Chapter Text
Sonic stepped forward. 'K. Let's get this over with!'
"Okay so—! Amy, you just met Maddie over there, over here is Tom, and the little fox over there is Tails!"
As she took a few steps inside the unknown home, she glanced over to meet Tom's gaze, right after Sonic presented him.
The man, still processing everything really, tried to ignore the large hammer the little girl clasped between her hands and gave a short wave. Amy politely nodded, and soon followed through to meet Tails' eyes now.
The boy had stayed a tad further from everyone. Looked at her somewhat bashful, but still smiled, and too lifted a hand out.
Amy however froze. Eyes blinked, opened wide, smile suddenly gone. She stood still a hot second before she let go of her hammer and suddenly SQUEALED.
"AEEP!" Hands to her face she hopped and stayed still again, eyes locked on the yellow fox
Completely aback, he barely had any time to react when the girl suddenly dropped to her knees before him and took hold of his hands.
"Wha-! What's wrong!? What happened!?" He spoke fast and worried. Looking between their hands and her face.
Amy looked at him as if immersed in a trance. Finally a smile drew again in her muzzle, gentle and beaming with joy.
"...You are so cute!"
"Eh!? Ahhh- Ghg—!" He stuttered, stunned by the sudden attention, a soft blush painting his face. "Eh—! Ah...! Th-thank you...!"
"'Tails'? Is it?" She spoke with inmensurable sweetness.
"Y-yeah!" He fought to keep the eye contact. "That's what— they call me...!"
She suddenly changed her tone entirely, now serious and collected, she tightened her grip on his hands ever so slightly as she bent over a little closer, eyes never leaving his. "May I ask you something, Tails?"
He could only blink and part his lips in expectation for the sudden change.
"Would you allow me... to pet your head?" Her tone didn't change, but her mouth had curved again in a small smirk.
He studied her surprised as he processed her words.
"Huh?— Oh! Am...! Y- S-sure...!" He timidly shrugged and smiled at her, a brow slightly up as he was confused more than anything. Still! He wasn't one to refuse a free cuddle!
Amy was quick to beam again, eyes practically shooting sparkles. Her hand soon made way to brush his bangs and forehead, touch warm and extremely tender on his fur. He had lowered his head half-consciously, smile widening a little, blush remained still.
Everyone looked at the scene with incredulous endearment. Whoever this 'Amy' girl was, she couldn't be bad if she was quick to give Tails the best of treatments!
"What is with all the commotion!?" A new voice made his way into the scene.
Ah.
One could have assumed I had forgotten about that guy entirely!
"Knuckles!" Sonic spoke. "There you are!"
"Sonic! Care to explain your absence!?"
"Yeah bud, you're a little late for—"
"Who is that!" He had pointed, of course, at Amy.
Still kneeled down, she finally let go of Tails' hands to stand up, grab her hammer and meet the new guy.
"'Knuckles'? The last of the echidna warriors?" She observed at him in awe.
He said nothing as he studied her inquisitively. Sonic sensed the tension and quickly jumped between them, almost as if shielding the girl from whatever this guy could pull off on her.
"Yeah, so—! Knuckles, this is Amy Rose." He gestured to her, as if saying: 'she's not our enemy, she has come in peace. Please don't do anything dumb'.
Surprised by the sudden introduction, Amy rapidly straightened, clasping her hands in front, hammer held in the middle. "Is nice to meet you." She smiled.
This only seemed to make the Red grow more suspicious. He squinted further as he looked between the two hedgehogs.
Nobody found what to say. But the very guy broke the silence.
"HAH!" He scoffed.
Wait, what?
He suddenly ran an arm around Sonic's shoulders, shaking him with playful force. "I congratulate you, hedgehog! I see you've found yourself a partner!"
"WHAT-" Sonic jolted, couldn't escape his grasp though. "WAIT, NO—"
"I have to admit...! This seems rather early for you! I did not expect you'd seek for a mate until a few more springs from now... AH! —Then again, I suppose it shouldn't surprise me! You always claim rapidness is your style!" He smirked.
Sonic wanted to punch him.
As uncalled as he had grabbed him, he dropped him. He then made way to the girl, who remained stupefied by his words.
"Say, Miss Rose?"
"Ah—! Yes!" She responded almost in autopilot.
The echidna crossed his arms. "What dowry do you have to offer?"
"WHA—! Hold it there! What are you—!?" Sonic tried to intervene, Knuckles shot a glance at him.
"Let me take care of this, Sonic. It is the responsibility of the family champion to give the final blessing to any upcoming suitor of it's fellow tribemates!"
His attention drifted back to Amy, who was, strangely, less nervous now. Probably for the same reason nobody had cared to interrupt yet: This guy couldn't be serious!
"Are you a warrior?" He looked between her and the hammer.
She gripped on it, a little proud. "I have a big hammer!" And almost smiled.
He smirked, a brow up. "And do you know how to wield it?"
"I can manage!" She smirked back.
He inspected her, leaning closer ever so slightly as his mouth flattened once more.
