Author's Note: I Redid this chapter. This was before my medical diagnosis and the height of me cutting off the person acting insidiously towards me. Thankfully, I know how to delete signed-in reviews, so I no longer have to look at their gross username spouting nonsense in my review thread.
This chapter came with many regrets because I cut out an entire section that I had been planning since the beginning of the story over sheer embarrassment.
Why did I feel ashamed? Who knows…? Likely my mental state, and that I feel embarrassed for liking/viewing romance in the way I do.
Maybe when the story is finished, I will release it as cut content so people can see it in its unfinished state with a full explanation.
Legal Trash. Sonic and everybody else is copyright SEGA/Archie comics. Except for Max, Annie, and Sonia. I created them in my rattled brain; if you like my OC's, use them and let me know. It'll be fun; we will have tea.
Chapter 15. Insidious Stares
"Ladies and gentle animals. We are assembled here to welcome the most esteemed guest our city has ever had the pleasure of…." Lady Radcliff's voice echoed out from a short distance away.
Max could make out parts of her speech while he waited in the small cramped office space. It hadn't taken more than an hour to gather people out to listen to her speak, and he had to wonder just exactly what it would be like heading out there with a crowd of animals waiting just for him.
"Are you sure you are ready for this, Max?" Annie asked quietly.
She was still full of emotions from the altercation with the ram and wasn't sure if him going out into a crowd like that was what was needed at this time.
Max sighed and lifted himself off the torn-up office chair he had been sitting on. "Look, as future king, I have a duty to my people, even if I do not know them."
"I know, but..." Annie started.
He cut her off. "No buts, Ann. I am trying to replenish what we lost because of me and possibly gain more for the benefit of Knothole to take care of that canon. It is without question worth risking myself for."
Annie gave him a perplexed look and crossed her arms. "Is that what this is about? Max… the medicine exists for things like that..."
"I…" Max was about to respond to her, but he was cut off by knight commander Jonathan.
"Pardon, my Lord. Lady Sarah is almost finished with her introductory speech, and I was informed to escort you to just before the entry gate at this time."
Max and Annie turned their attention to him, and Max just nodded. Without another word, he started to follow, while Annie was left behind in the office with Cream and Tails.
Neither of the two older animals had spoken since the heated affair and revelation, and with Max being ushered away, Annie was left in a silent room with nobody but a busy secretary rushing around.
Max was led by Jonathan through a door, and immediately he could tell he was in a wooden tunnel. It led outwards to two rows of decorated knights on either side, and the speech grew ever clearer with every step he was taking forward.
"It is now time that you meet…."
Max began walking in between the two rows of endless saluting knights.
"The brilliant animal you have all heard about…."
Max was readily approaching the opening and could now make out the endless sea of animals that littered the base of a broken statue.
One of the late King, his grandfather. Maximillian Acorn. It looked as if the damaged thing was hauled from Robotropolis, but how such a feat was accomplished eluded him.
He stepped outside towards the crowd, and his eyes widened when he found himself in the vast opening of a gigantic cave, lit by a multitude of torches set aside the statue and along the stone interior.
The crowd turned to look at him when he walked out, and the shock was enough to get the people to begin whispering in hushed tones among one another.
They seemed baffled, but at the same time, elated. There were a few older animals, but the majority of them were young. Most of them had not seen the likes of Max in their entire lives.
"Ah! I see our honored guest has arrived!" Sarah yelled atop the hushed whispers of the crowd.
"Please! Come! Stand by this magnificent statue and address your people!" She raised her hands high, and the orange glow of the torches made her seem otherworldly.
The soldiers didn't move an inch, and Jonathan had stepped away so that he could move forward alone.
Max walked by the knights while his eyes glanced to either side, and the people just stared in bewilderment. It looked almost as if they wanted to rush up to him and hug him. Though, he wasn't exactly sure.
He maneuvered his way next to lady Radcliff, and she merely stepped aside without even bothering to say another word.
Her hands slid to her sides, and then she placed them in front of herself elegantly as she waited for Max to speak.
Max stood up in front of the crowd on the statue's base, and he was immediately overtaken by intense social fear.
With so many strange eyes on him, he almost felt as if they could see beyond him. Like they could see the scars hidden beneath his clothes and the metal that replaced his arm.
"I… Uh…" He stammered his speech a bit, but as the people stared on waiting for his words.
He eventually decided to just say what they wanted to hear. "I am prince Maximillian Charles Acorn the first. I am the firstborn son of Princess Sally Alicia Acorn. It is a pleasure to meet each and every one of you."
The animals stared, and none of them could say anything. Max was looking at the sea of creatures, and they were a mix of all different species.
After a few moments, someone who seemed to be about in their mid-20s spoke up.
"So… You are the true heir to the throne?" The timid animal asked.
Max didn't say anything for a moment, and then he just nodded. "Yes… Though my mother is gone. I am to take her place as soon as the war effort is over."
The crowd began to chatter loudly amongst one another. It was so frantic that Max couldn't make out what was being said, as there had to be at least 2500 animals surrounding this broken statue.
Eventually, a younger woman from the crowd raised her hand and shouted. "Bless the Royals! They have come to bring luck and fortune to the citizenry of Radcliff!"
Her frantic shout caused others to shout, as well. It became an outpouring of love for Max, and it was overwhelming to the senses.
"Bless the Royals!"
"Bless them!"
"Here! Here!"
Their shouts became ever louder and more in unison. Lady Radcliff had a smile from ear to ear, and she seemed rather pleased with how this was going.
Max didn't say anything more and just listened to the chants. He could see everybody as he stood elevated above them.
He could also see where he had walked from and noticed Tails, Cream, and Annie standing back there now. They had come to support him even if they still looked dejected.
Max had appreciated their arrival, and he merely turned to lady Radcliff, who clapped her hands loudly.
"Please calm yourself, everybody! It is indeed a fortuitous day when one of holy blood comes to visit our fair city!"
In almost an instant, the crowd hushed, and she continued to speak loudly. "I would ask that everybody, please head back to the residential area. I will have a word with our dear prince, and hopefully, he will decide to grace us with his presence for longer and meet more of you and your families."
The people seemed disappointed, but they obeyed her powerful word without hesitation. They seemed eager for the rewards that might come later to them rather than instant gratification.
They began to file in multiple lines and traveled away from the old statue. Never taking their eyes off of Max as they passed.
Max watched while they walked towards a gigantic wooden gate, and it was almost as if it were a castle door.
It blocked a giant cavernous hole that was clearly excavated out with precision. A knight aside the door pulled a wooden lever, and it slowly began to open, allowing the citizenry to funnel into it.
Max couldn't quite see beyond the door from his position, but once most of the crowd had left. Lady Radcliff began to speak to him openly.
"I do thank you for taking the time to address a part of the citizenry. They understand your busyness, but just to look upon you fills them with joy."
Annie, Tails, and Cream walked over. Annie seemed rather impressed and happy over Max's performance.
Tails and Cream still seemed somewhat distant and uncertain. Like they wanted to say something, but neither could find the correct words to do so.
"It was my pleasure…." Max said, feeling a bit guilty that he wanted to leave with such haste.
"Won't you please consider staying for a day or two? Perhaps enjoy some of what our fine city has to offer you?" She offered once again.
