C O N T R A S T

Chapter 3: Vacancy

Amy's eyelids fluttered open. Slowly she blinked the haziness out of her eyes, and soon enough she recognized the familiar look of her own bedroom. She had no memory of how she'd got there. The last thing she could remember was Sonic's arms embracing her...

And speaking of which - there he was.

By the side of the bed was Sonic. He sat with his head in his hands, facing downwards and with his eyes tightly closed, apparently deeply absorbed in his own thoughts. His quills stood slightly on edge, and Amy could see that his wounds had been carelessly tended to. The slash on his abdomen had a bandage sloppyily wrapped around it while the cut on his arm only had some kind of cloth tied to it. But the gashes on his palms, where Metal's claws had cut in, had no protection except his gloves, that he hadn't even bothered to change despite them being covered in dried blood and barely holding together.

Amy looked down at her own hands and noticed that every single little cut caused by the splintered glass had been picked clean. There was even a band aid covering one of the deeper cuts. She figured the same treatment had been done to her knees. When she reached a hand up to touch her cheek, she noticed that there was yet another band aid. The bandaging on her arm was also fixed much more neatly than Sonic's, and she began to wonder if it had even been done by the same person.

Nothing hurt and neither Amy's back nor head ached in the slightest.

She glanced back at Sonic and carefully reached a hand over to touch his shoulder. "Sonic..?" She whispered softly.

The reaction was instant, the sound of her voice made him flinch and both his head and ears shot up. He met her gaze, his whole body relaxing once he realized that she'd awoken. How long had she been asleep?

Sonic's hand grasped hers and gently showered it with kisses as his entire face shone of relief, the brightest of smiles stretching across his muzzle.

"Amy..!" He croaked before clearing his throat. "I'm so glad you're finally awake."

"H-how long have I been asleep?" Amy asked, casting a glance towards the window. It looked bright enough outside but with these clear summer nights it was hard to tell.

"Eight hours."

"I guess we missed Vanilla's dinner then..."

Sonic uttered a dry laugh, as if that was the least of his problems. Then he instinctively drew a hand towards his abdomen and for a second his face flashed in pain, though he was quick to mask it. However, Amy picked up on it and stared at him with concerned eyes. "Sonic, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. What's important is you, Amy."

At that, suddenly memories of this morning came flooding back to Amy. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes while Sonic's face shifted in instant worry. "What's wrong, are you in pain? Does your arm hurt?"

Amy merely shook her head and gave him a teary look. "No, it's just.. I- I thought I'd never get to see you again. I was so scared that-.. that- Oh, Sonic..!" She broke down and sobbed so hard that she almost choked on her own tears.

Sonic crawled up in bed next to her and carefully brought her to his chest, mindful not to cause her any more pain. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and cooed loving words to her - the loveliest, most hopeful words he could possibly think of. "In sunny Roseland, where summer breezes are playing. Where the honey bees are a-maying..." He began to sing softly while stroking her tears away with his thumb. "There all the roses are swaying, dancing while the meadow brook flows.."

Amy buried her face in his chest, her crying hardening as she was forced to relive the horror.

"The moon when shining is more than ever designing. For 'tis ever then am I pining, pining to be sweetly recling..."

Between each line, Sonic planted tender kisses upon the top of her head.

"Somewhere in Roseland - beside a beautiful rose..."

He continued to hum quietly until Amy's tears had finally subsided. After a while, silence settled in the room but the sound of Sonic's voice still seemed to linger in the air, like a spell that protected her from any ill thoughts. She could've easily fallen back asleep right at that moment but once she could think clear something gnawed in the back of her mind.

"Sonic..?"

"Yes, Ames?"

"H-how did you know I was in d-danger?"

The look on his face changed into a doboius one and his eyes got distant. He tried hard to find the words for what he'd experienced at that dreadful moment.

"I don't know how to explain it, suddenly I got this weird, cold feeling as an intense pain blossomed up in my chest. My feet instantly stopped running, making me almost crash into the ground. I thought I was going to black out right or something, but then I just got this notion that you were in danger..." He held a hesitant look for a brief second before continuing. "I know it might sound crazy, but It was almost as if I could hear your voice calling out to me."

"I did.." Amy said, locking eyes with him. "I prayed that you'd be safe, that Metal would just be satisfied with me and let you live. Even when I thought I was going to die - all I could think of was how glad I felt that it was me and not you lying there."

"Oh, Ames.." Sonic whispered, touched by her sentiment but also concerned. She should never even have to contemplate a thing like that. "When I proposed to you I promised that I'd take care of you and protect you until my last breath. I swore it on this-" He held up her left hand slightly, stroking his thumb across the golden ring. "-so, please, don't ever think like that - cause I'd give my life for you, alright?"

"I know you would.." Amy whispered back, he could see the fatigue creep up on her.

Thus, Sonic planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "You should try to get some rest, I'll be here until you've fallen asleep, alright?"

"Okay.."

Carefully, he then shifted into a more comfortable position and rested his eyes on her.

"S-Sonic?" Amy suddenly whispered faintly, her eyes barely managing to stay open. "I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too."

The downstairs was still in quite a mess, with glass shards still spread out on the floor like little pieces of diamonds. They glittered in the late sunlight that shone through the gaping hole in the sliding doors. Torn pages of various books gently drifted across the room as a wind swept in, and the sound of their rustling spread a melancholy feeling.

Amongst the rubble stood Tails who stacked books back up on the shelves of the restored bookcase. Luckily, it hadn't taken much of a toll of Metal Sonic's body collide with it.

The memory of the completely demolished robot brought a shiver down Tails' spine. Sonic had thankfully gotten rid of the parts while he had tended to Amy's wounds. But he hadn't dared to ask where cause the distraught on his brother's face when he'd gotten back and looked at his fianceé had been too overwhelming. Even if his injuries were more severe than hers, Sonic had outright refused to let Tails bandage him before Amy had been taken care of first.

Tails had agreed but still insisted that he at least could patch himself up then, which Sonic complied to.

Afterwards he'd silently taken Amy into his arms and carried her upstairs, and hadn't come back down since.

Hours had already passed, and Tails had just woken up from having fallen asleep on the couch when he'd waited for his brother to return. And just as he put the last book in place on its shelf he heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Sonic?" Tails called with a gentle tone.

A second later his older brother appeared in the room, looking mildly surprised. "Oh, Tails.. I thought you'd be asleep by now."

Ironically, Sonic looked like he hadn't slept for weeks or would ever dare to close his eyes again. As if the last couple of hours had changed him beyond recognition. His eyes were somber but held a sort of silent conviction in them, as a result of hard thinking for a long time. Tails barely dared to let his eyes wander over his carelessly bandaged wounds, the likeness of infection in at least one of them was probably already a fact.

Tails, however, decided to let it be for now and instead gave his brother a weak smile. "I woke up a while ago and decided to make myself useful." He gestured towards the bookcase. "How about you, did you get any sleep?"

The answer was pretty much already given but Sonic shook his head regardless.

"No, I.." He seemed to suppress something, but before Tails could inquire any further his brother's face suddenly lit up. "Amy's awake."

"Really? That's great! How's she feeling, can I go see her?"

Sonic chuckled briefly and patted him on the back. "She fell back asleep, little buddy, but she said she wasn't in any pain at least."

Tails looked just as relieved as Sonic felt over hearing that and gave him a hug, lightly to not cause his abdomen any discomfort, and said— "That's good. I'll repair the window as well as fix the record player for her!"

"I'm sure she'll love that." Sonic replied, hugging his brother back and for a moment forgetting all of his thoughts over the past hours.

Together they cleaned up all the broken pieces of glass, gathered the remaining pages of different books, and salvaged the broken parts of the record player. The daintily table it had stood on was beyond repair. As were the tulle curtains in the kitchen, and Sonic felt sickened by just looking at the claw marks and imagining the utter fear Amy must've experienced. Anger and shame shot through his veins like venom and he cursed the fact that he hadn't been there to protect her.

When somewhat of an order had been restored to the house, Tails insisted in finally getting to tend to his wounds, to which Sonic only gave a small nod. The complete lack of care on his face made Tails slightly irritated and he probably tied the bandages a bit harder than necessary.

"Thanks, it actually feels a bit better now." Sonic said sincerly as they both slumped down on the couch. "And thank you for coming as fast as you did before. I don't know what I'd do without ya, little bro. I owe you, big time."

