The Rose and the Wind

by Rowan Jacobs

As tender as the dew settles upon the petals of a flower in the early morning, did his lips touch upon hers. The delicate sensation beyond anything either of them ever could've imagined, and yet it felt as natural as breathing. One-shot.

"Healing are the petals of a whisper in a dream. As light drops dazzle softly in the stillness of the breeze.

Enchanted are the morrows of the setting golden sun. As the blooming of the sunset's promised cycles soon will cease.

As time itself stands still within the timelessness of now. Eternity is ever present, waterfalls of love.

Flowers bloom and fade, yet at their essence never die.

As leaves upon the grandest branch, of light beamed up above.

For ever-ever present laughter can be heard upon the dawn, of not forsaken cries of hopeless past.

Within the dawn's awakening, shells of nothing are undone.

As healing roses gently sing their heartfelt song at last."

- Pamela Storch

---

Once there was a meadow.

A meadow which stretched far and wide, beyond what one might see with the naked eye. There it grew flowers of every possible kind, big and small, colorful and modest, in pairs or in groups - and some all by their lonesome self. What all of them had in common though was that they basked in the same light of the sun and bathed in the same soft summer rain. During the days they danced and during the nights they all fell into a sweet slumber, listening to the stories and lullabies the Beech tree played for them through his rustling leaves. It was a peaceful, comfortable life that left little to nothing else to desire.

For to be grounded and secure is the ideal life for any flower.

Well, maybe for all except one…

The Beech was the only tree growing in the meadow, standing at the very centre of it all on a small hill. He was old of age, but still remained as strong and sturdy as he'd always been. Stretching his majestic foliage above and all around him like a protective sphere that offered comfort to anyone who needed it. But what was most peculiar was that beneath him, almost completely hidden in the shade of his lowest hanging branches, there grew a single rose.

A rose so beautiful in its delicate composure and blushing color, that even the moon would turn its pale face to peek down at her now and again.

All the other flowers adored the little rose so much that they came to call her Amy - the beloved one.

Each day she played amongst the grass of the meadow, waded in the glittering water flowing through the shallow brooks and danced to the melodies that the Beech played. Once the evening came she always returned to her spot by the mighty tree, awaiting the Wind that every day swept across the meadow just as the sun had set.

For as long as Amy could remember, she'd enjoyed the Wind's soft caress against her petals and how his cooling breeze had protected her against the sun's unyielding rays on certain heated days. Admired how he could go wherever his heart desired without ever being bound to one place for too long, a fact she also greatly envied him for. What she wouldn't give to be able to join him, to soar high up in the sky by his side and be completely free. At nights, when the stars shone bright above the meadow, the little Rose would often wish that the Wind would glance down at her and know of all the admiration and affection she held for him. And that maybe he'd take her with him.

Just one tiny glance was all she asked for.

And truly must've the stars heard her most desperate wish because one fateful day did it finally come true. But had they only known the consequences of it, they might have reconsidered their decision...

The sun rose like on any other summer's day, bathing the meadow in all it's glory and waking the flowers from their slumber.

Lilies sitting by the pouring brook, Buttercups straightening their golden locks, Blue Bells ringing their merry tunes, Poppies and Daisies twirling their skirts while the Thistles tattled with the Forget-me-nots.

And yet, instead of greeting the new morning with everyone else, Amy had remained underneath the branches of the Beech tree.

"Sweet Rose, why don't you go join the others as usual this morning?" He asked.

"The heat is too much for me today, I dare not leave your protective shade."

"Don't be silly, it's an all too beautiful day to stay in the shadows. If you're afraid of the heat you can always go refresh yourself in the brooks' cool water."

"Well, all right then, I suppose you're right." Amy answered. She trusted the Beech's word and before she left, she gently hugged a nearby branch of his. "I'll see you later, Mister Beech - love you!"

With a swift twirl of her skirt, Amy cheerfully skipped her way down to the closest brook where the Lilies sat, currently admiring their pale beauty in the reflection of the water. They were all sleek with long, flowing petals that were the envy of many of the other flowers. Compared to them, the little Rose felt awfully stubby and boorish with her own pink color. Though despite this, Amy highly admired them and in turn the Lilies had always been kind to her, if yet somewhat condescending and self-absorbed at times. But such was to be expected when you were as beautiful as them, she figured - it was only natural after all.

"Good morning to you, Amy Rose." They greeted in choir as she approached them, their voices just as pleasant as their looks.

"Good morning, Lilies." Amy replied and curtsied politely before settling down beside them, dipping her feet into the shallow water of the brook. And just as the Beech had said, she almost immediately felt refreshed by the coolness. The relief was so great that she let out a brief sigh, giggling softly to herself. Unbeknownst to her, some of the Lilies stole envious glances at the rosy color that blossomed on her cheeks as a result, because even though they thought highly of their own perfection they couldn't deny the rare beauty that the Rose possessed. For whereas there were dozens upon dozens of them, she was one of a kind.

"Little one-" A Lily closest to her began to say. "—we noticed that you awoke later than the rest of us today, how come?"

In reponse, Amy smiled brightly up at them and said— "Oh, well I had such a wonderful dream, you see. I dreamt that the wind came and swept me away into the night. That we flew high above the ground - just as high up as the birds and beyond, I could even touch the stars and take one down with me!" She giggled once again as she relived the dream with vivid clearness. "It was so lovely, oh, I wish you all could've seen it, too!"

"The Wind?" One of the other Lilies echoed, surprised.

"You mean that brute..!" Another one said in obvious distaste. "He always messes up my petals whenever he comes rushing by in that careless manner!"

"I sometimes hear how he hollers as he passes, speaking in a most uncivilized way." A third one added.

The rest of the Lilies came with similar responses and remarks about their dismay with the Wind while Amy merely listened in confusion. After they'd quieted down at bit, she spoke up— "B-but the Wind is the one who cools us on warm days such as these, tickles our petals and makes Mister Beech play such calming melodies for us in the evenings. I actually wish I could get to meet him some day and express my gratitude for all he does for us."

Now the Lilies really gave her odd looks.

"You've never met him?" They asked.

Amy lowered her head slightly, blushing shyly as she kicked her feet in the brook.

"No, I only ever feel his soft caress as his breeze comes through the branches of Mister Beech…"

"I wouldn't call that ruckus of a sweep for a caress." A particularly tall and dazzling Lily commented in disapproval while also rolling her eyes.

"That's odd… The Wind has always been so very gentle with me."

The Lilies exchanged glances among themselves over the Rose's head, some even whispering. Sure enough had they considered the Rose to always have been a bit behind… but for her to express such sympathy for a being she had never even once spoken to was strange to say the least. Especially with such an indifferent force of nature.

A Lily, who didn't partake in the others' demeaning chatter, instead lightly patted Amy on her rosy cheek. "Well, I suppose you're just lucky then, little one."

And so the subject ebbed out, as none of the Lilies seemed interested in discussing the Wind any further. Pretty soon they'd resumed their conversations about the best way to make their petals stand straighter and in which type of light their bodies appeared most radiant in. In the midst of their talking, Amy excused herself, bidding them all goodbye and then wandered up alongside the brook so that she could quickly cool herself if necessary. She silently pondered over what the Lilies had said about the Wind - how they didn't hold him in the same high regard as she did.

To her, the Wind was the symbol of freedom and kindness - selfishly providing the world with it's soothing breeze and rolling gusts.

So how come the Lilies only saw him as a mere nuisance?

Walking further and further off into the meadow with her head in the clouds, the little Rose didn't notice the bunch of Dandelions bathing in the brook, wildly splashing water around themselves as well as on each other. Dandelions were known to be quite impish and were due to their messy petals considered less beautiful and thus inferior to many of the flowers of the meadow. Their loud and sometimes obnoxious behavior was also a reason why most kept a bit of a distance to them. As Amy passed, one of them directed a big splash her way which successfully drenched her from head to toe and almost knocked her to the ground in the process.

"Oops!" Said Dandelion exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth to cover up a big grin, and pretending to look shocked. "I'm terribly sorry about that!"

Amy blinked the water from her eyes and shuddered slightly at the sudden coolness. However, not knowing it was on purpose, she merely smiled modestly at them. "Don't worry, it was an accident. Besides, the water actually helps against the intense heat today."

"It really does! Say, you look deep in thought there - what could possibly be bothering the prettiest flower of the meadow?"

"I-" She hesitated. Amy rarely talked with the Dandelions and wasn't too convinced if they were really interested in what she had on her mind. Not because she believed in all the rumors about them, but because how the Lilies had reacted when she'd brought the Wind up earlier. But maybe the Dandelions felt just as outcast as the Wind, maybe they even knew him. In that case they might be more willing to tell a little more about him if she asked - thus she decided that it was worth a shot. "Well, you see, I had a dream last night about the Wind, a most wonderful dream actually. And it got me wondering how he's like, for real... Have any of you ever met him?"

"The Wind?"

During the brief exchange some of the other Dandelions had halted in their lively playing to listen in on the conversation. Their reaction to her request wasn't to act shocked or resentful like the Lilies had, but rather with nonchalant disinterest as almost half of them immediately went back to their splashing. One of the new listeners gave Amy a skeptical look, but said nonetheless—

"Yeah, we know him alright. We've spoken a few times, only in brief moments of course. He never stays in one place more than a mere couple of minutes, if even that. Constantly on the move that one..." She trailed off as another Dandelion almost seamlessly picked up where'd she'd left off—

"We call him the Blue Blur, but he's supposedly known under a lot of different names. He's told us that some humans even call him the Wind Demon, cause he's not always welcome when he comes rushing past their part of the world. Some even complain about him, throw curses at him, considers him a mere nuisance..." Many of the Dandelion's eyes suddenly hardened, as if they all very well knew what it was like to be called a nuisance. Amy lowered her gaze slightly in shame - she was so used to being met kindly wherever she went and couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like to be bad mouthed in such a way. Surely it was horrible...

"Has that made him callous?" Amy wondered aloud, almost more to herself than to the Dandelions. "I guess I could understand if it has, but on the other hand he's always been so gentle with me that I have a hard time believing it."

"Quite the opposite. He's a trickster, for sure, and his sweeping nature might ruffle some petals here and there, but from what we know he's kind spirited and has seen the most amazing sights! And thanks to his travels, he seems to know quite a lot about the world as well."

This lifted the Rose's spirits anew as she was relieved to know her hopes of his nature to be true. For some reason, it suddenly mattered to her what the Wind was like. It seemed important to prove the Lilies wrong, and at the same time validate her dream of him as accurate.

"I'm glad to hear that, I'd really like to meet him some day."

"Maybe you will."

A couple of younger and much more wild Dandelions suddenly interrupted the conversation by splashing water up at Amy who barely managed to avoid it this time by stumbling forward closer to the brook. But unlike before, neither of them apologized, instead one shouted up at her eagerly—

"Hey, Rosy, why don't you come play with us instead - it's real fun to splash water all around!"

To demonstrate, the Dandelion sent another splash, but this time directed it at one of her friends who was hit square in the face. Though, instead of getting revenge the other Dandelion simply laughed, splashing at another with equal force.

Amy hesitated, instinctively taking a step back. Unlike back where the Lillies had sat, this part of the brook seemed much more deep. "I don't know, I'm not a very good swimmer…"

"Aw, come on - don't be such a downer!"

"Quick, help me lift her up!" Another one suddenly called as she sprinted up from the brook and then roughly grabbed a hold of one of Amy's arms.

"Yeah, let's see if the little Rose floats!" They all, both the young ones, and now some of the older ones as well, shouted in unison, as they too came crawling up from the brook, each taking ahold of any part of her they could get to. Meanwhile, Amy desperately tried to keep them away with her free arm, but she was far too weak and small against the group of Dandelions, who soon had her easily lifted above the ground. Panic instantly filled her entire being as she watched the shimmering surface grow closer and closer, the farther they dragged her along.

"No, please, stop..! I-I really don't w-want to..! Please—"

But none of them seemed inclined to listen.

Just then, as they slowly but surely began to pull her down into the depths of the brook, the eldest of the Dandelions, a tall and respectful looking flower came rushing to Amy's aid from behind. Probably had she been off somehwere in the meadow and heard the Rose's screams, because she had a bunch of others of their kind following close behind.

"What are you doing?" She scolded the younger ones while the older Dandelions abruptly drew back, ashamed of having been pulled in by the misdeed. "Are you planning on drowning the little Rose?" Amy was then lifted above the ground once more, but this time she got dropped off well back on solid ground, if yet somewhat carelessly. None of the newcomers even spared her as much as a glance.

Meanwhile, the younglings quickly tried to defend themselves by all talking at once—

"It was just a bit of fun, we swear!"

"All we wanted was to teach her how to swim!"

