Emerald the Lynx, thanks for the review. As a side-note, Shiro's flames are just a special power of hers. She was also based on Kagura from Inuyasha, albeit with wind powers swapped for fire powers. X3
Enjoy!
Entry 29
Amy's Cursed Day
''Are you okay, you seem to be a little tense. (You don't have to worry about a single thing). We are free to get whatever that we want to have. (We're also free to do whatever we want). That's what we'll do, yeah, that's what we'll do. We should live our lives the way we think it ought to be!''
– My Sweet Passion by Sonic Adventure 2
xXxXxXx
Amy gazed at the tarot cards lying on the queen-sized bed in Minami's room, taking a deep breath as she picked one and flipped it around. She and Minami were just starting with their day and planned to do some shopping, with Amy figuring that she could just check her own fortune to see whether she would have a nice day. Unfortunately for her, the card she had drawn made her stomach squirm.
''This is bad…'' Amy muttered.
''What's the matter?'' Minami asked, walking over to Amy and tilting her head. Amy sighed.
''I just got a bad fortune,'' she replied. Minami rose an eyebrow.
''It can't be that bad, right?'' she asked.
''Actually, it is,'' Amy grumbled, her head just dropping as she groaned, ''I'm telling you, I'm cursed…''
''Maybe, but didn't you also say that nothing is set in stone?'' Minami asked. Amy fell silent as she picked up her tarot cards.
''I know, but it's hard to believe that when a lot of fortunes come true, one way or another, and this one is telling me that I'll have a bad day,'' she explained, with her tarot cards vanishing in a cloud of data and dissipating.
''Then we'll make sure that you'll have a great day,'' Minami said confidently, placing her hands on her hips, a wide grin on her expression. Amy sighed, but she did smile in response, aware that if she was feeling down, Minami would pick her right back up. They were always like this – Amy showing compassion and understanding, and Minami being more straightforward and blunt in her approach, being able to say uncomfortable truths and pointing out the core problem.
While Amy tried to stay optimistic whenever she did fortune telling, noting to herself that the future can always change and nothing was set in stone, it was frustrating how many times her predictions came true, one way or another. Sometimes, it was even scary, especially if the prediction was quite vague and she had no idea what to make of it. She had been constantly scolded and yelled at by people who were unhappy with their predictions, no matter how many times she tried to explain to them that it didn't have to mean anything.
''Now, com'n, we have a whole day ahead of us,'' Minamis said, smiling. Amy just nodded in response, following Minami outside the room.
Maybe the day won't be as bad as I thought, she thought to herself as they walked downstairs. At the kitchen, Minami's mother was making pancakes for breakfast, while her father was working on his laptop.
''Good morning you two! Breakfast is just ready!'' Minami's mother said in a chipper tone, placing two plates with fluffy pancakes in front of them.
''Thanks for the meal!''
Minami and Amy responded, both exchanging glances when they saw the elaborate heart-shaped pancakes with strawberry jelly topping and fine sugar powder. Amy knew that Minami's mother, Sara Kusakabe worked as a pâtissière at a restaurant and she loved baking sweets, so her food was always top notch. She still remembered the first time Minami introduced her to her parents, and when the topic of her needing food, due to being an Irregular, came up, they actually did buy Minami's lie that Amy was just an ARNav who needed food, followed by Minami's request to not do anything embarrassing in Amy's presence. Amy wondered what Minami was referring to, only for…
''Oh, and I didn't forget you, honey!'' Sara kissed her husband, leaving a huge plate of pancakes for him. ''If you want more sugar, dear, just tell me!''
Minami groaned in exasperation, rolling her eyes, while Amy placed a hand over her mouth, giggling at her reaction. After her arrival, she had soon learned that Minami's parents were basically the sickening sweethearts-type of couple, showing affection at any given moment and just being happy in their marriage. The also adored their daughter, having a rather hands-off approach to parenting while also showering her with love and affection, making sure she lacked absolutely nothing. Hell, they immediately adopted Amy into the Kusakabe family, gushing over how sweet and kind she was, basically treating her as Minami's younger sister, and Amy was thankful for being accepted. As for Minami, she loved her parents just as much as they loved her, but that didn't mean that she was at times embarrassed by their behavior.
