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The pan was no longer so hot when she peeled off the cake she had just baked, and grabbing some plates from the cupboard, she allowed herself to contemplate what had led her to this present moment, where her select group of friends were gathered in the living room, chatting with each other in high tones, bringing a smile to her slightly pink face. But well, what would become of them without the chaos to bring them together, right? If it weren't for Eggman, they would all easily be experiencing experiences less than the one they shared in the present, and perhaps these small post-clash reunions would happen far less frequently... if they ever actually happened... Would she be the same as she was in that moment if she had never met Sonic and everyone else? Together they worked so well, like a well-oiled and precise machine, and if it weren't for that, they wouldn't have been able to foil the possibly evil plan Eggman had devised especially for that afternoon. And as practical as her strategy had been, she knew she'd been hasty in analyzing the whole thing, surprising herself with the final result. If it weren't for the presence of Shadow and his companions, she was certain the plan would have fared far worse than expected.
If he hadn't come to visit her that day, it was even more likely she wouldn't see him so soon either.
Her mind had been so immersed in her thoughts that she barely noticed when the plates she was holding, which were more than she could handle in one hand, fell to one side and would almost have caused havoc on the floor if it weren't for Sonic's quickness in saving her from the damage and the need to buy new dishes.
The blue hedgehog smiled gallantly as usual, placing the plates on the table and being quick enough to pick up the rest that were still in her other hand.
"That was almost it, Ames."
Her astonished state having been shaken off, she smiled at her friend.
"Yeah, it was almost. Thanks, Sonic."
"Okay, but if that was an excuse not to serve me the cake, it was a terrible idea. And I'm starving!"
"And when haven't you been starving for something?"
He stared at her, clearly offended.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"Okay, but the cake isn't just for you, smartass, it's for everyone to share too! Everyone deserves a little treat today."
The fastest hedgehog in Mobius looked at her pointedly, even out of the corner of his eye, trying to get as much information out of her as he could just by looking at her.
"Including Shads?"
The knife she was using to cut the cake, which was very fluffy by the way, had slipped on the plate, making an unpleasant sound.
"Why?"
"He was on top of you the whole time Ames, and you didn't even notice. If it weren't for him, you would have taken quite a bit of damage today. Not to mention that if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have noticed the dishes falling either, so what's going on between you two?"
Amy's mind had gone into overdrive, uncontrollable.
"Nothing special."
"I know, if there's nothing special between you two, then why is he still staring at you now?"
And as if the blue hedgehog had suggested the gesture, Amy found herself searching for Shadow in the living room. Through the doorway that led to the kitchen, Amy was watching her intently from the sofa he shared with Rouge and Knucles. Their exchange of glances had been interrupted when the bat had distracted him with an elbow to the arm, saying something in his ear that had caused him to react in a slightly comical way as his eyes widened.
Amy had felt a little envious of that exchange.
Rouge seemed to know Shadow so well, at least well enough to make him feel embarrassed.
"I don't know, why don't you ask him since you're so curious?"
"Because he's grumpy and full of himself, but you can't fool me Ames. There's something there you don't want to talk about."
And she stared at Sonic with a certain disbelief, as if her always-quick mind was slowly analyzing the words directed at her without considering for a single second that they were distortions of her imagination. The situation she had just put herself in was almost funny. There she was in her kitchen, in the comfort of her cottage in the middle of a gathering of friends, cutting a cake she had just baked, and there was Sonic, the object of her almost obsessive affection for a good part of her life, across the table, interested in something she thought flew far under his radar. Which had flown under his radar for a long time—her, in this case.
What Amy did or didn't do in her free time, in this case.
It was funny, but she didn't find much humor in it.
"So I finally managed to make you jealous, huh?"
But seeing his friend lose his footing and almost hit his nose on the table was at least amusing.
"Amy! Be honest with me, will you?"
"He's been giving me skating lessons."
At least that was the initial idea, if Shadow hadn't been involved in one mission after another for the last month and for long periods of time, so long that he could hardly keep in touch. It had been a stroke of luck to receive a message from him explaining his disappearance... and that was why he'd shown up that afternoon, to apologize for the unexpected incident and perhaps schedule more lessons, but Eggman had shown up with another unexpected incident in mind.
