The night of the wedding had come. Amy and Tails walked to the venue, both nervous. Not just nervous about the fact they were guests at a wedding for two people they barely knew surrounded by a bunch of people they didn't know at all, but also the fact they were there with someone they had a crush on dressed in formal attire. It was hard for Tails to say she looked beautiful without gasping at the sight of her in her dress, likewise for Amy calling him handsome when she first saw his suit and bowtie. As they reached the stairs up to the venue, the kitsune stopped in place, his nerves finally getting the best of him.
"I can't do it," he said, before immediately turning around.
"Oh no you don't," Amy groaned, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him back. "I did not spend an hour on my make-up just for you to bail. We're going."
"Ughhhh…" he groaned. "But… I just feel like I'm crashing the event by just being here. Hell, I already feel like an asshole for parking what is essentially my private jet on a make-shift runway they prepared for us. It's like I'm screaming, 'hey look! It's me! The guy who's a million times more important than the bride and groom!' I don't wanna be that guy!"
"Relax, no one's gonna see you like that."
"How can you be sure? We barely know the bride and groom and we don't know anyone else that's gonna be here at all!"
The hedgehog put her arms on the kitsune's shoulders, turning him to face her. "Everything is going to be alright, Miles," she assured him. "I'll be by your side as long as you need me to."
His worries seemed to melt away as he heard her words of comfort. He smiled, then nodded. "Alright," he muttered.
"Mr. Prower and Ms. Rose!" a voice called out from the door. "You made it!" The two of them looked up. At the top of the stairs was an overweight pug man in a bowler hat and a suit that's buttons were just barely being held together. "It's so good to see you both! Eric and Jackie will be so excited!" Carefully making his way down the steps, he approached them both. "I'm Peter, a friend of Eric from highschool!" As he reached the two of them at the bottom of the steps, he became increasingly out of breath. "I'm… a big fan… your friend… Sonic saved me from a… robot one time… oh boy…" Finally standing before the two heroes, Peter hunched over, heaving and panting heavily, completely out of breath. "Blimey… quite a lot of stairs, eh?" he said, standing up.
Tails looked over his the overweight pug's shoulder and frowned. "That's like, ten steps," he replied. Amy immediately jabbed him in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him. "Which… is a lot for some people," the kitsune added, grabbing his aching chest.
Peter ignored the off-handed comment and shook both their hands. "So good to see you both, yes, very good!" His handshakes were tight, fast, and went on just a little two long. "Come on now, I'll lead you inside! Everyone is so excited to see you." As he turned around and slowly began to climb the steps, Amy and Tails looked to each other, shrugged, and followed him up the stairs. Unsurprisingly, it was the two special guests that made it to the top well before the poor pug. He made it about five steps in the door of the church before almost collapsing, hunching over and grabbing his knees for support as he breathed heavily.
"Are… are you okay?" Amy asked cautiously.
"Don't worry about him, he's beyond out of shape and has some pretty severe asthma," a voice called out. Approaching them from down the hall was a woman in a long black dress. The clacking of her heels echoed down the hall as she lightly swayed her purple gloved arms with each step. She appeared to be rather affluent, middle-aged jackal. Gold, diamond encrusted earrings dangled from both her giant ears. Stopping beside Peter and handing him an inhaler, which he eagerly accepted and began to use, she turned her attention to Amy. "Pleased to meet you, Ms. Rose. My niece is such a huge fan of yours, as I'm sure you are well aware." She looked to Tails. "It's nice to see you as well, Mr. Prower. I must say, you look rather charming tonight. Trying to impress your date here, are you?" The jackal winked at him. The kitsune and hedgehog blushed intensely, causing her to giggle. "I'm just joking, sweeties."
"Ignore her!" Peter groaned, standing up and facing the group. "She's always teasing people like that. It's a miracle Jackie didn't pick up that trait from her…"
"And it's such a miracle you manage to always forget that life-saving instrument everywhere you go, Pete," the jackal clapped back.
Peter groaned and rolled his eyes, but didn't fight back.