''I think it's really cute that your parents are showing how much they care about each other,'' Amy told Minami later on, after they ate their breakfast and walked out of the house.
''I'm really happy that they love each other, but after watching it for 15 years, I think I became immune to it,'' Minami said, with Amy snorting in amusement. ''Anyways, today is all about you and making sure that nothing bad happens to you, regardless of what your fortune- agh!''
''Oh my God, I'm so sorry!''
Amy was startled by what just had happened before her, as they walked through the front yard and onto the street, Minami had positioned herself with her back to the neighbor's house. Said neighbor had turned on the hose, wanting to water his plants, only to accidentally spray Minami, who was now drenched. It was clear to the pink hedgehog that, if Minami didn't stand like that, she'd be the one hit by the spray. Minami just sighed in exasperation, putting on a smile as she turned to her neighbor.
''Don't worry, I'm fine. We were about to buy some new clothes anyways,'' she told the guy, who had a look of guilt on his expression. She then shook her head, sighing. ''Okay, I'm going to quickly change outfits and maybe we should stay away from this side of the yard.''
''I bet this is part of my curse,'' Amy grumbled as she followed Minami back inside the house, much to the confusion of her parents, who were still in the kitchen. ''Now it's affecting you.''
''Well, I think it was an accident,'' Minami said, grabbing dry clothes from her closet and walking towards the bathroom. ''Only because one bad thing happens doesn't mean you or I are cursed.''
''I hope that you're right,'' Amy said, a bit dispirited, as she sat on the bed.
xXx
After changing into a dry set of clothes, Minami and Amy made their way over from their home at Westoru to the shopping district in Sentoraru. So far, nothing bad has happened, but Amy was on edge as she felt that something might go bad, but Minami was completely relaxed, assuring her they'll have a nice day.
''I don't think there's anything to worry about,'' Minami said, with Amy raising an eyebrow as she placed a 200 Zenny coin into a vending machine to buy herself a soda, only for the bottle to get stuck.
''Great…'' Amy grumbled as she stared at the 120 Z orange flavour soda bottle behind the glass. At least the vending machine returned the change.
''Maybe you could knock it down with another bottle?'' Minami suggested, with Amy stepping away to let Minami buy another soda. She watched as it fell down… and missed Amy's bottle completely, only to also get stuck.
''Aw, com'n! How did that get stuck?'' Minami growled in annoyance, huffing. ''I thought those vending machines were supposed to actually work, not act like the claw machines at the arcade.''
''It really feels like we have bad luck,'' Amy muttered, only to be surprised when Minami placed another 200 Zenny coin into the vending machine. ''What are you doing?''
''I'm not going to let a stupid vending machine eat my money and not give me anything in return,'' Minami growled, selecting another bottle and watching it as it slowly fell over… and got stuck. ''Are you kidding me?!''
''Minami, I really think that we should just stop,'' Amy said, only to be surprised by Minami's response.
''It's not bad luck. It's just that the machine isn't working properly.'' Minami replied stubbornly and looked around to see whether anyone was watching them. When she realized they weren't drawing any attention she smirked. ''Luckily, I've dealt with enough of these kinds machines to know how to fix the issue. It just requires some percussive maintenance.''
''Uh…'' Amy was startled when Minami suddenly lifted her leg and kicked the vending machine as hard as she could, causing it to shake and for all of the bottles to dislodge and fall down.
''Ha! Sometimes all you need is to brute force your way through,'' Minami said triumphantly as she gave Amy her bottle. Amy just smiled in response.
''I should've figured that you wouldn't give up so easily,'' she said as she and Minami walked away.
''Yeaaaaah, let's get out of here before someone accuses me of trying to break the vending machine,'' Minami said, with Amy trying to stiffle a fit of giggles. Being around Minami, she had realized that the teenager was one of the most stubborn and direct people she has ever met and she genuinely enjoyed being part of Minami's antics. ''Anyways, where do you want to go first?''
''Didn't you say that you wanted to buy a new set of clothes?'' Amy asked.
''Right, but I think that you too could get yourself a new wardrobe. Not that anything's bad with your current outfit, but let's try to find something even cuter,'' Minami replied. Amy thought about it for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
''So, where should we look first? I know that there are several ARNav clothes shops here. Even thought it's kind of weird since ARNavs are mainly made out of data,'' Amy said, only to fall silent, her eyes narrowing as she muttered under her breath, ''How would this even work with a Irregular?''
