Sonic Tales: Wanderlust

Chapter Two - A Chance Encounter

Once the sun began to rise again, signalling the start of a new day, our young blue hedgehog continued his journey towards Highlake village, which was most likely only a few hours away. Before he did so, the spiked creature investigated the wondrous flowers from the night before, only to find that their petals had, similar to when he first came upon them, cocooned their light within, as though protecting them from who knows what.

As he pressed on, running so as to quicken his hike, the hedgehog couldn't help but admire nature's work, feeling that it was truly a marvel that the mountains possessed such beauty. Tree's would grow on their steep sides; snow, like icing on a cake, coated their peaks; wild creatures of all shapes and sizes lived peacefully, far away from the worries and woes of those who had settled for the land below. Yet it was the streams that truly captivated him. Their glistening under the sun was a splendour to behold, making it look as though thousands of fireflies were just hovering over their liquid surface. Some of these streams were so deep that one could make the understandable mistake of calling them a river, something the hedgehog had been tempted to do. Another temptation for him was to dive into coolness of the water, and appreciate how refreshing such a thing was. Sadly, however, this was impossible for him. As he was a young hedgehog, he would surely sink to the streams' depths and, as he did not know how to swim, such a thing would be dangerous, to say the least. When he travelled, the only times he was able to truly enjoy the serene pleasure of water to the fullest was either when he drank it on a warm summers day, or washed himself in a shallow pool of aqua. Indeed, learning to swim was one of the highest points in his 'to-do list'.

Eventually, after venturing for hours, the hedgehog caught a glimpse of some wooden houses in what looked like a valley, due to the size of the surrounding mountains, not too far below where he was. These houses were definitely the residence to members of a small community - a community that thrived off of fishing, the hedgehog had been told, and the fact that these homes were nestled right next to an enormous lake certainly backed the statement. Smoke came from what few chimneys there were, and the houses looked to only reach a height level in which they all had a single floor, save for one that lay on the edge of town, appearing as though it could possess three or four. A good eight small fishing boats were already out on the lake, and the chatter of the village's people could be heard from where the hedgehog stood.

Realising this, the blue-furred youngster weighed up his options: he could either follow the dirt path, which took a long and twisted route to reach the village, or he could risk a few bones and make his way down the steep drop right in front of him. As he peered over the edge, it was as though an angel and a demon were resting on his shoulders. "Take the slow but safe path" one said, while the other whispered "be a daredevil! Get there in a flash! All you have to do is JUMP!". Both seemed like viable options to him, but speed was more his style, so…the dangerous, possibly-life-threatening-but-certainly-bone-breaking route it was! And with that, the hedgehog jumped.

As he fell through the air, the youngster readied himself to land on the continuous downslope that he would have to traverse by beginning to spin, becoming a spiked ball to do so. Just before he hit the ground, he took a deep breath in anticipation. Then…BAM! He was rolling at incredible speeds down the side of a mountain towards a peaceful settlement. If he was unable to stop before getting there…well, at least he'd make one heck of an entrance!

The wind gushed past his spherical form, and the young hedgehog couldn't help but grin madly, loving every second as the adrenaline pumped throughout his body. Eventually, what had been a rocky surface progressively became softer, now cushioning his body as he hurtled towards the small village now only a few metres away. The devilish grin faded from the blue youngster, and his face morphed into a worried expression - he was actually going to crash into the village, and there was nothing he could do to bring himself to a halt!

Sounds of screams and gasps filled the air as the world continued to spin on and on, with the wooden buildings appearing in his view for no more than a second before, suddenly, it was the ground he saw. The dizziness began to take it's effect on him, and he held back what felt like barf creeping up his throat. The youngster did his best to guide himself along the small dirt paths that the community used to walk about their village, missing the sides of houses just barely. Eventually, the hedgehog was unable to evade any longer, and with a thunderous crash his seemingly unending spin came to an end.

