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Chapter V
High Noon Heat

"I have no words to express how grateful I am for your help... You're hurt!"
"It's nothing."
"Don't say that! I'm sorry. It's all my fault..."
"Smile. Your smile... That's all I need."

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Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, Elise breathed in a hiss as she was carefully palpating her ribs. She had lowered her plain white dance dress down to her waist so she could examine her aching rib cage, and even that simple action had hurt terribly. A decent contusion! Bravely, she inhaled as deeply as she could until the pain became too much at a certain point. At least no bone seems to be broken. Still, tomorrow that bruise will most certainly have turned black and blue and hurt twice as much! This way, performing that dance act during the ceremony will become even more fun for me than I already imagined it would. I barely made it through the practice today! Don't know how I'm gonna make it when it really gets down to business tomorrow. She bent forward a bit, but again the pain brought tears to her eyes. Maybe there is a rib broken after all, or at least cracked. Solaris, have mercy!

A knock on the pane of her balcony window snapped her out of her thoughts. As quickly as her hurting chest would allow, she pulled her dress back over her shoulders and straightened it. Sonic! He's a little early, but I guess he's one of the fast sort anyway! She left her bathroom and went to the balcony. When she saw the Hedgehog standing there through her windows, she involuntarily had to smile again. His cobalt-blue fur gleamed in the midday sun, his emerald-green eyes shone expectantly, and on his face was that sly smirk that had become his trademark. Although she was hurrying to open her balcony door to let him in, he already tapped one of his feet impatiently on the floor. That guy really seems unable to stand still for even a minute, she thought. I should be angry with him, but somehow I can't.

"Hi there!" the Mobian greeted her cheerfully as soon as she had opened the door.

"Welcome," Elise replied and stepped aside. "Come on in." Only now did she notice that he was hiding both his hands behind his back.

"Thanks!" Sonic walked past her and entered her room. Then he showed her what he had brought with him. In one hand he held a small bag, its contents still hidden. In his other hand was a long, gorgeous peacock feather, shimmering in every known and unknown color. "This is for you," he said, holding out his gift to her.

"Oh, wow! Thank you!" Excited, she took his present. She had not expected anything like that. The girl held the feather against the light and slowly turned it back and forth in her fingers. "It looks so beautiful! I love feathers, did you know that? Where did you get it?"

I ran all forenoon and across half this world to find an animal with such impressive feathering, but I really don't need to put that on her nose. "Nothing special, just a little something. Happy you like it!" The Hedgehog looked back at the balcony door Elise had just closed behind him. "By the way, I'm really glad your room faces this side, so your windows are still intact. Sorry again, for making such a mess."

"Sonic, you've apologized enough already. I think I saw that the glaziers were already busy putting in new windows. It'll all be forgotten by tomorrow, trust me." That's not even close to the truth, but whatever. Somehow I'll make father understand. I can't get around it anyway. But when she thought of the terrible scolding that she probably had to face, her heart turned into a lump of ice. To distract herself from those dark thoughts, she decided to change the subject. "What's in the bag you brought with you? More presents?"

"Don't get greedy, Principessa!" Sonic said jokingly and snickered. Then he let his gaze wander around her room. "Nice place you got here."

"Thanks." Elise threw a quick glance at the shelf above her bed where her Sonic plush doll usually had its seat, and this time she was relieved that it wasn't in its place today. He really doesn't need to know I'm a fan or anything. "Sonic, I'm curious. Would you like to tell me now why you were looking for me? It's really not like I'm not happy to meet you, but..."

He turned back to her and met her gaze, and in his huge, bright green eyes was a worried expression. "Elise..." He swallowed dryly. "Please don't be angry with me bringing this up again, but I haven't forgotten the bruise I undoubtedly must have have inflicted on you." He opened the bag in his hands and revealed its contents to her. "I brought some bandages and a medical salve I found in a first-aid kit in my hotel room to help you with that. I just hope I didn't break you any bones!"

"Are you trying to distract?" She folded her arms in front of her chest, but immediately regretted it. Ouchie-ouch! Bad idea!

