cutegirlmayra
Released with special premission to inspire you to write for the event!
Prompt:
(Based on a future fanfiction, that's all I'll say on this so far xD)
Sonic snuck into the sultan's palace, glancing around in the shadows before gesturing for his thieves to make way to the royal treasury.
"What about the princess?" Tails handed out bags to the men, before looking worriedly to Sonic.
"I can handle Miss 'Jewel of the Arabian Sands.' Don't you worry." He gave him a wink, and watched as his men silently, but efficiently broke down the lock to the door and picked the next one.
He smirked and darted with a fluid swish of his cloth.
"Sonic?" Tails saw the blue blur and sighed, "He's going to have fun with her again… isn't he?"
Knuckles, already having looted some other rooms, chuckled as he heaved his bag over his shoulders and passed Tails, "He's after her mother and father's royal jewel. You know that. He's obsessed with it."
"I don't think that's the only thing he's obsessed with…"
Darting around at impeccable speeds, having most of the guards think it wind, Sonic scaled the windowsills and leaped into the princess's chambers.
"…Huh… Not here?" he heard music and grinned, turning to slide up against a wall and listen. "…She's dancing again." He smirked, dipping his head. "But for who? Certainly not a suitor again…" He was feeling mischievous. Last time he 'convinced' the princess to break off a forced arrangement was a few months ago… was her father already trying to sell of his jewel?
Whoever Amy married, the Jewel of the Kings would be given to him.
But Sonic was all about stealing and looting for the unfortunate. If he could steal that jewel, then the people would know he's swingled the lazy sultan and declared rebellion.
However… Sonic wasn't tempted by power. He felt it unfair that the Sultan sat around, getting fat with food and doing nothing. But his daughter…
Amy Rose was a woman who wanted to change things, wanted to rule justly, and Sonic would have been happy if she took the throne, to be quite honest.
However…
A woman sultan? Unheard of.
Sonic would have made it happen,… but the people would have never taken her seriously, no matter how much they loved her dancing.
Plus, the King was her father… after all.
Sonic crept his way into the hall, seeing the princes and scoffing at their fine robes, wondering how many slaves he could free today…
He would send his men to their camel caravans and break their chains, but first…
His eyes lingered on the sheer fabric that swayed and bent with motion.
The light pink shimmered in the dancing as it rose up and was spun in the air, before the Princess's face, covered by traditional clothing, revealed emerald eyes…
She didn't look like she was too happy dancing… even with her mouth covered, he could tell by her actions.
She'd rather dance for him.
There little 'affair' that Sonic lovingly joked about would have to wait.
If the princess fell in love with anyone but him, the jewel would be lost and so would the kingdom. Most likely, falling into the hands of a tyrant instead of a lazy loafer.
No matter how many times Sonic watched her, she would still entrance him like the sands of his Arabia.
She stopped at last, and her father was hoisted up on his seat by four men, directing the princes to come and eat with him.
The princess bowed and watched the men leave, before throwing a hissy-fit. "Ohh!" she summoned the hammer of his people, a weapon of symbolic justice, and began swinging it around. "Father! Why do you keep insisting I dance!? Ugh! I hate dancing for men I don't feel anything for!"
"…Good thing you didn't dance for nothing then."
Eyes, the only visible part of her face at the moment, scanned in wide-eyed wonder towards the shadows.
The Arabian sun would come up in another few hours, but for now, she saw the cloth ripple in the open windows… and a shadow walk out.
"Hello… my Jewel." Sonic tilted his head, knowing she couldn't see his smirk in the darkness.
The lights of the flames that illuminated her dance were only on the slightly rose stage… the hammer disappeared into smoke and she rushed over to him.
"Aladdin!"
She jumped into his arms, as he held her close and took in the smell of rich jasmine.
"You're the one I want to dance for, forever! Why don't you stop stealing my father's gold and just take me away instead?"
"Then who would rule?" Sonic joked, knowing she couldn't, but with her father's health… if she didn't marry, maybe there would be exceptions?
"You would! The kingdom adores you. If I had any power, I would have done exactly what you're doing!" She clung to him, and it almost hurt his heart to see her suffering so…
"You're just bored, Amy." He was the only one who could address her so formally without getting beheaded.
"Bored?" her head flung up, insulted. She glared at his face, "Do you even care for me, Aladdin?!"
He had to keep up the ruse. The Princess was the only way into the safe without detection. She wouldn't alert the guards, thanks to the fact that Sonic had successfully convinced her of their good deeds.
"…More than the gold I keep for myself." He lightly lifted a thumb to her cover on her face.
She twitched at first, but humbly lowered her head and didn't struggle.
He removed the sheer, pink fabric and was able to admire her true, beautiful face.
"…Even though the sun hasn't risen…" he began, and caressed her cheek, "You're face still sends rays of warmth to my chest." He bent down to place his cheek by hers, since it wasn't appropriate in their culture to kiss before marriage anyway.
She turned her cheek away, "Why woo me if there's nothing you gain from it?"
He smiled as he looped the hand to her neck, quietly trying to subtly steal her royal necklace.
He whispered just loud enough for her not to hear the 'click' of the necklace coming undone. "Where's the fun in dancing for me if I never get to touch you?"
She withdrew back, "You're mocking my heart!" she then touched her chest, realizing the necklace was gone. "Thief!"
"Hypocrite, but who's judging?" He twirled the necklace around on his finger, one leg up and to the window.
"I am not lying! I love you!"
"Hush!" he suddenly lowered the leg and moved to her, pulling her against him and spinning the window's frabic around them to keep them hidden.