"Ah! Where are my manners!" the jackal uttered, turning her attention to the kitsune and hedgehog. "My name is Selena. I'm Jackie's aunt. As I mentioned before, it really is a pleasure to meet the both of you." She grabbed the sides of her dress and curtsied for them.
"Ah, no need to be so formal-" Amy said quickly.
"Nonsense!" Selena yelled. "It is only natural to properly greet two of our planet's finest heroes in a proper and formal manner in order to properly show your respect. Is that not correct, Peter?"
The pug turned to her with an annoyed expression. "Can you not be a pretentious, rich snob for one evening?" he snapped.
"Why, the nerve!" Selena gasped, clenching her fist.
As the pug and jackal started to argue, Tails looked at Amy awkwardly. The hedgehog motioned for him to follow, and the two snuck away from the bickering canines, heading down the hall. "Well, they were interesting," Tails said after a bit.
"I'm sure they won't be the only interesting people we meet tonight," Amy joked.
"No kidding. I can only imagine what the after party is going to be like."
"Well, I think we're gonna get an idea here soon. It looks like we're the last guests to arrive."
"We're the last to arrive, and the first people to greet us is someone who gets winded after ten steps and a rich aunt who I expect to be sitting by herself drinking wine all night."
The hedgehog shrugged. "Not everyone's a last-of-their-kind island guardian or a princess from another universe."
A smile crossed the kitsune's lips. "Yeah, we do know a lot of weird folk, I'll give you that."
As they reached the door to the room that would later hold the after party where everyone had gathered, it suddenly opened, an elderly man angrily marching out of them. "What is taking those two so long?!" He grumbled to himself. "Don't those two know how important these guests are to the bride and groom?! We can't start the ceremony without the-" He paused, gasping loudly at the sight of Amy. Immediately, he stopped marching, stood tall with his back straight and saluted Amy. "It's an honor to see you in person after so many years, ma'am!" he said, pride in his voice. "If you don't mind me saying, you look gorgeous tonight! You've aged spectacularly since last we met."
Amy blinked in confusion, then studied him closely. He was an elderly dog with fur and eyebrows so big they seemed to cover his eyes. He wore a simple tuxedo, which clashed heavily with the brown combat boots on his feet. "I-I'm sorry," Amy muttered awkwardly, "have we met before?"
The dog set his arm at ease and scratched his chin. "Oh, my apologies! I suppose it has been quite a while, hasn't it…" He took a moment to clear his throat before continuing. "My name is Gregory. During the dark times Eggman and Infinite controlled approximately ninety-nine percent of the world, I was a member of the resistance, of which you happened to be a leader of. You, commander Knuckles, and everyone else continue to inspire me to this day!"
"Oh! In that case, thank you for your service. You have my thanks and respect, Gregory."
"That means the world to me, ma'am!" Gregory turned to face Tails. "And don't think I've forgotten about you, lad! I'm just as honored to see you. Put 'er there!"
"Ah, thank you!" Tails replied, shaking hands with the man. "And again, thank you for your service, Gregory."
"Don't mention it, Mr. Prower! It's an honor to finally meet Sonic the Hedgehog's sidekick!"
Tails froze up, though only Amy seemed to notice. "Now, as much as I'd like to stick around and chat," Gregory continued, "I've got a snob and a fatso to chew out. I'll see the both of you later! Enjoy the wedding!" With that, he marched past them in the direction of the two bickering canines, who at this point were in a full-on shouting match. Amy put her hand on Tails' shoulder. "You ok?" she asked softly.
"I wanna go home," he replied quickly. "But… I'll manage. It's not the first time I've heard that, it won't be the last." He hung his head in shame. "Most likely won't even be the last time I hear it tonight."
The hedgehog gave him a hug. "I know you're more than his sidekick."
He smiled. "I know you do, Ames. I just wish everyone else did."
She pulled back and gave him a funny look. "Did you just call me 'Ames,' Miles?"
"I… guess I did," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I heard Sonic call you that at some point and I guess I just… I don't know."
"You're a dork," she giggled. "I don't mind it, though."
