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Ladies and gents...
I present to you, the final chapter- an epilogue if you will, filled with snippets and moments that have been and are to come for Amy and Sonic.
I hope you love and enjoy them, as I did writing them.
[Chapter Art: Traditional prismacolor led & inks]

---
Ultimatum
Epilogue
Final Chapter
---

“You. You are in so much trouble-”
“Am I? This doesn’t feel like trouble to me-”

“Sonic…” She pulled away from my grasp, back on her knees before me, searching my face worriedly as if something might change. “Lets just be serious for a minute, can we?“
“Do we really have to?”
“I think so….”

“Fine. Fine, shoot. If you need to, lets get on with it.” I sat back with one leg tossed over the other, and this was where she started to fidget. Not good. Not good in the slightest. “Come up.” I ordered, tugging her upward onto the chaise, out of the water pooled on the hardwood floor.
“Listen. This was hard for you to do. I know that. But…”
Hold the phone.
Who’s on call waiting?
TERROR. Pure terror.
The word ‘but’ in my books was a lot like a slap in the jaw. It was never the prologue to anything good.
“I don’t like buts, Amy…” I snickered, folding my arms, but my sideways smirk betrayed my nervousness as I addressed it to her at my side. She inhaled sharply, and wasted no more time dancing around her thoughts. As always, Amy had no trouble speaking up for herself.
“Sonic. I’ve…. Well, it’s safe to say I’ve waited a long time for this, and I was never sure if it was actually going to happen or not. Now that it has…“

Emerald green perused me with a gentle fear, as though concerned that her next words might sting.
I believe my concern for that was greater.

“lease, tell me. And don’t just do this for me.“ As my mouth snapped open and my brows flew down in defiance and anger, her hand came up swiftly to stop the outpour. “I know your first love is being a hero. I don’t doubt that you feel everything you’ve told me. I just… I don’t know whether or not you’re being rash. Sonic, there’s been a lot of time and space where this could have happened and it didn’t. If it took you this long to make up your mind, I don’t want it to be the wrong choice.” She took in a long, steadying breath, regarding me with caution and seriousness. “If this isn’t the place where you’re going to be happiest, please don’t try to make yourself fit.” It was then that she dropped her stern gaze, and it fell away to fear. A fear of perhaps being walked out on, or of ruining a good thing.
Can’t have that.
I turned to her, unsure of what expression it was that was dominating my features, but it softened her eyes considerably.

“Ames.” I shook my head once, allowed myself a small chuckle, then scooted in closer as my face fell into a firm, steady confidence. “Amy.” I clasped one of her smaller hands, finding it with my eyes never leaving her unsure expression.
“If there was any doubt in my mind before all this went down that this was what made me happiest? It’s long dead and scrap heaped by now. This… whole…” I threw my arms out in exasperation, needing her to understand the depth of what all this had done to me. “You know I can sleep easy knowing Eggman is still out there. I can sleep through knowin’ that idiot is workin’ on his latest 5 ton disaster that’ll be another stroke one on my side. Hell I’ll even take Mephiles again-”
“Don’t say that…” She warned darkly, brow furrowing as if I’d just uttered some forbidden enchantment or sin.

“Amy, I can rest easy knowing that whatever they toss out, I can dish back ten fold. When you started seein’ other dudes…” This is where my gaze dropped from its unwavering position, and I hated the crawl of a blush that forced its way to my face. “That’s when I started losing sleep. Whether its Eggman or another guy, if I don’t know what’s happening to you…” I cut off abruptly, sucking in a breath to keep myself from getting to much like an emotional priss. Because come on. I still had an attitude to uphold… just a little dignity left in my corner. Come on. “Amy, I’m not here because I want to be. Ok? There wasn’t a choice in this mess.” It was then that my fingers laced hers, and her suspicious eyes searched mine at that odd comment. “I’m here because I need to be here. And it took me all that time to realize I’m just really, really stupid. I stayed away because it kept you from getting hurt.”

“In one way…” She quipped smartly, and I winced.

“Exactly. Only in one way. But I get it now. Seriously. This is the only way we both win. Right?” I looked at her with a beg of mercy plainly extended, and she quirked an amused brow.

“Contrary to popular belief. Sonic, you are the SLOWEST thing alive.” She bark laughed, shaking her head, and I couldn’t help but join her.

“Tell me about it. At least you get the earnings in this- I’m gonna make up for it, big time.”

“Big time?”

“Do I do anything less than that?” I smirked, standing and extending my hand. As I took hers in mine, I graced it with a suave kiss. “Trust me. I’m going to make this worth your while.”

“I’ll hold you to that! Now are you gonna back this up with a dance or are we going to live back here?” She tittered, and we made our way to the door. As her hand gripped the handle, the other which rested in my grasp was tugged to halt her movements.

“Wait…”

She turned back with a jesting grin, curious.

“This is a bad time to tell me you can’t dance…”

“No, Amy, I-” I dropped her hand, and my own flew to the back of my head bashfully. “Just for the record, you should probably know that I, uh… well I really do love you. A lot.”
Her eyes warmed, and became dazzling in the faint light with unshed tears.

“I know how you feel.” She said quietly “But it doesn’t hurt to hear it.” She sniffled slightly, putting a hand to my chest, and I captured a run away escapee that decided to start its way down her face. I snorted with abrupt laughter, an idea occurring to me.

“A hell of a lot more than Shadow. OR Mighty. Or ESPIO… I mean seriously Amy, are you kiddin’ me-”
“You’re still going on about that?!“ She ruffled, then cackled happily. “Tails was right. You were so jealous…”

“TAILS SAID THAT?“ I boomed, punching into my own hand. “I’ll wool him. Because really. Me? Sonic? Sonic the Hedgehog?! Amy… puh-lease.“

“I don’t care who you are, you were jealous.“

“I WAS NOT!!”
---
Mina was on stage with the band, and the first strums began with a round of cheerful applause at the return of the couple to center floor. Spiralling her gracefully, my grin was that of a person who felt they had something to prove.

“I suffered for this. Immensely. I hope you realize that.”

“Oh, I can only imagine…” She snickered, falling into stride with me as Mina’s beautiful voice began its journey through the song…

Maybe I didn’t treat you
Quite as good as I should have
Maybe I didn’t love you
Quite as often as I could have

Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time…
You were always on my mind

“No, really, you can’t possibly imagine.” I shuddered, catching Knuckles eye- which we both promptly looked away from, mortified.

Maybe I didn’t hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I’m so happy that you’re mine
If I made you feel second best
Girl I’m so sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind

“Is this really happening?” She blinked, coming back from where she had been cradled into my shoulder. “I mean it now, because if I wake up in a few minutes, I’m going to be so pissed.” She squeaked, and I had to let out a shout of laughter at her saying that.

“If you really want me to pinch you, I can. But I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“I can’t get my head around it. You, slow dancing. You really did go through hell to learn this, didn’t you. There‘s no way this came easy.”

“You dare doubt my skilled footwork?“ Her eyebrow said it all. I deflated my ego near immediately, consenting to defeat. “My dear, if you could only imagine the deepest bowels of hell it cost me.”

Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn’t died
Give me, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied…
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time…
You were always on my mind

Throughout the cheers that broke out as the dance came to a close, it was Amy’s playful question that really hit home… and although it was rather offhand, the manner in which she said it- it still stuck with me through the years.

“So you really think you’re boyfriend material, Sonic?”

I spun her once, drawing her in closer to me, and tossed her a wink before I capped it off with our first kiss as an official couple- and allowed the mingling & dancing with guests to get underway.

“Ye of little faith? Watch me work.”

---
3 years later…

Boyfriend material?
Puh.
I sure showed her.

“Slap me.”

Whap!

“Ow.”

“Feel better now?” It was still difficult to hear how distinctly like a man Tails was starting to sound, as opposed to a boy. That would haunt me, I swear. Because if he’s a young man, then what the hell am I?

“Not one bit. Tails, what if I upchuck? Way past uncool…” I groaned, staring at myself in the mirror once more as I uneasily adjusted the small black bowtie I was donning.
“What happened to you as a baby, anyway.” Knuckles voice was gruff as he appeared to my left in the mirror, Tails taking up the right. “How can you make suicide missions your day job and then freak out over your own-”
“Don’t say it. Seeing him faint at this point would be too embarrassing after what I’ve seen.” Tails snorted, checking his watch as a knock on the door sounded. “Sonic, you’re going to be late for your cue-” Both sidekicks were taken off guard as I grasped one of their hands in each of mine, and the slight tremors that ran from my fingers ceased.
“Dudes… ok. Ok, I think I’m ready for this show. Thanks for being here. Really.“

“Where else would I be?” Tails smiled, thumping me encouragingly and giving my shoulder a squeeze of affection. Knuckles rolled his eyes.

“And to think I left the Island for this. Well I knew I’d probably find you dead if I didn’t show up and keep you in line. I’ve never seen you look so shit-baked-”
“Thanks, Knuckles. But I wasn’t just talkin’ about now, stupid. I meant always.” The playfulness of the comment did not dampen its sincere meaning, and the trio felt a distinct ribbon of warmth pass through them to be three standing here as they always were, still together, still going strong. And Knuckles would not. Cry.
Dammit, the wedding hadn’t even started yet.
“Lets juice & jam, guys.”
---
3rd person

Whenever I’m weary
From the battles that rage in my head
You make sense of madness
When my sanity hangs by a thread…
I lose my way but still you seem to understand, now and forever…
I will be your man…

Clusters of friends and family alike begin to sweep to their feet, a quiet anticipation as Sonic’s singing accented & basked the moment in a rare heightened splendour.
This was the moment that he’d been waiting for.
All the months of preparation, all the details, guests, décor and trimmings were all for the bride.
But this moment.
This moment, was for the groom.
He had no idea what he was in for when she came in through those doors, but he was hoping it wouldn’t be too much for his poor self.
Swallowing thickly, waiting for the view of her to be plain to him as she cut through the crowd, he strummed on in anticipation.

Sometimes I just hold you, too caught up in me to see
I’m holding a fortune
That heaven has given to me…
I’ll try to show you each and every way I can
Now and forever…
I will be your man.

As heads craned to get a view of her, he specifically saw Cream fluster and erupt into her hankie, Tails arm coming around her in comfort as his own expression at seeing the bride could only be one of utter astonishment.

Now I can rest my worries and always be sure
That I won’t be alone anymore
If I’d only known you were there all the time,
All this time…

It was then that he saw her.

