Chapter 10
Hello, friends!
How are you all? I know, I know. I take so much time between chapters and some of you might be wondering if I would ever complete this story if this keeps up. But I want to finish this story for you all. I know I take time, but you guys are always on my mind, and unless something were to happen, I would not stop until I finish this fanfiction! I will try to post consistently from this chapter onwards. It is something I have been wanting to do for a while, and so I want to get started.
A lot of developments have been happening though. And I want to keep you friends updated! Firstly, I'm planning on doing graduate study! And so I might move to another country this year. ^^ I pray God would help me manage my time efficiently so I can write as well as study. Secondly, it sometimes takes time to properly plan each chapter, and since I have other things that keep me busy, I often don't get time to write. Sorry :(
But I love you guys so much. SonAmy is a ship that I have loved ever since I became a Sonic fan in 2008. So this is a story that I certainly look forward to completing someday. Hopefully, it won't take too long!
Also, have you friends watched the latest Sonic movie? I have and it was amaaazing! Knuckles and Tails were so adorable ^^
I eagerly look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on this chapter, friends. Just as I said earlier, you guys keep me going.
Take care, and God bless! Love y'all!
The bright morning sun streamed through the open window of the ward, thereby waking the sleeping blue hedgehog from his slumber. As he shifted in his sleep, he tried to stop the sunlight from shining onto his face by lifting the soft, thick blanket over his head. It didn't take long for him to realize that something felt different. This wasn't the same bed he normally slept in, nor the same blanket.
Sonic turned onto his back and stretched while letting out a lazy yawn. He then pried his eyes open, looking around him in mild confusion. When the events of the previous night started flooding his mind, he instantly sat up, wide-eyed and fully awake. He felt his cheeks blush at the memory, but he didn't want to think about it now.
'Amy?' He called.
Sonic grew concerned when he realized she wasn't there. After quickly making the bed - a habit he picked up while living with Tails - he sped out of the ward and into the now-crowded corridor which was bustling with patients and staff. He saw a young nurse approach and asked her about Amy's whereabouts.
'I think I do remember seeing her leave for the rooftop a few minutes ago.'
'Alright, thanks er...' he caught her name from the tag on her uniform. '...Louisa.' With that, he raced down the hall to the rooftop, leaving the young nurse blushing at the thought of him using her name.
-xxx-
Somewhere in the forests of Mobius, Knuckles the Echidna trod softly on the grassy forest floor, vigilant for even the slightest sound around him. The sun now shone brilliantly in the sky, and he was thankful for it. It helped make things easier for him and Rouge earlier on the island while they were looking for clues, and despite the gloom from the previous night, the daylight lifted his spirits a little. It had been nearly ten minutes since he arrived, and he had been careful about picking his location. The cats, if what he had heard once from Rouge was correct, had a secret hideout somewhere in the Mobian forests. He didn't exactly know where, but he hoped he would run into their hideout.
Rouge, being the former government spy that she once was, gathered the intel from a source in Mystic Ruins at a time when the rival groups surged in the past few months; but she didn't reveal how or from whom. Knuckles had considered looking for them the moment she told him about it back then, but he had put it aside thinking he could handle them even if they did turn up on the island. Little did he know that the cats had different plans at the time.
Sighing, the red guardian wondered if things would have been different if he had tracked them down back then. He wondered if the Chaos emeralds would have still remained intact in their location, if Amy would have been healed quickly, and if Sonic would have been relieved of his guilt and anxiety. He wondered why things were happening this way for all of them. He hoped everything would get back to being normal again. Moreover, even though he didn't show it as much, he cared about Sonic. He wanted his childhood friendly nemesis to be happy again - just as he has always remembered him to be.
It might not make sense now. A time would come when we'll truly understand...at least, that's what I believe.
Taking a deep breath, the brave echidna went further into the deep forest, hoping that the intel Rouge provided all those months ago was true.
