Episode 3:

The Summer Festival, Part One

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The Debut of Unwanted Infatuation

(and the conflicts that arose with it)

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Author's Note: This story's blazing, huh? Less than three months and already I've written four, painfully long chapters. If only Deprivation came this naturally. Of the chapters thus far, this is my favorite. I've tried to improve on the aspects of stringy dialogue but throwing some chunky paragraphs in with it. I've also tried to take a fresh direction with some characters (particularly Tails) so if you'd please, tell me where that's going. There are two scenarios in this installment that I especially liked and try to build tension with; Sally's speech and the argument prior. If you could give me feedback directly on how I delievered on those, it'd be appreciated. You can call this the climax of the first 'season', I suppose.

Quick editted version is up now-more in depth one potentially later. Again, I emphasize, READ AND REVIEW. I am, as always, in desperate need of feedback-YOUR FEEDBACK. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Sonic characters nor will I ever.

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Bright, luminous banners stretched across the main district of the revived metropolis. There was a pale, pastel blue sky lingering under the risen sun. By the looks of it, it couldn't be any later than nine in the morning, typically a time when many would be at work, school, or if lucky (and if it was a weekend) sleeping in. Unlike most of the lazy days of the spring finale, however, this one was different. There was tension. There was excitement. Under the light breeze, there was life.

The castle fountain had become a near pavilion. Castle Acorn boldly stood north of it, but if anything, it was the host to many tourists who had come from different parts of the planet and continent to experience and see the foundation that was the Acorn Kingdom's government. Some came to admire the architecture; the pure beauty that was a palace. Others came to catch a glimpse of the beauty that was the princess…

In the eyes of the princess herself though, that half of the population was ignored. It was at that time in the morning that she stood to the left of the small stage that had been set up in front of the fountain. On top it, a podium. People had crowded behind this stage; it had become the equivalent of an activist march; a protest…

Children rushed around the few gaps. Some Mobians sat; others stood. There was anxious conversation all about. From where she was standing, Princess Sally Acorn, the kingdom's newest political debutant, watched some of the children play a new game. Its name: "How Close Can You Get To Princess Acorn". Under natural circumstances, the game would be relatively simple. They could find her in the town's newspaper office; they could find her in the local café; on the college campus meeting her 'nephew' on the last day of school, watching him jump into her arms raving about the scores of his finals; swinging on the oversized swing at Miles 'Tails' Prower's oasis, his house; see her peering over a balcony, staring up at a blanket of stars, just thinking. They could find her. She was no mystery.

Now, however, was different. There seemed to be a wall around her; a square of straight-faced guards 'protecting' her from outside contact; squeezing her to the point of suffocation. Luckily, however, the square was wide enough there was some air. Luckily, she didn't have to endure it alone.

"I don't think I've ever seen a puff that high on anyone's hair, Aunt Sally!" Chuckling, a fox flew up beside her, admiring her auburn hair, uncomfortably styled into a 'half-up, half-down' position, as deemed by the girls on his campus. The 'puff' however, gave it an old fashion touch. It was pretty, it was elegant; it was classy; it was regal. It was a pretty Aunt Sally.

"That was what two hours of teasing did, Tails. Bunnie labored on it all morning…"

"It's funny…"

"You're funny, Tails…" Her remark was sarcastic, as she nearly stumbled again. "SUPPORT 9 'O CLOCK!" The outburst nearly took the boy by surprise as he landed, immediately grabbing her left arm.

"Thank you, honey." She nearly stumbled momentarily, staring down at a pair of heels that graced her feet. The heel on there had to be at least six inches, she had sympathized. What her father was trying to prove was beyond her. The additional height was doing nothing but discomforting her. She hardly felt powerful or superior. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Tails. I think I have it under control now though. You can let go."

He did that, frowning. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay up there, Aunt Sally? I could come up too, you know? Be your uhh…guard…ing support."

She let out a giggle, shaking her head, her auburn locks going with it. "As much as I'd like that, Tails, I've got to do this for myself. I've delivered a thousand speeches before. This…shouldn't…be…any…harder." Playing with the heel on her left shoe, she tried to find a comfortable position to stand in. However, for every tilt to the right she dealt it, her right shoe fell out of sync, making her look awkward; anything but graceful; anything but distinct.

