Souls in Tune
Amy woke up around 3 p.m. She was far from rested and not ready for anything. Her head was aching, and her eye bags were so deep she could probably fit a bunch of rings in them.
While she was having her brunch, she received a message on her phone from "Nexus". It contained a strange link to a page. Upon entering, It automatically downloaded a single-page PDF with a QR code and the coordinates at the bottom.
After finishing eating, the hedgehog ran to take a bath and get ready. She tried to perform a miracle with her makeup, but there was a limit to what she could achieve; the bags under her eyes were there to stay. She put on a slightly warmer dress, remembering Sally had mentioned that they were far north. She grabbed some of the unopened treats she had and headed for the exit.
Outside, the sun was bright... maybe too bright. The excessive brightness irritated the poor girl. She also noticed that the ground in front of her porch was disturbed and that there were footprints, which irritated her more. She'd have to clean up the mess later.
As she entered the coordinates into her vehicle's GPS, she felt a quick breeze blow past her. His senses flared, and a familiar sensation appeared in her chest. Her ears and tail began to twitch on their own.
"Sonic...?", the girl called doubtfully.
"You have no idea how hard its is for me to surprise you," the speedster said from behind her, leaning against the side of the vehicle. "Do you feel my Aura or something...? Wow, those eye bags! Did you have a rough night, Ames?"
"What are you doing here? Did something happen?"
"No, I just came to check on you. Tails told me he saw you online on Faceshell late at night and I got worried."
"You should be more worried about that child staying up so late! Not sleeping can affect his growth."
"Hey, I know! I've tried everything! He just does what he wants (which, to be honest, makes me kinda proud). The internet router is in his room, and since he built it, he made it difficult to operate on purpose so only he would know how to use it."
"I'll have to go one day and tell him a couple of things..."
"You're totally welcome to bring the fox to heel, good luck. Anyway, are you going somewhere?"
"To visit Sally."
"Oh, great! Do you want a ride? I'm sure we'll get there faster."
"No, I'm the only one invited. Apparently you need a pass to avoid being annihilated by the country's defense system, and I only have one."
"Okay..." the hedgehog took a closer look at Amy. "Are you sure you can drive there alone? You don't seem to be in the best shape..."
"Relax. I drank five cups of strong coffee to wake up and a 30 oz of water with extract of Valerian to counteract the anxiety. I'm functional," the girl gave a thumbs-up, her hand shaking.
The hedgehog's face expressed his skepticism like a painting.
"I'm fine, I can go alone. Don't worry," Amy insisted, now looking more irritated.
"Well, if you say so..." the hedgehog walked slowly away from the vehicle, a little downcast. "Let me know when you get back, okay?"
As Amy restarted entering the coordinates, a sudden realization hit her like a truck.
"Wait!".
Sonic stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. Amy was massaging the temples of her head and rubbing her eyes with great mental effort.
"Are you okay...?" the hedgehog asked worriedly.
"Yeah.. it's just... The footprints on the porch... Did you leave them?"
"Well, yes, I..." Sonic began to look slightly embarrassed. "I passed by a couple of times this morning, but since I saw you weren't awake yet..."
"And you're proposing to accompany me..."
"Uh... Yeah?"
"Oh..." the girl's face reddened. "I'm so tired that for a moment I forgot I like you!"
"Wow, then if you close your eyes, you'll drop dead for sure."
"I should be jumping for joy right now!"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. It was so strange that I was going with Tails to investigate whether you had been replaced by a robot clone or were being mind-controlled... So, do you want me to come with you?"
"Yes, yes! Of course!"
"Say no more-!"
A delicate alarm sound caught both of their attention, coming from Sonic's wrist. When he pulled back part of his glove, it revealed a small communicator watch with a screen flashing the Restoration logo.
"It's Jewel..." Sonic looked up at Amy.
"... Answer"
Sonic tapped the screen and the beetle's face was revealed.
"Long time no see, Jewel."
[Hey Sonic. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday.]