---
1st person

Oh my God.
Oh, my… God.
And if I was supposed to be singing right now, that wasn’t going to be happening any time soon.
The firm lump that was wreaking havoc on my throat was going to see to that.
Because, damn… damn, man.
I had seen so much of the woman in the entirety of my life, but never like this.
Never like this.
So startlingly, painfully beautiful, I almost couldn’t bear it.
Bunnie Rabbot was my new messiah.
When she caught my expression, and how I had ceased to sing and simply strum, mesmerized, she offered up a sheepish grin from beneath her veil.
Still, so utterly and completely the Amy I always knew.
And as I contemplated it, not so utterly and completely different from the way I had viewed her from the first moment I’d encountered her.

The vows were a test of guts for myself above any other- to expose myself to those around me so blatantly was rare and unusual. With all their eyes on me, it would have intimidated me to near cardiac arrest. But it didn’t. Because my eyes weren’t on them- they were melded to her.
This moment wasn’t solely about me.
That’s what I’m here for.

“Is this boyfriend material enough for ya?” I quipped saucily under my breath to her, as close to her face as space would allow before I was permitted to kiss my bride. She simply expelled a burst of laughter, which sounded slightly strained by the threatened appearance of tears. I gave her a warning look, lifting her veil.

“If you start cryin’, that’s it. You’ll ruin my image in front of all these people.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.” She teased, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “They don’t have to know you cried at Fox & the Hound.”

“It was the fox thing! The fox! It felt too much like watching Tails get- I-I wasn’t even crying, I just had butter on my fingers and got it in my-”

“If you two were planning on sealing your commitment any time soon, kissing the bride is generally the motion we undertake to cap the ceremony.” The priest egged, an air of amusement surrounding him as he drew the dazed couple back to the here and now. The discrete mutterings were now exchanged for bashful flushing, as I turned back from the priest to face my soon-to-be wife.
“Now…” my beam was extraordinary, and contagious. Her face exploded into a massive smile of her own, tears quivering in her perfectly Kelly green eyes, as one of my arms pulled her against me. The other raised, my finger tilting her chin up toward me confidently. “Here’s a first that’s all mine.”
“All yours! The first and the last, till the end of time.” She winked, and abruptly, I saw everything I’d managed to save- pouring back into me and filling me with light and optimism. I had so much to look forward to with her beside me.
Fighting side by side, living together, all the stolen moments we’d have of laughing, hilarity, down time, knowing I had carried her back to me where she belonged. Just lying together and silently feeling blessed- not needing to say anything, because you both knew you were where you were meant to be. Every night, she would be there. She would be the one to hold my hand and walk us through our home, our children, correct my re-telling of our heroism if I screwed up a story I was trying to share with the grandkids. There wasn’t going to be a moment anymore where I worried she wouldn’t be there.
My wife.
My Amy.
Mine. Forever.
I had only a second to stare down into the luscious warmth of her eyes before she was crushed against me, our lips melding in a crescendo of emotion.
“Leave some of her for the reception man!” Was the cat call issued by Knuckles, which I remember most distinctly of all from my wedding day.

---
Later that evening…

Whoever said honeymoons were easy going.
Whoever said that I’d drop kick right now, right in the face.

“You have patience!” I growled, and she cackled at my persistence. “It’s our wedding day- d’ya know how long it took to get us a couple minutes of peace? Jeez!!!”

“I’d know, I was there.” She reported smartly, grinning as I lunged for her lips again. After a moment I tore backward, frustrated by the impossible tangle of corset silk at her back. “What is this, a joke?! They really don’t have husbands in mind when they’re makin’ these death traps…” I snarled, and we both laughingly worked in an effort to de-tangle the ties of her elegant corset.

“Don’t rip it!”

“I-I’m tryin’ not to here, Amy! We could get Bunnie to fix it-”

“Oh SCREW it!” She snapped, and at the sound of a tremendous tearing sound, my eyes bulged as the dress became pliant. She fluttered her eyes innocently, and I raised an amused brow.

“That wasn’t very lady like-”

“Why do I always have to tell you to shut up, Sonic!” She barked, tossing me on my back and commandeering with a fierce kiss.

“Yes sir!” I managed to get out past her lips, yanking her down against me.

“Wait- wait, stop! Hold on!” She begged, and bark laughed at my immensely sour glare for the pause.

“This better be good, Amy.”

“I- I’m uh- I-I don’t quite know how to say this…” She fussed suddenly, face erupting into a blush, and I smirked coyly at her.

“Then don’t.” I swooped in for another kiss, but she put a hand to my lips.
“SONIC!”

“Fine, alright.” I sat up, tugging her up with me. “But you’re gonna hafta cover up that jazz if you want me to focus.” I warned, and she swiftly wrapped the blanket around her lingerie clad form bashfully.
“Alright, there- now… I always, kind of- hooo, how do I say this.” Her hands twisted anxiously in the sheets, her face growing increasingly more tense. “Sonic- See, I don’t want you to think I’m-”

“AMY!” I thundered, and she nodded hastily, scrambling to stabilize her thoughts and get to the point.
“S-sorry! I’m- fine, fine, I’ll just-” She pointed at me savagely, and I leaned back in alarm at her severe expression. “DON’T, judge me.” She warned darkly, eyes leering, and I could only nod timidly, swallowing thickly. Then she restored herself to a state of calm, closing her eyes and toying with the pillow seated next to her. “Where are the chaos emeralds.” She asked suddenly, in a very business-like fashion. She didn’t open her eyes, so she completely missed the overwhelmingly baffled expression that seized my face.

“The- WHUT?! The Chaos- Amy, SERIOUSLY!! Is this really the time to be thinking about our day jobs right now, how could you- You’re KIDDING! I-I mean who gives a flyin‘-”

“I’m NOT thinking about work, now who has the chaos emeralds!!” She dominated, opening her eyes in an impatient blaze, her face starting to crimson. I stared at her in utter befuddlement. I was so confused by this, that I only wanted to know the answer now. She had me completely lost on how any of this had any relation to each other.

“Tails does, in his workshop, duh. Now-”

“Good! I thought it might be farther from here…he won’t mind if you pick them up-”

“ick. Them up?! Amy, I’m-” I covered my face, shaking my head, surrendering. “I give up.” I tossed my arms up in submission, then stared at her pleadingly. “You happy? I have no sweet clue what you’re getting on with. Now you can either tell me why I’m going to Tails work shop to pick up chaos emeralds on my honeymoon, or-”

“Can’t-you-just-go-get-them please?!” She squeaked, eyes squeezed tightly closed as her blush became too eminent for me to not ask.
“For whut?!”

“I always wanted to!” She bawled, turning from me in a hilarious humiliation.

“To whut, Amy? Tell me, now! This is crazy!”

“NO-WAH!”

“TO WHUT?” I egged, and she forced out a rough sigh.

“It’s not that big of a deal, we could just forget-”

“Oh, no no no no nooo.” I scooted closer, grin mammoth as she started to retreat. “No way! See this has gotten too good. It’s already gone this far, I am not backing down now!”

“I don’t want you to laugh at me!” She turned to me with an agonized expression then, a fist held over her mouth shyly. I crawled toward her, trying to keep a straight face. Whatever this was, it had to be good.

“Amy, c’mon now. Would I laugh at you?” I embraced her tenderly, still grinning, and she merely glowered.

“Yes.”

“Try me anyway! It‘s just me.”

“Fine…” Her eyes downcast to the blanket, the flush returning as she traced a circle on the bed. “I always… kind of…well I thought it would be- I-I wanted to try… you see, w-when you’re Super Sonic, there’s this kind of- energy… you seem so…AHEM, that is I imagined-” She heard me whimper against a fierce urge to laugh, and caught me chewing on my lips. “I MEAN NOT- forget it I-I never IMAGINED, SHUT UP! I-I thought if we were going to have a honeymoon, why not make it as unforgettable as we can…” She bit her lip, fading into another world, and it took all of my power not to crack up then and there. “There, I said it. Don’t say ANYTHING! I am so embarrassed…”

“Oh, you are… you…” As it fully dawned on me, and my expression went from blank to intensely amused, her panic stricken expression became more dire.

“Sonic, I said don’t SAY anything! Shut up!” She shoved at me from where she was beginning to disappear under the covers.

“You mean to tell me…” I started shaking my hands out in front of me, grin exploding like a fire cracker. “You think when I go super, that it’s- that it gets you- you think I’m- Amy, what kind of freaky, messed up fantasy is that?!”

“SONIC!!!” She screamed, thumping me over the face with the pillow at her disposal. “OH MY GOD! I shouldn’t have said ANYTHING! I knew I SHOULDN’T HAVE TOLD YOU!!!”

“Holy- that is some crazy kink, hammer head-wait till I tell Tails and Knuckles…”

“NO!!“ She revolted, pummelling me with the plush ammo as I roared, face contorted with rage as I howled. “Don’t you DARE! I HATE you-ah! Ugh I could KILL you right now-”

“Why didn’t you just tell me that in the first place? Jeez…” I leapt to my feet then, wiping at my eyes before holding up a finger. She fluttered her eyes in confusion, humiliated scarlet still streaked along her face.

“Huh?”

“C‘mon dude, I was only kidding.“ I shrugged, causing her face to crumple into stunned disbelief. “Back before you stop blushing.” I winked, escaping while I still had the chance. As I took off, she fired the feathered weapon in her hand at the slamming door, shouting out a booming laugh.

“You JERK!”

---

I literally whipped into the lab area, startling Tails so badly that the tool in his hand came flying out, and it spiralled madly on the floor until he tore the cord belonging to it from the plug outlet. He flipped up his goggles, observing as with an armful of chaos emeralds, I transformed in a dizzying sheen of golden fur.

“SONIC, what the HELL is going on?! Why are you going super? Is it Eggman trying to ruin your wedding night?!” He threw his goggles off his head like they were on fire, and they shattered onto the floor in a cascade of glass. He began racing toward me wearing a vice of terror. I tore around and flung the door open, staring over my shoulder with my urgent crimson eyes.

“NO TIME!“ I barked, but he grabbed me by the arm roughly, eyes still panicked.
“What are you trying to fight alone?!“

“NOTHING!” I got out of his grasp with a snort of laughter, elevating into the air. “No, it’s nothing stupid like that! I’m not fighting, no worries!! Way more important! Can’t talk!”

And before Tails could even begin to contemplate my sanity, I was gone in a streak of blinding gold.

“YOU OWE ME GOGGLES!!!“ He screamed angrily into the night air, before crumpling against his doorframe with a shaky breath. He combed his fingers through his bangs, barking out a spurt of unsteady laughter. “I am going to die early because of that guy.” He breathed, stumbling his way back into the workshop with quaking fingers as he tried to shake the confusion out of his head.
I careened through the air like a comet of light, making a bee line back to the resort area.
I bust in through the window of the chalet Amy and I were staying in, and she gasped in awe.