As the dirt in the air began to dissipate from around him, the youngster coughed madly for a few moments, then opened his eyes and was greeted with the stares of numerous villagers who had flocked to see what all of the commotion was about. The hedgehog, who sat on his rump, realised that he had crashed into a small stall in what looked to be the marketplace, as this was certainly the centre of town, with the surrounding wooden houses forming a circular shape all around, leaving a wide open space for traders to sell their wares.

The hedgehog raised his hand and, with an embarrassed grin, muttered "Hi…"

Then, something large and solid landed on his head, making him yelp in pain. After gently rubbing his noggin, tending to what would certainly become a bruise, the young blue creature looked to the dirt floor and saw that it was a staff that had hit him. Or a sceptre. The hedgehog could never really tell the difference. Attached to it via a string was a small piece of paper, with a price written upon it.

"Hey!" A young, feminine voice shouted, "What do you think you're doin', buddy?"

The blue hedgehog looked up and saw that there was, pushing through the crowd, a young girl hedgehog, pink in colour with spikes similar to his, albeit more orderly and trimmed, with bangs hanging from her forehead. She wore an orange skirt, and a green blouse with a white collar, accompanied by purple, boot-like shoes with a white tongue, toebox and sole on each. Orange laces were the finishing touch to her footwear, which the blue hedgehog couldn't help but look at as the angered girl came stomping towards him.

When she came to a stop, the pink young lady placed her hands on her hips and leant forward, looking the vandal directly in the eye when she said, "Well, mind explaining yourself, blue boy!"

The frightened male hedgehog lifted his hand with a raised finger, as though ready to point at something, anything, to blame, but after opening his mouth to speak, he could only sigh deeply. Reaching for the staff that had previously occupied his attention, the blue hedgehog placed it across his lap and stared intently. He then glanced up at the angry pink youth, who still glared deep into his green eyes. It was then he noticed that hers were a blend of crystal blue and calm, light green, creating a very unique set of irises. But then again, for all he cared, they could be red right about now - which would be the perfect representation of her rage at this current moment!

"What're you starin' at, huh? You just gonna sit there all quiet?" The girl asked, furiously.

It was a good question: what was he staring at? He then realised that he was simply trying to read her; to find a way of getting her off his case without paying for the damages to, what he could only guess, was her stall. Last thing he needed to do at that moment was fork over a handful of rings, but if he offered some, a small amount, then maybe…

GRUMBLE.

That noise was enough to catch both the blue and pink hedgehogs' attention, leading them both to look at the stomach of the girl. The two then glanced up at one another again.

GRUMBLE.

With that, the pink girl's face steamed up, her cheeks turning crimson and, before he could even say anything, the girl shot up and clasped her hands around her mouth.

As she began to mutter in embarrassment, the boy hedgehog slowly rose to his feet and looked at the staff once more, only to then let it fall to the ground.

This act caught the girl's attention, and she hissed, "Excuse me, but would you please be careful! That staff was crafted from the-!"

Before she could say another word, the blue hedgehog placed a hand on her shoulder and offered, with a smile, "Would you like to grab something to eat?"

The girl's face then turned a deeper shade of red, so much so that the boy could've sworn he saw a poof of steam shoot from the top of her head.

"C'mon," The blue youngster started, grasping her hand and pulling her with him as he walked, "consider it my way of making it up to you for the stall!"

Because of her hunger, the pink hedgehog was all too happy to accompany him for lunch and they marched side by side, searching for a place to eat.

It didn't take long for the pair of hedgehogs to find a small bakery, with the pink girl asking for a sandwich while the blue youngster bought a sausage roll. After hurriedly consuming the first, the boy then ventured back to the bakery to buy an extra two, which his companion couldn't help but laugh at.

"Must have been a while since you ate good food, eh?" She asked with a cheery smile.