The two looked at each other for a moment, before finally heading into the party room everyone had gathered in. Chatter filled the air as several people spoke to each other in lively conversation. As soon as they noticed the guests, however, they all began to hush, turning their collective attention to the two people standing in the doorway. Before long, the room had gone completely silent, expecting them to say something.
Tails cleared his throat. "Hello, everyone," he announced awkwardly. "I'm Miles Prower, and this is Amy Rose. We're, uh, here for the wedding. Eric and Jackie's wedding, that is."
The room remained still. Everyone seemed to be in shock, as if they didn't expect them to actually show up.
"YEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAWWWWWWW!" A voice screamed through the silence. "I DUN' GONE WENT AND TOLD Y'ALL THEY WAS GONNA BE 'ERE, AIN'T I?! RIGHT ONCE AGAIN! YEE-HAW!"
Everyone turned their attention to the direction of the voice, a few people moving out of the way so others could get a better look. A coyote stood, now alone in a circle of people, with a big, dumb grin on his face, pumping his fist in the air with joy. For some reason, Tails couldn't help but think he looked familiar, but couldn't quite place why. Suddenly realizing everyone had their eyes on him, the coyote became embarrassed. Standing up straight, adjusting his bow tie and saying, "I-I mean… yay, they actually showed up! I had no doubts they would, 'course, but…" He rubbed some sweat from his brow. "…By golly, can y'all please stop staring? Y'all making me nervous…"
The room erupted with laughter, the coyote hanging his head in shame until some people began to reassure him he was alright. As soon as the laughter died down, everything went back to the way they were when Tails and Amy entered. "See? Everything's alright," Amy reassured.
"The night's just beginning," Tails replied with a shrug. "There's still time for it all to go wrong…"
The hedgehog frowned. "Don't be so negative. It's going to be alright, I promise. You're doing well already."
"Am I? I don't know, I haven't been to a social gathering in ages."
"You were literally interacting with fans for 16 hours last week at my product launch party."
"That's different. It's one and done, quick interactions. Here, I'll be talking to a lot of different people I don't know for a longer period of time."
"Don't worry, I'll be here right by your side to help you out. I promise."
Before Tails could respond, a fox jumped in between the two of them, catching them off guard. "Breaking news!" he yelled out in excitement. "Multiple-Time World Saviors Attend Superfans' Wedding! Amy Rose, known for pining after the blue blurr, Sonic the Hedgehog, in her youth now leads a world renowned fashion brand. Miles 'Tails' Prower, the adoptive brother and former sidekick to Sonic and now a private freelance repairer of machines of all shapes and sizes. Both of these two superstars have chosen to attend the wedding of their biggest fans! I'm James the Fox with the Emerald Times here to deliver the full scoop!"
Tails and Amy stared at the green fox before them in utter confusion, unsure if this was a joke or not. He wore a simple button-up shirt, slacks, some loafers and a red tie. In his hand was a notepad. Although he was likely there for the wedding, he clearly wasn't joking about wanting to interview them.
"Mr. Prower, Ms. Rose," James said quickly, "tell me, what brings the two of you here? How do you know the bride and groom, Jack and Eric respectively? How did you meet? When did you get invited to the wedding? Would you consider them 'acquaintances' or 'friends'? Where-" He tapped the notepad absentmindedly, before suddenly realizing something was wrong and looking down at it. "…Where's my pen?" The fox looked around frantically, patting himself down and turning his pockets inside out. "No, really! Where's my pen?! I swear I just had it in my hand…"
"Looking for something, Jamie?" a woman's voice asked smugly. The trio turned around. Before them stood a raccoon dog in a red dress and heels, twirling a pen with a green, chaos emerald-shaped gem at the top of it. A smirk rested on her face.
"Rachel!" James snapped. "Give me back my pen this instant!"
"So you can harass these guys with your barrage of questions?" the woman replied. "Hard pass. You're not hosting this thing back until the night's over."
"Come on, that's my special pen! I won it for being the employee of the month five months in a row!"
"Well, maybe in the future you'll learn to take better care of your things."
"Damn you and your sticky fingers! Once a pickpocket, always a pickpocket."
