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

♪ ~ [A Slow and Deep Breath ~ Falcom Sound Team jdk ~ Ys VII Lacrimosa of DANA- Original Soundtrack Complete Vol.2]

         ~It’s my first time following Sonic into a new Zone here in the Far Lands. I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m sure I have a lot to learn. Ooh~! It’s kind of frustrating really though. Sonic is paying attention to me, but it’s so he can teach me. I’m happy to learn, but I feel like I’m not making any progress in getting him to open up his heart. And being on the run, there isn’t any time either. We can’t even go sightseeing! It’s not fair!~

Shifting blocks covered in blue geometric lines of light
Ancient stone ruins hiding their paths in and out of the dark.
Trees growing into great loops and winding paths.
The influence of the Rings felt as much as seen.
Deep caves and underwater passages.
A maze from one island to the next.

         “You know Sonic, it would be easier on you if you learned how to swim,” Rosy suggested as Sonic and her waited for a floating block to take them in range of several vines swaying in the wind.

         “Maybe another time,” Sonic dismissed the notion, watching the rushing water down below the two finger-like mountains sticking up out of the ocean.

         The two mountains were close enough that it was impossible to determine if the forest canopy above started from one or the other. It proved beneficial as it allowed Rosy and Sonic to swing from the vines to the next mountain. But making their way up proved far more difficult as the seemingly smooth stone of the ruins that filled the mountain was constantly crumbling. Eventually the two hedgehogs took a break in a room where the floating and shifting blocks were more numerous and seemed to follow some sort of pattern giving them purpose.

         “I wonder,” Sonic remarked as he watched the blocks.

         “Wonder what?” Rosy asked as she grabbed her knees and tried to catch her breath. Her energy was nigh unlimited, but just like Sonic, her body could not always keep up and the nature of the ruins was making it more and more difficult. Still, she focused on the adventure ahead of her. “What are we even looking for? Maybe my cards can help us find it?”

         “I’d rather not,” Sonic dismissed the another of Rosy's notions and made her puff up her cheeks.

         “Why not! I can find anything with my cards and dowsing skills! You just have to give me a chance to try!”

         “And how does that work again?” Sonic pointedly asked and caused a look of dejected realization to appear on Rosy’s face.

         “That creep!” Rosy whined and earned a comforting smile from Sonic.

         ~I want to be comforted by Sonic's smile, but that creep Yolk is really making things hard for me. If I didn't have this thing in my eye, I bet I could dowse and practice reading my cards just fine. Yet that creep can peek in and mess up my readings. Is he really a god?~

         “Don’t worry about it," Sonic pulled Rosy from her thoughts and regained her full attention, not realizing she had grown distracted. "We just need to find the Yoluku device and then you should be able to use them all you want. Though you may not need to.”

         “Really?”

         “Because we may be getting closer and closer to the Ring Gate Beacon.”

         “Ring Gate Beacon?”

          ~I understand what a Ring Gate is. Well, kind of. When you put enough Rings together, they can send you anywhere they remember, though you don’t really have a say. Sonic does, as he can do more with Rings than just collect and hold on to them. But for everyone else, we have to use Ring Gate Beacons.

          ~As Sonic and I continued exploring the islands, he explained it to me. Though no one knows who built them, the shifting blocks all over these islands are from an ancient civilization who made use of Rings. Sonic says they aren’t the echidna’s who relied on Chaos or any of the cultures that relied on Gaia. He says whoever they were, they are more like people outside of the Far Lands who rely on Rings every day. Apparently, the blocks do all sorts of things with Rings. All I really see them doing though is taking the traits of Rings for themselves and keeping the environment from being affected by them. Maybe that’s why there are so many cities built here, though Sonic says we need to avoid people until we find the Yolk device.

         ~It doesn’t seem too hard to avoid people as we seem to be in an unexplored region of the Zone, but that gets me worried too. According to Sonic, the two things we are looking for are the Yolk Device and the Ring Gate Beacon. Supposedly using the Beacon lets people control where Ring Gates will take you as the Rings always remember Beacons you’ve been to. I’m not sure how that works, but maybe it has to do with Rings being able to steal memories. I’m trying to understand it all, but it’s so confusing. Maybe if I had my memories.~

         *Slap*

         “What are you doing now, Amy?”

         “I have to try harder so I can help you out Sonic!”

         “I appreciate it Amy, really, but you don’t need to push yourself. I’ve done this before you know.”

         “That’s no good Sonic!” Rosy shoved her face in Sonic’s where they had come to a stop on an old bridge of solid stone covered in the glowing blue geometric lines.

         “Wah! Amy!”

         “You keep telling me you won’t carry me for this whole adventure, and I want us both to have fun! I’m working really hard on being able to run with you, but that’s only part of what I have to do. I have to help you free the people under Yolk’s control. I have to find ways for us to have fun together. And I have to help you fight too!”