"We were only playing!"

Despite being saved, Amy didn't stop to listen, her instincts sent her running as fast as her legs could carry her, away from the brook, and away from the Dandelions who's shouting soon faded behind her. Even when she was sure no one could possibly have followed her this far she didn't dare stop running, only when the heat on her cheeks became too much to bare did she sink down onto her knees, completely exhausted and shaken up over what had just happened.

She curled herself up on the ground as silent tears came trickling down her cheeks.

It was silly.

Deep inside she knew the Dandelions hadn't meant her any real harm.

Her life hadn't been in danger, she argued with herself.

They'd only been playing...

The fear that had grabbed the little Rose's heart wasn't only due to them but because she so rarely were exposed to any sort of harshness. She simply wasn't used to anything out of the ordinary happening at all. And that realization suddenly came crashing down upon her. It bothered her. Feverishly, Amy tried to wipe the tears from her face only for a new set of tears to break forth instead. On an ordinary day, she would have simply returned back to Mister Beech or gone to dance with the Daisies - but as it seemed this would not turn out to be one of those ordinary days. Amy had ran further off than she'd realized. She could still see Mister Beech off in the distance, but only his crown leaves as she now found herself at the bottom of a sloop in the meadow. If she looked to her left she could see the woods clearer now, making her swallow a lump in her throat. She'd never even dared to dream about going near the edge of the woods as it was said to be too dangerous and filled with various wild animals.

The flowers of the meadow never had any reason to venture outside their own safe, sunny world. At times it was even hard to remember that there existed anything beyond it at all. Mister Beech had once said that all that laid beyond the woods was yet another meadow, more brooks and even more woods, then yet another meadow and so forth - stretching infinitely with no end. There were these kinds called humans as well, but those were so scarcely seen that most flowers only believed them to be made up in order to scare foolhardy youngling from walking too far off.

However, the Dandelions had apparently heard of them.

The Wind supposedly saw them every day.

Amy, herself, had naturally never seen one, but she figured if they actually did exist then they were probably far, far away from here. Just like everything else…

As she laid there, deciding that she better start walking the long way back to Mister Beech's protecting shade before the merciless sun stood at its highest, she suddenly heard a sound off in the near distance. It seemed to be comming from somewhere inside the woods. A heavy, stomping sound that caused birds to take to the sky and small critters to scurry off to their burrows and hiding places. Soon, a broad, tall shape emerged from within the shadows of the forest's edge and out into the blazing sunlight of the meadow. A near gigantic human with a bushy mustache, enormous boots and dressed in a woodcutters outfit squinted his eyes as he carefully scouted the area he'd never been to before. He usually kept to the woods or his cottage, but today something had drawn him out of his dark woodland. Out of the corner of his eye he'd seen it - a most peculiar rose. It wasn't for her beauty that the man was swayed. No, in his opinion man-made inventions were far more superior than any of nature's feeble and filthy creations. Plants, trees and animals were only an obstacle - unnecessary as well as undesired.

Trees he easily cut down with his axe.

Animals he just as easily shot if they got in his way.

And plants he had an entire book full of, all of which were hand picked and archived for science.

In his collection he had every flower, every herb, every last shrub one could possibly find—

All except for... a rose.

A wicked grin stretched across his face as he with determinate steps strode forth towards it.

All while this happened, the little Rose had stood frozen in shock, completely exposed with no flowers close by to call out for help to. Though she could hear distant cries of terror up the slope and imagined they scattered in fleeing troops. None aware of her predicament. Because no matter how hard she tried to foce herself to move and follow suit, her feet had inevitably rooted themselves to the spot - trapping Amy in her own fright.

She just knew, without a doubt, that this creature was coming for her and that his intentions were not friendly.

"Mister Beech... I'm sorry I never got to see you again..."

With nothing else to do but accept her fate, Amy closed her eyes, awaiting the inevitable as the stomping only got louder and louder. Pretty soon a hand stretched out to grasp around her, to ruthlessly pull her from her home and everyone she held dear...

It was in that moment, when the woodcutter's fingers were just a mere inch away from her, that the unbelievable happened.

One second the little Rose was still on the ground, and the next she was swept away by a swift breeze. Carried higher and higher up in the air and further and further away from danger. A mighty presence had enveloped her in it's grasp. Cheerful laugther could be heard over the rushing sound of wind as a never-ending stream of smells, lights and colors filled up her entire being until everything became a big blur. There was no longer any up or down. No gravity - just… air. The sheer space in between heaven and earth. The sensation was hard to comprehend for someone as small and delicate as her, but she figured that this must be what complete freedom felt like.

Never before in her life had she felt this scared - yet so utterly safe.

When the thrill ultimately ended, Amy found herself high up among the branches of a tree overlooking the meadow, but on the opposite end of where she'd previously stood just a moment ago. Now, Mister Beech was a mere vaugue shape off in the distance while the brooks looked terribly narrow. Everything was just so very, very small and yet the sight overwhelmed her, shook her to her core - for it felt as if her entire world had somehow shrunk and grown at the same time. However, she'd barely managed to process her surroundings before her attention as well as her breath was stolen away by the presence right in front of her.

The Wind appeared before the Rose - light and fair with vivid emerald eyes and a smile that blurred out all the rest of existence. His vibrant beauty was inexplicable, beyond anything she'd ever seen and would probably ever see again. For a brief second she felt like crying - the realization being almost too overwhelming for her to handle.

"Are you all right?" The Wind asked, his voice filled with such warmth and kindness that as soon as he'd uttered those four simple words, Amy's heart instinctively skipped a beat. She blushed, curtsying politely with her hands slightly lifting the hem of her skirt as she did so.

While struggling to find her own voice, she somehow managed to respond after a seemingly endless minute. "Y-yes, thank you so much, Mister Wind. You've saved my life…"

"I'm only glad I could do so. And, please, call me Sonic!"

"Sonic? Was that yet another one of the many names he was known under?" Amy pondered silently to herself. It had a nice ring to it, a slightly stretched beginning with a sudden short stop. At least that was the way he'd pronounced it. "So-nic." She tested the name aloud. It sounded good even when her fragile voice tried to replicate it. "Soo-nic. Sooo-nic. Sonic!" Letting out a short giggle, her hands clasped together while tilting her head ever so slightly to the side. When she realized that her rescuer was giving her an amused look she immediately stopped, blushing madly while taking a step back.

Sonic, however, was for a moment lost in his own thoughts. He'd just realized that he recognized this Rose. As he usually passed through the meadow at night, he'd catch brief glances of her within the shelter of the big Beech tree's shadow. He was always mindful whenever he passed her, acting with utmost caution as not to cause harm upon her fragile being. Without realizing it at first, he'd grown the custom of defying his very own nature just to ensure her safety.

Somehow this Rose had managed to catch more than his eye, but his affection as well.

And as he got a better view of her now, up close, he was suddenly taken aback by her mere presence. The way her pale cheeks blossomed while she shyly averted her gaze. How soft she'd felt when he'd held her in his embrace and how her sweet fragrance seemed to subtly make him want to draw closer to her. The way her delicate appearance made him instinctively protective of her, willing to throw himself in harm's way if it lead to preserving her upon the earth.

The effect was so strong, and so immediate, that he almost felt startled.

In all his years he'd never experienced anything quite like this.

After awhile, all he could think of asking was to know who this being was. To have a name to call for this captivating Rose. "Now, as you know my name, may I hear yours?" He tried to adapt a more polite way of phrasing his words when he addressed her. Being the Wind as he was, he'd carried many a speech around the world - heard tender words being whispered between two lovers under his breeze, listened to foul curse words being shouted at others and himself, learnt that all words meant the same but could be said differently depending on where in the world he was. His own speaking had been deeply affected by it, but mostly he preferred to stick to a more casual, and by some considered crude and muddled, way of expressing himself.

This was the first time he found himself wanting to hold back on his natural impulses for anyone else.

But his worries subsided once she opened her mouth to say—"I don't really have a name. But I've grown to be called Amy among the other flowers of the meadow."

Amy...

Something deep within Sonic's mind told him that he's heard that word before. He immediately racked his string of fleeting memories for an answer, only to remember one moment in particular. It had been a quiet evening in a distant land where he'd suddenly come sweeping by a young couple, lovingly embraced on a park bench and eyes solely for each other. By the tone of their voices he'd reckoned they were speaking tender words of endearment, and in between, they'd even exchanged a kiss. Sonic hadn't wanted to pry, but such were his nature that it was sometimes hard not to overhear things he probably shouldn't. Out of the two, it had been the male who'd spoken the words "Mon aimée" to his dearest, who in turn had flushed so badly she'd been forced to bury her face in his chest.

Aimée... Amy...

My beloved.

Sonic smiled. "That's a lovely name. Would you mind if I called you that, as well?"

"Oh, no… No, not at all."

Their eyes met, and as her heart once again skipped a beat, Amy mustered up the courage to say what she'd actually been thinking previously that morning—"Mister Win-.. I mean, Sonic, now that I finally get to meet you I've been meaning to thank you for all you do for us on the meadow. Without your soft breeze on heated days such as these I don't know what I'd do. My petals are quite frail against too much exposure, you see."

Sonic nodded, he'd already figured as much. Simply by looking at her one could tell she was unusually petite, even for a flower - who inherently hadn't much to put up with against all the forces of nature to begin with. A force of which he was a significant part of.

"But your breeze has always been gentle on me." Amy continued, as if she'd read his mind. She took a few steps forward on the small branch, reaching a hand out to touch his. The softness of it made him instinctively accept the gesture, only to then get surprised again at what she said next. "You're like our own personal protector. A defender of all that is small and defenseless." Her eyes sparkled in the gentle rays of sunshine that found its way through the foliage above them. "A true hero..."

"A hero..?" He echoed, an octave lower than his usual tone.

"Yes. I'm certain that you help a lot of beings everywhere. You're lucky, I've never been further than this meadow. Not that I'm unhappy here, it's just... sometimes - I dream of something else. You- you must've seen it all, haven't you?"

A special glint appeared in Sonic's eyes at the mere thought of his many adventures around the world. He almost liked telling them as much as he did experiencing them. But only almost. "I could tell you, if you'd like." He proposed, inviting her to sit down on the branch beside him, something which was met with a most eager nod from the Rose.

Soon after they settled down, with his hand still grasping hers securely, dangling their feet over the edge of the branch as the clouds slowly drifted across the sky above and the sun spread its warmth around them. And so, for the next couple of hours, the Wind told the Rose all about the world beyond the meadow - all the sights he'd seen, the oceans he'd crossed and mountains he'd scaled. Since the meadow was all that the Rose had ever seen she had a hard time picturing all of it, especially the ocean. But for the most part, Sonic was so vivid and detailed in his descriptions that she could just about envision how it must actually look like. According to him, there also existed entire cities inhabited by countless of human beings, which was the only thing that unsettled her. Because since her first encounter before, she wasn't so sure she wanted to meet another one. Although, as she mentioned it to him, Sonic reassured her that far from all humans are as frightening as that man in the woods.

At long last, Sonic concluded his story by tilting his head to the side and gave her a curious look. "But throughout all of my existence.. I have never seen anyone as lovely as you." And that was the honest truth. During the entire time that they'd talked, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her. This adoration only seemed to increase when she once again blushed at his words, bringing a hand up to the side of her cheek in an attempt to conceal it from view.

"I'm nothing special..." Amy protested shyly. "There are plenty of other flowers that are far more beautiful than me." The Lilies and Primroses particularly came to mind, and surely he'd encountered many other flowers of which she couldn't even imagine the appearances of. There was bound to be countless of beauties across the world, to which hers would only pale in comparison to.

"None of them has ever made any impression on me. And none of them has ever shown me the kindness you have. I actually think this is the longest I've ever been in one place before..."

The fact seemed to surprise him. As if he hadn't really thought about it right up until he'd actually acknowledged as much to himself just then. Thus, as if a spell had suddenly been lifted, did an anxious restlessness begin to surface within him, pulling on his limbs and demanding that he got into motion - to keep drifting. This notion was so strong that he almost forgot the little Rose sitting beside him entirely as the pull to leave seemed to grow stronger and stronger by the second. And that scared him… Instantly, he forced his gaze away from her in order to think clearly.

He needed to leave, but not before he'd returned Amy safely back to the meadow.

Okay, he could manage that.

"Maybe I should take you back home." Sonic said hastily, and found that he was even struggling to maintain a civilized tone anymore. "It's getting late."

"Oh, yes, of course." Amy agreed, just as surprised by how quickly the time had passed. Looking around, she noted that it was already late afternoon. The sun prepared itself for setting in the far east, coloring the sky in a softer shade of blue and yellow. And Mister Beech would surely soon begin to wonder where she was at, and maybe even send someone to go look for her.