Rather than respond, Rachel simply walked past him and introduced herself to the stunned kitsune and hedgehog. "Please forgive him for bothering you, he just can't help himself, even at a formal event like this. I'm Rachel, I knew Eric growing up. We used to play on the playground and our families got in touch through that. We drifted apart, I fell on hard times, became a thief, he took me in and got me back on my feet even after I tried to steal from him… it's a whole thing. We're good friends again now. His soon-to-be-wife is just the sweetest! She's totally become one of my fastest and bestest friends ever."
"Nice to meet you," Tails said with a smile.
"Always nice meeting new people," Amy added. She squinted a little. "That dress… it's one of mine, isn't it?"
The raccoon dog threw up her hands in defeat, grinning gleefully. "Guilty as charged! Jackie introduced me to your brand and even bought me a few things. This dress was one of them, and it happened to be the nicest dress I own."
James pushed her back a little, stepping into the spotlight once again. "Alright, you've had your fun," he grumbled, "now let me make a more proper introduction." He cleared his throat. "Good evening Ms. Rose and Mr. Prower, I'm James and I work for the Emerald Times. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you!" The fox enthusiastically shook both their hands.
"Likewise…" Tails muttered.
"How do you know Eric and Jackie?" Amy asked.
"I've been a friend of the two for almost a year now!" James replied with a smile. "I met them both while he was writing a story for Peace Day. I was asking the layperson about their experiences with our planet's heroes. The two of them had a lot to say, as I'm sure you can imagine!" He let out a laugh. "Speaking of which, have you seen them yet? They're super excited to see you!"
"Oh, no we just got here-" Tails explained, only to be cut off by James wrapping his arm around his shoulder.
"Then come on! You gotta give the groom his boost in confidence!"
Tails blinked. "Uh, what? Wait, what?"
Rachel grabbed Amy by the hand and began to lead her away. "Come on, Rosey!" she said playfully. "You gotta say hi to the bride before she goes up to the altar!"
"Right now?" Amy asked, a little stunned.
"Of course right now, we're doing the ceremony soon! Now come on!"
"Now, hold on!" Tails said desperately.
"There's no time for holding on!" James replied, guiding Tails away. "You gotta use your heroic charms and instill new confidence in our hyena friend!"
The kitsune looked over his shoulder as James lead him away. Amy did the same as the the raccoon dog led her in the opposite direction. Seeing the look of fear and confusion on his, she gave her best friend a reassuring smile. After a bit he, gave her a half-smile back, before facing forward.
A long sigh escaped Tails' mouth. "You can do this," he thought. "It's gonna be alright."
"Oh. My. GOOOSSSHHHHHH!" Jackie squealed with joy, the face of her hero and icon reflecting in the mirror just above her head. She turned around and stood up, lifting her wedding gown as she ran toward Amy. Stopping just inches in front of her, she enthusiastically yelled in her idol's face, "You came! You really, really! Came! Oh my gosh, this is really going to be like, the best day of my life like, ever! Aaahhhhh!" A scream of joy escaped her lips and she made jazz hands, barely able to contain her pure excitement. "I get to be married to like, the guy of my dreams, and my like, number one hero is here to watch me get married to him! Oh, I'm so happy!" She grabbed Amy's hands and began jumping down enthusiastically. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"
Although she was definitely overwhelmed, Amy still smiled. Seeing that she made her fan's day brighter instilled a sense of pride in her. It reminded her why she worked so hard, why she always tried her best to be kind, and why she always helped Sonic defeat villains when she could- because she liked to make others smile. To protect the world, to fight evil, she'd do it all if she could make the world a brighter place. Jackie's enthusiasm warmed her heart, almost making her feel guilty for always finding her enthusiasm for her annoying in the past.
After all, had she not been like this at one point in her life as well?
"Alright, that's enough, Jackie!" a familiar voice commanded, breaking Amy from her thoughts. A slightly taller jackal rested her hands on Jackie's shoulders firmly, getting her to settle down.
"Ah, sorry aunt Selena!" the bride said quickly. "I'm just like, suuuuuuuper excited to see THE Amy Rose attending my like, wedding!"
