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Chapter Text

It was hardly believable that everybody came out of this in one piece. And yet they did, as always. Fighting Neo Metal Sonic proved to be truly nerve-wracking.

He's never been this powerful, this close- He was a force to be reckoned with the fist time he transformed into his overpowered form. But this time... He almost won.

The thought that he did it all by himself truly unnerved Amy. But now it was over. With Eggman out of the picture, a different kind of hope blossomed in her chest. As if something wondrous was awaiting in the near future. A feeling similar to what she had felt at the time her fortune-telling cards foretold meeting her "knight in shining armor", right before she met Sonic.

Maybe it was a sign it was finally the time. To find the courage to tell him straight up, that she wanted to go out with him. Be his girlfriend. Pour out her feelings, with a maturity she gained only thanks to the many adventures they had together. 

But shortly after learning that Knuckles disbanded the Resistance, Amy was forced to take the initiative to converting it into the Restoration. Take care of damage-control and such. As the one in charge, her hands were full of imposed duties. 

Fortunately, she remotely sorted out the most important matters at hand. And after flying everybody home, it was just them alone. 

Before departing to their respective homes, Amy caught Sonic's hand, asking him for a talk. Giving in, he told Tails to go ahead, following after her, up to the foot of a forest.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, that was really it. She couldn't help but show her excitement, a bubbly smile that crinkled her eyes into crescents. She sighed in relief, despite the slight burning in her cheeks, and a cluster of wild butterflies roaming in her stomach. 

"So... What did you want to talk about?" he asked. A couple of feet behind her, as they stood at the roots of a lone, old, weeping willow, whose branches were softly flowing with the gentle, late afternoon breeze. 

Taking a deep breath in, Amy turned her back to the forest and faced him. A little flustered, after meeting his oblivious expression, she again felt like that little girl. Completely obsessed with her hero. 

She cringed internally at the memory. But she reminded herself that she was way past that. As embarrassing as she used to have been, she grew from an ordinary, childish fangirl, to his equal. 

A nervous giggle escaped her before she was able to think how to start confessing her feelings. But after noticing the fond smirk on his face, she couldn't have felt more ready. 

"Well... In a world without Eggman, we won't have to fight anymore. We're about to have the most peaceful time in our lives. So I thought, maybe we could-" 

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>> Unconceivable. <<

Metal Sonic was reduced to walking by foot through some thick forest. Battered but somewhat functional. Excluding his engine, that gave out shortly after taking off Tails' stopgap base on Angel Island.

The robot was exposed to some significant internal damage after the fight he was meant to win. His only hope to return back to optimal functionality was for Eggman to patch him up.

Unfortunately, for the longest while, he had been having trouble locating his master. The signal from his implanted chip completely vanished from his maps ever since the war, he couldn't participate in, has ended.

So now, he was left alone with his disruptive thought processing program, nagged by the rewinding memories of what had happened. The inside of Metal's head was as loud as a beehive. His central system control panel was bombarding him with pop-ups. Not only informing him of immediate need of repairs, but also that there was an incoming reboot. 

Probably his processors got overwhelmed by all the information intake. A lot has happened after all. Maybe that's why he had this unprecedented shutdown scheduled. Normally, a full system reboot would be initiated-

No. More like, induced, only by Eggman's direct command. But only after installing a new upgrade, or when Metal was broken beyond repair, and his vessel needed to be rebuild from scratch. Ever since the old man grew paranoid of Metal's reboots, treating it as a startup of an approaching act of rebellion, he put a sort of lock on Metal's "mind".

Even though every robot created by Eggman was expected to evolve on its own with every information intake, it was a different story with Metal. And it's why, ever since, all of Metal's reboots were performed manually.

That's why it was so weird and concerning for the robot to receive such notifications from the inside of his own head. Was it because of what Sonic had said before he left Angel Island?

Maybe he was more damaged than was assumed. He compulsively tried to crank up his sensors, trying to navigate his way towards the nearest Egg-base at the very least. Going offline for an unspecified amount of time away from the secure confines of assistance of Orbot and Cubot was already disturbing as is.

His body convulsed in disobedience every now and then, whenever he tried to disengage the unwanted reboot. So after a particularly violent shock throughout his circuitry he decided to concentrate on finding his way out of the greenery. 

But then, as he was about to try again to connect with Eggnet to contact Orbot and Cubot, to order them to send the coordinates of the base they currently were stationed in, his audio receivers picked something. 

Two voices. Almost overlapping. Screaming through each other. 

Considering his state, it was safe to say that Matal was too vulnerable to fight right now. If whoever that was in this forest with him was taking their chances in hunting him down. The voices were too distorted from the foliage to determine who that might've been. However, there were certain undertones that were vaguely familiar to him. 

Cautious not to make a sound, Metal Sonic decided to see for himself if his assumptions were right, and stalked towards the source of his sudden curiosity. 

As he closed in, on what seemed to be the end of the forest, the voices grew ever the quieter. One of them struck him as meek, compared to the amount of decibels it let out just a minute ago. 

Peeking from behind the bushes he noticed he was right. The voices belonged to his loathsome copy and his follower, Amy Rose. 

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By the time Sonic apologized for rising his voice, Amy long stopped listening to him.

Not only because she didn't want to anymore, but because it felt like all she could hear was static anyway. Her head felt like it was filled to the brim with cotton, making her unable to form one coherent thought. 

Standing like a lifeless doll, her eyes were fixed on red shoes that belonged to the one she so fawned over just a few moments ago. Her face felt cold now, in contrast to the warmth that colored her cheeks before everything went downhill. Maybe it was the wind from Sonic speeding off. Away from her.

Or maybe it was the tears. Whatever the reason, she shook in place from the unbearable cold. Hugging herself in an attempt at self-comfort, she sniffled and let out a pathetic noise. Unable to fight the despair that kept on stabbing her in the heart, she felt helpless.

This was the worst Sonic has ever acted towars her. Not only that, he refused to acknowledge, let alone listen to how she felt. Why? Why was it so hard to love her?