"Not really," Sonic objected. But after that surprising realization this morning, I know even less than before how and where to start. "I just think there are more important things for now. Because I can tell by looking at you that you're in pain, and that fills me with shame! So, please, let me help. We'll both feel better after that, I'm sure."

He's so sweet and seems to really care about me. How could I refuse his request? And maybe he can actually help. After all, it can't get much worse, I guess. She nodded. "All right, you paramedic. And how do you think that would go?"

"Well..." The Hedgehog pointed to her bed, and his cheeks visibly flushed. "Sit on your bed, with your back to me... and..." He giggled shyly and blushed even more. "Take off your dress."

He's blushing! I don't believe it. He looks adorable! Suddenly she had to laugh so heartily at his shy demeanor that her laughter almost turned into a cry of pain, because it made her chest feel like it was filling with liquid fire.

Now Sonic's face turned bright red. Is she making fun of me?! Or is the thought of undressing in front of me so ridiculous to her? "Please don't get me wrong!"

She shook her head, looked at him again, and had to laugh even harder. She covered her mouth with one hand while holding her stomach with the other. She was helpless against her fit of laughter, even if it almost tore her rib cage apart. But at the same time, she began to feel a bit sorry for her friendly guest, who had surely come with only best intentions.

The Blue Blur finally realized that he must have given a pretty funny appearance and joined in the girl's laughter with relief. He held out one of his large, gloved hands to her, and she grabbed it to support herself, barely able to stand upright any longer. "Now then, Princess. Let's get this over with." He led her to the side of her large bed and waited until she had taken a seat on the edge. Then he crawled onto the mattress behind her, positioning himself so that she was sitting between his spread legs. "I'm sorry, but this is definitely going to hurt a little."

Slowly, Elise calmed down and placed the peacock feather on her nightstand. "Please be careful." She pulled the dress off her shoulders and let the white garment slide down to her hips. She wasn't wearing a bra. "And no peeking!" she said with mock seriousness and giggled, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"Naaah!" claimed Sonic nonchalantly, but blushed again. Oh my gosh, did you see that? Her breasts seem to defy all laws of gravity! And just look at that wasp waist... He bit on his tongue. Focus, you lecher! She's still a human after all, and a princess to boot! He took the bandages out of their package and placed them on the pillow next to him. Then he took off his gloves. "Elise, would you please raise your arms?" He squeezed some of the ointment onto the fur of his paw, and began to gently apply the lotion to the right side of her body and her back.

She winced in pain and gasped. "That burns quite a bit!"

"It'll help, I'm sure of it. At least that's what it says on the label." He could feel that her side had already started to swell, but fortunately none of her ribs seemed to be broken.

Again she flinched violently and almost jumped up from the bed when he accidentally touched a particularly sensitive spot.

"Please forgive me for hurting you like this," he whispered meekly in a guilty voice.

"It's nothing," she tried to downplay the situation again.

"Don't say that! It's all my fault..."

"Are you going to start that again?" She half-turned to him and looked into his eyes. "Just... smile! Give me a smile, Sonic. That's all I need."

She's truly likeable... downright adorable. What she had said moved him, touched something inside him, and for a moment he was speechless. But the Blue Blur quickly regained his composure. He put on his brightest smirk. "Like this?"

"You got it!" Returning his smile, she turned around a little more and leaned towards him. "And from now on, I don't want to hear anything more about guilt or apology, you understand?"

Despite the pain she had to be in, her smile was genuine and radiant. All at once he realized how beautiful she actually was, and suddenly he threatened to lose himself in her sparkling blue eyes and the delicate rosé of her lips. It struck him like a flash of lightning, and he almost forgot to breathe. This time he didn't manage to regain his composure so quickly. And then her scent! His long black nose twitched around sniffing the air. Somehow even her smell is appealing! He was all too aware of how close her face was to his, how close her body was to him, and whether he wanted to or not, out of the corner of his eye he could see her soft and perfectly shaped breasts floating in the air as if they were weightless. Suddenly, he became very nervous. "P-Please don't move so much," he begged her in a shaky voice, swallowing dryly. "I'm not done yet."

