I felt that Sonic holding Amy's hammer in Sonic Boom was too good an opportunity to miss, so I turned a screenshot of it into a cover for this story! I find it amusing, and I hope you do too! xD
Thank you very much to: scottusa1, Guest, Skyeapplepie, Jowy's Pixie, jazziisms, TheLastoftheRealOnes, XxKingArthurIIIxX, Jk1ra, ShadAmy1Fan, MizSugarRose, animelover5641, Sonamylover6822, SherryBlossom, Emeraldalex123 and Guest! Thank you so much for your patience and support!
scottusa1 - Their disguise is starting to crack a bit; Rouge is certainly suspicious xD True, true! I hope to make this a birthday for Tails to remember! ;D
Guest - Hahaha! ;D Yep, she definitely is!
Skyeapplepie - Sonails, eh? xD Well, technically, it could be SonicxTails or TailsxAmy? TailsxSonicxAmy triangle? I'm not too sure xD Pairings in this fic are subjective — whatever floats your boat! If you ship it, it's probably there ;D Except Shadikal x'D Sorry, you'll have to wait for TCOL for that ship!
Jowy's Pixie - Oh gosh, yes! That must be so strange! O.O" Thank you very much :3
jazziisms - Thank you so much! :D I'm glad! :3
TheLastoftheRealOnes - Rouge is certainly getting closer to the truth, isn't she? ;D
XxKingArthurIIIxX - Thank you so much! I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I'm very glad that you enjoyed it! I couldn't agree more with your opinion of the characters in the main series (but we love 'em anyway ;D) and I am so glad that their slight alterations have been a success, although I hope that I'm kept them as in-character as possible :D
Jk1ra - No worries! :D Thank YOU!
ShadAmy1Fan - Thank you very much! :D Ahaha, yes! Amy has spent a while 'watching' Sonic, so she's pretty good at pretending to be him. Sonic... eh, not so much! xD Tails is a little bit suspicious but, then again, Amy does a pretty good job of acting! ;)
MizSugarRose - Thank you! :3
animelover5641 - Thank you very much! :D It's a little bit of a different take on the SonAmyShad triangle, no? xD Ahh, well, we'll see if your theories are correct in this chapter! :D
Sonamylover6822 - Nope, just delayed! ;D
SherryBlossom - Thank you! :3 And thank you for being patient with my updates :3 It's very much appreciated, and your review definitely helped to push my creativity back into action!
Emeraldalex123 - Haha, apologies for the wait! ;D I'm glad you liked it!
Guest - Thank you very much!
Chapter Nine: Playin' It Cool
(Sonic)
Ah, baking. Lots and lots and lots of baking. Heh.
Ugh.
"Come on, Amy! We've got lots of things to do, if we want to finish in time!" Cream eagerly spun me around, tightening the apron casually slung around my hips. I squirmed, but I remained rooter, as she glanced at our observer, "Is Mr Shadow joining us?"
Crimson eyes widened, "Oh, no, I was simply-"
"Sit. Down," I growled, prodding his chest. I wasn't letting him out of this. He must have picked up on that, because he stayed still, even with a face of stone.
"U-Um, Amy? Are you feeling okay?" Cream's lip wobbled at my grave tone, and I swallowed, as her eyes welled up. Darn it.
"I-I'm sorry, Cream. Please don't cry. I'm just feelin'... pretty tired," My arms stretched up in a fake yawn, with Shadow's gaze heavily protruding into my back, "Why don't we get on with making these... uh, what were we making again?"
She nodded, as Cheese swept down and handed her a recipe book, with a page already selected, "Okay. We decided to make this chocolate cake for Tails, didn't we? We talked about it a couple of days ago..."
"Right, right!" My fake laugh didn't help, apparently, because Shadow just rolled his eyes and muttered something about incompetence. I ran a hand through my quills, before asking, "Let's get on with it then! What's first?"
"Shouldn't you know, Amy?" Shadow's smirk was wolf-like, as he knew that he was backing me into a corner that I couldn't possibly escape from, "I'm sure you've made cakes before."