She swore she'd seen Shadow fuming when she'd answered Rouge's call.
"Skating? Why skating? And why him?"
Oh yes, Sonic still seemed incredibly interested in the skating lessons Shadow had been giving her.
"Curiosity. That's all."
"That doesn't seem like just curiosity, Amy. There's more to it."
"Oh, but there isn't. I just wanted to know what it's like to have the same speed as you two."
The blue hedgehog crossed his arms, unconvinced.
"As if Shads were faster than me..."
Amy felt a smile spread across her face at her friend's words. It seemed more like Sonic was jealous of the position he'd gained over Shadow for her than the sudden rapport they'd recently developed, and that was only because she'd turned to Shadow and not him first. Which didn't make the conversation any less amusing, considering Sonic's personality.
But she had looked for him initially.
"It turns out I looked for you first, if you remember, and you couldn't help me, Sonic. That's why I asked Shadow for help."
That comment had taken him by surprise when he stared at her with wide eyes, the playful indifference disappearing from his expression almost instantly, bringing a little cry of victory that Amy held back. She wouldn't be the one to claim victory over a suspicion he'd brought to the surface.
"I didn't think you were serious."
"And you thought I just wanted to monopolize you, right?"
Sonic crossed his arms over his chest and laughed as if she'd told him a great joke.
"Just like old times."
The curious thing was that she found herself laughing too, at those words.
"Yeah, just like old times."
Where her world revolved around the biggest, fastest, bluest star that always slipped through her fingers, and Amy missed the old days. When her mind could fill itself with ways to impress Sonic, as well as her naiveté, her intense feelings that marked that age. The old days were easy, simple, and in truth, seeing Sonic laugh so playfully when he'd just mentioned that time they'd shared made her wonder if he hadn't already made peace with his own past.
At least, that's what she'd been trying to do from time to time.
Learning to skate had come from one of those impulses, if she were to be completely honest with herself, but there was no point in going that far at the moment. Sonic was fine, she was fine, and consequently, her friends were fine too.
So she began slicing the cake, thus taking her mind off things.
"But there's really nothing between you two?"
The knife made another sound, this one more measured, as it touched the dish she'd unmolded the cake from.
"Are you worried about me?"
"A little. Shads isn't easy to get along with."
"I know, but he's just been good company, don't worry so much. It's good to have someone like him around."
His hands found hers in the middle of the table, the gesture surprising her a little.
Sonic was full of surprises, after all.
"And you have me too, Amy."
Oh Sonic, how can you be jealous and so silly at the same time? The thought occurred to her as quickly as the act of walking around the small table and kissing him on the cheek, catching her friend off guard. He was now staring at her with a mixture of surprise and a slightly flushed face.
A rare sight in Amy's expertise on her longtime love.
"I know. Now why don't you help me carry the cake and plates to the living room, hm?"
Sonic blinked a few times before his mischievous smile returned to his face, dividing the stack of plates in two and disappearing into a blue shadow that returned and took the cake away. In the background, she could hear a moment of silence until the commotion arose with the arrival of the cake, and being able to observe this moment from a glance from where she was made her heart ache a little. She loved moments like that, but not the fights Eggman forced them into for sport, but the moments they shared afterward. It wasn't often that she got to have her friends gathered in her cabin, savoring her recipes. Moments like that should be burned into her retinas forever.
And with a heavy sigh after that thought, she began to sort out the glasses that would serve the drinks, being surprised by another presence, one more dense than the last.
"Do you want some help?"
Shadow.
Shadow and his deep voice that still managed to give her chills when caught off guard.
"You're all being too helpful today, aren't you?"
"Sonic, who came in front of me."
She stared at him.
"So it should have been you all along?"
And he looked away, preferring not to say anything.
"Okay, then help me with the drinks! The juice is in the fridge, and I'll put the coffee in the coffee maker while I bring the cups."
"Rose."
She turned, stopping mid-step with a few glasses in her hands; she'd bring the cups later.
"I'm sorry about today."
"Why? There's nothing to apologize for, Shadow. Unexpected things happen, and you're definitely more in demand than me at work, it's no big deal."