         “…Amy.”

         “No,” Rosy shook her head before looking at Sonic sternly. “Rosy! And I’m not backing down Sonic. I’m going to help you find my memories. I’m going to help you keep Yolk from causing trouble. I’m going to help you have fun. And I’m going to have fun too! And running around without any goal in the woods isn’t fun when you’re being so serious!”

         “In case you’ve never noticed, I usually take my running pretty seriously.”

         “How could I notice?” Rosy asked, puffing her cheeks up at Sonic and causing him to step back as she tried to get up further in his face. “You’ve always run off and left me behind. I remember that much! I remember that I couldn’t keep up with you no matter how hard I tried. But now we have to run together Sonic, and I find it so much fun running with you. So, it’s time you learn how to have fun running too. And maybe learn to swim! It’s a lot of fun too~♥

         “I know we need to find the Yolk Device and free everyone,” Rosy cut Sonic off as he attempted to interrupt her, “but helping people should be fun! We should be making things fun for them too! We can make the world a better place through fun, and not hurt people like that creep is doing! So, I’m going to make sure you have fun Sonic. Even finding this Ring Gate Beacon should be fun! We just need to follow the bigger and bigger clusters of blocks that move around on their own, right?”

         “It’s not really that–“

         “Only because you’re being too serious Sonic!” Rosy cut Sonic off again. He smirked irritably and she placed her hands on her hips and puffed up her cheeks at him.

         “You have fun when you go on adventures, right?”

         “Well, if they’re worth it.”

         “And you have fun when you challenge yourself, right?”

         “Of course.”

         “Good. Then stop being so serious because I’m here too!”

         Sonic’s eyes widened as Rosy forced him to realize he was taking her protection and safely so seriously that he was not allowing himself to enjoy himself. Rosy did not quite pick up on it and continued though.

         “You’re making me feel boring Sonic! That’s not nice of you. I like having fun too, and every time I do something right it’s so exiting. I’m still practicing your Spin Dash and trying to make better use of how much I bounce when I’m curled up, and you know, every little challenge I try is fun. It’s exciting and enjoyable. So let me in on your fun and stop keeping it all to yourself and from yourself! I want to be part of your fun you big jerk!”

         Try as she might not to, as she knew Sonic could not stand tears, Rosy started crying anyway. Sonic however surprised her and smiled, putting a hand gently on her head, soothingly ruffling her spines.

         “So~ni~c~♥”

         “You really are a rascal,” Sonic laughed as Rosy pretty much melted under Sonic’s caressing touch, even though she wanted to be angry at him, “but you’re right too.”

         “Really?”

         “Yeah,” Sonic awkwardly admitted as he looked away from Rosy’s imploring eyes and scratched at his cheek. “I’ve been so focused on finding the Yoluku Device and Ring Gate Beacon, that I kind of didn’t think about how pushing so hard would affect you.”

         “And you!” Rosy corrected Sonic. Though as she hopped around into his direct line of sight again, she was smiling as she clasped her hands behind her back. Swaying her body as she did, Sonic could see her tail wagging away, and he smirked at himself.

         “You know we still have to rescue the people here from Yolk.”

         “Of course,” Rosy agreed.

         “So, what do you propose instead of running around just hoping to find it.”

         “Well, if we’re worried about that creep using my dowsing against me, then we just have to go somewhere it won’t matter.”

         “You mean right into the heart of a city?”

         “It’d be a challenge, right?”

         “Of course.”

         “Then let’s do it Sonic! Let’s challenge that creep and show the people under his control that we can help them too!”

         “And have fun, right?”

         “Well, duh!” Rosy laughed.

          ~I was really being shortsighted thinking I could just run along with Sonic and think we could have fun. Seeing how bright his eyes are while he’s smiling with me though, I know I’ve helped him feel better about me tagging along. I know I’m a hinderance to him if I don’t get better. Even though I can help him with things like learning to swim and even finding the things we need to so we can get around the Zone easier and free the people of it. He still has to keep me safe, and I was so busy enjoying his attention I never thought about it.

          ~Bad Rosy, bad! You have to take care of Sonic as much as he does you. You can’t let him keep his feelings and concerns hidden from you. Even if he keeps his heart closed and guarded, you have to see through him so he never has to worry and can just have fun!

          ~Right! I can do this! It’ll be hard, but Sonic is looking back at me and smiling now as we run. I can’t ask for more than that, and I’m so excited to work for everything that I can’t ask for. It’ll be a challenge, just like finding the two things Sonic looks for in every Zone in the Far Lands. But Sonic finds challenges fun, and so do I! After all, I get to experience so much tackling the biggest challenge of all. Adventuring with Sonic~♥~