Sonic and The Chaos Kingdom
Ch. 14
By: Cutegirlmayra (So, I've resolved to never intentionally write chapters where I make my audience mad on purpose because I'm not fast enough in popping these chapters out to show them that there's nothing to worry about TxT I just wanted more emotion in my stories, lol. I did a huge review thing to try and state that "everything's going to be okay, just be patient, I'm writing Sonic's struggles so don't worry." But my roommate said that it could just be fishing for spoilers. I don't want to believe that, cause I care about you all very deeply, but I will appease to please, lol! So here it goes, Sonic's made a resolution, but that doesn't mean he's completely changed. His heart can still be corrupted again, it's up to him to keep it pure. So he's got a lot of work ahead of him. Please keep reading to find out the further arcs I have in store, this isn't even CLOSE to the end, so remember, drama is apart of life, and even the things that make us angry at the character only give them a past that we can compare their future selves to later, and see how much they've progressed since then. I'm planning carefully all the little stepping stones, and I appreciate your comments. Please don't ever feel like you can't talk to me about your concerns, it helps me as a writer to know how you're interpreting my writing and only makes me better. I love all of you! That will never change! :D I care deeply about all your opinions, I'll be anyone's friend! I'm not easily offended, just easily sad if you don't trust me to be okay with your feelings. Alright, lovelies! Let's get this story moving again, shall we?!)
A blue blur scaled across the walls, running along before dashing off and slamming into the ground, rolling around at the speed of sound, before coming up and startling a yellow fox with a whole lot of books in his arms.
"W-woah!" Tails staggered, before planting his feet firmly down to the ground, holding a stone-face as his body didn't move, but the books rustled back slowly into position, before he sighed in relief, and looked to Sonic.
The expression on his face still showed an uncertainty, as Sonic uncurled and leaned an arm on the side of the wall where he was going to pass a corner.
"Hiya, Tails!" Sonic winked in a friendly way and casually flipped a hand out to greet his friend.
"…Hello, Sonic." Tails lowered his head, his ears drawn back, uneasy and not sure how to take him. "Is there something you want?"
He flinched, breaking his cool pose and looking a little hurt. "Yikes! Harsh, Tails… I was just wondering if I could help you with those books or something…" He then saw little response from Tails, as he just looked away and seemed like he was going to be careful about his answer.
This had been going on for 3 months now, as the army was off looking for the missing whereabouts of Shadow, the Ark Kingdom was on high alert, and also scanning and fortifying their strongholds, ready for a battle of their freedom should one arise again.
Eggman… had been keeping low, and so far, no one saw him as a threat.
They had thought he ran for the hills by now, and was to never be heard of again… nor his clanky metal army.
"W-well, I'm-uh-" Before Tails could answer, Sonic noticed what the answer would be.
It was always the same.
"Here! I've got it! No sweat!" In a quick swoop, he took the books out of Tails's hand, and balanced them while goofily lifting his legs up high, as if wanting to move on as quick as possible to put these books down and please Tails.
"A-a-ah-ah! Be careful, Sonic!" Tails reached out for the books, before leaning back and putting his hands on his head, freaking out. "I've spent hours alphabetizing those and-!"
"Not a problem, Tails! Where do you need them?" Sonic looked around, in his mind, he was routing every part of the castle, thinking of the perfect shortcuts to save Tails's aching back and put him and his best buddy on perfect terms again.
"I… The left study room, but-!"
"Right! One alphabetical delivery, coming through!" Sonic burst forth, a straight line of determination.
"SOOONNIICC!" Tails, with fret and worry in his eyes, shooting out small tears as he spun his tails and quickly followed behind his speedy friend, kept his arms out wide as he knew what was coming next.
"Pardon me, passing through, how are you? Lovely day, you don't mind do you? Excuse me." Sonic skillfully darted through with amazing ability the different maids and servants carrying the next feast to be served soon, in about an hour, and as some carried big trays of roast beef, or delicately handled large bowls of soup, they each were startled by Sonic's sudden appearance, and managed to avoid spilling anything.
Mostly because their reflexes kicked in, but others because they were used to Sonic, even if it had been a while since he was back.
"There! Left study room, right on sched-"
"YOU IDIOT!"
"H-huh?" Sonic, very hurt from that last statement, turned around in confusion and ran down the hallway. "Hey, what gives?"
There were papers EVERYWHERE.
The books Sonic had been carrying weren't bound together, and a lot of that paper was tediously put together and organized. But without the proper hold, the books were broken up and loose, as Sonic looked back, and noticed that all he had carried were hard-covers, now empty of anything within them.
"Oooohh…" Sonic slowly turned around, wincing at his error.
Tails was shaking in such furious rage. An eye twitching. His whole body tensed up.
Some papers were flying everywhere, while others were landed in bowls of red drink with a woman blinking her eyes, seeing a paper fly on her head.
One paper flew right in front of Tails, before another landed on the side of his ear.
"PICK. THESE. UP. NOW!"
Sonic heard the outburst of Tails's anger and quickly did as he was told.
After they were all picked up, Sonic presented them to Tails, some icky with food pieces on them, and others with red stained paper.
He smiled the biggest grin he could, trying to show his apologizes.
Back in the left study room, Tails slammed his hands on the papers, pressing them firmly to the table.
He then slowly raised his head up, trying to hold back anymore 'unprofessional' outbursts. "If you want to help out so much… why not find out what Knuckles is doing?"
Sonic gulped, leaning back.
"R-right. Cool. Yeah, works for me!" he quickly dashed out, a part of his heart was deeply pained.
"Stupid, stupid! I should have let him explain first!" Sonic hit his head as he ran, both fists hitting his noggin'. Though, it didn't really hurt, considering that head has spin dashing into more things than the bricks on the castle walls….
"Maybe Knuckles will need my help.." he said this with little hope, and came out to see the knights in training, as Knuckles had them up in a line, walking down the line, and back up again, giving them a pep-talk, before letting them split up in grounds to duel or practice fight.
"Alright, noble sons and heirs of each of our blessed Chaos Kingdom's blood line. I want to see your pride out there! Go! Make your families proud!"