-xxx-
Presently in Emerald City, Amy Rose stood facing the large sprawling city in front of her. It was quite windy at that hour, and it helped her to stay refreshed. She was still dressed in her attire from the previous day, but she now had a woolen shawl to wrap around her arms and shoulders to keep them from shivering. As much as she wanted to shower, she felt she could wait. Somewhere close to her stomach, she felt the same throb from last night, and she shuddered at the thought of having to go through the same excruciating pain as before. She hoped it wouldn't be as bad.
As she stood on the rooftop terrace, she started to glance at her surroundings to take her mind off the throbbing. She had never been to Memorial Hospital before as she always visited the familiar private clinic that was closer to her apartment. She wondered why Sonic decided to bring her all the way to the middle of the city when he could have stopped at one of the clinics. Perhaps it was because of the quality of service provided at Memorial Hospital? Or maybe it was because she knew he always silently admired the turtle that gave his life many years ago, in memory of whom the hospital was named? Either way, she felt touched by his gesture.
The pink hedgehog then felt a sudden gust of wind behind her, causing her to pull her shawl a little tighter around her delicate arms.
'Amy?' The familiar voice that she has always loved caused her to smile as she turned.
'Sonic?' She beamed. 'You're awake.' She was starting to get used to his showing up unannounced.
The handsome blue speedster quickly scanned her for any sign of fatigue. He marveled at the sight of her standing. It soothed his heart as only a few hours ago, she could barely do so. This only affirmed the power of Chaos energy.
Sonic chuckled as he relaxed. 'Mornin', Ames. Looks like you're doing pretty well.'
Amy giggled and nodded. 'It does feel nice. Although...' She placed her hand on her tummy again, '...I feel it's still there, Sonic.'
The blue hero sighed. He was well aware that she wasn't cured completely, and that there was still a long way to go toward healing her. But being the confident hedgehog he always was, he was optimistic about the future. Besides, he cared so much about her now than he ever did. He was hopeful about seeing her healed.
'If it gets too difficult, you should get some rest, Amy. I could call Tails to come by once his classes are over.' he suggested gently.
Amy looked up at him. She saw the sincerity in his eyes and it touched her. 'I will, Sonic. But I want to stay up here right now. It's so beautiful at this time of the day.'
Ever since the incidents of last night took place, Amy decided that she would not keep anything from Sonic and the others. She knew they worried about her just as much as she did about them. Besides, she didn't want to break anyone's heart again; she didn't want to see Tails cry again, or see the look of sadness on Sonic's face. Moreover, she didn't want Shadow to feel drained like how Tails had described. She cared about him, too.
Speaking of Shadow...
'Sonic, did Shadow leave already?' Amy asked as she looked up at Sonic, her eyes holding concern.
The blue hero was slightly taken aback by the question. 'Oh, um...yes, he did. He left shortly after helping you, Amy.'
Amy sighed as she looked back toward the city. 'I hope I get to see him. I want to thank him for what he did.'
'I'll...let him know if I see him.'
As soon as Sonic said that, he thought he felt a pang of jealousy. He was surprised when he felt it. Why did it matter who Amy saw? He never bothered about it before. He was always out saving the world that he never cared if Amy was even seeing someone.
So why feel it now...?
Sonic reasoned with himself that he didn't have to feel that way about her seeing Shadow. After all, as far as he knew, she never had any feelings for his ebony counterpart. So he knew he didn't have to worry much. He sighed slightly in relief and then turned to look at the city. Once he did, he caught his breath.
Amy was right. It was beautiful. The tall skyscrapers in the distance lined the horizon. He knew one of the buildings was the headquarters of G.U.N. - a place he wasn't very familiar with unlike Shadow and Rouge. There were airplanes and jets flying across the sky as vehicles and pedestrians milled about the streets down below as they traveled to their places of work. It was a stark contrast compared to what he saw last night with only a few flats lit up, and although everything had been quiet then, it was alive now. He felt the urge to go for a run. He always did so during the day when Tails was away at school. It was what he primarily did to pass time, but he brushed it aside. He knew he could wait.