They both looked down, Amy being suddenly aware of just how far up she actually was. Just how on earth was she supposed to get down from here?

As if to having read her mind, the Wind blew her worries away. "Don't worry, I'll carry you."

In one swift movement, Sonic had swept her into his embrace and sailed down towards the ground while also directing himself towards the middle of the meadow. Once settled upon solid ground, he gently placed her down on the ground, a short distance off and in view of the Beech tree. As much as his nature began pulling at him again to leave, another part of him wanted to stay right here - with her.

In his eyes, Amy appeared even more radiant in the late sun's warm glow, all while her soft pink petals and green eyes shimmered...-

No.

He shook the thought out of his mind.

"Well, I-"

Sonic didn't know what to say. There raged an inner turmoil inside his heart. He wanted to see her again. To talk to her again. To hold her again.

But would he be able to defy his nature like this again?

Then, before he had a chance to brace himself, he felt the softest of kisses being planted upon his cheek as the rest of the world ceased to exist.

"Thank you again for saving me, I owe you my life." Amy whispered. She'd reached up on her tip-toes in order to deliver the kiss and now she hastily drew back, smiling innocently up at the stunned Wind. "I'll forever cherish my meeting with you as one of the happiest moments of my life, dear Wind..- Sonic..."

"Amy Rose..."

Just as she made a notion to turn around, Sonic regained his senses, desperately clasping her hand in his.

"No... Wait! Who says this has to be goodbye? Now that I know you're on this earth, I can't just forget about you - I don't want to." He confessed, just as taken aback by his own sincerity as she seemed to be. But a feeling like this… it was new, and exciting and just absolutely wonderful. And he didn't want it to go away, for the thought of never getting to feel it again would be crushing. Devastating even.

"Y-you really mean that?"

"Yes, I do, with all my heart."

A long silence followed, where the only sound came from the birds' distant lullabies and the babbling of a nearby brook as their eyes locked in a moment of a seemingly endless eternity. And so for the first and only time in history did a fundamental change occur within the Wind's roving heart as he made the decision to dedicate his entire being to this one, small single Rose.

For he'd found a force far greater than that of his own nature.

A force which united their two beings into one as they met in the most tender of caress, hidden from the world's view in the composition of her soft petals.

---

That same night, when the Beech tree had finished his lullaby and all the flowers had fallen into their usual slumber upon the meadow, the Rose found herself unable to find peace. She laid wide awake, staring up at the starry black sky that occasionally peeked through the branches above her, while now and then uttering gentle sighs. Once the moon revealed its shimmering locks behind a sailing cloud, she couldn't contain herself any longer and sang out the words that had fluttered around her inside ever since they'd parted.

"Oh, Mister Beech, I think I've fallen in love!" She confessed, focusing her eyes on an unusual carving near the middle of the trunk and imagined a most kind smile reflected back at her.

Albeit somewhat confunded upon hearing this, the Beech tree met her statement with absentminded mildness. "What is this I hear, little one? Love as in how you love to dance in summer showers - sing with the joyous twitter of the Robin in early mornings - or as in how you love to watch the squirrels jump among my branches during springtime?"

"No, far from that. It's more of a… an immeasurable kind of love that goes beyond anything I've ever felt before. A boundless sensation - beyond this very ground that reaches well past our sky, and I'm merely allowed to harbour a tiny fraction of it." Amy tried her best to explain, but truly words failed her now. Perhaps the words she sought hadn't been invented yet, or was impossible to express in such a way.

A feeling that couldn't be described - only felt.

"The Wind?" The Beech inquired, his mildness getting disrupted by this revelation.

"Yes, I can feel it." Amy proclaimed with a voice that carried such conviction and excitement that she practically glowed in the starlight. "In every fiber of my being I feel it, what other flowers have only spoken of, and what I've only heard in lullabies and stories… what I've only been able to imagine before…-" Then the brightest of smiles adorned her features in as she spoke the next word as though it were a sacred prayer. "— love." As soon as it left her lips, the Rose burst into a fit of giggles, enveloped in her own joy and revelation, twirling in circles with her hands grasping the fluttering edges of her skirt.

In stark contrast to the little Rose's oblivious bliss, the mighty Beech tree experienced a sense of dread for the first time ever since he'd been a modest and youthful sapling.

Though still he listened with intent as she wholeheartedly recounted her afternoon for him - their meeting, their talk, their parting…

"—Can you believe my fortune, Mister Beech? Out of all the millions of flowers of the wide outside world, his eyes has fallen upon someone as insignificant as me? What ever could I have done to deserve that and to be able to feel as happy as a result?"

"Feelings are a fickle notion." Was all she got in response.

A carefree sound then echoed among the branches, rustling the leaves before spreading further into the still of the night.

"This feeling is imperviable to fickleness, it'll be as constant as the stars. You'll see."

"It is not the feelings you hold for him that I hold doubt against, my dear. It is rather the Wind's fleeting nature that makes me doubtful of his ability to possibly reciprocate your love. I don't wish to see you hurt."

Amy ceased her twirling and went to rest her head against the bark of the Beech, not in the least bit detered by his words. "I appreciate your concern, my friend. But you needn't worry yourself for my sake - for he showed me nothing but kindness and was utmost gentle with me from the very first second he took me into his strong embrace and swept me away from danger?" Her heart fluttered once more at the already precious memory which she knew she would cherish for the rest of her life. "And isn't that just proof enough of his character - that he saved my life without knowing so much as even my name? That he would disrupt his very nature to protect what is beneath him?"

But she didn't wait for an answer as she merely continued her graceful dance among the shadows, catching a speck of moonlight upon her rosy hue every now and again.

"Speaking of which…" The Beech tree beckoned fruitlessly, following along her movements in light trance of her beauty. "I would ask that you do not venture that far from my gaze again. Now that that human has laid eyes upon you, I should think he won't rest until he actually manages to hold you in his grasp. And if he ever were to be succesful my sorrow would know no end… - so, please, refrain from walking near the edges of the meadow anymore. Do you understand, dearest one?"

Alas his plea fell upon the deaf ears of one who was consumed by nothing but sheer, blissful love.

-.-

Thus followed the happiest days of the little Rose's life.

Each morning the Wind would awake her from her slumber with a gentle caress and each sunset he'd bid her goodnight, always with the promise to return the following day.

No longer did the Wind roam the world endlessly as he'd used to, instead he spent his days with her. Talking, laughing, exploring the meadow and the nearby woods, splashing their feet in the brooks - much to the Lilies dismay - and sharing the essence of their beings with one another. He, by telling her the seemingly endless stories about the world outside and carrying her through the atmosphere and into the deep, blue sky. In the meantime, she'd dance for him underneath the sun's glow and teach him all about the nature of the flowers that lived upon the meadow.

And as life would have it, the Wind soon fell deeply in love with the Rose.

More and more he grew habits that revolved around her, and her alone. Adapted his own fierceness after her fragility. Always making sure to tread lightly whenever im her presence, careful as not to accidentally cause her any harm, and spoke to her the most tender of words he could possibly think of. At night he'd serenade her all those countless amorous songs he'd heard - learned by heart - throughout his existence, sometimes in several different languages.

Through her needs his life had been given a new meaning - a brand new purpose that went beyond that of his own desires.

When she grew tired, he carried her in his embrace.

When the heat was too intense his breeze cooled her, or else he simply shielded her among the branches of a tree.

And when she cried due to the overwhelming joy she felt in her heart, he dried the tears from her eyes.

"Have you ever been so happy that you felt afraid…?" Amy asked him on one of these occasions, during a peaceful afternoon after a day spent solely in the company of one another. They had settled down in the lush vegetation of the woods to escape the last of the midday heat, and was wrapped up as close together as two being could be.

"No, I can't say that I have." Sonic said, stroking away a lone tear that trickled down her cheek with the softest of strokes. "I don't think I've ever experienced fright at all."

"Never? Not even once?"

"Nu-uh."

"Not even when you got up caught in that hurricane out in the middle of a storming ocean?"

"Not even then."

"Huh…" Amy mused in silent admiration and amazement. She wondered what it must be like to never have known fear, not even in the midst of a blistering chaos. It made her think of how she felt right now, she was indeed so happy that a part of her got so inexplicably scared that it would somehow get taken away from her. That a being so small and insignificant as herself simply wasn't allowed to feel this much joy. It was no wonder she shed tears…

"But I suppose fear comes as a result of caring for something, or someone." Sonic reflected aloud. "And I've never had to care for anyone but myself, until I met you, that is. Now I think my biggest fear would be losing that feeling and revert back to my own…. well, apathy." Almost on instinct did he bring her closer to him, as if to reassure himself of her presence.

A prick of sadness pierced Amy's heart upon hearing this.

How must it be like to never have been loved before or had someone to love in return?

Despite her own feelings of alienation from her peers every now and then, Amy could at least always remember to have been beloved by those around her. Her very name indicated as much.

"I promise to always be faithful to you." She vowed, knowing it was a promise she'd rather die than break. "As long as the sun rises, I'll forever stand underneath Mister Beech and await your return."

It took a moment for her sentiment to fully sink in, and so…

"Amy, I—"

Then, seemingly of nowhere had a large, pointy nose appeared behind them, sniffling curiously down their necks while it's big blue eyes observed them intently. With a sudden jolt shaking her being awake, Amy threw herself into Sonic's embrace with a high-pitched yelp escaping her lips. Burying her face in his chest, too scared to look at the monster that would surely devour her in mere seconds.

"Eek! Sonic, help! A beast!"

Sonic, however, remained perfectly calm. Smiling up at the creature that had approached them as he patted Amy reasurringly on the back. "Don't worry, Amy." He told her. "It's only my buddy Tails - he's friendly, I promise!"

Quivering slightly, she slowly dared turn her head to look at the creature called "Tails". He was a small fox, with golden yellow fur, pointy ears and smiled at the pair in the kindest of ways with a set of pearly teeth. But the most peculiar was that instead of one tail, which she'd come to assume was the standard for most animals around the forest, this one had two fluffy tails' wagging behind him. "Hello! Nice to meet you, my name is Tails, what's yours?" He spoke with a raspy, light, almost childlike voice that instinctively made Amy feel at ease and urged her to fully withdraw from Sonic's embrace. She was suddenly very ashamed of having called this undoubtedly harmless and sweet creature for a beast. With a quick curtsy and apologetic smile, she greeted him with the same warmth—

"It's n-nice to meet you too, I'm Amy."

"Hm, you're a Rose, correct?" Tails inquired with interest. "You don't see a lot of Roses in the woods, so I'm guessing you come from one of the meadows around here?"

"Yes, I do."

"Nice, I usually stay in the forest but once in a while I dare myself to go out in the open fields, mostly at night though. Also, sorry if I scared you!"

"It's fine, I'm truly sorry for calling you a beast…"

A carefree chortle rose from the fox's throat as he proceeded to lay down before the pair in order to get in somewhat the same eye-level as them. "It's all right, I shouldn't have snuck up on you guys like that. I suppose my curiosity can get the better of me sometimes, I've just never seen Sonic stay still in one place for so long before." He gave the Wind a peculiar, yet knowing glance. "Has the mighty spirit of the Wind finally slowed down to smell the Roses?"

With a swift flick of his wrist, said Wind ruffled up the fur upon Tails' head causing him to cover his nose with his paws and close his eyes in annoyance. "Ack! Why'd you do that for?" The little Fox whined as Sonic merely grinned in response and sent another gust of wind that flattened the fur back down again.

"Don't make me regret helping you get out of that poacher's trap, lil' buddy!"

"Hey, I wouldn't have ended up in the trap in the first place if it wasn't for you!"

"Yeah, well that's what happens when you try to run with the wind!"

"I would've caught up if you hadn't blown that stink bug right in my face and you know it. Eurgh, I can still feel the taste sometimes..!"

Amy couldn't help but think that their playful banter reminded her of two siblings quarrelling with one another. She giggled softly and simply observed the two of them before she heard a loud stomping coming their way. But before she had any time to react, a new creature, which Amy had never seen and didn't even know the name of, stepped out from a nearby bush, wearing a most sour expression upon its face. It was, in fact, an echidna. Smaller in size compared to Tails but still giving of a very majestic and slightly intimidating aura. Perhaps because of his enormous claws for paws that surely could do some serious damage or his long, slender snout. It was deep red in color and had two narrow eyes that carefully directed themselves at each one of them at the time before finally stopping at Sonic. Somehow his presence seemed to irritate him most out of the three of them.

"What is all this rumpus?" He bellowed with a deep, yet eerily sharp voice that made Amy shrink beside Sonic and grasp his hand. "Don't you know that some of us are trying to sleep?"