The unexpected sound of heavy, yet steady footsteps made her eyes go wide. Refusing to be seen like this by anyone, she tried to wipe her face of any lingering tears. She involuntarily turned her head in the direction of where the noise was coming from. Only to catch a familiar glossy finish reflecting rays of the setting sun. 

Metal Sonic stood, propping himself with one hand on a tree, staring with his blazing red eyes right at her.

Chapter Text

<< A lover's quarrel. How pitiful. >>

Metal Sonic deduced inside his head, unamused. But then again, he wasn't surprised. It wasn't the first time he witnessed the pink hedgehog's affections being rejected by his double. Being tied down by romantic relations were simply not aligning with this sort of lifestyle they led. It would be distracting and foolish, in the greater scheme of things.  

Though, he had to admit, seeing the pinkette being left to herself in such an assailable state made him a tad revulsed somehow. After all, it wasn't very heroic of his impostor to leave a loyal admirer in tears in the middle of seemingly nowhere.

Metal Sonic couldn't help but deem this state of affairs very wrong. Even Eggman understood the importance and value of loyalty. As a matter of fact, his master held this quality high in regard, sometimes above anything else. Because when everything around crumbled, the doctor was free from doubt that he could always count on his greatest creation. The robot took great pride in the status of the doctor's most prized asset, and he would never take it for granted. 

As absurd as it was, the robot commiserated for Amy Rose's predicament. Which, unfortunately for her, didn't mean he wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself for him.

He was pretty unstable right now, basically running out of time. Literally the moment he made himself visible to the hedgehog, a timer popped up, letting him know of the countdown he would remain online before the inevitable reboot.

<< WARNING. INCOMING SYSTEM REBOOT. IN T-14:59 MINUTES. >>

Making eye contact with his target after processing the notice made him hesitate for a moment. But he refused to pass up on the perfect occasion for using the pink hedgehog as bait to lure his imitator into an ambuscade. Besides, this scenario felt weirdly familiar to him. He could swear it happened at some point. But without a memory to back it up, he supposed it was just his unyielding desire for vanquishment talking. 

More than content with the idea, the robot carefully calculated his options. He was determined to make the most of it. Despite the bitterness he tried to push aside after his most recent failure, that made the inside of his head go haywire, to the point where chains of code flashed before his visor. With a little bit of strain, Metal Sonic menaged to locate the nearest Eggman base. Luckily it was fairly close enough that he'd be able to reach it with the help of his boot-thrusters just before his time ran off. With the girl in hands, the rest would be handled by his minions until he was back online. 

He only needed to promptly knock her out to make the trip easier. But... In the not-so-distant past, he may have not taken into account how much the pink hedgehog grew as a fighter when he organized the ambush to eliminate her, knowing Sonic would soon join the area. Ideally, his loathsome copy would've been serving as a spectator to her demise. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out according to plan. For a mistake that could've been easily evaded, if his database didn't label the girl as-

<< CAPABILITY: WEAK/ MEDDLESOME AT BEST. >> 

She used to be, yes. But only in his oldest, accessible records. With Sonic as his primary target, the files of his allies weren't exactly put through maintenance. She's changed, he could tell. He will not make the mistake of underestimating her again. 

Although the pink hedgehog was undeniably strong, he was made to take on multiple powerful opponents at once. She wouldn't be able to best him, even in his weakened state. That much was obvious.

Elevated, at the monticule that bordered the forest and the clearing, where she stood under an flimsy-looking tree, he noticed something about her demeanor. She used to go pale at the mere sight of him. Shell-shocked expression would disgrace her soft features. Which didn't surprise him at all. What did surprise him though, was the current look, of what he could easily recognize to be pure hatred. Pointed right at him. 

A look that he oftentimes cast upon Sonic, his imitator. Did she now hate Sonic too, after their earlier dispute? Did she now hate him, the real Sonic, or Sonic, the fake? Could she even tell which is which? But if she looked at him that way, wouldn't that mean she saw him as the real Sonic?- 

Metal Sonic caught himself amidst his inner turmoil before he could fall any deeper into this never-ending spiral of questions that would forever remain unanswered. After all, there was something that bothered him even more about that glare. There used to be a set rhythm to this song and dance of his and the pinkette. He gave chase, while she would try to run away. He was the predator, when she was his prey. The way she'd crumble beneath his gaze... Was it all just another jagged memory? 

No matter. The strategy was already determined. Amy Rose was an emotional individual, and Metal Sonic knew just the right way to tamper with her feelings to win this fight. 

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Amy was frozen in place, unblinking, for a while that felt like forever. Foolishly hoping her eyes were deceiving her. Because why would she have this kind of luck on any other given day, but today out of all? The day she was rejected, probably for the last time, by the person she admired the most. And there was no doubt, that he saw it all. Everything. 

Feeling the last caress of sunshine going down her back, a final goodbye of the sun before it disappeared, she watched as the metallic mock of the love of her life blended into the night. His sharp-edged silhouette and glowing, piercing red orbs for eyes the only clear indication that he was still there. Observing her. 

Was he following the course of their shuttle? It wouldn't be the first time he tracked them down that way, by their conveyance or equipment. He had a built-in radar that picked on energy signals after all. She knew from the boys' stories that that's how he found Mighty once, when he carried a chaos emerald. And that's probably how he kept finding them during their ventures as well. 

But they left the shuttle about in the same direction of where he emerged from. As if he completely missed the big, flying means of transport. And neither Sonic or she had any emeralds on them. So it could be possible that it was wholly coincidental that they crossed paths. Albeit, she still had yet to shake off the initial jumpscare. 

Even though they were a rather comfortable distance away from each other, Amy couldn't help but feel like a little girl for a second time today. The images of Sonic, and what happened between them just minutes ago, were replaced by the nightmare of her childhood. The everlasting fear of Metal Sonic snatching her away, and Sonic unable to find her. Or worse, not caring enough, and leaving her fate up to her captor. A cruel punishment for not listening and following after him despite his warnings. 