From the corner of his eye, Sonic saw Amy looking at the view with a smile. He was happy that she was feeling better, and he hoped she would be able to get back to her normal self soon. When Knuckles told him that the emeralds were missing, his heart had dropped, but he wasn't going to give up just like that. Challenges were always prone to come by; all he had to do was find a way to get through them like always. Although her treatment would be delayed, he wanted to believe that the Chaos emerald Tails had invented would work for the time being. It was all they had for now while he and Knuckles retrieved the seven original emeralds.
'What's on your mind?' Amy's gentle voice caused him to glance at her. When he did, he couldn't help but think how the city paled in comparison to her. She looked beautiful then and there, and he still wondered why he never noticed her this way before despite years of adventuring together. He hoped it would make sense someday.
'Just figuring out our plan to heal you, Ames.' He smiled at her kindly. She giggled.
As Amy then looked up at her beloved hero who now turned his attention back to the view, the events of the previous night started to resurface again. She still blushed at the thought of being held by him. How her younger self would have loved that so much! Sure, there have been countless times in the past when he had carried her or held her hand, but this time...it was different. It was almost like he had feelings for her, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
The delicate pink hedgehog had never considered the possibility of Sonic actually liking her, although she had fantasized about it in the past, especially when she was younger. Back then, she used to think that he simply hid his true feelings from her with an intention of revealing them someday. Over time, however, she brushed it aside since the more she spent time with the famous Mobian hedgehog, the more she felt he wasn't interested in her any more than as a friend. To her, Sonic would always be the kind of hero who would want to stay single. Gradually, she had grown to accept that even though it hurt.
But last night caused her to question his feelings toward her. Was there something she didn't know?
'Sonic?'
He responded without glancing at her. 'Yes, Amy?'
'About last night...' she hesitated. Amy wanted to talk about what happened. And she was wondering how she would bring it up with him from the moment she woke up. What if he didn't want to talk about it? Or what if he didn't mean to do what he did? Nevertheless, she had to try. She was simply curious to know.
To Amy's surprise, Sonic tensed up. He remained silent for half a minute before turning to face her again. He chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his head.
'Oh, uh...heh. What about last night?'
She bit her lip but then decided to prod further. 'Sonic, you've never held me like that before. It felt so...different coming from you.'
Coming from me...?
Sonic took a deep breath to calm down his now-racing heart. He closed his eyes as he remembered the events of the night before. As much as the blue hero wanted to forget that it happened, he knew it wouldn't escape his memory too easily. He had been sane when he held her, but he was starting to wonder if he did it on an impulse. Was it because he had feelings for her? Although he had decided to accept them last night, he was starting to feel conflicted. He had never fallen in love with anyone before, let alone with Amy.
As he thought about these things, Sonic remembered feeling her warmth while he held her last night; he remembered gently nuzzling her soft quills with fondness when he had woken up in between while she was still asleep. He knew he did those out of affection for her, and being near her made him feel a certain sense of joy - a kind of joy that he had never felt around her before. But nevertheless, he was still hesitant to admit that he loved her. What if his feelings were just temporary? What if they only arose out of pity for her? He wanted to be sure of them first, and so he felt he needed to talk to someone - someone he knew who wouldn't judge him. He needed a trusted community.
In the meantime, he didn't want to hurt Amy's feelings any more than he used to in the past. Taking a deep breath and then letting it out, Sonic stepped closer, trying his best to phrase out what he was about to tell her in the most meaningful way possible. As much as he was starting to like her, he still wanted to retain their existing friendship for as long as he could until he was ready to commit.
'Amy, I-'
'Sonic!'
Both hedgehogs turned at the sound of Tails who stood at the entrance to the terrace, looking at them with bewilderment.
'Tails!?' Sonic instantly sped over to his little brother. 'What's wrong, buddy?'
'Sonic, what are you doing here?!'
'Huh?' Sonic looked confused. 'I was checking in on Amy. What's wrong?'
The bright young fox looked up at his hero incredulously. Staying behind while Knuckles went off by himself to retrieve the emeralds? It didn't feel right. Sonic was never someone who stayed back on purpose while his friends went off on a mission. Behind him, Tails noticed Amy looking at them with concern. He heaved a sigh of relief and smiled, running over to hug her.