Max looked at Tails and his friends for guidance. Tails just gave a silent nod as if to say he was okay with it.
Max looked at Annie, and, in her eyes, he could see a level of excitement that was undeniable. The things she had been told had her imagination running wild with possibilities.
Max looked at lady Radcliff, and she crossed her arms and spoke. "In fact, staying for a day or so will make it easy for us to supply you with important things you request."
"What do you mean?" Max asked.
"Well, it would allow you to meet everyone from the council. Instead of me having to try to get each one of them alone tonight, we could all have a meeting set up for tomorrow." She paused.
"There is also the issue of Seth. I think it is pertinent that you stay since his actions affected you as well, Your Highness."
It seemed rather logical, though there was an uncertainty in Max that he shouldn't be lazing about at such a time.
Unfortunately, that seemed to be precisely what she was offering beyond the business aspect of it.
"Come now, Your Highness. I think it is best to know your allies, and we owe you for our horrific treatment of you during your arrival. I would feel great insult if you didn't accept my hospitality." Lady Radcliff emphasized how important it was to her.
Max sighed. "All right… I am a bit fatigued from the walk. We can do everything in the morning." He said.
"Excellent!" Lady Radcliff yelled. "I'm sure Lady Redford would love to extend her home to you. You can see what high-class living is like for us."
Cream blinked and shook her head as if coming out of a stupor. "M-me b-b-but…" She attempted to say, but her stuttering was still bad.
"Of course, you, Lady Redford. Sirus' estate and fortune shall be returned to you immediately. I already have Grace working on the paperwork, and she is to come out with the key any moment now."
Cream didn't say anything. She just stood there looking defeated. She didn't seem to want any of this, but she eventually did nod with reluctant acceptance.
Annie was somewhat fidgeting with her fingers, and Tails seemed to be in his own world for the moment. Max was assuming that he was waiting to get privacy to speak.
"Sir. Jonathan!" Lady Radcliff yelled.
Jonathan hastily made his way in front of her and saluted the second he got there. "Yes, Lady Sarah!"
"Knight commander Jonathan, I am putting you in charge of protection of his Royal Highness. Take two of your best men and ensure that wherever the prince goes, you are there to keep him safe and comfortable." She issued her order.
"Yes, Lady Sarah, I shall go gather my two best knights and return here with all haste." He said nervously and was instantly on the move.
"Protection?" Max asked, surprised.
"We can't be too careful with one such as you." Lady Radcliff paused. "Some of our more excitable citizens might get a little rough, trying to touch you, my Lord. We don't want to have any accidents or incidents." She finished.
Max nodded. That made a little sense to him, even if he didn't want it to. After a few more moments, Grace had come out and delivered a dirty envelope to Cream. It looked as if to be nothing more than reused trash.
When Cream opened the tattered and crumpled paper, it contained a rustic-looking key and tarnished documents. Along the faded paperwork were many different signatures and some stamps at the bottom. It was obviously some deed of ownership to her home.
She looked somewhat sad holding the objects, so she quickly slid the papers with the key back into the envelope and grasped it tightly in her hand.
Max stared for a while at her but eventually turned when he heard heavy running in the area.
Jonathan returned, and with him, he had a muscular-looking rhinoceros that was probably two and a half times the size of Max in muscle mass alone, as well as a quiet female jackal; whose face was disfigured with scars and whose left eye was visibly torn from her skull.
"Robbie, the rhinoceros at your service, your Highness!" He said with a thunderously deep voice.
The jackal didn't say anything as she bowed, and she just kept her eye fixated on Max. Her scarred face displaying respect through expression.
Max was speechless at the poor sight but gave her the dignity of not gawking. He couldn't help but wonder what horrendous battle had done this to her, but he dared not be rude and speak his mind.
He looked over at the rhino, then back to the jackal, and simply decided to be dignified in his approach.
"Thanks for watching out for me, you two." He said in as genuine a tone as he could.
The two knights stood up, and both merely nodded. They were there to watch after him, nothing more.
Jonathan walked over and took the lead before the small group.
"Shall I lead them to the Redford estate then?" He asked Lady Radcliff.
"Indeed, I shall prepare everything for tomorrow, and you can show our magnificent young prince the social district." She answered.
Jonathan gave a salute, and the two knights got on either side of the group while he led the front.
Annie walked next to Max, as did Tails, but nobody spoke due to the knight's presence.
The three began to walk towards the giant wooden door just as the citizenry had, and as they passed the divider from the open cave, they were greeted with possibly the strangest sight they had ever seen.
It was rows upon rows of wooden doors fixated atop one another inside the walls of the straight cavern. It was like a hallway for a giant made of pure mountain.
Stone steps were carved in, leading up to these doors on carved-out stone platforms. There were window-like holes in many of them, and there was clear electricity shining within them.
At the base of either side of this area were wooden planks situated in just such a way that made them seem as if they were a makeshift sidewalk.
Dirt lay in-between, like some soft road, and there was no telling if this had any real purpose or was explicitly done to give a Mobotropolis like feel.
The seven padded along the dusty road in between the two wooden sidewalks. The scant few animals walking along stopped simply to gander at Max, and they either had smiles or surprised looks to offer him.
Besides the lights from inside the apartment-like structures, there wasn't much else but a crude lamplight unit every so often, connected by exposed cords that ran underneath the wooden planks.
This lamplight gave the area a feeling of perpetual night as if they were walking down the boulevard in the late evening.
The top of the cave was so high that Max could only see blackness when he stared upwards.
They had spent years hollowing out and reinforcing the inside of this entire mountain to create a district full of homes for people to live in.
Staring in awe at something so simple yet so elaborately complex made Max unable to focus on anything but the things around him.
The people who spotted Max tried to move forward and speak to him, but before they could even get close, they were kindly asked to step away by the diminutive guard that had been appointed to him.
The long road was vast its length but claustrophobic in the way the homes were set up. Not much room, but having the feeling of an actual neighborhood.
He looked ahead of himself and decided to finally say something after so much gawking.
"How is all this possible…? It is like a real city, electricity and all." Max's voice somewhat echoed in the quiet, bringing more animals attention to him as he passed by.
Jonathan looked back and then answered. "We have salvaged generators that have been restored and maintained to provide electricity to establishments. To keep from blowing the generators, we use torchlight in areas not typically used often."
Max listened to his explanation and then asked another question in his awestruck daze. "Just how long is it going to take to get to Redford's estate?"
"A- m-minute or two… I lived with Sir. Redford at the end of the social district." Cream's interjecting voice broke the silence of the other animals. "It is where m-most wealthy animals live in Radcliff."
It seemed that she was speaking the truth because after she had finished saying so, they reached a gargantuan four-pointed crossroads, and down either section appeared to be a different set of new things to gawk at.
To the left, it was relatively unkempt and uneven. It mainly was lit by torchlight, and all the way down, one could barely see groups of animals digging further into it.
It would appear that this would be a new section in the future, but it was just a hollowed-out mass of a cave for now.
Straight in front of them, there appeared to be a massive door set into the stone, and it was carved out in a way that made it look like a traditionally large building.
Unlike the other buildings, though, this one seemed to have decorative glass windows. Stained glass, to be exact, though it was too dark to make out the depictions on them without going in closer.
