It had been some time since the events of the Starfall Islands. After they left, the four of them had parted ways. The guardian had returned to his island with a promise to himself to get out there more and live life. The pilot - mechanic, scientist, and little brother - set out on his own adventures to find himself and come into his own. The eternal optimist and motivator of her friends to be the best of themselves they could be had gone to spread goodness and love through more of the world. And he, the speedster and hero, had gone back to what he usually did; exploring, running, being free.
And yet, lately, it felt…empty. He knew the feeling of emptiness - the corruption had numbed him so much at one point he'd nearly lost sight of who he was. He'd nearly been lost to it, were it not for the friends who stood by his side through all of it, even only as ghosts of themselves. Yet after everyone was rescued and they defeated the threat to their world, everyone was ready to move forward. They all had plans for the future, things they wanted to do when they returned home.
They were moving on, and he was being left in the dust.
It was a strange notion that he, the self-proclaimed - and many times proven - 'fastest thing alive' was being left behind. Usually he was the one racing ahead to the future without looking to the past, always moving forward and ready for the next adventure. But lately, he found himself looking back. It wasn't much at first - just an errant thought to a past adventure or two that left two seconds after he had it - but as the days started to turn into weeks he found himself doing it more and more. He began to reflect, to think: things he didn't particularly like to stop and do. He started to run less, explore new places less. None of it felt the same anymore. He almost always had a friend by his side with the next new adventure, or if he didn't he usually made a new one along the way.
But there were none now: no new friends, no new adventures, no great stakes. The world had entered a time of peace, everyone was looking toward the future and living their own lives. Yet he, the famous hero? He was stuck in the past with no goals or plans for his future.
And who was he kidding? He never made plans because adventures always found him. His life always had a purpose so long as he ran forward, but what was a hero with no reason to fight, no one to defend, nothing to save? Famous yes, but now he was nothing. He didn't even have a plan to fall back on if the world no longer needed a hero like him. He never needed to, because Eggman would always rear his bald head with some new scheme to threaten the world with, but now even he'd gone silent.
Many of his thoughts strayed to bygone days of time spent with friends. His youngest days in particular weighed on his mind recently: a shy fox bullied for having two tails, a reclusive echidna duped into helping a mad scientist, and a girl who saw his and her meeting predestined in the cards only to find herself kidnapped by his robotic doppelganger the very same day.
He smiled to himself at the memories of her. She was a near constant in his life, not unlike the other two. He didn't think much of her at first; he found her clingy, annoying, and a crybaby at the time. He didn't like what she made him feel and always pushed her away, yet she always persisted. She got stronger to impress him, to be an asset to the team, to catch up and keep up with someone like him.
But no one could keep up with the wind, and he blew past her without recognizing how genuine her feelings were. He always felt stifled, held back, imprisoned whenever she would grab him in a hug unexpectedly; yet at the same time, he was afraid, because he felt something back for her. When she started backing off, that feeling continued to grow, and now she was running ahead of him.
He wished he'd made up his mind sooner…
…His communicator buzzed, pulling him out of his ruminations about the past. The ID told him it was Amy and he answered it faster than he would ever admit. A hologram of the girl appeared above the communicator's face, smiling and bright as always.
"Hey Sonic!" she greeted brightly.
His grin widened as a warmth spread in his chest. "Hey Ames," he returned, using a nickname he seldom used for her without even thinking, "It's been awhile; how ya doin'?"
"Pretty good. I miss you guys though, especially you Sonic," she teased.
The speedster blushed, though not enough for it to show up on her end.
"Anyway," she continued, "Since I miss you guys, I thought it'd be fun if we got together tonight for a reunion! I already called Tails and Knuckles earlier. Tails said he'd book us at that restaurant in Spagonia you liked so much back during the whole Dark Gaia incident. He just called me a little while ago and said he managed to get reservations."
"Why didn't I hear about this sooner?"
"Well, I tried reaching you sooner, but I only just connected. You must've been somewhere with no service. You know Tails' devices don't let you call without a signal."
He chuckled. "Yeah, they're like cellphones but way less likely for me to lose."
Amy laughed as well. "So, would you like to go? N-Not like a date or anything, j-just, y'know l-like friends, since the four of us are gonna be there."
His grin widened a little as she stammered. Chaos, she was so easy to get flustered. "Sure. I got nothin' goin' on right now. Should be fun."