"You don't owe me anything, Sonic, I care about Amy just as much as you do. We should both be grateful that you managed to save her from Metal in time, who knows what it could've done to her.."

"Yeah, I-.. it's all I've been able to think about these last couple of hours."

"Do you think it was Robotnik? That sent it, I mean."

A heavy sigh escaped Sonic's lips as he gave his brother an empty look. "It was a Metal Sonic so..." He shrugged his shoulders. "But it doesn't have to mean he knows anything. For all we know it could've been a stray one. Maybe it had gone rogue or something..."

Tails' expression turned dobious. "I don't know.. A stray Metal that just happens to stumble upon your house, right when Amy's being home alone, and then deciding to attack her without slightest provocation... the odds seem very slim." His features deepend in concentration as he tried to make out a possible explantaion. "Did you notice anything strange about how it behaved? Rogue robots have a tendency to act quite erratically and unfocused, especially if they had a specific target programmed prior to their revolt."

Something suddenly clicked within the depths of Sonic's mind, color draining from his muzzle as his pupils grew small.

"It was as if it was obsessed with her, it only really focused on me when I kept it from reaching her."

Tails' expression turned anxious at this information. "So you think Amy was the target? I mean, maybe it just followed you all the way from Chun-nan..?"

"Yeah, that's probably it. It can't be her.." And now Sonic seemed to mutter more to himself than his brother. "It just can't..."

"I think we have to consider it a possibilty, just for now at least. After all, there wasn't anything indicating that Robotnik was aware of, well, your situation when we faced him a few days ago. Maybe we should just be extra cautious for a couple of days, until we know for sure that nothing's after either of you."

"You're right, little buddy. We lay low for a while, figure things out.."

The two friends settled back once more, neither truly relaxed but slightly more at ease than before. Tails even managed to fall back asleep, his ruffled bangs pressing into the couch as he lightly began snoring. The stress having surely taken it's toll on him as well. Sonic on the other hand was in a state of doubting whether he'd be able to sleep ever again, though judging by his weary thoughts he'd more than likely need to.

He got up from his seat and walked off into the kitchen, leaving his brother to sleep in peace, and over to the wall-attached telephone. A yellow post-it note beside the phone, most likely put there by Tails, told him that Vanilla had called multiple times over the course of his absence and that it was probably a good idea to call her back. Tails' lack of information regarding Amy's health in detail had surely worried the poor woman, and not to mention her daughter for that matter. Vanilla was very much like a somewhat informal mother to the entire group. Always caring and supportive, yet, if the situation called for it, could be rightfully stern and parental. And above all else she was blessed with the mild temper and patience of an angel. Despite his lack of personal experience, Sonic knew that she was certainly the ideal mother - a stark contrast to how his own parents must've been like.

That, and her abilty to raise Cream all by herself had caused him to harbor great respect for the older rabbit.

With swift fingers, Sonic dialed the number to the Rabbit's house and then waited for someone to pick up on the other end. It didn't take more than a mere second until he was met with Vanilla's soft spoken voice, that for once sounded a bit more pressing.

"Mister Sonic?"

"Hey, Miss Vanilla." Sonic said in confirmation, trying to sound as casual as possible. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to call you, you must've been worried. But I just couldn't bring myself to leave Amy's side."

"It's alright, my dear, I understand. How's she feeling? Young mister Tails was very brief when we last spoke."

"She's.. okay. A bit shaken up, but Tails patched her up nicely. And I'll make sure she gets all the rest she needs."

"I trust you will. You're a fine, upstanding young man, Sonic." Her voice broke a little and he could hear that she tried to keep herself from turning sentimental. "She means a lot to me, as if she was my own daugther... In my heart I know you'll keep her safe."

"I'd do anything for her." Sonic reassured lowly. Almost being able to picture the tender smile that spread on Vanilla's face.

"And how are you, my boy?"

"How am I?" He echoed.

And for a moment Sonic truly wanted to tell her the truth. About his worries. His fear that the life he loved might be coming to an end.

That it would soon be all taken away from him.

And the feeling that it was somehow his own fault.

He wanted to be comforted. Told that it was all nonsense...

But above all he dreaded being told that it actually was.

So instead he said—

"I'm okay, I just-" He paused and answered as truthfully as he could. "I don't wanna lose it all."

"A fiancé has to be courteous, and be able to put his fianceé above everything and most importantly - himself. Can you do that, Sonic?"

Without a doubt he answered. "Yes."

"Then you have nothing to fear. Cause even when you doubt yourself, when you think that you might not be enough, your heart will know the truth. And it will guide you right."

"Thank you, Miss Vanilla."

"It's quite alright, my dear. I'll come by tomorrow with some warm meals for you both. Take care of yourself in the meantime, and promise me you'll try and get some sleep, you sound absolute exhausted."

"I promise. And tell Cream I said hi, would you, please."

"I will. Bye now."

"Bye."

The call ended and Sonic was left with the droning sound of the telephone still held in his hand. With a sudden remembrance of what he was doing he hung the phone back in place, let out a deep breath, and turned his back against it.

Staring out through the wide kitchen windows, he could see how the sky was slowly turning to a darker shade of blue but that the sun was not going down just yet. He made his way out through the kitchen door and began to wander around aimlessly in the garden. His legs practically itched for a run after having being still for almost nine hours, but no amount of willpower in the world could get him to leave the house. The very thought of it made him want to instantly move closer to it. He felt too restless to try and sleep now, he wasn't in the least bit willing to give in to the exhaustion that had slowly began to eat away at his mind.

At the table where he and Amy had ate their breakfast laid a newspaper that he skimmed through. A headline on the second page caught his eye, it read; "The continuous disappearance of overlanders - a coincidence or a conscious provocation?"

The text below continued to read; "The sudden dissapperance of Overlanders all across Mobius continues to grow in numbers, with the last report from various local police stations amounting to a total of eighty four victims that has been reported missing since the beginning of this year. These reported missings and failings to recover the victims have upset not only the concerned families and friends, but has lately also stirred attention from organisations in large Overlander populated cities such as Spagonia and Empire City. Several parties have suggested that it might be a question of a provocation from the Anthro population. A spokesperson from TPOR (The Preservation of Overlander's Rights) Charles Scott said the following in an interview: "It's not a secret that Overlanders are a minority that for decades have been silently oppressed in many ways by the Anthro population. Our heritage to our ancestors know as Humans has for far too long muddled our reputation and we've therefore been succumbed to being viewed as lower standing beings. So when a large number of our kind are being abducted in the dark are we just to assume that this is not an open threat? A provocation by radical Anthro's that G.U.N seems to have turned a blind eye on? How can we be sure that G.U.N has not become corrupted by the influence of the Anthros? Is any Overlander still safe to walk the streets without-..."

At that, Sonic discared the paper to the side while letting out an exasperated sigh. He'd heard about the dissapperances while he'd been away, but had been too busy with Robotnik's mayhem to really delve any deeper into it. However, from what he could make of the article it was apparently starting to create a wedge between Overlanders and Anthros. Which couldn't lead to anything else than that riled up conspirators like Charles Scott got to shout in various papers, radio programmes and TV broadcastings as a way of attracting audience and buyers. It certainly wouldn't help the poor police officers across Mobius who were probably working hard on finding the victims in question.

But at least it might get G.U.N to finally engage in anything other than their own beneficial interests.

When it came to politics Sonic tried to keep as far away from it as possible. At most listen on one ear if he ever came across anything on the news but would often just leave it at that. And as of now he had far bigger problems to worry about.

For almost two full hours he managed to occupy himself with various tasks like watering the entire garden, picking ripe berries and succesfully replacing the broken boards in the picket fence, as well as painting them white. The less damage that was visible the better for Amy, he figured.

This was her sanctuary after all. A garden of roses that no matter how stunningly elusive they got could never be as beautiful as their caretaker.

Sonic let his finger tips brush against the petals of one particular type of rose that grew in it's very own pot. The pot had been placed underneath the kitchen window, so that Amy could admire their beauty the first thing in the morning. She claimed that these roses stemed from a very special one. A rose with a scent sweeter than any other, and with petals more perfect than if someone had hand drawn it. She claimed it was the very first rose he'd ever given her.

Even if it must have been for almost seven years ago, Sonic could clearly recall the day in question.