"No problem! Every day is Saturday to me. Say, what's up today? Did Eggman finally deign to show his face?"
[No, but his Badniks did show up. They're causing a ruckus on the island's east coast. I've already sent the Diamond Cutters, but I was hoping you could get there faster and provide support.]
"Of course, I'll be there in a flash."
[Thank you very much. I'll send you the coordinates. Let me know when you arrive.], and the call ended.
Sonic stared at Amy, who gave a slight smile.
"They need you somewhere else."
"I could come and go. If you just wait for me for about 5 minutes..."
The girl shook her head.
"It's okay... You can treat me to ice cream later, to make up for it~"
"Great! I know just the place in Apotos! Best ice cream in the world...! Or would you prefer something more local?"
"Local is perfect."
"Deal! See you later, Ames. Say hi to the FF for me," and with that, the hedgehog disappeared, leaving a trail of dust swirling in the air.
The girl continued entering the coordinates into her vehicle's GPS. She started the engine, activated flight mode... and threw a small, childish tantrum to vent her frustration. When she finished, she took a deep breath, regained her composure, and took flight.
The location the coordinates pointed to was enigmatic, not because it was remote or difficult to find, but quite the opposite. Amy swore she and the boys had flown over the site more than once in the Tornado, or had passed very close by on land, and had never once come across a town or city, much less an entire kingdom.
The green forest stretched for hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles, without the slightest trace of urban or rural activity. Having been flying for about 15 minutes, Amy was starting to worry that she might have entered the coordinates incorrectly. As she moved her hand closer to the GPS screen to reconfigure it, a notification of an incoming transmission appeared. Such notifications only appeared with emergency messages from The Restoration, but the logo that appeared on the screen was different: an acorn pierced by a sword. Amy hesitantly accepted the transmission.
[You are flying over restricted airspace. Identify yourself immediately.]
"Uh... How am I supposed to do it?"
As if answering the question, the message led to the activation of the vehicle's camera used for video calls. Amy positioned herself in front of the camera and waved awkwardly, but there was no response. After a few seconds, the transmission resumed.
[You have 20 seconds to identify yourself or you will be intercepted by air defense]
"What?! W-w-wait a minute!"
The camera clicked back on while the broadcast countdown played in the background. Amy desperately searched for something to get her out of the mess. For a second, she considered smashing the broadcast panel with her hammer, but then she remembered the PDF document with the QR code. She searched her bag for her phone, checked the device's downloads folder among the thousand things it contained, until she found the document. She opened it and held the phone screen up to the camera. Her phone slipped. She searched for it under the seats. Found it and held it back up to the camera...
[Three, two... Processing ID code, please wait... Oh, hello Amy!], The robotic voice of the broadcast gave way to Nicole's. [You're early, I think Sally hasn't finished getting ready yet-]
"Did you really almost blow me to bits?!"
[Huh? Ah! Yes, definitely. I don't understand why it took you so long to identify yourself; it would have ended very sadly.]
"How was I supposed to know I had to use the QR code?"
[Was that unclear? Hm, maybe Bunnie was right about me being more explicit...]
"Mhm, Yes, it would have been very helpful!"
[Ok, I'll improve it for next time. Thanks for the feedback!]
"Sure, you're welcome... Hey, am I really in the right place? I don't see a single city nearby..."
[Yes, don't worry, you're almost there. I've taken the liberty of updating your GPS coordinates and activating your vehicle's autopilot. It will take you straight to the meeting point. Just relax.]
"If you say so..."
When the transmission ended, the flying car began to advance on its own toward its new destination. It traveled deeper into the forest, plunging between the canopy of the immense redwood, pine, and oak trees. After a while, Amy could see a strange wall of trees blocking her path in the distance. However, the vehicle moved directly toward it, without slowing down or showing any signs of swerving.
"Ehm... Nicole? Some huge trees are blocking the way..."
[Yes, that's the outer rim, you're almost there]
"But I'm going straight for them... Am I not going to crash?"
[Don't worry, nothing will happen]
Just a handful of meters from colliding with the trees, Amy retreated into her seat and positioned herself to jump into the void if necessary.