"Alright! See you tonight at eight! That's in Spagonian time, so you have about four hours until then!"
"Plenty of time then. Cya there Ames."
Okay, so he might've come a little bit late. Fashionably late, he told himself. He hadn't been to Spagonian's capital city in awhile and couldn't help stopping to take in the sights. The city had changed, yet at the same time it seems like time couldn't touch the place. So many of the buildings were hundreds of years old, maintained so well you wouldn't know unless you'd read up on the city's history.
And boy had Sonic read up. He spent a lot of time in Spagonia during those first several days when the world had been torn to literal pieces by an eldritch god of old. Sometimes it rained, and rain made it harder to run and when there was a torrential downpour, he opted to stay indoors day or night. As much as he hated getting wet he still found rainy days to be incredibly calming. Those were the days he'd curl up with a good book or two and spend most of the day reading. Spagonia had plenty of rainy days and nights during that time and he'd wiled away time reading up history and other things about the area. There was so much of it and the university where he'd been bunking whenever they visited had quite a vast library.
He shook himself out of his trip down memory lane as he entered the restaurant only to be shown to his table. It was empty save for one person; a certain pink hedgehog who'd been on his mind a lot more recently. She didn't seem to notice him yet, as her back was to him. She faced toward the stage where a DJ sat in a booth just off to the side and a song was currently playing with someone on the mic singing a slightly off-tune rendition of it. One side of his mouth lifted up into a smirk as he realized a karaoke night must be going on.
Despite the less-than-stellar performance of the singer Amy bobbed her head to the tune, oblivious to the fact that her long-time crush was standing right behind her. Sonic actually felt a little hurt that she didn't notice he was there right away. She used to know whenever he was close before he even knew where she was. Were it back then she would've already reacted and hugged him so tight his cheeks turned bright red before his breath started to fail.
Now she didn't even do that anymore. She'd grown up, and somehow he'd missed it. Somehow, he didn't know her as well, and it frankly bothered him more than he cared to admit.
Maybe it was time he rectified that.
"Hey Ames," he dropped casually, gently flicking some quills hanging down past her shoulders.
She shuddered from the sudden intrusion before promptly turning around. Her eyes lit up the instant her gaze met his and a smile graced her beautiful lips. She stood up, ready to hug him as she always had and he fully expected it, yet she held herself back. Sonic actually felt his ears droop a little and even went as far as to hold his arms out to accept it. The pinkette took notice and giggled, opting to instead give him a much gentler hug one might give a friend.
It wasn't as satisfying as he'd hoped.
"So," he began as he dropped into a chair beside her, "Where's the brainiac and the knucklehead?"
"Tails called me and said he might be a little late cuz he had to go pick up Knuckles, so…I guess it's just you and me until they come."
"Yeah, guess it is."
An awkward silence quickly fell between them as the karaoke song ended and the next one was prepared for the next person who turned out to be a better singer. Amy fidgeted with the end of her dress, avoiding eye contact with her crush. Sonic ran a hand through his quills, unsure of what to say now. He wasn't exactly good at small talk and nothing was coming to mind.
"Soooooo…" he drawled out after several more seconds, hoping she'd fill the silence in his stead.
"So…"
"So…karaoke huh?"
"Yeah…I was surprised to find out they were doing it tonight."
"Guy singin' now's pretty good."
"Yeah. It's not a bad song."
"I guess."
She finally looked at him. "You sound like you don't like it."
He shrugged. "Meh. I've heard better, and worse."
"Are you planning to go up on stage?"
The blue hedgehog blinked and chuckled. "Chaos, no. I'm not makin' a fool of myself up there like these guys. I got a reputation to protect y'know."
Amy laughed softly then sighed, turning her attention back to the performance. Sonic blinked again, sitting up straighter in his seat. Had he…said something wrong?
"Ames, you okay? I was just messin' with ya. There's nothin' wrong with karaoke; it's just not my thing."
"I know it's not," she replied, glancing sideways at him, "but you have to try new things too. Otherwise you might be missing out on something you'd really enjoy."