''Don't worry, I'm sure that we'll figure out something,'' Minami responded optimistically, with Amy smiling back, trying to keep her own spirits up.
They took a turn, with Amy's heart skipping a beat as she recognized the street as the same one where Clover's Fortune Telling Shop was, the very one she used to work at. She felt a little nervous, her mind immediately clouded by the voices of all the people that were angry at her for their bad fortunes and her first instinct was to turn around and find another way around. However, looking at Minami's worried gaze, she steeled her resolve, taking a deep breath and keeping on walking with her head up high.
''Amy, are you okay?'' Minami asked her.
''I'm not, but that doesn't mean that I should be scared of this place. It's just silly,'' Amy said. Minami hummed, keeping on walking with her partner.
''I know that you had really bad experiences with people who came to her to learn about their future,'' she started.
''Yeah, and I did all of that to help them out, but I just became an outcast. It really hurt to see people getting so angry and frustrated, and even if I had tried to lie, I think they would get even angrier,'' Amy said as they walked down the street. ''I don't think there was any way for me to get out of that situation without any blame.''
''I don't think you should've been blamed for anything. I always had the impression that, when you come to a fortune teller, you'd be prepared for everything – both good news and bad news. Not to mention, you said that there were several ways of interpreting the fortune, and I'm sure one of them is a self-fulfilling prophecy,'' Minami responded, then placed her hands under her chin as she hummed. ''Although, I'm not sure whether this is a situation where you should fight fate or prepare for the inevitable.''
''Well, this is a situation where I'm followed by bad luck, so I don't think there is a proper answer,'' Amy noted, only for her and Minami to get startled when a black cat ARNav walked out of the fortune telling shop, looking furious, only to be surprised to see the two. She blinked a few times in stunned silence and then pointed at Amy.
''You! I've been searching for you all over the place! You had told me that I should beware of a great loss and because of you, I lost the money I was supposed to keep for my partner!'' she shouted furiously. ''You owe me 50 000 Zenny!''
''I-I…'' Amy was stunned by the sudden accusation, only for Minami to step in immediately between the two.
''I have no idea what mental gymnastics you made to come to that conclusion, but it's your own damn fault for losing such an amount of money!'' Minami shouted back, with the ARNav backing away, startled by the sudden shouting.
''This has nothing to do with you, so stay out of this argument!'' Despite being a bit intimidated by Minami, the black cat ARNav quickly stepped up.
''It definitely does!'' Minami responded, not backing away as she glared at the offending party. Amy was just listening to the two arguing, well aware that it wasn't her own fault that her prediction turned out to be true, but at the same time, she felt awful for people getting hurt in some way precisely because of those predictions. However, she could feel something bubbling inside her as she watched them arguing. She had enough of this.
''Stop it!'' Amy suddenly shouted, getting in between Minami and the ARNav. ''Listen, I'm sorry that you lost a lot of money, but how am I responsible for this? 'Great loss' could've meant anything!''
''Yeah, but if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have lost it,'' the ARNav responded. Amy rose an eyebrow.
''That makes no sense,'' Amy said in a flat tone, shaking her head, turning to Minami. ''We're leaving.''
''Wait, what about my fortune?'' the black cat protested.
''You forge your own fortune,'' Amy said in a determined tone, turning on her heel and walking away. Minami followed her, having a proud smile on her expression. After walking for a bit in silence, Amy gave Minami a questioning look, ''I'm surprised you aren't commenting on anything.''
''Oh, I didn't want to ruin your badass moments with unnecessary commentary,'' Minami said, only to narrow her eyes. ''Although I wish I had an airhorn.'' Amy chuckled at the remark. ''In any case, how do you feel?''
''I feel lighter,'' Amy replied, sighing in relief. ''You have no idea how many times I wished that I could tell that to my other clients whenever they would get angry and start complaining or blame me for their misfortune.''
''It sounds to me like you're completely done with everything,'' Minami commented.
''I still want to help people, and I'm not expecting anything in return, but I think that people should understand that there is good and bad fortune and that I'm not responsible for what they do with that information,'' Amy replied, folding her arms across her chest. ''Also, thank you for standing by my side. I really needed the support.''
