#i just find it really hard to believe that eggman would ever care about sonic and tails

[0vergrowngraveyard]

fun fact:

part of the reason why i made the villain boys is because theres so many fics/aus of eggman taking in either one or both brothers and actually caring about them so i went “ok but like what if he didn’t” and thus villain!sonic was born

what if i completely redid my villain boys? what then?

[zosonils-art]

rewatched the sonic ova a few months ago. since then i've thought a bit too hard about the only loosely explained way that hyper metal sonic was created, been irreversibly changed by the idea of a sonic who wakes up in a body that isn't his and discovers that all his memories and friendships and adventures belong to someone else now, rekindled my obsession with the various metal sonics of pre-reboot archie, and finally learned how to care about sonic heroes

photon is basically every version of metal sonic ever, a few of the charmingly edgy aus i wrote when i was 11, and a few sonic cd fan theories all thrown in a blender and kicked down a flight of stairs, and i'm kind of obsessed with him. really, REALLY long infodump and some supplementary scribbles under the cut

WELCOME TO THE PHOTON ZONE

a little after sa2, eggman lures sonic into some trap that pins him down long enough for an electronic copy to be made of his brain. sonic trashes the place and escapes with only a mild headache and a bruised ego, but all the data eggman scraped is intact. as he's creating neo metal sonic, eggman uploads this digital ghost of sonic into him, with the intention to upgrade from having a fancy bootleg to a truly 'perfect' answer to sonic, who can simulate his entire psyche in real time and know everything he's going to do before he does it

[eggman would love to steal a hedgehog, actually]

unfortunately for eggman, his latest copy is too perfect, and sonic's indomitable will and sense of self easily overpowers any feeble attempts the rest of neo metal sonic's programming makes to keep him in line. pretty much the moment he's booted up, he books it outta there as fast as possible to go find his friends and fix things. with all of sonic's memories embedded in him, the thought that he isn't the real thing doesn't even cross metal's mind - as far as he knows, he made an embarrassing blunder in a dingy old egg base, had something done to his brain, and then woke up miles away in a robot body that eggman must have stuffed him into somehow. he just has to find tails and amy and knuckles and the rest, make sure he didn't hurt any of them during that mysterious gap in his memory, and slap together a plan to get his body back and shove eggman into a puddle. no sweat!

so naturally, it's a bit hurtful when none of his friends believe for a second that he's who he says he is. and it's a LOT hurtful when the real sonic shows up, in the body that's SUPPOSED to be his, and metal suddenly has no idea who or what he is

even though it's not enough to override the sonic personality, eggman's programming is still twisting metal's thoughts. an angry killer robot is an effective killer robot, so any negative emotion or violent impulse is forced to the front of his mind. metal is angry at eggman for doing this to him, and at his friends for not trusting him, and at sonic for existing in the body and life that belong to him, and all of this gets mixed in with the existential despair and knee-jerk denial of what's happening to him and then magnified tenfold. a version of the sonic heroes storyline takes place as metal's mental state worsens exponentially, and he begins to lash out more and more violently at everyone and everything around him in increasingly desperate attempts to prove [mostly to himself] that this other sonic is a fake.

this culminates in the metal overlord battle, where metal [who's escalated from 'prove himself superior to sonic' to 'defeat sonic and force him to admit the truth' to 'literally just kill him, since he's obviously a hyper realistic android sent by eggman or whatever and not a real thing that can feel pain and die'] harnesses the chaos emeralds in a last-ditch effort to prove his strength and reduce the 'fake' sonic to ashes - only for his body to twist and mutate into something so utterly, viscerally Wrong that the fear and confusion cause what's left of sonic in him to just shut down from distress, finally leaving only the mindless killing machine eggman set out to make in the first place and forcing super sonic to step in and kick metal overlord's ass. defeated by the power of friendship, depowered, and severely damaged, metal finally accepts and admits that he isn't the real sonic and probably never was, and doesn't fight it when his systems fail and he loses consciousness

contrary to what his anger had him believe, though, metal's [former?] friends did see that he was suffering and needed answers, and so sonic and tails take him back to the workshop in mystic ruins to shed some light on the whole situation. when tails finds a disturbingly perfect resemblance to an organic brain in the program map, everything finally clicks - what that weird Beam Of Give You Headache sonic got hit by a couple months ago was, how eggman made a metal sonic that knew so much about the real thing's life, why this metal seemed less mechanically violent and more genuinely emotionally distressed. with eggman's loyalty programming scrubbed from his system, metal wakes back up confused and upset but much more 'himself', and even manages a few natural-feeling responses as tails explains what he found and apologises over and over for not being able to help sooner.

he still doesn't like sonic.

metal leaves pretty much as soon as he's in working condition. even when sonic isn't there reminding him that he isn't himself anymore, he can't stand being around a tails who isn't his brother. he takes to wandering the world directionlessly, trying to figure out who he is now and find a place in a world that doesn't remember him. he's not sonic anymore, and it'd be easier to list the things he doesn't hate about being called 'metal sonic' or just metal, so after a while he settles on introducing himself as 'photon' - another intangible fast thing, like sound, but comfortably distant from his old name. [it's also a stupendously petty means of one-upping sonic, light being faster than sound and everything. drama queen.]

the timeline gets way fuzzier after all this overdetailed nonsense, but things do get better for photon. he has an identity now, and it's fragile and cobbled together and still missing pieces, but it belongs to him and nobody else. he strikes up a few odd but sincere friendships - he hangs out with big when he needs a calm and comforting presence, and has a fierce friendly rivalry with shadow underpinned by their quietly shared experience of not knowing whether to trust their own memory, and much later down the line he bonds with belle over the mundane frustrations of being a robot [and, privately, because she's the best fit so far for the tails-shaped hole in his heart]. he keeps up the drifter lifestyle, making new memories to replace painful old ones, finding ways to use his robot abilities for fun or to help people rather than purely as tools of destruction. it's not perfect for photon, he's still deeply bitter and existentially lonely and missing a sense of purpose, but it's Better, and that counts for something

photon is like some of the earlier [western] depictions of sonic in personality - rougher around the edges, more sarcastic and much less sincere, often brushing up against the line between playfully teasing and just being a bully. whereas sonic has grown into the generally kinder and more patient person he is these days thanks to the friends he's made and the adventures he's had, photon split off from him when that character development was just barely starting, and the trauma from his loss of identity made him regress instead of moving forward. he's still a kind person at heart, but that period of artificially inflated anger and despair has left its mark on how he handles his emotions, even if the programming that first caused it is long gone.

powers-wise, photon is pretty much identical to neo metal sonic, albeit with some limitations. he's as fast and strong as the real thing, can shapeshift or use chaos control if he's got an emerald with him, and with all 7 can take on a super form - though since the metal overlord incident, he's refused to try. [i'm leaving it open whether metal overlord is his innate super transformation now or if it was caused by him tapping into the negative energy of the chaos emeralds rather than sonic's usual positive, since both are really fun ideas. either way, becoming metal overlord was way too traumatic for photon to have any interest in trying again for now.]

he can still copy the biodata of living beings that he comes into contact with, but most of his storage space is taken up by the entire organic brain being simulated in realtime, which he's definitely not willing to modify or delete, so he's effectively limited to only the most recent two or three powers he's copied. he shapeshifts a little to reflect the data he's pulling from, mostly because it's fun to imagine what it'd look like. also because i'm a mega man guy. once again it all comes back to worlds collide being peak fiction

this concludes THE PHOTON ZONE, if only because this has been in my drafts for 3 days and i just want to make my damn post already. if the 1400 word infodump didn't make it clear i am VERY obsessed with my sad little metal sonic amalgam lmao. all this and i still had to cut a ton of details to prevent this infodump from being do you love the colour of the photon, so if my unhinged ramblings have convinced you to care about him even a fraction as much as i do i'd be thrilled to answer any followup questions here or on my main!!!!

[etaleah]

No but you don’t understand. Sonic and Shadow are going to clash so hard in season 2 of Prime and it’s going to be so intense because both of them will be right. Or at least, neither of them will be entirely wrong.

Sonic is going to view Shadow’s willingness to destroy the other shatterverses and the characters in them for the sake of restoring Green Hill as him being cruel and apathetic to other peoples’ suffering, that he doesn’t care enough about them to try and find a better way. That just like before, he’s willing to blow up the moon, the earth, and everyone in it as long as he can have what he wants. He sees Shadow’s way as selfish and destructive and uncaring, similar to Eggman.

Shadow hasn’t spent any time with these other characters and therefore has no reason to feel any attachment to them. He’s also experienced way too much trauma in his backstory to ever have Sonic’s level of optimism about the way the world works. He can’t have the belief that “obviously everything will work out because it has to” because if that were the case, Maria would still be here, wouldn’t she? Shadow is going to view Sonic’s willingness to throw away their home and everyone in it for the sake of saving these “copies” as Sonic prioritizing moral purity over what really matters. In his mind, Sonic is more concerned with not having to get his hands dirty and avoiding the reality of the situation than he is about doing what needs to be done. He sees Sonic’s hesitancy as childish denial and wishful thinking, of wanting to believe in a fairy tale ending that can never happen and refusing to grow up and take responsibility. Maybe he’s even subconsciously a little jealous of that childlike optimism that can only come from not having experienced trauma before.

I’m so excited for Sonic Prime I cannot even tell you. It’s gonna be great.

[egg-emperor]

New lore was dropped by Iizuka at a fan Q+A apparently. Interestingly, it's been revealed that Eggman is below the age of 50, that he never personally knew Gerald and Maria, his father was one of Gerald's two sons and that he is younger than Maria.

I find all of this fascinating.

You scared me LMFAO my heart stopped and blood ran cold for a sec but before I could go through all the stages of grief I was like hold on lemme see that source and found that isn't the case phew. If it was final that he was so young in his 40s I'd be devastated lol. Not just because I wouldn't want to believe it but also all the evidence suggests otherwise.

They considered putting him at 60 in the Sonic CD concept art, he's referred to as old and middle-aged, uses the Washi pronoun in JP, is associated with the Respect for the Aged Day in Japan where senior citizens are apparently 65+. Most recently we have the Egg Memo where Eggman specifies that he "never really knew" Maria, so he had to exist for at least some time when she was alive to feel the need to specify that.

Also, while a bit more speculative, it'd make sense if part of the reason he was so upset about how Gerald's plan to destroy the planet would've resulted in his death too is because he existed at the time even if he was very young, and Gerald would've known he had a grandson despite not meeting him and didn't consider or care for it to stop him. And that hit hard with him being his grandfather and idol he admired so much. I feel it'd kinda water down the impact and weight of it if it was like "He didn't consider that he could've potentially killed his grandson, even though I didn't exist yet." :P

But yeah it wouldn't make sense for him to be so young in his 40s, there's way too much emphasis on him being old and that would be way too young for it. Plus with the memo being solid canon on top of all the hints, it still doesn't make sense if you disregard the rest of the logic. So I was like no this can't be!!!

Then I saw the source to see that Iizuka apparently didn't actually say Eggman "yes, Eggman is 100% under 50" and I'm so relieved lol.

I just wanna break it down so I have something to link to people if this ever comes up in the future:

It was specifically the OP saying Eggman was literally "under 50", as if it was said to be 100% certain and confirmed final fact

But when they quote Iizuka directly, it turns out he apparently said: "His age hasn't been disclosed but he's probably under 50."

I knew they weren't gonna suddenly reveal his solid age now after all his time of it being unknown in all his bios, only heavily hinted at and implied with the examples listed above. If they're finally gonna go all out and finalize a specific age, it's definitely not gonna be at a Q&A.

Iizuka still saying it "is not disclosed" and the use of "probably" doesn't count as confirmation at all. He's just basing an estimate on the logic that if he didn't know Maria and Gerald then he might not have existed at the same time as them at all but all the evidence seems to show otherwise. Either way, it still "is not disclosed." So it's all just probable estimates.

So yeah at first my heart was like *glass shatter sfx* 💔 then I read the actual thread and I was like oh wait nevermind lol ❤️‍🩹 Here's the link to it btw

--------------------

Anyway now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about the other stuff.

It was always obvious that Eggman never knew Gerald personally. He never speaks of direct anecdotes or personal experiences. Hell, he doesn't even know about the ARK before SA2. So of course the same goes for Maria, that was clear before it was confirmed in the Egg Memo.

As for Maria being older than Eggman, I never decided on whether I thought so or not because there wasn't ever anything to actually suggest it. But sure, that can make sense. She can be older than him without it meaning that he didn't exist at any point while she was still alive.

But I'm still definitely under the impression that he did exist for at least some time when she was alive, even if he was very young. He had to be. He specifically emphasizes that he "never really knew" Maria in the Egg Memo. Why would he need to if he never even existed when she was alive? It would've been obvious.

So I feel it implies he didn't *really* know her because while he was alive at the same time even if just a little, he didn't meet her in person and only learned of her through how others talked of her.

Then him mentioning that she was "gone" immediately after is just him then jumping to the part after her death, where he started learning about her more because she became the big subject after her tragic death and then of course he became jealous.

This also adds up with Iizuka saying Eggman didn't learn all this information about Maria until after her death

Here's what I'm thinking. He existed the same time as her even if he was very young but he didn't meet her obviously because she was on the ARK all her life wondering what it was like on Earth and Eggman didn't even know about the ARK until SA2. Then she became the hot topic after her tragic death so Eggman got so somewhat "know" her through their word but still didn't "really" know her because they didn't literally meet. Makes sense!

And lastly, if it's true that he said Eggman's father is Gerald's son then I'm so happy about that, since it's always been my headcanon that he was the paternal grandfather! :D

So yeah this was really just Iizuka saying what me and others have been saying already as far as him not knowing Gerald and Maria personally. Then also him making an unconfirmed non solid estimate of his age with the "probably" but the games and Sonic Channel suggests he has to be 50 AT LEAST. Seems to be over it actually, since he had to be alive some time before the ARK raid/the same time as Maria, even if just for a little while.

[ashenpages]

Current Projects & Emoji Voting Key

Quick disclaimer: I’m a romance writer in all aspects of the term, so most of my works will contain mature content. Engage at your own risk, you know the rules, you’re responsible for curating your own experience of the internet, blah blah blah.

This post serves as a current mock up of fic ideas I’m either actively working on or considering working on next. You can drop me an ask about any of them, or just vote via the emoji combo I’ve assigned them.

Voting lets me know you’re excited about an idea and makes it more likely I’ll actually work on it. You can vote anytime, there’re no deadlines or winner announcements, just me gauging your interest by what I see in my ask box most often.

You can also ask me about the original stuff I’m working on currently. The current WIPs are Medusa centric and the emoji for them is: 🐍

Support my original work on Ko-fi and Patreon.

- Lupin: 🤑🤠💍  These are all oneshot ideas, between 5-15K each. If you want to vote for a specific idea, send me the emojis and the number of the idea.

Born from the idea that Goemon and Zenigata probably couldn’t be an item, my brain decided to come up with how I could write for them. Goemon’s teaching an ikebana class as part of his training, and Zenigata shows up as a student on forced recreational leave for his health from the ICPO. Zenigata wins the samurai’s heart through flowers. But what happens when Lupin and Jigen find out? (Only good sexy things, I promise. These beans are in a healthy polycule--be gay, do crimes) (WIP)

Jigen/Lupin, but it's Jigen deciding to seduce Lupin while wearing his own Lupin disguise. The thief is waaaaay too into it, and some artistry is taken with the sex so that they don't mess up the disguise too much during their encoutner.

Jigen/Zenigata/Lupin where Jigen has some fantasices about Zenigata, but is pretty sure they'll never happen. Tells Lupin about them. Suddenly the fantasies are coming true, in the middle of a heist, and Jigen doesn't what to do except get swept up in the moment and enjoy. Plot twist, it's Lupin dressed up as Zenigata granting all his gunman's dreams. Plot twist again, Zenigata catches them at it.

Zenigata/Lupin, where Lupin keeps doing good things in illegal ways and Pops has to find a way to punish him for it. Good thing for Pops Lupin's a masochist?

Trans!Lupin and Trans!Jigen premise: Jigen cares for Lupin after the master thief has top surgery, since Jigen has Been There and Done That. Caring, sweet, and a little sexy. Lupin is a much better patient than Jigen.

The one time Zenigata caught Lupin in an alley and kissed him and it was Jigen in disguise. Things get sexy anyway, and Zenigata has crushes on two thieves now. Lupin and Jigen "kidnap" him later for an evening of taking care of their inspector.

The background plot of Jigen's Gravestone where we see Jigen think he's done for and try to leave Lupin. Our thief has none of it, and we get to relish in the inherent eroticism of Lupin sitting in sniper fire, knowing Jigen's got his back. This is the moment I think Jigen finally believes he can be with Lupin forever.

I love the idea of something longer and more plot driven like a Lupin special where Lupin ends up in hot water and Jigen and Fujiko have to work together to save him. Jigen and Fujiko have such an interesting relationship. They're both partners of Lupin, they don't really like each other, they constantly screw the other over, but when it really matters they take care of each other. I'd like to see that highlighted a little more and also give them space to call each other out and bicker. Nothing sexy between them, but maybe a really interesting threesome with Lupin and Fujiko in a strap on once they save their boy.