Her response gave him pause. Maybe she was right. Nothing he normally enjoyed doing was as satisfying anymore. He hadn't really hung out with any of his friends recently as everyone had their own lives: Cream helped her mother at their new bakery, Shadow and Rouge were both agents for GUN, the Chaotix had their detective agency that kept them busy, Blaze had her own kingdom to take care of, Silver had other things he had to attend to… Even some of their oldest friends were busy: Mighty was back with the Chaotix, Ray was off doing his own thing and Bark, Bean, and Nak… well they were off collaborating with the Babylon Rogues. Eggman hadn't even made a peep recently and Sonic was left trying to figure out what to do with his life while everyone else was already headed for the future.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized Amy was right. Maybe he should-
"Who's missing out?" came a voice deeper than his own, pulling Sonic out of his train of thought. Knuckles and Tails had finally shown up.
"Nothin' you need to worry about Knucklehead," Sonic replied slightly irritably, smirking the second a vein started pulsating in the echidna's forehead. Served him right for the interruption.
"Oh neat, there's karaoke tonight!" the shorter twin-tailed fox with him exclaimed enthusiastically, "We haven't done that in ages!"
"Correction: You haven't done it in ages. You know it's never been my thing Tails," Sonic said.
"I know Sonic, I know," his best friend assured, waving a hand nonchalantly, "I wasn't including you in that statement."
Ouch, that actually hurt. He knew Tails would never intentionally insult him, but Sonic just felt like he took a huge hit to his ego, which was already bruised after what Amy said. His eyes strayed to her while she and Tails started talking animatedly about what songs they could sign up to do. He hadn't seen her eyes light up that much in a long time, like the Starfall on the aptly named islands they'd been trapped on several weeks before. He wanted to take her there again, just the two of them now that everything has settled down. He wanted her to experience the Sstarfall too, without the feeling of disassociation and emptiness of being stuck in cyberspace. It hit him like a GUN truck how badly he wanted to spend time with her…
The blue hedgehog jumped when a firm hand tapped him on the shoulder. His quills spiked out involuntarily, earning a laugh from the perpetrator.
"Off in La La Land there Sonic?" Knuckles asked, "You were starting to stare too long; it was getting a little creepy."
Two sets of eyes turned to the two boys and Sonic froze up as Amy gazed at him worriedly.
"Are you okay Sonic?" Tails asked, "You look flushed."
Seriously? He was blushing?! "Nonono, I'm fine," he insisted, putting his hands up defensively, "Seriously, no need to worry guys. I feel great!"
"Are you sure?" Amy asked, leaning in closer, "I've never seen you this red before."
Of course not; if he blushed he always turned his back to her until it passed or ran off if it got way too intense. He leaned away, averting her eyes.
"I'm fine, really," he insisted, "Let's just drop it okay?"
"Hey Amy, let's go sign up for karaoke!" Tails exclaimed, diverting the girl's attention.
Sonic sighed in relief as the two bounded off. Knuckles dropped into the chair on Sonic's other side, eyeing him incredulously.
"What was that about?" he asked, "Kinda weird for you to be staring like that. Something wrong?"
"'Course not. I don't know what you're goin' on about Knucklehead."
The echidna's brow twitched. "Why you little-"
But the other two returned before anything could escalate, excitedly revealing what songs they were going to do. Sonic smiled at the excitement and was actually looking forward to seeing the performances.
They started talking while waiting for Amy and Tails to have their names called. A server came and took their orders and the four old friends talked about what they were doing lately. Knuckles was leaving the island more, Tails was exploring more on his own, Amy was getting out there and meeting new people… Sonic realized just how much he was falling behind them all. He started to say less as they all shared their new and recent experiences with one another and he had…nothing. It hurt every time he realized how stuck in the past he was. His mind wandered back to what Amy had said earlier before Knuckles and Tails had shown up. How much was he really beginning to miss out on nowadays?
They didn't even notice when he got up briefly. Their food arrived and they all enjoyed their meals. Sonic was quiet as he pondered his chilidogs. Same old, same old. He ate them, but they didn't seem to taste as good as they usually would. His eyes turned to the dishes his friends ordered, falling the longest upon Amy's dish. Something new, something exotic. She was always the first to try food she'd never had, experiment with a new recipe. She always offered some to her friends by way of some sort of get-together and he'd refused more times than he wanted to admit. Just being near her made his heart kick up in rhythm and he was never keen to stop and explore what they meant - opting to run away from his problems.
Even now, he wanted to run and never look back even if it meant breaking her heart again. She glanced at him, a brow lifting curiously. He froze, another blush forming on his face as he gripped the chair hard to keep himself in place.
"Sonic?" she asked, "Are you sure you're alright? You've been acting strange all evening."