He smiled thoughtfully at the memory of his sixteen year old self, profusely sweating and nervously fumbling with the single rose he'd obtained from the recent adventure that he'd just gotten back from. It was with played nonchalance and his famous smirk plastered on his face that he'd offered the flower to the then thirteen year old Amy Rose. In reality, his heart had been close to jumping out of his chest due to the sheer pressure. And although a boy presenting a flower to the girl he secretly adored might be a traditional and utterly normal occurrence in the world, to Sonic it had signified a whole lot more. It had been a sign of the love they'd share in the then coming future. A silent vow of his dedication and protection of her as long as he should live.

He knew then, as sure as he did now, that she would be the girl he'd give all his roses to.

Sonic rarely got nostalgic, his entire being was about moving forward - both literary and in life. But sometimes it was hard not to be overcome by the simpler times of days now long gone. Not that he wished to have anything undone or redone for that matter. Well, except for perhaps the time he ate his first chili dog, or the first time he'd broken the sound barrier, or turned into his super form and feeling the pure chaos energy coursing through his system.

Life back then he'd known. Growing older had presented new forms of challenges that no longer involved the most effective way of defeating a horde robots, or coming up with new and clever puns to throw at Robotnik.

Sonic glanced down at his engagement ring that gleamed vaguely in the setting sun.

How to propose had been one of them.

His eyes then drifted up towards the bedroom window which was slightly ajar and felt immediately drawn to it. And having nothing left to distract himself with out here, he decided to head on back inside the house - wanting to put an end to this dreadful day.

When Sonic quietly stepped into the living room Tails was pretty much in the same state as he'd left him in - deep into dreamland and snoring gently. The sight of his little brother sound asleep made Sonic relax as well as bring a smile to his face. He covered him in one of Amy's patched quilts, softly as not to wake him, before making his way upstairs. Mindful to not creak any of the steps.

Even softer were his footsteps as he entered the bedroom.

Much like Tails, Amy had remained in the almost exact position as she'd been when he'd left her for about three hours ago. All but her face, which held a frown and her usually rosy cheeks that had been stained by dried tears.

Had she cried in her sleep?

The thought froze Sonic to his very core. A new wave of guilt washing over him. He so desperately wished he could take all her pain, worry and suffering and carry it for her. Smooth out the small frown between her eyes. Remove every last tiny scratch from her delicate skin and etch them onto himself instead.

"Oh, Ames.." He whispered under his breath.

For a brief moment he debated whether he should wake her up, but at the same time he didn't wish to disturb her slumber.

If only he could relieve her dreams, make them sweet and hopeful.

After careful though Sonic's eyes landed on the wooden dressing table where, among colorful ribbons, and other various girly adornments that he didn't know half the names for, a music box stood. Modest in size but elegantly crafted with equally elegant carvings on the sides, resembling flowers of every possible kind.

When opening the lid it revealed a larger image in faded pastel colors. From what he could tell it illustrated a lake, filled with lilypads and two swans circling around the edge while the background depicted a classic fairy-tale type castle. In the midst of it all stood a uniform clad soldier holding out his hand towards a beautiful ballerina that held her hand out as well - but neither of them managing to reach far enough for their hands to meet.

A symbol of two lovers who would never get each other.

The music that played when reeling back the little lever attatched to the side of the box had a wistful yet lulling melody. Sonic had only ever heard it a few times. Sometimes when Amy got upset with him she could turn to the music box for comfort as it, besides the music, held various items that affirmed her of Sonic's love for her. Letters as well as birthday cards he'd sent, small keepsakes like old tickets from all the times they'd visited Twinkle Park, shells from beaches he'd taken her to, and their most precious pictures together.

Ever so gently Sonic reeled the lever backwards a few turns, letting the soft melody fill the room in hopes of that it would reach Amy in her sleep, and perhaps bring her the serenity she needed.

Soon enough, and whether it was merely a trick of his mind or not, a more peaceful expression settled upon her face.

With a slightly eased heart, Sonic wandered over to the cushioned window seat, and sat down with his head turned towards Amy's sleeping form. Determined to guard her the whole night through. Like always his eyes softened when he looked at her.

Despite the bandages she was still so utterly beautiful - like a princess.

The sight made his heart ache.

He had to restrain himself from taking her into his arms and hold her petite form against his chest. But from his seat in the window he could watch over her while also keeping an eye on the outside.

And despite what he'd promised Vanilla earlier - he knew he wasn't getting any sleep tonight.

The following days after the incident passed in silent tranquility.

No other Metal Sonic showed up, and if it really had been sent by Robotnik, the doctor made no claim of it at least. So Sonic decided to settle for Tails' theory of it having simply been targeted at him and not Amy. The fact that it had found her alone had probably only been an unfortunate coincidence. She was at no risk. However, that hadn't stopped the nightmares from plauging poor Amy's dreams every night since then. She'd wake up screaming in bloodcurdling agony with tears running down her cheeks. Not even Sonic's presence could keep the nightmares away anymore - no matter how tight he held her as she fell asleep or how much he comforted her once she woke up crying out for him. For in the depths of her nightmares she witnessed her worst of fears come true - Sonic constantly died in almost every possible way imaginable, all while Metal's uncanny laughter cut through her like shattered glass.

Only on the fourth night did Amy have enough sensibility as to understand that what she saw wasn't real. Instead she woke up with a silent scream frozen upon her face as silent tears brimmed her eyes, each which got kissed away by her love.

That same morning she sat out in the garden, digging her nails into the soft, wam soil, when she told herself to not let the nightmares ruin her days with Sonic. Sooner or later he'd be forced to leave again, the world wouldn't stay still for long, she knew that. And who knew how long he'd be gone for next time? No, she was wasting precious time on feeling sorry for herself. Those dreams weren't real. And they never would be. Sonic always came through for her - always.

Once he came through the garden gate, having just returned from his morning run, Amy seized the moment—

"S-Sonic?"

Sonic immediately stopped in his tracks and walked over to her where she sat by the flowers, and sank down to his knees next to her. He smiled warmly as he stroked her cheek and gave her his full attention, cocking his brow sligthly. "You okay, Ames?"

Amy nodded and produced a smile of her own. "I'm okay, I was just thinking... could we go to Seaside Hill today? I'd like to get some new shells to decorate the flowersbeds with, and Seaside is the only beach that has those pretty pink ones.." It was such an innocent and silly request that she almost felt embarrassed to ask him of it. But the look she received was neither reluctant nor dismissive, in fact, his face shone and his smile widened even further.

"Of course, that's a great idea! Yeah, let's go pick some shells." It felt like a ton of bricks had just been dropped from Sonic's shoulders. Pure relief washed over him as he took her into his arms and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Anything you want, my rose!"

A few minutes later they had fetched a large rucksack, which Sonic carried on his shoulders while his arms naturally carried Amy. With swift steps he then took off into the wide stretched meadows and rolling hills.

The wind blew past their ears and rushed beneath his feet so that it almost felt as if he was flying by, each step placed with utter preciseness. It were in these moments that he became one with the wind - with the very world itself. All of his senses blended together in sweet harmony until all his attention were focused strictly ahead. And due to his extraordinary speed he always had to be at least a couple of miles ahead of himself, constantly prepared for the next turn or the next hilltop or whatever it might be that came in his way.

When alone, he would often amuse himself by pulling off risky and breakneck stunts in order to futher challange his own senses. Running thorugh giant loop-de-loops was an absolute favorite of his, and had been ever since he was a young child growing up in Green Hill. There they made up most of the landscape, in fact. But with Amy in his arms he solely focused on not hitting anything, despite the chances being very low of him even gracing as much as a pebble in the wrong way. She clung to him, not in a freigthened way but in a way that she'd done countless of times before - arms around his neck and head pressed to his chest, her face half buried into it. Sometimes she'd close her eyes, causing her to appear sleeping while other times, when she thought he wasn't aware, she'd simply gaze at him.

And during these runs her only request was to be held in such a way that her head rested against his left side.

In his early teens Sonic had once inquired as to why she always insisted on it, thinking of it as insiginficant. The answer, however, showed to be far more embarrassing than he'd thought. "So that I can listen to your heart." - Amy had responded honestly and completely unabashed.

So now, years later, it had become a natural habit that went without saying.

Seaside Hill were located along the north west coast, almost an hour long run in Sonic's restricted tempo. Which was neccessary as Amy's body couldn't handle the extreme amount of velocity for longer periods of time. And as soon as Sonic halted near one of the many steep cliffsides, she sighed in relief over having finally arrived.