Still smiling, she nodded and turned her back to him again. But the spell she seemed to have cast on him was already taking effect. He prepared the first of the two bandages, but was hardly able to concentrate anymore. The emotions that suddenly welled up inside him were unknown and entirely new to him, and he was completely overwhelmed with the situation. Her beauty, her charm, and the mysterious attraction she exerted on him seemed to have infected his mind. And also his body, because to make matters worse, a tingling heat started to spread through his loins.

By all that's holy! Please don't! Carefully, he began to bandage her chest, struggling to touch the young woman as little as possible, while at the same time trying to distract his thoughts with all his might. But it was no use. She was too pretty. Too close. Too naked. Unable to fight it, the Mobian felt something swell inside him, pressing against the almost invisible little fold between his legs. Oh no! Don't do that to me! Don't! Do! That!

Elise did not seem to notice any of this. "By the way, you haven't answered my question yet," she stated over her shoulder.

But Sonic had completely different problems at that moment and was barely on the ball anymore. "Huh?"

"Why you were looking for me. Don't tell me you're doing this all the time, rushing into princesses to doctor them half-naked on their beds afterwards." She laughed and, now of all times, shuffled her bottom even closer to him.

"Elise, please keep your dist- ...your arms up!" What a mess! The pulsing between his legs was getting stronger and stronger. He knew if that continued, then what was growing inside him there would soon find its way out of him. Luckily, I'll be done with the bandages in a minute. I just hope she can't feel the bulge!

"Sonic... That presses on me," she complained while he wrestled with the second bandage.

"W-What?!" For a second, he wasn't sure what she was talking about.

"The dressing. Does it have to be so tight?" she asked, plucking at the other end of the gauze bandage.

It's almost like she's pulling my leg! "It's meant to support your br- ...your chest." She's driving me all crazy! "Trust me, you'll notice the difference right away." The tip of his manhood was about to break free and greet the daylight. Heaven help! Stop this right now!

Suddenly, a childish thought crept into Elise's mind. This is so crazy! Just this very morning I wondered what his bare hands would look like. What they would feel like. And here and now I actually have the opportunity to find out. He certainly won't mind... Just as Sonic had fastened the last strip of bandage, she suddenly grabbed his two large, peach-colored paws and held them in front of her chest, only peripherally aware that she was also accidentally touching her breasts with them. Wow, are they soft... And look at this! He has small claws instead of fingernails! How cute!

What's she doing?! Her action came so unexpectedly and surprisingly for the Hedgehog that he almost suffered a heart attack. If he hadn't been paralyzed with surprise, he would have jumped out of her bed and slammed into the ceiling. His eyes widened until they took up almost his entire head, while his irises contracted into narrow stripes. Startled, he finally felt something between his legs sliding out of his body. This can't be happening! This just can't be true!

All of a sudden the door to the room flung open, and an already fairly annoyed Duke Hector rushed in, an evening gown on his arm. "Elise, our guests have arrived. Also, we need to talk..." He immediately fell silent when he saw his daughter sitting on her bed, half-naked and with her upper body bandaged, while the same Mobian Hedgehog that had already ravaged his palace this morning was apparently busy rubbing her breasts. He stopped as if he had run into a wall. The dress slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor with a rustle. "Elise! What the fuck?!" he roared, so beside himself that his voice cracked.

"By the love of Solaris!" screamed Elise in anger and shame, hurrying to cover her bareness by quickly pulling up her dress again. Why doesn't anyone in this castle ever knock before bursting into my room?!

Sonic also jerked violently in shock, and for the second time in just a few seconds, his heart performed a major leap towards its final end. He instantly drew back his hands to him and slipped into his gloves again. Thank goodness the girl is sitting in front of me so I have some sort of privacy screen! But a brief glimpse at the spot between his legs relieved him at least a bit. Whatever had just tried to stretch out into the open had fortunately promptly retreated again in the face of the horror that was happening before his eyes.