Between the munches of him devouring one of the rolls, the blue hedgehog managed to say, "Nah. I always eat good food, but not food this good!" After swallowing the last of his second sausage roll, and before starting the third, he then remarked, "It's rare to find anyone putting much effort into the simple recipes, but that joint definitely does!"

After giggling quietly again, the girl then stated, "My name's Amy. Amy Rose." She then stared at the blue hedgehog intently, expecting him to tell her his name also. But alas, no such thing ever came. "So, what brings you to Highlake? The views? The lake itself? Maybe even your pursuit of love?"

The boy then choked slightly on his food, beating his chest with a fist as he tried to cough it back up.

"What on Mobius are you talking about?!" He managed to question, wheezing as he did so.

Amy laughed out loud at the blue hedgehog's reaction, before answering, "You see, we have something of a celebrity here in the village. She's an expert in archaeology and does tarot card readings for a hobby. You know what they are, right? She'll tell you about what to expect in life, such as love, fortune and the like." After taking a pause to breath, Amy then continued, "In fact, she's the one that takes care of me. I'll go take you to see her."

The boy then came to a halt, and reached his hand into his backpack. Amy had continued to walk merrily until she realised that the blue youngster had come to a stop. As she made her way back to him, Amy noticed he was holding a package in his hand.

"This lady you're talking about…the one who takes care of you, she wouldn't happen to be called Madam Mimm Merryweather, would she?" The blue hedgehog then held up the package in his hand, and Amy saw that it was indeed addressed to a Madam Mimm Merryweather, who was, in fact, the woman who took care of her.

With a smile, Amy then grabbed the boy's wrist and pulled him along with a, "Follow me!"

As Amy led him along, the blue hedgehog realised that they were headed for the larger home that he had seen earlier that day, the one that appeared to have three or four levels to it. As the sun began to set, the two hedgehogs made their way up the path that led to Madam Mimm Merryweather's home, which was also Amy's. If every community possessed a haunted house, this would be the one infested with ghouls and ghosts alike. It possessed one large, circular stained glass window at the very front, with numerous colours and a picture of something very peculiar taking form at it's centre, though the boy couldn't really make it out from this angle.

When they reached the door, Amy opened it, making a creak, and she then stood beside it and motioned for the blue hedgehog to come in. As he stepped cautiously inside, the floorboards echoed the noises of the door and, with each step, the youngster half expected a hand to pop up and claim his foot. Looking around, he saw that just to the right, once one enters the home, was the living room, complete with old furniture, torn wallpaper and an enormous fireplace. To the left, the hallway continued with two or three doors along the sides, leading to who knows where. Then, there was the stairs, with a landing midway and then another set just across it. A chandelier hung precariously from the ceiling, which was so far up it was impossible to see due to the shadows. Only, once he glanced two or three more times, the hedgehog saw that it wasn't a chandelier at all, but a strange device of some sort, with intersecting rings which had random spheres ranging from all sizes attached to them, with a particularly large one at the centre, separate from the rings. The blue hedgehog thought that he had seen something like this before, but on a smaller scale. It was to represent planets and the paths they take when orbiting the sun…or something like that.

Amy then poked the boys shoulder, making him jump, and beckoned for him to follow, "She'll be upstairs in her study."

"Study? I thought she was an 'alakazam' kinda lady?" The blue hedgehog asked as the two of them made their way up the stairs.

"Oh, she is! But like I said, she's an archaeologist professionally!"

The blue creature then stopped for a moment then pointed to the 'chandelier', "And that?"

Amy too stopped, though at the landing before the next set of stairs, and stared at the strange ornament with half-lidded eyes and shrugged, "It was on sale."

The boy hedgehog mimed her words breathlessly, finding this house and it's occupants' sense of taste unbelievable, even though he'd just stepped through the door!

