Chapter 1: Hero Auction
"Our last item up for bid: Sonic the Hedgehog!"
Time to put on a show. Adopting an eagerness he wasn't feeling, Sonic waved to the crowd and posed, showing himself off from all angles. Normally he didn't mind the spotlight, but this was more like being on display. Not unlike when Tails dragged him along once or twice to the hardware store at midnight to fight through the crowds for the latest piece of hardware or computer part. Immediately, the auctioneers started yelling various prices, their placards frantically waggling back and forth for attention.
The response shook Jewel, but she quickly recovered, banging her gavel and calling for order. "Please, settle down! One moment, please!"
Yup, definitely like the latest shiny gadget, Sonic thought.
Once everyone had taken their seats and were nervously fidgeting to start, she resumed the auction. "Yes, that's right. Spend a whole day with the legendary hero! Let's start the bidding at fifty rings. Do we have fifty?"
"Fifty!" someone shouted in the front.
"One hundred!" another said somewhere in the back.
"Two hundred!"
"Three hundred!"
"Three hundred rings!" Jewel pointed her gavel to a woman on the side. "Do we have higher? The entire day with the one and only hero. It's for a good cause."
Same thing I keep telling myself, Sonic thought as he made finger guns at the crowd and winked. It's for a good cause. It's for a good cause.
A placard shot up at one table and a mustached man called, "Four hundred!"
"Four hundred! Do I hear more?"
There were dozens of nervous faces in the crowd, hemming and hawing on if their bank accounts could afford it. More than a few had dark clouds over their heads, already regretting their earlier purchases.
"In that case, going once," Jewel scanned the crowd. "Going twiiice." The gavel raised high.
"Five hundred, fifty-nine rings!" a familiar voice called from the back. All eyes turned as Amy Rose walked to the front, waving own placard high and proud. She was certainly a welcome sight for Sonic and he crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping this was the end of it.
"Five hundred and fifty-nine rings!" Jewel announced. "Do we have any others? Going once. Going twice." Several people were on the verge of bidding, chewing their lips in agony. Jewel whacked the podium with a resounding bang! "Sold, to Miss Amy Rose for five hundred and fifty-nine rings! Thank you all for your generous contributions to the Restoration. Winners, please see the attendant in the reception hall to arrange pick-up or shipping of your items."
Sonic breathed a sigh of relief. He sat down on the edge of the stage while the dejected auctioneers nearby filed out of the auditorium. He nodded to Amy as she approached him and patted the stage beside him. She hopped up on it too. "Thanks. You're a lifesaver."
"Seemed only fair to rescue you for a change. You looked pretty desperate up there." Of course she'd seen past the façade. One of her many qualities that he appreciated. "Imagine my surprise to find you here. Jewel mentioned she found a super special something for the auction. Can't believe you agreed to it."
"Like she said, it's for a good cause. All the rings go to help the Restoration rebuild the cities. Although," he shrugged, "I'd rather spend time with you guys helping to actually rebuild."
"Well, you have plenty of time on your hands now," she said, straightening her dress. "Got your whole day back."
He hopped down and stood in front of her. "Nope. What kind of person would I be if I didn't hold up my end to my rescuer?" He lifted her hand high and bowed low in an exaggerated fashion, his nose nearly touching the ground. "You have me for the entire day, ma'am."
A lopsided grin curved up her face. "I won't turn that down. We'll just need to do something for free. I, uh," she shrank into herself, "kind of spent the last of my money on you."
"Say no more." He hefted her up in his arms and she squeaked, immediately wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know just the place." With that, he raced out the door, carrying her far from the auction.
Seaside City wasn't exactly Sonic's favorite destination. It was right there in the name after all and much of the city surrounded the large expanse of water. They didn't even have the courtesy of having one good beach to compensate for it. But on the other side far, far away from the bay, there was a large park as part of the Restoration's recent efforts. Also, there were plenty of stores where people liked to window shop, including Amy, who stopped every several feet or so, admiring a dress or a piece of jewelry or, in one case, an art supply store.