Hector gave the impression of being on the verge of losing control of himself. With reddened face, the tall, full bearded man stormed across the room towards the pair on the bed, wildly flailing his arms. It almost looked as if he was going to slap his daughter in the face. But when he noticed the dangerous glint in Sonic's eyes, and how the Hedgehog's spines suddenly stood up with agitation, he froze. He was all too aware of the damage these creatures were able to inflict. He pointed his finger at his daughter's bandaged chest. "I knew that critter hurt you this morning!"

"Not nearly as much as you did!" retorted Elise no less forcefully. She was so incensed that she hardly thought about her words. She simply spoke out what she felt. "He's my friend! He just made a stupid mistake!"

Sonic's emotions began to swirl even more. What had she just said?

Suddenly the duke became ominously calm. "It's no wonder your mother died, Elise. It was because she always had to worry so much about you. And right now, she would be deeply ashamed of you once again."

All color drained from the girl's face. "W-What...?" Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper before failing completely. "Father..."

Even Sonic was speechless. So this is her father? What in the world is wrong with that guy?!

Now Hector pointed at the Mobian. "I swear, this abomination is as good as dead if it doesn't get the hell out of here right now! I call the guards to rid us of this pest! Permanently!"

Sonic needed all his self-control to restrain himself. What a scumbag! But if I say anything now, I'm sure I'll only make things worse.

After one last look at his daughter, Hector turned to leave, obviously satisfied with the distress his words were causing her. But at the door, he turned around one more time. "And you, my little miss, I'll see at our dinner in an hour. I hope you still remember!" His voice became as cold as ice. "And should you disgrace me there as well, I'll think of something for you too!" He disappeared into the stairwell, slamming the door behind him.

The princess buried her face in her hands, and Sonic saw her shoulders shake as she silently began to sob. Gently, he put a hand on her back and stroked her softly. He felt a little awkward, but he didn't know what else he could do to comfort her. "Elise..." he whispered.

Suddenly she turned around to him and slipped into his arms. She pressed her face against his shoulder and cried quietly into his fur. A bit caught off guard, he hesitated for a moment, arms outstretched to the sides. But then he cautiously returned her embrace and let it happen. Any hint of arousal had dissipated. He only felt terribly sorry for her. After all the turmoil, he also sensed the lack of sleep tugging at him again, and it was as if fatigue was settling on him like a heavy blanket. What a day! I just hope it can't get any worse.

Slowly she calmed down again. They let go of each other, and she wiped away the last of her tears. Then she looked at him, and embarrassment made her cheeks flush slightly. "I'm sorry, Sonic, that you had to witness that."

"It's okay. Well, actually, it's not okay, to say the least, but..."

"Don't give it any more thought. My father flies into a rage quickly, but he usually calms down just as fast. Somehow he has changed over the years... I have no idea why, but he's no longer the kind person I once knew." She remembered her courtly manners. "Please accept my apologies for his behavior."

He waved if off. "Naah, don't worry. Besides, I don't take stupid talk like that personally anyway."

"And... and I'm sorry I soaked your fur," she muttered, lowerering her eyes in shame and blushing again.

"You didn't. And now it's you who should stop apologizing all the time." He gently lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him again. "Just smile!"

Seeing his smirk and hearing his statement actually brought a grin back to her lips. But it didn't last long. She was too concerned. "Sonic, I'm afraid you really have to go now. When my father is having one of his tantrums, he's capable of anything. I can't rule out the possibility that he's really going to alert the guards."

The Hedgehog understood and nodded. "I see. Seems we'll have to postpone our question time once again."

"Yes, unfortunately. Although I have to admit that something weird happened to me this morning when you caught me at the pier... Strange things suddenly flashed through my mind..." She ran her hand through her short mane of red hair, as if that could help her sort out her thoughts.

He could imagine pretty well what she was talking about. "Same goes for me!" What's going on here?! "We should really have a chat about this, as soon as possible."

"Tomorrow. Promise." Together they went to her balcony door.

"Isn't that festival taking place tomorrow?"

"Yes, but not until night. We'll have the whole day to us. Just come back to my balcony, like you did today. And, please..."

He already guessed what she was getting at. "I'll make sure no one spots me."

"Great!" Now she was smiling brightly after all. Somehow it made him happy.

