``I already had to get out of bed, now you're asking me to get up again?''
``You know, for the fastest thing alive you are an expert at being very still''
``Bursts of energy. No point in burning vital resources on a game I know I'll win,'' he sighed, arms stretching above his head, ``I was also up late, I've earned a lazy day.''
Shrugging, she picked up the volley ball from by his hammock, ``Suit yourself. I'll get Zooey to play instead.''
He snorted an acknowledgement, but kept his eyes closed until he could hear her footsteps retreating. Slowly he opened one eyelid just enough to watch her walk away, his focus trained on that fantastic little rump sashaying toward the volleyball net. The ball was casually balanced against her hip as she flattered her rosy quills with the other hand. Amy had perfected the art of playing it cool and it both fascinated and frustrated him. It was entirely her fault he had been awake so long and here she was acting completely devoid of all guilt.
``Not joining in?''
Sonic nearly jumped out of his skin, ``Tails! What are you sneaking around like that for?''
``I wasn't sneaking, YOU weren't paying attention.''
``Paying attention to foxes sneaking up on people?!''
``Okay,'' Tails replied, putting his hands up in protest, ``why are you all on edge?''
Sonic turned to his oldest friend and did his best poker face, ``I'm not on edge, just sleepy, caught off guard, too relaxed to noticed approaching danger.''
Tails crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave Sonic a quizzical look. Sonic had never been the best liar, and over the years Tails had become even more aware of the little signals the blue hedgehog gave off to indicate he was hiding something.
``Were you eyeing her up?''
Sonic froze, ``Wh.who?''
Tails pointed his nose in the direction of the girls, ``You know very well who.''
``Mmmm no I don't, not...a...cluuuuuue.''
Tails, the fox equivalent of a helicopter, carefully flew up until he hovered over the now guilty looking party, ``She may not be officially my girl, but that is my girl.''
Sonic whipped his head back around to the volleyball game in progress and saw that Amy had managed to get Zooey to join in. He repressed the audible sigh of relief and put his hands back behind his head, not realizing he was using them to try to shield himself from Tails' accusing glare.
``All yours buddy, I wouldn't stand in the way. Not that she isn't cute, I mean if I were a fox I might....wait no I'm joking!!''
With a groan befitting that of Amy, Tails put down the drink he had scooped up and was hovering over Sonics head, and set it and himself back on Terra Firma. He gave Sonic one quick, wary backward glance before trotting off to get a little closer to the action.
Sonic took the opportunity to scrutinize the game a little closer again, under the guise of watching his buddy join the team. Had his mind been as fast as his feet (and his wit, as far as he was concerned) he might have suggested to Tails his interest had been in the twins, Perci and Staci. Identical in look, they were both striking, tall, sultry and above all else, identical twins. Sonic had fallen over himself on more than one occasion to show off in front of them, and Tails was old enough now to understand the perverted thoughts that many red blooded male had experienced over the two of them. Or in the case of Knuckles, perverted 'out loud' thoughts.
What Tails couldn't know was that Sonics attention was almost exclusively taken up by one certain pink hedgehog. It wasn't like he was a complete idiot, he had noticed her growing more, to put it politely, curvy over the past few years. Puberty had fully bloomed this rose, and though she had always smelled sweet she now also came with thorns.
When they were younger he had assumed she had a crush on him, in much a way he assumed most of the women of the village did. He had always cared for her and his jealousy was evident if she ever looked elsewhere, but he wasn't great at adapting his emotions to the situations presented to him. It had almost cost him. Whenever it came up that she might like him as more than a friend, he bolted. Literally. He would face any robot or fiend or Egghead on any day, but feelings coated him in ice and he did his best to avoid them. Now out of his teens, not much had changed in that department, but Amy Rose had changed quite a bit.
As she walked away from him, Amy felt sure she could feel his green eyes focused on her. As she strolled she swayed her hips a little more than was natural, and leant the ball against her hip to make sure he clocked her waist too. These little public torments were her power play, knowing full well that while she was able to suppress all signs of desire, Sonic was not nearly as subtle. A delightful little shiver ran up her spine as she remembered the night before, but who was to know the smirk across her face was anything other than cheerful little Amy.