"But you-"
"Hey Amy! You said you'd bring the juice; there are thirsty people here!"
"Later, Shadow, later. For now, enjoy the meeting. Who knows when we'll all be together like this?"
"And she really wanted to enjoy that moment; her heart hadn't stopped feeling confined since that thought had occurred to her. Amy truly loved having her friends around. All of them.
Including Shadow.
And she would love for him to see it through her eyes, for him to see how dear he was to everyone gathered there, regardless of their past. Everyone there now considered each other much more than mere delays in each other's lives.
And if there was one thing she'd decided since Sonic had appeared in her life, it was that she, too, was someone important, someone valid and worthy of being part of that group of friends—or warriors, so to speak. After all, not everyone on Mobius could handle the shock that Ivo Robotinick was capable of inflicting. And as if they were an orderly machine, as soon as she brought the cups, Shadow had already topped up the juice, helping her serve her friends, so they could then share the coffee and then settle into the modest living room of their cabin, which was now crammed with animals!
Amy had smiled a lot that afternoon.
Whether it was Sonic's clever comment or Rouge's jokes about Knuckles, everyone's faces seemed happy. His cake had gone as quickly as the juice and coffee, and someone would probably have stolen something else from his kitchen if Shadow and Tails hadn't noticed.
Her heart was happy and full of contentment.
Even as her friends slowly said goodbye and left.
At the end of the afternoon, only Shadow remained by his side at the entrance to say goodbye to Rouge. She had commented on how sad Omega would be knowing his friend would take longer to arrive, to which he had merely clicked his tongue. The old emotional blackmail. And only when no one else was around, like earlier that afternoon, had he said anything.
"Okay, and what did you want to tell me earlier?"
"That I'm going to be busy longer than I thought. I won't have more than two free days over the next month, and I won't be able to teach you like I used to."
A hint of disappointment crept into her gut.
"Too bad, I was enjoying skating."
"That's because it's not even good yet."
"Hey! Who gave you the freedom to make fun of me?"
And Shadow, who was still staring at her friend disappearing into the horizon at the end of the green path, turned to face her, arching an eyebrow and crossing his arms, his trademark.
"You."
"When did you get so funny, Shadow?"
Amy crossed her arms in imitation, causing a small fit of laughter in the other and completely dismantling her.
"And laughing? What happened on that last mission?"
"Something good, I guess."
"Good, then! Now that you're in a good mood, I can't tell if that's a good or bad sign."
And Shadow had just watched her with a small smile, the dim light a sight she wasn't prepared for. If Amy were honest with herself at that moment, or even up until that moment, she hadn't expected to see so many sides of him in such a short period of time, both his and Sonic's. The thought of it brought a hot blush to her face. Her mind wanted to rush ahead and play tricks on him, drawing an imaginary line on the horizon of her heart that she knew didn't exist, but she could! There were too many situations to be assimilated simultaneously that she ended up breaking the exchange of glances she'd been holding with the black-furred hedgehog until that moment.
But he had other thoughts on his mind when he took one of her hands to kiss it.
"Thank you for having me today, Amy."
Amy blinked profusely at the gesture.
But... another detail had caught her attention... Shadow had called her by her first name... and Shadow wasn't known for giving that kind of recognition to just anyone... not even Sonic could have gotten that taste of victory, and there she was, in a scene easily lifted from a movie, where the mysterious character slowly lets go of his guard for the protagonist. It was so brilliant it seemed like a joke, if it weren't real.
Something in her chest urged her forward, wanting to push the envelope and see where this scene would take her.
"When are you coming back?"
He seemed taken aback by the question.
"In two weeks, maybe sooner, why?"
"Do you want to learn how to bake bread with me? Rouge told me you like cooking, and I wanted to thank you for the lessons, somehow."
"You don't have to—"
"But I do. What do you say? That way you'll have something extra to brag about to Sonic."
Shadow stared at her for a brief moment, still processing what he'd just heard, before laughing at her words.
And he laughed. Really.
And Amy was enjoying making him laugh.
"Okay, then."
"Let me know when you get back."