"Can I really leave you alone with... him?" he asked her, glancing at her bedroom door.

"Don't worry about me. He won't kill me."

"Looked different to me!"

She rolled her eyes, but had to chuckle. "Yeah, like I said, he's changed a lot. But at the end of the day, he's still my dad. I know how to deal with him." I really wish I were as optimistic as my words suggest. She opened her balcony door and let him go ahead. "By the way, you did a really good job with the bandage. It hardly hurts anymore."

"Glad to hear!" But when his thoughts were taken back to the injury he had inflicted to her, his mood sank again. For a second, the image of Rouge forced itself in front of his mind's eye. Unconscious, badly wounded, her head wrapped in blood-soaked bandages. Scarred forever. A wave of guilt washed over him, threatening to pull the rug out from under him. "Elise... Somehow I have the impression that I just can't do anything right at the moment. And the more I try, the worse everything gets..." Suddenly he felt incredibly tired and dejected again.

Even without knowing him better she could see that he was not doing well, and it hurt her heart. "That's not true!" All of a sudden she bent down to him, took his big head in her hands, and breathed a kiss on his forehead. "Here you go! It's certainly not every day you get kissed by a real princess, right? I hope this will brighten your day at least a little bit."

Again he was taken by surprise and completely perplexed. A few minutes ago she had been deeply shaken and wept bitterly, and now she was already full of infectious cheerfulness again. Her proximity and her adorable nature confused and enchanted him once more, and also her intoxicating scent entered his nostrils again. He almost felt dizzy. "And what can I do to brighten your day?"

Elise giggled as she thought back to his big, velvety hands and the little claws on his fingertips. "You already did, believe it or not." With a beaming smile on her face, she winked at him.

He jumped onto the balustrade of her balcony, turned to her for the last time, and returned the wink. "See ya tomorrow, Princess!" He gave her his best smirk and a thumbs-up in goodbye. Then he leaped down from her balcony and ran into the surrounding forest, quickly disappearing among the trees.

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-===XXX===-

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A scorching heat seethed in her head, almost boiling her brain, and that was not just due to the glaring midday sun. The only part of her body that felt even hotter than her red glowing face at the moment was her wildly beating heart, which felt like it was burning with agony. This cannot possibly be true, she thought. I just don't believe it! Was Shadow right? She gnashed her teeth. I won't accept that. I can't accept that! Never in my life!

Amy sat on a branch fork, well hidden in the dense crown of a tall deciduous tree in the forest not far from the royal palace of Solenna. From here she had a good view of the south wing of Kingdom Valley Castle, but especially of the young princess' balcony. Trembling with rage and almost hyperventilating with despair, she dug her fingers into the limb below her until her claws tore open the tips of her gloves and left deep marks in the resin-bleeding wood.

After she and the others had been kicked out of that deadly boring history museum two hours ago, she had lurked outside the 'Venice Inn', waiting for Sonic to show up again. And indeed, at some point he had come, but just walked past her without even noticing her, all dreamy and lost in thought. He had entered the hotel and come out a short time later with a suspicious-looking bag and a long, colorful feather. Secretly she had followed him and eventually ended up here, near the palace, where she had witnessed in shock how he had climbed onto the noblewoman's balcony and knocked on the glass pane of her balcony door like some secret lover.

From her cover she then had watched how that cheap hussy had let Sonic into her room, as if she had only been waiting for him. That alone would have been bad enough, but the horror had just begun. The reflection of the sun in the balcony windows had distorted and impaired her vision a little, but she had been able to see more than enough. More than she would have liked.

She had seen how that skinny fishbone had taken his hand and led him to her bed. How she had put down her dress right in front of him. How she let him rub her back with massage oil and made him fiddle around all over on her. That filthy human whore!

At some point, a tall, bearded man came rushing into the room and dropped something on the floor before gesturing wildly and leaving again. Probably already the next admirer, angry about the fact that he still had to wait until he also was allowed to fiddle on her. Or maybe it was just the pizza delivery guy. Either way, it seemed that men were downright streaming in and out at her place. That cunt really had not a shred of decency!