"But you're in a pair of heels this time!"

"Not to my will, Tails! Of all the missions I've led in Robotropolis this takes all of them!"

A laugh between the two. "Are you sure you have it handled, Aunt Sally?" He studied her, watching her adjust the angle at which her heel was placed. He held back a chuckle at the delicate science; having some respect for her in her painful hour of need (well, anything in heels was painful, he summarized, if it was giving a girl with her overall controlled demeanor trouble).

She painfully nodded, finally gaining her balance and stance. "Well, Tails? Do I look poised? I think I've found the correct position…"

"Hee hee, you're in first position." Glancing at her feet, the fox chuckled once more. First position; both feet facing out and to the side. He learned that watching those college girls dance on that stage. The dance was alright, but those outfits-cleaning his mind of those bizarrely arousing images, he focused himself on his 'aunt' (after that discussion during her toast, he had become more reserved on many topics regarding his campus life). His eyes running up, he noticed the other minor details of her apparel; an oversized sunhat in her left paw, a cream, whimsical sun dress covered the upper portion (and most of the lower) of her body. There were small hearts in different shades and variations of brown wandering and meandering on throughout, causing him to giggle. Not even though hazel ribbon straps could keep his eyes away from where he was looking. Actually, for the first time he actually begun to notice his aunt had a figure similar to the girls on campus; feminine curves, an appealing, alluring chest-wait, what was he thinking, to be staring like that? Why was he staring like that? He didn't get it; he didn't get it at all. More or less, ever since that one day his mind had been down in the gutter. Sure, it was sort of hard to avoid that area; it was sort of hard to avoid studying his 'aunt' like that, surely everyone his age had to; didn't Sonic, didn't Antoine? Wasn't it normal? Was it normal? Could he possibly, at the ripe 'ol age of 13 be attracted to his 'aunt'? His 'aunt'; the girl that had tucked him in at Knothole, laid down the Funny Kiss on a nightly basis; the girl that nearly mothered him…was it even possible? There was something about those eyes of hers though, he had to confess. She loved him. She loved him; she said so nightly. And he loved her…well, he thought he did, anyway. He always said it back. Yeah, that had to be the feeling that was conjured inside; it had to be. But then why; why on Mobius was he staring at her the way he was? Enlightened by seeing her in a fitted summer dress; taken back by her 'vintage' hair-do (at least that was what the girls at college called it; vintage gorgeous); surprised by seeing her in make-up; flabbergasted at the sight of her in heels…that wasn't love. That wasn't lust. It wasn't physical attraction because it just couldn't be. It couldn't; end of story. She wasn't his for the taming. She wasn't anyone's for the taming. She was her own person and she had her own set of ambitions. She had a life paved ahead for herself; more or less against her will, but all the same.

Then again, he couldn't deny the times they had spent together after Sonic the Hedgehog had left; the set of those giggling, sugar-sweet times they had spent talking about the world, astronomy, education, escaping castles, understanding Antoine; all the times they had spent hadn't left their mark on him. He also couldn't deny, however, the mad set of feelings his 'aunt' possessed for that blue hedgehog? Well, jeez, what did he have that he didn't? Years? It wasn't right, the way he was feeling staring at her. It wasn't right that way he was getting all sweaty; sure, he could tell her it was the heat, but it was too early for it to peak too high in temperature. He was her nephew. Her surrogate nephew; not her crush, not her lover. It was never supposed to be like that, so why was he thinking like that? Why weren't those Funny Kisses as funny as they used to be? Why were they nice now? Why weren't they nasty? Why didn't he understand what was going on in there; why didn't he understand what was happening to his head? All those perverted jokes the kids in his school would make; all the sexual references; all the gross sightings of couples making out on campus…why was he more tolerant right now? Could he be-no, he couldn't. He couldn't and would never be.

Once again forcing himself to stay sweet and pure he smiled pleasantly over an infatuated and wry grin.