Tails was the first one to react, giving the newcomer a sheepish look. "Oh, uh, sorry Mister Echidna - we didn't know anyone was sleeping around here. And excuse me, but I didn't know echidnas were nocturnal?"

"It's too warm to be out this time of day." The Echidna replied with dignity. "I dug a fine, cooling hole over by some blackberry bushes in hopes of escaping this heat. But then I get awoken by your foolish chatter! Maybe I just ought to stomp you all for disturbing the peace!"

That last statement made Amy utter a scared whimper and cling to Sonic even tighter as she closed her eyes. Thinking that all three of them was going to perish underneath one of the Echidnas deadly claws. Even Tails put his tails' between his legs and eyed him anxiously. Only Sonic was left unfazed, but noting his friends distress, he took a step forward and glared back at the creature, and, with a hint of mockery in his voice, said—

"Hey, Knucklehead! Why don't you leave us alone and go pick on an anthill or something?"

"Don't test me, you cheeky nuisance! Or else I might just eat up that quivering little Rose in yo— AGHHH!" But just as the Echidna had been about to finish his sentence, had Sonic leapt forward and created a small tornado that had abruptly lifted the unfortunate creature up in the air and sent him flying off into the distance. Although, he still made sure to land him safely in a bush, only leaving him greatly dizzy and disoriented.

"Have a nice nap!" Sonic called before just as quickly returning back to his friends.

From underneath the rubble of leaves a single grumble could be heard.

"Sonic!" Tails exclaimed, both slightly terrified albeit impressed of what he'd just done.

"What? Someone needed to teach that ol' grump a lesson. No one threatens my friends like that!"

"Oh, Sonic, you're so brave! You saved us from that brute!" The little Rose complimented, clasping her hands together and giving him a peck on the cheek. Thus making Sonic unable to respond in any other way than spluttering a string of nonsensical words.

"Imeanitwasn'tthatbraveIjustshowedhimwho'sbossandwowlookatthesunisn'thatneat…-"

Trying to stifle a snicker and also helping out his friend from making a fool of himself more than necessary, Tails quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of brave…" He began slowly, glancing at Amy who still was a puzzle to him. Who was she and how had she managed to make Sonic so… devoted that he not even once during all this time had gone up and raced off like he'd usually do? Tails could tell he was different. The light in his eyes was new. "How did you and Sonic meet?"

"Oh he… he saved my life from a human - a, uh, Woodcutter, I think?"

She looked at Sonic for confirmation that she'd remembered correctly, and he nodded. Meanwhile an unpleasant shiver went through Tails' body as his ears laid down flat against his head and uttered a low whine. He gave the Rose a sympathetic look before he said with obvious dislike— "I'm glad he was there to help you, the Woodcutter is not to be played with. He's a real ruthless man, shooting innocent animals around the woods and then he…-" Tails swallowed, lowering his ears. "-…stuff them and hang them up on the wall of his cottage. I've heared rumors all about it. It's supposedly a dreadful sight… Not that I'd ever dare to go near that place! Nu-uh! I try to avoid him the best I can."

All three of them then shuddered at the thought.

As the unpleasant feeling of what Tails had just told them subsided, Sonic gave the Fox an encouraging pat on the tip of his nose. "You make sure to do that, buddy. And if you're ever in a pickle I'll be sure to be there to bust you out!"

That seemed to lift Tails' spirit anew as he cheerfully jumped to his feet and smiled brightly. "Thanks, Sonic! Hey, do you two wanna go for a run along the western mountains with me? I could use to work on my speed a bit if I'm gonna outrun any sneaky hunters!" He pulled a pose before jumping excitedly from side to side on all fours.

Sonic looked to Amy who nodded.

"That'd be fun! I don't recall we've been there yet."

"Great - race ya' there!"

Sonic snickered, watching his friend spring into action within the blink of an eye.

Sweeping Amy up into his embrace, he then set off after Tails who got a generous head start, running through the woods as he leapt over tree trunks, moss covered boulders and merrily babbling brooks. The western meadow was not unlike Amy's, except that the grass grew taller and that the majority of the flowers that lived there seemed to be poppies. It also stretched alongside a tall mountain which's clouded top wasn't even visible from the ground. What one could see though was a trampled path that went in wide circles among the grass like a strange yet consistent pattern of some kind.

"Those are my tracks that I race in!" Tails informed, with a proud glint in his eyes. They'd stopped in the middle of one particularly large circle path and now stood well hidden. He'd turned to Amy, who's confused expression had caught his attention. "I make sure to practice as often as I can, and try different running techniques in order to get the very best result. Sonic and I even compete whenever he passes by, though lately he seems more interested in visiting you." He added that last part with a sly smirk as he gave his friend a knowing looking.

"Oh, dry up, bro..!" Sonic rebutted, averting his gaze to the side while the grass around them shuddered lightly. However, he quickly regained his composure as an excited gleam sparked up in his eyes. "If your so eager for a race, why don't we go right here - right now?"

An equally enthustiastic bark slipped out of Tails at the suggestion as he immediately curved his back and stretched his hind legs and got into his starting position. "Ready when you are!"

"When did you get so cocky?" Sonic laughed before he carefully set Amy down upon the ground, giving her a playful wink. "Check this out, poppet!"

A furious blush blossomed upon her already rosy cheeks, still she managed to return the adoring smile he sent her soon after. "U-uh-huh..!" She then backed up a bit as not to be in the way once Tails would come running by, but enough for her to have a small view of some of the track's starting and finishing spot. For as it turned out, the three lapse race ended just as quickly as it had begun. With Amy just about able to register two vague shapes streak past her every other few seconds until Sonic's form appeared once more at the finish line. However no longer than it took to blink had Tails also crossed the line with his tails' appearing to have been propelling him forward along with his rapid feet.

Despite this, Tails uttered a groan and arched his head towards the sky in dismay before dropping heavily against the ground flat on his stomach. "Fiddlesticks…" He ultimately pouted before burying his muzzle in his paws and sending Sonic a look of obvious disappointment.

Sonic on the hand wore a most triumphant expression as he patted Tails on his head.

"Don't sweat it, buddy! I'm positive you'll have outrun me one of these days."

But surely Sonic could've won by a larger margin than that… Amy mused to herself as she came skipping towards them from out the grass. She'd for sure seen him sweep across the entirety of her own meadow in less than a second… And then the realization dawned upon her just as she listened to Sonic's further encouragement of the little fox.

Sonic let Tails believe he had a chance to beat him and would surely one day actually let him do so…—

—because he cares for him.

Just as he cares for her, but with the differnece that what they two shared was the love of that between two brothers. Which in itself was a strange occurrence, but perhaps no more stranger than that the Wind could love a Rose…

Could that truly be?

Amy knew for certain that she loved him, but was it possible that he harbored the same feelings as she did?

Was what she mistook for curiosity on his part really something else entirely..?

Her heart soared at the thought, but she discarded it all for later as she as of now turned her attention at the pair before her.

Deciding to follow Sonic's example, Amy joined in on praising Tails' performance. "You were great, Tails, I could hardly catch glimpse of you as you came rushing by. I bet you win against your other friends every time whenever you race!" She said in a voice she'd meant to sound encouraging but which for some reason seemed to put a sudden damper on Tails' good mood. She watched in regret as the little fox's ears fell flat against his head as scraped with his paws in the dirt while his eyes got noticeably downcast, as well. Thinking it was her poor choice of words that'd upset him, she was quick to apologize—"I-I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's just… I-… I don't have—…" His voice faded into a low murmur, whereupon Amy approached the fox and laid a comforting hand upon his muzzle and stroked gently back and forth. A lump was swallowed, before he found his voice again and continued in a distant and hollow tone. "Besides Sonic, I don't really have any friends. I mean I talk to some others around here - like the little bee that always comes here to gather nectar, and the echidna that we saw earlier sometimes yells at me whenever I jump over his burrow. But most animals, like the other foxes they… they tend to avoid me because they think I'm so… so…—"

"…different." Amy concluded in a barely audible whisper, feeling a great wave of empathy wash over her at the same time. For despite being beloved for her beauty among the flowers of the meadow, their affection was without depth. A superficial sense of admiration that at best masked their envy and at worst their contempt. It hadn't really occured to her that their kindness was based on her rarity instead of who she actually was at heart. And in reality she wasn't even rare at all, there were millions of others like her - it was just that here, in these meadows, she was… different.

But— her heart reassured, Sonic likes me for who I am, and he could certainly be considered different from most, as well.

And that thought truly did raise her spirit once more.

"Exactly." Tails answered in the midst of a sigh that coneyed more than thousands of words could've done. Backs turned. Rejection. All those lonely days. Nights where no one but the moon watched over you. The desperate wish for someone to just give you a second glance. To see your hollow self but still find something of worth.

Incapable of bearing the sad frown upon his friend's face for a second longer, Sonic shattered the gloom with a voice laced with optimism. "Hey, being different isn't so bad. I bet none of them will ever be able to match your speed once you've perfected using those tails of yours. And who needs those snobs anyway? They're just jealouse because you've got two awesome tails' and they only have one stinkin' one..! Besides you've always got me, remember?"

Amy naturally couldn't keep from smiling, and raised a hand up to rest against Tails' cheek. "And me, too. I'd love to show you where I live, and then you could come and visit me anytime you want. I'd very much like the company now and again."

Touched by their consolation, a toothy smile soon spread upon Tails' muzzle, as well.

"Thank you, guys. It… I— just… thank you."

"Anytime, lil' buddy. Now how about we go for round two, huh? I betcha you'll blow me away this time around!"

"O-okay then..! But I won't go easy on you this time."

"Hah! Still cocky, I see..!"

The trio joined in a laugh, as it seemed all the tension in the world was lifted from their shoulders in that moment. Leaving only the joy of the present to remain. And Amy watched on until near sunset as the Wind and the fox competed with each other tirelessly. Despite not being able to participate herself, she still found amusment in witnessing the sheer joy it brought the two of them to run freely among the meadow. Time and time again. She found herself not wanting it to ever end - that they all three would just continue to be as happy as they were right now. For neither of them to be reminded of the sorrow they'd endured on their own. It was impossible, of course, but a comforting thought all the same.

It'll always be like this.

I'll always be as happy as I am right now.

Once the setting sun painted the sky blood red, Amy had nearly fallen asleep where she stood but was abruptly awoken by sudden appearance of her friends by her side.

"The sun's begun to set, I should head home to my burrow and catch some sleep before I go out tonight."

Initially confused by what he meant, Amy then remembered that foxes were nocturnal creatures and while she slept all through the night, Tails must be up and about. Hunting for food, most likely. She then wondered if Sonic ever slept, but figured the answer was rather obviously "no". The Wind had many continents to sweep by, and hardly ever rested, she doubted it would even be possible.

Thus, soon enough they followed him back to the edge of the meadow, towards where the northern woods began, and bid him goodbye.

"It was lovely meeting you, Tails." Amy said after the little fox had nuzzled gently against her petals in farewell, and also drawn in her sweet scent. "Make sure to come visit me some day soon, I'm usually standing right under the large Beech tree on the hill. You can't miss it."

"Likewise, and yes I most definitely will!" Tails promised, drawing himself back and turning towards Sonic, who ruffled his fur playfully.

"Take care, little buddy. And don't let 'em poachers catch sight of ya' now, alright?"

"Heh, wouldn't dream of it." He said, uttering a light sneeze which sent a tremble through his entire body. Though his two tails' soon wagged and he directed a short nod at them. "Bye, you guys!"

"Bye!"

"Seeya!"

And so Tails disappeared in a flash among the trees with a trail of barking laughs following behind him as he scurried on homewards.

After a moments' silence of staring after him, Sonic let out a warm chuckle and turned to Amy to say— "Welp, that was Tails."

"He was adorable, and here I thought the animals of the forest were all bloodthirsty predators." Amy said shaking her head in spite of herself. All this time when she'd been too afraid and cautioned to never go near the forest… Now it all seemed rather silly. Sure the echidna they'd encountered hadn't been very friendly, but to think everyone was like that was foolish. Just like with flowers - there are simply some that are more sociable than othes. And neither's better or worse, but rather required you to approach them differently.

"Well, some can be." Sonic said, affirming her thought. "Heaven knows I've encountered some foul beasts around the world. But Tails is certainly the most kind-hearted kit I've ever come across."

"You seem close, almost like brothers in a way."

"Yeah, I reckon it has grown to be that way… Even though our time together is often fleeting, it's kinda nice to have someone to return to every now and then. To have something that's… consistent. Something more lasting than a mere gust across a field, you know?" As if on cue, he touched upon the blush of her cheek with utmost gentleness and looked into her eyes like he'd just discovered how lovely they were. Words failed him as he tried to define the color of them - appearing as deep and brilliant as the widest ocean and more precious than any jewel he'd ever grazed.