"Nicole!" the hedgehog yelled as the front of the vehicle came within inches of touching the wall.
The nose of the car cut through the tree bark like a hot knife through butter. The rest of the vehicle moved forward without a hitch until it was completely inside. It had passed through a holographic wall and was in a small artificial conduit. On the other side of the passage, it was able to return to the outside, and the view had changed radically.
Immersed in the green of the forest, all kinds of buildings, houses, and skyscrapers could be seen. Constructions that didn't break with the natural landscape but rather adapted to it. A city composed entirely of tree houses. The car went higher to avoid the nearest buildings, and from that point, Amy could appreciate the true scale of the territory. It was a complete metropolis, with its streets, subway and tram lines, urban developments, and entire neighborhoods that stretched for miles.
[You are flying over Knothole, our "port city." We don't actually have a port, but it's the city that connects the rest of the kingdom to the outside world, and that's why it's so cosmopolitan and large, the second largest after the capital.]
"Amazing! How have I never noticed such a big city? I could swear we've past here countless times in the Tornado."
[If you look at the sky carefully you will surely see something strange]
The hedgehog obeyed and turned her gaze to the sky. It was difficult to notice at first, but some visual artifacts were faintly visible, like pixels on a screen, flickering on and off like transparent digital mist.
[It's a unidirectional holographic layer that allows sunlight to pass through while projecting a holographic image of the forest to the outside. It extends throughout the kingdom.]
"Woah! Tails would go crazy if he saw this!"
[Thank you, it's my second proudest moment to date]
Leaving the town of Knothole behind, Amy entered the more rural part of the kingdom, flying over fields and livestock. People on the ground waved cheerfully to her, and she waved back. After a few minutes of flight, she could spot another wall of trees surrounding a town.
"What's up with those big trees? Are they artificial?"
[Nope, Meta-Sequoias are real trees, with a natural mutation that makes them nearly indestructible]
"«Meta-what» now?"
[You'll be hearing "Meta" a lot around here, so get used to it. You're about to cross the Inner Rim and enter the capital, Oak Shire.]
After flying over the enormous wall of trees, Amy entered the walled Megalopolis that was the capital. The megacity was at least three times the size of Knotholes, disappearing into the horizon. Crossing the city to the center was like traveling back in time; on the edges, one could see the most modern buildings and neighborhoods, while the closer one got to the center, the more traditional the houses and buildings became. At the epicenter of it all, framed by the mountain range in the background, a huge and glorious castle captivated the hedgehog's eyes. It was as if all the princess castles every girl in the world had ever dreamed of had been combined into a single building; it was hard to believe it was real.
The vehicle circled the castle to its northernmost side, where a private airport and helipad were located. Waiting for the hedgehog were two familiar figures, Nicole and Sally. The car positioned itself over the helipad and lowered its altitude until it touched the ground. The hedgehog jumped out of the vehicle and ran to hug Sally, who reciprocated with equal enthusiasm.
"Wow, you look terrible! I thought you were a hedgehog, not a raccoon!" Sally joked.
"Look who's talking! With those eyes bags, you'd probably have enough space to store my hammer, and you'd have plenty of room to spare!"
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Acorn, Amy," Nicole greeted cordially from behind them. "I hope you enjoyed the flight."
"It was fantastic! what a wonderful place this is-! Wait... «Kingdom of Acorn»...?" Amy thought for a moment.
"Your Majesty, I will proceed to join the rest of the team to begin the reconnaissance mission," Nicole said as she bowed.
"Why 'Your Majesty' so suddenly?" the squirrel asked sarcastically.
"I try to make a good first impression on the visitor, 'kay?"
"Wait-Wait-Wait-Wait-Wait... «Your Majesty»... «Kingdom of Acorn»... Sally Acorn... You're royalty?! So the HUGE castle and the WHOLE country are yours?!"
"Didn't you tell her you're the princess?" Nicole asked Sally.
"You know I don't like to talk about that..."