To the right, it was full of electricity and light as well as noise. Animals were busily roaming in the distance from building to building along the dirt street, and there was a lot of chatter echoing.
Further down, neon signs could be seen set up along the open stone hollows that were placed alongside the wooden sidewalk for easy access.
"Right this way," Jonathan said as he led them down the right path.
The group followed, and immediately, their senses were overwhelmed with all the sights, sounds, and bright lights hitting them from every direction.
Even though Max, Annie, and Tails had not seen such a thing in operation in all their young lives. They knew it to be an endless row of stores. Selling who knows what to the people moving about.
Once they reached a little way into the social district. Jonathan turned and pointed his hand toward an entryway in the stone wall, barred by an unlocked gate. Both bared two flags with the insignia of the Acorn royal family on either side of them.
The group walked forward past the gate, and once they had reached the stairs concealed within the stone wall. Cream reached out her hand and pulled down a lever that was set to the side.
Electricity started churning, and the lights that illuminated the steps flickered, eventually stopping on the on position.
At this point, she walked past them and started to take the lead in the situation. To her, this was home.
Though it'd been months since she'd been back here, she was falling right back into routine.
They traveled up several flights of cramped steps and eventually found themselves at an opening with a door stuck into the stone wall.
Unlike other doors they'd seen, though, this one was polished, looked relatively new, and was etched with elegant designs.
Cream reached into the ratty envelope and pulled out the tarnished key from where she had placed it. She turned to look at the knights and started to speak.
"P-please guard outside. I-I would prefer myself and my guests get settled in comfortably without intrusion." She turned and latched the key into the door.
Jonathan and the knights simply nodded, and as requested, they walked down the steps to guard the entrance. Their duty was to Max, but being the adopted daughter of Sir. Redford meant that she held sway over them as well.
She opened the door, and the inside was dark. It had not been resided in since they had left and had been merely barred from entry until someone could lay claim to the estate.
Cream flicked a switch, and lights turned on inside of her home. Before anyone even walked in, it was immediately apparent how fabulous this place was.
Rather than stone walls, wood was built around to give the appearance of an actual house interior. The floor was actually decorated with carpet and lush one at that.
Directly in front of them was a massive centerpiece hanging nicely on the wall that depicted King Maximillian and Queen Alicia holding baby Princess Sally.
They were smiling happily, and their eyes stared towards whoever entered. It was as if it was set up this way just for that effect.
The four animals entered a bit slowly, and Cream immediately shut the door while latching it.
Most of the things in here looked nice, though, upon closer inspection, it was apparent that a lot of it was secondhand. Still, this was roomy and lavish for such a place.
Max looked immediately at the massive painting when he saw it, and it seemed as if it were painted from old images of his family. He felt uneasy under their artificial gaze, so he turned his attention elsewhere.
He looked over to his right and saw a large opening sitting by pulled curtains that hung from a pole. It led outward to a thick stone slab that acted as a sturdy balcony.
It was situated well above the social district. A slight noise could be heard, and the lights from below could be seen casting up, but it was so minor that it wasn't intrusive.
Cream turned and finally decided to address the group. "I-I know you didn't want to talk... W-while, the strange knights, were around, bu-but you are free to use what you like while you are here and do as you please."
Annie couldn't believe everything in here and immediately dropped her bag and took to exploring the home.
The center room that they were in looked bigger than two of the huts in Knothole combined. Furthermore, multiple doors led to several other rooms.
This was indeed massive and better living than those of Knothole could ever dream of.
Tails remained quiet and simply gazed around the elegant home. He couldn't find it in himself to speak to Cream, even after she'd gotten rid of the knights and offered her home to him.
Cream avoided looking at Tails entirely and ignored his presence. She instead walked over to a stone counter that had a damaged marble top fixated atop it and placed her medical bag there.
She then reached over and opened a dented fridge that sat there next to it. It was huge but outwardly damaged. Inside were various bottles of water and old food items that may or may not be good at this point.
She offered them something to drink, but Max found himself gravitating towards the balcony with Annie.
The two couldn't believe how high up they were on this outwardly carved stone slab. It even had thick stone at the edges to make a safeguard to lean against when looking down.
A lovely-looking, thick table sat in the center and allowed for the ability to dine or relax while residing on high.
They moved past the table and leaned over the guard a bit and could see the hustle and bustle of small animals below as well as the bright lights that shined all over.
They could see the endless row stores all the way to the distant end where a giant building, more significant than anything seen yet, sat carved into the distant mountain interior.
It wasn't clear what it was for, but the many bright lights illuminating it gave the impression of a high-rise apartment.
"Whoah… This is unreal." Annie said.
"I simply can't believe it. It isn't pristine, but it is genuinely a prosperous city." Max responded.
"We have to go see Max." She grabbed onto his arm with excitement.
"I don't know, Ann… I don't think we should be running off to go have fun." He said hesitantly. He really wanted to go, but he felt terrible for wanting to play.
"Come on, Max, when are we ever going to do this again?" She tugged at his right arm even more forcefully.
Max let out a deep breath and let himself be dragged away from the balcony.
When he entered the central room, he could see Tails was quietly sitting on the massive couch placed front and center, and Cream, who was quietly drinking water in the makeshift kitchen.
"Annie and I are going to go… Uhm… Explore the..." Max struggled to find a legitimate reason to leave, but Annie simply stated her mind aloud.
"Shops!" Her voice came out full of excitement.
Tails looked up, and he finally spoke with a timid voice. "Sure… stay safe…."
He trusted Max to handle things responsibly and now felt that Cream and probably the city were not at fault for what happened.
It was not the answer Max had anticipated, but the second Tails said that Annie was already pulling them out the door.
Once the door slammed, Tails stood up and walked over to Cream, now that there was space between the two of them and the world.
"Hey…" He began and rubbed the back of his head nervously.
Cream somewhat ignored him and finished off the last of her drink with a few mighty chugs and then slammed the empty plastic bottle against the counter.
She wiped her mouth with her dirty glove and simply looked at him.
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I found out. I had to make sure…." Tails began.
"M-make sure of what!?" Her voice came out loud and full of rage. "W-what happened t-to trust? Huh? I-I guess I don-don't get it because I am not from Knothole!?"
"It's not like that Cream." He said, taking in a breath.
"I just didn't know… The reason we came here was that it was important to you. I won't lie in saying I didn't fully trust your village, but I did believe that you wouldn't try to harm us." He finished.
Cream became sunken, and she looked down at the palms of her stained gloves as if retracing every bit of trauma up to this point.
She started to shake her head and bury her face in them. "I-I don't know what to think anymore… Seth… He might have been one-third my f-fathers age, but they were close." Her voice broke in and out while she spoke, desperately trying to hold herself together.
Tails boldly came over, and without permission, wrapped his arm around her. She didn't try to push him away and merely removed her hands and buried her face in his chest fluff for comfort.
His arm slid around her, and he patted her back as she started to cry.
"Even though I'm home… Knothole feels more like a home to me." She said through painful tears. The niceness of the village was worth more to her than material comfort.
Tails just held her and didn't say anything. If he dared to speak his heart, he would tell her to abandon this place and come stay with him.
Whatever was going on with this "Seth" couldn't be the only thing wrong. Otherwise, Cream might find some good things to be home about, but she acted as if she were miserable to be back.