*****
The day Staci had suggested she was a push over had been the final straw for Amy. After she had thrown her hammer around at empty air for hours she had still felt rage eating away at her gut, and called in on Sticks. Through Sticks insanity were moments of complete clarity, and she had suggested they vanish in to the wilderness for a few days. The first few hours were full of Sticks new conspiracy theories and ramblings about the 'man' until they came to a clearing and she began to build a fire.
``Do you think you're a push over?" she had asked Amy, in her croaky but high pitched voice.
Amy had sat down near the badger and considered the question thoroughly. ``No,'' she had finally answered.
``So why did it get to you? Usually you would have just called her a hussy and walked away.''
``I don't really know, I don't care what she thinks but the guys were there and none of them corrected her. I thought I always put up a strong front so when Sonic...''
``Oooooh here we go.''
Amy let her mouth hang open for a couple of seconds after Sticks had so abruptly interrupted her. She slowly clenched her teeth together and sucked in a breath harshly, but she never got to vocalise her anger.
``Amy for as long as I've known you've had a different set of rules for Sonic. You blush around him more, you stumble around him more, on more than one occasion you giggle rather than speak. I thought you were being hypnotized in your sleep by the Black Magic Black Badger of the Black Forest...''
``That's a lot of black...''
``....but then I realized he only appears on a harvest moon, and you were getting crazier by the week. No, there was only one reasonable explanation. Love.''
This time, Amy did manage to make a noise, ``Bull...!''
``Where?''
``No Sticks, as in...oh never mind. Of all your crazy theories that is THE most far fetched.''
Sticks smiled at her and raised an eyebrow, ``I was right about that robot uprising. And I'm right about this.''
Amy just glared at her for a moment before deciding what to say. Of course she acted differently around Sonic, nobody else was nearly as aggravating as he was. She loved to prove him wrong as much as he loved to be right so they often clashed. Arguments would often end up in the pair of them face to face, eyes seeing red, teeth bared and fists at the ready. Not that he would ever strike her, even though she may have hit him on the odd occasion.
``I am not in love with Sonic, Sticks, simple as that. If, as you so claim, I am different around him it's probably because he's a walking disaster and he is far too arrogant to accept he brings disaster on himself so we are always in danger.... ''
``Danger? Until the alien invaders rise up from their secret underground bunker you know he can save you from pretty much any danger. You can save yourself too but you seem to like him swooping in and being the hero. Looking for reasons to be in his arms eh?''
``Like you never do that with Knuckles?''
``Hey the guy is hot but he is clearly under mind manipulation. I have no weapons to rescue him from that.''
``I think you could bring him round.''
There was a silence that followed, then both girls fell about with raucous laughter. Since they had settled themselves down they set up their tents where they were. A few s'mores later they were both under blankets, Amy's a beautiful crochet net work of flowers, and Sticks had actual flowers.
``For what it's worth, I do think Sonic likes you. He's pretty guarded but you can tell something is on his mind when he thinks nobody else is looking. We all love each other as that's what close friends do, but we all know you two got something special.''
At this Amy blushed profusely. Okay so maybe she wasn't mad at Sonic all the time, he wasn't always as reckless as he once had been. He had saved her on more than one occasion and perhaps she had a slight thrill from being held closely to him. He was really, really good looking too.
``Say you're right Sticks. Say, I am in... I have....feelings towards Sonic. What does that have to do with me not wanting him to think I'm a pushover.''
The chestnut badger stared deeply in to the fire. She was prone to being brash and uncouth, but she knows what she had to say was only going to end up hurting her friend. She had debated bring it up before, keeping it to herself in the hopes the hedgehogs would come around to it themselves. She knew everybody thought she was a nut case and she didn't care, but she didn't want that reputation to precede her when it came to Amy, especially when Amy was the most mature about emotions out of all of them.
``So he can't take advantage of you. The right wink in your direction and you'd do whatever he wanted. The Black Badger may use his Black Magic flute to hypnotise his victims but all Sonic would have to do is flash his...''