- Sonic Vampire Novelist Coffee Shop AU: 📚☕💐

Shadow is an immortal vampire who has seen the world change for the worse too many times. These days it feels like he only lives for his coffee dates with Rouge, another immortal who loves each new era they encounter, warts and all. He has to admit that the book series she got him into speaks to him, at least. If someone in this era can understand him without meeting him, it can’t all be bad. But he hardly expected the goofy blue barista at the new coffee place to understand him the way those books do.

This is a novel length romcom romp with some big feelings about what it means to watch as things change, grow, and die. Expect lots of Big gothic feelings from this one, emotionally charged kissing, and overly-adoring sex. But also expect shenanigans from everyone in the coffee shop, which include Rouge, Amy, Tails, Knuckles, Cream, and more.

- Sonic Blazamy, "Like the Sun": 💖🌸💎

Amy Rose has been in love with Sonic for a while.

Or has she?

When the Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, and Silver are trapped as the fuel sources for Doctor Eggman’s newest evil scheme, Amy teams up with Blaze, Rouge, and Cream to save them. With Sonic out of the picture and Amy fulfilling his role, was she ever really in love with him? Or did she just want to be like him?

This is a novel length epic romance with lots of competent women and lots of romantic Blazamy content. Expect flowery hopes and dreams, badass self-actualization, and glancing hand touches that give way to cuddly and sweet sex.

- Persona 5: 🗡🍛☕

After bringing down the Metaverse twice, Ryuji didn’t think graduating high school and figuring out what to do with his life would be so hard. Akira’s back in town, and the gang’s more-or-less all in Tokyo, but everyone else seems to have a plan while Ryuji just floats. How’s he supposed to change the world when he’s not a phantom thief anymore?

This is a novel length fic that addresses how powerless one can feel being just one person in the face of all the corrupted systems and bigotry the world has to offer. It’s about holding on to what you believe in, working through the doubt, and fighting your way to a better tomorrow with the power you do have. The whole gang is queer, featured relationships being Mako x Ann, Ryuji x Akira, Futaba & Yusuke as platonic life partners. Akira is polyamorous and omnisexual, Futaba’s asexual and aromantic while Yusuke is demisexual and very romantic, Makoto’s a lesbian, Ann and Ryuji are bi, and Haru’s pansexual, demisexual, and aromantic. They’re one giant band of queer Phantom Thieves, and even if they’re not really doing the Metaverse thing anymore, they’re still gonna save the world!

Also, I’m gonna make Makoto not a cop. That super didn’t age well. Zenkichi and his boss can work on making them better/abolishing them for other better organizations.

- Hades Game: ❤️‍🔥💀

Oneshot. I just really need to elaborate on the threesome you can have with them in-game, okay? Healthy and canon poly relationships are so few and far between, so often I have to do a ton of groundwork to explain why it’s working in the fic, but NOT WITH THESE KIDS!

Get ready for Meg helping Zag and Than be better at expressing their feelings, lots of kissing, and probably pegging.

- Castlevania Animation Trevor/Sypha/Alucard: 🧛🏰🛌

Castlevania gave Alucard a threesome last season, and I just really need S4 to give me him being taken care of by his partners. They’re probably not going to give it to me, so I’ll need to do it myself. This is just an everybody loves Alucard oneshot, with the gang’s signature banter (to an extent), Sypha being sexy, and Trever being remarkably sincere. This fic is gonna feel like that Ann Hathaway picture with Trevor kissing Alucard and Sypha holding the end of Trevor’s whip while she leans her head on Alucard’s shoulder adoringly.

- Devil May Cry Nico/Lady/Trish: 💋✨😈

Nico’s gay, okay? Like really, really gay. And Lady’s bi and not into men who make her pay bills, but very into women who make amazing guns for her and demonesses with hearts who fight by her side. Trish is ace, but loves people and is pretty attached to Lady at this point. Plus it’s cute when Lady blushes and says nice things like they’re insults. I don’t have super solid ideas for them yet, and I envision these more like a polycule where Lady’s with Nico and with Trish but they’re not with each other more than seeing it as a threesome, but who knows what might happen. This is probably 1-2 oneshots depending on ideas, but might turn into a series of oneshots if people are interested (or I can’t control myself and inspiration strikes).

- Post FMA:B Blind Roy & No Alchemy Ed: 👀👑🙏

This is actually an old novel-length fic I wrote ages ago and didn’t post that didn’t turn out well because I was new to writing sex when I first wrote it. The plot is good, and is all about Roy learning to work with his blindness to reclaim his ambition of being Fuhrer and changing the system to something that actually cares for its people. He and Ed reconnect, fall into bed, and both set about working through their respective traumas about being “useless” having lost their sight/alchemy. They go to Xing as an ambassadorial party to offer Amestris’s collaboration on Al and May’s Alkahestry experiments--and uncover a plot that might threaten both kingdoms.

- Age of Calamity continuity Mipha x Revali: 🦚🐟💘

The first time Revali noticed Mipha, it was in the heat of battle. She stole his mark, taking them down with a flurry of quick blows from her spear. Violence rained from her like water--and then she healed him on her way to her next battle. No questions, no conditions, just pure kindness. The usual need to measure himself against those around him was quiet in her wake. And Revali couldn’t understand it. But how to get to know more about her? A fish and bird may fall in love, but where would they live?

This fic could be a oneshot or novel length depending on how far down the hole I fall. I need it to cover time, but it could be done in linked vignettes or with actually covering events in detail. I may elect to do a oneshot just to get it done and out of my system faster. So much fic to write, so little time.

Expect trans!Revali, polyamorous Zoras, scary competent Mipha, songbird Revali, love confessions that are made up entirely of berating Link for not loving Mipha the way she wants him to, and breaking these characters a little outside of their assigned roles in BotW and Age of Calamity. Background Link x Zelda, and Urbosa x Zelda’s Mom.

- Epic desert romance about Urbosa and Zelda’s mom: 🏜🏝⚡

I just think Urbosa should kiss women and Zelda’s mom should get more development and maybe a name or something. Also, lightning imagery/metaphors/play.

It also went way over my head that Riju wasn’t Urbosa’s daughter the first time I played BotW, so now I want to write about the Gerudo queen who refused to produce an heir. The Gerudo are fascinating and have a very interesting cutlure, but I think it could be examined from a nonbinary perspective that rejected pregnancy and wanting to find a husband. Not in like a hateful way, but in a way that examines if that’s really right for everyone. There’s that shop in town that sells Voe armor, after all. Maybe finding a husband and having children isn’t something you have to do if you don’t want to. And Urbosa really doesn’t want to.

[cutegirlmayra]

Random AU Sonamy cause you know what?

Prompt:

It was time to go.

That other dimension… I didn’t figure I’d come back, but I couldn’t let my friends know that.

They each saw through me though, first with Tails and that Team Chaotix. Although Tails tried to send me off with as much hope as he could muster without shedding a tear, his entourage were wiping their tears without holding back or hiding. I respected them for it, but Tails even more, for how brave he wanted to be for me.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take of this…” I slowly raised my hand, expecting myself to say, ‘See ya around!’ but couldn’t muster it this time… instead, I just held it up… and let it flop down as though trying to act just as cool as my little dude.

I kicked the ground with a hop in my step as I moved back and raced off, heading to the next group, which were waiting to hold the portal for me when it opened.

“You’re a brave soul, Sonic… I’ve admired you for that.” Was probably the only directly nice thing Shadow ever said to me. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a swell guy! If you minus all the shady things he did in his ‘awakened’ life outside of Dr. Gerald Robotnik, but I could tell he was trying to be respectful too.

“Hey, it’s not that big of a sacrifice. Besides! With me gone, you’ll finally have a reason to show up!” I gave a goofy grin and put my hand to his shoulder, swaggering up with a wobble of my head and jerked upwards a thumbs-up from my hand.

He actually gave me a crooked smile for a moment… before dispersing off again with Rouge and Omega, looking disheartened.

Rouge looked like she wanted to say something, maybe ‘Be careful, Sonic’ but she didn’t quite get it out in time.

She stepped forward and put her hands to her chest, but as Shadow passed, looked down and decided not to say it. ...Probably for the best, I was getting sick of half-meanings. I wasn’t coming back, and the slim chance I could, I would be barely alive to tell the tale.

As she turned, something triggered in my mind. ‘Oh yeah… I’m forgetting someone.’ I felt myself getting reluctant. The person she reminded me of… the person that would definitely not be okay with any false hope, generalized chit-chat, and who wouldn’t hold her tongue back on how she felt about it.

Neither her tears… She would be the one to say, ‘Come back, Sonic.’ without a shred of regret.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and lifted my head up from that realization that I would have to face her… and convince her… of letting me leave…

For good this time.

“It’s not like you to look so gloomy, Sonic.” Knuckles… the only one who really wouldn’t put on a front that was fake.

I turned to him and flicked my nose, as we stood and faced each other, saying more with our stares into the other’s soul then any ‘not saying it’ goodbyes everyone else was trying to hold back.

He shakingly held up a hand, and seeing him about to lose himself, I took it immediately, giving him strength to help him rise up and stay strong.

He nodded, but couldn’t look back in my eyes… he was probably gonna cry somewhere off on Angel Island… and I… preferred it that way.

I gave a strong pull and tightened my grip on the embraced hands, giving him a strong look, and he finally smiled with a ‘tsk’, realizing I wasn’t gonna let him go till he could do it.

He returned the gesture and smirked, narrowing his eyes back into mine.

‘That’s it, buddy. Don’t falter the good fight.’ I thought to myself as we held that position for a moment, and finally… he let me go.

“Safe travels… but that would be an understatement.” He folded his arms, still smiling, before looking his head to the ground and concealing his smile… “Tails told me he wanted to say more to you… I would let him.”

“...Haa..!” I breathed out and arched my back towards the ground, not really wanting to face another hard goodbye so soon… but if it meant holding off from confronting Amy… I would do it. “Guess everyone’s taking my vacation kinda hard, huh?” I joked, but Knuckles just grabbed my head and started rough-housing his glove against my spiky quilled head.

“Get in a tan while you’re at it! You’re too pale skinned!” he gruffed.

I tried to push my head up but he kept it down, “H-hey! Knuckles!” but I did get a glance up… and let him keep my head down…

I could see water streaming down his muzzle like a cascading waterfall… guess I was bound to see it. No use keeping it all together and within.

With Knuckles and Tails… I embraced them, closing my eyes as Tails finally said what he really wanted to.

“I won’t forget you!” He cried out, gripping my back tightly. “I will be everything you believed me to be! I will protect the planet and things we love most, and I won’t let Eggman get away with this!”

‘Hang in there, buddy.’ I just lightly patted his back, about two or three, but was really starting to feel the toll now.

My eyes felt droopy, I was losing energy…

“You’re not gonna be alone! In that dimension, I’m sure you’ll meet others that look like us too! They’ll be there to support you, I’m sure of it!” Tails’s comforts only gave me a greater stone in my heart, but I knew he was only trying to help.

“Thanks, buddy. Take care of yourselves.” I pulled away but felt Tails resisting.

I paused as Knuckles saw I couldn’t show Tails my face… and took his arm.

“Come on, kid. He’s got a whole galaxy and then some to save.” Knuckles helped pulled Tails off and redirect his tears and anguish onto himself, having him coil up with his tails around Knuckles and start banging his chest.

“He doesn’t have to go alone! We could go with him!” he cried out, as I froze in my spot… tired. Too tired to even walk ahead… to be away from hearing it… to be away from my friends who were as close as family to my lonely self now… though I’d never admit it out loud.

“...Then who’d be here, Tails? Guarding the Master Emerald? Saving this world?” Come on, don’t give him--or me--that.” He patted his back strongly, “Stay strong, kid. We’ve gotta show him off with strength, it’s that strength he’ll need for the coming battle.”

“R-right…” Tails fought through his tears and turned around, “Sonic… We’re with you. You have our strength.” he held up his fists,... but I didn’t feel strength.

I felt so… weak.

I felt my body wanting to just submit but I wouldn’t let it.

I gave a sharp nod behind me, letting it linger, showing my friends nothing was going to phase me… and took off.

I couldn’t face Amy.

How could I?

I almost collapsed to my knees unable to move from everyone else!

However… my feet brought me to her home, and by now, it was pretty late at night.

She had no idea.

She didn’t know I was leaving, how long I’d be… how I needed her to move on.

A part of me hated to imagine that. But as I approached the home, the lights were out, and I felt a moment of relief.

‘Sleeping…’ my eyes lowered, as I tenderly and sorrowfully looked up to her window. ‘Quietly… peacefully… I shouldn’t disturb it.’

I felt so weary… tired of saying so many goodbyes without actually saying the stupid word.

I hated it.

The tears… the fear no one was admitting… the unknown was now looming over my fate, and at first I felt prepared… but now… I just wanted to get it over with.

‘Keep my friends safe first, then move on.’ I tightened my fist, finding a resolve. ‘I’ve gotta at least see her… Even if it is the last time…’

I felt power rising back to my bones, my muscles tensing and getting ready. I zoomed off to pick a flower, one I had always found to be Amy’s favorite--and well, might as well admit mine too--and took off to a tree branch right at her window.

I was off-balance, flailing a bit as I only had the tip of my shoe to steady myself on the ledge of her bedroom window, but putting the flower in my mouth I started to squeeze my fingers through the small crack under the plane.

It gave way, at last, not being locked.

I slowly rose it up after a few tugs and darted in, rolling on the ground with my quills as a cushion to make sure I landed swiftly but didn’t cause a stir.

Not much of a sound, besides the tumbling of my feet back to the ground.

I rose up and looked to my side…

Even in the night air, her quills swayed in blissful ignorance of the current situation. Her soft breaths lured me in and back, as my feet began to softly tread forward towards her.

I passed her nightstand, with a picture of us holding up peace-signs and hearts with our fingers and thumbs, just something goofy we did at some park or whatever.

Near it, a vase of the flowers I usually brought her. Some were wilted, yikes. I had kinda hoped I would visit at least enough times so she could switch them out frequently enough to not keep the dead ones.

I flinched at that imagery and thought… she kept the dead ones… when I didn’t replace them fast enough… and visit her often.

I took the flower out of my mouth and gently was about to place it on her nightstand… but stopped.

Time froze then, as my eyes darted up.

I won’t accept this.

I pulled back the flower to me and squinted my eyes, turning away from the picture and bent flowers, balding as their petals lay around the vase’s bottom…

I was getting irritated. Amy was the last, I had to do more than this. It wouldn’t be fair… no matter how much I dread it… I can’t just leave her without her final words…

I lightly pressed the freshly picked flower up to my muzzle… taking in it’s scent and thinking how I was going to do this… efficiently… without her suspecting this was my final farewell…

To lose her… to knowly have her lose me…

How to word this… how to even plan this?

All of that faded when I took another glance at her.

My serious expression was replaced with silent admiring.

She was so loyal. Any man would be crazy not to see her fidelity.

...She’d move on without me…

Find someone to love, Amy? I couldn’t say that, it almost made me gag to think about it. Plus, I’d think about it in hindsight once I’m floating in the nethersphere and realize that was too boldly assuming Amy could find anyone besides her miraculous gift at always locating me.

Be loved, Amy? As if no one does, that’s just cruel. She’s constantly surrounded by people and friends that adore her. No… No, I couldn’t say that.

She’d stir and think something was wrong with either of those lines…

I tapped the flower against my muzzle, further watching her quills sway gently in the blowing breeze, as though comforting her from the heat of the moment she was so innocently unaware of.

‘Alright,’ I finally said, having taken long enough time to figure this out. I hadn’t thought about any of my goodbyes this long because the people were already awake and holding up fronts. No fronts here… Just Amy. Sleeping. Waiting patiently for me to come by and replace a dozen of her dying roses…

Man, this was hard.

I leaned my head back and felt myself wincing at the idea I had come up with. Fool her into thinking she was dreaming? It could work, since Amy often daydreams and would go, ‘Is this a dream?’ quite frequently.

Yeah… That outta do it.

I sighed, this would still be faking it unless…

I twirled the stim of the flower between my two finger tips…

Unless I put the front down.

I looked away… I knew what I was talking about, duh.

But… that would be hard. I’m normally really shy about expressing my feelings, especially when it comes to receiving admiration or… Well, or this.

I lightly kissed the flower for good luck, winked to try and get myself into a romantic mood, but also took a long breath in and harshly let it out in a bit of stubbornness to prepare myself for speaking with my heart over my image…

Her hero… deserves to send himself off after wishing her goodnight.

I moved to her bedside and decided it was best to bend to one knee, at least, she may find it endearing.

Lightly, I teased her awake gently by brushing the rose over her eye, twiddling it before lightly stroking her face like it was a paint brush.

She gave little, soft groans of discomfort, tenderly waking up as I smiled in eagerness to see her again.

I didn’t want to think this was the last time, nor play it out like that.

I wanted, at least this one, to be genuine but disguised as a wishful, whimsical dream she was having. I could… send myself off knowing she was happy.

That was the way I wanted it to be. An ideal.

Amy crying in my arms and me having to hold her till it was time to go was too painful to even bare a thought of!

I didn’t want to waste my time trying to comfort when this wasn’t something that anyone could be comforted on!

Strength… Knuckles spoke of strength?

I tsked, I didn’t want to leave Amy with ‘strength’ or take anyone else’s strength when they needed all the help they could get!

They already mustered everything together to see me off, I wouldn’t bare it again, I would never let Amy bare that either…

Maybe she’d hate me when she fully came too, realized what had happened, and sob for centuries…

I felt something stab at my throat, and I forced myself to swallow after a few failed attempts.