“THAT was quick!” She stood quickly, approaching my illuminated form and reaching out for me.

I flew over to collect her shocked face, taking it in one hand. I observed the light blush that still rouged her cheeks with my traditional sideways simper.

“Here you go, freak. Happy? Told ya I’d be back before you stopped.”

I crushed her lips with mine.

---
10 years ahead…

“Wait! Dad, I fawt you told me Eggman was in jayul den.”

“He was.” Amy offered up to the confused audience, exchanging a look with me. “It never usually stayed that way, though.”

It was then that the quieter of the two- for this evening, anyway- decided to make her typically poignant contribution.

“Shut up twerp, I want to hear the rest!”

“Forget it. We have to eat before any swat bot action today- I mean it this time. Battlefield on an empty stomach? Not cool…” I stood, allowing that to be my final offer, and the story telling ceased.
It didn’t hurt to be the head of a mad house, but sometimes I was certain that of all things, it would indefinitely be the death of me.

“It’s your fault, you know.” Amy had muttered with great amusement in the darkness one night, as we fought to fall asleep after a long day with our two children. “You gave them that energy.”

“I think it’s your fault.” I teased, rolling over with an accusatory leer. “If the energy doesn’t kill us, the temper you passed on will.”

Utter silence in the dark, and then both of our voices joining at once before falling into laughter.

“…It’s both our faults.”

Children had definitely changed our lives, there was no doubt about it.
Had someone told me I’d be a dad someday, I probably would have laid them flat out.
I mean, seriously dudes…really.
Me?!
Then again, if someone had told me I’d marry Amy at one point, there might have been a similar result.
The truth was, my children were- to put it mildly- an adventure in themselves for me.
The strikingly lovely plum coloured hedgehog- who had bore Amy’s laughter so accurately- was more me than I ever would have accounted for. Adia, true to the word, meant gift. (I think I bawled more than Amy did when I held her, as if she was torn straight from my wildest fantasies. She wasn’t just an insane twisting of my desperate imagination after all. She was lime green eyes, she was plum coloured fur- she was my beautiful, beautiful girl. The little child I had fallen in love with, and nearly lost to my own stupid ego those years and years ago. And now here she was, at long last. My gift. My Adia.)
As the years went by, however, I never accounted for such a handful. God almighty, handful wasn’t the word for her. It seems my absolute lust for danger, adventures and speed was an unfortunate staggering genetic- I blamed Amy as per usual, to her amusement.
I just had to be super for her, didn’t I?
Anyway, I was certain this mustang of a young lady was actually going to send me packing to the hospital one of these days. Every last one of the pretty little boots and feminine slip ons that Amy and I had purchased for her had been run right down to the soles. I gave in with a heavy sigh, and had a pair of specialized sneakers wrestled onto her never still set of kicks. For the time being, the sneakers had endured all of her morning, lunch, evening, and night romps. Not to mention the scraps and challenges she’d teased out of other school kids, or the ultimate recipe to my own heart attack- her love of seeking out swat bots. She was the most reckless 9 year old to have come into existence next to myself.
Needless to say, when our next addition to the family came, I was shit baked. If I had to deal with two mini me’s, I was liable to submit myself to a mental ward with no chance of escape.
When Amy had uttered the breathless words: “Oh… Sonic… h-he’s gorgeous!” All I could think or assume was- Lord, this is payback for all those times I was a cocky jerk, isn’t it? Having to deal with an army of me’s from here on in as payback? But when she offered him to me…
I couldn’t even say as much as one word in my awe.
There, set into a tiny face surrounded by light lavender fur, were the captivating shamrock green emerald eyes of the woman I loved.
And, again, with Amy laughing weakly as she held my knee, I cried like a little bitch.
…I mean I don’t cry, what the hell kind of mess are you talkin’?
With that moment came the rest of our days with Mattock, who brought a whole new level of bittersweet hilarity to our family.
As he grew, we both released a long, satisfying gust of relief when he’d come home from school with his new shoes intact. He was quite that extra mile akin to his mother, as our little daredevil daughter had proven to take after myself.
He was a hopeless romantic, and that cracked me the hell up. Every week there was a new girl at school that he admired from afar, who earned a portion of his oatmeal cookies and would fall victim to his showing off. Over the past two months though, he’d slimmed his sights in on one girl and one girl alone: Silver and Blaze’s little girl, the bashful but polite little hedgecat named Desere, who walked with him to the bus stop every morning.

“She sits wif me an’ she even knows how to make papuh planes move wif her mind!”

“What a freak show-”
“IS NOT YOU’RE DUH FWEEK SHOW! You’re a MEAN girlie, Adie! Dass awl yoo are! Dessie is pwetty AND nice and I’M gonna mawwy her, so HA. You’re just a BWUTE!”

“FFFFFFTTTT!!” Adie spit cereal back into her bowl, nearly choking with laughter. “NO WAY! Dad, tell ‘em he can’t get married yet, he clearly has no clue about nothin!”

“Adie…” I said in a heated tone, then turned to Mattock- who looked wide eyed in protest. “Tock, erm, you see, people get married when-”

“NO! You’re just sayyin’ it tuh be on HEWR side but YOU’RE MAWWIED, DAYUD!”

“YEAH kiddo, but I- I’m- I love your mother VERY much and we’ve known each other for- I mean we never-”
“I bet I wuv Dessie JUST as much!” He vowed, folding his little arms, and I guffawed at that.

“ Suuure, you do. Didn’t you say this about Lacey the rabbit?”

“It’s diffwent dis tyme doh!” He said factually, and I turned to Amy pitifully, seeking guidance.

“Amy, for the love of God, save me here. I’m out. You can’t argue with this kind of logic.” I said sarcastically, and Amy leaned forward with the challenge.

“Honey people get married when they’re much older, you need to get to know somebody really… really… REALLY well if you want it to work-” Her voice broke and she let out a bark of laughter, feeling ridiculous. I couldn’t help but join in, observing how foolish it all was.

“But I wanna!” He wailed, wiping at his eyes pitifully. “Desere says if I goes to hur house after suppuh we can get mawwied in hur living room-”

“Ya can’t get married in a living room stupid, that’s against the law!”
“IS NAWT if you gawt a pweechur to do yer VOWS, stoopid!” He mocked her back, all matter-of-factly.
“ What am I even- why am I still arguing this with you! You can’t get married period, you’re 5! You’re not smart enough to make that work yet! “

“Am so! Yoow’re jealous, coz nonna da the boys at schoo-wul asked tuh mawwy you!” He busted forth saucily, and she stared open mouthed at him before her lips turned into a sideways simper that was so me it was frightening.

“Whatever! I have my speed, that’s what I’m married to. Whatchoo got pinkie?”
“I’M NOT PINK I’M PUH-PULL!”
“Alright, pinkie. You’re also not getting married. You’re too flippin’ young-”

“Watch your mouth!!” Amy reprimanded curtly, and Adie withdrew from Amy’s sharp tone like an oncoming blade.

“Sorry…” She said meekly, and in the same breath, rounded on her brother once more. “AND she’s a cat- what’re you guys gonna have, hedgecats?!” Adie cackled around her cereal, and that did it for Mattock.
“SHE’S NAWT A CAT!” He screamed, smacking a small hand on the top of the table with rage as he stood, chair flying out from behind him.

“Hey HEY, whoa!!” I attempted to stop the rampage, but it was no use. It was already out of hand, and Amy was no help- she was too busy ducking her head, snorting into both hands with laughter.
“Hur DADS a Hedgehawg, Hur MOM’S A KITTY! SHE IS A HEDGECAT!!!” He howled, face flaming, and seemingly out of thin air- and with a chorus of yells and screams exploding through our kitchen- the lavender hedgehog produced a mattock pick, and sent it careening through our kitchen table.

CRACK- SMASH!

“Aurora almighty in leather PANTS!!!” I roared, wearing my breakfast. Both children looked absolutely horrified, as if death row was eminent. Like tiny hermit crabs, they curled into themselves in horror- waiting for a verdict. “ADIE, one more WISECRACK and I will burn those running shoes or sell them to Eggman to jog in!!!” She had never been so quiet in all her life, as she stared in fear from my face to her beloved sneakers.

“MATTOCK!” Upon my booming voice, he promptly looked up with those beautiful emerald green eyes, and burst into guilty tears.

“I’M SAWWY! I’M SAWWY! It came outta da aiyur! I don’t know how I diddit Daddy I’m sawwy I really ayummmm!!!” He bawled mournfully, and I glared warningly at Adie as she started to snicker. She shut up in an instant. I looked to Amy for back up, unable to maintain any sort of authority with him. Curses, why did he have to inherit those eyes? It was then that I saw Amy was covering her mouth with a hand, which did her no good as she practically rolled around with laughter.

“Well then! Now that that’s settled!” She said, barely recovering from the crack up as she wiped her eyes. “First things first, we need a new kitchen table…”

“Way to go, doof-”
“I said SAWWY!!!”
“ADIE I DARE you to say ONE more word-”

“Second? It seems you’re more like your mom than you realize- hey now shh, shh! “ Amy rounded the former table to comfort the stunned child, who was truly baffled by his own ability. So, the mystery was solved. Our boy had inherited his mother’s quirky, useful- and of course often alarming gift of hammer space. Pick space? …hammer space. “It’s alright sweetie, stop crying! Listen, you know mommy broke her bedroom door when she found out she could do that when she was little. Did you know that?”

He stared up at her sniffling, shaking his head cautiously as he wiped his eyes.

“See? It’ll get better, we can get a brand new table alright? Oh!- and how about this? Mommy will teach you how to control it- then you can use it whenever you need it, like that!” She snapped her fingers, a hammer poofing into existence out of the blue in her hand, and his mouth fell open in wonder. Glancing at his sister, eyes thinning into a leer, he pointed at her accusingly as she smirked back at him.
“Can I smack Adie wif it when she gets sawsee?” He pouted angrily at the amused young hedgehog sitting across from him, who pulled down one lid and stuck out her tongue. All I had to do was look at her this time, and she returned to perching angelically in her chair- feigning innocence.