``STOP!''
``...grin.''
``Oh,'' Amy sighed, embarrassed, ``I knew you were going to say that.''
Sticks pointed a finger at her, ``See, your mind is easily manipulated. Hormones have stronger control than what the government is putting in the water.''
Amy flushed red, out of anger and out of humiliation. She wanted to explain so much but her head couldn't process well enough to form a coherent thought. Did she believe Sonic would take advantage of her like that? What would he take advantage of even if he could? She already helped him out whenever he needed her to and she was on call for most emergencies and the only time he crossed a line was when he asked her to try to set him up on a date with one of the twins (or both, he had added).
She stood her ground then, and she had often, but she closed her eyes and thought deeply all the same to see if she had given away a weakness. Even on the odd occasion she had felt flustered around him she could snap out of it within a few moments. Her glance may have lingered a little too long on his back as he dashed their enemies but it wasn't like that was his fault.
``Oh come on, that idiotic blue hedgehog isn't bright enough to use emotions to his advantage. Snap out of it!''
Both girls had weapons poised in a flash. Sticks, who was more accustomed to the dark, threw her boomerang in to the darkness, and the exclaim of pain that followed would indicate she had hit her target.
``Eggman! What are you doing here?!''
He strolled in to the clearing, rubbing the bruise on his head, ``Getting beaten up for no reason is what!''
``Don't play innocent with us. Are you here to take over the village with a sneak attack? Destroying the forest to make more room for your robot factory? Harvesting the rare Shyberries to make a diabolical jelly that is so addictive we can't help but buy jar after jar until there is no room in our cupboards!''
``....how do you get by day to day? No I was just wandering the forest at night, as I like to sometimes do for no creepy reasons, when I couldn't help but over hear part of yours and Amy's conversation.''
Amy groaned, ``Which part of it?''
``All of it.''
She raised her hammer high ``I?m going to have to kill you.''
Covering his head and squealing loudly, Eggman was prepared for this, ``I wasn't going to tell him anything! We're Fuzzy Puppy buddies remember Amy? I can help you!''
Amy shared a glance with Sticks, ``Help me? How do you plan to do that?''
``Why, with some adult to adult conversation!''
``I'm fifteen.''
``Even better, the same age Sonic was when we had 'the talk'''
Amy looked dubiously at Dr Eggman, then at Sticks who seemed to read her mind. ``I'll go sniff out some of those Shyberries,'' she said, pocketing her boomerang and giving Eggman once last filthy look, ``but I will not be going too far.''
As they both watched her disappear in to the blackness of the undergrowth, Eggman sat himself by the fire and called after her ``Probably best you and I have this talk in a few years. Tails should be old enough by then too. Two for one deal''
Amy remained stood, ``I don't think I want this conversation myself. What do you mean you had this chat with Sonic?''
``Why it was a night just like this! We were having some manly roasted marshmallows over a camp fire, his younger comrade was out of ear shot, and I asked him what the deal was between you two.''
At this, Amy finally sat herself opposite him, ``What did he say?''
``I can't tell you that, it would break doctor patient confidentiality!''
She swiftly raised her hammer but Eggman was quick to defend himself.
``Just as this conversation will remain between us! I can't tell you what he said, bro code must be upheld, but I can tell you what I told him. Adapted to be relevant to you of course.''
Amy put her hammer down on the floor and picked up one of the stray flowers from Sticks now disintegrated blanket, ``Why do you want to give me...relationship advise?''
``I've shipped you and Sonic since you moved to the village. The first time I met you it was mid attack and one of my bee bots was about to assimilate you when in swooped the blue fuzzball to whisk you out of the way. Oh the way you looked at each other it was as if you had never seen another hedgehog.''
``We hadn't.''
``The point is I knew you two were meant to be together. If I didn't manage to destroy him I just wanted him to be happy.''
Amy shook her head, ``You do know how little sense that makes don't you?''
Eggman growled, ``Do you want my advice or not?''