And so, with one last look, Shadow disappeared into the shadows of the night, while Amy's chest seemed to heave with euphoria. Her body felt like it was floating as she returned to the cottage, gathering the remaining glasses and silverware from the coffee table in the living room, her mind too far away to care about the mechanical tasks of washing the dishes.
Calmer as she prepared for bed, she turned to her old deck of cards, reflecting on the day's events and their impact on her. Halfway through the draw, two cards fell together on her bed. One was the one she'd come to associate with Shadow, and the other... a King of Rings... and she remembered this one very well, so much so that her heart skipped a beat at the memories it evoked... The King of Rings was the card that had brought Sonic into her life, but he hadn't appeared in a while! Something wasn't right. This was too strange, and shuffling the cards again, two more fell out, allowing Amy's agile mind to better understand the main figure.
The Virtuous Heart... it was her, and... Unlimited Future... her fingers ran nervously through the thorns, not quite liking what she saw... it was a guess, a possibility... a double-edged sword... she knew that, but this game seemed too cruel even for her, and after shuffling a little more, only one card fell out after a few tries.
Eight of Fire.
Two of Water (Shadow) and the King of Rings (Sonic) with the Virtuous Heart (Amy) and an Unlimited Future. Given what had happened that afternoon, and the Eight of Fire, even if she didn't want to see it, it was clearer than the light from her lamp! A love triangle, ha! Both Sonic and Shadow were interested in her, and the Unlimited Future, alongside the Eight of Fire, told her that the decision was in her hands!
Damn it!
Damn it!!
Damn it!!!
Blessed be the day she asked for skating lessons!!!
If the Amy of the past had had a game like this, she wouldn't have thought twice about her choice, but now... the Amy of the present was wavering a little.
Her mind felt incredibly tired, and thinking about the possibilities and probabilities of it all made everything start to spin as her heart just hammered in her chest.
Chaos!!!
Finally, she decided to sleep.
It didn't take long for Sonic to seek her out.
Amy was tending her garden, pulling weeds while harvesting the vegetables and tubers ready to leave their nutrient provider. She also took the opportunity to pick some herbs that were doing better than she expected. Vanilla had made a great bet when she'd given her seedlings, telling her to test the spices. If Amy were to be completely honest with herself, the scent of rosemary on her gloves was divine, bringing freshness and lightness like a cool wind on a hot summer day.
Just like the blue figure that had passed by the entrance to her garden, ruffling all the leaves, including the ones she'd just picked.
"Sonic!"
The figure had stopped abruptly in the middle of the path, retracing its quick steps and circling her, picking up what it had displaced.
"Sorry, Amy."
Sonic looked embarrassed standing beside her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing. Nothing ever brought you to me, Sonic. What do I owe you for visiting?"
He sat beside her, picking at some weeds she hadn't bothered to pull.
Finally, he just shrugged, looking at her awkwardly.
"I wanted to spend the day with you, can I?"
She stared at him in disbelief.
Then she blinked a few times to make sure Sonic the Hedgehog was really beside her.
In her garden.
Asking if they could spend the day together. Together.
Sonic, who always ran away when she chased him (okay, chase is a strong word, but Amy felt very strongly about him, practically carrying her heart in her hand).
So her surprise was to be expected.
"Of course you can, Sonic. But that's really weird coming from you."
"Yeah, you're right. So what are we going to do today?"
Amy smiled, shaking her head from side to side, then stood up, picking up one of her baskets and motioning for him to do the same with the other two.
"So today we're going to have a Rose-style adventure!"
After they finished tending to the garden, Sonic pulled out the weeds and dead leaves while Amy busied herself relocating a sapling.
With the squid not quite thriving in the sunniest part of the garden, the pair headed to the kitchen, where, armed with vegetables, they began cooking together. This ended up being a bit of a competition with Sonic's agility in cutting and slicing what Amy instructed him to do as she tried to entertain him throughout the cooking, since the thump-thump-thump of one of his feet had started to irritate her at one point.
"So what are you going to make, Amy?"
"A dish I learned when I was in Empire City."
"You were in Empire City? When was that?"
"About two years ago, more or less. Honey invited me; it was really fun!"
The thump-thump-thump had stopped.
At least for a while.