After minutes of silence, Cream eventually lifted her head up and looked at Tails. Her red, puffy eyes and runny nose weren't becoming, but this was still the woman that made him feel like he had someone to care for.
"Show me your house…." He said gently.
Cream sniffled a bit and then wiped her nose on her already ruined dress. She nodded and laughed a bit with an awkward smile, she knew he was trying to keep her mind off of her father and the horrible things that had been said to her, but she appreciated it.
She removed herself from his grip and walked down the hallway that led to the other doors.
She opened one of them, flicked a switch, and it lit up to reveal a pretty nice-looking bathroom. The floor was set entirely with reused tile, and it had a porcelain toilet, tub, and sink fixated within.
"I don't really know where you get all the stuff from…." Tails said, completely bewildered. It wasn't like there was a place that one could go and just buy these things.
"Well, a lot of it is salvaged from the Great City. I really don't know how it works myself, but through trading with other villages on the outside and the sheer amount of manpower we have, we can get things that others cannot." She answered honestly while grabbing a cloth to wipe her face and nose.
After that, she tossed the used wipe into a bin and opened another door.
Inside was an elegant bed that was big enough to fit at least four animals. It was decorated with lavish-looking furniture. There was another small balcony carved out for the room owner to privately go out and relax as they saw fit.
"T-this i-is my fath-I-I mean Sir. Redford's room." She stuttered severely while trying to figure out how to speak of her late father.
Tails didn't walk in, but he could see that the room was the most beautiful looking in this home from where he was standing. He was unwilling to traipse about inside of it before Cream and merely stepped back out of respect.
She shut the door and pointed to four doors along the right-side wall. "Those are the guest bedrooms, a lot of times, father would have guests come over, particularly those from other houses. I guess this is where you will be staying, and you can each have your own room if you want."
Tails walked over and pointed to the last door on the left. "I guess that's your room, by Redford's?"
Cream giggled for the first time in an extremely long time, and she reached her hand over to open the door. "No, silly… It's a closet."
Tails laughed a bit himself. Why was it funny? Neither of them knew, but it felt good to let out the tension they were feeling all this time. Cream walked over and opened the first door on the left.
"This is my room… To be honest, nobody's ever been in it except for father." She said, flicking on the light switch inside.
Tails followed and could see that her room was relatively cramped, not because it was small, but because she had a moderately big bed and large bookshelves along either wall.
A gigantic wooden desk was set next to one of the bookshelves, and on the top, it was littered with papers and various heavy books.
For somebody who always seemed ready, her room looked like a tornado went through it.
The books on her shelves were in excellent condition, and they must have been handpicked from Robotropolis and sold for an exorbitant price in their currency.
Just looking at their titles, they all appeared to be medical and educational books. It seemed that Redford spared no expense in getting her materials to become a doctor. She was so young, and she was already exceptionally talented.
"S-s-so w-what d-do you think?" Cream stuttered severely again.
Tails smiled at her. "It's great, a bit jealous you have all this cool stuff."
She smiled hearing that and flicked on her desk lamp to show him her favorites place to read. "I remember spending hours and hours here studying because I wanted to be a doctor and help people in need. Sometimes I would forget to eat, and my father would come to bring me food from my favorite restaurant below." She reminisced aloud while still coming to terms with all of her grief.
Tails looked atop the table and saw the damaged photograph of a woman that looked almost exactly as Cream did but older still. It didn't take more than a few seconds for him to realize that that was her mother.
"So, this is her, huh?" He stated, pointing to the picture.
Cream smiled, being able to see her mother's face once again. "Yes, that's my mommy… I… I wasn't sure if I'd ever see her face again."
Tails smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't let that happen. We came here to get you home, and here we are."
Cream looked into his eyes. "You have no idea what that means to me. I wish I could pay you back somehow. Not just from saving me from those robots, but also for caring about me."
Tails smirked a little. "I know how you can repay me." He said.
Cream blinked; she had expected him to play humble at this moment. "O-okay…"
"Show me this restaurant that you love so much. I've never eaten at one, and I would like to experience it once in my life." He said.
Cream had easily forgotten that as young as they were, they had not grown up like her. Annie, Max, and Tails had never experienced leisurely activities like this, and it made her a little sad.
"Let's go then." She responded boldly.
"What, now?" Tails said in surprise, it was somewhat of a joke, but he didn't expect her to be so gung-ho about it.
"W-well if Max and Annie can go out to feel better. Why can't we?" She stated and disappeared from the room.
When she returned to Tails, she picked up a decorative woman's bag from the corner of her room and placed a brown pouch inside it.
"I retrieved some of my father's hidden money stash from his room. He always thought I never knew where he hid it, but I would sneak some of it to go out and buy treats." She said with a sly grin on her face.
"Wait, you? Ms. Goody, two shoes?" He poked fun at her.
She shook her head with a blush. "N-no! I-I am an innocent rabbit."
"L-let's go, I'm sure you're hungry, and I know just the place to eat." She started heading off towards the door in an attempt to avoid his joking accusations.
Tails just laughed and followed suit behind her, with everything that was needed now stored in her bag. The two walked out to have dinner with one another.
The difficulties of their lives still pressing down on them, but for a brief period, they could feel better in one another's company.
…
Max stood at the side of the dirt street next to Annie. The two were swamped by the casual masses that frequented the district, and it was proving rather difficult for the three knights to deal with.
"Alright, everyone, stand back! I've told you this already!" The rhino and Jonathan yelled together.
Max and Annie kept behind the guards as they kept pushing people, attempting to clamor past them to touch Max.
"Your Highness! Over here!" One shouted.
"Please! Bless us!" A few said with their arms outstretched.
There were just too many, and Max couldn't respond to any single one of them. They were acting so frantic. Every time one of them asked to be blessed, it made him feel uneasy, and he shrank further away.
"All right! His Highness has already said that he is spending tonight here. Will you allow him time to enjoy himself!?" Jonathan yelled at the people once again.
The quiet jackal shoved someone back with the spear she was holding when they pushed forward. The closer she got to the crowd, the further they moved backward. They seemed intimidated by her, even more so than the giant rhinoceros pushing people.
"Please! Everybody! Allow me to speak!" Max eventually yelled loudly, feeling like he was at the end of his rope.
The yelling decreased in volume, and people started trying to hush one another.
"Shhh. His Highness has something to say."
"Hush, quiet."
Eventually, the people were at some level of calmness, and they just stood on the other side of the guards with anticipation.
Max stepped forward bravely. Even though he wasn't used to being in the limelight, he tried to exude confidence befitting someone of the Acorn lineage.
"I really do appreciate all of your interest in me." He began in a calm tone. "I would just like to say that I am humbled, and I do wish that I had time to speak with each and every one of you. I simply ask you to allow me and my companions to enjoy your fine city."
Max moved his gloved hand and rubbed his shoulder slightly. "You are all my mother's people, and I intend to make everything right for you. In fact, it is something that I promise with every fiber of my being."
The people smiled brightly, and their expressions said it all. There was clapping and then whistling. Then the people started to raise another ruckus.
"All hail future king Max! He has come, he will conquer, and he will bless us all!"
The citizens that gathered started to dissipate after the short speech while yelling their slogans and chants through the street.