"I know, dear, but give her some room to breathe! She hasn't even gotten the chance to say hello to you yet. And you're running in your dress and heels! This dress wasn't cheap, you know! Do be careful not to rip it."
"Ahhhh! I'm like, sooooo sorry!"
"It's alright, really!" Amy assured the two of them. "I used to be the same way when I was a kid, so I know how excited she must feel."
"Ahhh, you're as kind as they say!" Jackie praised. "Thanks so much for attending my wedding! Did like, Miles Prower show up with you?"
"You can just call him Tails, and yeah, he's here. He's meeting with your soon-to-be-husband right now."
"Ooo, Eric's gonna be like, ecstatic!"
"I'll bet. He's probably as excited as you are right now!"
"Yo, Jackie," Rachel said, waving to her friend as she poked her head over Amy's shoulder. "I'm here too, girlfriend!" The raccoon dog playfully stuck her tongue out at the jackal.
"Ooo, Rachie!" The two of them hugged each other. "So good to see you, girl!"
"Good seeing you too, bride of honor! You nervous?"
"No way! I'm like, suuuuuuper excited! I can't wait to call Eric my like, husband!"
"Me too! I can't believe you two are finally getting married!"
The girls screamed in joy. Amy smiled. If she knew them better, she might have been screaming alongside them. "Alright, alright," Selena said hastily. "Calm down you two, we still need to get you ready to go down the aisle, missy!" She grabbed her niece's arm, bringing her back to the chair in front of the mirror. "That make-up won't do itself, you know! Let auntie help you."
"But you like, never do it right!" Jackie whined. "I gotta look like, perfect!"
"Nonsense! I can do your make-up just fine!"
"Hey, I hate to interrupt this wonderful family argument," Rachel said snidely, "but we literally have a fashion expert in the room who could do your make-up a million times better than auntie dearest here ever could." She stuck her thumb out at Amy.
With a blink of surprise, Amy asked, "Me?" as she pointed to herself.
Jackie's pupil's shrunk. For the first time ever, the hedgehog saw her clam up. "N-no!" She said quickly. "No no no! I couldn't possibly, like- I mean, that's such a big thing to ask! Like, I mean… UGH! You can't just volunteer her to do that, Rachie! GOSH!" The jackal pulled her veil over her face, trying to hide embarrassment.
"It was just a suggestion, jeez," Rachel muttered with a shrug. "Lift up your veil, I'll lend you a hand."
Rachel reached out toward her friend, but was stopped by an arm in front of her. Amy stepped forward and put her hand on Jackie's shoulder, getting eye level with the bride. She looked through the veil at her icon- her hero. The hedgehog smiled genuinely at her. "I've… never done make-up for someone's wedding before," she said softly. "I… can't guarantee it'll be good. I haven't done make-up on anyone other than myself in a while. That said… I wouldn't mind lending you a hand."
The jackal's jaw dropped. She was at a loss for words. After a bit, the best response she could muster was closing her mouth and nodding as she smiled softly.
"Great!" her hero said, closing her eyes as she smiled wider.
"Or you guys could just let me-" Selena started.
"Shut up!" Rachel snapped. "This is really damn wholesome and you're ruining it!"
The elder jackal blinked in surprise, before crossing her arms and grumbling.
Jackie raised her veil and faced the mirror as Amy reached for the make-up kit. "Well… here goes nothing!" She said, swallowing her nerves.
"You can't do this," Tails thought as James led him to the room Eric was holed up in. "You can't do this at all. Run. Break free of his grasp and run. Just run, Miles. WHY AREN'T YOU RUNNING?!"
"Here we are!" James announced as they stood in front of a door in the middle of the hallway.
"Oh, good," Tails muttered, trying not to let his nerves show.
The fox knocked on the door. "I'm coming in!" he yelled as he opened the door. As he and the kitsune entered, it was clear the others inside were far too preoccupied to acknowledge their visitors.
"How do you not know how to tie this thing?" Eric asked, panic in his voice. "I thought you said your dad showed you how to for our prom!"
"That was ages ago, Eric!" Peter replied as he fidgeted around with the tie around the hyena's neck. "You can't expect me to remember how to tie a bloody tie after not doing it for so long! Besides, I went to that prom alone, unlike you, if you recall."