"Yoo!"
"Knock them out!"
He threw his axe down to split a drawn white line in the sandy dirt of the training grounds, as they all raced out to practice, pumped up by his words.
"Hey, Knuckles!"
"….."
Sonic had sped up next to him, giving him another friendly greeting with typical Sonic flare, even freezing in mid-side to lift a leg up in a funny way and wave at him goofily.
"…Uh, hehe… how are the new recruits doing? Think I should… spice them up?" He hit the air back and forth, jumping side to side like a boxer, but Knuckles just folded his arms, remaining unamused and unresponsive.
"…Heh… Hmph." Sonic finally gave up, folding his arms and looking away.
"You know,… I'm sure Amy could use your help right now." Knuckles's voice was slow but direct, and he didn't even look at him.
Sonic looked back, a sweat drop on the side of his face.
He sighed, and looked ashamed as he lowered his head down and glanced away from everyone.
"She asked me to go and try and help you guys too."
Knuckles then looked back with a little more sympathy, and sighed.
"Yeah, I remember those days." He closed his eyes, lifting his axe back up and placing it on his back.
"Really? How could you? You've never upset an entire kingdom before! Nor your own friends…" Sonic looked away, confused but also not liking his situation looking less hard by someone else's standard.
"Heh heh… you're not the first one purified, remember?" Knuckles slightly nudged him, as Sonic turned back, looking like he hadn't remembered that important fact, as Knuckles chuckled again.
"Look," He put an arm around Sonic.
"I didn't know you chuckled. Isn't that like… you're 'not go to' thing?"
"…." Knuckles froze in annoyance again, his eyelids drooped slightly to express such a feeling and his hand hanging in the air from when it had stopped or paused. He pretended to not hear that, giving Sonic some leverage for a change, and continued, "I once had to win the heart of a king, now you have to win the heart of a kingdom! Haha!" he patted his back with a sharp hit, as Sonic lunged forward, before stepping back and rubbing his back.
"Why do I feel like that friendly pat on the back held nothing back?" Sonic smiled weakly, more awkward sweatdrops dripping down the side of his face.
"Look, come 'ere." Knuckles pulled him back into a headlock again, and pointed out to the solders. "All you're doing by helping people is causing more trouble. Whether you like it or not, you're not making anything any better. So! Step one. Win the people's trust back. Step two, SLEEP WITH YOUR WIFE. And step three, we'll all like you again." Knuckles held up his mitten like hands as if to count on them, but instead, he just screamed the second one into Sonic's ear by pushing his own head up against his to get the point across, and then went right back to scholarly laying out the foundations of how Sonic can be redeemed from his actions, removing his head from directly screaming into his ear.
"B-but-!" Sonic wiggled to get out of his grasp, but Knuckles held it tighter.
"What?" he leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "One of those steps too hard for ya? Or maybe you just need a little more information.." he lead himself into a darker tone with that one, but Sonic immediately sped faster, his legs moving so fast they formed a figure-8, and even Knuckles felt his body being pulled forward and so he let him go.
Sonic dashed back, ruffled his head in discomfort and looking quite upset by being treated like a child, before dashing back over to a smug looking Knuckles, his arms folded again.
He laughed, as Sonic replied, pointing a finger at him. "I'm a KING! I don't need to be told how to win the heart of my own people back! Or my friends!" he reverted a moment back to his former self before being startled from it.
"Woah." He looked down at himself, and then back up, but not at anything in particular.
His eyes scanned around, "I just felt some kind of… like power leave me or something…"
"That's chaos in ya." Knuckles took his axe down, and hit the hilt of it into Sonic's stomach lightly. "The more you choose the selfish and prideful option, the less you get, and the more you're heart is corrupted back to it's former black shades. However…" he put his axe away, and gestured forward again, showing him another way. "You could always act like a king and do the unselfish thing. Then the chaos inside you will be under control and you'll be a great guy! The guy you claimed you were from the start." Knuckles showed he hardly believed that last comment, but continued.
"As far as I'm concerned, unless the people see your purified heart, that you choose to keep pure, you're never going to win anyone back. Especially your own wife…" Knuckles had leaned in a bit of a warning when he said some things, but then looked away, as if feeling for Amy again…
"…" Sonic looked up at him, before looking away and scratching his hand. "She seemed okay."
"You can't believe that." Knuckles looked back at him with such sorrow, as if that statement pained him to hear slightly. "She really missed you. Not just that, but she also really believes in you too. I know she told you to try and 'make nice' with all of us, but the best way to do that is to learn a thing or two from her first. People want to be secured in their kingdom, they want to know that the Queen they love so dearly is being respected and loved in return. Plus, if Amy cleans you up right, you might actually be a good side-kick to her outstanding reign, hahahah!" Knuckles billowed a laugh, showing how Amy really was a naturally born leader, and how Sonic sucked at every since of the word.
"Hey! You were there when we infiltrated Prince Shadow's court! I lead the army! I-!"
"Uuughh… don't get me started with that." Knuckles lost his humor and quickly reverted to an expression of exhaustion.
He rubbed his eyes with one of his hands, "My men have scoured every lick of this land clean and yet nothin'! Not even a trace to track! A footfall to follow! Nothing!" he looked at his hand, pulling it down and forming a fist. "He's up to something… I can feel it… in my bones…"
"…Well, while you're bones are feeling it, I think I'll help the rookie out a little bit…"
Distracted by an occurrence happening over on a far back field, right to the others, were three boys ganging up on another one who was down and crawling away, his back towards Sonic and Knuckles, and his eyes fixed in a terrifying horror towards the bullies.
"Let's see, a beaver becoming anything more than a dam-maker? Please. You're family doesn't deserve a knight in their lines…"
"Best cut it off here!"
"Yeah!"
The boy shivered, before reaching for his sword and holding it with both hands out to the boys, still on the ground, shaking it like his confidence.
"Oh, Look! The beaver's traded a hammer for a sword! Heh, such a pathetic waste of our real talents!"
The boy grabbed the dulled sword and tossed it to the side, advancing towards the downed boy with his own dulled sword.
"If I can't stab ya good, I'll beat ya till you cry home and make another river to dam up! Hahaha!"