“Absolutely not! You leave her to us.” Amy was smirking herself then, staring bemused at our little girl- who was smiling like an angel.
“Nice try. But I can still see your devil horns, Adie.” I taunted, and got a tongue stuck out in my direction in response.
“Shaddap, DAD-”
“ But it’ll become one of your best friends, once you learn to use it properly! How about we have a one on one tomorrow, just you and me in the field while daddy and Adie are doing laps?”
“I GOT A POWER, I GOT A POWER!!!” Mattock howled, leaping into Amy’s arms. “FANKS MAMA! Now Desere’ll definitely mawwy me!” And he ran from the wreckage that used to be our table, anxious to call said girl. I heard his little voice in the room over, moments later:

“Unkie Silvuh, can I speak to Dessie?”
“OH for the love of- She’s NOT gonna MARRY YOU squirt!!!”
“THAT IS BEYOND IT, BRAT!” And Amy roared with laughter, as I tackled my instigating daughter to the ground in a battle of supremacy for the running shoes.

---
Later that evening…

“Believe me now, dad?” The drawling sarcasm emitting from my daughter was enough to drown someone in.

“Whoa… dass mammoff!” Tock needlessly exclaimed, as the agonizingly gargantuan shadow of the bot eclipsed the four of us.

“Uh… yup! I think you called this one, Adie.” I frowned, stepping forward to put myself between the challenger and my family. Amy stepped up to bat beside me, as always.
“Eggman, how are you still alive right now dude?” I cupped my hands and taunted loudly. The two behind me cackled gleefully.

“Yeah, shouldn’t you be fenced in at a museum somewhere next to the dinosaur fossils?” Adie added gleefully, making a swift lap around his latest bot.

“Adie would you BE CAREFUL for ONCE!!” Amy screamed, thumping her hammer onto the ground and splitting a boulder in the process. Adie stared wide eyed at her for a moment, and then cocked a sideways grin up at Eggman.

“Did you come here just to try to talk us to death again? BOOORING!” Adie sing songed, weaving throughout the legs of the machine.
“Be my guest and be the first to find out why I‘ve made my debut, little girl- I’ll be happy to turn you into a hedgehog puddle!!!” As the monster sized machine raised one of the 6 of it’s maliciously glittering steel legs, Adie raced back and grabbed my hands urgently with an excited smile.
“Number 17, number 17!!!” She pealed, and we spin-dashed in a circle while maintaining our grip on each other- building momentum until we spiralled up in a boomerang of purple and blue to sever the massive appendage.
“Nyyeaaahhhh!!!!” Eggman snarled, teetering until he rapidly adjusted his machine to the loss of support. “STUPID rodents!!! As if ONE annoying, saucy, rotten little super speed hedgehog wasn’t enough-”
“YOU take dat back Egghead, dass my SISTUH!!” Mattock boiled, snatching a piece of the boulder Amy had shattered- tossing it into the air, and as his pick manifested into his hand, he swung with a mighty force. The jagged piece bolted towards Eggman’s stunned form, and caught his little Egg pod smack dab in the center. It began haphazardly jerking out of control, zaps of electrical sparks emitting from the gaping damage.

“GAK!! You violent little vermin, I just got this thing off the conveyer belt!! EggWig, prepare for boarding mode, abandon pod, abandon pod!!”
“Egghead? Oh how original Tock, you’ve outdone yourself in lameness!”
“SHUDDUP ADIE!!-”

“Enough! Heed me!! For I have a very special individual to unleashed upon you all- I present to you, my greatest achievement of all- my second in command, my next of villainous kin! Eggman Nega, why don’t you come up and greet your future and soon to be past tense adversaries?”
It only took a few moments, but the young man who pushed himself up alongside Eggman’s huge girth was a young man of almost equalled heftiness.
He had to be the child of Eggman- or some distorted, lab-oriented version at least.
Because this was one serious collection of ugly in one space.

“Hey check it out- that hard boiled egg cup serves two!” The mini Eggman seemed stunned by my insult, simply staring silently between myself and Eggman.
“EW-ah! Who would reproduce with YOU?!” Amy’s revulsion had us all hacking with hilarity at the foot of the machine, and Eggman became so furious he turned purple.
“UNLIKE YOUR FILTHY MONGREL BREEDS, I can concoct the perfect apprentice-”
“AKA dude’s never gotten lucky in his life-”

“GROSS ADIE!” Tock snapped.
“SILENCE!! And behold my uninhibited genius- pulled from the mind of the world’s greatest scientist! I give you my one and only heir- possibly even more diabolical than yours truly, if you could begin to fathom such an evil!” So that proved it. This dude was one of Eggman’s lab rats. All four hedgehogs looked up to find a pint sized, disturbingly child-like mini Eggman. He was even equipped with his own moustache.
“Ugh- And unbelievably more hideous! He looks like you got in a car crash with a discotheque!”
“Nice one mom!” Adie snorted, exchanging a high five with her as we laughed at his expense.
“YOU WISE CRACKING, PINT SIZED FURBALLS! HEED ME I ORDERED! Nega, prepare to carry out your first mission of command! Operation Hog-kebab!!!”
“World’s greatest loser version 2.0? Bring it on, Eggy!” I encouraged, and the four of us assumed battle positions. Even decades later, after everything that had come to pass. After everything I had been through, I was still doing what I loved best- only now it was with the ones I loved best.
How on earth did life take me down this road?
Well, I came to realize that life itself, is most certainly not like a box of chocolates.
You don’t know exactly what you’re getting. Unlike a box of chocolates, it doesn’t come with a diagram dictating what you’re in for.
Most important of all, everything you’re going to be dealt quite definitely will not promise to be sweet and enjoyable.
Life, my friends, is much more like a gigantic, boggling labyrinth- a maze of mystery, confusion, and blind corners, all waiting to take you off guard. Sometime’s you’ll come to dead ends, sometimes you’ll stumble upon things you never thought you would along the way. Sometimes you’re just going to sit down in the middle of that never ending test of sanity- you will cry, scream, try to climb over the walls, walk into them and even get tangled and held in places that you’d rather not remain.
The most important thing you have to remember in moments like these?
Keep walking.
Or , in my own personal scenario, running. You need to run like hell, keep trudging- keep pushing for wherever it is you belong- whether you’re certain where that is or not.
Don’t let anything overtake you, leave whatever it is you have to behind, to just keep moving ahead.
The only thing I can say for sure is, when you finally… finally reach that place you’re going- even if you knew you were headed there or not- the satisfaction of getting there is what makes going through that kind of hell and suffering worthwhile.
You’ll know when you get there- you won’t be lost anymore. It might not be what you expected, but you won’t be lost. You’ll have found what you’ve been looking for, and that’s the big pay off.
Believe, in what hasn’t come to be. Believe with all your heart what your instincts tell you, and hold on to that for dear life until you’ve seen it through.
You’ll thank yourself later.
It’s been rightfully said in the past, that ‘life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans’.
How true it is! Who knew in my long line of duty as protector of Mobius, I would find the girl I loved through that dirtbag, Eggman? Who knew that years from the day I met her- convinced she was one of the most annoying and also most endearing friends I possessed- that I would end up at her door, blubbering and desperate to belong to her?
Even more than that, to later marry said girl- me, Sonic the Hedgehog! The blue blur, who was known for having two and only two fears- water, and commitment.
Who knew that the years that followed down the road, I’d have my ring on her left finger, fighting with tears as her father walked her down the isle to me? That I’d be the father of two of her breathtakingly gorgeous, infuriating and completely worthwhile children?
Who knows, maybe Amy saw it all those years ago, curiosity getting the better of her when she used her cards to try to know me better. Maybe she never gave up on me, because she knew all this was going to come to be.
Then again, maybe she was just a love sick girl who took a chance, and had no freakin’ clue what she was getting herself into when she decided to stay with me after I rescued her.
Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t.
To cap it all off- who the hell saw it coming, that one day Eggman would spawn his own disturbing kin, and my family would grow to become a band of skilled, dedicated freedom fighters- carrying on my duty and legacy for the rest of the years to come on Mobius?
Well, if you were to come up to me, and ask me personally…
Dudes?
Seriously.
All I can offer to you is this.
…damn.
I sure as hell didn’t.
---
25 years prior…

“SOOONIIIICCC…I know you’re heeeeeerrrre!”

Crap. She was way too good with those tarot cards- how did she manage to find me EVERY freakin’ time?!
“Sonic?” A pink hedgehog poked her head over the long row of Mobian sunflowers I was lying next to, and her face brightened with triumph. “I FOUND YOU, SWEETIE!”
“Aw Amyyyy, not now- I’m tryin’ to relax here!” I growled, rolling abruptly on my side and closing my eyes. I heard her leap from the cluster of flowers, and then she was squeezing against me on the grass.

“Then I’ll relax with you!” She decided, snuggling down against me and fitting easily into my side. The ruffles of her tutu were tickling my tail.
“You? Relax? I’ll believe it when I see it. And believe me I won’t. Now d’ya mind?” I said saucily, and she giggled lightly, nuzzling into my back quills. I flipped over to face her, glaring, and stopped short. Her emerald green eyes made a flirty flutter at my hesitance, and she kissed my cheek.

“EUGH! GROSS!” I wiped it away with a scrunched nose, and she laughed with utter enjoyment.

“Nooooo, I don’t mind! It’s only a matter of time anyway!” She smoothed a hand down over her short pink quills, and as I stood- making a show of getting rid of the kiss on my cheek- she pushed her hands down over her orange tutu all businesslike.

“Till whut?!” I challenged, arms folded and fingers drumming as I peered at her with one eye closed. She leaned in to my face, and I leaned back automatically, starting to flush. “Uuuuhhhh…”

“Till you marry me, silly! Then I can steal allllllll the kisses I want!” She clasped her hands, a dreamy expression overtaking her as I rolled my eyes and bark laughed.

“UH! Keep dreaming- it’s all you’re ever gonna GET!”
“NUH UH!” She stomped a foot, and I stuck my tongue out at her.
“YEAH HUH!” I taunted, before busting into a super sonic retreat.
“YOU GET BACK HERE, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! No fair, I can’t run as fast as you!” She thundered, chasing me with arms thrown out in a useless effort to catch me.
“If you can catch me, you can marry me now!” I cackled, before my legs became a mere blur along with the landscape. I barely caught her high pitched voice, furious and frustrated by my wager, knowing it was impossible.

“SOOOONIIIIIIIC! Oh, I HATE YOU!”

And when I was far enough away into the mountain side, chest heaving and our encounter long behind us, I flushed as I picked up where I’d left off before I’d been so rudely interrupted…
I was just standing there having to shake my head, laughing at myself. What was wrong with me? I didn’t know why it was when I was alone that I would think, lingering on the weirdest things. One of the ideas that particularly made me blush was how I couldn’t help thinking about my new plan of action. Truth be told, I had been thinking of suave ways, or scenarios…
That heroic event, that would lead to the perfect first kiss with her…

“And… in the end?
The love you take,
is equal to the love you make.”