‘Don’t cry, Amy… I want to make that very clear.’ I thought I could do this, but seeing her blink her eyes open made me realize how I really just wanted to flee from this whole ordeal.

I didn’t want to break Amy’s heart. Even knowing she’d cry later was just as equally tormenting than having her do so in front of me now.

I wouldn’t break her heart… but I probably should. I wouldn’t dwell too much on it. Amy’s a big girl now, she’ll have to come around and realize that I’m not coming back-

I couldn’t finish my thoughts as she rubbed her eyes and yawned, looking over to me.

“...Emm… Sonic?”

Now was my last chance… to tell her everything or… at least, not put up the charades anymore.

“Heya.” I whispered, finding a smile I didn’t realize I still had. “Long time no see.”

She looked a bit confused, maybe still half-way through dreamland, but relaxed back and took my hand holding the flower, “Flowers~” she giggled, and suddenly my entire night was made.

“Yeah, just for you.” I played, dangling the flower above her head and watched her drowsily paw at it like a cat would a string. She scrunched her nose up, still snickering as though trying to laugh but her lungs hadn’t woken up that far yet.

“I like it.” she yawned again, and her batting reach grew lesser and lesser until I handed her the flower. “I missed you.” her grip on my hand was so light… I didn’t realize how the touch would send me into such immediate, gripping grief.

My heart was being choked, man, I’m so dramatic! I never knew I could feel this intensely about something like saying goodbye to everyone!

It wasn’t goodbye… If I told myself that, I could do it!

“I-” I felt my voice get constrained and had to take a moment to wipe my own face and get a grip. ‘Keep it together, Sonic… or she’ll know.’ I pep-talked myself and shook my head, “I thought you would.”

“Hehe… You’re still funny.” she let her sluggish finger poke and slide around my face, making me watch her with a puzzled but funny look that continued to keep her laughing.

“Am I still in a dream?”

That… made me so happy.

“Well, depends.” I stated, getting comfortable as I moved from my knee to squatting by her side, inching closer and pulling my hands back to give my heavy head some leverage… more than what I could do for my heart at this point. “What was going on in your dream?”

“Hmm…” she thought a second, almost closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep.

Maybe that was for the best… but…

I kinda didn’t want it to end.

“Amy..?” I lightly called out to her as her eyes twitched slightly and she graced me again with their vision… green… darker than mine, but emerald like the sea below Angel Island… highlighted by it’s chaotic glow.

“We were… having a picnic… in Spagonia, maybe?” she rubbed her eyes, still having the other hand holding mine.

“Ah, I remember that!” I instantly found myself looking up, and my spirits soar. “You were so obsessed with the architecture! You barely ate, you had so much to say about how beautiful it all was.”

“Well, it was..!” she lazily commented, her eyes trying to fight the sleep. I didn’t feel bad about keeping her somewhat awake though… I realized… I needed this. I needed this too.

“Amy… You were beautiful there too.” My words I had never uttered allowed, now made me think back and remember all the times I’ve thought it, but wouldn’t dare speak it out loud. “But you know that, don’t you?” I smiled even wider, seeing her pause a second as though falling back to sleep or in disbelief.

“This is a dream!” she exclaimed and started laughing as though evilly, “Then come to bed. I need a good cuddle…”

I looked away and had to hide my snickering, I never knew Amy could be scandalous! ...scratch that, I never knew she would DREAM of something so ridiculous!

“How about just your hand?” I cradled it with both mine, seeing her fiddle with the flower and press it right up to her nose. I worried it’s strong scent would wake her up… but it didn’t. I tossed her dead-weighted hand around and toyed with her a moment, before lowering my head to it, and letting her own scent trail its way into my memory and feel her warmth from the bed’s covers override my own heated anxiety.

“Amy… I-” I felt my eyes growing sleepy too… All the times I could have just teased her by climbing over the covers and laying beside her… how I wanted that more than ever, to just… take a nap and let each other hold the other… No images, no expectations… just.... Tired. “I missed you too.”

“Hmm?” she was waking up more, I needed to make this quick.

“Heh,” In the moments I had had with her… this was bound to be the best, though bittersweet, of my favorites. “I’m gonna miss you… but I need you to go back to sleep now, finish that wonderful dream of yours… and never stop having it.” I couldn’t tell her to move on. Gosh dang it, I couldn’t!

I was holding her hand, I was letting it rest right up against my face and I- … I-!!!

I was getting to invested in this goodbye.

I speedily let go of her hand and got up, startling her awake.

“H-huh?”

I gripped my fists tightly, “This was a mistake.” I looked away, “I can’t stay here… I can’t say these things anymore.”

“Sonic..?”

“I have to go away now, Amy.” I couldn’t be sweet to her, I’d ruin her!

“What… why?” she started to turn on the bed, “Is this… real?”

A real nightmare. I was gonna die. I knew it. Even if I lived, I would be stuck in another dimension with no way out.

Tails… Even if there was another Tails, Knuckles, and-... And Amy! I would owe it to her but..! But..!

“If I find you again… I won’t hold back anymore, alright?” I didn’t want to make a promise.

“What..? N-no…” She started to sit up on her bed, and I rushed to put the covers back over her, hoping to convince her to go back to bed.

“No other will do… that’s wrong, isn’t it?” I had seen people who looked like my friends in other dimensions… it was foolish of me to think that would suffice. Amy… if she knew what I was saying, she’d probably stomp the ground and cry out that it wouldn’t be fair, that none of those other girls were still her… it would be too cruel. I’ve messed up. I’ve gotta go-!

I felt her suddenly grapple me and turn me onto the bed.

“A-Amy!” I was absolutely startled, I didn’t expect her to be so strong while she was still getting up.

“I’m cold.” she lied, holding me down and tightly. “Don’t go.”

“Amy, I can’t do this. I can’t do this anymore..!” I tried to fight it, but she was absolutely strong, and I even questioned if she was faking being asleep.

But I waved my hand over her eyes and watched as they closed and she was slowly falling back to sleep.

“You make this so challenging.” I huffed, but smiled and chuckled at how even in her sleep, she was a rascal. “I can’t stay…” I lightly put my hand to the side of her face, which she leaned into, and tried to move her head to my chest. “But trust me,... if there is a way… I won’t fail you twice.” I cupped her adorably sleepy but scarily strong head in my hands as she tried to resist it a bit, but was able to move and lower her back to her pillow. Slyly figuring out a way to not disturb her, I pushed the other pillow to have her hold it, and made my way out of her grasp. “Phew…”

Memories of Amy’s antics swarmed me… then Tails… then Knuckles… then everyone…

I ended up falling to my butt and spending a good minute trying to conceal my tears without a sound.

She fell asleep… thank goodness.

I got up and picked up the flower that was slightly crushed from under her back, and placed it back on the counter. I took two petals that had fallen and placed one in her hand… then the other I tucked under my glove and held in the space between my bare palm and glove.

“Don’t wait for me anymore.” I tugged the bottom of my glove down, making sure the petal wouldn’t accidentally fall out and that it was secure. I gave one final, good look over to her…

“...But dream of me… always…”

-A New Day-

I woke up immediately when I groggily read the text from Tails that Sonic was badly injured, but somehow, used the last of the Chaos Energy inside his body to locate the Master Emerald across dimensions, and jumped!

“Jumped!? W-woah-woah!” I fell out of my bed and crashed hard on my chin, but adjusting to the pain, I kept scrolling through the updates.

He was Chaos Controlled directly from the Master Emerald with the help of a confused Knuckles who reacted at once and used his own influence over the Master Emerald to channel it’s power to wherever Sonic was reaching from.

He apparently came back, half-alive…

My eyes shook in terror, “Oh, Sonic!” I felt my heart leap out of my chest as I quickly wrote back as I spoke the words aloud. “Where is he!? I’ll house him. Tell Vanilla and Cream to bring everything to my house! Food, medicine, the works! We won’t lose him again!”

My eyes were still red from countless, sleepless nights of waiting for him to come through my window and surprise me again. I really had thought I imagined it… but I woke up with a petal from a new flower in my hand, and looked to see the one from my hallucinations that night on my nightstand.

When the others told me what he had done, I bashed the trees down and ranted with a mighty thunder in my step and tone how they should have believed in him more, should have given him hope, and the strength he needed wasn’t their undying love for him but their support in that he could do the impossible!

I kept telling myself, ‘Of course, he’ll come back!’ but my anger was from knowing that when he was trying to take my hand and say goodbye… he couldn’t.

He needed me! Oh, how my Sonic needed me to pull him in and shout out to the universe that he was going to be alright, that he was going to return, and that none of this was necessary!

I should have woken up and seen more clearly! I should have… I was the only one who could have contested their naysaying and cheered him up. I would have… I would have gotten so many words out that would be completely incoherent due to my rushing tears…

They brought him to me right away, and I was upset I couldn’t reach them in time to have helped moved him, but they insisted I stay put.

When I saw him… on a white gurney and barely able to stay awake… looking rough and completely done for… I felt my whole being cry out that he would make it… but my whole being slid down the door’s frame at just seeing him look so badly… so drained of life... 

He was out for days… but he had been gone for so long…

I was replacing his bandages, starting with the cooling rag, I was just gonna wipe him down from the sweat. I put him in my own bed and was sleeping by the side of the bed with my head to his side at night… sleeping in my chair, nursing him back to health.

He didn’t make much noise expect for awful twitches that would make me think he was dying… it scared me so much… but I held his hand as he would groan in his sleep, as though trying to move and wake up … but couldn’t.

Couldn’t… shouldn’t… wouldn’t… 

Could, would, should…

These words were infuriating me lately.

I dipped the cool rag into the water on my nightstand, which I had used to replace the vase with flowers, but kept the last flower in a see-through box, letting it sit on my windowsill as I waited through endless nights for him…

My eyes must have made me look like a raccoon rather than a hedgehog by now… but as I wiped them and patted his darling, but hurt face… I finally saw him breath out and roll his head towards my touch.

My eyes widened, was this his last breath or first real moments of consciousness?

“S-…” I felt my voice break against a dam of emotions. “Sonic?” Then flood my mouth, “Sonic!?” the sound vibrated to every cell, sparking me to life as I jolted up and hung over him. “Sonic, can you hear me!?”

His eyes were blurred, but he opened them, looking around as though unable to see me.

“Sonic! Sonic, you’re alive! You’re here!” I said that to assure him of him, not for myself.

I embraced him with restrained joy, trying to not hurt him further, as I heard him cough and try and reach his hand up.

I immediately pulled back and helped him up, hearing him hiss at the pain but fighting it.

“S-sorry! I’ll let you rest more-” I was gonna lower him back down but he put a hand out to my shoulder, as though telling me not too.

He adjusted himself to leaning back and I put pillows in his way to give him some comfort as he was somewhat up now.

“How are you feeling? You okay?” That was stupid to ask, but I was so worried… one peep, one little, measly sound would drown out all this panicking… anything!

He coughed again, and looked around.

Seeing where he was, his eyes widened and he looked back to me, as though stunned.

“You’re home… Sonic, you’re…” I covered my mouth, bursting into tears and dropping to my knees, holding myself up with my other hand gripping the bed.

I turned my hand around to show him the palm of my hand, tucked into my gold bracelet was his petal he had left in my hand, ripped and torn, crinkled and decaying… I never let it go.

He smiled and let out a puff of relief and--what I assume to be--joy as he scratched weakly at his own glove.

“Y-you want it off..?” I was speaking through tears, and blinked several times to see what I was doing, and wiping my tears away before lifting his glove up and seeing…

Not even tarnished. It was as though the petal in the palm of his hand was eternal, as though the dimension was only a blink in time, but it was still a vibrant rosy color, pinkish hue, but leaning more towards the red.

I dipped my head to his hand and just cried, kissing the palm and the petal as I knew what it meant.

“I missed you too.” I finally broke my voice and wailed in my tears.

I knew he hated goodbyes and crying…

But I knew how much he loved ‘hellos’.

(resisted Italics this time lol  Better with or without them? -meaning both Bold, Underlined, etc.-)

(ALSO! I remembered I was gonna do kissing but I was so wrapped and enthralled in the drama that I forgot o-o; Eh, makes it more in-character XD)

[sally-mun]

OKAY BITCHES ON TO PART 2!

Also don’t forget to check out Part 1 if you haven’t yet!

British

Okay so maybe it’s in poor taste to start the British section with dolls I’m not actually sure are British, but fuck it. The one on the left is a doll I’m reasonably sure I got from a British seller, and the one on the right seems to just be a scaled-up version of it, SO. That’s what I’m going with.

No joke, the left doll is my favorite Sonic plushie EVER. It’s so incredibly fluffy and the proportions are just right and it’s really well-made and AUUGHH I LOVE HIM. Interestingly the doll on the right is made of the same uber-fuzzy material, but it doesn’t have as much of a fluffy effect because of the larger scale. Also the shoe stripes are ribbons for some reason, which makes them stand out from all the other dolls.

So this is from a line of dolls that, as far as I’ve ever seen, are simply known as “Europe prize” plushies. I don’t know if they were actual prizes for some sort of game or claw machine or whatnot, but that’s how I tend to see them listed. These dolls are REALLY nicely made and incredibly cute, like way more than usual. I also have the Knuckles from this set, but he doesn’t live in this net so he’s not pictured here.

I know this line also included Sonic (obviously), Amy, and Shadow, but I’m not sure who else. I’d REALLY like to get the others someday, but I don’t have much hope for that, since they’re long since out of production and prices just keep going up as everyone cashes in on nerd collector culture.

This doll is fine enough on its own (if a bit fearful in the eyes), but what’s really odd about it is that it’s like literally twice as tall as the other dolls in its line, for some reason. I have the Sonic and Tails from this set, and their sizes both match each other, but for some reason Knuckles is a tall boi?? Oh well.

I believe this set also includes an Eggman doll, but I’ve never seen it before.

I wish I’d thought to showcase it better in this photo, but the tag on the bottom of Sonic’s right foot here is the real spotlight of this doll. I don’t know much about the background of this doll, but i know that tag on his foot is what distinguishes him from other Sonic dolls, and collectors go NUTS for this guy. I remember missing out on one years ago because the shipping was too costly (it’s always been rough importing from Britain, but it used to be a lot harder), and for a while I thought I’d never get one. Oddly this one that I did eventually nab is the only one I’ve ever seen with suction cups. I’d like to hope that one day I could get the one that doesn’t have them, but I’m not holding my breath.

Following the last doll, I’m sure a lot of you are immediately noticing that this Tails also has the tag on his foot, albeit a very faded one. This doll is also super odd, because EVERY other time I’ve ever seen this doll before, it has NOT had the foot tag! This one is the only one I’ve encountered with the tag, and I didn’t even know it had it until it arrived in the mail. This doll is also about 50% bigger than the Sonic doll with the foot tag, maybe he goes with the non-suction cup’d Sonic plushie? I don’t know off the top of my head how big that Sonic is supposed to be, so it’s possible! Or maybe these dolls have nothing to do with each other, and I bought some weird anomaly. Definitely one of the weirder Tails plushies in my collection.

Australian

EASILY the ugliest doll I will ever own, short of maybe obtaining the Tails that matches this set. (Trust me, the Tails is REALLY FUCKING UGLY.) I have such mixed feelings on this lil guy because, as many of you already know, this is one of the elusive Sega World Sydney dolls, which means it’s EXTREMELY rare and thus meant to be treasured... and yet holy shit guys how did you fail so hard on this doll. I mean FOR FUCK’S SAKE HE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE SOCKS! OR FINGERS!! There were plenty of Sonic plushies in the world by the time this doll was created, and they all socks and fingers, let alone better designed faces. I dunno man, I don’t know how to reconcile how ugly this doll is.

And then there were two.

Those of you that’ve been following me for years have probably already seen these before, but fuck it, here they are again. The Sega World Sydney plushies are the ONLY official Sally plushies to exist, and like the Sonic one, it’s really difficult to reconcile how incredibly ugly they are. I mean I can at least cut them some slack with the faces I guess, because the one on the left isn’t terrible I suppose. I think the fact that she doesn’t have hands is really stupid, but I mean, if Sonic didn’t get fingers I guess I’m not surprised Sally didn’t either. No, the thing that really gets me about these Sally dolls is the hair. It’s hard to tell from this angle but it’s.... bad. Oh my god it’s so fucking bad. It looks like she had a bad incident with a weedwacker. WHO THE FUCK DID THEY HIRE TO DESIGN THESE PLUSHIES?!

Whatever, I don’t turn away official Sally merch. Vests exist for these dolls, but as you can see I don’t own them for either of these two. I do have a third, smaller Sally that DOES have her vest, but she doesn’t live in this net. Maybe another time!

More bad Sally hair, this time without legs because she’s a hand puppet. She probably has the worst hair of all of the Sally dolls I personally own, it’s very clumpy and matted. The others’ hair is at least still fluffy.

I’ll let the fact that she doesn’t have hands slide here, being a puppet at all, but even then it’s only because I’m feeling generous. There’s no reason she shouldn’t have had them.

SOOOO not technically a plushie, but it was in the net and I’m doing Sally items right now anyway, so fuck it. This is a mini-backpack, but the fabric is so furry that it’s pretty much impossible to get a clear picture. I left the strap there sticking out just to help give some idea of what shape you’re even looking at.

I can’t remember what I paid for this, and honestly I don’t care, because it’s so unique and I’ve never seen another one since.