"I thought you were a captain or a commander!"
"She is, Commander of the Kingdom Army and Captain of the Freedom Fighters," Nicole clarified.
"I'm a pretty versatile gal," the squirrel boasted a little.
"By Gaia! that makes two princesses who are my friends! Do you also control an element? like water or wind?" the hedgehog asked excitedly.
Sally and Nicole exchanged confused glances.
"Okay, I'm heading out, Sal," Nicole said at the end. "Anything you need, just hit me," and she ran off toward the hangar adjacent to the runway.
"Aren't you going to accompany them?" Amy asked.
"I told them I was taking a day off to see you."
"Uhhh, how flattering!"
"Also, Nicole forced me not to participate in any field missions until I managed to fix my sleep cycle. And since I get hella bored just giving orders from the Sky Patrol..."
The light streaming through the castle's high windows gave its white walls an adamantine glow and its decorations a golden gleam. The interior breathed with life, fueled by the contingent of workers sweating profusely to keep the grounds pristine. Hundreds of cleaners polished the floors and dusted the enormous curtains, gracefully and in perfect synchronicity, smiling.
Sally guided her visitor through most of the place. In the royal kitchen, twice the size of an average restaurant one, the cooks seemed to be taming hell, bending the flame and making it work at their whim. They were sweaty and very foul-mouthed, but not the slightest trace of animosity could be felt in the air, only the passion to do a job well. Amy was delighted.
The dining room, the princess explained as they toured it, had been modified by the new king; previously, it had been a large, half-empty room with a single, long table where only the royal family was allowed to sit. Now, it was a full-fledged dining room, with several tables where subjects could eat alongside the king and his family, who sat at the back of the room at a table on a platform from which they could see everyone.
They passed the baths, which also included artificial hot springs and a sauna. They passed the ballroom and concert hall. They passed the armory and stables. They passed almost everywhere... except the throne room.
"This place is so magical!" Amy gushed as she and Sally walked down a hallway toward the North Wing. "I've always dreamed of living in a place like this. I'm so jealous!"
"Well... it's a bit too much for my taste"
"You don't like it? Why?"
"Because she lacks the taste," a male voice interrupted from behind the girls.
As they turned around, they found themselves facing a young man who, if one didn't pay close enough attention, could easily be mistaken for Sally. Handsome, proud-looking yet approachable, wrapped in opulent robes finely tailored to his needs, he walked toward them with his hands clasped behind his back and a friendly smile.
"Elias!" Sally exclaimed happily as she jumped up to hug him. "You've been missing for two days straight, you rascal!"
"Ugh, too many loooong meetings with the Senate," the young man lamented, rubbing his face. "I'm about to have a bed built for me there."
"You're joking, but I'm sure you do it and the ministers wouldn't say a word."
"Who said I was joking? I already had the measurements taken, it'll be king-size, because why the hell not? Anyway, who do we have visiting today?"
"Elias, this is Amy Rose, the genius who prevented my last crazy act from actually being my last. Amy, this slacker is Elias, the king and my little brother."
"Actually, we're twins..."
"But I'm 30 minutes older"
"And yet, I'm taller"
"But I am stronger"
"And I'm smarter"
"And I am braver"
"And I'm more handsome"
"And yet, you're still single."
"Ohhh-hoho! You...!" Elias wrapped his arm around Sally's and started to noogie her. "You're so, SO adorable, sis!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty," Amy bowed, holding back a laugh.
"The pleasure's all mine, Miss Rose!" Elias abruptly left Sally's side as he reached over to take Amy's hand. "Thank you so much for saving my troublemaking sister's butt."
"Don't even mention it! She was the one who saved me first."
"Either way, I'm eternally grateful to you, truly," Elias's tone was suddenly different, more serious, but comforting and brimming with gratitude. "She's very stubborn and annoying, but she's the most precious thing I have in the whole world. Thank you so much for letting her continue to bother me for so much longer," and he proceeded to kiss her hand.