-The Beatles

-The End

---

Mish

Description
Ladies and gents...
I present to you, the final chapter- an epilogue if you will, filled with snippets and moments that have been and are to come for Amy and Sonic.
I hope you love and enjoy them, as I did writing them.
[Chapter Art: Traditional prismacolor led & inks]

---
Ultimatum
Epilogue
Final Chapter
---

“You. You are in so much trouble-”
“Am I? This doesn’t feel like trouble to me-”

“Sonic…” She pulled away from my grasp, back on her knees before me, searching my face worriedly as if something might change. “Lets just be serious for a minute, can we?“
“Do we really have to?”
“I think so….”

“Fine. Fine, shoot. If you need to, lets get on with it.” I sat back with one leg tossed over the other, and this was where she started to fidget. Not good. Not good in the slightest. “Come up.” I ordered, tugging her upward onto the chaise, out of the water pooled on the hardwood floor.
“Listen. This was hard for you to do. I know that. But…”
Hold the phone.
Who’s on call waiting?
TERROR. Pure terror.
The word ‘but’ in my books was a lot like a slap in the jaw. It was never the prologue to anything good.
“I don’t like buts, Amy…” I snickered, folding my arms, but my sideways smirk betrayed my nervousness as I addressed it to her at my side. She inhaled sharply, and wasted no more time dancing around her thoughts. As always, Amy had no trouble speaking up for herself.
“Sonic. I’ve…. Well, it’s safe to say I’ve waited a long time for this, and I was never sure if it was actually going to happen or not. Now that it has…“

Emerald green perused me with a gentle fear, as though concerned that her next words might sting.
I believe my concern for that was greater.

“lease, tell me. And don’t just do this for me.“ As my mouth snapped open and my brows flew down in defiance and anger, her hand came up swiftly to stop the outpour. “I know your first love is being a hero. I don’t doubt that you feel everything you’ve told me. I just… I don’t know whether or not you’re being rash. Sonic, there’s been a lot of time and space where this could have happened and it didn’t. If it took you this long to make up your mind, I don’t want it to be the wrong choice.” She took in a long, steadying breath, regarding me with caution and seriousness. “If this isn’t the place where you’re going to be happiest, please don’t try to make yourself fit.” It was then that she dropped her stern gaze, and it fell away to fear. A fear of perhaps being walked out on, or of ruining a good thing.
Can’t have that.
I turned to her, unsure of what expression it was that was dominating my features, but it softened her eyes considerably.

“Ames.” I shook my head once, allowed myself a small chuckle, then scooted in closer as my face fell into a firm, steady confidence. “Amy.” I clasped one of her smaller hands, finding it with my eyes never leaving her unsure expression.
“If there was any doubt in my mind before all this went down that this was what made me happiest? It’s long dead and scrap heaped by now. This… whole…” I threw my arms out in exasperation, needing her to understand the depth of what all this had done to me. “You know I can sleep easy knowing Eggman is still out there. I can sleep through knowin’ that idiot is workin’ on his latest 5 ton disaster that’ll be another stroke one on my side. Hell I’ll even take Mephiles again-”
“Don’t say that…” She warned darkly, brow furrowing as if I’d just uttered some forbidden enchantment or sin.

“Amy, I can rest easy knowing that whatever they toss out, I can dish back ten fold. When you started seein’ other dudes…” This is where my gaze dropped from its unwavering position, and I hated the crawl of a blush that forced its way to my face. “That’s when I started losing sleep. Whether its Eggman or another guy, if I don’t know what’s happening to you…” I cut off abruptly, sucking in a breath to keep myself from getting to much like an emotional priss. Because come on. I still had an attitude to uphold… just a little dignity left in my corner. Come on. “Amy, I’m not here because I want to be. Ok? There wasn’t a choice in this mess.” It was then that my fingers laced hers, and her suspicious eyes searched mine at that odd comment. “I’m here because I need to be here. And it took me all that time to realize I’m just really, really stupid. I stayed away because it kept you from getting hurt.”

“In one way…” She quipped smartly, and I winced.

“Exactly. Only in one way. But I get it now. Seriously. This is the only way we both win. Right?” I looked at her with a beg of mercy plainly extended, and she quirked an amused brow.

“Contrary to popular belief. Sonic, you are the SLOWEST thing alive.” She bark laughed, shaking her head, and I couldn’t help but join her.

“Tell me about it. At least you get the earnings in this- I’m gonna make up for it, big time.”

“Big time?”

“Do I do anything less than that?” I smirked, standing and extending my hand. As I took hers in mine, I graced it with a suave kiss. “Trust me. I’m going to make this worth your while.”

“I’ll hold you to that! Now are you gonna back this up with a dance or are we going to live back here?” She tittered, and we made our way to the door. As her hand gripped the handle, the other which rested in my grasp was tugged to halt her movements.

“Wait…”

She turned back with a jesting grin, curious.

“This is a bad time to tell me you can’t dance…”

“No, Amy, I-” I dropped her hand, and my own flew to the back of my head bashfully. “Just for the record, you should probably know that I, uh… well I really do love you. A lot.”
Her eyes warmed, and became dazzling in the faint light with unshed tears.

“I know how you feel.” She said quietly “But it doesn’t hurt to hear it.” She sniffled slightly, putting a hand to my chest, and I captured a run away escapee that decided to start its way down her face. I snorted with abrupt laughter, an idea occurring to me.

“A hell of a lot more than Shadow. OR Mighty. Or ESPIO… I mean seriously Amy, are you kiddin’ me-”
“You’re still going on about that?!“ She ruffled, then cackled happily. “Tails was right. You were so jealous…”

“TAILS SAID THAT?“ I boomed, punching into my own hand. “I’ll wool him. Because really. Me? Sonic? Sonic the Hedgehog?! Amy… puh-lease.“

“I don’t care who you are, you were jealous.“

“I WAS NOT!!”
---
Mina was on stage with the band, and the first strums began with a round of cheerful applause at the return of the couple to center floor. Spiralling her gracefully, my grin was that of a person who felt they had something to prove.

“I suffered for this. Immensely. I hope you realize that.”

“Oh, I can only imagine…” She snickered, falling into stride with me as Mina’s beautiful voice began its journey through the song…

Maybe I didn’t treat you
Quite as good as I should have
Maybe I didn’t love you
Quite as often as I could have

Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time…
You were always on my mind

“No, really, you can’t possibly imagine.” I shuddered, catching Knuckles eye- which we both promptly looked away from, mortified.

Maybe I didn’t hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I’m so happy that you’re mine
If I made you feel second best
Girl I’m so sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind

“Is this really happening?” She blinked, coming back from where she had been cradled into my shoulder. “I mean it now, because if I wake up in a few minutes, I’m going to be so pissed.” She squeaked, and I had to let out a shout of laughter at her saying that.

“If you really want me to pinch you, I can. But I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“I can’t get my head around it. You, slow dancing. You really did go through hell to learn this, didn’t you. There‘s no way this came easy.”

“You dare doubt my skilled footwork?“ Her eyebrow said it all. I deflated my ego near immediately, consenting to defeat. “My dear, if you could only imagine the deepest bowels of hell it cost me.”

Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn’t died
Give me, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied…
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time…
You were always on my mind

Throughout the cheers that broke out as the dance came to a close, it was Amy’s playful question that really hit home… and although it was rather offhand, the manner in which she said it- it still stuck with me through the years.

“So you really think you’re boyfriend material, Sonic?”

I spun her once, drawing her in closer to me, and tossed her a wink before I capped it off with our first kiss as an official couple- and allowed the mingling & dancing with guests to get underway.

“Ye of little faith? Watch me work.”

---
3 years later…

Boyfriend material?
Puh.
I sure showed her.

“Slap me.”

Whap!

“Ow.”

“Feel better now?” It was still difficult to hear how distinctly like a man Tails was starting to sound, as opposed to a boy. That would haunt me, I swear. Because if he’s a young man, then what the hell am I?

“Not one bit. Tails, what if I upchuck? Way past uncool…” I groaned, staring at myself in the mirror once more as I uneasily adjusted the small black bowtie I was donning.
“What happened to you as a baby, anyway.” Knuckles voice was gruff as he appeared to my left in the mirror, Tails taking up the right. “How can you make suicide missions your day job and then freak out over your own-”
“Don’t say it. Seeing him faint at this point would be too embarrassing after what I’ve seen.” Tails snorted, checking his watch as a knock on the door sounded. “Sonic, you’re going to be late for your cue-” Both sidekicks were taken off guard as I grasped one of their hands in each of mine, and the slight tremors that ran from my fingers ceased.
“Dudes… ok. Ok, I think I’m ready for this show. Thanks for being here. Really.“

“Where else would I be?” Tails smiled, thumping me encouragingly and giving my shoulder a squeeze of affection. Knuckles rolled his eyes.

“And to think I left the Island for this. Well I knew I’d probably find you dead if I didn’t show up and keep you in line. I’ve never seen you look so shit-baked-”
“Thanks, Knuckles. But I wasn’t just talkin’ about now, stupid. I meant always.” The playfulness of the comment did not dampen its sincere meaning, and the trio felt a distinct ribbon of warmth pass through them to be three standing here as they always were, still together, still going strong. And Knuckles would not. Cry.
Dammit, the wedding hadn’t even started yet.
“Lets juice & jam, guys.”
---
3rd person

Whenever I’m weary
From the battles that rage in my head
You make sense of madness
When my sanity hangs by a thread…
I lose my way but still you seem to understand, now and forever…
I will be your man…

Clusters of friends and family alike begin to sweep to their feet, a quiet anticipation as Sonic’s singing accented & basked the moment in a rare heightened splendour.
This was the moment that he’d been waiting for.
All the months of preparation, all the details, guests, décor and trimmings were all for the bride.
But this moment.
This moment, was for the groom.
He had no idea what he was in for when she came in through those doors, but he was hoping it wouldn’t be too much for his poor self.
Swallowing thickly, waiting for the view of her to be plain to him as she cut through the crowd, he strummed on in anticipation.

Sometimes I just hold you, too caught up in me to see
I’m holding a fortune
That heaven has given to me…
I’ll try to show you each and every way I can
Now and forever…
I will be your man.

As heads craned to get a view of her, he specifically saw Cream fluster and erupt into her hankie, Tails arm coming around her in comfort as his own expression at seeing the bride could only be one of utter astonishment.

Now I can rest my worries and always be sure
That I won’t be alone anymore
If I’d only known you were there all the time,
All this time…

It was then that he saw her.