'Amy! You're standing!'
Amy laughed with fondness as she tousled his hair. 'Yes, Tails. I am!'
'Tails, what brings you here, buddy? Oh, and is Knuckles with you?' Sonic asked as he expected Knuckles to be with Tails. It felt odd that Tails was here all by himself.
'Knuckles?' Tails let go of Amy and looked at Sonic. 'You mean, you don't know that he left to find the emeralds by himself? He did tell me to tell you though, but...I thought you would know anyway.'
Sonic stared at Tails with wide eyes as he let his jaw drop. 'He went on without me?'
Tails started to look worried. 'I-I asked him the same thing, but he told me you were...comfortable.' The young fox said the last word slowly, still not understanding what Knuckles meant by it.
Sonic's face flushed, but he didn't want to think about that now. He knew he had to do something quickly.
'Tails, I'm going to go look for him. You stay here with Amy and keep an eye on her. Call me if you need anything.'
'Sonic, wait!' Tails quickly retrieved the Chaos emerald that he had made many years ago. It glowed under the bright morning sun, and the trio could feel the positive Chaos energy radiating from it.
Amy stared at it as she pulled her shawl closer around her slender frame. 'Tails, is that...?
'Yup, it's the fake Chaos emerald from our Space Colony ARK adventure.' Tails still remembered that time with much fondness as though it happened only yesterday. 'Knuckles was the one who suggested we could try using it to cure Amy; although I'm still not sure how far it can go...'
'Tails, if this is what we have for now, we could try.' Sonic stated as he held Tails' shoulder. 'Once Knuckles and I...' he trailed off, feeling like he let down Knuckles. He instantly regretted falling asleep last night. As much as he had wanted to start searching for those cats the moment Knuckles briefed him, he had been far too tired to go ahead with it. He knew even then that he needed to rest although he had kept denying it. Moreover, he didn't want Knuckles to lose his sleep any more than he did either. Little did he know how awake his best friend was at the time.
The young fox, sensing the sadness, placed a hand over his. He was so familiar with Sonic now that the blue hero didn't have to tell him how he was feeling. Tails was always good at understanding emotions, especially Sonic's.
'Sonic, it's not too late. You can still join him. According to what you've told me last night, they could still be somewhere in the forests below Angel Island. You could try contacting Knuckles from there.'
Sonic sighed and nodded. 'Sure, buddy.'
The hero then looked at Amy who smiled at him. He thought about what he was about to tell her, but for now, he knew that could wait until later. He smiled back at her and then nodded at them.
'I'll see you two later.' With that, he zoomed past them and jumped from the terrace onto the many rooftops that lay beneath him.
Rooftop running was something the blue blur specialized in.
-xxx-
On Angel Island, Rouge sat on top of the Master Emerald as she looked up at the blue morning sky. It was so peaceful and quiet, and she could hear the chirpings of birds all around her. Sighing, she looked down at the lush green forests surrounding the shrine.
The day seemed to be so uplifting despite what had suddenly taken place in their lives overnight. It had been an hour since Knuckles left her to go look for those cats, and he hadn't called her since. She had genuinely wanted to go with him. Ever since they got together, she felt her concern for the handsome echidna guardian grow to new levels, but she knew she could trust him to be safe. Besides, he had encountered enough danger before this.
As Rouge sat thinking, she wondered when was the last time she had been on an adventure. Like Sonic, she missed her previous years when she was constantly fighting Eggman's robots and helping Sonic and his friends. Although there were times when she only sought her own gain, somewhere deep inside, she did stand for what was good. But she had a feeling that things were going to be different soon; and that they would soon be involved in a serious adventure. Only last night did she and Knuckles receive the terrible news from Tikal of Amy having negative Chaos energy within her, and just like everybody else, she was perplexed.
How did she get it?
The elegant bat sat silently as she thought about Amy. The two had rarely ever spent time together in the past, and although she had heard much from Sonic and Knuckles, she always thought Amy to be a unique young female. She had heard of her heroics and her frivolousness, and at times, she couldn't deny having felt amused by her.