"A-a-at your service, your m-majesty," the hedgehog bowed again as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"Cringe!" Sally joked as she separated the two. "Don't you have a meeting scheduled with the ranchers from the East? If you keep them waiting, they're going to start demanding that you be sent to the guillotine, and I'm willing to cooperate with them.
"Sounds better than another meeting with the Senate. But first I have to go meet with advisor. I don't know why he's suddenly become even more demanding these past few months. He's not my boss."
"Look on the bright side, it helps you stay humble."
"Perhaps. Anyway, enjoy your visit to our kingdom, Amy. And if my sister manages to get you into another potentially deadly mess, you have my royal permission to give her a solid smack upside the head."
“Get out of here!” Sally began to shoo the monarch away.
“You both love each other so much!” Amy said once she was alone with Sally.
"Me and Elias? Absolutely. I'd give my life for him, and I know he'd do the same for me."
"But to be King at such a young age..."
"It is what it is. Dad isn't in his right mind. Elias's coronation was almost an emergency, but he's handled it like a champion, thanks in part to his advisor, but also because Elias was born to be a King."
"I can imagine, he seems like a very kind and fair king... not to mention handsome."
"Are you interested? Because I'm really worried about him being single and I'm looking for suitors."
"What? No way! I couldn't. My heart already belongs to someone else..."
"Oh, right! You and Sonic are dating, right?"
"Yep," the girl didn't hesitate or have the slightest doubt when she answered. "I mean, «unofficially» we're a couple, soulmates even. It's totally confirmed, just waiting for it to be confirmed."
"Oh, I get it! He's your crush!"
“Sally, don't cut me off! I'm manifesting! Sonic is too distracted and shy to accept the obvious. But it's only a matter of time before he realizes it.”
"Patience and perseverance."
"Exact!"
"You're so funny"
Just outside the castle's north wing were the royal gardens. 15 acres of vibrant vegetation stretched as far as the eye could see. The place resembled an old palace, destroyed by time and reclaimed by nature. The walls and pillars were completely covered in all kinds of flowers, living in harmony, accompanied by fruit trees in season.
Amy ran through the field like a child at an amusement park. She touched and smelled every flower she came across and laughed with excitement. Behind her, Sally followed with a calmer but satisfied attitude.
“I'm in heaven!” exclaimed the hedgehog as she threw herself down and rolled around on the grass.
“I knew you'd love it,” rejoiced the princess. “I like this place too. It's one of the few grandiose delusions of my family that I can truly be proud of.”
“Those are Hydrangea hypoglauca! And those over there are Crocus sativus! Ohh! No way! Paphiopedilum rothschildianum!”
“Do you really know their scientific names by heart, or are you making them up...?”
“I just love flowers! They're in my Top 3 hyper-fixations.”
“What are the first two?”
“Sonic and cooking, in that order.”
“(Why am I not surprised?). Well, these gardens are the product of years, entire generations, collecting specimens from all over the world. The goal is to turn the garden into a refuge to protect all the plants in the world in case of a global disaster.”
“What a wonderful goal! The only other place I can think of that is so beautiful is Angel Island!”
“Yes, it's really uni--” Sally blinked twice before processing the information. “Angel Island is real?”
“Of course! Didn't you know? That's where Knuckles comes from.”
“I-I thought it was just a myth! Rotor and his family have been deciphering codices and scrolls for years to prove its existence...! Is there really an island floating in the sky?”
"Yep, and it's beautiful! I go there from time to time to visit and take mini vacations. One of these days, I might convince Knuckles to let you go..." The hedgehog's attention was suddenly caught by a sight in the distance.
Under the shade of a large, ancient oak tree, nestled on a mound of earth that separated it from the rest of the plants. Pristine and mysterious, with a ghostly aura that made it seem ethereal and unreal: an Indigo Orchid.
The hedgehog moved toward it, first on all fours, then walking, and finally running, mesmerized like a zombie, without taking her eyes off the flower. She knelt in front of it as if to pray, and tried to reach out her hands to touch it, stopping halfway for fear that it might disappear if she did.