Bootlegs

A friend of mine sent me this as a surprise a few years ago because he thought it was cute, and I definitely have to say it’s one of the more fascinating items in my collection. Most of the time bootleg merch is trying to imitate something official to confuse the buyer, but so far as I know this is completely original! I love it because it’s what I imagine Sonic would look like if he were an Animal Crossing character. The most bizarre detail of all, though, is that the tush tag has the logo for Detective Conan instead of Sonic the Hedgehog. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY.

This is a fake version of the Fang/Nack doll from Sonic the Fighters, but honestly, I don’t mind at all that it’s a bootleg because holy shit this doll is higher quality than some of my official ones! (I’M LOOKING AT YOU, SEGA WORLD.) According to the pictures I’ve seen, I think he’s actually even better quality than the original he’s copying!

It’s hard to describe just how nice this doll is, because the picture seriously does not do him justice. The stitching is perfectly clean, the proportions are absolutely perfect, the fabric is soft and high-quality, and oh my god the HAT!! The hat is AMAZING, it’s actually solid and holds its shape VERY well! The same goes for his tail too, on that note. Plushies with long tails tend to have trouble maintaining their shape, but this doll’s tail is really well done. He also has a much longer muzzle than most dolls of this time were willing to use, which again helps his proportion and overall accuracy. I don’t give one single shit that this doll isn’t official, I love him so fucking much! <3 <3 <3

Other Dolls

What can I say, I fucking LOVE Nick Wilde from Zootopia, and this is one of the best dolls of him I’ve ever seen. It’s actually really nicely made (they put a LOT of work into his shirt), and he’s very soft and huggable. Also, bless that smarmy expression, they got it just right.

Jumbo Tom Nook! This is the only jumbo plushie of him I’ve ever seen, so I’m glad I was able to nab it. The fabric is oddly shiny though, and I have no idea why?? I have several Tom Nook plushies from different doll lines, and I’ve never seen another one that’s shiny like this.

Decided to picture these guys together because why the fuck not. I apologize for the lack of clarity, but I’ve never been willing to open their bags. I want them pristine~

One thing I think is cool about the Undertale dolls is that there’s so much uniqueness put into each one. They all have differently shaped tags to reflect their individual personalities, and the plastic bags they come in have different patterns as well. The fabric patterns all completely unique to each one as well, so they’re not all clones of each other (especially with Papyrus).

You can actually still buy all of these guys right now on the Fangamer website! They’re pricey, but you get a quality that makes the price worth it, and you get a discount if you buy them together!

Vault Boy from Fallout, and for some reason I’m just now realizing that I don’t know what vault number is on his back. I feel like a terrible fan, FORGIVE ME. He has also never come out of his bag, so sorry for viewing difficulties here as well.

Companion cube ‘fuzzy dice’ for the car. This is one instance in which I have actually not used the car-related plushie in my car, as at the time I got this it was VERY difficult to get companion cube merch of any kind (these dice were actually a compromise with myself because I still couldn’t afford a regular cube), and after the work I put in to find these I definitely wasn’t going to risk them in my car! Just as well anyway, because they’re awfully big and would’ve been pretty cumbersome to look past.

...I did, however, put these in my car for a while. These are fuzzy D20 dice, because come on, if you’re going to hang dice in your car and have the option to use these, how can you not?? It definitely got a lot of compliments, even from people that simply saw them through the window. I didn’t even play tabletop games yet at the time, I just really liked them~

AAAAND THAT’S IT~ At least, that’s it for this net! Maybe I’ll do this again with the other nets sometime, if you guys would like to see more. I do have another one that also very much needs a dusting, so we’ll see!

Thanks for tuning in!!

[themysteriousgirl920]

A Chance to be Happy - Sonic IDW fanfic

Shadow wants to eliminate Eggman, but Sonic manages to calm him down with a more careful choice of words. (Alternate take on a scene from Sonic IDW Issue 6)

Enjoy. :-)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sonic the Hedgehog, known by many as the fastest thing alive, is up against the wall. Or, in this case, the tree. He made no attempt to break free from the firm grip of his ebony and crimson counterpart, Shadow the Hedgehog.

Shadow was known by many as the Ultimate Life Form, and he had sought to find and destroy the mad scientist responsible for the repetitive devastation of Sonic's world. Evil acts that consisted of blowing up 50% of the moon, literally splitting the world apart to release a nefarious monster and using a machine to steal the life force from the planet.

Another act to add to the list of evil deeds would be taking over the majority of the world within six months. Something that, by a miracle, took a short amount of time to undo.

The dark hedgehog had just been convinced of all the good deeds the man had performed to help the heroes, but those few good deeds were not enough to erase the evil deeds he had committed time and time again.

Earlier, Shadow learned that the man was no longer the evil Dr Eggman and, in his amnesiac state, is now a reformed citizen turned handyman known as Mr Tinker. However, speaking from personal experience, having amnesia doesn't make anyone any less dangerous.

Once Mr Tinker regains all his memories, he will – sooner or later – revert to the man he had once been: a scientist who had been constantly squandering his given gifts and skills for his own selfish desires. With one final attempt to dissuade his blue counterpart from making a huge mistake, Shadow was the first to speak.

"Have you forgotten that he made you suffer? That he's tried to destroy you - multiple times? How can you even suggest leniency for him after all that?"

The azure hedgehog pondered on Shadow's statement regarding the mad scientist's despicable deeds. On one hand, Eggman has continually and consistently made the inhabitants of the world quiver in fear upon witnessing his arrival. In spite of his constant failures, he would always return once again in an attempt to rule the world as he sees fit.

On the other hand, Eggman has helped the heroes save the day from time to time. Why would Eggman want to help the heroes, though? Is it because deep down he truly cares about the world? Or is it possible that Eggman is simply using the heroes' abilities to increase his own chances of conquering the world?

If anything, it would most certainly be the latter. This is Eggman, after all. Except… Eggman isn't Eggman anymore. In the current state he is in, he is now known as Mr Tinker, a kind-hearted man who would finally use his talents for the benefit of the people. Who are the heroes to deny him the chance to do so?

Sonic finally found the words he needed to say, needed the hedgehog standing before him to hear. "Because I choose to believe that Eggman, in spite of all the things he has done, isn't beyond saving."

The ebony hedgehog slightly raised his furrowed brow. Not beyond saving? How is this even possible? Why choose to forgive the very person who deserves to be punished? This is the man who had committed numerous crimes in the past and hadn't even attempted to atone for any of them!

This is the man who had taken over most of the world within six months! This is the man who had tortured Sonic non-stop for those six months! How is he not beyond saving?

"You weren't beyond saving either, Shadow," Sonic continued. "With all the crazy stuff that happened in the past, you made up for it rather than allowing your past mistakes to define you."

Shadow knew Sonic was right. The former had committed past crimes of his own: framing the latter for theft, trying to destroy the world to avenge a dear friend, teaming up with an alien invader to uncover the secrets of his past, trying to rid the world of anyone trying to protect it… he was no better than Eggman is.

Yet he eventually saw the errors of his ways and sought to prevent the destruction of the world. Twice. Since then, he had sworn to protect the denizens of the world in any way he can. Shadow had changed for the better. He loosened his grip, his face remaining unchanged as he continued glaring daggers at the blue hedgehog.

"So who's to say that Eggman won't change for the better this time?"

Eggman changing for the better? Shadow chuckled mentally at the mere thought. He would have been rich beyond his wildest dreams for every time he heard that same old story.

"He has done good so far, from what I've heard," Sonic spoke again. "It may not be enough to make up for all the things he has done to us and the world, but it's a small step to redemption."

Doubt and worry crept up on the stern hedgehog's face. Would it really be wise to let Eggman, now known as Mr Tinker, be after performing a few good deeds? Sooner or later, he would be bound to backslide into his old ways as soon as he retrieves all memories of his former life.

The cerulean hedgehog spoke once more. "If he does get all his memories back, though, then let's just hope for the best that he would use all his skills for good instead of using them for evil. So what do you say, Shadow?"

Shadow stared deeply into the eyes of his azure rival. They were filled to the brim with hope and understanding. Not a sign of malice had been evident within them, for he knew that his dark counterpart had atoned for his mistakes and sought to change for the better.

Sonic knew about his past and why he sought revenge on the planet; his mind had been 'perfected' by his creator to help him avenge his granddaughter who had been lost to a raid, which was why Shadow believed she wanted revenge.

Why would Sonic, of all people, choose to spare his long-term arch-nemesis after everything he has done? No one had forgotten nor will they forget what the mad scientist had put them through: endless pain, despair and misery. If Eggman was to change for the better, though, he would have to abandon his former persona and stick with his new life.

Perhaps it would be best to let him enjoy his new way of living for as long as he can. This could be his chance to make up for his past misdeeds and start anew, just like Shadow did. Casting his fears aside, the dark hero finally displayed the face of composure.

"OK, Sonic. I trust you on this one." With a simple turn of his back, he paused for a moment, before turning his head to face Sonic. "I just hope that nothing bad comes out of it."

"Yeah, I hear you. Especially the part where he mentioned Eggmanland."

Fear struck the Black Blur like a lightning bolt to the head. His thoughts of Eggman's true intentions, rushing right in like a tidal wave.

"Shadow, wait!" But it was too late. The dark hedgehog had already vanished in a flash of light. Having effortlessly made his way to his destination, he saw Mr Tinker peeping out of a legged barricade of wood. The poor man flinched as his would-be assassin approached him with a look that could turn anyone into stone.

"Mr Tinker." The voice was a calm baritone, coaxing the handyman to look into the eyes of its owner.

"Y-yes?" the man stammered, fearing for his life.

"Show me. Show me what this Eggmanland looks like."

-------------------------------Page Break-------------------------------

It wouldn't be long before Eggmanland was finally revealed. A war between two sides raged within the Ultimate Life Form: one side persuading him to wait and see; the other pressuring him into stopping the former mad scientist from showing him what he had in store.

Shadow decided to wait and see the outcome of the handyman's work while Mr Tinker approached the building, unlocked the padlock and pushed the wooden barrier forward. Chills ran down the dark hero's spine. His heart pounded like a drum. His body burned intensely as his throat tightened up on him.

It was nothing like he had ever seen. It was Eggmanland… as an amusement park? The still corpses of Eggman's machines were now being used for children's rides, ranging from a rollercoaster to spinning make-shift teacups.

"Tah-daaah?" Mr Tinker uttered unsurely.

Shadow was dumbfounded at the sight. This was nothing like the Eggmanland he knew about. A gentle feminine voice called out to him. "Shadow?" No response.

"Shadow? Are you OK?" The face of a snow-white female bat came into view, her made-up face wrinkled with worry.

"Rouge… I…"

The bat smiled at him reassuringly.

"It's OK, Shadow," Rouge whispered audibly, resting her hand on his shoulder. Shadow gave her a slight smile.

"There's something I have to do before I leave. Mr Tinker." Shadow left his partner's side, slowly approaching the man who turned to him with a nervous smile.

"Um, yes?"

The dark hero sharply drew in air through his nose. "Mr Tinker, I apologise for my actions towards you. Threatening the life of an innocent man was inexcusable."

The handyman waved his hands in a forgiving gesture. "No hard feelings. I really don't remember any of the stuff I did in the past, but maybe I can atone for my past misdeeds. Whatever they may be."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine, speaking from experience." The two shared a heart-warming smile and formed a handshake, a symbol of a new start.

"Farewell, Mr Tinker. I wish you the best of luck in the future."

With a grateful nod from the reformed citizen, Shadow departed from Windmill Village, fully content with the new turn of events.

[loudlypanickinginvenezolano]

Life is a Big, Bad, joke; 1s Chapter, Edited.

I am happy about how this turned out! 

His mind went through a powerful halt, forceful enough that his eyes hurt again, and he was sure there may be some mid-lasting damage to his thinking. Or maybe his eyes hurt for the abrupt way they almost popped out of his head thanks to the surprise, that was another theory of his…

Whatever it be, the sight before him didn’t change, not even after waiting for a while, and slivers of hope dissipated slowly the darkness he felt prior as, as time passed, he became more and more convinced that, indeed, this was reality, and his friend was really sitting in there!

Or, more exactly, he pushed it all down with all of his might, not willing to let the other know of his inner turmoil just yet.

“Shadow?!” So, he did scream in that part, so he didn’t think twice about the other´s wince. Sonic, admittedly, was too preoccupied with being mad at himself not noticing Shadow before, at SHADOW himself for not saying something before, and, well, happy, as he may now have a chance at getting out of there more quickly and easier than before.

It totally didn’t have something to do with seeing Shadow at all. It wasn’t like his stomach got all giddy with emotions every time the hedgehog and he crossed ways.

Anything but that.

“Mh…Yes?” Came the wary response, which, was admittedly unusual coming from the dark hedgehog. Shadow was looking at him rather strangely, as well, as if he were searching for something on Sonic`s face, but also holding what…looked like a juice box maybe? As if it was a shield, a worried frown marring his face and eyes darting to the door every so before coming back to him.  

Sonic wasn’t sure about what was that about, and he really was trying to ignore the bad feeling growing in his stomach sooooo… he could be forgiven if he didn’t stop to question it too much, right? He really wasn’t sure if he even could afford to do it.

He was trying not to have a mental breakdown, after all.  

“Yes-a nothing, man! You need to get me outta here!” Sonic rattled his wrists in an impulse, grimacing at the loud clanking sound it made. It echoed dauntingly in the big space, bouncing from wall to wall, which almost made Sonic grumble.

Yes, yes, big, bad and scary place, we got it.

Shadow also grimaced, and recoiled even, though he almost seemed in pain, the strange expression making Sonic stop dead on his tracks.

You see, maybe they weren’t the closest to each other, and there were still a lot of walls and facets that Sonic still needed to pass through and see; He was sure of something, though, and he hadn’t needed to befriend the other hedgehog to realize it, so clear as pure water of a lake, if could very well be as clear as the petroleum: Shadow didn’t like doing pained faces, may it be pride or actual fear, he just didn’t. He avoided it, at all costs. He would growl, hiss, stare at you dead in the eye and pick up as many fights as he needed, but he wouldn’t let you see him hurt in any way. Shaking fists, broken bones, bloodied noses, tears and gashes, you name them; Shadow would hide them all, or ignore them so well you would find yourself tricked, and ignoring them too.

To see it so clearly on his face…Uhm. All of Sonic alarms were suddenly ringing.  

Didn’t the ambience feel a bit strange?

“…Why?” The ebony mumbled at the end, almost uncomfortable, and Sonic tried hard, he really did, to not let his smile falter.

“Why, you ask.” He breathed slowly, feeling how his insides froze entirely, reaching up to his throat and hurting with his breath intake, spreading to his every limb until they felt even numbest than before, feeling how his chest seemed tighter, his hands even more unsteady, and how his stomach became a rock. This…wasn’t happening. It really, really wasn’t. How could it be true, for real!? This wasn’t okay, not at all. Just…What?! “Why…Why wouldn’t you? We need to get out of here, Shadow. Don’t you--know?”

Ah, it really did.

He searched for it, unheedful of how his voice seemed to falter, to die mid-word, as if his strength was really leaving him. Sonic searched. For his face, for his true, and he knew mostly were to find it. Even the ebony had some tells.

But… There was some curiosity in Shadows eyes, curiosity. Since when is Shadow openly curious about something?

There was also confusion in the set of his brow, and what he was sure was mistrust. He was used to seeing it there, all right, it was almost by default in Shadow´s face, it never left, but never… never in this-this quantity.

Not directed at him anymore.

There was no recognition.

It hurt more than what he expected.

Maybe because he never expected this to really happen?

Sonic kept smiling, though, he kept waiting, hoping for a brighter outcome.

That is what he did, right? What Sonic the Hedgehog™ was supposed to do…

But it didn’t came, and as time kept going Sonic found himself staring straight at the bitter truth. At the one he had tried hard to ignore, he had tried hard to make himself believe would never come ever again.

“You don’t… You don’t remember me, do you?”

<<You forgot about me again, didn’t ya?>>

Shadow demeanor changed entirely, so fast it could have been funny.

Sonic felt like doing anything, but laughing.

The ebony sat straighter, ears perked and eyes as wide as a little scared deer. Could it be that he had really been frightened? Sonic could see him, feel him almost, the anguish that surged as his mind overworked itself, running wildly in search of the right answer to give.  

It pained Sonic. A real lot, to be honest, and suddenly, he didn’t feel like hearing Shadow response.

He felt like he already had it, maybe since long ago.

He still needed to hear the ebony confirm it though. He just needed to be sure.

Shadow was left gaping, stiffened to his soul (Did he had a soul?) under that fella scorching gaze, trying to say something, anything that came to him, trying to deny it, that small fucking detail, that damned weakness that left him so clearly disadvantaged in front of others but…but he couldn’t, not when it was the truth and not when it was so obvious and not when he was in this fucking state.

Shadow couldn’t deny it, even when he wished the situation wasn’t like this, even when it caused some… something to this other guy, going by his sorrowful expression.

It was the reality now.

Nothing he could do to change it, right? No matter how bad you asked for it, life would never be fair.

But

Why did it ache, then?

Ruby eyes snapped back to his juice box, and Sonic found his blood running cold, real cold on his veins. His heart was beating so fast he could hear it, a loud ringing sound that almost drowned everything else. It was like every single thing was getting worse by the moment with such a speed, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering, Was this one of his nightmares?