Amy's love for Sonic reminded Rouge of her own affection for Knuckles, and even though she was never obsessed with him like how the pink hedgehog was with Sonic, Rouge could mildly relate. The sassy female bat wasn't someone who expressed her concern for others too openly as well unlike Amy who constantly lacked reserve when expressing her emotions. Apart from Knuckles, the only other individual Rouge has ever expressed worry about was Shadow. She never felt the need to worry about anyone else, but she couldn't deny having felt concerned when Sonic, Shadow, and Silver were in space during those last crucial minutes of the Death Egg episode.
Now, however, she was starting to feel concerned about Amy, too. She knew the pink hedgehog was important to Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles; and so she wanted to help.
Rouge then stood up and jumped down from atop the giant emerald. She turned to look at it. It was still glowing brilliantly under the sun, and she stood transfixed for a few seconds as she stared at the only power that kept Angel Island afloat - the very same power that warned about the consequences that would follow should Amy be left untreated. She averted her gaze from the Master Emerald and looked at either side of her before turning on her communicator and dialing a number.
She desperately hoped that the individual on the other end would answer.
-xxx-
Meanwhile, in the deep forests of Mobius, Sonic's communicator blinked when he tried to contact Knuckles. There was no response. Concerned, he dialed again.
'What's keeping you, Knux?'
Sonic hoped Tails was right in predicting his whereabouts. The blue hero recalled the events of last night and he made sure to stop at exactly the same spot where he had been attacked. A few miles ahead, Angel Island loomed in the sky, and on his left, he could make out the remains of the Golden Hive Colony in the distance. He wondered if Knuckles was on Angel Island, but thought against it since chances of him being there were highly unlikely.
As the call rang, he started growing impatient. 'C'mon, Knux. What's taking so long?' There was no response. He sighed in frustration and dialed again, but this time, he ran further into the forest and scanned his surroundings, looking for any trace of red or anything out of the ordinary. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a movement.
'Knuckles?'
Sonic slowed to a stop and looked around. He wondered if it were the cats from last night. He couldn't risk getting trapped in any net again. The blue speedster noticed that his communicator was blinking, signaling that Knuckles failed to answer again. This was the third time the call got disconnected.
Where are you, Knuckles?
'Looking for someone, blue?'
Sonic quickly turned at the sound of the voice. His eyes grew wide when he found the same female cat from earlier. She sneered at him and was surprisingly unarmed this time. He took a stance, ready to perform his homing attack any second.
'Where's Knuckles?!'
She laughed. She enjoyed what she was doing. 'You mean that irritating guardian? We dealt with him already. We couldn't risk getting caught off guard again while we deal with you now.'
Sonic glared in anger and remained where he was as a few cats came out from among the trees behind her, armed with weapons and ready to attack. He quickly looked behind him, but there weren't any other cats there. Chuckling, he said:
'Looks like beating you guys is my new job after Egghead.'
The female hissed. 'Don't talk that way about the respected Doctor, hedgehog! You have no authority to do so.' The armed cats raised their weapons at him, targeting him.
Sonic stifled a laugh. 'Wait, respected? This is new. I never thought Egghead would have fans.'
She growled. 'That's it! Get him!'
With that, the cats started shooting nets at him, but Sonic, being the fastest hedgehog on Mobius, chuckled and expertly dodged every shot. He glided across branches and jumped across trees as he skillfully made his way toward them. Once he was close enough, he jumped and performed his homing attack on the cats one by one, dropping them to the ground along with their weapons. Before they could get back up and grab them, Sonic sped by and collected all of the weapons and threw them far off into the distance as he ran, scattering them in the deep forest. He then finally skidded to a stop in front of them where he initially stood, facing the now-raging female boss. He dusted his hands and gave her a cocky grin.
'You know what you need? A weapon upgrade. What are those? Toys?'
She smiled. 'Oh, but I have so much more than an upgrade.'
Before he could even react, a noose fell around his torso, tightening up instantly.