Below them the wide ocean laid shimmering and crystal blue with countless isles, high and low, spread across as far as the eye could reach. A tropical paradise of swaying palmtrees, grassy fields and white beaches that one could easily get lost in. Integrated with the landscape were also ruins made out of white and red stone, some still standing proudly while others were completely submerged in water. It was hard to tell what the architecture had once resembled simce most of it was long gone but most roads and loop-de-loops, acting as bridges between the isles, still were intact.

Sonic, having explored every corner of the place multiple times, naturally knew his way around and trekked the surroundings with ease. He took Amy to an especially gorgeous beach where he was sure there'd be plenty of pink shells for her to pick. There he set her down and watched her reaction with great satisfaction.

Amy's face shone brighter than the sun as she playfully twirled in little circles along the shore, kicking her feet so that water splashed around her ankles. The refreshing sensation made her giggle and soon her skirt were fully sprinkled by water. "Oh Sonic, this is wonderful!" She exclaimed.

"Just watch out for orcas!" Sonic called back jokingly.

But just as those words left his lips did an orca shot up from the depths mere meters away, flipping in the air before disappearing back into the ocean and thus causing a rather big wave to crash against their beach. Sonic then watched with shocked eyes as Amy, who had stood before him a second ago, now got washed away by the wave and pulled off into the deeper end.

"A-Amy!" He shouted in panic and without thinking rushed forth and dove head first into the water, clawing desperately for her.

Alas, no matter how much he flung his arms around or kicked his feet - Sonic the Hedgehog sunk like a rock. Sinking straight down to the ocean floor within mere seconds.

Luckily, he'd instinctively taken a deep breath before plunging himself into the depths and therefore didn't swallow any water. But none of that concerned him as his eyes feverishly shot in every direction, trying to catch sight of Amy.

"No, no, no... this can't be happening..!" Sonic thought helplessly as he once again tried to claw his way forward but to no avail. "I have to save her.. I have to-"

Suddenly he felt a pair of arms pull him upwards, back towards the surface. His first reaction was to resist but once he recognized Amy's slender arms around his torso he immediately tried to make himself lighter, which of course was rather futile.

Despite her small size Amy managed, with all her strength and help from the water, to pull Sonic onto shore where she then latched on to him for dear life. "Sonic, my darling, are you okay? Can you breathe?" She cried, shaking his shoulders.

Sonic uttered something between a cough and a high pitched wheeze, gesturing for her to let go of him which she instantly did, before managing to stutter forth—

"Y-yes, I think so..!"

"Why, oh why did you do that, Sonikku? You know you can't swim!"

"The wave-.. I thought you were in trouble."

There was a pause as Sonic sat himself up, only to get enveloped in a bear hug from Amy. She shook her head and planted multiple kisses on his cheek. "If you'd just waited a second you would have seen that I was fine, the wave just surprised me that's all." Then a sigh escaped her lips as she hugged him even closer. "You crazy hedgehog...!"

Sonic chuckled, returning the hug. "Love makes you do crazy things, remember? Not that I was much help anyway.."

"That's because you have a heart of gold." Amy whispered softly. "All people born with a heart of purest gold inside their chest sink like rocks in water."

"Then I'm lucky to have a guardian angel by my side."

Wrapped in each other's arms, and completely soaked to the bone, their eyes got fixed in a sudden modest gaze. Sonic was the first one to break the silence as he gently helped Amy back on her feet and offered her his hand.

"Come on, let's go pick those shells of yours."

And just as Sonic had predicted it didn't take long before they had filled the rugsack almost to the brim with pink shells. It would have taken even less time had it not been for that Amy insisted that only the finest and perfectly shaped shells would do. As a result, Sonic had to continuously ask of her approval to the ones he found. However, once he was done he amused himself by taking a run through the entirety of Seaside Hill.

Meanwhile Amy had remained back at the mainland, picking berries and mushrooms that grew at the edge of a nearby forest.

Spending the day away from home for the first time in days was somewhat of a relief to the girl. The sun seemed to shine even brighter out here and the fresh ocean breeze had a calming effect on her. And even though she absolutely adored her snug little cottage house among the meadows, she'd always dreamed of living closer to the sea. But due to Sonic's great reluctance, and preferance to rather view anything related to the ocean from afar, it was surely a hopeless dream. She wouldn't want to try and pursuade him anyhow.

Amy's hand reached out to pick a strawberry from the bush she was currently occupied with, when a flicky suddenly came flying down from a tree. It was sky blue in color, and landed on her shoulder without any hesitation. For a brief moment she thought she recognized the flicky, letting out a surprised breath.

"Birdie?"

The flicky only stared back at her while tilting it's head and chirping.

Realizing her mistake, Amy shook her head and said— "Sorry, I thought you were someone else. I have an old friend who looks almost just like you, though he carries a pendant." She picked up one of the berries, which she carried in her skirt, and offered it to the newcomer. "I bet you want a strawberry. Here you go, take one."

The flicky nodded its little head in delight before accepting the berry and quickly beginning to peck on it.

"You're really cute." Amy said, gently stroking its soft feathers with the very tip of her pinky, to which the flicky responds by briefly nuzzling its head against her cheek. This made her break into a fit of giggles, thus attracting even more flickies to flock around her. Soon she was busy feeding a whole dozen of them with strawberries, while those flickies who she'd already fed had begun fetching flowers for her as a way to show their appreciation.

It was truly a sight to behold.

Speaking of which, when Sonic arrived a couple minutes later, roused from his just finished thrill kick, he had to stop dead in his tracks in order to perceive the scene before him.

Settled among the forest's lush surroundings and several colorful flickies sat his fianceé. Barefoot and covered in flowers - petals adorning her head. On her blue skirt laid a handful of berries which she eagerly offered her company. The light that seemed to emit from her eyes when she saw him could easily have made even the sun blush - and inside his chest, Sonic could feel his heart pound heavily against his rib cage.

As he slowly made his way towards Amy, he could make out some of the words the flickies chirped to each other.

"That's Sonic the Hedgehog." One of them pointed out matter of factly. "The girl is his beloved."

"She is very kind, I think her name is Rose!" Another one chirped.

"These berries are super yummy!"

"Is she actually a real rose, momma?"

"Make way everyone, he's coming towards us."

Several of the flickies followed this notion and drew back into the trees, yet some remained on the ground and watched in curiosity as Sonic bent down to his knees in front of Amy. They then watched even more intently as he gently cuped her face in his hands, and without uttering a single word, pressed his lips against hers.

"Strawberries.." He muttered to himself under his breath as he slowly drew his head back. There was a flirtatious tone in his voice and he flashed an almost boyish smirk. Amy, on the other hand, blushed madly and lightly slapped his shoulder before drawing back. Still, there had appeared a certain playfulness in her jade eyes and Sonic wasn't slow to catch on to it.

"Tut-tut, Sonikku! Don't go steal a girl's kiss like that."

"Your lips told me otherwise."

"Brute!"

"Temptress!"

"Slowpoke!"

"Okay, that's it - you're toast, Miss Rose!"

Both hedgehogs sprung to their feet, Amy being a mere second quicker which allowed her to run past Sonic and take off running towards the meadow behind him.

Being the gentleman that he was, Sonic waited until she got a good head start before ultimately beginning to set off after her.

It was a most playful chase and Amy frequently turned her head to stick her tongue out at her pursuer in between fits of giggles. Sonic, who wasn't even using a fraction of his usual speed, had settled for something akin to a jog, but still ran close enough to keep Amy at her toes. He didn't mind the slow pace and even pretended to stumble now and again or make excessively sharp drifts across the grass whenever she changed direction. Amy's chortling laugther echoed around the meadow, filling Sonic's heart with the simplest yet greatest of joys. The blue skirt and the straps of the bow fluttered behind her as she ran, and if Sonic merely stretched out his hand he could easily have caught a hold of the hem of the skirt.

Even if Amy was indeed a fast runner, probably above the average mobian due to her years of chasing after him, her running style was quite peculiar. Instead of keeping her arms and legs close to the body, she had them flailing around herself as if she was wading through water while her legs, being naturally pointed slightly inwards, kicked her feet high up in the air behind her. It also caused her to get fatiguated a lot faster. Sonic had many times thought about teaching her how to run properly and thus more effectively, though a part of him found it oddly endearing to watch her flail around like a little flicky. Yet, he made a mental note to suggest the idea at some point soon. Perhaps they could practice now and then during the summer.

He just hoped he'd have more time to spend with her than the previous one...

