Written by Joshua David Tarwater
Special Thanks - @Cutegirlmayra
Illustration - SmilesFPS (SmilesFPS www.twitter.com)
Logo Design - Xenoko (XenokoYT www.twitter.com)
Promt - Skylor-The-Ninja

♪ ~ [Corridors of Time – Malcolm Robinson – Chrono Trigger: Orchestral Selections, Vol. II]

“You really are a rascal, you know that?” Sonic asked irritably. He could do little but scratch behind his ear and sigh though as Rosy laughed at him. “How many times have I told you not to let those things land on you?”

“Sorry Sonic,” Rosy could not keep herself from laughing. “But I really want to learn more about where we are and why we keep fighting golems.”

“There are better ways to do it. In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been poking around old ruins everywhere and asking everyone we meet for answers.”

“It’s not like you to take the slow approach Sonic,” Rosy teased. She could not see Sonic’s irritated face, but it was clear in his voice as he responded.

“I can take my time when I want to, and I happen to enjoy a good book when I find it too. And aren’t you the one talking about enjoying the journey and having fun. Who’d have thought you’d complain about my methods.”

“Ooh~! That’s not fair Sonic!” Puffing up her cheeks, Rosy made sure her complaint was not unheard. It was a necessity as Sonic could not see her expression either.

Flower beds of giant satellite dishes of varying size.
Collapsing and overgrown.
Wandering golems and drifting chunks of land.
Land influenced by Rings beyond just floating.
Massive naturally formed shuttle loops.
Light Blooms, flowers of light left wherever golems fell.
A pink hedgehog girl curled up tight within the bloom of one.

“So how exactly are you going to get yourself out of there, no less learn something,” Sonic focused again on the situation at hand. “I mean, I’m not fond of tearing up flowers if I don’t have to, but I’m sure I could just Spin Attack it and free you easily enough.”

“Maybe I can talk it into letting me go,” Rosy suggested. “And if that doesn’t work, I can always practice using your Spin Dash!”

“You’re being really optimistic about this you know.”

“Of course!” Rosy laughed cheerfully. “It’s a little tight in here, but it’s not hurting me. I think it’s more like a prison, which is kind of weird, but it’s the same force that powers the golems, right?”

“I’d figure,” Sonic agreed with Rosy’s observation. “Not my first time seeing life energy used to power a machine though.”

“But golems aren’t machines,” Rosy argued. “So, whatever is powering them is also giving them life. That’s what I’m going to try and talk to. It won’t be easy though, but definitely more direct.”

“Don’t tell me–!”

“Of course! My cards!”

~Hee-hee! Sonic is really good, and he’s so cute worrying about me, but it’s precious knowing he has weak points too. It’s a place for me to get stronger than him and help him out! Just like with his emotions, tee-hee~♥ Sonic has no idea how to handle them so I have to help him out there too. I just have to get him to open up first. Before that though, I have to get this flower to open up.

~Normally when talking with the world around me using my cards, I’d use them to ask questions and read the responses from them. I can’t really do that right now, but I keep them stored in the puffy sleeve of my leotard so I can grab them easily enough since I grab my shoulders when I curl up. So hopefully I can use them like a dowsing rod and interpret the voice of the flower that way. At the least, it’s worth a shot. And if it doesn’t work out, I can practice Sonic’s Spin Dash until I get free, or Sonic rescues me. Hee-hee~♥ I win no matter how it goes!~

Feeling energetic, Rosy ignored the sense of disorientation the flower caused her as it rotated her around withing its closed petals. Instead, she tightened her grip on her shoulders and took a firm grip of the watertight case that held her cards. Slowing her breathing and relaxing as much as she could in her defensive ball, she tried to get a feel for the Light Bloom and isolate the world around her. Deeper and deeper she went, entering a trance of her own making trying to hear the voice of the Light Bloom.

Then, the sounds of conflict filled her ears, and she opened her eyes in surprise.

“What?”

~I wasn’t expecting a vision, I hope I’m not worrying Sonic if he’s talking to me. Ooh~! This is bad! I need to find out what’s going on and see what the flower wants me to see. But all I see is destruction and fighting. There are so many golems and so much smoke and fire I can’t really see anything. No, I can see soldiers, and little teardrops of light with wings. Are those fairies?