Uh... no. Sonic the Hedgehog is not a baking-kind-of-guy, you insufferable—!
"Of course!" I plastered on a grin, "What about you, Shads? 'Think you're so smart. Show us what you can do."
"Hmph," In distain, he stepped forward, as Cream giggled at my wink. That probably wasn't very Amy-like, but oh well. It got the message across.
His swift movements resulted in ingredients being deposited into the mixing bowl: a ton of flour; a fair bit of sugar and salt (I didn't expect that in a cake); baking soda; brown powder (which I later found out was cocoa powder, after seeing the packet in Cream's kitchen bin).
The little rabbit looked impressed, with Cheese squealing in delight. Shadow gave me a smug look, as she asked, "Mr Shadow, you're very good at this! Where did you learn to bake so well?"
"Yeah, Shadow, where'd ya learn?" I raised an eyebrow at his uncomfortable shifting.
"Well, Maria and I—"
"Ohh! So this is what you're doing, when you're not moping around, or racing me— Sonic."
"Hardly. It is a skill that I have acquired. It is not a hobby."
"You should join us more often! Amy and I bake quite a bit. We can form a club!" Cream blushed, turning towards me with a hopeful smile, "Isn't that right, Amy?"
"Oh yeah," I nudged him in the ribs, "That sounds like a great idea."
"You're dead, Faker."
"Only when I get my body back!" I whispered in a sing-song voice, as Cream juggled another bowl in her hands, pouring the liquid into the original bowl. She looked over at me, as she tipped the contents in, asking if I could crack two eggs.
I held back a remark about cracking a particular Egghead and did as she asked, quite expertly, if I did say so myself. Cream then poured the entire mixture into a flat pan, eagerly passing it to Shadow, who deposited in the oven. I beamed.
"Whew! That was surprisingly quick! Hey, this baking-lark is pretty easy with the three of us!"
"Um," Cream traced a line with her foot, clasping her hand behind her back, "That's not all of it. That's just the cake. And we still need to decorate that."
"So, how much have we still got to do?" My question was met with her offering a list. I took it from her and my jaw tumbled open, "All of this?! This is a banquet! We've got to make all of this, in one hour?!"
"Fifty-nine minutes, actually."
"Yes, thank you, Shadow," I rubbed my temples, before raising my head and sporting a determined smile, "Okay! Let's do this in Sonic-speed!"
With a weary sigh, I crossed my legs, as my spine curved into the seat in casual relaxation. I needed to chill for a moment, even if my posture was very un-Amy-like.
Sitting opposite, Cream smiled at me, as she took a delicate sip from her tea cup. Cheese was revelling in sticking his head in the mixing bowl, licking the leftovers. I couldn't blame him — that frosting was delicious. Not that I'd had a sly taste or anything.
Shadow was standing at the kitchen unit, waiting for his coffee to boil or something. I didn't know — I wasn't a coffee person. But, judging by his exasperated sighs, Shadow definitely was a coffee person.
"Amy, may I ask you something?"
I looked over at Cream, "Sure thing! What's up?"
"Well. Miss Rouge said that you've been acting strangely ever since you started dating Mr Sonic. A-And I've noticed that you've been acting a lot like him. Is everything okay? Cheese and I have been... worrying about you."
I swivelled my head towards the blue chao. He nodded in quiet agreement, with frosting smeared across his mouth.
A sigh escaped my lips, as I leant forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Cream. Things have been weird, lately. I haven't been myself, 'cause... well, I've had a lot on my mind. And that's been making me a little... Sonic-y. Don't worry, though, I promise it's gonna be okay. You don't need to worry about me. Sonic and I are just... figuring a few things out."
"I know that Mr Sonic makes you happy, but... I don't want you to change completely, Amy."
"Don't worry. I'm not going to."
"Besides," Shadow took a length sip of his coffee, wearing a confident smirk, "I wouldn't worry about that. Things should be back to normal soon, if all goes to plan."
"Oh!" Cream seemed to have a realisation about something, "Maybe Mr Knuckles was right!"
I frowned, "Knuckles? Right about what?"