"Are you two still in touch?"
She looked at him in surprise.
"Of course you are, she's my best friend, actually!"
"It's just that I rarely see you two together."
She shrugged, returning to her cooking.
"You may be everywhere, but you're not really everywhere, Sonic."
"And you don't have to be so resentful about it."
"I wouldn't be if it weren't for you."
"Ouch."
Amy laughed.
"Sorry."
"Okay, I needed to hear that."
She began mixing the chopped vegetables in a huge bowl, pouring something brown and moist on top along with some seasonings that smelled familiar to Sonic. For a brief second, he imagined himself eating a chili dog until he saw her mixing everything and the aroma changed slightly. The richness disappeared almost instantly.
What the hell was that?
Until a bowl of something brown and colorful and moist was placed in front of him on the table.
"What is this, Amy?"
"Tabule."
"Tábua?"
"You got me. Tabule. It's a salad, or something like that. It's a hot day, and this dish is perfect for hot days."
Sonic looked at her, looked at the bowl, and with a little hesitation, picked up the spoon to taste the delicacy.
It was wet, with no texture whatsoever, but whenever it encountered a vegetable, the flavor exploded on his tongue.
Strange.
But it wasn't a bad strange.
"So?"
He stared at her and continued eating, trying to find something to say as he watched her enjoy her portion.
"Honey took me to an Arabic restaurant, something new in town. This was one of the dishes she insisted I try. I ended up begging for the recipe afterward."
Sonic let out a thoughtful "hmmmm".
It wasn't a bad dish, but it could have had more flavor, perhaps.
"Do you think it would be bad if it were spicier?"
"No, but the idea of it being refreshing would lose its appeal."
With that, Amy stood up and grabbed some spices from the counter, passing them to her friend.
Sonic observed the colors of each jar, opening them and smelling each one, then dosing the chosen ones into what was left in his bowl, mixing them together, and spooning a generous spoonful into his mouth.
For that explosion of flavor doubled!
A wide smile spread across his face as he finished the remaining spices in two spoonfuls.
"Now! If you could put this on a chili dog, it would be perfect!"
"But then the sausage would be cold."
"Amy! You can't stop a brilliant mind!"
"Of course, who am I, right?"
And they both laughed.
Despite the strangeness of having him around, Amy could finally feel a certain lightness in Sonic's presence, doing ordinary things with her on an ordinary day. No big battles.
No problems.
No half the world being on the brink of an abyss.
Still, it was strange to see him there.
When normally he'd save the day and move on to his next adventure.
"Did you really like it, or are you just trying to please me?"
"Nah, I did, but it tasted better with the seasoning."
"That's great, Sonic, I'm glad about that."
He stood up, taking the bowl from her, taking it to the sink, and washing it while she put the rest in the fridge.
"So what are we going to do now?"
"I don't know, I didn't really plan the day, and I thought it would take more time in the garden. What do you want to do?"
He shrugged, drying his hands.
"Why don't you take me skating, then?"
"The fastest hedgehog in Mobius wants to wear wheels? I can't believe I'm hearing this!"
"Oh Amy, I just want to understand why you found this funny."
She crossed her arms, unconvinced.
"Do you want to understand, or are you jealous?"
Sonic pouted, turning his face away.
"It's not jealousy."
"Okay, so you want me to teach you when I can barely walk on my own. Brilliant!"
"You don't know?"
"Of course not, Sonic. Just when I was getting the hang of it, some G.U.N. missions came up, and Shadow became unavailable."
"And why didn't you train alone?"
"Because that wasn't my deal with him, and it's good to have someone experienced around at the beginning."
Then Amy's mind recalled the drawing she'd done days ago before bed, drawing from the depths of her consciousness images that now made a little more sense...
The Eight of Fire!
Fate really was in her hands, how ironic!
Sonic showing up there seemed like an offering on a silver platter to her!
And he watched her shrewdly, but without saying much.
"Well, if you really want, I know someone who could be very useful...
"Isn't Shads on a mission yet?"
How did he know that?
"But I didn't mention him. I have someone else in mind. Come on, today's going to be a really fun day!"