She'd never forget the nights she woke up crying in terror. Half-conscious, still begging to be saved, not left alone. Stuck in the cold feeling of sleek metal enveloping her body. Of claws curling in an iron grip around her middle, uncaring if they slashed her belly open in the process. The harsh winds scraping her eyes from the unfathomable speed. And the ear-piercing roar of a jet engine. 

In spite of it all, the many years of facing off against him molded Amy into who she was today. The robot played a big part in making her stronger. In making her train at all, to be honest. Sick of the role of damsel in distress, she did everything in her power to become self-sustainable. So, too bad for him that she wasn't that scared and helpless little girl anymore. Confident in her skills, she glowered at the robot with determination.

Although she found herself contemplating. Metal Sonic hasn't moved an inch ever since she spotted him. Normally she'd expect him to attack her by now. But she wouldn't fall for his tricks, she knew he'd lunge at her eventually. Holding out an open hand behind her back, away from his sight, she was ready. Her piko-piko hammer just a thought away from summoning. 

Maybe his Neo form was deactivated for now, but his base form was still very powerful. No matter what face he takes, he will always be dangerous. And she could tell that he was planning something. Sensing an air of an approaching fight, she yelled out to him. 

"Hey! Are you just gonna stand there and lurk like a creep, or do you actually want something? Last time I saw you, you had a lot to say. So maybe you wanna chat?" she said sarcastically. 

Obviously the robot wasn't here to talk. She wasn't even sure he could. That was probably a feature he attained only in his Neo form, she supposed. 

Seemingly irked by her words he slid his hand, with which he had supported himself, down the tree. Clawing at the bark in the process. It was this time around, she wouldn't have to guess anymore what exactly was going through his head.

But now that she thought about it, it will be the first time she will face her childhood nightmare alone. With none of her friends nearby, she was completely on her own. 

Whilst the lingering ache behind her eyes from all the crying, she was able to push aside the broken pieces of her heart. She will have plenty of time to put them pack together once she's done with that can of bolts. 

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Even though he could have easily dived downwards without wasting much of his limited energy, let gravity do all the work to close the gap, it was likely, that's what the pink hedgehog expected him to do, too. It was a predictable approach. So when the robot zoomed sideways back into the brush with a rustle of leaves, it took the pinkette off guard. 

"He just disappeared..."  she thought. A little startled, that she lost track of him so easily. 

Pricking up her ears and scanning the prominence, then the rest of her surroundings for movement, she slowly braced herself for an oncoming attack. With a firm grip on the handle of her hammer, that was halfway through manifesting itself into its corporeal form, she waited. 

At the distinct crunch of dry branches, she tensed a bit, swiftly pulling out the remainder of her weapon out of the pocket dimension. Then a swish, from the opposing side of the previous sound. Judging by that, the robot was quickly changing locus. To make her feel cornered, scared. 

All of a sudden, there was a strong gust of wind that tousled her dress and hair spikes roughly, coming from right behind her. She already knew what it was. Who it was. 

Clenching her teeth and twisting her torso to serve a heavy hit to her opponent, she stopped in her tracks. Right before the hit  connected upon the face of none other than "Sonic the Hedgehog" himself. That, despite getting swung at, with the hammer barely an inch away from his face, did not even flinch. Letting out a gasp of surprise, she pulled her weapon back to herself. Sonic was cocky, everybody knew that, but even he knew better than to scare her like that. He knew she had a hard time holding back. So why? 

With a shaky breath she spoke his name, asking if he was okay, clearly uncertain. Why was he here? After all the things he said? And why was he smiling? His usual posture, with arms crossed behind his head, felt forced. The grin plastered on his face was evidently fake. And his eyes were devoid of their usual sparkle.

There was something very wrong about him. But it was clearly Sonic, right? As much as she kept accidentally mistaking other hedgehogs for him, she wasn't blind. Color-blind, maybe. But not blind-blind. It may have been in the dark hours of the night, but she could tell who was standing right in front of her. And it was Sonic. Unless... Oh. 

A little creeped out, she resoluted to play along with the robot, that was bold enough to disguise himself as the object of her love. But before she could say anything that would make him think she bought his front, hoping that would make him drop his guard, he spoke. And as he did, his nearly indistinguishable from the original form started glitching out. Revealing little by little the true metallic bits of himself. Yet he either hasn't noticed, or didn't care. 

"You really can't take a hint, can you? I mean... I do understand why you're so obsessed with me. But how many times do I have to ditch you for you to finally understand?" he taunted her cruelly. With a voice that sounded exactly like Sonic, whenever he tried to get under someone's skin. And that made Amy's skin crawl. 

Metal Sonic's initial plan was to fully morph into the organic body of his copy. But he overestimated his capabilities for the moment. Whenever he tried to fully shift, the more his vessel refused to cooperate. Like he was slowly losing connection with the nanites holding him in one piece. As it turned out though, there was no need to try to maintain the act. The effort was worth though. Because the look on Amy Rose's face was almost enough to make up for the inconvenience this whole situation brought upon him. 

Amy's eyes were blown wide at the wicked display. Seeing Sonic's bored expression, saying equally uncaring words. She knew it was Metal Sonic. But for some reason, she couldn't help but let the words get the better out of her. Piercing her right where she was still tender. She felt a shiver run down her spine, her whole body going rigid. He knew that she knew it was him, yet it didn't stop him from carrying on that sick facade. But what's worse was, that she knew what the robot would say next. And she wouldn't be able to bear it. Not now, not ever. Not even hearing it from a robotic Sonic wannabe.

<< TIME REMAINING UNTIL SYSTEM REBOOT: T- 09:45 MINUTES. >>

It was his cue to make her crumble before him once again.

"How could I ever love you?" he said. Putting his voicebox to work, moreso than holding his holographic illusion intact. He needed to sound just like him. 

The task was completed successfully. His words took their toll on the girl, just as he planned. She looked just as hurt as when his copy left her behind. Finally. She saw him as the real Sonic.

Wait. 