Would he be able to wake up and find Tails bossing around in the house, maybe trying another disaster-recipe in the kitchen as Cream laughed in delight at the scene? Would he be able to go running around the city, and find Shadow discretely eating a small-sized ice cream under a tree?

Could he?

Don’t take him wrong, even in this kind of situation, they were going to remount! No doubt about it! It just…it just sucked a lot right now, maybe to an extreme beyond words as they could not describe it, or maybe it was him who couldn’t find them…

Thanks to a lucky flash, he suddenly wished fervently to wake up soon.

“What… who did that to you?”

His mind reminded him that they were losing precious time. They really needed to get out of here and go stop Eggman and go search for Tails and go save the world again. They didn’t have time to do this, this whole awkward dance and this whole useless wishing and thinking.

The stunned words still left his mouth.

Shadow hands shot to his head by reflex, trying to feel the injuries there or maybe hide them, he wasn’t sure, but the memory of being told not to touch them stroke him like a thunder, making him stop in the last moment, hands hovering awkwardly over his injuries as his eyes quietly looked around, wondering if there were cameras watching him. Them. Whatever.

They hurt, a lot, there was no way to beat around the bush and downplay the agony he felt at first, and that to some extend he still feels, but they had stopped bleeding mere moments ago, so he didn’t wanted to mess it up and cause a major disgrace. It wasn’t like he didn’t knew what bleeding was, or how to accordingly deal with it, so his worries were forcefully ignored unnecessary, actually, non-existent.

He had gotten worse, also, so there was no real reason to make a fuss about this small matter.

This was okay.

This, really was okay.

Right?

#No, it’s not. Please be kind to, and take care of, yourself. If you don’t feel fine, it is valid to take your time or ask for help. #  

Shadow sighed when the other urged him, calling his name in a strange, demanding way. Even if he didn’t wanted to, he guessed that this mister did deserve an explanation, however chopped was the information Shadow could provide. Wasn’t part of his duty answering what he could?

No, really, was it? It was, right?

<<??>>

What was he supposed to do now?

His being stung for a command.  

“I-I don’t know, sir.” He shook his head slowly, letting his hands fall back to his lap and crossing his heels. He desperately kept his gaze glued to the floor, unable to stand and watch this hedgehog face as he reported. “I don’t know what happened, nor do I know who, uh, who are you, nor where we are, if that is something you wonder. When I woke up I wasn’t gave more instructions besides than to hand over the invention and wait here for the others. No information was shared. I…I don’t have any answers you may need.”

<<I am sorry, fella, I can’t help you at all. >>

It shattered Sonic´s hopes. Maybe not all, but quite the bit definitely.  

“It…it’s no biggie. It really isn’t, just´s a-a setback, we will find a way, alright? We have been through worse! It’s just… We still need to get out of here, Shadow, to get going. Quick. ”

<<I need to get both of us outta this shithole, yesterday. >>

He couldn’t let the other hedgehog in G.U.N.´s hands when his memory was in such a sorry state. Like this, wasn’t he even more malleable, and even more easy to manipulate, than the first time they met?

The list of ´what if´s´ kept growing with more disgusting scenarios each time.

The things they could do with Shadow, the things they could do to Shadow… There was no telling if his state and those ugly looking injuries weren’t a G.U.N. experiments product, and he knew by a good informant that these where awful and really invading, enough to render the brooding-looking hedgehog stomach sick in bed, or anxious for days to come.

Sonic didn’t knew wherever it was how sickening his ideas were, or because there was an actual possibility of them becoming true, but his whole being shuddered, feeling cold and nauseated.

No. He couldn’t keep thinking about it.

The image of a bloodied and unresponsive Shadow still lingered behind his eyelids, no unlike many dawns in which he found himself waking up without breath and tangled up in his sheets, shivering and soaked in sweat like a leaf during a storm.

AO3: 6 chapters, still without editing. 

[sonicfanj]

Why do you prefer Amy over Sally?

I’ve taken to long to answer this question and would like to first thank you for your patience Anon.

So, I suppose a bit of an explanation for why I took so long is due as well. Mostly, it was a lack of time but also trying to find a way to define ‘why’. There are an awful lot of ways I could go about it as I am the type of person who is heavily invested in the details. Unfortunately the more I thought about it the harder it was going to get for me to really actually break it down. Fortunately, something recently reminded me of the role the Uncle Chuck plays in it and I can fortunately use him to transition into my history with the characters.

Now, I’ve been a Sonic fan for a long time, all the way back to 1991 actually with the original. As a US citizen naturally I saw SatAM and AoStH on TV as well. Where I get strange from what I see though is that I was quite the picky kid. I couldn’t understand why Sonic did not match his in game design, and had no idea what was wrong with Eggman. And yes, even back in the early 90s I was one of the few kids who knew the Japanese name was his original name, though I used them interchangeably back then. The thing is though, neither show ever looked like the games and that bothered me to no end. I recall that my older siblings and I preferred SatAM to AoStH for the more serious story and atmosphere, even likening it to the bad futures of Sonic CD. There in though is where the divide begins.

I was one of the very few kids who played Sonic CD back in 1993 and to this day it is still my favorite Sonic game, no less video game of all time. I actually did not play the higher praised by the fanbase Death Egg Saga games until Sonic Jam on the SEGA Saturn and that little collection did something for me that Sonic CD had also done. They showed me with the OVA trailer that Sonic and Eggman could be drawn properly. It showed me that Tails could be colored properly. They showed me that the wonder of the games could be captured in animation. It was glorious and to this day still leaves me yearning for a Sonic anime that actually captures it. Sonic CD on it’s own though was already killing SatAM for me.

A lot of people praise the Freedom Fighters. That quirky crew of rebels has brought so many people so much joy and I have nothing but respect for them for that. The thing is though, they were forgettable to me. When I turned my back on pretty much anything that was not the games that I knew I completely forgot about them until I finally got involved in the fanbase after Sonic Generations was announced and I had to do some major research to know what anyone was talking about. A game centric upbringing with only really main games as those I played will do that.

Amy meanwhile, despite CD being the only game I played that she was in until Adventure just struck me right. Her design, her on screen personality. These things just filled me with joy and it was very rare that I would not interreact with her in Palm Tree Panic as much as I could. I was actually so disappointed her design was changed for Adventure but her personality was exactly what I was expecting; a sweet bubbly girl with a lot of spunk and a love for Sonic.

So at this point I should come back around to Uncle Chuck as he will be necessary to explain why it took so long for me to even find anything in Sally worth enjoying, no less actually liking her come the 252 reboot. As I mentioned above, Sonic CD is my favorite game all time, but for as much as I loved Amy even back in 1993, Metal Sonic was my favorite character. Getting to Stardust Speedway and spending hours trying to beat him were the highlights with my playing back the until I finally beat him and cleared the game. That difficulty endeared Metal Sonic to me and left a very strong impression on me that still persists to this day. The thing is, Metal Sonic was my childhood and Uncle Chuck was a slap in the face.

You may recall that back in SatAM and a lot of early Archie, Uncle Chuck spent a lot of time roboticized. Now I know I did not see SatAM regularly because TV stations are questionable in their practices and I have parents who wanted the TV for their own shows. As a result I was unprepared for his introduction and in the cliffhanger where they simply showed a pair of red glowing eyes, little Metal Sonic fan that I was thought they were introducing Metal Sonic. When the next episode revealed it was a roboticized Uncle Chuck and not Metal Sonic, it was the last straw for the kid that was into Sonic for the games, and I only had access to two of them. Yet I turned my back on SatAM and everything made in the US that was not directly related to the games.

So because of Uncle Chuck my primary exposure to the cast were the main games and Sonic CD. Adventure finally let me play as Amy and the Freedom Fighters were a shoved aside memory from a wasted opportunity who never impressed themselves onto me. All of that changed come Generations as X showed me that even the Japanese could butcher the games I love and not draw Sonic right and as I joined the fandom through the US Sally should have had the chance to impress herself upon me. Unfortunately she was not given that opportunity because of her fans.

As is obvious, I’m an Amy fan. When I joined the fandom being an Amy fan in the US was not seen as a good thing and the war of hatred between Sally fans and Amy fans still has scars left over today throughout the Sonic community. When presented with Sally through the fans I interacted with, Sally was simply perfection incarnate and Amy should die in a fire while Sonic worships her for killing the hellspawn. It was not a good experience and offered no support for the games and the adventures I enjoyed and came to Sonic for. I also for a time came to despise the character solely for her fans which happened to me in recent years with the Tales of Franchise and the character Alisha. Unpleasant fans make it difficult to enjoy a character or even come to at least understand them. Fortunately I was willing to do some research of my own because I still felt like I needed the knowledge, and maybe the character could speak for herself. I was in for quite a bit of disappointment.

What my research turned up at the time was a character who was simultaneously useless, nothing more but an object of power for Sonic to worship like an indoctrinated thrall, and managed to match Tails in point of view at the time of dumbing Sonic down to where I felt in their presences he couldn’t figure out he was supposed to open his own mouth to eat if they weren’t there. This may be hard to believe but I actually disliked Tails quite a bit for several years as Sonic seemed to be constantly dumbed down so Tails could be useful rather than the kid who could keep up if he gave his all. Yet the OVA (subbed) saved Tails for me. Sally meanwhile continued to undermine Sonic with the Genesis Story during the events of Sonic 1 via the first Genesis Wave where she “helped” Sonic find the courage to enter the water in Labyrinth Zone and he found it not so bad because of her. It was one of the few times I found why people called her a Mary Sue.

What finally saved Sally for me was actually Amy. Though I never liked how aggressive and violent Amy had become compared to playful and mischievous from Sonic X on, and a coming reexamination of her character after learning she addressed Sonic a certain way in the Japanese manuals leading me to fully fall for Kazuyuki Hoshino’s vision of her, her conversations with Mecha Sally would turn the tide for Sally. Amy being Amy spoke of friendship and the friendship they had. While I never read the comics and could not examine their relationship, come the reboot in 252, from the get go the two were shown as good friends and I could finally see Sally’s character. She was wise tactically and cared for her friends, bit was also highly responsible and took her duties seriously. In Amy and her friends she found the comfort to unwind and just be another person no matter what was going on. Her and Amy’s chats while going around the world during the lead up to and during the Unleashed adaption made her fun and enjoyable, no less relatable. She was finally a character, a person, and not just an object that Sonic was chained to like a slobbering cartoon dog with their bone. It was refreshing and I enjoy the friendship between Sally and Amy so much that I still feel if the Freedom Fighters were to have been adapted to IDW for just a cameo that Sally would have been the perfect friend to hand the Restoration off to as she finally returned to her own adventuring ways. And that right there is the big difference point.

I come to Sonic for adventure, whimsy, and wonder. The sense of discover of meeting new people and seeing wonderous new locations. I love characters full of life and the love for adventure. Sally, unfortunately for her, does not represent that. Her role for years kept Sonic away from those adventures. Instead of supporting whimsy and constant new discovery, she supported stability and staying forever at home. By the nature of her role as a character and in universe, she just can’t be that type of character and that is not her fault. Amy meanwhile is a character designed to follow Sonic no matter where he goes. That she also is a girly-tomboy, one of my favorite character archetypes, but also bubbly and silly, playful and mischievous, and generally full of good cheer and limitless positivity (or used to be at lease) just always entertains me. That she also has the courage to open wear and express her emotions, including her love, is both entertaining on one hand, but also inspiring on another when you are raised in a society that hates honesty, emotions, and expressing that you love someone. Amy was refreshing, whereas Sally when I first looked into her, and her fans that I interacted with, represented oppression and that being you was the worst thing that could ever happen to the human race, something that Sonic and Amy both stand against. Fortunately Amy showed me there is plenty to like with Sally, and it’s a real shame her character was vaulted before that potential could finally be perceived. And yet, in the end, as I grew up on the main games and had my expectations born of them and further refined as I learned more and more of the Japanese lore for the games, Sally and the role she has could never provide me with what I come to Sonic for. Adventure, the whimsy that gives rise to it, the discovers that come from it, and the heroics at it’s climax. Sally by nature is not a whimsical character, nor should she be. It isn’t who she is and she deserves to be respected for that. And it’s thanks to her friendship with Amy that I finally saw that and can enjoy her character. But like Amy, I want to follow Sonic on his adventures, and her bubbly, playful, cheerful, optimistic, and mischievous personality makes following Sonic that much more enjoyable to me.

To simplify it here at the end, my love of Metal Sonic and Uncle Chuck prevented me from ever learning who Sally was. It was Amy’s friendship with her that finally changed that and I found a character who has a lot of potential and is quite enjoyable on her own. But Amy’s personality, whimsy, and propensity for adventure, or the the trouble that will take her on one, makes her the more enjoyable character for me. I know the whole explanation was a little long, but I hope it helps explains my preference for you Anon. Thanks for asking.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale’s Top 10: Favorite Rivals

For this list, I will be picking my favorite Rival Character’s in Media. Video games, anime, manga, comics, etc.

Now the question is, What makes a character a rival?

For this list I will be making clarifications:

1. If one of the goals of one of the characters is to surpass another character, battle multiple times, state that this person is their rival, and/or have the same objective as a character but puts them in conflict.

2. Moral alignment doesn't mean anything. They can be friendly rivals or even hero/villain rivals as long as their main objective is to best their opponent.

3. Bonus points if the rival is equal in strength and find themselves on opposite sides.

4.There are differences between Archenemies and rivals. So likely Super villains, Like The Joker (who do exist to defeat batman, are more like nemesis rather then rivals).

5. One per franchise

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10. Dark Pit/ Pittwo ( Kid Icarus Uprising)

Dark Reflections are often seen as cliché when it comes to rivals, but I have a soft spot for this dark copy.

Dark Pit is a copy made by Pandora to be Pit’s equal and defeat him for the sake of the underworld. But the process of making him resulted in his obedience being... shattered.

Dark pit doesn't side with the underworld or Skyworld. He does his own thing and wants to be his own person. Even achieving unlimited flight for a brief period, making him superior to Pit.

Equal in strength, speed, power, and abilities. Dark pit is a pinnacle of dark copies. But he is even seen being more observant and smarter then Pit. Since he is more self reliant, he is shown to see things more objectively.

His connection to Pit is revealed that if Pit falls, He will fall as well. So it makes for an interesting dynamic that Dark pit wants to prove his superiority yet still bound to Pit. Which leads to an interesting dynamic.

(also if you have not played Kid Icarus Uprising, for the love of Palutena DO IT!)

9. Metal Sonic (Sonic the hedgehog)

Oh I can see the anger from the Shadow Fans. ‘Why did I pick Metal Sonic?’ ‘Why not Shadow?’ ‘Shadow and Sonic have more of a rivalry?’

Here is my response. Metal Sonic is Sonic’s greatest rival and vice versa.

Created by egg man to be Sonic’s equal, to learn and grow with each fight. Metal sonic always pushes Sonic to his limit.

There are even cases where Metal Sonic has Surpassed Sonic going so far as to have sonic need the help of others to best him.

His goal of defeating Sonic goes beyond programing. He will even find a way to break free of Eggman’s control just to achieve his goal of besting sonic.

Whether its the Comics, the games, movies. Metal Sonic is seen as Sonic’s most dangerous rival.

And proof? He is a character in the game Sonic Rivals! So that shows he is a rival of sonic.

Not to insult shadow, but the OG shadow wasn't focused on fighting sonic, he had his own goals and sonic just happened to be involved. While later renditions have him more of a vegeta knock off to sonic. I find these interpretations lame.

I also considered Scourge, but that would give acknowledgement to ken Penders and honestly I aint gonna do that.

_______________________________________________________________________

8. Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto/Naruto Shippuden)

Yes, cue the cliche gasps. Despite how obvious he was that he is on the list, it makes sense why he is here. His and Naruto’s dynamic is iconic. Best friends, rivals, enemies, brothers in arms.

The two went down two different paths, striving to surpass the other to achieve their dreams.

The main reason I put him on here is simple.

I could write several essays about why Sasuke is on this list, but that would be boring. You all know why he is here.

He is an iconic rival and that is a fact

_______________________________________________________________________

7. Kim Ban Phuong (Sun-Ken Rock)

Now I know what you are thinking. Who the f*** is this guy? Time for gale’s obscure pick.

And that is understandable, since this is a manga that wasn't made into an anime (despite DESERVING TO BE ONE) (though to be fair, it is MEGA DARK, a lot of messed up themes in this. Really nails how corrupt people can be)

A man that became a monster for the sake of surpassing Kitano Ken (the main character of the manga)

A man that was one of the only two people to have ever beaten the main character in a fight (and the only one to do so when the main character was trying to be a boss)

Formed an assassin guild to destroy Ken’s gang. 

The tragic backstory of this character is enough to give the reader the understanding on how he is Ken’s shadow. Why he is fighting against Ken so hard. All the way to the tragic end he faced. Something which I dare not spoil here.

The fight between him and Ken is nothing short of breath taking and this is written by the guy that did the Dr.Stone Manga.

Seriously, while the fan service can be grotesque at times, the plot of the story about Korean gangs, race relations and asian history are something to behold. The fact that its so underrated is a travesty. (but skip the idol arc, it does capture how messed up the entertainment industry can be.)

_______________________________________________________________________

6. Ryoga hibiki

The undisputed king of getting lost. The man of many misfortunes. The half piglet half man. Ryoga.