Robotnik had made sure to keep him busy through most of July and August. Not that the weather affected any of his plans, the climate on this part of Mobius was practically in the middle of an eternal summer and spring all year long. With winter and fall passing within the lapse of two months. However, Sonic had always held a soft spot for June especially.

Maybe it was pure coincidence but June had always been a good month for him.

His first meeting with Tails, suddenly giving him a little brother.

His birthday was the twenty third.

And two years earlier he'd proposed to Amy just a week after his birthday, on the very last day of June.

The thought took him aback slightly - it had almost gone exactly two years...

Instinctively, he decided to close the distance between them.

"Gotcha Amy!"

Sonic chuckled as he caught her in his arms and lifted her petite form slightly above the ground. It was very similar to the way she had used to catch him when they were younger. But now the roles were reversed.

"It's no fair!" Amy exclaimed but didn't sound the least bit displeased over having been caught. In fact, she giggled heartily while her cheeks flushed due to the rush.

Soon their lips found one another and they sealed in a tender kiss while Sonic stroked her cheek softly. He tilted her head upwards, thus deepening the kiss even further.

When they parted he held his usual goofy smile. "I could kiss you forever and still not feel like I've had enough." He whispered, rubbing his long nose against her buttom like one. Amy returned the gesture and leaned in closer.

Sonic then procedeed to rub his cheek against hers while also planting small butterfly kisses along her jawline. This caused Amy to utter half choked fits of giggles as she tried to squirm out of his embrace, but to no avail.

"Sonikku, stop it! It tickles, tee-hee!"

"Sorry, I just can't help myself. You're so soft..!"

"And you're prickly!"

They continued to play around until Sonic ultimately feigned to fall backwards into a large patch of forget-me-nots. Amy, who he'd pressed against his chest in order to protect her from the impact, landed on top of him while he in turn got covered in multiple little blue petals. One settling perfectly on the tip of his nose.

Underneath the clear sky and warm rays of sunshine they then cuddled together, watching as clouds passed by while eating the fruit and mushrooms Amy had kept in the rucksack as dinner, and decided that this part of meadow was a good spot to spend the night. Then while in the midst of talking of how they should visit the Rabbit's one of the coming days, Sonic suddenly straightened up. "I just remembered..!" He exclaimed, snapping his fingers, smiling ear to ear. "-We never finished that dance I promised ya'."

Amy's heart swelled with warmth as Sonic then proceeded to jump to his feet and extend his hand towards her, inviting her to his embrace. Without a second's notice she accepted his hand and soon they were so close two people could be. And with the beaming sunset performing as background, the young couple began to gently sway amongst the vast sea of flowers. Neither of them said a word, but no words were really needed. All they had to do was look into each other's eyes to understand what the other one was feeling.

The purest, most innocent form of love.

Amy was so overwhelmingly beautiful in the light of the setting sun that Sonic constantly had to remind himself to breathe. All his mind seemed to want to do was memorize every second of this image as well as every inch of Amy's face. Every possible shift of her features were to be detailed so that he at any given point in time would be able to go back and remember how she'd looked at this exact moment.

The kisses that were exchanged between them were soft and tender, as were the words that Sonic now and again whispered in Amy's ear which painted her cheeks rosy red.

These kinds of moments were especially dear to her heart.

She'd never admit it to him, but a lot of her nightmares where usually about losing him. That her life for the past two years had merely been a wonderful yet completely fabricated dream. If they got really bad she could even be left thinking her entire life together with Sonic had just been made up. That she'd wake up and find herself being nine years old again, alone - with no one in the entire world to count on. But at the same time it was just as easy to forget all such thoughts when she was in the midst of a scene that easily could've been taken out of one of her romance novels back home.

"Amy.."

Sonic's voice brought her back to a reality that's indeed very real. He gazed down at her while softly stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"What were you daydreaming of?" He had recongized the dreamy expression on her face. Past experiences with this girl had taugth him that her daydreams usually seemed to involve him in one way or another. Much probably due to old habits, he figured.

"Nothing special.." Amy said, her cheeks naturally taking on a rosy color. "Just thinking about how happy I am."

Sonic flashed a toothy smile. "Is that so?"

"And also what to get you for your birthday. It's less than three weeks away, you know! I've been meaning to ask what you wish for."

"Oh, right, my birthday." He chuckled lightheartedly before playfully twisting his face as if in deep thought. "Hmm, well I could always use a new pair of socks..."

"Sooonic..!"

"One mustn't underestimate the importance of a good pair of socks."

"Fine, I'll buy you socks. Anything else?"

Truth be told, Sonic hadn't given much thought about his approaching birthday, even less what he could possibly wish for.

When looking into Amy's eyes it was hard to imagine how he could ever wish for anything else than her.

Freedom? He had the entire world within the grasp of his hand. He could run and go wherever he wanted to - no sweat! He could probably explore every last inch of the planet, scour mountains, plains and jungles. Cross oceans. Rake the skies. And even if years went by he'd still have time to do it all over again. For the longest time he'd thought that commiting himself to another person was a one way ticket to take away that freedom. That, like iron shackles, it would tie him down to the ground, a way of slowly but surely breaking him apart until nothing would be left of himself. But the honest truth Sonic had been forced to ultimately face was that commitment didn't bind him - it liberated him.

Opening his heart to people had gained him invaluable experiences and bonds of friendship that went beyond time and space, and even death.

Blaze, Silver, Marine, Shahra, Caliburn, Vanilla, Cream... Chip, and many more.

In Tails he'd found a friend, a best friend - a brother.

In Knuckles a friendly rival that, despite their differences, he considered one of his closest allies.

And in Amy he'd found love. a truer love than he'd ever thought possible.

They all resided within his heart without making him feel the least bit burdened.

Their strong bonds elevated him above the ground and gave his life a greater meaning - a purpose.

"Just socks will be fine."

Amy responded by letting out a sigh and shaking her head in disapproval.

"Hey now, I can still ask for that delicious red velvet cake of yours!" Sonic suggested, giving her a wink.

"But I do that every year!"

"Yeah, but I never ask for em', so this year I'm putting it on the top of my wishlist. That way you already have your gift to me all set, clever right?"

Amy's head slumped down against his chest in defeat, though a smile still rested upon her lips. "Sonic.."

After having watched the last rays of the sun disappear behind the hills, they laid down in the softest spot in the meadow they could find.

Amy had taken off the skirt and blouse, only leaving on her petticoat and the sheer linen she'd worn underneath. Meanwhile Sonic had gotten into a comfortable position among the grass and wild flowers, gently drawing Amy down to rest on top of him. And as she lowered her frail body onto his he got enveloped by her delicate softness - their chests lightly pressed together with her head safely tucked below his chin.

"I'll keep you warm." He whispered in her ear.

The starry sky laid broad and clear above them, a deep, dark blue infinity that covered the two hedgehogs like a blanket. Warm winds occasionally swept by, but for the most part the meadow was completely still and silent. Sonic let out a content sigh, cause truth be told - it felt good to sleep outside again. Not that he minded the bed at home but he'd always felt a greater satisfaction sleeping outside. One could hear how nature too would come to rest and how all the critters scurried back into their burrows and nests, preparing for the night. The silent rippling of a brook. The distant sea. The wind through the trees. Even the nocturnal woodland creatures' hushed activities.

By old habit, Amy's hands began aimlessly trailing slightly downwards until they found what they'd been searching for. Her fingers danced lightly upon his abdomen as she traced over the latest scar that had been inflicted on his body, the jab from Metal's claw. A jab he had taken for her. That fact alone made her almost burst into tears - he sacrificed a lot to be with her.

Amy glanced up at him with soft eyes. "Does it hurt?" She asked, her voice barely above the sound of the gentle breeze.

"Not at all." Sonic answered truthfully. His body seemed to heal much faster than the average person, and even in the moment fresh wounds never pained him too much. He could take great falls, blows and punches without feeling much at all. Tails' had once suggested it might have something to do with the chaos energy he naturally harbored inside himself, and that it somehow protected him and strengthened his endurance. A likely theory, Sonic figured, since positive chaos energy did indeed have the ability to heal ones wounds if foucused correctly. The positive energy in turn came from happy thoughts, memories and emotions such as joy, hope, serenity, and above all - love.

Scars, however, would always be left behind as a testimony of the pain that he'd endured for the sake of it.

