HaosBlossom, SoNiCrOxMaIsOx, Stendylover, Ashley, Jacklethekitsune, UltimateCCC, Amyfan111, Alyssacookie, SherryHedgehog, falcoraqx: Thanks once again, you all are famous now.

There will be some Sonic X allusions/spoilers in this chapter. And yeah, this is sort of a serious and deep chapter. I'm not entirely pleased with it and didn't plan to write it in the first place...but it's not like after all that happened Sonic and Amy could just go back to their normal fluffy-ness. Excuse the fact that it's not edited too well, it's kinda just a collection of thoughts. -_- Bear with me, peeps.

Chapter 19: Afraid of the Dark

"Well, it sure took us long enough to finally go out, huh?" Sonic joked as he settled down on a hill next to his girl. But upon seeing Amy's obviously forced smile, he knew this date would be anything but lighthearted. Goodness, could they ever just go on a normal date for once?

Sonic turned his attention to the baby blue sky that was decorated with fluffy white clouds in odd shapes. Sonic had decided on taking them to a secluded place so they could talk without being bothered by anything, and Sonic definitely knew how to get away from it all. But yet, he was waiting for Amy to bring it up. Because honestly, what there was the problem of how he was going to approach the topic.

Now it wasn't that this hedgehog was a coward (far from it, actually) but whenever he'd had a problem, especially ones he couldn't just spin dash, Sonic had always ran from them. Running was his defense mechanism. Sonic really had never been one to just talk about his problems; heart-to-hearts were not in his repertoire. Yet he knew they'd have to talk about this and couldn't let unspoken thoughts poison their relationship from the inside.

Eventually the suspense, the waiting was killing him, and Sonic had to look back at Amy. His eyes were instantly drawn to the horrible gash disfiguring her peach muzzle, its deep red lines made it look like it would bleed perpetually. It was the embodiment of his fear - that such a sweet and innocent little girl would be hurt just because he happened to have a weakness for her. This had made him reflect.

No, it wasn't that he was regretting anything. It just made him think - perhaps, just as Eggman had threatened, that next time he should leave the girlfriend behind. But he knew that wasn't feasible - Amy would come with him no matter what, no matter how many times he begged her to stop following him. Granted, it'd been when they were younger (and in his..anger..) and before they started going out, but still. He understood her better now. I mean, there was no way in Mobius that he'd let Amy go into danger by herself. He understood her need to do something and not just watch him plunge himself into danger.

But maybe, just maybe, she'd been shaken enough to change. Amy sure looked like it now, the way she was quietly staring off into the distance. It was weird, as she'd been typical cheerful Amy back with the group and normally was terrible at hiding her true feelings.

But did he really want her to not do missions with them anymore? Sonic didn't know; at least if she was right next to him Sonic would know where she was.

And then there was this...entity inside of him. Once again he tried to shake off the thought, but couldn't block the memories of the dark energies rushing through him, and that out of control anger dominating his body. It scared him. Yes, him. To think he could do that much damage and just in his anger...yes, when he'd turned Hyper he'd destroyed the whole base, but at the time he'd been on the side of justice, the good side. He'd been in control of himself. Indeed, saying he was no murderer had been for his own reassurance.

The hedgehog sighed a little and scooted over closer to Amy and wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her close to his body. Amy rested her head on his shoulder, her cut making contact with his smooth fur. Sonic kissed the top of her head and her fuzzy ears. After running, nothing made him feel better than Amy.

"A kiss for your thoughts, Ames?" he encouraged, knowing it wouldn't be good for her to keep it bottled up.

Amy let out a small sigh. "Sonic am I...a burden to you?"

"A burden?" Sonic echoed incredulously. "Wha - what makes you think that?"

"Well I...I...you always have to rescue me," she said quietly. "And... I feel like I'm holding you back."

"Amy...you're not holding me back, goodness no. You're what keeps me going, my source of joy, that extra mile, what makes this world worth savin'. Do you have any idea how much I care about you?" Sonic told Amy and pulled her even closer, loaning her some of his strength.

"I know you do," Amy said, and blushed at some of the things he said. "It's just..." she sighed, as she really didn't want to bring it up, no matter how much it was gnawing at her heart. It was like Sonic hadn't even noticed that he'd changed and if she mentioned it...what would he say? But yet, she had to know. They couldn't be keeping secrets from each other of this magnitude.

"What happened to you back there anyway?" she asked softly.

Sonic closed his eyes. "I..." he paused, trying to collect his thoughts.

It wasn't that he hadn't seen this coming. It was just, he hadn't told anyone this and hoped that it would just go away, hoped that he could just outrun his problems like he always did. But now that this had happened again, and much for the same reason, Sonic knew he'd have to deal with it, face it. And who better than to help him deal with it than Amy?

Amy felt his muscular chest rise and fall with his sigh, his breath ruffling her quills. "I'm not sure exactly. But it's happened before," he admitted.