"Well, he said that you and Mr Shadow have been getting closer. That you two might start dating!"
I glanced at Shadow, who blinked in disbelief, and I guffawed, ever so slightly, "Me... and this guy? Uh, right, yeah, okay. Well, for starters, I'm not actually gay—"
"No, she means me and you, Amy," Shadow reprimanded me, through gritted teeth, and I blinked at my stupidity. Cream looked confused, but she shrugged it off pretty quickly. Kids were cool like that.
"Oh, yeah. Well, that's not happenin', either. 'Cause I'm totally in love with Sonic. He's waaaaaay cooler than Shadow," I stuck my tongue out at the unimpressed Ultimate Life Form, "He's better lookin' too."
"People mistake us! We look the same, apparently. Though I am unable to see it."
"Jealous-hog."
A shrill ring stopped Shadow from strangling me, and Cream hopped down to greet the visitors. When she pulled back the front door, a determined Rouge and a tired Knuckles were standing there. I raised my hand in a salute.
"Hey, guys. Everythin' sorted at Angel Island?" Rouge eyes up my slobby posture, and I quickly sat up, "All good?"
"Yep. All we need to do is take all this—" Knuckles gestured at the plates and platters scattered about the kitchen, "—up there. Any suggestions on how to do that?"
"Chaos Control would be the most efficient method," Shadow placed his cup on the side, drawing out his green Chaos Emerald, "But it will require several trips."
"It's a shame that Sonic isn't here," Rouge's eyes trailed towards me, for some reason, and I raised an eyebrow back at her, "If he had his Chaos Emerald, we could get this done in half the time."
I wanted to leap up and give it a go, but not only would that blow my cover, it probably also wouldn't work. Amy had gained my super speed — she'd probably gained my Chaos abilities too.
"Oh well. 'Guess we'll have to do this the hard way," I leapt up and balanced a few plates in my arms, with Knuckles following suit, "Ready to go, Shadow?"
As the echidna and I clamped a hand down on his shoulders, Shadow's response was a cry of "Chaos Control!"
(Amy)
"We totally rocked that high score! I guess my Tetris skills are still going strong!" Tails babbled in giddy amusement, with a knowing smile, "You've gotten suspiciously good at Whac-A-Mole."
"Ah, ha! Yeah, uhh…" I shrugged, rubbing the back of my neck, "I can't explain that one. Must be my awesome strength, right?"
"'Guess so!" He dropped the matter, letting his tails whirl in excitement. We sauntered along the edges of West Side Island, where Casino Night was located, and the arcade in question. It was a pleasant day — bright blue skies, shining sun — and I could feel Sonic's quills blowing in the breeze. It felt comforting, despite the weirdness, "Thanks for today, Sonic. It's been brilliant. A blast from the past."
"I'm glad you think so, Tails!" I grinned, but I couldn't help but feel guilty. It wasn't a blast from my past. Sonic should have been here, not me, "But now we should head towards Angel Island. The others want to meet us up there!"
"Okay! Wanna speed?" He noticed my hesitation, "O-Or we could take it slow. It's not that far — no rush, right?"
"Right," I offered a grateful smile and crossed my arms behind my head, as we walked, "Sometimes, it's nice to just enjoy the view."
"Yeah. I didn't think I'd hear you say that in a rush, though."
"I know, but, well... I'd run outta things to do, if I sped through everything, wouldn't I?" Nice comeback, Amy, not bad.
"That's true. I hadn't thought of it like that," Tails chuckled, "Maybe I've been hanging around you for too long. I'm starting to speed through things too!"
"Never a bad thing!"
We settled into a comfortable silence, and I thought I might try to untangle the mess that Sonic and I had become woven in — we still had no idea how to sort out our predicament — until Tails piped up with one topic that I really didn't want him to bring up.
"So, remember when we first met?"
Oh no. Reminiscing about the past. I couldn't do that! It wasn't my past!
I wasn't completely in the dark about Sonic's background, but I only knew the outlines. I didn't have the inside knowledge that Sonic and Tails did. Could I really pull this off?