The boy covered his face.
"Hey! What's going on over there?" Knuckles pulled out his axe, stepping forward, but Sonic was quick to the scene.
"Hey!" He pulled up in front of the boy, and pushed the other littler one away. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"
"…Hehehhe…" the boys chuckled.
"What?" Sonic looked confused, "You do know who I am right..?" He suddenly turned around, seeing a very tall shadow form behind him.
"WOAH!"
The kid was the skinniest and tallest boy he had ever seen.
"Squire!" He called out, "You're like a log!"
"That his family chops down all the time! Hahaha!" the boys all laughed, as Sonic realized his error.
"Wait, no, no, no! I wasn't saying that! I was just trying to-" he held his hands out and waved them to show he didn't mean that.
"See? Even the King thinks you're a freak!"
"Just like him-offph!" one of the kid's mouths were closed by his other friend.
"Dude! It's one thing to tease the twig, but another to call out the king!"
His friend nodded his head furiously, understanding his folly.
Suddenly, as the beaver boy turned away, hiding his face, he suddenly saw a red hammer with gold come up under his vision, and looked up, immediately gawking.
"I know a lot of people who can fight pretty well with hammers…"
The knights in training all gasped and immediately fell to a knee and bowed.
"H-huh? What now-… Oh…" Sonic folded his arms, looking away.
He saw the reverence they all gave her, and thought of how they did absolutely nothing when he 'graced' the scene…
Amy walked forward, turning the boy towards the three others, and Sonic.
"Now, I want you to hold the hammer like so…. Both hands, remember that the power of the swing is not what makes it hit hard. It's the strength of your heart, that carries through to the hammer's end." She raised his low hanging head, and smiled to him, before looking with a slick tease towards the three boys.
"Now, who wants to give him a good duel, hmm?"
The boys all shivered, seeing the now legendary hammer in the hands of their oppressed classmate.
"Well..?" Amy raised an eyebrow, also in the same action, increasing the smirk on her face.
"Let'em have it." Amy turned around, side commenting without any tact and moving on.
The beaver boy held the hammer with his other hand, this time, with more grip, and then narrowed his eyes and got into the proper fighting stance with it.
"Yikes! Run for it!" The three boys started to scream and race off, as the Beaver boy raced them down, the Piko Piko hammer right behind him.
"I had that under control...!" Sonic defended himself, and walked after her.
"Right… sure you did." Amy barely turned her head back to him, before walking passed boys who slowly rosed up, seeing as she wasn't going to acknowledging bowing in her own home, with her own people.
It was common knowledge that Amy still considered herself born of the people, meaning she still felt a kin towards them, and wasn't going to break that kin by acting like someone she wasn't.
Which would be royalty.
"How did you even know that was happening?!" Sonic gestured back to the boys, still running and one tripping over the other, and the two scrambling before being knocked on the head, and then the beaver looked over to the last boy, and threw the hammer over his head, chasing after the last of the bunch.
"I may have a window," Amy slyly turned around, but tried to look innocent as she kept talking, swaying back and forth… "And I may have good hearing…" she then looked up, as if this was all hypothetical, even though it was clear this was what had happened. "And I may have climbed down the castle walls in a dress." She lifted her dress just slightly to walk on, as if daintily away.
"No one saw that?" Sonic looked around, gesturing his arms out to the boys and men around him, in a kind of angry disbelief that Amy could be cooler than him, even for a moment.
"…I saw it." A boy blushed, before the other kids shushed him and told him to shut up.
"Come on, Sonic. I've heard from Tails what you've been up to…"
Sonic halted in mid-stride, before looking down and feeling his heart sink.
Amy turned around as well, her heart looking deeply troubled by what she had heard, and smiled kindly to him.
She opened her hand out to him, "Come on." She said, smiling and tilting her head. "Let's go do something fun today."
Sonic's head popped up, and he quickly shook his hands in front of him, "Oh, no, no, no. I've had my fill of fun, I'm ready to start working and being a true king." He stepped forward, showing a new determination in his eyes, "I'm sticking around." He stated, very boldly, with no sign of insincerity in his voice.
She was shocked at first, but laughed, before shaking her head. "No, silly! Haha… not that fun! I meant, doing some charity around the kingdom."
His face suddenly lost his look, he blinked his eyes a moment. "Oh." He looked away, and then smiled weakly. "Yay… fun." He motioned his hands in a 'squeeing' time way, forming fists and gently wiggling them around in the air.
"Hehe, you'll see. My fun is pretty good too." She walked back over and took his arm, winking a reassurance, and headed down the castle corridors back into the center gardens.
"…Wait a minute…" Sonic looked around, but before he seemed uneasy about the idea Amy had for 'fun' but now he was confused.
She lead him to a turn at a corner and he immediately knew where they were going.
"I thought we were going out to the kingdom? Why are you leading me to the Council room?" he asked, a bit of suspicion and misunderstanding in his eyes.
"What? We always have to ask permission before we go anywhere. It's a rule." Amy pulled away slightly to look more at his face, her expression showed that there was nothing in her mind that seemed wrong with doing this.
He realized she had no idea his relationship with the council in years passed… besides rumors she may have heard.
"Ah…huh…" he smiled nervously, realizing he didn't want to look THAT bad in front of her.
As they walked in, his pride was triggered again, and he wanted to stare the chief judge in the eye, but decided it best to let Amy handle it and avoid eye-contact.
After all, he was trying to win the hearts of the kingdom, right? He needed to at least start somewhere…
The council is as good a start as any…
Or…
All eyes peered at Sonic…
Maybe a little advanced step, but no biggie…
He needed to stretch to gain ground anyway.
"You're highnesses… what graces us with your presence today?" Asked the chief judge.
"Sir, I would be most devastated if I weren't allowed to accompany the charity carts this day. I ask humbly of the council, might I have some time with my people? Even for only a short moment to see their lovely faces. To see their children's happy smiles once more. And then, by of course, your permission, return to working on the issues that you have yet to discuss with me?"
Her formal short bows, her poise and elegance….
Sonic stared.