"New ideas for your comics?" he asked.
"Maybe one or two. You'll just have to wait and see."
Honestly, the constant starting and stopping should've driven him up the wall. After all, he was too impatient to window shop himself. It didn't bother him this time though. He enjoyed walking beside her, both of them pressing their faces against every window that caught her eye.
As Amy browsed some different sets of drawing pencils, she said, "You know, I'm surprised Jewel didn't mention anything about you specifically. That would've drawn quite a crowd."
"Yeah, I asked if she could keep it under wraps," he said as they started down the sidewalk again. "Especially after she floated around the idea of 'a date with the great Sonic the Hedgehog.' "
"Modest, aren't we?" Amy poked his cheek. "Too bad I missed out on her potential prize."
He stuck out his tongue. "Yeah, you only get the whole day with me instead. Poor you. So what brought you to the auction anyway?"
"Oh, Jewel asked if I could gather together addresses for some of the winners. They were wanting their items shipped out as soon as possible."
"Thought you'd fully stepped down at this point. Can't stop helping people in need?"
"You're one to talk. I have stepped down," and she tilted her head. "Sort of. I'm still assisting her transition so it's as smooth as possible. I wanted to make sure she doesn't have to wade through a mess like I did. Did I miss out on anything good?"
He stretched, putting his hands behind his head. "A vase of some kind. I think it was an heirloom. A nightstand, couple of chairs, some other furniture. Some earrings. Tails donated a multi-purpose door and window repair droid that people went crazy for."
"I'll bet. Plenty of people would love to have that," she said, both of them noting a partially demolished office building. Restoration members carried new doors inside and others directed a crane lifting a heavy glass window to the fourth floor. "Sounds like I snagged the best one. Although," she flashed a smirk, "I really could do with a new pair of earrings."
Sonic hip checked her and she returned it. "Oh, that's how it is? I don't have to take this abuse, you know. I'm highly sought after for my company."
As the stores gradually gave way to apartments, small houses and cheap diners nestled in between them, the sun began its lazy descent, bathing the city in a warm red glow throughout. They turned toward the park, whose iron-wrought gates opened wide for everyone. The sidewalk path inside immediately diverted into several smaller trails, some circling the park's entirety, others leading to a playground, small fields, or shaded clumps of trees.
Sonic opted for the trees and yawned once they entered the cool shade. "This place would be perfect for a nap."
"Sometimes, I think the only reason you run around the world is to find new napping places. Almost every time we find you, you're sleeping"
"Well, there are a lot of nice spots to nap. But fine, follow me." He took her hand and pulled her along to a part of the open field nearby.
Thankfully, few people were in the park today, so the rising hill above them was perfectly clear. The hill sloped gradually to the very top, where it overlooked the park. After he helped Amy onto the peak, he turned her to face the city proper. As he'd hoped, her jaw dropped in delight.
The entire city itself was built on a series of hills, leveling out for a stretch, then dropping to the next level until it ended at the water. From the tiptop of the city park's hill, one had a clear view of this, with the sun almost lined up perfectly, its orange and red fingers draped across the buildings. In the distance, the sea splashed with all sorts of colors as boats returned to dock for the evening.
"It's beautiful," Amy said as Sonic eased her down.
He sat beside her and nudged her playfully. "Found it during one of my naps. Woke up one morning and saw it. Figured it would be better during sunset. Guess I was right."
She nodded and leaned against him, her head nestled on his shoulder. "I suppose a nap here wouldn't be all bad. Goodness know I could use one."
"Fine by me." He looked out over the city, savoring it for a moment. "So, how did you enjoy your day with Sonic the Hedgehog?"
She cracked an eye. "It was worth every ring."
He basked in the fading orange glow, a fuzzy sensation warming his chest. He smiled and closed his eyes too. Yeah, it was.