---
1st person

Oh my God.
Oh, my… God.
And if I was supposed to be singing right now, that wasn’t going to be happening any time soon.
The firm lump that was wreaking havoc on my throat was going to see to that.
Because, damn… damn, man.
I had seen so much of the woman in the entirety of my life, but never like this.
Never like this.
So startlingly, painfully beautiful, I almost couldn’t bear it.
Bunnie Rabbot was my new messiah.
When she caught my expression, and how I had ceased to sing and simply strum, mesmerized, she offered up a sheepish grin from beneath her veil.
Still, so utterly and completely the Amy I always knew.
And as I contemplated it, not so utterly and completely different from the way I had viewed her from the first moment I’d encountered her.

The vows were a test of guts for myself above any other- to expose myself to those around me so blatantly was rare and unusual. With all their eyes on me, it would have intimidated me to near cardiac arrest. But it didn’t. Because my eyes weren’t on them- they were melded to her.
This moment wasn’t solely about me.
That’s what I’m here for.

“Is this boyfriend material enough for ya?” I quipped saucily under my breath to her, as close to her face as space would allow before I was permitted to kiss my bride. She simply expelled a burst of laughter, which sounded slightly strained by the threatened appearance of tears. I gave her a warning look, lifting her veil.

“If you start cryin’, that’s it. You’ll ruin my image in front of all these people.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.” She teased, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “They don’t have to know you cried at Fox & the Hound.”

“It was the fox thing! The fox! It felt too much like watching Tails get- I-I wasn’t even crying, I just had butter on my fingers and got it in my-”

“If you two were planning on sealing your commitment any time soon, kissing the bride is generally the motion we undertake to cap the ceremony.” The priest egged, an air of amusement surrounding him as he drew the dazed couple back to the here and now. The discrete mutterings were now exchanged for bashful flushing, as I turned back from the priest to face my soon-to-be wife.
“Now…” my beam was extraordinary, and contagious. Her face exploded into a massive smile of her own, tears quivering in her perfectly Kelly green eyes, as one of my arms pulled her against me. The other raised, my finger tilting her chin up toward me confidently. “Here’s a first that’s all mine.”
“All yours! The first and the last, till the end of time.” She winked, and abruptly, I saw everything I’d managed to save- pouring back into me and filling me with light and optimism. I had so much to look forward to with her beside me.
Fighting side by side, living together, all the stolen moments we’d have of laughing, hilarity, down time, knowing I had carried her back to me where she belonged. Just lying together and silently feeling blessed- not needing to say anything, because you both knew you were where you were meant to be. Every night, she would be there. She would be the one to hold my hand and walk us through our home, our children, correct my re-telling of our heroism if I screwed up a story I was trying to share with the grandkids. There wasn’t going to be a moment anymore where I worried she wouldn’t be there.
My wife.
My Amy.
Mine. Forever.
I had only a second to stare down into the luscious warmth of her eyes before she was crushed against me, our lips melding in a crescendo of emotion.
“Leave some of her for the reception man!” Was the cat call issued by Knuckles, which I remember most distinctly of all from my wedding day.

---
Later that evening…

Whoever said honeymoons were easy going.
Whoever said that I’d drop kick right now, right in the face.

“You have patience!” I growled, and she cackled at my persistence. “It’s our wedding day- d’ya know how long it took to get us a couple minutes of peace? Jeez!!!”

“I’d know, I was there.” She reported smartly, grinning as I lunged for her lips again. After a moment I tore backward, frustrated by the impossible tangle of corset silk at her back. “What is this, a joke?! They really don’t have husbands in mind when they’re makin’ these death traps…” I snarled, and we both laughingly worked in an effort to de-tangle the ties of her elegant corset.

“Don’t rip it!”

“I-I’m tryin’ not to here, Amy! We could get Bunnie to fix it-”

“Oh SCREW it!” She snapped, and at the sound of a tremendous tearing sound, my eyes bulged as the dress became pliant. She fluttered her eyes innocently, and I raised an amused brow.

“That wasn’t very lady like-”

“Why do I always have to tell you to shut up, Sonic!” She barked, tossing me on my back and commandeering with a fierce kiss.

“Yes sir!” I managed to get out past her lips, yanking her down against me.

“Wait- wait, stop! Hold on!” She begged, and bark laughed at my immensely sour glare for the pause.

“This better be good, Amy.”

“I- I’m uh- I-I don’t quite know how to say this…” She fussed suddenly, face erupting into a blush, and I smirked coyly at her.

“Then don’t.” I swooped in for another kiss, but she put a hand to my lips.
“SONIC!”

“Fine, alright.” I sat up, tugging her up with me. “But you’re gonna hafta cover up that jazz if you want me to focus.” I warned, and she swiftly wrapped the blanket around her lingerie clad form bashfully.
“Alright, there- now… I always, kind of- hooo, how do I say this.” Her hands twisted anxiously in the sheets, her face growing increasingly more tense. “Sonic- See, I don’t want you to think I’m-”

“AMY!” I thundered, and she nodded hastily, scrambling to stabilize her thoughts and get to the point.
“S-sorry! I’m- fine, fine, I’ll just-” She pointed at me savagely, and I leaned back in alarm at her severe expression. “DON’T, judge me.” She warned darkly, eyes leering, and I could only nod timidly, swallowing thickly. Then she restored herself to a state of calm, closing her eyes and toying with the pillow seated next to her. “Where are the chaos emeralds.” She asked suddenly, in a very business-like fashion. She didn’t open her eyes, so she completely missed the overwhelmingly baffled expression that seized my face.

“The- WHUT?! The Chaos- Amy, SERIOUSLY!! Is this really the time to be thinking about our day jobs right now, how could you- You’re KIDDING! I-I mean who gives a flyin‘-”

“I’m NOT thinking about work, now who has the chaos emeralds!!” She dominated, opening her eyes in an impatient blaze, her face starting to crimson. I stared at her in utter befuddlement. I was so confused by this, that I only wanted to know the answer now. She had me completely lost on how any of this had any relation to each other.

“Tails does, in his workshop, duh. Now-”

“Good! I thought it might be farther from here…he won’t mind if you pick them up-”

“ick. Them up?! Amy, I’m-” I covered my face, shaking my head, surrendering. “I give up.” I tossed my arms up in submission, then stared at her pleadingly. “You happy? I have no sweet clue what you’re getting on with. Now you can either tell me why I’m going to Tails work shop to pick up chaos emeralds on my honeymoon, or-”

“Can’t-you-just-go-get-them please?!” She squeaked, eyes squeezed tightly closed as her blush became too eminent for me to not ask.
“For whut?!”

“I always wanted to!” She bawled, turning from me in a hilarious humiliation.

“To whut, Amy? Tell me, now! This is crazy!”

“NO-WAH!”

“TO WHUT?” I egged, and she forced out a rough sigh.

“It’s not that big of a deal, we could just forget-”

“Oh, no no no no nooo.” I scooted closer, grin mammoth as she started to retreat. “No way! See this has gotten too good. It’s already gone this far, I am not backing down now!”

“I don’t want you to laugh at me!” She turned to me with an agonized expression then, a fist held over her mouth shyly. I crawled toward her, trying to keep a straight face. Whatever this was, it had to be good.

“Amy, c’mon now. Would I laugh at you?” I embraced her tenderly, still grinning, and she merely glowered.

“Yes.”

“Try me anyway! It‘s just me.”

“Fine…” Her eyes downcast to the blanket, the flush returning as she traced a circle on the bed. “I always… kind of…well I thought it would be- I-I wanted to try… you see, w-when you’re Super Sonic, there’s this kind of- energy… you seem so…AHEM, that is I imagined-” She heard me whimper against a fierce urge to laugh, and caught me chewing on my lips. “I MEAN NOT- forget it I-I never IMAGINED, SHUT UP! I-I thought if we were going to have a honeymoon, why not make it as unforgettable as we can…” She bit her lip, fading into another world, and it took all of my power not to crack up then and there. “There, I said it. Don’t say ANYTHING! I am so embarrassed…”

“Oh, you are… you…” As it fully dawned on me, and my expression went from blank to intensely amused, her panic stricken expression became more dire.

“Sonic, I said don’t SAY anything! Shut up!” She shoved at me from where she was beginning to disappear under the covers.

“You mean to tell me…” I started shaking my hands out in front of me, grin exploding like a fire cracker. “You think when I go super, that it’s- that it gets you- you think I’m- Amy, what kind of freaky, messed up fantasy is that?!”

“SONIC!!!” She screamed, thumping me over the face with the pillow at her disposal. “OH MY GOD! I shouldn’t have said ANYTHING! I knew I SHOULDN’T HAVE TOLD YOU!!!”

“Holy- that is some crazy kink, hammer head-wait till I tell Tails and Knuckles…”

“NO!!“ She revolted, pummelling me with the plush ammo as I roared, face contorted with rage as I howled. “Don’t you DARE! I HATE you-ah! Ugh I could KILL you right now-”

“Why didn’t you just tell me that in the first place? Jeez…” I leapt to my feet then, wiping at my eyes before holding up a finger. She fluttered her eyes in confusion, humiliated scarlet still streaked along her face.

“Huh?”

“C‘mon dude, I was only kidding.“ I shrugged, causing her face to crumple into stunned disbelief. “Back before you stop blushing.” I winked, escaping while I still had the chance. As I took off, she fired the feathered weapon in her hand at the slamming door, shouting out a booming laugh.

“You JERK!”

---

I literally whipped into the lab area, startling Tails so badly that the tool in his hand came flying out, and it spiralled madly on the floor until he tore the cord belonging to it from the plug outlet. He flipped up his goggles, observing as with an armful of chaos emeralds, I transformed in a dizzying sheen of golden fur.

“SONIC, what the HELL is going on?! Why are you going super? Is it Eggman trying to ruin your wedding night?!” He threw his goggles off his head like they were on fire, and they shattered onto the floor in a cascade of glass. He began racing toward me wearing a vice of terror. I tore around and flung the door open, staring over my shoulder with my urgent crimson eyes.

“NO TIME!“ I barked, but he grabbed me by the arm roughly, eyes still panicked.
“What are you trying to fight alone?!“

“NOTHING!” I got out of his grasp with a snort of laughter, elevating into the air. “No, it’s nothing stupid like that! I’m not fighting, no worries!! Way more important! Can’t talk!”

And before Tails could even begin to contemplate my sanity, I was gone in a streak of blinding gold.

“YOU OWE ME GOGGLES!!!“ He screamed angrily into the night air, before crumpling against his doorframe with a shaky breath. He combed his fingers through his bangs, barking out a spurt of unsteady laughter. “I am going to die early because of that guy.” He breathed, stumbling his way back into the workshop with quaking fingers as he tried to shake the confusion out of his head.
I careened through the air like a comet of light, making a bee line back to the resort area.
I bust in through the window of the chalet Amy and I were staying in, and she gasped in awe.