As of now, the soft touch of Amy's delicate hands upon Sonic's scarred torso threatened to awaken the curious desire that slumbered inside the heart of a young man. The memory of their second night spent together since he's come back had nearly given both of them a heart attack. He knew he'd been careless that night, still, the pleasure he'd felt had been worth the all possible ambivalent feelings a hundred times over.

Only by reminding himself of his promise did he seem to return back to reality.

Amy was fragile... and his desire to protect her overweighed all others.

Sonic gazed down at his beloved. Her faint, flutter-like heartbeats and soft breathing left him yet again realizing that there was truly nothing more to possibly desire from this moment. Her mere presence was enough. And as she nestled closer in his arms, he responded by kissing her forehead. "You should sleep, Ames." He endorsed. "I'll stay awake."

"I don't know if I can."

"Are you scared?"

She smiled. "I'm never scared when I'm with you."

"Of the nightmares." He urged gently.

"It's-.. It's okay, they're only bad dreams. Besides I've had the same one for such a long time now that I really should be used to it."

"For how long?"

"Ever since we first met and Metal kidnapped me, I remember I was so scared that I'd never get to see you again or that you'd get hurt trying to rescue me. And I guess that fear has always stuck with me."

Sonic contemplated her words for a second, not particularly surprised, albeit somewhat troubled. The day they first met had truly been the best yet worst day of their lives.

"I remember thinking that you were the cutest thing I'd ever seen." He admitted in an attempt to steer her thoughts to more brighter memories.

"Don't be silly, you were terrified of me!"

"Only because I'd never met anyone like you. Heck, I'd never even seen a girl before! I was used to woodland creatures and Tails - Robotnik even made more sense to me than you! I mean, ponder that for a sec."

Amy giggled as Sonic made wide theatrical gestures with his arms causing her to almost fall off his body, but once he finished he wrapped an arm back around her waist. He then gazed fondly at her as her giggling settled and instead a yawn escaped her.

"I might not have known you'd be the girl I'd turn out to one day propose to. But I never doubted that you were somehow meant for me...-" His lips softly pressed against hers right before they both gave into the sleep, Sonic's last words being—

"-and that I was made to protect you..."

That night, no red eyes haunted Amy Rose's dreams for the first time in days.

The first thing Tails awoke to in the morning was the sound of the morning news' merry jingle. He'd forgotten to turn the radio off last night and now he jolted awake, having fallen asleep head down on the desk while sitting in a most uncomfortable position. Papers went sliding down to the floor as he sloppily heaved himself into an upright position and fumbled after the volume buttom on the radio. Once he found it he turned it to the left, lowering the announcer's chipper voice into a mumble instead.

Tails rubbed the sleep from his eyes and turned his head toward the digital clock that stood at the edge of his desk. The neon green numbers informed him that it was just past six in the morning. He groaned inwardly at the sight. Surely the last time he'd looked at the clock before blacking out it had been about two o'clock. Four hours of sleep was hardly something to brag about, and he could practically already hear his friend Amy's voice scold him about it. His older brother Sonic would probably be more understanding on the matter, not that he could say anything. When Sonic had been his age he'd prioritized sleeping about as much as he'd done cleaning.

With sluggish movements, Tails brewed himself a cup of coffe, plopped two sugar cubes into it before making his way back to the work desk. With the press of a buttom on a remote he opened the wide garage door in order to let the early morning in. Immediately the entire workshop bathed in the warm sunlight coming from outside. He leaned back in his chair with a content sigh escaping his lips, basking in the sun while sipping on his coffee.

Soon Tails felt how his brain began ta come around, which probably was much thanks to the caffeine kicking in, and he could recall what he'd been doing before succumbing to his sleep.

It was, in fact, the same thing he'd been doing for a while now - namely playing around with different types of blueprints for a new plane.

Tails loved his biplane the "Tornado" above all else, except for his brother and sister-in-law of course, and would rather cut off his own arm than having to part with it. But with recent happenings, and what he feared would happen in a not so distant future, the times called for an upgraded and more techincally advanced plane. And after all - two are better than one.

"-And now for today's weather forecast.."

Instinctively, Tails spun around in his chair and turned the volume up a bit.

"-Windy Valley, seventy-seven degrees, wind estimation - thirty-two to fourty-six mph. Mystic Ruins, eighty-nine degrees, wind estimation - four to seven mph. Clear skies. Station Square—"

The announer's voice once again faded away into the background, as Tails had sprung to his feet, exclaiming exitedly to himself and the Tornado- "You hear that? It's the perfect weather for a morning flight! Imma just grab my goggles and-.." He gulped down a big clunk of coffee, wiped his mouth with his arm before then hurrying over to the coat hanger next to the front door. There hung multiple pairs of goggles, knitted scarves, worn out shirts, and the best of all; his pilot jacket. The jacket was made out of brown leather that had become soft and comfortable of age. It had been a birthday gift from Sonic when he'd turned ten, originally a few sizes too big, but with the promise from his older brother that he'd eventually grow into it.

And that he did.

Tails ran up a wooden spiral staircase, leading up to a loft that he'd made into a cozy sleeping quarter. There were countless books in tall piles reaching almost all the way up to the roof, a small tv with a paused video game evident on the static screen, an old toy chest that was now used as a place to dump various objects on. Above the unmade bed was a window, and upon the sill stood a single flower pot among a bunch of photo frames, all containing pictures of his friends.

Walking over to the mirror above his nightstand, Tails smiled at his own reflection, goggles in place and with the jacket on. It fit perfectly!

Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of his telescope, leaning against the wall next to the books. He'd always liked to go nightscaping, but now it had been a while since he'd last done it. Maybe he should invite Sonic and Amy to come with him some night. They could probably all need it. At least It would surely cheer Amy up - she liked to watch for any shooting stars, whereas Sonic, who had found himself in outer space well more than once, rarely got impressed and instead recounted all the times he'd fallen face first towards Mobius' stratosphere. Yet, he always insisted that he somehow managed to land on his feet and without as much as a scratch.

Tails did indeed love his older brother, but at times he could be a bit theatrical, which on the other hand could be quite funny at times. He chuckled lowly to himself, but just as he was about to return down the stairs, his ears suddenly flicked.

A raw, icing cold laughter echoed through the workshop which caused Tails to freeze in his step.

It took his brain a second to realize that the person laughing was not actually in the room itself. Instead it came from the radio and as soon as the laugther died down, the same voice began to speak—

"Citizens of Station Square, lend me your ears.."

That voice.

A voice Tails, and surely countless others, would recognize even in their sleep.

Doctor Ivo Robotnik...

"I do believe you are all well aware of who I am at this point - the greatest scientific mind of all time - the rightful ruler of the entirety of Mobius... I am addressing all of you now as I require something..-"

There was a static pause, and without really being able to pin point it, Tails knew that something was wrong. Robotnik didn't sound like his usual self. There was now goofy tone or exaggerated expositions. Just cold, dominating and factual.

For the first time he really sounded like a very, very tired and old man.

"-Sonic the Hedgehog." He uttered the name as if it had been a foul and highly vulgar swear word. "You know what I want. And I expect you to deliever it to me nice and willingly. Should you refuse, I would be forced to harm the good people of Station Square in a most gruesome way.. And neither of us want that, do we?"

Yet another pause followed, longer this time.

Meanwhile, Tails had managed to walk down the stairs and now slowly approached the radio, as if he was afraid that it would explode if he got too close too fast.

Robotnik continued, his voice barely holding together—

"I will arrive in Station Square, three days from now. Make sure to meet me, Sonic the Hedgehog - I can assure you don't want to miss it. I know I will look forward to it with great anticipation..."

A last static sound was heard before the last whispered words rang out.

"Expect me."

Then the radio turned dead silent.

"This is not the place for high heels."

That was the first thought that had entered Rouge the Bat's mind as she'd stepped out onto the station floor and with slight horror in her eyes obseved the surroundings. It was the end of the line of a very, very long train ride.

Not that where she stood could even qualify as a proper station, more like a bench with a small sign next to it that announced that you'd just arrived to "Floral Forest Village". But just as the station, one could hardly call it a village. The nearest houses was so far off that one had to squint their eyes in order to see them, and there were only two dirt roads leading from the station. The smaller one of the two lead east, in the direction of the supposed village, while the bigger one stretched south and seemed to have no end to it.

The only sign of life was a wrinkled old dog who sat under the shade of a tree, reading a newspaper. He had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and wore a pair of yellow shorts with red dots on. On top of his head he wore a straw hat, which he lifted upwards slightly when he noticed the stranger that just arrived with the afternoon train.

