mother's side, looked at Amy her eyes full of tears.
"Will you help them find him then Amy?" she asked.
"Of Course we will, right Sonic?" said Amy
Sonic, rubbing his index finger underneath his nose and a cocky smile on his lips simply replied-
"Sure thing Cream be back in no time!"
Before grabbing Amy's hand and bursting off through the crowd at Super Sonic speed.
Sonic and Amy
The Fountain of Carpathius Pickle, founder of Spagonia University
The Chaotix Crew's makeshift base
Curiously, during the normal days that filled Spagonia throughout the year, the fountain was the main area for which Students, families and just about anyone on their lunch break tended to congregate. During the Festival of Unity, however, the Fountain itself was nearly always empty apart from the occasional commuter heading home or tourist getting lost. This made the fountain, in the eyes of Vector, a perfect area to meet and discuss their plans for missions they had been paid for.
Sonic slowed to a walking pace, before stopping completely at the sight of the private detectives loitering around the fountain area. Amy having long gotten used to the fast speed at which Sonic travelled stood by his side with a look of disapproval aimed right at the Chaotix Crew.
"Look at them their not even looking for Cheese." said Amy
"Let's find out what they're doing" replied Sonic
The closer the two hedgehogs got to the crew, the more apparent it became that the only thing they were doing was arguing. Charmy, flying around and around the Statue at the centre of the fountain, laughed energetically as Vector stood bellowing at him.
"CHARMY, get a grip we've gotta job to be doing." shouted Vector.
Realising that it was futile to bother the hyper bee at the moment Vector slapped his hand across his forehead
"I wonder what life would have been like if he had enough oxygen at birth."
Espio, standing a little away from the group, replied with the merest hint of a smile on his lips
"He did, that's why he's such an air head."
Both partners laughed at this, but the laughter was soon silenced by the appearance of Amy
"Glad to see you three are having fun, since you're supposed to be looking for a certain chao named Cheese!" fumed Amy.
The entire crew were taken aback by the surprise appearance of Amy and also her verbal assault; however Vector was still the quickest to recover.
"We're looking into the disappearance of Cheese, and we've come to the conclusion that he has been kidnapped by Doctor Eggman...again." said Vector
Amy laughed at this suggestion.
"Hahaha, have you got an empty feeling Vector, in your head perhaps?" said Amy sarcastically." Cheese has just wandered off, he does it all the time, and Spagonia is a huge city he'll be somewhere around the festivals stalls not having a bath in the fountain!"
At this Charmy pitched in.
"No he isn't, he's been captured by Eggman for one of his evil schemes i bet you!"
Vector hearing the word bet, and feeling his wallet and sphincter tighten at the idea of losing the money they had only just earned, wrapped his hands around Charmy's mouth.
"Shut up Charmy, leave the lovely pink lady alone and we'll get on with our business and she'll get on with hers." urged Vector desperately.
Charmy, however was having none of it and broke free of the tight crocodile's grasp
"I bet you all the money we have that Cheese has been kidnapped!"Cried the hyper bee.
At this, Amy crossed her arms ,as a satisfied smile crossed her face
"Done!" she said
The moment she said this, Charmy raised off towards the university with Vector and Espio in tow behind, shouting obscenities at him.
Sonic, who for the most part of the conversation had stood back, happy to listen to the bickering and arguing . All being said, though, he liked when Amy was mad at others and not him, aside from the fact that he could laugh at the other person's misfortune for crossing Amy's foul temper, he also found her attractive when angry. Amy returning to Sonics' side had an air of victory about her.
"I love getting one over those guys, they can be so goofy at times." she said
Sonic smiled back.
"I know what you mean; Vector does seem to leave his brain in fourth gear sometimes."
Both hedgehogs laughed at the joke, and for the first time in a while, Sonic truly felt relaxed, the day had been quiet so far but this business with Cheese, at least to sonic, was a fun little sideline.
"We better get back to the festival and find Cheese, before those bozo's find the wrong Chao and stick a bowtie on him just so they don't have to lose they're money." said Amy cheerily.
Sonic, picking Amy up bridal style laughed as he burst of again towards the festival.
The fountain however was not as deserted as it had seemed, as a mysterious figure leaned out from behind the statue of Carpathius Pickle.