"I've never seen anything like this in my life..." she muttered, perhaps to herself.
"Shocking, isn't it?" Sally joined her behind. "She's the queen of the garden, very appropriate."
"What's it called?"
“I know that one! It's... um... q-queruso... querusola... Wait a minute...”, Sally took Nicole's phone out of her pocket and took a picture of the flower.
“Are you looking it up on the Internet...?”
“Of course not! I'm asking Bunnie. Her family takes care of the gardens and knows about these things... Aha! The flower is a... Quercussolus lacrimae... (I'd never remember that name in a million years).”
“«Lonely Oak Tear»? What a sad name...”
“Yes, that's its common name. They also call it Acorn Tears, or Lacrima... Do you know Latin?”
“The basics, Tails taught me.”
"Ah"
"Why that name?"
"According to legend, my ancestor, Adam Oak, "The First and the Only", wept with happiness under this oak tree, and from his tears sprang the first flower. They symbolize the prosperity of the kingdom and are somewhat sacred. Only those belonging to the crown may handle them. This particular little one is under Elias' care."
"Well, Elias is doing an excellent job! The flower is wonderful! It's so beautiful!"
"And that's one of the reasons Elias is the King and I'm not...", Sally noticed that the hedgehog didn't understand what she meant. "There's a saying that, as an Acorn is to its flower, so it will be to its kingdom. I have my flower, but... the poor thing is already in hospice care. Gardening just isn't my thing."
"I could teach you, if you want."
"Th-thanks, but..." the young princess seemed hesitant. "H-hey, don't you want to watch movies in my room? Rotor upgraded the surround sound system last week, and I've been looking for the perfect excuse to test it out."
Amy noticed how hard Sally was trying to dissemble and change the subject. She was very curious, but decided not to press her friend. If she didn't want to talk about her flower, she must have her reasons.
"Uh... Sure, let's go!"
As Sally led Amy by the hand into the castle, the hedgehog couldn't help but glance at the Lacrima...
The credits rolled on the big screen at the back of the room, the sound reduced to a minimum as the girls, surrounded by empty and half-eaten bags of candy, chatted while leaning back on the big armchair, barefoot and wrapped in a big, warm duvet.
"...And when I regained consciousness I could see in the sky a light so bright that for a moment I thought it was a second sun, but it was Super Sonic and Super Silver. I could see how the Metal Virus was ripped from my body, from other people and from the plants. I was so relieved! But then there was an explosion and Sonic disappeared. Luckily my friend Blaze (the other princess I told you about) helped him come back and everything was able to return to normal!"
Sally gave a long whistle.
"And I thought we'd seen the worst of the Metal Virus when it hit Knothole. From what you're telling me, it must have been pretty tough."
"Oh, it sure was! But we managed to get over it in the end...!" Amy smiled, but Sally didn't look so convinced.
"Really? That kind of thing is hard to get over, even harder to forget."
The hedgehog's smile slowly faded, and she remained silent for a moment. She huddled a little deeper in her spot. Hundreds of memories, images, and noises flashing through her mind. Cries, fights, pleas, sensations... The abhorrent terror she felt as she watched the metal creep up her skin and how she was slowly losing her sense of self.
She closed his eyes, shook his head, and let out a deep sigh.
"You know, before a month ago, the nightmares I was having were about the Metal Virus. And before that..." More memories flashed through her mind: hundreds of allies succumbing to Eggman's forces, aided by the Infinite. "...They were from the resistance war. And before that..." the robot Zero crashing through the monitors at Eggman's base; sparks flying through the air, glass falling and pulverizing on the floor. "...About that stupid robot chasing me and the Flicky I wanted to save. And before that..." Crimson eyes filled with resentment despite being artificial in the metallic face of a wicked replica of her lover. "...From when Metal Sonic kidnapped me on Little Planet..."
"Sounds like you're jumping from trauma to trauma, Amy..."
"Maybe," Amy gave a small, bitter laugh before taking a sip from her glass of soda. "Maybe it's the price of living a life of adventure."