"I wouldn't know, everything in my life has always been constant. Every day the same as the one before. Until you came along, of course…"

Despite anxious of hearing her response, Sonic still brought himself to ask— "Do you miss it? How things were before, I mean."

"No, I'm happy when I'm with you."

"Me, too."

Too shy to hold the gaze for long, Amy soon averted her head to the side as she tried to keep herself from melting to the very ground underneath. Her mind was already spinning in wild circles as she contemplated his answer, and the possible implications that may be veiled behind them or could possibly be in the future. The emotional rush she felt, compelled her to being to sway in place as she resisted the urge to skip into the meadow and dance all of her anxious giddiness away.

She wanted to express all that surged through her at this very moment, to let it all out and be relieved of the love she held for the very being that stood before her.

Wanted him to know. Truly know the extent of her affections and not be afraid to do so.

It wasn't normal for her to keep this much emotion bottled up, but for some reason this feeling - this love, was so much harder to convey.

Taking note of her jiterry disposition, Sonic hastily cleared his throat and in an attempt to ease her, he grasped her hand motioned upwards to the mountain just beyond them. "H-Hey, I was just thinking… before I bring you back home, would you perhaps want to go to the top and watch the sunset with me?"

Taken slightly aback by such a sudden request, Amy drew her eyes back to him and nearly leaped into his waiting embrace. "R-really, you'd take me there? Oh, Sonic, I'd love to!"

"Great, hold on tight..!"

But his caution wasn't necessary, for the grasp he held on her was so firm, yet so tender and secure that no force in the world could've ripped her away from him. In the same way Amy's grip around his form was so tight that even he would have trouble shaking her off of himself.

The little Rose felt her petals rustle as they ascended up the entirety of the mountain side in what felt like no time at all. In rapid passing she noted the massive boulders, sleek edges and the odd tree that grew in crooked fashion on some cliffside. The rush was so intense that she felt more than a little winded once they neared the absolute peak, halfway up to the very sky itself. And as she touched ground she found no hard surface underneath her feet but rather something remarkably soft and… cold?

"What is this?" She asked in bewilderment as she carefully kneeled down upon the foregin surface and dug up a handful of white - cotton, was it?

"You've never seen snow before?" Sonic asked slowly, before he put two and two together. Because of course - she was a flower, after all. And he knew that around certain areas of the world flowers disappeared during the fall and winter season, simply went underground or wilted when the chill came, only to reappear months later, just as fresh as when they'd sprouted for the first time. And it seemed as though Amy belonged to that particular category, and didn't bloom all year long as some others did, in warmer climates.

"No, all I've ever known is the sun and the rain."

The cold sensation had a vague, numbing effect on her body, as if she all of a sudden she wanted nothing more than to lay herself down and sleep within its soft comfort. To get enveloped in the fluffy mass' daze and let go of everything that weighed her down. She'd almost forgotten Sonic was present when he abruptly laid a hand upon her shoulder and shook it lightly. Though it didn't seem that he'd noticed her hazy expression, but merely wanted to catch her attention once more.

"Hey, Amy, check it out. I'mma show you how it looks when it actually snows!"

Within a heartbeat, Sonic dissolved into thin air only for a couple of seconds later encircle Amy and the peak in a quickly rising gust of wind. A flurry of the surrounding snow got drawn into the wide whirlwind, creating an almost completely white twister. Once all the snow - except the very spot where Amy stood safely in the middle of - had been gathered, Sonic let his grasp on the tornado go and regained his corporal form. The pair then stood huddled together and watched as perfectly crystallized snowflakes slowly drifted down upon them - as if they really stood in the midst of an actual gentle snowfall.

Amy, who'd never seen anything so peculiar yet beautiful before, stood with her mouth hung agape and head arched to the rosy red heavens above. A single snowflake landed on the very tip of one of her petals and as she raised a hand to touch it, it instantly melted into a dainty drop of water instead. As a result she instinctively rustled the rest of her petals that in turn sent a shiver down her spine, and she drew herself closer to Sonic, who idly watched her in amusement.

To him, snow was mostly associated with violent snowstorms which made it difficult to navigate and steer in the right direction. A not so pleasant obligation that required quite much in order for him to spread it across a vast landmass. Yet, there were also certain times were he got to enjoy the joyous laughter of children as he blew a careful collection of snowflakes upon bare ground on the first day of Winter. And now when he got to bring the little Rose the same joy as she experienced her very first snowfall. It was a special, rare type of fullfillment that spread through his entire being as he knew he was partially responsible for her astonishment. To know that he'd brought that smile onto her face was at a such high level of satisfaction he didn't even know existed.

And he found himself wishing for this moment to never end.

Or at least for this exact feeling to never leave his mind.

He wanted it to always feel just like this. To spend the rest of forever to continue and find new ways to make Amy smile, for her to experience all the magnificent wonders that the outside world had to offer. For him to always carry her with him wherever he went and give her everything and anything she'd ever come to want or need. He wanted to show her the world and give it to her at the same time.

At long last, Amy managed to find her voice and said in still somewhat breathless awe—"I can't believe something as magical as this exists… Does it really snow like this all over the world?"

"Not everywhere, and not all the time either, but I think there are some places that's constantly covered in snow or where it snows the majority of the seasons." Sonic explained, he too in awe of his surroundings, but not necessarily the snow. He even felt himself grew a little bashful, an almost completely foregin sensation for him, as he after a brief silence asked—"So, uh, what do you think? Do you like it?"

Fortunately, Amy was practically beaming up at him. "Very much so, it feels like standing in the middle of a summer rain but without getting yourself drenched in water. Like there are a thousand little tiny bird feathers sailing down from the sky."

"You know…—" Sonic began in a indistinct tone, as if the following thought had just occurred to him. "—there are a lot of wonderful phenomenons like this out there."

"I'm sure there is. You're so lucky you get to see them all..!"

"Yeah, well, it's been a while now since I've really taken the time to do so, and—"

At that, Amy's face dropped, her elated expression paling into a look of downcast guilt. "Oh, right… Of course. I guess I've been keeping you from it, haven't I?" In a dreadful moment she thought exactly what he were about to say - that he'd grown tired of hanging around her all day and that it was high time for him to keep on drifting like he'd used to. She'd be left alone again, with only his occasional passing through Mister Beech's branches as her only testament of his existence. Steal mere glimpses of his fair nature. Feel his fleeting breeze as a mere 'goodbye' and never a 'hello'. But— Amy mused to herself as she faught against the oncomming tears - she wouldn't hinder him in any way. It wasn't right. The Wind was meant to roam free and independent or else he wouldn't be the Wind at all. The very Wind she loved so dearly…

But before her sadness could escalate further, Sonic hastily came to ease her worries. In a single caress, he removed all sorrow from her heart while smiling down at her with eyes brimming of warmth and… what else? Could it be..?

"Don't be silly, you haven't kept me from anything. Like I said before I'm happy whenever I'm with you, and… and I would like to ask you if, perhaps you'd consider…—" He paused before uttering the final word as softly as his voice was able into the deep folds of her petals. Causing a spark of intense heat to blossom upon the little Rose's cheeks. "—a proposal?"

The previous tears she'd kept from falling spilled forth from within the corners of her eyes as Amy hastily withdrew herself from Sonic's embrace. Her eyes widening in shock as she couldn't comprehend the situation she suddenly found herself in. For never, in a million years and or in her wildest of fantasies could she imagine the Wind telling her the things he then continued on—"Would you like to come with me to see the world beyond these meadows and forests? Would you let me hold you in my embrace as I show you all the wonders and all the corners of this very earth? Would you let me care for and protect you for as long as my existence shall abound in this life?"

Snowflakes still circled around them, even though it seemed as time had finally stopped.

The sun was only couples away from having settled fully, once Amy realized that she still were among the living and hadn't ascended to the mighty heavens above. Although as she blinked the tears from her eyes, she still had a hard time believing that any of this was real and not just a dream that she'd get woken up from any second now.

She even heard herself say the following with great doubt—"But you're so light and fair and I— I'm as heavy as blood… You're strong and able whereas a single strike would break me - shatter me into mere petals upon the ground…"

"I don't believe anyone or anything is merely what you see upon the surface." Sonic said with an unwavering smile, refusing to listen to her frivolous objections. For he knew they were mere excuses on her part, a way to convince herself as well as him of her own insignificance. But she wasn't, not to him. "You say you're weak, but so much weaker am I. And I promise that I would never leave you or ever let you fall… because I am the restless Wind who's fallen for the most beautiful Rose…"

Tender as the morning dew settles upon the petals of a flower in the early morning, did the Wind's lips then touch upon the Rose's.

The delicate sensation was beyond anything either of them ever could've imagined such an act to feel, and yet it felt as natural as breathing.

This was how it was always meant to be.

A lone, soft whisper being all that was heard as the very final snowflake shimmered in the last ray of sunlight—

"Amy… ma bien-aimée… je t'aime."

---

Late evening had fallen once the Wind and the Rose returned to her meadow.

Hushed laughter and vivid kisses were exchanged as they swept around the massive field several times before ultimately halting underneath the dark shadows of the Beech tree. Their reluctant farewell was followed by yet another long, tender kiss that left them both slightly winded afterwards. And then they spent several minutes merely reclined in each other's embrace - as they were no longer two seperate beings but instead one whole. A being which's passion ultimately exploded into a soft scatter of tiny grains that spread around them like rain and then took root in the soil.

Fortunately, the Lilies were not awake to hear as their love came to sweet fruition.

Still as the Wind at long last forced himself to regain his intangible form, his heart and soul would forever - from this day forward - always reside within the little Rose.

No matter what.

But the joy would turn out to be short-lived as once the Wind passed hours later, in the middle of the night, just so he would get to steal a glance at his soundly sleeping beloved, he heard a mighty, yet gentle voice call upon him—

"O' Wind, could I have a word with you before you pass?"

"Sure thing." Sonic responded blissfully, settling among the very highest branches of the Beech, curious as to what he had to say. Through the foliage he could even get a view of Amy, perfectly unaware of his presence, and his eyes naturally softened as he lingered his gaze upon her as the Beech just began to speak.

"There's something that I've been meaning to discuss with you for quite a while now but never properly got around to cease the moment. But given the current situation I think it most dire that I do. You see, I must ask, or rather, plead something of you, Mister Wind, and I ask that you don't interrupt me before I'm done, no matter how upset you might become."

"Alright..." Sonic did not like the sound of this, but waited patiently for the tree to continue while a most pressing feeling rose inside him.

"Amy Rose is very dear to us - that is all the flowers of the meadow and myself. We've cherished her since the very first day she sprouted upon the earth, and despite her rarity she's always been treated with utmost kindness. To me especially she's been most dear as I've watched her blossom from a small bud to a beautiful, ripe rose underneath my careful protection. However once you came along and caressed her cheek for the first time, and she looked up to see who'd done so… I knew. Knew she'd fallen irrevocably in love with you and that from that moment I'd lost her to you. For her laughter stirred my leaves in such a way… Anyway, I know it's not in a Wind's nature to be, oh how do I put it - faithful. I mean how could there? And do know I pass no judgement upon your way of life, but you must understand that Amy is a very fragile being. She's innocent of mind and ignorant to the harshness of the world beyond our meadow - Ignorant of you…"

Despite his promise, Sonic simply couldn't keep himself from objecting. "I would never let harm come to her—"

"My dearest Wind, that is a promise that's destined to be broken as soon as it's given." The Beech tree said, and now his voice had taken on a most melancholy tone, as his gaze slowly drifted across the still vastness around him. "And even if it weren't, I'm afraid that is only half of my reasoning as to why I wish you cease your hopeless pursuit. For as I'm sure you're aware, it is not common for a Rose of her kind to bloom in an environment such as this, which leads me to be highly doubtful of her reawakening come this Spring."

In an instant Sonic's entire world was smashed into a million little pieces.

"Wha-what?" He wheezed forth in a barely audible breath. Shaking his head as if that somehow could help him deny reality. Because true enough, his first impulse was indeed to dedicate himself fully to denial. But then in rapidly increasing order did all other emotions follow suit—

Confusion. Anger. Anguish. Desperation.

And… fright.

For the very time in all of his life, the Wind experienced this most disturbing of feelings and he nearly imploded from the boundless weight carrying it inside his wildly thrusting chest.

It couldn't be true.

It just couldn't.

"You can't know that… How can you know that..?"

