Heaven on Earth

Chapter 9: At Thy Word

Sonic held true to his promise of friendship. He visited her regularly by day (whenever he could escape Mobius' walls -- which happened fairly often) as Ogilvie Maurice and by night as himself.

They made a point to alternate visiting times as to not draw suspicion from anyone. But Twilight cherished each visit from Sonic. She grew to love hearing about his battles and struggles within the walls of Kingdom Mobius. About Eggman. About his friends. About life.

Sonic, in return, sought out her stories. Tales of explosions, math tests, all-nighters, magic, and other fun things she did. If Twilight was grateful to Sonic for anything, it was that he never shunned her stories or considered them too simple. Something told Twilight that although Sonic thrived on adrenaline and excitement, he loved the simple moments too.

Today, they were hanging out at the beach. Twilight wore her swimsuit while Sonic wore a black/blue long-sleeve shirt with black tights, his charm necklace (tucked under the shirt), and red/white water shoes.

"So Poppy, any reason why we're here today?" Sonic asked. "Not that I don't like the beach, but I am curious."

Twilight smiled upon the nickname he'd bestowed upon her, given after her new favorite flower. She reached for his fingers, gently intertwining them. "Because I'm teaching you to swim." She'd only found out the other day he couldn't, so she made this trip to surprise him.

Sonic could've crushed her hand and she was certain that (if he wasn't wearing the charm to hide them), his quills would've bristled. "Are you crazy?!" His emerald eyes dilated in fear.

"Shh..." Twilight shushed him. "You know I'm not going to let you drown."

"That's not the point. I can barely doggy paddle," Sonic grumbled. "Actually, I think floating might be a stretch too. Well, without a life jacket."

"No biggie. We'll start small." Twilight pulled him to his feet.

"Twilight," Sonic hissed as he stumbled up.

"Hey, look at me." Twilight lifted his chin, letting his frightened emerald eyes lock onto her reassuring purple hues. "I'm not going to let you drown. Trust me."

Sonic took a deep breath, body shivering slightly. "Okay. I trust you."

Twilight gently led Sonic out to some slightly deep water. It only stood up to the middle of her stomach. Sonic's grip on her hand grew tighter. "Relax." Twilight rubbed his shoulder with her free hand. "Water only pulls you down if you fight it."

"It can kill me," Sonic protested through gritted teeth.

"Not when I've got you," Twilight assured him, turning his head to meet his alluring emerald eyes. "Trust me."

Sonic released a breath he'd been holding. "I trust you."

"Good. We'll start small." Twilight gently coaxed Sonic to lay down on the water, her arms supporting him. Sonic shuddered as he lay flat on his back, but Twilight's gentle hands supported him. He took a deep breath again and flashed his brave smile.

"You're doing good," Twilight praised. Then she smiled. "I'm glad you're wearing your charm now. Your quills...."

"Oh," Sonic chuckled. His left hand scratched his neck. "Yeah, they can hurt."

"Is it true that they can cut through metal?" Twilight giggled as she began walking around, Sonic still floating with her.

"Do you need broken Badnik pieces for proof?" Sonic smirked.

Twilight laughed. "No need. But seriously, any kind of metal?"

"Even steel doors inches thick," Sonic grinned.