Red Rears for Rose and Rouge Chapter 7

Summary: The Freedom Fighters gather for a reunion. Amy Rose struggles with her anxiety that Sally will judge her for her foolish behavior. But the final battle is right around the corner for our heroes.

Red Rears for Rose and Rouge

Chapter 7: Live and Learn the Hard Way

By Yu May

Vanilla the Rabbit whistled a gentle tune to herself, before her ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. “Oh, my! You look lovely, Amy, dear.”

Cream the Rabbit giggled. “That’s a pretty classy outfit, Amy.”

Amy beamed, and spun a pirouette. She had dawned her magenta button-up dress, with a white sash. “Thanks! I haven’t worn this little number since my playwriter’s retreat at Seaside Island.”

Cream blinked. “You wrote a stage play? So, what’s the plot?”

“Ah yes, A Rose Without Thorns! It’s a sordid romance, about a pair of young, first-true-lovers destined to–”

Abruptly, Vanilla cleared her throat. “Ahem! And Miss Rouge? Is she ready to help us… cook?”

Rouge dropped down from the ceiling, landing with a theatrical flourish. “Ta da! How’s this for a knock out?”

There was a long pause as they all took the sight of Rouge in. She was wearing a purple sports coat with white bellbottoms, and matching high-heels. But because she was only wearing a black, strapless bandeau underneath, Rouge’s midriff was left exposed.

Cream giggled. “I can see your belly button!”

Vanilla sighed softly. “That’s…not too bad for a formal dinner actually. But I think you forgot the shirt.”

Rouge looked down at her toned, tanned tummy. “What? But that would throw off the color coordination. The black top ties together my belt and bat wings.”

Vanilla took a long, sharp breath through her nose. “It’s a little casual, but… I suppose it is summer, after all. And you’ll have an apron too.”

Rouge’s eyes popped open, and her bountiful breasts seemed to deflate slightly. “Oh, yeah… We’re still on serving duty tonight.”

Vanilla put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Miss Amy, Miss Rouge, I just want to say… I’m very proud of you girls for agreeing to take responsibility for what you did, and working so hard to make things right. It’s only your first day, but I believe you’ve both shown an immense improvement in your behavior and attitude. So, with that in mind…”

Vanilla reached down and patted both girls across their seats. “... Let’s all try our best to have a pleasant dinner with our friends tonight. Agreed?”

Amy and Rouge both nodded, and returned Vanilla’s hug. “Yes, ma’am.”

Cream flew into view, wearing her mother’s overly large, “Kiss the Cook!” apron. “Then let’s get cooking, Mama!”

***

They had already prepared desserts from last night: Amy had made her personal favorite strawberry shortcake, Cream had prepared a peppermint cake especially for Tails, while Vanilla had made her prize-winning carrot-upside-down cake. Rouge had struggled with cake-baking, and so settled on preparing a fruit bowl with extra grapes for Knuckles the Echidna. 

Vanilla started a pot of chilli slow cooking. Amy tossed a salad with nuts, while Rouge volunteered to man the grill. 

Rouge whistled as she set down the first tray of jumbo-frank-style hot dogs. “I’d better put on a pot of coffee, too. Shadow always likes a plain cup o’ joe, black as night.”

Vanilla hummed. “How sweet! You’ve really gotten to know Mr. Shadow well over the years, haven’t you?”

Rouge hummed. “Yeah, we always seem to end up on the same squad whenever there’s trouble. You know, people tend to assume that Shadow’s a moody, dour bad-boy, but when you get to know him in person, he’s really nothing like that at all. Everyone just got the wrong idea of him because of the whole Eclipse Cannon incident.”

Cream set down her mint cake, and looked at Rouge with skepticism. “You mean when you, Mr. Shadow, and Dr. Robotnik exploded half the moon?”

Rouge made a whistling sort of noise through her nose, and flashed her fangs in a big smile. “That happened while I was acting as an undercover agent to infiltrate Eggman’s terrorist operation.”