'What the-!'
It then lifted him up a few feet above the ground as he struggled to break free. He was held captive again.
Dammit!
The cat laughed as she made her way toward him with a smirk. 'How do you like that, speedy?'
Sonic glared at her as he tried to break free, but to no avail. The rope was stronger and wider than before, making him realize that the ropes used last night were only for trial. He was getting tired of this and decided to cut to the point.
'What do you want with those emeralds?!'
She gasped dramatically, her eyes going wide. 'Oh, so you do know that we took them? Why you aren't as dumb as I thought.'
Sonic continued to glare at her as he tried to bring his thumb close to his communicator discreetly. During the Death Egg episode, Tails had updated their communicators to send out silent emergency signals if in case things went wrong. The signal would alert the closest ally first and then would be sent across to the others if there was no immediate response.
This time, Sonic hoped that it would be Knuckles who would come to his rescue. Even though the female made it seem that she and her gang caught Knuckles, he had a feeling it was just a setup to lure him into her trap. He desperately hoped that Knuckles was safe in the forests. There was only one way to find out. In the meantime, however, he had to keep the conversation going.
'You didn't answer my question.'
The female looked up at him. 'Why would anyone want to use the Chaos Emeralds? For power, of course. Do you really think that it's only you and your silly friends who can use them?'
'Those emeralds are meant to be used for good. You can't go around using them for evil.'
She rubbed her chin. 'Good? Like for saving your girlfriend?'
Sonic looked stunned. How did she know Amy was sick?
'First of all, she's not my girlfrien-'
He stopped short as his eyes went slightly wide. For some odd reason, he couldn't bring himself to say it like he used to. He fell silent and looked bewildered.
The female laughed out loud as she placed her hands on her hips. 'Oh, speedy. What is this? Are you having feelings for her now? Why, did you forget all those years when you hardly even gave her the slightest bit of attention that she craved from you?'
Sonic fixed his eyes on her again. 'Keep her out of this. What I feel about Amy doesn't concern you.'
'What is this? Are you trying to protect her now?' She snickered. 'Do you really think she even feels the same way about you now just as she used to in the past?'
Sonic remained quiet. Behind, he was finally able to bring his finger to the alarm switch. He pressed it gently.
'Look here, blue.' The cat continued. 'I have always been following your activities ever since you became famous - all of your frolics, adventures, your so-called "heroics".' She rolled her eyes after saying that last part. 'And I even know how much that lousy female hedgehog adores you. But you? You didn't even care one bit.'
He felt his breath quicken as anger rose within him. 'What now? Trying to get at me with words?'
She chuckled. 'I would like to see you beaten, hedgehog. Oh, and I know that Amy Rose no longer loves or cares about you. I mean, why would she? Weren't you the one who ignored her for a month? Weren't you the one who didn't stop by her apartment every time you passed by? Do you really think she would still be the same Amy Rose you've always known? She's changed, and it's clear from her actions. There is no use of you having feelings for her now when she would never love you back!'
She then walked closer to him, looking up at his vulnerable frame hanging from above. 'It's useless, speedy. You wasted your time then, and you're wasting your time now. What do you think will happen once you help cure her? She will go back to her normal life without you. Just like she always has.'
Sonic glared at her and was about to say something, but he felt no words escape his mouth. Disturbed, he averted his eyes.
Inching even closer, she added in a nasty, low voice: 'She was doing just fine without you. She will never love you back, hedgehog. You can try all you want.'
Sonic thought he heard the faint sound of trees being brought down somewhere nearby. He looked at the female who was standing beneath him. 'She doesn't have to love me back for me to take care of her.'
The cat blinked in surprise when he said that. She asked incredulously, 'Why do you even do it, hedgehog? Why bother helping a friend like her?'
He looked at her, feeling composed. 'Do I need a reason to want to help out a friend?'
At that very moment, Knuckles burst forth from among the trees, much to her and her team's alarm.
Bringing his fists together, he smirked at them. 'There you are. I've been looking all over for you.'