A terse joyless, and awfully hollow chuckle escaped the Beech tree. "O' dear child, I have stood upon this meadow for more than three hundred years. Watched countless flowers sprout and wither, get put to rest and be rebirthed and seen seasons come and go so many, many times…" He paused briefly, as if momentarily distracted by his own distant memories. Though he picked up the thread once more as he heard the softest of sigh slip out of the Rose as she mindlessly turned in her slumber. He had half a mind to stroke one of his longer branches against her cheek in reassurance but decided not to at the last second. Afraid that he might awaken her if he did so. "You see, Amy is far from the first rarity that has graced this meadow. Sometimes seeds from distant lands has been carried here and sprouted the most unusual of flowers, or sometimes a lone traveler has planted a seed in hopes of one day returning and finding the meadow filled to brim with new exotic flowers. And sure, at times a seed has indeed managed to overcome its own nature and flourished for an entire year, while at other times barely surviving for more than a month - at which they've been so small and weak that it was pure agony to witness them suffer through their brief lifespan."

Sonic felt a wave of sympathy wash over him just then. For the flowers... For the Beech tree…

But still he refused to let go of his own hope for Amy. She wasn't like what the Beech describe those others to have been. She was indeed quite small, but also strong and filled with brimming life..! She loved life so much that it was simply impossible to imagine her not surviving for years and years to come.

"You still can't know for sure that Amy would end up lile that. And if she came with me, we could escape Winter altogether - I'd make sure we only ever settle in warm places, places where there's never any frost or harsh storms. She wouldn't have to know cold again for as long as she lives..!" Sonic reasoned, feeling his heart fill with renewed hope. "Please, if you'd just let me take her away from here, then I vow to you that I'd spend the rest of my existence making sure she's always safe and happy!"

"You still don't understand. Amy was born from this earth - under these conditions - and so it doesn't matter wherever you may be able to take her. For sooner or later her lifespan would end, and then there'd be nothing for her to get rebirthed from. And you're still ignoring the most vital aspect…"

"And what is that?"

"You."

Sonic was once again confused as to what the Beech was getting at. "Me?"

"You are the Wind. To defy your own nature in favor of taking care of her would be to defy the laws of the very nature itself. Roses must live and love, and Winds must blow - that is how it's always been and how it shall continue to be, even long after when you and I have left this world."

"I don't care about any of that any more. I don't care about what happens if I defy the every last essence of my being..! I just want to be by her side for the rest of eternity, and not care about the consequences it may or may not bring!"

Once the last words left his lips, a long silence followed where neither of them uttered so much as a single sound.

All that could be heard was the continious whimpers of Amy, as it seemed her dreams had taken a grim turn. Immediately did Sonic's instincts kick in as he sent a gentle breeze to caress through her petals, while he murmured reassuringly under his breath. "There, there, my love. You're safe… you're safe. I'm here…" And despite knowing she couldn't hear him, he still secretly hoped she at least felt his presence lingering around her and would thus bring her peace. But deep inside he himself felt no peace at all. As on some subconcious level the Beech's words were starting to get through to him, which filled his heart with an unbearable sorrow.

Meanwhile, the Beech tree seemed to have regained his senses as he replied to Sonic's previous statement as though there hadn't been any lapse in time whatsoever.

"… To say that is like saying you don't care about the very Rose you're trying to protect." He said as he showed a first hint of dissapproval upon his features and in his voice, as well. "That you don't care about her kind and all the countless others of kin that bloom around the world. They need the Wind just as much as they need the warmth of the sun, the nourishment of the earth, and the sprinkle of the rain."

"You don't understand…—" Sonic whispered, his voice on the verge of breaking. "I can't abandon her. She's the only one who's ever shown me a shred of affection, who's touched the very depths of my heart and made it sing, who's made me feel as if my life has a purpose. A meaning for existing. Without her there'd be no me, not anymore…" He swallowed hard, as he felt himself slowly fading. Fading into nothing but a mere soul that held no significance, a vast void of emptiness and misery. All that was left of him was one single notion that kept the entirety of his being together—"I love her."

"If you truly love her, you'll let her live the remainder of her short life in peace."

Desperate for any argument that would somehow change this hopeless situation, Sonic hastily turned the tables around. "She loves me." True enough, they hadn't taken her feelings into account yet. Surely she had a say in the matter, and surely she would rather choose to come with him than stay here and slowly wilt away once Fall came. She'd believe in his ability to protect her, wouldn't she? Did she even know of the Beech's forebodings regarding her life?

Sonic was in the midst of making the decision to risk it all and awaken Amy from her slumber, but was interrupted once he heard the Beech tree's next words. And he now sounded worn even beyond his plentiful years.

"I know she does. Still my question for you remains the same. Can you let her find whatever peace is possible among those who have loved her for all of her life, and then, once her time has come, simply get to fall asleep abound in that love and then rest within it forever. Can you do that for her sake - can you let her go?"

No.

"I—…"

I'll never leave you…

I'll take care of you…

I love you…

"—I can."

"Thank you. I'll forever be in gratitude towards you, O' most gracious Wind." Despite his words, there was not a single trace of ill intent or malice in his voice as he rather spoke his next words with a unmistakable stroke of sorrow in them. Sorrow for the little Rose he loved so dearly. Sorrow for impossible love she'd come to find herself in. "And, trust my word when I tell you that I know your sorrow will be shortlived. For as I said before… it is not in a Wind's nature to be faithful. You'll soon forget all about ever knowing her."

Sonic didn't respond. For there were nothing more to be said.

He just… let go.

Let himself get carried away far off into the empty distance.

Knowing full well that no matter how much time passed or how long he'd come to exist - he'd never be able to forget the Rose.

-.-

"When, do you think, will the Wind come our way today, Mister Beech?"

It was the day after, and a most heated noon had just seamlessly passed into a somewhat less intense afternoon. And even though the sun still stood high in the sky and that there wasn't so much as a single cloud in the sky, the Wind had not yet swept across the meadow even once throughout the entire day. The air was thick and stifling, compelling nearly all the flowers to either seek shelter among the thick grass or to cool themselves in any of the many shallow brooks.

It was near excruciating for just about everyone.

But nothing could put even so much as a faint hint of a damper upon the little Rose's near euphoric state of mind. Because in contrast to everyone else who tried to merely sit as still and possible and bot perish in the heat, Amy had awoken with a seemingly never-ending song upon her lips and spent the entire day twirling around the meadow. Too taken by her own happiness to even feel a single sting of the sun's strokes upon her fair being. After some hours though, she'd returned back to the hill to see Mister Beech, since she'd be leaving today she felt compelled to spend the remainder of her time with him until the Wind would arrive.

Amy tried not to think of how much she'd come to miss her life here.

The Lilies, the Buttercups, the Blue Bells, the Daisies, the Poppies, the Thistles and the Forget-me-nots… even the Dandelions. And of course the dear Beech tree who'd so kindly looked after her during all this time. The love and gratitude she felt towards him would forever remain in her heart, and she'd cherish their time together among her fondest of memories. Still, now it was time for her to make new memories… with the love of her life by her side.

If only he'd hurry up and come… for she'd didn't know how much longer she could endure all this excitment.

"I do not know, dearest one."

"If he doesn't arrive soon, I might just burst from all this joy I feel in my heart..! What do you think, Mister Beech - what makes the Wind delay so? Why did he not arrive at the first break of dawn just as he's done for such a long time now?"

"Hush now, child, and, like the Lilies, go cool yourself in the brook's clear waters. That'll be sure to take your mind off of it."

A carefree giggle rang from Amy's lips as she simply continued to twirl in his shade. "You know I cannot." She exclaimed, blissfully. "Today there may be nothing but him on my mind..! Oh, how I love him so!"

But as hour upon hour passed, the little Rose's joy inevitably grew to an anxious worry.

Worry for the safety of her beloved, scared that something terrible might have befallen him out there in the big, wide world. Perhaps he'd got caught in a storm out in the middle of the ocean again, or perhaps he'd been needed somewhere in a distant, faraway land with no means to reach her. Truly, there were a million of reasons as to why he could've been delayed.

So why did her heart suddenly ache so?

Why did her eyes get pricked with tears?

And why did she not hold onto the hope of that he, this very second, was fighting his way to her?

That he was mere minutes away from sweeping her up into his embrace and fulfill the promise he'd made to her the night before?

The answer was already there, hanging right in front of her. And it had always been inside the very core of her heart, just waiting for her mind to realize it, too.

—She was a Rose and he the Wind.

There needn't be any more reason than that.

"Do not weep, dear child…" The Beech tree muttered softly, as he witnessed Amy's slow descent towards the ground where she ultimately grew broken and pale. Her eyes losing it's gleam and excitment. Her heart dissolving into nothing more than a painful reminder that it had once been full of the most wonderful of love, which now had been taken away from her.

She was nothing anymore.

I am only frail and insignificant.

At long last the day come to an end.

And then eventually so did Summer…

In the midst of a certain cold and misty evening of the late, darkest Fall, did the little Rose awake from her sleep - which was what she did most of these days - to the distant sound of something that shook her entire being to its core. It was an almost ethereal song that cut through every other sound and filled her heart with the strange sensation of both despair and… comfort.

You're too late. Amy mused tiredly through the hazy space that was once her bright and cheerful mind.

~But I am here, I've come to save you.~

Too late. I'm broken. I cannot be saved.

~What has broken you so?~

Love. I was loved and it was a terrible thing. It shattered my heart, and now I'm broken beyond all repair.

~Love does not break. Love heals and mends all that is broken.~

Well, either way, I'm through with love.

~To say so is the same as to say you are through with living altogether. You may as well let yourself wither and falter to the ground underneath you this very instant.~

Too late… too late… too late…

~I wish you will find peace, if not in this life, then in the next. Farewell.~

Come back, Amy wanted to cry after it, as the song faded more and more, until it finally died off in the distant. Help me. Fix me. Save me.

But the only one who could save her now was none other than herself.

And so she rose.

She rose and rose and rose. Not because she thought she'd live again, but because she had no other choice.

For the first time in what must've been months, Amy spoke, her voice frail and low—"Mister Beech… what was that sound?"

"It was the nightingale, dearest one."

"Oh, I- I've never heard it sing before."

"Little one, the nightingale has always sung this time of day far past since your existence."

"It has?"

If so, why had she never taken any notice of it up until now? Never heard its melancholy song?

Too dazed to put her mind to figuring it out, Amy instead drew her attention to gaze out across the meadow. The sight almost made her gasp, for the changes hadn't been able to register until just now. Everything that had once been green was now either yellow or brown, or a mix between the two. The grass no longer rose high above one's head but instead laid flat and parched against the ground. The flowers that had not yet laid themselves to rest either stood huddled together in clusters or lied still on the ground, probably in deep slumber. From what she could see from her viewpoint, the trees that surrounded the meadow off in the distance were almost bare of all their leaves. And when she turned to look at Mister Beech, he too were in fact pretty much completely bare, as well. She even witnessed how a leaf suddenly dropped from its branch and fell right at her feet.

Furthermore there were a lot less noise around, too.

No chirping birds.

No humming honeybees.

No rustling leaves.

No scurrying critters.

Just… silence.

And not to mention the cold. Oh, now that Amy really took the time to feel again, she nearly started shuddering from the raw coldness that filled the atmosphere. How could anyone or anything possibly live this time of year?

Mister Beech took instant note of her slowly growing shudders, and kindly urged—"Come closer, dearest. I'll give you some of my warmth." Without having to be told twice, Amy hurriedly sprung the closest she could to the Beech tree's bark before leaning her entire being against him with her arms embracing what little part of him she could. It honestly didn't help much, but it still felt nice to be near someone for a change. Feel the vibrance of another being in a world that seemed do be slowly dying around her…

Before she knew it, silent tears had begun trickling down her rosy cheeks.

"I don't like this…" She whined helplessly. "I want to go back, back to Summer. Back to when there were light, and sounds and smells..! Oh, I miss it so terribly..!"

"I know, child. I know you do." Mister Beech answered softly, while masking the stroke of sorrow in his voice with strained reassurance. "Pretty soon you'll lay to rest for the Winter and sleep through all this harsh coldness, only to wake up at the next break of Spring - when all is warm and bright again. When you can dance among the others once more and watch the squirrels scatter about, as you love so much. Now isn't that a comforting thought, my dear?"

Somwhere deep within her memory, Amy could faintly recall having enjoyed all of that the Beech spoke about. Once, in a life where she'd known nothing of the anguish that had laid ahead of her. Still, now it was impossible to even picture herself having ever been happy at all. There was only the present, at which she no longer desired to live in. So perhaps sleeping underneath a thick blanket of snow for several months would be liberating in a sense. For then she wouldn't have to think and endure the next endless day upon next endless day - only dream. And she would make sure to dream of the Wind, and him alone. Dream of their brief, yet wondrous time together. Relive the love and forget that she no longer had it, and never would again.

"It is." Amy ultimately answered, her voice barely reaching above a whisper as she watched yet another leaf fall onto the ground in front of her.