His image, just as his presence itself, stood almost too large and tall over her much smaller frame. Still, she didn't back up. Eyes never leaving his.
"—You seem like a fair maiden!" He finally spoke. Smile coming back, softer, sincere.
"I have yet to see the true extend of your worth. However! For the fondness I hold for the blue hedgehog and the strong enough confidence I give for his judge of people, I for now approve of you...!" She could've scoffed.
"...I must warn you! He can be a real pain to deal with, but he means well! I trust you will take good care of him."
Before anyone could say a thing —again— specially Sonic, who had kept grunting in the background. Knuckles had taken hold of his hand and Amy's, joining them together between his own two. His grip firm and inescapable, his voice proud and clear.
"You've got my blessing...! You shall, for now on look after one another throughout the numerous adversities life withholds, and become each other's power...!"
The hedgehogs shared a half-second-long glance, unable to speak, or move for that matter.
"...And may your strength and good health be passed down to your offspring...!"
The sound that came out of Sonic's throat could NOT be called a word. But it was LOUD and embarrassingly high pitched.
They had made the BIG mistake of looking at one another again, right after the Red one had pronounced that final word. Every single one of their features then stretched to their limits.
Sonic had suddenly jolted back so fast and frantic he almost went through the wall he stumbled against, after knocking everything on his way there. The heat wasn't just back, this time was a straight up BURN, right in his face.
Amy, not doing much better, had instead opted for slapping her hands to her face, quickly taking hold of her whole head as she curled up in a ball. She waddled and shook around as her mental screaming could almost be heard from the outside.
"KNUCKLES!!!" Maddie finally scolded, almost a shriek. Eyesight darting to him as she patted Tom in the back, for he had chocked in his own saliva.
"What?" He simply stated.
The guy had learned to make a quick note whenever the pretzel woman called him out. Yet, even with all the wild reactions around him, he didn't quite understand what he had done wrong.
"How can you say THAT!? They're not— They just met!" She tried to explain, desperately.
Tails, who had reacted to help Sonic, still looked rather stunned by the words of his other best friend. Blush visible on his face he managed to speak nonetheless "—That's right! S-she's on a mission! She has come to inform us about a great threat coming in our way!"
This finally caught the echidna's attention.
"Is that so...?"
"YES!"
He took a moment.
"Oh...!
...my bad."
He then gestured back to Amy, or well, the pink shaky ball in the floor.
"Speak of what you have come to say, Miss hedgehog!"
Maddie had to scold him again as she came to her rescue. Red shoved to the side with a 'we'll talk about this later, young man!' death stare, she gently placed a hand over her pink quills.
"It's okaaaay, sweetie...!" She tried to sound reassuring. "Please ignore him, he doesn't know what he's talking about, but he is a good guy, I promise!"
The girl finally took a peek through her quills. Big, glassy eyes encased in a pronounced frown, face still very visibly reddened.
"I'm very, very sorry! Please let me make up for you! Do you want something to drink? Are you hungry?"
Amy looked at her, got the courage to look across the room to meet Sonic's fate. Tails had managed to help him out of the dent he had made in the wall, with the extra help of Tom. The blue seemed to mumble uncontrollably with new found anger, most likely towards the echidna. She glanced back at the kind woman.
"Anything you want, really! Please ask!"
Amy finally composed herself a little, soon uncurled, remaining sat on the floor, she shook her palms. "No-no-no!! It's alright!"
She cleared her throat, the color on her face still not willing to let go. "I really need to tell you what I know! It's vital! If— what I've seen is true—! The whole future is in danger! Life itself!!"
Her concerned tone made everyone react. All attention back to her.
"Alright..." Maddie gestured to calm her down. "It's okay, what'cha say we all sit down in the other room and discuss the subject calmly?"
Amy nodded slowly, and Maddie kindly helped her stand up.
Soon enough they all sat around her in the living room. Like so, Amy Rose was finally able to fulfill her original purpose.
The sweet of her voice contrasted harshly with the grim of her tale. A trail of visions and speculations that had lead her to encounter the growing army of time travelling robots and find Sonic.
They all listened attentively. Serious expressions drawing on their faces. Letting the weight of the upcoming menace sink.
Sonic, who had stood away from the light of the room —as he couldn't quite face the girl still— had listened to every single word.
And, as the heat finally seemed to brush off entirely, he approached.
The pink of her figure reflected on his eyes and, as she spoke, holding every little bit of his attention, he took a chance to look at her. Really look at her.
Her short pink quills framed the peach of her face gracefully, they swung around smoothly with every movement.
He noticed her little —very boop-able— black nose, the funny puff of her bangs, her long fluffy eyelashes and her big bright eyes, a nice shade of 'green' he somewhat wished he could lablel with a fancier name.
He knew it, right then and there...
This new upcoming adventure would be like nothing they had ever faced before, but not only for the high stakes the girl in front of him was presenting.
But for her presence itself.
And for once, as he felt the corner of his lip curl up ever so slightly...
He couldn't wait.