Frozen Rose

Chapter 19: Jake Is Here! Sonic's New Rival?

"I see." She muttered. "So...you want to bring me back?" Sonic whipped his head towards her with disbelieved look plastered on his face. Jake looked hopeful. "I...I'm sorry Jake. If I go back, I will put everyone in danger. And that's something I don't want to happen." His face looked solemn before it turned to that of curiosity.

"What do you mean by that? You're not actually in danger, right? Is that why the professor made me bring this?" Amy looked confused until Jake reached into his pack and pulled out a sword's hilt. Her eyes visibly widened, a low gasp escaped her lips.

"T-That's..." The other occupants except the Metrian noticed the color draining from the pink hedgehog's face. "Where did you get it?" She quietly asked as she stared at the weapon that once belonged to her father. She held out her hands and Jake understood the silent demand.

He handed her the hilt and explained, "Professor Rex--still remember him?" She nodded. "He gave that to me for some unknown reason. Said that it was used by the king once when he led the army."

"And when he protected me from someone who tried to take my powers." She added still caressing the hilt.

"HUH?!" Jake screamed in shock. Amy cringed at his tone and sheepishly smiled.

"This was supposed to be a secret in the kingdom. But during the time when Janus came, he was actually looking for something. Or better yet, someone. This person possess a power that controls elements but the main one is ice. You know how snowflakes have six arms?" He nodded. "Those represents the elements of fire, air, earth, water, light and dark."

"Dark?" Everyone repeated.

"Do you control shadows or something?" Knuckles asked while making large gestures with his hands. Rouge -who was beside him- took it as her role to smack his head for some unknown reason. "OW! What was that for?!"

Rouge, with crossed arms, stared at him blankly. "I just feel like it was the most appropriate thing to do." She shrugged carelessly.

Amy bit her lip, avoiding eye contact. "The truth is...I never used it before." The others perked up at this. "Even light, because when I do...it always go out of control. So I never used it in battle or practice." She explained, a bit ashamed. Sonic smiled and snaked his arms around her shoulders.

"Hey, it's okay, Ames! We're not gonna force you!" Amy smiled a bit.

"So what now?" Cream piped up. "Amy doesn't want to go back, there are still Shad-" Cue the ebony hedgehog's glare. "I-I mean Tenebris, Janus...and pretty much a whole bunch of other stuff!"

Jake looked disappointed. His eyes slowly moved to the watch on his wrist then to the pink hedgehog in front of him. The red button looked so tempting but...

He can't take her away from this life now.

But it doesn't mean he'll give up though.

Sighing, the squirrel rubbed the back of his neck. "I can't force you, even if I am a General. But I can't go back empty handed, but most especially when you are in danger." He stood up with a serious face and placed his fist arm on his chest. Amy's eyes grew wide. She knows that form. Jake bowed and said, "As General of the Rosalias Army, I, Jake, will hereby ask permission to stay here and help in any way I can until a decision has been made! Whatever you decide, as Queen, I will not refuse and you have the full rights to take away my badge!"

The bond between monarch and subject. The act of supreme loyalty and sincerity. The form where soldiers make to their ruler to show their complete loyalty and always follow their every order. Refusing to do so means being stripped of your glory, medals and titles.

Amy began to stand up, stared in contemplation, before responding, "With my permission as Queen, Amelia Jade Rosalias, I hereby grant your request." Sonic quietly choked while the others looked at him in amusement.

"B-B-But, wait, wait, w-"

Jake straightened then saluted. "As you wish, your majesty!"

Amy giggled. "You can stay here. But first, let me show you around."

Jake's POV

Seeing my best friend after so many years...? Wow! Time sure flies. But I was a little downcast that she found someone she truly loves. I glared at the blue menace in front of me without Amy knowing. I can't help but feel jealous!

Not like I had a chance with her, anyway.

Amy was showing me her favorite spots and which shops offer the best product and the strange food and things I saw. There was even that stick something that the blue menace likes. She promised me to buy some tomorrow. When we finally got to a store, she handed a thin plastic card to the bl- oh what the fudge! I'll just call him by his name!- again, a card to Sonic.

"Use this to pay for the clothes. Don't put random jeans and shirts in the basket like last time." She gave him a pointed look at the last part while I grew puzzled.

"How is a small card going to pay for everything?"

Both of them turned to me with different expressions: Amy's was 'I'll explain later' while Sonic was 'I forgot that you were not modern' which infuriated me; the latter, not the former.

So we entered the store -I, feeling uncomfortable with the stares- and walked to the men's section. Sonic took a a nearby basket from the stacks near the counter and began filling it with pants, shorts, sleeping ware, shirts, some jackets and other personal stuff. He handed the full-past-the-brim basket to me, zoomed to the counter to get another one, and led me to the shoe section.
While he was looking through different kinds of shoes, I made up my mind.

"Sonic."
He turned to me with an eyebrow raised, holding two different shoes. "What?"

I internally sighed. I hope I'm not gonna regret this. "I know we started on a wrong foot, and...I don't want to let this get in the way of Amy." His brows scrunched up, staring at me. "Amy saved me from an abusive life and gave me things I could only dream of: a place to call home, work, teachers...and the very valuable gift of friendship. Yes, I love her, but now I see that it's not the time to see who is much more suited to be with her. Even I can see that she's changed. She grew in a life where she can act like a child, do things by herself, go in adventures, and meet new things along the way."

I noticed that the more I talk, the more his gaze softened. I bet he was remembering the times they've been through together.

"So for this time...truce?" I offered out a hand. "I don't want Amy to think that one wrong move can turn into a death match. Trust me, I know. A lot of people are after Amy because of her power and I know that you and your friends won't just simply let them take her away. And the whole planet of Metria won't let that happen too."

Sonic's stare switched between my eyes and my hand multiple times...

Until he grasped my hand with his, tightening his hold and shaking it.

He smiled, satisfied with my words. "Truce. For Amy."

"For Amy."

~*~*~*~

SORRYYYY!!!! I decided to update this chapter today because I want to see if MY READERS ARE STILL ALIVE!!!! *cough* I mean, of course you are. That was mean of me, and that it was supposed to be for me, hehe.