After that, Sonic and that bitch had lain in each other's arms on her bed for a while longer and then went back out onto her balcony, looking completely flushed and exhausted. Another seemingly endless time of chatting passed, and then it appeared they were finally saying goodbye to each other. What did the two of them actually had to discuss all this time?

Then, Amy's heart almost stopped. Suddenly that bitch had leaned down to him, caressed his cheeks, and kissed him on the forehead. She kissed Sonic! My Sonikku! It just couldn't be, couldn't be true! Again and again, the scene flashed through her mind, and her throat choked up. An unbearable weight pressed down on her chest, threatening to crush her heart. For a moment she thought she could no longer breathe.

And while she was sitting there like paralyzed, her beloved jumped down from the woman's balcony and ran into the forest, passing right underneath her tree without even realizing that she was there. She knocked her teeth into the tree trunk to keep herself from screaming her pain out loud. Her larynx bounced up and down like a ping-pong ball as she sobbed into the bark. Tears of despair ran down her hot-red cheeks, and every muscle in her body cramped. Sonic, my love! How could you?! How could you do this to me?!

Only very gradually was she able to calm down again. She still clutched the branch she was sitting on with iron grip, and her supernatural strength made the wood groan. Her green eyes glistened with fury as she shifted her gaze to the balcony door again, which the human woman had just closed behind her.

I'll kill her! I'll crush her red-haired skull! I'll smash it to pieces! Strangely enough, she somehow felt she had to get herself a hammer. A big one. Immediately.

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-===XXX===-

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He ran, faster than he had in a long time. He crossed the forest of Soleanna in just a few seconds and reached a wide plain covered with grass and flowers. Here, where he couldn't do any major damage with his sonic boom, he went full blast, accelerating almost to the limits of what he was capable of.

The spot on his forehead where she had kissed him burned like fire, but it didn't hurt. Quite the opposite. Excited and confused, he desperately tried to comprehend what was going on with him. Thoughts chased each other in his head, and feelings he had never known before raced through his heart, which felt like it was about to explode in his chest at any moment. What happened back there? What is happening to me?

His tunnel vision kicked in, blurring the surroundings at the edge of his field of vision. The world around him became distorted, stretched, and even the curvature of the earth on the horizon seemed to increase. The energy he was unleashing discharged in blue lightning bolts that flashed around his body and legs before earthing into the ground to his feet. She... She's enchanting! She's enchanting me!

Fields and meadows alternated in the landscape. She's pretty tough, and yet very sensitive!

Towns and villages flew by on the horizon. She forgives mistakes, and is not resentful!

He dashed across rivers and lakes so fast that the water splashed meters high. She has personality, and doesn't let herself get down so easily!

He stormed snowy mountain peaks and passed through misty valleys. She has a sense of humor, and her laugh is just adorable!

He plowed through desert sands and weaved through the thickets of jungles. She's charming and empathetic!

He crossed over bridges and slid through underground passages. She's graceful and elegant!

Neither ditches nor ravines were obstacles for him. She's beautiful and attractive!

No wall or border was able to stop him. She's not exactly shy, but she doesn't seem twisted either!

The expanse on the horizon was boundless, and yet it seemed to be within reach. And she even smells good!

When he spotted another huge mountain in the distance, he decided to head for it. There's really some kind of connection between us! I don't quite understand it yet, but it's there! I've seen it. I can feel it! I wonder if she's feeling the same... He had to smile. But I'm going to find out! Can't wait for tomorrow. Can't wait to see her again!

He gave his everything and accelerated one more time. He sped up the mountain, dodging rocks and boulders, and reached the snowy peak in a fraction of a second. Without slowing his pace, he jumped, catapulted himself off the mountaintop, as if he was trying to fly to the sun.

He put his arms and legs to his body and, still ascending, performed some rolls in the air. I think...

At the apex of his trajectory, he stretched out his limbs again. I think I have...

He spread his arms and legs as much as he could, as if he wanted to embrace the whole world. Flying through the air like that, he laughed with happiness and let out a cry of joy, shouting out the realization he had come to as loud as he could. "I think I have feelings for you, Elise!"

...