Once they reached the third floor, there was a long and wide corridor. It was a stark contrast in appearance to the lower levels of the home. On the walls were numerous tribal masks, some looking to be replicas no older than a few years, while others could have been ancient. Stone tablets were inside glass cases upon tables, alongside jewellery made from metals that were too old to even comprehend. A patterned carpet lay upon the wooden floor, with many colours and patterns along it's edges, with what looked to be images that told stories sewn all along it.

Before he could give it a proper look, the blue hedgehog's thoughts were interrupted when Amy said, "She's just through here."

Amy had opened a set of doors and upon walking through them, the two hedgehogs were greeted by the sunlight, as it shone brightly through the large circular window that the boy had taken note of earlier. Now he could see that at the centre of the stained glass was a picture of some kind of gem, or an emerald even. He thought that the colour of it was similar to that of Amy's eyes. Evenly placed around this central image were several smaller emeralds, each with a different colour.

Sat at a desk, writing upon a piece of paper, was a squirrel. She wore a pair of small glasses and a knitted fleece over her torso. She looked innocent in her appearance - a complete opposite to the painting that the blue hedgehog had in his mind of her, shattering all of his remaining preconceptions by being so.

All around the room were numerous artefacts, some looking almost identical to those just along the large hallway the hedgehogs had just walked through. Horns, tusks, masks, scrolls, weaponry, stone and mineral tablets…these were only a few of the things that were dotted about the squirrel's study.

"And how may I help you today?" The squirrel spoke up, gaining both hedgehogs' attention.

Amy skipped to her guardian's side and chirped, "Mimm, he's here for a tarot reading!"

"Oh?" Madam Mimm raised an eyebrow, detracting her eyes from her writing and towards the young blue hedgehog. "Is that all he's here for?"

"No," the young blue creature said, stepping forward, package in hand, "I came to deliver this."

As he handed her the delivery from over the desk, avoiding knocking the many inkwells as he did so, Madam Mimm's face lit up.

"I've been waiting for this! What took you so long?" Before the blue hedgehog could even answer, insulted that Madam Mimm was insinuating he was slow, she chuckled slightly, "I jest. You did well to arrive so soon. I'll be sure to recommend you to others."

The hedgehog then stepped back as Madam Mimm began opening the package. He took in the beauty of the window, just before something caught his eye. At the edge of his view, Amy was staring at him with a big smile. Immediately, he looked down at the ground, neither blushing nor embarrassed, but simply wishing to avoid laughing at such a silly expression. Amy then frowned slightly, puzzled.

"I take it you're not with any particular branch. It would be very unlikely that they'd hire such a young individual to make this kind of delivery. These mountains can be quite dangerous you know," Madam Mimm remarked, almost done with her unwrapping.

The blue hedgehog couldn't hide his confident grin, and stated, "It was no problem for me."

Madam Mimm glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and smirked, "No. It would seem it wasn't."

It was at this moment that everyone's attention fell to the object in Madam Mimm's hands: a wooden box with a strange insignia of some kind on it's side. Madam Mimm then clasped her hands together, and seemed to be lost in deep thought for a moment.

"…Mimm?" Amy called, breaking the short silence.

Madam Mimm looked up to the young blue hedgehog once again, "Now, for your payment," she then handed him a well sewn leather pouch, full to the brim with rings. "I believe this is satisfactory, yes?"

The blue youngster couldn't say a word. Never would he have thought that this delivery would net him so many rings! This was a dream come true for him!

"I believe Amy also mentioned something about you wanting a reading," Madam Mimm started, before signalling for him to take a seat, "Care to give it a try?"

Laughing slightly, the boy hedgehog waved his hand, "No thanks. It's not really my kinda thing."

As he made his way to leave, Amy suddenly reached for his hand, holding it tightly before pulling him back, "Oh come on! It'll be fun! Look, we'll show you!"

Amy then pulled up a seat opposite Madam Mimm, and sat eagerly awaiting her reading.

"This will be near enough the four-hundredth time we've done this, Rosy." Mimm smiled warmly, hardly believing that Amy still got such a buzz from receiving a tarot reading.