In lack of any direction, the station provided no map of the area and since her boss hadn't given her anything else than the name of the village, Rouge approached the dog.

"Hello there, my good gent. Splendid afternoon we're having, eh?"

The dog eyed her uniform, especially the G.U.N emblem on her jacket, and while he did straigthen up his back a bit he didn't look intimidated. He lowered the newspaper and said— "We sure are, ma'am."

"Allow me to introduce myself; I'm agent Rouge-" She dug up a card from within her inner jacket pocket and showed it to him. Various identification details were printed on it as well as a picture of herself. "I'm here on the authority of G.U.N, and I'm in need to locate Sonic the Hedgehog who is said to reside somewhere in this area. Do you by any chance know where he might be at?"

A look of recongnition flashed in the dog's eyes for a brief moment until he quickly masked it, shrugging his broad shoulders. He seemed unsure of how much he should reveal to this, to him, unknown woman. "That boy is famous for being hard to get a hold of.."

"Oh, trust me - I know." Rouge said, flashing a charming smile that caused the old man's face to shift slightly. "Hero boy is an old associate of mine. We've collaborated on a number of occasions, though unfortunately it was long since now that our paths crossed."

She watched the dog simply nod before continuing in a more serious tone.

"But considering recent events it's important that I find him as soon as possible."

Once again, the man's face changed. It looked somber. "I heard it on the news this morning... You people will put a stop to that mad man right?"

"G.U.N does everything to keep all the citizens of Mobius safe."

The words came out of her mouth before she even knew it. She was obligated to say stuff like that and had been trained to memorize the lie. Well, a lie with modifications at least.

Rouge made sure to lean forward deep enough so that her chest became prominent as she then spoke with a sugary sweet voice, that still couldn't completely hide her usual edge. "So, my good sir, could you kindly point me in the direction of his house?"

"H-he lives with his fianceé, a Miss Rose, over at old Sunset Meadow. Just head straigth on the road the whole time until you reach a small cottage with a white picket fence." He raised a hand and pointed off towards the broad dirt road. "It's roughly an hour walk from here by foot."

As if on cue, Rouge spread her wings and rose to the sky where she gave him a pleased smirk along with a wink.

"Thank you, dearie. G.U.N appreciates your cooperation."

She saluted him and immediately took to the sky.

"Y-you did say you were acquainted, didn't you?" The old dog called out after her, slowly starting to feel guilty over having been swayed by the beautiful bat. He thought of Amy Rose. A sweet and kind girl that would always greet him when they passed each other in the village market or when she'd take the train. And among the few local villagers it was no secret that the world renowned Sonic the Hedgehog had settled down in the area about two years prior. Engaged to the girl in question.

Now he was concerned for what that woman might actually want with her and her fiancé.

However, Rouge had already left the man behind her, shifting her focus back to the blue blur. By using her wings she'd probably reach him two times faster than if she went by foot.

Small cottage with white picket fence..

That description was close to nothing but judging by the lack of people who seemed to live here it couldn't be too hard. Besides, the guy had said to just follow the road and eventually she'd get there.

She still didn't understand why those dimwits back at the headquarters hadn't just given her the exact location of the place. Surely Sonic the Hedgehog's home address wasn't a national secret. If time had been given she would have even looked it up herself but her boss had insisted she got going right away with nothing but the name of the closest train station to go by. Not even a helicopter could they afford to transport her with.

"Taking the local train.." Rouge thought sourly. "Like some lowly laborer."

Once she got back she would march straight up to that idiotic General's office and give him a piece of her mind.

For almost fifteen minutes she didn't encounter even so much as another mobian. Only flower filled meadows, babbling brooks and wide, grassy fields as far as the eye could see, not to mention the constant sound of chirping flickies. How someone could chose to live out here by their own free will was beyond her. Sure, the landscape could be considered serene and peaceful but after a while one must found it most tideous and all too quiet. She figured that after just a couple of days she'd go mad living in a place like this.

But just as began debating whether or not the old dog had lied to her, Rouge saw how a cottage emerged further up the road. It was so picturesque and modest in size that it almost completely blended together with the surroundings. Like an oil painting that depicted the idyll of living out on the country side. There actually even was a white picket fence going around the cottage to fully complete the cliché. Getting closer she also saw the rose garden, fruit trees and a small greenhouse. She landed a short distance from it and began to walk the last few steps up to the front gate.

A mailbox that stood right outside the fence simply read "Rose" in hand-painted, cursive letters.

Well, at least she was at the right place.

Rouge walked through the gate and up to the green painted wooden door, pausing briefly before knocking. After a few seconds the door slowly creaked open, revealing none other than Amy Rose herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen the young girl. It must've been at least two years ago, if not more. However, she looked just as innocently childlike and fragile as ever, clad in a petticoat dress that even further emphasized the effect.

"Rouge?" Her voice, though a bit more mature than she recalled, still held a slight high pitched tone to it. Meanwhile, Amy's surprised features told Rouge that she was probably the last person she'd expected to appear at her porch.

"Amy Rose. Long time no see."

The fact that Amy was more than a head shorter than herself made Rouge feel as if she was addressing a child.

"It sure was, eh, what brings you here?"

"I have some business with your-"

It was then that she saw it. Amy had lifted her left arm to brush away at her quills and it was there, on her left hand, she saw something golden twinkle in the afternoon sun. Rouge's eyes got drawn to it by pure instinct, a subconscious reflex.

She immediately recongized it as nothing less than a ring. Most likely an engagement ring considering the placement.

Had Sonic actually proposed to this girl? Gone down on one knee and proclaimed some sort of everlasting love?

Engaged to his childhood sweetheart...

The thought was both highly incredulous and somewhat comical, but yet here she was.

Why hadn't Rouge been told beforehand? Surely those bastards knew.

What were those people back at G.U.N playing at exactly? Shock value?

All these thoughts ran through her mind within less than a minute all while she figured that she had to reevaluate the situation, and that was quick.

Speaking of which, like a wind he swept forth, suddenly standing in the door opening like he'd just popped into existence - Sonic the Hedgehog.

Rouge couldn't help but eye him with slight peaked interest.

He was no doubt good-looking, more so than the average guy, with his agile figure and subtle abs. Attractive in that rebellious kind of way - scars which could be seen if one looked close enough and windswept quills that likely never let themselves be tamed. Compared to his fianceé he looked fully matured and still very much capable of jumping into danger at any given moment. Unfortunately, a golden band was also evident on his left hand, but which at least confirmed her suspicions.

"Well, if it isn't the great hero himself." Rouge said while Sonic almost instinctively seemed to place himself in front of Amy - like a guard dog. "Good to see you again, Big Blue."

Once he recongized her, he blinked in equal surprise to that of his fianceé. "Rouge? I almost couldn't tell it was you in that get-up." He gestured at her uniform.

She wasn't wearing the regular G.U.N uniform that most people of her rank did. It looked custom-made and was probably tailored just for her - with a skirt that reached just above her knees and with a slits going up the middle. She also wore a low cut jacket with seemingly only a bra underneath. Her gloves looked far too silky to be of any real use and on the top of her head she wore a small side cap. Everything in the G.U.N's typical navy blue color.

"Hm, well I see you still prefer going commando." Rouge replied, grinning. "But I will admit that it is indeed refreshing."

For a moment it looked as if Sonic was about to burst into laughther, but then his eyes fell on the G.U.N emblem and he tensed up again although he still kept his smile. "I hope you're not here to accuse me of another bank robbery, cause you should know I don't do too well with helicopters." He jokingly stuck his head out and observed the skies in search for one. "You don't got one parked out there, do ya?"

"Unfortunately, no. The lovely gentlemen back at the office thought I should explore the joys of public transport."

"What, not even a car? Are things really that tight over there that they can't even get their top agents traveling in style."

"We all need to make sacrifices sometimes."

Amy, who had remained quiet behind Sonic's right arm this whole time, suddenly piped up. Smiling kindly at Rouge. "Why don't we sit down and talk out in the garden?" She suggested. "I'll go make us some tea."

"I'd be delighted to, hun." Rouge agreed.

With a nod the pink girl then hurried off into the cottage.

Sonic gestured for Rouge to enter, but just as they were about half way through the living room he abruptly came to a halt. He quickly turned around and gave her a cautious yet surprisingly stern look.

"You don't carry any guns or whatever, right?"