Cream's eyes lit up when they saw Amy and Sonic on the other side of the door. Cheese immediately ran to Amy, making all sorts of noises in her joy at seeing her friend.
When she heard about the invitation, the bunny ran to her mother, who was coming from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, asking if she could spend the afternoon with them. Vanilla smiled, asking her to behave, and so the three of them got into Amy's car and continued their journey.
However, Sonic didn't understand Cream's presence.
He adored the bunny, but why was her presence so important when he was the one who wanted to spend the day with Amy?
Luckily, Cream had cleared up his doubts.
"What are we doing today, Miss Amy?"
Taking advantage of the red light, Amy caught her friend's little face in the rearview mirror and smiled broadly.
"Skating!"
Chease hummed at the answer, and Cream vibrated against the ground.
"Yay!"
Sonic looked at her, arching an eyebrow, to which Amy laughed in response.
"Today's a day of adventures à la Rose, so you're at my mercy, Sonic!"
The hedgehog just nodded, preferring to lose himself in the wind, his quills gracing his fur like when he ran, even though being at a moderate speed in a car seemed strange to him.
It was curious that he'd never questioned this, at least not taken it seriously.
How could others be so slow that they used contraptions like Amy's pink car to feel fast?
He really knew what he was looking for, and watching Amy chatter animatedly with Cream made him realize something was slipping through his fingers... something Shadow seemed to grasp faster than him, and admitting defeat was out of his control.
If Amy would even let him admit it.
Sonic only realized he'd lost himself in thought when he noticed his lack of motor speed; his mind seemed to be miles ahead, enough to ignore how boring the car ride was.
"We're here!"
The hedgehog's eyes filled with color. How long had it been since he'd set foot there?
"Bégon?"
Amy smiled, opening the car door, motioning for him to do the same.
"There's a skating rink here, isn't there, Cream?"
"Yes! It reminds me of the time we came here with Mr. Shadow; it was so much fun!"
Sonic grimaced, looking at his friend, who shrugged.
"I think your busy mind might like it here."
And even though something was poking at the back of his neck in clear discontent, he followed the two toward the Flower City shopping center, restraining himself from going in front of them as they chatted about... Shadow's absence... now he could understand how he felt about being compared to him.
Okay, he deserved a little of that.
Heroes don't always save the day and take the glory with them.
But at least he could tell himself that he hated seeing two of his friends giving more importance to Shadow when he was right there.
Ugh, he hated feeling this way!
At least Bégon's spring scent brought some calm to those emotions that didn't belong to him. Yeah, they didn't belong to Sonic the Hedgehog. Far be it from him to admit he felt jealous.
And because of Shadow, of all people! Ugh!
Amy turned to face him behind them, motioning for him to follow them toward the escalator.
On the second floor, there was a wider variety of shops, not counting the food court that occupied the entire center of the floor, but Amy and Cream walked ahead, ignoring the colorful and vibrant storefronts toward a wide and bustling entrance. It felt more like a race, given the sound his sensitive ears picked up.
Sonic's fur stood on end.
Inside, neon lights colored and reflected an environment completely reminiscent of daytime life outside. The vibrant music reminded him of a disco, something so unnatural that he couldn't control his spines from standing on end in alarm. He diverted his attention to the duo who had brought him there. Amy and Cream were returning from the counter with pairs of skates in hand, and when he asked Amy about her, she grimaced, saying it was the first time she'd actually skated there and that if he wanted to, he could just rent a pair at the counter and try his luck.
But he preferred to observe the two of them for now.
"Come on, Miss Amy! Come on!"
"Okay, but Cream, I don't know how to skate!"
The rabbit laughed, asking her to imitate her, walking one foot at a time, side by side, one step after the other, and before she knew it, they were both in the ring, even though Amy clung to the fence like a castaway yearning for water.
Watching her so insecure brought back memories of the old Amy, and with them a smile to Sonic's face.
When had he become so nostalgic?
Chease had called his attention was drawn as it flew from her arms to the top of her head, reminding him that Cream had asked him to watch the ground.
"Sorry, little buddy."