"You never know," Amy giggled, "this time it could be different!"

Three cards were laid face down upon the desk, and Madam Mimm waved her a hand over each, before suddenly flipping the one on the far left. The image was nothing special: a small mouse sat calmly by a riverside.

"Your past is still the same as it has always been. Or is it simply your view of it that is the same? Who can really tell, save for you," Madam Mimm smiled. "Well, your past is a calm and pleasant one, but ultimately lonely. You longed for something more, but were sat staring at your own reflection; you were your only friend. Surrounded by love and care was all well and good, but you wished for more. A friend, perhaps?"

Madam Mimm then flipped the middle card, and on it was that same mouse, colour, size and all, only they were running through a field of roses, with the sun in the distance and strange, light orbs dancing around them.

"Your present is a pleasant one and, at this time, you don't feel quite so alone. The sun signifies your hope for something more, or that a new beginning is dawning. A bright horizon signifies a bright future, which leads me to…"

Madam Mimm turned the final card, on which was a mouse, with another, only now one was blue and the other pink, both holding one another inside a large red heart.

"Oh my, Rosy! This really is different!" Madam Mimm exclaimed, appearing to be just as excited as the young girl opposite her, both of them leaning in, with Madam Mimm now speaking in a whisper, "In your future lies love; strong and true yet hard to claim, but ultimately everlasting. See, the pink one represents you, and the blue one…," Madam Mimm glanced at the blue hedgehog nearby, who was now stood there tapping his foot impatiently, with arms crossed, "let's just say that love is very, very close."

Madam Mimm sat back up, and Amy stayed in the same position for almost a minute. Slowly, the girl hedgehog turned her head to look at the individual just behind her.

Upon seeing Amy's wide-eyed expression, the young boy raised his shoulders and asked, "What?"

Similar to before, Amy's face heated up like a kettle, with her almost making the same sound as one!

Madam Mimm, thinking it best to give the girl some time, asked knowingly, "How did the stall do today, Rosy? Sell any of those trinkets you made? I heard it's been rather chaotic in the village today."

Amy's once crimson face faded away and turned white as realisation hit her. She then cried, "I forgot to clean up the mess he made!"

And with that, Amy ran out of the door. The young blue hedgehog, who was responsible for the mess, was about to follow suit and help, until a cough from Madam Mimm drew his attention.

"It is your turn now, courier," she began with a smile, and signalled to the chair again, "Please sit."

Curiosity got the best of the blue creature, and he sat down warily, never taking his eye off of the squirrel before him.

Madam Mimm flipped the cards face down once again, mimicking everything she had done when performing Amy's reading. Then, she turned the first card. The fact that the image was different took the hedgehog by surprise, as the 'past' was now a blur of colours, mostly black, white and blue.

A look of confusion appeared on Madam Mimm's face as she spoke, "Your past…is a blurred one. I can hardly read anything from this. Either you don't remember much of your past, or…you wish to forget it. Feelings of true sadness can be felt…"

Madam Mimm affectionately glanced up, worried as to what the hedgehog would be thinking; the emotions this could be stirring. But alas, this was no ordinary creature, as the blue hedgehog sat there, eyes wide open, as was his mouth, with his legs swinging back and forth in anticipation. This reading wasn't effecting him in the least. With that, Madam Mimm's concern was replaced by curiosity, as she then hurriedly flipped the next card. The image was of a lone blue bird flying high and free above the land.

With a slight laugh, Madam Mimm said, "Your present is crystal clear in many regards, save one. A life of freedom and choice…that is the path you walk and wish to always walk. You venture from place to place, going wherever you wish when you wish. Yet you are seeking something, searching for a reason…a reason for what, though?" Madam Mimm leant towards the youngster, and looked him in the eye, genuinely intrigued, "Do you feel…alone, hedgehog? Do you feel like no one understands you? Or is it that you wish not to be understood; to be like the wind - unobtainable, uncontrollable and chaotic? But, ultimately, the wind is a lonesome thing as, for all it's freedom, it ventures from place to place with nothing beside it. The leaves it picks up along the way are it's only companions and, in the end, even they disappear. This is the life you currently lead and could always lead, according to the cards."