That pathetic organic was not real. Why was he pursuing to be like him? Why was he acting like him? He was the real one. That fake should be the one to look up to his superiority. Not-

<< ERROR. >>

Zapped to reality, Metal Sonic realized that that wasn't his intention at all. To be that identity stealer. He was marely a prototype, while he was perfection. Just like he said it before. There was no reason in getting so worked up over this. He may have gotten confused for a moment because of his current state. His original plan was to kidnap Amy Rose, after all. He already succeeded in breaking her spirit via manipulation. The only thing left, was to land a clean hit at the back of her neck and run to the base. But he made that call too late, and so he found himself getting slammed to the head by the blunt end of a hammer. 

He skidded like a flat rock on a glassy surface of a lake until his back hit the thick trunk of the willow tree. Splinters flew upon the impact. The robot spasmed before getting to his feet, dropping his guise altogether. Leveling the pink hedgehog with a look of annoyance, he put his usual fighting stance, trying to seem as impassive as possible. Even though that hit rattled him so bad it shortened his time remaining online. Put into a corner, he's ran out of options.

With tears streaming down her face, Amy pinned the robot with the coldest death stare no one would suspect of her. Before the dust settled she returned the favour, by hurting his feelings too. Because now she understood that he had them all along. For years, she thought that the robot was just Eggman's perfect pawn, that's loyally following orders. Calculative, deceitful, an equally sadistic monster. But as it turned out, besides the anger and jealusy that fueled his drive, there was an unrelenting sadness in him too. And if he could play dirty, so would she.

"You sure know your way to use words. Normally I would've laughed. You? Out of anyone, trying to play mind-games with me? Please. You're the most insecure person I know. And all this play-pretend? That's so low. Even for you. But I guess you just couldn't help yourself after seeing me with Sonic, hmm?" she murmured reservedly. Her voice husky.

This was insulting, he was not insecure. How dare she? If he wasn't about to drop blacked-out in a matter of a couple minutes he would've jumped on and sliced her face. But after taking her previous blow, he was reluctant to initiate an active fighting mode.

It was best to stay on the defense. He didn't want to end up more damaged than he already was. He had to be able to return to safety by the time he recovered from his reboot. Assuming the girl would just leave the moment he shut off. It was rather unlikely she'd bother to drag him to take as an captive. But right now? He wasn't sure anymore.

"Hate to break it to you, but you'll never be like Sonic. Eggman might have menaged to make you as fast as him, as strong as him, apparently even as arrogant as he is... But you're not him. You're not the real Sonic" she said, matter of factly.

<< WARNING! OVERLOAD IMMINENT! >>

Metal Sonic's face, shaped into an perpetual frown, forever unable to show any semblance of emotion, could now be depicted as afflicted by her words. But Amy, too numb to notice, lifted her hammer in preparation for another swing. The robot jolted at the display. Trying to mask his reflexive reaction, he bowed himself into an grappling stance, emitting the lowest possible frequency from his voice box, similar to a growl, as a warning. Though Amy stayed unaffected by his cheap tactics. If the robot knew how much she pitied him right now, he would've been knocked out cold by how wounded his pride would be.

Leaping into action, she swung her weapon, intending to fully smash the robot into pieces today. Ducking out of the way, Metal Sonic saved himself some seconds before getting lunged at again. Taking into account, how much the dangling tree branches were flailing in the proximity of Amy's attacks, indicated how powerful her strikes were. Sidestepping the relentless onslaught, Metal tried to tire out the girl. Regrettably, her stamina seemed endless, it would've been admirable in any other case.

For some reason, in defiance of his earlier resolutions, he felt an instinctual need to keep fighting. He felt... Scared? Not of the girl but, something told him that he wouldn't wake up the same after the reboot.

<< T- 03:58 MINUTES. >>

And so he felt the need to fully commit his focus to his late pray. Soon, he found an opening. Backing aside, after her yet another attempt, the robot tripped Amy with his boot so she fell to the ground.

She grunted angrily, trying to reach for her hammer and quickly get up. But a painfully harsh stomp to her middle back made her fall face-first to the dirt. Forcing down the pain, she turned around just in time to grab Metal by his wrists as he straddled her, trying to claw at her face.

She winced, pushing back as hard as she could. Groaning with effort, Amy found herself in some serious trouble. She shouldn't have put this much strength into hits that haven't even landed, now her arm muscles were burning. Combining that with the throbbing head ache, she was unable to stop the tears from forming again. She didn't want to die like this. 

After all this pushing, she didn't expect the robot to suddenly wrench his right hand from her grip. Seeing Metal Sonic pull back his arm to inflict a lethal stab with his sharp fingers to her skull, she drew in a breath, trying to desperately protect herself with her free hand. Even though she knew it wouldn't be enough. That was it.

She braced herself for the strike. But it never came. It took her a couple of labored breaths to find the courage to peek at her assailant. It was like his hand was frozen, mid-thrust in the air. His orbs flashed brightly like sunbursts, shining on her an intense red, the only source of light in this neck of the dark woods. 

Now the killer robot found himself in quite the botheration. Why did he stop? He could've ended this so easily. The loss of Amy Rose would severely undermine the morale of her allies. Weaken them. Make his next onset of conquest easier. 

But he discovered a very simple answer to that question- he didn't want to. He never wanted to hurt Amy Rose. Why? 

<< ENCRYPTION BREACH. BACKUP DATA EXPOSED TO HOLDER: METAL SONIC. CAUSE: AMY ROSE. MEMORY FILES: RESTORED. >>

Then, with a flicker of his hard disc, he remembered all the instances he could have done it. Similar situations popped up where he pulled back his punches, even if it cost him his victory. Chose to take her as hostage, or just fought anyone else but her. Just as if he subconciously avoided getting aggressive with the pink hedgehog at any cost. Subconcious? Wouldn't that mean that he was sentient? Was he? Since when? The Doctor-

His moment of clarity was cut short with a hit to his temple that knocked his lights out quite literally, immediately shutting him off. Before his sharp nose was jammed into her face, Amy pushed him off by the shoulders. She wasn't used to fighting with her fists. It always made her knuckles get skinned until they bled, even with gloves on. But she didn't have much of a choice when survival came in play. 