''Don't worry, that's what partners are for,'' Minami responded, only to tilt her head as she thought about something. ''There is one thing we still need an answer to.''
''What would that be?'' Amy asked curiously.
''So, we crossed paths with a black cat. In some cultures, this means bad luck, and in others, it means good luck. So, what situation are we dealing with?'' Minami asked. She and Amy exchanged glances, silent for a moment, then snorted in amusement.
''You know what, I have enough of this good and bad fortune. Let's just enjoy our day,'' Amy said, with Minamin heartily agreeing with her.
xXx
''Which shop should we even visit first?'' Minami asked as they finally arrived at the shopping district. There were a bunch of clothing stores lined up next to each other, with the two trying to figure out which one was the best choice. However, before they could make that choice, they heard someone calling for them.
''Hey, Minami, Amy!'' They turned around, surprised to see Lily and Knuckles approaching them. ''What are you guys doing here?''
''We could ask you two the same question,'' Minami said. ''Amy and I were going shopping.''
''We are trying to track down Rouge,'' Lily replied.
''Rouge? Did something happen?'' Amy asked, looking at Knuckles.
''Yes! She had been breaking in and attempting to steal the gems several times,'' Knuckles replied, showing the two a few cards with a silhouette of what appeared to be Rouge with a kiss mark in the corner of the card. ''See? She has been taunting me the whole time!''
''Has she managed to steal anything?'' Minami asked.
''No, but unfortunately, I haven't managed to catch her in the act,'' Knuckles replied, frowning angrily as he clenched his gloved fist. ''That doesn't matter though. I will get her eventually.''
''We will keep an eye out for Rouge in case we run into her,'' Amy said.
''Thank you,'' Knuckles replied, turning to Lily. ''Let's continue with our search. We will turn Neos City upside down if necessary to find Rouge.''
''Right,'' Lily replied, although she didn't really think they'd be able to find Rouge. Minami and Amy, who watched them leaving, thought the same.
''I think they have a higher chance of running into Eggman than finding Rouge,'' Minami said, with Amy chuckling.
''Let's hope that he won't appear to ruin our day,'' Amy said. The two continued walking, only to spot a huge holographic screen hovering over a peculiar clothes store catering to both humans and ARNavs, playing an advertisement for the current ongoing limited sale of brand new outfits. Amy's yes widened in surprise and she let out a cry of glee. She grabbed Minami's hand, quickly pointing at the store. ''Minami, we need to go there!''
''Uh, why?'' Minami was happy about Amy's enthusiasm, but also a bit confused in regards to why she was so enthusiastic.
''This store has the HC brand – Honey Clothing! I have seen the outfits on TV, they're sooooo cute!'' Amy said joyfully, with the advertisement above the store then showing the very fashion designer and owner of the brand.
The owner had the appearance of an anthropomorphic cat with close-lying light amber fur, a peach muzzle, and long black hair that she kept in two voluminous ponytails. She also had two triangular and perked ears with peach canals, a small black nose, large black eyes with two eyelashes on each one, and thin arms. For attire, she wore a red hairband and elaborate white and laced cloth-like hair barrettes around her ponytails, alongside a red dress with poofy shoulders, black straps with silver buckles on the cuffs, a black collar, a pair of white angel wings on the back, and white laces on the lower rim. Her dress also had black outlines around the waist and shoulders, and a black area on her front skirt with white fasteners. Additionally, she wore white gloves with red backs and laced cuffs and black arm wrappers around her wrists, and red and black boots.
''If you don't look sweet, you're not wearing Honey!'' Amy said in sync with the advertisement, striking the same pose as Honey the Cat.
''There is no way you didn't pratice that,'' Minami said, grinning. Amy just beamed, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.
''C'mon, we just need to go there!'' She dragged Minami towards the entrance, only to stop when they saw a huge crowd in front of it, with another buff albatross ARNav regulating it, and carrying a megaphone.
''Please, due to the high demand, only a limited number of customers is allowed inside to prevent accidents!'' he said.
''Man, that store is really popular, but I guess that everyone was draw in by the current limited sale,'' Minami said, while Amy sighed in disappointment.