"Dark Gaia hybrid data, successfully copied."
Sonic and Amy
The Festival Of Unity
Rooftop Run
Spagonia's rooftops were an excellent avenue of travel for Sonic the Hedgehog. The Streets, Sonic had found, were far too narrow for him to accelerate at top speed, but the rooftops were perfect, allowing Sonic all the freedom he needed in the old city.
Amy, still being carried by Sonic, had her arms wrapped around his neck and her head buried in his shoulder. Whilst she had gotten used to travelling with Sonic at such high speeds, it still, after all these years, served to make her feel uncomfortable, especially at high speed turns.
But Amy would not have been happier anywhere else than where she was at that moment. She and Sonic were working together, and that was all that she desired.
Sonic stopped suddenly, staring off in the direction of the bell tower; there was something still niggling at him.
Amy realising Sonic was not moving nor speaking, jumped from his arms and moved in front of his line of vision.
"What's the matter Sonic?" She enquired.
Sonic, now staring directly into Amy's eyes had a look of seriousness worrying his face.
"There's something about the bell tower that's bothering me Amy, I can't quiet put my finger on it." He said
"it's just a bell tower Sonic." said Amy."The famous Spagonian Bell Tower, said to have been one of the oldest buildings in Spagonia."
Sonic grunted his reply as he turned around and began staring off in the direction of the university. Amy moved over to the edge of building they were standing, they're backs now to each other. Staring out at the city below her, Amy looked on in wonderment at the beauty of the old place, the confetti flying around making the picture postcard perfect.
"This place is so wonderful Sonic, I love it here, and I love our planet. There are so many different things to see and so many different things to do; I just love travelling." Amy smiled in recollection of their first meeting." Y'know it's thanks to you that I travel so much now, because I'll follow you anywhere and everywhere Sonic, I..." Amy trailed of realising that Sonic was not listening.
Scrunching her face up into a scowl she stated without turning around-
"Are you even listening to me Sonic the Hedgehog?"
With Sonic still not appearing to listen to her, Amy flew around with her Pico Hammer in hand and was inches from Sonic when he finally replied
"Amy, don't make any sudden moves, and try to be as quiet as possible. Cheese is just over on the edge of that building."
Amy, moving slowly to Sonics' side, her hammer disappearing without trace, watched as Cheese, oblivious to the hedgehogs and the sheer drop before him played happily.
Sonic and Amy slowly advanced to where the Chao played and came within four feet when he fell.
"Sonic!" cried Amy as sonic leapt over the side, his feet latching onto the roof as he thudded against the wall.
There was a moments silence before Sonic spoke.
"There's something we both forgot Amy." Sonic said with exasperation.
"What's that Amy said wearily
"Chao can fly!" said sonic as Cheese floated into Amy's eye line.
Sonic and Amy
Tails' Stall
When both Sonic and Amy arrived back at the festival, most of the morning had been taken up and they were both feeling a little weary, but the shock of seeing what had become of Tails' stall shocked them both back with a wild energy
"Hey Sonic, you look a little pale, are you all right?" asked Tails
Sonic, holding Cheese looked at his oldest friend grumpily.
"Don't ask, what happened here?" asked Sonic.
Tails simply smiled.
"The Chaotix Crew happened." Tails said, pointing in the direction of a bistro across the way, that looked just as bad as Tails stall. "Everything was quiet one minute the next thing, Charmy comes racing through here, shouting about some bet that they had to win, knocking into half of the stalls. Before any of us knew it Vector and Espio had thrown themselves had Charmy to stop him and went flying through destroying everything. They had a pretty big bill to pay I hear."
"And I bet they paid it with Vanilla and Creams money, no doubt!" fumed Amy
Sonic waved his free hand whilst laughing softly.
"It doesn't matter about the money Amy, Cream and Vanilla will probably just be happy that we go Cheese back."
Amy considered this and nodded.
"You're probably right. Hey Tails after me and Sonic have returned Cheese, we're going to find Knuckles and his little attraction, d'you want to come with us?"
Tails shook his head.
"Sorry I better go and buy the parts that I need to repair the Tornado with; I'll be back before the Finale though."
As they said their farewells, for the time being, Sonic and Amy could not help laughing as they saw the dishevelled Chaotix Crew being chewed out by the owner of the bistro.