"This just in!" James yelled in the faces of the hyena and pug, popping up between them suddenly. "The groom and the best man are grossly incompetent!"
Tails blinked. He looked around him. When had the fox left his side? He was standing there a moment ago, only to just suddenly appear between the two of them.
"You're not helping!" Peter growled.
The fox grinned. "I didn't claim to be!"
"Spoken like a true yellow-bellied journalist. You sly, rotten devil! Blast you and your buffoonery!"
"Guys, don't do this," Eric sighed. "Can't you go one day without bickering?"
"Do they bicker often?" Tails asked, approaching the groom.
"Constantly," the hyena muttered with a roll of the eyes. "Seems like most of my friends are always bickering about something or another. Well, at least two of them don't. One 'cuz they're not very talkative, the other 'cuz they're kinda self-conscious. I wonder what Miles would think of them?"
The kitsune shrugged. "I think they're certainly a bunch of interesting folks. I guess I need to get to know them more."
"You need to…?"
The hyena snapped his head towards the kitsune realization and surprise in his eyes. "Mi-" he stuttered. Turning to face his hero, he enthusiastically yelled out, "MILES, MY MAN!" He rested his hand on his two-tailed hero's shoulder. "You came! I mean, I knew you would, but… you really came…"
"Yes," Tails said with a nod. "I've come."
"Man, I'm sure glad to see you! Thanks so much for attending my wedding, man! You really didn't have to do that."
"Honestly? I might not have if I was going alone. I haven't been to a big social gathering like this in ages… and no, my public appearance last week doesn't count."
"That's completely understandable. I take it that means Amy's here too?"
"Yeah, she's visiting the bride right now…" The kitsune scratched his chin. "Wonder how that's going…"
"I'm sure Jackie's showering her with praises!" A long, hard laugh escaped the hyena's mouth. "I'd be doing the same right now, if I wasn't so damn nervous…"
"Blimey, Eric old chap!" Peter mumbled as he covered his eyes in frustration. "Just because you can't tie a tie the right way doesn't mean she's gonna suddenly say 'I don't' at the altar!"
"And she won't say, 'I like, toootttally don't' either!'" James added.
"I know guys, but I can't help but worry something's gonna go wrong! Especially since, well, y'know…" The hyena paused for a moment, before continuing. "…He ain't showed up yet."
Tails raised an eyebrow. "Who hasn't showed up yet?"
"Mutual friend of ours," Peter stated as he pulled a half-melted chocolate bar out of his pants pocket. "The man is usually late for formal affairs. He takes a long time to get ready." The pug took a bite out of the candy bar, melted chocolate smearing across his face as he continued to speak in spite of the food in his mouth. "Usually it wouldn't be too much of a problem, if he hadn't agreed to style the groom's hair before the ceremony." He stuck his fingers in his mouth one by one, quickly sucking the melted chocolate off each one.
The fox beside him shuddered with disgust. "Are you a pug or a pig? Have some manners, man, you're in public!"
"Yeah, no honestly man, you gotta at least try tonight," Eric pleaded. "Jackie's aunt already thinks you're a disgusting slob, I don't need her parents thinking that too."
"I'll mind my manners when you figure out that death trap around your neck, old chum!" the pug laughed.
Tails thought for a moment. "Hey, uh, Eric?" he said at last. "I could probably help you fix your tie. I had to figure out how to put one on myself earlier, and I had help with it, so…"
"Wh- I- uhhh…" the hyena stuttered. For the first time, Tails watched as he clammed up, almost as if he were struggling to process what the kitsune had said. "Ah, you don't gotta do that," Eric said sheepishly. "I don't wanna be asking too much of ya… you're a guest, after all."
Tails began untangling Eric's tie. "Nonsense! This is your day, right? I'm just trying to help you make it as perfect as I can."
"Well, uh, alright then… if you insist, I guess I won't stop ya."
The hyena watched as his hero worked on fixing the tie around his neck. "Annnnnd done!" Tails said after a few minutes. He turned Eric to face the mirror. "What do you think? Looks great right? I can adjust it if it's too tight."