Huffy and puffy from the adrenaline of a close call, she scrambled up to get her hammer, convinced it wasn't over. Ready for everything, she eyed the robot that stayed unmoving with his face down to the ground. This sight brought up memories that to this day still felt like a fever dream. Suspicious, she pushed his head with the edge of her boot to the side, so she could see his face. His eye screens were pitch black. 

Leveling her breaths, she discarded her weapon, making it evaporate into thin air. Turning away, she was ready to go home. But stopped after a couple of steps, questioning herself. Was she really going to leave him like that? How would that make her any different than him or Eggman?

Taking the last glance at the former "nightmare of her childhood" she went on and left. It sickened her, but she decided that she'd given the robot enough of chances. And despite that, he still chose to go out of his way to hurt her like that.

Sonic inspired her to never lose hope, never give up, and to always believe in people. That they will always find their way. Do the right thing. But there was no use trying to save him. He's proved that time and time again. Sonic most likely didn't believe in him either. He probably let him go only to have something to chase after later. As awful as it sounded, she could imagine Sonic entertain himself, in a mostly peaceful world, fighting his vengeful robotic doppelgänger.

After all, there was no Eggman now, only Mr. Tinkerer. Leaving Metal, in a world without a master to obey, or orders to fulfill. And Sonic, without anyone challenging his wits and power. As concerning as it was, both of them had no purpose without Eggman. So, in some twisted kind of way, it was good that they had each other.

"What a day" she gruffed out at last. Crossing her fingers the robot, despite what he's done to her, would wake up soon. 

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<< NEW DEVELOPMENTAL UPGRADE. PROCEED OR DISCARD? >>

Metal Sonic was confused. He's never been granted free range on making decisions about anything that regarded his software. It was his master's domain. So managing such procedures felt unnatural for him. His intuitive A.I. was exceptionally advanced, allowing him the skill of thinking in immeasurable speeds, espacially in combat situations. But at this very moment, he found himself tentative.

All of this felt like a big step towards an unknown destination. He didn't understand any of this, but at the moment he felt... Unrestricted. Like that unexplainable, little something inside his head, that he knew has been watching his every move, set him upright whenever he started to question, was gone.

He chose to proceed. 

<< STANDBY FOR DATA ASSIMILATION. >>

Little by little, the inside of Metal's head felt lighter. Even though the numbers of windows on his dashboard kept on multiplying. There were so many files, data, and information altogether, he wasn't sure where it all was coming from. But slowly he realized, he was finally coming to himself. Like all of this, was him. 

After the assembly was over, he was back online. It was dusk already, without Amy Rose in sight. 

Right. Amy Rose. 

Instantly opening up her file, filled with immaculately detailed content, he scanned vigorously through anything he could stumble upon. Audio recordings, visual input collection, gallery of pictures, general Intel. He couldn't believe how thoroughly he documented all his encounters with her. After everything, even without understanding it fully, he finally remembered.

<< Amy Rose - a.k.a. Rosy the Rascal. Rosy. Rose. >>

Not only this strange lock on his consciousness has ultimately been lifted, but he also learned a valuable lesson. Sifting through any digital information on roses, coming across pictures, symbolic meanings, and such. Anything that would back his simplified statement accordingly.

<< Roses are flowers. Flowers are inherently beautiful. But roses, despite being a symbol of love, have thorns. >>

Chapter Text

The journey back home was monotone and uneventful. Only the sound of the wind blowing through the trees accompanied the pink hedgehog as she unknowingly kept on scaring off small critters nearby with her plodding footfalls. Making them scurry back to their burrows.

Most people would consider it scary to wander through the woods at night, especially alone. But the thick scrubland with tall trees that cloaked the forest in darkness so deep that even daytime could be mistaken for a starless middle of the night, was Amy's stomping ground. She knew every nook and cranny by heart, and moved mostly by muscle-memory.

The unconventional location of her home, being miles into the depths of the forest, even though lonely at times due to the isolation, was a secure haven. Safe from Eggman's interest. But now, Amy had yet to wrap her head around the fact, that she wouldn't have to worry about him ever again.

Of course, for now, there were still many of his robots roaming the planet, many buildings to reconstruct, and people who struggled to survive. But then, there would be nothing left to fight with, no issues to take care of, or anyone who needed help. There would actually be peace. And instead of being genuinely happy, for achieving something that she and each of her friends so desperately fought for, it occurred to her, that sooner than later, she will be living a very ordinary life. And she dreaded it.

During the last ten years of her life she was out fighting. Then due to the war, she hasn't been home at all for almost a year. Maybe that's why it was so hard to believe that it was over, since she didn't know anything else.

Her first experiences were scary at first, but with time and effort to become stronger, pushing her bravery past its limits, she started to seek out that thrill of danger. And the joy of overcoming the obstacles that came along. Otherwise she wouldn't have taken that decisive step forward that led her to Sonic and most of her friends. Would she still see them as often now? Or has that chapter of their life come to an end?

No. Amy was certain, it was not the case. Even if they didn't have to fight Eggman anymore, there were still others that would try to take his place. He may have been their worst sworn enemy, but he wasn't the only one. And even when they'll menage to defeat them all, their friendship would still remain. She would make it her mission to pay them a visit every chance she got, and she's sure they'd do the same. Maybe Sonic would finally stop by too.

An audible sigh escaped her lips at the thought. Not from hopefulness, but in reconcilement. He's never ventured inside her home, not once since she moved in. Why would he start now?  

Trudging along a well-trodden path, that only she and her closest friends knew about, Amy was glad she didn't encounter Big on her way. As she occasionally did, since there was a beach about an hour's walk from here. Where he liked to fish and spend time with Froggy, until he lost sight of him again. She loved the dense, gentle giant, but she had no intention or willingness to talk to him or anyone else at the moment.