A guard walked in, looking around.
Amy's breaths were through her mouth, but silent as they could be.
Sonic dipped his nose to her, shaking his head and letting it rub against her forehead, a light scold for being too loud and stating words that only a husband should hear.
The guard walked on, but as Sonic was about to release her, she clung to him again.
"Are you… or are you not trying to be the next sultan?"
He froze.
"In the years that you must retire…" she lifted her head to his own, moving her mouth over his face but not quite considered 'kissing' him. "Who do you wish to share Arabia with?"
"…You're a little loose… for a princess." Out of respect for her, and knowing her royal birth… he pushed her lightly away as the fabric unspun.
"…Am I not even tempting? Compared to the gold you steal?" She looked hurt, and began to walk away, "Ugh! Men! Gaur-!"
She was only joking, keeping her voice low, but he pulled her back.
His forehead touched hers, "If it weren't for your highness…" he hissed out, but there was longing in his voice… and his lips skimmed her cheeks. "The people would have starved."
She held her peace, but let out a slight release of air, enjoying his desperate attempt to keep her interested in him.
She was only playing… but she knew, somewhere, deep down… that if he didn't play the lover… her people would suffer.
She nodded and embraced him, "Good luck… Aladdin." She closed her eyes tight, before hearing her father call for a servant to fetch her.
"Go! Your men will be safe another hour. But then my father will show off our endless riches to incite the princes to wooing me." It pained her, but she pulled herself away and gripped his hand. "Also, give it back." She yanked the necklace out of his hands, catching him off guard as he realized her 'joke' was to get close again and swipe it back.
He chuckled under his breath, "You would make a fine thief."
"Queen of Arabia… or Queen of Thieves?" She placed a finger up to her mouth, as if considering it. It was comical and cute, before she attached the necklace back around her neck.
He snapped, upset he let her trick him, but almost aroused by her skill at deception.
"Well played… until next time, Jewel."
"A loving reminder that I'm nothing to you without this necklace." She 'pfft'd out, looking still slightly upset by how her love's story was so unjustly keeping them apart. "Whether my father's health fails him and we're invaded, or I marry to a new king… where will that place you and me?"
He wrapped an arm around her waist, taking a piece of fabric from her dancer's gown and ripping it off after a seductive touch before darting off.
He placed the fabric to his nose and winked to her before departing.
"…Still yours… You won't let that happen, will you?" she smiled, lowering her hands from her neck as the Jewel of her family fell to its rightful place.
They freed the prince's slaves and even some of the kings. One faithful slave remained, stating his duty wasn't to the sultan, but the fair princess.
For that statement, Sonic asked him to be a spy for her sake, and keep the princes from disturbing her too much.
The slave said he would do all he could, and inform him if something should arise.
Tails mounted his horse, struggling with his loot in his lap, and happily looked to Sonic. "So… 'Aladdin'." He teased, "Does this make me 'Alibaba'?"
"…That's enough." He playfully swiped his hand at Tails's leg, making him almost loose balance but regain himself on his horse and laugh.
"Did you finally get it?" Tails looked excited.
"…No." Sonic smirked.
"You know, sometimes I think you want her to keep it." Tails pouted, turning his face again. "You just run off and have your fun keeping the princess's heart loyal to you so that there isn't a new sultan, while we're here… doing all the dirty work."
"You know, 'Alibaba', for someone who's getting PAID I wouldn't argue about the methods." Sonic gave him a loving look of superiority, as if not to challenge him.
Tails rolled his eyes, still skeptical, before shaking his head. "If you love her, then take her. You've never taken a hostage before though… Why not just steal her away for a day?"
"Ha!" Sonic bent his head back, his horse reeling up a little, "The people reverence Amy,… Before my time, her mother taught her to give charity. She has never forgotten that, even when her father abolished it. She considers us her 'charity' and I intend to keep it that way." He reached over and pulled Tails a little towards him, a brotherly shake of his shoulder. "Nah… she would love it, but the people would panic without her. Best to not shake the quivering sand any further than the winds do, eh?"
"Heh, you make no sense." Tails moved away, "Then be sultan!"
The men cheered as they dashed off, guards quick on their tails now that the alarm went off.
"An hour already?" Sonic looked up, but smiled to see a covered face in pink, sheer fabric, leaning worriedly over the open windows of her palace.
He blew her a kiss, then a thumbs up as he took off.
"No… I'm not fit to be that."
"Maybe not now… but when you retire back to just, plain old Sonic-"
"No." Sonic's joking smile disappeared.
"…" Tails's face grew grave as well, "…You still care about ranks?"
"She's a princess, Tails." Sonic glared for him to reverence that. "I don't even have a strand of royal blood, not enough to justify anything."
"What if the Princess could convince her father to change the rules?"
"He'll have to… if he wants her to marry." Sonic's smile returned.
"…Ohhhhh~" Tails nodded, understanding now. "You want her to stay and continuing trying to convince the king to change." Tails smiled up at the rising sun. "Still… that's an awful lot of waiting for you two to be together-"
"Who said we were together?" Sonic faked insult, before the guards starting firing arrows.
They ducked and laughed, pulling out swords as Sonic rose his high, "For the kingdom!"
"For freedom!"
"For the Jewel of the Sands…" Sonic whispered, turning his horse around as a few of the men he trusted did the same, and the rest pursued towards their hideout.
It wasn't long until Sonic caught wind of Amy Rose being kidnapped by a rival thief. One who kept the riches he stole entirely to his Babylon Crew… And with her in danger, Sonic and his band of merry thieves strode to return the princess to her father's throne.