She sighed, what harm could it do to indulge him? If he and Sonic had this conversation three years ago it had certainly never been brought up, so maybe in this department he could be trusted.
``Okay Eggman, shoot. What should I do?''
Leaning his chin on his knuckles the good doctor mumbled, ``What I never seem to be able to do. Get the upper hand.''
``The upper hand?''
``Don't interrupt. Look if you're worried that he has some kind sexual power play in motion...''
``Don't you use that word....''
``....then you are wrong! He knows he has those rugged good looks and suave attitude but he has no idea what to do with them. If he wanted to talk you in to bed he would have done it by now, but he has a healthy respect for you. He understands that under your bosom beats a sensitive heart and that keeps his libido in check. The reason he makes it so obvious those twins make him weak at the knees is there is no chance of catching any feeling.''
Amy had folded her arms tight across her chest at the word 'bosom' but she was also squeezing her emotions back down too, ``So he is thinking with his...libido.''
``What do you expect? He's twenty-six...''
``Eighteen.''
``....and a hot blooded male. I know at that age I was chasing skirts left right and centre. Didn't catch very many of course but I knew my true calling was building robots anyway so what did it matter if the opposite sex kept turning me down...''
``How is it I'm getting advice from you again?''
``STOP INTERRUPING! The point is Miss Rose, he is sexually mature while you are emotionally mature. What you need to bring out in him, he needs to bring out in you. The only way you'll end up with each other is for you to get him hot under the collar, so he learns to care about more than what's under your shirt.''
``That was very poetic.''
``I've been practising that speech for three years. I should hope so.''
Amy snorted loudly, ``Exactly what makes you think I want to win over Sonic the Hedgehog anyway?''
Eggman didn't say a word. He didn't need to. That had bothered Amy more than any part of their bizarrely intimate conversation. Initially she thought she was drawn to Sonic as he really was the only other hedgehog she had seen, except for family. They were on a very small island, and on the occasions they had travelled elsewhere she had bumped in to more of her spiny species, but none were a patch on her blue icon.
Except perhaps, Shadow. Shadow lived up to his name; dark in appearance and dark in character. The very first time she had seen him it was from a distance and without his knowing, so she was able to very carefully run her eye over him. She could sense even then, far out of his range, that he wasn't like anyone she had come across before. He had stood with his arms folded and his eyes closed in perfect silence, just listening to the ocean crash on the rocks below. If his quills hadn't been flicked by the wind she would swear he was a statue. After a few moments, he vanished in a blink, leaving her wondering if she had seen a ghost. The next time she saw him, a few years had gone by and his quiet, calm demeanour revealed itself to be cold and aggressive. He had very nearly beaten Sonic to a pulp, and were it not for Eggman's idiocy, Shadow might have finished the job. He had been somewhat of an ally in encounters since, but she would never shake the quell in her heart that had started the day she really thought she could lose Sonic.
``I don't think he wants to belong to anyone Eggman,? she finally replied, "he wants to be 'as free as the wind that blows' or whatever crap he can come up with when I ask a favour or we plan a date."
The Doctor shook his head and sighed, "Then why does he stay on this tiny little blot of land when he has a whole world to run around on?"
When she hadn't replied he excused himself and yelled for Sticks to return. Even with her peer back by her side Amy couldn't get Eggman's voice out of her head, just a tiny little voice echoing the same words over and over. He has a healthy respect for you.
*****
Now Amy had an active imagination, she had access to books and she was bright. None of these things could help her understand how to convert the data she knew in to the physical actions she needed. If romance was an art than all she could accomplish was the abstract. There was nobody she could really talk to; there was no way she was going to the twins even if they were the most logical. The adult women of the village were too stuffy to ask ``so how did you seduce your husband?''
Not long after she turned sixteen, Amy came in to heat for the first time, and her world went a little crazy.
Just before her Birthday, an old woman came to the village and called on Amy immediately. Her green quills were grey at the ends and she balanced most of her weight on a stick, but her eyes were bright and her clothes were colourful. Amy tried to recall ever seeing her before, given she stood out among the other women of the village, but there was only a fuzzy recollection of a time before she moved away from her parents. When she opened the door to this other worldly creature she had almost just as quickly shut it again, but the emerald hedgehog had held out her hand politely.