He had never actually seen all the work put into making Amy such a 'perfect' Queen, but he now could see her in full-on action, all the little things she did, it was ingrained in memory now.
She truly was born to be queen.
He looked away, folding his arms, a faint feeling of longing to be able to submit himself so willingly for others sakes stirred inside him.
What was it that made her give up her pride for others?
He cared about his friends, he would even lay down his life for them if he had too, but these people weren't threatening their lives! So why then… give your will so freely over to them?
The Chief Councilmen smiled, and nodded his head in approval. "My queen, you may proceed. And in the blessing of the Emeralds do we send you."
He then glared up to Sonic.
"And I presume you will be taking the king as well?" he raised a hairy brow.
"Yes. My treasured king will escort me. This time around." She stepped back, and curled an arm around his, as Sonic unfolded his arms, taken just slightly aback by her quick response, and then nodded his head and notioned his head down, before taking a glance at the councilmen above him.
He smiled weakly, "Eheh…"
They all continued to glare in the dark of the raised circular rings.
"That'll be all from me then, gentlemen." She bowed once more, and then hurriedly got Sonic out of that room.
"Woah! What was that!?" She pushed Sonic away and leaned forward, after escaping that tension in the room. "They really hate you, huh?"
Sonic frowned, not feeling confident enough to face Amy's question right now.
He looked away again.
"Dang, and I thought it was mostly everyone else." Amy tried to hold in her laughter, her hands holding her knees through her dress, as Sonic looked away, more annoyed now at her mocking him.
"Yeah, I'm pretty awful." Sonic said this in a different tone, not his usual jokester like hint to it.
Amy looked up then, her ears flicked at the difference, and she looked away, but smiled.
"Well… we'll make that change." Amy dusted herself off, and took a deep breath. "Won't we?" she smiled again. "Cause you've-"
"Been purified, I know… I know.." he clutched his heart. "I don't feel very purified anymore…" he admitted.
Amy's smile left, before she walked up and hugged him, making him turn forward from the side that he was positioned, and hold his hands out, not sure what to do next.
His heart told him though, and he chose to give in.
He let his hands fall gently to her side, barely resting there before he finally stepped into it, letting her press her head against his chest.
He looked away, but this time, not in shame.
It was more that he felt a little awkward pleasure in being able to allow himself this close to her…
"I meant you've made a promise, silly." She held a comforting look on her face, and listened to his heart beat. "I know you have a good heart, it's in there. And through Chaos, you can learn how to tell good and evil… the right from the wrong way…" She leaned her head more to hear more perfectly the gentle but rapid heartbeat.
His quills stood on end, feeling her face brush his small fur made him slightly gulp.
'Why am I acting like such a pansy!?' he thought to himself, but wasn't sure why he was so shy with these… intimate things…
He did promise though… he had to make it work.
He lowered his head, pursed his lips, and allowed his head to droop to more fully be closer to the back of her head which was nearest to him.
She smelled… with an aroma of fresh flowers and mixed scents of other expensive oils, probably given her from Vanilla as a treat for royalty.
He smiled, taking in small whiffs as to not be detected.
"I know you'll do the right thing."
His nose continued to bounce up and down at different intervals, he moved his head and tilted a little deeper into her quills, as his nose remained careful not to enter into the pink, but stay high as to not be felt.
"You're a good man, Sonic. I think you just need time to figure out what you did wrong and how to do what's right." She started to pull away, and Sonic's eyes widened as he freezed up and pulled back.
"R-right, yeah, and I know what I did wrong, so … should be easy to see the right path, right?" he spoke a little quickly and with scatter-brain like tendencies.
His mind, for a second, was caught up in identifying what oils she was given to place on herself. And his mind went on a trail of what each scent was and a little of where more of the oil was placed.
For instance, he knew there was a hint of lavender behind her left ear, and he was searching for a few more he picked up on before she moved away.
Flustered by her sudden look of suspicion, she leaned closer towards him, and he quickly pulled back.
"W-wh-wha-what's wrong!?" 'Did she spot me!?'
He tensed up.
"..Hmm… You've been daydreaming again, haven't you?" Her eyebrow raised up, looking into each eye with a tile of her head, but with that tilt, Sonic noticed the shift of her hair, and for some reason, was stuck on looking at her quills.
He quickly shook the thought. (Male Hedgehogs are drawn to backs/headquills of females due to how they… um… well… you know.)
"Were you listening to me?"
"I responded! D-didn't I?"
"Hmm…" she puffed up a cheek, an adorable, AHdorable cheek.
Sonic's eyelids dropped.
"You okay?"
He quickly snapped out of it again.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine! I'm fine…" his eyes went wide, why was he suddenly so attracted to her!?
His head seemed to space when he looked up slightly and thought about what Knuckles had said.
He quickly took her hand, "I'm fine. You're fine. I'm just weird. Let's go." He sped out the castle doors, but was stopped by guards who were infuriated, thinking he was escaping again.
After repeating the events of the council a few times, for good measure, they let Amy and him through once the carts were stationed and ready for departure.
"I don't understand you, Amy." Sonic looked away, riding on the side of a cart's seat in front as Amy was to his left, and in the middle, the driver.
He was leaning back with his hands behind his head, as the driver felt awkward, being between the couple of royalty and all…
"You'll see. Once you see the people's faces-"
"I've seen your charity works before, remember? It just made me feel bad about not being as-" he cut himself off, thinking for the first time how Amy might take it.
Something in his heart told him to hold off, and he did so, sighing. "Nevermind."
"What?"
"It's nothing, just forget it."
"…Sonic?"
The cart came to stop, the driver calling out 'Woah!' and Sonic sat upright, a little more properly now.
Amy smiled.
Before… he slouched his back and put his arms on his knees.
In the which case she frowned.
"Charity cart! Come receive your portions!" a man called, attired as a farmer, but wearing a royal seal on his scruffy clothes.
Sonic noticed the insignia and looked confused, "Why is he wearing a Knight's token of loyalty?"
Amy was lead off by the driver, but quickly jumped back on and grabbed Sonic's hand, helping him to come down too, and embarrassing him by her 'chivalry'.