Amy's body picked up speed, and she smiled wider as she completed a lap, laughing freely alongside Cream, who danced to the music in the center with the other animals. Seeing them having fun made him want to be there too, his body practically yearning for movement... until he noticed something subtle in Amy's body... one moment she maintained almost perfect balance if it weren't for the tension in her legs, and the next, her arms were flailing frantically...
She was going to fall, it was certain.
His body was about to go into automatic mode when Amy cried out for support from Cream, who rushed to her friend's side, saying something that made the tension in Amy's body shift even though the fall was still imminent.
"The brakes are in front, Miss Amy" the rabbit said, demonstrating, to which she tried to respond but ended up falling forward.
Luckily, she used her hands for support.
And after standing up, she continued to glide across the ring, hand in hand with Cream, who had begun guiding her through the center, trying to make her lose her fear and making him smile without noticing.
That was one of Amy's worst qualities.
Her stubbornness.
And so, Sonic found himself heading to the counter and asking for a pair of skates.
"I think you better hold on, Chease."
The ground grabbed one of his ears, and he tried not to fall as he stood up, but it was difficult. Balancing on wheels brought a huge insecurity to the pit of his stomach that he wasn't used to. Not even Eggman's badnicks could bring out such insecurity. How could training wheels be so cruel?
Chease caught his attention, making him look forward and watch the two of them having fun together. Amy was no longer losing her balance, and Cream was guiding her calmly.
The wheels had a mind of their own, but he had decades of experience, and after a few tries, he was now using the edge of the rink for support, which was actually quite funny. It was a good joke, even "the fastest hedgehog needed support to skate," and it would have been really funny if he were laughing and not terrified of falling face-first onto the ground.
He knew his body weight, knew the impact it caused at a certain speed, and knew this mainly because of all the scars he bore from his battles.
Ugh, he was overthinking.
Thanks for that, Amy, he thought as a golden glow pulled him from his rambling thoughts.
"Want some help, Sonic?"
Amy was holding out her hand.
"We're going to fall."
She shrugged.
"That's part of the fun, isn't it?"
He shook his head but eventually accepted her offer, holding her hand and feeling his weight divide, multiply, when both their hands were together. Amy was strong, he'd never doubted that, but there, she simply held her hands outstretched toward him as if reassuring him of her support, that she would be his balance as she began to skate backward, watching him with a smile.
"Come on, Sonic!"
"Didn't you say you hadn't used those skates yet? How can you skate backward?"
"Cream helped me, it's easier than I thought. Come on, Sonic!"
Then he took the first step.
And he almost fell if it weren't for his friend's attention.
"Hold my hand and try to imitate me" she said, standing beside her and demonstrating, moving from one side to the other.
One foot at a time.
And so, even with wobbly legs, Sonic began to skate.
The sound of Chease's cheerful squeak right next to his ear made him lose what little balance he'd managed, pulling Amy down with him.
And the two stared at each other in surprise, then burst into laughter.
Amy had placed the ground on top of his head, where he could hold onto his headband, and thus encouraged Sonic to continue.
And continue, and continue, and continue...
At some point, Sonic managed to feel secure with wheels on his feet and allowed himself to enjoy that moment.
"Shadow didn't teach me like that, you know?"
He stared at her briefly, continuing to focus his attention on the ring, giving her freedom to continue.
"He's a terrible teacher, but he cares a lot about what others think of him, so I kept insisting that he teach me, and before I knew it, I was skating. Pretty poorly, but skating."
"You wanted him to pay attention to you, then?"
"Not exactly. See what I'm doing to you?" She gestured to their clasped hands. "If he knew how to act like that with others, I'm sure he'd be as charismatic as you."
"No one is more charismatic than me, Amy."
"No one is more arrogant than you, Sonic, that's for sure." He stopped abruptly, his body seemingly adjusting to the speed he was gaining on the skates as he tipped his toes enough to stop, Amy gaining time and stopping right in front of him.
"You hurt people by talking like that."
Sonic's eyes were very expressive; the way he made his intentions clear with a mere arch of his eyebrows made him a terrible liar, so Amy knew he wasn't just joking when his bravado faded into a look of sadness.
"And you hurt others with words too, there's nothing wrong with that, Sonic."
A pout adorned the hedgehog's sad face.
"Come on, keep going, isn't that what you've always done?"