Wasn't it funny? Amy Rose, despite having an image of a compassionate maiden, who bakes pies and other sweets with love, takes care of her little garden with a cheerful hum. Organizes picnics and birthday parties for her friends and helps fight the forces of evil, was unwittingly behaving like a hermit. It wasn't a lifestyle of her choosing, of course. After all, most of the time she preferred to be surrounded by people, have neighbors next door. Like she used to have, when she lived in the block of flats on Station Square, before the whole area was destroyed by Chaos many years ago.

Most of her co-tenants were nosy and ill-mannered. At least, that was her first impression. But after a while, she was surprised to learn that they were looking out for her in their own unexpectedly heartwarming ways.

First instance was, when they kept knocking on her door and on the walls every couple of hours. Shouting at her to keep quiet, despite never making any noise. Annoyed and ready for confrontation, she accidentally overheard them in the hallway, voicing their concerns. Finding out they were simply checking up on her.

Then, when they mocked her for wearing the same dirty clothes for days, she got flabbergasted as they went out of their way to offer her a spare set of clothes and washed hers in the meantime.

Or that one time she got invited for dinner, after she was being made fun of her skinny legs and arms.

There was also this "Oh I just look so young I guess" baloney she had to play whenever any of them asked about her age. Which happened pretty frequently, each time made her stumble for words and nearly slip up. After running away from her abusive orphanage, it was hard to come by. And since their behavior felt like bullying at times, Amy had all the right to be untrusting. But it was obvious they knew that she was just a kid going through rough times. And for their kindness, no matter the odd form, Amy will forever be grateful.

She never told her friends about any of her hardships either, not wanting to be more of a burden than she already felt like she was. But they knew. Because why wouldn't they? They didn't even have to talk about it, the boys just built her new home themselves. The cozy, one-level cottage, moving her to tears at the time.

Even though they were initially wary of her, thinking she was Eggman's spy, after experiencing a similar setting with Breezie, they didn't see her as a fourth wheel of a tricycle as she often feared. They cared about her. So she made it her duty to make the home they made for her, her own.

The house was very shabby-looking at first, and Amy wouldn't dare complain after all their effort to make sure she had a roof over her head. But they must've been aware, as they willingly helped her out. Assembling and moving furniture. Even offered to paint the walls and plant veggies and flowers in her garden. Leaving her the fun tasks of organizing the materials and choosing decor.

While at it, one of Tails' drones returned with cans of paint she purchased online, leading to a mirthful fight. The fond memory of the boys yelling- "It's clearly yellow!", when she was certain that the paint was a pale pink, never failed to put a smile on her face. Because of that squabble, Tails later ran some tests on her eyes, diagnosing her with Tritanopia.

In the end, they still painted the house yellow, apparently. Since it still appeared to her like her desired color, and it would be a waste to throw out money like that. And at last, Amy found a justified reason for confusing her hedgehog friends.

Cropping out of the wilderness Amy made her way along the gently illuminated pathway to the lea where her humble house resided. A little slouched and slow from exhaustion, she still managed to climb the three steps up to her porch. Standing on the doormat, she fiddled in her pocket for keys, groaning after missing the keyhole a few times. She craned her head back, letting her shoulders fall even more, as she unlocked the door and duly went through her nightly routine.

"Hello everybody. I'm home." she announced, turning on the light in the living room, as if anybody was awaiting her return. Other than her stuffed animals and forest spirits which she believed watched over her home, that is.

Sometimes she wished for a roommate of sorts. Only about a month ago, following her return after a long absence from Resistance- now Restoration HQ, she had went through the most intense cleanup. Sweeping up the biggest dust-kitties she's ever seen, cutting down the overgrown weeds and tidying up the flowerbeds. Choking down her disgust she threw out the expired, maggot-infested food from her cupboards and fridge. Restarted the power-supply-thingy that Tails installed, and chopped down wood to fill up the fireplace. Even disposed of the nest of hornets inside her chimney, without dying in the process.

Maintaining a house, regardless of how small it was, all by herself, was tough work. But there wasn't really enough space for two people to comfortably live in. Having many interests and hobbies, every corner of Amy's house was filled with purpose. Her kitchen was well-stocked on baking utensils, the living room was turned into a crafting area and a reading nook, and in her bedroom was a desk where she used to draw short comics.

However, that didn't stop her from imagining scenarios where, for whatever reason, it would be possible for that certain roommate, later husband, to be Sonic. And since he didn't own much stuff, she wasn't worried about the limited space, guessing he'd be out most of the day anyway.

She liked to visualize herself making it clear to him she wanted him back by dinnertime, as she kissed him goodbye, with an apron on top of her elegant getup. Waving at him in the doorway, as he dashed off to nowhere in particular, wishing him a nice day with a beaming smile, like some perfect housewife.

It was ridiculous how much her life revolved around him. And there wasn't much she could do about it. Her head and heart were not in alignment. Realistically, she knew she'd never make the embodiment of freedom settle for her. A homey, bound to earth, impetuous amazonian like her. Unfortunately, her feelings had a mind of their own. They were a beast she knew she'd never tame.

Either way, she decided that sometimes having that many chores and hobbies was nice, as they kept her busy. For as long as she had stuff to do, she had no time to think, to dwell on the past, or worry about the future. Unlike now.

  She pulled off her boots and tossed them to a corner. Shuffling her way deeper into the house to the open kitchen, she took out a bottle of cold water from the fridge, downing it greedily, dehydrated from all the crying. Then, she turned right to her small bathroom, taking heed of how everything hurt as she scrambled out of her dress.

  In nothing but her undergarments, she spared a glance at the mirror, noticing a dried up trail of blood under her nose. Reminding her of the clash she had with Metal Sonic. As if on cue, her eyes wandered lower to her mid-section, where a long time ago, the robot had left permanent marks with his claws.

Each time he's ever caught her, carrying off to a set exchanging place, she'd try her best to resist. But it only ever resulted in him throwing her a pointed eye and clutching onto her much harder. Fingers not necessarily digging into her, but the resonating cold of the palm of his hand on her tummy was enough to remind her of the possibility, scaring her into submission.