"Because in my kingdom, all can be servers of charity, not just knights." She chimed, and Sonic realized she had enacted things he wasn't aware of.
"Wait, what-?" He didn't understand, but he was pulled along quickly behind her as she maneuvered herself and him behind the carts.
"Get ready!" The men heaved on a lever, which triggered the carts to spring out a small catapult.
"What in the green hills of Chaos is that!" Sonic, now gaining his boyish sensations back, looked in awe at the new 'toy' in front of him.
"Haha! I thought you might like that! It always cheered up my spirit!"
The servers with the badge sowed on their raggedy clothes placed a large bag with the kingdom's symbol on it in a bowl shaped flat pan.
"Tails invented this as a way to make it more a game than a 'pass it along' time of ordeal." Amy smiled, seeing Sonic's eyes lit up as the men readied the catapult.
"AAAAIMMM!"
One man called out, as they turned the cart, and people waited on one side of the line.
"Women first!"
The men groaned as the girls raced forward to the white line that was drawn out, a man with a paint brush looked down, nodded at his work, and that all shoes were behind the line, and then waved his paint brush around in the air. "Clear!"
"Fire!"
The catapult launched through the air the square parcel, large enough to have many things inside it, but light enough with clothes, food, fresh jarred water, and other useful things tucked in the middle of it.
This way, anyone could easily-
A teenage girl raced forward, then backed up, as the girls all stopped to try and locate where the package of brown bagged material was flying too.
She quickly leaped up, and spun, acrobatically grabbing it with her monkey tail, and then landing to hug the package, and show it off to everyone around her that she had actually caught it!
"Bravo! The first launch has initiated, send out the rest!" The man swished his arm, at first up, and then down from the air.
The rest of the carts fired off, and people were jumping in the air, rejoicing when they caught something.
"One for each family!"
A little boy was trying to desperate catch one, as his older brother had caught one, but handed it to him, leaning down to do so.
The boy squeezed it like it was a teddy bear, and the brother took his hand and they walked away from the excited crowd.
"THIS is charity!?" Sonic only saw a big party with bonus prizes for catching a party favor.
"Hehe,… Sonic…" Amy giggled, glad he liked Tails's innovation. "Come with me." She pulled him away, but he was desperately wanting to go out and try and catch his own with the rest of the crowd.
"Try something for me, okay?" She turned him back to the crowd, as he lowered his hand and eyes to the crowd, his smile slowly faded.
"What do you see?"
So many people… families.
All jumping and laughing together…
Two girls looked to each other and giggled, even though they hadn't caught anything, it was fun to run around or watch the boy behind them trip and stumble, but catch one, and hold it up triumphantly as they laughed.
A father lifted his daughter up on his shoulders, and one of the packages whammed her sweet little excited face.
In worry, he quickly set her down, but as he pulled the package away, her tiny tears were coupled with joyful laughters, and she quickly embraced her father, not sure how to feel at that moment.
He laughed and scooped her up, waving to his family with the package that they already had gotten one of them.
"I see…"
Sonic continued to look out, his smile growing, but calmly.
He shifted his gaze to the back of the crowd.
"Fun…."
Two younger boys looked too scared to go into the crowd.
Sonic pulled away from Amy and ran out to them, slow enough to not startle them.
"Hey, there…"
He spoke gently, as the two boys cowered into their little slit between homes.
"I bet you boys want to catch a package, right?"
Amy smiled.
In a matter of seconds, he had pep-talked and coaxed the two timid boys out of hiding, and with their little feet, placed them both on his red shoes.
"Alright, now you just tell me when you hear that cool device-"
*CLICK!*
*WHA-KA-SHINK!*
"Oop! Time to go!"
He raced forward, a funny run with two little ones clinging to you, and jumped.
He folded his arms and spun his body around, as the boys clung to his legs, they both noticed the package coming at them.
One reached, but was too scared to let go and went right back to clinging onto him.
Sonic opened his eyes and looked up at the two, down for his angle though.
"What?! We missed it! Whelp, we'll just have to try again!"
The boys shouted out a startled 'Woah!' as Sonic dashed through the crowd quickly, making sure not to bump into anyone, and jumped again.
This time, he kicked out one foot.
"Take it, little dude!"
"Ah!"
The boy reached up, but it scaled right past his little hand.
Sonic flipped his body around and used his other foot,
"Don't let your brother down!"
The other little boy took courage, seeing the package so close!
He jumped!
Amy gasped and put her hands over her mouth.
"Got'cha!" Sonic spun and grabbed the boy.
"See? Not so bad, right?"
"You're highness!"
people gasped as now the second little boy was spun off his feet.
"Oh, whoops!"
Sonic 'swam' through the air in a comical way, doing the 'frog' swim move and then hugging the boy in the air close to his side.
"There, all better-OFFPH!"
The crowd burst into laughter.
In both hands, safely held up, were the two boys.
Below them…
Sonic's head was face-planted into one of the dirt carts…
"Sonic!" Amy rushed over, taking the children and placing them down. "Are you alright?!" she dug through the dirt pile and he puffed his head out with a spat of dirt.
"Who places a random dirt cart in the middle of charity circus!?"
"Sorry, Y-your highness…" A slow talking farmer held his pitch forth closer to himself, and with both hands, before pointing to the dirt. "That's not dirt…"
The cow that it was tied to moo'd as it chewed hay.
Amy's eyes widened and Sonic almost had a mental breakdown.
He opened his mouth slowly and pushed any further 'dirt' out of his mouth and quickly took his hands and pushed any further after-taste out from his tongue.
"Ugh! Nasty!" he cried out, as Amy just moved away and held her hand over her mouth again… but this time.
"Don't!" Sonic pointed to her, sitting on a small pile of fertilizer. "Don't you dare…" he warned her, and smiled when he saw she couldn't hide it any longer.
She laughed and laughed and laughed.
So did the crowd, all enjoying the interaction of the king and queen, not having seen that before.
"Oh-ho-ho. Now you've done it!" Sonic jumped on her and they started wrestling in the manure.
"Sonic! Ew! Ah! N-no!" Amy laughed, as she kept trying to get out, but he just kept pulling her back into it.