“THAT was quick!” She stood quickly, approaching my illuminated form and reaching out for me.

I flew over to collect her shocked face, taking it in one hand. I observed the light blush that still rouged her cheeks with my traditional sideways simper.

“Here you go, freak. Happy? Told ya I’d be back before you stopped.”

I crushed her lips with mine.

---
10 years ahead…

“Wait! Dad, I fawt you told me Eggman was in jayul den.”

“He was.” Amy offered up to the confused audience, exchanging a look with me. “It never usually stayed that way, though.”

It was then that the quieter of the two- for this evening, anyway- decided to make her typically poignant contribution.

“Shut up twerp, I want to hear the rest!”

“Forget it. We have to eat before any swat bot action today- I mean it this time. Battlefield on an empty stomach? Not cool…” I stood, allowing that to be my final offer, and the story telling ceased.
It didn’t hurt to be the head of a mad house, but sometimes I was certain that of all things, it would indefinitely be the death of me.

“It’s your fault, you know.” Amy had muttered with great amusement in the darkness one night, as we fought to fall asleep after a long day with our two children. “You gave them that energy.”

“I think it’s your fault.” I teased, rolling over with an accusatory leer. “If the energy doesn’t kill us, the temper you passed on will.”

Utter silence in the dark, and then both of our voices joining at once before falling into laughter.

“…It’s both our faults.”

Children had definitely changed our lives, there was no doubt about it.
Had someone told me I’d be a dad someday, I probably would have laid them flat out.
I mean, seriously dudes…really.
Me?!
Then again, if someone had told me I’d marry Amy at one point, there might have been a similar result.
The truth was, my children were- to put it mildly- an adventure in themselves for me.
The strikingly lovely plum coloured hedgehog- who had bore Amy’s laughter so accurately- was more me than I ever would have accounted for. Adia, true to the word, meant gift. (I think I bawled more than Amy did when I held her, as if she was torn straight from my wildest fantasies. She wasn’t just an insane twisting of my desperate imagination after all. She was lime green eyes, she was plum coloured fur- she was my beautiful, beautiful girl. The little child I had fallen in love with, and nearly lost to my own stupid ego those years and years ago. And now here she was, at long last. My gift. My Adia.)
As the years went by, however, I never accounted for such a handful. God almighty, handful wasn’t the word for her. It seems my absolute lust for danger, adventures and speed was an unfortunate staggering genetic- I blamed Amy as per usual, to her amusement.
I just had to be super for her, didn’t I?
Anyway, I was certain this mustang of a young lady was actually going to send me packing to the hospital one of these days. Every last one of the pretty little boots and feminine slip ons that Amy and I had purchased for her had been run right down to the soles. I gave in with a heavy sigh, and had a pair of specialized sneakers wrestled onto her never still set of kicks. For the time being, the sneakers had endured all of her morning, lunch, evening, and night romps. Not to mention the scraps and challenges she’d teased out of other school kids, or the ultimate recipe to my own heart attack- her love of seeking out swat bots. She was the most reckless 9 year old to have come into existence next to myself.
Needless to say, when our next addition to the family came, I was shit baked. If I had to deal with two mini me’s, I was liable to submit myself to a mental ward with no chance of escape.
When Amy had uttered the breathless words: “Oh… Sonic… h-he’s gorgeous!” All I could think or assume was- Lord, this is payback for all those times I was a cocky jerk, isn’t it? Having to deal with an army of me’s from here on in as payback? But when she offered him to me…
I couldn’t even say as much as one word in my awe.
There, set into a tiny face surrounded by light lavender fur, were the captivating shamrock green emerald eyes of the woman I loved.
And, again, with Amy laughing weakly as she held my knee, I cried like a little bitch.
…I mean I don’t cry, what the hell kind of mess are you talkin’?
With that moment came the rest of our days with Mattock, who brought a whole new level of bittersweet hilarity to our family.
As he grew, we both released a long, satisfying gust of relief when he’d come home from school with his new shoes intact. He was quite that extra mile akin to his mother, as our little daredevil daughter had proven to take after myself.
He was a hopeless romantic, and that cracked me the hell up. Every week there was a new girl at school that he admired from afar, who earned a portion of his oatmeal cookies and would fall victim to his showing off. Over the past two months though, he’d slimmed his sights in on one girl and one girl alone: Silver and Blaze’s little girl, the bashful but polite little hedgecat named Desere, who walked with him to the bus stop every morning.

“She sits wif me an’ she even knows how to make papuh planes move wif her mind!”

“What a freak show-”
“IS NOT YOU’RE DUH FWEEK SHOW! You’re a MEAN girlie, Adie! Dass awl yoo are! Dessie is pwetty AND nice and I’M gonna mawwy her, so HA. You’re just a BWUTE!”

“FFFFFFTTTT!!” Adie spit cereal back into her bowl, nearly choking with laughter. “NO WAY! Dad, tell ‘em he can’t get married yet, he clearly has no clue about nothin!”

“Adie…” I said in a heated tone, then turned to Mattock- who looked wide eyed in protest. “Tock, erm, you see, people get married when-”

“NO! You’re just sayyin’ it tuh be on HEWR side but YOU’RE MAWWIED, DAYUD!”

“YEAH kiddo, but I- I’m- I love your mother VERY much and we’ve known each other for- I mean we never-”
“I bet I wuv Dessie JUST as much!” He vowed, folding his little arms, and I guffawed at that.

“ Suuure, you do. Didn’t you say this about Lacey the rabbit?”

“It’s diffwent dis tyme doh!” He said factually, and I turned to Amy pitifully, seeking guidance.

“Amy, for the love of God, save me here. I’m out. You can’t argue with this kind of logic.” I said sarcastically, and Amy leaned forward with the challenge.

“Honey people get married when they’re much older, you need to get to know somebody really… really… REALLY well if you want it to work-” Her voice broke and she let out a bark of laughter, feeling ridiculous. I couldn’t help but join in, observing how foolish it all was.

“But I wanna!” He wailed, wiping at his eyes pitifully. “Desere says if I goes to hur house after suppuh we can get mawwied in hur living room-”

“Ya can’t get married in a living room stupid, that’s against the law!”
“IS NAWT if you gawt a pweechur to do yer VOWS, stoopid!” He mocked her back, all matter-of-factly.
“ What am I even- why am I still arguing this with you! You can’t get married period, you’re 5! You’re not smart enough to make that work yet! “

“Am so! Yoow’re jealous, coz nonna da the boys at schoo-wul asked tuh mawwy you!” He busted forth saucily, and she stared open mouthed at him before her lips turned into a sideways simper that was so me it was frightening.

“Whatever! I have my speed, that’s what I’m married to. Whatchoo got pinkie?”
“I’M NOT PINK I’M PUH-PULL!”
“Alright, pinkie. You’re also not getting married. You’re too flippin’ young-”

“Watch your mouth!!” Amy reprimanded curtly, and Adie withdrew from Amy’s sharp tone like an oncoming blade.

“Sorry…” She said meekly, and in the same breath, rounded on her brother once more. “AND she’s a cat- what’re you guys gonna have, hedgecats?!” Adie cackled around her cereal, and that did it for Mattock.
“SHE’S NAWT A CAT!” He screamed, smacking a small hand on the top of the table with rage as he stood, chair flying out from behind him.

“Hey HEY, whoa!!” I attempted to stop the rampage, but it was no use. It was already out of hand, and Amy was no help- she was too busy ducking her head, snorting into both hands with laughter.
“Hur DADS a Hedgehawg, Hur MOM’S A KITTY! SHE IS A HEDGECAT!!!” He howled, face flaming, and seemingly out of thin air- and with a chorus of yells and screams exploding through our kitchen- the lavender hedgehog produced a mattock pick, and sent it careening through our kitchen table.

CRACK- SMASH!

“Aurora almighty in leather PANTS!!!” I roared, wearing my breakfast. Both children looked absolutely horrified, as if death row was eminent. Like tiny hermit crabs, they curled into themselves in horror- waiting for a verdict. “ADIE, one more WISECRACK and I will burn those running shoes or sell them to Eggman to jog in!!!” She had never been so quiet in all her life, as she stared in fear from my face to her beloved sneakers.

“MATTOCK!” Upon my booming voice, he promptly looked up with those beautiful emerald green eyes, and burst into guilty tears.

“I’M SAWWY! I’M SAWWY! It came outta da aiyur! I don’t know how I diddit Daddy I’m sawwy I really ayummmm!!!” He bawled mournfully, and I glared warningly at Adie as she started to snicker. She shut up in an instant. I looked to Amy for back up, unable to maintain any sort of authority with him. Curses, why did he have to inherit those eyes? It was then that I saw Amy was covering her mouth with a hand, which did her no good as she practically rolled around with laughter.

“Well then! Now that that’s settled!” She said, barely recovering from the crack up as she wiped her eyes. “First things first, we need a new kitchen table…”

“Way to go, doof-”
“I said SAWWY!!!”
“ADIE I DARE you to say ONE more word-”

“Second? It seems you’re more like your mom than you realize- hey now shh, shh! “ Amy rounded the former table to comfort the stunned child, who was truly baffled by his own ability. So, the mystery was solved. Our boy had inherited his mother’s quirky, useful- and of course often alarming gift of hammer space. Pick space? …hammer space. “It’s alright sweetie, stop crying! Listen, you know mommy broke her bedroom door when she found out she could do that when she was little. Did you know that?”

He stared up at her sniffling, shaking his head cautiously as he wiped his eyes.

“See? It’ll get better, we can get a brand new table alright? Oh!- and how about this? Mommy will teach you how to control it- then you can use it whenever you need it, like that!” She snapped her fingers, a hammer poofing into existence out of the blue in her hand, and his mouth fell open in wonder. Glancing at his sister, eyes thinning into a leer, he pointed at her accusingly as she smirked back at him.
“Can I smack Adie wif it when she gets sawsee?” He pouted angrily at the amused young hedgehog sitting across from him, who pulled down one lid and stuck out her tongue. All I had to do was look at her this time, and she returned to perching angelically in her chair- feigning innocence.