"I can't believe you're in a dress, Aunt Sally." He feigned a gush, forcing his eyes on her arms rather than that one area of her body that he didn't want to want to look at (it was rude, first of all, and what would she think?). Catching an eye of a wide-brim, straw hat, he bit his lip. Well, it could be a reasonable distraction… "Is that Bunnie's hat?"

"No, it's my own. Apparently it's in style." Placing it over her hair, she grinned. "Well?"

He looked over her, trying to stay away from the overwhelmingly suggestive compliments that were raging in his adolescent, male-hormone-stricken body. "I don't think it's big enough to cover that hair hump, Aunt Sally…" He begun, off of plain scientific observation (better than nothing). "With its volume, I mean…the width (at this point he sadly found his gaze averting downward; what was he talking about again?) well, that can do anything!" A blush overcame his cheeks when it had struck him what the width really applied to. Something was wrong with him; something was undoubtedly wrong with him and he was embarrassed.

And more wrongly; more sadly, she noticed.

"Are you alright, honey?" She begun in a soothing voice; the same that had mesmerized him from the beginning. Mesmerized? Him? Now he really was starting to feel sick.

"I'm fine, Aunt Sally," he moaned in a sour tone. "I uhh…I just think something I had for breakfast this morning didn't agree with me. But I'll be okay, I promise! My uhh…mind's just wandering."

"If you're sure…" She smiled at him with confident glowing in her eyes, her gaze returning to her hat. Her trust in him was more than reassuring. There had to be a reason he was feeling the way he was around her—and girls in particular—there just had to be. He'd find out the problem; he'd get a prognosis. All he needed to do was get his mind (and eyes) away from it now. Her silvery tone caught him off guard as she stared over at him. "You know, Tails," He perked up at his name, mentally reminding himself of who exactly was talking. "We could've taken out an entire SWATbot army with these hats. With the weight and rim on here and with a few modifications, this hat has the aero-dynamics to be the perfect Frisbee. Hmm…" Looking out ahead, Tails watched her glance, relived that some of the discomforting feelings that had struck him before were subsiding. "If you give it the right curve, power…the right launch-off…" Moving it behind her and taking it by the edge, she grinned. "How much would you like to wager, Miles Prower, that I can get it over those guards?"

"Well, I don't know…" Thinking back on a physics lecture (yes, that was the perfect way to cease all those others thoughts), he tilt his head. "The elevation at the top'll definitely weigh it down. Hmm…well, from here, maybe. You've got a 50/50 chance…I think. I mean, Professor Mongoose's notes would probably contradict that, but he never meant the formula to apply to a hat, so…okay, Aunt Sally, you're on. Winner buys ice cream tonight!"

"Hmm…it's such a high price and we should be rehearsing. I don't know, Tails, I may have to take back my offer…"

"Aw, you're ready for that speech, Aunt Sally. We only went through it FIFTEEN times! Besides, don't you wanna be fresh when you go up? Doing it more'll only make you more conscious of your mistakes and possible uhh…error places, right?"

"Potentially. Daddy…uhh…my father, do you think he'll like it?"

"He'll love it, Aunt Sally." His remark came out sweet and innocent, just the way it should be. "He really will. I know I did."

"Thanks, Tails…you don't know how much that means to me now. This is my first impression on the entire kingdom and him. I-all I've ever wanted to do was make him proud."

"I know, Aunt Sally, I know. But don't you think with everything you've done in the past you've already done it?"

She shook her head. "That isn't enough, Tails. I want him to see it. I want to see his face when I finish it. He never saw my plans in full, Tails. He never saw me as a leader or politician…he saw me as a war general. This is different, honey. I-I can't ruin this."

"You won't, Aunt Sally. Just don't worry! You've done a million speeches before!"

"I can't help it. This is a real speech, Tails. Everyone is watching and I-"

"And you're prepared, pretty, and char-whatever that word was. You're more than ready. You're gonna be great up there."

"I never found that perfect end…"

"Don't worry, Aunt Sally. The one you wrote is okay but…"

"But it'll all come on its own when I get in the mood."

"Right! That's what my debate teacher told me last year! Just relax, Aunt Sally. Take a deep breath! Hee, it's sort of funny. You gave me this same advice last year."