"If I have to be publicly humiliated, then so will you!"
"Ah!" she slipped on a more 'wetter' part and her eyes went wide. "get me out now."
"Haha! Ah-…oh." He looked down to notice she lifted her butt up, and it was covered with something less than dry… "Right."
He pffted.
"Don't' you dare." She glared back at him, "you did this to me!" She then jumped back and tackled him out of the large cart.
They laughed once more, before the people stopped laughing, and began to stare at their weirdness…
"Eee-ohhh.." They're smiles diminished as they noticed the crowd's stares.
Heading home on horses now, the two laughed as Amy held out a hand back to the city they were just in. "See?! Charity is fun!" she stated, as Sonic nodded.
"Alright, alright." He sniffed his arm. "Euww… but I think we've both had enough 'rolling in the mud' for one day."
"Thank you for calling it 'mud'." Amy shivered, still not being able to believe she was actually in dung and rolling around in it with Sonic. (This is hedgehog joke, they roll around in other animals poop, just saying.)
"Still… I get what you mean now." Sonic thought fondly back on all the people, and Amy for once noticed his gentle smile coming back to him now.
"Do you?" she beamed, cheerfully, but quietly waiting for him to speak again.
"Yeah… but I like it best when you explain it." He looked back to her, probably the most sincere look of true tranquility and peace of mind she hadn't seen in him in a long time.
"….Then let me try…" she breathed out the words, falling for him all over again…
"Think of them as flowers. They're delicate, and yet… strong. If you treat them delicately, with kindness and very little touch… They will grow stronger and stronger… until finally, you see a new light in your day." She spoke as if it was poetry from her heart, and Sonic could tell that that analogy meant everything to her.
"…Kinda like you." He smiled, blinking a steady look of compassion towards her, and interest in her words.
"…Yeah." She smiled softly. "Kinda like me."
She then glared, "Or kinda like you. Mr. Don't touch me, it's weird." She seemed to be talking about a night previous…
Sonic jolted and then turned further back on the horse, shifting his whole body. "You were trying too hard!"
"We're married!" she kicked her horse forward and he sped off past Sonic's horse. "I'm allowed to do whatever I want with you!"
"Lies!" Sonic smiled, "All lies!" he kicked his horse and they raced home.
"It's only a lie cause you like it!" she joked back.
"You don't touch a man's hair, Amy! It's like his pride and joy!"
"Oh, spoken like a true girl!"
"I should know, I heard you say it first!"
"Why you-!"
When the two got home, they barged open the doors and were hanging off the other's shoulder, arm wrapped around the other, looking like a pair of drunk friends coming home from one heck of a party.
Vanilla came racing out, hearing from the guards that the watchmen had spotted them and that they were filthy.
She plugged her nose, smelling a horrid smell.
"What on earth happened here!?" she cried out, as Amy and just leaned her head back, and shook it slightly.
"You don't want to know.." both her and Sonic laughed again.
Vanilla shook her head, disappointed in the two, and then was about to scold them for their lack of properness in a public act, especially since they were royalty, but held off and sighed.
Before gagging at the spell and also covering her mouth.
She finally took her hands off her face and groaned, "Both of you are to attend a bath, this instant!" she stated, much like a true mother or nanny.
The two stopped laughing and looked wide-eyed at Vanilla.
"Wait, what?" they both said in unison.
"I don't want to hear it! Ugh!" She plugged her nose again, lifting a hand in the air and then coughing, before stopping her foot down, asserting authority, "Now!" she coughed out again.
The two saw how serious she was and raced off.
Getting in the bath room… the two stared at each other a moment, and then went their own ways.
Sonic just stayed in place, taking his shoes off, and Amy went over to the oils and soaps, slowly removing her outer layer of her dress, and looking a little uneasy this time around…
"…That sure was fun, huh?" Sonic tried to make it less awkward by talking.
"Y-yeah… I do it all the time." She placed the part of her attire up on a rack, and then looked conflicted, stopping a moment and looking away, thinking…
"…" Sonic took a quick glance and turned away, before raising his head in confusion.
He looked back and scoffed a mock out. "Ah!" he looked away again.
"…What?" Amy noticed his reaction, and looked offended.
"…Nothing, it's just…" he shook his head and laughed, taking off his sock, and then moving on to the next shoe. "Before, you were so bold!"
"That was my under pants and shirt!" she stuck out her tongue at him. "And we were friends!"
"You said it didn't matter cause we'd be married anyway."
She froze a moment, and turned away, twiddling her fingers.
"…Unless…" he stopped, and turned back to her, a wicked grin on his face. "Ohhhhh, I get you know…" he burst out laughing.
"You didn't actually think we'd be married!"
"I did too!"
She quickly countered, and quickly started to take more of her dress off.
"You really thought it was a 'once in a lifetime' gig, didn't you!? Bathing with the king. Wow, you're really something. A daredevil, a risk-taker. But the second it's legit you just-"
She jumped into the bath.
His eye caught pink and he quickly stopped.
"W-woah!"
Her head came flipping out of the water, and she slowly turned her head, her face red.
"I-I-I'm not ashamed. C-ca-cause we're m-ma-mar-married now." She turned her head back and puffed up her cheek, before swimming off into the deeper side and putting on some soap and sweet smelling fragrance.
Sonic felt a lump in his throat, almost as if something made him unable to swallow, very less move.
She was right on one thing… it was much less… well, whatever when it was her under pants and shirt, cause at least everything was decently covered but now…
He continued to look away.
Knuckles's words kept ringing in his head and he hit the side of his ear to try and drown it out.
"… aren't you coming in?" Amy lifted an arm up, gently applying her bottles she had jumped in with, some were floating around the large bath.
"….Yeah… em." He tried to man-up, he really did.
He walked in, not really looking to her, but something made him curious…
He grabbed a bottle, distracting himself, and took a whiff.
His face lit up. "I got it!" he pointed to the bottle and back to Amy's head, the only visible thing in the distance from the shallow end.
"What?" she called.
"Oh, uh… nothing!" he put it behind him.
Foreign scents, smelling strangely like pineapple, were one of the scents he couldn't detect before.