"Nah, this is perfect!" the hyena replied as he admired his reflection. Glancing up at his hair in the reflection, he ran his hands through it, the worry returning to his face. "Now if only I could get this fixed… Don't suppose you're any good with hair, Miles?"
"I've had the same hairstyle for 20 years, unless you think you can rock three bangs in the center of your head like me, there's not much help I can give, sadly."
The hyena examined himself and frowned. "Well, I already know I can't pull that look off," he mumbled.
"No kidding," James snickered, lightly elbowing the pug beside him.
"That's a cosplay he'll never live down!" Peter laughed. "I told him to get a wig, but he insisted…!"
The fox and pug wrapped their arms around each other and let out a hearty laugh. Tails looked at them with confusion. "What are they going on about?"
"Oh, I dressed as you for Halloween last year," Eric explained. "I didn't think a wig would look right on me- especially since, well, that orange-yellow color would stick out like a sore thumb against my gray fur- so I tried to style the bangs myself." Looking to his hero with an embarrassed look, he added, "That, uh… yeah that didn't go so well."
"Ah, I see." The kitsune kicked the ground lightly and stared at the floor for a bit. "I'm uh, sorry to hear that. I guess not everyone can rock the coveted three bangs look, right?"
"No one will ever rock it better than you and Amy!" the hyena said as he let out a long, hard laugh.
Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, directing everyone's attention to it. In the doorway, panting heavily, stood a gray-furred wolf in a suit with small spectacles resting on his snout, drooping down his face and resting crooked. His suit was a mess, his tie loose as sweat dripped down his face. "Bloody hell, man!" Peter yelled in shock. "What, did you run a marathon in that thing and then continue running all the way over here or something?!"
James suddenly appeared right beside the wolf. "Breaking news!" He said as he helped the wolf back to his feet. "Local Wolf Forgets He Was Supposed to Help the Groom Style His Hair!"
The wolf blushed with embarrassment, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck in shame. "Ehhh…" he groaned in shame.
"Hey, it's alright man!" Eric assured him as he walked to the wolf. "I know how busy you are! Just got stuck late at the office and the boss refused to let you leave until all those papers got filed, right?"
The wolf looked up at him with confusion, before past him, seeing Tails, then looking back to the hyena and nodding.
"I figured as much," the hyena sighed. "C'mon, we still got time to do my hair."
The wolf smiled as the two of them walked back to the mirror. Grabbing a brush and a comb, the wolf immediately began to get to work on his friend's head the second he sat down. Tails walked over to the two of them. "So, I guess Amy and I weren't the last people to show up after all, huh?" he joked.
The wolf shrugged, a smile on his face. He paused for a moment, seemingly realizing who was talking to him, before looking at the kitsune with surprise. He tapped Eric's shoulder frantically before pointing at Tails.
Eric looked up to the wolf, then to Tails and back to the wolf again. "I know, right?! THE Miles Prower at my wedding! I still can't believe it!"
The wolf mouthed out a, "wow," his eyes seeming to sparkle with wonder.
"Go say hi, man! He doesn't bite!"
Looking at his friend with surprise, he quickly nodded and approached the kitsune with his hand outstretched.
Tails took it and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you!" he said. "I'm Miles Prower, but everyone just calls me Tails." Seeing the wolf's face up close, Tails couldn't help but feel an odd sense of familiarity with the wolf. Something about him seemed so familiar, like they had met a long time ago. That couldn't be right, though. He hadn't seen the man before in his life. Still, something just didn't sit right with him about the wolf. "Have we, uh… met before?" he asked finally. "Something about you feels so familiar to me for some reason."
The wolf blinked in surprise, before quickly shaking his head.
"I see… must just be my imagination then. Umm… are you mute by chance?"
"Oh no," Eric said, "he's just not much of a talker. He doesn't think talking is super necessary when he can communicate in plenty of other ways already."
"Well, I guess it is better than just whispering constantly," Tails said with a shrug, recalling an old associate he hadn't seen in ages. "What's his name, by the way?"
"Oh, he's Ga-" The hyena paused. "…Gary! He's my friend Gary."