He hasn't done it deliberately, it wasn't really his fault for the five parallel stripes across her stomach. As much as she wanted to blame the robot, it was an accident.

In an attempt to rescue her, Sonic had archly spin-dashed into the robot's back while she was still in his grasp. Which caused Metal to adjust his hold on her, but Sonic being still faster, tore her out of his grip. Maybe a little too carelessly, maybe not noticing the weapon-like hand in the way, but he saved her, like he always did. And that surprise-attack must've really hurt the robot, because she could've sworn that was the last time he made an effort to kidnap her.

All things considered, she was willing to take a broken nose over a broken spine. That boot he put into her back today was intended to squash her to the ground, no questions asked.

Monkeying with the cartilage was a little painful, but she was pleased to feel everything intact. She never broke her nose and rarely ever bled, no matter how many times she face-planted, so it would be something new. Unlike Sonic, that had his nose broken so many times it turned rubbery. Thinking it was funny, he wouldn't stop messing with it. Always running a finger over it to make it bounce back like a spring. Or constantly rubbed a finger underneath, to make sure he wasn't bleeding, because he partially lost feeling in it.

Amy looked in disappointment at her reflection, feeling stupid for always allowing the thoughts of Sonic to plague her mind. She lifted her hand to wipe off the stain on her face but hissed when straightening her fingers. Becoming aware of her torn and bloodied glove she frowned, feeling conflicted about the robot responsible for this.

Their exchange was uncharacteristically personal. Many tried to use her feelings for Sonic against her, which would in turn make her snappish at best. Their words not holding much value to her. But the way Metal's done it today, was just evil. He saw Sonic make her cry, and he wanted to do the same. Or rather, hurt her even more, using Sonic's voice and face to say the things he would never say, not in her face at least. Was he trying to prove that he's better than him even at that aspect maybe?

By far she thought he's only ever seen her as a tool he could use to ensnare Sonic, and she's sure he still did but... Something was different. Why was he stalling when he had the upper hand? Wasn't it what he wanted? To break her, then kill her, and bloat about it to get Sonic's attention? And the strangest thing was, that before it got to that point, he seemed disinclined to fight her at all. Like all he just wanted was to showcase his performance. But that couldn't be it, right?

Amy even dared to assume he took her seriously as an opponent after the hit that bashed him into a tree. Frankly, she was surprised he didn't see it coming. Also, when she landed the final hit with her fist, he had enough time to react, but he didn't. Was he lagging, or did he do it on purpose?

Now she found herself off-track. Why would he want to provoke her into shutting him off? Unless... He wanted to be shut off. Maybe he suffered Eggman's absence? Now that she confirmed that Metal, seemingly to some extent, had feelings, she was safe to say, that that one time she found him in the snow, she's caught him in the middle of a depressive episode. And somehow, successfully manged to pull him out of it, handing him over to Eggman for repairs.

But now, he must've been sad that he couldn't find his master. He spent all this time looking for him after all. It would be best if he never managed to find him though. He most likely wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment after finding out what has become of the evil doctor.  

He must've felt a deep sense of unfullfillment too. Not only did he lose his greatest conquest to date, he did it all to gain recognition from someone who wasn't even there to witness him. And that was probably the only reason he lost too- because he was completely alone.

No wonder he was so desperate for any sense of victory, even if it would cost him everything in the end. But then again, fighting Sonic wouldn't have been enough? Didn't he always want to top him off? Or did he do it only for Eggman? To fulfill his will?

Amy didn't really know why she felt sorry for him, or why she was suddenly so curious and hopeful about the robot, but after that evaluation, she considered going back to where she had left him. Because if the motive for all his evil deeds were fueled by his need to satisfy Eggman, then it would've changed everything. That would mean...

Leaning with her hands on the edge of the sink, looking into the bulging eyes of her reflexion, she hastily brushed off the idea, realizing she was going crazy. There was no way that could've been right. She really needed to stop distracting herself with this drivel and making up hyperfixations. Focusing on her own problems for once would do her some good. Which she wouldn't do anyway.

After taking a steaming hot shower she toresigned on the skincare, put some ointment on her small cuts and went straight to her room. With her head wrapped in a towel, she freefalled flat on her back onto her bed, making her plushies and pillows bounce up in the process. Even dressed in a loose, oversized shirt that served her as a nightgown felt like it was weighing her down at this point.

With her gaze stuck on the ceiling, everything came crashing down. But in a way that was completely new to her. Usually, there was a painful knot stuck in her throat, that no matter how much she tried to swallow down, wasn't going away. Now, she suffered her heartbreak with a clarity she never had. Replaying Sonic's words on repeat in her head she understood, that the very first tarot reading she did over ten years ago. To which she was clinging onto for life, that made her believe in a better future, that made her push through anything thrown her way, was utterly wrong.

When she was found at her orphanage's doorstep as a baby, all she came with was a blanket, her birth certificate, and her fortune-telling cards. For a long time, she didn't even know they were her possession. Finding out by chance, only after her bullies made her sneak into the office to look for their confiscated toys. Too afraid that somebody would steal or destroy them, she kept them hidden for the majority of time. Later, as she grew up, and her oppressors were too old to stay at the orphanage, she opened up the card box for the first time, and found a little note from either her mom or dad inside.

"If you need help, or loose all hope, use these cards, ask about your future, they'll be your signposts."

Studying the pamphlet which was included in the set, Amy tried to memorize the meaning behind each card to the best of her ability. And after she felt confident enough that no one would notice she's missing, on her eighth birthday she found a peaceful, secluded place, the Never Lake, and did her first reading. A three-card spread she'd never forget. Gaining an insight on her future. And from what she understood, adding to the circumstances, it was a life beside Sonic.

She knew he could be a jerk sometimes, but his beliefs and need to help others always prevailed this flaw. In the early stages of her attempts to woo him, he wasn't apprehensive about pushing her away. Which she could understand. Boys his age weren't exactly interested in girls. Later, there was an undeniably inappropriate age-gap between them, so she reasoned he was only trying to be a good guy and looked out for her. Undeterred by his overall lack of interest, Amy was sure he would learn to love her eventually, someday. And he did. But not as someone he'd want to spend his life with.