For those who have seen Ranma 1/2, What you see here is top tier best boy in the series.

If you go strictly by the anime, you would believe that he is a better match for akane (or Ranma depending on what side of the fandom you are on)

Ryoga puts Ranma as the focus of all the misfortune he has faced, he is mostly self taught and is acknowledged by Ranma as his only true rival.

When it comes down to it they are constantly on a seesaw on who is stronger. Despite all of the hardships, Ryoga does see Ranma in a friendlier light as the series goes on, even considering him a friend. They actually have helped each other on occasions, The manga showing times where Ranma tried to help Ryoga with his date with another girl. Or Ryoga putting his feelings for Akane aside to stop Brainwashed Ranma from marrying shampoo.

The back and forth between the two and the unspoken connection of having a jusenkyo curse has really made the two have a strong bond.

Ryoga deserves a spot on this list because of his strong character.

______________________________________________________________________

5. Henry Cooldown (No more Heroes)

For those of you unfamiliar with the series of No More Heroes, Henry is the Scottish Half-brother of the main protagonist. Cool, confident, a kick ass accent, and a masterclass assassin. He is the final boss of the first No More Heroes.

The rivalry between the two really takes head when the main character, Travis, finds out that this cool customer that stole his kill and saved his life was his half brother and wants to settle it in a duel to the death. Henry was a rival that was always one step ahead of Travis. Travis wants to bang Silvia, (the woman that set up the assassin ranking system) She was Henry’s Ex-wife. Travis wanted to be the number one assassin, Henry was the original number one. Travis has a beam Katana, Henry has one that looks even cooler.

In terms of the cool rival/ brother rival archetype, Henry Cooldown is the best fit, and he even helps travis out again in the sequel.

_______________________________________________________________________

4. Paul (Pokemon Diamond and Pearl)

For those of you that have seen the anime, You understand EXACTLY why Paul is on this list.

In Ash’s journey through Sinnoh, there was a Pokemon trainer that always seemed to one up Ash, no it wasn't Gary Oak, it was Paul.

But what made Paul so different? Why not pick Gary?

Paul was Ash’s antithesis.

Ash loved his Pokemon and battled with instinct and trust.

Paul evaluated his pokemon’s potential, he released any that failed to meet his standards. He was focused on attaining power and would use any means necessary to attain it.

He saw how his older brother failed, and refused to give up like his brother did. Paul wanted to prove himself better.

Ash saw Paul as a strong trainer but HATED the way he treated his own Pokemon. Ash even ended up asking Paul’s Chimchar to join his team after Paul abandoned it, which allows for a more dynamic clash in their beliefs.

Battle after battle, Paul kept proving better then ash, until the Sinnoh League tournament. Where they faced off in the quarter finals.

(Which is personally my favorite anime Pokemon battle of all time)

Ash gets to show Paul the importance of Loving and respecting one’s Pokemon. And that is pretty beautiful.

_______________________________________________________________________

3.Shego

Shall we talk about my favorite character in Kim possible? About time we had a lovely Lady rival on here.

Yes, we shall.

The former Super powered Hero turned Villain, the Number two of Dr. Drakken.

Shego is a self interested individual that loves to pamper herself and to do bad.

Whenever she is involved, it is guaranteed that she and Kim are going to be fighting.

The fights are always intense and always show the capabilities of both fighters. In a way Shego is a dark reflection of Kim.

Capable, sassy, fashionable, and a total threat to anyone that gets in her way.

Not to mention, (I TOTALLY WAS CRUSHING ON HER AS A KID)

Shego’s only reason for not being the most evil villain out there is simply because she couldn't care less about actually ruling the world, Not that she wouldn't do it if she had the opportunity (a stitch in time showed she totally would) She is just more relaxed, even willing to help Kim.

There is even an episode where Shego turned good and she and Kim got along legendarily.

When it comes to rivals, Shego’s got sass, class and can whoop ass.

______________________________________________________________________

2. Seto Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Don't act like you don't love this arrogant douche.

Seto Kaiba is one of the most iconic characters in Yu-gi-oh.

This Blue eyes dragon fetishist is the head of his own company and wants to prove that he is the greatest duelest in the world.

His obsession with besting the Pharaoh (Atem / Yami Yugi) is documented and the lengths he is willing to go.

He advanced the technology of the world so far just so he could find the long dead pharaoh who went back to his time/ spirit world and he nearly did it.

He even found a way to counter magic using technology.

Though despite his ego that could rival MOUNTAINS in size, Kaiba does care about his little brother mokuba, willingly sacrificing himself just to protect him. Even willing to put his life on the line to save him.

When it comes to showmanship, Seto Kaiba is number one, and likely the inspiration for EVERY BADASS ANIME OUTFIT TO EXIST

_______________________________________________________________________

1. Vegeta (Dragon ball Z and Dragon Ball Super)

When one thinks the word Rival, one man pops into my head. Bar none, the Prince of all Saiyans. Vegeta.

The prince of all Tsundere’s, the walking Napoleon complex. The genocidal warrior to defender of earth and father of two.

Vegeta’s goal was to be Number one, and Kakarot/ Goku is the one that stands in his way.

After Frieza’s defeat, Vegeta’s goal was to surpass Goku, to prove he is number one.

His actions and antics could hardly be considered good, not until the end of the Buu saga would he even be considered a good person.

But the reason why vegeta is number one is because of what happened during Super.

Vegeta has gained a LOT of character development during the sequel series. Especially in the super Manga.

Vegeta shows that he has grown to care about the planet that he has lived on, even feeling guilty of his actions back in the Namek saga, doing his best to make things right.

He still wants to beat Goku, but he has more reasons to fight then simply his pride.

Vegeta is arguably the most developed rival on this list.

There are other iconic rivals that could have hit number one, but Vegeta is the text book definition of Rival.

Thats why the Prince of all Saiyans is finally number one

[laineybug04]

There was an ask meme reblogged, so: please tell me your answers to numbers 1, 2, 11, and 17!

Um, well, Frick! Thanks my dude! Let's see here...

1- What OTPs in your fandom do you just not get? I pretty much get all of them- even the cracky ones. Despite my undying hatred for SonAmy, I totally understand why people love them together and will even admit the more modern iteration of it in canon is freaking adorable! If I had to choose, I guess anything with Eggman??? Maybe something involving the Deadly Six, but those guys are such blanks slates you could argue they go full circle into the pure potential category. Oh snap, I almost forgot Sonails. Xp That one just fills me with bad-touch vibes. Then again, I only ever see that one in the darker corners of the internet. :/

2- Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?

Amails? Taimy? They bros. They just exude sibling energy and I just wanna see them yelling at each other from their pillow forts like my brother and I used to. Also SonAmy- cause even though they suck romantically, I still 100% believe they'd be the coolest bros. I could go on and on- I think the entire cast has the potential to be best bros with each other, really!

11. Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn't? Why?

Sally, I guess, although she's making quite the comeback recently. Even then, I wouldn't call her unpopular but I do run into a LOT of people who don't care for her character. Which is understandable- she does tend towards the "By any means necessary" train of thought that Shadow likes to go down sometimes.  I love this about her though- it's her absolute grit and spite that makes the Freedom Fighters run, you know?

17. Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen.

...BOY HOWDY if that isn't my bread and butter! It's hard to pin point any specific moment but I do find myself looking at pretty much the entirety of SA2 and playing around with how that would work with the Archie crew. I'm specifically looking at the Ark scene with Shadow and Amy. I LOVE that scene. It was my call to jump ship from Sonamy to Shadamy. But it honestly lacks something. A lot of somethings. It almost feels too easy that Shadow just gave up the moment Amy said "pretty please". I kinda want it to be longer and I want Amy to acknowledge that she almost watched Sonic DIE that day. Although if I REALLY wanted to change one moment- I would change the moment when Team Rose finds Team Sonic after going through the city in Sonic Heroes. HOLY HELL I bought that game with my own money when it first came out and I SCREAMED from the depths of my 12 year old soul. I was SO MAD that Amy went from SA1 "I'm going to be more independent and then Sonic will respect me! But by then it'll be TOO LATE!" to "RING A DING DING MOTHER FLUFFER, IT'S CHILD MARRIAGE TIME!" Man, if only!

Actually, while I’m at it, YO @nothing-fancy94! Answer 5, 6, 17, and 20 for me if you please!

[another-sonic-blog]

a possible prompt for you: "I cannot offer you sanctuary; but if you would ever ask it of me, I would find a way to build it."

Sanctuary

ShadAmy (You didn’t ask for a specific ship, so I thought you want ShadAmy lol)

.

There was something about her that intrigued him. It was her small acts, her personality and that strange side of her that he couldn’t quite decipher.

They didn’t talk, he doesn’t remember the last time they shared words. It was probably six months when everyone believed that Sonic was dead.

.

“I’ll start my mission now.”

Shadow had gotten his mission report and as soon he finished it reading, he was ready to leave the Resistance.

“Shadow, wait-”

Shadow felt something soft get a hold of his hand. He would have pushed her away immediately but the look in her face made him doubt. His attention went to their hands and back again to Amy.

“Please … be careful,” Amy said in such a pleading manner that it made Shadow remember about a certain blond girl. “Come back to me … ok?”

They were in silence for a few seconds in which they only looked at each other’s eyes. Emeralds were lost in rubies and vice versa.  

Shadow moved his hand away in an abrupt manner and turned his body to walk away.

He reached the door to exit the room but he stopped himself. He didn’t look at her, but he said something to her loud and clear.

“I will come back,” Shadow said. “ … I promise.”

.

He kept coming back to her. In different ways, on different days, in different presence.

After the war with Eggman was done, he passed by the Resistance once in a while just to make sure Amy was fine. Of course, he made sure she didn’t know he was there. He didn’t know why, but Shadow just didn’t want Amy to know he was there.

Shadow could recall different situations where Amy needed help and he gave it to her.

She couldn’t find a file? Shadow will stay up the whole night to find it and placed it in front of her room.

She felt sad because there weren’t flowers around? He planted a small garden a few meters away from the Resistance.

Was she angry at Sonic for leaving without giving her a previous notice? Shadow would find him and start a fight with him only so he could hit him for Amy.

Even with all of that, that didn’t feel enough.

He didn’t know what it was.

But he was completely invested in her.

“Shadow!”

     "Walk away, Shadow"

“Shadow!”

      “WALK. AWAY.”

“Shadow, please!”

       "Dammit.“

Shadow’s job was done. He had defeated Metal Sonic along Sonic and Knuckles and he didn’t want to stay any longer than he needed to. He wasn’t one to celebrate the victories but when it came to Amy …

"What do you want?” Shadow turned around facing the pink one. They were away from the crowd which was good for him.

“Where are you going?” Amy asked in her cheerful self. Shadow looks to the side, he just couldn’t look at her face. He was just acted differently whenever he was with her.

“I don’t know, I’ll find out in the way.”

“Then follow me!”

Amy once again did the thing. She held his hand but he didn’t mind. He will never admit it, but he enjoyed the gesture.

.

They were in Angel Island but after going down and reaching the ground, Amy still took him to a place he didn’t know. They walked through the woods and after a few minutes they reached a place where the sun touched the ground.  

Shadow noticed a small wooden cabin, the sunlight illuminated it. Flowers surrounded the cabin and a little farther from it, pine trees surrounded the area.

“Do you like it?” Amy asked as she looks to Shadow.

“Does it matter?” Shadow responded

“Of course it does! It’s your birthday gift!”

“What?”

“I know that you usually don’t have a place to stay, so I thought that building you a small place to stay would be a good birthday present,” Amy said. “Everyone in the Resistance helped-”

Amy stopped talking as he realized that Shadow’s expression had changed.

Shadow didn’t know what it was. Maybe her nice gesture or the fact that they were still holding hands. However, Shadow felt different. Like something inside of him had exploded like he had sparkles inside his stomach as if his heart was beating faster than usual.

But it was more than that … it was all of those feelings and more.

“Shadow, are you … alright?” Amy asked. Seeing that he wasn’t responding, she began to panic. “You … You don’t like it? I am sorry, I knew I should have gotten you a bike. It’s just … I thought this was better I wanted you to have a nice place to call home but … I am sorry, I will give you a bike! Yes, that would be better right? You really like them and-”

“Today is not my birthday,” Shadow said. He didn’t know how to respond to her and he told her the truth.

“Of course it is!” Amy said. “Today was the day you put your past behind you. Today was the day you saved the Earth from the Black Arms … Today is the birthday of Shadow the Hedgehog!”

.

He just couldn’t stay away from her. Before he was intrigued, but now he was completely fascinated.

There was more to Amy than just being Sonic’s fangirl. She was smart, strong, independent and pretty although he will never say that out loud.

They were peaceful times although Shadow senses weren’t still 100 percent sure. His instincts were telling him that there was something wrong. Nonetheless, he sometimes liked to slow down a bit. To enjoy the times Amy would visit him in his new home.

He trusted her and it got to the point in which he gave her a key to his home.

Sometimes the scene was too perfect.

Shadow would get home after a mission and when he opened the door a sweet smell met his nostrils. It was the delicious smell of Amy’s cooking and her sweet scent.

She never liked her own voice but to him, her ‘Welcome Home’ was a delight.

She didn’t do it often due to her tight schedule but whenever she did, he greatly appreciated it.

He expected this day to be one of the days Amy visits him.

 The peaceful days in which he doubted himself, Shadow usually didn’t need anyone. But having Amy there was a friendly reminder that he made the right decision.

Sonic convinced Shadow of letting Eggman staying alive and Shadow decided of letting Eggman live a peaceful life in Windmill Village.

Because if Shadow could have a peaceful life just like right now, then Eggman could too.

He arrived home, excited to share today with the pink one … but she wasn’t there.

.

Days passed and still, no sight of Amy. He tried hard not to care and he tried to convince himself that he didn’t need her. That they weren’t that close.

For Chao’s sake, they weren’t even friends.

Not they weren’t, so he shouldn’t care. No, he shouldn’t.

So, how did he find himself here?

He walked through the halls of the Resistance HQ as the other agents passed by him. Whispering between each other, thinking he wasn’t able to hear them.

“What is Shadow the Hedgehog doing here?”

“Maybe he wants to meet with Captain? Something wrong must be going on?”

“Well, something must be really wrong if Shadow the Hedgehog is looking for help from the Resistance.”

Shadow felt relief by those comments. Shadow preferred for the agents to think that he was here for a mission than to think that he was there … just to see the Captain.

He finally reached the Main Room. Amy was up and down the room, looking for files, typing in her computer and communicator through her earpiece. Shadow didn’t think he was going to get this far. What was he supposed to do now? Stop her from doing her work and ask why wasn’t she visited him?

“No, Shadow, you are not even friends! Not even work buddies … She cooked for you sometimes just to be nice, you can’t expect her to do that every day-”

“Shadow?”

Shadow’s thoughts were interrupted as he recognized her voice.

“What are you doing here?”

“SHIT-”

“I am here to get information regarding … Eggman.”

Amy looked at him confused. It has been a while since they last saw each other and talked about the matter. It surprised Amy that Shadow even went to the length of coming to the Resistance for such reason.

“Sorry Shadow, I can’t offer you that information right now. You can talk to Lanolin about whatever information you need,” Amy said. “I am going to head out to a mission soon, so I won’t be able to attend you.”

“You are going to a mission?” Shadow facepalmed himself mentally.

“Of course she is going a mission, genius. She just said it.”

It was a surprise to Shadow that Amy was doing a mission, especially since she was so busy at the moment managing the Resistance.

“Yes, I am. I will be going with Sonic but we will be back soon.” Amy said. “We are going to an abandoned mine-”

Shadow didn’t hear anything else. There was a certain feeling rising within him. He wasn’t sure what it was but it wasn’t nice.

“I don’t need that information,” Shadow said. “I am taking my leave.”

Shadow began to walk away. This was a waste of time, this is what he gets for caring for others. He gets … disappointment.

“Shadow!” Amy once again caught his attention, Shadow stopped walking. “I am sorry … I haven’t been able … visit you.”

.

How could Shadow ever stay away from her when she has only shown him kindness? When she has shown him her vulnerability and strength?

How could Shadow ever stay away from her when Amy has always been … there.

“It’s my fault Shadow … I should have known better. Sonic is infected and I couldn’t do anything.”

Amy had gone to Shadow’s cabin to inform him of the current situation. The Zombot virus, something that could threaten Mobius. He didn’t know if he should be angry at Sonic for letting Eggman on the go or at himself for letting Sonic convince him so easily.

Shadow didn’t know how to react to that. He knew that she was looking at some type of comfort in him but … how?

They were seated at his sofa, Shadow looked around his room and to his lamp. He took a deep breath and with all the courage he said,

“It’s not your fault,” Shadow gave Amy three pats on her back. Exactly three, no more and no less. “There’s nothing you could have done.”

Amy looked at Shadow who’s head was pointing at the ground. Amy knew that he was trying really hard to comfort her and although he only gave her three pats on her back, that was all she needed.

“Thank you … I needed that,” Amy said. “Shadow … thank you, for everything.”

“I haven’t done anything,” Shadow replied.

“That’s what you think … but I appreciate every single thing you do.”

Amy smiled at Shadow. She knew everything. Amy was aware of Shadow staying up late at night to find a file she needed. Of Shadow’s secret flower garden that he made for her because she was sad there weren’t any flowers at the Resistance.

Amy knew that Shadow will fight Sonic only because he made her angry.