"I see…" The kitsune looked at the wolf again. "Nice to meet you, Gary."
Gary smiled, gave a thumbs up, then continued to work on his friend's hair.
An hour later, everyone had taken their seats, ready for the ceremony to begin. Tails and Amy sat next to each other in the front row, both feeling incredibly undeserving of their places of honor. By this point, the best man Peter, the bridesmaid Rachel, the groom Eric and some other people Amy and Tails didn't recognize had already taken their places up at the altar. A young hyena girl had served as the flower girl earlier, presumably one of Eric's sisters or cousins.
"So, you helped him tie his tie?" Amy asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah, the best man wasn't a lot of help there," Tails replied, in an equally hushed tone. "Can't wait to see how well you did her make-up."
"She seemed pretty happy with it, even if her aunt was a complete sourpuss about it…"
Their conversation was cut short by the organ player starting up the music. Everyone turned to the aisle as Jackie began to walk down the aisle, her veil covering her face. A much older jackal, presumably her father, walked her down the aisle. They watched her take her place as her father gave her up at the altar before they took their places. The two lovers stared into each other's eyes lovingly.
Carefully walking down the aisle, the coyote Amy and Tails saw earlier approached the altar nervously, pillow in his hand with two rings on it. He bowed as he presented the pillow, less out of formality and more so to hide the immense fear present on his face. The bride and groom placed each other's rings on the other's fingers, smiling brightly. Quickly taking his seat, the coyote sat in the empty chair beside Amy, trying his best to calm himself down. Tails and Amy looked at him with concern.
"Hey, buddy," Tails whispered, "are you alright?"
"By golly, I dunno how the world-famous Miles Prower knows my name," Buddy whispered back, "but I'm just so happy I didn't mess that up! No one ever done gone given me such an important task before in my whole gosh darn life!"
The kitsune and hedgehog looked at each other with confusion before just shrugging and returning their attention to the bride and groom.
"Gathered friends and family," the minister announced, "we are here today to commemorate the love between Eric and Jackie. If anyone wishes to object to this joyous union, speak now or forever hold your piece."
Almost immediately, a grouchy old woman from Jackie's family started to stand up, only to immediately be forced back down by the grip of a much younger man on her shoulder. Said young man began to hiss at her and whisper things to her, though Tails and Amy could only make out a few phrases, namely "selfish bitch," "wish you weren't my mother," and some vague mentions of physical harm should the woman dare object to the marriage.
"In-laws, am I right?" Tails joked in a whisper.
Amy responded by simply jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow, clearly not amused.
The minister cleared his throat. "Well, seeing as how there's no objections…" he said quickly. He turned to face Jackie. "Do you, Jackie, take Eric to be your lawfully wedded husband, and promise to take care of him in sickness and in health?"
"I do," the Jackal said immediately, her eyes trapped in her lover's gaze.
"And do you, Eric, take Jackie to be your lawfully wedded wife, and promise to take care of her in sickness and in health?"
"I do," the hyena responded lovingly.
"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bri-"
Before he could finish, Jackie threw her veil up and pulled her now husband's face towards her, catching him by surprise with a passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he hugged her body close to him, kissing her back.
Instantly, the room erupted in clapping and cheers of joy, Amy and Tails joining in. "Byyy golly!" Buddy cried, tears streaming down his face. "Little Eric and little Jackie done gone went and grown up and fallen in love! Ohhhh, I can't- ooo if only ma and pa weren't too busy running the farm- I!" He buried his face in the arm of the hedgehog beside him, tears of joy streaming all down his face. Though initially taken aback, Amy rolled with it and tried her best to calm the coyote down. She turned to look at Tails. A smile stretched across his face as he continued to applaud. Noticing her gaze, he turned to face her, still smiling and clapping.
Neither of them needed to say a thing, as both could tell what the other was thinking. They were glad they could attend the wedding, and both felt stupid for feeling like it may have been a mistake.
They couldn't wait for the after party to start.
Author's Note: A longer chapter at long last! Only a few more left to go. Hope you guys liked this one, remember to R&R. See you all later!