''There is no way we'll get inside before it closes or they sell all the new stuff. I suppose my prediction about having a bad day did come true in the end,'' she said, only to shake her head and clench her fists as she looked up. ''No, I said it before – you forge your own fortune, and I'm not going to give up.'' Her ears drooped as she looked back at the crowd. ''But, how do we get inside?''
''I have an idea. Don't these kinds of stores also have a back entrance for their merchandise?'' Minami said, smirking mischievously. Amy narrowed her eyes.
''You can't be serious,'' she said in a deadpan tone.
''Don't worry, I have enough experience sneaking into places I'm not supposed to be without getting caught. Let's go!'' Minami said, running off towards a narrow street close to the store. Amy just sighed, feeling that this wasn't the smartest idea, but followed Minami nonetheless.
xXx
''I think we're in the clear,'' Minami said as she peeked around into a hallway, with Amy standing next to her. They had managed to find the back entrance and hide behind a bunch of boxes with spare human-sized clothing the vendors were supposed to put up. ''This way. Just act like you're supposed to be here.''
Amy nodded, following Minami into the store. Once they left the storage room, both sighed in relief and entered the store properly. They quickly blended in with both humans and ARNavs who were trying out the new outfits. The store was split into two sections, one with actual clothing placed on the racks and the other having a bunch of holographic screens showing all kinds of outfits, with the ARNavs in front of them selecting a specific outfit and letting a cloud of data envelop them, with the outfit of their choosing appearing on their body. Amy beamed as she ran off to the ARNav section and stepped in front of one of the holographic screens, searching through the different outfits.
''Which one should I select first? Maybe this one… Or this? No, this one is cuter! Oh, or maybe this!'' Amy switched between outfits, crying out, ''Aaahh, I can't decide!''
''Amy Rose?''
''Yes?'' Amy answered automatically when she heard someone calling her by her full name, only to see the one and only - Honey the Cat, staring at her. ''Oh my gosh! You're Honey!''
''Amy, it's so nice to see you!'' Honey ran over to Amy, grabbing her hands and holding them up. ''I had been wondering when I would meet one of you guys.''
''Uh, I don't think we know each other on a personal level,'' Amy said nervously, feeling a bit awkward about her situation. ''How do you know who I am?''
''Oh, I'm sorry, I suppose you might not know. I'm an ARNav based on a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, just like you,'' Honey explained. ''I had already been wondering when I would run into a fellow character-based ARNav.''
''Oh, I'm such a dummy!'' Minami explained, her brain finally making the connection. ''It's Sonic the Fighters, right?''
''Exactly, thought I am a bit of an obscure characters, so not many would even know. Not to mention, a member of the Classic Cast,'' Honey replied, placing her hands on her hips as she turned to Amy. ''Nevertheless, it's great to meet you. I assume you're here to buy one of my outfits, right?''
''It's nice to meet you too, and yeah, you're right. Minami and I decided to go on a little shopping spree,'' Amy explained. Honey walked around her, observing her sports outfit, then nodded.
''I think I just have the right thing for you. Follow me!'' Honey beckoned the two to follow her. They went to the back of the store, with Amy noting that Honey was unusually silent for some reason. Once they were away from other workers and customers, Honey turned to Amy, giving her a weird look. ''Just a quick question – are you by any chance an Irregular?''
''Eh?'' Amy was stunned by the sudden question, only for her brain to kick into gear. ''Why are you asking me that?''
''Oh, no particular reason!'' Honey responded, waving her hands and trying to blow it off. ''I mean, there are a lot of Irregulars lately and…''
''You're an Irregular,'' Minami said, her wording being less of a question and more of a statement, surprising both Honey and Amy. Honey glanced at Amy, who just nodded in encouragement.
''You're correct,'' Honey replied, giving them a nervous look, ''You won't tell anyone, right?''
''Don't worry, I'm also an Irregular,'' Amy replied, with Honey smiling back. ''You can trust us.''
''Thanks,'' Honey replied, with her going back to her upbeat self, placing her arm around her Amy's shoulder. ''I have something for you, a special line I had been working in hopes of meeting other Irregulars that want to just live normal lives.''
The backroom they found themselves in was filled with racks and Honey walked over to one, grabbing a dress, boots and some accessories from it. ''Here you go! I'm sure you'll love this one! You can change over there.''