She will never tell Shadow that she knows. Amy didn’t want to embarrassed Shadow and most importantly she didn’t want him to stop.

“You are strange,” Shadow said seeing that no one was saying a word. “But I guess that’s good.”

“Well, thanks for the compliment.” Amy looked to the side, pretending to be hurt. She clearly wasn’t, she was only acting this way to tease Shadow and she thought she had made it obvious.

On the other side, Shadow was panicking. He didn’t mean to be mean to her nor hurt her feelings. He had to fix things quickly.

“What I am trying to say is … that I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life,” Shadow said. “But meeting you … I don’t think that was a mistake.”

When those words left his mouth, Amy turned to look at him. She was extremely touched by this. Shadow, was really trying to open up to her, to explain his feelings. Amy was just really touched and happy at the moment.

“Shadow …” Amy looked at him. She was speechless, a few tears wanted to escape her eyes and Shadow noticed this.

“Shit. She’s crying! What did I say wrong?”

“What I am trying to say is that I cannot offer you sanctuary,” Shadow said. He instinctively grabbed her hands in a pleading manner. “But if you would ever ask it of me, I would find a way to build it.”

He was like a lost child looking for forgiveness. Amy had never seen Shadow display such vulnerability. At first, Amy didn’t know what was what intrigued her so much about Shadow. Maybe his hidden kindness or his strong sense of justice that she admired. Either or … Amy was happy that her nonexistence bond with Shadow had grown into a friendship.

“Shadow, I will never ask you to build me a sanctuary …” Amy softly caressed Shadow’s hands. “Because I already have one … you are my sanctuary.”

.

“Alright, so Team Dark needs to go help out Sonic at Sunset City? Rouge asked. Omega, Shadow and her were at the Resistance’s Main Room along with Amy.

"Yes, there are civilians there who need to be evacuated,” Amy said. “I am counting on you three, you are the best team that we have.”

“Rouge and Omega will go first,” Shadow commented. “I will arrive as soon as I can with my truck and help the civilians evacuate.”

“Very good! Also, yes you three are the best team that we have but you can be reckless as well.” Amy said. “Your mission is to only help the evacuation, do not interact with the Zombots.”

“We have everything under control,” Omega said, trying to calm down Amy.

“I know but still … ” Amy said. “Just be careful please.”

“Yes, Captain!”

Rouge and Omega were the first to leave the room, leaving Shadow and Amy alone. They shared a knowing look. It was starting to become more common between them. To know what the other was thinking without speaking a word.

Shadow turned to his body and began to walk away.

“Shadow, wait-”

Shadow knew this was coming. It was an unspoken ritual between them. He turned to look at her, she smiled.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Amy said. “And come back to me … ok?”

Shadow smirked at her. A few seconds passed were they only stared at each other’s eyes. Their strong friendship was unknown to others but that didn’t matter to them. They were each other’s secret sanctuary and they didn’t want it any other way.

“I will come back to you …” Shadow said. “I promise.”

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A/n: First of all, I want to say that I really enjoy your art! It’s amazing. Second, thank you so much for the nice prompt! I hope this is somewhat what you wanted.  

Thank you for reading!

I will keep working on the next prompts!

[vaelynez]

Sooo, I started writing this in June of 2019. It was an idea for a story called ‘Heroing is Funny Like That’. I was drafting the idea, but I never finished it. Maybe one day I will, I make no promises. I decided to share it, because why not?

It’s quite old so the characterzation might be a bit off because I was really new to the fandom. But, no harm no foul. Improvement amIright? Also, this story is outlined or planned I was toying with the idea, so the summary is kinda eh.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this.

Summary: Before Cosmo died, Tails trusted Sonic he would save her, but he didn’t. Ever since there’s been a divide in the two brothers' relationship that got worse over the years. But when Tails is injured in an ambush by Eggman, Sonic has to learn to trust himself. For the sake of the city, and the relationship with his brother.

Words: ≈1830

“Sonic!” he cried. He took a few steps towards him, and he backed up, placing his hands up protecting him. “Sonic, ummm.” He stopped talking as he grabbed his arm placing something in his gloved hand.

“Tails, this was all that was left.” He shut his eyes trying to block out his small cries. He clutched the seed slowly walking towards him. He rested his head on his stomach, and he felt his tears run down his leg.

“It’s not true!” he cried. “Cosmo was just here! I heard her voice!” He pounded softly on his chest, but he didn’t say anything, letting the kit process what had just happened.

“Sonic! I had faith that you would save her! I believed in you! I believed in you!” He stopped hitting his chest as he slid onto the ground, his cries turned into screams of disbelief. But he didn’t say anything.

Those words. As soon as he said them, a ping shot through his chest. He wanted to cradle the young fox and apologize, but he didn’t. He let him blame him because he knew how much it hurt to lose someone. Sonic knew he couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

He thought it would be better to let him use him as a reason for what had just happened because he longed to make it easier on the young kit. But death wasn’t easy, loss was one of the hardest things to go through. But what he didn’t know was what was going on in his head, and what had happened to him in the past.

This wasn’t his first loss.

But he didn’t know this, so he tried to let himself be the reason. But little did he know it would just make it worse. Tails didn't just lose Cosmo that day, he lost his trust in Sonic, and Sonic didn’t just lose a friend, he lost trust in himself to be the hero he was proclaimed to be. But one thing was for sure, their relationship would never be the same, and neither would either of them.

4 Years Later

Sonic

He felt the wind in his quills. The pounding of the dirt road under his feet and heard it crunch under his feet. A feeling he’d never get over, running. He had always loved to run for as long as he could remember. He ran when he just needed a pass-time, or when he was bored, and when things got stressful all he wanted to do was run.

That was today, he just needed to clear his head. Needed something to take his mind off things. Despite what people would think, after a while, he did get tired, like now. He had been running since the sun had barely lit up the sky now it was noon.

His legs burned, his throat was dry, and his chest was tight from trying to breathe. But he pushed past it because if he stopped he wouldn’t start for a while, then he’d have to face his thoughts which he didn’t want to do just yet. So he carried on, the bright summer sun beating down on his deep blue quills. The bottom of his feet burned, friction caught up in his shoes- which never seemed to be able to keep up with him- but he didn’t care.

He didn’t stop, he just kept going. He knew he should have stopped, normally he didn’t push himself so far, but today- God he just needed to think about something else. For everyone else, this day was a good thing, and it should have been, but he couldn’t find joy in it. He clenched his fists in speed up, despite telling himself not to, he didn’t listen. He couldn’t sleep all night and left the house at 4 in the morning.

He should have stopped at some point, but he didn’t.

He kept going, faster, then when he thought about it again, he went faster. He knew he had seen a few of his friends a number of his times, just to show how many times he had been around the trail that barely made it through the clearing of where Amy’s house was, a small little get-together celebration to celebrate. The trail he was taking was around 17 miles long, but he deterred from it many times, making the- to most people- daring trail 93 miles.

The past few times he passed Amy’s house he heard her yell to him, and it was coming up, he saw it in the clearing. This time, there were a group of people out there. Amy, Cream, Vanilla, Knuckles even, but he didn’t slow down.

“Hey! Sonic!” Amy called. He ignored her, and tried to speed up, but found it too hard.

“Mr. Sonic, can you stop for a minute? We’re-”

“You heard her stop for a minute!” Knuckles snapped.

He almost did. For once, he wanted to stop, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. So he kept going. The 19-year-old had never been good with emotions, so he tried to run away from them. Especially on days like today. The speedster kept on, ignoring the callings of his friends. He didn’t hear someone come up behind him, he didn’t expect anyone to even try and catch up with him despite not going full speed. But he was knocked out of his thoughts when he was tackled to the ground.

Sonic looked up in shock as he held him down. He pushed him off, standing up letting the rubbery feeling of his legs set in. He struggled to stand but didn’t dare show weakness to who was standing in front of him.

“Shadow, what the hell?” Shadow stood in front of him, his arms crossed staring down the younger hedgehog. Sonic had no clue he was even at Amy’s, he wouldn’t have expected it of him.

“You know it’s rude to ignore people, you made Cream cry,” he said nonchalantly. Sonic clenched his fists and looked away.

“Shut up, Shadow.”

“You always do this! Every year!” Sonic put a hand up to silence him, he flashed a small- fake- smile.

“Now, Shadow. You should know I’m not much of a partier-”

“Bullshit. I’ve been following you for a while now, something's bothering you. How long have you been out here?”

“Depends, what time is it?” he asked.

“Quarter to 2,” Shadow replied raising an eyebrow.

“So about 10 hours,” Sonic replied shrugging. It was longer than he had thought, but at this point, he really didn’t care.

“Are you stupid?” Shadow yelled. He shrugged again. He would have run away if his legs weren’t killing him.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. The next thing he knew, he was hit to the ground, Shadow’s hand balled into a fist. “What was that for?” he retorted.

“Just trying to knock you out, you’re exhausted.”

“You can tell?” Sonic asked looking at the ground.

“One, can you hear yourself? Two, you can barely stand.” Sonic sighed. He knew he sounded like a dying anything. He had just hoped Shadow didn’t notice, even if it was wicked noticeable.

“I’m fine,” Sonic replied rolling his eyes trying to look amused

“No, you’re not. And don’t think I’m trying to let you vent on me, because I’m not. I’m just making sure you don’t kill yourself. Go home.” He bit his lip. He didn’t think he could handle being home, not today. He couldn’t stand the memories of what happened.

“Sorry, no can do, Shads.” He tried to sound uppity, but the fact he had to blink away tears said otherwise.

“Go before I drag you there,” Shadow grumbled. Sonic sighed, surprised. Either Shadow was really irritated or worried, normally he’d try and kill him for calling him that. He went for irritated, it wasn’t like Shadow cared about him or anything, right?

“Fine. But only to get you off my case!” he snapped standing up brushing some of the dirt out of his quills getting ready to run ‘home’. Why? Because he had no other choice, and truth be told he just wanted to take a shower and sleep. But he knew he couldn’t.

“And get some rest, you need it.” Sonic smiled sadly.

“Didn’t you hear me before. I can’t sleep, not today.” And with that, he speeds off, arriving at his once shared home. Now, the entire thing was empty until he stepped in. All it reminded him of was that day he came home. The day he found out what he was hiding from him. There was so much guilt and the worry that it never stopped. He wasn’t even sure if he counted as a sidekick anymore, not like this.

Most people considered him to be. Nobody noticed how far they had grown apart. Everyone thought they were fine and moved on. But they hadn’t spoken in months. One of them could be dead and they wouldn’t even know. It was a sad reality, but the last time they spoke was on a mission when Tails had to warn Sonic that the roof was collapsing and had to leave.

He never even thanked him.

The last time they talked outside of a mission? He didn’t know. Sonic covered his head with his hand and slid down the wall. It was this day their relationship went to hell. The anniversary of the defeat of the Matrex 4 years ago.

The day Tails moved out, 3 years ago.

A day he always spent alone.

Sonic threw the towel to the side basket in the bathroom. He grabbed his shoes and threw them on as well as his gloves. Although he wasn’t a sweaty mess anymore, his shower hadn’t made him feel much better. He sluggishly made his way to the couch flopping on top of it sighing.

“Never again.”

He winced. His aching legs agreed as he sat them on the arm of the couch, ignoring- or at least trying to ignore the voices in his head that played through.

“Sonic! I told you to stop doing that!”

“Not today you didn’t.”

“You get the point,” he chuckled.

“I don’t get why you’re making such a big deal out of this.”

“You’ll get dirt all over the couch!”

“I’m sorry you never took a step outside, Tails,” he playfully taunted.

“Oh, shut up!”

Sonic let out a small whine from his throat turning his head blocking out the memories. He covered his head with his hands and tried to fall asleep but he couldn’t. He never could, despite how exhausted he was. He just laid there not really sure what to do. He was bored out of his mind but didn’t have the energy to do anything.

It wasn’t like he had much better to do. Everyone else would probably be together celebrating. But he wasn’t in the mood, it wasn’t like him, but he’d end up just playing it off as he was sick. He sighed. It was going to be a long day…

Aaand that’s the end I never finished the first chapter but I do have a folder of brainstorming for this story. 💕

[shedreamsofstars]

Cataclysm of the Heart - Chapter 8

She’d waited so long to hear those words fall from his perfect lips. She’d never even stopped to consider that they might not be sincere.

They were going to die. He’d been sure of it. It had only been meant as a comfort. Something to keep a smile on her face as their end loomed.

Neither of them had counted on being rescued.

Start from the beginning  |  Epilogue

... xxx ...

A speech.

Sonic scoffed at the idea.

The mayor had scheduled an emergency meeting with him that morning to convince him to give a speech - as if talking to everyone that survived Eggman's attack could somehow make things better.

No.

Words were the last thing anyone should let come out of his lips; Amy was proof of that. He couldn't even trust himself to talk to one person without putting his foot in his mouth, let alone a whole congregation. Especially when the one addressing them was the very person who had failed them to begin with.

Just the thought of walking out at the vigil with a fake smile plastered on his face drained him, let alone forming words of reassurance. He'd barely even been able to drag himself out of bed this morning,

Thoughts of Amy had been plaguing him for days on end, ever since the incident at the tea shop. He'd gone looking for her several times, but whether she was just busy volunteering somewhere or purposefully avoiding him, he was never able to find her.

He'd hurt her, he knew that. But she'd rushed off so quickly that he'd never fully had the chance to explain himself. And he needed to explain himself. He might have broken their friendship with his careless words, but he still had hope that he could salvage it if he tried hard enough. If only he could find her.

Amy would be at the vigil, he was sure of that much at least. Whether she'd be willing to speak to him was a different story altogether. He hoped she would. They had so much history, surely she wouldn't throw it all away over this one mistake.

He wasn't strong enough to make a speech for the people he swore to protect, but he had enough left in him to not give up. He'd go to the vigil to honour and remember the lives he'd failed to protect, and he'd go for the girl whose heart he had shattered.

He would go for her - to her - and he would fix what he had broken.

... xxx ...

One blink.

One moment of confusion.

That was all it took for Sonic to slip from her fingers like sand. That was all it took for Amy to go from having her arms around his warm body to clutching at thin air in a haze of uncertainty.

'If anyone has to die … then it only makes sense for it to be the hero'

His haunting words shot through her mind like a bullet, searing a ferocious path that left her gasping for air. Or maybe that had been his kiss.

Amy's resolve had dwindled in the face of the truth and the blue hedgehog's sincerity. Sonic wanted to kiss her, and if she was going to sacrifice herself then chaos help her but she would know what it was to kiss the love of her life first.

Asking him to do it again had felt liberating, as if she was breaking free from chains she didn't even know she was being held back by. And if asking had liberated her, to receive had felt like deliverance.

Sonic's kiss was wonderful and perfect. Until it was gone and she was left cold and alone with nothing but her own thoughts for company. Well, not nothing. She still had the-

Amy stared at her empty hand, her eyes widening in alarm. She could still feel the indent in her palm from where the panes of the gem had dug into her skin, and if she closed her eyes she could almost believe that it was still in her possession.

But try as she might, nothing changed the truth.

The emerald was gone.

Sonic.

No.

No, no, no.

That selfish bastard couldn't do this. Not now. This couldn't be how it would end.

In that moment, Amy didn't care that Sonic had used his own desire to distract her from what he was really up to. All she could think was that the blue hedgehog was going to go and hurt himself and he was going to be all alone whilst he did it.

No. This couldn't end like this. She wouldn't let it.

"SONIC!" she yelled, her boots clanging against the metal ground as she rushed through the corridors to the energy room, hoping she wasn't too late. Amy had always loved Sonic's speed, but with her own feet not moving as fast as she wished they would, she found herself cursing it.

When she finally reached the door she needed, her heart stuttered in protest as she found him. He was advancing on the Master Emerald, battling away sparks of raw energy with the small gem in his hand.

Cold terror clutched at her spine at every surge that arced towards him, curving away at the last second as if repelled by the gem clutched tightly in his fingers. Her own fingers found the door handle and pulled it open, pausing at the threshold when her fur stood on end from the electricity in the air.

Sonic turned at the sound of the door, sending a hard stare over his shoulder. "Don't come any closer Amy, it's not safe." He watched her for a second, making sure she wasn't following before heading for the large gem again.

She watched with her heart in her throat, untamed energy crackling menacingly as Sonic curled into himself and shot towards the Master Emerald. It was held upright by four claw-like pieces of metal, glowing brightly as its power coursed through them.

Sonic's attack was fast, but it only glanced off the surface and he was sent flying backwards, barely catching himself enough to land on his feet. As he tried again and again to no avail, Amy worried her lip. Sonic's attacks weren't focused enough to reach the claws, but maybe …

She held a hand out in front of her, feeling the energy in the room simmering against her skin. Rushing into the room without protection was likely going to sting, but what other choice did she have. Sonic needed her.

Ignoring every sane thought in her mind, Amy tumbled across the threshold, her breath catching as she felt the rush of power slam into her. The door shut with a solid thud behind her. "Sonic!" she called out with a startled gasp, the charged air burning her throat as she fell to her knees.

Sonic turned at his name, eyes flashing with panic as he realised she'd deliberately ignored him. It took him less than a second to reach her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pulling her up and into his chest as the chaos energy flickered around them.

"What the chaos is wrong with you Amy!" he snarled, his breath brushing against her neck as Amy struggled to regain her footing. "You don't have anything to protect you. The power in here alone could have killed you!"