Tails and Knuckles turned their attention onto him and Sonic felt like curling into a ball in his seat out of embarrassment. He forced a smile though it didn't stop his ears from pinning back nervously.
"I'm fine guys," he insisted. His ear twitched when Amy's name was called for performing a song at karaoke, "Hey look, it's your turn Amy! Better get up on stage; wouldn't wanna keep the crowd waiting!"
He urged her to go and cheered her on with their friends. Attention was on her now, and off him. He didn't need to explain himself when he didn't know how. Relief washed over him as she climbed onstage and a spotlight appeared over her head as the rest of the lights dimmed. The crowd went quiet as she started to sing and Sonic found himself…enraptured.
It was one he'd heard in passing maybe a handful of times - some love song he hadn't bothered paying attention to. When she sang it though, he couldn't help but stare. She put her heart into her performance and he'd never known her voice sounded so beautiful. But then, when had he ever heard her sing? When had he ever stopped long enough to take a listen?
Her eyes locked with his a few times if but briefly, but each time he swore a hint of a blush dusted her cheeks right before she averted them. His heart skipped a beat each time and he was sure he was blushing like mad, but he just couldn't tear his eyes away. When the song ended she was panting and sweating under the spotlight, leaving the blue hedgehog to swallow a lump in his throat as she took a bow before stepping down for the next performer.
Tails was up next where he sang some song he barely knew because he didn't know what to pick and just chose one at random. His singing had never been great but the fox didn't care as he just enjoyed spending time with his friends. A few other people went and Knuckles found out he'd been signed up without his consent soon after. Though annoyed, he went up and sang when the others egged him on. He sang worse than Tails but he ended up enjoying it anyway despite that. Some more people went while the four of them ordered dessert and then suddenly, Sonic's name was called. Not to his surprise, but definitely to those of his friends. All three eyed him curiously and he just shrugged and sheepishly smirked.
"What, I'm tryin' somethin' new. Can't a guy do that?" he asked.
He got up before any of them made a smart comment and approached the stage, knowing exactly what song he was picking. It was an older song, but when he'd heard it on the radio a number of times, it had always stuck with him. At first he didn't know why, but as he climbed onstage and grabbed the mic off its stand, it was beginning to click into place. He turned to face the crowd, the spotlight on him now as a monitor on the ceiling put the lyrics up for him. He wouldn't need it though, because the words resonated so deeply that he knew them all by heart. When the musical cue turned to words, he began to sing.
"Oh, I can't fight this feeling any longer
And yet, I'm still afraid to let it flow
What started out as friendship, has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show"
How long had he thought that? How long had he known her? Since they were kids, young ones, where she was a damsel-in-distress and he the valiant hero. Or at least that was how she'd seen it in their 'pre-destined' meeting. She stirred things in him that as a child he couldn't understand and when she was so clingy he wanted nothing to do with her. But as time passed she had grown stronger, and become one of his closest allies and friends.
"I tell myself that I can't hold out forever
I said there is no reason for my fear"
He was afraid of losing her. She'd been kidnapped and used so many times against him, as bait… If his enemies knew how much she meant to him… But she'd gotten so strong on her own; who was he really trying to fool now?
"'Cause I feel so secure when we're together
You give my life direction
You make everything so clear"
Yes, it was always her. Somehow she'd touched his life so much that even in his lowest moments it was always her he pictured: her smiling face, her kind advice, even being his rock when it felt like he was losing himself…
"And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might"
It was always her he came back to. No matter where he went he somehow found his way back to her in the end. Or she would find him, and despite how he would cringe every time she would crush him in a hug, he still yet looked forward to them. Now he missed them, more than he realized. She'd backed off her advances over the years to a point where it seemed she held no more interest in him. He knew it was still there though - that hope. Just a sideways glance was enough to make her cheeks tinge the same color as her fur…
"And I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever
Why was he even fighting it anymore? Why was he still living in the past when they were all growing and moving on without him? He needed to catch up. He needed to let her know, he needed…her. He needed his Rose as surely as the sun rose and set, for what was the wind without something, someone, to dance with it?
Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
And if I have to crawl upon the floor
Come crashing through your door
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore"
It hit him hard just how much he realized this, that he needed her. He wanted to be with her, wanted to spend his life with her. He needed to stop fighting it and start embracing it. It was time for him to grow up just like everyone else was. He could still go out on his adventures if he wanted to, and she'd always be there waiting for him. Better still, she could be there with him, making up for his weaknesses just as he could hers.