-xxx-
Back at Memorial Hospital, Amy sat with Tails in the ward she was assigned to. They decided to return back once Tails noticed signs of fatigue on Amy's face. He worried thinking that she was going to experience pain again, and he hoped she wouldn't until he tried to assess the fake Chaos emerald's power.
The delicate pink rose watched as Tails did several calculations on his notepad, look up at the emerald which was being scanned by his portable computer placed on the desk beside her bed, and then scribble away on his notepad again. Occasionally, he passed quick glances at her, and each time, he sighed in relief when she didn't look like she was in pain.
Amy then gently turned to look outside the window. She wondered about Sonic and Knuckles. She hadn't known the Chaos emeralds were missing until Tails told her soon after Sonic left. She had been worried, and she couldn't deny having felt scared about what would happen now. The pink hedgehog hoped and prayed that her two best friends would be alright.
Dear Lord, I hope they'd come back soon.
Amy leaned her head against the propped-up pillow and lowered her eyelids. She was starting to feel slightly dizzy, and she could even sense the pain slowly rising again. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping that it would go away.
To her surprise, it slowly began to subside.
'Amy...?'
'Yes, Tails?' She croaked after a second, still feeling fatigued.
'A-are you alright?'
She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. She saw the worry in his bright blue eyes and it hurt her. She smiled slightly with warmth and affection.
'I hope I will be, Tails.'
Tails felt the lump in his throat again. The young fox quickly looked away from her, afraid that he would start crying, and resumed studying the Chaos emerald he had created long ago - this time, with more haste. With years of no use, the young prodigy had forgotten most of its energy analytics. And so he had to study its readings all over again. As it wasn't an original Chaos emerald, Tails had to take extra caution before using it to cure Amy. After all, he was going to deal with a dear friend's life, and he didn't want anything to go wrong. He didn't want to think about what would happen if this failed, and for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about Sonic.
Sonic...
Tails sensed something different about his blue friend. He seemed more...attached to Amy than the young fox had ever seen or known. Moreover, he couldn't remember seeing Sonic leave her side last night except when he and Knuckles left together to try and get the emeralds. At first, he figured it was because he cared about her as Sonic always cared about his friends, especially if they were in danger; but his constant presence at her side and the way he looked at her caused Tails to think differently.
The bright young fox was smart enough to know why Sonic did certain things the way he did from years of adventuring with him, but this was one side of his that puzzled the young two-tail. He even knew that if it had been a few years ago, Sonic wouldn't have done the same things. Tails had never seen his big brother be very close to Amy before.
Could he be...?
'Is something wrong?'
Tails looked up at Amy who now looked so frail. He cleared his head from his doubts instantly. 'N-no, Amy.'
She smiled kindly at him, and it broke his heart. 'I'm going to figure this out for you, I promise!'
He then went back to studying the Chaos Emerald, leaving his thoughts behind.
'I know you will, Tails. You're a very smart young fox. You've always been.'
Tails bit his lip and nodded, not wanting to look at her again. Behind him, there was a soft knock on the door.
'Come in!'
The door opened to reveal Knuckles and Sonic - both looking tired, yet still strong.
'Sonic, Knuckles!' Tails got up from where he sat and ran over to them. 'What happened? Did you find them?'
Knuckles nodded and pat his shoulder. 'We did, and we have a lead. Come on, let's sit down.'
The trio sat down around Amy, and Knuckles asked her how she was doing, to which she gave a faint response. Sonic sat next to Tails and listened to their exchange.
When the red guardian turned to look at Sonic, he expected him to say something. He saw Amy glance at him and was surprised when he saw his blue friend avert his gaze. Knuckles frowned.
Sonic had been oddly quiet on their way back to the hospital - much to Knuckles' confusion. He wondered if it was because he was held captive again by those cats. Knuckles recalled that time when Sonic was held captive by Eggman during the Resistance. After he was rescued, the blue speedster had been visibly shaken for a moment - something only Knuckles had seen. Knowing the speedy blue hero, remaining that way was not an option as he had a world to save, and so he had quickly recovered.