"W-Well, of course I do, Tails! How could I not remember meeting my best friend?"
"Heh, likewise! We met on this very island," He looked up at me, blue eyes filled with contentment, "If you hadn't decided to come here to relax..."
"If you hadn't decided to follow me, or if you hadn't kept up with me..." C'mon, Amy, think! Sonic must have told you more about how they met!
"Who knows how everything might have turned out? We might not have met Knuckles, or Amy..."
"We might have never stopped Eggman. He might have taken over the world!" I was genuinely struck by the thought. If Sonic and Tails had never met, none of this could have happened. I might have never even met Sonic!
Tails shuddered, grinning, "Whoa! You know, maybe I have something to thank those bullies for. Because of them, I met you. And we're here today, because of all that."
"I wouldn't quite go as far as thanking them, Tails, but I get what you mean," I ruffled the top of his head, "Here's to you!"
"Here's to us!" We clinked imaginary glasses and chuckled. I felt at ease around Tails and the lie was more bearable, because of his calm demeanour. I also couldn't help but think that Tails would be the person most likely to have an answer to our problem. Wouldn't telling him be the easiest answer? Shadow did already know.
But I'd given Tails a good birthday, as Sonic. The two of them would want nothing more than to spent his birthday together. I didn't want to take that away from Tails. I'd already taken it away from Sonic.
I could keep this up. Just for a little longer.
"Hey, look, it's Knuckles!" Tails called, pointing towards the red figure and waving his arm to catch the echidna's attention. We dashed forward, exchanging smiles, "Knuckles! What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you two! Happy birthday, Tails!" Knuckles grinned at the kitsune, patting his back and nodding at me, "Amy said you'd be here. Guess her Sonic-radar works pretty well, huh, Sonic?"
"Guess so, Knucklehead," I smirked, raising an eyebrow at his brazen attitude, "Guess so."
"Anyway, come on. I've been standing here for ages. Let's head to Angel Island!" He took the lead, and Tails and I followed in slight bemusement. I wanted to remark that Team Sonic was back together, even if it technically wasn't true.
(Sonic)
"Everything okay, over there?" I yelled to Cream, who was struggling to tie the end of the banner, despite Cheese's best efforts to help. I pulled the slack out of the knot, taking a step back to admire our work. Knuckles had chosen the perfect spot: an open area of lush grassland, with two trees located in the middle.
Knuckles had dragged two picnic benches between the trees — he didn't say where he'd found them — and Rouge draped tablecloths over them. We'd littered the benches with plates of food: it was Cream's idea to hang the banner using the tree branches.
Shadow approached Cream, helping to untangle and retie her end of the banner. Rouge's hands fell to her hips, as she sauntered to me.
"I think that's all. Knuckie should be back soon with Sonic and Tails," The bat smoothed her hair down, with a suspicious eye locked on me, "You doing okay, Pinkie?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" I narrowed my eyes. There were only so many hints that I could take, "Rouge, if you wanna say something, then say it."
She tossed her head upwards and responded in an abrupt manner, "You're acting weird, alright? I'm worried about you. I don't know how else to go about it."
"I'm fine!"
"So you keep saying. But you're not acting like yourself, at all."
"I fancied a change. So what?"
"There's a change, and then there's this, honey," She sighed, "I'm not... stopping you. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. If something's wrong—"
"Nothing's wrong!"
"If you're worried about something—"
I'm not!"
"You can talk to me. Just know that."
"I will. And I appreciate it," I told myself to hold back on the smart-ass attitude and jokes. I needed to be less like myself; I needed to think like Amy, "If something comes up, you'll be the first to know."
She didn't push it any further, "How are things with Sonic?"
"Fine," I really needed to come up with something better than just 'I'm fine' or 'fine' or 'it's okay'.
"You sure? Shadow's not wowing you with his mysterious aloofness, then?" Rouge snorted in amusement, "He's taken a shine to you."
"Really?"
"Well, as much as Shadow does. I mean, he's not talking about making friendship bracelets for you or anything, so don't get your hopes up too much."