"That's not true," the blue youngster stated, looking away with a furrowed brow.

Madam Mimm smiled warmly, expecting such a thing. "Denial is to be expected. The cards are never wrong, but can be vague. Perhaps I'm just reading them incorrectly."

Madam Mimm then flipped the final card and the image was far more detailed than any she had seen before. There was a tree, with numerous branches leading to numerous objects, from a ring of mystical power to a sword that could only be obtained through being chosen, to even a heart that would be won. Madam Mimm could already tell whose heart that would be…but it was several other objects in the picture that caught her eye. Each bore the same shape, yet differed in colour; each…was an emerald. At the very top of the tree sat, what looked like, a star, shining brightly above all else.

Upon seeing these images, both Madam Mimm and the young hedgehog turned their attention to her window. The seven smaller emeralds that surrounded the larger one…they were in the blue youngsters reading, but what could that mean? No one was more puzzled than Madam Mimm. Eventually, she smiled contently and turned to face the creature opposite her once again.

"Well, you have a great many adventures coming, hedgehog, and one is fast approaching," Madam Mimm then clapped her hands together, "Let us hope you are prepared. I ask that you sleep here tonight, as I wish to speak with you in the morning. The living room should be quite adequate."

The young hedgehog cringed at the thought of the creepy living room, but it was probably, probably, better than sleeping in a tree again.

As he made his way to leave the room, Madam Mimm asked for his attention once more and said, "I would like to say something to you now though, hedgehog," this caused the youngster to turn around and look Madam Mimm in the eye once more, "Don't ever, ever make a promise to a girl when you know you won't be able to keep it. Understand?"

The blue hedgehog stared at her for a few moments, before answering, "Nope."

He began to leave again, and as he did so heard Madam Mimm mutter, "You will."

The youngster ventured downstairs into the living room and, after finding a good position of which to rest in on one of the chairs, was interrupted by a shadow looming over him. Opening one eye slightly, he saw that it was Amy, who smiled down at him happily.

"Follow me. There's something I want to show you," she whispered, as though worried someone would hear. After reaching the door and realising the blue hedgehog hadn't moved, Amy placed her hands on her hips and huffed, "C'mon!"

With a groan, the hedgehog jumped to his feet and followed Amy towards the front door.

After hearing him laughing to himself, Amy turned to her blue companion and asked, "What?"

"Nothin'. Just remembered that Madam Mayweather called you Rosy," he recalled as Amy opened the door. It was at this moment that he then said, under his breath, "Think Rosy the Rascal would be more fitting…"

"HEY!"

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

And BOOM! That's the ending to Chapter Two of Sonic Tales: Wanderlust! This turned out longer than I had anticipated, but whuddayagonnado? Seems Amy Rose snuck into this chapter, and I'm sorry to say she will not be featured much more in the story beyond this. The fact that Sonic doesn't recall her in Sonic CD, and doesn't remember this meeting, will have a part to play in future stories I write, so don't think I'm being horrid and just writing her in for the heck of it. One of the pillars of this whole Sonic Tales idea is 'Cause and Effect', so everything will have a consequence, ultimately. If you want something I'm writing which features more Amy, then venture over to the author The World Needs Bloody Heroes' profile and look up the story 'Sonic: No Brotherly Love', as I'm writing collaboratively with them. I'll be focusing on getting the next chapter of that up before I upload the next one to this story, so an update won't arrive as soon as this chapter has. If there's any mistakes in this chapter, let me know and I'll fix it right up!

As always, thanks for reading and any reviews, constructive or otherwise, would be appreciated!