"Last year…" Her voice trailed off. "I remember…your own first speech in front of everyone. You were amazing, Tails…"

"I was okay. But I was taught by the best, right? Don't underestimate yourself, Aunt Sally. If I was amazing, you'll be a-double-mazing!"

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Miles Prower, you're too much."

He only chuckled once more, eyeing the hat. "I still want that ice cream though, Aunt Sally."

"With my aim? You'll be buying me and whoever else is in our party two cones. This is your last chance, Miles Prower. You can back down now and we can run through my speech one more time."

"Nah-uh! The laws of physics are against you!"

"How would you know if you never applied them to my hat? Let's give it a go, Tails. Besides, I heard from a certain guard that someone's flying has improved when going over to balconies…"

"Oh, well, uhh…"

"Don't lie, Tails, he saw you. Now show me. Let's see it; right here, right now. Ready, Prower? Go fetch!" Pulling her grip back slightly more, she thrust it forward and released the straw hat at an upward angle. Watching it get its head start, she froze. "TAILS! COME BACK! IT'S GOING RIGHT TOWARDS THE CROWD!"

But it was too late. The fox had already took off with high motivation (this was his chance to impress her; to show he was just as amazing as Sonic) going after it, determined to get and prove himself. Soaring over the guards (including Antoine), he landed back down as he shuffled pass the crowd, letting out constant spurts of "excuse mes" and shoving, squeezing and rummaging pass idle Mobians to get into a better position. He continued this for a couple more seconds, rising back up after to see the hat sinking in the back of the crowd. "Wow! Aunt Sally WAS right! We COULD'VE take out a bunch of SWATbots with that hat!" he let out, realizing that the hat had better flight potential then either of them had let on. It had already cost him an ice cream. Maybe if he played around with its shape, he could turn it into a boomerang and-

Rushing his tails towards the back of the crowd, he flew past more and more people until the world was a blur. Eyeing focused on the sinking sunhat, he extended his hand. "Just a little further…" he murmured, opening his grip and reaching for it…reaching for the hat he'd present to his 'aunt' with a grin; reaching for the hat that with his time would knock her off her heels; reaching for the hat that would lead her to admire his abilities just as much as the True Blue's, just as much as…

GONE! Just as he was about to grab it, he noticed another gloved hand do the honors. Lowering down, he stared up to see the finder. Tall, thin, blue…blue?

"Sonic!" It was too ironic; the way he caught it. Standing above him, Mobius's very own premièred hero stared down with his usual, sassy face, causing slight aggression to rise inside the fox. However, it rushed right back out of him when it struck him that for the first time, in three years (was it three?) his 'big brother' was standing right in front of him, in the flesh. Wrapping his arms around him, Tails smiled and gazed up himself.

"I didn't think this was a freebie-fest too, T2!" Chuckling slightly, the blue hedgehog admired the hat and than chuckled more at the sight in front of him. "Whoa, bud, take it easy there! I told 'ya I was back for good!" Slight silence. Tails broke his embrace, watching Sonic's countenance change from surprised to amused. "Some Frisbee you got there, 'lil bro! Shady too!" Attempting to put it on, he only laughed more. "What stand did you get this from?"

"It isn't from a stand, Sonic. And I need that back!"

"Cool down, T2! I wasn't gonna keep it." Turning it upside down, he glanced at the tag on the inside. "Avoir L'Amour? That's a funky name for a designer, bro! This Ant's or somethin'?"

"No, it's Aunt Sally's! And I've gotta get it back to her right now!" Pulling it away from him, the hedgehog froze.

"Wait, this is Sal's?"

"Yeah! She's waiting for me!"

"Where?"

"In the front! She's doing a speech and-oh…" Realization stuck him like a ball balancing back on a wall. It came and his eyes slightly widened, his ears sunk down, and all at once it hit him where this was going. Sonic wanted to see her.

"T2, you've gotta get me to her! I've been tryin' to get in touch with her for a week but no avail!" Frantic pacing on the hedgehog's part. Letting his arms do most of the talk, the fox watched him baffled, yet somehow upset through it.

Biting his lip, Tails stared down, studying the detail on his sneakers. "I don't know, Sonic. They don't let just anyone in…" Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. They didn't let just anyone in, especially strangers and with Antoine on duty, it was no doubt he'd declare Sonic one.