Their extreme fanaticism for the Acorn family was not lost on Max, and he had to wonder if they were just searching for normalcy in a world that ceased to offer it.
"Excellent, my Lord." Jonathan began. "You certainly have a way with your people, natural for one such as you."
The rhino and jackal stepped forward while any stragglers still there continued to stand about and look upon Max and his friend.
Max and Annie moved on quickly and started to make their way along the wooden sidewalk into the row of shops.
The knights surrounded them once more, and it somewhat annoyed Annie a bit that they had to tag along. Still, without them, things might have been too much to even come out here.
As they walked, they could see nothing but shop, after shop, after shop. They were all selling different things. Some offered clothing for gentlemen, some food, others trinkets. Heck, even one had salvaged furniture for sale.
It was so unreal that it was like a dream, and how things were set up indeed triggered fantasies about walking along the Great City in its glory days.
The people around Max steered clear of him and his knights, though they might say things as he passed. Like, "bless you" and "thank you," though he hadn't really done anything as far as he was concerned.
The brightness of the neon signs that were cobbled together from trash made everything overwhelming to the senses, and Max felt lost in a barrage of lights and advertising as he wandered aimlessly in a line.
The smells of foods wafted through the air, and they were of such verity and strength that it only added to the sensory overload he was experiencing.
"Hey! Look at that!" Annie yelled as she pointed her finger towards one of the shops.
Max came out of his trance when he heard her and looked over to where she was pointing. There, he could see what appeared to be a giant blinking picture fixated to the outside of the stone.
It depicted something he knew to be an ice cream cone, but it was something he had only seen ruined adverts for in his brief visits to Robotropolis.
Max moved closer and took a gander at the establishment. Inside, through holes that acted as windows, they could see a few teenage animals sitting at broken-up tables that had been restored with a multitude of different materials.
They were all drinking from tarnished glasses, and inside the glasses were several different colorful liquids that seemed almost solidified.
"Let's go in here Max, this looks like the place for us." Annie grabbed hold of his arm roughly and started to yank him into the shop before he could even say anything to protest.
The knights just looked at each other in surprise, and the people on the street seemed mortified with what they had witnessed from Annie.
Nobody dared to say anything, though, so the knights just stood outside of the shop while the two went about exploring.
The second that Annie and Max walked in. The young animals that sat at the tables hid slightly as if embarrassed. It was an incredible shock to see the royal prince there in the flesh at their favorite hangout.
"Oh my! Do my eyes deceive me?" An overweight raccoon from behind the counter said. "I must be going blind."
Max walked up to the central counter and placed his right hand atop it. Apparently, the bar was nothing more than an old beat-up pile of wood cobbled together from other furniture, but it seemed sturdy enough.
"I Uhm…" It was at this point Max recognized they had no way to actually get the delicious treat.
"…."
"Ya' got no money?" The raccoon asked in a gruff voice.
Neither Max nor Annie offered a response, but it was utterly self-evident since news of the prince spread like wildfire, and everyone in the social district was practically praying he would stop in.
The middle-aged animal let out a boisterous laugh. "That's good, kid! As if I would charge you!" His voice thundered.
"What'll it be?" He put his hands on either side of his fat torso.
Max and Annie didn't know what to say, and they kind of just stared blankly at the man in the smock as if he were speaking another language.
The raccoon was quick to catch on and handed them a dusty, old menu that itself looked like it was picked straight out of Robotropolis.
"Just read that, and whatever looks good, I'll give ta' ya.'" He said as he started cleaning one of the stained glasses with a dirty wet rag.
Max and Annie looked at all the delectable pictures. Some of the menu items had been clearly labeled that they couldn't be made because of the scarcity of some ingredients.
However, a simple soft-served dish of ice cream was labeled as available and in a few of the primary flavors.
Max put down the menu in front of the older raccoon and put his finger on it. "I'd like to try that, in… Uhm… I think chocolate."
"And what'll it be, miss?" The raccoon said, leaning forward towards Annie.
"I think strawberry sounds really tasty." She said.
The middle-aged animal smiled and turned around. He took two bowls that were apparently shattered at one point but had been meticulously glued together with care.
He walked over to a machine that looked old, dented, and quite frankly, like a hunk of junk, but as he pressed down on the lever, the delicious-looking ice cream started to pour forth from it.
It was slow, and he twirled his arm so that it made a presentable pile.
"Ya know, I used to have the best ice cream shop this side of Mobotropolis." He reminisced while pouring the treat slowly. "All this stuff came from the very parlor I owned. I didn't have the heart to be rid of anything that I could salvage."
Max leaned forward, listening to him talk. What he was saying was as exciting to him as the machine working its magic in delivering the dessert.
The man went on and started filling the second bowl with pink ice cream, and it looked just as delicious as the one he just finished.
"Ya know… I never thought I'd see an Acorn here. Radcliff may be out of the loop on most things, but it wasn't like we hadn't heard that the tide of the war had turned towards Robotnik." He said while moving over to place the two ice cream treats on the counter.
He then started to add some whipping cream by hand with an old scoop.
Max knew that the raccoon was talking about his mother's demise, and it surprised him that he'd heard of it all the way in here.
He looked at the man again, but his attention was instead grabbed by sets of replica paintings of the royal family. They were spiked into the stone wall that extended throughout the cramped establishment.
Max was starting to notice them all over since he had been in Lady Radcliff's office. When he stared at the picture of his grandfather, it stared back at him, and it was starting to make him feel awkward.
He averted his gaze and reached out to grab hold of the ice cream bowl, lifting it off the counter.
"Thank you for offering this treat to me," Max said in a quiet tone.
Annie took hers and thanked him just as Max had. The man whistled loudly when they started to walk away.
"Hey!" He held up his hand with two stained spoons in it. "You can't forget these!"
The two grabbed the spoons politely and moved all the way to a table in the back where they could be alone.
Some of the teenage patrons of the establishment seemed to want to move to sit next to them, but they didn't do so out of fear of the knights keeping a watchful eye from outside.
Max and Annie sat across from one another on the ripped and patched leather booth.
Annie sniffed the treat slightly and was the first one to dig right into it, shoving the cold treat into her mouth with little hesitation.
"Oh my gosh! This tastes so sweet!" She exclaimed.
She quickly started digging giant spoonful's up and shoveling them into her mouth rapidly.
"Ah, mmmf, thif if so good!" She spoke with her mouth full as if unable to control herself.
Max dug into his helping and placed it in his mouth. After it sat on his tongue, he took the spoon out and looked at it. It was so cold, and it was so sweet that it was almost too much for him.
"Wow… That is something…." He stated.
Annie was like a machine; she was gobbling it up so fast that Max couldn't keep track of it. Unlike her, though, he wasn't eating much and merely sloshing it around with the spoon.
He rested his chin on his gloved hand and watched as the melting ice cream swirled in with the whipped cream.
"What's a matter? You don't like it?" Annie asked softly while placing her spoon down and rubbing her aching head at the temple.
Max didn't answer and knew that how he was feeling was evident to her.
In truth, many things were pulling him downward, and it was difficult to express any other way than body language.
"What's wrong, Max? You've been going up and down all day… I just want to know what's on your mind." She pushed gently.