After a long stretch of silence between them, that either could've lasted a few minutes or several hours, the Beech finally raised his voice once more—"Dearest one, have I ever told you the story of how I received this carving upon my bark?"

"No, you have not…"

"Hm, well you see, during one of my younger days of life - when I stood no taller than a few hundred inches above ground - a young couple once passed by the meadow. By a mere look, I could tell they were deeply infatuated with each other, and they spent hour upon hour underneath my shade. Talking, laughing, and truth be told exchanged quite a lot of kisses, as well." The Beech paused, as if he could see the whole scenario play out anew. "Yes, they were completely and utterly swallowed by nothing but themselves and their love… Eventually, however, they were to part ways but it was then that the young man suddenly drew a sharp dagger from the scabbard of his belt. And just as I feared the worst for the young woman, he instead turned and stabbed the dagger into me. As my trunk was much more vulnerable back then, the man could carve upon my bark with ease."

Amy let out a horrid gasp upon hearing this.

"Didn't it hurt?"

"It did indeed, yes. But somehow my pain was instantly lessened once I noticed the tearful, and absolute joyous look upon the young woman's face. And as I looked down upon myself, I saw the heart and the initials within that the man had carved onto me, and so I told myself that the pain I'd just suffered couldn't measure to that of the love they two shared with one another. Long after they were gone, I even found myself feeling glad that my trunk bore testament of something so pure and innocent as a young couple's love. Prided myself with it."

A slight sense of comfort had just begun to settle inside Amy's chest, before it froze once the after awhile Beech ittered that one, seemingly inevitable word that shattered all that had come before it—

"But… some time after - I'm too old to remeber how long - did the young man come back. Although this time he were alone. And what I thought would be a joyful reunion turned into a long, torturous moment of him repeatedly slashing his dagger across my bark in blind grief. Over and over and over again… Not until I thought I might just bleed to death did he stop and sink to his knees in front of me, crying and shaking upon the bare ground while he cursed at anything and everything that existed in the world. What happened next, I'd rather not speak of, but it was late night once he finally…— finally left…"

At a loss for words, Amy simply stood in stunned silence before ultimately asking—

"What about the young woman, what happened to her?"

"I never found out, wheter she'd died or abandoned the young man I don't know. Either way did he not return here ever again." The Beech answered, his voice now so somber and low that it was difficult to hear him properly. "Afterwards I tried hard to forget it had ever even happened. When someone would ask where the carvings came from I always told that that I'm too old to recall. In fact… you, dearest one, are the very first being I've ever told about it to."

Not sure whether to feel honored about it or not, the little Rose struggled hard to even be able to respond at all. "I—… I'm so sorry that happened to you. I can't imagine what it must've been like… I—" Her voice died down.

For she knew…

There weren't any words that could cure this pain.

Either his or hers.

It would forever stick with them, until the end of their time.

That notion alone suddenly made it very hard to breathe, and as Amy stumbling drew back from the Beech's embrace her eyes immediately got drawn to the familiar carvings upon his trunk. Only they were no longer familiar to her, at all. It was as if she were seeing them for the very first time - and the particular carving she'd always imagined as a friendly smile now appeared more like a disturbing grimace. The carved heart along with its initials could scarcely be detected anymore and not until right this very moment had the small scraping in the shape of a heart even occurred to her.

Just like how the Nightingale's song had never occurred to her before either.

And how the slow decay around here hadn't even grazed her concious until she was practically in the midst of withering away herself. Suddenly, the little Rose wanted nothing more than to run as far away as possible from here. To run and never look back upon this place that had once been her biggest source of comfort and joy. And so she remembered the words the Nightingale had sung once more— 'Love does not break. Love heals and mends all that is broken.'

The Wind… her lovely, lovely Sonic…

His love could mend her broken soul.

Bring back the joy she'd once known.

'I wish you will find peace, if not in this life, then in the next.'

Yes, Amy would find peace again. Though not in the next life, but in this one.

-.-

In the cover of the night's dark, the Rose took her first step out of the The Beech tree's shadow in months.

At first it went slow as her feet were stale and tired from not walking for so long, and also because she didn't want to awake Mister Beech, who'd finally come to rest. She'd dared kiss him farewell, and also whispered a low farewell to the ever so beautiful Lilies as she'd passed by them sleeping near the closest brook. It was decestating to not know where she'd ever lay eyes upon either of them ever again, but at last figured that she wouldn't. Causing her to shed a few silent tears while she walked further and further away from the small hill she'd known as home.

Once she'd reached half way across the meadow, Amy saw a bunch of Dandelions snoring away in heaps. And a small, fond smile actually found its way upon her face. Unexpectably though, of the Dandelions raised its golden head just as she passed, calling out to her softly—"Little Rose? What are you doing up this late?"

Amy hesitated, but then decided that it made no difference whether she told anyone or not. "I'm going out to seek the Wind." She thus answered truthfully.

"The Wind? Heh, haven't felt his breeze since what feels like forever." To her surprise, Amy then recognized that this was the same Dandelion that had talked to her about the Wind all those moons ago. Before they'd even really met. "I wonder what ever happened to him… Do you reckon you'll find out?" And to Amy's further surprise, she didn't look the least bit condecending when she asked so. Not even slightly dubious.

"I— I hope I will... I won't rest until I have."

A brief silence followed suit of her words.

The two flowers looking at one another in mutual understanding.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, little Rose. Take care of yourself." Then the Dandelion laid her head down to rest once more, closing her eyes upon the night.

Amy continued walking.

Once she reached the edge of the forest, her feet instinctively stopped. Her eyes lifting from the ground to gaze up and into the dark treeline that towered in front of her like an impenetrable wall of forboding peril. However, there was no turning back now. The only way was forward and through. And if she ever were to find Sonic, she figured she'd have to overcome much worse dangers than simply entering a forest at night. So, after taking a deep, calming breath, Amy braced herself for whatever laid beyond those first couple of trees. And to her initial relief it actually went quite smoothly to trek among the tall trees, moss covered stones and fallen leaves. The surrounding sounds of carious nocturnal creatures provided more comfort than they did fright to someone who'd thought the whole world to be dead and silent. And for the most part, none of them even paid her any mind at all.

With a still slightly hammering heart though, Amy reached the northern meadow just as the hour of dawn where upon her, and the misty grey light of early morning began to illuminate the area. She now saw the enormous mountain and saw the nearly wilted poppies, yet the trampled tracks that the little fox known as Tails had made in the once so tall grass were no longer distinguishable due to the dry, flattened state of said grass.

Still, Amy could almost hear the laughter that had filled this place back then…

Here where she'd thought her happiness would be endless.

Sonic, Tails and herself, perhaps even that grumpy echidna - maybe they would all have grown to be best friends one day had things only continued as they'd been… before— before everything were broken to pieces.

No, I can't think like that… I'm going to find him, and then we'll return back here and make it a reality. I just have to be strong, for our all sa—

"Amy..? Amy, is that you..?"

That voice.

That slightly raspy, childlike voice that filled Amy's heart with distant echoes of sunshine and laughter. Immediately she whirled around and from within the shadow of a hollowed tree log did a fox smoothly crawl his way out of. It then sniffed its nose in her direction before carefully approaching her with brightly lit eyes.

"Tails..?"

"It is you..!" A barking laugh rose from within Tails' throat as he hastily sprung forth and almost knocked Amy off her feet in his eager to greet her. As far as she could tell, he - apart from everything else in her life - didn't seem to have changed a bit. A fact which felt oddly comforting. "You can't imagine how good it is to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too." Amy replied, with what felt like her first genuine smile in ages. "How have you been all this time?"

"All right, I suppose. I mean there's been some ups and downs hunting wise - even if my sneaking skills are on-point I only really wanna catch a prey if I feel like I've earned it. So I try to only go for the really fast ones. I've also begun foraging for the Winter so I'm keeping quite busy right now."

"How about your racing, do you have any spare time over for that?"

At the mention of that, Tails' ears dropped and his expression turned slightly solemn. "I haven't really raced a whole lot since Summer." He admitted. "And once the grass died down and well, you know, it sorta felt… I dunno, pointless, maybe…"

A brief, pressing silence passed between them where neither of them really wanted to address the obvious, until Amy finally forced herself to speak up—

"I'm guessing you never got to win a race against him then, did you?"

A low, almost pained, but most of all longing whimper escaped Tails just then as he drew back a bit to instead sit down upon the bare ground.

"No, I haven't seen Sonic since that day. Some time after I just assumed he and you had taken off together… And so I kept to myself for awhile, I mean he never swept through here anymore so I thought I'd guessed right. But… But when I decided to go to your meadow and see for myself if you were truly gone a couple of months ago I was shocked to find you were still here." He gave her a deeply sympathetic look, before he then continued on to say something that took Amy aback—"I went up to talk to you and ask what's happened but it seemed as if you didn't even notice I was there, at all. Like you were deep in some sort of sleep-like state of mind and couldn't hear a word I said."

This brought a heavy load of guilt upon Amy's shoulders as she imagined the little fox coming all the way out to see her only to find her none responsive and practically dead to the outside world. For even now, as Tails told her about it, she couldn't remember any of it. She'd just been too deeply withdrawn into herself at the time… And to think that Tails had been left totally alone, without any from of explanation or reason as to why his best friend had just suddenly dissappeared was close to crushing her anew. How sad and confused he must've felt… And it had all been her fault, too. She was the reason Sonic had left, even if she didn't know what she'd done to drive him away she still knew it had something to do about her.

"Tails… I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry that I weren't there for you when you needed it. If I could go back—"

But Tails merely shook his head. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault."

Despite knowing the opposite to be true, Amy still heard herself ask—"It's not..?"

"Of course not, how could you even say such a thing?"

"But I— I'm the reason Sonic left… I drove him off, never to return. I— I must have done something wrong. Something horrible. What else could have possibly made him forced to leave you, as well?"

"Amy, perhaps you don't realize it, but - Sonic loves you. More than he's ever loved someone before. I could see it in his eyes, clear as day."

Amy's next words barely reached above the sudden, gentle breeze—"… Then why did he leave me..?"

Another silence passed where Tails suddenly seemed to contemplate something as he absentmindedly drew in the air around them. He then rose his head with a most strange look evident in his bright blue eyes.

"Amy, I—"

Snap!

Tails' entire being froze.

What happened next transpired so quickly that before Amy could utter a single word or register where the the snapping sound of the twig had come from, she found herself snatched up in the mouth of Tails. Who had instinctively sprung into action and moved out of the spot where a shot had just been fired half a second later. Like a streak of thunder, Tails ran - the fastest that his little legs could carry him, as well as Amy. Taking aim at the forest on the opposite side of the field while occasionally making abrupt curving motions as he ran.

Soon another shot was fired behind them, before the person in question instead set after them in long, heavy strides.

"Tails, what is that!?" Amy screamed, absolutely beside herself with fear and confusion as she hung on for dear life. However, Tails was far too deep within his own instincts to even comprehend anything other than running and ducking for the shots that were being fired at him at a steadily growing pace.

If they could just make it into the forest…

Please, let us make it…

Fortunately, Tails at last managed to put enough distance between himself and the man, and dove in among the shelter of the trees where he wasted no time before behinning his search for a hiding place. He wrecked his brain as he tried desperately to remember a good enough spot that could conceal them long enough for the hunter to pass. He was in the midst of practically flying over a fallen tree, when the idea suddenly struck him - Mister Echidna's burrow..! It was deep and well hidden hole that surely could fit in him and Amy. So, without hesitation, he changed course and set off in direction of where he knew the burrow to be, pushing his legs to their utmost limit.

In seemingly no time at all, but which for the Rose and Fox felt like an eternity, they dove head first into a thicket of shrubbery which covered the Echidna's burrow underneath. Causing Tails to nearly get his nose pricked with the sharp spines of none other than Mister Echidna himself who got rudely awoken by their abrupt arrival.

"Wh-wha-what?" He stammered in great confusion as he hastily rubbed the sleep from his eyes in order to get a better look at the two intruders. And once he recognized them, his expression changed drastically while he growled out his next words through clenched teeth—"What is the meaning of this!? Have you got no respect whatsoever for others' private territory? Get outta here, before I—" But then something about Tails' expression made him cease his threat, and he also noted that the little fox had began trembling terribly from top till bottom. His eyes widened and glazed over in utmost fear and panic. And once the Echidna discovered Amy still hanging from his gape, he furrowed his brow even further. "Hey, what's going on here?"

"I-I think it w-was a hun-hunter…" Amy managed to stutter forth. "They were cha-chasing us across the field, a-and they had s-some sort of loud thing wi-with them."

"A rifle, no doubt..." The Echidna muttered, more to himself than to her.

"I don't know, but could— could we, p-please, please, stay here for a while until he's gone?"