``Amy Rose, my name is Mary Concepcion,'' she had announced in a whispery and soothing voice. ``I'm a travelling midwife. I'm here to give you some advice.''
``No!'' Amy had exclaimed, quickly snapping her hand back, ``I mean, I'm not pregnant, I can't...''
``You will be reaching sexual maturity soon yes?'' Mary had interrupted.
``I think the cards just say Happy Sixteenth. But I suppose so.''
With a slight nod of her head Mary had indicated she would like to be invited in, to which Amy obliged. Somewhere in the back of her head she could hear her Mothers voice explaining about the ``crazy lady'' who had visited when she was younger but anything else was a faded memory. Amy wasn't fearful of Mary though, she gave off a very caring aura but was clearly happy to be blunt. Blunt was sometimes okay, especially in matters such as these.
``Now I am not here to explain to you exactly how a baby is made. I feel at this age that will just be patronizing. I assume you do know?''
Amy cleared her throat, as she began to feel awkward, ``Yes, when a male and a female love each other very much....''
``Love doesn't make a baby dear, having sex does. It's a very genetic process, and while I am an advocate of sleeping with animals you love, I am not here to give you dating advice.''
Amy flushed red, and crashed about making them both a cup of tea before the conversation got any more embarrassing. She would need the soothing sensation of a hot drink in her hands.
``I am glad to know you haven't been in heat yet, because with little knowledge of what it does to your psyche it can be a very confusing time. All at once you are going to get a rush of hormones you have only caught the edge of and it is my job to keep you as safe as possible. There is a male hedgehog in the village too I understand? Sonic?''
``Yes, just Sonic. You don't have to tell him about this do you?''
Mary patted her hand, ``It isn't necessary if you are aware of the situation. Each species, Miss Rose, is biologically inclined to reproduce with beings in their own circle. This is why we are taking love out of the equation for this conversation, love is blind to logic. During the time you are in heat, about two weeks, your body will be screaming at you to act upon its desire to conceive a child. It will also being giving off pheromones to let any male within the vicinity know that is what the situation is.''
Amy let out a sound that was somewhere between a whimper and a groan. It was a wordless question. Mary simply carried on.
``Sonic is going to feel very uneasy in your company during this time. If there have been no other female hedgehogs around then this is going to be new to him as well. With both of you slaves to your hormones it is easy to let sensibilities go by the wayside.''
``Ca...can I help myself?''
``Of course you can, this is why I am telling you this. For your first time in heat it will be wise to stay away from Sonic at all costs. I am not here to lecture you on your choices so if you choose to act on your impulses I will not berate you. However, you are young, and he is very good at running away, so whatever you feel about him, it should be pushed way down.''
Amy stared in to her cup for a moment before responding, ``Would it not be easier to just tell him?''
Mary lifted Amy's chin with one finger and scrutinized her face thoroughly, ``You are a pretty little thing. Miss Sticks informs me that Sonic has very poor impulse control. Perhaps telling him that you can barely contain your desire to have sex with him would be unwise?''
Amy freed her chin and frowned, ``He has more respect for me than that,'' she snapped.
Mary nodded, ``Which is why he would be very angry with himself if instinct was stronger than logic.''
Amy finally understood what she was being told.
``Will I have to do this every time?''
``No Miss Rose, after a couple of seasons your bodies will adjust to the increase in your hormones and it will become more like background static. In bigger towns where creatures are surrounded by their own species these hidden scents are always in the air and they grow up used to them, like how you stop noticing the smell of a bunch of flowers in a room after a few hours.''
After they chatted for a short while longer about the physical changes Amy would feel; an increase in body temperature, physical sensitivity, aggressive tendencies towards other females (of any species apparently) and after Mary had made it painfully clear that satisfying her urges herself were perfectly healthy and natural, the good nurse had departed.
``Wait!'' Amy called after her just before she disappeared from sight, ``what do you mean Sticks informed you?!''