Max kept staring at the half-melted ice cream that sat before him and decided that he would tell her his feelings at this moment rather than everything all at once.
"I just… I don't know. I feel like I'm doing something wrong by being here like this. I met my people because I felt I had to, but is it really time to be fooling around? During a struggle for the soul of Mobius?"
Annie stared blankly and could see that he was caught in perpetual guilt, though why everything would make him feel shame was beyond her, it was so unlike him.
She leaned in a little bit and started to speak. "Max, what would we be doing if we were in Knothole right now?" She paused a moment, and Max didn't look up, though it seemed he was searching for a response.
"…"
"The answer is nothing. My mom is over-worried for you, and Snively is who knows how long away from finishing the device to help your father." Her soft voice tried to reason with him.
Max didn't speak. He just stared at the table and waited to see if she had anything more to say.
"Max, we may never come here again, and we may even die before we ever get the chance. We need to still live our lives… Almost losing you taught me to be thankful for opportunities like this because as soon as they come, they could disappear."
There was a short silence, but Max could feel some relief filling his chest. She was correct in her assertion that nothing was going on, and perhaps this was a silver lining in his life.
Recompense for his physical suffering of the past months.
He looked up and immediately saw Annie's face staring at him. She looked as if though she were serious, but Max couldn't help but let out a laugh when he saw her.
"What?" Her voice came out as if she were insulted. Like he was laughing at her attempt to cheer him up.
Max chuckled a little bit more and lifted up one of the cloth handkerchiefs set at the table. With it, he reached out and started to wipe off her muzzle for her. It had been covered in strawberry ice cream.
"What you doing!?" She said, slightly elevated with red forming on her face.
She grabbed hold of the handkerchief and started to wipe her own mouth off. It wasn't until she noticed the amount on it that she understood why he was laughing.
She sank into the torn booth a little bit. "Leave it to me to make a fool of myself trying to cheer you up." She crossed her arms in front of herself.
Max just smiled earnestly and slid his bowl of chocolate ice cream over for her to try. "I don't know. I thought it was sweet of you."
Annie could feel the fire rising up within her gut, and her face was burning. She took her spoon and dug it into the half-melted chocolate ice cream. After a bit of ravenous eating, she slid her bowl over to Max.
Max went to scoop some up when it was offered, but he found that she'd already eaten it all.
Though that didn't upset him in the slightest because seeing her happy made him so.
After the quick treat, the two walked towards the door, and as they did, the parlor owner waved to them.
"Ay, you kids are always welcome here at Tony's! I hope ta' see ya' again!"
Max and Annie waved back to him, and they both had a legitimate sense of joy. Tony seemed unconcerned with titles or lineage and continually called them kids.
Insulting to probably many older teens, but for them, it made them feel free from responsibility to hear it.
The two exited the front entrance, and the knights immediately took their place in front of them. The moment Max began to move to traverse further down the row of stores, they mimicked him.
There was a decrease in noise from earlier save for the people still attempting to get Max's attention as they passed. There weren't as many animals as before, and it made moving much easier for them in general.
The dazzling bright lights from all the shops were beginning to make Max feel fatigued, and he was wondering just what time it was.
They had arrived here before sundown, but now that they were in the mountain, time seemed to be lost to him.
"What time is it?" Max asked.
Jonathan held up his hand and pushed forward the brown glove that covered his wrist, revealing an old but working wristwatch.
He peered down at it as he walked and then eventually recited the time. "It is precisely 9 PM standard Mobian time."
It was much later than Max had thought, but it made sense to him since he was feeling so fatigued. He kept walking and merely spoke in an attempt not to display his tiredness.
"I didn't know that you had a watch."
Jonathan re-hid the watch beneath his glove and smiled. "Yes, timepieces, if you can afford one, are invaluable here. Since there is no sun, one must keep track of time through this."
Max nodded. He understood that clocks and watches that worked might be scarce. Still, he found it somewhat odd as he had never really needed one before.
The sun was always available to him, and if he required specifics, he had Nicole to ask.
He continued walking along, allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts. The endless shops sort of blurring together as they went.
It took nearly 30 minutes to reach the end, and when they did, they found themselves in front of the gigantic building carved out of rock that sat at the end of the stores.
Unlike his previous impression from a distance, he could now see giant letters fixated above the entrance.
"Radcliff General Hospital."
"Is this really a hospital?" Max immediately asked aloud as Annie looked up at the endless rows of small slats carved out as windows.
"Why, yes. This is where all medicine is stored, and it is the only place that is reinforced with stainless steel. It is the most expensive, as well as the most intensive construction here." Jonathan answered Max.
It was an impressive feat to carve out such a large structure from rock, but having it reinforced with clean metal defied expectations.
The city as he saw it was varying degrees of dirty and had a shanty quality to it in most places, but he could tell that much of this was leagues above what could be expected from Knothole.
"We can't treat everything, but with this facility, we can keep the majority of our population healthy. We had it constructed in the social district, so those admitted could enjoy the sights, and to make it easy for visitors to access with gifts." Jonathan said.
Max moved forward, and he could see the metal frames for the doorways and the windows.
Something that most other buildings lacked, this building was also the only one fitted with glass windows and doors to keep excess dirt out. It was one of only two buildings he had seen that had glass installed.
When he moved closer, he could see through the glass doorway and inside to a neatly kept receptionist desk.
It was built from the same metal as the floor, and everything had a sterile, uniform look. He reached out his hand as if to enter but stopped himself when he noticed the giant mural fixated on the center of the steel wall in the main lobby.
It was of his baby mother wrapped in blankets, and she was depicted as being surrounded by a crowd of kneeling animals. The animals were shown to be praying to her while she slept peacefully.
The inscription at the bottom of the composition was easy for Max to make out from a distance he was away.
"The birth of the heavenly princess, Sally Alicia Acorn. Let her grace remind us of the intangible splendor that is the life we are given."
Max stopped and backed away when he saw it. His desire to enter was wholly taken away, and he became ever more alienated by the flattering depictions of his family.
To him, it came off as insincere, but that notion contradicted the actions of the people who resided in this place. It all felt jumbled and confusing the longer he held on to the thought.
"Uh, Your Highness," Jonathan spoke up while Max was in deep contemplation. "Would you care to enter? Perhaps a visit from you would heal the sick of their ailments."
Max turned and stared at him, and the look on his face told Max that he genuinely believed the words he was speaking.
Max looked at Annie, and she seemed oblivious to the oddities that Max felt he was seeing.
"No… It is fine… I think I would like to return to Cream's home now." He stated.
Annie didn't protest, as she felt Max was starting to act weird again. Though she assumed that he was tired since this was the most active he'd been in months.
"Excellent idea, Your Highness. We shall return you to the Redford estate immediately so that you may rest for your official business tomorrow." Jonathan said as the knights resumed formation and began to walk in lockstep with Max.
Annie slowed down to walk by Max, and he just kept his face lowered towards the wooden planks that made up the pseudo sidewalk.
Devotion to king and country was one thing, but even he could tell there was something horribly off about the social climate of this place.
The royal family more than just fit in, but it seemed to be in a way that he was struggling to understand, and the over glorification of his family made them appear as if they were perfect when he knew it to be untrue.
As the group walked back through the narrow of stores, Max would peer in through the entryway of the open shops, and every time he did, he would see another member of his family staring lifelessly at him.