"My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you
I've been running round in circles in my mind
And it always seems that I'm following you, girl
'Cause you take me to the places that, alone, I'd never find"
At this point in the song, he'd turned his gaze upon her. The world faded into the background and only she stood out against the din. He descended the steps with the microphone still in hand, continuing to sing the song as he turned and approached her. His eyes never left her face, and when a spotlight appeared on her he could see the blushing of her cheeks. Her entire face was beet red. His heart kicked up in tempo and he knew his own face was heating up. His instincts screamed at him to run, fall back on old and familiar habits.
"And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might"
But he didn't run as he reached her. Tails and Knuckles were watching, slack-jawed and dumbfounded, but the hedgehog hardly paid them any mind. His free hand reached out to her, and she took it with a guarded hope blooming in her eyes. She had faced his rejection so many times, and she didn't want to get her hopes too high that this wasn't some dream, trick, or prank. She couldn't stand a broken heart again, and that was part of why she'd backed off after all her failed attempts to win him over.
"And I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever"
Cautiously, she stood and allowed him to lead her back to the stage. His eyes hardly left her as they ascended the steps together. All eyes were on them now, but his were on her alone. The spotlight was on them both, but the only one that mattered to her in that moment was Sonic. He danced with a grace she never knew he possessed, his baritone voice hitting some of the higher notes with relative ease. She felt the words resonating deep in her bones, touching her soul.
Against her wishes hope bloomed further in her chest, alongside a fear that this was all a dream. She wasn't sure if she would be able to cope if this wasn't real. She desperately wished with all her heart that this was actually happening as he spun her around and back again.
"Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
And if I have to crawl upon the floor
Come crashing through your door
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore"
One more twirl brought Amy down into a one armed dip, and just as expertly Sonic pulled her in close. As his song ended he gazed deep into those lovely gems she possessed. His instincts still screamed at him to run away, but in that moment, something else spoke louder. It urged him on even as his heart raced in his chest, pulse thundering frantically in his ears.
The crowd was silent, a collective breath held to see what the two would do. Sonic leaned in closer. He knew if he did this he wouldn't be able to take it back, but in the end…did it really matter anymore? He was tired of running, tired of being left behind and watching her drift further away from him. Now was the time he would chance that.
He kissed her.
It was tender, gentle, and lasted for far shorter than he wanted it to. The crowd erupted in raucous applause, breaking their fantasy and reminding both hedgehogs they were in front of a fairly large crowd of people. Embarrassment washed over him in waves and he wanted nothing more than to get out of there, but Amy grabbed his other hand and his attention once more. Her eyes searched his, as if needing reassurance this wasn't just one of her fantasies. Sonic smiled - not his usual smirk of a smile, but one more tender and sweet than she'd ever seen from him. Amy's eyes widened as he let go of one of her hands to stroke her cheek and her own came up to rest over his.
"S-Sonic…?" she stuttered, her eyes wide and glossy with unshed happy tears, "What is…? Why…? When…? How… I mean…" She was so flustered she couldn't even form a proper sentence.
He chuckled softly. "I just…can't fight this feeling any longer," he replied. As much of a pun as he realized it was, it was the honest truth. "I can't deny it anymore."
"Any…more…?" she repeated, that hope she had been trying to stamp out blossoming in full.
"I love you Amy Rose, for longer than I've ever realized, longer than I've dared to admit," he replied, "I've always been afraid to show it, but not anymore."
"Is this…real?" She dared to hope, dared to open her heart fully again. "Please…tell me this is real Sonic…"
"It is Ames, I promise. I love you; just wish I'd realized it sooner."
"Oh Sonic…"
If he had a response it was cut off before he could voice it when she kissed him this time. He didn't tense up this time, didn't feel like running. In fact he was the one to pull her in close, deepening it as they both closed their eyes in romantic bliss. The crowd erupted into another round of applause and at their table, both of their friends watched on proudly.
"I'm happy for them. I'm glad they finally found one another," Tails said.
"Took 'em long enough," Knuckles commented, folding his arms and smirking, "but better late than never I guess."
Up onstage the two finally parted and looked into one another's eyes. Then and there, Sonic was more certain than ever: he loved Amy Rose, and he would always stand by her side no matter what came their way.