"T2, you're makin' it sound like a nightclub and let me tell 'ya, any one in town will let me in!" Hands on his hips, Sonic rolled his eyes. This nonchalant and predictable attitude, somehow, made Tails feel worst.

"This isn't like a nightclub though, Sonic. This is Aunt Sally! There's like, fifteen guards up there all around her!" Okay, maybe fifteen was exaggeration…but there had to be at least seven (and seven was nearly half)!

"So?"

"So? They don't even like letting me in. They only do it now because Aunt Sally instructed them too." At least that was the truth; and that was the truth. He couldn't explain the possessive feelings kicking in; he just couldn't….who was he to keep Sonic from her?

"Yeah, so? Sal'd do the same for me in a heartbeat, right?"

His counterpoint stuck him like a knife. "It's not that easy! First we've gotta TALK to Princess Sally first, and that means getting past them." Princess Sally; he actually called her Princess Sally. A cold demeanor was starting to become apparent and Sonic, no idiot, was starting to take notice to it. At this point, however, he chose to ignore it.

"Nooo problem! I cruised past SWATbutts back in Robotropolis. Gettin' pass a few guards is a piece of cake!"

He denounced the threat? He denounced HIS threat! "But it's not easy, Sonic, it's really not! You've gotta trust me!" He forced a sweet disposition; he really did. Apparently, Sonic's own cravings and determination surpass belief of it.

"I never said I didn't! But I've really gotta talk to her, pronto! Good-for-nothin' Ant hasn't given her any of my messages. I went there the other day and all he said was that her schedule was full…blah, blah, blah. I sort of stopped listenin' at the word 'full'. He's like a broken record, T2!"

"Well, Aunt Sally IS really busy…"

"Look, buddy, you've got exclusive access 'n you know how important this is to me!"

"Uhh…actually, I don't."

"YOU DON'T! LOOK, T2, THERE COMES A TIME IN A GUY'S LIFE WHEN STUFF LIKE…well, big kid stuff strikes him! Sometimes a guy's gotta, 'ya know, let loose on some of his policies and give in."

"Give in to what, Sonic?" He tried so hard to sound clueless, but he knew…

"'Ya know, Tails! The notes; the letters…commitment!"

"Commitment? Commitment to chili dogs?"

"Say what! NO, TAILS! COMMITMENT TO SAL! COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCESS!"

"Ohhh…" Bitter and fake realization. Forcing a soft, lower tone, the fox stared down. He was trying to act as if he didn't know; really, he was! What happened to no-brained Sonic? The hedgehog wasn't falling for his act; he just wasn't!

"OH! 'Ya know, T2, I'm startin' to think you ARE tryin' to keep me from her!"

"Me? N-n-no! Why would I do that? You're my best friend!" His rebuttal was perfectly sugarcoated. Staring up, he placed his hands behind his back. He smiled faintly. Sonic remained unmoved.

"I don't know why, T2, butcha are! Ever thought of takin' a tape recorder 'n listenin' to yourself? Guards were never a biggie before and now you're actin' like they're a mondo huge problem! You know how me 'n Sal have been…"

"How have you been?"

"TAILS! Look, T2, if you're not gonna help me, that's fine! I'll see her myself!"

"How are you gonna do that, Sonic? This place is packed with security and she's got plans for the rest of the day!" Well, the plans were a lie, but he'd improvise if his friend inquired further.

"Hey, I'm a war hero, Tails. I do everythin' spur of the moment. I'll figure out somethin'."

"But Sonic…"

"But nothin'! You don't even wanna help me anyway!"

"I never said that!"

"You're SCREAMIN' it, buddy! I don't know WHAT'S up with you, but everythin' you're sayin' to me is screechin' 'KEEP OFF SAL'! I'm no fool, Tails! I know when someone's keeping something—or in this case someone—from me!"

"I'm not trying to keep her from you!" Standing on his tip toes, Tails crossed his arms. He was near tears. He hated arguing; he hated arguing with his best friend! He wasn't even sure WHY he was arguing…

"News Flash, T2, YOU ARE! Not helpin' me get past the guards or even tellin' me where she is period…you are, Tails! You are! Look, I'm not tryin' to take her from you! I understand you guys have always been really close; but look, me and Sal are close too!"