His hands tightened against her with every word and Amy didn't have the courage to turn and see his expression. Instead, she pressed her lips together tightly and stared dead ahead of her. "You're in here Sonic, that's all I need."

"What if I hadn't gotten to you in time?"

"I knew you would."

Sonic shook his head, making a sound of exasperation before resting his head on her shoulder. She was pressed so close to him that she could feel the erratic rise and fall of his chest against her back. She wasn't sure how far the chaos emerald's barrier extended, but it seemed Sonic wasn't taking any chances.

"Don't let go of me," he said sternly. "I'm taking you back out."

"No! I'm not going back," she protested, craning her head around to meet his sharp gaze. "You can't break the Master Emerald free and you know it. I saw your attacks Sonic, and you can't do much without damaging the emerald. You need something more precise and my hammer is perfect for that."

"Then give me your hammer," he replied impatiently.

"No, I'm not leaving you. You said yourself you wouldn't try and stop me."

Sonic looked as if he was fully ready to argue this out, but a sudden burst of power nearly knocked them off their feet and he held his tongue. The cannon could go off any moment, and the more time they wasted the worse off they'd be.

"Alright fine, let's go," he said tightly, realising he had no other choice. Begrudgingly, he steered Amy towards the Master Emerald and it wasn't long before they were in range to cause some serious damage.

Amy stretched out her hand, calling out for her hammer. The moment it appeared, Sonic loosened his hold on her a fraction to give her free movement. "Keep close to me," he instructed, and Amy wondered if he was only talking about the protection barrier. The look in his eyes seemed to suggest otherwise but she was in no position to decipher his cryptic gaze.

She turned towards her target, aiming for one of the four metallic claws that held the Master Emerald in place, sucking out its energy. If she could break even one of them, then she'd break the circuit and hopefully stop the flow of energy completely.

From watching Sonic earlier, she knew it wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded. The energy flowing out of the gem acted as a barrier of its own, easy deflecting Sonic's attacks. But her hammer was smaller and easier to control.

If she could aim it just right …

She swung down but just as the hammer sailed towards the closest claw, it hit an invisible barrier that sent out a frantic pulse of energy powerful enough to send her flying backwards. She fell into Sonic, who having done this before, was expecting the knockback and managed to hold their ground.

"Thanks," she murmured, straightening up.

"You're not strong enough to break the forcefield," Sonic said from over her shoulder. His words held no judgement, but Amy grit her teeth in annoyance as she realised he was right.

She had felt the protective barrier surrounding the claw resist her, sending her hammer sliding harmlessly to the side. For years she had worked so hard to build up her strength, and now when it came down to it, it still wasn't enough.

Something warm touched her hand and she watched as Sonic's fingers settled over the top of her own. "You're not strong enough on your own, but maybe together …" He let the rest of the sentence drop away when Amy nodded in understanding, his fingers tightening over hers as he lent her his strength.

Amy turned back to the emerald, raising the hammer and setting her aim on the same claw as before. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Sonic called back, and without further warning, Amy used their combined force to slam the hammer down hard against the side of the claw. She felt the hammer attempt to recoil as it hit the barrier, but with Sonic's force accompanying her own, they hit their mark.

The claw snapped off the machine with a sharp crack, the force of the circuit breaking sending out an unavoidable power surge that short-circuited the entire system. Without the energy keeping them up, the remaining claws fell in on themselves and relinquished their hold on the Master Emerald.

The large gem fell tumbling to the ground, rolling along the floor and coming to a stop as it hit the base of Sonic's shoe.

Without a source of power, the untamed energy in the room vanished in a blink. The cannons systems powered down and the room became oddly quiet. The only sounds remaining were the soft whirring of the ship, the whine of the cannon as it powered down and their own laboured breathing.

They'd done it.

Holy chaos, they'd done it.

A burst of relieved laughter bubbled up her throat at the absurdity of the sudden calm. Sonic's eyes whipped to her in surprise, but there was no mistaking the grin on his face as he spun her around to face him.

She reached up to hold his face between her hands and Sonic, hands still on her waist, pulled her closer so their bodies were flush. "Good call there Ames. I couldn't have done it without you," he said, their noses knocking together playfully.

"I know," she replied with a grin, hands sliding down his shoulders to rest against his arms.

Sonic's gaze darkened a little. "Amy," he said, her name little more than a whisper on his lips before he sighed and took a small step away from her. "I made so many mistakes, and I'm probably going to keep making them but …"

"But?"

"I know how the world sees me, but in truth, I'm just a regular old hedgehog."

"With super speed."

"A regular old hedgehog with super speed," Sonic conceded with a low chuckle. "I'm not making any promises I can't hold to, but how about we go get chilli dogs when all this blows over."

Amy hesitated on purpose, biting her lip to suppress a giggle as Sonic began to sweat his decision. Good. He deserved that much at least for the stunt he'd pulled with the chaos emerald earlier. When he looked like he'd spontaneously combust without an answer, she finally gave in.

"That sounds nice," she admitted quietly. A former version of her might have been disappointed by the prospect, expecting some grand gesture. But after everything they'd been through, Amy saw it as the olive branch that it was. And even without that, chilli dogs sounded perfect to her so long as Sonic was there with her, wanting to be with her.

The blue hedgehog relaxed visibly, and Amy took the opportunity to slip out of his hold to examine the Master Emerald. If they'd damaged it somehow, then the pair of them were going to get an earful from Knuckles.

Around them, the cannons low whine finally ended as the power died out. Before she could take a look at the gem, Amy found herself jumping to her feet as the room came alive with a sharp siren, Sonic stepping towards her instinctively,

'Power malfunction detected. Self-destruct sequence initiated. Sixty seconds until immediate termination.'

The two hedgehogs shared a look of terror before Sonic grabbed Amy's hand, pulling her towards the exit. "The door won't open," he said in alarm, tugging at it harder to no avail. He gave Amy a worried glance before releasing her hand and attacking the keypad with fast, dangerous punches.

Amy slid past him to the door, placing her hand on the clear glass. Fear crawled down her spine as she recognised the glass as the same material of the cage they'd been trapped in not too long ago. They wouldn't be able to break the door with brute strength alone.

"Tails," Amy called out, tapping frantically at her communicator. "Tails are you there?!"

"I'm right here Amy. What happened?"

"We stopped the cannon, but it activated the self-destruct and now the door won't open!" she said, unable to hide the panic in her voice.

"Eggman must have added a failsafe so the self-destruct would cause a ship-wide lock down. You need to find another way out of there quickly!"

Sonic stopped punching the wall, his gaze sliding to Amy. He reached for the arm with her communicator and pulled it towards him. "Is there anything you can do from your end bro?" he called, eyes unreadable as they searched for something in Amy's.

"I'm trying Sonic, but I don't … maybe you can use the emerald to-"

The click of the button as Sonic cut the call on Tails was clear even in the din of the countdown and Amy stared at Sonic in surprise. He was looking at her, his face strangely blank as he tapped it once more to power down.

"Why did you do that Sonic? You need to call Tails back," she said, failing to pull her arm out of his grip. The blue hedgehog shook his head, and when his own communicator buzzed with an incoming call, he declined it before she had a chance to answer.

"No Sonic, don't … Tails said you could use the-"

"It won't work," he interrupted quietly as the monotonous countdown dropped to single digits. "There's not enough time Amy."

Amy choked back the sob building in her throat. They had less than a handful of moments left, and from the way Sonic was looking at her, they weren't getting that door open. This was the end, for real this time.

A strange sense of deja vu choked her, her breath coming fast and shallow as the gravity of their situation set in. She reached out to touch Sonic, her fingers finding his shoulder. She had seconds left to tell him a lifetime worth of unsaid words - to let him know just how much compassion and love he had inspired in her the first time she'd seen him and every time after.

It was a pittance to convey her most treasured truths in such a short amount of time, when even an entire lifetime would never be enough.

"Sonic, I ..."

His fingers pressed against her lip, gentle but firm, stopping the rest of her words from leaving her mouth. There was a sorrowful gleam his eyes as he nodded at her.

"I know Amy. I know."

She swallowed nervously. Of course he did. He'd always known her feelings, and he had always done his best to spare her the heartbreak, even if sometimes it wasn't enough. Even if it was sometimes the direct cause of it.

Sonic pulled her close, lacing her fingers with his. She felt a soft pressure on the top of her head as he dropped a kiss onto her hair, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight enough to stop the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

She wouldn't cry.

If she was to go out, then she would go without fear, without terror. She would leave this wonderful world embracing the love of her life.

Sonic whispered something into the air beside her, but Amy never heard the words as the ground fell out from under her feet and their world exploded in a blinding white light.

... xxx ...

thank you so much for reading! one left, one left, one left! *panics* i'll see you guys soon for the epilogue!

[ashenpages]

Current Fic Ideas & Emoji Voting Key

Quick disclaimer that I’m a romance writer in all aspects of the term, so most of my fics will contain mature content. Engage at your own risk, you know the rules, you’re responsible for curating your own experience of the internet, blah blah blah. This post serves as a current mock up of fic ideas I’m either actively working on or considering working on next. You can drop me an ask about any of them, or just vote via the emoji combo I’ve assigned them.

Voting lets me know you’re excited about an idea and makes it more likely I’ll actually work on it. You can vote anytime, there’re no deadlines or winner announcements, just me gauging your interest by what I see in my ask box most often.

You can also ask me about the original stuff I’m working on currently. The current WIPs are Medusa centric and the emoji for them is: 🐍

- Lupin: 🤑🤠💍  These are all oneshot ideas, between 5-15K each. If you want to vote for a specific idea, send me the emojis and the number of the idea. 

Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon always play rock-paper-scissors after a big heist to decide who’ll give the group a striptease, and who will get showered with money. Based on a piece of fanart that is basically this sequence of events in a 4koma (except in their version Jigen loses and in mine, it’s Goemon). (written, just needs editing)

Zenigata cuffs Lupin four times, and Lupin steals his heart. Very NSFW conclusion. Zenigata is the most caring lover you’ll ever find. Lupin is as thirsty as usual and twice as intense. (written, just needs editing)

Jigen protects Lupin from poison darts during a treasure hunt in an Aztec temple, and Lupin nurses him back to help--forcibly, since Jigen is a horrible patient. Born from my desire to spoil Jigen and talk about what ridiculous domestic husbands these two are. (WIP)

Born from the idea that Goemon and Zenigata probably couldn’t be an item, my brain decided to come up with how I could write for them. Goemon’s teaching an ikebana class as part of his training, and Zenigata shows up as a student on forced recreational leave for his health from the ICPO. Zenigata wins the samurai’s heart through flowers. But what happens when Lupin and Jigen find out? (Only good sexy things, I promise. These beans are in a healthy polycule--be gay, do crimes)

Trans!Lupin and Trans!Jigen premise: Jigen cares for Lupin after the master thief has top surgery, since Jigen has Been There and Done That. Caring, sweet, and a little sexy. Lupin is a much better patient than Jigen.

- Sonic Vampire Novelist Coffee Shop AU: 📚☕💐 

Shadow is an immortal vampire who has seen the world change for the worse too many times. These days it feels like he only lives for his coffee dates with Rouge, another immortal who loves each new era they encounter, warts and all. He has to admit that the book series she got him into speaks to him, at least. If someone in this era can understand him without meeting him, it can’t all be bad. But he hardly expected the goofy blue barista at the new coffee place to understand him the way those books do.

This is a novel length romcom romp with some big feelings about what it means to watch as things change, grow, and die. Expect lots of Big gothic feelings from this one, emotionally charged kissing, and overly-adoring sex. But also expect shenanigans from everyone in the coffee shop, which include Rouge, Amy, Tails, Knuckles, Cream, and more.

- Sonic Blazamy: 💖🌸💎

Amy Rose has been in love with Sonic for a while.

Or has she?

When the Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, and Silver are trapped as the fuel sources for Doctor Eggman’s newest evil scheme, Amy teams up with Blaze, Rouge, and Cream to save them. With Sonic out of the picture and Amy fulfilling his role, was she ever really in love with him? Or did she just want to be like him?

This is a novel length epic romance with lots of competent women and lots of romantic Blazamy content. Expect flowery hopes and dreams, badass self-actualization, and glancing hand touches that give way to cuddly and sweet sex.

- Persona 5: 🗡🍛☕

After bringing down the Metaverse twice, Ryuji didn’t think graduating high school and figuring out what to do with his life would be so hard. Akira’s back in town, and the gang’s more-or-less all in Tokyo, but everyone else seems to have a plan while Ryuji just floats. How’s he supposed to change the world when he’s not a phantom thief anymore?

This is a novel length fic that addresses how powerless one can feel being just one person in the face of all the corrupted systems and bigotry the world has to offer. It’s about holding on to what you believe in, working through the doubt, and fighting your way to a better tomorrow with the power you do have. The whole gang is queer, featured relationships being Mako x Ann, Ryuji x Akira, Futaba & Yusuke as platonic life partners. Akira is polyamorous and omnisexual, Futaba’s asexual and aromantic while Yusuke is demisexual and very romantic, Makoto’s a lesbian, Ann and Ryuji are bi, and Haru’s pansexual, demisexual, and aromantic. They’re one giant band of queer Phantom Thieves, and even if they’re not really doing the Metaverse thing anymore, they’re still gonna save the world!

Also, I’m gonna make Makoto not a cop. That super didn’t age well. Zenkichi and his boss can work on making them better/abolishing them for other better organizations.

- Hades Game: ❤️‍🔥💀

Oneshot. I just really need to elaborate on the threesome you can have with them in-game, okay? Healthy and canon poly relationships are so few and far between, so often I have to do a ton of groundwork to explain why it’s working in the fic, but NOT WITH THESE KIDS!

Get ready for Meg helping Zag and Than be better at expressing their feelings, lots of kissing, and probably pegging.

- Castlevania Animation Trevor/Sypha/Alucard: 🧛🏰🛌 

Castlevania gave Alucard a threesome last season, and I just really need S4 to give me him being taken care of by his partners. They’re probably not going to give it to me, so I’ll need to do it myself. This is just an everybody loves Alucard oneshot, with the gang’s signature banter (to an extent), Sypha being sexy, and Trever being remarkably sincere. This fic is gonna feel like that Ann Hathaway picture with Trevor kissing Alucard and Sypha holding the end of Trevor’s whip while she leans her head on Alucard’s shoulder adoringly.

- Devil May Cry Nico/Lady/Trish: 💋✨😈 

Nico’s gay, okay? Like really, really gay. And Lady’s bi and not into men who make her pay bills, but very into women who make amazing guns for her and demonesses with hearts who fight by her side. Trish is ace, but loves people and is pretty attached to Lady at this point. Plus it’s cute when Lady blushes and says nice things like they’re insults. I don’t have super solid ideas for them yet, and I envision these more like a polycule where Lady’s with Nico and with Trish but they’re not with each other more than seeing it as a threesome, but who knows what might happen. This is probably 1-2 oneshots depending on ideas, but might turn into a series of oneshots if people are interested (or I can’t control myself and inspiration strikes).

- Post FMA:B Blind Roy & No Alchemy Ed: 👀👑🙏

This is actually an old novel-length fic I wrote ages ago and didn’t post that didn’t turn out well because I was new to writing sex when I first wrote it. The plot is good, and is all about Roy learning to work with his blindness to reclaim his ambition of being Fuhrer and changing the system to something that actually cares for its people. He and Ed reconnect, fall into bed, and both set about working through their respective traumas about being “useless” having lost their sight/alchemy. They go to Xing as an ambassadorial party to offer Amestris’s collaboration on Al and May’s Alkahestry experiments--and uncover a plot that might threaten both kingdoms.

- Age of Calamity continuity Mipha x Revali: 🦚🐟💘

The first time Revali noticed Mipha, it was in the heat of battle. She stole his mark, taking them down with a flurry of quick blows from her spear. Violence rained from her like water--and then she healed him on her way to her next battle. No questions, no conditions, just pure kindness. The usual need to measure himself against those around him was quiet in her wake. And Revali couldn’t understand it. But how to get to know more about her? A fish and bird may fall in love, but where would they live?

This fic could be a oneshot or novel length depending on how far down the hole I fall. I need it to cover time, but it could be done in linked vignettes or with actually covering events in detail. I may elect to do a oneshot just to get it done and out of my system faster. So much fic to write, so little time.

Expect trans!Revali, polyamorous Zoras, scary competent Mipha, songbird Revali, love confessions that are made up entirely of berating Link for not loving Mipha the way she wants him to, and breaking these characters a little outside of their assigned roles in BotW and Age of Calamity. Background Link x Zelda, and Urbosa x Zelda’s Mom.

- Epic desert romance about Urbosa and Zelda’s mom: 🏜🏝⚡

I just think Urbosa should kiss women and Zelda’s mom should get more development and maybe a name or something. Also, lightning imagery/metaphors/play.

It also went way over my head that Riju wasn’t Urbosa’s daughter the first time I played BotW, so now I want to write about the Gerudo queen who refused to produce an heir. The Gerudo are fascinating and have a very interesting cutlure, but I think it could be examined from a nonbinary perspective that rejected pregnancy and wanting to find a husband. Not in like a hateful way, but in a way that examines if that’s really right for everyone. There’s that shop in town that sells Voe armor, after all. Maybe finding a husband and having children isn’t something you have to do if you don’t want to. And Urbosa really doesn’t want to.