He was glad he solved a mystery, tossing the bottle in his hand, before he heard swishing of water and looked back towards her.
She lifted her hand.
"Can I have that please?"
A moment of silence passed the two… before Sonic bent down in the shallow end, and handed her the bottle.
"T-…Thank you." She swam quietly away.
After the bath, Sonic started acting differently.
Amy awoke to different flowers everyday.
Sonic would sit properly at judgments, and consistently praise Amy for her deductions on cases.
During law placements and refinements and other such tasks, he was never seen away from her side, and would sometimes ask embarrassing questions about how to do this or that, since before he wasn't given such authority.
Amy would laugh and point out his errors on official forms and he would get frustrated at himself but it would make Amy laugh when he over exaggerated things.
A few people started noticing how much the two hanged out together, but not as much as Knuckles and Tails, who smiled, also noticing the change in them.
"Hey, Amy…"
"Hmm?"
"I've been thinking…"
The two were now alone in the King and Queen's special room, one where none could disturb them, sitting on different levels.
Sonic was swinging a leg down from a long couch, curled at the ends for lounging around, as Amy was laying on large, comfy pillows under her stomach, reading a book and kicking her legs up every now and again.
He looked down to her, seeing her unawares of his look.
He looked up again, and scratched his nose a little.
"What do you think our relationship is like? So far?"
It was a VERY odd question.
Amy's head perked up, a confused but intrigued look on her face.
She immediately took her attention away from the book, and put it slowly down, closing it.
"Well… what an intriguing question." She mused.
Sonic remained silent, but looked down to her, before back up again.
"I mean… Amy.. I've been thinking a lot lately… you were the only one to really forgive me after everything that happened… you believed I changed."
He sat upright now, and bent his leg on the couch.
"I can't help feeling like out of everyone… you should have been the one to hate me most."
He looked down to her.
"Why is that?"
"….Weeellll…" she continued to adjust herself, not sure where this was going, but liking the progressive movement…~3
She pushed up and leaned back, a silly girl with high hopes, but she thought carefully about how to answer him.
Sonic wasn't one to talk about 'emotions' so this was a good new she didn't want to be a bad experience for him.
After all… she can over exaggerate things… sometimes…
Not for the better anyway.
"You said you'd promise to love me… and you constantly say you want to be like me when it comes to acting more for the kingdom's sake. You… you also seem really… open lately."
She looked down, before settling back down and fiddling with some dangling designs on a pillow.
She smiled sweetly.
"You've been kind… and you really have began to change… Even Tails and Knuckles… Vanilla and Cream… everyone's seeing that you're doing more kingly things and taking your duties seriously… but…"
"But?"
Sonic was slowly moving down closer to her, but her love-stick fiddling with the pillow was keeping her from noticing his advances.
"But…"
Amy smiled from ear to ear,…
He carefully moved an arm up and over her side, hanging over her, and crawling ever so carefully to not be spotted right above her upper back.
"But.." he lowered himself, whispering in her ear.
She felt her heart skip a beat, her face blush a bright red, and all at once she turned her head slightly, tilting it towards him, but avoiding his gaze.
Playing coy.
"But love makes you do crazy things, right?"
"Hmm… I wonder about that sometimes…" he moved his head to her back, tracing a line down to her lower back…
She stretched out her back, something instinctive told her to curl, but she resisted it.
"I just… um…" she quickly ducked her head, "I'm always tilted as a hopeless romantic, right? So I just couldn't lose faith in you, especially when… when I knew in the end… we were destined to be together."
"Oh, please, keep spitting out that love talk, it's driving me crazy."
All at once, Sonic moved up and Amy turned her head.
It was the first time they had passionately kissed before…
It was also the first time she figured out that Sonic had been holding back a powerful secret…
"…I want to try." He breathed out, getting some air.
It had been a while, but Knuckles's words had become more and more appealing during these last few days…
Especially with the few months were the kingdom was seeing him in a different light.
All of Amy's suggestions and aid had helped Sonic secure the hearts of the people again.
They now saw him as a kind and fun-loving king.
He even got to fire the catapult once!
"Try… what?" Amy pulled away, before Sonic gave her a gentle look of play, before pushing his nose closer to hers, and then looking down at the crook of her clothed neck, and then back up at her again.
His puppy eyes needn't say anything more.
Amy's face flushed.
"N-now!?" she looked shocked by this rapid development.
She quickly moved away, and fiddled with her hair, stroking it down as if trying to calm herself.
"W-where did this come from all of a sudden!? B-before, you were all like- 'ew, don't touch me' and now you're all 'ooh~ baby~ come this way~' Like, what!?"
She acted out the parts in such a funny way that he laughed, rolling to his back.
"Oh, you're hilarious!"
"Offph! You're the odd one! Hmph." She puffed up her cheek, looking away.
He noticed, and his eyes fell into a sly look.
"I love it when you do that."
"I mean, we've been married almost a year and you- wait…"
She looked down, shock filling her face.
"C-can you repeat that..?"
Her whole body slowly untensed.
Sensing the shift in her defense (hedgehog thing, females usually give a fight back before… um… anyway) Sonic slowly moved himself up again, rolling back to lift himself and move towards her.
"Please…"
she breathed out, leaning back.
"I said…"
He moved closer.
"….I love the way you do that…"
She fell back and he advanced.
The next morning, Tails was on his usual routine to wake the two up for their daily duties, when his hand hesitated at a blue ring around the doorknob.
His whole cheery demeanor switched in an instant.
It was instant shock!
"DA-AH-AH-!" his body shook and his hand continued to hesitate at the door, fingers willingly.
It was illegal to barge in if that meant…
He gulped, and sweat trailed down his face. 'I knew they were getting close! But if they really consummated their marriage! Then-… t-t-then-!'
His face beamed, as he closed his eyes. "They're on track for the heir date~3" one less problem he had to worry about.