"You can say that," Sally sighed and took her glass as well, then snuggled up like Amy. "I... I also had regular nightmares about things that happened to me on my trips with the Freedom Fighters."
"What things?"
In Sally's mind, she could glimpse, as if she were living it all over again... a mass of infected people, halfway to becoming Zombots, crowded against the concrete walls build to retain them, begging to be saved. The helplessness, the pain, the shame...
"When we had to stop the Metal Virus from spreading nationwide and Knothole became a living hell..." More memories: the hands of two dozen people rising above the water, pleading for salvation. "...That time when we tried to rescue civilians in the flooding at Station Square..." Darkness, heavy breathing, a metallic smell in the air. Terror, terror... "The accident that... turned Bunnie into what she is now..."
"Was that an accident?"
"Yes, a horrible one," she kept remembering: Elias's voice sounding distant, muffled, terror, a motionless body among the rubble. Terror. "That time I didn't act in time and she..." Sally's leg began to tremble involuntarily. The girl tried to force herself to stop and continued. "When I saw you in danger, I was afraid it would happen again with someone else. Nicole is right, I acted without thinking... but I don't regret it."
Sally could feel Amy's hands wrapped around hers, warm. When she looked up, she could see the hedgehog's face with a comforting smile.
“I don't regret meeting you either.”
Holding hands, they both looked up at the ceiling and stared into space for a long moment.
"Maybe we need to stop jumping from trauma to trauma for a while and... take a vacation," Amy suggested, her voice sounding a little sleepy.
"Yeah, for like..." Sally started yawning. "A week, maybe."
"Or two weeks..."
"Or a month..."
"Or six months..."
"Six months sounds about right, I think..." the squirrel yawned long and closed her eyes. "I think... it sounds about right..."
"Yes..." the hedgehog gave another big yawn. "Six months... just the two of us..."
"Just...us..."
And both girls fell into Morpheus's arms, facing each other, sleeping soundly.
Maverick Lore bit: Sally's Flower
"I'll never understand why Sally would go and fib to Amy like that about her flower. I'm thinkin' she's takin' this whole queen thing too far; it's gettin' kinda ridiculous, dontcha think?
That flower was in tip-top shape, almost as good as Elias's. She knew her way around flower care, ya know? It's not like she didn't know how, what with good ol' King Max teachin' her and only her! He wanted Sally to be queen, not Elias. But Elias knew Sally hated the idea so he went above and beyond to get crowned himself, just to keep Sally free.
She can deny it till the cows come home, but you just know she feels guilty, like she made her brother "sacrifice" himself for her! Elias's coronation was so sudden, real hasty, stirred up quite the fuss. Some folks still say it was a pure usurpation, and that Max's insanity was made up just so Elias could grab the throne. Baloney. King Max is truly not alright in the head, and after Sally, Elias wanted the throne the least (Who in their right mind wouldn't want to be a king? Those Acorn twins sure are something else).
Elias never saw himself as a king, more like a soldier. He wanted to be "The Sword of Acorn," the kingdom's first line of defense. But he ended up being its "shield", while Sally took his place as the "sword," leadin' the Kingdom's Army and the Freedom Fighters.
Maybe that flower got to Sally 'cause it reminded her of that guilt, stealin' her brother's dream... Can't speak for Elias, but I doubt he's holdin' any grudges; seems to be doin' alright as king.
Maybe it ain't guilt, but somethin' else...? Did she feel unworthy, maybe? And then what? Does she thinks Amy-suga is more worthy than her, or somethin'? Is that why she gave her the flower on her birthday? Or did she just wanna get rid of it, and that was the best way...? Nah, that doesn't sound like Sally at all.
Ugh, it's so frustrating not knowin' what's goin' on in Sal's noggin! It was easier when we talked more, before the...
Okay, better leave it at that or I'll get down in the dumps. I'll ask my 'twan-suga to go get some ice cream together; that always cheers me right up, you know?"
(Excerpt from Bunnie D'Coolette's Diary)