And despite his angry disposition, the mighty creature actually nodded his head. "Fine, but stay absolute still and don't make a sound..! I don't want that monster finding us here, cause then we'd be trapped until we starve to death, got it?"

Amy nodded, while Tails only seemed able to make a hasty jerk with his head.

However, he still kept his jaws in a cramp like hold around Amy, as trembles kept shooting through his body every now and then.

Time passed slowly after that, but since neither of them could look outside it was impossible to tell whether it was morning yet or if it might as well already be afternoon. So they simply sat huddled together, no one uttering so much as a single word while they tried to listen for any approaching noises, or more specifically the trample of feet. But as far as they could tell, no one had approached the burrows' entrance. Once Amy found herself jerking awake from a uneasy slumber that had eventually crept up on her at some hour, she decided that enough was enough. She couldn't cower down in this hole any longer, especially not if she wanted to find Sonic before Winter came.

Thus she abruptly patted the only part of Tails she could reach, which was his pointy snot.

As if he'd just been slapped, Tails awoke from his own dazed state, looking at Amy with an anxious whimper slipping out from between his teeth.

"Tails, you need to put me down now."

Another whimper followed as heard this.

"It's okay - listen, I'm small enough to go check if the coast is clear. We can't stay here forever…"

Just then, the Echidna's voice rose too. And from Amy could tell, he too had dozed off for some time. "She's right. We're gonna have to leave sooner or later, and since I doubt a hunter would have much interest of a mere flower she's nominated for checking if we're in the clear."

"Right." Amy agreed, suppressing a sudden shiver.

Realizing the truth of their words, Tails ultimately gave in and carefully lowered his head in order to set Amy down upon the dirt floor. But before she'd taken no more than a couple of steps up the hole, he called out—

"Wait..! Maybe we should wait for Sonic!"

"Sonic? Who's Sonic?" The Echidna wondered, having furrowed his brow again.

Amy meanwhile let out a heavy sigh as she shook her head sadly at the little fox, before resuming her climb up the hole. "Tails… Sonic isn't here, and he won't return. That's why I'm going out to find him..!" And before either of them could hinder her, she'd rushed out of the burrow, only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight that met her outside. A metallic trap, strategically placed at the very entrance of the burrow laid before her - sharp, deadly and far too big for a Rose to budge.

With careful precision, Amy managed to edge her way around it right before she proceeded to call down to her friends down below—"Guys, whatever you do, don't come up here! The hunter has placed some sort of trap at the entrance, and there's no way around it..! But don't worry I- erm, I'll figure something out!"

"What? Oh no…"

"Hey, Rose! I've seen how to handle traps like these before, you just need to find something big enough in order to trigger the trap to close shut. Then we can get out safely..!"

"Something big enough… right, right! Just… stay where you are, okay? I'll try to find some help!"

"Okay!"

"Be careful, Amy..!"

Never before had the little Rose ever run as fast she then did. Searching desperately for anything or anyone that could possibly aid in saving her friends. But the forest had gone eerily quiet all of a sudden, as there weren't so much as a single critter in sight. Not even a bird chirped. After a fruitless hunt, Amy was forced to give up and instead try to rethink the situation. Alone, she was too small to carry anything that would suffice for triggering the trap, but maybe if she could just manage to push something onto it from up above… then maybe…

SNAP!

Amy's heart dropped dead inside her chest.

Someone had just appeared within the clearing she found herself in.

A man she instantly recognized.

A man clad in heavy, wooden clogs…

---

It had started with a breeze, a barely recognizable shift in the atmosphere. Then once the sun had risen in the far east a full-fledged gust stroked a gentle hand across the landscape. And not long afterwards he appeared. The Wind burst through the stillness like a burning comet that had just collided with the world. Skewing it off course and setting everything ablaze as he tore across the fields, meadows, mountains and forests. His heart rapidly beating in harmony of the very veins of the earth and the sky.

A holler could soon be heard echoing far and wide.

Sonic could feel the life within him return as he steadily grew closer and closer to his final destination. Happily ignorant of the fact that the worst was yet to come - he was both in time, but also far, far too late.

The Beech tree got shook to his inner core as he felt he Wind swoop down and around him, until he ultimately settled among his near bare branches. Bewildered as well as shocked, the old tree still kept his calm as his sad disposition immediately revealed that something was horribly amiss.

Having yet to notice this, Sonic's eyes scanned the ground underneath as well as the rest of the meadow in search of one particular flower. "Where is she?" After months of not speaking to a living soul, he'd forgotten all about his manners and was as unpatient as ever. "I know I gave you my word to keep away, but after these last few miserable months, I've realized I can't continue to live without her..! I don't care about the risks - if she still wants me then it doesn't matter if our time together is brief or not, cause I don't wanna lose a second of it!" He laughed as though he didn't have a care in the world, and never would again.

But his happiness was not to last as the Beech shattered every last shred of it with his next words—

"You're too late… My little Rose—" A shudder went through his being as tears pricked the ground underneath. "—My Amy… She's gone forever now. I reckon her little heart couldn't bear it anymore and she… left."

Just then, a light rain began to pour from the murky sky above.

"It can't— I don't believe you…" The Wind said upon pure reflex, but before the notion had even begin to register as even a possibility, a loud howl rose from somewhere far within the forest. A shrill, earsplitting howl of desperation. "Tails!" He cried, taking off in heartbeat, leaving the Beech tree far behind him as he soared towards the tree line at neck-break speed. Following the sound of his friend, it lead him to a thicket of bushes near a large moss clad boulder which both gave good cover to the hole that was dug underneath them.

Upon hearing his arrival along with a flick of his own ear, Tails ceased his howling and instead barked up the hole while climbing so far up as he dared—"Sonic! Quick, get us out of here! It's Amy, I think she's in trouble..!"

"What? What happened?!"

"We were being chased by a hunter and so I ran and hid us in here because I thought it was safe..! But then Amy saw that he'd put a trap outside, and so we couldn't get out - a-and so she went to get help… But I think I heard the Woodcutter pass by just a moment ago a-and if he sees her then, oh..!—" Sick with worry at the images that flashed before his eyes, caused a whimper to rise from Tails as he impatiently dug at the dirt beneath his paws.

Fortunately, Sonic managed to spring the trap shut with a metallic - Clang! - by lifting it high into the air and then sending it flying away until it finally crashed against a high tree branch where it got stuck.

In seconds Tails and the Echidna had crawled out of the burrow, but when they surfaced above ground they were met with nothing but the thin air…

For the Wind was already far away, tearing through every inch of the forest just before he caught sight of his target. The large man with wooden clogs traversed through the vegetation with heavy steps, eager to return to his cabin with his latest find clutched firmly in his thick hands. Namely, the most beautiful specimen of Rose he'd ever come across in all his years. With an appealing pink color, strong stem and perfectly shaped petals that were so soft that he shivered in delight as he stroked his thumb against them. And not to mention the sweet smell it emitted. He was just within sight of his home, when he felt a sudden gust of air breathe down his neck, causing his bushy mustache to rustle.

The Woodcutter threw a glaring look behind him.

The Wind seemed to be picking up…

But there was no way that he would let the Rose get torn out of his hands now - not again.

Therefore he picked up the pace, and began running the last bit of the way. Still the Wind leapt after him, tearing at his clothes, his hair and his body - as if it were somehow trying to pull him backwards and force him onto the ground. And while he fought against the mighty force, it was as if all hell broke loose around him. Trees began to shake and bend towards the ground, while leaves, dirt and rain whipped him in the face. Not to mention that the very earth underneath his feet had began to quake, resulting in him almost getting knocked off his feet. However, the Woodcutter had always been a sturdy man so he kept making his way forward with great effort while he uttered long strings of curses under his breath. At long last his hand clasped around the handle of his door and with a mighty thrust he swung it open before just as quickly slamming it shut… right in the Wind's face.

"O that I might turn to stone!" Sonic wept as he threw his entire being against the thick, wooden door. Tears swirling all around him as he heaved himself towards it again and again and again… to no avail.

Soon windows shattered, tiles went flying off the roof, and the very foundation of the cabin seemed to lift from the ground.

A tornado whirled around Sonic's hunched figure and with a powerful roar tore itself free from within his agony as it then found itself seeping through every last crack and nook of the cabin. With a blast, the door came unhinged and got helplessly drawn into the tornado's force and not long after one could witness the Woddcutter's body get dragged out and swallowed, as well. His agonizing screams almost drowned out the very roar of the Wind as he clawed with his hands against any last shred of earth he could reach. But alas, his struggles were for naught… As if aware that its prey had been seized, the tornado ceased its torment upon the cabin and instead began to rise higher and higher into the sky. With furious force it then proceeded to advance itself off into the seemingly never-ending distance, taking all its might and tremor with it until it at last disappeared altogether.

Leaving an eerie stillness in its wake.

Having taken his corporal form, Sonic slowly rose upon shaking legs and began to make his way towards the now near wreck that was the cabin's inside.

"A-Amy..?" His voice was broken and faint.

The fear in his heart had not yet settled.

Nor would it come to, as his eyes - dazed with grief - fell upon the little Rose that laid spread upon the floor in front of him. She laid so small and still… and did not care at all.

Not for his presence.

Not for the total demolition surrounding her.

Not for anything at all…

"No… No, no, please… Please, no..!"

The Wind collapsed by her side, taking her fragile being into his embrace. He saw the cut along her stem that the Woodcutter must've caused when he'd plucked her from the ground, and he could feel that her petals were already starting to falter around her sweet face. Her cheeks weren't rosy anymore, but pale white and her eyes had forever closed upon the world. And so at once, all the pain Amy had endured these last couple of months washed over him - how she'd cried for his warm embrace during nights and for his cooling breeze during days. He imagined how lost and abandoned she must've felt by him. Left to think that he did not love her anymore, and that he probably had never even cared about her, at all.

Regret. Anguish. And a pain beyond all measure overtook Sonic's entire being - a shaky sob leaving his lips in response to the complete and utter emptiness he felt.

There were only pain left. Only pain…

A pain impossible to live with.

Never again would there be any light or warmth to be felt. No joy or love to be had. Everything was shattered to pieces, ripped apart and burned to the ground. The world would never be the same again, for how could it be? Something so pure and innocent had been plucked and destroyed by the cruleness of life, and therefore Sonic didn't wish to continue look upon it anymore. He decided that he would die here, by his beloved's side, and thus never have to feel ever again. It would also serve as an act of contempt towards the very world that had stolen Amy from him. Even though he deep down knew that he carried the responsibility for it, and that the blame was his, and his alone.

"Amy, I'm so sorry… I never should have left you. I never even should have grazed my breeze upon you to begin with." Sonic lamented aloud. "I knew I wasn't worthy to hold you in my embrace from the very start, perhaps that was why it was so easy to convince myself to let you go… It's all my fault… all my fault…—"

The rain outside ceased as multiple rays of golden sunshine began to peak through the gradually parting clouds.

"—If only I could've told you one last time how much you meant to me. That I loved you more than life itself, and that if only I could I would've spent the rest of my existence doing everything within my power to make you happy…"

A single ray of sunlight just then fell upon the Rose and The Wind, and soon one could hear the sweetest of frail voices linger upon the air. It was as if it spoke both outside and inside Sonic's very core, and filled his heart with soothing reassurance.

"Do not cry, my fairest Wind. Do not let grief lead you to believe that I am gone, for I will always be with, you just have to listen and you'll find me. In the laughter of a babbling brook. In the Nightingale's song. In the gentle snow that falls upon a mountain's peak. And among all the blossoming roses of Spring. My spirit shall forever rest within this earth just as my heart shall forever rest within you. And when the day comes when you shan't graze this world anymore, I'll be waiting for you to carry me up into the far reaches of heaven where we both shall unite in the brightest of constellations, together as one shining star, and gaze upon all the wonders that are below…"

The world might as well have been born anew before Sonic's eyes.

For he could feel the beat in his heart return as he believed Amy's every last word.

"Now would you please carry my form to Mister Beech? I want it to rest there with him - upon the meadow..."

And so it would come to do for many years, until one beautiful evening when a new star was born upon the sky.

-.-

Once there was a meadow.

A meadow which stretched far and wide, beyond what one could see with the naked eye. There it grew flowers of every possible kind, big and small, colorful and modest, in pairs or in groups - and some all by their lonesome self…

It was there the foxes played and chased one another around the tall grass, all lead by one special fox that had two tails' instead of one.

There an Echidna could lay himself to rest when the Summer heat reigned.

There an old Beech tree grew upon a small hill, and told the most exciting of stories.

There that Roses grew aplenty. Roses which never seemed to wither once Winter came. Roses who had the most softest of petals, brightest of pink colors and sweetest of scents.

And it was there… that the Wind always blew.