Amy nodded. “I remember that day. Even with Sonic leading us, I was afraid we weren’t going to make it, until Shadow had his change of heart. You’re right, Rouge. I don’t think he ever wanted to be a bad guy in the first place. He just needed… to remember who he was supposed to be.”

“Yes, yes. It was a very dramatic affair, with him laying down his life to save the world and falling to his doom from outer space and all. Then there was the whole amnesia thing where we weren’t sure if he was an android or not, and that whole affair of his dad being a weird, alien, devil-dude trying to corrupt his spirit, but I gotta’ say, Shadow’s really conquered his demons.” 

Cream rested her chin on her hands. “Miss Rouge, do you have a crush on Mister Shadow?”

Rouge blushed. “Of course not! Shadow is like a brother to me is all!”

Amy shrugged. “Yeah. Besides, Mister Knuckles is the one who she’s always playing footsie with.”

“Knux and I do not play footsie! We simply have a shared interest in kick-boxing martial arts techniques! … And he has a pretty good eye for gemology, now that I think about it.”

Cream started singing. “Miss Rouge and Knuckles-or-Shadow, sitting in a tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!”

Vanilla set down her tray, and glared at Cream. “That’s quite enough, Cream. That kind of teasing is unbecoming of a young lady. And girls who tease… wind up over knees. Understood?”

Cream’s ears drooped. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry for teasing you, Miss Rouge.”

Rouge shrugged. “Eh, no harm, no foul.”

Cream turned to Vanilla, shuffling her feet. “And I’m sorry for being rude, Mother. Do you think I need a reminder spanking, to help me remember to be more ladylike?”

Vanilla patted Cream on the head. “I forgive you, Cream. What do you think, Cream? Do you need a reminder spanking today?”

Cream played with the hem of her skirt. “I think… I can remember to mind my manners, without the spanking.”

Vanilla kissed Cream on the nose. “Then I don’t think you need a reminder spanking either. Just remember to mind your manners at dinner tonight.”

Cream returned the kiss. “I will. And if I forget to remember, please remember to spank me… for forgetting. Do we have a deal?”

Vanilla hugged cream. “We have a deal, my sweet cream. Now, let’s serve the table. Our guests should be arriving any minute now.”

Amy puffed her pink hair-quills out of her eyes. “Sonic will be fashionably late, as usual.”

Cream giggled. “Yes, but knowing Auntie Bunnie, she and Antoine will be fashionably early, as usual.”

Vanilla frowned as she peeked out the window. “I hope they make good time. There’s a storm brewing. I’d hate for Gemerl to rust.”

Vanilla pulled Amy and Rouge aside, and whispered in their ears. “Amy, Rouge, I’d like you both to stand back and serve the other guests as they arrive. Don’t worry, I’ll keep two seats open for you both at the foot of the table. Then, after everyone is served, I’ll introduce you as my guests, and invite you to sit.”

Rouge narrowed her eyes. “Introduce us? But I’ve met Princess Sally before.”

“Yes, but since you were not invited to this get-together by Princess Sally, that means you are here as my private houseguests. It’s proper custom when welcoming royalty to introduce you, even if you already know each other.”

Amy tapped her index fingers together. “Do you think… Princess Sally will be upset to see us here?”

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll understand. You know Princess Sally doesn’t care much for courtly procedure, but I like to cross the t’s and dot the i’s anyway when it comes to good manners.”

Amy swallowed a dry lump in her throat. It wasn’t the royal manners she was worried about. It was seeing Sally herself. “What if I forget to behave myself in front of all these people? What if I spill something on her? What if they ask what I’m doing here? I’ll have to tell the truth, right? Oh no, I’m gonna get spanked for sure!” thought Amy.

Then, the door bell rang. Sure enough, it was Bunnie “Rab-bot” d’Coolette. The moment Vanilla opened the door, Bunnie burst in and pulled her into a rough bearhug. “Howdy, sugarcube.” 