"Did someone mention my name?" The Ultimate Life Form himself spoke up, with straight ears and a guarded expression. His eyes flickered between me and the smirking bat.
Rouge patted his arm, "Oh, nothing, sweetie. Don't worry your pretty head about it."
I snorted, receiving a crimson glare for my troubles.
The Guardian of the Master Emerald suddenly burst through the foliage, out of breath and frantically wheezing, "Tails... Sonic... here... HIDE!"
(Amy)
"Where has he gotten to now?" Tails exclaimed, darting amidst the greenery as his eyes roamed for the red echidna. I also stood poised, in an attempt to catch sight of the knucklehead that had decided to run off into Angel Island's thick labyrinth. He was the one who knew where he was going.
I shielded my eyes from the sun and frowned, "No idea, buddy. 'Wonder why he was so keen to run off. At the speed he was going, I'd struggle to outrun him!"
"Knuckles? Outrunning you?" Tails chuckled, "Well, I guess that's the follow-up to your competition, huh?"
"Guess so!"
"By the way, what was up with your fighting, the other day?" His curious expression made me gulp, "You seemed... different."
"Different? Me? No way!"
"Sonic. Remember how I've seen you fight Eggman countless times, for many years?" He folded his arms in a small triumph, "Different."
"Okay, fair point," I could feel sweat forming on the back of my neck, and it wasn't from Angel Island's intense heat, "I just thought I'd try something new. I mean, it'd be boring if I just beat Knuckles in a couple of seconds, right?"
Tails suggested that we should try heading West, and pondered my response as we walked, "True. But I'm not the only one who thinks you're acting strangely. Rouge is on a personal vendetta to uncover the truth, being a spy an' all."
"There's nothing to uncover!" I threw my hands out in exasperation.
"If there is something wrong, you can tell me, Sonic. You don't have to go through it alone, you know? I can help. I'd blame myself if something happened to you, and I'd failed to pick up on it..."
My expression fell at his drooped shoulders, and an insane tsunami of guilt fell over me. I had to say something. I couldn't let Tails worry about me. Well, Sonic, "Tails. Maybe... well, there is something. Just a little thing..."
His ears rose and blue eyes urged me to go on, "It doesn't matter what it is. If it's bothering you, it matters. What's on your mind?"
"W-Well, it's probably gonna come across as a shock... and it'll be a bit embarrassing..."
"I won't judge you, no matter what it is."
"A-And it's complicated."
"Most things are. It's okay, Sonic. It'll be okay."
"Alright. Here it goes—" I took a deep breath in, "—I'm not actua—!"
"SURPRISE!"
(Sonic)
Longingly, I spied on Tails, enjoying the way his face lit up in happiness. But I mourned the lack of time that I'd spent with him on his birthday.
Knuckles was burbling to the kitsune about the grand masterplan to surprise him, or something like that, with Amy standing close by. I frowned at her pale cheeks — I looked like a ghost — and gingerly approached, as Tails greeted the other guests.
"Hey. You okay?" I asked, as she blinked and properly saw me.
"Oh. Hi, Sonic. Y-Yeah, I'm fine."
No, she wasn't. I'd spent the entire morning telling people that I was fine, and I could tell when it was false. But I didn't think she'd appreciate me asking further, so I left it well alone, "How was the trip to the arcade?"
"It was fun—" She blushed and lowered her head, guiltily, "I'm s-sorry. I know you really wanted to spend the day with him."
"It's fine," See, "Neither of us asked for this to happen. I'm just really glad that Tails got to have a great birthday, despite what's going on. I'm really grateful, Amy. I appreciate it."
"Sonic..."
I wore a smile for both of us, even if she still didn't look too happy. I placed a comforting hand on the small of her back, leading her towards the others, "C'mon. Smile, Amy. It's a party, even if you and me are the only ones wearing fancy dress."
She laughed at that, "Still, we don't scrub up too badly, do we?"
"I'll say. You're looking pretty hot, Amy," Boldly, I winked and wondered where my attitude had suddenly come from.
Amy blushed — then she realised — and she rolled her eyes, "Oh, you—!"