She took one of his hands, pulling him forward, and not long after, Cream joined the pair, taking his free hand, the three of them skating together.
The music modulates their skating, something he tries to imitate but fails so easily. Amy and Cream chattered calmly (how did they manage that?) and the rabbit smiles broadly about how much fun the day was, thanking them both countless times for the ride.
"And I even got to see Mr. Sonic skating! Isn't that amazing?"
Amy smiled.
"It's really amazing, isn't it, Sonic?"
Sonic grimaced.
"Absolutely. Amazing. Awesome."
They both laughed.
Sonic's chest pulsed, leaping, euphorically. Not only from the new effort, but also from the moment. His adventures certainly fulfilled him completely; it wasn't for that reason that he valued freedom, but that simple moment where he'd forced himself to be a part of something that wasn't his made him feel incredibly fulfilled. Seeing Cream smile and having Amy guide him made him feel part of something bigger when he'd always been the one guiding his friends through their adventures.
Giving himself in to the new had made him feel incredibly complete.
Even though his legs were still wobbly on the way back.
The sky was turning orange when they arrived at Cream's house, where the rabbit's mother had convinced them to stay for breakfast so they could listen to their trip over a nice cup of coffee and chocolate chip cookies. When they left the cozy home, the orange sky had turned turquoise, and the breeze had become refreshing as they approached their starting point. Amy's cabin.
"What did you think of today's adventure?"
Sonic smiled, his gaze returning to her.
"Better than I could have imagined."
"You were expecting something boring, then."
"I was expecting to do only one thing all day. We did three things, so yes, better than I could have imagined."
The car stopped in front of the cabin.
"I enjoyed spending the day with you, Sonic. Thank you for today."
And he watched her, not having much to say, his heart just telling him to show affection, to show that he truly cared for the unit that was Amy Rose.
Stubborn.
Strong.
Intelligent.
Charitable.
Admirable.
Someone unique who had found her way to him on her own. Nothing had led her to Sonic except her, and well, her letters, which led her to him.
"You're amazing, Amy."
She looked at him, tilting her head.
"Thank you, Sonic."
And then, without Sonic really understanding the impulse that had led him to the act (which was ridiculous coming from him, always thinking ahead), he found himself kissing Amy.
On the cheek, as she ended up turning her face away in surprise.
And then she burst into a fit of laughter, leaving him disconcerted.
"Sorry, Sonic, that's just so weird coming from you," she took a breath. "Seriously, wow, I'm so hot! Sorry!"
"You don't need to apologize, Ames."
And just like that, he disappeared in a blue blur into the night.
Her face still hot, Amy forced herself to leave the car. Her heart was racing, but she forced it to calm down on the way to the door. After a long shower, where she tried not to read too much into her blue-haired friend's actions throughout the day they spent together, she found herself shuffling her deck of cards again.
A deep breath to calm her heart. One card had fallen. Letting out the air, two more fell, and so she continued until she was satisfied.
There came a point where the cards simply refused to fall, begging to be read all at once.
Soon, she did.
An upside-down King of Rings, accompanied by a Seven of Water and an Ace of Lightning... Sonic... a small pang settled in her heart, remembering the kiss... then a King of Water, a Six of Lightning, a Fruit, and Time... strange to say the least, it wasn't a bad reading, but it said more—and her mind graced her again with traces of the kiss Shadow had given her, interspersed with Sonic's...
Yes. It was a reading about both of them.
And thinking that way, Shadow was the King of Water, but alongside the Fruit and Time? Why exactly?
Would Shadow really have any interest in her?
No, of course not!
And as if the black-furred hedgehog had been summoned, Amy's phone vibrated on her bookshelf.
A message with an attached photo of none other than Shadow the hedgehog.
It was a print of a magazine article where there was a huge, colorful photo of her, Sonic and Cream that afternoon, skating at the Bégon skating rink.
Where the title, in large black letters, said something like "The Mobius Hero's New Hobby" or something along those lines, she couldn't quite bring herself to be impressed by the sensationalist text message that had just followed.
"I guess you found someone to help you after all."
Amy was sure something had exploded inside her.
"Damn it, Sonic!"