Antoine d’Coolette fixed his pristine hair as he strolled in meekly, and kissed Vanilla lightly on both cheeks. “Bonjour, Madame Vanille. I hope we are not too–how you say–fashionably early, non?”

Vanilla beamed, then returned Antoinne’s light kisses. “You’re always welcome, and you’re always fashionable, Antoine.”

Bunnie hummed. “Woah, coz. Kissing my husband? Now you’ve gone and made me jealous. C’mere.”

Bunnie kissed Vanilla full on the lips, then kissed her husband likewise. “There. That’s a country-style welcome.”

Bunnie spotted Amy Rose, and broke free of the embrace. As she strode across the room, Bunnie’s robotic prosthetic limbs whirred softly. When Dr. Robotnik had tried to roboticize them as children years ago, Bunnie had been rescued only after losing her left arm and both her legs to the machine. “Amy, hon? So you got an invite? Finally! I’ve been saying for years you're more’n ready to be promoted to leadership on the Freedom Fighters.”

Amy choked as she immediately realized the awkwardness of her situation. “Oh, no, I haven’t exactly been invited here as a Freedom Fighter… I just happened to be staying as a guest at Vanilla’s house this week. She and my parents go way back, you see.”

Bunnie blinked. “Oh? Well, we’re mighty pleased to have you!”

Amy clutched her arm. A dark thought crossed her mind. “If Princess Sally heard about how Amy tried to go after a Chaos Emerald…” 

After the disastrous incident with the magic Ring of Acorn, Princess Sally had flatly refused to allow Amy to join the Freedom Fighters. Instead, to her complete emotional devastation, Amy had been sent back to her old elementary school, while still trapped in the body of a teenager. After they had partially undone the curse of the ring, Sally had waited a full two years to offer Amy junior membership as a Freedom Fighter, and yet another two years before promoting Amy to the status of full membership.

Amy tried to force a smile. “I’m happy to serve. Care for a bit of carrot-upside-down cake?”

They passed a few minutes amiably. Antoinne told his old war story about that one time he’d saved Sonic the Hedgehog’s life, which most of them had heard at least a hundred times, but they didn’t mind. Somehow, Antoinne’s war stories always brought new, unexpected plot twists with each retelling.

The doorbell rang again. This time, Rouge flew to answer it. “I’ll get it!” 

She flung open the door to reveal the stern, straight figure of Shadow the Hedgehog. Curiously, he was dressed in a jet black suit, with a red power tie. Behind him, black storm clouds were rumbling in the distance, and there was a crack of lightning. Shadow’s voice was low, and menacing. “Good evening. Thank you for inviting me to your home.”

He took a second look at Rouge. “Rouge? What are you doing in Vanilla’s house? You’re not trying to steal from her, I hope.”

Rouge pouted. “What? Of course not! I’ll have you know… I’m here in Floral Forest for sight-seeing, and Vanilla was kind enough to let me crash here!”

Slowly, Shadow glanced left and right. There were less than a dozen small cottages in the entirety of Floral Forest village. “Sight seeing, are you? Funny, you never struck me as the type to vacation in a small town. I thought you preferred to tour big city art museums on your days off… after closing hours.”

Rouge puffed up her chest. “So what? I can’t also enjoy the rustic charms of a rural village? You should know me well enough by now to know I’m the type to have a few surprises up my sleeve.”

Shadow nodded. “Of course. It’s just that I never figured you were also the cozy, homemaker type. Nice apron, by the way. It suits you.”

Rouge’s face turned beet red, and she smoothed the apron across her bosom. “Thank you. I’d say I’m rocking it.”

Shadow averted his gaze from Rouge’s breasts, and strode to the dining room table. “Mrs. Vanilla, I apologize for my tardiness.”

Vanilla glanced at the clock. “Oh, no need to worry. You’re not that late. It’s only one minute after six.”