But then it hit him. "ACK! MY BEST FRIEND IS WITH THE GIRL THAT USED TO STALK HIM AROUND THE CASTLE!" he flung his hands up to his head, his bro-like shock suddenly shifted once again to a conflicting-
"Ah~ But isn't that nice?~ My two friends are in love~" he was sparkling with flowers blooming around him, the sun shining bright…
Then lightning striked, "BUT NOW HE'S DONE THE THING!" again to his boyish customs…
"Sonic's so cool!" he put his fists up, admiringly, but shook his head and remembered his duties.
"Right, friend freak out first, then duties right after!" he cleared his throat, and knocked on the door.
"Emm..?"
The noise startled him, and he freezed up and his hair stood on end.
"Um… umm…" he was immediately nervous again. "M-may I come in?"
"…Did he not see it?" Amy's voice faintly spoke in the background.
Tails blushed, and closed his eyes, still quaking with his awkward nerves.
He didn't hear Sonic's voice, but Amy called for him to come in.
He slowly creaked over the door.
Amy was tucked under the covers, peeking out from the side of her shoulder up at Tails, Sonic draping over her shoulder, and looking annoyed at Tails.
"Ehem.. uh, uhmm… I did see the ring… um… which means you two want to be 'undisturbed', right, I get that, b-but um…" he fidgeted, which made Amy laugh, and Sonic just look back at her with an instant smile, before nuzzling her muzzle to hush up and not make fun of his friend's awkwardness.
A very cute scold.
When Tails saw that, he turned pale and white, flashing in a second…
He then shook himself off and closed his eyes, shouting what he needed too. "As defined in the Book of the Chaos Kingdom, the people give concesus to allow the king and queen to hold off any and all services done, mostly for the mornings… but even all day. The council can handle the rest, would you like to sign off the day?!" he held his peace after that, and shook in his boots…
Sonic's eyebrows jumped up. "A whole day..?"
He turned back to Amy, "I get a whole day because of you~"
"Because of love, don't make it sound naughty, it's nice of them to allow them." Amy cooed, allowing herself to come up briefly from the covers, before ducking back under them but keeping the tip of her eyes and upper head above the covers.
"Oh, but it is a naughty thing."
Her little dart made him chuckle as Tails finally concluded to covering his eyes with his arm, raising his head up.
"We're married…"
"Is that you're default response?"
"You get a day to yourselves! It can't be everyday, but at least every now and then, if that's what you two really want, plan accordingly!" Tails finally broke out, creeped out and not used to the way they were interacting…
Especially Sonic!
"He's so flustered…" Amy aw'd, thinking Tails adorable.
"Hey." Sonic spat out another warning, but was grinning, as if he really wanted to tease Tails too, but understood his awkward nerves. "Yeah, I'll take that, Amy?"
"Me too." Amy giggled.
"Here that, Tails? Your queen has spoken." He turned back and eyed Amy up and down, before the two kissed briefly and Amy tucked fully under the covers, squeaking in embarrassment at him doing that in front of Tails.
"His eyes are closed." Sonic protested, about to dig under the covers for her.
"You're the one that stated to keep it out of public eye!"
"Well… I… yeah, but… can I change my mind every now and then?"
"OKAY, I'LL LET THE COUNCIL KNOW." Tails abruptly turned and solder-marched out of the room, closing the door and breathing like he was having a panic attack.
"Knuckles! KNNNUUUUCCCCCKKLEEESS!" Tails raced down the corridors as quick as his little legs and propelling twin tails could take him.
"Huh, what's all the commot-!"
Tails gripped Knuckles in a full on leaped hug, clinging like a scared kitten. "They're in love! They're right now, this second, in love!"
"Calm down, alright. Good to hear. I've seen them acting well to each other too." Knuckles pulled him off himself and laughed lightly, before setting his shaken up friend down. "Actually, I think Sonic really is trying to change. It's already been a few more months and him and Amy had hit if off real well-"
"NOO!" Tails jumped up to his feet, and then put his hands out to the sides of him. "LOVE. RIGHT NOW. IN THE BEDROOM!" he squinted his eyes.
Knuckles looked a little confused. "Come again?"
"Ugh, how do I..? you know…!" Tails face-palmed, before looking around, and grabbing a flower and then poking its center. "They're IN LOVE right now! And they've taken the day off to-… you know!" he pushed the flower into Knuckles's face, who got the pollen in his nose and started huffing and puffing, before sneezing as the poor flower looked mangled.
Tails tossed the flower, seeing the metaphor was now ruined. "Birds and bees, better explanation?" Tails shrugged out the idea, not sure how else to get the point across in his thick head.
Knuckles raised a pointer finger… lowered it… raised it again, thinking he might have it this time… then lowered it again.
"Ugh, for the love of…" Tails jumped up, grabbing Knuckles's red hair and tugging on it, and using his feet to stay upright on his chest. "THEY'RE DOING IT NAKED!"
"….!" Knuckles suddenly realized what Tails was talking about. "No… really?" he seemed overjoyed.
"W-well…yes?" He was surprised by his reaction. "Why aren't you freaking out!?" He flew up in the air, off of Knuckles.
Knuckles just laughed casually, and put his axe down to lean on it. "Ah, Tails… young love is so hard to define…But it's nothing to be so shocked about. After all, Amy knew it from the start, right?"
"You're tellin' me…" Tails was referring to the 'define' statement of 'young love' but looked worn out in the middle of the air, hovering there.
Knuckles's laid back attitude was annoying him too…
"Am I the only one whose reacting to this?"
"Hehe~ Bet they're learning a whole lot about each other right now… heheh." Knuckles snickered, turning around and walking off, whistling before jumping and clicking his heels together, his axe on his shoulder, a pretty impressive fleet for a weapon on your shoulder of that weight and size.
It only showed Knuckles's strength.
"I still can hardly believe it though… well, if they're happy, I'm happy." Tails tried to ignore his last comment, but turned and landed on the ground, sighing with his hands behind his back.
"I mean… I always figured Sonic would be married before me… because of the law, but… I never really pictured it before, but..." he noticed Knuckles had left him alone.
"AH!" he panicked. "Wait! Don't leave me when I'm questioning the very reality of my life and how my friends are growing up so fast! Hey! K-Knuckles! Don't leave me too!" he dashed off to his friend who wasn't ditching him for their eternal soul mate right now.