"I know that, Sonic!"

"Then why are you acting like this?"

"I don't know. I DON'T KNOW, OKAY?" Tears falling, Tails wiped his eyes. That Sonic full-heartedly noticed and achknowledged.

"Whooooa, take a chill pill!" He begun, kneeling down and extending a paw to wipe one.

Tails swept it away. "Just leave me alone, Sonic! Stay away from me!"

"What! Whoa, aren'tcha takin' things a little too far?"

"Just go away!" Tails begun, heading back.

"T2…" Sonic's voice begun low, pleading…

"Don't call me that! My name is MILES! MILES! Not T2, or 'lil bro, or whatever! I'm Miles. Good-bye, Sonic!" Taking one last look at the hedgehog's suddenly concerned face, the fox stormed away; more enraged at the fact Sonic was now worried about him than he had been before when the hedgehog was aiming to get some time alone with his 'aunt' Sally. There was nothing wrong with him; there wouldn't be anything wrong with him! He was 100 percent himself; he was 110 percent himself! He was Miles Prower and he was going to be fine!

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Standing on top that stage; standing over that podium; the entire decorated sector of Mobotropolis spoke to her. There was people dispersed all over; citizens so eager to listen; hard-working citizens…citizens that had strived so long and rapidly to make that gorgeous metropolis what it had been today. It gave her a small, growing fascination; it sent an inevitable smile across her face as she studied them. She wanted to know them all; she wanted to hear every single story. She cared about them. She understood them. They were the foundation; they were the support of that kingdom; of that planet and without even one of them, the foundation would stumble; the group would collapse, and any hopes of progression would just shatter in front of them.

Mere exaggeration, perhaps, but the plain thought warmed her heart and brought her into the mood. She watched a man take the mic beside her; a man with remarkable resemblance; a man in royal garments; the man she barely knew…

And he spoke. He spoke and applause followed. He spoke of her name; of her position; he spoke and handed the microphone to her. Months of preparation; weeks of editing; days of rehearsal fell in front of her. Taking a deep breath and shutting her eyes, she begun; bringing a nice, alluring tone about her; trying to capture their attention; trying to focus their minds on the girl in front of them; the inept, smart, amateur politician; the eager, enchanted journalist; the silly, irrational dreamer; the pretend, pedantic princess feigned in front of them.

Lost in her words, her mind became tangled on every fragment; sentence, every word that left her mouth from memory. Every word; every letter; every syllable…every sign of proof that progress had been made. The speech was more than her, it was everyone; every citizen and she happily illuminated every moment of it…

"And it's more than hearts that bring us together today. It's more than minds and spirits that compel us together on this old battleground. It's the memories; it's the improvements….it's the progress in general that keeps us all her. And in this progress, there's celebration. You see, this city has been more than a restoration project. When we started this after Doomsday, we all knew it'd be more. People's lives went in to this…and some went out…"

Standing on the sidelines, the words of the fair princess ran through one ear to the exit of another, as a torn, worn-out sneaker tapped on the pavement. How, he reasoned; How on Mobius was he supposed to grab her attention? Catching an eye on a nearby rock, he tilt his head. Well, maybe-

"It was ten-no, eleven long years of battle. Eleven longs years we, as Freedom Fighters, poured our spirits into. We knew the end; we knew the alternative, but most of all, we knew you. We knew the past, but only faintly. We wanted to know the future, but quite frankly, we couldn't. But we fought for it…"

Nah, a rock would have been too faint of a distraction and as a speaker, Sally knew better than to pay attention too it.

"You know, uhh…as immature as it sounds, I've always wanted a happy ending. Not just for me; but for all of us. When I was little; well, my father would read me stories…"

Well, he could always aim it for her head…

"Not just any stories; plain fairy tales. There'd be a princess…a knight…"

Or maybe he could knock the podium down with it…that'd work, right?