“Precisely. We were delayed by a surprise attack from the Eggman Empire on Cocoa Island.”

“Is Gemerl all right?”

“Last I saw him, he was helping clear up the remnants of Dr. Robotnik’s forces. I had to hasten here to warn you... I’m afraid the others will be late as well. ”

Vanilla beamed. “Thank you, Mister Shadow. Won’t you join us?”

Cream patted the empty seat next to her. “I’m saving this seat for Mr. Tails. But if you want, you can sit across from me, Mister Shadow. You’re the guest of honor, so you may have the seat to the right of the head of the table.”

Shadow nodded, and started pulling off his coat. As he did, he revealed a holstered pistol. Vanilla’s ears stood on end. “Mr. Shadow? You brought your firearm?”

Shadow glanced down at the holstered weapon. “Of course. I came here directly from the battle.”

Vanilla took a slow breath. “I’m a tad worried about having firearms around Cream.”

Shadow nodded. “Of course, Vanilla. That is a completely reasonable concern. Cream, listen carefully…”

Shadow knelt beside Cream and pulled out his pistol, pointing it away from the table. “This is a firearm. Specifically, it is my Heckler and Koch USP Tactical model handgun, for concealed carry. Now, although it is true that firearms are an essential tool for self-defense, they are also dangerous, and should never be handled by children. Of course, I never leave my firearm unattended, but if you ever see a gun that’s been left out in the open, what should you do?”

Cream eyed the handgun with intense interest. “I know I should never touch it. I suppose I’d better tell an adult or a policeman if I see a gun, right, Mr. Shadow?”

Shadow nodded, then removed the clip from his handgun. “Exactly. You should only ever handle a gun after completing a certified firearms safety course. But just in case, it wouldn’t hurt for you to know the basics…”

With lightning reflexes, Shadow opened the gun. “This is called the slide. While cleaning a gun, after you unload it, you should always rack the slide, just in case a bullet was left in the chamber. Even after you unload a gun, always treat a gun as if it were loaded. For example, you must never point it at someone, not even as a joke. While handling a gun, keep the safety on, and keep your finger off the trigger. See how I’m holding it? This is called trigger discipline.” 

“Discipline? Isn’t that like getting a spanking?”

“Not quite. Trigger discipline means you never touch the trigger, until you’re ready to fire at the enemy in a self-defense situation. In that case, you want to aim the first two shots at the center of mass, then aim the third shot at the target’s head. Just remember, ‘Put two in the chest, the head for the rest.’”

Cream gasped with delight. “Wow! I had no idea guns were so cool!”

Vanilla nodded curtly. “Yes, thank you, Mister Shadow, I appreciate your concern. But do you think it would be possible for you to put that gun away somewhere safe?”

Shadow nodded. “Of course. May I borrow your gun safe?”

Mrs. Vanilla grimaced. “But I don’t own a gun safe.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes. “That’s unwise. It’s best to have one to safely store your guns.”

“But… I don’t own any guns.”

For one full second, Shadow stared at Vanilla. “... I see. In that case, it would be best for me to keep it on my person at all times. Cream, here are a couple more safety tips. After performing routine maintenance, you should reload your gun. Once loaded, remember to rack the slide to chamber a round, and keep it properly holstered. That way, you can shoot right away if you’re attacked right away.” 

With a practiced motion, Shadow racked the slide, then holstered the loaded weapon. “Some poorly made guns carry greater risk of an accidental discharge, but I’ve never had this problem emerge with my Heckler and Koch, given proper maintenance. I’ll show you how to practice your quick-draw and fire technique at the gun range, once you’re old enough to take the safety course. But until then, you must not touch my firearms. Do you understand?”

Cream’s eyes shone. “Yes, sir, Mister Shadow! And, Mother? Don’t worry! I promise to never, ever touch a gun. Not until I’m old enough to take the firearm safety course!”

Vanilla took a slow, trembling breath. “Thank you, Cream. I know you’ll keep your promise… Mr. Shadow, why don’t we all have a seat, and tuck it?”