“Absolutely not! You leave her to us.” Amy was smirking herself then, staring bemused at our little girl- who was smiling like an angel.
“Nice try. But I can still see your devil horns, Adie.” I taunted, and got a tongue stuck out in my direction in response.
“Shaddap, DAD-”
“ But it’ll become one of your best friends, once you learn to use it properly! How about we have a one on one tomorrow, just you and me in the field while daddy and Adie are doing laps?”
“I GOT A POWER, I GOT A POWER!!!” Mattock howled, leaping into Amy’s arms. “FANKS MAMA! Now Desere’ll definitely mawwy me!” And he ran from the wreckage that used to be our table, anxious to call said girl. I heard his little voice in the room over, moments later:

“Unkie Silvuh, can I speak to Dessie?”
“OH for the love of- She’s NOT gonna MARRY YOU squirt!!!”
“THAT IS BEYOND IT, BRAT!” And Amy roared with laughter, as I tackled my instigating daughter to the ground in a battle of supremacy for the running shoes.

---
Later that evening…

“Believe me now, dad?” The drawling sarcasm emitting from my daughter was enough to drown someone in.

“Whoa… dass mammoff!” Tock needlessly exclaimed, as the agonizingly gargantuan shadow of the bot eclipsed the four of us.

“Uh… yup! I think you called this one, Adie.” I frowned, stepping forward to put myself between the challenger and my family. Amy stepped up to bat beside me, as always.
“Eggman, how are you still alive right now dude?” I cupped my hands and taunted loudly. The two behind me cackled gleefully.

“Yeah, shouldn’t you be fenced in at a museum somewhere next to the dinosaur fossils?” Adie added gleefully, making a swift lap around his latest bot.

“Adie would you BE CAREFUL for ONCE!!” Amy screamed, thumping her hammer onto the ground and splitting a boulder in the process. Adie stared wide eyed at her for a moment, and then cocked a sideways grin up at Eggman.

“Did you come here just to try to talk us to death again? BOOORING!” Adie sing songed, weaving throughout the legs of the machine.
“Be my guest and be the first to find out why I‘ve made my debut, little girl- I’ll be happy to turn you into a hedgehog puddle!!!” As the monster sized machine raised one of the 6 of it’s maliciously glittering steel legs, Adie raced back and grabbed my hands urgently with an excited smile.
“Number 17, number 17!!!” She pealed, and we spin-dashed in a circle while maintaining our grip on each other- building momentum until we spiralled up in a boomerang of purple and blue to sever the massive appendage.
“Nyyeaaahhhh!!!!” Eggman snarled, teetering until he rapidly adjusted his machine to the loss of support. “STUPID rodents!!! As if ONE annoying, saucy, rotten little super speed hedgehog wasn’t enough-”
“YOU take dat back Egghead, dass my SISTUH!!” Mattock boiled, snatching a piece of the boulder Amy had shattered- tossing it into the air, and as his pick manifested into his hand, he swung with a mighty force. The jagged piece bolted towards Eggman’s stunned form, and caught his little Egg pod smack dab in the center. It began haphazardly jerking out of control, zaps of electrical sparks emitting from the gaping damage.

“GAK!! You violent little vermin, I just got this thing off the conveyer belt!! EggWig, prepare for boarding mode, abandon pod, abandon pod!!”
“Egghead? Oh how original Tock, you’ve outdone yourself in lameness!”
“SHUDDUP ADIE!!-”

“Enough! Heed me!! For I have a very special individual to unleashed upon you all- I present to you, my greatest achievement of all- my second in command, my next of villainous kin! Eggman Nega, why don’t you come up and greet your future and soon to be past tense adversaries?”
It only took a few moments, but the young man who pushed himself up alongside Eggman’s huge girth was a young man of almost equalled heftiness.
He had to be the child of Eggman- or some distorted, lab-oriented version at least.
Because this was one serious collection of ugly in one space.

“Hey check it out- that hard boiled egg cup serves two!” The mini Eggman seemed stunned by my insult, simply staring silently between myself and Eggman.
“EW-ah! Who would reproduce with YOU?!” Amy’s revulsion had us all hacking with hilarity at the foot of the machine, and Eggman became so furious he turned purple.
“UNLIKE YOUR FILTHY MONGREL BREEDS, I can concoct the perfect apprentice-”
“AKA dude’s never gotten lucky in his life-”

“GROSS ADIE!” Tock snapped.
“SILENCE!! And behold my uninhibited genius- pulled from the mind of the world’s greatest scientist! I give you my one and only heir- possibly even more diabolical than yours truly, if you could begin to fathom such an evil!” So that proved it. This dude was one of Eggman’s lab rats. All four hedgehogs looked up to find a pint sized, disturbingly child-like mini Eggman. He was even equipped with his own moustache.
“Ugh- And unbelievably more hideous! He looks like you got in a car crash with a discotheque!”
“Nice one mom!” Adie snorted, exchanging a high five with her as we laughed at his expense.
“YOU WISE CRACKING, PINT SIZED FURBALLS! HEED ME I ORDERED! Nega, prepare to carry out your first mission of command! Operation Hog-kebab!!!”
“World’s greatest loser version 2.0? Bring it on, Eggy!” I encouraged, and the four of us assumed battle positions. Even decades later, after everything that had come to pass. After everything I had been through, I was still doing what I loved best- only now it was with the ones I loved best.
How on earth did life take me down this road?
Well, I came to realize that life itself, is most certainly not like a box of chocolates.
You don’t know exactly what you’re getting. Unlike a box of chocolates, it doesn’t come with a diagram dictating what you’re in for.
Most important of all, everything you’re going to be dealt quite definitely will not promise to be sweet and enjoyable.
Life, my friends, is much more like a gigantic, boggling labyrinth- a maze of mystery, confusion, and blind corners, all waiting to take you off guard. Sometime’s you’ll come to dead ends, sometimes you’ll stumble upon things you never thought you would along the way. Sometimes you’re just going to sit down in the middle of that never ending test of sanity- you will cry, scream, try to climb over the walls, walk into them and even get tangled and held in places that you’d rather not remain.
The most important thing you have to remember in moments like these?
Keep walking.
Or , in my own personal scenario, running. You need to run like hell, keep trudging- keep pushing for wherever it is you belong- whether you’re certain where that is or not.
Don’t let anything overtake you, leave whatever it is you have to behind, to just keep moving ahead.
The only thing I can say for sure is, when you finally… finally reach that place you’re going- even if you knew you were headed there or not- the satisfaction of getting there is what makes going through that kind of hell and suffering worthwhile.
You’ll know when you get there- you won’t be lost anymore. It might not be what you expected, but you won’t be lost. You’ll have found what you’ve been looking for, and that’s the big pay off.
Believe, in what hasn’t come to be. Believe with all your heart what your instincts tell you, and hold on to that for dear life until you’ve seen it through.
You’ll thank yourself later.
It’s been rightfully said in the past, that ‘life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans’.
How true it is! Who knew in my long line of duty as protector of Mobius, I would find the girl I loved through that dirtbag, Eggman? Who knew that years from the day I met her- convinced she was one of the most annoying and also most endearing friends I possessed- that I would end up at her door, blubbering and desperate to belong to her?
Even more than that, to later marry said girl- me, Sonic the Hedgehog! The blue blur, who was known for having two and only two fears- water, and commitment.
Who knew that the years that followed down the road, I’d have my ring on her left finger, fighting with tears as her father walked her down the isle to me? That I’d be the father of two of her breathtakingly gorgeous, infuriating and completely worthwhile children?
Who knows, maybe Amy saw it all those years ago, curiosity getting the better of her when she used her cards to try to know me better. Maybe she never gave up on me, because she knew all this was going to come to be.
Then again, maybe she was just a love sick girl who took a chance, and had no freakin’ clue what she was getting herself into when she decided to stay with me after I rescued her.
Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t.
To cap it all off- who the hell saw it coming, that one day Eggman would spawn his own disturbing kin, and my family would grow to become a band of skilled, dedicated freedom fighters- carrying on my duty and legacy for the rest of the years to come on Mobius?
Well, if you were to come up to me, and ask me personally…
Dudes?
Seriously.
All I can offer to you is this.
…damn.
I sure as hell didn’t.
---
25 years prior…

“SOOONIIIICCC…I know you’re heeeeeerrrre!”

Crap. She was way too good with those tarot cards- how did she manage to find me EVERY freakin’ time?!
“Sonic?” A pink hedgehog poked her head over the long row of Mobian sunflowers I was lying next to, and her face brightened with triumph. “I FOUND YOU, SWEETIE!”
“Aw Amyyyy, not now- I’m tryin’ to relax here!” I growled, rolling abruptly on my side and closing my eyes. I heard her leap from the cluster of flowers, and then she was squeezing against me on the grass.

“Then I’ll relax with you!” She decided, snuggling down against me and fitting easily into my side. The ruffles of her tutu were tickling my tail.
“You? Relax? I’ll believe it when I see it. And believe me I won’t. Now d’ya mind?” I said saucily, and she giggled lightly, nuzzling into my back quills. I flipped over to face her, glaring, and stopped short. Her emerald green eyes made a flirty flutter at my hesitance, and she kissed my cheek.

“EUGH! GROSS!” I wiped it away with a scrunched nose, and she laughed with utter enjoyment.

“Nooooo, I don’t mind! It’s only a matter of time anyway!” She smoothed a hand down over her short pink quills, and as I stood- making a show of getting rid of the kiss on my cheek- she pushed her hands down over her orange tutu all businesslike.

“Till whut?!” I challenged, arms folded and fingers drumming as I peered at her with one eye closed. She leaned in to my face, and I leaned back automatically, starting to flush. “Uuuuhhhh…”

“Till you marry me, silly! Then I can steal allllllll the kisses I want!” She clasped her hands, a dreamy expression overtaking her as I rolled my eyes and bark laughed.

“UH! Keep dreaming- it’s all you’re ever gonna GET!”
“NUH UH!” She stomped a foot, and I stuck my tongue out at her.
“YEAH HUH!” I taunted, before busting into a super sonic retreat.
“YOU GET BACK HERE, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! No fair, I can’t run as fast as you!” She thundered, chasing me with arms thrown out in a useless effort to catch me.
“If you can catch me, you can marry me now!” I cackled, before my legs became a mere blur along with the landscape. I barely caught her high pitched voice, furious and frustrated by my wager, knowing it was impossible.

“SOOOONIIIIIIIC! Oh, I HATE YOU!”

And when I was far enough away into the mountain side, chest heaving and our encounter long behind us, I flushed as I picked up where I’d left off before I’d been so rudely interrupted…
I was just standing there having to shake my head, laughing at myself. What was wrong with me? I didn’t know why it was when I was alone that I would think, lingering on the weirdest things. One of the ideas that particularly made me blush was how I couldn’t help thinking about my new plan of action. Truth be told, I had been thinking of suave ways, or scenarios…
That heroic event, that would lead to the perfect first kiss with her…

“And… in the end?
The love you take,
is equal to the love you make.”

-The Beatles

-The End

---

Mish