"FOOLISH PESTS! I seem to be lacking an invite to your little get-together, hmm?"
My head snapped up towards the voice. A growl entered my throat, as I glared at the thick moustache and egg-shaped physique in his Eggmobile, hovering above us all, "Not cool, Egghead. This is Tails' birthday, and gate-crashing is just plain lame."
Eyes trailed towards me: confused amethyst, suspicious aqua, curious baby-blue, bewildered oak and glaring crimson. Oh, yeah. Amy didn't banter with Egghead, did she? I felt worried emerald eyes gaze into the back of my head, but I knew that I needed to remain silent.
"Is it me or have you been acting strangely, recently?" Eggman scratched his head, looking around for guidance. I narrowed my eyes.
"Nope. I've been wondering the exact same thing," Rouge folded her arms, and I tried to avoid her icy stare.
Amy stepped forward, gently pushing me aside, with her teeth grit, "What do you want, Eggman?!"
"Well, now that Pinky has been so kind enough to inform me, I have brought a birthday present for young Tails!" He cackled, "Or should I say older Tails?"
"What have you done?" Shadow snarled, "Do you not tire of mindless battles that will always end in your demise?"
Eggman sent him a lidded glare, "Station Square is where the party really begins! I do hope you like it, Tails. I worked very hard on it."
"I'm sure you did," Tails muttered, with an eye roll.
"I'm afraid I'll have to see your reaction when you get there!" Eggman edged backwards and revealed Station Square lying on the horizon, with smoke billowing from the buildings, "I'll be waiting!"
I clenched my fists, as he was whisked away by the motorised speed of his flying device. I hated that thing, "We need to get over there, right now!"
"Amy's right. I suppose the celebrations will have to be put on hold," Tails sighed, but he took in another breath of air and puffed up his chest in anticipation, "Beating Egghead will be another thing to do before I turn one year older!"
"Good plan," Knuckles smashed his fist into his palm, "Let's head out. Tails, think you can carry me there? Sonic and Shadow can run."
"Sure thing, Knuckles—"
"H-Hey, wait up. What about us?" I gestured towards Rouge and Cream, "We're not just sitting around!"
"It'll be a simple thing, Amy: get there, smash some robots, beat Eggman, and come back. We'll only need a few people," The echidna rolled his eyes, "Sonic will be fine."
"I'm not worried about Sonic!" That earned several raised eyebrow, "I want to help take Eggman down! It'll be faster with more of us."
"Sorry, Amy," I felt a hand briefly grip my shoulder, as Amy passed and joined the guys. I frowned at her, and she averted her gaze, mumbling, "I guess you'll have to sit this one out."
Like heck I will!
Tails grabbed Knuckles' hands and pulled him into the air, heading off down the path towards the city, with his tails spinning rapidly. Amy headed into a wobbly jog, slowly gaining speed, with a quick glance back.
Shadow silently watched, until they gained some distance, when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close, "Accept it. Don't do anything stupid."
He left me in the dust, skating after them with relaxed muscles. My clenched fists were beginning to shake.
Cream skipped towards me and took my hand, surprising me long enough for her to calmly say, "They'll be fine, Amy. They always are."
"But we should go with them. Can't they see that? I'm not sitting here, idly waiting—!"
"This is what it means to be friends with heroes. Especially heroes like them," Rouge smirked and stared out at the sky, seemingly unfazed. I would have thought that she'd also want to get out there and fight, "Stubborn."
"I'm not waiting," I argued, wrenching my hands from Cream's grasp and marching after them, with a heavy frown. Amy could get hurt. This wasn't some simple tournament, or a little bank robbery. Eggman's robots would be out in full force, with the expectation that Amy would demolish them. I had to protect her.
"Amy!"
"Chao!"
"You can't just run in there," Rouge called out to me, and I turned, but I slowly kept moving backwards, "They're busy fighting. There's no protection for you. Sonic won't be able to just turn around and help. You could get hurt."
I breathed in, feeling pressure rising through my veins. I wasn't surprised when a hammer appeared in my hand, "Who says I'm going to get hurt?"