Carefully, Shadow holstered his gun, then seated himself. He stared at the smorgasbord of chilli dogs, fruit salads, regular salads, and desserts. “But shouldn’t we wait for the others to arrive?”

Bunnie shrugged, and held up a plate of cake. “Aw, shucks, it’s your party ain’t it, hon? Sit down and have a slice of cake.”

Shadow took the plate, staring at it, then set it down in front of him, without the slightest change of expression. “Thank you. I will wait to have my dessert after I have finished the main course.”

Rouge sniffed, then leaned over to pour out a black coffee for Shadow. “Oh, c’mon, handsome. Just this once, can’t we be a little bit… bad?”

A bolt of lighting cracked in the distance, illuminating Shadow’s stoic face as he ignored Rouge’s breasts, which were hanging an inch from his nose. “No. For I have renounced the path of darkness and revenge. I have vowed to serve the people of this planet, as a righteous, dark knight. Therefore, no matter how tempting I find this delicious-looking slice of cake, I will wait until after supper, before I partake.”

Slowly, Shadow took a sip of coffee. “Thank you for the coffee, Rouge. Perfect, as always.”

The door slammed open, revealing a group of shadowy figures, and with a crack of lightning, a red-eyed robot appeared inside the door. “I have returned!”

Just as she was about to take a sip of tea, Mrs. Vanilla stiffened. “Mr. Gemerl, you nearly made me jump out of my slippers. Please remember to ring the bell before entering, especially when we have guests.”

Gemerl stepped into the light of the dining room, before hesitating. “My apologies, Mrs. Vanilla. Updating ‘polite manners’ protocols. Running test session.”

The robot stepped right back out, and slammed the door behind him. Then, the door bell rang. Casually, Mrs. Vanilla turned to her daughter. “Cream, would you answer that? I do believe it’s Mr. Gemerl.”

“Yes, Mother!” Beaming, Cream fluttered to the front door, and opened. “Good evening, Mister Gemerl, we’re so glad you made it back home in time.”

Another crack of lightning illuminated Gemerl from behind. “Good evening, Miss Cream. I am pleased to inform you that the Eggman Empire’s forces have been completely routed! We have met the enemy, and we have emerged victorious! Also, I took the liberty of escorting some of our guests home. Downloading proper procedure for courtly etiquette. Complete. May I present: Mr. Knuckles of Angel Island…” 

Knuckles the Echidna stomped into the room, wearing a poncho and a slick cowboy hat. “Well, Tails, we made it. Despite your directions.” 

With a slurp, Rouge the bat took a sudden sip of coffee, then stuck out her tongue. “Ack! Hot!”

“... Mr. Miles ‘Tails’ Prower of West Side Island…”

Tails shuffled in behind Knuckles, then sneezed. “Achoo! Hey everyone! Pardon my sneeze. Got caught in the rain on the way over. Hope I didn’t catch a cold.”

Cream the Rabbit adjusted the empty seat next to her, careful to look at the ceiling. “Then I’d better pour you something hot to drink, right away! Have a seat, Mr. Tails. Would you prefer coffee, tea, or hot cocoa?”

Tails sniffed, and took his seat. “Oh? Thanks! Hot cocoa please. Do you have marshmallows?”

With a snap, Cream produced a steaming mug of hot cocoa, as if from nowhere. “And graham crackers with cinnamon!”

Tails found his seat, and took a sip. “Wow, Just the way I like it! Thanks, Cream.”

Gemerl gestured toward the door, which framed a single, silhouetted figure in a cloak. “And finally, may I present…”

Amy Rose stood straight to attention, holding a tray of chilli dogs in her trembling hands. “Then this has to be Sonic!” she thought. “He’s gonna see me in an apron! Oh, gosh, which apron do I have on? It’s not the chilli dog cook-off champion one, is it?”