In women's clothing stores, his grandmother was staring, in restaurants, his grandfather. In a children's shop, he saw there were little fabric dolls that had an eerie resemblance to his young mother, and it nearly made him stop dead in his tracks.
Why? Why so much? Why so many? Max couldn't stand looking at them any longer and turned his gaze towards the dirt road to the side of himself.
As he walked and paid attention to the street, he began to notice that many of the animals that had once walked them were replaced with wandering squads of knights clad in their armored attire.
Everything he was seeing was drastically changing the feel of the area for him, and it looked almost as if this place were now an occupied military zone.
Endless royal stares and a plethora of fanatical knights were making repressed feelings within Max bubble to the surface.
Max was less hounded by the excited masses as he walked and merely received bows from every knight that crossed his path.
It was so simple, yet it filled him with sadness and anger that was inexplicable.
He looked around at the knights that guarded him and fixated his stare on the torn-up jackal. Her eye noticed him begin to look at her, and she quickly averted her quiet gaze from him.
She never talked, and her face looked as if it had done combat with a power saw. His curiosity over her enigmatic and different looks was giving him something other than his bad feelings to focus on.
As they walked, she would look back to see if Max was still watching her, and every time, she could see that he was.
She seemed unstressed by it and maintained dignity during the long stretch of walking.
It took them over forty minutes to make it back to the Redford estate from the hospital, and when they did, Annie was quick to move through the gate.
"Man, my feet are killing me, but that was a lot of fun. I hope we can go back through before we leave tomorrow." She stretched out her arms and yawned.
Max quietly nodded while leaning against the gate. He was surveying the area, and even though he was exhausted, he felt worked up by his emotions.
The many things on his mind were actually making sleep feel like a frightening prospect.
"You comin' Max?' He heard Annie say.
The tone came across as less a question to him and more a plea. He turned and put on a false smile as he spoke.
"Yea… I just need a bit… to unwind. Why don't you go on up, and I will meet you?" He shifted his vision back down the desolate walkway that led to the only exit from this place that he knew.
Annie seemed hesitant but reasoned that he would be okay with these knights alongside him and turned to begin going up the steps.
"See you soon…." Was the last thing he heard her say.
The knights gathered around Max and seemed to be awaiting a command from him.
He looked at them, and Jonathan eventually decided to speak.
"Where is it you wish to go, milord? I assume there is somewhere you desire to be if you are staying out here." He adjusted his cape as he talked.
"No… I…." Max paused for a moment and then continued with a different thought. "I would like you three to leave. It is late, and you will do me no good tired all of the time."
The three knights looked at him, and Jonathan answered. "I am afraid that isn't impossible, Sire. We cannot allow you to be unprotected, as it is our sworn duty."
Max shook his head. He had wished to get them away from them but saw this was not going to happen. "Then how about only one of you stay to guard me for the night and alternate shifts?"
Jonathan looked at the jackal and then the rhino before he spoke. "I, Uhm, I suppose that could be arranged, but I do not see why." He said.
"Max slid his gloved hand off the metal bar of the gate and answered. "Because I would feel better if all of you weren't exhausting yourself on my behalf. It isn't necessary."
There was silence, and the three looked perplexed. After a moment, Jonathan simply bowed. "As you wish, Your Highness. I shall leave you in the care of Blah if that is your wish. We will then return to relieve her of duty in several hours."
Max looked at the jackal. He couldn't believe her name was simply Blah. He saw her merely nod to the conversation, and with that confirmation, the other two knights began to take their leave of them so that they could have some leisure time.
Max took another moment to look over the lone, battle-scarred knight from the front and just looking at her. It made sense she would be the first one left as a guard.
Even if she were somehow weak, she simply seemed really intimidating.
She noticed his stare yet again, but this time, she merely stared back as if giving him permission to gawk at her hideousness.
She looked relatively young underneath all the wounds, and it brought about a sense of sadness.
"I… I'm sorry I keep staring… You just… you are interesting to me…." He paused and then continued speaking as she stared. "No… uh, what I mean is I…."
She raised her hand up as if to ask him to stop, and he quieted himself immediately.
She tapped her spear butt on the stone and dirt-covered ground to show that she was still in his service, regardless of his inappropriate staring.
There was a long silence, and Max rubbed his shoulder, then he spoke to her again, as if trying to get to know the enigmatic woman.
"So, they call you, Blah?" He asked.
She kept a stern glare on him and merely nodded in affirmative to the question.
"I… um… I have never heard a name like that." He admitted, unsure if he was insulting her again.
The animal looked somewhat sad and just shook her head as if she didn't want to further discuss it. Max could sense this but persisted in the conversation despite that.
"That's not your real name, is it?" He followed up.
She had a surprised expression on her face and nodded once more to his new question.
Max stared into her one pretty violet eye and asked the question of a natural progression of the previous.
"Why do they call you Blah then?" His voice was gentle.
The jackal was utterly silent, and then after a moment, she began to open her mouth as if to speak, but when sound came out, it was nothing more than horrendous slobbering gibberish.
As she tried to express words, very little of it could be made sense of, and it sounded like slurring and sloshing.
"Er font fink fif fo fonn."
Max grimaced slightly but remained composed. The young woman closed her mouth, and she looked vulnerable and filled with shame at this moment.
She looked down at the ground, and after a second, she decided to simply explain the only way she knew how.
She walked close to Max, and when she was in front of him with the lights dimly shining on her, she opened her maw wide.
Inside, Max could see that the entirety of her tongue had been sliced out horrifically. There were visible scars everywhere in her mouth to prove it.
"Oh god…" Max said as he averted his gaze for a second.
After he looked back, her mouth was closed, and she had regained composure.
Max stared at her even more now and couldn't believe the damage to her face that had been done.
Even with such brutality, there was still a loveliness to her that Max could see. He felt sorrow for her and merely rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"I… I'm sorry that that happened to you." He offered a heartfelt apology.
The animal seemed surprised by her Lord showing such empathy and didn't even know what expression to wear.
She eventually smiled a little to show she appreciated it, though it was something that could never be changed.
Max dare not ask her how all that happened to her but instead decided if she was to guard him, he at least wanted to show her the respect she was entitled to.
"What's your real name?"
She was caught off guard by the question, but as she thought, she realized she didn't even know how to answer that.
She had always just let people call her Blah because it was straightforward. After a moment, she took her spear and began to drag it across the dirt at her feet.
Max walked forward towards it and could see the relatively big letters sprawling out.
"L Y N N"
"Your name is pronounced Li-in, Lynn?" Max asked and looked at her curiously.
She merely nodded and stood up tall and proud afterward. It seemed to feel good to have someone know her name after so long.
Max was upset by the lack of comradery among the knights, but he surely didn't know the whole story behind her origins and these people.
"Thanks for looking after me…." His voice came out gentle.
Lynn leaned on her spear and merely bowed her head in response. She seemed to be a lot friendlier and happy than she let on.
Max looked at her and seemed to be feeling better getting to know someone from this city.
It allowed him to see the animal soul burning brightly within, and he was thankful for her openness.
She smiled and saluted to him respectfully, after which she stood underneath the open entrance that led upstairs.