"…and as a girl, I well, I'd always tie them into my life. Relate them to me, you know? I'd be the princess-well, granted, by birth I am a princess, but…uhh…well…"

No, no, Sal'd be infuriated at him then…

"...be the knight. I know it's silly in concept, but it's the only way I could ever truly understand to them and relate to them. It was a way to get away…"

There was always the option of shouting her name aloud. No, no, that'd be disrespectful.

"During the war, I'd read them to Tails too. Tails, he's my nephew…my surrogate nephew. I don't know why, but whenever I did, the pain-the reality of war seemed to go away from a while…"

Plain disrespectful. And what would she think, him cutting off her precious words?

"And I'd think of the kingdom as Mobotropolis…"

He could wave…

"I'd think of the citizens as all of you…"

He could shout…

"I'd see their smiling faces; I'd see their happiness-your happiness. And it'd win me. Everyday, it'd remind me, just exactly what I was fighting for…"

He could speed up…

"It was this-this gorgeous city that was always my happy ending. And it's here now. This-this fairy tale…and we all made it!"

Dash over to her…

"Every single one of you; every single one of your efforts. Every building; every business; every-every stroke of labor…"

No, run to her!

"And I want-I want everyone here to have the same happy ending that I have now. This is our time to celebrate. To celebrate everything we've done within these three years!"

Run to her, tap her on the back…

"And I want to thank you; I want to thank all of you for everything. I couldn't be any prouder of a kingdom; I couldn't be any prouder to represent such a-such an amazing group of people; an enchanting, magical…mystical; beautiful set of people…"

Say 'Hey Sal, how're 'ya doin'?'…

"Every single one of you is my happy ending. Hee, you know now, I…all I need is some knight to…sweep me off my feet. And then my story's complete…"

No, no, that was dumb-wait, sweep her off her feet?

"Not to say you aren't my knights, of course; in a physical sense, you are, I only mean…"

Run up to her, bend her down, yeah, that could work…

"A…a typical ending for a princess."

It would work. Just rev up…

"But that's beyond the point. Knight or not, today is about every single one of you and with these festivities…"

Take off…

"…we can reflect on that success…"

Whiz past the guards (hey, was that Ant's hat that went off?)

"We can reflect on the efforts; the labors; the struggles; the hardships…"

Speed onto the stage…

"The victories, the amazements, the wonders of all our work that surround us! This is your city, Mobotropolis and I couldn't be any prouder to stand in it. Everything about the architecture; the art; the technology; the functionality; these are the adjectives that make this place home!"

Linger behind her…

"This is my home. In the café; at the newspaper office; on the street corners; in the park…every landmark I embrace. For even without the-the silly clichéd knight, you've given this princess-"

Hands wrapped around her and bent her down. Her words cut off, she felt the faint, soft, loving contact of a pair of lips. Lips from a stranger; lips at the end of her speech. It was so foreign; it was so different; she was tense, she was surprised, she was-

Catching eye of the pair of sneakers below her, she softened and returned the kiss, shutting her eyes about to wrap her own arms around the mysterious figure until she felt them-it part immediately. Opening her eyes, she saw a pair of guards grabbing the stranger by the arms, dragging him off stage. Taken aback, she only watched helplessly; wanting desperately to do something.

Realizing the speech was still in front of her before even a second passed, she rushed back to the microphone, adjusting it. "…her happy ending. Thank you." She ended quickly, watching that daring knight of hers being dragged off. Those blue quills; those red sneakers…that slick smile…

Dragged off from her again; dragged off while it being out of her control. It was the Coup all over again. Painful memories struck her and her feet took off instinctually after her. Rushing past the stage, she forgot about her father and the audience. Shuffling past the crowds as her 'nephew' had done prior; she only fell, forgetting about the vulnerability that were the heels that graced her feet. She stumbled up, she looked ahead; helpless, so helpless…

Helpless against her will and she didn't like it.

Applause rustled around her though; applause was her only background. There were whistles; there were cheers. There were some cries from fan-girls; complaints from members of his newly-formed fan club but above all, citizens clapped; but from the back came the loudest cheers of all. Standing tall and proud, three of the former Freedom Fighters gave an elated ovation; cheering, smiling, grinning…

All over her; all over him…and there she stood in the contraire of their feelings.