Trembling, Amy stared at her chest, and saw she was wearing a plain, white apron. “Phew! Well, it could be worse, I guess.”

Then, Gemerl bowed low, and stepped back from the door. “... Princess Sally of the House of Acorn!”

A final bolt of lightning cracked above their heads, and Princess Sally pulled down her hood to reveal herself. Casually, she brushed aside her dripping wet hair, and hung her cloak. “Good evening, Mrs. Vanilla. We apologize for our late arrival. I’m afraid Sonic had to stay behind to mop up a few stragglers, so he won’t be able to join us until later. Thank you for offering to host.”

Vanilla and Cream both stood, and curtsied. Vanilla bowed her head low, and gestured to the seat at the head of the table. “I am honored, your highness. You’re welcome to sit at the head of the table.”

Sally waved a hand, and grabbed the first seat at the foot of the table. “Thanks, Vanilla, but there’s no need for that fru fru stuff when we’re meeting on Freedom Fighter business. When I’m among friends, I’m just Sally.”

Vanilla nodded. “Of course, Sally, dear. Also, I have a couple guests staying with me. I hope you won’t mind if they join us tonight? Amy and Rouge.”

Sally’s attention snapped to Amy. “Oh, you made it, Amy? That’s perfect. Here, have a seat next to me. I’d been meaning to speak with you about–”

As she finally noticed Rouge, Sally did a double take. “Ah–hello, Rouge. Haven’t seen you since we wrapped up the last hunt for the Chaos Emeralds during the time travel kerfuffle. I didn’t know you and Vanilla… knew each other so well.” 

Rouge forced a smile, then quickly poured Princess Sally a coffee. “Oh! Vanilla and I go way back! She’s like… the big sister I never had!”

Tails finished the last of his hot cocoa, leaving behind a chocolatey marshmallow mustache. “Huh, kind of like me and Sonic… except he’s like my big brother, not my big sister.”

Cream sighed, watching Tails with starry eyes. “Yeah… it’s nice to have someone looking out for you.”

Knuckles harrumphed as he took his seat, and stuffed an entire bunch of grapes in his mouth. “Let’s make this quick. I get nervous leaving the Master Emerald unattended any longer than I have to.”

Cheese the Chao floated into view from behind Cream. “Chao, chao? Cho-cho-Chao?”

Knuckles waved a gloved fist. “Yes, Omachao is perfectly capable. I just don’t like leaving the poor guy alone on that island for too long. He gets lonely.”

Rouge leaned over to pour Knuckles a cup of coffee. “Nothing to worry, Big Red. It’s not like I’m going to steal the Master Emerald if you’re away from it for more than two minutes.”

Knuckles slammed his fist against the table, sending his coffee cup wobbling dangerously. “You’d better not try it, bat-girl!”

Rouge sniffed, and mopped up the spill. “Careful, Knucklehead! That’s hot coffee! And I’d never dream of it. I have no interest in stealing the Master Emerald… Not unless I can snatch it from right under your nose, that is. Otherwise, what’s the fun?”

Knuckles slammed his fist even harder, sending a ripple through the table. “Lady! I don’t want to hit a woman if I don’t have to, so don’t make me have to!”

Rouge dusted off her bosom. “Huh. And here I thought you were a male feminist.”

Knuckles jabbed a finger at Rogue. “I’m not a male feminist! I respect women! Eggman’s the only womanizing, male feminist pig I know!”

Tails frowned. “Um, Knuckles, I think you mean ‘male chauvinist pig’?”

Rouge shrugged, then slyly sat herself on the empty chair between Shadow and Knuckles. “Eh. Both are pretty apt terms to describe Dr. Robotnik, if you ask me. At least Lex Luthor pretended to be a gentleman.”

Shadow scoffed. “Bah. Don’t remind me of that bald, obsessive, egotistical, megalomaniac.”

“Which one? Eggman, or Luthor?”

“You know the one. What did you even see in him? Name one good thing about him.”