"I'm not obligated to reveal any concealed weapons according to G.U.N protocol, but you're of course more than welcome to search me." As if on cue, Rouge efficiently stretched her arms out to the sides while giving Sonic a sultry look.

To her ego's surprised letdown, he didn't even look the slightest bit tempted by the offer. "I'll take your word for it." He said in a terse tone before following Amy into kitchen.

After having settled down outside at a wooden table with Sonic opposite of herself and waiting for Amy with the tea, Rouge occupied herself by sneaking glances around garden. A well kept lawn. Flowers as far as the eye could see. Roses. Wind chimes and birdhouses. A willow tree with a swing hanging from one of it's branches. Bushes filled with berries. Even more roses...

The whole place was something more akin to a fairy-tale utopia than an actual garden.

Rouge shot a glance at Sonic, as if expecting him to also look around in bewilderment of his surroundings, but he merely raised an eye ridge back at her.

However, she decided to remain silent.

From inside the kitchen she heard how Amy was busy with something probably more than just tea.

And right she was—

The young girl came back with a tray consisting of three tea cups, platters and spoons along with a sugar bowl, creamer and teapot. All made of white porcelain with a floral pattern printed on it. On a glass plate stood a small yet generously decorated blackberry cake. When Amy offered her a cup of tea she accepted it, thinking of how much she'd rather have a big mug of coffee right about now.

"Focus, Rouge." She mentally told herself.

Out loud she then said—

"I must say I'm deeply hurt by not getting invited to the wedding. What happened to the good old 'friendship is forever'- thing?"

"Oh, we're only engaged, not married." Amy hastily explained, her cheeks taking on a rosy hue.

"Yet." Rouge added with a grin, directing a wink at Sonic, who remained unaffected.

Before things could escalate any further Amy quickly changed the subject. "How's Shadow doing?" She asked.

At that, Rouge gave the pink girl a thoughtful look. She knew that those two had had some weird connection, or understanding rather, ever since that one time on the ARK where she'd supposedly reminded him of a long forgotten promise to his dead friend. She'd convinced him to help save Mobius. Given him a reason to care again.

But whatever that might've been about she never fully understood. Shadow never spoke of Amy Rose, and Rouge never had a reason to bring her up. Whenever they did get a chance to talk nowadays it was rarely anything other than business. And those times they got together outside work they engaged in less talkative activities.

"Oh that old brute.." Rouge began, making a small flick of her hand dismissively. "When G.U.N's not keeping him busy, I am - if you catch my drift, hun."

To her great amusement Amy only stared back, clearly puzzled.

"So Sonic hasn't even got it on with her yet?" The thought made her almost laugh out loud.

She stole a glance at the male and noted how he shot her a disliking glare, but she ignored him and turned her focus back to Amy, who had averted her eyes down at the table.

"Just... Please, If you see him, tell him that we hope he's doing all right. And that he's more than welcome to come visit us whenever he likes."

Her request sounded so genuine that Rouge didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. That Shadow would probably rather blow his head to bits than to voluntarily set his foot over the threshold of Sonic the Hedgehog's home. So instead she settled on the most neutral thing she could think of— "Will do."

They began eating a slice each of the cake in silence. Rouge took small sips of tea while stealing glances of the couple over the rim of her cup. She took particular notice of how Sonic's eyes had a habit of drifting over to Amy and how he wordlessly doted on her from time to time - like brush a stray quill from her face or draw himself closer to her, as if she was a magnet. Rouge was used to being the attraction of every male, to have their eyes sneak glances at her or shamelessly gawk at every curve of her body. Whether they admitted to it or not, she knew they desired her in some way or another. It could indeed be tiresome and annoying at times, especially if the onlooker weren't up to her standards. But mostly it was entertaining to watch men fawn over her, to make even the most respectable of guys to stumble over their words in her presence.

Sonic wasn't like that. Not even when he'd been an impressionable teenager, filled with surely raging hormones, had he not so much as even stolen a cheeky glance at her when he thought she wasn't looking.

But the way he looked at Amy now..

Rouge knew women who would be green of envy just by the mere way he gazed at that girl. Not even the most cynical of minds could doubt that the look on his face was nothing but sheer, genuine love. The foreign feeling of jealousy found its way into her heart. An icy twinge of resentment also settled there while she tried to maintain an unaffected posture.

"So, to the business at hand." Rouge began in a more formal tone which revealed nothing of her previous thoughts. "I trust you're aware of Robotnik's little spectacle over at Station Square this morning?"

Amy, who had been in the midst of a sip, got an anxious expression on her face. "Yeah, Tails told us all about it, and we watched a reprise of it on the news just a few hours ago." Her hand sought out Sonic's and he grasped it, their fingers immediately intertwining.

"As you surely understand, G.U.N can't just remain idle and let these sort of threats go by without major actions being taken as a response..-"

Sonic's head abruptly shot up.

"Unless their directed at some unsignificant place half way across Mobius, am I right?" He almost spat forth. "I just got back from a village outside of Chun-nan being targeted by Robotnik's latest set of murder machines, and I don't remember seeing anyone from G.U.N stepping in to help."

At the word "murder machines", Amy notably flinched and Sonic instantly regretted the slip up. Rouge, however, seemed unaffected and continued as if he hadn't just interrupted her.

"-.. And we figured you would feel the same way. Station Square is after all a bit too close to home, don't you think?" She purposely rested her eyes on Amy. The pink girl returned the stare, as if in defiance, and said—

"I'm not scared of Robotnik."

Rouge resisted the urge to laugh.

"Bold words coming from you, hun."

"I've helped take him down since I was eight. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and I have faced him more times than you, and none of us are afraid to do it again."

"Yes, I imagine skipping barefoot around your little garden of roses, picking flowers every day really must be tiresome." Rouge's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she made a sweeping gesture at the garden around them.

"Rouge.." Now it was Sonic, he muttered low and warningly.

"I don't-.." Amy began but quieted down when Rouge suddenly leaned slightly across the table and stared her dead in the eye. A sly smirk gracing her lips.

"You have no idea what's going on, do you?" She shot Sonic such a hasty glance that it was barely visable but Amy still flinched when she saw and instinctively drew back. "I-I..-"

"That's enough." Sonic interrupted firmly, as he glared at Rouge with a frown on his face. "Leave Amy alone. You came to speak with me, remember, so say what you came to say before I lose my patience."

"Are you sure you want doll face around, it's an adult conversation after all."

"She stays."

"Fine. Have it your way." Rouge said, tired of beating around the bush. "Our new Commander wants to see you."

Sonic blinked. "What happened to the old one?"

"Retirement, Sonic - it's a thing people usually do once they're in their seventies. He's currently residing over in Central City, taking care of his many grandchildren, I'm sure."

"What for then?"

"Well he didn't exactly give me a copy of the list, but an educated guess would be that he probably wants to know if you're planning to do anything idiotic that will put Station Square at any further risk."

Sonic snorted in response. "Then tell your boss I got everything under control. I can handle old Robotnik with or without their help, thanks."

"Well isn't that big of you.." Rouge shot back. Eyeing him with a skeptical look. "But pissing on an outstretched hand from G.U.N will hardly benefit the people of Station Square, or yourself for that matter. They don't take too kindly to being rejected."

"I bet they don't, I'm sure that's why they sent you."

"Don't flatter yourself too much, hedgehog, your ego might explode."

Sonic and Rouge got locked in a heated glare, neither budging an inch.

"Sonic..."

It was yet again Amy's soft voice breaking through the frosty mood. She had clutched Sonic's arm with her own slender pair, giving him a pleading look which he forced himself to meet. "Maybe you should listen to her. If Robotnik is truly serious about his threats then maybe it wouldn't be so bad to accept help from G.U.N. What harm could it do to just meet this new Commander, for Station Square's sake at least."

Reluctantly, Sonic drew back in his seat while contemplating her words. He didn't look angry, just torn. Was he really going to simply bow to the will of G.U.N? Hadn't he taken down Robotnik all by himself countless times without their involvment before? Why were they suddenly so keen on meeting him?

Ultimately, he decided that Amy was probably right. Surely just meeting the guy couldn't hurt...

However, he refused to turn his head back and face Rouge when he finally said—

"Fine, I'll do it. When does he wanna meet me?"

The smirk on Rouge's face couldn't possibly have been any more broad.

"Oh, he's already expecting you."

Credits:

"Rose Room" - Harry Williams