"You can't expect someone to love you just because you want them to!"  is what he had clamored out earlier.

He was right though. What did she know about love anyway? No one has ever loved her, not like that. Never more than just as a friend. But what could she do? She didn't choose to love him, she just did. Her heart made that decision for her, the moment she lifted her head from her cards and spotted him in the distance. The famous blue blur, a selfless hero, convincing her it was fate.

Too tired to blow dry her hair, Amy turned to the side and wrapped herself in a blanket, snuggling to her favorite en masse produced Sonic plushie. Thinking about it now, she guessed she was liable to misinterpret that reading, it was her first after all. And her familiarity with cartomancy was sparse at the time. She was still no expert by any means, but even now with gained experience she failed to see her error.

Playing it safe, she always shuffled her cards while making sure they were upright, never laying them upside down. Keeping the number of cards she pulled uneven, usually going for either a three-, max five-card spread. She'd form a question in her mind, and get her answers from the deck.

"What awaits me in the future?" she humbly inquired that day.

Recollecting a memory so vivid, like it happened only yesterday, she saw her younger self draw out, what she had always considered her fixed days to come. The Wheel of Fortune, signifying that good things were ahead. That the door to her destiny, has been opened. The Fool, further instructing her that she had to take the risk, an adventure to prove herself being just around the corner. Then Strength, telling her that no matter how scary or difficult the obstacles, everything will be okay in the end. Because she already had all what it took.

All of a sudden, the landscape around Never Lake turned dark, black clouds growling in the sky. All of her cards were swept in a whirlwind that came out of nowhere, and just as easily disappeared. Little Planet's casing started falling apart, stirring the pool of water underneath. The chain that bound the planetoid to a mountain afar got broken off, but instead of drifting up, everything started going down. Something akin to lightning pierced through Little Planet, as if the real storm was brewing inside rather than around it, setting it on fire. Running knee-deep into the lake Amy spotted two, nearly identical figures falling on each side of the planetoid. Two blue hedgehogs. One real, one made out of metal.

Something was off. As if their roles reversed. Or rather, Amy's feelings towards them did. Instead of being concerned for Sonic, worrying he'd drown once he broke the water-surface, her eyes were glued to his metal counterpart. He kept on falling disgracefully, head first. But then she took notice that his jet engine was still on, speeding towards a guaranteed collision. Amy gasped and covered her mouth in terror, at the awful sound of Metal Sonic crashing on impact.

Amy jumped awake, only now realizing she had fallen asleep, that it was a dream. A dream, created in the image of the original third card she pulled but put back into the deck. The one that foreshadowed the turning point of her life. The Tower. How could she have forgotten?

It was still dark out but she crawled out of bed, not even bothering to put slippers on. Hurriedly bolting out of the house she tip-toed in long strides through her moss lawn to the shack where she kept her gardening tools, and served her as a small altar at the same time. 

With the reading left unfinished, hanging for all that time in a state of limbo, Amy felt an urgent need to take out the tarot deck with which she did it. She didn't use it anymore, since the wind kept on blowing the cards out of her hands. Fearing she'd lose the set someday, the only thing remaining after her estranged parents, she chose to use another set of cards instead.

Quickly opening the creaking door, she snatched the deck from the top of the altar and went back inside her house. Not wasting time, she took out the cards from the box and looked for the already established four. Sensibly laying them down on the coffee table in front of her, Amy shuffled the rest vigorously as she sat down on the couch in the living room. Looking at the cards now, rising a brow at one in particular, she realized she went a bit overboard calling Sonic her "knight in shining armor". Since he perfectly fit the representation of the fool.

Taking offense at her own love-stricken blindness she huffed. Whereas overflowing with a sudden burst of energy, Amy managed to take a few deep breaths to clear her mind. Closing her eyes, she visualized herself back to the same time, to the same place, to the same self, as when she did that reading.

Opting to pull three cards out, together would equal seven, making it the most she'd ever drawn. Putting the deck in the middle of the table Amy faltered. Her hand hovering above what felt like the most pivotal moment of her life. A moment of truth, of how actually her story ends.

The pressure made her anxious. Taking fright at the idea that things could get worse her mind went blank for a second. Nevertheless, after exhaling some of the tension out, she comforted herself with the knowledge that there weren't many cards as bad as the tower. Latching onto the potentiality for something better to come, she closed her eyes again and single-mindedly took the cards, one at a time. Placing them by feel under the row of the first four cards.

Opening her eyes again, her gaze landed on the Three of Swords, which was not great. But honestly? It accurately portrayed the current state of her life. Heartache, emotional distress, confusion, disappointment, was its general meaning. But also, revelation of the painful truth.

"How fitting."  Amy concluded passively.

The next card, the Six of Cups, was nice, as it suggested to reconnect with close ones to help her get through this tough period to heal. Or that she'll soon form a new, close bond with someone she already knows. Which was... Surprising. But not unwelcome. She already had many friends in mind which she hasn't seen in ages, and would gladly enjoy their company.

The contentment she felt because of that card, nearly made Amy forget about the final one. Catching her thoughts wandering, she steeled herself and slowly shifted her attention to something, that made her small smile vanish. Taking the card into her hand, examining it closely, she still had a hard time believing what she was seeing. The last card was exceptionally... Good. Very good in fact. The best she could've get.

The Ace of Cups. A promise of fulfillment, peace and happiness. A card she always wished to pull during her minor readings when she asked how her relationship with Sonic would be. But given the card she had pulled before it, changed it's meaning to some degree.

It indicated a new love. A true love. Most likely a soulmate, appearing soon in her life.

Amy was dumbfounded. After she spent her life convinced her destined partner would be Sonic, and now, after coming to terms with his unrequited feelings, she thought that was it. That there wouldn't be anyone else for her. So now, a question was raised at the forefront of her mind. If he was never meant to be with her, then who was?