Amy nodded, pulling the curtains behind the small changing stall. It took her a minute, but when she came out, she was wearing red sleeveless and backless dress with two white trims and a white petticoat underneath, tall red boots with a white stripe down the center, white cuffs and gray soles, a red hairband, and white wrist-length gloves with gold bracelets for cuffs. Her AR Visor was placed on top of her head, over the red hairband.
''What do you guys think?'' Amy asked.
''You look exactly like your video game counterpart,'' Minami said. ''Amazing as always!''
''Thank you! I do like this outfit, even though I'm more used to wearing my casual outfit,'' Amy said, turning to Honey. ''May I see more?''
''Of course!'' Honey replied, getting Amy a different outfit and matching accessories.
A couple of minutes later, Amy came out, this time wearing a cerise hairband and a cerise minidress with a white collar, yellow buttons on the her left side, and a lavender sarashi around her waist. She also wore white gloves, purple sports tape and golden ring bracelets around her wrists, purple stockings, and dark-pink/violet shoes with light pink soles and toes, gray straps, and pink plates with two yellow buttons on top. Her AR Visor was on the top of her head.
''What a cute outfit!'' Amy said, taking a look at herself in the mirror. ''But, was the sarashi really necessary?''
''I think it completes the outfit,'' Honey said.
''Isn't that the outfit from Sonic Boom?'' Minami asked, already knowing the answer.
''I'd like to buy both outfits,'' Amy said, turning to Honey.
''Done deal,'' Honey said, adding, ''Also, for the honor of meeting you, I'll give you a discount.''
''Really, that's amazing!'' Amy beamed. ''You know, we could hang out sometime in the future. I know a great café we could go to.''
''I'd definitely love to!'' Honey replied enthusiastically. Minami just stood behind them, happy that Amy made a new friend. The three then walked out of the backroom, with Amy paying for her new outfits and Honey handing over the bag with the clothes. ''Here you go, and don't forget-''
''If you don't look sweet, you're not wearing Honey!''
Both Amy and Honey said the HC's brand slogan in sync, striking the same pose, with Minami just giving them a weird look. ''Again, there is no way you'll be able to be able to say this without rehearsing previously.''
Both Amy and Honey chuckled at that comment, with Amy and Minami then leaving the store, this time through the front entrance, that was still crowded. Once escaping the crowd and being on the street, both took a deep breath.
''Maybe my day wasn't as cursed as I thought,'' Amy said. ''I'm really enjoying myself today, aside from the few accidents we had to deal with.''
''I'm glad to see that you're not feeling down anymore,'' Minami said, clasping her hands on her back. ''Not to mention, if anyone bothers you again, you can turn to me for help.''
''I know, but I should also take a stand. Honestly, it is surprising how I have no problem fighting villains like Eggman, but I get flustered whenever someone confronts me about a bad fortune,'' Amy said.
''I suppose that's because you doing fortune telling is something on a more personal level and an attempt to help people. Eggman is just a mad scientist who wants to take over Neos City. There is a difference,'' Minami said in a matter-of-fact tone.
''Indeed, there is a difference.''
''Huh? Rouge!'' Amy and Minami turned around, surprised to spot the treasure-hunting bat behind them. Amy then asked, ''Rouge, what are you doing here?''
''I've been enjoying my day out,'' Rouge replied casually.
''We've heard that you've been trying to steal from Lily and Knuckles,'' Minami said.
''Oh, so they've found my calling cards. That's good to know,'' Rouge said, smiling slyly.
''They're also searching for you,'' Amy added, with Rouge just nodding in acknowledgement. Minami placed her hands on her hips.
''Okay, be honest with us. You're doing all of those break-ins just to annoy Knuckles, aren't you?'' she said. Rouge placed her finger over her lips, acting all innocently.
''Am I really? I had no idea,'' she said, a mischievous glint sparking in her eyes. ''I have to go now, you two enjoy your day!''
Rouge flew away, with Minami and Amy exchanging glances, both looking exasperated. Minami then added, ''I suppose we should send Lily and Knuckles a message.''
''Good idea, although I don't think it will help them much. Rouge seems to be the type who won't be found unless she wants to be found,'' Amy replied.
''True. Still, she gave us some good advice. How about we go for a snack?'' Minami suggested.
''Alright!'' Amy cheered, with the two making their way over to their favorite café. In Amy's mind, this day was just getting better and better.