Amy whipped her head off his shoulder and maneuvered herself so she could look at him better, but his green eyes were veiled, like he didn't want her to read his expression. It was almost like he was ashamed, or worse, scared. Oh gosh, if Sonic was scared...

"When did it happen?"

Sonic opened his eyes, and the intensity of his gaze took Amy back. He readjusted both of them so now they both sat crossed legged, their knees touching and their hands clasped, but their eyes not meeting.

"Do you remember when we were fighting the Metarex?" he asked finally.

"Of course."

"Remember when Chris and Cosmo-" Sonic had to pause from the rush of emotions that came from the mention of those two names. They were his two friends that were no longer with them. Chris was merely now back where he belonged, in his own dimension. This made Sonic realize that Silver and Blaze would be leaving them soon as well, to go back to their own world. But Cosmo-

"They were both held captive by the Metarex. You remember that, right?" Sonic continued, trying to shrug off the memory. Running from his problems. Again.

Amy merely nodded and unsuccessfully tried to get him to look at her.

"Well, when I went in to rescue them... they were really hurt. Chris was passed out, it was obvious he'd been stabbed or something, and Cosmo just looked so scared. And then there's nothing, and I do mean nothing, that gets my blood boiling more than seeing innocent people hurt. Nothing, Amy. It's why I do what I do. It was just seeing them so hurt for absolutely no reason...I just lost it. It was like my body moved by itself and I could feel this dark energy rushing through me. A lot like when I'm Super Sonic, but...I just didn't feel like myself. I felt...evil, almost. Like I'd become what I've always fought against."

He couldn't stop the shudder that suddenly raced down his back. Amy felt it through his hands. She was feeling a bit unsettled herself from this confession.

"And when you were injured, Amy..." his eyes traced her gash again. "I just...I care so much for you and it pissed me off that Eggman would hurt you because of that. I hate to think what I would have done to Eggman if I'd been Dark instead of Hyper...you know I don't run from violence, Amy, but I only use it when it's justified. I don't do it senselessly. I'm no murderer," he repeated.

Sonic shuddered again, and now Amy was really scared. Who was this guy and what did he do to her Sonic? Where was the 'tude, the confidence that she fed off of?

"But Sonic, it's over now, right?" Amy said and squeezed his hands. She knew it'd be her job to cheer him up now. "I mean, I'm safe, you're ok, we have the Emeralds..."

"For now," Sonic said. "But who's to say when Dark Sonic will emerge again? Or when you'll be hurt again? I just...don't want to lose ya, Amy. You are the part of this world I want to save the most. And if Eggman's gonna start using you against me..." He shook his head.

"Sonic, I want you to know something," Amy said softly, and squeezed his hands again. "I don't expect you to be perfect, ok? No matter how much you try to be...you're not. But you're still a good person, Sonic. You're a hero. You save people. Don't forget that."

He still refused to meet her eyes, and seeing Sonic so distraught was disheartening.

The next thing Sonic knew, Amy had tackled him and was now laying right on top of him, her strong arms clutching his body close to hers.

"Oh Sonic, I hate to see you hurting like this. But we can't change the past or know the future. Eggman's going to be evil, still, there's nothing we can do about that...and...I just want to be there for you, Sonic. You said we'd have to face this whole thing together...so I'll be right here beside you to help you face whatever. Like always," she babbled.

It was amazing how her babbling and patented death hug oddly comforted him. But it was a comfort - it let him know that she was still Amy, no matter what, and that she was something fixed in his life, something he could always come back to, come home to. For comfort, for anything. Yes, truly, this girl, with her craziness and undying faith and devotion to him, was what he needed. And she was comforting him in her typical style.

"And I don't care if you have some sort of Dark form that only appears when you're mad. You're still my Sonic," Amy continued. "Besides, we both know how easily I get angry, and how scary I can get..."

Sonic absolutely had to smile at that. Goodness, why was it that Amy always made him feel so good?

"So I guess we're even, huh?"

The lightness of his tone was an immense relief to the pink hedgehog, although she was a little surprised at how easily he'd switched feelings, and wished that she could just brush off things as easily as he could. Once again, his amazing confidence picked her up.

"I wouldn't go that far, but..." Amy started nuzzling his chest with the good side of her muzzle, baring her scar to the world without a care.

Sonic was reminded at that moment that Amy was directly on top of him. Though their bodies didn't match up directly; she was a little lower than him. Sonic started rubbing her back, and Amy loosened her grip on Sonic so he could breathe a little better. Though his windpipe was now less physically restricted, the fact that he was still locked in such a close embrace with her left him breathless.

"Thanks Amy. No one can make me feel better like you do," he whispered in her cute little ears and then slid her body upwards so that their lips met.

And then the hedgehogs kissed, sweetly and softly, yet passionately. An understanding, an assurance, an acceptance had passed between them, and they were free to be themselves again and kiss. It had felt like hours had passed when they finally broke away, and maybe they had.

"Well, Amy, are you ready for me to finally take you on a normal date now?" he asked her.

"It's about time, Sonic the Hedgehog."