~I think they are. I’ve heard the stories before, I think. I don’t remember, but they seem to be giving life to the golems. Not just stone ones, but machine ones too. And the soldiers who fall, they’re becoming seeds of light and giving rise to more stone golems. Are they…? They couldn’t be! No, I think they golems were once people people. But they aren’t like any people I know. Their faces are smooth like the surface of a seed and they have the buds of plants sprouting from their heads. It’s like they’re plant or seed people. Who are they, and what are they fighting?~

“Me.”

Rosy froze, her trance within a trance broken. Turning slowly towards the source of the beautiful voice, the battlefield vision became flooded with golden light, and a Ring Gate opened before Rosy. Stepping through the giant Ring was none other than Pir’Oth Ix and Benedict Yoluku. But it was a strange and unnatural moment. Yoluku and Ix engaged the soldiers and golems, sabers attached to motors which powered dragonfly wings diving into the fray as golems and Rings rose from the ground on Ix’s command. But Yoluku simultaneously stepped away from the battle and towards Rosy.

“You…”

“Of course, you don’t remember me. Your lost memories make it difficult.”

Taking a bow, with a sweeping flourish of his cape that presented an image that made Rosy think of a sunny side up egg, Yoluku offered her the friendliest of smiles. “It is an absolute pleasure however to at least meet my precious Medium.”

“…medium…?” Rosy was confused, but as Yoluku looked at her with his heavenly clear eyes that reflected no sky and no earth, realization dawned on her and she gasped. “You’re Yolk!”

“Such a dreadful nickname, but it does rhyme nicely with joke, and the two of us are both lovers of entertainment, are we not?”

“I like having fun, but not by hurting people!” Rosy countered and earned the most pleasing laugh from Yoluku.

“Do you mean this?” Yoluku gestured towards the battle at hand. “Do please allow me to properly introduce myself, my precious Medium.

“I am Emperor Benedict Yoluku of the Empire of the Ring. The once ruler of this world. This little memory is but a battle because the Children of Gaia and the Children of Chaos were not fond of my rule. But I rightly deserve it. After all, I am not a dirt dweller, but a god.”

“No way!” Rosy shook her head violently trying to deny Yoluku’s words. All she managed to do however was make him laugh and smile.

“That’s perfect. Yes. Struggle. Resist me. Try to stop the return my dear old friend Pir’Oth rushes to fulfill. I find your struggles and that of the Dirt Dweller so amusing. I’ve slept for thousands of years having had the Rings of all things turned against me. So, waking to so amusing a struggle… It’s splendid! It’s so much fun to be challenged and know you control the rules of the game! Oh, how I want to make you mine, but taking you from the Dirt Dweller is part of the fun. It would spoil the game if I took you from him here. Don’t you think?”

“Keep away from me you creep!” Rosy shouted and performed a Spin Dash that took her clear out of the Light Bloom. Shortly after she uncurled and flopped on the ground looking up at the small planet Yoluku watching her from the sky and shuddered.

“You alright Amy?” Sonic asked skidding to a stop next to her. “I thought you fell asleep and were enjoying a nap in there.”

:Tell the Dirt Dweller for me, to look up, won’t you my precious Medium:

“No way! Get out of my head!” Rosy yelled to Sonic’s surprise. Her words were not lost on him though and he whipped his head around to look up at Yoluku. Beyond the corona of the sun, a red shooting star fell from the small planet and streaked for the distant horizon.

“It’s time to leave this Zone, Amy,” Sonic stated matter-of-factly and reached back towards Rosy with an offering hand.

~I don’t know what Sonic was thinking. I’m sure he was as bothered by that creep Yolk as I was. It felt like it took forever to get his laugh out of my head. Something so beautiful and pleasant sounding shouldn’t be so evil. I don’t know what’s wrong with that creep, but Sonic’s right. I don’t even want to imagine what will happen if we don’t stop him.

~Ooh~! I wanted to learn something to help Sonic, not meet a creep! But I’m not going to let him ruin this adventure either. I have Sonic all to myself and want to enjoy that time together. Stopping bad guys is fine, but it isn’t romantic in the least. Ooh~! I’ll give that creep a piece of mind when we figure out how to get up there!

~…

~But before that… before that I want to have as much fun with Sonic as I can and open his heart. Tee-hee! If he admits how much he loves me before we get up there, I’m sure we can stop Yolk with the power of our love for each other! Tee-hee~♥~