Stolen

Chapter 8

Sonic only ran for a few minutes before he stopped on the side of the street, setting Amy to her feet. She was still amazed by his speed and leaned on his arm to keep from losing balance.

"Why are we stopping?" Amy asked, looking up at Sonic.

"'Cause we're gonna catch a ride." He said, snaking his arm around her waist and tugging her to him. Amy didn't know what he meant at first, but then she saw the carriage that was being pulled down the road by a horse. Sonic held Amy tighter as the carriage got closer, and then latched them onto the back. He pinned her to the back of the outside wall of the sitting area, pressing himself against her to keep them both from falling off. Only people from that village were allowed into the festival, and Sonic was positive that they would be recognized as non-commoners when they passed through the gate. They were just hitching a ride.

Sonic was enjoying the closeness between them, but just smirked down at her instead of doing what he really wanted to do. Her lips were mocking him at their closeness, but he would wait more. Now was not the time to be getting at it when they were clinging for dear life on the back of a carriage. Specially if she leaned forward the slightest bit, they could easily fall backwards onto the gravel road behind them.

"Okay, we are almost to the village. When I say so, hold onto me, alright?" Sonic said as he heard the many voices of guards, villagers and partygoers getting louder as they got closer. Amy continued to lean back against the carriage, but wrapped her arms around Sonic's waist. Sonic had one hand around her shoulders, and the other was pressed against the carriage wall, getting ready to push off and run so they don't get caught.

The carriage came to a stop, Sonic and Amy's breath stopped.

"Hello, Charlie! You coming in for the festival?" a guard asked the man that most likely owned the carriage.

"Yes, I am!" they talked loudly back and forth to be heard over the cheers, chatters and squeals of joy from the festival.

"Well, go right on in!" Sonic got ready as the guard said, a large, metallic shriek from the gate erupted, echoing in the hedgehogs' ears. The carriage moved forward, and right before the back end would be seen by the guards, Sonic blew on Amy's ear and jumped off the back, picking up his speed and hurrying into the kingdom/village in a blur of blue. They had only been off of the carriage for a few seconds before Sonic stopped against a wall, holding the startled and windblown from the speed. They were in a completely different part of the village, or now that Amy really looked at it, it was a small kingdom. The streets were made of stone blocks, the road swerving up hill and at the top was a giant stone castle, just like the kind you would read and see in books.

"I think we'll be alright for a while, we just need to make sure that we don't get seen by any guards. They'll easily recognize us." Sonic said, squeezing Amy ones around the waist to get her attention. She looked up at him and smiled.

"So, what exactly is there for us to do?"

"Anything we want, they only have this festival every ten years, so it's always got everything. Food, fortune tellers, games, music, dancing, artists, shopping, parades, parties, anything!" Sonic said, tossing his hands into the air to exaggerate the anything.

"Well then . . ." Amy said, smiling leaned her back against his chest, intertwining their fingers and looking up at him from over her shoulder. "Then let's do everything." She kissed him on the cheek, which sorta caught him off guard but she dragged him away from the wall and into the crowd of people.

They had been there for hours, the sun starting to set. Amy was exhausted, her feet aching from all the walking, her muscles and joints moaning in complaint from all the dancing. But she sure had fun! She and Sonic hardly left each other's sides, except for when one another had to go to the bathroom. They didn't have any troubles really with the guards. They did actually need to hide, duck into a cramped alleyway when they snatched muffins from a stand. Amy of course felt bad for taking a muffin, but Sonic said that everyone did it, and that they were actually free. Amy's stomach growled in agreement. While the guards had stood extremely close to where they were hiding, they heard them discussing what they had to do if they ever found Amy, which had Sonic growling lowly.

They had been pressed pretty close to one another in that alley for a good ten minutes before the guards had gone and they were finally able to get out. They danced, they ate, they partied, Sonic even bought Amy a new earring which she instantly put in.

Now they were near the gate entrance, trying to decide how they were going to leave. It was starting to get late, and Sonic considered renting out a motel room for the both of them, but he didn't like the idea of staying in the village for too much longer. They could climb over the gate, but Sonic didn't think that, even with his speed, they wouldn't get over the top fast enough.

"What are we going to do?" Amy asked after a large yawn. Sonic could see the fatigue in her eyes, he had to get her out of there so they could get ready for bed.

"Just hold onto me, Precious." Sonic said after a few minutes, holding out his arms. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck, him holding her back with one hand and the other holding up one of her legs. He kept looking over his shoulder to make sure that none of the crowd spotted him, especially the guards that were spread out all over. He bunched up his muscles and launched into the air, landing on one of the house's roofs. He caught his balance quickly and pushed off again, jumping over the gate, he had thought that no one saw them . . . unfortunately, he was wrong.

"HEY, YOU THERE! HALT!" a guard called, drawing attention of many other guards. They watched as Sonic landed on the ground with Amy in his arms, and it turned out that luck wasn't on their side; Amy's hood fell off of her head. "It's the stolen princess! Quick men, we must catch them at any costs!"

Sonic swore under his breath and picked up his pace to full blast. He didn't want anyone catching up to them, but it turned out that guards weren't only in the kingdom. They were also in forests.

Sonic skidded to a halt, setting Amy down on her feet and holding her behind him, wrapping an arm backwards around her while the other was clenched into a fist, glaring at the guards that now blocked their only path to escape.

"That man is wanted dead or alive for the kidnapping of Princess Amelia Rose! Men, charge, but do not harm the princess!" and the men charged. Sonic fended them off as best as he could, but if he didn't want any of the guards to touch Amy, he had to keep her close to him, and fighting wasn't the easiest thing to do with one hand.

"Sonic, look out!" Amy screamed, and Sonic turned his head to where her finger was pointing over his shoulder. A guard was coming at him at full speed with a large, pointed sword that glinted in the sun. Sonic used his cuff to deflect the attack as best as he could, but unfortunately, the same thing that had happened not but a few days ago. The sword deflected off his cuff, but instead of going for his shoulder, caught him on his right chest, going straight through. "SONIC!" Amy screamed in horror as she watched the sword go through his right breast and straight out of his left shoulder blade. Sonic gasped in pain, dropping to his knees, while Amy tried to keep him standing. He tried to support himself with one arm, that was starting to tremble, threatening to drop his week form.

He coughed, blood dripping from his lips and splattering on the ground, painting the grass in dots. He dropped to his side, groaning in pain. Amy screamed, tears spilling over her cheeks as she gripped his shoulders. She was about to hug him when cold, metal gloved hands grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the cyan hedgehog that was now starting to be stained red.

"NO! H-how could you! You MONSTERS!" Amy cried as she fought to get back to Sonic, who was lifting his hand weakly, stretching it out as if trying to reach for her. It dropped as he started to cough up more blood. Guards started to surround him, getting ready to pick him up.

"No, just leave him. He will die in a matter of moments, it would be pointless to bring him along. Leave him, let him be food to the creatures of the forest." The chief guard said, holding a firm grip on Amy's left arm, and it was the only thing that kept Amy from tumbling into a heap on the ground. "Let's go."

"NO! Let me go!" Amy sobbed, struggling weakly against the man. He seemed somewhat surprised at her attempt at escape, but didn't release her.

"I apologize, Ma'am, but I'm afraid that we must return you to your kingdom immediately. It is the kings orders."

All went black for Amy, there was nothing to her anymore. The one that she was positive that she loved with her heart, though just discovered it that morning, was now lying on the earth, soaked in his own blood, slowly dying. It was the end. And she vowed . . . never to forgive anyone for anything ever again nor would she ever again . . . love.