But now, it seemed a little different. When Knuckles asked what the matter was, all Sonic did was shake his head and say there was nothing to worry about. But the red guardian knew there was more to it than that, and Sonic was clearly upset about something. Sighing, Knuckles decided he would let Sonic be for now. If there was someone who could understand him better, it would be Tails.
'I got a lead from those cats. If we're quick, we should be able to find them.' Knuckles stated as he glanced at Tails.
'What did you find out?' The young two-tail asked as he leaned forward in curiosity.
'A few months ago, I got intel from Rouge that said the cats had a secret hideout somewhere in the forests. And guess what I found? A cave, and two guards.'
Amy looked concerned. 'Did they try to hurt you, Knuckles?'
The echidna guardian chuckled. 'You really think those cats could hurt me? Sure, they were tougher, but not as tough as me.'
'Just tell us what you found, Knuckles.' Sonic said, slightly agitated.
Tails and Amy turned to look at him, taken aback by his response. Knuckles blinked but quickly recovered. He felt he had to ease the tension up a bit.
'Alright, blue.' He said after clearing his throat, 'It turns out that their commander wants to free Eggman with the help of the Chaos Emeralds, but for some odd reason, they haven't been able to tap into its power yet.'
Tails looked confused. 'Their commander? Who could that be?'
'Probably that cat woman Sonic and I encountered last night.' Knuckles looked thoughtful for a moment. 'It can't be anyone else.'
There was a silence in the room, and then Tails spoke, 'It looks like all they want is to see Eggman free. But even after everything he did...? I don't understand why.'
Sonic sighed. 'It beats me. But Tails, if they're trying to use the Chaos Emeralds, then that means we don't have much time. We have to get them, and fast.'
Tails nodded. 'You're right, Sonic. But where do we go from here?'
All heads turned to Knuckles.
'Hey! What're you all looking at me for?'
Amy raised an eye ridge at him with a smile. 'Ahem, you were the commander of the Resistance, remember?'
Knuckles blinked and then groaned. 'Oh, right. Well,' he looked at them. 'If we can track their whereabouts, we should be able to catch them off guard. Also, that cat woman is always on the run. Which means she knows we're looking for her.'
Sonic thought for a moment. 'Say, if she can't use the Chaos emeralds, isn't she bound to return them eventually? I mean, there's no use holding onto them otherwise.'
Tails looked doubtful. 'I'm not so sure, Sonic. If they are indeed looking to free Eggman, they might resort to other tactics. Whatever it is, we need to be careful.'
Knuckles nodded. 'I agree with Tails. I made that mistake once, and I'm certainly not making the same mistake again.'
'In that case,' Sonic said as he stood up. 'We need to scan the forests even further, and take all the help we can get.'
Knuckles got up as well. 'That's right. We can use the holographic map of Mobius located in Resistance HQ to look for any signs in the forests that could give us a lead.'
Tails nodded eagerly. 'That sounds good, Knuckles. I'll drop by later today and do what I can to help. For now, I need to finish studying this Chaos emerald.'
Amy watched as her three best friends discussed their next course of action - friends with whom she shared countless adventures ever since she met Sonic on Little Planet many years ago. As she listened in on their conversation, her heart swelled with joy despite the pain she felt within her.
Never in the last few months had she thought they would come together like this again. Until last evening, Amy thought it was a distant possibility. Ever since Eggman got locked away, things had seemed to fade between them, and she had wondered if their ties would eventually break. She also wondered if all the former adventures they had shared would someday become a distant memory - the thought of which broke her heart. Even after all these years, she cherished all their times together, and although there were many dangers associated with those adventures, she sometimes wished she could live them again. It was the thought of forgetting that it all happened that worried her each time.
But now, as she sat propped up against the pillow looking at Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, she felt it was too good to be true, but it was. She felt touched that they still remained as a team, that they worked together seamlessly despite many months of being apart. She was thankful that, even though their circumstances seemed dire, there was still hope. And it was hope that brought them all together. She knew then that some friendships were meant to last no matter what happened.
She smiled wide. Thank you, God!
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