“Well, he’s stinking rich. So there’s at least a few billion good things in his bank account.”

Knuckles froze. “Hold on, Rouge! What are you doing in Mrs. Vanilla’s house, anyway? You’re not planning to steal her Chaos Emerald, are you?”

Rouge grimaced. “Not at this precise moment, I’m not.”

Shadow glared at Rouge. “Then why are you here, exactly? Are you in some kind of trouble again?”

Rouge’s eyes popped open. “Ahem! … A girl’s entitled to have a few secrets.”

Ignoring the furious argument between Rouge and Knuckles and Shadow, Princess Sally leaned over to whisper in Amy’s ear. “Amy, we need to have a serious discussion, regarding the Chaos Emeralds.”

Amy felt a shiver travel up her spine. This was it. Somehow, Princess Sally had heard all about her foolhardy escapades. “I’m so, so sorry, Princess Sally.”

Sally raised an eyebrow. “Sorry for what?”

Amy hunched her shoulders. “For everything I did yesterday. I really messed up. I hope you can forgive me, for breaking your trust.”

“Amy, what are you–”

There was a crack of lighting, so close that the roar of thunder shook the roof. Everyone tensed as the lights flickered overhead. Slowly, the thunderclap faded to an echo, and the lights came back on.

Knuckles slammed both his fists against the table this time. “What’s keeping that blue screwball, anyway?” 

Nervously, Tails checked his wristwatch. “By my estimation, Sonic should have mopped up those last few badniks ten times over by now!”

Clinging tight to Tails arm, Cream quickly pulled back, her ears drooping. “It’s not safe for anyone to be out in this weather. Not even Mister Sonic.”

Then, the door bell rang.

Amy heard the sound reverberating against the back of her skull, as if she was underwater. Sally already knew Amy’s secret. Now Sonic would know too. Slowly, Amy stood from her seat. It was time for her to face her final humiliation. “That must be him now. I’ll get it.”

Sally held Amy’s hand. “Amy? Are you all right? You’re a paler shade of pink than usual.”

Amy felt tears budding in her eyes. No. Amy wasn’t all right. She was a bad girl. She was nothing but trouble. “I… I’m not…”

Quickly, Vanilla stood and strode to the foot of the table. “Amy, dear, you’ve had a long, tiring day. Have a seat. I’ll see Sonic to his seat.”

Shaking, Amy sat back down next to Sally. “Princess Sally, I know I screwed up. I know this isn’t the right time, but… I have to know! Are you gonna kick me out of the Freedom Fighters for this?”

Sally furrowed her eyebrows. “Amy Rose, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. But if you have something you’d like to get off your chest, you can tell me. Don’t be ashamed Whatever it is, I promise I won’t be angry.”

Amy wiped her eyes. “Huh? You didn’t hear how I got in trouble again? But then, why were you so worried about the Chaos Emeralds. What’s going–”

Vanilla opened the door. A blue hedgehog was standing at the entrance. He was wearing a black traveling cloak, and had a brown scarf wrapped tightly across his face. Gently, Vanilla grabbed him by the wrist. “Sonic? Thank goodness, you made it! Come in, quickly, before you catch your death of–”

There was a crack of light, and Sonic the Hedgehog’s face was briefly lit by the eerie light. But as she saw his eyes, Amy Rose instantly knew something was wrong.

Sonic’s eyes weren’t green. They were glowing bright red.

Amy screamed a warning, and leapt to her feet. “Vanilla! Get down! That’s not–”

Sonic the Hedgehog held up a Chaos Emerald, as blood red as his eyes, holding it an inch away from Vanilla’s stunned face. “Chaos… Blast!”

There was a blinding flash of light, followed by a terrific explosion. Amy heard the sound of everyone behind her, screaming. 

The last thing Amy Rose saw was a wall of red flames, engulfing Vanilla and Sonic, before the blast ripped through the walls and roof of the rabbit family cottage.

Amy’s entire world went black. 

[To be Continued!]