Max followed and walked past her so that he could finally get a move on. Once on the other side of her, she covered the entrance tightly, and Max sauntered up the several flights of steps tiredly.
It wasn't long before he opened the door and entered Cream's home. On the old couch, he could see Annie lying there with her head wrapped in a towel, and the same sprawling portrait of his family, staring at him the moment he entered.
"Ahhhh, this place has an incredible shower. You really need to try it, Max." She said, kicking her bare feet up.
Max tried to ignore the blank stare of the painting and instead chose to focus on his friend.
He could see that she had shed her boots and clothes and now just lazed about in a robe that looked to be one of Cream's. It was fuzzy and looked exceptionally clean.
Max looked about for Tails and Cream, but his eyes kept traveling back to the dead painted stare.
"Where are the others?" He asked and forced his gaze back onto Annie.
She smiled. "They were here when I came back and showed me the rooms we'd be staying in. I told them you were out front clearing your head, and they decided you were safe enough that they could go to bed."
Max nodded slowly and decided that perhaps a hot shower and hitting the sack were the best option for him if he could manage.
It was already exceedingly late as far as he was concerned, and he knew that he would likely be up early talking with Lady Sarah and the rest.
He walked past Annie, then the bothersome painting, and she jumped up to follow him.
"This one." She said quietly and pointed to the bathroom door.
Max opened it and could see the neat, sizable bathroom. The shower and bathtub were far more oversized than the ones they had in their huts, and he would really be able to stretch his legs if he desired to.
"Thanks, Ann…" He said somewhat tiredly as he walked in.
"Hey. Give me your clothes, Max." She said to him abruptly.
"I… wh-what?" He blinked bashfully, not fully expect her to say that.
"Your clothes… Cream has a machine that washes them for you in here. I figured I would wait to wash mine with yours since I know you need to look presentable tomorrow." She said.
"Oh, yeah… I will hand them to you once I undress." He answered timidly.
"Don't worry, Cream showed me how it worked, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about." She said as Max shut the door.
Max quietly looked at himself in the giant mirror fixated against the bathroom wall. It was almost like staring at another painting, only this time, he was the subject.
He had seen so many portraits and depictions since coming here that he had to wonder if he could ever escape the gaze of his relatives.
He started the shower with the giant knob and began to undo his coat, then his pants. Eventually, he stripped himself of his undergarments and stood nude in front of the mirror.
He peeled off the leather glove, tossing it in the dry sink, and then stared at his form.
"Some portrait…" He muttered to himself.
The ugliness of his own body disgusted him, and it made him thankful for the privacy clothes provided.
He lifted his metal hand and stared at it as if he half expected it to go away sometime soon.
After his brief stint of staring, he turned to the door and banged on it gently as he started to speak through it.
"Ann, you there?"
"Yes." He heard her muffled voice above the splashing water.
"I am getting in the shower now. In about a minute, just come in and grab my clothes." He instructed her and turned to head towards the tub.
Annie responded, but he had already placed himself in the running water and couldn't make anything she said out.
He closed the curtain and shut his eyes as the steaming water poured off his body.
Max allowed his tiredness to take him, and he just leaned against the wall as the hot stream beat against him.
With his eyes shut, he could drift deeper into his contemplation and explore his thoughts on a deeper level.
He opened his mouth to allow the clean water to beat down onto his tongue, and the harder he thought about everything, the more intense the feeling of anger began to rise up.
It was a fit of strange anger that hadn't been there before, but it was one he now knew he was repressing within the depths of his soul.
Images of the portraits kept popping into his mind, and every time he recalled one, it made him angrier.
His teeth started to clench, and his metal hand balled into a tight fist, the sound of steel clacked together as it grew tighter.
"These people don't know me."
…
"They don't have the right."
Max opened his eyes and breathed heavily as his blood boiled. Thoughts of his dear departed family and their suffering. The fetishization of his lineage to serve some unknown purpose. It disgusted him greatly.
He swung his metal fist down, and just before it was to hit the porcelain soap holder, he stopped himself.
He released his fist and started to look at his steel palm, his arm visibly shaking with violent intent.
Max let out a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He knew that anger would solve nothing, and he found his own outburst frightening, but he felt a need for punishment, for blame. Though he struggled to find it in a city that had been nothing but kind to him, even if their behavior was weird by his standards.
Max quickly shut off the water, stepping out as soon as he could. He noticed his clothes were taken, and in their place was a spare robe.
It looked as if it belonged to Sir. Redford, and he felt his anger replaced with a sense of appreciation that Cream would allow him to use it.
Max slid the robe over his nude body and tied it up so that it hid everything as much as possible.
He stared in the mirror, ensuring that not a single scar was showing or peeking out from the long robe, and then eventually let out a sigh.
"I'm just so stressed… I am looking for problems where there aren't any." He said to himself.
Everything that had happened was bubbling to the surface, and rather than being thankful or polite about it, he felt he was reacting childishly.
So, what if these people loved his family and him? It only could be a good thing, couldn't it?
Max grabbed hold of his glove and quickly slid it onto his metal hand. Even in a robe where he was completely naked underneath, he was more concerned about hiding the shameful metal.
He slid the robe sleeve over it and quietly walked out of the bathroom as if nothing had occurred.
He could see Annie still lying on the couch when he walked out, and she looked as if she were about to doze off.
"Geez, you were in there forever…." She commented with a yawn.
"Forever?" Max answered.
To him, it felt as if it were only ten minutes.
"Yeah." She placed her hand to her mouth and yawned again. "At least forty minutes or something. It was a while."
Max said nothing and simply plopped on the couch at her feet. Annie smirked when he did and moved her giant rabbit feet so that they flopped across his lap.
"Ahh, thank you, dear prince. A royal footstool." She wiggled her furry toes and laughed at her own wit.
Max seemed unamused by her but allowed it because he was now feeling sheer exhaustion.
His mind was busy, but his body was shutting down.
Annie tiredly rubbed her foot against the robe and seemed to enjoy the feel of it.
Max couldn't complain because her rubbing felt good against his stomach and side.
Both of them were barely awake, and neither seemed willing to move anywhere for the time being. The longer they stayed there quiet, the drowsier they were becoming.
Annie lifted her tired head with her eyes barely open and started to blab sleepy talk to Max.
"I don't envy you… I used to fantasize about being a princess, but now… I really don't think I'd want it."
Max listened to her groggy voice and leaned his head back on the top of the couch to stare at the reinforced wooden ceiling.
His eyes couldn't keep open on their own, and he started to blather back to her.
"You don't need to be a princess, Ann... I like who you are already." His eyes wholly shut while speaking.
Annie laughed a little bit. "I dunno' sometimes I really hate who and how I am…." She admitted in her exhaustion.
Max just smiled while drifting in and out of sleep and used the last of his energy to respond.
"You are who you are… And I care about your flaws just as much as any other part of you…."
"….."
"….."
No response came, save for the sounds of light breathing at the other end of the couch.
Soon, Max's calm breathing joined her, and the two had found late-night slumber together on a cramped yet cushy couch.
Annie's legs lay across Max's lap, and Max lay there in the sitting position with his head resting on the back cushion.
The unflinching royal eyes stared upon them as they slept, and while anyone in Radcliff would find solace in such a fact. Max had come to view their judgmental stare as a sign of grimmer things to come.